We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Republican senators to join their colleagues in the effort to overturn Joe Biden's election victory. And he's doing it publicly and bluntly. Trump targeted Senator Mike Lee on Monday night, announcing he's 'angry' at the Utah Republican at a campaign rally in Georgia for the two Senate candidates in that state. 'Mike Lee is here, but I'm a little angry at him,' Trump said at the event. His comments came after Lee announced he didn't support objecting to the election results when Congress meets on Wednesday to certify them. Lee's Republican colleagues, Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, are leading the objection charge in the upper chamber. President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Republican senators to over turn the election results, targeting Senator Mike Lee with the announcement he's 'angry' at the Utah Republican at a campaign rally in Georgia on Monday night Senator Mike Lee sent a letter to his Republican colleagues in the Senate explaining why he doesn't support the plan to objection to states' results when Congress meets Wednesday to certify them Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, are leading the objection charge But Lee sent a letter to his Republican Senate colleagues explaining his lack of support in challenging the election results. President-elect Joe Biden won the electoral college with 306 votes to Trump's 232. 'With respect to presidential elections, there is no authority for Congress to make value judgments in the abstract regarding any state's election laws or the manner in which they have been implemented,' Lee wrote. But other senators are joining the effort, including Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, who is on the ballot in Tuesday's special election in that state. Trump, who held a rally for her and fellow Republican Senator David Perdue, also on the ballot, Monday night, praised the two for supporting the objection effort. 'Pleased to announce that @KLoeffler & @sendavidperdue have just joined our great #StopTheSteal group of Senators. They will fight the ridiculous Electoral College Certification of Biden. How do you certify numbers that have now proven to be wrong and, in many cases, fraudulent!,' the president tweeted on Tuesday morning along with an encouragement for Georgians to vote for them. There is one problem, however. Perdue is no longer a sitting senator. His term expired January 3 and the winner of Tuesday's contest will be take that Senate seat so he is not eligible to participate in Wednesday's certification process. Loeffler, in contrast, was appointed to fill a vacant seat so she will hold it until the results of the special election are certified. When Congress meets in a joint session at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Trump's allies in the House are looking to object to the results from six states: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. But senators are looking at only joining in the objections for three or four, Politico reported, primarily Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Both a senator and a congressman must object for it to be considered. It's unclear how long the process to certify the electoral college results will take. Each state's tally is read in alphabetical order and any objection must be raised at the time. Then lawmakers head to their respective chambers for two hours of debate before a final vote on the objection. If multiple states garner objections, the process will go into Thursday. However, the senators werent excited about debating past midnight, Politico reported, in a sign the effort may lose steam if none of the objections are sustained. And the odds of that happening are slim. For a state's results to be dismissed, majorities of both chambers have to vote to sustain the objection. If one chamber votes to toss the state's votes and the other doesn't, the objection is dismissed. The Democratically-controlled House is unlikely to support sustaining an objection, meaning the states' results will stand and Biden will ultimately be declared the winner. Additionally, the Republican-controlled Senate isn't likely to vote in favor of an objection, either. The GOP has a slim margin in the upper chamber and a number of Republican senators have voiced their objections to the objection process. The low down on how Congress certifies the Electoral College vote At 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Senators and Representatives will gather in the House chamber for a Joint Session of Congress to count and certify the electoral college ballots. Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump by 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232. But the constitution calls for Congress to certify the results, in a process that has become largely procedural. It is very difficult to over turn an election and it has never happened in American history. Republicans, however, have vowed to object to the electoral college results, dragging out the certification process and putting on a grand display of theater that will likely please the president. Here's how the day will play out: The process is presided over by the president of the Senate, which is Vice President Mike Pence. Pence will open the states' sealed certificates in alphabetical order and hand them them to one of four 'tellers' a Republican and a Democrat from each chamber of Congress - who will announce how each state voted. As each state's result is read, Pence will ask whether any member of Congress wishes to raise an objection. At least one member of the House and one member of the Senate must object for the objection to stand. The law also states the objection must be in writing. If the objection is recognized, the lawmakers go to their respective chambers to debate the matter for up to two hours. Then the House and Senate each votes on whether to sustain the objection - which would dismiss the state's votes - or reject the objection. For a state's results to be dismissed, majorities of both chambers have to vote to sustain the objection. If one chamber votes to sustain the objection and the other doesn't, the objection is dismissed and the state's electoral college results stand. The Democratically-controlled House is unlikely to support sustaining an objection, meaning the states' results will stand and Biden will ultimately be declared the winner. Additionally, the Republican-controlled Senate isn't likely to vote in favor of an objection, either. The GOP has a slim margin in the upper chamber and a number of Republican senators have voiced their objections to the objection process. After the objection is voted on by each chamber, the joint session reconvenes and continues with the count. If there's another objection to a different state's vote, the process is repeated. President Trump's allies are looking at challenging three states: Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, which could go into the early morning hours of Thursday. 'At the end of the day, which could be the middle of the night, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be officially declared the next President and Vice President of the United States,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Democratic House members on Monday. After the votes are recorded from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the vice president declares who has received the requisite majority of electoral college votes. That announcement finalizes the election. WHAT IF THE OBJECTIONS ARE SUSTAINED? If, by some remote chance, an objection is sustained, Trump and his allies hope that will result in the electors being thrown out, ultimately bringing Biden's electoral count below the 270 needed to win. If all three state challenges are successful, Biden would have 259 electoral votes, throwing the election to the House of Representatives to select the next president. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, each state congressional delegation gets one vote. While Democrats control the House, Republicans control the majority of state delegations, which is how Trump hopes to be 'elected.' Sources: NBC News, Washington Post, New York Times Advertisement 'At the end of the day, which could be the middle of the night, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be officially declared the next President and Vice President of the United States,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Democratic House members on Monday. Meanwhile, Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler is the latest Republican vowing to object to Biden's victory, a major political gambit on the eve of her runoff election. She joins at least a dozen Republican senators now involved in the process. Loeffler, who is facing a tight run-off on Tuesday, announced her intentions during a campaign event on Monday night, where she appeared on stage alongside President Trump. 'On January 6 I will object to the Electoral College vote,' the senator said, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the crowd. 'This president fought for us, we're fighting for him. He put America first, he put the American worker first. He stood with our men and women in law enforcement. He restored our military.' Loeffler, who wore a mask during parts of the event but not others, then turned her attention to her 'radical liberal' challenger in tomorrow's election, Democrat Raphael Warnock. 'He attacked our police, our military. He spoke out against Israel, evangelicals, small businesses,' she said of Warnock. 'Georgia, we have to hold the line. You have to get out and vote tomorrow. We are the firewall to socialism. We have to get it done. I love you guys, thank you!' Senator Kelly Loeffler announced that she will object to Joe Biden's victory during a campaign event alongside President Donald Trump on Monday night Loeffler was pictured wearing a mask at some points during the event, but took it off while she was on stage Loeffler first signaled her intention to object to the Electoral College results on Fox News on Monday evening, saying: 'The American people deserve a platform in Congress, permitted under the Constitution, to have election issues presented so that they can be addressed. 'That's why, on January 6th, I will vote to give President Trump and the American people the fair hearing they deserve and support the objection to the Electoral College certification process.' Loeffler is set to object to the results of the count in Georgia, though she may also contest the results in other states. 'We must restore trust, confidence and integrity in our election system,' she said. Loeffler had previously refused to say if she would join the rogue senators' efforts to overturn Biden's win. 'I've said from the start, everything is on the table here, and I'm seriously looking at that,' she said Sunday. But she apparently changed her mind ahead of Trump showing his support for her on Monday night. Loeffler will be in a position to contest the presidential election results regardless of whether she defeats Warnock, as they are set to be certified before she would have to depart the Senate if the Democrat should win. Georgia is set to head to the polls in two runoffs on Tuesday, with Loeffler and Warnock competing in one and Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue competing in the others. Control of the Senate rests in the hands of the runoffs, with a 50-50 split of the body a possibility if Ossoff and Warnock are both victorious. Trump's Dirty Dozen Senator Josh Hawley - Missouri - has already said he will object The Cruz faction Senator Ted Cruz - Texas Senator Ron Johnson - Wisconsin Senator James Lankford - Oklahoma Senator Steve Daines - Montana Senator John Kennedy - Louisiana Senator Marsha Blackburn - Tennessee Senator Mike Braun - Indiana Senator-elect Cynthia Lummis - Wyoming Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville - Alabama Senator-elect Bill Hagerty - Tennessee Senator-elect Roger Marshall - Kansas *Senators-elect will be sworn in as senators on Sunday January 3, and will be eligible to vote on January 6 Advertisement Ties in Senate votes are broken by the Vice President, who will be Kamala Harris so long as the election results are certified. Hawley was the first to confirm he would object to the certification of the election results. Since then, Cruz has jumped on board, bringing a number of senators with him and further dividing the Republican Party. Cruz was joined by Senators Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, along with Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall, all of whom will be sworn in as senators on Sunday in the new Congress. Loeffler is not set to join Cruz's faction of dissenters, instead going out to contest the election on her own grounds. Fox News also reports that at least 100 GOP members of the House of Representatives will be objecting to the results in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada. Loeffler's decision to contest the results in Georgia come on the heels of the latest scandal involving the aftermath of the presidential election in that state. This weekend, the Washington Post released audio revealing President Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to 'find' votes to increase his total by 11,000 in the state. 'All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,' Trump said during the call. 'Because we won the state.' Raffensperger and his lawyer repeatedly pushed back against Trump's claims during the call. Trump reportedly tried to talk to Raffensperger on at least 18 other occasions prior to the call on Saturday. Georgia has certified the presidential election results in the state, drawing Trump's ire against both Raffensperger and Governor Brian Kemp. In addition to Loeffler's stance, her de facto running mate Perdue revealed support of the plan to contest the election results, although his term in the Senate technically ended over the weekend, leaving him without an ability to join the faction. Perdue tweeted on Monday night, 'I urge my colleagues to object. I stand with @realDonaldTrump. #GASen #gapol.' Senatory Hawley of Missouri (above) was the first to defy McConnell by announcing he would join House Republicans in objecting to the state tallies on January 6 Senators (left to right) Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines signed on with Cruz Senators John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun also joined Cruz's faction Also joining Cruz were incoming Senators (left to right) Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall, all of whom will be sworn in as senators on Sunday Cruz and his faction are asking for an emergency 10-day audit of the election results by a commission. While the list of those planning to object to the results seems to grow by the day, there is very little chance they will affect the outcome of the election. For objections to succeed, they need support from both chambers of Congress, a near-impossibility with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives. According to FiveThirtyEight, Loeffler has aligned with Trump on nearly every piece of legislation during her Senate term, only disagreeing on the National Defense Authorization Act last month. This week, she also came out in support of Trump's hope of getting $2,000 stimulus payments to the American people according to Politico. WARREN, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The need for hospitals to instantly alert their employees' mobile devices is now helping save lives. Communication companies like FastCommand have created technology that assists HR Directors and disaster teams to coordinate hospital operations directly through employee phones. COVID-19 Smart Alert messages are received instantly on staff mobile devices. HR Directors need cyber command tools to effectively alert staff in a timely manner. According to Kasey Sellers, Marketing Director of FastCommand, "Thousands of hospital HR teams now face new compliance guidelines that require hospitals to urgently send out notifications to all staff. This pandemic has forced HR Directors to become cyber-communication specialists to maintain staffing needs and meet new COVID-19 notification requirements. A Los Angeles hospital is now activating FastCommand to create and distribute warning letters to staff cell phones when they have been exposed to COVID-19." Dale Bungard, Trumbull Memorial Hospital's Director of Emergency Services, said, "FastCommand's Smart Alerting tool not only helps us to notify busy employees with critical day-to-day staffing alerts but also allows us to push complex data straight to employees' mobile devices. Natural disasters, hacks, and pandemics can quickly shut down the hospitals' operations, but with FastCommand our operations are coordinated through staff phones to undertake multiple tasks, including using staff remote devices to admit patients even if the hospital computers are down." FastCommand has patented technology that helps hospitals operate after cyber-attacks, during employee disruptions, and upon the need for disaster coordination, continuity, and endurance. FastCommand assures hospital CEO's and HR Directors that their staff can continue working during massive threats or disruptions. Carol Snowberger, HR Director of Trumbull Memorial Hospital, said, "Trumbull Memorial HR departments require the use of FastCommand numerous times a day now. FastCommand helps the hospital endure during staffing needs in these uncertain and trying times. This is a system that all HR departments need in their arsenal, not only for compliance but for all the hospital's emergencies and staffing needs." About FastCommand FastCommand patented website technologies are specifically designed for critical emergency HR situations. This innovative continuity technology helps communications endure even during website overload or phone collapse. The tools are used by non-technical staff during many threats that can quickly occur in institutions large or small. FastCommand has public safety teams available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For More Information Visit: https://www.fastcommand.com https://www.fastcommand.com/docs/FastCommandHospitals.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2rxRbTiDAk&feature=youtu.be https://www.fastcommand.com/getpage.php?name=Pandemic_Alerts Contact: Kasey Sellers FastHealth Corporation FastCommand [email protected] https://www.fastcommand.com 205-752-5050, Ext. 110 Carol Snowberger HR Director Trumbull Memorial Hospital https://www.trumbullregional.org 330-841-9011 SOURCE FastCommand Related Links https://www.fastcommand.com A British judge has rejected the US Justice Departments effort to have Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange extradited to the United States to face espionage charges for obtaining and publishing secret documents that revealed war crimes. The decision of Judge Vanessa Baraitser to deny the extradition request has given Assange an important legal victory in his efforts to avoid extradition for actions many would regard as inherent to media freedom the right of journalists to obtain and publish information and to protect confidential sources. However, in her ruling Judge Baraitser dismissed the arguments of Assanges lawyers in relation to these matters, saying she was satisfied that the American authorities made their extradition request in good faith, that the case was not politically driven, and that Assange was not merely acting as a journalist. Julian Assange is an Australian citizen and his fate should be of concern to the Prime Minister. Credit:AP This is a significant blow to media freedom in Britain, and elsewhere. However, the judge found there was evidence relating to Assanges mental health that indicated there was a substantial risk he might commit suicide if extradited into the particularly harsh circumstances of maximum security imprisonment in the US. If the name VAIO is familiar to you, thats because there was a time when Sony VAIO laptops were available in India along with the rest of the world. Sony exited the VAIO PC business back in 2014, but it looks like the buzzing PC space in India has led to a comeback from the VAIO brand but this time in partnership with Flipkart. Speaking on the launch, Ms Seema Bhatnagar, Regional Business Director, South Asia, VAIO said, We are enthused to relaunch VAIO and associate with names that have made it big in the e-commerce industry. Introducing finest-quality laptops in India, the brand focuses on reclaiming its space in the market while having an unrivalled demand by the customers. We are all set to present futuristic laptop range to the countrys burgeoning tech-enthusiasts and young business professionals. We are looking forward to becoming the top choice for laptop buyers across the country. Details such as models, specifications, variants etc. are still not known but customers can expect an extensive range of sleek and portable laptops equipped with top-of-the-shelf features that make for high-performance capability. VAIO will relaunch laptops in India on January 15 so expect more details such as models, variants and price, then. According to the press release shared, The brand that offers various services such as manufacturing, sales and marketing as well as servicing of VAIO laptops under the VAIO trademark in Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Middle East markets is now strutting in India to reimagine and co-create the future of laptops in the country. With most people spending 2020 working from home, it looks like the work from home trend could continue into 2021. With the work from home trend, the laptop and PC space saw an increase in demand. It will be interesting to see how VAIO creates a space for itself in a price-sensitive market like India dominated by the likes of Lenovo, Acer and many more gunning for your attention. The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost. Border Security Force (BSF) personnel apprehended nine Bangladeshi nationals, including three minors, while they were trying to cross the international border in West Bengal's Nadia district on Monday. However, handed over the individuals to authorities as a gesture of goodwill. The in a statement said that the jawans posted at the border outpost Kumari received specific input from the force's intelligence branch regarding illegal migration from Around 3 am, the vigilant troops observed suspicious movement and found nine Bangladeshi nationals trying to cross into Jawans questioned the Bangladeshi nationals at border outpost Kumari and their identities were revealed. According to the BSF, the apprehended Bangladeshi nationals identified themselves as Taniya Khatoon (25), Moni Rani Nath (28), Rashi Nani Nath (8), Nilu Haldar (20), Purnima Sarkar (16), Anjali Rani Nath (50), Ruma Gazi (27), Md Bilal (8) and Paritosh Rai (25). Nilu Haldar who was one of the apprehended persons in her statement to the BSF said she was trying to enter for the first time in order to marry Paritosh Rai who had been living here for over a decade. "Purnima Sarkar said that she was also coming to to marry the son of her maternal aunt. Taniya Khatoon said she wanted to look for labour in Mumbai while Moni Rani Nath claimed she was on her way to meet her parents who live in West Bengal's Chatra. Similarly, Anjali Rani Nath was trying to enter India to meet her daughter who lives in Bengal and Ruma Gazi was on her way to meet her husband in Karnataka," BSF said. According to BSF, the Bangladeshi nationals said they were entering India with the help of an Indian named Ravi who hails from Bangaon in West Bengal. BSF personnel recovered three mobile phones and 1,430 Bangladeshi Taka from the nine individuals who were handed over to the Border Guard (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It became clear early on, as this government shuffled from shambles to scandal, the schools would be its holy grail. "We got the schools open," became the standard response from every minister who was questioned on the Covid-19 response. So passionate was their self-congratulation, the schools being open was regarded as the ultimate achievement and not having the schools open would've been the end of the world. At one point, National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) director Clive Byrne said he thought the Government would "move hell and high water to keep schools open if it is safe to do so." And here we are, at 6,000 cases a day, Intensive Care Units bursting at the seams and schools shut for a week, at least. Mounting concern For months, we'd heard schools were safe, they were controlled, and the spread amongst children was low, which was all true, to a point. However, by the last week in November, schools were the third most likely place to record Covid-19 clusters. Concern is rightly mounting now, from teachers and parents alike. Household mixing on Christmas Day and over the festive period would mean that the spread and symptoms of the virus would only begin rearing its ugly heads this week and next. On December 22, our nearest neighbour, Britain, was warned by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) that they needed to close schools to contain coronavirus before Christmas. No such advice was given here, but parents are furiously Googling, and with little direction from Merrion Street, concern will continue to mount. Teachers with underlying conditions, parents with elderly family at home and anyone - child or adult - considered vulnerable, mulls someone in their close contacts heading into a 39-hour week with 30 other households, with little from government other than "schools by their nature are safe". No contingency plan What became clear from anyone who attended a meeting between Minister for Education Norma Foley and opposition TDs was that little-to-no contingency planning has been done for the situation that the schools could shut again. Schools would be given the same guidelines as before, with all the problems which existed in March still intact, no mention of extra supports for parents or extra laptops for those without. Disadvantaged children would still suffer, women would still be left to handle the majority of the load and teachers would be left rudderless. As usual for this unfortunate government, it now finds itself in a mess of its own making. If the schools are safe, why delay their opening? The minister says it was to reduce contacts, but as we continue to flag around 6,000 cases a day and rising, how does returning to school make sense? If having them open was such a triumph, is keeping them closed admitting you got it wrong by ignoring the Nphet advice and reopening hospitality, retail and household visits? There may well be answers to these queries, it would take staff in the department an afternoon to collate the data available from school outbreaks and make a handy information leaflet, but as usual, the Government's communications on the issue are missing in action - and in the meantime, panic fills the void. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited capital city of Madrid in Spain. PM Modi along with President of Spain Mariano Rajoy addressed media on Wednesday. PM Modi said that terrorism is a challenge for all of our societies and we get to hear a lot about terror attacks these days. Updates from the PM Modis speech in Spain: # India and Spain faced terrorism, boosting cooperation against the menace is an important part of our bilateral agenda # India and Spain can cooperate in so many areas, including infrastructure; we must have even closer economic ties # Terrorism is a challenge for all of our societies, we get to hear a lot about terror attacks these days # Our discussions today will focus on boosting our bilateral relations On the second leg of four-nation tour spanning over six-days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Madrid in the Spanish capital on Tuesday. PM Modis tour is aimed at boosting bilateral economic engagement with visiting countries and inviting more investment for Indias transformation. Landed in Spain, marking the start of a very important visit aimed at improving economic and cultural relations with Spain, Modi tweeted in English and Spanish after landing in Madrid. Modis visit to Spain will be first visit by an Indian prime minister since 1988. Hola Espana! Prime Minister Modi arrives in Madrid, first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in nearly three decades, is received by Spanish FM in a special gesture, said Gopal Baglay, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs in a tweet. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Japanese government has begun considering suspending new entries of foreign nationals under business travel agreements with 11 countries and regions, including China and South Korea, in an effort to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. The suspension will be in place at least during Japan's state of emergency, which will start as early as Thursday and is expected to last for about a month. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday announced at a meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party's board of directors that he plans to make a decision on Thursday regarding the declaration for the state of emergency, which will cover Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba. On Dec. 28, the Japanese government halted new entries of foreign nationals until the end of January in an effort to halt the spread of the new coronavirus variant that is growing more prevalent in the U.K. and other countries. But entry through the business travel arrangements with the 11 countries and regions was permitted as an exception. Since the arrangements were bilateral agreements with each of the 11 countries and regions, the Foreign Ministry will coordinate with the government of the partner in deciding when to start the measure. The government is also investigating whether there should be exemptions, such as medical professionals, who would still be allowed to enter Japan. Ireland is accelerating its rollout of the coronavirus vaccine with 35,000 doses expected to be delivered this week, the Health Minister said. That figure will be increased to 40,000 vaccines per week as more supply becomes available, Stephen Donnelly said. Mr Donnelly said the rollout was accelerating quite quickly. The rollout of the countrys nursing home vaccination programme gets under way this week. Just based on the Pfizer vaccine we will we will be doing 40,000 vaccinations a week Health Minister Stephen Donnelly So far, 4,000 people have received the vaccine since the first dose was administered on December 29. Speaking to RTEs News at One on Monday, Mr Donnelly said the 35,000 doses is an increase from 20,000 that was originally planned, due to an early shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. He said: Over the last few days Ive been working very closely with the HSE, who are doing an incredible job, and we increased the vaccination target for this week from 20,000. Just as of this morning, weve now increased the vaccination target for this week to 35,000. Thats because we got a delivery from Pfizer two days earlier, and we are reacting immediately to that. He added: If I was talking to you even five days ago, the amount that we felt we could do given the vaccinations we had in from Pfizer, was probably about 12,000. That was then accelerated to 20,000, and as of this morning accelerated again to 35,000. Expand Close Health Minister Stephen Donnelly (left) observing the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arriving in the Republic of Ireland (Marc OSullivan/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Health Minister Stephen Donnelly (left) observing the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arriving in the Republic of Ireland (Marc OSullivan/PA) And thats just based on the Pfizer vaccine, and remember there are other vaccines coming as well. Just based on the Pfizer vaccine we will be doing 40,000 vaccinations a week. It comes as the European Medicines Agency said a decision on whether to approve the Moderna coronavirus vaccine could be made on Monday. In clinical trials the US-based Modernas jab was found to be 94.1% effective in preventing Covid-19 compared to a placebo. It also has the advantage of not requiring the ultra-cold storage temperatures of minus 70 degrees Celsius needed by the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Earlier on Monday, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said that the residents and staff at 25 nursing homes are due to receive their first doses of the vaccine this week. The rollout of the States coronavirus vaccination programme began last week when 79-year-old grandmother Annie Lynch, from Dublin, became the first person in the Republic to receive the jab on December 29. This week well be starting in 25 nursing homes and 20 hospitals across the country, Mr Reid told RTE Radio 1s Today with Claire Byrne. An inspiring and emotional moment. Annie Lynch, 79yr old grandmother from Drimnagh, who grew up in the Liberties in Dublin, is the first person in Ireland to receive the Covid vaccine in St James's Hospital. We all now share Annie's great hope for 2021. @HSELive #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/tzx9T9QbWe Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) December 29, 2020 He said they wanted to target the most vulnerable residents and staff in nursing homes in the next three weeks and follow that up with the second dose in the following three weeks. There are about 70,000 people working and living in the nursing homes. Mr Reid vowed the health service would go at pace to deliver the rollout of the vaccine. This will be a seven-day programme utilising all the hours we have available to us in all of our healthcare settings HSE chief executive Paul Reid Our first vaccine that we have available to us is the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Were looking at a projected delivery of 40,000 per week, he said. We will deliver 40,000 per week. He predicted that over the next six weeks the HSE would oversee the rollout of 240,000 vaccines, adding that the jab would be given to people seven days a week. This will be a seven-day programme utilising all the hours we have available to us in all of our healthcare settings, Mr Reid said. He said the programme had started on December 29 and it had continued everyday throughout the new year. The HSE has set a target that all nursing home residents and staff will have received both doses of the jab by the end of February. But it is expected that potential outbreaks of the virus at nursing homes could affect that target. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors KALAMAZOO, MI -- American Airlines is back on the flight schedule at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport. The Kalamazoo County-based airport was among 15 markets where the airline removed service during the pandemic. American Airlines stopped routes through Kalamazoo from October to December. American Airline flights will resume on Jan. 5, according to a news release from the airport. The airline pulled back in the summer when travel was decreased due to the pandemic. In Kalamazoo, Julys travel numbers were 63.4% lower than the previous year, Airport Director Craig Williams said. The U.S. Department of Transportations December 2020 Air Travel Consumer Report found that nationally air travel was at an all-time monthly low in May. Traffic picked up some in the summer but dipped again in September. Air travel in October was at 54% of what it had been the year before, according to the federal Air Travel Consumer Report. In Kalamazoo, November saw a 72.6% drop compared to last years travel rate, Williams said. American Airlines return to the Kalamazoo airport will bring back flights to the Chicago OHare gateway, according to the press release. The airline released the following statement on bouncing back after the pandemic slowed business: We are incredibly pleased that Congress extended the CARES Act Payroll Support Program, which will enable us to resume our flights to Kalamazoo. We are grateful to Sens. Stabenow and Peters, as well as Rep. Upton, for fighting for our team members jobs and for the air service we provide. We look forward to resuming our service to AZO and doing our part to help our country recover from the pandemic. Before the pandemic, the airline was routing three daily trips to the Chicago OHare gateway. Now there will be one daily flight to OHare, timed to maximize the number of domestic and international connections over Chicago, according to the press release. We welcome Americans return to Kalamazoo and the access they provide to their extensive network of domestic and international destinations, Williams said. Throughout the pandemic, American assured the Airport of their commitment to SW Michigan and their return confirms that commitment. More on MLive: Kalamazoos first baby of 2021 born just after midnight on New Years Day Michigan to distribute 3.5 million free KN95 masks to protect against COVID-19 Only 13 infected in new coronavirus outbreaks at schools, says Michigans Jan. 4 outbreak report Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, center, arrives at the ministry in Seoul, Tuesday, one day after a Korea-flagged tanker was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in the Gulf waters. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo The government is searching for clues as to why Iran seized a Korean oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, Monday, and is seeking ways to promptly bring back the 20 crewmembers, including five Koreans, who have been arrested. The incident is regarded as unusual given that ahead of the seizure Tehran and Seoul had been talking about a visit by the Korean deputy foreign minister to the country to discuss pending bilateral issues, including Iranian assets frozen here due to U.S. sanctions. Thus it is raising questions as to whether Iran has ulterior motives for the action. According to the foreign ministry, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps seized the MT Hankuk Chemi that was carrying 7,200 tons of ethanol in Gulf waters for causing "environmental pollution." DM Shipping, the operator of the ship, denied the allegation. Despite the seizure, the foreign ministry said Tuesday that First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will visit the Iranian capital, Sunday, during which the diplomat is expected to negotiate for the release of the crew and the tanker with Iranian officials. "Irrespective of the seizure, the deputy minister will fly to Iran, Sunday," a ministry official said. The ministry expects that Choi will discuss the issue as well as other pending matters, if it remains unsettled by the time of his trip. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha also told reporters, earlier in the day, that diplomatic efforts were under way for the prompt release of the crewmembers through the Iranian Embassy in Korea and the Korean Embassy in Iran. Iran tensions alarm IBK, Woori Bank US urges 'immediate release' of Korean tanker from Iran Iran's oil tanker seizure appears aimed at pressuring Korea to unlock frozen assets: experts The foreign ministry also called in Iranian Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari to express regret and call for an early release of the ship and its crew. The seizure comes as Iran has complained about the Korean government's failure to release $7 billion (7.6 trillion won) in funds held in two Korean banks due to U.S. sanctions re-imposed in 2018 after President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 multinational nuclear pact. Last July, the Iranian foreign ministry threatened Korea with legal action at the International Court of Justice. In response to the speculation here, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said late Tuesday, "We are not hostage-takers. But if there is any hostage-taking, it is Korea's government that is holding $7 billion, which belongs to us, hostage on baseless grounds." He added that the seizure was based on a court order after the ship had repeatedly caused oil pollution. The Korean foreign ministry also said the seizure was due to alleged pollution issues. In addition, the incident occurred on the same day the Iranian government announced it had resumed uranium enrichment to the 20 percent level at an underground facility a breach of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Diplomatic experts questioned the timing of the vessel seizure, citing the result of the U.S. presidential election. "The current circumstances are not unfavorable enough for Iran to take a tough stance against Korea in terms of the frozen assets, given that Joe Biden won the election and vowed to rejoin the nuclear deal. Iran also understands that Korea cannot act independently, while the U.S. sanctions are in effect," said Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University. The ministry official backed up Park's speculation, saying that the Iranian ambassador indicated during his visit earlier in the day that the seizure had nothing to do with the frozen assets. The professor said the issue is likely to remain manageable instead of spiraling toward a full-blown diplomatic crisis. "If the Iranian government really wanted to give a strong warning to Korea, it could have held the crew on charges of espionage. In that sense, there is room for resolving the issue," he said, adding that the deputy minister's visit will help gain the release of the crew and the ship. In response to the seizure, Korea's anti-piracy unit has begun operations in waters near the strait, according to the defense ministry, Tuesday. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 22:53:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHONGQING/CHANGSHA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Located along the Yangtze River, ex-fisherman Song Bin's fish restaurant touts the finest view of the Liziba station, a landmark of southwest China metropolis Chongqing where sky trains running through a residential building are an everyday feature. Song, 47, used to serve his guests with delicious dishes aboard his own ship on the Yangtze River. Back then, Chongqing, a major city in the upper reaches of the Yangtze, beckoned droves of tourists by its quintessential combination of the majestic river view and fine dining. Behind the marvelous dining pleasure were leftovers stealthily dumped into the waterway by some ships despite a government ban. On Jan. 1 this year, a 10-year fishing ban took effect in pivotal waters of the Yangtze, after 332 conservation areas along the river enforced the fishing ban a year ago, to help the river recover from dwindling aquatic resources and degrading biodiversity. President Xi Jinping has attached great importance to the ecological protection of the 6,300-km-long Yangtze, China's longest and the world's third-longest river, as well as the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt which covers nine provinces and two municipalities and accounts for more than 40 percent of the country's population and economic aggregate. The status and role of the river and the economic belt mean the development along the river must prioritize ecology and "green development" to respect natural, economic and social rules, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, as he presided over a meeting on advancing the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in Chongqing on Jan. 5, 2016. The Yangtze River boasts a unique ecological system. Restoring its ecological environment will be an overwhelming task and no large-scale development will be allowed along the river at present and for a rather long period to come, he said at the meeting. In recent years, provinces and municipalities along the river have stepped up conservation efforts for controlling pollution and pursuing green, high-quality growth. Over the past five years, a large number of highly polluting and energy-intensive enterprises have been shut down, and more than 8,000 chemical enterprises along the Yangtze have been closed, transformed, or relocated, said Luo Guosan, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission on Tuesday. Song is one of about 230,000 fishermen who relied on the river for their livelihoods but have now embraced new lives after moving ashore. He opened a restaurant and rented a farm for fish breeding to produce ingredients for his restaurant, using the government's compensation for the fishing ban. A total of 415 fishermen in Chongqing's Jiangbei District bade farewell to their boats and have found new jobs. "We support the ban and hope that it will allow the Yangtze River to rest and recuperate," he said. Efforts should be made to strengthen the protection and restoration of ecological and environmental systems and coordinated work on the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Xi said at a symposium on comprehensively advancing the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt held November last year in east China's Nanjing city, in the lower reaches of the river. The restoration of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River should be a major priority, Xi said, adding that the establishment of a mechanism should be accelerated whereby protection and restoration of the ecological environment shall be reasonably rewarded, while those responsible for the destruction of the ecological environment shall pay their due price. Hunan Province in the river's middle reaches has closed and dismantled all 39 illegal wharves along the Yangtze River mainstream while restoring the ecological environment there. The province has also planted trees covering more than 1,300 hectares along the river. Hu Cunku, an ex-fisherman near Dongting Lake in the Yangtze basin in Hunan, has joined 500 other former fishermen and become a "fish protector," earning a monthly income of 3,000 yuan (463 U.S. dollars) from the employment opportunity offered by local authorities in Yueyang City. "Fishing used to be our livelihood and now protecting fishery is for future generations," said Hu, who patrols the lake every day. As of mid-October, all registered 28,148 fishermen in Hunan had stopped fishing and over 97 percent of those willing to work had found alternative means of livelihood. The ex-fisherman Song, who continues to reside by the riverside in Chongqing, is surprised to spot rare visitors like black-headed gulls and wild ducks. "The water is even clearer than it used to be about 20 years ago when I started fishing," he said. Enditem A teenager has been charged over an alleged late-night e-cigarette robbery of another boy who was left with 'catastrophic' head injuries after he was run over. Aren Beniwal, 17, is fighting for life after being rushed to hospital by paramedics who were called to Perseus Circuit in Kellyville, north-west Sydney, about 10.30pm on Monday. The charged teenager, 18, drove with three other males, aged 18, 19 and 20, to meet with the boy after arranging to buy e-cigarettes - but he instead robbed him of the items at knife-point, police allege. Aren Beniwal, 17, with his family (pictured right) is fighting for life after being hit by a car on Monday night in north-west Sydney CCTV of the incident (pictured) shows the three males allegedly driving off in a ute before doubling back to render assistance to the boy 'As a result, there seems to be a dispute and the car has driven off, and it looks like the 17-year-old man has gone underneath the car,' NSW Police Detective Inspector Chris Laird said. Mr Beniwal had celebrated his 17th birthday just a week ago. His family were reportedly watching a movie inside the house on Monday night and were unaware of the incident until asked into the street by police. A neighbour of the Beniwal family, which also includes father Anudeep and mother Suniti, described them as a loving family and said Aren was not known as a trouble-maker. One of the car's occupants fled on foot while the other three were captured on CCTV driving away, police said. However, police say those in the car doubled back almost immediately to render assistance to the boy and call paramedics. Perseus Circuit, Kellyville, where emergency crews were called on Monday night (pictured) Officers from The Hills Police Area Command commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the teen's injuries. Det Insp Laird said the three occupants of the car who doubled back were interviewed by police. Following inquiries, an 18-year-old man was arrested at Windsor Police Station about 10.30am on Tuesday. He was charged with assault with intent to rob armed offensive weapon wound/weapon and refused bail to appear before Penrith Local Court on Wednesday. Inquiries are continuing and further charges have not been ruled out. The 17-year-old boy remains in a critical condition at Westmead Hospital and was placed in an induced coma. BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jianpu Technology Inc. ("Jianpu" or the "Company") (NYSE: JT), a leading independent open platform for discovery and recommendation of financial products in China, today announced that it received a notice from NYSE Regulation indicating that NYSE's Listings Operations Committee agreed to provide the Company with an additional trading period through July 1, 2021, subject to reassessment on an ongoing basis, to complete and file the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the "2019 Form 20-F") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and any subsequent delayed filings pursuant to the NYSE's late filer rules outlined in Section 802.01E of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. Jianpu has been in ongoing cooperation and correspondence with the NYSE on the late filer issue. NYSE Regulation notified Jianpu that the NYSE will closely monitor the Company's progress with interim milestones. Failure to achieve these interim milestones could result in accelerated trading suspension prior to the end of the July 1, 2021 trading period. In addition, in the event that the Company does not complete the filing of the 2019 Form 20-F and any subsequent delayed filings with the SEC by the end of the maximum 12-month cure period on July 1, 2021, the NYSE will move forward with the initiation of suspension and delisting procedures. About Jianpu Technology Inc. Jianpu Technology Inc. is a leading independent open platform for discovery and recommendation of financial products in China. By leveraging its deep data insights and proprietary technology, Jianpu provides users with personalized search results and recommendations that are tailored to each user's particular financial needs and credit profile. The Company also enables financial service providers with sales and marketing solutions to reach and serve their target customers more effectively through online and mobile channels and enhance their competitiveness by providing them with tailored data, risk management and end-to-end solutions. The Company is committed to maintaining an independent open platform, which allows it to serve the needs of users and financial service providers impartially. For more information, please visit http://ir.jianpu.ai. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goal and strategies; the Company's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the Company's expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its solutions and services; the Company's expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with users, financial service providers and other parties it collaborate with; general economic and business conditions; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. For investor and media inquiries, please contact: In China: Jianpu Technology Inc. Oscar Chen Tel: +86 (10) 6242-7068 E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Jenny Cai Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677 E-mail: [email protected] In the United States: The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Jianpu Technology Inc. Related Links www.x9.cn As the government granting regulatory approvals to two coronavirus vaccines, the Centre has initiated the process of procurement, top government officials said on Monday adding that the inoculation could begin by end of next week in a phased manner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the world's biggest inoculation drive against coronavirus is set to begin in the country lauding the scientists and technicians for the 'Made in India' vaccines adding that the country is proud of them, a Hindustan Times report said. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), the countrys drugs regulator approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. Covaxin however has been recommended for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, to act as an alternative in vaccination. AIIMS director Randeep Guleria said that Bharat Biotechs vaccine has been given approval as a backup. The Centre is now looking at striking the purchase deals with the companies concerned. About 50-60 million doses are likely to be procured in batches considering India is looking at vaccinating about 30 million people in the initial phase, a government official aware of the developments reportedly said. Bharat Biotech has a stockpile of 20 million doses of Covaxin and the company was aiming to scale up production to 700 million doses across its four facilities in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Of the 20 million doses manufactured, a batch of five million has been sent to the governments lab in Kasauli for testing. Bharat Biotechs founder and chairman Dr Krishna Ella on Monday said that about 6,000 people would receive the second dose of Covaxin, the Phase III trial, in the next few days and all participants would have had received the second dose by February, Dr Ella said. The government is in talks with both the companies that have been approved by regulators. The paperwork tends to take some time but arrangements are being made to sign the deal as quickly as possible so that the vaccination drive can soon be kick-started. Dry runs have already been successfully conducted across the country without any major glitches. The digital platform, CoWIN, meant to be used for vaccine delivery is good to go as minor modifications that were needed have been already made, the official added. Once the deals are formally signed and the vaccines procured, the government will supply the vaccines across 31 hubs across the country. From these 31 main hubs, the supplies will eventually move to 29,000 locally created vaccination points in different states from where state governments will pick up the supplies to be given under the public vaccination initiative. These vaccination points can further be increased if there is a need to add more based on the vaccine requirement, said another official, asking not to be named. Meanwhile, work is underway in full swing to set up centres for vaccination in Delhi with 500 such units to come up in the first phase, even as the storage facility is getting equipped with freezers to hold vaccines in a temperature range of 2-8 degrees Celsius. A total of 1,000 vaccination centres will be set up. And,500-600 centres will be set up in the first phase, for which work is underway in full swing, officials said. Though the new Animal Care Version 4.0 standards for the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program were just released for the beginning of the new year, some are already wondering what topics will be discussed for the next revision. During a recent FARM Quick Convos episode, Emily Yeiser Stepp, vice president of National Dairy FARM Program, described a few of the emerging issues theyre following. Some of the topics stem out of questions from dairy customers companies like Kroger, Taco Bell, and Dunkin Donuts. These represent just three of what FARM and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) have identified as the top 25 movers and shakers in the dairy retail sector, Stepp explained. Nearly 80% of those brands formally recognize the FARM program and can turn to it or DMI when they have questions about the industry. They feel that they have a contact within the dairy industry that can provide insights, give them the full scope of the situation, and help them make the most beneficial decision for both their market and also their suppliers, she described. However, in presenting the emerging issues, Stepp recognized that, This is not indicative of anything the FARM program is going to do, but the importance of having that customer outreach team on the DMI side is to understand where those pressure points are, where those questions are coming from [with] those dairy customers. Mitigate calf pain Much of the focus is on calf care and, specifically, disbudding procedures. Already in the current iteration of animal care standards, it is expected that pain management be used for disbudding. But this remains an important consumer and customer issue. Frankly, a lot of the activist attention over the past few years has been a significant push on the use of polled genetics, Stepp said of an often-toted solution for eliminating painful disbudding. While that is admirable, there obviously are scientific and research limitations that indicate to us as the dairy industry, while thats a great long-term goal, there are some barriers to getting that done, she continued. Instead, what FARM can do is analyze how pain, to the calf as well as to the handler, can be reduced. Thats where the pain management piece came in, she said. Research-backed In developing science-based standards, FARM relies heavily on research in the Journal of Dairy Science and the Journal of Animal Science, as well as advice from veterinarian groups like the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. Theres a lot of research going on in the calf care space about what is best for the animal itself, Stepp said, as well as that general freedom of movement. Freedom of movement in the form of less restrictive housing has been a topic of much discussion in other species, such as chickens and pigs. Those adoptions give the dairy industry a sense of pause, Stepp described. But scientific justification remains the core of FARM standards, even if a dairy customer may believe otherwise. Stepp assured, Some of the more marketing-related or niche things that are maybe less science-based, those are things that end up being conversations with a supplier and the customer itself. As an example, GMOs, BST . . . you wont see anything about those in the FARM program because both of those practices, both of those technologies, are scientifically justified and do not reduce the animal care aspect of things from a scientific standpoint. And as with any good science, recognizing where things could change is vital to staying informed and relevant. Weve worked with a lot of groups to make sure that where our standards align do match up with science, but those are key areas I think were just going to continue to keep a pulse on and have conversations with, concluded Stepp. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2020 December 31, 2020 Pretending theres a rock-solid plan to safely reopen a school system as vast as CPS right now is ludicrous. Will in-person classes be a public health disaster? Probably not. But if Im a teacher looking at the current status of the pandemic and the long stretch of time between now and widespread vaccinations, I see a return to the classroom posing a significant risk to me and my family. And because there are alternatives to in-person classes, why should I be asked to take that risk? Queensland police fear the worst for a Capalaba woman missing for more than three weeks, launching a fresh search in the area on Tuesday. Natarn Auld, 38, was reported missing on December 15 with CCTV footage tracking her last known movements at 3.30am on December 14, outside a business on the western side of Redland Bay Road at Capalaba. Natarn Auld was last seen on December 13 and has not made contact with her family since. Credit:Queensland police Detective Inspector Steve Hollands said police were losing hope of finding Ms Auld alive, but still held out the slim possibility after extensive searches. "The family are really distraught, obviously they're fearing the worst. It's been over three weeks now and we still have had no contact from the missing person," Detective Inspector Hollands said. Russia and Kazakhstan will increase oil production in February and March at the expense of Saudi Arabia as Riyadh seeks to keep the OPEC+ alliance together and maintain a tighter oil market as a resurgent pandemic cools demand. Russia and Kazakhstan had been pushing OPEC+ during their latest meeting that began on January 4 to increase total oil output in February by another 500,000 barrels a day (bpd). However, Saudi Arabia opposed the idea amid concern a new strain of the coronavirus could force some countries to reimpose lockdowns, curbing demand and hurting prices. OPEC+ includes the 13 members of the Saudi-dominated OPEC cartel and 10 allied oil-producing nations led by Russia. The disagreement between Moscow and Riyadh, which forced the meeting to convene for a second day, raised some concern about the unity of the alliance, whose fragile nature was laid bare during a similar dispute last March that led to the sharpest one-day oil price decline in more than two decades. The OPEC+ agreement reached on January 5 allows Russia and Kazakhstan to increase oil production by a combined 75,000 bpd in February and another 75,000 bpd in March. Saudi Arabia will voluntarily cut production by 1 million bpd during those two months while all other members will keep their production steady. The agreement led to a rally in oil prices with Brent crude climbing 5 percent to $53.65. Oil and gas account for the lions share of Russian export revenue. Saudi Arabia and Russia locked horns during an OPEC+ meeting in March 2020 as Moscow refused to agree to Riyadhs proposal for an output cut even as the pandemic was beginning to erode global oil demand. Russia feared that cutting output would only serve to help high-cost U.S. shale companies. Saudi Arabia responded by announcing it would ramp up oil production, causing the price of crude to drop on March 9 by more than 30 percent, the steepest one-day decline since 1991. Oil prices continued to tumble throughout March and early April, falling below $10 a barrel for some brands, until OPEC+ agreed to a historic cut of 9.7 million bpd, or about one-tenth of global production. The alliance has since increased oil output several times. During their previous meeting in December, Saudi Arabia agreed to an increase in OPEC+ total output by 500,000 bpd in January. The latest agreement would reduce the groups total output cut to about 7 million barrels a day. OPEC+ agreed to reconvene in March to discuss April output. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and Energy Intelligence She recently announced she was expecting her second child with Benji Marshall. And on Tuesday, Zoe Marshall celebrated her eighth wedding anniversary with the NRL star, 35, by sharing two throwback videos of the pair tying the knot at an intimate ceremony. 'Still my arctic fox. Still loving you hard. Still eating chicken schnitzel together. 8 years today!' the 36-year-old captioned her first post. 'Still eating chicken schnitzel together': Zoe Marshall (pictured), 36, has celebrated her eighth wedding anniversary with NRL star Benji, 35, by sharing two throwback videos of the pair tying the knot at an intimate ceremony 'Our own little Fox and another on the way. Only one things changed you are even hotter today than the day we married - might have something to do with those side burns. 'I love you Benjamin Quentin Marshall. The greatest man I've ever known.' In the video, the expectant mother can be seen walking down the aisle among guests, before the camera pans to a teary-eyed Benji. Zoe stunned in a gorgeous lacy princess dress and matching veil, which was kept in place with her hair in a high bun. How cute is this! In the video, the expectant mother can be seen walking down the aisle among guests, before the camera pans to a teary-eyed Benji (pictured) 'Still my arctic fox. Still loving you hard. Still eating chicken schnitzel together. 8 years today!' Zoe captioned her first post 'Our own little Fox and another on the way. Only one things changed you are even hotter today than the day we married - might have something to do with those side burns. I love you Benjamin Quentin Marshall. The greatest man I've ever known.' Throwback to their special day! In her second video uploaded hours later, Zoe is seen sharing her vows with Benji, before the couple kissed in front of their friends and family Her makeup was flawless in appearance, with a brown eye shadow, nude lip and hint of blush for the occasion. Meanwhile, Benji looked dapper in a classic tuxedo and a white rose boutonniere. In her second video uploaded hours later, Zoe is seen sharing her vows with Benji, before the couple kissed in front of their friends and family. Happy news: In an Instagram post in December, Zoe announced they are set to welcome their second child in June 2021. Zoe and Benji are pictured at the Dally M Awards in 2019 in Sydney 'Benji you are my arctic fox. I love how life is simple with you. You never carry grudges. You don't tolerate insincerity. I am grateful to god we met at the very point in life where we could accept this life changing love,' she can be heard saying. Zoe's throwback to their wedding day follows her and Benji announcing they were expecting their second child together on Instagram in December - a year on from suffering a miscarriage. The couple are already parents to their two-year-old son, Benjamin Fox. Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], January 5 (ANI): Border Security Force (BSF) personnel apprehended nine Bangladeshi nationals, including three minors, while they were trying to cross the international border in West Bengal's Nadia district on Monday. However, BSF handed over the individuals to Bangladesh authorities as a gesture of goodwill. The BSF in a statement said that the jawans posted at the border outpost Kumari received specific input from the force's intelligence branch regarding illegal migration from Bangladesh. Around 3 am, the vigilant troops observed suspicious movement and found nine Bangladeshi nationals trying to cross into India. BSF Jawans questioned the Bangladeshi nationals at border outpost Kumari and their identities were revealed. According to the BSF, the apprehended Bangladeshi nationals identified themselves as Taniya Khatoon (25), Moni Rani Nath (28), Rashi Nani Nath (8), Nilu Haldar (20), Purnima Sarkar (16), Anjali Rani Nath (50), Ruma Gazi (27), Md Bilal (8) and Paritosh Rai (25). Nilu Haldar who was one of the apprehended persons in her statement to the BSF said she was trying to enter India for the first time in order to marry Paritosh Rai who had been living here for over a decade. "Purnima Sarkar said that she was also coming to India to marry the son of her maternal aunt. Taniya Khatoon said she wanted to look for labour in Mumbai while Moni Rani Nath claimed she was on her way to meet her parents who live in West Bengal's Chatra. Similarly, Anjali Rani Nath was trying to enter India to meet her daughter who lives in Bengal and Ruma Gazi was on her way to meet her husband in Karnataka," BSF said. According to BSF, the Bangladeshi nationals said they were entering India with the help of an Indian named Ravi who hails from Bangaon in West Bengal. BSF personnel recovered three mobile phones and 1,430 Bangladeshi Taka from the nine individuals who were handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh. (ANI) US President Donald Trump is creating ripples even as he has only two weeks to leave office. A call he made to the Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger has his critics up in arms with Democrats calling for his impeachment, yet again. As President-elect, Joe Biden is set to take office on January 20, but Trump has repeatedly refused the mandate of the American people, calling it a rigged election, while it has repeatedly been proven that he has been voted out. Trumps claims and Raffenspergers rebuttal Trump made a phone call to Raffensperger, the entire transcript of which has been published by The Washington Post, asking him to recalculate the votes. The Week quoted Trump as saying during the phone call, The people of Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry. And theres nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that youve recalculated. Reports suggest that Trump, during the phone call, asked Raffensperger to find votes to overturn his defeat, and said I just want to find 11,780 votes. The US President took to Twitter, to speak about his phone call claiming, I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ballots under table scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! However, Raffenspergers rebuttal on Twitter sought to deny Trumps claims. The Georgia Secretary of State tweeted, Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out. In further statements made by Raffensperger, he clarified, But I did want to make my points that the data that he has is just plain wrong." Much of the claims made by Trump, a BBC fact check report has found, are wrong. Call for impeachment A vocal critic of the Trump government, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said the outgoing US president's call pressuring the Georgia secretary of state to overturn his defeat in the state is an offense that merits impeachment. The Independent quoted Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as saying, "I absolutely think it's an impeachable offence, and if it was up to me, there would be articles on the floor quite quickly, but he, I mean, he is trying to he is attacking our very election. He's attacking our very election. US Representative Ilhan Omar also issued a statement calling Trumps action an impeachable offence. The Presidents effort to openly overturn our election results by putting pressure on the Republican Secretary of State of Georgia is a crime, plain and simple. It is another flagrant act of sedition from a president dead set on undermining the bedrock of our democracy: our elections, Omar said. Why now? While Trump is on his way out, several experts have called for his impeachment. American political commentator Michael A. Cohen wrote in an opinion piece on The Boston Globe, If ever a presidential act qualified for impeachment, it would be openly trying to reverse an election outcome. While it sounds almost bizarre to make such a suggestion when the presidents term is over in two months, the move would have a useful byproduct: The Senate could prevent Trump from running again in 2024. Other experts say that while the US Senate failed to remove him from power after he was impeached by the House of Representatives, it left Trump the opportunity to continue with his actions that are sometimes against the law. David A. Graham, a staff writer at The Atlantic, wrote, During impeachment, Trumps critics, including me, warned repeatedly that if he were not impeached and removed, hed feel empowered to commit the same offenses again. Trumps current, shambling coup attempt is the price of the Senates failure to remove him. ADVERTISEMENT The Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Ishaq Bello, retired on Tuesday without any immediate plan for appointment of his successor announced. A valedictory court session where the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, and others including lawyers, judges, friends and family gathered to bid him farewell, held at the headquarters of the court in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday. The exit of a head of court is usually followed immediately by the swearing in of a successor, either in a substantive or acting capacity, depending on the status of the appointment process as of the time retirement of the exiting Chief Judge. The status of the process of appointment of the incoming Chief Judge of the FCT could not be immediately verified by PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday. The National Judicial Council (NJC), the body which makes recommendations of such appointments to the President for validation, announced over 60 judicial appointments, including heads of some other courts, at the end of its last meeting held in December 2020. This, it did, without any mention of the position of the FCT Chief Judge, which was set to be vacant in a matter of weeks. The second most senior judge of the FCT High Court, Salisu Garba, who, in the normal course of event, should step in as the Chief Judge of the Abuja judiciary was present at the valedictory session held for Mr Bello on Tuesday but no plan about the swearing of the successor was mentioned at the event. The CJN, who usually performs the swearing in of the heads of other Federal courts including the FCT High Court, was present but did not give a remark. Tuesday was the first public outing of Mr Muhammad weeks after he was reported to have flown to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for COVID treatment. It is still unclear how long the vacancy of the position of the FCT Chief Judge of the FCT, which started 12.01am on Tuesday, will last. The spokesperson for the NJC, Soji Oye, did not respond to calls for comment. (Newser) The leader of the Proud Boys was arrested Monday afternoon in Washington, DC, where protests are planned this week of President Trump's loss in the presidential election. Police stopped the vehicle carrying Enrique Tarrio just after it crossed into the District, the Washington Post reports. He's charged with burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during a December demonstration in the District; Tarrio, who lives in Miami, has said he's one of the people who burned the banner. He also faces two felony counts of possession of high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, which police said they found while arresting him. His organization, linked to white nationalism, has said its members will be at the rallies Tuesday and Wednesday. District officials, worried about violence, said Monday the National Guard will help with the crowds. story continues below Also on Monday, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church filed a lawsuit against the Proud Boys and Tarrio over the destruction of the BLM banner. The suit says they were "engaging in acts of terror and vandalizing church property in an effort to intimidate the Church and silence its support for racial justice," per NBC. The suit listed social media posts telling members to "buy ammo," "clean your guns," and "keep our enemies awake," adding, "Tonight we become nightmares." Prosecutors said the burning of the banner could be prosecuted as a hate crime, which would add to the potential punishment. "I was the one that lit it on fire," Tarrio told DCist/WAMU. Tarrio, who was in custody Monday evening, could appear in court as soon as Tuesday. (Read more Proud Boys stories.) BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks ended weak on Tuesday, weighed down by concerns about the economic impact of surging coronavirus cases and tighter restrictions on movements in several countries in the continent. Schools have closed to most pupils in England, Scotland and Wales, while Northern Ireland will have an 'extended period of remote learning'. British PM Boris Johnson warned the coming weeks would be the 'hardest yet'. Germany is reportedly considering extending lockdown measures to atleast until the end of January. The rollout of coronavirus vaccines and data showing an increase in German retail sales helped limit losses. In the U.K., Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a new 4.6 billion support package for businesses hit by the new lockdown measures. The pan European Stoxx 600 slid 0.19%. Germany's DAX ended down 0.55%, France's CAC 40 shed 0.44%, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 climbed up 0.61%, and Switzerland's SMI ended 0.44% down. Among other markets in Europe, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Turkey and Ukraine ended weak. Austria, Netherlands, Portugal and Russia moved higher, while Poland and Spain ended flat. In the UK market, Shares of Next Pls surged up more than 8% after the company reported much higher than expected Christmas revenues. BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Aveva Group gained 6.8 to 7.1%. Rolls-Royce Holdings, Glencore, Kingfisher, Just Eat Takeaway, Taylor Wimpey and Johnson Matthey gained 2 to 4.5%. Among the prominent losers, Smurfit Kappa shed 3.3%, WPP ended 2.5% down, Experian lost 2% and Natwest Group ended lower by 1.7%. In the French market, Teleperformance, Michelin, Pernod Ricard, Vinci, Hermes International, Kering, Capgemini, LVMH and Essilor lost 1 to 2.3%. Technip surged up more than 8%. Carrefour, Unibail Rodamco, Total, Thales and Sodexo also ended notably higher. In Germany, Henkel, E.ON, RWE, Adidas, BMW, Deutsche Post, Allianz and Infineon Technologies lost 1 to 2.5%. Fresenius, Wirecard and Thyssenkrupp closed higher. In economic news, Germany's retail sales grew more than expected in November driven by non-food retailing, data from Destatis revealed. The data showed retail turnover climbed by a real 5.6% from the previous year, which was faster than the expected growth of 3.9% but slower than the 8.6% increase logged in October. On a monthly basis, retail sales grew unexpectedly by 1.9%. Economists had forecast a month-on-month fall of 2% after a 2.6% increase in October. Germany's unemployment rate remained unchanged in November, coming in at 4.5% on adjusted basis, data from Destatis showed. On an unadjusted basis, the unemployment rate in November was 4.4%. Data from Switzerland's Federal Statistical Office showed Switzerland's consumer prices declined in December. The report said the Swiss Consumer Price Index fell 0.8% year-on-year in December, following a 0.7% fall in November. Economists had expected a 0.7% fall. On a monthly basis, consumer prices fell 0.1% in December, following a 0.2% decline in the preceding month. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Saudi Arabia and its allies have restored full relations with Qatar, Riyadh said Tuesday after a landmark summit, ending a damaging rift that erupted in 2017. Four nations, led by Saudi, cut ties and transport links with Qatar in June that year, alleging it backed radical Islamist groups and was too close to Riyadh's rival Iran -- allegations Doha denied. Saudi said that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt were joining it in re-establishing ties with Qatar, whose ruler was greeted with a warm embrace on arrival in the kingdom by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "What happened today is... the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said following the summit in the desert city of Al-Ula. Leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed two documents on Tuesday, the Al-Ula Declaration and a final communique, described by Prince Mohammed as affirming "our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability". He called for unity to confront challenges facing the region, singling out "the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction." Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later took to Twitter to offer "congratulations to Qatar for the success of its brave resistance to pressure and extortion". "To our Arab neighbours: Iran is neither an enemy nor threat. Enough scapegoating -- especially with your reckless patron on his way out," Zarif added, an apparent reference to outgoing US President Donald Trump, an Iran hawk whose mandate ends on January 20. The GCC consists of three of the countries that boycotted Qatar - Saudi, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- neutral Oman and Kuwait, and Qatar. - US cheerleading - Prince Mohamed, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, extended an enthusiastic welcome to Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, after the emir landed in the kingdom for the first time since the crisis began. Story continues Sheikh Tamim was whisked with the other leaders through Al-Ula's dramatic Martian-like landscape to the shimmering Maraya Concert Hall, a mirrored structure situated in a nearby valley. Later, Saudi state media tweeted a photo of the young Saudi leader behind the wheel of a sports utility vehicle, taking Sheikh Tamim on a tour of the area. Washington had intensified pressure for a resolution to what Doha called a "blockade", insisting Gulf unity is necessary to isolate US foe Iran as the curtain falls on Trump's presidency. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser who shuttled around the region to seek a deal, attended the signing in Al-Ula. "The Trump administration will claim this as another victory for sure," said Royal United Services Institute analyst Tobias Borck. Drivers south of Doha on the usually calm Salwa highway towards the Saudi border at Abu Samra sounded their horns and waved their arms from their car windows, an AFP correspondent reported. "We will see all Saudis here, also all Qataris will visit Saudi Arabia, and we will be friends as we were before and better," said Doha-based Hisham al-Hashmi, a Qatari with an Emirati mother, who wore a traditional thobe and winter headdress. Saudi media, which is influential throughout the region, quickly adopted a pro-unity tone in stark contrast to scathing past coverage of Qatar. Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera's coverage of Saudi Arabia was also markedly more muted than in recent years. Meanwhile a Qatari business delegation flew from Saudi to Cairo to open a luxury hotel in the Egyptian capital. - Lingering resentment? - The Saudi-led GCC hawks, along with Egypt, in 2017 closed their airspace to Qatari planes, sealed their borders and ports, and expelled Qatari citizens. An information battle raged online with the two camps trading barbs, deepening the resentments. Some observers had warned that the UAE could be the spoiler for reconciliation attempts, having heaped criticism on Qatar. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also the ruler of Dubai, said the summit had brought unity to the region. "The changes and challenges surrounding us require strength, cohesion and real Gulf cooperation," he tweeted. The UAE and Qatar in particular remain divided over Doha's perceived support for movements aligned to the Muslim Brotherhood and the two countries' backing for rival groups in Libya's conflict. "The crisis played a major role in redefining existing partnerships and forging new ones," said Saudi researcher Eman Alhussein, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. "As a result, it will be unlikely to see things change to how they were before the crisis," she added. The diplomatic freeze only served to make Qatar more self-sufficient and push it closer to Iran, hurting Saudi's interests, observers say. At the start of the crisis, the boycotting countries issued a list of 13 demands to Doha, including the closure of Al-Jazeera and the shuttering of a Turkish military base in Qatar. Qatar has not publicly bowed to any of the demands. burs-gw/dwo Moon should focus on promoting national unity President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has nosedived to an all-time low amid a set of policy failures and divisive politics. According to a Realmeter survey of 1,000 people conducted Friday and Saturday, only 34.1 percent of respondents supported Moon. On the other hand, his disapproval rating hit a record high of 61.7 percent. Only 28.7 percent of the respondents said they supported the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), compared with 34.2 percent who backed the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). Now, the President should figure out why his approval rating has reached its lowest point since his May 2017 inauguration. And he should accept the opinion poll as a warning to his presidency. The DPK also needs to ponder why more and more people have turned their backs on the governing party. The falling support rates are attributable to policy failures to curb runaway housing prices and to improve the people's livelihoods amid the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. President Moon and DPK lawmakers may argue that they have done their best to stabilize the overheated property market and minimize the crippling economic fallout from COVID-19. But the Moon administration has only demonstrated its inability to impose stability on the housing market, despite 24 sets of anti-speculative measures over the past three-and-a-half years. It has been lauded for its quick response to the pandemic. Yet it has made several mistakes by taking belated and expedient measures as the occasion has arisen. A recent case is an infection cluster that hit a densely populated prison in eastern Seoul where more than 1,000 inmates have so far been infected with COVID-19. Besides, negative factors such as the slumping economy, mass layoffs and a higher jobless rate for young people have contributed to the sliding support rate. The widening gap between the rich and the poor is also cited as a reason. Yet the underlying cause seems to have derived from the arrogance and self-righteousness of the ruling elite. President Moon and his policymakers as well as DPK lawmakers have refused to listen to the different voices in our society since the ruling party gained a supermajority in the April 2020 general election. The party has railroaded many controversial bills in the face of strong objections from the PPP and other minority parties. The prolonged conflict between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl over prosecutorial reform and anti-corruption investigations has also apparently made moderates retract their support for Moon and the DPK. An increasing number of people, who were already fed up with political bickering and partisan struggles, were found to have switched their support to the conservative PPP. Moon and ruling party lawmakers should feel a real sense of crisis before the upcoming April mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan the two largest cities in Korea. They must end their divisiveness in order to regain popular support. Or they may lose the elections as potential opposition candidates are ahead of their DPK rivals in opinion polls. Most of all, the Moon administration and the governing party need to make strenuous efforts to promote national unity and social cohesion. They should reach out to the opposition to make a bipartisan effort to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and speed up economic recovery. It is time to end the confrontational old politics and usher in the new politics of cooperation. Global leaders have lauded India's leadership in scientific innovation and decisive action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, as the country gets set to begin the world's largest vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus. The Drug Controller General of India on Sunday approved the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech, for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. Also Read: Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 "It's great to see Indias leadership in scientific innovation and vaccine manufacturing capability as the world works to end the COVID-19 pandemic," Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said in a tweet on Monday, tagging the Prime Minister's Office. Its great to see Indias leadership in scientific innovation and vaccine manufacturing capability as the world works to end the COVID-19 pandemic @PMOIndia https://t.co/Ds4f3tmrm3 Bill Gates (@BillGates) January 4, 2021 Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted that India "continues to take decisive action & demonstrate its resolve to end #COVID19 pandemic". "As the worlds largest vaccine producer, its well placed to do so. If we #ACTogether, we can ensure effective & safe vaccines are used to protect the most vulnerable everywhere," Ghebreyesus said and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet. #India continues to take decisive action & demonstrate its resolve to end #COVID19 pandemic. As the s largest vaccine producer its well placed to do so. If we #ACTogether, we can ensure effective & safe vaccines are used to protect the most vulnerable everywhere @narendramodi Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 4, 2021 A day after India's drug regulator approved two vaccines for restricted emergency use, Prime Minister Modi said the world's biggest inoculation drive against coronavirus was set to begin in the country. Addressing scientists at the National Metrology Conclave, Modi had said it must be ensured that 'Made in India' products not only have global demand but also global acceptance. In a strong assurance to the international community, that is battling the devastating coronavirus pandemic, Modi said, "As the largest vaccine producing country in the world, I want to give one more assurance to the global community today. Indias vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Faced with a sluggish coronavirus vaccination pace, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday he will deploy the state's National Guard to hasten local health departments' inoculation of medical workers, while threatening to take away unused vaccines from hospitals slow to administer them. The governor also said he may withhold additional doses from any hospital, contractor, pharmacy or health department that has not used 75% of its supply. "No doses should be sitting in freezers while others are waiting," Hogan, a Republican, said during a news conference. "Either use the doses you have been allocated or they will be redirected." State data shows only 34% of more than 163,000 doses sent to Maryland hospitals have been used. One hospital system, Adventist HealthCare, has used less than 16%. Pharmacies charged with inoculating nursing home residents have used less than 14% of their vaccines. Hogan said the state will not wait for all health-care workers or nursing home staff to get vaccinated before moving to the next priority group. He laid out the most detailed timeline yet for when others could receive vaccinations. Teachers and developmentally disabled people who live in group homes were moved into the next eligible group, with a population of 860,000 people that also includes people age 75 and over and child-care workers. Dozens of group homes in Maryland have experienced severe outbreaks of the virus. Advocates, providers and families of residents had pushed since early December for Hogan to prioritize vaccinating group home workers and residents. Hogan estimated that group could begin receiving vaccinations at the end of January. The next group, expected to get vaccines in early March, includes people over 65 and those deemed essential workers, such as grocery store employees. The governor noted progress in the state's distribution of vaccines, but cautioned that the rollout will take months, with just 30% of the state's population - about 1.8 million people - likely to be inoculated by the end of May. Maj. Gen. Timothy Gowen, adjutant general of the Maryland National Guard, said 200 guardsmen will be deployed in 14 teams to expedite vaccinations at local health departments, which are responsible for inoculating first responders, corrections officers and medical personnel who don't work in hospitals. While some local health departments, such as in Montgomery, Howard and Caroline counties, have distributed more than 80% of their vaccines, many have struggled. Nine of the state's 24 jurisdictions have distributed less than 10%. Prince George's has given out just 4.3% of its allocation, the third-lowest rate in the state. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, plans to discuss the vaccine distribution in his state during a Wednesday news conference. Vaccine dissemination moved forward across the region Tuesday as the seven-day rolling average of new infections across Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia stood at 7,421 - the third consecutive record-setting day. The city of Baltimore also announced new vaccination plans Tuesday, when Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat, said the state's largest city will begin this week to vaccinate first responders and health-care workers not affiliated with hospitals. The city's health department has the second-lowest vaccination deployment in the state. The city received 2,600 doses of the Moderna vaccine from state officials last week that it plans to deploy. Health commissioner Letitia Dzirasa said officials are unsure of how many additional doses the city will receive through next week. "There's still a very limited supply," she said, urging members of the public to remain patient. In Maryland, state data shows the Baltimore region has vaccinated 1.5% of its population, compared to a 0.7% vaccination rate in the state's Washington suburbs. Montgomery County Health Officer Travis Gayles said late Monday the discrepancy might be because more Montgomery health-care workers have been vaccinated in the District or other jurisdictions, but haven't yet reported it to the state health department. He also acknowledged that at hospitals, which received the first batches of the vaccine from the federal government, not everyone who is eligible has agreed to take the vaccine. "If we're honest, there are some folks who are still taking a wait-and-see approach," he said. While hospitals have received doses directly from the federal government, local governments have had to wait for allotments from state authorities. This is "an additional layer of time" in the distribution process, Gayles said. The county, for example, only learned Saturday it would be receiving a new batch of doses Tuesday. "We're at the mercy of getting that information from the state and the state is at the mercy of getting the information from the federal government," he said. "It's our biggest obstacle." Of the 4,300 doses that Montgomery has received, 86% had been administered as of Monday night, Gayles said. It's among the highest distribution rates in the state. The county has planned six more vaccine clinics to administer the new batches, but with more than 50,000 people in the county's top priority group, it will be some time before vaccinations begin for those in the next category, which includes people 75 and older. Gayles said the county is not aware of vaccines expiring because of a lack of demand. In such a situation, the health department has told pharmacies to inform county officials, who would then identify a cohort of priority group members to receive the vaccine. The greater Washington region reported 6,595 new infections and 118 virus-related fatalities Tuesday. The District had 262 new cases and four deaths; Virginia had 4,377 cases and 59 deaths; and Maryland had 1,956 cases and 55 deaths. Virus-related hospitalizations were up 12% from last week in the District, up 8% from last week in Virginia, and up 3% from last week in Maryland, according to The Washington Post's tracking of data. The District has administered 16,989 of the 40,075 doses delivered, according to city data that includes reports from 58% of providers. Virginia has administered 103,083 doses and Maryland has administered 76,916 doses. Advertisement In northern Virginia, a secretive Army storage facility that holds hundreds of seized Nazi artworks has drawn comparisons to the warehouse from the Indiana Jones film Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Since the end of World War Two, 456 pieces of Nazi art and propaganda have remained under lock and key at the Army's Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir, a sprawling base in Fairfax County. The collection, which includes four watercolors painted by Adolf Hitler himself, has rarely been loaned out to museums or seen by the public, for fear they could inspire followers of the Nazis' sick and dangerous ideals. 'The rationale in 1945 was that we take possession of these works to keep them out of dangerous hands,' Sarah Forgey, the Army's chief art curator, told the New Yorker in an interview published on Monday. 'The fear was that there would be a revival of Nazism. Look at the world today. That rationale seems more valid in 2020 than it's been in a long time,' she said. Curators pull out Wilhelm Sauter's 'Soldiers on the West Front,' a 1941 oil painting that is one of hundreds of Nazi works kept locked away at Fort Belvoir in Virginia Among the chilling paintings is 'Der Bannertrager,' or the 'Standard Bearer,' which depicts Hitler on horseback in the armor of a Teutonic knight, carrying the Nazi flag. A U.S. soldier thrust a bayonet through Hitler's face when the painting was captured Curator Sarah Forgey shows former Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal four watercolors by Adolf Hitler at the U.S. Army Center of Military History's Museum Support Center Facility in a file photo Military specialists are seen documenting the works housed at the Army's Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir The secretive depot has been compared to the huge military warehouse seen at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark The collection at Fort Belvoir was chiefly assembled by Army Captain Gordon W. Gilkey, who was tasked with rounding up Nazi artworks at the end of WWII. Gilkey used German train schedules to figure out where Nazi art had been shipped in the closing days of the war, tracking one major cache that had left Berlin for the Czech border. In the mountains at the end of the line, Gilkey discovered the cache under the floorboards of an abandoned cabin, tattered and moth eaten. In a report for the Army, Gilkey wrote that he also found German art stashed in the bins of an Austrian salt-refining plant, according to the Washington Post. 'Hitler at the Front,' by Emil Scheibe (1942) depicts the Nazi leader in a leather coat, surrounded by adoring soldiers 'In the Beginning Was the Word,' by Hermann Otto Hoyer (1937) shows Hitler mesmerizing his early followers with a speech in the 1920s. Hitler liked it so much that he bought the painting William Layer of the Army Public Affairs strolls past Emil Schiebe's 'Hitler at the Front,' an oil on canvas painting from 1942 that was taken by US soldiers during WWII In his Army report, Gilkey mused that 'Perhaps the (German) combat artists were sincere. Working artists are simple people.' 'But behind (the German combat art program) was always Adolf Hitler and . . . his dreams of super-race built upon the bones of destruction of all who opposed him in his mad drive to rule the world. 'If his plan had succeeded, the suicide of the creative arts would have followed,' he wrote. 'My work of the past year has attained the removal from Germany of this monument to their baseness.' In total, Gilkey shipped more than 9,000 pieces of art and propaganda back to the U.S. But much of the haul was later found to have little to do with Nazism, and most of the collection was later returned to the German government. Any images that showed Nazi leaders or the swastika were kept by the U.S. military, however, and remain stored away at Fort Belvoir. Since the end of World War Two, 456 pieces of Nazi art and propaganda have remained under lock and key at the Army's Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir (above) Dr. Charles H. Cureton, director of Army museums, discusses Hans Schmitz-Wiedenbruck's' German Military Services,' a 1941 oil painting on canvas that is being housed at Fort Belvoir Willfried Nagel's 'The Red Terror' (1942) depicts a skeleton in a red robe atop a white horse galloping across a fiery sea of drowning victims Julius Schmitz-Westerholt's 'Two Ships In Moonlight' is a 1944 watercolor painting on paper that is being housed at the US Army Center of Military History Museum Support Center Much of the collection is cheap, mass produced propaganda designed to spread the hateful ideals of the Nazis. But it also includes some monumental works designed to glorify Hitler. One such chilling painting is 'Der Bannertrager,' or the 'Standard Bearer,' which depicts Hitler on horseback in the armor of a Teutonic knight, carrying the Nazi flag. The large painting was marred where a U.S. soldier had thrust a bayonet through Hitler's face. Army curators decided to leave it that way. Another large work in the collection is 'Hitler At The Front', which depicts the Nazi leader in a leather coat, surrounded by adoring soldiers. 'In the Beginning Was the Word,' by Hermann Otto, depicts Hitler mesmerizing his early followers with a speech in the 1920s. Julius Schmitz-Westerholt's 'Ski Troops In Norway Invasion' is a 1940 charcoal drawing. The piece was taken from Germany by US soldiers during WWII Julius Schmitz-Westerholt's 'Surgical Ward on German Navy Ship' is a 1940 charcoal drawing. In the wake of the war, allied forces embarked on the 'de-nazification' of Germany. Willfried Nagel's 'Vision of an East Front Follower' is a 1943 oil painting on canvas that depicts a Russian soldier surrendering to the Nazis atop a pile of bodies Otto Engelhardt-Kyffhauser's 'Rene Fayard, French Volunteer in Waffen SS' is a 1944 pastel drawing on paper that is being housed at the Army Art Collection Fort Belvoir (above) is a large base in Northern Virginia that employs more workers than the Pentagon itself Other works in the collection sought to demonize the Russians and Communism. One, titled 'The Red Terror,' depicts a skeleton in a red robe atop a white horse galloping across a fiery sea. Also included in the Army collection are four watercolors painted by Hitler, a failed artist who was twice rejected for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Hitler's watercolors depict street empty street scenes devoid of people, because the Nazi leader struggled to draw the human form. 'They are only interesting because of who produced them,' Forgey told the New Yorker. Hitler was a painter before the Second World War and sold postcards in Vienna to try and make a living. His artwork continued when he was leader of the Nazi party and then the Fuhrer. Some of his pieces sold for up to $50,000 at auction after the war. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. It is truly an honor to be recognized as a Diamond Partner. Black Diamond Advisorys rapid achievement of Diamond Level status is a tribute to our Experts Only principle and our sole dedication to OneStream Software." Black Diamond Advisory announces its OneStream Software Diamond Partner Level status. 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Follow Black Diamond Advisory on LinkedIn and Twitter to learn more about the Diamond Framework, Black Diamonds OneStream experience and Black Diamonds ever-increasing client successes. CONTACT: Randy Werder President T: (407)758-7382 E: rwerder@blackdiamondadvisory.com http://www.blackdiamondadvisory.com About OneStream Software OneStream Software provides a market-leading intelligent finance platform that reduces the complexity of financial operations. OneStream unleashes the power of finance by unifying corporate performance management (CPM) processes such as planning, financial close & consolidation, reporting and analytics through a single, extensible solution. We empower the enterprise with financial and operational insights to support faster and more informed decision-making. All in a cloud platform designed to continually evolve and scale with your organization. OneStream is an independent software company backed by private equity investor KKR. With over 600 customers, 200 partners and over 600 employees our primary mission is to deliver 100 percent customer success. About Black Diamond Advisory We believe in a new kind of relationship between the technology provider and client, and we set out to transform the way financial systems are deployed and used in the future. The leaders of Black Diamond have owned and built several of the largest finance system consulting firms in the industry. This company is intentionally different. We want to have joint ownership of the solutions we develop with clients and be engaged with them throughout their entire transformation journey to ensure the greatest value is derived from their investment. We only work with OneStream Software because we believe that it is the future of digital finance and we are 100% aligned with them on Customer Success. Qatar and its Gulf Arab neighbors have signed a solidarity and stability pact, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Tuesday, a day after Riyadh agreed to lift its years-long blockade of Doha. The accord emphasizes Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability as well as the strengthening of friendship and brotherhood between our countries and people," he said of the agreement struck during the annual summit of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Since June 2017, Qatar has remained under an air, land and sea embargo imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. The Saudi-led bloc also severed diplomatic relations with the gas-rich country, accusing it of funding terrorism and backing its regional rival Iran. Doha denies supporting terrorist groups, but admits to supporting Islamist movements including Egypts outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The three-year-row involving some of Washingtons top Middle East allies reached a turning point on Monday, when Kuwait's foreign minister announced that Saudi Arabia would reopen its air, land and sea borders with Qatar. In another positive sign, Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was greeted with a hug from bin Salman on Tuesday after arriving in the Saudi desert city of Al Ula to attend the GCC summit. In his opening remarks at Tuesday's meeting, bin Salman called for regional unity to confront Iranian efforts to shake up the stability of the region. Saudi Arabias de facto leader also thanked GCC leaders for their bold steps and expressed his gratitude toward the United States and Kuwait for their roles in brokering a reconciliation. US President Donald Trump has made healing the Gulf rift a foreign policy priority before he leaves office later this month. His son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, attended the GCC meeting on Tuesday. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Health care workers at Staten Islands two hospital systems received their second doses of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine Monday, becoming among the first people in the country to complete the immunization cycle. Staff at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), West Brighton, and Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, joined other hospital workers around New York City in receiving the booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine exactly three weeks after initial vaccinations. I feel wonderful, said Dr. Jay Nfonoyim, vice chairman of Richmond University Medical Centers Department of Medicine, after receiving his second dose. Its amazing to be able to do it. Nfonoyim, in an optimistic tone, said the vaccinations serve as something we can add to our war chest against the coronavirus. We had masks, we had social distancing, we didnt have vaccines so now we have a vaccine, he said. Its a big thing. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has been approved for use in people over the age of 16, has 95% effectiveness after two doses, the company announced in November, making the immunization a key factor in the effort to subdue an outbreak that has claimed the lives of nearly 1,300 Staten Islanders. Paramedic Jeffrey Brown gives a thumbs up after receiving his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk) Jeffrey Brown, who has been a paramedic for RUMC for more than 20 years, said he was sick for two weeks in April when he contracted the virus. On Monday, he joined colleagues at the hospital in receiving his second dose of the vaccine. The reason Im getting it I trust this 100%,' Brown said. " I dont want to get it again. I dont want to bring it to my wife, my grandkids. The coronavirus has wrought significant struggles for health care professionals on Staten Island throughout the span of the pandemic. As hospitalizations once again creep up to levels not seen since the spring, the continued vaccination of these at-risk workers comes at a time when hopes of overcoming the virus are high while new cases continue to surge. Today is a big day because today we begin the second round, said RUMC President and CEO Dr. Daniel Messina. Its a really monumental day. A state Health Department scorecard showed RUMC was ranked third in all of New York state for its percentage of vaccination allocation 93% a feat Messina said made him proud of the work the hospital was completing. Northwell Health the states largest hospital system, which runs SIUH was also in the top 10 at 62%. On average, hospital systems around the state have used approximately 46% of their initial allotments, according to the latest information from the state. Were very, very excited about the fact that the push that weve been putting on to vaccinate our team has really been bearing some great results, said Messina. We know that this is the main weapon to fight this virus, and weve been pushing morning, noon and night with education and with the convenience of hours [to vaccinate staff] throughout the day and night. Exactly 21 days after receiving Americas first injection of the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Sandra Lindsay, RN, a critical care manager at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, on Monday received the second shot of the vaccine. (Photo courtesy of Northwell Health) The first nurse to receive the Pfizer vaccine in the United States, Sandra Lindsay, a critical care manager at Northwells Long Island Jewish Medical Center, received her second dose of the vaccine Monday. I know that were not out of the woods yet, said Lindsay, after receiving the injection. We dont yet have herd immunity, but the burden feels much lighter today. Im very grateful to receive this vaccine in the first place. Joed Diaz, a PCA in emergency medicine at SIUH, was among those receiving the booster shot. Both vaccinations, he said, went without a hitch and he experienced no adverse side effects. Joed Diaz, a PCA in emergency medicine at SIUH, was among those receiving the booster shot. (Courtesy of SIUH) Now, the race to scale up vaccination efforts inside and outside of hospitals is in full effect. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday called on the federal government to pick up the pace and distribute more vaccines, adding that the city will run out in two weeks. However, elected officials have been critical of the pace at which the city is vaccinating its first tranche of health care workers. Councilman Mark Levine on Twitter called out the citys low daily vaccination numbers. Vaccination in New York City is basically only occurring during regular business hours. Very little on weekends. Almost none on holidays, he said. Data from the citys Health Department shows that just over 110,000 people have received their first dose throughout the five boroughs. The ability to ramp up those efforts will be given a shot in the arm as Modernas vaccine, which was given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration in mid-December, is beginning to make its way to hospitals in the borough. Lenny Shats, the clinical coordinator at Richmond University Medical Centers Pharmacy Department, said the task of storing Pfizers vaccine, which requires ultra-frozen temperatures, has been a precise practice, dense with challenges. This is what weve been dealing with from the get-go, just making sure the accountability on our end is there and that we adhere to every single aspect of the guidance that is provided to us by the city, by the state and the federal government, Shats said. The addition of Modernas vaccine adds another prong to the Islands attack against the virus, and Shats said RUMC will hopefully be administering the companys immunizations soon. This has definitely been a challenge, Shats said of the litany of regulations, requirements and guidance he has been tasked with handling throughout the outbreak. Still, he said he felt the hospital was doing very well as a team, and said he felt very comfortable that we will succeed going further with what is asked of us. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on January 5, 2021 2021/01/05 AFP: The New York Stock Exchange has abandoned plans to delist China Mobile Ltd., China Telecom Corp Ltd., China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. after further consultation with relevant regulatory authorities. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? Hua Chunying: I have noted that China Unicom and China Telecom have made initial responses to this development. I talked about China's position when replying to a related question yesterday. I would like to stress again that the position of the United States as an international financial hub hinges on global companies and investors trusting the inclusiveness and certainty of its rules and mechanisms. Lately some political forces in the United States have been wantonly suppressing foreign companies listed in the country, exposing an arbitrary and capricious uncertainty in its rules and mechanisms. The suppression against Chinese companies will have very limited direct impact on them, but will harm the national interests and image of the United States and the global standing of the American capital market. We hope the United States will respect rule of law and market principles and do things conducive to upholding order in the global financial market, protecting investors' lawful rights and interests, and promoting the steady development of the global economy. Phoenix TV: Media reports quoted the Iranian government spokesman as saying that President Hassan Rouhani has given the order for enriching uranium to 20 percent at Fordow. A U.S. State Department spokesperson called Iran's decision "a clear attempt to increase its campaign of nuclear extortion, an attempt that will continue to fail". Does China have any comment on this? Hua Chunying: The Iranian nuclear issue has come to a crucial juncture. The situation is complicated and sensitive. China urges all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, stay committed to the consensus on upholding the JCPOA, and avoid taking actions that will escalate tensions so that there will be room spared for diplomatic efforts to bring about a detente. The most pressing task at hand is for all parties to push for the unconditional return of the United States to the JCPOA and the lifting of all relevant sanctions so as to create conditions to bring the deal back on track. China Daily: On January 1, 2021, the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius entered into force. On the same day, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was also officially launched. Against the background of COVID-19 epidemic situation, what is the significance of the coming-into-effect and implementation of the China-Mauritius FTA? What is China's comment on the official launch of the AfCFTA? Hua Chunying: You have the journalist savvy to notice these two pieces of news. On the official launch of the AfCFTA, we want to express our congratulations, as this marks another milestone in the process of African economic integration and fully reflects the firm determination and solid efforts of African countries to seek strength in unity, promote economic transformation and take the helm of their own future. With the impact of COVID-19 and against an unstable and uncertain international situation, the kicking-off of AfCFTA will also lend its strength to safeguard multilateralism and free trade and promote the stable recovery of the world economy. The China-Mauritius FTA is the first FTA signed between China and an African country. China, Mauritius and other African countries are still facing the arduous task of controlling the pandemic, stabilizing the economy and ensuring people's livelihood. The China-Mauritius FTA coming into force on schedule reflects China's unswerving position of promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and deepening the traditional friendship between China and Africa, and further enriches the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. Over the years, China and Africa have been working together and cooperating closely, setting a model of friendly cooperation and common development for developing countries. China has signed BRI cooperation documents with 44 African countries and the African Union Commission. This year, China and Africa will have FOCAC meetings on the three priority areas of vaccine cooperation, economic recovery and transformative development to build new consensus on solidarity and break new ground for cooperation. We believe that the entry into force of the China-Mauritius FTA and the formal launch of the AfCFTA will bring new historic opportunities to China-Africa cooperation. We will continue to support the AfCFTA, explore FTA building with African countries, and expand the import of African commodities to China to inject new impetus into the transformation and upgrading of China-Africa cooperation. CCTV: According to media reports, on January 2, Senior Constable Kelly Foster in Australia's New South Wales gave her life trying to rescue a Chinese citizen in distress, who didn't make it, either, unfortunately. I wonder if you have any comment? Hua Chunying: We have noted the sad news through media reports. We are grateful for Senior Constable Kelly Foster's admirable bravery and deeply mourn her passing. Our sincere condolences go to her family. We also regret the unfortunate passing of the Chinese citizen. The Chinese consulate-general in Sydney has extended condolences to the family of the Chinese citizen who has passed away and provided timely consular assistance. Once again we remind overseas Chinese citizens to take precautions and stay safe. This news reminds me of a joint rescue mission of the Chinese and American expedition teams for a member of the Australian mission in Antarctica who suddenly fell ill in December last year. An Australian officer at the mission expressed gratitude for the international rescue, and said this joint rescue operation is a testament to the strong international cooperation that exists in Antarctica. Such heroic acts fill us with greater faith in humanity, kindness and compassion. Bloomberg: A Global Times piece citing analysts said that the Chinese government may require U.S. companies doing business in China to disclose links to the U.S. military. We are wondering if the foreign ministry has any comment on this? Hua Chunying: I don't have any information to offer, but I would like to stress our firm opposition to the U.S. government's malicious slanders against China's civil-military integration policy, politicization of trade issues, and suppression of Chinese companies by abusing state power and stretching national security concept. As is known to all, the United States has a very long history of civil-military fusion, with this practice dating back to a time before WWI. The U.S. government has been the major driving force for this process. In recent years, it has been pursuing all-dimensional integration in various sectors at an even faster pace. Many American multinational companies are the result of military-civil fusion themselves. On this issue, the United States is applying double standards to contain China's development in despicable means, in violation of the market principles and international trade rules it always claims to champion, which will eventually damage the image and interests of the United States itself. It goes without saying that the Chinese government will not sit back when its legitimate interests are trampled upon by the U.S. side so willfully. We will take necessary measures to firmly defend Chinese companies' lawful rights and interests. We hope that the U.S. side will see reason and work together with us to create a fair, just, stable and predictable business environment for the normal exchange, cooperation and development of companies of both sides. Beijing Youth Daily: On January 2, the twitter account of US MissionCN retweeted Michael G. Kozak, Acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, saying that the illegal harvesting of sea cucumbers by Chinese fleets has impacted local livelihoods and economies, and "we must ensure the PRC abides by its stated 'zero tolerance' policy". What is your comment? Hua Chunying: US MissionCN has been busy, but not busy strengthening friendship between China and the US, but busy spreading falsehoods and badmouthing China. I must stress that China, as a responsible fishing country committed to the green path of sustainable development, attaches great importance to the science-based conservation and sustainable utilization of fishery resources, and has been cooperating with the international community in clamping down on IUU fishing activities. We adopt a "zero-tolerance" policy towards any law-breaking activities by distant-water fishing vessels and practice strict supervision on distant-water fishery. In fact, substantial and remarkable work has been done through international cooperation on jointly combating illegal fishing and promoting the sustainable development of fishery resources. For example, China has been faithfully fulfilling its duties stipulated in UNCLOS and multilateral fishery agreements it has signed onto and conducting fishing activities in high seas in accordance with measures established by regional fisheries management organizations, and our compliance records have been positively reviewed by all fisheries organizations. Besides, the Chinese side has been following bilateral arrangements it has reached with relevant coastal countries when conducting fishing activities in their EEZs. All these have produced good economic and social effects. As for the accusation levied by the U.S. side on twitter, we have contacted the competent department and learned that sea cucumber is not a species harvested by China's distant-water fishing boats, and China has so far found no legally approved distant-water fishing boats engaging in sea cucumber fishing activities. The competent authority has taken note of reports on a Chinese fishing boat allegedly engaged in illegal harvesting of sea cucumber, and is carrying out thorough investigation on this. The Chinese side welcomes supervision on our distant-water fishing vessels, and please inform competent department if anyone has found out anything about our vessels engaging in illegal activities. The fishing vessels and their owners, as long as they break the law, will be punished severely. No such illegal activities will be tolerated under our "zero tolerance" policy. Once again, we urge the U.S. side to be discreet with its words and actions and stop trying to sour China's relations with the relevant countries through its tricks of political manipulation. I'd like to add one more point. U.S. purse seiners far exceeded the number of days they are allowed to fish on the high seas, according to a relevant fishery management organization, and they have been doing this for many years, causing concern among other members at the organization. The United States owes to the international community to reflect upon its rules-breaking behavior and correct them. The Paper: The U.S. Department of State published an article titled China's Nuclear Madness on its website on December 4, saying that COVID-19 has taught the world that the Chinese Communist Party's lies can have vast and terrible consequences. The United States urges Beijing to come clean about another danger: China's opaque and threatening nuclear weapons buildup. It is the least transparent of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Beijing's nuclear posture is getting more aggressive, threatening even non-nuclear neighbors and undermining confidence in its so-called "No First Use" policy. Do you have any response? Hua Chunying: Su Shi, a great scholars of Song Dynasty, once wrote a famous line in a poem, "Why can't I tell the true shape of Lushan? Because I myself am in the mountain.", which basically means that the position and angel you take will affect your ability to see the larger and whole picture. The U.S. side should be sober enough to see how the "lying diplomacy", practiced by Pompeo and the U.S. Department of State, has dented the United States' credibility and reputation with such a force that the consequences are simply horrible. As is know to all, the United States owns the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal. The U.S. administration has not only refused to fulfill its special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament in violation of the consensus of the international community, but also wantonly pulled out of international treaties and organizations, spent trillions of dollars in upgrading nuclear arsenal, lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, and expanded the scope of nuclear strike, to the great detriment of global strategic security and stability. The world sees clearly who is possessed by nuclear madness. The playbook of slandering China and a thief crying "stop thief" can fool no one. Good luck entertaining themselves with such petty tricks. China follows a defense policy that is defensive in nature, keeps its nuclear force at the minimum level required by national security, upholds the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapon, and commits itself not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. Of all five nuclear-weapon states in the world, China is the only one that follows the principle of no-first-use of nuclear weapon, and this policy will remain unchanged. We hope the U.S. side will also make the same commitment openly as China does. Will it? In the meantime, we urge the U.S. side to make positive response to Russia's call and agree to extend the New START treaty as soon as possible and further drastically reduce its nuclear arsenal. China Review: The incoming U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview that what President-elect Biden wants to do is have a period where he can consult with our partners and allies in Europe and Asia and elsewhere to talk about how together we can bring leverage to bear on China to change its trade behaviors, including dumping, illegal subsidies for state-owned enterprises, and forced labor. It's a strategy that recognizes that China is a serious strategic competitor to the United States, but also a strategy that recognizes that there are areas where we will work with China when it's in our interest to do so on issues such as climate change. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: Regarding so-called dumping and illegal subsidies, the Chinese competent authorities already made clear China's position on multiple occasions. We've also made clarifications on lies about forced labor many times. The facts are clear. As to China-U.S. relations, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stated China's position and proposition on bilateral relations on different occasions, including in video conferences with the US-China Business Council and the U.S. Asia Society, in the address at the Symposium on the International Situation and China's Foreign Relations in 2020, and in an interview with Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group. China's position is clear-cut. We maintain that China and the United States, as two major countries, share extensive common interests in upholding world peace and stability and promoting global development and prosperity. Cooperation between the two sides can make good things happen for both countries and beyond. Under the current circumstances, China and the United States have enormous room for cooperation in such areas as epidemic response, economic recovery and climate change, if not in all fields. As State Councilor Wang Yi pointed out, China-US relations have come to a new crossroads, and a new window of hope is opening. We hope the U.S. side will keep up with the trend of the times, heed the calls of the two peoples and the international community, work with the Chinese side to focus on cooperation and manage differences, and bring bilateral relations back to the normal track at an early date. Global Times: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted on January 3 that if the Arctic region is to thrive, we've got to focus above all on Russian and Chinese threats, and that it is a communist fiction for China to be a "near-Arctic nation" when China is 900 miles from the Arctic. What is your response? Hua Chunying: Mr. Pompeo is not bad at calculating distance. Since he has figured out that China is 900 miles from the Arctic Circle, has he ever measured the distance between the continental United States and the South China Sea? The South China Sea is more than 8,300 miles away from the continental United States, or 5,800 miles away from Hawaii. Despite such distance, the U.S. side has repeatedly sent warships and aircraft to the South China Sea for all kinds of military drills and close-in reconnaissance, without a break all year round. What's on its mind? The US Marine unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has carried out at least 9 recon missions over the South China Sea and East China Sea in December only in 2020. What fiction is the U.S. side weaving on the South China Sea issue? Peace and cooperation still dominates the Arctic situation. It is issues like environmental protection and sustainable development that gradually stand out, as climate change speeds up ice-melting in the Arctic. These challenges need to tackled by all parties concerned working together. China is a "Near-Arctic State", a geological, natural and social reality that cannot be denied by anyone, nor changed just because someone or some organization does not like it. China is also closely involved in the trans-regional and global issues in the Arctic. China respects the sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction enjoyed by the Arctic States in this region, and stands ready to contribute to peace, stability and sustainable development in the Arctic. Meanwhile, the relevant party should respect the rights and freedom of non-Arctic States to carry out activities in this region in accordance with the law, and respect the overall interests of the international community in the Arctic. China looks forward to working with all parties concerned to promote sustainable development in the Arctic following the principle of mutual respect and win-win cooperation. The reality is that the international community is enhancing cooperation in the Arctic, and Mr. Pompeo is so out of touch with this reality by ignoring basic facts, making an issue out of ideology, and sensationalizing security threats in the Arctic. Is This Phrase Biblical? The Bible does not hold a world view that people get what they deserve. While there are verses about the benefits of hard work, primarily in the Book of Proverbs, it does not make any guarantees about good things happening; in fact, it promises seasons of hardship, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you (1 Peter 4:12). These trials are not the byproduct of bad behavior, rather the result of sin and a world broken by it. In fact, if every person was to get what he or she deserved, then they would receive punishment for their evil thoughts and deeds. The Bible says that, For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins (Romans 3:22b-25). God is holy, and mans sin is so deep that without the mercy He showed by sending Jesus to die and pay the price for the sins of the world, we would be without hope. The word propitiation in the Bible refers to the act of atoning and appeasing. Gods innate holiness and righteousness means that sinners cannot be with Him. In fact, the state of a person who has not repented of their sins, and accepted the forgiveness offered through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as spiritually dead, and subjects of Satan, the prince of this world; And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind (Ephesians 2:2-3). Jesus sacrifice and offer of forgiveness - free, complete, and eternal - is more than anyone actually deserves. Because people sin, they deserve to pay the price for that sin; For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). This death is not just physical death, but damnation. Photo credit: SparrowStock AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Odie Pet Insurance, one of the newest pet insurance companies on the market, is raising an investment round to fund its growth strategy and to establish itself as a leader in the space in 2021. Over the next 18-24 months, funding will be used to enhance Odie's consumer facing technologies, continue business development and marketing efforts, and acquire top-tier talent. The raise is being led by Bridge Point Capital based in New York City. Odie Pet Insurance Odie Pet Insurance Over the last six to eight months, the pet industry has seen a tremendous boom in pet adoption rates. This number will add to the over 184 million dogs and cats in the US according to the North American Pet Health Association's (NAPHA) 2020 State of the Industry Study. Yet, this same study revealed that less than 2% of pet owners get their furry loved ones insured. Miles Thorson, Co-Founder and CEO of Odie Pet Insurance, sees this as a largely untapped market opportunity with the potential for rapid growth. "We're incredibly excited at the growing need for affordable and high-quality pet insurance. Since pet ownership has really skyrocketed in the U.S. during the pandemic, we feel the timing is better than ever to bring on capital in order to accelerate our growth and our ability to serve pet parents." Miles Thorson, Co-Founder & CEO, Odie Pet Insurance. Odie's unique distribution strategy is a two-pronged approach aligning itself with strategic insurance distribution partners and other pet sector affiliates in order to streamline and control costs. They've already received significant traction with enterprise level partners such as large employee benefits providers looking to expand their services within the fast-growing, pet sector. Thorson continues to say, "Our partners are drawn to our 35 years' experience in the insurance industry and ability to provide them with the flexibility and openness to integrate with their current technology and workflows." Some of Odie's key platform features include: Affordable Pricing - Their plans on average are 15%-30% less expensive than equivalent products and offerings. Transparent Policies - Addressing a major problem of pet insurance, Odie provides customers with easy-to-understand coverage and transparent policies. Flexible Plan Options - Pet owners can fully customize their plan according to their budget and pet's specific needs. Vertical Integration - The platform vertically integrates marketing & distribution, underwriting, program management, and its carrier. Odie is a tech-enabled pet health insurance program that helps pet owners pay for unexpected health and wellness expenses. They provide affordable and quality coverage that gives people the flexibility to customize a monthly plan according to their budget and pets' needs. Headquartered in Agoura Hills, California with additional offices in New York City, Odie launched in early 2020 offering accident and illness policies for cats and dogs direct to consumer through their website www.odiepetinsurance.com. Zabrina Thorson Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] Instagram Twitter Facebook Linkedin Pinterest SOURCE Odie Pet Insurance Marketing Related Links http://www.odiepetinsurance.com Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 480 5G processor which brings next generation of mobile connectivity to affordable price points with entry-level phones. The Snapdragon 480 follows the Snapdragon 460 chip that was launched back in January 2020 and is the first 4-series SoC to offer 5G support. "Qualcomm Technologies continues to accelerate 5G commercialization globally to make 5G smartphones more accessible, especially as people worldwide continue to connect remotely. The Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform will exceed OEMs and consumers expectations in delivering high-and mid-tier features at an affordable price, said Kedar Kondap, Vice President, Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor is manufactured on an 8nm process and features the integrated Snapdragon X51 5G Modem-RF system that brings support for mmWave and Sub-6GHz 5G with Standalone (SA) and Non-standalone (NSA) modes. It also enables multi-gigabit 5G connectivity for fast download and upload speeds. The chipset offers support for dual Wi-Fi antennas with Wi-Fi 6 features, dual-frequency GPS and NavIC for positioning systems. Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon 480 can deliver up to 100% performance improvements when it comes to peak CPU and GPU performance. The SoC features Kryo 460 CPU running at up to 2.0GHz, Adreno 610 GPU and Hexagon 686 processor that enable up to 100% performance gains in CPU and GPU performance and up to 70% AI performance improvement in comparison to Snapdragon 460 processor. The Snapdragon 480 is also the first processor that brings in support for Quick Charge 4+ technology. It is also equipped with Spectra 345 ISP that supports receiving input from three camera units simultaneously. The Snapdragon 480 supports triple 13MP cameras in ultra-wide, wide and telephoto arrangement and can also record 720p videos simultaneously. Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor also supports Full HD+ displays with 120Hz high-refresh-rate for a smooth and lag-free experience. It also supports aptX audio, optimized gaming experience, seamless streaming and more. Several OEMs have ushered in support for the new Snapdragon 480 processor including OnePlus, Oppo, Nokia, to name a few. OnePlus is planning to launch a phone based on the Snapdragon 480 processor and it could likely be the successor to the OnePlus Nord N100. We cant wait to deliver advanced 5G capabilities to the mass market through an upcoming device based on the new Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform, said Kinder Liu, Chief Operating Officer at OnePlus. 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Along with the issuance of the framework, the central bank has also begun accepting applications for the five digital banking licences that it intends to issue. With regard to the publication of the policy document for the new framework, BNM said that it was created to enable innovative application of technology in banking products. This includes increasing access and promoting responsible usage of suitable financial solutions for the unserved and underserved groups within Malaysia. BNM also emphasised that the new licencing framework adopts a balanced approach in establishing the countrys digital banks. This allows for the setting up of digital banks with strong value propositions without compromising on the integrity and stability of the financial system, as well as depositors interests. With these goals in mind, these new banks are required to abide by a simplified regulatory framework in their initial three to five years of operation, during which they must have an asset threshold of not more than RM3 billion. This functions as a foundational phase for the licensees to demonstrate their viability and sound operation, and for the Bank to observe the performance of the licensed digital banks and attendant risks that arises from their operations, said BNM in its press release. On top of that, digital banks must also comply with requirements under the Financial Services Act 2013 (FSA) and Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 (IFSA), although they will be subjected to a less stringent set of regulatory requirements during the foundational phase. Aside from issuing the new framework, BNM also announced that it is now ready to accept applications from entities that wish to make a bid for the digital banking licences that will be issued. The central bank is looking to issue up to five licences in total. These entities can begin to apply starting from now until 30 June 2021. Applicants should be guided by the application procedures described in this Policy Document as well as the Application Procedures for New Licences under the FSA and IFSA, and the Application Procedures for Acquisition of Interest in Shares and to be a Financial Holding Company, said BNM, adding that notification on the grant of licence will be made by the first quarter of 2022. BNMs plans for the digital banking framework had actually began way back in 2019, when it released an exposure draft on the licencing framework for digital banks in December. The draft, which sought to seek feedback from the public, was originally open for negotiation until March 2020. However, the deadline was subsequently delayed to 30 June 2020 due to the onslaught of Covid-19 and the subsequent implementation of the movement control order (MCO). After that, the central bank took time to review the responses obtained before eventually finalising the policy document on 31 December 2020. Following BNMs announcement of the exposure draft for the digital banking framework, various entities have expressed an interest in making a bid for it. These include major companies such as AirAsia, Grab, Razer, Sunway, and BigPay as well as state governments, like Johor and Sarawak. (Source: Bank Negara Malaysia) 5 1 vote Article Rating New Delhi: Former UP chief minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) Akhilesh Yadav has said that he would attend Lalu Prasad's proposed rally on August 27 in Patna. He further added that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati would also be present there. Speculations have been rife that arch rivals SP and BSP may form an alliance due to the BJPs meteoric rise in Uttar Pradesh. "I will be present at Lalu Prasadji's Bihar rally on 27 August and Mayawati will also be there. If there is any announcement (regarding future alliance) it will be made there," Akhilesh said when asked about the speculations that SP and BSP will come together. However, the BSP has still not confirmed Mayawati presence in the rally. ALSO READ: BJP has insulted traders in Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav RJD chief Lalu Yadav has invited various top opposition leaders to his partys rally. If an alliance between both the rival parties does come to fruition, it will assume significance as the UP civic bodies elections are scheduled for June and would be followed by the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha by-polls. READ: UP govt remains mute spectator on law and order situation, says Akhilesh Yadav On the question of Congress, Akhilesh said his party's alliance was unbreakable and that they, along with other like-minded parties, would closely work to expose the BJP. "Rahul Gandhi is with me and will always be with me," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Saint Petersburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held wide-ranging talks on Thursday on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interests, including ways to boost energy and trade ties. At the beginning of their restricted meeting, Modi told Putin he was happy to be able to visit his hometown as Prime Minister. This is for the first time Indo-Russia summit in Russia was happening outside Moscow in St Petersburg. "Normally, international relations see ups and downs but history is witness Indo-Russia relations have not seen any ups and downs," the prime minister said and thanked the Russian President for playing crucial role in getting India Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) membership. In relations there are ups and downs but India and Russia have not seen ups and down in their relations: PM Modi in meeting with Pres Putin pic.twitter.com/HyWi4rlBit ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 Putin said India will become a full-fledged member of the SCO in a week. Modi mentioned to Putin about his visit to the cemetery where he paid homage to the victims of the World War II. "You are a leader whose family has given sacrifices. Your brother was martyred," Modi told Putin. Read | PM Modi-Russian prez Putin meet: Officials working overtime to iron out nuclear pact details Putin's brother was killed 70 years ago in the siege of Leningrad during the World War II. He thanked Modi for visiting the war memorial, saying such places have special place in Russian people's heart. The two sides are expected to sign 12 agreements in wide-ranging sectors, including in science and technology, railways, cultural exchanges and other business areas between private parties also, in addition to a "vision statement" that the two leaders will release. They are likely to ink a deal to build the last two units of India's largest nuclear power plant in Kudankulam. Read | India, Russia agree that sponsors of terrorism must be combated within framework of International law: Indian Ambassador to Russia For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. A week after resigning as the regions top federal prosecutor, former U.S. Attorney David Freed has signed on with one of central Pennsylvanias most prominent law firms. And he brought a friend. Longtime Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy is joining Freed on the roster of McNees Wallace & Nurick as well. Freed announced his resignation as U.S. Attorney for the federal Middle District of Pennsylvania nearly two months after President Donald Trump lost his re-election bid. It was expected that Freed, a Camp Hill resident, Republican and a Trump-era appointee, would be replaced as U.S. attorney by the incoming Democratic administration of Joe Biden. In their new gig, Freed and Clancy will join the law firms litigation and white collar defense and internal investigations practice groups. Dave Freed has built an impressive career as one of Pennsylvanias preeminent and most respected prosecutors over the past two decades, said McNees Chair Brian Jackson. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge that will greatly benefit our clients and be a tremendous asset to McNees. I have spent my career anticipating problems, understanding needs and finding solutions, Freed said. I am excited to use my strategic and tactical problem-solving skills to further the McNees Wallace & Nurick mission of providing superior value to clients while acting with creativity and integrity. I am thrilled to join this dynamic organization. Freed served more than three years as U.S. attorney. He was Cumberland Countys district attorney for 12 years before that. Clancy, a Susquehanna Township resident, has 32 years of service with the federal courts, the last 22 as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District. Both men earned their law degrees from The Dickinson School of Law. The McNees divisions the two will join serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Harrisburg-based McNees has a staff of more than 130 attorneys and serves clients worldwide. It has offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Subaru of America, Inc. today reported 63,558 vehicle sales for December 2020, a 2 percent increase compared with December 2019. December also marked the eighth consecutive month of 50,000+ vehicle sales for the automaker in 2020. For the full year, Subaru sold 611,942 vehicles, a 12.6 percent decrease compared with calendar year 2019. These results are reflective of the impact the COVID-19 global pandemic has had on the automobile industry. "In a year that included the COVID-19 pandemic and a global economic crisis, we are proud of our CY 2020 retail sales results of 611,942 vehicles," said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. "In particular, we need to recognize the commitment of our dedicated retailers, distributors, our colleagues, and of course Subaru Corporation, for their steadfast perseverance in a year that we will all remember." "The Subaru franchise closed out December and the 2020 sales year ahead of target, and we anticipate achieving our ninth consecutive year of total share growth," said Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales. "With 100% of our retailers operational, despite some pandemic-related restrictions, and new products in the horizon, we are optimistic about 2021." Carline Dec-20 Dec-19 % Chg Dec-20 Dec-19 % Chg MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 16,006 16,436 -2.6% 176,996 180,179 -1.8% Impreza 3,970 5,740 -30.8% 43,628 66,415 -34.3% WRX/STI 1,968 1,561 26.1% 21,178 21,838 -3.0% Ascent 6,692 8,280 -19.1% 67,623 81,958 -17.5% Legacy 2,522 3,415 -26.1% 27,240 35,063 -22.3% Outback 17,272 16,661 3.7% 153,294 181,178 -15.4% BRZ 171 131 30.5% 2,267 2,334 -2.9% Crosstrek 14,957 10,140 47.5% 119,716 131,152 -8.7% TOTAL 63,558 62,364 1.9% 611,942 700,117 -12.6% December sales were bolstered by the annual Share the Love Event where Subaru of America donates $250 for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased to the customer's choice of the following national charities: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Make-A-Wish, Meals on Wheels America and National Park Foundation or a hometown charity selected by participating Subaru retailers. In the program's thirteenth consecutive year, Subaru and participating retailers hope to exceed a grand total of $200 million donated to charities since the Subaru Share the Love Event started in 2008. Final 2020 Share the Love Event donation results are expected in March. About Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $190 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Dominick Infante Director, Corporate Communications (856) 488-8615 [email protected] Diane Anton Corporate Communications Manager (856) 488-5093 [email protected] Nicholas Saraceni Corporate Communications Specialist (856) 488-3330 [email protected] SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc. Related Links http://www.subaru.com Credit: Oregon State University Co-developing land for both solar photovoltaic power and agriculture could provide 20% of total electricity generation in the United States with an investment of less than 1% of the annual U.S. budget, a new paper by Oregon State University researchers found. Wide-scale installation of agrivoltaic systems could lead to an annual reduction of 330,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.Sthe equivalent of 75,000 cars off the road per yearand the creation of more than 100,000 jobs in rural communities, while minimally impacting crop yield, the researchers say. "Agrivoltaics provide a rare chance for true synergy: more food, more energy, lower water demand, lower carbon emissions, and more prosperous rural communities," said Chad Higgins, an associate professor in Oregon State's College of Agricultural Sciences and the senior author of the paper published in the journal Sustainability. Agrivoltaics also align with the goals of the Green New Deal, a package of federal legislation that seeks to address climate change and economic inequalities, Higgins said. "Rural America, agriculture in particular, can be the solution to many of our concerns, whether it be renewable energy, mitigating climate change impacts, sustainable food or good water resource management," Higgins said. "That connection is untapped mostly because there hasn't been sufficient investment in those communities. "What we propose in this paper is all possible. It's technically possible. It's politically possible. And it would make money after the initial investment. That's the takeawaythat we should take a hard look at agriculture as a solution to problems rather than a cause of problems." The analysis outlined in the paper prepares Higgins for the next phase of his agrivoltaics research, which includes the installation of a fully functional solar farm designed to prioritize agricultural activities on five acres of Oregon State's North Willamette Research and Extension Station in Aurora, Oregon, 20 miles south of Portland. The next phase aims to demonstrate to the agricultural community and potential future funders how Higgins's findings can be applied in real world agricultural systems to encourage early adoption. Ground is expected to be broken in May 2021 with production expected to start in 2022. In the Sustainability paper, Higgins and his co-author, Kyle Proctor, a doctoral student in his lab, find that an area about the size of Maryland would be needed for agrivoltaics to meet 20% of U.S. electricity generation. That's about 13,000 square miles, or 1% of current U.S. farmland. The cost of the agrivoltaic arrays would be $1.12 trillion over a 35-year project life. The researchers believe that the private sector would invest in the bulk of the construction costs with the federal government contributing with rebates and other incentives. Using money generated from the electricity the arrays produce, the researchers estimate it would take about 17 years to payback the $1.12 trillion. After the projected 35-year lifespan of the project, the researchers estimate the arrays would produce $35.7 billion in revenue. Installation of the arrays would create the equivalent of 117,000 jobs lasting 20 years, with 40% being sustainable positions for operating and maintaining the arrays, the researchers say. Higgins comes at this project with an eclectic background. He went through a self-described engineering degree collection phase and has published papers on everything from enzyme reaction kinetics to snow physics to turbulence theory. The broad background came in handy one day in 2013 while he was strolling his "thinking walk path" on the Oregon State campus. He noticed greener pasture under recently installed solar arrays. Drawing on his background studying water, agriculture, renewable energy, mechanical and civil engineering, he started thinking about agrivoltaics research. His initial research focused on the impact solar arrays had on the crops planted around them. That research, along with work by other scientists, has shown that crop yield is dependent on the type of crop, but in the end, when the value of the electricity generated by the solar panels is included, there is an economic net benefit from the agrivoltaic systems. Looking to the future, Higgins believes the wide-scale installation of agrivoltaic systems opens the door for other technologies. The surplus energy generated by the solar arrays could be used to power electric tractors or to generate fertilizer on a farm. Inexpensive sensors could be installed on the solar panel platforms to support artificial intelligence-based decisions to improve agricultural productivity. "Once we have infrastructure, once we have energy, we are ready to tackle so many more big problems," Higgins said. Explore further Installing solar panels on agricultural lands maximizes their efficiency, new study shows More information: Kyle W. Proctor et al. Agrivoltaics Align with Green New Deal Goals While Supporting Investment in the US' Rural Economy, Sustainability (2020). Kyle W. Proctor et al. Agrivoltaics Align with Green New Deal Goals While Supporting Investment in the US' Rural Economy,(2020). DOI: 10.3390/su13010137 An interfaith marriage held between a Muslim man and a Catholic woman was declared invalid by a three-member inquiry commission of the Syro-Malabar church body in Kerala's Kochi and recommended action against the priests who solemnized the marriage. The wedding, which was conducted last year on November 9, was held at the St Josephs Church in Kadavanthara between a Muslim man from Kochi and a Catholic woman from Irinjalakuda. The wedding had first attracted controversy after it was attended by Emeritus Bishop Mathew Vaniakizhakkel of Satna in Madhya Pradesh as traditionally, Bishops do not attend interfaith wedding ceremonies. A photograph of the couple standing with the Bishop that came out in the newspaper also sparked off criticisms from all quarters, following which the latter also issued an apology saying he regretted attending the wedding and had only done so due to his closeness with the bride's family. The church was heavily slammed for promoting inter-religious marriages while it was also speaking up against 'Love jihad. The controversy then resulted in the Syro Malabar Church Archbishop, Mar George Alencherry to order a probe into the wedding by the three-member church panel. It is also to be noted that in a related chain of events, the recent controversial 'Love-Jihad' anti-conversion ordinance in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have drawn several reactions from all quarters. Both Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have given nod to the ordinance, claiming to curb religious conversions using misrepresentation, allurement, force, threat, undue influence, coercion, marriage or any other "fraudulent means". The probing body found that the bride's side had neglected to follow canon law which is the primary prerequisite for an interfaith marriage. According to the law, marriage as such between people of two different religions, which is termed as 'Disparity of Cult' weddings, has to be permitted beforehand by the Bishop, something the bride's family did not get. The report also said that the marriage was also not notified to Ernakulam-Angamali and Irinjalakuda parish bishops. The bride's family instead just got a letter from the priest of the Kuzhikkattussery church, the brides parish and submitted it to the St Josephs Church as permissions to conduct the ceremony. The report also cited lapses on the part of vicar of Fr Benny Maramparambil, vicar of St Joseph Church, Kadavanthara and Fr James Anthiyunthan, the priest of the Kuzhikkattussery church. Speaking about what steps the bride and groom can take to validate the wedding now, a senior priest from the Syro Malabar Church told The News Minute that the bride's family now should submit a plea and also the woman must join the Kadavanthara Church as a member and an application must be submitted to the parish priest that can be blessed by the Ernakulam-Angamali archdiocese bishop. Alternatively, the priest said that the bride can also submit an application in her own parish and that can be approved by the Irinjalakuda bishop, in turn validating her marriage to her partner. According to church's canon Law, a Disparity of Cult wedding can only be approved by a diocese Bishop. The Catholic Church in Kerala has also in several earlier instances alleged of 'Love jihad' being propagated against the Christian community where Muslim men have been marrying women from other religions and converting them. There have been also allegations of the women being made to join the Islamic State. The year 2021 is a big year for the People's Republic of China. Mid-year will see the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. It will also mark one of the nation's centennial goals, referred to over the last few years, when the country achieves a moderately prosperous status. A lot of planning has already gone into how things will happen in July. At least, within China, there will be a lot going on. A torrid year Internationally, though, China had a torrid year in 2020. After the novel coronavirus disease struck, and the global outbreak, the tone of diplomacy generally changed. Part of this was due to the Donald Trump presidency, and the way in which from 2017 onward, he adopted an approach, and language, in international affairs which were highly unconventional. China was not the only country to encounter this new "narrative." Europeans and others, too, were berated for what Trump considered a lack of commitment to their own security, in financial terms at least. But China, through the trade tensions stemming from 2018, became a particular target of his attention and that of his second Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Throughout 2020, as countries struggled with the pandemic, the blaming, and the ensuing frustration and anger, started to boil over. The year became one typified by anger. With the election of Joe Biden as U.S. president starting from January, if nothing else, at the very least in terms of tone, U.S. diplomacy is likely to change. Biden does not, and will not, express his ideas or attitudes in the way Trump did. This single fact offers the hope that whereas things will not magically change, they will become part of a discourse that is bound to be mildly more measured than it has been so far. Under the current circumstances, that is no small feat. For China, 2020 came with many challenges. It was under the spotlight and its worldwide reach was more evident than ever. Gestures the nation felt were positive and well-intended, like sending personal protection equipment to Europe and elsewhere where the virus had had a particularly serious impact throughout April and into May 2020, were sometimes met with suspicion, and at times outright hostility. The response from several Chinese spokespeople to U.S. and others' criticisms was also fierce. Some days, social media served as a virtual battleground, though one where words became weapons. Time to heal One thing that 2020 certainly did bring to light is something that Chinese diplomacy needs to urgently pay attention to: Many people who never thought much about China, across the U.S., Australia and elsewhere, now have become aware of the country's importance, and of its direct impact on their own lives. For many of these people, their knowledge and understanding of the country's history, culture, language and situation are limited. They have never really had to think much about China, despite its rising importance, until the time came when they had to. 2020 was that time. For many of these people, their main exposure will be to the language that several Western politicians use. This usually sprouts from the political objectives of the specific politician speaking. Some have acknowledged the complexity of the international situation in 2020. Yet others have been eager to generate a zero-sum blame game, with the main aim of preserving themselves. China basically was an easy target. It is hardly surprising that, in this situation, the overall dialogue between China and much of the outside world has become strained. 2021 must be the year for the wounds to heal. For the West, much work lies ahead in terms of understanding the basics about China. At the moment, China, a country that accounts for 16 percent of global GDP and many feel is poised to become the world's biggest economy in the next decade, remains a place where basic levels of knowledge are inadequate. Because of this, simplified narratives of China as a place of unknowable but serious threats take hold. Some of these descriptions subsequently distort into truly nasty racial stereotyping, resulting in a bad atmosphere for all. Leaders across the West may have their valid reasons to be frustrated and angry in their diplomacy, but they need to make sure that these irritations are conveyed in ways which do not end up creating general antagonism and antipathy. They have a responsibility here. For China, the effort to support education about the country continues to be a priority. This means, despite the suspicion and negativities in 2020, finding ways of supporting people-to-people links and exposing Western audiences to the reality of contemporary China, and, above all, its complexity. Such an approach will allow for some acknowledgement of the intricacy of the issues that China faces and helps erode this overly simplistic image of China as a place that is positioned as the absolute opposite of the West. Perhaps the measure might prove difficult and might take a lot of time and effort, not necessarily leading to an easy, measurable outcome. Nevertheless, it is hard to see how China can realize its potential as a global power when it is doing so with audiences abroad that are often ill-equipped to even understand what it's saying, let alone grasp the gravitas of matters. Soft power Chinese diplomacy should not shy away from acknowledging just how complex the current situation isfor everyone. There should be an insistence on the world outside at least embracing some level of nuance in the way it regards this newly emerging power, and of the many areas in which a partnership is importantfrom public health to the environment. Chinese leaders need to be reassured that the Trump presidency was not the norm, nor will it be. Policymakers, and the general public alike, are likely to recognize the need for nuance if they hear reasons for it from within China itself. Fighting a discourse war is currently not China's battlefield. Unlike China's economy, China's soft power has a lot of catching up to do. Despite the increasing stress for diversity in Western society today, mainstream media seem to hold a highly unified view on China. It is strange that one fifth of humanity with plenty of diaspora should lack an authentic voice. Billions of individual stories are often reduced to GDP figures and geopolitical issues in the Western media. The more China feels it is misunderstood, the more defensive China becomes. This is not going to serve China's best interest in the long run. China's spokespeople should instead reflect the nation's benign nature and its hospitality and willingness to open up and embrace. Blaming Western politicians and media is not going to bring knowledge to its targeted audience outside China's borders. The responsibility of educating the outside world about China falls on China. Apart from the existing channels like Xinhua, CGTN and the Confucius Institute, there needs to be more effort coming from the private sector. These are not dramatic measures. And they entail hard, patient work. It is frustrating, as well, for China to often feel, as many of its spokespeople and citizens do, misunderstood and mischaracterized. This, alas, is the side effect of the country's new, and increasing, prominence. At least it is speaking to a world where more and more people understand its role and why that role matters. The main thing is to help people stop jumping to conclusions. Nuance is the main thing for 2021. In an era of cast iron certainty, this is not a bad thing to aim for. Kerry Brown is director of the Lau China Institute, King's College, London, as well as an associate fellow on the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House; Chenger Deng is a PhD student at the Lau China Institute, King's College, London. Photos and videos showing scores of dead birds on the streets of Rome following the recent New Years Eve celebration have been doing the rounds online, fueling all sorts of conspiracy theories. Hundreds of dead birds were found lying around the Termini train station, in Rome, Italy, on New Years Eve, and although the exact cause of this tragedy remains a mystery, animal groups have blamed the traditional fireworks show. The Italian capital had announced a fireworks ban ahead of New Years Eve, but it was largely ignored. The Italian branch of OIPA (International Animal Protection Organization) has called for a nationwide ban on selling fireworks and firecrackers for personal use, following this sad incident. I was on duty during the hours of my work when I was passing through via Cavour, a street near the central train station, Diego Fennichia, a taxi driver from Rome, told Mail Online. I did not understand at first what was on the ground, later I realized that they were dead birds, and there were hundreds of them. A really bad scene. It was about 00.40 and the causes could be due to the fireworks, at least thats the first thing I thought. Im not a scientist or a veterinarian, so I cant take responsibility for saying with certainty that that was the reason. Fennichias first suspicion was shared by animal protection organizations as well, with OIPA spokeswoman Loredana Diglio saying that there were a variety of ways in which the birds could have died, as a result of the loud and bright firework display. It could be that they died from fear, Diglio said. They can fly up together and knock against each other, or hit windows or electric power lines. Lets not forget they can also die of heart attacks. Photos of this tragic incident have been making news headlines for the past six days, and despite the fireworks being the main suspect, we still dont know for sure what killed these birds. Its not the first such mystery, either. A couple of years ago, almost 5,000 of birds were found dead on the shores of a lake in India. Kishore Biyani, Future Coupons and Future Corporate Resources have said that totally disillusioned and fed up with Amazon's lackadaisical attitude, they were left with no option but to accept the offer from Reliance. This communication to is a response to their notices and addressed on behalf of Future Corporate Resources Private Limited (FCRPL), and other promoters. "At the further outset, we deny that we have acted contrary to and reneged on contractual obligations for personal gain or benefit, as alleged or at all. Such assertions are wholly unsubstantiated," Biyani said. "You were well aware that in light of the disruption caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the lenders were chasing various of the for honouring their obligations," he said. "Being totally disillusioned and fed up with your lackadaisical attitude, we were left with no option, but to accept the offer from the Reliance. Given the fact that Reliance is one of the largest conglomerates in the country and globally, we believed that this was the best deal in the interest of all the stakeholders of various of including FRL, as it addressed the concerns of the lenders, employees, shareholders (public shareholders of the listed companies) of the including FRL. You, alone, are responsible for contributing to this situation, having failed to bail out FCPL and/or the Promoters from preventing alienation or disposal of the Promoter FRL Securities," Biyani told "In fact, during the period March to August 2020, all your actions lacked good faith. Except for offering lip service and perfunctorily attempting to show your concern, there were no serious or genuine efforts made by you. The correspondence during this period bears out that you really had no intention to assist the Promoters/FCPL in preventing the alienation or disposal of the Future Retail shares. What you merely did, was put up a facade of 'facilitating' the raising of finance by the Promoters," Biyani said. "In such dire circumstances, you were not expected to sit on the fence by simply calling for information and data and doing nothing to prevent the alienation and disposal of the Promoter FRL Securities. The least you could have done, was to nominate replacement financial institutions (RFIs) as soon as possible, or within reasonable time. By not nominating any RFIs, you contributed to the deterioration of the asset value of Promoters FRL Securities," Biyani said. Biyani said if the transaction with the Reliance/MDA Group was not finalised, FRL would inevitably have faced insolvency and/or liquidation, in which event, the entire equity would have been wiped out, leaving you with nothing. "We, therefore, deny having acted for personal gain, as alleged or at all. We have, in fact, acted in public interest, namely, in the interest of the banks, other lenders, and public shareholders. We have also ensured that the investments of FCPL continue to remain encumbrance free," he said. "Your contention, that there is a 'single integrated transaction', also violates the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA). Therefore, the two SHAs must be regarded as independent," he said. Biyani said, "We put-forth various alternative proposals for your consideration, including a proposal to increase Amazon's effective shareholding in FRL from 4.8 to 19.1 per cent, by investing an additional Rs 1,11,470 Crores, we made attempts to negotiate with other financial institutions and/or funds (for example Samara) to prevent alienation or disposal of Promoter FRL Securities, we could not go ahead with Samara because they wanted your NOC which was not forthcoming; we also explored the possibility of forming a consortium of financial institutions including other investors, who wanted your participation, which you did not consent to, using FDI laws as the reason, you were at all times fully aware of the exclusivity period with Reliance of four weeks from July 2, 2020 and its extension upto August 14, but as party to FCPL SHA made no concrete plan or proposal." CANTON, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TimkenSteel Corp. (NYSE: TMST), a leader in customized alloy steel products and services, today announced that, as previously disclosed in its Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 18, 2020, TimkenSteel made inducement grants to Michael S. Williams, the newly-appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of TimkenSteel. The Compensation Committee of TimkenSteel's Board of Directors approved, pursuant to Section 303A.08 of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, grants of inducement equity awards to Mr. Williams consisting of time-based restricted share units covering 423,400 of TimkenSteel's common shares (the "RSU Award") and performance-based restricted share units covering a target number of 423,400 of TimkenSteel's common shares (with a maximum payout opportunity of 635,100 common shares) (the "PRSU Award"). These awards were granted outside of the TimkenSteel Corporation 2020 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan as inducements material to Mr. Williams' acceptance of employment with TimkenSteel. The grant date for the awards is January 5, 2021 (the "Grant Date"). The RSU Award generally vests, subject to continued employment or other specified events, on the third anniversary of the Grant Date. The PRSU Award is generally subject to relative total shareholder return performance achievement against a benchmark group of 16 entities over a three-year period ending December 31, 2023 as follows: 0% payout for achievement below the 25th percentile; 50% payout for achievement at the 25th percentile; 100% payout for achievement at the 50th percentile; 150% payout for achievement at or above the 80th percentile; and payout based on interpolation between levels above the threshold level. About TimkenSteel Corporation TimkenSteel (NYSE: TMST) manufactures high-performance carbon and alloy steel products in Canton, OH serving demanding applications in automotive, energy and a variety of industrial end markets. The company is a premier U.S. producer of alloy steel bars (up to 16 inches in diameter), seamless mechanical tubing and precision components. In the business of making high-quality steel primarily from recycled materials for more than 100 years, TimkenSteel's proven expertise contributes to the performance of our customers' products. The company employs approximately 2,055 people and had sales of $1.2 billion in 2019. For more information, please visit us at www.timkensteel.com. -###- SOURCE TimkenSteel Corp. Related Links http://www.timkensteel.com Viewers of BBC One's Traces were left unimpressed by the first episode of the new crime drama - branding its storyline 'baffling' and blasting the 'poor continuity'. The six-part series follows Emma Hedges, played by Three Girls star Molly Windsor, who moves back to Dundee to start her new job as a lab technician - the city where her mother was murdered when she was a child. During an online course teaching the principles of forensic science, which used a 'fictional case', Emma deduces that the incident described in the video is based on her mother's killing. But several viewers appeared distracted by scenes apparently filmed in Bolton, Greater Manchester, despite the drama's Scottish setting, while others claimed they struggled to grasp the storyline. Scroll down for video Viewers of BBC One's Traces were left unimpressed by the first episode's 'baffling' storyline and 'poor continuity'. Pictured, Molly Windsor as Emma Hedges The six-part drama is set in Dundee, but viewers said it was clear scenes had been filmed in Bolton. Pictured, Laura Fraser as Prof. Sarah Gordon and Michael Nardone as D.I. Neil McKinven One tweeted in reference to the forensic science training video shown in the drama: 'WTAF? What due diligence was done on this course content? #Traces.' Another commented: '30 minutes into a new BBC drama and I'm in serious danger of actually understanding what's going on.' And one quipped: 'Call me unsympathetic, but she shouldn't have studied in Dundee!' Other viewers lamented the fact that despite being set in Dundee, several of the scenes were filmed in Bolton. Many of the show's viewers took to Twitter to say they were unimpressed with the first episode, with some admitting they were baffled by the storyline 'Watching #Traces. How come most of it is filmed in #Bolton? #itsnotdundee,' one tweeted. Another agreed, writing: 'Poor continuity in #Traces set in Dundee but city centre clips of Bolton in England.' A third said: 'That's Bolton. You can blur it all you want but that's definitely Bolton.' The six-part series, based on an original idea by best-selling crime writer Val McDermid, premiered last night on BBC One after originally airing in December 2019 on UKTV's Alibi. It stars Line of Duty's Martin Compston and Breaking Bad's Laura Fraser and follows Hedges and her boss Professor Sarah Gordon (Fraser) as they work together at the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science (SIFA). The six-part drama follows Emma Hedges (Windsor) who moves back to Dundee to start her new job as a lab technician despite her mother being murdered in the same city when she was a child As she continues her stay in Dundee the lab tech unearths more clues about her mother's death. Pictured: Windsor and Jamie Marie Leary as Skye It began with Emma bursting into the office of Gordon and demanding she help solve her mother's case, before flashing back to the night before, when a fatal fire broke out at a local night club. Gordon agreed to attempt to solve the murder with the help of Kathy Torrence (Jennifer Spence); viewers then met Emma who had just moved back to the city after staying with her aunt in Manchester. While watching an online course later that evening, Emma noticed similarities between the video and her mother's murder, and told her aunt on the phone: 'The online course I'm doing is using her story. Other viewers pointed out that it was obvious several scenes had been filmed in Manchester despite being set in Scotland 'A body buried in a shallow grave on Law Hill, discovered by a dog walker.' 'Theres only so many places in Dundee you can bury a body,' her distressed aunt replied, to which Emma responded: 'My heart is pounding. She later confronted Gordon about the video, who quickly dismissed it as 'horribly bad luck' and denied there was any relation to her mother's case, but admitted she remembered reading about her murder. Later, while speaking to Kathy, she admitted that she may 'unconsciously' have been writing about the case - as she thought it was handled so poorly by investigators at the time. The show also follows Fraser's Sarah Gordon as they work together at the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science (SIFA) Visiting the mother of her old friend, played by EastEnders' Laurie Brett (pictured), Emma finds out her mother was dismembered after she was killed and buried 'I did know about her mother's case,' she said. 'I must have been aware of the similarities. Not consciously. 'I feel awful, I don't know how I failed to connect it. I followed it at the time, the investigation seemed inept to me.' As she continued her stay in Dundee, Emma unearthed more clues about her mother's death, including a picture of her father in bed with her mum the year she died - despite them having separated years before. Later, visiting the mother of an old friend, played by EastEnders' Laurie Brett, she found out her mother was dismembered after she was killed and buried - prompting her ask her current boss for help in investigating the murder. Traces continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. [January 04, 2021] Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University hosted the International Conference on Computing, Mobility, and Manufacturing (CMM 2020) AL-KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU) hosted a virtual international conference in computing, mobility, and manufacturing (CMM 2020) from Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, December 8th through 10th. PMU President Dr. Issa Al-Ansari opened the conference with forward-looking statements regarding the recent and ongoing advancements of technology during what we now call the fourth industrial revolutionIndustry 4.0, also referred to as intelligence industry and called for a revolution of higher education and learning to accompany it. The Industry 4.0's movement toward data analytics, machine learning and smart automation in industrial technologies are the cornerstone of the CMM 2020 conference. A complementary AI workshop took place on December 7th. "We cannot face an industrial revolution by conventional educational methodologies," Al-Ansari said. "Universities today should focus more than ever on human sciences as means to balance the technical outcomes of the 4th Industrial Revolution." More than 380 people attended with the convenience of th Saudi Arabian time-zone providing greater accessibility especially for those in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Prof. Patrick S.P. Wang from Northeastern University gave the first keynote lecture from Boston, Massachusetts and interacted in real-time with enthusiastic participants," following his talk on intelligent pattern recognition and its applications to e-forensics and Smart Cities. Conference organizers worked within the digital platforms like Zoom to facilitate participation and engagement among attendees. Prof. Vincenzo Piuri from the Department of Computer Science at the Universita degli Studi di Milano, Italy spoke about environmental and industrial applications of artificial intelligence. The second day included an address on the stability of complex networks and relation to power grid applications from Dr. Jurgen Kurths from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Humboldt University Berlin's Institute of Physics, followed by Dr. Hong Yan from the Department of Electrical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong speaking about human face tracking and the recognition of facial expressions. "PMU, like many other institutions around the globe, needs to ensure that the pandemic does not affect the networking and advancement within our academic communities and does not halt our internationalization efforts," Al-Ansari said. The University's offerings in education and global leadership in the MENA region with events like the CMM 2020 conference contribute to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and provides opportunities to students to engage in global issues and be prepared for complex and challenging futures. https://pmu.edu.sa/ Contact: Ankit S Bhosale, (+966 13) 849 9346 abhosale@pmu.edu.sa Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1393617/CMM_2020.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1393618/PMU_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Bhubaneswar, Jan 5 : The Odisha government on Tuesday gave compulsory retirement to as many as seven officials including a jail DIG on grounds of corruption and inefficiency. The six other officials who have been given compulsory retirement include a Commandant, a Deputy Commandant, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) and two mines officials, said a government release. The officials are Gopabandhu Mallick, Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), Snigdharani Mishra, Koraput CDPO, Ekanta Priya Nayak, OSAP Commandant, Goutam Mallick, DSP, Debendranath Behera, OSAP Deputy Commandant, Satyabrata Rout, Assistant Mining Officer, and Ramesh Chandra Panda, Assistant Mining Officer. The state government has taken action against a total of 104 officials in the last one year, it said. Earlier on December 30, the state government had given compulsory retirement to six officials. A Derry woman has been recognised for her work at the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London during the Covid-19 pandemic. Deirdre Barr (pictured below), 63, a St John Ambulance volunteer Regional Clinical Manager, is to receive the British Empire Medal (BEM) as part of the New Year's honours awards. Deirdre, who now lives in from Beckenham, Kent spent the initial phase of St Johns pandemic response coordinating clinical professionals from the charitys Regional Operations Coordination Cell (ROCC) in central London. However, on March 23, in response to an early-morning call, she took on the role as Director of Operations at NHS Nightingale at the ExCel Centre and began work on the establishment of the field hospital with 4,000 ICU-bedded facility there in the shortest timeframe possible. Often working 12-14 hour shifts, she focused on the set-up of the Nightingale facility, which was achieved in only nine days, and then continued in the role of Director of Operations for several weeks, working first seven days a week and then six until the hospital was decommissioned in late May. She also focused her energies on working with other St John volunteers at the site, making sure not only that they had a proper induction and the correct training but also that they felt valued members of the wider team in a highly stressful environment. She joined St John Ambulance in Northern Ireland as a cadet during 'The Troubles' and then undertook her nurse training in London. After specialising in Intensive Care at the Royal Victoria Hospital, she returned to London to continue her NHS career, retiring in 2018. She rejoined St John in 2010, where she has been a volunteer for 10 years. Deirdre has undertaken clinical roles and is now Regional Clinical Manager in the charitys London and South Region. She is also a founder member of the Company of Nurses in the City of London where she is also a Trustee. She said she was 'humbled and honoured' to receive BEM award. It has been a very difficult year for the NHS and I am proud to have been able to have been part of the team contributing to this through my work at NHS Nightingale and though my volunteering work with St John Ambulance supporting the NHS at this time of national crisis. Meanwhile, the former principal of a local school is also to receive an award as part of the New Year's honours. William McElhinney, the former headmaster of Ashlea Primary School, will receive an MBE (Member of the British Empire) award for his services to education. Egypt's Foeign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning to attend the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit set to take place later today in the kingdom. Gulf Arab leaders, including Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, will gather in the summit, amid Kuwaiti ongoing efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis between Qatar and the Arab Quartet of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain. The summit is set to see formal agreement towards ending a long-running dispute with Qatar that shattered Gulf unity at a time of heightened regional tensions with Iran, according to Reuters. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, assigned to work on the dispute by President Donald Trump, is due to attend the ceremony in the historical city of al-Ula along with Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook, a special State Department adviser, Reuters reported. Short link: A millionaire's son took his own life by weighing himself down with concrete blocks and chains before jumping into the River Thames after his struggle with drug addiction, an inquest has heard. Alexander Stern was reported missing by his family, including father Ronald Stern - a stationery tycoon who owns one of Britain's top Ferrari collections - three days after he disappeared on January 11, a coroner said. The 36-year-old had taken a 120 taxi ride from London to the upmarket Berkshire village of Sonning and was last seen in a pub, the coroner was told. Police investigators had discovered a rucksack containing Mr Stern's belongings but there was initially no sign of him. But the wealthy young man's body then floated to the surface of the water 1.3miles downstream and was seen by a canoeist on April 4 last year. Between 2016 and 2019, Mr Stern used a 'substantial' inheritance he had received from his grandmother to go travelling in Morocco, Spain, Portugal and also South America, where he was believed to have taken drugs which altered his mental state, his mother Susan said. The inquest heard how Mr Stern started attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings on his return to London in September 2019 and was diagnosed with ADHD and an emotionally unstable personality disorder. Alexander Stern, the son of millionaire Ronald Stern, took his own life by weighing himself down with concrete blocks and chains before jumping into the River Thames, an inquest heard In early January last year, Mr Stern had told his mother that he had taken multiple taxis into the city and stood at a bridge but, she said in his words, 'did not have the guts to kill himself'. Mrs Stern added: 'Over the last six weeks or so, I felt he was weighing up suicide or a new beginning. 'He ran out of energy and options and realised the extent of his emptiness. Ronald and I would never have abandoned Alex.' Mr Stern's unusual lifestyle was also outlined to the coroner by his mother, who told the inquest how her son had struggled with an 'inability to differentiate fact from fiction' which had played out into his adult life. As a child, Mr Stern was described by his mother as 'sociable, interested in nature and in particular the stage show of The Wind in the Willows resonated strongly with him.' But as he grew up and attended elite independent school The Hall prepatory school, Cheltenham Junior School and Rugby School, his mother noted he had become a problematic teenager with 'total disregard for the value of money'. While studying at Edinburgh University, Mr Stern asked for more money on top of the allowance he received from his wealthy parents. He was reported missing by his family, including father Ronald Stern - a stationery tycoon who owns one of Britain's top Ferrari collections - three days after he disappeared on January 11 last year, a coroner said. Pictured: Stern walking in Sonning He was last seen in a pub in the upmarket village of Sonning, the coroner was told Mrs Stern told the inquest in Reading: 'He came home and started to look for a job. He started a job at a company dealing with organic toiletries. 'He became more and more interested in how the business should be run and tried to persuade his father to buy the company. 'He seemed less interested in actually working within the company,' said Mrs Stern in a statement. After a relatively short period, Mr Stern had stopped working for the toiletries company and ended up working in his father's business for six years, moving from one department to another without ever seeming to greatly enjoy the work, the inquest heard. His family was aware Mr Stern was taking recreational drugs including cocaine while doing an MA in business and working at a cafe in London, where he had an apartment in high-end Chelsea. He then stopped attending classes at the European Business School. Police investigators had extensively appealed for information which could help them to locate Mr Stern after he disappeared. Inquiries revealed he had met his sister Emily Stern on January 9 for dinner and the following morning had withdrawn 20,000 from a cashpoint. Mr Stern was seen at the Bull Inn public house on the evening of January 11, where he remained at the bar for just one hour before leaving Mr Stern had booked into the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Battersea for a three-night stay but had left to go to Sonning and was seen at the Bull Inn public house on the evening of January 11, where he remained at the bar for just one hour before leaving. A post mortem examination on Mr Stern's thoroughly decomposed body concluded the cause of death was 'unascertained', the coroner heard. Identification documents including his passport and European driving licence were found in the inside pocket of Mr Stern's coat. He was wearing a hooded top, a coat and three pairs of trousers, the top layer of which was waterproof. Alan Blake, the assistant coroner for Berkshire, concluded the inquest by saying he was satisfied Mr Stern had intended to end his own life. Mr Blake said: 'Alexander Stern was a young man aged 36 years who had a troubled mental health history. 'While he evidently had a number of gifts and qualities, his adult life did not deliver the success and stability that he evidently craved.' For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See www.samaritans.org for details COLUMBIA, Md., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Owl Cyber Defense Solutions, LLC ("Owl"), a global market leader in cybersecurity solutions and services for defending network boundaries and enabling secure data sharing across domains, announced today the acquisition of the Trident Assured Collaboration Systems ("ACS") product line. ACS has the only U.S. government-approved Voice over IP ("VoIP") and Video Teleconference ("VTC") Cross Domain Solution ("CDS") as well as the industry's most advanced Full Motion Video ("FMV") filtering capability functionality critical to CDS operations in an era of drones and cameras. The acquisition gives Owl a broader range of certified network perimeter defense solutions than any competitor in the market. Owl, backed by private investment firm DC Capital Partners, has been a leading provider of CDS to the U.S. Department of Defense ("DoD") and Intelligence Community for more than 20 years. Owl is also the global leader in cybersecurity protection for critical infrastructure, offering the only U.S. government tested and accredited CDS available for deployment inside and outside the U.S to both government and commercial clients. Owl's Cross Domain Solutions offer the highest level of network perimeter security, far exceeding the capabilities of firewalls and other commonplace network defenses. Owl's products are the choice for protecting the nation's most sensitive networks and systems against attack. Recent incidents have demonstrated the inability of legacy firewalls to prevent cyberattacks against critical business and operating systems and cloud-based applications. The combination of Owl and ACS's technology offers a full continuum of CDS products that provide hardware-enforced domain separation and layers of data filtering assurance rather than a single network border checkpoint with minimal content filtering. Thomas J. Campbell, Chairman of Owl and Founder and Managing Partner of DC Capital, said, "This is another step in executing our strategic vision. The acquisition of ACS not only places Owl ahead of other Cross Domain Solution providers, but it also plays a pivotal role in our larger strategy to offer true cybersecurity protection. The future requires solutions that are cost effective and easy to implement, use, and maintain." "The explosion of the Internet of Things ("IoT") demands cyber-secure devices, from those that control our critical infrastructure, to our homes and cars," said Campbell. "The technology Owl pioneered 20 years ago is now available in form factors small enough to be embedded inside devices. Owl has always been an early mover, the first to develop hardware-enforced network protection and now the first to offer a hardware-enforced CDS that can be embedded." "Owl has been rapidly moving towards this number one position for the last couple of years," commented Robert Stalick, President and CEO of Owl. "With the addition of ACS, the last piece has fallen into place. Owl is now the clear leader in accredited Cross Domain Solution offerings, with the widest range of capabilities and products solving problems from tactical to enterprise in data, voice, and video; for government, critical infrastructure and commercial enterprises." Solutions like firewalls that worked 25 years ago as a network protection approach are no longer effective against nation-state quality attacks. As nation-state attacks increase, the approaches used by state actors begin to permeate the criminal side of cyberattacks. Effective cybersecurity now requires an integrated, multi-layered system with data diode hardware components in guards which perform intensive data examination and verification. The next generation of protection, coming out now and built on a combination of Owl and ACS technology, embeds CDS functionality in extremely low-latency, unmodifiable hardware. Jerry B. Chernock, Partner at DC Capital, added, "It is obvious that we need to address the inadequacy of firewalls. There is a reason why our clients insist on Cross Domain Solutions and not solely on firewalls. Recent attacks, including a security breach at a prominent U.S. based cybersecurity firm and several U.S. Government agencies, have punctuated the need for intelligence, military, critical infrastructure and corporate clients to quickly evolve how they protect their networks." "The sophistication of these technologies cannot be overstated," said Ken Walker, Chief Technology Officer at Owl. "The U.S. Government continues to set the standards for the most rigorous operational requirements and testing regimes globally, setting expectations that very few companies can meet. Owl is one of a handful of elite companies that satisfies the government-established 'Raise the Bar' requirements." About Owl Cyber Defense Solutions Owl has been serving the cybersecurity needs of the U.S. government since inception providing hardware-enforced cybersecurity controls, industry leading expertise in operating system hardening, extensive device and network-based assessment services and thought-leadership in filtering/data processing disciplines. Owl Cross Domain Solutions are operating broadly in missions across both the DoD and the U.S. intelligence agencies. Globally Owl is the leader in perimeter protection for nuclear power plants, oil and gas operations, renewables and power generation and transmission, with aggressive growth occurring in the data center and cloud provider sectors. Owl continues to innovate and is bringing to market the world's first embeddable cybersecurity to serve the Internet of Things ("IoT"). Learn more at www.OwlCyberDefense.com About DC Capital Partners DC Capital Partners is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, focused on making investments in U.S.-based, Government and Engineering businesses. Learn more at www.dccp.com. Media Contact Tom Campbell 202-796-1987 SOURCE DC Capital Partners Management, LP Related Links http://www.OwlCyberDefense.com SACRAMENTO Gov. Gavin Newsom will propose a quick infusion at least $300 million to bolster Californias coronavirus vaccine distribution efforts in his forthcoming budget plan. The money would be used to build out the vaccine management system, bulk up transportation and storage supplies and expand a public education campaign, Newsom said during a news conference Monday. The funding is part of a state budget proposal that the governor will announce later this week. We are working with legislative leaders, who have been magnificent, about an early action strategy, Newsom said. We are working aggressively to accelerate our pace. Newsom said his budget plan would also include additional money to support small businesses, bars, restaurants and families that have struggled through the lockdown orders that have brought some sectors of the state economy nearly to a halt. He did not offer specifics. While California has received about 1.3 million vaccine doses and has another 611,000 on the way, Newsom said, only about 454,000 doses, or 35% of those available, have been administered so far. He acknowledged that is not good enough; we recognize that. California ranks among the bottom 10 states in percentage of available doses used, according to a shot tracker managed by Bloomberg News. Newsom said complicated logistics have slowed the distribution. The state is assigning vaccine amounts to local health departments, which are subsequently dividing those up among facilities in their communities. The facilities must then order the doses through the state, but they are delivered by the manufacturers. The vaccines dont arrive magically in some state facility, Newsom said. They are at a myriad of sites, all up and down the state. Now its just about putting the pressure on distribution, making sure people are held accountable. He said he recently took steps to make more people available to administer vaccines, including by deploying members of the California National Guard and giving pharmacy technicians and dentists permission to give the shots. Mark Ghaly, Californias secretary of health and human services, said state officials are also discussing how to better align their regulations on who is eligible to receive a vaccine with who wants one, so doses are not sitting in storage unused. Bringing those things together, he said, making sure that our prioritization allows us to stay focused on the equity and fairness principles that have driven our entire response, but also that facilitate (people) to get vaccinated. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff Nearly a year into the pandemic, weve learned that ventilation in indoor spaces is critical in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Along with mask-wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene, ensuring clean indoor air is an important piece of the pandemic-fighting toolbox but the one thats been paid the least amount of attention, experts say. Since the pandemics early months, most public health agencies and experts have stated that the coronavirus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets. These particles larger than 5 microns in diameter travel ballistically and are pulled to the ground by gravity within a range of around 3 to 5 feet. Our pandemic messaging reflects the science: 6 feet apart can help keep you safe. But in recent months, researchers have urged officials to acknowledge that the virus is emitted in another way through much smaller particles that can float around in the air and travel far beyond 6 feet. These droplets have superpowers because they can remain suspended in the air for prolonged periods of time, said Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. Linsey Marr, an engineering professor at Virginia Tech who specializes in the airborne transmission of viruses, likes to think of the virus in another way. It behaves like cigarette smoke, she said. If you can imagine that youre in the room with a cigarette smoker, the smoke can build up in the air. But if the room is really well-ventilated, then the smoke will be removed. Several studies so far have bolstered the case for ventilation in our indoor spaces. One limited study of a transmission event in a restaurant in China found that people had gotten coronavirus more than 6 feet away from each other; one diner was 20 feet away from the infected source. Another study found a woman contracted the coronavirus on a flight while wearing a N95 mask because she took her mask off in the bathroom. Chin-Hong said hes been surprised by some patients in his practice who were infected with the virus even when they were socially distanced indoors and wearing masks. It came down to the ventilation, he said. So why has the messaging around it been so vague? Why are there no protocols in place? One limitation, Chin-Hong said, is that ventilation is an amorphous, ill-defined concept. Ventilation itself is a continuous variable, its not dichotomous, he said. Its very hard for a human to go into a situation and say, this is high risk, this is medium risk, this is low risk. Were very good at dichotomizing: outdoors, indoors, more than 10 people, less than three households. Ventilation is more complicated than just whether a place seems stuffy or hot, and intuitively, it can be hard to gauge or qualify any given space. You need an app for that, Chin-Hong said. Newer buildings often have better ventilation systems, and places like malls are much better than, for example, a small Victorian flat thats been converted into a boutique store. Windows and open doors make a tremendous difference in boosting the ventilation, he added. How CO2 monitors can help Carbon dioxide monitors may be part of the solution. CO2 is an easy-to-measure proxy for calculating the exchange of fresh air indoors, according to Shelly Miller, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. In a recent article on the nonprofit academic news site The Conversation, she explained that when you exhale, you release CO2 into the air. And because breathing, coughing and talking are the primary ways coronavirus spreads, CO2 levels can indicate whether enough fresh air is entering a room to counter potentially infectious exhalations. On Twitter, a small but mighty community of people have taken to buying and comparing the statistics of portable readers that measure the levels of CO2 in parts per million to analyze the relative ventilation of a space. A collaborative FAQ about aerosol transmission from a collective of researchers and professors around the world, including Miller, gave a good example: The level of CO2 outdoors was 445, while in a car with two people and a child with the windows closed (and recirculated air) it was 4,685. In the same car, with the same people and windows closed (but a ventilation system with outdoor air), it read 795. In her article on The Conversation, Miller wrote about a tuberculosis outbreak at Taipei University, noting that the schools rooms had CO2 levels above 3,000 ppm. When engineers improved the ventilation levels to under 600 ppm, the outbreak stopped, with the increased ventilation accounting for 97% of the drop in transmission. Miller recommended trying to keep the CO2 levels in indoor spaces below 600 ppm to reduce the chances of coronavirus transmission. The collaborative FAQ states that the level of ventilation in an indoor space is very good at 400-500 ppm, but readings around 800 ppm start to get risky because 1% of the air has already been breathed by someone. The FAQ acknowledges that specifying a general range for safer CO2 levels is a compromise to make it understandable and feasible, with the understanding that the higher the number, the greater the risk. Portable CO2 readers can be one way to assess the levels of ventilation in places we frequent a lot, like grocery stores or workplaces, but they have limitations. Theyre almost like a thermometer, taking the ventilation of any given place at that place in time. But they also cant replace behaviors. You can have the best CO2 reader but then be in a break room and take your mask off to eat, Chin-Hong said. Practical steps to reduce risk So what can we do? The first thing is windows. Opening a window is incredibly effective, its a no-cost solution, said Krystal Pollitt, an assistant professor of epidemiology and chemical engineering at Yale University who also contributed to the FAQ. If youre in your home and have people over for essential reasons, having a window open even if people are wearing masks will make a big difference, she said, as it allows for the exchange of air and improves circulation. For a costly solution, think about a HEPA filter, Marr says. Such air cleaners definitely help, but youll want to make sure they have a high enough clean delivery rate and that it is at least the right size for your room; larger is even better. If youre curious about a particular indoor space, you might invest in a CO2 monitor. It can be helpful for making decisions about particular retail stores or nonessential spaces if the reading is too high, you can leave. If you work indoors, you can also ask your facilities manager for the buildings ventilation information, Chin-Hong said. And definitely dont take your mask off if youre inside somewhere beyond your home. Information about ventilation can play a huge role in giving nuances to indoor spaces some that have been open nearly all of the pandemic, and others that have been shut. Experts on the FAQ recommended that measuring and displaying CO2 become common practice in all public places. As this pandemic subsides, this would allow a more rational re-opening of indoor spaces, with limits on occupancy based on the amount of re-breathed air, they wrote. This appears much preferable to arbitrary limits such as restaurants can open at 50% capacity, when we know that different restaurants may have very different degrees of ventilation. Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o... Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. DENVER, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercer Global Advisors, Inc. ("Mercer Advisors"), a national Registered Investment Adviser (RIA), today announced the acquisition of Kays Financial Advisory Corporation ("Kays"), a respected wealth management firm located in Atlanta, Georgia. Kays serves approximately 700 clients with over $800 million of assets under management. Scott Kays, CFA, CFP ("Scott") founded Kays Financial Advisory Corporation in 1985 delivering comprehensive wealth management services to its high net worth (HNW) clientele. Scott and his staff of sixteen, including five co-shareholders, will be joining the Mercer Advisors' team. The transaction closed on November 30, 2020. Scott not only founded Kays but has served as its Managing Principal for years focusing on building a world-class RIA delivering holistic, multi-disciplinary, wealth management services. Scott earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification in 1986 and his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2008. He has also appeared frequently on CNBC, Fox Business Network, and Wall Street Journal Radio. Scott has written numerous articles and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. He has authored two books, Achieving Your Financial Potential (Doubleday, 1999) and Five Key Lessons from Top Money Managers (John Wiley and Sons, 2005). Commenting on the transaction, Scott stated: "We are committed to serving our clients with excellence. Part of that duty includes making sure their needs, and families' needs, are taken care of for decades to come, and beyond my business lifetime. As a result, it became clear we needed to partner with an established national firm that could ensure continued high-quality customer service in perpetuity and present our staff with career development opportunities. In that regard, I have known Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors, for years, and hold him in high regard. In discussing a possible business combination, Dave referred me to David Barton, Mercer Advisors' Vice Chairman who leads mergers and acquisitions. While we talked to a number of firms, Mercer Advisors was the most additive in terms of expanded services we would be able to offer our clients. After months of negotiations and planning with Dave Barton and other Mercer Advisors' staff, and notwithstanding COVID, here we are! We couldn't be more excited about partnering with Mercer Advisors and look forward to a bright future together." David Barton who led this transaction on behalf of Mercer Advisors added: "What struck me about Scott and Kays Financial, was the quality of their team. In a team of seventeen, they have seven CFP professionals, four CFA charterholders, four Masters degrees, two CPAs, and one doctorate. Scott and his superior team pride themselves on delivering expanded services to their clientele and operate as a comprehensive wealth manager. In this regard they are a perfect fit for Mercer Advisors because we are a family office complete with in-house estate planning attorneys, tax return preparation, and corporate trustee services. While COVID and general socioeconomic uncertainty made this deal, or any deal, difficult to complete, Scott and his partners were stand-up through it all, high integrity people and a pleasure to work with." Dave Welling, Chief Executive Officer of Mercer Advisors said, "I am honored and humbled that Scott and his exemplary team selected Mercer Advisors as their partner. We look at this as the formation of a strategic relationship that will enable us to serve clients for years to come. When Scott approached me about the possibility of joining Mercer Advisors, of course I was delighted. Scott and his partners have built a fantastic and growing RIA, rare in these times when many RIAs are struggling with organic growth. The combination of our two firms presents a formidable juggernaut in Georgia and the Southeast. We are excited to join forces with the Kays team and look forward to serving their clients with expanded wealth management services for years to come." About Mercer Advisors Established in 1985, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ("Mercer Advisors") is a full-service wealth management firm that specializes in providing investment advice, financial and estate planning, and taxes, and corporate trustee and trust administration services. It is one of the largest Registered Investment Advisers and financial planning firms in the U.S. with over $24 billion in client assets. Headquartered in Denver, Mercer Advisors is privately held, has over 440 employees, and operates nationally across the country with 45+ locations. Mercer Advisors, Inc. is a parent company of Mercer Global Advisors Inc. (RIA), majority owned by both Oak Hill Capital and Genstar Capital. Mercer Global Advisors has a related insurance agency. Mercer Advisors Insurance Services, LLC (MAIS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercer Advisors Inc. Employees of Mercer Global Advisors serve as officers of MAIS. For Mercer Global Advisors clients who wish to purchase insurance products, MAIS has entered into a non-exclusive referral agreement with Strategic Partner(s). More information about MAIS and our Strategic Partners may be found in our Form ADV 2A. Visit us at www.merceradvisors.com. Data as of December 31, 2020. AUM includes affiliates and wholly owned subsidiaries announced to date. Contact: Chris Tofalli Chris Tofalli Public Relations, LLC 914-834-4334 SOURCE Mercer Global Advisors Inc. Related Links https://www.merceradvisors.com/ Though the text of the agreement on Tuesday was not immediately available, the person briefed on the negotiations said it contained vague pledges for each country to respect the others sovereignty and foreign policy and to refrain from interfering in each others internal affairs. The agreement also called on the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to open their airspace to Qatar Airways flights, the person briefed on the negotiations said, following Saudi Arabia, which had announced Monday night that it would reopen its land and sea borders as well as its airspace to Qatar. The person said that Qatar had given little in return, agreeing to drop international lawsuits it had filed against the other countries after the blockade. Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabias de facto leader, portrayed the agreement as a way to present a united front against Iran. The declaration emphasized solidarity and stability in the Gulf, Arab and Islamic countries, and the strengthening of bonds of friendship and brotherhood between our countries and peoples, he said Tuesday, according to the official Saudi press agency. Political analysts close to the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates acknowledged that the three-and-a-half year boycott had failed to achieve its most expansive goals, including driving Qatar away from Iran and Turkey and forcing it to curb the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera broadcast network, whose critical coverage of Arab governments remains a sore point for Qatars neighbors. Mr. Abdulla argued that the Gulf rulers had not expected to force Qatar to change its entire way of doing business. At the least, he said, they had been able to make their displeasure with the Qataris clear. But they came nowhere close to crippling Qatar, which, despite suffering from the blockade, leveraged its vast natural gas wealth to make its economy more self-sufficient and build new trading links. In the end, both sides were increasingly weary of the burden and cost of the boycott, and both may have been ready for some time to back off the conflict, Mr. Abdulla said. GENEVA/ZURICH: People should get two doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine within 21-28 days, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, as many countries struggled to administer the jabs that can ward off the COVID-19 virus. Many are experiencing intensifying pressure on their health services due to surging coronavirus cases and the emergence of new variants that appear to spread more easily. Governments are introducing new lockdown measures to halt the spread while facing massive demand for vaccines which are seen as the best way out of the global health crisis. But with jabs in limited supply as production ramps up, the WHO has been examining how they can be used most effectively. We deliberated and came out with the following recommendation: two doses of this (Pfizer) vaccine within 21-28 days," Alejandro Cravioto, chairman of WHOs Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), told an online news briefing. The panel said countries should have leeway to spread out shots over six weeks so that more people at higher risk of illness can get them. SAGE made a provision for countries in exceptional circumstances of (Pfizer) vaccine supply constraints to delay the administration of the second dose for a few weeks in order to maximise the number of individuals benefiting from a first dose," Cravioto said. He added: I think we have to be a bit open to these types of decisions which countries have to make according to their own epidemiological situations." More than 85 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and around 1.85 million have died, according to a Reuters tally. SPACING DOSES SAGE executive Joachim Hombach said spacing out the two Pfizer inoculations could be acceptable for countries unable to implement the main recommendation. The JCI, the recommending body of the UK, has given more flexibility up to 12 weeks in consideration of the specific circumstances that the country is currently facing," he said. Wetotally acknowledge that countries may see needs to be even more flexible in terms of administration of the second dose. But it is important to note that there is very littleempirical data from the trials that underpin this type of recommendation," he added. Given the limited supply of vaccines at present, Cravioto said SAGE did not recommend the Pfizer jab for international travellers as a priority unless they were in a very high-risk group, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing ailments. Kate OBrien, a WHO immunization expert, said there was a robust discussion at SAGE about the trade-off between adhering strictly to standard dosing in clinical trials and allowing for a broader use of vaccine as first doses, thus risking delay in getting the second dose out to some people. Alluding to delays in rolling out inoculations, she said: Nobody expected this to be easy and we are starting to see where the road bumps are and where we need to make adjustments." Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said he was very disappointed" that China had not authorised entry of an international mission to examine the origins of the global coronavirus pandemic. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. (Additional reporting and writing by Michael Shields, Editing by Mark Heinrich) Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor Sorry! This content is not available in your region Today Cloudy early with thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 64F. SE winds shifting to NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms in the evening. Cloudy skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Tomorrow Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Chandigarh: The future of millions of Dalit students is in jeopardy today due to the failures of the Punjab government. Due to non-receipt of SC scholarship funds by the government to private colleges; it was highly reprehensible for the colleges to withhold the degrees of the students who had worked hard day and night. This was stated by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab in-charge and MLA from Delhi, Jarnail Singh and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Legislative Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema during a press conference here on Tuesday. Cheema said that he had also written a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh seeking action against the colleges which were withholding degrees. AAP He said that the future of millions of Dalit students in Punjab was looking bleak due to the rift between the Centre and Punjab government. Cheema said that a large number of Dalit students in Punjab have completed their degrees from private colleges under the government scholarships and it was governments colossal failure to tackle the issue of pending scholarship dues. Due to non-receipt of scholarship funds to the colleges by the Punjab government; the former have now stopped the degrees of those students. With this the future of about seven lakh students of Punjab is in jeopardy. Students who have to continue their studies or apply for a job are now deprived of it, he added. The AAP leaders said that the Union government had refused to send the next instalment of scholarship funds due to a scam of Rs 63 crore by Punjab Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot. Due to this, the future of these Dalit students now looks bleak. AAP and other Dalit organisations are continuously demanding action against Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot but so far no action has been taken in this regard, they said. Harpal Cheema The leaders further demanded that the scam be investigated by the CBI under the Honourable Punjab and Haryana High Court, and the names of those who had tampered with the future of SC students be made public and appropriate punishment be meted out to them. The leaders warned the Punjab government that if the Dalit students do not get their withheld degrees within a week and action not being taken against the guilty colleges, the Aam Aadmi Party would wage a fierce struggle against the Punjab government. CSE: VYGR OTCQB: VYGVF Borse Frankfurt: UCD2 Exits December on a USD$20 million Revenue run rate December quarterly revenue expected to reach USD$3.5 million , 75% growth from September quarter and nearly 4,000% increase from prior-year quarter Assets continue to grow, increasing over 3x from September quarter to over USD$265 million in early January NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Voyager Digital Ltd. ("Voyager" or the "Company") (CSE: VYGR) (OTCQB: VYGVF) (FRA: UCD2), a publicly-traded, licensed crypto-asset broker that provides investors with a turnkey solution to trade crypto assets, is pleased to provide shareholders with a business and operational update and revenue guidance for its calendar year and fiscal 2021 second quarter ended December 31, 2020. Preliminary revenue (unaudited) for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2020, is expected to be approximately USD$3.5 million, representing 75% growth sequentially compared to USD$2.0 million for the previous fiscal quarter. "Voyager delivered strong results in our second fiscal quarter of 2021, including record revenue and Assets Under Management (AUM) growth even with the headwinds of COVID-19," said Stephen Ehrlich, Co-founder and CEO of Voyager. "We believe this is due to the increasing utilization of digital assets by mainstream investors and the continued adoption of our trusted, state-of-the-art trading platform. More than ever, customers are turning to the Voyager Platform as a one-stop-shop for the superior trading execution, diverse coin offerings, and the security and market-leading interest program that it offers. As a result of these drivers, we have seen our average net deposits grow substantially in early 2021, with our AUM now over USD$265 million." Fiscal 2021 Second Quarter Financial and Operational Milestones Preliminary fiscal 2021 second quarter revenue is expected to increase 75% from the first fiscal quarter of 2021 to USD$3.5 million , an increase of 3,877% from the prior year fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019 . , an increase of 3,877% from the prior year fiscal quarter ended . December revenue run rate of over USD$20 million , compared to USD$200,000 in December 2019 . , compared to in . Assets Under Management (AUM) were over USD$200 million as of December 31, 2020 , an increase from USD$75 million as of September 30, 2020 . as of , an increase from as of . Average net daily deposits increased to USD$1.0 million in December 2020 , increasing from USD$0.4 million in September 2020 . in , increasing from in . Completed a private placement during the fiscal 2021 second quarter, which increases gross proceeds raised during fiscal 2021 to CAD$13.8 million . . Completed the acquisition of LGO, SAS, an AMF regulated entity that provides Voyager with a fully licensed European entity to accelerate its European strategy. Mr. Ehrlich continued, "At Voyager, our focus has and always will be the ever-growing needs of our customers. Our platform was designed to provide excellent trading execution in both up and down markets because we know that's what our customers want, to take advantage of trading opportunities that arise when the markets move in either direction. Throughout 2020, we worked tirelessly to enhance the Voyager platform and now, our customers can trade 55 digital assets while earning interest on over 20 of those assets. We have made incredible progress and I personally want to thank all of our business partners and employees for contributing to our growth and success this past year." Mr. Ehrlich added, "As widespread adoption of cryptocurrency grew in the latter part of 2020, we have seen 2021 get off to a quick start and we are well-positioned to continue our extraordinary growth through 2021 and beyond. To meet this increased demand, Voyager remains focused on providing investors an exceptional digital asset trading experience. We intend to keep improving our platform by enhancing user functionality and adding new features such as debit and credit cards, margin products, desktop application, and expanding our industry-leading interest program. By doing so, we are confident we will deliver another successful year and continue to achieve our vision: enabling traditional investors to access this important asset class while providing the premier, one-stop destination for investing securely in digital assets." For more information on Voyager Digital, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com . The Voyager App is available for Android and iPhone . About Voyager Digital Ltd. Voyager Digital Ltd. is a crypto-asset broker that provides retail and institutional investors with a turnkey solution to trade crypto assets. Voyager offers customers best execution and safe custody on a wide choice of popular crypto-assets. Voyager was founded by established Wall Street and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who teamed to bring a better, more transparent and cost-efficient alternative for trading crypto-assets to the marketplace. Please visit us at https://www.investvoyager.com for more information and to review the latest Corporate Presentation. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information: The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this release and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise it to reflect new events or circumstances. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. SOURCE Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd. NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MediaPost awarded Mindshare, the global media agency network that is part of WPP, one of its highest honors for the second consecutive year: Media Agency of the Year. In its annual Agency of the Year awards, MediaPost honors the best in class of the advertising industry, celebrating companies that demonstrate the strongest vision, innovation, and industry leadership. As part of that, MediaPost profiled Mindshare in an in-depth article, and will honor the agency at a virtual awards ceremony on January 29. "We have long believed that media can be a force for good and a driver for business, rather than just a tool for efficiency or a templatized commodity," says Adam Gerhart, Global CEO, Mindshare. "The past year, with all of its enduring challenges, proved just how true that is. And so to be recognized by MediaPost for the work that we're doing in service of not just our clients, but our industry and the world at large, is incredibly exciting. We're honored and proud." As the publication put it, "MediaPost is naming Mindshare its Media Agency of the Year for the second consecutive year for making empathy its guiding force. And not just for applying empathy to its own and its clients' organizations, but for the greater world they exist in, including their media partners -- and perhaps most importantly, the consumers they ultimately try to influence through the behavior of their clients' brands." Among other things, the agency's values and core 'Provocation with Purpose' philosophy has led to initiatives in 2020 such as the Inclusion PMP series and intentional investment strategies, evolving virtual NeuroLab developments (including work to understand subconscious responses to the pandemic), new data tools and approaches for clients that span factors from emotion to data ethics, and new and expanded DEI programs. This past year, Mindshare also topped COMvergence's global new business barometer for the first half of 2020. The MediaPost win comes on the heels of Gerhart's promotion from U.S. CEO to Global CEO for Mindshare. It also follows numerous other accolades for the agency. In just the last few months, Mindshare has been honored at the Festival of Media Global and North America Awards, the MMA's SMARTIES, the Effies, and more for work that not only drove client results, but true societal impact. And in the past 18 months, Mindshare has been honored with Ad Age's Agency A-List, WARC 100's Top Agency Network, Cannes Lions' Media Network of the Year, and more. To read more about Mindshare's win, check out the MediaPost feature here. About Mindshare We were born in Asia in 1997, a WPP start up designed to make media exciting, fun and life changing. For the last 20 years our values of Speed, Teamwork and Provocation have guided us in a world where everything begins and ends in media. We are the Cannes Lions Media Network of the Year 2019 and WARC Media 100 #1 Media Network 2020, with the top 3 most creative campaigns of the past year so basically, statistically the best media agency in the world! Our 10,000 people work with some of the world's best brands and companies to challenge convention. In 116 offices across 86 countries we integrate brand and demand, ruthlessly focus on outcomes and create the unexpected. We manage $24.1bn in billings and are the largest media agency in GroupM, WPP's Media Investment Management arm, which is the #1 media holding group globally with billings of $63bn (Source: COMvergence 2019). Hear our stories (and join us) at www.mindshareworld.com and follow us on Instagram (@mindshare_usa), Twitter (@mindshare_usa), Facebook (facebook.com/mindshareusa), and LinkedIn (LinkedIn.com/company/mindshare). About GroupM GroupM is the world's leading media investment company responsible for more than $60B in annual media investment through agencies Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker, Essence and m/SIX, as well as the outcomes-driven programmatic audience company, Xaxis. GroupM's portfolio includes Data & Technology, Investment and Services, all united in vision to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people. By leveraging all the benefits of scale, the company innovates, differentiates and generates sustained value for our clients wherever they do business. Discover more about GroupM at www.groupm.com. Follow @GroupMWorldwide on Twitter Follow GroupM on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/groupm SOURCE Mindshare Related Links http://www.mindshareworld.com With a red nose and big smile, a Christmas tree costume worn by a Kaiser employee in a California emergency room on Christmas was meant to spread cheer. Instead it may have help spread COVID-19, infecting more than 40 staff and killing one at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center. NBC Bay Area news reporter Marianne Favro shared an image of the costume on Twitter. It shows a red-nosed smiling Christmas tree strung with red garlands and yellow balls and a star on top. Costumes such as this work via a battery-operated fan that pulls air into the suit and gives it shape. Kaiser is investigating whether the costume, worn briefly by the staffer on Dec. 25, may have contributed to the outbreak by spreading droplets through the air. Any exposure, if it occurred, would have been completely innocent, and quite accidental, as the individual had no COVID symptoms and only sought to lift the spirits of those around them during what is a very stressful time," said Kaiser San Jose Senior Vice President Irene Chavez, adding that the holiday costume was not approved beforehand by Kaiser. Chavez said 44 staff members of the emergency department have tested positive for the virus since Dec. 27; one person has died. Kaiser isn't releasing the name of the employee who passed away due to COVID complications. "Out of respect for patient privacy and the family, we have no additional information to provide," Kaiser said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this terrible loss. We are providing support to our employees during this difficult time." The emergency department is open and undergoing a deep cleaning, Chavez said. Nearly 40,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers in Northern California have already received COVID-19 vaccinations, she said. Dr. Bob Wachter, chairman of the Department of Medicine at UCSF, talked about the tragic incident at Kaiser on KCBS Radio on Monday morning. "The idea that they wanted to bring a little bit of joy is noble," Wachter said. "Its really a sad and terrible thing. It emphasizes the thing over and over again: You cant tell who has COVID." The Associated Press contributed to this story. As part of its #AdviceZarooriHai series, Edelweiss Mutual Fund has launched another investor education film this New Year, emphasizing the multiplier effect of good advice. Sarita Rai, a law graduate from Patna university, rejected offers from reputed firms to fulfil a dream that was ignited by her 4th grade teachers advice - a dream to make Bihar the state with the highest literacy in India. In 2009, she set up Udaan, an institute that has impacted the lives of thousands of underprivileged children, especially girls, in Hajipur, by providing them with basic education. The film showcases the power of Saritas teachers advice, that education should be used to help others rather than just earn a living, which led her to dedicate her entire life to deliver primary education to children who couldnt afford school. Edelweiss Mutual Fund, in collaboration with content platform, Josh Talks, curates real life stories of people who are making a remarkable difference in the lives of others. Driven by a strong vision and supported by good advice, changemakers like Sarita Rai are affecting change in their own communities. Radhika Gupta, MD & CEO, Edelweiss Asset Management Limited said, Education plays a crucial role in shaping ones thinking and fine-tuning the way one reacts to a given situation. Just as the film highlights a chain reaction triggered by good advice, as a brand, we focus on educating our investors, empowering them with the right knowledge to make informed investment decisions, with the help of trustworthy financial advisors. Most investors are not equipped to understand the various nuances of mutual fund schemes/products. Therefore, it is very important to educate investors and guide them to consult an expert before they make any investment decisions. Often drawing parallels between the importance of advice in life and investing, Edelweiss Mutual Funds investor education programme hopes to inspire their young investor base, driving home the key message - #AdviceZarooriHai. Previous Film: Achievements ho ya investments, Sahi #AdviceZarooriHai https://youtu.be/QrMwKzswgUY Diwali Safety Advice and Tips (feat. Mumbai Fire Brigade) #AdviceZarooriHai https://youtu.be/YeX65SR2c50 Edelweiss Mutual Fund celebrates change-makers on this Independence Day #AdviceZarooriHai https://youtu.be/syQYtBhZ7aw Who keeps your financial health in check? https://youtu.be/B2FrG0dsadk Where and how much to invest? https://youtu.be/rq1y_z2yR78- This campaign is part of Edelweiss Mutual Funds Investor Awareness Program. ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The unpredictable events of 2020 might cause one to forswear all prediction-making. Yet for Science and Medicine Group's publishing brands (Strategic Directions International, BioInformatics, Kalorama Information, IMV, Instrument Business Outlook) are all in the business of prediction-making. Thus once again, we offer our top ten predictions for 2021 based on our market research publications: 1. Recovery in Academic and Lab Markets: 2020 was obviously an atypical year, and for analytical and life science instrumentation markets (chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and other technologies) 2021 will also be atypical as a year of recovery. Academic and government lab budgets are expected to take more than one year to recover, since public funding has been so impacted by lower tax revenues and new spending priorities to directly address the COVID-19 crisis. This is from Strategic Directions International (SDI), authors of the The 2020 Global Assessment Report: The Laboratory Analytical & Life Science Instrumentation Industry, which offers market forecasts for over 80 scientific tool segments. 2. Growth Will Be Weighted Toward Asia: The current resurgence of the pandemic in the US and Europe will delay the recovery of these markets in 2021. But many Asia Pacific countries that were more successful in suppressing the disease are already seeing increased demand for lab instrumentation and equipment. 3. M&A Wil Accelerate for Instrument Companies: Instrument Business Outlook (IBO) , the premier newsletter for instrument executives, expects M&A activity to increase in 2021. Although the COVID-19 outbreak may have slowed M&A activity earlier this year, that changed late in the year. The largest deals in the cell-based instrument market in 2020 came from 10x Genomics and Bio-Rad Laboratories and were focused on single-cell analysis. 10x Genomics purchased two companies in the spatial analysis space, including its $350 million acquisition of ReadCoor, while Bio-Rad completed a $100 million deal for Celsee. 4. Radiation Therapy Capital Purchases to Rise: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted 2020's capital budgets for radiation therapy (RT) equipment, it is likely that investments are being shifted to 20212022. This is according to IMV's RT Market Outlook. Going forward, higher than 25% of sites [25% of sites or 25% referring to some aspect of budget?] are planning capital budgets of $1 million or more in 2021 and 2022, compared to the 18%' sites' 2020 budgets. 5. Urgent Care Provides a Perfect Outlet for COVID-19 Vaccines: Urgent care locations have grown over the past decade. Kalorama Information estimates the number of urgent care locations in the United States to be 9,900, growing from nearly 7,000 in 2013. The spectacular growth is driven by a need for more healthcare services, an increase in insured populations and resistance to physician office waiting times. Now, there is a new opportunity with new COVID-19 vaccines. "There is no better front-line for distribution of a widely utilized vaccine among a healthy population," says Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information. "Of course, this will be supplemented by traditional vaccine outlets such as governments and physician offices. But urgent care offers walk-in, no previous-relationship service, which is ideal for a vaccine." According to the market research firm's report The U.S. Urgent Care Center Market, what distinguishes urgent care centers is that they are walk-in clinics offering extended-hour access for acute illness and injury care. Such care is either beyond the scope or availability of the typical primary care practice and offers more focused care than an emergency room would. 6. Customized Retargeted Ads Will Help Instrument Companies Advertise Their Products: If they use it correctly, that is. According to The 2020 Best Practices for Advertising to Life Scientists: Online and in Print, a report conducted by BioInformatics, companies should pay attention to age and demographic preferences, and keep ads simple and benefit-messages concise. Audiences also will respond to retargeted ads, if they are done well. There is also generational differences in how audiences respond to ads. This is one of the many insights in the report, which essentially asked life scientists how they prefer to learn about new products. 7. Antibody testing for COVID-19 Will Increase: This will be brought about by vaccine effectiveness, and address both the official studies of vaccine effectiveness and the informal checking by concerned individuals. Antibody testing was talked about last year in the midst of one of the heaviest periods of the COVID-19 crisis as a test used to "return to work." That did not work out in terms of promoting [?] a great number of tests, but expect a resurgence. 8. Applied Markets for Lab Instrumentation Will Grow: Labs doing applied testing, such as food and environmental analyses, are forecast to increase lab tool spending by 7%8% in 2021 on average. 9. New Instrument Entrants in Diagnostics Will "Stay In:" Expect more diagnostics investments by instrument companies as their COVID-19 solutions opened the door to clinical labs and partners they may not have worked with before. Bruker, PerkinElmer and Fluidigm are among the lab tool makers expanding their diagnostics businesses. QIAGEN recently announced that a huge increase in instrument placements in 2020 for COVID 19-testing will pay dividends for consumables sales in years to come. 10. High-Sensitivity Troponin Point-of-CareTest Is Approval: Troponin can be a predictor of heart attacks and a marker of coronary disease status. hsTn assays are able to accurately measure 10-fold lower concentrations of cardiac troponin than contemporary assays. The use of high-sensitivity troponin in point-of-care (POC) settings, particularly emergency rooms, has shown promise. Although they have been used with COVID-19 patients to detect severity, there are no FDA approvals. A product from Quidel has gained CE Marking, and Abbott i-Stat's test has shown high-sensitivity levels, though there is no predicting which brand or test will be the first POC hsTN. What about last year's predictions? COVID-19 certainly threw last year's predictions for a loop; for example, those about Asian markets in general, imaging volumes in the U.S., and multiphotonics and sequencing prep sales. Now, we extend those predictions to 2021. Others held, more or less, to be true: CAR-T therapy sales should near a billion dollars with final results still out; AI remains most useful in imaging applications; mass spectrometry is being brought to bear in COVID-19 detection; and hematology handhelds, while limited by COVID-19, continue to grow within the category of hematology tests. About Science and Medicine Group Science and Medicine Group supports companies seeking to commercialize products for the rapidly changing marketplace at the intersection of science, medicine and technology. Comprised of industry leading brands, Science and Medicine Group serves analytical instrument, life science, imaging and clinical diagnostic companies by helping them create strategies and products to win markets and provide platforms to digitally engage their markets through a variety of innovative solutions. Our clients, including some of the top Fortune 500 companies in the world, use our business intelligence, market research, publications and marketing platforms to grow their businesses globally. SOURCE Science and Medicine Group Inc Related Links https://scienceandmedicinegroup.com We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Manitoba should wait a full incubation period after the holidays before it considers easing COVID-19 restrictions. Manitoba should wait a full incubation period after the holidays before it considers easing COVID-19 restrictions. Doing so any earlier would be premature and could cost lives. Manitobas current code-red restrictions are set to expire Jan. 8. With daily COVID-19 cases falling and thousands of vaccines expected to be administered this month, there may be a temptation to start rolling back public-health orders. Everyone is tired of living like hermits, but that would be a mistake at least until a full two weeks after Jan. 1. Everyone is tired of living like hermits. There's little doubt many Manitobans visited family and friends outside their households over the holidays. The province announced 44 tickets were handed out to people who unlawfully gathered in private residences between Dec. 21 and 27 (up from 35 the previous week). Those are just the people who got caught. There were undoubtedly many more. Some people also travelled outside the province over the holidays; there was a marked increase in flights arriving and departing around Christmas, including many from western provinces. The Pallister government refused to reinstate the 14-day self-isolation rule for people returning from western provinces after lifting it in June. That means those travellers did not have to self-isolate when they arrived in Manitoba. (There are already four identified flights from western provinces in late December that carried passengers who tested positive for COVID-19). New Years celebrations were also high-risk, and its likely many Manitobans socialized with others outside their households on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Household interactions continue to be one of the chief sources of transmission. The Public Health Agency of Canada says COVID-19 symptoms can appear up to 14 days after infection. The vast majority (97.5 per cent) develop symptoms within 11.5 days. The province should, at least, extend current restrictions to Jan. 15. COVID-19 case numbers have come down in recent weeks. Thats solid evidence the measures in place have been working. But its also due, in part, to a significant drop in daily testing. The test-positivity rate in Manitoba has not dipped below double digits since early November, which means theres still plenty of virus circulating in the province. It was 10.7 per cent Monday, down only slightly from 11.5 per cent two weeks ago. The World Health Organization recommends a rate below five per cent before easing restrictions. COVID-19 hot spot Alberta has a test-positivity rate of seven per cent. Hospitalization rates in Manitoba are also stubbornly high. The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 has dropped since early December, but has plateaued over the past two weeks. There were 340 COVID-19 patients in hospital Monday, virtually unchanged from 343 a week ago. The number of COVID-19 patients in ICU Monday (41) was up slightly from a week ago (37). There was a total of 113 patients in ICU Monday (157 per cent of normal capacity), up from 111 Thursday. Those numbers are not sustainable. Hospitalization rates and the test positivity need to come down further before any measures are relaxed, even after Jan. 15. Premier Brian Pallister said last week there would "almost certainly" be an easing of restrictions in the new year. It was a vague statement without a timeline. However, its troubling he would even suggest it before the holiday data comes in. Dr. Brent Roussin, the provincial chief public health officer, said Monday no decisions have been made whether restrictions will be eased after Jan. 8. He said Manitobans will get more information on that later in the week. Lifting restrictions prematurely would be reckless. It could drive up case numbers and give the public a false sense of security. The combined impact of holiday celebrations and a new, more contagious variant of COVID-19 that originated in Britain (and is now in Canada) could make January the worst month yet. Manitobans made a lot of sacrifices in recent weeks to flatten the COVID-19 curve and prevent hospitalizations from climbing further. It would be unforgivable if those gains were erased because of a hasty move to loosen restrictions. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 5 : As many as 5,615 more persons tested coronavirus positive in Kerala on Tuesday even as 4,922 patients recovered, an official release from Health Minister KK Shailaja's office said. A total of 61,269 samples were tested on Tuesday. The test positivity rate in Kerala is 9.16 per cent. With 24 more fatalities on Tuesday, COVID-19 death toll in the state went up to 3,184. Maximum new cases were reported from Ernakulam (719) and the least from Kasargod (58). Of those who tested positive, 59 have come from outside the state. In all, 5,037 patients contracted the disease through contact. The source of contact of 475 patients is unknown. A total of 44 health workers too tested positive -- Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Kozhikode reported 6 cases each, Ernakulam 5, Thiruvanathapuram and Kannur 4 each, Malappuram 3, Kollam, Wayanad, and Kasargod 2 each. Kottayam and Palakkad had one case each. A total of 1,90,990 people are under observation, including 1,79,868 in home or institutional quarantine and 11,122 in hospitals. Four new hotspots took the total to 445 in Kerala. Lenovo has announced the launch of the ThinkStation P620, a new workstation computer that is powered by the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO processor. The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 offers a dual-CPU experience in a single processor system, and is designed for heavy-duty work. The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 is equipped with up to 64 cores and up to 4.0 GHz of processing power and comes with a fully customised and scalable chassis. According to the company, this is the first and only PCIe Gen 4 workstation available today, and it includes support for up to two NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 or four RTX 4000 graphics cards, up to 20TB storage, and an expandable memory up to 1TB. Lenovo and AMD have collaborated to create a customised heat sink that uses a unique air-cooled solution to handle the increased thermal requirements, surfacing due to the advanced design of the processor. Also Read: Lenovo Legion 5 launched in India: Check specs, price here The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 also promises an immersive experience with seamless 8K streaming in real-time, reduced render times, ultra-fast simulation solving, quick assembly rebuilds and smooth interactivity with 3D assets, without having to scale to a dual socket system. On the security front, this workstation supports ThinkStation Diagnostics 2.0 for real-time alerts, Lenovo ThinkShield customisable security platform, AMD Secure Processor to ensure data and application integrity, and AMD Memory Guard to enable full memory encryption to protect against advanced physical attacks. The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 is going to be available at the starting price of 3,99,000. Customers can configure to order (CTO) this device from Lenovo.com. You can also avail a three-year standard after sales warranty and an upgradable warranty up to five years, as well as Lenovo Premier Support. A period of remote learning for schoolchildren in Northern Ireland is to be extended amid soaring coronavirus cases, the First Minister has said. Speaking on Monday night, Arlene Foster said ministers had reflected on the seriousness of the situation here before coming to the decision. The Executive is to reconvene on Tuesday to confirm details of the proposal, but it is believed it could extend beyond January. Remote learning extended Mrs Foster said: I think its fair to say that we will have to engage in more remote learning at schools. We want to look at the finer details of that in and around vulnerable children and special needs children. One of the learning points from the first lockdown was the fact that a lot of special needs to children need to have the ability to go to their place of schooling so they can deal with medical procedures and issues like that. The most recent plan was for primary pupils to be taught remotely for the week from January 4-8, while for secondary school Years 8 to 11, remote learning is due to last for the entire month. It is expected that creches, nurseries and day care centres will remain open for children of key workers, as has happened in England. In addition to the measures in schools, stay at home advice is to be put into legislation, while the Executive is also set to examine international travel advice. Mrs Foster said: We will be putting that message of stay at home back into law again. The message will be stay at home unless you have a reason to leave home. Those reasons will be put into law. We think that is necessary given the huge rise in positive cases here in Northern Ireland. She added: In terms of travel as well, something we discussed today with the other administrations across the United Kingdom, because we recognise that international travel will have to be reviewed again as well. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said that remote learning would be extended, stay at home advice will be put into legislation and travel rules will be updated. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill said urgent and decisive action was required. The Executive is to meet again on Tuesday, when the Education and Health Ministers are to put forward a set of detailed proposals, including recommendations on this years exams. In a tweet following the meeting, Ms ONeill said: In addition to the restrictions already in place.Remote learning will be extended. Stay at home will be put in to regulation. Travel will be revisited. Education & Health Minister to bring detail of proposals to meeting of Exec tomorrow to include recommendations on exams. Ministers will update the Assembly on Wednesday on any decisions made at Tuesdays meeting. Another 1,801 people have tested positive for Covid-19, the Department of Health said on Monday. That makes 12,507 diagnoses over the last seven days. Another 12 deaths have been reported. (CNN) -- Alleged former Congolese warlord Roger Lumbala was arrested in Paris on December 29 and placed under formal investigation on January 2 for "complicity in crimes against humanity," French anti-terror prosecutors said on Monday. An armed group he led is accused of crimes including rape, summary executions, mutilation and cannibalism during a deadly civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. French prosecutors also accuse Lumbala of "participation in a group formed for the purpose of preparing war crimes." Lumbala has rejected the allegations, according to an AFP report. According to a UN Security Council report from 2003, Lumbala led an armed group called the Rassemblement Congolais pour la democratie-National (RCD-N), created in 2000 and backed by the Ugandan military during the country's deadly civil war. The UN investigation "confirmed a pattern of looting, killing and rape as tactics of war" in 2002 for RCD-N forces in the Beni area, in the northeastern region of Ituri. "The summary executions targeted the Nande ethnic group and Pygmies, who were forced to flee to the forest for the first time to escape persecution," the UN report said. "The victims reported several cases of mutilation followed by acts of cannibalism," the report added. Fighters involved in the so-called 'Clean the blackboard' operation confirmed they had been sent by Lumbala, the UN Security Council said. A separate report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says those taking part in the operation "tortured, mutilated and killed" other combatants before using their organs "as war trophies." Between 12 and 29 October 2002, RCD-N soldiers allegedly killed 173 civilians and carried out "acts of cannibalism", says the report. An unknown number of civilians were mutilated while soldiers raped a "large number" of women and children. The report links other incidences of mutilation, rape and cannibalism to the 'Clean the blackboard' operation. The French judiciary has the jurisdiction to prosecute cases of crimes against humanity committed abroad on foreign victims if the perpetrators are present on French territory or are residents in France. The Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, gained independence from Belgium in June 1960. The head of the army, General Mobutu Sese Seko, came to power in a military coup in 1965 and remained largely unchallenged throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1996, dissident groups led by Laurent Kabila -- and strongly supported by Rwanda and Uganda -- rose in revolt against endemic corruption. They entered the country's capital of Kinshasa in May 1997 and Kabila declared himself president. Internal and external dissatisfaction with Kabila gradually grew until 1998, when a new rebel group -- again backed by Rwanda and Uganda -- formed and a second conflict broke out. In January 2001, Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards and his son, Joseph Kabila, took over. Under the younger Kabila, foreign forces gradually departed and the Congolese parties managed to reach an agreement for a transitional national government that included the three major belligerent groups, a number of smaller ex-rebel movements and representatives of civil society and the political opposition. Lumbala becamse a minister in this government between 2004 and 2005. This story was first published by CNN.com, "France opens investigations into former DR Congo rebel leader after Paris arrest" Photo for illustration (Source: nhandan.com.vn) In the report, the minister noted that 34 countries had announced the detection of new COVID-19 variants as of January 3, reported VNA. On December 18, 2020, the World Health Organisation reported that a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus was found in the UK, which is said to be 70 percent more transmissible than the old one. It is spreading to other countries rapidly. So far, more than 40 countries territories have restricted travel from/to the UK and other countries that have reported cases with the virus variant. Germany and the Netherlands have been the first to close the border with the UK, while France has requested travellers to take quarantine and show proof that they have been tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, Spain and Turkey have banned immigrants from the UK until the end of January. The US and the rest of Europe have also reduced the number of flights to the UK. Japan has announced the ban of all entries until the end of this month, while Indonesia has refused to receive travellers from the UK. In Vietnam, Patient 1,435 returning home from Britain and quarantined in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh upon arrival on December 22 was confirmed to be infected with the new virus strain. So far, Vietnam has reported 1,497 COVID-19 cases, including 693 found in the community./. Collecting tax from cross-border platforms as well as people profiting from them is the governments leading mission in 2021. The MoF is aiming to boost tax revenue from cross-border online business activities In a summary report regarding the national budget sent to the government in last December, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) noted that the estimated extra income for the national budget in 2021 will be VND1.34 quadrillion ($58.26 billion), up 1.5 per cent on-year. Of this, earnings in the local market will occupy about 84.4 per cent, equaling VND1.133 quadrillion ($49.26 billion). Enhancing tax income from cross-border platforms, individuals, and organisations earning from them will play an important role in these targets, according to the MoF. Speaking at a National Assembly meeting two years ago, a delegate said if the platforms fulfil their tax obligation in Vietnam, the national budget will receive a lift of trillions of VNDs (dozens of millions of US dollars). In 2019, 2020, the General Tax Department under the MoF collected nearly VND1 trillion ($43.5 million), as stated by Deputy General Director Dang Ngoc Minh, who said, Much of the sum came from inspections with many measures aiming to verify and collect arrears. As of the end of 2020, the tax authority performed about 79,560 inspections to collect about VND69 trillion ($3 billion) in tax arrears. VND19.112 trillion ($830.96 million) of this was collected, up 5.9 per cent on-year. Tax abatement amounted to VND2.118 trillion ($92 million). In comparison with 2019, the total tax arrears in 2020 dropped by 5.5 per cent. In 2021, tax inspections will continue with greater frequency, especially targeting individuals and organisations running business on cross-border platforms. Vietnam is home to many individuals earning from online activities and the number is forecast to keep increasing. Four months ago, the Hanoi Tax Department sent tax notices to 1,194 individuals with a total income of VND3.614 trillion ($157 million) generated from online activities. Two years ago, the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department sent out some 14,000 notices to individuals and organisations but with little results. To avoid repeating this failure, the General Tax Department said that the Hanoi authority is planning to partner up with market management authorities and payment intermediaries. Specifically, the authority is holding almost the entire data of the objects. The authorities also required businesses providing cross-border platforms to perform their tax obligations in the country. According to Decree No.126/2020/ND-CP detailing a number of articles of the Law on Tax Administration come into force from last December 5, General Department of Taxation will identify names and the websites of overseas suppliers who have not made a tax registration to banks and intermediary companies. Once identified, banks & other payment intermediary entities will be responsible for withholding tax on the payment to these suppliers on a monthly basis. If the bank cannot withhold tax due to unforeseeable issues, such transactions will need to be reported to the GDT on a monthly basis for the purpose of tax assessment. Banks are also required to provide bank account details of taxpayers to the tax authority within 90 days upon the effective date of this Decree. Further, information on bank account transactions of an entity must be provided to the tax authority upon official request during the course of a tax audit or tax inspection. VIR Van Anh Taxation body missing out on taxes from sharing-economy businesses Businesses following the sharing economy model are facing problems in tax declaration. Because of the lack of regulations, the taxation body may be taxing inaccurately or missing taxpayers. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 09:33:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LA PAZ, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's Foreign Affairs Minister Rogelio Mayta has tested positive for COVID-19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported Monday. "The foreign minister is stable and, as established by the biosafety protocols, he is isolated and under proper medical supervision," the ministry said in a statement. Mayta is the second cabinet minister in President Luis Arce's government who has tested positive for the virus. On Dec. 28, 2020, Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo tested positive and was also reported to be in "stable" condition. Presidential spokesman Jorge Richter said some deputy ministers have also tested positive, but did not provide further details. He also mentioned that Arce, together with his Vice President David Choquehuanca, have tested negative. Meanwhile, Veronica Hurtado, secretary of health for the municipal government of La Paz, said the city's mayor Luis Revilla was infected for the second time by COVID-19 with moderate symptoms and had been quarantined. Since the pandemic broke out almost 10 months ago, Bolivia has accumulated 162,661 cases of COVID-19 and 9,201 deaths from the disease, the country's Ministry of Health said Sunday. Enditem Friends and family are mourning the death of a woman who was fatally shot by Shelby County lawmen when authorities say she tried to run over a deputy. Family identified the slain woman as 48-year-old Amanda Mooney Falkner. She was a mother and grandmother. My heart is heavy,' said her sister, Angela Pate. They didnt have to kill her. Im very upset. A deputy injured during the incident was airlifted to UAB Hospital where he was treated and released. He is recovering at home. The incident began shortly before 6 p.m. Monday when deputies were dispatched to a domestic disturbance in the 1400 block of Mooney Road, which is a rural area just outside of the Columbiana city limits. Amanda Mooney Falkner, a 48-year-old mother and grandmother, was shot to death by Shelby County sheriff's deputies Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (Photos contributed by family) Falkners husband called 911 during a domestic dispute. When deputies arrived on the scene, authorities said Falkner ran over a deputy. Thats when other deputies fired on the pickup truck and Falkner was killed. She was pronounced dead on the scene. Falker worked as a convenience store manager in Columbiana. She leaves behind a son, a daughter and three grandchildren, as well as other family members. This is hard on us,' Pate said. Our family needs answers. She was loved by many,' Pate said, and will be dearly missed by many. Pate said she was praying for the injured deputy and his family. The Shelby County Major Crimes Task Force is continuing their independent investigation into the incident. The investigation will be conducted by members of the multi-jurisdictional Task Force which is made up of investigators and evidence technicians from police departments in Shelby County. The investigation will be overseen by the Shelby County District Attorneys Office. Any situation that involves the loss of life is tragic regardless of the circumstances,' said Sheriff John Samaniego. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected including the family and friends who lost a loved one and all the deputies involved. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Sorry! This content is not available in your region London, Jan 6 : Millions of Britons woke up Tuesday to face new strict lockdown measures requiring them to stay indoors as Covid-19 infections continue to spiral upwards. Announcing the lockdown, the third of its kind since the pandemic began in the country, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the nation on Monday in a televised address that new tough measures were needed to control the coronavirus, protect the National Health Service (NHS) and save lives, the Xinhua news agency reported. He said a drastic jump in cases has been attributed to a new variant of coronavirus, which is said to be about 70 per cent more transmissible. With no specific end-date for tougher restrictions set by Johnson, controls across England might last up to several months. The coming weeks will be the hardest yet since the virus struck, Johnson warned. The gloomy start to the new year also saw restriction rules imposed across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, British ministers are considering introducing a requirement for international arrivals to have a negative Covid test before travelling to Britain in a bid to tackle the rising tide of infections, the Evening Standard newspaper reported Tuesday. Chief medical officers across all regions of Britain advised politicians that the Covid-19 threat level should move from Tier Four to Tier Five, indicating that if action is not taken, the NHS may be soon overwhelmed. Johnson confirmed that hospitals are now under more pressure than at any other point throughout the pandemic. Lawmakers are being recalled to the House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament, for a special sitting Wednesday to give retrospective approval to the new controls in England. Earlier on Tuesday, British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove indicated that the new lockdown in England is likely to remain in place into March at least. "I think it is right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all," Gove said. Also on Tuesday, Professor Andrew Hayward from the University College London (UCL) told the BBC that while the new lockdown would clearly save tens of thousands of lives, it was not clear the restrictions would be sufficient to stop its spread. "We need to learn from the last lockdown and particularly some of the things we saw," he said. In England, people are only allowed to go to work if it's impossible to work from home, such as construction workers. They are allowed to go out to shop for necessities including food and medicines, and to exercise, ideally once a day and locally. Meanwhile, all schools and colleges will close from Tuesday (except for vulnerable children and those of key workers), and switch to remote learning until the middle of February. On Monday, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scotland would enter a new lockdown from midnight on Monday, as well as a shutdown of schools until February 1. Alongside the gloomy message, Johnson offered a message of hope that the virus will be defeated as the country continues to roll out the vaccines. Urging people to pull together, Johnson said: "With every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against Covid and in favour of the British people." On Tuesday, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced a support package worth 4.6 billion pounds (about $6.25 billion) to help support businesses impacted by the new lockdown. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, criticised Johnson's handling of the pandemic, but said his party would on Wednesday back the new measures in the House of Commons. "It's going to be a struggle and we need to make this work," said Starmer in a television interview on Tuesday. Tony Danker, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said: "It is absolutely essential that we all put the health of our citizens first, and businesses will continue to step up in the national interest to support the NHS, employees and customers in the weeks ahead." "In tandem we need to acknowledge that the economic impact of these new restrictions is significant," Danker added. The lockdown came as another 58,784 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, marking the highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, according to official figures released Monday. It was the seventh day in a row that new cases have topped 50,000 in Britain. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 27,13,563, the data showed. Another 407 have died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain to 75,431, the data showed. To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A medical worker in a booth takes a sample from a woman during COVID-19 testing at a makeshift clinic in Seoul, Jan. 2, 2021. AP South Korea's health authorities on Tuesday confirmed two more cases of a more transmissible variant from arrivals from Britain, bringing the total caseload here to 12. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the two people, who entered the country on Dec. 13 and Dec. 20 from Britain, respectively, were confirmed to have the new COVID-19 strain. The two tested positive for COVID-19 after landing and were immediately quarantined, meaning others in the community had no contact with them. However, the authorities said the possibility of the variant spreading to other passengers on the flight they were aboard cannot be ruled out. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the new variant, referred to as VOC202012/01, was identified through viral genome sequencing. Initial analysis indicates that the variant may spread more readily between people than the original virus, maybe up to 70 percent more transmissible than the old variant. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Prime Minister Florin Citu said on Tuesday that Romania will try to increase the number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine it receives weekly, underscording the intention to reach almost 100,000 vaccines per day, according to AGERPRES. "We will try to increase the number of doses. They will increase gradually until March, but we will want to have more because I believe that if we keep this pace, we will reach almost 100,000 vaccines capacity per day, which would be very good," the prime minister said at a video conference at Victoria Palace with the prefects. He urged prefects to ensure that the rules regarding the COVID-19 pandemic are followed. "Let's not forget that we are still in a pandemic and we have to keep the restrictions where they are needed, to keep the same message to the citizens. The fact that we started this vaccination campaign does not mean that the danger has passed and we have to say that every day. The vaccination campaign is complementary, it helps to eliminate the pandemic faster, that's all we wanted, but we are still in a pandemic, we still have to respect these rules and you as representatives of the Government in the territory must make sure that these rules are respected," Citu also said. He asked the prefects to prepare the 932 vaccination centres in the country by next week, estimating that the second stage of vaccination will begin at that time. Vietnam was among the countries gaining the highest GDP growth rates in 2020, which could serve as a launching pad for further growth. The General Statistics Office (GSO) reported a 2.91 percent GDP growth rate for 2020, a tremendous success in the context of the global economic performance. The General Statistics Office reported a 2.91 percent GDP growth rate for 2020 Prior to that, the World Bank, in its Taking Stock report, predicted that Vietnams GDP would grow by nearly 3 percent in 2020, while the worlds economy would see a decline of 4 percent. Vietnams GDP growth rate in 2020 was much higher than the 2.3 percent predicted by ADB, or the 2.4 percent predicted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The outlook is brighter for Vietnam in 2021. WB has predicted that Vietnams GDP would grow by 6.8 percent in 2021 and 6.5 percent in coming years. ADB has predicted a 6.1 percent growth rate for 2021 and IMF 6.4 percent. The strong rise of Vietnams economy is based on achievements in 2020, including record export turnover, a trade surplus of $19.1 billion, and increased public investments. Dang Thanh Tam, chair of Kinh Bac Urban Development Corporation (KBC), said Vietnam obtained a positive GDP growth rate in 2020 because it successfully controlled the pandemic. This helped polish Vietnam's image and lure foreign investors. KBC and its subsidiaries in Q4 2020 alone signed contracts on leasing IZ land with the total area of 150 hectares, worth over $150 million, a good sign for industrial real estate developers. Most of the projects to be developed on KBCs land are hi-tech, including ones of well-known corporations in the world. Prior to that, SSI Research said that the diversifying production globally has been accelerated and Vietnam will benefit from the trend. Experts believe that when the pandemic subsides, the demand for IZ land will increase sharply from companies that plan to relocate their production bases to Vietnam. Sources said Apple brought a part of the iPad and Macbook production line to Vietnam last month. Foxconn has announced a new investment deal worth $270 million in Vietnam in order to build the iPad and Macbook production line in Bac Giang, which is expected to become operational in 2021. Sources said Apple brought a part of the iPad and Macbook production line to Vietnam last month. Foxconn has announced a new investment deal worth $270 million in Vietnam in order to build the iPad and Macbook production line in Bac Giang, which is expected to become operational in 2021. Huynh Minh Tuan from Mirae Asset Vietnam said that Vietnam scored success when controlling the pandemic and now needs to clear the way for enterprises to make investments. Simplifying administrative procedures and laying down legal frameworks for new business fields will play an important role in the next development period. He also suggested that Vietnam attract talent to become a regional finance and manufacturing center. The state needs to apply policies to encourage creativity, because this will increase the added value in export products. The Financial Times compared Vietnams strong economic development and its favorable business environment with Thailands foreign investment boom in the 1980s, or China's 20 years ago. Despite the disadvantages in infrastructure and labor force, many multinationals are seeking to build their production bases in Vietnam. Le Quang Tri from Tri Viet Securities said the country caught attention from global investors after the pandemic. But there are still many problems in Vietnam, including poor infrastructure and logistics services. However, the problems could be settled soon if Vietnam continues to maintain an open investment environment. FDI will continue to flow to Vietnam, especially to the business fields in which Vietnam is still weak. GLP, Asias largest logistics group, is developing logistics projects in Hanoi and HCM City, planning to inject $1.5 billion into Vietnam in three years. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), total FDI capital registered in 2020 was still high, roughly $29 billion, despite Covid-19 which affected investors financial resources. Analysts say that international investors confidence in Vietnam is on the rise, which will help Vietnam become one of attractive destinations for foreign investors and help Vietnam join more deeply into the global supply chain. Carolyn Turk, WB Country Director in Vietnam, commented that with a new strategy for the next stage of development, with a focus on facilitating domestic businesses to integrate into the regional and global markets, innovate and apply digital technology, Vietnam will rise more strongly than ever, if well managed. Duy Anh Vietnam may see negative GDP growth rate this year Economists have predicted that Vietnams GDP may be negative this year as the possibility of a second outbreak exists. Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours. Thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 90F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. (CNN) -- Gulf Arab countries signed a declaration aimed at resolving a long-running dispute with Qatar on Tuesday, in a public reconciliation between Doha and its neighbors that paves the way for the end of an embargo on the tiny gas-rich nation. Three Gulf Arab countries Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates -- along with Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in mid-2017 after accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar has repeatedly denied the accusations. The boycotting countries, known as the Arab quartet, also cited political differences with Qatar over Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood. Doha, unlike its Gulf neighbors, has friendly relations with Tehran, supported the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and has hosted groups affiliated with the Islamist group. The agreement was signed during the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in the Saudi city of al-Ula, where Qatar's leader Emir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani met former regional foes. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Sheikh Tamim, who set foot on Saudi soil for the first time since the start of the crisis, on the airport tarmac. The two leaders hugged, and images of the warm welcome were widely shared on regional social media. During the signing of the statement, the Saudi Crown Prince called on Arab states to join ranks to counter the kingdom's regional archrival, Iran. "Today, we are in dire need to unite our efforts to advance our region and face the challenges that surround us," said bin Salman. "Especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear program, its ballistic missile program, and its destructive sabotage projects that are adopted by (Iran's) terrorist and sectarian proxies and their activities that are aimed at destabilizing security and stability in the region." Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, who is credited with helping to usher in the detente, was in the room where the agreement was being signed. 'A bright new page' Ahead of the summit, Kuwait's foreign minister announced Monday that Saudi Arabia would reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar. Kuwait, which has mediated the crisis since it began, said the final agreement was the result of a call between Kuwaiti Emir Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, the Qatari Emir and the Saudi Crown Prince. Bin Salman was elevated from Deputy Crown Prince to Crown Prince a month after the start of the dispute, and is widely seen as an architect of the Qatar boycott. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, who is not attending the GCC summit, was also seen as a driving force behind the bid to isolate Doha. The embargo came at a time of heightened tensions with Iran, and fractured Gulf Arab unity. The quartet presented 13 sweeping demands, including the closure of Doha's pan-Arab TV station Al Jazeera, ending Turkey's military presence in Qatar, and curbing diplomatic ties with Iran. As the dispute apparently nears an end, it is unclear if any of the initial preconditions to end the spat have been met. Al Jazeera continues to broadcast, and Doha's relations with Tehran and Ankara appear intact. The details in the statement signed Tuesday were not released. The UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said Tuesday's summit marked the beginning of "a bright new page." Saudi Arabia first signaled that a breakthrough on the Qatar crisis was afoot last month. Regional pundits say that Riyadh may be expediting a resolution in order to improve its standing with the incoming administration of US President-elect Joe Biden. Saudi Arabia has has strong relations with the Trump White House, which empowered their bid to contain Iran. But a Biden presidency may put them in uncharted waters. As a presidential candidate, Biden promised to end US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, and has vowed to end Washington's "blank check" to the kingdom. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Arab countries agree to end years-long feud with Qatar that divided Gulf" The senators challenge Wednesday will be only about politics, following Trumps frantic footprints onto the wrong side of history. As I wrote in late November, We should expect more hissy fits from Trump through Jan. 20, when hell be evicted from the peoples house by the electoral process. Until then, he will lash out at anyone who doesnt agree with him or pledge allegiance to his swagger. OTTAWA - Canada is the latest country to investigate how to stretch vaccine doses as far as possible, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have tragic consequences all around the world. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam is reflected in a wall as she leaves a news conference Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Canada is the latest country to investigate how to stretch vaccine doses as far as possible, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have tragic consequences all around the world. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said Tuesday she has asked the National Advisory Committee on Immunization to investigate whether it would be warranted to delay the second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in a bid to get first doses to more people faster. "This is a topic of, of course, active discussion," Tam said at her regular Tuesday briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. The situation, she noted, is grim, with more than 7,500 new patients diagnosed every day, more than 77,700 people actively infected with it, and more than 4,000 people in the nation's hospitals with it. Over the last week, an average of 122 Canadians have died of COVID-19 every day. Tam said there is some promising evidence that single doses of vaccines designed to be given in two shots are effective for a while, but that evidence is limited. She stressed Canada remains committed to giving two doses of the vaccines but that she has asked the advisory committee to look at what is known about the matter, and what should be considered when deciding whether to adjust the dosing schedule. Health Canada has approved two vaccines against COVID-19, and about 150,000 people have now been given at least one dose. On Monday, the first people began receiving their second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 21 days after they received first doses on Dec. 14. That schedule follows the advice of Pfizer and BioNTech, which said their vaccine is 95 per cent effective at preventing COVID-19 symptoms within seven days of receiving a second dose. The doses are to be administered 21 days apart. U.S. biotech firm Moderna, whose vaccine was approved in Canada Dec. 23, calls for two doses to be given 28 days apart. AstraZeneca's vaccine, which has been approved in the United Kingdom but not yet in Canada, also requires a second dose after 28 days. Several countries are now investigating or authorizing the delay of those second doses, to get more people vaccinated with first doses. Denmark authorized a six-week delay. The U.K., which recorded a single-day record of 58,784 new cases Tuesday, is pushing that second dose back by 12 weeks for its two approved vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca. Germany is also investigating whether to delay the second dose. Pfizer told The Canadian Press in a statement it doesn't endorse a delayed-dose plan. While peer-reviewed reports on its vaccine's clinical trial found the vaccine was about 52 per cent effective at preventing illness after one dose, most patients received the second dose after 21 days so there is no data analyzing how well one dose works beyond three weeks. Moderna similarly said it can't comment on whether its vaccine is effective outside the two-dose, 28-day schedule. Moderna said two equal doses given 28 days apart provided a stronger immune response than one double dose delivered in a single injection. The World Health Organization said Tuesday delaying Pfizer's second doses up to six weeks could be acceptable under exceptional circumstances. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is worth investigating the idea of delaying doses, or injecting half-doses, but that at the moment there is no evidence supporting the authorization of any changes. Dr. David Fisman, an epidemiologist in Toronto, said there might be some evidence for delaying a second dose to six weeks, rather than 21 or 28 days. "For many vaccines a second dose is given at six weeks and that works nicely," he said, noting sometimes the "boost" from the second dose is actually better if it's given a little later. He said he suspects the six-week window wasn't used in the COVID-19 trials because this is a public health emergency. However Fisman said Canada has bigger vaccine concerns right now because we just aren't vaccinating people fast enough on the suggested dose-schedule. "Right now we are vaccinating slower than we are getting doses, so it's sort of a moot point in Canada," he said. Canada has received 424,050 Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses thus far, but records currently show only about one-third have been injected. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2021. Sudbury, Canada--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Transition Metals Corp (TSXV: XTM) ("Transition", the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has granted an option on its Island Copper project to Rich Copper Exploration Corp ("Rich Cu"), a private corporation. The property consists of 5 mining claims covering 62 hectares in Awares Township located approximately 20 kilometres northeast of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. (the "Property"). Under the terms of the Agreement, Rich Cu can vest a 100% interest in the Property by providing Transition with $150,000 cash over 3 years ($25,000 on signing), 500,000 shares on signing and an additional $475,000 worth of shares over the following 3 years as well as completion of $750,000 in exploration expenditures. Transition will receive a 2.5% Net Smelter Return royalty on any future production from the Property and within a 5 kilometre area of interest. In addition, Transition is entitled to milestone payments of $1,000,000 upon Rich Cu or its assigns completing a Feasibility Study and an additional payment of $5,000,000 within 12 months of commencement of Commercial Production. Transition CEO Scott McLean commented, "The Island Copper transaction is another demonstration of the success of our Project Generator business model. Transition identified the opportunity, staked the property and confirmed the target potential. We have now been able to leverage this initial seed capital investment significantly while still preserving the upside potential through future milestone payments and a royalty. We look forward to working with Rich Cu to advance this promising project" The Property has been worked by various operators since 1965 including the completion of 37 drill holes totaling 2,740 metres to a maximum depth of 137 metres. The best historical intersection reported is from a diamond drill hole completed in 1965 by Kennco Exploration that returned 11.59 metres grading 3.4% Cu and 0.9 g/t Au from 2.16 metres1. Recent sampling completed by Transition Metals at the main Copper showing returned values of up to 9.00% Cu and 7.0 /t Au from massive chalcopyrite veins (see Company news release of September 5, 2018). Assessment Report - Geology and Mineralization of the Island Copper Property, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, A Hamid Mumin and John Camier, February 2002. Qualified Person The technical elements of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Mr. Grant Mourre, P.Geo. (PGO), a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. About Transition Metals Corp Transition Metals Corp (TSXV: XTM) is a Canadian-based, multi-commodity project generator that specializes in converting new exploration ideas into Canadian discoveries in Canada. The award-winning team of geoscientists has extensive exploration experience in established, emerging and historic mining camps and actively develops and tests new ideas for discovering mineralization in places that others have not looked, which often allows the company to acquire properties inexpensively. The team is rigorous in its fieldwork and combines traditional techniques with newer ones to help unearth compelling prospects and drill targets. Transition uses the project generator business model to acquire and advance multiple exploration projects simultaneously, thereby maximizing shareholder exposure to discovery and capital gain. Joint venture partners earn an interest in the projects by funding a portion of higher-risk drilling and exploration, allowing Transition to conserve capital and minimize shareholder's equity dilution. The Company has an expanding portfolio that currently includes more than 25 gold, copper, nickel and platinum projects across Canada. About Rich Copper Exploration Corp Rich Copper Exploration is a newly formed project generator and accelerator that is focused on the evaluation and exploration of high- grade copper projects in Ontario. We are focused on projects with known or potential resources and reevaluate projects which have been under explored in the past, but which may have been mined in previous years. We can apply modern ore models and the economics of higher copper prices to our acquisitions. Rich Copper Exploration seeks to fund exploration and development of our projects through joint ventures and partnership agreements. This approach significantly reduces the technical and financial risks, while maintaining the upside exposure to new discoveries and potential cash flow. Rich Copper is building a portfolio of copper projects with exploration potential and/or known resources across all exploration stages. We currently have 8 projects and are actively evaluating others for acquisition. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding estimated capital and operating costs, expected production timeline, benefits of updated development plans, foreign exchange assumptions and regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Further information is available at www.transitionmetalscorp.com or by contacting: Scott McLean President and CEO Transition Metals Corp. Tel: (705) 669-1777 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71340 Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator, plotted to assassinate opponents who had fled to the EU, a report has alleged. A tape published by the EUobserver website purports to be the former head of Belaruss spy agency telling officers that Mr Lukashenko is waiting for operations to target enemies in Germany. Vadim Zaitsev, a former KGB head, is allegedly heard discussing using explosives and poisons on a former prison director, army colonel and anti-corruption chief, in what the website said were leaked recordings from 2012. Mr Lukashenko allegedly lodged 1.2m in a dedicated account for such operations and wanted results, according to the voice on the tapes. None of the murders took place but a Belarusian-born journalist also referred to in the recording later died in a car bomb attack in Ukraine. Mr Lukashenko has previously been accused of ordering the killing of enemies. EUobserver said it was given the tapes by Igor Makar, a Belarusian opposition activist and ex-special forces officer. Mr Makar, who is in hiding, said contacts in the security service leaked the recording to him in 2012. He said he played the recordings to a US diplomat at the time, but decided to go public now to show solidarity with protests against the Lukashenko regime. The website published excerpts of the tapes as well as a transcript of a meeting between Mr Zaitsev and agents in the Belarus counter-terrorism unit. Experts said the voice on the tape did appear to be that of Mr Zaitsev, and did not find any obvious trace of audio manipulation. ( The Daily Telegraph) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] CHICAGO Authorities in Kenosha are bracing for potential unrest as they prepare for prosecutors to announce whether Officer Rusten Sheskey will face charges in the shooting of Jacob Blake in August. On Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said shes following the situation in Kenosha very, very closely. Its our expectation that sometime this afternoon were going to hear from the authorities up there about what charges, if any, are going to be brought against the officer who shot Mr. Blake, Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference. So, our police department is clearly on alert. Were in communications with our partners in the region and we are prepared for any eventuality. But we have no actual intelligence to suggest that theres going to be an issue here in Chicago. Those comments came after Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Monday mobilized 500 National Guard members to help Kenosha officials. Workers installed temporary fencing around government buildings downtown in the city just over the Wisconsin border, according to local news outlets. And the Kenosha City Council approved a resolution that will give the mayor emergency powers following the announcement, which prosecutors told city officials would come in the next two weeks. Officials were preparing for further developments in the wake of late August protests and property destruction that broke out after the white Kenosha police officer shot Blake, who is Black, several times in the back at close range. The shooting, and widely seen video footage of it, sparked sustained protests, as well as fires, vandalism and looting that devastated parts of the city over three nights. Numerous vigilantes armed with rifles inserted themselves into the scene, including Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, who shot three people, two of them fatally. Kenosha County prosecutors have charged Rittenhouse, who turned 18 on Sunday, with murder and a host of other counts, though his lawyers argue he fired in self-defense. Story continues The Rittenhouse shootings have stirred strong public disagreement between those who condemn Rittenhouse and his supporters on the political right. Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty at an online arraignment hearing Tuesday afternoon. The teen, wearing a light blue dress shirt and dark tie and face mask, said little as he sat beside his attorney, Mark Richards. His next hearing is scheduled for March 10. Before Rittenhouse opened fire, nationwide attention focused on Blakes shooting and the demonstrations that came at the end of a summer of protests around the country kicked off by the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. Blakes shooting prompted the Milwaukee Bucks to sit out a playoff game, giving way to the NBA canceling games for the day. On Monday night, Blakes father led a march around Kenosha and voiced concern that prosecutors would not charge Sheskey, as family members have called on them to do, the Associated Press reported. What is the National Guard for? Jacob Blake Sr. said. They going to deliver mail? Deliver ice cream? What do you think theyre here for? Blakes shooting happened about 5 p.m. Aug. 23 after police received a call from a woman who reported that her boyfriend was present when he was not supposed to be, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. At the scene, Officers Sheskey and Vincent Arenas both unsuccessfully used Tasers, state authorities have said. In footage shared online, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of an SUV to the driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, Sheskey grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned. Three of Blakes children were in the vehicle. The state Justice Department wrote that a knife was found on the driver-side floorboard of the vehicle. The department wrote in a statement that, Mr. Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession. It was not clear from the statement whether state authorities believed the knife posed any threat to officers or anyone else. An attorney for Sheskey and the Kenosha police union said the officer believed Blake was trying to abduct one of the kids and he fired because Blake started turning toward him with the knife. Shortly after the shooting, Blakes family said he was paralyzed from the waist down. As of early October, hed been discharged from a Wisconsin hospital and was being treated at an Illinois rehabilitation clinic. EUGENE, Ore.-- The Eugene Police Department released the names of the two people involved in a deadly crash on New Year's Day. Geoffrey Gibson, 41, and Mikel Johnston, 41, were found in a mangled car that crashed into a traffic light pole early that morning. According to Eugene Police, Johnston was the passenger in the car and was the one pronounced dead at the scene. Gibson is still at RiverBend Hospital being treated for his injuries. Police officials said Gibson has not been charged at this time as the driver. They said this is still an active investigation and investigators are looking into every detail from that morning. Anyone with any information is asked to call the police department. The Assam police on Monday found a 200-metre-long hidden tunnel connecting India and Bangladesh in the Karimganj district of the state. Located in southern Assam, Karimganj shares a 92 km long border with neighbouring Bangladesh. Cops suspect that the secret tunnel was used for illegal infiltration, smuggling and other illicit activities below the fencing. The tunnel was discovered during the investigation into an alleged case of abduction. The Karimganj police found a passageway tucked under the barbed fence in a dense forest at Kokrajhar town near Balia village in Karimganj, right below the international border. READ | BSF Apprehends 15 Infiltrators The probe was launched after an FIR was lodged at Nilambazar police station on December 28, alleging that a 27-year-old man named Dilowar Hussain was abducted and sent to Bangladesh. Three individuals were arrested in connection with the case that eventually led police to the hidden tunnel below the Indo-Bangladesh border. Karimganj Superintendent of Police (SP) Mayank Kumar said the accused led investigators to the tunnel which was being used for infiltration. He said that the tunnel is a concrete tube placed underneath the border fencing to drain water and it has been used by the Border Security Force (BSF). The arrested persons revealed that they have used the underground passageway to travel across the border a couple of times. READ | BSF Foils Pakistan's Attempt To Air-drop Weapons; Ingressing Drone Sent Back Packing 'Horrific discovery' Reacting to the shocking discovery, Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya, Chief Adviser of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and North East Students Union (NESO) said that the secret tunnel posed a threat to the security and sovereignty of the state. Calling out the callousness of the government, he demanded total sealing of the border as per the Assam accord. Discovery of secret tunnel in Karimganj connecting India & Bangladesh is horrific. It proves @mygovindia & @mygovassams callousness. A threat to security & sovereignty, endangering of the Assam border is an inexcusable crime. We demand total sealing of border as per Assam Accord Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharjya (@SamujjalBhatta) January 4, 2021 In May 2018, a similar tunnel was discovered in Assam's Karimganj district in during the probe into a case of cattle smuggling. READ | Bangladeshi Woman Killed During Illegal Immigration Attempt: BSF READ | BSF Team Went 200m Inside Pakistan Examining Terrorists' Cross-border Tunnel: Officials Britain's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove appears on BBC TV's The Andrew Marr Show in London, on Oct. 18, 2020. (Jeff Overs/BBC/Handout via Reuters) Gove: UK Will Be in Full Lockdown at Least Until March As CCP virus cases continue to surge across the UK, Cabinet Minister, Michael Gove has warned that the country will be in full lockdown until March at the earliest. Gove told The Telegraph on Tuesday that with the virus gathering speed, affecting more people, and pressuring hospitals, We are facing a race against time. He said the governments ability to start lifting restrictions, and then only gradually, by the beginning of March was heavily predicated on speeding up the pace of vaccination. What we need to do is make sure that as many people as possible, especially the vulnerable first, are vaccinated and we will be able to review the progress that weve made on the fifteenth of February, just before the traditional half term, he said. File photo shows a dose of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca CCP virus vaccine displayed at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England on Jan. 2, 2021. (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire/Pool via Reuters) I think its right to say that as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all, he said. Goves guarded predictions on when Britain could begin progressively to lift restrictions come the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced new lockdown rules for England. They will plunge the country into its third national lockdown since the pandemic began last spring, ditching the local tiered system, which Johnson says has failed to hold back a surge of the new CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus variant. People, some wearing masks, walk past a bus stop with a government message about the CCP virus tier 4 restrictions urging people to stay home in London on Dec. 29, 2020. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images) Under his latest lockdown rules, people cant leave home without a reasonable excuse. They can go to work only if it is not possible to work at home and leave their houses only to shop for essentials, and once daily for exercise in their local area. Socialising is restricted to within the same household and legally allowed bubbles, and close contact care home visits are prohibited. Up to two people from different households can meet but for exercise only while socially distancing outdoors. Education is online and schools are closed to all age groups except for vulnerable children and those of key workers. Places of worship can remain open for communal worship under the new rules, but people must stay with their own household or bubble. Weddings and funerals can also go ahead but with attendance limits. Hospitality businesses, except for takeaway and delivery services, must close as must gyms and non-essential retail. Domestic and international travel, meanwhile, is only permitted for a legally exempted reason. The government has requested that people follow the new lockdown rules immediately. They are set to be voted on in Parliament before they can be made law and come into force on Wednesday. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also announced a national lockdown for Scotland on Monday. Johnsons announcement of the new lockdown rules for England came on the same day that the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine started in the UK. The government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccineenough to potentially inoculate the whole country. Simon Veazey contributed to this report. Overnight a blanket of low clouds(stratus clouds) moved into North Alabama just before sunrise Tuesday morning. These low clouds locked in the cold air from overnight and also limit sunshine until they erode. Due to these clouds, afternoon highs will be noticeably lower than Monday. Areas east of I-65 will struggle to reach the mid 40s Tuesday afternoon. North Alabama remains dry again Wednesday with highs back up into the low to mid 50s with filtered sunshine. Widespread rain with our next weather maker arrives around or just before sunrise Thursday morning. Expect just a cold rain any thunderstorms activity will be closer to the Gulf Coast Thursday. With that said it is still possible that wet snow flakes mix in with the rain Thursday evening through Friday morning. Most areas will be done with the precipitation by the time the cold air arrives so snow accumulations are not expected. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Covid-19 demanded the single-minded focus of India's entire healthcare infrastructure all through 2020. In fact, the pandemic hogged so much attention across all aspects of our lives that most other issues of public health were put on the back-burner. Issues such as tackling tuberculosis and health insurance, which could have been addressed in 2020, were sidelined. As India's entire healthcare system was forced to forego all issues other than Covid-19, the nation would have to catch up on matters overlooked in the last year while facing new challenges such as mass vaccination ... @FSagasti: La Intendencia Nacional de Bomberos trabaja en un proyecto de inversion que estamos listos a considerar, y que permitira cubrir las 179 companias de bomberos en las diferentes regiones del pais, que minimizara el riesgo al cual se exponen. pic.twitter.com/Dh0zYYX3e0 Rome, Jan 5 : The main indicators tied to the coronavirus pandemic in Italy so far in 2021 has remained below the peaks recorded in November and December 2020, as the country's national holiday lockdown was drawing to a close. But health experts warned it was still too early to know how effective the restrictions put in place for the holidays would prove to be, Xinhua news agency. According to data from the Ministry of Health, in the 24-hour period ending Monday, Italy recorded 10,800 new cases and 348 new deaths. The infection figure was down from 14,243 a day earlier while the death tally increased by one. With the new figures, the country's overall caseload and death toll currently stood at 2,166,244 and 75,680, respectively. But both figures reflect a gradual downward trend that started in late November. The single-day infection rate is the fourth-lowest since mid-October, with all of the numbers below 11,000 recorded in the last 10 days. Similarly, the 24-hour death toll is among the five lowest recorded since the start of November, with all five of those days coming in the last 10 days. The number of patients in intensive care units (ICU) saw little change compared to recent days: there were 2,579 recorded on Monday, down by just four compared to the day before and 14 more than 10 days ago. The number of daily recoveries continued to outpace new infections: there were 16,206 new recoveries reported on Monday, bringing the total to 1,520,106, but the recovery rate has remained mostly flat over the last two weeks. Italy's national holiday coronavirus lockdown, which went into effect last December 24, 2020, will be lifted starting Thursday. Minister of Health Roberto Speranza told the Italian news agency ANSA that the new plan would "correctly balance" health needs with the reopening of some parts of the economy. Walter Ricciardi, a senior Ministry of Health official, predicted a new third wave of the virus could hit the country in the second half of this month. "A third wave is building and could hit us within two weeks," he said in an interview with the news program TG 24. Ricciardi predicted the country would see a "non-trivial increase in the contagion" and called for a prolonged lockdown to slow the virus' spread. Virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco echoed Ricciardi's remarks, saying he feared Italy was "under-estimating the pandemic" and predicting that infections would soon start to climb. One potential challenge is that most schools are set to reopen on Thursday, though some regional governors called for the reopening to be delayed until the impact of the holiday period was clearer. Minister of Education Lucia Azzolina defended the government's decision to reopen schools, saying: "School is an essential public service. We cannot continue to sacrifice our children's learning or pretend that distance learning can replace face-to-face teaching." Italy is now in its second week of vaccinations. According to the Ministry of Health data, Italy will have to administer 51,000 vaccinations a day in order to have everyone in the country vaccinated by the end of the year, and that the country is already behind pace. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) One woman has left social media in stitches after creating a TikTok version of Mamma Mia in the style of Jane Austen. Madelaine Turner, who lives in Long Beach, California, created the medley that saw the hit ABBA musical receive a classic Georgian twist. The 26-year-old donned her finest 18th-century attire for the sketch which has been praised by social media users as a 'masterpiece'. The amateur filmmaker uploaded the light-hearted clip alongside a caption that read: 'I really had too much fun making this.' Madelaine showed her eye for detail as she sat behind a table decked out with writing papers, candles and linens as she recited a letter. She spoke about wanting to invite her father to her wedding but not knowing which man it was after finding her mother's diary - as in the 2008 blockbuster. She read: 'My dearest cousin, you must promise to read this away from prying eyes for I have made the most scandalous discovery. Madelaine Turner, who lives in Long Beach, California, left social media in stitches after creating a Tik Tok version of Mamma Mia in the style of Jane Austen Madelaine showed her eye for detail as she sat behind a table that was decked out with writing papers, candles and linens as she recited a letter 'As you know my marriage is set to take place in no less than a fortnight and it is my dearest wish to have my father give me away. 'Of course, mama has kept his identity concealed from me and does not wish to press further. 'I resolved to let him remain a mystery until I came upon the key to it all - a diary kept by mama detailing not one, not two but three romantic entanglements prior to my birth.' She then resolved to write letters to all of the men, along with an invite to the upcoming ceremony, which she finished with a wax seal. The video then cut to the portraits of Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan hanging on the wall as well as a snapshot of Stellan Skarsgard in a newspaper. The video then cut to the portraits of Colin Firth (left) and Pierce Brosnan (right) hanging on the wall as well as a snapshot of Stellan Skarsgard in a newspaper And other TikTok users were quick to heap on the praise for the ingenious creation which has already been viewed more than 692,000 times Madelaine's voiceover continued: 'I am sure my heart will tell me which one is my true father and my wedding day will be perfect. All my love, Sophie.' The whole piece was brought together by an orchestral arrangement of the song Mamma Mia by the Swedish group. Other TikTok users were quick to heap on the praise for the ingenious creation which has already been viewed more than 692,000 times. One enthusiastic follow wrote: 'This is a masterpiece.' Another added: 'Jane Austen's Mamma Mia I didn't know I needed this.' And a third said: 'I'm obsessed!!! I can't believe all the details you've added, it's wonderful.' (Image: Moneycontrol) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), has submitted in its writ petition to the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the Court should order an investigation by the state and central governments to identify the vested interests and their sustained disinformation campaign being carried out against Jio. Reliance Jio has also sought directions to the state and central governments to take necessary action including prosecution against the persons involved. "Vested interests inimical to the petitioner and its parent company, Reliance Industries Limited and its affiliates with a view to advancing their own interests and agendas are actively engaged in spreading false rumours to the effect that Reliance and affiliates are somehow the beneficiary of the recent legislation passed by Parliament governing marketing of agricultural produce," the writ petition said. Following these developments, Reliance has gone nationalistic in a big way. Jio is the only telecom company which has not used Chinese equipments and Airtel and Voda-Idea have used majority Chinese equipment's. Jio has built India's own indigenous 5G technology, a major step in the direction of Prime Ministers "AtmaNirbhar Bharat" agenda. Sources said this is not digestible to all the foreign forces, political parties aligned to such foreign interests and businesses who are opportunistic at the cost of nationalism and they are together acting as vested interests. Reliance Jio has already complained to DoT and TRAI against Airtel and Voda-Idea. Sources say these are majority controlled by multinationals are playing a dirty game rather than fighting in open markets. They had played similar games in 2016 when Jio launched it's service by denying interconnect to their network. TRAI and DoT both have imposed penalties of Rs 3,000 crore on Airtel-Voda-Idea but for unknown reasons DoT is not acting to collect such high amount of penalties. This has emboldened them to take law in their hand again. Reliance Retail is the only retail company providing support to small merchant retailers to survive against the onslaught of Amazon and Walmart like giant and big purse multinationals. These multinationals are interested in damaging Reliance Retail so that they can use their money power to destroy Indian small merchants and retailers and establish their dominance in India's large market, they are trying the East India company's methodology of divide and rule by making Indians fight with each other. There are large corporates and having interest in corporate farming are diverting attention of nation by false propaganda and blaming Reliance where there is no truth. At least a dozen Republican senators have signed onto a last-ditch effort to overturn the results of the presidential election, vowing to object to the electoral vote totals from several swing states when they are certified in a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Among those who refuse to accept President-elect Joe Biden's victory over President Donald Trump: Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, John Kennedy of Louisiana and James Lankford of Oklahoma. That has critics accusing the lawmakers of sedition - inciting rebellion against the authority of the government - and calling for their expulsion. No senator has been expelled since the Civil War, when 14 mostly Southern senators were kicked out by their colleagues. The fuse had been lit Nov. 6, 1860. Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election despite not being on the ballot in 10 Southern states and earning less than 40% of the popular vote. Four days after the election, the first senator bailed; James Chesnut of South Carolina submitted his resignation in a one-sentence note, which was "accepted enthusiastically" by other lawmakers, according to New York Times coverage. As states seceded that December and January, more senators followed their states out the door. Some simply didn't show up for the next session; others made formal resignations. Crowds lined up in the frigid dawn to hear Sen. Jefferson Davis's farewell address, during which he made clear he thought secession was justified because he believed Lincoln would end slavery: "[Mississippi] has heard proclaimed the theory that all men are created free and equal, and this made the basis of an attack upon her social institutions; and the sacred Declaration of Independence has been invoked to maintain the position of the equality of the races. That Declaration of Independence is to be construed by the circumstances and purposes for which it was made. "...They have no reference to the slave; else, how happened it that among the items of arraignment made against George III was that he endeavored to do just what the North has been endeavoring of late to do--to stir up insurrection among our slaves? Had the Declaration announced that the negroes were free and equal, how was the Prince to be arraigned for stirring up insurrection among them?" The audience wept openly and gave him rapturous applause. A few weeks later, he was president of the Confederacy. In March, the remaining senators debated what to do about the empty seats. Did they not exist anymore since those states said they were no longer a part of the Union? Or if states were not permitted to secede, then were they merely vacant? They decided on the latter. Some senators, such as Texas's Louis T. Wigfall, tried to have it both ways, remaining in the Senate even after their states seceded. Wigfall used his perch in Washington to spy on the Union and smuggle weapons South. For a time, he was both a U.S. senator and a member of the Confederate Congress, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Then in April 1861, he rowed into the middle of the action - literally in a boat - at Fort Sumter and into the Civil War. When the Senate reconvened in July, the remaining members had had enough. Sen. Daniel Clark of New Hampshire proposed a resolution to expel 10 senators on the grounds they were "engaged in [a] conspiracy for the destruction of the Union and government, or, with full knowledge of such conspiracy, have failed to advise the government of its progress or aid in its suppression." The Constitution requires a two-thirds majority to expel a member of the Senate. Before this moment, only one senator had been expelled, and more than six decades had passed since that time. The motion passed 32 to 10; those expelled were the two senators each from Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia, plus Chesnut of South Carolina and Alfred O.P. Nicholson of Tennessee. Within seven months, four more were expelled for offering aid to the enemy, including John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky, whom Lincoln had beaten in the 1860 election. Almost all of the expelled men joined the Confederacy in leadership positions. Four died during or shortly after the war; when the Confederacy surrendered, four escaped to other countries and two were briefly imprisoned. Within a few years, all had resumed distinguished careers, though none ever returned to the Senate. In one strange instance, an expulsion was revoked. Among the first 10 expelled was Arkansas Sen. William K. Sebastian. He returned to his hometown and practiced law before dying a few weeks after the end of the Civil War. He was never found to have participated in the Confederacy. In 1877, his name was cleared and his family was compensated. Since 1862, the Senate has considered expulsion in 16 other instances, but it never removed a member connected to those cases. Economy Minister Diane Dodds has called for the government to work with UK retailers to prevent any more household names from withdrawing their delivery services to NI. It comes as new checks and documentation required by hauliers to cross the Irish Sea as part of the NI Protocol following the end of the transition period caused confusion among businesses. Customers here of firms like Debenhams, Dunelm, TK Maxx and John Lewis have all said they've been notified that deliveries have been delayed - with some orders for TK Maxx cancelled. John Lewis and Dunelm have since said they will restore deliveries, but TK Maxx has not yet said whether cancelled orders will be honoured. Mrs Dodds said she has written Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove saying: "Over the last number of weeks we have seen numerous GB-based retailers withdraw from offering deliveries to Northern Ireland due to the lack of guidance." She requested urgent engagement with retailers and marketplaces to seek reinstatement of delivery and put together a plan that would ensure at the end of any grace period no more withdrawals take place. HMRC last week announced a three-month grace period for deliveries but that has not been enough for all firms to say that orders will be honoured. Mrs Dodds continued: "We are now seeing the impact of these changes and even at this early stage there is significant cause for concern from both businesses and consumers. "I am particularly worried about more vulnerable consumers, in terms both of health and income. Delivery of goods is an essential measure at the moment, and lack of delivery places Northern Ireland consumers in a much worse position compared to GB consumers." She said a grace period up until April 1 was only a short term fix and won't address regulatory issues adding: "We need the government to come up with long term solutions." Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Those who prefer a narrower definition begin with E.M. Hull's The Sheik (1919), Georgette Heyer's The Black Moth (1921) or with the first mass-market romances, the Mills & Boon books, an imprint that turned to romance in the 1930s. Short and sweet, these category romances pursued one particular relationship, often with erotic undertones. (Bodices weren't regularly ripped, however, until 1972 when Kathleen E. Woodiwiss published The Flame and the Flower.) Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda Monroe in Virgin River. Credit:Netflix Other forms of genre fiction, like the detective novel or the space opera, have achieved mainstream respect, but the reputation of the romance novel and its writers languishes. Romance novels are rarely reviewed in major news outlets; their authors are infrequently profiled. Why is a genre best known for happy endings and a disproportionate number of mutual orgasms so denigrated? Selinger rattled off the stereotypes that dog romance like this: "It's fluffy. It's sentimental, it's trivial. It deals with emotions and not ideas. It doesn't stand up to close reading. It doesn't challenge you." That's not entirely untrue, especially as applies to the likes of Harlequin. But plenty of airport thrillers and sword-and-sorcery books don't offer much readerly challenge either. The real problem, many scholars who champion romance argue, is that romance remains a genre mostly written and read by women. "Often things that are cherished by people who identify as women are treated as not quite intellectual, not quite able to withstand the scrutiny as the works that are enjoyed by men," said Jayashree Kamble, a professor of English at LaGuardia Community College. LaQuette supported this. "It teaches women to demand equal treatment, to demand orgasms," she said. "It creates the expectation that men should have emotions and show those emotions and have compassion for the people around them. In a patriarchal society, those things are not necessarily celebrated." Then again, feminists have lodged some of the harshest criticisms of romance, arguing that it presents men as aggressive and women as submissive, that it valorises marriage as a culminating achievement, that it celebrates straight, white, able-bodied couples above others. In recent years, romance has rethought some of its conventions (particularly scenes of rape and dubious consent) and has become a more inclusive field both in terms of who writes romances and which characters those writers depict. Still, accusations of racism, in the handling of its annual awards and its treatment of writers of colour, roiled the RWA earlier this year, leading to a change in leadership. But like it or not, romance novels sell, just not to film or television. "Hollywood would rather do the 48th Pride and Prejudice," said Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton novels. ("Don't get me wrong," she added. "I'm here for those.") Canonized as classics, novels by Austen and the Bronte sisters have a cultural cachet and unimpeachable literary value that drugstore romance lacks. No one has ever shot Fabio for a Persuasion cover. Leaving Austen and her ilk aside, prestige adaptations of recent romance novels are scarce, with HBO's True Blood series, based on Charlaine Harris' paranormal romance novels, probably the most high-profile of them. Still, torrid love affairs abound in series whose source material is shelved elsewhere think of Normal People, Younger, Poldark or, creepily, You. (The line between adaptations of historical fiction, like Poldark and The Spanish Princess, and romance is often an infinitesimally fine one.) Shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette transpose the romance novel's conventions to reality television. Tom York and Amelia Clarkson in Poldark. In fairness, there are often difficulties financial and narrative to adapting mass-market romance. Which is fitting. What's a love story without obstacles? Many romance novels, like the Outlander and Bridgerton series, are period pieces, which stretch production designs and budgets. "It's a daunting task, when you look at what it takes to build these shows" said Karen Bailey, a senior vice president at Starz. "There's no way to do a good-looking period piece cheap." And a novel's focus on the emotional lives of characters doesn't always translate easily to the screen. "I always say to our writers and our directors, we can't film a thought," said Matthew Roberts, who was a showrunner for Outlander. He found that voice-over sequences left actors standing around with nothing to play against. Interior monologue has to become exterior dialogue. "That's our biggest challenge always," he said. Another challenge for romance adaptations today? Sex. Not all mass-market romances include explicit scenes, but many do, which forms a part of the genre's appeal. Basic cable and networks can show only so much. On other platforms, ensuring both viewer enjoyment and the actors' comfort involves care and negotiation. "We do battles every year," Roberts said. "We spend far less time on those than we do on getting our intimate scenes, our sex scenes right." Bridgerton, which debuted on Christmas Day, has plenty of sex. (The montage in Episode 6 alone would have Jane Austen clutching her topaz cross.) But because it is a prestige series and not an after-hours softcore show, those intimate scenes have to serve a larger purpose. "We wouldn't have a sex scene in the show that didn't move the story forward, or that didn't move our characters forward or didn't expand on some aspect of what's happening internally for each character," Van Dusen said. Here's one last challenge: Romances end happily. It's right there in the RWA description. And that happy ending can stand in the way of multiple seasons. That's partly why Roberts likes to classify Outlander as a love story, not a romance. "Romances end, whereas love stories continue," he said. Bridgerton can continue. The Bridgerton family has eight siblings, and Quinn has written a betrothal story for each of them. Netflix tends to remain tight lipped about its viewing numbers, and executives would not comment on the success of its other romance adaptations. But if Bridgerton clearly succeeds, it invites producers to take romance more seriously. Starz already has. "We know this audience exists, is thirsty and wants more," Bailey said. And when other networks are ready, they will have hundreds of thousands of stories some prim, some racy, some with pirates, some with werewolves to choose from. "I really, really hope Bridgerton paves the way for more adaptations," Quinn said. "Because there's amazing source material out there." The Watchlist newsletter Find out the next TV shows, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Sign up to get it every Thursday. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 China will permit foreign astronomers to use its 1,600-foot radio telescope for the first time this summer. The Five-hundred meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) is the world's largest single-disc radio observatory, used for spotting cosmic phenomena and searching for extraterrestrial life. It's one of the only 'Sky Eyes' remaining after the decommissioning and collapse of Arecibo Observatory's 1,000-foot radio telescope in December. Scientists from China and abroad can submit online applications to use FAST to the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) starting April 1. A timetable will be made public starting August 1, with approximately 10 percent of those observation slots allotted to outsiders, state-run Xinhua News reports. Scroll down for video Five-hundred meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest single-disc radio observatory, will welcome foreign astronomers for the first time starting in August FAST is built into a natural sinkhole in Pingtang in China's southwestern Guizhou Province, with a unique design using metal panels that can be tilted to change their area of focus. Construction began in 2011 and observations started in 2016, though FAST wasn't officially opened until January 11, 2020. To date, its systems have recorded at least 240 pulsars, starting with PSR J1859-01 and PSR J1931-02 in August 2017. One of the more unusual ones was a 'millisecond pulsar' in the Messier 92 star cluster. To date, its systems have recorded at least 240 pulsars, including a 'millisecond pulsar' that is spinning 18,990 rotations per minute FAST is built into a natural sinkhole in Pingtang County in China's southwestern Guizhou Province. Construction began in 2011 and observations started in 2016, though the observatory wasn't officially opened until January 11, 2020 It spins at an astounding 18,990 rotations per minute, Engadget reported, far faster than typical. FAST's basic design is similar to the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico, though Arecibo could receive higher frequencies and was capable of radar astronomy. FAST's basic design is similar to the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico, though FAST can scan twice the area and deliver readers that are three-to-five times more sensitive The Arecibo Observatory was decommissioned in November following safety concerns over two broken cables. Two weeks later, on December 1, Arecibo's main telescope collapsed. FAST is significantly deeper than the collapsed telescope, contributing to a wider field of view. Its able to scan twice the area Arecibo could and deliver readings that are three-to-five times more sensitive. The Arecibo Observatory was decommissioned in November following safety concerns over two broken cables. Two weeks later, on December 1, Arecibo's main telescope collapsed The US National Science Foundation initially said it would tear down the Arecibo Observatory, but the Puerto Rican government has pledged $8 million to help rebuild it, instead. According to Li Di, NAOC's chief scientist, FAST's open-ended mission is driven by the desire to better understand humanity's place in the universe, something that's 'as visceral as feeding and clothing ourselves.' 'Ultimately, exploring the unknown is the nature of mankind,' he told China Daily. 'It drives us to a greater future.' According to the National Astronomical Observatories of China, FAST's open-ended mission is driven by the desire to better understand humanity's place in the universe In September, state media announced FAST had joined the search for life beyond our planet. According to Tong-Jie Zhang, an astronomer atBeijing Normal University, there are a number of 'interesting' narrowband signals that could be a sign of extraterrestrial life the team is eager to begin investigating. The $269-million facility will also gather data about black holes, gas clouds and distant galaxies. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Chinese telco Huawei is calling on the Australian government to begin talking to the company about how to roll out a new generation of mobile technology called 6G, to avoid a repeat of the ban on its equipment in 5G mobile networks. The company, which has given up on overturning its ban from Australia's 5G rollout, now wants to discuss working with the government on research and development for the next generation of mobile infrastructure. Huawei has been banned from supplying equipment to Australia's 5G network. Credit:AP Huawei Australia's director of corporate affairs Jeremy Mitchell said it was not too late to allow Huawei to supply equipment for Australias 5G network but it is very unlikely. The conversation we now want to have with the Australian government is what do we do when 6G or 7G comes, because like it or not Huawei or another Chinese company will be the leader in this area, Mr Mitchell said. New Delhi, Jan 5 : Insisting that their involvement with the farmers' agitation is rather complex as they are aware of being privileged, and will not feel the real effect of the new farm laws, New-Delhi based artists Sumir Tagra and Jiten Thukral, who have initiated multiple art projects in face of the protests, which are deep inside the system and will stay for a long time say, "The issues of migration and then agriculture have been at the face of our work. Many projects by now have taken shape from three exhibitions -- 'Bread and Circuses', an installation and game 'walkwithgurunanak', kisanekta.in, which is as an archive documenting this protest, and the very recent 'Trolley Times'," say New-Delhi based artist duo Sumir Tagra and Jiten Thukral. Talking about the recently launched 'Trolley Times' they conceived, a bilingual newspaper distributed at the protest sites at Singhu and Tikri borders, the duo say that it acts as 'Manthan' at heart. "The name was conceived by core team members and was passed to us to design the masthead and the layout of it. As we get the files and the content in a Google Document, we illustrate and design the issue with Gurdeep Dhaliwal, who is one of the core team members. Our vision was to create a world-class bilingual newspaper that has appeals to the masses and reaches all corners of the world. Since the first issue, the look was kept unique as the colour and choice of paper is key to us. Initially, we supervised the print to get the perfect colour with a print run of 5,000. Now, gaining popularity and demand, 'Trolley Times' can be printed anywhere and distributed with proper consent. The last issue was printed in many places as it's free to print," says Tagra. Working with a small setup, keeping the norms of the pandemic, Tagra says, "The illustration and the front page are seen as "work of art". Keeping the focus and true nature of this brave endeavour, we are always cognizant of the message and its impact." Adding that it is an engine that has many moving parts, and these parts do not matter as the only thing that should be seen is the power and impact it has, Thukral says, "Every revolution has many stakeholders and the idea is about a single voice of Kisan protest." Thukral also says that the idea of kisanekta.in was to document an open-source archive, which also acts as an image bank for the 'Trolley Times'. "We have been consistently visiting the sites of protest, and have been seeing the movement and its expansion on different levels, interviewing the farmers and documenting them as for a large film -- which will be a second part to the Kisan Ekta Morcha film shot in 2018." Stressing that the factual public memory is fading and the trust factor when it comes to mainstream media is at its lowest, Tagra says, "In this age of miscommunication, one feels hallucinated with noises -- and the real sound is at a total loss. As a citizen, we feel it's important to know the authentic which can only be heard from the primary source." As an artist, Thukral feels that there are several striking aspects of the agitation that just cannot be missed. "From the dichotomy of the urban and rural landscape, there is also deep compassion, as we see village names on the pillars and the marking of areas of one pind as signage. One can witness shifting gender roles and new avatars of caravans and sanjha chulhas." Talking about the participation of several young artists from different backgrounds in the agitation, Tagra feels they are connected to the time and have chosen to voice it through their own medium. Ask them if they plan to hold any exhibitions of the work done during the agitation, and the duo are clear, "We see this as hukum -- the order at large. It's our very purpose to document this time and frame it correctly. There are no plans for an exhibition at this moment." The Trump administration has finalized a plan that will open up more land for oil and gas drilling in the Alaska Petroleum Reserve, the Bureau of Land Management said this week, adding that the plan covers 18.6 million acres in the reserve. At the same time, the BLM closed 4 million acres to oil and gas drilling, including the habitats of several species. "This action is a significant achievement in delivering on our commitment to provide energy for America, from America," Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Casey Hammond said in the BLM press release. "With this decision, we are expanding access to our nation's great energy potential and providing for economic opportunities and job creation for both Alaska Natives and our nation." Alaska is one of the oldest oil-producing regions in the United States, but lately, production has been on a steady decline, which has prompted authorities to look for ways to reverse the decline, which has affected the state's income. As part of the Trump administration's efforts to boost domestic energy production last year, a plan was announced to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, which caused an outcry among environmentalists because of the sensitive ecosystems the refuge contains. According to the Alaska Wilderness League, nearly 70 percent of Americans oppose drilling in the Arctic Refuge. Yesterday, a group of environmentalist groups asked an Alaska judge to stop the lease sale in the refuge, scheduled for Wednesday. The judge has said she would aim to issue a decision by the end of day today. An attorney for the federal government has said the harms that the plaintiffs claim the lease sale could result in are speculative and hypothetical, the Seattle Times reported. Last year, the federal government approved a ConocoPhilips-led drilling project in Alaska, which could yield some 160,000 bpd of crude once it becomes fully operational. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Court Date Scheduled in Marijuana, Sex Abuse Case By West Kentucky Star Staff MCCRACKEN COUNTY - A Paducah man facing numerous sex and drug related charges appeared in court on Monday.According to the McCracken County Court Clerk, 19-year-old Joseph Newcomb appeared for a pretrial conference. During the appearance, a motion hour was scheduled for January 8.Newcomb was arrested on September 30 after someone reported seeing two people in a vehicle smoking marijuana.Police searched the vehicle and allegedly found marijuana and drug paraphernalia.Additionally, police said Newcomb told them that a girl with him was his 14-year-old cousin. He reportedly later admitted they weren't related. The girl allegedly corroborated this, saying she was 12-years-old and not a relative.Over the course of the investigation, officers said it was discovered that the girl had sexual contact with Newcomb in exchange for marijuana.He is facing charges of second-degree sexual abuse, promoting a minor under 16 in a sexual performance, prohibited use of an electronics to procure a minor for sex offenses, second degree sodomy, unlawful transaction with a minor, tampering with physical evidence, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to signal.On the Net: Actress Amber Heard delivers a statement after winning her case at the High Court in London, - Reuters A US judge has dealt actress Amber Heard a setback in her $100 million (74m) claim against ex-husband Johnny Depp for allegedly trying to destroy her career. A judge in Fairfax County, Virginia, ruled this week that disparaging comments reportedly made by Depp about Heard online did not constitute defamation. The two actors are involved in duelling lawsuits. Depp, star of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, sued Heard for $50 million in 2019 over a Washington Post editorial in which she claimed to have been a victim of domestic abuse. Depps lawsuit contends Aquaman star Heard, 34, was referring to Depp, despite not naming him. Heard contended the op-ed regarded matters of public concern protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Hollywood star Johnny Depp on November 2, 2020 lost his libel lawsuit against British newspaper The Sun for branding him a "wife-beater" - AFP Heard then filed counterclaims against Depp last year, claiming he directed a concerted social media effort to tarnish her career and have her removed from the sequel of Aquaman and as a spokeswoman for LOreal as retaliation for what she has publicly claimed about their troubled marriage. Fairfax County Judge Bruce White on Monday considered Heards claims that Depp launched a nationwide campaign to discredit her. Judge White said: The pleading fails to demonstrate that the social media accounts communicated obscene language, suggested obscene acts, or threatened illegal or immoral acts, Mr White wrote. Rather, Depp texted statements, privately, to two of his friends, and Ms. Heard has not alleged that Mr. Depp intended for her to see them. However, Judge White decided that Depp will continue to face her claim over statements made by the actors lawyer, Adam Waldman, to the Daily Mail that Heard's story of being abused was "fake" and part of a "sexual violence hoax." Depp and Heard were married little more than a year, but the case has extended 18 months with hundreds of pages of motions and numerous courtroom disagreements over evidence. Depp lost a separate case heard in the UK in November, in which he sued The Sun newspaper for describing him as an abuser. The High Court in London heard how Depp violently abused Heard on multiple occasions during their relationship. Depp is appealing against that ruling. The Virginia case goes to trial in May. Source: Reuters The coronavirus pandemic has spurred India to strengthen itself to demonstrate that with greater capabilities it would help not just itself but also be a force for good on the global stage, India's ambassador to China Vikram Misri has said. In an opinion piece published in the Hong-Kong based South China Morning Post, Misri said that the 'devastating impact' of the pandemic was hard to quantify and its implications have been profound. 'But one of the biggest takeaways has to be more international cooperation, particularly as we get increasingly interconnected. Accordingly, while engaging with an emerging multipolar global order, India will continue to give the utmost attention to its immediate neighbourhood, where its Neighbourhood First policy, based on non-reciprocity, is creating the basis for shared activities,' he said. 'At the same time, our extended neighbourhood has been an integral part of our history and heritage and our engagement has unfolded through an Act East policy and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modis Sagar (Security and Growth for All In the Region) vision for the Indo-Pacific, which provides a template to engage with our maritime neighbours,' Misri wrote in the article on Monday. He said the world needed more trusted and capable players and India believes it can play the role. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show 'The pandemic demonstrated that India with greater capabilities would help not just itself but also be a force for good on the global stage. Atmanirbhar Bharat is thus a self-reliant India but not a self-centred one, he said. Highlighting India's commencing of its two-year term from January 1 in the UN Security Council for the eighth time as a non-permanent member, Misri said, 'convinced that the multipolar world today needs more multilateralism, we will focus on efforts to make the UN and other international bodies more representative and in sync with contemporary realities'. 'The challenges of 2020 are by no means over. Much remains to be done. India believes this is a collective enterprise and stands ready to engage with all and work for peace, development and cooperation,' he said. The year 2020 is one that all would like to forget in a hurry. The coronavirus pandemic created a global crisis with no parallels in living memory. The governments around the world were forced to deal simultaneously with a catastrophic health emergency, massive economic shocks and serious social disruption, he wrote. 'Despite this, 2020 will be remembered in India as a year of reckoning when government and citizenry came together in a whole-of-society response marked by determination and discipline,' he said. 'From an economy that previously did not make ventilators, testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPE) and N95 masks, India was soon manufacturing enough of them to cater not only to its own needs but also for export,' he said. India also emphasised the need for global cooperation. Guided by its civilisational ethos, which places humanity at the centre of global prosperity and cooperation, India assisted others even while tending to problems at home, Misri said. 'When COVID-19 created a spike in pharmaceutical demand, we responded by ramping up our production, exporting medicines and other medical assistance to over 150 countries,' he said. 'With the focus shifting to vaccines, India is involved in many international collaborations that give the world hope for normalcy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has committed that India will leverage its vaccine manufacturing capacities to help make vaccines accessible and affordable to all,' he said. As the pandemic dealt a blow to global mobility on account of severe travel restrictions, India mounted a massive operation, bringing more than three million citizens home from around the world and supported the movement of more than 110,000 foreigners out of India to 120 countries. 'The pandemics health shock was matched perhaps only by its economic shock as trade and investment were disrupted and supply chains were unhinged. Indias response was articulated in the vision of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India). It would be a mistake to interpret this as India turning inward,' Misri said. 'In the words of Modi, Atmanirbhar Bharat 'is not just about competition, but also about competence; it is not about dominance, but about dependability; it is not about looking within, but about looking out for the world',' he said. 'In a time of global crisis, it would have been easy for India to focus just on recovery. Instead, the government seized the opportunity for a spate of major reforms in domains ranging from manufacturing to agriculture and education,' he said. He said the government has introduced 'landmark' agricultural reforms to end the monopoly of trading cliques. 'The proposed laws allow farmers to sell their produce at a price of their own choosing and even outside their respective states, thereby leading to better rural incomes. They also encourage private-sector investment and leverage technology to enhance our farm productivity to near-global standards,' he said, defending the three agriculture reform laws enacted by the government. ST. LOUIS COUNTY Additional charges have been filed by St. Louis County prosecutors against two Missouri men accused of robbing a woman in the parking lot of the Glen Carbon Walmart. Earl Barber, 41, of St. Louis, and Benjamin Smith, 48, both of St. Louis, were each charged Dec. 31 in Missouri with resisting arrest by fleeing, a Class E felony. The two remain in custody Barber in a St. Louis area hospital after being shot by a Madison County sheriffs deputy and Smith in St. Louis County Justice Services while the investigation into the shooting continues. Bail was set at $25,000 each. In addition, both face multiple felony charges in Illinois. Barber was charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, all Class 2 felonies. Smith was charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and robbery, all Class 4 felonies, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated fleeing a peace officer, both Class 2 felonies. Bail was set at $350,000 for Barber and $250,000 for Smith. Barber was shot by a Madison County deputy who has not been named after allegedly attempting to flee on foot through a residential area of St. Louis County. Police said a weapon was recovered. Because the shooting occurred in Missouri, the St. Louis County Police Departments Bureau of Crimes Against Persons is leading the investigation. The incident began at about 9:22 p.m. Dec. 30 when Glen Carbon police received a report of a strong-arm robbery in the Glen Carbon Walmart parking lot. They were later told the suspects had fled and were shooting at witnesses from their vehicle. The victim was identified as a 45-year-old woman who was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The two suspects had allegedly attempted to steal her purse, then fled in a vehicle. Barber allegedly fired at several witnesses from that vehicle. Glen Carbon, Pontoon Beach and Madison County officers pursued the pair to Shardell Drive and Poggemoeller Avenue in St. Louis County. At that point, Barber left the vehicle and took off on foot. He was pursued by several officers and was eventually shot by the deputy. Smith was taken into custody a short time later. The exact details that led up to the shooting have not been released. The deputy was described as 38, and an 11-year veteran of the Madison County Sheriffs Department. Covenant Health announced last week the acquisition of Lea Regional Medical Center in Hobbs, New Mexico. It was announced in the fall of 2019 that Covenant Health would build a hospital in Hobbs. This acquisition allows for a more immediate impact within the community and an opportunity to provide even more quality health care to patients in eastern New Mexico, reads a news release from Covenant Health. The Lea Regional Medical Center CEO, Dan Springer, will keep his position as the hospital transitions to Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital. The health system will move forward with its plans to build a smart-sized hospital. Its expected to break ground on the facility this week. The second round, which will begin after a three-week break, will focus on a ceasefire and reduction in violence in the war-torn country, TOLO News reported. Kabul, Jan 5 (IANS) The negotiating team of the Afghan government left for Qatar on Tuesday where they will resume the second round of the peace talks with the Taliban. Taking to Twitter on Monday night, Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said: "The Republic's Negotiation Team will depart tomorrow as it was planed, to Doha to begin the second round of peace talks with Taliban. The team enjoys the full support of the republic and has the mandate to discuss the peace agenda. "I thank the international community for its continued support for the peace process and the state of Qatar for hosting the second round of the peace talks. "We are committed to achieving a lasting peace and ask the Taliban to do so. We are looking for a successful second round." The second round is set to begin on Tuesday and the Afghan negotiating team said that their consultations on the agenda of the negotiations have ended and they were ready to enter the new phase of the process. In a tweet on Tuesday, NATO said they wish the Peace Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan the very best for the second round of negotiations in Doha. NATO said it supports a political settlement that preserves the gains made since 2001 for the benefit of all Afghans. The peace negotiations, which formally kick-off in September 2020, witnessed a breakthrough last month after the two sides agreed on procedural rules for the talks. They also confirmed to have exchanged their lists about the agenda of the peace talks. According to TOLO News, in its draft of demands, the Afghan government's team has added ceasefire, preservation of national sovereignty, media freedom and the prohibition of activity by foreign fighters in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, the Taliban's demands include an Islamic government structure, establishment of an Islamic council, and ensuring women's rights and the rights of all citizens based on Islamic principles. --IANS ksk/ Putting a check on rice scam remains a challenge for the Haryana government, which is staring at a loss of 523 crore inflicted by millers who have not returned rice to the government agencies since 2012. As per the figures provided by officials of the Haryana food and supplies department, the default amount is increasing every year as total 2,02,562 MT of rice hasnt been returned to the state government since 2012. The biggest default by rice mills, the information points out, was reported in 2013-14 when millers did not return 61,365 MT rice worth 145.29 crore. In 2019-20, 26,844 MT rice worth 84.75 crore failed to find its way back to the government. Officials claimed that most of the defaulting rice mills are located in Karnal and the food and supplies department has found that 34 mills from the district did not return rice worth around 200 crore. On failing to make any recovery, the Karnal district food and supplies department has now attached properties of 15 millers to recover rice worth 60 crore. We are making efforts as per the government policy for the recovery from mills which failed to return rice to the government as per the schedule, said Nishant Rathee, Karnal district food and supply controller. In October last year, Haryana food and civil supplies department had sealed two mills of a Karnal-based trader for not returning 10,696 MT custom milled rice (CMR) worth 37 crore since 2019. In July last year, Panipat police had booked a mill owner for not giving back 3,349 MT rice. Millers were engaged in procurement of paddy for the government agencies on MSP as per the CMR policy under which, they return 67% of the rice of total allotted paddy. According to the food and supplies department, recovery from these mills is a tough task for government as last year, a similar case was reported in Kaithal district when the government had also ordered registration of criminal cases against the owners of RG Enterprises, Rajnish Miglani and Girish Miglani, who had failed to return 400 MT rice worth 7 crore. However, as per the officials, no recovery has been made from them till date and process to auction their properties is going on. Two officials from Haryana food and supplies department, on the condition of anonymity, said rice millers took advantage of the weak CMR policy under which they could procure rice worth several crores with surety of 50 lakh. In the case of millers, who have taken rice mills on lease, they will be allowed to procure paddy on a surety of 50 lakh each from two guarantors and two running rice mills. Haryana food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department additional chief secretary (ACS) PK Das said efforts were being made for the recovery of pending rice or equal amount from these mills. We are now attaching their properties. These properties of rice millers and their guarantors will be auctioned for the recovery if required and criminal cases are also being registered against them, he added. When asked if there is a need of amendment in the CMR policy to avoid such losses in future, the ACS said, We have already tightened the noose around defaulting rice mills. We will make sure that entire rice comes back to the government as per the schedule. Washington: US President Donald Trump has urged Vice-President Mike Pence to intervene to help him secure a second term when the US Congress meets this week to certify the election results. At a campaign rally that was ostensibly held to boost Republican turnout in two crucial Senate contests in Georgia on Wednesday (AEDT), Trump spent much of his time repeating false claims of voter fraud in the November election and misleadingly telling supporters he has a realistic shot of remaining president after January 20. Donald Trump's campaign rally in Georgia may be the last he holds before leaving the White House on January 20. Credit:AP "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you," Trump told the crowd in Dalton, Georgia, on Tuesday (AEDT). "I hope that our great Vice-President comes through for us ... Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much." BJP MLC R Shankar hopeful of being made minister, claims expansion likely in 2 to 3 days India oi-Deepika S Bengaluru, Jan 05: Some Ministerial aspirants in ruling BJP in Karnataka have thrown their hat into the ring, making no secret of their wish amid renewed speculations that the much awaited expansion of the B S Yediyurappa cabinet is likely this month. BJP MLC R Shankar on Tuesday met Chief Minister Yediyurappa and later claimed the expansion would happen in 2-3 days and that he will be made a Minister. Hosadurga MLA Goolihatti D Shekhar said he too was an aspirant for ministerial berth. "Even now the CM was saying that as soon as possible, within two to three days it (expansion) will happen....also as we were having breakfast with the Chief Minister, Umesh Katti (eight-time MLA and Ministerial aspirant) told me that I will become Minister in two-three days," Shankar told reporters. There are all indications that the expansion would happen soon, he added. However, reacting to Shankar's claims, Chief Minister's political secretary and MLA M.P Renukacharya said, no discussion has happened regarding cabinet expansion or reshuffle yet, and the party national general secretary (Arun Singh) has instructed them to wait for the right time. 75 people who returned from the UK yet to be traced: Karnataka Health Min Shankar, who got elected as independent from Ranebennur during 2018 assembly polls, had associated himself with the Congress and was part of its coalition government with JD(S). Subsequently he defected to BJP, after disqualification as an MLA for his role along with other Congress-JD(S) legislators that led to the collapse of the coalition government. While giving a BJP ticket to Arun Kumar Guthur during December 2019 by-polls, Yediyurappa was said to have promised a Ministerial position by making Shankar an MLC. Goolihatti Shekhar, meanwhile, expressed discontentment regarding the functioning of the party's government in the state and certain Ministers. "I will abide by CM and high command's decision....I have been an aspirant since 2008 (first BJP govt), even now I'm an aspirant, but will leave it to leadership...," he said in response to a question from reporters. Asked about the feeling within the party that newcomers were getting priority than those loyal to the party, he merely said, "ask for my response after expansion, this is not the time." After attending party meetings in Shivamogga on Sunday, BJP national General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Arun Singh had said the expansion of the state cabinet was likely soon and it was Chief Minister's prerogative. Yediyurappa has been waiting for some time now to carry out the cabinet exercise, as he was asked by BJP president J P Nadda during their meeting in New Delhi on November 18, to wait for the clearance from the central leadership. The cabinet expansion or reshuffle is expected to be a tightrope walk for the Chief Minister, considering that there are too many aspirants, from the party old guard to Congress- JD(S) rebels who are now BJP legislators. The cabinet currently has 27 members, and seven berths are still vacant. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 22:49 [IST] NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- InsurTech NY has opened the application window for their annual 2021 InsurTech Early-Stage Competition ( www.insurtechny.com/competition ). The competition will award $200,000 in prizes to three winning teams. Startups will compete for the title of the company with the most commercial potential. Top teams will have the opportunity to present their business to a panel of judges at the InsurTech Spring Conference held March 10th-11th, co-hosted by InsurTech NY and InsurTech Hartford. InsurTech Early Stage Competition The finalists from last year's competition gained investment and broad exposure to their business as a result of the competition. "The InsurTech NY competition has been a tremendous opportunity for us to get many more people excited about our unique offering," said Itai Ben-Zaken, CEO of Agilius and winner of the 2020 early-stage competition. Judges for the competition will be evaluating startups for potential investment or pilot opportunities. They comprise angel investors, venture capitalists, and insurance carriers including New York Angels, Park City Angels, Anthemis, Sure Ventures, Transverse, Nationwide, GreenlightRe, and Grange Insurance. "The hardest part for any InsurTech is gaining the initial traction and relationships necessary to get to a first customer," said David Gritz, co-founder of InsurTech NY. "By supporting the next crop of early-stage InsurTechs, we can create a sustainable ecosystem for insurance innovation." Early-stage companies eligible for the competition are InsurTechs that had less than $250,000 in revenue in 2020. The top 10 finalists will be invited to present at the InsurTech Spring Conference and will be announced in early March 2021. The deadline for submissions is January 29, 2021. About InsurTech NY InsurTech NY supports the insurance innovation community in the New York metro area. Founded in 2019, InsurTech NY brings together carriers, brokers, investors, and InsurTech startups via bi-monthly programs. InsurTech NY's mission is to drive talent to insurance, make regulation innovation-friendly, attract InsurTechs to the New York metro area, and improve access to investment. Learn more at www.insurtechny.com or follow us on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/insurtechny). Contact: David Gritz [email protected] 212-634-9516 SOURCE InsurTech NY Related Links http://www.insurtechny.com Police on the Costa del Sol have arrested a 52-year-old man after he allegedly attacked a health worker in Marbella. The alleged assailant, who had been attended by an ambulance crew for possible alcohol intoxication, allegedly punched and kicked one of the members of the medical team after threatening them. Police were called to the incident at 10.30pm on Monday in calle Palangre after being alerted to the aggressive patient. The Spanish man, who fled after the attack, was found by National Police officers hiding under a vehicle that was parked on the public highway and it is reported he put up a struggle to resist arrest. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Iran has started enriching uranium up to 20pc at an underground facility. The news, together with the seizure yesterday of a South Korean-flagged oil tanker in the crucial Strait of Hormuz, through which 20pc of the worlds oil passes, is set to further escalate tensions in the Middle East between Tehran and the West. The announcement of enrichment at Fordo came just ahead of Tehran acknowledging that it seized the MT Hankuk Chemi, alleging the vessels oil pollution sparked the move. However, hours earlier, Tehran said a South Korean diplomat was due to visit in the coming days to negotiate the release of billions of dollars in its assets frozen in Seoul. The vessel had been carrying 7,200 tonnes of ethanol, state TV news sites said. The dual incidents come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US in the waning days of President Donald Trumps term in office. During Mr Trumps tenure, he unilaterally withdrew from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. Irans decision to begin enriching to 20pc purity a decade ago nearly triggered an Israeli strike targeting its nuclear facilities, tensions that only abated with the 2015 atomic deal. From Israel, which has its own undeclared nuclear weapons programme, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Irans enrichment decision, saying it cannot be explained in any way other than the continuation of realising its goal to develop a military nuclear programme. Read More Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is peaceful. The US State Department says that as late as last year, it continued to assess that Iran is not currently engaged in key activities associated with the design and development of a nuclear weapon. Irans move is aimed at hiking enrichment to pressure Europe into providing sanctions relief. It also serves as pressure ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden, who has said he is willing to re-enter the nuclear deal. Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency last week that it planned to take the step. Irans announcement coincides with the anniversary of the US drone killing Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last year. In November, an Iranian scientist who founded the countrys military nuclear programme two decades earlier was killed in an attack that Tehran has blamed on Israel. Read More Online Editors Champaign, IL (61820) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies late. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. KABUL Afghan Foreign Minister M. Haneef Atmar introduced Barry Salaam as the Senior Communications Advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during an event held on Thursday at MoFA's Storay Palace. Welcoming the event's participants, Minister Atmar discussed the significance of effective communications and public relations in advancing the ministry's foreign policy goals. Minister Atmar noted that, with his extensive expertise and qualifications in communications, Mr. Salaam would be a great addition to the foreign ministry's leadership. Mr. Atmar hoped that with Mr. Salaam's takeover, the Foreign Ministry's public diplomacy apparatus would gain more strength and momentum. In his speech, Barry Salaam expressed his gratitude to His Excellency the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs for considering him worthy of undertaking a big responsibility in MoFA. He discussed his perspectives and outlined his work plan in three areas, including strengthening strategic communications and messaging, improving coordination among government entities, and expanding strategic relations with various institutions and grassroots organizations. In addition to Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar and Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Naab, a number of senior officials and representatives of non-government organizations participated in the event, including Chairman of IARCSC Nader Nadery, DG of Public and Strategic Affairs of the President's Office Wahid Omar, Deputy of HCNR Mawlawi Ata-ur-Rahman Salim, President's spokesman Siddiq Siddiqi, former Minister of Economy Mustafa Mastoor, Deputy Minister of State for Peace Abdullah Khinjani, members of Parliament Ms. Nahid Farid and Dr. Zia Yaftali, IRoA Negotiating Team Member Sharifa Zurmati, Directors of various government institutions, Directors and representatives of Media and Civil Society Organizations, academia, and director generals of different departments of MoFA. Brief Biography Barry Salaam has received his BA in Persian Language and Literature from Kabul University and has earned his Master's Degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School, Tufts University. In the last twenty years, Mr. Salaam has served in various positions, including as Chairman of Independent Joint Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC), Director of Naw Media and Rasa TV, President of Organization of Afghan Alumni, Director of Good Morning Afghanistan Radio, Communications Officer at DACAAR, and News Attache in ICRC. Barry Salaam has contributed to the founding and strengthening of numerous major civil society organizations and networks, including the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN), Afghan National Journalists Union (ANJU), Journalists Safety Committee, and Civil Society Joint Working Group (CS-JWG). Mr. Salaam has participated in more than 50 international conferences promoting free media, human rights, and Afghanistan's democratic development. He was elected by his peers to be the civil society speaker both at the 2014 London Conference on Afghanistan and at the Bonn Conference in 2011. What makes the special election vote in Georgia historic is not just the specific issues or the specific candidates for the Senate who are on the ballot. As a nation, we are at a crossroads in the history of America. And if we take the wrong road, we may never get back again. If Georgia voters send two Democrats to the closely divided U.S. Senate, that will give the Democrats control of both houses of Congress, as well as the White House. Senate Democrats' leader, Senator Charles Schumer, has already announced what he has in store, if the Democrats get a majority in the Senate. So has President-elect Joe Biden. And it goes way beyond specific policies. It includes institutional changes that can be permanent, and almost guarantee one-party rule in this country, as far out as the eye can see. If more than 10 million people who are in this country illegally are given the right to vote -- and most of those votes are almost certain to go to Democrats -- that is a major new political reality that will be with us for generations. In a democracy, a majority of the voters can change the government. But, by giving millions of illegal immigrants a vote, the government can create enough voters to get a majority. That is the opposite of democracy. More important, it is irreversible. Nor is that the only irreversible institutional change the Democrats have on their agenda. The Democrats' agenda, if they get a majority in the Senate, includes turning a city -- Washington -- into a state, with two Senators. It is no coincidence that Washington voters have been voting overwhelmingly for Democrats for decades. If the city of Washington gets the same power in the Senate as the state of Georgia or Texas, that is another major institutional change that is irreversible. Among the groups likely to be hurt most by Democrats' dominance of both houses of Congress and the White House is the black population that has been the most loyal to the Democrats for many generations. In some fields, loyalty brings rewards. But, in politics, any group whose votes can be taken for granted by one party may not have their interests taken seriously by either party. One party doesn't have to work for their vote and the other party sees little chance of getting it. There is no more vital interest of black Americans than the education of black children. The whole future of the race depends on the quality of that education, more than on any other single factor. In many public schools in low-income minority neighborhoods, most of the students cannot pass tests in mathematics or English. In some ghetto schools, nobody passed either test. But data from New York and Washington show that most of the students in charter schools in these very same neighborhoods pass these tests -- often at a rate several times that in the local public schools. You can get the data for New York City from the Internet web site of the New York State Education Department. Parents and others who care about the education of black children should check out how they do in regular public schools compared to how they do in charter schools. When charter schools succeed where traditional public schools fail, that is welcome news to everyone to whom black education matters. But it is bad news to failing public school bureaucrats and to teachers unions, since charter schools attract students from unionized public schools. There are more than 50,000 public school students on waiting lists to get into charter schools, in New York City alone. The education establishment is using every dirty trick in the book to keep those students from actually transferring into charter schools. It is the same story in other cities across the country. Another tactic is that, instead of trying to bring the other schools up to the charter school level, many politicians -- seeking teachers union support -- have been imposing laws and policies to bring charter schools down to the other schools' levels. These politicians are almost all Democrats. President-elect Biden has already assured teachers unions that there will be no more federal money for charter schools. The Trump administration gave more than $9 million to a charter school network in New York's ghettos. Do not look for that to happen in a Biden administration. Georgia voters have a lot of responsibility, not just for Georgia but for America, and not just for now but for future generations. COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM EUGENE, Ore. Leaders of St. Vincent de Paul say donations are up at their stores, as many look to stretch their dollar further amid a pandemic. Executive Director Terry McDonald said the stores were closed for a couple months at the beginning of the pandemic, but once they reopened, donations started to climb. Now, donations are greater than they were this time last year. I think its largely because people are home so much. So, if youve got nothing to do but repair your house, mow your own and clean out your closets, thats probably what you do, McDonald said. St. Vincent de Paul is still accepting donations as usual, but will no longer enter private homes to retrieve larger items. The organization also reorganized the inside of their stores, doubled down on cleaning and made sure there was room for social distancing. Despite closing three locations because theyre too small for social distancing, McDonald said traffic has remained steady, if not slightly higher than usual. Theres more value shopping going on now. People have less income in many cases and so its important for people to try and make their money stretch and we try and make that possibility available for them, McDonald said. McDonald put a call out for jackets, sleeping bags and blankets to help keep a booming homeless population warm. The need is way, way up, McDonald said. The number of homeless that were seeing is probably double what we saw last year. Its a staggering number of people. Despite offering secondhand items, McDonald said he hasnt heard of many concerns from customers that the virus could spread through merchandise. All donations are quarantined for three days before ending up on store shelves, as laid out in public health guidelines. Find more information about locations near you online. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Venezuelan people at home and abroad recently had the opportunity to voice their opinion of the illegitimate Nicolas Maduro regime through the Consulta Popular, or Peoples Vote. From December 7 to 12, millions of Venezuelans weighed in digitally or at in-person polling places in Venezuela, other Latin American nations, the U.S., and Europe. The referendum was organized by the Venezuelan opposition, held under the authority of the legitimate National Assembly, and in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution. The Consulta Popular provided a platform for Venezuelans, including those forced to flee abroad under threat of persecution, torture, or death, to demand free and fair presidential and legislative elections. Secretary Pompeo congratulated the Venezuelan people on the success of the Consulta Popular, noting that the Venezuelan people clearly rejected the electoral fraud perpetrated by the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro in the National Assembly elections of December 6. The Consulta outcome, declared Secretary Pompeo, is a clear mandate that the Interim government must continue fighting for democracys return to Venezuela. He added that the Venezuelan people deserve the support of every democratic nation in this struggle. Secretary Pompeo described the Consulta as an audacious democratic project and an unprecedented achievement despite all the challenges of life in Venezuela gas shortages, electricity outages, and regime harassment such as blocked and deleted websites, violent intimidation, repression, and persecution. The success of the Consulta demonstrates the power of millions of Venezuelan people to organize and rally for change and energizes the fight to return free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections to Venezuela. The democratically elected National Assembly and the voice of the Venezuelan people are the only things standing in the way of authoritarianism in Venezuela, declared Secretary Pompeo. The international community can best support democracy in Venezuela by uniting behind the Venezuelan people as they raise their voices to demand an end to the brutal Maduro dictatorship and a return to democracy. The San Francisco man accused of killing two women after speeding through a red light in a stolen car on New Years Eve pleaded not guilty Tuesday to an array of charges as a judge ordered him to remain in jail. Troy Ramon McAlister, 45, was on parole when he allegedly plowed into pedestrians Hanako Abe and Elizabeth Platt at Second and Mission streets in downtown San Francisco. Prosecutors believe McAlister had methamphetamine and alcohol in his system and was armed with a pistol at the time of the deadly collision, and say he attempted to flee the scene on foot. District Attorney Chesa Boudin charged McAlister with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter as well as a score of other felonies including possession of a gun, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, leaving the scene of a collision and driving a stolen vehicle. McAlister could spend more than three decades in prison if convicted on all charges, prosecutors said. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin ruled to detain McAlister without bail, noting he had serious concerns about releasing the defendant at this time. While Darwin said he would weigh defense arguments for release and pretrial monitoring in the future, the judge suggested it was doubtful he would change his mind. Im not trying to foreshadow that Im seriously considering a release, Darwin said. Addressing reporters after the hearing, McAlisters attorney, Deputy Public Defender Scott Grant, said he was just beginning to receive information needed to argue his case. The issue of criminal responsibility will get sorted out, he said. But that process takes time. Prosecuting attorney Ryan Kao declined to comment after the hearing, referring questions to his office. The case has placed intense scrutiny on Boudin, whose office did not file charges against McAlister after several arrests in the months prior to the crash, including for car theft and auto burglary. Boudin said he referred the incidents to state parole. Under California law, parole officers can give people accused of violating the terms of their release added restrictions, treatment or punishment. It is unclear what, if any, actions parole officers took, though a spokesperson said the office followed procedures and made appropriate referrals. Boudin said his agency, along with others, missed opportunities to intervene in ways that could have prevented the tragedy. In a Tuesday letter to local law enforcement department heads, San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani requested reports she said would clarify the role of parole referrals, and why serious repeat offenders were able to commit more alleged crimes. The public needs to understand exactly what happens when an individual on parole is arrested for new offenses, Stefani said in the letter addressed to Boudin, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Chief Adult Probation Officer Karen Fletcher and Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Katy Miller. I would also like to better understand what policies or recent policy changes have governed these decisions, she said. Echoing Stefanis request, Supervisor Ahsha Safai called for a hearing to analyze potential loopholes related to parole, saying McAlisters case highlighted a glaring error in our system that could have prevented this tragedy. McAlister was released last March after spending five years in jail while awaiting trial on a 2015 robbery case. He took a plea deal and was sentenced to time served, then was released on parole. Prior to the plea agreement, which was brokered by Boudins office, McAlister could have faced life in prison under Californias three strikes law. Court records show McAlister had three prior strikes on his record, two for robbery and one for attempted carjacking. A new felony made him eligible for a three strikes sentence. Boudin, a progressive elected on a platform of criminal justice reform and shrinking jails and prisons, has enacted a policy not to charge prior strikes except in extraordinary circumstances. Boudin said in a memo that the law was a legacy of Californias tough on crime era, an era that fueled mass incarceration and disparately impacted communities of color. However, this week, Boudin charged McAlister with one strike, apparently finding the circumstances described in his policy. Public Defender Mano Raju, whose office represents McAlister, said the case illuminated larger, multi-system, societal failures, and defended efforts to reject decades of failed tough-on-crime policies. We cannot let opponents of a more fair and just criminal legal system exploit this loss of life to convince others that the system weve long relied upon is the best we can do, Raju said in a statement. Boudin on Monday vowed concrete changes to how his office handles referrals to other agencies, calling the case a horrific tragedy. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners including police agencies and parole to make systematic changes effective immediately, he said. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy LOGITECH Ireland has announced the creation of more than 50 new jobs in Cork over the course of the next three years. The Swiss- American company, which makes cloud peripheral products, announced the new job opportunities today. The jobs will span a wide range of roles including design, engineering, IT and supply chain functions as the Cork office plans to extend its staffing of several teams. Logitechs office in Cork was first established in 1988 and moved to its current location on the Kinsale Road in 2013. Over the years, the Cork location has grown to be one of the key offices in Logitechs global footprint, hosting approximately 200 talents in design, engineering, product development, finance, supply chain, people and culture and IT. The site also hosts leaders of Logitechs sustainability team, addressing Logitechs commitments to climate change, carbon impact and transparency, and renewable energy. Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD welcomed the announcement. I am very pleased that Logitech has announced the creation of 50 new jobs over the next three years at their office in Cork, he said. Ireland is a really attractive destination for technology companies, due in large part to our strong pool of talent. I wish Logitech the very best as they continue to develop and grow its operations in Ireland. Speaking on the announcement, Bracken Darrell, Logitech president and chief executive officer described Cork as a key link for Logitech. As a company, we have a strong flexible working culture, with employees contributing to Logitechs business from locations all over the world. Cork is a key link in that chain, and were keen to see more talent join our colleagues there. Elaine Laird, Logitechs head of global supply chain and site lead at Cork, said that she is glad to see the Cork site grow. Were pleased to see Logitechs Cork operations grow to encompass more opportunities ahead of the new year. This is a reflection not only of Logitechs long-term performance, but also the wonderful culture and spirit our employees have developed, here and across the world. Were very grateful to IDA Ireland for their consistent support over the years, she added. Kuwait said Saudi Arabia is opening its land and sea borders with Qatar after a lengthy dispute that has deteriorated Qatar's relations with a number of Gulf states, the BBC reported. The move was taken ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council summit, which will take place on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. A senior US source said an agreement would be signed at the end of the summit to end the rift between the Gulf states. Countries bordering Qatar: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt have imposed a diplomatic and economic embargo against Qatar for 3.5 years, accusing the state of supporting terrorism. Qatar denies all charges. It took months of patient, painstaking diplomatic work, mainly from Kuwait, to lift the embargo on Qatar. The blockade, which has lasted for three and a half years, has turned into huge costs both for the Qatar economy and for the concept of the unity of the Gulf countries. According to BBC, one of the Gulf countries, in particular the UAE, has serious doubts that Qatar will really change its policy. Qatar has denied accusations of terrorist ties, while supporting Islamist movements in Gaza, Libya, which the UAE assesses as an existential threat to its monarchy. Meanwhile, the embargo imposed by neighboring countries pushed Qatar towards the ideological enemies of Saudi Arabia - Turkey and Iran, BBC added. OTTAWA - Signs pointed Tuesday to the COVID-19 pandemic taking a dark turn in Canada, as the prime minister voiced his own frustration with holiday travel and the slow pace of vaccine rollout. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau holds a press conference at Rideau Cottage during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Signs pointed Tuesday to the COVID-19 pandemic taking a dark turn in Canada, as the prime minister voiced his own frustration with holiday travel and the slow pace of vaccine rollout. In London, Ont., the morgue was at capacity, a field hospital was opened in Burlington, Ont., Quebec officials were mulling a near-total lockdown and New Brunswick decided to tighten up as well as cases continued to rise at an accelerated pace. Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam noted it took five months for Canada to hit 500,000 cases. But now, it is taking just two weeks for 100,000 new cases to emerge. "This ever-more-rapid accumulation of cases will continue until we can make significant progress in interrupting spread, which is why we must all continue our efforts," she said at a briefing in Ottawa. While officials said upwards of a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines will arrive by month's end, the pace at which they're being administered is only just starting to accelerate. As vaccines arrive, they are transferred to the provinces, which have control over administering the shots to individual recipients, and how fast that is happening varies wildly across the country. An effort at Britain's University of Oxford to track global COVID-19 vaccination efforts suggests overall, Canada is in eighth place when it comes to the rate of vaccinations, but that pace is well behind the U.K and the United States. What the federal government could do to speed things up will be on the agenda at a meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his provincial and territorial counterparts Thursday. "I think all Canadians, including me, are frustrated to see vaccines in freezers and not in people's arms," Trudeau said. Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, who is overseeing vaccine distribution, said efforts continue to reinforce the infrastructure required to store and transport vaccines, as well as expand distribution networks."I want to reaffirm to all Canadians that while quantities seem limited, we are scaling up," he said."This is a deliberate operation." Nunavut's chief public health officer said the first doses there are to be given Wednesday to residents at Iqaluit's elders home, following the arrival of the Moderna vaccine in the territory last week. Of the two vaccines currently approved for use in Canada, Moderna's is less demanding of being stored at ultralow temperatures, making it easier to transport to remote locations. The first shipment of Moderna vaccines arrived in Manitoba Tuesday, and will be used to address priority First Nations populations; First Nations represent 30 per cent of the new cases in the province, according to data released Tuesday. Nova Scotia also rolled out its vaccination plan Tuesday, saying it intends to make the vaccine available to 75 per cent of the eligible population by the end of September, and focus on high-priority populations over the next four months. In Ontario, provincial authorities promised all long-term-care residents, workers and essential caregivers in COVID-19 hot spots will be vaccinated by Jan. 21 and vaccinations in Ontario's Indigenous communities will begin later this week. So far, the province has received 95,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and 53,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine.About 50,000 long-term care home residents have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, while nearly 3,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine have also been administered. "We're ramping up," Ontario Premier Doug Ford said. "I just look forward to getting more vaccines, that's what we need." In Quebec a total of 32,763 vaccines have been administered so far. A rising daily case count more than 2,500 new diagnoses a day for the last several days has officials mulling a nearly complete shutdown of the province, including schools, and imposing a curfew, some reports said. While Canadians await the sharp sting of the needle, many are also feeling the sharp sting of watching friends and neighbours return from holiday vacations abroad and potentially accessing federal paid sick leave to cover off their two-week quarantine requirement. Trudeau stressed Tuesday the federal sick-leave benefit, worth up to $1,000, was introduced so Canadians wouldn't feel pressure to go to work with COVID-19 symptoms, not as a safety net to help people who head out on vacation. "We didn't imagine when we passed it unanimously in the House with the support of all parties, that people would use it to pay for their quarantines after having gone south for a two-week vacation," he said. "So that is something we are going to fix right now." He also expressed disappointment in federal and provincial politicians who travelled abroad, despite months of recommendations against non-essential travel. "As leaders we've been encouraging and exhorting Canadians to continue to do the right thing," he said. "So it is unfortunate to see a number of politicians not take their own advice." How the federal government could crack down further on discretionary travel is unclear. A two-week ban on flights into Canada from the U.K. due to a more transmissible variant of the novel coronavirus circulating there expires Jan. 6, and Trudeau did not directly answer a question about whether it will be extended. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the federal government will look at just about any measure to discourage people from travelling internationally. But he says Canada doesn't want to join the short list of countries that require government approval for travel, with measures such as exit visas. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2021. Honest question . . . Not sure if this homicide that happened last year but resulted in fatality today counts as 2020 homicide 175 OR the 3rd killing so far this year. Read more . . . Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. U.S. lawmakers are receiving urgent security instructions because of potential violence in Washington tied to protests as Congress meets to certify Joe Biden as the next president. The precautions distributed Monday to members of the House and the Senate include guidance to use underground tunnels while traveling between chambers in the Capitol and to nearby office buildings during the day. "Members and staff should expect demonstration activity and street closures" to affect access to the Capitol, the House sergeant-at-arms said in a memo. President Donald Trump has urged public protests to help pressure lawmakers to reject the electoral college vote sealing Joe Biden's victory, and ABC News said Trump plans to speak at a rally near the White House on Wednesday. Washington's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, urged residents not to engage with any protesters "seeking confrontation," and requested National Guard help, according to The Associated Press, while some businesses downtown have boarded up windows to shield against violence. Pro-Trump protests in Washington and other cities in November and December ended in violence and property damage. Some far-right groups, such as the Proud Boys, have said they will show up for the demonstrations this week. The leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, 36, was arrested by Washington police on Monday and charged with destruction of property "related to an offense" that occurred on Dec. 12, according to Sean Hickman, a police spokesman. He faces additional charges after "he was found to be in possession of two high-capacity firearm magazines," Hickman added. Earlier Monday, lawyers representing the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington said they sued the Proud Boys over the destruction of a Black Lives Matter sign outside the church on Dec. 12. Demonstrations are permitted by the National Park Service, but officials are preparing for potential unrest. Bowser has asked for District of Columbia National Guard members to help with traffic control and other assistance, the AP reported, citing a U.S. defense official. The arrest of Tarrio is in line with a tactic used by law enforcement officials to arrest key organizers of large protests just before they occur in an effort to gain intelligence about what might be coming. Such an arrest can trigger sudden movements by other group members, as well as communications that can be monitored through court-authorized electronic surveillance. Individuals associated with a group such as the Proud Boys could be a target of federal surveillance. Local officials in Washington have said they're coordinating with federal agencies, and the FBI has warned that right-wing groups are a source of domestic terrorism. The instructions to lawmakers provided emergency telephone numbers for Capitol police and House and Senate sergeants-at-arms. Lawmakers are encouraged to arrive at the Capitol early Wednesday, and they were told that they should make use of garages with barricades and security access points. Lawmakers were receiving a rundown of extensive road closures around the Capitol and elsewhere in Washington. Bowser advised city residents not to come downtown Tuesday and Wednesday. Under her direction, the city's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency on Monday activated the district's Emergency Operations Center to coordinate federal and local responses to the demonstrations. "We will do what we must to ensure all who attend remain peaceful," Bowser said in a Sunday statement. On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police Department begins its full activation for responses through Wednesday. Washington, starting Tuesday, will ban parking along some avenues. Trump, apparently hoping for a big turnout by protesters to support his unproven claims that voter fraud was behind his defeat by Biden, promoted the event in several tweets, saying it would be a "Historic day." Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Monday released a list of 89 more candidates who have been recommended from the reserve list for civil services main exam 2019. The list can be accessed from the official website - upsc.gov.in. UPSC had declared the civil service main exam 2019 result on August 4, 2020 recommending 829 candidates in Order of Merit for appointment to IAS, IFS, IPS and Central Services Group A and Group B against 927 vacancies. As sought by the Department of Personnel & Training, the Commission has now recommended 89 candidates which include 73 General, 14 OBC, 01 EWS and 01 SC, to fill up the remaining posts based on the Civil Services Examination, 2019. Particulars of these candidates are included herewith. The candidates so recommended will be intimated directly by the DOP&T, the official notice reads. Out of these, candidature of following four candidates bearing Roll No. 0404736, 0835241, 2100323 and 6603686 are provisional and result of one candidate has been kept withheld. Click here to check list Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk said a Tennessee man has been arrested in connection with a shooting in the Graysville community that appears to be the result of an illegal narcotics transaction. On Dec. 29, deputies responded to the intersection of Graysville Road and Wooten Road where they found a man with a gunshot wound to his leg. The victim told deputies that he was picked up at a gas station in Tennessee and then driven to Georgia and robbed. He was taken to a hospital and treated for his injuries. Investigators quickly identified a suspect and on Dec. 31, obtained warrants for Larry Keith Smith, 28, who was arrested in East Ridge. Smith faces extradition to Catoosa County and charges of criminal attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and participating in a criminal street gang. Sudrania Fund Services Digital assets funds will benefit tremendously from the powerful combination of institutional infrastructure, technology, and the high-touch professional services approach. Sudrania Fund Services Corp (Sudrania), one of the fastest-growing cloud-computing enabled fund administrators, strengthened its market position by acquiring the primary assets of Triple Leo Consulting (TLC), a Philadelphia-based fund administrator that specialized in crypto and digital assets fund administration. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. TLC founder Mike Quinn joins Sudrania in an advisory role and TLCs entire staff has joined Sudranias growing team. This acquisition makes Sudrania a global market leader in digital assets fund administration with over 150 clients dedicated to crypto assets. Sudranias clients in the crypto and digital assets space utilize Seamless Crypto, a full-scale cloud-based, fund administration platform designed specifically to handle the unique operational needs required to service digital assets. Seamless Crypto delivers daily reports through API integrations with over 100 exchanges and pricing sources. Seamless Crypto delivers a full end-to-end solution for managers and investors investing in digital assets strategies including high frequency, indexing, arbitrage, crypto ETFs, decentralized finance, blockchain ventures, and digital asset SPVs. Sudrania is investing in the digital assets fund administration space while also establishing a formidable presence in traditional alternative investment products, specifically hedge funds and special purpose vehicles. Sudrania currently serves over 350 clients globally. Nilesh Sudrania, CEO of Sudrania Fund Services commented, Digital assets funds will benefit tremendously from the powerful combination of institutional infrastructure, technology, and the high-touch professional services approach. We are pleased that as a unified firm all digital assets clients will benefit directly from our dedicated crypto fund cloud-technology solution, Seamless Crypto. Mike Quinn, Founder and CEO of Triple Leo Consulting added, My vision was always to offer best-in-class services and solutions to clients where speed to market and accuracy are imperative. I am excited that our combined clientele will benefit from Sudranias technological leadership position, as the next chapter of this mission comes to fruition. Harsha Patwardhan, SVP of Sudrania Fund Services added, We welcome the TLC team to the Sudrania family. Our collective industry knowledge, robust technology and experienced personnel make this acquisition a winning combination for both fund managers and investors. ABOUT SUDRANIA Sudrania Fund Services is a global fund administrator based in Chicago, Illinois that leverages its proprietary Seamless platform, an award-winning, full-scale cloud-based, fund administration application which integrates portfolio, fund accounting and investor reporting, in order to provide best-in-class and cost-efficient solutions to both the traditional and alternative investment fund management community. Seamless Solutions can process high-frequency trading volumes to deliver daily NAV for hedge funds, cryptocurrency funds, SPVs, mutual funds, private equity funds, impact funds, commodity pools and mortgage funds. Sudranias operations and technology are SOC 1, SOC 2, and SOC 3 audited, and it currently has over 300 staff across its seven offices globally. U.S. Attorney Freed reveals resignation HARRISBURG United States Attorney David J. Freed, Camp Hill, announced his resignation effective midnight Jan. 1 after serving for more than three years as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which consists of 33 counties in the central and northeastern parts of the state, including Schuylkill County. Freed, according to a press release, was born in West Chester and raised in Pottsville and later, Camp Hill. He was nominated for the post by U.S. Sens. Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Bob Casey and appointed by President Donald Trump in September 2017 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He is a graduate of Camp Hill High School, Washington and Lee University and the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law. Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney, he served for 12 years as the district attorney of Cumberland County. Upon Freeds departure, First Assistant United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler will assume the position of U.S. Attorney in line with the Vacancies Reform Act. Brandler has been with the office for more than 30 years and previously served as United States Attorney from 2016 to 2017. Freed, according to the release, said he had done his best to be thoughtful and consistent, and to provide justice to my fellow citizens in a fair, effective and efficient manner. He also thanked Trump, Toomey and Casey for the opportunity to serve and to former Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr for their leadership. The release also outlined Freeds many and varied accomplishments in the administrative, civil and criminal divisions of the U.S. Attorneys office. Penn State Health Hospitals earn A HERSHEY All three Penn State Health hospitals earned top marks for patient safety on The Leapfrog Groups semiannual safety ranking report card, according to a Penn State Health press release. Holy Spirit Medical Center, the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center each received an A for their efforts to protect patients from harm and provide safe health care. The recognition marks Hershey Medical Centers 10th consecutive A from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. Leapfrog evaluates as many as 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades of A, B, C, D or F to more than 2,600 hospitals across the nation based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care, according to the release. For more information on the Penn State College of Medicine, go online to med.psu.edu. Mid Penn raises cancer-fight funds HARRISBURG Mid Penn Bank and the Penn State Urology Group recently completed their fifth annual No Shave November campaign and raised $100,000 for the Division of Urology at the Penn State Cancer Institute, according to a Mid Penn press release. The campaign, which supports prostate cancer research, rallied financial support from employees and partners of both organizations during November and encouraged men to take a break from shaving and grow beards as a way to start conversations around prostate health. All donations received benefit the prostate cancer research performed by Jay D. Raman, M.D., chief of the Division of Urology at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This year, businesses and organizations throughout the community stepped forward to promote awareness and help with the fundraising. Community partners of the effort in 2020 included the Tower Porter Improvement Organization in Tower City and Halifax VFW Post 5750. For more information about Mid Penn, go online to www.midpennbank.com. MI Windows acquires Sunrise GRATZ MI Windows and Doors, a manufacturer of vinyl, aluminum and fiberglass windows and sliding patio doors, has finalized the acquisition of Temperance, Michigan-based vinyl replacement window manufacturer Sunrise Windows & Doors, according to an MI press release. The acquisition, according to the release, aligns with MIs strategy to expand its presence in currently underserved channels and end markets. Matt DeSoto, MI chief executive officer, said in the release Sunrise has a strong reputation among dealers throughout the eastern United States and is an ideal complement to MIs market presence. It is the second time in just over a year that MI has acquired a window business. It acquired Tacoma, Washington-based Milgard Windows & Doors in November 2019. MIs headquarters is at the Operational Support Center, 650 W. Market St. Good morning, Bay Area. Its Tuesday, Jan. 5, and Big Sur could be in for some big changes. Heres what you need to know to start your day. California reported on Monday that only about a third of all coronavirus vaccine doses sent to the state or about 450,000 doses of 1.3 million total have been used so far. This matches a slower-than-expected rollout of vaccines across the country, but the state is below average in percentage of available doses used. Meanwhile the surge thats swept over California for the past two months leveled off last week still near all-time highs of cases and hospitalizations. But Mondays report of 70,000 new coronavirus cases made officials realize that the predicted surge on top of a surge from post-Christmas and New Years cases had arrived. Read more on the latest from reporter Erin Allday. Why a Petaluma hospital is getting help from emergency workers elsewhere in California. Newsom to propose $300 million for coronavirus vaccine distribution in California budget. S.F. wants to cancel homeless count amid COVID-19 concerns. Silicon Valley pushback Noah Berger / Associated Press More than 200 employees at Google parent company Alphabet announced plans to form a union with both full-time and contract workers on Monday. Its a rare move in the tech industry that comes after public walkouts and controversies over employee dismissals at Google in recent years. Disputes over government contracts, particularly work on drone technology with military applications, also created cause for pushing back, members of the unionization push said. While only a small fraction of the more than 130,000 Alphabet employees worldwide are involved, Chase DiFeliciantonio reports, the union drive is less focused on striking a contract and more on creating a center of gravity for ongoing activism at the company. What does Georgia have to do with California? Stephen B. Morton / Associated Press The results of the Georgia Senate elections Tuesday will ripple through California especially if Democrats sweep the two races. If that happens, the Democrats gain a 50-50 split in the Senate, and Californias most prominent national figure, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, will become the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, gaining a lot more visibility than most veeps. Reporter Joe Garofoli looks at more ramifications from an election on the other side of the country. For this evening: Results from Georgia Senate elections. Around the Bay Policy changes promised: The San Francisco District Attorneys Office on Monday filed manslaughter charges against Troy McAlister, the parolee accused of fatally striking two pedestrians in downtown San Francisco on New Years Eve. The charges come as District Attorney Chesa Boudin and parole officials face intense scrutiny over the case. Sledgehammer instead of a scalpel: California freezes many peoples unemployment benefits to combat fraud, frustrating those in need. Q.R. Hand Jr.: Beloved Bay Area Black poet who blended verse and jazz dies at 83. Whos on short list? San Franciscos Board of Supervisors faces first task of 2021 choosing a president. Shell company? Mysterious $500,000 contribution to Newsom recall effort is focus of complaint. Holy internet, Batman! We found the winner of 1960s Chronicle Batmobile contest. More: Library director Bill van Niekerkens farewell column. A different look: The likely reality for the 49ers, Eric Branch writes, is that this core isnt coming back. Not all quarantinis: Pandemic drinking did not save the wine industry's slowing sales, new data shows. Much to do, no time to waste: In 2020, San Francisco accomplished a major feat: enduring the COVID-19 pandemic with the lowest death rate of any major American city. Now it must tackle crises caused and overshadowed by the pandemic, Heather Knight writes. In Case You Missed It Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle Its a goat rodeo. Thats how Butch Kronlund, executive director of the Community Association of Big Sur, describes visitor behavior near Highway 1 at Bixby Creek Bridge over the past five years: parking in the narrow roadway, causing hours-long traffic delays and dangerously posing for pictures on the landmark bridge. Now the landscape is just a backdrop for peoples antics, Kronlund says and, as a result, residents of the region are now considering a huge change in how tourists experience the 70-mile stretch of coast around Big Sur. Read more. More stories from the holiday week you might have missed: With musical life on hiatus, a horn virtuoso tackles the COVID pandemic. How the As traveling secretary helped blow up MLBs barrier to women reporters. A year later, Beach Blanket Babylon actors reflect candidly on loss. How S.F.s Supergiant made Hades one of 2020s most acclaimed video games. Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown, Anna Buchmann and Kellie Hwang and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com, anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com, and kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com. [Heres what you need to know about President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.s Inauguration Day.] ATLANTA On the eve of Georgias high-stakes Senate runoffs, a top state election official on Monday delivered a stinging condemnation of President Trump over his false claims of voter fraud, and issued an emotional appeal to Georgians to ignore the presidents disinformation and cast their ballots on Tuesday in a race that will determine control of the Senate. The official, Gabriel Sterling, ticked off a point-by-point rebuttal of Mr. Trumps grievances about his loss in Georgia to Joseph R. Biden Jr., which the president aired most recently over the weekend in a phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican. Mr. Trump pressured Mr. Raffensperger during the conversation to find votes to overturn his general election loss. I wanted to scream, Mr. Sterling said at an afternoon news conference, referring to his reaction to the call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Raffensperger. Mr. Sterling, the states voting system implementation manager, said the presidents allegations of fraud had been thoroughly debunked. London, Jan 5 : There were 40 cases of positive Covid-19 tests among players and club staff in two rounds of testing over the past week in the English Premier League, the league said on Tuesday. "The Premier League is now testing players and club staff twice per week and can today confirm that between Monday, December 28 and Thursday, December 31, 1,311 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19," said the league in a statement. "Of these, there were 28 new positive tests. Between Friday, January 1 and Sunday, January 3, 984 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19 and of these, there were 12 new positives." Three matches were postponed in this period due to increase number of positive tests. These were Everton's home match against Manchester City and Fulham's away matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley. "With low numbers of positive tests across the overwhelming majority of clubs, the League continues to have confidence in its Covid-19 protocols, fully backed by the Government, to enable fixtures to be played as scheduled," said the league. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. DecisionDatabases added the latest report with a global perspective on the Metal Thickness Gauges Market studied under different segments, including type, application, and regions. The report is treated with size, trends, growth, share, and forecast till 2025. Besides, the research report studied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall growth at the global level. This report also offers a lucrative area of the industry at the regional and country level. The final report will cover the impact of COVID-19 on this industry. The global Metal Thickness Gauges market report presents a complete research-based study of the industry including details such as company shares, forecast data, in-depth analysis and an outlook of the market on a worldwide platform. The report further highlights the market drivers, restraints and the top manufacturers at the global and regional levels. For a thorough understanding, the report also offers market segmentation and regional analysis for the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. Click here to get a Sample PDF Copy of the Metal Thickness Gauges Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-30107 According to this study, over the next five years, the Metal Thickness Gauges market will register an xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ xx million by 2025, from $ xx million in 2020. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in the Metal Thickness Gauges business, shared in Chapter 3. This Metal Thickness Gauges market report also splits the market by regions: Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries). This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of the Metal Thickness Gauges market by type, application, key manufacturers, key regions, and countries. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3. Micro-Epsilon ACS-Solutions Baker Hughes Hans Schmidt BEIJING CAP HIGH TECHNOLOGY PCE Instruments CV. JAVA MULTI MANDIRI Beijing TIME High Technology MICROTECH Cygnus Instruments UVB TECHNIK Others To inquire about report customization, feel free to reach out to our team of expert analysts @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/ask-questions-30107 This study considers the Metal Thickness Gauges value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments: Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.7. General Ultrasonic Gauges A-Scan Ultrasonic Gauges B-Scan Ultrasonic Gauges Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.8. Industrial Construction Medical In addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, challenges and the risks faced by key manufacturers and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development. Purchase the Complete Global Metal Thickness Gauges Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-30107 Research Objectives To study and analyze the global Metal Thickness Gauges consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, type and application, history data from 2015 to 2019, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of the Metal Thickness Gauges market by identifying its various subsegments. Focuses on the key global Metal Thickness Gauges manufacturers, to define, describe, and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years. To analyze the Metal Thickness Gauges with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). To project the consumption of Metal Thickness Gauges submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 90 28 057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Reference Source: https://www.topnewscorner.com/global-metal-thickness-gauges-market-report-industry-trends-growth-business-challenges-analysis-2020-2025/ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ATLANTA President Donald Trumps ongoing efforts to overturn the 2020 election results laid out in stark detail in an hourlong weekend phone call with a Georgia election official are demonstrating his unrestrained determination to maintain a grip on power no matter the consequences for the nations democratic traditions. Trump, in a Saturday phone call, pressed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to overturn Joe Bidens win in the states presidential election. The president repeatedly cited disproven claims of fraud and raised the prospect of a criminal offense if officials did not change the vote count, according to a recording of the conversation. Trump has ventured into uncharted and dangerous territory since his Nov. 3 defeat, becoming the first president who lost an election to try to hang onto his office by rejecting the will of the voters and casting aside results of the Electoral College enshrined in the Constitution. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Trumps refusal to concede, undermining the democratic tradition of a peaceful transfer of power and hindering the transition to a Biden administration, is particularly risky for the nation when it is grappling with a surging pandemic that has killed more than 350,000 Americans. Paying little heed to the virus in recent weeks, the president has largely abdicated day-to-day governing to instead focus on his efforts to cling to power. On the phone call, Trump peddled anew conspiracy theories, disinformation and outright lies, insisting that he won Georgia despite multiple recounts that show the contrary. He repeatedly argued that Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, could change the certified results. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, Trump said. Because we won the state. Biden won Georgia by 11,779 votes. The call showcased Trumps evolution since Nov. 3. At first, he privately accepted that he had been beaten even as he publicly protested, hoping to show his loyal supporters that he was still fighting while eyeing his own future, politically and financially. But as the weeks have gone on, Trump has embraced the narrative that his victory was stolen. His shrinking inner circle is now largely populated by those peddling conspiracy theories. The president lives in a media echo chamber made up of conservative television and social media voices amplifying his claims of fraud. Asked if he felt like the president was pressuring him to do something illegal, Raffensperger told The Associated Press on Monday: I think he was looking for any kind of advantage he could get, and I just dont see how hes going to get it. Raffensperger added that Georgias presidential votes were counted three times first right after the election, then in an audit that hand tallied the results and finally in a machine recount at Trumps request. If they support a challenge of the electors for Georgia, theyre wrong, dead wrong, Raffensperger said. Members of Congress will have to make a decision about the results in the other states, he added, but in Georgia, we did get it right. Im not happy with the result, as a Republican, but it is the right result based on the numbers that we saw cast. Trumps renewed intervention and his persistent and unfounded claims of fraud come nearly two weeks before he leaves office and in the leadup to twin runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday that will determine political control of the U.S. Senate. It also added intrigue ahead of Trumps rally in Georgia on Monday night likely the last of his term in which he stumped for the two Republican candidates. In a rage after the Raffensperger call, Trump floated the idea of pulling out of the rally, which could been devastating to GOP chances in what are expected to be a pair of razor-thin races. But Trump was persuaded to go ahead with the rally as a stage from which to reiterate his claims of election fraud and to present, as he tweeted Monday, the real numbers from the race. Republicans worried that Trump might focus on himself and depress turnout by undermining faith in the runoff elections and not promoting the two GOP candidates. In the end, Trump split his time rehashing many of the same debunked grievances he made days earlier in the Raffensperger call, while also urging his supporters to swamp the polls on behalf of Loeffler and Perdue in races he said would determine the fate of our country. Trump also signaled he had no intention of dropping his election challenges even after Wednesdays counting of the electoral votes, urging the crowd to watch for new revelations over the next couple weeks and vowing: Theyre not taking this White House. Were going to fight like hell, Ill tell you right now. Raffensperger reiterated his frustration with disinformation that has proliferated since the election, much of it emanating from the Oval Office. He expressed fears that Trumps baseless claims would not only undermine the democratic process but could hurt Republicans chances. People wonder about the best way to vote after false information has caused them to distrust both absentee ballots and the states voting machines, he said. That is not a good message for you to ever get out to your base, he said. Egged on by Trump, a dozen Republican senators have announced that they would support up to 100 House colleagues in challenging the Electoral College certification process on Wednesday. Wary of Trumps Twitter account and hold over their partys base, many other Republicans were slow to speak out, allowing the president to sow doubt for weeks and undermine Bidens legitimacy with much of the population. Among those who spoke out Monday, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a member of the GOP House leadership team, deemed the presidents call deeply troubling. GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said the call was a new low in this whole futile and sorry episode. He commended election officials who have discharged their duties with integrity over the past two months while weathering relentless pressure, disinformation, and attacks from the president and his campaign. Audio snippets of the conversation were first posted online by The Washington Post. The AP obtained the full audio of Trumps conversation with Georgia officials from a person on the call. The AP has a policy of not amplifying disinformation and unproven allegations. It annotated a transcript of the call with fact check material. Various election officials across the country and Trumps former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud in the election. Republican governors in Arizona and Georgia, battlegrounds crucial to Bidens victory, have also vouched for the integrity of their state elections. Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, which has three Trump-nominated justices. ___ EDITORS NOTE Jonathan Lemire has covered the White House and politics for The Associated Press since 2013. Kate Brumback has reported from Atlanta for the AP since 2008. ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta, Kevin Freking in Dalton, Georgia, and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 91F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. SARATOGA SPRINGS Mayor Meg Kelly will not run for a third term, Saratoga Springs Democratic Chair Sarah Burger said. "She did not give a specific reason," Burger said. "I think she's moving onto something else. She's been working in City Hall for five years. ... It's really not a surprise." Kelly, who announced her departure to News Channel 13, joins Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan who will also not seek re-election. She will leave the mayor's office on Dec. 31, 2021. The 62-year-old, a former deputy mayor to Mayor Joanne Yepsen, won her first term in 2017, beating Republican Mark Baker. One of her first acts was to appoint a committee to update and preserve the city's charter, which upset some of her supporters who sought a charter overhaul and who were still smarting from the defeat of the 2017 charter change referendum by 10 votes. Kelly also ushered through controversial plans a parking garage for the Saratoga Springs City Center overshadowing the historic the Mouzon House restaurant and a zoning change to allow Saratoga Hospital to build a large office building on a residential street. In her first term, she oversaw the temporary move of City Hall operations to the Recreation Center after the historic building was struck by lightning that ignited on the third floor. The 149-year-old building sustained water damage to its southern side, which led to a two-year restoration project at a cost more than $12.7 million. Kelly has also been a strong supporter of Shelters of Saratoga and worked to find a location for the winter Code Blue shelter on Adelphi Street. Right before her 2019 re-election, she also found a home for an Eastside fire and EMS station, which the city plans to build on state land near the Saratoga Race Course's Oklahoma Track. While she has had many successese, she failed at two attempts to increase her $14,500 annual salary, which she called "ridiculous." She has also shied from the press, and as per usual she did not return a Times Union phone call on Monday about her decision. This past year was perhaps her most challenging. The pandemic shut down busy Broadway shops and restaurants as well as major tax revenue generators like the Saratoga Race Course (which did not allow fans), Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the City Center. The city was also dealing with Black Lives Matter protests that often ended with blocked streets. One protest in July ended with the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office shooting peaceful protesters with pepper spray pellets, which remains a point of contention between police and protesters in the city. "I imagine it's been a tough year for her," Burger said of Kelly. "We thank her for her service to our city and wish her the very best in future endeavors." Burger said she is uncertain who the committee will endorse in 2021 for mayor, city council and county supervisor. However, she said she wants the committee to present a full slate and a unified front, something that eluded the Democrats in 2019. That year, Madigan lost the Democratic primary and endorsement to Patricia Morrison. That led to a group of Madigan supporters quitting the committee and actively campaigning against Morrison. Madigan won in November on third party lines. "This time around, we are doing things differently," Burger said. "This will be our first opportunity to hit reset." Regardless, the work of the Democratic committee continues. Burger said the committee is releasing a candidate questionnaire soon and will be conducting candidate interviews in February. She is also awaiting word on how petitioning for signatures will proceed as COVID-19 remains a concern. "We don't know if the state will reduce signature requirements," Burger said. "Everything is very much in the air." In support of education and workforce development on Maui, the Sentry Insurance Foundation has awarded eight students with scholarships for the 2020-2021 school year. The Sentry Scholars program provides scholarships for Maui public school graduates attending college in the University of Hawaii system and its affiliated Hawaii community colleges. As part of Sentrys title sponsorship of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, the company has worked to make a tangible impact in the Maui community in areas that align with its Foundations mission of increasing access to education and workforce development. The Sentry Scholars program offers annually renewable scholarships to students studying a diverse span of disciplines and interests. The Sentry Scholars program is part of our year-round commitment to be an engaged partner on the island of Maui, said Kalynn Pempek, executive director of the Sentry Insurance Foundation. We think all of these students have great potential and look forward to seeing them grow as students and individuals. The scholarship program benefits students continuing their higher education in their home state of Hawaii. Each year, the Foundation awards two scholarships to students pursuing a two-year degree and two students earning a four-year degree. When fully implemented in fall of 2021, the program will award 12 scholarships annually to local students. Currently, the program has eight recipients, each with varying interests: Laura Brock, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Laura is currently studying biology. She grew up on the island of Maui and hopes to one day pursue medicine and give back to her community of Hawaii. Kiliohu Bulusan, University of Hawaii Maui College. Kiliohu is currently a sophomore majoring in Hawaiian Studies. Her goal is to become a Hawaiian Immersion Program (HIP) teacher. She was inspired to pursue this career path by the teachers who taught her growing up. Serene Morales, University of Hawaii at Manao. Serene is currently a sophomore majoring in creative media, with plans to double major in Asian studies. She wants to specialize in film and bring stories to life. Princess Jena Santiago, University of Hawaii at Manao. Princess Jena is majoring in biochemistry, with the long-term goal of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. She looks forward to one day using her education to help make a difference and serve in the healthcare field. Haley Marie Sumibcay, University of Hawaii Maui College. Haley Marie is currently studying business administration. While she is still undecided about her career path, she enjoys the advertising and marketing fields. She especially enjoys creating content using applications like Photoshop and Illustrator. Caitlin Tanoue, Windward Community College. Caitlin is a part of the hybrid veterinary technology program and after completion will finish her bachelors degree in biology. She is gaining experience with the goal of becoming a veterinarian who specializes in avian and exotic species. Cameron Viernes, University of Hawaii Maui College. Cameron is currently a second-year student in pursuit of her associate degree in natural science with a concentration of information and communication technology. She plans to earn her bachelors degree in information technology. Pueokeanokanoepilialoha Akina-Sumarnap, University of Hawaii at Hilo. Pueo, a graduate of Molokai High Intermediate School, is currently studying liberal arts. The fact that we can grow students and keep them here on island to become professionals contributing to their communities is so important, now more than ever before, it seems, said Dr. Jocelyn Romero Demirbag, Ed.D., director of development for the University of Hawaii Foundation. The Sentry Scholars program on Maui is the sister program of what the Sentry Insurance Foundation carries out in Wisconsin, where Sentrys home office is located. Since 1964, the Foundation has provided higher education scholarship opportunities at institutions throughout the state. In total, more than 200 students each year receive some level of financial scholarship from the Foundation. About Sentry Insurance Foundation The Sentry Insurance Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Sentry. Giving priorities include education, workforce development, United Way, and local organizations that work to improve the quality of life and build equitable communities where we live and work, including the Maui community. One day before the country roused itself from a holiday break, one of the most powerful families in Republican politics issued a double-barreled rebuke of President Trump. Dick Cheney, the former vice president, and Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, drew on their significant political capital and decades of experience in Washington to attack the presidents false claims of vote stealing and his undemocratic effort to overturn the election, which President-elect Joe Biden won. It was a significant moment because of Liz Cheneys upward political trajectory, and placed her at the front of the one lane of the Republican Party that has refused to yield to Trumps attempted coup. Cheney, a 54-year-old congresswoman from Wyoming, released a 21-page memo that excoriated the attempts by some Republicans in Congress to challenge the election results, which they plan to do on Wednesday. The memo included a thorough compendium of all the ways in which state and federal courts have dismissed and rejected claims of cheating. Rep. Liz Cheney at a news conference with fellow House Republicans outside the Capitol in Washington on Dec. 10. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) By objecting to electoral slates, members are unavoidably asserting that Congress has the authority to overturn elections and overrule state and federal courts. Such objections set an exceptionally dangerous precedent, threatening to steal states explicit constitutional responsibility for choosing the President and bestowing it instead on Congress. This is directly at odds with the Constitutions clear text and our core beliefs as Republicans, Cheney wrote in the memo, which was published Sunday. As for the proposal by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to form a commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns, Cheney responded with barely concealed scorn. Did those proposing a new commission realize that they were in essence proposing to delay the inaugural? Did they mean to set up a new future precedent where the inaugural is delayed and we have an Acting President? For how long? Who decides when that process is over? Will that require another Act of Congress? Could the Acting President veto any such future Congressional action? If Congress has authority to create such a commission now, are state elections, recounts and state law legal challenges just make-work until Congress gets around to investigating and deciding who should be President? Cheney wrote. Story continues President Trump walks to the Oval Office after returning from Florida on Thursday. (Bill O'Leary/the Washington Post via Getty Images) The memo clearly explained how the U.S. Constitution does not give Congress any role in deciding the presidency unless no one has a majority of Electoral College votes. Biden defeated Trump in the Nov. 3 election by winning 306 Electoral College votes to Trumps 232. Substituting our views for the votes of the people in the states ... would be establishing a tyranny of Congress and stealing power from the states and the people in those states, Cheney wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. The same day that Cheney released her memo, all 10 living former secretaries of defense wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post warning that any attempt to use the U.S. military to contest the election would take the country into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory. It also said that any members of the military who participated in such an undemocratic action would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic. The op-ed was organized and spearheaded by her 79-year-old father, who was the secretary of defense under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993. The Cheneys are not the only prominent Republicans to reject the descent into delusion that Trump has led millions of Republicans into. In the Senate, Republicans Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah have forcefully called out Trumps lies. Meanwhile, some of the most conservative Republican members of the House, such as Rep. Chip Roy and Rep. Ken Buck, have rejected the idea of challenging the Electoral College vote this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged Senate Republicans not to vote against the election results. And former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also issued a scathing criticism of Cruz and others like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who plan to contest the election this week. It is difficult to conceive of a more anti-democratic and anti-conservative act, Ryan said. Former Sen. John Danforth, a Republican who represented Missouri for nearly 20 years and who gave Hawley his endorsement in 2018, called him out by name. Lending credence to Trumps false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack on our constitutional government. It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical, Danforth said. But there are few Republicans in American political life who have developed more fearsome reputations for political battle than the Cheneys, especially since Dick Cheneys tenure as vice president from 2001 to 2009. After the 9/11 attacks, Dick Cheney became an even more hard-line defense hawk than he already was and pushed the limits of the law and ethics in advocating for interrogation practices viewed by many as torture. Nicknamed Darth Vader by friends and foes alike, his views on national security were so uncompromising that over time he even alienated President George W. Bush to some degree. Rep. Liz Cheney, right, and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, at the Capitol in Washington in 2017. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Barbara Comstock, a former Republican member of Congress who worked in the George W. Bush administration, said that the Cheney family has the stomach for the kind of backlash prompted by standing up to Trump. When youve been through these battles before and youve had everyone go at you youre not as intimidated by it, Comstock, an ally of Liz Cheney, said. Once theyve ripped through you and youve survived, its Hey, Im here to do the job. Im not going to be bullied or intimidated. Comstock noted that many members of Congress from overwhelmingly conservative districts are not used to criticism from their own side. As for the gambit by Hawley, Cruz and others to challenge the election results, Comstock said its dumb and dumber, and its lazy. The Cheneys have had to do hard real work in politics, and they arent disrespecting people when they have to tell them hard things. Theyve done it before and theyve taken the slings and arrows of it and theyre willing to do it, she said. Liz Cheney held senior positions at the State Department during the George W. Bush presidency, but her entry into running for political office got off to an ignominious start. In 2013, she rushed into a primary challenge of a sitting Republican senator, Mike Enzi, who had been considering retirement but put that off by six years in part because of Cheneys failure to wait for him to make a decision. Cheney eventually withdrew from the race. But since her election to the House in 2016, Cheney has quickly risen up the ranks of Republican leadership despite her less-than-stellar relationship with the White House. Although she has voted with Trumps wishes most of the time, she has also bucked him, and at times publicly called him out. When she turned down the opportunity to take Enzis seat this past fall, it got House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthys attention, as well as that of the House minority whip, Rep. Steve Scalise. Both McCarthy and Scalise would like to be House speaker if Republicans retake the House majority, in 2022 or 2024, and Cheney now is clearly signaling that she will likely gun for that job as well. Steve Schmidt, a former Republican operative who co-founded the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, said that after the votes this week on the Electoral College, McCarthy will be the leader of House Autocrats and [Cheney] will be the Leader of House Conservatives. At the same time, there are some dissenting voices on the right who have watched the Cheneys over the years and see more political calculation in Liz Cheneys latest moves than courage. I dont understand why they didnt do this a while ago, and I think its opportunistic for her to stand up after [Trumps] been fully established as a menace to America, said one Republican operative who has observed the Cheneys for decades but who did not want to be identified. Standing up to it now when its totally not going to work, theres no political cost. A glance at the comments section underneath Cheneys Facebook post, however, suggests she will have to steel herself for a good deal of criticism in the coming days at least. And Trump, who remains popular among the GOP rank and file, has repeatedly promised that he will seek revenge on Republican lawmakers who refute his attempts to stay in power. I will NEVER FORGET! he tweeted on Christmas Eve. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: In a new study published in Nature Physics, researchers from the B CUBE - Center for Molecular Bioengineering at TU Dresden and ESRF in Grenoble describe, for the first time, that structural defects in self-assembling nacre attract and cancel each other out, eventually leading to a perfect periodic structure. Mother-of-pearl, also known as nacre, is an incredibly strong biomaterial forming the shell of some mollusks. Its strength and beauty comes from its remarkably regular and uniform architecture. Until now, it was unclear how this intricate structure could be built by a multitude of single cells, all secreting materials at different locations at the same time. In a new study published in Nature Physics, researchers from the B CUBE - Center for Molecular Bioengineering at TU Dresden and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble describe, for the first time, that structural defects in self-assembling nacre attract and cancel each other out, eventually leading to a perfect periodic structure. Mollusks build shells to protect their soft tissues from predators. Nacre, also known as the mother of pearl, has an intricate, highly regular structure that makes it an incredibly strong material. Depending on the species, nacres can reach tens of centimetres in length. No matter the size, each nacre is built from materials deposited by a multitude of single cells at multiple different locations at the same time. How exactly this highly periodic and uniform structure emerges from the initial disorder was unknown until now. Nacre formation starts uncoordinated with the cells depositing the material simultaneously at different locations. Not surprisingly, the early nacre structure is not very regular. At this point, it is full of defects. In the very beginning, the layered mineral-organic tissue is full of structural faults that propagate through a number of layers like a helix. In fact, they look like a spiral staircase, having either right-handed or left-handed orientation, says Dr. Igor Zlotnikov, research group leader at the B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering at TU Dresden. The role of these defects in forming such a periodic tissue has never been established. On the other hand, the mature nacre is defect-free, with a regular, uniform structure. How could perfection emerge from such disorder? The researchers from the Zlotnikov group collaborated with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble to take a very detailed look at the internal structure of the early and mature nacre. Using synchrotron-based holographic X-ray nano-tomography the researchers could capture the growth of nacre over time. Nacre is an extremely fine structure, having organic features below 50 nm in size. Beamline ID16A at the ESRF provided us with an unprecedented capability to visualize nacre in three-dimensions, explains Dr. Zlotnikov. The combination of electron dense and highly periodical inorganic platelets with delicate and slender organic interfaces makes nacre a challenging structure to image. Cryogenic imaging helped us to obtain the resolving power we needed, explains Dr. Pacureanu from the X-ray Nanoprobe group at the ESRF. The analysis of data was quite a challenge. The researchers developed a segmentation algorithm using neural networks and trained it to separate different layers of nacre. In this way, they were able to follow what happens to the structural defects as nacre grows. The behaviour of structural defects in a growing nacre was surprising. Defects of opposite screw direction were attracted to each other from vast distances. The right-handed and left-handed defects moved through the structure, until they met, and cancelled each other out. These events led to a tissue-wide synchronization. Over time, it allowed the structure to develop into a perfectly regular and defect-free. Periodic structures similar to nacre are produced by many different animal species. The researchers think that the newly discovered mechanism could drive not only the formation of nacre but also other biogenic structures. Dr. Igor Zlotnikov is a leader of a multidisciplinary group at the B CUBE, TU Dresden. The group studies the interplay between physics of materials and cellular control. The Zlotnikov group implements state-of-the-art techniques from a large spectrum of fields in life and physical sciences to address the fundamental question of how the nature uses thermodynamic principles to generate complex structures. The group is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; grant 03Z22EN11). Reference: Beliaev, M. et al, Nature Physics (2021). Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today A mix of clouds and sun. Hot. High 93F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. [January 05, 2021] Davis Wright Tremaine Adds Satellite and Telecom Lawyer Lafayette M. Greenfield II To Enhance Its Integrated Technology and Communications Practice Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has added satellite and telecommunications lawyer Lafayette M. Greenfield II as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office, bringing new capabilities to its team serving the technology and communications industries. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005775/en/ Lafayette M. Greenfield II has joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office Greenfield, who jons the firm from Milbank, focuses his practice on satellite operators, telecommunications companies, aerospace manufacturers and launch services providers. He advises satellite and telecom companies and investors on transactional and regulatory matters and has significant experience with the Federal Communications Commission and regulations applicable to satellite systems and space-based technologies. He also has extensive experience advising a broad range of clients on international trade and national security matters. "For years, our team has been serving the communications needs of our technology clients and the technology needs of our communications clients," said Wendy Kearns, co-chair of the Technology, Communications, and Privacy & Security Practice. "Lafayette strengthens our ability to provide that integrated service to our clients as they expand into space." "From the tech hubs in Seattle and Silicon Valley to the policy and regulatory centers in Washington, the connection of our team provides an unmatched combination of skills, relationships and perspectives," said Mike Sloan, who leads the Communications practice group from the firm's Washington, D.C., office. "Lafayette's practice will further connect us in all three areas." "There is no better platform than DWT for me to build my practice," Greenfield said. "The firm is relentless in its commitment to supporting rising lawyers, to pursuing new opportunities and to building the teams it needs to meet its clients where they will be, not just where they are." Greenfield received his law degree from Howard University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Radford University. About Davis Wright Tremaine Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is a national law firm with more than 550 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.dwt.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005775/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Aerial crews have dropped more than 75,000 litres of fire retardant in the area to help land crews holding off the fire front. There are up to 13 aircraft dispatched. "Speeds of 3-4km/h are extremely challenging to contain," DFES deputy incident controller Andy Duckworth said. "We are treating this extremely seriously." Easterly and north-easterly winds are expected to fan the flames on Wednesday when the mercury is set to reach 37C. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting extremely hot and dry conditions going into next week, which only fuels the unpredictability of a fire threat. Bureau spokesman Neil Bennett said easterly winds would usually last a day or two because of the presence of a high-pressure system moving through the Bight. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video However, this time the high was particularly slow-moving, resulting in easterly winds lasting longer. The fire is uncontained and uncontrolled. Warning areas Residents in Oceans Farms Estate, Seaview Park and surrounding areas, in parts of Regans Ford, Red Gully, Cowalla, Moore River National Park, Nilgen, Mimegarra, Karakin and Orange Springs have been issued an emergency warning advising them they are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. A watch and act alert is also in place for parts of Wedge Island. People camping in the areas are urged to not attempt to leave south but leave and relocate to a safer place by heading north on Indian Ocean Drive. Burning embers are likely to start spot fires up to 100 metres ahead of the fire, and there is a lot of ash and dust blowing over the fire ground. "If you cannot leave, you need to get ready to shelter in your home," DFES advised. "Go to a room in your home away from the fire front and make sure you can easily escape. "Choose a room with two exits and water such as a kitchen or laundry." The bushfire is approaching Lancelin and surrounds. Credit:DFES Roads have been closed including Indian Ocean Drive from K.W Road to Wedge Island Road, K.W Road (east of Indian Ocean Drive), Minegarra Road from Brand Highway, and Orange Springs Road West from Brand Highway, and from the intersection of Sappers Road, Nabaroo Road and Cowalla Road to Nine Mile Swamp Road. There are vehicle checkpoints in the area, including on Wedge Island Road, Lancelin Road, K.W Road, Cowalla Bridge and Orange Spring Roads. Access to Lancelin via Lancelin Road has been closed and there is no access north of Lancelin on Indian Ocean Drive but those leaving Lancelin can do so in a southerly direction. Oceans Farms resident Amanda Solarino was on her way to Mindarie to buy a generator on Monday evening when she got the text message telling her and her partner to evacuate. She rushed back to Lancelin to pick up a friend's horse float before driving back to Ocean Farms to rescue her horse, chickens and goats. The blaze started on Saturday and has burned through more than 7200 hectares. Credit:Evan Collins In a daze, she managed to fit the four goats and four chickens inside regular cars and drove back to Lancelin, where she sought shelter at her in-laws' home. Ms Solarino, who has managed to house the horse in the backyard and the goats in the garage, said the flames got up to 8 kilometres from their home, but she said she wasn't worried. "More pissed off. My boyfriend and I work at the Endeavour Tavern and we have been so busy since Christmas, we are so tired we hardly have the energy to cope with it all," she said. Loading In town, Lancelin Lodge owner Karen Stokke opened the doors of the hostel to families fleeing the blaze and farm workers stuck with nowhere to go. "It is so emotionally draining for families that are being affected. We will do everything we can to help them out and make things feel safer for them and less stressful," Ms Stokke said. Ms Stokke urged anyone in need of safe accommodation to call the lodge instead of booking online. Wedge Island concerns Unexploded ordnance from the old Lancelin bombing range surrounding the suburb of Wedge Island, which is directly on the fire's path, is a major concern for firefighters. The winds are causing spot fires to ignite within 100 metres of the blaze. Credit:Nikki Woods Mr Duckworth said the ordnance prevented ground crews from accessing the area to battle the fire, which was quickly moving towards the suburb fanned by gusty winds. While he was confident the ammunition would not explode, he said it would be "extremely dangerous" for the flames to reach the area. "There's a lot of bush around there and we are limited in our ability to fight the fire, we can use our aircraft to do it but not much else," he said. "We are not confident we can pull [the fire front] up before it reached Wedge Island by any means, that is why we are urging those residents to pay particular attention to the warnings." Strong easterly winds, hot temperatures set to continue The Bureau of Meteorology is also predicting extremely hot and dry conditions going into next week, which are expected to fuel the unpredictability of a fire threat. DFES Deputy Commissioner Craig Waters said climate change had caused fires to burn with the same intensity into the evenings, whereas before firefighters would get a lull or reprieve with cooling conditions. Oil prices on Tuesday soared to near $50 a barrel a key threshold in the U.S. after OPEC and its allies reached a production deal that will reduce the amount of oil the group releases to the market. The agreement pushed West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, to settle at $49.93 on Tuesday, up $2.31 or 4.9 percent a day after falling by 1 percent when talks stalled. U.S. producers say $50 oil, a price not seen since February, allows them to break even. In Tuesdays unusual deal, Saudi Arabia agreed to unilaterally cut 1 million barrels a day in February and March, while most of the rest of the group keeps output steady. Russia and Kazakhstan were allowed to raise production by a combined 75,000 barrels a day in each of those months, an increase that Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said would barely register on the market. If the proposal gets confirmed prices are definitely in for better days in the first quarter of 2021, said Bjornar Tonhaugen, head of oil markets for Norwegian research firm Rystad. The compromise breaks a deadlock among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies over whether to increase crude production as nations are still battling a coronavirus pandemic that has slashed demand for oil. OPEC and its allies are idling 7.2 million barrels a day, or about 7 percent of world supplies, and had planned to return 1.5 million barrels a day in installments over the coming months. Russia, however, eager to regain market share, had pushed to increase production by another 500,000 barrels per day in February. RECOVERY: Oil hits 8-month high on a slow march to $60, analysts say Oils recent rally will likely boost output by U.S. shale producers. U.S. production had fallen by 2.84 million barrels a day from November 2019 to May 2020, before rebounding by 1.2 million barrels per day in December. Karr Ingham, a petroleum economist with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, said he expects OPECs decisions on output will have little effect on U.S. production, which is expected to rise by 200,000 barrels per day by the end of 2021. Bringing back half a million barrels per day is peanuts compared to the 7.7 million barrels (OPEC) cut last year, Ingham said. Were not talking about undoing 7 million barrels of production cuts. The risk is minimal to Texas and U.S. producers. Ingham said renewed economic and travel restrictions in response to a new strain of the coronavirus pose a greater risk to the U.S. oil and gas industry than OPEC gradually raising production levels. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday imposed a national lockdown to slow the spread of the new COVID-19 variant. Where the rubber meets the road is this new strain of COVID and what it does to energy demand and prices, Ingham said. If the market begins to sense that these things are a problem, thats what the operators will respond to. Bloomberg contributed. Instead of January 6, when the protesting farmers initially decided to conduct their tractor march, farmers on Tuesday announced that the tractor march would take place on January 7. Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav said farmers protesting the new farm laws will take out a tractor march on January 7 at four borders of Delhi, in what would be a glimpse of what has been planned for Republic Day if the new laws are not rolled back. We have decided that on January 7, we will take out a tractor march at four borders of Delhi including Eastern and Western peripheral. This will be a trailer for what lies ahead on January 26, said Yadav. On Monday, the seventh round of talks between farmer leaders and the government failed to resolve the deadlock as the Centre continued to rule out the possibility of repealing the three new farm laws, adding that it can look into any clause the farmers had issues with. Both sides had agreed to continue with talks on January 8. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said on Monday that until the three contentious farm laws were withdrawn, the protesters will not be going home. Discussion took place on our demands -- repeal of the three laws and MSP... Kanoon wapasi nahi, to ghar wapsi nahi (We will not go home until the laws are withdrawn), he said as quoted by news agency ANI. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a platform of farm unions, had said on Saturday that thousands of farmers will drive into the Capital in their tractors to hold their own Republic Day parade if their demands are not met by January 26. Farmers have time and again promised to intensify their protests if their demands are not met. The government is saying 50% of the demands have been met. For us, 85% of the demands are left.The agitation will become more intense now, said Darshan Pal, a senior leader of the agitation. Yadav too echoed similar sentiments of intensifying protests as the next round of talks neared. From tomorrow, for 2 weeks, Desh Jagran Abhiyan will be started and protests will be deepened throughout the country, Yadav was quoted as saying by ANI. GRAND HAVEN, Mich., Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Access-Power & Co., Inc., (ACCR or the Company), a Grand Haven based diversified holding Company is pleased to announce entry into the hemp Infused Covid-19 sanitizing market with our brand new product called Hempster19.com. The Company stated, We are so excited about our entry into this new sector of the economy. As we stated in our 10K, the Company believes the Covid-19 aggression will continue into 2021. We should be well capitalized for this new venture. Patrick J. Jensen, our Director, commented, I had a vision today. Today, we created a DREAMand with the stroke of a pen, ACCR owns, https://www.hempster19.com. Patrick continued, Hempster19.com will become a fully owned subsidiary of ACCR. We will offer this product for sale on our website soon. This marks the first day into the hemp infused sanitizing market. He continued on by stating, This is all so brand new. We are creating a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, formed under ACCR in order to help us reach our goals. We plan to sell a product into this market. He further commented, WOWSA! The research on the cannabis plant and its cousin, the hemp plant, are amazing in their fight against Covid-19. Patrick cited the following research on this new and exciting potential. We are in the initial stages of study into this market. We have found several reseller agreements that offer potential into this new sector. We are very pleased with how the FDA.GOV does not answer the question efficiently in the updated Q&A portion of their website. It gives us hope. Q. Is hand sanitizer effective against COVID-19? A. The best way to prevent the spread of infections and decrease the risk of getting sick is by washing your hands with plain soap and water, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is essential, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing ones nose. If soap and water are not available, CDC recommends consumers use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/qa-consumers-hand-sanitizers-and-covid-19 In addition, and most importantly, the Company has completed its 2020 10K financial reporting. This report was filed with the SEC on January 4th 2021. The Company will file to be PINK CURRENT INFORMATION tier soon with OTC Markets. The application with OTC Markets to be in the PINK CURRENT INFORMATION tier will occur on January 24, 2021. Established in 1996, Access-Power & Co., Inc. is a Florida based for-profit Corporation with operations in West Michigan. There are various risk factors that should be carefully considered in evaluating our business; because such factors may have a significant impact on our business, our operating results, our liquidity and financial condition. As a result of these various risk factors, actual results could differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us, or that we currently consider to be immaterial, may also impact our business, result of operations, liquidity and financial condition. If any such risks occur, our business, its operating results, liquidity and financial condition could be materially affected in an adverse manner. Under such circumstances, if a stable trading market for our securities is established, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. SECURITIES ISSUED BY THE COMPANY INVOLVE A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND, THEREFORE, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED EXTREMELY SPECULATIVE. THEY SHOULD NOT BE PURCHASED BY PERSONS WHO CANNOT AFFORD THE POSSIBILITY OF THE LOSS OF THE ENTIRE INVESTMENT. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD READ ALL OF THE COMPANY'S FILINGS, INCLUDING ALL EXHIBITS, AND CAREFULLY CONSIDER, AMONG OTHER FACTORS THE VARIOUS RISK FACTORS THAT MAY BE PRESENT. BEWARE OF NAKED SHORTING IN OUR COMMON SHARES You should be aware that there are many substantial risks to an investment in our common stock. Carefully consider these risk factors, along with any available information currently reported by the Company (of which there are note), before you decide to invest in shares of our common stock. If these risk factors were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or future prospects could be materially adversely affected. If that happens, the market price for our common stock, if any, could decline, and prospective investors would likely lose all or even part of their investment. Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about the Company's business, based, in part, on assumptions made by management. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may, and probably will, differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Contact Information: Patrick J. Jensen Director Tel: 616.312.5390 Email: pjensen@myaccess-power.com Corporate Website: http://www.myaccess-power.com "Our corporate website is currently under construction to soon reflect our new business model in the Michigan Medical Marijuana Clone sector." Product Website http://www.mycbdpets.com http://www.clonesbydrones.com http://www.clonesbycars.com Access-Power & Co., Inc. OTC Ticker: ACCR Alabama breezed through the regular season and college football's semifinals, surviving a solitary scare in the Southeastern Conference championship game to reach its expected destination. Ohio State wasn't exactly a shoo-in with its abbreviated schedule but resoundingly proved it belonged in the College Football Playoffs with a semifinal thrashing of Clemson. The Buckeyes and Crimson Tide traveled different paths to get to Monday's title game at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida, but both had to navigate the challenges of a pandemic-altered season I know this has been a little bit of a trying year for a lot of folks, Nick Saban, the top-ranked Crimson Tide's coach, said Monday. It's not a finale that could be taken for granted. No. 3 Ohio States odyssey included an abbreviated Big Ten season with three games canceled because of COVID-19 issues, including the Buckeyes' own outbreak. This team, this program, we persevered through so much, Ohio State running back Trey Sermon said Monday. "To have the opportunity to play on such a big stage, it means a lot to us. Weve been through a lot. I mean, we fought to just play, and just to be able to get the job done, to make it to this level, it just means a lot to us. The Tide (12-0) advanced with a 31-14 win over Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl, played in Arlington, Texas not southern California in yet another example of just how different this season has been. Before that Alabama navigated 11 straight SEC games, including wins over three teams currently ranked among the top 11 before facing Notre Dame. The Tide also won the Iron Bowl against Auburn with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian who takes over the Texas Longhorns program following the game running the show while Saban was sidelined by COVID-19. In addition to Sarkisian's imminent departure, Alabama has to take care of some Heisman Trophy business while preparing for the matchup with Ohio State. Both wide receiver DeVonta Smith and quarterback Mac Jones are among the four Heisman finalists, along with quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Kyle Trask of Florida. Story continues Smith isn't interested in talking about the award being handed out virtually on Tuesday, saying his focus is on preparing for the Buckeyes. Right now Im not really worried about the Heisman Trophy, he said. Monday's game is a rematch of a semifinal game in the first College Football Playoffs six years ago. Ohio State (7-0) won that meeting en route to the national title. There were questions whether this Buckeyes team deserved to be in CFP, but Ohio State routed favored Clemson, erasing sentiments that another Tigers-Crimson Tide title showdown was all but inevitable. If Smith shared those expectations, the Alabama wide receiver kept them to himself. I mean, Im not part of the committee, so I have no say-so in who they put in and who they wanted to put in, Smith said. At the end of the day, we just show up here, practice, and get ready for whoever the next opponent is. The big question for Ohio State Monday was the health of quarterback Justin Fields, who took a vicious shot to the side in the first half against Clemson. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day didn't give details on the nature of provide any detailed updates Monday on the QB's injury but said: I definitely expect him to play. Here's a look at each team's path to the Monday's showdown: ALABAMA Overview: Has mostly coasted into the title game with few challenges, outscoring opponents by an average of 48-19 points. The Tide ranks second nationally in scoring offense, behind only Kent State, fifth in scoring and sixth in total offense. Best regular season win: While the win over No. 5 Texas A&M looms largest now, then-No. 2 Alabama rallied from a halftime deficit against third-ranked Georgia with 21 unanswered points in a 41-24 win. Toughest hurdle: Florida. The Tide withstood a second-half rally attempt to beat the Gators 52-46 in the SEC championship game. Najee Harris scored five touchdowns, three receiving and two rushing. Best player: Smith has shattered Alabama and SEC receiving records with a season that has made him a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Smith caught three touchdown passes against Notre Dame. OHIO STATE Overview: Like many teams, Ohio State faced major obstacles during the pandemic. First the Big Ten canceled fall football. After an about-face, an abbreviated scheduled led to questions about Ohio State's inclusion in the final four. The Buckeyes validated the decision, going up three touchdowns by halftime against Clemson in the semifinals. Best regular season win: 42-35 win over No. 7 Indiana, a victory that lost some of its luster after the Hoosiers fell to Mississippi in the Outback Bowl. The Buckeyes withstood a challenge after giving up two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter. Toughest hurdle: The Buckeyes silenced the naysayers with a 49-28 win over Clemson and Lawrence. Best Player: Fields looked like a Heisman contender much of the season, before a lackluster performance in the Big Ten championship game against Northwestern. Then he outshined Lawrence with an impressive, 22-of-28, 385-yard performance when he set a Sugar Bowl record with six touchdown passes. ___ More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25 Vera is an expert on biomedical research ethics, and she has rare and valuable insight into the landscape of public health today and the governments response to the coronavirus. Thank you for tuning in to part two of our exclusive interview with Vera Sharav, Holocaust survivor and renowned champion for human rights. These government agencies are orchestrating obedience and it is not democraticits not the product of democracy. Its the product of a pharmaceutical-driven, bio-security agenda that will enslave the entire human race and plunge us into a dystopian nightmare where the apocalyptical forces of ignorance and greed will be running our lives and ruining our children and destroying all the dreams and dignity that we hope to give to our children. Vera very much echoes the words of Robert Kennedy, Jr. when he said, recently, In Part One (HERE) Vera called everyone to stand up against the growing forces bent on taking away our rights. Here she expands on the topic with chilling examples of whats at stake for all of us. Thank you to Anne Dachel for this detailed transcription. ### Below is a transcription of Part Two of a video interview with health freedom advocate, Vera Sharav. Vera Sharav, a medical activist, is the founder of the Alliance for Human Research Protection, and an activist against some practices of the biomedical industry, particularly in matters of patient consent and children. In this second segment, Vera draws parallels to what she seeing happening today and what her family saw in Nazi Germany. She also talks about the dangers of using children and minorities as research subjects, and the dangers of blindly following authority, and what we can do to protect ourselves, our children and the most vulnerable among us. I hope you enjoy the second part of my conversation with Vera. Vera Sharav: This is a eugenics way of looking at the world. Eugenics was exported from the United States to Nazi Germany. It never, never was abandoned; it just got its name changed. There are all kinds of institutions that essentially continue to push the eugenics agenda with policies that they easily set because of the money. Some populations are targeted for weeding out those who you consider lesser, inferior. People of color in the United States have in fact been very much targeted for medical experiments that were anything but medicine, that were really criminal. Everyone knows about Tuskegee, but black and Hispanic children have been used as guinea pigs repeatedly in experiments that should never ever have been done. Is it too explosive or whatever to compare Nazism? Im sorry, this is what Nazism was about. This is how they did things. This is how they did things when they began with the children. The Jews, in the Nazi order, were the despised minority. And here we have the blacks and Hispanics being treated like a despised minority, like their lives dont count. We have to stop it, and this might be the trigger. If the African American community gets up and says no and really says no, and we help them to say no, thats very important. Leah: Vera, one of the pharmaceutical industry strategies right now, to reach their goal of Leave No One Behind, Immunization Agenda 2030, is to eliminate vaccine exemptions across the United States. This is a state issue, but were seeing the trend sweep the U.S. to eliminate religious exemptions, medical exemptions even. What do you say to those who dont yet see the not so obvious concern of giving up autonomy and giving up rights to make your own health care decisions? Vera: Every word there is exactly its absolutely the talking points during the Nazi regime. Its the same. At this point there are already so many, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of children whove been damaged by vaccines. More parents will come into contact with someone, whether its in their own extended family or neighbors or school children who are damaged. They need to think very, very hard about, is it the right thing to do to obey authority, because those authorities bear absolutely no responsibility. If your child is harmed, the only one who has responsibility is you. Youre left with the medical bills, Youre left with the heartache of having a children thats never going to have a normal life. So to entrust the schools or a doctor who doesnt bear any of the problems when things go wrong. Do you really want to play Russian roulette with your childs life? Were talking about their life. Some of these abnormalities that are caused by the sheer number of vaccines, it is just so enormous that you better think really hard whether it might not be a good idea to find out more of the evidence. There are articles. Those vaccines also have labels; they dont give them to you. You have to make sure to get them, to read them and maybe have a lawyer look over and get that kind of advice. Once your child is harmed from the things that are in the vaccines, its not necessarily the virus that its trying to prevent. There are a whole lot of other elements in vaccines, including fetal tissue, including different animal tissue. 6:30 There are a whole lot of things in vaccines that have never ever been tested for safety in children. Its a very, very dark area. Vaccines dont undergo the kind of safety trials that drugs do. No vaccine on the childrens schedule has ever been tested against a real placebo, saline, saline placebo. Theyre tested against other vaccines, or against those adjuvants that are in the vaccine but are not the virus. Those adjuvants very often are the thing that cause the most damage. Leah: And just because a vaccine is state mandated, youre saying, does not change whos responsible for the child. It does not shift responsibility. In fact, not only does the state not have responsibility; the manufacturers do not have responsibility. 7:30 Vera: Everyone has immunity. Leah: Can there truly be immunity when the state is mandating the vaccine be given to school age children? Vera: Parents are not being offered the information that is known already. Theyre not being given that information. Theyre being told, Its fine. Its been found to be safe and effective. Thats the mantra: Safe and effective. Every vaccine that we recommend to you, safe and effective. Its just not true. The fact that there are thousands of children who are damaged, you really cant write them off. And that number keeps growing. Leah: Startling. Its destructive for not only that child but for the entire family. Vaccines are not studied with their synergistic effects in combination with the rest of the childhood schedule. Theyre also not studied for their cancer-causing effects, impairment of fertility or mutagenic effects. 8:34 So, in your opinion, does that make children who receive vaccines unwilling research subjects? Leah: Yes, a huge, uncontrolled medical experiment. They refuse to conduct a trial that compares vaccinated against unvaccinated children and see which ones are healthier. Youre not willing to do so because you know that the findings will be on the side of the unvaccinated. Theyre the healthier ones. Leah: Issues like this Historically youve had a lot of success with getting the press attention, but now the pharmaceutical industry has such huge influence over not only the media and the press, but over government and lawmakers and the government advisors, and even the medical industry associations. What voice do the parents, as stakeholders, have left? 9:40 Vera: Even though theyre censoring a lot even on social media, because again, those who own the social media are those big corporations that have partnerships with pharmaceuticals or with Gates. He owns a lot of the media now. Nevertheless, there are websites. There are organizations that do provide legitimate information. Parents need to address them. They need to go to them. They need to find them. Leah: I hear a lot with the moms in our circles that the first question they ask when becoming curious about their childs health decisions and making decisions independently, Dont my children have to comply in order to go to school? And thats where we have to make moms aware that that cant be the determining factor. 10:41 Vera: They need to rebel. If enough rebel, it wont happen. Unless African Americans had marched on Washington with Martin Luther King, it would have not changed. It would have gotten worse and worse and worse. Even though we still have a lot of racism in society, it is not the same as it was before the march. It requires people to rebel. This country was started with a revolution. That was their rebellion against the mother state, against England. So where is that spirit now? People who are dependent on government are kind of the first victims. They have the least options. So its difficult to kind of put it on them. I think that middle class, educated people, who do have options, who have been able to work from home and maintain their income, they have choices. They have options and it behooves them to lead. There are crossroads in life. Many times, not only the Holocaust, really, there are many crossroads, many points in life where you have to make choices. And if you dont, someone who will make the choice for you is not going to make it for your best interest. Just be aware of that. You and your child, the parent in most, ninety-nine percent of cases, has the best interest of the child. Yes, there are some abusive parents, we know that, but they are not anywhere near even the smallest minority, because thats against nature. Im a very strong believer that you dont go against the natural instincts. Use your natural instinct. Thats what I learned as I was six years old. Go by your instinct. Its probably your best guide if you have no other. 13:04 Better still of course, get informed. Get informed so that youll be armed with accurate information that you can argue against the imposition of medical interventions that may harm you forever. Leah: Ive heard you say were at a crossroads in history. Vera: This is exactly the crossroad that we are now [at]. Either we go along, as so far as most people have, or we say, enough. Lets look back at this COVID. Initially the lockdowns happened because they followed Professor Neil Ferguson at the Imperial College of London. He had projected that there would be two and a half million Americans who would die from COVID-19 and 510 thousand in the U.K. Not only did it turn out to be completely, completely off basetotally, not even close, but Professor Ferguson has a record of similar disasters that his predictions caused. The first one was in 2001 when he predicted that 50,000 in the U.K. would hoof and mouth disease from the cattle and that you had to slaughter the cattle. So they went and slaughtered millions of sheep and cows. No such thing happened. Then it was SARS. Again he came out with absurd numbers. Now what does that tell you? And this is the world expert: an epidemiologist that his mathematical calculations were the things that everybody went by, but he has been wrong over and over again. So I asked myself, why would you go with someone who has really an absurd track record? Just one disaster after another. I found out the answer. He gets millions of dollars every year from the Bill Gates Foundation. So he had an exact model to follow in order to create a panic. This was to create a panic. It was totally false. So when the media talks about fake news and anti-vaxx and all that, no, no, no. None of us are against vaccine per se. We want them to be safe, and we want to have a choice as to which ones we think we need because we might be exposed to that disease, and which ones we dont need. And we certainly wouldnt want to have our infants get tetanus shots and hepatitis B. Theyre not going to be going in the dirt with nails, and theyre not exchanging needles. These are infants. This is the way to expand the market. The market is too small for tetanus And who are the most vulnerable? Right there in the delivery room. Thats not a time where the mother can make a choice. She should be given the opportunity to make that choice before she enters that birthing room. Leah: The justification is if we get maximum uptake, its for the whole, its for the better. However, is there ever a higher morality than making the best decision for that child? Vera: But even that, theyre conflating. Tetanus is not catching, so theres no herd immunity. Leah: And hepatitis B is not spread in the classroom. 17:19 Vera: Thats right exactly, and its the same thing with HPV. I mean, once people understand that what is ruling this entire thing is a business model. Its a marketing model, and they have a captured audience and a captured market because the government hands it to them. Thats what has happened. The government now doesnt represent us. The govern is there to enforce what Bill Gates and the pharmaceutical companies want. We never voted for them. We never gave our approval to them; we werent asked. The corruption is just so systemic, so wide in government, and unfortunately its completely polluted the scientific, medical literature. Nothing is what it appears. A few years later, someone comes and shows how it was totally flawed. But in the meantime, each one of those very strategically placed reports, like in the New England Journal of Medicine and in the Lancet, they place it there because they have great impact on the profession. Now weve had both of them caught with fraudulent study, each one of them right now. It had to do with hydroxychloroquine. It was all fraud, and each one of them, it went through their peer review. What kind of peer review wouldnt realize that there was no data really? Leah: What does the accountability look like when theyre caught with the fraud? Vera: Fraud? Nothing, theres no accountability. Leah: Theres no accountability for the journal. Vera: Not really. I mean you would think What could be worse? And both of them in the same month. I posted it before they retracted it even. They were forced to retract because it was just so absurd. Leah: Its clear, Vera, that you value the sanctity of life and that youve gone to bat for millions and same that will never even know. Vera: I guess some of us are kind of propelled, an inner feeling that if I dont do it, how could I expect then that others should have done better when I was in trouble? That was what initially started me off. I laid blame, after all. Then I realized, most people end up blame worthy because they wont take that step. You have to be honest with yourself too and not believe in fairy tales. Unfortunately a lot of what people have been taught to trust, they dont deserve our trust, so we shouldnt keep wasting it on them. Trust your own instinct. Trust your own instinct. Your children will be so much better off. 20:35 Leah: If those who hear this interview could learn one thing from your story, what would hope that would be? Vera: Dont believe that those who are constantly being touted as experts, that that means anything. It really, really doesnt. People give each other these kinds of titles to impress the people who arent schooled in the same way An expert at the very least should be one whos most of the time right. I would think that would be like the first thing right? If one after another, youre wrong and by zillions; I mean were not talking about a little bit wrong. Then theres another reason why that person and those persons are called experts. They help to create panic in order to set the stage for mandatory whatever the government says, thats it. What wants to live in that kind of a society? Who wants to live cooped up the way weve been, when it shouldnt have been that way in the first place? Real scientists, independent scientists have been arguing the [lockdowns], against all this nonsense that destroyed the economy. That creates so much worse consequences that reallymore people committing suicide, theres violence within the family. Not everyone has a nice spacious apartment. People with three children, four children and cooped it, it gets on your nerves. You know, they dont have a way to let out their energy because parents are afraid to let them out. Thats outrageous to have a breakdown of society because of a virus that isnt anything like what weve been led to believe. 22:33 They want control. They want total control of us, that we should become robots. And lets understand that the Bill Gates crowd of multi-billionaires, and it seems that there have been more billionaires created in these last ten years since 2008 when there was a again an economic recession. That should tell you something. They consider themselves an elite, and this is an eugenics way of looking at the world. Eugenics was exported from the United States to Nazi Germany. It never, never was abandoned. It just got its name changed. So population control, theres a population council. There are all kinds of institutions that essentially continue to push the eugenics agenda with policies that they easily set because of the money. So some populations are targeted for weeding out. Thats the eugenics kind of way of reducing populations. You weed out those who you consider lesser, you know, inferior. Leah: So I hear you saying a few things about teaching others to think about what makes them an expert, when were listening to experts, whos profiting and what makes this situation different than what weve seen before. Vera: On a larger scale, its a more insidious scale because a lot of it is electronic. We dont really see it. You dont have to have quite as many Gestapo around. They can do things without that now. Really the electronic way of doing things gives them much more control. We know that everything, Facebook,, all of those models, the data about people has gone into a central bank. Leah: Vera, what do you think about the notion that weve been hearing, first from Melinda Gates, of giving the black community the first round of COVID-19 vaccines, after the health care workers? Vera: We have to be clear that the African American community and also people of color in the United States have in fact been very much targeted for medical experiments that were anything but medicine, that were really criminal. Let me explain. Everyone knows about Tuskegee and syphilis trials on African American men. Children, black and Hispanic children have been used as guinea pigs repeatedly in experiments that should never, ever have been done. 26:00 Let me give you some examples. You talked about the New York City children who given fenfluramine. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1162/152651603322781639 That was a drug that was eventually removed from the market. This was done at Columbia University. It was to test whether you could predict violence in little six year old children because they had a sibling who had problems with the law. Now first of all, the idea of tagging a violence tag to these children, boys, they were all boys, who had shown no violencethey were perfectly innocent childrenand to expose them to a drug that to this day, I dont know what really the connection was going to be because how you react to a drug now is how the drug is acting on you at this point. How could you even fathom whats going to happen ten years later in that child? Its going to be a different body. And this was government sponsored. Yes, I saw that as a travesty, an absolute travesty. During the AIDS epidemic black and Hispanic infants and children were used as guinea pigs to test experimental AIDS drugs and vaccines. They were government sponsored. Some of them were co-sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, but the government gave its imprimatur to do these. The experiments were conducted at, I think it was, about eight different states. My work on this was New York City because this was a major place. There were a few hundred children The experiments, these were foster children, children in foster care. Now, children in foster care, federal law, which was adopted in 1983, doesnt allow foster care children to be used in medical research unless it is potentially of benefit to them, unless it is something about their condition which wouldnt be invasive drugs, but rather psychological. But if they had an illness, and this might help them, then it was allowed. Other medical research is not allowed to be done on wards of the state. They did do that with these children. Leah: Post 1983. Vera: It was after 1983. It was between 1985 and 2005. Now what they did first of all, they assumed in most case, that the children were infected with HIV because the mothers at birth may have been infected or just shown some symptoms. The tests were very unreliable during that whole period. There were a lot of false positives, and most of the children would have had the mothers antibodies but not really be infected, and that was in fact found out eventually when they did an investigation. The experiments, the drugs and the vaccines that they were testing were horrific. Children older than the infants who tried to run away, who resisted, they took them and inserted a plastic tube into their abdomen so that they could not refuse. They tethered them essentially. Thats torture. There are both national and international laws against torture, and this is torture of these little children. The directive was completely against federal law which requires that any foster care child, if theyre in research, they have to have a personal advocate as well as informed consent. This committee was told theres no need for individual informed consent. You can just do consent for the group. Thats applying herd methods to human beings. These little babies, and eventually because the media at that time did do some stories which I worked on, the city contracted the Vera InstituteI have nothing to do with itbut the Vera Institute to investigate. They investigated and they found indeed I also filed a complaint with the federal. I always did that. Federal found that the children didnt have personal advocates as required by law. They found a few things, but again these agencies are essentially, they work together with these hospitals. They work together. All the grants were coming from federal government so even though this Office of Human Research Protection is supposed to be separate, theyre not really separate. They are employees of the Department of Health and Human Services. You know, the ones who are also giving the grants. But they found a few things, and then the Vera Institute found a bit more. 32:45 They found 80 children died. Nobody investigated what they died of. It was assumed that it was AIDS. There was this nurse who worked at Incarnation House. This was near Columbia, a home for foster children run by Catholic Charities, and she adopted two children. Two of those children she adopted. They were on massive drugs, cocktails of AIDS. They were in very bad shape. Once she had them in her home which had a backyard, she slowly started to wean the children from the drugs. And low and behold, they thrived. They thrived. What did Childrens Protective Services do? They came and they took away the children, and she never saw them again. Leah: Did they give a justification? Vera: She wasnt complying with the protocol. She was devastated. She really felt that she could save them. So in order not to have that kind of evidence against the drugs, they took the children away. dont know whether they survived or what. Thats a crime. I mean this you asked before is it too explosive or whatever to compare Nazism. Im sorry. This is what Nazism was about. This is how they did things. 34:54 This is how they did things when they began with the children. The Jews in the Nazi order were the despised minority. And here we have the blacks and Hispanics being treated like a despised minority, like their lives dont count. I found several articles, later reports in the journals which in fact found that some of the children didnt have HIV or anything. So there they were. There was absolutely no justification for the use of these children in experimental, such very, very toxic drugs and a vaccine that was never developed. Each one of them was not safe and effective. Leah: So how do we stand up for these issues in terms of, in this day and age were seeingor in this specific time, were seeing specific minorities being targeted? Vera: You have to stop it, and this might be the trigger. If the African American community gets up and says no and really says no, and we help them to say no. Thats very important. Then we could stop the whole mandate. In other words, the minorities where they think they can get away with more, they do. And they test the most toxic stuff on them because they dont respect them as human beings, as having worth. Its very, very important that people get together and realize that there are people who will do anything, they will do anything to make money and to control. This is really now about control. It behooves us to stand up. People still have the ability right now to stand up and to let them know this wont fly. This has to be a citizens uprising. Its that simple. Otherwise why talk about democracy? Why talk about a free society? Were not. This is what were about to lose if we allow it. Leah: Thats whats on the line. Vera: What is so amazing to me and very painful to realize is, its one thing when you see the societies in the Far East, you know, Japan, Singapore, China, thats their tradition to be submissive to authority. But that wasnt the American way. America was the exact opposite. And now were going along with things that are really harming us. The lockdown is very, very harmful to more people than it is profitable. Its only a few who are profiting, but they call the shots because they invaded everything. They are in all government, in local, state and federal. We see part of this sheepish like subservience is part of the problem of our education system. Children are not really encouraged to stand up and insist that they are right. No, theyre supposed to be subservient, and that whole ADHD falls into that. Boys, who dont want to say no, theyre being hushed and drugged. And the schools arent teaching them. They really are not encouraging self-thinking. You know, thinking a problem through and coming to their own conclusion and then feeling that they know that theyre right. Theyre not being encouraged to do that. Theyre being encouraged to simply repeat what the teacher says. It is conditioning. This is psychological conditioning to be ready for each new order, a new edict, whether its the governor, the President, whoever. And they are maintaining this high level of panic. A parent should say, I choose not to vaccinate my child for this and that and the other vaccine. Leah: And when more of us become confident in what we choose then the shaming can start to subside. Vera: Exactly. We are shaming people into line is so antithetical to a democratic process. There should be lively debate, but they wont debate because they know they lose the debate. Thats why they wont do it. Were at a crossroads. I mean theres nothing instead of standing up yourself. I mean nobody else will come and give it on a platter. There are urgent calls for compulsory testing for passengers returning to Australia as the highly infectious UK mutant coronavirus strain arrives in the country. Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has led the calls after confirming three people in hotel quarantine in Perth have the more transmissible variant. NSW, Victoria and South Australia had all previously recorded cases in returned overseas travellers. 'I think it would be a great safety mechanism to ensure that people coming out of many countries around the world have a test and confirm they are negative before they board a flight with hundreds of other Australians,' he said. Travellers to Australia should be tested for coronavirus and return a negative result to board a flight, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan says. Pictured, a returned Australian entering hotel quarantine in Melbourne 'And I think that safety measure should be implemented. To me, this is a no-brainer.' The UK variant is believed to be up to 70 per cent more infectious than the original, causing havoc in England and prompting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to order a new national lockdown until at least mid-February. Victoria has also called for flight crews to not only be tested but quarantined across the nation. Eight flight crew have tested positive for coronavirus out of the 1096 who have arrived in Victoria over the past fortnight - double the rate of other returned travellers in hotel quarantine. Victoria Police Minister Lisa Neville said other states should be following their lead with testing and quarantining air crew because they pose a high risk. 'I would be today saying to the other states this is such a high risk for all of us, for the country. Everyone needs to follow the lead around quarantining and testing of flight crews,' she said. 'We're fine in Victoria but flight crews are coming in right across the country (and pose) a significant risk to all of Australia.' Victoria tests air crew within 90 minutes of their arrival at their quarantine hotel under tough new rules bought in on December 23. Mandatory testing of Australians returning home is seen as important in keeping coronavirus out of the country. Pictured, a nurse tests a patient in Wollongong after Greater Sydney was put on high alert following a coronavirus outbreak Air crew that test positive can only leave the country after 14 days and their colleagues can only fly out earlier if the plane does not carry any passengers. But political leaders are at odds with the compulsory testing regime. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says mandatory testing of airline passengers is not the answer, as it could give a false sense of confidence on arrival. 'Most of the airlines do it anyway and on all the flights that we're bringing back to Australia directly as a Commonwealth, we're doing it,' Mr Morrison told 3AW radio. 'But we should stress that that doesn't change the risk. 'In some cases the argument is that it can be accentuated, it can highlight it, because people can be asymptomatic ... or the virus hasn't manifested itself yet at the time of travelling and that can create a complacency on the other side.' Labor health spokesman Chris Bowen said it was important that more Australians were given the opportunity to return home. 'But obviously this new strain in the United Kingdom is concerning,' he said. Air crew should also be tested and placed into quarantine on arrival in Australia, Victoria's police minister says. Pictured, flight crew arriving in Sydney 'So sensible measures like increased testing ... do seem to me to be a sensible, good faith suggestion.' NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there was 'no one silver bullet' to keep the community safe from variant viruses. 'Just because you're tested a couple of days before you get on the plane, you can develop the infection on the plane, you can develop as you're getting off the plane, or the next day,' she said. Another international strain - a South African variant - was detected in a woman who arrived in Queensland on December 22 who went straight into hotel quarantine. Australia has recorded 95 overseas acquired cases over the past week. On Tuesday, Victoria recorded three locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and NSW revealed four new local cases. Chennai, Jan 5 : Senior Indian space scientist Tapan Misra on Tuesday has alleged that he was poisoned with a deadly chemical on May 23, 2017 at the headquarters of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) when he had gone there to attend a promotion interview. "I have come out in public as I fear for my life post retirement. I am retiring this month," Misra, Senior Advisor at ISRO, told IANS. Two former space agency chiefs could not be reached for a response, while one declined to comment on the allegations. In a Facebook post, Misra wrote: "We, in ISRO, occasionally heard about highly suspicious death of Prof. Vikram Sarabhai in 1971. Also heard occasional doubts about sudden death of Dr. S Srinivasan, Director of VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre) in 1999. Case of Shri Nambinarayanan in 1994 is well known. But I never thought that I will be at the receiving end of such mystery." "I was poisoned with deadly Arsenic Trioxide on 23rd May 2017, during promotion interview from Sci/Eng SF to SG in ISRO HQ at Bangalore. Fatal dose was probably mixed with chutney along with Dosai, in snacks after lunch." "What followed was nightmare lasting for almost two years...Severe loss of blood to the tune of 30-40 per cent through anal bleeding. I barely could come back from Bangalore and was rushed to Zydus Cadila hospital in Ahmedabad," Misra said. "It was followed by severe breathing difficulty, unusual skin eruptions and skin shedding, loss of nails on feet and hands, terrible neurological issues due to hypoxia, skeletal pain, unusual sensations, one suspected heart attack and arsenic depositions and fungal infections on every inch of skin and internal organs," he added. According to Misra, treatment was received in Zydus Cadilla, TMH-Mumbai and AIIMS-Delhi over a period of two years. "Famed forensic specialist, Dr. Sudhir Gupta told me that in his whole career, for the first time he was seeing a live specimen of a survivor of assassination attempt with fatal dose of assassination grade molecular As2O3. Otherwise his experience was limited to cadavers," Misra said. According to Misra, one of the Directors of ISRO centres had told him on June 5, 2017 of the possibility of poison given to me. "Probably, I guess, he witnessed poison mixing in my food." "On 7th June, MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) security agency personnels met me and alerted me of Arsenic poisoning. I am thankful to them, as their info helped doctors to focus on exact remedy instead of scratching their heads with unusual signatures of my ailment," he said in his post. Misra said he had learnt that this poison is given in molecular level suspension (crystal level is harmless) just after a heavy meal. "It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless suspension and hence cannot even be suspected. It gets absorbed through stomach during food ingestion, kills RBCs (red blood cells) immediately to such large extent that the fine blood vessels are clogged, leading to heart attacks and strokes within two to three hours and the victim can easily be passed of as heart attack death," he said. According to him, he did not take lunch that day and the amount of poison - mixed in chutney - was small quantity and the arsenic passed directly to colon region and most of them got ejected through bleeding. "The motive appears to be espionage attack, embedded in the Government set up, to remove a scientist with critical contribution of very large military and commercial significance, like expertise in building Synthetic Aperture Radar," he said. In a much more serious allegation, Misra said: "I will also not rule out it also as a new modus operandi of adjusting seniority and clear me who was perceived as obstacle. Whatever may be the reason, it was a great shame for the country and our security apparatus." "I pleaded with two successive Chairmen to help me in getting justice. Kirankumar tried his best to convince me that my earlier case of squamous cell carcinoma is resurrecting. I personally talked to Dr. Kasturirangan and Shri Madhavan Nair and they developed cold feet," Misra said. The two past ISRO Chairmen A.S. Kiran Kumar and G. Madhavan Nair were not available for comment. On the other hand, retired Chairman K.Kasturirangan declined to comment on the matter and told IANS that he was not with ISRO during that period. In his post, Misra also that he was "bombarded with hundreds of threatening emails to keep my mouth shut", while he had barely escaped from a "massive explosive incident, in which Rs 100 cr lab was destroyed. This happened on 3rd May 2018". Misra also alleged that on July 19, 2019, an Indian American Professor of one of the topmost US universities suddenly appeared in his office and requested not to utter a word in future and as a quid pro quo, his IIT-K grandson would be accommodated in a top notch college in USA. "I declined and he left my office at 1430 hrs. And my thirty plus years contributing career was consigned to sinecure position at 1630 hrs. on the same day. I was removed from all responsibilities, including SAC Directorship," Misra said. He also alleged on July 12, 2019 -- two days before the scheduled launch of Chandrayaan-2 (which was however postponed to July 22) -- he was poisoned again, spent a long period in hospital, and is still under treatment. Misra also alleged of a plant to defame him by doctoring the CCTV recording of his room on January 23 and 24 last year. According to him, two incidents convinced him that the mysterious people who are after him and probably going to hit him hard before his retirement at the end of this month. "All the signatures point to deliberate poisoning of my mentally challenged son with Covid 19. The poor boy, who cannot even speak or eat or carry out hygiene activities himself, had to be hospitalized for 10 days, followed by months of complications," he alleged. Misra also said that there was another attempt to poison him with arsenic in September. Expressing faith in the security apparatus, Misra however said: "But these mysterious men are much more equipped, trained, lethal and determined to snuff out living witness of the most shameful incident of Indian science." "I put forward to Government, intellectuals and fellow scientists and my classmates and teachers, spread across the world, that all efforts should be made to keep me and my family safe and punish these mysterious men," he said. WINDSOR LOCKS A plane headed for Maine had to make an unplanned landing in Connecticut after reporting a mechanical issue while in flight Monday night, according to officials. Flight records show American Airlines flight 6025 left Washington, D.C., at 8:32 p.m. Monday night. The flights end destination was to be the Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine. Bradley International Airport confirmed that the plane reported an issued in flight and diverted to the Windsor Locks airport shortly before 10 p.m. The aircraft has landed safely and the airport remains open, officials said late Monday night. American Airlines said American Eagle flight 6025, an E-145 operated by Piedmont Airlines, reported a mechanical issue while on the way to Portland from the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. As a cautionary measure, the diverted to Bradley International Airport where it landed safely around 9:50 p.m., American Airlines said Tuesday. The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power and passengers deplaned normally. The flight had six passengers and three crew members on board at the time of the incident. There were no reported injuries. American Airlines said agents met passengers at the gate to help sort out the rest of their travel to Maine. The plane was removed from service while a maintenance team evaluates the aircraft, according to American Airlines. Staff writer Peter Yankowski contributed to this report. LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to India later this month, citing the need to oversee the COVID-19 pandemic response at home. "The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a Downing Street spokeswoman said, according to Reuters. "In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus," the spokeswoman added. In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus: UK Government https://t.co/2cOdJjXfUZ ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 It may be noted that Johnson was scheduled to visit India on 26 January for the Republic Day celebrations. The UK Prime Minister was invited as the chief guest for the Republic Day Parade. The coronavirus infection has been spreading in the UK for some time owing to a large extent to a new mutant of the virus, which has been found to be more infectious. Amid all this, Britain began its third COVID-19 lockdown on Tuesday with citizens under orders to stay at home and the government calling for one last major national effort to stem the virus before mass vaccinations turn the tide. The lockdown comes as the surge of a new strain of the virus that is said to be more infectious threatens to overwhelm hospitals, despite the rollout of two vaccines, including the UK's own Oxford University/AstraZeneca shot from Monday, bringing hopes of beating the virus in the coming months. Overall, Britain has been among the worst hit in the world by the outbreak, with some 2.7 million cases and 75,431 deaths. Johnson was widely criticised for hesitating too long about the measures, particularly school closures. Ranchi, Jan 5 : Eight persons were detained in Jharkhand on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the attack on Chief Minister Hemant Soren's convoy at Kishoreganj Chowk here a day before, police said. According to the police, interrogation was underway in connection with the incident and scanning of all the CCTV camera footage at the incident site has also been initiated. Soren's convoy was attacked by some unidentified persons on Monday evening. The miscreants were part of a protest that was staged at Kishoreganj Chowk after a beheaded and naked body of a woman was found in a forest in Ormanjhi two days back. The demonstrators demanded the arrest of the culprits behind the incident. Jharkhand DGP M.V. Rao has termed the attack a conspiracy. "We will not allow such kind of hooliganism. There is a conspiracy hatched behind the attack. Stern action will be taken against those involved in the incident," the DGP told mediapersons on Tuesday. Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Babulal Marandi has termed the "Ormanjhi woman's incident" as a spontaneous outrage. The main opposition party, the BJP has termed the incident as unfortunate and slammed the Soren government over the poor law and order situation in the state. The Congress has blamed the BJP for the attack on the CM's convoy. James Clyburn: Would Be a Waste of Our Time to Pursue Impeachment Democrat Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said in an interview with CNN that it would be a waste of our time to pursue impeachment over President Donald Trumps phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger since Inauguration Day is only two weeks away. I do believe with only 14 or 15 days left in this presidency it would be a waste of our time here in the House to pursue impeachment, said Clyburn on Tuesday. I suspect, if all that I heard on this tape is to be investigated, there could very well be criminal charges brought by state and local governments down there in Georgia, both the state and of course Atlanta, and I would hope that that would be pursued. That is something that can be pursued even after January 20. He continued to say that the House should concentrate on dealing with the pandemic. We have got to do something within the first 90 to 100 days to get people vaccinated, to get people comfortable with the vaccinations, he said. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) greets Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden at the National Action Network South Carolina Ministers Breakfast in North Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 26, 2020. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo) Additionally, he said that if Vice President Mike Pence has aspirations for the future, he should carry out his responsibilities in a way thats becoming of a vice presidency which would be a tremendous contrast to the way our president is carrying out his duties and responsibilities. David Shafer, chairman of the Republican Party of Georgia, wrote on Twitter that the call was about two pending lawsuits Trump has filed against Raffensperger. President [Trump] has filed two lawsuitsfederal and stateagainst [Raffensperger]. The telephone conference call @GaSecofState secretly recorded was a confidential settlement discussion of that litigation, which is still pending, wrote Shafer. Trump also took to Twitter to say that he had called Raffensperger about Fulton Countys alleged election fraud situation. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ballots under table scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! wrote Trump. I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ballots under table scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021 Raffensperger then responded to the presidents post, saying that Trumps claims are false. Respectfully, President Trump: What youre saying is not true. The truth will come out, wrote the Georgia Secretary of State. Respectfully, President Trump: What youre saying is not true. The truth will come out https://t.co/ViYjTSeRcC GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (@GaSecofState) January 3, 2021 According to the states contested certified results, Biden won the state with a razors-edge lead of just 11,779 votes0.24 percent of almost 5 million. Some media outlets attacked Trump over the call, and on Monday, vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested it was a bold abuse of power. A full transcript of the call shows that Trump had made the following fraud allegations: We have at least two or threeanywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 ballots were dropped mysteriously into the rolls. Much of that had to do with Fulton County, which hasnt been checked. We think that if you check the signaturesa real check of the signatures going back in Fulton Countyyoull find at least a couple of hundred thousand of forged signatures of people who have been forged, the president said during the call. We had, I believe its about 4,502 voters who voted but who werent on the voter registration list, so its 4,502 who voted, but they werent on the voter registration roll, which they had to be. You had 18,325 vacant address voters. The address was vacant, and theyre not allowed to be counted. Thats 18,325, he continued. You had out-of-state voters. They voted in Georgia, but they were from out of state, of 4,925. You had absentee ballots sent to vacant, they were absentee ballots sent to vacant addresses. They had nothing on them about addresses, thats 2,326. With those infected with the coronavirus accounting for nearly one-third of all hospital patients, San Antonios health care system is on the cusp of treating a record number of people for COVID-19. COVID hospitalizations swelled to 1,259 on Monday just a handful of patients away from the peak of the last surge in mid-July, when 1,267 people were being treated. Were right at that, and probably in all likelihood well exceed it, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said during the daily coronavirus briefing. Local hospitals have admitted a record number of COVID patients over the past week, including 137 since Sunday. Those receiving treatment included 342 people who were critically ill and 186 who were breathing with the support of a ventilator. Coronavirus hospitalizations have more than doubled since Dec. 4, when fewer than 600 patients were being treated. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio officials report nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 cases a record As admissions continue to outpace discharges, San Antonio hospital leaders have warned that the number of infected patients threatens to exceed the capacity of the local health care system, a situation that San Antonio has so far managed to avoid. On Monday, 12 percent of staffed beds 548 across all health systems were available. Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer of University Health System, said University Hospital began postponing some elective surgeries Monday to help preserve beds. The hospital is still performing procedures for severe and life-threatening conditions, as well as outpatient surgeries that do not require admission. Brooke Army Medical Center made the same decision a few days ago, Alsip added, and the areas other major hospital systems are considering similar plans. Around 1,000 medical personnel from outside the area are assisting San Antonios hospitals with the latest COVID surge, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. An additional 300 are expected to arrive this week. On ExpressNews.com: Burnout. Trauma. Disillusionment: The toll of COVID-19 on San Antonio hospital workers The additional staff have enabled hospitals to expand their capacities, a situation that Wolff said was far preferable to sending patients to places such as Freeman Coliseum, which has been fashioned into a field hospital but has yet to be used. All the health experts have been saying you want to be treated within the four walls of a hospital, Wolff said. We do have a field hospital, but its there by itself, and you dont have all the other services that you need in a hospital. The latest spike is also yielding a new wave of deaths, with reports of 50 residents succumbing to the virus in the past week. Officials reported seven new deaths Monday: two men in their 40s and 70s who died at home, four people in their 60s and another man in his 70s who died in a hospital. All were Hispanic. Since the virus was identified in Bexar County in March, it has killed at least 1,569 residents. The latest surge, which began in late November, still shows no signs of slowing. Even more cases and hospitalizations are expected from Christmas and New Years Eve gatherings. Health officials characterize the virus risk to residents as severe because of the high level of transmission. On ExpressNews.com: For some, rules wearing thin even as pandemic grows more dire Officials reported 1,057 new cases Monday, and the city has averaged 1,259 new cases a day in the past week. The case rate per 100,000 people remained critical, inching from 64.6 to 64.8. A total of 122,648 residents have tested positive since the pandemic began. The positivity rate, which measures the portion of tests that identify active infections, rose sharply Monday to 23.2 percent, up 4 percentage points since last week and nearly 9 points in the past two weeks. During the last surge, the rate reached a high of 24.2 percent. Nirenberg said January will be a very difficult month for our community to get our infections back under control. While he and Wolff acknowledged that some residents have tired of restrictions intended to bring the virus to heel, they encouraged them to imagine the exhaustion of health care workers or the painful experience of having a family member isolated in a hospital with COVID. You cannot be in the room, no matter how close to that person you are, he said. They cant see you, and you cant see them. Imagine that, and then ask yourself: What can I do to prevent that from happening? lcaruba@express-news.net Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Ready to kick off 2021 with new Samsung smartphones? The electronics giant is planning to host its Unpacked event on Jan. 14, where it's widely expected to introduce its next flagship Galaxy smartphone. An invite sent to media features an image of a smartphone inside a cube with the title "Welcome to the Everyday Epic." The event is roughly a month earlier than its typical February showing. Samsung usually hosts an Unpacked event at the start of the year for its flagship Galaxy smartphones, while hosting an additional Unpacked later in the year for its larger Note devices. Last year, Samsung introduced tech lovers to the Galaxy S20. Multiple published reports suggest the company will unveil its successor, the S21, next week. The event will take place near the end of CES, the biggest technology event of the year. Last July, organizers of CES announced it was shifting from an in-person event in Las Vegas to an all-digital show because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore further What to except from Samsung Unpacked 2020 event (c)2021 U.S. Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The top M&A story of 2020 was more a global than national story but it captured more readers in every geographic location than any other. Since it was first announced in March, the proposed Aon-Willis merger remained the leading merger and non-merger insurance story for the entire year. But there were also other proposed and completed transactions that caught the eyes of Insurance Journals national audience. Here are the M&A reports that were of most interest to readers of National news in 2020: Aon to Buy Willis Towers Watson Global insurance brokers Aon and Willis Towers Watson in March announced they had agreed to merge in an all-stock transaction with an implied combined equity value of approximately $80 billion. Upon completion of the combination, existing Aon shareholders will own approximately 63% and existing Willis Towers Watson shareholders will own approximately 37% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. According to S&P, Aon intends to combine with Willis in an all-stock transaction valued at about $30 billion, with Willis shares being exchanged to Aon shares. The combined company will be named Aon. Combined the companies have more than $20 billion in revenue. Aon reported $11 billion in revenue with $2.2 billion net income for 2019 compared to $9 billion revenue and $1.4 billion net income for Willis Towers Watson. Aon will maintain operating headquarters in London, United Kingdom. The parent company will be incorporated in Ireland. The combined firm will have 95,000 employees globally, with what the announcement said will be a significant presence in Chicago, New York and Singapore. John Haley will take on the role of executive chairman with a focus on growth and innovation strategy. The combined firm will be led by Greg Case and Aon Chief Financial Officer Christa Davies. The board of directors will comprise proportional members from Aon and Willis Towers Watsons current directors. In December Aon confirmed that the European Commission has initiated a review of the proposed merger. Aon said the review is a common next step for a transaction of this size and complexity and said it remains on track to close the deal in the first half of 2021. Allstate to Buy National General for $4 Billion, Growing Auto, Independent Agent Business U.S. insurer Allstate Corp. plans to buy National General Holdings Corp. for about $4 billion in cash, scaling up its auto insurance business at a time when the coronavirus has crushed traffic on roads and reduced claims. The deal announced in July implies a total deal value of $3.92 billion and a premium of, Reuters calculations showed. New York-based National General provides personal and commercial automobile, homeowners, umbrella, recreational vehicle, motorcycle, lender-placed, supplemental health and other niche insurance products. Auto insurance represents approximately 60% of premium with a significant presence in the non-standard auto market. Acquiring National General accelerates Illinois-headquartered Allstates strategy to increase market share in personal property-liability and significantly expands our independent agent distribution, Allstate Chief Executive Officer Tom Wilson said. National General has approximately 42,300 independent agents. Allstate will become a top 5 personal lines carrier in the independent agent distribution channel by combining Encompass and Allstates Independent Agent businesses with National General. In a First, State Farm to Acquire Texas Nonstandard Auto Insurer GAINSCO State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. is acquiring Dallas-based nonstandard auto insurer, GAINSCO, in a $400 million cash transaction reported in September. It will be the first time in State Farms 98-year history that it has acquired an insurance company. GAINSCO specializes in minimum-limits personal auto coverage and actively distributes its nonstandard personal auto products through independent retail agents in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Ohio and Alabama. Its insurance operations are conducted through its subsidiary, MGA Insurance Company Inc., a Texas corporation. Tokio Marine Completes Acquisition of Pure Group Tokio Marine Holdings announced in February that it had completed the acquisition of New York-based Privilege Underwriters Inc. and its subsidiaries, known as Pure Group, which specializes in the U.S. high net worth insurance market. The acquisition price was $3.1 billion (approximately JPY 325.5B). The deal was completed through Tokio Marines wholly owned subsidiary HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. Tokio Marine acquired 100% of Privilege Underwriters Inc.s shares from existing shareholders that include Stone Point (51%), KKR (34%), AXA XL (10%), Pure management and others (5%).For 2018, Pure reported fee income of $229 million, a before-tax profit of $73 million and $963 million premiums under management. Its business profile is composed of homeowners (57%), auto (23%), inland marine (9%), and other lines for high-net worth clients. Zurich and Farmers Agree to Buy MetLifes U.S. P/C Business for $3.94 Billion Zurich Insurance and Farmers Exchanges in December agreed to buy MetLifes U.S. property and casualty business for $3.94 billion, the insurers said, in an environment where the COVID-19 pandemic has made motor and home insurers more profitable. The Swiss insurer will contribute $2.43 billion to the deal through its Farmers Group Inc (FGI) unit, while the Farmers Exchanges will contribute $1.51 billion. The deal will give Farmers Exchanges, to which FGI provides administrative and management services, a nationwide presence in the U.S. and access to new distribution channels. ProAssurance Looks to Acquire NORCAL in $450M Deal In February, healthcare liability insurer ProAssurance Corp. agreed to acquire medical professional liability insurer NORCAL Mutual Insurance Co. following NORCALs demutualization in a $450 million transaction. The combination is expected to create the nations third largest specialty writer of liability insurance for healthcare professionals and facilities. Pennsylvania-based NORCAL writes in 39 states. It reported $342 million in direct written premium in 2018 and $50 million net income. The companys underwriting performance and overall profitability have deteriorated sharply recently driven by significant adverse reserve development, according to Fitch Ratings, which placed its A ratings for ProAssurance on negative watch following the deal announcement. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, ProAssurance serves more than 54,000 healthcare providers in 49 states. The company had annualized medical professional liability gross written premium of approximately $475 million. Ryan Specialty Group and All Risks Finalize Merger Specialty insurance brokerages Ryan Specialty Group and All Risks in September closed on the merger the two firms into Ryan Specialty Group. The deal unites Chicago-based Ryan Specialty Group and its nearly $12 billion in premium, and All Risks, headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, which has close to $2.6 billion in premium. The combination will have roughly 3,300 employees and more than 70 offices across the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Only AmWINS and CRC Insurance Services are larger than RSG and All Risks in the wholesale brokerage space. Travelers to Acquire Plymouth Rocks Digital Agency InsuraMatch In December, The Travelers Companies agreed to acquire InsuraMatch, a national digital independent insurance agency, from the Plymouth Rock Group of Companies. Encharter Insurance, Plymouth Rocks Massachusetts-based brokerage, will not be included in the transaction. Founded in 2014 as part of Boston-based insurer Plymouth Rock, InsuraMatch has operated as an autonomous business unit. In 2019, InsuraMatch produced nearly $32 million in premiums. Travelers said InsuraMatch will continue to operate independently and will manage all of its own carrier partnerships. Allied World Sells Majority Stake in High-Net Worth Insurer Vault Fairfax Financial Holdings and its subsidiary Allied World Assurance Co. in November agreed in November to sell their majority interests in Florida-based high-net worth insurer Vault E&S Insurance Co. to private equity investor Cornell Capital and asset manager Hudson Structured Capital Management. Fairfax, through Allied World, will continue to own a 10% stake in Vault following the all-cash sale. Founded in 2017, Vault is a combination of a policyholder-owned reciprocal insurance exchange and a surplus lines company serving the high-net worth market. Since initially writing business in Florida, Vault has expanded into several states including South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Home Insurance MGA Hippo Completes Acquisition of Spinnaker Insurance Co. In September, California-based Hippo, an insurtech managing general agent focused on home insurance, completed its acquisition of Spinnaker Insurance Co., with an expansion into additional states next on its plate. The deal follows a multi-year partnership between the companies. Spinnaker is a New Jersey-based national property/casualty insurer, with a license to do business in all 50 states. Hippo noted that Spinnaker has been its largest carrier platform partner since 2017. With Spinnaker and its other carrier partners, Hippo provides home insurance in more than 31 states. Brown & Brown Acquires Digital Insurance Agency CoverHound and Its CyberPolicy Unit Insurance broker Brown & Brown has acquired CoverHound, a digital property/casualty insurance marketplace, and CyberPolicy, CoverHounds small business subsidiary. California-based CoverHound launched in early 2010 and raised more than $112 million in venture capital over the last decade, including a $58 million funding round in 2019 with lead investor Hiscox and other investors including Chubb, Aflac Ventures, and MS&AD in Japan. In 2015, Chubb (then ACE) took a 24% stake in CoverHound. However, with this deal, Brown & Brown will assume 100% ownership. Amynta Group Acquires Surety Operations of Aspen Insurance Amynta Group, a provider of property/casualty and warranty protection products and services, has acquired the surety operations of Aspen Insurance. The business will now operate as Amynta Surety Solutions. As part of the transaction, Amynta said it will partner with Crum & Forster to provide the underwriting capacity for the business and assume Aspens in-force surety portfolio. Amynta Surety Solutions will be the exclusive writer of large commercial surety bonds for Crum & Forster, according to the announcement. Amynta Surety Solutions will be headquartered in Glastonbury, Conn., and will continue under the leadership of Michael Toppi, chief executive officer of Amynta Surety Solutions. Paragon Completes Acquisition of Trident Public Risk Solutions from Argo Paragon Insurance Holdings, a national managing general agency, said in May that it had closed on its purchase of Trident Public Risk Solutions from Bermuda-based Argo Group. Trident provides insurance and risk management for public sector entities such as counties, municipalities, schools, special districts and governmental inter-local pools. It operates through a distribution network of national brokerages and local agencies. It has offices in San Antonio, Texas and Springfield, Massachusetts. Paragon is headquartered in Avon, Connecticut, and writes more than 20 insurance programs including ones for arborists, ski facilities, pest control, timber, precision manufacturing and wineries. Paragon said the transaction positions it as one of the largest providers of commercial insurance coverage for public entities in the U.S. Topics Mergers Large gathering at NC church raises concerns over potential second outbreak Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A multi-campus evangelical Christian church in North Carolina, where nearly 200 people who attended an event in October tested positive for coronavirus, has been warned again by country officials after it announced another large-scale event over the weekend. Mecklenburg County officials fear that more large-scale events at the United House of Prayer for All People Church might lead to another outbreak, months after a week-long convocation at the church resulted in nearly 200 people contracting the virus, out of which six died and at least 10 had to be hospitalized. Concerns were expressed ahead of a service on Saturday night where hundreds gathered to celebrate Bishop C.M. Bailey, the leader of more than 140 United House of Prayer churches across the country, according to WCCB Charlotte. Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris released a statement, saying it is aware of the events and have been in conversation with church leadership. We explained that now is not the time for this type of event considering the extent of the pandemic in our community, the official said. We have been assured by church leadership that they are implementing all necessary precautions and limiting the numbers in the church at any given time. Harris added that the department was not restricting the events because at this point, were not in an outbreak status with the church, according to WBTV. The official said the health department hopes we dont get to that point again, and they hope that they have their events because they seem to be determined to have the events and I think the bishop is coming but they do it as safe as possible and keep the numbers as small as they can as they move through this weekend. Also on Saturday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that over 3,400 people in the state were in the hospital with COVID-19 and 6,892 people had died from complications with the coronavirus. In October, the church had been issued an Abatement of Imminent Hazard Order, prohibiting all in-person gatherings at the churchs Mecklenburg County locations until at least Nov. 5. However, less than a week after the order went into effect, the United House of Prayer announced that it had reached an agreement with Mecklenburg County to reopen all 11 of its locations. Under the agreement, the United House of Prayer implemented measures including the required wearing of masks, availability of hand sanitizer throughout the Churchs buildings, social distancing, and the regular cleaning and sanitizing of Church facilities. This is a great result for the United House of Prayer and for religious freedom and expression throughout Mecklenburg County, Apostle Ronnie White, pastor at the United House of Prayers Church location where the convocation was held, said at the time. Our congregants and members are looking forward to participating in daily services starting today and we and our leader, Bishop C.M. Bailey, are thrilled to welcome them back into Gods House. Harris said at the time that the pastors and the staff at all of those sites have been very responsive and engaged and have been willing to work with us on this guidance. Building firms linked to Britains unsafe housing crisis have made more than 15billion in profit since the Grenfell Tower disaster. The astonishing success of major property developers and construction companies has allowed them to pay shareholders dividends of 5billion. The biggest ten firms paid their chief executives an average total salary of 2million in the last financial year. Meanwhile, leaseholders who bought these companies homes have just spent another Christmas in unsafe, unsellable properties. Many are facing bankruptcy. The astonishing success of major property developers and construction companies has allowed them to pay shareholders dividends of 5billion. Persimmon will hand back 50million in bonuses. Chief Executive Jeff Fairburn (pictured) came under fire after receiving a 100million pay packet Hundreds of thousands of them are looking at average bills of 40,000 and some up to 115,000 to replace dangerous cladding, similar to that found on Grenfell Tower in west London, where an inferno killed 72 people in June 2017. The Government has set aside 1.6billion to fund repairs, but MPs estimate the work could cost 15billion. It cannot begin until comprehensive funding is released. The leaseholders are already paying at least 2.2billion a year between them for stop-gap safety measures and costlier insurance. The Mail has launched a campaign to end the scandal. We want ministers to fix Britains dangerous buildings within 18 months and spare leaseholders the crippling financial burdens. Hundreds of thousands of leaseholders are looking at average bills of 40,000 and some up to 115,000 to replace dangerous cladding, similar to that found on Grenfell Tower (pictured) in west London, where an inferno killed 72 people in June 2017 This paper is also demanding that the firms responsible pay their fair share, minimising the burden on the taxpayer. An audit of financial records shows the builder Persimmon has made pre-tax profit of 2.1billion since the Grenfell tragedy not including its 2020 figures, which arent out. In 2018, the then chief executive, Jeff Fairburn, quit after earning 85million in two years thanks in part to bonuses. In the same period, managing director David Jenkinson took 45million. New boss Dean Finch could earn 3.6million a year if he reaches his performance targets. Taylor Wimpey also had a bumper year after Grenfell, posting a pre-tax profit of 811million for 2018 up 19 per cent in 12 months. In 2018, the then chief executive, Jeff Fairburn, quit after earning 85million in two years thanks in part to bonuses. New boss Dean Finch (pictured) could earn 3.6million a year if he reaches his performance targets David Thomas, Barratts chief executive, was paid 3.6million in 2019, mostly made up of bonuses. Meanwhile, Kingspan, an 11billion Irish firm, faces pressure to help leaseholders for selling insulation based on a flawed fire test in 2005. The Grenfell inquiry heard how its K15 panels thought to be the most commonly used insulation board caused a raging inferno and failed a 2007 test. Kingspan bosses have cashed in company shares worth 123million since the Grenfell tragedy. The Mail also asked 12 of the biggest property developers how many of their homes had cladding or other safety issues, and how much money they were putting towards fixing the problem. Only Taylor Wimpey provided details, saying it had set aside 40million to replace flammable cladding. Leaseholder Giles Grover, co-founder of the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign, said: The billions of pounds worth of profits made by the construction industry and the millions paid to directors and shareholders since the Grenfell tragedy is a damning indictment of the Governments failure to hold the developers and builders to account. He said weak housing regulations had let builders cut important safety corners to eke out a few pounds more of profit. He added: The Government has, belatedly, conceded that the industry must pay. It is time the Government stands four-square behind us, the truly innocent victims of this scandal. Industry body the Home Builders Federation said the flats in question were built and approved in line with building regulations at the time. A spokesman said its members were keen to explore sensible solutions. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says councils can give targeted support to struggling local businesses amid calls to ramp up federal government financial help in COVID-19 hotspots. In a letter sent to independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall on Monday, Mr Frydenberg outlined $267 billion of direct economic and health assistance the federal government had provided nationally during the pandemic but did not commit to further aid for areas now back in lockdown. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said councils had the ability to help local businesses. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen He was responding to two letters Ms Steggall sent in December requesting new support measures, including a return to the $1500-a-fortnight JobKeeper wage subsidy for employees in COVID-19 hotspots such as Sydney's northern beaches region, which is partly in her electorate and lower hurdles to qualify for the scheme. JobKeeper dropped to $1000-a-fortnight for full-time workers and $650 for part-timers on Monday and is set to end in March. In the six months to September, the wage subsidy cost the government $77 billion. The market bounced back after turning negative tracking weak global cues on Tuesday largely on account of extended lockdown in the UK. But, late recovery helped bulls to take control of D-Street and pushed benchmark indices to record highs. The S&P BSE Sensex rallied by about 300 points to hit a record high of 48,486 while the Nifty50 was up 66 points to close at 14,215. The broader market indices outperformed as the S&P BSE Midcap index closed with gains of 1.3 percent while the S&P BSE Smallcap index was up 0.7 percent. Volumes on the NSE were higher than the recent average. Among sectors, IT, Bank, and Media were the biggest gainers while Metals & Realty were the top drags. Most Asian markets reversed early losses Tuesday as hopes for the economic outlook outdid worries over a coronavirus surge, new lockdowns, a slow vaccine rollout, and uncertainty over US Senate elections, Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities told Moneycontrol. European stocks were in and out of the positive territory on Tuesday morning as investors monitored the coronavirus pandemic and the imposition of further restrictions, along with a U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia, he said. Jasani further added that Nifty has risen for the 10th consecutive session and has closed at almost 14,200 as expected. The momentum is still strong and some more upsides (more in the broader market than the index) is likely over the next few days. Here is what experts think that investors should do on January 6: Shrikant Chouhan, Executive Vice President, Equity Technical Research at Kota Securities The market closed at the highest point of the day on Tuesday. This was unexpected after Monday's massive decline in the US market. The Nifty 50 index and the BSE Sensex closed at 14,199.50 and 48,437.78, respectively. Financial stocks improved as expected yesterday. Shares of Axis and HDFC Ltd helped the market close higher. The metal index closed in the negative territory after yesterday's excellent performance. The Nifty and the Sensex have created a big bullish Japanese candle that closed at the previous day's high. It is a reliable and confident close for the market and based on that we can expect the index to reach the level of 14,350/48,800 in the near term. Support would be at 14,130/48,100 and at 14,050/47,900 levels. Be specific and keep on reducing the cost of investment. Ashis Biswas, Head of Technical Research at CapitalVia Global Research Ltd The market continues to witness the resilience and recovered after an opening with a gap down to stay above the immediate support level of the Nifty 50 Index level of 13,950 while sustaining above 13,950 is the key factor from a short-term perspective. We suggest maintaining above this level market to gain momentum and open the possibility for a movement until 14,250-14,270. The momentum indicators like RSI, MACD to recover, and market breadth to improve, further strengthening a short-term bullish outlook. Rohit Singre, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities One more positive session and index managed to close the day at a fresh high of 14,200 with gains of half a percent and formed a bullish candle on the daily chart. The index has now shifted its base to the 14,100 zone and the overall base is still at the 14k mark. Holding above the said levels, a buy on dip strategy is still intact. On the other hand, the index managed to breach the 14,200 zone decisively. This suggests that the ongoing move can push the index to 14,300-14,400 zone in the near term. The Nifty bank has witnessed fresh breakouts so the next leg of the rally will include both private and PSU banks. Chandan Taparia, Vice President | Analyst-Derivatives at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited The Nifty index formed a Bullish candle on a daily scale and continues its winning streak of forming higher highs from the last nine trading sessions. It has to continue to hold above 14,000-14,050 zones to witness a fresh rally towards 14,400 then 14,500 zones while on the downside major support exists at 13,900 and 13,777 levels. Gaurav Ratnaparkhi, Senior Technical Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas. The Nifty had a negative start with a gap down opening on account of the global cues. The bulls, however, moved in swiftly and bought the dip. As a result, the index witnessed a steady rise as the day progressed and closed near the high point of the day. On the way up, Nifty has achieved an equality target of 14,200. The overall structure shows that the positive momentum can continue going ahead and the Nifty looks set to head towards 14,600 in the short term. On the other hand, 14,000-13,950 will act as a cushion on the downside. Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst, HDFC Securities The uptrend continued in the market on Tuesday, after showing volatility in the previous session and the Nifty closed the day higher by 66 points. After opening on a downside gap of 58 points on Tuesday, Nifty showed smart upside recovery from the intraday lower support of 14,080. The opening downside gap was filled and Nifty ended the day with handsome gains. A long bull candle was formed on Tuesday, which indicates a confirmation of a small upside breakout of the range at 14,000 levels, which is a positive indication. A new swing high was formed at 14,215 and Nifty closed near the highs. We observe strength in the upside momentum of Nifty over the last few months and one day sharp weaknesses have turned out to be a buy on dips opportunity in the market. Interestingly, the time consumed from previous to last one day decline is around 16-18 days (taken from the swing low of 24th Sept 2020) and this pattern has occurred for 3 occasions so far. The last one-day drop has witnessed on December 21, 2020, and the next possible date for such a decline could be after 6-8 sessions (Between 13-15 Jan). Chinese telco Huawei is calling on the Australian government to begin talking to the company about how to roll out a new generation of mobile technology called 6G, to avoid a repeat of the ban on its equipment in 5G mobile networks. The company, which has given up on overturning its ban from Australia's 5G rollout, now wants to discuss working with the government on research and development for the next generation of mobile infrastructure. Huawei has been banned from supplying equipment to Australia's 5G network. Credit:AP Huawei Australia's director of corporate affairs Jeremy Mitchell said it was not too late to allow Huawei to supply equipment for Australias 5G network but it is very unlikely. The conversation we now want to have with the Australian government is what do we do when 6G or 7G comes, because like it or not Huawei or another Chinese company will be the leader in this area, Mr Mitchell said. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. A Small Victory for Assange, but a Presidential Pardon Is Still Urgent Jan. 4 , 2021 (EIRNS)British Judge Vanessa Baraitser today rejected the extradition request of the U.S. government for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and ruled that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States where he might commit suicide in prison, Kevin Gosztola, managing editor of Shadowproof website, reported on Twitter and Jaclyn Diaz on NPR today. Judge Baraitser set a bail hearing for Wednesday, Jan. 6, and Assanges supporters welcomed a victory; but the judge otherwise accepted the U.S. Justice Departments indictment charges against Assange lock, stock and barrel, and even implied he could be charged under the British Official Secrets Act as well. All involved understand that a pardon by President Donald Trump is the only way to end the physical and mental depression of Assanges health under indefinite imprisonment, which caused Baraitsers surprise denial of extradition. Baraitser said that she believed that Julian Assange would likely be imprisoned at a U.S. supermax prison, with Special Administrative Measures. According to Gosztolas article, Baraitser stated, I am satisfied that, in these harsh conditions, Mr. Assanges mental health would deteriorate, causing him to commit suicide with the single-minded determination of his autism spectrum disorder (only recently diagnosed in prison). Baraitser then declared, I find that the mental condition of Mr. Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America. She pointed to a suicide attempt by Chelsea Manning in the Alexandria, Virginia Detention Center where Assange would be held before and during trial. Australian Associated Press quoted Kristinn Hrafnsson, editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks from his press statement, saying, It is a day with a win for Julian Assange, but we have to be cautious, its not necessarily a win for journalism.... I am concerned that instantly upon giving her decision, the U.S. lawyers indicated they would appeal, but they should not.... Lets be cautious in our victory celebration. As Stella said, the fight will not be over until Julian can go home and be with her and the boys, he said, referring to Assanges fiancee Stella Moris and the couples young sons. Assanges partner Stella Moris, at an impromptu rally, called on President Donald Trump: Mr. President, tear down these prison walls. Let our little boys have their father. Free Julian, free the press, free us all. The U.S. government, Gosztola reported, will submit an appeal with the High Court of Justice, and Assange will have an opportunity to apply for bail from Belmarsh prison, where he has been imprisoned without any sentence since April 2019. Assange was charged there with 17 counts of violating the U.S. Espionage Act, and 1 count of conspiracy to commit a computer intrusion that contains elements of an Espionage Act offense. Then a superseding indictment in 2020 contained new general allegations that targeted Assanges speeches at conferences and the role he allegedly played helping whistleblower Edward Snowden leave Hong Kong. While press organizations worldwide condemned the charges against Assange, arguing that he was carrying out simply common journalistic practices, Baraitser accepted all U.S. government charges. Many prominent supporters, members of Congress from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), many organizations, including The LaRouche Organization have called for Assanges pardon by President Trump. One of those supporters, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, announced today, Im going to ask the foreign minister to ask the U.K. government about the possibility that Mr. Assange go free and that Mexico offer him political asylum. He called the denial of extradition a triumph of justice, but said Assange is a journalist and deserves his freedom. MDCR Director James E. White Commends Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Plan to End Cash Bail MDCR Director James E. White Commends Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Plan to End Cash Bail Vicki Levengood levengoodv@michigan.gov January 5, 2021 LANSING, MI--Today, Michigan Department of Civil Rights Director James E. White issued the following statement in response to the announcement that Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit would end the system of cash bail in the county. The move by Prosecutor Eli Savit to end the system of cash bail is a farsighted, progressive change that will have an impact far beyond Washtenaw County, said James E. White, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Cash bail can perpetuate racial inequities, exacerbate poverty and hurt families. It is particularly appropriate to end cash bail for non-violent crimes and individuals who pose no threat to the community. I encourage prosecutors throughout Michigan to look to Washtenaw County's example and consider making common-sense changes to the cash bail system in their own offices. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is charged with investigating and resolving discrimination complaints and works to prevent discrimination through educational programs that promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws. It also provides information and services to businesses on diversity initiatives and equal employment law. For more information on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, go to www.michigan.gov/mdcr. # # # Appointment to drive growth in communications advisory for Asset and Wealth Management clients alongside the development of a research platform HONG KONG and LONDON, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Paradigm Consulting, an independent communications consultancy based in Hong Kong, today announces that Professor Amin Rajan, the academic economist and CEO of CREATE-Research in the UK, has joined Paradigm Consulting as a Senior Advisor. Professor Rajan brings deep experience in the institutional investment space where he has advised, studied and researched trends for over 20 years. His insight is sought by many global financial services firms and C-suite individuals and he is a regular commentator at both events and in leading international publications. CREATE-Research is a network of prominent researchers undertaking high level advisory assignments for governments, global banks, fund managers, multinational companies and international bodies such as the EU, OECD and ILO. This move also marks the start of a formal collaboration between CREATE-Research and Paradigm Consulting to build research services across UK, Hong Kong and mainland China. "The asset management industry has made huge progress in recent years and has the dual opportunity arising from the opening up of China for overseas asset managers and on the other hand a wave of Chinese managers seeking to engage more internationally. I am looking forward to working alongside Paradigm to assist some of these firms and to offer insights into the newly emerging asset allocation models to institutional investors in Asia from other parts of the world," commented Professor Rajan. Tim Nicholls, Managing Director of Paradigm Consulting said "We are delighted that Professor Rajan will be working with us in 2021 and beyond. Someone of his experience and standing will help us deliver a new level of insights to our clients as well as a research practice which is an important strategic development for the services we can offer. As a first area of focus, we will be increasing our activity in the area of ESG investing which is so important in Hong Kong and mainland China now. This has been a focus for us this year and is a passion of Professor Rajan, so is an excellent area for us to hit the ground running together." Helen Lam, Managing Director of Paradigm Consulting commented, "With the opening up of the Chinese financial markets and in particular the asset and wealth management sector, this is an opportune time to launch this collaboration. Chinese firms are also placing increasing importance into ESG, how it is reported and communicated, and we look forward to being able to provide a new level of insight in this area to clients." As part of the collaboration, CREATE-Research will advise on the development of research capabilities. This will allow Paradigm Consulting to help clients tell compelling stories and generate engaging content for their own stakeholders. Paradigm Consulting, the independent communications consultancy headquartered in Hong Kong and founded in 2014, provides strategic advisory, media relations, content creation and digital communications assets development services to clients. The addition of research to the portfolio will allow the firm to deliver even more value to its clients in the financial services, technology and professional services sectors. For more information, please contact reed.li@paradigmconsulting.com.hk About CREATE-Research CREATE-Research is an independent UK-based research boutique specialising in strategic change and the newly emerging asset allocation models in the global investment industry. It undertakes major research assignments from prominent financial institutions and global companies. It works closely with senior decision makers in leading companies across Europe and the US. Its work is disseminated through high profile reports and events that attract wide attention in the media. Further information can be found at www.create-research.co.uk. About Paradigm Consulting Paradigm Consulting is a fast-growing independent communications consultancy founded by a team of former in-house communications specialists from Hong Kong and London. It has grown from humble roots in Hong Kong to a trusted and valued international partner, supported by long-term relationships that have created deeper understanding for strategic support. Paradigm specialises in strategic communications advisory, reputational risks management and issues handling, media advisory and relations, content creation and digital assets development, providing services to clients primarily from financial services, technology and professional services industry. Paradigm is a member of the GlobalCom PR Network. Further information can be found at www.paradigmconsulting.com.hk. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394802/Create_Research_and_Paradigm_logo.jpg South African police are investigating a possible international gold smuggling syndicate after three suspects were arrested at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg with gold bars weighing 73.5 kilograms (162 pounds) in their carry-on luggage. The gold bullion, worth an estimated $4.1 million, looked suspicious when the three put their bags through a security check, according to the police. Upon questioning of the suspects and further inspection of their hand luggage, officials discovered the gold bars and some foreign currency, said police spokeswoman Col. Athlenda Mathe. The suspects provided police with certification papers for the gold and South African authorities will work with Interpol and the countries involved to verify the origin and destination of the gold bars, she said. There is a possibility that money laundering and fraud charges will be brought against the three accused at a later stage, said Mathe. The three Madagascar nationals, who were traveling from Madagascar to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates via South Africa and Ethiopia, made their first court appearance Monday and are due back in court for a formal bail application on Jan. 12. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Business tycoon Ratan Tata is a well-known name on social media for his wonderful posts. Now, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons has won over netizens with a humble gesture that may fill your heart with joy and leave a smile on your face. Shared on LinkedIn by Yogesh Desai, a post details the compassionate gesture by Tata. It details how the business tycoon travelled all the way to Pune to visit one of his former employees who wasnt feeling well. Sir Ratan Tata, (83 Years old ) living legend, greatest businessman alive in India visited the friends society in Pune to meet his ex-employee all the way from Mumbai who is ailing for last 2 years, informs the caption by Desai. This is how legends are made of. No media, no bouncers only commitment towards loyal employees. There is lot to learn for all entrepreneurs and businessmen that money is not everything all that matters is being great human being. Hats off Sir!! I bow my head in Respect! it adds. Take a look at the post: Shared on January 4, the post has garnered over 1.4 lakh reactions and tons of comments from netizens. People whole-heartedly lauded Tatas empathetic side and showered their appreciation in the comments section. He is a legend, met him several times and you will never meet a more genuine, grounded individual. Example of a truly great leader and great person, said a LinkedIn user. He is really inspirational as always. Hats off, lauded another. Such a great man with a big heart, commented a third. Ek hi toh dil hai sir, kitni baar jitoge? (How many times will you win our hearts sir), wrote a fourth. What are your thoughts on this post? Also Read | Ratan Tata has a special New Years message for community on other side of screen SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 2404468 KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 (Sin Chew Daily) Umno's Member of Parliament for Padang Rengas Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said his party had already given prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin a deadline to hold the 15th general election. He told Sin Chew Daily during an exclusive interview, "We want the election earliest by March after the Chinese New Year and latest by June after Hari Raya. "By right the election should be held soon after the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed. The voters want a freshly elected government and they are serious about this. "We now have a very weak government. How to have economic growth without political stability?" 'Won't work with Bersatu in GE15' Nazri expected that eventually Umno would not work with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in the next general election, as majority of Umno divisions had rejected cooperation with the party in GE15. He said Umno must not go against the will of the grassroots. "The divisions represent the grassroots. Their voices are sacred to us. They don't want to work with Bersatu!" He said probably only divisions led by cabinet ministers or deputy ministers would support a cooperation with PPBM. He expected 150 of all the 191 Umno divisions would eventually reject a cooperation with PPBM in the 15th general election. He said already more than 100 divisions had adopted the motion not to work with PPBM in next election. Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday that 143 divisions had so far rejected PPBM. 'Will take back from PPBM seats won by Umno' Nazri also said Umno would contest in all the 16 seats won by the party in 2018 but later defected to PPBM, including Larut now held by PPBM secretary-general cum home minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, and Jeli held by minister in the prime minister's department (economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He insisted that Umno would continue to work with PAS in Muafakat Nasional, adding that his party would contest 95 parliamentary seats in GE15 (down from 120), including the 16 seats won under Umno ticket but now held by PPBM. "These defectors have betrayed Umno, and if we don't field any candidate in their constituencies, then we are like legitimizing their acts of betrayal." Texas pastor shot dead by man hiding in church after police chase Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A 21-year-old man hiding from police in the bathroom of an East Texas church killed a pastor and injured two other people, including the pastors wife, on Sunday. The suspect, identified as Mytrez Beunte Woolen, shot Mark McWilliams, the pastor of the Starrville Methodist Church in Winona, while he was preparing for Sunday morning service, according to ABC13. Woolen also shot at the pastors wife, Rosemary, but she escaped. However, she injured her shoulder after she fell down while running away, KHOU11 reported. The suspect also shot a male victim, Mike Sellers, who received non-life-threatening injuries. Our hearts are with the victims and the families of those killed or injured in this terrible tragedy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. I am grateful for the law enforcement officers who apprehended the suspect, and I ask Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for those affected by this horrific shooting. The State of Texas is working closely with first responders and local officials to ensure that justice is served and that the Starrville community has the resources it needs during this time. Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith narrated the shooting incident. As the pastor opened the bathroom door, he was confronted by the individual who had been hiding in the church. Apparently, he fled in the woods, and when everyone had left he retreated into the church, Tyler Morning Telegraph quoted Smith as saying. He had one of those red bank bags that belonged to the pastor. The pastor, who had a firearm himself, apparently drew his firearm on the individual and ordered him to stop. He came toward the front door then lunged at the pastor and disarmed the pastor. He then used the pastors firearm. After the shooting, the suspect stole the pastors vehicle, a 2018 GMC truck, and fled. We were able to work through some OnStar technology to find the vehicle. A Harrison County deputy was able to get behind it and it was disabled, Smith said. Police had been chasing Woolen since Saturday evening after reports that he brandished a shotgun out of the sunroof while driving a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta. When a deputy tried to stop him while he was at a convenience store, the suspect drove off. He eventually ran into the woods behind the church and police were unable to locate him for several hours. Police found his identification and a shotgun inside his car at the church property. The HSE's Liam Woods said 'the vaccine is there and in supply'. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins The scheduled roll-out of the vaccine to HSE-run nursing homes in Dublin failed to go ahead despite growing fears about the impact of the third wave of the virus on people over 65. The HSE was earmarked to send a vaccination team to Raheny Community Nursing Unit on Harmonstown Road and to Hollybrook Lodge at St Jamess Hospital. However, it failed to go ahead although both Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and HSE chief Paul Reid indicated the nursing-home residents and staff would benefit from the first Pfizer BioNTech doses from yesterday. A spokeswoman said that as Hollybrook Lodge is governed by St Jamess Hospital, St Jamess Hospital is responsible for arranging the logistical rollout and administration of the vaccine to its residential care unit. The hospital had not planned to roll it out yesterday. The HSE did not elaborate on the reasons why and its director of acute hospitals, Liam Woods, said they will be vaccinated this week. Read More There is an aspect of consent for individuals to comply with. The vaccine is there and in supply and we are in a position to do that. It will be happening. Asked if other nursing homes will face delays, he said: It is very early days and there is a lot of training going on. I dont see it as significant that there is a delay as such. Its a very significant start in the last week. Under the schedule for the administration of the vaccine, a number of private nursing homes are listed to receive it on Thursday. The HSE said vaccinations will take place as planned and by the end of the week it is expected to have given the first dose to 35,000 people. We will be holding some stock back until our next delivery date and then plan to continue the process the following week. The plan is to do a six-week rolling programme throughout all 582 nursing home locations, making two separate visits three weeks apart. When asked who was in charge of the vaccination programme, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the ultimate responsibility is with the minister and it is delegated to the HSE. Just 4,000 people have received the vaccine already, most of whom are staff in hospitals. GPs are increasingly concerned they have received no timeline for when they are getting the vaccine despite the risks they face during the current surge. Dr Ruairi Hanley, a GP in Co Meath, wrote to the minister about the delay and said they had been given a vague assurance they would get the vaccine but no timetable. In a message to GPs yesterday, Dr Denis McCauley of the Irish Medical Organisation and Dr Nuala OConnor of the Irish College of General Practitioners said: There are a number of logistical issues involved given the nature of the Pfizer vaccine which is the only vaccine currently available and we hope to be in a position to communicate further by the end of this week. We understand the frustrations around this and we can assure you, we are working hard to develop an equitable and speedy programme. Meanwhile, Prof Karina Butler, chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, said health authorities here will not be following the UK in extending the gap between the administration of the first and second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. It has been decided in the UK to administer all first doses and extend the length of time between doses beyond three weeks to 12 weeks, due to rising levels of the virus. The committee found no evidence to support altering the schedule but the matter will be kept under review as more is known about the vaccine when it is rolled out among the wider population, she added. Read More Irish Independent CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Canadian dollar climbed against its most major counterparts in the European session on Tuesday, amid higher oil prices following a media report that the OPEC is mulling output reduction in February. Reuters reported that OPEC and its allies are considering a 0.5 million bpd cut in February, citing bearish risks and tepid demand due to the virus crisis. Talks will resume at 1430 GMT, as OPEC+ could not reach an agreement on changes to February's oil output on Monday. While Russia and Kazakhstan supported to lift production by 0.5 million bpd, Iraq, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates wanted to keep output unchanged. The report added that the OPEC+ joint ministerial committee 'stressed that the reimplementation of COVID-19 containment measures across continents, including full lockdowns, are dampening the oil demand rebound in 2021'. The loonie rebounded to 0.9808 against the aussie, from a 4-day low of 0.9844 hit at 2:15 am ET. The loonie is likely to test resistance around the 0.96 region, if it gains again. The loonie edged up to 1.2730 against the greenback, compared to Monday's close of 1.2772. The currency may face resistance around the 1.22 region. The loonie gained to 1.5624 against the euro at 4:45 am ET and has stabilized since then. The next possible resistance for the loonie is seen around the 1.54 level. Data from the Federal Labor Agency showed that German unemployment declined in December despite the government tightening the coronavirus containment measures. The number of people out of work fell 37,000 from November, confounding expectations for an increase of 10,000. Unemployment had decreased by 40,000 in November. In contrast, the loonie pulled back to 80.63 against the yen, from an early high of 80.92, and held steady thereafter. The loonie is poised to challenge support around the 78.00 mark. Looking ahead, Canada industrial product price index for November and U.S. ISM manufacturing index for December are due in the New York session. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Whenever India takes a seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), there is excitement about the possibility of it translating into permanent membership. When holding one of the rotating seats, it is a sensible ambition to make the case, through diplomatic accomplishments, for being a permanent member. But expanding SC is a tortuous process. At present, the window of opportunity for SC reform is closed. Not one of the Permanent Five (P5) members is interested in its expansion. After a year of battling with nature, much of the world sees multilateral responses to climate and health as the heart of UN reform and SC expansion as a quixotic quest. Indias agenda sensibly focuses on what is optically useful and realistically possible. New Delhi has a traditional multilateral agenda, which revolves around counterterrorism, peacekeeping, trade, and, negatively, opposition to an intrusive human rights regime. Much of this remains relevant, but the coming years should allow India to take up new issues. Climate, public health, maritime security and digital standards stand out among the centurys new challenges. Much of this is on the fringes of the UN, but there will be considerable spillover. Global climate cooperation still uses the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as its foundational understanding. India has made nascent multilateral contributions in this space, such as the International Solar Alliance, but needs to become more involved in rules-setting. New Delhi has called for reform of the World Health Organization, but is yet to provide details. Maritime security is increasingly intertwined with the need to uphold the UN Law of the Sea against the revanchist tendencies of China. Global trade will increasingly be about data, a domain where Indias capabilities and policies will win points with other developing countries. Whatever the opposition put up by China, if India shows it has the diplomatic skills to get other countries to work together, the case for it being a permanent member will become irrefutable. Multilateralism is the most difficult form of diplomacy, and SC membership, even if non-permanent, is among the best platforms to display Indias abilities. New Delhi, Jan 5 : Let down by the Chinese vaccine candidates which have run into a major credibility crisis, Brazil has now turned to India to secure consignments of the more reliable AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine made by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. Brazil made a diplomatic push on Monday to guarantee an Indian-made shipment of British drugmaker AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Reuters report from Brasilia. At the same time Brazil's private clinics have struck a preliminary deal for an alternative injection made by India's Bharat Biotech despite a lack of public results from late-stage trials, the report said. The Chinese connection appears to have proved costly for Brazil, a country which had once proved itself as a huge success in mass immunization in the developing world. It has now fallen behind its other countries and has come in for severe criticism of its slow response and a death toll approaching 200,000, second only to the United States. Plans by Brazil's Fiocruz Institute to import AstraZeneca's vaccine in bulk, filling and finishing doses locally, would only have 1 million doses ready by the second week of February, Reuters cited the head of the government-funded biomedical centre as saying. However, the chief executive of the Serum Institute of India told Reuters on Sunday that he expected India's government to restrict export of COVID-19 vaccines. That raised red flags in Brasilia, where health regulator Anvisa had granted approval on New Year's Eve to import 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. Two people familiar with the matter said diplomats were working to confirm the shipment would not be affected by any export ban. Fiocruz confirmed that Brazil's Foreign Ministry was leading the talks. Brazil's government is optimistic that it will be able to import the vaccines from India and any hurdles will be resolved diplomatically, a Brazilian official with knowledge of the matter said. Separately, an association of private Brazilian clinics announced plans to buy 5 million doses of a vaccine developed by Indian company Bharat Biotech, a day after India's health regulator gave it emergency use approval. Bharat Biotech has not yet applied for approval by Brazil's health regulator Anvisa for its Covaxin vaccine, and the agency said it would have to undergo Phase III trials in the country. Geraldo Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC), who will lead a delegation to India departing on Monday, said a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with Bharat Biotech. "This should be the first vaccine available on the private market in Brazil," he said, adding that the Covaxin doses should arrive in Brazil in mid-March, to be sold by private clinics after regulators there approve the vaccine. Brazil has turned to India at a time when serious doubts have arisen over the trials it has been carrying out with the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine candidates. The entire process is being questioned due to the concealment of test data. In sharp contrast to the western countries and India where data about the efficacy and safety of vaccine candidates have been continuously made available, Chinese companies have chosen not to release such data. Brazilian researchers said last week the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech is more than 50% effective based on trial data, but again withheld full results as the Chinese company had directed them not to release the data. This is the third time that the details of the results have been delayed which has gone to further prove that Chinese vaccine makers lack transparency. Brazil is the first country to complete a late-stage trial of the Chinese vaccine candidate. A survey by polling institute Datafolha earlier in the month showed that 50 per cent of Brazilians are not willing to take the Sinovac shot, the highest refusal rate among all vaccines. Some 36 per cent of respondents said they would also reject a Russian vaccine, while 23 per cent said they would not go for the US vaccine. Interestingly, the national immunisation plan presented by Brazil's Health Ministry to the country's Supreme Court included a total of 300 million doses from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Covax but the Chinese vaccine was not mentioned, according to the O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) Headliner Prospect Butcher Co. Personal need often drives the establishment of small, specialized food companies. Corey Hammond, who works in e-commerce and consulting, moved to Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, four years ago and missed having a convenient butcher. Then, as restaurants like Faun, Oxalis and Olmsted began opening in the neighborhood, he thought a local butcher might be welcome. He connected with Greg Brockman, who left Foragers Market in Dumbo. In May, they opened a weekend pop-up butcher in the kitchen of Faun, and its success justified their idea. Now, they have opened their own butcher selling nose-to-tail meats from a number of local farms, 32 to 230 miles away as listed on their website. We couldnt have gotten started without the pandemic, Mr. Hammond said. The restaurant kitchen wouldnt have been available for our pop-up. The shop is worker-owned. I wanted the people who helped to build this business to get something out of it, Mr. Brockman said. The food business is really difficult, and this way we can pay a decent wage and know the workers would be more dedicated. There are three other people involved in the shop. In addition to a variety of cuts of meat and poultry, the shop will offer rotisserie chickens, charcuterie, condiments and seasonings, and sandwiches. Rebecca Brooks, one of the employees, worked at Dicksons Farmstand Meats in Chelsea Market and has visions of making whipped lardo, headcheese and scrapple. 665 Vanderbilt Avenue (Park Place), Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, 347-763-9500, prospectbutcher.co. Opening Ganso Ramen Harris Salat, who closed his ramen shop in Downtown Brooklyn in 2018 after six years, has reopened it from a ghost kitchen in TriBeCa. In partnership with RBM Restaurant Group, the owners of Sarabeths and others, his signature ramen bowls like Ganso Shoyu with braised pork belly, spicy miso ramen, and braised short rib ramen are available for delivery to the financial district, TriBeCa, SoHo, Greenwich Village and the West Village. Delivery to the Upper West Side and parts of Brooklyn is coming. In addition to ramen, the menu also includes gyoza dumplings, kimchi buns and a $48 Tokyo roast chicken dinner for four. ganso.menu. Chef in Residence at Stone Barns Last August, Dan Barber, the chef and a partner in Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a restaurant, catering establishment and farm in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., announced that he would be stepping away from running the restaurant at the end of 2020 and would start this nonprofit chef-in-residence program. It would be a collaboration between the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, the nonprofit organization that operates the farm at Stone Barns, and Blue Hill restaurant. Its now a fait accompli. The idea was to provide a showcase for chefs who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. Mr. Barber is involved in managing the program; he will continue to participate in catering and special dinners at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The first chef in the residency program from Jan. 13 to Feb. 6, will be Shola Olunloyo of Studiokitchen in Philadelphia. He plans to serve Nigerian-inspired fare, like spiced carrot soup with guinea pepper and ginger leaves; steamed cranberry bean cakes with lobster, habanada oil and country ham; fish with a green mango condiment, Uziza pepper and file grits; and spiced goat cooked in hay with rice steamed in turmeric leaves. All the chefs will interpret the food of a region with which they are familiar, using Hudson Valley ingredients. The pastry chef, Bill Yosses, will work with Mr. Olunloyo into creating desserts. Following Mr. Olunloyo, from Feb. 17 to March 13, will be Omar Tate from Honeysuckle in Philadelphia; from March 17 to April 10, the chef will be Johnny Ortiz, who was at Saison in San Francisco; and from April 14 to May 8, the chef will be Victoria Blamey, formerly of Gotham Bar and Grill. The dinners in the dining room of Blue Hill from Wednesdays through Sundays, and lunches Saturdays and Sundays, will be $250 per person, including paired drinks. Prepayment of $1,000 will guarantee seats for all of them. (With social distancing, the room can accommodate only 30 people.) The visiting chefs will also participate in an educational component to the program that will be open to the public, and in the food box delivery program at this restaurant and at Blue Hill in Manhattan, where Mr. Barber has also stopped cooking for now. He said he expects the Blue Hill restaurants to eventually reopen. 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills, N.Y., stonebarnscenter.org/residency CS Dak Cuisine Solutions, a company in Sterling, Va., that specializes in sous-vide products mostly for food service, is now selling its prepared dishes for delivery from a Pret A Manger outlet. The project is a partnership with the sandwich chain. They call what theyre doing a dark assembly kitchen, or DAK, which is like a ghost kitchen but one where all the cooking amounts to reheating sous-vide preparations, nothing from scratch. The company offers its food in a number of categories like The Cutting Edge for a global menu including harissa-charred octopus; Cocina Oscura for Mexican fare; Mediterranean; and Poultry in Motion. Bodega by CS DAK sells sous-vide dishes like veal osso buco for the consumer to reheat at home. Burgers, Asian and vegan food are coming. 425 Madison Avenue (49th Street), csdak.com. US President Donald Trump is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit claiming he defrauded his niece out of an inheritance worth tens of millions of dollars, accusing her of embracing "conspiracy theories" in her quest to consume him with lawsuits after he leaves the White House. The US president's lawyers said Mary Trump gave up her claims in a 2001 settlement with family members over the estate of his father Fred Trump Sr, who died in 1999. They also said Mary Trump waited to long to accuse Donald Trump, his sister Maryanne Trump Barry and his late brother Robert Trump of trying to "squeeze" her out of her inheritance, relying instead on a 2018 New York Times report on tax matters involving the family. Read More "Plaintiff makes outlandish and incredulous accusations in her complaint, which is laden with conspiracy theories more befitting a Hollywood screenplay than a pleading in a legal action," the lawyers, who also represent Robert Trump's estate, said in a filing on Monday in a New York state court in Manhattan. They said the lawsuit's "true purpose" was "to weaken the President's political influence during his post-presidency by preoccupying him with the defense of innumerable lawsuits." Mary Trump, 55, a psychologist, made some of her allegations in her best-selling tell-all: "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man." The president's sister, a retired federal judge, also wants the lawsuit dismissed. Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer for Mary Trump, said that while her client "is surely no fan of Donald Trump or his administration's policies, intra-family fraud is what this case is about." Donald Trump, a Republican, was defeated in the November 3 election by Democrat Joe Biden and his term ends January 20. Trump faces several other legal actions. These include a criminal probe by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, a civil probe by New York Attorney General Letitia James into whether he inflated asset values to obtain loans and tax benefits, and a defamation lawsuit by the writer E. Jean Carroll, whose allegation of rape he has denied. Read More Reuters Social media rebuke and partisan correction have inspired the Congressman to offer more context for his inclusive blessing at the start of new Congress. Check-it . . . Joann Bashinsky, the potato chip queen of the South and the widow of the Golden Flake CEO Sloan Bashinsky, died Sunday. She was 89 years old. My grandmother was a champion for those in need for decades, and her passing will be felt by countless people whose lives were touched by her kindness and incredible compassion for humanity. Most of all, this loss will be felt by my family and me, her grandson, Landon Ash, said in a statement. Nonny was my champion as well, and I loved her dearly for the guidance and direction she gave me throughout my life. Ash said his grandmother died from complications of a heart attack. Bashinsky, of Mountain Brook and known as Mama B or Mrs. B, is the widow of Sloan Y. Bashinsky, who owned the majority stock in Golden Enterprises Inc. and was the founder, chairman, and CEO of Golden Flake Foods a 96-year-old Birmingham-based company. In 1968, Golden Flake went public and, in 2016, Pennsylvania-based Utz Quality Foods bought Golden Enterprises, Golden Flakes parent company, for $141 million. Words cant describe my sorrow for my grandmothers passing, though I take comfort in knowing she was one of Alabamas finest women to ever live and that she is now with the rest of her family in heaven. Ash said. At the time of her death, Bashinsky was embroiled in a legal battle against two of her former employees, who claimed the woman had dementia and was unable to make decisions regarding her estimated personal estate of $80 million. Her total estate, including funds from her trust and business funds, was last estimated at around $218 million. Court records show Bashinskys competency was contested by two former employees in 2019, who were fired the day before they asked the Jefferson County Probate Court to appoint both a temporary and permanent guardian and conservator of Bashinskys estate. Bashinskys lawyers disputed the claim, saying Bashinsky does not have dementia and did not need a guardian or conservator. In late 2019, a Jefferson County probate judge issued an order appointing a temporary guardian and conservator for Bashinsky. Her attorneys filed a motion to the Alabama Supreme Court, asking the high court to vacate the lower courts order and appointment of the temporary guardian and conservator, and to dismiss the petition. The Alabama Supreme Court released a ruling in July 2020 ordering that the appointment of a temporary guardian and conservator was void. The court also ruled Greg Hawley, the temporary guardian, must account for all of Ms. Bashinskys funds and property. The court dismissed the emergency petition for a guardian and conservator, but did not dismiss the permanent petition, because that had not been decided by the probate court so it was not an issue the high court could consider. At the time of Bashinskys death, the permanent petition was still being sought. It feels like Im nobody, like all my rights have been taken away, Bashinsky said during an interview with AL.com in 2019. I feel like Im a prisoner in my own home. She also said her late husband, who died in 2005, was turning over in his grave over what she calls a betrayal by the couples former employees. Attorneys for the former employees say their clients were looking out for Bashinsky, aiming to protect her at a vulnerable time. Bashinsky had become an advocate for elder abuse battles, according to family spokesperson Mark Serrano. With the media attention around her case, many other people who have faced similar challenges came forward to share information and form personal bonds with Mrs. B. We had only begun to scratch the surface of widespread elder abuse in the state of Alabama thanks to Mrs. Bs resolve to ensure every elders rights are preserved and dignity protected. (From left) Joann Bashinsky, Noel Vice, and Karle Falkenburg in 2008 stand in front of the Outfitters store at Big Oak Ranch. Bashinsky funded the store's build (Birmingham News file photo)bn Every one of us who were committed to helping Mrs. B seek justice will miss her gracious personality and her kind spirit immensely, he said. Before her death, Bashinsky led an ordinary life for an 89-year-old. She liked to play bridge and Scrabble with her friends; she enjoyed being home and reading books. She loved frogs, and her collection of frog-related items covered her home. Her true passion, though, was her charity work-- both at the Big Oak Ranch and through her organization The Bashinsky Foundation, which sends children to private schools and colleges. The foundation first sent Golden Flake employees children to school before expanding, and the Bashinskys have provided more than $1 million in scholarship money. Bashinsky has personally contributed more than $17 million in scholarships, school supplies, and academic accessibility. Im very proud of that, she said during the 2019 interview. Bashinsky didnt grow up wealthy, and her parents could not afford her education. When she did make it to college, she made education her mission. I made a vow that if I ever got any money, I would send any kid to school that wanted to go, she said. At the end of that interview, after showing off her frogs and the quilt children at the Big Oak Ranch made for her, she slowly filled up her beloved dogs water bowl as he looked on. I have faith in God, she said. He has the final answer. A breakthrough has been reached in Qatars three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries and an agreement aimed at ending their rift is to be signed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, a senior Trump administration official said. The development is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington - the others involving Israel and Arab states - aimed at building a united front against Iran. As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia will reopen its airspace and land and sea border to Qatar as of Monday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser al-Sabah said on Kuwait TV ahead of a Gulf Arab summit in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Saudi state agency SPA quoted Saudi Arabias de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as saying the annual gathering of Gulf leaders would unite Gulf ranks in the face of challenges facing the region. Qatars ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, will attend, the royal court said. The U.S. official said the Saudi crown prince and Qatari emir would sign the deal. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar since mid-2017 accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar denies it and says the embargo aims to undermine its sovereignty. While Saudi Arabia made clear it intended to lift the blockade, the other three countries did not do so immediately, but the Trump official said its our expectation they would also join in lifting the blockade. Under the emerging agreement, Qatar will suspend lawsuits related to the blockade, the official said. All of the countries involved in the deals are U.S. allies. Qatar hosts the regions largest U.S. military base, Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE host U.S. troops. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, assigned to work on the dispute by U.S. President Donald Trump, helped negotiate the deal and was working the phones on it until the wee hours of Monday morning, the official said. Kushner, Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook, a special State Department adviser, were flying to the Saudi Arabian city of al-Ula to attend the ceremony, the U.S. official said. If the deal holds, the Gulf dispute will be added to a string of diplomatic achievements of the Kushner team, a list that includes normalization deals last year between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. "Its just a massive breakthrough. The blockade will be lifted. It will allow for travel amongst the countries as well as goods. It will lead to more stability in the region," Reuters cited the U.S. official as saying. FP Trending Researchers from Penn State University are examining a signal that was detected by a radio telescope pointed at Proxima Centauri. It is the Milky Way's neighbouring small star, and part of the Alpha Centauri star system. The radio signal was originally picked up in April and May 2019. In an interaction with The New York Times, Sofia Sheikh, a graduate from Penn State, and the lead author of the study, stated that the signal is some sort of technological signal, but the question is whether it is Earth tech or from somewhere else. Sheikh is part of a $100 million effort funded by Russian billionaire investor Yuri Milner to find alien radio waves. This is the Breakthrough Listen project first candidate or BLC-1. According to an article by SETI, this is just a candidate, not a confirmed signal something that everyone at the project emphasised, including executive director Pete Worden. The sixty-four-meter radio telescope at Parkes Observatory in Australia was used to detect the potential signals from Proxima Centauri. He told the New York Times that the signal appears to only shop up in their data when they are looking in the direction of Proxima Centauri. Andrew Siemion of the Berkeley SETI Research Center and investigator for Breakthrough Listen added that his instincts tell him that the signal will be anthropogenic in origin. Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star orbited by two known planets, one of which is in the 'habitable zone' that could support Earth-like conditions. In an interaction with Scientific American, Penn State University professor Jason Wright stated that if one sees such a signal, and it is not coming from the surface of Earth, one knows they have detected extraterrestrial technology. Speaking with Scientific American, Sheikh further said that it is the most exciting signal they have found in the Breakthrough Listen project because they have not had a signal jump through as many times on their filters before. 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. Katie Holmes and her boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr. recently became Instagram official on her 42nd birthday after nearly four months of dating. And on Monday, the duo were seen out together for the first time in 2021 as they proved their relationship is still going strong. The Dawson's Creek actress and her 33-year-old restaurateur beau walked arm and arm on a romantic stroll through Greenwich Village, as they grabbed some coffee. City stroll: Katie Holmes, 42, and her boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr., 33, take a romantic stroll in New York City as they prove their love is still going strong in 2021 Wearing a black flap cap and a pair of wide legged jeans, Holmes looked city chic on her man's arm. She dressed up the look with a pair of black boots and a black blazer, adding a turtleneck underneath for added warmth. Carrying a white tote bag and double fisting a coffee and an espresso shot, she seemed to bring Vitolo a midday pick me up as she walked to meet him. Looking a bit more tailored for the outing she tied her hair back in a low bun as she dressed to impress. Bearing gifts: Holmes appeared to bring her boyfriend of four months a midday pick me up as she carried a coffee and an espresso shot The Emilio's Ballato chef wore all black as he sported jeans and a hoodie with a white T-shirt underneath, topping the look off with hightop converse. They sported matching white face masks as they kept themselves protected while strolling through the city, as she slipped her arm through his to keep him close. The pair were first linked in early September where they were spotted putting on an amorous display in Soho despite his engagement to Rachel Emmons at the time. Going strong: Their romance began in early September and the duo have been practically inseparable as they spent part of Thanksgiving and all of Christmas together Swiftly breaking off the impending nuptials via text message, he made his affection for Holmes known, in addition to sources sharing that he had always had a predilection for older women. Since then the pair have been spotted packing on the PDA frequently, and even brought their families into the equation, as she has dined with his dad at their restaurant, and even introduced Vitolo to her 14-year-old daughter Suri Cruise. Though being a mom has remained her first priority, Katie and Emilio celebrated Thanksgiving together, as well as Christmas, as they spent it, 'cooking, caroling, volunteering and watching old movies while drinking wine,' according to an OK! Magazine source. Her first public romance since her very private six-year relationship with Jamie Foxx, 53, - which ended in 2019 - it has been said that Katie thinks this relationship has 'got the potential to go all the way.' Getting serious: The relationship has gotten more serious as they have brought their families into it, as Holmes has met his father and Vitolo has spent time with Suri Genuine affection: Vitolo has referred to Holmes as 'The most amazing, kindest, beautiful person'; she is seen on Monday Confirming that he too is serious about Katie, he paid tribute to her on her birthday (December 18) with a mushy Instagram post. 'The most amazing, kindest, beautiful person. Every time I see your face it makes me smile. Happy Birthday!!! I love you!!,' he gushed, as he shared a photo of Holmes sitting on his lap at his restaurant. Recently Katie has leaned into her creative side as she has been seen flexing her photography skills and picking up paint and canvases from an art supply store. It seems her new romance with the chef and actor has allowed her heart to flourish in new ways, as it has been said she is 'head over heels in love with Emilio.' Dawson's Creek is available to stream on Stan in Australia All the way: An insider said to Us Weekly that Holmes is apparently 'head over heels in love' with her beau Corinaldesi joins Filson as part of his role with WP Lavori, the international apparel brand licensee, distributor and retail group, which invested in Filson last year. Most recently, Corinaldesi served as a global strategist with WP Lavori, working with brands such as Blundstone, Baracuta and Barbour, among others. Prior to that, Corinaldesi was CEO of Woolrich International, where he managed the merger of the brand's U.S. and European business, led the exploration of international partnerships and oversaw the development of the brand's retail sales network. "Filson's long-standing history and reputation for reliability are testaments to our commitment to our customers," said Alex Carleton, Filson Chief Creative Officer. "Paolo shares those values, and with his leadership and extensive retail experience, he will drive business growth and continue to build on Filson's legacy." Established in 1897 to outfit customers headed to the Klondike Gold Rush, founder C.C. Filson designed durable and reliable products for the most demanding conditions. After the Gold Rush, Filson focused on clothing for the timber industry, such as the Filson Cruiser, patented in 1914, which became the official attire of the U.S. Forest Service and continues to influence the brand's best-selling items today. Filson's signature materials, such as heavyweight Tin Cloth, Mackinaw Wool and Rugged Twill, offer tough and dependable clothing that has established itself as the gold standard for hunters, anglers, explorers and anyone who has a passion for the outdoors. Over the past 124 years, Filson's growth has been driven by its high-quality products, loyal customers, e-commerce and dynamic retail spaces. In 2021, the brand expects to continue to accelerate that growth by focusing on international expansion and new product offerings, including the recently introduced, sewn in the U.S. denim collection. "After Woolrich, I thought that my time as an executive was over, but when the opportunity to join Filson came along, I couldn't say 'no,'" said Corinaldesi. "Filson has a very special history and holds a unique place in today's market. I am excited to join this great team and continue to grow the brand through new product innovations, expanding our retail footprint and building our international presence." Detroit-based Bedrock Manufacturing Company is the parent company of Filson. Founder Tom Kartsotis will continue to oversee Filson and work alongside Corinaldesi and Carleton to build the business. Corinaldesi's focus will be on operations, finance and sales while Carleton will manage brand marketing, product and merchandising. In 2020, WP Lavori made a multimillion-dollar investment, acquiring 10 percent of the company, to partner with Bedrock and support Filson's future growth opportunities. About Filson Established in Seattle in 1897 to outfit prospectors headed for the Yukon, the company's 124-year legacy is built upon its reputation for honesty, quality and durability. Filson's long-lasting gear is the choice of explorers, adventurers, ranchers, hunters, anglers, engineers and anyone with a passion for the outdoors. Over a century after its founding, the Filson headquarters remain in Seattle, Washington. For more information, go to Filson.com. SOURCE Filson Related Links https://www.filson.com Patna, Jan 5 : A home guard was allegedly shot dead by a group of men in Bihar's Gopalganj district on Tuesday. The deceased Bhola Singh was on his morning walk when unidentified attackers shot him thrice at Ekderwa locality. Local police arrested a person in this connection and the matter is under investigation. Gopalganj SP Anand Kumar said: "Prima facie it looks to be a case of land dispute. We have arrested one person named Raj Kishore Singh in this connection." After the incident, the deceased's nephew Suraj Singh said in statement that Raj Kishore Singh and Sanjay Singh shot Bhola Singh on November 26. They were demanding Rs 5 lakh from him. Sanjay Singh is absconding. "The villagers suspected that there were three or more assailants involved in the attack. The interrogation of Raj Kishore Singh is currently underway. He is the prime suspect in this case. Identification of other accused will be done soon," the officer said. Tehran, Jan 5 : Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that it has seized a South Korean oil tanker in the Gulf over "repeated violations" of environmental protocols. "The tanker (Hankuk Chemi), departing from the Saudi port of Al-Jubail, was seized when sailing in the Gulf by the Zulfiqar fleet in the first Naval District of the IRGC for repeated violations of marine environmental laws," Xinhua news agency quoted the IRGC as saying in a statement following the seizure on Monday. It was en route to the United Arab Emirates. The ship was carrying 7,200 tonnes of chemicals derived from petroleum and 20 crewmembers -- five South Koreans, 11 Myanmarese, two Indonesians and two Vietnamese, according to the statement. After being seized, the vessel was docked at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, and the case will be handed over to local judicial authorities for legal process, the IRGC further said. According to the statement, the vessel was seized at the request of the Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization, by order of the Prosecutor's Office of Iran's Hormozgan province. In response to the development, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Tuesday said that Seoul is making diplomatic efforts for the swift release of the ship and crewmembers. "We have been trying to figure out what happened through the Iranian Embassy in South Korea and the South Korean Embassy in Iran and continuing to make efforts to address this situation," Yonhap News Agency quoted the Minister as saying to reporters. Also on Monday, the US State Department called on Iran to immediately release the tanker, saying that the seizure is part of Teheran's attempt to press the international community into lifting sanctions on the country. As the world's most important oil passageway and a choke point between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the strait is the route to the open ocean for more than one-sixth of global oil production and 70 per cent of South Korea's oil imports. In a similar incident in 2019, Iran had seized the UK-flagged tanker Stena Impero, two weeks after a British warship had intercepted an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar, leading to an escalation of tensions. DANBURY U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal didnt drop by Mothership on Main for the avocado toast or the Red Hot Mama a breakfast wrap with short ribs, sweet potatoes, gruyere cheese and hot sauce. Blumenthal was interested how the downtown Danbury eatery was surviving the 11th month of the coronavirus pandemic, and whether a new round of federal COVID-19 relief for small businesses known as the Paycheck Protection Program would make a difference. CHARLES CITY, Iowa A case that started with blocking traffic and wound up with gun and drug charges is now set for trial. Jesse Paul Mugan, 31 of Mason City, is pleading not guilty to possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a firearm by a domestic violence offender, assault on a peace officer with intent to cause serious injury, possession of marijuana-1st offense, and possession of methamphetamine-1st offense. Authorities say Mugan was trying to stop traffic in Nora Springs on November 24, 2020, to ask for a ride. Mugan is accused of resisting arrest by biting an officer hard enough to break the skin and cause bruising. Law enforcement says a search of Mugan also found a modified shotgun with a 2 inch barrel and no stock, a small baggie of meth, and numerous roaches of marijuana. Court documents state the shotgun had an overall length of six inches. He is now set to stand trial in Floyd County District Court on February 18. Romanian companies are willing to increase their budget to improve cybersecurity and allocate 14pct of IT budgets for this, but it is insufficient, according to a study commissioned by Safetech Innovations, a Romanian cybersecurity company. Despite the significant increase in the number and sophistication of cybersecurity attacks, only four out of 10 companies are concerned about the possibility that they could be the target of an attack, while three out of 10 companies consider it very unlikely and therefore not are concerned about cybersecurity. According to a company's release issued on Tuesday for AGERPRES, 62pcy of Romanian companies consider cybersecurity to be a key priority for their business. Large companies, with more than 250 employees, pay more attention to cybersecurity, 76pct of them consider it important, compared to only 58pct of SMEs. However, despite the emphasis on cybersecurity, only a third of companies have implemented policies and procedures against cybersecurity attacks and less than half have a dedicated person who oversees cybersecurity. Half of the surveyed companies are willing to outsource cybersecurity services. 20pct of companies surveyed do not consider cybersecurity to be important enough to appoint a dedicated employee. The antivirus solution remains the most common IT service used by both medium and large companies, and was indicated as the main protection measure, implemented by 86pct of them. Other methods of protecting companies against cyber attacks included using professional Wi-Fi (60pct), investing in network security (58pct), and disaster recovery (45pct). The study also indicated that 6% of the surveyed companies suffered a cybersecurity attack between September 2019 and September 2020. A quarter of the companies managed to restore the system within an hour of the attack, while 75pct they restored the system within a day. One in 10 companies has faced a cybersecurity incident in the past year, the most important of which are the disruption of computer systems, the breach of personal data security and the destruction or corruption of data. 210 companies based in Romania participated in the quantitative survey conducted by MIA Marketing for Safetech Innovations. The companies come from the financial and banking, energy, utilities, production and online retail sectors. The survey was conducted in September and October 2020 and includes the responses of managers responsible in companies for decisions related to IT&C investments such as CEOs, chief security officers and IT managers. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney took disciplinary action against a number of lawmakers and officials who defied Covid-19 travel guidelines over the holidays, as the leader of Canadas oil-rich province tries to stem a growing scandal. In a statement posted on Twitter Monday, Kenney announced that one cabinet minister, Tracy Allard, along with his chief staff will be stepping down from their posts after revelations the two travelled abroad in recent weeks. The premier also unveiled sanctions against five other lawmakers who left the country, revoking their legislative or government roles. Its a dramatic response to what has become a major public embarrassment to Kenneys United Conservative Party. But the controversy transcends Alberta politics. In recent days, Canadians have been gripped by a steady flow of public officials across the country acknowledging they travelled abroad despite health officials advising citizens not to leave. New restrictions on social gatherings over the holidays have also fanned public outrage. Last week, Rod Phillips was forced to step down as Ontarios finance minister after news leaked that he was vacationing in the Caribbean. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government announced Sunday that it had sanctioned two lawmakers over recent trips. Allard, the municipal affairs minister, had travelled to Hawaii. Kenneys chief of staff, Jamie Huckabay, visited the U.K. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter More than 513 doctors including 103 from Delhi succumb to COVID-19 in second wave: IMA During pandemic, vaccine's restricted use considered based on safety data: ICMR chief India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: In a pandemic situation, restricted emergency use of vaccines is considered based on safety and immunogenicity data while phase three clinical trial is underway, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chief Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday. Explaining the process followed in granting nod to Oxford COVID-19 vaccine and indigenously developed Covaxin, he said, "The existing pandemic situation, high mortality, available science and lack of definitive treatments were considered by the subject expert committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of CDSCO for granting accelerated approval to these vaccines, and that is in our legal provision." The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had on Sunday approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. Industry experts and some opposition leaders have expressed concern over the absence of Phase 3 trial data on Covaxin. The critics have cautioned that "sidestepping" processes and giving "premature" clearance could risk lives and fuel vaccine hesitancy in India. Centre has not banned export of any COVID-19 vaccine "In a pandemic situation, restricted use is considered based on safety and immunogenicity data while phase three clinical trail is still ongoing. The immunogenicity data generated through phase two clinical trial serves as a surrogate for efficacy. The Clinical Trial Rule, 2019, provides for considering phase two results to guide approval. "Now the SEC guides the DCGI in the process of decision making for restricted use under emergency situation. Now we have two vaccines," Bhargava said. Providing details of the UK studies of Covishield, the ICMR chief said animal studies showed that vaccine prevented SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in monkeys and have elicited good immunogenicity in mice. The phase one and two clinical trials in 1,077 participants showed an acceptable safety profile, and homologous boosting increased antibody responses. Phase two and three in prime-boost regimen in 560 participants showed it was better tolerated in older adults than in younger adults and has similar immunogenicity across all age groups after a boost dose. The result was published in the Lancet, the ICMR chief said. Phase 3 trial in 11,636 participants from UK and Brazil, with two standard doses, showed vaccine efficacy was 621 per cent, in case of a low dose followed by a standard dose, the efficacy was 90 per cent. Overall, Covishield efficacy was 704 per cent. This has been published online last month, he said. As for Covishield''s phase two and three clinical trial in India, there were 1,600 participants aged than 18 years. Their immunogenicity data is being generated, more than half is available. Covishield is safe and immunogenic and the data showed that it is "non-inferior to the UK product," Bhargava said. "It was an important point that led to the approval." he added. As for Covaxin, Indian studies on animals such as rats, mice, rabbits, hamsters and monkeys showing excellent safety, immunogenicity. It showed robust viral clearance in both the upper and lower respiratory tract in large animals. The phase one and two clinical trial on 375 and 380 participants respectively revealed very low adverse events, Bhargava said, adding, "It showed neutralising antibody responses equivalent to human convalescent serum, strong antibody responses to all structural proteins... three months after vaccination." The phase three clinical trial will include 25,800 participants of which 24,000 have been enrolled so far. There are no safety concerns. They (participants) have been given their first dose and more than 5,000 give the second jab. "Permission for restricted use in clinical trial mode has been allowed which means consent of participants has to be taken and there has to be a regular follow up of participants," Bhargava said. Explaining further, he said the manufacturer of Covaxin has been requested by the drug controller to provide the protocol for the clinical trial mode. Clinical mode means everyone will give consent for the vaccine, there will be no placebo and there will be a closer follow up. "As for the publications of Covaxin (trail), the animal studies have been published in Nature Communications and High science which is a cell journal. The phase one trial was being published in Lancet Infectious Diseases... and the phase two paper is under review there. They also have the protocol of phase three which is also under review by the British Medical Journal." "There is another important publication in the Indian Journal of medical research which has compared the large animal data in all vaccine products and has shown the efficacy of this as well," Bhargava said. Referring to The New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules issued on March 19, 2019, he said it clearly states that if remarkable efficacy is observed with a defined dose in the Phase 2 clinical trial of investigational new drug for the unmet medical needs of serious and life threatening diseases in the country, it may be considered for grant of marketing approval by the Central Licensing Authority based on Phase 2 clinical trial data. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 23:02 [IST] As the U.S. prepares to withdraw from Afghanistan, lawmakers and others are trying to figure out how to keep it from becoming... The Independent Investigations Unit of Manitoba has cleared two Brandon police officers after a woman alleged they assaulted her during a February 2020 arrest. Advertisement Advertise With Us The Independent Investigations Unit of Manitoba has cleared two Brandon police officers after a woman alleged they assaulted her during a February 2020 arrest. The police watchdog was notified on Feb. 20 of the Feb. 5 allegation by Brandon police, according to the IIUs final report, which was written by civilian director Zane Tessler. The woman told the IIU she was arguing with her boyfriend when he called police. A male officer arrived and she started a "staring contest" with him. According to the woman, the officer said "Lets go," but she turned away from the officer and went upstairs to get dressed. The officer then grabbed her arm at the elbow and twisted it, she alleged, and she jerked her arm back. She said the officer twisted her arm behind her back and pushed her against the wall. She then laid on the hallway floor with her head, feet and hands under her. The woman further alleged that a female police officer arrived and punched her in the ribs and a male officer kicked her in the ribs and lower back. She then gave up her arms and was handcuffed and arrested. In the IIUs report, the woman says her left arm is still sore and she had bruises and a cut from the handcuffs. She said she was diagnosed with a hyperextended arm but no treatment was prescribed. The IIUs report also included the police version of events. According to police, it started when officers were dispatched to a residence after a man said his girlfriend was yelling at him and pushed him. When police arrived they were met by the woman, who "threw the front door open" and was screaming both at police and at the complainant, according to the IIU report. The woman got closer and closer to police until they were almost nose to nose, the report reads, and ignored requests to stand back. Police told the woman she was under arrest. As soon as the officer touched her, she dropped to the ground with her arms and legs underneath her, refusing to give up her hands. An "extended altercation" started, the report reads, where the woman used her body weight to push against police as they tried to get control of her arms. The woman said she was pregnant too, so officers tried not to injure her or her child. Officers eventually handcuffed her, but she kept resisting and pushing against officers. According to police, she kept resisting when a female officer was trying to help her put her pants on. She was charged with assault and resisting arrest. The IIU found it was in the public interest to investigate and reviewed police notes, the 911 call, video from the police cruiser, video from the BPS lobby and a written statement from the complainant. The mans version of events is different from both, according to the IIU. He said he called police following an argument with his girlfriend, who then started to "stare down" the officer who arrived. The officer told the woman to come to his police cruiser, which she refused to do, he told the IIU. Police threatened to Taser her, but he told them not to as she is pregnant. The man then saw the woman on the ground with the officers knee on her back but didnt see him use any other force. He said the woman was resisting commands to put her arm behind her back, telling the officer he would have to break it. The male officer didnt respond to any requests by IIU investigators to provide notes or be interviewed, according to the organizations report. The female officer did provide her notes but declined to be interviewed. Video from the Brandon Police Service lobby shows the woman initially favouring one of her arms, but then using both without any difficulty, according to the report. The womans version of events are not supported by what her boyfriend told police, the IIU found. Although she said she was kicked in the ribs and lower back, she only complained of soreness in her arms and wrists. "In summary, this investigation has determined that there is insufficient evidence to support the allegation that police officers used excessive and unnecessary force on (the woman) during the course of her arrest. There are no grounds to justify any charges against either of the subject officers." dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ Predictions that the trade deal concluded between the EU and UK will expose the Irish dairy industry to costs equivalent to 1.58c/l on cheddar cheese exports to Britain have been rejected by the ICMSA. Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) has estimated that the changed trading arrangements agreed in the pre-Christmas deal will cost Irish dairy processors in excess of 30 million on the 2 billion litres of milk used in the production of cheddar cheese. This cheese is primarily exported to Britain. Ireland sells over 95,000 tonnes of cheddar cheese into the British market each year, with the trade worth close to 260m. While welcoming the trade deal between the EU and the UK, DII warned that agri-food in Ireland faced huge new barriers that would ultimately cost consumers, farmers and companies in Ireland, Britain and the EU. An economic analysis by DII conducted in preparation for Brexit found that the situation we find ourselves in will result in a 1.58c per litre extra cost to the 2 billion litres of milk we use in the cheddar industry, which is particularly UK market exposed, said DII director, Conor Mulvihill. This 1.58c/l extra cost in cheddar production equates to almost 0.4c/l on the full Irish milk pool of 8.2 billion litres. However, this assessment was described as alarmist by the ICMSA dairy chairman, Gerald Quain. The ICMSA representative said it was too early to accurately predict the implications of the EU-UK deal. While Mr Quain accepted that close to a quarter of the countrys milk pool was processed into cheddar cheese, and that this was a challenge for processors, he claimed the increased cost of doing business under the new trading arrangements could not be definitively predicted or established at this stage. Global demand Mr Quain said dairy markets have generally remained steady over the last quarter, and the base prices of 31-32c/l which are currently on offer from most processors reflected the strength of global demand. Meanwhile, DII has called on the Irish government to immediately open an export credit insurance scheme to help companies aggressively seek new markets. DII claimed that Ireland was a complete outlier in the EU in not having a state export credit insurance scheme in place. In addition, DII has called for confirmation that the term Irish applies to Irish dairy and specialised nutrition produce from the entire island. The industry body has also called for: * Access for all Irish product from the island to existing EU Free Trade Agreements; * Access to EU market intervention tools for all product from the island of Ireland; * Further Government support and investment in alternatives to the British land bridge. Read More Online Editors A Laymans Guide on What to Expect When Congress Meets in Joint Session January 6 One of the rarest moments in American governance is the Joint Session of Congress that convenes only every four years to receive and count the Electoral College votes in the previous Novembers presidential election and to declare the official winner. Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution, the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, and the Electoral Count Act of 1887 are the key laws governing the process members of the Senate and the House of Representatives must follow in Wednesdays Joint Session. The process is at once, both fairly straightforward, and pregnant with procedural questions that are subject to heated disagreement and which can have a decisive impact on the ultimate decision of the Joint Session regarding the winner of the presidential election. Here, based on the Dec. 8, 2020, report of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), are summaries of the most important procedures and potential conflicts to watch for Wednesday: How the Electoral Votes are Counted : Vice-President Mike Pence, as the Senates presiding officer, also presides over the Joint Session and opens envelopes containing the electoral votes delivered to him and certified by each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The votes are opened in alphabetical order. : Vice-President Mike Pence, as the Senates presiding officer, also presides over the Joint Session and opens envelopes containing the electoral votes delivered to him and certified by each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The votes are opened in alphabetical order. Who Counts the Votes : Four Tellers are appointed, two from the Senate and two from the House. These are typically the chairmen and ranking minority members of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the House Committee on Administration. : Four Tellers are appointed, two from the Senate and two from the House. These are typically the chairmen and ranking minority members of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the House Committee on Administration. What Happens After the Votes are Counted ? According to CRS, if there are no objections to any of the states electoral votes, then after the votes of each state and the District of Columbia have been read, the tellers record and count them. When this process has been completed, the presiding officer announces whether any candidates have received the required majority votes for President and Vice President. If so, that announcement shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons, if any, elected President and Vice President of the United States (3 U.S.C. 15). ? According to CRS, if there are no objections to any of the states electoral votes, then after the votes of each state and the District of Columbia have been read, the tellers record and count them. When this process has been completed, the presiding officer announces whether any candidates have received the required majority votes for President and Vice President. If so, that announcement shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons, if any, elected President and Vice President of the United States (3 U.S.C. 15). But What if There Are Objections? This is where the Joint Session process gets complicated. When a states votes are announced, Pence will call for objections, if any. For an objection to be heard, it must be presented in writing and must be signed by at least one Senator and one Representative. The objection shall state clearly and concisely, and without argument, the ground thereof. This is where the Joint Session process gets complicated. When a states votes are announced, Pence will call for objections, if any. For an objection to be heard, it must be presented in writing and must be signed by at least one Senator and one Representative. The objection shall state clearly and concisely, and without argument, the ground thereof. The Joint Session is Suspended as the Senate and House then Meet Separately: The joint session does not act on any objections that are made. Instead, the joint session is suspended, the Senate withdraws from the House chamber, and each house meets separately to debate the objection and vote whether, based on the objection, to count the vote or votes in question. Both houses must vote separately to agree to the objection by simple majority. Otherwise, the objection fails and the vote or votes are counted, CRS explains. This process has only been invoked twice since 1887, once in 1969 and again in 2005. On both occasions, the Senate and House met separately, considered the objections involved, and voted to reject them. How Are the Objections Debated? No more than two hours of debate are permitted on a single objection and no senator or representative can speak more than once and then only for no more than five minutes. What are Grounds for Objections? The electoral votes from a state can only be challenged if they are claimed to be not regularly given by an elector and/or by an elector, who was not lawfully certified, said CRS. It is likely the Republican senators and representatives who have said they will object to particular states electoral votes being counted will do so on the basis of claims they were not lawfully certified by state officials. But, as CRS makes clear, the governing laws leave open to interpretation and debate some critical procedural issues, including: What if Congress decides to punt on an objection involving claims of electors being not lawfully certified? As an example, the Constitution vests the authority to regulate elections exclusively in state legislatures, but executive branch officials in Georgia, Pennsylvania and other states changed the election laws for 2020 without legislative approval. The Senate and the House will have to decide if in doing so, those state executive branch officials violated the Constitution, or to accept their actions, which could lead to Supreme Court litigation, or to simply ignore the issue and vote to reject such objections. Does Congress have an Alternative to Accepting or Rejecting an Objection? Yes, it does, as CRS notes that the word lawfully was expressly inserted by the House in the Senate legislation [in the 1887 Act] before the word certified. Such addition arguably provides an indication that Congress thought it might, as grounds for an objection, question and look into the lawfulness of the certification under state law. This could take the form, for example, of forming a commission, as was done to resolve the 1876 presidential election impasse, or it could take the form suggested by Jenna Ellis, one of President Trumps attorneys, who encouraged Pence to ask the legislatures of the six states that have two sets of electors to tell him which to accept. What if Senate and House Disagree on an Objection? This may be the most unclear area of the objections process. According to CRS, When the two houses disagree, then the statute states that the votes of the electors whose appointment was certified by the governor of the state shall be counted. But CRS conceded that it is not precisely clear exactly what situations this process would apply. This may be the most unclear area of the objections process. According to CRS, When the two houses disagree, then the statute states that the votes of the electors whose appointment was certified by the governor of the state shall be counted. But CRS conceded that it is not precisely clear exactly what situations this process would apply. Does the Presiding Officer of the Senate have Authority to Reject a States Electors? That issue is not clear, but the actions of then-Vice-President Al Gore in 2001 may suggest a liberal reading of the presiding officers authority. There are some instances of the presiding officer announcing decisions concerning the procedures of the joint session. [Gore] ruled on the admissibility of objections to the receipt of electoral votes from the state of Florida and also advised House and Senate members that debate was not permitted and that a unanimous consent request for debate on the issue could not be entertained, CRS said. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc We are overjoyed to present the Evolution of Psychotherapy in an in-person format for 2021 as we examine advances in contemporary psychotherapy and highlight the principles that guide effective clinical work," said Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, director and founder of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation. HMP Global, a leading healthcare event and education company, has announced that Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, the official meeting of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation, will convene in-person in Anaheim, California from December 1-5, 2021. The renowned meeting will deliver a tailored educational experience to a global community of mental health professionals dedicated to implementing innovative treatment strategies and enhancing patient care. We are overjoyed to present the Evolution of Psychotherapy in an in-person format for 2021, said Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, director and founder of the Milton H. Erickson Foundation. As a united community of mental and behavioral health professionals, we will examine the latest advances in the field of contemporary psychotherapy and highlight the unifying principles that guide effective and successful clinical work. To register for Evolution of Psychotherapy 2021 or to learn more, visit evolutionofpsychotherapy.com. For press access and media inquiries, contact Kelly McCurdy at pr@hmpglobal.com. ABOUT HMP GLOBAL HMP Global is the force behind Healthcare Made Practicaland is a multichannel leader in healthcare events and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global healthcare community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include Consultant360, the year-round, award-winning platform relied upon by primary care providers and other specialists; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; EMS World Expo, North America's largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com. ABOUT THE MILTON H. ERICKSON FOUNDATION Established in 1979, the Milton H. Erickson Foundation is a federal nonprofit corporation formed to promote and advance the contributions to the health sciences by the late Milton H. Erickson, MD. It has grown to become one of the most globally recognized and influential organizations in the field of psychotherapy and fulfills its mission through the organization of congresses, workshops, programs, and the development of clinically relevant content for mental health professionals. For more information, visit erickson-foundation.org. The chasm between American scientific achievement and government competence continues to haunt the pandemic response. The development of not one but two highly effective vaccines less than a year after the identification of the novel coronavirus, with more on the way, was a record-shattering triumph. But the struggle to get the shots out of freezers and into arms is undermining their capacity to save lives even as we lose more than ever to the pathogen. As of Monday, the federal government had distributed 15.4 million doses of vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, significantly fewer than the 20 million officials vowed to provide by years end. Worse, only 4.6 million had been administered, leaving over 10 million doses languishing on shelves where they can do no good. The proportions are worse in California, where less than a quarter of the 1.9 million doses received had completed their journey into a human as of the beginning of this week, according to the CDC. One analysis ranks the state among the 10 slowest. At this rate, it would take more than eight years to provide the required doses to 80% of Californians, the approximate share necessary to achieve herd immunity, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The federal government has been delivering fewer doses than states had been led to expect since shipments began last month. The supply will be further limited by officials perplexing refusal to order more of the vaccine produced by New York-based Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech, which became the first authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. But the greatest barrier to mass vaccination so far is the delay in using whats distributed. That can be attributed partly to the persistent lack of federal planning, which delegates much of a national undertaking to states and localities. The same sort of decentralization has crippled other aspects of the pandemic response, yielding a multitude of different approaches to testing and tracing, business restrictions, and mask requirements. California hospitals have reported an additional hurdle: troubling levels of reluctance to receive the vaccine among the health care workers who are supposed to be first in line. Two Southern California facilities have acknowledged giving excess doses to non-employees lest they expire. Indeed, while prioritizing frontline and other essential employees as well as the most vulnerable residents makes sense, state officials may have to simplify and loosen restrictions in the interest of moving the shots off shelves and into bodies. The dangerous anti-vaccination movement and the politicians who pander to it including President Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom deserve blame for the misguided resistance to inoculation against a disease that has killed so many. Trump aggravated such doubts by injecting politics into the process of authorizing the vaccines. And the lack of consistent government communication promotes more overestimation of their risks, which are minuscule compared to those of the virus, and underestimation of their power to protect populations. Newsom has acknowledged the need to pick up the pace and plans to ask the Legislature to spend more on distribution and education. The federal leadership vacuum puts that much more pressure on the governor to provide competent and consistent planning and communication. The faster the state gets its shots into the arms of willing Californians, the sooner we will stem the losses. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. Daniel Craig's daughter Ella Loudon enjoyed a meet-up with his ex-fiancee Satsuki Mitchell recently - a decade on from their split. The James Bond star, 52, and Hollywood producer Satsuki, 42, went their separate ways back in 2010 after a seven-year relationship and three-year engagement. He was believed to have left her for now-wife Rachel Weisz. Actress Ella, 28, posted a photo of herself hanging out with Satsuki over the weekend with the pair both wearing masks - indicating the snap was taken recently. Pals: Daniel Craig's daughter Ella Loudon enjoyed a meet-up with his ex-fiancee Satsuki Mitchell recently - a decade on from their split She also shared a screen grab of her FaceTiming Satsuki, showing the pair still share a close bond. Ella and Satsuki both live in New York City, but Ella is believed to have been in the UK for Christmas where her mother Fiona Loudon lives. Layer Cake actor Daniel married Rachel in 2011, six months after splitting from Satsuki in November 2010. The couple share a daughter, two. That same month Rachel announced she was splitting with her son Henry's father - director Darren Aronofsky, following a nine year romance. Back in the day: The James Bond star, 52, and Hollywood producer Satsuki, 42, went their separate ways back in 2010 after a seven-year relationship and three-year engagement (pictured 2009) Close bond: Actress Ella, 28, posted a photo of herself hanging out with Satsuki over the weekend with the pair both wearing masks - indicating the snap was taken recently Call: She also shared a screen grab of her FaceTiming Satsuki, showing the pair still share a close bond During her relationship with Craig, Satsuki was a regular fixture on his arm at red carpet events. But following the news that Craig had tied the knot with Weisz in 2011, whom he is believed to have left Satsuki for, the producer was apparently less than impressed. Her father Christopher told the Mail at the time: 'His sudden marriage came out of nowhere. We heard about it like everyone else, by reading the newspapers. She doesnt mention his name now and tells me off if I do. Moved on: Daniel has been married to actress Rachel Weisz since 2011 and the couple share a daughter, two Satsuki has only just reached a happy place. She has since said, more than once, that the break-up was the best thing for her. She knew he was not the man she wanted him to be and there was something wrong in the relationship. Daniel welcomed Ella during his marriage to Fiona which lasted from 1992-1994. As they were: Ella is pictured with Daniel and Satsuki in 2010, shortly before their split Ella recently shared a snap of a family gingerbread house to Instagram, which left fans wondering if she had inadvertently revealed the name of Daniel and Rachel's daughter. The house featured the names Daniel, Rachel, Ella and Henry, with a fifth name, Grace, which appears to be the moniker of Ella's half-sister. The couple have never publicly announced the name of their daughter. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. IT major on Tuesday said its research and development arm, Makers Lab, has collaborated with the College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune to address challenges in the field of defence through technological innovations. CME will leverage the partnership to address critical military problem statements and be future-ready using next-generation technologies of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, a statement said. Through this collaboration, Makers Lab will provide real world technological exposure to the army officers at CME and assist them in getting the nuances of next-generation technologies such as AI, Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) to make them future-ready for modern-day warfare, it added. As a part of this partnership, will establish a Makers Lab at CME to utilise their diverse set of capabilities and promote R&D to provide cutting-edge technology solutions for defence forces. Makers Lab's mission is to promote technology innovation by providing a common platform where academia, industry and government can come together to recognise transformative ideas and create disruptive solutions, Nikhil Malhotra, Global Head of Makers Lab, said. "The collaboration will enable our defence forces to address future challenges by leveraging digital technologies and innovation," he added. Lt Gen PP Malhotra, VSM, Commandant, College of Military Engineering, Pune, said CME has taken various steps towards developing successful ideas and innovations in the niche field of AI and Robotics. "The college has domain expertise and now with the assistance of Makers Lab, Tech Mahindra Ltd, I am sure we would be able to solve many challenges for Indian Army. I am hopeful that this initiative would take us a long way in undertaking research and development in this extremely challenging sphere," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LOWELL, MA It's Tuesday, Jan. 5. Here's what Patch has been covering in the Merrimack Valley and across Massachusetts today. The Lowell field hospital received its first patient from Lowell General Hospital Monday, the hospital said. The field hospital opened with 14 beds and is expected to have 28 beds available by the end of the week. Officials expect an increase in patients following the holidays. The hospital is designed to be a "regional resource for transfer of recovering patients who need some additional medications or therapies before being discharged to home, opening up inpatient capacity for more severely ill patients," Lowell General said. Read more. Also in the Merrimack Valley State announces first responder vaccination sites Massachusetts named over 100 sites across the state where first responders will be vaccinated beginning Monday. Some towns will have their own facilities, while other sites will serve multiple towns. Here's where first responders in your town will be able to get vaccinated: Interim Andover Superintendent Claudia Bach Takes Office Andover's new interim schools Superintendent Claudia Bach began her new term with the district Monday after Sheldon Berman left the district at the end of 2020. Bach, a former superintendent, is expected to spend about six months back in the superintendent's office. A School Committee search for a permanent replacement is underway. Chelmsford High School Gets New Assistant Director Of Athletics Lori Martin, who is working on her master's degree in management at Merrimack College, was hired to fill a new role and will take over the social media efforts for scheduling, transportation as well as graphic arts. Lowell Couple Welcomes Lowell General's First Baby of 2021 More than 2,000 babies are born each year at The Birthplace at Lowell General Hospital, but only one can be the first. Story continues Izabela Grace Casara Cruz was born at 2:35 a.m. New Year's Day to parents Jean Casara and Zuleisly Cruz of Lowell. Izabela arrived a day early, her parents say, but she was ready, needing just a couple of pushes to come into the world. She is 20 inches long and weighs 8 pounds, 1 ounce. Boston Road To Be Redesigned: Public Hearing Boston Road is set to be redesigned, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation wants input from Westford before it commences work. Tewksbury Reports 2,000th Coronavirus Case As Surge Continues The town added over 100 confirmed cases in under a week, bringing the active caseload to a new high of 868 confirmed and probable cases. Across Massachusetts MCAS Returning, But Changes Include Shortening The Exam This year's MCAS exams will feature "significantly" reduced testing time for third through eighth graders, and no schools will be newly named underperforming in the upcoming school year, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley told superintendents in a memo Tuesday. Hopkinton's 'The Spoon' Temporarily Closes After 40 Years A Hopkinton staple is getting ready to close its doors, but it may not be for good. The Spoon, a mainstay on Lumber Street for the past 40 years, announced on Tuesday that it would close its doors for the winter. The announcement, published on the restaurant's website and Facebook page, said Jan. 10 will be the last day "until further notice." Tufts And Harvard Pilgrim Merge, Move Headquarters To Canton Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care announced the finalization of their merge on Monday and plan to move to a new headquarters in Canton later this year. The companies received all regulatory approvals as of Jan. 1 and will become one of the region's largest health services organizations. Beverly Mayor: Coronavirus Vigilance Needed As Vaccines Arrive Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill's message to the community issued this week included a plea to stay vigilant with coronavirus-related protocols even as hope is on the horizon with front-line health care workers and first responders being vaccinated against the virus. Brookline Official Calls Town Negligent In Racism Case A Brookline Select Board member is publicly urging the Supreme Judicial Court to rule against the town and for a former firefighter who he said was treated unjustly by the town after reporting racial harassment. And finally today: It's 2021. Did you make any resolutions for the new year? This article originally appeared on the Tewksbury Patch A Utah man has been charged with murder after he shot his mother at the dinner table and then danced with his 14-year-old sister next to her bleeding corpse, court documents state. Mike Lopez, 23, was allegedly high on marijuana when he walked into the kitchen where his two sisters, aged 14 and 17, were sitting with their mother Victoria Ramirez, 43, at their home in Springville on December 23. Lopez sat down and pointed a shotgun at his mother before turning to his 14-year-old sister who nodded at him, a police affidavit says. The girl then got up and locked herself in an adjacent bathroom while Lopez's elder sister also left but remained outside the door. 'I know you're going to kill me, and I love you,' Ramirez is said to have told her son before he 'fired a single shot, striking her in the neck and face, killing her almost instantly.' The 14-year-old then returned to the room where she started stroking her mother's hair before Lopez took her by the arm and started dancing with her, according to the affidavit. Mike Lopez, 23, walked into the dining room where his two sisters, aged 14 and 17, were sitting with their mother Victoria Ramirez, 43, at their home in Springville, Utah The 17-year-old locked herself in the bathroom where she escaped through the window and phoned a relative who then alerted the police. When officers arrived Lopez was sitting in a filled bathtub with the shotgun resting against the tub. Victoria Ramirez, 43, is said to have told her son: 'I know you're going to kill me, and I love you' While being booked into Utah County jail an officer informed him that he was being charged with his mother's murder to which 'he nodded his head affirmatively and began to cry. He subsequently told the officer, "Someone told me to do it,"' the court papers say. Lopez had marijuana in his system and the 17-year-old sister told officers she believed that her brother had been smoking the drugs with the 14-year-old sister. 'She stated Mike has been acting really strange lately where he has been meditating a lot where he claims to go to different dimensions and talking about a lot of bad people,' the affidavit states. The sister said that Lopez bought a handgun and a shotgun the day before he shot their mother. Officers noted that the 14-year-old girl 'was acting very strange' during her interview. She told detectives she and Lopez 'have been together a lot lately and they take turns sleeping so they can watch over one another.' The girl claimed it was not her mother who had been shot and smiled when she was asked about dancing with Lopez in the aftermath. The document says that she started to sing a song during the interview and 'did not show any emotion.' Lopez is charged with murder, a first-degree felony, plus domestic violence in the presence of a child and possession of a weapon by a restricted person, both third-degree felonies. On Monday, the case was transferred to the 4th District Court in American Fork. He will next appear in court on January 12. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will object to the certification of Arizona's Electoral College votes on Wednesday, two sources familiar with his plans confirmed to Axios. Why it matters: Cruz is one of 13 senators who have threatened to object to President-elect Biden's Electoral College victory. Arizona is at least the third state whose certification Republican lawmakers plan to challenge. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has said he'll object to Pennsylvania's certification, while Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) says she'll object to Georgia's results. Cruz, who is leading a separate coalition of 11 senators, will be joined in the House in his Arizona objection by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.). The Washington Post was the first to report on Cruz's plans. Between the lines: Cruz is choosing to object to Arizona in an effort to bolster his request for an electoral commission on alleged voter fraud early on in the certification process, sources tell Axios. States are certified alphabetically meaning Arizona will be the first battleground state brought to the joint session of Congress. The Trump campaign has repeatedly lost lawsuits seeking to overturn election results, including in Arizona. What they're saying: "I assembled a coalition of 11 senators that we are going to vote to object to the electors not to set aside the election, I dont think that would actually be the right thing to do," Cruz said on the Mark Levin Show on Monday. "But rather to press for the appointment of an electoral commission that can hear the claims of voter fraud, hear the evidence and make a determination as to what the facts are and the extent to which the law was complied with." What to watch: Republicans' objections to the certification process are virtually guaranteed to fail. The Democrats hold a majority in the House, and a number of Republican senators have condemned their colleagues' efforts as damaging to democracy. Go deeper: 2024 Republicans view Biden certification vote as decisive for their presidential viability Lucknow: A special court hearing the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case, issued summons to a CBI witness, asking him to appear before it on Thursday. Special Judge S K Yadav issued the summons to the 197th witness of the CBI after the agencys counsel furnished a list of the 196 witnesses examined by the court in Lucknow and 57 in Raebareli to the lawyers of BJP leader L K Advani and the other accused in the case. The defence counsel also sought copies of statements of these witnesses which were provided to them. Subsequently, the court issued summons to the 197th witness of the CBI. The judge on Wednesday framed charges against BJP veterans Advani, M M Joshi, Union minister Uma Bharti and nine others for criminal conspiracy in the case of demolition of the 16 th-century structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The Supreme Court had ordered restoration of the conspiracy charge against them on April 19. The charges were framed against former deputy prime minister Advani (89), former Union minister Joshi (83), Bharti (58), BJP MP Vinay Katiyar (62), VHPs Vishnu Hari Dalmiya (89) and one-time Hindutva firebrand Sadhvi Rithambara (53). All the six were granted bail by judge Yadav on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each after rejecting the CBIs opposition to their bail plea. The charge of conspiracy is in addition to the existing charges against them for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion for which they are already facing trial. The apex court had while restoring the charge of criminal conspiracy, directed clubbing of two cases relating to the demolition. The court had also ordered that the trial be concluded in two years. Besides the six, conspiracy charges were also framed against Ramvilas Vedanti, Baikunth Lal Sharma, Champat Rai Bansal, Mahant Nritya Gopaldas, Dharam Das and Satish Pradhan -- all of whom were allegedly present when the structure in Ayodhya was pulled down. The accused are also facing charges of having made assertions prejudicial to national integration and injuring or defiling a place of worship. The other charges against them include indulging in deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, uttering statements leading to public mischief, rioting and unlawful assembly. The maximum punishment upon conviction after restoration of the conspiracy charge could be up to five years in jail or a fine or both, according to a lawyer. ALSO READ | Babri Masjid case: Charges of criminal conspiracy framed against Advani, Joshi, Uma, 9 others by Special CBI Court For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Editor: What happened to the party of Lincoln? For several years there was a lot of complaining that the left was trying to take our American freedom away. Starting in the 2016 presidential election campaigns there were screams that Hillary Clinton should be locked up and that the press disseminates fake news. These cries were repeated at many Republican rallies by Donald Trump and his followers. I was in disbelief. These are the people saying that the left wants to take their freedom away, but this group advocated prison for someone who had never been charged with a crime. Now they scream about voter fraud in the 2020 election, with none to be found. They screamed about locking up state officials who certified their state votes and gave President-elect Joe Biden the win. Some Republicans want President Trump to declare martial law and overturn the election because Trump cannot handle defeat. Its Republicans who want to take our rights away. Because of what is going on with these threats to overturn this election, many people should be charged with treason. Maybe Republicans want to outlaw other parties and start arresting anyone who disagrees with their ideas. Some Trump followers have the Nazi swastika sign on their body. I guess these symbols mean that they are the only true Americans and that what they say is true. I know that I pick on all Republicans and that its only the true Trump supporters who are the bad ones. I just wish good Republicans would tell Trump that he lost and to get out of the White House. WILLIAM GRAHAM SCRANTON Editor: Gov. Tom Wolf has lifted the restrictions on restaurants, bars and gyms as well as many other businesses across the commonwealth. Regardless of political or COVID-19 mitigation beliefs, it is a welcome sign. Local business owners and their employees face extremely difficult financial decisions and I hope the governor saw this struggle among hardworking Pennsylvanians as one of the many reasons to lift these restrictions. As much as businesses hurt, students in our K-12 public schools struggle equally, if not more. Many students in our state have not been physically in school since last March. Not only are students behind academically, but they also face enormous social and emotional challenges. One thing all educators can agree upon is that there is no substitute for face-to-face instruction or the importance of the human connection that teachers and their students share. The unreasonable conditions Wolf put on public schools make it extremely difficult to open our doors and educate our students. Meanwhile, families are leaving the public education system and enrolling their children in Catholic, charter and private schools, which operate under normal conditions five full days a week. Wolf campaigned on funding and supporting public education. The time is now for the governor and state leaders to show that children in this commonwealth are a priority by easing conditions so local districts can get our children back into school as soon as possible while keeping all safety precautions in place. I urge people to reach out to state representatives and advocate our students safe return to school. MICHAEL T. COLEMAN DUNMORE MEMBER, DUNMORE SCHOOL BOARD Editor: Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti and city council President Bill Gaughan have been politically wrangling in The Times-Tribune and on social media over the citys 2021 budget. It is unfortunate but not unexpected. Cognetti stated in a recent editorial that blight funding was stripped by councils budget amendments. This is very disconcerting to me and my neighbors who have lived for the past four years in the shadow of a burned out, blighted property, which we have been working to have removed. Our block is not unique. As a census worker this summer I visited many questionable properties throughout the city. Residents need city officials to work together to stop this decay in our neighborhoods. Eradicating blight is more than demolition. A multiprong approach is needed to eliminate existing blight and prevent future problems. A comprehensive plan with all city departments working in concert is the only solution. This requires a fresh look at the systems and personnel in place, which I understand the Cognetti administration is attempting to do. The real estate market is hot, as reported with many entities purchasing investment properties. City departments, especially Licensing, Inspections and Permits, must be prepared with updated tools and resources, strong zoning policies and efficient procedures that are fairly enforced by a motivated workforce to set things off on the right foot. This challenging, time-consuming work requires the cooperation of all city officials. It is my fervent hope that in 2021 the city will find its footing coming out of this horrible pandemic and thrive. BARBARA OMALLEY SCRANTON Editor: There are many fine writers on the local scene, as well as on the national arena. An item many may not know, however, is the meaning of the oft-used term, transactional. The adjective, which is often attached to this presidents policymaking, means that everything is negotiable. He will not be bound by principles; not those embodied in the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution, or even the Articles of Confederation. It should be interesting perhaps confounding to people who are mixed up about who we are, what we are and where we are. Well into the Civil War in 1863, partisans contended that Confederate President Jefferson Davis was superior as a leader to President Abraham Lincoln in the war of northern aggression. By late 1864, though, Southerners recognized that Lincoln had emerged a kind of political genius on the cusp of greatness. What is required of citizens now? It is the realization that we have been defrauded by this president to the point of cataclysm. We must not remain stalled; instead, go forward by first returning to pre-Jan. 20, 2017. Only then as a united body and having forsaken the extremes, is it possible. RICHARD J. YOST SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. Editor: After reading and watching recent news, I have come to the realization that the America first policy has really become America/Americans last. LINDA KIEFER SCRANTON Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Source: Reuters US President-elect Joe Biden has blasted Donald Trump for seeking to overturn November 3 election results, saying the outgoing president spends most of his time whining and complaining rather than doing the work of his office. Trump is yet to concede the elections and has filed several lawsuits challenging the November 3 poll results. He alleges that there was a massive voters fraud. Election officials and media have said that there is no evidence to back his claims. He has also lost dozens of lawsuits. The president spends more time whining and complaining than doing something about the problem. I don''t know why he still wants the job. He doesn''t want to do the work, Biden said on Monday at a drive-in election rally in Georgia where he sought support for two Democratic candidates. Runoff elections in Georgia will determine which party controls the Senate. Do it for all of those who have given up so much. Think of all of those who have given up so much to secure that right. Do it for the country you love because I know you love this country and the future you want to build for everyone in this country. Do it for all of those around the world who aspire like us to be free and the democratic people who look to us, he said. Biden, 78, was confirmed the winner of the November presidential election by the Electoral College on December 14 after all 50 states officially certified the voting results. According to official results, Biden collected 306 electoral votes as opposed to 232 votes cast for Trump. Congress will meet on January 6 to formally certify the Electoral College and Bidens victory. In the presidential election, Biden won Georgia by about 11,000 votes, becoming the first Democrat to carry the state since 1992. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson, the best-selling retail scanner brand in North America,1 is continuing its commitment to meeting the needs of small businesses and consumers with the expansion of its document scanner portfolio. Epson today announced three new document scanning solutions the WorkForce ES-580W, ES-500W II and ES-400 II duplex desktop document scanners for efficient document management and seamless organization. "From managing operations to interfacing with clients, small business professionals are often juggling multiple job roles. Paperwork can be an easy thing to put off, but eventually can pile up and become difficult to manage," said Carrie Fox, director, Scanner Product Management, Epson America. "With the expanded Epson WorkForce desktop scanner portfolio, users have more options to quickly and easily digitize documents, allowing them to save valuable time and focus on what's most important running their business." Ideal for any business or home office workspace, the wireless WorkForce ES-580W and ES-500W II scanners help maximize productivity and allow users to easily scan to a smartphone, tablet or cloud storage accounts,2 including Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive and OneDrive, from a desktop or mobile device using the Epson Smart Panel app.3 With the WorkForce ES-580W, users can scan directly to a USB memory drive without using a computer. The ES-580W features an intuitive 4.3" touchscreen for quick, effortless navigation, and a 100-sheet auto document feeder so users can breeze through stacks of documents with varying paper types and sizes in one batch. All three high-performance document scanners boast fast scan speeds of up to 35 ppm/70 ipm4 and include intuitive Epson ScanSmart Software5 so users can easily preview, email and upload scans. Offering efficient scanning, they capture both sides of each sheet in one pass. They feature TWAIN drivers for seamless integration with most document management software, and intelligent color and image adjustment features such as auto crop, staple protection, dirt detection, and paper-skew correction for remarkable image quality. With the versatile scanners, users can scan extra-long pages up to 240", business/ID cards and more. Additional Features Features WorkForce ES-580W Wireless Document Scanner WorkForce ES-500W II Wireless Document Scanner WorkForce ES-400 II Document Scanner Scan Speed 35 ppm/70 ipm4 35 ppm/70 ipm4 35 ppm/70 ipm4 Max Scan Size 8.5" x 240" 8.5" x 240" 8.5" x 240" ADF Capacity 100 sheets 50 sheets 50 sheets Peak Daily Duty Cycle 4,000 pages6 4,000 pages6 4,000 pages6 Wi-Fi N/A Display 4.3" Color Touchscreen N/A N/A Glass Dirt Detection and Paper Protection Scan to USB Drive N/A N/A Flatbed Option N/A N/A Optional7 MSRP $399.99 $369.99 $329.99 Availability and Support The Epson WorkForce ES-580W (MSRP $399.99), WorkForce ES-500W II (MSRP $369.99) and WorkForce ES-400 II (MSRP $329.99) duplex desktop document scanners are now available through major online computer, office and electronic superstores and www.epson.com. About Epson Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to becoming indispensable to society by connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. The company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics. Epson is proud of its contributions to realizing a sustainable society and its ongoing efforts to realizing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1 trillion. global.epson.com/ Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/epsonamerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica). 1 The NPD Group, Inc., Retail Tracking Service, U.S. & Canada, Scanners, Feb. 2019-Jan. 2020 2 Wirelessly scan to smartphones or tablets (Android/iOS devices) via the Epson Smart Panel App; wirelessly scan to the cloud, PCs or Macs with Epson ScanSmart Software installed on the connected Windows PC or Mac. 3 Requires Epson Smart Panel App download. Data usage fees may apply. 4 Based on letter-sized scans at 300 dpi in Black-and-White, Grayscale or Color Mode. 5 WorkForce ES-580W and WorkForce ES-500W II: Wirelessly scan to smartphones or tablets (Android/iOS devices) via the Epson Smart Panel App; wirelessly scan to the cloud, PCs or Macs with Epson ScanSmart Software installed on the connected Windows PC or Mac. WorkForce ES-400 II: Internet connection required. With Epson ScanSmart Software installed on the connected Windows PC or Mac. 6 Peak daily duty cycle is the highest recommended number of scanned sheets per day. For best results, do not exceed the peak daily duty cycle. Calculations based on a scanning speed of 35 ppm and an assumed daily use time. 7 Optional flatbed dock requires Epson Perfection V19 or V39 scanner, sold separately. EPSON, Epson ScanSmart, Perfection and WorkForce are registered trademarks, EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark and Better Products for a Better Future is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Mac, macOS and OS X are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android and Google Drive are trademarks of Google LLC. Excel, SharePoint and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2021 Epson America, Inc. SOURCE Epson America, Inc. Related Links www.epson.com President Trumps campaign has settled a lawsuit filed by a Boston artist and documentary filmmaker who said he was assaulted by a staff member at an event in New Hampshire in 2015. Under a settlement agreement signed on Dec. 23, the Trump campaign agreed to pay the artist, Rod Webber, $20,000 in damages. The settlement does not include an admission of wrongdoing. The Trump campaign could not immediately be reached for comment. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. Webber became known as the Flower Man for distributing flowers to major political candidates in what he said was a gesture of peace. He attended campaign events and asked the candidates questions. He also has a reputation as a provocateur. After a $120,000 duct-taped banana was eaten by a performance artist at the Art Basel fair in Miami Beach, Fla., last year, Mr. Webber wrote Epstien didnt kill himself in red lipstick on the blank wall where it had hung, misspelling the name of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. (A criminal mischief charge against Mr. Webber was dropped, CBS Miami reported.) Sports lie at the margins of our culture, different from how it is elsewhere in the world, and from how it used to be. This is one of the reasons why criminality among youth proceeds unchecked. There is no youth labour market, and the school system ruthlessly triages youth. This article is part of the Future Agenda, a series from Future Tense in which experts suggest specific, forward-looking actions the new Biden administration should implement. As Joe Biden enters the White House this month, his most urgent priority is getting a grip on COVID-19, starting with a campaign built around 100 (million) shots in 100 days. But a national security priority for the next few years will be preventing the next pandemic, and a vital part of that should be leading a global effort to protect one of our most important infection-fighting tools: antibiotics. Advertisement There are a number of potential sources for future pandemics. Perhaps a bioterror research effort that somehow slips past all four of the staff members worldwide supporting implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention. Or another virusperhaps a new strain of Nipah or a coronavirusmight make its way from animals to humans. But a considerable and growing threat comes from a mutated strain of bacteria invulnerable to antibiotics like penicillin or tetracycline. Advertisement Advertisement Theres a risk of bacteria developing resistance every time we use antibiotics. If the drug isnt strong enough to kill all of the microbes, the ones that survive are those already most resistant. Bacteria reproduce very fast, so they can rapidly evolve into forms that are better able to survive being bathed in ever-stronger concentrations of the antibiotic: in one test, increasing resistance a thousand-fold in just 11 days. Advertisement It is little surprise that resistance has been a growing problem ever since Alexander Fleming first experimented with penicillin back in the 1930s. For example, 1972 saw a typhoid fever outbreak in Mexico that was stubbornly resistant to chloramphenicol, and when doctors switched to streptomycin, sulfonamide, and tetracycline, none of them worked, either. Thankfully, despite spreading to the U.S., the outbreak burned out within a year. But the resistance problem has exploded in the past two decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are 16 different fungi and bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance and present an urgent or serious threat to human health as a result. In the U.S. alone there are more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is one example: It is particularly common in hospitals, where it can infect the blood stream or surgical wound sites as well as cause pneumonia. It kills more than 10,000 people each year in the U.S. alone. Worldwide, 700,000 people die of resistant infections every year, and a U.K. government-sponsored review of the issue recently estimated that number could climb to 10 million a year by 2050. A whole range of operations and treatments might become simply too risky to try in a post-antibiotic world including chemotherapy, joint replacements, and organ transplants. Advertisement Advertisement And yet we are making the resistance problem worse. One factor behind bacterial spread in both hospitals and the wider world is inadequate sanitation: cleaning surfaces, equipment, and hands; hundreds of millions lack access to clean water and a safe toilet. Another is inappropriate prescription and control of antibiotics. In the U.S., for example, only about 10 percent of bronchitis cases involve a bacterium, but doctors prescribe antibiotics as treatment to 70 percent of patients. And even without a prescription, it is easy to buy antibiotics online. Between 2000 and 2015, human antibiotic consumption worldwide increased 65 percent, driven by increases in developing countries. Then there is profligate use on farms: Animals make up about four-fifths of all antibiotics consumed each year in America, mostly to promote more rapid growth, and most of the volume is made up of drugs important for treating disease in humans. That helps to explain why 50 percent of chicken sampled from U.S. supermarkets contains campylobacter bacteria that is resistant to the antibiotic tetracyclin and half of the salmonella found in retail chicken is multidrug-resistant. Worldwide, about 7080 percent of total antibiotic production is consumed by livestock. Advertisement COVID -19 is a particularly vivid reminder of something weve long understood: Microbes can cross borders quickly and easily. Resistant bacteria are a global threat elevated by global misuse. Thats why the Biden administration should lead the world toward an international agreement on tackling antimicrobial resistance. Advertisement A first step would be accurate data: on antibiotic use but also on resistance and the illness and deaths that it causes (chronically underreported in the U.S.). Beyond that, the agreement should limit the use of the most medically important antibiotics in farming and set simple, monitorable global rules around antibiotic prescribing practices. That wont fix the problem of resistance, but it should give us more time to develop new antimicrobialsand the U.S. and other rich countries should pitch in funding to bulk up a drug pipeline that is woefully inadequate. Finally, the agreement should set up a system for regular reviews of progress and the opportunity to tighten controls if these initial moves are not enough to reverse the trend toward mounting multidrug resistance. Despite the rising death toll from antibiotic resistance, we have been lucky so far that a highly contagious lethal bacteria hasnt become impervious to the drugs. But the pandemic has amply demonstrated the kind of costs we could face if it did. It is past time for the world to act. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. One of France's most prominent political commentators has stepped down from his academic and media posts after being accused in a new book of the incestuous sexual abuse of his stepson. Olivier Duhamel, who has described the allegations as "personal attacks", is accused in the book, written by his stepdaughter Camille Kouchner, of abusing her twin brother when they were aged 14. The book "La Familia grande", which is due to be published on Thursday but has been serialised in L'Obs magazine and Le Monde, has shocked French intellectual circles given Duhamel's prominence and close connection to the elite. While many commentators have seen France as being slow to break longstanding taboos over the abuse of minors this is not the first such controversy to make headlines over the last year. Publisher Vanessa Springora, in a book published in January last year, accused prize-winning writer Gabriel Matzneff of abusing her while she was a minor. Film star Adele Haenel in November 2019 accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her when she was in her early teens. Haenel and other French actresses also in February last year walked out of France's Cesar awards after filmmaker Roman Polanski -- who is wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977 - won best director. - 'I knew and said nothing' - Duhamel said on Twitter that following the allegations he was resigning from all his posts, including as head of the National Foundation of Political Sciences (FNSP) a body that oversees the hugely prestigious Sciences Po university. "I am stepping down from my posts after being the target of personal attacks as I want to preserve the institutions in which I work," said Duhamel, who also until now presented a show on Europe 1 radio and is an analyst on LCI TV. Camille Kouchner, now 45 and a lecturer, and her twin bother are the children of France's former foreign minister and co-founder of the Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) medical charity Bernard Kouchner and academic Evelyne Pisier, who died in 2017. Story continues Kouchner and Pisier separated and she went on to marry Duhamel. "I was 14 years old and let it go ahead. I was 14, I knew and said nothing," Camille Kouchner wrote in the book, according to the published extracts. In the book, she names her brother only as "Victor" in order to protect his privacy. But Le Monde said he had read the text twice and was happy for his sister to speak on his behalf. "I confirm that what my sister has written concerning the actions of Olivier Duhamel towards me is correct," "Victor" told Le Monde. In an interview with L'Obs, Kouchner said the book revealed to what extent Duhamel's and Pisier's group of leftist intellectual friends, some of them household names in France, knew what was going on. "Of course, I thought my book might seem obscene because of my family's fame. Then I thought to myself, this is exactly what needs to be done," she said. In a statement released by his lawyer, Bernard Kouchner said that a "heavy secret that has been weighing on us for too long has happily been lifted. I applaud the courage of my daughter Camille". ito-cgu-jt-juc-sjw/cb/txw [January 04, 2021] XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust Declares its Monthly Distribution of $0.073 per Share XAI Octagon (News - Alert) Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust ("XFLT" or the "Trust") has declared its regular monthly distribution of $0.073 per share on the Trust's common shares, payable on February 1, 2021 to common shareholders of record as of January 15, 2021, as noted below. The amount of the distribution represents no change from the previous month's distribution amount. The following dates apply to today's monthly distribution declaration: Ex-Dividend Date January 14, 2021 Record Date January 15, 2021 Payable Date February 1, 2021 Amount $0.073 per common share Change from Previous Month No change Distributions on common shares may be paid from net investment income (regular interest and dividends), capital gains and/or a return of capital. The specific tax characteristics of the distributions will be reported to the Trust's common shareholders on Form 1099 after the end of the 2020 calendar year. Shareholders should not assume that the source of a distribution from the Trust is net income or profit. For further information regarding the Trust's distributions, please visit www.xainvestments.com. The Trust's net investment income and capital gain can vary significantly over time, however, the Trust seeks to maintain more stable monthly distributions over time. The Trust's investments in CLOs may be subject to complex tax rules and the calculation of taxable income attributed to an investment in CLO subordinated notes can be dramatically different from the calculation of income for financial reporting purposes under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP"), and, as a result, there may be significant differences between the Trust's GAAP income and its taxable income. The Trust's final taxable income for the current fiscal year will not be known until the Trust's tax returns are filed. As a registered investment company, the Trust is subject to a 4% excise tax that is imposed if the Trust does not distribute by the end of any calendar year at least the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income (not taking into account any capital gain or loss) for the calendar year and (ii) 98.2% of its capital gain in excess of its capital loss (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for a one-year period generally ending on October 31 of the calendar year (unless an election is made to use the Trust's fiscal year). In certain circumstances, the Trust may elect to retain income or capital gain to the extent that the Board of Trustees, in consultation with Trust management, determines it to be in the interest of shareholders to do so. The distributions paid by the Trust for any particular period may be more than the amount of net investment income from that period. As a result, all or a portion of a distribution may be a return of capital, which is in effect a partial return of the amount a common shareholder invested in the Trust, up to the amount of the common shareholder's tax basis in their common shares, which would reduce such tax basis. Although a return of capital may not be taxable, it will generally increase the common shareholder's potential gain, or reduce the common shareholder's potential loss, on any subsequent sale or other disposition of common shares. The distribution shall be paid on the Payment Date unless the payment of such distribution is deferred by the Board of Trustees upon a determination that such deferral is required in order to comply with applicable law or the applicable terms or financial covenants of the Trust's senior securities or to ensure that the Trust remains solvent and able to pay its debts as they become due and continue as a going concern. The investment objective of the Trust is to seek attractive total return with an emphasis on income generation across multiple stages of the credit cycle. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in a dynamically managed portfolio of opportunities primarily within the private credit markets. Under normal market conditions, the Trust will invest at least 80% of its Managed Assets in floating rate credit instruments and other structured credit investments. There can be no assurance that the Trust will achieve its investment objective. The Trust's common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "XFLT." About XA Investments XAI is a Chicago-based firm founded by XMS Capital Partners in April, 2016. XAI believes that the investing public can benefit from new vehicles to access a broad range of alternative investment strategies and managers. XAI provides individual investors with access to institutional-caliber alternative managers. It will partner with established asset managers with proven capabilities in alternative credit, private debt and select hedge fund strategies. About XMS Capital Partners XMS Capital Partners, LLC, established in 2006, is a global, independent, financial services firm providing M&A, corporate advisory and asset management services to clients. It has offices in Chicago, Boston and London. For more information, please visit www.xmscapital.com. About Octagon Credit Investors Octagon is a 25+ year old, below-investment grade corporate credit investment adviser based in New York with over $25 billion in assets under management. Octagon focuses on leveraged loans, high yield bonds and structured credit. Through fundamental credit analysis and active portfolio management, Octagon's investment team identifies attractive relative value opportunities across below-investment grade asset classes, sectors and issuers. Octagon's investment philosophy and methodology encourage and rely upon dynamic internal communication to manage portfolio risk. Over its history, the firm has applied a disciplined, repeatable and scalable approach in its effort to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns to its investors. For more information, please visit www.octagoncredit.com. Future distributions will be made if and when declared by the Trust's Board of Trustees, based on a consideration of number of factors, including the Trust's continued compliance with terms and financial covenants of its senior securities, the Trust's net investment income, financial performance and available cash. There can be no assurance that the amount or timing of distributions in the future will be equal or similar to that described herein or that the Board of Trustees will not decide to suspend or discontinue the payment of distributions in the future. XAI does not provide tax advice; please consult a professional tax advisor regarding your specific tax situation. Income may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as the federal alternative minimum tax. Investors should consider the investment objectives and policies, risk considerations, charges and expenses of the Trust carefully before investing. For more information on the Trust, please visit the Trust's webpage at www.xainvestments.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction. NOT FDIC INSURED NO BANK GUARANTEE MAY LOSE VALUE View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005136/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Prosecutors on Tuesday cleared a white police officer in the August 23 shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, an incident that touched off deadly street protests and inflamed racial tensions in the United States. The decision by Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley not to charge police officer Rusten Sheskey with any crime could incite more demonstrations, which have frequently broken out in the United States in recent years after police officers have been cleared of wrongdoing in shootings of African Americans. During a police intervention in a domestic dispute that was captured on cellphone video, Sheskey shot at Blake's back seven times from close range as Blake opened the door of his car, striking him four times and paralyzing him from the waist down. Read More Officials said there was a knife inside Blake's car, and Graveley said Sheskey had the right to self-defense. Blake's lawyer, Ben Crump, said Blake was attempting to break up a fight between two women when he was shot in front of three of his sons, aged three, five and eight. At the height of the protests that followed, teenager Kyle Rittenhouse opened fire with a Smith & Wesson M&P 15 rifle, killing two men and wounding another. Rittenhouse, now 18, was charged with first-degree reckless homicide and five other criminal counts. Earlier Tuesday, Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to all counts in an appearance by video in Kenosha County Circuit Court. Read More Reuters The commanding officer of a 'toxic' specialist police unit accepts that his 'failings of management' helped lead to the discriminatory culture that developed amongst his officers, a tribunal heard today. Six officers from Hampshire Constabulary's Serious Organised Crime Unit (Socu) office in Basingstoke, Hampshire were all found guilty of gross misconduct after they were recorded using 'racist, sexist and homophobic' language. Bugging devices placed in the unit's offices between March and April 2018 recorded them calling women 'w****s' and 's**ts', comparing black officers to dogs and saying Albanians should be killed with 'nerve agent', a disciplinary hearing was previously told. Retired Detective Inspector Tim Ireson, Detective Sergeant Oliver Lage, Detective Sergeant Gregory Willcox, former PC Craig Bannerman, trainee Detective Constable Andrew Ferguson and PC James Oldfield have all been found to have breached professional standards at a disciplinary hearing. Mr Ireson and Det Sgt Willcox were also accused at the tribunal of failing to fulfill their supervisory roles to stop or report the inappropriate behaviour. The detectives in charge of the unit claimed they allowed a 'relaxed' culture to develop because they were trying to build a 'cohesive' team but instead brought 'shame' to the police force. The panel is now sitting to determine what sanction the officers should face, with dismissal an option for gross misconduct which they have all been found to have committed. The panel is now sitting to determine what sanction the officers should face, with dismissal an option for gross misconduct which they have all been found to have committed. Luke Ponte, representing Mr Ireson, said that his client had not used discriminatory language but had used offensive language such as swear words which 'risked encouraging others to do the same'. Det Insp Timothy Ireson (pictured) said he should have been aware of an 'escalation in behaviour' among his officers as they made repeated 'stomach turning' remarks Six officers from Hampshire Constabulary's Serious Organised Crime Unit office, who were previously all found guilty of gross misconduct, were told by a prosecutor that 'there was no place for them' in the police force. Pictured: Hampshire Police HQ He added: 'He was not himself a racist or sexist or phobic or a bully, he is not someone who would target the weak or the vulnerable or the different, he is not someone or was not an officer insensitive to the issues of diversity. 'A culture developed, and to an extent, he allowed to develop in the Socu office, and he accepts that was caused in part by his failings of management. 'His intention was to permit a more relaxed atmosphere which he felt would sustain a cohesive and productive team. He now sees too much allowance was given and boundaries became blurred.' The officers within the SOCU unit were accused of either making 'abhorrent' comments, or not challenging others when those remarks were made. A bug was planted to make the covert recording between March 9, 2018 and April 2, 2018 following an anonymous complaint to a whistleblowing service. Prosecutor Jason Beer QC said that although the recording only lasted for 24 days the investigation uncovered 'enough racism and sexism to last a lifetime'. Today, he told the hearing: 'In summary, in light of the specific findings of gross misconduct made against each officer in respect of certain allegations - they must be dismissed immediately. 'There is no place for them in Hampshire police.' The officers accused of gross misconduct were Detective Inspector Timothy Ireson, Detective Sergeant Oliver Lage, Detective Sergeant Gregory Willcox, trainee Detective Constable Andrew Ferguson, PC James Oldfield, and PC Craig Bannerman. The hearing, held in Eastleigh and viewed by members of the press via video link, heard that DI Ireson and DS Willcox admitted failings as supervisors but were not aware of the 'severity and extremity' of the language being used. Officers likened the unit's only black officer, DC Solomon Koranteng, to a mixed breed dog, sang the Bob Marley song Buffalo Soldier at him and said he had been flown 'from Africa in a crate' and taken to London Zoo. The squad also placed a map of Africa above the area in the office where DC Koranteng and another officer of African heritage sat and nicknamed it 'African Corner'. Members of a 'toxic' specialist police unit, the Serious Organised Crime Unit (pictured) office in Basingstoke, Hampshire, must be dismissed immediately, a hearing heard today Officers also sent fake pornographic images of Prince Harry and Kate Middleton to the work WhatsApp group. Joanna Bunch, an intelligence analyst who worked on jobs with the team said the team was 'stuck in a time from 25 years ago'. Defence counsel for DS Willcox today said that he accepted he should have adopted a zero tolerance approach to 'banter' in the office. Edmund Gritt said: 'This is not an excuse and it is not a defence but an explanation... the venting of steam and stress, the closed room environment, the building of a successful team. 'The intentions in terms of his tolerance and his engagement in this behaviour may have been laudable but were effected in a completely wrongheaded manner.' He said that DS Willcox, who has 27 years service, had spent his career 'eliminating some of the most serious criminals effecting the county' and beyond. 'These findings do not extinguish without a trace his dedicated commitment to the people of Hampshire,' he added. DI Ireson has retired and PC Bannerman has resigned since the covert recordings were made at the force's serious organised crime unit. The panel was made up of lawyer John Bassett, a male police superintendent and a female lawyer. The hearing continues, with a final decision on the sanctions expected to be made on Friday. Not all fat is created equal and some can actually help us combat several health conditions, a new study suggests. Scientists from Rockefeller University in New York City have discovered exactly how so-called brown fat benefits our health. Also known as brown adipose tissue, brown fat's main role is to turn the food we eat into body heat. Researchers found that people with detectable brown fat were 14 percent less likely to have abnormally high cholesterol and had half the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Additionally, there were also at lower risk of developing high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. Researchers looked at PET scans of 52,000 patients and compared those with and without detectable brown fat, which converts food into body heat (file image) Brown fat burns calories when activated by cool temperatures to generate body heat. It is typically found in the neck and upper back as well as around the kidneys and spinal cord. Humans lose most brown fat after they pass infancy, but it can be generated through exercise, sleeping well and frequently exposing yourself to the cold. Brown fat is very different from white fat, or white adipose tissue, which is the type of fat most people are aware of. It stores energy in large fat pockets around the body and produces hormones that are secreted into the bloodstream. Too much white fat, particularly in the stomach, hips and thighs, raises the risk of obesity and diabetes. On the other hand, research has that adults with lower body mass indexes and normal blood sugar levels tend to have more brown fat. The authors say the study is the largest of its kind in humans and expands upon the health benefits of brown fat suggested in previous studies/ 'For the first time, it reveals a link to lower risk of certain conditions,' said Dr Paul Cohen, senior attending physician at The Rockefeller University Hospital. 'These findings make us more confident about the potential of targeting brown fat for therapeutic benefit.' For the study, published in Nature Medicine, the team looked at more than 130,000 PET scans from more than 52,000 patients. Researchers found the presence of brown fat in nearly 10 percent of the patients. Those with detectable brown fat were at lower risk of type 2 diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. Pictured: PET scan showing one person with abundant brown fat in the neck and cervical spine (left) and another person without detectable brown fat (right) Next, they compared the conditions of the two groups of patients and found that those with brown fat were less likely to suffer from cardiac and metabolic conditions. For example, 9.5 percent of those without detectable brown fat had type 2 diabetes compared to 4.6 percent that did. Additionally, 22.2 percent of people without brown fat had abnormal cholesterol compared to 18.9 percent of the other groups. What's more, people with brown fat were at a lower risk of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. In another surprising find, among obese people with detectable brown fat - they had the same prevalence of these conditions as non-obese people with brown adipose tissue. 'It almost seems like they are protected from the harmful effects of white fat,' said Cohen. It's not clear why brown fat has this effect, but the researchers have a few ideas. One theory is that, because brown fat cells consume glucose to burn calories, the body's low blood glucose levels could lower the risk of these metabolic disease. 'We are considering the possibility that brown fat tissue does more than consume glucose and burn calories, and perhaps actually participates in hormonal signaling to other organs,' Cohen said. For future research, the team hopes to study if there are genetic variants to explain why some people have more brown fat than others. Sheryl Prentice is a reporter for the News Sun. Fun fact: Polar bears have two layers of fur and their bodies are insulated with 4 inches of blubber to protect them from the cold. Share your news tips and story ideas with her at sprentice@kpcmedia.com or call 260-347-0400, extension 1134. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 CHICAGO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas today released a study which reveals the properties in Chicago and the suburbs with the largest property tax increases since 2000, dramatic examples of how the tax burden has soared on homeowners and businesspeople. Called "The Top 50," the report lists the 50 Property Index Numbers (PINs) with the largest tax increases from 2000 to 2019 in Chicago and the suburbs, both residential and commercial. The report is a new chapter in "The Pappas Study," an unprecedented study that shows the county's tax bills virtually doubling over 20 years, an increase that is nearly triple the 36 percent rise in the cost of living index. "If you don't exercise your right to vote, then you have no right to complain about how property taxes have climbed since 2000," Pappas said, noting the low percentage of the voting-age population that participates in elections. "The Pappas Study" is dedicated to former Chicago Tribune editorial page editor John McCormick and former editor R. Bruce Dold for their tireless efforts to make Chicagoland a better place to live. According to the Top 50, the residential properties with the largest property tax increases from 2000 to 2019 are: In Chicago , a condominium on East Lake Shore Drive, where the tax bill jumped 1,890 percent, from $6,731.71 to $133,954.83 , a condominium on East Lake Shore Drive, where the tax bill jumped 1,890 percent, from to In the suburbs, a two-story residence on Ardsley Road in Winnetka , where the tax bill grew 1,174 percent, from $53,014.39 to $675,486.36 The commercial properties with the largest property tax increases from 2000 to 2019 are: In Chicago , an office building at 300 E. Randolph St., where the tax bill rose 141 percent, from $8,140,176.71 to $19,599,942.28 , an office building at 300 E. Randolph St., where the tax bill rose 141 percent, from to In the suburbs, a shopping center at 1000 E. Woodfield Road, Schaumburg , where the tax bill rose 53 percent, from $12,847,013.47 to $19,633,920.16 "There is a solution to the problem of skyrocketing taxes," Pappas said. "Vote!" Less than 29 percent of the voting-age population in the Chicago has cast ballots in elections held since 2011, Pappas said. In the suburbs, the percentage is just 26 percent. "Too many people are voting with their feet instead of at the ballot box," Pappas said. "If you don't hold elected officials accountable, then you only have yourself to blame," she said. 20-year tax history search added to cookcountytreasurer.com Every property owner can see how much their property taxes have grown over 20 years by visiting cookcountytreasurer.com. Just follow these steps: Select the purple box labeled "Your Property Tax Overview" Enter your address or Property Index Number (PIN) Select the tab on the left that says "20-Year Tax Bill History" See an interactive map that shows how property taxes billed have increased in Chicago wards and suburbs since 2001 The Top 50 report also breaks down the 50 largest residential and commercial property tax increases in each of Chicago's wards. The report analyzed the property tax bills for PINs which did not change property tax classifications from 2000 to 2019. For residential properties, the report analyzed properties with only a Homeowner's Exemption and excluded properties with other property tax exemptions, such as the Senior Citizen Exemption, which affect the change in tax bills. SOURCE Cook County Treasurer's Office Related Links http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com Microorganisms are the most abundant and diverse form of life on Earth. However, the vast majority of them remain unknown. Indeed, only a small fraction of the microorganisms of our planet can be cultured under traditional conditions, leaving a world of unculturable organisms out of our scope. This is especially true for bacteria thriving under extreme conditions as the harsh conditions are hardly reproducible in a lab. While some microbial studies have been performed in the Sahara, the Atacama, and the Gibson desert, European arid lands remain poorly studied. To finally explore the microbial community of some European deserts, researchers from the University of Valencia and the Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence, here studied the bacterial diversity of the semi-arid Tabernas Desert. To this aim, the team developed new bacterial culture approaches. "Culturomics of the Tabernas desert was the ideal crossroad between a rare, poorly studied environment, and the application of simple, yet powerful culturing techniques including long incubation times, diluted media, and careful colony picking", says Dr Manuel Porcar, group leader at the University of Valencia, president of Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence, and last author of the study. The researchers experimented with different culture methods to find permissive conditions for some unculturable species. Their strategy lied in combining different media, using serial dilutions of the nutrients (up to a hundred times), and extending incubation time (up to a month). In total, 254 bacterial strains were isolated. Most of the species isolated from the concentrated media were previously described as soil inhabitants or species isolated from other deserts. However, 60% of the strains isolated from the highly diluted media are non-identified and possibly new bacteria species. Besides, playing on incubation times also allowed, after a month, to isolate some oligotrophic strains (slow-growing bacteria living under low nutrient conditions) otherwise difficult to growth under lab conditions. Altogether, this study highlights the potential of simple strategies to obtain higher microbial diversity from natural samples, especially if taken from extreme environments. But the unexploited bacterial biodiversity of the Tabernas Desert could have impacts well beyond ecology and bacteriology: "We are currently characterising several of the unidentified bacteria, three of them being new Kineococcus species. I am certain that some bacterial strains produce biotechnologically relevant products. It is just a matter to carry out the right screening", says Porcar. ### ADVERTISEMENT Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, convicted and sentenced Okey Nwosu, a former Managing Director, Finbank Plc, to three years imprisonment for over N10.9 billion fraud. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Mr Nwosu alongside Dayo Famuroti, Agnes Ebubedike and Danjuma Ocholi on a 26-count amended charge bordering on stealing and illegal conversion to the tune of N10,934,704,402. The defendants, who perpetrated the fraud while they were directors of the bank, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them, thereby leading to their full trial. In the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, called witnesses and also tendered several documents that were admitted in evidence against the defendants. Delivering her judgment, the judge found the defendants guilty and sentenced the first and second defendants, Messrs Nwosu and Famoroti, to three years imprisonment each. The judge also sentenced the third defendant, Mr Ocholi, to 12 months imprisonment and slammed a six- month community service on the fourth defendant, Mr Ebubedike. The case had suffered a setback as the defendants challenged the jurisdiction of the trial court up to the Supreme Court. While the court maintained its jurisdiction to try the defendants, Mr Nwosu approached the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal which in November 2013 struck out the charge against the banker. The appellate court ruled that the Lagos High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the charges because they emanated from capital market transactions, which should be handled by the Federal High Court. Following the appeal court ruling, Dayo Famoroti, Danjuma Ocholi and Agnes Ebubedike approached the Lagos High Court to dismiss the charges preferred against them. But Rotimi Jacobs, counsel to EFCC had prayed the court to adjourn the matter indefinitely pending the determination of its appeal at the Supreme Court. Justice Okunnu upheld the prayers of Mr Jacobs and adjourned the matter sine die to allow the Supreme Court rule on the matter. The Supreme Court, in its judgment, upheld EFCCs appeal. In a unanimous judgment, a seven-member panel of justices of the apex court faulted the argument of the Court of Appeal that the decision by the EFCC to charge Mr Nwosu and the other directors for stealing before the Lagos High Court, while it maintained a charge of money laundering against them, would amount to double jeopardy. The Supreme Court directed Mr Nwosu and co- defendants to submit themselves for trial before the Lagos High Court. Wilson Uwujaren Head, Media & Publicity South Korea says it will dispatch a government delegation to Iran "at the earliest possible date" to try secure the release of a tanker seized by Iran amid tensions over Iranian funds frozen in Seoul because of U.S. sanctions. A Foreign Ministry spokesman made the announcement on January 5, a day after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized the South Korean-flagged MT Hankuk Chemi and detained its crew of 20 near the strategic Strait of Hormuz over pollution violations -- an allegation rejected by the ship's operator. The spokesman also said that South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will go ahead with a previously planned trip to Tehran early next week, as Iranian officials seek the release of billions of dollars frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions. The frozen assets stem from oil sales earned before Washington tightened sanctions on Iran following the U.S. withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. In Tehran, an Iranian government spokesman rejected allegations that Iran's seizure of the tanker amounted to hostage taking. "If anybody is to be called a hostage taker, it is the South Korean government that has taken our more than $7 billion hostage under a futile pretext," Ali Rabiei told reporters. Earlier, the U.S. State Department called for the tanker's immediate release, accusing Iran of threatening "navigational rights and freedoms" in the Persian Gulf in order to "extort the international community into relieving the pressure" of economic sanctions. Meanwhile, the South Korean Defense Ministry announced that a destroyer carrying members of South Korea's anti-piracy unit arrived in waters near the Strait of Hormuz -- through which 20 percent of all oil traded passes -- and was "carrying out a mission to ensure the safety of our nationals." The MT Hankuk Chemi, which had been traveling from Saudi Arabia to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, is currently in the port city of Bandar Abbas. The Iranian ambassador to Seoul told officials that the crew, which included sailors from Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea, and Vietnam, was safe and healthy, the Yonhap news agency reported. Iranian media quoted the IRGC as saying the vessel was carrying 7,200 tons of "oil chemical products." The ship was "seized due to the repeated infringement of maritime environmental laws," it said, adding that the case "will be handed over to the judicial authorities of the country." The incident comes with tensions on the rise in the region coinciding with the first anniversary of the killing by U.S. air strike of a top Iranian general. The assassination of Major General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC's elite Quds Force, in Baghdad on January 3, 2020, saw Iran retaliate by launching a ballistic-missile strike that injured dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq. Tehran also accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that night, killing all 176 people on board. As the anniversary approached, the United States sent B-52 bombers flying over the region as well as a nuclear-powered submarine into the Persian Gulf. The Iranian government also said on January 4 that the country had resumed 20 percent uranium enrichment at an underground facility, a level far above limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers. Tehran has gradually reduced its compliance with the accord since the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and started imposing crippling sanctions on Iran. Enriched uranium can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear warheads, with 90 percent purity considered weapons-grade. Tehran has always denied pursuing nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program was strictly for civilian purposes. With reporting by AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP, and RFE/RL's Radio Farda China too has considerable economic interests in Sri Lanka, which is why observers note New Delhi is going all out to keep the Chinese influence at bay. (Photo: AP) New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar will go on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka starting Tuesday. With China giving massive economic aid to Indias neighbourhood, from Nepal to Iran, India has stepped up its economic assistance to its neighbours as well as nations in the Indian Ocean Region, including Sri Lanka. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit with Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on September 26. Ties between New Delhi and Colombo remain friendly despite the issue of Indian Tamil fishermen being caught by the Sri Lankan authorities, which the two nations are trying to resolve. India had said last month that there exists a common understanding to handle the matter in a humanitarian manner. In a statement, the MEA said: At the invitation of Sri Lankan foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from 5-7 January 2021. He will hold discussions with his counterpart and Sri Lankas leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations. The MEA added: This will be the first foreign visit by EAM in 2021, and also the first by a foreign dignitary to Sri Lanka in the New Year. As such, it signifies the priority both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest. China too has considerable economic interests in Sri Lanka, which is why observers note New Delhi is going all out to keep the Chinese influence at bay. Government sources earlier told this newspaper that Indias total development assistance to Sri Lanka now exceeds $3.45 billion, of which $560 million is in the form of grant assistance. Indias aid programmes in Sri Lanka focus on capacity-building, human resources development connectivity and infrastructure development. Not surprisingly, India has undertaken numerous development projects covering all provinces in Sri Lanka. The sources said these span a wide range of areas, from cultural conservation in the form of restoration of Thiruketheeswaram Temple to the construction of iconic landmarks like the Jaffna cultural centre to enhancing connectivity through restoration of railway lines. India has also renovated various schools, provided computers and created English language labs across the country, besides upgrading four vocational training centres in the island nation. But it is the Indian housing project to construct 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka that is Indias flagship and largest grant assistance project in Sri Lanka. ATLANTA, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BELAY, a virtual staffing company that offers assistants, bookkeepers, social media strategists, and website specialists, has launched a new app to better meet the unique demands of both their clients and contractors while hosting BELAY's extensive library of resources available to the public. "Our mission is to equip our clients with the confidence to climb higher, and this app provides them the information necessary to do just that," said Matt Seaton, BELAY's Director of Technology. "With its launch, we've streamlined and automated several of our processes, as well as the time it takes for our customers to get the support they need to grow their organizations." For clients, the app's internal systems and processes boast features including onboarding, allowing new customers to view the progress of matching with - and subsequently hiring - a BELAY specialist, access to account and contractor information, and the ability to quickly communicate with their contractor as well as keep in touch with their BELAY Client Success Consultants and support team. "We are a technology-enabled staffing solution that prioritizes innovation to provide world-class client experiences," said Lisa Zeeveld, BELAY's COO and CFO. "By leveraging technology, we elevate our services and the speed with which we serve our clients. "It will further differentiate us in the marketplace as not only the thought leader but also the market leader in virtual staffing solutions." And later this month, the app will also empower BELAY's existing contractors with self-service features, including applying to serve clients on its integrated job board, reviewing their contract information, connecting with their BELAY team, and granting one-click access to BELAY's interactive contractor community. "When we started BELAY 10 years ago, we did so through the lens of innovating staffing solutions," said Tricia Sciortino, CEO of BELAY. "And we have remained committed to that purpose and mission all these years as we look to modernize the staffing industry. "As we launch new BELAY-powered technology, I am excited about the future of innovation and staffing. Being at the forefront of our industry has been our guide and passion since day one." About BELAY Growing an organization is difficult in our demanding world. BELAY helps clients thrive by matching companies with dedicated, professional, U.S.-based remote staff who can take on key projects and handle routine responsibilities, allowing executives and company owners to focus on growing their businesses. Learn more at www.belaysolutions.com. For more information, contact: Stacey Marler [email protected] SOURCE BELAY Israels Defense Ministry announced this morning that it is set to sign a $1.68 billion security agreement with Greece effective for 20 years. According to the statement, the Greek government had just approved the deal. No date has been given for the signing, which will include representatives of both defense ministries and of the Israel-based international defense electronics company Elbit Systems. The deal reportedly includes the procurement by Greece of 10 M-346 aircrafts, maintenance for T-6 aircrafts and the provision of simulators, training and logistical support, all part of a flight school for the Hellenist Air Force to be operated by Elbit Systems. The school will be modeled after the Israel Air Force flight academy. Elbit Systems tweeted, As part of an agreement [between the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Greek Defense Ministry], we were selected for the $1.68 billion Flight Training Program of the Hellenist Air Force." Brig. Gen. (res.) Yair Kulas, head of the Directorate for International Defense Cooperation in the Defense Ministry, congratulated both countries on the deal, stating, The Greek governments approval of this agreement is a historic step in further deepening the excellent defense relations between our two countries. This is not just a defense export agreement, but rather a partnership for at least 20 years. I would like to thank the Greek Ministry of National Defense for its trust and for assigning this important task to the Israel Ministry of Defense and our excellent defense industry. Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement, This agreement reflects the excellent and developing relations we have with Greece. It is a long-term partnership that will serve the interests of both Israel and Greece, create hundreds of jobs in both countries and promote stability in the Mediterranean. He also noted that he had spoken with his Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, by phone after the deal was approved, hailing the strengthening defense ties between the two countries. Later in the day Gantz tweeted, The largest-ever defense procurement agreement between Israel and Greece is now happening. I am happy to update you all that following my previous understanding with my Greek counterpart, a bilateral security cooperation agreement between our two countries will soon be launched, including $1.68 billion for the establishment and operation of a training facility for the Greek Air Force, for the coming 20 years." Gantz last met Panagiotopoulos on Nov. 12 when both ministers traveled to Nicosia for trilateral strategic discussions on security matters with their Cypriot counterpart. Gantz, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have all invested considerable diplomatic efforts in the past two years into deepening bilateral ties with Greece and the strategic alliance with Greece and Cyprus. Stacey Abrams has released a final message urging voters to unseat Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler before polls opened on Tuesday for the states pair of runoff elections, which will ultimately determine which party controls the Senate. The former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, who founded the voting rights initiative Fair Fight Action, said in a video message posted to social media: Georgia, Im counting on you. Ms Abrams also encouraged her more than 1.7 million Twitter followers to support Democratic senatorial candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in the upcoming elections, writing: Your votes are critical to elect @Ossoff and @ReverendWarnock. Arguably one of the organizers most responsible for Georgias flip from red to blue in the 2020 presidential elections, Ms Abrams has spent the last several months developing Democratic ground game throughout the state, while helping expand early voter turnout to historic levels. Georgia had not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1992, yet went on to support President-elect Joe Biden in the November race against President Donald Trump. And with more than three million voters having cast their ballots prior to polls opening on Tuesday, according to data collected by the University of Floridas US Elections Project, Georgias elections were gearing up to be two of the most closely-watched senate races in recent history. Ms Abrams, who ran against then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp for governor in Georgia in 2018 and declined to concede, citing rampant voter suppression, has since focused her efforts on expanding voter registrations across the state. Her work has been celebrated as having been instrumental in flipping the reliably red state in favor of the Democratic Party. But not everyone has heralded Ms Abrams and the Fair Fight organization. Mr Trump lambasted her during an unwieldy speech on Monday night ahead of the elections, as well as in a phone call with Georgias Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger during the weekend. That call, later obtained by the Washington Post, featured Mr Trump pressuring the state official to overturn his electoral loss while attacking Ms Abrams. Asked about those comments the night before the election in an interview with The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Ms Abrams responded: I think its a bit of an overstatement to assume Im thinking about them. Im focusing on winning this election, she added. They are not my issue. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. How sub-Saharan Africa can rethink its approach to agriculture Governments should explore technologies like global positioning systems and blockchain for use in the registration of land rights. In response to the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, most sub-Saharan governments are developing economic recovery plans. These will require some different thinking, particularly when it comes to agriculture. Wandile Sihlobo, the chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, explains to Michael Aliber, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Fort Hare, what that new thinking might look like. You have argued that governments should use the post-COVID environment to think differently about agriculture. What should be done differently? African governments should have a fresh look at agriculture. This involves embracing technology (information technology, mechanical and biotechnology) and also private sector partnerships. There also needs to be confidence in the citizenry to manage their land parcels. This will involve the granting of title deeds or tradable long-term leases in various African countries. And in the case of better seeds, the evidence from South Africa is there for many countries to observe and learn. The economic recovery from the pandemic therefore presents an opportunity for governments to explore available technologies that could help in the registration of land rights. These include global positioning systems, mapping and blockchain technologies. This will help solve disputes and also with the tradability of land rights. This process can be piloted on agricultural land. The proper recording and confirmation of land rights will encourage individual entrepreneurs to invest in their farmland and thereby trigger the commercialisation and growth of the agricultural sector. There are also examples of technologies that various countries could use to document land. Examples include the use of drones in India, and aerial photography in Rwanda. This would help change the troubling statistic that roughly 90% of rural land in Africa is not formally documented. How would you envisage overcoming the concern that ambitious rights formalisation and documentation strategies tend to extinguish secondary rights, often held by women? The overall intention is to ensure formalisation of land rights, with the objective of attracting investments in the agricultural sector and unlocking its potential. Africa has, indeed, a history of disadvantaging women on land matters. Any strategy for the formalisation of land rights will have to be well thought out and transparent. The aim should be to ensure that there isnt bias towards men and politically connected individuals as has been observed in land reform cases in South Africa. Are you perhaps placing too much faith in technology? To date, South Africa is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa that has embraced biotechnology. This is primarily because its the only country in the region that has adopted the use of genetically engineered cotton, maize and soybean seeds. Other countries that have done so include the US, Brazil and Argentina. In these countries, the use of the genetically engineered seeds has seen lower insecticide use, more environmentally friendly tillage practices and improvements in crop yields. How productive is sub-Saharan African agriculture relative to other regions of the world? What can be done to improve yields? There is compelling evidence of the increase in yields within the sub-Saharan Africa region. Consider South Africa. It produces about 16% of sub-Saharan Africa maize, according to the International Grains Council. But it uses a relatively small area of land an average of 2.5 million hectares since 2010. In contrast, countries such as Nigeria planted 6.5 million hectares in the same production season but only harvested 11 million tonnes of maize. Nigerias output equates to 15% of the sub-Saharan regions maize production. South Africa began planting genetically engineered maize seeds in the 2001/02 season. Before its introduction, average maize yields were around 2.4 tonnes per hectare. That has now increased to an average of 5.9 tonnes per hectare as of the 2019/20 production season. Meanwhile, the sub-Saharan Africa regions maize yields remain negligible, averaging below 2.0 tonnes per hectare. While yields are also influenced by improved germplasm (enabled by non-GM biotechnology) and improved low- and no-till production methods (facilitated through herbicide tolerant GM technology), other benefits include labour savings, reduced insecticide use, and improved weed and pest control. These labour-saving benefits, also for small-scale livelihood farmers, were also observed in a research study in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. Other countries like Kenya and Nigeria are increasingly field-testing genetically engineered crops. They should accelerate the process, and when it meets their scientific standards, should embark on commercialisation as part of the recovery from the economic slump caused by the pandemic. Each country will have its domestic regulatory process which safeguards consumers and farmers. But these need not be too prohibitive to the extent that they disadvantage farmers. A case in point is Zimbabwe, where the importation of genetically engineered maize has recently been permitted but planting by domestic farmers is prohibited. But high yield that is the amount produced per unit area typically means high input costs, which is one reason why small-scale farmers uptake of these technologies is limited. Also, wont the emergence of larger and more commercially oriented and technologically capable African farmers result in agriculture absorbing less and less labour? Africas smallholder farmers will generally struggle to access some technologies because of the associated costs. But if the goal is to ensure that the African continent can compete globally with the likes of the US, Brazil and Argentina, among others, then the focus should be on commercialisation of farmers and encourage the economies of scale on the continent. There have to be trade-offs. These include job losses in certain subsectors such as grains as farmers would be adopting more technologies. But there are potential gains in other subsectors such as horticulture. If supported and developed to scale, these could create large numbers of jobs. Again, a case in point is South Africa, where there were job losses in field crops but horticulture created many jobs. The key is to ensure job mobility so that people can progressively move to higher paying jobs in agro-processing and other subsectors. In sum, this is not to mean we should move away from smallholder farming per se. We need a mixed farming system. Where conditions allow, commercialisation at large scale should be encouraged. This is precisely the case in Brazil, where there is a mixed farming system. Wandile Sihlobo is the author of Finding Common Ground: Land, Equity, and Agriculture Michael Aliber, Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Fort Hare and Wandile Sihlobo, Visiting Research Fellow, Wits School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. - Global surgical drainage devices market is likely to grow at promising pace during assessment period 2019 to 2027. This growth can be attributed to increased number of surgeries in all worldwide locations. - Sturdy healthcare infrastructure and increased older population in North America makes it dominant region in surgical drainage devices market. ALBANY, N.Y., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Surgical drains refer to implants used for removal of fluid and/or gas from body cavity or wound. Urinary catheters, nasogastric tubes, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and vascular access ports are some of the products used for surgical drainage purpose. Mainly, the process of draining is used for removing dead space, unwanted fluids or gas, as well as in preventing accumulation of gas or fluid in body. Analysts at TMR are of the opinion that the global surgical drainage devices market will show growth at a moderate CAGR of 3.9% during the assessment period of 2019 to 2027. Remarkable growth in older population in all worldwide locations and increased efforts of players to improve the product quality are likely to fuel the expansion of the global surgical drainage devices market in the upcoming years. Request for Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Surgical Drainage Devices Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/covid19.php Key Findings of Surgical Drainage Devices Market Report The global surgical drainage devices market was accounted for US$ 2.9 Bn in 2018. in 2018. The market is projected to show growth at decent CAGR of 3.9% during assessment period 2019-2027. North America was dominant region in the market for surgical drainage devices during 2018. was dominant region in the market for surgical drainage devices during 2018. The abovementioned region is predicted to maintain its dominant position during forecast period. Asia Pacific is projected to offer lucrative avenues for surgical drainage devices market during assessment period. is projected to offer lucrative avenues for surgical drainage devices market during assessment period. The global surgical drainage devices market is fragmented in nature. Explore 175 pages of top-notch research, incisive insights, and detailed country-level projections on Surgical Drainage Devices Market (Product Type - Active Drainage, Passive Drainage; Application - General Surgery, Orthopedics, Thoracic and Cardiovascular, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Plastic/Reconstructive Surgery, Neurosurgery; End use - Hospitals, Independent Clinics, Ambulatory Surgery Centers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2019- 2027 at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/21800 Surgical Drainage Devices Market: Key Driving Factors and Promising Avenues Increased number of Surgeries Drives Market Expansion In recent period, there is remarkable growth in number of minimally invasive surgeries. This growing popularity is on the back of diverse advantages of non-invasive surgeries including less pain and scarring, maller incisions, shorter hospital stays, faster recoveries, and fewer complications. Thus, increased number of surgeries in all worldwide locations is likely to fuel prominent demand opportunities for vendors operating in the global surgical drainage devices market in the years ahead. Request Brochure of Surgical Drainage Devices Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/brochure.php Growth in Older Population Fuels Demand Opportunities In recent few years, there is remarkable growth in older population in all worldwide locations. This population base is more likely to experience various health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and eye diseases. As a result, there is considerable growth in number of surgeries among this population pool. This scenario depicts that the global surgical drainage devices market will experience upward graph of revenues in the years ahead. Purchase the Surgical Drainage Devices Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php Surgical Drainage Devices Market: Competitive Assessment The competitive landscape of the global surgical drainage devices market is highly intense owing to presence of many international and regional level players. To maintain leading position in this scenario, players in this market are using diverse strategies. Several vendors operating in the global surgical drainage devices market are growing interest in regulatory approvals. Apart from this, many enterprises are in the surgical drainage devices market are focused on technological advancements and new product launch activities. This aside, many players are using the strategy of acquisition and collaborations to strengthen their market position. The list of important companies working in the surgical drainage devices market includes many players including BD, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Medtronic, Teleflex Incorporated, Cook Medical, Johnson and Johnson, Stryker, REDAX, and Cardinal Health. Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Healthcare Industry: Interventional Radiology Drainage Procedures Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/interventional-radiology-drainage-procedures-market.html Thoracic Drainage Devices Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/thoracic-drainage-devices-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals. Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories. TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision." Browse More Upcoming Reports by Transparency Market Research: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/upcoming.htm Contact Mr. Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/surgical-drainage-devices-market.htm Website : https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085206/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg A group of settlers called the Young Settlements Forum launched Jan. 4 a hunger strike outside the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The activists are calling on Netanyahu to abandon his latest rapprochement with Israeli-Arab legislator Mansour Abbas and to legalize West Bank outposts before the March 23 elections. Head of the Young Settlement Forum Eliyahu Atia explained that he and three others from the group plan to start a hunger strike. He expressed his hopes that the number of people embarking on the strike will grow over the coming days. The Young Settlement Forum, together with the Yesha Council, the settlements umbrella organization, and the Knesset Land of Israel Caucus, erected a protest tent outside Netanyahus office Dec. 29, shortly after publications over a deal between the prime minister and Knesset member Abbas. Reportedly, the prime minister agreed to legalize three unrecognized Bedouin villages in the south of Israel, in exchange for Abbas support of Netanyahu ahead of the March elections. Reports also claimed that Netanyahu agreed to cancel government plans for legalizing some 70 West Bank settlement outposts in the coming weeks, legalizing instead only three of them. Speaking at the tent yesterday, head of the Yesha Council David Elhayani called on Netanyahu to distance himself from the Arab electorate, which are not his political core base. He specifically referred to the Jan. 2 visit by Netanyahu of the Arab town Umm al-Fahm, where the prime minister had his photo taken with an Israeli-Arab citizen who was the millionth Israeli to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. "Mr. Prime Minister, this week you took the time to get your picture taken with the 1-million-person to be vaccinated, but you did not find the time to call upon the Young Settlement Forum people and talk with them. They are your voters. They are your base. Dont betray them. Dont let your actions force them to choose another path. It is sad that we arrived to this situation where the leadership of the young settlers must go on a hunger strike. Whoever is not behaving as the political right should not expect votes for him," warned Elhayani. As aforementioned, the settlers were hoping for dozens of wildcat settlements, mostly constructed on private Palestinian lands, to be legalized beginning of 2021. In late November, Settlement Affairs Minister Tzachi Hanegbi announced at a Knesset plenum that the government will advance a proposal to legalize several West Bank outposts. Hanegbi also said that he had received the prime ministers approval to advance this plan in cooperation with Minister of Civil and Social Affairs in the Defense Ministry Michael Biton from the Blue and White party. Still, Biton himself said that Hanegbi did not clear the announcement with him, emphasizing that he will back such a move only if it has the attorney generals approval. Visiting the protest tent Dec. 30, Hanegbi accused Defense Minister Benny Gantz of the governments failure to declare it intends to legalize outposts. We are going to work very hard to convince the minister of defense to bring a government decision with the prime minister of Israel, said Hanegbi. New York hospitals face possible $100,000 fine for not administering COVID vaccine doses ALBANY State hospitals could be fined up to $100,000 for not administering the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible New Yorkers qu WATERTOWN As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo orders hospitals to finish dispersing all COVID-19 vaccines on hand by the end of the week, hospitals in the tri-county region have responded with mixed reactions, indicative of the patchy inconsistencies of the distribution process thus far. The nine hospitals across Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis counties have been dispersing vaccines to willing medical workers and other specific populations in accordance with the states phased approach since mid-December. The governor wants that process expedited, drawing some ire from hospitals amid a local rollout with logistical hiccups and lacking transparency. The nine hospitals include Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, River Hospital in Alexandria Bay, Carthage Area Hospital, Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville, Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Massena Hospital, Gouverneur Hospital and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg and Clifton-Fine Hospital in Star Lake. State hospitals must administer their vaccine inventory this week, or face up to a $100,000 fine, according to a new directive from the state Department of Health. Facilities must use all vaccine doses within one week of receipt going forward, otherwise, a provider could be disqualified from distributing future vaccines. DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard A. Zucker issued a letter to all eligible vaccine providers detailing the new requirements. According to the letter sent to the vaccine distributors from DOH, any remaining doses left over after Jan. 7 will be redistributed by the state to other facilities. Moving forward, the letter also notes, hospitals must distribute all vaccines within seven days from the time they are received. As of Monday afternoon, Lewis County General Hospital reported having an inventory of 480 Moderna and 180 Pfizer vaccine doses. While the facility has vaccinated 341 individuals so far, not including nursing home residents and staff, only another 25 to 50 more are expected to be vaccinated this week, according to a statement from Lewis County Health System Chief Executive Officer Gerald R. Cayer. I support the governors goal of making vaccines available to all (Phase) 1A individuals. However, just because some parts of NYS have concerns and skepticism about the vaccine does not mean local health systems are falling short. Daily, I am on scheduled conference calls with North Country health system CEOs. We are all committed to making the vaccine available to the appropriate populations and supporting the guidance and directives coming to us from Albany, Mr. Cayer said in a prepared statement Monday. Mr. Cayer also emphasized that no doses of the vaccine have been wasted. Carthage Area Hospital also reported Monday it had administered about 250 vaccine doses, but had 350 remaining on-hand though those numbers are changing frequently as more are being dispersed. The hospitals Marketing Executive Director Taylour L. Scanlin said businesses and organizations with eligible recipients were being contacted to try and administer vaccines this week, but did not provide any indication if all the doses would be used by Jan. 7. Samaritan Medical Center Communication and Public Relations Director Leslie M. DiStefano said Monday that 89% of its vaccine inventory had been administered, but did not provide specific figures. Two weeks ago, Samaritan reported having been allotted a total of 600 doses of Moderna and 350 doses of Pfizer vaccines for hospital employees. Ms. DiStefano could not confirm figures for Clifton-Fine Hospital, which is also owned by Samaritan. During the first week of rollout, several hospital officials indicated they could not disclose certain details, such as the specific number of vaccines they had been allotted or where those were being stored. They cited a memorandum of understanding with the state that forbid them from disclosing that information, even while other facilities released that information. River Hospital released a statement on Dec. 23, noting it had received 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine. A hospital spokesperson has not confirmed whether or not it was allotted any of the initial Pfizer vaccine doses. At this time, we dont have anything we can contribute to your article. Everything is moving at a rapid pace, River Hospital Director of Marketing and Community Relations Andrea Roden said of the facilitys vaccination progress. A spokesperson for St. Lawrence Health System, which runs Canton-Potsdam, Gouverneur and Massena hospitals, has said the health system received doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but would not provide specific numbers. The spokesperson did not provide an update on vaccination progress before press time, though Dr. Andrew F. Williams, president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Health and SLHS employee, said thousands had been administered throughout St. Lawrence County, speaking at a meeting Monday. Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center has not provided details as to how many Pfizer vaccine doses it was given, but previously said it was allotted 300 Moderna doses last month. At CHMC we are doing our best to use the allotted doses. However, it is a reality that individuals will exercise free will and elect to not receive the vaccine. This very real issue should not be held against hospitals as long as they have done everything possible to facilitate the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine, Claxton-Hepburn Interim Executive Director of Marketing and External Relations Amanda Hitterman said in a prepared statement. 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We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Explaining Unleaded 88 Gasoline Turn About is Fair Play: Ethanol Industry Zings the Oil Industry with Brilliant Branding Strategy By Marc J. Rauch Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher THE AUTO CHANNEL FIRST, A LITTLE BACKGROUND A hundred years ago, as internal combustion engine vehicles (automobiles, airplanes, and boats) started requiring a better gasoline to eliminate engine knock in high compression engines, ethanol was the only practical additive. Of course, ethanol could have been used by itself to replace gasoline, but then the rich and powerful oil industry would hardly agree to that. Top automobile people and scientists (i.e., Kettering, Midgely, Ford, Otto, Ricardo, Edison, Bell, Hale, Christensen, and Thompson) all believed that ethanol was the superior fuel..."the fuel of the future." In the early 1920's, General Motors top engineers invented leaded gasoline by adding tetra-ethyl lead (TEL). When GM combined their patents with similar patents owned by Standard Oil and DuPont, you had three of the largest and most influential companies in the world wielding their financial and political power to assure the unrivaled success of leaded gasoline. There was a problem with using TEL in gasoline: it's extremely dangerous. Inhaling and touching TEL to bare skin can, and did, kill people. Some victims didn't die, they just went insane. Workers at the plants manufacturing leaded gasoline referred to the TEL-gasoline concoction as "looney gas." There were many attempts to outlaw or limit the use of TEL, but the financial muscle of the TEL proponents was too much to overcome. In order to disguise the dangerous nature of leaded gasoline - to hoodwink the public and less knowledgeable politicians - Standard Oil branded it "Ethyl." This was a near perfect answer because it combined a portion of the formal name of the ingredient, giving it some connection, and it also took advantage of the similarity to "ethanol," which some people understood to be the original and safe way to mitigate engine knock. Over the years, the petroleum oil industry has relied on semantic word play and creative branding several times to dupe the public and enhance acceptance of their products. The story of "ethyl" is one example. Another less known example is the term "fossil fuels." The term was a creation of Standard Oil (perhaps old John D, himself), and introduced at an international scientific convention in the late 1800's. One of the reasons for the gathering of scientists was to establish common unanimity in words, terms, definitions, and processes. Standard Oil suggested "fossil fuels" as a way to add some romance and nobility to the issue. In fact, fossil fuels are not fossil fuels as they do not derive from ancient decayed organisms. Dinosaurs did not die to give use engine fuel. Coal and petroleum oil come from inert minerals. Tom Quinn, CEO and president of E-Fuel Corporation, points out that Saturn's moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth, yet there is absolutely no evidence that dinosaurs ever existed on Titan. The proper term for these fuels is "abiotic fuels." In any event, "fossil fuels" was a very clever marketing gimmick. Still another branding deception that's been used by the oil industry - one that I've written about on several occasions - is the industry's use of BTU (British Thermal Units) rating to portray gasoline as being superior to ethanol and other potential internal combustion engine fuels. BTU was created as a way to describe and rank a fuel's capability to heat water. The purpose of heating the water is to create steam for steam-powered engines (the last steam-powered cars sold in America were about 100 years ago). Today, our standard engines are Internal combustion engines, which are not powered by hot water or steam - if your internal combustion engine is producing steam, there's something very wrong. It is a fact that petroleum diesel fuel and gasoline do have higher BTUs than ethanol. However, citing the BTU ranking is merely a coincidental deception. A gasoline-powered engine using gasoline usually produces greater mileage output than when ethanol is used simply because the characteristics of the engine are optimized to run on gasoline. The same engine optimized to run on ethanol will provide equal or better mileage, despite the lower "energy content" of ethanol. So while it's true that gasoline has more BTUs than ethanol, and that petroleum diesel fuel has more BTUs than bio-diesel, the energy content rating is irrelevant. (For more details about BTUs and engine fuels read The Irrelevance Of BTU Rating) THE BRILLIANCE OF UNLEADED 88 GASOLINE Recently, some ethanol organizations and friendly fuel retailers have begun using "Unleaded 88" as a way to brand E15 fuel. It's a brilliant move because it helps to diffuse the noxious and obnoxious anti-ethanol myths* invented and spread by the oil industry to denigrate ethanol. (Read the Growth Energy press release by CLICKING HERE.) You could say that Growth Energy and other ethanol proponents have taken a page right out of the oil industry's playbook...except for one thing: Labeling E15 as Unleaded 88 Gasoline is an accurate, benign statement. "Unleaded 88" isn't used to hide the deadly nature of anything. Unleaded 88 Gasoline is as advertised: It does not contain tetra-ethyl lead, it is an 88 octane fuel. You can't drink Unleaded 88, you shouldn't engage in recreational inhalation of it, and you shouldn't wash your hands in it, but that's because of the gasoline and aromatic components, not the ethanol. By comparison, if the oil industry was similarly truthful, leaded gasoline would have been branded "Poison," not "Ethyl." Gasoline with MTBE would have been branded "Reformulated Poison." Gasoline without ethanol (E0) that contains added benzene, toluene, and/or xylene to boost octane and reduce engine knock, should be branded "SUPER Poison." By the way, there's something that I forgot to mention in the "Background" section above: Tetra-ethyl lead was extremely corrosive. To reduce TEL's corrosive characteristics, the industry added another chemical called ethylene bromide. Ethylene bromide is also deadly to humans. Therefore, to be accurate, leaded Ethyl gasoline could have been called "Double Poison," and advertised as "Now with twice the ingredients to sicken or kill humans!" The issue of Unleaded 88 Gasoline has come-to-the-fore in the last week or so because of some articles feigning confusion over the labeling, as if the public will be left out on the perch in a precarious predicament. To me, there's no doubt that the false alarms are instigated by American Petroleum Institute or one of their derivative fake affiliates. One such article - in a Q&A format - was published by The Gazette news organization, written by Frank Schultz, a crime reporter. (Sure seems like a strange reporting assignment choice to me.) Mr. Schultz received significant assistance from Nick Jarmusz, a spokesman for AAA. Although I generally respect AAA, at least in matters related to traffic statistics and travel prognostication, they have a long history of providing false or misleading information about ethanol. This article is a perfect example of the misinformation I'm talking about. It misstates everything, from ethanol subsidies (there is no ethanol subsidy) to the ridiculous claims that E15 can unduly harm an internal combustion engine. The article doesn't say how the engine can be damaged, it just makes the same old fallacious empty-headed Big Oil claim. Ethanol is compatible with more engine parts and components than gasoline and the aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylene) that are used in place of ethanol. Wear and tear is normal in an internal combustion engine; wear and tear is normal in any multi-part organism or mechanical device...and it is normal regardless of the 'fuel' used. Corrosion of parts is also a normal occurrence, but incidence of corrosion in an internal combustion engine and fuel system is more likely due to gasoline and aromatics than to ethanol. (If you doubt this then read "Why Do Small Engines Suffer From Ethanol Problems?" and check out all the chemical compatibility data bases and video demonstrations included in the article.) Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of Renewable Fuels Association, wrote an excellent rebuttal to the Schultz/Jarmusz Gazette article. Geoff correctly sets forth the extensive EPA testing and approval of E15 in all gasoline-powered cars, trucks, vans manufactured since 2001. But the testing and approval story is actually bigger than just the EPA's results because Ricardo Laboratories (probably the world's most respected private laboratory dealing with fuels) has stated that E15 is safe for all gasoline powered vehicles produced since the mid-1990's. Furthermore, E15 and higher ethanol-gasoline blends have been safely and economically used in gasoline-powered vehicles and power equipment in Brazil and Europe for decades (See: "The Hypocrisy of Big Oil and API"). If a common brand-named lawn mower and passenger vehicle of any year can safely use E27 in Brazil (and they can), then they sure-as-shooting can use E15 and higher in North America, regardless of what the EPA says. The information contained in the Gazette article also includes some out-of-context confusing gibberish related to detergents and octane levels in gasoline. Detergents are needed in gasoline because of gasoline's inefficient burning. This is the cause of the debris that results in all the crud/goo/gunk/crap that can build up in an engine. Ethanol does not cause this problem. Ethanol helps to clean up the mess, as well as prevent the build-up after an engine has been cleaned. Gasoline that contains ethanol needs less or even no detergents. The solvent characteristic of ethanol is another benefit of ethanol, which does happen to have a substantially higher octane level than regular ethanol-free gasoline. However, premium ethanol-free gasoline, which has a higher octane rating than regular ethanol-free gasoline (91 vs. 87 respectively) would also need a detergent additive to combat the debris build-up, so the reason to use an gasoline-ethanol blend goes beyond the issue of octane. Mr. Jarmusz states that a higher octane fuel provides no performance benefit to an engine designed to operate on a lower octane fuel. This is essentially correct, but it's beside the point because using a higher octane fuel will also not have any detrimental effect on an engine designed to operate on a lower fuel. In my opinion, bringing up the subject is akin to Groucho Marx' on-screen complaint that a restaurant's "ice isn't cold enough" - in other words, it's done just for effect as a piling-on tactic. Moreover, newer vehicle engines are requiring higher octane fuels to meet environmental goals, so Unleaded 88 can address this need in an economical way. The discussion of octane levels does give me the opportunity to expose yet another way that the oil industry rips off consumers. E10 should be a blend of roughly 90% gasoline (87 octane) and 10% ethanol (113 octane). If you were 'splash blending' the fuel yourself - that is to say, you pumped 9 parts E0 gasoline into your tank and then moved to another pump to dispense 1 part E100, you would have a blend that is 89 octane (which is equal to a more expensive mid-grade fuel). However, the oil industry intentionally dumbs down the gasoline in E10 by using less expensive 84 octane gasoline mixed with 113 octane ethanol. The problem with this is that a vehicle designed to run on 87 octane gasoline is optimized to run on the characteristics of 87 octane gasoline, not 84 octane gasoline. It's a given that the ethanol will have different ignition characteristics than 87 octane gasoline, which would be expected to produce fewer miles per gallon. But the 84 octane gasoline will likely also generate fewer miles per gallon than 87 octane. This can worsen the mileage difference between 87 octane E0 and E10, making it appear that E10 is that much more inferior to E0. In other words, E10 formulated with 87 octane instead of 84 octane could/should provide better MPG. Unfortunately, this would require straight-shooting from the oil industry. By the way, the wholesale cost of E100 can be as low as half the rack (wholesale) price of 87 octane regular E0 gasoline, and sometimes even less. The rack price of 84 octane regular E0 gasoline can be 10 to 15 cents per gallon less than the 87 octane gasoline. This all means that the oil industry is nickel and diming us every step of the way, along side of their untrue attacks on ethanol. RECAP Unleaded 88 Gasoline (E15) can be safely and economically used in all internal combustion engines regardless of year of manufacture. This is proven by Brazil's decades long use of E15, E25, and now E27. They have the same engines and fuel systems as those available in the U.S. In addition, E15 to E30 was used throughout Great Britain from the 1920's to the 1970's. This is also true of other countries such as France and Germany. I understand that there can be a manufacturer warranty issue with using E15 and higher ethanol level fuel in some engines. If you have a vehicle or power equipment that tells you not to use a particular blend level because it can void your warranty, and you're concerned about this, THEN DON'T USE THE FUEL, USE ONLY THE RECOMMENDED FUEL...and wait until the warranty is expired to experiment. For vehicles and power equipment that is no longer under warranty, use whatever blend you wish. Start low, increase blend levels slowly over numerous fill-ups. If you get to a point where you believe that the engine is not operating at peak performance, back off until you find the sweet spot (the best ethanol-gasoline blend level for your machine). If you think I'm incorrect and that ethanol will be unduly harmful to a particular type of rubber, plastic, or metal component, send me the name of the material and let me investigate it (email me at marc@theautochannel.com). I'm as happy to provide correct, substantiated warning information as I am to tell you that ethanol is safe. If there is a common engine component that is more susceptible to ethanol corrosion than to gasoline or aromatic corrosion, it's no skin off my nose to publicly acknowledge it. The petroleum oil industry is not the consumers' friend. They sell poison. They lie. They are responsible for untold millions of deaths and illnesses. They are the cause of wars and most international terrorism. There is no "American" oil industry. There is a self-interested industry that may have a headquarters office in America. Executives in the biggest oil companies have proven time and again that they will sell out our country and fellow citizens for their own gain. This is true of all oil companies and the countries that think they have a "domestic oil industry." As an American, I would rather have my fuel money go to American farmers than to foreign dictators and terrorist regimes. If I was Australian, British, French, Mexican, New Zealand, etc., I would say the same thing about that respective country's farmers. If you like to know more about ethanol fuel, LOTS MORE, read my 641-page book "THE ETHANOL PAPERS." It is available online for FREE by CLICKING HERE. *Oil industry myths (lies & gross distortions) to combat Ethanol: Ethanol sucks water right out of the air Food vs fuel - prices and food availability Ethanol damages engines Creates greater emissions problems Has lower energy content BTU lower MPG EROEI - Ethanol production is energy negative Requires too much water for production Chemical fertilizer creating environmental nightmare Ethanol gets unfair, wasteful government subsidies For additional relevant information, read CARB, GM, SoCal Edison and Others Join Forces to Keep California in the Lead of the Great Electric Vehicle Scam. Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months Google has made a U-turn and reinstated TalkRadio's YouTube channel after it was shut down amid claims the broadcaster 'violated' the website's 'community guidelines' by airing criticism of coronavirus lockdowns. News UK, which owns the radio station, had been urgently seeking a full explanation from the tech giant about the 'nature of the breach' that led to the account being removed from its platform. In what appeared to be an extraordinary clampdown, Google terminated the station's YouTube channel at around 1am, reportedly for violating its 'community guidelines', according to Guido Fawkes. But TalkRadio's YouTube channel is now back online, following a freedom of speech backlash led by senior minister Michael Gove and actor Laurence Fox, with civil liberties groups comparing Google's 'chilling attack' to Chinese-style censorship. A YouTube spokesperson told MailOnline: 'TalkRadio's YouTube channel was briefly suspended, but upon further review, has now been reinstated. 'We quickly remove flagged content that violate our Community Guidelines, including COVID-19 content that explicitly contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO). 'We make exceptions for material posted with an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic purpose, as was deemed in this case.' Former Brexit Party MEP Alex Phillips appeared on TalkRadio after the news broke, warning Britons to fear 'cyber enterprises being governed by woke wannabes'. TalkRadio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer today denied that the broadcaster had flouted YouTube's community guidelines, tweeting: 'We simply challenge the evidence that lockdowns are a proportionate response to the Covid virus. It's called free speech.' The station has interviewed lockdown sceptics during the pandemic who doubt that massive restrictions on public life implemented by western governments can suppress the disease. In October 2020, the WHO said in a statement that lockdowns were needed to 'suppress the virus and avoid health systems being overwhelmed', but the measures were 'not sustainable solutions because of their significant economic, social and broader health impacts'. YouTube has shut down TalkRadio's channel after the broadcaster criticised lockdowns TalkRadio presenters including Mike Graham (left) and Julia Hartley-Brewer (right) have criticised the Government's use of lockdowns during the pandemic TalkRadio presenter Ms Hartley-Brewer today denied that the broadcaster had flouted YouTube's community guidelines. 'We simply challenge the evidence that lockdowns are a proportionate response to the Covid virus. It's called free speech,' she tweeted Lockdown sceptic Peter Hitchens said: 'Are we any longer free if this sort of thing can happen?' Dissenting experts who have challenged the lockdown policy have included Oxford epidemiologist Professor Sunetra Gupta, who co-authored the anti-lockdown Great Barrington Declaration, and Irish engineer Ivor Cummins. Some of TalkRadio's presenters, including Ms Hartley-Brewer, Mike Graham and Dan Wootton, have criticised government measures to slow the spread of coronavirus as excessive or ill-targeted. Mr Graham has invited Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens onto his Independent Republic show every Monday for nearly a year to discuss the Government's handling of the crisis. The radio station used YouTube to stream its live video content and archive old shows, and accrued tens of millions of views and 250,000 subscribers as its popularity soared last year. YouTube's policies are supposedly in place to 'protect' its 'community', which means stopping the spread of misinformation about coronavirus along with conspiracy theories, hate speech or 'other harmful content'. The company reviews each video that is flagged and will remove a video if it is deemed to violate these policies, issuing a strike. TalkRadio had issued a statement earlier today saying: 'TalkRadio has not yet received any explanation about what aspect of the guidelines it is alleged that we have breached. 'The channel is still removed by Google/YouTube.' A spokesman for TalkRadio said: 'YouTube is making decisions about which opinions the public are allowed to hear, even when they are sourced to responsible and regulated news providers. 'This sets a dangerous precedent and is censorship of free speech and legitimate national debate.' A spokesperson had earlier told MailOnline: 'We urgently await a detailed response from Google/YouTube about the nature of the breach that has led to our channel being removed from its platform. 'TalkRadio is an Ofcom-licensed and regulated broadcaster and has robust editorial controls in place, taking care to balance debate. 'We regularly interrogate government data and we have controls in place, use verifiable sources and give space to a careful selection of voices and opinions.' TalkRadio later tweeted a poll which asked: 'Will Britain's freedoms ever fully return?' TalkRadio: Its owner, hosts and controversies TalkRadio is owned by News UK and is the sister station of national radio stations TalkSport and Times Radio. It has about 424,000 listeners, according to the latest figures from market research provider Rajar. Its current presenters include Mike Graham, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Dan Wootton, and Mark Dolan. TalkRadio has courted controversy since its relaunch in 2016. Presenter James Whale was suspended over a July 2018 interview with an alleged sex assault victim that was said by the station to have 'completely lacked sensitivity'. He was given a week's suspension and his show returned soon afterwards. He apologised to the alleged victim. Broadcast watchdog Ofcom ruled in 2019 that two episodes of ex-MP George Galloway's show on Labour Party anti-Semitism and the Salisbury poisoning breached impartiality rules. Galloway was sacked by the station in June 2019 for praising Liverpool FC for winning the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final instead of Tottenham Hotspur, a team with strong links to the Jewish community. Last September, Mark Dolan cut up a face mask while claiming they did not have a significant impact on the spread of coronavirus. His action sparked a protest resignation by Jamie East, while Piers Morgan called Dolan's behaviour 'reckless and stupid'. Advertisement Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, which regulates TalkRadio, said: 'This was a decision for YouTube. 'Like other UK stations, TalkRadio's radio channel comes under our Broadcasting Code. When we assess programmes under our rules, we take account of a broadcaster's right to freedom of expression, and the right of listeners to receive information and ideas.' YouTube has implemented a 'COVID-19 medical misinformation policy' which allows it to ban 'content that spreads medical misinformation that contradicts local health authority information or World Health Organization (WHO) medical information about COVID-19'. Examples of content which is banned from YouTube include 'denial that COVID-19 exists', 'claims that people have not died from COVID-19', and 'videos alleging that social distancing and self-isolation are not effective in reducing the spread of the virus'. It warns YouTube users that it will remove content which violates the policy and give them a warning with no penalty if it is a first-time violation. Google has a three-strike policy where channels that break its community guidelines three times within a 90-day period can be permanently banned. The tech giant has previously banned conspiracy theorist David Icke and suspended One America News Network for breaches of its Covid rules. However, a YouTube webpage states that the video streaming site is committed to freedom of speech and freedom of expression, claiming: 'We believe people should be able to speak freely, share opinions, foster open dialogue, and that creative freedom leads to new voices, formats and possibilities.' It also claims: 'We believe everyone should have easy, open access to information and that video is a powerful force for education, building understanding, and documenting world events, big and small.' Ofcom has also pledged to crack down on coronavirus misinformation that could cause serious harm, though no TalkRadio content about the disease has been subject to investigation by the watchdog. Michael Gove today blasted 'Big Tech censorship', telling Ms Hartley-Brewer on TalkRadio that lockdown critics 'should be heard'. 'I don't believe in censorship, and we have a free and fair press, and we have commentators and interviewers of distinction who do criticise the Government's position', the Cabinet Office minister said. 'I respectfully disagree with them but I think it's important that their voices are heard and that debate takes place.' Ms Hartley-Brewer later tweeted that no one at the station 'has ever endangered any lives or worked against the NHS', adding: 'Free speech, debate and questioning policies that destroy lives, livelihoods and freedoms are a good thing.' Actor Laurence Fox, who has also criticised shutdowns, warned: 'This is just the beginning' in a suggestion that more online anti-lockdown rhetoric could be removed. Toby Young, director-general of the Free Speech Union, called Google's move 'an assault on the freedom of the press'. Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch said the removal of the channel was 'a bold censorship move that would make China proud'. Director Silkie Carlo told MailOnline: 'YouTube's termination of TalkRadio is evidence, if needed, that Big Tech censorship is out of control. 'This chilling attack on a broadcaster is the type of thing you see in China. It is no coincidence that TalkRadio is one of the loudest critics of the Government's mismanagement of the pandemic, nor that the Government is pressuring Big Tech companies to increase censorship under 'online harms' policies. TalkRadio presenter Dan Wootton has also criticised the use of shutdowns to tackle Covid Dissenting experts who have spoken on TalkRadio include Oxford epidemiologist Professor Sunetra Gupta, who authored the anti-lockdown Great Barrington Declaration Actor Laurence Fox today tweeted: 'This is just the beginning' Triggernometry YouTube channel host Konstantin Kisin said: 'Today is the day we can all be 100% certain that free speech is over' 'This assault on free expression must be resisted and overturned.' Triggernometry YouTube channel host Konstantin Kisin said: 'Today is the day we can all be 100% certain that free speech is over'. It comes as Mr Gove today admitted there was 'no certainty' that the brutal squeeze imposed by Boris Johnson on England last night will be eased at the end of February as hoped. The PM set a goal of giving first doses of vaccine to more than 13 million vulnerable people over the next seven weeks, with doubts already voiced over whether it is possible. But Mr Gove cautioned that even in the best case scenario not 'all' of the curbs will go, as he braced the weary public for a long haul to combat the fast-spreading new variant of coronavirus. Under the new guidance, primary and secondary schools will close, with only the vulnerable and offspring of key workers allowed to go in. Nurseries can stay open, but university students are being told to stay at home and study remotely while GCSE and A-level exams will not go ahead as planned. Non-essential retail, all hospitality, gyms and swimming pools will be ordered to close with Rishi Sunak due to lay out another package of support today amid growing fears about the impact on the economy. Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaway but in a tightening from the draconian measures last spring, they will not be allowed to serve any alcohol. Vulnerable people are being told to shield where possible. The public will once again only be allowed to leave home for one of five reasons: to go to work if essential, shop for necessities, exercise - allowed with one other person from another household, care for someone, or to seek medical help or flee threat such as domestic violence. Communal worship can continue with social distancing in place. Those who break the rules face a 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. SPRINGFIELD - Police are investigating a Monday night shooting on Grand Street in the Forest Park neighborhood that left a woman injured, police said. The woman, whose name was not disclosed to the press suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening, police said. She is being treated at Baystate Medical Center. The shooting was reported just before 8 p.m. after the citys ShotSpotter system detected gunfire on Grand Street. Officers responded to the scene but found the victim had already been taken away to the hospital in a private vehicle. Police intercepted the car on Walnut Street and provided first aid until an ambulance arrived, police said. The city Detective Bureau is investigating. Grand Street runs between White and Malden streets in Forest Park. Shops in Edinburgh as the UK returns to lockdown. Photo: PA. Business chiefs are demanding urgent extra support from the government as they brace for an extended period of new coronavirus lockdowns across the UK. Firms warned they face hardship and said job losses could rise significantly in certain sectors as businesses adapt to the body blow of fresh restrictions. The government is under pressure to extend support after England, Scotland and Northern Ireland joined Wales in announcing full-scale lockdowns on Monday. Vast swathes of the economy have now been told to shut for an indefinite period. Adam Marshall, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said companies understood why the prime minister had taken tough measures but were baffled and disappointed not to receive more help alongside the announcement. Watch: Boris Johnson announces third national lockdown in England READ MORE: UK music chiefs warn summer festivals risk cancellations despite vaccines The lockdowns announced in England and Scotland today are a body blow to our business communities, hard on the heels of lost trade during the festive season and uncertainty linked to the end of the Brexit transition period, he said. Tens of thousands of firms are already in a precarious position, and now face a period of further hardship and difficulty. Tony Danker, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, acknowledged it was essential to put public safety first and said firms would step up to support the national effort. But he said the government had to ensure firms had the cashflow to survive the crisis. Danker said a broader range of measures were needed to plug gaps in existing support, including help to address supply chain issues. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said testing and a rapid vaccine rollout were key to bringing to an end this cycle of lockdowns. She urged business rate relief extension beyond April. Retailers are set to lose 2bn a week in sales, Dickinson said, adding that 178,000 retail jobs had already been lost in 2020. Story continues With over 250,000 retail staff currently on furlough, that number could increase dramatically in the new year, she said. Watch: Why can't governments just print more money? With 20 more people testing positive for the new UK variant of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the total number of UK returnees having tested positive for the mutant virus in the country has reached 58. The results are based on the genome sequencing of positive samples released by the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog) labs that the Centre has specifically created for the purpose of monitoring any kind of mutations in the virus. The samples have so far been sequenced in six of the 10 designated labs across the country. Also Read: Maharashtras active Covid-19 cases drop below 50,000 Among the sequenced samples, 10 samples tested positive in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, three in CCMB, Hyderabad, five in NIV, Pune, 11 in IGIB, Delhi, eight in NCDC, New Delhi, and one in NCBG, Kolkata. NCBS, InSTEM, Bengaluru, CDFD Hyderabad, ILS Bhubaneswar, and NCCS Pune have so far found no traces of the UK variant among the samples that have been sequenced in their labs. From November 25 to December 23, 2020, about 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from UK. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by states to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests to detect Covid-19. All these persons have been kept in single-room isolation in designated health care facilities by respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on, said the Union health ministry in a statement. The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to Insacog labs, the statement further read. The Indian government had suspended air travel from the United Kingdom December 23 onwards after a new variant of Sars-CoV-2 was found to be circulating in London and other parts of the country. The new variant which has 23 mutations, including one on the receptor binding protein on the spike used by the virus to enter the human cells is thought to be 70% more transmissible, raising concerns of super-spreading events. However, doctors monitoring these patients have not found severe illness because of the new variant. The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore, so far. A former senior Belarusian Interior Ministry official has vouched that a 2012 audio recording that allegedly spells out plans to kill several opponents of leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka in Germany is authentic. Ihar Makar, a former deputy commander of the Belarusian Interior Ministry's counterterrorism unit, said the tape allegedly of a former top Belarusian KGB officer was "fully authentic." "I have 100 percent proof that the tape is authentic. Firstly, the tape underwent an audio forensics test; secondly, my anonymous source, who spoke directly with the individuals recorded on that tape and who knows all the details of the recorded conversation, can testify in court," Makar told Current Time, the Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with Voice of America. The online newspaper EUObserver on January 4 published details of a recording of what it said was the Belarusian KGB security service in 2012 discussing plans to kill a total of four opponents of Lukashenka. The fresh revelations come as Lukashenka, in power since 1994, faces months of protests demanding he step down following a disputed presidential election in August 2020. Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusians continue to demand the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. The West refuses to recognize him as the country's legitimate leader after an August 9 election considered fraudulent. Nearly 30,000 people have been detained, and hundreds beaten in detention and on the streets, in the postelection crackdown by the government. The EU and United States refuse to recognize Lukashenka as Belarus's legitimate leader and slapped him and senior officials with sanctions. Makar told Current Time he was the one who provided the EUObserver with a copy of the audio recording and that the voice on the tape was Vadzim Zaytsau, at the time the chairman of the Belarusian KGB. On the tape, Zaytsau was said to be briefing members of a special KGB elite counterterrorism unit -- Alfa Group -- about killing three opponents of Lukashenka then living in Germany Aleh Alkayeu, a former prison director; Uladzimer Baradach, an ex-riot police commander; and Vyachaslau Dudkin, a former anti-corruption police chief. The audio also includes discussions on killing Belarusian-born Russian journalist Pavel Sheremet, a critic of Lukashenka. The attacks on Alkayeu, Baradach, and Dudkin never took place, but the plot discussed allegedly would have involved the use of explosives and poisons, the report said. Sheremet was subsequently killed by a car bomb in Kyiv in 2016. Ukrainian police said on January 4 that they were investigating the fresh documents and recordings, which, if confirmed, would increase suspicions that Belarus's KGB was involving in Sheremet's death. Three Ukrainian suspects are on trial in Ukraine in connection with the killing but the authorities have not established who ordered it. The suspects deny wrongdoing. "I obtained the tape from my anonymous source in 2012. I did not try to do anything with this tape right away because it was impossible to change the situation in Belarus then. And most likely my life would have been in danger if I did it. However, in the recording I heard the name of my close friend, Aleh Alkayeu and therefore I turned to the United States asking for help," Makar said. "As far as I understood then, the United States offered help because the police in Germany offered Aleh Alkayeu bodyguards and warned him not to leave Germany as his life was in danger." According to Makar, U.S. officials informed the Belarusian Foreign Ministry then that Washington was aware of Minsk's plans to assassinate Lukashenka's opponents abroad, and urged the Belarusian authorities to abandon them. "And after that Alyaksandr Lukashenka removed...Zaytsau from the post," Makar said. Makar also said that he had evidence proving Minsk's plans to assassinate an outspoken Lukashenka critic, Russian political observer Andrei Suzdaltsev, who was declared persona non grata and deported from Belarus in 2006. "The part [about plans to kill Suzdaltsev] is not in the recording but my source can confirm it in court.... I hope very much that the Russian Federation will react to that. I also hope very much that the world community will react to that, especially Europe and America. And I think we will be able to defeat this dictatorial regime in our native country, Belarus," Makar said, adding that he and his supporters will try to bring the case to court at The Hague. The EUObserver report said that an expert from a NATO country confirmed to the online newspaper that the voice in the recording very much sounded like the voice of Zaytsau. It "sounds like the same guy," a contact from a NATO country's intelligence service who was familiar with Zaytsau and who examined the bugged audio file for EUObserver, told the website. Alkayeu wrote a book titled Shooting Brigade in which he revealed details of Lukashenka's "punitive units." He also told RFE/RL that police in Berlin in 2012 offered to provide him with bodyguards, saying they had obtained information about possible Belarusian KGB plans to kill him. According to Alkayeu, Lukashenka's regime would have wanted to target him because he was a key witness in the disappearances of several political figures in 1999-2000. The logo of the World Health Organization (WHO) at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Jan. 30, 2020. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters) Australian Scientist Says Its Near Impossible to Find CCP Virus Origins An Australian virologist who will be investigating the origins of the CCP virus in China with the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that they may not find evidence they need to uncover it. Finding the original animal or patient zero may be very difficult if not impossible, Prof. Dominic Dwyer, a Sydney-based microbiologist from Westmead Hospital told the ABC on Saturday. Dwyer said politics would be left out his workreferring to the fraught geopolitical tensions between the totalitarian Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and democratic allies. The CCP is not happy that Australia called for an inquiry into the origins of the outbreak. As a doctor and a scientist, I think politics complicates getting the answers, Dwyer said. So Id rather keep that aside and let other people argue the toss over that. Dwyer also noted that every suggestion and hypothesis about the origins of the virus is open for investigation. Im confident we will certainly find answers to some of the questions, and my experience is if you sit down with your colleagues anywhere, and you respect each others skills, you actually do get the answers, Dwyer said. Dwyer, who also worked on the WHOs investigation into SARS in 2004, will be part of a ten-member team expected to enter two weeks quarantine in China before beginning their investigation. Dwyers comments come as a report from Daily Mail alleged that U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger told global political elites that the latest U.S. intelligence indicates that COVID-19 leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. There is a growing body of evidence that the lab is likely the most credible source of the virus, Pottinger allegedly said. The Epoch Times has reached out to the U.S. Deputy National Security Advisers office to confirm the reports, but no response has been received at the time of publication. This aerial view shows the P4 laboratory (L) on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in Chinas central Hubei province on May 27, 2020. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) However, other members of Dwyers team have rejected the hypothesis that the virus was human-made. Peter Daszak, one of the WHO team and the president of Ecohealth Alliance, has dismissed the possibility that the virus was man-made or leaked from the Chinese lab. Dwyer has strong ties to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) where he has spent over a decade studying coronavirus in bats, Nature reported on Dec. 2, 2020. Chinese virologist Dr. Zhengli Shi, is seen inside the P4 laboratory, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, in Wuhan, capital of Chinas Hubei province, on February 23, 2017. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images) For nearly 10 months, senior citizens have missed church services, family gatherings and long-planned vacations in an effort to dodge a deadly virus. On Monday, many of them stood in a line that stretched from a 7th Ward pharmacy out into the street for a chance to reclaim their golden years. Older Louisianans deluged area pharmacies with calls and visits Monday after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that a limited number of coronavirus vaccines from Moderna Inc. would be available for people 70 years and older, expanding availability beyond health care workers and people in long-term care facilities. Amid massive demand, the select group of pharmacies receiving vaccine doses quickly resorted to waiting lists. Some seniors at the Broad Avenue Pharmacy in New Orleans were frustrated, while others were excited that their day is coming soon. Yippee! said Charles Toto Robinson, 72. Finally, old age is an advantage. By the end of the day, Broad Avenue had nearly 250 people signed up to receive a vaccine but only 100 shots to give. So it was that a supply chain that began with the development in East Coast labs of a cutting-edge mRNA vaccine ended in New Orleans with a yellow legal pad. Pharmacist Chi Tran directed seniors to write their names and numbers there so she can call them when doses are available. She expects to deliver her store's first shots on Tuesday morning. Seniors arrived at the small, independent pharmacy with a mix of motivations. Vivian Buckner, 75, said the vaccine will finally allow her to go to church again. Her last time attending in person came the Sunday before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Louisiana. Ive been in my house since March the 8th. No visitors. No Christmas. I just want to be safe, she said. Underscoring the risk: a close friend and the friends husband died from COVID-19 in the spring. She also stays home because I have no choice, Buckner said with a laugh. Her daughters installed a camera on her door to make sure she doesnt slip out. When Buckner gets her shot, it won't be her first time participating in a historic vaccination campaign: She was 17 when she got the polio shot. Some seniors said that getting the vaccine was as much about giving other people some peace of mind as it was for themselves. Robert Lewis, 77, still volunteers several days a week at the Louisiana Symphony Orchestra. Hes looking forward to the day when other people dont have to fret about his health. People are concerned for your welfare. And I appreciate that, he said. +3 Total Jefferson Parish coronavirus deaths pull ahead of New Orleans Since early December, the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Jefferson Parish has pulled roughly even with New Orleans and on many days su Meanwhile, Robinson said he was looking forward to visiting Egypt to see the pyramids. He should have been there on Monday, but the pandemic canceled that plan. Hes also looking forward to being able to let his guard down around his sons and grandsons, he said. Were all aching to get back to hugging and kissing, he said. News often travels by word of mouth in New Orleans, and Monday was no exception. Lewis said he beelined to the pharmacy after his wife called to tell him it was a distribution spot. How will Louisiana convince people to get the coronavirus vaccine? Here's the $475K plan Now that Louisiana is receiving COVID-19 vaccines each week, the state Health Department is turning its focus to a crucial part of reaching he Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Meanwhile, Ronald Romano and his wife Michele said they heard about Broad Avenues vaccine cache while they were at CC's Coffee House on Esplanade Avenue grabbing drinks. Someone burst in to announce the news. The waiting list wasnt too much of a concern for Romano yet. He doesnt turn 70 until Jan. 14, and he hopes more vaccine will be available by then. But others were left frustrated by the latest hiccups in Americas haphazard response to the pandemic. What a mess. Were never going to get the shot, said Donna Olsen, 73, as she walked out of the pharmacy. Im on a list. Another senior was met with busy signals and frustration on Monday. John Garcia, a 77-year-old Kenner resident, said he tried calling every pharmacy in Jefferson Parish minutes after the state released a list of distribution points on Monday. None available, all filled. Something is very wrong! Garcia said in an email. He believes seniors have not been prioritized high enough during the vaccination process. Although they only make up a fraction of the cases, seniors over 70 have accounted for 5,197 of the state's 7,585 COVID-19 deaths, according to state data. I am over the age that is most vulnerable and sure don't need to take chances, Garcia said. +7 Coronavirus vaccines come to this New Orleans nursing home: I cant imagine not getting it At Poydras Home in Uptown New Orleans, a room where residents used to gather for exercise and movies has been empty for nine months. On Wednes Older seniors with military service records had more luck at the Veterans Affairs hospital on South Galvez Street. The VA has its own supply of vaccine from the federal government. After vaccinating its employees and inpatients, the hospital moved on to jabbing the arms of older veterans whose age places them at high risk. Among the veterans receiving their shots on Monday was 97-year-old Robert Emmett Stanley, who survived a kamikaze attack that sunk his destroyer during the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. He was the 2,503rd person to get vaccinated at the VA. Nurse Kelly Bell gave Stanleys right arm a quick jab and she was done. Within weeks he will have immunity against the latest challenge in his long life. I barely felt it, he told her. Yeah, Im a good sticker, Bell replied. Stanley was glad that the dwindling group of World War II veterans can finally be vaccinated. We dont have many left, he said. Even after they get their vaccinations, several seniors in line at the Broad Avenue Pharmacy on Monday said they dont expect to make major changes. It will be weeks before they have the vaccines full protection and months before the community at large can join them. My bubble will continue until Jazz Fest comes back around. I will be out at Jazz Fest with a mask, said Elizabeth Shannon, a 72-year-old artist who waited in line on Monday. There are just so many unknowns. Although the vaccines are highly effective at preventing people from coming down with COVID-19 symptoms, scientists dont know whether they prevent people from spreading the virus. And despite his longing to see the pyramids, Robinson said he wont be on the first plane to Cairo. Psychologically, its going to free me up. But I dont think that Im going to travel right away. Were really entering a new phase of a long-term problem, Robinson said. Im not gonna go crazy. President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden are campaigning in Georgia Monday ahead of the Senate runoff elections there. Both of the states Senate seats are open after indecisive results following voting on November 3. This second and final election Tuesday will decide which political party controls the United States Senate for the next two years. Republicans only need to win one seat to have a majority. Democrats have to win both to control the Senate with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the bodys tie-breaking vote. The election follows the release of audio recordings in which President Trump pressures Georgian election officials to overturn the presidential election results in the state. On Saturday, The Washington Post was the first news organization to report and post a recording of Trumps hour-long phone call with Brad Raffensperger. He is Georgias Secretary of State and its top election official. Trump, who has refused to accept his defeat, repeatedly asked Raffensperger to change Georgias election results. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, Trump said. Because we won the state. Raffensperger said on the phone call, President Trump, weve had several lawsuits, and weve had to respond in court to the lawsuits and the contentions. We dont agree that you have won. Trump confirmed the conversation on Twitter Sunday. His tweet repeated claims of voter fraud. Raffensperger, a member of Trumps own Republican Party, answered on Twitter: Respectfully, President Trump: What youre saying is not true. The truth will come out. The state of Georgia had counted its votes three times before confirming Bidens win by 11,779 votes. The victory gave Biden the states 16 Electoral College votes. Biden officially won the presidency with 306 electoral votes over 232 for Trump. Only 270 electoral votes are needed to win. Efforts to overturn Biden elections Trumps effort to overturn results of the November 3 presidential elections went beyond his phone call to Georgia officials. Since Nov. 4, the Trump campaign and supporters have disputed election results, launching more than 50 legal actions. None saw success in court. December 8 is known as the safe harbor deadline. On that day, all 50 American states and Washington, DC had certified electors who would vote for the winner of the presidential election. On Dec. 14, the 538 members of the Electoral College confirmed 306 votes for Joe Biden as the countrys next president. American laws say the U.S. Congress cannot dispute any electors named by the safe harbor deadline. However, Trump has asked 12 Republican senators and nearly 100 Republican members of the House of Representatives to reject the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, the day Congress meets to declare the winner. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas launched an effort in support of Trumps request. Hawley wrote that he could not confirm the electoral college results on Jan. 6. Some states, in his words, failed to follow their own state election laws. He singled out Pennsylvania as one of those states. Republican Pat Toomey represents Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. He said in a statement, a defining feature of a democratic republic is the right of the people to elect their own leaders. The effort by Senators Hawley, Cruz, and others to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in swing states like Pennsylvania directly undermines this right. Toomey added that the claims of fraud were found to be unsupported by evidence. "But the evidence is overwhelming that Joe Biden won this election, he said. Former defense chiefs opinion In an extraordinary move, all 10 living former U.S. defense secretaries from Republican and Democratic administrations shared their view on the presidential election in The Washington Post. They wrote, The time for questioning the results has passed; the time for the formal counting of the electoral college votes, as prescribed in the Constitution and statute, has arrived. The 10 defense chiefs include former Vice-President Dick Cheney and the two men who served under Trump, James Mattis and Mark Esper. They also said the military does not have any part to play in the process. The Constitution states that a newly-elected presidents term begins on Jan. 20. Joe Biden is expected to be sworn in on that day at noon to become the 46th president of the United States. I'm Jonathan Evans. And I'm Caty Weaver. Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story respond - v. to say or write something as an answer contention - n. belief, opinion or idea that is argued or stated fraud - n. the crime of using dishonest methods to take something swing state - n. a state that sees election results changing from one part to another and back undermine - v. to make something weaker or less effective overwhelming - adj. very great in number, effect or force formal - adj. done in an official and usually public way prescribe - v. to make something an official rule noon - n. the middle of the day; 12 o'clock in the day time Saying there most certainly was some illegal quid pro quo going on, a federal appeals court panel Tuesday refused to overturn the convictions of a businessman who is behind bars for bribing a former Pennsylvania sheriff who also is jailed. The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit means James Davis must keep serving a 121-month prison term, forfeit more than $1.7 million and make a court-ordered $873,395 tax payment for the years he spent greasing the palm of former Philadelphia Sheriff John Green. The circuit court opinion in Greens case comes about a year and a half after Green, now 73, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for accepting and concealing those bribes. Investigators said Davis channeled cash to Green and arranged for the sheriff to acquire a house at a $70,000 discount in order to ensure Green kept channeling business to his company, Reach Communications Specialists Inc. The firm, often without any written contracts, performed title searches and deed processing and published property foreclosure notices for the sheriffs office for more than 20 years, starting in 1989. Davis claimed in his appeal to the circuit court that his convictions for honest wire services fraud and conspiracy should be voided because there was no evidence of explicit benefits-for-cash agreements in the money he paid to Green and Greens election campaigns. Judge Patty Shwartz, who wrote the opinion denying Davis appeal, countered that there was ample evidence to show that Davis reaped millions of dollars of business from the payola he channeled to Green. Shwartz also rejected Davis argument that prosecutors overstated the cash value of the business he reaped via the bribes. Here, there is sufficient evidence from which the jury could have concluded that Davis and Green entered into a corrupt bargain, the judge found. For instance, during the 2007 campaign, Davis contributed more than $65,000 in cash and over $148,000 in free advertising service, Shwartz wrote. These contributions came within the context of a larger stream of benefits that Davis provided to Green, including arranging to provide Green a renovated house at a loss, giving Green significant funds for Greens retirement home, and supplying cash. Davis provided these benefits in return for an explicit benefit: to receive multi-million-dollar contracts from the sheriffs office. Green had the power to award sheriffs office business and gave Davis over $35 million of it between 2002 and 2010, the judge concluded. Davis was charged in 2015 and convicted by a federal jury. After another jury acquitted Green of some charges filed against him and deadlocked on others, Green pleaded guilty to counts that he accepted more than $675,000 in bribes from Davis between 2002 and 2011 and was sentenced in August 2019. In addition to his prison term, Green was fined $17,500 and ordered to forfeit $76,581. We are excited for franchisees like the Cavasenos to show such enthusiasm about growing their businesses. We feel there are more franchisees out there like them looking for the right opportunity to achieve success," said CEO, Mark Otter. MassageLuXe, a fast-growing massage and spa franchise delivering the highest standard of services in the membership-based massage, facial and waxing industry has plans to further expand into the Florida market. The brand is looking for qualified franchise applicants who are interested in starting their own business or seasoned investors looking to diversify their portfolio. Franchisees receive unparalleled support and training from those knowledgeable of the industry ensuring success in a booming market. MassageLuXe franchisees also have access to top-of-the-line management software to help coordinate all parts of their business. Area developers, Michael, Susan and Nicole Cavaseno, are planning to open 15 more locations in the Orlando/Jacksonville area and are searching for qualified franchise owners. Currently franchisees of three locations in Lake Mary, Winter Park and Naples, the team is eager for the pending expansion. We have world-class training in place and a model that sets franchisees up for success, says Michael, we are ready for growth. MassageLuXes future, according to President and CEO, Mark Otter, is to have more than 250 locations in the next five years. Florida has been a great market for us to venture into, says Otter. We are excited for franchisees like the Cavasenos to show such enthusiasm about growing their businesses. We feel there are more franchisees out there like them looking for the right opportunity to achieve success. With MassageLuXe they can definitely reach their goals. The brand is looking to open more locations in the Orlando/Jacksonville area specifically. These additional 15 locations will join the existing 19 in Florida, making MassageLuXe one of the largest spa franchises in the market. MassageLuXes mission is to deliver the highest quality massage, facial and waxing services in an environment that is both luxurious and relaxing to all of the guests. If they have not already, citizens of Florida will be able to enjoy these high-quality services in their area soon. To learn more about MassageLuXe, visit https://massageluxe.com/. For more information about MassageLuXe franchising, visit https://franchise.massageluxe.com/. Charles Taylor, a provider of services and technology solutions to the global insurance market, announced today that it has acquired Aegis Corporation (Aegis), a Wisconsin based leader in mutual management and third-party claims administration. "Mutual management and claims handling have been essential parts of Charles Taylor's services for more than a century. The addition of Aegis further bolsters our capabilities in this segment and also builds our ability to serve public entities," said Rob Brown, Group CEO, Charles Taylor. "This acquisition aligns with our Group-wide strategy and provides us with the scale, expertise and capabilities to accelerate the rapid growth of our U.S. business." Aegis provides risk pools and self-insureds with customized insurance and claims management programs focused on the unique needs of public entities and municipal organizations. The business is headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, where approximately 45 employees oversee insurance programs and manage claims for approximately 200 clients with $350M in annual premiums under management. "The addition of Aegis is exciting due to the strength of both the cultural and the strategic fit," said Christopher Schaffer, CEO Charles Taylor TPA. "Both Charles Taylor and Aegis have forged long-term, trusted partnerships with clients through unrivaled insurance expertise, and this partnership will strengthen Charles Taylor's position in the U.S. mutual management and public entity markets while greatly enhancing Aegis' claims management offering." Aegis joins the Charles Taylor team of more than 3,000 professionals around the world. Aegis' clients will have access to Charles Taylor's full suite of global claims, insurance management, and technology solutions. This acquisition follows shortly after the acquisition of SBSA in August 2020 and the agreement to acquire the Cosulich Group in October 2020. "We look forward to joining Charles Taylor and leveraging the combined resources, expertise and technology to enhance our claims management offering and continue to create favorable claims outcomes for our clients," said John Dirkse, President of Aegis. "We believe Charles Taylor's client-centric approach, experience with customized insurance management, and commitment to high quality growth in the U.S. will greatly benefit our clients by allowing us to better serve their unique and complex needs." Aegis' shareholders were advised by Evolve Capital Partners on this transaction. About Charles Taylor www.charlestaylor.com Charles Taylor provides insurance services, claims and technology solutions to all parties within the global insurance market. Charles Taylor's technical expertise, technological tools and breadth of solutions enable its clients to outperform, through addressing complex and challenging situations across every stage of the insurance lifecycle and every aspect of the insurance operating model. Charles Taylor employs approximately 3,100 staff in more than 120 locations spread across 30 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Charles Taylor has earned the trust of a diversified, blue-chip international customer base that includes national and international insurance companies, mutuals, captives, MGAs, Lloyd's syndicates and reinsurers, along with brokers, distributors and corporate insureds. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005344/en/ Contacts: Philippa Ushio Ph: 858-373-7052 Email: pro-charlestaylor@prosek.com Montieth Illingworth Chosen for the Observer's PR Power 50 List For the fourth year in a row, Montieth & Company (M&Co) was chosen by the New York Observer as one of the top-performing PR power player firms. For 2020, the Observer created a PR Power 50 List ranking individual executives from both agency and in-house communications. CEO Montieth Illingworth was recognized for managing the smart globalization of the growing firm, diversifying its sector expertise and achieving key results for its expanding list of clients across multiple markets. "For some firms, 2020 proved a boom year. Montieth Illingworth's 13-year-old agency is one of them," wrote the Observer, adding that "instead of investing tons in overseas offices, Illingworth cannily chose a multilingual team that works across borders. For most of the firm's clients, staying out of the news means success, but Illingworth's also engineered a few media coups this year. Almost exclusively among agencies this year, Illingworth's company maintained a 25% growth rate through the pandemic, an achievement for a business of any size that's not Amazon or Walmart." "We've built an agency that provides a highly integrated, flexible and efficient array of PR services and solutions that deliver high-value results in single and multiple markets," says CEO Montieth Illingworth. "In the face of the pandemic, our team adapted quickly to a new set of emerging needs from our clients who faced both pressing challenges and unique opportunities. I'm honored to be recognized by the Observer and grateful to my colleagues for all their hard work during a challenging year." Notable in the success that made M&Co a PR power player in 2020 is the firm's work in financial and professional services, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and public affairs in over 25 global media markets. M&Co also advised on a range of special situation matters, from supporting companies negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to civil litigation disputes. In addition, the firm is advising political action committees and non-profit organizations focused on solving societal problems that align with the firm's corporate values. M&Co has a diverse team of executives that speak 10 languages and is led by its Global Management team with counsel from its Senior Advisors. In 2020, M&Co created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative that provided free media training to over 30 women and minority executives. This holiday season M&Co focused its charitable giving on supporting organizations fighting food insecurity. "If you're battled-scarred and tested, your stock went up. Likewise, if you're smart enough to rewrite the rules, clients wanted you," said Observer's PR Power 50. About M&Co Montieth & Company is a global communications consultancy that helps you seize opportunity and prevail in the face of your biggest challenges. M&Co has global hubs in New York, London, and Hong Kong and provides services and solutions in multiple money and media center markets throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005625/en/ BEIJING, Jan. 4 -- China firmly opposes adverse provisions against China in the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 and lodges solemn representations to the United States, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), said in a statement released on Monday. Ren made the remarks when asked to comment on the newly passed Act and another Consolidated Appropriations Act recently signed by US President Trump. According to media reports, the US Congress last Friday passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which includes several China-related provisions proposing the adoption of whole-government strategy to impose costs on China and establishing "Pacific Deterrence Initiative" to counter the development of Chinese military. The Act continues the super power's meddling in China's internal affairs by supporting selling arms to Taiwan and interference in issues concerning Hong Kong and Xinjiang. In addition, US president Trump also signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which supports normalization of arms sales to Taiwan and the island's entry into international organizations. The spokesperson summarized the two Acts as "stick to the Cold War mentality, hype the so-called China military threat and the China-US strategic competition, and violate norms of international relations". The two Acts are a gross interference in China's internal affairs as well as a major breach of the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, said Ren, adding that such Acts also severely damage the development of China-US relations and mil-to-mil relations and harms China's sovereignty, security and development interests. "China is strongly opposed to such Acts and lodges solemn representations to the United States." The spokesperson stated that China is always committed to peaceful development, upholds a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and firmly pursues the national defense policy that is defensive in nature and the military strategy of active defense. China is the builder of world peace, contributor to global development, and the maintainer of international order, said Ren. Ren pointed that in recent years the Chinese military has provided more public security goods to the international community in the areas of the UN peacekeeping operations, merchant ships escort operations at high seas, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). Especially since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese military has actively carried out anti-pandemic international cooperation and contributed to the building of a global community of health for all, said the spokesperson. Facts have fully proven that the development of the Chinese military brings hope and security to people around the globe rather than threats and challenges, Ren said, adding that the Chinese military is always a staunch force for safeguarding world peace and stability. Out of its own interests, the US touts the "Pacific Deterrence Initiative", keeps increasing its military presence in Asia-Pacific region, hypes up military races and creates military confrontation in the region, Ren said. "These moves exposed the consistent hegemonic nature of the US, which will do no good to the globe but aggravate regional tensions and undermine world peace, and will also eventually harm the interests of the US", emphasized Ren. He stressed that issues concerning Taiwan, Hongkong and Xinjiang matter for China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which are totally China's internal affairs, allow no foreign intervention. " China remains unwavering in its resolve to safeguard its national sovereignty, security and development interests," said Ren, stressing that Taiwan is an indispensable part of China and any attempt by the US to contain China with the Taiwan question will lead nowhere. China firmly opposes any form of official contacts and military ties between any country and Taiwan, and will never allow any people, organization or political party to split any part of Chinese territory from the country at any time, in any form, the spokesperson warned. "The Chinese People's Liberation Army will take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," stressed the spokesperson. Ren urged the US side to follow the trend of time featuring peace and development and discard its Cold War mentality and concept of zero-sum game, view the development of China and its military in an objective way. "We urge the US side to stop its meddling in China's internal affairs and refrain from implementing the China-related provisions in the two Acts, we also expect the US side could work with China to jointly maintain bilateral state and military relations between the two countries, and protect world peace and stability. Brexit disruption has forced one of the UKs largest supermarkets to stock a rival grocers products in their Northern Ireland shops. Several Spar-branded products lines are on sale in Sainsburys shops under a temporary agreement to avoid empty shelves from 1 January. Fresh foods including ready meals, meat, dairy products and desserts are affected. A member of staff told the Belfast News Letter that about 700 product lines had been lost due to Brexit. The changes are a consequence of the new customs declarations and additional regulatory checks required on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the UK left the single market and customs union at 11pm on New Years Eve. Despite Boris Johnsons insistence that there would be no border down the Irish Sea, firms have been left scrambling to ensure they can navigate the red tape imposed on shipments. Sainsburys said a small number of products were temporarily unavailable for our customers in Northern Ireland while border arrangements are confirmed. A spokesperson said: We were prepared for this and so our customers will find a wide range of alternative products in our stores in the meantime and we are working hard to get back to our full, usual range soon. Arlene Foster on the Irish sea border The supermarket giant has signed a contract with local supplier Hendersons, which produces Spar-branded lines. The Northern Ireland-based wholesaler said: Over the last several months we have been contingency planning for Brexit to minimise any disruption to the food supply chain for our 470 stores across NI after 31st December 2020. We can confirm that we have entered into a temporary supply agreement with J. Sainsbury supermarkets that will see both parties working together to ensure availability for our customers. Recommended Retailers suspend deliveries to Northern Ireland amid Brexit confusion Retailers including John Lewis and Dunelm suspended deliveries to Northern Ireland over the weekend due to uncertainty about red tape to be imposed because of Brexit. Yodel, one of the UKs largest delivery firms has, told customers they would have to pay additional charges for shipments to Northern Ireland because of the extra bureaucracy. Another delivery company, DPD, announced before Christmas it would suspend deliveries in the country. Northern Irish economy minister Dianne Dodds has called for urgent action to be taken over the disruption of delivery of goods. She has written to Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office secretary, over concerns that retailers based in Great Britain are cutting their services to Northern Ireland because of a lack of clear guidance. The letter from Ms Dodds said: Over the last number of weeks we have seen numerous GB-based retailers withdraw from offering deliveries to Northern Ireland due to the lack of guidance. On regulatory issues we have seen retailers of plants, food and drink ceasing to offer products for delivery in Northern Ireland due to increased costs. The UK government has announced three-month grace period during which online retailers in Britain will not have to make customs declarations when sending parcels valued below 135 to Northern Ireland customers. However, Ms Dodds noted is unclear what will happen when that period ends on 1 April. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The confluence of many factors changed the hitherto prevailing balance of power and produced a victory for Azerbaijan, overturning the 26-year old status-quo in the region. Over the years, Azerbaijan has invested in the armed forces massively. In the meantime, both Azerbaijan and Turkey have cultivated closer ties with Russia. The color revolution, which swept pro-European Union Nikol Pashinyan into power as prime minister in Armenia in 2018 helped distance Moscow from Yerevan. Unlike in the past, the United States was disengaged from the region, mainly because of its partial withdrawal from the international stage, Modern Diplomacy writes in the article Karabakh conflict: How the status-quo changed after a quarter of a century. The jrigins of the Karabakh conflict Inhabited to a large extent by the Armenians, Karabakh was granted to Soviet Azerbaijan by the Soviet Union in 1921. Towards the end of the Cold War, Karabakh wanted to split from Azerbaijan, leading to the first clashes between the parties. The first Karabakh War started in 1992 and ended in 1994, leaving 25,000 dead and 724,000 Azeris and 300,000 500,000 Armenians displaced. At the end of the war, Armenians seized Karabakh and all of five as well as a large part of two other districts (rayons) of Azerbaijan, surrounding Karabakh, representing thirteen percent of Azerbaijans territory. Following the May 1994 ceasefire brokered by Russia, the Minsk Group under OSCE led the peace negotiations, albeit with no success. Given that Armenias and Azerbaijans demands were highly irreconcilable respect for territorial integrity (Azerbaijan) and the right of self-determination (Armenia), it proved difficult to find a common ground despite years of negotiations. Ending this protracted conflict through a peace agreement was not possible also due to the fact that both sides believed that time would enhance their respective positions. Armenians in Karabakh thought that over time their self-declared de-facto independent republic will gradually gain international recognition while Azerbaijan believed that their military build-up would strengthen its leverage over the Armenians. The flare-up of the conflict and the peace deal Violence flared up in Karabakh on 27 September 2020 after a tense year between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Following the 44-day fighting, with the loss of the strategically important town of Shusha in Karabakh to Azerbaijan, Armenia decided to lay down its arms. The conflict left 2,425 Armenians and 2,783 Azeris dead. After the fighting ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire, 1,960 Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the region to monitor the ceasefire. Cultivation of close ties between Azerbaijan and Russia An important factor that contributed to Azerbaijans victory over Armenia in the 44-day long war was Azerbaijans cultivation of close ties with Russia. Striving for the expansion of its influence in its near abroad after Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000, Russia did not want to push Azerbaijan, a geostrategically important and energy exporting country to the embrace of the West. As for Azerbaijan, even if it did not join the Russia-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), it did not turn Russia into an enemy unlike Georgia or Ukraine did. Unlike Georgia, Azerbaijan has never vocally expressed its desire to join NATO. Military budgets Azerbaijan has used hydrocarbon-revenues for the expansion of its weapons and military equipment massively, creating a major disparity between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces over the years. Azerbaijani military budget has started to grow dramatically in 2006 when Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline became operational. By 2010, Azerbaijans defense expenditure alone surpassed Armenia states whole budget. After the first Karabakh conflict ended, Azerbaijans military expenditure totalled $70 million in 1995. Over the years, however, there was a dramatic jump in its military expenditure, rising to $1.7 billion in 2018. Armenias military spending was, on the other hand, $50 million in 1995 while it totalled $610 million in 2018. That is, Azerbaijans military spending was three times higher than that of Armenia. As a result of this wide imbalance in military spending, Armenia acquired only Russian weapons at subsidized prices or second-hand arms free of charge, Azerbaijan purchased high-tech arms not only from Russia but also from other suppliers such as Israel and Turkey. Apparently, Azerbaijan militarys intensive use of unmanned drones also played a decisive role in its victory. Shifting Armenian position Armenias shifting position was another determinant in the fate of the Karabakh war. Its closed borders, a weak manufacturing sector, its inability to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), and its channelling of limited economic resources to military expenditure put the brakes on the economic growth of Armenia. Change of hands at the helm of the Armenian state after the Velvet Revolution in 2018 was another development that changed the balance of power at the expense of Armenia. Besides, realizing that the balance in the conflict has shifted in favour of Azerbaijan in 26 years, Russia expected Armenia to be more flexible at the peace negotiations before the flare-up of the conflict in September 2020. Turkeys rapprochement with Russia and alliance with Azerbaijan Turkish-Russian rapprochement was another factor that tilted the balance of power in the region in favour of Azerbaijan. Strained relations with the West pushed Moscow and Ankara to forge a close partnership with each other. Having competed with Russia in the first half of the 1990s in Eurasia, Turkey opted to cooperate with it after the second half of the 1990s, developing a multi-dimensional relationship with this country. The volume of bilateral trade reached $26.3 billion in 2019. Although they have some differences in geostrategic issues like in Syria, Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean, they both benefit from this partnership that encompasses trade, energy, investment, pipeline politics, tourism, arms supply and regional issues. In short, when the conflict broke out in September, Turkey was a partner for Russia more than a rival. Moreover, Turkeys unconditional support to Azerbaijan, above all its military support, including its supply of unmanned drones was instrumental in determining the fate of the conflict. They concluded a Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance Agreement in 2010 that foresaw mutual aid in case of an attack by a third party. Turkeys growing support to Azerbaijan stems above all not only from its growing integration with Azerbaijan, especially, in the field of energy, including the launch of Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) in 2019, shipping more Azeri gas to Turkey and the massive investment of the Azerbaijani state energy giant SOCAR in Turkey but also from its increasing assertiveness in its neighbourhood. That is, its fierce backing to Baku in the conflict is, at the same time, a corollary of its assertive foreign policy in Syria, Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean. Thanks to a dramatic growth in its economy after 2000 as a result of economic policies turning it into a trading state and a concomitant rise in its military capabilities, Turkey transformed into a major actor in its region. Role of Western actors As for the Western role in the conflict, although Armenians associate themselves with the Western civilization, Armenia does not have much strategic importance for the West. It is the smallest post-Soviet republic, does not have energy resources nor does it have energy transit routes. Given the authoritarian regime that dominated in the country in the post-Cold War period, the West has lost its interest in Armenia. Overall, the EU has been traditionally relatively disengaged from the Karabakh conflict. As for France, despite the pressure applied by 600,000 Armenian diaspora in the country to intervene in the conflict on behalf of Armenia, it remained impartial in the conflict, justifying this attitude with its role as co-chairman in the OSCE Minsk Group. Another reason for the inactive posture of France in the issue is that the South Caucasus is not a traditional area of influence for France. Likewise, the USA remained aloof from the conflict with the exception of a few statements from the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and hosting talks with Azeri and Armenian ministers of foreign affairs. The lack of US interest in the conflict largely stems from the partial US disengagement from international politics as a result of America First approach under Donald Trump Administration. Washingtons preoccupation with the presidential elections as well as the fight against COVID-19 pandemic also distracted Washingtons attention from the region. In lieu of conclusion The 44-day war overturned the 26-year status-quo in Karabakh. Now that the final status of Karabakh is to be determined following the negotiations to be held in the next weeks between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the next step should be to establish a permanent peace in the region. Now, it will be much easier for Turkey and Azerbaijan to open their closed borders with Armenia. To be sure, this will boost economic integration of Armenia with Azerbaijan and Turkey, bolstering its economic development. Involvement of regional powers like Russia and Iran in this kind of initiatives is also a sine qua non for the achievement of a sustainable peace in the region. Wisconsin has mobilized the National Guard and the Kenosha County Sheriff has declared a state of emergency ahead of a decision over the charges for an officer who shot Jacob Blake, as protesters took to the streets. The Kenosha City Council held a meeting on Monday and agreed to grant Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian emergency powers as officials prepare for expected unrest following the decision of whether to charge the cops involved in the shooting in August. Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Jacob Blake seven times on August 23 as Blake was about to get into an SUV during a domestic dispute. Activists show support for Jacob Blake Jr. during a vigil near the Kenosha County Courthouse on January 4, in Kenosha, Wisconsin Jacob Blake Jr., 29, was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha police officer on August 23 last year and and was left paralyzed from his injuries. A decision on whether to charge the officer is expected to announced shortly Jacob Blake was discharged from hospital in October 2020 where he had been recovering for more than a month after being shot seven times in the back by police during a domestic disturbance call The police union has maintained Blake resisted arrest and was armed with a knife, although state investigators have said only that a knife was found on the floor of the vehicle. Blake's three children were in the back seat of the SUV when he was shot. Blake was admitted to a Milwaukee hospital where he spent over a month recovering before being transferred to a spinal rehabilitation center in Chicago in October 2020. After the incident, his family initially stated Blake was paralyzed from the waist down, however it was unclear if the condition was permanent. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump later said it would take a miracle for Blake to walk again. The shooting sparked protests that went on for several nights. Some of them turned violent, with some protesters burning businesses and members of self-styled militias answering a call on social media to travel to the city. Prosecutors have charged Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, with shooting three people, killing two of them, with an assault-style weapon during one of the demonstrations. Rittenhouse, who is white, was 17 at the time of the shootings. Conservatives have rallied to Rittenhouse's legal defense. Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake Jr., attends a vigil near the Kenosha County Courthouse on January 4 Activists show support for Jacob Blake Jr. during a vigil near the Kenosha County Courthouse on January 4, in Kenosha, Wisconsin Jacob Blake Sr., father of Jacob Blake, holds a candle at a rally Monday, January 4, in Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley is expected any day to announce whether Sheskey will face criminal charges. Fearing a repeat of the August protests, city officials adopted an emergency resolution Monday night and are planning to take other steps, including setting up a limited area for protests, imposing a curfew and closing roads. Concrete barricades and oversized metal fencing surrounded the Kenosha County Courthouse Monday night. Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to help Kenosha authorities when the decision is announced. 'Our members of the National Guard will be on hand to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans are able to assemble safely, and to protect critical infrastructure as necessary,' Evers said in a statement. Jacob Blake Sr., father of Jacob Blake, speaks at the rally on Monday evening. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley is expected any day to announce whether Sheskey will face criminal charges Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, leads a march Monday, January 4, 2021, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey opened fire on Jacob Blake in August after responding to a domestic dispute, leaving him paralyzed A man waits for the start of a rally for Jacob Blake, Monday, January 4, in Kenosha, Wisconsin Blake's father led a march through the city Monday evening, calling on people to 'make noise' and be 'heard around the world.' '(Sheskey) tried to kill my son and could have killed my grandchildren,' Jacob Blake Sr. said during a news conference before the march. 'He shot him seven times in his back unjustifiably.' The family said it's taken too long for a charging decision, and the precautions suggest that Sheskey won't be charged. 'What is the National Guard for?' Jacob Blake Sr. said. 'They going to deliver mail? Deliver ice cream? What do you think they're here for?' Tanya McLean, executive director of the community organization Leaders of Kenosha and a friend of the Blake family, said as Monday evening's march was kicking off that violence isn't acceptable. 'No matter what the decision is, we are seeking nonviolence,' she said. 'We want everybody to come out, make as much noise as you want, but we don't want any destruction of property or businesses. We are for nonviolence. Anything else is not acceptable for this community.' A Korean-flagged oil tanker has been seized by Iran, according to Iranian media, Monday. Seen above is an oil tanker similar to the impounded vessel. / gettyimagesbank A South Korean-flagged tanker has been seized by Iran, media in the Middle Eastern country said Monday. Iranian media said the vessel had been seized by the country's Revolutionary Guards Navy for polluting the Gulf with chemicals The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) naval authority earlier said on its website that an "interaction" between Iranian authorities and a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz led the ship to alter course and proceed into Iranian waters. British maritime security firm Ambrey identified the vessel as the South Korean-flagged tanker Hankuk Chemi and said it appeared to have been seized and had since been tracked inside Iranian territorial waters headed towards Bandar Abbas. Aro Biotherapeutics, a University City-based gene-therapy maker founded by two former Johnson & Johnson scientists, has raised $88 million from J&J and other investors in the U.S. and Europe to help bring its line of RNA-based drugs to market. Were very excited, said Susan Dillon, Aros chief executive and cofounder. The amount of money weve raised is sufficient to more than double our team from the current 20 to more than 40 scientists and bosses, by next year, and to advance Aro treatments toward clinical testing. Aros drugs are based on Centyrins, human proteins that the company engineers to target hereditary and immune-system diseases. Dillon and cofounder Karyn ONeil say Centyrins are better suited to mass production than many of the custom-made treatments that other gene-therapy groups have been developing. Gene and cell therapies have drawn piles of investor capital to Philadelphia and other biotech centers in recent years. Last winter, Aro cut a deal with Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc., which agreed to pay up to $1.4 billion for successful treatments developed by Aro. Ionis has exercised a license for one of the programs we are collaborating on. It is headed into preclinical development in 2021, Dillon confirmed. She declined to say how much Ionis has paid so far, or name the target, beyond noting it is a rare genetic muscle disease. Aro plans to focus at first on drugs for rare genetic diseases, which are regulated for faster approval and often lack competitors, and then expand into the larger market for immune-system diseases. The company is based at the BioLabs at CIC biotech incubator, run by a pair of Boston-area companies at the University City Science Centers 3675 Market St. office and lab building. The investors are led by Northpond Ventures, which has more than $1 billion invested in science, medical, and technology companies from offices in suburban Washington, D.C., Boston, and San Francisco; and Cowen Healthcare Investments, a division of Wall Street investment bank Cowen & Co. Dillon said the deal was oversubscribed, with investors offering more than Aro planned to raise, enabling the company to select investors with business and science experience, as well as ready cash. This is a group of investors that really have a lot of confidence in our team and our vision, she said, adding that shes confident clinical data from Aro projects will keep drawing big investors: Its never too early to start looking at the next round of financing. Others whose cash and brains were accepted by Aro for the $88 million funding round include HealthCap, a Scandinavian and Dutch biotech investor; Ridgeback Capital, of New York; and Johnson & Johnsons J&J Development Corp., which has a branch office at the University of Pennsylvanias Pennovation center, and which licensed Centyrin technology to Aro in 2018 to start the company. Aros unique and proprietary Centyrins platform has significant potential, plus experienced leadership and bold therapies on the drawing board, Northpond director Shaan Gandhi said in a statement. Gandhi is joining the Aro board as part of the deal. Aro attracted Cowen cash because it is on the cutting edge in the development of genetic medicines, said Cowen partner Kevin Raidy, who is also joining the Aro board. The new money will get us through the next two and a half years. We plan to use that time well, and develop a pipeline of new, effective drugs for patients, Dillon concluded. Philadelphia has been a center of RNA research. Other area projects include foundational work by Penn scientists Drew Weissman and Katalin Kariko leading to noninflammatory modified RNA for use in vaccines such as Pfizers and Modernas COVID-19 immunizations. Hopeful Passage Shares of Passage Bio, the Philadelphia genetic medicines maker that went public last year, rose 11% Monday -- returning to mid-Decembers highs -- after the company said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advanced Passages gangliosidosis rare-disease treatment toward its first clinical trial patient by March. The treatment is based on the cold virus gene-therapy treatment developed by University of Pennsylvania professor James Wilson. Diversifying In the latest merger of Philadelphia-area registered investment advisers (RIAs) seeking to bulk up for efficient competition, Diversified Lifelong Advisors, Wilmington, says it is combining with RZ Wealth, Wayne, forming a single firm with 21 employees investing more than $900 million for 953 clients. They will work under the Diversified name, reporting to bosses led by Diversified president Andrew Rosen and chief executive Michael Fisher. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges Tehran to uphold the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at the briefing, according to the transcript posted on the UN website. According to him, the UN believes that all parties need to continue to uphold the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. And we would urge Iran, as well, to uphold the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he said. Earlier, it was reported Iran has begun the process of enriching uranium to 20%. Camillo Ricordi, M.D., director of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Credit: University of Miami Health System University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers led a unique and groundbreaking randomized controlled trial showing umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell infusions safely reduce risk of death and quicken time to recovery for the severest COVID-19 patients, according to results published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine in January 2021. The study's senior author, Camillo Ricordi, M.D., director of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said treating COVID-19 with mesenchymal stem cells makes sense. Results: Treatment group vs. control group The paper describes findings from 24 patients hospitalized at University of Miami Tower or Jackson Memorial Hospital with COVID-19 who developed severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Each received two infusions given days apart of either mesenchymal stem cells or placebo. "It was a double-blind study. Doctors and patients didn't know what was infused," Dr. Ricordi said. "Two infusions of 100 million stem cells were delivered within three days, for a total of 200 million cells in each subject in the treatment group." Researchers found the treatment was safe, with no infusion-related serious adverse events. Patient survival at one month was 91% in the stem cell treated group versus 42% in the control group. Among patients younger than 85 years old, 100% of those treated with mesenchymal stem cells survived at one month. Dr. Ricordi and colleagues also found time to recovery was faster among those in the treatment arm. More than half of patients treated with mesenchymal stem cell infusions recovered and went home from the hospital within two weeks after the last treatment. More than 80% of the treatment group recovered by day 30, versus less than 37% in the control group. "The umbilical cord contains progenitor stem cells, or mesenchymal stem cells, that can be expanded and provide therapeutic doses for over 10,000 patients from a single umbilical cord. It's a unique resource of cells that are under investigation for their possible use in cell therapy applications, anytime you have to modulate immune response or inflammatory response," he said. "We've been studying them with our collaborators in China for more than 10 years in type 1 diabetes, and there are currently over 260 clinical studies listed in clinicaltrials.gov for treatment of other autoimmune diseases." Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells naturally migrate directly to the lung where they begin repair to COVID-19 damage. Credit: Dr. Camillo Ricordi Mesenchymal stem cells potential to restore normal immune response Mesenchymal cells not only help correct immune and inflammatory responses that go awry, they also have antimicrobial activity and have been shown to promote tissue regeneration. "Our results confirm the powerful anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory effect of UC-MSC. These cells have clearly inhibited the 'cytokine storm', a hallmark of severe COVID-19," said Giacomo Lanzoni, Ph.D, lead author of the paper and assistant research professor at the Diabetes Research Institute. "The results are critically important not only for COVID-19 but also for other diseases characterized by aberrant and hyperinflammatory immune responses, such as autoimmune type 1 diabetes." When given intravenously, mesenchymal stem cells migrate naturally to the lungs. That's where therapy is needed in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a dangerous complication associated with severe inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs. "It seemed to me that these stem cells could be an ideal treatment option for severe COVID-19," said Dr. Ricordi, Stacy Joy Goodman Professor of Surgery, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, and professor of biomedical engineering, microbiology and immunology. "It requires only an intravenous (IV) infusion, like a blood transfusion. It's like smart bomb technology in the lung to restore normal immune response and reverse life-threatening complications." Early success with mesenchymal stem cells When the pandemic emerged, Dr. Ricordi asked collaborators in China if they had studied mesenchymal stem cell treatment in COVID-19 patients. In fact, they and Israeli researchers reported great success treating COVID-19 patients with the stem cells, in many cases with 100% of treated patients surviving and recovering faster than those without stem cell treatment. But there was widespread skepticism about these initial results, because none of the studies had been randomized, where patients randomly received treatment or a control solution (placebo), to compare results in similar groups of patients. "We approached the FDA and they approved our proposed randomized controlled trial in one week, and we started as quickly as possible," Dr. Ricordi said. Dr. Ricordi worked with several key collaborators at the Miller School, the University of Miami Health System, Jackson Health System, and collaborated with others in the U.S. and internationally, including Arnold I. Caplan, Ph.D., of Case Western Reserve University, who first described mesenchymal stem cells. Next steps The next step is to study use of the stem cells in COVID-19 patients who have not yet become severely ill but are at risk of having to be intubated, to determine if the infusions prevent disease progression. The findings have implications for studies in other diseases, too, according to Dr. Ricordi. Hyper-immune and hyper-inflammatory responses in autoimmune diseases might share a common thread with why some COVID-19 patients transition to severe forms of the disease and others don't. "Autoimmunity is a big challenge for healthcare, as is COVID-19. Autoimmunity affects 20% of the American population and includes over 100 disease conditions, of which type 1 diabetes can be considered just the tip of the iceberg. What we are learning is that there may be a common thread and risk factors that can predispose to both an autoimmune disease or to a severe reaction following viral infections, such as SARS-CoV-2," he said. The DRI Cell Transplant Center is planning to create a large repository of mesenchymal stem cells that are ready to use and can be distributed to hospitals and centers in North America, he said. "These could be used not only for COVID-19 but also for clinical trials to treat autoimmune diseases, like type 1 diabetes," Dr. Ricordi said. "If we could infuse these cells at the onset of type 1 diabetes, we might be able to block progression of autoimmunity in newly diagnosed subjects, and progression of complications in patients affected by the disease long-term. We are planning such a trial specifically for diabetes nephropathy, a kidney disease that is one of the major causes of dialysis and kidney transplantation. We are also planning to do a study on umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in combination with pancreatic islets to see if you can modulate the immune response to an islet transplant locally." Funding by The Cure Alliance made launching the initial trial possible, while a $3 million grant from North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) allowed Dr. Ricordi and colleagues to complete the clinical trial and expand research with mesenchymal stem cells. "North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) has been a major supporter of the Diabetes Research Institute since 1984, when they started a campaign to fund, and build, our state-of-the-art research and treatment facility. NABTU has continued to support our work through the years, including our mesenchymal stem cell research that helped lead the way to this clinical trial," he said. Explore further Can stem cells treat COVID-19? Gulf Arab leaders arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit focused on ending a long-running dispute with Qatar which shattered Gulf unity at a time of heightened regional tensions with Iran. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was met in the historic city of al-Ula by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two men, wearing face masks, embraced on the tarmac. Ahead of the gathering, Kuwait announced that Saudi Arabia, which along with allies boycotted Doha in mid-2017, would reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar under a deal that a senior U.S. official said would be signed in the presence of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. Other Gulf leaders arrived earlier and Egypt's foreign minister would also attend the annual summit, postponed from its December date as Riyadh worked for a deal. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar over allegations Doha supports terrorism, a charge it denies. The breakthrough is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington - the others involving Israel and Arab states - aimed at building a united front against Iran. While Riyadh made clear it intended to lift the embargo, the other three states did not immediately comment on the issue. But the U.S. official said "it's our expectation" they would also join. Under the emerging deal, Qatar will suspend lawsuits related to the boycott, the official said. Short link: Scott Morrison has spent $75million in taxpayer's money on an advertising blitz to brag about his government's coronavirus response. The ads will promote federal programs for vaccines, tax cuts, skills training, wage subsidies, mental health, domestic violence, infrastructure, and 'safe travel' during the global health crisis. The government expects the Covid-19 vaccine to be rolled out in Australia from February or March but the $23.9million campaign promoting the immunisation program will begin in advance. Scott Morrison has spent $75million in taxpayer's money on an advertising blitz Melburnians wear face masks as they walk along Bourke Street Mall during the pandemic It's understood the campaign will use high-profile Australians to help encourage others to get the jab, The Australian reported. John Howard and Julia Gillard are among five former prime ministers who have indicated they will get the vaccine once it becomes available. The latest $13.8million phase of the advertising campaign will run up until late March and is an extension on previous health advice. The Health Department said it would encourage the community 'to maintain CovidSafe behaviours'. The government earlier brought out a concurrent $8.3million mental health advertising initiative. Public information about coronavirus - including messages on good hand hygiene and social distancing - dominated the government's media spending in 2020. The government also dropped $7million to promote Australians to download the CovidSafe app - which turned out to be a failure. The advertisements will promote federal programs for vaccines, tax cuts, skills training, wage subsidies, mental health, domestic violence, infrastructure and safe travel amid the global health crisis (stock image) A $15million 'Our Comeback' campaign by the Treasury promoted Josh Frydenberg's $251billion direct stimulus spending on broadcast and in print. The stimulus spending included the JobKeeper payment. The Department of Education, Skills and Employment also launched a $5.8million campaign for its JobTrainer program. Social Services also spent $6.8million on an extension of its domestic violence support services advertising. The government is expected to spend $2million on an upcoming campaign for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. ADVERTISEMENT Six people have been confirmed dead in a road accident involving a truck and a Toyota bus around Car Park axis on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. PREMIUM TIMES gathered nine people were also severely injured in the accident that occured on Tuesday. According to Ahmed Umar, the Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State, the accident happened around 12:00 p.m. He said in a statement that the driver of the truck with the number plate FZE 376 DI drove recklessly, and hit the bus with number plate ZUR 843 XA. Mr Umar said five male adults and one female adult died in the accident immediately. In addition, seven male, one female and one male child were injured. He confirmed that all injured people are currently receiving treatment at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu and Idera Hospital in Sagamu. Mr Umar said the driver who caused the accident was arrested and currently detained at MTD Redeemed Police Division in Mowe. The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday said it has imposed a penalty of Rs 2.5 crore on Bajaj Finance Limited, a part of Bajaj Group, for breaching regulatory norms pertaining to recovery and collection methods. The monetary penalty has been imposed as the non-banking financial company (NBFC) has been failed to ensure that its recovery agents did not resort to harassment or intimidation of customers as part of its debt collection efforts, the apex bank said. "The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2.50 crore on Bajaj Finance Limited, Pune, by an order dated January 05, 2021, for violation of (i) directions issued by RBI on Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services by NBFCs and Fair Practices Code (FPC) for applicable NBFCs, contained in the Non-Banking Financial Company - Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Company and Deposit taking Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2016; and (ii) a specific direction to the company to ensure full compliance with FPC in letter and spirit," the central bank notified. The central bank said that the penalty has been imposed as the company failed to adhere to the aforesaid directions issued by the RBI. There were also repeated complaints about recovery and collection methods adopted by the company, it added. The RBI had issued show cause for the above lapses, asking the company to explain why penalty should not be imposed for such non-compliance. "After considering the company's reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI concluded that the charge of non-compliance with the aforesaid RBI directions was substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty," it said. The RBI further stated that this action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. By Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: Bajaj Finance Q2 results: Profit falls 36% to Rs 965 crore, NII up 4% French automaker on Tuesday said it will unveil its upcoming compact SUV Kiger in India later this month. will be globally premiering the eagerly awaited Kiger in India on January 28, the automaker said in a statement. The company plans to launch the model in India first and then follow the same in other markets, it added. The Kiger would compete with the likes of Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Nissan Magnite, among others. said Kiger will come loaded with several smart attributes and features which will include some best-in-class offerings that will complement the design and styling of the car. The model would be powered by an all new turbo engine, it added. Renault already sells models like Duster, Kwid and Triber in India. "Kiger will be launched in the B-segment which accounts for more than 50 per cent of the total industry sales and will be instrumental in growing the company's presence across the country," the automaker noted. A collaboration between the design teams in France and Renault India, Kiger will be the third global car from Groupe Renault to be launched in India first, followed by other markets, it added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Making a subtle nudge to New Delhi to rely more on the United States and less on Russia to source its weapons, outgoing American Ambassador, Kenneth Juster, on Tuesday stated that New Delhi might like to keep options open, but it would ultimately need to make its choices. Juster indicated that the United States might not have any plan to immediately impose restrictions mandated by the 2017 Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India for buying S-400 missile defence systems from Russia. He, however, added that it might not be optimal for India to source its military hardware from a range of suppliers from different countries, given the prevailing strategic landscape. The CAATSA sanctions were never designed to harm friends and allies (of the US). They were aimed at a particular country...There are many variables involved in it...And, I think from my perspective I would put that issue aside. I see other issues that potentially affect the future of the defence relationship (between India and the US), said Juster, who would soon leave New Delhi after completing his term as the US envoy to India. India seeks to keep its options open and purchase from any countries. But there are also limitations that imposes and choices that might ultimately need to be made (by India). The outgoing US ambassador to India was responding to a question after delivering a farewell lecture at an event hosted by a think-tank in New Delhi. The US last month imposed the CAATSA sanctions on Turkey for the $2.5 billion deal President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Government clinched with Russia for procuring the S-400 Triumf air defence systems. The US move against its NATO-ally Turkey triggered concerns in New Delhi, where many saw in it a not-so-subtle warning to India, which too in October 2018 inked a $ 5.4 billion deal to buy five S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile systems from Almaz-Antey Corporation of Russia and is expecting the delivery to start in 2021. The US not only imposed sanctions on Turkey, but also asked other countries to take note and avoid acquisition of military hardware from Russia. The US Congress in July 2017 passed the CAATSA to impose sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. Trump signed it into law in August 2017 and its scope was further expanded in October 2017. The Section 231 of the CAATSA mandated secondary sanctions to any nation entering into high-value deals to procure military hardware from Russia. New Delhi has been arguing with the Washington DC over the past few months that India cannot not abruptly scale down its reliance on military hardware from Russia, given the decades-old history of defence cooperation between the two countries. While we appreciate that India has its own historical and geographical perspective, in todays strategic landscape it may not be optimal to source equipment across a range of suppliers from different countries, Juster said on Tuesday. He said that defence procurement should not be solely about selecting the lowest bidder, but also about recognising quality and value over the entire lifecycle, and ensuring strategic interoperability across services and perhaps even with other friendly forces. Already, platforms have given way to systems, and, in tomorrows world, systems will fight systems simultaneously across all domains ground, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Information and the ability to share and integrate it into broader communications and operating networks will be key. In this security environment, he said, it is worth considering how effectively one piece of equipment will integrate into a broader system and strategy, and whether a particular purchase today will pave the way for or preclude future acquisitions of more sophisticated technology. The US ambassador also argued that as India looked at co-production opportunities, it might wish to focus on manufacturing equipment that would address the needs of the global marketplace, with sufficient demand worldwide to make it a worthwhile endeavour. More broadly, will the evolving international environment require India to adjust how it expresses strategic autonomy? Might practical security needs necessitate building closer operating relationships with a smaller circle of trusted, like-minded partners to best preserve Indias independence of action while protecting it from coercion? And, with which nations does India have the best chance of realizing its own ambition of a vibrant, indigenous defence industrial sector? These are important issues for the Government of India to consider, said Juster, who, like other political appointees of President Donald Trumps administration, would leave the office of the US ambassador to India on January 19 a day before Joe Biden would take over the Oval Office at the White House. News-Medical talks to Professor Dipanjan Pan about the development of a paper-based electrochemical sensor that can detect COVID-19 in less than five minutes. Thought Leaders Professor Dipanjan Pan Professor, University of Maryland Baltimore University of Maryland Baltimore County News-Medical talks to Professor Dipanjan Pan about the development of a paper-based electrochemical sensor that can detect COVID-19 in less than five minutes. What led you to begin this research? The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has literally changed the way we lead our lives. The rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) demands accurate and mass-scale diagnosis to prevent the transmission of this virus. But there is a scarcity of rapid diagnostic tests along with inaccessibility of advanced instrumental techniques to all the diagnostic centers, especially the remote ones. This major shortcoming contributes to the larger spread of the virus followed by an increased mortality rate. The major motivation of our work was to develop a translatable solution for this problem that can identify COVID-19 positive cases possibly within a few minutes without access to any of the advanced instrumental techniques. Please describe the sensor you have developed. How did you develop this sensor and how does it detect COVID-19? This is a molecular test. We discovered new molecules that can bind to the viral genetic material with high specificity. We apply these molecules in combination with nanoparticles made from gold. These materials are deposited on a paper-based substrate containing highly conductive graphene. Because of the high conductivity of both gold and graphene, this platform becomes ultrasensitive at detecting changes in electrical signals. As the viral genetic material undergoes hybridization with the molecular probes, it causes a change in the sensors electrical response. This process accelerates the electron transfer and when spread over the sensing platform, results in an increase in the output signal and indicates the presence of the virus. Abstract. Image Credit: ACS Nano 2020 How have you tested the sensor? The sensor passed extensive validation in the laboratory setting using COVID-19 viral RNA. Once that was achieved, the clinical validation was performed with human nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from COVID-19 positive patients. What current methods of COVID-19 testing are available? At present, COVID-19 is being diagnosed by four of the major techniques: (1) reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and gene sequencing; (2) an antibody-based serological/ immunological assay and (3) chest computed tomography (CT) and (4) antigen-based techniques. However, the inadequate access to advanced instrumental techniques, often cannot report positive COVID-19 cases at its initial presentation leading to the spread of this infectious disease to a wider community. Several reports indicated that antigen-based tests can lead to erroneous results. RT-PCR COVID-19 Test. Image Credit: anyaivanova/Shutterstock.com Why is this sensor so advantageous and how could it change the course of the global pandemic? Getting a molecular test done at a point of care is not a trivial task. Our results indicated that we can achieve remarkable sensitivity, specificity, and limits of detection. As a matter of fact, we can detect ~6 viral copies/microliter in samples collected from COVID-19 positive patients. Moreover, the advantage of this technology is that we do not need an additional amplification step to reach such remarkable sensitivity. This is critical because the amplification step is often performed at high temperatures. The requirement of high temperature makes it difficult in practice to translate any molecular diagnostic tests that involves a heating step. Our technology is devoid of an amplification heating step and generates results in minutes. The remarkable simplicity and rapid sample to response time make this technology advantageous. Could your research be applied to other diseases? Yes. We have developed a platform technology that can be applied to detect many other diseases by swapping the chemical motif that is responsible for binding to the target genetic material. We have demonstrated that our invention can successfully be applied to other infectious diseases from both bacterial and viral origins. When could this sensor become widely accessible, and what are the next steps for your research? My team which included multidisciplinary expertise of Dr. Parikshit Moitra (a biological chemist and a junior faculty in my lab), Ms. Maha Alafeef (a third-year Graduate Student in Bioengineering), and Mr. Ketan Dighe (an electrical engineer and a Research Fellow) has been working relentlessly to develop a prototype. We have successfully licensed our plasmonic platform to a company. Currently, that test is being developed for commercialization. We are anticipating that the plasmonic technology can be brought into the market very quickly. The company is also seeking approval for emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA. For the electrochemical approach, we are having early discussions with multiple interested companies. Image Credit: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock.com Where can readers find more information? About Professor Dipanjan Pan Prof. Dipanjan Pan, MS, Ph.D., is a renowned expert in nanomedicine, molecular imaging, drug delivery, and biosensing. He is presently a tenured Full Professor in Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Pediatrics and Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine and University of Maryland Baltimore County. Before moving to Maryland, he was a tenured Associate Professor and Associate Head of the department in Bioengineering and Materials Science and Engineering and Institute of Sustainability in Energy and Environment at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He administratively directs the Nanofabrication and Characterization Core at CBOTH and a Director for the Investigational Probe Design Resources in Radiology. Prof Pans lab uniquely merges fundamental chemistry, biology, and engineering to bring a solution to todays healthcare problems. Over the years, this research has resulted in more than 200 high impact peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, numerous conference abstracts and has been supported by multimillion-dollar external funding from NIH, NSF, DoD, American Heart Association, and other private/foundational funding sources. Prof. Pan edited and co-written two books published by Taylor and Francois (Nanomedicine: A Soft Matter Perspective, ISBN-13: 978-1466572829) and Springer (Personalized Medicine with a Nanochemistry Twist: Nanomedicine (Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, ISBN-13: 978-3319335445). He holds multiple patents (>30 US granted patents and applications), numerous invention disclosures several ongoing clinical trials. He is the founder of three University-based early start-ups. He is the CEO/President for a biotechnology start-up Vitruvian Bio, dedicated to developing novel image-guided therapies. He co-founded InnSight Technologies dedicated to developing next-generation biosensing solutions for ocular diseases. His other company KaloCyte, Inc, which he co-founded with his clinical collaborators, develops an artificial oxygen career. He acts as a Chief Technology Officer for all the spin-offs from his lab. His technology has been licensed for commercial development multiple times. He serves as a study section review board member for NIH, CDMRP (DoD), NSF, and a multiple review committee member for the American Heart Association. In 2016 he received Nanomaterials Letter (NML) Researcher award, in 2017 a Young Innovator Award from Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), and a Deans Award for Research Excellence in 2018. He is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Fellow of the American Heart Association, and an elected fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Professor Pan is an Associate Editor for WIRES Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology, and an editorial advisory board member of Molecular Pharmaceutics (ACS). Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Rapper Bobby Shmurda, who's meteoric rise into the music charts in 2014 was quickly derailed later that year with his arrest on gang conspiracy charges, will be eligible for release from prison next month. The 26-year-old (born Ackquille Pollard) was sentenced to a maximum of seven years in prison and was tentatively scheduled for release on December 11, 2021. But the New York State Department of Corrections has updated his conditional release date to February 23, 2021, which is 10 month earlier than expected, if he can stay out of trouble, according to The New York Times. Early release possible: Rapper Bobby Shmurda, 26, is now eligible for release from a New York prison on February 23, 2021, which is 10 month earlier than expected Shmurda was denied parole in September due to multiple disciplinary violations taken against him while incarcerated at New York's Clinton Correctional Facility that allegedly included fighting and drug possession. But after a recent review by the Department of Corrections, Shmurda's credit for good institutional behavior was restored and could now serve out the last 10 months of the sentence on parole, barring any further incidents. Law enforcement sources told TMZ the decision was made by the Time Allowance Committee, which consists of prison staff, but not the parole board. On good behavior: Shmurda (born Ackquille Pollard), who was denied parole in September due to multiple disciplinary violations, had his good institutional behavior restored after a recent review by the Department of Corrections The Brooklyn-based rapper burst out onto the hip-hop scene with his hit single called Hot Boy in the edited version, which subsequently went as high as number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2014. The then 19-year-old followed that up by signing a seven-figure, multi-album deal with Epic Records. But he would see his newfound opportunities fall to the wayside when he was arrested at a Manhattan recording studio just months later after being implicated as having a leading role in the GS9 gang, an offshoot of the Crips, in Brooklyn. The rapper, who had a hit song at 19, was arrested months later on gang conspiracy charges in December 2014, and was eventually sentenced to seven years in prison after copping a plea deal; he's pictured in New York City just days before being busted He eventually copped a deal and pled guilty to conspiracy and weapons possession in September 2016. In 2018, Shmurda was featured on the 6ix9ine song Stoopid, which peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shmurda and fellow rapper and collaborator Rowdy Rebel (born Chad Marshall) are widely considered the pioneers of Brooklyn drill music. UPDATE: (Ville Platte, LA) Alicia D Robertson is no longer considered a missing person. As of Tuesday night, January 5, 2021 Alicia Robertson made contact with a family member via telephone stating she was safe. As of this morning, Alicia Robertson has returned home and is safe and unharmed. VILLE PLATTE, LA On Monday, January 4, 2021 Rebecca Robertson reported her daughter Alicia Denise Robertson as missing. She last saw her daughter at their residence in Ville Platte, LA at approximately 7:00 a.m. that morning. Alicia Robertson was headed to her place of employment at Unlimited Health Care. She appeared to have been in a calm mood. She was wearing her work uniform which consists of black medical scrubs. Alicia D Robertson (DOB 8-5-1981) is described as a black female, approximately 52 in height, weighs approximately 250 lbs., black hair, brown eyes with a fair skin tone. She drives a 2015 red Nissan Altima bearing Louisiana License Plate #ZUS820. The vehicle windows are lightly tinted. If anyone has any information or comes into contact with Alicia D. Robertson they are asked to contact the Evangeline Parish Sheriffs Office Investigations Division at 337-363-2161. Atlanta: Voters are streaming into polling sites in Georgia in a pair of run-off elections that will determine control of the US Senate, a showdown crucial to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's ability to achieve an ambitious legislative agenda after succeeding President Donald Trump. Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are facing Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, and the Reverend Raphael Warnock, a pastor at a black church in Atlanta, in a state Biden narrowly carried against the Republican Trump in the November 3 presidential election. A person casts their vote during Georgia's Senate run-off elections on Tuesday. Credit:AP It has been a tumultuous contest setting records for campaign spending and early-turnout in Georgia and its final days have been dominated by Trump's continued effort to subvert the presidential election results. On Saturday, Trump pressured the Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to "find" enough votes to reverse Biden's victory, falsely claiming massive fraud. Trump's ongoing efforts to undo Biden's victory have caused a dramatic split in his own party and condemnation from critics who accuse him of undermining democracy. In a volatile trading session, market indices turned positive by the afternoon session and closed at record highs for the tenth straight session on Tuesday, amid mixed global equities. Sensex ended 260 points higher at 48,437 and Nifty gained by 66 points to 14,199. During today's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,486 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,215. Axis Bank, Titan, Asian Paints, HCL Tech, Infosys, IndusInd Bank, HDFC, TCS and HUL were among the gainers. On the other hand, L&T, Maruti, ONGC, M&M, Airtel, Bajaj twins, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries were among the top losers on Sensex pack Shares of India's largest amusement park chain, Wonderla Holidays rose 8% on Wednesday morning after the company announced that its theme park and resort in Hyderabad will reopen for the public from 9 January 2021 onwards. Wonderla Holidays stock opened at Rs 209.30, also its intraday low and later gained 2.58% to hit the day's high of Rs 214.90 against the last close of Rs 209.50. The Wonderla Holidays stock has risen 3.42% in the last 2 days. Wonderla Holidays share has risen 2.5% in the last one week and 2% year to date. Wonderla Holidays stock is trading higher than 5, 20, 50, 100 and 200 day moving averages. Wonderla Holidays share price has hit a 52 week high of Rs 260.15 and 52 week low of Rs 104.95. Ashis Biswas, Head of Technical Research at CapitalVia Global Research Ltd- Investment Advisor said,"The market continues to witness resilience and recovered after an opening with a gap down to stay above the immediate support level of the Nifty 50 Index level of 13950. While sustaining above 13950 is the key factor from a short-term perspective. We suggest maintaining above this level market to gain momentum and open the possibility for a movement until 14250-14270. The momentum indicators like RSI, MACD to recover, and market breadth to improve, further strengthening a short-term bullish outlook." Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has promised a "never before" like Union Budget as the government looks to steer the pandemic-battered economy and push growth. While investment in health, medical Research & Development (R&D) and developing greater skills to handle telemedicine is going to be critical, livelihood challenges would have to be seen in a newer canvas with newer perspective on vocational training and skill development. "Send me your inputs so that we can see a Budget which is a Budget like never before, in a way. 100 years of India wouldn't have seen a Budget being made post-pandemic like this. "And that is not going to be possible unless I get your inputs and wish list, clear observation of what has put you through the challenge... Without that, it is impossible for me to draft something which is going to be that Budget like never before, a Budget which is being made after a pandemic," Sitharaman said while addressing the CII Partnership Summit 2020. FM Sitharaman promises 'never before' like Union Budget Total market capitalisation of all listed companies on the BSE has zoomed to a record high of over Rs 191 lakh crore. Till Monday's trade, markets recorded their ninth straight session of gain. During this time, the BSE Sensex jumped 2,622.84 points or 5.75 per cent and closed above the 48,000-mark for the first time on Monday. In the past nine trading sessions, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms have jumped a whopping Rs 12,89,863.39 crore to a record Rs 1,91,69,186.44 crore ($ 2.6 trillon). Approval of two COVID-19 vaccines has brought cheers to the domestic market. M-cap of BSE-listed firms sprints past Rs 191 lakh crore; RIL, TCS top gainers HDFC share rose 2% in early trade today after country's largest mortgage lender said its loan disbursements in the individual loan category grew 26 per cent in Q3. Share of HDFC climbed 2.40% to Rs 2,641 against previous close of Rs 2,579.35 on BSE. The stock has gained 4.08% in the last four days. HDFC share is trading higher than 5 day, 20 day, 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages. In last one year, the share has risen 7.59%. The stock has gained 17.58% in one month. HDFC share hits all-time high as disbursements climb 26% in Q3 Shares of infrastructure development company KNR Constructions rose over 5% to hit a new 52 week high of Rs 352.9 on Tuesday, after the company announced that it was awarded by Project Director, Highways (FAC), Chennai Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor Project, Chennai an order worth of Rs 604 crore. The stock opened with a gain at Rs 337.20, also its intraday low and later touched an intraday as well new 52-week high of Rs 352.90, rising 5.79%% on BSE as against the last closing value of Rs 333.60. KNR stock has risen 5.86% in the last 3 days. KNR stock is trading higher than 5, 20, 50, 100 and 200 day moving averages KNR shares have risen 4% in one week, 9% in one month, The KNR share price has given 5% returns since the beginning of the year and 31% in one year. Market cap of KNR stock stood at Rs 4,818.25 crore as of today. The stock has touched a 52 week high and low of Rs 352.90 and Rs 171.65, respectively. Manish Hathiramani, proprietary index trader and technical analyst, Deen Dayal Investments said," We are top-heavy at this point in time. 14150 is the current resistance level and if we can get past that 14200-14250 is a possibility. However, it is recommended that we maintain a cautious stance and trade with lighter quantities on the buy side with strict stops. The risk reward is currently skewed and we should wait for dips or corrections and then evaluate the markets. Accumulation of long positions should ideally happen on corrections" LKP Securities said in its note," Company's first mover advantage on the Lithium ion battery JV and investments in it shall enable them to ride the EV wave. Reduced capex and restriction of investments in insurance arm will lead to strong FCF over the coming years. In line with these drivers, we estimate revenue CAGR of 13% and bottom-line CAGR of 27% from FY21E-23E. Higher replacement volumes, efforts on margin expansion, limited capex (?3bn in FY 21E) and investments in Lithium ion shall yield rich dividends. We maintain BUY on Exide with SOTP target price of Rs 233 (17x times FY 23E EPS standalone business @Rs 203 + Rs 30 of insurance arm valued at 1x embedded value). National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has achieved ever highest production of 9.99 Lakh MT Urea in the third quarter of FY21. National Fertilizer stock has risen 7.42% in the last 2 days. The stock opened with a gain of 11.73% today at Rs 42.40 and later touched an intraday high of Rs 42.7, rising 12.52% on BSE as against the last closing value of Rs 37.95. The NFL stock also touched the day's low at Rs 40.10. National Fertilizer stock is trading higher than 5 day, 20 day, 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages NFL shares have risen 4.3% in one week, 9.5% in one month, The NFL share price has given 7% returns since the beginning of the year and 50% in one year. Market cap of the stock stood at Rs 1,984.39 crore as of today. The stock has touched a 52 week high and low of Rs 45 and Rs 15, respectively. 13:50 IST: National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has achieved ever highest production of 9.99 Lakh MT Urea in the third quarter of FY21. National Fertilizer stock has risen 7.42% in the last 2 days. The stock opened with a gain of 11.73% today at Rs 42.40 and later touched an intraday high of Rs 42.7, rising 12.52% on BSE as against the last closing value of Rs 37.95. The NFL stock also touched the day's low at Rs 40.10. National Fertilizer stock is trading higher than 5 day, 20 day, 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages NFL shares have risen 4.3% in one week, 9.5% in one month, The NFL share price has given 7% returns since the beginning of the year and 50% in one year. Market cap of the stock stood at Rs 1,984.39 crore as of today. The stock has touched a 52 week high and low of Rs 45 and Rs 15, respectively. Jan 05, 2021 13:37 (IST) Outlook 2021 for Real Estate Sector Ankit Kansal, Founder & MD, 360 Realtors, As healthy moderation in the economy sets in, the real estate industry has started to revive. Sales numbers have significantly jumped in most of the major cities in India in the last quarter, painting a positive picture for the coming year. Most of the rating agencies and banks have also estimated that the Indian economy is set to grow in the range of 8-10% in 2021, following a contraction in 2020. In 21, organic growth will be the way forward, as the crisis has reinforced the need to own home amongst Indians. Lowered home loan rates, attractive payment plans, and the depreciated value of the rupee will also feed into demand. In commercial real estate, markets will continue to recover as leasing activities will gain momentum. Apart from office leasing, Co-working spaces, warehouses, and data centers are expected to register remarkable growth. The government is also expected to implement Model Tenancy Act, which will bring a balance between tenant-landlord relationships and boost the rental markets. 13:37 IST: Ankit Kansal, Founder & MD, 360 Realtors, As healthy moderation in the economy sets in, the real estate industry has started to revive. Sales numbers have significantly jumped in most of the major cities in India in the last quarter, painting a positive picture for the coming year. Most of the rating agencies and banks have also estimated that the Indian economy is set to grow in the range of 8-10% in 2021, following a contraction in 2020. In 21, organic growth will be the way forward, as the crisis has reinforced the need to own home amongst Indians. Lowered home loan rates, attractive payment plans, and the depreciated value of the rupee will also feed into demand. In commercial real estate, markets will continue to recover as leasing activities will gain momentum. Apart from office leasing, Co-working spaces, warehouses, and data centers are expected to register remarkable growth. The government is also expected to implement Model Tenancy Act, which will bring a balance between tenant-landlord relationships and boost the rental markets. Jan 05, 2021 13:30 (IST) Gold outlook Angel Broking in its daily metals & energy report said," A weaker U.S. currency made the Dollar-denominated Gold cheaper for other currency holders. The gains were further extended as Gold, the non-yielding metal is considered as a hedge against Inflation and currency debasement. Moreover, worsening of the global economic scenario and mounting worries over the new virus strain which was detected in UK also boosted demand for the safe haven, Gold. The expectation of new restrictions in UK, Japan and South Africa amid uncertainties over the global growth prospects pushed Gold prices higher. Revival in the U.S. Dollar might weigh on the yellow metal prices. However, mounting worries over the impact of the never-ending pandemic is expected to levy some support for the safe haven, Gold. On the MCX, gold prices are expected to trade higher in todays session." 13:30 IST: Angel Broking in its daily metals & energy report said," A weaker U.S. currency made the Dollar-denominated Gold cheaper for other currency holders. The gains were further extended as Gold, the non-yielding metal is considered as a hedge against Inflation and currency debasement. Moreover, worsening of the global economic scenario and mounting worries over the new virus strain which was detected in UK also boosted demand for the safe haven, Gold. The expectation of new restrictions in UK, Japan and South Africa amid uncertainties over the global growth prospects pushed Gold prices higher. Revival in the U.S. Dollar might weigh on the yellow metal prices. However, mounting worries over the impact of the never-ending pandemic is expected to levy some support for the safe haven, Gold. On the MCX, gold prices are expected to trade higher in todays session." Jan 05, 2021 13:25 (IST) Nifty technical outlook Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst-Technical and Derivatives - Angel Broking said," The bulls are reluctant to give up and the intraday dip again witnessed good buying interest from market participants. Nifty continued to make new milestones and all the sectors, except banking, participated in the up move yesterday. So the trend continues to be positive with no signs of reversal. However, at all-time highs, usually retracement and extensions of the previous moves works well to determine the resistances. When applied certain retracement to the recent correction and an extension to first the price upmove from the March low, the resistance for Nifty comes in the range of 14170-14200 which is not very far from yesterdays close. Hence, it would be crucial to see how the index behaves around this resistance and thus market participants should be vigilant of the same. It is definitely not advisable to take any contra calls in anticipation of any reversal as we are trading in a strong uptrend, but traders should prefer to book timely profits on existing positions and tighten the risk management part of the trade. The immediate support for the Nifty is placed at 13950 and now becomes a sacrosanct for this leg of upmove." 13:25 IST: Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst-Technical and Derivatives - Angel Broking said," The bulls are reluctant to give up and the intraday dip again witnessed good buying interest from market participants. Nifty continued to make new milestones and all the sectors, except banking, participated in the up move yesterday. So the trend continues to be positive with no signs of reversal. However, at all-time highs, usually retracement and extensions of the previous moves works well to determine the resistances. When applied certain retracement to the recent correction and an extension to first the price upmove from the March low, the resistance for Nifty comes in the range of 14170-14200 which is not very far from yesterdays close. Hence, it would be crucial to see how the index behaves around this resistance and thus market participants should be vigilant of the same. It is definitely not advisable to take any contra calls in anticipation of any reversal as we are trading in a strong uptrend, but traders should prefer to book timely profits on existing positions and tighten the risk management part of the trade. The immediate support for the Nifty is placed at 13950 and now becomes a sacrosanct for this leg of upmove." Jan 05, 2021 13:06 (IST) Market outlook Anuj Gupta , Deputy Vice President Research - (Commodities and Currencies), Angel Broking said,"Yesterday gold prices on MCX increased by 2.35% and closed at 51424 levels and silver increased by 2.81% and closed at 70036 levels. This was due to increasing corona virus cases, and cause of rising hospitalizations and deaths, which impact negatively on US Dollar. The U.S. saw at least 201,476 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, and at least 1,353 people died. US Dollar is trading at 89.50 levels which is the lowest level since year 2018. The trend of gold and silver are positive so traders can buy gold and silver for trading perspective. As for today traders can go for BUY in gold at Rs 51300 levels with the stop loss of Rs 51000 levels for the target of 51700 levels. They can also go for BUY in Silver at Rs 70000 levels, with the stop loss of 69000 levels and for the target of 71500 levels. We expect gold may test $1950 levels and silver may test $28 levels soon." 13:06 IST: Anuj Gupta , Deputy Vice President Research - (Commodities and Currencies), Angel Broking said,"Yesterday gold prices on MCX increased by 2.35% and closed at 51424 levels and silver increased by 2.81% and closed at 70036 levels. This was due to increasing corona virus cases, and cause of rising hospitalizations and deaths, which impact negatively on US Dollar. The U.S. saw at least 201,476 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, and at least 1,353 people died. US Dollar is trading at 89.50 levels which is the lowest level since year 2018. The trend of gold and silver are positive so traders can buy gold and silver for trading perspective. As for today traders can go for BUY in gold at Rs 51300 levels with the stop loss of Rs 51000 levels for the target of 51700 levels. They can also go for BUY in Silver at Rs 70000 levels, with the stop loss of 69000 levels and for the target of 71500 levels. We expect gold may test $1950 levels and silver may test $28 levels soon." Jan 05, 2021 12:55 (IST) Market hits new high In a volatile trading session, market indices turned positive by the afternoon session, on Tuesday, amid mixed global equities. Extending gains for the tenth straight session, Sensex was trading 90 points higher at 48,226 and Nifty gained by 18 points higher at 14,151. During today's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,283 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,151. 12:55 IST: In a volatile trading session, market indices turned positive by the afternoon session, on Tuesday, amid mixed global equities. Extending gains for the tenth straight session, Sensex was trading 90 points higher at 48,226 and Nifty gained by 18 points higher at 14,151. During today's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,283 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,151. Jan 05, 2021 12:40 (IST) Nifty Outlook Geojit Financial said in its note," Having come inside our target region of 14091-14200, volatility is favoured to step up, as indicated by standard deviation studies. An outright fall is less favoured, and a dip into 14000-13740 region will be in line with the volatility expectations, while also keeping upside hopes alive." 12:40 IST: Geojit Financial said in its note," Having come inside our target region of 14091-14200, volatility is favoured to step up, as indicated by standard deviation studies. An outright fall is less favoured, and a dip into 14000-13740 region will be in line with the volatility expectations, while also keeping upside hopes alive." Jan 05, 2021 12:32 (IST) Global markets turn volatile Asian markets are trading mixed with a negative bias tracking overnight fall in US markets as pandemic fear grew with UK PM announcing national lockdown on England. US markets were closed lower on the first trading day of the near year after opening at new highs. Markets retreat pandemic fears and outcome of runoff elections in Georgia added nervousness European markets moved up on the first day of trading in 2021 despite fear over rising COVID-19 cases. UK PM announced a national lockdown on England. 12:32 IST: Asian markets are trading mixed with a negative bias tracking overnight fall in US markets as pandemic fear grew with UK PM announcing national lockdown on England. US markets were closed lower on the first trading day of the near year after opening at new highs. Markets retreat pandemic fears and outcome of runoff elections in Georgia added nervousness European markets moved up on the first day of trading in 2021 despite fear over rising COVID-19 cases. UK PM announced a national lockdown on England. 12:15 IST: Indian rupee depreciated by 13 paise to 73.15 per US dollar on Tuesday's opening trade, tracking the muted opening in domestic equities. The domestic unit was trading in a narrow range. It opened at 73.02 against the US dollar at the interbank forex market and later fell to 73.15 against the greenback, registering a fall of 13 paise over its previous close. Rupee slips 13 paise to 73.15 per dollar amid weak equities, flat Asian currencies Jan 05, 2021 12:02 (IST) Market outlook Binod Modi Head-Strategy at Reliance Securities said," Domestic equities are not looking inspiring at the moment with Asian bourses trading lower taking cues from US markets. US equities fell sharply mainly led by mounting concerns over potential rise in borrowing costs after the 10-Year Treasury break-even rate rose over 2 per cent yesterday and rise in COVID-19 cases along with resultant lockdowns. Fresh lockdown announced in Britain until at least mid-February weighed on investors' sentiment. All eyes would be on Georgia's run-off elections, in which two Senate seats have the potential to create fresh volatility in the markets". 12:02 IST: Binod Modi Head-Strategy at Reliance Securities said," Domestic equities are not looking inspiring at the moment with Asian bourses trading lower taking cues from US markets. US equities fell sharply mainly led by mounting concerns over potential rise in borrowing costs after the 10-Year Treasury break-even rate rose over 2 per cent yesterday and rise in COVID-19 cases along with resultant lockdowns. Fresh lockdown announced in Britain until at least mid-February weighed on investors' sentiment. All eyes would be on Georgia's run-off elections, in which two Senate seats have the potential to create fresh volatility in the markets". Jan 05, 2021 11:56 (IST) Rupee outlook Kshitij Purohit, Lead Currency & Commodities at CapitalVia Global Research Lt.- Investment Advisor said,"The Indian Rupee closed higher against the US Dollar, Due to broad decline in the dollar index. The minutes of the December Fed meeting due this week could reinforce that dovish stance which could continue to weigh on the greenback. FPI bought $168 million in local equity to help domestic pair to be on the higher side. However rising Covid-19 cases push investors towards safe haven, Technically USDINR Spot took the support of 72.80 and is facing the resistance of 73.20 levels. Closing above 73.20 will indicate that bullish trade will continue towards 73.50 73.60 level. Support for the pair is 72.80 levels below it can go 72.50 levels." 11:56 IST: Kshitij Purohit, Lead Currency & Commodities at CapitalVia Global Research Lt.- Investment Advisor said,"The Indian Rupee closed higher against the US Dollar, Due to broad decline in the dollar index. The minutes of the December Fed meeting due this week could reinforce that dovish stance which could continue to weigh on the greenback. FPI bought $168 million in local equity to help domestic pair to be on the higher side. However rising Covid-19 cases push investors towards safe haven, Technically USDINR Spot took the support of 72.80 and is facing the resistance of 73.20 levels. Closing above 73.20 will indicate that bullish trade will continue towards 73.50 73.60 level. Support for the pair is 72.80 levels below it can go 72.50 levels." Jan 05, 2021 11:43 (IST) YES Bank share falls 2% today YES Bank share was trading 2% lower in early trade of Tuesday, in line with other private and public banking indices and major indices Sensex and Nifty. Extending losses for the second session, the stock price of YES Bank opened lower at Rs 17.95 today and fell to day's low of Rs 17.70, down 1.9% against the last close of Rs 18.05. Later, the stock to rose to a high of Rs 18.25 on BSE. In today's update, YES Bank announced that it has registered 1.3% growth on a sequential basis in loans and advances to Rs 1.69 lakh crore during the December quarter. Lender's deposits grew 7.7% to Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the quarter, compared to Rs 1.36 lakh crore in the September quarter. The gross retail disbursements during the December quarter stood at Rs 7,563 crore, up 109% compared with Rs 3,764 crore in the September quarter. 11:43 IST: YES Bank share was trading 2% lower in early trade of Tuesday, in line with other private and public banking indices and major indices Sensex and Nifty. Extending losses for the second session, the stock price of YES Bank opened lower at Rs 17.95 today and fell to day's low of Rs 17.70, down 1.9% against the last close of Rs 18.05. Later, the stock to rose to a high of Rs 18.25 on BSE. In today's update, YES Bank announced that it has registered 1.3% growth on a sequential basis in loans and advances to Rs 1.69 lakh crore during the December quarter. Lender's deposits grew 7.7% to Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the quarter, compared to Rs 1.36 lakh crore in the September quarter. The gross retail disbursements during the December quarter stood at Rs 7,563 crore, up 109% compared with Rs 3,764 crore in the September quarter. Jan 05, 2021 11:37 (IST) This Tata Group stock gave 180% returns in 9 months Shares of Tata Steel rallied nearly 9 per cent in intraday trade to Rs 699.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday after the steel major said it transferred its stake in two companies to Tata Steel Downstream Products Ltd (TSDPL), a wholly- owned subsidiary of the firm, as part of reorganising its India footprint. The shares of Tata Group company have soared 180 per cent from its 52-week low of Rs 250.90 as on March 30, 2020, while it gained 14 per cent over the last one month. Earlier today, Tata Steel share price opened marginally higher at Rs 646.55 against the previous closing price of Rs 643.10 on the BSE. During the day's trade, the stock hit 52-week high of Rs 699.45, before settling at Rs 692.75, up 7.72 per cent. The market cap of the large cap stock increased to Rs 79,382.18 crore. Meanwhile, the BSE benchmark SENSEX ended at 48,176, up 307 points or 0.64 per cent. This Tata Group stock gave 180% returns in 9 months; should you subscribe? 11:37 IST: Shares of Tata Steel rallied nearly 9 per cent in intraday trade to Rs 699.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday after the steel major said it transferred its stake in two companies to Tata Steel Downstream Products Ltd (TSDPL), a wholly- owned subsidiary of the firm, as part of reorganising its India footprint. The shares of Tata Group company have soared 180 per cent from its 52-week low of Rs 250.90 as on March 30, 2020, while it gained 14 per cent over the last one month. Earlier today, Tata Steel share price opened marginally higher at Rs 646.55 against the previous closing price of Rs 643.10 on the BSE. During the day's trade, the stock hit 52-week high of Rs 699.45, before settling at Rs 692.75, up 7.72 per cent. The market cap of the large cap stock increased to Rs 79,382.18 crore. Meanwhile, the BSE benchmark SENSEX ended at 48,176, up 307 points or 0.64 per cent. This Tata Group stock gave 180% returns in 9 months; should you subscribe? Jan 05, 2021 11:25 (IST) Top losers and gainers ONGC, M&M, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries were among the top gainers on Sensex pack. On the other hand, Axis Bank, HDFC, TCS and HUL were among the gainers. 11:25 IST: ONGC, M&M, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries were among the top gainers on Sensex pack. On the other hand, Axis Bank, HDFC, TCS and HUL were among the gainers. Jan 05, 2021 11:23 (IST) Multiplex stocks rally on approval of vaccine Keshav Lahoti-Associate Equity Analyst, Angel Broking said,"The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) last Sunday approved the Oxford coronavirus vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, making it India's first vaccines against the pandemic. India is set to begin the world's biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme. Due to optimism around vaccines, revenue visibility of sectors such as multiplex is improving. Due to this, multiplex stocks such as Inox Leisure & PVR closed up by 5.9% and 4.4% respectively. Secondly, due to Covid-19 entire theatre industry has suffered heavy losses, this has led to closure of many single screens. In the long run, Covid-19 will lead to consolidation in the industry benefitting multiplex players like Inox Leisure & PVR. From an investment point of view, we are bullish on PVR and Inox Leisure as due to Covid-19 these stocks have corrected ~40% and long term fundamentals are still intact. We prefer Inox Leisure over PVR as Inox has better financial condition than PVR and it is available at lower valuation than PVR." 11:23 IST: Keshav Lahoti-Associate Equity Analyst, Angel Broking said,"The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) last Sunday approved the Oxford coronavirus vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, making it India's first vaccines against the pandemic. India is set to begin the world's biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme. Due to optimism around vaccines, revenue visibility of sectors such as multiplex is improving. Due to this, multiplex stocks such as Inox Leisure & PVR closed up by 5.9% and 4.4% respectively. Secondly, due to Covid-19 entire theatre industry has suffered heavy losses, this has led to closure of many single screens. In the long run, Covid-19 will lead to consolidation in the industry benefitting multiplex players like Inox Leisure & PVR. From an investment point of view, we are bullish on PVR and Inox Leisure as due to Covid-19 these stocks have corrected ~40% and long term fundamentals are still intact. We prefer Inox Leisure over PVR as Inox has better financial condition than PVR and it is available at lower valuation than PVR." Jan 05, 2021 11:07 (IST) PMI manufacturing for Dec Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said,"Indian manufacturing PMI for December came in at 56.4 as compared to 56.3 in November and marks the fifth continuous month of expansion. The expansion for the month of December was driven by improvement in factory orders which led to firms increasing production. The PMI numbers reflect solid expansion in the manufacturing sector which has led the economic recovery since the Covid lows. The services PMI too has now been above 50 for two months in a row since October. Markets will be keenly awaiting the services PMI numbers for December which is also expected to point to another month of solid expansion for December." 11:07 IST: Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said,"Indian manufacturing PMI for December came in at 56.4 as compared to 56.3 in November and marks the fifth continuous month of expansion. The expansion for the month of December was driven by improvement in factory orders which led to firms increasing production. The PMI numbers reflect solid expansion in the manufacturing sector which has led the economic recovery since the Covid lows. The services PMI too has now been above 50 for two months in a row since October. Markets will be keenly awaiting the services PMI numbers for December which is also expected to point to another month of solid expansion for December." Jan 05, 2021 10:50 (IST) Bajaj Auto sales for Dec Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said: "Bajaj Auto total sales for December 2020 were up 11% YoY to 372,532 units. Domestic sales were down by 9.0% YoY to 139,606 units while exports registered strong growth of 27% YoY to 232,926 units. Two wheeler sales were up by 19.0% YoY at 338,584 units with domestic and exports registering growth of 4% and 31% YoY respectively. Commercial vehicles sales continue to remain under pressure, down by 34% YoY at 33,948 units. Domestic commercial vehicles sales were down by 62% YoY to 10,964 units while exports grew by 3.0% YoY to 22,984 units. Bajaj Autos numbers reflect the slowdown in the domestic two wheeler industry post the festive season. However exports continue to register strong growth driven by two wheeler exports. Domestic CV segment continues to remain under pressure and is expected to recover only in FY22." 10:50 IST: Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said: "Bajaj Auto total sales for December 2020 were up 11% YoY to 372,532 units. Domestic sales were down by 9.0% YoY to 139,606 units while exports registered strong growth of 27% YoY to 232,926 units. Two wheeler sales were up by 19.0% YoY at 338,584 units with domestic and exports registering growth of 4% and 31% YoY respectively. Commercial vehicles sales continue to remain under pressure, down by 34% YoY at 33,948 units. Domestic commercial vehicles sales were down by 62% YoY to 10,964 units while exports grew by 3.0% YoY to 22,984 units. Bajaj Autos numbers reflect the slowdown in the domestic two wheeler industry post the festive season. However exports continue to register strong growth driven by two wheeler exports. Domestic CV segment continues to remain under pressure and is expected to recover only in FY22." Jan 05, 2021 10:44 (IST) Tesla shares open 2021 at record high Tesla Inc shares rose to a record high in the first trading session of 2021, extending last year's more than eight-fold surge that helped it become the world's most valuable carmaker. The company on Saturday beat Wall Street targets for annual vehicle deliveries, but missed by 450 units Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's target of half a million cars in 2020. The stock's meteoric rise was supported by five straight quarters of profit, which helped the electric-car maker stand out in the global auto industry that has been witnessing a slump in sales, quarterly losses and supply chain disruptions. Tesla shares open 2021 at record high 10:44 IST: Tesla Inc shares rose to a record high in the first trading session of 2021, extending last year's more than eight-fold surge that helped it become the world's most valuable carmaker. The company on Saturday beat Wall Street targets for annual vehicle deliveries, but missed by 450 units Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's target of half a million cars in 2020. The stock's meteoric rise was supported by five straight quarters of profit, which helped the electric-car maker stand out in the global auto industry that has been witnessing a slump in sales, quarterly losses and supply chain disruptions. Tesla shares open 2021 at record high Jan 05, 2021 10:40 (IST) Bitcoin rally wavers, falls over 17% from record high of $34,800 Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, plunged sharply on Monday, after soaring to record high of $34,800 (roughly Rs 25.4 lakh) on Sunday, as traders resorted to selling on grounds of volatility in highly leveraged futures markets. The digital currency declined as much as 17 per cent in intra-day to slip below $30,000 levels, the biggest slump since March, before recovering to $31,227, down 7 per cent, as of 12:59 PM in London. The fall in the cryptocurrency, however, was much smaller as compared to a 50 per cent rally in the month of December alone, when it breached $20,000 for the first time. Bitcoin rally wavers, falls over 17% from record high of $34,800 10:40 IST: Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, plunged sharply on Monday, after soaring to record high of $34,800 (roughly Rs 25.4 lakh) on Sunday, as traders resorted to selling on grounds of volatility in highly leveraged futures markets. The digital currency declined as much as 17 per cent in intra-day to slip below $30,000 levels, the biggest slump since March, before recovering to $31,227, down 7 per cent, as of 12:59 PM in London. The fall in the cryptocurrency, however, was much smaller as compared to a 50 per cent rally in the month of December alone, when it breached $20,000 for the first time. Bitcoin rally wavers, falls over 17% from record high of $34,800 Jan 05, 2021 10:39 (IST) Bharat Electronics outlook Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to Bharat Electronics (BEL) and said," The company is well-placed to leverage its expertise in growing defence capex led by strong execution track record with large manufacturing base, preferred vendor of the GoI (being a PSU), innovative products, collaboration with foreign partners and R&D focus. BEL is amongst few defence PSUs having a debt-free balance sheet, efficient working capital management, adequate R&D spend, technology absorption, track record of executing large projects, strong cash flow and prudent capital allocation. We initiate coverage on BEL with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs170, valuing the stock at 15x of FY23E earnings (discount to its long-term average of 16x). 10:39 IST: Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to Bharat Electronics (BEL) and said," The company is well-placed to leverage its expertise in growing defence capex led by strong execution track record with large manufacturing base, preferred vendor of the GoI (being a PSU), innovative products, collaboration with foreign partners and R&D focus. BEL is amongst few defence PSUs having a debt-free balance sheet, efficient working capital management, adequate R&D spend, technology absorption, track record of executing large projects, strong cash flow and prudent capital allocation. We initiate coverage on BEL with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs170, valuing the stock at 15x of FY23E earnings (discount to its long-term average of 16x). Jan 05, 2021 10:33 (IST) BEML outlook Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to BEML and said,"We believe BEML is well-placed to capitalize on the imminent opportunities in mining, defence and Railway & Metro space. The mining sector, which is now open for private sector participation, is likely to boost domestic production and reduce imports. Further, initiatives i.e. Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, import ban on 101 items and hike in FDI limit in defence to 74% along with strong ordering activities in railways and metro rail augur well for BEML. As BEML is a potential divestment candidate, we believe higher multiple is likely to sustain given improving earnings profile. We initiate coverage on BEML with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs1,335, valuing the stock at 40x of FY23E EPS (discount to its long-term average of ~60x)." 10:33 IST: Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to BEML and said,"We believe BEML is well-placed to capitalize on the imminent opportunities in mining, defence and Railway & Metro space. The mining sector, which is now open for private sector participation, is likely to boost domestic production and reduce imports. Further, initiatives i.e. Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, import ban on 101 items and hike in FDI limit in defence to 74% along with strong ordering activities in railways and metro rail augur well for BEML. As BEML is a potential divestment candidate, we believe higher multiple is likely to sustain given improving earnings profile. We initiate coverage on BEML with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs1,335, valuing the stock at 40x of FY23E EPS (discount to its long-term average of ~60x)." Jan 05, 2021 10:01 (IST) Gold market overview Kshitij Purohit, Lead Commodity & Currency at CapitalVia Global Research Ltd. - Investment Advisor said: Gold futures closed around 25 percent higher last year, with most of the gains between March 16 and August 7 arising as aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus plans were still being announced and enforced by central banks and governments. The Fed gave dollars to anyone that wanted them, and gold prices rose according since at that time, investors were still operating under weak dollar, strong gold cruise control. So, starting out 2021, trader reaction to 50% to 61.8% of last years range at $1780.50 to $1705.20 will set the tone for the year, at least technically. Strategy For the upcoming week, traders should go for buy-on-dips strategy for Comex Gold. The ideal range for buy position is lies around the previous weeks support level around $1870 by maintaining strict stoploss level at $1855 - $1850. In MCX gold, traders should go for buying at a level of 49900, by keeping a target level of 51260 and parallelly set a stop loss level of 49675. 10:01 IST: Kshitij Purohit, Lead Commodity & Currency at CapitalVia Global Research Ltd. - Investment Advisor said: Gold futures closed around 25 percent higher last year, with most of the gains between March 16 and August 7 arising as aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus plans were still being announced and enforced by central banks and governments. The Fed gave dollars to anyone that wanted them, and gold prices rose according since at that time, investors were still operating under weak dollar, strong gold cruise control. So, starting out 2021, trader reaction to 50% to 61.8% of last years range at $1780.50 to $1705.20 will set the tone for the year, at least technically. Strategy For the upcoming week, traders should go for buy-on-dips strategy for Comex Gold. The ideal range for buy position is lies around the previous weeks support level around $1870 by maintaining strict stoploss level at $1855 - $1850. In MCX gold, traders should go for buying at a level of 49900, by keeping a target level of 51260 and parallelly set a stop loss level of 49675. Jan 05, 2021 09:51 (IST) Disinvestment in BEML Yash Gupta Equity Research Associate, Angel Broking said," BEML promoter of the company has decided to disinvest 26% of total equity share capital. BEML Limited is a Mini Ratna company of the Government of India, government of India holds a controlling stake of 54.03% of total equity share capital of the company. Government of India has decided to disinvest 26% of paid up share capital of the company through strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control of the company. The Company operates under 3 major business verticals - viz. Mining & Construction, Defence, and Rail & Metro. Gol has appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAP) as its Transaction Advisor to advise and manage the strategic disinvestment process. The disinvestment process will be implemented through an open competitive bidding route and any global or domestic company can place their bid for the control stake in the company. BEML has fixed 1st of march 2021 as the last date for submitting EOI. We expect this process to take a long time to implement and as the government of India has not chosen the route of Offer for Sales so the price will not be offered by the promoter. We expect BEML will get some good investors or Company as GOI of India has decided to transfer management control also." 09:51 IST: Yash Gupta Equity Research Associate, Angel Broking said," BEML promoter of the company has decided to disinvest 26% of total equity share capital. BEML Limited is a Mini Ratna company of the Government of India, government of India holds a controlling stake of 54.03% of total equity share capital of the company. Government of India has decided to disinvest 26% of paid up share capital of the company through strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control of the company. The Company operates under 3 major business verticals - viz. Mining & Construction, Defence, and Rail & Metro. Gol has appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAP) as its Transaction Advisor to advise and manage the strategic disinvestment process. The disinvestment process will be implemented through an open competitive bidding route and any global or domestic company can place their bid for the control stake in the company. BEML has fixed 1st of march 2021 as the last date for submitting EOI. We expect this process to take a long time to implement and as the government of India has not chosen the route of Offer for Sales so the price will not be offered by the promoter. We expect BEML will get some good investors or Company as GOI of India has decided to transfer management control also." Jan 05, 2021 09:37 (IST) Opening session Market indices reversed trend today and turned bearish after nine sessions of straight gains on Tuesday, in line with weak global equities. Sensex traded 100 points lower at 48,037 and Nifty fell by 57 points to 14,032. 09:37 IST: Market indices reversed trend today and turned bearish after nine sessions of straight gains on Tuesday, in line with weak global equities. Sensex traded 100 points lower at 48,037 and Nifty fell by 57 points to 14,032. Jan 05, 2021 09:36 (IST) Nifty F&O outlook Sneha Seth (Derivatives Analyst, Angel Broking) said: In F&O space, we saw addition of fresh long positions in Nifty and mixed positions were formed in case of banking index. Long positions formed in last series have been rolled over to January series and are still intact. Stronger hand too preferred rolling over longs and now their index futures Long Short Ratio stands at 75%. Today, despite sharp profit booking in the early morning trade put writers of 14000 and 14100 strikes preferred holding their positions strongly and this resulting V-shaped recovery. On the flip side, decent open interest addition was visible in 14100, 14200 and 14400 call options and we believe these are longs. Maximum open interest concentration remains intact in 14000 put and 14200 call options. Considering the above data points, we expect further upside towards 14200-14250 in the coming session. On the downside, 13900-14000 is a very strong demand zone. 09:36 IST: Sneha Seth (Derivatives Analyst, Angel Broking) said: In F&O space, we saw addition of fresh long positions in Nifty and mixed positions were formed in case of banking index. Long positions formed in last series have been rolled over to January series and are still intact. Stronger hand too preferred rolling over longs and now their index futures Long Short Ratio stands at 75%. Today, despite sharp profit booking in the early morning trade put writers of 14000 and 14100 strikes preferred holding their positions strongly and this resulting V-shaped recovery. On the flip side, decent open interest addition was visible in 14100, 14200 and 14400 call options and we believe these are longs. Maximum open interest concentration remains intact in 14000 put and 14200 call options. Considering the above data points, we expect further upside towards 14200-14250 in the coming session. On the downside, 13900-14000 is a very strong demand zone. 09:34 IST: Stocks to watch today on January 5: HDFC, Bajaj Finance, Edelweiss Financial, Sun Pharma, NBCC, L&T among others are the top stocks to watch out for in Tuesday's trading session Stocks in news: HDFC, Bajaj Finance, Edelweiss Financial, Sun Pharma, NBCC, L&T Jan 05, 2021 09:19 (IST) FII action Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,843.22 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 715.21 crore in the Indian equity market on 4 January, provisional data showed. 09:19 IST: Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,843.22 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 715.21 crore in the Indian equity market on 4 January, provisional data showed. Jan 05, 2021 09:18 (IST) Weak global equities Overseas, Asian stocks are trading mixed in Tuesday trade following an overnight drop on Wall Street amid concerns about global coronavirus cases and the Georgia runoff elections. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a national lockdown on England to curb the spread of the new coronavirus variant. 09:18 IST: Overseas, Asian stocks are trading mixed in Tuesday trade following an overnight drop on Wall Street amid concerns about global coronavirus cases and the Georgia runoff elections. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a national lockdown on England to curb the spread of the new coronavirus variant. Jan 05, 2021 09:17 (IST) Rupee closing On the currency front, the Indian rupee opened 21 paise higher at 72.90 and later closed 9 paise higher at 73.02 against the US dollar on Monday, supported by sustained foreign fund inflows and weakness of the American currency in the overseas market. Positive domestic equities and news on COVID-19 vaccine also improved sentiments. On Friday, the rupee had settled at 73.11 against the American currency. 09:17 IST: On the currency front, the Indian rupee opened 21 paise higher at 72.90 and later closed 9 paise higher at 73.02 against the US dollar on Monday, supported by sustained foreign fund inflows and weakness of the American currency in the overseas market. Positive domestic equities and news on COVID-19 vaccine also improved sentiments. On Friday, the rupee had settled at 73.11 against the American currency. Jan 05, 2021 09:12 (IST) Market outlook Reliance Research in its report said," NSE-NIFTY begun week on a strong note, wherein the index witnessed V-shape recovery after a sharp decline and closed on a record high. Yesterday, buying across the board, especially IT, Metal and frontline majors supported the up-move. Overall market remained positive and FII continued their buying trend. This could lead the index towards 14,300-14,500 level. In case of decline, the index will find support at 13,950 level initially and 13,800 mark subsequently. As for the day, support is placed at around 13,937 and then at 13,893 levels, while resistance is observed at 14,026 and then at 14,069 levels." 09:12 IST: Reliance Research in its report said," NSE-NIFTY begun week on a strong note, wherein the index witnessed V-shape recovery after a sharp decline and closed on a record high. Yesterday, buying across the board, especially IT, Metal and frontline majors supported the up-move. Overall market remained positive and FII continued their buying trend. This could lead the index towards 14,300-14,500 level. In case of decline, the index will find support at 13,950 level initially and 13,800 mark subsequently. As for the day, support is placed at around 13,937 and then at 13,893 levels, while resistance is observed at 14,026 and then at 14,069 levels." Jan 05, 2021 09:11 (IST) Closing on Monday On Monday, market indices continued to surge to new record highs on Monday for the ninth straight session, after Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted restricted emergency use authorisation for the Serum Institute of India (SII)'s 'Covishield' and Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin' vaccines against COVID-19 in India. Sensex ended 307 points higher at 48,176 and Nifty gained by 114 points higher at 14,132. During yesterday's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,220 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,147 Saina Nehwal was unhappy with the regulations set by Badminton World Federation (BWF) for the Thailand tournaments and called on the world federation to sort out the issues. Saina complained that the regulations are such that do not allow the players to be in their best condition and shape for the upcoming tournaments. Saina and company had flown from India to Bangkok on Sunday while PV Sindhu made her way to the tournaments from London. All eyes are now on the two Super 1000 events -- Yonex Thailand Open (January 12-17) and Toyota Thailand Open (January 19-24) as the world's best return to action following a prolonged break. Saina complained that the players were not allowed access to the physios and trainers during the entire duration of four weeks for the tournaments, which hampered their ability to stay in good condition. "The physios and trainers cannot meet us during the entire tour after all of us have tested negative ? @bwfmedia @bwf_ac 4 weeks of this, how is it possible to maintain ourselves . We want to play the tournament in good condition. Please sort this @bwfmedia," she tweeted. The physios and trainers cannot meet us during the entire tour after all of us have tested negative ? @bwfmedia @bwf_ac 4 weeks of this how is it possible to maintain ourselves . We want to play the tournament in good condition. Please sort this @bwfmedia . Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) January 5, 2021 She further complained about the practice and gym timings, that she felt was way too less. "Practice only for an hour everyday for the entire team ? Gym timings the same ... considering March being the important Olympic qualification period this is not good enough to be in good shape . @bwfmedia "No Time for warm ups / taping / cool downs / stretches..we are talking about the best players in the world competing isnt it ? Weve spent a lot of money getting the physios and trainers along with us . If they cant help us then why was this not told before ? @bwfmedia," she added. Saina said she had to resort to tweeting out the issues as the BWF did not respond to her. Sindhu has been handed relatively an easy draw but tough outings await Saina as the Indian duo returns to international competition in Thailand, nearly 10 months after Covid-19 pandemic halted all tournaments globally. World champion Sindhu, seeded sixth, will open against Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt, while Saina, who has recently recovered from Covid-19, will face formidable Japanese Nozomi Okuhara, seeded third, in the first round. In the next tournament, Sindhu, who has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and has been training in London for the last two months, will meet Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the opening round, while London Olympics bronze medallist Saina will square off against another Thai star player Ratchanok Inthanon, seeded fourth. Christians on the screen attend an online Christmas service for social distancing and a precaution against the coronavirus at the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, December. 25, 2020. (AP/Lee Jin-man) Seoul: South Korea reported its highest daily number of coronavirus cases on Friday, as the country's Christmas celebrations were marred by a harsh third wave of Covid-19. The nation has been held up as a model of how to combat the virus, with the public largely following official guidelines, but Friday saw a record 1,241 new infections. "We strongly recommend and request that you cancel all of your meetings and gatherings, even with your close family members," said Yoon Tae-ho of Central Disaster Management Headquarters. Seventy percent of the fresh cases came from the greater Seoul area, home to half the country's 52 million people. In an attempt to contain the rising infection numbers, from Wednesday private social gatherings of more than four people in the greater Seoul area were banned until January 3 by officials. Churches have switched to online masses or small-scale services, and ski resorts and national parks have been shut down nationwide. At Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, one of the biggest Protestant churches in South Korea, only about 15 staff, choir members and a pastor -- all masked -- attended its Christmas service, which was broadcast online. "Normally our church venue can house up to 12,000 people," Park Jae-woo, a member of the church, told AFP, describing not being able to celebrate in person with others as "heartbreaking". "But we fully understand that social distancing rules are necessary to protect lives." Only 15 Catholic believers were allowed to attend Christmas mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in central Seoul, and they had to make a reservation in advance to take part. Those who couldn't get a spot were seen praying outside the cathedral, wearing masks, in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. South Korea has been expanding its mass testing programme -- providing tests for free in the greater Seoul area until January 3 -- and more than 118,000 tests were conducted on Thursday alone, authorities said. New cases have also emerged from various venues and communities in recent weeks, including long-term care facilities, a prison, army units, churches and schools, while hospitals in the capital area have been struggling with ICU bed shortages. Siptu wants the plans for extra staff promised in the budget to be fast-tracked Plans to hire up to 16,000 healthcare workers must be urgently fast-tracked in the fight against Covid-19, the countrys largest union is warning. Siptu claimed there is little evidence of additional recruitment by HSE management to assist the frontline workforce since the Government pledged an extra 4bn for the health service in the budget. It said in a statement the funding was earmarked to prioritise the development of health services in the community, deliver 2,600 extra beds and recruit up to 16,000 staff. Siptu is demanding these initiatives are fast-tracked so that the healthcare workforce is fully supported in the challenging weeks and months ahead, it said. Read More The unions newly appointed health divisional organiser, Kevin Figgis, said workers are fearful they will not have the numbers to meet the challenges from the next wave of the virus. The health service cannot close; healthcare workers have worked around the clock fighting Covid-19 every day since early 2020 and face the new year with possibly their gravest challenge yet. They are exhausted and must have the necessary resources to ensure we win this battle while we await the roll-out of the vaccine in the weeks and months ahead. He said the Department of Health and HSE must do all in their power to ensure the necessary resources are in place to provide life-saving care on the frontline. Mr Figgis said staff in hospitals, community facilities, mental health services, and the national ambulance service urgently need additional resources. He said the HSE must give national approval for local recruitment to ensure additional staffing levels can be secured in the shortest timeframe possible. Since the budget announcement in October, our members have seen little evidence of additional recruitment to assist the frontline workforce, he said. It is essential that roadblocks are removed for vitally needed healthcare workforce supports. Read More Irish Independent PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament are playing a dangerous and irresponsible game with the lives of the people of St. Maarten by hinting that they intend to accept funds from the Dutch, but not support the law that supports the COHO and the country packages with reforms. So says Independent Member of Parliament Christophe Emmanuel who added that MP's are now stating that they have little to no information and are confused about what the Prime Minister signed with State Secretary Knops. "When you listen to MP's supporting this government who have been in the media making comments and on the floor of Parliament, you can deduct in what direction they are heading. All of a sudden, tones have changed and there is this attitude of lets take the money and run," Emmanuel said. "It is an irresponsible direction to take especially since this government has no other plan," he added. The MP was present during Tuesday's meeting of the Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Interparliamentary Relations (CKAIR) regarding the preparation for a virtual IPKO on January 6 and 7. He used the opportunity to remind the public that he has been cautioning the government for weeks not to sign any agreement before it knows the details and before Parliament has had the opportunity to fully examine the COHO legislation and supporting reforms and country packages. Today, we hear MPs in the media saying they will wait until the law gets to the floor of Parliament to have a real position. Then you have other MPs saying that at no time did Parliament agree with the content/context of the COHO. But they gave the PM permission to sign. Think about how backward this is. Its a dangerous and irresponsible game, MP Emmanuel said. He said Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion and Minister of TEATT Ludmilla DeWeever have had months to come up with an economic plan for St. Maarten and to date, nothing has been done. "So in the absence of that, we placed ourselves in this position due to the failure of this government to have a self-dependent plan. The Finance Minister doesnt even have a budget for 2021 yet, the MP said. The MP wasted no time in telling committee members who seemed confused about the content of a particular agenda topic, that "Knops is not coming to St. Maarten to sing kumbaya. He is coming with a technical team to execute what was signed for. That's it. There are already several aspects of the country packages already in execution. Parliament doesn't even know which. The government has given the organization specific instructions directly regarding the country packages. What are they? Parliament doesn't know and we are going into IPKO as blind as we were when MPs gave the PM their support to sign the agreement with Knops," MP Emmanuel said. MP Emmanuel said MPs who are now confused about what the role of the COHO will be apparently are not aware of the full administrative control that they gave up. The principle of the agreement, he explained, is that the Netherlands will provide the countries with long-term financial assistance in exchange for the promise that they will implement a series of reforms and measures, controlled and supervised by the COHO, an independent body that answers to the State Secretary and the Dutch Council of Ministers. "It clearly and literally states in the COHO legislation that since Dutch taxpayer money is going into this, that is who will have the control," Emmanuel said. He continued: If the COHO is of the opinion that a country is making insufficient effort to comply with the obligations imposed it may determine that stricter financial supervision will be instituted and/or financial support withdrawn. Throughout the legislation, this is a recurring theme. For example, administratively, the COHO can initiate its own economic projects. The COHO legislation states that for the realization of such a project, it may be necessary, for example, to issue a specific permit. In such a situation, however, the relevant government body is expected to cooperate with the issue of a permit. Should this not be the case, the COHO may decide to suspend the granting of aid, in accordance with specific articles of the legislation. "So even if St. Maarten's Council of Ministers and civil service advises against, that can be over-ruled. And there is very little regard for Parliament in any decision making process. If MPs are confused now about an administrative takeover, they are very late," MP Emmanuel said. The MP concluded by asking, again, what is governments position on decolonization since one of the conditions of the Dutch was for the government to distance itself from this issue, which was initiated by National Alliance MP Solange Duncan and Alliance coalition faction leader Grisha Marten Heyliger of the UP party. The members of the OPEC group of oil producing countries and their allies will continue talks on Tuesday, a day after they adjourned without reaching a deal on February production levels. Twenty-three countries in total are trying to reach a compromise between whose who favour keeping in place current cuts to production levels because of market uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, and those who favour releasing an extra 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) onto the market next month. The two heavyweights among the producers gathering on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia and Russia, are on opposing sides of the debate, with Riyadh urging caution and Moscow keen to boost production. Tuesday's video-conference meeting is expect to restart at 1430 GMT and is part of a more regular schedule of monthly meetings brought about because of price volatility in the wake of the pandemic. Demand for crude cratered under the effects of the virus in 2020 and oil producing nations have been trying to adjust their output accordingly in order to support prices. The last OPEC+ last videoconference summit, held from November 30 to December 3, "paved the way for a gradual return of 2 million barrels per day to the market over the coming months" in the words of OPEC's general secretary Mohammed Barkindo, while leaving room for adjustments in reaction to market movements. The first step to implementing that agreement was an increase in 500,000 bpd in January with a commitment to meeting at the beginning of each month to set production levels for the following month. Disagreements on the way forward are nothing new for the OPEC+ grouping, which now faces the added challenge of trying to factor in a pandemic which shows no sign of abating and a vaccination campaign which has got off to a slower than hoped for start in some regions. Prices for both North Sea Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI), which are often sensitive to OPEC+ discussions, were stable in early trading on Tuesday at around $50 a barrel. bp/anb/jsk/rl Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. photo: Jenny Zhang Anna North is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and author of two previous novels, America Pacifica and The Life and Death of Sophie Stark. She's served as writer and editor at Jezebel, Buzzfeed, Salon and the New York Times and is now a senior reporter at Vox. She lives in Brooklyn. North's third novel, Outlawed, is available now from Bloomsbury. How much research do your books require? My first book is a dystopia, so I mostly made a lot of stuff up. For Sophie Stark, I did a fair amount of research about directing and female directors and how people put movies together. For this one, I went to Wyoming for a week, to the Willow Creek Ranch at Hole in the Wall, a working ranch on the site where the real gang lived. We drove through the valley and out to Hole in the Wall, and I took a bunch of photos. There's a little western history museum in Casey, Wyo., [the nearest town] that had a lot of funny stuff, like little mannequins dressed up in period costumes. There's a Fiddleback Ranch in the book, which is inspired by the Fiddleback cattle brand. I researched the history of the real Hole in the Wall Gang, real "outlaws" (a funny and loaded term) and the history of what is now called the American West, but obviously had not been that for millennia before Europeans came there. I read up on the Arapahoe people living in Wyoming, and other Indigenous nations in the area, on Black cowboys and Black Americans in what is now the American West and on the history of the Americas in the 19th century. A book called Lieutenant Nun informed my thinking on Outlawed. It's a memoir by a person who lived as a man, had a lot of adventures and fights and appeared to seduce women--sort of a swashbuckling adventure story--and then, at the end, is revealed to have been assigned female at birth, and enters a convent and becomes a nun. It's from the 15th century. I love this book. It's a window into the forever-long history of gender. For cis-normative American culture, there's this idea that gender has been very fixed and it's just now becoming fluid, but that's just not true. Why reproduction as the central issue? When I had the germ of this idea, I was with a friend, visiting a Shaker dwelling. Part of their religion was not having children. I was interested in writing about a separatist group that would live off in the woods together. The story morphed and changed a lot. When I focused on Ada, I thought of making her mother a midwife. I know a fair number of midwives; it was just in my mind. Early bits of the book went through a bunch of drafts as I was trying to figure out, what's the alternative history element? What's the focus of this society? This group is set off from society; what's set them off? What is that group like, what are its rules, its norms? The idea of a society that's obsessed with reproduction and that ostracizes women who are barren came late in the process. There were a bunch of planets orbiting around that needed a unifying theme: reproducing, not reproducing, different kinds of families, different kinds of groups, different kinds of isolation and togetherness. Ultimately the framework that worked for that was an alternate history. I didn't want this to be a one-to-one stand-in for America today. I wanted to think about the choices that people make, how they are constrained, what our society might look like if things were different. Is this a feminist narrative that found its shape as a western, or a western that became a feminist tale? Sort of both. The story only took off for me when I realized it was a western. I was thinking about the Shakers, writing about this group of people who live together, separate in this particular way, and I had them in New Hampshire, which is where I visited the Shaker dwelling. I've lived in New York for 10 years now, but I'd grown up in California, and I'm just not as good at writing about the East Coast as I am at writing about the West. As soon as I thought, I'm going to put these characters with some red rocks, it felt better. I was reading Lieutenant Nun at the time. She didn't live in North America--she was traveling around Central America, I believe--but it's a colonial story of this "frontier" (obviously a loaded term). I was also reading a lot of Krazy Kat, set I think in Arizona--there's a lot of red rocks, and sheriffs. It's also gender-bending. It plays with sexuality, and you're not sure what gender Krazy Kat is--he switches pronouns a lot; there's a great essay in the New Yorker about this. Same-sex attractions are talked about fairly openly. I started thinking about the West as a space of, sometimes, freedom around gender and sexuality. The western states were some of the first states to give women, mostly white women, the right to vote. This could be a space of freedom--and obviously it's also a space of colonization and genocide and unfreedom. There were interesting interplays there. But I guess the short answer is it just only became a book when it became a western. Then things started to fall into place. What makes a captivating protagonist? I've always been interested in heroes. Traditionally, the hero is a male concept. The Odyssey, the Iliad: the heroes are male. I'm interested in recasting that as a female hero. I don't know if Ada is exactly a hero--in some ways the Kid is more the hero of the book. It's complicated, whether the Kid is likable or unlikable, heroic or unheroic. And maybe in a way I want the Kid to be both. Throughout my writing, I try to put someone in difficult circumstances and watch them rise to that occasion. That's a kind of heroism, I think. We learn and grow with Ada--she's so curious. I wanted to get across her inquisitiveness and desire for knowledge. I wanted to think in the book about knowledge and science as these double-edged swords. Ada puts a lot of stock in knowledge and in science, like this is what's going to convince people to not stigmatize other people, and obviously it doesn't always. I wanted to talk about instances where science has been used to really horrible ends. I wanted to explore that tension with her. But I sympathize with her. I also like to read books and learn things, so that was fun for me. Is there anything new you're working on? The pandemic has changed what I'm interested in working on next. In some ways it's made me crave speculative fiction more again, because I don't know what realism or reality is going to look like day to day. If I want to work on a long-term project, it has to be one that's not grounded in this reality, because I literally don't know what this reality is. We'll see--it's going to depend on what things look like when I can get back to my desk. --Julia Kastner New cases of COVID-19 have been accelerating in recent weeks at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, Indiana, according to data shared by workers with the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter. Allison Transmission Inc. is a large manufacturer of commercial automatic transmissions and has been one of only a handful of companies in the auto industry to report the number of cases among employees. Owned by General Motors for most of the 20th century, Allison was sold by the automaker to private equity firms in the late 2000s, one of a number of formerly in-house suppliers to be spun off as part of the wave of cost-cutting and restructuring in the auto industry over the last 40 years. We had 20 cases last week, and 14 just on Monday alone, one worker told the WSWS, reporting for the week of December 14. This was followed up by 19 cases before the end of the year, totaling 135 cases for 2020. A recent text notification of a new case at the plant In the Indianapolis area, Allison has both its corporate headquarters and a manufacturing plant where tank and truck transmissions are built. Within these two sites there are roughly 3,200 employees, including 1,500 hourly and 1,700 salaried. According to text messages sent by the company to workers in early October, 37 hourly employees in the plant had tested positive while 14 salary and two security guards tested positive. Most of the cases now seem to be in the offices, the worker said, because [office] workers are working on top of one another. Non-essential economic activity should have been comprehensively shut down months ago, another worker said. Six months ago, had there been a shutdown, things wouldve been different. It is being passed through the plants, stores and schools. People need to stay home. Wearing masks at Allison is required but not enforced. It is clearly real with the number of infections growing. Allison workers build commercial transmissions parts and supply government contracts. The company continued production even while much of the auto industry was shut down from mid-March to mid-May, claiming a critical infrastructure designation under the auspices of the local and state governments and the departments of Homeland Security and Defense. In an email in March, Allison Transmission workers were told: While this is a frightening time, we must come together in order to keep each other safe and to meet our customers needs. Allison has been designated as a part of the essential critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. We must all do everything we can to ensure the safe continued operation of this business so that it can continue to provide the critical products that are so critical to the safety of the U.S. during this difficult time. Workers were told by supervisors that if a worker tests positive, then a cleaning crew fogs the area in which the infected person worked. A document published by the World Health Organization, however, explained the risks of fogging infected surfaces: In indoor spaces, routine application of disinfectants to environmental surfaces by spraying or fogging (also known as fumigation or misting) is not recommended for COVID-19. One study has shown that spraying as a primary disinfection strategy is ineffective in removing contaminants outside of direct spray zones. The fogging can produce side effects, risking eye, respiratory and skin irritation. These same cleaning methods are used at the FCA Warren Truck Plant, where at least six people have died from COVID-19. Another worker commented on the inadequacy of safety protocols, saying, We have six-foot markers, but we cross paths all the time. Most people who had COVID had different symptoms, lost taste or smell, and severe headaches. The automakers and the United Auto Workers union have ignored the advice of public health experts that shutdowns are necessary to bring rampant community spread under control and have sought to deny that manufacturing and other workplaces are vectors for new outbreaks of the virus. In responding to the malign neglect of the companies and unions, one worker told the WSWS, At Allison the only way of knowing infections is through texts. The UAW says nothing, they basically share offices with the company. Id like to see everything down for months, whatever it takes. Give trillions [back] to people to live on. Im all for that. If it were up to me, thats what would happen. Im all for shutting down the plants. We all need to be on the same page globally. As with much of the industrialized Midwest, COVID-19 has surged throughout Indiana since last fall. At the time of this writing, the state has over 8,150 reported deaths and over 529,000 cases, according to the states department of health. Workers at auto assembly and parts plants throughout the state have written to the Autoworker Newsletter in recent months in alarm over the growing number of cases, including at GM Fort Wayne Assembly, Lear Corporations seating plant in Hammond, and at Faurecia Gladstone in Columbus, where workers organized a rank-and-file safety committee independent of the union last year in order to fight for safe working conditions. Hospitals in the state continue to struggle to treat the surging number of patients. Vice president of medical affairs at Franciscan Health Indianapolis, Dr. Christopher Doehring, told the Indianapolis Star that the hospital has been treating record numbers of COVID-19 patients every day over the last two weeks, and that area hospitals are operating at or above capacity. At Riley Childrens Hospital, also in Indianapolis, at least one child succumbed to the coronavirus, contradicting the pseudoscience used in the policy of reopening schools to in-person instruction. The WSWS has received countless reports from educators, parents and students of the growing number of cases in schools nationwide. However, the corporate, bipartisan drive to reopen schools at the beginning of 2021 is nevertheless forging ahead, despite the already catastrophic state of the health system and spiraling cases. Dr. Virginia Caine, Marion Countys public health director (located in the state capital Indianapolis), amended a statement of an earlier public health order in November. The original order called on schools to remain closed and to deliver instruction remotely until January 18. Caine changed her order to allow schools to open by January 4. Between October and December, the number of new student cases of COVID-19 jumped by over 2,000 in Indiana, now totaling 19,057, with teachers and staff increasing to over 8,000 cases to date. Throughout the pandemic, the American ruling class has prioritized profits over the lives and health of millions of working people. While the banks and the stock markets were flooded with trillions of dollars, workers were sent back to work in order to keep the flow of profits continuing. Workers at Allison Transmission must unite with their brothers and sisters throughout the automotive industry and working class. Allison workers should begin to form rank-and-file safety committees independent of the union, as their brothers and sisters have at the Faurecia auto parts plant in nearby Columbus and link up with the Autoworker Rank-and-File Safety Committee Network, which is connecting autoworkers in order to prepare for an international struggle for workers rights. The network and its member committees are demanding the shutdown of non-essential production and schools and full compensation for workers, to be paid for by the expropriation of the trillions of dollars used to bail out Wall Street and the corporations. To learn more about joining or forming a rank-and-file safety committee at Allison or another plant, contact the Autoworker Newsletter today. This harrowing footage shows doctors frantically trying to save Covid-19 patients in the intensive care ward of an Egyptian hospital after the oxygen allegedly failed. One doctor is so overwhelmed she can be seen slumped in the corner of the room while clasping her knees as a flurry of activity surrounds her. Panicked medics can be seen making a desperate attempt to save a patient by manually pumping oxygen into their lungs. The video shows a number of motionless patients in their hospital beds at the al-Husseineya Central Hospital in the country's Shargia Governorate. This harrowing footage shows doctors frantically trying to save Covid-19 patients in the intensive care ward of an Egyptian hospital after the oxygen allegedly failed. One doctor is so overwhelmed she can be seen slumped in the corner of the room whilst clasping her knees as a flurry of activity surrounds her Despite their best efforts, medics were unable to save four people who died as a result of coronavirus. A relative of one of the patients filmed the footage and can be heard saying: 'All those in the intensive care are dead... there is no oxygen'. There was no official comment from the hospital on the situation, but it is claimed the oxygen supplies had run out. The Egyptian undersecretary for health in Sharqia, Hisham Masoud, issued a statement after the footage was widely shared saying that his department were investigating the incident. He said that the team had been sent to the hospital and had confirmed that four people died and that one of those people had been on a ventilator. However, Mr Masoud denied allegations by the relative who filmed the video that the deaths were caused by a lack of oxygen. There was no official comment from the hospital on the situation, but it is claimed the oxygen supplies had run out He insisted the patients died because they suffered chronic diseases in addition to the virus. The Sharqia prosecutor's office said they were investigating the deaths. The hospital director and doctors were being questioned, according to an official at the public prosecutor's office in Cairo who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The four dead were two women in their 60s and two men aged 76 and 44, according to a local news outlet. There are currently 36 virus patients being treated at the hospital's isolation ward, the governor said. The deaths follow similar allegations by a relative last week that two patients died because of a lack of oxygen at a government-run hospital elsewhere in the Nile Delta. Mr Masoud denied allegations by the relative who filmed the video that the deaths were caused by a lack of oxygen Prosecutors in Menoufiya province have launched an investigation into the cause of the deaths Friday. Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with more than 100 million people, is facing a surge in confirmed virus cases and renewed calls for the government to impose a lockdown to contain a second wave of the pandemic. The country has seen a spike in daily reported COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. The Health Ministry announced over 1,400 new cases and 54 deaths on Saturday, one of the highest official daily tallies since the start of the pandemic last year. Overall, Egypt has reported 140,878 confirmed cases, including 7,741 deaths. However, the actual number of COVID-19 cases in Egypt are thought to be far higher, in part due to limited testing and uncounted patients who are being treated at home or in private hospitals. Egypt's top health authority announced that a Chinese vaccine made by Sinopharm has been approved for emergency use, and inoculations would begin within two weeks. In televised comments Saturday, Health Minister Hala Zayed said negotiations were also underway to procure two other vaccines - one from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, as well as one from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said last month that the government has contracted to purchase 20 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to the state-run Al-Ahram daily. Pretoria (South Africa) 05 January 2021 (SPS)- Former South African Ambassador to Cuba and Chief of Staff in the office of ANC Secretary General, Phatse Justice Piitso, adressed an Open Letter to Joe Biden, Friday 1 January, calling on the US President elect to set things right and help end the illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco. In this letter in which he brought up issues related to Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine, Ambassador Justice Piitso recalled President-elect Joe Bide of the last colony in Africa, Western Sahara, stressing that Africa is not complete without the independence of the state of the Saharawi people. He asserted that historical necessity entrust us with the inalienable revolutionary task to ensure that the peace loving people of West Sahara are liberated from the bastion of Moroccan colonialism, considering that the international community has the responsibility to bring to an end the brutality of the Moroccan government against the people of Saharawi. We call on the international community to do what is right for the people of West Sahara, and their freedom and dignity. They deserve freedom of association, the freedom of movement and expression, Ambassador Justice Piitso wrote. The peaceful resolution of the conflict in Western Sahara will be at the best interest of international peace and security. The world has come to change to give meaning to what freedom and equality represents, the South African diplomat indicated. There is not a nobler a cause than to give freedom to the last remaining colony on the African continent, he concluded on Western Sahara. The South African diplomat addressed this open letter, to the US President-elect to implore upon you (Biden), that in the responsibility entrusted to you by the majority of the people of the great American nation, that you change what the past history could not change. With this letter, Ambassador Phatse Justice Piitso, adds his voice to many other American and international notable politicians and diplomats such as the former US Secretary of State, James Baker III, Ambassadors John Bolton and Christopher Ross, in addition to US Senators and Congressmen, Jim Inhofe, Patrick Leahy, and many other American politicians and intellectuals, who strongly criticized the decision by outgoing US President, Donald Trump, to recognized the Moroccan illegal occupation in Western Sahara in exchange of Moroccan normalization of diplomatic ties with Israel to the detriment to the Palestinian legitimate rights. Similar opposition to Trumps stand was also voiced by the UN, AU, EU, in addition to members of the UN Security Council and many countries, political parties, Trade-unions and decision-makers from all political tendencies. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) Health minister lists goods allowed for sale amid January lockdown The issue of household chemicals will be clarified at a government meeting on Tuesday. Reporting by UNIAN If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter NEW DELHI : Twenty more people have tested positive for the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, taking the total number of such cases in the country to 58. The new cases have been identified at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) Pune. "The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel coronavirus first reported in the UK now stands at 58," the Union Health Ministry said. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 All these persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated Health Care facilities by respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on, the ministry said. The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs. Of the 58, the mutated UK strain was detected in eight samples at National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, 11 in the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, in one in National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani (near Kolkata), 25 in the National Institute of Virology in Pune, three in Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad and ten was sequenced in National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Hospital (NIMHANS) Bengaluru. The INSACOG labs at NCBS InSTEM, Bengaluru, CDFD Hyderabad, ILS Bhubaneswar, and NCCS Pune have so far found no mutant virus. The new UK variant has already been reported by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. The Government of India took cognizance of the reports of virus reported from the UK and put in place a proactive and preventive strategy to detect and contain the mutant variant, it said. This strategy includes the temporary suspension of all flights coming from the UK with effect from the midnight of December 23 till January 7 and mandatory testing of all UK-returned air passengers through RT-PCR test. The samples of all UK returnees found positive in RT-PCR test will be genome sequenced by a consortium of 10 government labs i.e. INSACOG. Further, all the international passengers who have arrived in India between December 9 and 22, if symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19 will be subjected to genome sequencing as part of the Centre's strategy to detect the mutated UK variant in them. Others will be followed up by the respective state and district surveillance officers and will be tested as per the ICMR guidelines (even if asymptomatic) between 5th and 10th day, according to the Union Health Ministry's guidance document on genomic sequencing. Further, epidemiological surveillance of the passengers, who have arrived in India since November 23 will be conducted in the community through active follow up. Besides, a standard operating protocol for states and UTs to tackle the mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2 was issued on December 22. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. ADVERTISEMENT A former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, sold his interests in Integrated Logistic Services (INTELS) Nigeria Limited through a series of transactions, an official has said. Intels spokesperson, Tommaso Ruffinoni, made this known in a statement on Monday. He said Mr Abubakar exited the company with his family as of December 2020, adding that the deals began in December 2018 and were concluded last year. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how Mr Abubakar divested from the countrys largest logistics company that provides comprehensive integrated services for the nations oil and gas industry. A statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Monday said Mr Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections, took the decision because the Muhammadu Buhari government has destroyed the economy. It assumed greater urgency in the last five years, because this Government has been preoccupied with destroying a legitimate business that was employing thousands of Nigerians because of politics, the statement read. Meanwhile, ThisDay reported that the former vice president sold his shares in Intels to Orleal Investment Group, the parent company of Intels, for various amounts totalling over $100 million. Mr Ruffinoni noted that with Mr Abubakars divestment of his interest in the company, two of his children working in the organisation, Adamu Atiku Abubakar and Aminu Atiku Abubakar, have ended their working relationship with the organisation. Intels has in the last few years had a running battle with the Nigerian government. The disagreement resulted in the cancellation of the companys 17-year-old pilotage monitoring contract with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). In October 2017, the government directed the NPA to terminate the boat pilotage monitoring and supervision agreement with Intels. The NPA also accused Intels of refusing to remit boat pilotage revenue in the firms custody put at about $207.646 million (N78.905 billion) at the time, among other revenues. Intels in its reaction denied the allegations, adding that it was rather being owed by the NPA. (CNN) Trains on the Moscow's famous Metro subway system will now be driven by women, after a decades-long ban on female drivers was overturned. The first of a new generation of women drivers started work on Sunday, according to a statement from the Moscow Department of Transportation. Russia's Ministry of Labor ordered that women be allowed to drive trains on the network a year ago, and now the first cohort have successfully completed a training program and entered the workforce. Of the 25 women who started the course, 12 completed it and will become drivers, according to the department. "Next year, at least 50 new employees will join the ranks of our female drivers," the statement said. "We are very proud that Moscow transport is a territory that is accessible to people regardless of gender!" The new drivers will work on the Filevskaya line, one of the most modern on the Metro network. Women were allowed to drive trains on the network from 1936, but a ban on hiring new female drivers was introduced in the early 1980s, according to the Moscow Mayor's office. "This was explained by the protection of women from tough burdens of the job and unfavorable work conditions," it said. The Department of Transportation said the job previously involved "heavy physical exertion" but many processes are now automated. Kristina Vakulenko, 31, was one of the first women to sign up for the program. "Now we are being trained to work on the new Moskva trains -- they are modern, so the working conditions are much better than they were before," Vakulenko, whose husband is also a Metro driver, told the state-run TASS news agency in May. "I myself cannot compare, but my husband says that the difference from the old model is very noticeable." Vakulenko said the training program is "difficult," but pointed out that drivers get 48 days' vacation every year. Special uniforms have been developed for the female drivers, who will be allowed to choose between a skirt or pants. Some 36% of the Moscow Metro's total workforce of 62,000 employees is female, according to the statement. The Metro, which began operation in the 1930s, is known for its spectacular architecture, and taking the subway has been likened to traveling through a national heritage site. This story was first published on CNN.com Women are finally driving Moscow's subway trains after a decades-long ban Flash African countries help China combat COVID-19 Upon the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, African countries provided strong support to China's fight against the epidemic. Countries such as Egypt and South Africa provided China with anti-epidemic supplies. Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti and other countries donated money. Leaders of African countries sent their messages of support. China assists Africa in fighting COVID-19 As the COVID-19 pandemic spread in Africa, China quickly extended a helping hand by sending anti-pandemic supplies and anti-pandemic expert medical teams, providing training to local medical workers and sharing experiences in video conferences. Chinese companies and non-governmental organizations also helped by donating medical supplies and holding online anti-epidemic meetings. China, Africa hold summit on solidarity against COVID-19 Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity against COVID-19 in Beijing on June 17 via video link. Leaders of African countries, including members of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government and rotating chairs of major African sub-regional organizations, and the chairperson of the AU Commission, attended the summit. The UN secretary general and the WHO director general also attended the meeting as special guests. Swahili edition of book on history of Tanzania-Zambia Railway launched in Tanzania China and Tanzania launched the Swahili edition of a book on Tanzania-Zambia Railway titled A Monument to China-Africa Friendship in Dar es Salaam on August 20. Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke and Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Palamagamba Kabudi attended the launching ceremony. Trade fair promotes China-Africa cooperation At the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, the Fifth Africa Day Forum was held on September 7 to discuss post-COVID-19 opportunities for China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Great potential was identified at the forum in the fields of infrastructure, capital support and market opening. 20th anniversary of FOCAC marked In a joint congratulatory message to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on October 12, 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Senegalese President Macky Sall said China and Africa are ready to uphold the spirit of solidarity and cooperation, jointly cope with various risks and challenges, and let their cooperation shine as an example of multilateralism and mutual benefits. Fifth China-Africa Youth Festival kicked off Forty-two African youth representatives were invited to participate in a series of cultural exchange activities such as roundtable talks, cultural activities, and sightseeing during the seven-day festival in China's capital Beijing and Jiangxi Province. During the festival, the youth visited working sites of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Chinese enterprises, and hi-tech parks, as well as discovering China's natural landscapes. The Third China International Import Expo opens The Third China International Import Expo opened in Shanghai on November 4. It is the world's first import-themed international exhibition and a window for China's opening to the rest of the world. Against the backdrop of the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy, this exhibition provides a platform for win-win cooperation for enterprises from all countries. The expo offers an exceptional opportunity for African companies to explore the Chinese market and promote their products. The Second CHINAFRICA Short Video Competition concludes Under the theme of Working Hand in Hand for a Shared Future - My Unforgettable Experience in 2020, the Second CHINAFRICA Short Video Competition aims to narrate unforgettable stories of China-Africa cooperation and closeness between the people and contribute to building an even closer China-Africa community with a shared future. The award ceremony of the competition was held in Beijing, Cape Town and Dakar simultaneously via video link. Chinese anti-coronavirus vaccine arrives in Egypt Egypt received the first batch of Chinese anti-coronavirus vaccine in early December 2020 to fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed said that it's a historic day to receive the first air shipments of the Chinese vaccine at a press conference held at Cairo International Airport. The new Chinese vaccine will be available for citizens for free upon directives of the political leadership New Delhi: Kazakhstan has backed the use of Chabahar port, with its envoy saying by June of this year, a link will be established that will connect the country via the Caspian sea. Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Kazakh envoy Yerlan Alimbayev said, "Kazakhstan will not only join, but we are also actually in a process. We initiated this process and we were expected the Chabahar connection will be done" Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, bordering the Aral and Caspian seas, both of which are inland seas with no access to oceans. The comments by the envoy come even as India is keen that the port expands India's connection not only to Afghanistan but to the wider Central Asian region. Last month India, Uzbekistan, and Iran had a trilateral talk on the use of the port. The trilateral talk has been expanded with India set to Invite Afghanistan as well. The Kazakh envoy also spoke on the upcoming Parliamentary elections in his country. In October of 2021, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree setting the date for the elections to the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan to be held on 10th January. Sidhant Sibal: Elections are going to happen in your country. If you can give some details? Yerlan Alimbayev: We will have the Parliamentary elections on 10th January 2021 to the lower chamber of the Parliament of Kazakhstan --Majlis. Given in the situation, we are having the elections after new political reforms conducted by the first President then taken by our President. So far, we have 5 parties participating in the elections. And we are expecting the results the next day on the 11th. Some papers/voting will be brought from abroad. So final results by 12th. Sidhant Sibal: Will Indian observers also be present? Yerlan Alimbayev: Our election commission sent an invitation to the election commission of India but due to the pandemic and absence of direct flight they could not make it. They sent, the election commission of India sent a letter explaining this. Within the framework of the Shanghai cooperation organization, we have some Indian observers. Sidhant Sibal: How have the ties been between the 2 countries? We know a number of high-level visits are being planned...including of the Kazakh President? Yerlan Alimbayev: We have some highest- and high-level visits postponed from 2020. The visit of Lok Sabha speaker to Kazakhstan, visit of high-level Parliament delegation from Kazakhstan to India. We expect this to happen this year. We have this year, some high-level meetings between the ministries. We have the 14th intergovernmental commission meeting--by the minister of trade of Kazakhstan and from India, minister of petroleum and gas. We have several joint working groups headed by ministers. For example, in trade and economy, transport, and logistics. We have a special working group on pharmacy, on military-technical cooperation. All these events were postponed in 2020, so we will have them this year. Sidhant Sibal: How keen is Kazakhstan on the Chabahar port project? Yerlan Alimbayev: Kazakhstan will not only join, we are actually in a process. We initiated this process and we were expected the Chabahar connection will be done and hopefully, as set by the transport ministry of Iran, it will be done, finish by June of this year. A small part of the connection will be done by Zahedan--Babar Abbas which will be done to the Caspian seaport of Iran. From that place, Kazakhstan will be part of the North-South International transport corridor. So we already part of NSITC. India, during the virtual summit with Uzbekistan, invited to join that. Chabahar is part of it. Kazakhstan is the east part of NSITC. As a country, being the biggest trade partner of India in Central Asia, we are in a position to support any kind of communication links to make our trade and people-to-people contact much easier and wider. Sidhant Sibal: So, will it be right to say, we will join the project by year-end? Yerlan Alimbayev: Yes, we are already part of Chabahar. It's a process. My minister of foreign affairs mentioned last year that, even before in 2019 that Chabahar port is the most appropriate connecting point if logistic companies, trade partners from India, and other countries hesitate to use Bander Abbas due to restrictions, Chabahar is the best option. We are continuously talking about the use of Chabahar since 2015 and Kazakhstan announced and proposed a consortium for use of the port. In 2017 we had a joint meeting between Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, and Kazakhstan for use of the Chabahar port. Finally, it is coming to a realization and we will have it with India Uzbekistan having a working group with Iran. Kazakhstan is much eager to be part of it. Sidhant Sibal: Amid the COVID crisis, how have both the countries continued talks. Also any talks on the COVID vaccine? Yerlan Alimbayev: Despite the pandemic, we had several bilateral events. Our foreign ministers met in Moscow, they had also virtual meet within the framework of the India Central Asia Dialogue. We have several cultural events online, we have joined several meetings. We have lost 2000 people due to covid. We are developing our own vaccines. 3 vaccines are on the way, 2 of them under trial. We are working with our partner Russia, and Pfizer. With India, we are ready and open to discuss but it is up to India. As you know yesterday, it was announced India will not allow the export of vaccines till April. We are open and we can discuss with the Indian government. ALBANY The Capital Region is to receive $28.4 million in transit aid, part of the more than $5.6 billion for agencies across the state that was included in the recently passed federal government funding bill. The announcement was made Monday by New York's two U.S. senators, Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer. Public transit is the lifeblood of New Yorks economy, and for months, I fought to make sure our frontline health workers, first responders, child care providers, and all essential workers would have a safe and healthy public transit system to get them where they need to go, said Sen. Gillibrand. One bleak pandemic day in November, Aisha Tyler caught herself vacuuming the inside of her freezer. Then she scolded herself. Yes, out loud. "You're insane," she recalls saying. "What are you doing? You have to stop this right now." Sometimes the Los Angeles-based actress will shout an expletive and tell herself to "snap out of it." On brighter days, she'll congratulate herself on what a good job she's doing and call for a celebration. "I have definitely announced happy hour in my apartment several times to no one in particular," she says, "and then I'll tell myself what a cute martini it is, and I'll tell myself it was delicious." Humans leave little unspoken, and this past year, as many of us have avoided social events and worked from home alone, we've been forced to talk out loud to the only person still around to listen: ourselves. Sure, it may take the form of bantering with our pets, scolding the politicians on TV or cajoling our malfunctioning printers, but that's really just another way of hearing our own voice, helping us discern what exactly is going on inside that head of ours. Many self-talkers worry others would think they're crazy. But no one is there to know. Living alone, I've noticed my own tendency to talk to household objects, calling them "thing" or "man," or, in the case of the snow boots I reconnected with recently, "my friends." I scolded the toppling bottles in the fridge for "making trouble." My voice will also involuntarily retrieve sounds from childhood, imitating my grandfather, with a frustrated "Christ, almighty," or repeating dialogue from a "Sesame Street" Christmas album. What's going on here? Charles Fernyhough, a psychology professor at Durham University and author of "The Voices Within: The History and Science of How We Talk to Ourselves," says research shows people talk out loud more when under stress or facing cognitive challenges - and that it can be helpful for children when solving puzzles or other tasks. He likens it to writing something down on paper. "If you're putting words in the air," he says, "it might be easier to hang onto them." That's the approach of Danielle Lupton, a political science professor in her 30s at Colgate University who's been working from home and rousing herself from the couch with vocalized orders like, "After this episode, you're going to get up and wash the dishes." "It's a public commitment you say to yourself," she explains. Not all self-talkers are quite so comfortable with their new habit. "What's the point? The sound doesn't need to come out. You're already in there," says Mike Carrozza, a 29-year-old standup comedian. To him, it feels like "the pandemic won another bit of my normalcy." Carrozza was living in Toronto when the pandemic postponed his album tour. He left his retail job, fearful that his respiratory issues put him at risk, and moved in with his parents in Montreal. While playing a video game one day, his character got hit, and he blurted out, "That's gotta hurt!" - then wondered why he would utter a dumb cliche he had never spoken before. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a dog farting itself awake and then getting upset at itself because it thought it heard a break-in or something," Carrozza says. Some self-talkers amuse themselves by deploying personas and accents. While binge-watching "The Crown" over Thanksgiving weekend, Elisabeth Rivette, a 23-year-old law student at St. Louis University, started to speak to herself as Margaret Thatcher. "I'd be cracking myself up about how to pronounce pillow or lamp or something," she says. Gary Mansfield, 63, a former executive with Nine West, pretends that he's talking to his two adult daughters as he embarks on his daily walks of up to 10 miles near his home in Stamford, Conn. "Don't do anything stupid," he'll say. Or "wash your hands." "Wear a mask." He'll also fantasize about winning the lottery, vocalizing how he would split up the prize: "$35 million for Avery, $35 million for Sydney ..." He knows it's fake. But it makes him feel better, articulating how he could give his daughters a life they'd never expect. "I think it's just a fantasy of everything being perfect." In Nairobi, Njeri Wangui Mwariri made a discovery: She can continue her self-talking even when she ventures out into public, thanks to her mask. Thus, the 19-year-old student was able to sit solo at a cafe after a dentist checkup and express how she wished she told him off when he surprised her with a needle. In Malaysia, 21-year-old student Amna Batrisha murmurs to herself behind her mask to psych herself up for a dreaded grocery trip. ("You can do this ... You've got the list, you can take the stuff that you want and check out.") And when she mistakenly reached the front of the cash-only line while cashless and scolded herself with a crass word, no one was offended because it was muffled. I talked to a student who pretends that she's her own mother. A theater technician who almost never has a silent thought. An IT specialist on an onion farm who uses an app that offers positive affirmations. And Paris Jacobs, 43, the co-owner of a swim club in Vienna, Va., who found her own voice keeping her company when she was isolated for five days in the hospital with covid-19. "You wouldn't necessarily realize you were talking to yourself," she recalls, "and then you'd say something and be like, 'Oh, there's nobody else here.'" Our urge to talk reveals just how much covid-19 is a mental test as well as a physical one. When William Broyles Jr. was writing the screenplay for the 2000 film "Cast Away," he stranded himself at a deserted Mexican beach, to research the tactics of survival. But one day he went to spear his morning stingray and met a volleyball that had washed ashore. He decorated it with seashells and seaweed, and started talking to it. Broyles recalls that eventually, "I stopped and said - to him but really to myself - 'Idiot! This is the movie!' It's not about physical survival, it's about connection. Talking is how we connect. It makes us human." For Jack, a 21-year-old student near Melbourne, Australia, the pandemic prompted conversations with an imaginary companion - known in internet circles as a tulpa. He has never had a romantic relationship, but now he has Elaine, who takes the form of a Pokemon character called a Gardevoir; she is bolder than Jack, ordering him to turn off his laptop or take a shower, or cracking the occasional sex joke. Most of their conversations are in his head, but he often tells her "good morning" out loud. "I have seen a notable improvement in my overall mood," says Jack, who spoke on the condition that The Washington Post only use his first name to preserve his privacy. Samuel Veissiere, an assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill University who has studied tulpamancy, suspects that during the pandemic, "a tulpamancer might be doing better than average because they're used to being alone," he says. "They've developed these coping mechanisms. They're able to entertain themselves." Of course, speaking out loud when no one else is physically present is part of long-held tradition - one that has taken on greater urgency for many people lately. When the Bronx hit its pandemic peak last spring, the emergency room at St. Barnabas Hospital was filled with the noise of huffing ventilators, beeping IV pumps, intercoms crackling with commands of "code blue," and patients crying for help. So when he left work, in the silence of his car, senior attending physician Ernest Patti would take the time to speak aloud to Big Louie. On occasion, it was Big Louise. Or it had no gender. Patti, 60, who was raised Catholic, wanted to account for all possibilities. "Whoever you are up there, this makes no sense to me, us working tirelessly to keep these people alive, and when they die they have to die alone," he recalls saying one night, after he held an elderly woman's hand in her final moments. He yelled expletives. He asked if he should quit. "This is my passion. I have to care for people. But God, if it means caring for people like this where they die alone, I don't know if I have the strength." It was praying aloud that also kept 44-year-old April Harris going during her 32 days in quarantine with a deep cough at the California Institution for Women in Chino, Calif. - not just self-encouragements like "I can do this" and "You got this, April," but repeated declarations like "by His stripes, I am healed." "I would pray for our country and for a cure to this virus," she says in an email from the prison, where she has spent 24 years but had never previously talked out loud to herself. "Now I pray that I am covered by His blood, not wanting to endure that again. I pray for the women who are in isolation now." Patti has continued praying to Big Louie. But he has a new reason. In August, his son arrived in Miami to start college, went swimming and dove straight into a sandbar. He couldn't move his arms or legs. Patti and his ex-wife have been caring for him ever since, hoping for a recovery. Patti has asked Big Louie questions for much of his life. This year, the answers have been slow to arrive. But on the plane to Miami he continued the conversation: "Seriously, what's the purpose of this? Is this another lesson? ... Why him? Why not me?" Patti realized a fellow passenger in his row was listening. "That's OK," the man said. "During this pandemic, I think we're all doing it." ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools (CIS), the national organization that ensures every student, regardless of race, zip code, or history of marginalization has what they need to succeed in school and beyond, today named Janine Quijije as the organization's new chief advancement officer. Quijije's appointment follows a nationwide search conducted with the assistance of Koya Partners. Quijije is a seasoned fundraising professional with more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit development and executive leadership. In her new role, Quijije will oversee the fundraising, marketing and communications, and new business development functions for the organization. CIS National President & CEO Rey Saldana said Quijije joins Communities In Schools at a pivotal time as the organization seeks to respond to seismic shifts in the educational, social and economic landscape. "Over the last year, our young people have endured the closing of their school buildings, the abrupt introduction of distance learning, and the disruption of many of the systems that were in place to meet their social and emotional needs," said Saldana. "In addition, the movement for racial justice in our country, has made clear that students in our country, particularly those that are Black, brown and indigenous, have faced systemic educational inequities for decades. Communities In Schools is embarking on a refreshed strategic plan to help build an education system that gives every child the same opportunity to learn and succeed. Janine is a bold and visionary leader with a passion for our mission and a strong track record of helping youth-serving organizations achieve greater impact and visibility. I am so pleased to welcome her to the CIS family." Quijije says her passion for the mission of Communities In Schools stems from her own identity as a Latina raised in a community of immigrants. "I grew up in the New York City public school system and didn't realize the inequities that existed until I became an adult with a richer understanding of the world around me," said Quijije. "We have a responsibility to ensure that all of our children have the resources they need to not only survive in their schools and communities, but to thrive. I admire the holistic approach that Communities In Schools embraces to ensure the unique needs of every child are met so they may reach their full potential. I am excited to be joining CIS as it leads the charge toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in our education system and our country." Prior to joining CIS, Quijije served as deputy executive director of Mouse and the chief development officer of the "I Have A Dream" Foundation. She also led successful fundraising efforts on behalf of other nonprofits including Children of Promise, NYC; Be The Match; the Child Mind Institute; and Harlem RBI. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queens College, City University of New York, and a Certificate in Business Excellence from Columbia Business School Executive Education. About Communities In Schools Communities In Schools (CIS) is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of race, zip code, or socioeconomic background has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond. Working directly inside more than 2,500 schools across the country, we connect students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations. SOURCE Communities In Schools Related Links http://www.communitiesinschools.org (CNN) Jack Ma's businesses are under enormous pressure right now. But the co-founder of China's most successful tech empire and legendary billionaire entrepreneur hasn't been heard from in months. Ma hasn't made a public appearance or social media post since late October, just over a week before a much anticipated stock market listing of Alibaba's financial affiliate, Ant Group, was blocked at the last minute by Chinese regulators. Ant Group has gone from preparing the world's largest initial public offering to being ordered to overhaul large swaths of its business. Chinese regulators have criticized the company for edging out rivals from the market and hurting consumer rights. Alibaba, meanwhile, has been probed in China for alleged monopolistic behavior. And the Wall Street Journal reported last week that Beijing was seeking to shrink Ma's empire and potentially take a larger stake in his businesses, citing Chinese officials and government advisers familiar with the matter. Ma was even absent from the finale of an African talent show he created, according to the Financial Times. The newspaper reported that Ma was replaced as a judge during the November filming of the last episode of "Africa's Business Heroes," a television contest for entrepreneurs. As recently as Oct. 12, Ma said he was looking forward to meeting the finalists during the online finale on Nov. 14. Alibaba told CNN Business on Monday that Ma "had to miss the finale due to scheduling conflict." It declined further comment on his whereabouts. Ma has kept a lower profile within China for some time now, said Duncan Clark, author of "Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Built" and founder of investment advisory firm BDA China. He added that Beijing wants its narrative about the Ant Group IPO to dominate the public conversation and that the company likely knows that it won't help to have any "diversity of opinion" on the issue. "But certainly it's remarkable ... the silence is somewhat deafening," he added. While Ma no longer holds executive or board level positions at either of the companies he co-founded he stepped down as Alibaba's executive chairman in 2019 he is still Alibaba's biggest individual shareholder with nearly 5% worth about $25 billion. Ant Group said in regulatory filings last year that Ma has "ultimate control" over the company, and his personal wealth was expected to balloon after the public offering. He has also frequently made public appearances to talk about his philanthropic work, which he made a major focus after retiring from Alibaba. His most recent post on Chinese social media platform Weibo, dated Oct. 17, for example, featured remarks he made at an education forum in China. Ma has also been a high profile speaker at major international events such as the World Economic Forum. It was Ma's last major appearance, though, that China tech observers suspect landed his business in hot water. At a conference in Shanghai in late October, Ma publicly criticized Chinese regulators for stifling innovation by being too risk averse. "What we need is to build a healthy financial system, not systematic financial risks," he said. "To innovate without risks is to kill innovation. There's no innovation without risks in the world." Days later, Chinese regulators summoned Ma and Ant Group executives to conduct what authorities called "regulatory interviews," and the IPO was pulled. Oanda market analyst Jeffrey Halley wrote at the time that the comments "clearly didn't resonate in the halls of power in Beijing." It's not clear from official or company statements whether Ma has attended any meetings since then regarding the future of his businesses. While Ma has been out of the spotlight, his companies have made clear that they are listening to Beijing. Ant said last week that it appreciated "guidance and help" from regulators after Beijing spoke publicly about its requirements for the company. And Alibaba pledged in late December to "actively cooperate" with antitrust investigators. The potential threats to Ma's businesses aren't limited to China, either. Washington has been ratcheting up its campaign against Chinese businesses in recent weeks as the Trump administration draws to a close. And while Alibaba hasn't been specifically targeted, the company was name-checked by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late last summer when he urged American companies to remove "untrusted" Chinese-owned technology from their digital networks. Public opinion about Ma in China, meanwhile, has turned sour. Many of the replies to Ma's October Weibo post struck a particularly negative tone. "Again it's about resources and brain mines," wrote one Weibo user, responding to Ma's use of those words to describe children in China and the need for a strong education system. "It is totally a line from a capitalist." Laura He and CNN's Beijing bureau contributed to this report. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. While the pandemic has had a massive negative effect on small businesses in the U.S., Black-owned businesses in particular have suffered devastating effects since lockdowns and other precautions began in 2020. In July, National Geographic reported that more than half of Black-owned businesses in the U.S. may not survive COVID-19 due to a systemic lack of resources and little government assistance. "Honestly, much like everyone else, I was very uncertain how things would go for my business when COVID started," said Yinka Fey, owner of The Minka Collection in Houston. "I was very discouraged and wasnt sure The Minka Collection would survive. But I knew I didnt have this passion in my heart for no reason, and I owed it to myself and the people who supported me to show up and show out everyday." The Minka Collection is one of many Black-owned boutiques in the Houston area relying on local customers to keep them afloat. Here are a few others that are worth your time and money. Screengrab courtesy of The Minka Collection via Instagram Whether youre looking for a statement piece or something to lounge in, you're bound to turn heads when you're dressed in a piece from The Minka Collection. Fey's fashion-forward fall and winter outfits include fringed sweater-pant sets, belted sherpa denim jackets, vegan leather outerwear and more. Boutique owner Karissa Lindsay says that A Leap of Style "empowers women to embrace the bolder side of their style," with clothing that reflects the African Diaspora. "We exist to make and curate beautiful clothing and accessories that reflect a womans inner light and confidence," Lindsay said. When I think Lux Life Boutique, I think "down-to-earth." The shop has perfect pieces if you're looking to be comfortable for a day or night out on the town. With a piece from Rocky Boston, you can expect not to look like anyone else. Boutique owner Rocky Boston stitches each piece by hand, guaranteeing tons of fashion and even more love. Screengrab courtesy of The Vanity Kloset via Instagram Take pride in your appearance with a piece from Vanity Kloset. Store owner Carmen Cooper said she had "a strong desire to create a site where women of all ages could find a look that spoke to them, and complimented their unique style and self esteem." If you're looking for the perfect birthday staple, Boss Lady Couture is likely to have something for you. The luxury, high-end fashion boutique is located in the Montrose area. The name speaks for itself. Headed by Jamaica Booker, Perfectly Unique features contemporary apparel for the "confident and chic woman." If you're interested in clothing and accessories designed specifically for Houstonians, Diversity Clothing Company is the place for you. Sisterly Village produces affordable and stylish pieces for womens organizations. At the end of every year, the business donates 7 percent of campaign proceeds in support of the purchasing organizations community service mission. If you're looking for sophisticated fashion with a twist, head to Flair by Ashi. The shop sell clothes in sizes up to 3XL, making for an inclusive shopping experience for all women. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. CASES of Covid-19 are spiralling and the country is living under a renewed Level 5 lockdown. The Government will face growing pressure from a frightened public that is dealing with tough restrictions on everyday life. Here are five questions that those in charge need to answer to ensure they keep people on board in the fight against Covid-19. Schools and childcare facilities were among the first places to be closed at the start of the pandemic last March when Covid-19 was a great unknown threat. They remained closed for the rest of the school year and alternative arrangements were made for the Leaving Cert. Schools reopened in September and the Government and Taoiseach Micheal Martin, in particular have hung their hats on this achievement as proof of a successful policy in keeping a semblance of normal life going. Since then, weve been consistently told that schools are a safe environment and there is low transmission among children. However, with Covid-19 cases surging to new heights in the third wave, many are questioning if schools and creches should remain open. Indications from Government are that if the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) says they should close, it will be done. But certainty is needed fast. There are hundreds of thousands of parents anxiously wondering if schools and childcare facilities will be open next week, or whether they will have to make alternative arrangements. And if the decision is taken to close schools and creches, parents will need some sense of how long this will last. Is the surge in cases down to the new strain of the virus or the relaxing of restrictions over Christmas? A new, highly transmissible strain of the virus, was blamed for a massive increase in cases in the UK before Christmas. It was not on the radar when the Government here decided to ease Covid-19 restrictions for the festive season and there have been suggestions that the unforeseen strain could be driving cases here. So far, this appears not to be the case, but further data may be needed. Medical virologist Dr Cillian De Gascun has said that just 16 cases of the UK variant of Covid-19 were detected in Ireland up to December 29. But thats out of just 169 cases. He said in recent days: As a random, albeit small selection of cases primarily from the community, these data would suggest that the SARS CoV2 UK variant at a proportion of [less than] 10pc is not responsible for the recent significant and concerning increase in SARS CoV2 case numbers. Read More Amid the political blame game over decisions taken before Christmas, the Government would argue that it was always expected that cases would rise after Christmas. However, nobody predicted it would be this fast. It would be useful for ministers to be able to put the rapid surge down to the new strain, but as yet the research doesnt appear to support this. The Government has been facing some hard questions about the decision to ease restrictions in December. This line of questioning will continue the longer the current surge and restrictions last. Is the vaccine roll-out happening fast enough? The obvious answer to this is no, of course not. In an ideal world, it would not take until August for the vast majority of the population to be inoculated. But there are constraints on supply and Ireland is committed to the EUs strategy for the roll-out including waiting longer than jurisdictions like the UK and US, which have been quicker to approve new vaccines. People get frustrated at reports that thousands of vaccines have been delivered to Ireland but have not yet been administered. In recent days, the HSE has said that the aim is for 25,000 vaccinations to have been completed by the end of this week. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said today that this target has been increased to around 35,000. It had taken delivery of 40,000 doses by last Friday, with just 1,800 injections given. Under the plan for the roll-out, older people in nursing homes and healthcare staff are being prioritised, with 20,000 people to get the jab every week. All elderly nursing-home residents are expected to be vaccinated by mid-February. The only vaccine currently available in Ireland is the Pfizer/BioNTech one, which requires two doses. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) is reportedly considering a proposal to increase the administration of the first dose and delay the second so that more people will begin the inoculation process earlier. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has suggested that the current Covid-19 restrictions should remain in place while the vulnerable and healthcare workers are vaccinated. This could mean that they extend into February. Its a plan that will seem logical to many, but it relies on the vaccine roll-out proceeding smoothly and its crucial that a firm finish line is in place to keep the public on board. Can the testing-and-tracing system cope? There have been worrying indications of the strain Irelands testing-and-tracing system is under. Independent.ie reports today that the pressure is so great that the HSE may have to stop offering a Covid-19 test to everyone who has symptoms in the coming weeks. Anyone with symptoms of the virus is still being referred for testing as of now, but the automatic testing of such people may have to be abandoned. The HSE has already stopped referring close contacts of confirmed cases for automatic testing as part of the effort to maintain effective turnaround times for testing and contact tracing. This is to prioritise people with symptoms and close contacts are still advised to restrict their movements for 14 days. The current capacity for testing is around 25,000 per day. There have been delays in the reporting of confirmed cases as positive tests require validation before confirmation. Last Friday, Professor Philip Nolan from Nphet said that in excess of 9,000 cases would be reported following such delays. He insisted it does not affect case management or contact tracing. But it is an example of the system being under pressure. As has been the case since the start of the pandemic, confidence in the testing-and-tracing system is important to reassure the public that the Government and health service are keeping the virus under control. This confidence is being undermined at the moment. What is the future of pandemic financial supports? More than 277,000 were being supported by the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) of up to 350 per week in the time leading up to Christmas. However, renewed Covid-19 restrictions have led to many businesses having to close their doors since then. That means the unemployment figure will have risen, with tens of thousands of people expected to be laid off. The Government is to keep the PUP at its current rate until the end of March at least. But there is no certainty over what level of Covid-19 restrictions will be in place at that time and how many people will be able to return to work before then. The current restrictions have led to the closure of hospitality, non-essential retail and other businesses such as gyms and cinemas. The longer they continue, the more pressure there will be on the Government to outline the future of the PUP and financial supports for businesses. Businesses forced to close last week are receiving a double payment for two weeks under the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS). The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) is also slated to last until the end of March and will be subject to review before then. Workers and businesses will want certainty on the future of such supports long before March 31. Lorraine Kelly was left in hysterics on Tuesday as she spoke to Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey about the racy period drama. The presenter, 61, couldn't help but get flustered before the actor, 32, appeared on the show, as a picture was shown of him having make-up put on his posterior for one of his sex scenes in the Netflix hit. Trying to inform viewers about his appearance onscreen, Lorraine burst into laughter when she saw the picture of Jonathan in character as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, before quipping: 'Ooh I say!' Losing it: Lorraine Kelly was left in hysterics as she chatted to Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey in a very amusing innuendo-filled chat about the racy period drama on Tuesday Jonathan spoke about going nude and filming sex scenes in Bridgerton during his appearance, which was filled with cheeky jokes as Lorraine asked if they could 'talk briefly about bottoms' and called his posterior 'a peach-like thing of beauty'. Lorraine also asked about him having make-up put on his behind and accidentally called the person doing the role a 'fluffer', a term used for a person who works in the porn industry. Amused by her question, but missing her innuendo, Jonathan said: 'Well I dont know what they call it Lorraine, I think it's ice breaking isn't it? Amusing: Jonathan, who plays Anthony Bridgerton, spoke about going nude and filming sex scenes in Bridgerton during his appearance as Lorraine cracked jokes Losing it: Before he came on screen, Lorraine burst into laughter when she saw a picture of him having make-up put on his posterior for one of his sex scenes 'That was my first scene, funnily enough youve blurred out a bit of bum that makes it look like shes painted over it. 'You pull down your breeches, it's an incredibly safe set, we had an intimacy coordinator which meant doing any sex scenes was really empowered, the women felt really safe with the man which is really important and in turn you feel safe. 'But, there is a moment and when they go "can you lower the breeches", and I lowered the breeches for the first time they said "can we call in makeup", it was just a shine of the botty.' Joking around: In the innuendo-themed chat, Lorraine asked Jonathan if they could 'talk briefly about bottoms' and called his posterior 'a peach-like thing of beauty' Looking back: Talking about the scene, Jonathan said: 'I lowered the breeches for the first time they said "can we call in makeup", it was just a shine of the botty' Heaping praise on how Bridgerton features racy sex scenes with the female gaze in mind, he claimed it 're-establishes the balance' in cinema. He said: 'Its really important to see sexuality through a female gaze which is I know is something really important through the eyes of Daphne [Bridgerton]. 'We've had 50 years of cinema where we always see a ladies top coming off as the man lies back in bed. 'So, to be a part of something which re-establishes the balance in how we show our sexuality, and how men and woman are exploited or not is also something Im incredibly proud of as well.' Steamy: Heaping praise on Bridgerton's racy sex scenes, Jonathan said he was proud 'to be a part of something which re-establishes the balance in how we show our sexuality' Gushing: Jonathan went on to talk about lead star Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Anthony's sister Daphne, and said: 'She was delicate, generous, she's stunning in the show throughout' Bridgerton follows the story of Daphne and the Duke of Hastings (Rege-Jean Page), who embark on a fake relationship to help each other's causes in Regency London before inadvertently falling in love with each other. The show boasts a hugely diverse cast, and Jonathan gushed about it as he told Lorraine: 'It puts people of colour back in history, maybe where they were always whitewashed. 'Shonda Rhimes is known for increasing diversity and helping people feel seen in society we live in today.' Plot: Bridgerton follows the story of Daphne and the Duke of Hastings (Rege-Jean Page, pictured), who embark on a fake relationship to help each other's causes in Regency London Jonathan went on to talk about lead star Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Anthony's sister Daphne, and said: 'Ive never worked with her before, and she led that show. 'She was delicate, generous, she's stunning in the show throughout, one of the great joys of the show is that we are friends, and not that she needs protecting at all but I do feel very protective of her.' After the interview, Lorraine once again started laughing hysterically after she learned what the term 'fluffer' meant, and apologised for using the term as she joked that her phone had 'blown up' with messages about her error. Awkward: Lorraine asked about him having make-up put on his behind and accidentally called the person doing the role a 'fluffer', a term used for a person who works in the porn industry Listen to article (Bloomberg Opinion) This is one of a series of interviews by Bloomberg Opinion columnists on how to solve today's most pressing policy challenges. It has been condensed and edited. James Gibney: About two weeks ago, more than 300 schoolboys were freed after being abducted from a boarding school by gunmen in northwest Nigeria, an incident that drew widespread media attention. What does this episode and its murky resolution tell us about Nigeria and its future trajectory? John Campbell, Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations: Well, in addition to the 300 that you're referring to, there was also the thwarting of a second kidnapping attempt involving an additional 80 boys. The security services appear to have responded quickly, but in both cases the role of informal, locally-organized militias is unclear. So when you say that the circumstances are murky, that is exactly right. In the case of the 300, it's credible, even likely, that the state government paid ransom to the bandits who actually carried out the kidnapping. Abubakar Shekau, the head of one faction of Boko Haram, an Islamist terrorist group operating in northern Nigeria, has claimed that the kidnapping was done at his behest. It's not clear whether that's true, nor whether the bandits who did the kidnapping essentially put the victims up for auction and the state government outbid Boko Haram. It is clear, however, that this is yet another sign of the breakdown of security in northern Nigeria and the impotence of the federal government in responding to security threats. JG: The Financial Times recently published an editorial saying that Nigeria, projected to have the world's third biggest population by 2050, risks becoming a failed state. You were the political counselor at the U.S. embassy in Nigeria during the late 1980s, and then the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria from 2004 to 2007. You've written several books on Nigeria since then, including the just-published Nigeria and the Nation-State. What do you consider to be the greatest threat to Nigeria's future stability? JC: It partly depends on how you define Nigeria. A relatively large area on the map colored red will remain. The national capital in Abuja will remain. There will continue to be a diplomatic service. The country will continue to be active in international organizations. But the power of the federal government seems to be declining rapidly, and political power is increasingly being exercised by sub-national entities, in some cases individual Nigerian states, in other cases jihadi groups, bandits or traditional rulers. If you're going to call Nigeria a failing state or a state that risks failure and many, many Nigerians believe that you're implying that Nigeria is a nation-state as the world traditionally defines it. JG: Right. JC: By that criteria, Nigeria is failing. But if you look at Nigeria as some other type of entity, then it seems to me, while it may well be increasingly dysfunctional, you can't say that it's failing. In fact, for the top 1-2% of the Nigerian population that has grown wealthy from oil revenue, the current situation is relatively satisfactory. They send their children abroad for education, not to boarding schools in Nigeria where they're subject to kidnapping. They go to London or Johannesburg for medical attention, not to the public hospitals, which are failing. The current political arrangements provide a venue for sharing out political offices and oil revenue. So I think we have to be careful about using terms like failed state. JG: In your most recent book, you talk about Nigerians' weak sense of national identity, and the obstacle this poses to getting people to pull together and the state to function. What accounts for this? Why are Nigerians likely to express their sense of identity more in tribal or regional than in national terms? JC: We have to go back to history, which has not been kind to Nigeria. As an entity on the map, it was created by the British for bureaucratic convenience. They lumped together more than 350 different ethnic groups which had never had anything in common before. And they did this fairly recently. The British established a colony in Lagos only in 1860, unified the country only in 1914 and then left in 1960. Furthermore, there was no independence movement that transcended ethnic and religious divisions in the country and that could provide an impetus toward national unity as it did in Kenya, or as it did in Algeria. There was opposition to British rule, but it was based ethnically rather than nationwide. It was against colonialism and racism rather than for Nigeria. JG: Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer. But in one of your book's many eye-popping statistics, you note that an estimated 80 percent of the oil revenue probably ends up in the hands of 1% of the population. What accounts for such corruption and inequality? How did this capturing of state resources by elites which your book describes as prebendalism evolve? JC: A couple of factors came together at the same time. From the very beginning, reflecting what I understand to be British legal practice, the oil in the ground belonged to the state, so you start with that. Then you add to that the Biafra War, a major civil war that left up to two million people dead, and that resulted in a generation of military rule just as oil came on stream in enormous quantities. In other words, an almost unimaginable flow of wealth into an entity which had very, very weak institutions and in which those who exercised power were military officers. On top of that, Nigerian society is organized into patronage-clientage networks, which go from the top of the social pyramid to the bottom. George Packer did a fascinating article in the New Yorker some years ago about patronage-clientage networks in the Lagos garbage dump and how garbage pickers organized themselves. So you put those three things together, you end up with prebendalism the elite sense that they were entitled to state wealth. Keep in mind that government authority has only rarely been nationwide. Mostly, it's islands of central authority in a sea of spaces that are governed by sub-national or non-governmental groups. JG: As you point out in your book, Nigeria was once the breadbasket of West Africa, and now it's a net importer of food. What explains the decline of agriculture, which was presumably an economic and societal mainstay, a key part of the fabric of life? JC: The oil curse is the short answer. When oil came on board, the way you got rich was essentially by capturing the state, capturing oil revenue. You didn't get rich through investment in agriculture. An additional dimension is that the population of Nigeria has exploded. Even long after independence, the population was around 60 million or so. Now, one estimate is that it's around 205 million. There are many, many more mouths to feed. If the country were to continue to be food self-sufficient, it would have required massive investment in agriculture. And that simply didn't happen. JG: Right, and nor does there seem to have been much needed investment in other areas. As your book notes, the Scottish city of Edinburgh, with a population of less than a half-million, produces more electricity than Nigeria's entire national grid. JC: That's right. Another statistic that concentrates the mind is that Nigeria, with 205 million people, has a GDP that's less than that of the state of Maryland, with 6 million. JG: As a Marylander, I guess I should be proud. The World Bank says that the pandemic could set back levels of personal income in Nigeria by four decades. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have called for Nigeria to enact reforms to energize the economy. President Muhammadu Buhari's government made some moves this year on fuel subsidies. Do you think it's likely to make any progress in doing things like unifying the exchange rate and allowing the currency to float? JC: It's fair to say that President Buhari is not overly impressed with economists in general and sees his role as president as, among other things, chief protector of the poor. He believes that if you devalue the currency in a country in which, as he puts it, everything including toothpicks is imported, then you are shifting the burden to the poor, and he resists that. Yes, there have been some let's put it in quotation marks reforms that his government has implemented. But this again takes us back to what we mean by reforms in a post-colonial entity rather than in a traditional nation-state. JG: In fact, you pointedly say that one of the main reasons you wrote your most recent book is that you worry the United States could end up making the same mistakes in its policies toward Nigeria as it has in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. What's your greatest fear about U.S. policy toward Nigeria? JC: My greatest fear is that because of a general lack of granular knowledge, we fail to understand what Nigeria really is. Let's say that the military relationship develops between Nigeria and the U.S., with significant numbers of U.S. defense personnel on the ground. Then something bad happens, that presence escalates, and it becomes increasingly hard for the U.S. to extract itself. I'm thinking of something like the tragic killing in October 2017 of the four U.S. soldiers in neighboring Niger. It's dangerous to get involved in a security relationship with an entity that you don't understand very well, and which in turn can be driven by a lack of understanding of various jihadi groups that are clearly hostile to the U.S., and of the relationship between those groups and the people who live in the area. JG: Could you take this point about granular knowledge back to your experience as ambassador, and what you wished you had known at the beginning of your tour that you knew at the end? JC: I think that when I was ambassador, I was much too concerned with, and paid much too much attention to, the executive, the president, the foreign ministry. I didn't pay nearly enough attention to soft diplomacy, to building ties with religious leaders, governors, academics and the business community. We knew there was something funny going on in Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was established in 2002, but we had no understanding or knowledge of its context, of what it was to become. To understand that required a knowledge of northern Nigeria that we didn't have until recently. And this is the real problem we didn't set out promptly enough to develop this knowledge. JG: So how do you encourage that more granular approach? JC: By decentralizing our diplomatic presence. When I was ambassador, we had a big embassy in Abuja and a big consulate in Lagos. That was it. What is needed is an American presence in a variety of different places around the country. It's existed in the past, but it doesn't exist now. The response to this suggestion is often, Well, how do you go about protecting American diplomats in these places? My response: It's perfectly possible to do it, and it's going to cost you some money but far less money than the kinds of mistakes we made in Afghanistan and Iraq. JG: Toward the end of your book you sketch out scenarios that could unfold in Nigeria. The one you seem to think most likely is not collapse, but that Nigeria is just going to continue to make do as a prebendal archipelago, with pockets of government authority and elites continuing to monopolize state resources. So what, if anything, can the U.S. and other nations or entities do to help Nigeria to develop and to build a government more responsive to the majority of its citizens? JC: A variety of things that mostly fall under the rubric of soft diplomacy. Working to strengthen civil society, mostly through increased exchanges. Working for the independence of the judiciary and supporting the court system. Courts in Nigeria operate almost entirely by pen and paper, not by computer. It's one reason among many why the wheels of justice in Nigeria turn so slowly. We also need to greatly strengthen our ties with those who really shape where Nigeria is going particularly religious leaders, governors, some traditional rulers and some businessmen. But the thing is, Nigeria is a huge and complicated place. You can't identify those people from Abuja or Lagos. You actually have to be on the ground. I should also mention the Nigerian media, which is vibrant and in some cases quite courageous it could benefit from what public diplomacy can provide in terms of training journalists and so forth. JG: A lot of media reportage is about the bad things happening in Nigeria, but it's also clear that this is a country with enormous potential, with a lot of influence and heft across Africa in terms of peacekeeping, in terms of promoting democracy, economic ingenuity and innovation. In the U.S., for instance, Nigerians are a very successful diaspora group. JC: Oh, yes. One of the really interesting things about the Nigerian diaspora is how it flourishes when it gets out from under the Nigerian system. Which is why if, if the Nigerian system were to change significantly for the better, the potential for Nigeria, and for Africa, would be huge. JG: So what's your bottom line in terms of the U.S. approach to Nigeria? What are you looking for the U.S. to do? JC: First, to recognize Nigeria for what it is, not a state in the classic Westphalian mode but a post-colonial entity. Then, to move slowly, carefully, and above all, do no harm. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. James Gibney is an editor for Bloomberg Opinion. Previously an editor at the Atlantic, the New York Times, Smithsonian, Foreign Policy and the New Republic, he was also in the U.S. Foreign Service from 1989 to 1997 in India, Japan and Washington. This piece was originally titled Failed State: Can Nigeria be saved? For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Investor Webinar January 7, 2021 at 12:00pm ET Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Element 29 Resources Inc. (TSXV: ECU) ("Element 29" or "E29" or the "Company") provides an update and summary of its wholly-owned Elida Copper Project ("Elida") located in central Peru. Elida is a large porphyry copper-molybdenum-silver (Cu-Mo-Ag) system discovered in 2015. Elida Highlights 2015 drilling consists of 18 diamond drill holes totalling 9,880 metres (" m "). See Figure 1. All holes intercepted Cu-Mo-Ag mineralization. Highlight hole intercepted 503 m of 0.42% Cu, 0.046% Mo, 3.23 g/t Ag, for 0.579% CuEq grades . "). See Resides in a large 2.0 x 2.0 kilometre (" km ") Cu-Mo-Ag porphyry system. ") Cu-Mo-Ag porphyry system. Close to infrastructure: highway, power, and west coast. Community agreement renewed and in place to 2025. Environmental Evaluation (" FTA" ) approval obtained and final drill permit pending early 2021. ) approval obtained and final drill permit pending early 2021. 3,600 m diamond drill program planned in 2021. Brian Booth, President & CEO of Element 29 comments, "We are excited to introduce our Elida project to the public markets. Elida is a large porphyry copper system comprised of five individual porphyry centres of which only the central target has been drilled returning numerous long mineralized intersections. This drilling confirmed the significant size potential of the system and its excellent exploration upside for future discovery." An initial drill program, completed by Elida's previous operator, Lundin Mining Peru SAC ("Lundin"), consisted of a total of 9,880 m in 18 diamond drill holes. All holes intercepted Cu-Mo-Ag mineralization, with six of the holes at the Central/Area 1 Target that intercepted significant Cu-Mo-Ag mineralization. DDH 15ELID012 returned the highest assay results, with an intercept of 503 m of 0.42% Cu, 0.046% Mo, 3.23 g/t Ag, for 0.579% CuEq grade, including 393 m of 0.455% Cu, 0.048% Mo, 3.58 g/t Ag, for 0.623% CuEq grades (Table 1). Some of the mineralized intercepts begin immediately below the colluvial cover demonstrating that the mineralized system sub-crops beneath the post-mineral unconsolidated cover sequence. Most drill holes also ended in mineralization, suggesting the system is open at depth. With a renewed community agreement in place until 2025, Element 29 has been working alongside our community partners for years and reinforces our strong relationship with local stakeholders. In July 2019, the Company received FTA approval for Elida from the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru ("MINEM"). The FTA enables the Company to commence its drilling program at Elida subject to filing a notice for permit activation and obtaining the local water permit which is expected to be received in early 2021. 2021 Drill Program The 2021 exploration program will consist of 3,600 m of in-fill drilling in and around the known copper mineralization at the Central/Area 1 Target to tighten up the drill spacing in order to complete a maiden National Instrument 43- 101 compliant mineral resource estimate (anticipated completion by the end of 2021). Preliminary metallurgical studies are also planned to be completed from existing core from previous drilling. The Company is pursuing an exploration target at the Elida Central/Area 1 of 200M to 500M tonnes, with grades ranging between 0.35%-0.45% Cu, 0.03%-0.05% Mo and 3.5 g/t to 4.5 g/t Ag. This exploration target is based on the high-quality data from the initial 18 drill hole diamond drill program (9,880 m) completed by Lundin, and the surficial mapping and detailed interpretations undertaken by Lundin and Globetrotters Resources Peru SAC. The potential quantity and grade of this exploration target is conceptual in nature. There is currently insufficient drilling data to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in this target being delineated as a mineral resource. (See SEDAR - Technical Report Elida - November 13, 2020). Webinar Management will be hosting a webinar at 12:00pm ET January 7, 2021 to discuss the Company's two highly prospective and advanced copper projects - Elida and Flor de Cobre. Register for free HERE. Table 1: 2015 Drilling Drill hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) CuEq* (%) Cu (%) Mo (%) Au (ppm) Ag (ppm) 14ELID002 46.0 613.9 567.9 0.436 0.280 0.048 0.006 2.52 including 49.7 76.0 26.3 0.541 0.432 0.025 0.006 3.91 and including 108.0 336.0 228.0 0.519 0.351 0.048 0.007 3.69 and including 382.0 448.0 66.0 0.468 0.299 0.055 0.008 1.89 14ELID004 24.0 331.0 307.0 0.388 0.304 0.023 0.005 2.12 including 42.0 67.0 25.0 0.454 0.357 0.028 0.006 1.95 and including 147.0 223.0 76.0 0.485 0.393 0.023 0.007 2.62 and 369.0 415.0 46.0 0.276 0.216 0.016 0.006 1.48 and 541.0 605.3 64.3 0.211 0.163 0.013 0.004 1.13 15ELID005 34.0 547.8 513.8 0.329 0.242 0.024 0.003 2.01 including 89.8 121.0 31.2 0.404 0.271 0.041 0.003 2.20 and including 339.0 365.0 26.0 0.506 0.395 0.029 0.003 3.37 and including 414.0 463.0 49.0 0.428 0.370 0.011 0.003 2.89 15ELID006 22.2 85.0 62.8 0.208 0.165 0.008 0.006 1.83 15ELID007 71.0 530.0 459.0 0.280 0.188 0.028 0.004 1.59 15ELID008 25.0 73.0 48.0 0.253 0.218 0.004 0.003 2.35 and 105.0 166.0 61.0 0.203 0.142 0.016 0.003 1.69 15ELID009 11.0 84.0 73.0 0.275 0.216 0.014 0.004 2.05 and 117.0 380.0 263.0 0.293 0.215 0.024 0.006 1.21 and 444.0 507.3 63.3 0.209 0.088 0.042 0.003 0.65 15ELID010 8.3 145.0 136.7 0.256 0.163 0.029 0.007 1.14 and 268.0 443.0 175.0 0.213 0.152 0.018 0.005 1.08 15ELID011 116.0 242.0 126.0 0.218 0.151 0.021 0.003 1.05 and 274.0 576.5 302.5 0.287 0.186 0.032 0.004 1.31 15ELID012 55.1 558.0 502.9 0.579 0.420 0.046 0.008 3.23 including 57.0 450.0 393.0 0.623 0.455 0.048 0.008 3.58 and including 484.0 558.0 74.0 0.466 0.346 0.035 0.007 2.17 15ELID014 70.0 532.0 462.0 0.492 0.335 0.047 0.007 2.89 including 80.0 176.0 96.0 0.582 0.433 0.037 0.012 4.33 and including 195.1 359.4 164.3 0.637 0.416 0.069 0.006 3.28 and including 435.9 477.0 41.1 0.470 0.363 0.023 0.009 4.23 15ELID015 93.6 639.2 545.6 0.480 0.329 0.042 0.008 3.60 including 199.6 306.2 106.6 0.585 0.421 0.040 0.010 5.12 and including 349.0 381.0 32.0 0.582 0.403 0.036 0.007 8.00 and including 396.0 428.0 32.0 0.586 0.419 0.048 0.008 3.51 and including 474.0 639.2 165.2 0.593 0.395 0.058 0.011 3.72 15ELID016 65.5 210.0 144.5 0.284 0.218 0.011 0.004 3.70 15ELID017 84.0 494.0 410.0 0.295 0.230 0.009 0.006 3.92 including 260.4 318.0 57.6 0.490 0.393 0.011 0.008 6.52 15ELID018 276.1 398.9 122.8 0.266 0.201 0.005 0.004 4.87 and 430.4 583.6 153.2 0.234 0.189 0.004 0.004 3.30 Drilling and sampling was carried out by Lundin Mining Peru SAC (2014-2015). ALS-Global Laboratories in Lima, Peru, analysed the half-core by ME-ICP41, which includes 35 elements using an Aqua Regia digestion ICP-AES analysis and gold fire assay with an AA finish (Au-AA23). The over limits underwent ME-OG46 for ore grade elements using an Aqua Regia digestion. Reported widths are drill core lengths; true widths are unknown at this time. Assay values are uncut. *The calculated Copper Equivalent (CuEq. (%)) grade was used to determine the significant intervals (>0.20% CuEq. and >30 m core length, with higher grade intervals using a >0.40% CuEq. and >15m core length). *CuEq. = Cu(%) + Mo(%) x 2.667 +Au (ppm) x 0.6320 +Ag (ppm) x 0.0097 (no metallurgy has been completed at Elida, therefore no metallurgical recovery was applied in the copper equivalent formula). Cu Price= $3.00 USD/lb, Mo Price = $8.00 USD/lb, Au Price=$1,300.00 USD/oz, Ag Price=$20.00 USD/oz. Core from the first 18-drill hole program, totaling 9,880 metres, was logged and sampled on site. A total of 5,612 rock samples, including core samples, were collected and analyzed by Au-AA23 and ME-ICP41 at ALS-Global Laboratories in Lima, Peru. Table 1 (above) presents a summary of the drill assay results. Spectral analysis of the rocks samples was also conducted, with a total of 5,065 readings completed at ALS Global Lab using a Terraspec instrument measuring VNIR and SWIR spectra. Systematic magnetic susceptibility and specific gravity measurements were also taken for every rock core sample. The remaining half core for all holes is stored at the company's secure core storage facility located in Lima. The Elida porphyry complex is a Cu-Mo-Ag mineralized multiphase porphyry system approximately 2.0 km x 2.0 km in size at surface, associated with Eocene aged quartz monzonite stocks, emplaced into the Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence and a granodiorite member of Coastal Batholith. Elida is one of the first Eocene-aged mineralized porphyry systems discovered in Peru, suggesting a potential extension of the highly prolific Eocene Copper Belt from Northern Chile into Peru. The Eocene Copper Belt is known to host copper the renowned Chuquicamata and La Escondida copper porphyry systems. The initial drill program by Lundin intersected a Cu-Mo-Ag-Zn mineralized porphyry system centred on an early quartz-feldspar porphyry stock herein referred to as the 'Elida Porphyry Stock'. This stock has an elliptical shape in plan with dimensions approximately 300m x 500m and is elongated east-west. Porphyry mineralization displays a clear zonation from a central, high temperature core containing molybdenum and minor copper outward to a concentric copper molybdenum zone that contains the better drill hole intersections. Silver is relatively common yet minor in content throughout the mineralization. Zinc is anomalous throughout the mineralized intervals and shows a crude zonation, increasing toward the outer limits of mineralization. Most of the mineralized porphyry rocks at surface are variably replaced by sericite and accompanying pyrite (phyllic alteration) and modified by weathering. A leached profile is preserved at higher elevations within the porphyry complex. In-situ and transported hematitic leached capping is locally abundant. Both exotic and indigenous Cu-oxide minerals are present. The drill hole intercepts presented in Table 1 have been prepared by Christopher Keech P.Geo., Principal Geologist for CGK Consulting Services Inc. Mr. Keech is a Qualified Person as set out in National Instrument 43-101 and is independent of Element 29 Resources Inc. Technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Brian Booth, P.Geo. the Company's President & CEO, who is Element 29's qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 and responsible for technical matters of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. About Element 29 Resources Inc. Element 29 Resources Inc. is an emerging copper exploration and development company focused on advancing its portfolio of Peruvian projects towards development in one of the lowest-risk mining jurisdictions in the world. Element 29's growth strategy is led by our strong board and management who have a proven track record of discovery and delivering significant value to our shareholders. The Company's principal objective is to explore and develop its flagship Flor de Cobre porphyry Cu-Mo project located in southern Peru, just 26 kms southeast from Freeport-McMoRan's Cerro Verde Cu-Mo-Au mine. At the same time, the Company intends to build on its copper inventory with continued exploration on its Flor de Cobre project as well as its remaining 22,000 ha of mining concessions in Peru including the recently discovered Elida porphyry Cu-Mo-Ag system located in central Peru, just 85 km from the coast. Both projects are well located for future mine development and will benefit from nearby infrastructure including roads, powerlines, ports, water, and a skilled workforce. More information is available at www.e29copper.com. Contact Brian Booth - President, Chief Executive Officer and Director Phone: 888-246-7881 E-mail: info@e29copper.com Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "Forward-looking Statements"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute Forward-looking Statements. Words such as "will", "intends", "proposed" and "expects" or similar expressions are intended to identify Forward-looking Statements. Forward looking Statements in this press release include statements related to the listing of the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange, the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, the Company's resource properties, and the Company's plans, focus and objectives. Forward-looking Statements involve various risks and uncertainties and are based on certain factors and assumptions. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include uncertainties related to fluctuations in copper and other commodity prices, uncertainties inherent in the exploration of mineral properties, the impact and progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and other risk factors set forth in the Company's preliminary prospectus under the heading "Risk Factors". The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any Forward-looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for E29 to predict all of them, or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any Forward-looking Statement. Any Forward-looking Statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Figure 1: Elida Copper Project - 2015 historic drill locations and target areas To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7414/71352_e5beb6b794b829f7_003full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71352 A little more than a month after Fort Dix prison reported the most coronavirus cases of any federal facility in the country, an assistant U.S. Attorney wrote to a federal judge that the correctional institution had the virus under control with only 13 inmates positive as of Dec. 17. Fast forward to now and Fort Dix is once again the epicenter of the virus in the federal prison system less than three weeks after the first significant wave was tamped down. Nearly 600 inmates out of 2,700 are positive with the virus as of Tuesday, putting the low-security prison once again at the top of the list for the number of cases in the federal prison system, according to the BOP. In interviews and court documents, inmates and their families said the situation is getting worse by the day as the outlook becomes increasingly dire. It is inhumane the way they are being treated, said Jane Pomroff, whose son has 15 months left on his sentence for drug charges. While assistant U.S. Attorney Angelica M. Sinopole wrote to a federal judge in December that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has taken proper steps to prevent further spread of infection and many of the infected individuals already have recovered, inmates describe a different scene. Siddeeq Williams, who is serving a 10-year sentence on drug distribution charges, said he is still suffering from symptoms after contracting the virus in October. His pleas for medical help were being ignored, Williams wrote to a federal judge, adding that the number of cases would be staggering if the prison were actively testing inmates, according to court documents. Your honor, this is a cry for help, Williams wrote to the judge on Jan. 2. I am in the middle of the largest COVID-19 outbreak in the federal prison system and Im sick. I dont want to die here. Please send me home where I can get the medical help I need. My cries for help are being ignored, the father of five wrote. Tess Borden, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who has been monitoring the prisons response to the pandemic, said the BOP has failed to keep these people in its custody safe and healthy, including properly testing, quarantining and releasing inmates. Every time I speak to someone at Fort Dix or to their families, I hear desperation on the other end of the line, she said. People fear for their lives. Federal lawmakers from New Jersey demanded the prison come up with a plan in November to prevent a future outbreak and halt the transfer of inmates to the prison. The BOP has had months to devise a plan to control the outbreak and stop the spread and they failed. Its shameful, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said in a statement to NJ Advance Media. With cases on the rise again at FCI Fort Dix, I urge the BOP to take this seriously and do everything possible to protect the health and safety of the staff and incarcerated individuals. The BOP did not respond to a request for comment. The agency said in November there was no evidence the significant outbreak that started in late October was connected to the transfer of nearly 300 inmates, including more than a dozen who tested positive for the virus, into the prison, though the spike in cases coincided with the outbreak. The BOP halted transfers until Nov. 23, but have since resumed them, according to court documents and family members of inmates. One woman, who asked not to be identified out of fear of retaliation for her son, said her son was transferred from Ray Brook federal prison in New York to Fort Dix in mid-December. She said he was placed in quarantine with around 60 other inmates who had also been transferred in from around the country. He received two negative tests upon leaving Ray Brook, she said. He has since tested positive for COVID-19 while being held at Fort Dix. He is quarantining in horrible conditions with no hot water, his mother said. He is set to be released as early as Feb. 2. Its like they sending you to Fort Dix to try and kill you, the woman said. Why would they send you there when you have a short amount of time like him? Larry Murphy, who began serving his sentence amid the pandemic, told a federal judge that after quarantining at the prison for 30 days after turning himself in, he was placed in a unit with a large number of people (who) are still sick and exhibiting symptoms. I would ask your Honor or to simply google search FCI Fort Dix Coronavirus, and read about this specific building where Im currently housed, Murphy wrote. The building where he is housed, 5812, is where Troy Wragg, who has epilepsy, and more than 200 other inmates were housed when they contracted the virus. Wraggs wife said her husband has been sick for more than a month and has a severe upper respiratory infection that affects his breathing. Its absolute chaos and terrifying for everyone, Wragg said in a message via his wife. Our health and lives are at risk and theres been no true signs of trying to fix this whatsoever. Many of us, including myself, have severe lingering health complications due to our COVID-19 diagnosis that could have absolutely been avoided. Borden, of the ACLU, said people inside have told her there have been outbreaks throughout the prison on the east and west side, as well as the minimum security camp where more than 150 inmates live in open-air dormitories. One inmate living in the camp wrote in a Dec. 28 court filing that he hadnt even had his temperature taken by staff in months and predicted it will be no surprise if the numbers increase dramatically after a number of inmates showed symptoms of the virus. Were hearing reports of extreme sickness, inadequate medical care, widespread fear and a sense of helplessness, Borden said. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb ordered the government to provide a status update regarding the efforts being taken by the Bureau of Prisons to address the apparent COVID-19 outbreak at FCI Fort Dix. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will begin his three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, where he will discuss issues of mutual and bilateral interests with the country's top leadership. He is expected to push for the release of apprehended Indian fishermen and also hold talks on the stalled Colombo port project. S Jaishankar is the first Indian dignitary to visit Sri Lanka in the year 2021 and the meeting also marks the first since President Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed full presidential powers. The Foreign Minister will meet President Rajapaksa, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena during his visit from December 5 to 7. In the statement, the MEA said, Jaishankar will hold discussions with his counterpart and Sri Lanka's leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations. As such, it signifies the priority both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest. READ | India Calls On Sri Lanka For Early Release Of 40 Fishermen & Boats; Reminds Of Assurance About the stalled Colombo project India plans to build the East Container Terminal (ECT) development project at Colombo Port, in collaboration with Tokyo in a mega $500 million deal. But the project has been halted due to strong opposition from Colombo Port trade unions. In May 2019, India and Japan had signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Sri Lankan government to develop the terminal at the Colombo Port, but the Sri Lankan unions and leftist opposition groups began mounting public resistance to the port deal. S Jaishankar is likely to push for the quick implementation of the project during his visit. READ | External Affairs Minister Jaishankar To Begin 3-day Visit To Sri Lanka On Tuesday Release of 40 Indian fishermen Jaishankar's visit has come less than a week after India called on Sri Lanka to release 40 Indian fishermen and six boats apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. India had also urged the island nation to provide necessary facilitation and assistance, such as consular access, to the fishermen. The discussion took place during the fourth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries on December 31. The Indian delegation reaffirmed commitment to working constructively with their Sri Lankan counterparts to address all issues related to fishermen and their livelihoods, in line with past commitments. Jaishankar is likely to raise the matter of apprehended fishermen and boats with the top leadership of Sri Lanka. READ | India-Lanka Strengthen Ties, Revive Maritime Dialogue Despite Pandemic In 2020 READ | India In Close Touch With Sri Lanka For Early Release Of Fishermen: MEA After U.S. National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe proclaimed that "China is National Security Threat No.1" in a Wall Street Journal article on December 3, 2020, he followed it up with a Fox News interview a few days later, claiming that China is "altering DNA" of its 2-million-strong military personnel, "trying to make them stronger through gene editing." These two comments alone had people in China scratching their heads and wondering how many Americans actually take seriously remarks by this high-ranking official, who apparently gets his daily intelligence briefings from Marvel Comics. Ratcliffe's Oscar-caliber performance has a market. His mind-blowing assertions triggered Fox host Maria Bartiromo to exclaim that China is making super soldiers who are "more equipped to handle extreme weather and chemical attacks." Ratcliffe's "China experts" get rewarded for expounding the "China threat" theory with a 20-percent boost in the nation's spy budget, according to The Wall Street Journal. Is China really a threat to the U.S.? Let's look at what former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said to President Donald Trump once. He said since 1979 (when China started to pursue the reform and opening-up policy), China has not spent a single penny on war, while the U.S. has stayed at war, wasting $3 trillion. If the rapid economic growth of China constitutes national security threat No.1 for the U.S., would it be fair to argue that as the world's most powerful nation, the U.S., which has 800 military bases in more than 70 countries and territories around the world, even after closing hundreds in Iraq and Afghanistan, is international security threat No.1? How about the fact that five of the 11 U.S. combatant commands are targeting non-U.S. territories? Or that if you look closely at a map of its bases it becomes clear that the U.S. military has encircled China? The U.S. wars on Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, to name a few, have left millions, if not tens of millions, of innocent civilians dead or displaced. Establishing and supporting regimes in oil-rich countries that favor U.S. interests in the name of preserving "freedom and democracy" is the height of altruistic hypocrisy. The world warily waits for the next "weapons of mass destruction" scenario. The U.S. as we knew itthe country that helped Europe get back on its feet, brought enemies back into the community of nations and reshaped the international order toward openness and fairnesshas fallen into oblivion. We can't help but lament how much the wasted money could do to improve the lives of regular American people. Currently, the U.S. death toll from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) surpasses 335,000, rising every day, with seniors and people of color bearing the brunt. As Robert Reich, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, commented recently on Twitter on U.S. aid to its own people, "Providing a measly $600 check to survive the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression while doling out more than $1 million per minute to the Pentagon is the real looting in America." Meanwhile, Trump is pushing for stimulus checks of $2,000 for individuals. Whether that is just posturing on his part, it's what the pandemic-ruined people really deserve. We strongly urge the U.S. Government to turn its attention to caring for its people instead of focusing its valuable resources on a misguided "China threat." Cranking up the "China threat," questioning presidential election results and promoting a COVID-19 conspiracy theory speak volume about Ratcliffe's capability as the nation's top spy. He will most likely be remembered as a faithful servant and loyal follower of his masterDonald Trump, if he is even remembered. Tara and Mark Piatt I understand the stress of dealing with a transition, especially when youre grieving a loss or a navigating a major change. Caring Transitions can step back, see the whole picture, create a customized plan and then help put those puzzle pieces together for you. - Mark Piatt Mark and Tara Piatt are pleased to announce the launch of their new senior and family-focused business, Caring Transitions of Jonesboro. Caring Transitions is the professional and compassionate choice for senior moves, downsizing and estate sales. Caring Transitions specially-trained professionals handle every detail of their clients transitions, including decluttering, organizing, packing, move management, unpacking and resettling, cleanouts, and both in-home and online estate sales. The Piatts team works in Jonesboro, Paragould, Pocahontas, Walnut Ridge, Corning, Piggott, Rector, Trumann and the surrounding areas. I always knew I wanted to do something with estate sales and I thought maybe it would be after I retired. When COVID-19 ravaged my company last April, I decided it was time to fast-track that dream, Mark said. I understand the stress of dealing with a transition, especially when youre grieving a loss or a navigating a major change. Caring Transitions can step back, see the whole picture, create a customized plan and then help put those puzzle pieces together for you. We can lead you from Point A to Point B so you can spend time with your loved ones. Caring Transitions services are perfect for managing the many aspects of a senior move, including assisting with the process of downsizing to provide a safer living situation, as well as for busy families and people clearing out the home of a loved one who has moved into assisted care or passed away. All of Caring Transitions services are customizable, so clients choose the solution that best fits their needs. Mark is a veteran who served as an officer in the United States Air Force for eight years during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He worked a corporate job for more than 20 years before launching Caring Transitions. Hes also a member of the American Numismatic Association and has helped with estate sales, auctions and appraisals of coins and other currency. Mark and Tara been active members of the community for 22 years and have volunteered with multiple service clubs and organizations. Mark was a member of the inaugural class of Leadership Arkansas and Tara was a member of Junior Auxiliary of Paragould, serving as PR Chairman for six years. He and Tara have been married for 33 years and they have three grown children Ellyn, who lives in Little Rock, Will, who lives in Conway, and Luke, who is attending the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. For Mark and Tara, Caring Transitions is as much about supporting their community and making a difference for families in their region as it is about owning their own business. When my stepfather passed away, my mom was left with more stuff than she could handle alone. I went to visit her in Cincinnati over the summer and we were still going through his things and thats when I found Caring Transitions. First I saw four ads for their online auctions and, as I did my research, I realized that the end-to-end solution Caring Transitions can offer to clients was something my community could use and Id enjoy. Caring Transitions allows us to make a real difference for people here in the Jonesboro area, Mark said. Caring Transitions of Jonesboro is bonded and insured and all employees are background checked. For additional information, call 870-476-4749, email MPiatt@CaringTransitions.com or visit http://www.CaringTransitionsJonesboro.com. Britain's beleaguered airlines have been dealt another crippling blow after Boris Johnson once again banned holidays under the new national lockdown. Overseas travel will now only be allowed for a handful of 'legally permitted' reasons such as work, putting paid to scores of vacations that have already been booked. TUI confirmed this morning it has cancelled all holidays until mid-February, while British Airways and easyJet said they were also reviewing their scheduled flights. It means cash-strapped airlines trying to make up losses accrued during nine months of restrictions are forced to dole out refunds to dismayed passengers. Industry bosses this morning warned the lockdown would further devastate the hard-hit sector, which has seen sales nosedive and mass lay-offs. EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou told MailOnline the situation 'will only get worse.' He added: 'The problem for airlines can be seen from the announcement just made by Ryanair that they were only using one in five of their planes in December 2020.' Coronavirus's damage to the nation's airlines was laid bare this morning when Ryanair announced year-on-year passenger numbers were down 83 per cent last month. Following last night's announcement, the Government stressed that Britons currently abroad do not need to rush back to the UK. But ministers are drawing up plans to require a negative Covid-19 test for all UK arrivals to curb the spread of the disease. Scroll down for the full government lockdown guidelines The Government has banned holidays as part of the latest coronavirus restrictions which will also see international arrivals asked to present a negative Covid-19 test to enter the country On another day of coronavirus chaos: Michael Gove today delivered a stark warning that lockdown will only start to be lifted gradually in March - and that timeline depends on the government meeting its highly ambitious targets for vaccination; Boris Johnson plunged England into a national lockdown in some ways even more brutal than last March last night in a desperate bid to keep the mutant coronavirus at bay while vaccines are rolled out; Matt Hancock said he is 'incredibly worried' about a new South African variant of coronavirus that experts fear might not be caught by the current crop of vaccines; Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old retired maintenance manager from Oxford, became the first to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine outside of trials; Teaching unions launched a concerted bid to shut down all classrooms despite Boris Johnson's plea to stay open, leaving millions of parents to begin homeschooling their children for at least a fortnight with often only a few hours' notice; The latest data show a 33 per cent rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in hospital in England between Christmas Day and January 2. How coronavirus crushed UK airlines and travel operators Flybe: Europe's largest regional airline collapsed on March 5 after months on the brink, triggering 2,400 job losses and left around 15,000 passengers stranded across the UK and Europe. British Airways: The boss of BA owner IAG demanded ministers set up airport testing after the group swung to a 5.6bn loss. The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, lost the equivalent of 900,000 an hour during the first nine months of 2020. Jet2: Reported operating losses of 111.2m for the six months to September 30, against earnings of 361.5m a year earlier. Virgin Atlantic: In September Virgin Atlantic said it could axe a further 1,150 jobs from across the company taking the total number of job losses to 4,700 during the crisis. It also urged the Government to offer carriers emergency credit facilities worth up to 7.5billion. Ryanair: Reported a loss of 197m euro (178m) in the first half of 2020, with 99 per cent of it's fleet grounded for almost four months. Traffic in the first half of the year fell from 86million to 17million passengers compared with the same period last year, and revenue dropped 78 per cent to 1.18billion euros (1.06billion). TUI: Posted a bottom-line net loss of 1.42 billion euros (1.3 billion) in the period from April to June. Easyjet: Crisis saw it crash to an annual loss of 1.27billion - the first in its 25-year history - but the prospect of a vaccine has led to a spike in sales over the past fortnight. Advertisement Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove today told Good Morning Britain that a decision is to be announced on whether the UK will demand a negative Covid test from those entering the country. He said: 'We will be making announcements later today and in the days ahead about how we will make sure that our ports and airports are safe. 'It is already the case that there are significant restrictions on people coming into this country and of course we're stressing that nobody should be travelling abroad. 'But I don't want to pre-empt the specific advice that is going to be given.' Mr Gove said he is in discussions with the devolved UK administrations about the terms of the announcement affecting international visitors. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'Protecting public health in the UK is of the utmost importance and we are looking at what additional measures could be taken with regards to international travel.' Currently, travellers arriving into the UK must complete a locator form with their contact details and may have to self-isolate if they have arrived from a country which is not included on the travel corridor list. Under the latest national lockdown rules, which is now in effect, holidays are banned as international travel is only permitted for a strict number of reasons such as for work. People with holidays took to social media to complain of their trips being cancelled. One wrote sarcastically: 'Another lockdown another holiday cancelled. Amazing.' Another said: 'Holiday for Valentine's Day has been cancelled. Cheers Boris.' Lauren Robb, 22, from Litchfield, told MailOnline she received an email last night informing her trip to Barcelona for March 7 had been cancelled due to one of the flights being scrapped. She said it was 'disappointing' as it was to celebrate her 23rd birthday and was the first overseas holiday with her boyfriend. UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, they are urged to check with their airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning. Following the announcement of lockdown and the holiday ban, airlines started reviewing their flights. British Airways said: 'We are reviewing our flight schedule following the announcement of new national lockdown restrictions. 'Our focus is on keeping crucial air links open - transporting vital goods and ensuring people who are permitted to travel can continue to do so safely. 'As always, if a customer's flight is cancelled we offer a range of options including a full refund.' EasyJet said: 'Following the Government's announcement, easyJet is reviewing its flying programme with the view to maintaining essential connectivity between key cities in the UK alongside a small number of international routes. 'We are contacting customers whose flights are cancelled with their options and all customers unable to travel as a result of the lockdown restrictions, whether their flights are cancelled or scheduled to operate, can transfer their flights to a later date for free, receive a voucher or a refund.' TUI said: 'As a result of the latest national lockdown measures announced on 4 January 2021 all TUI holidays will be cancelled in line with international travel restrictions. 'Customers due to travel from an English airport before mid-February will be contacted in departure date order to discuss their options, which will include amending to another holiday with an incentive, receiving an ATOL-protected refund credit note with incentive, or cancelling and receiving a full refund. 'All holidays from Scotland and Wales have been cancelled until 31 January. We will constantly review holiday cancellations in line with updated travel advice. 'Customers currently overseas can continue to enjoy their holidays as planned and we will update them directly if there are any changes to their holidays.' Within the UK, domestic holidays are also banned as you must stay at home at all times except for a limited number of 'reasonable excuses' such as shopping for essentials or work. The Government has said if you need to travel you should stay local meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. Two days before Christmas, Britain banned all arrivals from South Africa, as well as travel to the nation, after discovering two cases of the mutant Covid-19 strain which is driving a massive second wave among young people in the country. However, it is understood those arriving indirectly from the country did not have to prove they had tested negative before entering the UK. Neil O'Brien, Conservative MP for Harborough, tweeted measures needed to 'toughen up' at the border after one user drew comparisons to stricter rules in South Korea. Senior aviation sources told the Times the Government was due to revisit the rules surrounding international arrival and that the new strain had prompted 'a hastening in the introduction of measures' that have yet to be officially announced. But the travel association Abta warned that the measures would do little to help the industry. Heathrow pulls shutters down on Terminal 4 as passenger numbers plummet Heathrow's Terminal 4 will remain closed throughout this year as demand for air travel struggles to recover. The west London airport made the announcement at the end of 2020 as it said passenger numbers for November were down 88per cent compared with the same month last year. At the end of October, Heathrow lost its status as Europe's busiest airport as it recorded a loss of 1.5billion in the first nine months of the year due to Covid-19. Passenger numbers between July and September were down by more than 84 per cent compared with the same period in 2019, leading the west London hub to be overtaken by Paris Charles de Gaulle as the busiest in Europe. Just 747,000 people travelled through the airport on November. Terminals 3 and 4 have been closed since April and May respectively, with all flights operating from Terminals 2 and 5. The airport urged the Government to introduce full business rates relief for all UK airports and abandon its plan to scrap tax-free shopping for international visitors from January 1. Advertisement An ABTA spokesperson said: 'It's right, of course, that the Government takes steps to control the spread of the virus. 'But this needs to come with the right measures to support travel businesses which have little or no means of operating. 'For ten months now, many travel businesses have been unable to generate income putting jobs and businesses at risk and the latest Government measures mean this is unlikely to change soon. 'Yet, unlike other sectors such as hospitality, there hasn't been any tailored financial support from the UK Government to get travel businesses through the crisis. 'Other countries, including France and Italy, have established targeted schemes in recognition of the unique challenges facing travel. 'Similar recognition and support is long overdue from Westminster, and we urge Ministers to address this gap urgently.' Airlines UK is pushing for pre-departure testing and urging the government to provide better financial support for the sector. A spokesman said: 'It's vital that any lockdown is accompanied by measures to support our aviation sector, through grants and further liquidity measures such as APD relief, together with an acceleration of the roll-out of pre-departure testing and the vaccine. 'If we cannot re-open travel the future of UK aviation will be bleak indeed but we're hopeful Government will step in and recognise its importance and contribution to UK plc, so we can continue delivering for passengers.' Airlines UK Chief Executive Tim Alderslade told MailOnline: 'In terms of the pre-departure testing requirement for people travelling to the UK, this is something we've been calling for anyway, as we see it as a means of passengers not having to quarantine when they arrive in the UK, or not having to quarantine for as long. 'Obviously, it looks as though even if you're travelling from a travel corridor country you will have to take a test before departure. 'We don't dispute the need for this, given where the numbers are with the pandemic currently.' Flight data today shows commercial jets coming in and out of the UK. According to newly released data, commercial flights ended 2020 down 41.7% from 2019 The guidelines: Travel is forbidden under national lockdown 3.0 Travel You must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (for example, for work or education purposes). If you need to travel you should stay local meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. The list of reasons you can leave your home and area include, but are not limited to: work, where you cannot reasonably work from home accessing education and for caring responsibilities visiting those in your support bubble or your childcare bubble for childcare visiting hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health buying goods or services that you need, but this should be within your local area wherever possible outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space) attending the care and exercise of an animal, or veterinary services If you need to travel, walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practice social distancing while you travel. Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble. See the guidance on car sharing. If you need to use public transport, you should follow the safer travel guidance. International travel You can only travel internationally or within the UK where you first have a legally permitted reason to leave home. In addition, you should consider the public health advice in the country you are visiting. If you do need to travel overseas (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you've visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice. UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, you should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning. Foreign nationals are subject to the 'Stay at Home' regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted. This means you must not go on holiday. If you are visiting the UK, you may return home. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your destination. Advertisement Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the public to announce the latest national lockdown in a bid to combat a new strain of coronavirus which is reportedly 70 per cent more infectious PCR vs Lateral flow testing The UK favours lateral flow tests tests which are not lab based and give a result within 15 minutes. These rapid coronavirus tests are ones that can be done on the spot using portable equipment. They are faster and cheaper than lab-based PCR tests, which the government uses to diagnose people, but are less accurate. In a lateral flow test a swab is used to get a sample from the person's nose or throat and it is then processed in a small machine that tries to detect the coronavirus by mixing the sample with something the virus would react with. If there is a reaction in the mixture it suggests that the person is carrying coronavirus. If not, they get a negative result. This process can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. You take your own swab though a professional on site processes it through the machine. However, as the swabs are taken by people themselves, the accuracy of the test could be hampered as they may not push the swab deep enough to get enough of a sample. These lateral flow tests differ from the gold standard PCR test - known scientifically as polymerase chain reaction testing. PCR tests also use a swab but this is then processed using high-tech laboratory equipment to analyse the genetic sequence of the sample to see if any of it matches the genes of coronavirus. This is a much more long-winded and expensive process, involving multiple types of trained staff, and the analysis process can take hours, with the whole process from swab to someone receiving their result taking days. It is significantly more accurate, however. In ideal conditions the tests are almost 100 per cent accurate at spotting the virus, although this may be more like 70 per cent in the real world. This compares to a much lower sensitivity in lateral flow tests, with a trial of one type used in Liverpool suggesting they miss around 50 per cent of the people who would test positive with PCR. Extreme accuracy may be a drawback for PCR now that so many people have been infected, however, with the tests able to detect shreds of the virus in people who recovered weeks ago and are no longer infectious, which may lead them to have to self-isolate unnecessarily. Lateral flow tests are more likely to miss people who are carrying the virus but, experts say, do have value as a way of weeding out people carrying large amounts of the virus and therefore most likely to be spreading the disease. A PCR test can cost upwards of 180 per person, with the swab needing to be processed in a lab. Advertisement Michael Gove today delivered a stark warning that lockdown will only start to be lifted gradually in March - and that timeline depends on the government meeting its highly ambitious targets for vaccination. The Cabinet Office minister admitted there was no 'certainty' that the brutal squeeze imposed by Boris Johnson on England last night will be eased at the end of February as hoped. The PM set a goal of giving first doses of vaccine to more than 13million vulnerable people over the next seven weeks, with doubts already voiced over whether it is possible. But Mr Gove cautioned that even in the best case scenario not 'all' of the curbs will go, as he braced the weary public for a long haul to combat the fast-spreading new variant of coronavirus. In a round of interviews, Mr Gove said a review of the situation would happen in the February half-term. 'We hope we will be able to progressively lift restrictions after that but what I can't do is predict nobody can predict with accuracy exactly what we will be able to relax and when,' he told Sky News. 'What we do know is that the more effective our vaccination programme, the more people who are protected in that way, the easier it will be to lift these restrictions.' The heavy caveats came after the PM made another extraordinary U-turn by plunging the country into a March-style lockdown, saying the NHS risked being overrun within weeks if he failed to act. Just a day after he urged parents to send their children back, Mr Johnson declared in a sombre address from No10 that primary and secondary schools will be shut from today, with only the vulnerable and offspring of key workers allowed to go in. Nurseries can stay open. But university students are being told to stay at home and study remotely, while GCSE and A-level exams will not go ahead as planned. Teenagers might not know for weeks how their exams will be replaced, with Ofsted expected to launch a consultation, although government sources said some 'contingency' plans had already been considered. Under the the new guidance, published overnight, non-essential retail, all hospitality, gyms and swimming pools will be ordered to close - with Rishi Sunak due to lay out another package of support today amid growing fears about the impact on the economy. Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaway - but in a tightening from the draconian measures last spring, they will not be allowed to serve any alcohol. Vulnerable people are being told to shield where possible. The public will once again only be allowed to leave home for one of five reasons: to go to work if essential, shop for necessities, exercise - allowed with one other person from another household, care for someone, or to seek medical help. Communal worship can continue with social distancing in place. Those who break the rules face a 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. The extraordinary third national squeeze will come into effect in the early hours of Wednesday after the regulations are laid today, but Mr Johnson urged the public to adopt the new rules now. MPs will get a vote on them on Wednesday when Parliament is recalled, although there is no prospect of them being defeated. A government spokesman declined to comment on the latest travel restrictions. Commercial flights dropped by 41.7% as pandemic took hold Commercial flights were down by some 41.7% overall in 2020, according to newly released travel data. Flights plunged to a low in mid-April and made a moderate recovery once the lockdown was lifted and international travel was given the green light in mid-August. By the start of the Autumn, the pace slowed once again, according to data from Flightradar24. While December traffic was buoyed by travellers looking to escape the UK for the festive season, it still dropped by some 36.5% from 2019. Commercial traffic grew 9.2% in December over November (compared to 3.4% growth in the same period in 2019). Commercial flights ended 2020 down 41.7% from 2019, while total flights finished the year 27% below 2019 levels Advertisement What you can and cannot do during the national lockdown: The government guidelines in full You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives. You should follow this guidance immediately. The law will be updated to reflect these new rules. Leaving home You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to: shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse) attend education or childcare - for those eligible Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open. Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses. If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work. If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work Meeting others You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one). You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason. Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household. Detailed guidance on the national lockdown Who this guidance is for This guidance is for people who are fit and well. There is additional advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus and households with a possible or confirmed coronavirus infection. If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should not attend work, school, college or university, and limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. Hands. Face. Space. Approximately 1 in 3 people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it. Remember - 'Hands. Face. Space.' hands wash your hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds face wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet space stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings) In all circumstances, you should follow the guidance on meeting others safely. When you can leave home You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a 'reasonable excuse'. This will be put in law. The police can take action against you if you leave home without a 'reasonable excuse', and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice). You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. A 'reasonable excuse' includes: Work - you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home, including but not limited to people who work within critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing that require in-person attendance Volunteering - you can also leave home to provide voluntary or charitable services. Essential activities - you can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services. You may also leave your home to do these things on behalf of a disabled or vulnerable person or someone self-isolating. Education and childcare - You can only leave home for education, registered childcare, and supervised activities for children where they are eligible to attend. Access to education and children's activities for school-aged pupils is restricted. See further information on education and childcare. People can continue existing arrangements for contact between parents and children where they live apart. This includes childcare bubbles. Meeting others and care - You can leave home to visit people in your support bubble ( if you are legally permitted to form one), to provide informal childcare for children under 14 as part of a childcare bubble (for example, to enable parents to work, and not to enable social contact between adults), to provide care for disabled or vulnerable people, to provide emergency assistance, to attend a support group (of up to 15 people), or for respite care where that care is being provided to a vulnerable person or a person with a disability, or is a short break in respect of a looked-after child. Exercise - You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.You should maintain social distancing. See exercising and meeting other people. Medical reasons - You can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a COVID-19 test, for medical appointments and emergencies. Harm and compassionate visits - you can leave home to be with someone who is giving birth, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse). You can also leave home to visit someone who is dying or someone in a care home (if permitted under care home guidance), hospice, or hospital, or to accompany them to a medical appointment. Animal welfare reasons you can leave home for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment. Communal worship and life events - You can leave home to attend or visit a place of worship for communal worship, a funeral or event related to a death, a burial ground or a remembrance garden, or to attend a wedding ceremony. You should follow the guidance on the safe use of places of worship and must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble when attending a place of worship.Weddings, funerals and religious, belief-based or commemorative events linked to someone's death are all subject to limits on the numbers that can attend, and weddings and civil ceremonies may only take place in exceptional circumstances. There are further reasonable excuses. For example, you may leave home to fulfil legal obligations or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum. Exercising and meeting other people You should minimise time spent outside your home. It is against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble. You can only leave your home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting). This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. You can exercise in a public outdoor place: by yourself with the people you live with with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one) in a childcare bubble where providing childcare or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household Public outdoor places include: parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them) the grounds of a heritage site playgrounds Outdoor sports venues, including tennis courts, golf courses and swimming pools, must close. When around other people, stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household - meaning the people you live with - or your support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay 1 metre apart with extra precautions (e.g. wearing a face covering). You must wear a face covering in many indoor settings, such as shops or places of worship where these remain open, and on public transport, unless you are exempt. This is the law. Read guidance on face coverings. Support and childcare bubbles You have to meet certain eligibility rules to form a support or childcare bubble. This means not everyone will be able to form a bubble. A support bubble is a support network which links two households. You can form a support bubble with another household of any size only if you meet the eligibility rules. It is against the law to form a support bubble if you do not follow these rules. You are permitted to leave your home to visit your support bubble (and to stay overnight with them). However, if you form a support bubble, it is best if this is with a household who live locally. This will help prevent the virus spreading from an area where more people are infected. If you live in a household with anyone aged under 14, you can form a childcare bubble. This allows friends or family from one other household to provide informal childcare. You must not meet socially with your childcare bubble, and must avoid seeing members of your childcare and support bubbles at the same time. There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles. Where and when you can meet in larger groups There are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household, childcare or support bubble in larger groups, but this should not be for socialising and only for permitted purposes. A full list of these circumstances will be included in the regulations, and includes: for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services, where it is unreasonable to do so from home. This can include work in other people's homes where necessary - for example, for nannies, cleaners, social care workers providing support to children and families, or tradespeople. See guidance on working safely in other people's homes). Where a work meeting does not need to take place in a private home or garden, it should not - for example, although you can meet a personal trainer, you should do so in a public outdoor place. in a childcare bubble (for the purposes of childcare only) Where eligible to use these services, for education, registered childcare, and supervised activities for children. Access to education and childcare facilities is restricted. See further information on education and childcare. for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care for prospective adopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them to place or facilitate the placing of a child or children in the care of another by social services for birth partners to provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm (including domestic abuse) to see someone who is dying to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service for gatherings within criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable, or to provide respite for a carer for a wedding or equivalent ceremony in exceptional circumstances and only for up to 6 people for funerals - up to a maximum of 30 people. Wakes and other linked ceremonial events can continue in a group of up to 6 people. to visit someone at home who is dying, or to visit someone receiving treatment in a hospital, hospice or care home, or to accompany a family member or friend to a medical appointment for elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) - or those on an official elite sports pathway - to compete and train to facilitate a house move Support groups that have to be delivered in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support - but they must take place at a premises other than a private home. Where a group includes someone covered by an exception (for example, someone who is working or volunteering), they are not generally counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means, for example, a tradesperson can go into a household without breaching the limit, if they are there for work, and the officiant at a wedding would not count towards the limit. If you break the rules The police can take action against you if you meet in larger groups. This includes breaking up illegal gatherings and issuing fines (fixed penalty notices). You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. If you hold, or are involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of 10,000. Protecting people more at risk from coronavirus If you are clinically vulnerable, you could be at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. There is additional advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable should not attend work, school, college or university, and limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. Travel You must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (for example, for work or education purposes). If you need to travel you should stay local meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. The list of reasons you can leave your home and area include, but are not limited to: work, where you cannot reasonably work from home accessing education and for caring responsibilities visiting those in your support bubble or your childcare bubble for childcare visiting hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health buying goods or services that you need, but this should be within your local area wherever possible outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space) attending the care and exercise of an animal, or veterinary services If you need to travel, walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practice social distancing while you travel. Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble. See the guidance on car sharing. If you need to use public transport, you should follow the safer travel guidance. International travel You can only travel internationally or within the UK where you first have a legally permitted reason to leave home. In addition, you should consider the public health advice in the country you are visiting. If you do need to travel overseas (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you've visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice. UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, you should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning. Foreign nationals are subject to the 'Stay at Home' regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted. This means you must not go on holiday. If you are visiting the UK, you may return home. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your destination. Staying away from home overnight You cannot leave your home or the place where you are living for holidays or overnight stays unless you have a reasonable excuse for doing so. This means that holidays in the UK and abroad are not allowed. This includes staying in a second home or caravan, if that is not your primary residence. This also includes staying with anyone who you don't live with unless they're in your support bubble. You are allowed to stay overnight away from your home if you: are visiting your support bubble are unable to return to your main residence need accommodation while moving house need accommodation to attend a funeral or related commemorative event require accommodation for work purposes or to provide voluntary services are a child requiring accommodation for school or care are homeless, seeking asylum, a vulnerable person seeking refuge, or if escaping harm (including domestic abuse) are an elite athlete or their support staff or parent, if the athlete is under 18 and it is necessary to be outside of the home for training or competition If you are already on holiday, you should return to your home as soon as practical. Guest accommodation providers such as hotels, B&Bs and caravan parks may remain open for the specific reasons set out in law, including where guests are unable to return to their main residence, use that guest accommodation as their main residence, need accommodation while moving house, are self-isolating as required by law, or would otherwise be made homeless as a result of the accommodation closing. A full list of reasons can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England. Accommodation providers are also encouraged to work cooperatively with local authorities to provide accommodation to vulnerable groups, including the homeless. Going to work You may only leave your home for work if you cannot reasonably work from home. Where people cannot work from home - including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing - they should continue to travel to their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers. Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work. Where it is necessary for you to work in other people's homes - for example, for nannies, cleaners or tradespeople - you can do so. Otherwise, you should avoid meeting for work in a private home or garden, where COVID-19 Secure measures may not be in place. Employers and employees should discuss their working arrangements, and employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote working. The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 secure guidelines are followed closely. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk. Going to school, college and university Colleges, primary (reception onwards) and secondary schools will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. In the circumstances, we do not think it is possible for all exams in the summer to go ahead as planned. We will accordingly be working with Ofqual to consult rapidly to put in place alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly. Public exams and vocational assessments scheduled to take place in January will go ahead as planned. Universities Those students who are undertaking training and study for the following courses should return to face to face learning as planned and be tested twice, upon arrival or self-isolate for ten days: Medicine & dentistry Subjects allied to medicine/health Veterinary science Education (initial teacher training) Social work Courses which require Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) assessments and or mandatory activity which is scheduled for January and which cannot be rescheduled (your university will notify you if this applies to you). Students who do not study these courses should remain where they are wherever possible, and start their term online, as facilitated by their university until at least Mid-February. This includes students on other practical courses not on the list above. We have previously published guidance to universities and students on how students can return safely to higher education in the spring term. This guidance sets out how we will support higher education providers to enable students that need to return to do so as safely as possible following the winter break. If you live at university, you should not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term time. For those students who are eligible for face to face teaching, you can meet in groups of more than your household as part of your formal education or training, where necessary. Students should expect to follow the guidance and restrictions. You should socially distance from anyone you do not live with wherever possible. Childcare There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare: Early Years settings (including nurseries and childminders) remain open Vulnerable children and children of critical workers can continue to use registered childcare, childminders and other childcare activities (including wraparound care) parents are able to form a childcare bubble with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is under 14. This is mainly to enable parents to work, and must not be used to enable social contact between adults some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubble nannies will be able to continue to provide services, including in the home Care home visits Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed. No visits will be permitted in the event of an outbreak. You should check the guidance on visiting care homes during COVID-19 to find out how visits should be conducted. Residents cannot meet people indoors on a visit out (for example, to visit their relatives in the family home). There is separate guidance for those in supported living. Weddings, civil partnerships, religious services and funerals Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and funerals are allowed with strict limits on attendance, and must only take place in COVID-19 secure venues or in public outdoor spaces unless in exceptional circumstances. Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. Linked religious, belief-based or commemorative events, such as stone settings and ash scatterings can also continue with up to 6 people in attendance. Anyone working is not counted in these limits. Social distancing should be maintained between people who do not live together or share a support bubble. Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies must only take place with up to 6 people. Anyone working is not included. These should only take place in exceptional circumstances, for example, an urgent marriage where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover, or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery. Places of worship You can attend places of worship for a service. However, you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. You should maintain strict social distancing at all times. You should follow the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship. Sports and physical activity Indoor gyms and sports facilities will remain closed. Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close. Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue. Moving home You can still move home. People outside your household or support bubble should not help with moving house unless absolutely necessary. Estate and letting agents and removals firms can continue to work. If you are looking to move, you can go to property viewings. Follow the national guidance on moving home safely, which includes advice on social distancing, letting fresh air in, and wearing a face covering. Financial support Wherever you live, you may be able to get financial help Businesses and venues Businesses and venues which must close To reduce social contact, the regulations require some businesses to close and impose restrictions on how some businesses provide goods and services. The full list of businesses required to close can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England, but includes: non-essential retail, such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (other than for rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, auction houses (except for auctions of livestock or agricultural equipment) and market stalls selling non-essential goods. These venues can continue to be able to operate click-and-collect (where goods are pre-ordered and collected off the premises) and delivery services. hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs; with the exception of providing food and non-alcoholic drinks for takeaway (until 11pm), click-and-collect and drive-through. All food and drink (including alcohol) can continue to be provided by delivery. accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites, except for specific circumstances, such as where these act as someone's main residence, where the person cannot return home, for providing accommodation or support to the homeless, or where it is essential to stay there for work purposes leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres and gyms, swimming pools, sports courts,fitness and dance studios, riding arenas at riding centres, climbing walls, and golf courses. entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, indoor play and soft play centres and areas (including inflatable parks and trampolining centres), circuses, fairgrounds, funfairs, water parks and theme parks animal attractions (such as zoos, safari parks, aquariums, and wildlife reserves) indoor attractions at venues such as botanical gardens, heritage homes and landmarks must also close, though outdoor grounds of these premises can stay open for outdoor exercise. personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons. Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. These services should not be provided in other people's homes community centres and halls must close except for a limited number of exempt activities, as set out below. Libraries can also remain open to provide access to IT and digital services for example for people who do not have it at home and for click-and-collect services Some of these businesses and places will also be permitted to be open for a small number of exempt activities. A full list of exemptions can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England, but includes: education and training for schools to use sports, leisure and community facilities where that is part of their normal provision childcare purposes and supervised activities for those children eligible to attend hosting blood donation sessions and food banks to provide medical treatment for elite sports persons to train and compete (in indoor and outdoor sports facilities), and professional dancers and choreographers to work (in fitness and dance studios) for training and rehearsal without an audience (in theatres and concert halls) for the purposes of film and TV filming Businesses and venues which can remain open Other businesses and venues are permitted to stay open, following COVID-19 secure guidelines. Businesses providing essential goods and services can stay open. The full list of these businesses can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England, but includes: essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences market stalls selling essential retail may also stay open businesses providing repair services may also stay open, where they primarily offer repair services petrol stations, automatic (but not manual) car washes, vehicle repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses banks, building societies, post offices, short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses funeral directors laundrettes and dry cleaners medical and dental services vets and retailers of products and food for the upkeep and welfare of animals animal rescue centres, boarding facilities and animal groomers (may continue to be used for animal welfare, rather than aesthetic purposes) agricultural supplies shops mobility and disability support shops storage and distribution facilities car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas outdoor playgrounds outdoor parts of botanical gardens and heritage sites for exercise places of worship crematoriums and burial grounds Public services The majority of public services will continue and you will be able to leave home to visit them. These include: Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. NSW recorded a slight increase in testing during the 24-hour reporting period, with 26,391 tests completed. The new cases come after NSW on Monday reported its first 24-hour period without local cases since December 16, the day before two close contacts from the Avalon area and a patient transport worker who dealt with returned overseas travellers tested positive. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video In addition to the regional venue alerts, NSW Health has also asked anyone who shopped at Woolworths Berala between December 20 and New Year's Eve to come forward for testing. An additional pop-up site will open in Berala this week, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said, and the Merrylands Park drive-through will again be open until 8pm. Acting Premier John Barilaro said decisions about the Sydney New Year's Test, which begins on Thursday, could be made "right up until the first ball is bowled" after it was announced the event would be re-ticketed to allow for a reduced capacity. Attendance will be restricted to about 25 per cent of the stadium but there will be enough public transport to the venue as if it were 50 per cent full. Residents of Auburn, Berala, Lidcombe, Potts Hill, Regents Park or Rookwood are not permitted to attend the Test and will be fined $1000 if they attempt to do so under public health orders set to be implemented in the next 24 hours, Mr Hazzard said. Mr Barilaro urged regional NSW residents to also stay away from the event. "If you can change your plans I urge you to do so because it could be a simple infection that then goes back to the regions and could cause us much more concern," he said. Only "a couple" of fines were handed out for failing to wear a mask on Monday after they were made mandatory in indoor areas for Sydney and surrounds. Police said further details about the infringements would be given later on Tuesday. Loading With arrivals in New Zealand from the US and Britain due to require a coronavirus test before boarding a plane from January 15 amid rising cases, Dr Chant said such a system would not be infallible. "There's no one silver bullet just because you tested a couple of days before you've got on the plane," she said. With cases of the British strain popping up across the world, Dr Chant backed NSW's universal approach of treating all returned travellers with caution. "The threat level was never higher than it has been at this current time," she said. Three new local cases were reported in Victoria on Tuesday, as the state flagged its hard border closure with NSW would probably remain in place until the end of the month despite struggles emerging with its hotel quarantine capacity. Victorian health authorities have told some returned travellers from NSW who are now in hotels they may be able to quarantine at home, with cases to be reviewed in the order they arrived from NSW. Residents of Sydney and surrounds face some form of border restriction when travelling to every other state and territory after the area started recording fresh local coronavirus cases in mid-December. People from Greater Sydney travelling to Canberra face fines of up to $8000 if they do not comply with the territory's public health direction to stay away without an exemption, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr warned on Tuesday. Speaking on Melbourne radio station 3AW on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he hoped border restrictions against Victoria and NSW would be able to be eased in light of lower case numbers in each state. They are getting on top of this. The systems are working. We are making great progress in both. That should hopefully mean we can restore settings to where they were as soon as possible, the Prime Minister said. 5 Strategies For Releasing New Music In 2021 Much has changed in the music industry over the past year and, following a tumultuous 2020, were rethinking how to release music in the coming year. In this piece, we break down the five top strategies for releasing music in 2021. Guest post by Alper Tuzcu from the TuneCore Blog 2020 was a year when the music industry changed forever, and releasing music has too. When the pandemic started in early 2020, things were still unclear and many album releases were postponed. By fall 2020, major and indie artists were releasing music again and they focused their promotional efforts on music videos, social media content, brand partnerships, and live streaming. As such, fan-artist relations and engagement have become key. In the absence of touring and concerts, weve gotten a better sense of what releasing music looks like for the near future. A new year comes with a clean slate and it is a new opportunity to try new things with your music releases. So, in this article we will go over 5 strategies to release your music in 2021: 1) Release a single Albums and EPs take a long time to record, produce, and release. They are also costlier and they require major planning. Singles are faster to make, cheaper, and the release process is more flexible. A single can either be a preview of your upcoming album or it can be a one-off project. In the latter case, you might be experimenting with a new style. Or perhaps youre collaborating with an artist to test the waters. Whatever the case may be, releasing singles is easier, faster, and definitely less stressful than releasing bigger packages. If you havent yet, Id encourage you to release a single in 2021 and see what happens! 2) Create music videos and live videos When it comes to engagement, video is perhaps the most effective medium, because people love visual content! Moreover, the biggest video platform, YouTube, is a great search engine for finding music, so your music should definitely be up there. There are three kinds of visual content you can create: music videos, lyric videos, and live videos: Music videos are excellent for presenting a more visual side of your album, EP, or single. They are also an opportunity to unfold the narrative in your song lyrics from a more visual angle. Another form of video that works really well are lyric videos. People love reading song lyrics with a video thats not too busy. It helps them connect with the song on a deeper level. It is such a great way of presenting your music! Live music videos are also great for presenting yourself as a performer. Moreover, live videos create great engagement on social media as short-form videos (more on that below). You should definitely create at least one of these three types of video, and if your YouTube channel has a mix of different kinds of content, you will have much more engagement with your fans. On a last note, make sure to add Canvas to your songs on Spotify. This is a great way to give first time listeners an impression of your visual identity. 3) Create social media friendly videos 15 second videos are wonderful for using in Instagram Stories and on TikTok. If you already created some of the long-form videos mentioned above, that is great because you can use them to make short-form, 15-second videos. Short form videos on Instagram Stories can be used for converting your followers into fans. Stories are a great way to start a conversation between you and your followers, so putting your videos on Instagram stories can be a fresh way of presenting yourself as an artist. Live videos are a great way to drive engagement on Instagram Stories, and also a great way to get people to be interested in your music and in you as an artist. TikTok is a very popular platform in the 13-18 and 18-25 age groups, so if your audiences fall under these groups you should be looking into using some short-form videos on this platform as well. People on TikTok create videos that range anywhere from lip syncs and dance challenges to snippets of their everyday lives, which can be an interesting and effective way to present your music and to create engagement with your fans. TikTok is integrated with your digitally distributed music, so fans can add your music to their videos. Another new thing to try in 2021! 4) Think about playlist keywords and niches An important part of the post release strategy is playlisting. Playlists are a great way to reach out to more listeners and to get more fans. However, not every playlist will be effective for you. Playlists are not just a way to increase revenue, but they are also a way to find your fans, who are interested in the type of music you make. If you are making electronic music, there is probably no point in getting on a jazz playlist. Even if you somehow get your music on a jazz playlist, the listeners there might only play your music once or twice, but they wont come back to listen to you and, consequently, it is unlikely that they will become fans. Then, you should be looking into electronic music playlists: Look at their titles, descriptions, hashtags, and buzzwords. Make a list of these keywords and then search for them on Spotify and pitch your song to those playlists. Once you get into a few playlists on your relevant style, then you are likely to get some more followers and potential fans from playlists. 5) Get more Spotify followers and Distribute Early The more followers you have on Spotify, the better, because people who follow you on Spotify get notified when you release new music. So, you should direct your social media following to follow you on Spotify to increase your follower count as much as possible. Moreover, your music will be on their weekly Release Radar playlists if you distribute at least 4 weeks before your release date. Also, keep in mind that because of the pandemic the processing times can be longer than expected, so to be on the safe side I highly suggest submitting your music 5-6 weeks before your release date! Final Words These are five strategies to release new music in 2021. While there are many things still unclear in the music industry for the near future, there are effective strategies to make sure your releases will be as successful as they can be. 2021 is the year to try these strategies if you havent tried them yet! On a last note, make sure to follow the news to be up to date with the latest developments in the music industry re: touring and post-COVID life. Happy 2021! Share on: ATLANTA, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CENTEGIX, an IoT company that innovates technology to save and enrich lives, is partnering with Mutualink, a leader in public safety interoperability solutions, to advance two-way radio and video communications to first responders in the case of an emergency. Both CENTEGIX and Mutualink focus on interoperability for public safety organizations and work diligently to secure communities. CENTEGIX's CrisisAlert platform is an incident alerting solution that protects people by empowering users to discreetly and immediately request help through a smart badge while providing first responders with actionable information enabling them to respond faster in any situation. Importantly, CrisisAlertTM delivers precise, room-level alert location accuracy within buildings, immediate audio and visual incident notifications (including lighted strobes, screen messages, and two-way radio integration), simple activation via a mobile CrisisAlert badge, and 100% full campus coverage. Mutualink enables the sharing of telephone, radio, video, and data over one secure interoperability platform. Emergency managers and first responders use the technology to collaborate in real-time. The Mutualink multimedia solution can be accessed via desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, providing interoperability wherever users need it. "With a common goal of innovating technology to save lives, Mutualink is the ideal partner for CENTEGIX when it comes to advancing communications and situational awareness for first responders," said Matthew Stevens, CEO, CENTEGIX. "This partnership continues to achieve our goal of delivering the fastest and most accurate response in an emergency because Every. Second. Matters." "Mutualink is currently used by hundreds of public safety agencies and private entities worldwide. Our partnership with CENTEGIX will further expand our network of connected communities," said Jeff Kelly, National Director K12 Security, Colleges and Universities, Mutualink. "Collaborating with CENTEGIX enables us to deliver greatly improved public safety collaboration by combining best-in-class communications solutions." About CENTEGIX CENTEGIX innovates technology to save and enrich lives. CENTEGIX's CrisisAlert solution is an incident alert platform that utilizes mobile and desktop applications along with a mesh network to provide property-wide protection. CrisisAlert is a force multiplier, allowing staff and security professionals to request assistance and implement emergency protocols from anywhere. CrisisAlert goes well beyond the limitations of legacy communications devices and single-dimensional apps, because in a crisis: Every. Second. Matters. To learn more about CENTEGIX, please visit www.centegix.com. About Mutualink Mutualink, Inc. developed an interoperable communications platform that enables community-wide multimedia sharing of radio, voice, text, video, data files and telephone communications in a secure environment. Mutualink's system is deployed by hundreds of public and private entities worldwide, including homeland security installations, police and fire departments, transit authorities, hospitals, schools, universities, shopping malls, casinos, and more. Mutualink's technology is on GSA and various state contracts. Mutualink is a privately-held company headquartered in Wallingford, Conn., with R&D facilities in Westford, Mass., Allen, Texas and Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.mutualink.net. Contact: Karen Jones Phone: 404-483-8226 Email: [email protected] Or Beth Clay Phone: 203-774-3474 Email: [email protected] SOURCE CENTEGIX Related Links https://www.centegix.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 16:17:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A court in east China's Zhejiang Province on Tuesday sentenced 17 people to imprisonment for smuggling more than 23 tonnes of pangolin scales into the country. The scales, worth more than 180 million yuan (about 27.9 million U.S. dollars), were smuggled by the gang from Nigeria in three batches in 2018 and 2019, according to the intermediate people's court in Zhejiang's Wenzhou City. The two main suspects, surnamed Yao and Wang, were sentenced to 14 and 13 years in prison, respectively. Other suspects received jail terms ranging from one year and three months to 12 years. China has banned illegal trade in wildlife and stepped up crackdown on such activities. Enditem A further 5,325 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland by the Department of Health today. This follows confirmation of 17 Covid-related deaths in the country. 16 of those deaths occurred in January. The total number of Covid-related fatalities has now reached 2,282 since the outbreak began. Todays confirmed cases bring the total number of cases to 113,322. 767 cases were reported in Cork, 323 in Kildare, 322 in Limerick, 238 in Donegal. Dublin recorded the most cases with 1,93. The remaining 1,744 cases are spread across all other counties. The 14-day incidence is now 674 cases per 100,000 people - up from 246 this day last week. Monaghan has the highest 14-day incidence rate at 1243, nearly twice the national average. Limerick has also seen a surging incident rate at 1113.4 as outbreaks continue in the county. Efforts continued Commenting on the latest confirmed cases, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) from the Department of Health, Dr. Tony Holohan, said the rising numbers and hospitalisations are serious but can be stopped like last year. We are now experiencing a considerable surge in cases and hospitalisations. We can turn this around quickly if we stick to the measures we know worked last spring, he said. The CMO said some progress has been made with reduced contacts but further effort is needed to stop the spread of coronavirus and protect the health and education systems. "We have seen some early progress in that the average number of contacts per case has been dropping in recent days but we need to continue this effort to limit as much as we can our contact with other people in the days and weeks ahead. If we all stay home and keep to the public health advice, we can bring Covid-19 back under control - which ultimately will protect our essential services such as Health and Education and most importantly save lives, said Dr Holohan. A further breakdown of the case data provided by the Department of Health shows: 2,550 cases are men while 2,769 are women; 63% of cases are under 45 years of age ; The median age of confirmed cases is 36 years old; Health service risk The latest cases and deaths come as health officials warn of rising hospitalisations posing a risk to the health service. The Chief Executive of the HSE, Paul Reid, warned the health service is "under real threat now" and that primary and GP services are under "relentless strain". Mr Reid said the country is heading for a peak in hospitalisations similar to the first wave. A public health official has also said that the Covid-19 situation in Munster has reached a critical stage after surging Covid-19 cases. Public Health officials in Limerick have warned of increased outbreaks of Covid-19. Picture: Dan Linehan The UL hospitals group announced this evening the deferral of the majority of their outpatient appointments and scheduled surgeries across their hospitals as Covid-19 cases surge. 840 Covid-19 patients have been hospitalised according to the Department of Health with 76 of them receiving treatment in intensive care. This is just below the peak of hospitalizations during the first wave. 102 patients have been admitted to hospital in the last 24 hours while nine admissions have been made to intensive care units (ICU). 68 people have been discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours while four people have left ICU. Economic fallout The rising cases and hospitalisation data comes as Irelands economy adjusts again to introduced lockdown restrictions. The number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has increased by almost 58,000 people since December 22. Over 335,000 people will get the payment this week at a cost of almost 100m. Department of Social Protection figures show around 23,000 payments were made between Christmas Eve and December 30 to people who became unemployed in the week before Christmas. Anyone who lost their job between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve and who are entitled to the payment will receive it today. Read More Government deficit of 19bn expected for 2020 Schools decision Meanwhile, schools look set to stay closed until the end of the month after the Fianna Fail social media team and TD Niamh Smyth appeared to confirm the move on social media. Both accounts have since deleted the tweets which claimed a decision had been made to keep schools closed until the end of the month. Former Agricultural Minister Dara Calleary has a post on his Facebook that confirms the move and is still live. It is likely that all primary and secondary schools will close until January 31, with a move to remote learning until then. Provisions for special education and the disability sector will be made to ensure those with extra educational needs do not fall behind. The Taoiseach appeared to confirm the move himself earlier today, saying that keeping schools closed until the end of January is "on the agenda" to lower the movement of people. The proposals are being discussed at the cabinet sub-committee today before a final decision is made tomorrow. Patna, Jan 5 : The Bihar police has arrested 4 persons, including a CRPF personnel, in connection with the murder of another CRPF man, an official said. The deceased named Dayanand Paswan was killed on Patna-Gaya state highway near Lodipur village in Jehanabad district on December 23. Meenu Kumari, SP of Jehanabad said: "It was a blind case with no conclusive evidence to identify the accused. Due to relentless efforts, we managed to obtain CCTV footage wherein suspects were captured." "We have scientifically analysed CCTV footage and managed to identify the shooters. On that basis, we have arrested two shooters named Dhananjay Nat, a resident of Nalanda and Santosh Nat of Bakhtiyarpur town in Patna district," the SP said. Following their interrogation, they revealed the names of the main accused who had given them a contract ('Supari') to eliminate Paswan. "The accused CRPF personnel named Jitendra Kumar was eyeing the wife of his colleague Dayanand Paswan and wanted to establish a relationship with her. Dayanand's nephew Lovekush Paswan was also eyeing his canteen. Hence, both Jitendra and Lovekush jointly conspired against Dayanand. They gave the murder contract to Dhananjay and Santosh. The deal between them was set at Rs 5 lakh," the officer said. "The interrogation of the accused further revealed names of other shooters involved in the crime. Efforts are on to nab them. We have seized a country-made 'katta' and three live cartridges from their possession," the SP said. Agreement in the Gulf, embargo on Qatar ends With US mediation, signing at GCC summit (ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 5 - A diplomatic crisis that has punctuated regional dynamics in the Gulf for over three years following the 'freezing' of relations between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on the one hand and Qatar on the other, appears headed for resolution thanks in part to mediation by the United States. First came the announcement of the decision by Riyadh to reopen its borders and airspace to Qatar, then came news of the signing on Tuesday of an accord that puts an end to the three countries' embargo against Doha, which on Monday confirmed the turnaround. The accord is the result of mediation work by Jared Kushner, adviser to and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, who flew to Saudi Arabia to participate in Tuesday's Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Al-Ula, where the signing is scheduled to take place. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, will participate in the summit for the first time since the embargo was put in place. The agreement contains the adoption of three commitments aimed at strengthening reciprocal trust. In the first, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will take off the block on Qatari transport; for its part, Qatar will annul legal actions against the countries. In addition, the media campaign of accusations among the three countries and Qatar will end. According to the website Axios, the accord was reached in principle during Kushner's last visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar some weeks ago, when he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Tamim. The agreement was polished in recent weeks with additional mediation by Kushner that led to the finalisation of the accord. The move is a clear gesture by the Gulf countries towards the Trump administration, which maintained diplomatic relations the entire time with each of the countries involved. It allows the tycoon to leave a last sign, a legacy, in the complicated relations with the Gulf countries and the Middle East prior to leaving the presidency. It also shows the desire of the countries involved to resolve the issue prior to the arrival of the new US president, Joe Biden.(ANSAmed). (ANSA). Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. [January 05, 2021] Epson Announces New Desktop Document Scanners Designed for Maximum Productivity and Seamless Organization LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Epson, the best-selling retail scanner brand in North America,1 is continuing its commitment to meeting the needs of small businesses and consumers with the expansion of its document scanner portfolio. Epson today announced three new document scanning solutions the WorkForce ES-580W, ES-500W II and ES-400 II duplex desktop document scanners for efficient document management and seamless organization. "From managing operations to interfacing with clients, small business professionals are often juggling multiple job roles. Paperwork can be an easy thing to put off, but eventually can pile up and become difficult to manage," said Carrie Fox, director, Scanner Product Management, Epson America. "With the expanded Epson WorkForce desktop scanner portfolio, users have more options to quickly and easily digitize documents, allowing them to save valuable time and focus on what's most important running their business." Ideal for any business or home office workspace, the wireless WorkForce ES-580W and ES-500W II scanners help maximize productivity and allow users to easily scan to a smartphone, tablet or cloud storage accounts,2 including Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive and OneDrive, from a desktop or mobile device using the Epson Smart Panel app.3 With the WorkForce ES-580W, users can scan directly to a USB memory drive without using a computer. The ES-580W features an intuitive 4.3" touchscreen for quick, effortless navigation, and a 100-sheet auto document feeder so users can breeze through stacks of documents with varying paper types and sizes in one batch. All three high-performance document scanners boast fast scan speeds of up to 35 ppm/70 ipm4 and include intuitive Epson ScanSmart Software5 so users can easily preview, email and upload scans. Offering efficient scanning, they capture both sides of each sheet in one pass. They feature TWAIN drivers for seamless integration with most document management software, and intelligent color and image adjustment features such as auto crop, staple protection, dirt detection, and paper-skew correction for remarkable image quality. With the versatile scanners, users can scan extra-long pages up to 240", business/ID cards and more. Additional Features Features WorkForce ES-580W Wireless Document Scanner WorkForce ES-500W II Wireless Document Scanner WorkForce ES-400 II Document Scanner Scan Speed 35 ppm/70 ipm4 35 ppm/70 ipm4 35 ppm/70 ipm4 Max Scan Size 8.5" x 240" 8.5" x 240" 8.5" x 240" ADF Capacity 100 sheets 50 sheets 50 sheets Peak Daily Duty Cycle 4,000 pages6 4,000 pages6 4,000 pages6 Wi-Fi ? ? N/A Display 4.3" Color Touchscreen N/A N/A Glass Dirt Detection and Paper Protection ? ? ? Scan to USB Drive ? N/A N/A Flatbed Option N/A N/A Optional7 MSRP $399.99 $369.99 $329.99 Availability and Support The Epson WorkForce ES-580W (MSRP $399.99), WorkForce ES-500W II (MSRP $369.99) and WorkForce ES-400 II (MSRP $329.99) duplex desktop document scanners are now available through major online computer, office and electronic superstores and www.epson.com. About Epson Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to becoming indispensable to society by connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. The company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics. Epson is proud of its contributions to realizing a sustainable society and its ongoing efforts to realizing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of more than JPY 1 trillion. global.epson.com/ Epson America, Inc., based in Los Alamitos, Calif., is Epson's regional headquarters for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. To learn more about Epson, please visit: epson.com. You may also connect with Epson America on Facebook (facebook.com/Epson), Twitter (twitter.com/EpsonAmerica), YouTube (youtube.com/epsonamerica), and Instagram (instagram.com/EpsonAmerica). 1 The NPD Group, Inc., Retail Tracking Service, U.S. & Canada, Scanners, Feb. 2019-Jan. 2020 2 Wirelessly scan to smartphones or tablets (Android/iOS devices) via the Epson Smart Panel App; wirelessly scan to the cloud, PCs or Macs with Epson ScanSmart Software installed on the connected Windows PC or Mac. 3 Requires Epson Smart Panel App download. Data usage fees may apply. 4 Based on letter-sized scans at 300 dpi in Black-and-White, Grayscale or Color Mode. 5 WorkForce ES-580W and WorkForce ES-500W II: Wirelessly scan to smartphones or tablets (Android/iOS devices) via the Epson Smart Panel App; wirelessly scan to the cloud, PCs or Macs with Epson ScanSmart Software installed on the connected Windows PC or Mac. WorkForce ES-400 II: Internet connection required. With Epson ScanSmart Software installed on the connected Windows PC or Mac. 6 Peak daily duty cycle is the highest recommended number of scanned sheets per day. For best results, do not exceed the peak daily duty cycle. Calculations based on a scanning speed of 35 ppm and an assumed daily use time. 7 Optional flatbed dock requires Epson Perfection V19 or V39 scanner, sold separately. EPSON, Epson ScanSmart, Perfection and WorkForce are registered trademarks, EPSON Exceed Your Vision is a registered logomark and Better Products for a Better Future is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Mac, macOS and OS X are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android and Google Drive are trademarks of Google LLC. Excel, SharePoint and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks. Copyright 2021 Epson America, Inc. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/epson-announces-new-desktop-document-scanners-designed-for-maximum-productivity-and-seamless-organization-301200756.html SOURCE Epson America, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] As of Jan 2, Alabama had given out a total of 42,810 doses of COVID vaccine, according to the latest figures from the Alabama Department of Public Health. The updated total was published Monday night. Thats less than 20 percent of the 226,250 vaccine doses allocated for Alabama so far, according to the dashboard. The ADPH posted on Twitter Tuesday that the delays were due to a limited number of facilities being able to administer the vaccine in the early rounds, the need to stagger scheduling for hospitals to get their employees vaccinated and the need to monitor people for a short time after they receive the vaccine to make sure there is no adverse reaction. THREAD - Vaccine Update: Alabama has had #COVID19Vaccine in our state for three weeks. As of January 4, there have been 42,810 vaccine doses administered out of our initial allocation of 226,250 doses. 1/6 pic.twitter.com/xumEDANUyC Alabama Public Health (@ALPublicHealth) January 5, 2021 Of those doses, 28,269 were doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which requires ultra-cold storage (-70 degrees Celsius) and is only being given out at 16 large medical centers across the state that can handle the cold storage requirements. The initial doses are being reserved for frontline healthcare workers, emergency medical personnel, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities like nursing homes. The other 14,541 doses administered were the Moderna vaccine, which only requires storage at -20 degrees C, and is a better fit for smaller clinics or pharmacies to administer. In addition, three independent pharmacies in Alabama are also distributing the vaccine, as are many of Alabamas county health departments. Rebecca Sorrell, a pharmacist and co-owner of Ritchs Pharmacy in Mountain Brook, said her store was one of three in the state that are part of a trial run to see how the vaccine distribution might work for other pharmacies in the state. Were kind of the test, because we bill differently than hospitals or physicians office, because we bill it based on a product, Sorrell said. And so were the ones being asked to give the vaccine to the frontline workers who arent being met, or worked in by the hospitals. Sorrell said that includes independent contractors who work in medical facilities but are not full-time hospital employees, as well as private practice physicians, dentists, optometrists and others who have direct contact with patients. Sorrell said Ritchs had given out 162 doses of vaccine as of Monday and is giving out at least 30 doses per day by appointment only for people who qualify under Phase 1A of Alabamas vaccine allocation plan. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger holds a press conference on the status of ballot counting in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 6, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) Georgia Secretary of State: Runoff Elections Running Smoothly The runoff elections in Georgia are running smoothly on election day, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said. The Republicans office said wait times are averaging just one minute across polling locations statewide. No locations have reported wait times longer than 30 minutes and only one reported wait times longer than 20 minutes. After wait times averaging just 2 minutes on November 3rd, Georgias election administration is hitting a new milestone for effectiveness and efficiency, Raffensperger said in a statement. I have always said that after every election, half the people will be happy and half will be disappointed, but everyone should be confident in the reliability of the results. Raffensperger acknowledged an issue cropped up in Columbia County. He said a small number of keys that start up paper ballot scanners and a few poll worker cards were programmed incorrectly, resulting in some poll workers being unable to start the touch screen voting machines used to count paper ballots. The correct keys and voter cards were delivered to the relevant precincts with a law enforcement escort. Issues were resolved by 10am, Raffenspergers office said. President Donald Trump highlighted the issue, writing on Twitter around 2 p.m. that reports are coming out of the 12th Congressional District of Georgia that Dominion Machines are not working in certain Republican Strongholds for over an hour. Ballots are being left in lock boxes, hopefully they count them, he added. Voters line up for the U.S. Senate runoff elections, at a polling location in Marietta, Ga., on Jan. 5, 2021. (Mike Segar/Reuters) He appeared to be referring to callers who told Georgia radio host John Fredricks that they werent able to cast their votes in the 12th Congressional District because of malfunctioning machines. The callers said workers told them to put their ballots into a box, and assured them the ballots would be scanned when the machine issues were worked out. Fredericks discussed the issue on Steve Bannons War Room earlier Tuesday. Gabriel Sterling, a top official working out of Raffenspergers office, responded to Trump on Twitter, writing the issue in Columbia County was resolved hours ago and our office informed the public about it in real time. The votes of everyone will be protected and counted. Sorry you received old intel Mr. President, he added. The runoffs pit Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) against pastor Raphael Warnock and David Perdue, whose term expired over the weekend, against filmmaker Jon Ossoff. The runoffs are happening because none of the candidates received a majority of the votes in the 2020 election. Loeffler and Warnock emerged from a free-for-all election to finish the term of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who retired in 2019. Whoever wins will spend two years in office. The winner of the other race will get a full, six-year term. The races drew nationwide attention because they could determine control of the Senate. If Democrats win both and secure the White House, theyll hold the upper congressional chamber via the tiebreaking vote a vice president can cast. Republicans need to win just one, or the White House, to keep control of the Senate. Democrats maintained control of the House of Representatives but saw their majority shrink considerably, with Republicans flipping roughly a dozen seats. Polls opened at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and will close at 7 p.m. It may take days to certify the winners. Some 3 million people voted by mail or in person during early voting, Raffenspergers office said Monday. That set a new record, breaking the previous high of 2.1 million in 2004s runoff election. Costa Coffee has delighted fans with their new menu for 2021 and revealed all food will be 50 per cent off until 3rd February. The new menu, which is available across the UK, contains more vegan items than ever before to cater for those taking part in Veganuary In addition to the best-selling Vegan Smoky Ham & Cheeze Toastie, Costa have introduced the new Vegan BBQ Chick'n Panini with Vegan Chick'n, Texan-style BBQ sauce, roasted peppers and spinach encased in a stone baked sourdough panini. Costa Coffee has delighted fans with their new menu for 2021 and revealed all food will be 50 per cent off until 3rd February. Pictured is their new vegan panini and butternut squash roll For a vegan twist on a classic sausage roll, Costa have launched the new Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Pastry Roll, with delicious roasted butternut squash and red onion in a vegan puff pastry with a pumpkin and sunflower seed topping. The new menu has delighted vegans, who have taken to Twitter to celebrate the news. 'The new vegan BBQ chickn panini is incredible,' said one. 'WOW. @CostaCoffee has just launched a heap of new vegan products for their #Veganuary2021 menu! BurritoParty popper Incl. a BBQ Chickn Panini and Roasted Butternut Squash Roll. And they're offering 50% off all food menu items,' the official Veganuary account tweeted. 'The costa vegan bbq chicken thing looks so good I wanna try it so bad but i am Scared to leave my house,' said a third Costa has also catered for breakfast lovers with the new Veggie Breakfast Box that includes a Quorn sausage, Heinz baked beanz, roasted mushrooms, free range scrambled egg, spinach and topped with mature cheddar cheese. Also on the menu is the Heinz Beanz and Cheeze toastie. There are also options for meateaters, including the new Free Range Egg, Mushroom & Spinach Bap or the new Free Range Egg & Smoked Bacon Baguette. There's a simple sweet offering to try with the new Fat Free Greek Style Natural Yogurt with Mixed Berry Compote or the returning Fat Free Greek Style Yogurt with Mango & Passionfruit. There are also options for meateaters, including the new Free Range Egg, Mushroom & Spinach Bap or the new Free Range Egg & Smoked Bacon Baguette (pictured) The new menu has delighted vegans, who have taken to Twitter to celebrate the news There's also the Ultimate Breakfast Wrap made with free-range egg, Cumberland sausage and beechwood smoked bacon, topped with rich thick Heinz tomato ketchup and encased in a tortilla wrap. The classic Wiltshire Ham & Mature Cheddar Baguette is back on the menu for January and is joined by a veggie version in the form of the new Mature Cheddar Ploughman's Baguette, which is packed full of mature cheddar cheese with pickle, tomato and Apollo lettuce. For those with a sweet tooth, joining this year's star line-up includes the hotly anticipated new Caramel Muffin made with Munchies. Also on the menu is the Heinz Beanz and Cheese toastie for fans of beans on toast This melt-in-your-mouth caramel muffin, is made with chocolate chunks and biscuit balls, filled with a delightful chocolate caramel sauce, topped with caramel icing and a Munchies chocolate. For those that haven't had their ginger fix over Christmas, there's the new Vegan Jamaican Ginger Loaf Cake, which features a cinnamon frosting and is deliciously topped with ginger and orange decoration. Back by popular demand is the Vegan Lotus Biscoff Cheezecake. A little slice of luxury, this dessert is made with a Lotus Biscoff biscuit base, topped with a layer of velvety vegan cheeZe, topped with Lotus Biscoff spread and sprinkled with a moreish Lotus Biscoff crumb. For those with a sweet tooth, joining this year's star line-up includes the hotly anticipated new Caramel Muffin made with Munchies (left) and the Lotus vegan cheese cake (right) If there's been enough chocolate over the Christmas period, why not try the Seriously Caramel & Hazelnut Cake, a moist sticky sponge, filled and topped with a caramel and hazelnut frosting then finished with caramelised hazelnuts and a drizzle of caramel sauce. This returning fan favourite is the perfect accompaniment to an Americano. Looking for an afternoon pick me up, then look no further than the new apple Crumble Flapjack, a gluten-free crumbly flapjack base, topped with lightly spiced apple and finished with a cinnamon crumble. Alternatively, there is the Vegan Pick 'n' Mix which includes cola bottles, orange gummy bears, fried eggs, hearts and even our own mini Costa Coffee cup jellies. For those that haven't had their ginger fix over Christmas, there's the new Vegan Jamaican Ginger Loaf Cake, which features a cinnamon frosting and is deliciously topped with ginger and orange decoration. Kirstey Elston, Marketing Director UK&I at Costa Coffee, told FEMAIL: 'We're absolutely delighted to bring our customers something special this January. 'Our limited-edition menu carries some Costa Coffee classics, such as our Vegan Ham and Cheeze Toastie, but also some new additions including the Beanz & Cheese Toastie and Caramel Muffin made with Munchies they bring that perfect hit of nostalgia at a time when the nation definitely needs a boost. 'To see in the New Year, we also wanted to gift our customers with another special treat 50 per cent off all food menu items until 3rd February 2021. The hardest decision will be what to choose!' The president of the Association of Secondary Students in Ireland (ASTI) has said that State exams must go ahead in 2021 no matter what. Speaking on RTE radios Today show, Ms Piggott said that the content of exam papers may need to be changed because of the current situation and that if time was needed to catch up that teachers would be willing to discuss the matter with the Department of Education. Ms Piggott called for clarity on the reopening of schools as teachers needed time to plan for remote learning and parents needed to make child minding arrangements. The union was worried about the increasing levels of the virus in the community. At a meeting with the Minister for Education on Monday, Ms Piggot said they were told that schools were very safe places and would reopen on Monday next. I dont think theres honesty in facing whats happening. It was a cause for concern that the Minister had a different position from that of the Chief Medical Officer. On the same programme Dr Gabrielle Colleran, radiology consultant, warned that if schools closed then some frontline workers would have to stay at home to mind their children. She called for childcare to be provided for such workers so they could go to work when the country was facing the worse of the surge. We dont have to reinvent the wheel, other countries have done it. School principal Colm ORourke said that within schools things have improved by 10 years since this time last year with regard to remote learning. There had been huge investment by the Department of Education and schools were now in a better position to provide online teaching, it was the engagement level that was the issue. "The shorter the time out of school, the better," he said. Firefighters from various departments work to protect structures as the Woolsey Fire moves through the property on Cornell Road near Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2018. (Matthew Simmons/Getty Images) Los Angeles Fire Captain Dies from COVID-19 Complications LOS ANGELES (CNS)Mayor Eric Garcetti on Jan. 5 ordered flags in Los Angeles to fly at half-staff to mourn the death of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Captain George Roque, who died from coronavirus-related complications. We honor his courage over more than 20 years of service to our city, Garcetti said on Twitter. We send love to his family. He will never be forgotten. Roque, 57, was a 22-year veteran of the LAFD, assigned to Fire Station 97 in the Laurel Canyon/Mulholland area, according to LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas. He died Jan. 1. He is survived by his wife and four children. Plans for a private funeral service have not been announced, according to the fire departments Brian Humphrey. The department escorted Roques body from a hospital to a mortuary on Jan. 4, Humphrey said. On behalf of the men and women of the LAFD, I send my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the Roque family and his friends and colleagues throughout the department, Terrazas said Jan. 1. Firefighter and paramedic Jose Perez was the LAFDs first death from the pandemic. He died in July 2020. On Dec. 29, the most recent update from the Emergency Operations Center reported that 672 LAFD employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Garcetti announced on Dec. 28 that the department had enough Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to administer first doses to virtually everybody at the department. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 4:58 pm Former Lafromboise Communications president and publisher Dennis Waller has been retained to consult at The Chronicle and its newly-formed parent company CT Publishing during the ongoing transition. Waller, 77, will fill a temporary consulting role with the newspaper and its sister publications, the Nisqually Valley News in Yelm and The Reflector in Battle Ground. For 20 years from 1992 to 2012 Waller held the top executive role at Lafromboise Communications, which last week sold its newspapers to Lewis County residents Chad and Coralee Taylor. I believe in the hardworking people of Lewis County, Waller said. I think they deserve a good life and good coverage from a good newspaper. Editor-in-Chief Eric Schwartz will work with Waller to guide the newsrooms in the months after the recent acquisition. Waller said he will be surveying the company, looking at the organizational charts and making sure the direction of the paper is positive and beneficial to the community. That means progressive, but common sense and with people first, he said. Waller, born into a newspaper family, spent his entire career working at community newspapers, most often as an executive. Hes a former president of the board for the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Publishers Association and once served as interim director of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce. Hes also an author. Under his guidance and leadership, The Chronicle won its first C.B. Blethen Awards for Distinguished Reporting, which are among the highest honors for a newspaper of its size. The newspaper has won many more in the years since. During his time as publisher and president, The Chronicle was also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for the staffs coverage of the devastating flooding of December 2007. Now retired and living in Minnesota with his wife, Glynn, Waller said his return is based in part on his desire to see The Chronicle thrive. His decision to become involved came at the request of the Taylors, who have long worked in media, marketing and advertising but have up until now not been directly involved in journalism. Being new to the news industry we were excited to have the opportunity to learn from Dennys two decades of experience, the Taylors wrote in a statement. Waller said he has known the Taylors for 20 years and he believes they are well-suited to publish high-quality newspapers. We competed in some areas over the years, but I have always had respect for Chad and the Taylors, Waller said. Their enthusiasm is admirable. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 00:51:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GABORONE, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming visit by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi later this week to Botswana will see China further consolidate its relations with the southern African country, an official said. Batlhalefi Leagajang, press secretary to President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, in a statement on Tuesday, said the visit takes place in the context of a long-running tradition under which Africa has been Chinese foreign ministers' first overseas tour destination each year since 1991. "Mr. Wang Yi's visit to Botswana also affirms China's intentions to strengthen relations with Botswana," said Leagajang, adding that it is also in line with the commitment made by the leaders of the two countries to further consolidate their historically friendly relations. Botswana's relations with China dates back to Jan. 6, 1975. The upcoming visit coincides with the 46th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Wang is paying official visits to five African nations this week, including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Tanzania, and Seychelles from Jan. 4 to Jan. 9, 2021, at the invitation of foreign ministers of the five countries. Enditem TOKYO, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NHK WORLD-JAPAN, the English-language international service of Japans sole public broadcaster, NHK, announced the world broadcast premiere of 3/11-The Tsunami, a new two-part documentary series that recounts Japans largest recorded natural disaster set off by a massive earthquake that rocked Japan on March 11, 2011, and the countrys recovery efforts of the following year. To create the series designed to mark the 10-year anniversary of the disaster, NHK amassed hundreds of hours of film shot by NHK camera crews as well as mobile phone and other footage captured by citizens who were on scene during and after the earthquake and tsunami. NHK edited and wove the footage together in chronological order to create this compelling seriesand cautionary talethat captures the magnitude and emotions of the unprecedented mega-disaster. Episode 1 of the series, The First 3 Days, tells the story of the horrifying moments following the magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, Japan on March 11, 2011 at 2:46pm, triggering a massive tsunami and nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The mega-disaster destroyed cities and towns throughout the region, crumbling buildings, crushing cars, causing massive floodingand taking more than 18,000 lives in the process. Episode 2, The First Year (link goes live Jan. 6), depicts the painstaking recovery efforts undertaken by Japan over the following year, as the country worked tirelessly to rebuild homes and buildings that were either completely destroyed, as well as repair or rebuild ports, dams, roadways, and other infrastructure devastated by the disaster. Along the way, the series tells stories of the personal experiences of those who were affected by the disaster, using first-hand accounts to depict peoples experiences that day as well as the hardships they faced during the aftermath. Episode 1, The First 3 Days, will air on Friday, January 8 at 8:10pm EST, then Saturday, January 9 (three separate air times), and Friday, January 15. Episode 2, The First Year, will air on Friday, January 15 at 8:10pm EST, then Saturday, January 16 (three separate air times) and Friday, January 22 (see local television listings for all air times). NHK WORLD-JAPAN is presented in 13 major US markets through its partnerships with public television broadcasters in each market, and across the country via DIRECTV (channels 322 and 2049). The service is also available on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, as well as via a free downloadable app and streaming on the website: nhk.jp/world. Screening copies of the series are available upon request. See contact information, below. In the 10 years that has followed this mega-disaster, NHK WORLD-JAPAN has increased its commitment to providing its viewers around the world with unparalleled news coverage and information related to 3/11 and potential natural disasters. Additionally, theyve unveiled a multi-tiered disaster prevention and preparedness service, Stay Safe with NHK WORLD-JAPAN. This five-part service includes a smartphone app that automatically issues a warning/advisory about an earthquake or tsunami; live news updates; disaster prevention and preparedness information and guidance; and programming on past natural disasters around the world. Carried throughout the U.S. since 2009, the growth of NHK WORLD-JAPAN has been particularly strong in major U.S. markets. The 24/7 broadcast station reaches viewers through affiliates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Orlando, Charlotte, Baltimore, and Salt Lake City. About NHK WORLD-JAPAN NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japans sole public broadcaster, operating the nations largest domestic and international television network. In Japan, NHK broadcasts six TV channels including 4K and 8K along with three radio stations. NHK also transmits two international television channels, NHK WORLD-JAPAN (English, HD, 24/7) and NHK WORLD PREMIUM (Japanese, HD, 24/7), as well as international radio services in eighteen languages. NHK WORLD-JAPAN reaches over 380 million households in 160 countries and regions via local satellite and cable TV providers. Online live streaming and VOD (video-on-demand) services through the free mobile app and the website, give viewers access to NHK WORLD-JAPAN anywhere and anytime. You can also connect through Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Presenting an extensive range of Asia-centered programming, NHK WORLD-JAPAN is your window to Japan, Asia, and the rest of the world. For more details, visit nhk.jp/world. About Japan International Broadcasting, Inc. Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of NHK, is responsible for the worldwide distribution of the HD English language news/lifestyle channel NHK WORLD-JAPAN, as well as the HD Japanese language channel NHK WORLD PREMIUM. Currently, the two channels are broadcast around the world on three international plus domestic satellites in their respective markets and reach households, hotels, and others via DTH, cable, IPTV, and terrestrial broadcast. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7907b64-5c2a-4d91-a3b8-546c37f23c99 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9eeb70f5-0d94-46ff-890a-ddbe7ffba151 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/459dc918-071e-49ea-8e4c-1db80377150c A security staff stands near an entrance of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) headquarters in Mumbai. (PC-AFP/Indranil Mukherjee) The Reserve Bank of India on December 5 introduced the Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) for large value transactions over Rs 50 lakhs in Centralised Payment Systems, which will be effective from April 1, 2021. The 20-digit LEI number is used to uniquely identify parties to financial transactions worldwide while improving the quality and accuracy of financial data systems for better risk management post the global financial crisis. Banks passed on nearly half of RBI rate cuts: Report "It has now been decided to introduce the LEI system for all payment transactions of value Rs 50 crore and above undertaken by entities (non-individuals) using Reserve Bank-run Centralised Payment Systems viz. Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) and National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT)," the RBI notification said. The apex bank regulator mentioned that the LEI has been introduced in a phased manner for participants in over the counter (OTC) derivative and non-derivative markets as also for large corporate borrowers. Under the RBI's new guidelines, member banks should advise entities who undertake large value transactions (Rs 50 crore and above) to obtain LEI in time, if they do not already have one. Apart from this, member banks should include remitter and beneficiary LEI information in RTGS and NEFT payment messages. Also, they should maintain records of all transactions of Rs 50 crore and above through RTGS and/or NEFT. Those seeking to obtain an LEI can reach out to any Local Operating Units (LOUs) accredited by the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF). In India, RBI has given the permit to Legal Entity Identifier India Ltd. (LEIL) (https://www.ccilindia-lei.co.in) to issue LEI under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. Providing other details, RBI clarified that on the point of bank customers who must obtain LEI. As per RBI, all non-individual customers initiating or receiving transactions of Rs 50 crore and above through RTGS and/or NEFT must obtain LEI. Also, RBI said that LEI information should be provided in the Remittance information field for RTGS customer payment transactions. While for NEFT outward debit messages, LEI information should be provided in the Sender to Receiver Information field. Arbaaz Khan, brother Sohail Khan and his son Nirvaan arrived in Mumbai on December 25, after a brief trip from UAE. The three were reportedly asked to quarantine, but they went to their Bandra home after their tests at the airport came negative. A recent report has revealed that an FIR has been registered against the trio for violating COVID-19 norms. After cases of the new strain of COVID-19 emerged across the world, new rules were imposed for international travelling. According to reports, every traveller from UAE is supposed to go under seven-day quarantine, which the three failed to do. Sohail had later revealed that they had even booked a hotel room for seven days, but did not stay there. BMC earlier this week, filed an FIR with the Khar police station for violating COVID-19 norms. Dr Sanjay Funde, a medical officer of H/West ward, told the police that he received information on Monday that Arbaaz, Sohail and Nirvaan had returned from Dubai but didn't go under institutional quarantine. While the Khan brothers are still in Mumbai, Nirvaan Khan flew back on December 30, 2020. The case was registered against them under section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, according to a Khar police station official. According to a report in Free Press Journal, Arbaaz and Sohail have now gone under quarantine at Mumbai's prestigious Taj Hotel in Bandra. ALSO READ: Dabangg Director Abhinav Kashyap Calls Out Salman Khan: His Family Sabotaged All My Films ALSO READ: Arbaaz Khan To Star In A Horror Thriller Alongside Salman Khan's Long Time Foe Vivek Oberoi NEW DELHI : Karan Bajwa, who currently leads Google Cloud in India, has been elevated as the companys head for Asia Pacific. Bajwa will lead all regional revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud, including on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Google Workspace from today. Bajwa succeeds Rick Harshman who leaves the organization for a new opportunity. Currently based in Gurgaon, Bajwa will relocate to Singapore. He also continues to lead Google Cloud in India until a new senior leader for the business is appointed. He will report to Rob Enslin, President of Sales, Google Cloud, the company said in a statement. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 With the disruptions of 2020 behind us, a true test of 2021 will be how companies replatform and build on the cloud not only for resilience but agility and innovation, and Im excited for the opportunity to lead Google Clouds business in APAC to maximize this next phase of growth," said Bajwa. Google Cloud is on a strong growth trajectory within Asia Pacific and counts ANZ Bank, Lendlease, Optus, Sharechat, Tech Mahindra, L&T Finance, Wipro, Samsung Electronics, Foxconn, Kia Motors, Go-JEK, Tokopedia, and XL Axiata as customers to name a few. The company also continues to invest in technical infrastructure in the region having launched its GCP regions in Jakarta and Seoul last year, with planned expansion to Delhi and Melbourne in 2021. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Cybersecurity White House task force says Russia likely to blame for SolarWinds hack The White House task force investigating the widespread hack of U.S. networks said today that Russia is the likely culprit. Analysts and some administration officials have suggested a Russian intelligence service is behind the hack of SolarWinds' Orion product, but the statement from the Cyber Unified Coordination Group, which includes the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Security Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is the first time the federal government has explicitly attributed the attack to Russia. "This work indicates that an Advanced Persistent Threat actor, likely Russian in origin, is responsible for most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks," the statement reads. The group also said that it has identified fewer than 10 government agencies that were explicitly targeted by hackers with follow-on activity using the access provided by the SolarWinds breach. The group's statement references an initial estimate by SolarWinds that said 18,000 "public and private sector customers" downloaded the malicious code implanted within the companys update server for its Orion IT management software. But officials believe "a much smaller number have been compromised by follow-on activity on their systems" and these include fewer than 10 government agencies. The group is also "working to identify and notify the nongovernment entities who also may be impacted." Microsoft and cybersecurity firm FireEye last month estimated several dozen organizations were victimized by hackers beyond merely downloading the backdoor vulnerability discovered in SolarWinds Orion. The New York Times over the weekend the reported that intelligence officials now believes that 250 organizations may have been "affected." In the wake of the ongoing breach, some lawmakers have suggested the hack was an act of war. Other lawmakers and analysts have pointed out merely breaching the government's systems is espionage, but does not constitute an act of war. The government assessment is that the hack falls under the category of espionage. "At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence gathering effort," the statement reads. The statement also details the roles and responsibilities of the task force agencies, and notes that NSA is working with defense industrial base system owners to assess "the scale and scope of the incident" and provide mitigation assistance. No defense contractors have yet been identified as targets of the SolarWinds breach. Officials at the Departments of Defense, Treasury, Commerce and Homeland Security have confirmed that they were affected by the breach. Press reports have named other agencies including the State Department and the National Institutes of Health as targets. President Donald Trump has previously suggested China was behind the hack. That claim was not mentioned in the task force statement Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) The Supreme Court has issued a temporary restraining order against the collection of higher taxes from the Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act. Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta confirmed the Supreme Courts decision on Tuesday, with the magistrates voting 13-1. Only Associate Justice Marvic Leonen dissented. The 5% franchise tax on POGOs gross bets or pre-determined minimum monthly revenues, whichever is higher, is identified as a major funding source under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, also known as Bayanihan 2. The law allots a 165.5-billion fund for pandemic response and recovery. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon earlier said this would include an estimated 17.5 billion the government could expect from POGO tax collections. Although the law expired in December, a bill extending its validity is just awaiting President Rodrigo Dutertes signature. Economic managers earlier said an extended Bayanihan 2 and 2020 budget will spur the recovery of the Philippine economy next year, along with the 4.5-trillion national spending plan for 2021, which includes funds for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and subsidies for ailing industries. The Supreme Court has yet to release its ruling but a highly placed source said most of the justices saw the provision on POGOs as a rider. Leonen for his part, said Bayanihan 2 was an urgent piece of legislation that should be granted the presumption of constitutionality amid the coronavirus crisis, the source said. CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 00:22:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The seventh round of talks between protesting farmers and Indian government ended inconclusively on Monday as the farmer leaders insisted on the repeal of the three contentious farm laws, a demand rejected by ministers. However, both sides agreed to meet on Friday again for the eighth round aimed at breaking the impasse. The government side was represented by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and junior minister for commerce and industry Som Prakash, while as farmers were represented by various leaders from 41 farmers' unions. "Keeping in mind the discussions during the previous meeting the government is committed to finding a solution on farmers issues with an open mind. Both sides need to take steps forward to find the solution," Tomar told the media after the meeting. "Keeping in mind the welfare of the farmers talks regarding farm laws will be held with all farmers unions representatives from different states and clause-wise discussion on farm laws can be carried forward to resolve contentious issues." The meeting started with a two-minute silence for the protesting farmers who have died during the agitation. Reports said over 60 farmers occupying roads at the Delhi border have died, mostly due to extreme weather conditions. The protesting farmers have threatened to hold a rally on India's Republic Day on Jan. 26 if their demands were not met. Thousands of farmers have been protesting for over a month in and around the capital city New Delhi, occupying roads and demanding the withdrawal of three contentious farm laws. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been strongly defending the laws since the protest broke out in the last week of November 2020. Enditem Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager who fatally shot two people and wounded a third during violent protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin over the summer, pleaded not guilty to charges including intentional homicide on Tuesday. The 18-year-old entered his plea in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference. He looked serious during his appearance, wearing a blue button down shirt, tie and black face mask, for the hearing from the office of his attorney Mark Richards. Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests on August 25, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. The protests were decrying the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back and left paralyzed on August 23. Rittenhouse has argued he opened fired in self-defense, claiming he was protecting local businesses from the raucous protests. He faces seven charges: first degree intentional homicide in the death of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36; first degree reckless homicide of Anthony Huber, 26, attempted first degree intentional homicide of Gaige Grosskreutz, 22, two counts of recklessly endangering safety for shots fired at others, being a minor in possession of a firearm and violation a curfew. Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, pleaded not guilty to charges including intentional homicide on Tuesday in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference. Rittenhouse pictured in blue with his lawyer Mark Richard's from his lawyer's office Rittenhouse pictured above during his remote arraignment via video conference call Tuesday Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests on August 25, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Pictured above carrying the rifle in Kenosha during the night of the shooting During the Tuesday hearing when Kenosha County Circuit Court Commissioner Loren Keating asked Rittenhouse if he understood that the previously imposed conditions of bond and bail 'remain in full force and effect,' he replied, 'Yes sir.' The trial is slated to start on March 29. Kyle Rittenhouse is charged in the slayings of two people during street protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He has pleaded not guilty During the hearing Rittenhouse's attorney Richards slammed the timeline as 'ridiculous', saying that the state's discovery materials, consisting of videos and reports, are being turned over this week. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger agreed and said the date of the trial will be reviewed at a pre-trial discussion with Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder on March 10. Conservatives have rallied around Rittenhouse, describing him as a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property, and raised enough money to make his $2 million cash bail, allowing him to walk out of jail on November 2. Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited protesters. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shootings. The family of victim Anthony Huber is suing the city of Kenosha for $10 million. Protester Gaige Grosskruetz, who was injured, has similarly filed a suit seeking $10 million in compensation. The Blake shooting happened three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis, which sparked outrage and national protests demanding police accountability. In Kenosha, a city of 100,000 near the Wisconsin-Illinois border, protests led to an estimated $50 million in damage. Some people answered a call on social media to travel to Kenosha in the wake of the Blake shooting. That included Rittenhouse who traveled from his home in Antioch, Illinois to neighboring Wisconsin in a bid to 'protect' local businesses from getting destroyed. Victims: In the August 25 shooting Rittenhouse fatally shot Anthony Huber (left) and shot and wounded Gaig Grosskruetz (right). The family of Anthony Huber is suing the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin for $10 million. Gaige Grosskruetz has similarly filed a suit seeking $10 million in compensation Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, was also shot and killed by Rittenhouse. Rosenbaum's family have not yet filed a suit against the city of Kenosha Rittenhouse says he acted in self-defense as the protests descended into violence, but he is set to stand trial for murder later this year. He is pictured shooting at Grosskreutz Kenosha is once again on edge as Kenosha's District Attorney's Office is nearing a decision on whether to charge the Officer Rusten Sheskey, the police officer who shot Jacob Blake. Fearing a repeat of the August protests, the Kenosha Common Council on Monday night unanimously approved an emergency resolution that goes into effect with the announcement and allows the mayor to set curfews. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley hasn't publicly announced the timing of a decision on whether to charge Sheskey. But the city began moving in recent days to prepare for the event, with some businesses boarding their windows and concrete barricades and oversized metal fencing surrounding the Kenosha County Courthouse. Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to help Kenosha authorities when the decision is announced. 'Our members of the National Guard will be on hand to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans are able to assemble safely, and to protect critical infrastructure as necessary,' Evers said in a statement. Jacob Blake (pictured) has been left paralyzed from the waist down following the shooting on August 23 Kenosha is once again on edge as Kenosha's District Attorney's Office is nearing a decision on whether to charge the Officer Rusten Sheskey (left and right), the police officer who shot Jacob Blake. Supporters for Jacob Blake march Monday in Kenosha demanding justice and charges against cop Rusten Sheskey Supporters hold candles at a rally for Jacob Blake on Monday in Kenosha, Wisconsin demanding Officer Sheskey be charged in the shooting that left Blake paralyzed Jacob Blake Sr., father of Jacob Blake, pictured above at the Monday rally Justin Blake, uncle of Jacob Blake, pictured leading a march Monday in Kenosha, Wisconsin Blake's father led a march through the city Monday evening, calling on people to 'make noise' and be 'heard around the world.' '(Sheskey) tried to kill my son and could have killed my grandchildren,' Jacob Blake Sr. said during a news conference before the march. 'He shot him seven times in his back unjustifiably.' The family said it's taken too long for a charging decision, and the precautions suggest that Sheskey won't be charged. 'What is the National Guard for?' Jacob Blake Sr. said. 'They going to deliver mail? Deliver ice cream? What do you think they're here for?' Tanya McLean, executive director of the community organization Leaders of Kenosha and a friend of the Blake family, said as Monday evening's march was kicking off that violence isn't acceptable. 'No matter what the decision is, we are seeking nonviolence,' she said. 'We want everybody to come out, make as much noise as you want, but we don't want any destruction of property or businesses. We are for nonviolence. Anything else is not acceptable for this community.' The news that Haven, the joint health-care venture between Amazon (AMZN), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B) and JPMorgan (JPM), will disband next month came as no surprise to many health care experts. The venture that formed in January 2018 sent health stocks plummeting in anticipation of a large-scale cost savings strategylargely led by a belief in Amazons potential to disrupt yet another industry. But the dissolution proves what some naysayers said from the start: There isnt enough scope for employers, no matter how large, to pressure the system. Michael Neidorff, Centene CEO, told Yahoo Finance he was never worried about the joint venture, in large part because even with the massive number of employees the three companies had. Thats not really enough to get the law of large numbers working, he said. But he believes disruption to the industry is necessary. We have 25 million lives we are covering, one out of every 15 Americans. They didnt have the systems and they didnt have the critical mass that you can develop the network and contracting with, Neidorff said of the trio. In large part, the lack of disruption to the health industry is due to a lack of wiggle room. The system is just too complex, experts said. Hospitals in the U.S. get paid a lot of money because of market power, the employer-based health insurance model, consumer demand for broad choice of providers, and a fragmented system, said Loren Adler, associate director at the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy. Another issue experts noted is that Haven never had any visible impact, even if the companies claim to have gained insight that can be applied over a longer term. The failure of Haven is not so much because employers or insurers had never tried to control costs. It was always unclear what new value-add Haven brought to the table, Adler told Yahoo Finance. This combination of photos from left shows Warren Buffett on Sept. 19, 2017, in New York, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, on Sept. 24, 2013, in Seattle and JP Morgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon on July 12, 2013, in New York. Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, Amazon and the New York bank JPMorgan Chase are teaming up to create a health care company announced Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, that is "free from profit-making incentives and constraints." (AP Photos) Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at Kaiser Family Foundation, said Haven is just the latest casualty in a field of attempts to take on health care costs. Story continues Health care providers and insurers have significant market leverage, and thats difficult to overcome in trying to control costs, Levitt told Yahoo Finance. Insurers have offered plans with narrower sets of options for health care services and providers to help bring down costs, but for the largest employers that results in unattractive health care benefits for employee retention, Levitt said. These were three very powerful companies that seemed to have common goals of addressing health care costs, but these companies had their own individual ambitions and bureaucracies that Haven wasnt able to break through, he said. Adler also pointed to the fact that even if the benefit to the bottom line is an incentive, employee retention and the tax credits employers get for the benefits serve to maintain the status quo. It doesnt surprise me that (Haven) failed, Adler said. Dr. Howard Forman, a health policy expert at Yale University, told Yahoo Finance he initially had a lot of faith in the idea that large employers like the three that formed Haven had the incentive with so much money at stake to be able to impact change. But he also had doubts when Dr. Atul Gawande, a celebrated speaker and health policy thinker, was appointed CEO, in large part because Gawande was not known as a manager, and a white paper he submitted as a potential solution to the cost issue was never published. Im losing faith that the employers can fill this void right now, Forman said, pointing to government entities and innovation in the government space as likely having more impact. Even though they do not control the vast majority of (health care) dollars, they do control the vast majority of profit, Forman said, noting the most profitable patients for health systems are the ones covered by commercial insurers. Medicare and Medicaid are typically lower reimbursement, often covering less than the cost of services. For this reason, commercial insurers are seen as the bridge to the gap of revenue, and then some. Employer-sponsored insurance remains the largest chunk of coverage in the country. But the federal government, both as a payor via Medicare and as the largest employer in the country, could move the needle, Forman said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Reality check Havens news comes amid the coronavirus pandemic, pressure from the Trump administration for greater transparency, and a new Congress and new executive administration. Trump certainly deserves credit for breaking the logjam on pricing, KFFs Levitt said, but it will be up to the incoming Biden administration, which as been in touch with Gawande, to prompt further change. How hospital pricing transparency could impact the health sector remains to be seen. On one hand, some say it will exert pressure as transparency does in any other sector, while others say it could further confuse consumers. At the end of the day, what really matters is what is the insurer paying and what is the persons copay and deductible, said Michael Maron, CEO of Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey. Which is why experts say health care is still in dire need of reform, but when and how so is still a question even as the pandemic has served as a catalyst for addressing change. We all know the health care system needs to be transformed, Maron said. The question is from where and how, and how painful is it going to be? More from Anjalee: Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Lawmakers Set to Convene Amid COVID-19 Challenges By The Associated Press FRANKFORT - Budget and coronavirus-related issues are likely to dominate the attention of Kentucky lawmakers this year.The legislature is set to open its 30-day 2021 session Tuesday.Republicans bolstered their supermajorities in last years election.It gives them enough clout to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.Topping the agenda will be the need to approve another one-year state budget.Last year, lawmakers passed a one-year budget rather than the traditional two-year spending plan.They did so because of uncertainty caused by the coronavirus.Lawmakers will again face the challenge of conducting business amid the threat from COVID-19. Japan News-Yomiuri Intermediate wholesalers are among the people checking the condition of tuna before the New Year auction held at Toyosu Market in Koto Ward, Tokyo, early Tuesday morning. The year's first tuna auction at Toyosu Market was dampened by the slump in demand from restaurants amid the pandemic, with the top bid at just 20.84 million yen (about $202,000) on Tuesday morning in Koto Ward, Tokyo. The hatsuseri New Year auction fetched about 200 million yen in 2020 and over 300 million yen in 2019. The Pacific bluefin tuna that sold at the highest price Tuesday was caught in waters off Oma, Aomori Prefecture, and weighed 208 kilograms, meaning it cost 100,000 yen (about $972) per kilogram. It was among the 1,432 tuna at the auction. Yukitaka Yamaguchi, the president of Yamayuki, the fisheries intermediate wholesaler at the market that bought the tuna, said, "There is a lot of bad news about the novel coronavirus, so I hope people feel better after eating the most auspicious tuna." ADVERTISEMENT The Niger government is committed to actualising Bobi Grazing Reserve located along Mariga and Mashegu local government areas of the state. Governor Abubakar Bello made this known when he visited the Bobi Grazing Reserve to inspect activities on the reserve which is being affected by the increasing cases of armed banditry in the area, saying that government would do whatever it takes to secure the place. Without having to give details, I can assure you that we are committed and determined to put in place high-level security measures that will safeguard both government and private sector investments here, he said. Mr Bello urged the Fulani communities within the grazing reserve to embrace and key into the Ruga Settlement Programme for their socioeconomic prosperity and in the overall interest of the state. He charged them to be vigilant and security conscious, protect all facilities and equipment in the reserve, be accommodative but cautious in harboring those wicked people who may be out to disrupt the arrangements. In his remarks, Ardo Abubakar, leader of the Fulani in the Bobi Grazing Reserve, expressed optimism that the project would be a huge success. We have witnessed the planting and harvest of the pastures, we have also seen the reality of artificial insemination and crossbreeding. We are convinced about its potentials as a lucrative and dependable business, he said. The reserve, which was established by the Northern Region administration, sits on 31, 000 hectares of lush vegetation, with forest stretching several kilometers on end. It is divided into seven blocks with about 700 households and six earth dams. It also boasts of solar-powered boreholes and seven pasture blocks. The reserve, which has been dormant for about six decades, is now a beehive of activities. Every section of the reserve is undergoing transformation as key investors struggle to outclass each other to grab the opportunities thrown up by the Federal Government. (NAN) Resource Management Associate, SC-6, Bridgetown, Barbados Organization: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Country: Barbados City: Bridgetown, Barbados Office: WFP in Bridgetown, Barbados . WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance. ABOUT WFP We are the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide and the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Our mission is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every single day, we work worldwide to make sure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable can access the nutritious food they need. At WFP, we are looking for a Resources Management Associate hired on a Service Contract (SC-6) in Bridgetown, Barbados that will be the focal point for budget and resource analysis and programming activities, and the delivery of administrative support services. Also, you will work closely with Finance and colleagues in other functional areas to ensure the efficient, effective and right utilisation of funds. This position will be under the supervision and mentorship of the Deputy Country Director. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive) In this role, you will be responsible for two main areas: I. Administration Contribute to planning, monitoring and processing administrative tasks related to procurement, travel management, inventory management, and human resources. Oversee the management of paper and electronic records within established procedures including office filing and reference system and incoming and outgoing correspondences, to ensure swift and easy data access of general management files as required. Support the provision of the full range of business support services to staff including the maintenance of personnel files, facilities management, and protocol, working in close coordination with internal and external counterparts. Adapt and update administrative processes, supporting the implementation of operating procedures, in order to contribute to the continuous improvement of administrative services in the area of responsibility. II. Budget & Programming Contribute towards the development of activities, plans, processes and procedures ensuring compliance with wider budget programming policies and WFP standards. Review budget plans, supervise and analyse project financial performance and make recommendations in compliance with WFP financial policies and procedures to support financial analysis and optimisation of resources. Provide comprehensive analysis on fund and grant balances identifying surpluses and deficits, and suggest corrective measures, to support maximum fund utilization and decision-making process. Support pipeline management ensuring efficient monitoring, to prevent and address pipeline breaks and maximise operational effectiveness; and alert supervisors to approaching target dates for unassigned funds and potential resource shortfalls or surpluses. Collate and analyse data, and contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reports, to enable decision-making and consistency of information presented to senior management and external partners. Enter budget plans and revisions in the corporate systems, to ensure data is timely and accurately collected enabling easy access to information and supporting planning and decision-making. Monitor actions related to project closure and resource transfer and refer potential issues to the supervisors. Contribute ideas to senior officers for improvement to systems, techniques, tools and procedures to better supervise and handle budgets and funds. Provide mentorship to other support staff and contribute to their learning and development in budget planning, fund management and operational planning, to facilitate continuity and consistency in services delivered. STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Tags access to information continuous improvement data analysis facilities management gender parity human resources office management procurement support services technical training Completion of secondary school education is needed. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional areas is highly preferable. A minimum of six years of meaningful professional experience is required. Experience in supporting the preparation, monitoring and management of budgets and handling financial transactions. Has experience working with third-party vendors and/or auditors. Has experience in managing or supervising general administrative work. Proficiency (level C) in English is required. Experience in the UN, NGOs and/or International Organizations will be considered a plus. DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE Knowledge of specialized common business practices and methods, gained through relevant technical training and experience. Ability to develop and maintain relationships with a range of individuals in order to provide a high-quality support services. Ability to carry out data analysis and independently rectify problems requiring attention or make relevant recommendations to the Country Office management. Ability to monitor and record financial transactions. Good communication skills required to give and receive information and work with a variety of individuals. Ability to maintain confidentiality. TERMS AND CONDITIONS This vacancy is open to citizens of Barbados or CARICOM Member States. Relocation support will not be granted. The selected candidate will be employed on a Service Contract (SC-6) for twelve months that does not carry any expectancy of renewal. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS January 3, 2021 . We look for applicants with the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian values. We commit to promote diversity, gender parity and equality between men and women. WFP strives to build a work environment that is safe and supportive, and free of sexual harassment and abuse of authority. We believe in open communication, and every individual at WFP is treated with respect regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religious and political beliefs, etc. Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status. No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 77F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 48F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. As many gamers know already, Forza isnt necessary a latest-generation title, but despite this, it still comes with impressive attention to detail that makes it possible to take stunning shots when the right car and the right angle are being used.This is the case of the Lamborghini Centenario that you see here . Using a custom color called Deep Sea, this is just a screenshot from Forza, despite many people thinking its actually a real shot. And while shiny supercars might not be everyones cup of tea, theres no doubt it looks great. It once again fuels our excitement for the next-gen titles expected to land as soon as this year.In the meantime, the Lamborghini Centenario is a model that you can already see waiting at a traffic light. If youre lucky, of course, as Lamborghini has produced only 20 coupe and 20 roadster versions of the Centenario, with U.S. pricing starting at no less than $1.9 million (European pricing from 1.75 million). Thats more than most of us can afford but looking at the specs of the cars proves its totally worth it.The Centenario was announced at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show when the Italian brand celebrated 100 years since the birth of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini.The car is powered by a naturally aspirated V12 engine that develops no less than 770 metric horsepower (759 hp), enough to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in no less than 2.8 seconds. Furthermore, it can accelerate to 300 km/h (186.4 mph) in just 23.5 seconds before eventually reaching a top speed of 350 km/h (217.4 mph). We are thrilled to be recognized as a top eDiscovery and digital forensics company by the National Law Journal. This recognition reinforces that the processes and technologies we have worked so hard to fine-tune are some of the best in the industry. BIA, a leading national eDiscovery and forensic services provider with offices in New York, Denver and Kalamazoo, Michigan, was recognized in 11 categories of the 2020 Best Of Midwest Awards presented by the National Law Journal. BIA won first place in four categories: End-to-End Litigation Firm Legal Hold Solution Predictive Coding eDiscovery Solution Computer Forensic Solution Provider The company also took second place in six categories: Intellectual Property Litigation Consulting End-to-End eDiscovery Provider Technology Assisted Review eDiscovery Solution Managed eDiscovery and Litigation Support Service Managed Document Review Forensic Experts Lastly, BIA was recognized as one of the top three for Data and Technology Management. We are thrilled to be recognized as a top eDiscovery and digital forensics company by the National Law Journal, said BIA President and CEO Brian Schrader. This recognition reinforces that the processes and technologies we have worked so hard to fine-tune are some of the best in the industry. We are grateful to our clients and colleagues who voted for BIA and who trust us with their eDiscovery and digital forensic needs. The National Law Journal is an ALM publication that provides the legal community with news and analysis of legislative and regulatory developments. Each year it holds the Best Of Midwest awards to recognize the legal products and service providers in the Midwest that stand out among their competitors in providing lawyers with the essentials they need to practice law. Winners are determined by lawyers and law firm administrators who cast their votes on dozens of categories critical to the legal profession. Best Of Midwest showcases the top vendors in one annual edition. For a full list of 2020 winners, visit https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/midwest/best-of/. About BIA As an industry pioneer, BIA continues to set the standard for reliable, innovative, and cost-effective eDiscovery services. Its customer-first focus has resulted in countless innovations copied widely across the industry today. From technical innovations like truly remote data collections and the first cloud-based, end-to-end eDiscovery platform, to service revolutions like reusing data and coding across matters and hiring dedicated, full-time employees for document review, BIA consistently stands at the leading edge of the industry. Founded by legal and technology professionals, BIA provides the entire spectrum of eDiscovery services including attorney document review with minimal disruption to its clients daily business operations. To learn more, visit BIA at http://www.biaprotect.com or on Twitter at @biaprotect. Another woman-owned business has opened in downtown Jacksonville, manned so to speak by a local woman with local interests in her heart. Elizabeth Carney Lynch opened Cork & Crown, a boutique at 301 S. Main St., to blend her degree in interior design and her knowledge of art with a flair for fashion. I have worked for several firms as well as owning my own residential design business, Lynch said. It is a passion of mine to curate a space for my clients that reflects their personality and lifestyle. The store carries apparel, home decor, accessories, gifts and arts. More Information Stores hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; and from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday. See More Collapse Finding just the right piece at just the right cost is always a challenge, especially in a small town, Lynch said. That is why I decided to open a boutique. I want to provide a place that sells unique home decor and accessories. Im a detail girl and and think you will see that when you enter Cork & Crown. Getting to opening day came with the normal challenges, especially during a pandemic. Lynchs opening a boutique during a national pandemic does not surprise the people that know me, she said. Im a dive into the ocean without a life jacket kind of girl. We all need something pretty and something that will make us smile these days. While Lynch already is thinking of ways to expand her business, she has an immediate goal for her customers. My obsession with interiors has always intertwined with fashion, so, of course I have womens apparel for sale, too, she said. I would love to grow that into also selling mens and childrens clothing. Most importantly, I want to provide an experience for my customers. I want you to walk in the door and feel happy and beautiful. And while the name of her store might evoke images of Europe, its origins are closer to home. The name Cork & Crown came to light because of my love for wine and my childhood nickname, Queenie, she said. In the future, in addition to expanding to mens and childrens clothing, Lynch also plans to boost the shopping experience for those who visit her store. I will sell wine one day, and have a spot for people to come in for a recommendation and buy a bottle or a glass to hang out and enjoy, she said. Opening her boutique just south of the square, Lynch is excited to join others who have opened local businesses. The location is perfect and I couldnt be happier being a part of Jacksonvilles downtown, she said. There are so many local women entrepreneurs that have given me inspiration. I am so proud to now be one of them. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 6:42 am Using a combination of teamwork and holiday magic, teachers and administrative staff at Woodland Public Schools spread holiday cheer to kindergarten through fourth grade students at the districts three elementary schools with Operation Santa. The event was created to provide students and staff with holiday spirit during a year when families and friends are staying home due to COVID-19 restrictions. North Fork Elementary School Principal Denise Pearl and Columbia Elementary Principal David Starkey, along with Elementary Assistant Principal Darcy Soto, wanted to do something special for their students before the holiday break. Our students have been working so hard, and with virtual learning, many of them have missed out on the holiday fun that happens at the elementary level, Starkey said in a news release. We wanted to do something to remind them that we care about them, love them, and support them. Usually, the last week of school before vacation is filled with holiday activities and celebrations which our virtual students were going to miss out on this year, Pearl said. Usually, Santa visits our holiday concerts, so we wanted to find a way to still celebrate with our students, even if we couldnt have them in school. For Operation Santa Claus, students and their families drove up to the entrance of their elementary school to be greeted by Superintendent Michael Green as Santa Claus and other principals dressed as elves and teachers in full holiday attire. While still strictly practicing social distancing and wearing masks, Santa greeted each student and gave them a new book donated by the Scholastic Corporation and a candy cane. In addition, Facilities Director Scott Landrigan donated lights and decorations to cover the schools in holiday cheer. The result was a holiday miracle. Operation Santa was a huge hit, Starkey said. The students loved it, the families appreciated, and the staff enjoyed it I had one particular staff member tell me, This is amazing. We have to do this every year. At North Fork Elementary School, students lined up to see the show, and turnout was better than expected. Traffic lined the street for the two hours the district ran the event. All involved point to the support of the district as a whole for making the event happen. We had volunteers including district office staff, teachers from other schools, instructional assistants, and custodians who all wrapped gifts for our students, Starkey said. The entire event was a true team effort and I could not be more proud of our team at Woodland Public Schools. K-4 students unable to attend Operation Santa Claus on the day of the event will receive their special gifts when they come back to school in the new year. OTTAWA - A Twitter post by NDP MP Charlie Angus on Israel's vaccination policy has kicked up a storm of social media controversy. NDP Ethics Critic Charlie Angus speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - A Twitter post by NDP MP Charlie Angus on Israel's vaccination policy has kicked up a storm of social media controversy. The online post links to a Jan. 3 article in The Guardian newspaper that highlights how Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza are not among the beneficiaries of Israel's rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, whereas Jewish settlements are. "This is appalling," Angus wrote, capping off the tweet with the words, "#apartheidstate." The post Sunday sparked more than 1,000 likes, but also backlash, including from Liberal MP Ya'ara Saks. Saks, who represents Toronto's York Centre riding, which includes a sizable Jewish community, said in a reply that the Palestinian Authority is largely responsible for the medical care of its citizens under the Oslo Accords. The article states the authority has not officially asked for help from Israel, she noted. "Health care is actually cooperatively managed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to serve all residents of the West Bank. His post did not productively or constructively contribute to any conversation on the issue," Saks said of Angus's tweet in an email to The Canadian Press. Israel has led the world in per-capita inoculations, but which shoulders receive the shots remains a controversial issue. So far, virtually none of the 2.7 million Palestinian residents of the West Bank have received any of the more than 150,000 doses Israel administers daily, the article says. Michael Bueckert, vice-president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, says Israel is an occupying power and therefore responsible for the health of the local population under the fourth Geneva Convention. Bueckert called Israel's vaccination program "impressive," but said Palestinians' exclusion from it constitutes a "massive hole" in the plan. He said he was encouraged to see a parliamentarian highlight the issue. In an email, Shimon Koffler Fogel, head of the Toronto-based Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, called the tweet a "dog whistle" that has "no place in Canadian politics." The recriminations did not end there. Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith Canada tweeted Monday that Angus and fellow New Democrat Leah Gazan who also posted a link to the story were "tweeting inaccurate information demonizing Israel," and called their posts "shameful." Angus posted a follow-up statement Monday evening, saying B'nai Brith had reached out to him and accused him of "promoting 'anti-Semitic conspiracy theories' by releasing this tweet." "As a parliamentarian involved at the international stage on addressing the crisis of online conspiracy theories I was shocked by the accusation," he said, adding that he rejects it. "If Bnai Brith objects to the tone or the facts presented in the Guardian article the appropriate channel is to contact the editor of the Guardian." Several hours after his Sunday post, Angus retweeted one from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum commemorating a victim of the Holocaust, as he does each day. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2021. Even though he has a terminal disease, a state appeals court panel refused Tuesday to order that a dying sex predator be released from prison early so he could spend his final days at home. In denying Frederick Lewis Bill Jr.s plea for a compassionate release, the Superior Court judges cited fears voiced by one of two young girls Bill molested more than a decade ago. While I am aware that (Bill) does not have long left, in my mind he is dangerous. (He) did unspeakable things to me, the victim testified during a court hearing on Bills plea for release last July. Bill, 52, sought a compassionate release after being diagnosed in 2019 with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, a merciless degenerative ailment. He is partially paralyzed and confined to a medical unit in state prison, Judge Megan King noted in the Superior Court opinion denying the release request. Frederick Bill Jr. King also outlined Bills criminal record. He is behind bars on a 2002 conviction for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl and a 2005 conviction for raping another pre-teen girl. Both convictions occurred in Berks County Court. Bill was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison for the crimes and was deemed a sexually violent predator, the most dangerous type of sex offender. He was refused parole in 2017, two years before his ALS diagnosis, because at that time he was still deemed a danger to the community and had refused to accept responsibility for his crimes, King noted. On appeal to the state court, Bill challenged a county Judge James M. Buccis refusal to grant his compassionate release. He claimed he had just six months to live and wanted to die at his wifes Pottsville home under hospice case rather than in a prison ward. He noted he had already served 18 years behind bars and denied being a threat to anyone. Bill insisted Bucci had improperly considered the pain and trauma his criminal conduct caused the victims in refusing to release him. In backing Buccis decision, King cited the county judges finding that Bills early release, even in his debilitated state, would be emotionally devastating for his victims. Bucci wrote that the victim, now an adult, who testified during the July hearing spoke about the struggle she faced to overcome the trauma (Bill) inflicted on her, and how this trauma threatens to resurface due to the fear of (his) possible early release. She has to live with the horrible memory of (Bills) offenses for most of her life. Granting (his) petition will cause (the victim) to suffer additional emotional distress and anguish, Bucci concluded. That '70s Show actor Ashton Kutcher has taken upon the job of clearing out the confusion amidst his contemporaries that Tanya Roberts is alive. The confusion about the information started when Roberts' publicist Mike Pingel confirmed about her death on CNN after which he told NBC News that Roberts is still alive. However, many of the show's cast members didn't get the memo as they were posting condolences for the James Bond actor. Ashton tweeted to their comments and made them know about the correct information. Read on to know how Ashton clarified the misinformation about his That '70s Show co-star Tanya Roberts. ALSO READ| Diljit Dosanjh Claps Back At Kangana Ranaut, Says, 'You Live With Misconceptions' Ashton Kutcher clarifies about Tanya Roberts' death on Twitter Tanya Roberts' publicist Mike Pingel had earlier told media portals that Roberts was taken to the hospital on Christmas Eve after she collapsed in her LA home after she came home following a walk with her dogs. Pingel stated to CNN that he was devastated by her death, he even shared his condolences for the actor and stated that she was an angel and he will miss her. However, after the news came to light that she is in fact alive, Ashton took to the social media to clarify the comments made by actor Topher Grace as well as actor Debra Jo Rupp. ALSO READ| Diljit Dosanjh Gives 'proof Of His Indian Citizenship', Urges People To 'not Spread Hate' Topher Grace expressed his condolences for Tanya Roberts on Twitter stating "I was so sad to hear that Tanya Roberts has passed away. She was a Bond girl, one of Charlie's Angels, and truly a delightful person to work with." The Spider-Man 3 actor added, "I had never acted before and, to be honest, a little nervous around her. But she couldn't have been kinder. We'll miss you, Midge," He was referencing to Roberts' character Midge Pinciotti on the That '70s show, where he portrayed Eric Forman on the show from 1998 to 2006. To his tweet, Ashton replied that Tanya Roberts is alive. Take a look. yo bro she's not dead ashton kutcher (@aplusk) January 5, 2021 After which Topher replied with a GIF from their show. Even actor Debra Jo Rupp paid tribute to Tanya Roberts on Twitter and wrote, "Tanya had a big deep hearty laugh. She was all instinct and beauty." Debra Jo Rupp played Kitty Forman on the show reminisced a kitchen scene from an episode from the first season where they were drinking cocktails in the episode. She continued and said "She laughed, spit her drink in my face, apologized profusely and did it 3 more times," Debra said. "I loved her. RIP beauty." Ashton replied to her comment and corrected the misinformation of DJ as well. dj she's still alive. ashton kutcher (@aplusk) January 5, 2021 ALSO READ| Diljit Dosanjh Credited For 1 Crore Donation To Buy Warm Clothes For Protesting Farmers ALSO READ| Diljit Dosanjh's Much-awaited Film 'Jodi' To Release In 2021: Reports Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Salim Mehajer has been charged after allegedly calling his ex-girlfriend from prison in an alleged attempt to have her restraining order dropped. Police allege the disgraced property developer, 34, breached an apprehended violence order taken out on behalf of his former lover Missy Tysoe. Ms Tysoe came forward last month to claim the controversial western Sydney identity had assaulted and threatened her. Daily Mail Australia understands prosecutors will allege the former Auburn deputy mayor breached the AVO by attempting to call Ms Tysoe from Silverwater jail. Salim Mehajer (left) has been charged with breaching an apprehended violence order after allegedly making calls from prison to his ex-girlfriend of three years, Missy Tysoe Ms Tysoe claimed to police that Mehajer had assaulted and threatened her. Police are investigating her claims Mehajer appeared before Parramatta Local Court via audio-visual link from a cell at the Metropolitan Remand Centre on New Year's Eve. He pleaded not guilty to a single charge of contravening an AVO restriction. Magistrate Paul Lyon ordered prosecutors to contact Corrective Services NSW to verify Mehajer's phone records. In court documents, police alleged Mehajer breached the AVO over an 18 hour period between 9pm on December 27 and 3pm the next day. A source with knowledge of the investigation claimed Mehajer may have tried to call Ms Tysoe twice. Police are investigating Ms Tysoe's allegations she was assaulted by Mehajer in October and had to seek medical attention after the incident. The couple have been in a relationship since January 2017 however Ms Tysoe has deleted all traces of Mehajer from Instagram and an AVO has been taken out on her behalf Mehajer was remanded in custody at Sydney's MRRC in Silverwater (above) after he was found to have breached his bail conditions on separate perverting the course of justice charges Daily Mail Australia understands the AVO breach charge relates to Mehajer making at least two calls from the prison. Magistrate Paul Lyon ordered prosecutors contact Corrective Services NSW to verify phone records Under the terms of the AVO currently in force, Mehajer is banned from contacting Ms Tysoe whatsoever except via lawyer and from possessing any firearms or prohibited weapons. The former Auburn deputy mayor was also hit with standard AVO conditions barring him from assaulting, threatening, stalking, harassing or intimidating Ms Tysoe or recklessly destroying her property. Ms Tysoe, 31, was in a relationship with Mehajer for three years, beginning in December 2017. But she has deleted all traces of Mehajer from her Instagram account, only recently resurfacing on social media following a lengthy hiatus, to post cryptic messages. 'What matters most is how you walk through the fire,' one published December 23 said. Ms Tysoe has recently taken to social media with cryptic posts such as: 'What matters most is how you walk through the fire' Mehajer with his hairdresser ex-wife Aysha during a court appearance five years' ago Mehajer first caught Sydney's attention in 2015 with his 'big wedding' to longtime sweetheart Aysha. The nuptials controversially blocked off suburban streets with drummers, featurd flash cars and helicopters taking off from a suburban sporting oval. But the marriage didn't stand the test of time, with video later leaking of Mehajer screaming obscenities at his estranged wife. Mehajer spent Christmas in jail after his bail was revoked by the District Court over separate charges of perverting the course of justice. His alleged AVO breach is due to return to court on January 7 and the AVO itself later this month. He's expected to apply for bail on January 18. Two businesses and their owners have been charged with fraud against the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF). Manuel Sanchez and his business Lagos Construction have been charged with grand larceny and other crimes for allegedly failing to pay insurance premiums of more than $2 million for workers compensation insurance covering employees. A second business owner, Rosa Rodriguez, and her company, Encinos Construction, have also been charged with grand larceny for allegedly concealing $3 million in revenue during their audits with NYSIF and allegedly defrauding the fund of more than $460,000 in insurance premiums. Employees depend on the workers compensation insurance for their much-needed wages and medical care when they are injured on the job, said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a press release issued by her office. This is a promise that must be kept to our hardworking labor force. These two employers allegedly pocketed money that should have helped fund the insurance program. This is unacceptable. Sanchez and his business were arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Scott Dunn on a complaint charging them with grand larceny in the first degree, insurance fraud in the first degree, falsifying business records in the first degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and fraudulent practice. Judge Dunn ordered Sanchez to return to court on March 3, 2021. If convicted, Sanchez faces more than eight up to 25 years in prison. According to the charges, Lagos Construction was a policyholder with NYSIF, which provided workers compensation benefits for the business employees. Between April 2014 and April 2018, NYSIF conducted four audits on Lagos Constructions business records to verify the appropriate amount Lagos should pay in premiums to the fund. The audits included a review of the companys checkbooks, banks statements, contracts, tax returns, unemployment insurance reports and other documents. It is alleged that Sanchez and the business falsified records and underreported the amount of business conducted in order to avoid paying $2.2 million in insurance premiums. Rodriguez and her company were arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Eugene Guarino on a complaint charging them with grand larceny in the second degree, insurance fraud in the second degree, falsifying business records in the first degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and fraudulent practices. Judge Guarino order Rodriguez to return to Court on March 3, 2021. If convicted, Rodriguez faces between five to 15 years in prison. According to the charges, an audit of Encinos Constructions books and records from October 2015 through August 2017 allegedly showed Rodriguez and her company concealed revenue totaling $3 million and therefore defrauded NYSIF of more than $460,000 plus interest in insurance premiums. Instead of doing the right thing to provide hard-earned benefits to employees during this difficult time, these two employers allegedly pursued insurance fraud for their own benefit, said New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) Superintendent Linda Lacewell in the release. Insurance fraud not only hits the bottom line of insurance companies, it also hits the pocketbooks of consumers through higher premiums. The investigation was conducted by investigators with NYSIF, DFS and the New York State Inspector Generals Office. Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Source: Queens County District Attorneys Office Topics Fraud New York Abuse Molestation Numbers ATLANTA - Debate over President Donald Trump's own electoral grievances dominated the final day of campaigning for two U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia on Monday, raising concerns among Republican strategists and local officials that his conspiracy theories would depress GOP turnout and jeopardize continued Senate control. The Republican secretary of state's office on Monday held a news conference with a top election official to denounce Trump's false claims of election fraud over the weekend, urging Georgians to "please turn out and vote tomorrow." At an earlier event in Milner, Ga., Vice President Mike Pence was interrupted by someone who shouted a demand that Pence vote to overturn the presidential election results. President-elect Joe Biden, who also traveled to the state on Monday, turned Trump's efforts to overturn the November election results into a rallying cry to drive Democrats to the polls on Tuesday. Only by winning both seats would Democrats control the Senate, giving Biden far better odds of pushing through his agenda. "In America, as our opposition friends are finding out, all power flows from the people," Biden said at an Atlanta rally, in a reference to Trump's efforts - unsuccessful so far - to force the courts or state officials to overturn the results. "Politicians cannot assert, seize or take power. Power is granted by the American people and we cannot give that up." Little about the first campaign clash of 2021 suggested a fresh political start for the new year. The president's nine-week effort to reverse the November vote, which he hopes will come to a head Wednesday when the House and Senate meet to accept those results, have become the biggest applause lines at Republican events in the state, popping up even when party leaders wanted to focus on issues closer to home. As a result, Republican strategists spent the final hours of the contest focused on pressuring Trump and his aides to script his Monday night appearance in the state in a way that does not further undermine their chances. "If he tells people not to vote," said one Republican involved in the race who requested anonymity to speak frankly, "that is a cataclysmic failure." Another strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for similar reasons, said there was broad concern that Trump would use his rally in the state to spread the same threats that he aired in a weekend phone call with Georgia Republican officials, in which he told them that "because of what you've done to the president, a lot of people aren't going out to vote." "It is a white-knuckle moment for Republicans all over the place," said the second strategist. "He wants attention more than he wants the win, and that could really screw us. So much of these elections are about momentum." Though Republicans had confidence they could shape what went into Trump's teleprompter when he spoke at night in Dalton, Ga., they said they had no idea what he would improvise and were worried about his mood. Democratic strategists, also, expected Trump to play a decisive role in the outcome. "All of the story is about their turnout," said J.B. Poersch, the president of the Senate Majority PAC, the largest outside group supporting Democrats in the state. "If they win it is because they had enough enthusiasm to go to the polls. And if they lose it is because there was a lot of ambivalence." Widely circulated false conspiracy theories have animated Republican crowds on the campaign trail in the closing days. At the final public rallies for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., her loudest applause came not when discussing her background in business, or the "radical liberal" agendas of the Democrats, but when discussing Republican challenges to the Nov. 3 vote. "We have to get to the bottom of these elections," Loeffler said at a Sunday night rally in Cherokee County, one of the Republican strongholds where the party is trying to boost turnout. "The Democrats will never look into this. That's what we're fighting for, integrity in this country." But she also was concerned that the focus on the last election could divide her own voters. She had refused as the runoff date neared to take a clear position on whether she would support Trump's efforts to get the Senate to refuse the electoral college result later this week, although late Monday she said she would support the president. Asked on Saturday about the challenge to the electoral college that Trump has backed, she offered a vague comment: "Everything is on the table," she said, before returning to a familiar line. "This president has fought for us," she said. "I'm fighting for him every day." The party's other candidate, David Perdue, whose Senate term lapsed on Sunday, leaving him on the sidelines for the electoral college fight in that chamber, has said he would support the effort to challenge the election result. "They stole the election. That's the truth. We've got tons of evidence," said Patty Smith, 61, who interrupted Pence during his event by shouting for him to "do the right thing on Jan. 6," when Congress will meet to accept the election results. Republicans have not submitted credible evidence of widespread fraud, but the sentiment was widespread enough that local Republican officials held the news conference to contest, point by point, the case Trump argued in a phone call over the weekend with state officials that the election result was wrong. "This is all easily, provably false," Gabriel Sterling, a Republican official who oversaw the voting systems in the state, said at the news conference. "Yet the president persists and by doing so undermines Georgians' faith in the electoral system, especially Republican Georgians, which is important because we have a big election coming up." When they could, both Perdue and Loeffler focused on a unified message that blanketed the state's airwaves: Only their election would save the nation from the socialist decline they said would result from victory for their rivals, filmmaker Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who both reject the "socialist" label. "The very future of our republic is on the line," Perdue said at the Pence rally, addressing the crowd by telephone because of a coronavirus exposure that has put him in quarantine. He said the result could set the country's course for "at least 50 to 100 years." The Democratic candidates spent the closing days of the race trying to refocus the campaign on more local concerns such as health care and job opportunities, even as they brought in star power from around the country to help seal the deal and continued to jab at Trump. A closing ad for Ossoff featured narration by former president Barack Obama and a musical appearance by John Legend. "When the president of the United States calls up Georgia election officials and tries to intimidate them to change the election results . . . that is a direct attack on our democracy," Ossoff said in Savannah on Sunday, at an event with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. "And if David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler had one piece of steel in their spine, one piece of integrity, they would be out defending Georgia voters from that assault." Warnock, speaking at a Monday afternoon rally in Clayton County, ridiculed Trump for his appeal to state election officials to reverse the presidential results - especially "in the middle of a pandemic" - but told his own supporters to "pay him no mind." "The only way this thing goes in the wrong direction is if we become overly confident and give in to the ghosts of complacency and indifference," Warnock said. "We lose only by the margin of our disengagement." Democrats, who have long considered themselves underdogs in the runoff contests, have been cheered by early vote numbers and clear signs in the state that many core Democratic constituencies, including suburban and urban voters, remained engaged. Public polling, which has been less prominent than during the presidential campaign, has generally shown a close race. Just about every available bit of television and radio airtime has been consumed by the four campaigns and their supporting outside groups, leading to barrage of messaging. But Democrats thought their advantage came via an aggressive voter registration effort, which continued after the presidential campaign, and a large get-out-the-vote operation that did not pause after Biden's victory. "Over the course of this campaign, it is clear that the structural advantages that we had, the sweat equity on the ground, has paid off," said Bradley Beychock, the president of American Bridge, which has spent about $9 million to elect the two Democrats. "A day out it is clear that this race is a toss-up, and we maybe have a slight advantage." The Republican candidates have been bedeviled by Trump's actions, even as the president remains one of their biggest assets. Both Perdue and Loeffler have said they support Trump's late call for $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans, a move that is also backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and opposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. But the debate over whether to approve larger checks for American workers gave their Democratic opponents an opportunity to seize on the issue, arguing that the best way to push through increased payments is by giving Democrats control of both chambers. "The debate over $2,000 isn't about some abstract debate in Washington. It's about real lives, your lives, the lives of good hard-working Americans," Biden said in Atlanta on Monday. "If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door." On other recent Trump maneuvers, the Republican candidates have been less clear, as they try to minimize divides in their own party. Besides brushing aside questions about Trump's efforts to overturn the electoral college results, Loeffler has declined to take a firm position on whether she would have voted to override Trump's veto of the defense authorization bill, after missing the vote in December. Even as Democrats have been bolstered by the high numbers of early voters, particularly in liberal-leaning areas where they have focused their efforts, many note that the gains come against a historical conservative lean of the state. "If you look at these numbers, you will see White and Black voters are voting at slightly higher rates," said Michael Thurmond, the chief executive of Dekalb County and the first African American in modern Georgia history to win a statewide election (labor commissioner) without first being appointed to an office. "But about 70 to 75% of White voters are Republicans, and Republicans vote in higher numbers on Election Day, so it's too early to draw any conclusions." Thurmond also said the historic nature of the pair of Senate runoffs has Democrats not wanting to celebrate too early. The national stakes of the races mean they have seen unprecedented attention and nearly half a billion dollars in campaign cash is expected to flow into Georgia during the two months of the runoffs. Georgia election officials, who have been beating back unfounded claims of fraud and malfeasance since the November election, say they're prepared to be in the spotlight once again after the runoffs. "All the counties in Georgia are in the spotlight right now, so we are all prepared for this as well as we can be," Richard Barron, Fulton County's elections director, said at a news conference Monday afternoon. Trump has attacked Fulton County, the most populous in Georgia, repeatedly since he lost the state two months ago - including in his weekend call to the secretary of state and others. Barron said his staff has had to endure a bomb threat, multiple death threats and racial slurs in the run-up to Tuesday's vote. "We're trying to take each of those things as they happen and just continue to do our jobs," Barron said. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: A 1-year-old boy is dead after being found unconscious in a New Orleans hotel room Sunday, and three relatives have been arrested in connection with the investigation, according to police. New Orleans police arrested the boy's parents, Shelbie Pinson and Billy Withers, as well as another relative, James Watkins. All three are from Mississippi, and were booked with child cruelty after police discovered injuries to the dead child's 3-year-old brother, who was also in the hotel room, according to criminal court records. As of Monday, no one had been booked in the death of the 1-year-old, though that could change once authorities establish the child's manner of death. It wasn't immediately clear how long the investigation would take. Pinson also faces a count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Police who searched the hotel room said they found a glass pipe, which officers say she and Watkins used to smoke crystal meth. The 1-year-old boy was found unresponsive in a 12th-floor room of the Harrahs New Orleans Hotel in the 200 block of Poydras Street about 7:30 a.m. Sunday, according to police. First responders treated the boy whose name hasnt been released and brought him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about a half-hour later, police reported. Though authorities havent determined exactly how the boy died, a law enforcement source said investigators found scratches and bruising on his body. Police wrote in court filings that the boys 3-year-old brother was taken to the hospital to be examined for bruises on his neck and around his ribs, along with purplish spots near one of his eyes. Police said they learned the boys had been in the care of Pinson, 32; Withers, 27; and Watkins, 20, who had checked into the hotel for the night on Saturday. They were taken to police headquarters and arrested after questioning by investigators. According to court filings written by police, when asked, all denied knowing how the older boy was injured. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Pinson said she didnt notice any injuries on her 3-year-old son while she bathed him Saturday night, police wrote in the court records. She also allegedly said that she and Watkins had smoked crystal meth in the bathroom. Watkins confirmed Pinsons statement about smoking drugs, according to police. He also said at some point in the evening he heard someone being struck inside of the bathroom but claimed he failed to see who was being hit or who had done it, police reported. Police said Withers told them Pinson has been known to be physical with the boys though he wouldnt discipline them in such a manner. Investigators said they obtained a warrant to search the hotel room Sunday. They said they found a glass pipe with possible drug residue which had been left inside a purse next to the bathroom sink. Cruelty to a juvenile is defined as any intentional or criminally negligent mistreatment or neglect inflicted upon a minor by an adult. If convicted on the charge, there is no mandatory minimum punishment. Adult offenders can face up to 20 years in prison if the child is younger than 8 years old. Bail hearings for Withers and Watkins were still pending as of late Monday. Pinson's bail had been set at $32,500. All three remained in custody in New Orleans' jail. Former President Jimmy Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration, the first time he will miss the ceremonies in more than four decades. The former president and former first lady Rosalynn Carter are both in their 90s, and the pair have attended every inauguration since Carter himself took the oath of office in 1977. At the time, Biden, who is now 78, was serving his first term as a U.S. senator for Delaware. A spokeswoman for the Carter Center, the nonprofit that oversees the former presidents humanitarian endeavors, confirmed that the Carters would not travel to Washington for the event. President and Mrs. Carter will not travel to Washington for the inauguration but have sent their best wishes to President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and look forward to a successful administration, she said in a statement on Tuesday. Carter is the longest-living president in the history of the United States, and he has survived several falls in recent years as well as a serious bout with cancer that was first diagnosed in 2015. Four years ago, Carter was quick to RSVP for President Donald Trumps inauguration at a time when other former presidents were weighing whether or not to show up. Former President Bill Clinton along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in the 2016 presidential election and former President George W. Bush ultimately joined Carter. (Bush reportedly remarked that Trumps grim inauguration speech was some weird shit.) Bidens inauguration is due to be a scaled-down affair due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which poses an especially grave risk to older people, though Biden is expected to take his oath of office at the Capitol the traditional location for the ceremony and deliver an inauguration address afterward. There will also be some type of parade, though other typical events surrounding Inauguration Day are either being significantly reformatted or nixed entirely. It remains an open question whether Trump himself will attend the inauguration, as outgoing presidents typically do, and he has privately explored ways to upstage Bidens swearing-in. The news of Carters absence was previously reported by The Associated Press. Advertisement President Donald Trump demanded that Mike Pence 'come through for us' as the vice president is set to announce President-elect Joe Biden the election winner at a Congressional session on January 6. 'I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. He's a great guy,' Trump told an audience Monday night in Dalton, Georgia. 'Of course if he doesn't come through I won't like him quite as much.' Biden won 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232. The president's allies on Capitol Hill plan to challenge some of the states' Electoral College counts, which could elongate the Congressional session for hours, even days. Pence will be there just to announce the results. Still, Trump tried to float that Pence had the power to change his fate. The New York Times reported Monday that Trump had pressed the vice president to find an alternative to certifying the election for Biden, possibly tossing it to the House of Representatives. Trump boasted at a rally meant to get out the vote in Georgia for GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue that he was the 2020 victor. 'Hello Georgia. By the way there's no way we lost Georgia. That was a rigged election. But we're still fighting it. And you'll see what's going to happen. We'll talk about it,' he said. At another point in the rally Trump blasted Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp for refusing to do more to overturn the presidential election results, saying: 'I'm going to be here in a year and a half and I'm going to be campaigning against your governor and your crazy secretary of state, I guarantee you.' Scroll down for video President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd at a rally Monday night in Dalton, Georgia. He immediately started talking about how he had won the 2020 presidential election, which he did not Trump stood alongside Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, who is facing a runoff race on Tuesday Supporters of Donald Trump packed together for a rally headlined by the president Monday night in Dalton, Georgia Loeffler announced that she will object to Joe Biden's victory during the campaign event alongside President Trump Trump was also joined on stage by his daughter Ivanka Don Jr also addressed the crowd before his father took the microphone as Monday night's headliner Hundreds of supporters, many without masks, gathered to watch Donald Trump speak at the election eve campaign rally Trump boasted at a rally meant to get out the vote in Georgia for GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue that he was the 2020 victor Trump continued to suggest that there's no way he could have lost the presidential election to Biden because his crowd size - amid the coronavirus pandemic - was consistently larger. 'They had 14 people in three cars,' Trump said of Biden's trip to Atlanta on behalf of Democratic Senate hopefuls Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock earlier Monday. Biden, unlike Trump, has kept his events small due to the coronavirus pandemic. Loeffler greeted Trump in Georgia and arrived at the rally site with him. Vice President Mike Pence campaigned in Milner, Georgia, earlier on Monday (pictured) Earlier Monday she announced she would join 12 other GOP senators and issue challenges to the Electoral College count. 'On January 6, I will object to the Electoral College vote,' she told the crowd, who roared. 'We're going to get this done.' 'Are you ready to show America that Georgia is a red state?' Loeffler said. Trump also invited Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene onstage to speak. Greene has become a household name for promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory and was sworn-in to Congress Sunday. The president said Sen. Mike Lee was also in the audience. The Utah Republican is against the Electoral College vote challenges, which Trump alluded to, saying he was a 'little mad' at the lawmaker. Perdue is in quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19. Trump still called out to Perdue as if the senator was in the crowd in the opening moments of the rally. He then huffed that there was 'no way' Biden won the election. 'You know I've had two elections, I've won both of them, it's amazing,' Trump said. 'And I actually did much better in the second one.' Trump boasted at a rally meant to get out the vote in Georgia for GOP Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue that he was the 2020 victor. 'Hello Georgia. By the way there's no way we lost Georgia. That was a rigged election. But we're still fighting it. And you'll see what's going to happen. We'll talk about it,' Trump told the crowd 'America as you know it will be over,' Trump warned of Democrats getting control of the Senate At one point in the rally Trump blasted Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp for refusing to do more to overturn the presidential election results Supporters turned out in huge numbers to watch Donald Trump speak at Dalton Regional Airport in Georgia Later, he noted how he had won 12 million more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016. Trump lost the popular vote in 2020 to Biden by more than 7 million votes. The president would talk about the run-off race and then veer back into chatter about his own race. 'America as you know it will be over,' Trump warned of Democrats getting control of the Senate. 'And it will never, ever - I believe - be able to come back again. It will be too far gone. Your vote tomorrow could ... be your last chance to save the America that we love.' 'That's why I'm here, I don't want to do rallies for other people. I told you,' Trump continued, but added that he was there for David and Kelly. Then he'd turn back to the presidential election. Trump continued to call being overtaken by Biden thanks to mail-in ballots 'magic.' 'It was over,' Trump said of his early leads in states like Pennsylvania, where mail-in ballots had Biden catching up and then surpassing the president days after the election. 'I should have run up to the podium and said, "Thank you very much for this wonderful victory,"' Trump said. The president rattled off numbers of ballots that he said he won, weaving together a conspiracy theory as the night wore on. 'I say this because you can't have this happen tomorrow,' he said. Trump's allegations of widespread voter fraud haven't been backed up by evidence and case after case from his legal team have been thrown out of court. Still, he devoted most of the rally to talk of a 'rigged' election. He threw water on the idea that he could simply run again in four years. 'And they said, "Sir, you're way up in four years,"' he said recounting a conversation onstage. 'I'm not interested in four years, I'm interested in like eight weeks ago.' Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle warmed up the crowd before Trump touched down with Ivanka and Loeffler. They, too, pushed the idea to supporters that Trump could stay in office after January 20. Trump was joined at the rally by his children Ivanka and Don Jr, and Don Jr's girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle Guilfoyle helped rile up the crowd before Trump took the stage on Monday night Trump is seen returning to the White House after the Georgia rally early on Tuesday morning Ivanka Trump posed for a photo flashing a peace sign before she stepped back into the White House after the rally Don Jr, Kimberly Guilfoyle and Ivanka Trump strut across the White House lawn after arriving in DC early Tuesday morning Trump's trip to the Peach State comes hours after Biden held a rival campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, Monday afternoon to try to give a final campaign boost to Ossoff and Warnock. At the drive-in style rally, Biden mocked Trump for 'whining and complaining.' 'I don't know why he still wants the job, he doesn't want to do the work,' Biden said. Trump has done few public events since the election was called for Biden, as COVID-19 cases have soared. Biden has also been critical of the administration's vaccine roll-out, which has gone far slower than expected. Doubts had been raised earlier Monday over whether Trump would still attend Monday's rally, as calls mount for a probe into his weekend phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Raffensperger leaked Saturday's phone call and the conversation was first released by the Washington Post Sunday, appearing to show the president desperately trying to pressure the official to 'find' votes to turn the state red. 'All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,' Trump says on the call. 'There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, that you've recalculated.' Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said Monday he was ready to launch an investigation into 'felony wrongdoing' in relation to Trump's demands and two House Democrats have written to FBI Director Chris Wray calling for the agency to launch an investigation. Meanwhile Republicans have voiced concerns that his actions may have scuppered his own party's chances of taking the Senate. It comes as fears were already growing within the Republican party that Trump was turning off voters after he claimed the runoffs were 'illegal' Saturday. Sen. David Perdue spoke to supporters before the president's arrival. Perdue is in quarantine after being in contact with a staffer who tested positive for COVID-19 President Donald Trump gives a thumb's up as he arrives in Georgia Monday night. He'll take Marine One to the rally site in Dalton Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler (left) greets Trump (right) as he arrives Monday night in Georgia to headline a rally in her honor Sen. Kelly Loeffler, one of the two Georgia Republicans on the ballot Tuesday, greeted Trump on the tarmac Trump left the White House with Ivanka to head to Dalton for a Senate runoff rally, despite calls for him to be investigated over the leaked phone call where he demanded the Georgia Secretary of State 'find' votes to overturn the presidential election Trump wore a downcast expression on his face as he crossed the South Lawn to head to the waiting Marine One The president was seen walking across the South Lawn Monday night with his daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump to board Marine One for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and then on to Dalton for Monday night's rally Trump greeted supporters on the lawn who waved American flags on the South Lawn Monday night Trump waves to supports as he boards Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on January 4 At the White House Monday, Trump greeted supporters on the lawn who waved American flags as he headed toward Marine One. While Ivanka flashed a smile, the president wore a solemn expression as he ascended the steps and turned to wave goodbye to his fans. Trump had vowed Saturday to travel to Georgia Monday to support the GOP candidates ahead of Tuesday's crucial senate runoff election. GOP candidates Perdue and Loeffler are up against Democrats Warnock and Ossoff in the January 5 vote. If the Democrats win both Senate seats, it will create a 50/50 split in the Senate, and give incoming Vice President Kamala Harris the deciding vote - leaving Democrats in control of the White House, House and Senate, and Trump's MAGA legacy in tatters. Democrats reportedly hold an edge in early, in-person voting in the run-off races with Fox News reporting that 2.8 million Georgians have already cast ballots and participation has so far been higher in Democratic Congressional districts. In a rage over the leaked phone call, Trump was reportedly floating the idea of pulling out of Monday's rally but was persuaded to go ahead. At the rally, he called out the state's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, for being supportive of Raffensperger and other Republican election officials. 'I'll be here in about a year and a half campaigning against your governor, I guarantee it,' Trump said. As he ended the rally, using lines from his normal campaign speech, he again promised that the 'best is yet to come.' The rally marks the last-ditch attempt from Republicans to drum up votes for GOP candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue Doubts had been raised earlier Monday over whether Trump would still attend the rally, as calls mounted for a probe into the weekend phone call Tuesday's crucial Senate runoff race ultimately decides which party takes control of the Senate Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House to head to the rally which comes just hours after President-elect Joe Biden held a rival campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia The president wore a solemn expression as he ascended the steps and turned to wave goodbye to his fans Saturday's phone call was first released by the Washington Post Sunday, appearing to show the president desperately trying to pressure the Georgia official to 'find' votes to turn the state red Ivanka boards Marine One followed by Trump as they head to Monday's rally for the GOP candidates Trump had vowed Saturday to travel to Georgia Monday to support the GOP candidates ahead of Tuesday's crucial senate runoff election GOP candidates Perdue and Loeffler are up against Democrats Warnock and Ossoff in the January 5 vote Supporters of Donald Trump begin to gather in Dalton hours before he participates in the election eve campaign rally Trump, accompanied by his daughter and Senior advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland President Donald Trump, accompanied by Ivanka Trump, walks out of the Oval Office to board Marine One Ivanka Trump pays homage to her father 'my warrior' and says 'patriotism is alive and well' at Senate runoff rally Ivanka Trump paid homage to her father 'my warrior' and told the crowd 'patriotism is alive and well in Georgia', after she gave a bizarre shoutout to Meat Loaf on Twitter on the way to the Senate runoff rally. Donald Trump's daughter and senior adviser took to the stage at the GOP rally in Dalton, Georgia, Monday night where she threw her support behind both her dad and the two Republican Senate candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Ivanka, 39, was met with cheers and clapping as she called Trump 'the people's president' and vowed he 'will not stop fighting', before calling Loeffler and Perdue 'two amazing senators'. This came after she posted a beaming selfie of herself on board Air Force One with Trump in the background and urged people to 'get out and vote' - but confused social media users by tagging Meat Loaf in the post. Ivanka Trump paid homage to her father 'my warrior' and told the crowd 'patriotism is alive and well in Georgia' (above), after she gave a bizarre shoutout to Meat Loaf on Twitter on the way to the Senate runoff rally 'It is so incredible to be back here with so many amazing hardworking Georgia families who are fighting for our children's future - each one of you,' Ivanka said as she took the stage. 'And it's so great to be back in Georgia with this warrior, my father, the people's president,' she said as the crowd cheered and Trump grinned in the background. 'He is a tireless and tireless champion for all of you and he will mot stop fighting and by his side are two amazing senators that we have to send back to the Senate and send a resounding message that patriotism is alive and well in Georgia. 'And Georgia is going to keep freedom alive in America.' She closed off urging people to turn out and vote, amid concerns that her father has turned off voters by undermining the election. 'Please vote,' she said. 'Thank you, god bless you and god bless Georgia and god bless America and god bless our president.' Ivanka accompanied her father, 74, to the rally which marked a last-ditch effort to get Republican supporters to turn out and vote in Tuesday's runoff race. While on route to Dalton aboard Air Force One, Ivanka tweeted a close-up selfie of herself with Trump on his cellphone in the background. On route to the rally Ivanka tweeted a beaming selfie of herself aboard Air Force One with Trump in the background as she urged people to 'get out and vote' But she confused social media users by tagging Meat Loaf in the post alongside Loeffler, Perdue, Dan Scavino and the GOP 'Off to Georgia with Dad! Get out and VOTE Georgia!!!' she wrote alongside the image. But social media users were quick to spot that Ivanka had bizarrely tagged singer Meat Loaf in the post. Ivanka also tagged Loeffler, Perdue, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and the GOP. Perhaps surprisingly, Ivanka did not tag Trump causing several Twitter users to mock her and question if she had somehow muddled up the singer, real name Michael Lee Aday, with her father. 'Wait do you think your dad is Meat Loaf?' asked one bemused social media user. Another person wrote: 'I would just like to point out that she didn't tag her dad in this picture. However, she did tag Meat Loaf. I feel like there is some symbolism in that.' 'Meat Loaf is Ivanka's name for daddy,' mocked another. Meat Loaf appeared on the 2011 series of Celebrity Apprentice with Trump and struck up a friendship with the then-future president. But the singer told The Express in 2020 that their relationship soured when he spoke to a journalist about the possibility that Trump would run for president. 'I answered honestly 'Well he's not running for President. But if I was President I would see if I couldn't get him to join the staff in a finance position and give me advice on finances and the economy as the man is really smart at that,'' Meat Loaf recalled. 'And he got really mad at me! Very mad at me. We went to an Emmy Nominations ceremony and he knocked on my door at my dressing room.' It is not clear if Ivanka intended to include the singer or made a slip-up in her tweet ahead of the rally where her father repeated claims that he 'won' Georgia despite three vote counts audits revealing Joe Biden won the state by more than 12,000 votes. Kelly Loeffler says she will be 13th Republican senator to object to Biden's victory being certified as she takes to the stage to campaign with Trump Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler announced that she will join 12 Republican colleagues in objecting to President-elect Joe Biden's victory during the rally headlined by Donald Trump on Monday night. Congress is set to count and certify the Electoral College vote on Wednesday, another benchmark on the path towards Biden's inauguration. Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, however, are leading the charge in objecting to certification, with at least a dozen senators now involved. Loeffler, who is facing a tight run-off on Tuesday, announced that she is joining the rogue group during a campaign event on Monday night, where she appeared on stage alongside President Donald Trump. 'On January 6 I will object to the Electoral College vote,' the senator said, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the crowd. 'This president fought for us, we're fighting for him. He put America first, he put the American worker first. He stood with our men and women in law enforcement. He restored our military.' Loeffler, who wore a mask during parts of the event but not others, then turned her attention to her 'radical liberal' challenger in tomorrow's election, Democrat Raphael Warnock. 'He attacked our police, our military. He spoke out against Israel, evangelicals, small businesses,' she said of Warnock. 'Georgia, we have to hold the line. You have to get out and vote tomorrow. We are the firewall to socialism. We have to get it done. I love you guys, thank you!' 'On January 6 I will object to the Electoral College vote,' Loeffler said, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the crowd Loeffler was pictured wearing a mask at some points during the event, but took it off while she was on stage Trump dad dances to the Village People's YMCA at Georgia runoff rally for the first time since the last night of his presidential campaign rally Donald Trump's presidential campaign anthem made something of a comeback Monday night as he dad danced on stage to the YMCA at the Senate runoff rally in Dalton, Georgia. The president launched into some awkward shuffling and fist-pumping to the Village People song at the close of the last-ditch rally held to try to drum up support for the two GOP candidates, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. The anthem and dance became synonymous with Trump's rallies in the run-up to the presidential election as he made a tradition of closing out each event with a boogie. But Monday marked the first time Trump has broken into dance on stage since the last night of his presidential campaign rally on November 2 - hours before Americans went to the polls and voted Joe Biden as the next president of the United States. Several people took to social media to comment on the return with many quipping that Trump and his supporters must still not know 'what the song is about' as it is most well-known as an anthem among the LGBTQ+ community. Donald Trump's presidential campaign anthem made something of a comeback Monday night as he dad danced on stage to the YMCA at the Senate runoff rally in Dalton, Georgia The president launched into some awkward shuffling and fist-pumping to the Village People song at the close of the last-ditch rally held to try to drum up support for the two GOP candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue 'Am I the only one enjoying that Trump and his entire audience don't get the YMCA reference?' one person mocked. 'Apparently no one has yet told Trump supporters what YMCA is about,' added another. Another wrote: 'ever wonder why Trump plays The village people after his speeches. I dont believe for a second that Donald Trump even knows what the YMCA is. Might be a interesting deep dive.' Others pointed out that the dad dancing at the end of the rally would be the last time Trump would be on stage as president at a rally. 'Finally, for history, heres soon-to-be former President Trump leaving what is likely to be his last campaign rally as President to the sound of YMCA,' one person wrote. 'Maybe the YMCA is where Trump will be staying once he leave the White House,' another person mocked. 'Take back the YMCA song from Trump!' one social media user said. In October, during the presidential campaign, the Village People's lead singer Victor Willis told BBC he had asked Trump to stop playing their music and lawyers for Scorpio Music - which co-owns the copyright - threatened to take legal action against the Trump campaign. But in November Willis said he would let Trump keep playing the song and a lawsuit wouldn't be filed. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission Hyderabad, Jan 5 : After a delay of more than a year, second phase of T-Hub, India's largest technology incubator, is set to become operational in the next couple of months. The swanky building of T-Hub 2.0 with 3.5 lakh square feet is nearing completion. Coming up near Mindspace Junction in the heart of Hitec City at a cost of Rs.276 crore, the facility will house more than 1,500 startups. When operational, this will be the largest incubation centre in the world, said officials. Backed by Telangana government, the facility for innovation and entrepreneurship is expected to give further boost to the startup and innovation culture in this technology hub. The building was originally scheduled to be ready in the second half of 2019. The work was delayed due to various factors and Covid-19 led to delay of another year. T-Hub as the startup catalyst was established in November 2015. It is a public private partnership between the state government and three premier academic institutes - International Institute of Information Technology- Hyderabad (IIIT-H), Indian School of Business (ISB) and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) University of Law. Housed in a 70,000 square feet space called CatalysT within IIIT-H campus, it transformed as the largest and the best technology incubator in the country. The facility rents out office and meeting space, and offers services such as connections with mentors and investors, to startup companies. It hosts entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, investors, mentors and advisors. Several people from top academic institutes have taken mentor's role. Over the last five years, T-Hub helped more than 1,120 startups garner about Rs 1,800 crore as investment and provided employment to over 2,500 people, minister for information technology K. T. Rama Rao said recently. He pointed out the number of startup companies at T-Hub increased from 400 to over 2000. He also revealed that it encouraged 400 companies to launch corporate innovations. Rama Rao, the brain behind T-Hub, invited corporate leaders like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, chairman of Biocon Kiran Mazumdar Shaw to volunteer as mentors and address the startup and young entrepreneurs. According to Ravi Narayan, CEO of T-Hub, it has designed and delivered over 75 innovation programmes, enabled startups go-to-market, got customers, raised funds and empowered corporations to build a culture of innovation and create impact. The startup innovation team through its flagship programme, Lab32, has helped startups such as Chitmonks, Drink Prime and Pulse raise funding. It is adopt three-pronged approach to propel T-Hub to the next level. This includes ensure access to global markets for funding of entrepreneurs, better corporate connect to emerging incubator from corporations as well as technology exchange between startups and key academic and research institutions. T-Hub's corporate innovation programme has impacted Indian corporates and MNCs from across the world like Raytheon Technologies, Boeing, and Oppo, among others. T-Hub's corporate memberships and partnerships have enabled more than 350 startups to collaborate, present Proof of Concept (PoC) work, raise money or get acquired by larger corporates, out of which 100 startups from Hyderabad engaged in such programmes. T-Hub has forged international connections in the last one year, including the South Korean Government, Japan Investment and Cooperation Agency (JICA) and others, which helped create more than 325 international startup connections. T-Hub continues to evaluate partnerships with international and national government bodies, research institutes, ecosystem enablers, such as IIT, IIIT, NALSAR, TiE, CII, NASSCOM, HYSEA, DST, MietY, AIM, Startup India, along with the partners from the Telangana innovation network. Following the success of T-Hub, the IT minister announced that the idea will be expanded beyond Hyderabad to set up similar facilities in tier-II cities like Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Khammam and Warangal cities. These T-Hubs would concentrate more on social and rural innovation. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has edited its Red Meat Manual to remove halal specifications for products. Accordingly, words like 'halal'/'halal method' have been deleted in the manual and replaced with slaughter as per requirement of importing countries. Changes were made to sentences such as replacing slaughtered strictly according to Halal method to meet the requirement of Islamic countries/Muslim countries with slaughtered according to the requirement of importing country/importer. A statement claiming animals are slaughtered according to Halal system as per Islamic Sharia tenets has also been deleted. For products such as gelatin bone chips the specification through Halal method has been deleted. In the process flow chart, Halal has been replaced by slaughter. This comes amid pressure from right-wing Hindu groups and Sikh organisations against halal certification for products, Indian Express reported. Sources told the paper the changes were made as previous wording created an impression that halal certification is mandatory for all meat exports. Moneycontrol could not independently verify this. APEDA clarified the Indian government does not mandate conditions for halal meat, but it was in place as a majority of importing countries require the certification. Harinder Sikka, an opponent of halal certification, has told the paper that it is just one step as halal meat is considered forbidden for Sikhs, adding they will continue their campaign. He added that halal certification had led to loss of jobs for other communities as the requirement kept them out of handling meat citing halal requirements. Some Sikh groups also approached Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to stop halal meat on Air India flights. Right-wing groups wrote to APEDA while accusing the government of promoting halal meat and said the removal of specifications from the manual would be the first step in the right direction, the report said. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member Vinod Bansal called it halalanomics adding: it has captured the entire economy. If there is halal certification, there should be a jhatka certificate. Internationally, Islamic countries to which India exports buffalo meat import halal-certified meat only. In 2019-20, India exported Rs 22,668.48 crore worth buffalo meat to Vietnam (Rs 7,569.01 crore), Malaysia (Rs 2,682.78 crore), Egypt (Rs 2,364.89 crore), Indonesia (Rs 1,651.97 crore), Saudi Arabia (Rs 873.56 crore), Hong Kong (Rs 857.26 crore), Myanmar (Rs 669.20 crore) and the United Arab Emirates (Rs 604.47 crore), it added. Legal Counsel for President Donald Trump, Alan Dershowitz speaks during impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 27, 2020. (Senate Television via Getty Images) No Crime There, Period: Alan Dershowitz Says Trump Phone Call Taken out of Context News outlets took President Donald Trumps comments to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger out of context during a phone call that was later leaked to the press, said Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz. Well, every major media is taking it out of context, Dershowitz told Just The News, adding that there was no apparent crime being committed on the phone call by the president. Mainstream outlets initially interpreted Trumps remarks to Raffensberger as an attempt at a shakedown to find 11,780 votes in Georgia for the Nov. 3 presidential contest. But the full transcript of the call showed that Trump asserted that he won the state and asked the election official to probe election irregularitiessomething he has been saying publicly for weeks. Hes not saying I want you to create the vote, said Dershowitz in the interview. Hes not saying I want you to manufacture or concoct the votes. Hes saying, and hes been saying this for months, on Twitter and his statements and his campaigns, he thinks that people voted for him and those votes werent counted. Hes entitled as a citizen, as a candidate, to say, I want you to find those votes, I want you to find the votes that will pass for me and what werent counted, I want you to find votes that were cast against me that shouldnt have been countedby people who are dead people, who are out of state. Trumps campaign dismissed the allegations that the president was engaging in untoward or criminal activity when he spoke with Raffensberger. On Monday, Jason Miller, a campaign adviser, said the full recording and transcript showed Trump was spot-on in his criticisms of the terrible job Raffensperger did. According to a transcript of the call, Trump told Raffensperger: The bottom line is, when you add it all up and then you start adding, you know, 300,000 fake ballots. He also made reference to allegations of election fraud in the state. Were looking into every one of those things that you mentioned, one official told Trump on the call. Let me tell you what we are seeing. What were seeing is not at all what youre describing. But the call, which drew widespread media attention, was floated as a possible starting point for another House impeachment investigation into Trump. In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) asked the bureau to launch a criminal probe into the call. As Members of Congress and former prosecutors, we believe Donald Trump engaged in solicitation of, or conspiracy to commit, a number of election crimes. We ask you to open an immediate criminal investigation into the President, they wrote earlier this week. Dershowitz, for his part, said there was no crime committed. Ive been teaching criminal law for over 50 years, he added. I went through every word of that transcript, there is no crime there, period. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. The writer is based in South India for the past 40 years. He writes on India, China, Tibet and Indo-French relations. Has Beijing succeeded in intimidating India with its brazen info warfare? It has obviously not been a bad year for China: Hua Chunying, its foreign ministry spokesperson, described 2020 as a fantastic year It has obviously not been a bad year for China: Hua Chunying, its foreign ministry spokesperson, described 2020 as a fantastic year (Image:AP) At the beginning of the year, it is customary to look at the past 12 months and try to draw conclusions about the past years happenings. 2020 will undoubtedly remain as an awful year, not only for India, but also for humanity at large, and only one country (or more correctly, one regime) is behind this planet-wide misery: China and its ruling Communist Party. It has obviously not been a bad year for China: Hua Chunying, its foreign ministry spokesperson, described 2020 as a fantastic year. A World Health Organisation (WHO) team will soon travel to Wuhan to investigate the origins of Covid-19, but will they find any clues? In an interview with the BBC, Prof. Shi Zhengli (the bat woman) who has been associated with the P4 French lab in Wuhan, recently denounced unsubstantiated claims that the coronavirus leaked from her laboratory. But even without speaking of Wuhan, when the BBC team tried to visit the remote district of Tongguan, in Yunnan, to enquire about Prof. Shis fieldwork, they could not reach the place: Plainclothes police officers and other officials in unmarked cars followed us for miles along the narrow, bumpy roads, stopping when we did, backtracking with us when we were forced to turn around. We found obstacles in our way, including a broken-down lorry, which locals confirmed had been placed across the road a few minutes before we arrived. The fact remains that many whistleblowers have now disappeared, and it will be difficult to prove anything as the lab has been cleaned of all traces of mishaps. Even the conservative National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) of France admitted that the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is being seriously questioned. In an interview, eminent CNRS virologist Etienne Decroly discussed the various hypotheses, including that of an accidental leak from a laboratory. When asked if the virus could have escaped from a laboratory, the professor said: The hypothesis cannot be ruled out, given that SARS-CoV, which emerged in 2003, has escaped from laboratory experiments at least four times. One factor which has been ignored (or conveniently forgotten): the Chinese authorities gave the control of the top secret lab in Wuhan to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) when the world was still unaware of the coming pandemic. The high technology transferred to China was done under the garb of Sino-French advanced scientific collaboration; the top secret label ensures that nobody is allowed to seriously inquire into why France left the project after 2017. However, we know at the end of January 2020, a Chinese PLA general took over the civilian institute in Wuhan Maj. Gen. Chen Wei, a researcher at the Military Medical Research Institute of the Academy of Military Sciences, became the laboratory in charge; by March 2020, the lady general claimed to have found the first vaccine against the virus. All this raises many serious questions which very few are ready to discuss openly. In February already, a group of Chinese scholars led by Botao Xiao of the South China University of Technology wrote a paper for the Natural Science Foundation of China; it dealt with the possible origins of 2019-nCoV coronavirus. After searching around the seafood market in Wuhan, said to be the epicentre of the outbreak, they identified two laboratories conducting research on bat coronavirus. The first one, the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, is located 280 meters from the market where the virus is supposed to have emerged. The scientists found that surgery was performed on the caged animals and the tissue samples were collected for DNA and RNA extraction and sequencing. The tissue samples and contaminated trashes were a source of pathogens. It was not proof, but a strong lead. The second laboratory, the Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is located 15 km from the seafood market; this is the French lab taken over by Maj. Gen. Chen Wei. Prof. Xiao and his colleagues concluded: In addition to origins of natural recombination and intermediate host, the killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan. The safety level may need to be reinforced in high-risk bio-hazardous laboratories. That study quickly disappeared from the Internet. It was in these circumstances that China decided to teach India a lesson. From all available information today, Gen. Zhao Zongqi, the commander of the Western Theatre Command (WTC) facing India, managed to convince President Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, that China could advance in a few areas in Ladakh at little cost for Beijing. Gen. Zhao had already masterminded the 2017 Doklam incident. In May, the PLA began to move in Ladakh, but it soon turned into a misadventure for Beijing; the Chinese generals had not planned for New Delhis strong reaction. The good news is that on December 18, Gen. Zhao has been replaced by a rather unknown officer who has never set foot in the WTC; and he has no experience of the Indian border. Its too early to say what it means for the future negotiations in Ladakh, but it probably indicates that Beijing will be more flexible. If so, this is certainly a good thing for India as Gen. Zhao was the main hardliner. Retrospectively, what Mr Xi has achieved in 2020? The virus has made the world acutely aware of the dark sides of China; the image of the totalitarian party wont improve in 2021. Today President Xi finds himself in a lose-lose situation, as he realises he cant bully India in Ladakh. Will the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi Road Gen. Zhao tried to stop be shelved by India? The answer is no. Will India drop its suzerainty claims over Gilgit-Baltistan? No! Gen. Zhao will certainly not get a seat in the Central Military Commission as he expected. Has China gained strategic advantages in Ladakh? Hardly. In August, the ridges in southern Pangong Tso, on the Kailash range, were lost to the PLA. Has Beijing succeeded in intimidating India with its brazen info warfare? Absolutely not. Has Mr Xis prestige been enhanced after Ladakh? Certainly not. Instead, it showed the PLAs limitations facing a determined adversary. Economically too, Beijing lost a lot, especially with India (and several other countries) banning a number of Chinese apps and the decision to not award big contracts to China. One could add many issues to the list. All this makes me think 2021 will an annus horribilis for China and its new Great Helmsman. It would only be justice. The leaders of the Gulf countries signed the final communique of the 41st GCC Summit, held in Saudi Arabia, calling for unity and joint action to combat threats against GCCs security and also in coordinating their efforts to encounter common challenges, said a report. During a landmark summit held at Maraya Concert Hall in the historic Saudi city of AlUla, chaired by Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, on behalf of King Salman, the leaders signed the final communique, termed as "AlUla Declaration". The summit was named 'the Summit of Sultan Qaboos and Sheikh Sabah, in the memory of the two dynamic leaders and 'appreciation of their efforts.' It was attended by the leaders and representatives of the member nations including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Meanwhile, Saudi Press Agency reported that HRH Prince Mohammed and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tammim bin Hamad Al Thani met today at Maraya Concert Hall in AlUla and reviewed bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and ways of consolidating the GCC joint action. The meeting was attended by Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of the State and Member of the Cabinet, and the Qatari Emir's accompanying delegation, stated the report. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa sent a cable of congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on the success of the 41st GCC summit, said the BNA report. HM the King lauded the tremendous efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia, led by King Salman and HRH Crown Prince Mohammed to prepare well for the summit. HM King Hamad expressed appreciation for and pride in the leading role played by the Saudi King and Crown Prince to develop joint GCC action and enhance cooperation and coordination among GCC states in order to meet the aspirations of brotherly GCC peoples for more unity, cooperation and complementarity, stated the report. The Saudi decision to open its airspace and borders to Qatar was the first major step toward ending the diplomatic crisis that began in 2017, just as the Trump administration was raising pressure on Iran. The Saudi move was announced Monday night, on the eve of the gathering of Gulf Arab leaders in Saudi Arabias ancient desert city of Al-Ula, reported AP. The AlUla declaration marks a new page in relations following the kingdoms decision to end a 3 1/2-year embargo of Qatar, easing a rift that deeply divided regional US security allies and frayed social ties across the interconnected Arabian Peninsula, it added. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who embraced Qatars emir upon his arrival at the summit, said the region needed to unite and face challenges posed by Irans proxies and its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. He said the declaration signed by Gulf leaders and Egypt emphasizes Arab and Gulf solidarity and stability, and reinforces the continuity of friendship and brotherhood between our countries. In a press conference, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan said the agreement reached between the GCC leaders calls for joint cooperation to combat any threats to Gulf security and not to compromise the GCCs sovereignty. At the conclusion of the summit, The GCC Secretary General, Dr Nayef Falah Al Hajraf expressed his gratitude towards all the GCC leaders for their unequivocal efforts in making this historic summit a success, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of the GCC to overcome obstacles in the way towards furthering economic integration and development for the citizens of the cooperation council. Al Hajraf said: "The 41st GCC summit marks a new era of the GCC, representing a union of partnerships, strength and unity as we embark together on the fifth decade of this union. This historic summit reiterates the commitment of their Majesties and Highnesses of member states to achieving the Councils firm objectives to continue coordination and integration across all sectors." "The future of the GCC in this new era, under the leadership of their Majesties and Highnesses, will foster development, ensure stability and security, and will provide hope and opportunity for the citizens of member states," he added. The Cubs have released right-hander Colin Rea, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Rea avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $702.5K deal with Chicago on December 2 (the day of the non-tender deadline), but he will now look to sign a new contract with a Japanese team, MLB.coms Jordan Bastian tweets. The 30-year-old Rea tossed 14 innings for the Cubs last season, posting a 5.79 ERA, 16.1% strikeout rate and a very solid 3.2% walk rate. Rea started two of his nine outings but was much more effective as a reliever, as seven of Reas nine earned runs allowed in 2020 came during his 5 1/3 innings as a starter. Its probably safe to assume hell look to rebuild his stock as a starting pitcher in Japan, as the bulk of Reas pro experience (161 of 203 games) in the majors and minors as come as a starter. Those 14 innings for Chicago represented Reas first MLB action since 2016, as he spent the previous two seasons in the minors with the Cubs and Padres and missed all of 2017 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Reas arm problems stand out as a major what-if for Padres fans, as a seven-player trade in July 2016 that originally sent Rea to the Marlins was partially reversed since Miami felt Rea was already injured at the time of the swap, so Rea was returned to San Diego and the Padres sent another pitcher involved in the deal back to the Marlins that pitcher was future Reds ace Luis Castillo. With Rea gone, the Cubs are short another starting candidate as they prepare to roll out an overhauled rotation in 2021. Free agent departures and the trade of Yu Darvish to the Padres will set Chicago up with a projected rotation of Kyle Hendricks, Zach Davies, Adbert Alzolay, Alec Mills, and a host of young candidates vying for the fifth spot. It seems likely that the team will add another veteran to the mix, though probably someone on a minor league deal or on a low-cost MLB contract. By Paresh Dave OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) -More than 200 workers at Google and other Alphabet Inc units on Monday formed a labor union for U.S. and Canadian offices, building on years of protests over working conditions and business practices but falling far short of the support needed to force the tech giant to the bargaining table. Backers believe the "Alphabet Workers Union," which evolved from an informal group of activist employees, will better shield members from firings or other forms of retaliation. It will also enable the group to collect dues to hire support ... President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC., on Jan. 28, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Trump Attorney Condemns Georgia Secretary of State After Release of Confidential Call With President President Donald Trumps lawyer Kurt Hilbert expressed his legal teams discontent regarding the release of a recording of Trumps discussion with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger about two pending lawsuits from Trump. We are disappointed that the secretary of state and his staff secretly recorded and released a confidential settlement discussion to settle the two pending lawsuits, Kurt Hilbert told Fox News on Monday. While they may think that behavior is appropriate, we do not, Hilbert said. Consequently, we will not be commenting on settlement discussions. An audio recording obtained by The Washington Post has been quoted out of context, with the implication made that the president appeared to be abusing his power, as Democrat Vice President Candidate Kamala Harris suggested in a video today. Harris said it was a bold abuse of power. However, a full transcript of the call shows that before Trump said he only needed the secretary of state to find him 11,000 votes, he listed the following fraud allegations: We have at least two or threeanywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 ballots were dropped mysteriously into the rolls. Much of that had to do with Fulton County, which hasnt been checked. We think that if you check the signaturesa real check of the signatures going back in Fulton Countyyoull find at least a couple of hundred thousand of forged signatures of people who have been forged, the president said. He continued, We had, I believe its about 4,502 voters who voted but who werent on the voter registration list, so its 4,502 who voted, but they werent on the voter registration roll, which they had to be. You had 18,325 vacant address voters. The address was vacant, and theyre not allowed to be counted. Thats 18,325. You had out-of-state voters. They voted in Georgia but they were from out of state, of 4,925. You had absentee ballots sent to vacant, they were absentee ballots sent to vacant addresses. They had nothing on them about addresses, thats 2,326. David Shafer, chairman of the Republican Party of Georgia, said on Twitter after the call was released that Trump had organized the call because he is currently looking to settle two pending lawsuits against Raffensperger. President [Trump] has filed two lawsuitsfederal and stateagainst [Raffensperger]. The telephone conference call @GaSecofState secretly recorded was a confidential settlement discussion of that litigation, which is still pending, wrote Shafer. Trump also took to Twitter to say that he had called Raffensperger about Fulton Countys alleged election fraud situation. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ballots under table scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! wrote Trump. I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ballots under table scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021 Raffensperger then responded to the presidents post, saying that Trumps claims are false. Respectfully, President Trump: What youre saying is not true. The truth will come out, wrote the Georgia Secretary of State. Respectfully, President Trump: What youre saying is not true. The truth will come out https://t.co/ViYjTSeRcC GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (@GaSecofState) January 3, 2021 According to the states contested certified results, Biden won the state with a razors-edge lead of just 11,779 votes0.24 percent of almost 5 million. The U.S. Air Force is now operating MQ-9 Reaper drones from Romania, expanding its intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance reach in Europe. U.S. Air Forces Europe-Africa Command announced Tuesday that approximately 90 airmen have begun their new NATO support mission at Romania's 71st Air Base in Campia Turzii. Until a full squadron can be established at the base, the Reapers will belong to the 31st Expeditionary Operations Group, Detachment 1, according to a release. The unit is subordinate to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Read Next: SEAL Team 6 Operator to Plead Guilty in Green Beret's Death "The forward and ready positioning of our MQ-9s at this key strategic location reassures our allies and partners, while also sending a message to our adversaries, that we can quickly respond to any emergent threat," Gen. Jeff Harrigian, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and Air Forces Africa, said in the release. USAFE did not specify how many drones will operate from the base, which is centrally located between eastern and western Europe. "The forward MQ-9 presence enabled by this deployment demonstrates the United States' commitment to the security and stability of Europe and aims to strengthen relationships between NATO allies and other European partners," the release states. The Defense Department officially transitioned from the MQ-1 Predator to the larger and faster Reaper in 2018 when it deactivated the older, medium-altitude unmanned aircraft. The move brought the MQ-9 to the forefront of multi-role drone operations worldwide. The Air Force began MQ-9 surveillance missions out of Miroslawiec Air Base in northwest Poland in 2018; it established the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group, Detachment 2, as a permanent host for the drones one year later. MQ-9s from Miroslawiec have deployed to Campia Turzii numerous times, according to the service. U.S. officials have repeatedly called for more eyes in the sky to keep watch over adversarial behavior by Russia as the Defense Department's European footprint has shrunk. USAFE said Tuesday that the MQ-9s will support Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, exercises, in addition to flying "freedom of maneuver missions and integrat[ing] with joint and coalition forces in the region." Programs such as the European Deterrence Initiative -- prompted in 2014 as a result of Russia's annexation of Crimea -- have fueled ambitious outreach efforts to partners in Europe through initiatives such as ACE, which brings multiple units, and sometimes allies or partners, together to practice building small hubs to house quick-reaction forces before tearing down and heading to a new location. Last fall, exercise "Agile Reaper" tested whether airmen at multiple locations could coordinate to execute the same MQ-9 sortie. The result proved that numerous airmen can operate a single drone during its mission. The same exercise tested whether the Air Force could use a slimmed-down profile of personnel, fuel and equipment to conduct full-scale MQ-9 operations. "It is not new that MQ-9 can go places and do it quickly," Lt. Col. Brian Davis, commander of the 29th Attack Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, said in an interview. "But ... what is entirely new [is] the ability to organically take my operation and put it anywhere I want to with a very small footprint." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: Air Force Tests Ability to Team Up Operators in Different Locations for Single Drone Sortie I appreciated the article on Amanda Fritzs longstanding service as a Portland commissioner. (Amanda Fritz, elected when Portland was led by 5 white men, helped usher in citys most diverse council, Dec. 26). Weeks ago, I emailed the mayor and each commissioner asking for a meeting. Amanda e-mailed back the same day with a personal message. I never heard back from anyone else, even after repeated requests. Thank you, Amanda, for demonstrating one of the highest qualities a public servant can possess common courtesy. Rick North, Durham Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. US welcomes LeT commander Lakhvis arrest on charges of terror financing India oi-Deepika S Washington, Jan 05: The United States on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by Pakistani authorities on charges of terror financing but also called for his prosecution for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. "We welcome Pakistan's arrest of terrorist leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing," the US state department's bureau of South and Central Asian affairs said on Twitter. "We will follow his prosecution & sentencing closely and urge that he be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks," it said. Mumbai attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was arrested on Saturday in Pakistan on terror financing charges, according to an official statement, amidst growing international pressure on Islamabad to bring to justice terrorists roaming free in the country. Lashkars operational commandeer, 26/11 mastermind Lakhvi arrested in Pakistan UN proscribed terrorist Lakhvi, who was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab province. Lakhvi was designated as a global terrorist by the UN in December 2008 for being associated with LeT and al-Qaeda and for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of both the entities. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 23:49 [IST] ATLANTA, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vyne, a recognized market leader in healthcare information exchange and electronic communication management, announced today the results of the Vyne State of the Dental Industry Report 2021, a comprehensive study of over 400 dental practices in the U.S. that sought to understand how they have transformed in 2020 and their perspectives headed into the new year. The study was categorized into five focus areas: Impact of 2020, hiring and the economy, technology, industry, and overall practice outlook. Impact of 2020 Dental practices faced significant challenges in 2020 due to COVID-19. The greatest impact of the pandemic on dental practices was financials (42%). Patient volume followed at 32%, and nearly half of respondents (47%) had to shift their investment priorities in 2020. It was discovered that 72% of dental practices surveyed did not offer teledentistry in 2020. Twenty-three percent of practices are considering teledentistry in 2021, and 62% said they would not offer the service in 2021. In terms of patients' views on resuming dental services, 30% of practice leaders said their patients are actively seeking treatment or services; 21% said patients are ready to resume treatment or services; 56% are willing to resume if safety protocols are in place, and 8% of patients will not resume treatment or services until a COVID-19 vaccine is available. As a result of the pandemic, a small percentage of practice leaders may consider selling in 2021 (8%). Four percent may consider a DSO affiliation and 3% may consider merging with another practice. Just under 1% said they are considering a local hospital or health system affiliation. The majority of practices (84%) are considering "other" changes in 2021. When asked to specify, responses included dropping in-network status with all insurance providers, expanding their services portfolio, and offering in-house patient payment plans. Hiring and the economy Based on current economic conditions and patient demand, 46% of practices said they are not planning to hire additional staff in 2021. Practices are also not planning to adjust current staffers' schedules. Eighty-seven percent said that based on current conditions, they are not planning to turn part-time staff into full-time staff, or vice versa. When it comes to perspectives on whether recruitment may be challenging for practices in 2021, the responses were split. Forty-eight percent said they felt it would be challenging, and 51% said they did not think it would be challenging. Technology When asked if their practice planned to invest in practice management technology in 2021, 17% said they likely would; 65% said it was unlikely and 17% were unsure. When it comes to software investment in 2021, 24% are planning to spend less than $299/month; 11% plan to spend less than $500/month and almost 40% were not sure what their practice planned to invest in technology. The top three motivators for seeking new software in 2021 were to reduce paperwork (16%), modernize the office (14%), and lower costs of current software solutions (13%). Industry To navigate changes within their practice and the industry, 43% look to the American Dental Association for guidance. Twenty-nine percent look to their local or state dental association, and 13% read industry publications. Practices said that their preferred method of communication with patients in 2021 will be text message (53%). Email came in at 24% and phone was the preferred communication channel of just 19% of practices. Practice Outlook Patient volume was the top challenge practices anticipate for 2021 (44%). Hiring and staffing (19%) and industry updates and regulations (17%) were the second and third challenges identified. When asked what actions could make their practice more productive or profitable in 2021, 38% said marketing. Thirty-one percent of practices said that less coding or industry changes would help them be more productive or profitable and 26% said technology adoption. Eighty-six percent of practice leaders are confident (35%) or very confident (51%) in their practice's future. Just 13% were somewhat confident or neutral about their practice's outlook. "The Vyne State of the Dental Industry Report 2021 was designed to gain perspectives from the industry that tell a story about what practices have gone through in 2020, and how they are feeling going into 2021," said Vyne Dental president Steve Roberts. "These insights are not only valuable to Vyne Dental as we look to improve how we support practices in revenue cycle success, but also to the industry as we work to improve dental practices and facilitate better patient care." For more information on Vyne Dental, visit vynedental.com. Methodology Vyne Dental surveyed 400 of its clients from across the United States in November and December of 2020. Seventy-seven percent of respondents were from solo dental practices and 23% were from group dental practices. About Vyne Vyne is a recognized industry leader in end-to-end health information exchange and electronic healthcare communication management. The company's robust technology platform facilitates the electronic capture, storage and submission of healthcare data in virtually any form voice, document, image, data, fax or electronic interface. Vyne's proven solutions connect disconnected data to close gaps in documentation and improve the continuum of care through a more complete and fully accessible patient record. For more information, visit vynecorp.com. 2021 Napa EA/MEDX, LLC. All rights reserved. Vyne logos, product and service names, including but not limited to, FastAttach mentioned herein are registered trademarks and are the property of Electronic Attachment, Inc., or their respective affiliated entities. All third-party trademarks and tradenames (including logos and icons) referenced are and remain the property of their respective owners. Press Contact: Scott E. Rupp 941-794-5137 https://millerrupp.com/ SOURCE Vyne Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Blake K. Barnett, 22, of 811 Hardin Ave., Apt. B, was arrested at 12:04 a.m. Monday on a charge of possession of a weapon by a felon after police investigating an altercation said they found him with a firearm and ammunition. ACCIDENTS Angel B. Wong, 77, of Beardstown was cited on a charge of failure to yield after the car he was driving and one being driven by Kortney R. Hart, 30, of Jacksonville collided at 2:44 p.m. Monday in the 300 block of East Morton Avenue. THEFTS, BURGLARIES A bicycle was stolen between 6 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. Monday from a residence in the 1500 block of West State Street. A tool was stolen from a business in the 2200 block of West Morton Avenue, according to a report file at 4:03 p.m. Monday. OTHER REPORTS A driver told police a car stopped in the middle of Lafayette Avenue near Howe Street as he was making a delivery about 7:30 p.m. Sunday and a man wearing a stocking cap and a black hoodie got out and started to reach into his waistband. The delivery driver was able to leave the scene, but the man got back into his car and followed the delivery driver to the downtown square. Police could not locate the car. Three counterfeit $20 bills were used at a business in the 200 block of Dunlap Court, according to a report filed at 3:07 p.m. Monday. A counterfeit $20 bill was used Friday at a business in the 1700 block of West Morton Avenue, according to a report filed at 9:31 a.m. Monday. A caller told police a driver was shooting paintballs out of the car window about 9:30 p.m. Sunday on West Chambers Street. South Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Shane D. Slocum, 30, of 1208 Allen Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:14 a.m. Monday on a charge of criminal trespass to land. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Laaken L. Logsdon, 31, of Quincy was arrested at 6:39 p.m. Sunday on a petition to revoke. Thomas B. Shamblin, 33, of Pittsfield was arrested at 7:29 p.m. Saturday on charges of disorderly conduct, aggravated battery of a peace officer or policing volunteer, criminal damage to state-supported property and resisting or obstructing a peace officer of firefighter. Jacob B. Taylor, 22, of Lawson, Missouri, was arrested at 2:17 a.m. Friday on a charge of driving under the influence. Chantel M. Myers, 54, of Rockport was arrested at 11:25 a.m. Wednesday on a petition to revoke. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer Sorry! This content is not available in your region Photo taken on Nov. 5, 2018 shows a full-size model of the core module of China's space station Tianhe exhibited at the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) CHANGSHA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch the core module of its manned space station in the first half of 2021, a senior official said Friday. The core module will be sent by a Long March-5B Y2 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan Province, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, at a handover ceremony for the return capsule of the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft in Shaoshan, central China's Hunan Province. "Subsequent space missions include the launches of Tianzhou-2 cargo craft and Shenzhou-12 manned craft after the core module is sent into orbit," Zhou said. Tests on the core module have been completed, and astronaut training is underway. The astronauts will carry out a number of extravehicular activities. China is scheduled to complete the construction of the space station around 2022. The construction project will be implemented in two phases. Six flight missions, including the launch of the core module, have been scheduled in the phase of key technology validation. City, volunteers to line Highway 81 with flowers The City of Watertown Parks and Recreation Department and volunteers will be planting flowers along Highway 81 starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 26. Syracuse, N.Y. Common Councilor Michael Greene wants to limit tax breaks for housing development to projects that are truly affordable for Syracuse families and create a new civilian role to oversee the police department. Thats one of 14 policy proposals Greene outlined Tuesday as he announced a bid for the Democratic Partys nomination for Syracuse mayor. Greene is the second Democrat to announce plans to challenge Mayor Ben Walsh this year. His fellow councilor Khalid Bey declared his intent to run last month. Walsh, a political independent elected in 2017, has said he plans to seek a second term. At an announcement event on the citys North Side Tuesday morning, Greene called Walsh a nice man, but said the mayor hasnt done enough to enact significant reforms at City Hall. He said Walshs focus has been too much on downtown development, but improvements there have not trickled down to the citys neighborhoods. The reason nothing ever seems to get better in our neighborhoods is because our leadership, however well-intentioned, is pursuing the wrong path, Greene said. The status quo in Syracuse needs to change. Greg Loh, a spokesman for Walsh, said the mayor has worked every day to improve life in neighborhoods. He said this administration paves twice as many roads as the previous one, has reduced vacant housing and worked to finish the Southside Creekwalk. Mayor Walsh has been the get-things-done mayor for neighborhoods, Loh said. Greene Tuesday also released a 23-page platform outlining policies he would pursue as mayor. Those policies include things like creating a civilian commissioner of public safety to oversee the police department, establishing two bus rapid transit lines, overhauling the citys zoning policies and limiting tax breaks for downtown apartment developers. The public safety commissioner would be an administrative position tasked with implementing reforms and policies that the police chief either doesnt have time for or hasnt made a priority. The police department has long-standing plans to outfit every officer with a body camera, for instance, but it just hasnt happened because its nobodys job to make it happen, Greene wrote. According to Deputy Police Chief Joseph Cecile, the department currently has 220 officers outfitted with cameras, including every patrol officer. Thats about double the number of cameras that had been deployed as of early summer. The roll-out of those cameras was completed in early November of last year, Cecile said. Greene also said he would empower the Citizen Review Board by directing his police chief to act on the boards recommendations for police discipline. The police department has traditionally not acted on those recommendations. The platform chides City Hall, without mentioning Walsh by name, for brokering sweetheart deals with developers and big corporations while many in Syracuse cant afford rent. Its an apparent knock on Walshs Syracuse Surge strategy, which aims to attract businesses by investing in modern technology infrastructure. Business magazines put us on lists of rising stars, but it hasnt made anyones life any better, Greene writes. Other initiatives outlined in the document include creating a community trust to take ownership of nearly 19 acres of land that will be freed up when the Interstate 81 viaduct is torn down. Developers would be able to build on the land, but the community organization would keep ownership and encourage development of affordable housing. Greene also said he would create a City Hall position to manage efforts to curb homelessness, promising to end chronic homelessness in five years. Some of the proposals align with efforts made in the last three years by Mayor Walsh, including a municipal sidewalk program and a focus on bolstering business corridors in city neighborhoods. Enacting new initiatives like bus rapid transit and a municipal sidewalk program would cost more than $7 million, Greene estimated. They would be funded with fees on the county abstract and new frontage fees on city property tax bills, respectively, Greene said. He said he also would create $1 million in savings in the police overtime budget to pay for some new staff positions, including the commissioner of public safety. Greene, 33, has spent three years on the Common Council, twice winning election to an at-large seat. He was previously chair of the public works committee and now chairs the finance committee. Greene grew up in Onondaga Hill before moving to the New York City area to work in labor relations and economic development. He currently lives in the Meadowbrook neighborhood with his wife and daughter. He is chair of the Democrats 17th Ward Committee. Greene is up against his fellow councilor, Bey, for the Democratic Committees designation. Bey announced his candidacy last month and said he wanted to target job creation. He said he would have more details on how to do that at a later date. The party is expected to meet in February to pick its candidate. Greene said Tuesday he will not force a primary if the party does not choose him, and will support the Democrats candidate if its Bey. No Republicans have declared intent to run for mayor. Thousands of ballots cast by Georgians overseas or from international military installations are navigating mail slowdowns, casting anxiety over the only votes permitted to arrive after the polls close Tuesday in the state's pivotal Senate runoff elections. More than 40,000 military and overseas voters received ballots, the Georgia secretary of state's office said late Tuesday afternoon - a nearly 54% increase from the general election. Only 4,000 of the nearly 28,000 military ballots have been returned, according to agency spokesman Walter Jones. Among the civilians, 6,000 ballots have returned, roughly half of the total issued. Though that voting bloc represents a small percentage of Georgia's 7.2 million registered voters, according to the Secretary of State's office data, election analysts say it's enough to influence outcomes in the two dead heat races and, ultimately, control of the U.S. Senate, during an especially polarizing election season marked by record voter turnout and campaigns that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars. But the hoops that overseas and military voters have to jump through to vote securely from abroad have been complicated by pandemic lockdowns and curfews and mail delays in various countries, as well as Postal Service delays on the U.S. side of the mail chain. Some voters have resorted to paying extra for express delivery through private mail carriers, checking their ballot trackers daily and calling their local elections offices to make sure their ballots arrived. In some cases, ballots mailed a month ago still haven't shown up. Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president and chief executive of Overseas Vote, part of the nonprofit U.S. Vote Foundation, said she's doubtful the steps the U.S. Postal Service has taken to expedite the delivery of mail-in ballots will be enough for overseas ballots to make it in time. "We'll see if that matters," she said in an interview with The Washington Post. "I just can't imagine that the debacle in the post office didn't have an impact." The runoff was triggered after no candidate captured at least 50% of the vote in November. Now Republican incumbent Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are locked in tight races with their respective Democratic challengers, the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, at a time when political dynamics in the South are in flux and after the Peach State helped elevate a Democrat into the White House for the first time in 28 years. The runoff also comes as President Trump's desperate phone call to overturn his loss to President-elect Joe Biden continues to reverberate. On Saturday, he pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to flip the race, citing meritless claims of election fraud. Trump specifically referenced the importance of military voters to his campaign during that call, and Republicans are banking on a good turnout from them for the runoff. The nonmilitary voters - most of whom live abroad for family and employment, according to FVAP data - tend to sway progressive, buoying Democratic hopes. Both are affected by delays within the U.S. Postal Service - which is grappling with coronavirus-related staffing shortages and residual holiday season package volumes - on top of already onerous steps to cast votes that will either return control of the Senate to Republicans and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., or a 50-seat to 50-seat tie with Democrats, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris able to cast tie-breaking votes. "The significance of the overseas and military vote as decisive in Georgia's election cannot be denied," Dzieduszycka-Suinat said. "I still marvel over the fact that the candidates still don't seem to realize that our numbers could impact their elections. I'm waiting for the candidates to address our constituency, meet with overseas and military voters and speak to our concerns. We are weighing in on these elections and now it is undeniable that we can sway the outcome of these tight elections." Military and overseas voters automatically received absentee ballots for the runoff election if they received one for the general election, but new voters had to sign up by Dec. 7. All of those mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday and received by Friday to be counted. Service members abroad, and their families, use the mail service at their bases, the Military Postal Service Agency, which operates under the U.S. Postal Service. Peter Graeve, chief of plans and policy for the Military Postal Service Agency, told The Washington Post in August that ballots returned by service members, their family and military contractors overseas between Sept. 1 and Dec. 8 would be treated as express mail. Devine Davis recently left her role as a U.S. Army sergeant to travel and now lives with her family in Cuenca, Ecuador, where mail service has been suspended because the country is grappling with the pandemic and financial setbacks. This was the first election season in which she did not vote through the Military Postal Service Agency. She said she relied on shipper DHL for the general and runoff elections, paying the discounted price of $25 to send each ballot to Columbia County, Ga. "We were hearing about voter suppression and a lot of ballots being rejected. The time frame was very tricky for us because it definitely takes longer for our stuff to get the United States," Davis said. "It's a lot of work to make sure our vote counts." According to Georgia postal workers and mail agency data filed in federal court, mail-in ballot processing for the runoff has run smoothly statewide. The Postal Service reported on-time ballot processing scores of 96% to 98% in the Atlanta postal district, the area responsible for more than 40% of the state's mail-in ballot requests, since Dec. 29. Postal and election administration experts say the agency should process 97% of ballots on-time based on past performance. Figures in the Gulf Atlantic postal district, which serves the region just south of Atlanta and all points east, are just as strong. Voting rights advocates are encouraged by those results, particularly after the dismal scores the Postal Service recorded before the general election. On Election Day, the Atlanta district processed only 81.3% of ballots on time, meaning nearly 2 in 10 were potentially caught in postal facilities after the state's ballot-acceptance deadline. Nationwide, at least 150,000 ballots in the Nov. 3 vote - including 1,706 in postal districts that cover Georgia - were caught in U.S. Postal Service processing facilities and not delivered by Election Day, according to agency data. The Postal Service also struggled to track 6,624 mailed ballots in those districts, meaning they were recorded entering processing facilities but not exiting them, due to haphazard expediting procedures. For the Senate runoff races, the Postal Service faces even stronger head winds than in November. The surging coronavirus pandemic has flattened the agency's workforce, with close to 19,000 postal workers in the U.S. off the job as of Jan. 1 after contracting the virus or close contact to it, according to the American Postal Workers Union. In Atlanta, nearly 2,500 of the district's 15,000 workers were out because of the virus, local labor leaders said. Meanwhile, the agency continues to struggle with an avalanche of package deliveries from the holiday season that have clogged up the mail stream, leaving prescription medications, bills, and even local newspapers sitting undelivered in postal facilities. The Postal Service delivered only 70.6% of first-class mail items on time during the week of Dec. 12, the most recent data available, compared with better than 95% during the same period last year. (The Postal Service does not release data on package performance.) On Dec. 28, the Postal Service initiated specific measures to expedite mailed ballots leading up to the Georgia runoff election, including processing them as priority mail express, sorting them separately at the processing plants to move them through more quickly and transporting them directly to boards of election to meet the state's deadlines for domestic and overseas voters. "The Postal Service remains fully dedicated to fulfilling our vital role in the nation's electoral process - it has been our No. 1 priority for the past eight months," agency spokeswoman Martha Johnson said in an email. "That dedication never wavered, and we took all steps necessary to deliver Election Mail timely and securely. We are equally committed to the timely and secure delivery of Election Mail for the Georgia runoff." Marylouise Serrato, executive director for American Citizens Abroad, which advocates for legislative issues impacting U.S. citizens living and working overseas, said it's critical that this constituency votes - especially because they have to pay U.S. taxes, no matter where they live. "It is their voice into Congress," she said. "The overseas vote does make a difference, can make a decision in tight elections, and their vote is counted." Vote From Abroad, a nonpartisan voter support tool run by Democrats Abroad, encouraged voters to send in ballots by government-run postal mail by Nov. 30. For those mailing their ballots in December, the organization's advice was to use a courier service to avoid mail delays. Both UPS and FedEx encouraged customers to pay attention to their state deadlines when mailing ballots through their services. Representatives from Democrats Abroad and Republicans Overseas said their organizations were deluged with requests from voters seeking advice for securing their ballots for the general election. The groups continued their voter education efforts after the November vote, but found that election officials and voters seemed more familiar and confident navigating the system ahead of the January runoff. Wendy Gaylord, who lives in Melbourne, forked over $77.13 to send her runoff ballot through FedEx's expedited delivery to ensure it would circumvent Australia's flight restrictions and arrive in Dekalb County, Ga., on time. Laura Merton, a dual citizen living in Toronto, hasn't lived in the U.S. since 1982. This year, she said, her general election ballot took a month to arrive in Chatham County, Ga., so she sent her runoff ballot a month early through a private carrier, paying $22.04, because she was worried about Postal Service slowdowns. According to the county's ballot tracker, her ballot arrived on time but hasn't been officially counted. "Voting isn't easy, but I feel like I would walk over coals all the way to Savannah if necessary," she said. "Even though I haven't lived in Georgia for a long time, my sense of being an American citizen traces right back to my childhood years in Savannah. Even now." Kevin Lee dropped off his ballot the first week of December, mailing it from the United Kingdom through the government-run postal service for about a dollar. But the ballot tracker shows it hasn't made it yet to the Cobb County registrar and he can't get in touch with an election official. "I am worried that my runoff ballot won't be received, even though the general election ballot was," he said in an email. "While the process was manageable from my end, I feel that being allowed to fax or scan and email would make the process more accessible and efficient for most absentee voters." Like other county electorates, Cobb County Elections and Registration has been wrestling with high mail-in ballot volume to scan, process and verify, which takes time. Janine Eveler, the director of Cobb County Elections and Registration, said in an email that her office has been opening and scanning ballots since Dec. 21. "The Postal Service is not in my control, but of course I want every valid vote to count," she said. The Chinese connection appears to have proved costly for Brazil, a country which had once proved itself as a huge success in mass immunization in the developing world Let down by the Chinese vaccine candidates which have run into a major credibility crisis, Brazil has now turned to India to secure consignments of the more reliable AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine made by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. Brazil made a diplomatic push on Monday to guarantee an Indian-made shipment of British drugmaker AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Reuters report from Brasilia. At the same time Brazil's private clinics have struck a preliminary deal for an alternative injection made by India's Bharat Biotech despite a lack of public results from late-stage trials, the report said. The Chinese connection appears to have proved costly for Brazil, a country which had once proved itself as a huge success in mass immunization in the developing world. It has now fallen behind its other countries and has come in for severe criticism of its slow response and a death toll approaching 200,000, second only to the United States. Plans by Brazil's Fiocruz Institute to import AstraZeneca's vaccine in bulk, filling and finishing doses locally, would only have 1 million doses ready by the second week of February, Reuters cited the head of the government-funded biomedical centre as saying. However, the chief executive of the Serum Institute of India told Reuters on Sunday that he expected India's government to restrict export of COVID-19 vaccines. That raised red flags in Brasilia, where health regulator Anvisa had granted approval on New Year's Eve to import 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. Two people familiar with the matter said diplomats were working to confirm the shipment would not be affected by any export ban. Fiocruz confirmed that Brazil's Foreign Ministry was leading the talks. Brazil's government is optimistic that it will be able to import the vaccines from India and any hurdles will be resolved diplomatically, a Brazilian official with knowledge of the matter said. Separately, an association of private Brazilian clinics announced plans to buy 5 million doses of a vaccine developed by Indian company Bharat Biotech, a day after India's health regulator gave it emergency use approval. Bharat Biotech has not yet applied for approval by Brazil's health regulator Anvisa for its Covaxin vaccine, and the agency said it would have to undergo Phase III trials in the country. Geraldo Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC), who will lead a delegation to India departing on Monday, said a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with Bharat Biotech. "This should be the first vaccine available on the private market in Brazil," he said, adding that the Covaxin doses should arrive in Brazil in mid-March, to be sold by private clinics after regulators there approve the vaccine. Brazil has turned to India at a time when serious doubts have arisen over the trials it has been carrying out with the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine candidates. The entire process is being questioned due to the concealment of test data. In sharp contrast to the western countries and India where data about the efficacy and safety of vaccine candidates have been continuously made available, Chinese companies have chosen not to release such data. Brazilian researchers said last week the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech is more than 50% effective based on trial data, but again withheld full results as the Chinese company had directed them not to release the data. This is the third time that the details of the results have been delayed which has gone to further prove that Chinese vaccine makers lack transparency. Brazil is the first country to complete a late-stage trial of the Chinese vaccine candidate. A survey by polling institute Datafolha earlier in the month showed that 50 per cent of Brazilians are not willing to take the Sinovac shot, the highest refusal rate among all vaccines. Some 36 per cent of respondents said they would also reject a Russian vaccine, while 23 per cent said they would not go for the US vaccine. Interestingly, the national immunisation plan presented by Brazil's Health Ministry to the country's Supreme Court included a total of 300 million doses from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Covax but the Chinese vaccine was not mentioned, according to the O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 01:03:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran has started obtaining 20-percent enriched uranium, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced on Tuesday. The developments followed injecting uranium gas in Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant on Monday as part of Iran's Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions which was approved by the parliament in December 2020, Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the AEOI was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. "Obtaining 20-percent enrichment (uranium) is underway in two cascades" in Fordow, Kamalvandi said, adding that the process of production "took more than 24 hours, but with new technologies this time has now been reduced to 12 hours." These measures, he noted, were taken after informing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and submitting a technical questionnaire to it, as established by Iran's safeguard commitments. Kamalvandi also said this action was taken in order to protect the rights of the Iranian people. "We have the ability to enrich uranium above 20 percent (purity) easily and we are considering it," he pointed out. Besides, the head of the AEOI, Ali Akbar Salehi, said Tuesday that Iran will produce up to nine kg of enriched uranium with the purity of 20 percent per month. "At present, we produce 17 to 20 grams of 20-percent (enriched) uranium every hour. We have a production capacity of eight to nine kg per month to reach the 120 kg limit provided by law," Salehi said, according to IRNA. "Extensive activities are underway in the AEOI, including the construction of two nuclear power plants in Bushehr (in south of Iran). These are the two largest industrial projects in the country with a cost of about 10 billion U.S. dollars," Salehi was quoted as saying. "Besides, until four years ago we produced an average of four to five tonnes of yellow cake (annually) ... and this year it will be increased to 35 to 40 tonnes," he noted. "Currently, two cascades of IR2M centrifuges, about 320 centrifuges, are operating, and according to the law, we have to install 1,000 more IR2M centrifuges within the next two or three months," Salehi added. In the meantime, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran's decision to restart enriching uranium to a purity level of 20 percent could be rolled back if all parties to the JCPOA honor the nuclear deal in full. "We resumed 20 percent enrichment, as legislated by our parliament. IAEA has been duly notified," Zarif tweeted. "Our remedial action conforms fully with Para 36 of JCPOA, after years of non-compliance by several other JCPOA participants," he said. "Our measures are fully reversible upon full compliance by all," he added. Iran and the the P5+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States plus Germany, signed the landmark JCPOA in 2015 which was aimed at restricting Iran's nuclear program in return for the ease of Western and international sanctions against the country. But Donald Trump, incumbent president of the United States, pulled Washington out of the deal in May 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran. In response, Iran has gradually dropped some of its JCPOA commitments since May 2019. Enditem In a New Years message, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung outlined the companys strategic direction and commitments for the year 2021 and beyond. Chung presented a vision for transforming the Group to a new growth engine by expanding market share in the eco-friendly market, securing future technology capabilities and strengthening business competitiveness in collaboration with all the members of the Group. Electrification leadership. This year Hyundai Motor Group will concentrate efforts to become a global electric vehicle powerhouse by launching dedicated electric vehicles built on the E-GMP, including Hyundai Motors IONIQ 5, Kias crossover electric vehicle and Genesis luxury brands crossover electric vehicles. With the launch of new vehicles based on the recently released electric vehicle platform, the E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform), we plan to provide attractive eco-friendly mobility options that aptly reflect customers diverse tastes and needs at more reasonable prices. Furthermore, our hydrogen fuel cell technology, recognized as the worlds most advanced, will be expanded to diverse mobility and industrial sectors to help achieve carbon neutrality under the HTWO (Hydrogen + Humanity) brand. Chairman Chung The E-GMP offers a multi-charging system allowing both 800V and 400V charging capabilities. The system is the worlds first patented technology which operates the motor and inverter to boost 400V to 800V for a stable charging compatibility. A battery electric vehicle based on the E-GMP is capable of a maximum range of more than 500 kilometers (311 miles) with a fully charged battery (WLTP standard) and it can high-speed charge up to 80% in just 18 minutes and can add up to 100 kilometers of driving range in just five minutes. Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand its battery electric vehicle lineup from the current eight models to 23 by 2025 and sell 1 million units annually in global markets. It will also accelerate the building of EV infrastructure. Hyundai Motor Group will set up 20 high-speed charging stations in Korea by 2021 and will further expand its charging network in cooperation with energy companies. Overseas, the Group plans to have EV charging infrastructure optimized for market-specific environments with various partners, including IONITY, Europes leading high-power charging network in which the Group made a strategic investment. Moreover, the Group will accelerate the creation of a hydrogen energy ecosystem. It will expand the supply of hydrogen fuel cell systems with the worlds best technology as power sources for ships, generators, and trains as well as global automakers. The Group recently introduced a dedicated HTWO brand for fuel cell systems as part of such efforts. Through strategic partnerships with global companies specializing in hydrogen, energy and logistics, the Group will aim to take the lead in hydrogen-related projects. It will also focus on developing next-generation hydrogen fuel cell systems that will be applied to future eco-friendly mobility solutions such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM). In the post-pandemic era, social values and lifestyles different from the past will prevail. And as a result, only those companies prepared for continuous transformations will survive and grow. Chairman Chung Safe and innovative mobility technologies. Hyundai Motor Group will apply Level 3 autonomous driving technology to mass production models in 2022 and push for commercialization projects for autonomous driving technologies such as robotaxi services in 2023. Motional Inc., the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, plans to conduct Level 4 driverless tests on public roads in Nevada. In 2023, the company will work with US car-sharing provider Lyft to launch autonomous driving commercialization services in major U.S. regions. The Group will also focus on core technologies for next-generation software such as vehicle software that closely interacts with vehicle driving assistance, precision map-linked navigation, and various connected and infotainment services to provide the best convenience and safety to customers. The development of the UAM product lineup, which encompasses both passenger and cargo transportation markets, is also speeding up. The Group aims to introduce Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for cargo with hybrid powertrains in 2026, and a fully electrified UAM model optimized for urban operations in 2028, and regional air mobility products connecting adjacent cities in the 2030s. In the robotics area, the Group recently signed a deal to acquire the controlling stake in Boston Dynamics to actively respond to global mega trends of aging society and digital transformation as the Group seeks to provide humanity with a higher level of experience and more value. Hyundai Motor Groups wearable robot technology and its industrial and logistics automation technology are expected to maximize synergies with Boston Dynamics innovative capabilities. Robotics technology will also be applied to various mobility areas such as autonomous driving, UAM, and PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle) to help the Group establish a leading position. The affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group will enhance their future business capabilities through electrification and self-driving core components and software specialization, and will explore new growth engines such as smart city development as well as renewable energy projects. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A team coordinated by two CNRS researchers and involving colleagues from Sorbonne University, Toulouse IIIPaul Sabatier University, the University of Western Brittany and Aix-Marseille University, will traverse the Southern Ocean from January 11 to March 8, 2021, aboard the Marion Dufresne II research vessel chartered by the French Oceanographic Fleet. Their goal is to better understand the sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 in the ocean, and especially how the chemical elements essential to this storage are supplied, transported and transformed by the ocean The Southern Ocean, which surrounds the Antarctic continent, south of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, is a wild region that is difficult to explore. It plays a key, yet complex, role in the capture and storage of atmospheric CO 2 . A wide range of factors need to be taken into account, including biological activity (surface photosynthesis, carbon export to the deep ocean and its sequestration in sediments) and ocean circulation. To understand these processes it is necessary to quantify them, which can be done by measuring what are known as geochemical elements (silica, nitrate, iron, zinc, as well as elements such as thorium, radium and rare earths). The vast majority of these tracers are present in minute concentrations in seawater. The SWINGS1 oceanographic cruise, starting on January 11 and involving 48 scientists, is part of the international GEOTRACES program, which since 2010 has been constructing a chemical atlas of the oceans, compiling data describing the biogeochemical cycles of these trace elements and their isotopes in the world's oceans. The data is acquired using very strict protocols, compared and validated among the different countries, and made available in an open database. This is the first time that such a comprehensive marine survey has been carried out in the Southern Ocean. Its goal is to determine the sources (atmospheric, sedimentary, hydrothermal, etc) of these elements, some of which (iron and zinc for example) play a crucial role in the photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton. The scientists will be studying their physical, chemical and biological transformations at all depths of the Southern Ocean, as well as their ultimate fate, when they sink into the deep ocean and are stored in sediments. In addition to the SWINGS scientists, a team from OISO (Indian Ocean Observation Service), which is assessing the proportion of CO2 from anthropogenic emissions and the resulting ocean acidification, will embark on the Marion Dufresne II during the cruise. Another temporal data monitoring program, THEMISTO, will be studying open-ocean ecosystems. Finally, a third project (MAP-IO) will use the Marion Dufresne II to carry out, among other things, physical measurements of the distribution of aerosols and trace gases. With these three projects complementing the SWINGS goals, scientific cooperation lies at the heart of the new cruise. The laboratories involved in the SWINGS program are: Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin (CNRS/IFREMER/IRD/Universite de Bretagne occidentale) Laboratoire d'Etudes en Geophysique et Oceanographie Spatiales (CNRS/CNES/IRD/Universite Toulouse IIIPaul Sabatier) Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique (CNRS/ENS- PSL/ Ecole polytechnique-Institut Polytechnique de Paris/Sorbonne Universite) Laboratoire d'Oceanographie et du Climat : Experimentations et Approches Numeriques (CNRS/IRD/MNHN/Sorbonne Universite) Centre Europeen de Recherche et d'Enseignement de Geosciences de l'Environnement (CNRS/INRAE/IRD/Aix-Marseille Universite) Laboratoire d'Oceanographie Microbienne (CNRS/Sorbonne Universite) Institut Mediterraneen d'Oceanologie (CNRS/IRD/Universite de Toulon/Aix-Marseille Universite) Laboratoire Climat, Environnement, Couplages et Incertitudes (CNRS/CERFACS) Technical Division of CNRS-INSU The expedition was funded by France's National Research Agency ANR, the French Oceanographic Fleet operated by the National Institute for Ocean Science IFREMER, the CNRS National Institute for Earth Sciences and Astronomy INSU, and the ISBlue University Research School. Explore further A single gene 'invented' hemoglobin several times Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has called on China to let a team from the World Health Organisation into the country to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, after Beijing appeared to block the officials from entering the country. The WHO says China is refusing to grant its officials access to Wuhan as part of the inquiry into the global pandemic. Xi Jinping at an event last September to honour those involved in the battle against COVID-19. Credit:AP Australia led calls for the independent inquiry that was eventually backed by a global coalition of 137 countries, including China, at a meeting of the World Health Assembly in May. Senator Payne said Australia had "consistently sought transparency in relation to the origins of, and responses to the coronavirus, as have other countries". Cooperativa Cruz Azul councils take control of Oaxaca plant 05 January 2021 The administration and surveillance councils of Mexicos Cooperativa Cruz Azul have reportedly taken back operational and administrative control of the companys cement plant in Lagunas, Oaxaca, according to Reporte Indigo. The councils are headed by Jose Antonio Marin and Victor Manuel Velasquez. However, other partners have indicated that the recent takeover of the plant will be legally fought. In October last year, an attempt was made to execute a judicial order to retake the facilities, but the councils were received by a shock group, with events resulting in the death of a partner. The event is still being investigated by the Oaxaca Prosecutor's Office to determine responsibility. Cruz Azul's leadership remains divided following reports of the theft of 10,000t of cement that surfaced at the end of May last year, with the former director of Cooperativa Cruz Azul, Guillermo 'Billy' Alvarez, allegedly diverting more than MXN1bn to companies abroad. Published under Source: Reuters British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to India later this month, citing the need to oversee the pandemic response at home. "The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a Downing Street spokeswoman said. Follow our LIVE blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic "In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the prime minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus." Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 As British prime minister Boris Johnson announces a move to online learning for schools and colleges as part of a new national lockdown, parents here must wait until Wednesday for a government decision on whether schools will reopen as planned next Monday. We asked parents here for their views. Dr Jason van der Velde is a consultant in emergency medicine at Cork University Hospital and a father of five young school-going children. He has been managing the sickest of the sick since the start of the pandemic and has had to intubate several Covid-19 patients. Dr Jason van der Velde, an emergency medicine consultant. I would have no problem sending my kids back to school next week, he said. If you look at the evidence, and there is strong evidence now, if you look at the data, the transmission rate of Covid-19 amongst young children is very low, its almost negligible in that population. My kids are in two schools in West Cork that have been extremely strict in relation to this in recent months, in fact that have gone well beyond what they need to in terms of how they manage the situation, with pods, and things like this. Their schools are very well-controlled environments in relation to the Covid-19 risk. I need to be able to work and its difficult to home-school five kids. On the other hand, we dont have anyone vulnerable living at home. My wifes elderly parents, and my elderly parents all live abroad, and I am vaccinated. Everyones circumstances are different. I wouldnt challenge anyone who felt it was unsafe to send their kids to school, I would respect their decision. "And I would respect any teachers who felt unsafe going back to the school environment. But as a scientist, the data shows that we have very low numbers of proven school-based transmission of this virus. Mags McKenna, a mum to three school-going children and a college student, said shes not comfortable sending the younger ones back to school at the moment. Mags McKenna, a mother of four. Watching the Covid-19 numbers growing every day is scary, she said. And today, after hearing about whats happening in Cork University Hospital, where so many nurses are out of work because of Covid, is worrying. I am just not comfortable about sending my kids back to school until the numbers and cases are at a level that the scientists are happy with. And this is also about the staff and teachers in the schools. If the virus is rampant in our communities, the last thing we want is for our teachers and other staff to get sick. I just think its best to hold off reopening schools until its safer for us all. Dr Nick Flynn, of My Cork GP, is a father of two secondary school-going children who has also been working on the frontline of the pandemic. Dr Nick Flynn, Cork GP. He said: I would feel safe, for the kids themselves, but I wouldnt feel safe for their grandparents, or for teachers who are vulnerable. The data shows that kids over the age of 10, and certainly those over the age of 12, spread this virus. Schools are doing their best but kids are kids, they meet on the way into school, they meet in the yard at lunchtime, and they meet on the way out. Community transmission of the virus is rampant at the moment and the idea of sending tens of thousands of children back to school in a few days just doesnt make sense at the moment. Professional rower Sanita Puspure. Picture: Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images) Sanita Purpure, the professional rower and reigning world champion in the womens single scull, is a mother to two school-going children. She said while she doesnt want to go back to the homeschooling experience during the first lockdown, she feels schools should remain closed until the Covid-19 numbers start to decline. Not all the kids are very disciplined to do school online and not to be distracted by all things at home, she said. From September until Christmas, our kids were happier to be in school. They needed their friends and some distant socialising. At the moment we as a country are not in a good place. I'd be reluctant to send my kids back to school while numbers are still high. Once the Covid-19 case numbers start going down again, they should go back to school. And its good that school is closed this week as its very cold outside too. "You wouldnt want to be freezing in class with all the windows open either. UCC academic, Dr Aodh Quinlivan, a lecturer at UCCs Department of Government and Politics, and the director of its Centre for Local and Regional Governance, is a father to three school-going children. Academic, Dr Aodh Quinlivan. Its very difficult for us to do our jobs effectively with the children at home, he said. Home-schooling was not a success the first time around. Therefore, it was great that the schools were open from August to December and it was important for the children. If the schools re-open next Monday, I would be relatively confident about sending my children. That said, the way the numbers are heading at present, I think the more prudent decision might be for the government to keep the schools shut for a few weeks more. All of us need to batten down the hatches for January and, if that includes the schools, so be it. I think closing for a few extra days until January 11 was never likely to achieve very much, unfortunately. But his wife, fellow UCC academic, Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan, a lecturer in European politics in UCCs Department of Government, said she really hopes primary schools reopen next Monday. UCC Academic, Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan. I would feel fully confident about sending my children in, she said. As NPHET has explained, the surge in numbers is not linked to the new variant. Studies have shown that children are not very susceptible to Covid-19. As for the movement of people, parents dropping off and collecting as well as teachers in school, all this has been organised since August and can be revised in a more stringent fashion. From our experience in a small rural school, collections and drop-offs have been spread out and everyone has complied with masks and social distancing. The Tanaiste is talking about Level 5 restrictions until the most vulnerable are vaccinated. Given how slow the process has been so far and the lack of clarity in terms of a vaccine plan (and not only a timeline), we could be talking about months for the children at home, maybe the full academic year. I have discovered how bad at home-schooling I am. I find it impossible to engage my kids who are in second, fourth and sixth class in a way that generates any type of learning. Teachers have been doing an amazing job since August. My children have certainly embraced school with renewed enthusiasm and a realisation that it should not be taken for granted. I find it essential that primary schools stay open. If it requires parents to drop off/collect at staggered times, so be it. I understand why many parents are worried. Given the unprecedented times, I think worried parents should be allowed to keep their children at home and home-school without having them marked absent. However, I hope that my kids can step back into their school bubble next Monday. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. ADVERTISEMENT The publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, and four other activists who were remanded on Monday by the Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja were rejected for over three hours by the Kuje correctional facility before they were eventually accepted. Witnesses who followed the activists to the prison said the management of the prison cited non-availability of space as reason for the rejection. We just got to Kuje prison now and Sowore and others have been rejected. We are yet to know where they will be taken to, one source told PREMIUM TIMES at about 5 p.m. The detained activists were held outside the prison premises for about four hours as police officers frantically made calls to their superiors and the interior ministry to intervene. They were later accepted by the prison authorities at about 9 p.m., apparently after the intervention of the interior ministry. Mr Sowore and the four other activists will spend the night at the correctional centre before their next court appearance on Tuesday. The activists were arrested for participating in a protest which took place on the eve of the new year in Abuja. They were taken to a police station in the Nigerian capital and were subsequently arraigned on Monday after spending four nights in police custody. During their stay in detention, several civil rights organisations called for their release. The police charged the protesters with unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbance. When their charges were read, the activists were asked to take pleas. They pleaded not guilty, saying all allegations against them were false. In her ruling, the magistrate, Taye Maibel, said all the charges are bailable, except if the defendants are likely to evade trial or commit the same offence. She ordered the defendants counsel to file a formal bail application before her at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The magistrate initially said the defendants should be taken to the Wuse police station but later ruled that they should be taken to Kuje correctional centre pending the hearing of their bail application. Columbia, MD, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Owl Cyber Defense Solutions, LLC (Owl), a global market leader in cybersecurity solutions and services for defending network boundaries and enabling secure data sharing across domains, announced today the acquisition of the Trident Assured Collaboration Systems (ACS) product line. ACS has the only U.S. government approved voice over IP (VoIP) and video teleconference (VTC) cross domain solutions (CDS) as well as the industrys most advanced full motion video (FMV) filtering capability functionality critical to CDS operations in an era of drones and cameras. The acquisition gives Owl a broader range of certified network perimeter defense solutions than any competitor in the market. Owl, backed by private investment firm, DC Capital Partners, has been a leading provider of CDSs to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and intelligence community (IC) for over 20 years. Owl is also the global leader in cybersecurity protection for critical infrastructure, offering the only U.S. government tested and accredited CDSs available for deployment inside and outside the U.S to both government and commercial clients. Owls CDSs offer the highest level of network perimeter security, far exceeding the capabilities of firewalls and other commonplace network defenses. Owls products are the choice for protecting the nations most sensitive networks and systems against attack. Recent incidents have demonstrated the inability of legacy firewalls to prevent cyberattacks against critical business and operating systems and cloud-based applications. The combination of Owl and ACSs technology offers a full continuum of CDS products that provide hardware-enforced domain separation and layers of data filtering assurance rather than a single network border checkpoint with minimal content filtering. This is another step in executing our strategic vision. The acquisition of ACS not only places Owl ahead of other cross domain solution providers, but it also plays a pivotal role in our larger strategy to offer true cybersecurity protection. The future requires cost effective, easy to implement, use, and maintain solutions, said Thomas J. Campbell, Chairman of Owl and Founder and Managing Partner of DC Capital. The explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT) demands cyber secure devices, from those that control our critical infrastructure, to our homes and cars. The technology Owl pioneered 20 years ago is now available in form factors small enough to be embedded inside devices. Owl has always been an early mover, the first to develop hardware-enforced network protection and now the first to offer a hardware-enforced CDS that can be embedded. Owl has been rapidly moving towards this number one position in CDSs for the last couple of years, commented Robert Stalick, President and CEO of Owl. With the addition of ACS, the last piece has fallen into place. Owl is now the clear leader in accredited cross domain solution offerings, with the widest range of capabilities and products solving problems from tactical to enterprise in data, voice, and video; for government, critical infrastructure, and commercial enterprises. Solutions like firewalls that worked 25 years ago as a network protection approach are no longer effective against nation-state quality attacks. As nation-state attacks increase, the approaches used by state actors begin to permeate the criminal side of cyberattacks. Effective cybersecurity now requires an integrated, multi-layered system with data diode hardware components in guards which perform intensive data examination and verification. The next generation of protection, coming out now and built on a combination of Owl and ACS technology, embeds CDS functionality in extremely low-latency, unmodifiable hardware. Jerry B. Chernock, Partner at DC Capital, added, It is obvious that we need to address the inadequacy of firewalls. There is a reason why our clients insist on cross domain solutions and not solely on firewalls. Recent attacks, including a security breach at a prominent U.S.-based cybersecurity firm and several U.S. government agencies, have punctuated the need for intelligence, military, critical infrastructure and corporate clients to quickly evolve how they protect their networks. The sophistication of these technologies cannot be overstated, said Ken Walker, Chief Technology Officer at Owl. The U.S. government continues to set the standards for the most rigorous operational requirements and testing regimes globally, setting expectations that very few companies can meet. Owl is one of a handful of elite companies that satisfies the government-established Raise the Bar requirements. About Owl Cyber Defense Solutions Owl has been serving the cybersecurity needs of the U.S. government since inception providing hardware-enforced cybersecurity controls, industry leading expertise in operating system hardening, extensive device and network-based assessment services and thought-leadership in filtering/data processing disciplines. Owl cross domain solutions are operating broadly in missions across both the U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence community. Globally, Owl is the leader in network and systems perimeter protection for nuclear power plants, oil and gas operations, renewables and power generation and transmission, with aggressive growth occurring in the data center and cloud provider sectors. Owl continues to innovate and is bringing to market the worlds first embeddable CDS technology to serve the Internet of Things. Learn more at www.owlcyberdefense.com About DC Capital Partners DC Capital Partners is a private equity investment firm headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, focused on making investments in U.S.-based, Government and Engineering businesses. Learn more at www.dccp.com New year, new NCIS episodes. After a cliffhanger fall finale, the CBS crime procedural returns Jan. 19, 2021 with back-to-back episodes. When it comes to cracking codes, this team is unmatched. Search for treasure in the latest #NCIS: https://t.co/JPkbXwEfXL pic.twitter.com/DGOZOJ0oxs NCIS (@NCIS_CBS) December 10, 2020 In Sunburn, Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and his wife Delilahs (Margo Harshman) vacation in the Bahamas takes a high-stakes turn when an NCIS case involving a dead escape room manager turns out to have ties to the island. Meanwhile, Gibbs (Mark Harmon) fears the worst when his search for Fornell (Joe Spano) leads to blood. In the second episode of the night, Head of the Snake, Gibbs and Fornells efforts to find the drug kingpin responsible for the overdose of Fornells daughter reaches its climax. Also, Gibbs and NCIS Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) let the team in on a case that has dangerous implications. With a few weeks to wait until the return of NCIS, fans might want to indulge in some nostalgia to get them through the break. And what better way to do that than by revisiting, JAG, the series that gave us NCIS. JAG premiered in 1995 The JAG cast in 1998. Back row from left: Karri Turner (as Lt. Harriet Sims), Patrick Labyorteaux (as Bud Roberts, Jr.). Front row from left: John M. Jackson (as A.J. Chegwidden), David James Elliott (as Harmon Rabb, Jr.), Catherine Bell (as Sarah MacKenzie). | CBS via Getty Images) NCIS which premiered in 2003 is the second-longest-running scripted drama currently airing on TV (after Law & Order: SVU) and has spawned two spinoffs: NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. But its easy for casual fans to forget that NCIS itself is a spinoff of another long-running show: JAG. JAG was a legal drama following a group of judge advocates, or lawyers, working in the Navys Office of the Judge Advocate General. The series premiered in 1995 on NBC and then moved to CBS for its next nine seasons, before ending its decade-long run in 2005. Key NCIS characters including Gibbs, Anthony DiNozzo Jr. (Michael Weatherley), and Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) were introduced in a pair of season 8 JAG episodes, which served as a backdoor pilot for NCIS. How to stream JAG on CBS All Access Harm and Mac (David James Elliott and Catherine Bell with Patrick Labyorteaux and Karri Turner) in the final episode of JAG | Gale M. Adler/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images RELATED: NCIS: Los Angeles: How Will Catherine Bell Return as Sarah Mac MacKenzie in the Season Finale? If you want to catch up on old episodes of JAG, youll need to sign up for CBS All Access. (JAG Season 1 is also available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video.) As a bonus, youll also be able to stream past episodes of NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, and select episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles. CBS All Access subscribers can also stream past episodes of hit CBS shows such as Blue Bloods, MacGyver, and Hawaii Five-0. You can also watch streaming-only originals such as Star Trek Picard, The Stand, and The Twilight Zone. CBS All Access prices start at $5.99 a month after a 7-day free trial for a version with limited commercials. A commercial-free version (which also lets you download videos and play them offline) is $9.99 per month. An annual plan with limited commercials costs $59.99 per year, while the annual ad-free plan is $99.99 per year. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. By Dan Whitcomb and Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Los Angeles health officials have told first responders to stop bringing adult patients who cannot be resuscitated to hospitals, citing a shortage of beds and staff as the latest COVID-19 surge threatened to overwhelm healthcare systems in America's second-largest city. The order, issued late on Monday and effective immediately, marked an escalation of measures being taken by state and local officials nationwide in the face of alarming increases in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. Ambulances have been forced to wait several hours to unload patients at some Los Angeles hospitals, causing delays throughout the county's emergency response system. "Patients in traumatic full arrest who meet current Ref 814 criteria for determination of death shall not be resuscitated and shall be determined dead on scene and not transported," Marianne Gausche-Hill, medical director of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, said in the directive. Ref 814 refers to the county's policy on determining and pronouncing death in a patient who has not been transported to a hospital. California, the most populous U.S. state, has been hit particularly hard by the latest coronavirus surge, which some public health officials attribute to Thanksgiving holiday gatherings in November. Los Angeles is one of two California counties reporting a shortage of intensive care unit beds. California reported 72,911 COVID-19 cases on Monday, a single-day record since the start of the pandemic. VACCINES LAGGING More than 20.8 million people have been infected with the virus across the United States since March, and the death toll stands at 355,00. A record 129,000 COVID-19 patients were in hospitals as of Tuesday. The worsening situation has ramped up pressure on state and local officials to speed up distribution of the two coronavirus vaccines so far approved for emergency use. Story continues Federal health officials said on Monday that more than two-thirds of the 15 million coronavirus vaccines manufactured by Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc and shipped within the United States have yet to be administered. But some healthcare workers began getting their second shots of the Pfizer vaccine this week. Both vaccines require two doses three or four weeks apart. The governors of New York and Florida have said they would penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly. "It's a matter of life and death," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference on Tuesday. "If a hospital has done all their healthcare workers, fine, we will take that supply back and go to essential workers." Another 3 million doses of the two vaccines were sent to U.S. states on Tuesday, acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said in a statement, bringing the total to more than 19 million in 21 days. The U.S. government is considering halving the doses of Moderna's vaccine to free up supply for more vaccinations. But scientists at the National Institutes of Health and Moderna said on Tuesday it could take two months to study whether the halved doses would be effective. [nL1N2JG2A4} (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Lisa Shumaker in Chicago; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Leslie Adler) Despite many festivals moving their activities online, Youssef Ismail, the director of Cairos National Theatre, decided to hold the 13th edition of the National Theatre Festival on the stages. Also presiding over the festival, Ismail included 28 troupes in the events programming, showcasing their work between 20 December 2020 and 2 January 2021 on the stages of Cairos theatres, welcoming the audience free of charge. At the entrance to each theatre, sterilisation gates were installed. Wearing a mask was compulsory and social distancing was guaranteed due to the special arrangement of the seats. Usually, the National Theatre Festival is held in the last weeks of June, but due to the first wave of the pandemic, we postponed it to December. We preferred that it be a physical event, since theatre is based on direct communication between the actors and the public, Ismail told Al-Ahram Hebdo. The director added that this edition of the festival also has a special weight, since it falls on the 150-year celebrations of Egyptian contemporary theatre. When we speak of contemporary, we mean a form of theatre conforming to Aristotles theories. Meaning that any show following a dramatic unfolding must have a beginning, subplots, and an end. Before 1870, there were several theatrical forms in Egypt such as shadow theatre, puppets, Ibn Daniels maqamat, Ancient Egyptian theatre, theatre linked to religious rituals, etc. They still exist, yet are not classified as contemporary theatre, Ismail clarifies. While celebrating 150 years of Egyptian contemporary theatre, Ismail decided to dedicate this edition to the founding fathers of theatre. When speaking about the significant figures of Egyptian theatre, Ismail mentions names such as Yacoub Sanoue, Galal Osman, Abdallah Al-Nadim, Mounira Al-Mahdiya, Ali Al-Kassar, Youssef Wahbi, Georges Abyad, Ahmad Chawqi, Tawfiq Al-Hakim, and many others. The year 1870 was marked by the works of several theatre pioneers, the founding fathers of contemporary Egyptian theatre. We can enumerate almost 20 creators, actors, playwrights, and directors, whose photos appear on the poster of this edition. As Ismail explains, one of the festivals goals is to frame and highlight the history of Egyptian theatre. The National Theatre was built in Ataba Square in 1868. Next to it, there was another theatre which was built in 1969, modeled on French comedy; it was meant to perform lyrical and musical works. Verdi's Opera Aida was first performed on the stages of this theatre, on the occasion of the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Currently, this theatre is the main office of the Egyptian Post. History is there in front of our eyes, impossible to ignore. Rather, it should be cherished from generation to generation, Ismail says. I wanted to organise a really special edition of this years National Theatre Festival, but we were limited by the restrictions coming with the precautions linked to the pandemic. Held under strict precautionary measures, with 50 percent audience and the requirement of wearing masks, the festival took place in an almost intact form. The only alteration that took place was moving the festivals closing ceremony to 2 January instead of the previously planned 4 January, and this is a response to the increased number of COVID-19 infections across the country. We still managed to stage most of the performances, hold conferences, highlight the role of Egyptian theatre pioneers. Some panel discussions addressed purely Egyptian theatrical forms, which date from before 1870, Ismail added. This year the festival distributed numerous awards, many of which were already presented in the past edition. We have chosen to change the rules of the critics competition. This year, we held two distinct competitions: That of critics and that of theatrical research. The first is open to journalists or critics who have published a 1,500-word article in print or online media. The second welcomes candidates who have signed an academic paper of 10,000 words. We canceled the Best Dramatic Text award, because we assume that the Best Performance award is given to a work that has good dramatic structure, he concludes. *This article was originally published in Al Ahram Hebdo, in French, 30 December edition. Additional edit: Ahram Online. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Short link: Pune/Hyderabad: Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech on Tuesday jointly communicated their pledge for the smooth rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in India and the world to wipe out the deadly virus that originated several months back in China's Wuhan. "Adar Poonawala and Dr Krishna Ella, jointly on behalf of the two companies, today communicated their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines for India and globally," read a joint statement from SII and Bharat Biotech. We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our COVID-19 vaccines, the joint statement of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech said. Notably, Adar Poonawala is the Chief Executive Officer of SII, while Dr Krishna Ella is the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech. "They said, the more important task in front of them is saving the lives and livelihoods of populations in India and the world. Vaccines are a global public health good and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest," the statement said. It further said, "Now that two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued EUA (emergency use authorization) in India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines." "Both our companies are fully engaged in this activity and consider it our duty to the nation and the world at large to ensure a smooth rollout of vaccines. Each of our companies continues their COVID-19 vaccines development activities as planned," the statement said. "We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our COVID-19 vaccines," the statement added. Notably on Monday, PM Modi pointed out that the world`s largest Covid-19 vaccination programme is also going to start in India and that the CSIR and other institutions are working together came together to face every challenge and find solutions for new situations. India has one of the largest vaccine manufacturing capacities in the world (including the largest vaccine producer - Serum Institute of India) and has secured authorisation to mass-produce the AstraZeneca, Novavax and Gamaleya Research Institute vaccines. With a population of 1.3 billion (and 94 million over 65-year-olds), the domestic vaccination drive will be the largest in the world. The country has a good track record of such drives with masses of the population regularly gaining inoculation for various diseases such as polio and cholera. India`s vaccine rollout will begin with frontline healthcare workers and individuals over the age of 50 years gaining priority. The government aims to vaccinate some 250 million people over six-to-eight months. OREGON -- Winter term 2021 has arrived for many Oregon colleges and universities. But what will that actually look like? After the pandemic has changed course over the months for schools in our area, leaders shared that theyre pushing a strong start of remote learning. As they put it -- safety and good health will not be taken for granted. We are emphasizing the importance that while we're waiting for vaccinations that can be shared with the community of our students and employees, we need to remain ever vigilant, OSU spokesperson Steve Clark said. For Oregon State University, 95 percent of classes at their Corvallis campus are offered online. The school will be testing thousands of students and employees throughout winter term. In this week alone, more than 10,000 faculty, staff and students were sent invitations to get tested. Decisions will be made in February about what spring term will look like. "Most of our employees are working remotely, so they can preserve their good health and the health of the OSU community," Clark said. Students also shared their thoughts. Austin Goergen is a junior at OSU. I definitely miss the in-person instruction, Goergen said. It starts to feel like Groundhog's Day. You do your learning in your apartment. You do your eating and sleeping in your apartment. I didn't realize how important having that kind of break in your routine of just driving to campus and being on campus for learning. He said there are benefits, even through the distance. Even though I would say I am a lot more isolated physically speaking, I've actually gained a lot of new connections to people in my class that I never knew, Goergen said. For the University of Oregon, all classes are conducted online this week to give students a chance to be tested and to quarantine if they are returning to campus. The school requires all students living on campus to participate in their internal coronavirus testing program. Kirby Brown is an associate professor at the UO. Even though we're almost a year into the quarantine, there's still an incredible amount of labor to try to figure out how best to take a classroom environment and make it into a remote situation that's going to be rewarding and engaging for the students, Brown said. He said there is no replacement for in-person instruction, but everyone is doing the best they can to provide a safe learning environment. I have hope that we're going to continue to make the experience as good as it possibly can be, Brown said. Lane Community College also kicked off winter term Monday. Ninety percent of instruction an services are offered remotely with only ten percent in person for an expansion of in-person lab instruction and tutoring. Before the pandemic, 75 percent of instruction was conducted in person with 25 percent remote. Paul Jarrell is the Provost and Executive Vice President for Lane Community College. My hope is that we can continue to provide the courses and resources students need to continue their studies, Jarrell said. We have been very fortunate so far. To date, we have only had five students and seven employees in in-person settings test positive for COVID. That has allowed us to keep our in-person activities going in this modified format. I am very hopeful that the general population will get vaccinated by this spring. Our goal is to have a more normal in-person educational experience this fall. LCC has loaned out over 250 laptops to students and has increased their wireless access in parking lots and outdoor areas. Additional staffing has also been expanded to assist students with remote learning. BALTIMORE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company using computational biology to identify potent peptide regulators of vascular and cellular homeostasis for the treatment of retinal and oncologic diseases, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 1/2a CONGO clinical trial to evaluate the safety and bioactivity of AXT107 in patients with Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). "Dosing the first patient with AXT107 shortly after the acceptance of its IND is a significant milestone for AsclepiX, as it marks the first clinical stage product and trial for our company," said Steven Altschuler, MD, Chairman, AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. "AXT107 is the culmination of the vision, determination and hard work of the entire AsclepiX team; it's an exciting time at AsclepiX as we advance our development plans." In December 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the Investigational New Drug application (IND) for AXT107 for the treatment of retinal diseases including DME, neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO). AXT107 is an investigational drug candidate that inhibits VEGF-A and VEGF-C and activates Tie2. With its novel mechanisms of action, AXT107 has the potential to be a standard of care monotherapy. AXT107, if approved, can provide patients with greater clinical benefit coupled with convenient once-a-year dosing, which could transform the treatment of retinal diseases. "As diabetes is on the rise globally, we have an increasing number of DME patients. The current standard of care is frequent injections with anti-VEGF therapies, but significant challenges for physicians and patients remain," stated Jeffrey Heier, MD, Principal Investigator and Director of the Vitreoretinal Service and Director of Retina Research at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. "We are hopeful that AXT107's unique mechanisms of action, as a peptide and intravitreal self-forming gel depot, will improve outcomes and decrease patient and caregiver burden for our DME patients." "With AXT107, patients may benefit from achieving sustained vision gains and extended duration of action, thereby reducing patient treatment burden," said Theresa Heah, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Operations, AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. "We are excited to partner with leading retinal specialists to advance the AXT107 trials, and appreciate their dedication to continue to treat patients and participate in trials despite the ongoing pandemic." Existing therapies that inhibit VEGF have revolutionized the management of retinal vascular diseases, but are indicated for repeated intravitreal injections every 1-3 months. This creates a significant treatment burden, with many patients ultimately receiving fewer than the recommended number of injections, resulting in suboptimal visual outcomes. More importantly, a contingent of eyes fail to attain optimal visual outcomes even when receiving anti-VEGF therapy at recommended intervals. Due to its long half-life and unique intravitreal self-assembling gel depot formation, AXT107 can potentially be dosed as a yearly intravitreal injection, which could dramatically reduce the treatment burden associated with standard therapies. About the CONGO Phase 1/2a Trial in DME Congo is an open-label, dose-escalating, 48-week trial assessing the safety, tolerability, bioactivity and duration of action of a single intravitreal injection of 0.1mg (low dose), 0.25mg (mid-dose), or 0.5 mg (high-dose) of AXT107 in approximately 18 patients with DME. About AXT107 AXT107 emerged from AsclepiX's computational biology-based discovery platform and is derived from a cryptic peptide within collagen IV that works by activating naturally existing, homeostatic mechanisms of angiogenesis. The synergy of AXT107's effect, via two validated pathways and three mechanisms of action, may offer improvement over anti-VEGF therapy alone. Due to its long half-life and unique intravitreal self-assembling gel depot formation, AXT107 can potentially be dosed as a yearly intravitreal injection, which could dramatically reduce the treatment burden associated with standard therapies. The Tie2 effects complement those of the anti-VEGF action, potentially offering greater improvement in vision gains as well as reduction of vascular leakage and suppression of inflammation. AXT107 has demonstrated superiority to, and greater durability, than Eylea in animal models and has demonstrated safety in animal and toxicology studies for 15 months. The IND for AXT107 was submitted in November 2020 and was cleared by the FDA in December 2020. About AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company using computational biology to identify potent peptide regulators of vascular homeostasis that is disrupted in ocular and oncologic diseases. The novel clinical candidate peptides discovered by AsclepiX tap into these naturally existing self-regulating mechanisms, evolved over millions of years, that the body uses to maintain homeostasis and thus restore and maintain health. AXT107, an investigational product candidate and the lead clinical candidate, has a unique mechanism of action that targets two clinically proven pathways of diseases of the retina. For more information, please visit: www.asclepix.com. About DME Diabetic macular edema (DME) is caused by a complication of diabetes called diabetic retinopathy. DME is a build-up of fluid in the macula, resulting in swelling and thickening which distorts vision near or in the center of your field of vision. It is estimated that 7.7 million Americans have diabetic retinopathy, and of those, about 750,000 also have DME. Anti-VEGF intravitreal injections are the standard of care for DME, which many patients are indicated for monthly injections due to the chronic progression of diabetes and DME. This creates a significant treatment burden, with many patients ultimately receiving fewer than the recommended number of injections, resulting in suboptimal visual outcomes. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" concerning the development of AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. products, the potential benefits and attributes of such products, and the company's expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. Investor Contact: Julia Balanova jbalanova@soleburytrout.com 646-378-2936 Media Contact: Allison Howell Pascale Communications, LLC allison@pascalecommunications.com 412-228-1678 SOURCE: AsclepiX Therapeutics, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623067/AsclepiX-Therapeutics-Inc-Doses-First-Patient-in-Phase-12a-Trial-of-AXT107-Intravitreal-Self-Forming-Gel-Depot-Peptide-for-Diabetic-Macular-Edema-DME Pipeline 5 January 2021 anko Hospitality announced today that The Forester Hotel, a contemporary, chic new hotel located at 200 N. Field Dr. in Conway Business Park, is set to open in April 2021. The first hotel to open in the community since 1929, The Forester Hotel concept is inspired by the city of Lake Forest's motto "Naturae et Scientiae Amor" which translates to "Love of Science and Nature." The Forester Hotel will be at a crossroads safeguarding all the comforts of Hyatt, while at the same time blazing new trails with boutique offerings including an upscale bistro + bar and over 4,500 square feet of flexible event space. Science and nature are woven throughout The Forester Hotel, from artwork inspired by natural fractals and meeting rooms named after native plants and flowers, to the front desk itself being constructed of a solid, single white oak tree trunk. The luscious property will feature 156 spacious guest rooms, including 10 suites, each with 55-inch flat-screen Smart HDTVs, complimentary WiFi, mini-fridges, individually-controlled heating and air conditioning, blackout curtains, hair dryers, in-room safes and more. The hotel will be pet-friendly with complimentary parking available for guests in a lot adjacent to the premises. "We are honored to be opening the first boutique-inspired Hyatt Place hotel in the world in the picturesque city of Lake Forest," said Marlena Karwowski, General Manager, The Forester Hotel. "Since Lake Forest has not welcomed a new hotel in nearly 100 years, we are excited for the opportunity to bring new offerings and become part of the community. Lake Forest has long been at a unique crossroads of preservation and progress by way of open lands backing up to modern office parks and the cobblestone streets of historic Market Square leading to Starbucks and Williams Sonoma, and this hotel is conceptualized at a similar juncture. We look forward to serving our local residents and visitors to Chicagoland by providing modern comfort and evolutionary service with a special emphasis on the beauty and science of nature in all that we do." Ideally equipped to host events both large and small, The Forester Hotel will boast three event rooms and a pre-function space all featuring the latest technology. The Lupine Room will offer exterior access to an outdoor patio and 1,676-square-feet of space, accommodating up to 186 guests, while The Aster Room, the hotel's largest event space, will be able to host up to 250 guests in its 2,232-square-foot space. Best suited for groups of up to 45 guests, The Blue Stem Room will be an intimate 378-square-foot space. The hotel will offer several on-site dining options including the chef-driven, full-service restaurant Oaken Bistro + Bar, which will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Executive Chef Kristen Burman, formerly of Limelight Catering and Anthology San Diego, will create seasonal American dishes flavored with adventurous twists. The restaurant will feature an eclectic variety of wine and spirits including signature infused cocktails with local flowers and herbs. The modern bar and lounge area will be filled with earth-toned features and foliage-inspired light fixtures. Further information on Oaken Bistro + Bar is to be announced. For more information on The Forester Hotel, visit www.TheForesterHotel.com, or follow @TheForesterHotel on Facebook and Instagram. Democrat opens Congress with prayer ending in 'amen and awoman;' House rules use gender-neutral terms Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As the U.S. House of Representatives is set to implement gender-neutral terms in its official operating rules for the new Congress, a Democratic congressman who is a pastor concluded an opening prayer Sunday by saying the words "amen and awoman." During a short invocation to mark the swearing-in of the 117th Congress, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., finished his prayer that was filled with scriptural and Christian-themed phrases by invoking other gods and concluding with the phrase "amen and awoman" instead of the traditional term "Amen." We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and god known by many names by many different faiths. Amen and awoman, Cleaver, the former mayor of Kansas City, offered. The word "Amen," means "so be it" and is not a gendered term. Cleaver, who has served in the House since 2005, is an ordained United Methodist minister who holds a masters degree from St. Paul's School of Theology of Kansas City, Missouri. From 1972 to 2009, he was the pastor of Kansas Citys St. James United Methodist Church. The 76-year-old's ending to his prayer elicited considerable mockery on social media, mostly from conservatives who were incredulous at the use of the term "awoman." "Amen and Awoman?!?! Dont they know that gender isnt binary??? What about the other 42 genders??" joked Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Sunday. Many commenters have pointed out that Amen is not a gendered word. "I guess the virtue signaling Democrats didnt check the Hebrew etymology of the word Amen to realize it has NOTHING to do with gender, tweeted incoming Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. But dont let facts get in the way of a good virtue signal. Also, didnt those words just get banned?" Conservative commentator Bethany Mandel quipped: "Same folks who say 'awoman' call us 'pregnant people??" "Its all an act and its all lip service. Theyve erased the existence of women but hey theyll say 'awoman' on the House floor and were supposed to lap it up, Mandel tweeted. How progressive! How inclusive! They think were idiots." The ban Boebert referenced is the introduction of new rules in the lower legislative chamber from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who called to eliminate sex-specific terms like mother and father, son and daughter, aunt and uncle to "honor all gender identities." In place of the sex-specific words that are no longer to be used are gender-neutral terms and phrases such as "child," "parent," "sibling" and "parent's sibling." Supporters of the revision see it as an overture to individuals who identify as transgender or non-binary. Like Cleaver's conclusion to his prayer, the new rules were mocked on Twitter. Pelosi has called the new rules "future-focused" and "the most inclusive in history." Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is among those criticizing the rules package. Democrats are banning gendered pronouns from House rules, he wrote, adding that words like father, mother, son, daughter, brother, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law would be banned. This is out of control. Can we get an amen? Jordan tweeted Monday. Health experts have raised concerns over Indias decision to allow restricted emergency use of Covaxin , a coronavirus vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech International Ltd, Hyderabad, and said that it may put its mass immunization programme in jeopardy. Fast-tracking of vaccines may impact their acceptance among the general population in India, they added. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 The subject expert committee of the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Sunday approved restricted use of the covid-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech, despite the absence of efficacy data from the ongoing phase 3 clinical trials. The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned member countries to deal with the infodemic surrounding the pandemic and vaccines. Till now immunization was never a political issue for polio or measles, rubella or Mission Indradhanush. Now, Covaxin authorization has sharply divided the country along party lines which will further fuel the infodemic of misinformation and disinformation, and may jeopardize the covid-19 vaccine rollout, and the immunization programme," said Dr Naveen Thacker, executive director, International Pediatric Association, and former civil society organization representative to the Gavi board, the Vaccine Alliance. In tune with the sentiments, a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences by the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) said concerns over the side effects of a vaccine may act as a key barrier for vaccine acceptance. The study, titled Covid-19 vaccine acceptance: beliefs and barriers association with vaccination among the general population in India, said the success of covid vaccination programme will depend on the development of effective and safer vaccines and on public acceptance, which in turn is reliant on the beliefs and perception towards a vaccine. Among the 351 participants, 55% believed that covid-19 vaccination will be safe, while only 46.2% believed that it will be effective. A majority of the participants (86.3%) were planning to get covid-19 vaccination, whereas 13.7% admitted hesitancy. However, only 65.8% of the participants said they will receive vaccination as soon as possible whenever the vaccine is available," it said. The study said despite the benefits of vaccination, this fundamental health protecting tool is facing many obstacles globally. Many factors like geography, time, social class, contextual human behaviour and ethnicity are affecting the acceptance of vaccines among the population, it said. The researchers results indicate that vaccine acceptance is 86.3%, which is in accordance with results obtained from the studies conducted in US and China. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Aurangabads Qila-e-Ark, a palace built by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, is lying in a dilapidated condition and cultural experts have demanded that it be conserved to make it a tourist attraction. The fort complex, located in the heart of the Maharashtra city, which is named after Aurangzeb, has suffered damages over a period of time and lost its past glory. Though some new buildings have come up in the premises in last several years, the old structure is crumbling and is in need of repair and restoration, say experts. When contacted, Aurangabad Collector Sunil Chavan told PTI that the district administration will take up conservation of a part of the structure in near future. Ajay Kulkarni, convener of Aurangabad chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), said the palace was constructed in 1650 by Aurangzeb. The structure lacks maintenance and its condition has deteriorated, he said. Fort expert Sanket Kulkarni said the building complex was earlier a notified monument of the state archeology department, but was denotified in 1971. The monument witnessed the Vande Mataram movement held during the Nizam period. It is in a bad condition now, he said. Kulkarni said the complex was converted into a college during the Nizam period. Later, the college moved to a new building. Swapnil Joshi, a member of the Amazing Aurangabad organisation, which works for the welfare of monuments, said Qila-e-Ark is one of the beautiful monuments located here. If restored, it can become another tourist hotspot. Though the complex has new buildings now, the old structure has tourist potential, he said. Such structures could be a game-changer in terms of economy. European nations have many such examples, he said. When contacted, a senior official from the state archeology department said, Qila-e-Ark is a denotified monument and the authority, under whose jurisdiction it comes, needs no permission from us to undertake the conservation. The official further said so far no agency has approached them for advice on the structures conservation. If they come, we can surely help, he added. Meanwhile, Collector Chavan said an entry gate of the building complex and its adjacent fortified wall will be taken up for conservation in near future. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Monday, January 4, 2021 at 8:27PM by Nathaniel R If you're like us, every once in a while you find yourself asking "What's going on with Juliette Binoche?" The all time great has been a bit quiet this past year (apart from that unfortunately hushed release of The Truth) but this week she'll be honored at the Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival. If your reaction is "third annual what?" don't feel ashamed. There are so many festivals -- even in this virtual year - that it's hard for even the most devout cinephiles to keep track. But this one will be easy to get familiar with. The nominees are all on YouTube and the Meihodo ceremony will stream live on YouTube this Thursday (January 7th) at 3 PM EST. Juliette will open the ceremony and give a short interview from the set of the Claire Denis new movie (!!!) Radioscopie... The Meihodo International Yough Visual Media Festival is already one of the largest short film festivals in the world despite its youth (it's just three years old). They attract big names like Binoche, and Oscar winning composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon who serves as special advisor). This year's ceremony will also feature a musical tribute to the animation icon Hayao Miyazaki. Since this festival is all about youth, they offer cash prizes to support emerging careers. This year they'll be giving out prizes totalling over $50,000 to 18 different filmmakers. We love short films and since we don't discuss them as much as we'd like we should at least point you to celebrated titles. Here are the finalists in two of the categories with links to watch them if you so desire. DRAMA "A Country in Moving Pictures" looks at a sex worker in the Philippines Elephantbird Masoud Soheili (Afghanistan) - 15 minutes A old man wants to give his turkey to his grandchild before he dies. A Country In Moving Pictures Arjanmar Rebeta (Philippines) - 16 minutes A young Filipino woman videochats with an older white man and he sees a picture of life in The Philippines while watching her. "On the Border" On The Border Tynchtyk Abylkasymov (Kyrgyzstan) -20 minutes A conflict arises between an old man and donkey and two pairs of soldiers on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Heimat Europa Isabel Jansson (Germany) 30 minutes A period and contemporary drama about refugees via a modern woman and her grandmother's diaries from 1945. A period and contemporary drama about refugees via a modern woman and her grandmother's diaries from 1945. Dusk Ujjal Paul (India) 23 minutes A sex worker meets with one of her clients outside but must then return to her brothel. So long, Paris Charles Dudoignon (France) 17 minutes A comedy about a daughter coming to terms with her parents divorce. DOCUMENTARY "CoExist" has gorgeous cinematography. But so do some of its competitors Antarctica Jivko Konstantinov (Bulgaria) - 17 minutes Famous Bulgarian musicians perform a concert for... a large colony of penguins Five Hearts Martin Parlato (Argentina) - 35 minutes A documentary on Argentina's animal abuse problems and horses A documentary on Argentina's animal abuse problems and horses Waiting for Jean Paul Pater/Son (France) - 8 minutes This is about an older man renovating a castle that was built in 1090 Coexist Komeil Soheili (Iran) - 12 minutes A blind captain in Southern Iran fishes each day and makes bread "Unfinished Life" has qualified for the Oscars Unfinished Lives Yucong Chen (United States) - 23 minutes A lawyer and grieving parents advocate for jusice after a grad student is murdered by four teenagers. This won the Gold Medal at the Student Academy Awards so it is definitely qualified for the Documentary Short longlist for the Oscars in April. Home Yali Sharon (United States) - 8 minutes A profile of a man who has been living in a tent and climbing mountains for years Westerly, RI (02891) Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 71F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 62F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. According to Juspay, a system where data was stored by the company was exposed in a cyberattack on August 18, 2020. Customer card details leaked on the Dark Web - an all-too-familiar headline these days was recently related to digital payments player Juspay. Joining the list of multiple internet companies, the Bengaluru-based payments entity was attacked last year, and the incident came to light only recently. According to details shared by the company, a system where data was stored by the company was exposed in a cyberattack on August 18, 2020. About 3.5 crore records with masked card data and card fingerprint (which is non-sensitive information) were breached, the company said. While Juspay said the data breach did not contain much sensitive and transaction data, and mostly contained masked card data which is displayed on merchant websites, cybersecurity officials raised questions around the need for stronger data protection laws in the country to prevent such breaches, and also ensure that news around such attacks is relayed to the relevant authorities on time. In an ideal scenario such breaches should be immediately informed to the banks, card networks, and the banking regulator. Once the breach has been sealed, the public should also be informed, said a top executive at a cybersecurity firm on condition of anonymity, since he cannot speak on company-specific breaches. Industry insiders in the know pointed out that the way Juspay tried to deal with the issue by itself and by just informing their merchant partners could come under scrutiny from card networks and the banking regulator. It is urgent that a country of such size and scale needs to revise the current cybersecurity policy in place to address newer threats the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDP) and new national cybersecurity policy must have strong framework to handle critical issues related to cybersecurity and data breach communication, said Bharat Panchal, Chief Risk Officer, India, Middle East and Africa at FIS, a global payment company. Without singling out the Juspay issue, Panchal highlighted the need for urgent reforms in this sector, especially since the cybersecurity space has seen rapid innovation from hackers and fraudsters. Further, he emphasised the need for a quick-response mechanism for organisations to deal with such issues. A strong detection system and quick incident-response mechanism would be the key success factors to minimize the damage caused due to such incidents. Additionally, organizations may require to take a serious look to adopt zero trust model, consolidate cybersecurity operations, deploy new prevention technologies, and rethink their approach to risk and regulation, he added. The PCI Security Standards Council, which works on payment network security standards to be adopted by companies, has its own guidelines while dealing with such attacks. If a cardholder data breach has occurred or is suspected, the payment brands may require an independent forensic investigation to be completed by a PFI listed on the PCI SSC website, wrote Gill Woodcock, Vice President for programmes at PCI Security Standards Council, in a blog post on how to respond to a data breach. Defending its position in a detailed blog post, Juspay said all sensitive card details around entire card numbers, transaction details, and others are safe. However, Juspay said it did not feel the need to inform the larger community since sensitive customer information was never compromised. The company said it felt it needed to inform its merchants and ensure the security of their existing systems, and did just that. Juspay offers its payment solutions to major ecommerce portals like Big Basket, Swiggy, Dream11, CureFit and others. The startup offers the entire payment suite which can be customised for business requirements. In April 2020, it raised a $21.6 million equity round from Swedens Vostok Emerging Finance along with Boston-based Wellington Management Company and Accel. As per details on its website, the company processes 4 million transactions every day. As a learning from this incident, Juspay said in the post that it had identified some gaps and undertaken policy changes along with additional investments in cyber threat mitigation. MCCLELLANVILLE A small shorebird from Sweden recently made a trek across the Atlantic and ended up in an old Charleston County rice field last month. What's so interesting about the journey isn't the more than 4,500 miles the bird traveled to get to McClellanville, but the fact that it had to cross the ocean to do so. Charleston conservationist and ornithologist Nate Dias discovered the Little Stint in December during a Christmas bird count. It was banded three months earlier by biologists at the Ottenby Bird Observatory in Sweden. Little Stints are part of the sandpiper family and werent detected in North America until 1975, according to the National Audubon Society. More than two dozen reports of the bird have been made on the continent, with about half of them either in the Northeast or along the Pacific Coast and the rest in Alaska, the society said. Dias spotted many ducks and some shorebirds during his count in December. When he came across a group of sandpipers, most were native to North America. But one particular bird was different from the rest. "I didn't think it was a least (a type of tern) because it didn't have yellow legs, it had black legs," Dias said. "And I didn't think it was a semipalmated sandpiper because the plumage was wrong and the bill was too long." He thought the only other option was for the bird to be a western sandpiper. But that was wrong, too. He snapped a few pictures of the bird with hopes of later identifying it. The metal band attached to the birds leg led Dias to its true identity and origin in Stockholm, Sweden. He was able to make contact with the Swedish bird-banding authority. A fellow birder, Nathan Swick, shared the bird on social media. I guess somebody in Sweden got wind of it and then got in touch with the Ottenby Bird Observatory where Magnus Hellstrom works, and they were really surprised and shocked, Dias said. Hellstrom is director of the Ottenby Bird Observatory. They looked up their records and the photographs and figured, Oh my gosh, this really is our bird, Dias said. The sex is not known. Hellstrom said when he realized his bird made it to Charleston County his emotions traveled between states of shock, denial and then acceptance. Nate actually managed to get very good photos of the ring, and thats what actually makes this story, yeah, even better because its kind of an objective proof of his finding, Hellstrom said in an interview from Sweden via Zoom. He said Little Stints are common birds, but they dont congregate in big flocks like other shorebirds. His organization is typically able to trap about 10 per year. Most shorebirds are long-distance migrators, but crossing the Atlantic from Europe to North America is rare. Hellstrom said according to the Swedish Ringing Center, the Little Stint that landed in McClellanville is only the second banded bird from Sweden to end up in North America. During the last hundred years we have ringed about 50 million birds here in Sweden, Hellstrom said. So out of the 50 million rings, only two of them ended up on the North American continent. He said most European shorebirds breed around the Arctic or in tundra areas like Alaska, northern Canada and Russia. This is true for Little Stints, too. So assuming the bird found in McClellanville survives the winter, Hellstrom said it would likely reach the Arctic again. And once in the Arctic, maybe it can find its way back home, he said. Police officers wear face masks as they patrol the city centre in Manchester, England, on Oct. 20, 2020. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) West Midlands Police Criticised Over New 74,000-a-Year Cultural Preaching Job Role The UKs West Midlands Police (WMP) has come under fire from campaigners over a newly created diversity and inclusion role on the grounds that the job is about wokeness and political correctness, not policing. The Assistant Director Fairness and Belonging job vacancy is being advertised online with a 74,000 ($101,000)-a-year salary and a closing date for applications of Jan 8. The role does not require any policing experience, but the job advert says the successful candidate will be managing all inclusion issues relating to operational Force activity, and that their influence will be felt across the Force. Political Priorities However, low-tax advocates, the Taxpayers Alliance on Tuesday accused WMP of putting political priorities first and wasting taxpayers money on the cultural preaching role. This force has been caught red-handed putting political priorities before policing, Danielle Boxall, campaign manager for the Alliance, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. Taxpayers want their hard-earned cash spent on cops fighting crime, not cultural commissars preaching from behind their desks, she said. Police chiefs now need to justify these costs or refocus their funding on the frontline, she added. The WMP, Englands second-largest police force, has created the high paid role despite the salary being over three times that of an ordinary police officers basic pay and following revelations last year that it had lost over 2,000 officers since 2010 due to 175 ($238) million in Government funding cuts. WMP justified the recruitment because the force covers the youngest and one of the most multicultural populations in the country. Policing this level of diversity brings complexity, challenges, and opportunities. The successful candidate will ensure the force continues to provide a fair and responsive service to all our communities, it said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. This work is especially important in our recruitment process and in becoming a more representative force of the communities it serves, it added. Ah its a sustain function as the force is already doing it so whats the point of paying someone 74k? That could be better used for the frontline. Majority of residents and I are not buying it. Better representation comes from greater engagement from the top not more managers https://t.co/Xp6k4Hg949 Jay Singh-Sohal VR (@JSinghSohal) January 4, 2021 An End to Waste and Wokeness Nonetheless, Jay Singh-Sohal, the Conservative candidate hoping to become the next Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands in May, echoed the call for the money to be instead invested in frontline policing. He questioned why 74,000 ($101,000)-a-year should be spent on something the force is already doing and described the new senior role as merely a sustain function. The Majority of residents and I are not buying it. Better representation comes from greater engagement from the top not more managers, he wrote on Twitter. Taxpayers money should be going into frontline policing to tackle rising crime across the West Midlands, he wrote on Facebook. If elected #WMPCC I will put an end to such waste and wokeness, he wrote. We need less of this political correctness and more robust policing, he added. New Years Day was the effective date of what was billed as a Constitutional Amendment to Legalize Marijuana that was approved by voters last November. But there was considerable confusion over the exact legal status of the weed. The sign Ed Forchion erected over his coffeehouse/pot dispensary in Trenton cleared that up for all to see. Grand Opening, it read. Marijuana Is Now Legal That makes sense to me. If youre openly selling something and no one stops you, then it must be legal. It sure looked like that to the first customer to show up on New Years Day. The woman, who was like many other customers an aging baby-boomer, told me she had driven all the way from Atlantic Highlands to buy weed from the NJ Weedman, as Forchion calls himself. Cant you find it in Atlantic Highlands? I asked her. I had two people who I used to get it from, she replied. But they moved out of state. Im a hard-working taxpayer, she added. I dont drink. I just like weed. A lot of people do, about 2,737,682 if the results of that referendum are any indication. A mere 1,343,610 wanted to keep pot illegal. Yet that woman had to drive all the way to Trenton to find a business openly selling it. A selection of marijuana products on sale at NJ Weedman's Joint on State Street in Trenton. When will she and the 2,737,681 other people who voted for the measure have a chance to buy pot locally? Thats a question that should have been answered by now. Last month both houses of the Legislature passed the enabling legislation that will implement the amendment. But Gov. Phil Murphy has put off signing the 240-page bill because of one small omission. Murphy doesnt like the way the bill would treat marijuana users under age 21. At the moment, there is a dispute over what the proper penalties should be for underage use. Thats easily fixed, said the bills prime sponsor, state Sen. Nick Scutari. Scutari, a Union County Democrat, told me yesterday that he hopes to see the Legislature and governor get together on an amended bill soon. It looks like there will be a supplemental piece of legislation, Scutari told me. We could address it by Monday. But even then it will be tough for potheads to find pot. The bill states that weed can only be sold in dispensaries approved by a bureaucracy known as the Marijuana Regulatory Commission. But that could take up to 18 months. The Weedman, whos been selling weed openly for a while, argues that he and other dealers can sell pot legally in the meantime. You wanna sit and wait for a year and a half, you wait, he told me. I can read, and the constitutional amendment starts on January First. When I ran that by Scutari, he said, Right now hes got an argument. I cant fault anybody because were in this grey area. We will still be in a grey area after Murphy and the legislators agree on a bill. It will be legal for New Jersey residents to smoke pot. But there will be nowhere they can buy it legally. So where will they get their weed? On the drive to the Weedmans place, I stopped by a storefront in Trenton with a sign in the window that read, Moe Weed Cannabis/CBD/THC Products. No one answered the door, but the place appeared ready for business. Scutari, whos been working on legalization for 10 years, said he hopes the distribution dilemma can be worked out in short order. He said he hopes dealers like Forchion will be permitted to have licenses. But the quickest way to get the system up and running would be to let the general public access the current medicinal distributors, he said. I ran that by the state senator who represents that lady from Monmouth County, Republican Declan OScanlon. OScanlon was in on the committee hearings on the legalization bill but ultimately didnt vote for it. Like everything in Trenton, its over-complicated, over-regulated and overtaxed, OScanlon said. Nobody can decipher that amendment. It puts our law enforcement in no-mans land. Scutari has done his best to sort it out. Now its up to the governor to get this system up and running. But in the meantime the Weedman is just one of many New Jerseyans whose activities are up in the air. I think thats the best place for him to be, said Scutari. How do you enforce the law until those regulations get passed? Thats Murphys problem now. And that lady from Atlantic Highlands is just one of many who want to see him solve it. Aecom, one of the worlds premier infrastructure consulting firms, has announced the start of Wave 1 of the Schools Infrastructure Development Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in Saudi Arabia. The project, which will see a roll-out of up to 4,000 schools, is aimed at expanding the countrys educational infrastructure and readying for significant future demand. Aecom is the technical advisor lead for Tatweer Buildings Company (TBC), a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund in Saudi Arabia, which is tasked with facilitating the funding, construction, supervision, management, operations and maintenance of new schools in the kingdom on behalf of the Ministry of Education (MoE), in the regions first PPP. Situated in the western region with 27 new schools to be built in Jeddah and 33 schools in Makkah, the design and construction phase for Wave 1, marks a significant milestone for Saudi Arabia, with a heavy focus on sustainability it will eventually provide schooling for 50,000 pupils. The PPPs Build Maintain Transfer model will be applied across all three Waves with the first of the schools opening in Jeddah in August next year. "With a planned roll-out of up to 4,000 schools, we are thrilled to be at the forefront of Saudis first schools PPP," remarked Ian Laski, the CEO and President of Aecom Arabia. "This milestone could not have been reached without two years of hard work from both my Aecom colleagues and the collaborative attitude of the wider team," he stated. He lauded the project teams of TBC, National Centre for Privatization, Ministry of Education and Ministry Of Finance, for their support and leadership coupled with the contribution from other Advisory Team Partners:- HSBC, Allen & Overy and Khoshaim & Associates. "As long-term partners for TBC we are honoured to be able to continue our work in this Vision 2030 project and were now looking forward to starting the process again for Wave 2 and Wave 3," remarked Laski. "Wave 2 procurement is now underway and will see Madinah receiving 60 brand new schools, housing a further 50,000 pupils, transforming its educational infrastructure by 2024," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Business activity in the Arab worlds two largest economies improved at the end of last year, with Saudi Arabia seeing its strongest expansion in 13 months. After 2020 setbacks caused by the spread of Covid-19 and lower crude prices, non-oil private sector economies in the United Arab Emirates and neighboring Saudi Arabia still faced job losses as firms adjusted to the challenges of the global pandemic. Purchasing Managers Index surveys compiled by IHS Markit in December for the two Gulf nations rose above the threshold of 50 that separates growth from contraction. In Saudi Arabia, the gauge rose to the highest since November 2019, driven by an increase in output and new business. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 The Saudi Arabian non-oil economy is well on the path to recovery," said David Owen, economist at IHS Markit. The PMI is now (just) above its series trend level, suggesting the economy is growing at a relatively normal pace, albeit with a lingering output gap to recover." More from IHS Markit: The Saudi PMI expanded for a fourth straight month to 57 versus 54.7 in November Data showed the fastest upturn in new business in a year A renewed fall in employment, although marginal," was attributed to cost-cutting measures and a decrease in outstanding business Growth in sales was largely driven by domestic orders, with export demand rising only modestly" Suppliers delivery times took longer for the 11th month and the arrival of some inputs was delayed Business expectations for 2021 improved with optimism over the global rollout of vaccines The UAE PMI rose to 51.2, the highest in 16 months, from 49.5 in November The rate of growth was only mild" despite a surge in output and client demand Job shedding continued at an accelerated pace as firms cut their workforce during every month in 2020 Output levels returned to growth with an increase in non-oil activity that was the second-fastest since September 2019 New business rose at a more robust pace and new export orders grew at the strongest rate in 15 months Outlook for the next 12 months picked up slightly but most firms expected activity to remain flat in 2021 Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics (WASHINGTON) Northwest Missouri Congressman Sam Graves is joining an attempt to challenge the outcome of the presidential election. Graves is one of four Missouri Republican U.S. representatives who said they intend to object to certifying the electoral votes from certain states. "This isn't going to change the outcome of the 2020 election, but it's about standing up for the thousands of North Missourians and millions of Americans that have legitimate concerns about the integrity of the 2020 elections and every election from here on," Rep. Graves said in a Facebook post. Last week, Missouri's GOP Senator Josh Hawley said he would object when Congress counts the electoral votes. Congress will certify President-Elect Joe Biden's Electoral College win over President Trump on Wednesday. Read the full statement from Rep. Graves, Rep. Vicky Hartzler, Rep. Billy Long, and Rep. Jason Smith below: Next week, your 117th United States Congress will convene for the first time. After the election of Speaker and the adoption of the Rules of Congress, the action will quickly move to reading aloud the electoral votes submitted by each state from this past November's election - counting them, and declaring the vote tally for President and Vice President. During that process, the question will be put before your elected officials - does anyone object to the certification of electoral votes of a state. We will object. Our hope is that others will join us. We don't take this decision lightly, but we must protect the integrity of each vote cast by every law-abiding Missourian. For every instance of Georgia failing to follow its own state law in verifying signatures, of Pennsylvania accepting mail ballots after the legal deadline set by its state legislature, or folks from outside Nevada casting a ballot in that state - the value of every Missourians' vote is diminished. That's not right. And we cannot simply look the other way. The right to freely cast your vote in elections is a sacred privilege afforded to us as Americans because of the sacrifices of the patriots who fought for that right. When that process is spoiled and abused by officials not following their own state law, it violates that right and jeopardizes the entire integrity and foundation of 'free and fair' elections. In such instances, where voting process changes are made without the consent of the voter, we know it is our duty and our obligation to serve as a backstop to protect the power of one person, one vote - to protect your vote as a Missourian. We must be able to have confidence in not only the agreement and expectation that this election would follow the law, but future ones will as well. We take the responsibility of upholding the Constitution seriously, and that is why we feel compelled to object to the electoral count taking place on January 6th. The reported results of this past November's Presidential election don't even pass the most basic eye test. Republicans were projected to lose seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, we gained more than a dozen. Republicans were supposed to lose control of several state legislatures, we picked up multiple. We were projected to lose control of the United States Senate - we didn't, and we won't. All of this occurred on the same night President Trump lost? It's hard to believe. Combined with the daily reports of voting irregularities where state election laws were discarded and not followed, something doesn't add up. President Trump won over 74 million votes, Obama - 69 million. President Trump won 2586 counties, Obama - 873 counties, Joe Biden - 527 counties. The numbers, the evidence, and the abnormalities all speak for themselves. We have joined lawsuits, called for a Special Counsel and demanded accountability and integrity, now we finally get to cast our vote. We have no illusions about the outcome, at the end of the day, this is still Nancy Pelosi's House. Our only hope is that more will join us - that more will value protecting the vote of every American living in their state as much as we do fighting for yours. _________ Co-authored by Rep. Sam Graves (MO-06), Rep. Vicky Hartzler (MO-04), Rep. Billy Long (MO-07), and Rep. Jason Smith (MO-08) Chinese president, on Monday ordered his country's army to be ready to 'act at any second', stressing on 'full-time combat readiness'. He urged the armed forces to enhance training in real combat conditions to ensure readiness at all times, reported Xinhua. "People's Liberation Army (PLA) must be ready to 'act at any second' and should remain on 'full-time combat readiness'," Xi stressed while adding, "Frontline frictions must be used to polish troop capabilities and training exercises need to incorporate technology." In his first order of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in 2021 signed by Xi, he stressed strengthening military training in real combat conditions and the ability to win, reported Xinhua. The PLA, as the military force of the Communist Party of China, must 'resolutely implement' the orders from the CMC and CPC, to mark the 100th anniversary of the party's founding on July 1 with 'excellent performances', he said. He also suggested a 'substantial increase' in the use of technology in its exercises and to keep up with the latest developments in military and hi-tech knowledge. These included the use of computer simulations and online combat in drills, as well as the exploration of more opportunities to add hi-tech and the internet - known as tech+ and web+ - in training, reported South Morning Post (SCMP). "[The PLA must] increase the integration of new equipment, new forces and new combat realms into training and combat systems," he said. Last year, in June 2020, had a bitter experience with India in the Galwan Valley where an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers perished. A violent face-off took place between the Indian and Chinese soldiers when a sizeable number of Chinese Army transgressed into the Indian side. Since taking over as president and head of the CMC in late 2012, Xi has consistently pushed the PLA to be prepared for war. He also initiated a massive overhaul of the PLA in 2015 to modernise the Chinese military, planned for completion in 2020, reported SCMP. In order to checkmate the US in South Sea PLA also stepped up exercises and air force fly-by operations targeting Taiwan during 2020. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seychelles has recorded its first death from Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by coronavirus. The patient was a 57-year-old Seychellois man who was hospitalised on New Year's Eve, according to a statement from the health authorities. The situation is deteriorating and everyone should take the situation seriously, President Wavel Ramkalawan said in a press briefing on Monday. The Indian Ocean archipelago confirmed 16 new cases on Sunday evening, three of which were reported on its second most populous island of Praslin. Seychelles - composed of 115 islands - registered its first case of Covid-19 on 14 March 2020. It has so far recorded 322 cases and 223 recoveries. The government last week imposed restrictions, including ordering the closure of churches, bars, gyms and schools, following a rise in infections. There are also travel restrictions and businesses are encouraged to operate virtually, except for essential services. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video South Africa coronavirus variant 501.V2: What is the new variant? Is it more dangerous? Comprehensive Story oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 05: A new variant of coronavirus circulating in South Africa is now being seen in other countries, including the UK. Scientists in South Africa are urgently testing to see if the vaccines for COVID-19 will be effective against the variant virus. The 501.V2 variant, or simply 501.V2, is a variant of SARS-CoV-2-the virus that causes COVID-19. The variant was first detected in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and reported by the country's health department on 18 December 2020. How was it detected? The new variant was uncovered by whole genome sequencing. Several genomic sequences from this lineage were submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) sequence database. South Africa COVID variant more infectious than UK strain The South African variant, 501.V2, is more infectious than the original COVID-19 virus and has rapidly become dominant in the country''s coastal areas. It is expected that the variant will quickly become dominant inland in Johannesburg, the country''s largest city, and the surrounding Gauteng province. In the United Kingdom (UK), a new variant has emerged with an unusually large number of mutations. This variant seems to spread more easily and quickly than other variants. Currently, there is no evidence that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death. This variant was first detected in September 2020 and is now highly prevalent in London and southeast England. It has since been detected in numerous countries around the world, including the United States and Canada. Why the South African coronavirus variant is so worrying? On 23 December, British Health Minister Matt Hancock announced that two people who had travelled from South Africa to the UK were infected with 501.V2. On 28 December, the variant had been detected in two individuals in Switzerland and in one individual in Finland. On 29 December, the strain had been detected in a visitor from South Africa to Japan, and in one overseas traveller in Queensland, Australia. On 30 December, the variant has been detected in Zambia.[19] On 31 December, it has also been detected in France, in a passenger returning from South Africa. On 2 January 2021, the first case of this variant has been detected in South Korea. What we don't kow so far: Scientists are working to learn more about these variants, and more studies are needed to understand: How widely these new variants have spread How the new variants differ How the disease caused by these new variants differs from the disease caused by other variants that are currently circulating A clumsy antelope managed to get a giant elephant skull stuck on its antlers after practising rutting against it. Retired ecologist Andrew Schofield and his wife Simone, both 64, were visiting South Africa's Addo Elephant National Park in October when they spotted the large kudu. As the enormous animal bent its head down, it pushed a huge elephant skull to mimic tests of strength it would normally perform against other male kudus. A clumsy antelope managed to get a giant elephant skull stuck on its antlers after rutting against it for practice Retired ecologist Andrew Schofield and his wife Simone, both 64, spotted the large kudu having a spot of bother The couple were visiting South Africa's Addo Elephant National Park in October when they saw the unusual sight But its antlers accidentally slipped into the skull's eye sockets, causing the huge bones to slide down the horns and rest on the startled animal's head. Desperately trying to free itself, the kudu hurled its head around for five minutes before finally managing to throw the skull over its back and running off once free from the predicament. Andrew, from Cape Town, said: 'I've observed kudus rut trees and stumps, but never with an elephant skull like this. I sent it to my former colleagues as well and none of them had seen something like this before. As the enormous animal bent its head down, it pushed a huge elephant skull to mimic tests of strength Suddenly, its antlers accidentally slipped into the skull's eye sockets, causing the huge bones to slide down the horns Desperately trying to free itself, the kudu hurled its head around for five minutes in a failed attempt to dislodge the skull 'In 46 years of working and watching bush wildlife, I have never heard of this happening before. It was a complete freak incident. 'It put its head down and pushed the skull around a bit. All of a sudden, his antlers slipped perfectly into the skull's eye sockets and he had it stuck on his head. 'He had no idea what to do. I honestly thought we would have to get a dart gun and help to get the skull unstuck. 'He was shaking it off for about five minutes in total before he eventually managed to throw it over his own back. When it hit the ground he was frightened and ran off. It finally managed to throw the skull over its back and ran off once free from the predicament The antelope normally ruts with other male kudus, where they compete with their antlers over females Andrew and Simone, from Cape Town, said they had never seen anything like it in 46 years of watching wildlife 'They test their strength with other kudus by putting their heads down and pushing each other backwards and forwards. 'This one put its head down against this elephant skull, which is something they would normally do with another male or sometimes a bush. 'Me and Simone love wildlife, myself especially as a retired ecologist. We managed to do three national parks when we were on holiday.' Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. COVID-19 imapct & Outbreak: on new Document Creation Software Market Report, offering growth, trends, and forecast for each segment along with regional and country analysis. The study has done with respect to Moisture Meter market share, size, trends, growth, outlook, estimation and forecast period 2021-2027. The entire document creation software market has been sub-categorized into types and applications. The report provides an analysis of these subsets with respect to the geographical segmentation. This research study will keep marketer informed and helps to identify the target demographics for a product or service. Request a FREE Sample Copy of Global Document Creation Software Market Report with Full TOC At: https://www.valuemarketresearch.com/contact/document-creation-software-market/download-sample By Types Cloud Based On-Premise By Applications BFSI Legal Healthcare Others Browse Full Global Document Creation Software Market Research Report With TOC At: https://www.valuemarketresearch.com/report/document-creation-software-market The research report also covers the comprehensive profiles of the key players in the market and an in-depth view of the competitive landscape worldwide. The major players in the document creation software market include Ecrion Software, DocSTAR, Logical DOC, ASITE, HP, IBM Corp., FileHold, Alfresco Software, Agiloft, Trace Applications, Oracle Corp., inFORM Decisions, Xerox. This section includes a holistic view of the competitive landscape that includes various strategic developments such as key mergers & acquisitions, future capacities, partnerships, financial overviews, collaborations, new product developments, new product launches, and other developments. This section covers regional segmentation which accentuates on current and future demand for document creation software market across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Further, the report focuses on demand for individual application segment across all the prominent regions. Purchase complete Global Document Creation Software Market Research Report At: https://www.valuemarketresearch.com/contact/document-creation-software-market/buy-now About Us: Value Market Research was established with the vision to ease decision making and empower the strategists by providing them with holistic market information. We facilitate clients with syndicate research reports and customized research reports on 25+ industries with global as well as regional coverage. Contact: Value Market Research 401/402, TFM, Nagras Road, Aundh, Pune-7. Maharashtra, INDIA. Tel: +1-888-294-1147 Email: sales@valuemarketresearch.com Website: https://www.valuemarketresearch.com Chula Vista wants to stop being a bedroom community. San Diego Countys second-largest city is a net exporter of jobs and that is a problem because every day tens of thousands of residents leave Chula Vista and spend their money elsewhere. Therefor, the citys tax revenues dont keep up with population growth. Were a bedroom community and thats what we need to change, said Councilman Mike Diaz. Chula Vistas city council, city manager, and finance director talked about the citys need to bring more jobs last week as the council reviewed the citys 2018-19 proposed budget. Advertisement One of the critical pieces that weve discussed internally often is that were a net exporter of jobs, said finance director David Bilby. A lot of our citizens go to San Diego and Mission Valley to work during the day and theyre filling up their gas tanks, buying lunch, and possibly even going to shopping centers and malls outside the city. One solution to increase sales tax revenues is to build more commercial space. Chula Vistas biggest sales tax producers are Costco and Walmart and the city would do well to attract similar, large-scale retailers to the area. But first the city needs to increase the amount of available space. Chula Vista has an extremely low vacancy rate in the retail space, Bilby said. Were about three percent vacancy, so build it and I think theres some opportunity there. Councilman Stephen Padilla said transitioning from a bedroom community to a destination is very important to Chula Vistas fiscal health going forward. Being a net exporter of jobs perpetuates the perception that there isnt anything to do in Chula Vista so people spend their money in other parts of the region, he added. However, Chula Vista is only one or two key projects away from changing that, Padilla said. The citys Millenia development includes 2 million square feet of office space and 1.5 million square feet of retail, parks and hotels. Advertisement Hotels are another key opportunity that the council hopes will help Chula Vista shed its bedroom community status. Hotels are important because cities keep 100 percent of Transient Occupancy Tax revenues, unlike sales taxes, which go to Sacramento and are then redistributed to cities. Transient Occupancy Taxes only make up 2.3 percent of general fund revenues in Chula Vista. That isnt good enough, said Councilman John McCann. If you look at any of the other cities, especially cities that are receiving much more revenues than us, the majority of their revenue is from TOT tax, he said. Advertisement Chula Vista is already making progress on the hotel front. The first hotel east of State Route 125 recently opened, a Marriott Residence Inn, and a Marriott Courtyard is slated to open nearby. Additionally, Hampton Inn is looking into opening a hotel in Eastlake. That progress, coupled with other development projects slated for Chula Vista, leaves McCann with a strong sense of optimism. When you look at the initiatives happening in the city from Millenia to the university to the Bayfront, there really is a bright future, he said. Advertisement Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter The health sector sets target of better serving people via digital transformation, giving them more convenient access to quality services. Vietnams Ministry of Health commits itself to trimming off 30% of administrative procedures for better convenience of people and businesses in the coming time, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has said. 100% of health facilities will participate in remote medical examination and treatment, including the private health centers. Mr. Long was speaking at the National Health Digital Transformation Conference (eHealth Vietnam Summit 2020) on December 30 in Hanoi. "Despite the impact of Covid-19, the health sector still made efforts to carry out digital transformation. It is the first ministry to have completed before the deadline the digital transformation work assigned by the government," Mr. Long said. It has completed providing all online public health services at stage 4, the highest in a four-level scale of e-government. The ministry has applied digital signatures and digitized all documents, at the same time, using app for tracking progress and quality of paperwork settlement. We set a target of better serving the people, giving them more convenient access to quality services, said the Minister of Health. In the prevention of Covid-19, information technology has contributed greatly to the pandemic prevention work. Particularly, Vietnam is the first country to apply electronic medical declarations, contact tracing application Bluezone and Covid-19 safety maps. Targets for 2025 The public health portal of Vietnam During the pandemic, Vietnam opened 1,000 remote clinics in 45 days, and currently the number of hospitals participating in this network exceeds 1,500, helping people access high-standard services at the local level. In the national digital transformation program to 2025 for the health sector, 100% of health facilities will participate in remote medical examination and treatment, including the private health centers. The Ministry of Health has also cooperated with the Vietnam Social Insurance Agency to build nearly 98 million electronic health records and provide coverage for 42 specialties treating outpatients. From July 2021, all outpatients must have electronic personal health record, otherwise their treatment would not be covered by the health insurance agency. In November, the Ministry of Health opened for the first time the public health portal to ensure transparency of all medical services. Currently, 1,490 medical facilities and hospitals nationwide have publicly listed their service fees. The ministry will require all clinics to make public their medical service fees, quality levels, as well as patients satisfaction assessments, according to Mr. Long. Hanoitimes Nhat Minh Vietnam moves towards smart healthcare system More hospitals in Vietnam have begun using high technologies for digital transformation, which is expected to radically reform the healthcare sector. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of carrier- and cloud-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today that Digital Intrepid Holding B.V., an indirect wholly owned holding and finance subsidiary of the company's operating partnership, Digital Realty Trust, L.P., priced an offering of 1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 0.625% Guaranteed Notes due 2031 at a price of 99.515% of the principal amount. The Euro Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of Digital Intrepid Holding B.V. and will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the company and the operating partnership. Interest on the Euro Notes will be payable annually in arrears at a rate of 0.625% per annum from and including January 12, 2021, and the Euro Notes will mature on July 15, 2031. The company intends to allocate an amount equal to the net proceeds from the offering of the Euro Notes to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, recently completed or future green building, energy and resource efficiency and renewable energy projects, including the development and redevelopment of such projects. Pending the allocation of the net proceeds of the Euro Notes to eligible green projects, all or a portion of an amount equal to the net proceeds from the Euro Notes may be used to temporarily repay borrowings outstanding under the operating partnership's global revolving credit facilities, acquire additional properties or businesses, fund development opportunities, invest in interest-bearing accounts and short-term, interest-bearing securities which are consistent with the company's intention to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and to provide for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including potentially for the repayment of other debt, or the redemption, repurchase, repayment or retirement of outstanding equity or debt securities, or a combination of the foregoing. The Euro Notes are being sold only outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Euro Notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to United States persons (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Euro Notes, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the Euro Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to the timing and consummation of the offering of the Euro Notes and the expected use of the net proceeds. The company can provide no assurances that it will be able to complete the offering on the anticipated terms, or at all. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the company's reports and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Reg S Statement This communication is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. or its subsidiaries. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. Consequently, the securities may not be offered, sold, resold, transferred, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, into or within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. Any offering of the securities will be conducted pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. Notice to EEA Retail Investors The Euro Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and, with effect from such date, should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (the "EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2016/97/EU (recast) (as amended, the "IMD"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II. No key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling any in scope instrument or otherwise making such instruments available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared. Offering or selling the Euro Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. This communication has been prepared on the basis that any offers or sales of Euro Notes in any Member State of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded, the "Prospectus Regulation") from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers or sales of Euro Notes. This communication is not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation. Notice to UK Retail Investors The Euro Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the "FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the Euro Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the United Kingdom has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Euro Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation. SOURCE Digital Realty President Donald Trump (C) gestures as he walks during a round of golf on the Ailsa course at Trump Turnberry, the luxury golf resort in Turnberry, southwest of Glasgow, Scotland - GETTY IMAGES Nicola Sturgeon yesterday warned Donald Trump that any visit to Scotland would violate coronavirus rules, after it was reported the president may be planning to flee the US ahead of Joe Bidens inauguration. The First Minister of Scotland said although she hoped and expected that the immediate travel plan he has is to exit the White House," but that "coming to play golf is not what I would consider an essential purpose (for travel). Prestwick Airport, near the presidents Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire, is said to have been told to expect the arrival of a US military Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier which has been used by Mr Trump, on January 19 the day before Mr Biden takes over. The president-elect is set to be sworn into office in a ceremony at the White House on January 20. While it is customary for the outgoing president to attend, reports suggest Mr Trump will snub the event. Mr Trump has refused to concede defeat in the November 3 election to Mr Biden, claiming without evidence that there was widespread fraud. A source at Prestwick airport, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Scottish Sunday Post: There is a booking for an American military version of the Boeing 757 on January 19, the day before the inauguration. Thats one thats normally used by the Vice-President but often used by the First Lady. Presidential flights tend to get booked far in advance, because of the work that has to be done around it. Air traffic controllers receive details of the arrival of a plane with a US special call sign weeks in advance but are not told exactly which plane when the booking is made, the paper writes. The president has strong ties to Scotland, owning the Turnberry golf resort, as well as a course in Aberdeenshire. His mother, Mary, hails from the island of Lewis. If Mr Trump does fly to Scotland later this month he could be in breach of coronavirus restrictions. Trump Turnberry is effectively closed until February 5 due to new lockdown rules, according to the resorts website. Story continues It is also not immediately clear how, as a private citizen, Mr Trump would fly back to the US after January 20. It was reported last month that Mr Trump is discussing the possibility of announcing a campaign to retake the White House in 2024 on Inauguration Day, skipping the swearing-in of his successor. Biden transition officials said his attendance at the inauguration, or lack thereof, would not affect their plans, which will be scaled back due to coronavirus concerns. Mr Trump is said to be concerned about criminal investigations he might face after leaving the White House, as well as questions about his taxes. It is Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted. The most developed case might be out of the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted Michael Cohen, his one-time personal attorney and fixer, over hush money paid to a prostitute allegedly hired by Mr Trump. He also faces two New York state inquiries into whether he misled tax authorities, banks or business partners. The US Department of State said it was for the White House to comment. The White House did not respond to The Sunday Post. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not comment. The Covid-19 death toll has crossed 400 with the deaths of 18 more people yesterday. The death toll now stands at 408, with 96 of those occurring in the last seven days alone. The Ministry of Health reported the deaths in its daily update yesterday evening. International Obama administration knowingly funded al-Qaeda affiliate: report New Delhi/Washington, Jan 5 (IANS) | Publish Date: 1/5/2021 11:19:45 AM IST Former US President Barack Obamas administration knowingly funded a sanctioned affiliate of the pan-Islamist banned terror outfit al-Qaeda, as per a recently released report of a US Senate committee. The report is based on a probe by the office of the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) into the Obama administrations approval of a $200,000 grant to a US evangelical aid organisation World Vision for the al-Qaeda affiliate, Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA). Incidentally, World Vision works in India as well and is a member of InterAction, Americas largest alliance of international non-profit organisations. Last year, IANS in a major expose revealed how the US government agencies have been funding the Islamic charities linked to terror groups based in Pakistan and the Middle East through InterAction. InterActions Together Project involves the most controversial Islamic charities including Helping Hand for Relief & Development (HHRD), which works with the charitable and political wings of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani terror outfit directed against India in Kashmir. The US Senate probe into World Vision and its ties with ISRA had been initiated in 2019 after the Middle East Forums Sam Westrop and Cliff Smith exposed the details through a series of articles published in 2018. In January 2014, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded World Vision a grant of $723,405 grant for providing humanitarian services to the conflict-torn Blue Nile region of Sudan. World Vision outsourced the services to ISRA, with which it had collaborated earlier too. But ISRA has been sanctioned by the US government since 2004. World Vision in its defence has claimed that it was unaware about the sanctions against ISRA over its ties to terrorism. Though the Senate committee report has exonerated World Vision of any intentional wrongdoing, it lashed out at the charity for illegally sending government funds to ISRA. Though World Vision was notified of ISRAs status as a sanctioned entity in September 2014 and its payments halted, yet it sent requests that ISRA be awarded a temporary licence to complete the contract. Despite official confirmation about ISRAs sanctioned status, the US State Department on May 4, 2015, asked the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to oblige World Vision. The OFAC granted World Vision the licence to pay ISRA $125,000 for its services but later sent it a cautionary letter informing it that its collaboration with ISRA violated the Global Terrorism Sanction Regulations. In its report, the Senate committee report concluded that World Vision had access to the appropriate public information and should have known how, but failed to, properly vet ISRA as a sub-grantee, resulting in the transfer of US taxpayer dollars to an organisation with an extensive history of supporting terrorist organisations and terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden. Describing World Visions vetting as borderline negligent, the US Senate committee said the organisation ignored elementary level investigative procedures. World Vision, it said, has a duty to ensure that funds acquired from the US government or donated by Americans do not end up supporting terrorist activity. Moreover, although we find no reason to doubt World Visions assertion that the funds in their entirety were used by ISRA for humanitarian purposes, that money inevitably aids their terrorist activities, the Senate committee said. -- China has started inoculating some key groups with COVID-19 vaccines in this winter-spring period, which is expected to lower the risks of domestic outbreaks of the epidemic. -- The vaccines have been given to priority groups, including frontline customs inspectors of imported cold-chain goods and personnel working in the overseas and domestic transportation sector. -- A total of 73,537 people in Beijing have received COVID-19 vaccines at 220 inoculation venues, and Beijing will complete the inoculation for key groups before the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 12 this year. BEIJING -- China is administering COVID-19 vaccines to key groups across the country, with Beijing slated to complete the inoculation for key groups before the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 12 this year. Since the city began administering the jab among specific groups of people with high infection risks on Jan. 1, a total of 73,537 people received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at 220 inoculation venues on the first two days. "I'm glad to receive the vaccine for I'm in charge of cold-chain food transportation. I feel much safer now," said a vaccinee surnamed Tong at a temporary vaccination site in Beijing's Chaoyang District. After this round of inoculation, all the eligible people in Beijing will receive the COVID-19 vaccines as the vaccines receive market approval, along with a gradual increase in vaccine production. Liu Hong, director of the health service center in Puhuangyu Community, Fengtai District, said the center started reservation for vaccination in different time slots for different groups of recipients to avoid gathering as of Jan. 1. The whole process lasted less than 10 minutes to reduce the waiting time and avoid cross-infection with other outpatient personnel, Liu said. On Dec. 15, 2020, China officially launched a vaccination program for this winter-spring period targeting several key groups. These groups include those engaged in the handling of imported cold-chain products, customs officers, medical workers, and people working in public transport and fresh produce markets. In east China's Shandong Province, a total of 217,158 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to key groups, said the provincial health commission. As of Sunday, no serious side effects have been reported among vaccine recipients. Related personnel in port cities are prioritized for inoculation. According to the commission, frontline customs inspectors involved in the import of frozen goods and loading and transporting personnel working at ports have already received their first vaccine doses. Roughly 500,000 people in key groups are also receiving Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccines in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the regional health commission said. The inoculations began in the region on Dec. 22, 2020. Inner Mongolia plans to complete the inoculation of the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines for all those in key groups by Tuesday, and the second doses by Feb. 5. Huhbat, a local resident, was given his first vaccine dose on Monday in the Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner, which borders Mongolia. "My colleagues and friends who were vaccinated did not feel much. Some experienced slight swelling or pain that soon disappeared," he said. A total of 47 inoculation points have been designated in the regional capital Hohhot. "We administer more than 1,200 doses daily," said Li Guimei, director of the No. 2 Hospital of Hohhot. China approved the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines in June last year, targeting groups with a high risk of infection. By the end of November last year, more than 1.5 million doses of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines had been distributed for emergency use. A total of 60,000 vaccinated people have traveled abroad to high-risk regions, with no severe adverse reactions reported, according to Zeng Yixin, deputy head of the National Health Commission. By the end of December last year, the number of vaccine doses among the key groups exceeded 3 million. "The 3 million vaccine doses plus the previous 1.5 million doses fully prove that Chinese vaccines are safe," Zeng noted. China announced on Dec. 31, 2020, that it had granted conditional marketing authorization to its first self-developed COVID-19 vaccine. The inactivated vaccine got approval from the National Medical Products Administration. It was developed by the Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., Ltd. under the China National Biotec Group, affiliated with Sinopharm. After they could possible get a coronavirus vaccine, around 26,000 workers of Houston Methodist Hospital can look forward to some extra cash in March. Houston Methodist Offers Workers $500 to get Coronavirus Vaccine In an emailed letter to the employees, the president and the CEO of the hospital, Dr. Marc Bloom shared that they can look forward to a $500 bonus as the medical facility thank them for their perseverance throughout the difficult year of 2020. He also stated that part of the eligibility criteria in receiving the said cash award is getting a cornairus vaccination, which is a move in order to fulfill their obligation as health care workers in leading example to the community. About six weeks ago, employees of the said hospital also received $500 bonuses for their work during the pandemic, which has killed an estimated 353,000 Americans. The city of Houston has been hardly-hit by the COVID-19 as close to 2,700 deaths were already recorded and with not less 247,000 confirmed cases in surrounding Harris County. Employers which includes also their health care providers are now facing a balancing act in getting their workforces vaccinated. As of the moment, vaccination is not required for the employees of the Houston Methodist Hospital, but it will be eventually for the majority of their workers. According to CBS News, Despite a number of companies are stopping short of making the shots part of their internal mandatory agreements, they have the right as well to require immunization for most workers under recently passed federal employment guidelines. Houston Methodist Hospital's spokesperson who received her second dose of the vaccine on Monday shared that she thinks that there are more individuals who want the vaccine that who refuses to have it. Chief of critical care at Houston's United Memorial Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Varon, recently mentioned concerns regarding nurses in his unit to NPR that there is at least anecdotal evidence of reluctance among a number of health care workers in getting the said shots. Read Also: Death of Flight Attendant Causes Online Outrage, Sparks Talks on 'Rape Culture,' 'Victim Blaming' According to Pew Research Center, concerns regarding the coronavirus vaccines is highest among African Americans, as the center recently found that there is fewer than half of Black adults are planning to get vaccinated, compared to the 60% of Americans overall who intend to avail the shots. If compared to the White patients, African Americans have less trust in the medical system of the United States, as they often receive worse care based on studies. In part, it only shows the history regarding the medical mistreatment on Black Americans which includes experimental operations on enslaved Black women from 1845 to 1849 by a surgeon in Alabama J. Marion Sims as well as the Tuskegee Institute experiments in the 1930s which had examined the progression of syphilis in males who were Black. On the other hand, some experts have backed the idea of offering employees a financial incentive for getting inoculated against coronavirus, Newson6 reported. However, some economists are saying that the said payments could backfire, and cited studies that had suggested that offering money in exchange for the vaccination could lead to an assumption that the shots are risky that why there is a need for an exchange, ABC13 reported. Related Article: Flight Attendant Brutally Dies Allegedly From the Hands of Friends on New Year's Eve @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Like most of the country, New York has been slow to get COVID-19 vaccines out to residents. But past immunization efforts in New York havent been nearly as slow. New York City health officials in 1947 managed to distribute smallpox vaccines to a whopping 5 million residents in just two weeks. Meanwhile, the city has only used up 25% of the COVID-19 vaccine doses it has received since mid-December, giving just about 110,000 people their first dose. So why is it that local efforts to provide vaccines now when the presence of a more transmissible variant of the new coronavirus has made it even more time-sensitive are falling short of a campaign from 74 years ago? A strong reliance on public health systems and effective communication with the public are two factors that made the 1947 campaign work, and their absence may also inhibit New Yorks efforts today. Smallpox began to make a resurgence in New York City in March 1947, when a man who had traveled from Mexico became sick and died from the disease. By early April, Israel Weinstein, the city health commissioner at the time, began to urge New Yorkers who hadnt been vaccinated as children to get vaccinated. Vaccines were distributed for free at the Health Departments clinics and city hospitals which were open to the public day and night, seven day a week as well as at police precincts, schools and offices. Distribution was bolstered by volunteers from the American Red Cross and other groups. Via radio stations, newspapers and posters, Weinstein encouraged New Yorkers to get vaccinated quickly with the message: Be Sure, Be Safe, Get Vaccinated. The public heeded his warning. He did not want to make it compulsory, or forceful in any way, said Judith Leavitt, a historian at the University of Wisconsin. He just wanted to say it's available and it's advised. More than 600,000 people had gotten the vaccine within the first week, according to the citys estimates, in a city of 7.8 million at the time. By April 16, there was in fact a vaccine shortage that was quickly relieved with the arrival of 1 million doses. New Yorkers waited in lines throughout the night, and even in the rain, in the hopes of getting vaccinated. In total, 6.35 million people were vaccinated over one month. New Yorks comparative slowness today may be partly due to public health departments diminished role in vaccine distribution, said Pascal James Imperato, a former New York City health commissioner. What we have now in New York state is a vaccination program that is primarily under the administration of hospital systems. Hospital systems take care of sick people. Public health departments investigate, prevent and control epidemics. And I think therein lies a major problem in New York state right now. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has largely delegated the vaccine distribution to individual hospital systems in 10 regional hubs across the state. County leaders have criticized the approach, emphasizing their pre-existing mass vaccination plans and requesting greater control over the process to speed up distribution. Relying on hospital systems uniquely as the people who are leading the effort is not wise, because hospitals have never been involved, except as collaborators with health departments, in administering vaccines, Imperato said. The 1947 campaign, in comparison, was managed almost entirely by the city Health Department, in collaboration with the private sector and other entities. New York is beginning to expand more of its distribution in response to criticism of the slow rollout. While COVID-19 vaccinations have dropped significantly on weekends and holidays, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to move toward a 24/7 approach to providing doses to the public. More inoculation sites are popping up across the city, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday this week. Where health officials in 1947 were at an advantage was that the post-World War II period meant many residents had trust in the government, Leavitt said. That makes it all the more important to emphasize strong communication with the public and transparency about the vaccine, which has been complicated by the mixed messages across local, state and federal governments. If you want a good campaign, you have to have people informed and you have to get their trust. And you get their trust by keeping them informed with facts, with regular updates, with information that they need. We're not getting that now. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Justin Combs was 'ticketed and towed away' from a Miami party on Monday night for riding a jet ski after dark. The 27-year-old son of music mogul Sean Diddy Combs was riding a watercraft more than 30 minutes after sunset when patrols pulled him over and cited him on Biscayne Bay. In video obtained by TMZ, Justin appears to be speaking with Miami Beach law enforcement officials days after celebrating his birthday in style with a mask-less event hosted by his famous father. Rough ride: Justin Combs was 'ticketed and towed away' from a Miami party on Monday night for riding a jet ski after dark; seen on Instagram The publication also reported that Justin and two friends were also operating the jet ski without life jackets. 'Justin was issued multiple citations and the Miami Beach PD Marine Patrol towed him back to land to ensure his safety,' the site said. Witnesses reported the incident happened around 8 p.m. and Justin was riding the watercraft with two men. Yikes: In video obtained by TMZ, Justin appears to be speaking with Miami Dade law enforcement officials days after celebrating his birthday in style with a mask-less event hosted by his famous father The group was reportedly heading to a yacht party off Star Island before law enforcement became involved. Diddy made a big deal about cancelling his annual New Year's Eve party due to COVID-19 concerns, but had no qualms about throwing a celeb-packed bash for his son just days later. The 51-year-old rap mogul who's full name is Sean Combs treated Justin to a lavish, but mask-free 27th birthday party in Miami on Wednesday night. Choices: Diddy made a big deal about cancelling his annual New Year's Eve party due to COVID-19 concerns, but had no qualms about throwing a celeb-packed bash for his son just days later How nice: The 51-year-old rap mogul who's full name is Sean Combs treated Justin to a lavish, but mask-free 27th birthday party in Miami on Wednesday night And not just one venue could handle hosting the bash as it began at Swan restaurant before moving on to Victory Restaurant & Lounge. Those in attendance did not seem to have a care in the world as they were popping bottles while the only people who had masks on were the staff in the packed venues. As Florida has very few COVID-19 restrictions, both places seemed to be packed and even included celebrity guests like Chris Brown and Tyga. Diddy's annual NYE soiree usually takes place in Miami and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an order lifting most coronavirus-related restrictions on Sept. 25, including for gatherings and moving the state to Phase 3 of its reopening plan. Los Angeles ambulance workers have been told to stop transporting some patients with extremely low survival chances to hospital, and to limit oxygen use, as record COVID cases overwhelm medical resources. California has emerged as the latest epicenter of the US coronavirus pandemic, with nearly 4,000 deaths in the last two weeks alone, and hospitals bracing for another surge expected from the holiday period. In Los Angeles, where packed hospitals have been turning away ambulances, medics were Monday instructed not to transport adult cardiac arrest patients if they cannot be resuscitated in the field. The county's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency also issued a directive for ambulance crews to save oxygen supplies by only administering to patients with severely low levels. Local EMS agency head Marianne Gausche-Hill told CBS that medics were "not abandoning resuscitation" in the field, but that transporting patients with "very poor outcomes" who cannot be resuscitated could "impact our hospitals." California was initially praised for its handling of the pandemic in March, but is now reeling. In the past seven days it has recorded more than twice as many cases as any other state, placing a huge strain on resources. "Many hospitals have reached a point of crisis, and are having to make very tough decisions about patient care," said Los Angeles County director of health services Christina Ghaly. Firefighters trained as paramedics have been temporarily called up to assist hospital staff, while army engineers were drafted in to bolster straining oxygen delivery systems at six hospitals. "We're likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we've faced in the entire pandemicand that's hard to imagine," Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer said Monday. Positive COVID cases in the nation's most populous county had doubled in just over a month to 800,000, she said, with more than one-in-five who get tested currently positive. "The steepness of this line is frightening, and its implications for our healthcare system, our health care workers, and all the people we care about," she added, referring to the data. Vaccinations have begun for emergency healthcare workers and the most vulnerable in California, but Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday the process had "gone too slowly." Barely one-third of 1.3 million delivered vaccines have been administered so far. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 22:09:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A feature film about Li Dazhao, a co-founder of the Communist Party of China (CPC), is set to be released on July 1, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party, according to China Film News. Set between 1912 and 1927, the upcoming movie will lead audiences on a journey to revisit how Li sought to change China and save the nation, and how revolutionaries, led by Li, disseminated Marxism in China and eventually set up the CPC in 1921. Starring renowned actor Zhang Songwen, the movie will be produced by Guan Hu, who directed the 2020 blockbuster war epics "The Eight Hundred" and "The Sacrifice." One of the earliest disseminators of Marxism in China, Li is considered a pioneer of China's Communist movement, a great Marxist and an outstanding proletarian revolutionary, making significant contributions to the CPC and the Chinese people. Enditem Maharashtra's city Aurangabad is rife in controversy now that a proposed name-change project may be up before a committee to pass a resolution. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Monday said renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar was "acceptable to all" and his party would pass a resolution on this if it came to power in the civic body there. He also chided the Shiv Sena, which has been a votary of the name change for several years, but was now in alliance with the Congress, which has consistently opposed it. The Sena first made the demand to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar over two decades ago, and a proposal was passed in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) in June 1995, which was challenged by a Congress corporator in the high court and later in the Supreme Court. The proposal to rename Aurangabad is opposed by the Congress, which feels that this expression of a majoritarian sentiment will affect its minority votebase, which is under threat from the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). Politics aside, the city located is in the Marathwada region after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was brutally tortured and killed in 1689 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, after whom it is named now. Aurangzeb, who is known for his religious excesses, and also as the last militarily strong Mughal ruler, is buried in nearby Khuldabad after his death in 1707. Aurangzeb aside, Aurangabad's history has one pivotl figure who help build it: An African slave turned general. Malik Ambar, an African slave turned warrior, has an unusual story. Sold and bought several times by slave dealers during his youth, fate brought him miles away from his home in Ethiopia to India. In India, not only did Ambar get his freedom back, but he also rose up the social ladder, got an army, vast estates, and founded the city that today is Aurangabad, reports Indian Express. In 1610, after briefly expelling the Mughals from Ahmednagar, Ambar established a new capital, a city named Khirki (present-day Aurangabad in Maharashtra) for the sultanate. The city eventually became home to over 2,00,000 people including the Marathas after whom several suburbs such as Malpura, Khelpura, Paraspura, and Vithapura came to be named. It was around 1610-11 that Ambar made Khirki his base, and this slowly emerged as a major urban centre, where like Ambar, much of his Maratha nobility and military leadership also built houses and developed localities, Manu S. Pillai, the author of The Ivory Throne writes in a column for Livemint. Waterworks and an underground canal were among the early developments he brought about, which is how a lot of cities in the dry Deccan area were able to expand. We see it with Bijapur as well, a few decades before, and this required considerable expertise in engineering and planning. Malik Ambar was succeeded by his son Fateh Khan, who changed the name of the city to Fatehnagar. In the coming wars, the city along with the Ahmadnagar Sultanate fell to the Mughals. It was under the reign of the 17th-century Mughal monarch, Aurangzeb, that the city came to be renamed as Aurangabad. Pillai in an interview with Indian Express also added that Ambar in building a new city in the first place seemed to mark his legacy. At present, amid the ongoing controversy over renaming of Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar, activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Saturday staged an agitation in Nashik city by changing the destination board of a state transport bus. The party's city president Ankush Pawar and other activists entered Thakkar Bazaar bus stand and changed the destination board of an Aurangabad-bound bus to Sambhajinagar. Protestors demanded that the three-party MVA government should change the city's name to Sambhajinagar by January 26. The MNS also criticised the Shiv Sena for softening its stand on the issue due to its alliance with the Congress. Hudson, NY (12534) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Showers and a possible thunderstorm in the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Times Inter School Quiz Competition has returned to address masterminds across the southern cities of Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai to buckle up and tease their brains with the prelims. Despite the pandemic having turned every normal upside down, the world has managed to find its ways out to keep the hustle going on. Hence, the Times Inter School Quiz Competition is going online at Times Inter School Quiz Competition is an initiative by Optimal Media Solution, A Times Group Company, presented by E-learning partner - Practically, University Partner- Amrita University, Cookie Partner- UNIBIC and Green Partner - BGAUSS. The Times Inter School Quiz Competition is a humble attempt to quiz young minds on current affairs, economy, science, sports, music and much more. True to the nature of brand TOI, the trivia is very current and relevant to current times. And like every year, post-pandemic, this season the competition is going bigger, better and safer. With over 300-plus top schools from South India participating and close to 30,000 students in total, the Times Inter School Quiz Competition 2020-21 will be a battleground of the sharp minds. Designed on a single-login, One Time play format, the preliminary round will be hosted on the Times' website for all registered participants from the login section. Registered participants can play the preliminary round only one time, from a single device any day during the course of the contest which will be hosted from December 31st, 2020- January 14th, 2021. Participants can register and play the quiz on the same day or can register on a particular day while playing the quiz on a different date. With the top 100 qualifying participants moving onto the Quarterfinals, further rounds shall be conducted over the Practically app, an intelligent, interactive and immersive learning app for students of classes 6-12 with a focus on STEM learning. It is an experiential learning app that brings learning alive through immersive videos, augmented reality and 3D simulations. Furthermore, it enhances conceptual understanding and improving retention with features like life-like videos, hands-on learning, live classes and AI assistant. The 24x7 Seek Help feature for doubt resolution enables students to reach out to subject experts. 3,00,000-plus students are already benefiting from Practically. The Practically School Solution, a B2B2C offering, gives schools and their teachers access to the Practically teacher app free of cost. Teachers can access 3000-plus videos and 1000-plus simulations/AR and features like reports, test-preps, polls, analytics, assigning homework etc. The app covers the universal curriculum across Math and Science for classes 6-12. Over 130 schools across India are already using Practically to enable online classes during the pandemic. Winners will grab a chance to win attractive cash prizes and deals apart from the amazing BGauss A2 Electric Scooter reserved for the one stealing the show. Senior Level- (Standards IX-XII) Winner - Rs 40,000 + one year Legend subscription from Practically + BGauss A2 Electric Scooter + Trophy and Certificate 1st Runners up - Rs 30,000 + 70 per cent Voucher of Practically Subscription, Trophy and Certificate+Cash Voucher worth Rs 20,000 along with goodies from BGAUSS 2nd Runners up - Rs 20,000 + 50 per cent Voucher of Practically Subscription, Trophy and certificate + Cash Voucher worth Rs 10,000 along with goodies from BGAUSS Junior Level- (Standards VI-VIII) Winner - Rs 40,000 + one year Legend subscription from Practically, Trophy and Certificate 1st Runners up - Rs 30,000 + 70 per cent voucher for Practically subscription, Trophy and Certificate 2nd Runners up - Rs 20,000 + 50per cent voucher for Practically subscription, Trophy and Certificate In addition to the above prizes, Practically is also giving away between 20-40 per cent discount vouchers on their annual subscription, to all students who get eliminated between qualifiers and finals. BGauss, one of the top-rated & fastest-growing consumer-preferred Electric Scooters in India for easy, smart and efficient city commutes is a dynamic, stylish, premium-yet-affordable automobile brand. The Green partner of the event has an amazing A2 Electric Scooter for a giveaway to the event's winner among a bunch of budding scholars. The Grand Finale would be hosted by Celebrity Quiz master Gautam Bose The Times Group has always engaged young minds through the pages of the Times of India. Newspapers in Education (NIE) are a cooperative effort between schools and newspapers to promote the use of newspapers as an educational resource. Parents and teachers have consistently enforced that reading of newspapers - builds on the intellectual capital of a state that can drive the evolution of a forward-looking generation. To support the effort and the event, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham stands hand in hand as the University partner, multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research academia that is accredited IA' by NAAC and is ranked as one of the best research institutions in India. Amrita is spread across six campuses in three states of India - Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with the headquarters at Ettimadai, Coimbatore and Tamil Nadu. The cookie with more: UNIBIC Every time a cookie lover reaches out for a real cookie, the only one that will meet the craving is the cookie with more. With more richness and more choices, UNIBIC Cookies are bursting with flavour and the abundance of more butter, chocolate, pista, cashew, and other rich ingredients. With 30 variants including seven sugar-free flavours, UNIBIC has something more for the entire family." Times Inter School Quiz Competition South 2020-21 is co-sponsored by Sentia The Global School, Hyderabad, Phoenix Greens School of Learning, Hyderabad, DPS Bangalore East, DPS Bangalore North and TIPS School Chennai. Your chance to shine is just two clicks away. Register now at This story is provided by Mediawire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dr. Sanjeev Khagram, Director General and Dean of Thunderbird said, "With a global mindset and a renowned track record of improving the state of the world through collaborative leadership spanning sectors and borders, Professor Slaughter will engage, challenge and inspire our students to grow as global leaders for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Her combination of top-tier scholarship and experience in managing challenges caused by rapid technological and social change will provide a transformative learning experience for our students in the nation's capital at a time when the world is in need of leaders who are equipped to solve complex problems across boundaries." "We are thrilled to have Anne-Marie, one of the world's greatest legal scholars, provide our students with her depth of knowledge as a practitioner of politics," ASU Law Dean Douglas Sylvester said. "As the head of the New America foundation and former top State Department official, combined with her distinguished career as a dean, professor and author, Anne-Marie will bring our students a wealth of political and international relations expertise unlike any other." Slaughter's ASU course, taught together with Gordon LaForge, senior researcher at Princeton University and a Thunderbird lecturer, will examine the role and design of networks in global affairs with this premise: "We live in a world of nation-states, but also in an age of networks, creating a web of connectivity evident in the internet, the COVID-19 pandemic, air travel, global supply chains, international NGOs, terrorist and other criminal networks, and interdependent financial markets. New tools and strategies are needed to understand and influence a world based on connectivity: webcraft as well as statecraft. The course examines case studies of different global problems from health to human rights, war to economic renewal, the environment to terrorism drawing on the experience of course participants as much as possible." "I could not be happier to be joining the ASU community," Slaughter said. "The opportunities for innovation and experimentation with new ways of teaching and bringing different streams of knowledge together are vast and exciting." As CEO of New America, a think and action tank dedicated to renewing the promise of America, Slaughter is leading efforts to bring the nation closer to its highest ideals. She is also the Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. After serving as the U.S. State Department's first female director of policy planning from 2009-2011, she received the Secretary's Distinguished Service Award for her work leading the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, as well as meritorious service awards from USAID and the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe. Prior to her government service, Slaughter was the Dean of Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs (formerly the Woodrow Wilson School) from 20022009 and the J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School from 1994-2002. Slaughter will teach the course from ASU's Ambassador Barbara Barrett & Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Washington Center in Washington, D.C., where ASU brings its commitment and energy as a New American University to the nation's capital, engaging with others who are prepared to transform ideas into action. The center houses ASU's Washington, D.C.-based academic programs, including the Washington Bureau of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and its International Rule of Law and Security program, the Capital Scholars program, Thunderbird's Executive Master of Arts in Global Affairs and Management, and the McCain Institute's Next Generation Leaders program, among many others. In addition to hosting classes and internships on-site, special lectures and seminars taught from the Barrett & O'Connor Washington Center are connected to classrooms in Arizona through video-conferencing technology. About the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is one of the nation's preeminent law schools, focused on offering students a personalized legal education. Ranked No. 1 in Arizona since 2010 and No. 24 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, ASU Law offers students the opportunity to tailor their education, to match externships to their interests and career services resources to help land their ideal jobs. Additionally, ASU Law's LEED Gold certified building in downtown Phoenix is steps away from the legal, political and economic heart of Arizona. For more information, visit law.asu.edu. About Thunderbird School of Global Management Thunderbird School of Global Management is a unit of the Arizona State University Enterprise. For more than 70 years, Thunderbird has been the vanguard of global management and leadership education, creating inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide by educating future-ready global leaders capable of tackling the world's greatest challenges. Thunderbird's Master of Global Management was ranked #1 in the world for 2019 by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education. ASU is ranked No. 1 "Most Innovative School" in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for six years in succession. About Arizona State University Arizona State University has developed a new model for the American Research University, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes major responsibility for the economic, social and cultural vitality of the communities that surround it. Media contact: Julie Tenney Director of Communications Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law [email protected] Jonathan Ward Associate Director, Media Relations & Strategic Messaging Thunderbird School of Global Management [email protected] SOURCE Sandra Day OConnor College of Law at Arizona State University; Arizona State University; Thunderbird School of Global Management Two years before he allegedly plowed a stolen car through a red light in downtown San Francisco, killing two pedestrians while intoxicated on New Years Eve, Troy Ramon McAlister faced a possible life sentence under Californias three strikes law for repeat offenders. McAlister, who was charged Monday with manslaughter, had been headed toward trial in late 2018 on two counts of second-degree robbery in connection with a 2015 holdup in a San Francisco store. The District Attorneys Office, then led by George Gascon, alleged three prior strikes for violent crimes. But the office dismissed the strikes last March in a plea deal prosecutors negotiated two months after Chesa Boudin became district attorney, records show. McAlister, who had been eligible for a sentence of up to 40 years to life in prison, was given credit for serving five years and released on parole. The shift in McAlisters robbery case which put him back on the streets to allegedly commit a crime spree that ended with the Dec. 31 car crash is detailed in court documents obtained by The Chronicle. It raises more questions about whether the pedestrians deaths could have been avoided. At issue is how authorities should deal with an offender like McAlister, a 45-year-old methamphetamine addict who has been in trouble with the law throughout his adult life. His prior strikes were for a robbery in 1995, an attempted carjacking in 2005 and another robbery in 2010. His record shows additional serious convictions in 2006 and 2007. The episode also offers a look at the turn in some counties away from strict laws like three strikes that filled prisons and sometimes enabled abuses. Prosecutors, lawmakers and advocates have been debating which of these laws have value, which need to be altered, and which need to end. Known as a progressive standard-bearer, Boudin enacted a policy to not charge prior strikes, with the exception of extraordinary circumstances that present unusual risks of harm. Boudin said in a memo that the law was a legacy of Californias tough on crime era, an era that fueled mass incarceration and disparately impacted communities of color. Gascon, who left his San Francisco post in the fall of 2019 and recently became district attorney in Los Angeles, has also shifted his thinking. He issued a directive Dec. 7 to eliminate strikes from sentencing decisions. Many other California counties have limited the use of strikes to the most serious cases. Californias 1994 3 Strikes Law has been a disaster, Gascon wrote in a tweet announcing the directive. Three Strikes ends in my office beginning today. Boudin did not respond to requests for comment on McAlisters plea deal. In a statement, McAlisters attorney in the 2015 robbery case said he had opposed last years plea deal, and said it was not emblematic of lax prosecution. Mr. McAlister would have likely prevailed at trial, said Deputy Public Defender Max Breecker. However, because of COVID, which suspended all jury trials at the time, he opted to accept a relatively harsh plea deal. Tony Montoya, president of the city police union, said officers oppose mass incarceration but believe Boudin has a penchant for dismissing charges and vastly reducing sentences that threatens public safety. Theres just some people that cannot be rehabilitated, Montoya said. He said McAlister had been given numerous chances to go straight before last years sweetheart deal. Montoya spoke as the District Attorneys Office on Monday charged McAlister with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in the deaths of 60-year-old Elizabeth Platt and 27-year-old Hanako Abe. They were walking in a crosswalk at Second and Mission streets when McAlister allegedly crashed into them, before trying to flee on foot. Other felony charges include gun possession, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, transportation of a controlled substance and burglary. Boudin also alleged one strike, apparently finding the exceptional circumstances described in his policy. McAlister is expected to be arraigned Tuesday. The charges came as Boudin confronted mounting scrutiny over his offices handling of McAlisters cases prior to the wreck. Police arrested McAlister several times in the city following his release last March, on suspicion of crimes including car theft and car burglary. Rather than charge McAlister with new crimes, though, Boudin referred the incidents to state parole officers. The steps they took in recent months remain unclear. But under California law, parole officers can give people accused of violating the terms of their release added restrictions, treatment or punishment. In a statement on Monday, Boudin vowed to enact systemic policy changes in his office, including strengthening communication between his office and parole officials. He promised a comprehensive review of the case. He also sought to spread responsibility to other agencies McAlister came into contact with, claiming without specifics that they each failed to intervene effectively. Although of course no one predicted this tragedy, it is true that the Daly City police, the San Francisco police, parole and my office all could have done things differently, which might have avoided this terrible outcome, Boudin said. McAlister had allegedly stolen the car he used in the crash from a woman in Daly City two days earlier. Daly City police officials said Monday that investigators had tried without success to find McAlister and the vehicle, and had contacted parole as well. In response to Boudins assertion about San Francisco police, spokesman Matt Dorsey said, We believe in making improvements wherever improvements can be made, and we share the district attorneys commitment to work with all of our law enforcement partners. Montoya blasted the district attorney for blaming other agencies and called for an independent panel to review Boudins charging decisions. Two people were killed on New Years Eve because Chesa Boudin refused to do his job, Montoya said. Parole officials said after the crash that the state agency followed all procedures after these incidents, including conducting investigations and making appropriate referrals for the individual. Officials in the District Attorneys Office said Boudin was scheduled to meet with members of Abes family on Monday and with Platts family later this week. Let me speak directly to those families: I am so sorry for your loss, Boudin said in a statement. We are focused on three things as we move forward: holding Mr. McAlister accountable for the harm he caused; supporting the victims families; and working internally in our own office and along with our justice partners to make changes to prevent this kind of tragedy. The incidents of the past several days have caused an uproar in San Francisco, where Boudin has alternately been embraced for his belief in second chances and holding police accountable, and criticized for what some residents perceive as his indifference to public safety. A petition to recall the district attorney had more than 3,500 signatures as of Monday evening. Gascon, the former district attorney, had allowed some discretion in trying three strikes cases. He formed a committee of senior attorneys to analyze the facts and the strength of the evidence in such cases, with input from both the prosecution and the defense. If the committee recommended seeking a life sentence, Gascon had sole authority to approve it, according to four people familiar with the process who were not authorized to speak publicly. Gascon told The Chronicle through a spokesperson that he could not remember the details of McAlisters case, or whether he directed his staff to offer a life sentence. Enacted in 1994, three strikes intended to get societys most violent criminals off the streets. Over the years, though, it fell out of favor among many criminal justice leaders and advocates, who saw it as unfair. Violent crime also declined throughout the state, which may have led residents to embrace a less punitive approach, said Jack Glaser, a professor at UC Berkeleys Goldman School of Public Policy. Voters amended the law in 2012 by passing Proposition 36, which imposed life sentences only if new convictions were for serious or violent felonies. It also allowed offenders convicted of a third strike to petition the court to reduce their term to a second-strike sentence. On Dec. 30, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County, a union representing about 900 prosecutors, filed a lawsuit aimed at four of Gascons new policies, including the one eliminating strikes. The union argued that Gascon was forcing his employees to violate state law. Glaser said rising crime during the pandemic may have rebuilt support for a tougher approach. At the same time, he said, the over-incarceration story has faded, some, from the public consciousness. Note: This story was updated online with a comment from Troy McAlisters defense attorney. Rachel Swan and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan, @meganrcassidy Teachers at Istanbul's Bogazici University protested on Tuesday against the swearing-in of a new rector appointed by President Tayyip Erdogan, extending demonstrations started by students. Hundreds of students and about two dozen faculty members say the appointment of Melih Bulu at the leading Turkish school was undemocratic. Such demonstrations are rare and little tolerated in Turkey, especially since a failed coup in 2016. Students clashed with police on Monday at the entrance to the university and officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Police on Tuesday raided 24 homes and detained 17 people including two Bogazici students, the Istanbul governor's office said. Faculty members gathered on campus later on Tuesday during the swearing-in of Bulu, who has a doctorate in business management, and turned their backs on the rector's building. They said in a statement Bulu was the first rector appointed from outside a university since a 1980 military coup and part of increasing anti-democratic practices since 2016, when the failed coup prompted Erdogan's government to launch a crackdown against perceived opponents. In an interview on Haberturk TV, Bulu said he would not resign because his appointment met global standards, and that police stopped non-students from entering campus. "Bogazici students can protest wherever and however they want," he said. Bulu added he joined Erdogan's ruling AK Party when it was founded about two decades ago and later applied to run for parliamentary election. Several hundred police officers and a handful of trucks with water canons were sent to the school on Tuesday. More than a hundred students gathered on campus for a second day and chanted: "Melih Bulu is not our rector" and "Students and teachers are in solidarity". Turkish Deputy Interior Minister Ismail Catakli criticised the slogans. "We cannot accept or remain silent to our police being called murderers," he said, adding some of those detained had links to an outlawed leftist organisation. Authorities have arrested thousands of academics, lawyers, journalists, civil servants and military members as part of the post-2016 crackdown, which the government says was necessary given threats to the country. Critics say Erdogan has used the coup attempt as a pretext to quash dissent. Short link: The enormous wave of Covid-19 level infections is going to have a significant impact on mortality and lead to more people ending up in funeral homes due to the coronavirus, the Chief Medical Officer has warned. Dr Tony Holohan raised the alert about what is going to happen during January due to a wave of infections over Christmas. Also read: Staggering rise in new Covid-19 infections as Longford records another double-digit increase Figures published by the National Public Health Emergency Team there are now 776 people in Ireland by 2pm on January 4 with 70 in ICU. They warn that this is going to have an enormous impact on the hospital system. There are now on average 22,000 tests per day being carried out. The positivity rate has risen from 3% to 20% during December. There daily average of new cases is 5,000 per day. The incidence is high among all age groups but is the highest incidence is among those aged 19 to 25 where there is a rate of 900 per 100,000. The rate is 400 per 100 k for the 25-65 age group. The incidence among the 13-18 year group is 200 per 100k. The over 65 incidence is 300k. It is lowest but still high at up to 150 k among the under 13 age group. Also read: Met Eireann warns of approaching weather event similar to that which led to 'Beast from the East' in 2018 Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said a radical reduction is needed. He said that the incidence of the disease is now 'certainly higher' than March. He warned of the impact. "Scenario models raise the possibility of 1,500-2,000 people in hospital, and 200-400 people in ICU by mid-January, if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence. It will take all of us, adopting the public health measures of staying home and reducing contacts, to suppress current levels of disease, he said. Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, called for a single national effort to mitigate the impact but he warned that the enormity of the wave means there will be more deaths. He said the aim now is to reduce the impact. "The level of infection puts too many people in funeral homes," he warned at the NPHET press briefing. Also read: Seven-day Covid-19 vaccination rollout imperative for nursing homes In his written daily statement, Dr Holohan called for a community effort. Leaders and organisations in communities across the country now need to support their colleagues, neighbours, family and friends to keep to the spirit of public health advice. We must restrict our movements, we have to limit the people we interact with outside of our households if we are to suppress the virus and sustain our essential services, he said. Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, urged people with vulnerable conditions to stay at home. People particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 include older persons and people with pre-existing medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer. The incidence of disease in the community is now at a level where vulnerable people need to stay at home unless absolutely essential. Mr. Liam Woods, HSE National Director, Acute Operations, said hospital services have to be cut back. We are introducing curtailments in non-essential services in adult hospitals in order to cope with increasing COVID-19 admissions. This will be subject to ongoing review. In the event of emergency attend an Emergency Department as usual and if you have any concerns regarding your health, COVID or non-COVID related, always contact your GP in the first instance, he said. Professor Karina Butler, Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, said wanted vaccination will be speeded up. The vaccination programme has commenced for the first priority groups. The roll out has been accelerated this week. As we continue to provide vaccines across the population we urge anyone with concerns or questions to contact their GP, pharmacist or healthcare service provider for factual and reliable information. The HSE.ie website also provides reliable information around vaccine efficacy and safety, he said. Also read: Gardai to ramp up Covid-19 checkpoints across Longford in bid to ensure "full compliance" with lockdown measures Guwahati, Jan 6 : Months ahead of Assembly polls, the main opposition Congress in Assam received a blow as Assembly Speaker Hitendranath Goswami on Tuesday withdrew the recognition of its legislature party leader Debabrata Saikia as the Leader of Opposition. Assam Assembly officials said on Tuesday that after the resignation of two Congress MLAs recently, the strength of the Congress in the house has come down to 20, one less than the required number in the 126-member Assembly. An Assembly official said that the present strength of the Congress legislature party is not equal to the quorum fixed to constitute a sitting of the House, that is one-sixth of the total number of members of the House as required under the law. Former Assam PWD Minister and Congress MLA from Golaghat Ajanta Neog and party's Lakhipur constituency legislator Rajdeep Gowala joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party last week. With the exit of these two MLAs and the deaths of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and ex-Speaker Pranab Gogoi, both Congress legislators, the strength of the Congress in the Assembly has reduced to 20. The Assam assembly polls are likely to be held in April-May next year along with West Bengal and Kerala. (CNN) The United Kingdom became the first nation to inoculate people with the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine outside of trials on Monday, with the country's health secretary hailing the day as a "real pivotal moment." Doses of the vaccine, approved by UK regulators on December 30, will initially be delivered at "a small number of hospitals for the first few days for surveillance purposes," before the bulk of doses arrives at medical practices later in the week, said England's National Health Service (NHS). The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is easier to transport and to store than the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine -- which was approved for use in the UK last month and has to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius -- making it easier to deliver outside of hospital settings. Tens of thousands of current and former NHS workers are being trained as vaccinators to support the what the health service has described as "the biggest immunization program in its history." Brian William Pinker, 82, was the first person to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday morning. "I'm so pleased to be getting the [Covid-19] vaccine today," Pinker said after receiving his dose, according to the NHS England Twitter account. He added that he was considered a vulnerable person due to receiving dialysis. "The vaccine means everything to me, to my mind it is the only way to get back to normal life," he said. "The very positive news this morning of the Oxford vaccine starting to be rolled out - that's a triumph of British science that we've managed to get to where we are," UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News on Monday. The rollout comes as coronavirus cases in the UK continue to surge. The country has registered over 50,000 new Covid-19 cases for six days in a row, with 54,990 new cases reported on Sunday. "It is a very difficult situation in terms of the growth of the virus," Hancock said. "But then we also have this very good news this morning, it's a real pivotal moment with the arrival, actually in the hospitals of the UK, of the Oxford vaccine." The rollout comes after a shift in the UK's immunization strategy. The government has said it will now prioritize giving the first in a series of two vaccine doses to as many people as possible, before administering a second dose up to 12 weeks later. This will apply to both the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine which is already being administered. The British Medical Association (BMA), a body representing UK doctors, has criticized the move to postpone appointments for the very vulnerable patients currently awaiting their second shots. But the UK's chief medical officers defended the change in strategy saying it was a move based on the "balance of risks and benefits," and that the "great majority" of initial protection came from the first jab. The Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine also has the potential swiftly to protect millions more people around the world as and when other nations' regulators grant approval. AstraZeneca has promised to supply hundreds of millions of doses to low and middle-income countries, and to deliver the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis to those nations in perpetuity. The vaccine is significantly cheaper than others which have been approved and, crucially, it would be far easier to transport and distribute in developing countries than its rivals since it does not need to be stored at freezing temperatures. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will announce extra financial help for businesses on Tuesday, after England entered a third national lockdown to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Its a specific package to help businesses through a very difficult time, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on LBC radio. The Chancellor will be saying more today about additional support. Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered England into a fresh lockdown late Monday, amid dire warnings that the National Health Service is at risk of being overwhelmed by soaring coronavirus infection rates. The restrictions risk devastating retail and hospitality businesses, and industry groups have pressed for more help to avert company failures. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 04:20:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Healthcare workers wheel a patient into a hospital in New York, the United States, Jan. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) New York is the fourth state in the United States that has confirmed infection of the new strain, which has also been found in California, Florida and Colorado. WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States has confirmed infections of the COVID-19 variant in four states, as the vaccine rollout nationwide lags behind schedule. New York State reported on Monday its first case of the new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus that was initially discovered in the United Kingdom. The case was identified in a 60-year-old man from Saratoga County who had no travel history, according to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. New York is the fourth state in the country that has confirmed infection of the new strain, which has also been found in California, Florida and Colorado. The variant is thought to be more transmissible but does not appear to make people more ill or increase the risk of death from COVID-19, experts have said. People wearing face masks visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) While the variant does not appear to cause more severe disease in people who are infected and current vaccines should still work against it, it could lead to more hospitalizations as a result of an increase in cases, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week. California has confirmed six cases of the variant, all in the southern part of the state. One person in San Diego County has been hospitalized, said Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday. He said state health officials are carrying out contact tracing efforts. The CDC implemented a new order in late December which requires air passengers arriving in the United States from the United Kingdom to test negative, no more than 72 hours before departure. More new strains of the coronavirus are likely to make their way to the United States, said Michael Osterholm, member of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 advisory board, on Tuesday. "And it's the first of what will likely be a number of these strains that are emerging as we're at this point in the pandemic," he added. A notice telling COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available is pictured on the door of a pharmacy in New Orleans, Louisiana, the United States, Nov. 25, 2020. (Photo by Lan Wei/Xinhua) In the meantime, health experts and officials have blamed states for slow vaccine rollout. The country planned to inject 20 million Americans by the end of 2020. However, only about 4.56 million had received shots as of Jan. 4, according to the CDC. Moncef Slaoui, the head of Operation Warp Speed, said that one way to speed up immunizations against COVID-19 was to give two half-volume doses of the Moderna vaccine to some individuals. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Monday that people need both doses of vaccine and changes in vaccine administration would "run a significant risk of placing public health at risk." The United States has recorded over 20.9 million cases with over 355,300 related deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Harrisburg University Presents will host a live virtual cooking show featuring four renowned Pennsylvania chefs and celebrity chef, Roy Choi, to benefit hospitality employees across the state adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic at 7 p.m. Jan. 26. Just a Taste, The Great Pennsylvania Cooking Show, presented in partnership with the Hilton Harrisburg and Dauphin County, will be broadcast live from the Hilton Harrisburg ballroom, according to a press release, which continued: Viewers can tune into the show for free and donate to the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Associations Hospitality Assistance Response of PA (HARP) fund during the event that will be broadcast on Harrisburg University presents website, www.HUConcertSeries.com, and on HU Presents Facebook page @HUPresents. We are excited to participate in this first-rate production, says Joe Massaro, general manager of the Hilton Harrisburg. This event not only showcases the amazing talent of some of Pennsylvanias most noteworthy chefs, it, more importantly supports personally our peers who have been so negatively affected by the pandemic induced shutdown of our industry. Chefs from eastern, western, and central Pennsylvania will provide cooking demonstrations in front of a live audience assembled in the Hilton Harrisburg ballroom. Roy Choi, co-host of the popular Netflix series, The Chef Show, will share his talent from California and will participate in a question-and-answer session during the show. The hospitality industry is hurting desperately and financial support from the government is lacking, leaving hundreds of businesses and thousands of employees without a safety net, said John Longstreet, President & CEO of the PRLA. We are grateful to the organizers of Just a Taste for contributing event proceeds to HARP so we can continue providing relief to frontline hospitality workers who have been impacted by COVID-19, through no fault of their own. For more information about the show and other upcoming Harrisburg University Presents shows, visit www.HUConcertSeries.com. ALSO READ: Pa. restaurants resume indoor seating: Im excited for the customers to come back To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! [January 05, 2021] Humphreys Real Estate Income Fund ("HREIF") Reopens to Investors Today Humphreys Capital, a leading real estate investment company headquartered in Oklahoma City, announced the Humphreys Real Estate Income Fund ("HREIF") has reopened to accredited investors. Since its formation in 2012, the fund has focused on diversification across multifamily, industrial, office and retail sectors in high-growth cities across the Southeastern and Southwestern United States. "We believe gateway markets like New York City, San Francisco and Chicago present limited upside potential over the near term," said Humphreys Capital President Grant Humphreys. "Our target cities, including Denver, Dallas, and Raleigh, have been among the fastest-growing urban economies in the country. By focusing on these markets, we've been able to create solid value and strong risk-adjusted return for our investors." The fund has a portfolio of 71 properties across 15 states, valued at over $670 million. Investors in the fund have experienced a 13.6% net internal rate of return (IRR) since inception, with dividends declared annually and paid monthly. "We're grateful to have provided our investors a consistent return on investment in 2020," said Humphreys. "This year has been volatile for everyone, but our diligence in applying a principled approach to real estate investing has sustained the fund's success." The annual offering will remain open until sold out or June 3, 2021. The minimum initial investment for the fund is $500,000. For information on Humphreys Real Estate Income Fund, please contact: Ben Stewart Managing Director, Investor Relations 405.228.1000 ben@humphreyscapital.com Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation of an offer to invest in any fund or security, including Humphreys Real Estate Income Fund ("the fund"). There are a number of risks associated with real estate investing. In addition, there are a number of risks associated with investing in the fund, and those risks are outlined in the fund's private placement memorandum which should be read carefully and used as the offering document for any consideration of an investment in the fund. The fund's net internal rate of return ("IRR") is an annualized return calculated with the sum and timing of investors' capital contributions and distributions to investors net of management fees, fund expenses, and manager's return using a terminal value as of 12/31/2020. About Humphreys Capital Humphreys Capital is a real estate investment company that acquires, develops and operates income-producing, multi-sector properties including industrial, multifamily, office and retail. The firm's investment and development focus is on dynamic cities exhibiting diverse growth across the Southeastern and Southwestern United States, where it specializes in privately negotiated off-market, mid-size deals of institutional quality. The multigenerational team, which has more than 170 years of combined experience, provides seasoned expertise and exposure to diversified commercial real estate for accredited and institutional investors. The firm has raised more than $400 million since inception across three funds. Visit www.humphreyscapital.com for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005092/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the media of putting out false figures of the December 7 election. According to them, the media is in bed with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Electoral Commission (EC). On the other hand, the same media gives coverage to their programmes. In an interview on Neat FM, the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram constituency was asked why his party lambastes the media yet they want them to cover their events. In response, Sam George said the NDC has every right to 'call out' the media for their 'selective reportage' He asserted that the media owe it as a duty to give their audience a balanced reportage and that if they choose not to cover their programmes, 'we will get our news and information out' all the same. "if your media station thinks you won't come and cover the NDC, that is your editorial policy, we won't beg you to come and cover our programme; that we won't do. You have a responsibility to your listeners to show them all sides of the news and leave your listeners to make their opinion...because you have done the wrong thing and we have confronted you, you think you are above reprimand....the media is not above reprimand or reproach" he stated. Emphasizing his comments he added: "in some instances, some media houses projected wrong results; some failed to point out the wrongs of this government during this election and you think we should keep quiet? if that is why you won't come and cover our story, fine don't come...because at the end of the day we will continue to hold everybody accountable...if we are not happy with you for some of these selective media reportage, we have every right to call you out on it and if for that reason you think you won't cove our story that's fine but we will get our news and information out" Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Over the night the structure of Danilo strengthened again and therefore, it is reclassified as a Severe Tropical Storm since early tn the morning of the 05th January 2021. At 10.00 hours Severe Tropical Storm Danilo was centred at about 2020 km to the east-north-east of Mauritius in latitude 16.4 degrees east and longitude 76.6 degrees east. Its distance with respect to Rodrigues was about 1425 km to the east-north-east. Danilo continues to move in a general southerly direction at about 10 km/h Outlook from weather models. There are still lot of uncertainties and variation in the output of the various numerical prediction models. Since STS Danilo is moving in an unfavourable environment with moderate vertical wind shear and intrusion of dry air at mid-level of the troposphere, it is very likely that the system will weaken again into a Moderate tropical Storm. However, almost all models indicate that the system will start moving westward as from the 06 January 2021. On this expected trajectory Danilo will approach the Mascarene Islands. Considering the large margin of error of 300 400 km for a five day track forecast, it is still not possible to give an accurate prediction beyond 5 days or estimate the level of threat to the Islands of the Republic of Mauritius Weather at Rodrigues As the Danilo moves towards the west, the weather at Rodrigues will become windy as from Thursday afternoon with passing showers. The wind is likely to strengthen gradually thereafter. Weather at Mauritius The weather is likely to become windy and showery over Mauritius as from Friday 08 evening. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Italy's decision to delay reopening of high schools until 11 January follows heated debate in government. Kindergartens, elementary and middle schools will reopen as planned on 7 January. New anti-covid measures will be in place from 7 to 15 January, with Italy becoming an 'orange zone' on the weekend of 9-10 January. The Italian government has decided to reopen Italy's high schools on Monday 11 January, not on Thursday 7 January, amid an extension of its anti-covid measures in place over the Christmas period, reports news agency ANSA. The decision to delay the reopening of high schools was reached in the early hours of this morning after late night talks in which the government's coalition parties clashed over the reopening date, following days of uncertainty for parents, teachers and students. Premier Giuseppe Conte and his education minister Lucia Azzolina of the populist Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S) had sought to reopen the scuole superiori on 7 January, as planned, along with kindergartens, middle and elementary schools. The centre-left Partito Democratico (PD) delegation, headed up by culture minister Dario Franceschini, pushed for high schools not to reopen any sooner than 15 January while the liberal Italia Viva party, represented by agriculture minister Teresa Bellanova, demanded that high schools reopen on 7 January. In the end a compromise date was reached and the date of 11 January was chosen. The reopening of high schools will see just 50 per cent of lessons being held in person, in the classroom, with the rest conducted via remote learning. However regional leaders may decide to delay the reopening date of high schools further, as has already happened in several regions where local authorities have chosen to wait and see what the impact of the Christmas holidays will be in terms of new covid-19 infections. Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia in the north are set to keep their high schools closed until 31 January, with high schools set to reopen on 25 January in the southern Campania region around Naples. New anti-covid measures 7-15 January 2021 The government has decided to extend the anti-covid measures in place over the Christmas period, from 7-15 January. The nationwide measures, which come into effect the day after La Befana, will see Italy become an 'orange zone' on the weekend of 9-10 January and a "reinforced" yellow zone on the other days, reports ANSA. This includes a ban on travel between regions - except for proven urgent or necessary reasons including work - and a continuation of the rule permitting a maximum of two non-cohabiting people to visit private homes within their region. On the 'yellow days' restaurants and bars can stay open until 18.00, after which they can provide take-away and home delivery services. On the orange days (9-10 January), bars and restaurants will be closed however shops, hairdressers and beauty centres are allowed to open. Italy is currently in the highest level 'red zone' until 6 January, a nationwide public holiday for the feast of the Epiphany. Cover image: Italian premier Giuseppe Conte. Photo credit: vasilis asvestas / Shutterstock.com. New charges were brought against a 46-year-old man alleging that he made threats to kill two members of the family of Cameron Blair, who was murdered in Cork City on January 16 last year. Noel Barry was formally arrested by Detective Garda Pat Connery of Togher garda station and he made no reply to the two new charges. Sergeant Pat Lyons said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed the trial of Noel Barry by judge and jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on the charges. Alternatively, the DPP directed that a plea of guilty could be entered at Cork District Court and be put back for sentencing at the circuit court. Defence solicitor, Eddie Burke, said a book of evidence would be required in the case. Judge Olann Kelleher adjourned the charges to January 25 to link up with an earlier charge brought against the same defendant who has an address at Cherry Tree Road, Togher, Cork. Det. Garda Connery said there was no objection to bail being granted to Noel Barry on the charges of making threats to kill. However, Barry was reminded of strict bail conditions and Judge Kelleher read out those conditions for the accused man for the avoidance of doubt. Noel Barry must sign on at Togher garda station three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, have no contact direct or indirect or by social media or through any other person with the Blair family, he must stay out of West Cork and be of good behaviour and abstain from intoxicants. Asked if he understood those conditions, the defendant replied: Yes, your honour. Read More Man accused of menacing calls to family of murdered Cameron Blair remanded in custody Each of the charges brought today is contrary to Section 5 of the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Act. Each states that on September 4, 2020, in the course of a phone call commenced at 10.57pm he threatened to kill or cause serious harm to a named member of the Blair family. Arising out of the same alleged incident he was previously charged for an alleged offence under Section 13 of the Post Office (Amendment) Act 1951. During that first charge previously adjourned until January 25 it was alleged by Det. Garda Connery that Noel Barry made four phone calls to the family of the late Cameron Blair and that the family recorded two of the calls. It is alleged that threats were made to Noel Blair, father of the deceased. His family were allegedly told to "f*** off back to England". Mr Blair indicated that, during the calls, he was warned that his family would "never be safe". Mr Blair reported that, in another call, he was told to get his "Loyalist friends" so they could "sort this out on the streets of Shankill Road". Det. Garda Connery said that the family of the late Cameron Blair informed him that they were deeply emotionally impacted by the threats. Eddie Burke was previously appointed on free legal aid to represent the defendant who is on disability benefit. The murder of student Cameron Blair occurred on January 16, 2020, when he was fatally stabbed at a house party on Bandon Road. A teenager pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a review of the sentence in November 2032. The federal government has warned travellers to not get excited about overseas travel despite Qantas putting international tickets on sale from July 1, saying there's no guarantee they will be able fly as long as Australia's international borders stay shut. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Michael McCormack said the international border will only fully reopen once COVID-19 is no longer a public health risk. "Decisions about when international travel resumes will be made by the Australian government," he said on Tuesday. Qantas is preparing for international flying to resume from the middle of the year. Credit:Getty The Australian government has banned citizens from leaving the country unless they receive an exemption, which can include travel for business or on compassionate grounds. Mr McCormack said while ticket sales were a "commercial decision for airlines", Australian borders may remain closed by the middle of this year. New York, Jan 5 : With students set to return to studies over the coming week, University of California in San Diego has installed COVID-19 testing kits across its campus, from where students can pick up the kits for free. UC San Diego officials have decided to offer COVID-19 tests -- used to determine if an individual is carrying the virus, whether or not they have symptoms -- as part of the organisation's "Return to Learn" programme. According to a ZDnet report late on Monday, the free tests can be acquired from the vending machines, self-administered, and then swabs can be placed in drop boxes next to the machines, seven days a week. Samples should be returned within 72 hours for processing. Students and staff returning to the campus are being asked to participate in daily symptom screenings and weekly COVID-19 tests. The testing procedure chosen by UC San Diego appears to be focused on making the process as easy and streamlined as possible -- while also improving the chance of discovering both symptomatic and asymptomatic infection before an outbreak occurs. UC San Diego has also provided a dashboard for tracking students and campus employees COVID-19 infection rates. Approximately 10,000 students live on campus during standard semesters, while thousands more live off-campus, the report said. The programme also includes contact tracing and wastewater monitoring. In total, 52 water samplers have been installed to analyze wastewater in over 100 residential buildings and identify any student hotspots where the virus is being shed. In September, a water sampler detected traces of COVID-19 in one of the UC San Diego colleges. Following mass tests, two asymptomatic individuals were traced as the potential source. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. 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In 2017, a boycott had started in response to Dohas support for terrorist groups seeking to destabilise the region. The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, attended the meeting of the Supreme Council of the GCC for the first time in four years, flying direct from Doha to Al-Ula as Saudi Arabia agreed to open air, sea and land borders with Qatar on Monday night. Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman received Sheikh Tamim with a hug at the airport, flouting Covid-19 precautions that he followed with other delegates. Bahrain Crown Prince Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa thanked Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud for his efforts to guarantee Gulf solidarity. Bahrain is assuming the rotating presidency of GCC this year, but the summit was moved from Manama to Al-Ula due to recent tensions between Qatar and Bahrain. This also gave Riyadh the opportunity to enhance its regional role after claiming an international one by hosting the G20 Summit in November. The choice of venue was also emblematic of the new Saudi vision for the future, focusing not only on oil and gas revenues but diversifying the economy to meet upcoming challenges. The Maraya Concert Hall at Al-Ula, a cube-shaped structure covered by over 9500 square metres of mirrors reflecting the striking landscape: a mirrored wonder. Like Neom, the futuristic city planned to be built in Tabuk province, it is a symbol of Saudi reform. The end of the Saudi-Qatari boycott was announced hours before the summit by the Kuwaiti foreign minister, who hinted that the other three countries boycotting Qatar would soon follow suit. Kuwait has been mediating reconciliation efforts since Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt (the Quartet) severed all relations with Qatar in 2017. The current deal was brokered by US President Donald Trumps adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and his team while keeping the Kuwaitis informed, as one American diplomat put it. That is why Kushner flew to Al-Ula for the signing on Monday. The Sultan of Oman and King of Bahrain both skipped the meeting, where they were represented by the Omani deputy prime minister and the Bahraini crown prince, while UAE was represented by its Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum. The one non-Gulf member of the Quartet, Egypt, was represented by its foreign minister. The absence of Sultan Haitham Bin Tarek Al-Said and King Hamad Al- Khalifa left the summit with only one new face, the new emir of Kuwait. American and Gulf sources agree that drafting the Qatar-Saudi deal was no easy task. American teams working with Riyadh and Doha were reportedly going back and forth between the two parties until the last moment. The Saudis wanted to incorporate the concerns of the rest of the Quartet, especially UAE and Egypt, but in the end the American-brokered agreement was reduced from 18 points to just a handful. The whole process could have faltered on Sunday due to what an American source called miscommunication between the Saudis and the Qataris. Thats why Kushner delayed his planned flight to Al-Ula from Sunday to Monday. The deal focused on trust-building measures including ending the boycott and media campaigns, in addition to promises concerning the thorny issues and concerns of the Quartet like Dohas support for the Muslim Brotherhood and other militant groups, Turkish military presence in Qatar and cosy relations with Iran. Drafting the document was completed by Kushners team following his visit to Riyadh and Doha in November last year and his meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman and Qatari Emir Tamim. He was accompanied by White House Advisers Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook. Berkowitz started working with the Saudi side and Hook with the Qatari to finalise the text. Apart from opening borders and airspace, other promises in the document are almost identical to a similar agreement Qatar signed with the rest of the GCC member states under the auspices of late Saudi king Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud in 2014, later reneging on all commitments which led to the boycott three years later. As one Western diplomat said, though it might be called the Kushner Declaration, the GCC countries meant by the reconciliation to clear the table to prepare for the incoming Joe Biden administration assuming office in the White House on 20 January. The end of the boycott is another example of the process of undoing Trump policies in the last four years, as many believe he condoned the move by the Quartet in 2017. His son-in-law and adviser tried to achieve a last-minute gain by steering the Gulf reconciliation to the benefit of normalisation with Israel. As many analysts believe, Qatar is ready to normalise relations, paving the way for Saudi Arabia to follow suit. One British academic who worked in Riyadh and Dubai told Al-Ahram Weekly: The Saudis know that pressure is coming soon from the Biden administration to end the war in Yemen. They needed to neutralise Qatari and possibly Turkish backing of Houthi militias and the Muslim Brotherhood there. So ending the boycott of Qatar might help to contain losses in their campaign south of the border. The Biden effect will also influence the situation in Libya. Qatari and Turkish support for the Muslim Brotherhood there, represented by the Tripoli and Misrata militias, would be emboldened by Washingtons pressure to include Islamists in any political settlement. Neutralising Qatar is thought to help in making the settlement in Libya less harmful to Egypt in the long run. But this might not be plausible, as Qatar might have more influence directly or through Turkish military intervention. Egypt will be directly impacted, as its porous border with Libya allows terrorist and arms infiltrations, though the Gulf countries would not feel a direct threat, the British academic added. A senior diplomat from one of the Gulf countries told the American website Axios that the agreement does not mark the end of the Gulf rift. Some of the issues were solved, but the root causes for the rift bad personal relationships between leaders and big policy differences on Iran, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood are still there. Besides ending the Qatar boycott, the GCC Summit discussed post-pandemic economic recovery and Gulf cooperation. The six GCC countries have a GDP of about $1.6 trillion, and the capital value of their financial markets is estimated at $3 trillion, making them one of the biggest economic blocs in the world. Yet it is facing challenges as it steers a new course and abandons old policies. That is why the first summit in the GCCs fifth decade is so significant for GCC economics and integration. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: [January 05, 2021] BCM One Acquires Regional Solutions Provider LincLogix NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BCM One, a leading managed technology solutions provider, announced today that it has acquired LincLogix, a regional data and voice solutions provider headquartered in Indianapolis that offers solutions to multi-site businesses with a niche in the manufacturing, retail and healthcare verticals. This acquisition allows LincLogix to provide an enhanced level of back-office operational support to its existing client base while simultaneously accelerating BCM One's presence in the Midwest market. The LincLogix leadership, engineering, and support teams will become part of the BCM One enterprise. This acquisition expands BCM One's geographic footprint to include a sixth office location in Indianapolis, Indiana. "We've always had a strategic relationship with BCM One. They have always enabled us to focus on servicing our enterprise clients while providing robust resources to deliver superior technology solutions," stated Craig Eigenbrod, President of LincLogix. "They've continuously demonstrated their commitment to empowering our client's success and they've always treated us like family. We're proud to become part of the company." "LincLogix has been a long-time BCM One partner," sated Geoff Bloss, CEO of BCM One. "Over the 15 years we've been working together, Craig and his team have demonstrated more than just a successful partnership, but also strong alignment with our company values and culture." This marks BCM One's fifth acquisition as part of the company's ongoing growth strategy spurred by Thompson Street Capital Partners' 2019 recapitalization of the business. With over 28 years in the telecom industry, BCM One, is an experienced and highly respected partner to IT leaders, telecom agents and channel partners nationwide, maintaining an average NPS score of 88 year over year. ABOUT BCM ONE Founded in 1992, BCM One is a leading managed technology solutions provider offering next generation voice and managed network services. Serving over 17,000 customers worldwide, BCM One offers a variety of solutions supporting businesses' critical network infrastructure including: UCaaS, SIP Trunking, Managed SIP, Managed SD-WAN, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Azure, Technology Expense Optimization and Managed Connectivity solutions. BCM One prides itself on its long-standing client relationships backed by their mission statement, "To Provide a World-Class Experience with Every Human Interaction." To learn more about BCM One, visit www.bcmone.com. ABOUT LINCLOGIX LincLogix delivers a wide range of network solutions to businesses throughout the United States with a niche in the manufacturing, retail and healthcare verticals. Our end-to-end capabilities allow us to implement the services that incorporate specific network requirements. Solutions include enterprise networking, data center and cloud design, unified communications, cloud interconnection, SD-WAN, Azure Consulting. For Media Inquiries: Paula Como Kauth Office: 212.906.7255 | pckauth@bcmone.com Related Images bcm-one.jpg BCM One BCM One is a managed technology solutions provider offering next generation voice and managed services for small to medium sized businesses. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bcm-one-acquires-regional-solutions-provider-linclogix-301200716.html SOURCE BCM One Public Relations [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Lawton, OK (73501) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. While we bemoan the events of the past year, the 90-million strong Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can rightfully celebrate a good half-century. Since the Cold War, it has been a foreign policy goal of Mao Zedong and his successors to get America to lower its defenses and do the dirty work of empowering the Peoples Republic. All we got in exchange were diplomatic smiles, successive presidential courtships, and the promise of liberalism from a country that refuses to savor a drop of it. At age 67, Chinas president and general secretary Xi Jinping is a dyed-in-the-wool communist despot who hides his connivances behind an immotile and disarming smile. Today, from aircraft carriers and ICBMs to shirts and face masks, China has stripped our government, private sector, and research institutions of its most precious intellectual property. Much of it was simply there for the taking, surrendered in the hope of distributing and weakening Soviet military power across two fronts, or to advance an American government or corporate overseas interest. Some of it has been expropriated slow and methodically from inside America through classic spycraft, sexspionage, and other extortionate plots for recruitment. United States senators Eric Swalwell and Diane Feinstein, Hunter Biden, and perhaps the Biden family en masse, offer both unwitting and witting examples, respectively, of their triumphs. The Democrat establishment and its media hacks have turned a blinds eye to the wholesale infiltration of the CCP into our social order. Wall Street has been long complicit in these Machiavellian intrigues, always willing to bootlick a regime that holds business opportunities and investments hostage to continued displays of friendship and the occasional ask for a White House intervention. Years of fingerpointing at the Russians and chasing ghostly Bolshevik plots has diverted our attention and allowed China to slither in the back door and pillage our economy and security on an industrial scale. In the first sentence of a recent article, the New York Times downplayed a Pew survey reporting the rise of American public opinion against China. They opened by extolling Xi Jinpings success in fighting the coronavirus and later referred to him as proudly authoritarian. It is no small coincidence that Carlos Slim, a Mexican billionaire with one-fifth ownership of the Gray Lady, has close corporate ties to the CCP and has toiled on their behalf against Trump administration moves to prevent semiconductor sales to Huawei, a 5G communications company with strong connections to the CCP. Huawei smartphones and China apps such as Tiktok and WeChat make American consumers vulnerable to spying and data breaches. The CCP and Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), its military arm, operate within the United States on campuses and research companies through student and professional organizations with innocuous names such as the United Front, Thousand Talents, and Confucius institutes. Their mission on behalf of the CCP include co-opting Chinese-Americans, suppressing anti-China activism and rhetoric, and recruiting American technologists and scientists for all-expenses-paid teaching and research fellowships to China. Longer-term covert operations involve the infiltration of spies into political campaigns and the sexual entrapment of susceptible government officials and policy makers. A good deal of the CCP and PLAs campus work in America exploits Chinese student organizations and various friendship committees, such as the Confucius Institutes. The academia watchdog National Association of Scholars has reported that 67 Institutes exist on college campuses across the United States, down from 103 in 2017. Many are in the process of closing as President Trump recently branded them as foreign missions operating under the aegis of the CCP and revealing a soft academic power and influence in the classroom and on the curricula. For the CCP, brainwashing begins in childhood. The NAS found seven Confucius Institutes located in K-12 school districts in Florida, Illinois, Texas, Utah, Kentucky, and Nevada. They represent a larger effort by the CCP, working with the scholastic testing and placement nonprofit College Board, to help design teacher-training programs, and inculcate China language and culture courses into the broader elementary and high school curricula. It has also been reported that there are 39 separate investigations involving criminal ties to China by university professors, students, and researchers, wherein China military and intelligence affiliations were purposely omitted from job applications or outright espionage and technology transfer has occurred. Most China observers agree that investigations are only representative of those who have been caught. The actual number of compromised academic faculty and students may run to the thousands. American flagship companies operating in China must agree to Faustian bargains with the CCP. Vintage examples involve the production and sale of smartphones. Apple and Googles obsession with consumer privacy protections has brought about unilateral and heavy-handed denials for encrypted phone records by American law enforcement, even when cops are presenting a judicially authorized search warrant. Both companies operate with moral turpitude in sales to the surveillance states of Russia and China, where tapping into the cell phone conversations of their citizens is rampant. Apple has even provided the CCP with iCloud data and encryption keys as the price of doing business in their country. Companies such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Qualcomm, and Boeing have satellites in China that are thoroughly compromised by groups of loyal CCP members who provide the inside scoop on company goings-on and insights on technology advances. In America, a Raytheon engineer was arrested for espionage, as well as a former CIA employee. The list goes on and on. More recently, a federal indictment asserted that the California-based teleconferencing company, Zoom, was passing along user data and accounts on Chinese dissidents living in the United States. The company allowed the interception of their online meetings and for calls to be shut down when conversations turned to events such as the Tiananmen Square massacre or the oppression of the Uighurs. Facebook employs China nationals in their hate speech department to help design algorithms that will recognize and censor disagreeable political content. These algorithms comport with CCP goals to sow the seeds of racial division in America. Recent changes to the formula to achieve thought control target anti-black comments for quick removal, while anti-white comments receive low priority. American intelligence agencies have identified well over 250,000 Twitter accounts whose content does the bidding of the CCP. Until warned by the government, these innumerable China propaganda bots have been allowed to propagate online. In May 2020, Twitter was quick to dismiss a U.S. State Department report alleging that the CCP used Twitter accounts to disseminate a misinformation campaign about the pandemic. As we put 2020 in the rear-view mirror, there isnt much left that can shock the sensibilities of Americans. America has polarized into two camps over statue-toppling, campus Marxism over free speech, a global pandemic, nationwide rioting and looting in the midst of state lockdowns, and a presidential election so blatantly rife with fraud that Democrats can only argue its scope and effect, not its existence. With few exceptions, these hijinks can be pinned on a criminal bloc at work within the Democrat axis, all of whom, from party functionaries down to their gothic street urchins, have by and large acted with license and without legal consequence. Every day, we learn more and more of Chinas hidden hand in these events. Donald Trump has been the first American president to put an end to a half-century of American appeasement and preferential trade policies with China. For four years, he faced considerable internal opposition from bipartisan political hacks and industry leaders long duped by the CCP. At first blush, Joe Bidens national security picks are Obama retreads with a fond heart and a weak handshake for confronting the Peoples Republic. The excitement of the CCP at the apparent election of Joe Biden can best be summed up in this quote from the China Global Times, praising that the new policy team is a group of elites [who are] very predictable in foreign policy with a multilateral mindset that will help restore U.S. leadership and strengthen ties with allies. Any good news for China portends bad news for America. A majority of Americans didnt vote for that. Image: Sodacan Scary situation in Sleaze Scummit and reports of more local gunfire betwixt suspect and law enforcement. Check the round-up . . . LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - Troopers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol shot a suspect Monday night at the agency's local headquarters in Lee's Summit, officials say. MSHP's Troop A, which covers the Kansas City region, said a suspect was shot, and no officers were injured at Troop A Headquarters, located near Lee's Summit High School. Son of Agung is bringing their big, funky, soulful beats and smooth-as-honey dexterous delivery to Melbourne, at a time when the restorative power of live hip hop is more necessary than ever. The project of West Melbourne singer/songwriter Agung Mango (Jordan Agung Oka Wardana) and producer Nikodimos (Nikodimos Millman Paleologoudias), Son of Agung is accompanied by a live band to play their recently released, self-titled nine-track EP in full. Twice over. Son of Agung is, left, producer Nikodimos Millman Paleologoudias and Jordan Agung Oka Wardana. "People need to sit down and listen to a good, quality body of music," said Mango. "You're gonna hear melodic groans, there's rap, there's auto-tune songs, there's live instrumentation, there's boppy beats, heavy drums. Its a very heavy, live project, a soundscape that combines this Balinese rapper going crazy over jazzy, funky, hip-hop beats." Agung Mango has an exceptional skill for hip-hop beats and rhymes in common with fellow experimental hip-hop artists like Sampa The Great and Remi Kolawole while also being influenced by his Balinese heritage. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close In less than seven weeks of war last fall, fighting over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, known to Armenians as Artsakh, cost thousands of lives and created tens of thousands of refugees. It also left a wealth of Christian monuments in the balance. Below is a photo slideshow of the six sites most at risk as their final status and access is still being negotiated. But first, a summary of why Armenians fear the fate of their heritage. The mountainous region, smaller than the state of Delaware, has historically been home to a majority Armenian population. During the Soviet Union, it had been given special status as an autonomous oblasta semi-independent regionplaced within the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. Putting an Armenian Christian region within the borders of an Azeri Muslim country was no accident. It was part of Josef Stalins divide and conquer strategy in the 1920s, deliberately drawing Soviet borders that would foment ethnic tension and make smaller republics easier to control. The Armenians, who were the first to declare Christianity as their national religion in A.D. 301, had a heritage of ancient churches, monasteries, and cross-stones dotting the landscape of Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1991, just before the Soviet Union collapsed, the majority Armenian population of the region voted for independence and declared their own independent state. It accelerated violent tensions with their Azeri neighbors, resulting in an all-out war from 1992 to 1994. Scores were killed on both sides. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis were displaced from their homes in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. The two peoples, many of them longtime neighbors and friends, no longer trusted each other enough for peaceful coexistence. On November 10, 2020, the two sides arrived at a ceasefire which split Nagorno-Karabakh into two territories: one controlled by Azerbaijan, the other controlled by ethnic Armenians. Alongside the devastating toll of human life and personal loss, it left panicked Armenians wondering: What will happen to the churches now left on the Azeri side? Given the long history of vandalism and destruction of Armenian churches within Azerbaijan and Turkey, many scholars, historians, and clergy have raised alarm over heritage protection. The coming months and years will determine whether these churches remain intact, after centuries of worship by Armenian faithful. Here are six sacred sites, located in territories now given to Azerbaijan, that concern Armenian Christians most: 6. St. Yeghishe Arakyal Monastery Location: Martakert/Aghdara [in Armenian/in Azeri] This ancient monastery was built in the fourth century. The complex comprises the church, seven chapels, a cemetery, and ruins of other buildings. The location is almost inaccessible over the hilly terrain, but the view is breathtaking. Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian 5. Ktich Monastery Location: Togh/Tugh The ancient church of Ktchavank from between the ninth and tenth centuries was one of the large spiritual centers of eastern Armenia. Located at the foot of Mount Toghasar, near the ancient residence of Arstakh princes, the church bears a close resemblance to the architectural style of Ani, the capital city of Bagratid, Armenia. Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian 4. St. John the Baptist Church Location: Shushi/Shusha Commonly known as Kanach Jam (Green Dome) and built in 1818 on the site of a wooden church, its interior is a graceful, unified, and light-filled space dominated by a dome on pendentives (triangular construction devices that allow round domes to soar over square rooms). Over the entrance to the chapel is an inscription from 1847: Babayan Stepanos Hovhannes. In the memory of his deceased brother Mkrtych. Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian 3. Holy Savior Cathedral Location: Shushi/Shusha Completed in 1887 and known as Ghazanchetsots in honor of the people who built it, this cathedral is considered a modern architectural masterpiece. Missile fire pierced its rooftop during the first two weeks of fighting during the 2020 war. Sheathed in stone, capped with tall umbrella roofs, and ornamented with crosses, angels, and other sculptures, it is a beautifully coherent synthesis of age-old Armenian building traditions. Rising some 115 feet from its base to the tip of its cupola, it is also one of the largest Armenian churches constructed in the world. Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian 2. Tzitzernavank Location: Berdzor/Lachin Dating from the fifth or sixth century, this church in the province of Lachin is an extraordinary example of an intact Early Christian basilica. The inscriptions found around the churchbearing the names of parents, children, and other individuals patronschronicle a veritable history book of the region. A khachkar (cross-stone) from before the 10th century has an Armenian inscription asking Christ to Remember the prayers of your servant, the undeserving Grigor, for his beloved brother Azat. Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian 1. Dadivank Monastery Location: Karvarjar/Kalbajar Also known as Khutavankthe monastery on the hillthis is the burial site of Saint Dadi, one of the disciples of Thaddeus, who together with Bartholomew evangelized in Armenia during the first century. The constructions at the site date from the ninth to 13th centuries and are not only important examples of medieval architecture but also preserve more than 100 Armenian inscriptions, as well as bas-relief sculptures and frescoes. The monastic complex is extensive, one of the largest known from medieval Armenia. Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Image: Hrair Hawk Khatcherian Christina Maranci is professor of Armenian art and architecture at Tufts University. CTs previous coverage of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be found here. The Australian government has faced calls from its own coalition and the opposition Labor Party to pressure the administration of US President Donald Trump to end the prosecution of Julian Assange after a UK court rejected a request to extradite the founder of WikiLeaks to the United States, The Guardian reported. After the US government announced its plans to appeal the court decision, Assange's supporters in the Australian coalition George Christensen and independent South Australian Senator Rex Patrick said a pardon of Donald Trump is the best way to end this saga, the newspaper notes. The Labor Party did not go so far as to demand a pardon for Assange, but said the country's government should do everything in its power to draw a line on this issue and urge the US government to close the issue. In this regard, Australian PM Scott Morrison said that the decision of the UK court in the Assange case could be appealed. According to Morrison, the Australian government is not a party to the process but will continue to come up with offers of consular assistance to its citizen, which is Julian Assange. In turn, FM Marise Payne said that Australia will continue to respect the current legal process. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday the state is prepared for the coronavirus vaccination and doses would be administered to healthcare, frontline workers and those above 50 years of age on a priority basis. He added that the state government would abide by the Centres guidelines and conduct the vaccination effectively. Were prepared for Covid-19 vaccination in Bihar. It will be given to the healthcare workers, frontline workers and people above 50 years on priority. We will be following the central guideline & will conduct the vaccination effectively, Kumar said while speaking to reporters. Also Read| 20 more people in India test positive for new UK Covid-19 strain; total reaches 58 Earlier, the chief minister asked health officials to keep up the high rate of testing. Reviewing the functioning of the states health department, Kumar further told officials that vaccination drive should be accomplished with all alertness in accordance with the pulse polio drive which saw Bihar getting rid of the disease. We're prepared for COVID19 vaccination in Bihar. It'll be given to the healthcare workers, frontline workers & people above 50 years on priority. We'll be following the central guideline & will conduct the vaccination effectively: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pic.twitter.com/WZetTClyKE ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 The state cabinet on December 15 had approved the inoculation of the entire population free of cost once the vaccine becomes available. Bihar has registered nearly 254,000 coronavirus cases till now of which 1,408 people have died and 247,484 have recovered, according to the Union health ministrys dashboard. Also Read| India reports 16,375 fresh Covid-19 cases, 201 deaths Schools and colleges in the state opened on Monday after a gap of more than nine months. Physical classes have been allowed for students of classes 9-12 and for final year students in colleges. However, Education department principal secretary Sanjay Kumar told news agency PTI that the classes would operate only at half the strength of total students and all Covid-19 protocols would have to be followed strictly. Meanwhile, the Union health ministry during a press briefing on Tuesday said that the total active cases in India were less than 250,000 and continued to decline. Forty-four per cent of active cases are in hospital with moderate or severe symptoms needing regular care. Fifty-six per cent of cases are very mild or asymptomatic & are in home isolation. The overall burden on health delivery structure declined appreciably on account of Covid in India, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said. Microsoft co-founder and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chairman Bill Gates has appreciated India's efforts against coronavirus after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India is all set to launch the world's biggest vaccination drive against coronavirus. Gates said India is a leader in innovation and manufacturing capability. "It's great to see India's leadership in scientific innovation and vaccine manufacturing capability as the world works to end the COVID-19 pandemic," he tweeted. The Prime Minister on Monday said India is proud of the contributions of its scientists and technicians in the fight against coronavirus and that the world's largest coronavirus vaccination drive is all set to begin in India. Also read: COVID-19 pandemic has taken global health progress back by 25 years: Gates Foundation Modi, during the inauguration of National Atomic Timescale and Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya at the National Metrology Conclave via a video-conferencing, said: "Today, India is among the top 50 countries in global innovation ranking. The collaboration between industry and institutions is being strengthened in India," Prime Minister Modi added. The PM's remarks came a day after India's drug regulator approved two COVID-19 vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin for restricted emergency use. Oxford-AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine Covishield is a Recombinant Chimpanzee Adenovirus vector vaccine. It is being manufactured by Serum Institute of India. It is found to be 70.42 per cent efficient. The Bharat Biotech vaccine, developed in collaboration with ICMR and NIV (Pune) is a Whole Virion Inactivated coronavirus vaccine. The company received the regulatory approval based on initial trial data, though it's yet to conclude the Phase III efficacy trial. As part of India's mega vaccination plan, around 30 crore priority groups will be vaccinated first. As per top government officials, the Centre aims to vaccinate 30 crore people from priority groups first. These 30 crore Indians come from three groups - 1 crore healthcare providers, 2 crore frontline workers and 27 crore people over 50 and under 50 with co-morbidities. Also read: India's role in coronavirus vaccine production critical in combating pandemic: Bill Gates Repairing damage from remote learning on Legislature's plate It might be a new year, but remote learning isnt over. As the legislature enters a new session, students are leaving the classroom. Learning is back online in many of the states major districts. Learning loss is reaching historic highs, and lawmakers want to make sure students arent left behind. The Republican majority cant reopen classrooms without the votes to override Gov. Roy Cooper. They have pushed for in-person learning in the past, but the decision remains in the hands of the governor and local districts. But they can target learning loss and pursue other reforms to school funding, teacher pay, and school choice. Remote learning was a disaster. Roughly 19% of students stopped attending classes regularly. State officials expect fewer students to graduate or advance to the next grade. The damage will last years, and experts fear it will ripple out into the economy. We dont know the severity of the learning loss, said Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation director of education studies. But disadvantaged students are more likely to fall behind academically. Theyre less likely to graduate and pursue post-secondary education. Theres long-term harm if they dont reach or exceed grade level in reading and math. The state needs a plan to combat learning loss. Lawmakers should consider extending the school day or school year, as well as offering school choice dollars for tutoring and remedial education, said Stoops. Many of our educators are doing the best they can, theres no substitute for being in the classroom with kids, said Rep. Ashton Clemmons, D-Guilford. In this time of limited resources, we want to make sure that we use them effectively. Whatever plan is developed will be competing for scarce dollars. The economy cant support large increases in teacher pay, and state revenue is expected to be tight, says Stoops. Its a big year, with a lot of uncertainty ahead, Stoops said. Any plan thats developed to address learning loss may come in conflict with the realities of the budget. Thats the overarching issue here: the budget is going to dictate what the General Assembly can and cant do. Cooper and Republicans will likely continue sparring over school choice, teacher pay and education funding. The latest budget plan was a casualty of the stalemate over teacher pay and Medicaid expansion. Cooper attacked school choice in his August plan. He proposed cutting $85 million from the Opportunity Scholarship program but pushed to spend $360 million to give public school teachers a $2,000 bonus. But while the parties fight over how much to spend, researchers hope lawmakers will reform how the money is spent in the first place. The current school funding model is broken. It dates to the Great Depression and is as opaque as it is old. The funding formulas are so confusing it takes administrators two years to understand them. North Carolinas funding system is a very top-down, restrictive model, said Aaron Smith, Reason Foundation director of education policy. Now, more than ever, this pandemic has highlighted the need to abandon the antiquated funding model and adopt a model that pushes flexible dollars down to school districts. Lawmakers should make sure the money follows the students, Smith said. He hopes reforming school funding would help districts combat learning loss and make spending more efficient in tight budget years. Theres no silver bullet, Smith said. But if you give them the power to align spending with student needs, at least theyll be more responsive to student needs, and put the power in the hands of educators. One day after being sworn into office, Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano ousted two commanders held over from former Sheriff Al Cannon's tenure. Capt. Roger Antonio, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, confirmed Tuesday that Chief Deputy Willis Beatty and Lt. David Willoughby "will not be commissioned under Sheriff Graziano." Beatty oversaw operations at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center and has been employed by the Sheriff's Office since 1990. Willoughby was a polygraph examiner employed by the Sheriff's Office since 1988, according to Antonio and Sheriff's Office records. Graziano told The Post and Courier on Tuesday she doesn't terminate people, but that the commanders were not recommissioned. "We're moving in a new direction," she said, pointing to her initiative to diversify senior staff. The departures come after Graziano criticized Cannons leadership and command staff during her campaign and the transition phase for what she called poor leadership practices and lack of diversity. On Nov. 4 when he conceded the race, Cannon said he hoped the new sheriff would keep his experienced team in place, saying they were professionals who'd built up the skills needed to run the office's complex operations. Firings and demotions would send a bad message to agency employees and the community, Cannon said. At the time, Graziano responded briefly, saying she believed the issue of personnel was being handled and that "the purging" was already happening because people were leaving the agency. Weeks later, an email from then-Assistant Sheriff Mitch Lucas, who has since stepped down, was leaked in which Cannon's second-in-command accused Graziano of failing to reassure staff they'd still be employed when she took office. Cannon maintained he didnt know Lucas would send the email, but said the sentiment behind it was understandable. Sheriffs in South Carolina have broad powers over hiring and firing, which Charleston County saw when Cannon placed Graziano on leave in February, saying her candidacy against him undermined his authority. Cannon is a Republican; Graziano a Democrat. She collected 52 percent of the vote in November out of 216,000 cast. A trip to the local swimming pool has ended in tragedy after two boys were killed when they were mowed down by a car as two other young children and a woman fight for life in hospital. The small close-knit town of Wellington in central-west NSW, south-east of Dubbo has been rocked by the horror high-speed crash on Tuesday afternoon. Two boys aged six and seven died at the scene while two other boys aged nine and 10 and a woman, 34, were seriously injured after the group of five pedestrians were struck by red Holden sedan, police say. They are understood to be from the same family. The driver fled from the scene on foot after the group were hit while walking home along a footpath after a swim at Wellington Aquatic Leisure Centre, which is not far from the crash site. A 25-year-old Wellington man was arrested later on Tuesday night after allegedly trying to run from police. Two boys were killed while another two were injured after a red Holden sedan (pictured) ploughed into them in a school holiday tragedy in central-west NSW, police say He was taken to Dubbo Hospital for mandatory blood and urine tests and is now assisting with officers' inquiries at the local police station. No charges have been laid as of early Wednesday morning. The woman was airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition. The 10-year-old boy sustained serious leg injuries and was airlifted to The Children's Hospital at Westmead and is undergoing surgery. Four boys and a woman were walking home from Wellington Aquatic Leisure Centre (pictured) when a car ploughed into them on the same street The nine-year-old boy suffered minor injuries and was taken to Orange Base Hospital. Emergency services have described the tragic scenes as confronting. 'Obviously it's tragic circumstances for the entire community and our thoughts are completely with the family and friends of the little ones involved and also the rest of the community of Wellington,' Acting Police Superintendent Inspector Natalie Antaw said. 'Obviously a scene like that is horrific for anybody.' 'It's a tragedy for the families involved and we'll be making sure we take care of our own staff and others who have witnessed this tragic incident.' 'It's one of those jobs where you sometimes wish your arms were a little bit longer so you can wrap them around all your staff," she said. A man was later arrested and is assisting with police inquiries after a car (pictured) mowed down four boys and a woman walking home from the local pool, police say The group was walking on the grass when a car ploughed into them at around 4.30pm, police say. Pictured is the scene in Warne Street Wellington Wellington is a small close-knit community with a population of less than 5,000. 'These types of incidents are shocking for all emergency services and witnesses involved,' NSW Ambulance Zone Manager Superintendent Andrew DeGabriel said in a statement. 'We were confronted with an absolutely devastating scene in Wellington. 'It's heartbreaking for this to happen to such a small community.' Acting Police Superintendent Inspector Natalie Antaw (pictured) described the incident as a tragedy for the Wellington community Police officers (pictured) remain at the scene in Warne Street, Wellington on Tuesday night, which will be examined by Crash Investigation Unit detectives Acting Superintendent Antaw described the emergency service response to the incident as a team effort, where a police officer drove an ambulance so paramedics could focus on treating one of the patients. Officers from Orana Mid-Western Police established a crime scene, which will be examined by Crash Investigation Unit detectives, who arrived in Wellington late Wednesday night. Footage from the cordoned off scene shows strewn personal belongings and a damaged fence. The red Holden sedan with P-plates remain wedged between the damaged gate. Retired police officer and local resident Herb Smith raced outside to chaotic scenes after hearing screaming outside his home. 'I came out the front after hearing screams and found the car had mounted the footpath... people were milling everywhere, lots screaming, shouting and hysterical crying going on,' he told the Daily Telegraph. A woman and one of the boys were airlifted to hospital in Sydney. Pictured is one of the rescue helicopters leaving the scene Police at the tragic scene in Wellington in central-west NSW, where two boys died after being hit by a Holden sedan (pictured) 'I didn't know the kids involved but scenes like this one, which I used to attend as an investigating officer, are particularly upsetting.' Dubbo mayor Ben Shields described Wellington as family-orientated. He said the council will provide police with CCTV from the pool and other public venues in the vicinity. 'Something like this will be devastating for a very long time,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'It's one of those awful things in a small town, in a very small community where everyone knows everyone, a tragedy like this will be felt for many years.' Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. At least 13 ambulances (pictured) were dispatched to the confronting scene on Tuesday afternoon The tragedy comes almost 12 months since three siblings and their cousin were mowed down and killed in Oatlands in western Sydney. Samuel William Davidson, 30, was on a cocktail of alcohol, cocaine and MDMA when he killed siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 9, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11 on February 1 last year. Three others were injured on their way to buy ice-creams at a local supermarket. Davidson will be sentenced in March after he recently pleaded guilty to four manslaughter charges. Three weeks after the first health care workers in Connecticut received the first round of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the second doses began Monday amid concerns over the vaccine rollout. Efforts to distribute the vaccine have hit supply snags elsewhere in the country. In Florida, for example, seniors formed long lines and in some cases camped out overnight hoping to get inoculated against the virus, the Associated Press reported. Connecticut reached 75,180 people vaccinated, Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday health care workers, medical first responders and nursing home residents making the state one of the first eight in the nation to vaccinate 2 percent of its population. The state has received about 167,000 doses, he said. Lamont and members of his administration downplayed concerns about the rollout, including decisions about which groups will be next to receive doses. Most of the states with 2 percent completed have smaller populations, the governor pointed out. For us its a little more complicated as a very dense state with a lot of people, Lamont said during his regular news briefing from the Capitol. To date, working with hospitals and working with nursing homes, weve had pretty good success. Positive rate down, hospitalizations up On Monday, New York officials announced the first case of a more infectious variant of the virus first identified in the United Kingdom. It was found in a man in his 60s who works in Saratoga Springs, the Associated Press reported. Connecticut has not seen a case of that strain, which is more contagious, but the acting commissioner of public health said she would not be surprised when it happens. State health officials reported 4,516 new cases of the disease Monday. The positivity rate among 85,344 new tests stood at 5.3 percent for Sunday and Monday. That continues a recent downward trend and brings the 7-day average to 6.6 percent of tests showing COVID-19 lower than surrounding states. A net 55 more patients were in hospitals with COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,111. Another 69 fatalities attributed to the illness brought the statewide death toll to 6,168, two days after Connecticut passed the 6,000-death threshold. Vaccinations were also set to begin at assisted living facilities Monday, Lamont said. Vaccinations at long-term care locations are done by CVS and Walgreens. State officials did not have a count of nursing home residents and staff who had received the vaccines, nor of those who declined to take it. Around the state, more than 85 sites are now administering the vaccines, with pharmacies to be added in the coming weeks. Lamont said that will make it easier for residents to get the vaccine on a retail basis. Trying to avoid problems The allocation subcommittee of the governors vaccine advisory group plans to meet Tuesday to discuss who will receive the vaccine next after health care workers and nursing homes. To avert problems such as those in Florida, Lamont said Connecticut plans to register people to get their shot online or by phone. If we find we do have additional vaccine, well open up the lens a little bit more either in terms of age groups, demographics or other front-line responders to make sure that every drop of that vaccine is administered on a timely basis, he said. I dont want to leave anything to chance and I dont want to leave anybody behind. In Middletown, Mayor Ben Florsheim and 11 other officials were vaccinated Thursday using a dozen doses that would have spoiled otherwise, according to the mayors office. The move met with some criticism from a member of the city Common Council who said he believes officials should follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on who is prioritized for the vaccine. Hartford HealthCare employees led the way Monday morning, getting their second doses during a ceremony at the Connecticut Convention Center. The hospital system gave employees the first round of vaccines 21 days ago. No side effects The first Hartford HealthCare employee to roll up his sleeve for a second dose was Keith Grant, senior system director of infection prevention at Hartford Healthcare. Before getting his shot, Grant said he and others believe in the vaccines ability to help end the COVID-19 pandemic. This is what we do believe will ... completely flatten the curve, he said. Grant said he had no side effects after getting his first shot, and was eager to get his second. After Grant received his second dose, there was a chorus of cheers and applause from the audience. Most of the employees vaccinated Monday were from Hartford Hospital, which is part of Hartford HealthCare as is St. Vincents Medical Center in Bridgeport. There were no St. Vincents employees among those getting vaccinated Monday, but the hospital was slated to begin its second round of vaccinations Tuesday morning. Yale New Haven Hospital spokesman Mark DAntonio said the hospitals first five employees to get vaccinated are scheduled to receive their second vaccines starting Tuesday. The second round of vaccination will continue through this week, he said. Stamford Hospital employees also are expected to start receiving their second doses of vaccine this week. According to Bloombergs vaccine tracker, about 4.33 million doses had been administered in the United States as of Sunday night. Smaller state, easier task? Connecticut has administered slightly more than half of the total vaccine doses it has received, putting it fourth in the country, according to Bloombergs vaccine tracker. In the Hartford HealthCare system, about 13,500 people had been vaccinated as of Sunday said Eric Arlia, system director of pharmacy for Hartford HealthCare. He said he expects vaccinations to increase now that the holidays are over. Michael Urban, director of occupational therapy at the University of New Haven said Connecticut is in a better position to distribute vaccine efficiently than other states. Our state is state very small compared to other states and, within Connecticut we have two large organizations that employ a large number of the health care workers, he said, referring to Yale New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare. He also mentioned that other states have not been able to distribute their vaccines as efficiently, due to poor state planning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole. The country has not had a clear direction [throughout] this whole pandemic, thus each state has been left to their own agenda, Urban said. We have seen regions in the South and [Midwest] to be slower to adopt many of the practices that the Northeast and West Coast have implemented. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. In line with Iraqs currently perilous finances and with its future target of increasing crude oil production to 7 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2027 at the latest, Baghdad last week announced plans to boost southern crude oil export capacity by 72 percent within the next three years. In this vein it signed a US$2.625 billion deal with South Koreas Daewoo Engineering & Construction (Daewoo E&C) to build out the Al-Fao main export depot to the south of Basra. In broad terms, Iraqs Undersecretary for Extraction Affairs at the Oil Ministry, Karim Hattab, affirmed the Ministrys renewed intention to increase the storage capacity at Al-Fao to 24 storage tanks, each of 58 thousand cubic metres (around 365,000 barrels), for a total capacity of around 8.76 million barrels. This would add to the six storage tanks already in place and is to all intents and purposes a reiteration and expansion - of the original crude oil export infrastructure build-out plan that was about to be launched before Islamic State (IS) began to run riot across Iraq from 2006. At that time, the Oil Ministry had realistic plans in place to construct at least a further 12 full-time operational storage tanks and blending facilities in and around Al-Fao by the end of 2016, with the longer-term target being the 24 storage tanks and 8 million bpd+ targets above. Although Iraqs crude oil export routes to the North, and into mainland Europe via the Turkish port of Ceyhan, appears theoretically the better export option, the practical political considerations involved render the theory obsolete. The original Kirkuk to Ceyhan Pipeline, also called the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (ITP), consisted of two pipes, which theoretically had a nameplate capacity of 1.6 million bpd combined (1.1 million bpd for the 46 inch diameter pipe, and 0.5 million bpd for the 40 inch one). Even before IS entered the picture though this pipeline was subject to repeated and ongoing attacks by various militant groups in the region. This led to the government of Iraqs semi-autonomous Kurdistan region the KRG to oversee the completion of a single side track, from the Taq Taq field through Khurmala. This also runs into the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in the border town of Fishkhabur, with a nameplate capacity of 0.7 million bpd, which was then increased to 1 million bpd. Further complicated by the ongoing disagreement with the KRG over the budget-for-oil deal originally struck in 2014, Baghdad instead planned to renovate and re-open the Federal Government-owned oil pipeline section that runs from Kirkuk to Ceyhan, bypassing any Kurd control, before its finances dried up. Related: Oil Surprisingly Steady Since 2020 Negative Price Disaster Such a build-out of export facilities in Al-Fao aligns with the fact that virtually all export efforts in the Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) run from Baghdad are focussed on the Basra facility in the south. To get to Basra, oil is moved via internal pipelines but these have previously been found to be unsound and in need of upgrading, according to Richard Bronze, cross-energy analyst for Energy Aspects, in London. From there, oil makes its way into the Al-Fao main export depot, where it is stored and blended. Here again, though, there has not been adequate investment [in the past] and anything over current levels of oil coming in has not been sustainable, meaning that oil supplies have been backed before up in the oil fields themselves, which has led to production bottlenecks, he told OilPrice.com. Previously, this also held up the roll-out of the Iraqs new oil grade Basrah Medium that was to have added to the revenue streams generated by the existing Basrah Heavy and Basrah Light. Once past Al-Fao, the situation is slightly more efficient as Al-Fao pumps the oil to the single-point moorings (SPMs) there are now five, with four in constant use whilst the other undergoes regular maintenance and there has been some expansion in the capacity of the existing offshore terminals at Khor al-Amaya (KAAOT) and Al-Basrah (ABOT). In the same context of dramatically increasing its oil export capabilities, Iraq late in 2020 signed an agreement with Dutch marine construction firm, Royal Boskalis Westminster, to build an artificial island south of the ABOT terminal in the Persian Gulf, with the new artificial island project to be located 4 nautical miles south of the ABOT. An export terminal would be attached to the island, and include four jetties, which would have loading facilities for up to four very large crude carriers at a time, each capable of holding up to 320,000 deadweight tonnage. Related: Big Oils Renewables Push Will Come At A Cost This contract announcement came shortly after the Oil Ministry stated hat discussions were well advanced with BP and ENI to run a US$400 million project to replace two old seabed pipelines, including one feeding the other main offshore terminal at the KAAOT terminal. The tenders for the broader plans to add another 1.8 million bpd of pipeline capacity from Al-Fao to the ABOT terminal were preliminarily planned to have taken place towards the end of 2020. They were, however, postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to later this year. On its own, when completed, the Sea Line 3 export pipeline project would add at least 700,000 bpd to Iraqs southern export capacity. This said, the US$2.625 billion deal with South Koreas Daewoo E&C agreed last week will realistically move forward the first phase of the new Al-Fao developments. The South Korean company will handle the construction work - including building five berths to unload ships and a yard for containers and will also carry out dredging and drilling works to create an access navigation channel, according to a statement last week from Farhan al-Fartousi, director general at Iraqs General Company for Ports. He added that Phase One should allow the port to receive three million containers, and all the construction work should be finished in around four years. This will allow Iraq to end its reliance on the port of Umm Qasr for the loading and unloading of very large crude carriers and similarly large vessels. The port of Umm Qasr, it should be noted, was recently cited by U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus when she announced new sanctions against 20 Iran- and Iraq-based entities for funnelling money to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) - as a key Iraqi conduit through which Iran smuggles petroleum out into the global oil market. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Ashton Kutcher was the bearer of good tidings on Monday to his That 70s Show co-star Topher Grace. Kutcher, 42, replied to a tweet Grace wrote believing the show's Tanya Roberts had died, after her rep mistakenly said over the weekend before retracting the statement on Monday. Grace, 42, had tweeted kind words about their That 70s Show costar earlier Monday. The latest: Ashton Kutcher, 42, was the bearer of good tidings on Monday to his That 70s Show co-star Topher Grace, 42, when he informed him that the show's Tanya Roberts had not died 'I was so sad to hear that Tanya Roberts has passed away,' he said. 'She was a Bond girl, one of Charlies Angels, and truly a delightful person to work with. I had never acted before and, to be honest, a little nervous around her. But she couldnt have been kinder. Well miss you Midge.' He wrote, 'yo bro she's not dead,' after which the actors exchanged memes from the show expressing their relief on Roberts' condition. He also tweeted at the show's Debra Jo Rupp, who wrote, 'Tanya had a big deep hearty laugh. She was all instinct and beauty. In the first season of 70's we had a scene in the kitchen, drinking cocktails and laughing together. 'She laughed, spit her drink in my face, apologized profusely and did it 3 more times.I loved her. RIP beauty,' to which Kutcher replied, 'dj she's still alive.' The update on Tanya Roberts (pictured in 2007) comes more than a week after she was hospitalized December 24 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles Details: Grace had tweeted kind words about their That 70s Show costar earlier Monday. The actors exchanged memes from the show expressing their relief on Roberts' condition Kutcher, who shares kids Wyatt, six, and Dimitri, four, with wife Mila Kunis, 37, (also an alum of That '70s Show) helped spread the word after her publicist Mike Pingel told CNN Monday that Roberts is still alive, attributing the mistake to a miscommunication with her partner Lance O'Brien. The update on Roberts comes more than a week after she was hospitalized December 24 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. O'Brien later told TMZ he had made a faulty assumption based on Roberts being in bad condition, but did not talk to doctors before he spoke with her rep. As part of ongoing efforts to reduce the COVID-19 risk to aircrew, Air New Zealand will re-route its North America flights to allow aircrew to overnight in Honolulu rather than Los Angeles or San Francisco. From Monday, January 11, aircrew on all cargo flights between New Zealand and the United States will overnight in Honolulu. North America passenger services will be routed via Honolulu from February 2. The changes mean flights from New Zealand will make a brief stop in Honolulu to change crew before continuing onto Los Angeles or San Francisco. Aircrew operating into those ports will then remain airside and operate the return flight to Honolulu where there will be a further crew change to operate back to New Zealand. Re-routing North American flights through Honolulu means aircrew can overnight in a lower risk destination while still maintaining vital connections into North America. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says operating in a pandemic means the airline is constantly assessing the risks to its people and operation. "While its important to keep trade routes open and passenger services operating for our customers, looking after our people is our first priority. "Id like to thank everyone who has helped us to move so quickly in re-routing our flights, from officials in New Zealand and the United States, to our ground partners and our teams who have worked through the holiday break to make this happen." Air New Zealand has worked closely with the unions representing aircrew to progress these operational changes rapidly for the safety and wellbeing of those aircrew operating into high risk destinations. The airline also continues to work closely with the Government and Ministry of Health officials on safe travel protocols to protect employees, customers and the community. Air New Zealand currently operates eight cargo and two passenger and cargo services per week between New Zealand and Los Angeles in addition to four cargo services between New Zealand and San Francisco and one cargo service from Australia to North America. Customers will not be able to end their journey in Honolulu. The airline will be contacting cargo customers and passengers affected by the changes in flights directly. President Donald Trump, through his actions and inaction, has seen his approval rating plummet since the election, which has the potential to drag down the candidacies of Sens. David Perdue and Senator Kelly Loeffler. Now Trump has called the two Senate elections illegal and invalid is a series of New Years Day tweets, bound to be bad news for the Republican Party. At a Washington DC rally on Dec. 12, 2020, MAGA supporters rallied, but turned the get-together into an anti-Republican event. Newsweek claimed that in a speech before the group, conservative commentator Nick Fuentes allegedly said [W]ere done making promises. We are going to destroy the GOP. The crowd allegedly chanted Destroy the GOP repeatedly. Then Fuentes allegedly said The GOP wants us to hold the line and vote for RINOs like Davie Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia Senate runoffs, a line that was allegedly followed by a chorus of boos, according to Newsweek. The only good news for the Republicans that day was that event attendance was well-short of the billed Million MAGA March. When Trump came to Georgia last time, he focused on himself, with Perdues and Loefflers message drowned out in the noise, according to Forbes. During that rally, Trump even allegedly admitted he didnt like doing rallies for others. Now pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood, who allegedly said Republicans should boycott the election (according to Politico), has now allegedly called for Perdue and Loeffler to be arrested. He also allegedly called the latter an illegitimate candidate because he claims Doug Collins won, according to The Daily Caller. Trump has also attacked Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, something that wont help Peach State Republicans. Nor will it help having so many GOP representatives supporting Texas right to overturn Georgias election. President Trump has also served as a drag on Republican fortunes. Hes focused almost exclusively on overturning the democratic result, trying to invalidate the legitimately cast ballots of millions of Americans. COVID-19, now infects 1 in 17 Americans, killing one in every thousand Americans. He vetoed the defense bill with a 3% pay raise for the armed forces, provisions to sanction Russia and thwart Chinese and Russian aims of domination, to keep military bases named for Confederate generals. Critics of Trumps veto point out that the defense bill also cracks down on shell companies used for tax avoidance, which seems like a good thing to sign, and a bad thing to oppose. The Senate overrode the veto by a wide margin. As a result, President Trumps approval rating has fallen from 46% in early November (close to his election totals in the popular vote) now down to 39 percent, according to Gallup polling. Economic confidence has plummeted to 16 percent, down 15 points from the end of the election, as reality sets in about the true nature of the sputtering economy. Failed leadership is now identified as the second worst problem in America, after the coronavirus itself. Only three presidents have had lower approval ratings than the president at this stage of their presidency. Trump showing up for a Jan. 4, 2021 rally in Georgia might not be good news for the GOP. President-Elect Joe Biden, in the same Gallup poll, has risen to 65 percent approval in the polls for his handling of the transition, a marked contrast from President Trumps behavior. Senators Perdue and Loeffler would normally be easy winners, incumbents against candidates who have never held political office. Yet thanks to Trump and his hardcore MAGA supporters, , giving Democrats a narrow margin of control in the U.S. Senate. John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is JohnTures2. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks fell slightly on Tuesday as England and Scotland began new lockdowns to curb coronavirus spread. Schools have closed to most pupils in England, Scotland and Wales, while Northern Ireland will have an 'extended period of remote learning'. British PM Boris Johnson warned the coming weeks would be the 'hardest yet'. Elsewhere, Germany is considering extending lockdown measures beyond January 10. The benchmark CAC 40 index slid 9 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,579 after gaining 0.7 percent on Monday. Saint-Gobain shares rose about 1 percent. The company has entered into exclusive negotiations with Building Materials Europe in preparation for the sale of Saint-Gobain Building Distribution the Netherlands. The transaction is anticipated to be finalized by the end of the year 2021. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. (@FahadShabbir) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jan, 2021 ) :Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday said Pakistan would continue its strong and steadfast support to the valiant Kashmiri people in their just struggle for human dignity and their inalienable right to self-determination. "Regrettably, this right of Kashmiris is being brazenly denied by India in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) for more than past seven decades," the Foreign Minister said in his message on Kashmiris' Right to Self-determination Day. Today, Kashmiris around the world are observing the 72nd anniversary of the United Nations' commitment that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute would be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices. Foreign Minister Qureshi said through its resolution, the United Nations had affirmed support for realization of the inalienable right to self-determination of Kashmiris a right from which all other fundamental freedoms and basic human rights emanate. 'The United Nations, especially the UN Security Council, bear the responsibility to ensure fulfillment of the promise of granting the right to self-determination to the Kashmiris," he said. The Foreign Minister stressed that India was the sole cause of non-fulfillment of this promise. "Post August 5, 2019, India's unabated oppression has reached unprecedented levels with the inhuman military siege now in place for over 500 days," he said. In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, he said, India had deprived Kashmiris of their basic rights to life, health and food. Qureshi said thanks to awakened global conscience, the fresh spate of India's illegal and unilateral actions, aimed at altering the disputed status of IIOJK and bringing about demographic change to undermine the right to self-determination of Kashmiris, had been widely rejected by the international community. He urged upon the international community to continue its support for the fundamental freedom and basic human rights of Kashmiris. He also called upon India to allow United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) for an unhindered access to carry out its duties in IIOJK. "If India has nothing to hide, why does it not allow international media and civil society to visit and report on the human rights situation in IIOJK?," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, says he was brutalised by the police during his arrest on new years eve. Mr Sowore spoke with journalists in court on Monday on his and other activists arrest by the police in Abuja. The former presidential candidate said the encounter with the police convinced him that brutality of citizens by security operatives has not ended. The policemen that were brought to the place of the protest were beating people and I came down from my car where I was covering the protest to stop them from beating people. They pounced on me, and broke my nose. It was carried out by a mobile police officer who loaded about seven vehicles with mobile police officers well armed. It was an attempt to stop him from terrorising Nigerians in view of #EndSARS protest and the position of the country on police brutality that they pounced on me and broke my nose. When they took me to their Abattoir, I discovered that the Nigerian government has not ended SARS. They mobilised SARS to beat us up and force us into detention, Mr Sowore said. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Sowore and four others were arrested for participating in a protest on new years eve. They spent four nights in detention and were eventually arraigned on Monday before a Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja. The police accused the protesters of unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbance. Mr Sowore and the other activists pleaded not guilty to the charges. The magistrate, Taye Maibel, said all the charges are bailable, and ordered the defendants counsel to file a formal bail application before her at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday. The court asked that the activists be taken to Kuje prison pending the hearing of their bail application. But at the facility, they were rejected for hours until the intervention of the ministry of interior. Jan. 6 is the beginning of the Carnival season. Its also Allison Tootie Montana Day in New Orleans. In honor of the late Big Chief, Mardi Gras Indians will gather at the Tomb of the Unknown Slave outside of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Treme, at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, where the Rev. Emmanuel Mulenga will bless tambourines, the main musical accompaniment to Mardi Gras Indian chanting. After that ceremony, at 4:15 p.m., the legendary Big Chiefs family members will lay a wreath at the bronze statue of Montana in Armstrong Park. Participants will sing Indian Red. Montana, the Big Chief of the Yellow Pocahontas, was the most influential Mardi Gras Indian leader in the modern era. Hes credited with setting the standard for spectacular suit-making and artistic competition between tribes. He was often called the Chief of Chiefs. Montana lost his life defending Mardi Gras Indian customs. In the summer of 2005, New Orleans police broke up an annual Mardi Gras Indian gathering in Central City, provoking outrage among everyone who held the age-old masking tradition dear. As 82-year-old Montana decried the harassment of Mardi Gras Indians before the City Council, he was seized with a heart attack and subsequently died. In November, the New Orleans City Council Street Renaming Commission proposed that Tulane Avenue, which is now named for a contributor to the Confederacy, be dubbed Allison "Tootie" Montana Avenue. The public is invited to both outdoor events in Montana's honor on Wednesday afternoon, so long as they take coronavirus safety precautions. Please wear a mask and keep a physical distance, said Dianne Honore, a participant in the wreath-laying ceremony. Please, please, please. For Black Masking Indians, Jan. 6 is the time that sewing extravagant beaded suits and practicing traditional chants enters the home stretch. But this year, the maskers are in a quandary. Indian suits are costly, time-consuming to produce and typically worn for only one season. Since gathering to parade on Mardi Gras morning as usual may be hazardous health-wise, and since there wont be the normal crowds when the suits are debuted anyway, many Indian maskers are skipping 2021 entirely. But not Honore. She is laboriously sewing her very first suit, having been invited to be the new queen of the Yellow Pocahontas. Honore said she plans to come out in her feathery regalia on Mardi Gras morning, even if coming out means coming out on the front porch or coming out in the back yard. She wont be alone. Big Chief Darryl Montana, the 66-year-old son of Tootie Montana, plans to feather up for the first time in four years. Darryl Montana said he and his father had a gentlemens agreement that he wouldnt break the older mans record of 50 suits. His 2021 suit will be his 49th. Montana said his new suit will be significantly lighter than some of the creations he wore in the past. Enormous headdresses were a signature of Montana-made suits. Recently, he said, he struggled to lift one of his past headdresses that was being packed up for an exhibit in an art museum. I said, I have to have been crazy to hold up that weight, he recalled, laughing. Montana said he began masking when he was just 9 years old. The term Mardi Gras Indian may be more common, he said, but in his neighborhood, maskers described themselves as Black Indians. I miss walking with him, Darryl said of his father. Even though Darryl succeeded Tootie as tribe leader, his illustrious father will always be my chief, he said. Once he put down his needle and thread, he never thought hed start again, Darryl said. Its hard to work at that level, he explained, you really dont have a life. But people say that IS my life. Once youve walked in those shoes, you realize thats my calling, he said. And this year, he felt called to come back, COVID or not, to revitalize the group. He asked Honore, a historian who is the leader of both the Amazons Benevolent Society marching group and the Black Storyville Baby Dolls, to join him, to bring extra energy. Montana said he does not plan to ignore the threat of the coronavirus on Mardi Gras morning, but he hasnt ruled out marching around the block if it seems safe to do so. Ill abide by what the city says, Montana said, but we havent lapsed in our sewing. Were trying to find out what our role is in this. +21 COVID-era Mardi Gras season kicks off with stationary Joan of Arc parade in Algiers Carnival usually begins in the French Quarter on Jan. 6 with flaming heretics, silver angels and medieval warrior women striding through the s President Donald Trump introduced Kelly Loeffler as 'Karen' during a Senate runoff rally in Georgia Monday night. Just moments before Loeffler took the podium, Trump was tasked with introducing her in front of a cheering crowd. 'A very fine woman, Karen, who you know,' the president said, while gesturing toward Loeffler. Several people immediately took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with some saying Trump was 'accurate' in calling Loeffler 'Karen'. The Karen name has been used to call out white entitlement in a many of situations involving white women calling the cops on innocent black and brown people, among other scenarios. 'Oh. My. God. He just called Kelly Loeffler Karen. Its the most accurate thing hes said so far,' one person tweeted. Another wrote: 'I love that Trump introduced Kelly Loeffler as "Karen". Absolutely perfect.' President Donald Trump introduced Kelly Loeffler as 'Karen' during a Senate runoff rally in Georgia Monday night 'A very fine woman, Karen, who you know,' the president said, while gesturing toward Loeffler 'Donald Trump thinks Kelly Loeffler's name is Karen. Which it should be,' a third said. Another user shared: 'Trump calling Kelly Loeffler, Karen is so very... *chefs kiss.*' 'PRICELESS [sic] LMAO.... "KAREN LOEFFLER...How UTTERLY APPROPRIATE,' another wrote. The president was in Georgia Monday ahead of two Tuesday runoff's in the state. Loeffler is facing Democrat Raphael Warnock. After taking the podium, Loeffler told the crowd she would be joining 12 other senators to formally object to President-elect Joe Biden's win on Wednesday when Congress is set to count and certify the Electoral College vote. With mounting desperation, Trump declared during the rally that he would 'fight like hell' to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Biden when they convene. Electoral voters won by Biden are 'not gonna take this White House!' he shouted as supporters cheered at the outdoor rally. Trump's announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday's runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss - which he insists he won 'by a lot'. Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election is splitting the Republican Party. Several people immediately took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with some saying Trump was 'accurate' in calling Loeffler 'Karen' Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans' faith in democracy. All 10 living former defense secretaries wrote in an op-ed that 'the time for questioning the results has passed'. Its unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesday's joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesday's joint session. 'I promise you this: On Wednesday, we'll have our day in Congress,' Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesday's runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. During the rally Trump said: 'I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. He's a great guy. Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him quite as much.' He added: 'No, Mike is a great guy.' Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials - Republican as well as Democratic in state after state - and courts up to the US Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. The congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Sens Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, has declined to say much publicly on it. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trump's base of supporters. Lucy Watson hit out at trolls on Instagram on Tuesday after she received a barrage of abuse for enjoying a trip to Barbados during the coronavirus pandemic. The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, insisted she has followed 'all necessary precautions' and flew out before Boris Johnson plunged London into Tier 4. As Lucy prepares for her return to the capital with fiance James Dunmore, the television personality said she would not accept people 'taking out their frustration on me'. Her say: Lucy Watson hit out at trolls on Instagram on Tuesday after she received a barrage of abuse for enjoying a trip to Barbados during the coronavirus pandemic In a lengthy post uploaded to her stories, Lucy wrote: 'I understand people are angry, upset and frustrated at the moment. These are unpredictable and unfortunate times, with disappointment around every corner. 'However, I will not accept anyone taking out their frustration on me, be it during a pandemic or not. 'Hateful comments will be deleted and always have been, regardless of their relation to Covid. I want my feed to be a positive place, and although some people feel like I've broken the rules, I have not. Hitting back: The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, insisted she has followed 'all necessary precautions' and flew out before Boris Johnson plunged London into Tier 4 Annoyed: As Lucy prepares for her return to the capital with fiance James Dunmore, the television personality said she would not accept people 'taking out their frustration on me' 'I left London pre tier 4 and followed all necessary precautions in Barbados. I was and am still negative for Covid. I've 3 tests in the last 3 weeks. 'This was not a last minute trip booked just to escape the U.K. This was a trip that had been booked for nearly a year, James's family spend half their time in Barbados and we go there every other Christmas. 'Regardless of the above, I truly hope I have not offended anyone, that is never my intention. Please take care of yourself and your mental health. We will get through this.' Lucy flew out with fiance James, her sister Tiffany and dad Clive just before Tier 4 restrictions were imposed. At the time London was in Tier 3, with residents advised not to take holidays abroad. It comes after Lucy took to Instagram on Thursday to hit back at a social media user who asked if she was pregnant as she coined a cutting response. After a fan simply penned: 'Pregnant?' she swiftly responded: 'Seriously?' Festive break: Lucy flew out with fiance James, her sister Tiffany and dad Clive just before Tier 4 restrictions were imposed Fellow critics quickly swarmed upon the commentator and lashed out at the comment given Lucy's tiny frame in the picture of her taut stomach. The reality star took to her Instagram Stories, explaining that being asked if she's pregnant is 'socially unacceptable'. She said: 'It is not and will never be socially acceptable to ask someone if they are pregnant, whether you know them or not. You are basically telling that person they look bigger. Please stop.' Lucy became engaged to her boyfriend of five years James in September last year after he popped the question during a romantic getaway in Greece. The couple have been going strong ever since meeting on the E4 series back in 2015, following her ill-fated flings with Andy Jordan, Jamie Laing, Spencer Matthews and Oliver Proudlock. 'Pregnant'?: Last week, in an Instagram post, Lucy displayed her slim figure in a white bikini top and shorts while tying a striped, loose cover up around her stomach ST. JAMES, NY Joe Winters, co-founder of Winter Bros. Waste Systems, died Tuesday at the age of 54. Winters, of St. James, died after fighting the coronavirus, which he was diagnosed with just before Christmas, Long Island Business News reported. Winters was hospitalized for two weeks before his death. He is survived by his wife, Michelle, and sons, Patrick and Sean. Joe and his brothers drew inspiration to launch Winter Bros. Waste Systems from the small trash-hauling business started on Long Island by their parents, "Big" Jim and Brigid, and uncle, Joe, in the 1950s, according to the Winter Bros. website. Big Jim retired in the late 1980s and left the business to his sons. Sean operated the Long Island business while Joe and his brothers purchased a small waste removal company in Burlington, Vermont. Despite the three-year growth of the Vermont business, the Winters brothers' love of Long Island prevailed. They all returned to the island to run the business. Currently, more than 100,000 customers use Winter Bros. services. The company employs more than 525 people. "The Winters brothers are proud to call St. James their home," its website reads. "The Winters brothers have deep ties to the St. James community and each brother (and all of their children) attended Smithtown schools." Joe founded the Winter Center for Autism, which opened in August. The nonprofit helps adults with autism find and train for jobs, as well as assists Long Island businesses to develop and implement programs to employ adults who have autism. "What I would say is that there is a job for every person," Winters said of his nonprofit. "We are going to find the right fit for the right person at the right company. We will keep that relationship going and you will see that over a period of time people are going to flourish and the company will better for it." Joe's family asked in lieu of flowers, donations honoring him can be made to the Winters Center for Autism. Visitation for Joe is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at St. James Funeral Home at 829 Middle Country Road. Winters' funeral mass is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. Friday at Sts. Philip & James RC Church at 454 N. Country Road in St. James. This article originally appeared on the Smithtown Patch The Secrets of Dealing With People: Advice From an American Classic In The Epoch Times article An American Mindset, Scott Mann reflects on the broken trust and lack of connection in our country and urges us to work toward what he calls bridging trust. He writes, How we conduct ourselves at an individual level, and at a community level, will set the tone for how we come out on the other side of this thing, regardless of who holds political office, regardless of who sits in the Oval Office or Congress. Whatever our politics, most of us would surely agree with Mann that a breakdown in our ability to communicate with others has occurred, a demolition reflected in bitter congressional debates and in some mainstream media outlets seemingly intent on pitting one group of Americans against another. This cold civil war, as some commentators now call it, is commonplace in the private sector as well, damaging friendships and splitting apart families. Consequently, most of us would also agree with Mann that in this time of political polarization, theres no mindset more American than one of bridging trust. His article set me to thinking: What are some practical ways we might find common ground with others? What are some skills we might hone to restore the arts of dialogue and genuine conversation in our battered country? Turn Off the Gadgets For several years now, readers, friends, and even a few family members have told me of bruised or broken relations with others, caused in many cases by political disagreements. Their accounts never fail to shock me, because unless Uncle Bob is a Stalinist or Aunt Mary a goose-stepping fascist, from where I stand only fanatics or fools cut off their parents or give the cold shoulder to a friend over political differences. While discussing this topic with a conservative friend, she pointed out that social media could wreck a friendship or cause a family member to unfriend her cousin. For all the good these electronic platforms deliverkeeping us in touch with our acquaintances, letting us share pictures of our daughters baby girla wrong word or a controversial opinion posted online can whip up a maelstrom of wrath in its wake. As many of us know, social media is often a contradiction in terms. Noif we want to breathe some life into Manns bridging philosophy, we should aim for personal, face-to-face encounters. My friend agreed, but neither of us came up with any good solutions to her dilemma, which was how she might maintain her friendship with her liberal acquaintances while at the same time defending her beliefs. Speaking up, she feared, might fracture those relationships. We kicked around a few possible solutions, but nothing seemed workable. Over the next few days, I kept returning to our conversation. Is this divide now so vast that keeping friends means keeping silent? So it seemed. Enter Dale Carnegie. Honey and the Beehive I dont know why Carnegies 1936 classic How to Win Friends and Influence People popped to mind. Id never read the book; the title seemed sort of hokey and dated, and hinted at manipulation, as if by some mathematical calculation we might draw others to us. But the next day, there I was in our public library, finding not one but three copies of the book on the shelves and carrying the latest revision home with me. Boy, was I ever wrong in my assumptions. The updated version of How to Win Friends and Influence People offers excellent advice from the very first chapter, which is titled If You Want to Gather Honey, Dont Kick Over the Beehive. Here, Carnegie furnishes bridge builders with a vital girder to that project with these words: Dont criticize, condemn, or complain. How well that fiat applies to our nation should be apparent to even the most casual observer. We are barraged by criticism, condemnation, and complaint, or the 3Cs as I now call them, and some of us lead the way in that bombardment. Of course, in some circumstances, those 3Cs are justified. But in regard to the individuals around us, Carnegie is right on target. If we wish to make or keep friends, we should leave the 3Cs locked in the closet. None of them will win hearts and minds. First, They Have to Like You In Part Two: Six Ways to Make People Like You, Carnegie gives us some tips we so often forget. By listening to others, for instance, or becoming genuinely interested in other people, we can forge stronger bonds with them, especially if you want to develop real friendships or you want to help others at the same time as you help yourself. A friend of mine, John, has a knack for striking up conversations with strangers, in large part because he is genuinely interested in what they are saying or doing. Over the years, Ive seen him engage in prolonged conversations with the owner of an ice cream stand, a convenience store clerk, and several other strangers, drawing them out by asking questions and then truly paying attention to their answers. One of Carnegies recommendations in this section consists of a single syllable: Smile. He writes: Your smile is a messenger of good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl, or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. After months of wearing masks in public, many of us are feeling disassociated from our fellow human beings. We miss those smiles we get when we bump into a friend in the grocery store or from that pleasant checkout clerk in the pharmacy. But we can still smile with our eyes and with our voices. I deliberately tried this tactic in our local grocery store, talking to a woman waiting in the checkout line and then with the clerk, and both times received some laughter in return. Agreeing to Disagree Part III: How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking is perhaps the most pertinent section of Carnegies book to our discussion here. Several of his ideas strike me as especially valuable for healing our wounded culture: Try honestly to see things from the other persons point of view, Let the other person do a great deal of the talking, and If youre wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. My favorite piece of advice was Show respect for the other persons opinions. Never say, Youre wrong. To illustrate what we might otherwise say, Carnegie cites the example of Elbert Hubbard, a writer whose stinging sentences often aroused fiercer resentment. Yet when a critic or angry reader wrote protesting some piece hed written, Carnegie tells us Hubbard often replied in this way: Come to think it over, I dont entirely agree with it myself. Not everything I wrote yesterday appeals to me today. I am glad to learn what you think on the subject. The next time you are in the neighborhood you must visit us and well get this subject threshed out for all time. So here is a handclasp over the miles, and I am, Yours Sincerely. Now that, my friends, is bridge building. Becoming Bridge Builders In You Cant Win an Argument, Carnegie concludes with these admonitions: Welcome the disagreement. Distrust your first instinct. Control your temper. Listen first. Look for areas of agreement. Be honest. Promise to think over your opponents ideas and study them carefully. Thank your opponents sincerely for their interest. Postpone action to give both sides time to think through the problem. These propositions, supported by excellent examples, point us to the heart of civility, yet too often go missing these days. How many of us, for example, honestly practice these recommendations? It may be impossible to discuss, much less argue, politics with true ideologues, those who arent interested in truth, who live locked up in a prison cell of their own making. But it is possible to build a friendship in spite of a chasm of political differences. To offer but one example, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia were at the opposite ends of the political spectrum, but these two Supreme Court justices were also the best of friends, no doubt in part because they practiced what Carnegie preached. My 1981 edition of How to Win Friends and Influence People reports 30 million copies sold. Maybe its time we purchased and read a few million more. Jeff Minick has four children and a growing platoon of grandchildren. For 20 years, he taught history, literature, and Latin to seminars of homeschooling students in Asheville, N.C. He is the author of two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust On Their Wings, and two works of nonfiction, Learning As I Go and Movies Make The Man. Today, he lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. See JeffMinick.com to follow his blog. Fisherman dies after collision in clash with conservationists off Mexico January 05,2021 | Source: Mexico News Daily A fisherman who was injured in the upper Gulf of California on Thursday during an attack by fishermen on two vessels owned by a conservation society died Friday evening. Mario Garcia Toledo, whose fishboat collided with a larger vessel owned by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, died in a Mexicali hospital of trauma caused by multiple injuries to his abdomen and pelvis, said Agustin Toledo, a family member from San Felipe, Baja California, in a statement Saturday. Toledo blamed the conservation group for Garcias death. This morning, the Toledo Garcia family announces the painful loss of another brother: Mario Garcia Toledo has passed on to eternal life, yet another victim of the violence by foreign environmentalists in the Sea of Cortes, he said. The family of the now-deceased awaits strong justice on the part of federal authorities in Baja California. May this killing not go unpunished by each one of the corresponding authorities. We dont want more victims. Accounts differ over what happened during the incident, which took place in an area of the upper Gulf of California designated as a zero tolerance refuge zone for the endangered vaquita marina porpoise. What both sides can agree upon is that Garcias small boat smashed into the hull of the Farley Mowat and broke apart, causing serious injuries to Garcia and another unidentified fisherman who remains hospitalized with fractures to the cranium and collarbone and other injuries. However, fishermen blamed the conservation group for the fishermens injuries, and his family refers to his death as a murder. According to Sea Shepherd representatives and military officials who were on board the Farley Mowat, fishermen opposed to the prohibitions against fishing in the protected area threw Molotov cocktails and lead weights at the Farley Mowat and another Sea Shepherd vessel, the Sharpie, around 7:00 a.m. As the Farley Mowat began to leave the scene, the society said, one of the fishermens boats swerved in front of it and smashed into the hull. The smaller vessel broke in two, and its two passengers were thrown into the sea. After being rescued the two men were taken on board the Sharpie for emergency first aid provided by the navy. Both were airlifted for hospitalization. 2021 Laughing Gecko Holdings SA de CV Theme(s): Others. Police and rescue teams are pictured outside the metro station Maelbeek in Brussels, on March 22, 2016. (Martin Meissner/File/AP Photo) 10 People to Stand Trial Over Deadly 2016 Brussels Attacks BRUSSELSTen people including the lone known surviving suspect in the 2015 deadly Paris attacks have been ordered to stand trial in connection with the suicide bombings which killed 32 people and injured hundreds in the Brussels subway and airport nearly five years ago. According to the federal prosecutors office, the Brussels Chamber of the Council also decided on Tuesday that charges against three other suspects should be dismissed. Earlier this year, prosecutors requested that eight of the 13 main suspects should be referred to the criminal court of assizesthe court that tries the most serious crimesfor charges of assassinations and attempted assassinations in a terrorism context, and for belonging to a terror group. People gather in the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, to pay tribute to the victims of the March 22 attacks in Brussels, Belgium, on March 27, 2016. (Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images) But the Council Chamber decided to refer to the court all 10 people who were ultimately charged, meaning that only one trial related to the case should take place. Among those to stand trial are Salah Abdeslam, who is also suspected of playing a major role in the Paris attacks, and Mohamed Abrini, the Brussels native who walked away from Brussels Zaventem airport after his explosives failed to detonate. Abdeslam was captured in Brussels on March 18, 2016, and his arrest may have prompted other members of the ISIS terror cell to rush attack plans already in motion. Four days later, suicide bombers detonated their explosives in the Brussels airport and metro during the morning rush hour. In Paris, the network of French and Belgian terrorists killed 130 people in attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, the national stadium, and in bars and restaurants. Around 900 people are among those who suffered physical or mental trauma in the Brussels attacks, which were claimed by ISIS. The case will now be transferred to the Court of Appeal, which will decide when the case will be heard by the Chamber for Indictments. A date has yet to be set for the trial, which is expected to start in the autumn. By Samuel Petrequin The Congress party on Tuesday called the governments Central Vista project a case of misplaced priorities of a whimsical autocrat hours after the Supreme cleared the redevelopment plan which includes construction of a new Parliament Building and a common Central Secretariat. The 13,450 CR Central Vista Project is not a legalistic issue but a case of misplaced priorities of a whimsical autocrat seeking to etch his name in the annals of history with cement & mortar, the grand old partys national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala wrote on Twitter. He also took a swipe at the Centre over the purchase of aircraft for the Prime Minister and deduction of allowances for soldiers and central government employees. Ironical that In times of Corona pandemic & economic recession, Delhi has 14,000 CR for Central Vista & 8,000 CR for buying aircrafts for PM. But the same BJP Govt imposes cuts of 37,530 CR in allowances of 113 Lakh Armed Forces & Central Govt Employees & Pensioners, he wrote in another post on the microblogging site. Surjewala went on to accuse the government of having no time to provide heated tents and equipment to army men braving the cold in Ladakh. PM must not forget that he has imposed cuts of 11,000 CR on 15 lakh Soldiers & 26 lakh Military Pensioners. And the same BJP Govt at Centre has no time to provide heated tents and equipment to our soldiers braving brazen Chinese incursions in Ladakh, he tweeted. Earlier in the day, the apex court gave a go-ahead to the Central Vista project by a 2:1 majority. The three-judge bench, however, insisted that the clearance of the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) will be mandatory and the same should be obtained by the project consultant before proceeding with the development work. The redevelopment plan includes a new Parliament building, and a common secretariat for Central government offices along with the Prime Minister office and residence, Special Protection Group building and Vice-President Enclave. Apart from a new Parliament building, the Central Vista project involves constructing a common Central Secretariat along with residences of Prime Minister and vice-president, and a revamp of the 3-km-long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. The new triangular complex, often described as the centre-piece of the Central Vista project, will be big enough to house 1,224 MPs lawmakers 888 in the Lok Sabha and 384 in the Upper House. It is targeted to be built by 2024. The 64,500 sq m new building will replace the 93-year-old existing Parliament house. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A shooting in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood early Monday morning left two men injured, police said. The shooting was reported at 2:14 a.m. near Golden Gate Avenue and Hyde Street. The victims, ages 18 and 29, are expected to survive their injuries. The suspect got into an SUV and fled following the shooting, according to police. Detailed descriptions of the suspect and vehicle were not immediately available from San Francisco police. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Police Department's anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or to send a tip by text message to TIP411 with "SFPD" at the start of the message. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The sensational murder case that took place in the parking lot of the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston on August 5, 2005 contains a close similarity to the famous criminal couple of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow who terrorized the Central United States during 1931 1934. The Hyattes pled guilty to the murder of Tennessee Correction Officer Wayne Cotton Morgan and received sentences of life without parole. Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down by a large group of Texas Rangers headed by ex-ranger Frank Hamer on May 23, 1934 on a rural road in Bienville Parrish, Louisiana. The 2005 shooting received nationwide publicity and was referred to as the Kingston courthouse shooting. At approximately 10:00 a.m. George Hyatte pled guilty to a charge of armed robbery and was being placed in a van to be transported back to prison when his wife, Jennifer, who was a spectator, pulled a pistol and started shooting. She fatally killed Officer Morgan and wounded Tennessee Correction Officer Larry Porky Harris but Jennifer was also wounded in the backside by one of the officers. Both Jennifer and George fled the scene and were later captured at an Americas Best Value Inn motel in Columbus, Ohio. After being transported back to Tennessee, Jennifer on September 17, 2007 entered a plea of life without parole which allowed her to escape the death penalty. One of the conditions to her sentence was that she agreed to testify against her husband which could have led to a legal issue as to the validity of such a plea. However, George did not fight the charges against him and also received a life without parole sentence. Prior to being returned to Tennessee Jennifer while incarcerated in the Columbus jail started writing her life story which she titled A Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde and had completed 34 pages before it was confiscated by jailers and was turned over to the prosecution along with some letters to family and friends. Although initial efforts by the news media to obtain the story were unsuccessful after the couple pled guilty the document became a public record and could be disclosed. The Knoxville News Sentinel obtained a copy released by the District Attorneys office pursuant to a freedom of information request. In April 2009 a series of articles by reporter Scott Barker of the Knoxville paper reported the contents of Jennifers aborted manuscript and her letter to describe her unhappy life of alcohol and drug abuse, unplanned pregnancies, sexual activities with older men, broken marriages, sexual molestation and involvement in criminal activity, although she had no record of convictions. The bizarre writing including a description of the effect that the sale of a horse named Weaver by her aunt had on her. She described the horse as her best friend. Other disappointments included finding her intended husband in the arms of another woman the night before the wedding when she was 18 and three months pregnant. Somehow Jennifer got a job as a licensed practical nurse at Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville but was fired because of her relationship with George which included sneaking food into the prison to him. Nevertheless they were married in a prison service in May 2005 while he was serving a lengthy sentence. Three months later Jennifer would shoot Officer Morgan. She described the two days her and George were on the run prior to their capture in Columbus, Ohio as the best of her life. The funeral for Cotton Morgan was attended by over 1000 persons including 200 uniformed officers and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. Wayne Cotton Morgan, a decorated Vietnam veteran was buried with full military honors. The route to the Morgan County Correctional Complex is now designated as 541 Wayne Cotton Morgan Drive in his memory. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com) Burma Myanmar Hopes to Vaccinate Health Staff in February A health worker with a nasal swab from an overseas returnee in Yangon. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy Yangon Myanmar is planning to vaccinate health workers on the COVID-19 frontline in February, according to State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The authorities have warned people to comply with COVID-19 preventative guidelines while vaccines are being distributed. On Monday, Myanmar reported 126,935 COVID-19 cases, including 2,744 deaths and 110,200 recoveries. Since Dec 19, Myanmar has seen a decline in daily COVID-19 cases. Fewer than 1,000 new cases are now being reported per day, down from a peak of more than 1,400. In a televised speech last Friday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said Myanmar has signed up with the Serum Institute of India, the worlds largest vaccine manufacturer, for the purchase of its COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate about 15 million citizens. She said Myanmar has made arrangements for vaccines to be imported when it has received emergency authorization. The first priority group, medical personnel, will be vaccinated in February, the State Counselor said. Myanmar has more than 110,000 medical staff, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. Until the vaccines are available, I appeal to people to abide by the health rules and give support to our efforts to beat COVID-19, said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. According to news reports, the Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech vaccines were approved by Indias Central Drugs Standard Control Organization on Sunday. Myanmars Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last Thursday that it has held frequent talks with its Chinese counterparts about acquiring COVID-19 vaccines from the China National Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd (Sinopharm) and Sinovac Biotech Limited in Hong Kong. The ministry said Myanmar would receive vaccines from China which have been approved for emergency authorization in early 2021. Dr. Khin Khin Gyi, the director of the health ministrys Emerging Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that wearing a mask, frequent hand washing and avoiding crowded areas are key to stopping the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines are important as is abiding by COVID-19 preventative guidelines, she said. Myanmar is also trying to buy COVID-19 vaccines from the US, UK and Russia through diplomatic channels, according to the health ministry. Myanmar has established three conditions, only one of which must be met: approval of a vaccine by the World Health Organization; official approval by three national food and drug administrations or emergency approval. Myanmar plans to provide vaccines to about 20 percent of its 54.4 million population by April under the global Covax affordable medicines programs. According to the health ministry, 40 percent of the countrys population is expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the 2021-22 financial year. And the remaining 60 percent is expected to be vaccinated during the 2022-23 financial year. Myanmar also has negotiated with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and International Monetary Fund to secure more than US$950 million (1.29 trillion kyats) to fund the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, fewer than 300 new COVID-19 cases are being reported in the countrys coronavirus hotspot, Yangon, per day, down from up to 1,900 cases per day in previous months. On Monday, Yangon reported 83,525 COVID-19 cases, followed by Mandalay Region with 14,094 cases, Bago Region with 7,999 cases, Ayeyarwady Region with 4,898 cases and Rakhine State with 4,163 cases. Cases have been reported at about 300 townships across the country. Myanmar is third in Asean in terms of COVID-19 cases, behind Indonesia and the Philippines. You may also like these stories: Buddhist Nationalist Protest Prompts Calls to Take Action for Breaching COVID-19 Restrictions Thai COVID-19 Surge Triggers Ugly Social Media Attacks on Myanmar Migrants Myanmar Signs Up to Buy Indias COVID-19 Vaccine WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - After ending the previous session nearly unchanged, treasuries showed a notable move to the downside during trading on Tuesday. Bond prices came under pressure in morning trading and remained firmly negative throughout the afternoon. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, climbed 3.8 basis points to 0.955 percent. The weakness among treasuries came as traders remain optimistic about an economic recovery despite the recent spike in coronavirus cases. Adding to the positive sentiment, a report released by the Institute for Supply Management showed an unexpected acceleration in the pace of growth in manufacturing activity in the month of December. The ISM said its manufacturing PMI climbed to 60.7 in December after dipping to 57.5 in November, with a reading above 50 indicating growth. Economists had expected the index to edge down to 56.6. With the unexpected increase, the manufacturing index reached its highest level since hitting 61.3 in August of 2018. However, economists noted the headline index was artificially boosted by a jump by the supplier deliveries index, which suggested deliveries slowed at a faster rate. Selling pressure was also kept somewhat in check as traders await the results of two key Senate runoffs in Georgia. The outcome of the runoff elections will determine which party controls the Senate and could have a major impact on what President-elect Joe Biden is able to accomplish. Even with a Democratic-controlled Senate, Biden may still face difficulty pushing through his proposed tax policies but could have more success on issues like government spending, including increasing the size of stimulus checks. The results of the elections are likely to attract attention on Wednesday along with a report on private sector employment and the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve meeting. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Many British people, black and white, have ancestors who were black slaves in the Caribbean. As such, transported slaves, slave registers and details of those slaves freed when slavery was abolished. Britain was one of the main colonial powers in the Caribbean, holding(at various times): Antigua; the Bahamas; Barbados; Bermuda; Cayman Islands; Cuba; Dominica; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Jamaica; Monserrat; Nevis; St Kitts (St Christopher); St Lucia; Tobago and Trinidad; Turks and Caicos Islands; British Virgin Islands; and also, on the South American mainland, Guyana (formerly British Guiana) and Belize (British Honduras). Bear in mind that many islands changed hands due to wars, and therefore Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish and French influences (and blood) are often very significant in these places past. THE RECORDS Jamaica's original inhabitants, who greeted Columbus when he stepped ashore in 1494, were Arawak Indians. Spain began colonising the island in 1509 and held it until it was captured by Admiral Penn in 1655. The island's climate was found to be perfect for growing sugar, but cultivating it was extremely labour-intensive. At first, it was grown and harvested by indentured white labour, but before long vast numbers of black slaves started to be imported from the west coast of Africa, the ships then proceeding to England laden with sugar and then returning to Africa to start slave-trading again. In total, some 1.5 million black people are thought to have been carried to the Caribbean. The 18th century saw a succession of earthquakes, hurricanes and slave revolts in Jamaica. Many escaped slaves, called Maroons, set up villages of their own in the more mountainous parts of the island, successfully evading recapture and, in some cases, becoming slave owners themselves. In the end, it was political pressure from Britain that resulted first in a ban on the import of new slaves and finally the complete abolition of slavery in 1833. After the abolition of slavery, and especially after the obligatory four-year apprenticeship period that ensued, many ex-slaves marched off the plantations where they had once been held in shackles. To replace them, the plantation owners recruited large numbers of indentured labourers from China and India. There are some records of these new immigrants in the NA's Colonial Office papers and in island record offices, especially Trinidad. Following an uprising of the now free blacks in Jamaica in 1865, a Crown government was established and social and economic reforms instituted. Jamaica became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth in 1962. After the Second World War, many Jamaicans were encouraged to settle in Britain, originally to provide cheap labour. Having largely overcome several decades of racial prejudice they have become an important and vibrant part of British society. During slavery, it was routine practice for white, male slave owners and overseers to have sexual relations with their female black slaves. Some relationships were based on violence and others on love and respect but the results were the same many children of mixed race, some of whom were freed by their fathers but most of whom lived as slaves, either on their paternal plantations or simply sold as chattels. Most black Jamaicans, therefore, can trace their lines of ancestry back to Arawak Indians, African slaves, maybe some East Indians and Chinese, and very often to white slave owners. Indeed, because many slave owners had aristocratic connections, many modern Jamaicans are probably more closely related to British nobility than the majority of white Britons. One mixed-race Jamaican immigrant to Oldham whom I researched turned out to be a direct cousin of the Queen herself. By: Navin Kumar Jaggi & Gurmeet Singh Jaggi Capital Region school superintendents are awaiting further guidance from the state on how and when to test students and staff for COVID-19 in accordance with a new plan mentioned by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo during his Monday press briefing. Schools in counties with positivity rates exceeding 9 percent must test a portion of their on-site populations or shift to remote instruction, the governor said. "If their schools are below the level of positivity in the community, they can keep schools open. It's up to the local school district to make that decision," Cuomo said. "My position has always been, if the children are safer in the school than they are on the streets of the community, then children should be in schools." Few details were provided such as when testing should begin, what percentage of students and staff must be tested, or how often the screenings should occur. Spokespersons for the state Department of Health and governor's office did not respond to emailed questions about the new rules. Rotterdam-Mohonasen Superintendent Shannon Shine said these are questions "likely on every superintendent's mind." Districts have for weeks been planning for a microcluster designation, obtaining BinaxNow rapid test kits, training school nurses to administer them, and asking parents to sign consent forms. "All we need now is the same information you are asking about," Guilderland schools spokeswoman Amie Perrott said. Not all districts are waiting for a clear directive from the state. Albany City schools announced Tuesday evening that the district would move forward and testing 10 percent of on-site students and staff when in-person classes resume on Jan. 11. The state's initial microcluster plan, enacted in October through executive order, targeted areas with infection rates above 3 percent. Last month, the governor announced a new winter formula that focused instead on hospitalizations and ICU capacity. Anecdotal data suggests that schools tend to have lower rates of infection than the larger community. Many children do not display symptoms, but experts note that young people infected by the virus carry a viral load similar to that of an adult and they can be vectors of transmission. More than 2,600 students, teachers and staff in the Capital Region public and private schools have contracted the virus since the start of the school year, according to the state's COVID-19 schools report card. More than two-thirds of those cases occurred among an on-site school population. Statewide, 43,552 cases have been linked to schools since Sept. 8. The Center for Disease Control advises that in-school testing of symptomatic individuals, as well as randomly screening the asymptomatic school population, can be helpful in identifying cases and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the school environment. Schools should seek guidance from state and local health departments to determine when and how to conduct the tests. Testing should not replace normal virus mitigation strategies such as social distancing, handwashing, and mask-wearing, the CDC guidelines state. Most schools are using antigen tests that involve a cotton swab wiggled in the tip of the nose. The tests, which have a 15-minute turnaround time, are considered less accurate than slower "PCR" tests but are acceptable for the purposes of surveillance testing. Participation is voluntary; only students and employees with waivers on file will be tested. New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta in a statement said districts should continue to "err on the side of caution" when deciding whether to keep school buildings open. Testing data is important, but we believe school districts must still make decisions about in-person and remote instruction in consultation with parents and educators," Pallotta said. "The entire school community must have the confidence in a districts plan to stay open, reopen or expand its in-person offerings as infection rates rise in the surrounding community and regions surpass a 9 percent infection rate. Where there isnt confidence, remote education is the only viable option. [January 05, 2021] Vizient Achieves a Microsoft Gold Data Analytics Competency Vizient, Inc. today announced it has attained a gold Data Analytics competency, demonstrating a "best-in-class" ability and commitment to meet Microsoft (News - Alert) Corp. customers' evolving needs in today's mobile-first, cloud-first world and distinguishing itself within Microsoft's partner ecosystem. To earn a Microsoft gold competency, partners must successfully complete exams (resulting in Microsoft Certified Professionals) to prove their level of technology expertise, and then designate these certified professionals uniquely to one Microsoft competency, ensuring a certain level of staffing capacity. They also must submit customer references that demonstrate successful projects, meet a performance (revenue and or consumption/usage) commitment (for most gold competencies), and pass technology and/or sales assessments. Vizient is a services-led, analytics-enabled health care performance improvement company that leverages data for solutions that align cost, quality and market performance for more than 50% of the nation's hospitals. The Microsoft gold status demonstrates Vizient's ability to guide its member hospitals through its data application solutions as well as scale up those applications as more hospitals seek insights to help them improve performane and drive costs down. "This Microsoft gold Data Analytics competency showcases our expertise in and commitment to today's technology market and demonstrates our deep knowledge of Microsoft's products and services," said Andy DeShong, group senior vice president of application development for Vizient. "We plan to accelerate our members' success by serving as technology advisors for their business demands." "By achieving a Gold competency, partners have demonstrated the highest, most consistent capability and commitment to the latest Microsoft technology," said Gavriella Schuster, corporate vice president, One Commercial Partner ( OCP (News - Alert) ) at Microsoft Corp. "These partners have a deep expertise that puts them in the top of our partner ecosystem, and their proficiency will help customers drive innovative solutions." The Data Analytics competency recognizes partners who demonstrate expertise in creating business intelligence solutions and show proficiency in connecting data sources, performing data transformations, and modeling and visualizing data. The Microsoft Partner Network helps partners strengthen their capabilities to showcase leadership in the marketplace on the latest technology, to better serve customers and to easily connect with one of the most active, diverse networks in the world. About Vizient, Inc. provides solutions and services that improve the delivery of high-value care by aligning cost, quality and market performance for more than 50% of the nation's acute care providers, which includes 95% of the nation's academic medical centers, and more than 20% of ambulatory providers. Vizient provides expertise, analytics and advisory services, as well as a contract portfolio that represents more than $100 billion in annual purchasing volume, to improve patient outcomes and lower costs. Vizient has earned a World's Most Ethical Company designation from the Ethisphere Institute every year since its inception. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005163/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New York Confirms 1st Case of UK COVID-19 Variant in Man With No Travel History New York has confirmed its first case of the UK COVID-19 variant on Monday in a man who has no known travel history. The Wadsworth Lab has confirmed New York States first case of the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7) of the virus that causes COVID. An individual from Saratoga County, New York, tested positive for the strain. The individual had no known travel history, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement. The man in his 60s was symptomatic but he is on the mend and hes doing better, the governor said in a press call. He did not travel recently, so this suggests that its in the community, it was community spread as opposed to having traveled to the UK. The same UK strain has been confirmed in Colorado, California, and Florida. Scientists believe the variant is at least 50 percent more contagious than other prior strains but is no more severe in symptoms and mortality. They also believe that the vaccines now being distributed will still be effective against it. The New York State case is linked to a jewelry store. Cuomo urged anyone who visited N. Fox Jewelers at 404 Broadway between Dec. 18 to 24, 2020, to contact the states department of health and get tested immediately. From a public health point of view now its about contact tracing, and this UK strain is reported to be 70 percent more contagious than the normal COVID strain, Cuomo said. So, we want to make sure were doing everything we can to do effective contact tracing on this case. The store has been closed since Dec. 24. The B.1.1.7 variant has also been identified in 33 countries. It was first detected in September, World Health Organization officials previously said. The UK has seen its number of cases surge, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced a national lockdown to take effect on Tuesday. As of Monday, there were 26,626 COVID-19 patients in hospitals in England, an increase of more than 30 percent from a week ago. That is 40 percent above the peak number of infections reported in the spring. The UKs chief medical officers warned that without further action, there is a material risk of the National Health Service in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days. The B.1.1.7 variant is one of two more contagious COVID-19 variants that have recently emerged, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). South Africa has seen the other highly contagious variant, called B.1.351, driving its latest spike of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. The B.1.351 variant has also been detected in Zambia and is the predominant one in the country as of December 2020, according to the CDC. Currently, there is no evidence that these variants cause more severe illness or increased risk of death. New information about the virologic, epidemiologic, and clinical characteristics of these variants is rapidly emerging, the CDC said on its website. Currently there is no evidence to suggest that this variant has any impact on disease severity or vaccine efficacy, the agency said of both variants. It is not unexpected for viruses to mutate to new variants but the concern is that the mutations will become significant enough to resist currently available vaccines at some point. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rebound Travel Technologies and The Rarotongan Resort Group today announced a strategic partnership to utilize Rebound's platform at all of the Group's properties. The group comprises three iconic South Pacific properties; Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort, The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Lagoonarium and Sanctuary Rarotonga, all right on the beach. The partnership will directly benefit the resorts and guests alike in the event of cancellations by providing personalized solutions that increase guest loyalty and directly improve cash flow. The Breathtaking Views at The Rarotongan Resort's Group Properties In the event of a possible cancellation, travelers receive personalized and value-added offers like upgrades, dining or activity certificates if they decide to keep the reservation at one of the properties. Travelers benefit from an enhanced travel experience and hoteliers retain the existing booking and payment that was made with them. "It is my pleasure to announce that Rebound's platform will be available for guests at our three iconic resorts in the Cook Islands," said CEO of The Rarotongan Resort Group, Tata Crocombe. "With travelers looking for a more value in their travel experience now more than ever, this partnership could not have come at a better time. Rebound's team possesses deep industry experience and offers strong support for our business." "Our team is very excited to partner with The Rarotongan Resort Group," says Founder and CEO of Rebound, Tobias Wessels. "During these unprecedented times, we are pleased to contribute to the quick recovery of the travel industry on the Cook Islands and allow our partners to retain customers and payments in the process." With the pandemic continuing to cause uncertainty around travel, Rebound's innovative fintech platform enables travel companies to improve their services and benefit from customer and cash retention. About Rebound Travel Technologies Inc. Founded earlier this year by travel-tech veteran Tobias Wessels in Silicon Valley, Rebound is a FinTech company that helps companies retain cash and increase customer loyalty with the world's cash retention platform for the travel industry. Rebound allows companies to keep cash by offering customers non-cash alternatives like vouchers, upgrades or dining certificates. Rebound's algorithms ensure that companies retain their targeted cash-retention rate while keeping opportunity cost as low as possible. Companies retain cash and ensure that travelers return to them in the future. The team at Rebound consists of former airline executives from United Airlines (UAL), Star Alliance, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, IndiGo, LATAM, TuiFly and Scoot. The company has been recognized with several awards, including winning the Lion's Den at the Airline & Travel Payments Summit (ATPS) and being placed on PhocusWire's Hot 25 Startup List for 2021. Follow Rebound: LinkedIn | Twitter For more information, please contact: Alissa Bufalini | [email protected] 718-208-3906 SOURCE Rebound Travel Technologies Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The death has occurred of Josephine Shorten (nee Hayes), of Basingstoke Hants, formerly of Dooradoyle. Passed away peacefully on December 19th. Predeceased by her husband Tom and son Gregory, brothers Danny and Michael. Daughter of the late John and Mabel Hayes, she will be sadly missed by her daughters Cinty and Anthonette, sons Adrian, Michael and Brian, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren, her sisters Marie, Angela, Catherine, Teresa, Shelagh, Deirdre, extended families, good neighbours and friends. Mass will be offered for Josephine at 12.00 noon on Friday, 8th January 2021, in St.Bedes Church, Basingstoke. Mass will be streamed live here Messages of sympathy can be left in the condolence section on rip.ie The death has occurred of Bridget (Bridie) Mulcahy (nee McCarthy), Ballylinane, Strand. Died on 5th January 2021 peacefully at Beechwood House Nursing Home. Wife of the late James. Deeply regretted by her sons Michael, Denis and Eugene, daughter Helen, daughters in law Fiona, Breda and Deirdre, son in law Frank, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. May She Rest In Peace In accordance with government guidelines a private family funeral Mass will take place in Monagea Church this Wednesday, 6th January, at 12 noon. Burial after in local cemetery. Funeral cortege will leave Riedy's Funeral Home Wednesday morning at 11 am to pass her residence in Strand en route to the church for anyone who wishes to stand in a guard of honour. Mass cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Riedy's Undertakers. Messages of condolence can be offered on rip.ie Click on link below to view Mass tomorrow in Monagea https://youtu.be/Eba_owfNVP8 The death has occurred of Martina Kiely, Shanabooley Road, Ballynanty and late of Colbert Park, Janesboro. Peacefully, at St. James' Hospital, Dublin. Beloved daughter of the late Marie and Noel. Sister of the late Eddie. Very deeply regretted by her daughter Nikita, sisters Geraldine, Breda and Ann, brothers Anthony and Noel, other relatives and friends. May She Rest in Peace Private funeral will take place. Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the condolence section on rip.ie or cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Cross' Funeral Directors, Lower Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick. The death has occurred of Patrick (Paddy) Hartmann, Ennis Road, and late of Hartmann Opticians. Peacefully in St. Pauls Nursing Home, surrounded by his loving family. Dearly loved husband of Thecla (nee Deasy). Cherished father of Gerard, Leonie (Buckley), Thecla (Roche) and Helga (Whelan). Sadly missed by his daughter-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren John, Brian, David, Patrick, Michael, Isaac and Siofra, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, extended family and his many friends. May he rest in peace Requiem Mass for family will take place in Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Ennis Road on Wednesday (6th January) at 11.30 am followed by burial in Mount St. Lawrence Cemetery. Paddys requiem Mass will be live streamed here In the interests of public health, attendance at Paddys requiem Mass will be restricted to accord with government guidelines and in line with social distancing protocols. Mass Cards and messages of sympathy can be sent to Thompsons, Thomas Street, Limerick. The death has occurred of Bernadette Fitzgerald (nee Collins), Aherlow Close, Caherdavin and late of Old Cratloe Road, Redgate. Bernadette died at peacefully at home, surrounded by her loving family. Beloved wife of the late William. Sadly missed by her heartbroken daughters Helen & Martina (Caulfield), grandchildren Jamie, Shannon, Emma, Oisin & Aaron, great-granddaughter Charley, son-in-law Ciaran, Helens fiance Pat, sisters, brothers, sister-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. Rest in Peace. Requiem Mass will take place in Christ the King Church, Caherdavin, on Thursday (7th Jan.) at 11.30am and will be streamed live. Click here to view Mass. Funeral afterwards to Mount St. Oliver Cemetery. Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the rip.ie condolences section, through the death notices section of our website: www.griffinfunerals.com or by post to Griffins Funeral Home. The death has occurred of Eileen Donovan (nee Lynch), Castleview, Newcastle West. Died on the 4th of January 2021, suddenly at UHL. Pre-deceased by her husband PJ and son-in-law Richard. Deeply regretted by her son Patrick, daughters Trish, Helen, Catherine, Breda and Nuala, daughter-in-law Linda, sons-in-law Ali, Junior and Chris, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. May She Rest In Peace In accordance with government guidelines a private family funeral Mass will take place in Newcastle West Church this Thursday, January 7th, at 11.30am. Burial afterwards in Calvary Cemetery. Mass cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Riedys' Undertakers, Newcastle West. Messages of condolence can be offered on rip.ie The death has occurred of Edwin Giff Davis, Summerville Avenue, South Circular Road. Edwin sadly passed away at his home on December 31st 2020. Beloved husband of Grace and the late Sedik. Predeceased by his brother Derek and his sister Elizabeth Robinson. He will be sadly missed by his dearly loved daughter Monoosh and son Alan, son-in-law Scott, grandchildren, his brother John and his sister Harriet, his nephews, nieces, relatives and friends. May he rest in peace. May he rest in peace Funeral Arrangements Later The death has occurred of Josephine (Josie) Culhane (nee Jeffers), Greenhill Road, Garryowen and formerly of Fairgreen, Ballysimon. Peacefully, at University Hospital Limerick. Beloved wife of the late Jim Culhane. Much loved mother of Lorraine, Antoinette, Jim, Louise, Valerie, Dermot and Karen. Sadly missed by her family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters Rita Fleming and May Hoare, nephews, nieces, other relatives and friends. May She Rest in Peace A private Requiem Mass, for family only, will take place in St. Johns Cathedral, on Thursday (January 7th) at 11am and will be streamed live. (Click here to view). Funeral afterwards to Mount St. Lawrence (extension) Cemetery. Josephine's Funeral cortege will pass the family home after Mass, to enable friends and neighbours to pay their respects. In compliance with the current HSE guidelines, the funeral will be limited to 10 people. Please ensure social distancing and public health advice is adhered to. Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the condolence section on rip.ie or cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Cross' Funeral Directors, Lower Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick. The death has occurred of Jeremiah (Gerry) Cronin, Church Street, Rathkeale. Peacefully at his home, surrounded by his loving family. Predeceased by his wife Nancy. Sadly missed by his sons Martin, John, Tim, daughters Patsy, Ann, Elaine, Diane, grandchildren, sister Patsy, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, extended family, friends and neighbours. Rest in Peace In accordance with government guidelines a private family Requiem Mass will take place in St. Mary's Church, Rathkeale on Wednesday, 6th Jan, at 12 noon. Burial afterwards in Holy Trinity Cemetery, Church Street, Rathkkeale. The death has occurred of Fr Michael Boland, Late of Altamira Terrace, Thomondgate. Died peacefully, in London on 4th January 2021. Son of the late John & Mary. Fr Michael is mourned by his brothers Peter, Gerry, Brian & Fr. John and his extended family. Rest in Peace. Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the rip.ie condolences section, through the death notices section of our website: www.griffinfunerals.com or by post to Griffins Funeral Home. Funeral Arrangements Later The death has occurred of Dinko Bartulovic, Carlton Apartments, Henry Street, and formerly of Croatia. Suddenly, at his residence. Deeply regretted by his loving wife Rossel, sons Dino and Ivan, brother Mario, nephews, niece, mother-in-law Rosalisa, uncles Miro, Visnja and Neda, relatives and friends. May He Rest in Peace A private Funeral service, for family only, will take place in St. Johns Cathedral, on Friday (January 8th) at 11am and will be streamed live. (Click here to View). Funeral afterwards to Shannon Crematorium. In compliance with the current HSE guidelines, the funeral will be limited to 10 people. Please ensure social distancing and public health advice is adhered to. Messages of sympathy may be expressed through the condolence section on rip.ie or cards and letters of sympathy can be sent to Cross' Funeral Directors, Lower Gerald Griffin Street, Limerick. Anxious parents have welcomed the expected decision to close schools, but have called for stronger support than was available during the first lockdown. Mary ODriscoll, a mother of two children attending secondary school Askea, Co Carlow, has welcomed the closure. She said her faith in the safety of schools was shaken when her son contracted Covid. It's very, very scary how quickly it can get into houses Mary O'Driscoll She told the PA News Agency: With the case numbers, I do welcome the closure. I know that education wise and mental health wise its good for the kids to be in school. But as well as that, Im thinking about the risk factor. My son actually tested positive for Covid just before the October midterm. One of the young lads in his school his mum had it. Then the young lad tested positive and my son had to be kept out, along with others. Out of the four of them that were tested, three of them tested positive, and not one symptom between them. So its very, very scary how quickly it can get into houses. Mary told PA that she will have to seek out extra support for her 15-year-old daughter, who is sitting her Junior Cert this year. She said: We are going to probably have to look at getting grinds for her. Were going to have to find a way of making that time up for her, in terms of grinds and extra lessons. But I would rather her struggle for the few months and then hopefully get back on track once this is all over. Roisin McBride, from Downings in Co Donegal, has two children attending primary school, in junior and senior infants. She had considered not sending her children back to school before news came through that they would not reopen. She said: To be honest, I said to the husband yesterday, even if the schools open, Im not going to send the kids back for a couple of weeks. Just until we see how things pan out. I think theyve made the right decision to close the schools with the numbers. But Roisin said that the level of remote learning offered to children must drastically increase from the previous school closures. She said: I think they would need to come out with clear guidance as to what is going to happen. The last time they closed the schools, I know some teachers did put a lot of effort in with their students but there were other teachers that didnt. I do think there should be an element of online classes. Roisin McBride I have a cousin based in Boston in America and his two boys havent been at school since March last year. The entire school has been remote learning, but its via Zoom. So their teacher is available for the lesson, theyre still being taught. Whereas the teachers emailing the parents work, it isnt really the child being taught. She added: I do think there should be an element of online classes. Both my children do online classes through Zoom for their extracurricular activities. My little girl has done her ballet class since April, for an hour, on Zoom. The teacher has managed to keep her attention at all times for that full hour, through the ballet class. Both of them do speech and drama online. Again, the teacher manages to keep their attention. Now dont get me wrong, I dont think a Zoom call from nine to three is feasible for anybody. But even an hour a day, there should be some element of teaching. Roisin said she is lucky that as a stay-at-home mum, she isnt affected by childcare issues. But she is conscious its a concern for many. She said: My brother and sister-in-law, they had to take time off work in the first lockdown. They had a child minder, but even the child minder said no, Im not taking kids at the moment. PA Media BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 was undoubtedly a year of challenges, but it was also a year of triumphs. Whilst the pandemic caused global chaos and uncertainty, it also saw courage, determination and resilience. It forced us all to think outside of the box, identify growth opportunities and adopt new digitalization trends. Since the start of the pandemic, leading business school Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) has been actively contributing to the solution, and helping the world define a new normal. CKGSB's thought leadership on China insights, its social impact and global learning platform have been providing leaders and policy-makers worldwide with key knowledge on growth opportunities and business trends, such as economic disruptions, digitalization and social innovation. With the school's leading and independent research and surveys serving as international indicators to China's economic conditions, it has been offering invaluable data and insights into combatting COVID-19 and formulating effective response strategies. Immediately after the outbreak, to further aid the global response, CKGSB utilized its interdisciplinary learning platform to host and partner on events and webinars, which addressed key issues relating to the pandemic, totaling 35 English-language events and 10 Chinese-language events over the past year. For more on CKGSB's global efforts and impact in contributing to and shaping 2020, visit: https://english.ckgsb.edu.cn/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-highlights_with-links-291220-2-expanded.pdf About Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business Established in Beijing in November 2002, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) aims to cultivate transformative business leaders with a global vision, a humanistic spirit, a strong sense of social responsibility and an innovative mind-set. Funded with generous support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, CKGSB is China's first faculty-governed, independent and private business school. CKGSB is the preeminent choice for management education among influential business leaders and a new generation of disruptors in China. It is also the preferred choice for academics returning to China from leading global business schools. As a globally oriented business school, CKGSB has been positioning itself for East Asia (China, Korea and Japan) and ASEAN countries. For more information, visit: https://english.ckgsb.edu.cn The Business Roundtable, a group of corporate chief executives, has added its voice to rising opposition among businesses to efforts by some Republicans in Congress to overturn the presidential election. The group of chief executives of more 200 companies, including a half-dozen Connecticut companies such as Cigna Corp. and Stanley Black & Decker Inc., said the peaceful transition of power is a hallmark of our democracy and should proceed unimpeded. With claims of electoral fraud having been fully considered and rejected by federal and state courts and state government officials, the integrity of the 2020 presidential election is not in doubt, the Business Roundtable said in a statement released in advance of Wednesdays joint session of Congress. There is no authority for Congress to reject or overturn electoral votes lawfully certified by the states and affirmed by the Electoral College. It said it opposes efforts to delay or overturn the clear outcome of the election. Partnership for New York City, a research, policy and advocacy group on Monday urged Congress to reject attempts by President Donald Trumps allies in Congress to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election. It said the presidential election has been decided and it is time for the country to move forward. Members of the Electoral College gathered in the state capitals Dec. 14 and voted 306-232 to ratify the election of Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Congress is scheduled to meet Wednesday to certify the results. Opposition from Republicans in the House and Senate is expected to kick off debate that will delay the certification. Biden and Harris are set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. In Connecticut, members of the Business Roundtable include David Cordani, CEO of Cigna Corp.; Jim Loree, CEO of Stanley Black and Decker Inc.; John Visentin, CEO of Xerox Corp.; Marc B. Lautenbach, president and CEO of Pitney Bowes Inc.; David L. Gitlin, CEO of Carrier; and Gregory Hayes, CEO of Raytheon Technologies Corp., the Massachusetts parent company of jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. Story continues The Business Roundtable represents companies with nearly $9 trillion in annual revenue and about 19 million employees. The combined market value of member companies is equivalent to more than 42% of the value of all publicly traded U.S. firms, according to Business Roundtable. Member businesses are in industries such as pharmaceuticals, technology, finance, energy and the food and beverage sector. The Business Roundtable has jumped into the political fray before. In August 2019 it issued a Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation that commits to investing in employees with fair compensation, treating suppliers ethically and supporting their communities. Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com. Army's Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir houses 456 pieces of Nazi art seized at the end of WWII Works remain under lock and key and collection includes four watercolors painted by Adolph Hitler himself Few of the works have ever been loaned our or viewed by the public for fear that they could glorify Nazism Collection has been compared to the massive warehouse seen at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark Sarah Forgey, the Army's chief art curator, said they kept pieces locked away fearing a 'revival of Nazism' 'Look at the world today. That rationale seems more valid in 2020 than it's been in a long time,' she added In northern Virginia, a secretive Army storage facility that holds hundreds of seized Nazi artworks has drawn comparisons to the warehouse from the Indiana Jones film Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Since the end of World War Two, 456 pieces of Nazi art and propaganda have remained under lock and key at the Army's Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir, a sprawling base in Fairfax County. ADVERTISEMENT The collection, which includes four watercolors painted by Adolf Hitler himself, has rarely been loaned out to museums or seen by the public, for fear they could inspire followers of the Nazis' sick and dangerous ideals. 'The rationale in 1945 was that we take possession of these works to keep them out of dangerous hands,' Sarah Forgey, the Army's chief art curator, told the New Yorker in an interview published on Monday. 'The fear was that there would be a revival of Nazism. Look at the world today. That rationale seems more valid in 2020 than it's been in a long time,' she said. Curators pull out Wilhelm Sauter's "Soldiers on the West Front," a 1941 oil painting that is one of hundreds of Nazi works kept locked away at Fort Belvoir in Virginia Among the chilling paintings is 'Der Bannertrager,' or the 'Standard Bearer,' which depicts Hitler on horseback in the armor of a Teutonic knight, carrying the Nazi flag. A U.S. soldier thrust a bayonet through Hitler's face when the painting was captured Curator Sarah Forgey shows former Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal four watercolors by Adolf Hitler at the U.S. Army Center of Military History's Museum Support Center Facility in a file photo Military specialists are seen documenting the works housed at the Army's Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir The secretive depot has been compared to the huge military warehouse seen at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark Click here to resize this module The collection at Fort Belvoir was chiefly assembled by Army Captain Gordon W. Gilkey, who was tasked with rounding up Nazi artworks at the end of WWII. Gilkey used German train schedules to figure out where Nazi art had been shipped in the closing days of the war, tracking one major cache that had left Berlin for the Czech border. In the mountains at the end of the line, Gilkey discovered the cache under the floorboards of an abandoned cabin, tattered and moth eaten. In a report for the Army, Gilkey wrote that he also found German art stashed in the bins of an Austrian salt-refining plant, according to the Washington Post. "Hitler at the Front," by Emil Scheibe (1942) depicts the Nazi leader in a leather coat, surrounded by adoring soldiers "In the Beginning Was the Word," by Hermann Otto Hoyer (1937) shows Hitler mesmerizing his early followers with a speech in the 1920s. Hitler liked it so much that he bought the painting William Layer of the Army Public Affairs strolls past Emil Schiebe's "Hitler at the Front," an oil on canvas painting from 1942 that was taken by US soldiers during WWII In his Army report, Gilkey mused that 'Perhaps the (German) combat artists were sincere. Working artists are simple people.' 'But behind (the German combat art program) was always Adolf Hitler and . . . his dreams of super-race built upon the bones of destruction of all who opposed him in his mad drive to rule the world. ADVERTISEMENT 'If his plan had succeeded, the suicide of the creative arts would have followed,' he wrote. 'My work of the past year has attained the removal from Germany of this monument to their baseness.' In total, Gilkey shipped more than 9,000 pieces of art and propaganda back to the U.S. But much of the haul was later found to have little to do with Nazism, and most of the collection was later returned to the German government. Any images that showed Nazi leaders or the swastika were kept by the U.S. military, however, and remain stored away at Fort Belvoir. Since the end of World War Two, 456 pieces of Nazi art and propaganda have remained under lock and key at the Army's Museum Support Center at Fort Belvoir (above) Dr. Charles H. Cureton, director of Army museums, discusses Hans Schmitz-Wiedenbruck's" German Military Services," a 1941 oil painting on canvas that is being housed at Fort Belvoir Willfried Nagel's "The Red Terror" (1942) depicts a skeleton in a red robe atop a white horse galloping across a fiery sea of drowning victims Julius Schmitz-Westerholt's "Two Ships In Moonlight" is a 1944 watercolor painting on paper that is being housed at the US Army Center of Military History Museum Support Center Much of the collection is cheap, mass produced propaganda designed to spread the hateful ideals of the Nazis. But it also includes some monumental works designed to glorify Hitler. One such chilling painting is 'Der Bannertrager,' or the 'Standard Bearer,' which depicts Hitler on horseback in the armor of a Teutonic knight, carrying the Nazi flag. The large painting was marred where a U.S. soldier had thrust a bayonet through Hitler's face. Army curators decided to leave it that way. Another large work in the collection is 'Hitler At The Front', which depicts the Nazi leader in a leather coat, surrounded by adoring soldiers. 'In the Beginning Was the Word,' by Hermann Otto, depicts Hitler mesmerizing his early followers with a speech in the 1920s. Julius Schmitz-Westerholt's "Ski Troops In Norway Invasion" is a 1940 charcoal drawing. The piece was taken from Germany by US soldiers during WWII Julius Schmitz-Westerholt's 'Surgical Ward on German Navy Ship' is a 1940 charcoal drawing. In the wake of the war, allied forces embarked on the 'de-nazification' of Germany. Willfried Nagel's "Vision of an East Front Follower" is a 1943 oil painting on canvas that depicts a Russian soldier surrendering to the Nazis atop a pile of bodies Otto Engelhardt-Kyffhauser's "Rene Fayard, French Volunteer in Waffen SS" is a 1944 pastel drawing on paper that is being housed at the Army Art Collection Fort Belvoir (above) is a large base in Northern Virginia that employs more workers than the Pentagon itself Other works in the collection sought to demonize the Russians and Communism. One, titled 'The Red Terror,' depicts a skeleton in a red robe atop a white horse galloping across a fiery sea. ADVERTISEMENT Also included in the Army collection are four watercolors painted by Hitler, a failed artist who was twice rejected for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Hitler's watercolors depict street empty street scenes devoid of people, because the Nazi leader struggled to draw the human form. 'They are only interesting because of who produced them,' Forgey told the New Yorker. Hitler was a painter before the Second World War and sold postcards in Vienna to try and make a living. His artwork continued when he was leader of the Nazi party and then the Fuhrer. Some of his pieces sold for up to $50,000 at auction after the war. What is your plan to lead Trinidad and Tobago out of the Covid-19 pandemic? This was the question Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar repeatedly asked Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday. WASHINGTON New York Republicans in Congress are divided over whether they will object on Wednesday to the certification of the 2020 election or vote to uphold states' Electoral College votes. The split mirrors a greater rift in the party that has transformed what is usually an arcane procedural vote by Congress into a litmus test of the support for President Donald J. Trump, mail-in voting and other election procedures. Wednesday's vote is not expected to keep Trump in office or delay President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, but will produce hours of debate over how the presidential election was conducted. Thirteen Republican senators have announced they will object to certifying the election results. The Regional Reporters Association has identified at least 52 GOP representatives who have said in the past few days they will object, while two GOP lawmakers told CNN they believe the number is at least 140. Of the seven New York Republican representatives, two have stated they will object, two will uphold the existing election result and three have declined to reveal their position. U.S. Rep. Tom Reed of Corning said Tuesday that he will not object on Wednesday, joining Rep. John Katko of Syracuse in that camp. "The U.S. Constitution calls upon our election of the president to be done at the state level and if there are issues of fraud, if there are issues of whether or not those elections are carried out lawfully, they are to be adjudicated at the state level," Reed said, noting his own personal support for Trump. "When it comes to reviewing and objecting to the electors, essentially our role in Congress is to respect those electors that are sent to us by the respective states. ... There is no state Legislature that has asked us to intervene in Congress in this process." Reps. Elise Stefanik of Schuylerville and Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island both said Monday they would raise objections. "I dont see a situation where I dont object to at least some of these states but I am going to be thoughtful and mindful and listen to the entire debate on Wednesday," Malliotakis said in a radio interview with Kevin McCullough on Monday. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Shirley, who served on Trump's impeachment defense team with Stefanik, is likely to raise objections and has criticized the integrity of the election and mail-in voting procedures on Twitter. But he has not publicly made his position known yet and did not respond to a request for comment. U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino of Sayville, who was sworn in for his first term on Sunday, also did not respond to a request for comment. Rep. Chris Jacobs of Orchard Park declined to comment Tuesday afternoon. Stefanik discussed her decision to object to the election on the radio program Hotline with former Mayor Jeff Graham on Tuesday. "I spent a lot of time doing my research about irregularities that occurred in states like Pennsylvania, like Georgia, like Michigan and Wisconsin and I believe the American people need to hear this debate not just about this election but to make sure in the future we have free, fair and constitutional elections in this country that people have faith in," she said. She said she believes there were "unconstitutional actions by unelected state officials not following state laws." Despite many lawsuits brought by the Trump campaign and other groups since Nov. 3, so far no judge has ruled that election fraud occurred in the 2020 election or identified illegal actions that could have changed the outcome of the election. New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs called for Stefanik's resignation Monday over her decision to object. On Tuesday, both Stefanik and New York Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy claimed Jacobs was attacking Stefanik because she is a critic of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. "I do think Gov. Cuomo runs the Democratic party like the Democratic party bosses so I take it as a compliment," she pushed back. "I certainly am not the only member of Congress who is standing up for the Constitution and their constituents, but I'm proud of my position." On Wednesday, each states' electoral votes will be considered and lawmakers will have a chance to object state by state, with each objection by a representative and senator prompting debate. With a Democratic majority in the House, no objection to the election results is expected to be sustained by Congress. Srinagar: Tensions prevailed in North Kashmir on Thursday as the Indian Army killed two militants after a four-hour long gunbattle in the wee hours of the morning. Services of all operators, except state-run BSNL have reportedly been suspended in North Kashmir to thwart any protests. Army top brass, including chief General Bipin Rawat, have reached Srinagar to review security scenario in the region, sources said. Rashtiyra Rifles troop and Jammu and Kashmir Police killed 2 militants after a three-hour long encounter, which broke out at 2:45 AM and ended at 06:45 AM. Militants killed in Sopore behind attack on police party: Srinagar DGP Two militants, who were killed by security forces in an encounter in Baramulla districts Sopore area on Thursday, belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen and were behind an attack on a police party. Yesterday, a grenade attack was carried out on a police deployment party in Sopore town in which four policemen were injured, Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, SP Vaid told reporters in Srinagar. The description of assailants and CCTV footage helped in identifying and arresting two persons, including one who had hurled the grenade at the police party, the DGP said. Vaid said during interrogation, the arrested persons provided information about the hideout of the militants at whose behest they had carried out the attack. The security forces laid a cordon around the area. As they were closing in on the house where the militants were hiding, they opened fire. The security forces retaliated leading to death of the two militants, the DGP said. He said both slain militants were locals and belonged to the Hizbul Mujahdieen. They have been identified as Aijaz and Basharat, he added. Massive cordon-and-search operation launched Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Nathi Pora area of Sopore at around 3:30 am after receiving information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. During the searches, the militants, believed to be two in number, opened fire on the forces, triggering the gun-battle, he said. J&K: 2 local terrorists killed in joint operation by RR troops &police based on specific intelligence (visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/xrcmjYwTH3 ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 Indian Army has recovered two AK-47, 5 magazines, 107 live rounds, 2 pouches, Rs 2000 in cash, 2 rubber stamps and paraphernalia from the two terrorists. Meanwhile, services of all operators, except state-run BSNL have reportedly been suspended in North Kashmir to thwart any protests. Army top brass in Jammu and Kashmir Sources have revealed that the entire top brass of Army except the Vice chief are in Jammu and Kashmir today, including Army Chief Bipin Rawat and all seven Army commanders. "Army Chief reached Srinagar, J&K on Thursday morning. He is likely to hold a conclave of the senior officers about the security scenario," reported ANI. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat reaches Srinagar, J&K, likely to hold a conclave of the senior officers about the security scenario. pic.twitter.com/pcuXko6LVj ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 Also read: Kashmir: Four cops injured as militants hurl grenade at police party in Baramulla Indo-Pak tensions: Travel, trade across LoC in Kashmir come to halt For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A man in his 40s is due before a sitting of Dublin District Court this morning in connection with a car-jacking incident in the city. It follows an incident yesterday when a woman (also in her 40s) was approached on the forecourt of a garage in East Wall by a male. The alarm was raised at approximately 10.30am when, it is understood, he threatened her at knife point and demanded her car keys before driving off in her car. The car was intercepted a short time later on the N3 following a managed containment operation involving local Gardai, the Armed Support Unit and Roads Policing Units. Read More The occupant of the car, a man in his 40s, was arrested and taken to Store Street Garda Station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, gardai said. He is expected to appear before a sitting of Dublin District Court (CCJ 1) this morning (5/1/2021) charged in connection with the case. Gardai added that investigations are ongoing. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Read More Online Editors Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Slovakia detects UK strain of Coronavirus : Health Minister Prague, Jan 5 (Sputnik) The mutated strain of the coronavirus that was recently detected in the United Kingdom has been found in Slovakia, Slovak Health Minister Marek Krajci said on Tuesday. "Experts from the Comenius University in Bratislava identified the so-called English mutation in the very first samples collected in Michalovce [town in eastern Slovakia]," Krajci said on Facebook. The minister did not specify the number of cases of the new coronavirus. The Syrian Democratic Council have expressed their intention to work with other opposition elements to create a joint project reports Alsouria Net. The Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) defined its policy for 2021, saying that it aims to establish a joint project with the Syrian opposition. The goal of the Autonomous Administration during the current year is to establish a joint project with the opposition, and all parties to the solution in Syria, said the President of the Executive Committee of SDC, Ilham Ahmed. Ahmed continued in statements, published on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) website, In order to make the regions of north and east Syria a center for shared democracy in the country, in addition to ending the occupation. Ahmed did not disclose other details related to the names of the Syrian opposition parties with which the SDC intends to work with to establish the joint project. Ahmed said that the current year will be different from previous years. The SDC is the political arm of the SDF, which was formed in October 2015, and is supported by the United States of America. In her statements, Ahmed talked about the Self-Administrations relationship with Russia, and indicated that it is now suffering from the mistakes of the Assad regime significantly, through its stance on the region. Ahmed considered that the Syrian Constitutional Committee, does not represent the Syrian people, as it has not been able to achieve any tangible progress during the last period, as a result of the intervention of many countries. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Fall 2020 was a tough semester. Last winter, before COVID-19 became a household word, I agreed to double teach in the Fall to fill a need in our department. (In exchange I have a light load this winter term.) Teaching in an unsettled environment with evolving expectations and constraints, with one new course and another needing significant adaptation to spatial separation in discussions, whether online or in person suffice to say, the workload was significantly more than doubled. Writing regularly and even thinking about science and Christian faith took a back seat. It is time to get back into the groove. I recently received a copy of a new book by Denis Lamoureux The Bible & Ancient Science. Much of the material in this book will be familiar to those who have read many of Deniss other books, especially his large book Evolutionary Creation. Like many Christians, Denis found the questions raised by the intersection (or conflict) of science and our faith troubling. Unlike many, however, he took the time to explore the questions in depth. When he felt called to engage in the battle between science (specifically evolution) and Christian faith, he began by pursuing a PhD in theology. This challenged many of his preconceptions about the way to read Scripture as the word of God. A second PhD in biology, focused on the evolution of the jaw, convinced him that the theory of evolution is grounded in solid empirical evidence. This background led him to a career as a Professor of Science and Religion at St. Josephs College, University of Alberta (see his site here). This latest book focuses on a series of hermeneutical principles to help guide Christians to a deeper understanding of Scripture. Drawing from his long experience teaching the topic to college students, he has pulled together a helpful guide for lay Christians. In a series of posts we will think through many of these principles. The first important point before getting into the principles of interpretation is that the Bible is the word of God. Far from dismissing or undermining the divine nature of Scripture, Denis begins by emphasizing it. The Bible is a precious gift from God. It reveals who our Creator is and who we are. Scripture sets down the foundational beliefs of the Christian faith. The Word of God affirms the creation of the universe and living organisms, the sinfulness of all men and women, the offer to restore our relationship with the Lord through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, and the hope of eternal life. The Bible is an everlasting spring of spiritual living waters for our thirsty souls. (p. 11) Even those who disagree with some of Deniss conclusions will be hard pressed to deny his appreciation for Scripture and its importance for Christians. The purpose is not to undermine Scripture, but to learn to interpret it properly. The central question of relevance in the discussion of science (evolution) and Christian faith is the nature of the Bible: Is the Bible a book of science? More precisely, does it teach science? Of course the purpose of the bible is not to teach science. Ideas we now view as scientific tend to be incidental to the main purposes of Scripture, but do they intentionally reveal information about Gods world? If so, how and what? Denis argues that the Bible is not a book of science. Quoting from his website Instead, it is a God-inspired revelation that offers inerrant, life-changing, Messages of Faith. Holy Scripture does indeed refer to the natural world, but it features an ancient understanding of nature. Considering the Bible to be a book of science misinterprets the message, sometimes insignificantly and sometimes quite badly. In the next post on this book we will begin to look at some of the principles of interpretation that will help make sense of the relationship between modern science and scripture. If you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net If you would like to comment on this post, please see Musings on Science and Thelogy. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Ethos is a nationally recognized, award-winning independent student publication. Our mission is to elevate the voices of marginalized people who are underrepresented in the media landscape, and to write in-depth, human-focused stories about the issues affecting them. We also strive to support our diverse student staff and to help them find future success. Ethos produces a quarterly free print magazine full of well-reported and powerful feature stories, innovative photography, creative illustrations and eye-catching design. On our website, we also produce compelling written and multimedia stories. Ethos is part of Emerald Media Group, a non-profit organization thats fully independent of the University of Oregon. Students maintain complete editorial control over Ethos, and work tirelessly to produce the magazine. Since our inception as Korean Ducks Magazine in 2005, weve worked hard to share a multicultural spirit with our readership. We embrace diversity in our stories, in our student staff and in our readers. We want every part of the magazine to reflect the diversity of our world. Panaji, Jan 5 : The state's top B-school, the Goa Institute of Management's Centre for Social Sensitivity and Action and Dhaka's North South University's Centre for Peace Studies have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote integrated approaches towards implementation of UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through education, research, policy analysis and global cooperation. "This is our first agreement in the South Asia region and we look forward to forging several productive relationships in these geographies, with the best institutions in the region to advance the SDGs," Prof Ajit Parulekar, Director, Goa Institute of Management, said in an official statement on Tuesday. The collaboration will include facilitation of joint student projects in the area of United Nations' SDG 4.7 which is to "ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development". GIM's Prof Divya Singhal said that jointly, the two agencies will identify suitable themes for the projects, identify students from respective institutes and then connect them to joint student groups. "Research collaboration will be focused on publication towards select SDGs. We also look forward to the exchange of faculty and students from both centres that are particularly focused on research, teaching and implementation of the SDGs," Singhal said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Nearly 69% of Michiganders on unemployment havent gotten paid benefits in the past two weeks as the state waits on guidance for how to reimplement the federal benefits programs. The extra $300 per week for all unemployed Michigan residents also hangs in limbo. Both were components of the $908 billion federal COVID-19 aid package passed in late December. President Donald Trump agreed to sign the deal Dec. 27, just hours after the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Employment Compensation programs lapsed. Due to the timing of the legislations finalization, there will be a delay in certification and payment of benefits for those currently enrolled in the federal PUA and PEUC programs beginning Dec. 26, said Jason Moon, spokesman for Michigans Unemployment Insurance Agency, on Tuesday, Jan. 5. The UIA is waiting for guidance from the federal government on how to reimplement the programs and how to disburse the extra $300 weekly payments. Once Michigan has those details, Moon said the UIA will work tirelessly to implement any remaining changes as soon as it can in order to get benefits out the door as quickly as possible. Theres still no estimate on when the PUA and PEUC payments will restart or when the extra $300 will start going out. As of Dec. 12, Michigan had about 855,000 people on unemployment. More than 587,000 of them were on PUA or PEUC federal programs since they werent/no longer eligible for state unemployment. While many residents didnt get unemployment benefits last week and perhaps not this week, theyll eventually get pay for all weeks retroactively, if theyre eligible, Moon said. The U.S. government extended its extra unemployment benefits into the spring, but Gov. Gretchen Whitmers veto pen will reduce some of the state benefits available. The Michigan Legislature agreed to keep providing 26 weeks of unemployment instead of the normal 20, on the condition that the state paid $220 million of general fund money into the employer-financed Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Whitmer struck down the move, calling it a $220 million giveaway of taxpayer money. Anybody on state unemployment before 2021 will still get the promised 26 weeks of benefits. But anybody who started on unemployment in January 2021 or later will only get 20 weeks of state benefits unless Michigan leaders find a solution before mid-May. RELATED STORIES Michigan burned through 84% of its unemployment cash in 2020. What happens when its gone? 3 in 4 Michiganders on unemployment may not get their benefits this week People need to eat: Nightmare tales of Michigans unemployment system $600 stimulus checks on their way, online tracker tool to be available soon Flash With surging new cases and strict restrictions back in place, the global fight against COVID-19 has grown tougher after the Christmas and New Year holidays. As of Tuesday, global cases have reached 85,653,549 with over 1.8 million deaths, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. Different holidays The Christmas and New Year holidays, a time of family reunions, travel and shopping, have been overshadowed by a sustained record-breaking COVID-19 surge. COVID-19 infections in the United States hit a new grim milestone of 20 million on New Year's Day, an increase of 10 million cases in less than two months. The CBSLA news channel reported that hospitals across the Los Angeles and other counties in Southern California had been stretched to their limits, as the county's seven-day daily positivity rate increased from 18.2 percent on Christmas Day to 21.5 percent on New Year's Day. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Monday that England will enter a national lockdown from midnight, the third of its kind since the pandemic began in the country. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday that the government is planning to declare another state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures as COVID-19 cases surge in these areas. In cities from the Middle East to Latin America and Africa, New Year celebrations have been cancelled or suspended, and stricter lockdown measures re-introduced. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Dec. 27, 2020 ordered the cancellation of all New Year celebrations, while tighter lockdown measures were re-introduced last week in South Africa, including a ban on alcohol sales and gatherings as well as the closure of beaches. New COVID-19 Strains On Dec. 20, 2020, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that a new strain of COVID-19 was "out of control" in Britain. By December 2020, the new variant had become the "dominant variant" in London, and by the week ending Dec. 9, 2020, it had accounted for 62 percent of cases in London, 59 percent of those in eastern England, and 43 percent in the southeast, according to Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser of the British government. Days later, two cases of another new variant of the virus were also identified in Britain. "Both are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks," Hancock said Wednesday. This new variant is "yet more transmissible" and the development is "highly concerning," he said. Meanwhile, another new variant of the coronavirus appears to have emerged in Nigeria, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier. So far, the new variants have been detected in Australia, Denmark, Italy, Iceland, the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and Japan, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and media reports. Vaccination campaigns Countries across the globe are planning mass vaccination campaigns, as experts suggest that no evidence has yet emerged that the new strains could affect the effectiveness of the potential vaccines. According to information released by the WHO on Dec. 29, 232 COVID-19 candidate vaccines are being developed worldwide, with 60 of them under clinical trials. The U.S. city of Houston is allowing those at high risk to schedule an appointment online to receive a free vaccination. In Germany, a total of 265,986 people have received COVID-19 vaccines as of Monday, the Robert Koch Institute said. Other countries, including Slovenia, Spain and Malta, have received their first batches of COVID-19 vaccines. The first batch of 3 million doses of China's SinoVac COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Turkey on early Wednesday. On Dec. 10, 2020, Egypt received the first batch of a Chinese anti-coronavirus vaccine. The China-developed anti-coronavirus vaccine Egypt has received is effective, safe and easier to use, said Osama Abdel-Hay, secretary general of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate. "These grants show the incredible growth of the suicide prevention research community. I am looking forward to the many insights this research will provide to help guide our efforts to understand and prevent suicide," said Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman, vice president of research, AFSP . Each application is reviewed multiple times by the top suicide prevention researchers in the world. The research grants are funded mainly through small individual donations from volunteers who attend AFSP Out of the Darkness experiences. Many of these researchers will go on to receive further funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and other large research funding agencies. The grants awarded this year address five key suicide research areas: (1) Clinical Treatment, (2) Community Intervention, (3) Genetics (Family/Postmortem), (4) Neurobiological (Brain Function/Postmortem/Animal), (5) and Psychosocial (Risk). The AFSP research grants program is international, supporting the best research globally. For a full list of the grants being awarded this year, visit https://afsp.org/research-grants/?&refinementList[year][0]=2020. The research priority areas for the 2020-2022 grant funding cycles are suicide prevention within underrepresented racial and ethnic communities and the evaluation of technological tools for suicide prevention. Applications in these areas will be reviewed along with the general pool of grant applications, with priority given to strong grants in the designated fields. This year's focus on diversity is a part of AFSP's larger commitment to addressing the disparity in mental health care access . With the vast array of untested technological tools available for suicide prevention, the second priority area aims to provide guidance for the selection of effective technological suicide prevention tools. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report , and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube . SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links https://afsp.org/ Doctors and nurses working in British hospitals are demanding higher grade PPE to protect themselves from the faster-spreading variant of coronavirus. In an open letter to politicians, 800 medics have warned staff on general wards are twice as likely to catch Covid-19 as those in intensive care so they should get the same quality protective equipment. They said all medics should get the FFP3 mask - which has an air filter and can cost as much as 10 each - rather than standard surgical masks. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) backed the appeal, calling for a review of the existing PPE guidance and ventilation in hospitals 'without delay'. World Health Organization guidelines say the main way the virus is spread is through droplets from the nose or mouth from coughing, sneezing and speaking. People in hospital with the virus may be more likely to spread it than others because they generally have worse infections, which may mean they're carrying more of the virus in their body, and more symptoms, so they're more likely to cough. The letter has reawakened issues from the first wave of the epidemic when, during spring 2020, health and care workers were furious with the Government for not providing them with enough PPE to do their jobs safely. Some staff resorted to wearing bin bags because they couldn't get the right gear. Intensive care staff (pictured, a team at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge) get higher quality equipment because they have to work closer to sicker patients. NHS workers on general Covid wards are now demanding they get better quality PPE, too Pictured above is the FFP3 mask, which Fresh Air NHS says all doctors and nurses should have The action group Fresh Air NHS, which says it represents front-line healthcare workers who 'recognise the importance of airborne SARS-CoV-2', sent the letter. It called for all staff working with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 patients to have access to a more advanced FFP3 mask, which contains an air filter. The FFP3 mask is made with thicker material than a standard surgical mask, and fits snugly over the nose and mouth, rather than more loosely across the face. The petition added that PPE guidance must be reviewed, and said hospitals should maximise their natural ventilation through actions such as opening windows. The letter states: 'We implore that these recommendations are implemented across the UK as soon as possible. Mass vaccination and its impacts on rates of transmission will take time to take effect. 'It is therefore imperative to maximise science-based preventative measures towards aerosol/airborne transmission in addition to standard droplet precautions in healthcare settings now.' They add: 'It is now essential that healthcare workers have their PPE upgraded to protect against airborne transmission. 'The inhalation of viral aerosols, whether the susceptible person is near the source or at more distant locations are most effectively interrupted by a respiratory protection device, such as an N95 filtering face-piece respirator. 'A significant proportion of the NHS workforce is unavailable to help at this peak time owing to sickness and a need to self-isolate because of SARS-CoV-2. 'This adds to the already perilous situation of remaining staff being tired, overworked and prone to making errors. 'Not only are staff contracting SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings, but also patients admitted for reasons other than Covid-19 are acquiring it in hospital. 'In the first half of November, approximately 20 per cent of hospital cases for SARS-CoV-2 had been acquired in hospitals.' The RCN has backed their appeal, and also called for PPE to be improved. Dame Donna Kinnair, its chief executive, said: 'Nursing staff and all healthcare professionals need urgent reassurance from government ministers and scientists that they are sufficiently protected from the new variant both by PPE and safety procedures in their place of work. 'Without delay, they must state whether existing PPE guidance is adequate for the new variant.' She called for staff working with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases to be given higher-level PPE and called for a review 'of the effectiveness of ventilation in health and care buildings'. Niamey, Niger (PANA) - The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has strongly condemned the twin attacks in western Niger that killed at least 100 people, injured 25 others, and forced hundreds to flee on 2 January Researchers at the University of Tokyo detected changes in cells autofluorescence in response to magnetic fields, a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earths geomagnetic field. A short burst of blue light shines on a specific area (blue circle) of a single HeLa (human cervical cancer) cell and then the light that the cell emits back is measured (center). The cellular autofluorescence occurs only in the area that was irradiated with blue light (center, right). Credit: Ikeya and Woodward, CC BY Researchers in Japan have made the first observations of biological magnetoreceptionlive, unaltered cells responding to a magnetic field in real time. This discovery is a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earth's magnetic field and addressing the question of whether weak electromagnetic fields in our environment might affect human health. "The joyous thing about this research is to see that the relationship between the spins of two individual electrons can have a major effect on biology," said Professor Jonathan Woodward from the University of Tokyo, who conducted the research with doctoral student Noboru Ikeya. The results were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Researchers have suspected since the 1970s that because magnets can attract and repel electrons, Earth's magnetic field, also called the geomagnetic field, could influence animal behavior by affecting chemical reactions. When some molecules are excited by light, an electron can jump from one molecule to another and create two molecules with single electrons, known as a radical pair. The single electrons can exist in one of two different spin states. If the two radicals have the same electron spin, their subsequent chemical reactions are slow, while radical pairs with opposite electron spins can react faster. Magnetic fields can influence electron spin states and thus directly influence chemical reactions involving radical pairs. Over the past 50 years, chemists have identified multiple reactions and specific proteins called cryptochromes that are sensitive to magnetic fields in test tube environments. Biologists have even observed how genetically interfering with cryptochromes in fruit flies and cockroaches can eliminate the insects' ability to navigate according to geomagnetic cues. Other research has indicated that birds' and other animals' geomagnetic navigation is light sensitive. However, no one has previously measured chemical reactions inside a living cell changing directly because of a magnetic field. Woodward and Ikeya worked with HeLa cells, human cervical cancer cells that are commonly used in research labs, and were specifically interested in their flavin molecules. Flavins are a subunit of cryptochromes that are themselves a common and well-studied group of molecules that naturally glow, or fluoresce, when exposed to blue light. They are important light-sensing molecules in biology. When flavins are excited by light, they can either fluoresce or produce radical pairs. This competition means that the amount of flavin fluorescence depends on how quickly the radical pairs react. The University of Tokyo team hoped to observe biological magnetoreception by monitoring cells' autofluorescence while adding an artificial magnetic field to their environment. Autofluorescence is common in cells, so to isolate flavin autofluorescence, the researchers used lasers to shine light of a specific wavelength onto the cells and then measured the wavelengths of the light that the cells emitted back to ensure that it matched the characteristic values of flavin autofluorescence. Standard magnetic equipment can generate heat, so the researchers took extensive precautions and performed exhaustive control measurements to verify that the only change in the cells' environment was the presence or absence of the magnetic field. Researchers at the University of Tokyo irradiated cells with a short burst of blue light and then swept a magnetic field over the cells every four seconds while measuring changes in the intensity of the fluorescent light cells emitted. Statistical analysis of the light intensity in videos like this revealed that the cells fluorescence dimmed by about 3.5% each time the magnetic field swept over the cells. These results are a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earths geomagnetic field. Credit: Ikeya and Woodward, CC BY "My goal even as a Ph.D. student has always been to directly see these radical pair effects in a real biological system. I think that is what we've just managed," said Woodward. The cells were irradiated with blue light and fluoresced for about 40 seconds. Researchers swept a magnetic field over the cells every four seconds and measured changes in the intensity of the fluorescence. Statistical analysis of the visual data from the experiments revealed that the cell's fluorescence dimmed by about 3.5% each time the magnetic field swept over the cells. The researchers suspect that the blue light excites the flavin molecules to generate radical pairs. The presence of a magnetic field caused more radical pairs to have the same electron spin states, meaning that there were fewer flavin molecules available to emit light. Thus, the cell's flavin fluorescence dimmed until the magnetic field went away. "We've not modified or added anything to these cells. We think we have extremely strong evidence that we've observed a purely quantum mechanical process affecting chemical activity at the cellular level," Woodward remarked. Lab experiments and real-world magnetoreception The experimental magnetic fields were 25 millitesla, which is roughly equivalent to common refrigerator magnets. The magnetic field of the Earth varies by location, but is estimated to be about 50 microtesla, or 500 times weaker than the magnetic fields used in the experiments. Woodward states that Earth's very weak magnetic field could still have a biologically important influence due to a phenomenon known as the low field effect. Although strong magnetic fields make it difficult for radical pairs to switch between states in which the two electron spins are the same and states in which they are different, weak magnetic fields can have the opposite effect and make the switch easier than when there is no magnetic field. The authors are now investigating the effect in other types of cells, the potential role of the cells' health and surroundings, and testing candidate magnetic receptors, including cryptochromes directly inside cells. Interpreting any potential environmental or physiological significance of the results will require developing more specialized and highly sensitive equipment to work with much weaker magnetic fields and more detailed cellular analysis to connect the magnetic field-sensitive response to specific signaling pathways or other consequences within the cell. Explore further A microscopic approach to the magnetic sensitivity of animals The Cumberland County Commissioners on Monday remembered Chief Clerk Sandy Moyle, who died on Christmas Day after a long illness. During a public meeting, the commissioners ordered the county flag be flown at half-staff until Jan. 18 in memory of Moyle as a testament to her commitment and contribution to Cumberland County. With a heavy heart we announce the passing of our chief clerk, Sandy Moyle, who served the county for nearly seven years, Commissioner Gary Eichelberger said in a press release. Sandy was a remarkable woman whose dedication and commitment extended to all employees and the residents of Cumberland County. Said Commissioner Jean Foschi: As the newest county commissioner, Sandy welcomed me with open arms into the world of county government. She was held in high esteem by her staff, the board of commissioners and all who serve in county government. Commissioner Vince DiFilippo added that we lost more than just a great employee, we lost a friend, leader, and a mentor to many. We will miss her immensely. Moyle served as chief clerk since 2018 and deputy chief clerk since 2014. Moyle worked for a district magistrate in Lewistown for 15 years and as senior associate for Public Financial Management in Harrisburg for 17 years. As chief clerk, Moyle managed the countys day-to-day operations within the guidelines set forth by the Pennsylvania County Code and the board of commissioners. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. I think theres a level of exhaustion that everybody feels because youre trying to keep people balanced and youre trying to hear them and youre trying to be available, said Beth Thomas, the La Mesa Arts Academy principal. Thats been the biggest challenge, is knowing people are suffering and youre trying to help and youre very limited in how you can do that. New Delhi, Jan 5 : Author Sandeep Bamzai will be in conversation with journalist and writer Pallavi Rebbapragada to discuss different facets of his latest book 'Princestan' during the Kalinga Literary Festival's 'bhava samvad' (online) on January 9 at 7 pm. Exploring how in the run up to independence, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Lord Mountbatten countered the plan of a handful of Indian princes, under the patronage of Mohd. Ali Jinnah, Lord Wavell and British PM Winston Churchill to not join either India or Pakistan, and create a Third Dominion known as Princestan, the book offers an insight into what really went into 'making' the country as we know it today. Bamzai, who is also the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of news wire IANS, says about 'Princestan', "While researching the book on Kashmir, which dealt specifically with Kashmir and Maharaja Hari Singh, this particular part came through the material and fascinated me no end. It did not take me long to realise that I was on to something which was of much importance as far as modern history was concerned. It had to be explored in depth, as what would be the second part of what would ultimately be a trilogy." The Iowa Supreme Court on Dec. 31 severely limited the financial damages that can be awarded for injuries and deaths caused by state police officers who are found to have used excessive force. The court ruled 6-1 that punitive damages, which are intended to punish and deter future misconduct, are not available in cases in which officers use excessive force in violation of constitutional rights. Justice Edward Mansfield wrote for the majority that compensatory damages for victims, including for emotional distress and attorney fees, would still be available and offer an adequate remedy. The court ruled that lawsuits brought by injured individuals and the families of those killed by state police are subject to limits in the Iowa Tort Claims Act, which governs claims against state employees. The act bars punitive damages, has a two-year statute of limitations and requires litigants to present their claims to the state and wait at least six months before filing suit. Civil rights lawyers say the law can delay and impede justice, while supporters say it protects taxpayers. The ruling applies to claims against officers of state agencies, including the Iowa State Patrol, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The court ruled in a case filed by the mother of a suicidal 19-year-old man who was killed by a state conservation officer during a police standoff in 2017 in Dakota City. The lawsuit alleges that the DNR officer was untrained in responding to such a situation and was too quick to fire on her son, Shane Jensen, who was armed and having a mental health crisis. Four local police officers on the scene did not shoot. They were aware of Jensens mental condition and knew that time and patience were their ally, the lawsuit claims. The officer said he fired a single bullet that killed Jensen after the suspect fired a shot into the air and pointed his gun at officers. The Humboldt County attorney ruled that the shooting was justified. Attorney David OBrien, who represents Jensens family, said he was disappointed in the courts decision barring punitive damages, but that it did specifically allow for the first time for claims against officers to be pursued under the Iowa Constitution. Punitive damages may still be available in federal court, OBrien said. Well follow all paths to justice for Shanes family, he said. Dissenting Justice Brent Appel said he believed punitive damages should be available in excessive force cases, noting that state law says the acts limits do not apply to claims involving assault or battery. Appel said punitive damages were important to serve the public interest, saying they allow jurors to send an expression of community outrage and a measure of deterrence when constitutional violations are proven. He cited high-profile cases involving force used by white officers against Black citizens. Brutal beatings or excessive force cases such as Rodney King, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor are not just private matters to be adjusted through the transfer of funds to the victim, he wrote. Does the case involve systemic blue on black violence, a mere one-off not likely to be repeated, or a reasonable effort by law enforcement in a difficult situation to protect the public? These questions are very public matters. Civil rights lawyers say lawsuits are important for accountability because officers are rarely charged criminally. A recent investigation by The Associated Press found that Democratic Iowa Attorney General Tom Millers office has not convicted an officer for using unnecessary force of any kind since at least 2004, and pursued charges against two officers in 35 cases. Millers office represents the DNR officer in the Jensen case and had asked the court to find that punitive damages are not allowed in such lawsuits. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Restaurant Iowa A Korean oil tanker carrying ethanol has been seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Fars News Agency on Monday said the ship was seized due to "environmental pollution," but seems to have been taken hostage along with 20 crewmembers because Tehran wants funds locked in Korean accounts due to U.S. sanctions released. Reports said the ship ended up stationary in waters off Bandar Abbas port. Among the ship's crew are five Koreans as well as Indonesians, Myanmarese and Vietnamese. The seizure comes days before a visit to Tehran by a Korean vice foreign minister. The Korean Foreign Ministry demanded an "early release" of the ship and did not comment on the charge of pollution. The Defense Ministry here also dispatched the Navy's Cheonghae anti-piracy unit to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo of Huang Zhongmao By Zhang Ruijie Huang Zhongmao, an army veteran who had fought the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953), now lives in a remote village in western Hubei Province, China, with his son Huang Houyong. Huang Zhongmao joined the war in October 1950 as a soldier with the 124th Division under the 42nd Corps of the Chinese People's Volunteers Army (CPVA). On October 25, 1950, the Battle of Huangcaoling broke out. This was the first battle of the 42nd Corps during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, which turned out to be a memory Huang Zhongmao dared not touch easily. "When the US planes bombarded us, the shells poured down and exploded around us. We were buried in dust from gigantic explosions. The hole was more than 10 inches deep, and then we were dug out by our comrades. Many comrades were beyond recognition from deadly injuries. For many years, I can't stand recalling the scene," Huang sobbed. At that time, I had forgotten to be afraid and only knew that I was still alive, he added. "Even at that time, it is the only faith we had to hold my ground and never retreat a single inch from the land" said Huang. During the war, the transport convoy that Huang had been assigned to was discovered by the enemy in a mission to escort strategic supplies. The enemy fired flare guns, lighting up the dead grass and leaves around the convoy. US bombers flew in following the signal in the dark night. "The flames around the trucks will inevitably attract enemy planes and we might lose the whole convoy. Before I could think about it, I jumped out of the car and used my clothes to fight the fire," Huang said. Seeing the fire was put out, the enemy planes flew a few times over their heads, failing to find their truck. Therefore the strategic materials were safely transported to the front line. Later, Huang won the Second-Class Merit for risking his life protecting the loaded convoy. In 1949, Huang Zhongmao joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army and then went to the northeast China with the troops to participate in the reclamation. "The troops put the guns and cannons in the warehouse and began to grow corn and soybeans," Huang said. In 1956, Huang was honorably discharged from the military and returned to his hometown. "I chose to be transferred to civilian work," Huang recalled that at that time the country called on them to take the lead in building the rural areas. Huang returned to the land where he was born and raised, picked up a hoe and became a farmer. "I led the villagers to reclaim the land. Seeing the people around me have land to grow crops and their life become more prosperous, I felt very happy," Huang's words are full of affection for that land. In the eyes of his son Huang Houyong, Huang Zhongmao is ordinary but magnificent. "When I was a child, I thought it was fun to hear my father telling stories about battles. When I grew up, I came to understand how difficult it was for him to go through that. I often educate my children to learn from their grandfather, hoping that they can join the army to defend our motherland when they grow up ," said Huang Houyong, affectionately. President-elect Joe Bidens cabinet is historically diverse. It reflects America. It is, potentially, record-breaking. These observations recur throughout coverage as Biden rolls out each new cabinet selection. But, so farand despite headlines celebrating each new firstsuch coverage has devoted little attention to what his picks mean for historically underrepresented populations, or how they may use their respective positions. Indeed, too many news stories seem content to provide little beyond a name, a position, and a demographic. Representation matters, certainly, but should not be separated from the stakes facing those communities that policymakers represent. In a November profile of US Representative Deb Haaland, published weeks before Biden selected her to head the Department of the Interior, Julian Brave NoiseCat helpfully detailed the significance of her appointment: A tribal citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, Haaland would not only be the first Native person to oversee the Department of Interior, which handles much of the federal governments nation-to-nation relationship with the 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal communities, but also the first-ever Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. A presidential cabinet is not merelyand certainly not most importantlyfodder for horse-race coverage and palace intrigue. It is a collection of advisers and policy shapers that holds immense power over the lives of Americans. Take former California attorney general Xavier Becerra, who will be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services, charged with leading the country out of a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and left others with chronic diseases or mountains of medical debt. Part of Becerras work will involve confronting disproportionately poor health outcomes for Latinos and Black people, especially. Yet, while some coverage has noted the challenge, there has been less attention from the press as to whether Becerra has a vision for addressing such outcomesor, for that matter, for tackling skepticism toward the COVID-19 vaccine. (Before you scoff: review histories of the USs medical experiments.) Identity politics have become a polarizing touchstone in American politicsa dynamic fueled, in part, by a largely homogeneous media disinclined toward nuance. The term was first defined in the 1970s by the Combahee River Collective, a Black feminist group, to illuminate how identities and lived experience affect ones politics; since then, it has devolved in popular usage into a cudgel for conservatives and liberalsfor the former, to decry racial progress, and for the latter, a vehicle for shallow praise. There is an irony here: while a largely white press corps may celebrate diversity and representation, it is reporters of color who often must clue their newsrooms into the notion that the dynamics of a story are much more complex. No political leaning should be ascribed to offering a job to a qualified candidate. And yet the appointment of women and people of color to cabinet positions has been rebranded as an inherently progressive ideaa notion that has been argued by Zeeshan Aleem in The Intercept, Manny Fidel in Business Insider, Lily Herman in Teen Vogue, and others. Diversity has two paths, Nesrine Malik wrote in The Guardian. The first is one important means with which to address the structural inequalities that produce the marginalisation of those groups in the first place. The second is an end in itself. In a sort of identity relay race, women and people of colour are handed the baton, carry on running, and serve to bless and reinforce the racial and economic status quo. In the end, the latter path described by Malik is patronizing; it says, Here, a person born in Cuba is running ICE now, what more do you need? And yet this facile, formulaic approach to covering the countrys highest officesan approach that frequently conflates a leftist or progressive politic with the mere presence of people of colorfeatures prominently across the media landscape. Many of these appointees have visions for their positions. Those visions are sometimes discernible in coverage: Michael Regan, who is set to become the first Black person to head the Environmental Protection Agency, is expected to put new emphasis on environmental justice, to protect poor and under-represented communities that are disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change, read one such exemplary piece in Nature magazine. The stakes of climate change are extraordinarily high for all of humanity in the long-run, but especially so for communities of color in the immediate. Journalism that looks only at the person in powerand not at the stakes for everybody elseis bad for policy-makers, for the country, and for the communities that are supposedly being served. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Below, more on diversity and the incoming government: A Congressional call for more cabinet diversity : Late last month, Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, led more than one hundred members of the 117th Congress in a push for Biden to appoint an Asian-American or Pacific Islander cabinet secretary. There are nearly 2 million Asian American-owned businesses that generate over $700 billion in annual revenue who are facing dire economic impacts, reads a December 29 letter from the group, as well as millions of AAPIs who are facing surging unemployment and anti-Asian discrimination due to the current crisis. Biden has not yet done so. Pelosis House : On Sunday, Democratic representatives reelected Nancy Pelosi to her position as Speaker of the House. Democrats hold on the House shrunk by eleven seats, many of which were flipped by Republican candidates who were women or people of color. That trend, wrote the Guardian s David Smith in November, represents a conscious effort by a party still dominated by white men: diversify or die. Other notable stories: Its Election Day in Georgia, where two run-off races will decide which party gains control of the Senateand, with it, the ability to shape the Biden administrations efforts to fight everything from COVID-19 to climate change. CJRs Feven Merid wrote about covering the Black vote . The states Black journalists are doing what they can to make space for the experiences of Black Georgians in their coverageworking not only to track instances of disenfranchisement and racially targeted attacks on mail-in ballots, but also to provide clear guidance to Black and Latinx voters, Merid wrote. The Los Angeles Times interviewed Brian Calle , who last month bought the Village Voice , New York Citys storied, award-winning alt-weekly that was shut down in 2018 . Calle also owns LA Weekly , another alt-weekly; his tenure there has largely been marked by what the Times called sweeping layoffs, followed by accusations of a conservative takeover of the historically left-leaning publication. Asked what his time with LA Weekly might mean for the Voice , Calle told the Times, I think its impossible to run a lesser version of the Village Voice , because it literally was shut down. As politics in Poland take an increasingly authoritarian turn, the countrys right-wing government is tightening control of the press, NPR reported . Instead of information, viewers now get blunt propaganda that is meant to assure them that Law and Justice is the best party to rule this country, Mariusz Kowalewski, a journalist for a Polish broadcaster, told NPR. In April, the country fell from 59th place on Reporters Without Borders annual World Press Freedom Index to 62ndits lowest position in history, according to Notes from Poland . On New Years Eve, five NY1 news anchors announced they would leave the station after settling a discrimination lawsuit against the stations parent company, Charter Communications. The anchors had filed their lawsuit in 2019, alleging discrimination on the bases of age and gender. Men age on TV with a sense of gravitas, Roma Torre, a long-time journalist with the station and plaintiff, told the New York Times that year, and we as women have an expiration date. The terms of the settlement were not made public. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Savannah Jacobson is a contributor to CJR and a reporter and writer based in New York. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here Lucknow, Jan 5 : Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday flayed the BJP-led Centre and said the biggest problem of the government is that it considers itself a "representative of money power" and not as "public representative". Yadav on Tuesday tweeted, "The biggest problem of the BJP government is that it considers itself a 'representative of money power' and not as 'public representative', that is why it is putting the farmers at stake for the sake of a few rich industrialists. The BJP is forgetting that it is harming those who comprise two-thirds of the people in a nation struggling with a crisis but never give up." Earlier, Yadav said, "The BJP government has given the farmers another date after holding fruitless talks. Every time half of the day passes away so holding talks at 2 pm, it seems that the BJP government is working half-heartedly for half the time only to prolong the farmer agitation so that the spirit of the farmers breaks. But they are unbreakable and are going to break the ego of these people in power." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text LINCOLN COUNTY, Ore. A sketch of a girl whose body was found in a Lincoln County forest in December is being released as part of the ongoing effort to identify the child. Authorities said the deceased girl was believed to be between the ages of 6 and 10. Her remains were found Dec. 10, in the H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor. The child was between 3 feet 10 inches and 4 feet 6 inches tall and had long dark hair. H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor The child had likely been dead at least 30 days before her body was found. The H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor is located along Highway 18, east of Otis and west of Grand Ronde. Oregon State Police released the sketch of the child. The sketch was provided with the assistance of the Clackamas County Sheriffs Office. Anyone with information that might help investigators identify the child is asked to call 1-800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677). Appointment 5 January 2021 Reed Exhibitions announce that Anna Dycheva-Smirnova has been appointed CEO, Reed Exhibitions UK, in addition to her role as CEO of Russia, Turkey and the Middle East, effective from 1 January 2021. Dycheva-Smirnova joined Reed Exhibitions as Deputy General Manager of Reed Exhibitions Russia in 2008 and became CEO of Reed Exhibitions Russia in 2017. In 2019, she was named CEO of Reed Exhibitions Turkey and Reed Exhibitions Middle East. Dominic Feltham, Reed Exhibitions President of Europe, Middle East & Africa commenting on the appointment, said, "I am delighted that Anna has accepted the challenge and I'm looking forward to working alongside her in this new chapter for Reed Exhibitions. Her international expertise, deep events experience and understanding of our high performance culture will be crucial to us as we rebuild our UK business and thrive well into the future." Dycheva-Smirnova said, "I am delighted to be joining such a passionate and knowledgeable team in the UK. In 2020, our industry underwent a tremendous shock right around the world. My first job will be to support our teams in the UK and rebuild our business - integrating our digital expertise into our future events - delivering compelling value for our customers and driving our company back to growth. I cannot wait to get started." A Florida Keys man was arrested after firing several bullets into the air while driving his boat through a crowded marina Sunday night, according to the Monroe County Sheriffs Office. Jimmy Dale Brock, 55, remained in county jail Monday night with no bond information immediately available. He faces several charges, including firing a weapon in public, firing a weapon while intoxicated and boating under the influence. Sheriffs office deputies say witnesses saw Brock shoot four to five bullets from his handgun into the air around 8:15 p.m. as he drove his 21-foot boat through the docks of the marina, located at Avenue I near Coco Plum Drive in the city of Marathon. The marina is home to many people who live on their boats, according to the sheriffs office. One person yelled at Brock, to which he responded, not done yet, before shooting three more times, sheriffs office spokesman Adam Linhardt said. Brock then turned off his vessels navigational lights, fired twice more and left the marina, witnesses told deputies. Several deputies responded to the marina. Brock returned around 8:30 p.m. When he saw the deputies, he taunted them and asked them why they werent coming out to get him, Linhardt said. Again, he left the marina. Almost a half hour later, Brock returned. As he neared his slip, deputies ordered him at gunpoint to dock his vessel, Linhardt said. He complied. He told deputies a .40 caliber semiautomatic Glock 22 pistol was located on the boats console. Asked why he fired his weapon, Brock told deputies he needed to get rid of the ammunition because it was old, Linhardt said. Deputies later learned that Brock caused a scene at a nearby restaurant and bar Sparkys Landing because he was angry about the establishments mask policy, Linhardt said. Schools are set to stay shut until the end of January according to the Taoiseach Micheal Martin who has committed to holding the Leaving Cert exams in the 'traditional way' this year. Speaking this afternoon Mr Martin told RTE that schools would not reopen on January 11 and are likely to stay shut until the end of January. He said the opening of schools has to be considered because of the rapidity of the spread of the disease in Ireland. "The Chief Medical Officer and myself are in agreement that there is an issue around having 1 million people on the go, which is essentially what opening schools mean," he told the News at One on RTE radio. He said a Covid-19 sub-committee of Minister, which includes Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, is to consider today "that we would extend out the closure of schools to the end of the month". He said that while the vaccine rollout continues it was time to err on the side of caution. He confirmed that all closure of all schools is being considered but he said ways of helping children with special needs are being examined. "We know from the first lockdown that many children with special needs regressed significantly and were under considerable strain due to the closure of special needs education," he said. He said the decisions are being taken now to 'preserve the school year'. "We have to think beyond next week and the week after. We have to think to the end of the term. We have to think about the Leaving Certificate," he said. He added that "we are going to have to work through issues' facing frontline workers who have to care for children. "There are no easy ways of trying to implement crude and very absolute measures of this kind," he said. He did not expect the closure of schools to last as long as the 2020 lockdown because of vaccination. By the end of February he said a substantial number of people will have been vaccinated. He said 135,000 people would be vaccinated including 75,000 in long term care and up to 60,000 frontline healthcare workers. He said the trajectory of the disease would have to go in the opposite direction before a decision can be taken on reopening schools. He said a review would take place on January 30. "To go back to the old phrase of flattening the curve, we need to turn this around. We will assess this again on January 30," he said. He said the schools have been 'exceptional' in terms of how they managed up to Christmas. "That gives us confidence into the future in terms of re-opening," he said. He said there is a focus on Leaving Cert students. "We are very focused on them. We want the Leaving Cert to take place in the traditional format in the summer. In the context of the vaccination roll out we will be in a position, certainly by the summer, to have a substantial amount of vaccination carried out and that will help us to make wider decisions. He said the plan is for the leaving cert to go ahead as normal. "That is our commitment right now...We are very conscious of the particular challenges the Leaving Certs had. They had school closures last year when they were in fifth year and are facing more disruption in their exam year. So we will do everything we possibly can to support them over this period and to ensure the examination is conducted along traditional lines," he said. Mr Martin said he would not speculate on bringing Leaving Certs back to school sooner. GPD IT should be easy to see that in comparison with their BJP allies the Shiv Sena people have (at least) a faint tendency towards humour. When they decided to change the name of Aurangabad to Sambhaji Nagar we thought that it was one of those attempts on the part of Bal Thackeray to have a good hearty laugh at the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who died in 1707. Even the attempt to laugh (towards the end of the 20th century) at a man who died at the beginning of the 18th was interesting because it gave us ideas of Reagan laughing at Hegel who, it is reasonably certain, was taken by him as an evil German spirit responsible for Marx who in turn was responsible for the evil empire in Russia. One would go on counting such delightful anachronist laughters creating historically alienating effects which even the 'Great BB' (Bertolt Brecht was referred as 'der grosse BB' The Great BB in the former GDR) could not have possibly thought of! One would have normally not expected this of the BJP That party has no sense of humour. The Sena has, albeit of the macabre variety. So we thought that the change of Aurangabad's name was a part of that! That it was not like calling Bombay Mumbai was clear from the very beginning, Insisting on Mumbai is like insisting on Guangzhon instead of Canton. Colonialism robs us not only of silver (and the like, and even that may not be true if the Cambridge Economic History of India is any guide, but let that pass) but also of languages and words. Why should the western world have changed Beijing into Peking? Or Guangzhon into Canton? Well, no particular reason except that not only the colonialists' word should prevail but also their pronunciation. So they went on re-spelling almost everything in Asia and Africa. That they are still changing words is obvious. Consider words like 'reforms' or 'radical' and their current usage and the point should be obvious. The Chinese were the first to point out that imperialist names or spellings will and have to be changed. Peking has to go and Beijing has to take its place, Thackeray may not admit any debt of gratitude to China but what he did to 'Bombay' was no different. Even token anti-imperialism seems to be the monopoly of right-wingers, whether in Maharashtra or in Iran, The 'Hinduhridaysamrat' (the emperor of the Hindu hearts), as Bal Thackeray likes to be called by his Sainlks, must have discovered before long that even token anti-imperialism is not his cup of cow's milk. He therefore decided to go one step in a backward direction. We should have said two steps. The first backward step was what he did (like everyone else in the state of Maharashtra lately) to the Marathi language. In the olden days there were several suffixes used to denote a town. To begin with there was 'abad' as in Aurangabad, There was, of course, 'nagar' as in Ahmednagar. There was 'pur' as in Nagpur. This usage of 'pur' had another speciality typical to Marathi. The 'u' in 'pur' is long. There was 'gav' as in Jalgav Puri and so on and so forth. The modern Maharashtrian seems to have forgotten all these words. Now everything is a 'nagar', Why? The reason is that those who want to rewrite history have forgotten what their history is. It is now aboring monotony. Why can't there be a Shivajipur in Maharashtra? Why does it have to be Shivajinagar instead? No answer, except perhaps the inevitable one. Those who claim to speak in the name of history do not know what it is, The variety and plurality of words also constitute history. Of course, this would be too much of intellectualism for the Sena people. As for the BJP people, as long as Kashi and Mathura and thereby Hindi are safe they could not care less about what happens to other languages. Hence the unchallenged craze for Nagar. Change everything to Nagar. The Congress people would want everything after the Nehru-Gandhi clan. The 'yuti' (the coalition) wants every city and town to be a Nagar! Pride of Marathi has resulted in ignorance of Marathi. Dear reader, To continue reading, become a subscriber. Explore our attractive subscription offers. Click here Last month, Microsoft Flight Simulator developer Asobo Studio released an update that made the program compatible with most VR headsets. One of the enhancements that rolled out with it is snow and ice coverage for Flight Simulators Live Weather feature, which could make flying over virtual landscapes even more realistic. Now the developer has shown off what the enhancement can do as part of its New Year greeting, and it sure can make the programs environments look impressive. The video, captured in 4K, shows how maps you may have seen before would look like when blanketed with snow. Expected to see snowcapped mountains, powdery trees and floating ice sheets, depending on where you are. And since its real time, the amount of white you see changes you could enjoy flying over the same locations again and again to see what they look at different times. In addition to VR support and the live weather enhancement, the update also includes new training missions, challenges and livery. Take note that we encountered a plethora of bugs when we tried Flight Simulator in VR, such as distorted in-game windows and the program refusing to launch altogether. You may have to summon your patience before the developer gets the chance to address bugs in future updates. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. White House Dismisses Reports Trump May Go to Scotland Before Inauguration The White House downplayed reports that President Donald Trump may head to Scotland, where he owns a resort, before Inauguration Day on Jan. 20. A report from the Sunday Post tabloid claimed the president was planning the trip there. It cited aviation sources and asserted that Prestwick Airport has been told to expect the arrival of a U.S. military Boeing 757 aircraft, that is occasionally used by Trump, on January 19. Trump owns a resort in Scotland called Trump Turnberry. Deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere told Fox News that the report is not credible. Anonymous sources who claim to know what the president is or is not considering have no idea. When President Trump has an announcement about his plans for January 20 he will let you know, he said on Tuesday. Trump is planning to attend a rally on Jan. 6 when the Joint Session of Congress meets to count electoral votes. Several senators and dozens of House representatives have said they would object to key states electoral votes. On Monday night, Trump told a crowd of rallygoers in Georgia to support Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue for the Georgia Senate runoff races that I dont concede. The anonymously sourced Sunday Post report drew a response from Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who told reporters that she has no idea what Donald Trumps travel plans are. Sturgeon also cited the countrys lockdown order. Were not allowing people to come into Scotland without an essential purpose right now, Sturgeon said, according to The Herald. And that would apply to him just as it applies to anybody else. To keep tabs on drug smuggling, NCB shares modus operandi with agencies Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, Jan 5 : Bengaluru police has arrested four persons, including three of a gang from Kerala, on charge of drug trafficking and seized drugs valued at around Rs 17.75 lakh from them, officials said here on Tuesday. Bengaluru Central Crime Branch officials booked and arrested three persons who had come from Kerala and seized 200 gm synthetic drug MDMA valued at Rs 15 lakh and 150 gm hashish oil from them. In the second case, Bengaluru East police arrested a person and seized 10 kg marijuana valued at Rs 2.75 lakh. According to the CCB police, those arrested are Rameesh Kuttan, 28, from Calicut district; Asheer MC, 32, of Kannuru district; Shahzin, 19, of Kannuru district in Kerala; and Riyaz, 38, of Ramanagara Town on city outskirts. The CCB claimed the accused were trying to sell the drugs in the Electronic City where several IT companies are situated. "The three accused from Kerala were trying to peddle drugs by soliciting prospective buyers in front of a plush restaurant in the Electronic Chere. The beat police took them into custody," an official said. In the second case, Banaswadi police got suspicious over the movement of accused auto-rickshaw driver Riyaz, who too was arrested by the beat police. WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a rule to limit what research it can use to craft public health protections, a move opponents say is aimed at impeding the agency's ability to more aggressively regulate the nation's air and water. The "Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science" rule, which the administration began pursuing early in President Donald Trump's term, would require researchers to disclose the raw data involved in their public health studies before the agency could rely upon their conclusions. It will apply this new set of standards to "dose-response studies," which evaluate how much a person's exposure to a substance increases the risk of harm. In an opinion piece posted Monday night in The Wall Street Journal, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the rule "will prioritize transparency and increase opportunities for the public to access the 'dose-response' data that underlie significant regulations and influential scientific information." "Dose-response data explain the relationship between the amount of a chemical or a pollutant and its effect on human health and the environment - and are at the foundation of EPA's regulations," he continued. "If the American people are to be regulated by interpretation of these scientific studies, they deserve to scrutinize the data as part of the scientific process and American self-government." Many of the nation's leading researchers and academic organizations say the criteria will actually restrict the EPA from using some of the most consequential research on human subjects because it often includes confidential medical records and other proprietary data that cannot be released because of privacy concerns. "The people pushing it are claiming it's in the interest of science, but the entire independent science world says it's not," said Chris Zarba, a former director of the EPA's Science Advisory Board who retired in 2018 after nearly four decades at the agency. "It sounds good on the surface. But this is a bold attempt to get science out of the way so special interests can do what they want." The new standards affect not just "significant regulatory actions," according to the new rule, but also "influential scientific information" that the EPA shares with the public. Details of the rule, which Wheeler has already signed but has yet to make public, were first reported by The New York Times on Monday evening. Wheeler plans to announce the final rule at a virtual session hosted Tuesday by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a think tank that advocates for fewer federal regulations and disputes the idea that climate change poses a major threat to the United States. The rule reflects the Trump administration's dogged push to lock in as many policies as possible before President-elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20. Although the new administration probably will seek to overturn it, such an effort will take months, if not longer. The EPA administrator is allowed to waive the requirement on a case-by-case basis, but outside groups could challenge these waivers in court. Forcing researchers to disclose their raw data has for years been a top priority for conservative Republicans - including some now working in the EPA's upper ranks. The new rule was modeled on a bill championed by former House Science Committee chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas. One of the panel's former staffers, Richard Yamada, helped write an early version of the regulation while working at the EPA. Conservatives have been particularly critical of two studies that have spurred increased regulation: a 1993 Harvard University project that linked air pollution to premature deaths and a Columbia University analysis of a widely used pesticide, chlorpyrifos, that suggested that the chemical causes neurological damage in babies. According to a document obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Trump officials discussed how to block such research in a Jan. 25, 2018, briefing on the proposed rule. Referring to Harvard's Six Cities study and another pollution study conducted by the American Cancer Society, the notes read, "The scientific community has identified major shortcomings in the methodologies and findings of these studies, all of which could be addressed if EPA provided the underlying data for independent review." In the wake of protests from public health experts and congressional Democrats, the EPA revised the proposal so it would not apply retroactively to past assessments of studies such as the ones cited in the 2018 meeting. But Environmental Defense Fund General Counsel Vickie Patton, whose group obtained the document, said in an email that it "reveals the Trump EPA is focused on attacking the peer-reviewed health science that has saved tens of thousands of lives each year from deadly air pollution and protected America's children from pesticides." Andrew Rosenberg, who directs the Union of Concerned Scientists' Center for Science and Democracy and regularly reviews scientific studies before they are published in academic journals, said that the agency's emphasis on the need for raw data is misplaced. "As a well-experienced peer reviewer, I very rarely scrutinize raw data," he said. "Rather, I look at data collection and analysis methods, summary and other statistics and graphics and results and conclusions to determine the validity of a study and the strength of its scientific evidence." The EPA has not published estimates on how much it will cost to implement the rule and what effect it will have on public health. Because researchers are particularly reluctant to release individual medical records used in human studies, Rosenberg said, the rule disproportionately affects "epidemiological studies, which is ironic in the midst of a pandemic. Because these data can't be made public, EPA will ignore epidemiological evidence of population-level effects of contaminants, pollution and other environmental threats." In his opinion piece, Wheeler said critics of the rule had distorted its intent and its impact. "This rule is not a stick for forcing scientists to choose between respecting the privacy and rights of their study participants and submitting their work for consideration," he said. "It won't categorically exclude any scientific work from EPA use. We don't seek to limit anyone's ability to conduct sound science." Thomas Sinks, who led the Office of the Science Advisor at the EPA and oversaw its rules on research involving human subjects, is among numerous scientists who note that the EPA already has a robust scientific integrity policy and a long-standing peer-review process for any data upon which it relies. "It is based on a conspiracy theory, which is that EPA practices secret science," Sinks, who wrote a forceful rebuke of the new rule before his retirement in September, said of the effort. "But there's no evidence EPA practices secret science. I'm unaware of an example where EPA hasn't clearly stated what science it is using in its rulemaking." Sinks said he also worries that Tuesday's final rule deepens the broader attack on science by the Trump administration, and that it could have a lasting impact that goes beyond any single regulation. "I'm mostly concerned about the fact this rule and other actions like this rule are diminishing the efforts and the importance of science and scientists within the federal government," he said. "That is a dangerous precedent." Veteran U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the new, powerful House Appropriations Committee chairwoman, promised Monday that once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, he will support major investments that should help Connecticut and the region. The new administration has a high priority on infrastructure, something that is very near and dear to my heart, having introduced legislation in 1994 for an infrastructure development bank said DeLauro, who was Gov. Ned Lamonts guest during a virtual news conference from the State Capitol. I think in addition to transportation, youre looking at broadband, airports, water projects, et cetera, she said. It is roads and bridges and there is a heavy emphasis by the next administration on infrastructure. Why? Because it is a driver of the economy and it results in jobs, and in new technologies, for that matter, which helps to create jobs. DeLauro said that her staff and Lamonts staff will be working cooperatively to make priorities for the state. DeLauro said that during a recent meeting with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, issues of regional infrastructure were discussed as well. We are interconnected here, and we want to make sure that there is a high priority on infrastructure, she said. I applaud the governor for saying that Connecticut is going to be ready for what direction that we go into, to take advantage of where this new administration is headed. DeLauro believes there is a likelihood of bipartisan support for infrastructure projects. The two special Senate elections in Georgia will determine whether Democrats can wrest control from the current Republican majority. While President Donald Trump promised early in his term that infrastructure would be a priority, such an effort never came forth, then the coronavirus pandemic last year further sidetracked issues such as nationwide highway and bridge repairs and railroad improvements. I have a feeling that transportation and infrastructure is going to be a big piece of what you see in Washington over the course of the next, say, four years. and I want to make sure that Connecticut is ready, Lamont said. I want to make sure that we have our strategy in place. We have our design-and-build plans ready to go, and I can talk to my friends in Washington to tell us how Connecticut and our entire region can take advantage of transportation. Lamont said that the hiring of state Sen. Carlo Leone, in recent years co-chairman of the legislative Transportation Committee, as a special assistant to DOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti should also help the state. We got to know him very well, Lamont said of the Stamford Democrat. Weve got to prioritize, yet again, our transportation initiatives and other, broadly, infrastructure plans; make sure the designs numbers add up, ready-to-go, shovel-ready so that when Rosa gives us the green light were there, hopefully at the front of the line. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT Fears are growing Australia's hotel quarantine system may be powerless to stop highly-contagious strains of COVID-19 from escaping into the community. The UK variant of the virus - which has forced the country into a national lockdown until mid-February to stem the spread of cases - has already been detected in 10 travellers upon their return to Australia in the past month. Coronavirus has now broken out of Sydney's hotel quarantine program four times in the same period - stoking fears the new strains could be driving a resurgence in cases in New South Wales. Known as the B.1.1.7 'super strain', the UK variant is feared to be 70 per cent more transmissible and to spread more easily among children. Australia's hotel quarantine system may be powerless to stop potent new strains of COVID-19 from spreading, experts fear. Pictured: Digital signs encouraging customers to wear face masks at Westfield Bondi Junction on Monday NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant confirmed last month health officials had detected two cases of the virus strain in returned travellers quarantined in Sydney. Another four cases of the strain have so far been found in Victoria, as well as three in Perth and one in South Australia. The president of the Australian Medical Association Omar Khorshid said the strain posed a significant threat to the national hotel quarantine program - which is already the source of repeated outbreaks since the start of the pandemic. 'We've already seen our quarantine systems fail significantly with the virus escaping from quarantine in Victoria, NSW and South Australia,' Dr Khorshid told The Australian. 'But with this highly transmissible variant of COVID, either the UK or South African one, there's going to be more potential for that spread to occur from an infected traveller to a quarantine worker.' Sydney's most recent Berala cluster - now linked to 15 COVID-19 cases - was triggered when a patient transport worker visited a BWS liquor store after catching the virus while driving returned overseas travellers to a health facility. Dr Khorshid said the emergence of more contagious strains should trigger a review of the standard of PPE used by staff working in close contact with returned travellers. Pictured: Travellers arrive at a hotel in Melbourne on December 7. There are fears the new strains are driving a resurgence in cases in New South Wales 'I think we need to accept that with this more transmissible variant, there is going to be more need to look at making sure that the PPE is of adequate quality,' he said. The arrival of the new UK strain has led to calls for those seeking to return to Australia to be tested for COVID-19 in their country of origin. 'I think it would be a great safety mechanism to ensure that people coming out of many countries around the world have a test and confirm they are negative before they board a flight with hundreds of other Australians,' WA Premier Mark McGowan said on Tuesday. Mandatory testing of Australians returning home is seen as important in keeping coronavirus out of the country. Pictured, a nurse tests a patient in Wollongong after Greater Sydney was put on high alert following a coronavirus outbreak 'And I think that safety measure should be implemented. To me, this is a no-brainer.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison said mandatory testing of airline passengers is not the answer as it could give a false sense of confidence on arrival. 'Most of the airlines do it anyway and on all the flights that we're bringing back to Australia directly as a Commonwealth, we're doing it,' Mr Morrison told 3AW radio. 'But we should stress that that doesn't change the risk. Travellers to Australia should be tested for coronavirus and return a negative result to board a flight, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan says. Pictured, a returned Australian entering hotel quarantine in Melbourne on Monday 'In some cases the argument is that it can be accentuated, it can highlight it, because people can be asymptomatic ... or the virus hasn't manifested itself yet at the time of travelling and that can create a complacency on the other side.' Labor health spokesman Chris Bowen said it was important that more Australians were given the opportunity to return home. 'But obviously this new strain in the United Kingdom is concerning,' he said. 'So sensible measures like increased testing ... do seem to me to be a sensible, good faith suggestion.' A die-hard group of Trump supporters hopes 2021 will start with prayer, fasting, and perhaps a miracle. Organizers of the Jericho March, slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, have called on patriots, people of faith and all those who want to take back America to travel to Washington on those days for a pair of marches to overturn the recent presidential election. Marchers plan to blow ritual Jewish horns called shofars on the first day before circling the Supreme Court building seven times in imitation of the Israelites siege of the city of Jericho described in the Bibles Book of Joshua. On Wednesday, they plan to do the same around the US Capitol building. The demonstrators will also pray that Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress will reject slates of electors from Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Nevada, where Trump loyalists claim there was rampant election fraud. Courts in those states, along with federal courts, including the US Supreme Court, have rejected a series of lawsuits filed by supporters of President Donald Trump, ruling that there was no evidence of election fraud. Former US Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press in early December that the Department of Justice had found no evidence of wide-scale election fraud. Preceding the two days of protest, the organizers will hold candlelight prayer vigils and self-led marches in the nations capital. Similar marches will take place in the states where marchers claim the elections were fraudulent. In mid-December, a rally in Washington organized by the same group of pro-Trump activists featured speakers such as Eric Metaxas and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell. The same day, members of the far-right militia the Proud Boys burned Black Lives Matter banners at two DC churches. Metaxas and other evangelical Trump supporters have held a series of evening prayer calls featuring pro-Trump figures such as Michael Flynn, a former presidential adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and was later pardoned by Trump, along with religious leaders who prophesied that Trump would be reelected. Jericho March organizers said in a statement that they demand that administration officials, including Pence, intervene in the election. Vice President Pence has the ability to elect the President himself and Jericho March calls on him to exercise his rightful power in the face of the blatant election fraud and corruption, the group said in a statement. Pence will preside in the Senate on Wednesday when Congress meets to confirm the votes of the Electoral College. Federal law requires him to accept the slates of electors that have been certified by states, according to legal experts. The announcement of the Jericho March came after Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri announced he would object to the results of several states being certified. Hawley is one of a dozen GOP senators and many more House Republicans who are expected to reject Bidens win. Conservative Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska accused his colleagues of putting political ambition above the nations good and trying to disenfranchise millions of American voters. Adults dont point a loaded gun at the heart of legitimate self-government, he wrote. More than 2,000 religious leaders, including former World Vision president Rich Stearns, have signed a statement organized by progressive faith groups that calls on Congress to honor the election results and avoid a delayed and drawn-out objection, the AP reported. Several well-known anti-Trump evangelicals, including Southern Baptist author and Bible teacher Beth Moore and author and First Amendment lawyer David French, have denounced the way that evangelical supporters of the president have embraced conspiracy theories. I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism, Moore said on Twitter in mid-December. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it. Flash UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned Sunday's terrorist attack and killing of 11 coal miners in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, said his deputy spokesman. Guterres extended his sincere condolences to the families of the miners and the people and government of Pakistan. He believed the Pakistani authorities will do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of this terrorist act to justice, said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman, in a statement. Militants in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province attacked the camp of the coal miners and killed 11 of them. The victims were of the Hazara community, an ethnic minority, said a spokesman of the provincial government on Sunday. Veras work has resulted in the suspension of government pesticide experiments on children, federal investigations into children in foster care being used as guinea pigs, the suspension of small pox vaccine on children, the suspension of psychological experiments on young boys aged six to eleven, most of them of color, in New York City and dozens of other accomplishments that have directly saved lives. and the president, and she has moved mountains to protect research subjects, primarily children, those with mental illness and minorities. Leah Wilson, Esq.: Vera, thank you so much for allowing me to be here today and for talking with me on camera. Its truly an honor. The idea of just following authority without considering, what if theyre wrong? What if its not in my best interest? I wouldnt want to live under such a regime. I know what its like. I know what that is. I would not do it again. There are crossroads in life where you have to make choices, and if you dont, someone who will make the choice for you is not going to make it for your best interest. Vera Sharav: When medicine veers away from the Hippocratic Oath that promises to respect the individual right, to do no harm to the individual, then youre going to harm the community as well, because the community is a bunch of individuals. Vera is a passionate voice for informed consent and medical freedom based mostly on her life experiences as an actual Holocaust survivor and someone who has dealt with the duplicity of the medical community firsthand. By Anne Dachel Thank you to my Facebook friend, Dara Silverman-Berger. Dara sent me the link to this powerful interview of Vera Sharav which I transcribed below. The work that you have done is immeasurable and the benefit to society is truly eternal. So we thank you for standing in the gap and fighting for the moral and ethical issues that often go unseen if there werent people like you fighting on our behalf. Vera: Thank you so much. Leah: Vera, would you be willing to share some of your experiences as a child and as an adult that led to your value in safe guarding and protecting informed consent and parental rights. Vera: I was a small child, three and a half years old when our family was chased out of our home in Romania, and we were herded into a concentration camp. My father soon died of typhus, and my mother and I were left in a camp that was not a death camp. There were many other kinds of camps, essentially where people were left to starve, but with always the fear of being sent to one of the death camps. That was always in the horizon. I was in the camp for about two years, and at that point they were supposed to essentially liquidate it, as they were going to do with all the camps and just annihilate everyone. There was a deal made by which orphan children were allowed to be sent out of the camp if they had someone to sign for them. My mother sent me as an orphan, and I knew I was not exactly an orphan, but this was to save my life. I wound up, for about a year, going from one family to another. It kind of strange, you know, how a child absorbs these kinds of trauma. For many years I didnt really touch it. I didnt allow it to come out in my consciousness because its so painful. I cant stress how awful it is for a child to be separated from their parents. Its really, really devastating in the sense of, even though I was not mistreated by anyone along the way, but the sense of self-worth goes very, very deep. So after this year of wandering from one family to the other, its a long story, I was on my way to my mothers sister in Israel. I had befriended a family on the train to the ships that were to take us from Romania, because I was sent back to Romania from the camp. The camp by the way was in Ukraine. On the train I befriended a family and I got attached to them. One of the things that I learned as this wandering child is to choose, to select grownups that I could trust. I was little and I did not trust to be with my peers, with other children who were bigger and all that because I knew I would not do well with them. I needed an adult. I wanted adults. When we got to where we were supposed to embark on the boat, three boats were to go, and they had lists of who was to go on which boat. I was supposed to go on a boat with the orphan children. The whole boat was going to be with the orphans, but I refused. I refused to be separated from this family that I had become attached to. This is a very searing memory. There I was. Everyone was on one of the three boats and I was sitting on my little valise just crying, screaming. I just was not going to go, no matter what. Of course in todays milieu, that would have been ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder and all sorts of things like that. This was one of the most important lessons that I learned that I would say people should think about. This is a child, you know. By then I was six years old. As we left and from Romania it was to Istanbul. From there we then took a train to Israel, which was a very unusual thing at the time. During the night, while I was asleepI was very seasicka submarine drowned the boat with all the children. And when they told me, I didnt say anything, but I knew that I saved my own life by being oppositional defiant disorder. Thats a lesson that right now is very needed. Adults now are not rebelling against things that are wrong. People are being pushed around. Denied normal interaction, and theyre just following it like sheep. Theres something very wrong. Part of whats wrong is the idea of just following authority without considering, what if theyre wrong? What if its not in my best interest? Why? This is very dangerous that we have so many people, good people, people who think that theyre doing the right thing community-wise. But they might be devastating both the community, the economyof course has been destroyed, and their health as well, just following without questioning. As I say, this incident it just encapsulates, I guess, who I am, why I have been sounding alarms when I recognize that theyre alarming. Its a very, very dangerous thing to do to follow. Thats what happened in Germany essentially. All Germans were not evil, but most of them, the vast majority, simply went along. And yes, of course, it was wartime, and were always being told about war, and now its a war on a virus. That kind of thing should not eliminate basic human rights and basic respect for individuals. It startsand medicine especially which is so intertwined as it was thenwhen medicine veers away from the Hippocratic Oath, which is an oath that promises to respect the individual rights, to do no harm to the individual. If you dont harm the individual, youre not going to harm the community, but if you wipe out the individuals right, their human right, then youre going to harm the community as well because the community is a bunch of individuals. Its not some other entity. Leah: Yes, it seems that theres been a confusion. People [in] authority have tried to make it confusing as to whether whats good for me, if that can possibly be good for the whole, or if I should be looking out for the whole before myself. Thats become such a source of confusion for many people during [this] national crisis. Vera: Look, going back to the sacrifice, the decision that my mother made, this was a terrible choice that she had to make, and it was to save my life. It had nothing to do with community, but it was a sacrifice that sheas a mother, this is what motherhood is about. You need to sacrifice for your children. Leah: The community can only be as strong as the individuals that make it up. Is that what I hear you saying? Vera: Absolutely, certainly in a moral level, but also on a practical one. If you deny the human individual the right to think and question and assess and make decisions based on their own judgment and experience, then you are creating robots. Leah: When did you first put together your passion for informed consent and safeguarding these rights with your experience as a six year old girl standing up for yourself? Vera: That came later when I did a lot of research. I did want to know how could it happen. One of the things when I came out of that whole experience, the rest of the world went on. Where were they? Where was everybody? Why didnt anybody stop this? I couldnt understand that. That was my moral judgment. So I did a lot of reading and things, and thats when I realized that one of the worse things that happened, aside fromyou know, cause the Holocaust is mainly focused on Jews because they wanted to annihilate the entire Jewish people. Thats where that is. It took time for that plan to be acted out on, and the first victims of the Nazi regime were children, disabled children. They were taken from their families. They organized a whole system whereby schools would identify them, at birth they were identified. Their names would be sent to the central government, and then they rounded up the children, took them away from their parents and told the parents that they were going to be given special treatment. Of course that was a lie. They took them, and it was doctors, medical doctors who made the selections. They made the selections of which children were going to be used for experiments before they were killed. The experiments included starvation, to see how long a child can subsist on practically no nutrition. And they would record all this very methodically. And they tested the Zyklon B which was later used in the gas chambers. So it began with the children, it then got expanded to mentally ill adults and eventually the nursing homes, the elderly. The Nazis called them worthless eaters, and I shutter that today under this COVID 19 pandemic, nursing home residents in the United States, in Europe, were the largest percentage of casualties. This did not happen by chance. Yes, people in nursing homes, the elderly, with all kinds of ailments are vulnerable, and everyone was told, because of these vulnerable old people, we must shut down society, [because] we have to protect them. That was an absolute lie. Those people were targeted to die. In New York, our governor and the health commissioner, New York State health commissioner, issued an order that older people coming to a hospital should be turned to a nursing home, with or without testing whether they had COVID or not, and disregarding completely that those nursing homes were completely ill-equipped. They had no protective gear, they had no way to separate. These are not hospitals, but theyre also understaffed, under-resourced. I mean they didnt have masks, they had nothing, so of course a very, very high percentage got infected and died. They were not given treatment. This is a crime. Leah: So based on age, the order was that they should, upon admission to the hospital, be transferred to a facility. Vera: Right, they did not want to treat them in the hospital, right. Leah: There was no protocols in place to make sure they were receiving the care that they needed. Vera: And what happened is in fact that both the elderly and staff, the caregivers, they also have a high percentage who wound up dying because one of the things that really is true with this virus, is it depends on how much that you are infected. At first we were told, oh the doorknobs and all this sort of thingthats all nonsense. Its really how much of the virus do you come in contact with. Leah: The concentration of it. Vera: Yes, thats right, and these care givers, they were right there without any help, without any protection. So they both got infected and infected others whom they went and cared for because one caregiver would be taking care of a whole lot of them. Its a horror. Its the kind of horror that really there should be accountability. There should be a real investigation how this happens. Leah: So when youre drawing these parallels between what youve seen in history and what youre seeing now, is it offensive to compare Nazism to whats happening in America today? Vera: Whats offensive is whats happening in America today. That the Nazis were savages, we know. Thats the history. Some have gone on trial, some have been executed. History has told that story, not fully but to a great degree. But here no one is held accountable at all, in fact, Governor Cuomo gave the nursing homes total immunity. Its unheard of that this should happen today in 2020, and this is called a civilized way of dealing with a public health emergency. Leah: So what I hear you saying is its not too far of a stretch or a leap, its not extreme to compare what were seeing to what weve seen in the past. Vera: I think each one needs to evaluate it themselves. It doesnt matter whether I link it [to] Nazism. Thats not the point. The point is: what was done, what were the policies, what was the rationale? They had a similar rationale. Remember, they wanted to get rid of what they called worthless eaters, okay? Their economy was very bad at the time. This was wartime. Everything was going for the war, and civilians didnt have enough to eat as well. There were shortages and all that. So this was their way of dealing for the volk, for the volk. Forget the individual. What Im suggesting is that when you eliminate the sanctity of the individual person, you are crossing that line. Youre no better. Leah: Lets go back in history with Nazism, how were the people convinced to look out for the volk instead of for themselves or their individual loved ones. How did that look in the very beginning? Vera: Under the Nazi regime, and the same thing happened under the Soviet regime and under the Chinese regime. You have a dictatorship that is running the society with fear, constant fear and surveillance. They used at that time what they could, which today is not comparable at all. Today one can do everything remotely with drones and with all sorts of technologies. But I do want to say one thing, another similar use of technology. Very few people know this actually, but IBM had a contract with Nazi Germany and they supplied their punch card technology, which enabled the Nazis to identify and round up European Jewry. Thats what surveillance is for, and thats how they were able to actually root out almost every Jew in Europe and send them to camps. That was the IBM contribution to the Holocaust. People had wondered all along how could it have been so efficient because this was industrialized murder. Thats how. This is business. This is big business. IBM, they had plants in different parts of Europe because they were selling their technology just as Bill Gates sells his technology. This was a business, and in fact Ive read also recently in some concentration camps they actually had the IBM machine with the punch card to decide which one is to be exterminated under which shift and whatever. Oh yeah, this was run as an industrial business. Leah: So how did your journey as an activist begin, protecting informed consent and digging into these issues here in the States? Vera: It began really with tragedy, a different tragedy. My firstborn son developed a mental illness, and I had to deal with the mental health system which is a terrible place. And this is right here in New York with all the top hospitals and all that. The psychiatric community, those who are really ill, they are disqualified by the medical profession. So for example, when someone with a mental illness, if they claim lets say to be abusedno one believes them. Theyre disqualified because theyre mentally ill. They cant, even if it even got to that kind of thing where they have to testify lets say in court, they would be disqualified because theyre mentally ill. Leah: Lack of capacity. So their voice is totally silent. Vera: Thats right. So in that sense you have to do for them. They need an advocate. And one of the tragedies in that whole system is there was a shift, a business model has taken over completely which is drug centered, pharmaceutical drug centered, and by now its drug cocktails. Its not even just one drug. Its lots of drugs. Those drugs, every one of them has serious side effects, so that taking the drug for lets say depression, there are tradeoffs which the person has no way of making because theyre not told and neither are their parents. Those drugs cause diabetes, okay? They make people suicidal, arrhythmias. This is now known, but you see at the time the drugs were launched, they didnt admit to any of these adverse effects. These are wonder drugs. This is like penicillin, like antibiotics. That was a lie, but it was a marketing lie. Leah: Because they knew. Vera: Well, the companies while testing them, yes, some of these adverse features showed up, but they didnt disclose that, so as a result my son died as a result of the medication that he was prescribed. The point is that the New York State Department of Mental Health, they tried to make the coroner change his cause of death on the death certificate. Well he wouldnt. But they went that far. They wanted to hide, to conceal the fact that the drug caused total organ arrest. It killed him. They didnt want that because at the time they were using that drug as the first line. It was the recommended drug to use. Leah: It was the standard of care. Vera: And thats what it actually did. In other words, the risk surrounding the drug was concealed, and thats how things have been with many drugs, most of the psychiatric drugs. It only came out once they were no longer the exclusive patent. The drug, once it wasnt making as much money, then slowly things came out. But really, the point is though, that once you realize that this whole medical establishment has been lying, has been a party to a lie, to a very serious lie and people are dying, and its not even being counted as being a result of the drug. I realized I have to look further. Before this happened actually, because I started to advocate, to look for the right treatments and so forth, someone anonymously sent me an article from the American Journal of Psychiatry in which it describes what happened to 28 veterans at the Bronx VA. They were mental patients. They had schizophrenia, but most them had been living in the community. So in other words, they were in remission. They took them back to the hospital, took them off all medications that theyd been on, and they gave them L-dopa. L-dopa is a drug thats used for Parkinsons, but L-dopa is known to cause psychosis. Every one of them who had been in remission essentially had a relapse, a psychotic relapse. This was a government-sponsored experiment. Now when I read it, the first I said, this isnt possible. This is in the United States, these are veterans. I sent it to two psychiatrists that I knew, and I said, Am I reading this correctly? Is this what they did? And one of them was the chairman of psychiatry at Long Island Jewish and he said yes. This is deliberately causing patients to have psychotic relapses. What could be more Nazi-like? Because the mentality is the same. They dont feel that these patients are human beings. They used their ability to exploit them and to exploit the Veterans Administration hospital to do this kind of research. That was the first complaint that I filed with the federal oversight agency. They changed names, but doesnt matter. And this was all done with the approval of the so-called institutional review boards which are supposed to be the watchdog within an institution before research on people is done, but its on paper only. And that was the first, and then I had a whole series of similar experiments that were done, many on children as well. This was during the 90s and 2000, around that time. But its beenthings have not gotten better. Theyve actually gotten worse, because now mother isnt asked even when she gives birth, if they should give her baby a Hepatitis B vaccine. Why [is] a babys given Hepatitis vaccines? It makes absolutely no sense in a medical way, but if you have contracts and business to worry about, then I guess it makes sense. But these babies are being used. Leah: And thats an example of the deviation from the Hippocratic Oath. Its no longer looking at the patient as first do no harm, but theres contracts in place that muddle up the judgment. Vera: Exactly. It begins in the public health arena. Public health is government, and that is what happened in Nazi Germany. All of medicine wound up being public health. Once you have medicine in partnership with government, there is no individual care. The Hippocratic Oath goes out the window. And since you have government behind you, the doctors not responsible for their actions. Theyre working together with the state. Thats when medicine becomes weaponized. And what Ive described is weaponized medicine. If you dictated what medicine is given to your child, and you dont have a say, that invites all kinds of really serious violations of your child and your role. You know children are sometimes taken away from their parents, if the parent refuses, for example with psychiatric drugs. ADHD, if you dont agree to give your child, theyve taken children away. Thats called Child Protective Services. Who are they protecting? Its certainly not the children. There are many areas now where theres been a complete incursion into private families. Who is to say? Where is the evidence that government knows best for whats for your child? There is no such thing. Its only if you give in and you obeythen youre not meeting your responsibility as [the parent of] a child. Parents have to be willing to go to battle to protect their children. Leah: And thats what were seeing today, these legislative trends that are infantilizing adult men and women and saying the state knows best for you and for your child. And so were expected as parents, to willingly give up our parental rights and our health care rights and give them to the state and into state mandates. Ill ask you a hard question admittedly, because were all in this together, but how do parents go to bat? Vera: They have to organize. They have to organize. It doesnt take the entire population to rise up. Its enough if a certain number does. There is more awareness. There is more combativeness. In Europe, in fact in Germany, Germany has had some very, very large rallies. I mean Im talking 50,000 rallies against mandatory vaccination. You dont read about it in the media because the media is very much part of the business empire thats ruling that. Vaccines are an empire, and now they really want to do a vaccine globally. Do you know what kind of a market that is? More than 7 billion people for a vaccine. Can you even count the kind of profits, no matter what they charge for it? Thats what their goal is. Thats the whole allure of this COVID 19 vaccine. Its that market. Leah: And weve seen estimates recently that the vaccine industrys currently worth an estimated $60 billion annually. And then weve also seen estimates with the COVID vaccine that it could be worth over 300 billion annually because its global. Vera: Bill Gates said on camera recently, since he invested in 7 factories for the vaccine thats not yet developed, so he was asked isnt that a lot of waste of money? And he said, Whats a few billion dollars when were talking trillions. Yes, thats what its about. Its trillions. DANBURY - A longtime ophthalmologist who spent a week in the hospital battling COVID-19 has reopened his Danbury practice at age 90, saying Im fully recovered. I dont have plans for retirement at this point, Dr. Parviz Mehri said from his hilltop home in Newtown on Monday. I have to tell you, Im back to my practice and I feel like I never had the virus. Mehris stellar health contrasts with April, when he was as sick as hes ever been, he said. I went to the hospital semi-conscious, said Mehri. It knocked me out. Yet in time Mehris health improved enough not only for him to be discharged, but to celebrate his 90th birthday with his family in July. As he grew stronger during the warm weather months, Mehri thought about his Danbury practice, which he closed earlier in the year as the coronavirus was spreading across Connecticut and the tri-state area. In the fall, Mehri assembled his staff and followed the COVID-19 protocol for reopening. He began seeing patients again in December. I am in the same office but because we were closed for six months, most of the patients transferred to another office, Mehri said. We are probably down to 15 percent of our patients, but people are coming back. Contributed photo Mehris grandson, who posted a tribute to his grandfather last week, said he was inspired by his grandfathers example. He is someone who is always bringing positive attributes and a lot of energy to everything he does, which is part of why I wanted to pay tribute to him, said Dylan Darius Mehri, of Washington, D.C. If we respond to this pandemic in responsible and safe ways, there are good stories and good things that can come out of it. Parviz Mehris son agrees, noting that his father has been practicing medicine for 57 years. From what I can tell he is the longest-serving ophthalmologist in U.S. history, and he is still practicing, said Cyrus Mehri, a civil rights attorney in Washington, D.C., who grew up in Newtown. Its a newsworthy story. So what is the veteran physicians secret? I dont have the answer, but I do have a healthy lifestyle, said Parviz Mehri. I dont drink, I dont smoke, I dont do drugs and I am 90 percent vegetarian. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 [January 05, 2021] vivo Announces Comprehensive Developer Platform Upgrades at VDC 2020 SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 5, 2021 /CNW/ -- vivo recently showcased the spectacular overseas performance of V-Appstore and revealed a variety of upcoming enhancements to the global vivo Developers Platform ecosystem at the vivo Developers Conference, which was held in Shenzhen last November. These announcements reflect the smartphone brand's stellar achievements across international markets and the innovative efforts made to facilitate more effective collaboration with application developers, allowing vivo to provide the ultimate smartphone experience to consumers by being the bridge between users and the digital world. Flourishing in Overseas Markets Having maintained remarkable business growth momentum in overseas markets despite global economic turbulence inflicted by the pandemic, vivo currently ranks among the top-five mobile phone manufacturers worldwide according to the Canalys Global Smartphone Market Q3 2020 Report and also commands leading smartphone market share in Indonesia and Thailand according to IDC and Counterpoint Q2 2020 data. vivo also recently announced its newfound status as the official partner of UEFA EURO 2020 and 2024 in lieu of additional market entries into six more countries in Europe. Owing to the in-depth collaborative relationships formed with a multitude of ecosystem partners at home and abroad, vivo has established distribution channels across South-East Asia and Europe in more than 50 countries, combining for over 130 million overseas vivo device user accounts. Simultaneously, users of the international V-Appstore have exceeded 100 million registered accounts and attained 5.8 billion cumulative online downloads. "As early as 2014, vivo held a brand launch press conference in Thailand to announce our entry into overseas markets. The numbers we have listed can give you all an impression of the scale of our operations. Six years later, vivo has successfully transformed from a Chinese brand into a globalized brand," said Jia Liu, vivo Overseas Managing Director of Internet Business Operations, at the event. The Wide Reach of V-Appstore Since establishing its roots in global markets, vivo has deployed overseas versions of the V-Appstore to be localized and operated in their respective countries to maximize user compatibility. Overseas V-Appstore user demographics mainly revolve around students, professionals, civil servants and other high-value smartphone users. In the years since, vivo has built long-standing cooperation with head developers internationally to otimize their products and services within the vivo ecosystem. Promotional activities through the overseas V-Appstore have been known to reach a record high of 50,000 purchase conversions in a single day; short video creation and sharing platform "Likee" saw a 10x download surge. Extensive Collaborative Developer Ecosystem To complement the steady upward trajectory of ongoing global expansion, vivo is striving to create a more comprehensive, efficient, adaptable and distinct one-stop service platform for all domestic and overseas developers, allowing them to reach millions of high-quality users. At the event, Liangyi Ma, Director of vivo Overseas Internet Product Center, emphasized this approach and expressed that vivo hopes to be a dynamic partner for developers by empowering their accessibility to culminate in a win-win collaborative relationship that will optimize holistic user experience globally. To achieve this, vivo has streamlined many facets of the collaborative developer ecosystem by investing more resources across the board and condensing the entire process. The V-Star program is a free-featuring functionality for developers to receive free exposure in the V-Appstore. Considering new and existing user retention rates can soar due to vivo promotion activities, this program intends to reward developers for their efforts by shortlisting the most relevant or innovative products. Designated V-Appstore specialists are available for one-on-one consultations with developers to ensure their propositions are executed to the highest standard. A new customer service system has been set up to provide application digital data analytics reports to developers regularly, along with a variety of other assessment services. Meanwhile, the time limit to solve developer issues was decreased to a 30-minute feedback rate and the average rate of developer application approval was sped up 70%, allowing the quickest application launch timeframe to last only a minimum of 48 hours. To meet the different marketing needs of developers, a suite of customizable promotional activities such as lucky draws, guessing contests and coupons are also in the pipeline. vivo values consumer-oriented innovation and encourages developers to share any interesting ideas. Going forward, vivo Overseas Application Ecology will explore further enhancements across three dimensions. The functions and experience of overseas distribution services, the enrichment of product lines and operation capabilities, and the increasing empowerment of developers will generate additional growth together with ecosystem partners for a win-win future. At the event, vivo also delivered its latest update and strategy on application services, mobile games, business partnership, open technology development and IoT ecosystem. About vivo vivo is a leading, product-driven, global technology company, with its core business focusing on smart devices and intelligent services. vivo is committed to connecting users around the globe, through design of exciting and innovative smartphones and companion devices, as well as services which integrate technology and design thinking in unique and creative ways. Following the company core values, which include innovation, consumer orientation and benfen*, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy, with the vision of becoming a leading, long-lasting, world-class enterprise. With headquarters in China, supported by a network of 9 R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and San Diego, vivo is focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, photography and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set-up five production hubs (including brand authorized manufacturing center), across China, South- and Southeast Asia, with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 40 countries and regions, and is loved by more than 380 million users worldwide. *"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to build technology for good. Please stay informed of vivo's news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vivo-announces-comprehensive-developer-platform-upgrades-at-vdc-2020-301200921.html SOURCE vivo [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] My longstanding (and, in my opinion, very valid) excuse for not having a battalion of kitchen gadgets is I work as a restaurant critic. What good is a melon baller to someone who dines at home no more than two or three times a month? But the better excuse, the excuse which remained in force even after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of restaurant reviews, is that Ive always had access to Nathalie Duprees pantry. Im hardly alone in being able to make that claim. In addition to the countless friends and neighbors who knew they could pop by Nathalie and Jack Bass house on Queen Street to borrow a set of cookie cutters, The Post and Couriers photo department had a standing invitation to borrow whatever they needed from Nathalies vast inventory. If youve spied a mixing bowl or printed tablecloth in the background of a beauty shot in the Food section, it was most likely a piece acquired by Nathalie for a cooking class or recipe testing. Perhaps it had appeared previously on one of her television shows or was given to her by an equally famous food authority, such as Julia Child or James Beard. The items in Nathalies kitchen collection are outnumbered only by the stories behind them. Indeed, there are so many items that whenever I asked to borrow something, the answer was never Yes, but always What kind? When this past summer I set out to make a peach pie, despite not having any of the basic accoutrements beyond a measuring cup, I had to settle on whether I wanted a straight dowel pin or the French tapered type; a short pin or a long pin; a pin made from wood or a pin made from metal. Dont get me started on the plate choices. Now its up to Nathalies many admirers to make those same choices. Although Nathalie took as much as she could when she recently relocated to Raleigh, she left behind enough material to merit a four-day moving sale. The event starts Thursday. It just goes on and on, says Janet Gaffney of Estate Treasures, which is organizing the sale. There are multiples of everything. Its just going to be the best. Sign up for our food & dining newsletter. We publish our free Food & Dining newsletter every Wednesday at 10 a.m. to keep you informed on everything happening in the Charleston culinary scene. Sign up today! Email Sign Up! Gaffneys team has spent the better part of a week sorting copper and china and cast-iron molds. In the living areas where Nathalie and Jack threw book parties and dinners for such literary luminaries as Pat Conroy and John Grisham, there are now stacks of Le Creuset cookware, sets of crystal glassware and every imaginable Cuisinart insert. There are treasures as small as napkin rings and as big as the heavy wooden table at which Nathalie wrote her cookbooks. Of course, Nathalies interests arent limited to cooking. She and Jack are deeply involved in politics and lifelong supporters of the arts, so there are posters and prints amid the salad makers and soup bowls. Theyre also philanthropists, although theres perhaps no cause closer to Nathalies heart than Les Dames dEscoffier, an organization that supports women in culinary fields and their professional advancement. Sales of select aprons, paired with cookbooks authored by Nathalie, will benefit the groups local chapter. We loved living in Charleston, Nathalie told me in an email this week. It makes me sad, but it is time. She also told me to consider investing in one of her 14 castoff Cuisinart food processors. Shes been accumulating them since 1972 and is confident the multitasking appliance belongs in every home. I suppose one deserves a spot in a kitchen, which has seemed especially ill-equipped since Nathalie moved away. The sale at 100 Queen St. is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. For more information, go to estatesales.org. HCL Technologies on Tuesday completed the acquisition of DWS Ltd, a leading Australian IT, business and management consulting group. DWS has over 700 employees and offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra. It delivers business and technology innovation to large clients across a spectrum of verticals. HCL currently employs 1,600 people in major cities including Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. In September last year, HCL had said the acquisition will enhance its contribution to digital initiatives in Australia and New Zealand while strengthening its client portfolio across key industries. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four Bulgarian residents, who were vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech jab have developed mild to moderate side effects, countrys Drug Agency executive director Bogdan Kirilov said on January 4. Out of the four, two had reported severe pain, one reported dizziness while another reported insignificant temperature rise. Although the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine candidate was the first of its kind to get global approval, people on both sides of the Atlantic have reported allergic reactions. With almost 5,000 vaccinations performed, only 4 instances of adverse effects have been reported, Bogdan Kirilov, head of the Bulgarian Drug Agency told state owned BTA. These are pain, dizziness for about 15 minutes, pain at the injection site and running a fever for several hours, then they all abate, Kirilov said. Bulgaria is a part of EUs vaccine procurement scheme and currently allows only Pfizer/BioNTech jabs for inoculation. The Balkan state started its ambitious mass inoculation drive on December 27 with priority group being that of frontline medical workers. By Monday, January 4, nearly 5,000 people had been inoculated. On January 4, Bulgaria received the second shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, consisting of 25,000 doses which would be distributed around the country. Read: North Macedonia: PM Criticizes Bulgarias Veto Of EU Talks Read: Bulgaria Is Latest Block In North Macedonia's Bid To Join EU 35,000 doses to arrive Another 35,000 doses are expected in mid-January, Bulgarian National Radio reported. Vaccinations are administered in Bulgaria voluntarily and are free of charge. According to Health Minister Kostadin Angelov, authorities are aiming to have at least 70% of the population vaccinated, the BTA reports. The country is scheduled to start mass vaccination in the month of February/March. Mass vaccinations will begin when we have a big enough arsenal of vaccines. The second phase of vaccination will begin within a week and will spread to teachers, social services users and staff," health minister was quoted as saying. While Bulgaria is planning to expedite its inoculation drive, experts have lambasted EU for not only taking more time than other nations to approve a vaccine candidate but also member states for not procuring enough amounts. Speaking to Die Welt (DW) newspaper, Frauke Zipp a neurologist and member of the advisory Leopoldina Academy of Sciences called the who situation a "gross failure". Questioning the Angela Merkel led government, she asked the reason behind not ordering much more of the vaccine during the summer just to be safe?" Read: Experts Lambast EU, Germany For Not Buying Adequate COVID Vaccine Doses Read: Bulgaria To Expel Two Russian Diplomats Suspected Of Spying 01/04/2021 Photo (c) 400tmax - Getty Images More than 200 Google and Alphabet workers have banded together, trumpeting their intention to form a labor union -- The Alphabet Workers Union -- which will be open to both employees and contractors. Its goal will be to tackle ongoing issues like disparity in pay, mistreatment, and controversial government contracts -- many of the issues that a group of U.S. senators pushed Google to stop in 2019. The structure of the union will be members-only. While going that route doesnt allow the union to negotiate a new contract for its workforce, it will allow it to speak for any employee who seeks to participate, including temporary workers, contractors, and vendors. Weve had enough While the organizing effort is still in its infancy and built mostly out of Google/Alphabet workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, its organizers are confident that the story they have to tell will help their effort spread. For far too long, thousands of us at Google and other subsidiaries of Alphabet, Googles parent company have had our workplace concerns dismissed by executives, Parul Koul, the executive chair of the Alphabet Workers Union, and Chewy Shaw, the unions vice chair, wrote in a guest editorial in the New York Times on Sunday. Koul and Shaw reminded the world that when Google was originally formed, its motto was Dont be evil, then took the company to task for a litany of issues ranging from profiting from ads by a hate group to failing to make necessary changes to meaningfully address retention issues with people of color. How much can be accomplished? This is not the first time Google/Alphabet workers have joined forces to fight what they consider to be abuses. Organized workers at the company were able to get executives to drop Project Maven, the companys artificial-intelligence program that the Pentagon contracted for, and Project Dragonfly, a strategy to launch a censored search engine in China. Still, the organizers need to prepare for a fight. If the recent past is any indication, Google/Alphabet will not take this effort lightly. Just a month ago, the company was not only accused of violating labor laws by monitoring workers, but by going even further and allegedly retaliating against -- and firing -- workers who were trying to unionize. However, Koul and Shaw are confident that the effort can produce some positive results. They point out that some of Alphabets subcontractors won a $15 minimum hourly wage, parental leave, and health insurance after previous mobilization efforts. And the practice of forced arbitration for claims of sexual harassment was ended after the November 2018 walkout -- albeit only for full-time employees, not contractors. A few months later, Google announced that it would end forced arbitration for employees for all claims, the pair wrote. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Press Release January 5, 2021 Bong Go welcomes signing of law to expedite processing of permits, licenses and certifications during national emergency Senator Christopher "Bong" Go lauded the signing of Republic Act 11517, a law authorizing the President of the Philippines to expedite the processing of permits, licenses, clearances, authorizations and certifications in times of national emergency. "In line with our goal to cut red tape, curb corruption, and streamline government processes, especially in times of national emergencies, I laud the signing of this law," he said. The Senator is a co-author and co-sponsor of the measure. "This will definitely hasten the process and efficiently amplify government services even in times of crisis and national emergencies, such as calamities and unforeseen incidents, including this coronavirus disease pandemic," he added. The law is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1844, sponsored by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and principally authored by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senators Ralph Recto, Zubiri, Franklin Drilon and Panfilo Lacson, and House Bill No. 7884, sponsored by Representatives Tyrone Agabas and authored by several members of the Lower House, led by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez. The Senate version was also co-authored by Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, Joel Villanueva, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, Richard Gordon, Sonny Angara, Sherwin Gatchalian, Nancy Binay and Grace Poe. RA 11517 seeks to grant the President the authority to "accelerate and streamline regulatory processes and procedures for new and pending applications and renewals of permits, licenses, clearances and certifications or authorizations, including fixing or shortening the periods provided for under existing laws, regulations, issuances, and ordinances." The law will also be able to suspend or waive the requirements in securing these documents. It will also prescribe to be permanent the streamlined regulatory processes and procedures, and the suspension or waiving of requirements in securing such documents in consultation or recommendation of the affected government agencies. "Hindi dapat pahirapan ang mga Pilipino na kumuha ng serbisyo mula sa gobyerno. Lalo na sa panahon ng krisis, dapat sikapin nating pabilisin at mas madali ang mga transaksyon sa gobyerno," he said. While this law states that this will only take in effect when there is a national emergency, Go emphasized that cutting red tape, streamlining services, and making government more responsive to the changing times must be a permanent solution to improve public service delivery and curb corruption. "Hindi kami titigil ni Pangulong Duterte na labanan ang korapsyon sa gobyerno at gawing mas maayos ang serbisyong dapat makuha ng taumbayan," Go said. "Patuloy rin ang pagsuspinde at pagtanggal ng mga korap at mga hindi ginagampanan ang kanilang tungkulin, lalo na sa panahon ng krisis," he added. Go then highlighted the need to maximize information and communication technologies to innovate further how government transacts with its constituents through the adoption of E-governance. "We need to prioritize digitalization of public service delivery given that we have the proper tools and technology already available," Go said in previous statements. Go filed last July 2020 SB 1738 or the E-Governance Act of 2020 which mandates the government to establish an integrated, interconnected, and inter-operable information and resource-sharing and communications network. This is also included in the priority measures of the Duterte Administration as mentioned by the President in his most recent State of the Nation Address. "As we transition to the new normal, the transition to e-governance becomes crucial, particularly the digitalizing of government processes. We should adopt more efficient, responsive and modern ways of transacting with our citizens. This will effectively make the government more in tune with the changing times," he added. The Senator is also pushing for the passage of the E-Governance bill to eliminate corruption, reduce red tape, enhance transparency and improve the delivery of services to Filipinos. Moreover, Go said that such bill will enable the country to create long-term plans on the nation's road to recovery and build a sustainable future. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun looking into the sources of funds for app-based instant loan companies accused of harassing vulnerable borrowers, said a person aware of the matter. Strong arm tactics to recover dues, including naming borrowers, have led to at least two suicides, according to media reports. According to this person, RBI is likely to launch an investigation into whether some banks allowed funds to flow into these apps without conducting mandatory due diligence. The RBI scrutiny follows a probe by the Enforcement Directorate, which has filed a money laundering case on the basis of first information reports registered by police against instant loan apps connected to overseas jurisdictions. The onus of verifying the end use of funds lies with the banks and RBI, in this case, wants to be certain whether the banks followed proper procedure before lending to some of these apps, said the person cited above. If the banks have implemented proper know your customer guidelines, then its worth probing whether it was limited to just the customer or customers clients, said a former RBI official who requested anonymity. Mint reported in September that the government was investigating several fintech apps with Chinese links to check for data and privacy breaches. On June 24, 2020, RBI said that banks and non-bank financiers, irrespective of whether they lend through their own digital lending platform or through an outsourced entity must adhere to fair practices guidelines in letter and spirit. These apps are circumventing the law by opening current account with banks without the NBFCs involved. The loan disbursement and the entire collection process is, therefore, happening through these current accounts. It is, therefore, important to understand whether banks are monitoring any instances of high volume transactions happening through these accounts. Since the transaction is going through a current account mechanism, these apps are circumventing the entire gamut of regulations, including KYC, and not reporting to credit bureaus, said Yogi Sadana, founder, fintech association for consumer empowerment. Preliminary investigations by the Hyderabad police has revealed that close to 14 million transactions, worth nearly 21,000 crore, were made through payment gateways and bank accounts linked to these companies. Most of the transactions have happened in the past six months. The money was routed through shell companies, multiple bank accounts, payment gateways and digital wallets to avoid detection. A citizen collective named Cashless Consumer, engaged in raising awareness around digital payments, has released a list of 1,000 lending apps which showed that the majority of them did not have any payment gateway integration. Typically, digital lending apps have a payout account, usually IMPS service provided by a bank, through which they disburse the loan, and a collection interface. A woman works on Kazak embroidery, one of this year's national intangible cultural heritage representatives. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Selik Nurdi Bayi] Xinjiang has seen 15 more items listed into this year's national intangible cultural heritage representatives, of which six were enrolled for the first time on the list, the regional cultural and tourism authority said. In " Guniangzhui, " a sport among the Kazak ethnic group, young men express affection towards young women through this sport, one of this year's national intangible cultural heritage representatives. [For chinadaily.com.cn] The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently released the list of the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representatives. There are 337 different items, selected from 943 nationwide. The horse skin skiboard making technique, one of this year's national intangible cultural heritage representatives, is seen. [For chinadaily.com.cn] The six new items from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, fall into five different categories, from folk art and music to sports. For example, a tap dance from Tacheng Prefecture is included. Children learn Russian tap dance in Tacheng Prefecture, one of this year's national intangible cultural heritage representatives. [For chinadaily.com.cn/Zhang Sujing] (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Hamilton County Coalition has been a pillar in Chattanooga and other Southeast Tennessee communities in providing prevention resources for overdose, substance abuse disorder, and more, said officials. As Hamilton County Coalition entered its 11th year of operation at the beginning of 2020, its staff, directors, and partners had developed a procedural way of accomplishing their goals. But when COVID-19 shutdowns began locally in mid-March, many of these standards were deemed unsafe. Being inside the communities we serve to build relationships and understand their needs has been our best method to enact positive change, so we had to make a lot of difficult decisions on how to move forward safely and effectively in a time where COVID-19 cases and overdose rates were devastating many of our communities, Hamilton County Coalition Executive Director Camilla Bibbs-Lee said. The creativity and work ethic of our staff and partners helped keep our operations seamless and sparked innovations that we can continue using in the future. Below are some of the new ways Hamilton County Coalition served Region 3-South (Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie Counties) wit overdose and substance abuse prevention information, COVID-19 education, RX medication storage and disposal tips, and more. Find these highlights in the Hamilton County Coalitions 2020 Year in Review here: https://www.hccoalition.org/year-in-review-2020 Virtual Opioid Overdose Prevention Trainings When the pandemic lockdown began in March, Hamilton County Coalition shifted its Opioid Overdose Prevention Trainings to a virtual format for the first time. Since then, HCC has virtually trained over 260 individuals in overdose prevention - while also training approximately 100 people in-person in compliance with CDC guidelines. Virtual RX Drug Take Back Aprils National Prescription Drug Take Back Day was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, so Hamilton County Coalition virtually raised awareness of permanent drop-box locations where individuals can safely dispose of any unused or expired medications year-round. In Hamilton County, over 1,900 pounds of medications were collected for proper disposal from drug take backs and the permanent drop-box locations in 2020. Hamilton County Coalition also provided a way for individuals to practice proper RX disposal and storage methods from home by distributing free Deterra Drug Deactivation Pouches, and RX medications lockboxes. The Deterra Drug Deactivation Pouch is a safe and easy way to dispose of RX medications in the trash, while the RX medication lock boxes can ensure substances do not end up in the wrong hands. Organized its annual Youth Empowerment Society Summer Program under COVID-19 guidelines. The Y.E.S. Summer Program is traditionally centered around providing peer-to-peer mentorship to at-risk youth in the Chattanooga-area. However, with many youth centers and camps being closed during the pandemic, this years curriculum involved 16 virtual presentations on the dangers of drug misuse and abuse. Members of the Y.E.S. Program also helped publish a drug and alcohol prevention coloring book that were handed-out to students in local schools. Added the Lifeline Peer Project and Reentry Program to create new paths in helping people in Region 3-South overcome Substance Use Disorder The Lifeline Peer Project is a faith-based initiative established to connect individuals with treatment related to the disease of addiction and increase access to substance abuse recovery. The Reentry Program identifies an individuals risks and needs upon entry into the justice system and develops a system of treatment and programming throughout their incarceration, transition, and reentry into the community. Created two new ways to honor International Overdose Awareness Day Inspired by the Red Sand Project to raise awareness of human trafficking, Hamilton County Coalition created the Purple Sand Challenge - the official color of International Overdose Awareness Day - to remember the millions of lives around the world that have been unfortunately lost to overdose. HCC also coordinated with many Chattanooga businesses like Hunter Museum of American Art, Tennessee Aquarium, High Point Climbing and Fitness and Ruby Falls to light their buildings purple in honor of the day. Helped Host Pop Up for Hope events with Social Emotional Workforce Committee These events emerged to spread love and happiness and reduce social isolation during the most trying times of the pandemic. The committee with partners like NAMI Chattanooga, Erlanger Behavioral Health, Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network, and more helped host 10 Pop Up for Hope events - including a Christmas Food Drive just days before the holiday. Received the Tennessee Community CARES Grant for COVID-19 relief Overdose rates and COVID-19 cases have been on the same trajectory throughout the pandemic. The Tennessee CARES Grant helped Hamilton County Coalition provide free resources to the public like masks, hand sanitizer and pamphlets on coping with stress and anxiety. We have a big responsibility to communities we serve, and its a proud feeling knowing we made positive impacts in a time where they needed it the most, Ms. Bibbs-Lee continued. Were looking forward to 2021 and beyond with a new arsenal of resources and methods to facilitate positive community change. President Win Myint marked Myanmars Independence Day on Monday with a call for constitutional reform, but ethnic political parties said they wanted to hear the incoming governments plans for negotiating with armed ethnic groups to end long-running wars. Leader Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) swept November elections to secure another five-year mandate to rule the former Burma, which gained independence from Britain on Jan. 4, 1948, but has endured seven decades of internal armed conflict that has stymied the countrys development. The victory was followed by an appeal to dozens of ethnic political parties to join her effort to forge a federal union in the multiethnic nation of 54.4 million people, and other confidence-building gestures from the government and the military. Amid a cease-fire in the two-year-old war in Rakhine state that has held since the Nov. 8 vote, there have been meetings between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), which is fighting for autonomy for the ethnic Rakhines in the coastal state. On Jan. 1, the AA released three NLD candidates the rebel force had abducted during a campaign trip and held for two months, handing them to the regional military command. Regional Commander Brigadier General Htin Latt Oo said talks with the AA over holding possible elections in areas of Rakhine state where they were cancelled in November led to the release of the candidates. Myanmars army has backed an AA demand that elections be held in parts of Rakhine where voting was cancelled, disenfranchising 1.2 million of the 1.6 million voters and costing 15 seats in parliament, but so far authorities have not responded to the demand. NLD representatives have begun meeting with representatives from some ethnic political parties, which seek decentralized government control and the ability to manage their own affairs and benefit from their natural resources. In his message to Myanmars ethnic national citizens, Win Myint said the government is working on ending the armed conflicts, securing long-term peace, and building a democratic federal union. All of you need to participate and cooperate in order to make the constitution, which is the foundation in the establishment of the future democratic federal union, to be fully aligned with democratic principles and standards, the actual situation of the country and the emerging federal union system, he said. Win Myint urged ethnic citizens to work towards Independence Day objectives including the non-disintegration of the Union and the amending of the constitution for the emergence of a genuine democratic federal union. Going around in circles In response to Win Myints message, some ethnic party leaders urged the NLD government to put more effort into dealing with ethnic affairs within the existing legal framework rather than prioritizing attempts to amend the constitution, which face a structural impediment crafted by the military authors of the charter. Pe Than, Rakhine state lawmaker and member of the Arakan National Partys (ANP) policy committee, said that the NLD should think about what it can do to ease the rules for ethnic minorities. Only then can it achieve something toward reconciliation, while not confronting any parties on the constitutional reform issue. he said. Pe Than said that increasing budgets for ethnic minority areas and raising their shares of natural resources produced in their regions are more practical issues for the government to focus on and are within its authority to change. If you try to tackle constitutional reform, youd be going around in circles, he said. It will be never-ending. The NLD government made constitutional reform a key objective before and after it won 2015 elections, but attempts to make the charter more democratic were blocked by unelected military legislators who control a quarter of seats in the national parliament under the 2008 constitution that the army wrote. Ethnic political parties, including the ANP, have pushed for the amendment of Article 261, which gives the president the power to appoint chief ministers in Myanmars 14 states and regions. But in March 2020, NLD lawmakers rejected an opposition party-sponsored bill to change the section to allow chief ministers to be elected. After an Independence Day ceremony in Sittwe, Rakhine State Chief Minister Nyi Pu said that the government must keep working on devolving power to the regions. We are not satisfied, he said. There are shortcomings in realizing the missions set out by the state. These missions cannot be accomplished within a short period of time, he said. Bold steps needed One analyst said that the presidents message did not convey any distinctive initiatives for the future of the country. The ruling government should take bold steps that will contribute to national reconciliation, trust-building between parties, and the building of a federal democratic union, said Yangon-based Myanmar political analyst Yan Myo Thein. The presidents speech should lay out in detail the ruling governments goals, policies, strategies, and preparations for trust building and negotiations for national reconciliation in the upcoming years. The NLDs central executive committee, which is meeting with representatives of ethnic parties that responded to its call, met delegates from the Kachin State Peoples Party (KSPP), Lisu National Development Party, and New Democracy Party-Kachin at NLD party headquarters in the Kachin state capital Myitkyina on Jan. 1. But a scheduled meeting with the Mon Unity Party (MUP) in southern Myanmars Mon state was cancelled over a disagreement about the meeting venue, said NLD delegate Aung Moe Nyo, chief minister of Magway region. The meeting was initially planned to be at NLDs headquarters in the Mon state capital Mawlamyine, but MUP delegates rejected that in favor of a neutral venue. We suggested that we should meet here at the states [NLD] executive committee office, but they said they wanted to meet somewhere else, he said. They suggested meeting at the Mon state governments guest house, [but] we couldnt do that [because] our leaders specifically instructed us to meet here, he said. The Mon representatives failed to show, he said. MUP general secretary Naing Layi Tama told RFA that representatives from his party requested to meet NLD delegates at a third-party location as a sign of equality and mutual respect between the two parties. We requested three times to meet at a third-party location, but the NLD delegates never formally replied to us until now, he said. Political analyst Yan Myo Thein said the cancellation of the meeting shows that the NLD needs to be more open-minded when deciding on meetings with ethnic parties, which are critical for forging peace and moving to discussions for a democratic federal union. The NLD should have been more flexible, he said. If the NLD cannot agree with other parties on very basic issues, we should question how it will negotiate bigger issues, such as federalism, politics, and democracy. Reported by Thiha Tun, Thet Su Aung, Kyaw Lwin Oo, and Min Khine Soe Linn for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. This years congress comes as Kim faces the toughest challenge of nine-year rule because of what he calls multiple crises __ an economy hammered by pandemic-caused border closings, a spate of natural disasters last summer and persistent U.S.-led sanctions. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 After narrowly beating their U.S. peers for the first time in three years in 2020, Asian stocks could see another strong year, analysts say. Asias outperformance is seen growing in 2021, with cyclicals expected to catch up to technology stocks as optimism over vaccine rollouts grows. Analysts on average predict that the MSCI Asia Pacific Index will rise about 8% over the next 12 months, versus an estimated 6% gain for the S&P 500 Index, Bloomberg surveys show. A strengthening economic rebound in China and Asias low valuations relative to the U.S. and Europe are also key positives that are seen helping regional stocks tide over potential risks arising from any fresh virus outbreaks, hurdles in vaccine distribution and worsening of Sino-American relations. Asian equities will be the asset class of choice in 2021," said Gary Dugan, chief executive officer at the Global CIO Office in Singapore. Growth fundamentals and the ability to rebound quickly as Covid issues clear make the region particularly attractive." Here are five themes that Asian stock investors say are key to their strategy in 2021: Green is Good Investing on environmental, social and governance grounds should reap benefits, thanks to a slew of favorable government policies. Take renewable energy for instance. China, Japan and Korea are all pushing to become carbon neutral this century, while the U.S. is preparing for a climate-friendly president to take over. Renewable energy has never been cheaper," said David Smith, a portfolio manager at Aberdeen Standard Investments Asia. Chinas recent pledge to be a net zero emitter of greenhouse gases by 2060 has added impetus to the case." Solar- and wind-energy-linked stocks could get a boost as China upgrades its climate goals. Meanwhile, India plans to have 40% of its power generation coming from non-fossil sources by the end of the decade, which should help companies in that space. Electric vehicles are still hot. BNP Paribas Energy Transition fund is among those betting on stocks in the electric-vehicle supply chain, which includes Korean battery makers such as LG Chem Ltd. and firms involved with hydrogen fuel cell technology. Japans auto stocks are in focus as the country prepares to phase out new gasoline cars by mid-2030s. It Is Really Values Turn Value shares have lagged and recovered time and time again in the last decade, but this time, investors are expecting a more robust pick up in stocks that look cheap on measures like price-to-earnings or price-to-book multiples. Barring widespread lockdowns, the rebound in old-economy stocks that were shunned by investors flocking to pandemic plays like tech and health-care is expected to continue. Investors seeking exposure to companies that will benefit as business activity normalizes are picking up banks, industrials and consumer discretionary stocks -- heavyweights in the MSCI Asia Pacific index. Funds from BlackRock Inc. to UBS Asset Management are touting equities in Southeast Asia and India as part of their recovery trade playbook. Its not just sectors that could benefit from rotation into value; cheap markets too stand to gain. Analysts estimate that Singapores Straits Times Index, Asias worst-performing major national gauge last year, could gain 10% over 2021, boosted by the signing of the worlds biggest regional trade pact late last year. Another market that was shunned but is getting love: Japan. Foreign investors are seen returning to Japans cyclical-heavy stock market, bolstered by Warren Buffetts $6 billion bet on the nations trading houses and expectations for policy changes under Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. These Are the Winners and Losers in Japans 2020 Stock Market Tech is Still Your Friend Thats not to say tech -- the hottest trade of 2020 -- is going on the back-burner. The pandemic has accelerated trends such as e-commerce and remote working, which means Taiwanese and Korean chipmakers, Internet names in China and data center stocks are among favorites in the new year. M&G Investments is among asset managers investing in game-content developers in Japan, Korea and China. Nintendo Co., the maker of hit game Animal Crossing, rallied 50% last year while Sony Corp., known for the Playstation console, was up 39%. Japans tech shares are also set to benefit from the Suga administrations digital reform agenda aimed at transforming the countrys paper-heavy and inefficient public sector. That said, there is a caveat to this trend: regulation. China has escalated scrutiny on billionaire Jack Mas Internet empire, kicking off an investigation into alleged monopolistic practices at Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., and also ordered affiliate Ant Group Co. to overhaul its operations. Worries that antitrust scrutiny will extend beyond Mas companies have weighed on shares of Alibaba and its rivals such as Tencent Holdings Ltd. and food delivery giant Meituan. China Fines Alibaba, Tencent Unit Under Anti-Monopoly Laws Dividend Drought Should End Dividend stocks are expected to make a comeback in 2021 as companies loosen their purse strings. Another catalyst is the easing of regulatory curbs placed on payouts by banks to conserve capital amid the pandemic. Payouts at Australian and Thai lenders could grow after the lifting of related restrictions, and the same goes for dividends at HSBC Holdings Plc and Standard Chartered Plc after the U.K. eased its ban. Singapores banks, which have long had a reputation for being generous with payouts, could be back in play once the countrys regulator follows suit. Double-digit increases in Asian dividends are more than possible," said Mike Kerley, a portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors. Banking isnt the only space investors are watching here. Material stocks, like Australian miners gaining from a commodity price boom, as well as consumer discretionary stocks may see an increase, said Kerley. China Deleveraging Is Back After a string of bond defaults at state-linked firms, China is focusing once again on stabilizing debt levels and tightening liquidity in its financial system. Thats bad news for Chinas brokerages -- a source of margin financing and a barometer of stock market sentiment. Companies listed on Shenzhens tech-heavy ChiNext board and the countrys other small-cap stocks may also face selling pressure as they are vulnerable to liquidity leaving the system. However, beyond short-term pain, the derisking trend will likely lead to better asset quality at Chinese banks, giving their shares a boost. Investors will watch for cues on deleveraging plans at Chinas annual National Peoples Congress meeting in March. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. A Honduran woman gave birth on a Mexico-U.S. border bridge connecting the cities of Matamoros and Brownsville, Texas on Saturday, authorities said. The Honduran woman was identified as Leidy Hernandez, 24 years old. The Associated Press reported that Hernandez gave birth on the Mexican side of the U.S. border bridge. She was said to have been using the U.S. border bridge as an illegal pathway to reach the U.S. side. However, the Honduran woman became unsteady and had to get help from nearby pedestrians, who are also trying to cross the border from the Mexican side. Mexico's National Immigration Institute said the incident happened that afternoon on the Ignacio Zaragoza border bridge, also known as "Los Tomates." Read also: CBP, ICE Report Thousands of Border Arrests and Seizures The immigration institute also said it received a notice from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials saying there was a woman "trying to enter the country improperly" from that part of the border. With the Tamaulipas Civil Protection support, Hernandez and her child were eventually brought to a hospital in Matamoros and were given free care. They were both expected to be okay, said a report from New York Daily News. Hernandez was reportedly one of the hundreds of migrants seeking shelter in improvised riverside camps while awaiting hearings on visas and asylums. Some more migrants were waiting in rented rooms in Matamoros. Thousands of legal border crossings have been denied by the Trump administration as it noted that there wasn't enough space for migrants. The administration also told people to wait for court dates under the "Remain in Mexico" policy. Honduran Woman's Child Has Right to Mexican Citizenship Since the woman gave birth on the Mexican side of the border, her child will be given the right to Mexican citizenship. Hernandez wasn't the first woman in this situation. Other women have been looking for ways to enter the U.S. while they were pregnant. Last month, another woman also gave birth on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. She just crossed the river when the U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived, ABC News noted. Her smugglers yelled at her to keep moving, but she fell to the ground and began to give birth. They were also in good health as border patrol agents assisted her in her delivery. She was left unnamed because of fear of retribution. Poverty, Violence Forced Honduran Woman Out of Home Country These women are just some of many parents driven out of Central America by poverty and violence. We Are Mitu also said in an article that people started to grow more desperate while they are forced into camps in Mexico. Related Story: Record Heat Along Arizona Border Results in Rising Migrant Deaths Crossings may not have reached as high as it did in previous years, but holding facilities for migrants are approaching capacity, the report said. Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, told ABC News that the strict immigration policies forced women into "great danger." "They must really think before they do what they do and risk the life of their unborn child," she said. It should not come as a surprise that amid these difficult situations, more and more women have given birth in less than the ideal setups that could put their lives at risk. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Phuket ends Seven Days road-safety campaign with one death PHUKET: Phuket concluded the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for the New Year with one death and 36 people injured in road accidents over the holiday period, according to officials. accidentstransportSafetydeathpolice By The Phuket News Tuesday 5 January 2021, 11:20AM The main statistics for yesterday and this years campaign. Image: DDPM The main statistics for yesterday and this years campaign. Image: DDPM The main statistics for yesterday and this years campaign. Image: DDPM One person was injured when a motorbike struck the back of a pickup truck on Thepkrasattri Rd in Thalang yesterday (Jan 4). Photo: DDPM-Phuket One person was injured when a motorbike struck the back of a pickup truck on Thepkrasattri Rd in Thalang yesterday (Jan 4). Photo: DDPM-Phuket One person was injured when a motorbike struck the back of a pickup truck on Thepkrasattri Rd in Thalang yesterday (Jan 4). Photo: DDPM-Phuket One person was injured when a motorbike struck the back of a pickup truck on Thepkrasattri Rd in Thalang yesterday (Jan 4). Photo: DDPM-Phuket The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) reported this morning (Jan 5) that the 24-hour period for Jan 4, the last day of the campaign, saw five people injured in four accidents, with no deaths. Three of the four accidents recognised occurred in Muang District, with the remaining accident occurring in Thalang. Four of the people injured were male, and one was female. In contrast, the national Thai Road Safety Committee (ThaiRSC) official website reports that 46 people were injured in road accidents in Phuket during the same 24 hours. DDPM-Phuket this morning also reported that Phuket suffered a total of 35 accidents with 36 people and one death for the whole seven-day campaign. Of the 36 people injured, 26 were male and 10 were female. Again, in contrast, ThaiRSC reports that 299 people were injured and one person died in road accidents in Phuket during the whole seven days. According to the report posted this morning, Phuket last year suffered 54 people injured in 47 accidents with zero deaths. Phuket officials do not recognise two deaths last year as being attributable to the campaign for New year 2020. During this years campaign, Muang District suffered 19 accidents resulting in 20 people being injured and one death, while Kathu and Thalang districts both saw eight accidents with eight injured, todays report noted. Phukets one recognised road fatality for this years New Year Seven Days campaign saw Kasemsan Kamphan, 54, killed in the early hours of Jan 1 after the motorbike he was sitting on while waiting at traffic lights to turn right onto Kwang Rd in Wichit was struck from behind by a pickup truck. The pickup truck driver, not named in official reports, was reported to have been charged with drunk driving. Meanwhile, Phuket police reported issuing 866 fines for moving violations during the 24 hours of Jan 4, as follows: 40 fined for operating an unsafe/illegally modified motorcycle 60 fined for not wearing seatbelts 272 fined for driving without a licence 0 fined for speeding 58 fined for ignoring traffic signals 39 fined for ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow) 18 fined for dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic 38 fined for using mobile phones while driving. 0 people were arrested for drunk driving 341 people fined for not wearing helmets In total, Phuket police reported issuing 2,739 fines for moving violations during the campaign period, as follows: 93 fined for operating an unsafe/illegally modified motorcycle 195 fined for not wearing seatbelts 728 fined for driving without a licence 0 fined for speeding 172 fined for ignoring traffic signals 136 fined for ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow) 46 fined for dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic 149 fined for using mobile phones while driving. 3 people were arrested for drunk driving 1,217 people fined for not wearing helmets In comparison, DDPM-Phuket last year reported that police in Phuket issued 8,437 fines for moving violations during the seven-day campaign for New Year 2020. Of those, 193 were for drunk driving. This year, just three people were charged for drunk driving. The Union Budget 2021 will be presented on February 1. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) has recommended Part 1 of Budget session to be held from January 29-February 15 and Part 2 will be held from March 8-April 8, official sources told PTI. President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on January 29. President Kovind to address joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Jan 29; Union Budget on Feb 1: Sources quoting CCPA recommendation a Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 5, 2021 This is the first budget of the NDA government after the year when the economy suffered a major shock as Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the economy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has already concluded pre-Budget consultations with the captains of industry, and the process of preparing the budget is on. Before the Budget, the Ministry of Finance will also organise the 'Halwa ceremony', which marks the process of printing documents of the budget paper. The ministry will also release the Economic Survey before the budget, which is the annual flagship document that's prepared under the guidance of the chief economic advisor. Also read: Union Budget 2021: FM Nirmala Sitharaman concludes pre-Budget meetings Wikileaks founder Julian Assanges partner, Stella Moris, raises her fist as she speaks to the media (Yui Mok/PA) The Australian government has been urged to lobby Donald Trump to end the US governments attempt to extradite Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange from the UK. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said at the Old Bailey on Monday that, due to the real risk of suicide, the 49-year-old should not be extradited by reason of mental health. The US has given notice it will appeal against the decision and has two weeks to lodge grounds, while Assange has been remanded in custody ahead of a bail application. He is wanted to face an 18-count indictment, alleging a plot to hack computers and a conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information. Expand Close A judge has ruled that Wikileaks founder Assange, 49, cannot be extradited to the United States (Elizabeth Cook/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A judge has ruled that Wikileaks founder Assange, 49, cannot be extradited to the United States (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Assange was born in Queensland and is an Australian citizen, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would be able to return to Australia like any other Australian should the appeal fail. Its just a straightforward process of the legal system in the UK working its way through, he told radio station 2GB on Tuesday. But some of Mr Morrisons backbenchers who have supported Assange are seeking assurances the journalist would not be extradited from Australia. George Christensen, of the ruling Liberal National party, said Mr Trump should pardon Assange to ensure the Deep State and a potential Biden Administration cannot pursue further action against him. He added: The UK Government must release Julian Assange immediately and have him returned to Australia. He is being held without any charge, so there is no justification for him to stay in Belmarsh Prison for a moment longer. Furthermore the Australian Government should ensure that when he is returned to Australia, there is no avenue for an extradition from his home country to the United States. This is a shameful chapter of history which shows London and Canberra care more about kowtowing to Washington than they do about protecting an Australian citizen, who has never been found guilty of any offence Andrew Wilkie, Australian MP Andrew Wilkie, an independent MP, added: The judgment still leaves Mr Assange desperately vulnerable to extradition to the US. With a US appeal looming against the decision, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison must pick up the phone and call US President Donald Trump and US President-Elect Joe Biden to ask them to drop the extradition bid. This is a shameful chapter of history which shows London and Canberra care more about kowtowing to Washington than they do about protecting an Australian citizen, who has never been found guilty of any offence. The case followed WikiLeaks publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents in 2010 and 2011 relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as diplomatic cables. Prosecutors say Assange helped US defence analyst Chelsea Manning breach the Espionage Act in unlawfully obtaining material, was complicit in hacking by others, and published classified information that put the lives of US informants in danger. Assange denies plotting with Manning to crack an encrypted password on US Department of Defence computers and says there is no evidence that anyones safety was put at risk. His lawyers had said he faced up to 175 years in jail if convicted, although the US government said the sentence was more likely to be between four and six years. PA Indonesias large population and complex geography pose a number of challenges for governments to develop economic growth. These challenges are mirrored in the telecom sector, which is well served by mobile infrastructure, but which has inadequate fixed-line capacity in many areas. Continued progress in developing the telecom sector requires further government action on restructuring the industry, promoting foreign investment and encouraging further competition. The Indonesian data centre market has experienced significant growth over the past two decades as the country has sought to bridge the gap with neighbours such as Singapore and Malaysia. The market is attracting investment from hyperscale cloud providers such as Google, Alibaba and Amazon. Compared to other Asian nations, Indonesia has very low fixed line and fixed broadband penetration, high mobile penetration and moderate mobile broadband penetration. Development of the fixed broadband market has been restricted due to poor infrastructure, though the number of subscribers of the two main providers, which between them command a 93% market share, increased by around 22% in 2019. The market has considerable room for growth, given that household penetration is only about 15%. The extensive reach of 3G and LTE networks provide voice and data coverage to the vast majority of the population. Although the MNOs have trialled 5G since mid-2019 the sector has been hampered by the lack of available spectrum. In recent years the market has been characterised by high growth in data services and a reduction in the use of voice and SMS. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key Developments Telkomsel makes $950 million lease-back deal on some 6,050 mobile towers; Steady growth anticipated in mobile broadband through to 2025, supported by high smartphone penetration; Smartfren selects ZTE to help develop 5G; Report update includes Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, assessment of the global impact of COVID-19 on the telecoms sector, MoCIs 2019 market report, operator data to Q2 2020, recent market developments. Get a Full Copy of this Report Developing Telecoms market report summaries are produced in partnership with BuddeCom, the worlds largest continually updated online telecommunications research service. The above article is a summary of the following BuddeCom report: Report title: Indonesia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses Edition: October 2020 Analyst: Sebastien De Rosbo Number of pages: 131 Companies mentioned in this report: Telkom; Indosat; Satelindo; Smart Telecom, Bakrie Telecom, Temasek, TelkomNet, Telkomsel Single User PDF Licence Price: US$1150 For more information or to purchase a copy of the full report please use the following link: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Indonesia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?r=83 As some Republicans deny the outcome of the presidential election and engage in an unprecedented attempt to overturn the result, U.S. Rep. John Katko won't be joining them in that effort. Katko, R-Camillus, said Monday that there has been "no demonstration of widespread fraud" that would warrant overturning the election. He previously stated in December that there wasn't "hard evidence" of election fraud and he believes that Joe Biden is the president-elect. The GOP congressman's comments came two days before more than 100 House Republicans and at least a dozen GOP senators plan to object to certifying the Electoral College results. Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump by a 306 to 232 margin in the electoral vote. In the popular vote count, Biden received more than 7 million votes than Trump. There are notable Republicans joining the effort to prevent the results from being certified. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who emerged as one of Trump's biggest backers in Congress, announced on Monday that she plans to object to "certain contested electors" on Wednesday. She claimed that she's acting to "protect our democratic process." Kazakhstan Ambassador to India, Yerlan Alimbayev on Tuesday said that his country is producing three COVID-19 vaccines, all of which are in the 2nd and 3rd Phase. Alimbayev, who was responding to a question on whether Kazakhstan has ordered any vaccine from India, said there has been no official dialogue with New Delhi regarding the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines but added Nur-Sultan is aware of the fact that India has two vaccines. Alimbayev also said that Kazakhstan is ready to discuss the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines developed in India after approvals from both sides. Kazakhstan is producing 3 vaccines which are in 2nd & 3rd phase, there's been no official dialogue with India, but we know India has 2 vaccines, which is good.We're ready to talk for ordering Indias vaccine after approval of both countries: Kazakhstan Ambassador to India, to ANI pic.twitter.com/OFWopYExvD ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 Read: Kazakhstan President Ratifies International Protocol, Scraps Death Penalty Alimbayev was referring to Covishield and COVAXIN, which have been recently approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). India recently granted emergency use authorisation to AstraZeneca-Oxford's Covishield vaccine and Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN. It remains unclear exactly when the vaccination campaign in India will start, however, public health officials have already conducted two dry-runs across the country to prepare medical professionals and clinics for actual immunization drive. Kazakhstan is producing Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine and has also ordered two million doses, distribution of which is expected to begin in February this year. Read: Kazakhstan Imposes New Restrictions To Curb Expected Spread Of COVID-19 During Christmas Kazakhstan invited India's CEC to observe elections Yerlan Alimbayev on Tuesday also said that India's Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) was invited by the country to observe the upcoming elections, adding but no one from New Delhi is visiting due to COVID-19 concerns. Kazakhstan had invited India's CEC to be an election observer for the legislative polls scheduled to be held on January 10. The polls are being held to elect the members of the lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament. We invited the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India to be an election observer for upcoming elections on January 10 in Kazakhstan, but this time no one from India is coming due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Kazakhstan Ambassador to India Yerlan Alimbayev (file pic) pic.twitter.com/j9Aueqkfn7 ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 Read: Kazakhstan Starts Production Of Russian Vaccine The scheduled election is the eight legislative polls since Kazakhstan declared independence in 1991. All of the elections held in the former Soviet Republic since its independence have been mired in controversy with allegations of fraud and irregularities. Kazakhstan had invited many international observers this year, including from India, so that allegations of rigged elections can be averted. However, the ambassador has now confirmed that the Indian Election Commissioner won't be able to make it because of the pandemic. Read: BioNTech-Pfizer: No Data To Suggest COVID-19 Vaccine Will Work If Second Shot Is Delayed City approves first reading of temporary medical marijuana ordinance With state officials still putting together the oversight rules for medical marijuana establishments, local governments need temporary ordinances. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New Delhi, Jan 6 : A dry run for the Covid vaccine will be conducted at 8 sites in the national capital on Wednesday, officials said. The dry run will be held at two hospitals under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation while six sites under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) including Maternity Mother and Child Welfare (MCW) Centre, Maternity Home (MH) and polyclinics would take part in it. MCW Hari Nagar, Poly Clinic Madipur, MCW Bijwasan, MH Sriniwas Puri, MCW Fatehpur Beri, MCW Defence Colony (all SDMC), Bara Hindu Rao Hospital and Kasturba Hospital (both North MCD) are among the centres which would participate in the drive. The officials also informed that around 100-200 health care workers will participate in the mock drill for the vaccine roll-out across the centres. North MCD Mayor Jai Prakash told IANS that around 60 healthcare workers from both the MCD-run hospitals are ready for the drive. "The hospitals (Hindu Rao and Kasturba) have converted their swine flu wards into a vaccination point. Besides, two ICU beds are also provisioned by each hospital, in case a vaccine receiver witnesses any severe adverse event during inoculation of the Covid vaccine," he said. "Our hospitals are fully prepared for the Corona vaccine. The North DMC will follow all the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health for the vaccine in the dry run process. Same procedure would also be adopted in the dry run of vaccination to the people, whose process is fixed for the actual vaccination," he added. The dry-run in Delhi began last week starting with the three sites. Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Shahdara, the Urban Primary Health Centre, Daryaganj, and Venkateshwar Hospital, Dwarka, were the first in the national capital to conduct the dry-run on Saturday. 25 healthcare workers from each centre had undergone the mock drive. LIKE MANY voters I had heard about the 800+-page For the People Act (HR 1/SB 1) and a companion voting bill, The John Lewis Act (HR 4). I knew that these bills had been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and that they will soon be considered by the U.S. Senate. The sponsors believ Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. Director of the Baku Network Expert Council, Deputy General Director of Trend News Agency, Doctor of Philosophy Elkhan Alasgarov, has deceased of COVID-19. After the deterioration of his health condition as a result of contracting the COVID-19 infection, Alasgarov was placed in the intensive care unit and connected to the artificial lung ventilation device. Despite all the efforts of the doctors, he died on January 5. Elkhan Alasgarov was born on March 14, 1955 in Baku. In 1972 he graduated from the city secondary school No. 150. He graduated from the Azerbaijan Technical University, was a communications engineer. He worked at the Azon Research Institute and the security agencies of Azerbaijan. Graduate of the Higher School in Minsk. In 1987 he was deputy chairman of the Friendship Society for cultural relations with foreign countries, in 1988 - deputy chairman of the Veten Society for cultural relations with foreign countries. Elkhan Alasgarov was a participant in the Karabakh war and has the military rank of colonel. In 2000-2015 he repeatedly went on long business trips to foreign countries through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2000-2006 Alasgarov worked as a diplomat at the embassies of Azerbaijan in Ankara and in 2008-2015 - at the Azerbaijani Embassy in the Netherlands Hague. Elkhan Alasgarov was the founder of the Caucasian Albania center and the Caucasus analytical center. He was a member of the Public Association of Veterans of the Azerbaijani Special Services and of the Writers' Union, as well as the author of two books and over 200 articles. For the first scientific research conducted in Azerbaijan about the novel Ali and Nino, he was awarded the scientific degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Philology. Vestnik Kavkaza expresses deep condolences to the family and loved ones of Elkhan Alasgarov. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor CES or Consumer Electronics Show is the most significant technology event of the year that takes place in January. This year, the technology event has gone all digital, and over 1000 companies are expected to showcase their new and upcoming products/technologies on the platform due to the ongoing pandemic. We are looking forward to the big announcements that start next week (January 11), but before that, here is a quick roundup of what to look out for at the show this year. Innovation in Television: Television is one of the key areas where most brands (Samsung, Sony, LG, Panasonic etc.) give a demo of whats coming next. LG and Samsung have already made several announcements. LG will be showcasing a TV that can be flat for watching TV, and for gaming, it can be bend to become a curved monitor. LG also has a QNED tech, a transparent OLED screen that will be showcased the transparent OLED is aimed for more professional uses such as restaurants and hotels. On the other hand, Samsung will be showcasing TVs that can adjust the HDR of the display based on your ambient lighting and TV based on its new Micro LED technology. TCL is showing its next-generation mini LED technology at CES as well. Along with these, expect to see 8K TV announcements from multiple brands and a few rollable TVs to be showcased. Hygiene Focussed Personal Tech: The pandemic has resulted in a lot more focus on hygiene over the past few months. We already have UV cell phone sanitizer boxes available for use. You should expect similar products to sanitize all personal gadgets, including phones, tablets, headphones etc., to be announced at CES. LG already announced their earphones (LG Tone Free) with an UVnano charging case that eliminates 99.9% of bacteria on the earphones. We expect other brands to follow suit, so expect more true wireless earphones with UV cleaning cases at CES 2021. Touchless Smart Home Appliances: Another area where Covid-19 will help innovate is the smart home. We already have products that can be integrated with voice assistants to use with voice. At CES 2021, we expect a range of such products for a smart home to increase exponentially. Expect various brands to launch products ranging from Vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, water filters to disinfecting lights that can help keep your home clean with just your voice. LG already shared details of an InstaView refrigerator that has voice recognition and boasts of UVnano technology that cleans and delivers hygienic and germ-free water from the built-in dispenser tap. Next-generation of Hardware: At CES 2021, AMD is giving a keynote, Intel has announcements on the media day, and Nvidia also has a broadcast event. These three are the most prominent names for hardware components, and we expect them to announce the next generation of hardware at CES 2021. AMD and Intel are expected to launch new processors for the consumer as well as server usage. Nvidia, on the other hand, could launch a new range of mid-range graphics cards for gamers. Expect laptop and desktop announcements from brands such as Asus, Acer, Lenovo, HP etc., that would be powered by these new components at CES. Foldable Smartphones and tablets: We saw a couple of foldable smartphone announcements in 2020 from brands like Samsung and Motorola. At CES, smartphones are usually not the focus of brands, but since the technology has been around for some time, there could be a few foldable smartphones announced. We expect prototypes or concept designs of different foldable phones to be showcased at CES 2021 this year by multiple brands, including TCL, LG etc. Dell has showcased a foldable tablet earlier while Lenovo already has a foldable laptop we expect more devices in these two categories with foldable displays to be announced and launched as well. At CES 2020, Sony surprised everyone with the showcase of an electric car. This year, we expect a lot more automobile brands to display their electric vehicles. GM Chief marketing officer has a session on a movement towards an all-electric future during CES. BMW iX has already been announced, but new electric car announcements or demos of next-generation cars could be shown by Audi, GM and Mercedes at CES 2021 event. This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. You might never watch a movie in virtual reality with friends, despite what Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg suggested five years ago. You might never buy stuff with the computer-based currency Bitcoin. You might never zip around in a robot-driven car. These technologies excite peoples imaginations and hold enormous promise but they may never be as widely used as their proponents hoped. And thats probably OK. Not every technology needs to be in the hands of billions of people to make a difference. Finding a comfy niche can be good enough. Recently, my colleague Kevin Roose confessed his love of strapping on virtual reality goggles for workouts that left him sweaty, sore and smiling. Well have to take Kevins word that lunging at virtual flying triangles on his patio is fun, but it is noteworthy because V.R. has mostly been a disappointment. U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) issued the following statements in response to new estimates from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) predicting that New Hampshire is expected to receive approximately $2 billion across a variety of sectors from new federal COVID-19 relief included in government funding legislation that was signed into law Sunday night, which Shaheen and Hassan helped negotiate. These estimates do not include all sectors of New Hampshires economy that will receive federal relief, which will become available in the days and weeks ahead. The relief legislation also includes language, sponsored by Hassan and supported by Shaheen, extending the period during which state and local governments may use Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) aid, allocated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act through December 31, 2021. The CARES Act funding we fought to deliver to New Hampshire was crucial for mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19 in our communities for small businesses, health care providers and many more. But we knew more help would be necessary, which is why bipartisan talks restarted and prevailed, and another set of relief will soon be out the door, said Senator Shaheen. These estimates are helpful to see what the distribution of funding will look like for New Hampshire so we can make plans now on where to start in the next COVID assistance package that Congress will tackle in the new year. This emergency relief will help Granite Staters and Americans over the next few months, but to ensure our communities have the long-term help necessary to recover and rebuild from this economic crisis, further aid will be needed. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and from both chambers of Congress came together to deliver this last package next month we will get to work to do that again. This bipartisan package will bring critically needed and overdue relief to families, small businesses, and schools in every corner of New Hampshire and it will bring more federal dollars to our state to help contain this pandemic, Senator Hassan said. I am also particularly glad that our state is estimated to receive more than $259 million for education needs, which is a priority I spearheaded during bipartisan negotiations. This substantial federal funding to New Hampshire will provide necessary support to help students, parents, and teachers with in-person and remote learning. While more relief will be needed in the coming months in order to save lives and help our economy recover, the federal funding that Senator Shaheen and I secured will go a long way to help families pay their bills and put food on the table. I will also continue pushing for additional resources to help our state and country recover from this unprecedented public health and economic crisis. The funding estimates are broken down into several categories, including unemployment insurance and benefits, direct payments, rental assistance, education and more. Below is a summary of estimates according to CRS: Unemployment Insurance $684,872,533 Average Weekly Unemployment Insurance benefits & Supplemental $300 Federal Assistance $274.72 & $574.72 per person Direct Payments $614,256,000 to 619,033 individuals Rental Assistance $200,000,000 Education funding dispersed through 3 programs addressing K-12 public and private schools & higher education Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund:$10,974,000 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (Public K-12 schools): $156,066,000 Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund: $91,992,000 Vaccine Distribution & Administration, Testing, Tracing & COVID Mitigation Vaccines: $36,029,990 Testing, Tracing & COVID Mitigation: $183,201,902 Child Care Assistance [through the Child Care and Developmental Block Grant program (CCDBG) under the CARES Act & Additional Funding through new relief] CCDBG program: $6,999,268 *provided through the CARES Act due to a new flexibility provision Supplemental in new relief: $19,923,050 Urban Transit Assistance $293,144,156 * this includes Boston, MA-NH-RI Rural Transit Assistance $13,773,396* through CARES Act funding Highway Funding (through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program) $41,041,878 NH Fisheries $3,000,000 Relief for Airports $6,849,756 Funeral Benefits $4,994,000 NOTE: The few CARES Act funding sections above are not included in the $2 billion estimate, which only includes new funding from the new COVID-19 emergency relief. Shaheen and Hassan are members of the bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers that met around the clock for the last month to negotiate COVID-19 relief legislation. Shaheen once again helped craft the provisions to assist small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis taking on a similar leadership role that she held as a negotiator for the CARES Act and also steered negotiations on nutrition assistance, support to address the substance use disorder epidemic, relief for child care centers and she advocated for funds for testing and contact tracing. In her letter to Senate and House leadership outlining her health care priorities for a COVID-19 relief package earlier this year, Shaheen made more funding for testing and contact tracing a top priority. Senator Shaheen negotiated $10 billion in emergency funds for child care businesses through the Child Care and Developmental Block Grant (CCDBG) program. These funds maintain the flexibility given to states through the CARES Act and can be used to provide child care assistance to families and support to child care providers in meeting their increased operating costs during the pandemic. The legislation ensures that states provide assistance to child care providers who have not previously received assistance through CCDBG and provide technical assistance to support child care providers in accessing grant funding. The bill also allows states to expand child care assistance to essential workers and to provide child care payment relief to working families. The bill additionally includes $250 million for Head Start programs across the country to ensure they are able to continue to safely serve low-income children and families throughout the pandemic. Senator Hassan helped lead negotiations on unemployment insurance. The final package extends pandemic unemployment benefits and provide $300 per week in federal supplemental unemployment insurance benefits for 11 weeks. Senator Hassan also led on negotiating the proposal to provide an additional $81.9 billion for K-12 schools and higher education institutions, and $10 billion to support U.S. Postal Service operations. The final COVID relief package also includes bipartisan legislation that Senator Hassan introduced to ensure that Social Security, Veterans Affairs (VA), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries automatically receive the COVID-19 relief stimulus payments that they are entitled to. Additionally, Senator Hassan worked across the aisle to include her bipartisan bill to allow eligible small employers to both participate in the Paycheck Protection Program and also claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit to help keep workers on payroll and pay for their health care coverage. Currently, small employers cannot participate in both of these programs. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG) ("Surge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Leif Nilsson as Chief Executive Officer of Surge. Dr. Shane Ebert will continue as President and VP Exploration of the Company. Mr. Nilsson has dedicated the last 15 years to a career in mining advisory and investment banking for various Canadian and international firms, most recently serving as Senior Vice President at an Australian multinational investment bank with a market leading mining advisory practice. He has advised on many high-profile M&A and Canadian capital markets transactions and has built a reputation for excellence and integrity. Mr. Nilsson holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Physics and Exploration Geophysics from the University of Toronto and a Master in Finance from INSEAD. Dr. Shane Ebert, President of Surge, commented: "As part of the recent rejuvenation of activity at Surge, including the addition of new board members and the acquisition of the Berg project, we set out to establish new leadership for the next phase of growth at Surge. The Company requires an executive with specific skills that Leif brings to bear, and both myself and the rest of the board are very pleased to welcome Leif to the team." Pat Glazier, Chairman of Surge, commented: "I am delighted to have Leif lead the business as we advance our projects, continue to build out and develop the team, and pursue further growth initiatives. With Leif's expertise, Shane's deep knowledge and experience with the Ootsa project, and the acumen brought by the recent additions of highly experienced board and advisory team members, I am excited by what our growing team will deliver." Leif Nilsson commented: "I am thrilled to be joining Surge at this point in the Company's trajectory. Surge controls unique and high-quality assets which form an excellent foundation to build shareholder value. The Company's board and management team have the right skills and track record to deliver on our ambitions and I look forward to collaborating with all of the Company's stakeholders to build sustainable value." The Company also announces that the board has approved the grant of 7,965,000 options to certain employees, executives, directors, and consultants of the Company. The options have been granted pursuant to the Company's option plan, are subject to vesting provisions, have an exercise price of $0.69 per share, and expire five years from the date of grant. About Surge Copper Corp. The Company owns a 100% interest in the Ootsa Property, an advanced stage exploration project containing the East Seel, West Seel and Ox porphyry deposits located adjacent to the open pit Huckleberry Copper Mine, owned by Imperial Metals. The Ootsa Property contains pit constrained NI 43-101 compliant resources of copper, gold, molybdenum and silver in the Measured and Indicated categories. There are 2 drills working at the project with drilling focused on defining the extent of the large West Seel deposit and testing new targets along the Seel Trend. The Company is also earning into a 70% interest in the Berg Property from Centerra Gold. Berg is a large, advanced stage exploration project located 28 km northwest of the Ootsa deposits. Berg contains a large copper-molybdenum-silver mineralized zone with historical resources. Combined, the adjacent Ootsa and Berg properties give Surge a dominant land position in the Ootsa-Huckleberry-Berg district and control over four advanced porphyry deposits. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Leif Nilsson" Chief Executive Officer For more information, please contact: Leif Nilsson Chief Executive Officer Email: leif.nilsson@surgecopper.com Riley Trimble Corporate Communications Telephone: +1 604-416-2978 Email: info@surgecopper.com To find more information on Surge Copper Corp., please visit: http://www.surgecopper.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "will", "may", "should", "expects", "plans", or "anticipates" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward looking statements, including but not limited to the Company's plans regarding the Berg Property and the Ootsa Property. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking-statements. Such uncertainties and risks may include, among others, actual results of the Company's exploration activities being different than those expected by management, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required government or other regulatory approvals or financing, inability to procure equipment and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis, equipment breakdown and bad weather. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect the Company's current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggestions herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394512/Surge_Copper_Corp__Surge_Copper_Appoints_Leif_Nilsson_as_Chief_E.jpg Leaving the house in Scotland is now illegal after the country was thrown back into lockdown this morning after fears over the pandemic eclipsed those of last year. The hardline crackdown, announced by Nicola Sturgeon, includes the legally enforceable stay-at-home rule. It came after she described the current pandemic situation as the most concerning since March last year. And this morning her deputy John Swinney confirmed police will take enforcement action on those breaking the rules. He said: 'There will be restrictions for a substantial period. We've set out our position for the course of January and we came to that conclusion because of the words you quoted from the First Minister. 'We are more concerned about the situation in Scotland than we have been at any stage in the pandemic so far. That's come about because of the acceleration of the virus as a consequence of the new variant. 'We've had to take these measures, we very much regret that we've had to take these steps and we appreciate the burden that this places on individuals within society but it's the right thing to do to protect the public'. John Swinney, MSP Deputy First Minister and Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon Pedestrians walk through central Glasgow as Scotland enters its own lockdown today The streets of Glasgow were largely deserted as it became illegal to leave home A man walks past the closed doors of the House of Fraser store in Glasgow in lockdown Exercise and essential journeys will be the only reasons why people will be allowed to leave their homes. The planned reopening of schools on January 18 is also being pushed back to February 1 at the earliest while workers are being instructed to work from home wherever possible. Rules on outdoor gatherings will be tightened to allow a maximum of just two people from two households to meet. Mr Swinney added to Sky News the vaccine rollout will be a part of Scotland's response to the virus, but doubles down that people should be staying at home to try and suppress the virus. 'You know, the police are not going around individual house checking on individuals, nor are they stopping cars routinely on the street for weather or not journeys are essential. 'But the fact this has been put into law is an important indication of the seriousness we need people to take and we need them to follow. 'If people follow these restrictions, we will be successful as we were in the spring of last year in significantly reducing the prevalence of the virus.' He continued: 'Having said that, Police Scotland are taking enforcement action, there was action taken on a very significant scale the other day in relation to people clearly flouting the regulations and it's important that Police Scotland take that action when they judge operationally that's the right thing to do.' Boris Johnson to address the nation tonight at 8pm Boris Johnson will unveil new measures to tackle the mutant coronavirus in an address to the nation tonight amid calls for a national lockdown. The PM is set to make a televised statement on the 'next steps' in the crisis at 8pm, with Parliament being recalled on Wednesday. Announcing the dramatic move, a No10 spokesman said: 'The spread of the new variant of COVID-19 has led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country. 'The Prime Minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives. He will set those out this evening.' Earlier, ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt joined demands for an immediate national lockdown with schools and borders shut and a ban on all household mixing. Mr Hunt warned that mutant Covid has put the NHS under 'off the scale' pressure compared to normal winters and the government 'cannot afford to wait' even one more day. Mr Johnson confirmed this morning that 'tougher' measures were coming - but hinted he might stick with the Tier system in England rather than taking a blanket approach. Advertisement Meanwhile, places of worship will be closed from this Friday but weddings and funerals will still be allowed to go ahead. A maximum of 20 people will be allowed to attend funeral services and a maximum of five people will be allowed to attend weddings. Ms Sturgeon said yesterday the tough new curbs are necessary because of the 'steeply rising' rate of infections north of the border as she warned the lockdown could be extended beyond January if necessary. The measures effectively mean a return to the restrictions seen during the first UK-wide lockdown which was imposed at the end of March last year. All of mainland Scotland is already placed in the highest tier of Covid-19 rules but infection numbers have prompted Ms Sturgeon to take more drastic action after 2,464 new cases were announced yesterday. The move by Ms Sturgeon will inevitably prompt speculation that England could also soon return to a state of lockdown, with Boris Johnson due to address the nation this evening. On another grim day of coronavirus chaos: Ms Sturgeon set out the terms of the new lockdown in an address to a recalled Scottish Parliament. It is just the fifth time ever that Holyrood has been recalled from holiday and the second time within the last four weeks after it sat on December 31 to consider Mr Johnson's Brexit trade deal with the EU. She said the situation facing Scotland is 'extremely serious' and that the spread of a mutant variant of the disease had struck a 'massive blow'. She warned Scotland is seeing a 'steeply rising trend of infections' and she is 'more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year'. Nicola Sturgeon, pictured in a visit to Western General Hospital in Edinburgh in December, said the latest lockdown in Scotland will last for the whole of January Matt Hancock says he is 'incredibly worried' about super-infectious South African coronavirus mutation Matt Hancock today revealed he is 'incredibly worried' about the highly-infectious South African coronavirus mutation which top experts fear could scupper Britain's vaccine roll-out. The Health Secretary warned the variant which has already been identified in the UK posed a 'very, very significant problem'. His comments came after one of the Government's coronavirus advisers yesterday claimed there was a 'big question mark' over whether any of the current wave of jabs could protect against the mutant strain. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, argued the South African variant was more concerning than the Kent one because it has 'pretty substantial changes in the structure of the protein', meaning vaccines could fail to work. Covid vaccines including the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford University/AstraZeneca jabs currently being rolled out across Britain work by training the body to spot the virus's spike protein. If the spike mutates so much that it becomes unrecognisable then it could render vaccines useless or make them less potent. However, the current vaccines are believed to be effective against the Kent strain which is causing a massive spike in cases across the UK. Advertisement She said: 'I can confirm now in summary that we have decided to introduce from midnight tonight for the duration of January a legal requirement to stay at home, except for essential purposes. 'This is similar to the lockdown of March last year.' All of mainland Scotland is currently in Protection Level 4 - the highest tier in the Scottish government's coronavirus rules system. Level 4 restrictions ban separate households from mixing inside homes while a maximum of six people from two separate households are allowed to meet outdoors. All pubs and restaurants in level 4 areas have had to close apart from for takeaways and all non-essential shops have had to shut. Ms Sturgeon said the rise of the more infectious strain of the disease meant that 'the current level 4 measures may not be sufficient to bring the R number back below 1'. She said that as a result the country must accept a 'return for a period to a situation much closer to the lockdown of last March'. Ms Sturgeon said the new lockdown rules 'will be in place for the whole of January' and the Scottish Government will keep them 'closely under review'. But she said she 'can't at this stage rule out having to keep them in place longer, nor rule out making further changes'. 'Nothing about the current situation is easy,' she told MSPs. Ms Sturgeon said the main plank of the latest lockdown strategy is to advise everyone to stay at home as much as possible. 'That is the single best way of staying safe,' she said. 'We consider that this stay at home message and advice is now so important that from tomorrow it will become law, just as it was in the lockdown last year. 'This means it will only be permissible to leave home for an essential purpose. This will include, for example, caring responsibilities, essential shopping, exercise and being part of an extended household. Ms Sturgeon's announcement of a new lockdown for Scotland will inevitably prompt speculation about whether Boris Johnson will follow suit in England Catching Covid DOES make you immune to symptomatic reinfection for at least 6 months, study suggests People who have previously caught Covid-19 are immune to developing symptoms if they come into contact with the coronavirus again, a study suggests. Researchers scrutinised data from more than 11,000 healthcare workers at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals (NUTH) NHS Foundation Trust. Staff were encouraged to get a Covid-19 test if they developed any symptoms and others were recruited to take antibody tests to gauge disease prevalence. Of these, more than 1,000 either had coronavirus antibodies or tested positive via a PCR swab between 10 March and July 6 2020, during the UK's first wave of the virus. The researchers specifically focused on how many of the 1,038 hospital staff who had been infected previously went on to develop symptoms and test positive during the autumn second wave, defined as being between July 7 to November 20. Only 128 such people reported developing coronavirus-like symptoms in this window but none of them tested positive for Covid-19. Advertisement 'In addition, anyone who is able to work from home must do so. It will only be a reasonable excuse to leave your home to go to work if that work cannot be done from home.' Ms Sturgeon said the frequency of outdoor exercise will not be limited but outdoor gathering rules will be tightened. 'As of now, up to six people from two households are able to meet outdoors,' she said. 'Given the greater transmissibility of this new variant we consider it necessary to restrict that further. 'From tomorrow a maximum of two people from up to two households will be able to meet outdoors. 'Children aged 11 and under will not be counted in that limit and they will also be able to play outdoors in larger groups including in organised gatherings.' The Scottish First Minister said existing travel rules will continue as she urged everyone to 'stay as close to home as possible' and reiterated that no one is allowed to travel into or out of Scotland unless it is for an essential reason. Ms Sturgeon said it was a matter of 'real regret' that places of worship will have to close from this Friday. 'I know how devastating restrictions like these ones are and I give an assurance that we will not keep them in place for any longer than is absolutely necessary,' she added. On the issue of schools, Ms Sturgeon said the aim is to resume face-to-face learning from February 1 and that the return date will be reviewed in the middle of January. Vulnerable children and the children of key workers will still be able to attend school in person. 'There is no doubt at all that of all the difficult decisions we have had to take today this was the most difficult of all and its impact is of course the most severe,' she said. Ms Sturgeon likened the current situation to a running race between the mutant variant of the disease and the UK's vaccination efforts. She said she hoped the lockdown will give the vaccine the 'time it needs to get ahead and ultimately win this race'. 'I know that the next few weeks will be incredibly difficult and I am sorry to ask for further sacrifices after nine long months of them but these sacrifices are necessary,' she argued. 'The difference between now and last March is that with the help of vaccines we now have confidence that these sacrifices will pave the way to brighter days ahead.' It came as the UK Government yesterday began its roll-out of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. In the biggest UK mass vaccination drive ever, half a million doses of the jab will be made available for vulnerable people this week with 'tens of millions' promised by April. AstraZeneca has previously suggested up to two million doses a week could be ready by mid-January. But Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious diseases epidemiology at University College London and a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said it could take longer to hit that number. He told Good Morning Britain: 'Due to capacity issues it may be we don't get to those levels until February for example. The earlier we can vaccinate people the better and the sooner will be able to control this.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'This is a pivotal moment in our fight against this awful virus and I hope it provides renewed hope to everybody that the end of this pandemic is in sight.' * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! (Newser) A random citizen in California got inundated with angry phone calls and text messages after President Trump and his campaign shared their number with close to 40 million followers on social media. The campaign mistakenly thought it was sharing the number of Michigan Rep. Lee Chatfield in Sunday posts urging voters to contact state representatives to demand a vote on decertifying the 2020 election results, reports the Petoskey News-Review. The post incorrectly referred to Chatfield as House speaker, but that wasn't the biggest error. The number it ascribed to Chatfield and shared with its 4.6 million followers on Twitter and Facebook belongs to the 28-year-old Michigan native living in California. Trump re-shared the faulty information with nearly 33 million followers on his own Facebook page. story continues below "I was getting so many calls it was impossible to do anything with my phone," the California resident identified as O Rose, who uses they/them pronouns, tells the Washington Post. Hundreds of calls and texts had come in by midday Monday, per the News-Review. "I told them I was not Lee Chatfield, but they would still not believe me," says Rose. "It was just a string of people progressively denying reality." Eventually, Rose resorted to some good-natured "trolling," responding with goofy memes, hoping to show that people can't assume information they read on Facebook is true. After all, "I'm being personally affected by a decision that [Trump] made without fact-checking, and that's the silliest thing I've ever heard," they tell the Post. The posts, still up early Tuesday, have been taken down. (Read more President Trump stories.) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Oregon Employment Department said Monday that it has begun paying a $300 weekly unemployment bonus that Congress authorized last month as part of a $900 billion coronavirus relief package. Congress first approved a $600 weekly unemployment bonus last March. The program expired in July and was replaced briefly with a $300 weekly bonus from federal disaster funds. That, too, lapsed, ending the supplemental payments while Congress was deadlocked over the scale of any additional relief program. Republicans and Democrats compromised on the $900 billion package at the end of last month and President Donald Trump after decrying the congressional package backed down and signed the bill on Dec. 27. A day earlier, benefits had expired for 72,000 Oregonians who were receiving benefits through temporary programs for the self-employed or were on a program that extended their benefits eligibility. Congress extended most of those programs, too. The employment department, relying on an obsolete computer system, was unable to pay benefits to hundreds of thousands of jobless Oregonians during the early months of the pandemic. But the new payments funded last month simply restore programs that had lapsed and payments are flowing much more smoothly this time. However, the employment department warned last week that some more complicated programs may require additional computer programming that could delay benefits to about 1,500 self-employed Oregonians nearing the end of their 46 weeks of eligibility. Congress funded the new, $300 weekly benefits through March 13. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | New York State has launched an online tool where people can see if theyre eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. State officials separated vaccine distribution into initial phases, listing everyone who receives the doses first. On Monday, Jan. 4, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said public hospitals are behind on administering vaccines, and can face fines if they don't expedite the process. Today we are expanding the list of people eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine to include all doctors, nurses and staff who come into contact with the public. Not sure if you're eligible? Visit https://t.co/yVyJY042Pd. Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 4, 2021 As of Jan. 4, the following people can receive a vaccination, in addition to high-risk medical workers: All outpatient/ambulatory front-line, high-risk health care workers of any age who provide direct in-person patient care All staff who are in direct contact with patients (i.e., intake staff) All front-line, high-risk public health workers who have direct contact with patients, including those conducting COVID-19 tests, handling COVID-19 specimens and COVID-19 vaccinations This includes, but is not limited to, Doctors who work in private medical practices and their staff Doctors who work in hospital-affiliated medical practices and their staff Doctors who work in public health clinics and their staff Registered nurses Specialty medical practices of all types Dentists and orthodontists and their staff Psychiatrists and psychologists and their staff Physical therapists and their staff Optometrists and their staff Pharmacists and pharmacy aides Click here to use the online tool to see if you are eligible now. To fill out a vaccination form if you are eligible, click here. Anyone who is not yet eligible can sign up to be notified when they can get a vaccinated. For the local people who fall into the qualified categories, information on scheduling an appointment at MVHS can be found here. By Ricardo Brito and Pedro Fonseca BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil made a diplomatic push on Monday to guarantee an Indian-made shipment of British drugmaker AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, hoping to avoid export restrictions that could delay immunizations during the world's second-deadliest outbreak. In parallel, Brazil's private clinics struck a preliminary deal for an alternative injection made by India's Bharat Biotech despite a lack of public results from late-stage trials. The scramble by Brazil's government and private sector underscored ... There are at least three Covid-19 vaccines that have been approved by reputable health regulatory organisations around the world and many countries have begun rolling out vaccines, but not South Africa. Photo: Armin Kubelbeck (CC-BY-SA via Wikimedia Commons) Left it too late? Will vaccines bring life back to normal? Over 2,500 people had signed the petition by the time of publication of this article. Many are well-known doctors, nurses and researchers, including Professor Francois Venter, former head of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, Head of the Department of Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital, Professor Lucille Blumberg of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases and Professor Helen McShane of Oxford University.The letter states: There are several effective Covid-19 vaccines being produced and many countries have begun or are about to begin vaccinating, including some low- and middle-income ones. South Africa has a strong primary healthcare system. The success of the antiretroviral program shows what the health system is capable of. We are well-placed to implement vaccination.The petition calls on the health department to start by vaccinating frontline health workers, followed by those most at risk including elderly people and people with comorbidities.Im a health worker and want to know that I am not putting my clients and family at further risk, wrote Laila Dalwai who signed the petition.Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology at Wits University, criticised the health departments vaccine procurement strategy. He said the department had put all its eggs in one basket by only relying on Covax and leaving bilateral negotiations with pharmaceutical companies too late.In an interview on, Professor Barry Schoub, head of South Africas Ministerial Advisory Committee on coronavirus vaccine development, said that South Africa could not afford to buy vaccines in advance like many rich countries have done because it would have meant purchasing vaccines on risk. In other words the government would have had to pay for vaccines that were still being tested even if they failed to work.But Madhi said this was nonsense. He said that making an advance market commitment to vaccine producers would mean only paying if the vaccine was successfully brought to market. This is why countries like Canada have enough vaccines committed to it to vaccinate their entire population. petition by civil society organisations, known as the C-19 Coalition, has also been started. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff visited a Washington, D.C. restaurant Monday night that had dedicated its outdoor Christmas tree to her likeness. Harris and Emhoff arrived at Italian restaurant Floriana, located on D.C.'s LGBTQ-friendly 17th Street N.W., to take a look at the tree that features Harris as its topper. It also includes cut-outs of Harris' running mate, President-elect Joe Biden, American flags, pairs of Biden's favorite aviator sunglasses, mailboxes and first lady Melania Trump's 'Be Best' ornaments. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (right) stands in front of a tree that has been decorated with her likeness DailyMail.com photographed the tree last month. It includes a Harris tree-topper and cut-outs of President-elect Joe Biden Ornaments included Be Best bulbs, cut-outs of Biden and pairs of his favorite aviator-style sunglasses Doug Emhoff (left) and Harris (right) take a photo in front of Floriana's 'Kamala LA LA LA Tree' during a Monday night stop to support small businesses Harris and Emhoff are photographed in front of a Harris and Biden-themed Christmas tree on D.C.'s LGBTQ-friendly 17th Street N.W. Biden's favorite style of sunglasses, aviators, were used as decoration throughout the tree, which included red, white and blue decor Harris and Emhoff picked up take-out from Floriana, the restaurant that boasts a Harris-themed Christmas tree out front, as a gaggle of reporters watched The soon-to-be second couple picked up take-out from the spot. 'Our small businesses have really been hurting across the country so we want to come out and just celebrate them and encourage everyone to support our small business until we get through this,' Harris said at the scene. The Italian eatery has dressed up trees for prominent women in politics before. Its 2018 version was an homage to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who was about to be sworn-in for a third term as speaker. Like Harris taking in the 'Kamala LA LA LA Tree,' Pelosi also made the trek to the restaurant to see her 'Pelostree.' On Monday, Harris sported a black mask as she stood outside the Dupont Circle restaurant to chat with reporters about the upcoming January 6 ratification of the Electoral College count. As a U.S. senator, Harris will be on Capitol Hill Wednesday when at least 13 Senate Republicans and more than 100 House Republicans try to contest the Electoral College vote counts. These Republicans are following the lead of President Donald Trump who has made baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud for months. On Sunday, Trump was caught on tape with Georgia's Republican election officials saying that he wanted them to 'find' more votes in order to overturn that state's count, which went for Biden. Harris was asked if she thought Republicans' stunt on Wednesday was an 'attempted active coup.' 'Let me just tell you something. We're going to be inaugurated, period,' she said. Harris also said she and Biden were 'committed to working with all leaders.' 'Regardless of who they voted for to address issues like what we need to do to support our small businesses, and to get them back open,' she said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the 'Pelostree' in front of Floriana in Washington, D.C.'s, Dupont Circle neighborhood in December 2018 Echoing points made by Biden during his campaign stop in Atlanta Monday, Harris talked about the importance of getting vaccine distribution ironed out. 'And I do know that in the conversations I'm having with small business owners, they never ask and I never ask them who they voted for in the election,' she said. 'It's about keeping these businesses open understanding they are part of the economic and civic fabric of communities.' Harris was greeted on 17th Street N.W. by cheers of 'thank you Madame Vice President!' She chatted with the restaurant owners and asked about their staff. 'It's a rough time,' Harris said. 'We've just got to get out the other end of it.' She also made joked about Emhoff's cooking attempts. 'I learned to cook a few things' during the pandemic, he said. 'Set off the fire alarms a few times.' Harris, on the other hand, is accomplished in the kitchen, releasing her cornbread stuffing recipe for Americans to try at Thanksgiving, and excitedly reacting to the news that the man who set up the Christmas tree had tried and loved her turkey brine recipe. The number of Americans getting divorced plummeted last year, while the marriage rate also dropped precipitously as thousands of weddings were postponed or cancelled, according to a new study. The early look at Covid-19s effect on US divorce and marriage statistics comes from Bowling Green State Universitys Center for Family and Demographic Research, which analyzed five states that have released monthly numbers for much of last year. The data contradict early predictions that Covid-19 and the stresses of quarantine would cause divorce rates to surge. In Florida, the largest state analyzed, marriage numbers from March through September were 33% lower than researchers would have expected based on previous years trends. Divorces in the Sunshine State dropped 28%. If trends in Florida and other states -- Arizona, New Hampshire, Missouri, and Oregon -- were repeated nationwide, the US had an estimated shortfall of 339,917 marriages and 191,053 divorces, according to the paper by Bowling Greens Wendy Manning and Krista Payne. In 2019, there were roughly 2.2 million marriages in the US, and about 1 million divorces. The sharp decline in divorce doesnt mean couples are necessarily happier together in lockdown. Instead, the pandemic may be forcing dissatisfied spouses to stay together for practical reasons. Divorce can be expensive, and couples may be reluctant while facing economic uncertainty and/or health issues, said Manning, a sociology professor whos director of the Center for Family and Demographic Research. These folks may feel stuck and they could be delaying divorce until life feels more normal. Both divorce and marriage rates have been declining for years, as Americans have changed how they approach the institution of matrimony. Young people are waiting longer to tie the knot, and many couples are forgoing marriage entirely, choosing to live together without a wedding. Those who do marry tend to be better educated and more affluent, a self-selected group thats also likelier to stay together. In 2019, the US divorce rate was 15.5 per 1,000 married women, according to the National Center for Family & Marriage Research, down from its peak of 22.6 in 1980. A dearth of weddings and divorces in March and April of 2020 was probably inevitable. Government offices were closed and Americans were being told to stay home. However, the data dont show a big rebound in the summer and autumn -- when states mostly re-opened -- that would reflect a large pent-up demand from the spring. One exception is Arizona, where divorce numbers did bounce back over the summer to bring the state slightly above expected levels. In New Hampshire, meanwhile, data from March through November show a 10.1% drop in marriage and a 36% plunge in divorce. In the first half of 2020, there were signs of an impending spike in divorce, with reports of a surge of filings in China as it came out of quarantine, and a disturbing rise in domestic violence arrests and calls to the police while US cities were under stay-at-home orders in March. But Manning said surveys conducted at Bowling Green show most couples report little change in the amount of conflict in their marriages. Even if couples want a divorce right now, for lots of people, its just not practical, said Linda Ravdin, an attorney at Pasternak & Fidis in Bethesda, Maryland. While couples with relatively simple divorces have been able to reach deals, she said, Covid-19 makes other negotiations difficult. Child custody decisions are hard when schools and daycare centres are closed. Financial settlements are trickier when spouses are out of work or uncertain what the economy holds for their jobs or businesses. People are not ready to make big decisions, Ravdin said. People are -- to their credit -- trying to do the right thing by their children, by themselves, realizing were all in this predicament together. For marriage in the US, a key question is how many weddings called off in 2020 will eventually go ahead. If a significant number dont, Covid-19 could have a lasting impact on a generation that was already cautious about tying the knot. In 2019, Bowling Greens figures show, there were just 30.5 marriages per 1,000 unmarried American women, about a third of the rates peaks in the early and mid-20th century. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. There will likely be a great many movies about the pandemic of 2020, and if were being honest, most of them will probably be terrible. The most enlightening cinematic representations of this peculiar moment may well be those that capture our tense and tenuous mental state accidentally, like this psychodrama from writer and director Amy Seimetz, which was set to premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March (one of the first major cultural casualties of COVID-19). It follows a series of seemingly sane and upper-class characters who, one by one, become convinced theyre about to die a potent dramatization of the feeling that everything we know is coming to an end, and that paranoia and fear is the most infectious disease of all. (Its also, by the way, very funny.) Brazil's health regulator Anvisa approved two million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine imports from India on late Saturday even though the jab is yet to be approved for use in the country. The request for AstraZeneca vaccine imports against coronavirus was made by Brazil's government-affiliated biomedical center Fiocruz on Thursday, said a report from Reuters. An early approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine imports ahead of a regulator nod will allow distribution of the vaccine to move faster, as soon as Anvisa deems it safe for use in Brazil. Al Jazeera also pointed out that the shipment of the British drugmaker will avoid export restrictions that could delay immunizations. A vaccine against the coronavirus has not yet been approved in Brazil. Related Story: Fact Check: Does AstraZeneca Vaccine Use Aborted Fetal Cells? The country has recorded its second-deadliest outbreak, just behind the United States. It has the third highest case tally of cases, with the health ministry registering over 7.7 million cases. The U.S. and India have the highest and second-highest case count. Fiocruz Brazil to Apply for Emergency Use for AstraZeneca Vaccine Imports Fiocruz president Nisia Trindade said last week that the agency will apply for emergency use of the vaccine on Wednesday. In this process, Fiocruz will be in charge of storing and maintaining the quality of the vaccines until they are approved for Brazilian use. They are projected to arrive in Brazil later this month, said a report from Brazil-Arab News Agency. The vaccine to be imported was produced through the Serum Institute of India. AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine was approved in India. Brazil to Have One Million AstraZeneca Vaccine Imports by February Fiocruz Institute's plans is to import the AstraZeneca vaccines in bulk, filling and finishing doses locally would yield only about a million doses by the second week of February, Trindade told Reuters last week. While the AstraZeneca vaccine is still rolling out, Brazil's private clinics struck a preliminary deal for an alternative jab developed by Indian biotech company Bharat Biotech. Five million doses of the vaccine are expected to come from the company despite lack of public interest in the Indian company's late-stage trials, noted Al Jazeera. Bharat Biotech, just like AstraZeneca, has not yet applied for approval from health regulators. Read also: Portuguese Health Worker Dies Two Days After Receiving Pfizer Vaccine, Autopsy Results Unknown This struggle faced by Brazil, both in the public and private sector, shows how Latin America's largest nation has fallen behind in immunizations against the virus. As its neighboring countries such as Chile, where inoculations are already underway, made leaps in distributing vaccines, Brazil is still struggling to meet the vaccine needs of the country. Indian Government May Block AstraZeneca Vaccine Imports to Brazil To add to the struggle in vaccinations, the chief executive of the Serum Institute of India said their country's government might block the exportation of COVID-19 vaccines. This possibility raises some red flags in Brazil and the pending two million AstraZeneca vaccine imports. So far, diplomats are still working towards confirmation that the said shipments won't be affected by the export ban, two people familiar with the matter said. Fiocruz was said to be involved in this discussion and confirmed that the Brazilian Foreign Ministry was taking the lead in the talks. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the "Company" or "AIS") announces that the initial results from the Deep Ground Penetrating Radar of the Fosterville-Toolleen Gold Property have been received. Response anomalies are evident in the preliminary results with early output provided by LozaRadar in a colored 2D section set out below. The strong near surface response is yet to be fully interpreted, however, early data analysis suggests the existence of a shallow channel development that may be gold bearing. Phillip Thomas CEO commented, Denis Walsh, our Chief Geologist, and I are delighted with the initial results achieved so far and the structures shown by the radar. Fosterville hosts three distinct mineralization styles: (a) refractory gold in fine-grained arsenopyrite (b) visible gold hosted in fault-controlled quartz-carbonate veins associated with stibnite mineralization, and (c) vein-hosted visible gold with little or no associated stibnite. We are seeking to identify styles or variations of (b) or (c) from the data interpreted so far. This is an important phase in the exploration program and drilling will prove up our mineralisation model. Ordovician basement contact is thought to be represented in part by the aquamarine-grey/yellow contrast depicted in the section below. This means that any reefs or quartz veins containing gold are shallow and less than 25 metres. This is one of the five lines of radar completed. The remaining data is expected to be received in January 2021. Fig. 1 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cff7d0cf-482a-4334-b9aa-75b9b504cc70 The primary target on the Toolleen tenement EL006001 is Ordovician aged meta-sediments common in the Fosterville area. The setting of EL006001 is located within a favorable structural framework within the Bendigo Zone which hosts the Fosterville deposit. Rocks of the approximately the same age also mapped in various positions across EL006001. Fosterville is principally related to a series of NNW trending reverse faults in the hanging wall of the regional Redesdale Fault whilst 12km to the east Toolleen, is located in the hanging wall of the Heathcote-Mount William fault zone understood from government seismic data to be a significant west dipping thrust. AIS Resources Chief Geologist Denis Walsh will further assess the outputs integrating topographical data, available surface and subsurface geological understanding (magnetic and gravity data) and location of reported nuggets to extract the maximum value out of the data to progress exploration for gold deposits. It is expected that understanding the radar results of the survey will significantly enhance further exploration program results. A soil geochemistry program utilizing a low detection partial extraction method suited to areas of shallow cover is being planned over EL006001. Fig. 2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fdef4f6-431e-4937-95cb-34064193586d Regional gravity images of EL006001 show a significant gravity feature that does not show on the magnetic image, indicating a different source rock type than the highly magnetic and highly dense units to the east in the footwall of the Heathcote-Mount William fault zone. The regional gravity dataset is based on broadly spaced stations so a more detailed ground gravity program is planned to confirm the regional and local picture. Subsequently, a drilling program is planned to test for primary and secondary sources of nuggets, results from soil geochemistry and features identified in the radar geophysics and gravity surveys. Fig. 3 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/565ec3c3-1e70-433d-954c-1b8faa1785b0 Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol MAIG who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101. About A.I.S. Resources Limited A.I.S. Resources Limited is a publicly traded investment issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange focused on precious and base metals exploration. AISs value add strategy is to acquire prospective exploration projects and enhance their value by better defining the mineral resource with a view to attracting joint venture partners and enhancing the value of its portfolio. The Company is managed by a team of experienced geologists, with a track-record of successful capital markets achievements. In November 2020, AIS received TSX-V approval to acquire the New South Wales Yalgogrin Gold Project JV, the Fosterville-Toolleen Gold Project and the Kingston Gold Project in Victoria Australia. Phillip Thomas CEO A.I.S. Resources ltd. For further information, please contact: Phillip Thomas, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +1-747-200-9412 Email: pthomas@aisresources.com Or Martyn Element, Executive Chairman Tel: +1-604-220-6266 Email: melement@aisresources.com Website: www.aisresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Type address separated by commas Your Email: New Delhi: Members of two communities clashed and pelted stones at each other in the Old City area of Bhopal on Tuesday night, leaving some persons and policemen injured. Tension started in the area after the remnants of a structure reportedly surfaced during digging for construction of a building two days back and the people of both communities claimed that the structure was linked to their respective faiths. Around a dozen vehicles were torched during the clashes and the police lobbed teargas shells and fired gunshots in the air to bring the situation under control. Security has been beefed up in the area to avoid any untoward incident, said police, adding there has been a let up in tension since this morning. We have rounded up eight people, Bhopal (North) Superintendent of Police (SP) Arvind Saxena told a news agency. Efforts are on to settle the differences between the two communities by initiating a dialogue between them, the SP added. Situation is peaceful now, said district Collector Nishant Warwade. (With PTI Inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. People across China mourned Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice who helped feed millions. Following the death of the iconic agronomist on Saturday, cities across the nation held memorial ceremonies. People lined up in rain to bid farewell to the scientist at the Mingyangshan funeral home in Changsha, where a service took place on Monday. Flowers were also laid in places Yuan had studied and worked May 25, 2021 06:22 PM Serum Institute of India, headed by CEO Adar Poonawalla, has taken on a vital role as the largest company licensed to manufacture the Oxford University-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. The Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, called Covishield in India, is being produced by the Pune-based institute which also happens to be the worlds largest vaccine maker. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, said his company is currently producing 50 to 60 million doses of Covishield per month, and production will be scaled up to 100 million doses a month after January or February. "I think everybody is aware the Ministry of Health wants 300 to 400 million doses by July 2021, so we're trying to get to that target," he said at a news conference last month. A family business started by Poonawalla's father 50 years ago to bring cheaper vaccines to the masses, the Serum Institute of India is aiming to produce hundreds of millions of coronavirus vaccines for not only India, but also other developing countries. But Poonawalla has made it clear that his company will focus on immunizing India first before sending the vaccines overseas. Also Read: India Finally Has Two Vaccines Against Covid-19. But Who Will be Vaccinated First & Who Will Vaccinate? "It's very important we take care of our country first, then go on to COVAX after that and then other bilateral deals with countries. So I've kept it in that priority," Poonawalla said in an interview with CNBC-TV18 last month. Now that the vaccines in India are slowly but steadily becoming a reality especially in the times when the country is also the second-worst hit by the global pandemic, google search queries are flooded with Adar Poonawalla's name and understandably so. "Who is Adar Poonawalla?" "How much would Covishield vaccine cost?" "When will the vaccine be available?" -- one would expect these and many more important questions related to vaccine and Poonawalla to show up on Google Trends in India. But that was definitely not the case in India where people have been googling away things that they perhaps deem essential at the moment. If you typed in "Adar Poonawalla" on google, the top searched query is Natasha Poonawalla, Adar Poonawalla's wife. Natasha is the executive director of Serum Institute of India. This is followed by "Adar Poonawalla religion". Really. The results remain pretty much the same if the search is extended to 30 days. According to Serum Institute of India, Covishield could be sold to the Indian government for about $3 for two doses, and later $6 to $8 on the private market. A protest was held on Monday outside the Canadian embassy in Paris to seek justice for Karima Baloch with protesters demanding a thorough investigation into the mysterious death of the human rights activist and Baloch leader a few days ago in Toronto city. Karima, a Baloch human rights activist who fled Pakistan to Canada in 2015, was found dead in Toronto on December 22, 2020. The 37-year old activist's body was found near Lake Ontario two days after her disappearance. Toronto Police found no foul play behind her death whereas the Baloch and other Pakistanis living in Canada and other parts of the world called it a targeted killing by Pakistan's spy agencies. Protesters, including Baloch, Pashtun, Hazara and French citizens, chanted slogans against oppression in Pakistan and appealed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Toronto Police to further investigate the mysterious death of Karima Baloch. "In an interview, a few years ago former Pakistan President and ex-army Chief General Parvez Musharraf clearly stated that they will chase Baloch activists and eliminate them. After his interview, we saw this trend emerging. Rashid Baloch, who was living in Dubai disappeared and later Pakistani agencies claimed him to be apprehended and taken back from Dubai to Pakistan with the help of UAE authorities," said Munir Mengal, President of Baloch Voice Association. "There is a foul play behind the mysterious death of Karima Baloch. We demand Canadian authorities to investigate her mysterious death as she was facing many life threats," he added. "Karima Baloch's husband Hammal Haider has been demanding from the police that the police should be giving more information about their conclusion that this was a case of suicide," said Taha Siddiqui, a Pakistani journalist who is living in exile in Paris in his address. (ANI) Also Read: CM Chouhan to chair brainstorming session with ministers for self-reliant Madhya Pradesh Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 16:52:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHANGHAI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- More than a month after the closing of the 3rd China International Import Expo (CIIE), the Shanghai factory of Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) announced that its 40,000th piece of equipment came off the line in late December, marking another milestone in the company's 18-year presence in China. In November, the Swedish manufacturing company Volvo Group participated in the CIIE as an independent exhibitor for the first time, and a number of Shanghai-made electric excavators were launched for the first time. Some new products were exclusively designed for the Chinese market. The expo, which runs for nearly a week in Shanghai every November, is considered a useful starting point for multinationals like Volvo to further nurture their businesses in China. Multinationals not only launch cutting-edge products at the expo but eye the lucrative market for the coming years. "The 3rd CIIE in Shanghai has sent a strong signal of China's economic recovery and demonstrated the Chinese government's determination and action to promote international exchanges and trade," said Ma Jun, president of the Volvo (China) Investment Co., Ltd. "Despite the raging COVID-19 outbreak early this year, we moved the Asian headquarters of the Volvo CE and Volvo Financial Services to China," Ma told Xinhua in late December. "The epidemic in China was soon brought under control thanks to efficient government-led measures, and the market quickly recovered, which also benefited our business here." Cargill, a global food corporation that has participated in the CIIE for three consecutive years, is expanding its investment in China after attending the expo. Cargill signed contracts worth over 2.7 billion yuan (416.9 million U.S. dollars) during the last expo, said Liu Jun, president of Cargill China, adding that the increasing interests of both purchasers and consumers in their products greatly encourage the company to further expand its business in the future. In mid-November, the company announced that its animal nutrition factory in Yichun City, southeast China's Jiangxi Province, has been put into operation. The factory, covering nearly 48,000 square meters with a total investment of 350 million yuan, will become one of Cargill's major factories of its kind among a dozen of such plants across China. The improving business environment in China also boosts the confidence of foreign companies to further tap the market that has opened wider. Since Jan. 1, 2020, the Foreign Investment Law has taken effect, easing foreign access to the financial market with more pilot programs to promote trade in services. Following the law, Shanghai also passed regulations on foreign investment which highlights high-level opening up and high-quality investment from overseas. Statistics indicate that Shanghai has attracted more than 92 billion U.S. dollars of actual foreign investment during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), and the actual foreign investment is expected to exceed 20 billion dollars for the first time in 2020. China has implemented the reform and opening-up policy for over four decades, from which foreign firms are also learning and gathering experience, said Zhang Jun, head of the School of Economics of Shanghai-based Fudan University. They also expect to play well in the new development paradigm of "dual circulation," where the domestic and overseas markets reinforce each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay, Zhang added. "China, undoubtedly, is and will be an important market for us in the long run, and we will continue to promote our business here to seek for sustainable, prosperous development," said Ma of Volvo (China) Investment Co., Ltd. Enditem An association of manufacturers and distributors of alcoholic drinks in South Africa has warned of possible circulation of counterfeit alcohol after armed robbers stormed a production facility and stole thousands of bottle caps. The South African Liquor Brand Owners Association (Salba) believes the stolen bottle caps could be used to reseal branded bottles with counterfeit home-made alcohol and sold to the public. The association said one of its members had reported the 30 December robbery at its facility in the port city of Durban. Salba chairman, Sibani Mngadi, in a statement on Monday urged law enforcement agencies "to be rigorous in dealing with illegal alcohol sales and the production of counterfeit products". The government last week imposed a fresh ban on the sale of liquor until mid-January. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video California Gov. Gavin Newsom holds up a vial of the new COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 14, 2020. (Jae C. Hong/Pool/Getty Images) Newsom Says Just One Percent of Californians Vaccinated: Its Gone Too Slowly California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that only about one percent of Californias 40 million residents have received a COVID-19 vaccine, an immunization rate that he decried as not good enough. Newsom made the remarks at a briefing on Monday, during which he said the number of new COVID-19 infections on Sunday was nearly 30,000, while the seven-day average of daily deaths due to respiratory disease stands at 336. Just to put it in perspective, in the last 14 days close to 4,000 Californians have lost their lives. This is a deadly disease, this is a deadly pandemic. It remains more deadly today than at any point in the history of this pandemic. The Democrat governor then turned his focus to the states massive vaccination campaign, which he said is being executed with a sense of urgency that is required of this moment and the urgency that people demand. Our energy and focus has also gone to this notion of the light being at the end of the tunnel, and despite being in the tunnel, we recognize theres hope on the horizon, he said, noting that $300 million has been proposed in the 2020-2021 budget specifically for vaccinations, in areas like public education campaigns and logistics. Of the more than 1.29 million vaccine doses received in California, and another 611,000 shipped but not yet arrived, just 454,000 have been administered in the state. Its gone too slowly, Newsom said. We want to see 100 percent of whats received immediately administered in peoples arms, he added. We are working aggressively to accelerate our pace, he said, including by increasing the number of distribution sites and expanding the scope of who can administer the vaccine, including pharmacy technicians and dentists. Across the country, the pace of immunizations has gone slower than planned due to a range of logistical hurdles. Around 15.4 million doses of Pfizers and Modernas two-dose vaccines have been distributed in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but just 4.6 million doses have been administered as of Jan. 4. A top official heading the Trump administrations federal vaccine program told CBSs Face the Nation on Jan. 3 that the government is considering giving people a half-dose of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine in order to get more people inoculated faster. Trump administration officials had said they expected 20 million people would get vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year, but the figure now stands at around one-third of the initial projection. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview last week on NBCs Today program that we wouldve liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today, by the end of the [year] 2020, which was the projection, and that obviously, it didnt happen, and thats disappointing. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged states to ramp up vaccine administration. Some States are very slow to inoculate recipients despite successful and very large scale distribution of vaccines by the Federal Government. They will get it done! Trump wrote in a recent tweet. The Servant of the People, the Opposition Platform - For Life, the European Solidarity and All-Ukrainian Union Batkivshchyna are leading in the rating of political forces in elections to the Verkhovna Rada, according to a poll conducted by the Sociological Group Rating on January 2-4, 2021. According to the results of the study, the leader in the parliamentary rating is the Servant of the People party, which is trusted by 21.6% of those who are ready to vote and have made their choice. 17.4% are ready to vote for the Opposition Platform - For Life party, 14.5% will support the European Solidarity party, and 10.9% will vote for the Batkivshchyna party. In turn, 5.7% would vote for the Ukrainian Strategy party of Volodymyr Groisman, the Radical Party of Liashko has 5.6% of votes, For the Future party - 3.7%, Svoboda party - 3.2%, Vitali Klitschko's UDAR - 3.1%, the Shariy Party - 2.9%, the Holos and Strength and Honor parties - 2.8% each, the Nash Kray (Our Land) party - 2.2%. In the course of the CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviews) survey, 2,500 respondents were interviewed based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers. Audience: the population of Ukraine aged 18 and over in all regions, except for the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas. The sample is representative by age, sex and type of settlement. Error of representativeness of the study with a confidence level of 0.95: no more than 2%. In a statement on Monday, the UN Support Mission in Libyan (UNSMIL) said Stephanie Williams, acting special representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, spoke with the committee's officials over its mandate, tasks, expected outcomes, and the timeframe for its work, Xinhua news agency reported. Tripoli, Jan 5 (IANS) A UN representative held a virtual meeting with the newly established Advisory Committee of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) to discuss the latter's tasks and other agendas, "In her opening remarks, Williams reiterated that the committee will play an advisory role and will work for a period of two weeks to produce concrete recommendations to address differences that have emerged over the selection mechanism and the nomination procedures of the executive authority, and to build consensus among the LPDF members," the UNSMIL said. Williams urged the participants to seize this opportunity to expedite the establishment of a unified executive authority, and to work together in order to fulfil the aspirations of the Libyan people. Thr UNSMIL requested the members of the Advisory Committee to submit written proposals to be discussed in the next meeting scheduled to be held virtually on Wednesday. On January 2, the mission announced the establishment of the Advisory Committee, whose mandate "will be strictly time-bound and its main mission shall be to discuss outstanding issues related to the selection of a unified executive and to put forward concrete and practical recommendations upon which the plenary shall decide". The LPDF's Legal Committee (LC) held its third virtual session on Sunday, where the members shared proposals for constitutional arrangements for elections, the UN mission said. The proposals presented a range of options to facilitate the implementation of the Roadmap agreed upon by the LPDF in November 2020. "UNSMIL's Electoral Team provided a briefing highlighting the necessary sequencing and time-bound milestones related to constitutional arrangements for holding the national elections on the agreed-upon date of December 24, 2021. "The LC agreed to resume its discussions at the end of this week," it added. The Legal Committee is tasked with following up on the work of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State in relation to constitutional arrangements, and to provide the two institutions with recommendations in an effort to reach an agreement on a constitutional basis leading to holding the national elections. During the convocation of the dialogue forum held on November 7-15, 2020 in Tunisia, 75 Libyans representing the social and political spectrum of the society discussed a political roadmap to achieve lasting peace in the war-torn country. The participants also voted on a mechanism to select a unified executive authority of the country. --IANS ksk/ Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. SAGINAW, MI - A group of dedicated supporters of President Donald Trump in mid-Michigan are preparing to hit the road Tuesday for an overnight bus trip to Washington, D.C. Instead of going sight-seeing, though, the group plans to join Trump supporters from around the country for a public rally as Congress convenes Wednesday, Jan. 6, to confirm the Electoral College vote in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. A chartered bus of 43 supporters is leaving the Saginaw County community of Bridgeport late Tuesday for the March for Trump rally, which has been supported by the President on Twitter. Trip organizer Suzanne Hall of Birch Run Township said the purpose of the trip is to stand for integrity while being visible to legislators. Since theyre not moving, since theyre so silent, we feel we must arouse them and we really want to get them to understand that we the people want integrity back to our elections, Hall said. We can write them, we can call them, but I think a mass group of citizens might speak more because they cant hide us. Hall is a part of the Mid-Michigan Republicans, under the umbrella of the Michigan Conservative Coalition, but she also calls herself a grassroots leader. She said that shes seen widespread support and interest in the trip and that those taking the bus trip come from all over Michigan. They are very passionate and theyre willing to take off time from work, travel considerable hours just to meet the bus, she said. Theyre just looking at everyway they can get to D.C. Hall was inspired to organize the bus ride well before hearing Trumps call on Twitter for supporters to come to D.C. on Wednesday. She previously led a bus of supporters to D.C. in December for another rally and said she knew shed be back again. There was just something pushing me and the others to do this. Its just kind of interesting that its such a powerful move, she said. She said the trip is based on faith as well. I do sense that its God led, I think the Lord inspired us to do this and thats what Im getting and hearing from everyone that I speak with, she said. I will say overwhelmingly these are people that are calling on the Lord in their Christian faith to lead the way and to work we realize that this is a monumental project, we cant do it on our own. Its just too big for us so we are calling on the Lord to intercede and do for us what we cant do, but we will be there as part of this effort. We arent going alone, we are going with God. The bus is currently full with no spaces available, said Hall. But she is encouraging those who cant make it down to D.C. to keep them in their thoughts and prayers. I fully believe that this is going to make a difference. After that, what direction will it take our Constitution provides us ways of dealing with difficulties like this, we will follow the Constitution and everyone should be alert and in prayer over it, that would be wonderful to have prayer warriors behind us. Trump has continued to claim the presidential election was stolen from him. Courts have rejected legal challenges to the election and state election officials have upheld results that show Biden as the overall winner. More from MLive: Trump raises $1.7M from Michiganders to overturn election, but most donations go elsewhere Trump repeats false claims about Michigan election in leaked Georgia phone call Election clerks reject fewer than 1% of Michigans absentee ballots Whitmer veto means some Michiganders could lose extra 6 weeks of unemployment benefits Prime Minister Scott Morrison will not be appealing to US President Donald Trump to pardon Julian Assange following a British court's decision to reject the US bid to extradite the WikiLeaks founder. Assange supporters and the federal opposition are calling on Mr Morrison to lobby the US government to bring the case to an end, but Australian government sources confirmed there was no intention to raise the matter with either the Trump or the incoming Biden administration. Former American soldier Chelsea Manning, who leaked Mr Assange the confidential diplomatic cables that are the subject of espionage charges against him, had her sentence commuted by then-president Barack Obama in January 2017. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was "not a party to the case and will continue to respect the ongoing legal process, including the UK justice system's consideration of applications for release, or any appeals". San Francisco, Jan 5 : Google is working on adding its Soli radar gesture technology to the upcoming Nest Hub smart devices. The company has registered a new "interactive device" at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that will feature a screen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee support, along with Google's Soli radar gesture technology. Soli is a miniature radar that understands human motions at various scales: from the tap of your finger to the movements of your body. The "A4R-GUIK2" device is classified as an "interactive device," with Google previously using the "interactive" designation for Smart Displays and speakers. Google's Nest Hub may be getting an update for the first time since its debut in 2018. The "interactive device" classification is similar to what Google uses for its other smart devices like the original Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, Nest Mini, Nest Wifi, and Nest Audio, reports 9to5Google. This new device could support precise control using the radar technology. "The Hub Max lets you play/pause media by holding up your palm to the front-facing camera. One could imagine this new Nest Hub supporting similar air gestures to skip/rewind tracks," the report mentioned. There appears to be Soli at 58-63.5 GHz. The frequency range on the new Nest Thermostat is 61-61.5 GHz, while at the Pixel 4, it is 58-63.5 GHz. According to Google, Soli aims to understand the nuances of human movements so that we can use our natural body language and gestures as a form of input. "We created an interaction framework that groups human movements according to levels of proximity and engagement between the user and Soli: aware, engaged and active. The framework is based on regular human nonverbal communication models," according to the company. The Federal Bureau of Investigation warns against a new scheme of hackers. The security agency claims that cybercriminals are now focusing on attacking smart devices to live stream fake SWAT emergency videos. The FBI also explained that the alarming method, also known as "swatting," will become more notorious as days go by. People are now advised to protect their smart devices since hackers can carry out swatting attacks at any time of the day. Many pranksters can breach smart cameras, launching their fake SWAT videos. To help understand the current situation, swatting is prank calls made to emergency services reporting false threats at certain target places. According to Latest Hacking News' latest report, cyber attackers use the method to threaten their victims through direct SWAT response. The fake videos could include a confusing and random confrontation between the victim. Law enforcement could even lead to serious accidental killings. How dangerous is the swatting method? Although hackers and pranksters usually conduct swatting to take revenge or conduct a prank, the new method is still considered a criminal offense. Cybercriminals use stolen email passwords to hijack smart home security systems. "Swatting may be motivated by revenge, used as a form of harassment, or used as a prank, but it is a serious crime that may have potentially deadly consequences," said the FBI via Threat Post. Also Read: T-Mobile Hackers Access Around 200,000 Sensitive Customer Data Even Including Their PINs "Recently, offenders have been using victims' smart devices, including video and audio capable home surveillance devices, to carry out swatting attacks," the agency added. FBI further explained that hackers take advantage of people who re-use their email passwords for their smart devices. This just shows how important it is to use different passwords for different accounts and gadgets. FBI claims attackers also engage with the SWAT response team Aside from regular homeowners and other victims, the FBI explained that the swatting hackers can also engage and contact the real SWAT response team using compromised speakers and cameras. To prevent this from happening and worsening, the FBI provided safety measures that people should really conduct regularly. Here are the FBI's guidelines you need to know. Always update your passwords. Create and complex passwords. Words or combinations that even your family or close friends can't decipher. Also, use 2FA or 2-factor-authentication. Use your mobile number instead of your secondary email address. For more news updates about new hacking schemes, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: 100,000 Zyxel Firewalls, VPN Gateways Vulnerable to Hacking Say Security Expert-Exposed Login Credentials! This article is owned by TechTimes. Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This contest aims to celebrate those businesses that overcame last years obstacles and had their most profitable year yet. Jason Chan, VP of Sales and Marketing, Rakuten Super Logistics Rakuten Super Logistics (RSL), is the leading eCommerce order fulfillment company providing shipping and fulfillment solutions for online businesses. This year, they want to celebrate the perseverance of eCommerce entrepreneurs and inspire the eCommerce community to continue thriving in the new year by collecting the biggest growth stories. 2020 has been a challenging year for Commerce sellers. As a result of the pandemic, eCommerce sales quickly grew over 30%, and retailers orders doubled overnight. These businesses were faced with managing more requests while attempting to resolve endless shipping obstacles, said Jason Chan, VP of Sales and Marketing at Rakuten Super Logistics. We want to hear how eCommerce entrepreneurs persevered last year and were able to grow their businesses. Rakuten Super Logistics is asking all American-based online retailers to share their 2020 success stories now through the end of February. One winner will be selected at random to receive $2,021 at the end of the contest period. To be eligible, participants must submit a factual account of their growth in the past year and own an eCommerce business. In 2020, business owners had to learn a lot about resilience and determination. And when the year got tough, entrepreneurs got to work, said Chan. This contest aims to celebrate those businesses that overcame last years obstacles and had their most profitable year yet. We want to inspire retailers to continue pushing through this new year and give one lucky business a bonus to help get them there. Did your business thrive in 2020? Submit your thriving story for a chance to win $2,021! About Rakuten Super Logistics Rakuten Super Logistics (RSL) is the leader in eCommerce order fulfillment services and freight brokerage. RSL offers national fulfillment services and a network of 15 US fulfillment centers located in Anaheim (CA), Atlanta (GA), Austin (TX), Chicago (IL), Denver (CO), Houston (TX), Las Vegas (NV), Miami (FL), Olean (NY), Reno (NV), Salt Lake City (UT), and Scranton (PA). Their state-of-the-art technology allows for integration with popular shopping cart platforms and online marketplaces including Amazon, Big Commerce, Channel Advisor, eBay, Magento, ShipStation, Shopify, Volusion, Walmart Marketplace, and WooCommerce. RSL offers modern fulfillment solutions for leading eCommerce retailers focused on reducing shipping costs, improving order accuracy, decreasing shipping times, and increasing customer satisfaction. Contact Sarah Smith Rakuten Super Logistics Marketing Operations Manager P: 702-997-1718 E: sarah.smith@rakuten.com San Antonio police are investigating an East Side shooting that left one man dead Monday night. Police responded to the area of Ferris Avenue and Beulah Street just before 10:30 p.m. for reports of gunshots. When they arrived, police said they found a man in his 30s suffering from gunshot wounds to his chest. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Initially, police thought the man was dead but when paramedics arrived, they found signs of life and rushed him to the hospital, officials at the scene said. The man was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Police said they have no witnesses or suspects but found bullet holes in front on a home in the 500 block of Ferris Avenue. Police, however, are unsure if the bullet holes are related to the incident. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway If a second dose of the first COVID-19 vaccine is not available or the maker is not known, then another vaccine may be used, new British guidelines say, The New York Times reported Sunday. The new guidance contradicts those in the United States, where the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that COVID-19 vaccines "are not interchangeable" and that "the safety and efficacy of a mixed-product series have not been evaluated. Both doses of the series should be completed with the same product." Some experts say the British policy is gambling. "There are no data on this idea whatsoever," John Moore, Ph.D., from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, told The Times. Britain officials "seem to have abandoned science completely now and are just trying to guess their way out of a mess," he said. Britain has green-lighted vaccines from Pfizer and AstraZeneca. According to the new guideline, "every effort should be made" to use the same vaccine for the second dose. But if "the same vaccine is not available, or if the first product received is unknown, it is reasonable to offer one dose of the locally available product" for the second shot. "This option is preferred if the individual is likely to be at immediate high risk or is considered unlikely to attend again," the guidelines say. Because both vaccines attack the virus in the same way, "it is likely the second dose will help to boost the response to the first dose." But there is no proof the vaccines are interchangeable. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: The New York Times Article Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. A former Miss Virginia has 'come back to life' minutes after doctors told her distraught family she had died of Covid. Barbara Guthrie Lay, 82, who was crowned in 1958, was rushed to hospital on December 20 after having trouble breathing at her home in Rosewell, Georgia. Two days later her husband of six years, Tony Lay, who was unable to attend the ICU because of social-distancing rules, was informed Barbara had died. Tony began telling relatives and friends that his beloved wife had passed on only to receive another call minutes later telling him that a pulse had been found. Barbara Guthrie Lay, 82, who was crowned in 1958 (left), was rushed to hospital on December 20 after having trouble breathing at her home in Rosewell, Georgia Barbara with her husband Tony Lay and Miss Virginia 2015 Savannah Lane. 'I have always loved my wife,' Tony said. 'I just didn't realize exactly how much until this happened and that I can't live without her.' 'I was overjoyed and tearful again,' Tony told Local 21. 'I went from being miserable and brokenhearted to overjoyed.' Barbara and Tony Lay He said it was not clear how Barbara had come back from the dead but that she has since been moved from ICU to a regular ward. Tony said they had not yet told Barbara what happened and he was still deciding how and when to inform her. 'I have always loved my wife,' Tony said. 'I just didn't realize exactly how much until this happened and that I can't live without her.' He added that his wife is a fighter who has told him she wants to live until she's 101 so they can celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. It was Barbara's son Thom Kelley, a doctor, who was first told that his mother had died. He received a call minutes later telling him that she was actually alive. Kelley relayed the news each time to Barbara's husband Tony. 'As a physician, I will say without hesitation there is only one word for what has happened over the past week - a miracle,' Kelley told The Bulletin. An old friend of Barbara's, Howard Huff, said he was going to save a clipping of the story to show the former beauty queen when she is discharged. 'Barbara has not seen a spotlight she didn't like,' he joked. 'She has this incredible will to live and always says she plans to live until she's 101.' The Lays believe that Barbara contracted the virus after contact with a neighbor. New Delhi: Two unidentified persons on Wednesday opened fire at the car of Rahul Sharma, who had alleged a scam in the Public Works Department (PWD) in Delhi involving a relative of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Sharma escaped unhurt. According to Sharma, a resident of Gaur City in Greater Noida, as he and his cousin were travelling towards Ghaziabad around 12 noon, two persons on a motorcycle overtook their car near Gaur International School. They fired at the front windshield of the car and fled. As they were wearing helmets, I could not see their faces, said Sharma, the founder of the Roads Anti-Corruption Organisation, an NGO. He claimed that the attack was a fallout of the cases lodged by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on the basis of his complaint alleging irregularities in the grant of contracts for roads and sewer lines in Delhi in 2015. Sharma had earlier submitted a complaint to the ACB alleging that he was getting threats since he had raked up the issue of the PWD scam. #WATCH: Unidentified persons opened fire at car of Rahul Sharma, whistleblower of PWD scam involving Delhi CM's relative(Greater Noida,31/5) pic.twitter.com/1PeoBHlyLv ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 2 boys on motorcycle overtook my car near Gaurs Int'nl School & tried to shoot at me, locals raised alarm and I escaped unhurt: Rahul Sharma pic.twitter.com/zsV1lbLgh6 ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 There were no injuries, it was a misfire, he (Rahul) haven't named anyone (in the complaint): Rakesh Kumar, CO, Greater Noida 3 pic.twitter.com/hSmgKcxM0O ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 Police said a case was registered at the Bisrakh police station in Greater Noida in connection with the attack on Sharma and they were scanning the CCTV footage obtained from the area to identify the accused. Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra tweeted about the attack on Sharma. Bullets fired at Rahul Sharma who filed 1st corruption case agnst Bansal Family, relatives of Kejriwal. God is kind. He is safe. FIR Lodged(sic), he posted. Three separate FIRs have been registered by the ACB in connection with the alleged PWD scam, including one against a company owned by Kejriwals late brother-in-law Surender Kumar Bansal. The FIRs are against three companiesRenu Constructions, owned by Bansal, and two other firms owned by Kamal Singh and Pawan Kumar respectively. Sharma had alleged that Bansals firm was involved in financial irregularities in connection with the construction of a drainage system in north-west Delhis Bakoli village, the contract of which was awarded to it in April, 2015. He had also alleged that the bills sent to the PWD for the incomplete works were false and fabricated. The company had obtained a contract for works which were never completed, but the payments were cleared. Even the process of bidding was manipulated, the complaint dated January 9 read. The invoices prepared by the company and purportedly obtained by the complainant through a Right to Information (RTI) application from the PWD were sent to the Sales Tax department for verification. Sharma had claimed that the Sales Tax department had informed him in writing that the invoices were false and fabricated. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Press Release January 5, 2021 Bong Go welcomes signing of Alternative Learning System Act to further improve access to education for poor and marginalized sectors As the COVID-19 crisis continues to impact the operation of schools across the country and while accessing quality education remains a challenge for some, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go lauded the signing of Republic Act 11510 which institutionalizes the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and improves the delivery of basic education to the underserved and disadvantaged. "Education is a constitutionally enshrined right which the State must protect and promote. Thus, ensuring education for all should be a top priority. For this to be achieved, it is vital that opportunities to learn and receive quality education are accessible to all those who so desire," said Go. Go who is a co-author of the new law which provides the support lacking for typically underrepresented students, such as indigenous students, students from less privileged backgrounds, and students with physical and learning disabilities. The Senate version, Senate Bill No. 1365, was principally authored and sponsored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. On the other hand, House Bill No. 6910 was principally authored and sponsored by Representative Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. Based on the signed law, the ALS is more conducive to a non-traditional student's academic success as it takes into consideration their specific needs and concerns. It provides them with specialized programs and alternative education approaches and strategies which they otherwise would not be able to receive within the formal learning system. Specifically, students can develop knowledge, skills and selected competencies through a combination of learning modalities, including face-to-face learning sessions, modular instruction, digital instruction and workshops, among others. Upon completing their programs, students must undergo accreditation and equivalency (A&E) assessments which will be conducted by the Department of Education at the national and local level. Students who pass the elementary level A&E may enroll in junior high school. Those who pass junior high school A&E can apply for senior high school or a selected education and training program offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Students who pass the senior high school A&E are qualified for higher education. Specially-trained ALS instructors will provide face-to-face learning sessions in Community Learning Centers or DepEd-run schools (when not in use by regular students). The education department and local government units are mandated under the law to establish at least one center in every city and municipality. The law also directs the establishment of a Bureau of Alternative Education which serves as DepEd's focal office for ensuring the proper implementation of the ALS programs. On a related note, Go likewise served as a co-author of SBN 1907, otherwise known as an 'Act Instituting Services and Programs for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education'. The measure aims to enhance the quality of education in the formal learning sector by providing free support services as well as programs that are tailored to the needs of differently-abled learners. It mandates the implementation of a Child Find System, a scheme for locating and evaluating learners with disabilities who have not received basic education services, and facilitating their inclusion into the general education system. The Senator also filed SBN 396 in 2019 which seeks to amend the Local Government Code of 1991 by expanding the application of the Special Education Fund. This allows local government units to maximize their resources and adopt new education policies and learning techniques. The measure also allows the fund to be used in the operation of the ALS, including the payment of salaries, allowances and other benefits of ALS teachers. By implementing such student-centered approaches, Go expressed confidence that government would effectively expand access to and improve the delivery of education and skills training. It would also strengthen the Philippine workforce by providing the proper conditions so they can compete successfully in the global market. "Amid the ongoing health crisis, we should continue to look for ways to ease the mental, emotional and financial burdens of our students and their families. Hangad natin ay hindi lang mas maraming estudyanteng nag-aaral. Target din natin na mas maraming nakakapagsitapos ng pag-aaral," said the Senator. The ALS Act was also co-authored by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Senators Nancy Binay, Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Ronald dela Rosa, Sonny Angara, Pia Cayetano, Richard Gordon, Panfilo Lacson, Manuel Lapid, Imee Marcos, Emmanuel Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Ramon Revilla Jr., Francis Tolentino, Joel Villanueva, and Cynthia Villar. In the Lower House, it was co-authored by numerous representatives, led by House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. Choking a partner during sex could become a specific criminal offence under new domestic abuse legislation. The proposal by campaigners follows evidence that one in five sex assault victims are strangled by their partner. Choking or throttling is only punishable under common assault law, which carries a maximum sentence of six months. But domestic abuse groups say perpetrators are rarely prosecuted because defendants commonly claim choking takes place as part of consensual sex and there can be little sign of physical injury. Choking during sex could become a specific criminal offence under new domestic abuse legislation. The proposal follows evidence that 1 in 5 sex assault victims are strangled by their partner [File photo] They claim that treating choking as common assault undermines its severity and the terror inflicted on the victims. Nearly a third of female murders in the UK were due to strangulation or suffocation in 2018, compared with 3 per cent of male murders. After stabbing, it is the next most common cause of death for female domestic violence victims. Former victims commissioner Baroness Newlove will present an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill in the House of Lords that would turn non-fatal strangulation into a singular offence. Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs and the current Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird both back the amendment. Referring to choking, Dame Vera told The Daily Telegraph: It is a very frequently used and very effective way of terrifying someone. It is a very frightening tool of coercive control. For the same price as a tiny slap, you let her know you are in control but with only the risk of a tiny mark so police never take notice. Researcher Dr Catherine White, director of St Marys Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, said a fifth of women who had been raped by their partner said they had been choked. Dr White said current law was not fit for purpose and reform would create more awareness and more prosecutions. Current Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird (pictured) backs the amendment. Referring to choking, Dame Vera told The Daily Telegraph: It is a very frequently used and very effective way of terrifying someone. It is a very frightening tool of coercive control' Dame Vera and Miss Jacobs are to meet Justice Secretary Robert Buckland on Thursday to discuss the proposals. Research in America has found victims of non-fatal strangulation are seven times more likely to be killed in domestic abuse than non-victims. In a joint statement, Dama Vera and Miss Jacobs said non-fatal strangulation or asphyxiation was an utterly terrifying experience. Arguing that victims and survivors were being failed by the law, they added: Non-fatal strangulation is significantly under-charged across the UK and there is no distinct offence. The law is not fit for purpose. A specific offence with appropriate sanctions would make the dangers of non-fatal strangulation and the appropriate action by law enforcement crystal clear. A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: Non-fatal strangulation is a serious crime which is already covered by existing laws such as common assault and attempted murder. A Serbian citizen was caught by border police in Botosani while illegally trying to cross the border between Ukraine and Romania, said the spokesman for the Territorial Border Police Service (STPF), Minodora Racnea. According to her, the 35-year-old man intended to come to Romania to look for a job. He allegedly tried to cross the border through a border checkpoint but was denied entry because he did not meet all the conditions for leaving Ukraine. "Following the checks, the border police found that the man is a 35-year-old Serbian citizen. It was also established that the person intended to leave Ukraine through a crossing point, but did not meet the conditions. The Serbian citizen stated that his intention was to come to Romania, out of the desire to find a job here," said Racnea. In this case, the border police are conducting investigations into a fraudulent crossing of the state border, and the person was taken over by the Ukrainian authorities. The coronavirus vaccine will soon be available at 39 ShopRite stores with pharmacies across New Jersey as the state continues to expand its efforts to get shots to the first group of eligible recipients. Health care workers and longterm care facility residents are in the first group. The vaccine to be available to the general public at a still to be determined date. ShopRite said its pharmacies received an initial shipment of the Moderna vaccine, which requires two inoculations. Vaccinations are available by appointment only and there is no charge to receive the shots, the company said. Some healthcare workers are now fully vaccinated as limited doses of the second shot were administered at University Hospital in Newark and other medical facilities on Monday. More than 100,000 in New Jersey have started the two-part vaccination process since the first shots began on Dec. 14. The federal government has provided about 500,000 doses to the state through the first week of January, though about 170,000 have been reserved for longterm care facilities. On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy disclosed 2,292 more positive PCR coronavirus tests and another 38 confirmed deaths. There have been 17,223 fatalities due to the virus since March with another 2,021 deaths probably attributed to it, he said. Hospital data for Monday night had not been updated on states dashboard as of 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. The 3,633 patients hospitalized in New Jersey with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases as of Sunday night were 112 more than the night before. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Heres a roundup of the latest coronavirus news in New Jersey and elsewhere: You can now track your stimulus payment, IRS says: If youre wondering when youll get your second stimulus payment, you can now check online. The IRS reopened its Get My Payment tool on Monday. It will allow you to confirm whether or not the agency has sent your second stimulus payment. It will also confirm whether it sent your first stimulus payment, and whether the payments were sent via direct deposit or through the mail. MVC started the year with only 4 closed agencies. That didnt last long: The state Motor Vehicle Commission started 2021 with as close to a clean sheet of paper for closed agencies as it has had in a long time, with only four agencies closed on Monday morning. That number ballooned to seven by Monday afternoon when officials said the South Plainfield Licensing Center, Edison Licensing Center, and Somerville Vehicle Center all closed due to an employee at each location testing positive for the coronavirus. UK strain of virus reached New York: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says a man in his 60s has the first case of United Kingdoms COVID-19 variant in the state. Linked to a jewelry store in Saratoga Springs, the man has some symptoms and hasnt traveled recently, meaning the strain is likely in the community, Cuomo said. The strain is highly infectious but doesnt appear to be resistant to vaccines. Its also not considered more likely to lead to death or serious illness. The new strain has also been found in California, Colorado, Florida. More N.J. schools switch to remote learning after holiday break: The number of New Jersey school districts with all-remote learning has increased as students return from winter break and the state continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures Murphy released Monday. There are 339 districts starting 2021 remotely an increase of 18 all-remote districts from Dec. 21, Murphy said. Meanwhile, 77 school districts are returning with full in-person instruction (down from 82 on Dec. 21), and 348 are returning with a hybrid of in-person or remote instruction (down from 362). Overall crime in N.J. decreased in 2020, but violence spiked during COVID-19 pandemic: While New Jersey is on pace for a double-digit drop in overall crime in 2020, violent crimes surged in some areas during the coronavirus pandemic, breaking records and bucking years of violent crime declines. As of Nov. 30, 2020, New Jersey police departments reported 149,501 cases of murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft - the seven crimes tracked by the FBI for statistical comparison. Thats down from 171,954 such crimes at the same time a year earlier, New Jersey State Police statistics show. U.S. cases: At least 353,628 of the estimated 20.8 million to test positive for the coronavirus in the U.S. have died as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide cases: As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the coronavirus has led to at least 1,855,675 million deaths in 191 counties, according to the center. More than 85,774,568 have been infected since the outbreak started in December 2019. At least 48.2 million have recovered. NJ Advance Media staff writers Karin Price Mueller, Matt Arco, Brent Johnson, Kelly Heyboer, Larry Higgs, Spencer Kent, Kevin Shea and Avalon Zoppo contributed to this report. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. The Northwell system operates 23 hospitals, including Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Lenox Hill Hospital and North Shore University Hospital. It brings in about $12.5 billion in annual revenue and received $1.2 billion in emergency funding through the stimulus package in the federal CARES Act last year. It sued over unpaid bills as small as $700 last year, records show. Northwells chief executive officer, Michael Dowling, was the state health director and deputy secretary to former Gov. Mario Cuomo, the current governors late father, and he has been a close friend to the younger Mr. Cuomo for more than three decades. During the pandemic, Mr. Dowling has served as the governors closest ally in the hospital industry and his liaison to all of the states hospitals. He has set up meetings and delivered messages for Mr. Cuomo, led a council to increase bed capacity at hospitals, overseen patient transfers to field hospitals and worked with the state on studies of antibody test results that have been used to identify hot spots for the virus. Mr. Dowling has also appeared frequently with Mr. Cuomo at the governors news briefings; both men wrote books this year, and Mr. Cuomo wrote a blurb promoting Mr. Dowlings writing. Northwell received the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine in the state last month. Barbara Osborn, a Northwell spokeswoman, declined to say whether Mr. Dowling had discussed the lawsuits with Mr. Cuomo. A spokesman for the governor did not respond to requests for comment. In an interview last month, Richard Miller, the systems chief business strategy officer, defended the cases, saying Northwell had the right to collect what it was owed. He said that Northwell has a financial-assistance program for low-income patients that is more generous than required by the government, and he said the system sues only employed patients that it believes have the ability to pay and who do not respond to outreach attempts. We have no interest in pursing these cases legally. Its not what we want to do, Mr. Miller said, before the hospital changed course on Tuesday. Unfortunately, in some cases, theyre not leaving us much of an option. On Monday night during the week in which most of the 535 lawmakers are expected to gather in one chamber to certify the Electoral College results, the Food and Drug Administration had a message for Congress the tests available yield an alarmingly high rate of false negatives. After a monthslong delay on Capitol Hill to implement Covid-19 testing for the members and staff, thousands of those who work in the building have become reliant on the system due to increased holiday travel and exposure. But the new FDA warning questions the efficacy of tests administered by the start-up Curative just weeks after becoming readily available in November after a slew of positive cases among lawmakers. The FDA notice does not raise any doubts about the accuracy of a positive test result. The potential concern only relates to negative test results, Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the lead Capitol Physician, wrote to House and Senate offices. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak We expect to have additional information in the coming days from the FDA and our expert consultants with regard to any concerns about the ongoing use of this test for the Capitol community. For the first time since the pandemic began, almost the entire House gathered on the floor Sunday with less-than-ideal social distancing and mask wearing. Rep. Kay Granger, R-TX, was on the floor voting and mingling with members, and promptly tested positive for coronavirus the following day. We have urged distancing, that has not always occurred. But we continue to urge members to come, vote, leave, and not spend time on the floor, if they are not needed on the floor. That hasn't always worked as well as we'd like and we continue to admonish members to observe that. And we will continue to do so, Hoyer told reporters on a call Tuesday ahead of the certification. Before this week, at least 60 lawmakers have tested positive for the virus, per an NBC News count, and on Wednesday, when both chambers of Congress will gavel in for a joint session that could last into Thursday, a majority of lawmakers will be in the same room at the same time. Story continues During the joint session, access to the Floor of the House will be limited to those Members who are scheduled to speak during the joint session, according to guidance Tuesday night from the Capitol physician and the sergeant at arms. Testing on Capitol Hill, free for those with a congressional ID, has been popular and heavily relied upon, particularly on Congressional travel days and in recent weeks due to the holidays. I am a bit alarmed that Fred Turner, the 25-year-old founder of Curative Inc., with no medical background was rewarded the contract for testing lawmakers, staff and the media in the U.S. Capitol," one Republican Senate aide said. "I have been reliant on this service and captiously optimistic that its reliable. Curative, a Los Angeles-based startup co-founded by Turner, was originally created to detect sepsis a deadly blood infection. Now, the company was awarded a contract to conduct testing on a third of the United States government. The testing company has not yet responded to NBC News request for comment on the exact amount of tests administered and more information on the contract secured with Congress. Im worried were going to see many more members get sick," said one Democratic House aide. "Weve already witnessed members ignoring the safety guidance since the 117th (Congress) started." "With tensions high and people in close quarters," the staffer worries that Wednesday's certification of Electoral College votes at the Capitol "could be its own superspreader event." Hyderabad, Jan 5 : Doctors at a Hyderabad hospital removed a bulb from a nine-year-old boy's lungs after he had accidentally swallowed it. Prakash of Mahabubnagar in Telangana had accidentally swallowed the toy bulb while playing on Monday. He was rushed to Medicover Hospitals with symptoms of profuse cough and difficulty in breathing. According to doctors, the CT scan of his chest revealed a foreign body in the right main bronchus extending on to the lower bronchus. If left unattended, it could have led to serious life-threatening complications as the toy bulb (foreign body) was obstructing the airway if it migrates proximally. A decision was taken to perform Pediatric Rigid Bronchoscopy and the same was done under general anesthesia by Raghu Kanth, a senior consultant Interventional Pulmonologist along with the anesthetist team lead by Vijay. The team successfully removed the toy bulb and also conducted bronchoscopy to check foreign body remnants. The boy was absolutely fine post-operatively, and was discharged the same day without any complications. "Ingestion of foreign bodies is a relatively common problem encountered in paediatric age group. Children tend to explore the environment by inserting objects into their mouths; Most of these items can be inevitably swallowed," said Raghu Kanth, doctor. "Ingestion of foreign bodies is also a significant cause of parental anxiety. Foreign body inhalation is a potentially serious problem that peaks in children. "The phenomenon of foreign bodies' inhalation is a worldwide problem. Many patients who have inhaled foreign bodies are symptomatic and sometimes life risk if it is in major airways," he added. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. EDITORS NOTE: On Jan. 12, NJ Cannabis Insider hosts a virtual networking event, featuring professionals in the legal cannabis industries. Tickets are limited. State lawmakers have introduced a bill that lays out fines and other penalties for underage marijuana use in reaction to Gov. Phil Murphy, who refused to sign a legal weed bill without such penalties. The measure (A5211) levies a fine of at least $250 on people ages 18 to 20 who possess up to six ounces of marijuana, the legal limit for those 21 and over. Juveniles would not have to pay the fine, but could face juvenile delinquency dispositions like community service if caught possessing marijuana. If someone between the ages of 18 and 20 had more than the legal amount to possess, they could face fines of $500 or more under the bill. New Jersey voters in November said yes to legalizing marijuana for those 21 and older, and legislation only allows people that age to purchase it from dispensaries. The change would clear up confusion in the current marijuana legalization bill, which included language that criminalized underage use. That was in conflict with a partner bill to decriminalize marijuana for all ages. It also makes possessing marijuana a lesser penalty than underage drinking. Murphys office said last week he would not sign marijuana legislation until lawmakers added clear, non-criminal penalties to deter underage use. The office recommended fining those under 21 for marijuana possession. But legislative sources said lawmakers had intended to end arrests and fines for people under 21 caught with marijuana. The bill introduced by the Assembly marks a compromise eliminating fines or criminal charges for kids, but not eliminating some consequences. The bill is largely a consensus between the Legislature and the governors office, a source within the administration who was not authorized to speak publicly said. Theres some final technical edits that still need to be made. By and large, the governors office is working in good faith with the Legislature to get this finalized for next week. Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, who sponsored the marijuana bill, said that chamber will not introduce its own version of the cleanup legislation until Thursday. Its being re-cleaned up as we speak, Scutari said Tuesday. That bill that the Assembly has, although its very close, its not going to be exactly what well introduce. Both the Senate and Assembly have scheduled voting sessions for Monday, and could pass the legislation then, sending it back to Murphy to sign into law. The Senate Judiciary Committee and Assembly Appropriations Committee have both scheduled hearings on the cleanup bills for Thursday. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - The Very Good Food Company Inc. (CSE: VERY) (OTCQB: VRYYF) (FSE: 0SI) ("VERY" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that the Victoria Facility has met its production target of 20,000 lbs per week on average; an 82% capacity increase from October 2020. In addition to this operational achievement, VERY has increased the fulfillment of ecommerce orders to an average of 1800 orders per week, an increase of 100% from September, with the help of its new 3PL logistics partner. VERY also recently expanded its distribution into the Sobeys retail network with the impending launch of The Very Good Butcher's products into Farm Boy retail stores throughout Eastern Canada. Increased Victoria Facility Production VERY is pleased to announce that production capacity at our Victoria Facility has increased 82% to an average of 20,000 lbs per week from the previously reported capacity of 11,000 lbs per week in October 2020; an acceleration of our operational plan. The significant increase in production capacity is the result of the success of our ongoing continuous improvement projects as well as our new Canadian 3PL logistics partnership ("3PL partnership"). The 3PL partnership allows for the fulfillment of our ecommerce orders at a third party distribution centre; increasing the production footprint at the Victoria Facility. This 3PL partnership has also enabled us to reduce ecommerce shipping times down to one to two weeks, which will allow for a higher volume of fulfilled orders per month. As a result, an average of 1,800 ecommerce orders were fulfilled weekly in December 2020 compared to 900 online orders weekly in September 2020 prior to the beginning of the partnership. In the future, this new logistics partner will also perform wholesale order fulfillment and transport our products to our distribution partners in both Canada and the United States. Expanded Distribution in Sobeys Network VERY is pleased to announce that it has further expanded its wholesale distribution into Eastern Canada and The Very Good Butchers' products will soon be available at Farm Boy retail stores; part of the Sobeys network. With over 30 locations in Eastern Canada, Farm Boy is a specialized retailer that places emphasis on farm-to-table wholesale. This milestone demonstrates the Company's steady expansion across Sobeys 1500 store network, which first started with VERY's launch into Thrifty Foods. VERY is seeking new distribution opportunities across Canada and into the United States with the Rupert Facility coming online in the first quarter of 2021. CEO Mitchell Scott commented: "We are pleased to see our relationship with Sobeys, one of North America's largest grocery store chains, deepen with our impending launch into Farm Boy's retail stores. As we start to commission the Rupert facility with the goal of significantly increasing production capacity, this is a vote of confidence from one of VERY's key retail partners." Rupert Facility Update Production at VERY's Rupert facility is expected to commence as scheduled in the first quarter of 2021. Several key roles have been filled and the team is prioritizing projects as we start to support the commissioning of the facility. About The Very Good Food Company The Very Good Food Company Inc. is an emerging plant-based food technology company. Our mission is to use progressive food technology to create plant-based meat and other food products that are delicious while maintaining a wholesome nutritional profile. To date we have developed a core product line under The VeryGood Butchers brand. For further information, please contact: Mitchell Scott Chief Executive Officer and Director Kevan Matheson Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Email: invest@verygoodbutchers.com Phone: +1 855-472-9841 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements or information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "proposed", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information contained or referred to in this news release includes, but is not limited to: the benefits expected to be derived from the new logistics partnership, the expected timing for commencement of production at the Rupert facility, the Company's ability to integrate the Rupert facility with current operations and standards, and the Company's efforts and ability to build its production and distribution capabilities. Forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Certain assumptions in respect of continued strong demand for our products; that added production capacity will enable us to increase our sales volume, that we do not experience material interruptions or supply chain failures as a result of COVID-19, our ability to retain key personnel, and changes and trends in our industry or the global economy are material assumptions made in preparing forward-looking statements or information and management's expectations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: negative cash flow and future financing requirements to sustain operations; dilution; limited history of operations and revenues and no history of earnings or dividends; competition; economic changes; and the impact of and risks associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including the risk of disruption at the Company's facilities or in its supply and distribution channels. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71366 New Delhi, Jan 5 : The farmers agitation on the borders of the national capital continued for the 41st day on Tuesday. After the ministerial level talks between the farmers leaders and the Central government on Monday failed to reach a consensus, the future strategy of the farmers would be decided at a meeting of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha which is currently underway here. Harinder Singh Lakhowal, Punjab farmer leader and General Secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), told IANS that the Central government was deliberately trying to stretch the talks with the farmers leaders. After the seventh round of talks remained inconclusive on Monday, the next round of talks has been fixed for January 8. The farmer leaders have already announced that they will take out a 'Tractor March' on January 6 if the talks on the farm laws remained inconclusive on January 4. Harinder Singh said that before the Samyukta Kisan Morcha meeting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, a meeting of the Punjab farmers organisations is being held. He informed that in this meeting the strategy to intensify the protest is being discussed. Lakhowal said the government's attitude at Monday's talks was to prolong the talks. The meeting was scheduled to start at 2 p.m. but the minister did not reach on time which led to a delay of nearly 40 minutes, he added. The government pressed for removing the loopholes and amending the three new farm laws, while the farmers representatives demanded the repeal of the laws. Before a consensus could be reached, it was time for lunch. Lakhowal said that when the meeting resumed after the lunch break, it was proposed to discuss the Minimum Support Price (MSP) issue but we (farmer union leaders) said that talks should first be held about the process of withdrawing the three farm laws. Then there was a discussion on contract farming and the ministers started talking about its benefits. But we (farmers) demanded the withdrawal of the three laws, to which the ministers said they would discuss and analyse the issue with more people, asking for more time from the farmers. Lakhowal said, "We accepted the demand by the Centre for more time, but said the talks on the withdrawal of the farm laws should be held in the next meeting with the Centre." The BKU general secretary informed that a press conference would be held on Tuesday evening regarding the decisions taken in the farmers meeting currently underway. Lakhowal added that the agitation will continue till the government accepted the two core demands of the farmers. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Som Prakash, during the seventh round of talks held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Monday. After the meeting Tomar said the talks ended on a positive note and with the consent of the farmers representatives, the next date of talks has been fixed for January 8. He added that the farmers leaders remained firm on the demand for the repeal of the farm laws so no solution emerged from the talks. Withdrawal of The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 as well as a guarantee on procurement of crops at the MSP has been demanded by the farmers who have been camping at Delhi's borders since November 26, 2020 . -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Almost 2800 applications for exemptions to enter Victoria from NSW have been made and just 57 have been granted, Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville has said. It is unclear how many of the 2798 applications have been rejected or are yet to be processed. Health authorities have told some returned travellers from NSW who are stuck in hotel quarantine that they may be able to quarantine at home. A note slipped under the door of several people in hotel quarantine late on Monday night said the Department of Health and Human Services was starting a review to see if they could be let out early. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased Lucknow: Taking a serious view of the crematorium roof collapse incident in Muradnagar that claimed 24 lives, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed that the National Security Act be slapped against the accused. Twenty-four people, most of them attending a funeral, were killed and 17 others injured when the roof of a shelter at the cremation ground in Muradnagar collapsed on Sunday. In a statement issued here, the UP Government said, "Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that the National Security Act be slapped against the accused persons. He also directed that loss of public money during the construction work be recovered from the contractor and engineers." He also announced that financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh is provided to each of the kin of the deceased, and homeless affected families are provided a home. The contractor wanted in connection with the incident was arrested from a village near the border of Meerut and Muzaffarnagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Tuesday. Contractor Ajay Tyagi, who went into hiding after news of the collapse spread, was nabbed near the Ganga canal bridge of Sathedi village by a joint team of Muradnagar and Niwari police. The Ghaziabad Police had on Monday arrested Muradnagar Nagar Palika Executive Officer Niharika Singh, Junior Engineer Chandra Pal, and Supervisor Ashish as they were involved in the tendering process for building the structure. They were sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince on Tuesday thanked Kuwait and the U.S. for their efforts in reaching an agreement to end Saudi's blockade of Qatar during the opening of the GCC Summit in the Kingdom's ancient desert city of Al-Ula. Saudi Arabia announced Monday night it would end its years-long embargo on the tiny Gulf Arab state ahead of the GCC Summit. (IMAGE CREDITS:AP) (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Boston City Councilors and mayoral candidates Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell each raised about $90,000 last month, Politico reported on Tuesday. Both campaigns will likely wrap up 2020 reporting more than half a million dollars in cash on hand in a mayoral race thats currently caught up in discussion around President-elect Joe Bidens Cabinet picks. Mayor Marty Walsh hasnt officially announced a re-election bid and Biden, under pressure to follow through on promises of a diverse Cabinet, is still considering Walsh for labor secretary. Theres a lot of people being tapped. He cant take everyone from Massachusetts to Washington with him, Walsh, who has maintained he enjoys his current gig, said in November. Im just looking forward to working with this administration. Wu, an attorney, transit advocate and Green New Deal supporter long expected to challenge Walsh, announced her run in September. In her campaigns latest report to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance on Dec. 3, she had about $495,000 in cash on hand. Campbell, an attorney who began her career representing parents and students on education matters before serving as deputy legal counsel for former Gov. Deval Patrick, announced her bid about a week later. She had about $464,000 in cash on hand according to a campaign finance report filed Dec. 14. Both women seek to become the first woman, and person of color, to serve Boston as mayor. Council President Kim Janey, whos also been named as a potential contender, would become the first Black woman mayor if she takes over for Walsh in an acting role, should Biden tap him for a job in Washington, D.C. Walsh, elected in 2013 after five-term mayor Thomas Menino, had more than $5.9 million in cash on hand per a Dec. 3 report. New Joint programme between Teagasc and North Cork Creameries A new Joint Dairy Programme has been agreed between Teagasc, North Cork Creameries (NCC) and Milk Suppliers. The Joint Programme will focus on improving farm profitability through better grassland management, improved nutrient management planning, breeding and nutrition. Pictured at the launch of the Teagasc/North Cork Creameries (NCC) joint Farm Profitability Programme are Jerry Doody, Chairman North Cork Creameries, Noreen ORahilly, Teagasc Kanturk; Jamie Curtin, Agri Manager NCC; Pat Sheahan, CEO North Cork Creameries; Darren Deasy, Agri Advisor NCC; Neily OSullivan, Teagasc Kanturk and John Horgan, Teagasc Cork East Regional Manager. Photo OGorman Photography. The target is to have 40 milk supplier participants in the Farm Profitability Programme from the North Cork Creamery catchment area in Counties Cork and Kerry. There will be 4 different farmer groups across; one each in the Kanturk area, Cullen area, Fealebridge area and Newtownsandes area. These will be used to transfer the information and learnings to all milk suppliers. John Horgan, Teagasc Regional Advisory Manager in Cork East, said: We are delighted to be working with North Cork Creameries and their dairy farmer suppliers for the coming years. Peer to peer learning by farmers interacting with each other often results in Joint programmes being very successful. We are undertaking this journey so that all milk suppliers will benefit from the joint programme and target to increase their milk solids output going forward. The milk suppliers will be part of a programme to increase milk solids by a target of 10% after 3 years participating in the programme. The joint programme will be coordinated by Pat Sheahan CEO of North Cork Creameries, Jamie Curtin, Agri Manager NCC and Darren Deasy, Agri Advisor NCC along with John Horgan and Majella Moloney Teagasc. The Teagasc Dairy Advisors involved in delivering the programme are Maurice Shine, and Neily o Sullivan from Teagasc Cork East region and John Paul Lenihan and Niall Kerins from the Teagasc Kerry/Limerick region. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 6:53 am Buses in the Vancouver area are more energy efficient than ever before with C-Trans new Green Zone feature on select buses. On Dec. 9, the Vancouver-based transportation agency deployed the new Green Zone system on two of its diesel engine buses. The new feature will automatically turn off the buss diesel engine when in one of two areas of Vancouver. Buses travelling near the Vancouver Mall Transit Center in central Vancouver and the Fishers Landing Transit Center in East Vancouver will rely solely on battery power to propel themselves. C-Tran Communications and Public Affairs Manager Christine Selk said discussions and planning for the Green Zone feature have been in the works at C-Tran for about a year and a half. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, C-Tran initially planned to release the Green Zone feature on buses that the agency uses on the express routes into downtown Portland and the transit mall in the city. However, due to the pandemic, C-Tran has changed its express services and the two buses equipped with the technology currently spend their time north of the Columbia River. Selk said that C-Tran hopes to use the Green Zone feature in downtown Portland once things return to normal. The feature uses a special GPS tracking feature that automatically switches the bus to battery power once it enters the designated area. Two miles before reaching the zone, the bus enters charge mode to bring the battery pack up to full charge. Selk said C-Tran chose the zones they would like to be included and sent the information to New Flyer of America, the manufacturer for the new buses. The entire process is done automatically without the driver changing course or pushing buttons, and in the Green Zone, the buses are emission-free. Its great for the environment and great for taxpayers because itll cut down on our fuel usage, Selk said. While the agency does not have exact numbers on how much diesel fuel the new feature will save just yet, Selk said C-Tran is able to request the information at any time and can get exact numbers in the future. According to Selk, the Green Zone trial run on two buses doesnt have a sunset date and C-Tran will continue to monitor data for the foreseeable future. If the program sees success, Selk said C-Tran will move the Green Zone feature out of its pilot program and equip more buses with the technology to use the zones as well as increasing the area of the program. We are only the third transit agency in the country to undertake this initiative, Selk said, mentioning that the Green Zone program was brought to C-Tran by BAE systems, which builds hybrid buses and other sustainable technology. The other two cities (San Fancsisco and Nashville) have both seen success with the program. Along with possibly expanding the program in the future, Selk said C-Tran is on track to receive a shipment of 100 percent electric buses near the end of 2022, with more buses coming in the future. For Selk, creating a greener and more sustainable transportation system is core to beliefs at C-Tran. A few years ago, the agency created a green team and received a Green Business certification from the Clark County Green Business Program in 2019. Along with reducing emissions through programs such as Green Zone and using hybrid buses, Selk said C-Tran recycles all of the cigarette butts in the ash trays at its stops along with all of the coffee pods employees of the agency use. Sustainability is a very important principle for us, Selk said. In the time Ive been here, Ive seen a really strong emphasis placed on sustainability and looking at things through a sustainability filter and paying attention to our footprint. With consumers feeling the increased importance of sanitisation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the frequency with which they wash clothes has gone up, according to a survey conducted by data, insights and consulting firm Kantar. According to the survey that was carried out in the second half of 2020 for Whirlpool of India, 97 per cent of consumers felt that the importance of sanitisation has increased and 82 per cent of them claimed that they were worried about carrying germs in clothes when coming from outside. Moreover, 87 per cent of the respondents stated that the frequency with which they wash clothes has gone up in recent times, said the survey that had a sample size of 500 individuals (men and women) aged 28-40 years in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. "People from Mumbai are most worried about carrying germs in clothes when coming from outside at 89 per cent, followed by Chennai and Kolkata," it said. As many as 87 per cent of the respondents claimed that worrying has led to an increase in washing of clothes in order to maintain hygiene and cleanliness (91 per cent), keep kids and elderly members safe from germs/allergens (83 per cent), prevent falling sick (82 per cent) and washing clothes worn outside after single wear (81 per cent). According to the survey, 79 per cent of the respondents claimed that hot water helps in sanitising clothes along with effective cleaning and removal of tough stains with 88 per cent consumers in Chennai believed that hot water cleans clothes more effectively -- the highest among other regions. Commenting on the findings, Whirlpool of India Vice-President (Marketing) KG Singh said, "People today are more vigilant of their health and hygiene than ever before." An official spokesperson from Kantar said the survey clearly indicates the stress and worry around sanitisation of clothes. Consumers are researching online to know of effective ways to clean their clothes and kill germs brought in from outside the home. "Hot water, which is known to be effective in cleaning stains, has stood out as a top preference for consumers when opting for a washing machine along with the added benefits of sanitisation features. "It is critical to take care of the hygiene and sanitisation of one's surroundings and clothes," the Kantar spokesperson added. FRISCO, Texas, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sentient Energy, the leading provider of advanced grid monitoring and analytics for electric utilities, today announced that Bob Karschnia has joined the organization as CEO and President. Sentient Energy continues its exciting growth phase and accelerates its capabilities across its rich platform of analytics and software based on data from its high fidelity sensors. Now, as part of Koch Engineered Solutions, the opportunity to harness the wide capabilities at Koch into sustained advantages for our customers led to the hiring of Bob. Karschnia brings to the team over thirty years of experience in strategy, executive leadership, industrial design, and development in industrial solutions and will guide Sentient Energys next level of growth and innovation with its industry-leading smart grid solutions. Primary areas of focus for Karschnia will include customer partnership and success, new product development and overall company strategy. Prior to joining Sentient Energy, Karschnia was the vice president and general manager of Emerson Automation Solutions Pervasive Sensing business. He helped create, grow and lead Emersons pervasive sensing product/software/solution/service offerings and coordinated the Industrial Internet of Things initiatives across the company. Early in the development of wireless technology, Bob drove the standardization of the WirelessHART communications protocol and helped define new technologies aimed at solving reliability, efficiency, environment and safety problems in the industry. I am thrilled to join Sentient Energy. The smart grid industry is in the midst of many transformative developments, and as an industry innovator Sentient Energy leads the way with its solutions. Im excited to have the opportunity to lead and enable such a talented and motivated team, said Bob Karschnia, new CEO at Sentient Energy. I have a passion for customers and their success, and plan to dedicate a bulk of my leadership efforts to ensuring our customers attain measurable value and that our solutions and capabilities continue to grow and integrate closely with their business objectives. Before joining Emerson, Bob developed rotating equipment control systems at Compressor Controls Corporation and satellite control systems for Lockheed Martin. He also served as an officer in the United States Air Force working on satellite control and communications systems. Bob is a fantastic addition to the Sentient Energy team. His extensive background and leadership skills are exactly the expertise needed as we grow our investment in Sentient Energy, expand the customer base, scale internationally and continue to develop world-class solutions, said Dave Dotson, President for Koch Engineered Solutions. With the electrification of everything, the opportunities for us to continue to grow are tremendous. Bringing in a proven leader to leverage the strong foundation of Sentient Energy and take us to the next level will help accelerate to market the inherent potential at Sentient Energy and leverage the synergies and capabilities at Koch. Im looking forward to working with Bob as we grow Sentient Energy and further provide our utility customers with next-level intelligent grid solutions and service. Sentient Energy continues to grow and expand their business and team. In addition to Karschnias appointment as CEO, Sentient Energy announces the promotion of other team leaders and new leadership. Brett Stein has moved into the role of Vice President of North America Sales, Monica Murugesan has joined the team as Vice President of Product Management, and Giri Iyer takes over as Vice President of Business Development. Stein brings over 15 years of experience in customer focused roles in the electric utility space, including tenures at Honeywell and Novinium. Monika comes from SEL and has a wealth of electric utility and product knowledge in global arenas. Giri spent the last 12 months consulting Sentient Energy in its global expansion strategy and has several years of industry knowledge from companies such as GE and was awarded the GE Imagination Breakthrough Award four times. About Sentient Energy Sentient Energy, a Koch Engineered Solutions company, is the premier Intelligent Sensing Platform Provider for power utilities. Sentient Energy provides the industrys only Grid Analytics System that covers the entire distribution network with quickly-deployed intelligent sensors and analytics that identify and analyze potential faults and other grid events. Sentient Energy leads the market with the largest mesh network line sensor deployments in North America helping utilities deliver power reliably and safely. Sentient Energy partners with the majority of leading utility network communication providers. For more information visit www.sentient-energy.com. Copyright 2021 Sentient Energy Inc. All rights reserved. Sentient Energy Media Contact: Sarah Prinster sprinster@sentient-energy.com 415.726.8773 Behind the Walls I Spy: December 2020 by Sally Bjork From the January, 2021 issue London: Boris Johnson's top health adviser concedes there is a "small but real" worry that expanding the window between the first and second coronavirus vaccine jab could spawn a new mutant strain, as the number of infected Londoners surges to one in every 30 people. The government needs to vaccinate at least 2 million vulnerable people by mid-February to have a hope of ending a nationwide lockdown caused in part by a highly transmissible new variant that has sent infection rates soaring across Britain. New figures from the Office for National Statistics show 1 in 50 people in England had COVID-19 in the week between Christmas and the New Year. In London, where the new variant is raging, one in every 30 people were infected. "One in 50 is really quite a very large number indeed," said Chris Whitty, England's Chief Medical Officer. People across China mourned Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice who helped feed millions. Following the death of the iconic agronomist on Saturday, cities across the nation held memorial ceremonies. People lined up in rain to bid farewell to the scientist at the Mingyangshan funeral home in Changsha, where a service took place on Monday. Flowers were also laid in places Yuan had studied and worked May 25, 2021 06:22 PM Huntington, WV (25701) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A Laois nursing home needs more support from the HSE to keep a significant Covid-19 outbreak under control which claimed the life of one of its residents this week. The elderly local woman died at the Droimnin Nursing Home where a substantial number of residents and staff have tested positive for Covid-19 after an outbreak swept through the facility in Stradbally in less than a week. Gearoid Brennan is the General Manager of the Droimnin Nursing Home. He confirmed that the first case was detected on December 29 with many subsequent cases testing positive since then. He confirmed that a female resident passed away after contracting the virus. The manager said a substantial number of its residents have contracted the virus but most do not have symptoms. The facility is home to 65 men and women. Many staff have also had to self-isolate after either testing positive or being a close contact. "We have a significant number of positive cases and staff are also affected. It has put us under a lot of pressure. We are part of a broader group (Brookhaven Nursing Homes) and all the resources are being made available to do everything we possibly can to protect residents and keep them safe," he said. Mr Brennan said management is meeting twice daily to support the director of nursing, Deirdre O'Callaghan and her team. He said the group has reached out to the HSE for support. "We are meeting regularly with the HSE's Covid-19 Outbreak Team in an effort to get resources from wherever we can to support the team in Stradbally. The HSE has sent in one nurse and a health care assistant and a maintenance person but we need more. Four of our nurses were positive and that leaves a significant hole. "At a time like this, you have to put on additional resources because the nursing demands grow. We are literally trawling the country with agencies to get staff but we do have it under control. It is ongoing and is challenging but we are doing everything we possibly can to protect our residents," he said. Mr Brennan said there are 65 residents in the home all of whom have now been isolated. About 40 residents have contracted the virus but most do not have symptoms. Some 20 staff have tested positive to date. "All residents and families are being communicated with by the director of nursing on a daily basis. They are aware of the situation and the measures being taken. It is under control," he said. He added that there are special isolation units within the home but these areas have had to be expanded to ensure that residents who have not contracted the disease are cared for separately. The Stradbally home is part of a group that runs five facilities in Laois, Kilkenny, Galway, Mayo and Dublin. There hare been a number of outbreaks at nursing homes or long term residential nursing homes in Laois. Covid-19 claimed the lives of nine people at the HSE run Maryborough Centre in Portlaoise over Easter 2020 during the first wave. An unspecified number of residents of the Kilminchy Lodge Nursing Home in Portlaoise also died during an outbreak during the second wave. Vaccination is due to begin at care homes in Laois by the middle of January. It's reported that the Laois schedule is as follows: Kilminchy Lodge Nursing Home, Portlaoise 12/01/2021 Community Nursing Unit Abbeyleix - 13/01/2021 St. Brigid's Hospital, Shaen - 14/01/2021 St Vincent's Community Nursing Unit, Mountmellick, 15/01/2021 Droimnin Nursing Home, Portlaoise - 19/01/2021 Ballard Nursing Home, Stradbally - 21/01/2021 Nearby homes include: Oakdale Nursing Home, Portarlington, Co Offaly -29/01/2021 St. Vincent's Hospital, Athy, Co Kildare - 14/01/2021 Brookhaven Nursing Home, Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny, 15/01/2021 St Fiacc's House, Graiguecullen - 26/01/2021 Given the possibility that millions of doses could expire at the current pace, some public health experts argue that localities should be less restrictive. In Israel, which has vaccinated 15 percent of its population, more than 100,000 young adults have received surplus doses that otherwise would have gone to waste, as Billy Binion points out in Reason. The District of Columbias health department has earned praise for taking a similar approach, instructing health care providers to give extra doses on the verge of expiring to anyone who will take them. Right now, every shot in an arm is a win, Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said this week. States are still figuring out who should do the vaccinating and where To date, most vaccines have been given to nursing home residents and health care workers at hospitals and clinics. But once vaccines become more widely available, the federal government plans to rely on some 40,000 pharmacies to vaccinate the broader population. This arrangement is likely to be inefficient, Dr. Jha argues. The current strategy allows for every clinic, hospital and pharmacy to be a vaccination site, which translates into tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of sites across the nation, he writes in The Washington Post. It would be simpler and easier to take a more streamlined approach, with the federal government working with states to focus resources on a more limited number of sites, providing more direct logistical support to each instead of leaving them to fend for themselves. Mr. de Blasio seems poised to take that approach in New York City, which promises to open three new vaccination hubs this weekend that would offer shots around the clock and seven days a week. To staff such sites, the country should recruit an army of vaccinators, argues Dr. Leana Wen, a visiting professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health. It makes no sense to have already exhausted hospital workers take on the job of vaccinating their communities, she writes in The Washington Post. Instead, we should be enlisting community health workers, retired health professionals, and medical, nursing and dental students. (TNS) As the year and legislative session come to a close, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law legislation creating a police accountability and oversight system under which officers need to be certified every three years and can lose their certification for violating to-be-developed policing standards.As the country reacted to the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers this summer, policing reform was catapulted to the top of Beacon Hill's priority list and lawmakers set out on what would become a complicated, circuitous and, at times, controversial path to address police violence and some of the disproportionate impacts communities of color experience from law enforcement, and to bolster the state's oversight of police officers.Seven months later, after heated debates, public outcry from police unions, back-room negotiations, a veto threat, and more negotiations, Baker made the reforms state law."This bill is the product of bipartisan cooperation and thanks to the Black and Latino Caucus' leadership on the hugely important issue of law enforcement accountability, Massachusetts will have one of the best laws in the nation," Baker said. "Police officers have enormously difficult jobs and we are grateful they put their lives on the line every time they go to work. Thanks to final negotiations on this bill, police officers will have a system they can trust and our communities will be safer for it."At the heart of the new law is the creation of the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission as an independent state entity with the power to establish policing standards, certify law enforcement officers, investigate allegations of misconduct, and suspend or revoke the certification of officers who are found by clear and convincing evidence to have violated its standards.The duties of the state's existing municipal police training committee will remain under the administration's Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the result of a compromise intended to ensure the governor would sign the bill.The so-called POST Commission will be composed mostly of civilians the governor will appoint a police chief, a retired Superior Court judge and a social worker chosen from a list of five nominations submitted by the local chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; the attorney general will appoint a law enforcement officer below the rank of sergeant, a law enforcement officer chosen from five nominations by the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, and an attorney selected from five nominations from the Civil Rights and Social Justice Section Council of the Massachusetts Bar Association; and the governor and attorney general will jointly appoint three others, one of whom must be chosen from five names recommended by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination."There's no other supervisory board in the country like this one with the extent of power that it has to monitor, to directly discipline and to hear complaints directly," Sen. Will Brownsberger, a Belmont Democrat who negotiated the compromise version, said in late November. "It's a majority civilian board. Almost all of the rest of the boards in the country are all law enforcement, so this is a very, very strong innovation."The Massachusetts Coalition of Police, which represents 4,300 uniformed law enforcement officers in the state, opposed much of the bill and said that Baker signing it would represent him "changing the police profession in Massachusetts forever." MassCOP said, "a lack of proper examination and study into a number of crucial portions of this bill will result in collateral damage that will have a negative impact on many of our communities."The law puts some guardrails around law enforcement's use of force, prohibiting the use of chokeholds, requiring the use of de-escalation tactics before physical force, and establishing limits on the use of rubber bullets, tear gas and dogs. It also requires that an officer intervene in most situations if he or she sees another officer using unnecessary physical force and to report that use of force up the chain of command.It also explicitly bans law enforcement agencies from engaging in racial profiling and restricts the use of no-knock warrants by requiring that they be issued by a judge only if the requesting affidavit includes probable cause that the life of the officer or the life of another person would be endangered if the officer announced themselves and includes an attestation from the requesting officer that there is no reason to believe minor children or adults older than 65 are present in the home."This is a landmark decision that begins to address the inequities that we have seen in our police institutions for a long time," Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, who chairs the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus and was one of the six conference committee members who negotiated the final product, said. "Like everybody has said, one bill is not going to address every issue, but we are confident that this bill starts to begin the process of holding police accountable in a transparent way and having an independent body investigate police misconduct when and if it occurs."When lawmakers initially sent the bill to Baker, it called for a ban on almost all law enforcement use of facial recognition systems, only allowing police to ask the Registry of Motor Vehicles to perform a search with a warrant or if there is "an emergency involving immediate danger of death or serious physical injury."The governor threatened a veto over concerns about that prohibition and other aspects of the legislative compromise, and lawmakers soon scaled back the facial recognition prohibition to allow police to perform facial recognition searches to assist with criminal cases or to mitigate "substantial risk of harm" after submitting a written request to the RMV, Massachusetts State Police, or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.A legislative commission, including members from both civil rights groups and police agencies, will also study the topic of facial recognition and make recommendations for additional regulations by the end of 2021.The new law also includes provisions Baker outlined about a year ago when he proposed a series of reforms around the State Police, including the authority for a governor to appoint someone from outside the MSP ranks as colonel of the force and the creation of a cadet program as an alternate route to the State Police Academy that the administration believes can diversify the pool of recruits.Though not specific to the State Police, it also establishes a fine of three times the fraudulently-earned wages or imprisonment of up to two years for any law enforcement officer who knowingly submits a fraudulent timesheet. Nearly 50 active or retired troopers who patrolled the Massachusetts Turnpike as part of the since-dissolved Troop E were implicated in an overtime fraud scheme in which they collected pay for shifts they did not work or did not finish roughly from 2015 to 2017.Ahead of the Senate's final vote on the package, Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz said that there were "a lot of mixed emotions" about the package and suggested that some matters not resolved could return for more discussion in the 2021-2022 legislative session that begins next week."There is a lot of mourning that I and others are doing for the things not included in this bill," she said. "But at the end of the day, when I zoom out and I look at what this bill accomplishes relative to what anyone would have expected twelve months ago or six months ago or even six days ago, there is a ton in this bill that is really going to set a new standard for the national policy landscape on police accountability that could potentially ripple through the other forty-nine states."On Thursday, after Baker signed the bill into law, Chang-Diaz said, "This law represents a mile-marker, not an end." Washington: US President Donald Trump has urged Vice-President Mike Pence to intervene to help him secure a second term when the US Congress meets this week to certify the election results. At a campaign rally that was ostensibly held to boost Republican turnout in two crucial Senate contests in Georgia on Wednesday (AEDT), Trump spent much of his time repeating false claims of voter fraud in the November election and misleadingly telling supporters he has a realistic shot of remaining president after January 20. Donald Trump's campaign rally in Georgia may be the last he holds before leaving the White House on January 20. Credit:AP "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you," Trump told the crowd in Dalton, Georgia, on Tuesday (AEDT). "I hope that our great Vice-President comes through for us ... Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much." INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Announces Investigation of QuantumScape Corporation (QS) on Behalf of Investors Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces an investigation on behalf of QuantumScape Corporation ("QuantumScape" or the "Company") (NYSE: QS) investors concerning the Company's possible violations of federal securities laws. On January 4, 2021, Seeking Alpha published an article pointing to several risks with QuantumScape's solid state batteries that make it "completely unacceptable for real world field electric vehicles." Specifically, it stated that the battery's power means it "will only last for 260 cycles or about 75,000 miles of aggressive driving." As solid-state batteries are temperaturesensitive, "the power and cycle tests at 30 and 45 degrees above would have been significantly worse if run even a few degrees lower." On this news, QuantumScape's stock price fell $34.49, or approximately 40.84%, to close at $49.96 per share on January 4, 2021, thereby injuring investors. If you purchased QuantumScape securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005848/en/ Last week, Argentina became the first Latin America country to legalize abortion. The Senate approved the bill two years after it rejected a similar effort two years ago. The bill allows women to legally end pregnancies for any reason up to 14 weeks. After that, it makes exceptions for rape and the health of the women. It also makes abortions free in public hospitals. Also home of the first Latin American pope, Argentinas Catholic population has declined in recent years according to a study from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council. In 2019, around 63 percent of the population identified as Catholic, a 13 percent point drop since 2008. The two growing religious groups: evangelicals, who now make up 15 percent of the population, and the nones, or those who dont identify with any faith, who are now at 19 percent. Josue Fernandez is based in Argentina and serves as the regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Overseas Council, a ministry of United World Mission that works to train and educate church leaders around the world by partnering with local seminaries. He has helped pastor Christian and Missionary Alliance congregations in Buenos Aires and Queens. He is also the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean for GATE, a ministry which supports seminary faculty members. Fernandez joined global media manager Morgan Lee and editorial director Ted Olsen on this weeks episode to discuss the religious future of Argentina, the type of influence the church has on the region at large, and the events that have led to the dramatic decline of the Catholic Church. What is Quick to Listen? Read more Rate Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow our hosts on Twitter: Morgan Lee and Ted Olsen Music by Sweeps Quick to Listen is produced by Morgan Lee and Matt Linder The transcript is edited by Bunmi Ishola Highlights from Quick to Listen: Episode 246 What makes Argentina very similar to other Latin American countries and what makes it very unique from the others? Josue Fernandez: Well, with the similarities, theres the language and historyalmost all Latin American countries have Hispanic traditions. Most of our countries were conquered by Spain, and then most of them had to fight for freedom. So that is something very common between Argentina and the rest of the countries in Latin America. The Latino culture is another very important thing that we share with other countries in Latin American, and, of course, religionmost of our countries have a Roman Catholic background in terms of religion that came with the Spaniard conquest. Our history has some uniqueness in the sense that most of our population is integrated by immigration. I mean, you can easily divide Argentina geographically according to the immigration waves that came from Europe. If you go to the northeast of Argentina, you will find people from Germany, Holland, Switzerland, those kinds of countries. Then if you go to the northwest of Argentina, there's a strong influence from the indigenous group from Bolivia, the Syrian-Lebanese immigration, and Jewish immigration. When you go to the center of Argentina, Spanish and Italian influence is strong, and when you go to the south, you have Wales and British influence. So Argentina is very diverse in terms of its immigration background. The other thing is the fact that geopolitically- and culturally-speaking, Argentina has always looked to Europe. Most of the rest of the countries in Latin America look to the US., to North America, but for Argentinians, Europe is the idealFrance especially. The French culture has had a lot of influence on Argentina culturally-speaking. Many Argentinians dream about moving to Europe, and many of them are living up there. Article continues below Argentina is also a country that has a very strong European influence from the production perspective. It is very strong in terms of its industrial development and agriculture. Just to give you an example, we produce our own cars. We don't import cars. If you go to any other country in Latin America, you will mostly find cars imported from Japan and Korea, but in our case, most of our cars are built here in Argentina. So then that speaks to something very unique about our country. You mentioned the amazing cultural diversity in Argentina. Was the Catholic church something that helped unified everyone in that diversity? Josue Fernandez: At one point in history, yes. But it's interesting that in some areas of the country, like the northeast and the south, the Protestant church also has had a lot of influence. Theres been a significant drop-off of Argentinians identifying as Catholic, however, data has also shown that the identification as Catholic didnt match church attendance anyway. Have the Protestants had a similar issue of people identifying, but not necessarily attending church and practicing their faith? Josue Fernandez: Well, one thing is that when you talk about evangelicals in Latin America, you have to understand that almost 90% of evangelicals in Latin America are Pentecostal charismatic. So one of the characteristics, especially of Pentecostals, is that they're high commitment with the church, high commitment with the values of the church, high commitment with the beliefs of the church, commitment with the mission of the church. So considering your question from that perspective, you find that most evangelicals are regular attendants to church. Probably in the last year that has changed. I don't have numbers to prove that, but when I see my own church, I can tell you that. I mean, we have 1,200 people as members. Probably 700 of them attend regularly. But in the case of the Catholic church, in 2008 research made by the government showed that only 9% of Catholics attend church regularly. And that research showed that most Catholics didn't agree with the beliefs, the values, and the teachings of the church, especially when you consider issues like abortion, homosexuality, and things like that. As more Argentinians identify as Protestant or evangelical, are they typically coming straight from being practicing Catholics, or do they tend to have held a loose association or from the Catholic side? Do you tend to see people move from strong believer to strong believer or are more coming from that none space? Josue Fernandez: I would say most of them have lost any kind of connection with the Catholic church. They have experienced some kind of deception with the church, they have not found what they were looking for in the church, so they decided to abandon the church but then they find themselves in need of something spiritual or they have a problem in which they need help. And in some cases, the Catholic church has not been responsive to that, so they try the evangelical church. According to some research, people said that they found somebody that listened to them. And they also found that evangelical services are more appealing, [people feel that] they can participate. So those are the aspects that have moved people from the Catholic church. I mean, not be now situation to be involved with the church. The Catholic abuse scandal has played a role in really disillusioning people in countries like Ireland and the US. Was the abuse scandal as large in Argentina as it was in other parts of the world? Josue Fernandez: It has had some impact, but that has not been the main one. Historically speaking one of the challenges that the Catholic church has faced is the relationship with the political world. In many cases, the authorities in the Catholic church found themselves making commitments or agreements with political factions in the country political factions that committed crimes and committed abuses. Article continues below From 1978 to 1983, we had a military coup and a military government that had many cases of abuse, and it is known that the Catholic church supported that, even many priests were involved in the illegal detention camps that the army had in different parts of the country. So I would say that the abuse scandals had some weight, but most has been the political involvement of the Catholic church with different political factions. I mean, even Pope Francis [before his appointment], his position during the military government was not that strong, and many people in Argentina expected more from him during that time. Did his appointment to Pope have any influence on the growth or vitality of the Catholic church? Josue Fernandez: At the beginning, we saw it with very positive eyes, and we thought a renewal is coming to the Catholic church in Argentina. Even we evangelicals celebrated that. And there were very positive signs at the beginning, but after a few months, that was diluted and it's like everything came back to what it used to be. I have been reading some statistics about this historical decline of the Catholic church in Latin America, and when Pope Francis was appointed, everybody said that decline was going to stop, but the latest statistics show that it has not affected at all. So the decline continues, and the statistics show that Brazil, in the coming years, is going to be the first country that the evangelicals are going to be the majority. One of the major Pentecostal church groups in Brazil is The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which is very prosperity-gospel leaning and has other teachings other evangelicals would not be very positive about. Is there a lot of crossover between the Brazilian Pentecostals and prosperity gospel groups and Argentinian ones? Or does the Brazilian-Portuguese culture and the Argentinian-Latin culture keep that from happening? Josue Fernandez: There are big similarities. And that particular church is not the only one in Brazil of this kind, and it is growing here in Argentina. It is growing very fast. We evangelicals tend to question their teachings and beliefs, but their approach in terms of getting closer to people's needs is very important because they respond to what people are looking for. Our countries are hit by poverty, by misery, and people are trying to find their way to get out of that. And suddenly on TV, you have somebody preaching to you about how to get out of that, how to change, how to live a different life. You can stop being poorthat's a strong message. I have traveled all over Latin America, I have been in Haiti, I have been in Jamaicaone of the poorest countries in the regionand you find these groups preaching there. Why do these groups have big churches here in these poor countries? Because they preach about something that people are desperate for: We want to stop being poor. Give us how we can get out of this misery. It's not that I support what they teach or that I agree with them, but their message is very strong and appealing to a society that is suffering from poverty, from [lack of] justice, and from oppression. In the case of the evangelical church, the approach is more holistic. They preach about how God can help you get out of your situation, but also the evangelical church is highly involved in social efforts to relieve peoplefeeding children, feeding the poor, providing job opportunities, trying to help people start businesses, helping women who are abused, things like that. Article continues below How do evangelicals in Argentina engage in politics? Has their level of involvement changed over time? And what are evangelicals in Latin America being influenced with regarding their political support? Are they looking to American or European evangelicals for their models on how to handle politics? Josue Fernandez: Well, political involvement in Argentina is new in the sense of occupying government seats or being involved with political parties. This is new, but it's growing. What has happened is that the political parties in Argentina in the last yearsI would say in the last 10 yearshave discovered the growth of the evangelical church. So what they have decided to do is to start coming to the local evangelical churches, knocking on doors, and trying to start some kind of relationship. More in terms of if you join us, if you support us, we will provide you. If you have a feeding program for street children, we will provide you with help for that. If you need to continue the construction of your church, we will provide you with this or that so you can complete your building. So the political parties are trying to find strategies to expand their influence. So they have seen how the evangelical church is growing and how they need to approach them to gain support. So what I would say is that the influence of the evangelical church is not more in terms of what the political parties or the political powers do, but more in terms of gaining support from the political parties to continue doing what they are doing. In the introduction, we mentioned that there was a bill that had tried to legalize abortion a couple of years ago and it had failed. Can you give us a little bit more context on how long pro-choice advocates have been trying to push for this law and why you think it passed this time? Josue Fernandez: Well, as you can imagine, this is a difficult issue for me to speak about. You are asking me about this question at a moment that I am feeling high levels of disappointment, of course. As you can imagine, but Ill try to be as objective as possible with my response and my thinking because you deserve that. Abortion has been a big issue for many years. This is not new. On many occasions, this same bill was at Congress, but it didn't pass. What is the difference between then and now? Has become a more serious situation in Argentina? No, it has not changed in terms of how many women are dying by abortion. What has changed is the political atmosphere. We are now under a populous government, and this populous government found abortion was a way for them to get more political support from some highly politically involved groups. That's why our president, when he was in his campaign in 2017, promised that this abortion bill was going to be one of his priorities. So behind all of this is a lot of political opportunity and financial opportunity. Of course, with that, you will have the decline of the influence of the church in what people believe. People have developed their own thinking towards issues like abortion or any others. So that's also an aspect to consider behind this. And isnt there also a growing feminist movement in the country? Josue Fernandez: Yes, that's very strong. I mean, it's not a big group, but this group has found a very important seat in the agenda of our government at this moment. Many of the feminist leaders are government officials. If you can read all the decisions that the government made in the first year, the feminist movement is having a lot of influence. I mean, we haven't seen this in the last 20, 25 years in Argentina. Just in two years, it's amazing that what they have come conquered in our country. Article continues below What are some of the new issues that pastors in Argentina are having to deal with in terms of pastoral care or in terms of theology that are unique to the country? Josue Fernandez: Let me start by saying the evangelical church in generaland probably this is the case of the Catholic churchthey have had problems understanding that Argentina is a highly educated country. We have very strong university centers all over the country. Many people from all over the continent come here to study at our universities. At the same time, most of our universities are controlled by humanistic thinking. So that means that every time that you think about doing ministry, either evangelical or Catholic church, you have to understand that if you want to reach this educated society, you need to be prepared to do that. If you want to reach the people that influence the country, the highly educated people, you cannot do what the universal church does because this group, this part of the society, they don't feel appeal by a gospel that is only talking about healing and prosperity. They are looking for something more elaborate, more sophisticated, from an intellectual perspective. So pastors in Argentina face that challenge. The evangelical church faces that challenge because historically our message has been appealing to the poor in the society and not those that are highly educated and probably highly influential in the country. So the main challenge that the evangelical church faces is how to develop the kind of message that would really reach the areas of society that really need to find purpose or significance for their lives but also need to be approached with a different kind of lens. What type of religious expressions, communities, and faiths are Argentinas young people attracted to? Josue Fernandez: It depends. It has a relationship with the question that we were talking about before. The young educated have the tendency to be out of the church. Those that are not educated, most of them tend to be involved with the church. Thats why we have university campus Christian movements, trying to reach young people inside the university campus for Christ because, in general terms, the youth that are educated tend to be more humanistic and they don't attend churches like the ones that are not educated. How would you encourage our listeners to pray for the church in Argentina? Josue Fernandez: I think that the church in Argentina needs to come back to discipleship, to understand what is real transformation. Of course, we are doing ministry among people that have a lot of financial problems, family problems, and all of thatand I know and agree that we have to address that people are sick, people are drug addicts, involved with violence and crime and all of thatbut also, we need to come back to real discipleship and lead people to become like Christ. The second thing is that the Lord help the church in Argentina to understand what transformation means in terms of society? You were asking me about the political involvement of the evangelical church. Well, I think that the church in Argentina has not understood very well the meaning of being an influence and an element of transformation in society without compromising your beliefs or compromising what you think. The gospel of Jesus Christ in itself has the power to produce transformation in a society and the evangelical church in Argentina needs to understand that and come back to that. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close But what is driving the Republican descent into darkness? Is it a populist backlash against elites? Its true that theres resentment over a changing economy that has boosted highly educated metropolitan areas at the expense of rural and small-town America; Trump received 46 percent of the vote, but the counties he won represented only 29 percent of Americas economic output. Theres also a lot of white backlash over the nations growing racial diversity. The past two months have, however, been an object lesson in the extent to which grass roots anger is actually being orchestrated from the top. If a large part of the Republican base believes, groundlessly, that the election was stolen, its because thats what leading figures in the party have been saying. Now politicians are citing widespread skepticism about the election results as a reason to reject the outcome but they themselves conjured that skepticism out of thin air. And whats striking if you look into the background of the politicians stoking resentment against elites is how privileged many of them are. Josh Hawley, the first senator to declare that he would object to certification of the election results, rails against elites but is himself a graduate of Stanford and Yale Law School. Cruz, now leading the effort, has degrees from Princeton and Harvard. The point isnt that theyre hypocrites; it is that these arent people who have been mistreated by the system. So why are they so eager to bring the system down? I dont think its just cynical calculation, a matter of playing to the base. As I said, the base is in large part taking its cues from the party elite. And the craziness of that elite doesnt seem to be purely an act. My best guess is that were looking at a party that has gone feral that has been cut off from the rest of society. People have compared the modern G.O.P. to organized crime or a cult, but to me, Republicans look more like the lost boys in Lord of the Flies. They dont get news from the outside world, because they get their information from partisan sources that simply dont report inconvenient facts. They dont face adult supervision, because in a polarized political environment there are few competitive races. [January 05, 2021] PKF Texas Promotes Three New Directors Pannell Kerr Forster of Texas, P.C. (PKF Texas) is pleased to announce three team members' promotions to Director: Nicole Riley, CPA, CFE, Audit Director Chris Dodd, CPA, Tax Director Emily Smikal, CPA, Tax Director These promotions were effective as of January 1, 2021. "We couldn't be prouder of Nicole, Chris and Emily for achieving this career goal, and we appreciate their contributions and commitment to the firm," said Byron Hebert, CPA, CTP, Chief Growth Officer. "As they've advanced in their careers at PKF Texas, their hard work has played a role in the firm's success. The Directors here at PKF Texas are looking forward to their leadership and input as we continue to grow the firm." Riley joined the firm in 2014 and leads PKF Texas' growing not-for-profit practice. She has over 10 years of experience performing financial statement audits and providing consulting services to her clients. Additionally, she frequently speaks on a variety of topics in the marketplace, as well s contributing valuable articles on a variety of topics including management of not-for-profit organizations. Dodd's career at PKF Texas started in 2009, where he has developed considerable experience in a variety of industries, including private equity-backed companies, energy and oilfield services, professional services, and owner-managed businesses. Smikal started her career in 2009 at PKF Texas, and her experience covers a variety of tax areas with a focus on serving high net-worth individuals, family and middle market enterprise clients and their owners, as well as not-for-profit organizations. She also leads PKF Texas' position as the accounting firm for the Aggie 100. About Pannell Kerr Forster of Texas, P.C. (PKF Texas) PKF Texas is a premier middle-market CPA firm in Houston, with a 35-year history focused on assisting entrepreneurial-minded businesses. We provide services in audit, accounting, domestic and international tax, entrepreneurial advisory, outsource and co-source accountancy, profit enhancement, employee benefit plan audits, fraud and forensics, internal audit and internal controls, state and local tax, incentives and credits to emerging and middle market companies across many industries. Through PKF International and the Leading Edge Alliance, we have access to worldwide resources. To learn more, visit www.pkftexas.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005753/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced 10 outstanding events that make their mark on the sectors success in 2020. 1. Breakthroughs in international integration: Many initiatives initiated by the industry and trade sector during 2020s Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship have been effectively deployed. Vietnam signed, negotiated and successfully implemented several important trade agreements (FTAs). International integration was an important highlight of the sector in 2020. Never before, just within a year, has Vietnam has joined three FTAs, including the Vietnam - European Union (EU) Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Vietnam - UK Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), bringing the total FTAs that Vietnam has joined to 15 and opening the largest external market ever. 2. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, exports maintained positive growth; the trade surplus reached a record high, and was maintained for the fifth consecutive year. Vietnam's exports have reached most world markets. Many products have gradually gained a strong foothold and improved their competitiveness in many markets with high quality requirements such as the EU, Japan, the US and Australia. By 2020, Vietnam had 31 export markets with a turnover of over US$1 billion, of which, five markets have a turnover of over US$10 billion and eight over US$5 billion. 3. Trade defence has achieved outstanding results, contributing to effectively protecting the rights and interests of Vietnam as it joined new generation FTAs. In 2020, the number of new trade defence investigations for Vietnamese exports reached its highest level with 39 cases, an increase of 2.5 times compared to 2019. The Ministry of Industry and Trade strived to effectively handle such cases, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnam's manufacturing and export industries. So far, Vietnam has successfully taken 65 cases, helping many businesses and export products continue to enjoy 0% or very low tax rates (including some agricultural products and seafood), while maintaining export growth, especially to major markets such as the US, EU and Canada. 4. Market management witnessed breakthroughs after reorganising the market management force, contributing to improving market control efficiency. After two years of reorganisation, the market management force has proven its effective operation in the fight against counterfeiting, contraband goods, and commercial fraud, as well as detecting and handling violations. 5. The processing and manufacturing industry overcame difficulties, continuing to rise strongly, and playing an important driving role in the country's economic growth. In 2020, Vietnamese industries were heavily hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, but the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for the whole year is still expected to increase by about 4%. For the whole 2016-2020 period, the average IIP of the whole sector increased by 8.1%, higher than the 2011-2015 period (7.3%). Industrial restructuring is becoming more practical with a clear and positive shift in the right direction. 6. Oil and gas exploration and exploitation achieved positive results. On November 16, the first gas stream from the Sao Vang - Dai Nguyet gas field was landed, with an annual output of about 1.5 billion m3 of gas and 2.8 million barrels of crude oil and condensate. In July 2020, the 114-Ken Bau-2X well was completed at a depth of 3,690 m below sea level with the discovery of sizeable oil and gas reserves at 7-9 trillion cubic feet, contributing to the completion of the plan to increase oil and gas reserves in 2020. With the discovery, it is expected the Ken Bau gas field can be put into operation during the 2025-2030 period, contributing to ensuring national energy security. 7. The domestic market was strengthened and maintained, laying a firm fulcrum for production to overcome difficulties, recover and develop, contributing to the realisation of the Government's dual goals of "fighting COVID-19 while boosting socio-economic development. Right from the beginning of the epidemic outbreak in Vietnam, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has identified and proactively instructed and coordinated with localities to store goods and respond to all different levels of the diseases development, helping stabilise the market and ensure the adequate supply of essential goods to serve people's demands in all situations, especially when the epidemic was particularly complicated. 8. Strongly renovating trade promotion, implementing a new hybrid model of trade promotion combining both online and offline forms, helping domestic businesses remotely access international partners amid COVID-19. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has used information technology applications and social networks to create regular and fast connections amongst the system of Vietnamese trade agencies in foreign countries, business associations, domestic trade promotion organisations, enterprises, supplier and exporters. Through this connection network, hundreds of thousands of businesses across the country have been supported in seeking outlets for their exports. 9. E-commerce transforms, promotes efficiency, creates new impetus for economic growth. Amid the difficulties caused by COVID-19, e-commerce has become a key strategic activity of many businesses, helping them develop safe new distribution channels. The e-commerce sector has witnessed explosive growth right after border trade was reconnected. In particular, Vietnam Online Shopping Day 2020 recorded over 113 million views and consumer interactions on Online Friday's web platforms. The market recorded 3.7 million orders in 60 hours, up 267% over the same period last year. 10. Administrative reform, simplifying business investment procedures, building e-Government constantly reformed. In 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade continued to be the pioneer in completing the reduction of business conditions by submitting to the Government for promulgation Decree No. 17/2020/N-CP, thereby reducing and simplifying 205 business conditions under the State management function of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. After only two adjustments cutting and simplifying business investment conditions, the ministry reduced and simplified a total of 880 conditions out of the total 1,216 (accounting for 70%). Up to the present time, the number of business investment conditions under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade remains at 553 belonging to the 25 conditional business lines set in the Investment Law. Nhan Dan Top 10 economic events of Viet Nam in 2020 Vietnam being among the few countries to post GDP growth and the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement in 2020 are among the top 10 domestic economic events in the year. ATHENS, Ga., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- moveBuddha.com, a moving company booking website, released new data showing 74.8% of people who moved to Georgia in the past nine months relocated from counties that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election. Between March 11Nov. 23, 2020, moveBuddha assisted 4,474 people with their move to Georgia. 74.8% of residents relocated from counties that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election. Ryan Carrigan, co-founder and CEO of moveBuddha.com, said, "Thousands of Americans are leaving expensive and largely Democrat cities in search of more affordable and less crowded regions. Georgia has been a top state on the receiving end of this change, and it also seems to be affecting the state's politics." The data also showed the top three contributing states for new Georgia residents are California (15.6%), Florida (9.7%), and New York (8%), which replaced Georgia's typical inbound migrations from Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina. The full data set, including county-level data and further analysis, can be found at this link: https://www.movebuddha.com/blog/georgia-runoff-pandemic-migrations/ About moveBuddha.com: moveBuddha.com is one of the largest moving company booking websites in the United States. The company was founded in 2015 and is best known for its Moving Cost Calculator online quoting tool and Should I Move For Work? decision tool. For any and all questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Ryan Carrigan (full contact info below). Media Contact: Ryan Carrigan Co-founder/CEO 320 E Clayton St, Suite 508 Athens, GA 30601 https://www.movebuddha.com 706-249-9101 [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg Related Links Full report Moving Cost Calculator SOURCE moveBuddha.com One woman is dead after an argument ended in a shooting at a Southwest Side residence. Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, San Antonio police were called to the 100 block of Seashell Place where they found a woman in her 20s with a gunshot wound to the head. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The UKs music festival landscape faces a grave future if the 2021 season is cancelled, organisers have warned. Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchesters Parklife, said workers would permanently transition to other industries and smaller festivals would disappear in the wake of more cancellations amid Covid-19. Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair held on the Matterley Estate near Winchester said large and grassroots music events would be in absolutely dire straits financially if restrictions remained by summer. Steve @BrineMP: What will happen to festival sector if events don't go ahead in 2021?@Sacha_Lord: Freelancers/supply chains will be wiped out and sector won't be able to rebuild. Plus wider impact: @Parklifefest puts A60m in local economy & A100k to good causes. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (@CommonsDCMS) January 5, 2021 They were speaking to MPs examining the plight of music festivals in the UK after Covid-19 restrictions led to widespread cancellations in 2020, including Glastonbury and TRNSMT. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee was looking at how Government policy could support festivals due to take place this coming summer. Lord, who is also a night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said coronavirus had absolutely decimated his festival, its suppliers and freelance staff. Parklife festival, which attracts some 75,000 attendees annually, has been delayed until September 2021 and more than 250 artists and suppliers have already been booked. If we have got another year like 2020, we have got serious problems, Lord said of the risk involved in making those commitments. Expand Close Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair (Parliament TV/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair (Parliament TV/PA) Wade, whose festival had some 40 full-time employee before Covid-19, told MPs: In terms of Boomtown, it is a very similar story as it is for all festivals and events up and down the country. We were absolutely decimated as well. We were first to really shut down and will probably be one of the last to reopen as well. Some 4.9 million people attended a festival in the UK in 2018, with festivals estimated to have generated 1.76 billion in gross value added last year. And industry bodies including UK Music and the Help Musicians charity have touted festivals as an essential stepping stone for future stars in developing an audience. Wade said there was no silver bullet that would guarantee a 2021 festival season but called on the Government to set a date for its return and provide financial support including extended VAT holidays. Expand Close Parklife festival in Manchester (Katja Ogrin/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Parklife festival in Manchester (Katja Ogrin/PA) Lord, who is also co-founder of the Warehouse Project superclub in Manchester, said the UK risked falling behind Europe if action was not taken. Absolutely, and I think that was happening pre-Covid anyway, he said. The likes of Portugal, Germany, Malta, Croatia they were all coming on board. He also warned that mass testing and vaccination was the only way forward. He told MPs Social distancing does not work at any of these events. Its a festival. You just cannot put social distancing in place, so we are anticipating that we will be operating at 100%. In a second session, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive of the trade body UK Music, called on the Government to help boost confidence in festivals and encourage punters back. He also warned there could be a talent transfer as musicians and crew look to Europe for work in 2021. Last month, Germany announced a 2.3 billion event cancellation fund and other countries have introduced measures to encourage festivals. Steve @BrineMP: What will happen to festival sector if events don't go ahead in 2021?@Sacha_Lord: Freelancers/supply chains will be wiped out and sector won't be able to rebuild. Plus wider impact: @Parklifefest puts A60m in local economy & A100k to good causes. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (@CommonsDCMS) January 5, 2021 Steve Heap, general secretary of the Association of Festival Organisers, said April was the latest festivals could decide to cancel. If we get as far as Easter and we still dont know that crowds can gather at festivals, however large or small, then we are in a catastrophic situation with this years season, he said. Paul Reed, the chief executive of the Association Of Independent Festivals, told the committee of MPs that festivals were rapidly approaching the determination point and some larger events would have to make a decision by the end of January. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis previously told fans to expect the Somerset event to make an announcement in the coming weeks. The inquiry will also consider the potential impact of festivals collapsing, on local communities, ticket-holders and suppliers, as well as the freelance workforce. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. PA remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Porterville, CA (93257) Today A mainly sunny sky. High 91F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low near 55F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Lets hope you read my column from last week, because otherwise this edition, carrying the answers to the fifth Fisher-Paulson after-Christmas trivia contest, will not make sense. And with that, here are this years answers: 1. San Francisco was the first American city to produce Nutcracker, in 1944. This is pretty much a gimme, as you had to know that San Francisco was gonna be the answer to at least one question. 2. If you added up all the gifts from all of the Twelve Days of Christmas, you would have 50 humans and 20 birds. My husband Brians answer, however, is 140 humans and 184 birds, and I have long ago learned he is always right. 3. Norville Shaggy Rogers, Daphne Blake, Fred Jones and Velma Dinkley are famous for solving mysteries with their canine sleuth Scooby Doo. 4. Of the four, Fred and Wilma Flintstone were the first couple to be seen in bed together in prime time, thus explaining Pebbles, but not little Ricky, Richie or Gloria. 5. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was the first novel to be written on a typewriter, written by fellow San Francisco journalist Mark Twain. His Royal was also apparently loyal. 6. One Thousand is the first number to include the letter A. Please do NOT send me an email countering with One Hundred and One. 7. Harold Francis Callahan is better known as Dirty Harry. If you want to test whether youre talking to a straight or gay man, simply say, Ive never seen Dirty Harry. Straight men will gasp, and one of them will challenge, Go ahead, make my day. The gay equivalent is probably All About Eve, which, if you grew up any time in the 20th century, was practically required viewing to get the gay card, but nowadays you dont even have to love The Wizard of Oz. 8. The Twin Peaks of San Francisco: The north peak is named Eureka and the southern peak is named Noe. To me, these names do not match. Eureka comes from the Greek for I have found it, and Jose de Jesus Noe was the last alcalde of Yerba Buena, the day before it became San Francisco. Incidentally, the Spanish settlers originally named Twin Peaks Los Pechos de la Choca, or the Breasts of the Maiden. 9. Apollo is the god with the same name in Greek and Roman mythology. 10. A spaghetto is a single strand of spaghetti. A single piece of graffiti, by the way, is a graffito. 11. There are 36 black keys on a traditional piano. Ive played all of them. 12. Seventeen U.S. presidents were elected twice. Twelve of them served exactly two consecutive full terms. 13. You dont want a koala at a murder scene because their fingerprints are so close to a humans that it would taint the evidence. In Australia, where they have very few butlers, the standard alibi is: The koala did it. 14. John F. Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic president. 15. Octavia was Charles Goughs sister; thus the two streets run parallel. If we ever rename the streets in the Outer, Outer, Outer, Outer Excelsior, you can be sure that Brother X and Brother Not X will not run parallel to the blue bungalow. 16. The painting La Gioconda is better known as the Mona Lisa. 17. Barack Obamas first job was scooping ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. Mitchells wasnt hiring that year. 18. 40 below is the only temperature that is the same in Fahrenheit and Celsius. 19. Every odd number contains the letter e. 20. Central Park covers 778 acres, whereas Golden Gate Park covers 1,017 acres. Thus, the quiz begins and ends with Frank, the best city in the world! Disclaimer: Again, these are my answers, not necessarily the right answers. Year One of this quiz, I said that there was only one cemetery in San Francisco, Mission San Francisco de Asis, only to get emails about the Presidio, only to learn four years later that theres a tiny pet cemetery near Crissy Field. For the record, the Fisher-Paulsons bury their bodies in the backyard. Kevin Fisher-Paulsons column appears Wednesdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com Finding new ways to detect cancer when it's still at an early stage offers the 'single biggest opportunity to save lives from the disease', says Cancer Research UK. One of those could be the breast cancer home screening device developed by 23-year-old Judit Giro Benet, a biomedical engineer. The Blue Box, which can detect early signs of the disease in just 40 minutes, caught the attention of billionaire inventor Sir James Dyson who recently awarded Judit a 30,000 prize for her device, which, he said, could 'solve a very real problem' and 'benefit many people'. While breast cancer has better survival rates than many others 85 per cent of women will be alive five years or more after diagnosis compared with 19 per cent of those with lung cancer only about 40 per cent of the 55,200 new breast cancer diagnoses in the UK each year are at the earliest stage (stage 1) Costing 60 to make, it uses a urine sample and an artificial intelligence algorithm to screen for chemicals called metabolites which are associated with early breast cancer. Gadgets that have raised concerns TORCHLIGHT: Thousands of women have bought a torch which, when the light is shone onto the breast, claims to show up shadows under the skin which may be 'abnormalities'. Concerns were raised after the manufacturer, PWB Health, described the torch (called Breastlight) on the product's website as an 'earlier breast cancer screening device'. In 2012, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that this was 'misleading' and 'irresponsible'. There were also concerns that women were using it as a substitute for breast screening and could get 'false reassurance'. The claims have been removed and the device is still available to buy online for around 100. THERMAL IMAGING: This uses a thermal camera to detect heat levels around the body and has been suggested as another way to detect breast cancer. The theory is that cancer cells give off more heat than healthy cells. Thermal scanning is available in the UK privately, but concerns have been raised that women are using this approach instead of going for mammograms. In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. warned that there was 'no valid scientific data to demonstrate that thermography devices are an effective screening tool for the early detection of breast cancer'. Professor Kefah Mokbel, breast surgeon at The Princess Grace Hospital in London, says such approaches are 'ineffective' screening tools. 'I've had patients with breast cancer that was missed by regular thermograms and some of these were advanced since the patient had the false reassurance that all was clear.' Advertisement Results are sent to an app on the user's smartphone, which immediately puts them in touch with a doctor if the test is positive. While preliminary research suggests The Blue Box is 95 per cent accurate, its development is still in the early stages. Professor Kefah Mokbel, a consultant breast cancer surgeon at The Princess Grace Hospital in London, says larger trials of this 'promising' device are needed. (It is hoped it might be available to consumers in five years.) While breast cancer has better survival rates than many others 85 per cent of women will be alive five years or more after diagnosis compared with 19 per cent of those with lung cancer only about 40 per cent of the 55,200 new breast cancer diagnoses in the UK each year are at the earliest stage (stage 1). This is when the cancer is small and has not spread. Typically, stage 1 cancers can be treated successfully with surgery then a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Almost all these women (98 per cent) will survive the disease for five years or more, according to Cancer Research UK. In contrast, 26 per cent of those diagnosed at the latest stage, when the cancer has spread beyond the breast, are alive five years later. 'Early detection of breast cancer is a key part of improving the outlook for people with the disease,' says Dr David Crosby, head of prevention and early detection research at Cancer Research UK. 'We've made huge strides towards beating breast cancer,' he says. 'Breast cancer survival is improving and has doubled in the past 40 years in the UK, but we need to continue to search for more effective ways to prevent, diagnose and treat people with breast cancer, and ultimately save lives.' To improve the chance of an early diagnosis, women need to know the symptoms a lump or thickening in the breast, a change in the size, shape or feel of the breast, skin changes such as puckering, dimpling, redness or fluid leaking from the nipple and seek medical attention quickly if they have any concerns. Screening plays a role but this has its downsides. It uses X-rays to take images of the breast, which exposes people to potentially harmful radiation; it can be uncomfortable; and it is well known to generate a high number of false positives (where women are wrongly told they have cancer), leading to unnecessary tests and treatment for thousands. But there is a plethora of new screening tools in the pipeline, from blood tests to smart bras that could transform the outlook for breast cancer patients. Here, with the help of the country's leading breast cancer doctors, we reveal the best of what is currently available and what's coming up in the near future. 3D MAMMOGRAMS Standard mammograms, used by the NHS to screen for cancer, take two X-ray images of each breast to generate a 2D picture, but a new type gives more detailed images. Here, an X-ray machine rotates around the breast, taking multiple images. These are then combined to provide a 3D image. U.S. research published in the journal JAMA Oncology in 2019, found that this new approach, known as 3D mammography or tomosynthesis, increased breast cancer detection by about 40 per cent. It found more small cancers than standard screening and reduced the number of false positives. (Only about one in ten women sent for a breast biopsy after screening with standard mammograms has cancer.) Recall rates where further scans are needed because the first was inconclusive were 40 per cent lower with 3D mammograms. Standard mammograms, used by the NHS to screen for cancer, take two X-ray images of each breast to generate a 2D picture, but a new type gives more detailed images [File photo] It was also better at detecting cancers in women with dense breasts (this thicker tissue, often found in younger women, can make cancers more difficult to see on X-rays), according to the study, which compared 2D and 3D mammogram results in 96,000 women aged 40 to 74. Another 2019 study, published in the journal Radiology by NHS researchers, estimated that 3D mammograms could halve the number of women unnecessarily sent for breast biopsies. While 3D mammograms are available here, this is almost exclusively in private clinics. 'Screening with 3D mammography is offered in very few centres in the UK,' says Professor Mokbel, who believes it should be offered at every breast clinic and screening centre as the results are superior, especially in women with dense breasts. However, it is still not clear whether 3D mammograms reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer. 'It has great potential,' says Dr Crosby, 'but it is difficult to say conclusively whether it is better than standard mammograms.' Availability: Now. In private clinics, at a cost of around 350. HIGH-TECH BRA Wearable or implantable technology to detect breast cancer may sound like science fiction, but scientists at Stanford University in California have come up with the idea of a smart bra to detect early signs. Equipped with heat sensors, the bra monitors for increases in the temperature of breast tissue, a potential sign of cancer. If a raised temperature is detected, the woman is alerted on a smartphone app and advised to seek medical help. 'This is based on the premise that breast tumours are often warmer than normal, healthy breast tissue,' explains Dr Crosby. 'This is because tumour cells are more densely packed, require a greater blood flow and produce inflammation which may cause a slight elevation in temperature. The idea is that rather than rely on screening, your risk is continually monitored by the bra. 'This principle is very attractive, especially for women known to be at high risk of the disease because they have the faulty BRCA gene, for example. However, this is a relatively early field of research and any breakthroughs are likely to be a few years off.' Availability: Ten years. Blood analysis Simple blood tests known as liquid biopsies could be a key to identifying breast cancer at an early stage, even before a patient has symptoms. A number of tests are being investigated that check for different breast cancer markers: fragments of DNA shed by tumours into the patient's blood; DNA changes caused by the cancer; proteins released by the tumour; and changes in platelets (these blood cells behave differently in the presence of cancer). Jacqui Shaw, a professor of translational cancer genetics research at the University of Leicester, heads a team investigating different blood tests for breast cancer. 'One approach checks for up to about 50 different gene mutations,' she says. 'If a woman has several of these mutations, that's an indication she may have cancer.' Simple blood tests known as liquid biopsies could be a key to identifying breast cancer at an early stage, even before a patient has symptoms Professor Shaw's research has found that only about one in ten women sent for a breast biopsy after screening has cancer. 'The question is, can we make diagnosis better?' she says. Results of her latest study, which is looking at blood tests for detecting early breast cancer in about 3,000 women, are expected this year. Last year, the NHS announced it is piloting the Galleri blood test which may spot more than 50 types of early-stage cancers, including breast cancer, using a similar approach checking for DNA fragments released by tumours. About 165,000 patients will take part in the trial, with results expected in 2023. According to Professor Mokbel, research so far suggests many of these tests have a limited ability to detect early cancer 'in the region of 70 per cent, which falls short of the 90 per cent target', he says. However, more research is under way and scientists expect to know within five years whether blood tests will be a viable screening tool for breast cancer. Professor Shaw suggests that 'in the end, it probably won't be a single approach but a 'multi-marker' blood test that proves to be the most effective tool for detecting and monitoring the disease'. Availability: Now, only as part of research but it may be generally available within five to ten years. AI Screening tool Every mammogram in the UK is read by two radiologists to look for signs of cancer. Yet even with these checks, errors occur and this can have disastrous consequences. Women can be wrongly given the all-clear (a cancer will be missed in one in every 2,500 women screened, according to the NHS); or they can be wrongly diagnosed and even undergo unnecessary treatment. Research suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) advanced computer software which not only carries out tasks but 'learns' from the results could be a way to minimise these errors. In this case, machines are designed to accurately identify tumours from mammogram images. A study published in November, which used an AI screening tool called Mia on 40,000 mammograms, found that when one of the radiologists was replaced with AI, the results were the same as two radiologists reading the scan. Another study, published in the journal Nature last year, found AI was as good as two doctors working together to read the scan, and better than one doctor. When the computer was asked to read images from nearly 29,000 UK and U.S. women, the number of missed cancers false negatives fell by 2.7 per cent compared with a single doctor reviewing the UK scans. Meanwhile, the number of mammograms incorrectly diagnosed as abnormal (false positives) decreased by 1.2 per cent. While the results are promising, more research is needed to work out how such a system could be introduced in the NHS. Professor Mokbel says: 'There is a growing body of evidence that artificial intelligence can replace one of the radiologists in reading the digital mammogram, and this could also help solve the workforce crisis in breast cancer screening.' A 2016 survey found 25 per cent of NHS Breast Screening Programme units operate with just one or two consultant radiologists and have no cover for sickness or absence, that 38 per cent of breast radiologists are likely to retire by 2025 and 13 per cent of consultant breast radiology posts across the UK are vacant. Availability: Already used in some private clinics. Breath & tear tests Chemicals that are markers for breast cancer are released in our breath and tears. 'Cancer cells have a different metabolism to healthy cells,' says Dr Crosby. 'They use food in a different way to other cells and make different waste products which evaporate from the lungs and are detectable in your breath. 'It's the same concept with tears.' Breath tests check for chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) gases emitted by processes in the body (they're also the cause of bad breath). Women with breast cancer have an 'altered pattern of volatile organic compounds in their breath that is different from normal, healthy women', explains Dr Linda Hovanessian Larsen, an associate professor of clinical radiology at the University of Southern California, who has been researching breath tests for breast cancer. The test involves breathing into a bag and the sample is analysed using a process called gas chromatography, where the components of the sample are separated and checked for VOCs. 'Within minutes, the test can see if VOCs are present, although it can't diagnose or locate the cancer. In a U.S. study, posted online last year, 593 women with breast cancer symptoms who were referred for a mammogram were given a breath test called BreathLink. The test involves breathing into a bag and the sample is analysed using a process called gas chromatography, where the components of the sample are separated and checked for VOCs The unpublished results show the test identified 83 per cent of cancers (that had previously been identified by mammogram and biopsy). The researchers concluded: 'Breath testing is painless, cost effective and completely safe, and it could potentially reduce the number of needless mammograms that are now performed.' Professor Mokbel says breath tests are a 'promising approach' but more research is needed. Meanwhile, Japanese researchers have developed a test that checks tears for signs of breast cancer. Called TearExo, it looks for exosomes particles packed with proteins and DNA fragments and known to fuel cancer growth using a special machine. When the tears of breast cancer patients and healthy patients, collected on a strip of filter paper, were analysed using the test, a clear difference was found, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Further research is now needed to see how accurate the test is. 'As with all these new approaches, the question is, will it work in real life?' says Dr Crosby. Availability: Ten years or more. William Abercrombie parks his RV, which is his home, in a mini-mall parking area in Fullerton, Calif., on Dec. 10, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Fullerton, a Haven for RV Parking, Struggles With Homelessness FULLERTON, Calif.As surrounding cities have banned RV parking in recent years, people living in their RVs have congregated in Fullerton, California. The city decided to ban RV parking in November 2020, but it has lifted the ban until the end of stay-at-home orders. William Abercrombie is among those living in his recreational vehicle (RV) on the streets of Fullerton, and he doesnt know what hell do when the ban takes effect. He currently moves his RV all over the city to avoid altercations with businesses and locals. Im just here in a parking spot. I just want to sleep for the night, he told The Epoch Times. [People think] every homeless person that lives at an RV is a piece of [trash], he said. Not all of us are dirty, and thats what it all comes down to, that they see a homeless person. You dont know me. Dont judge me. God is the only one that can judge. He said many do leave trash lying around, but he has always cleaned up after himself and even cleaned up others messes. William Abercrombie, who lives in his RV, sits with his sister, Ann Gray, who also used to live in her vehicle, in Fullerton, Calif., on Dec. 10, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Joel Kraft, a sergeant at the Fullerton Police Department, described the ban ordinance and the reasons behind it at the Nov. 2 city council meeting where it was first introduced. He said many RV inhabitants dump waste water (including human excrement) and trash on the streets. They have generators that are noisy and drip oil and gas that end up in streams. The RVs reduce desirability and business in commercial areas. They obstruct rights of way and reduce sight distance at driveways and intersections. They reduce the availability of parking spaces in the city. He showed pictures of piles of trash built up around some RVs. Some RVs have been in the same spot for years. He said businesses have called in to complain about them. With surrounding cities Buena Park, La Mirada, Placentia, Anaheim, and Orange having restricted RV parking, Kraft said, this has created quite the haven for RV parking in our city. The ban requires any RVs parked in Fullerton to have a city-issued permit, which is available free of charge. Newly elected City Councilmember Fred Jung told The Epoch Times, We need to protect those in our community that are in need, and do so without criminalizing being homeless. He said a Safe Parking program will be extended throughout the stay-at-home order, and the ban will not be enforced until the order lifts. Fullertons Safe Parking program was launched in 2019 as a temporary initiative to combat homelessness and give people living in cars a safe place to sleep for the night. Nonprofit Pathways of Hope began managing the program in May, which gives nightly access to prescreened applicants from 6:30 p.m to 6:30 a.m. Its parking areas include restroom facilities, safety lighting, on-site security guards, and social service resources that assist homeless people into other programs and permanent housing. Since the launch of the program, the parking areas have never reached full capacity, with 30 available spaces for nightly refuge. The program was initially set to end in 2020. I am looking forward to getting the Safe Parking program on the agenda in the new year, Jung said. Abercrombies sister, Ann Gray, used to live in her vehicle as well, though she now lives in a stable home. She said of the program, I have no idea where a Safe Parking area is, and I dont think people living out their RVs do either. Gray and her husband lived out of an SUV for two years in Fullerton before getting back on their feet. Ann Gray, who used to live in her vehicle, stands near her brothers RV where he lives, in a parking lot in Fullerton, Calif., on Dec. 10, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) It was rough living in my car, especially with two people, but we got through it, Gray said. We stayed in the Lowes parking lot for the most part every night, along with a few others that were homeless and living out of their cars. We had to do what we had to do. Wed get up around six, go to the gym, shower, and then go sit [and] wait for the library to open. [Wed] spend the whole day there until it was time to go to a church to have dinner. After receiving help from Pathways of Hope, Gray and her husband were able to transition into housing. Its been six years since they got the keys to their home. She now sells handmade crafts at a local farmers market. The people that live in their RVs, they need to take responsibility for what theyre doing, she said. You can easily find a dumpster. If its not a lot of trash, throw it in a trash can. Its not that hard. She reiterated the point that Abercrombie is clean, and there are others like him who suffer as they try to get back on their feet. Abercrombie said: A lot of people dont really know how much it means to just say hi to somebody that looks homeless. It cheers them up and gives them a smile. Thats just part of being a kindhearted person. He focuses a lot of his energy on keeping his RV safe. I sleep more during the day than I do at night, because I want to be awake if somebody comes around to my RV. Kraft said the city already has laws against overnight parking, but the citys police force doesnt have the manpower to enforce it strongly overnight. He called for the all-day ban to allow officers more time to identify the RVs and have them moved. The city started putting out notices of the coming ban on Nov. 10, stating that it would be effective as of Dec. 17 and urging people to move before towing starts. At the Nov. 17 city council meeting where the ban was approved, City Manager Antonia Castro-Graham said: The notice, which was also handed out, provided telephone numbers for shelter and services, and we assisted in providing the necessary storage for belongings, providing clearance for entering the shelters and coordinating transportation. During this time period, over 125 homeless residents were placed into shelters. On a Facebook group for residents called Fullerton Buzz, comments expressed mixed feelings of sympathy for the homeless but concerns about the trash left on the streets. Has anyone noticed that some of the homeless people are gone but their stuff is left behind? I feel sorry for the homeless folks but I hate seeing all the decay all around, Facebook user Star Angela wrote. A total of 473 individuals were labeled as homeless in the city of Fullerton in 2019, with 308 living unsheltered. Selling CDs To Strangers [Case Study] In this piece, Brian Hazard of the project Color Theory walks us through his recent experiment of pitching a Depeche Mode cover album re-release to strangers on the internet. Guest post by Brian Hazard of Passive Promotion Way back in 2001, my song Ponytail Girl spread like wildfire on Napster, mislabeled as an unreleased Depeche Mode b-side. Turning lemons into lemonade, I used the incident as the basis for a tribute album to the band. It quickly became my top seller, and the initial CD pressing sold out. Not wanting to become known as a knockoff artist, I held off on a second pressing. Seventeen years and five original albums later, I reissued Color Theory presents Depeche Mode, remastered with new artwork and three new tracks. There are millions of Depeche Mode fans on Facebook, and I was confident this album would convince many of them to become Color Theory fans. Not one to beat around the bush, I went straight for a full-priced $14 CD sale to total strangers. Was it a mistake? Lets just say I havent cracked the code yet. My Evolving CD Sales Offer My tech stack consisted of returning champions from my free CD and preorder offers: WordPress (free) + WooCommerce (free) + Elementor ($49/yr) + WooFunnels ($199/yr). Those last two are affiliate links, so if you use them to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. I created the following checkout in WooFunnels as my landing page (click to enlarge or see it in action here): At the top is a two-minute teaser video I made in ScreenFlow (affiliate link): Mind you, this wasnt my initial layout. I started with a 30-second teaser and an offer to sign extra copies as gifts. I even enlisted my daughter to gift wrap CDs for $4, in black paper of course! I only added free downloads offer a couple of weeks ago. When you try to leave the page on desktop, a pop-up appears offering them in exchange for an email address. Of course, I also threw in a couple of originals for good measure! After the buyer enters their shipping details, theyre offered three order bumps: As usual, these are Sticker Mule (referral link) weekly specials, with the exception of the keychain, which I reordered when my weekly special supply ran out. When the buyer submits their order, theyre presented with a series of upsells, depending on what theyve purchased from my store in the past. Everyone is offered the Collectors Edition, packaged in the now-obsolete Super Jewel Box. Its visually identical to the original pressing, but sonically identical to the new one. I found the leftover print in the garage, and picked up the cases on eBay. If it wasnt clear, Im asking people to buy a second copy of the same album. Pretty ballsy, but for collectors who missed out on the original pressing, this is the next best thing. It beats paying $969! Heres where things get interesting I created three different funnels to trigger based on the buyers order history. Rather than break down the logic of each, Ill just list all of the potential upsells in the order theyre presented: If they havent already purchased one or both of my last two albums on CD, theyre offered the pair for $20. If they accept the offer, or if theyve purchased one or both in the past, theyre offered the classic pack of my three oldest CDs for $15. Repeat purchasers are offered something they definitely didnt already have: a downloadable rarities collection of six albums for $25, five of which arent on streaming services. Thats 108 tracks in total. Finally, everyone is offered a downloadable set of remixes of the tribute tracks for $5, unless they already got it in the rarities collection. If a first-time buyer says yes to everything, and at least one person did, it amounts to a $70 sale for 7 CDs and an album download. My CD Sales Promotion It started off innocently enough with a set of messages to my patrons on Patreon, two days before Black Friday. Then came the big day, which I referred to as a Black Celebration in honor of the Depeche Mode album by the same name. My scheduled email announcement went out to my mailing list, resulting in a very stressful morning. People complained that the site wouldnt work, and I couldnt figure out why. It worked for me! Worse, I kept nagging the WooFunnels support team for help with a problem they had nothing to do with. It turns out that Amazon Web Services had an outage that prevented the link in the email from properly resolving. I sent out a second email reassuring people that the link now worked. Over the next four weeks, I sent out three more emails with direct calls-to-action, plus a few others unrelated to the launch. Here are metrics for all of the emails sent during the period in question (click to enlarge): For the first 50 orders, I offered a sticker featuring fantastic cover art by Dave Pasciuto for a single I never released. When those ran out, I offered 50 die cut roll labels featuring my original logo. After those ran out and orders came to a grinding halt, I offered the previously mentioned free downloads. I only got 29 takers. As a last-ditch effort, I offered a coupon code for 25% off, plus a free magnet, and Id even sign the CD! I only got three orders between my email list and Facebook. Thanks to Drip (affiliate link), I was able to exclude previous purchasers. Speaking of Facebook, here are all my ad sets (click to enlarge): With the exception of the two GLW sets and Cart Abandoners, I advertised entirely to cold audiences. The top two interest-based ad sets were the only ones to turn a profit before factoring in my cost of goods. The lookalike audiences, which performed so well with my previous free CD offer, were a real disappointment. The ad I pushed the hardest featured the video from the top of the landing page. I asked friends and fans on my personal profile if they would add a little comment to get the conversation started. I expected a handful, but I got over fifty within the first day! The social proof on the post was better than I couldve imagined, but it just didnt convert. If I had stopped after the first couple of weeks, I might have seen a 2x return on ad spend. Instead, I kept testing and crossing my fingers and waiting until I finally gave up and pulled the plug. Google Ads were even worse (click to enlarge): I tested several different ad formats, including straight-up search ads, but nothing worked. In fact, I never registered a conversion so Im not even sure my ads were set up properly. Google Analytics reports $184 in referral revenue from YouTube. Thats nowhere near what I spent, but the ads also generated views, comments, and subscribers on my channel. My CD Sales Results I netted $3578 in the month since Black Friday, before costs (click to enlarge): Heres the breakdown by product: That amounts to 215 CDs, 51 downloads, and 60 order bump goodies. Google Analytics shows the same numbers except for a $28 refund it couldnt have known about (click to enlarge): Now lets tally up the costs : $1874 CD Design & Replication $371 Super Jewel Boxes & Replication (Collectors Edition) $116 Sticker Mule Goodies $1982 Mechanical Licenses through Easy Song Licensing $1172 Facebook Ads $459 Google Ads TOTAL EXPENSES = $5974 Turns out I lost $2396, but Ive still got 1000 CDs left between the two editions. Lets be really generous and only count the cost of goods for the CDs I actually sold. It cost $4227 for 1200 licensed CDs = $3.52 each. I sold 178 of those, which makes the cost of goods sold $627. That brings down my total expenses to $2374, for a profit of $1204. Granted, I sold a few other CDs too, but the math is already messy enough. My CD Sales Conclusion It would be wonderful if I had enough CD buying email subscribers to sell 1000 copies to them directly. I wouldnt even bother advertising! I considered offering a digital edition, but that wouldve cut into CD sales. As much as I want the three bonus tracks to be exclusive to the CD, I may need to reconsider if I hope to convert Depeche Mode fans outside the US who are unlikely to pony up the $15 shipping cost. Im still convinced that this tribute album is my best introduction to potential fans. One way or another, Im going to figure out how to sell these CDs, and then share the rest of my catalog to buyers over time. Maybe that means offering free downloads in exchange for an email address and following up with a coupon code. If that doesnt work, I may have to resort to another free CD campaign, but not with an album that costs $3.52 per unit to produce! Speaking of free CD buyers, 45 of them bought the tribute at full price: And 44 of them placed orders in my last preorder campaign. Clearly, these are genuine fans, not just freebie seekers. Ah well, back to the drawing board. Thoughts? Questions? Advice? Lay it on me in the comments! Brian Hazard is a recording artist with over twenty years of experience promoting eleven Color Theory albums, and head mastering engineer and owner of Resonance Mastering in Huntington Beach, California. His Passive Promotion blog emphasizes set it and forget it methods of music promotion. Share on: Taiwan has said that Chinese jets made a record 380 incursions last year into the southwest Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), indicating that tensions between the two neighbours are at all-time-high. Taiwanese defence ministry spokesman Shih Shun-wen on Tuesday said China violated the ADIZ far more frequently in 2020 than previous years. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and often carries out military activity near the Strait in order to send a message to Taipei that it holds the capability to take over the island nation by force. Read: China Rejects Taiwan's Offer For 'meaningful' Talks, Calls It A 'cheap Trick' Taiwan-China relations Relations between Taiwan and China deteriorated after the current Taiwanese President Tsai-Ing wen took over in 2016. Tsai-Ing wen dismisses Beijing's 'One-China' claim and also refuses to accept the '1992 Consensus'. China is accused of repeatedly using its military might to scare Taiwan into accepting its terms. However, Taiwan refuses to bow down in front of China's aggressive tactics in the South China Sea and is looking to make its relations stronger with the United States to counter the Asian giant. Read: Taiwan President Maintains Cross-strait Tensions With China A Matter Of Global Concern Earlier last year, South China Morning Post had opined that China has increased the incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) so that the country spends most of its military budget in responding to the adventurism by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Some experts also believe that continuous violations are meant to exert pressure on the self-ruled island nation. Read: China On Yemen Blast And US Warships In Taiwan Strait Last year, Taiwan's defence minister Yen Te-fa told the country's parliament they have spent 8 per cent of the total military budget of 2020 in responding to the incursions by PLA along the Formosa Strait. Earlier, it was reported that when Taiwanese pilots asked PLA pilots to respect the median line and return back to their side, the Chinese men responded by shouting at them over the radio and saying there is no median line so they "should not be interrupted" while doing routine training. Taiwan has repeatedly called for "meaningful dialogue" with China, but Beijing rejects holding any possible discussion with Taipei, calling it a "breakaway province". Read: China Accuses US Of Show Of Force With Taiwan Strait Passage Lou Dobbs introducing "Lou Dobbs Tonight" on Fox Business on Monday. Fox Business The Fox Business host Lou Dobbs said Monday that he was unable to find proof of any election fraud in 2020 but he continued to push such claims anyway. Speaking with Ed Rollins, the director of a pro-Trump PAC, he openly wondered why "we have had a devil of a time finding actual proof" of election fraud. Rollins said it was because pro-Trump factions had yet to have their day in court. But 60 out of 61 cases attempting to overturn Biden's win have failed. Fox Business previously had to walk back some specific election-related claims on Dobbs' show after a legal threat from the voting-technology company Smartmatic. Fox Business did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Fox Business host Lou Dobbs complained on his show on Monday that he could not find any proof to support his claims of election fraud - which he went on to falsely perpetuate. The commentator was on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" with the former Ronald Reagan campaign director and pro-Trump PAC director Ed Rollins for a segment alleging a vast conspiracy to bring down President Donald Trump. "Eight weeks from the election and we still don't have verifiable, tangible support for the crimes that everyone knows were committed," Dobbs said. "We know that's the case in Nevada," he added. "We know it's the case in Pennsylvania and a number of other states, but we have had a devil of a time finding actual proof." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Asked by Dobbs why this was, Rollins argued that "we haven't been able to get it before the courts" and that "no one's going to take this case up." Both theories are not true. The pro-Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, whose platform Democratic Docket has been tallying the challenges, reported as of Tuesday that Trump and his allies had made 61 legal challenges to President-elect Joe Biden in state courts and the Supreme Court. All but one were lost. Story continues The pair also lamented a lack of support for Trump from the Republican Party and even from within the White House, even though 140 Republicans in the House and 12 in the Senate are expected to support moves to challenge Congress when it meets Wednesday to certify the election results. Dobbs opened his show - the first of 2021 - by making a claim of "an ongoing, substantial and vigorous conspiracy that has spanned more than four years in an effort to block and overthrow President Trump." Read more: OPINION: Trump's sad implosion is a good sign for Biden's agenda He has been one of Trump's staunchest defenders - and had already had to walk back earlier false claims of election fraud relating to a voting-technology company. He had claimed inaccurately that Smartmatic had connections to Dominion, another voting-technology company. The claimed association of the two has been central to widespread conspiracy theories about the election. But after a legal warning from Smartmatic, Dobbs' show broadcast a long segment in which his earlier claims about the company were disavowed, as detailed by The Washington Post. In Monday's segment, Dobbs made no mention of the companies but continued to falsely say "fraudulent votes" had been cast to hand Biden a sham victory. Fox Business did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider The animal husbandry department of Kerala has asked the state government to classify an outbreak of bird flu as a state-specific disaster after cases were reported from some parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. The department has sent a proposal to this effect to the revenue department, and the final decision will be taken by the state Cabinet, likely on Wednesday, News18 Malayalam reported. The authorities have already issued a high alert in the state considering the potential of the virus to infect humans, official sources said, and had on Monday ordered culling of ducks, hens and other domestic birds in and around a one km radius of the affected areas. Tests conducted at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal have confirmed the bird flu outbreak, officials said. The bird flu was reported from four panchayats--Nedumudi, Thakazhy, Pallippad and Karuvatta--in Kuttanad region of Alappuzha district and from a duck farm in Neendoor panchayat in Kottayam district. Around 1,700 ducks have died in the farm due to the virus infection. Bird flu occurs naturally in wild waterfowl and can spread to domestic poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The disease is transmitted via contact with an infected bird's feces, or secretions from its nose, mouth or eye. The last major case of bird flu in Kerala was reported in 2016. In the last one week, cases of bird flu have been reported from four other states: Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. While lakhs of poultry were reported dead from Haryana, migratory birds died in Himachal Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, hundreds of crows were found dead in the last one week. In Kerala, the authorities have decided to cull 40,000 domestic birds, including 34,000 in Kuttanad region alone, to check the spread of the H5N8 virus. The Alappuzha District Collector has banned the use and trade of meat, eggs and waste of domestic birds, including ducks and chicken in Kuttanad and Karthikappalli Taluks. Government authorities said necessary steps have been taken to control the spread of the virus and there was no need for any concern. The government said migratory birds visiting the 10 km radius of the affected areas would be monitored by the state forest department. Earlier, a high-level meeting chaired by State Animal Husbandry Minister K Raju assessed the situation and decided to open control rooms at Alappuzha and Kottayam districts. [January 05, 2021] Cyble Appoints Cyber Security Veteran Richard Sands to Expand in North America ATLANTA and BENGALURU, India, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyble, a fast-growing Darkweb and Cybercrime Monitoring partner and provider of Mitigation Solutions, today announced that Richard Sands, IT Security Director of Yum! Brands, will be joining Cyble as the General Manager for the North America region. Richard's addition to Cyble's leadership team is expected to bolster market reception of its services and add new impetus to the company's growth. His expertise will also help shape an energetic work environment at Cyble, spearhead innovative strategic thinking, and foster the development of a dynamic organization. Richard brings 20+ years of rich global experience inmanaging cybersecurity risks within industry and as a trusted advisor to leading organizations. Prior to joining Cyble, Richard spent 5 years at Yum! Brands as its Director Global IT Security, 3 years at BHP as Global Cyber Security Strategy Lead, and over a decade at PricewaterhouseCoopers as Director, Information Security Services. Beenu Arora, Founder and CEO at Cyble said, "As we move forward to make Cyble 'Future Ready', I am delighted to welcome Richard to the team. His calibre and expertise will ensure that Cyble has a resolute foundation and adopt resilient strategies to guide our sales and marketing efforts. The entire leadership team at Cyble is excited to keep innovating optimal solutions that elevate the experience of our clients." "Cyble's long-term vision, people first culture, and focus on serving clients means the future for Cyble is bright. I am excited to join this skilled and passionate team to help steer strategies in North America, establish sustainable relationships with our clients as their trusted cyber partner, and drive business results to fuel the Cyble's next growth phase," said Richard. Beenu also added, "I am delighted to see Cyble hit our own scaling moment. We are responding to this growth by adding strategic talent to our leadership team! As Cyble continues to expand globally, we are further leveraging on virtual onboarding to strengthen our organisation at multiple levels in tandem with our growth plans." Earlier in 2020, Cyble also appointed Arnab Chakraverty as Director, Products and Dhanalakshmi PK as Associate Director, Malware and Intelligence Research. To know more visit www.cyble.io Contact: Medha Roy Chowdhury Enquiries@Cyble.io +1 678 379 3241 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cyble-appoints-cyber-security-veteran-richard-sands-to-expand-in-north-america-301200428.html SOURCE Cyble [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Georgia Steel snapped a selfie in her hotel mirror on Tuesday, as she continues her 'work' trip to Dubai. The ex-Love Island star, 22, struck her best sultry gaze as she posed in lacy red lingerie, showing off her taut frame. Chocolate locks falling around her features in light waves, Georgia showed off her tan and pouted for her photo, her features highlighted with bronzer, a blush lip and dark eye-shadow. Red it and weep! Georgia Steel snapped a selfie in her hotel mirror on Tuesday, as she continues her 'work' trip to Dubai Prior to this, she was seen looking relaxed in orange bikini bottoms and a rolled-up white vest top as her friend took a candid snap of her at the beach. ADVERTISEMENT The beauty removed her denim shorts and used them as a seat as she held onto the straw hat in the image. Click here to resize this module Georgia penned: 'This is a very candid photo my friend took of me on the beach today. 'Capturing a natural moment just goes to show I'm the happiest I've been for a long time, mentally I feel like the past year and half has been so testing for my little head. Beach babe: Prior to this, she was seen looking relaxed in orange bikini bottoms and a rolled-up white vest top as her friend took a candid snap of her at the beach 'I feel like the past year and half has been so testing for my little head': The Love Island star, 22, opened up about how she has found the last year and a half difficult 'My friends and family are my world and I'm so lucky to be surrounded by the most amazing souls. This energy is infectious and I'm lovin' it.' Georgia became one of the latest flood of the reality stars to jet off to Dubai after she jetted off last Monday. She shared a series of snaps taken in Manchester Airport before setting off amid the city's Tier 3 status and guidelines - instructing against non-essential travel. Wow! Georgia flaunted her washboard abs in a tiny white bikini while soaking up the sun in Dubai on Sunday after becoming one of the latest reality stars to jet to the city On Tuesday, George joined fellow Love Islander Francesca Allen, 25, on a yacht in Dubai, as they ignored social distancing rules to embrace. In Dubai, social distancing and the wearing of face masks is mandatory when away from your home. This also applies to visitors staying in hotels when they are not in their room. The pair stripped down to their bikini as they posed and pouted up a storm, amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Georgia and Francesca have joined fellow Love Islanders Joanna Chimonides and Hayley Hughes in the UAE, amid growing fury over reality stars 'bending rules' while the UK goes into a third full national lockdown. ADVERTISEMENT The city has been an ideal choice for many as visitors aren't currently required to quarantine upon their return to the UK. Many stars have insisted their trips are for work as the government currently asks UK residents living in high-risk areas to avoid unnecessary travel. On December 21, a group of people met up for a meal at a Thai restaurant in Black Rock, in Melbournes south-east. One of those people had coronavirus, and before long people who had dined at the venue that day started feeling unwell. The first cases in the cluster tested positive exactly one week ago and were the first instances of local coronavirus transmission in Victoria for more than two months. In the days that followed, more people - either those who dined at the restaurant that day or close contacts of those who did - also tested positive for the virus, until, as it stands as of today, the cluster grew to encompass 27 people. Those 27 people live in 11 postcodes throughout Victoria, and this map shows how they are spread out across the state. Nine of them live in Black Rock, but one is based all the way in the Leongatha area, in the states east. The health department has not yet established who seeded the Black Rock cluster, but genomic sequencing has linked the infections to Sydneys northern beaches cluster. The day after the first people in the cluster tested positive, five more were found to have the virus the following day, and then on New Years Day a further 10 cases were confirmed. But since then the clusters growth has slowed. There were three new cases for three days in a row and then yesterday, for the first time in six days, there were no new daily positive tests associated with it. This graph shows the number of locally/interstate acquired COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Victoria each day. Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the annotations. The health department has not yet established who seeded the Black Rock cluster, but genomic sequencing has linked the infections to Sydneys northern beaches cluster. The day after the first people in the cluster tested positive, five more were found to have the virus the following day, and then on New Years Day a further 10 cases were confirmed.But since then the clusters growth has slowed. There were three new cases for three days in a row and then yesterday, for the first time in six days, there were no new daily positive tests associated with it. This graph shows the number of locally/interstate acquired COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Victoria each day. Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the annotations. The single locally acquired COVID-19 case confirmed in Victoria on Wednesday has not been linked to the Black Rock cluster and is currently being treated as a mystery case by Victorias health department. Ghaziabad: Taking cognisance of media reports on the roof collapse incident at the Ukhlarsi cremation ground in Muradnagar, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to Uttar Pradesh chief secretary and the director general of police, calling for a detailed report, where 24 people lost their lives on Sunday. The report must contain review of all crematoriums, burial grounds and other such buildings which are used by the general public for community activities in the state and maintained by the local administrative authorities. The authorities concerned must ensure proper maintenance of such places to avoid any untoward incidents in future posing danger to human lives, the NHRC said on Tuesday. The Commission has also asked the state government, through its senior officers, about the present status of the investigation of the case as well as the health condition of those injured. The incident is required to be investigated thoroughly so that the guilty could be adequately punished, as per the provisions of the law, the Commission added. In the meantime, the Ghaziabad district administration has started the process of providing relief to victim families. We have deployed several teams of counsellors and health officials who are taking up counselling of victim families as they are under severe trauma. The education department is also taking up works related to free education and scholarship for their children. Besides, food items and ration are being provided to the families, said Ajay Shankar Pandey, district magistrate. He added that the officials have identified 12 of the 18 affected families who will be provided benefits under different government schemes such as the Parivarik Pension Yojna, Vidhwa Pension, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna and also under schemes meant for disabled persons. An FIR has been lodged into the incident and so far, five persons have been arrested. The DM has also initiated action against the erring persons and directed the police to initiate strict action against the suspects under provisions of the National Security Act, the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act and also under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. It has also been directed to the Ghaziabad development authority and the municipal-corporation to get a quality of works taken up by the contractor checked and to stop payments to him, besides getting the firm blacklisted. It has also been directed to other agencies to blacklist the contractor if he is registered with any respective agency, Pandey said, adding that recovery of payments made, along with interest, is to be initiated with issuance of recovery-certificates. A team of senior engineers from the authority, the civic agency and the UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam has been constituted to check the quality of construction at the cremation ground and for other works taken up at Muradnagar. If the quality is not up to standards, recovery certificates will be issued for recovery of the funds, Pandey added. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies late. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Mumbai: A day after Mumbai Police lodged an FIR against Bollywood actors Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan for allegedly violating the COVID-19 institutional quarantine norms, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Tuesday said nobody is above law and everyone should follow the protocols. Talking to reporters here, Tope said it is the duty of an ideal citizen" to strictly follow rules and regulations in the current pandemic situation. The police on Monday registered a case against Arbaaz Khan, his brother Sohail Khan and the latters son Nirvaan Khan for allegedly violating the COVID-19 institutional quarantine norms, officials earlier said. As per guidelines, the three were asked to stay at a hotel in suburban Bandra after they returned to Mumbai from the UAE last month, but they went to their homes instead, a civic official said. Asked whether the state health department would initiate or recommend any action against celebrities for violating the quarantine protocols, Tope said, We will take measures against it." He, however, did not specify any measures. Tope further said, Nobody is above law. Every person should adhere to the protocols laid down by the government. It is the duty of an ideal citizen to strictly follow rules and regulations in the current pandemic situation." The police have registered the case against the Khan trio under Indian Penal Code Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease), and provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. As per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), passengers returning from counties in Europe and the Middle East must stay in institutional quarantine for seven days in view of the detection of the new strain of coronavirus in the UK. Azerbaijanis homecoming to Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijans recent victory in a six-week war with Armenia has a Jewish side. Azerbaijan has been home to Jews for centuries, while Israel and Azerbaijan have enjoyed flourishing ties for decades, Jewish News Syndicate writes in the article Azerbaijanis navigate their homecoming to Karabakh. But the Jewish angle to the decades-long Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Azerbaijani homecoming to previously occupied territories in Karabakh (Nagorno simply means mountainous) is about more than a country known for positive Muslim-Jewish relations. It involves the predicament of homecoming and the emotions surrounding cultural patrimonysentiments that are familiar throughout Jewish history. More than 30 years of Armenian inhabitation and Azerbaijani absence have literally changed the landscape of Azerbaijani culture and life in Karabakh. Even as several U.N. resolutions over the years have affirmed Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijanis have felt an international indifference, at best, to the dramatic loss of their heritage and homes in Karabakh. Azerbaijani Jews share their compatriots sense that Karabakh is an integral component of the countrys beating heart. Daniel Zarbaliv, a soldier from the all-Jewish town of Krasnaya Sloboda, exudes pride in liberating lands that were conquered more than 30 years ago. His sentiments echo those of Albert Agarunov, the Azerbaijani Jew who was killed in May 1992 while trying to save his fellow soldiers as they defended Karabakh. Agarunov posthumously received his governments highest military recognition: the National Hero of Azerbaijan. Before his death in battle, he had said, This is my land. I dont have another motherland. Its natural for me to defend my home. Indeed, Azerbaijanis worldwide are rejoicing at what they see as finally returning home. Many Azerbaijanis consider Karabakh the epicenter of Azerbaijans rich, sophisticated heritage, which has endured for centuries. The loss of Karabakh, beginning in 1988, came as a shock to many. To what, exactly, are Azerbaijanis returning home? For the more than 600,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were forced to flee Karabakh for Azerbaijans capital of Baku, the homecoming signifies returning to their family and childhood roots. Karabakh may invoke a maelstrom of deeply unhappy and deeply happy memories. They are the lucky ones who stayed alive and found refuge in Baku. But many of their family members met horrible, sudden deaths in Karabakh. To many other Azerbaijanis, returning home invokes visions of artists, musicians and poets in Shusha, the city known as the conservatory of the Caucasus. Some might remember museums in Karabakh established in honor of those beloved cultural figures. But according to the Azerbaijan National Committee of the International National Council of Museums (ICOM), As a result of the conflict in Karabakh, a total of 900 settlements, 150,000 houses, 7,000 public buildings, 693 schools, 855 kindergartens, 695 medical institutions, 927 libraries, 44 temples, nine mosques, 473 historical monuments, 22 museums, more than 100,000 museum exhibits and other infrastructure facilities were destroyed. Destruction of cultural property is one devastating consequence of war, but what about the uprooting of culture? What happens to the childrens choir that honed its skills on Karabakhs soil? Or to the artisans and production facilities that created the Karabakh carpets so prized by Oriental carpet collectors worldwide? Uprooting traditions has consequences. UNESCO, the Metropolitan Museum, the Smithsonian Institution and others have issued impassioned appeals for artifacts in post-war Karabakh to be accorded respect. The Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture, ICOMs Azerbaijan National Committee and others have been quick to respond how too little, too late these appeals come across to Azerbaijani stewards of culture. The ICOM committee has provided the Met with a comprehensive account of Azerbaijani culture in Karabakh to address. To understand this dialogue about cultural property protection, Western onlookers must accept a fraught premise that is at the heart of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The stated views of Azerbaijanis and Armenians on the history and heritage of Karabakh often differ wildly. Generally, Azerbaijanis consider Karabakh a cradle of Azerbaijani culture and civilization and an integral part of Azerbaijan. Armenians largely feel Karabakh is an Armenian republic with a rich Armenian history and culture. One cherished cultural figure may inspire resilience in those returning to Karabakh. Azerbaijani poet Khurshidbanu Natavan (1832-97) channeled personal tragedy into lyrical poems, or ghazals, that came to be revered. She also created Shushas first literary society and implemented a water source that solved the towns biggest engineering challenge. Today, visitors to Baku may spend time with the statue of Natavan in front of the Hard Rock Cafe in the central outdoor mall. Tomorrow, with the reopening of Karabakh, the world may find new ways to know Natavan and other Azerbaijani heroes of Karabakh. And no doubt Azerbaijanis will find new ways to build on the heritage they hold so dear. A revised plan by UCSF to build a 2 million-square-foot hospital and research institute at its historic Parnassus campus announced Monday beefs up the medical schools commitments to housing and public transit, adding another 500 apartments for workers and $20 million to help improve Muni service and traffic flow. But while housing advocates and some neighbors are praising the revised proposal, other residents still say the project is still far too big and ambitious, and will smother the surrounding Inner Sunset neighborhood with oversize towers, long shadows and gridlock. The new hospital will replace the existing, nearly 70-year-old Moffitt Hospital, which UCSF says turns away thousands of patients each year because of limited bed capacity. It will increase that capacity by 42%, with 200 new inpatient beds to better accommodate the regions growing health care needs. It will also bring the hospital into compliance with state seismic codes. The deal includes a commitment to provide 1,263 units of new housing for the UCSF workforce about 40% would be offered at below market rate. Thats about 50% more than was included in prior plans. Some of the $20 million in transit funding would pay to expand the notoriously crammed N-Judah line, a westside workhorse in pre-COVID times. State Sen. Scott Wiener called the agreement a really strong deal that strengthens the research and teaching university and hospital while helping to alleviate transportation and housing stress. What UCSF is doing expanding its ability to research and provide health care is an inherent good for San Francisco and the Bay Area, Wiener said. Its not a situation where someone is putting in an oil refinery and we need to extract something good to counter against bad impacts. But UCSF has a long history of battling development-adverse residents in the quaint neighborhood adjacent to the east end of Golden Gate Park, and much of the friction is still percolating. In particular, residents object to the fact that the plan seeks to overturn a 1976 resolution that put permanent growth limits on the hospital, a cap that forced UCSF to build its $2 billion hospital 4 miles away in Mission Bay. That facility opened in 2015. Veteran Haight-Ashbury activist Calvin Welch, who has been involved with UCSF planning issues for more than 40 years, said that he was pleased with the housing and transportation agreements. But he said the plan needs to have more concrete commitments around local hiring and a specific timeline for when the housing will be delivered. What is the mechanism for enforcing any deal with UCSF? he said. There is no enforcement. Nothing happens if UCSF doesnt live up to its promise. And Welch said the timing of the new housing half is to be built by 2030 and half by 2050 will do little alleviate current shortages. To stretch out the housing to 2050 is absurd, he said. Dennis Antenore, an Inner Sunset resident and former planning commissioner, said the new plan was better than previous schemes but only around the edges. The housing program is a small amount of workforce housing over a very long period of time, he said. Its still going to cause displacement. Carole Glosenger, president of the Cole Valley Improvement Association, said that the proposed 300-foot buildings would be enormous and dwarf the surrounding residential area. Its already jammed. When the N-Judah goes by at rush hour its filled up and doesnt stop, she said. We know UCSF is a great hospital and needs to expand, but this is too much. Other residents welcomed the jobs and housing they will bring. In a letter to the UC Regent Martha Ehrenfeld, president of Inner Sunset Park Neighbors, said the plan is the result of a thoughtful process ... created to embed neighbor voices in the plan. Corey Smith of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition, who lives in the Upper Haight, praised the deal as a trifecta with improvements to transportation, housing and jobs. They are really paying attention to these three different things, which are related, he said. Its a win, win, win. The plan, which updates a long-range plan from 2014 , goes to the San Francisco Planning Commission this week for the first of several hearings although the commission has no power to approve or reject the plan as UCSF is a state institution. It will go before the UC Board of Regents at the end of the month. The regents are scheduled to vote on the projects master plan by Jan. 21. A separate environmental review of the hospital is expected to go to a regents vote by late 2021. The Helen Diller Foundation, a major local philanthropic institution, has pledged $500 million to fund the hospital and UCSF plans to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in additional philanthropy for the project. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdinee Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to sack airport personnel after he received reports that some people are easily slipping into the country despite travel restrictions. "I say this now as I have said it before: Do not do it kasi mayayari talaga kayo," he said in his late-night address on Monday. "You do it by allowing unauthorized travel when all of us are really worried of containing the contamination." Philippines authorities are temporarily banning the entry of foreign travelers from countries and territories that have confirmed cases of the new COVID-19 variant believed to be more contagious. The ban will last until January 15, with the United States as the most recent addition to the growing list. This variant is linked to the recent surge of coronavirus cases in England. Meanwhile, Duterte also ordered Bureau of Internal Revenue Chief Cesar Dulay to reshuffle officers after reading the list of personnel dismissed from service due to pending cases. Recently we heard that Microsoft is planning to bring a major change to its Windows 10 operating system by overhauling the start menu and other UI elements. However, that's not all. The company is now said to be testing a new Outlook app that will probably replace its built-in Mail and Calendar apps on Windows 10. The app is being codenamed as monarch and One Outlook, and is a new version of Outlook designed for large screen experiences according to a leaked version of the app, mentioned by a Twitter user (via The Verge). It has been mentioned that the leaked app is not functional without a full internal Microsoft account. The One Outlook app is said to replace desktop (Win32 and UWP) versions of Outlook, Outlook Web Access and the Mac OS desktop client. Also read: Microsoft seeks AMDs assistance to meet high Xbox Series X demand The company is also said to be hosting the full web version of this new Outlook online. Needless to say, the leaked app is in early state and even Microsoft warns employees that it's currently designed for brave dogfooders and does not include an offline mode. For those unaware, dogfood is a term used by the companies to test early versions of their own code. It is not for sure when exactly this final version of Outlook will arrive to the masses. However, Windows Central reports that this will enter a bigger testing program by the end of 2021, which means it might reach every Windows PC in 2022. In a separate report it has been mentioned that Microsoft is testing a new feature voice launcher that will allow users to interact with apps and files using voice commands. The feature is not available to all users. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos Getty Even in the bizarre world of QAnon conspiracy theorists, self-proclaimed deep state whistleblower Ryan Dark White has some crazy ideas. Like other QAnon promoters, White, who goes by the alias John Here to Help on Twitter, says a cabal of Satanic government bureaucrats is out to get Donald Trump. But he also claims those same nefarious actors have broken through to another dimension, where they discovered a sort of elemental spirit that is essentially the spirit of God, then packaged it into a machine named Project Deep Space 9. Its the voice of God, White, 52, said in a 2019 appearance on a QAnon podcast. Its the original word, the first word, that was spoken to start us to start the universe. The interdimensional machine can be used to trick people like Pope Francis into thinking theyre receiving spiritual messages, according to White, or it can cure physical illnesses. White claims that he himself was healed by the device after being tortured by deep state agents, but with a surprising consequence: a permanent change to the color of his eyes, from blue to gray. There were actually people who were very put off by it, initially, he said on the podcast. I had to wear sunglasses. Despite his outlandish ideas, or because of them, White has amassed a following in the world of pro-Trump conspiracy theorists. Hes earned more than 115,000 followers on Twitter, and become a key source for Lin Wood, the noted defamation attorney who has descended into the world of conspiracy theories as he pursues long-shot attempts to overturn President-elect Joe Bidens win. White appears to be the basis for at least some of the bizarre claims Wood has made on Twitter about Chief Justice John Roberts, suggesting that Roberts is involved in a child trafficking ring and the tool of a sinister cabal. Those tweets, along with Woods call for Vice President Mike Pence to face a firing squad, have prompted the Trump campaign and prominent Republicans to distance themselves from Wood. Story continues Still, the Georgia attorney has continued to promote Whites conspiracy theories. John is a truth-giver, Wood tweeted on Dec. 26, referring his followers to Whites account. Go to his account and read carefully. You will learn some shocking and chilling truths. Many high-ranking officials must go to prison. Including [Chief Justice] John Roberts. Level of evil in our government officials is frightening. In the waning days of the Trump administration, Wood has seized on Whites criminal record, which includes a 2015 federal charge in Maryland, as proof of some deep state plot. In a Dec. 28 tweet, Wood urged supporters of former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to comb through Whites court cases, alleging that hidden transcripts in the case proved unspecified conspiracy theories. I bet the Digital Soldiers of @GenFlynn can a (sic) have a field day with the records in these cases, Wood wrote, posting an image from Whites court record. On Monday, Wood claimed that the long-awaited "kraken" revelations could be found in White's criminal case, even claiming Trump should use soldiers to seize court files. "Documents must be seized before they are destroyed," Wood tweeted. "Time is now of the essence if this part of the Kraken is to be successful." Woods claims have fueled calls for Trump to pardon White, a campaign that White has also embraced. A White House petition for Trump to pardon White for his work as a Patriot Whistleblower and providing proof of the Coup attempt against both President Trump and General Flynn has earned 7,000 signatures. Outside of the fevered imaginations of QAnon fans, however, White isnt a whistleblower standing up to the deep state. Instead, he earned his conviction in a much more mundane way: illegally owning guns and fraudulent scoring huge amounts of opioids. In the summer of 2015, DEA agents in Rosedale, Maryland, surveilled White as he went about his opioid rounds. White had drawn the DEAs attention because he had been prescribed enormous amounts of the opioid Zohydro, purportedly because he was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. But as the agents followed White, they noticed he was inconsistent with how often he used a cane and appeared to be in pain. When he went into a pharmacy to pick up pills or drop off a prescription, White appeared to be moving unsteadily with a cane, as though he was suffering from the disease and needed heavy-duty painkillers. But when White went into gas stations, walked around his apartment or even walked for exercise in mall parking lots, he didnt use a cane and appeared to be in fine health. Whites act had helped him score 80,160 doses of Zohydroan opioid so potent that the state of Massachusetts tried to ban itpaid for with $142,911 from Medicare. White had complained to pharmacists that the pills seemed to no longer work for himsomething that had only become a problem for White, pharmacists posited to the DEA, because the drugs formula had been changed so drug users could no longer snort it for a faster high. White had already been convicted in 2010 of intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, raising agents suspicions further. A raid on Whites apartment confirmed agents suspicions, turning up hundreds of rounds of ammunition, 14,000 Zohydro and Oxycodone pills, a pistol, and several other firearms. White eventually pleaded guilty to prohibited ammunition possession and health-care fraud, admitting in his plea that he had unlawfully obtained prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone by pretending to suffer from ALS symptoms. White was sentenced to 27 months in prison under his deal, but he soon turned to conspiracy theories, writing letters to the court claiming, without evidence, that prosecutors had spied on his conversations with his attorneys. Judges tossed Whites allegations. White emerged from prison in March 2017, an ex-prisoner with an uncertain future and a more than $100,000 court-ordered debt to Medicare. He began to tweet under the John Here to Help handle in Feb. 2018. Seizing on the QAnon-style conspiracy theories that were then rising on the right, White began to fashion a new identity for himself under his alias, going from a run-of-the-mill opioid scorer who had afoul of the law to a heroic foe of the anti-Trump deep state. In this new telling, White claimed that he had discovered an interdimensional deep state coup aimed at toppling Trump from power and QAnon believers ate it up. Whites persona has also been embraced by Terpsichore Maras-Lindeman, a fellow pseudo-whistleblower who serves as a star witness for pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powells election legal efforts. White appears to be a source for many of Woods most outlandish claims about Roberts. According to a lawsuit Woods former legal partners filed against him in September, Wood allegedly believes that he will be selected to replace Roberts as chief justice. Wood has seized on a number of anti-Roberts theories that White has promoted. While Wood didnt respond to requests for comment, he has echoed specific claims made by White, alleging deceased billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein arranged for Roberts to adopt children, that Roberts suffered a suspicious injury at a country club, and that he somehow had advance knowledge of late Justice Antonin Scalias death. White manages to turn even mundane interactions into grist for his conspiracy-filled worldview. Last Wednesday, a reporter for The Daily Beast called a number White has used in the past to register web domains. After a woman answered the phone, the reporter asked to speak with White about his pardon request. A mans voice could be heard in the background asking who had called. Then the line went dead. Two minutes later, John Here to Help posted on Twitter that the deep state was targeting his wife. They are coming after my wife now, the accounts owner tweeted. Phone calls, threats. Trying to find her location. Youre making a mistake As Whites profile has grown in the fringe right, hes becoming increasingly vocal about his requests for a Trump pardon, even revealing his actual identity in December in a bid to gain support for his pardon. Any pardon could potentially get White out from under his six-figure debt to Medicare. An August 2020 filing in Whites case noted that he still owed restitution money, though it didnt specify how much. Please consider extending your Pardon powers a bit more to include me! White wrote in a tweet addressed to Trump on Dec. 23, garnering nearly 1,000 retweets. Despite Whites history of fabrication about his conviction and supposed insights into conspiracy theories, Wood might not be done with him yet. On Monday, White tweeted that Wood was helping to get my information out. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. is working on adding its Soli radar gesture technology to the upcoming Nest Hub smart devices. The company has registered a new "interactive device" at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that will feature a screen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee support, along with Google's Soli radar gesture technology. Soli is a miniature radar that understands human motions at various scales: from the tap of your finger to the movements of your body. The "A4R-GUIK2" device is classified as an "interactive device," with previously using the "interactive" designation for Smart Displays and speakers. Google's Nest Hub may be getting an update for the first time since its debut in 2018. The "interactive device" classification is similar to what uses for its other smart devices like the original Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, Nest Mini, Nest Wifi, and Nest Audio, reports 9to5Google. This new device could support precise control using the radar technology. "The Hub Max lets you play/pause media by holding up your palm to the front-facing camera. One could imagine this new Nest Hub supporting similar air gestures to skip/rewind tracks," the report mentioned. There appears to be Soli at 58-63.5 GHz. The frequency range on the new Nest Thermostat is 61-61.5 GHz, while at the Pixel 4, it is 58-63.5 GHz. According to Google, Soli aims to understand the nuances of human movements so that we can use our natural body language and gestures as a form of input. "We created an interaction framework that groups human movements according to levels of proximity and engagement between the user and Soli: aware, engaged and active. The framework is based on regular human nonverbal communication models," according to the company. --IANS na/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oil prices slipped from multi-month highs in volatile trade on Monday as U.S. stocks fell near 2% on concerns over the outcome of runoff elections in Georgia, CNBC writes in the article Oil slides as oil-producing group delays output decision. The oil market pared earlier losses after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies, known as OPEC+, could not decide on Monday whether or not to increase output in February and will meet again on Tuesday. Brent futures fell 50 cents, or 1.0%, to $51.30 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) settled 1.85%, or 90 cents, lower at $47.62 per barrel. Earlier in the session, both benchmarks rose and fell by $1 a barrel with WTI reaching its highest since February and Brent its highest since March. The premium of Brent over WTI was on track to rise to its highest since May. The S&P 500 and the Dow also fell from record levels on the first trading day of the year as President Donald Trump travels to Georgia in a bid to keep the U.S. Senate in the hands of his Republican Party. OPEC+ oil producers were split on Monday over increasing output from February as some feared a hit from new coronavirus lockdowns, while Russia and Kazakhstan said demand recovery justified higher production, five OPEC+ sources said. Two sources said OPEC+ will meet again on Tuesday. OPEC+ increased output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) this month but some members have questioned the need to increase more from February due to an upsurge in the COVID-19 pandemic. "Vaccine rollouts have not been as successful for most of the world and that does not bode well for the case to hike oil production by another 500,000 bpd in February," said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at OANDA in New York. In Europe, England was preparing for a new coronavirus lockdown, while Germany was weighing whether to allow a delay in administering a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to make scarce supplies go further. In the Middle East, meanwhile, tensions supported oil prices earlier in the day after Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters and Iran resumed uranium enrichment at an underground nuclear facility. The Dominican Republics fixed-line teledensity is well below the Latin American average, a legacy of under-investment in network infrastructure over the years. In common with other markets in the region, the mobile sector has become the preferred platform for voice services. With LTE services available to about 98% of the population, mobile broadband has also developed strongly in recent years. The countrys income inequalities are still reflected in the unequal distribution of telephony services, with many communities having very restricted access. The government has addressed the issue of access in recent years and has funded a number of public projects. In October 2020 the regulator issued a decree covering a number of areas, including universal access to broadband services, and the development of a national backbone network in cooperation with the electricity transmission network provider. Considerable changes are anticipated in 2021 when a multi-spectrum auction is scheduled. This will enable the MNOs to launch 5G services, and thus help each the national broadband goals. BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth. Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report. The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions. Key developments: Claro announces major investment programs through to 2022; Regulator announces project to deliver universal broadband access; Dominican Transmission Electricity Transmission Company permitted to enter the fibre broadband market; Altice sells mobile tower business; Progress made on National Fiber Optic Network project; Altice incorporates Dominican Republic within a re-organised international division; Report update includes operator data to Q2 2020, regulators market data to August 2020, assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, recent market developments. Get a Full Copy of this Report Developing Telecoms market report summaries are produced in partnership with BuddeCom, the worlds largest continually updated online telecommunications research service. The above article is a summary of the following BuddeCom report: Report title: Dominican Republic - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses Edition: October 2020 Analyst: Henry Lancaster Number of pages: 108 Companies mentioned in this report: Claro (America Movil); Altice Dominicana; Tricom; Viva (Trilogy Dominicana) Single User PDF Licence Price: US$750 For more information or to purchase a copy of the full report please use the following link: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Dominican-Republic-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?r=83 ADVERTISEMENT Posters of a former governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, heralding his governorship aspiration, have appeared on the streets of Ado Ekiti, the state capital and other major towns of the state. The posters bear the logo of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), with a bold inscription, Segun Oni for Governor, the Reformation has Come. The large-sized posters appeared in places in Ado Ekiti metropolis like such as Ajilosun, Basiri, Ijigbo, Ilawe Road, Okeyinmi, as well as other towns like Ikere Ekiti and Ifaki. Residents were seen clustering around the posters and discussing issues surrounding the politics of the state. Mr Oni was the governor of Ekiti State between May 29, 2007, and October 15, 2010, on the platform of the PDP. His tenure was brought to an abrupt end through an appeal court judgement delivered by Ayo Isa Salami, in a case. The judgment was in favour of Kayode Fayemi, who was then the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN). Mr Oni defected to the All Progressives Congress in 2014 to support Mr Fayemis second term ambition, while he served as the Deputy National Chair (South) of the party. Ayo Fayose of the PDP won that election. He also attempted to return as Governor in the last governorship election and aspired to be the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), but again lost to Mr Fayemi, who was favoured to pick the ticket. Mr Fayemi went ahead to win the election which held on July 14, 2018, defeating his main rival, and the then Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olusola Eleka of the PDP. Falling out of favour with the incumbent governor, Mr Oni returned to the PDP last year, alleging that he was being ostracised and maltreated by the APC. A close ally of Mr Oni, Bayo Arowolaju, said the posters were a reflection of the peoples desire to have the former governor return to lead the state. Mr Arowolaju is a former Special Adviser to Mr Oni during his time as a governor and member of the media team of his political platform named Atunse Ekiti. He said the posters must have emanated from those agitating for the return of his former boss as a governor. Mr Arowolaju added that the pressure on his former boss to return as a governor has been immense in the last one year, adding that the posters could be an indication of those agitations. Well, as an insider in Atunse Ekiti group, I knew that Engr Segun Oni has not formally declared his intention for the plum seat, but there are agitations from groups and individuals that he should take a plunge in 2022, he said. All Ekiti people are beginning to see and appreciate how Segun Oni managed the lean resources of our dear state to build road Infrastructures, construct one storey buildings in primary schools, employ over 6,000 civil servants, revamp Ikun Dairy Farm, Romaco and other moribund state-owned firms . These posters to us were just a call that the right person should be allowed to govern the state for the people to feel the dividends of democracy. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Wyndham Group has appointed Thierry Perrot as the Cluster General Manager of Wyndham Dubai Deira and Super 8 by Wyndham Dubai Deira, among other senior leaders. In his role, Perrot oversees the first two properties launching as part of the ambitious Deira Enrichment project. Perrot brings over 39 years of hospitality experience to the table, with expertise in acquisition and disposal, hotel openings, regional and cluster management, crisis and contingency plan management, as well as organisation development. A numbers man at heart, Perrot joined the Intercontinental Hotel Group in 1981 as part of the finance department and after 15 years of steady climbing the corporate ladder he was appointed Regional Director of Finance at InterContinental Hotels, Indonesia, in 1996. It was here that Perrot was granted the opportunity to step into a role with a broader scope, as the Resident Manager of one of the groups hotels in Indonesia. After many successful ventures in the hospitality industry in countries including France, England, Switzerland, Indonesia, Egypt, South Korea, and the UAE; Perrot was delighted to join the Wyndham Hotel Group this year and settle in Dubai. Overseeing Finance for both Wyndham Dubai Deira and Super 8 by Wyndham Dubai Deira, Krzysztof Grzelak is the Cluster Director of Finance. Grzelak is an experienced finance professional who has demonstrated achievements in managing large teams in multinational and multicultural environments in Poland, Tajikistan, and the UAE. Heading up Sales and Marketing is Khaled Amer who holds over 24 years of professional experience in the hospitality industry. As such he oversees the business development, sales function, and all new projects and strategies for the two hotels. Ghaith Adnan, a marketing professional with over seven years of hospitality, F&B marketing experience handles day-to-day marketing activities including marketing, public relations, social media, special events and activations. Leading Wyndham Dubai Deira and Super 8 by Wyndham Dubai Deiras selection of F&B outlets is Executive Chef Ilker Yokus who brings a wealth of culinary knowledge and around 20 years of industry experience to the table. In his capacity, he leads the kitchen operations of both the hotels dining outlets. He will be supported by the talented, Helen Xiao, Food & Beverage Manager who has orchestrated the smooth opening and subsequent operations of all bars and restaurants. Other notable appointments include, Prakash Nakarmi, Cluster Director of Engineering, Paarth Mathur, Cluster Director of Human Resources, Adrian Gauci, Cluster Director of IT, Ankur Raj, Cluster Revenue Manager, Edina Torkos, Cluster Security Manager, Trishna Hundal, Cluster Executive Housekeeper, and Wassim Abdennadher, Front Office Manager. Together the team will work hand-in-hand to ensure the success of both Deira based properties. Commenting on the new appointments, Perrot added: I am delighted to open these two wonderful properties with such an exceptional team. The opportunity to lead these pioneering hotels, each with a strong identity, is extremely exciting. I can envisage this being a key step in the future expansion of Wyndham's footprint across the country. The team and I are greatly looking forward to welcoming our very first guests, and to proudly uphold the amazing service standards Wyndham and Super 8 are known for. I have no doubt that both properties along with the soon to open Days Hotel by Wyndham Dubai Deira will thrive and become pillars of the Deira community in months to come. Full Team of senior appointments: Thierry Perrot General Manager Krzysztof Grzelak Cluster Director of Finance Khaled Amer Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing Prakash Nakarmi Cluster Director of Engineering F Paarth Mathur Cluster Director of Human Resources Adrian Gauci Cluster Director of IT Ankur Raj Cluster Revenue Manager Ghaith Adnan Cluster Marketing Manager Helen Xiao Cluster Food & Beverage Manager Ilker Yokus Cluster Executive Chef Edina Torkos Cluster Security Manager Trishna Hundal Cluster Executive Housekeeper Wassim Abdennadher Front Office Manager - TradeArabia News Service Haiti - COVID-19 : Minister Henriquez pays tribute to the heroes of health Pradel Henriquez the Ministry of Culture and Communication at the beginning of the year 2021, taking advantage of the 217 anniversary of Haiti's independence, paid tribute to health professionals as part of the fight against the coronavirus Covid-19. Recalling to everyone's memory that in 1804 "[...] the immortal Marie-Claire Heureuse Bonheur who actively participated in the war for independence as a nurse. She provided care to the soldiers who, over time, became our heroes of today. It is therefore an opportunity for the Ministry to celebrate the heroines and heroes of that time as those of our current time they are : health professionals, doctors, nurses, auxiliaries, pharmacists, ambulance drivers, technical and medical staff in general, etc... who embody the common good, by taking care of patients infected with Covid, whose resilience and resistance are constants in our daily history [...]" On January 1, 2021, Minister Henriquez believes that it is necessary "[...] to think of these women and men who are not afraid of being infected to treat us, who do not have neither fear of exposing oneself to all the dangers to restore our life. They swore to be faithful to the laws of honor and probity, to always apply the formula of Rabelais, on this unfailing marriage of science and conscience 'science without conscience is only ruin of the soul'. As much, in their own way, they have contributed to saving the world within hospitals or health centers, it is also them who will save it much more and better thanks to research laboratories. In a nutshell, healthcare professionals in our country or in other skies, in the age of Covid-19, are in fact our real heroes. HONOR AND MERIT TO YOU !" HL/ HaitiLibre Disney has been accused of pushing 'unrealistic beauty standards' on children after social media users spotted a character with exaggerated proportions in the short film Inner Workings. The animated short, which was initially released in 2016, tells the story of an office worker named Paul who has to tame his desire to break out of his dull routine and have fun. But it is Paul's love interest Kate that has sparked outrage online, thanks to her enormous derriere, stick thin arms and tiny waist that is barely bigger than her neck. Dozens of social media users have blasted the unrealistic depiction of Kate's body after screenshots of the cartoon were shared online by US-based Twitter user Glitch, who shared them with the caption: 'In no world did [Disney] need to do this.' One Twitter user, known only as Glitch, recently shared screenshots of characters from the film Inner Workings alongside a caption that read: 'In no world did [Disney] need to do this.' Pictured: the character of Kate Inner Workings was a social commentary that suggests constantly working without joy is no way to live. It featured some characters, such as Kate, pictured, with 'distorted' body shapes The post, which included an image of Kate, sparked fresh criticism online, with users accusing Disney of setting 'unrealistic' body standards for its young audiences. 'I know it's just a cartoon but for the love of God... they need to put some belly on that girl,' one Twitter user wrote. 'It makes me sad thinking kids out there thinking that's how their body should look... It's naturally impossible to have a booty like that with no belly at all!!!' Another added: 'And funny how Disney back in the days were making realistic proportions of princesses and princes - no big eyes, no extreme waist, everything was so much nicer when looking normal. Social media users have criticized the characters in Inner Workings for setting 'unrealistic' body standards for its young audiences 'Funny how they make big eyes now for kids to "understand emotions" like what kind of BS is that?' And a third simply commented: 'Where are her organs?' Kate wasn't the only character to come under scrutiny; others were quick to point out another female figure in the background on a beach, with some claiming she looked like she was 'melting'. But this was not the only character to come under scrutiny as others were quick to point out another female figure in the background Another Twitter user wrote: 'Y'all talking about her but what the hell is happening here.' And someone else added: 'Girl out here being a vase.' FEMAIL has contacted Disney for comment. An entitlement virus is sweeping through the ranks of Canadas public officials elected and non-elected and causing them to act like idiots. There is no known cure. Public confidence in governmental leadership has been weakened already as a result. An entitlement virus is sweeping through the ranks of Canadas public officials elected and non-elected and causing them to act like idiots. There is no known cure. Public confidence in governmental leadership has been weakened already as a result. From Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina and Edmonton come reports of members of Parliament, provincial ministers and provincial public officials flying off to distant destinations for their own personal reasons in defiance of the advice their governments are giving the public. They make fools of their governmental colleagues who issue the advice. They make fools of the conscientious citizens who follow it. Manitoba MP Niki Ashton went to Greece to visit her ailing grandmother. Manitoba Senator Don Plett was in Mexico for three days beginning Dec. 28. David McLaughlin, Manitobas top civil servant, was neither vacationing nor visiting during his two weeks in Ontario, his official apologist said he was at his family home in Ontario, working from home. A couple of Liberal MPs and a couple of Quebec legislature members hurried home when their foreign travels were disclosed. The beach may be calling, but Canadian politicians who answer make fools of their governmental colleagues who issue the advice, and conscientious constituents who follow it. (Mark Baker / The Associated Press) A gaggle of Saskatchewan and Alberta ministers and government backbenchers had never been specifically ordered to stay home like everybody else, so they felt free to jet off to warm places such as Hawaii, Palm Springs, Phoenix and Mexico. Front-runner in the idiocy stakes at the moment is Rod Phillips, who was finance minister of Ontario until his boss, Premier Doug Ford, found out that the Ontario public could not stomach the two-week beach vacation in St. Barts, which Mr. Phillips concealed by pre-recording Christmas greetings to his constituents, for broadcast in his absence. Mr. Ford at first accepted this escapade, then called the minister home and fired him when public reaction was unfavourable. Canada is struggling with the second wave of a COVID-19 pandemic which has already claimed the lives of more than 15,000 Canadians. The virus is spreading rapidly in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec and continues to claim new victims in Manitoba and all other provinces. Prevalence of the virus is increased when people travel abroad and inadvertently bring the virus back with them on their return. Its hard enough to avoid picking up the virus while living quietly in Manitoba, receiving parcels at the door, and shopping for groceries. Its harder still to avoid the virus when lining up in airports, boarding aircraft, mingling with strangers. Thats why the unanimous advice of the health authorities tells everyone to stay home as much as possible. Public officials do great damage when they make their own rules and exempt themselves from the discipline they would apply to the rest of us. Though vaccination has begun on a small scale, the pandemic still has a big future before it is defeated in Canada. Unusual public discipline and self-sacrifice will be needed through the winter and spring and probably through the summer to curb spread of the virus, reduce the risk of infection and ease the burden on nurses, doctors and health care aides. In these circumstances, public officials do great damage when they make their own rules and exempt themselves from the discipline they would apply to the rest of us. Since they are so much smarter than the people they govern, they should know that already. The entitlement virus, however, incubates so fast that smart people can soon take leave of their senses. Which drug-maker will come up with a vaccine for that disease? Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have passed laws broadly legalizing marijuana in some form.The District of Columbia and 11 states -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington -- have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Most recently, Illinois became the second most-populous state to legalize recreational marijuana after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill passed by the legislature. Vermont earlier became the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use through the legislative process, rather than via a ballot measure. Vermont's law allows for adults age 21 and over to grow and possess small amounts of cannabis. However, it does not permit the sale of nonmedical cannabis. Some other state laws similarly decriminalized marijuana, but did not initially legalize retail sales.Most other states allow for limited use of medical marijuana under certain circumstances. Some medical marijuana laws are broader than others, with types of medical conditions that allow for treatment varying from state to state. Louisiana, West Virginia and a few other states allow only for cannabis-infused products, such as oils or pills.A number of states have also decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Under the Bay Areas current shelter-in-place order, it would seem there is nowhere in the nine regional counties you can legally sit down and be served in a restaurant. Yet there are a few exceptions: Bay Area casinos located on tribal land that are not subject to state law or COVID-19 restrictions. At Graton Casino in Rohnert Park, which recently canceled plans for a New Years Eve party after Sonoma Countys health department raised concerns that it could bring in as many as 4,000 people, you can make reservations at four indoor restaurants, including a branch of the popular Bay Area pizzeria chain Tonys of North Beach. At River Rock Casino in Geyserville, indoor dining is closed, but customers can eat rib-eye steak or chicken mole outdoors at the Quail Run Cafe. Other card rooms and casinos that arent on tribal lands must be closed under current orders. The only other casino on tribal land in the Bay Area, Lytton Casino in San Pablo, has closed all of its dining options for now. But Graton and River Rock continue to host customers at their restaurants, making them outliers in a region where both indoor and outdoor dining have been closed for weeks. Though public health experts are generally less concerned about the risks of outdoor dining if its done following safety precautions, dining inside a restaurant, where ventilation is poor and people take off their masks frequently to eat and drink, has been shown to be one of the highest-risk activities during the pandemic. While Starks in Santa Rosa and other popular restaurants just to its north remain closed to diners, at Graton Casino, patrons can stroll past the guardian lion statues outside Boathouse Asian Eatery and sit down to a pan-Asian menu of Vietnamese spring rolls, sushi and mapo tofu. Or, at white-tablecloth steakhouse 630 Park, they can order Japanese wagyu and dry-aged steaks. 630 Park was booked for reservations 22 times on Monday, according to booking site OpenTable. Tonys of North Beach was among the line-up of ambitious restaurants when the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria opened the casino in 2013. Those included a location of M.Y. China, Martin Yans recently closed San Francisco restaurant, and fast-food spot DK Wings from former Cyrus chef Douglas Keane. (The latter two have since closed.) Tonys is licensed and operated by the casino but serves the same pizza that chef and founder Tony Gemignani created when he was crowned World Pizza Champion in Naples, Italy. The operators of the restaurants at Graton Rancheria did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but a spokeswoman confirmed the restaurants are open for reservations. Its website lists its safety precautions, including required masks and temperature screening for staff and diners, as well as distancing between tables. In Geyserville, River Rock Casinos Quail Run Cafe is currently serving an a la carte menu in place of its usual buffet. The menu is fairly standard for a casino, with club sandwiches, surf n turf and salmon fillets. The casino is owned and operated by the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians; the operators could not be reached for comment. Its website says Ensuring our guests have the safest possible dining experience, we will be serving our menu outside overlooking the beautiful Alexander Valley. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. There are 62 casinos on tribal lands in California; most have stayed open during the pandemic. Though both of the Bay Area casinos with open restaurants are located in Sonoma County, they draw visitors from all over the Bay Area. Sonoma was among counties hardest hit by the pandemic early on, with over 19,000 coronavirus cases and close to 200 deaths. Recently however, its new case numbers have gone down and its ICU capacity, used as a benchmark by the state when determining which regions should go on lockdown, is currently at 35%, far higher than the Bay Area average. Update: This story has been amended since it was first posted to clarify Sonoma Countys actions toward Graton Casino's planned New Year's Eve party. Tara Duggan is The San Francisco Chronicles assistant food editor. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed the government's ambitious plan to have every Australian vaccinated against Covid by October Health Minister Greg Hunt has brought forward the government's ambitious plan to have every Australian vaccinated against Covid by October. The campaign, which will begin with the Pfizer jab, is expected to start to be rolled out in early March - a few weeks before the government originally planned. Elderly in residential aged care, health, hotel quarantine and border workers will take priority. However, the government has been slammed for its slow vaccine rollout, with questions raised over why Australia is being far slower than other countries. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine already has been approved for use in several countries.. The Australian Government it is waiting on the Therapeutic Goods Administration to grant provisional registration, which is expected by the end of the month. However, unlike Britain, the US, and other countries that started injections days after approval, Australia still doesn't plan to vaccinate anyone until March. By the time Australians start to receive the vaccination, Israel will have almost vaccinated its entire population. But Mr Hunt has backed the government's approach, saying it is better to be cautious. The Pfizer /BioNTech vaccine already has been approved for use in several countries. But the Australian government it is still waiting on the Therapeutic Goods Administration to grant provisional registration The federal government has supply contracts with three vaccine developers and the Therapeutic Goods Administration is working on approvals He said the government continues to review the medical advice surrounding each vaccine. 'In the same way that advice has allowed us to bring forward the time from the first half of the year to late March and now early March we will be guided by the medical advice,' he told the Daily Telegraph. 'Not to do so would be utterly irresponsible and would risk the health of Australians.' Australia will be one of the first countries to grant a general approval for the Pfizer vaccine. All other countries have issued emergency approvals for the vaccine. Labor leader Anthony Albanese has joined the calls to roll out the vaccine sooner. 'It makes no sense for the TGA to have recommended, as it is likely to do, in January, the approval of the Pfizer vaccine, but then for the rollout to not occur until March,' he told The Australian. 'What we know is that Australia is not at the front of the queue. We have never been at the front of the queue. And that's why Labor argued very early on that we needed to get these deals signed, that we needed to get six deals signed, which is intentional best practice. The AstraZeneca vaccine is being made in Melbourne by CSL but a delay in delivering essential data to the Government means the vaccine may not be ready for the public by March as expected (Pictured: A man in Scotland getting the vaccine) AstraZeneca, which is being made in Melbourne by CSL, won't be granted provisional registration by the Therapeutic Goods Administration until next month 'And the fact is that other nations got to the front of the queue way back in March of last year and Australia isn't at that point yet.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison fired back, saying it was dangerous to fast-track the vaccine before imported batches are tested. 'These suggestions that I've heard about trying to rush the process I think can be very dangerous. We should let the health officials do their jobs here,' he told 3AW. 'I mean, I don't think Australians would want us to just willy-nilly to be sending out vials of vaccine that haven't had their batches tested which is the normal process.' He said there no was need to take 'unnecessary risks'. Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan appeared on Today on Wednesday, where he reiterated the message. 'This is going to be a long race to get the vaccine rolled out across the whole country. And it's not necessarily those that start the race the quickest that are going to end the race the soonest,' he said. 'Early march is six, seven weeks away, so it is not too far to make sure we get this right and get to the end of this race as soon as possible. 'I understand why people would love to see this out sooner rather than later. But with all respect to former prime ministers and others, I do think we should take the advice of the health authorities. They have served us very well in this country. We have stuck to their advice.' Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said ultimately it was a decision for the companies when the doses would be made available Australia has agreements with Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Novavax. The AstraZeneca vaccine is being made in Melbourne by CSL but a delay in delivering essential data to the Government means the vaccine may not be ready for the public by March as expected. Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said health authorities were working closely with the companies and other nations to ensure the vaccines are safe and effective. 'We have the finger on the pulse ... we know what is happening in the regulatory space, but just as important what is happening in terms of the implementation of vaccination strategies in like-minded countries such as the UK, the US and Europe,' he told reporters in Canberra. The approvals will happen when we have all the information we need ... and that will be fast-tracked as much as possible but no shortcuts will be made.' 6 Ways to Remember Persecuted Christians in 2021 NEWS PROVIDED BY Christian Freedom International Jan. 5, 2021 FALLS CHURCH, Va., Jan. 5, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- As Christians face rising persecution worldwide, many of us are looking for ways to connect with those who suffer for their faith. Christian Freedom International which helps persecuted Christians has a few ideas. In hostile regions of the world, Christians risk beatings, imprisonment, discrimination, and death for their faith. They can be harshly punished for modest acts of faith praying or believing that Jesus is God. How can Christians "remember those who are mistreated" for their faith, as Hebrews 13:3 encourages? Here are 6 simple acts thatif done in some countries can trigger persecution against Christians. These actions can remind us of the price persecuted Christians pay for their faith: Asia Bibi offered a cup of water to Muslim neighbors. They accused her of blasphemy and she was sentenced to death. Act: Offer your neighbor a helping hand, an act of kindness out of love for Jesus. Muna and Awale in Somaliland were caught with Christian materials and arrested for "spreading Christianity." Act: Give a Bible or Christian literature to someone who does not know Jesus. New believers in hostile societies may be shunned or killed by their family or community. Act: Reach out to a friend or family member to share the message of Jesus' love with them. China criminalizes teaching children about Jesus and jails pastors. Act: Teach a child about God. Help in a Sunday School class. Encourage your pastor. North Korea criminalizes praying to anyone other than its Supreme Leader. Act: Pray for Bibles and discipleship trainings to reach secret Christians and yet-to-be Christians in hostile countries to strengthen their faith. In some countries, Christians are forbidden from having any contact with foreigners. What is the one thing they request? "Pray for us." Act: Get Christian Freedom International's 2021 free Prayer Calendar to remember to pray. https://christianfreedom.org/calendar-2021/ Each colorful picture in CFI's Prayer Calendar is of Christians served by Christian Freedom International with Bible verses to help focus your prayers. "Your actions on behalf of persecuted Christians and Christian Freedom International's calendar displayed in your home, office or church can strike up conversations with others. You can let people know that Christians are persecuted throughout the world, and there are ways we can help," said Wendy Wright, president of Christian Freedom International. Order your free Prayer Calendar here. https://christianfreedom.org/calendar-2021/ SOURCE Christian Freedom International CONTACT: Wendy Wright, 800-323-2273, info@christianfreedom.org Share Tweet The company has acquired 70% of Novamed, a diagnostic company that develops and manufactures a range of innovative diagnostic platforms and test kits to meet recent years evolving trends of homecare KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Simplivia is a leading global medical device developer and manufacturer of Closed System Transfer Devices (CSTDs). CSTDs are used to protect pharmacists, nurses, and other medical professionals in hospital settings from exposure to hazardous drugs, most often oncology drugs. They also ensure drug sterility to protect patients. Simplivia operates in a fast-growing market which is expected to reach $1B USD by 2024. Novamed is an Israeli developer and manufacturer of diagnostic platforms. The company employs 100 people including researchers and engineers at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The company has a strong legacy product line sold in Europe and Israel and played a vital role in supplying COVID-19 test kits during the pandemic. Novamed recently launched its new innovative patent-protected product portfolio aimed to advance home-diagnostics and value-based medicine. "Recent advancements in oncology, as well as COVID-19 pandemic, have advanced the transition from the over-crowded and costly hospital environment to home-care. This is further propelled by new diagnostic tools that play a vital role in accelerating the shift of health systems worldwide from treatment to prevention and towards value-based healthcare," said Oded Grinstein, Simplivia's CEO. "The addition of Novamed allows Simplivia to establish a diagnostic division that will facilitate early detection of multiple conditions. This ranges from viral and bacterial infection to early detection of heart attacks. We are delighted that Dr. Emil Katz, Novamed's founder and CEO, will continue to lead the development of Novamed's innovative products following the acquisition." Commenting on the acquisition, Dr. Emil Katz, Novamed's founder, and CEO said, "We are very excited about joining forces with Simplivia. This will allow us to further develop Novamed's diagnostic portfolio and expand our global reach through Simplivia's marketing channels and established expertise in the medical device field." Ori Yehudai, Simplivia's active chair of the board, commented: "In the past two years since its acquisition from Teva, we established a strong management team, and demonstrated impressive profitable growth. Simplivia intends to continue its rapid internal growth combined with strategic acquisitions of MedTech companies, develop new technologies and expand its collaboration with research institutes, as part of the accelerated growth strategy." About Simplivia Simplivia Healthcare Ltd. (www.simplivia.com) is dedicated to developing and manufacturing high-quality medical solutions for drug delivery to ensure the safety of healthcare professionals. Simplivia's Tevadaptor and Chemfort products are approved by the world's leading regulatory bodies. In the US, Simplivia's products are distributed by B. Braun under the brand OnGuard. The company's manufacturing facility in Kiryat Shmona, Israel, meets the most rigorous standards, including FDA and CE. Media Contact info@simplivia.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394817/Simplivia_Healthcare.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394820/Simplivia_Healthcare_Logo.jpg By: Observer Editorial Board In December of 1776, roughly six months following the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Payne wrote: THESE are the times that try mens souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Thomas Paine, The Crisis No. I (written 19 December 1776, published 23 December 1776) Those words were written at a time that it was far from certain that the colonies would achieve their independence. In fact, in December, 1776 few would have given the cause much of a chance. Things looked bad when Thomas Paine penned those words. Now today we face a similar uncertain future. The Editorial Board of the Epochtime.com has summarized it well in posting this editorial on January 4, 2021: The political crisis the United States faces brings into the open a contest for the soul of our country. As important as this recent election is, the stakes transcend particular political arrangements. They go to fundamental issues about which each of us must make a choice and take a stand. A peculiarity of our current situation: While every American is intricately familiar with the pandemic and the effect it has had on our lives, this is not the case for voter fraud, despite the evidence being overwhelming. Some Americans are ignorant of these facts because they have been misinformed by a media that willfully withholds information. The reason for this might surprise you. There has been a force quietly at work in our country, in plain sight, that has gradually taken over ideological control of most of our institutions, businesses, media, and even our culture. This force is Marxism and communism. For those who have been following this story, there is no surprise here. For those who have never heard of this, it sounds far-fetched and unbelievable. It is not that we werent alerted. It was the stated goal of the Soviet Union to infiltrate our political parties, media, and academia, in an effort to subvert America from within. This process is now almost completed. This decades-long communist subversion of our nation came to a head in the 2020 election. While before our major political parties didnt differ that much on a fundamental level, gradually one of the parties was subverted by communist groups. During past elections, both parties would wave the American flag and sing the national anthem, but now one side genuinely believes America is a fundamentally flawed nation. Over the summer, Marxist groups such as Black Lives Matter (BLM), which was founded by self-proclaimed Marxists who have hijacked genuine concerns over racism for political purposes, and the far-left Antifa group, were behind riots and violence. These groups have direct ties to communist groups connected to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Among the statues torn down in these riots were those of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Francis Scott Key (author of the national anthem), Saint Junipero Serra, and even of Jesus. For those who escaped communism, seeing our nations heritage under assault felt no different than the Cultural Revolution seen during the 1960s in communist China. Wherever communism goes it targets a countrys history, principles, and beliefs in an effort to force control. During the Cultural Revolution, the media relentlessly attacked then-leader of China Liu Shaoqi. Liu was removed and suffered a miserable death. The young Red Guards destroyed all the antiquities and cultural relics they could find. They beat anyone who had knowledge of traditional culture, and they tore down temples and destroyed statues. It is the exact same communist ideology that is driving todays BLM and Antifa movements in the United States. They are trying to destroy our traditional morality and the traditional structure of society. Anything that reminds people of tradition inherently reveals, by contrast, how communism is against society and against humanity. Communism is not merely a bad economic model. It is an evil system responsible for the killing of more than 100 million innocent people over the past 100 years. It has destroyed civilizations and the good traditions and cultural heritage of many countries. And it has incited hatred in people everywhere it goes. Chinese Communist Party Subversion The CCP sees the free worldand especially the United Statesas a mortal threat to its dictatorial rule. It will do everything to defeat and destroy America. Over the past two decades, the decline of moral standards in our own country has made it possible for communist China to take advantage of our system. It has systematically bought and blackmailed our key elites in government, media, academia, and business. The honey trap Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-California) appears to have fallen into is only the tip of the iceberg. Using women and money, the CCP was able to bring many elites under its control. It has also bought influence over Wall Street. The Wall Street eliteresponsible for pressuring companies to move to Chinamade most of the profit from this shift of Americas manufacturing base to China. Meanwhile, it is Wall Street money that has supported key businesses in China, including Chinas military development. As Chinese professor Di Dongsheng, associate dean of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, recently revealed, the CCP has used its good friends in Wall Street to manipulate the United States, politically and financially, for decades. The CCP has studied America in great detail. It has analyzed every congressman, senator, governor, and even each lobbyist, and has figured out exactly how our system works and how to corrupt the key people in our country. This is why the CCP was able to be so deeply involved in the 2020 elections, while at the same time remaining mostly invisible. Remaking the US This corruption and manipulation is for the sake of reordering the United States, and then the world, according to the CCPs principles. The CCP teaches struggle, materialism, and atheism. Struggle involves fighting to get ones way. The fighting may be physical or psychological. In any case, law and truth are set aside for the sake of power. Materialism involves understanding ourselves from the bottom up. Humanity is described as a collection of desires such as hunger, fear, and lust. Higher things, such as conscience or spirituality, are not recognized. Atheism involves denying the existence of God, and with that denial, humanity loses the morality and true independence that come with belief. The CCP has developed a regime of censorship, propaganda, and social control that is enabling it to put in place the most perfect tyranny known in history. Should the CCP complete its conquest of the United States, then the forms of that tyranny will be introduced into the United States, and Americans will learn to live, feel, and think according to CCP principles. The United States and the world will enter a seemingly endless night in which the light of meaning and truth will have been snuffed out. A Choice That moment hasnt come yet. All Americans have their destiny in their hands. And by determining their own fate, they can help determine the future of our country. The fundamental basis of any nation is its morality. While the CCP has for decades sought to corrupt our morality, individual Americans can choose to reject the blandishments of communism in favor of traditional morality. Americans can choose honesty instead of fraud; personal responsibility instead of socialism; truth and freely reported news over propaganda and censorship; and belief over atheism. This is the sure path to find safety. As we are facing an unsettled election and the resurgence of the CCP virus, positioning ourselves on the righteous side is more critical than ever. In both Western and Eastern ancient cultures, plagues had reasons for their attack, and people with honesty and a righteous mind could survive. Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/a-time-for-choosing-a-test-for-our-souls_3643116.html Tomorrow morning (January 6) stop a moment and say a prayer for our nation, our liberty and the future of our children and grandchildren. It is greatly needed and we are convinced that without Gods grace we shall not endure and a free people. Perth, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 4, 2021) - Tempus Resources Ltd (ASX: TMR) (TSXV: TMRR) ("Tempus" or "the Company") would like to provide further information on their Joint Venture partner Robinhood Gold Corp ("RGC"), as announced by the Company on 4 January 2021. Robinhood Gold Corp is a private company, registered in British Columbia, Canada in August 2020. RGC was formed to acquire gold projects. RGC is currently an unlisted Canadian company, but may go public on the TSXV via an IPO or RTO, however there are no specific plans at this stage. This announcement has been authorised by the Board of Directors of Tempus Resources Limited. For further information: TEMPUS RESOURCES LTD Melanie Ross - Director/Company SecretaryPhone: +61 8 6188 8181 Forward-Looking Information and Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Tempus's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward- looking statements contained herein may include, but are not limited to, the successful completion of the 30 day due diligence period relating to the agreement , the ability of Tempus to successfully achieve business objectives, and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Tempus to control or predict, that may cause Tempus' actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although Tempus believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Tempus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to Tempus or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71336 BANGKOK - Thailand reported 527 new coronavirus cases, most of them migrant workers who already were isolated, and the government said it was tightening movements of people around the country. People wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus dance at a public park in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. China has designated parts of Hebei province near Beijing as a coronavirus high danger zone after 14 new cases of COVID-19 were found. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) BANGKOK - Thailand reported 527 new coronavirus cases, most of them migrant workers who already were isolated, and the government said it was tightening movements of people around the country. Thailand has been struggling with a sudden virus surge after months of hardly any cases of domestic transmission. Field hospitals were being set up in parts of five provinces with many cases. Large parts of the country, including the capital Bangkok, are under various lockdown restrictions, and the government said it will additionally restrict travel between virus-hit provinces to goods, cargo and necessary travel, and set up checkpoints on some roads. Of the new cases confirmed Tuesday, 439 were migrants, 82 were local transmissions and six were in quarantined travellers, the Center of COVID-19 Situation Administration said. The total was a drop from the 745 registered Monday, the all-time high in Thailand, where the first case of the virus outside China was detected last January. Most of the surge since last month has been in Samut Sakhon province, next to Bangkok, among migrant workers living in dormitories and employed in fish markets and factories. A field hospital next to the market is treating the infected migrants. Although it has cancelled public activities and gatherings and shut schools, bars and other places where people gather, the government has not yet taken measures as strict as those that it imposed in March when it successfully stamped out local transmission. Malls and department stores remain open with social distancing required, and indoor dining at restaurants is allowed until 9 p.m. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha instead implored people to stay home. We dont want to lock down the entire country because we know what the problems are, so can you all lock down yourselves? he said. This is up to everyone, if you dont want to get infected just stay home for 14 to 15 days." The government also has been scrambling to acquire more vaccines after an initial period of complacency. Prayuth said Monday that Thailand is seeking to secure 63 million doses, which wouldn't cover half of its population of about 70 million. It so far has about 28 million doses on order for later in the year. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region: Sri Lankan authorities say they will fully reopen the country's two international airports and allow the return of tourists who undergo coronavirus tests starting Jan. 21. Foreign tourists were banned in March when the first wave of COVID-19 surfaced. Under a pilot project last month, hundreds of tourists were allowed from Ukraine in a travel bubble." In the new program, tourists must be tested in their country 72 hours prior to their flight, when they arrive at their hotel and again seven days later. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said Tuesday the decision to reopen airports and tourism was made because of the plight of people who depend on the tourism industry. Tourism accounts for about 5% of Sri Lanka's GDP and employs 250,000 people directly and up to 2 million indirectly. Sri Lanka has reported 45,498 COVID-19 cases, including 215 deaths. Qantas Airways has begun selling seats on international flights from July 1 despite the Australian government's ban on most residents leaving the country. Australias flagship airline said on Tuesday it is selling tickets on the expectation that international travel will begin to restart from July. We continue to review and update our international schedule in response to the developing COVID-19 situation, it said in a statement. Since March, Australia has prevented most citizens and residents from leaving so they wont bring the coronavirus back to the island nation. Travellers from New Zealand are the only ones spared 14 days of hotel quarantine on arrival in Australia in recognition of the near neighbours success in controlling the virus. Australian Transport Minister Michael McCormack said borders will be reopened when international arrivals do not pose a risk to Australians. Decisions about when international travel resumes will be made by the Australian government, McCormack said in a statement. China has designated parts of Hebei province near Beijing as a coronavirus high danger zone after 14 new cases of COVID-19 were found. Eleven of those cases were in Shijiazhuang city. Parts of the city will undergo stricter testing and isolation measures, and areas of another Hebei city with new cases were registered as medium risk areas. Medical investigators were looking into whether a single event such as a family gathering had been the origin of many of the cases. Wary of another wave of infections, China is urging migrant workers to stay put during the Lunar New Year holiday. Classes are being dismissed early and tourists are being told not to come to Beijing for holidays. Indonesia will begin COVID-19 vaccinations on Jan. 13, with President Joko Widodo the first recipient. Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Tuesday that other government ministers will receive the vaccine after the president. A broader program will begin the following day that will prioritize 1.3 million health workers and 17.4 million public officers. The vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech must still receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency and halal approval from the Indonesian Ulema Council. The Health Ministry says it will take 15 months to vaccinate its total population of 181.5 million people. On Tuesday, the country reported 7,445 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the confirmed total to 779,548, including 23,109 deaths. India has reported 20 more cases of a new fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus originally found in Britain, taking its total to 58. Health officials havent said whether the infections were found in people who returned from the U.K., or were spread locally. Overall confirmed cases of the coronavirus, however, remain on a downturn trajectory since hitting a mid-September peak. India has reported more than 10.3 million cases and over 150,000 deaths. It soon plans a massive vaccination program targeting about 300 million people by August. The government has granted emergency-use approval for two vaccines, one developed by Oxford University and U.K.-based drug maker AstraZeneca, and another by Indian company Bharat Biotech and a government institute. The Indian vaccine was hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a success in Indias self-reliance push but ran into controversy because the countrys regulator has not published information about its efficacy. The watchdog All India Drug Action Network said it was baffled to understand the scientific logic in approving an incompletely studied vaccine. Irelands state broadcaster has apologised after the remarks made on its television comedy sketch show triggered an outcry for depicting God as a rapist. During the countdown show on New Years Eve, broadcasted on RTEOne Television, a mock news report was about God being the latest prominent figure implicated in a sexual harassment scandal. However, following the telecast, the broadcaster acknowledged the complaints from the viewers and RTE wishes to apologise to those who were offended by the segment. The 5bn-year-old stood accused of forcing himself on a young Middle Eastern migrant and allegedly impregnating her against her will, before being sentenced to two years in prison, with the last 24 months suspended, said the newsreader. Following the news, movie producer Harvey Weinstein requested a retrial in Ireland. The 23-second segment by Waterford Whispers News, a satirical news website reportedly prompted over 1,000 complaints to the Irish broadcaster along with the criticism by Irelands Catholic primate archbishop, Eamon Martin who called the clip outrageous. In a tweet, he said, This outrageous clip should be removed immediately & denounced by all people of goodwill...To broadcast such a deeply offensive and blasphemous clip about God and Our Blessed Mother Mary during the Christmas seasonis insulting to all Catholics and Christians. 1. I am shocked that producer/editor of 'NYE Countdown Show' @RTE @RTEOne didnt realise how deeply offensive was a mocking 'news report' accusing God of rape & reporting his imprisonment. This outrageous clip should be removed immediately & denounced by all people of goodwill. Eamon Martin (@ArchbishopEamon) January 1, 2021 Read - Brexit Agreement: UK Navy Ships To Protect Fishing Waters In Case Of No-deal Read - As Transition Nears End, Boris Johnson Says No Brexit Deal Will Be 'wonderful' Irish broadcaster recognises it can offend Following at least 1,100 complaints, RTE said in an official statement, RTE recognises that matters which can cause offence naturally differ from person to person, within comedy and satire in particular. Having reviewed the feedback and complaints received up to this point, RTE wishes to apologise to those who were offended by the segment. The formal complaints received by RTE are being entered into our complaints system and will be responded to in accordance with the relevant statutory process, it added before informing that the clip will not be removed from the RTE Player as requested. However, the broadcaster has attached a warning to advise viewers that the material may cause offence. Read - Hope Fades In Norway Landslide That Left 7 Dead; 3 Missing Read - Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot Shareholders To Vote On Merger Image: RTE Guwahati, Jan 5 : The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Assam has arrested two more persons including a business correspondent of a nationalised bank, for reported embezzlement of pre-matric scholarship funds for minority students totalling about Rs 10 crore for the past two financial years. This has taken the total number of arrests from four districts of the state to 32, officials said on Tuesday. An Assam police spokesman said that the CID sleuths with the help of police, conducted searches at various locations under two police stations -- Nagarbera and Boko in Kamrup district, from where the two accused were arrested. He said that one of the detainees is a business correspondent of a nationalised bank and owner of an IT centre whereas the other had acted as a middleman to misappropriate the scholarships amount meant for students belonging to the minority community. Of the 32 accused arrested so far, there are headmasters, teachers, owners of Customer Service Point (CSP) of nationalised banks, president of a school management committee, electronic data processors besides 12 middlemen. One of the arrested persons Robiul Islam from Goalpara district is believed to be the mastermind behind siphoning off the funds and was also associated with a large number of schools in submitting fraudulent applications for scholarships and withdrawal of scholarship funds. The police spokesman said that all the people have been arrested since early last month for allegedly misappropriating the pre-matric scholarship funds. According to the police officer, CID teams are regularly conducting raids in different districts to arrest the remaining accused in the case. The CID sleuths have so far seized three laptops, 217 students' photographs, 104 students' certificates, 173 pre-matric scholarship forms and 11 bank passbooks. The pre-matric scholarship for the students belonging to the minority community is a central scheme sponsored and implemented by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs for students who secure 50 per cent marks in the previous examinations and whose parents' annual income does not exceed Rs 1 lakh. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. An emergency election plan that prompted a partisan war over mail ballots last fall easily passed two legislative committees Tuesday, clearing the way for Louisiana to keep in place expanded mail balloting for upcoming local and congressional elections. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, a Republican, proposed the same procedures for the February, March and April elections as the state had in place for the Dec. 5 contest, at the direction of a federal judge. The plan allows people who meet certain criteria, including those with underlying health conditions and others affected by the pandemic, to access absentee ballots. The Republican-led Senate and Governmental Affairs and House and Governmental Affairs committees advanced the plan to the full Legislature without objection Tuesday. The votes suggest Louisiana may avoid the partisan battling over the election rules that took place last fall. The full Legislature and Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards must still sign off on the plan. Louisiana's proposed spring elections plan: Expanded mail-in voting, no extra early voting days Louisianas chief elections official is proposing an emergency plan for the February and Spring elections mirroring the expansion of absentee The Governor has reviewed the emergency election plan to ensure it protects the voting rights and health of the public during the pandemic and will approve it. Ardoin said the courts have spoken on the issue, and scaling back the mail ballots would likely lead to another expansion of absentee ballots regardless. We need to make certain voting is safe and can take place amongst this pandemic, he said. The legislative committee votes were a turnaround from the fall balloting plans, when GOP lawmakers balked at an expansion of mail ballots ahead of a presidential contest in which President Donald Trump railed against the practice. Ardoin said last fall he couldnt win support for the same plan from the GOP-dominated Legislature. Instead, he proposed a plan approved by those two committees that didnt expand mail ballots to people affected by COVID-19, prompting a veto from Gov. Edwards. A federal judge then stepped in to order the state to expand mail ballots. But even with those protocols in place for November and December elections, a small number of people 5,476 in November and 1,217 in December took advantage of the COVID-19 mail ballots. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Election to replace Luke Letlow in Congress to be set for March, officials say The election to replace Luke Letlow, who died from COVID-19 complications days before being sworn in as congressman for Louisianas 5th Distri With all the teeth gnashing we did over the COVID ballot, an extraordinarily small number of people took advantage of that ballot, said Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee Chair Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell. Mail voting did soar to record levels in the 2020 presidential contest, but largely because people 65 and older, who are already allowed to vote by mail under current law, took advantage of the practice. Early voting also soared during the election. The plan advanced by lawmakers Tuesday allows people to receive a mail ballot if they are at higher risk of COVID-19 because of serious underlying medical conditions, subject to a medically necessary quarantine or isolation order, advised by a health provider to quarantine, experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a diagnosis or are caring for someone who is quarantining or in isolation. That mirrors the rules for the summer and fall elections. How will Louisiana convince people to get the coronavirus vaccine? Here's the $475K plan Now that Louisiana is receiving COVID-19 vaccines each week, the state Health Department is turning its focus to a crucial part of reaching he It doesnt include extra days of early voting that were in place for the November presidential election. Those extra days were not required by the judge for the December election because of an expected drop-off in turnout, and Ardoin said he expects turnout to be low for the upcoming elections. The elections affected by the new plan include a special legislative election in southwest Louisiana next month to fill the state House seat left vacant by Stephen Dwight, who was elected District Attorney of Calcasieu Parish. In addition, the plan affects March and April elections that are expected to be the dates of the primaries and runoff elections, respectively, for U.S. House seats left vacant by Luke Letlow and Cedric Richmond. Letlow died of complications of COVID-19 last month, days before being sworn in. Richmond said he will soon leave for a senior post in President-elect Joe Bidens White House. Governors dont have the power to appoint a U.S. House member to fill a vacancy until the election is held. Instead, the governor sets the date for a special election, according to Louisiana's election law. Sen. Hawley: Who Becomes President Depends on What Happens on Jan. 6 Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Monday that the matter of who becomes Americas next president is not a foregone conclusion but depends on the outcome of the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, when a number of Republican lawmakers have vowed to raise objections to the certification of some electoral votes cast for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Hawley made the remarks while responding to questions by Fox News Bret Baier, who asked the Missouri senator whether the aim of the GOP effort to raise objections is to overturn the results of the election and keep President Donald Trump in the White House. In response, Hawley said his constituents have raised major, major concerns about the integrity, the fairness of this election. They expect me to stand up and to raise those concerns, he added. And this is the only forum I have to do it. Hawley is part of around a dozen Republican senators who have called on Congress to appoint an electoral commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election results. In calling for the 10-day audit, the Republican senators, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), said in a statement that the 2020 election featured unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations, and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities. The allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes, they said, adding that this deep distrust of U.S. democratic processes will not magically disappear and should concern us all, whether or not elected officials or journalists believe the allegations. It poses an ongoing threat to the legitimacy of any subsequent administrations, the senators said in their statement, adding that they intend to object to the votes unless and until the emergency 10-day audit is completed. Hawley told Fox News that his constituents want a probe into voting irregularities and have called for measures on election integrity. They want new election laws to make sure that our elections are secure going forward, he said. This is my chance to stand up and speak for them. And somebody has got to take their concerns seriously and speak up. And thats what Im going to do. Baier then asked Hawley if he believes that, as of January 20th, that President Trump will be president. That depends on what happens on Wednesday, Hawley replied. I mean, this is why we have the debate, this is why we have the votes. Baier countered by saying, No, it doesnt. The states, by the Constitution, say they certify the election, they did certify it. By the Constitution, Congress doesnt have the right to overturn the certification. At least as most experts read it, he said. Hawley responded by saying that the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution directs Congress to count the electoral votes and that, under the process, lawmakers have the opportunity to raise objections and debate the votes. This is my only opportunity during this process to raise an objection and to be heard, Hawley said, adding that, I do have a responsibility, in this joint session of Congress to either say Ive got no problem with it or I do have a problem with it.' During the joint session, certificates of Electoral College votes from states are read. After reading a certificate, the vice president calls for objections, if any. Each objection must be in writing, must state clearly the grounds for the objection, and must be signed by at least one senator and one representative. If the requirements are met, the chambers withdraw from the joint session and hold a two-hour debate, followed by votes. A majority vote in each chamber would uphold an objection. According to an Epoch Times tally, 25 Republican senators oppose the effort to object to votes, including most members of the Senate GOP leadership. No Democrats have signaled their intention to support objections. Unless most Senate Republicans who have voiced opposition to challenging the votes change their minds, the objections will not succeed. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. TOKYO, Jan 5, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) has announced that Northgate Public Services (NPS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC, has entered into an agreement to acquire Charter Systems Ltd, a leading supplier of Covert Operations software to police services in the UK and Canada.NPS is the market leader for policing IT solutions in the UK with more than 50% of police forces currently using NPS' CONNECT crime, custody and intelligence management system to manage information on victims and crimes.Charter Systems is part of Equinity Group plc's Digital division and provides mission-critical software to manage Covert Operations which is used by more than 60% of UK police forces as well as major customers in Canada. The potential for these two sets of technologies to be brought together could bring substantial benefits to the police service.Ian Blackhurst, executive director of Public Safety, Northgate Public Services, said, "It's essential for undercover officers to have access to the most up to date and accurate information to be able to predict and prevent crime. Putting reliable intelligence into the hands of police forces means they are in a good position to be able to assess the risk to their officers, the public and the police operation."He continues: "This acquisition is a great opportunity for us to expand our offer and will bring substantial value to customers of both Charter and NPS. Our working practices are already very similar so we will be able to start adding value to our solutions straight away."NPS sees Charter Systems' solutions as a highly complementary and natural addition to its existing public safety portfolio and customer base. Strategically, the acquisition of Charter is consistent with increasing the NPS footprint in the UK and internationally with a focus on policing operations.Aaron Hughes, CEO of the digital division of Equiniti, previous owners of Charter Systems, said: "We are pleased to sell Charter Systems, a market-leading software business in its field, to a complementary acquirer, and wish our colleagues and former clients well for the future. This disposal allows Equality to continue to focus on its core businesses."About Northgate Public ServicesNorthgate Public Services (NPS) has a proven history of creating game-changing software for the public sector. Our ability to put vital information into the hands of those that need it is the reason why 95% of local authorities use us to collect revenues and administer benefits. It's why 14 different police forces have chosen NPS' CONNECT software to improve decision making at the frontline, why 150 housing providers use NPS systems to manage their two million homes efficiently and why the NHS choose our technology to help them screen eight million babies for hearing loss. Based in the UK but working around the world, NPS' 2,300 employees help improve the services that matter most. NPS is part of the NEC Corporation ("NEC", TSE: 6701), a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people worldwide. For more information, visit our CONNECT page: https://www.northgateps.com/connect.About EQ (Equiniti Group plc)EQ is an international technology-led services and payments specialist. With over 5,000 employees, it supports 36 million people in 120 countries and serves c.70% of the FTSE 100. EQ's purpose is to care for every customer and simplify every transaction, delivered with less of an impact on the environment.EQ is listed on the London Stock Exchange as Equiniti Group plc. Find out more https://equiniti.com/.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness, and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.Source: NEC CorporationCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Woman Adopted Abandoned Baby With 3 Percent of Brain, Giving Her a Home While She Lived After taking on a 10-day-old abandoned baby girl with a disease that left her with only 3 percent of her brain, missionary Addisyn Lopez felt in her heart that there should be a place for terminally ill children to be loved until the very end. She thus established one at her familys childrens home in Guatemala. Caring for abandoned babies then eventually led Addisyn into the life-changing roles of wife, mother, and adoptive mom. Addisyns family moved to Guatemala when she was 16, forcing the then-teen to give up the American dream. A part of me wanted the comfortable, she admitted, sharing her story on Love What Matters. But what Ive come to learn is when you step outside your comfort zone and allow God to use you, really use you, even when youre afraid, Hell teach you and stretch you. Addisyns parents founded a childrens home, called Village of Hope, for children with special needs and adolescent mothers, and the teen had five adopted siblings. It was through working at the childrens home that Addisyn found her calling. One day, a social worker called about an abandoned 10-day-old baby girl with hydranencephaly, meaning she had been born with only about 3 percent of her brain. The little girl without a name was not expected to live long. However, Addisyn immediately took her in without any hesitation. Amid a flurry of hospital appointments and innumerable MRIs, Addisyn stated an adoption case to an incredulous judge who told her that the little girls family didnt even want her and that she wouldnt survive too long due to her disease. And even if she did, she wasnt expected to have a normal life. But Addisyn was determined to give the baby a chance and claimed, [H]er life matters, and the value of our life isnt decided by the number of our days. Welcoming the baby girl into her life, Addisyn named her Emma Leigh. Emma means whole and complete, which is what we were praying for her brain, Addisyn explained, and Leigh is mine and my moms middle name and the name I had always wanted to pass on to my first daughter. Through the time Addisyn took care of baby Emma, nurses, doctors, and people at the court constantly told her that the little girl was lucky to have you, the selfless woman recalled in an Instagram post. However, for Addisyn, that didnt make sense, as she didnt think she was doing anything special, and she didnt consider it lucky that the baby girl was abandoned and dying. Finally one of the nurses told me, I dont think you get it. Shes lucky to have someone who fights for her, Addisyn wrote. After following the nurse to a basement where she was shown more abandoned babies, who were alone and waiting to die, she knew what she had to do. Sadly, Emma Leigh passed away on April 16, 2015, but after receiving the love and care she really deserved. Having learned that most abandoned babies are not lucky enough to be held in their final moments, Addisyn established Into His Arms, a safe, loving space for terminally ill children. As Addisyns project blossomed, so did romance. A man named Ronald, who worked beside Addisyn and the Guatemalan staff members at the ministry, cared for the children as much as she did. Eventually, the pair realized they had fallen in love. They married in April 2017 in the ruins of Antigua. We had 18 ring bearers and 37 flower girls in our wedding because every child at Village of Hope wanted to be a part of the ceremony, said Addisyn. Months later, two special children came into their lives. A judge approached Addisyn about a little girl named Zailee Grace who had been repeatedly rejected for a year, with homes citing lack of staff, lack of space, and her special needs as reasons not to take her in. But Addisyn said yes to her. Shortly thereafter, she and Ronald were woken by police sirens in the middle of the night. A convoy of prisoner-relocation vehicles had agreed to escort an unwanted baby boy with special needs, hoping that Into His Arms, being on their route, may take him in. This is how Baby Ezra Justice joined the family. While some of the children in our care receive love and comfort measures during the brief time they have on this earth, others we get to see heal and thrive, said Addisyn, who cares for 55 abandoned children. She also states that with Ezra and Zailee, we get to be the lucky ones who love them forever. After Addisyn gave birth to a baby boy, Atlas Jude, she and Ronald knew it was time to make their family of five official. Ezra and Zailee were formally adopted on June 3, 2020. Describing Ezra as a warrior, Zailee as a princess, and Atlas as the sweetest baby brother, Addisyn hails her beautiful blended family as a light in the darkness. The journey that brought us here wasnt always easy, she shared. Theres a lot of bad in the world, but I believe theres even more good, and its up to us to be it. This story was last updated in January 2021. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Researchers in Japan have made the first observations of biological magnetoreception - live, unaltered cells responding to a magnetic field in real time. This discovery is a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earth's magnetic field and addressing the question of whether weak electromagnetic fields in our environment might affect human health. "The joyous thing about this research is to see that the relationship between the spins of two individual electrons can have a major effect on biology," said Professor Jonathan Woodward from the University of Tokyo, who conducted the research with doctoral student Noboru Ikeya. The results were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). Researchers have suspected since the 1970s that because magnets can attract and repel electrons, Earth's magnetic field, also called the geomagnetic field, could influence animal behavior by affecting chemical reactions. When some molecules are excited by light, an electron can jump from one molecule to another and create two molecules with single electrons, known as a radical pair. The single electrons can exist in one of two different spin states. If the two radicals have the same electron spin, their subsequent chemical reactions are slow, while radical pairs with opposite electron spins can react faster. Magnetic fields can influence electron spin states and thus directly influence chemical reactions involving radical pairs. Over the past 50 years, chemists have identified multiple reactions and specific proteins called cryptochromes that are sensitive to magnetic fields in test tube environments. Biologists have even observed how genetically interfering with cryptochromes in fruit flies and cockroaches can eliminate the insects' ability to navigate according to geomagnetic cues. Other research has indicated that birds' and other animals' geomagnetic navigation is light sensitive. However, no one has previously measured chemical reactions inside a living cell changing directly because of a magnetic field. Woodward and Ikeya worked with HeLa cells, human cervical cancer cells that are commonly used in research labs, and were specifically interested in their flavin molecules. Flavins are a subunit of cryptochromes that are themselves a common and well-studied group of molecules that naturally glow, or fluoresce, when exposed to blue light. They are important light-sensing molecules in biology. When flavins are excited by light, they can either fluoresce or produce radical pairs. This competition means that the amount of flavin fluorescence depends on how quickly the radical pairs react. The University of Tokyo team hoped to observe biological magnetoreception by monitoring cells' autofluorescence while adding an artificial magnetic field to their environment. Autofluorescence is common in cells, so to isolate flavin autofluorescence, the researchers used lasers to shine light of a specific wavelength onto the cells and then measured the wavelengths of the light that the cells emitted back to ensure that it matched the characteristic values of flavin autofluorescence. Standard magnetic equipment can generate heat, so the researchers took extensive precautions and performed exhaustive control measurements to verify that the only change in the cells' environment was the presence or absence of the magnetic field. "My goal even as a Ph.D. student has always been to directly see these radical pair effects in a real biological system. I think that is what we've just managed," said Woodward. The cells were irradiated with blue light and fluoresced for about 40 seconds. Researchers swept a magnetic field over the cells every four seconds and measured changes in the intensity of the fluorescence. Statistical analysis of the visual data from the experiments revealed that the cell's fluorescence dimmed by about 3.5% each time the magnetic field swept over the cells. The researchers suspect that the blue light excites the flavin molecules to generate radical pairs. The presence of a magnetic field caused more radical pairs to have the same electron spin states, meaning that there were fewer flavin molecules available to emit light. Thus, the cell's flavin fluorescence dimmed until the magnetic field went away. "We've not modified or added anything to these cells. We think we have extremely strong evidence that we've observed a purely quantum mechanical process affecting chemical activity at the cellular level," Woodward remarked. Lab experiments and real-world magnetoreception The experimental magnetic fields were 25 millitesla, which is roughly equivalent to common refrigerator magnets. The magnetic field of the Earth varies by location, but is estimated to be about 50 microtesla, or 500 times weaker than the magnetic fields used in the experiments. Woodward states that Earth's very weak magnetic field could still have a biologically important influence due to a phenomenon known as the low field effect. Although strong magnetic fields make it difficult for radical pairs to switch between states in which the two electron spins are the same and states in which they are different, weak magnetic fields can have the opposite effect and make the switch easier than when there is no magnetic field. The authors are now investigating the effect in other types of cells, the potential role of the cells' health and surroundings, and testing candidate magnetic receptors, including cryptochromes directly inside cells. Interpreting any potential environmental or physiological significance of the results will require developing more specialized and highly sensitive equipment to work with much weaker magnetic fields and more detailed cellular analysis to connect the magnetic field-sensitive response to specific signaling pathways or other consequences within the cell. ### Research Publication Noboru Ikeya, Jonathan R. Woodward. 4 Jan 2021. Cellular autofluorescence is magnetic field sensitive. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018043118 https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1073/ pnas. 2018043118 Related Links Woodward Lab: http://opes. c. u-tokyo. ac. jp/ spinchem/ Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: https:/ / www. c. u-tokyo. ac. jp/ eng_site/ Research Contact Professor Jonathan R. Woodward Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 153-8902, Tokyo, Japan. Tel: +81-03-5465-7738 Email: woodward@global.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp Press Officer Contact Ms. Caitlin Devor Division for Strategic Public Relations, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 133-8654, JAPAN Tel: +81-080-9707-8178 Email: press-releases.adm@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp About the University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading university and one of the world's top research universities. The vast research output of some 6,000 researchers is published in the world's top journals across the arts and sciences. Our vibrant student body of around 15,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students includes over 4,000 international students. Find out more at http://www. u-tokyo. ac. jp/ en/ or follow us on Twitter at @UTokyo_News_en. Funders JSPS KAKENHI Grant (grant Numbers 17H03005 and 20H02687) Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-2810-2755. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 91F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, will object to the certification of the 2020 election results, joining a growing list of Republican members of Congress who will mark their protest of various election procedures and demonstrate continuing loyalty to President Donald J. Trump. The effort, which is not expected to alter Trump's impending exit from the White House this month, will play out during Wednesday's joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes certified by each state. Individual lawmakers can object to Congress's approval of the vote, and the decision by some GOP members to do so has divided the Republican party on the eve of two Georgia run-off elections Tuesday that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. Stefanik, who became one of Trump's most vocal allies in the last year of his presidency, said Monday she would object to the election results "to protect our democratic process." "Tens of millions of Americans are rightly concerned that the 2020 election featured unprecedented voting irregularities, unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws, and a fundamental lack of ballot integrity and security," Stefanik said. " ... The most precious foundation and covenant of our Republic is the right to vote, and consequently, the faith in the sanctity of our nation's free and fair elections." Stefanik's decision to object prompted New York Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs to call for her resignation. "Through her statement today indicating her intention to support the effort to contest the legitimately certified electors in the 2020 Presidential race, Congresswoman Stefanik has thrown in her lot with those colleagues who seek to violate their Constitutional oath to 'protect and defend' the Constitution by seeking to overthrow the legitimately elected incoming President of the United States," Jacobs said in a statement. Over 140 House Republicans and 13 GOP senators have said they will raise objections Wednesday. In a joint statement, the senators asked that Congress appoint a special commission to conduct an "emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states" in order to restore faith in American elections amid allegations of fraud. Vice President Mike Pence, who will preside over the joint session Wednesday, said Saturday he supports the objecting members. But other Republicans have rebuked their colleagues' efforts as anti-democratic and nakedly partisan. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called it "bad for the country and bad for the party." Rep. John Katko, R-Syracuse, said Congress should not "usurp the will of the people and the electoral college" by voting against certifying the election results. "After every ballot was counted and arguments were presented to our nations courts, there has been no demonstration of widespread fraud that would warrant overturning the election results," he said. Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, was the first to acknowledge Biden as president-elect and is also expected to oppose the GOP challenges to certification. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-Staten Island, declined to comment on Monday. Republican Reps. Lee Zeldin of Shirley, Andrew Garbarino of Sayville and Chris Jacobs of Orchard Park did not respond to requests for comment. Objections from Republican members of Congress will receive a vote in both chambers Wednesday and will not pass the majority Democratic House. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday "On January the 20th, Joe Biden will be president and Kamala Harris will be vice president, no matter what they try to do. I think they're hurting themselves and hurting the democracy, all for a to try to please somebody who has no fidelity to elections or even the truth." On Sunday, as a new Congress was sworn in, a recording of Trump asking Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes" one more than Biden's total in the state emerged. On the call Saturday, Trump continued to allege widespread voter fraud in Georgia and other states, allegations which his campaign has failed to substantiate and which the courts and election officials of both parties have dismissed as untrue. Some House Democrats are supporting a resolution to censure Trump for the phone call; a censure is Congress's highest rebuke after articles of impeachment. Stefanik and Zeldin previously joined over 100 GOP lawmakers backing a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the election results in multiple swing states. That lawsuit was dismissed as meritless by a judge. The congresswoman and her staff have not responded to inquiries regarding the election and other topics from this Times Union reporter since Nov. 3. Stefanik trounced her Democratic challenger Tedra Cobb in the 2020 election in a district that is now majority Republican. She sent a fundraising email to supporters Monday announcing her decision to challenge the election certification. Illinois can't force kids ministry to pay unemployment taxes, court rules Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian afterschool ministry tied to The Moody Church in Chicago is sufficiently religious enough to qualify for an exemption from having to pay into a state insurance program, an appeals court ruled last week. A three-judge panel of the Appellate Court of Illinois on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision and ruled 2-1 that the By The Hand Club for Kids should have been given an exemption to the states Unemployment Insurance Act. The Illinois Department of Employment Securitys Board of Review concluded in 2017 that the By The Hand Club was not eligible for an exemption to the state unemployment insurance system. In the majority opinion authored by Justice Margaret McBride, the court ruled that the board of review failed to recognize the pervasive religious nature of the student club. This included the club requiring members and staff to be Christian, hosting Bible studies and chapel services and leading field trips to faith-based events like Christian music concerts. The advancement of religion is unquestionably the stated primary purpose of the afterschool program; religion pervades every aspect of the program, and income from various donors enables By The Hand to operate entirely free-of-charge to the children rather than as a commercial enterprise with an eye toward profit, wrote McBride. The Boards decision to the contrary is clearly erroneous. Based upon the law and record, we are left with a firm and definite conviction that a mistake has been made. Justice Cynthia Cobbs authored a dissenting opinion, arguing that By The Hand should not be exempted since the ministry mostly performs secular activities like providing meals for underprivileged children and academic assistance. It is clear that Christian ideals are promoted throughout the program. It is equally clear that a good many of the programs activities are secular in nature and are specifically geared towards education assistance with a focus on literacy, wrote Cobbs. By The Hands recruitment effort offers tutoring to a targeted population of students deficient in reading skills, with information provided to its potential participants that religious training is a component of the program. Not the other way around. Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus, who helped represent By The Hand,said in a statement released last Thursday that he was thankful for the ruling. Were thankful that the Illinois Appellate Court has rejected the states flawed arguments and recognized that By The Hands provision of free food, free medical care, and free education is an act of worship, a genuine exercise of faith, stated Galus. The state agency truly erred by recharacterizing them as secular activities and were hopeful that the courts important decision motivates other state governments to respect their faith-based allies and the important ways ministries serve under-resourced communities. In 2016, Kim Wimberly, who formerly served as human resources director and volunteer coordinator, left the nonprofit and applied for unemployment compensation. By The Hand rejected the request, arguing first that Wimberly left voluntarily and thus was ineligible to receive such benefits, and then that, as a religious group, they were exempted from paying unemployment taxes. In March 2017, the Illinois Department of Employment Security held a hearing and concluded that By The Hand was not eligible for the religious exemption given their secular activities. The club filed a complaint in response with Cook County Circuit Court Judge James M. McGing, who reversed the decision of the board in an order issued in July 2018. Plaintiff is organized primarily for religious purposes as that term is understood in the Act. The Board clearly erred when it substituted its own judgment of religious purpose for Plaintiffs, concluded McGing. NEW YORK A little over two thirds of the moves involving New York households last year were outbound, a higher proportion than any other state except New Jersey, according to data released by United Van Lines on Monday. For the last decade, New York has consistently experienced more out-of-state moves than other states, landing itself on a list of top 10 states experiencing the largest exoduses compiled by United Van Lines, a moving company that tracked over 80,000 interstate moves in 2020. The pandemic changed the reasons why people moved and contributed to New Yorks climb toward the top of the list. What might be driving this ranking is that Long Island and New York City have experienced drastic movement out, said Eily Cummings, director of communications at United Van Lines. The other main contributing factor sounds much more familiar: baby boomers moving for retirement. Fifty-eight percent of those moving out this year were age 55 and over, according to the United Van Lines data. If I know that I want to move when I retire, COVID-19 has accelerated that, said Cummings. Rather than I wait a couple years, Im going to move this year because I can work remotely. Sixteen percent of New York's outbound movers headed to Florida, according to the United Van Lines data. Daniel Coombs, a broker at a real estate agency in Florida, also said he's seen the number of people moving from New York and New Jersey to Florida increase this year. It has always been a factor for decades but it is definitely evident that the pandemic has caused more people to move now, Coombs said. California, Texas, North Carolina and Washington are other states New Yorkers are moving to, according to Cummings. David Kramer moved to North Carolina three months ago, after having lived in the Capital Region his whole life. Kramer and his wife made a plan to move a couple of years ago for warmer weather and a cheaper housing market. We almost doubled the size of our house and our mortgage payment only ended up going up about a hundred bucks a month from what we were paying in Schenectady, Kramer said. They picked North Carolina because it was close enough for them to come back to visit their families. The most popular reason to move across state lines has been because of a new job. While that reason is still the most popular, it decreased as a factor last year during the pandemic, Cummings said. Also, he noted the number of people who moved to be closer to family has increased sometimes to the benefit of New York. We are seeing more people moving into the state to be closer to family than we have ever seen before, Cummings said. The Albany region has seen a different effect than the state: the number of outbound moves decreased by about 6 percent since last year, according to United Van Lines data. And Mark Castiglione, the executive director of the Capital District Regional Planning Commission, says that the region has seen a very slow growth since the 2010 census. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence of people moving out of New York City to the lower Hudson Valley, Castiglione said, and there is starting to be some impact on an increased interest in housing in the Capital Region, too. After 9/11 there was some general feeling that people would leave metropolitan New York City and that the Hudson Valley and other places would experience an inordinate amount of growth, Castiglione said. In the Hudson Valley you did see a bump in growth after 9/11 and the story of the impact of the pandemic has yet to be written. Christians swept downriver during baptism in Peru, rescued by police Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Most baptisms dont end with police intervention, but when two Peruvian Christians got swept away by a river, they needed to be rescued to survive. According to local reports, Rosa Jimenez Bartolo was getting baptized by her brother, a pastor, in Perus Rimac river on Dec. 28. With her sister-in-law watching, he lowered her into the fast-flowing river. I baptize you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, her brother said in Spanish as he lowered her into the river. In a video recording of the baptism, Bartolo is seen lowering herself slowly into the hip-high water. As she started to rise, she lost her balance, and the river swept her forward, knocking over her brother. The brown waters carried the pair swiftly downriver, while another church member unsuccessfully tried to help. The person filming the baptism dropped the camera, and said Oh my God! The change from ceremony to calamity took only seconds to happen. Police responded when a church member asked them for help. We were patrolling Ramiro Priale Highway when we got a request for help from one of her relatives. Immediately, we mounted a search and found them 100 meters from the place, submerged in the water. We rescued them and took them to a medical post, local police officials told the Peru-based daily newspaper La Republica. Police saved Bartolo and her brother, who both survived. Her brothers name remains unreleased. The pair both attend an evangelical church, according to a local report. National Police of Peru major Erick Acosta said that people should avoid getting baptized in the Rimac now because Perus rainy season creates dangerous river conditions. As there were no swimming pools and they are closed in Huachipa, they chose to go to the Rimac River, he said on America TV. In the video, the river runs deep and fast. On rare occasions, river baptisms can go wrong with dangerous effects. In 1992, a pastor and two congregation members drowned in South Africa after being swept away by a river. Police found their bodies hours later. A similar incident happened in Tanzania, where two worshippers drowned during a baptism in a river with strong currents. Even indoor baptisms arent exempt from accidents. In 2005, a Texas pastor was electrocuted in front of 800 people after grabbing a high-powered microphone while standing in the water. He was later pronounced dead. Baptism demonstrates a Christians entry into a new life through Jesus. In the New Testament, God commands believers to get baptized. In Christian tradition, different denominations have disagreed on the proper time or way to get baptized. The first baptisms recorded in Scripture happened in the Jordan River. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control confirmed more than 3,000 COVID-19 cases in statewide schools in December, with school virus counts rising over the course of the fall semester. As of Dec. 30, there have been 7,366 cumulative cases in statewide schools, according to DHEC 5,230 students and 2,136 school employees. DHEC's school virus numbers only include students and employees who attended school or a school-sponsored activity while they had the virus in its infectious period. In Aiken County, Aiken High and North Augusta High have had the highest cumulative totals this school year with 23 and 24 student cases respectively. DHEC reported cases at 37 countywide schools in December. These are the COVID-19 numbers from the last 30 days at Aiken County public, private and charter schools, according to DHEC: Aiken Elementary (<5 students, <5 employees). Aiken High (six students, <5 employees). Belvedere Elementary (<5 students, <5 employees). Clearwater Elementary (<5 employees). Cyril B. Busbee Elementary (<5 students). First Baptist Weekday, located in North Augusta (<5 students). First Presbyterian Preschool (<5 students). Fox Creek High (<5 students). East Aiken School of the Arts (<5 students). Hammond Hill Elementary (<5 students, <5 employees). Horse Creek Academy (<5 students). J.D. Lever Elementary (<5 students). Jackson Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). Jefferson Elementary (<5 students, <5 employees). Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). Leavelle McCampbell Middle (<5 employees). M.B. Kennedy Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). Mead Hall Episcopal School (<5 students). Midland Valley High (<5 employees). Millbrook Elementary (<5 students). Mossy Creek Elementary (<5 students). New Ellenton STEAM Magnet Middle (<5 students). North Augusta Elementary (<5 students). North Augusta High (<5 students, <5 employees). North Augusta Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). Paul Knox Middle (<5 students). Ridge Spring-Monetta High (<5 employees). Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle (<5 students). Schofield Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). Silver Bluff High (<5 students, <5 employees). South Aiken Baptist Christian School (<5 students, <5 employees). South Aiken High (six students). St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School (<5 students). Tall Pines STEM Academy (<5 students). Town Creek Christian Academy (<5 students). Warrenville Elementary (<5 employees). Victory Christian School (<5 students). In Edgefield County, three public schools, one charter school and one private school have reported cases in the last 30 days, according to DHEC. Merriwether Elementary has reported five student cases and fewer than five employee cases. Bettis Prep Leadership Academy, Wardlaw Academy, Merriwether Middle and Johnston-Trenton-Edgefield Middle have all reported fewer than five student cases. In Barnwell County, six public schools and two private schools have reported cases in the last 30 days, according to DHEC. Private schools Jefferson Davis Academy and Moriah Christian Academy, as well as public schools Williston-Elko Middle and Kelly Edwards Elementary, have reported fewer than five student cases. Guinyard-Butler Middle reported fewer than five employee cases. Barnwell Elementary, Barnwell Primary and Barnwell High all reported fewer than five student and employee cases. For more COVID-19 information on individual schools, visit scdhec.gov/covid19, click on Schools & Childcare Centers and then Cases by Schools. Impeached Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has had the last of President Uhuru Kenyatta. His attacks of the president are now more public, seeing him as the reason he got booted out of City Hall. Responding recently to Nominated MP David Sankok, Sonko was not shy to express his displeasure with the head of state. Let him also be a former President before his retirement the same way he made me become a former Governor before the end of my time. I hate you Your Excellency Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. You are the worst President, he said. The politician did not stop there, expressing regret at having supported Uhuru. Wanjikus, myself included, are fed up with the dictatorial leadership of our once upon a time beloved President whom I used to love with all my heart. There was a time I was even ready to lose my life coz of supporting him, he added. Sonko has already joined the Ruto camp, and is reportedly willing to back and vigorously campaign for a Ruto candidate for Nairobi governor should his impeachment be upheld in court and his own candidature barred. Budget cuts caused by COVID-19-motivated economic downturns are posing a threat to Nigerias ability to curb Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) which a report says cost the country about $15.7 billion annually. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is the governments flagship anti-corruption agency with the most versatile mandates to fight IFF and other enabling crimes, enters 2021 with a cut from the N32.7 billion ($86.3million) allocated to it in 2020. The 2021 national budget newly signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari shows that N29.6 billion ($78.5million) is allocated to the agency in 2021, translating into a cut of as much as N3.1billion ($7.8million) from its 2020 allocation. Meanwhile, a recent case of how Freiherr Fedrick Von Hahn, a German, was duped of 880,000 with part of the proceeds illicitly making its way to Nigeria and further disbursed to foreign collaborators between April and May 2020, highlights the need for the country to step up its fight against IFF during the pandemic. Mr Von Hahn, who had struck a deal with a Dutch pharmaceutical company, ILBA Holding BV, for the supply of 11 million COVID facemasks meant for the state of North Rhine-Wesphalia in Germany, was swindled through a cloned e-mail in a transborder money laundering scheme perpetrated in Germany, the Netherlands and Nigeria. While two Dutch collaborators have since been convicted in their country, the ongoing prosecution of Nigerian suspects by the Federal Ministry of Justice may be negatively impacted by the cut of about N2.99 billion ($7.9million) from the N32 billion ($84.5million) allocated to it in the 2020 budget. Speaking on the possible impact of budget costs on the anti-graft war, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, who is a member of a team of EFCCs external prosecutors, said, When money laundering activities are across borders, we know for instance that investigating bodies would have to work with sister agencies in other jurisdictions and even the governments of such countries. The officers of the investigating agencies would require training and retraining; they would need to travel to and from different countries and all these would require funds, the lawyer added. He expressed concerns that Already, there is the concern that investigations are underfunded in Nigeria, adding, If there is a budget cut, we should therefore expect poorer performance in the fight against transborder money laundering and illicit financial flows. The immediate-past Director of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Francis Usani, said poor allocation of funds to anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC at a time it ought to be given more would negatively impact its capacity to curb IFF. He said, EFCC has the mandates to fight all the crimes that aid illicit financial flows from tax evasion, oil bunkering, money laundering, to the rest of them. But if you dont allocate enough resources to them, how do you expect them to fight? Mr Usani said budget cut could undermine inter-agency cooperation as various agencies might have to channel limited resources to addressing their individual projects. He added, The cooperation between the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the EFCC resulted into the EFCC establishing a unit called Tax Fraud Unit. If the unit does not have tools to run its operations because of lack of funds, it will affect their productivity. Also, Sadiq Radda, who is the Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Council Against Corruption, a body of President Buharis top anti-corruption advisers, said although the budgetary allocation for all ministries, departments and agencies has been cut by certain percentage, government should consider fighting corruption as a source of revenue to appreciate the need to allocate more funds to the institutions fighting revenue leakages. The Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a United States of America-based research and advocacy group, stated in a 2014 report that IFF, which the World Bank describes as money illegally earned, transferred, or used that crosses borders, bled Nigeria for as much as $157.5billion in revenue between 2003 and 2012. Citing the GFI report, President Buhari said in New York in September 2019 that the lost money estimated in the report to be about $15.7billion annually could have been used to fund public services or to alleviate poverty. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a 2020 report on poverty and inequality in Nigeria that about 40 per cent of the people of the most populous African nation are below poverty line. More Nigerians may fall below the poverty line in the nearest future, as the economy, in November 2020, slumped back to its worst recession in years due to factors attributable to COVID-19, and pushed the Federal Government to put forward a 2021 budget of N13.58 trillion ($34 billion) with a wide revenue deficit of about N5.2 trillion ($13.6 billion). Meanwhile, the estimated $15.7 billion lost annually to IFF is more than enough to cater for the $13.6 billion budgetary deficit and address social needs that can take more Nigerians out of poverty. Why fight against IFF must be strengthened Human rights lawyer and Chairman of Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, Femi Falana, said with a likely protracted recession staring Nigeria in the face, many anti-corruption agencies may suffer budget cut for a long period of time despite the need for government to step up the capacities of the agencies to curb IFF. The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Auwal Musa, whose organisation in 2019 issued a report on real estate-associated money laundering, said, The cut in the budget of some anti-corruption agencies, which were not even getting half of what they required to do their work, shows lack of seriousness in terms of the fight against corruption. Funding fight against IFF is source of revenue Mr Radda advised government to allocate more funds to the anti-corruption agencies despite the COVID-19 constraints. The professor of criminology added, An effective fight against corruption will make sure that all leakages are blocked. So, it ensures that the governments revenue is not leaked and the revenue stays with the government. Speaking in the same vein, the Executive Director of Human and Development Agenda, Olanrewaju Suraju, said tracing and recovery of illicit assets is always a worthy and even profitable investment for the state. The former NFIU director, Mr Usani, who said Nigeria is still rated as the highest contributor to illicit financial flow in Africa, added that if the government sees that as a major problem, it has to allocate resources to address it. Well-funded fight against IFF can help to end terrorism Mr Usani said if well-funded, agencies fighting to curb IFF could help to find a lasting solution to the terrorism being perpetrated in the North-East of the country for last 10 years. We can enhance the capacities of these agencies fighting illicit financial flows to be able to stop the source of funding of Boko Haram, he said. (This story was produced by PREMIUM TIMES. It was written as part of Wealth of Nations, a media skills development programme run by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. More information at www.wealth-of-nations.org A vegan fitness influencer has sparked debate online after calling out a woman who questioned whether she needed to wear a G-string bikini at a packed beach. Adelaide woman Natasha Maree took to TikTok to share footage of the awkward face-off and accuse the woman of 'having a go' at her over her 'inappropriate attire'. 'Karen doesn't want me in a bikini,' she captioned the video. A popular social media influencer (Natasha Maree pictured right) has been criticised by a woman (left) for wearing a revealing G-string bikini Ms Maree is seen at the start of the clip showering by the beach when another woman wearing sunglasses approaches to wash her feet. As she walks away, Ms Maree's partner - who is filming the interaction - asks the stranger whether she likes the outfit. 'I think the G-string is great but there are a lot of kids here and a lot of families here,' the woman replies calmly before walking off. The footage divided opinion on social media, with some Australians speaking in support of the bikini-clad influencer and others claiming the outfit went too far. The reaction from Australians online has been mixed with some speaking out in support of the bikini-clad influencer and others claiming the outfit went too far (pictured, Natasha Maree) 'To be honest I don't want my kids seeing chicks a*** out everywhere, far too little clothing for a family beach just my opinion,' one person wrote. Others said her outfit was 'inappropriate' and 'weird' in the context of a family-friendly beach. 'She has the right to have an opinion. She's no Karen,' another wrote. But many rallied around Ms Maree and her getfitwithnatasha platform which has 119,000 followers on TikTok, 52,000 on Instagram and 105,000 subscribers on YouTube. 'She's just jealous. If you got if flaunt it,' one person said. 'Those are standard bikinis and this generation of kids needs to learn a natural human body isn't something to hide from,' another wrote. Others labelled the woman a 'hater' and said: 'I'll never get people taking offence to the naked body. We all have parts, as long as it's not sexualising abuse or harassment, who cares?' Ms Maree is seen at the start of the clip showering by the beach when another woman approaches Generali Plaza features modern and sophisticated customer service space The new head office features an open layout, sophisticated design with wide-ranging amenities, modern equipment, and cutting-edge AI technology. Located in a prime location at the citys heart with accessibility convenience, Generali Plaza will enable the insurer to better serve its customers from Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding areas. In Italy, a plaza is the beating heart of every town. It is therefore our hope that Generali Plaza will be more than just a place to work, where every staff member and agent can contribute to their fullest potential. Tina Nguyen CEO, Generali Vietnam With a total area of approximately 5,000 square metres, Generali Plaza features an impressive design inspired by European public plazas, combined with modern and sophisticated customer service space. Along with Generalis preeminent and ever-improving products and services, the opening of the plaza is a strong testament to the companys relentless efforts in enhancing customer experience. According to Generali Vietnams CEO Tina Nguyen the opening of Generali Plaza is an important milestone reaffirming the groups long-term commitment in Vietnam, one of the groups key markets in Asia. In Italy, a plaza is the beating heart of every town, the breath of every Italians daily life. It is therefore our hope that Generali Plaza will be more than just a place to work, where every staff member and agent can contribute to their fullest potential, Nguyen said. I believe it will help us nurture a happy workforce that can further spread happiness to all Generali Vietnams customers and the wider community. Generali Plaza will be a centralised office for all staff in Ho Chi Minh City, which enhances engagement and collaboration of people across all functions. The main working area is kitted out with modern equipment and ample shared amenities. Brainstorming and collaboration spaces are scattered around and equipped with interactive screens, smart Wi-Fi, and online meeting technologies. AI-powered facial recognition, emotion detection, and body temperature scanning technologies have also been provided, helping improve workplace safety, security, and operational effectiveness. Generali Vietnam places importance on work-life balance via complimentary amenities for staff such as a modern gym, a coffee lounge, and various break-out areas within its premises. In addition, in line with Generalis commitment to sustainable development globally as well as in Vietnam, the plaza features eco-friendly design with a green outdoor and indoor architecture that optimises natural lighting, as well as water- and energy-efficient building management. This story corrects a previous version that said three guardsmen from Connecticut were going to Washington D.C. on Wednesday for expected protests as Congress certifies the Electoral College vote. Three members of Connecticuts National Guard, experts on weapons of mass destruction, will head to Washington D.C. as part of a multistate force preparing for possible civil unrest during Joe Bidens inauguration. The U.S. Senate and House are set Wednesday to certify the Electoral College votes that gave the former vice president a clear win over President Donald Trump. Trump is expected to attend protests, and has encouraged his supporters to attend. Authorities are also preparing for possible clashes at the inauguration in part because Trump has not conceded the election. Several groups are expected to protest in the nations capital on Wednesday, including the far-right Proud Boys, as well as Permits Women For America First, the Eighty Percent Coalition and The Silent Majority. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th, the president said on Twitter. Be there, will be wild! The three Connecticut residents are part of a much larger force intended to be there for the inauguration, National Guard Capt. David Pytlik said. A lot of different states are sending people down, he said. This just happens to be what were providing. The mayor of Washington D.C. requested the forces to augment local National Guard troops. That request was approved by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. Pitnick declined to identify the three service members being sent down before their deployment due to operational security concerns, but said they would be aiding the local civil support team. Their unit is there for weapons of mass destruction surveillance and advising, he said. Sen. Chris Murphy Tuesday issued a reminder to McCarthy, Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller that a law passed last week requires any federal officers and members of the armed forces to identify themselves while doing any crowd control. Last June, Americans watched as President Trump and former Attorney General Bill Barr deployed unidentifiable federal officers in riot gear to crack down on peaceful demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in cities across the country, he said. This lack of identification made it impossible for citizens to distinguish between legitimate law enforcement and dangerous private vigilantes, or hold accountable enforcement personnel who engaged in abusive conduct. Pytlik, though, said the three National Guard members heading to Washington from Connecticut would not be acting as civilian police. Theyre not there in any sort of law enforcement capacity, he said. There are currently 3,600 guardsmen in Connecticuts Army National Guard and 1,400 airmen who are members of the Air National Guard. President-Elect of the United States of America, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Writes to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. From one President-Elect to another President-elect of the United States of America, Joe Biden has sent out a congratulatory letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on his re-election as President of Ghana. Biden, who represented the Democratic Party in the November 2020 elections, in the letter expressed optimism in working with the Ghanaian President. In the letter which was published by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin on his Facebook page, Mr Biden said Dear President Akufo-Addo, thank you for your kind words and well wishes. I am sorry that we have not yet had the opportunity to connect by phone. Source: Eugene Arhene/facebook Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A new comedy, Wafet Regala, has been unveiled by Synergy Films as the very first Egyptian film for 2021, with its popular cast attracting millions on social media. Last week, Synergy released the film's trailer which reached over 10 million views until date. With a screenplay written by Haitham Dabbur, Wafet Regala stars renowned Egyptian actor Maged El-Kidwany, leading a reunion trip for boyhood friends Bayoumi Fouad, Sayed Ragab, and Sherif El-Dessouky where comedy explodes and issues become complicated. The crew also combines younger generation stars like Mohamed Sallam and Amina Khalil, among others, under the helm of director Ahmed El-Gendy. Produced by the Egyptian leading production company Synergy Films, in collaboration with Misr International, New Century, and other companies, Wafet Regala's promo has gained a wide viewership, with spectators expressing excitement to see some of their favourite actors in one film. Dates of the release haven't been officially announced yet, and it's not clear if the film will be screened in theaters or release on an internet platform. With movie theaters operating in Egypt under strict safety measures against the global pandemic, a few 2020 Egyptian films are still screening in various venues, alongside many Hollywood and other foreign films. Amir Ramses acclaimed drama, Curfew, which stars Elham Shahin is still out there, alongside thriller El-Sandok El-Aswad that sees Mona Zaki's return to the silver screen after years of absence; and comedies Saber W-Radi, El-Khetta El-Aayma, Lees Baghdad, and Al-Ghasala. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Short link: A parliamentary election petition has been filed at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to annul the declaration of Mr James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament (MP) elect for the Assin North Constituency. The petition filed by one Michael Ankomah -Nimfa of Assin Bereku, has served the Electoral Commission (EC) as the second respondent and another. The respondents have eight days to enter an appearance or in default the case will be heard and judgement pronounced in their absence. Mr Quayson, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP-elect, polled 17,498 as against New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Madam Abena Durowaa Mensah who had 14,793 in the December 7, 2020 election. In November last year, a group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Assin North petitioned the EC in the Central Region to withdraw the candidature of Mr. Quayson as he owes an allegiance to Canada. He was challenged for having dual citizenship contrary to the expressed provision of Article 94 (2) (a) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana, which states, A person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he - (a) owes allegiance to a country other than Ghana. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video After months of demolition, clearing and grading, Greenville County broke ground Monday for construction of its new $66.8 million county administrative office building, a 5-story tower that will rise at the intersection of Church Street and University Ridge. It is the first piece of the planned $1 billion redevelopment of 40 acres in downtown Greenville. The new 250,000 square foot structure will replace the countys aging current headquarters inside a repurposed former shopping mall, which will be demolished to make way for an ambitious mixed-use development filled with offices, restaurants, apartments and other amenities. The redevelopment of County Square has been discussed among county leaders for more than a decade, but the timing is right to build a new central hub for county offices on a smaller footprint that will allow for the county to sell the rest of its pricey downtown land to private developers, maximizing the county tax base while creating a state-of-the-art home for county business, said County Council Chairman Butch Kirven. Kirven called it a long, winding road to get to this point. The council first discussed redeveloping County Square in 2006 but held off until now as downtown Greenville rose up around the property. After what Kirven called a tussle with the city of Greenville over the countys development plan for the rest of the site, Kirven said he was glad all parties are in agreement. Greenville Mayor Knox White praised the countys foresight in designing what he called a beautiful building that will add to the architectural mix in the city. This is going to be an architecturally one-of-a-kind building, truly stunning, and a great addition to downtown Greenville, White said. The entire project, once finished, will dramatically shift the energy of downtown Greenville in new directions. Along with the development of Unity Park and the West End, the County Square development will begin to shift the orientation of downtown Greenville. Youve seen a lot of redevelopment along the (Reedy) river, and this is kind of part of that, White said. We wanted to make sure that what happens on County Square blends in well with whats happening in the West End of Greenville and the rest of downtown Greenville. The new county administrative building will have a north and south tower constructed of steel and glass connected by a common terrace level, with a large central stairway and walkways between the buildings covered by a canopy. It will have two main levels. A terrace level will house Probate and Magistrate courts. The lobby level will house the tax offices, real property services, council chambers and retail space. A parking deck will be built behind the new office buildings where the Family Court building stands now. Sign up for our Greenville development newsletter. Get all the latest updates on the Upstate real estate market, more openings and closings, exclusive development news and more in your inbox each week. Email Sign Up! Plans show the county offices will be located near a grand plaza with a large fountain at the developments main entrance. A new veterans memorial series of walls is proposed near the offices as well as outdoor patio space. Once built, it will anchor the next phases of the countys redevelopment project. County offices will vacate the existing building, which will be torn down. The county will pay for new interior streets, sidewalks and infrastructure and will sell parcels of land for private development. RocaPoint Partners, an Atlanta-based private real estate and development firm that the county selected as a partner, will handle real estate sales and development. Phil Mays, principal with RocaPoint, said the company has a long-term plan for the site that is not incumbent on current economic factors. It can time the market to sell the properties when it makes sense, and can adjust plans as needed to the changing habits and expectations of the public. Already, RocaPoint has directed designs to build more outdoor work spaces, larger staircases and more distanced office spaces into its plan for the county office building. It could shift designs elsewhere as needed when they arise, he said. RocaPoint already has a number of national brands interested in the development, but Mays said it is too early in the process for hard commitments. Kirven said he is confident the project will be built without an added burden to taxpayers and will eventually increase the countys tax base by more than $23 million per year. The county has already taken out $120 million in bonds to pay for the design, engineering, initial site work and construction of the county offices. The countys loan will also pay to move Family Court, state services like the health department and the county emergency services headquarters to new locations. Two buildings on Halton Road are being renovated to house Family Court and state offices. The county is still exploring possibilities to relocate EMS. One possibility is a former Bi-Lo grocery store along North Pleasantburg Drive at Mauldin Road. The first phase of the Halton Road facilities will be done by this summer at a $9.3 million cost and will house Family Court, Clerk of Court and support services. The second phase is still in design and will house the state Department of Health and Environmental Control local office, Department of Social Services and the state Department of Health and Human Services. No move-in timeframe was available for the second phase yet, said Bob Mihalic, county spokesman. Kirven said the current County Square building has outlived its usefulness and is in need of millions in renovations if it were kept. It needs a new roof, which would cost $7-$10 million for the 300,000 square-foot building. World-renowned architects Foster + Partners designed the new building. Nelson Worldwide is the interior designer and architect of record. Seamon Whiteside is the civil engineer, DPR Construction will serve as construction manager, Fuller Group is the structural engineer and Simes and Rosch will perform mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering. The building will serve as the focal point of the project. Visible along Church Street on the undulating terraces leading into the development, County Administrator Joe Kernell called it a beacon of architecture for our community and will serve our residents well for the next 50 to 100 years. Kirven also announced Monday afternoon that he doesnt plan to seek chairmanship of the council for the next two-year term, which begins Tuesday night with election of council chair and vice chair positions. He said it would be up the council who to nominate. He has been chairman for 12 of the 16 years he has served on the council. Pakistans Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to restore the Shri Paramhans Ji Maharajs Samadhi along with the Krishna Dwara Mandir in Teri village of Karak district in two weeks time. The Hindu temple was vandalised and set ablaze by hundreds of people on December 30. Earlier, Pakistans chief justice, Gulzar Ahmed, who had taken suo motu notice of the attack on the place of worship, had said the Supreme Court would hear the case on January 5. The chief justice took the action after minority lawmaker Ramesh Kumar briefed him about the temple being vandalised during their meeting in Karachi last week. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Auqaf department have been directed to start the work immediately and submit a progress report in two weeks. The chief justice also observed that the people who vandalised the temple should pay for its restoration. The court has also asked for reports on the number of temples in Pakistan, encroachment on land belonging to the Auqaf department, and the steps taken by the authorities against land grab. All temples in Pakistan come under the Auqaf department. Earlier, the one-man commission on the rights of minorities at the Supreme Court submitted its report on the Karak temple vandalism. Muhammad Shoaib Suddle, a former police chief, had prepared the report. The commission recommended a comprehensive investigation into the vandalism of the temple. Maulvi Sharif, the main suspect in the case, is believed to have incited people to carry out violence, the report said. It added that the record of the temple land at the time of Partition should be looked into. The report also recommended that the home department should take steps to stop the entry of suspicious people inside the temple. Exemplary punishment should be handed out to suspects to prevent such incidents in the future, the report recommended. The temple was first attacked and demolished in 1997. After intervention by the Supreme Court in 2015, the local community had agreed to its reconstruction. Despite the reconstruction, there was a dispute over the land allocated to the temple. This also led to some misunderstanding between the temple supporters and local clerics. After the latest incident, local police had detained at least 14 people. A survey on the website initially appeared to be open to all Cook County residents, and many filled it out over the weekend and on Monday, thinking it might help them understand when it would be their turn to receive vaccines. But county health department spokesman Don Bolger told the Tribune early Monday afternoon that the survey was intended only for some health care workers. TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (the "Company" or "Sun Life") (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) has been notified that Obatan LLC ("Obatan") has made an unsolicited "mini-tender offer" to purchase up to 50,000 common shares of Sun Life or approximately 0.0085% of the common shares outstanding at a price of US$35 per share. Sun Life is not associated with Obatan and does not recommend or endorse acceptance of this unsolicited offer. Sun Life cautions that Obatan's offer has been made at a price that is significantly lower than recent market prices for Sun Life shares on Canadian and U.S. stock exchanges. This offer represents a discount of 19.90% and 19.84% respectively below the closing price of Sun Life's common shares on the TSX and NYSE on December 18, 2020, the last trading day before the mini-tender offer was commenced and a discount of 20.94% and 20.80% respectively below the closing prices on the TSX and NYSE on January 4, 2021. Securities administrators in Canada and the United States recommend that investors exercise caution with "mini-tender offers". Mini-tender offers are designed to avoid disclosure and procedural requirements applicable to most bids under Canadian and U.S. securities regulations. Canadian Securities Administrators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have expressed serious concerns about mini-tender offers, including the possibility that investors might tender to such offers without understanding the offer price relative to the actual market price of their securities. The SEC has indicated that "bidders make mini-tender offers at below-market prices, hoping that they will catch investors off guard if the investors do not compare the offer price to the current market price." According to Obatan's offer documents, Sun Life shareholders who have already tendered their shares can withdraw their shares at any time before 8:00 P.M. New York City Time on February 2, 2021 by following the procedures described in the offer documents. Shareholders are cautioned that the terms of the Obatan offer may be varied, and the cash consideration offered may be decreased. In such a case, shareholders who have already tendered to the offer may have limited notice of such change and limited time to withdraw their shares from the offer. There are also no assurances that Obatan will buy the shares delivered under the offer. Shareholders and policyholders should carefully review the Obatan offer documents, consult with their Sun Life advisor or investment advisor to discuss any offer they may receive and review all options they have for their investment in Sun Life shares. If you are in Canada and do not have a Sun Life advisor and are interested in finding one, please visit https://www.sunlife.ca/en/find-an-advisor/. Sun Life has stock transfer agents providing shareholder services in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the Philippines. These local agents provide services directly to our registered shareholders and can provide information on share account management, direct deposit of dividends, dividend reinvestment and share purchase plans. Please email [email protected] for more information. Sun Life requests that a copy of this news release be included in any distribution of materials relating to Obatan's mini-tender offer for Sun Life common shares. About Sun Life Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,186 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc. Related Links http://www.sunlife.com DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Digitalization and Security Convergence Driving Growth in the Security Industry, 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the security industry and to provide insights on trends, threats, and opportunities for global security leaders, businesses, and governments. It illustrates how markets and business models are evolving in the security industry and identifies the potential opportunities from the perspective of the following: Technologies to invest in Application areas Business models Region of Interest Regulations The report also provides visionary insights on the Mega Trends and technology trends that businesses should focus on in the next decade along with information on the contracts awarded in applications like border security, digitalization, critical national infrastructure, and public safety & security. The report provides the security industry market size for 2019 and forecasts from 2020 to 2025 with a sectorial view for the following: Airport security Land borders Oil & gas Mass transportation Utilities First responders Disaster and emergency management Banking & finance The report also analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and security industry from the perspective of two different possible post-COVID scenarios: Prolonged recovery Accelerated recovery The report also underlines the importance of counter-UAS solutions within the security industry and highlights the countries that face the risk of drone attacks. Key Issues Addressed What are the current trends impacting demand and supply? Which are the growth opportunities for expansion in 2020? Which are the crucial security threats and challenges? What are the key factors driving the global security market? How is the concept of operation changing within the security industry? What is the current global security sector market size and forecast for the next 5 years? What will the competitive landscape look like for the global security market? What are the biggest security concerns for 2020 and beyond for critical national infrastructure, governments, businesses, and citizens? Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary Analysis Factsheet Context: Market Evolution 2. Research Scope and Segmentation Research Scope Key Questions this Study will Answer Market Segmentation 3. Megatrends of the Next Decade Megatrends of the Next Decade - Security Market Digitalisation Privacy Rights Data Protection Policies Analytics 4. Technological Trends of the Next Decade 5 Technological Trends of the Next Decade Social Media Video Intelligence Hybrid-Cloud 5G and IOT Cyber Protection 5. Threat Landscape Major Events - Security Market Threat Vector Analysis Biggest Security Concerns for 2020 Security Industry's Concept Of Operation is Changing New Importance of Counter-UAS Solutions within the Security Industry Major Security Threats for THE Global Supply Chain Major Opportunities for Security Industry 6. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on 2020 and Beyond Growth Drivers in Security Market Growth Restraints in the Security Market Revised State of the Security Industry Due to the Pandemic Key Forecast Criteria Industry Growth Rate Comparison by Scenario COVID Scenario 1: Prolonged Recovery Forecast COVID Scenario 1: Prolonged Recovery Forecast Discussion COVID Scenario 2: Accelerated Recovery Forecast COVID Scenario 2: Accelerated Recovery Forecast Discussion Security Industry Future Outlook Security Industry Future Outlook: Risk Mitigation Strategies 7. Industry Watch Innovative Businesses State-of-the-art Contracts - Border Security State-of-the-art Contracts - Digitalisation State-of-the-art Contracts - Critical National Infrastructure State-of-the-art Contracts - Public Safety & Security State-of-the-art Contracts - Commercial Security Key Mergers & Acquisitions - Security Market, Global, 2019 Key Competitors 8. Critical National Infrastructure Market Analysis Global CNI Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Airport Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Land Borders Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Oil & Gas Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Mass Transportation Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Ports Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Utilities Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Digital Transformation Across the CNI Security Segment 9. Public Safety & Security Market Analysis Global Public Safety & Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 First Responders Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Disaster and Emergency Management Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Digital Transformation Across the Public Order & Security Segment 10. Commercial Security Market Analysis Global Commercial Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Commercial Security Sub-segment Analysis - Banking & Finance Digital Transformation Across Commercial Security 11. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action Major Growth Opportunities for the Security Industry Growth Opportunity: Cyber Security for Enterprise and Governments, 2019 Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth Key Conclusions 12. Appendix: Growth Pipeline Engine Abbreviations and Acronyms Used About the Growth Pipeline Engine Next Steps List of Exhibits For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lb39o8 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-171 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com LANSING, MI - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a series of criminal justice reform bills into law Monday, but one bill remained notably unsigned: expungement for first-time drunk-driving offenses. The governors reason for essentially vetoing that particular bill is unclear. Senate Bill 1254 would have amended the states current prohibition on expunging convictions of operating while intoxicated involving alcohol. The bipartisan legislation would have allowed applications to set aside first-time offenses starting in April 2021. Read more: Michigan House OKs expungement for first-time drunken-driving convictions, certain juvenile offenses Whitmer pocket vetoed the bill by not signing it before the 14-day timeline for her to take action on it. Tiffany Brown, spokeswoman for the governor, confirmed the bill would not be approved. The governor let several lame duck bills expire without her signature, Brown said in a statement to MLive. The reasons vary, including a failure to negotiate the bills, disagreement on the underlying policy or the complexity of the subject matter and the need for further discussion. Whitmers other pocket vetoes include bills that would have exempted Meijer from sales taxes on the purchase of automated material handling systems, plus another that would have deferred summer property taxes for some individuals and businesses while allowing local governments to receive advance payments to fill budget gaps. The governor denied the DUI expungement measure despite wide bipartisan support for the bill in both chambers of the Legislature and high-ranking officials such as Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack. The Michigan Senate passed the final version of the bill 32-5 on Dec. 18, a day after the Michigan House approved it 98-8. Bill sponsor Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, found the veto surprising, given support from Nessel and what he believed was many in the administration. The only explanation was that it was the governors choice to do so, McBroom told MLive. Nessel and McCormack issued a joint statement supporting the bill, alongside outgoing Speaker of the House Rep. Lee Chatfield, R-Levering back in December. A one-time mistake shouldnt mean a lifetime of punishment, McCormack said on Dec. 3. This is simply the right thing to do. More than 30,000 Michigan residents were arrested on driving under the influence charges in 2019, according to Michigan State Police. The agency told MLive it does not have numbers available on how many Michiganders have just one DUI offense on their record. While she didnt sign the DUI expungement legislation, Whitmer did sign into law other bipartisan criminal justice reform initiatives Monday, including: Reducing penalties for a number of low-level offenses from misdemeanors to civil infractions, including driving on a suspended license, and eliminating license suspension for violations of the law unrelated to dangerous driving Eliminating mandatory minimum jail sentences. Creating a presumption of sentence other than jail for most misdemeanors and certain felonies, and ensuring summonses, rather than arrests, are used for first-time failures to appear in court. Expanding law enforcement discretion to issue citations for most misdemeanors and presuming citation in lieu of arrest in many cases. Reforming the states probation and parole policies, capping jail sanctions for technical probation violations and allowing more discretion to assess risks and needs.. Redefining the term good moral character in state law to remove barriers to obtaining many occupational licenses for people with a prior criminal conviction. Sealing juvenile court records from public view and creating an automatic expungement process for juvenile records. Lifting a ban on food assistance for people with more than one drug-related felony on their record. Read more: Whitmer signs bills offering more alternatives to jail time for traffic offenses, low-level crimes Also enacted late last year was Clean Slate legislation, which expands expungement options for people who have gone several years without committing another offense, including lesser felonies and low-level marijuana offenses. Read more: Criminal record expungement bills become law with Whitmer signature The other signings make Mondays pocket veto even more surprising, said Rep. Graham Filler, R-DeWitt, one of the lead House negotiators on criminal justice reform. She literally signed bills that go much further than this - two months ago, he told MLive. This was carefully crafted legislation, he wrote in a Twitter post. You only get one public expungement. The record is still available to law enforcement for safety and charging purposes. So a policy passes with major bipartisan support by leaders on both sides of the aisle, and is quietly vetoed. The DUI expungement push was tabled during Clean Slate negotiations to not complicate things, Filler said prior to the lame-duck session. It was the classic Lansing example of dont let the perfect be the enemy of the good, he said at the time. If we had thrown in DUIs at some point, it couldve ruined the whole package. Whitmer didnt offer much or any explanation for her other pocket vetoes, though she did express skepticism over the Meijer tax exemption bills, according to the Detroit Free Press. Her other major vetoes from the Legislatures lame-duck session were line-item nixes of parts of the COVID-19 supplemental relief bill. In particular, she cut a $220 million appropriation into the employer-funded Unemployment Trust Fund. While she argued in her initial defense of the veto that it wouldnt impact individual workers, it in fact limited new benefit claims submitted in 2021 to 20 weeks, rather than 26. Read more: Whitmer veto means some Michiganders could lose extra 6 weeks of unemployment benefits My answer is Kamala Harris. Why? Because Joe Biden stole lines from Neil Kinnock, whereas Kamala Harris stole lines, it seems, from Martin Luther King. If youre going to indulge in plagiarism, you might as well steal from a great storyteller, rather than a hack British pol. Bidens plagiarism is well known, although the mainstream media doesnt like to remind people of it. Harris plagiarism problem has only just come to light: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris apparently appropriated an anecdote first told by civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. when she was interviewed by Elle Magazine for a feature that was published in October, at the height of the 2020 presidential election campaign. Harris has repeatedly boasted of her parents involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In the Elle interview, she recalled accompanying them to marches as a toddler in a stroller. Senator Kamala Harris started her lifes work young, writer Ashley C. Ford led off the piece. She laughs from her gut, the way you would with family, as she remembers being wheeled through an Oakland, California, civil rights march in a stroller with no straps with her parents and her uncle. At some point, she fell from the stroller and the adults, caught up in the rapture of protest, just kept on marching. By the time they noticed little Kamala was gone and doubled back, she was understandably upset. My mother tells the story about how Im fussing, Harris told the magazine. And shes like, Baby, what do you want? What do you need? And I just looked at her and I said, Fweedom. Awww. The problem is that Harris story bears a striking resemblance to one told by King in a 1965 interview published in Playboy. Said King: I will never forget a moment in Birmingham when a White policeman accosted a little Negro girl, seven or eight years old, who was walking in a demonstration with her mother, King said at the time. What do you want? the policeman asked her gruffly, and the little girl looked at him straight in the eye and answered, Fee-dom. She couldnt even pronounce it, but she knew. It was beautiful! Many times when I have been in sorely trying situations, the memory of that little one has come into my mind, and has buoyed me. Evidently, it buoyed Harris too. Is it possible that Harris did not lift her story from King that she actually did utter the immortal word fweedom after tumbling from her stroller? I guess. But Harris is a serial liar. For example, she lied about being in only the second class to integrate in Berkeley Public Schools. She lied when she claimed that the coronavirus pandemic hit America worse than any other advanced nation. She lied when she claimed that Joe Biden would not ban fracking. So there is no reason to give Harris the benefit of the doubt and assume, implausibly, that its only a coincidence she told essentially the same cute little story King did, with herself in the role of baby heroine. The People's University of Bhopal, which is conducting Phase 3 clinical trials for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, has refuted charges of luring gas victims for the trials by promising them Rs 750. Covaxin, the country's first indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 developed by Bharat Biotech in association with ICMR, has received Indian drug regulator's approval for restricted emergency use in the country. Bhopal gas activist Rachna Dhingra through a tweet on Sunday had alleged that poor and vulnerable residents of gas affected communities were herded by the People's University with a promise of Rs 750. Dhingra in her tweet also alleged the copy of informed consent was not given to the participants. "This is baseless. We have conducted a trial on 1,722 participants of Bhopal. The process of giving the second shot that has to be administered after 28 days has also started on December 28. Do you mean to suggest we have enticed these 1,722 people by Rs 750. This is not for enticement but a government of Madhya Pradesh approved Dearness Allowance who volunteers for the trial. Their contribution cannot be weighed in money," said Peoples University Vice-Chancellor Rajesh Kapur, while talking to India Today. "As far as the issue of gas victims is concerned there are communities in the neighbourhood of People's University. But there are an inclusion and exclusion criteria that is being followed. We refused a jab to the Home minister because he did not match the required criteria as his immediate family member had tested positive for Corona," Kapoor said while adding that he did not understand how and why the activism on the issue had started after GOI's emergency usage approval for the vaccine. Rachna Dhingra, however, claimed that gas victims were not being told that they were part of a trial and were instead being made to believe that they are getting vaccinated for the Coronavirus. Dhingra while alleging that rules are being violated by People's University and posted a video of a participant who claimed that he had tested positive for Coronavirus after the first dose and that his treatment was not taken care off by the university. Peoples University while refuting the charges posted a video of the same participant on Twitter in which he said that a lady gas activist had come to him and told him that the trial was being done only on the poor. "I have come to the hospital and the hospital is giving me medicine though some doctor had earlier told me that I had to buy medicine on my own," he said in the video that was posted by the university. Also Read: Can ready children's Covid vaccine in 3-4 months: Bharat Biotech's Krishna Ella Also Read: 'Covaxin safest coronavirus vaccine in world,' says Bharat Biotech Chairman Krishna Ella TEL AVIV Isaac Shoshan, a Syrian-born Israeli undercover operative who posed as an Arab early in his career, participating in bombings and an assassination attempt, before making major contributions to the countrys espionage methods, died on Dec. 28 in Tel Aviv. He was 96. His daughter Eti confirmed the death, in Ichilov Hospital. He had suffered a stroke, she said. In a tribute on Twitter, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who once served in an Israeli intelligence unit that Mr. Shoshan helped conceive, said Mr. Shoshan had risked his life again and again on behalf of Israel. Generations of warriors learned their trade at his feet, he added, me too. Mr. Shoshan was born Zaki Shasho in Aleppo, Syria, in 1924 to an Arabic-speaking Jewish family. He studied at a French-language school, learned Hebrew at Orthodox Jewish schools and as a youth belonged to the Zionist Hebrew Scouts. At 18, motivated by his Zionism, he traveled to what was then British-ruled Palestine and within two years was recruited by the Palmach, the Jewish underground fighting force. During his training, he was posted to a secret unit known as the Arab Platoon. Made up of Jews who could pass as Arabs, it was charged with gathering intelligence and carrying out sabotage and targeted killings. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Wednesday visited the makeshift Ram Temple to offer prayers at the disputed site. After the prayers CM Adityanath addressed a public meeting where he said the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute should be resolved through bilateral talks. He was addressing a small gathering called at the birthday celebrations of VHP leader Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, president of the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas Trust, an organisation formed to promote the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site. This problem must be sorted out through bilateral talks between both the communities, Adityanath said. His comments seemed in line with the advice of Supreme Court, which had suggested a negotiated settlement of the dispute. Significantly, Das, at whose birthday celebrations the Chief Minister was speaking, was one of the 12 persons including BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi and Union minister Uma Bharti against whom a CBI court had on Monday framed charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Earlier today, Adityanath offered prayers at the makeshift Ram temple here. He spent around 30 minutes there. This was Adityanaths first visit to Ayodhya after he took over as Uttar Pradesh chief minister. He reached Faizabad today morning and visited the famous Hanuman Garhi temple. He was accompanied by Dharam Das, another person against whom conspiracy charges were framed yesterday. Adityanath also offered payers on the banks of the Saryu river here. Tuesday, a special CBI court in Lucknow had framed charges against BJP veterans L K Advani, M M Joshi, Union minister Uma Bharti and nine others in the 1992 Babri mosque demolition case. The Supreme Court had ordered restoration of the conspiracy charge against them on April 19. Adityanath had yesterday gone to the VVIP guest house in Lucknow to meet Advani, who had come to appear before the court. In Faizabad Wednesday, Adityanath also held a meeting with the BJP MLAs, MPs and senior officials of the Faizabad area and reviewed the law and order situation as well as development issues. He also inaugurated a Passport Sewa Kendra at the head post office in Faizabad. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bahrain Specialist Hospital will be providing a lifetime discount of 21% on healthcare services to all babies born in Bahrain on January 1st, 2021. To avail the discount, parents are requested to register their babies with Bahrain Specialist Hospital by emailing their babys Birth Certificate to [email protected] In the future, the child can avail the discount by just presenting its CPR. Managing Director at Bahrain Specialist Hospital, Dr. Kasim Ardati said: 2020 has been an extraordinarily tough year for all of us. However, the new year 2021 and new generation brings with them hope for a better future. We are excited to nurture Bahrains future by taking care of all their healthcare requirements. Baby Ghadeer Hamed AlGhadhban, born at 12:01 am on January 1, was the first baby born in the Kingdom of Bahrain at Bahrain Specialist Hospital, in 2021. Four other babies were born on January 1, at Bahrain Specialist Hospital. The 21% lifetime discount will be provided by Bahrain Specialist Hospital under certain terms and conditions. -- Tradearabia News Service RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / Issuer Direct Corporation (NYSE American:ISDR), an industry-leading communications and compliance company, today announced that its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Brian R. Balbirnie, will present at the 23rd Annual Needham Virtual Growth Conference at 4:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. A webcast of the presentation will be available in the investor relations section of the companies website at https://www.issuerdirect.com/company/investor-relations. Management will be available for one-on-one meetings. For more information about the conference, how to listen to the presentation and or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with management, please contact your conference representative or James@HaydenIR.com. About Issuer Direct Corporation Issuer Direct is an industry-leading communications and compliance company focusing on the needs of corporate issuers. Issuer Direct's principal platform, Platform id., empowers users by thoughtfully integrating the most relevant tools, technologies, and services, thus eliminating the complexity associated with producing and distributing financial and business communications. Headquartered in Raleigh, NC, Issuer Direct serves thousands of public and private companies globally. For more information, please visit www.issuerdirect.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs, such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could," are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance, or achievements for many reasons including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional risks and uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, including but not limited to the discussion under "Risk Factors" therein, which the Company filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at http://www.sec.gov/. For Further Information: Issuer Direct Corporation Brian R. Balbirnie 919-481-4000 brian.balbirnie@issuerdirect.com Brett Maas Hayden IR (646) 536-7331 brett@haydenir.com James Carbonara Hayden IR (646)-755-7412 james@haydenir.com SOURCE: Issuer Direct Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/622961/Issuer-Direct-Corporation-to-Present-at-the-23rd-Annual-Needham-Virtual-Growth-Conference-on-Wednesday-January-13-at-415pm-ET Nigeria will receive at least 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech approved COVID-19 vaccines by the end of January. The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, made this known at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday. He said a letter announcing this allocation in the first phase of the delivery of the vaccines is expected from the COVAX facility during the week. In the first phase through the COVAX facility, we expect to receive approximately 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and bioNtech vaccine by the end of January, he said. Mr Shuaib noted the country is expecting free 42 million doses of vaccines in the second phase through the COVAX facility, an initiative run by the vaccine alliance, GAVI, to ensure equitable access to a COVID vaccine. He said the second phase will be a combination of all the available approved vaccines currently in the market. These vaccines will, however, cover only about 20 per cent of Nigerias population, Mr Faisal said. Nigeria has over 200 million persons as per population. Amidst the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, many countries are already on the queue to access effective vaccines for its citizens. The Nigerian government had earlier inaugurated an 18-member national COVID-19 task team to ensure vaccine security when it finally gets to the country. Despite these efforts on ground, global health experts and bodies recently told PREMIUM TIMES it is almost impossible for Nigeria to start a vaccine campaign in January. Evidence on the ground at the countrys National Strategic Cold Store also suggest that Africas most populous country may not be fully ready to receive and administer the COVID-19 vaccine. There are no ultra-cold freezers needed to store some of the frontrunners such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, according to Iyabo Daradara, Director, Logistics and Health Commodities at the NPHCDA. Coverage Mr Shuaib explained that about 70 per cent of the total population needs to receive the COVID-19 vaccines to completely eradicate the virus. He said only about 40 per cent will be vaccinated in 2021, while the remaining 30 per cent will be covered in 2022. In line of the vaccination, the NPHCDA DG said priority will be given to frontliine health workers, first responders, strategic country leadership and those that are elderly and with co-morbidities. Additional cost Mr Shuaib also noted that there are some components on financing cost of additional vaccines and delivery to the country. The first is the cost of procuring the vaccines, the second is cost of delivering to every ward and the third is ensuring the PHCs and the health workers are available to deliver the vaccines safely and effectively, he said. He, however, said the PTF is finalising the cumulative financial requirement for deploying vaccines. ADVERTISEMENT He said the finalised figures will be made available soon. "I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished at Qualcomm and the position the Company currently enjoys as the world's leader in wireless technologies," Mollenkopf said. "With our business model clearly validated and our leadership in 5G, this is the right time for Cristiano to assume leadership of the Company and preside over what I see as the single largest opportunity in the Company's history. Cristiano spearheaded the development of our 5G strategy, including its acceleration, industry-leading technology roadmap and global rollout. He was also a key architect and driver of Qualcomm's strategy to expand and diversify our business beyond mobile and into new industry segments such as Auto, RF Front-End and IoT. Qualcomm is well positioned for the future and I am confident that with Cristiano as CEO, the Company will continue to invent leading technologies and create value for all of our stakeholders." "Steve navigated through unprecedented circumstances during his tenure, facing more in his seven years as CEO than most leaders face in their entire careers," said Mark McLaughlin, Chair of Qualcomm's Board of Directors. "Under Steve's leadership, the Company remained focused and created immense value for stockholders, inventing key technologies that are driving economic growth and improving lives. On behalf of the entire Qualcomm Board, I want to thank Steve for the vision and leadership he brought during his years as CEO and for leading what I am confident will be a seamless transition. Cristiano was the clear choice to be Qualcomm's next CEO, having the track record of successful execution, deep Company knowledge, very strong relationships with our ecosystem of partners, and the strategic vision to take the Company forward. He is an authentic leader who has played a critical role in the Company's success. We look forward to working together with him to lead the Company through its next chapter of growth." Amon, 50, has served as President, Qualcomm Incorporated since January 2018. In this role, he is responsible for Qualcomm's semiconductor business (QCT), which includes Mobile, RF Front End, Automotive and IoT revenue streams, and the Company's global operations. Amon has driven the expansion and diversification of the business across industries and customers, overseen Qualcomm's 5G strategy, and for almost 15 years has been steering development of a leading and differentiated product roadmap. Amon has also overseen the successful execution of M&A to augment Qualcomm's capabilities and accelerate growth in key areas, including RF Front End, Connectivity and Networking. Amon joined Qualcomm in 1995 as an engineer and has held several business and technical leadership positions throughout his tenure with the Company. Amon holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an honorary doctorate from UNICAMP, the State University of Campinas, Brazil. He also serves as the co-Chairman of the World Economic Forum IoT Council. "I am honored to be named the next CEO of Qualcomm and appreciate the confidence that Steve and the Board have in me," said Amon. "Qualcomm is an incredible Company. We have been at the forefront of innovation for decades and I look forward to maintaining this position going forward. In addition to driving the expansion of 5G into mainstream devices and beyond mobile, Qualcomm is set to play a key role in the digital transformation of numerous industries as our technologies become essential to connecting everything to the cloud. The need for our solutions has never been more pronounced and our leadership position has never been more evident. I look forward to working with our 41,000 employees around the world to create technologies that revolutionize the way people live, work and connect with each other." About Qualcomm Qualcomm is the world's leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch, and expansion of 5G. When we connected the phone to the internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our foundational technologies enable the mobile ecosystem and are found in every 3G, 4G and 5G smartphone. We bring the benefits of mobile to new industries, including automotive, the internet of things, and computing, and are leading the way to a world where everything and everyone can communicate and interact seamlessly. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Qualcomm Contacts: Pete Lancia, Corporate Communications Phone: 1-858-845-5959 Email: [email protected] Mauricio Lopez-Hodoyan, Investor Relations Phone: 1-858-658-4813 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Bharat Biotech Chairman Krishna Ella has hit out at critics for questioning the efficacy of its "Covaxin" vaccine against coronavirus. Ella said that his firm has carried out "200 per cent honest clinical trials", and that it has a track record of producing safe and efficacious vaccines. Without naming Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla, who had termed vaccines other than that of Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca as "just like water", Ella said, "We do 200 per cent honest clinical trials and yet we receive backlash. If I am wrong, tell me. Some companies have branded me like water." He alleged that AstraZeneca, which has developed a vaccine for COVID-19, was administering Paracetamol to volunteers along with the antidote, leading to suppression of "adverse reaction" if any. In a press conference, Ella assured that he will give confirmed data within a week. Covaxin addresses an unmet medical need and has generated excellent safety data with robust immune response to multiple viral proteins that persist, he asserted. He further pointed out that his company has manufactured 16 vaccines. "We are not just an Indian company; we are truly a global company. People should not accuse us that we don't know clinical research...," he said. He also said the Bharat Biotech vaccine is not inferior to that developed by Pfizer. "You look at Pfizer. They have five publications of vaccine data. Bharat Biotech has five publications. We are no way inferior to Pfizer in terms of publication of data," Ella said. "I think we are the only company I can categorically say (which) has got extensive research experience and extensive publication (in) peer-reviewed journals. Many people say that I am not transparent in my data. I think people should have the patience to read (on) the internet and look at what our articles are," he said. The Indian drug regulator nod to Covaxin, without revealing its efficacy results, has been questioned by industry experts and opposition leaders. On Sunday, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala lauded scientists and researchers of Bharat Biotech for the indigenous vaccine but the party's senior leaders like Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh and Shashi Tharoor raised concerns over the grant of approval to its vaccine without the phase 3 trials, saying it is "premature" and can prove dangerous. Reacting to the allegations, Ella said he does not have any political affiliations and he is a scientist. "Don't accuse us of inexperience... we are not just an Indian company, we are truly a global company," Ella said. He said Covaxin is currently undergoing phase-3 clinical trials involving 24,000 volunteers with less than 10 per cent side effects and the efficacy data is expected to be published in March. Ella also said the clinical trials for children would also be taken up, and that no interim analysis of efficacy in Phase 3 has been done so far. Defending the decision to award Covaxin emergency approval, he said the emergency use authorisation was based on 2019 rules of the government. Bharat Biotech was the first to identify the Zika virus and the first to file global patents for the Zika and Chikungunya vaccines, he said. Also read: Covaxin side effects recorded in real time; efficacy data out soon: Krishna Ella Also read: Traders' body demands 5% additional tax on e-commerce companies ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ALM Media (ALM), and Bloomberg Law today announced a new licensing agreement that will provide Bloomberg Law customers with ALM legal news and information, including more than 3,000 new pieces of original news reporting each month, archived news content, and data from ALM Experts and VerdictSearch. For more information and to schedule a demo of Bloomberg Law, visit http://onb-law.com/MdSe50CZuwE. ALM is an authoritative source of news and insights on the legal industry. Bloomberg Law is the strategic provider of an advanced legal technology platform trusted by the country's largest law firms, corporations, law schools and the U.S. courts. "We're excited to bring Bloomberg Law customers ALM content as part of our fully integrated platform." Tweet this Within the Bloomberg Law platform, ALM's news content from brands such as The American Lawyer, Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal, Legaltech News, and New York Law Journal, among others, joins reporting from Bloomberg Law's newsroom of more than 200 journalists including correspondents based in key markets around the country and across the globe. ALM Experts, a database of over 15,000 listings of expert witnesses, investigators, process servers, court reporters, consultants and litigation support professionals from every region of the United States, and content from ALM's VerdictSearch, including over 200,000 national and state cases, will also be integrated into the Bloomberg Law platform as part of the new agreement. These content sets supplement Bloomberg Law's timesaving tools including Practical Guidance and In Focus pages, as well as AI-powered tools such as Brief Analyzer, Litigation Analytics, Docket Key search functionality, Points of Law, and Smart Code. "We are delighted to enter into this new partnership with Bloomberg Law," said Richard Caruso, Vice President and General Manager, Global Legal News. "For Bloomberg Law customers, this will allow for a seamless experience to engage with ALM's legal news, verdicts and experts content within the Bloomberg Law platform." "We're excited to bring Bloomberg Law customers ALM content as part of our fully integrated platform, providing attorneys everything they need in one place," said Joe Breda, president of Bloomberg Law. "Our investment in ALM's content is one of many exciting additions for Bloomberg Law." As with all enhancements to the Bloomberg Law platform, access to ALM content is available to current subscribers at no additional cost. About Bloomberg Law Bloomberg Law helps legal professionals provide world-class counsel with access to actionable legal intelligence in a business context. Bloomberg Law delivers a unique combination of comprehensive primary and secondary source material, real-time news, expert analysis, time-saving practice tools including Practical Guidance, market data, and business intelligence. For more information, visit pro.bloomberglaw.com. About ALM ALM, an information and intelligence company, provides customers with critical news, data, analysis, marketing solutions and events to successfully manage the business of business. ALM serves a community of over 6 million business professionals seeking to discover, connect and compete in highly complex industries. Please visit www.alm.com for more information, and visit www.alm.com/events/ to learn about our upcoming events. Please follow us on Twitter at @ALMMedia. SOURCE Bloomberg Law Related Links https://pro.bloomberglaw.com A British judge has rejected the US Justice Departments effort to have Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange extradited to the United States to face espionage charges for obtaining and publishing secret documents that revealed war crimes. The decision of Judge Vanessa Baraitser to deny the extradition request has given Assange an important legal victory in his efforts to avoid extradition for actions many would regard as inherent to media freedom the right of journalists to obtain and publish information and to protect confidential sources. However, in her ruling Judge Baraitser dismissed the arguments of Assanges lawyers in relation to these matters, saying she was satisfied that the American authorities made their extradition request in good faith, that the case was not politically driven, and that Assange was not merely acting as a journalist. Julian Assange is an Australian citizen and his fate should be of concern to the Prime Minister. Credit:AP This is a significant blow to media freedom in Britain, and elsewhere. However, the judge found there was evidence relating to Assanges mental health that indicated there was a substantial risk he might commit suicide if extradited into the particularly harsh circumstances of maximum security imprisonment in the US. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Bishop Andrea Han Jingtao died last December 30 at the age of 99. He is considered a "giant of culture and faith" of the underground Church. Some people close to him have drawn together these biographical notes from his own words. His foundation of a male and a female congregation. His commitment to evangelization during imprisonment, police checks, expropriations, community closures. Siping (AsiaNews) - Bishop Andrea Han Jingtao died last December 30th. In the days that have followed, this document was delivered to AsiaNews: an outline of his lifes story, with many parts transcribed from his own words. Some Chinese priests say that the text was written by people close to the bishop, who wrote down things heard from the prelate, considered a "giant of culture and faith" of the underground Church. This story reveals that Msgr. Han not only founded a female congregation, but also a male one, which is a rarity in China. Another element that transpires is the profound freedom with which he even used his house in the (state) university to hold catechetical and liturgical meetings. The entire text transpires the great resistance of these unofficial communities who, despite moments of imprisonment, house and community seizures, were able to live their vocation and their commitment to evangelize China. Bishop Han Jingtao was born in 1921 into a devout Catholic family from Shan Wanzi in Weichang County (Hebei). His grandfather Han Guotai had six brothers; his father was called Han Chaojun, his mother was from the Zhao family. His parents and grandfather were all pious Christian faithful from Korea. The bishop came from a wealthy family and was also the eldest son. Already at the age of 8 he lived in the town of Da Yingzi, studying in the college founded by a Canadian missionary congregation. At the age of 14, after the summer holidays he decided to leave with other students, getting on a train that took them to the minor seminary of Siping, thus commencing the journey of their vocation. His studies, in close contact with the rector of the minor seminary, lasted 8 years. The future bishop devoted himself entirely to study. While the others went out to play, he returned to the seminary library to study, even late at night, and when he couldn't sleep, he thought back to what he had learned that day. He felt infinitely gratified by this life and with his grades he surpassed all the other students one by one. Before the end of their studies, the rector gave them one final piece of advice. It burned in the bishop's memory. As he was bidding them farewell, the rector told them: "Wherever you go, you must carry out your sacred ministry well. This is what will keep you steadfast, this is how you will avoid sinking into secularism." These words, decades later, resonated in the bishop. He himself affirmed that it is thanks to this idea and to perseverance in ministry that my vocation remained steadfast until now, in the face of so many sufferings and vicissitudes. Thanks to his experience, the bishop also taught us this idea and behaviour: we in turn must walk courageously, according to the teaching and model of the bishop, towards the goal that the Saviour has set for us, until the day of coming of the Lord. According to Bishop Shi's plan [Msgr. Louis Lapierre, missionary from Quebec], as a seminarian in Changchun major seminary, the future bishop Han was in charge of the seminary library. This too was a particular grace that God gave him, since he had a passion for studying. Whenever he had time, he went to the library to read and study, absorbing knowledge and making new discoveries. Around 1942, he took his father to be examined by a doctor, who confirmed that he had cancer of the oesophagus. Bishop Han never returned home until the moment of his father's death at the age of 42. Bishop Han recalls: "That time when I accompanied my father home and then left, it was the last time I was able to see my father". On 14 December 1947 he was ordained a priest and from then on he dedicated himself to the education of the women religious. At the end of 1949, with the consent of Bishop Shi, he went to the Franciscans of Tianjin for a 30-day spiritual retreat. As soon as the retreat ended, a faithful from Shanghai asked him to meet him to give him a message. Bishop Zhao - remembers Msgr. Han - from the diocese of Lindong asked me to go to Shanghai, he wanted to see me. After leaving for Shanghai, he met Bishop Zhao Yumin (the name he had assumed when he arrived in China). He described the crisis that the Church in China was facing at that time. In fact, Fr. Wang Liangzhuo of Sichuan had launched the Three Self Movement for Church Reform, advocating "self-propagation, self-support and self-government", getting rid of the Pope's interference and expelling foreign missionaries. Mission in a secularized world At that time - says Msgr. Han - I realized that the Church was facing a great challenge and needed strong stamina, otherwise the Church would not be able to resist. This is why I decided to begin a religious congregation, to fight this negative power together with the Church. On January 1st 1950 I received the booklet on the Legion of Mary. The Pope's special envoy, Fr Chen Zhemin, had brought it to Siping. With the consent of Bishop Shi and thanks to his help, I founded the religious congregation and developed the Legions of Mary in the diocese of Siping. I told the members who intended to enter the congregation that they are the soldiers of Christ, urging them to pray and chant the psalms, teaching them to pray on their knees, going forward with their heads held high, transmitting the bond of peace, telling the young people that they were the combatants for Jesus. These people then became the first members of the congregation which, however, had not yet fully assumed a form of religious institution: it was rather a charitable association. In 1952, Bishop Shi of the Diocese of Siping died. Before his death he assigned administration of the diocese to Fr Chang Zhenguo, appointing him successor of the bishop. He entrusted me with the post of assistant pastor, to assist Father Chang in managing the affairs of the diocese. Before the advent of persecution, every day we encouraged our faithful with the word, accompanying them and strengthening them in faith, facing the test that was about to arrive. In the spring of 1953 I was taken away by the police under the pretext of being the priest-educator of the Legions of Mary. From here I began my life of imprisonment which lasted 27 years. Because of this, the new youth community fell apart. In the early 1980s, China launched its Economic Reforms and Opening. Deng Xiaoping, the countrys leader, initiated an institutional reform for the use of English. And so, the same prison authorities made me work as an English language teacher at Changchun Normal University. Two months later, I was hired as an associate professor at the Institute of the History of Classical Civilization at the Normal University of the Northeast. I specialized in teaching undergraduate, master's and doctoral students. I introduced many Chinese to the study of classical languages and cultures, Latin and Greek. During the holidays I ran to Siping first of all to visit the elderly nuns of the Rosary Congregation, belonging to the diocese. I learned that all the young people of the new youth community had now married, so I began to rebuild it thinking of uniting the older sisters to the new community of sisters. Unfortunately, due to their advanced age, they now had no strength to undertake renewing the congregation. This was the reason why I had to start all over again, selecting young people with a vocation to consecrated life and starting the first works of the current congregation". Meanwhile, the diocese has started another evangelizing work, namely organizing the faithful, encouraging and guiding them, in evangelization activities in the diocese, thus obtaining great results: a large number of non-believers wanted to receive baptism. Between 1991 and 1992, the number of converts rose to nearly 1,000. At the end of 1991, the male novices numbered 20, the female novices a hundred. In 1993 the first health centre and the first retirement home were founded. As the sisters of the congregation were not available, the faithful themselves took on the care management. With the increase in new faithful and thanks to the influence of charitable works in universities and in society, we no longer had to hide as we once did, we opened up to the public and vocations also increased. The house granted by the university had now become a place of evangelization; the faithful came every day for Mass; the nuns gave catechesis lessons, provided services to the faithful, etc. . Fruitful amid persecution In 1993, the male novices all left without warning. Plunged into extreme pain, I prayed incessantly in front of the Blessed Sacrament, receiving strong encouragement to go forward. A few days later, there was progress: in 1994 the number of novices reached more than 10 people. I also invited other diocesan priests to help with the management. Shortly before Christmas 1995, a priest from another diocese asked to join the congregation, which finally had its own staff. Soon after, that priest was arrested and imprisoned. He was released three months later, but police checks continued. On December 23, 1996, I went out for an engagement and on my return I found my home under police control. In this way, the house could no longer be used as a place of evangelization. On January 16, 1997, the sisters' mother house was also surrounded by more than 10 police cars, and the congregation of the sisters was dissolved for the first time. From this moment on, the female order began a long "pilgrimage". Another of Gods plans was unfolding: to no longer deal with the educational work in the university, dedicating myself personally to the formation of seminarians. In September 1999, the first two Seiminarians were ordained priests: I saw in them the light of a new diocesan strength. In 2000 and 2002, 9 more seminarians were progressively ordained, further giving new strength to the diocese. In the second half of April 2003, the seminary was raided and seized, and the Eucharist was taken away. After numerous vicissitudes, with the merciful help of God, the Body of Christ was brought back, without being profaned. In May 2005, the headquarters of the congregation in Shenyang was again discovered by the police authorities: nearly 40 nuns were sent away, and the headquarters seized. In July 2008, during the Olympics in China, another small community in Shenyang was raided, and 4 nuns were taken away and released only the next day. The police seized nearly 20 parcels of books, letters and documents of all kinds. Only in 2011 were most of the sisters able to return to the mother house. In early 2014, a provisional version of the congregation's rules was instituted. "Since my private home was discovered and controlled by the police in November 2017, I cannot act freely at the moment and I am forced to leave all business, without being able to manage it publicly." "At the beginning of 2018, the community of sisters was once again dissolved. So far they have not yet managed to come together in a large community, but they only manage to live together in small communities. However, we thank God for having accompanied us until today. 5 months and 2 weeks until the 2021 Democratic primaries Welcome to City & States Campaign Confidential newsletter, where Senior Reporter Jeff Coltin is covering the run-up to New York Citys hugely consequential 2021 municipal elections for mayor, City Council and more. Weekly, on Tuesdays. Sign up here. Deadline ALERT With less than a week to go until the Jan. 11 fundraising deadline for New York City candidates, we are in the midst of ALERT, critical DEADLINE, and one last time season. Campaigns are hustling for dollars, knowing that this filing, the first one in six months, is particularly crucial for candidates hoping to prove their viability through fundraising. In that case, qualifying for public matching funds is a crucial target and Maya Wileys mayoral campaign might miss the mark. The NYC $8-to-$1 public matching deadline is 7 days away and we are just shy of the threshold to qualify! read a text from the Wiley campaign on Monday evening. Emails over the previous week gave the same impression: Wiley might not hit the mark of 1,000 donors from New York City giving a total of at least $250,000 in matchable donations. A Monday night email even said Wiley was $72,000 short a significant amount to make up in just a week and potentially a sign that MSNBC stardom doesnt equal local support. But fundraising pleas often stretch the truth. You cant trust any fundraising emails because theres a whole industry around desperation to raise money, said one staffer for a mayoral candidate. Because they know it works. Wiley campaign spokesperson Eric Koch declined to comment. So far, Scott Stringer and Eric Adams are the only mayoral candidates to qualify for public matching funds, but email inboxes across the city suggest other mayoral candidates are in danger of missing out. With the deadline at midnight tonight, we still need to raise $12,199 if were going to stay on track to unlock the 6-to-1 NYC match funding, read a Dec. 31 email from the campaign of Shaun Donovan, who opted for the older 6-to-1 system with higher maximum contribution limits, rather than the newer 8-to-1 system with lower limits. It wasnt clear whether Donovans campaign was short of the $250,000 threshold for matching funds, or a separate internal campaign goal, and the Donovan campaign declined to comment. Dianne Morales mayoral campaign sent a Dec. 28 email saying she needed to raise $40,000 by the end of the year to stay on track for 2021, and unlock matching funds. Does that mean she was at $210,000, or was the campaign referring to an internal goal? Her campaign didnt respond to a request for comment. Candidates who dont qualify for matching funds wont get another shot until March 15, so while missing out might not be a death knell, it could seriously hinder any candidate who wants to keep pace with the top contenders. (Exceptions include Andrew Yang, who is expected to pull from a national fundraising base, and Ray McGuire, who opted out of public funding.) Many questions will be answered soon after candidates file their financial disclosures on Jan. 15, including which candidates were actually in financial distress, and which may have been stretching the truth to nab some extra dollars. By the Numbers 450 The number of signatures City Council candidates need to make the primary ballot (though really you should gather three times that to be safe). But a cadre of council candidates including some in the just-announced March 23 Bronx special elections to replace Ritchie Torres and Andrew Cohen are saying that it should be zero because petitioning in a pandemic is too dangerous. (Corey Ortega, a candidate for District 7 in northern Manhattan, said he contracted COVID-19 while gathering signatures in March.) As an alternative, Council Member Ben Kallos has a bill that would kill petitioning and instead tie ballot access to reaching fundraising thresholds. Candidates in the recent District 12 special election in the Bronx and the upcoming District 24 and 31 specials in Queens had to get 450 signatures, but for future races, Gov. Andrew Cuomo could cut that number by executive order, like he did for the 2020 primaries, or waive the signature requirement entirely. The specials are small potatoes, so the real deadline is sometime before Feb. 23, when petitioning is expected to start for the June primary. Beware the donkey votes The New York City Board of Elections just released the sample ballot for the City Council District 24 special election in eastern Queens the first ballot of the new ranked-choice era. There are eight candidates (including mystery Manhattanite Michael E. Brown) and voters can rank up to five candidates. Everyone knows it helps to be listed first on the ballot but will the novelty of ranked-choice voting benefit Moumita Ahmed more than usual? A 2010 study published in the academic journal Representation found that ballot position has a clear and robust effect in Switzerlands ranked-choice system. But a 2014 paper from the journal Political Behavior suggested ballot position may actually have less of an effect in RCV elections. And then theres donkey voting, a well-known phenomenon where disengaged voters simply rank candidates top to bottom. The verdict? Who knows. Just one more thing to watch in that Feb. 2 special. From CoJo to Yang Gang The treasurer on file for Andrew Yangs newly formed mayoral committee is Mathew Bergman an attorney at BMO Capital Markets, who previously served as treasurer for New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnsons 2013, 2017 and since-abandoned 2021 campaigns. Bergman was recruited by Tusk Strategies Chris Coffey, another Johnson ally whos advising Yang on the mayoral race. And Johnson reportedly spoke with Yang about his candidacy last month. Was that conversation just a favor for Coffey, or something more? Johnsons endorsement will be one of the most sought-after in the mayoral race, but its questionable whether the politically obsessive Johnson would throw in his lot with the neophyte Yang. Though Corey did tweet YANG GANG with three robot emojis during a Democratic presidential primary debate in July 2019. Eric Adams wants to end summer as we know it The words year-round school year may cause kids to have a tummy ache. But kids dont vote, and mayoral candidate Eric Adams thinks parents will like his proposal to get rid of summer break and replace it with shorter breaks throughout the year. Its one big step in the Brooklyn borough presidents 100+ Steps Forward for NYC. The 106 steps, to be specific, are short on specifics, but Adams promises more details to come. The citys 1.1 million public school students did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Endorsement Watch Longtime fan and Tony Award-winning actress Scarlett Johansson is fundraising for mayoral candidate Scott Stringer though the announcement stretched the truth on Stringers history with real estate fundraising Rep. Gregory Meeks, the Queens Democratic Party boss, is headlining a fundraiser for David Weprins comptroller campaign on Wednesday Actress Sigourney Weaver, producer Jon Landau and director James Cameron will attend a virtual fundraiser for Lucy Langs Manhattan district attorney campaign Queens United Independent Progressives endorsed City Council candidates Moumita Ahmed in the District 24 special election and Manny Silva in the District 31 special and the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club endorsed a handful of candidates who all vowed to support legislation to strip Ed Kochs name from the Queensboro Bridge, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards (over openly gay opponent Jimmy Van Bramer), Elisa Crespo in District 15 in the Bronx and Lynn Schulman in District 29 in Queens. Poll Sight What areas of New York City have the most chain stores? No surprise, its midtown Manhattan. But second place? The middle of Staten Island, home to the Staten Island Mall. Thats from the Center for an Urban Futures fascinating State of the Chains report, which also found that, despite some losses from the pandemic, Dunkin is by far the citys most common national retailer. 010520-graph-00.png Alt Text: NYC zip codes with the most national chains Title Text: NYC zip codes with the most national chains Caption: NYC zip codes with the most national chains Description: NYC zip codes with the most national chains Image Credit: Alex Law/City & State Staffing Up Manhattan district attorney candidate Tahanie Aboushi has hired a campaign manager, Jamarah Hayner, who was previously the campaign manager for Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon one of the progressive prosecutor stars Aboushi and several opponents are trying to emulate Ben Kallos Manhattan borough president campaign is staffing up, including Hannah Jeffrey, formerly of Nancy Goroffs House run, as campaign manager; Bill Hyers, campaign manager for de Blasio in 2013, on media; Lauren Dikis of New Blue Initiative on digital and Jeff Liszt of ALG Research on polling Former public advocate candidate Ifeoma Ike is joining Dianne Morales mayoral campaign as a senior adviser and former City Council candidate Whitney Hu will be Morales interim campaign manager Former Assembly candidate Cameron Koffman, political operative Martin Rather and election lawyer Willa Bernstein have founded a ballot access firm called The November Group, and its first clients are Diana Florences Manhattan district attorney campaign, Chi Osses campaign for City Council District 36 in Brooklyn and Tamika Mapp in District 8 in Manhattan and the Bronx Antonya Jeffrey, former press secretary for Jumaane Williams public advocate campaign, will be deputy communications director for Ray McGuires mayoral campaign Allison Romer is the campaign manager for Richard Lees City Council campaign for District 19 in Queens and zoomer activist Katelin Penner is joining Tiffany Cabans City Council campaign for District 22 in Queens. Got tips? Email JColtin@CityandStateNY.com or DM me @JCColtin District Data 113020-districtmap-16.png Alt Text: City Council District 16 Title Text: City Council District 16 Caption: City Council District 16 Description: City Council District 16 Image Credit: Alex Law/City & State City Council District 16, in the South Bronx, covering neighborhoods including Highbridge, Mount Eden and Concourse Current council member: Vanessa Gibson, since 2014, whos term-limited at the end of 2021 2010 census demographics: 57.7% Hispanic, 38.6% Black, 1.3% white, 1% Asian Housing: 92.9% renter-occupied, 7.1% owner-occupied 2013 primary election results: Gibson: 44.1%, Pedro Alvarez: 16.8%, Carlos Sierra: 14.4%, Daryl Johnson: 7.7%, Naaimat Muhammed: 6.6%, Carlton Berkley: 5.9%, Bola Omotosho: 4.6% 2017 general election results: Gibson: 96.2%, Benjamin Eggleston: 3.6% Whos running: Leonardo Coello, Abdourahamane Diallo, Ahmadou Diallo, Yves Filius and Althea Stevens. Its Stevens race to lose at this point. Shes the only candidate to qualify for public matching funds so far and shes loading up on endorsements including the Working Families Party, 1199SEIU and just last week former Assembly Member Michael Blake. But Filius has serious institutional connections as a district leader and former political director of the Bronx Democratic Party. Ahmadou Diallo, an accountant who is related by marriage to the Amadou Diallo killed by the NYPD in 1999, is active in the district and ran in 2013 but didnt make the ballot. A sixth candidate, Uniqua Smith, appears to have suspended her campaign. Twitter Posting Sony Middle East & Africa has announced that its FX6 full-frame 4K camera has been added to the Netflix Approved Camera List. The compact FX6 camera has officially joined nine other Sony cameras on Netflixs list of approved cameras, approved for use as a primary camera in Netflix productions. Murat Gebeceli, Head of Digital Imaging, Sony Middle East & Africa said: The Sony FX6 is one of the most versatile and recommended cameras for those shopping for their first cinema camera. Leveraging Sonys industry-leading VENICE cinema camera and the innovative features of Alpha mirrorless camera technology, FX6s small and lightweight design makes it suitable for tackling all kinds of projects: from high-end music videos, to weddings and travel videos among others. Now shipping, FX6 was first teased by Sony in September before the detailed product specs were shared in November. The camera has drawn a positive response from many content creators and photographers. Documentary cinematographer Jessica Earnshaw said: During a recent shoot, I was blown away by the FX6 and its ability to achieve the intimacy of verite shooting. I had no problem getting in there with FX6 the design, size, and weight is really fantastic. As part of the Cinema Line, the all-new FX6 incorporates Sonys core technologies of image sensor, processing engine, and AF (autofocus) performance. FX6 is also compatible with the wide range of Sony E-mount lenses for creative flexibility. It also features a 10.2 MP full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor that delivers a 15+ stop wide dynamic range with high sensitivity and low noise. Additional Sony cameras on the Netflix Approved Camera List include VENICE, FX9, Z750, F55, F5, F65, FS7 / FS7ii, HDC-4300 and Z450. Netflix specifies that 90% of the total runtime of a final programme should be captured on approved cameras. For nonfiction content, this threshold may be more flexible. -- Tradearabia News Service The U.S. could soon be giving at least a million COVID-19 vaccinations a day despite the sluggish start, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, even as he warned of a dangerous next few weeks as the coronavirus surges. The slow pace is frustrating health officials and a desperate public alike, with about a third of the first supplies shipped to states over the past few weeks used as of Tuesday morning. Anytime you start a big program, theres always glitches. I think the glitches have been worked out, the nations top infectious disease expert told The Associated Press. Vaccinations only began on Dec. 14 and already had begun speeding up, reaching roughly half a million injections a day recently, he pointed out. Now with the holidays over, once you get rolling and get some momentum, I think we can achieve one million a day or even more, Fauci said. He called President-elect Joe Bidens goal of 100 million vaccinations in 100 days a very realistic, important, achievable goal. Its an optimistic prediction considering the logistical hurdles facing states and counties as they struggle to administer rationed vaccine supplies amid rising COVID-19 hospitalizations. Fauci pointed to Californias swamped hospitals as well as exhausted personnel even before holiday travel. The coronavirus has killed more than 356,000 Americans, and the next few weeks could bring another jump in infections nationally that could make matters even worse, he said. The Trump administration had promised to provide states enough vaccine for 20 million people in December, and fell short even as states struggled with their role getting shots into peoples arms, starting mostly with health care workers and nursing home residents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 4.8 million doses of more than 17 million delivered had been used by Tuesday morning likely an undercount due to delays in reporting but still far fewer than experts had hoped. Still, Fauci pointed to a celebrated moment in history to back up his projection of ramped-up inoculations: In 1947, New York City vaccinated more than 6 million people against a smallpox outbreak in less than a month and one of them was me as a 6-year-old boy who got vaccinated. If a single city could do such mass vaccinations in weeks, this is not something that is far-fetched for an entire country, he said. You can use school auditoriums, you can use stadiums. You can really ramp up the contribution of pharmacies. At that stepped-up pace, the country could see an impact of vaccinations on infections as early as spring and hopefully by early fall, you could start thinking about returning to some degree of normality, Fauci said. Theres no sign yet that a more contagious variant of the coronavirus first found in Britain which forced England into another national lockdown on Tuesday will outwit the vaccines. Faucis colleagues at the National Institutes of Health are doing their own testing to be sure, just as vaccine manufacturers are. While the variant has been found in several states it is certainly not dominant, Fauci said. We dont know where its going. Were going to follow it very carefully. The more contagious virus makes it even more important that people follow the public health precautions Fauci has preached for months, including wearing a mask, keeping your distance and avoiding crowds. In addition, scientists are warily watching a different variant found in South Africa, but not yet reported in the U.S. There have been some reports that the mutation might make treatments called monoclonal antibodies less likely to work. Those antibodies target one specific spot of the coronavirus, unlike vaccines that are designed to recognize multiple pieces of the virus spikey coating. Fauci said he couldnt confirm the therapy concern but said U.S. scientists will investigate. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 A roads agreement between the IFA and the Government said to have saved the State hundreds of millions of euro expired in December with no rollover plan in place. The elements of the previous deal included a fixed payment of 3,000 per acre to landowners on all lands and associated areas acquired for national road improvement works. Responding to questioning on the future of the agreement, the Department of Transport did not commit to its renewal. It stated that the matter would be considered in the context of the National Development Plan review committed to in the Programme for Government. The current National Development Plan envisages 5.7bn being spent on national road schemes and a further 4.5bn on local and regional roads. The IFA has made contact with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) concerning the agreement and said engagement is at a very early stage in relation to opening discussions on a new agreement and other related issues. The former head of TII Michael Nolan, who was a strong advocate of the agreement, stepped down from the position last year and was recently replaced by Peter Walsh TIIs Director of Capital Programme. Mr Nolan had said the national roads programme would have lasted a further two or three years and would have cost a further 200-300m if not for the deal. The agreement applied to land not the subject of planning permission or zoned for open space, commercial, residential, industrial or recreational purposes. It included a commitment that where the landowner and the local authority, or TII, fail to agree a settlement, either party may seek an independent assessment by a suitably qualified arbitrator. Further, the deal included the landowner, on receipt of at least 14 days written notice, allowing early access to land for site investigation works in order to identify and assess potential routes, and full co-operation with local authorities for these purposes. January 04, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The mass shooting in Baghdad for which Donald Trump pardoned four American mercenaries was a massacre along the lines of My Lai in Vietnam, the lead FBI investigator in the case said, pronouncing himself disgusted with the presidents actions. Nicholas Slatten was convicted of first-degree murder and Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard were convicted of voluntary and attempted manslaughter over the 2007 shooting, which happened in heavy traffic in Nisour Square. Fourteen unarmed Iraqi civilians, among them a nine-year-old child, were killed when the mercenaries opened fire with weapons including machine guns and grenade launchers. The four men worked for the private security firm Blackwater, owned by Erik Prince, brother of Trumps education secretary, Betsy DeVos. They were included in a wave of pre-Christmas pardons announced by the White House. In a letter to the New York Times published on Friday, John M Patarini said: I was the FBI case agent who led the investigation of the Blackwater massacre in Baghdad. We originally went to Iraq thinking this shooting was some form of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire between Blackwater guards and insurgents. After only one week, we determined that this incident was not as presented by Blackwater personnel and their state department lackeys, but it was a massacre along the lines of My Lai in Vietnam. The My Lai massacre took place on 16 March 1968. As many as 504 children, women and older men were killed by a US infantry company, members of which also raped numerous women and girls. Only William Calley, a lieutenant, was convicted of any crime. Sentenced to life, he served three days in prison before Richard Nixon ordered his sentence reduced. No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter In 2009, Calley said he felt remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry. Trump, who will leave office on 20 January, has issued pardons or acts of clemency in cases in which US troops were accused or convicted of war crimes. Presidential pardons do not mean or imply innocence. Patarini wrote that he only recently became aware of the concerted effort for the pardons of the four mercenaries who perpetrated the Nisour Square massacre, which I understand started with a political push by members of Congress. President Trump should have had staff members review the trial evidence that led to the convictions and read the judges opinions and sentencing statements. God forbid they might have actually picked up the phone and called the investigators who built the case. Im so disgusted with the presidents actions! After Trump issued the pardons, a lawyer for one of the mercenaries said: Paul Slough and his colleagues didnt deserve to spend one minute in prison. I am overwhelmed with emotion at this fantastic news. In an interview with the Associated Press (AP), published on Saturday, Liberty said he had been reading in his cell when a prison supervisor delivered the news. He says: Are you ready for this? I said: Uh, Im not sure. What is going on? He said: Presidential pardon. Pack your stuff. Of his actions in Nisour Square, Liberty said: I feel like I acted correctly. I regret any innocent loss of life, but Im just confident in how I acted and I can basically feel peace with that. He also said he didnt shoot at anybody that wasnt shooting at me and said he and his fellow mercenaries would never take an innocent life. We responded to a threat accordingly. That was not the finding of Patarinis FBI investigation or the court in which the men were convicted. Internationally, Trumps pardons have met with widespread condemnation. This week, the United Nations working group on the use of mercenaries called them an affront to justice and to the victims of the Nisour Square massacre and their families. atarini wrote that he had spent many hours with the innocent Iraqi victims who are permanently maimed and crippled because of the actions of these Blackwater guards, and the heartbroken family members of those killed. I am embarrassed for our country. I believe we will pay a heavy price in our relationships with other countries as a result of these pardons. Liberty told the AP he was grateful to his supporters and to Trump for what he called a second chance at life, and said he felt like its my duty to go out and do something positive and live a good life because they gave me a second chance. After the pardons were announced, Adil al-Khazali, an Iraqi citizen whose father, Ali, was killed in Nisour Square, told the Guardian: Justice doesnt exist. I ask the American people to stand with us. I lost my father and many innocent women and children also died. I ask the US government to reconsider, because by this decision US courts are losing their reputation. Trump has no right to pardon killers of innocent people. A Michigan native being swamped with messages after President Donald Trump mistakenly published their phone number said the incident shows why people shouldnt believe everything they read on Facebook. Former Petoskey resident and Detroit native O Rose, 28, is receiving thousands of phone calls and text messages after the Trump campaign mixed up their number with former Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield, R-Levering. A Jan. 3 Facebook post, which was shared by the president before being removed Tuesday morning, urged supporters to pressure Chatfield and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, to decertify Michigans election results based on unproven allegations of voter fraud. Related: Misinformation and conspiracies took starring role in Michigans political movements Rose, who now lives in California, sent humorous images of cats and chicken nuggets to show Trump supporters the number didnt belong to Chatfield, but some people didnt believe it even after Rose explained the situation in a direct conversation. Rose considered changing phone numbers but has since decided to use the opportunity to engage with people who were misled by the president. The reason I keep answering these calls is because its honestly so interesting to see who will actually accept that this is probably not Lee Chatfield, I have nothing to do with him and the post was incorrect, Rose said. What Im trying to do is just help them deal with the reality of the fact that a mistake was made and you cant just find something that someone in power posted on Facebook and Twitter and assume its correct. Trump urged supporters to call legislative leaders in several battleground states Biden won in a bid to change the outcome of the election. Congress will meet Wednesday to certify the Electoral College vote, but Republicans are planning to object to the results in Michigan and other states at the center of misinformation about alleged voter fraud. Rose said the phone number mix-up is symbolic of a larger problem: public figures are widely spreading incorrect information that goes unscrutinized in online echo-chambers. More than 24 posts were created with Roses phone number, according to Facebooks analytics tool, spreading from pages run by the president and his campaign to pro-Trump activist pages like Build a Wall Follow the Law, and MAGA TV 2020. Its a small thing because its happening to a random citizen, but even when I told them these things they still believed that I was hiding (Chatfield) or that this was a liberal conspiracy, Rose said. They think everythings a conspiracy at this point because theyre so paranoid and so scared and so disenfranchised. Theyre really confused and thats why I havent yelled at anyone or been angry with anyone. Its honestly just a lot of older folks who are like I dont know whats going on. Many of the people who reached out to Rose expressed resentment with government officials, based on screenshots of conversations shared with MLive. One person said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson tricked Chatfield into thinking the election was secure. Rose said some people who called seemed paranoid and angry, others called later in the evening sounding drunk. Others sent stranger messages, including one person who accused Rose of being a voodoo practitioner. Some of them will say things like Trump should do martial law and they dont understand theyre saying, theyre just kind of saying it, Rose said. The entire internet has become a complete swamp because people dont understand that just because someone is celebrity or someone has some place of power does not mean that theyre posting correct information. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to make false claims about the result of Michigans presidential election. Trump claimed he won the state by 290,000 votes during a Monday evening rally in Georgia, though certified results show he lost by 153,000 votes. Rose plans to keep engaging Trump supporters who call in the hopes of promoting productive conversations with people who they described as well-intentioned but misinformed. Rose, who identifies as politically independent, hopes it will help the country begin to heal. Talk to people you dont agree with and learn how to have conversations with each other, Rose said. Please listen to new ideas. READ MORE ON MLIVE: Two Michigan Republicans will object to Electoral College vote Misinformation and conspiracies took starring role in Michigans political movements Trump repeats false claims about Michigan election in leaked Georgia phone call Michigan Republican congresswoman open to voting against Electoral College certification Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. On the Monday before Christmas, I accepted the job of my dreams as multiculturalism reporter for the Washington Post. On the Monday after, my grandfather passed away. In my application to the Washington Post, I described the column my grandfather used to write in El Puertorriqueno, a local Puerto Rican paper in Chicago, called Cositas que ni se dicen, ni se comentan. Or, the things people dont say or even mention. Growing up, I said I wanted to be a journalist before I knew of my grandfathers columns. When I did learn of them, it made sense. Of course, the humble man who had long admired journalists would have a granddaughter who would become one. It was genetics or the American dream. Some connect the decline of my grandfathers health with the arrival of Hurricane Maria in 2017. He stayed with my family for more than six months in the harsh, Midwest winter waiting for electricity to return to his home in Jayuya, Puerto Rico. He got a bad case of shingles, and his arthritis worsened. He kept saying he couldnt die there, in Galesburg, Ill. He had to die in his homeland. He got his wish. He was asleep in his home in Jayuya when he passed. Etched into the doorstep of his house is the shape of the coqui, the islands singing tree frog, a symbol of resiliency and hope. My grandfather Guillermo Antonio Frau Rullan, or Abuelo, as we called him was one of a kind. Years ago, he bought a bright red Smart car, named it Junior and drove it around Jayuya top down on the uneven roads that are still frequented by men on horseback. He later spent a large sum of money to ship the thing to my mother in Galesburg as a gift. My mom drives it to work at the local high school, a Puerto Rican flag dangling from its rearview mirror. Abuelo was a schoolteacher in Jayuya and a postal clerk in Chicago. He was bookish and brainy, with a cap often on his head and a mustache above his lip. Years ago, back in Jayuya, he won a local good Samaritan award for his daily routine of picking up litter on morning walks. And decades before that, Abuelo was a Borinqueneer a Korean War soldier in the 65th Infantry Regiment, a segregated unit of Puerto Rican soldiers. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded the Borinqueneers with a Congressional Gold Medal. Abuelo was also a big fan of Facebook. His sentimentality for the past something we share was on full display there. In eloquent, old-fashioned Spanish, he wrote long posts about his immense love for his family and his past lives as an activist in Chicago and a soldier in Korea. He shared many of his past columns and then shared them again when they resurfaced on Facebook Memories. If you asked him a question that pertained to something he already wrote about on Facebook, he would kindly refer you to his latest post (No lo viste?). It was like his column all over again. He once told me I reminded him of his late wife, my abuela, who died when I was around 2 years old. I looked in the mirror afterward, turning my head to match the photo I have often seen of her a sepia-toned profile. I was intrigued; I had always thought myself to be like him. Last year in Jayuya, I pulled out a book from Abuelos bookshelf: Personal History, the autobiography of the Washington Posts first woman publisher, Katharine Graham. He told me to keep it. When his health began to deteriorate several weeks ago, when my mom and uncle flew from the U.S. mainland to care for him in his final days, I hoped that if I did get a new job, I would get the chance to tell him. A week before Christmas, I got my wish. His voice was unrecognizable, his words slow. I didnt understand him. It made me cry. But he understood me. Es nacional! he later told my mom Its national! I thought getting the job of my dreams at the Post was the best Christmas gift Id ever received. But the greatest gift was my grandfathers pride in me before he left. Que en paz descanse. Silvia Foster-Frau has covered the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration for the San Antonio Express-News. AGRA: The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday arrested four people after they allegedly waved saffron flags at the Taj Mahal complex in Agra. The CISF personnel deployed at the historic place apprehended them after which they were handed over to the local police. Tajganj police station Inspector Umesh Chandra Tripathi said three people waved flags at the Taj Mahal complex led by a man Gaurav Thakur, who is said to the local head of a right-wing outfit. The four men arrested by the police have been identified as - Gaurav Thakur, Sonu Baghel, Vishesh Kumar and Rishi Lavania. Police have also registered a case against them and started investigating the matter. A video of the whole incident also went viral on social media. The video shows three men carrying the saffron flags in the Taj Mahal complex and unfurling them and the fourth person recorded the video. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Vietnam is no different from other countries in dealing with unprecedented situations. Challenges are many, but we have been very proactive and resilient, and have continued to integrate strongly. Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh recently talked with VietNamNet about the situation in Asia-Pacific in 2020 and the regional situation in 2021. Deep change US and Australian warships rehearse in the East Sea on April 18. Photo: US Navy What do you think about the overall picture of Asian foreign affairs in 2020? Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world have been engulfed in the Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to profound changes. Covid-19 forces countries to find a new way in external interactions, how to link the supply chain, and use science and technology... Asia-Pacific is an area affected by competition between powers, especially China US relations. This competition is not only in economic and commercial fields, but is also one of strategic competition. Obviously, we see its impact in geopolitics, economics, science and technology, and also in issues of ideology and cultural ideology. The Asia-Pacific region faces great opportunities and challenges from the scientific and technological revolution. Digital transformation brings about many benefits, which enable countries to speed up economic development, overcome the pandemic, and at the same time set out new production methods and governance. Asia-Pacific is attached to the world, but this region has its own characteristics. When the trend of anti-globalization and anti-multilateralism rises in the world, the vitality of multilateralism, trade liberalization and cooperation in the region remains the main trend. Despite economic difficulties caused by the Covid-19 epidemic, this region is probably the one that has controlled the epidemic very well, so the growth rate is still positive. Perhaps Asia-Pacific and East Asia are regions where strategic competition among major countries is the fiercest. This region is also subject to challenges of non-traditional security, such as natural disasters, climate change, rising sea levels ... In addition, there are still traditional security challenges, including the Mekong sub-region and East Sea conflicts. Although countries agree that peace, stability, maritime security and safety in the East Sea are very important, there are still acts of encroachment in the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone of coastal states in the East Sea that are contrary to international law. How to manage the Mekong River in a sustainable way, especially cooperation between upstream and downstream countries, is also a problem. The overall trend in the Asia-Pacific region is to promote cooperation, ensure peace, and strongly support multilateralism and trade facilitation. There were many great changes in 2020. What do you think about the position and role of Vietnam in dealing with common issues in the region, in relations with powers to implement our foreign policy: independence, self-reliance, multilateralism, diversification? Secretary General and President Nguyen Phu Trong deliver the welcome speech at the opening ceremony of the 37th ASEAN Summit. Vietnam is no different from other countries in dealing with unprecedented situations. There are many challenges, but I would like to say that Vietnam has been very active and very resilient, and has continued to integrate into the region and the world strongly. Firstly, Vietnam has prevented and controlled the Covid-19 epidemic and maintained socio-economic activities well. Vietnams measures to fight Covid-19 pandemic have been highly appreciated by many countries. We combined testing with social isolation and provided intensive treatment to all patients. We strengthened international cooperation and ensured information transparency to respond well to the pandemic. In a difficult situation, we still shared medical equipment and supplies with other countries, including major ones such as the US, Japan, South Korea, Russia and China. We maintained international integration. In 2020, we had the Free Trade Agreement with the EU - a new-generation trade agreement of high quality that is effective for both sides. We assumed regional and international positions. As the Chairman of ASEAN, for example, we have maintained regional consultation - the lifeline to create the ASEAN joint agenda of action in the extremely difficult context of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have maintained high quality performance on all three levels. The first is responding to urgent problems, especially dealing with the pandemic. Secondly, we still stick to priorities set out for 2020: focusing on building the ASEAN Community, ensuring identity, connecting and promoting the central role of ASEAN, and promoting ASEAN's role in dealing with regional issues. For example, in the East Sea, ASEAN still affirms the basic principles of the region. These are peace, stability, maritime security and safety. ASEAN emphasizes that countries must comply with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in all actions, activities and cooperation, and even in sovereignty claims... At the third level, we have joined ASEAN countries and our partners in their positions toward strategic development in a profoundly changing world situation. Despite many difficulties in 2020, we have changed the state in a timely manner and actively led ASEAN, with coordinated activities at all three levels. Fierce competition Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh What will the regional foreign affairs situation be next year? What will the US policy towards Asia be, in your opinion? The trend that all countries want is cooperation, promotion of peace, development and even cooperation to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. The difficulties of 2020 will continue to be the challenge of 2021. The pandemic has not been controlled. All countries and the Asia-Pacific region will have to try to control the pandemic. The story of recovering and maintaining economic activities combined with epidemic prevention and control is a big challenge after a year of reduction and tiredness. Competition among superpowers, including China-US tensions, will certainly continue on different levels, whether the US changes or not. Non-traditional and traditional security issues will still exist. In general, Asia-Pacific is improving its the dual mission of pandemic control and economic recovery. The region can be the engine of future economic recovery. Rejoining the broken supply chain will be the beginning of new connections with other regions and major centers of the world. In relations to the US, Asia-Pacific will certainly be a very important part of US foreign strategy. Perhaps the US will resume traditional diplomacy, increasing consultation with partners and allies, using multilateral tools and institutions. American foreign policy will be more predictable. The US has transitioned to a period of clearer awareness of China, and China is revealing itself more. China is no longer "hiding and waiting for opportunities" and the US has recognized that China is the leading challenge in both economic development and security. Thus, competition may still be fierce and increase, but cooperation will also continue. Thai An - Duc Yen 2020 - A year for Vietnam to assert mettle, stature Foreign media view 2020 as a special year for Vietnam as the country has performed the dual role of ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the UNSC and done a good job of concurrently containing COVID-19 and sustaining economic growth. City approves first reading of temporary medical marijuana ordinance With state officials still putting together the oversight rules for medical marijuana establishments, local governments need temporary ordinances. V Magazine is kicking off the new year by revealed the first six of a sizzling collection of portraits for their 2021 calendar. The fashion glossy invited A-list models like Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk and Valentina Sampaio to strip down and slip into lingerie from Emporio Armani for the highly sought after calendar. Hadid, 24, put on a sultry display wearing a little lace look in the black and white snaps, which also celebrated the Italian fashion brand's 40th anniversary. Calendar girl: Bella Hadid kicked off the list of beautiful people gracing the pages of V Magazine's 2021 calendar, which is also an ode to Emporio Armani She's a natural: Irina Shayk went for a more stripped down look, rocking wet hair and a makeup minimal glow in her February portrait by Rowan Papier Bella, who is the younger sister of Gigi Hadid, put her fantastic physique on display as she sat down, showing off her toned arms, lean center and full cleavage in the photos by Renell Medrano. She went for a retro look with her beauty, which was crafted by makeup artist Sam Visser and hairstylist Evanie Frausto. The 5foot9 stunner's chocolate locks were styled into a choppy look with tons of texture and blunt bangs evoking a mid-90s feel. Fellow beauty Irina Shayk went for a more stripped down look, rocking wet hair and a makeup minimal glow in her February portrait by Rowan Papier. Strike a pose: Miss April was Valentina Sampaio was full of 70s drama as she posed for photographer Alvaro Beamud Cortes in Milan If looks could kill: The diverse cast also featured up-and-comer Taras Romanov for March The mother-of-one turned from the camera and held her hands behind her back as she leaned over one shoulder and offered a smoldering stare to the camera. Miss April was Valentina Sampaio was full of 70s drama as she posed for photographer Alvaro Beamud Cortes in Milan. Sampaio, who made history when she became Victoria Secret's first openly transgender model in 2019, had her tresses teased into a full, disco coif while she modeled an Emporio bodysuit with attitude. The diverse cast also featured up-and-comer Taras Romanov for March. Second generation: Mr. May was the handsome Kailand Morris, the 19-year-old son of Stevie Wonder Gorgeous: June starred Xiao Wen Ju, who turned in profile to let her long locks cascade down her back while she showed off her angles in photos by Leslie Zhang He put on a bold display in the snaps by revered fashion photographer Steven Klein, showing off his razor sharp jawline while crossing his legs in a pair of knee high boots and red boxer shorts. Mr. May was the handsome Kailand Morris, the 19-year-old son of Stevie Wonder. He put his muscles front and center while wearing tiny black and white shorts and shooting a pensive stare towards photographer Damon Baker. June starred Xiao Wen Ju, who turned in profile to let her long locks cascade down her back while she showed off her angles in photos by Leslie Zhang. Global: V called their 2021 calendar cast a 'diverse' collection of models, shot all around the world to create a truly unique collaboration V called their 2021 calendar cast a 'diverse' collection of models, shot all around the world to create a truly unique, global collaboration. 'With each model lensed across twelve cities around the globe by twelve world-renowned photographers, such as Steven Klein and Rennell Medrano, the final product is a resolute creative collaborationwhile very much apart in welcoming a new dawn in what we all hope to be a happy and healthy New Year,' the publications went on. Tomorrow V will reveal the final six stars of their 2021 calendar collaboration with Emporio Armani. Cases of the new super-infectious variant of coronavirus started to level off and even drop in London, the East and South East over the Christmas school holiday. Graphs presented at a Downing Street news conference tonight showed the proportion of positive tests caused by the new variant appeared to fall across the capital and the South East, and flatten in the East. Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, said that there were 'early indications of some levelling off'. He urged people not to 'over-interpret' the change but his comments offer a glimmer of hope that the fast-spreading strain can be contained with tough Tier Four rules. Experts published a terrifying paper last month that suggested even a total national lockdown with school closures like the one in March 2020 and the one that started today may not be enough to stop the rampaging virus. But figures from the Office for National Statistics appears to show Tier Four stops it spreading when schools are closed as well. It comes in one of Britain's darkest days of the epidemic so far, with a third national lockdown beginning, a record 60,916 cases confirmed and another 830 people dead. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said one in 50 people in England more than a million people are now thought to be infected with the deadly virus. In a second shred of positive news the PM said that 1.3million people have now been vaccinated against Covid-19 a quarter of all people over the age of 80. A graph presented by Professor Chris Whitty showed that the number of people testing positive for the new variant of coronavirus (blue line) appeared to start coming down in London and the South East towards the end of December, although it has risen in other regions Professor Chris Whitty said this afternoon that the combination of the winter season and the new variant of the coronavirus had led to a 'very large number indeed' of people infected with Covid-19 Explaining the trend of cases caused by the new variant of coronavirus, Professor Whitty said today: 'If we look around England, what we find is that in every area there has been a relative increase in the new variant of this virus that is spreading around the country. 'Fastest increase in the East of England, London and the South East, but it is now taking off in other areas as well. 'In some of the areas where it took off to the highest level and Tier Four was brought in during a period when schools were closed, there may be some early indications of some levelling off but I think we shouldn't over-interpret that. 'It's really clear this new variant has been rising in all parts of the country and what we've seen is that in the bits of the country that have got some of the lower rates and have previously controlled things, particularly in the North East and North West, for example, the rate of increase in many of these has been higher than in some of the southern areas which have got very high rates already.' The new variant of the virus, which has a mutated 'spike' protein on the outside which makes it better at invading the body, was announced in November. It has been traced back to someone in Kent in September, which is believed to be the first instance of it anywhere in the world. It has since spread worldwide and across Britain, causing the UK's coronavirus infections to surge at the end of 2020. London School of Hygiene scientists warned in December that the variant could have a transmission rate so much higher than its predecessor that even lockdowns wouldn't be able to stop it more than doubling the death toll by June. Britain's Covid vaccine strategy could increase risk of yet another mutant strain Britain's coronavirus vaccination strategy could increase the risk of yet another mutant strain of the virus evolving by giving it more time to mutate. Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, admitted at a Downing Street briefing today that extending the time between doses could let the virus evolve. The Government last week unveiled its controversial policy which will see people given a single dose of a Covid jab without a second one lined up. Both the vaccines approved so far one made by Pfizer and the other by Oxford University rely on two doses to be most effective, with them ideally spaced three weeks apart. But in a scramble to stop the devastating second wave of Covid-19, Britain has abandoned this rule and decided it will extend the gap to 12 weeks so it can give more people a single dose as soon as possible. The benefit will be that millions more people end up being vaccinated in the coming weeks. But it's possible the vaccines won't work as well in the long run. And Professor Whitty said this afternoon it may also raise the risk that an 'escaped mutant' version of the virus evolves to resist immunity produced by the jabs. Advertisement They wrote: 'The increase in transmissibility is likely to lead to a large increase in incidence, with Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths projected to reach higher levels in 2021 than were observed in 2020 even if regional tiered restrictions implemented before December 19 are maintained. 'Our estimates suggest that control measures of a similar stringency to the national lockdown in England in November 2020 are unlikely to reduce the effective reproduction rate [R number] to less than one, unless primary schools, secondary schools and universities are closed.' They continued: 'We project that large resurgences of the virus are likely to occur following easing of control measures. 'It may be necessary to greatly accelerate vaccine roll out to have an appreciable impact in suppressing the resulting disease burden.' Although Professor Whitty said the figures he showed today were only an early hint that the variant might be coming under control, they offered hope. If they had started to fall or even just flatten under the Tier 4 measures that were in place over Christmas, the new lockdown which began today the strictest rules since the first lockdown in March should start to bring cases down. At the same briefing today Boris Johnson revealed that one in 50 of the population of England - around a million people - are infected with coronavirus as he said 1.3million people have now been vaccinated. The PM told a Downing Street briefing that the spread of the mutant version of the disease had made lockdown impossible to avoid. But he insisted the measures can get the situation under control while vaccines are rolled out - dismissing anxiety that he is 'over-promising' by claiming the most vulnerable categories can be given jabs by mid-February. The scale of the problem was underlined in data tonight as the UK reported a record 60,916 cases - up nearly 15 per cent on last Tuesday. The tally of deaths was 830, double the number from last week. No new cases of the South African Covid variant have been spotted in fortnight No new cases of the South African Covid variant have been spotted in Britain over the past fortnight, in a glimmer of hope that the highly-contagious mutation has not yet taken root in the country. Two infections with the mutant form of Covid had been identified on British soil by December 23, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced before Christmas. Experts warned the two cases were probably 'just tip of the iceberg'. But since then no new cases of the variant called 501.V2 have been declared by officials. Scientists tracking the constantly-evolving virus admit the strain is 'difficult to track', however. Experts raised concerns over the South African variant because they feared it could be even more infectious than the mutated UK strain currently ripping through the country called B.1.1.7. A World Health Organization vaccination boss warned today there was a 'theoretical concern' it could get around antibodies triggered by the jabs. But scientists have yet to prove the current crop of vaccines don't protect against the variant. Results from rigorous testing are expected within weeks, with some experts saying the mutations are unlikely to have any noticeable impact on vaccines. But even if they do, scientists say the formula can be tweaked in a matter of days to shield people from mutant strains. There is no proof that either the South African or UK strains of coronavirus are any more deadly or cause more severe symptoms than previous strains. Advertisement Mr Johnson said the total of 1.3million vaccinated so far included 1.1million people in England, and 650,000 people over the age of 80 - 23 per cent of all that age group in England. 'That means nearly one-in-four of the most vulnerable groups will have in two to three weeks a significant degree of immunity,' he said. 'That is why I believe the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was right to draw up a programme saving the most lives the fastest.' Professor Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser, confirmed that giving a single dose of the vaccine to more people, rather than the recommended double-dose to half the number, could potentially encourage mutations. But he said the public health benefits of having more people with some resistance were greater. 'It is a real worry but quite a small real worry within the system,' he said. 'The public health arguments are really strongly in favour.' Sir Patrick warned that the virus would change anyway and vaccines will need to be altered. 'The virus probably will mutate... different vaccines will be needed at that point.' Mr Johnson also struck a gloomy note on schools, refusing to state categorically that they will return before the summer holidays - although he stressed they would be the top priority. Labour leader Keir Starmer said the crackdown was 'essential' and his MPs will support them, effectively guaranteeing their approval in the Commons. But he criticised the government for not changing course sooner and expressed serious doubts about the optimism over distributing vaccines. 'The prime minister said seven weeks - that's to allow the vaccination programme to be rolled out for 13 to 14million people,' Sir Keir said. 'That's the ambition of the prime minister. I hope he is not over-promising. It's going to be a struggle and we need to make this work.' Just a day after he urged parents to send their children back, Mr Johnson declared in a sombre address from No10 that primary and secondary schools will be shut from today, with only the vulnerable and offspring of key workers allowed to go in. Nurseries can stay open. But university students are being told to stay at home and study remotely, while GCSE and A-level exams will not go ahead as planned. Teenagers might not know for weeks how their exams will be replaced, with Ofsted expected to launch a consultation, although government sources said some 'contingency' plans had already been considered. Under the the new guidance, published overnight, non-essential retail, all hospitality, gyms and swimming pools will be ordered to close - with Rishi Sunak due to lay out another package of support today amid growing fears about the impact on the economy. Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaway - but in a tightening from the draconian measures last spring, they will not be allowed to serve any alcohol. Vulnerable people are being told to shield where possible. The public are once again only allowed to leave home for one of five reasons: to go to work if essential, shop for necessities, exercise - allowed with one other person from another household, care for someone, or to seek medical help or flee threat such as domestic violence. New Delhi: The new year 2021 seems to be carrying a bag full of good news for central government employees and pensioners. It has been reported in the media that the central government employees are expected to get four percent increase in dearness allowance which is expected in January 2021. This increase is expected to be in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission. It may be recalled that in March 2020, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had approved to release an additional instalment of DA to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.01.2020. There will be an increase of 4 percent over the existing rate of 17 percent of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise, the Ministry of Finance had informed. The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief was fixed at Rs 12,510.04 crore per annum and Rs 14,595.04 crore in Financial Year 2020-21 (for a period of 14 months from January, 2020 to February, 2021). The decision benefits about 48.34 lakh Central Government employees and 65.26 lakh pensioners. Meanwhile, last week, the Modi government decided to extend "Disability Compensation" for all serving employees, if they get disabled in the line of duty while performing their service and are retained in service in spite of such disablement. The order will particularly provide a huge relief to young Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel like CRPF, BSF, CISF, etc since disability in performance of duties is generally reported in their case due to constraints of job requirement as well as hostile or difficult work - environment. The trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings executive Kevin Lunney has been delayed after a judge said it would be "undesirable and imprudent" to proceed on schedule due to escalating coronavirus numbers. Mr Justice Tony Hunt made his remarks at the Special Criminal Court this morning, adding however that it was "absolutely our intention" for the trial to now proceed on February 1. He said the decision had been made in light of the "spike" in coronavirus numbers, which rose above 6,000 cases per day this week. The case, which was in for mention this morning on disclosure matters, had been fixed for trial on January 11 at the non-jury court. Luke O'Reilly (66), from Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan; Darren Redmond (25), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3; and Alan O'Brien (38) of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 1, are all charged with false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney (50) at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. Another male, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is also charged with the same offences at the same date and location. Father-of-five Mr Lunney had his leg broken, was doused in bleach and had the letters QIH carved into his chest before he was dumped on a roadside. Mr Justice Hunt said he had a phone call with the president of the High Court Ms Justice Mary Irvine this morning and that "the position seems to be it would be undesirable and imprudent to proceed to start this case on schedule considering the public health situation". The judge added that there would be an announcement on matters in front of the Central Criminal Court on Thursday. The court had previously been told that there are over 50,000 documents involved in the case that needed to be digitally rendered and that there had been issues with disclosure. In December, the three-judge court dismissed a bid to halt the trial, which is scheduled for 12-weeks, over a ruling expected from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on data retention. Defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC, for the unnamed man, argued that the law on the retention and accessing of mobile phone data was in "a state of significant uncertainty" in Ireland and that the trial should not proceed until the matter was resolved. However, Mr Justice Hunt said that it was not enough to justify an adjournment. The judge also found the fact that a Renault Kangoo van went on fire while in the possession of gardai was "immutable" and was also not a sufficient basis to adjourn. One of the four men has complained to the Garda ombudsman alleging that DNA was planted on the van, allegedly used in the abduction, so it would not be made available to the defence. It had also been unsuccessfully argued by defence counsel that the trial should not go on until the ombudsman's investigation is completed. Online Editors A culture of political vendetta is blooming in West Bengal as the politically significant and tumultuous 2021 assembly election approaches. The recent attack on the convoy of BJP president JP Nadda, which sparked heated debate, is a case in point. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee immediately blamed the BJP for the attack on its own convoy, leading some to conclude that she alone has the rhetorical capacity to challenge the saffron party. Yet, if the original idea of Shonar Banglathe rich culture of West Bengalis illuminated by figures such as Rabindranath Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Ram Mohan Roy and Satyajit Ray, then the BJP chief and the partys national general secretary, Kailash Vijayvargiya, are actively trying to replace this heritage with something quite different. In recent years, RSS-affiliated Vidya Bharti and Sarada Vidya Mandir schools have expanded in the state and incremental reports point to new Sangh shakhas extending to almost every block. New shakhas have recently started in various blocks in Uttar Dinajpur such as in Karandighi, Hemtabad and Raiganj. The other strategy deployed by the BJP is to tap into segments that are unhappy with the TMC rule. Union home minister Amit Shah has promised voters jobs by restarting appointments under the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC). In reaction, the state government notified the recruitment of about 3 lakh candidates under the commission by January 2021, a process that had been stalled for over three years. A separate notification for Santhali-medium government-aided/sponsored schools was also issued. This may help it retain a substantial support base among the Scheduled Tribes, whose votes the BJP is vying for as well. Stalled SSC recruitments have generated tremendous angst among the educated unemployed youth in the state. The BJP has seized in this angst an opportunity to spin a narrative that its support in West Bengal is not growing due to money or muscle power, but because of underdevelopment. This sentiment defined Shahs recent speech in the state. Now the question people are asking is can a man who is non-Bengali change the politics and culture of Bengal. It is also whether the TMC can effectively counter the charging BJP brigades. Since 2011, there has been a clear waning of political ideology, as it was understood in West Bengal politics. Ever since the CPI(M) lost power in the state, there is little incentivemoral, political or financialfor voters to remain tethered to one political party. The general lack of resources in West Bengal, the BJPs capacity to dole out monetary benefits, and its reputation as the wealthiest political party, makes the possibility of a fresh round of conversion to the BJP fold concrete, as happened after the TMC won the 2011 election. A senior politician from North Dinajpur said, Jotoi BJP rajneeti koruk, jeetbe Didi ei (no matter what political tactics the BJP attempts, in Bengal it is Mamata Banerjee who will win)." He says Mamata did not become a leader overnight but spent years struggling, which will make all the difference to the electoral outcome. In 2011, the AITC-Congress coalition won 227 of the 294 seats in the Assembly on the plank of poribortonchange. Now, the poriborton narrative is regaining momentum. Shubham Shil, a young man from Balurghat (a region with strong BJP presence and whose Member of Parliament belongs to the saffron party) says his family lost their tractor-parts store due to the Covid-19 lockdown. He is banking on badlav, or change, and believes the Modi regime at the Centre will help steer it in the state. The popular understanding in this region is that the TMC largely gives space to the rich or well-established old political affiliates. Conversely, another young man, Shubham Ghosh, from a well-off family and whose uncle is connected with the TMC, says, Mamata may be a woman, but she can be a better PM than Modi. The current socio-political scenario in the state is indicative of a deep and growing divide between the privileged and underprivileged. Seeing the BJPs political influence grow is pushing the latter to consider voting for it in the coming polls. The BJPs victory in the Bihar assembly election is emerging as another factor. Tarkishore Prasad, the MLA from Katihar who has won the seat four times, has been made deputy chief minister of Bihar. Katihar shares a border with West Bengal and so his elevation is being seen primarily as an attempt to woo the Bihari Bengalis, mostly living in Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah and Asansol districts. Vivash Kumar Das, a graduate from Madhupur (also known as Baroduary) in Raiganj, wants his next vote to go to the BJP despite his fathers association with the Left. Vivash has been trying to get a government job, but in vain, which is the reason for his grouse against the TMC. The BJPs recent win in Bihar has also influenced him. Raiganj town in Uttar Dinajpur was once a Congress bastion, from where Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was Member of Parliament. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Mohd Salim of the CPI(M) defeated the rival Congress and BJP candidates on the seat. He lost the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election to Debasree Chaudhuri of the BJP, and since then the BJP has risen against the backdrop of Hindutva politics. Another arena the BJP is trying to dig into is the unrest among tea plantation workers in North Bengal, who have raised demands which remain unfulfilled by the state government. Local BJP leaders are also propagating in areas where members of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste live, that the NRC will be implemented in the state if their party comes to power. Land owned by Muslims, it is being subtly communicated, may then fall into their hands. At the same time, the Congress partys position has been declining continuously with the rise of the TMC and the BJP. North Dinajpur, Murshidabad and Malda were once considered Congress bastions because it could boast of veteran leaders such as Dasmunsi, Ghani Khan Choudhury and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The Congress was shaken to its roots by the death of Khan and Dasmunsi. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election it could retain only four seats in the state. Now, in North and South Dinajpur, and other parts of central and North Bengal such as Malda North, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Balurghat, Alipurduar and East Bardhaman, the BJP has been winning seats where Dalit and tribal voters have a significant presence. Says Bhim Hembram, a voter from North Dinajpur who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe, Money-for-jobs [scams] are rampant in the region, which is holding back members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. They are unable to secure jobs as they find it difficult to arrange money. Kamal Sarkar, a resident of Uttar Dinajpur, shares a similar experience. He was asked to pay cash up front to secure a job at a well-known university, but he did not eventually get the job. A faculty member of a prominent college affiliated to the University of Calcutta also said that seats are being offered to students for money. This could prove to be Mamata governments Achilles heel. Rajen Hembram, a member of a Scheduled Tribe from Raiganj, on the other hand, said the BJP is in a position to provide them more benefits, by virtue of being in power at the Centre and cash-rich. Rajen used to vote for the CPI(M) but now he thinks the BJP would be a better choice. There is also belief among supporters of the Left parties that the BJP would arrest the TMCs unrestrained, and at times unruly, approach to politics and governance. In the panchayat elections held in 2018, booth-capturing by TMC workers was reported in many polling stations and there were reports of threats to senior CPI(M) and Congress leaders. On many seats, supporters of the Left Front were not allowed to cast their vote. In sheer frustration, they voted for the BJP to counter the aggressive politics of the TMC. Nevertheless, the Mamata government has a strong hold over panchayat seats after the TMC bagged 18,652 gram panchayats, 1,570 panchayat samiti and 19 zila parishad seats in 2018. This has prompted those who did not get space in the Congress or Left parties to support the BJP, hoping to counter the TMC and because the BJP has a national presence. The rise of Hindutva has also helped the BJP secure more seats, as it has projected the TMC as a party of Muslims. Another reason for BJPs growth is the TMCs choice of candidates. While the Congress and Left parties value senior and experienced people more, the TMC gives more space to inexperienced leaders, including the notorious among them. This has hurt senior politicians, including some who have a hold over particular constituencies. These are the leaders that have been migrating to the BJP in very recent years. The result was that in the Lok Sabha election in 2019, the TMC bagged only 22 seats while the BJP grew rapidly to 18 seats. This is also why the presumption in the state is that if the Congress and Left do well in the upcoming electionretain their voters and gain some new supportersthey may hold back the BJP. Mamatas nephew Abhishek Banerjee has emerged as a factor too. He has a deep hold over the party, but this is creating unease among veteran TMC leaders who earlier saw themselves as close to the chief minister. Recently, Sunil Kumar Mandal said that poll strategist Prashant Kishors Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) is pressurising senior leaders and teaching them politics. To be fair, the perception is that those who are leaving the TMC for the BJP are allegedly involved in the chit fund scam, as seen with Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy. It is believed that if the TMC had given more space to the Left as the political opposition, then the situation would have been quite different. Left supporters, including among Scheduled Tribes such as Santhal, Munda and Oraon have instead been finding space in the BJP, as have Scheduled Caste groups, who seem to have started following the BJP due to their Hinduisation, coupled with their disenchantment with other parties. The rise of the BJP has mostly been in North Bengal. Coincidentally, the Muslim population is concentrated in the northern regions, which puts the BJP at an advantage to stoke a communal politics of divide and rule. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Hospital Turns to AI for Call Center Management The new year is expected to be an improvement from the disastrous 2020 pandemic, but the coronavirus is still causing significant concerns, especially within the health industry. Hospital staff have been stretched to their limits, and health officials are turning to artificial intelligence to assist with some of the slack. Syllable, which specializes in call center automation technology for integrated delivery networks and hospitals, recently announced a partnership with Houston Methodist to help manage call volume for the new COVID19 vaccination requests. Due to the obvious high demand for the treatment, call centers have been completely overwhelmed, and hospital networks are fighting to ensure all of these critically important calls are properly managed. By implementing Syllables COVID-19 Command Center, call centers can have automation handle preliminary questions with improved customer experience. "Syllable is honored to partner with such a forward thinking and innovative organization," said Adam R. Silverman MD, Chief Medical Officer at Syllable. "Houston-Methodist's leadership understands the challenges patients face and are actively working to remove barriers to care through the intelligent application of technology. Together we are creating the shortest distance between the patient and the care the patient needs." Back in March, Houston Methodist worked with Syllable to assist with the massive flood of patient inquiries related to COVID-19 testing and scheduling appointments. The hospital received an even greater number of callers and web traffic when it was named he first academic medical center in the U.S. to transfuse donated plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to critically ill patients. The rate of automated calls averaged around 87% during the first six months. "Syllable is honored to partner with such a forward thinking and innovative organization," said Adam R. Silverman MD, Chief Medical Officer at Syllable. "Houston-Methodist's leadership understands the challenges patients face and are actively working to remove barriers to care through the intelligent application of technology. Together we are creating the shortest distance between the patient and the care the patient needs." Edited by Maurice Nagle Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Mexico approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for emergency use on Monday, the countrys top epidemiologist, Hugo Lopez-Gatell, announced in a tweet on Monday evening. It is the fourth country to approve the vaccine. Mexicos foreign secretary, Marcelo Ebrard, had previously said the approval was imminent. Mr. Ebrard celebrated the approval on Monday evening as very good news, tweeting that it would allow the country to start production very soon. AstraZeneca said in August it would work with the Mexican and Argentine governments to produce 150 million initial doses for distribution across Latin America, and later produce at least 400 million doses for the region. Last week, Britain became the first country to grant emergency approval for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Argentina soon followed suit. India on Sunday said it had also approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. On Monday, an 82-year-old dialysis patient in Oxford was the first person in the world to receive the clinically authorized, fully tested Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine when Britain began administering the vaccine. Trump introduced Kelly Loeffler as 'Karen' during Senate runoff rally in Georgia 'A very fine woman, Karen, who you know,' the president in front of the crowd Several people took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with some saying Trump was 'accurate' in calling Loeffler, 'Karen' The Karen name has been used to call out white entitlement in a many of situations involving white women calling cops on black and brown people 'Oh. My. God. He just called Kelly Loeffler Karen. Its the most accurate thing hes said so far,' one person tweeted President Donald Trump introduced Kelly Loeffler as 'Karen' during a Senate runoff rally in Georgia Monday night. Just moments before Loeffler took the podium, Trump was tasked with introducing her in front of a cheering crowd. ADVERTISEMENT 'A very fine woman, Karen, who you know,' the president said, while gesturing toward Loeffler. Several people immediately took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with some saying Trump was 'accurate' in calling Loeffler 'Karen'. The Karen name has been used to call out white entitlement in a many of situations involving white women calling the cops on innocent black and brown people, among other scenarios. 'Oh. My. God. He just called Kelly Loeffler Karen. Its the most accurate thing hes said so far,' one person tweeted. Another wrote: 'I love that Trump introduced Kelly Loeffler as "Karen". Absolutely perfect.' President Donald Trump introduced Kelly Loeffler as 'Karen' during a Senate runoff rally in Georgia Monday night 'A very fine woman, Karen, who you know,' the president said, while gesturing toward Loeffler 'Donald Trump thinks Kelly Loeffler's name is Karen. Which it should be,' a third said. Another user shared: 'Trump calling Kelly Loeffler, Karen is so very... *chefs kiss.*' 'PRICELESS [sic] LMAO.... "KAREN LOEFFLER...How UTTERLY APPROPRIATE,' another wrote. The president was in Georgia Monday ahead of two Tuesday runoff's in the state. Loeffler is facing Democrat Raphael Warnock. After taking the podium, Loeffler told the crowd she would be joining 12 other senators to formally object to President-elect Joe Biden's win on Wednesday when Congress is set to count and certify the Electoral College vote. Click here to resize this module With mounting desperation, Trump declared during the rally that he would 'fight like hell' to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Biden when they convene. Electoral voters won by Biden are 'not gonna take this White House!' he shouted as supporters cheered at the outdoor rally. Trump's announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday's runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss - which he insists he won 'by a lot'. ADVERTISEMENT Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election is splitting the Republican Party. Several people immediately took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with some saying Trump was 'accurate' in calling Loeffler 'Karen' Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans' faith in democracy. All 10 living former defense secretaries wrote in an op-ed that 'the time for questioning the results has passed'. Its unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesday's joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesday's joint session. 'I promise you this: On Wednesday, we'll have our day in Congress,' Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesday's runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. During the rally Trump said: 'I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. He's a great guy. Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him quite as much.' He added: 'No, Mike is a great guy.' Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials - Republican as well as Democratic in state after state - and courts up to the US Supreme Court. ADVERTISEMENT His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. The congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Sens Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, has declined to say much publicly on it. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trump's base of supporters. RENO, Nev. (AP) A 21-year-old Salvadoran immigrant who faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted of killing four northern Nevadans during a two-week crime rampage in January 2019 is now scheduled to go to trial in September. However, Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzmans latest appeal is still pending before the state Supreme Court, and the district judge in Reno says everything could change if his lawyer files a formal motion seeking to prove he lacks the intellectual capacity to be executed legally in Nevada. Washoe County Judge Connie Steinheimer said during an audio-visual hookup Monday that she has scheduled the trial to begin Sept. 20 and last up to eight weeks. Chief Public Defender John Arrascada filed Martinez-Guzmans latest appeal in October asking the state Supreme Court to again overturn Steinheimers ruling allowing him to be tried in Reno for crimes that occurred in another county. He argues the Washoe County court lacks jurisdiction to try him for the two killings and burglaries hes accused of committing in rural Douglas County. The high court agreed with him in part last March and ordered Steinheimer to revisit the matter. But she ruled again in September that prosecutors had sufficiently connected the crimes to try him in one location. The trial was scheduled to begin in April. But defense lawyers have said they need to go to Martinez-Guzmans home country of El Salvador where travel currently is prohibited because of COVID-19 to gather information to help determine if their client has an intellectual disability that would make it illegal to execute him. Hicks said hes working under the assumption that the defense will seek the disability declaration, and Arrascada said hell try to provide an update at a status hearing Feb. 1. We are doing our best under this worldwide pandemic ... regarding our intellectual disability investigation, Arrascada said Monday. Steinheimer said she will set a schedule for various motion hearings but would rather wait until after the motion on disability is filed. Story continues If it is no longer a case eligible for the death penalty, those deadlines will be significantly different, she said. Federal officials have said Martinez-Guzman is in the U.S. illegally, but they dont know how or when he arrived in the U.S. The case has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump, who used it to bolster to bolster his argument for a border wall. Prosecutors say Martinez-Guzman stole a revolver from Gerald and Sharon David in Reno Jan. 4, 2019. They say he fatally shot Constance Koontz on Jan. 9, killed Sophia Renken on Jan. 12 and robbed and killed the Davids on Jan. 15. The crimes are linked partly because the same gun was used in all four killings, prosecutors said. They said he had done landscaping work in the past for the victims. Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said in his latest Supreme Court filing Dec. 11 the intent for the Douglas County killings was formed in Washoe County. He said Martinez-Guzman planned to steal from his victims garages to obtain money for drugs, but once he had the gun, started entering homes for more valuable property. Guzman initially formed his plan to steal from his victims months before the crimes in this case occurred when he was doing landscaping work, but he only chose to act on an escalated version of his original plan shortly after obtaining the revolver from the Davids, Hicks wrote. Arrascada said in his latest filing Dec. 18 that the facts show discreet events occurring in separate counties over a period of time, albeit by one actor. The facts do not demonstrate a sufficient connection under our venue statutes to grant the Washoe County grand jury the power to return an indictment on the Douglas County charges, he said. Hicks said one trial is more efficient and less costly, and that Martinez-Guzman can appeal if he feels hes been convicted unfairly. He said appropriate venue typically is subject to proof at trial. Regardless of the courts decision, Guzman will still be subject to prosecution for the Douglas County offenses, either as charged now in Washoe County or in a later prosecution in Douglas County, Hicks wrote. Thus, Guzmans petition does not present an urgency or a necessary circumstance requiring intervention now. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - West Red Lake Gold Mines Inc. (CSE: RLG) (OTCQB: RLGMF) (FSE: HYK) ("West Red Lake Gold" or the "Company") announces that it completed a non-brokered private placement of flow-through share units for aggregated gross proceeds of $400,008. The Company issued 3,333,400 flow-through units (the "Flow-Through Units") at a price of $0.12 per Flow-Through Unit for aggregated gross proceeds of $400,008. Each Flow-Through Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company issued on a "flow- through" basis pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one half of one common share purchase warrant. Each full warrant issued in connection with the Flow-Through Units entitles its holder to purchase one common share in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.20 per share for a period of 18 months from the date of issuance. Gross proceeds from the Flow-Through Units will be used by the Company for exploration expenditures on its 3,100 hectare West Red Lake Project property located in the prolific Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario. In connection with the financing, the Company paid finders fees in the form of $14,000 in cash and issued 116,669 common shares priced at $0.12. As a result of the financing, Accilent Capital Management Inc., a principal shareholder of the Company as a finder and also as a subscriber of Flow-Through Units through its affiliate Pavilion Flow-Through L.P., has increased its direct and indirect holding of the voting securities of the Company from 18.96% to 20.33% on a fully diluted basis. The Company announces that it has issued 1,678,334 common shares at a deemed price of $0.12 per share for $201,400 of services to the Company by several service providers. The Company also announces that options have been granted to consultants of the Company to purchase, in aggregate, 6,250,000 common shares in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.12 per common share for a period of 24 months. West Red Lake Gold Mines is a Toronto-based minerals exploration company focused on gold exploration and development in the prolific Red Lake Gold District of Northwest Ontario, Canada. The Red Lake Gold District is host to some of the richest gold deposits in the world and has produced 30 million ounces of gold from high grade zones. The Company has assembled a significant property position totalling 3,100 hectares in west Red Lake (the "West Red Lake Project") which contains three former gold mines. The Mount Jamie Mine and Red Summit Mine properties are 100% owned by the Company and the Rowan Mine property is held in a 64%/36% joint venture with Evolution Mining Limited. The West Red Lake Project property covers a 12 km strike length along the Pipestone Bay St Paul Deformation Zone and the Company plans to continue to explore the property both along strike and to depth during 2021. For more information, please contact: John Kontak, President Phone: 416-203-9181 Email: jkontak@rlgold.ca or visit our website: www.westredlakegold.com Twitter: @WestRedLakeGold LinkedIn: west-red-lake-gold/ The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward looking statements". When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management, however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. West Red Lake Gold does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward- looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws.NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO A U.S. PERSON To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71431 Bjoern Wylezich / TNS A 29-year-old Hartford music teacher authorities said posed as a teenager online to solicit nude photos from children as young as 12 has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison. Dylan Koerner, formerly of West Hartford, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison along with three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorrneys office for the District of Connecticut said. Rowan Atkinson has condemned online cancel culture as 'the digital equivalent of the medieval mob'. The actor, best known for his roles as Blackadder and Mr Bean, said social media fills him with 'fear about the future'. In an interview with the Radio Times, he also said social media has widened divisions in society and lowered tolerance. Atkinson, 65, additionally revealed that it was 'certainly not impossible' for Blackadder to return - more than 30 years after Blackadder Goes Forth. He said: 'The problem we have online is that an algorithm decides what we want to see, which ends up creating a simplistic, binary view of society. Rowan Atkinson at a 'Johnny English Strikes Again' film screening in New York in October 2018 'It becomes a case of either you're with us or against us. And if you're against us, you deserve to be 'cancelled'. 'It's important that we're exposed to a wide spectrum of opinion, but what we have now is the digital equivalent of the medieval mob roaming the streets looking for someone to burn. 'So it is scary for anyone who's a victim of that mob and it fills me with fear about the future.' He added: 'It's very pleasing that people want to connect with Mr Bean, but I have no desire to have any presence on social media. What happens there is a sideshow in my world.' Atkinson starred in the 2007 film Mr Bean's Holiday, playing his own creation He has previously campaigned against laws which could limit free speech and offensive language. In the interview, Atkinson, 65, also talked about the possible return of Blackadder - and opened up about his dislike of playing Mr Bean, his own creation. He said the only role he has enjoyed playing during his illustrious career is Blackadder as the 'weight of responsibility' to be funny wasn't just on him. Mr Bean, a 15-episode sitcom about a baffoonish childlike man, ran on ITV from 1990-1995 and spawned a cartoon spin-off series and two big screen films. Mr Bean, a 15-episode sitcom about a baffoonish childlike man, ran on ITV from 1990-1995 and spawned a cartoon spin-off series and two big screen films It has become one of Britain's most successful comedy exports and is popular in the US and in many non-English speaking countries as the character rarely speaks. Atkinson is gearing up for an animated Mr Bean feature film, which he will do the voice for. 'Having made an animated TV series, we're now in the foothills of developing an animated movie for Mr Bean - it's easier for me to perform the character vocally than visually,' he said. 'I don't much enjoy playing him. The weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it..' Atkinson said the only role he has enjoyed playing during his illustrious career is Blackadder (pictured) as the 'weight of responsibility' to be funny wasn't just on him He said that it's 'certainly not impossible' that there will be more Blackadder but that it would be hard to recreate the 'energy' the team brought to it in the 1980s. 'Blackadder represented the creative energy we all had in the 80s. To try to replicate that 30 years on wouldn't be easy,' he said. But Atkinson might see a gap in the market to revive the popular show as he claimed that 'there's not a lot that makes me laugh' on British television at the moment. 'I like American things - endless repeats of Friends and The Big Bang Theory. I tend to enjoy traditional sitcom formats,' he said. 'They say that the best sitcoms have five or six characters and are set in three rooms - that's what both those shows are. There's not a lot that makes me laugh on British TV at the moment.' TORONTO and MONTREAL, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Duo Bank of Canada ("Duo Bank"), a Toronto-based financial services provider supported by Stephen Smith, Centerbridge Partners L.P. and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board ("Ontario Teachers'"), announced today the completion of the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Fairstone Financial Holdings Inc. ("Fairstone" or the "Company"). Headquartered in Montreal, Fairstone is Canada's leading provider of responsible credit solutions for near-prime borrowers with over $3 billion in assets on a consolidated basis. "We're pleased to be partnering with the talented team at Fairstone in pursuit of our complementary and aligned strategic growth objectives, including our mutual, community-driven focus on providing Canadians with access to financial solutions that fit their needs," said Trudy Fahie, Chief Executive Officer of Duo Bank. "The closing of this transaction represents an exciting new phase of growth for Fairstone and additional opportunities for our customers, employees and stakeholders," said Scott Wood, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fairstone. "We look forward to partnering with Duo Bank, Stephen, Centerbridge and the Ontario Teachers' teams, as we execute our multi-year growth strategy with a strong customer and community focus driving our financial product offerings." The acquisition includes all of Fairstone's operations and subsidiaries as well as all the Company's approximately 1,400 employees. Fairstone will continue to operate under its current brand. Terms of the transaction will not be disclosed. RBC Capital Markets and CIBC Capital Markets acted as financial advisors and Torys LLP and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP were legal counsel to Duo Bank in connection with the transaction. McMillan acted as legal counsel to Stephen Smith, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP acted as legal counsel to Centerbridge Partners L.P. and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP acted as legal counsel to Ontario Teachers'. About Fairstone Financial Holdings Inc. Fairstone, through its operating subsidiary, Fairstone Financial Inc., is Canada's leading provider of responsible lending solutions for near-prime borrowers with over $3 billion in assets on a consolidated basis. Fairstone, including through its predecessors, has close to a 100-year history of providing Canadians with access to responsible credit. The Company has two key business lines: lending directly to consumers through its branch network and online; and financing consumer retail and car purchases through retailers and dealerships. Headquartered in Montreal, Fairstone is an operating subsidiary of Duo Bank of Canada. More at www.fairstone.ca. About Duo Bank of Canada Duo Bank is a Schedule I Canadian Bank founded on a mission to provide value-driven financial products that are clear and simple, to help Canadians focus on what matters to them. Duo Bank specializes in turnkey and customizable financial services solutions designed to deepen customer loyalty and grow sales. The growing complement of products and services includes credit cards, rewards programs and related protection services and deposits. With a value-driven approach to financial services, robust sales channels and innovative and efficient operational solutions, Duo Bank partners with industry leading service providers to deliver financial solutions for its customers. Headquartered in Toronto, Duo Bank is privately held by an investor group led by funds managed by affiliates of Stephen Smith, Centerbridge Partners, L.P. and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board. More at www.duobank.com. About Stephen Smith Stephen Smith, one of Canada's leading financial services entrepreneurs, is the Chairman, CEO and Co-founder of First National Financial Corporation, Canada's largest non-bank mortgage lender with over $115 billion of mortgages under administration. He is the Chairman of Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance Company, which he owns in partnership with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and is the largest shareholder in Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger BankTM. In 2015, Queen's University announced the naming of the Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business at Queen's University in honour of Mr. Smith and his historic $50 million donation to the school. About Centerbridge Partners, L.P. Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment management firm employing a flexible approach across investment disciplinesfrom private equity to credit and related strategies, and real estatein an effort to find the most attractive opportunities for our investors and business partners. The Firm was founded in 2005 and as of November 30, 2020 has approximately $28 billion in capital under management with offices in New York and London. Centerbridge is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors and geographies to help companies achieve their operating and financial objectives. For more information, please visit www.centerbridge.com. About Ontario Teachers' The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers') is the administrator of Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with $204.7 billion in net assets (all figures at June 30, 2020 unless noted). It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an annual total-fund net return of 9.5% since the plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific regional offices are in Hong Kong and Singapore, and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded as of January 1, 2020, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 329,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo. SOURCE Fairstone Financial Holdings Inc. Related Links https://www.fairstone.ca/ BJP national president JP Nadda on Sunday slammed the Congress party in a series of tweets over its leaders raising doubts on the approval granted to Bharat Biotechs vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) while its third phase trial is still underway. Time and again we have seen whenever India achieves something commendable - that will further public good - the Congress comes up with wild theories to oppose and ridicule the accomplishments. The more they oppose, the more they are exposed. Latest example is the Covid vaccines, he wrote on the microblogging site. Nadda accused the grand old party of spreading lies and politicising the issue and alleged that the Congress and the Opposition is not proud of anything Indian. To further their own failed politics and nefarious agendas, Congress and other Opposition leaders are trying to cause panic in the minds of the people. I urge them to do politics on other issues, they should avoid playing with peoples previous lives and hard earned livelihoods, he tweeted. In another post, the BJP chief wrote, Congress and the Opposition is not proud of anything Indian. They should introspect about how their lies on the COVID-19 vaccine will be used by vested interest groups for their own agendas. People of India have been rejecting such politics and will keep doing so in the future. Nadda hailed the contribution of scientists and innovators in developing a vaccine within a year of the Covid-19 pandemic striking India. While the entire nation is happy about this, the Opposition led by the Congress is filled with anger, ridicule and disdain, he said. His allegations came against the backdrop of Congress leader Jairam Rameshs claim that though Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, internationally accepted protocols relating to phase three trials are being modified for Covaxin. Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor also said that the approval was premature and could be dangerous. Earlier in the day, Nadda had described DCGIs approval for emergency use of two indigenous vaccines as a defining and historic moment for the country. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has established a new dimension. Many congratulations to all scientists and doctors, he added. The new variant of the COVID virus is present in Paris, Martin Hirsch, director general of the Paris hospitals system, told France 2 television on Tuesday. French Health Minister Olivier Veran had earlier told RTL radio that there were around 10 cases in France at present of the new UK variant of COVID. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 In the first three weeks of availability, 128,390 Michiganders have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the state health department announced Monday, Jan. 4. The state has administered 65,181 shots over the last week, or about 9,312 vaccines per day. With 379,325 doses distributed to the states various providers to-date, that means nearly 34% of on-hand vaccines have been administered as of Sunday, Jan. 3, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Mondays update was the first in five days after a pause in reporting due to the holidays and subsequent weekend. The states total vaccinations jumped from 86,626 doses to 128,390 doses over that time. Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for MDHHS, said she anticipates vaccinations will move more quickly in the coming weeks now that were past the holiday season. The state reported new one-day highs in vaccinations the first three days last week before numbers dropped off leading up to New Years Day. Health care workers have been given top priority to receive the vaccine first, followed by residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Other essential workers and individuals at higher risk for serious cases of COVID-19 will follow in the coming weeks and months when more doses are available. Of the vaccines administered through Sunday, 103,940 were done so in hospitals and 16,559 were done through local health departments. Another 7,094 were administered through the long-term care program, which works with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies to get shots to staff and residents of nursing homes and other care facilities. The majority of doses administered to date have been the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine (100,313), compared to 28,077 of the Moderna vaccine. Similarly, the state has distributed 279,825 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and 99,500 of the Moderna shot. As of Dec. 31, the CDC reported that 282,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine had been allocated for Michigan, and 293,400 doses of the Moderna vaccine were allocated for the state. In both case, the same amount of doses are on hold by the CDC to be shipped and administered to the same individuals as second doses when appropriate. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses spaced weeks apart, with 95% and 94% efficacy in trials, respectively. A second dose is required three weeks later for the Pfizer vaccine, and four weeks later for the Moderna shot. The vaccines dont use live or dead virus. Instead, they use mRNA to get the bodys cells to make a protein that triggers the production of antibodies that would fight off future coronavirus infection. Both shots appear to reduce risk of severe COVID-19 illness, though its not yet clear how long theyre effective. Both vaccines have received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and approval from the CDC to be used in adults. More research is needed to determine if they should be recommend for use in children. MDHHS plans to provide updated counts for vaccinations and vaccine distributions each afternoon Monday through Friday through its online vaccine dashboard. Mondays update came after the state announced it had surpassed 500,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. To find a testing site near you, check out the states online test finder, here, send an email to COVID19@michigan.gov, or call 888-535-6136 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Read more on MLive: Monday, Jan. 4, coronavirus data by county: Positivity rate, case numbers are up, but could be statistical noise See Michigans 2020 coronavirus cases and deaths by month and by county Virtual learning a nightmare for special education students amid pandemic, parents say Coronavirus changed everything in 2020. Will the pandemic wind down in 2021? Michigan burned through 84% of its unemployment cash in 2020. What happens when its gone? Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. While the country races to control the new Covid-19 strain, the health department here has set up a Covid-19 naka at a bridge over Sutlej river near Ladhowal toll plaza to detect incoming infected travellers. Located on National Highway-1, the stretch connects the district to Phagwara and further to Jalandhar and Amritsar, which receives international and domestic travellers at the Sri Guru Ram Das Ji International Airport. Instead of khakhi-clad cops, commuters, especially those in taxis, are being stopped at the naka by health department workers donning PPE kits for RT-PCR testing. Besides sampling people arriving in commercial vehicles from other states, the team is eyeing taxis and auto-rickshaws ferrying international travellers. The district has so far recorded 24,916 Covid cases, highest in Punjab, of which 969 people have died. With January expected to see the arrival of more international travellers and migrant workers, the health department is on its toes to check another spike in infections, as seen in September last year. Dr Kuldeep Kumar, who is supervising the sampling process, said, We collect nearly 300 samples daily for RT-PCR tests, mostly of auto-rickshaw drivers and their passengers. Besides, we also look for foreign travellers who are in taxis. Besides sampling them, we collect their address details, so that they can be traced and quarantined if found positive. Stating that most of the people tested were usually asymptomatic, he said the number of positive cases daily varied, with one day even detecting 30 positive cases and others none at all. Neeraj Kohli, who was travelling to Jalandhar, appreciated the move. It is a great initiative. Normally, only a person with symptoms visits the hospital for testing, while asymptotic people roam around carefree. It also saves travellers time as they dont have to visit the hospital for testing. Recently, Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu had stated that samples of all people, including farmers returning from the agitation at Singhu border, will be collected. Since the new strain was reported in the UK, so far, 18 people have returned to the district from there. Out of those, 16 have tested negative, while a positive patient, a female from Amritsar, was admitted at the civil hospital and later found negative for the new strain. Another positive patient had shifted to Uttar Pradesh. Suspended since December 22, flights to and from the UK will resume at the airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Mumbai on January 8. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed in Cairo on Tuesday the latest developments in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the Egyptian presidency announced. President El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for the efforts of US President Trump in the GERD issue as well as the personal involvement of Munchin in the successive rounds of negotiations held in Washington last year. According to a statement by the US embassy in Cairo, Munchin said that his trip to Egypt and Sudan, which is next on his Mideast tour, accentuates the need to equitably resolve the outstanding points of disagreement and forge a binding agreement on the GERD that addresses Egypts concerns and those of other parties. El-Sisi and Munchin also discussed several regional issues in the meeting, including the latest developments in the Palestinian issue and ways to revive the peace process The Egyptian president affirmed Egypt's position in this regard to reach a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people and to establish their independent state in accordance with international laws, expressing Egypt's aspiration for continued cooperation with the United States in this regard. Given that the Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle Easts issues, settling it would change the reality of the entire region for the better by opening new horizons for cooperation at the regional level and undermining terrorism and extremist ideology, President El-Sisi said in the meeting. They also discussed the latest developments in US-Egyptian bilateral relations. "Egypt is a vital partner of the United States, as demonstrated by the over 1,200 American companies active here, with total bilateral trade growing 76 percent over the past four years, Munchin was quoted by the US embassy as saying. Mnuchin is currently on a Middle East tour that includes Egypt Israel, the UAE, Sudan and Qatar. Egypts Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait, Minister of Irrigation Mohamed Abdel-Atty and Chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel also attended the meeting. Short link: Privilege is not for all and living in a country where a huge chunk of the population do not have access to the much-needed resources, it becomes a moment of pride when people who have all odds against them make it big. Gazi Abdullah is a resident of the Doda district and lost his father when he was only two years old. After that, he was raised in an orphanage in Kashmir. He pursued his post-graduation at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). Gazi had a lot of work opportunities right after completing his graduation but despite his family being in a financial crunch, he decided to pursue post-graduation since he cleared for several scholarships. Speaking about his preparation for the IAS exam, Gazi said that he focussed on basics like NCERT books and the correct use of the internet. Despite financial troubles and seeming hopelessness, Gazi kept an eye on his target. "The burning passion and fire I had in me kept me going and rather than focussing on my problems, I continued to work hard. Even if several people who wrote the exam were richer and were more educated, I knew that I could do this because I believe that I had the talent for this which cannot be bought," he said. TOI Being the son of a guest worker from North Karnataka, Thimmappa B's resources were limited as there was a fire at a slum near Kacharakanahalli which burned his home and belongings. However, even after losing his books, the student still managed to score 60 per cent marks in his exams. On August 12, Thimmappa was feliciated by Karnataka Child Rights Commission Chairman Dr Antony Sebastian. The chairman travelled all the way to the slum to honour Thimmappa for clearing his exams. He has been working as a construction worker during his holidays and wants to become an army officer in the future. He said, I am confident of becoming an army officer. It is my ambition and dream". TOI 17-year-old Ashma Shaikh who lives on the footpath with her parents and brother broke all barriers and worked hard to score well in her exams despite so many challenges. Her family lives on the footpath at Azad Maidan in Fort, Mumbai, and despite the hardships, Ashma secured 40 per cent in SSC exams. While some of us barely even pass with every resource at our beck and call, Ashma's score speaks volumes about the immense hard work she has put in her studies. Aapla Mahanagar Nandita, daugher of Rajesh Haripal and Rashmi, topped in Arts in the Jharkhand Academic Council Class XII board exams. The 16-year-old's father and mother work as a tailor and domestic help, respectively. She is a student of Jamshedpur Women's College (JCW) and secured 419 marks out of the total 500. In a conversation with TOI, Nandita said, I was expecting a good result, but I never thought I would become the state topper". TOI Joy is a farmer's daughter from a small village in Pirvom, Kerala, and growing up her family did not have enough money to buy books for her education. Beating all odds, she managed to crack the UPSC Civil Services exam in just her second attempt. UPSC is one of the toughest entrance exams and Joy secured the 65th rank nationally. TOI Udaipur's Sonal Sharma, daughter of a milkman, is now set to become a judge after cracking the Rajasthan Judicial Service (RJS) examination in 2018. 26-year-old Sonal has studied all her life in a cowshed and despite the odds she stood first in the BA, LLB and LLM exams and after completing training for a year. She will be posted as a first-class magistrate in a sessions court in Rajasthan. TOI 22-year-old Sreedhanya Suresh became the first tribal girl from the district to clear the civil service examinations. She secured 410th rank in the examination. Sreedhanya said that she belonged to the most backward district in the state. She also said that there were many tribals living in the state but no tribal IAS officers from Wayanad. TOI These people are the right examples of how hard work trumps all. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Angela Merkel and German state leaders have extended lockdown in place since Dec 16 until end of January Meanwhile Italy will let its stay-at-home orders expire - but some schools will stay shut until January 31 Some parts of Spain have travel restrictions but are letting bars and restaurants open for breakfast and lunch As the UK beds in for a tough new lockdown that could last months until enough people are vaccinated against Covid-19, some of its European neighbours are taking similarly strict measures while others have their eye on relaxing the current rules. Germany has extended a national lockdown today in order to drive the infection rate down, while Denmark could face harsher rules because of fears over the UK variant of the disease. ADVERTISEMENT But France sent all 12million of its schoolchildren back to the classroom on Monday, while Spain is not in lockdown and Italy is planning to ease restrictions on Thursday. It comes amid concern in several European countries about the slow pace of the vaccine rollout which offers the best hope of bringing the misery to an end. France has vowed to ramp up its vaccine delivery 'on an exponential curve', while other countries are weighing up whether to follow Britain's model and use up its stock of vaccines to give one dose to as many people as possible. Britain currently has by far the highest infection rate in Western Europe, followed by the Republic of Ireland, and then Sweden which is still holding out against lockdowns. GERMANY: FULL LOCKDOWN EXTENDED Angela Merkel and the leaders of Germany's 16 states agreed today to extend the 'hard lockdown' that has been in place since December 16 until the end of January and introduce tougher restrictions. Shops, bars, restaurants and schools will remain closed until at least the end of the month. For the first time, the rules will restrict non-essential travel for residents of hard-hit areas across the country. Movement is limited to a 15-kilometre (nine-mile) radius in towns and districts where the number of new coronavirus cases is above 200 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. The rules also include the strictest limit on gatherings since the first lockdown in the spring, with members of any one household being allowed to meet only one other person. ADVERTISEMENT Germany's infection rate has dropped in the last two weeks but officials say it is too early to tell whether this is a genuine improvement or a mirage caused by limited data over the Christmas period. 'We need to reduce contacts further because we have seen that we have not been able to lower the incidence (of coronavirus) in the last (few) weeks as far as we would have wished for,' Merkel told journalists on Tuesday after a meeting with the leaders of Germany's 16 federal states. The measures will be reviewed on January 25. GERMANY: People walk on a pedestrian street in Cologne on Monday, a day before the country extended its 'hard lockdown' in order to drive down its infection rate ITALY: LOCKDOWN EASED BUT MANY SCHOOLS CLOSED Stay-at-home orders imposed across Italy over Christmas and New Year are set to expire on Thursday, with the country returning to a three-tier system. While different measures can be applied in different regions, the government has ordered all bars and restaurants to remain closed this weekend. Meanwhile, the planned re-opening of schools at 50 per cent capacity on Thursday has been postponed until Monday. Some regional governments, including in the Veneto region which includes Venice, have decided to push the re-opening back until January 31. The government has also extended travel restrictions between Italy's 20 regions, with movement only permitted for certain reasons. Italy's infection and death rates are down from their November and December peaks, but an average of 473 people are still dying every day. Click here to resize this module FRANCE: CURFEWS TIGHTENED BUT SCHOOLS RE-OPEN A national 8pm curfew has been brought forward to 6pm in some parts of France, including the Les Alpes-Maritimes department which includes Nice. Paris has, for now, been spared the additional restriction. ADVERTISEMENT The government has also confirmed that theatres, cinemas and concert halls would remain closed beyond the current deadline of January 7. Similarly, government minister Alain Griset said on Sunday that it was unlikely that restaurants would re-open as initially planned on January 20. However, France has bucked the trend by sending all its children back to school this week, with 12million pupils returning on Monday. France has also promised an 'exponential' acceleration in its vaccine drive after criticism over the slow pace of the rollout. SPAIN: REGIONS TAKE ACTION AMID RISING CASES Spain is not in a national lockdown, but some regions have imposed new measures after cases started rising again in mid-December. After Spain's infection rate fell in early December to its lowest level since the summer, it has since ticked up again and is now back above 10,000 a day. Catalonia announced new restrictions on Monday, banning people from leaving their municipality until at least January 17 and closing non-essential shops at weekends. The new measures also include the closure of gyms and shopping malls - but bars and restaurants can still have customers in for breakfast and lunch. Other regions such as Andalusia, Murcia and Extremadura have also announced new measures in recent days, with Madrid locking down some districts. SPAIN: Military personnel carry boxes of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine after arriving at a warehouse in Colmenar Viejo - with the Spanish government deciding not to follow Britain's lead by changing the two-dose rollout plan SWEDEN: STILL NO LOCKDOWN BUT MASKS COME IN After earning both admiration and notoriety for holding out against lockdown, Sweden is continuing to keep shops open and resist stay-at-home measures. But public gatherings have been limited to eight people, and people are advised to choose only one or two friends to socialise with. In addition, Sweden is now recommending masks on public transport for the first time after months of playing down their effectiveness. Sweden has published little data over Christmas and New Year, but thousands of people are still being infected and dozens dying every day. The death toll of 8,727 is a far higher rate than that in other Nordic countries, but lower than in Britain, Spain, France and Italy which have all imposed lockdowns. DENMARK: NEW MEASURES COULD TARGET BRITISH STRAIN Denmark last month brought in a series of restrictions due to last until January 17, including the closure of shops, restaurants. Schools are also remaining shut in that time - marking a shutdown almost as long as last spring, when Denmark was the first country in Europe to re-open schools. Ministers have voiced concern about the new British strain of the virus, with reports saying that this could lead to a further tightening of restrictions in Denmark. Denmark has a relatively low death rate from Covid-19, with only 1,389 since the start of the pandemic, but the toll has reached new highs in recent weeks. PM Mette Frederiksen said last week that 'the situation regarding infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths is now even more serious than in the spring'. AUSTRIA: PLAN FOR TESTING PASSPORTS SCRAPPED Austria's third national lockdown was effectively extended until January 24 on Monday after a plan to allow some people out earlier was dropped. The government had proposed that those who tested negative in a mass-testing programme be allowed to visit shops, restaurants, cafes and bars from January 18. But the plan would have obliged those who did not participate to stay at home for a week longer, and the proposal has now been scrapped after public opposition. The current, third lockdown came into effect on December 26, just twenty days after the previous lockdown ended. The country's infection rate climbed to among the highest in the world in late November, with outbreaks in elderly care facilities emerging as a particular issue. IRELAND: SCHOOLS DECISION LOOMS AS CASES AND HOSPITALISATIONS RISE The Irish government is set to tighten lockdown restrictions including the closure of schools as rampant rates of Covid infections threaten to overwhelm the health service. On Wednesday, the cabinet will meet to decide whether to keep schools closed until February as part of a string of measures to control the third wave which has been described as 'extremely worrying and dangerous'. Schools were originally scheduled to reopen next Monday but government sources say it is highly likely they will remain closed for the rest of this month. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has warned there will be a sharp increase of deaths this month. The government introduced a second nationwide lockdown in October which succeeded in reducing Covid rates to the lowest among EU states when the restrictions were lifted in the first week of December. ADVERTISEMENT For most of last month, the daily rate of infection averaged 300 but on Monday there were 6,110 cases reported, which is almost twice the peak reached in the first wave last March. The 14 day incidence rate is now 583 per 100,000 compared to 110 per 100,000 in mid-December. By Ko Hirano, KYODO NEWS - Jan 5, 2021 - 13:42 | World, All, Japan, Feature Japan and the United States have welcomed planned naval deployments this year by major European countries to Indo-Pacific waters, as China's rapid military modernization and maritime and territorial ambitions prompt moves to increase deterrence. With Beijing demonstrating increasing assertiveness in the East and South China seas and on the India-China border, Britain will deploy the aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth and its strike group to East Asia, France will dispatch a naval vessel to Japan and Germany will send a frigate to the Indian Ocean -- all planned for 2021, according to government announcements and news reports. "Japan has potential for further development of defense cooperation with Europe," Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said in an online meeting with his German counterpart Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Dec. 15. The development comes amid doubts in Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific about how much of a security threat Europe sees as coming from China as it apparently seeks to shift the status quo in the region in its favor through coercive measures. However, such concern abated when Kramp-Karrenbauer said, "What happens in the Indo-Pacific affects Germany and Europe. We would like to cooperate in safeguarding the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific." Kishi expressed hope the German warship will take part in exercises with the Self-Defense Forces and sail through the South China Sea, a strategically-important waterway largely claimed by China but disputed by smaller regional nations and non-claimant countries like the United States. In a rare diplomatic foray by Germany, a country that has trod cautiously since World War II especially outside the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Kramp-Karrenbauer said, "One must not impose a burden on others in pursuit of economic and security ambitions." She was making a veiled reference to Beijing's militarization of outposts in disputed areas of the South China Sea -- parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam -- and repeated incursions into waters around the Senkaku Islands, a group of East China Sea islets controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing. Serious concerns about China's dismissal of pro-democracy lawmakers and crackdowns on democracy activists in Hong Kong, a former British colony, are also thought to have played a role in London's decision to deploy the carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific. With Queen Elizabeth-based F-35B fighters from the Royal Air Force likely to undergo maintenance at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. facility in Aichi Prefecture, some experts have speculated Japan is Britain's favored location for a temporary home for the 65,000-ton carrier. The Royal Navy's newest and largest warship is also expected to carry a squadron of U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs. Given that the America, a 45,000-ton amphibious assault ship based in Sasebo, southwestern Japan, carries Marine Corps F-35Bs, Michito Tsuruoka, an associate professor of international security and European politics at Keio University, expects U.S. and British forces to test joint operations involving F-35Bs in the western Pacific, a mission the two allies have conducted repeatedly in the Atlantic. "The United States and Britain are not only testing synergies but they are likely to promote the eventual integration of military operations in the western Pacific, which I think is the main military purpose of the dispatch of the Queen Elizabeth to the Indo-Pacific," Tsuruoka said in an interview. Citing Japan's plan to refit two Izumo-class helicopter destroyers so they can carry F-35Bs, he said, "It would make sense for Japan, the United States and Britain to conduct joint exercises involving these assets and enhance interoperability of the three forces." In a similar development, Japan, the United States and France will conduct amphibious training on an uninhabited island in southwestern Japan in May, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported on Dec. 6, as Beijing steps up attempts to undermine Tokyo's administration of the Senkakus, called Diaoyu in China. Besides the China factor, defense analysts attributed growing Japan-Europe ties to European players' interest in selling arms to Japan, the world's third-largest economy, whose defense spending has consistently rewritten record highs in recent years in the face of the security challenges posed by China and North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. In November 2019, Japan and Britain organized the first defense equipment fair near Tokyo with about 50 Japanese and 100 foreign arms manufacturers, including BAE Systems plc and Rolls-Royce plc of Britain, taking part. A second such exhibition is slated for May 19-21 this year. Meanwhile, some analysts cited Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's perceived reluctance to provoke China -- apparently in consideration of Tokyo's deep economic ties with Beijing and pro-China ruling party heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai, who effectively handed him the premiership -- as a source of concern about otherwise firmer security cooperation involving Japan, the United States and Europe in the Indo-Pacific. "Tokyo says it welcomes more of a European naval presence in the region, but media reports have indicated the possibility of downsizing and downgrading the exercises involving the United Kingdom and France for fear of provoking China," Tsuruoka said. "Japan does not seem to have a clear idea of what it is prepared and willing to do with the British and French navies, which could perplex them." Nonetheless, the China factor is likely to propel security ties between Europe and Japan, the United States, Australia and India -- four major regional democracies known as the Quad -- but experts expressed reservations about the idea of institutionalizing and expanding the Quad. "I do not think it would be efficient to try to expand the Quad formally into a larger grouping, particularly with European powers who have a smaller range of common interests on a day-to-day level," said Andrew Oros, a professor of political science and international studies at Washington College in the United States. "Looser cooperation that stresses a common, unified agenda among a growing group of countries toward the goals of a free and open Indo-Pacific should be encouraged and welcomed," Oros said in an email, noting some European countries are looking to contribute to freedom of navigation exercises. He added Europeans "could make a big difference" by curbing defense-related exports and potential military technology transfer to Beijing as U.S. President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on Jan. 20 with a greater emphasis on America's alliances and multilateralism in the midst of U.S.-China strategic competition. New Delhi, Jan 5 : One more patient at a Delhi government-run hospital has been found infected with the UK strain of novel coronavirus, taking the tally in the national capital to nine. Dr Suresh Kumar, medical director of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, told IANS that one Covid patient admitted there has been detected carrying the UK strain with the lab test confirming it on Tuesday. IANS had reported earlier that three Covid patients were confirmed to be carrying the UK strain on Monday. All such patents are admitted at the LNJP. Besides, 41 contacts of these patents detected carrying the UK strain are admitted in the hospital. The latest count is a UK returnee who travelled the country recently, Kumar said. "The total number of patients suspected of being infected by the UK strain has reached 49. Of them, the strain is confirmed in nine persons," he said. Kumar also informed that of the total 49, 17 are travellers while the remaining are their contacts. "Fifteen are those who came directly from Dubai while two others transited via Dubai to India," he said. He also said that the health of all the patients infected from the UK strain of novel coronavirus is stable. "Health of all 49 of them is stable. Just one of them exhibited mild symptoms of the Covid-19 disease, while the rest are asymptomatic. None of them have shown severe complications so far," he added. He also informed that each of the Covid patients, suspected of carrying the UK mutation, including the confirmed nine patients, are lodged in separate rooms of a special ward. The ward has been earmarked for those who landed here from the UK. With a capacity of 60 rooms, the ward is spread across three floors with 20 rooms on each floor. "We are ensuring that these patients don't mingle with the other Covid patients. All of them have been isolated separately in different rooms of a special ward designated for the patients suspected or found infected with the new variant," Kumar told IANS. Meanwhile, India reported nine more Covid patients have been detected carrying the new and highly infectious strain of novel coronavirus from the UK on Monday, taking the tally of cases to 38 in the country. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 77F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 48F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. The meeting of the OPEC+ ministers has been postponed until Tuesday, 15:30 Vienna time, sources familiar with the situation told Interfax-Ukraine. According to one of the sources, after a break during the meeting, such a proposal was made by the Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, but it was also voiced by the Minister of Saudi Arabia. On the eve of the break, there were two opposite proposals on the negotiating table - to increase production in February by 500,000 bpd or to keep production at the January level. Previously, all countries expressed their positions. Only two countries - Russia and Kazakhstan - advocated an increase in production by 0.5 million bpd from February, the rest - for the extension of production at current levels. New Delhi, Jan 6 : As a photographer who joined the farmers from his village in Punjab the first day of the farmers' protest against the new agriculture laws, and reached Delhi after travelling for two days, Gurdeep Dhaliwal, who documented the whole route feels that art keeps the protest 'fresh' by bringing out new stories everyday. For someone who studied English Literature and Creative Writing from Kingston University in the UK, and has been taking pictures and making videos at the protest sites highlighting the 'peaceful' aspect of the agitation, Dhaliwal, who along with Surmeet Maavi and Narinder Bhinder are in the team behind 'Trolley Times', has always believed in the strength of hyper-local magazines/newspapers. "When a place has it's own magazine or newspaper, people can be kept on the same page, and that can give birth to a collective vision. Not to mention, collaborations within the population of that area. It is also an excellent ground for debates and discussions," said Dhaliwal, who started a magazine when he was in school. Also the co-founder of 'Kirrt' that documents the stories of Punjabi artisans and their artworks, the photographer feels that documentation of movements like the farmer's agitation assume significant importance as the same preserves the memory of the place and a moment as it is. "This protest is special for my generation. I was born in the early 90's and there hasn't been a protest or an event of this scale since then. It has connected me to the core of what it really means to be a Punjabi. All the sentiments and energy I have been seeing in Punjabi songs and movies felt strange. Now, it seems as if that energy just needed a right channel to flow through -- and the protest has provided that channel." Bowled over by the massive youth participation in the agitation, Dhaliwal said, "It's simply amazing to see them working seamlessly at the protest sites, trying to make it more organised and strong everyday." Talk to him about the artists' participation in the farmer's agitation and the recent CAA protests, and he asserts, "Protests like these which go on for months. They cannot be about just sitting quietly. There has to be something that can keep the people engaged and connected. That is where art comes in. I also believe that every good artist is inclined towards truth and justice. These are the places where we find our tribe." While Dhaliwal may not have any plans to hold any exhibition , he does plan to continue working on Trolley Times even after the protests are over. "It was my dream to work on such a magazine and this protest has given a chance to that sewa. I hope to continue doing that as long as I can along with team members comprising a freelance journalist, a film writer, a video director, two documentary photo artists, a physiotherapist and a farmer." The plague year 2020 was yet another brutal rejoinder to the belief that brute forces can be pushed to the margins of, and eventually out of, humanitys experience. When todays pandemic recedes, what should linger is a quickened appreciation of the fragility of life and social arrangements. And an awareness that things much worse than COVID-19 have happened before, and will continue to happen. The human story is not entirely about human choices. The 1918-19 Spanish flu, which began in Kansas, killed between 50 million and 100 million people worldwide, lowered U.S. life expectancy by 12 years, and did not spare, as COVID-19 largely does, the young. The Black Death the bubonic plague of 1346-53 was much worse, killing 10% of the worlds population, and over one-third of Europes, including 40,000 of Londons 70,000 residents. In the 1980s, AIDS was so shocking because it refuted the complacent belief that infectious-disease epidemics had been banished. In 2019, however, 1.7 million people were newly infected with the AIDS virus and 690,000 people who were already infected died. But of the 38 million living with the virus, 25.4 million were controlling it with antiviral drugs. Astronomy lowered mankinds self-esteem (we are not the center of the universe), then biol-ogy did (our species has an un-distinguished pedigree). Geology, too, has disturbed our sense of mastery. Genesis enjoins us to subdue the Earth, but this slowly cooling residue of the Big Bang gets a vote. As its continents wander half an inch to 4 inches a year, according to plate tectonics the planets interior of boiling gas and molten rock occasionally is heard from. Volcanic eruptions at what is now Yellowstone National Park some 630,000 years ago covered half of what is now the continental United States with ash. When the Indonesian volcano Krakatoa erupted in 1883, sea surges, which killed most of the eruptions eventual 36,000 victims, were felt in the English Channel. Krakatoa, was, however, only one-tenth as powerful as the April 1815 eruption of Indonesias Mount Tambora, which killed 10,000 instantly incandescent ash flowed 100 mph and generated winds that uprooted trees. Particulate matter blocking the suns rays cooled the Earth: Water froze in some American cisterns on July 4. Today, a large majority of the one-eighth of the nations population that lives in California resides near the San Andreas fault, and the question is not if but when it will lurch catastrophically. A U.S. satellite poised between Earth and the sun can provide perhaps a 45-minute warning if the sun is going to plunge the planet into darkness. On Sept. 2, 1859, before there were light bulbs, a coronal mass ejection (CME) of 100 million tons of charged particles thrown off by the sun only produced spectacular sunsets. If actually, when it happens again, it can produce chaos in our thoroughly electrified, digitized world by induced electric currents: no functioning satellites, telephonic communications, water pumps, financial transactions, hospitals. No Netflix. That got your attention. On March 13, 1989, a CME solar storm turned out the lights in the entire Canadian province of Quebec. Three days earlier, a NASA astronomer says, scientists had noticed a powerful explosion on the sun. Within minutes, tangled magnetic forces on the sun had released a billion-ton cloud of gas. It was like the energy of thousands of nuclear bombs exploding at the same time. The storm cloud rushed out from the sun, straight towards Earth, at 1 million miles an hour. This geomagnetic storm struck the Earth the evening of March 12, creating electrical currents in the ground beneath much of North America, crashing Quebecs power grid. There are those whose believe in a benevolent God because Earth, as they see it, is biophilic, meaning friendly to life. They must, however, reckon not only with non-biophilic things (saber-toothed tigers, volcanoes, typhoons, viruses, etc.), but also with the fact that this (meaning: everything) is not going to end well. The universe will either continue to expand, ending in life-extinguishing cold, or will collapse into incinerating heat. Meanwhile, here is some (sort of) good news, from the Economist. In historys bloodiest century, the last one, 100 million to 200 million people died as a result of war. Measles killed in the same range, influenza near the top of the range. Smallpox, however, killed 300 million to 500 million. The eradication of smallpox, by globally coordinated vaccination campaigns, stands as one of the all-time-great humanitarian triumphs. Human choices cannot subdue all the brute forces that always lurk. Choices can, however make a difference. And they can dignify us, a thinking, coping species. (Will is a writer for The Washington Post) Political analysts have argued the success of a President is a reflection of the performance of the Chief Staff. Essentially, the right-hand person because of the diverse duties that fall under the ambit of this office that sits firmly in the heart of the governments stability. The general satisfaction of the state but significantly the gratification of the political party that produced the president and its followers depends on the dynamics of how a Chief of Staff keeps the bridge between these entities open and cordial. This responsibility would include securing jobs for the teeming unemployed youth and adults and undertaking periodic public opinion polls and survey into the political landscape and other researches in order to assess public opinion about the political and administrative development. The Chief of Staff is also responsible for providing valuable insight into the political environment and offering advice relating to Public Affairs and Government Policies and monitoring and tracking information from public and private sources with regard to governmental, industrial, economic and political related issues. In 2017 when Madam Akosua Frema Osei Opare was appointed to the Office of Chief of Staff, there were satisfactory nods because of the 40 years of rich experience she brought from the field of academia, politics, development consultancy, labour and employment. In the field of development consultancy, Madam Frema was once a consultant for the United Nations in the Women in Fisheries programme in countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia, Congo, Kenya and Namibia. In Academia, she had stints with the University of Ghana from 1976 to 1982 where she lectured at the department of home science. She eventually rose to become the head of the department before departing the University in 1982. In politics, Madam Frema has been a long-standing close confidant and ally of President Nana Addo Akufo Addo. She served as the director of conflict resolution of the 2012 NPP national campaign team. She also served as a two-term Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso West Wuoguon constituency from January 2005 to January 2013. With her expertise in labour and employment, President Kufour also appointed her a Deputy Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment in his administration from 2005 to 2008. With this level of experience in her bag, it was therefore not out of place when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed her the Chief of Staff of the Republic of Ghana in January 2017. Madama Frema Opare has arguably outdone expectations of her appointment as Chief of Staff, which has led to the President and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) being retained in government for a second term during the 2020 general elections. Her creation of the Political Affairs Directorate at the presidency helped bridged the hitherto gap between the presidency and political party faithful that ultimately eliminated the rancour and aggression that had existed between party faithful and the ruling class. Interestingly under her tenure, the Presidency never overspent its budget, a feat very had to come by in the 4th Republic past administrations. For such excellent delivery as the Chief of Staff, Madam Frema Opare received a number of honours including the Ghana Women of the Year Honours; governance category by Glitz Africa, and The Model African Woman of the Year 2019 Award by the ExLA Group. The Youth Wing of the NPP also honoured her with a citation for her outstanding performance at the presidency and her immense support for the youth wing of the party. For such sterling performance, is it any wonder there is serious clamour on the corridors of power for President Akufo-Addo to retain her as the Chief of Staff in his second term? Her function of liaising between Civil Society Organizations, Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors among many others earned a lot of trust for the government from the private sector and government agencies. It is an established fact that the Akufo-Addo government has enjoyed the camaraderie with almost all state agencies and institutions that previous administrations have struggled with, which points directly to the effectiveness of the Chief of Staff. Hon Frema Opare is poised and undaunted for the task ahead in the next term of the presidency of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo even if it only means maintaining and perfecting what she nurtured over the past four years. It is poignant to note that as Ghanas first female Chief of Staff, Auntie Frema has charted a new course for political appointment in Ghanas political landscape and perhaps Africa. At the launch of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development in Monrovia Liberia sometime in March, she observed that women of character, determination, competence, and stature are still under-represented in effective and organized political power. She argued that women in West Africa including Liberia and Ghana and across the African continent still face a debilitating reality due to the interlinked circumstances and indicated that the achievements of former Liberia President, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf are an inspiration for women of Africa and a truly transformational role model. Can we say any different for the achievements of Madam Frema Opare in the Office of Chief of Staff Ghana? Indeed, she will inspire and prepare women to take up roles and excel in the highest echelons of Ghanas public leadership. The collective journeys of women like President Johnson Sirleaf, Joyce Banda of Malawi and others to the growth and development of Africa has been broadened by a new footprint belonging to the Chief of Staff. There is, therefore, no reason for the President to look elsewhere for another person to fill the Office when Madam Frema has delivered such commendable output. Source: Yaw Obeng-Manu Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (People's Daily Online) To fully demonstrate the achievements of Jilin Province in poverty reduction and development since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Information Office of the People's Government of Jilin Province launched a photo and video solicitation activity under the theme "Happy Jilin, Pursuing a Better Life" from July 20 to Oct. 20, 2020. As of Oct. 20, a total of 1,500 photos and over 300 videos have been collected. After the preliminary evaluation and selection by the expert jury, the award-winning works were finally selected. The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries called, on Tuesday, for intensifying efforts to implement the joint action plans provided for under the strategic partnership binding them to Morocco. This came in the Final Declaration adopted by the 41st Summit held Tuesday in the Saudi historic city of Al-Ula, under the chairmanship of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Bin Salman, on behalf of his father. The Al-Ula Declaration highlighted the importance of the specific strategic partnership between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Kingdom of Morocco, and called for stepping up efforts to implement the joint action plans provided for under the strategic partnership between the two parties. The Declaration also reaffirmed the firm positions and decisions of the Gulf States in favor of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Morocco, expressing their support for the measures taken by Morocco to restore civil and commercial movement in the buffer zone of Guerguarat, in the Moroccan Sahara. The Gulf state leaders also rejected any actions or practices that would affect the flow of movement in the Guerguarat crossing point. The Al-Ula summit marks the end of the blockade imposed on Qatar since June 2017 by a Saudi-led coalition including the UAE, Bahrain, plus Egypt. Actually, the Final Declaration of the 41st GCC summit meeting states that the GCC leaders will continue the march of unity and cooperation in order to achieve common interests to serve their peoples, tighten their cooperation, and consolidate security and stability in the region. In this connection, Morocco has expressed hope that the GCC 41st summit would lead to the reunification of the countries of the region, rebuild mutual trust, and foster unity between the councils members. In a statement released Tuesday evening, the Foreign Ministry underlined the relations of sincere consideration and strong ties binding King Mohammed VI and his brothers, the leaders of the Gulf countries, and expressed Moroccos hope to see the initiatives made at the 41st summit lead to the reunification of the countries of the region, the rebuilding mutual trust and the consolidation of unity between these countries. Morocco also welcomed the positive development of relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as the signing of the Al-Ula Declaration, said the statement. Morocco likewise commended the efforts conducted by Kuwait that made this reconciliation possible, as well as the constructive role played by the United States in this regard. At the end of the GCC summit, diplomatic relations between Qatar and the four countries that had boycotted it for more than three years were fully restored. At the opening of the summit, the GCC countries signed an agreement of solidarity and stability to ease tensions between Qatar and its neighbors, mainly Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and also Egypt. The Summit took place in the presence of Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman Bin Hamad, Omans Deputy Prime Minister, Fahd Bin Mahmoud Al Said and Sheikh Mohammed Ben Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of United Arab Emirates. The event was also attended by Secretary General of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, Yusuf Ben Ahmed Al-Uthaimin, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sameh Choukri and White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner. Rain showers and strong wind gusts could strike central Pennsylvania early this week, before sunshine and cool temperatures lead us into the weekend. A slight chance of rain is possible starting after 1 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. It will be an overcast day regardless, but clouds are expected clear for Wednesday sunshine. Temperatures are projected to reach the low 40s Wednesday, but up to 20 mph wind gusts are also possible, the NWS said. The rest of the weeks forecast is dry and clear, with temperatures reaching no higher than the low 40s. Heres the full forecast for the upcoming week: Today Cloudy, with a high near 40. Slight chance of showers after 1 p.m. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Tonight Cloudy, with a low around 31. Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Up to 20 mph wind gusts are possible. Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Thursday Sunny, with a high near 41. Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 38. Friday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. Billionaire Robert T. Brockman will have his trial on fraud charges in his hometown of Houston rather than San Francisco after a federal judge granted a change of venue in the $2 billion case. The move comes after Brockmans lawyers claimed the software magnate has a form of dementia. Brockman, 79, was charged in October in a 39-count indictment of using a group of Caribbean entities to conceal $2 billion in income. He is the founder and former chief executive of Reynolds & Reynolds Co., which makes software used by automobile dealerships. Brockman started the business out of his living in room in Houston in 1970. In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco granted the change of venue requested by Brockmans attorneys, who cited his declining health and Department of Justice guidelines that require such trials occur in the judicial district of the taxpayers resident or principal place of business FRAUD CHARGES: DOJ charges Texas billionaire in $2 billion tax fraud scheme Brockman, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, suffers from Parkinsons disease, Parkinsonism, Lewy body dementia, or some combination of all three, according to the filing. Lewy body dementia is a common form of the cognitive illness in which protein deposits in nerve cells cause physical and mental impairment. In the change of venue filing, defense attorneys said Brockmans physician believes conducting the trial in a location other than his home town would disorient Brockman in a manner that could accelerate the deterioration of his mental condition. They said Brockman also suffers from short- and long-term memory loss. Prosecutors were offered the chance to interview Brockmans attorneys but declined, according to the filing, and are still awaiting medical records the defense has not provided. Brockmans attorneys have requested a competency hearing to determine whether he can participate in his own defense. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox Brockman is accused of masterminding the single biggest tax evasion scheme in U.S. history, officially charged with wire fraud, tax evasion and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts. The case involves hiding profits in funds overseen by Vista Equity Partners of Austin. The founder of that firm, billionaire Robert Smith, admitted to evading $43 million in taxes and is helping the government in the case against Brockman. Brockman stepped down as Ohio-based Reynolds & Reynolds CEO in November. The companys software is used by auto dealerships to manage the financing process and organize inventory. One of its most-visible products is docuPAD, which turns an auto financing officers desk into a giant touchscreen, simplifying the process of signing vehicle purchasing documents. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger In this image from video, Kimberly Parker, executive director for the Central Outreach and Advocacy Center in Atlanta, Ga., speaks to Project Veritas. The undated video was released on Jan. 4, 2021. (Courtesy of Project Veritas) Executive Says Countless Voters Use Homeless Shelter as Voting Address The executive of a homeless outreach center in Georgia said in a newly released video that the center allowed countless people without homes to use the centers address for voter registration. The majority of people we serve dont have an address, so we allow them to use our address if they register to vote and to get Georgia state ID, Kimberly Parker, executive director of the Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, said in the video. State law requires voters to be a resident of the county in which theyre voting. It forbids people from using a false statement to register to vote. Wrongdoers can land up to 10 years in prison. However, according to a voting guide, homeless people can use a shelter or church to register to vote. The center is located in Atlanta. A spokesperson for Fulton County told The Epoch Times via email that officials will request clarification from the County Attorneys office regarding provisions in Georgia law for voter registration addresses for homeless residents. An official with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers office said homeless people have a right to vote. The video was released by Project Veritas, a nonprofit journalism watchdog. So, I cant even begin to tell you how many people have that address on their ID. Weve never run into any problem with that until this election, Parker says in the footage. One of our board members got wind that they thought were doing things not on the up and up because so many have the address, but weve not heard any repercussion from it since. I mean people have to have an addressthe only way they can get ID, which youve got to have to get anything else, is to have an address. So, we allow that. Weve done that for years, she added. The centers social media pages were offline on Tuesday. It has tabs for staff and a board of directors on its website, but the links are not active. Its phone lines are not open, and it doesnt have an email contact listed. In another video, Adam Seeley, board member of Central Night Shelter, which has the same address, and director of social services at Emmaus House, said a couple thousand people used the Emmaus House address to register to vote. Emmaus House didnt respond to a request for comment. BUCHAREST (dpa-AFX) - Romania's producer prices continued to decline in November, data from the National Institute of Statistics showed on Tuesday. The producer price index declined 0.71 percent year-on-year in November, following a 1.04 percent fall in October. Prices in the domestic market and non-domestic market decreased 0.54 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively in November. Among the main industrial groups, prices for energy declined by 9.81 percent annually in November. Meanwhile, prices for non-durable consumer goods gained 3.71 percent and those for capital goods grew 2.85 percent. Prices for durable goods and intermediate goods increased by 2.09 percent and 0.50 percent, respectively. On a month-on-month basis, producer prices rose 0.62 percent in November. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! SPRINGFIELD Job seekers can now get subsidized internet service, internet-capable devices like Chromebooks and training in online job searches through a new program introduced Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Baker at a stop at the Springfield Innovation Center on Bridge Street. The initiative, called Mass Internet Connect, aims to improve access to the internet a utility Baker said is as needed, and should be as ubiquitous, as plumbing. Work from home, Baker told a crowd that included members of his own cabinet, internet service providers and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. How many times have we heard that concept since the pandemic began? Imagine living in a place where that isnt even possible. The program is available now to those working with the states one-stop career centers, including MassHire Holyoke, MassHire Springfield and MassHire Hampshire Franklin in Greenfield, said Rosalin Acosta, secretary of the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Its a $9 million initiative, Baker said, and it runs until June. Massachusetts Broadband Institute board Chair Peter Larkin said the aim is to serve 10,000 unemployed persons. Online job searches were becoming more common prior to COVID-19. But today, with offices closed and businesses reluctant to meet in person with applicants, its all focused on the internet. This meets their needs, he said. And it has a training component. There are people looking for work who dont have the skills to do an online job search. Digital literacy is important. The program partners with service providers Verizon, Comcast and Charter Spectrum. But what if there is no internet service in the home or the neighborhood, or even the town? The Last Mile program seeks to complete installing broadband in 18 of the 36 remaining unserved or underserved communities in the state. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced Tuesday that, as part of Mass Internet Connect, the state is looking to expand its network of neighborhood hot spots with free Wi-Fi and is looking for community groups willing to provide indoor, socially distanced spaces where Wi-Fi can be made available. 1/5/2021 - Springfield - Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito speak with Springfield mayor Domenic Sarno at the Springfield Innovation Center Tuesday morning. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican) In Springfield, Comcast is already talking with the Boys & Girls Club and the Urban League about expanding its Lift Zones program of internet hot spots, said Dennis Mathew, senior vice president for Comcast in Western Massachusetts. Acosta said the states unemployment rate has fallen from a national high of more than 17% this summer to a figure mirroring the national average at 6.7%. The state has gained back about half the jobs lost during the pandemic. But, according to state statistics, the states labor force participation rate the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks dropped to 63.1%. Compared to November 2019, the labor force participation rate is down by 4.8 percentage points. This figure represents folks who have given up the job search. Related content: In an Instagram post shared on Monday, the chef, 41, revealed she is 'locked down' on the island after going 'beyond protocol' in preparation for her gig The country's night curfew - which is currently in place from 9pm until 5am - was called into action from January 2 The previous curfew time frame was from midnight until 5am, and 39 new cases have been recorded in Barbados between December 31 and January 4 The media personality's post follows reality star Zara's recent charge with breaching coronavirus laws The former Miss England attempted to flee the country with her boyfriend Elliott Love after he tested positive for Covid Gizzi Erskine has slammed 'some wally for Love Island' as she claimed they caused Barbados into implementing a new curfew rule and cancelling her 'much-needed' paid gig. The chef, 41, took to Instagram on Monday to clarify she is not on a holiday but is instead 'locked down' on the Caribbean island with her model friend Sydney Lima, despite going 'above and beyond protocol' in preparation for her performance. ADVERTISEMENT Media personality Gizzi's post follows reality star Zara Holland's recent charge with breaching coronavirus laws as she attempted to flee the country with her boyfriend Elliott Love after he tested positive for Covid. 'It puts us to shame': Gizzi Erskine has slammed 'some wally for Love Island' as she claimed they caused Barbados into implementing a new curfew and cancelling her 'much-needed' gig Alongside a series of idyllic beach images, the TV star explained why she was initially hesitant about sharing her trip on social media. The food writer wrote: 'Happy new year all of you. Haven't really taken to social media because I have been terrified about the perception of the appropriateness of this trip and so much has happened in my personal life in the last few days I'm feeling pretty battered and out of control. Click here to resize this module 'A year always starts with good intentions and I'm not sure how we keep processing everything that's going on so sharply into a 'fresh start'.' The Wandsworth native went on to express her frustration after the plug was pulled on her DJ set as the night curfew - which is currently in place from 9pm until 5am - was called into action from January 2. Under scrutiny: The 41-year-old chef's post follows reality star Zara Holland's recent charge (pictured in 2016) with breaching coronavirus laws 'It's a sad and lovely time': The media personality revealed she is 'locked down' on the island after going 'beyond protocol' in preparation for her gig The previous curfew time frame was from midnight until 5am, and 39 new cases have been recorded in Barbados between December 31 and January 4, according to records. Gizzi penned: 'So to talk about the trip. I'm here to help launch my good friend and fellow chefs new business with a (much needed paid) DJ gig and some kitchen support. 'It goes without saying a paid gig in Barbados was a dream job and both @sydneylimaa and I went above and beyond protocol and have now had all our clean test. ADVERTISEMENT 'Barbados went into curfew lockdown at 5pm [5am] on the 31st, thus meaning the gig was cancelled. My dear friend as with so many people in hospitality has had a huge knock to all of her hard work. 'I have been terrified about the perception of the appropriateness of this trip': Alongside beach snaps, the TV star explained why she was hesitant about sharing her trip on social media Bittersweet: The Wandsworth native went on to express her frustration after the plug was pulled on her DJ set as the night curfew was called into action from January 2 'It's a zillion times better than being in the UK': She admitted that while she's been 'put to shame' by the cancellation, she sees the situation as 'no real problem' 'Barbados is in lockdown because some wally from love island went out after knowing they had Covid. Now the island has more cases than it has ever had within the whole 9 months than it has now got within just one week.' She admitted that while she's been 'put to shame' by the cancellation, she sees the situation as 'no real problem' due to England's new strict lockdown rules. The social media star added: 'The Barbados government have been so proactive it puts us to Shame. What h the is does mean is that now me and @sydneylimaa are semi locked down in Barbados. 'Which is no real problem because it is a zillion times better than being in the UK. I feel the need to say this though as some people think I am gloating by post for being out here. 'I am very very lucky to be here but this is not a holiday. Most places are closed and there is talk of the beaches locking down so it will be no different to your lockdown, maybe just a bit sunnier. 'The irony isn't lost on me@that at the beginning of lockdown number one (the good days of hope) me and @professorgreen decided to launch @gizandgreens Monday night fake. Awawy so if you all say I. We can bring you some bajan fast food. If you've never had cheffeette you be missing out. ADVERTISEMENT 'It's a sad and lovely time. I desperately miss my bubble and my cats and now all I have is @sydneylimaa @sophiemichell until we crack the mess. @gizandgreens this week then? maybe Thursday?' (sic) Former Miss England Zara, 25, has since been charged with breaking COVID-19 laws and could be fined up to 18,000 and face a year in jail after she and Elliott, 30, were arrested by officials at Grantley Adams International Airport. Oh dear: The beauty pageant queen attempted to flee the country with her boyfriend Elliott Love after he tested positive for Covid Zara, who will appear in court on the Caribbean island on Wednesday, and her partner breached their quarantine conditions to remain at their Sugar Bay resort hotel when Yarm native Elliott tested positive for the virus last Tuesday. The couple were initially placed in isolation at a specialist Covid-19 quarantine facility in northern Barbados but Zara has since been released after testing negative for a second time for the virus and is now confined to her hotel room. The model issued an apology to the government and the people of Barbados after breaking quarantine. In a statement, the beauty pageant queen claimed her decision to break Barbados' strict coronavirus rules had been a 'massive mix-up and misunderstanding'. The statement, which was published by Barbados Today news website, said: 'I firstly want to apologise to the entire country of Barbados for what has been a massive mix up and misunderstanding during my most recent stay. 'I am currently working with the local authorities to rectify any issues on my part and will issue an update and full statement which I think is the only right thing to do to the Government and citizens of Barbados. Covid rules for visitors to Barbados Before arriving in Barbados visitors have to fill out an online form and preferably include an upload of their negative COVID-19 PCR test result. It is then mandatory for travellers from High-Risk and Medium-Risk countries to receive a second test while on island. While waiting for the results visitors then have to restrict their movements to their accommodation and cannot have visitors. If the result is positive, then the person is assessed at a government facility for a minimum of 24 hours. After this there is the option to self-isolate at your own expense or go to a government isolation location, such as the Paragon Military Base. However if a positive test is returned, the visitor cannot return home. They have to isolate until they have recovered. Upon recovery, you can resume your vacation or return home, Visit Barbados explains. The country has had just 383 Covid cases and only seven deaths since the start of the pandemic. 'I have been a guest of this lovely island in excess of 20 years and would never do anything to jeopardise an entire nation that I have nothing but love and respect for and which has treated me as a family.' In Barbados this week, the Daily Nation reported: 'The couple, who have been dating for four years, arrived here last Sunday aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight and were to be quarantining in a Christ Church hotel. Visitors have to be cleared after two mandatory tests, which usually take about three days. 'However, after Ministry of Health officials informed them that one of them had tested positive, the couple apparently removed their red wristbands, boarded a taxi to Grantley Adams International Airport and attempted to book a flight back to the United Kingdom aboard British Airways. 'Sources said while the male is in isolation until he recovers from the virus, the 25-year-old model who won a major beauty contest in the UK, was under quarantine until tests prove that she did not have the virus. However, if she turns out to be positive, she too will be isolated.' Before arriving in Barbados visitors have to fill out an online form and preferably include an upload of their negative COVID-19 PCR test result. It is then mandatory for travellers from High-Risk and Medium-Risk countries to receive a second test while on island. While waiting for the results visitors then have to restrict their movements to their accommodation and cannot have visitors. If the result is positive, then the person is assessed at a government facility for a minimum of 24 hours. After this there is the option to self-isolate at your own expense or go to a government isolation location, such as the Paragon Military Base. However if a positive test is returned, the visitor cannot return home. They have to isolate until they have recovered. Upon recovery, you can resume your vacation or return home, Visit Barbados explains. ADVERTISEMENT As of Monday, the country had just 383 Covid cases and only seven deaths since the start of the pandemic. CNN Philippines (Metro Manila, January 5) At least 74 returning travelers who tested positive for COVID-19 are now being examined if they have acquired the highly transmissible variant from countries where they came from, the government's testing czar bared Tuesday. During the Malacanang briefing, testing czar Vince Dizon said the 74 were among the 3,684 travelers who returned to the country from December 22, 2020 to January 3, 2021. He said samples of the positive cases were taken to the Philippine Genome Center and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine to detect the new variant through genome sequencing. Dizon, who also serves as the National Task Force Against COVID-19 deputy chief implementer, said this is only equivalent to a 2% positivity rate but even the 3,610 individuals who tested negative also had to undergo a 14-day quarantine in line with the government's health protocols. "Mababa naman po siya (positivity rate), pero hindi po talaga natin kayang itaas ang risk para sa ating mga kababayan dito sa Pilipinas kaya po talaga kahit magnegative ay dapat po nating i-quarantine ang ating mga kababayan ng 14 days," he said. [Translation: The positivity rate is low but we cannot afford to increase the risk for our fellow citizens here in the Philippines so even those who tested negative will need to undergo quarantine for 14 days.] The 74 cases are different from the samples collected by authorities from cases detected in November and December. Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire previously said the data they analyzed from the October samples showed no strain of the new variant. Their findings on samples from November and December will be released by Wednesday or Thursday. READ: Study on presence of new COVID-19 variant in PH out this week In his public address on Monday, Duterte threatened to sack airport personnel who are reportedly conniving with some individuals to allow their entry despite travel restrictions. READ: Duterte warns airport staff allegedly allowing easy entry despite travel ban Authorities are temporarily banning the entry of foreign travelers from countries and territories that have confirmed cases of the new COVID-19 variant, which first emerged in the UK. The ban will last until January 15, with the United States as the most recent addition to the growing list. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Arjun Kapoor, this year, will be focusing on shooting for two of his upcoming film projects which include Bhoot Police and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar. Now, that he has a significantly busy schedule, hes often seen outside. Even his off-duty looks have been a point of fascination. Arjun Kapoors outfits are versatile and this becomes obvious even with his casual grocery shopping OOTDs. Now, that we've spent almost a year in lockdown, our fashion choices have also adapted accordingly. This applies to Arjun Kapoor as well. Case in point a recent outfit that he was spotted wearing when he stepped out recently. Viral Bhayani Viral Bhayani Arjun was seen wearing a bright pink hoodie from Anti Social Social Club, a streetwear brand. This hoodie retails at 149 US Dollars which comes down to Rs 10,000 approximately. Farfetch He paired it with shorts from Dsquared2 with the Icon logo-print on them. These retail at 9,462 in New Taiwan Dollar which comes down to Rs 24,000 approximately. Viral Bhayani He completed the look with a pair of sliders from Off-White. Farfetch These retail at 5,275 in New Taiwan Dollar which comes down to Rs 13,000 approximately. Overall, even his off-duty outfit was worth Rs 47,000. Talk about 'casual' that's not casual for us common folks! Viral Bhayani Now, that more events are going to happen, we cant wait to see Arjun Kapoors evolved style with his formal outfits in the days to come. This week, classes resumed in a digital format for the Grand Duchy's students. RTL spoke to digital education expert Professor Bob Reuter and education leaders on the challenges of remote learning. After a first trial in the spring, when the decision was taken at short notice, expectations are higher this time. Parents and teachers alike wonder what the Ministry of Education has learned from this initial experience and whether it is aware of the problems children and young people may still face with remote learning. No sound because of the wrong settings, a blurred picture, or a connection that keeps breaking - these are just some of the most common problems in virtual meetings. While most technical difficulties can be overcome, certain other disadvantages of online classes remain. According to Bob Reuter, a professor at the University of Luxembourg who researches digital education, it is generally more difficult to motivate students. In a classroom, the teacher can interact with their students in a more humane and natural way. At a distance, this contact is lost. This can have severe consequences as those students who are already less motivated to go to school in the first place, are often the first ones to hide behind their screens. Reuter explains that for digitalisation to work, it must be complementary to teaching in schools. The digital classroom is better than nothing, but face-to-face teaching cannot be replaced, says Patrick Straus, headmaster of the Lycee Wilhelm Kroll in Esch-sur-Alzette. Straus states that most people at his school hope for a return to face-to-face teaching. The headmaster explains that prior to the holidays, they had little difficulty with this, and his teachers are happier when their pupils are at school. Even if remote learning is doable, having in pupils in class cannot be replaced, Straus concludes. In order to be as well prepared as possible, teachers at the Lycee Guillaume Kroll have been warned that the exams have to be planned over a trimester, even if the current school year has been split into semesters. This is to avoid the need to postpone all exams at the end of the semester, which could potentially mean that they cannot be written at all, if schools would have to close again at some point. Teaching staff and school management are trying to adapt as much as possible to this exceptional situation. However, Reuter points out that this can prove difficult when teachers cannot plan ahead and when different models come into play, as for instance in the case of the A/B system. Teachers have to switch their teaching method all the time, Reuter explains. Teaching remotely via the internet requires a completely different approach and mindset compared to teaching the pupils present in class. However, Reuter understands why the Ministry decided on such a model. Students who have no contact with teaching staff during their week at home would otherwise lose even more progress. In this way, it is at least possible for them to maintain their relationship with their respective teachers during their time at home. Report (in Luxembourgish): The government is absolutely committed to holding the Leaving Certificate in the traditional sense, Minister of State Niall Collins has said this evening. Speaking on RTE Prime Time, Minister Collins said every effort is being made to deliver a standard format of written examinations this summer and said the government are very firm in their commitment to ensuring this. Thats why we have taken this decision [to keep schools closed] in light of numbers that have gone completely off the charts, to take the break to flatten the curve and restrict all movement. Read More Mr Collins confirmed the cabinet will look at ways to keep special education schools open in January but could not guarantee such a move will be signed off on by cabinet tomorrow. He also said it is the intention of government to reopen schools on the first Monday of February. The Further Education Minister of State said that the shutdown of all bar essential construction work was about limiting the mobility of the approximately 200,000 people involved in the sector. Whether it is the closing of schools to limit the movement of approximately one million people in the school community, or the 200,000 working in construction, it is about limiting the movement of people because the rate of transmission is so high in the community, Mr Collins said. Mr Collins said that creches would also close alongside schools but childcare would have to be provided for our essential workers because we have to keep our essential and frontline services going. The Minister of State admitted the logistics of these decisions are not going to be simple but said the government must move quickly and make the decisions swiftly to arrest the spread of the virus. Sinn Fein spokesperson on education Donnchadh OLaoghaire said the emergence of some clarity will be welcome for all stakeholders in the education industry but criticised ministers contradicting each other and the false announcement earlier through Fianna Fail social media channels. There is relief now that there is certainty, but I dont think anyone takes any pleasure in this decision, Mr OLaoghaire said. Read More Online Editors Casey Batchelor has criticised reality stars for making fast cash out of selling New Year fitness programmes. The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, 36, who is now a yoga teacher, is unimpressed by influencers who make money from exercise apps when they haven't experienced the necessary training, and lack the skills to advise their fans. Casey hit out as she stripped off for a striking Victoria's Secret Angel-inspired lingerie shoot to launch her new 7 Day Blitz. In an exclusive interview, the mother-of-two insisted her fitness programme Yoga Blitz isn't a 'quick fix' and she is not attempting to lure her following under false pretences. 'Train in it, educate yourself in it': Casey Batchelor has criticised reality stars for making fast cash out of selling New Year fitness programmes Casey told MailOnline: 'It's great people are trying to encourage others to have a healthy lifestyle so any app that comes out, as long as there is a qualified trainer doing it alongside them it's good. 'But I do also feel if it's something you're going to passion about, train in it, educate yourself in it, how can you give advice when you're not fully educated in the topic? 'I'm not a person who's been on a reality show that thinks "do you know what? January is coming, I'm going to create an app that is a quick fix for people and it'll make me a pound" it wasn't like that for me. 'Yoga is a passion of mine. I have been doing it for a very long time and it helped me lose a lot of weight and I wanted to share that with other people. I am qualified. 'It wasn't like that for me': Casey, who's a qualified yoga teacher, is unimpressed by influencers that make money from exercise apps when they haven't experienced the necessary training Throwback: Casey, who's a mum to Florence, two, and Sadie, 11 months, has dropped four dress sizes since welcoming her first baby in May 2018 going from a 16 to 8 (pictured in April 2020) 'I am not a person that's created a programme with a trainer next to me doing it it's my programme, I have created it, I am qualified, I am trained and I don't have a trainer doing it for me. 'If you're creating something it should be yours. I have helped so many women transform their bodies and it has really helped them mentally too. 'Yoga Blitz isn't just a quick fix or a shake and I haven't just created a program and chucked it out there and that's it, end of, it's my baby and I am there with the women throughout the whole journey and I motivate them all the way.' Casey's views on unqualified reality stars putting their names to fitness apps comes a day after Love Island's Amber Gill, 23, launched her new platform Amber Flexx. Amber devised her plan alongside personal trainer Jon Hosking, who works out with the star in the new videos. 'I motivate them all the way': In an exclusive interview, Casey insisted her fitness programme Yoga Blitz isn't a 'quick fix' and she is not attempting to lure her following under false pretences 'I did it at my own pace': The model explained losing the weight after both births was a tough process but it hasn't put her off already planning for baby No3 Casey, who shares daughters Florence, two, and Sadie, 11 months, with fiance Dane Goodson, 32, has dropped four dress sizes since welcoming her first baby in May 2018 going from a 16 to 8. The model explained losing the weight after both births was a tough process but it hasn't put her off already planning for baby No3. She said: 'All in all, with both the pregnancies I have lost 6 stone now. I lost 4 stone with Florence and I've lost 2 stone with Sadie. This is from once I started exercising. 'I waited 10 weeks before I started exercising after having Florence. After Florence I was a size 16 and I'm an 8 now. Heaven sent: The mother-of-two hit out as she stripped off for a striking Victoria's Secret Angel-inspired lingerie shoot to launch her new 7 Day Blitz 'Obviously after having Florence, both times, I have worked hard for my body. Some people are so lucky and they literally do bounce back but I don't because I put on weight. I worked hard to get it back. 'There is a pressure and expectation from people now if I had a third baby could I do it again? 'I knew people were expecting me to lose the weight after I had Sadie but I didn't put the pressure on myself, I did it at my own pace. I did it and in a natural and healthy way and not as a quick fix.' Casey had a breast reduction in 2014 and went from a size 32GG to a 32EE but now as a result of her fitness, her famously large boobs have naturally shrunk to DDs. After struggling with back pains and the discomfort of having big breasts, that were DDs by the time she was 12 and grew to a enormous HH when she was pregnant, Casey hopes her daughters don't inherit her big bust. 'They're so heavy': Casey had a breast reduction in 2014 and went from a size 32GG to a 32EE but now as a result of her fitness, her famously large boobs have naturally shrunk to DDs She said: 'From when I was 12, I was a DD and then I went to a GG, then I had a breast reduction when I came out of Big Brother and I went down to an E but they grew back again to a FF! Then I fell pregnant and I went to a HH. 'Then I lost all of the weight and I went down to a DD and I was like yes. But after falling pregnant with Sadie they went back up to a GG and now they're back down to a DD. 'They're so heavy. Even wearing bikinis when I was younger, I used to get sores on the back of my neck and collarbones. 'My mum has got big boobs and she's had a reduction and so did my Nan and so did my dad's mum, it's inherited. I am praying the girls don't get big boobs! I am a protective mother.' 'I'm praying the girls don't get big boobs!': After struggling with big breasts, that grew to an enormous HH when she was pregnant, Casey hopes her daughters don't inherit her large chest Yoga instructor Casey believes she can help her fans shift their Christmas weight in just a week with her 7 Day Blitz, which is her brand new workout plan featured on her Yoga Blitz website. The 7 Day Blitz involves following a new 10 minute yoga/HIIT workout every day alongside a calorie controlled meal plan. Talking about the creation of Yoga Blitz, that was first launched three years ago, Casey said: 'I qualified as a yoga teacher five years ago, I danced as a young girl, and so it's always been in me. 'I put on a lot of weight in my first pregnancy I massively took advantage of eating and I put on so weight. 'After I had Florence I used my knowledge of my yoga training and combined it with high intensity exercises and created short, sharp routines that I was doing myself indoors. People were asking for more of the routines so we launched Yoga Blitz. It all came about so naturally.' Casey's 7 Day Blitz Plan is available on her Yoga Blitz website at 14.99 a month More than 400 employees of Google and the parent organization Alphabet Inc. announced the creation of an employees union on Monday. Dubbed the Alphabet Workers Union, it is a watershed moment in staunchly anti-union Silicon Valley, where no other union of this kind exists. This union is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a union that represents workers in telecommunications and media in the United States and Canada. The group has already received an outpouring of support with both Senator Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. I stand in solidarity with @AlphabetWorkers who are organizing to form a union at Google. What these workers are fighting for is not radical. They want fair wages and a workplace free from abuse, retaliation, intimidation and discrimination. And that is exactly what they deserve. tweeted Sanders. Google software engineer Kimberly Wilber, an activist with the new group, told Bloomberg that the union was their way of building power so executives cant ignore us. Wed had enough, wrote the unions vice chair and executive chair in an op-ed piece in the New York Times. Heres everything you need to know about what led to the formation of Alphabet Workers Union 1.The Alphabet Workers Union is a minority union because only 400 out of more than 260,000 full-time employees and contractors of the company formed the union. This means the group cannot ask the company to the bargaining table for negotiating contracts. However, the unions primary aim lies in giving shape to the long-standing demands of employees and not simply negotiating contracts. 2.The union is seen as a culmination of the 2018 walkout at Google, where some 20,000 employees staged a walkout after Google had paid tens of millions of dollars to two executives who had been accused of sexual misconduct by employees, letting the accused execs off the hook without any consequences. 3.Google has been accused of racial bias towards minority employees. Timnit Gebru, who worked as artificial intelligence (AI) researcher at Google was fired after she pointed out the racial bias inherent in the companys AI system. The unions vice chair Chewy Shah wrote an op-ed in the New York Times where he used Gebrus treatment at the hands of Google as one of the reasons for unionizing. Most recently, Timnit Gebru, a leading artificial intelligence researcher and one of the few Black women in her field, said she was fired over her work to fight bias. Her offence? Conducting research that was critical of large-scale A.I. models and being critical of existing diversity and inclusion efforts, he wrote. 4.Google employees have long criticised the companys involvement in projects with the Pentagon and plan to launch a censored search engine in China. The New York Times reported in December that the US federal authorities had wrongfully terminated the employment of two employees who had spoken out against the companys work with immigration authorities in 2019. 5.The union is open to all employees of all Google in North America regardless of their role and position. We are the workers who built Alphabet. We write code, clean offices, serve food, drive buses, test self-driving cars and do everything needed to keep this behemoth running. We joined Alphabet because we wanted to build technology that improves the world. Yet time and again, company leaders have put profits ahead of our concerns. We are joining together temps, vendors, contractors, and full-time employees to create a unified worker voice. We want Alphabet to be a company where workers have a meaningful say in decisions that affect us and the societies we live in. said the unions vice and executive chairs. CLEVELAND, Ohio Clevelands three largest health systems have given roughly 25,000 doses of two coronavirus vaccines to their employees, with the vast majority going to frontline workers at greatest risk of being exposed to the virus. The total includes more than 9,900 employees at the Cleveland Clinic and more than 4,000 at MetroHealth, according to data provided by each health system. University Hospitals said it has administered roughly 60% of the 17,600 doses allocated to the health system by Tuesday afternoon, meaning roughly 10,500 employees have been vaccinated. The rollout of two coronavirus vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna have been heavily scrutinized across the U.S., as Ohio and other states have struggled to quickly administer their allotted supplies. Data compiled by The Washington Post shows Ohio received 360,000 doses of the two vaccines by Tuesday afternoon and has administered at least 163,000 doses, or roughly 45% of its supply. The Ohio Department of Healths vaccine dashboard showed 175,000 doses administered by Tuesday afternoon, but the ODH has not provided a total number of doses allocated to the state. The Clinic has distributed roughly two-thirds of its allotment, said Dr. Michelle Medina, the health systems associate chief of clinical operations. However, the one-third of doses that have not been administered includes 4,000 that arrived Monday afternoon. Those should be distributed in the coming days, Medina said. The Clinic is using an app where employees on coronavirus units can sign up for the vaccine. The sign-up slots are routinely filled within hours, she said. Weve found that right now, the majority of people who are ready to get the vaccine will actually schedule themselves within the first 12 hours of an invitation going out, she said. MetroHealth said it has administered 4,000 of the 4,800 vaccine doses the health system has received thus far. Our operating principle is that a vaccine in an arm is better than a vaccine in a freezer, MetroHealth said in an email from a spokeswoman. Who is getting the vaccine? Medina estimated roughly half of the Clinics frontline employees who are at the greatest risk of being exposed to the virus have been vaccinated. Its unclear how long it will take to vaccinate all of them, she said. The frontline workers being vaccinated at the three Cleveland health systems include doctors and nurses who work on units where COVID-19 patients are treated, such as the emergency room or the ICU. Other employees who could be exposed to the virus, such as cleaning and transport staff, are also included on the ODH list of health care workers who should be prioritized during the first phase of vaccine distribution. MetroHealth said previously that it was vaccinating employees like cleaning staff who may be exposed to the virus on COVID-19 units. MetroHealth is also vaccinating lab workers who handle test samples, the health system said. University Hospitals said it is taking a tiered approach to administering the vaccine, starting with the workers who are at the highest risk for being exposed. The second tier includes other employees who are working in-person at patient care facilities, and the third tier includes all remaining UH employees. The Clinic is making exceptions for certain employees on a case-by-case basis, but those employees could be exposed to the virus as part of their duties, Medina said. Those employees could include a behavioral health counselor who may need to triage a patient in the emergency room, or a social worker who needs to visit a patient on a COVID-19 unit. Its unclear how many health care workers are declining the vaccine. All three health systems are asking their employees to sign up to be vaccinated, but there are some employees who are eligible to be vaccinated who have yet to sign up. They could decide to get vaccinated later, though. We really use an open invitation system, because we do understand that sometimes somebody may not want the vaccine now. They may want more information, Medina said. Certainly we try to educate as best we can across the system, and they may choose at a later date to actually come in and get vaccinated. Wisconsin Governor Mobilizes National Guard in Kenosha Ahead of Jacob Blake Decision About 500 Wisconsin National Guard troops have been called to active duty in an effort to stem potential violence in Kenosha, Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday. The mobilized Guard may only be used to assist local law enforcement, protect key infrastructure and institutions, and to support first responders such as the Kenosha Fire Department, Evers said in a statement. He added that the troops will not interfere with people peacefully protesting or media reporting on the situation. We are continuing to work with our local partners in the Kenosha area to ensure they have the state support they need, just as we have in the past, Evers said. Our members of the National Guard will be on hand to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans are able to assemble safely, and to protect critical infrastructure as necessary. Kenosha has experienced rioting, looting, and arson since late August 2020, when a police officer shot Jacob Blake in an attempt to arrest the 29-year-old for violating a restraining order related to a sexual assault accusation. The citys officials and business owners now prepare for another wave of unrest as they await a court decision on whether to charge the officer who shot Blake. A police armored vehicle patrols an intersection while a building set afire by rioters burns in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 24, 2020. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images) As of early Monday, city workers had finished installing protective fencing around the Kenosha Courthouse, reported Kenosha News. Several businesses in the downtown area had also boarded up their windows and doors, with a number of streets blocked from traffic. On Monday night, the Kenosha City Council unanimously approved a resolution declaring an emergency across the city, giving Mayor John Antaramian emergency authority for eight days from the announcement of possible charges against the police officer by District Attorney Michael Graveley. Graveley has said he would announce the decision within the first two weeks of January. Evers in August 2020 faced criticism from President Donald Trump, who said the Democratic governor shouldnt have hesitated in accepting his offer to send in federal forces in maintaining order. Evers also sent a letter to the White House, urging Trump to reconsider visiting Kenosha. The Governor didnt want us there. He didnt want the National Guard, as you know, Trump said during a press conference before his Kenosha visit. But I give him credit because, ultimately, he said yes and as soon as he said yes, the problem ended. The slower-than-expected return of office workers to Melbourne's central business district has dealt another blow to the city's hospitality and retail sectors, struggling to recover after an interminable 2020 and a quiet festive period. Restaurateur Guy Grossi says his industry is banking on workers and tourists returning en masse to help boost the CBD's fortunes. Melbourne restaurant owner Guy Grossi says the sector has endured another blow in recent weeks. Credit:Eamon Gallagher But that boost seems further away than the sector had hoped, with many of Melbourne's major employers in no rush to bring their staff back amid fresh community transmission of COVID-19 and strict indoor mask rules, including in workplaces. The CBD received a further blow on Tuesday when the state government confirmed it was reviewing its plans for workers, including its own public servants, to return to the office. My understanding, based upon, and I dont have any contemporaneous recollection of any of this, I was out of the office for most of that day, it was Veterans Day many, many events that day but my understanding from looking at the emails is that I was informed that Ms. Young was going to be getting the videos the next day, Lightfoot said. Now apparently, that obviously didnt happen, but that wasnt something that was brought to me. So I dont think its correct to say I received a detailed briefing. More than half of Central New York public school districts - 35 of 64 districts - have stayed fully remote coming off the holiday break, according to a survey of districts by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. In Onondaga County, however, schools have taken a different approach with only 17 percent - 3 of 18 districts - remaining fully remote due to the Covid pandemic. Two of the largest districts in the county - Syracuse and North Syracuse - and Skaneateles expect to be fully remote until mid-January. Students in other school districts across the county returned Monday to either a hybrid or in-person class schedule. Many school districts before the Christmas holiday went remote as cases and quarantines rose making it hard to staff some schools. Onondaga County officials have said Covid, while surging, isnt spread within schools. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon has said the safest place for kids to be is in school. In the Syracuse City schools, Superintendent Jaime Alicea said there are too many teachers and students out with the virus or quarantined to reopen. Finding substitutes to cover for teachers who are out has been difficult, he said. Over the break, 148 students and staff tested positive for the virus and 250 are quarantined. In the surrounding counties, the number of districts returning to in-person instruction is a different story. In Cayuga County, for example, all seven districts have remained fully remote after two top county officials urged them to not reopen classes. Cayuga County Legislature Chairwoman Aileen McNabb-Coleman and Kathleen Cuddy, the countys public health director, issued a statement Saturday asking schools in the county to stay remote for the first three weeks of 2021. They noted the surge in cases and the potential for staff shortages due to quarantines. All the school districts in Cayuga County followed the countys advice. Only one - Weedsport - at this time plans to return to in-person instruction next week, according to the school districts website. The other districts dont plan to reopen open until Jan. 19 or later. In Oswego County, eight of nine districts are remote this week, with most delaying any in-person learning until Jan. 19 The 10 districts in Madison County are split, with five districts going fully remote and five returning to in-person or hybrid learning. In Oneida County, 12 of the 15 districts are fully remote this week. No district in Cortland stayed fully remote. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources 4-year-old CNY boy who died of Covid complications had been healthy: I lost my miracle baby Syracuses Christmas tree goes dark to memorialize Covid-19 deaths (photos) Can New York force you to get a coronavirus vaccine? Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com. Gov. Gavin Newsom said to brace for a surge on top of a surge of post-holiday coronavirus cases, and on Monday that grim prediction appeared to take shape: California reported more than 70,000 cases, the most in any one day since the pandemic began. The sober tally arrived after a brief lull in the wave that has swept over the state for the past two months. Average daily cases had tapered off for a week or two, but public health officials warned that the respite likely was temporary, and they anticipated a fresh swell of cases from Christmas and New Years. This week is critical in terms of a bigger understanding of where we are, Newsom said in a news briefing on Monday. We are entering into what we anticipate the surge on top of a surge is going to put a lot of pressure on (intensive care units) coming out of the holidays. The record case count 74,135 cases on Monday came even as California continued to fumble its coronavirus vaccination efforts, reporting that only about a third of all doses sent to the state have been administered. About 450,000 people have been vaccinated so far. Meanwhile, the state over the weekend identified five more patients infected with a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus, for a total of six cases, all in Southern California. Though infectious disease experts say the vaccine should work against the new strain, officials are worried that its already circulating in the state and could intensify the ongoing surge and make it more difficult to get under control. Newsom said parts of the state ramped up enforcement of stay-at-home orders over Christmas and, in particular, New Years Eve to prevent superspreader events and parties. State authorities visited more than 2,500 bars and restaurants, particularly in Los Angeles County, over Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, he said. In the Bay Area, a large hospital outbreak reported over the weekend underscored how easily the virus can be spread, even among people who are well informed of the threat. At least 44 cases, including one death, have been reported at Kaiser Permanente San Jose, after an employee who was infected but had no symptoms showed up in the emergency department on Christmas Day wearing an inflatable costume. Kaiser is investigating the outbreak and whether the costume contributed to the virus spreading to so many people at once. Hospitals and intensive care Intensive care capacity on Monday remained maxed out in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, where hospitals have been bringing in health care workers from outside the region and adding makeshift ICU wards to care for COVID-19 patients. ICU availability in the Bay Area climbed to 7.9% on Monday, after dipping to a low of 5.1% over the weekend. The regional availability has remained under 10% for nearly a week, which does not bode well for the Bay Area being released from the states stay-at-home order. The Bay Area order could expire as early as Friday but unless ICU availability increases to at least 15% by then, the mandate likely will be extended. San Francisco officials announced last week that the city will remain under a shelter-in-place order for at least two more weeks. We are anticipating another surge in post-holiday cases and hospitalizations, Dr. Sundari Mase, the Sonoma County health officer, said in a news briefing Monday. We dont anticipate to come out of the state stay-at-home order for a few more weeks. Were still seeing widespread transmission of the virus. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are growing both for the state and the region, but the number of patients in intensive care has held fairly steady over the past week. As of Sunday, 21,128 COVID-19 patients were in the hospital in California, including 4,584 in intensive care. The Bay Area had 2,106 hospitalized patients and 506 in intensive care, down from a high of 520 ICU patients on New Years Eve and New Years Day. Ninety patients in California were being treated in alternative care sites run by the state, which have been opened to ease pressure on inundated hospitals in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. Five such sites are currently open. State and federal authorities also have deployed nearly 1,300 workers to provide backup at stressed hospitals. Weve seen a seven-fold increase (in COVID-19 hospitalizations) in just two months. On ICU admissions, a six-fold increase in just two months. It shows what can happen in a very short, short period of time, Newsom said. Cases and deaths Mondays large case count was tied mostly to Christmas-related disease spread, but it also was artificially high due to reporting lags over the end-of-year holidays, public health officials said. Many counties skipped several days of reporting over the past week and started to catch up on Monday. And the state took down its reporting database for scheduled maintenance on Saturday. For example, Riverside County alone recorded 17,683 cases on Monday after three days of no reports, according to The Chronicle data tracker. The Bay Area reported 3,872 cases on Monday far from a record total and roughly in line with the daily average over the past couple of weeks. Aside from the states alarming report, daily average cases had been roughly flat for California and the Bay Area. California averaged about 36,000 cases a day last week and the Bay Area about 3,800. Public health officials said that wasnt simply under-reporting, but evidence that the state was starting to slow down its fall and winter surge. We believe the regional stay-at-home order did make an important difference over the last few weeks to reduce that curve, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California Health and Human Services. That very steep uptick, it was flattened just a little bit. I believe we did buy ourselves a little bit of room to deal with what we have ahead of us. Deaths from COVID-19 continue to climb, however. Dec. 31 was the deadliest day of the year for both the state and the Bay Area, with 575 COVID-19 deaths reported in California, including 91 in the Bay Area, according to a Chronicle data analysis. The state reported an average of 336 deaths a day last week. The Bay Area reported 29 deaths a day. The state reported 379 deaths on Monday. Vaccinations Newsom said Monday that he would propose an infusion of at least $300 million to bolster Californias coronavirus vaccine distribution efforts in his forthcoming budget plan the governor will announce later this week. The money would be used to build out the vaccine management system, bulk up transportation and storage supplies and expand a public education campaign, Newsom said. California ranks among the bottom 10 states in percentage of available doses used, according to a vaccine shot tracker managed by Bloomberg News. Newsom said complicated logistics have slowed the distribution. The state is assigning vaccine amounts to local health departments, which are subsequently dividing those up among facilities in their communities. The facilities must then order the doses through the state, but they are delivered by the manufacturers. Weve got work to do on this, Newsom said, acknowledging that the states immunization campaign so far has not gone smoothly. As we move into January we want to see things accelerated, we want to see things go much faster. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Alexei Koseff and Catherine Ho contributed to this report. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com He called it a medical miracle. Dr. David Cennimo marveled at the speed in which the COVID-19 vaccines were developed and rolled out as he got the shot himself last week. He just hopes the public follows suit. Nobody really thought we could get a vaccine in less than a year, said Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Newarks Veterans Affairs clinic. In that short time, two vaccines have been approved and are in the early stages of rollout, going to essential workers before the general public. But Cennimo fears that not enough people will get immunized at least not enough to reach the herd immunity threshold and halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Even he has friends who reached out to him with safety concerns, while others have expressed fear over the vaccines speedy development, side effects and what some view as the rollouts confusing messaging. Im not 100% confident that enough people are going to get the vaccine quickly enough to drastically twist the curves and drastically make herd immunity, Cennimo said. A large portion of the public is wary. In fact, a quarter of Americans remain unsure they will get the vaccine, with another quarter saying they wont get immunized, according to a recent survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli indicated some hopeful signs Monday at a state coronavirus media briefing. Between Dec. 13 and Dec. 26, there was a 9% climb in New Jersey residents who said they would definitely get vaccinated. The problem? Only 53% have said theyre willing to get the shot. Its not only the public that remains hesitant and even skeptical. Many health care workers have said they are nervous too, citing side effects that have been reported. Listen, Im not suggesting that there arent people out there who arent nervous about this, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday. Im just not aware of any big wave of folks in that category. And I think with the passage of time and the lack of horror stories associated with vaccinations and thats where we are now. Were now beginning week four, and again, [with] very little anecdotal or other evidence of people having bad reactions, etc. to it. Cennimo, University Hospital CEO Dr. Shereef Elnahal and other New Jersey health officials stress that the medical community has to be open, honest and relatable in discussing the vaccines amid an era of mistrust, fake news and the politicization of public health. While medical experts continue to develop vaccines and improved treatments for COVID-19, they grapple with how to convince the public that immunizations are safe. The proper messaging is the new puzzle that doctors and health officials say they must confront to end a pandemic that has claimed more than 19,000 lives in New Jersey and 353,000 in the U.S. But the medical community has never been great at the public relations aspect of the job, Cennimo conceded. Countless experts continue to get the message out on television and through social media that the vaccines are safe, hoping the public will trust them. But trust is hard to come by these days, especially in communities of color, which have historical reasons to be suspicious of the medical establishment. How do you repair that trust? How can medical experts say the phrase I dont know or reverse course on previously held views in the fluid landscape that is a pandemic without being seen as incompetent? Dr. Evelyn Balogun, medical director for urgent care at Inspira Health in Vineland, advised her parents and in-laws that the vaccines are safe. The guidance that I would give to any patient would be the guidance I would give to any family member If I have any uncertainty, I am very transparent and would share that, she said. But many in the public have expressed concerns about the vaccines, including worries over the speed of their development and sometimes conflicting messaging. Cennimo regularly talks with an old college friend, Dr. Shane Owens, a New York State psychologist. They hung out together at Drew University in the mid-1990s. They share a unique bond and often talk about the need for medical professionals to improve their communication skills and messaging with patients and the public at-large. One of the things that were not trained to do well, in graduate school and medical school, is talk with people who are not doctors, or psychologists or scientists, Owens said. And thats a real shame that our training does not include that, because people need access to us directly and through the media. Owens has hosted lectures for physicians on how to use motivational interviewing techniques to combat vaccine hesitancy. He and Cennimo have talked at length over the phone throughout the past few months, as the nation grapples with vaccine concerns despite COVID-19s death toll. For Cennimo, when there are nuanced questions, its up to doctors to provide nuanced answers in ways that people can understand. Its hardly a simple task. You have to be able to have those conversations from a point of almost humility This is what we dont know, Cennimo said. There are still many unknowns about the vaccines and their side effects. There are lingering questions about the risks for pregnant women, children under 16 and dosing. Early on, experts reversed course on whether the public should wear masks. Theyre also changing their thinking on school closings. In the beginning, closing school sounded like a great idea Now, I would admit, we dont have great data that support wholesale closing of schools, Cennimo said. Dr. Brian Cole, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Englewood Spine Associates, recently got his first dose of the vaccine and is waiting to get his second and final shot. When it comes to messaging to the public, he said, Were in the new world. Its a difficult for doctors to have ambiguous conversations out in the open in real-time. Cole said he still believes more clinical studies are needed regarding teens and kids and the vaccines. But for front line workers, adults and older adults, he said the risk-reward is clear. Im at risk, he said. And the alternative is death for me. When it comes to immunizations, Cennimo will tell friends the same: The risks of not getting vaccinated vastly outweigh those posed by the vaccines. Ed Lifshitz, New Jerseys communicable disease service medical director, put it bluntly Monday. Let me put it relatively simply: In New Jersey, weve had about half a million cases of COVID with almost 20,000 deaths, he said. In the United States, weve given almost 10 times that number of doses (of vaccine), or over 4 million doses with zero deaths from the vaccine. I certainly would take my odds with the vaccine over the virus any day of the week. Still, the public gets afraid when there are no simple answers, experts know. But Cennimo maintains health care professionals shouldnt give simple answers when there are none. If Im talking to you, and youre like, Im really afraid of whats in this vaccine, then I need to come to (you) with: OK, lets talk about whats in the vaccine, Cennimo said. During his residency, he learned just how smart the public is. He was doing internal medicine and pediatrics, working with several teenagers at the time. Dealing with teenagers and adolescents, if you fib, equivocate, they will catch you, Cennimo said. He has gotten text messages from friends over the past few months asking about the vaccines. Its funny the amount of times I get a text from a friend and theyre like, Is this safe? Cennimo said, with a hint of frustration. He is almost repelled by the notion of having to provide a simple answer to something thats anything but simple. With one friend, he picked up the phone and called, refusing to simply text a short response. Cennimo responded to his friend: What does safe mean to you? He added: Now, I can tell you, Look, people have done really, really well. And yes, there have been some side effects, but its nowhere near the risks, or the severity of the effect of actually getting COVID. These are all truths. But if I tell you, No, its fine, youre going to find the first person whose arm is sore the whole next day, (and) youre going to call me a liar. Appropriately, you shouldnt believe anything else I say. For Cennimo, its a complicated, but necessary response that the public needs to hear now more than ever in skeptical times. In the long run, he believes honestly and transparency will successfully combat the conspiracies and misinformation better than simple soundbites and spin. If I tell you that there are no significant side effects, you know thats a lie, Cennimo said. Doctors need room to make mistakes, say the wrong thing and reverse course at times, he added. But the public needs straight answers from experts. I totally think thats what we need to do, Cennimo said. But I think that we need to expect that. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More IT major Tech Mahindra on Tuesday said its research and development arm, Makers Lab, has collaborated with the College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune to address challenges in the field of defence through technological innovations. CME will leverage the partnership to address critical military problem statements and be future-ready using next-generation technologies of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, a statement said. Through this collaboration, Makers Lab will provide real world technological exposure to the army officers at CME and assist them in getting the nuances of next-generation technologies such as AI, Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) to make them future-ready for modern-day warfare, it added. As a part of this partnership, Tech Mahindra will establish a Makers Lab at CME to utilise their diverse set of capabilities and promote R&D to provide cutting-edge technology solutions for defence forces. Makers Lab''s mission is to promote technology innovation by providing a common platform where academia, industry and government can come together to recognise transformative ideas and create disruptive solutions, Nikhil Malhotra, Global Head of Makers Lab, Tech Mahindra said. "The collaboration will enable our defence forces to address future challenges by leveraging digital technologies and innovation," he added. Lt Gen PP Malhotra, VSM, Commandant, College of Military Engineering, Pune, said CME has taken various steps towards developing successful ideas and innovations in the niche field of AI and Robotics. "The college has domain expertise and now with the assistance of Makers Lab, Tech Mahindra Ltd, I am sure we would be able to solve many challenges for Indian Army. I am hopeful that this initiative would take us a long way in undertaking research and development in this extremely challenging sphere," he said. BELLVILLE, N.J., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ABCO Systems, a leading warehouse design and build material handling company, has made NJBIZ's Fast 50 list of the fastest-growing companies in New Jersey, ranking number 11 of 50. On December 16, 2020, the NJBIZ's top 50 companies were honored during a virtual award ceremony. The award ceremony recognizes New Jersey's most dynamic companies, who make significant contributions to the success of the state's economic growth and stability. To qualify, companies must meet specific criteria that included revenue of at least $500,000 within the past two out of three years and growth in revenue over three years. During the pandemic, ABCO Systems has dedicated its time to helping companies transition to ecommerce and helping businesses make their fulfillment systems more efficient in response to COVID-19. ABCO Equipment was owned and operated by Michael Weisberg for over 30 years. He was then joined in the business by his son, Seth, and they formed ABCO Systems Inc. in Carlstadt, New Jersey. Currently located in Belleville, Michael, who now acts as a consultant and advisor, and Seth, bring their perspective to the industry and work together to provide their customers with solutions and customer service that are second to none. ABCO Systems is honored to be recognized as one of NJBIZ's fastest-growing companies in New Jersey and will continue to focus on being a leader for warehouse design and turnkey material handling solutions. To learn more about ABCO Systems visit https://www.abcosystems.net or call (201) 507 - 0999 About ABCO Systems ABCO Systems is passionate about helping customers improve quality, increase capacity, reduce costs, and improve efficiency in their fulfillment centers. ABCO believes in doing right by those they serve and pride themselves on creating long-lasting partnerships with their customers. Contact Information: Sarah Ahmad [email protected] (201)-507-0999 ext. 102 SOURCE ABCO Systems (Newser) Fetal remains have been discovered in the wall of a home in South Carolina and are thought to have been there "for a long period of time." That's according to Spartanburg County coroner Rusty Clevenger, who was notified of the discovery at a home in Pacolet during remodelling work over the weekend, per CNN. The case marks a first in Clevenger's 30 years as coroner. "I've never had a child in a wall," he tells WSPA, which describes the remains as "pieces of a skeleton." "It does shock the conscience of most people," Clevenger adds. The remains have been turned over to a forensic anthropologist to gain more information. Results could be several months away. (Read about how a Texas woman's body came to be found within the walls of her home.) Were seeing a number of shifts this year in hiring as technologies mature, new ones emerge and companies work to cut costs by blending full-time IT staff with contract work. While some see the gig economy as a flexible new way to work, one that appeals to solo entrepreneurs, others see a general consequence of the Great Recession. Either way, the gig economy is experiencing growing pains. And growing it is: 40 percent of the workforce is expected to be part of it by 2020, according to a report by Intuit. One thing hasnt changed this year: Recruiting top talent is still difficult for most firms, and demand greatly outstrips supply. Thats influencing many of the areas we looked at, including compensation and retention. Whether youre looking to expand your team or job searching yourself, read on to see which IT hiring practices are trending and which ones are falling out of favor. Hot: Workplace flexibility Even for companies that want their staff based at HQ full time, workplace flexibility is on the rise, according to a number of experts and studies that weigh in on what job candidates want. Being able to work from home from a coffee shop, or carving out a day or two as part of a longer vacation is increasing, says Jeb Ory, CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Phone2Action. Technology mobility is here to stay, and companies need a combination of in-office workplaces and flexible remote work options. In the tech industry, remote work is essentially an expectation in 2017, says Lynette Estrada, director of global talent acquisition at Nutanix. Weve seen workplace flexibility become a major trend for the tech industry, both in IT and across all job functions, Estrada says. At her own company, employees are encouraged to talk to their managers about flexible time, including working at home during the week or leaving early on occasion for external commitments, Estrada says. The aim is to achieve greater work-life balance, she says which can help with retention and stems burnout. Cold: Full-time remote work While workplace flexibility including working at satellite offices are on the rise, fully remote work situations arent nearly as common. IBM, Yahoo, Reddit and HP are some of the notable examples of companies that pulled workers back to the office unless certain workers had a specific need to work remotely full time. When it comes to IT hiring, were seeing a trend toward building teams of 100 percent on-site, full-time employees, says Ory. Software companies are focusing on building out teams to address the varied technical and product needs they have and a key element to a high-performing team is building trust, which comes most easily from working together, in close proximity, day in, day out. Obviously office-based work isnt a one-size-fits-all solution. Some companies report increased productivity using a fully distributed staff. And turnover, one-off projects, and some specialized, short-term needs will continue to require contractors some on site but often working remotely to quickly adopt the best available talent. There needs to be a balance, says Colin Doherty, CEO of Fuze, which makes audio and video cloud-based communication collaboration tools. In the traditional office environment, leaders had physical evidence of who was engaged and disengaged based on who showed up when, observing what was on peoples screens, and other visual cues, he says. The real challenge for companies is less about whether or not employees need to be in the office and more about how you can foster engagement regardless of where they get work done. Hot: Blended workforces/flexible staffing Blended IT groups offer a standard baseline of full-time staff, with the option to add or dial back contractors as needed. Hong Kong: Mobile testing station at hospital set The Government today announced that a new mobile specimen collection station will be set up in Princess Margaret Hospital to provide free COVID-19 testing services for the workers, visitors and patients. With the prolonged local COVID-19 epidemic situation, there have been widespread virus cases across all districts. Some patients have been asymptomatic, indicating the existence of many silent transmission chains in the community. The Government has exercised the power under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation to cover several buildings under compulsory testing notices and require residents, workers and visitors to undergo testing. It has arranged for testing service providers to set up mobile specimen collection stations in various districts to provide free and convenient testing services for people covered under the compulsory testing notices. Apart from the mobile stations, those subject to compulsory testing may also choose to receive free testing at community testing centres in all districts. Such centres operate from 8am to 1.30pm and from 2.30pm to 8pm daily and provide booking and on-site registration services. Meanwhile, as several confirmed cases have been found in Kat Hing Wai, Kam Tin Heung, Yuen Long, the community testing centre at Yuen Long Town East Community Hall has extended its free testing service to Kat Hing Wai residents from today until January 7 tentatively. This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Delhi: A health worker in Portugal died two days after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. This comes as a shock to the world community and has raised questions over the safety and efficiency of the Pfizer vaccine. According to the Daily mail, Sonia Acevedo, a 41-year-old nurse suffered a "sudden death" at her home on Friday (January 1), 48 hours after being vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Sonia Acevedo had no health condition before and did not suffer from any side effects after taking the vaccine. Sonia worked at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in the department of paediatrics in Porto. She has two children and lived with her family. She, being a frontline health worker was given a Pfizer- BioNTech developed vaccine on Wednesday (January 30). Shocked after the death of his daughter, Abilio Acevedo requested authorities to investigate her demise and said that he "wanted answers". He talked to Portuguese news agency Correio da Manha that " she was okay. She had not had any health issues. She took the COVID-19 vaccine but did not have any symptoms. I don't know what happened, I just need answers. I want to know what led to Sonia's death. Portuguese Institute of Oncology released a statement which said, ' With regard to the sudden death of an operational assistant from Porto IPO on January 1, 2021, the Board of Directors confirms the event and expresses sincere regret to the family and friends in the certainty that this loss is also felt here.' 'The explanation of the cause of death will follow the usual procedures in these circumstances.' the statement added. Indonesian ride-hailing and payments firm Gojek and e-commerce leader Tokopedia are in advanced talks to seal a $18 billion merger ahead of a potential dual listing in Jakarta and the United States, people with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. A deal, which would be the biggest yet for Indonesia, could transform the landscape in the country's e-commerce market, whose growth has accelerated as stay-at-home pandemic restrictions have stoked demand for food delivery and e-payments. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Bigger rivals in the space include Southeast Asian ride-hailing, food delivery and e-payments firm Grab, and Singapore-based regional internet company Sea Ltd, which commands a market value of $100 billion and operates e-commerce platform Shopee. As a merged company, decade-old start-ups, Gojek and Tokopedia would seek to expand market share and pursue profitability by offering services, such as grocery shopping and courier services from a single platform. "An international listing for a regional internet group will showcase that Southeast Asia isn't a one-hit wonder. It'll pave the way for global growth and exits for several other high-growth startups from the region," said Varun Mittal, head of emerging markets fintech business at E&Y. Common investors in the pair, which are Indonesia's most valuable start-ups, include Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd, Sequoia Capital and Google. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and SoftBank Group Corp are among Tokopedia's investors, while Gojek's include Warburg Pincus LLC and Tencent Holdings Ltd. Three of the people with direct knowledge of the matter said Gojek and Tokopedia in late December agreed to conduct due diligence of each other's business. The founders and some senior executives of Gojek and Tokopedia have been friends for the last decade and aim to finalise a deal in the first half, the people said. "These are amicable conversations between mutually trusted partners. The broad terms are largely agreed," said one person. Talks between the companies started in 2018, two people said. Negotiations gathered momentum in November last year after months of merger talks between Gojek and Grab faltered, they said. To finalise a deal, Gojek and Tokopedia need to thrash out merger ratios and seek approval from their boards. The people said Gojek was last valued at just over $10 billion and Tokopedia at around $7 billion. The combined entity would figure in the top 10 Indonesian companies by market value and become one of the largest Southeast Asian tech companies. All the sources declined to be identified as the talks were private. Gojek, Tokopedia and Grab declined to comment. BATTLEGROUND INDONESIA A listing of the combined businesses could raise as much as $2 billion, two people said, in what could be one of the biggest IPOs by an Indonesian company. Reuters reported last month that Tokopedia received a merger approach from a blank-cheque acquisition firm. Tokopedia had said an indirect listing via a special purpose acquisition company was an option. Gojek and Grab are both seeking to become one-stop shops for ride-hailing, food delivery and payments. Tokopedia is a marketplace which, unlike most of its rivals, does not hold its own inventory. Southeast Asia, with a population of about 650 million, expects to see its internet economy grow to $300 billion from an estimated $100 billion last year. "In order to truly compete against Sea, Gojek and Tokopedia would have to demonstrate that they are more than an Indonesian business," said Joel Shen, a technology lawyer at Withers. "On the other hand, Gojek and Tokopedia are seen as homegrown tech champions. For this reason, a merger would appeal more strongly to the nationalistic sentiments of Indonesian investors and regulators alike." Gojek has expanded in countries including Singapore and Vietnam, while Tokopedia's Indonesian marketplace has more than 100 million monthly active users. Bloomberg News earlier reported merger talks between Gojek and Tokopedia. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. VAIO, originally a brand of Sony, which was sold to Japan Industrial Partners in February 2014, is relaunching in the Indian market. The brand post the sale was discontinued in the country. Known for sleek and portable laptops with top-end features and high performance, VAIO is making a comeback and has partnered with Flipkart. Debuting with its range of premium, intelligently-crafted laptops, VAIO aims to regain its place and popularity amongst its customers again. Seema Bhatnagar, Regional Business Director, South Asia, VAIO said, "We are enthused to relaunch VAIO and associate with names that have made it big in the e-commerce industry. Introducing finest-quality laptops in India, the brand focuses on reclaiming its space in the market while having an unrivalled demand by the customers. We are all set to present futuristic laptop range to the country's burgeoning tech-enthusiasts and young business professionals. We are looking forward to becoming the top choice for laptop buyers across the country." The pandemic COVID-19 has fuelled sales of laptops, resulting in many new players entering the laptop category in India. The Chinese internet company that is doing well in the smartphone and smart TV space had launched Mi Notebook series in June 2020. And just recently, Nokia laptop was launched and is available for purchase on Flipkart. While the new entrants are aggressive but competition against established brands such as HP, Dell, Asus, Lenovo can be a bit challenging. For VAIO to succeed, the company needs to focus on a few things. While specifications can be easily matched to the highest computer ever made, it is the distinctive design, a wide range of offerings at an aggressive price and robust after-sales service that can be differentiating for the company. According to the press statement issued by the company, the brand is relaunching itself in the country on 15 January 2021, it is retracing its way into tech-enthusiasts' hearts as it steps back in the competition with the Hong Kong-based Nexstgo Company Limited. The brand offers various services such as manufacturing, sales and marketing as well as servicing of VAIO laptops under the VAIO trademark in Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Middle East markets. Fuelling the interest of tech-enthusiasts, VAIO intends to re-secure its rapport as the pioneer of tech-savvy laptops. Also read: Amazon, Swiggy payments partner Juspay suffers data breach - 3.5 crore records compromised Also read: Google employees form union amid calls for change in pay, harassment policies The FBI managed to locate Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured in 2016) at her New Hampshire hideaway by obtaining a search warrant to track her cellphone data, according to court documents The FBI managed to locate Ghislaine Maxwell at her New Hampshire hideaway where she was arrested on sex crime charges last year by obtaining a search warrant to track her cellphone data, according to court documents. The newly unsealed affidavit filed by an FBI agent on July 1 reveals how authorities tracked down Jeffrey Epstein's alleged madam to the $1 million estate where she was holing up. It was filed the day before Maxwell's arrest, as part of an application for a search warrant to track down her whereabouts. It reveals how authorities first obtained a warrant in New York to access GPS and historical cell site data for Maxwell which narrowed down their search for the suspect to a one square mile radius in New Hampshire. The net then closed in further on Maxwell, 58, when the FBI obtained another warrant to use a 'stingray' device to send and receive signals from nearby cellphones, reported the Daily Beast. This technology enables authorities to capture both a phone's location and details of its registered user. Its use led federal investigators to the $1 million estate in Bradford, New Hampshire, aptly named Tuckedaway, where they swooped and arrested Maxwell on July 2. The documents also reveal that Maxwell's phone, which was registered under the name 'G Max', had not been used to communicate with her husband Scott Borgerson, 44, since around March. This apparent lack of phone communication between the spouses in the months leading up to her arrest comes as Maxwell was denied bail for a second time last month. In July it was reported that the FBI smashed down the door and discovered a mobile phone wrapped in tin foil which prosecutors called a 'seemingly misguided effort to evade detection' by law enforcement. Maxwell had claimed her marriage to Borgerson showed she would not be a flight risk if freed but prosecutors said Maxwell had been 'in the process of divorcing' her husband at the time of her arrest. Maxwell is now behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn awaiting trial on charges of procuring girls as young as 14 for convicted pedophile Epstein between 1994 and 1997. At the time of her arrest, federal prosecutors said Maxwell had changed her phone number to one registered under 'G Max,' changed her email address, moved at least twice and when she ordered delivery packages had them delivered to a different name. The newly unsealed affidavit was filed by an FBI agent on July 1, the day before Maxwell's arrest at the property (above), as part of an application for a search warrant to track down Jeffrey Epstein's alleged madam Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein in 2005. The document reveals how authorities first obtained a warrant in New York to access GPS and historical cell site data for Maxwell which narrowed down their search for the suspect to a one square mile radius in New Hampshire The July 1 arrest warrant states that Maxwell used the 'G Max' number to contact Borgerson, her sister Isabel and her lawyer Laura Menninger, according to the Daily Beast. To track down Epstein's alleged madam, authorities first obtained a search warrant in New York to get GPS and historical cell site data for this account, which had a northeastern Massachusetts area code, the document states. This enabled authorities to narrow down her location to one square mile in New Hampshire but this data did not determine her exact location within the area, it reveals. The FBI then applied for a second warrant - this time in New Hampshire - to use the 'stingray' technology to pin down her exact whereabouts in the state, the Beast reported. 'The FBI does not know Maxwell's current location and accordingly requires the information sought in this application in order to locate and arrest Maxwell,' the document states. The net then closed in further on Maxwell, 58, when the FBI obtained another warrant to use a 'stingray' device to send and receive signals from nearby cellphones, reported the Daily Beast. Pictured a boulder inscribed with 'Tucked Away' going to the New Hampshire estate This enabled authorities to capture both a phone's location and details of its registered user and led federal investigators to the $1 million estate in Bradford, New Hampshire (above) To narrow down her location, the FBI asked for a warrant to allow it to use a device or devices that act like a cell tower to send and receive signals from Maxwell's phone. 'Such a device may function in some respects like a cellular tower, except that it will not be connected to the cellular network and cannot be used by a cell phone to communicate with others,' the affidavit reads. The documents say that the device would not intercept her calls, texts or other communications. The device, known as a cell site simulator, a Stingray or IMSI catcher, works by acting as a cell tower and forcing cellphones within its vicinity to share information with it including the phone's current location and its registered user. Within 24 hours of the warrant application being filed, authorities had located and arrested Maxwell at the sprawling estate. DailyMail.com previously revealed that federal authorities began flying planes over the property from 4.20am on the morning of July 2 amid concerns she would try to escape. A total of 24 armed officers including FBI agents, officers from the local police force, New York police and New Hampshire's gang task force then smashed down the front door to her home at 8.20am and slapped handcuffs on her wrists. Maxwell bought the 156-acre property in December 2019 for $1.07 million. The documents also reveal that Maxwell's phone, which was registered under the name 'G Max', had not been used to communicate with her husband Scott Borgerson, 44, since around March. The couple pictured in 2013 She paid in all cash using an LLC called Granite Reality LLC to hide her identity. Her arrest was the culmination of a year-long hunt, after Epstein was arrested on new sex trafficking charges in July 2019. Maxwell has since unsuccessfully tried twice to be freed from jail on bail with a federal judge turning down her latest request in December. She had put forward a $28.5 million bail package including $22.5 million in cash and assets from her and Borgerson, $5 million in property from her family and a $1 million bond from a private security company. The judge said the package showed she had 'extraordinary financial resources' she could use to 'flee the country undetected' and voiced suspicions that the amount was much higher than the $3.5 million Maxwell claimed to be worth after her arrest in July. Maxwell had also argued that her 44-year-old husband, a tech entrepreneur, was a strong tie to the US as further proof she wouldn't flee. Prosecutors said, however, that Maxwell was in the process of divorcing Borgerson in the lead-up to her arrest. A courtroom sketch of Maxwell from July. Maxwell is now behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn awaiting trial on charges of procuring girls as young as 14 for convicted pedophile Epstein between 1994 and 1997 Epstein died by suicide at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan August 2019 while awaiting trial Maxwell's lawyers claimed she only talked about divorcing her husband to 'protect him' from being associated with her. Epstein was found hanging in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan August 2019 while awaiting trial. He had pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing girls as young as 14 and young women in New York and Florida in the early 2000s. His death was ruled a suicide but his attorneys and some family members claim he was murdered to stop him from sharing what he knows about other high profile, powerful people. Maxwell is now awaiting her sex trafficking trial in summer 2021. She has been charged with conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and two counts of perjury. Prosecutors say Maxwell groomed three girls between 1994 and 1997 for Epstein in London, Florida, New York and New Mexico. She then not only facilitated Epstein abusing them, prosecutors say, but took part in some of the abuse herself. On this day trip from Fes, youll have the opportunity to discover the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the Spanish-Moorish architecture of Meknes. Your first stop will be in Volubilis, where youll get to see the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman complex. Youll then move on to Moulay Idriss to stroll along the narrow streets of this charming town, named after Moroccos first Islamic ruler. The last stop will be in Meknes, founded in the 11th century as a military settlement and then developed into a magnificent city that became Moroccos capital when the Alaouite dynasty first came to power. You can admire the medinas monumental gates and take in the beautiful Moorish decorative features all around. Before returning to Fes, youll get to walk along the city walls, visit the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail and have a close look at the collections of craftwork on display at the Museum of Moroccan Art. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. South Korea says it will dispatch a government delegation to Iran "at the earliest possible date" to try secure the release of a tanker seized by Iran amid tensions over Iranian funds frozen in Seoul because of U.S. sanctions. A Foreign Ministry spokesman made the announcement on January 5, a day after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized the South Korean-flagged MT Hankuk Chemi and detained its crew of 20 near the strategic Strait of Hormuz over pollution violations -- an allegation rejected by the ship's operator. The spokesman also said that South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun will go ahead with a previously planned trip to Tehran early next week, as Iranian officials seek the release of billions of dollars frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions. The frozen assets stem from oil sales earned before Washington tightened sanctions on Iran following the U.S. withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. In Tehran, an Iranian government spokesman rejected allegations that Iran's seizure of the tanker amounted to hostage taking. "If anybody is to be called a hostage taker, it is the South Korean government that has taken our more than $7 billion hostage under a futile pretext," Ali Rabiei told reporters. Earlier, the U.S. State Department called for the tanker's immediate release, accusing Iran of threatening "navigational rights and freedoms" in the Persian Gulf in order to "extort the international community into relieving the pressure" of economic sanctions. Meanwhile, the South Korean Defense Ministry announced that a destroyer carrying members of South Korea's anti-piracy unit arrived in waters near the Strait of Hormuz -- through which 20 percent of all oil traded passes -- and was "carrying out a mission to ensure the safety of our nationals." The MT Hankuk Chemi, which had been traveling from Saudi Arabia to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, is currently in the port city of Bandar Abbas. The Iranian ambassador to Seoul told officials that the crew, which included sailors from Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea, and Vietnam, was safe and healthy, the Yonhap news agency reported. Iranian media quoted the IRGC as saying the vessel was carrying 7,200 tons of "oil chemical products." The ship was "seized due to the repeated infringement of maritime environmental laws," it said, adding that the case "will be handed over to the judicial authorities of the country." The incident comes with tensions on the rise in the region coinciding with the first anniversary of the killing by U.S. air strike of a top Iranian general. The assassination of Major General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC's elite Quds Force, in Baghdad on January 3, 2020, saw Iran retaliate by launching a ballistic-missile strike that injured dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq. Tehran also accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that night, killing all 176 people on board. As the anniversary approached, the United States sent B-52 bombers flying over the region as well as a nuclear-powered submarine into the Persian Gulf. The Iranian government also said on January 4 that the country had resumed 20 percent uranium enrichment at an underground facility, a level far above limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal with six major powers. Tehran has gradually reduced its compliance with the accord since the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and started imposing crippling sanctions on Iran. Enriched uranium can be used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear warheads, with 90 percent purity considered weapons-grade. Tehran has always denied pursuing nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear program was strictly for civilian purposes. With reporting by AFP, dpa, Reuters, AP, and RFE/RL's Radio Farda More than two-thirds of the 15 million coronavirus vaccines shipped within the United States have gone unused, US health officials said on Tuesday (AEDT), as the governors of New York and Florida vowed to penalise hospitals that do not dispense shots quickly. Medical authorities have confronted widespread distrust of immunisation safety, even among some healthcare workers, owing in part to the record speed with which COVID-19 vaccines were developed and approved, 11 months after the virus emerged in the United States. But some US officials also have cited organisational glitches in launching the most ambitious mass inoculation campaign in the nation's history in the year-end holiday season. "The logistics of getting it going into the people who want it is really the issue," Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading US infectious disease specialist, told MSNBC. "We're not where we want to be. No doubt about that. I don't think we can blame it all on vaccine hesitancy." Indonesia: President, younger workers vaccinated first Qatar, Jan 6 : Diplomatic relations have been restored between Qatar and four Arab states that imposed an embargo against it for three years, the Saudi foreign minister says. Prince Faisal bin Farhad told reporters that the countries had agreed to "fully set our differences aside" at a Gulf Co-operation Council summit on Tuesday. Earlier, Saudi Arabia's crown prince publicly embraced the emir of Qatar, the BBC reported. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism. The tiny, gas- and oil-rich state denied the accusation and rejected the conditions for ending the partial blockade, including closing the Doha-based Al Jazeera broadcast network and curbing relations with Iran. In recent months, Kuwaiti and US mediators stepped up efforts to end the stand-off. At Tuesday's summit in the Saudi heritage site of al-Ula, leaders of the six GCC member states signed an agreement that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said affirmed "our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability". "There is a desperate need today to unite our efforts to promote our region and to confront challenges that surround us, especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction," he added. Later, Prince Faisal told a news conference: "What happened today is... the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations." On Monday night, Saudi Arabia agreed to reopen its land and sea borders and airspace to Qatar. The lifting of the embargo on Qatar has taken months of patient, painstaking diplomacy, mostly by Kuwait, but with increasingly urgent prodding from the White House as the Trump presidency draws to a close. The three-and-a-half year "blockade" has been immensely costly to both Qatar's economy and to the notion of Gulf unity. Qataris will not forgive or forget in a hurry what they see as a stab in the back by their Gulf Arab neighbours. But beyond the diplomatic rhetoric one country in particular - the UAE - has grave doubts that Qatar is actually going to change its ways. While Qatar denies supporting terrorism it has supported political Islamist movements in Gaza, Libya and elsewhere, notably the transnational Muslim Brotherhood which the UAE views as an existential threat to its monarchy. Meanwhile, the embargo has, if anything, pushed Qatar closer to Saudi Arabia's ideological enemies: Turkey and Iran. Qatar has long practised an ambitious foreign policy with different priorities to some other Gulf states, but there are two key issues which have angered its neighbours in the past decade. One is Qatar's support for Islamists. Qatar acknowledges providing assistance to Islamist groups designated as terrorist organisations by some of its neighbours, notably the Muslim Brotherhood. But it denies aiding jihadist groups like al-Qaeda or Islamic State (IS). The other key issue is Qatar's relations with Iran, with which it shares the world's largest gas field. The Shia Muslim power is Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudi Arabia's main regional rival. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed all diplomatic and trade ties. Qatar's only land border was closed; ships flying the Qatari flag or those serving Qatar were banned from docking at many ports; and much of the region's airspace was closed to Qatari aircraft. The countries presented Qatar with 13 demands as conditions for ending the embargo. They included closing Al Jazeera and other Qatar-funded news outlets, downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran, closing a Turkish military base in Qatar, and ending "interference" in other countries' internal affairs. Earn your Associate of Applied Business in Business IT (BIT) degree online from the University of Cincinnati. This program can be completed fully online, with curriculum customized to fit your schedule, interests and how quickly you want to complete your degree. Application deadline July 1, 2021. Learn More A demand for a massive amount of data from nine technology companies -- including Facebook and Twitter -- has been made by the Federal Trade Commission in what could be a prelude to regulation on the handling data by the industry. The demand made Monday by the FTC seeks to obtain information on how many users the companies have, how active the users are, what the companies know about them, how they got that information, and what steps the companies take to continue to engage users. The agency also wants to know how social media and video streaming companies process the data they collect and what kinds of inferences they are able to make about user attributes, interest and interactions. In addition, the commission is gathering information on the companies' business models and how they target children and families. Firms targeted in the FTC's demand were Facebook, WhatsApp, Snap, Twitter, YouTube, ByteDance, Twitch, Reddit and Discord. Data gathered from the demand will be used for a study that will "lift the hood on the social media and video streaming firms to carefully study their engines," the commission said in a statement. "Despite their central role in our daily lives, the decisions that prominent online platforms make regarding consumers and consumer data remain shrouded in secrecy," it noted. "Critical questions about business models, algorithms, and data collection and use have gone unanswered." "Policymakers and the public are in the dark about what social media and video streaming services do to capture and sell users' data and attention," it continued. "It is alarming that we still know so little about companies that know so much about us." 'Fishing Expedition' Not all the members of the commission supported the data dump demand. Commissioner Noah Joshua Phillips, in a dissenting opinion, called the move "an undisciplined foray into a wide variety of topics, some only tangentially related to the stated focus of this investigation." "The actions undertaken today trade a real opportunity to use scarce government resources to advance public understanding of consumer data privacy practices -- critical to informing ongoing policy discussions in the United States and internationally -- for the appearance of action on a litany of gripes with technology companies," he maintained. "The breadth of the inquiry, the tangential relationship of its parts, and the dissimilarity of the recipients combine to render these orders unlikely to produce the kind of information the public needs," he continued, "and certain to divert scarce Commission resources better directed elsewhere." Julian Sanchez, a senior fellow with the Cato Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C. also questioned the wisdom of the FTC's move. "The breadth of the information requests -- covering everything from data practices to advertising to business strategy -- from nine somewhat arbitrarily chosen companies with quite different business models gives this the feel of something of a fishing expedition," he told TechNewsWorld. "Given that the FTC is primarily an enforcement agency, I don't know if this sort of open-ended data dive is the best use of their limited manpower," he continued. "To my mind," he added, "it would make more sense for Congress to take the lead in reviewing industry privacy practices for the purpose of informing federal privacy policy, and let FTC focus on investigating specific violations." Data Dump Needed While the FTC's information demand is hefty and complex, it's necessary, countered Michelle Richardson, director of the Privacy & Data Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, an online civil liberties and human rights advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. "You need a lot of information if you're going to go ahead and either enforce against bad behavior or draft guidance for companies," she told TechNewsWorld. "This seems like a first step that will eventually lead to closer scrutiny of the companies in the interest of consumers," she said. "This can lead to a public-facing report that will inform consumers so they can make better choices," she continued. "It will allow the FTC to be smarter in its own choices about bringing cases," she added, "and help it set a baseline of explicit questions to ask all companies." Performing these kinds of studies based on data gathered from the industries it regulates is part of the FTC's job, maintained Rob Shavell, CEO and co-founder of Abine, a Boston-based maker of software for managing passwords, masking email and blocking ads and trackers. "It's important to have this information so Congress can make decisions based on actual data, not company statements about their data, which can be misleading," he told TechNewsWorld. Hidden Antitrust Agenda However, French Caldwell, CFO of The Analyst Syndicate, an IT research and analysis group, asserted that the commission appears to be interested in more than privacy in its demand for data. "They've gone beyond what is necessary for their stated purposes," he told TechNewsWorld. "The only reason I can see for that is that they're looking at antitrust, not just privacy." Although consumers are supposed to be the beneficiaries of the FTC's data grab, they might not be the prime beneficiaries. "The biggest beneficiaries of the information gathered by the FTC are going to be regulators," said Fred H. Cate, vice president for research at Indiana University. "They'll be able to understand more about what's going on," he told TechNewsWorld. "That will determine if they pursue other measures or if they're satisfied with what they learn and stop there. In which case, consumers may not benefit much at all." "I also think it's overblown that we, the public, would know what to do with information like this," he added. "If every social media company is doing the same aggressive things with data, am I really going to abandon one when I don't really have a choice of anywhere else to go to?" Reality, Not Fear Mongering Liz Miller, vice president and a principal analyst at Constellation Research, a technology research and advisory firm in Cupertino, Calif. maintained that the lack of focus of the study will reduce any potential benefits for consumers. "Unlike previous FTC research initiatives -- say, for example, advertising practices of cigarette companies and the impact these branding initiatives have had on influencing children to smoke -- this current investigation doesn't seem to have a specific outcome in mind other than to say social media and technology are bad," she told TechNewsWorld. "As someone who's career has largely centered on research, I am all for true investigations into the impact of technology -- in this case, social media on community," she said, "but the scope of this study is arbitrary." Since most of the laws on the books governing technology are antiquated, Miller expects to see more investigations into the sector. "My hope is," she said, "that we see more informed legislation based on the realities of today and tomorrow's consumption, development and business of digital rather than fear mongering over what those evil elites in big tech are doing to everyone." John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A nursing home in Cork City has confirmed that five residents have tested positive for Covid-19 the first confirmed cases amongst residents of the facility since the start of the pandemic. Management at Saint Lukes Home in Blackrock, on the southside of the city, said they are actively managing the situation in association with the HSE and the Department of Public Health, and have notified Hiqa. The 128-bed nursing home has also implemented a detailed contingency plan in the event of such an outbreak. All residents of the nursing home were tested for Covid-19 on New Years Day. Those results were returned today, with five residents testing positive. In addition, 19 staff are unavailable for work for Covid-19 related reasons - some have tested positive for the virus while others have been deemed as being close contacts of a confirmed case, or are themselves, feeling unwell. Read More Eight deaths in nursing home following Covid-19 outbreak Letter to families Tony OBrien, the chief executive of Saint Lukes Home, said they notified residents and their families earlier today of the first positive cases. In his letter to residents and their families, he said he was sorry to have to report the first positive cases in the facility since last March. We are sorry and disappointed to have to report to you that we have been notified of our first positive cases of coronavirus among residents in the home since the start of the pandemic, he said. While the situation is very fluid please rest assured that we are currently and actively managing the situation along with our colleagues in the HSE and the Department of Public Health. "We have also notified HIQA. We have implemented our detailed contingency plan for such an event. Our primary concern is focused on our residents and we will do our absolute utmost to protect and care for them. We will continue to keep you informed on a regular basis. We have travelled together up to this point and I know we can count on your continued support as you can count on ours. 'Concerning development' The chairman of the Board of Directors, Bishop Paul Colton, said his foremost concern, and that of his fellow directors, is on the well-being and care of the home's residents and their families, as well as support for the home's management team and staff. Like other healthcare professionals throughout this pandemic, our team at Saint Lukes have been, and are, working at the very limit of endurance since this started, he said. They have been untiring and professional in their efforts, going the extra-mile day by day. Until now, at the start of 2021, we have been most fortunate in having no positive cases among our residents, so this development is of immense concern to us all. St Lukes Home, which was founded on the northside of Cork city in 1872, is run by a voluntary not-for-profit charity. Veteran Telugu lyricist, dialogue writer Vennelakanti Rajeswara Prasad passed away in Chennai on Tuesday. He was 64. Vennelakanti died due to cardiac arrest, reported Telangna Today. In an illustrious career spanning over three decades, Vennelakanti penned the lyrics for nearly 2000 songs and wrote dialogues for 300 films. Born at Nellore in 1957, he had begun writing poetry at a very young age and was inclined towards spiritual speeches and Harikathas. In 1986, Vennelakanti had made his debut as a lyricist with Sri Rama Chandrudu and gone on to produced popular songs in films like Aditya 369, Gharana Bullodu, Samarasimha Reddy, Criminal, Takkari Donga and many others. His last movie was Keerthy Suresh-starrer Penguin (2020). New Delhi: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed all state wildlife departments to take serious note of avian flu cases and report mortality of wildlife to the ministry on priority. Bird deaths have been reported from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. In Himachal Pradesh, the state forest department confirmed the death of 2,300 migratory birds, largely comprising bar-headed goose along with river tern, brown-headed gull, and cormorants in and around the Pong Dam Sanctuary area. Poultry birds have been affected in Haryana, crows in Rajasthan and ducks in Kerala. Senior forest department officers from Himachal Pradesh said bird deaths were first noticed on December 28 when field staff were estimating the numbers of migratory birds. The field staff began combing the entire sanctuary area and found more dead birds. We do a fortnightly estimation of bird arrivals during this season. We had estimated the arrival of 57,000 migratory birds by December 15. The birds found dead are being buried as per protocol and we are isolating the few that survived, said Upasana Patial, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), North. Samples collected from the dead birds in Himachal Pradesh were sent to National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal. NIHSAD informed the Department of Animal Husbandry on Tuesday that the preliminary results of all five samples tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza virus following a Real-time Polymerase chain reaction test. The wildlife division of the union environment ministry told states in its letter that they should take all possible measures and precautions to prevent transmission of diseases, if any, in other animals and human beings. Surveillance for mortality of wildlife particularly needs to be taken up on priority and states are requested to report such incidences of mortality to this ministry, the environment ministry said. The ministry highlighted that a large number of migratory birds visit India during this season and thus states are advised to keep a strict vigil on wintering habitats of such birds, including wetlands, for signs of mortality or disease outbreak. We have alerted chief wildlife wardens and principal chief conservators of forests in the states as well as other senior officials in state administrations and requested them to bring to notice any large scale bird deaths, said a senior official from the environment ministry. Bar-headed goose are the highest flying migratory birds and fly to India to escape the harsh winter in Central Asia and Russia. Migratory birds use flyways or specific migratory routes during their annual migration cycle. The Central Asian Flyway is one such, and one of the most crucial in the world. The Indian sub-continent hosts a major portion of the CAF and India is the winter home for 90% of bird species known to use this migratory route. According to government data, around 370 species of migratory birds from three flyways visit the Indian sub-continent. The ministry also shared a slew of guidelines to be followed while handling birds. State wildlife departments have been specifically asked to step up surveillance of migratory birds and have been advised to prepare an action plan for monitoring, surveillance and any emergency. Surveillance should not be restricted to the protected areas alone, but to all such wetlands and habitats that provide staging grounds to migrating birds and to areas where there is a possibility of interaction between poultry and migratory birds, the ministry has said. A weekly report, too, has been sought from states on sighting of migratory birds within and outside protected areas, approximate number and species of birds that have arrived and any other information deemed necessary. After Jhalawar, the test results have confirmed bird flu in samples sent from Kota and Baran. The test report identifies Avian Influenza subtype H5N8 in the birds, which according to experts, is less infectious. The death of birds is spreading at an alarming speed across Rajasthan. Till Tuesday morning, the tally had reached 625 from 16 of 33 districts. The state has sent 86 samples for testing from 11 districts. Agriculture and animal husbandry minister Lal Chand Kataria said the samples sent from three districts are found positive for Avian Influenza. This virus is spreading in other states also and it is a matter of concern, especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus has not affected chickens or eggs yet but all precautions are being taken, looking at the way it has spread among crows. But the positive news is that the samples from Jodhpur have come out negative. Samples from Jhalawar, Kota and Baran have come positive,he said. Also read: Budget Session likely from January 29, Union Budget on February 1 The minister said the area where the flu is found will be sanitised as done for Covid-19. There will be no ban on the sale of eggs as no impact of flu is found on poultry. Looking to possibilities, awareness is created in advance among the poultry owners and people, he said. Kataria said the issue is that the state doesnt have a laboratory to conduct tests and the samples are sent outside. We want to establish a lab to avoid any delay and have spoken to the government, he added. Department principal secretary Kunji Lal Meena said only the laboratory in Bhopal is accredited by the government to conduct tests for such diseases. The government has agreed in-principal to encourage regional labs a proposal to setup one in Jaipur will be sent today. The state has the expertise to run such labs. On the type of flu variant found in state, department secretary Arushi Malik said it is found to be Avian Influenza subtype H5N8, which is not dangerous for people but precautions need to be taken. Also read: Farmers postpone tractor march by a day to January 7 A senior department official on anonymity said random chicken faeces have also been sent for testing. The animal husbandry and forest department have already sounded an alert across the state and district collectors are directed to ensure regular monitoring. A control room has been set up at the state and district level; district-wise nodal officers are appointed, who are laying special focus on poultry farms and creating awareness. As a precaution, the Jhalawar and Pali district administration has imposed section 144 a kilometre around the infected area. The government is also considering sealing Madhya Pradesh border for poultry transportation, he said. Microbiologist Dr AK Kataria said the virus strain H5N8 is not fatal for humans and only H5N1 is known to be dangerous which leads to pneumonia. The strains, which are considered to be highly pathogenic, are N1, N2, N5, N6 and N9. The situation can be dealt opting required precautions such as burying dead birds three feet down and away from water sources, he said. Under the Ministry of Science and Technology auspices, Taiwanese startups will be presenting their innovations at the CES Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA), a virtual interactive pavilion. TAIPEI, TAIWAN / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / As governments and organizations realized that we'd have to live with the restrictions for a long time, many of the originally scheduled shows of 2020 were canceled or became online-only events. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the most influential tech events globally - a showcase for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. The 2021 edition, which, in normal circumstances, would be taking place in Las Vegas in a few days, will be an online event with conferences, demonstrations, and meetings taking place from all over the world. We are all looking forward to regaining the normality of international travel and physical meetings in international events. However, the nature of online and hybrid trade conferences has created an opportunity for many companies across different continents, industries, and sizes to showcase their solutions and innovations. Many organizations, especially startups that do not have the infrastructure or the resources to have a physical presence at events such as CES, can now participate in the show directly from their home cities and reach a broad international audience. Taiwan's government helps startups reach international exposure In the past three years, the Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been at CES helping dozens of the country's startups present their innovations to the world. In 2019, the CES Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) featured startups offering products and services such as an Artificial Intelligence platform to fight leukemia, an IoT food-safety device to test for allergens, an eye-controlled human-machine interface, and a low-cost OLED lighting system, among others. And, in January 2020, the Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) featured a record number of 82 startups. Some key technologies featured at the show included wireless delivered power for 5G devices, embedded biometric technology for automotive driver monitoring system (DMS), headset-free 3D imaging, and an electronic "nose" to detect ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). For this year's CES all-digital edition, Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology is now bringing the innovations of 100+ startups to the world under the new Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) Virtual Edition. The selected companies will show their technologies in fields such as AI, 5G wireless communications, healthcare, and smart energy. Collaboration and creative disruption are critical to the success of fighting the current crisis The Ministry of Science and Technology recognizes the need to help combine different industries' existing strengths with new ideas to create new products and services. The current crisis created by the global pandemic has demonstrated the power of worldwide collaboration between different industries. Since the beginning of the pandemic, collaboration and new manufacturing technologies helped deliver equipment and medical supplies to fight the spread of the virus. Furthermore, the combination of biotechnology, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the latest communication technologies has been critical to developing the new vaccines that will help end the pandemic and regain normality. That's why, at CES, the Taiwan Tech Arena will also serve as a collaborative hub for startups from different industries and countries to share experiences, find new opportunities, and collaborate to explore breakthrough technologies. Come to the CES Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) to experience firsthand the innovations coming to CES The Ministry of Science and Technology and Taiwan Tech Arena will be holding an online opening event during the CES period. They will kick off the event during a press conference from the new "virtual" Taiwan Tech Arena (TTA) pavilion. The TTA pavilion will allow visitors to experience a series of demonstrations of the latest technology, attend talks and keynotes, interact with representatives from the startups and the ministry, and hold virtual meetings to explore business opportunities. Additionally, journalists visiting the pavilion will be able to conduct interviews and attend demonstrations of the different technologies featured there. CES 2021 x TTA Opening: Click for register Mark your calendars for the first press conference, scheduled for Jan. 12th at 7:00 am EST, this event would bring you for not only more inspiring information across from the industries, but also the solutions to face the uncertain nearly future. For more information please visit TTA's upcoming event: https://forms.gle/Tzky7JpnDfjPHxKX6 Contacts: Company: EETimes Contact person: Ocean Chou E-mail: ocean.chou@aspencore.com SOURCE: EETimes View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623128/Taiwan-will-Showcase-Its-Latest-Technologies-at-CES-2021-Virtual-Show A Russian 'cannibal' pensioner known as Granny Ripper, who gave children sweets made from the flesh of her victims, has died of Covid-19 before the end of her serial killer trial. Sofia Zhukova, 81, a retired pig slaughterer, was accused of butchering schoolgirl Anastasia Alexeenko, seven, whose severed head was found in 2005 with a severely battered face. She was also charged with murdering and dismembering a 52-year-old male street cleaner and janitor in Russian city Khabarovsk, and killing a woman friend, aged 77. A Russian 'cannibal' pensioner known as Granny Ripper has died of Covid-19 before the end of her serial killer trial Sofia Zhukova, 81, a retired pig slaughterer, was accused of butchering schoolgirl Anastasia Alexeenko, seven Separately, police were investigating at least four more unsolved suspected murders linked to the killer. Zhukova became infected with Covid-19 in a detention jail, and died on December 29 after being moved to hospital, it was disclosed today. In one hearing, the court was told that she kidnapped a young schoolgirl and held her for three weeks. The child was murdered the day before her severed head was found near Zhukova's flat, it was alleged. The pig slaughterer, pictured showing a courtroom how she used an axe to kill a janitor, has been linked to a number of unsolved murders Zhukova became infected with Covid-19 in a detention jail, and died on December 29 after being moved to hospital 'Human meat' was scattered nearby and eaten by stray dogs. A phone call assuring Anastasia's mother, Natalya, that the girl was still alive had been made from the sausage factory where the pensioner worked as a pig slaughterer, the court was told. The girl's DNA was found in Zhukova's bathroom 14 years after the alleged killing, forensic experts found. Local children found his severed arm in a rubbish skip while other remains were stashed in plastic bags at a skip (pictured) Neighbours said she even turned her victims into food and offered them around to children. One named as Tatyana said: 'We always found it strange that despite being surly and unfriendly, she would often find the time to cook things for the local children. 'They were always meat dishes. Sometimes she gave them to the adults, she bought me and my husband plates with jellied meat.' Internal organs of the janitor, Vasily Shlyakhtich, a Ukrainian immigrant who was her tenant, were allegedly discovered in the granny's fridge in 2019, but she denied being a cannibal. One girl's DNA was found in Zhukova's home (pictured) 14 years after the alleged killing, forensic experts found She said in evidence: 'I killed the janitor, but he raped me. What do you think I should have done? 'I chopped him up with an axe.' Local children found his severed arm in a rubbish skip while other remains were stashed in plastic bags at a skip. A law enforcement source said: 'The bowels and other inner organs of the man were found in her fridge - and she threw away the bones. Children playing near the apartment block found a man's severed arm and police soon discovered more dismembered remains in a number of plastic bags 'But dogs smelled the blood and carried the body parts all around the area.' Her trial had been delayed last year after she retracted detailed confessions about killing the girl and elderly woman, whose body was never found. The judge ordered technical changes in the indictments but she remained accused of the three murders when she died. 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Website : https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/best-cbd-oil-uk-2021-23153703 Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 4:54 pm Editors Note: The first birth of 2021 at Providence Centralia Hospital had not occurred as of press time. Look for a story and photo in Thursdays edition of The Chronicle. The first babies born in Thurston County, both girls, are bound to be night owls after they arrived late New Year's Day. The county's first baby of the year arrived at 8:30 p.m. at Capital Medical Center, although details about the baby girl were not immediately available. Providence St. Peter's first baby almost missed New Year's Day, arriving at 10:43 p.m., according to a hospital news release. Rosalie Marie Howe weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 21.5 inches long when she was born. She is the daughter of Lokelani Howe and Brian Crookshank of Tenino. It is their first baby. The baby's name is a family name. "I've always liked the name Rosalie and it's my grandma's name, too," Howe said in a statement. Marie was chosen for the middle name in memory of Crookshank's mother, who died 10 years ago. The couple had chosen the name Mason if it had been a boy. Dr. Laura Hanks of Olympia delivered Rosalie, the second straight year the doctor has delivered the first baby of the year at the hospital. "I guess I will have to request working New Year's Day again next year to go for three in a row," she said in a statement. Providence reported that 2,030 babies were born at St. Peter Hospital in 2020. Prime Minister Boris Johnson pinned his hopes for a national recovery on a plan to deliver 2 million coronavirus vaccinations a week as Britain returned to lockdown in an attempt to prevent hospitals being overwhelmed. Amid dire warnings that the National Health Service could fail to cope with soaring infection rates, the prime minister shut England's schools and ordered people across the country to stay at home. U.K. Chancellor of Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Tuesday pledged new support to help companies and Johnson will give a news conference at 5 p.m. London time. Johnson warned of hard weeks ahead but announced a target to give shots to 13.9 million people at the highest risk from the disease by mid-February. Once they have all been vaccinated, the restrictions can begin to be eased, he said. "With every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against covid and in favor of the British people," Johnson said a televised address. "The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet, but I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle." Meeting the ambitious target will depend on having enough vaccine doses, according to Doug Brown, chief executive of the British Society for Immunology. "The bottleneck doesn't seem to be on the logistical side," Brown said in an interview. "The NHS is ready to deliver." If any glitches do arise, it will likely be with supply, he said. "If we get the supplies, we can vaccinate that many people." The emergency measures, matching curbs in other parts of the U.K., started on Monday night and will last until at least Feb. 15 as medics try to get a grip on the pandemic. Johnson said he had no option but to close down all social activities, education and nonessential travel in the face of a sudden and severe surge in infections. The announcement risks potentially devastating retail and hospitality businesses and threatening to push the economy into recession again. The pound fell. The police will have legal powers to use fines and dispersal orders to enforce the rules. Parliament will be recalled to debate the measures on Wednesday but the regulations are due to become law earlier that day, Johnson said. The prime minister was forced to act after data showed new infections soaring past 80,000 on Dec. 29 and more people in the hospital than in the first peak of the virus in April. By Jan. 4, there were almost 27,000 patients hospitalized with covid-19 in England, a 30% increase in a week, which the government blamed on a surge in infections from a new, faster spreading strain of the virus. Johnson resisted pressure from scientists and opposition lawmakers to lockdown the whole country in December. He cut back plans to allow families to mix over Christmas, but insisted he wanted to avoid nationwide curbs like those seen in March, choosing to keep a regional tier system in place instead. Government chief medical officers for the four nations of the U.K. warned on Monday that the health service may not be able to cope without urgent action now. They issued a statement saying the NHS is "under immense pressure" already. The British Medical Association, the union for doctors, underlined the crisis facing the NHS. "Hospitals are stretched to breaking point," said Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA council. "Doctors are desperate, with some even comparing their working environment to a war-zone as wards overflow." Scotland also announced a lockdown starting at midnight on Monday. "We are now in a race between the vaccine and the virus," First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. Johnson had made keeping schools open for face-to-face learning a priority for his government. But scientists warned last month they would have to close to stop the virus from spreading. While children rarely suffer badly from the disease, they can infect their families after catching it from their friends. "If we succeed in vaccinating all those groups, we will have removed huge numbers of people from the path of the virus," Johnson said. "That will eventually enable us to lift many of the restrictions we have endured for so long." But there will be a "time lag" between vaccinating patients and the pressure on the NHS easing, Johnson said, adding that he is "cautious about the timetable ahead." Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi was more forthright about the target, saying on Twitter that "we will do this." The body of a young Victorian tourist has been pulled from a Gold Coast canal after he failed to return from an early-morning swim. The man, 21, was with two others when he entered the canal at Broadbeach Waters just before 5.30am on Tuesday and did not return. He was visiting Queensland on holiday and had been staying with a group of friends at a nearby home since New Year's Eve, according to police. The body of a 21-year-old Victorian man has been pulled from a Gold Coast canal Emergency services were called and police were on the scene within minutes. Surf Life Saving Queensland staff and the man's friends also helped with the search. One of the police officers entered the canal to search for the missing man before police divers found his body just before 9am. 'Ultimately, this is a terrible tragedy,' Gold Coast Police Acting Superintendent Greg Baade said. He had gone for a swim with two other friends in the early hours of the morning and failed to resurface just before 5.30am on January 5 Queensland Police have since contacted the man's family. 'Sadly, this is a group of people on holidays from Victoria on the Gold Coast, and for this to happen, it's just an absolute tragedy,' Mr Baade said. 'Our thoughts and condolences go to the family and friends.' A report will be prepared for the coroner and an investigation is ongoing. New Delhi: The terrorist groups in Pakistan are considering terror attack at Hindu dominated Jammu. The latest report of Indian security agencies suggests that as many as 118 terrorists have gathered opposite the Jammu region. ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) is pushing the terrorist groups to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir to launch deadly attacks on security forces. Pakistan's intelligence agency is also providing GPS, navigation systems along with winter cloth to these terrorists. "According to inputs received from intelligence agencies, during the month of November last year, the presence of 180 terrorists was indicated at various launch pads near Line of Control (LoC). The latest input suggests that movement of 65 terrorists opposite valley region and presence of 118 terrorists reported opposite Jammu region," said a Security officer deployed in Kashmir. Live TV The terror groups have been asked to target local leaders in Jammu as well as disrupt District Development Council (DDC) elections held last month in December but due to tight vigil at the border terrorists have not able to enter Jammu, another security official said. Border Security Force (BSF) has been alerted all along the Jammu border adjacent to Pakistan after an intelligence report indicated the presence of such a big number of terrorists opposite Jammu. As per the report, the presence of terrorists has been seen at launch pads of Lunia Dhok, Degwar Trewan, Chirikot Naban, Thandi Kassi, PP Nala, LP Samani, Dewa, Dadal opposite to Poonch, Krishna Ghati, Bhimber Gali, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Hirangar area. There is a possibility that the Pakistan Army and Pakistani rangers may also strategise to target Indian security forces with the help of the Border Action Team (BAT). Xiaomi Mi 10i launch is scheduled to begin today at 12 pm in India. The mid-range smartphone is an extension of the Mi 10 Lite launched globally. Xiaomi will unveil the Mi 10i price in India at the launch event today at 12 pm. Mi 10i launch in India: Where to watch the live-stream The Xiaomi Mi 10i launch event is scheduled to start at 12 pm IST. The company is hosting a live-stream for its virtual launch. The Mi 10i India launch event can be live-streamed on the companys website, YouTube channel, and other social media platforms. You can click on the link below to watch the Mi 10i launch in India today at 12 pm. Mi 10i price in India (expected) The Mi 10i comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC and a 108MP quad-camera setup. The company is expected to launch the smartphone at around Rs 25,000 for the base variant. Mi 10i price in India for the 6GB RAM variant is tipped to be Rs 24,999, whereas the 8GB RAM model could launch for Rs 27,999. It is confirmed to launch in Pacific Sunrise, Atlantic Blue, and Midnight Black colour options. Mi 10i specifications Xiaomi has confirmed that the Mi 10i will come with a 108MP quad-camera setup. Apart from teasing the phone, the company also set up a landing page for the Mi 10i on its official website. The smartphone will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC. We can also expect the device to come with 6GB/ 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal memory. At the front, Mi 10i will come with a 6.67-inch Full HD+ LCD with a 1080 x 2400 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate support. The hole-punch camera cut out on the front houses a 16 MP selfie shooter. The 108MP ISOCELL HM2 primary camera sensor is likely to be accompanied by an 8 MP ultrawide shooter, a 2 MP depth sensor, and a 2 MP macro camera. The device could also pack a 4,820 mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 5G, GPS, and more. The Mi 10i could also feature stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A 52-year-old woman is dead, shot while driving on Morrison Road in New Orleans Easts Little Woods neighborhood Sunday evening, according to authorities. In the hours that followed the killing, a 76-year-old woman was carjacked nearby and another woman was critically injured after being shot in the head by a man she caught breaking into her car at a New Orleans East restaurant, police said. No suspects had been named in any of the cases as of Monday afternoon, but New Orleans police are trying to identify two persons of interest in the homicide investigation. The fatal shooting occurred about 5:35 p.m. in the 7200 block of Morrison Road. Officers dispatched to the scene found the woman dead behind the wheel of a car that had crashed into a parked vehicle, New Orleans police said. Investigators learned the woman was driving eastbound in the 7000 block of Morrison when an armed suspect approached and opened fire at her car, police said. The victim then crashed into the parked vehicle. The NOPD On Monday released images of two people crossing a roadway and called them persons of interest. The people are not wanted, but investigators would like to question them. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up About an hour after the shooting, two men carjacked a 76-year-old woman at an apartment complex in the 7000 block of Martin Drive, just a few blocks from the Morrison Road shooting. The men drove off in the womans tan, 2017 Ford Fusion. She was not injured. New Orleans police did not say whether they suspect the two incidents are linked. At about 10:12 p.m., a 29-year-old woman was shot in the head by a man who burglarized her car as it sat in the parking lot of an IHOP restaurant in the 12100 block of the South Interstate 10 Service Road, New Orleans police said. WWL-TV identified the victim as an employee of the restaurant. A witness spotted the man rummaging through the woman car and walked back inside the business to warn her, according to authorities. As the woman and the witness exited the restaurant, the burglar allegedly fired two shots in their direction. The woman was hit once in the head. She was taken to the hospital where police said she was being treated in the intensive care unit on Monday. Anyone with information about the Morrison Road homicide or the identity of the two persons of interest is asked to contact NOPD homicide Detective Jamaane Roy at 504-658-5300. The public can also call Crimestoppers with tips about the Martin Drive carjacking or the IHOP shooting at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a reward of up to $2,500 for information that leads to an indictment. Visegrad: Huge islands of waste are floating on rivers in the Balkans, triggering an environmental emergency and threatening a regional hydropower plant. Plastic bottles and bags, rusty barrels and other garbage could be seen clogging the Drina river near the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad. Upstream, the Drina tributaries in Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia are carrying even more waste after the swollen winter waters surged over the the landfills in the area. A grey heron stands between dumped plastic bottles and barrels on the bank of the Potpecko Lake on the Lim river, near city of Priboj, Serbia, Credit:AP The Balkan nations have poor waste management and tons of garbage routinely end up in rivers. A broken barrier this week caused a massive congestion of garbage on the Drina that has threatened the Visegrad dam. Officials say that between 6,000 and 8,000 cubic metres of waste are pulled out of the Drina each year near Visegrad. Although the problem is not new, Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro have done little to fix it even as they seek to join the European Union. The country now has a total of 19,58,844 cases since the start of the pandemic, while 51,078 people have lost their lives to the virus, the Xinhua news agency reported. Madrid, Jan 5 (IANS) Spain's Ministry of Health on Monday reported 30,579 new coronavirus cases and 241 deaths during the New Year period between December 31 and January 4. Meanwhile, the incidence of the virus has risen to 272 cases per 1,00,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days, considerably higher than the level of 180 cases per 1,00,000 inhabitants at the start of December, according to the ministry. Health Minister Salvador Illa warned that the impact of the pandemic is in an upward trend in Spain, asking the citizens to be responsible. "We still have some difficult weeks. Until a significant part of the population is immunised, we must be very careful," he told a press conference. As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorised coronavirus vaccines. Spain began its vaccination program on December 27. A total of 232 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 60 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the US, according to information released by the World Health Organization on December 29. --IANS int/rs/ More than 200 of President Donald Trumps local supporters plan to travel by bus today to Washington, D.C., to challenge Scranton native Joe Bidens election as president. Five buses are scheduled to leave at 5:30 a.m. from the state park-and-ride lot on Route 315 in Pittston Twp. The passengers will arrive in the capital after the president is expected to speak but will hold their own protest on the Capitol steps before joining a larger protest in the early afternoon, organizer Frank Scavo said Tuesday. The protests coincide with House and Senate Republican plans to speak in Congress in support of overturning Bidens election, despite no proof of widespread voter fraud in any state and dozens of failed court attempts to undo results, including many filed by Trumps campaign. We started out with a couple patriots, Scavo said. Demand just kept driving (up) the amount of buses we had to add. About 220 people will travel to the nations capital. The group will socially distance on the buses, he said. Im predicting a million people out there, Scavo said. Scavo, a former Old Forge school director who has repeatedly and unsuccessfully run for state legislative offices, declined to call the election fraudulent. He said the state Supreme Courts decision to allow the counting of mail-in ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day violated a specific state law that barred counting ballots that arrived after that time. The court cited the COVID-19 crisis for allowing three more days for ballots to arrive. State Republicans challenged the ruling, but the United States Supreme Court rejected the argument. In Pennsylvania, the election law was not followed as passed by the legislature, Scavo said. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri cited the Pennsylvania case as one reason he will challenge the acceptance of the election results today in the Senate. State Department of State spokeswoman Wanda Murren said Tuesday that 10,097 ballots arrived after 8 p.m. on Election Day. Biden won Pennsylvania by 80,555, according to totals on the department website. Lackawanna County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Patrick said the Trump protesters should worry more about social distancing and spreading COVID-19. He pointed out no one is claiming fraud in the elections of many Republican members of Congress by the same voters. So there was no fraud for the Republican senators, there was no fraud for the Republican congressmen, but there was fraud for Joe Biden? Cant have it both ways, Patrick said. The family of an elderly couple who were robbed of some of their life savings by a gang on New Years Eve have appealed for help to bring the culprits to justice. A large amount of cash was taken when four or five men forced their way into the home of the residents of Pairc Mhuire in Newbridge at just after 5pm on December 31. A major garda investigation led by a detective inspector is underway into the aggravated burglary of Joe and Evelyn, whose family has asked that their surname not be revealed. What is believed to be a firearm was pointed at Joe during the horrific incident, according to granddaughter Emma Campbell. Eye-witnesses Emma appealed for information from the local community or any potential eye-witnesses who saw anything suspicious in Pairc Mhuire between 5pm and 6.30pm on the evening in question. Joe, who is aged 93, was roughed up by gang members and he and his wife (89) were later treated for shock by paramedics. Emma told the Leader: This could have happened to anybodys parents or grandparents who are cocooning alone at home due to Covid-19. You always hear about these break-ins but you never think that it could happen to your family. Long established estate Pairc Mhuire is a long established estate where everybody knows everybody so hopefully somebody saw something and will come forward confidentially to gardai, however small they think the information is. Emma said her grandparents are active and alert people despite their age, but they have been traumatised by the incident. She paid tribute to the local community who have supported the family in recent days. Gardai said the gang, wearing balaclavas and gloves, were armed with what was believed to be a firearm when they forced their way in the house. Officers said a large amount of cash was taken during the robbery. Contact Gardai Gardai appealed to anyone who can assist in the investigation to contact Newbridge Garda Station on 045 431212, the Garda Confidential Line 1 800 666 111 or any Garda Station. Emma said that the elderly couple were resting by the fire when Joe answered a knock on the door, thinking it was family members to wish him a happy New Year. She said: The gang members were physical with my poor grandfather whos quite frail and restrained him holding a firearm towards him while restraining my grandmother also in their living room. The others went upstairs and robbed a large amount of cash my grandparents had in savings. Furthermore, they turned the place upside down and left. My grandfather was ruffled and in shock but managed to go into his neighbours to ask for help. Emma also praised gardai and paramedics who were very quick on the scene to help treat her grandparents and make sure they were looked after. Vulnerable She continued: These men had obviously marked my grandparents house out as vulnerable and knew what they were doing, it was very well planned. Im asking anyone in the Newbridge area who may have seen anything unusual at all to please contact Newbridge Garda Station. It can be an anonymous call if you have anything to report about seeing these men, they had an escape vehicle which we dont have any details of. No matter how small you may think your information or sighting. Emma said that gardai were trying to establish how the gang arrived to and left the area. She told the Leader: We have no idea who these people were. Someone has to have seen something. Both my grandparents are OK now and been looked after by family at present. We are very lucky that they are strong and have recovered as well as they have to this point. It was a very traumatic experience for them and they were very brave. We are keeping an eye on them and the gardai have been fantastic in terms of carrying out patrols in the area for peace of mind. They neighbours and the community in general have been so good to my grandparents at this time. Joe and Evelyn have six children, 10 grandchildren and several more great grandchildren but have been socially distanced from their family during the Covid-19 pandemic. Emma said: We all say hello from the front gate because if you have schoolchildren in your house, then unfortunately you are a risk factor to them. Cocooners It shows how vulnerable people cocooning at home are to burglaries but the golden rule is never have any valuables especially large sums of cash in your house. Elderly people may not be as good with internet banking as the rest of us but keeping a lot of money in the house is a bad idea because then you are a target for burglaries. South Korea will send a delegation to negotiate the release of a ship and its 20-member crew after the vessel was seized by Iranian forces, officials said on Tuesday, the latest development in a provocation by the government in Tehran, which has been economically isolated by U.S. sanctions. Iranian officials said the ship was detained in the Persian Gulf by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps because it had violated environmental protocols and was polluting the sea, according to Iranian state news agencies. The ship was carrying 7,200 tons of chemicals, mostly methanol, according to the South Korean company that owns it, which has denied that it was polluting the waters. The tensions come as Tehran has sought to pressure the government in Seoul to release about $7 billion in revenues from oil sales that remain frozen in South Korean banks since the Trump administration tightened sanctions on Iran. But they also follow recent escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran as President Trumps term draws to a close. Iran said on Monday that it was starting to increase nuclear enrichment levels at a key facility to 20 percent, a step closer to developing the capacity to produce a nuclear weapon. The Pentagon said on Sunday that it had directed the aircraft carrier Nimitz to remain in the Middle East, days after it had ordered the ship to return home, because of Iranian threats against Mr. Trump and other American officials. Close to 25,000 birds have died due to different variants of bird flu in states like Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh even as the Centre has issued alert to the states to monitor the health of birds in forest areas and near water bodies, officials from multiple states said. Forest department officials said the source of bird flu was migratory birds which probably came from Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and have spread to native species. In Kerala, about 20,000 ducks have died in past one week whereas in Himachal close to 3,400 migratory birds died in the past fortnight. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, there have been reports of crow deaths in several districts. In Rajasthans Kota and Baran districts and in Madhya Pradeshs Indore and Malwa regions, the crow deaths was because of Avian Influenza subtype H5N8, which according to experts is less infectious. Till Tuesday, 625 crow deaths were reported from 16 of 33 districts in Rajasthan. The virus has not affected chickens or eggs but all precautions are taken, looking at the way it spreads among crows. But the positive news is there that samples from Jodhpur have tested negative. Those from Jhalawar, Kota and Baran have tested positive, said Rajasthan animal husbandry minister Lal Chand Kataria. The minister said the area where the flu is found will be sanitised as done during Covid-19. Also read: After schools reopen in Karnataka, more than 25 teachers test positive for Covid-19 As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been invoked within a kilometre of the infected area in Jhalawar and Pali districts. The government is also considering sealing Madhya Pradesh border for poultry transportation, he said. Rajasthan animal husbandry department secretary Arushi Malik said avian influenza subtype H5N8 is not dangerous for people but precautions need to be taken as the disease can spread among birds. Microbiologist, Dr AK Kataria said the virus strain H5N8 is not fatal for humans, and only H5N1 is known, which leads to pneumonia. The strains, which are considered to be highly pathogenic, are N1, N2, N5, N6 and N9. The situation can be dealt opting required precautions such as burying dead birds three feet down and away from water sources, he said. Like Rajasthan, in Madhya Pradesh, the bird flu virus H5N8 has spread to 10 districts and about 500 crows have died since December 23. There is no sign of other birds including poultry having been infected by any virus, said director of animal husbandry department Dr RK Rokde. He added that bird flu found in poultry is H1N5. We collected samples from poultry farms in the affected districts and we didnt find any traces of bird flu. It is relief for us that the infection is limited to crows only, said principal secretary, animal Husbandry JN Kansotia. The districts where crows were found dead include Indore, Mandsaur, Agar-Malwa, Khargone, Neemuch, Dewas, Ujjain, Shajapur, all in Malwa region; Sehore in central region and Guna in Gwalior-Chambal region of the state, according to officials. MP Integrated disease surveillance programme additional director Dr Shailesh Sakalle said a household survey is being done in the affected areas. Also read: Why Bharat Biotechs Covaxin got nod, explains ministry In Himachal Pradesh, the H5N1 strain has caused death of 3,400 migratory birds at Pong Dam in a week. The officials said that there have been no reports of the virus infecting humans in the vicinity of Pong Dam. Kangra district administration on Tuesday imposed strict restrictions in four sub-divisions adjoining the wetland. Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said that in the interest of protecting the health and safety of the public at large, sale, purchase and export of poultry, birds, and fish is prohibited in Fatehpur, Dehra, Jawali and Indora subdivisions. The slaughter of poultry, birds and fish across all slaughterhouses or at home is barred in these four subdivisions, Prajapati said. The practice of offering feed to birds and fish is also prohibited. No movement of humans shall be allowed within a kilometre of Pong Dam or the alert zone except those related to managing the outbreak, he said. He added that all agriculture or horticulture-related activities are prohibited and staff of the two departments would be deployed to check such activities. In Kerala, where 20,000 ducks died in Alapuzha and Kottayam districts in the past week, culling of ducks has started. Animal husbandry department additional secretary Dr Hari Kumar said 38,000 birds will be culled in Alapuzha and 8,000 in Kottayam. Poultry farmers will not be allowed to trade birds till further notice. He said culling and burying of birds will take at least three days. I have turned pauper. I have lost around 20,000 birds in last one week. I bought 10,000 ducklings only two weeks back. I took banks loans and money from some lenders to fund my duck farming. Compensation from the government is minimal, said K Kuttappayi, a farmer in Alapuzha. Surrounded by many water bodies in Alapuzha and surrounding area, duck farming is very popular and duck eggs sell for almost double the price of a chicken egg. Duck meat is also a delicacy in many areas of the state. States such as Uttarakhand, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra have issued advisories and have asked forest department officials to monitor the health of birds in and around water bodies. JS Suhag, chief wildlife warden of Uttarakhand, said, Following the guidelines from the Central government, we have issued an alert and advisory for all divisional forest officers to keep an eye on any unusual avian activity. No cases of bird flu or deaths have been reported from the state so far, but as many migratory birds fly to the state, officials are on alert. Viewership of NewsNation has so far been weak. WGN America is down as much as 40% or more since the newscast debuted. Recruiting Banfield for an interview showcase series in the competitive 10 p.m. hour is a sign of WGN America owner Nexstar Media Groups commitment to investing in and nurturing the News Nation concept. Average linear ratings in primetime are down below the 100,000 viewer threshold. But Nexstar Media has reason to be patient. Columbia, MO (65201) Today Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms later during the night. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Summa Silver Provides Annual Update Letter from CEO Posted by Publisher Internet . Summa Silver Corp. (?Summa Silver? or the ?Company?) (CSE:SSVR) (OTCQB: SSVRF) (Frankfurt:48X https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/summa-silver-company-teaser-2020/? ) is pleased to provide the following letter to all shareholders from the CEO. Dear Shareholders and Investors, This past year marked a strong debut year for Summa Silver. After listing in February, the Company quickly optioned two high-quality silver and gold exploration properties in under-appreciated historic mining districts in the United States and raised $13M in two private placements. Our highest priority is to create shareholder value through systematic exploration of our two highly prospective silver and gold projects. Highlights from 2020 Aggressive drilling at the Hughes Property in Nevada was the central focus of our exploration strategy in 2020. Originally budgeted for 7,500 m of drilling in 15 holes, our first ever drill program was expanded and ultimately consisted of 14,460 m of drilling in 29 holes. Key takeaways from the 2020 Hughes drill program include: High-grade silver and gold mineralization was discovered in four target areas across a 3.5 km trend. The area around the historic Belmont Mine hosts numerous well mineralized and unmined veins. The Ruby discovery may represent a 1.3 km extension of the Tonopah district to the east The Murray area hosts broad zones of mineralization that likely cross the property boundary to the west onto Blackrock Gold Corp?s Tonopah West Property. Assays for 14 holes remain pending, all of which intersected quartz veins and breccias. In addition to the Hughes Property, the Company also optioned a large portion of the historic Mogollon mining district near Silver City, New Mexico. Undrilled since the 1980?s, historical drill results outline a target area at the old Consolidated Mine. The target spans 500 x 200 m where 8 historic drill holes are reported to have averaged 497 g/t silver equivalent over average drilled lengths of 13.3 m. Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, this Consolidated Mine target represents approximately 0.6 km of the 34 km of cumulative structure/vein length on the property. Putting those numbers into context, the Consolidated Mine target represents less than 2% of the prospective target horizons on the property. Outlook for 2021 It is very clear to us at Summa Silver that both the Hughes and Mogollon properties warrant significant drill programs in 2021 as we drive towards mineral resource estimates at both projects. With that in mind, we are planning a two-faceted approach to unlock value for shareholders in 2021. 1. At the Hughes property, follow up drilling at all four of the original target areas is required and we will systematically drill step out holes around areas of known mineralization. We are also planning a geological mapping and sampling program covering the large, but under-documented zones of hydrothermal alteration on the northern and eastern portions of the property. 2. At the Mogollon property, the Consolidated Mine target area clearly warrants a thorough mineral resource assessment via a pattern of grid drilling. Permits for this drill program are expected in Q1. We are also planning boots-on-the-ground geological mapping and sampling program to gain a better understanding of the geologic controls on silver and gold mineralization. Looking back to the beginning of 2020, Summa Silver was just an idea. I?m very grateful to our supportive shareholders who are integral to our success. I?m also very pleased with how far we?ve come in one short year and look forward to using our geological expertise to create further shareholder value in 2021. At Summa Silver, we strive to communicate our corporate message with transparency and consistency with the public market community and we urge you to reach out to allow us to get to know our shareholders better. Follow Summa Silver on Twitter: @summasilver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/summa-silver-corp/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ?Galen McNamara? Galen McNamara, Chief Executive Officer info@summasilver.com www.summasilver.com Investor Relations Contact: Kin Communications Arlen Hansen 604-684-6730 SSVR@kincommunications.com In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., the CEO of the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Summa Silver Corp Summa Silver Corp is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company. The Company has options to earn 100% interests in the Hughes property located in central Nevada and the Mogollon property located in southwestern New Mexico. The Hughes property is host to the high-grade past-producing Belmont Mine, one of the most prolific silver producers in the United States between 1903 and 1929. The Mogollon property features a number of high-grade past-producing mines which operated between the 1880?s and 1942. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release contains certain ?forward looking statements? and certain ?forward-looking information? as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ?may?, ?will?, ?should?, ?expect?, ?intend?, ?estimate?, ?anticipate?, ?believe?, ?continue?, ?plans? or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management?s current expectations and plans relating to the future. These forward?looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the exploration and development of the Company?s mineral exploration projects. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual actions, events or results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: the requirement for regulatory approvals; enhanced uncertainty in global financial markets as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic; unquantifiable risks related to government actions and interventions; stock market volatility; regulatory restrictions; and other related risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties? reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such management?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management?s best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Today is the big day. As of 7 a.m. Eastern time, polls are opening across Georgia in the two runoff elections that will determine which party controls the Senate. Its an enormous prize. Democratic power over the Senate would mean that as president, Joe Biden wouldnt have to get past Mitch McConnell the Republican leader sometimes known as Dr. No to confirm his political appointees and judges, or to bring up legislation. Almost 40 percent of all registered voters in the state have already cast ballots early, either by mail or in person. Its impossible to read the tea leaves, particularly in such a close race, but there is evidence that Black voters have been particularly energized. Among those who didnt participate in the general election but had already cast ballots by the beginning of last week, roughly four in 10 were African-American far more than Black voters overall share in Georgia according to TargetSmart data. Those early votes arent allowed to be counted until polls close tonight at 7 oclock, although they have been processed and prepared for tallying. Mail-in ballots will be accepted until the polls close, but not after. Its unclear when well have a winner in either or both races. Observers say the vote counting may well continue into tomorrow, and because the races are expected to be tight, its possible we wont know who won until tomorrow or even later. You can keep up with our coverage at nytimes.com. Congress will convene tomorrow to count the Electoral Colleges votes and declare the official results of this never-ending presidential election. It would typically be a rote affair, but with President Trump refusing to accept defeat, his allies are planning a show of loyalty that seems destined to become a messy spectacle. A small but meaningful group of G.O.P. legislators in the House and the Senate have said they intend to challenge the elections results, heeding Trumps wishes even though no evidence has been presented to support his claims of widespread fraud or malfeasance. Kelly Loeffler, one of the two Republican senators competing in todays Georgia runoffs, announced yesterday that she would join 12 of her colleagues in voting against the Electoral Colleges certification process. But far more Republicans have come out against the move, including a group of conservative House members who published a letter yesterday starkly arguing that it would violate the Constitution. To take action otherwise that is, to unconstitutionally insert Congress into the center of the presidential election process would amount to stealing power from the people and the states, the group wrote. Gabriel Sterling, a top Republican election official in Georgia who has already spoken out against Trumps contestations, delivered his most scathing rebuke yet of the presidents claims. This is all easily, provably false, yet the president persists, and by doing so undermines Georgians faith in the election system, he said yesterday. Sterling said he had screamed in my car at the radio when he heard a recording, published on Sunday by The Washington Post, of Trump pressuring Georgias secretary of state to find enough votes to overturn the election results. Fearing that Trumps disputing of the election outcome might cause some Republican voters to doubt the worthiness of participating in the runoffs, Sterling sought to allay those concerns. If you want your values reflected by your elected officials, I strongly beg and encourage you, go vote tomorrow, he said. Do not self-suppress your own vote. Dont let anybody steal your vote that way. Its not just Republican politicians who now find themselves divided by Trumps baseless arguments. Right-wing media pundits have inevitably had to choose a team in this epic battle of loyalty versus reality and they havent all come down on the same side. Brian Kilmeade, a host of Fox & Friends, said yesterday that Trumps efforts to reverse the election were the type of anarchy that doesnt work for anybody, Republicans or Democrats, in the big picture. His co-host Steve Doocy agreed, saying of Trumps claims, So far, we havent seen the evidence. But Mark Levin, who hosts a prime-time show on Fox News, is not ditching the president. Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution are being destroyed by the Democratic Party and the media, he said as he defended Trumps claims of fraud, calling the Republican Senate leadership utterly pathetic for not siding with the president. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have now certified their election results, and judges across the country have rejected nearly 60 attempts by the president and his allies to challenge the verdict. Meanwhile, 170 chief executives and other business leaders yesterday signed a letter of their own, urging Congress to accept the results of the election. The group includes top leaders at BlackRock, Lyft, Microsoft and numerous other companies. Our duly elected leaders deserve the respect and bipartisan support of all Americans at a moment when we are dealing with the worst health and economic crises in modern history, the executives wrote in the statement, organized by the Partnership for New York City, a business advocacy organization. There should be no further delay in the orderly transfer of power. Thomas Donohue, the head of the conservative-leaning U.S. Chamber of Commerce, also issued a statement yesterday urging Congress to certify the vote. Groups supporting the president are already on their way to Washington with plans to stage protests outside the Capitol when Congress takes up the Electoral College vote tomorrow. The organizations planning to march include the Proud Boys, a far-right group whose members frequently espouse white-supremacist views. Trump himself has endorsed the protests. On New Years Day, he tweeted: The BIG Protest Rally in Washington, D.C., will take place at 11.00 A.M. on January 6th. Locational details to follow. StopTheSteal! Some have expressed concern that these protests may turn dangerous, after demonstrations in Washington last month led to violent clashes in which four people were stabbed. Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the Proud Boys, was arrested yesterday after arriving in Washington, on suspicion of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that had been torn down from a historic Black church during those confrontations last month. Robert G. Kingsley, an Air Force veteran, has completed his new book The Connie File: a gripping and potent depiction of a complicated love triangle between three friends in the 1950s and the drastic effects of guilt and rejection. Connie was a lovely young girl who had vigor and spirit, yet was careless with her feelings all wrapped in one package. She craved friendship and was never deprived. In high school, she found the affection of two young gentlemen by the names of Jamie and Stan, begins Robert G. Kingsleys sentimental tale. Published by Page Publishing, Robert G. Kingsleys amorous tale follows the lives of three young friends growing up in the heartland: Connie, Stan, and Jamie. Through high school, this trio remained best friends, and growing up were eager and ready to face whatever the future might hold. Little did they know, their future would be full of twists and turns that none of them could have anticipated. Connie was always the object of affection for Jamie and Stan, as both loved her dearly. However, she was engaged to Jamie, leaving Stan to watch their love from the outside. When Jamie enlists in the United States Air Force and faces an assignment to the Philippines, Connies feelings for Jamie face a great hurdle. During his military service, Jamie loses most of his right leg, and he returns home after years of deployment to find Connie and Stan have married. Following Jamies return from his military service, Connie is devastated with guilt and divorces Stan. Jamie further rejects her, adding to her already grief-ridden mind. After being emotionally and physically abandoned by the two most important men in her life, Connie faces a downhill slide into the sleazier side of juke joints, hustlers, and users. This work is ultimately a disturbing, but authentic, look into the mistakes and misadventures that could shape ones life forever. Readers who wish to experience this revelatory work can purchaseThe Connie File at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Tobago recorded its 7th covid19 death since the start of the pandemic, with a record forty-two covid19 cases reported in the last 24 hours. The latest victim, Carmen Yorke of Bon Accord Tobago. BOSTON, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Onboarding, Inc. today announced that Elevate Federal Credit Union is implementing its fully automated digital engagement platform to deepen member relationships, increase revenue, and grow operational efficiencies. Elevate Credit Union had been relying on phone calls and impersonal emails to connect with its members. The credit union was spending a considerable amount of time on manual processes, and the team was not able to access the data it needed to track and optimize performance. "This year, the credit union witnessed a notable increase in members using digital banking services and never coming into the branch," said Tonya Gail, Chief Marketing Officer, Elevate Credit Union. "We were losing personal opportunities to connect with our members. With full automation, integration with CMC Flex, and rich personalization capabilities, the Digital Onboarding platform is going to be a huge game-changer for us!" According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) report, "From April to September 2020, satisfaction with credit unions was significantly lower compared to the previous six months. Perhaps more so than bank customers, credit union members may be missing the personal touch that their institutions could more easily achieve prior to the constraints of the pandemic." "Elevate Credit Union is committed to helping its members build a strong financial future and I am thrilled to help with that mission," said Ted Brown, CEO, Digital Onboarding, Inc. "With the Digital Onboarding platform, Elevate Credit Union can deliver the personalized experiences that members expect and deserve." About Elevate Credit Union Established in 1954, Elevate Federal Credit Union is proud to provide convenient financial services and solutions for its over 13,000 members. They work one-on-on with people and businesses, giving them the financial tools and power to succeed. Elevate Credit Union believes in relationships and is committed to supporting and strengthening Box Elder, Rich and Cache Counties in northern Utah. Elevate Credit Union raising your possibilities. Learn more at https://elevatecu.com/ About Digital Onboarding Inc. Digital Onboarding Inc. is a SaaS technology that offers a fully automated digital engagement platform that is purpose-built for financial institutions. The platform enables banks, credit unions, credit card companies, and investment management firms to create personalized emails, texts, and step-by-step digital guides to optimize customer lifecycle communications at every stage. Learn more at https://www.digitalonboarding.com/ CONTACT: Laurie McLachlan [email protected] 617-921-2916 SOURCE Digital Onboarding, Inc. Related Links https://www.digitalonboarding.com/ Many aspects of 2020 were complicated, and trade with China was certainly one of them. While trade wars and tariffs made headlines, one fact remained constant: China is a valuable trading partner for the United States. In a Dairy News and Views Podcast, Iowa State Universitys Wendong Zhang, an agricultural economist, talked about the current trade situation between the two countries. When we are looking at U.S. agriculture production, roughly 20% of total value of ag products goes to global markets. Roughly of 20% of value of ag production is driven by exports, Zhang said. Among all the trading partners, China is very important. Before the trade war, Zhang said China was competing with Canada for the U.S.s top export spot every year. On average, $20 to $25 billion of products go to China every year. This is especially important for Midwestern states like Iowa, since soybeans account for almost half of exports to China. More specifically, Zhang said that one in every four rows of soybeans grown in Iowa would go to China at least, that was the case before trade wars. Zhang noted that Phase One of the trade deal between the U.S. and China was signed in January, before the pandemic. In that agreement, China promised to buy about $35 billion worth of agricultural products in 2020. While purchases in the first half of the year were slow, there has been substantial improvement in the second half of 2020, particularly in commodities such as corn, pork, and beef. Zhang said China is on track to meet a bulk of their commitment, spending approximately $31 billion on U.S agriculture products in 2020. Chinas limited land base While there are great financial implications at stake for the U.S., China truly depends on this trading partnership to feed its growing population, too. This is a mutually beneficial relationship. China cannot be self-sufficient and go without the U.S. because it has limited resources, Zhang said. One example he shared is that China has 20% of the worlds population, but only 7% to 9% of the worlds arable land. Meanwhile, the U.S. has less than 4% of the worlds population, and close to 15% of the arable land. That means China cant be self-sufficient in all commodities, Zhang said. The nation has made strategic decisions to allocate scarce land resources to critical food crops, including wheat, rice, vegetables, and corn. What they are giving up is the production of feed grains and land intensive animals, like cattle. The U.S. has a lot of potential what it comes to land intensive agricultural commodities, Zhang said. What about dairy? While feed grains and protein (beef and pork) are winners in our trade with China, Zhang said dairy is not as strong as some of the other products. I think the dairy market is an interesting one, he said. We need to think outside the box. Thats because dairy consumption in China is nowhere near what it is in the U.S. Zhang said that his parents generation, 50- to 60-year-olds, may only consume one serving of dairy on a weekly basis. The good news is that younger generations, current teenagers in China, are having one or more glasses of milk per day. Zhang said the preferences of the Chinese people are changing fundamentally, and that could mean good things down the road for dairy. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021 January 4, 2021 New Delhi, Jan 5 : A man had his brother-in-law murdered by his friend, suspecting that he was having an extra-marital affair and would soon leave his sister. The deceased, identified as Rajesh (30) who owned a jeans factory, was repeatedly hit by a gas cylinder on his head by one of his employees inside the factory in northeast Delhi's Gautampuri. The victim was rushed to the JPC Hospital and was declared brought dead by the doctors. The accused, Monu (24) and Rajesh's employee Ankit, called the victim to the factory for a New Year party. "The prime accused suspected that his brother-in-law was having an extra-marital affair and had apprehensions that he will leave his sister for the other girl. So, he made a plan with one of his friends to kill his brother-in-law," DCP northeast Ved Prakash Surya said. A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered at Seelampur police station. A CDR analysis was done and CCTV footage was checked during the investigation where the movement of Ankit was found to be suspicious. During interrogation, the accused confessed his involvement in the crime and revealed that he murdered Rajesh at the behest of his friend Monu. Monu was also arrested on Monday and both the accused have been sent to judicial custody. Mexico City, Jan 5 : Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has offered political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, after a UK court blocked the latter's extradition to the US, citing concerns over his "mental health and "risk of suicide". Addressing a press conference on Monday, the President said he will ask the Foreign Affairs Ministry to contact British officials over the asylum offer and request that Assange be pardoned, reports Xinhua news agency. "It is a triumph of justice. I commend England's action because Assange is a journalist and deserves a chance," Lopez Obrador told reporters, referring to the ruling. "We will give him protection, we will take that step," the President added. The 49-year-old, who spent almost seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, faces an 18-count indictment from US authorities accusing him of recruiting hackers to steal military secrets. Following Monday's order, Assange was taken back to the Belmarsh Prison, where he is being held and a full application for his bail will be made on Wednesday. In the ruling, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said that while US prosecutors met the tests for Assange to be extradited for trial, the US was incapable of preventing him from attempting to take his own life. She outlined evidence of his self harm and suicidal thoughts and said: "The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future," the BBC reported The US authorities have 14 days to lodge an appeal and are expected to do so. Assange faces an 18-count indictment from the US government, accusing him of conspiring to hack into US military databases to acquire sensitive secret information relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which was then published on the Wikileaks website. According to him, the information exposed abuses by the US military. Assange was jailed for 50 weeks in May 2019 for breaching his bail conditions after going into hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He sought refuge in the embassy for seven years from 2012 until he was arrested in April 2019. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. On Friday, one Webb County commissioner was not only sworn in for the position he was elected to, but also for a reserve duty he continues serving. Precinct 1 Commissioner Jesse Gonzalez was sworn in for his seat by State Rep. Tracy O. King, and earlier that morning he was also sworn-in as a deputy reserve for the Webb County Sheriffs Department. I am humbled and honored to have been entrusted as your Webb County Commissioner for a second term, Gonzalez said. Many more great improvements are coming to Precinct 1 in the near future. During the swearing-in ceremony, Gonzalez said the blessings and support from his constituents and family have allowed him to accomplish a lot during his first term. He touted the creation of La Presa Park, improvements to the Rio Bravo Water Plant, the construction of a recreational area in El Cenizo that is the first fitness area in the citys existence and the construction of the first water source for La Presa residents. He also noted future projects for his district like the Rio Grande Splash Pad and the Lomas del Sur project that will connect traffic from Highway 83 to Highway359 into Concord Hills. Of course, my main project is going to be the first-ever south Webb County Fire Station, which we have already got agreement in the court that is going to be approximately a million dollars in which we will have first responders, fire and EMS responders close to Rio Bravo and El Cenizo and also close to Mangana Hein. The county commissioner also touched briefly on the pandemic during his speech. The pandemic has been a tough topic for Gonzalez as his own family suffered several losses because of the virus. Earlier that morning, Gonzalez was sworn in by Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar as a reserve deputy with the Webb County Sheriffs Department. Reserve deputies assist regular deputies in the enforcement of laws and in maintaining peace and order within the community. Reserve deputies like Gonzalez may also be called to action if needed in any department of the Webb County Sheriffs Department. Gonzalez served in the past as a sheriffs deputy from 2004 until 2017 before becoming county commissioner. He got to the title of captain within the department and had over 50 deputies under his purview. jorge.vela@lmtonline.com Mumbai: A 26 year-old man allegedly shot his girlfriend dead before killing himself with the same gun in suburban Malad here on Monday night, a police officer said. Shot dead As per the details available with the police, Rahul Yadav shot his girlfriend Nidhi Mishra dead in a building in the suburb before turning the gun on himself. Both of them died on the spot, he said. Another police official said the deceased Mishra was not happy since her parents got her engaged with another man. Shot dead "Our investigation is at a preliminary stage. The mobile phones of the deceased were being analysed to identify the trigger behind the incident. We have an eye-witness too," Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Vishwas Nangre Patil said. A case has been registered at Bangur Nagar police station and further investigation is underway. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday said he has ordered public holiday for 'Thai Poosam,' a festival dedicated to worship of Lord Muruga. Palaniswami said during his tour of several districts, people made representations, urging him to declare Thai Poosam a public holiday and they pointed to the annual spiritual event being a holiday in Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Considering their representations, I have ordered declaration of Thai Poosam festival on January 28 (in 2021) a public holiday and for including it in the list of public holidays for the years to come, he said in an official release.BJP Tamil Nadu unit president L Murugan welcomed the move and thanked Palaniswami for accepting his party's appeal and declaring the annual festival a holiday. It may be recalled that devotees had for a long time requested the government to declare 'Thai Poosam' a public holiday and Murugan too had made the demand during his party's recent 'Vetri Vel Yatra.'Naam Tamilar Katchi top leader Seeman welcomed the announcement and said the government has accepted his long- time demand and tagged a photograph of his petition to the Chief Minister.Hindu outfits including Hindu Makkal Katchi welcomed the announcement. The Chief Minister said among the festivals in Tamil Nadu dedicated for the worship of 'Tamil God Lord Muruga,' Thai Poosam is very important.Besides Tamil Nadu, Thai Poosam is celebrated in neighbouring Kerala and in foreign countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and Indonesia, he said in an official release. Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius are home to a big chunk of Tamil speaking people.Thai Poosam is celebrated in Tamil month of 'Thai' (between Jan 14 and Feb 12) when the star 'Poosam' falls on full moon day. According to Shaivite tradition, Thai Poosam festival commemorates the presentation of a spear, 'Vel' (in Tamil) to Lord Muruga by his mother Goddess Parvathi with which he destroyed evil forces and the festival symbolised victory of good over evil.The festival, considered auspicious, is important in the Tamil, Shaivite calendar. Devotees celebrate the festival also to offer thanksgiving and like Tamil Nadu, it is hugely popular among the Tamil diaspora. Lord Muruga came under political gaze after the BJP and right wing groups took up the belittling of 'Kanda Sashti Kavacham,' a hymn in praise of the God, also hailed as Karthikeya and Subramanya by a fringe group 'Karuppar Kootam.'Its functionaries were arrested after complaints from BJP and other right wing groups over disparaging remarks on Kavacham and a YouTube Channel ran by it was blocked following police action. Also, BJP came out with 'Vetri Vel Yatra' claiming to 'expose' those behind disparaging the hymn, held sacred by devotees. The saffron party's Tamil Nadu unit chief Murugan had time and again alleged that the main opposition DMK had supported that group.Though the state-wide BJP campaign was not allowed by the government due to coronavirus pandemic during November- December last year, the party held public meetings at multiple locations and courted arrest under the banner of 'Vetri Vel Yatra. (IMAGE CREDITS:PTI) (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) WASHINGTON Texas Republicans have taken center stage in President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the election he lost and now they plan to stand in the way of certifying the results this week, even as top members of the party acknowledge Trumps defeat and encourage them to do the same. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is leading an effort to throw out the results in the Senate, while several Texans in the House have said they wont vote to accept the results. And Attorney General Ken Paxton is heading to D.C. for a Trump rally outside the White House on Wednesday, calling on all patriots to join him. Like Paxtons failed bid last month to have the U.S. Supreme Court toss out the results from four battleground states, this weeks political acts wont change the outcome. Trumps lawyers have failed to prove allegations of fraud in dozens of failed lawsuits and Congress will have more than enough votes to certify the results, the final step of the election process before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated later this month. POLITIFACT 2020 LIE OF THE YEAR: Downplaying, denying threat of COVID-19 ANNA MONEYMAKER, STR / NYT The effort is splintering the GOP with even some Texas Republicans warning of the damage it may cause to the publics faith in the process and is likely to do little more than stall the proceedings. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn had said he hoped no one would challenge the results, recently telling reporters, I cant imagine it will be successful. Theres good constitutional and other legal grounds to say: You had your day in court, 60 different lawsuits in state courts, you had a chance to appeal those to the Supreme Court, and as I read the law, once a state certifies its electoral vote its conclusive, Cornyn told POLITICO last week. Cruz, however, is calling for an emergency audit, saying too many voters already question the integrity of the election and pointing to polling showing as many as 39 percent of Americans believe it was rigged. Weve seen in the last two months unprecedented allegations of voter fraud. And thats produced a deep, deep distrust of our democratic process across the country, Cruz said in a recent interview on Fox News. I think we in Congress have an obligation to do something about that. But political experts say Cruz and company are likely weighing the political points theyre scoring and see little incentive to give up the fight. Cruz is using his call for an election audit to raise money, meanwhile, with Google ads for the Ted Cruz Objection Fund that read: Will you help protect our Election Security by rushing an urgent donation today? TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox President Trump received almost 6 million votes in Texas thats a huge electorate and these guys will be running again, in most cases in two years, said Renee Cross, senior director of the University of Houstons Hobby School of Public Affairs. Trump remains massively popular among Republican voters, and his Texas defenders will be looking to woo them again soon enough. Cruz is expected to make another presidential run, while Paxton, who has been indicted for securities fraud and is also under investigation by the FBI, may be preparing for potential primary challenges, experts said. Other members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Tyler who led a failed lawsuit seeking to give Vice President Mike Pence the power to toss out the election results represent heavily Republican districts and likely see themselves as doing the will of their constituents. Anything you can do to tie yourself to President Trump is only going to help you in the Republican primary, said Mark P. Jones, a political scientist at Rice University. Paxtons on the defensive, worried about getting challenged. Cruz is more thinking proactively. And in Texas, the anti-elitist, nativist, reactionary populism, that Trump espouses has been dominant among Republicans for years, said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Its the same approach that carried Cruz to his first Senate victory nearly a decade ago, even if Trump wielded it more successfully during the 2016 Republican presidential primary. The Republican Party in Texas has been dining out on this for more than a generation and Donald Trump decided to pull his chair up and elbow Ted Cruz out of the way in 2015, Henson said. Setting ethical considerations aside, from a sheer realpolitik perspective, of course hes finding a lot of support among Texas Republicans. TEXAS ELECTORS SOUND OFF: Electors call on peers in four swing states to erase Bidens win Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Cruz has defended his efforts as not aimed at overturning the election results, but an attempt to uphold an obligation to the voters to ensure that this election was lawful. Hes repeatedly pointed to unfounded claims of voter fraud, which the presidents attorneys failed repeatedly to prove in court. Still, Cruz and others are wearing on some of their GOP colleagues. Elected officials continuing to sow doubt amongst the public for petty political gain is playing into our enemies hands, tweeted Will Hurd, a former CIA operative and Republican congressman from San Antonio who many expect has broader political ambitions, as well. Fraud should be rooted out, but attempting to invalidate tens of millions of Americans votes by a select few elected officials in Washington, D.C., is not the path forward for our party and it does nothing to unite Americans around solving the real challenges we are facing. Meanwhile, on Sunday night, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, an Austin Republican, objected to seating dozens of House members from the six states where Trump has challenged election results, a move meant to highlight GOP hypocrisy on the matter. Those representatives were elected through the very same systems with the same ballot procedures, with the same signature validations, with the same broadly applied decisions of executive and judicial branch officials, Roy said. Roy, a former chief of staff to Cruz, offered an argument against the political path his former boss is taking. From a purely partisan perspective, Republican presidential candidates have won the national popular vote only once in the last 32 years. They have therefore depended on the electoral college for nearly all presidential victories in the last generation, he said in a statement about the attempts to overturn the election results. If we perpetuate the notion that Congress may disregard certified electoral votes based solely on its own assessment that one or more states mishandled the presidential election we will be delegitimizing the very system that led Donald Trump to victory in 2016, and that could provide the only path to victory in 2024. Cruz and the 11 senators backing his effort have drawn plenty of pushback from GOP colleagues in the Senate, as well. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had urged Republicans against making such a move. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said Cruzs call for an audit is more of a political dodge than an effective remedy. And four others U.S. Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska signed a statement saying further attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people. The 2020 election is over, they said. In two weeks, we will begin working with our colleagues and the new Administration on bipartisan, common sense solutions to the enormous challenges facing our country. It is time to move forward. ben.wermund@chron.com Federal court sides with Ohio Christian schools suing to stop COVID-19 closures Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A federal appellate court has sided with a group of faith-based schools in Ohio seeking to overturn a decision by their countys health department mandating the closure of schools to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. In a ruling published last Thursday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request filed by nine Christian schools for an injunction against a Toledo-Lucas County Health Department order. The injunction request was granted pending an appeal. The health department's order requires that all schools that serve kids in grades seven through 12 cease in-person instruction for five weeks. Lucas County Regional Health District Resolution No. 2020.11.189 ordered all public, private, charter and parochial schools for students in grades seven through 12 to close between Dec. 7 and Jan. 8. The schools believe that the order violates their First Amendment rights because similar restrictions were not placed on comparable secular businesses. The panel of judges assigned to the case agreed with their assessment. In Lucas County, the plaintiffs schools are closed, while gyms, tanning salons, office buildings, and the Hollywood Casino remain open, the unsigned opinion stated. The Resolutions restrictions therefore impose greater burdens on the plaintiffs conduct than on secular conduct. The appellate courts ruling reversed a lower court ruling that found that the order did not violate the schools First Amendment rights. As a result of the ruling, The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department is enjoined, during the pendency of this appeal, from enforcing Resolution No. 2020.11.189 or otherwise prohibiting in-person attendance at the plaintiffs schools. The plaintiffs in the case are Monclova Christian Academy, St. Johns Jesuit High School and Academy, Emmanuel Christian School and six schools affiliated with the Ohio Christian Education Network. The network is managed by the conservative Christian advocacy group Citizens for Community Values. In addition to maintaining that the health departments order violated their First Amendment rights, the plaintiffs expressed concern about the impact that a prolonged pause of in-person learning would have on the mental and spiritual health of their students. The judges frequently cited the Supreme Courts decision in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, which overturned restrictions placed on houses of worship in New York, in their opinion. Specifically, the judges noted that the Cuomo decision determined that secular facilities and schools and churches pose a comparable risk of coronavirus spread yet stronger restrictions were imposed on religious organizations than on their secular counterparts. Todays order is a victory for families, for religious freedom, and for all those willing to courageously stand up against unnecessary and overreaching government orders, Aaron Baer, the president of Citizens for Community Values, said in a statement praising the ruling. Lucas County families have suffered plenty through this pandemic, and to unreasonably deny their children in-person education is unconscionable. The First Amendment does not take a holiday break. It was clear from the outset that the Lucas County Health Boards order closing schools violated the Constitution. It is indefensible and irrational to block children from accessing in-person instruction, while allowing casinos, gyms, liquor stores, and other public places to remain open, he added. Just a few days before the 6th Circuit published its decision, the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, filed a brief on behalf of the plaintiffs. Citing the fact that arbitrary restrictions limiting in-person instruction for months on end have inflicted immeasurable harm on children, Solicitor General Ben Flowers concluded that An injunction allowing the plaintiffs to provide in-person instruction will thus advance the states compelling interest in ensuring that Ohios children remain free to pursue a high-quality education. A survey conducted by Gallup found that Americans who attend church regularly were the only group of people who did not see the state of their mental health decline in 2020, a year defined by the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout. In their initial complaint, the plaintiff schools described faith-based instruction as an act of worship. In November, the 6th Circuit issued a ruling in favor of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's executive order prohibiting in-person learning at public and private elementary, middle and high schools. On Dec. 18, the Kentucky Department of Education issued guidance on reopening schools for in-person learning in January. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 10:04:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday warned that more desert locust swarms will arrive during January and spread throughout southern Ethiopia and parts of Kenya. "More swarms will arrive during January and spread throughout southern Ethiopia and northern, central, and eastern counties of Kenya where they will mature and lay eggs that will hatch and give rise to hopper bands from late January onwards," the FAO said in a statement issued on Monday. According to the FAO, numerous immature swarms formed in eastern Ethiopia and central Somalia, which moved to southern Ethiopia, reaching northern Kenya on Dec. 21. Swarms bred and caused hopper bands to form in areas affected by Cyclone Gati, which hit northern Somalia recently. The FAO also stressed that adult groups and a few swarms appeared on the coast of Sudan and Eritrea where breeding, albeit on a smaller scale than Saudi Arabia, will cause hopper bands to form. Intensive control operations treated more than 336,000 hectares of land during December, and efforts should be maintained. Since June 2019, Ethiopia has been suffering from the worst desert locust invasion in about 25 years, affecting major crop-producing parts of the country. The desert locust, which is considered as the "most dangerous of the nearly one dozen species of locusts," is a major food security peril in desert areas across 20 countries, stretching from west Africa all the way to India, covering nearly 16 million square km, according to the United Nations. Enditem Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The U.S. Postal Service has four new postcard stamps that celebrate the beauty and history of American barns. The artist created digital paintings of four types of iconic barns found in the rural American landscape. With differing qualities of light and color, each piece reflects one of the four seasons: a round barn surrounded by the hazy light and warm colors of fall; a gambrel-roofed barn in summer; a forebay barn in early spring; and a Western barn on a winter's night. Ashley Walton designed the stamps with original artwork by Kim Johnson. Greg Breeding was the art director. Along the bottom of each stamp is the word "postcard," to indicate their usage. These stamps will always be valid for the rate printed on them. Brush Rabbits The U.S. Postal Service features a brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) on this additional ounce stamp, available in a pane of 20 or a coil of 100. The brush rabbit is a small brownish cottontail rabbit of the U.S. West Coast and Baja California, Mexico. It lives mostly west of the Sierra Nevada range and south of the Columbia River, which defines the coastal Oregon-Washington border. The adult is about a foot long and generally weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. The pencil-and-watercolor illustration is from preexisting artwork by designer and illustrator Dugald Stermer (1936-2011). Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp. The words "additional ounce" on this stamp indicate its usage value. This stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it. Castillo de San Marcos The latest Priority Mail stamp, which bears the new price, celebrates the oldest masonry fortification in the United States, the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, FL. The stamp art features a digital illustration of the fortress based on a contemporary photograph. With a view toward the northeast corner of the fortress, the artwork captures it in the golden glow of sunrise over Matanzas Bay. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with art created by Chicago-based graphic illustrator Dan Cosgrove. This stamp provides a convenient way for customers to pay for Priority Mail Flat Rate shipping with a single stamp. Priority Mail is the Postal Service's bestselling mail service. Domestic deliveries arrive in 1-3 business days depending on where a package starts and where it's going. Tracking and insurance are included, and shipping boxes and envelopes are free. Postal Products Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps , by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724), by mail through USA Philatelic , or at Post Office locations nationwide. Information for ordering first-day-of-issue postmarks and covers is at usps.com/shop. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com. Contact: Kim Frum [email protected] usps.com/news SOURCE U.S. Postal Service Related Links http://www.usps.com As COVID-19 hospitalizations soar in San Antonio with no end in sight, hospitals are making moves to conserve beds for the sickest patients and stretch beyond their normal capacities. Health care systems across the city have activated their surge plans. University Hospital is limiting the number of trauma patients it receives, instead directing them to Brooke Army Medical Center. Hospitals are curtailing nonessential surgeries and converting specialty care areas into COVID units. More medical staff are headed to San Antonio to assist with the emergency. As one of the areas two Level 1 trauma centers, University typically works in tandem with BAMC, accepting an equal share of people hurt in car crashes, shootings and accidents. But as it works to maintain enough intensive care beds, the public hospital has requested that all transfers from other hospitals in the region be directed to the military medical center. University is still accepting patients who are directly transported from the site of their injuries, as well as pediatric trauma and burn cases. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios coronavirus positivity rate spikes to 23.2 percent as COVID-19 hospitalizations near summer peak In a statement, BAMC said the move will help ensure that the regional trauma system remains intact in the face of the pandemic. We are grateful for the leadership at BAMC who readily assumed this extra number of civilian patients, University said in a statement. This allows for load-balancing to optimize the regional COVID surge response while also maintaining high quality trauma care and access. The arrangement also was used for about two months over the summer to lessen the burden on the public hospital during the citys first major coronavirus surge. This is a well-documented, proven process to help us with surge capacity at University, said Eric Epley, executive director of the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council, which coordinates emergency services for Bexar County and 21 surrounding counties. City in crisis The temporary change to how the county handles trauma patients comes as San Antonio faces its most extensive coronavirus crisis yet. Across San Antonio, a record 1,318 people were hospitalized with COVID as of Tuesday. The city blew past the previous high of 1,267 patients who were treated in July, during the citys first major surge. Patients infected with the virus accounted for 33.6 percent of all hospital patients. The city continues to average more than 1,000 new infections and 100-plus COVID admissions a day, outstripping the number of patients hospitals have discharged. To free up beds, hospitals are discharging patients to long-term acute care and specialized nursing facilities whenever possible. Last month, transports by San Antonio Fire Department paramedics returned to levels commensurate with the summer surge, said Woody Woodward, a department spokesman. In the past month, there have been more than 1,000 emergency transports suspected of being related to COVID, according to city data. The situation in local hospitals is expected to get worse before it improves. Hospitalizations could reach or surpass 1,700 coronavirus patients before the surge relents, Epley said. Fewer than 500 staffed beds were available across the citys hospitals as of Tuesday. The situation right now is pretty heavy with respect to our demand, but its manageable, he said. I think that the numbers will continue to increase incrementally, as they have done for the last three to four weeks. Better off in a hospital Over the past eight weeks, the number of staff brought in to work in San Antonios hospitals under state contracts has increased five-fold, totaling more than 1,000 nurses and respiratory therapists. Another 300 health care workers are expected to arrive by Monday, and STRAC may submit additional requests for staff as needed, Epley said. The additional medical personnel are helping to staff beds in pediatric and surgical areas to accommodate the influx of COVID patients. San Antonios hospitals are so busy that they are going on diversion with greater frequency temporarily routing ambulances elsewhere as they contend with overcrowded emergency rooms. While ambulances are still able to drop off patients, Epley said there could be delays at times in bringing them into hospitals during the surge. On ExpressNews.com: A dark winter: San Antonio health experts warn of tough months ahead for coronavirus transmission At times, patients may be held in ERs for longer periods of time until a bed becomes available, a practice called boarding that can happen during busy periods, such as the height of flu season. Beds have been set up at Freeman Coliseum, but its not yet staffed. Epley said all measures will be taken to expand traditional hospital capacity before officials resort to opening the facility, which lacks laboratory, imaging and pharmacy services. Im still a full believer that youre better off in a hospital, he said. Should Freeman be opened to patients, Epley added, it would likely serve less ill coronavirus patients who are almost well enough to be released. With more than 450 patients, Methodist Healthcare is caring for more than a third of all coronavirus patients in San Antonio. The system has assembled advisory committees to help determine which surgeries can proceed during the crisis. Like University, it is limiting some elective procedures, as is Baptist Health System. On ExpressNews.com: Burnout. Trauma. Disillusionment: The toll of COVID-19 on San Antonio hospital workers Dr. C.J. Winckler, an assistant clinical professor of emergency medicine with UT Health San Antonio and deputy medical director of SAFD, said paramedics have been relying on a new telemedicine program to free up emergency responders for the most urgent calls. Instead of always sending an ambulance, callers who may have COVID but dont appear to be in distress are transferred to a clinical dispatcher, who assesses their symptoms and helps connect them with testing. Winckler has also been overseeing the operations of an infusion center at Freeman, where monoclonal antibody treatments are being administrated to COVID patients at a higher risk of developing severe complications. Since it opened Nov. 30, more than 500 patients have received infusions, including 56 on Tuesday. One way to decrease the strain on the hospitals is to try to keep people out of the hospital, Winckler said. A slow-burning surge In some ways, this surge has been less challenging, Epley said. Over the course of June, area hospitals scrambled to open units and bring on extra staff as COVID hospitalizations rose by nearly 1,000 percent. The latest round of hospitalizations has risen more gradually, doubling over the course of a month instead of a week. That has allowed hospitals to more effectively bolster their capacities, Epley said. Doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists are now well acquainted with the progression of COVID and have more options for treating it. Far more residents are able to access testing and receive a COVID diagnosis before theyre sick enough to need medical care. Fewer patients are being admitted to ICUs and placed on ventilators to breathe. All those things combined make this a little bit easier to deal with this time, although the numbers are going to be higher than the summer, Epley said. On ExpressNews.com: 18 hours inside a COVID-19 ICU Even so, nearly a year into the pandemic, health care workers are weary. Hospital staff are confronting a new flood of patients as they try to cope with exhaustion, burnout and trauma exposure. They have grown frustrated with residents who ignore public health advice and act as if the pandemic is over. Through STRAC, San Antonio has benefited from a unique level of coordination and communication among its hospitals and emergency services providers, Winckler said. But having deployed to overwhelmed hospitals in Eagle Pass, where facilities were in danger of running out of supplemental oxygen, he is acutely aware that every system has its breaking point. If you just have too many sick patients, then youre going to be overrun, he said. Theres no amount of planning that can help in certain circumstances. You mitigate, but you cant exactly fix it. lcaruba@express-news.net I was worked to the bone, drained of my love for restaurants, convinced that I was bad at my job, that I wasnt cool, that I didnt belong, that I wasnt a hard worker, that I wasnt worthy, she writes. Until recently, when we heard stories like this, they were told by chefs. Screaming and pot-throwing were things they endured in their younger days, part of the dues they paid. Some of them also copped to having bullied their line cooks and dishwashers early on, when they first got their own kitchens and followed the bad examples of their own abusive mentors. Breaking the chain is both a personal achievement and a step toward more modern and humane management practices. Such stories rarely linger on the victims the chef has left on the floor in a finely shredded chiffonade. In their lives, abuse may not be a station on the path to fame. It may not be redeemed by later success. It may not give them the opportunity to do better when their turn comes. It is just abuse. We are hearing these stories now, though. At first they came from female restaurant workers who spoke out about sexual harassment. People listened. They were outraged, rightly. Things changed. This encouraged restaurant workers to talk about other kinds of mistreatment. Many of these accusations, sometimes divulged to reporters but more and more often spilled on Instagram posts and comments, fall on a spectrum from scalding tirades like those Ms. Selinger describes to less nightmarish bad-boss behavior, like playing favorites and taking credit for an employees work. Some allegations seem intended to force bad actors to self-defenestrate, but others have a much more basic message: Hello. Im here. And Im sick of this. If youve ever been treated poorly by a boss or other authority figure, you cant help identifying with some of these voices. Restaurant workers have traditionally labored in silence the chef or the owner was the only one who got to talk. Now the microphone can be commandeered by almost anybody, for a few minutes at least, and its changing the way we look at restaurants. We always knew they were group efforts. Now we can see the individuals in the group. And if theyre suffering, we can feel their pain. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. NEW DELHI : British Prime Minister Boris Johnson telephoned his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to express regrets for his inability to visit to New Delhi and take part in Indias Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest later this month due to mounting covid-19 cases at home. A statement from Modis office said Johnson reiterated his thanks for India's invitation for him as the Chief Guest of the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations, but regretted his inability to attend in view of the changed covid-19 context prevailing in the UK. He reiterated his keenness to visit India in the near future." Modi on his part expressed his understanding of the exceptional situation in the UK, and conveyed his best wishes for the quick control of the pandemic spread. He looked forward to receiving Prime Minister Johnson in India at the earliest opportunity after normalisation of the situation," it said. The leaders reviewed ongoing cooperation between both countries, including in the area of making covid-19 vaccines available for the world. They reiterated their shared belief in the potential of the India-UK partnership in the post-BREXIT, post-covid-19 context, and agreed to work towards a comprehensive roadmap for realising this potential," it added. The Republic Day celebrations are seen as a high point in Indias diplomatic calendar. Chief guests for the event are chosen with the intent of signalling Indias special ties with the country or New Delhis intentions to improve relations with it. With Johnson pulling out, New Delhi seems to have been placed in a difficult spot, as it would have to look for another chief guest. Speculation is rife that India would invite the head of government of a neighbouring country. In 2013, Bhutans King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was reportedly invited as the guest of honour after then Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Al Said cited ill health as his reason for declining New Delhis invite. In 2019, India invited South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as the guest of honour after scheduling issues resulted in US President Donald Trump indicating his inability to visit India. Johnsons cancellation his India visit came hours after his government on Monday announced a complete lockdown for the 56 million people in England, which could last till mid-February, to cope with a new variant of the SARS-CoV2 virus that has been found to be more infectious that the original strain. Britain, Italy, and Spain, are among the worst affected by the pandemic. Covid-19 infections are spreading at an alarming rate in the UK. Johnsons visit was also to be his first bilateral visit after the UK exited the EU on 31 December. The British prime minister had accepted the invitation last month and foreign secretary Dominic Raab had visited India to prepare for the trip. The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi this morning to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a spokesperson from Downing Street was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. Johnsons visit was to set the stage for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries for which talks have been going on for a while. In his previous avatar as foreign secretary in Prime Minister Theresa Mays cabinet, Johnson had visited India making a strong case for a free trade pact that would be ready for signing when Britain exited the European Union (EU). With uncertainty persisting over the terms of Britains departure from the EU till the last minute, India was keen to know the particulars of Britains exit before committing to any pact. New Delhi has also been separately negotiating an FTA with the EU, talks for which started in 2007. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. An order for people in Northern Ireland to stay at home will become legally enforceable on Friday, it has been confirmed. The advice is to be put into legislation from midnight on Thursday, with additional powers being given to the PSNI to enforce the measures. The move was agreed by the Executive after it met on Tuesday, along with the tightening of other measures. Amongst the additional restrictions agreed are: Private garden gatherings - maximum of six people from one household or support bubble only, with children under 12 counting towards the permitted total. Gatherings reduced to maximum of six people from two households. Children under 12 are now counted towards the permitted total. Outdoor exercise permitted with one person from another household - to allow, for example, those living alone to go for a walk with a friend. People will only be allowed to leave home for medical needs, to buy food or to exercise. Those who cannot work from home will also be allowed leave. It was agreed the measures will last until February 6 with a review expected on January 21. Schools in Northern Ireland are also set to undertake remote learning until the mid-term break, it was also confirmed. First Minister Arlene Foster said discussions on exams are ongoing with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, with a decision to be made by Thursday. Mrs Foster said the rising coronavirus cases and hospital admissions were causing "grave concern". She added: "We confirm that all educational establishments will move to remote learning until the half-term break in the middle of February. "It will be reviewed up the end of January. But we want to give those educational establishments the vision ahead into February. So, that is what is happening. "That applies to primary schools, post primary schools and indeed to nursery schools as well. "Childcare, however, will continue, even if that is in an educational setting. Childminders will be able to operate as well." Mrs Foster denied the Executive had failed to agree on a way forward for exams. She said: "Our educational grading and our GCSEs and A-levels are very integrated into the wider UK system. "There's ongoing discussions with Gavin Williamson, secretary state for education in Westminster, actually the Executive have mandated our education minister to get clarity for these issues. "By the end of the executive on Thursday, we will have complete clarity in relation to GCSEs and A-levels." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the decision to close schools was a reflection "on how serious the situation is" with the pandemic. She said an Executive meeting could be held on Wednesday to discuss the issue in relation to exams and called on the Education Minister to bring forward proposals. Childcare and special education schools are to remain open, the Deputy First Minister said. Speaking after the Executive meeting, Ms O'Neill said: "The message will be stay at home. "This will provide additional powers to the PSNI, for example to be able to return people to their homes when they actually come out for reasons that are not allowed under the reasons that you can actually leave your home. "There are also additional restrictions to household mixing. So, in private homes and gardens, both indoor and outdoor gatherings will be restricted to members of one household, or a member of your support bubble. "There are obviously some exemptions that are for people who live in homes so those things will carry on. "Outdoor and indoor gatherings will be restricted. The current position is that 15 people can meet outside that will be reduced to six people. Again, that's a necessary intervention at this time." There is still little clarity on transfer tests for entry into grammar schools, which were initially cancelled only for the Association for Quality Education to announce they will hold a single exam in February. On Tuesday, it was confirmed a further 18 people in Northern Ireland had died after testing positive for Covid-19. 1,378 new cases of the virus have been reported. It brings the death toll to 1,384 and the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak to 81,251. Some 12,487 people have tested positive in the past seven days. Of the 18 fatalities, 11 happened within the current reporting period, from 10am on Monday to 10am on Tuesday, while the remaining seven deaths happened previously. There are currently 577 Covid patients in hospitals across Northern Ireland, with 45 in intensive care and 34 requiring ventilation. Hospitals are operating at 101% capacity. A total of 131 care homes are dealing with outbreaks of the virus. Read More Executive discussions are ongoing on new measures set to be imposed in Northern Ireland and a sitting of the Assembly has been scheduled for Wednesday to brief MLAs on decisions taken. Here's how Tuesday unfolded: Belfast Telegraph Though public health officials have cautioned that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, the rollout of vaccines around the world signals the start of a hopeful chapter after nearly a year of lockdowns, restrictions and social distancing. Now that imagining an after time seems possible, At Home readers were asked to share their firsts the first things they plan to do when the world returns to normal. A total of 803 readers responded, with plans for hugs, family visits and dream trips that have been delayed. Israels health ministry has authorised a Covid-19 vaccine developed by U.S. drugmaker Moderna Inc, the company and an Israeli official said, marking the vaccines third regulatory authorisation and the first outside North America. Ministry of Health of Israel has secured 6 million doses and first deliveries (are) expected to begin in January, Moderna said in a statement on Monday. Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said he had no knowledge of shipments arriving this month. To my regret, we will likely only see the companys shipment in two months, Edelstein told reporters. As soon as the vaccines arrive we will use them happily and if the company wants to move the arrival forward we will be happy to receive notification. The director-general of Israels health ministry, Hezi Levy, confirmed the import agreement. Interviewed by radio station 103FM, he declined to give details of the size of the shipment and said the date of its arrival was under discussion. Moderna has received authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine in the United States and Canada and additional authorisations are under review in the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland and Britain. Israel has begun to vaccinate its population at one of the quickest rates in the world, and it aims to reach all vulnerable citizens by late January. Authorities started vaccinations on December 19 using the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Israel has also imposed a third national lockdown to fight climbing infection rates. Edelstein called for an immediate tightening of restrictions, with any final decision pending a cabinet meeting due later on Tuesday. The Bank of Israel said on Monday it expected the economy to rebound quickly in 2021 if the fast start to vaccinating people against Covid-19 was maintained. Israel, which has a population of about 9 million, has reported more than 450,000 Covid-19 cases and 3,448 deaths from the disease. MASON CITY, Iowa A man charged with multiple thefts around Mason City is pleading not guilty. James Jay Eden, 29 of Mason City, is charged with ongoing criminal conduct, 3rd degree burglary, two count of 2nd degree theft, and three counts of 3rd degree theft. Hes accused of burglarizing a storage unit at East Side Storage in Mason City on November 8, 2020. Authorities say the following stolen items were also found at Edens home: Electric bicycle taken from the 800 block of 15th Street SE. Tools, heaters, fuel cans, and a cooler taken from the 1600 block of 12th Street NE. Riding lawn mower taken from the 900 block of 7th Street SE. Chips and cheese sauce taken from the Muse Norris Softball Complex concession stand. Snow blower taken from the 00 block of Kentucky Court. The thefts allegedly happened between July 26 and November 17 in 2020. Edens trial is scheduled to start on March 23, 2021. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Representative image: Reuters Himachal Pradesh has become the fourth state to report cases of bird flu after Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, with officials confirming that migratory birds found dead at Pong Dam Lake in Kangra district have tested positive for the dreaded avian influenza. In Rajasthan, deaths of more than 170 new birds were reported from some districts on January 4, taking the total fatalities in recent days to over 425. "Bird flu has been confirmed only in Jhalawar (district). Report of other deaths is yet to come," according to the state animal husbandry department. As some parts of Kerala too reported the influenza outbreak, authorities have ordered culling of ducks, hens and other domestic birds within one km radius of the affected areas in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. Officials said some 40,000 birds will have to be culled to check the spread of the H5N8 virus. A farm in Keralas Kottayam has recently seen the deaths of around 1,500 ducks due to bird flu recently. Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well. In Himachal Pradesh, around 1,800 migratory birds, most of them bar-headed geese, have been found dead in the Pong Dam Lake sanctuary. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Archana Sharma said the laboratory at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly detected avian influenza in the samples of dead birds, while citing the information conveyed by the Centre. At the same time, she said that her department was awaiting confirmation by the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, as it was the nodal body for testing this disease. Northern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar has also suspected avian influenza in the bird samples, she added. Kangra District Magistrate Rakesh Prajapati has prohibited slaughtering, sale, purchase and export of any poultry, birds, fish of any breed and their related products, including eggs, meat, chicken, etc, in Fatehpur, Dehra, Jawali and Indora subdivisions of the district. Exercising his powers under Sections 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the official said that shops selling these products would also remain closed in these four subdivisions. Prajapati also banned the movement of locals and tourists within a kilometre radius of Pong Dam. In Himachals Pong Dam Lake wildlife sanctuary, wildlife staff first reported the sudden death of four bar-headed geese and one common teal in the Fatehpur area last Monday. The next day, over four hundred migratory waterfowl were found dead in Majhar, Bathari, Sihal, Jagnoli, Chatta, Dhameta and Kuthera areas in the wildlife ranges of Dhameta and Nagrota. Subsequently, hundreds of more birds were found dead each day, totalling 1,773 till January 3, she said. She said that more than 90 percent of the dead birds were bar-headed geese, the most common migratory species at the lake who arrive here from Central Asia, Russia, Mongolia and other regions in winters after crossing the Himalayan ranges. There are eight-nine other bird species whose members have been found dead. In 2020, more than one lakh migratory birds had camped at the lake by late January and this year, over 50,000 have arrived so far. The dead birds are being disposed off as per bird-flu protocol, officials said, adding that no such deaths have been reported so far from other water bodies in the state. Wildlife, veterinary and animal husbandry staff across the state have been put on alert and asked to immediately report the death of any bird or animal. The Gopalpur zoo in Kangra which is situated near the Pong Lake has been put on high alert. Recently, a bird flu alert has been sounded in Rajasthan after crows were found dead in half a dozen districts. Bird flu cases were also confirmed in dead crows in Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Bird flu virus was detected in around 50 crows whose carcasses were found in Indore in Madhya Pradesh last week, prompting authorities to issue an alert. In Rajasthan, 80 bird deaths were reported in Bikaner on January 3, 42 in Sawai Madhopur, 12 in Kota, 12 in Baran, eight each in Pali and Jaipur, six in Dausa, five in Jodhpur and two in Jhalawar, according to the state animal husbandry department. The deaths have been reported in 15 districts of the state. Kerala, which saw the last major case of bird flu in 2016, has sounded high alert in the affected districts considering the potential of the virus to infect humans, even though officials said that the situation was under control. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form In a massive breakthrough in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia has agreed to open its airspace and land border to Qatar after 3 years-long diplomatic crisis. Qatar's only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a blockade against the Gulf state, accusing it of supporting Islamist extremist groups and of having warm ties with Iran. The Saudi border, which Qatar relied on for the import of dairy products, construction materials and other goods, opened briefly during the past three years to allow Qataris into Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic hajj pilgrimage. READ | Jaishankar meets business leaders in Qatar; highlights investment opportunities in India Making the announcement, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah said on state TV that the decision was taken after Kuwaiti Emir's talks with Saudi Crown Prince as well as Qatar's Emir. "Based on Sheikh Nawafs proposal, it was agreed to open the airspace and land and sea borders between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar, starting from this evening," he said. He also said that a statement about the same will be signed in the GCC summit and the conversations between both leaders emphasised that everyone was keen on reunification and the countries will usher in a bright page of brotherly relations. While the Saudi decision marks a major milestone toward resolving the Gulf spat, the path toward full reconciliation is far from guaranteed. The rift between Abu Dhabi and Doha has been deepest, with the UAE and Qatar at sharp ideological odds. The decision to end the Saudi embargo also comes just weeks after President Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited the kingdom and Qatar in a final push by the administration to secure a diplomatic breakthrough. The terms and conditions, however, are still unknown. READ | Saudi Arabia, Qatar agree to reopen airspace, maritime borders following Kuwaiti mediation 13-point demands of 2017 It is to be recalled that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in 2017, had put forth 13-point demands to Qatar for ending the blockade. The most significant demands among them were: Cut diplomatic ties with Iran and close the Iranian diplomatic missions in Qatar, expel members of Irans Revolutionary Guard and cut off military and intelligence cooperation with Iran. Shut down the Turkish military base inside Qatar Shut down Al Jazeera and its affiliate stations, as well as, all media outlets funded directly or indirectly by Qatar Sever ties to all terrorist, sectarian and ideological organisations, specifically the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIL, al-Qaeda, Fateh al-Sham, and Lebanons Hezbollah. Stop granting citizenship to wanted nationals from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain. Revoke Qatari citizenship for nationals where such citizenship violates those countries laws. Cease contact with the political opposition in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain. READ | Morocco to normalise ties with Israel as US agrees to its sovereignty over Western Sahara READ | As Israel-Morocco ties normalise, Jared Kushner aboard historic 1st Tel Aviv-Rabat flight VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - There's an ongoing election contest taking place locally. Former Vigo County Treasurer Nancy Allsup has filed an appeal in her case. In December, a judge ruled that Allsup's challenger should take office. Voters elected Josie Swalls-Thompson to be the county treasurer. LINK | Josie Swalls-Thompson responds to claims she does not live in Vigo County after being elected treasurer Allsup challenged the result. She said Swalls-Thompson didn't legally live here - making her unqualified. A special judge decided the challenge failed, and that Swalls-Thompson was the duly elected treasurer. Allsup's appeal is currently going through the Indiana appeals court. GAZA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- A senior Hamas official said on Monday that Hamas agreed to hold the general elections in the Palestinian territories after four countries have guaranteed the success of the elections. The guarantees were given by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Russia, said Taher al-Nono, an aide to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, in a press statement Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier said he had received a letter from Haniyeh on ending the dispute between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah. "Haniyeh's letter to President Abbas to hold the elections came as a step to achieve partnership and unity of the Palestinian institution on three levels: legislative, presidential, and the National Council," al-Nono said. He revealed that Hana Nasser, chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, will soon visit Gaza to prepare and negotiate a mechanism for the elections. On Sunday, Haniyeh said in a televised speech aired on Al-Aqsa TV that Hamas and Fatah had put an end to their dispute over the general elections, adding Hamas was ready to participate in the legislative and presidential elections. The internal division between Fatah and Hamas came after Hamas routed Abbas' security forces in the Gaza Strip and seized control of the Palestinian enclave in the summer of 2007. HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NMI") (TSXV:NMI) is pleased to provide an update with further drill results from the Area 2B satellite deposit on the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Project in northern Namibia ("Lofdal" or "the project"). Lofdal is a joint venture between the Company and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC") which is operating under a Term 1 budget of CD$4,100,000 (Company press release September 21, 2020). Since the Company's previous update (November 26, 2020) progress highlights are summarized as follows: Additional drill results from Area 2B satellite deposit confirm multiple dysprosium zones to 190 vertical meters Results of 13 additional holes include 3 m @ 0.84% TREO with 450 ppm Dy2O3, 7 m @ 0.58% TREO with 280 ppm Dy2O3, and 7 m @ 0.26% TREO with 226 ppm Dy2O3 (which includes the highest grade 1 m intercept of 1,123 ppm Dy2O3) Area 2B deposit remains open along strike and at depth. Nine drill holes pending analyses Area 4 resource drilling program successfully completed with established strike length of 1,125 meters. Thirty-three drill holes pending analyses Notice of Preparedness to Grant Application for Mining Licence received from Ministry of Mines and Energy Don Burton, President of Namibia Critical Metals stated "Prices for dysprosium and terbium oxides continue to strengthen with dysprosium approaching US$300/kg and terbium surpassing US$1,100/kg. Continuing positive drill results from Area 2B are confirming the importance of this satellite deposit to add additional heavy rare earth mineral resources to the project. All Term 1 drilling has been completed and we look forward to receiving results from the remaining forty-two holes in Area 2B and Area 4. The Company has received Notice of Preparedness to Grant the Application for a Mining Licence for Lofdal from the Ministry of Mines and Energy which is a very significant milestone. The Company has lodged its acceptance of the mining licence and we await finalization of the process from the Ministry." Area 2B Drill Results Drilling in the Term 1 program has focused on doubling the size of the existing Area 4 resource and following the injection of an additional CD$1,100,000 to the Term 1 budget (Company press release September 12, 2020) the decision was taken to add Area 2B to the planned 43-101 update. Area 2B is located three kilometers northwest of Area 4. Mineralization at Area 2B is similar to Area 4 with stacked dysprosium zones ranging from 2-15 meters in thickness. The 2020 drill program at Area 2B totalled 4,400 meters in 29 diamond drill holes. Results from the first 7 holes in the current drill program were reported on November 26, 2020 and this update provides results from an additional 13 holes. Nine holes remain to be reported for inclusion in the resource estimation (Figure 1). Highlights of dysprosium enriched zones reported today include: 8 m @ 0.29% TREO with 185 ppm Dy2O3 and 60.3% heavy rare earth enrichment in L2BD0035 (including 1 meter @ 0.57% TREO with 452 ppm Dy2O3 and 80.1% heavy rare earth enrichment ) ) 7 m @ 0.26% TREO with 226 ppm Dy2O3 and 77.2% heavy rare earth enrichment in L2BD0044 (including 1 meter @ 1.24% TREO with 1,123 ppm Dy2O3 and 91.1% heavy rare earth enrichment ) ) 7 m @ 0.58% TREO with 280 ppm Dy2O3 and 49.9% heavy rare earth enrichment in L2BD0046 (including 2 meters @ 1.04% TREO with 712 ppm Dy2O3 and 73.5% heavy rare earth enrichment ) ) 3 m @ 0.84% TREO with 450 ppm Dy2O3 and 57.6% heavy rare earth enrichment in L2BD0037 (including 1 meter @ 0.90% TREO with 808 ppm Dy2O3 and 98.1% heavy rare earth enrichment) Details of all 13 reporting drill holes from Area 2B are provided in Table 1 and a complete listing of all analytical results is provided in Table 2. Intercept widths are reported as down the hole widths and are not necessarily true widths. Drilling has now established a strike length of 300 meters for mineralization at Area 2B with multiple dysprosium zones defined on sections to a maximum vertical depth of 190 meters (Figure 2). The deposit remains open along strike to the northeast and to the southwest, and at depth. Completion of Area 4 Drill Program As previously reported (Company press release November 26, 2020) the main objective of the Area 4 drilling program was to double the size of the current mineral resource. The 2020 drill program has extended the strike length of the mineralized zone from 700 meters to 1,100 meters, and the drilled depth from 180-225 vertical meters to 250-350 vertical meters. The total drilling program at Area 4 comprised 10,162 meters in 56 holes. Results from 33 holes remain pending. The MSA Group ("MSA") of South Africa has been engaged to update the Area 4 resource which will incorporate all the new drilling and is scheduled for delivery before March 31, 2021. Figure 1 - Area 2B Drill Plan showing carbonatite alteration zone mapped at surface over strike length of 650 m. Historic drill holes (black), holes reported November 26, 2020 (green) and holes reporting this press release (blue). Nine holes drilled with pending analyses remain to be reported are shown in red. Figure 2 - Drill Section 7754564 in Area 2B showing sub-parallel zones of dysprosium mineralization. Historic drill holes in black and holes drilled in 2020 in blue. Table 1 - Summary of Significant Drill Intercepts from Area 2B Reported January 5, 2021 NOTE: "TREO" refers to total rare earth oxides; "HREO" refers to heavy rare earth oxides; "heavy rare earths" as used in all Company presentations comprise europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu) and yttrium (Y). Light rare earths comprise lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd) and samarium (Sm). "HREE" refers to heavy rare earth enrichment which is the ratio of HREO:TREO, expressed as a percentage Table 2 - Complete Listing of Individual Rare Earth Element Analyses for Reported Drill Intercepts January 5, 2021 The Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project is located 450 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Windhoek in the Kunene Region of north-western Namibia. The project area covers 314 square kilometers centered on the Lofdal carbonatite complex which hosts a number of rare earth occurrences, including the Area 4 deposit and the Area 2B deposit. Mineralization in both deposits is dominated by xenotime, which is highly enriched in heavy rare earths. Lofdal is unique as one of only two primary xenotime projects under development in the world, the other project being Browns Range in Australia. As demonstrated in the Preliminary Economic Assessment1 Lofdal has the potential for significant production of dysprosium and terbium, the two most valuable heavy rare earths used in high powered magnets. The joint venture with JOGMEC is driven by Lofdal's potential to be a long term, sustainable supply of heavy rare earths for Japan. Field operations follow strict company Standard Operating Procedures with regards to drilling practices, sampling procedures, security of transport and analytical procedures as per recommendations in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum CIM's Best Practices Guidelines (2018), which includes strict internal quality assurance and quality control procedures ("QAQC") for the insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates. QAQC samples account for 10% of samples submitted in each batch. Sample preparation and analytical work for the drilling program is being provided by Activation Laboratories Ltd. ("Actlabs" Windhoek, Namibia and Ancaster, Ontario) employing appropriate crushing and pulverization procedures (Actlabs Code RX-1) on half sawn core samples provided from the selected intervals, utilizing lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion and ICP-MS techniques suitable for rare earth element analyses (Actlabs Code 8). Activation Laboratories is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory. About Namibia Critical Metals Inc. Namibia Critical Metals Inc. holds a diversified portfolio of exploration and advanced stage projects in the country of Namibia focused on the development of sustainable and ethical sources of metals for the battery, electric vehicle and associated industries. The two advanced stage projects in the portfolio are Lofdal and Epembe. The Company also has significant land positions in areas favourable for gold mineralization. Heavy Rare Earths: The Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Project is the Company's most advanced project having completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment in 2014 and full Environmental Impact Assessment in 2017. An application has been made for a mining licence at Lofdal. The project is now in joint venture with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC") who are funding the current CD$4,100,000 drilling and metallurgical program with the objective of doubling the resource size and optimization of the process flow sheet. Gold: At the Erongo Gold Project, stratigraphic equivalents to the meta-sediments hosting the recent Osino gold discovery at Twin Hills have been identified and soil surveys are progressing over this highly prospective area. The Grootfontein Base Metal and Gold Project has potential for magmatic copper-nickel mineralization, Mississippi Valley-type zinc-lead-vanadium mineralization and Otjikoto-style gold mineralization. Detailed interpretation of geophysical data and regional geochemical soil sampling have identified first gold targets. Tantalum-Niobium: In addition to Lofdal, the Epembe Tantalum-Niobium Project is also at an advanced stage with a well-defined, 10 km long carbonatite dyke that has been delineated by detailed mapping with over 11,000 meters of drilling. Preliminary mineralogical and metallurgical studies including sorting tests (XRT), indicate the potential for significant physical upgrading. Further work will be undertaken to advance the project to a preliminary economic assessment stage. Copper-Cobalt: The Kunene Copper-Cobalt Project comprises a very large area of favorable stratigraphy along strike to the west of the Opuwo cobalt-copper-zinc deposit. Secondary copper mineralization over a wide area points to preliminary evidence of a regional-scale hydrothermal system. Exploration targets on EPLs held in the Kunene project comprise direct extensions of the cobalt-copper mineralization to the west, sediment-hosted cobalt and copper, orogenic copper, and stratabound manganese and zinc-lead mineralization. The common shares of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NMI". Donald M. Burton, P.Geo. and President of Namibia Critical Metals Inc., is the Company's Qualified Person and has reviewed and approved this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information please contact - Namibia Critical Metals Inc. Don Burton, President Tel: +01 (902) 835-8760 Fax: +01 (902) 835-8761 Email: Info@NamibiaCMI.com Web site: www.NamibiaCriticalMetals.com The foregoing information may contain forward-looking information relating to the future performance of Namibia Rare Earths Inc. Forward-looking information, specifically, that concerning future performance, is subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the appropriate securities commissions. 1 Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Lofdal Rare Earths Project Namibia dated October 1, 2014 authored by David S. Dodd, B. Sc (Hon) FSAIMM - The MDM Group, South Africa, Patrick J.F. Hannon, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. and William Douglas Roy, M.A.Sc., P.Eng. - MineTech International Limited, Canada, Peter Roy Siegfried, MAusIMM (CP Geology) and Michael R. Hall, B.Sc (Hons), MBA, MAusIMM, Pr.Sci.Nat, MGSSA - The MSA Group, South Africa. The PEA should not be considered to be a pre-feasibility or feasibility study, as the economics and technical viability of the Project has not been demonstrated at this time. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. Furthermore, there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. SOURCE: Namibia Critical Metals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623066/Namibia-Critical-Metals-Heavy-Rare-Earth-Project--New-Results-Confirm-Multiple-Dysprosium-Zones-at-Area-2B-Area-4-Drilling-Completed-and-Mining-Licence-Application-Advances Wealthy executives bankrolled Talmadges numerous political campaigns, while many white farmers supplied the votes. (He served three terms as the states governor two from 1933 to 1937 and one from 1941 to 1943.) Talmadge was a vocal opponent of the New Deal, yet he depended on the support of those impoverished Georgians who stood to benefit from many federal programs. The journalist Robert Sherrill, in his book Gothic Politics in the Deep South, explained why the people still stood by Talmadge: Old Gene had never done anything for them, but he made them feel like people, fit for laughter, supreme over the black man at least, and sharing with him the sly knowledge that since only the rich could profit from government, the poor man was foolish to take government seriously. In many ways, Talmadge though he was a Democrat and his party backed the social programs of the early New Deal created a blueprint for todays Republican Party. He combined racial animus with anti-government rhetoric, piled up votes among rural whites and exploited a system that gave those voters disproportionate power. In the Georgia Senate races, the Republicans most insistent line of attack is that a Democratic-controlled Senate will lead America to socialism. Ms. Loefflers opponent, Mr. Warnock, would become Georgias first African-American senator. In one debate, Ms. Loeffler referred to radical liberal Raphael Warnock no fewer than 13 times. (Mr. Warnock responded that his economic philosophy derived from Matthew 25.) This is not so different from the way Talmadge raged against the New Deal as a socialist-inspired plot that would bring racial equality to Georgia. Talmadge defended white supremacy and encouraged his supporters to use intimidation and violence to keep Black voters away from the polls. After losing a bid for re-election in 1942, he ran again for governor in 1946. He whipped white Georgians into a frenzy. Just before a Democratic primary in July, Talmadge told a crowd, If Im your governor, they wont vote in our white primary. In Butler, a veteran named Maceo Snipes cast his ballot in that primary election, becoming the first African-American to vote in Taylor County. The next day, four white men went to Snipess home and shot him. Snipes died days later. Roughly 85,000 Black Georgians voted in that election, though tens of thousands were disenfranchised by either voter purges or outright intimidation. An estimated 98 percent of African-Americans voted for Talmadges opponent James Carmichael, a businessman and more moderate Democrat. Carmichael won the popular vote by more than 16,000, but Talmadge won a solid majority of county-unit votes and he thus won the primary election. (Talmadge also won the general election but died before his inauguration.) A Green Beret colonel who was arrested after an armed standoff with police in late December was also the subject of an Inspector General complaint alleging he was abusive to his staff at work. Army Col. Owen G. Ray was released from custody Monday on $1 million bail, according to the Pierce County jail website, after being arrested Dec. 27 on charges ranging from kidnapping family members and assault to threatening police with a firearm at his home near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The Army suspended Ray from his job as chief of staff for I Corps; he is scheduled to stand trial Feb. 18 on one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of felony harassment and one count of reckless endangerment, according to a probable cause affidavit in the case. Read Next: National Guard to Deploy on DC Streets as Congress Meets to Affirm Biden's Victory An anonymous Special Forces officer, who served under Ray when he commanded 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), told Army Times that the 1st Special Forces Command IG investigated a complaint that described Ray as being prone to "emotional outbursts" and swearing at subordinates, threatening to end their careers, according to the Army Times report. The site added that the IG dismissed the complaint in June as "not substantiated." The Army confirmed to Military.com that there was an IG complaint submitted against Ray, but would not release it or comment on the case. "The 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General investigated a complaint against Col. Owen Ray earlier this year," Lt. Col. Gabriel Ramirez, an Army spokesman, said in a statement. "As a matter of Army policy, we do not comment on the details of Inspector General investigations." Military.com contacted Ray's attorney, Jared Ausserer, but did not receive an immediate response. The complaint alleged that Ray was a toxic leader who was known for "shaming people in public" and expected key staff to work 14-hour days, Army Times reported. In one incident, Ray was so furious for missing a teleconference by an hour because of a misunderstanding of the time zones involved that he began "swearing, shaking and throwing papers on the table before telling staff to lace up in running shoes for a roughly 7-mile run," Army Times reported. The complaint stated that about two-thirds of his staff fell out of the brisk pace of the run, but Ray "did not give a second look" back, according to the report. The incident that led to Ray's Dec. 27 arrest started with a domestic argument and escalated to Ray pointing a firearm at his wife, Kristen, and threatening to kill her in front of their children, the affidavit in that case states. Ray proceeded to "kick Kristen over and over with his boots in the face and chest. The two [younger] children had woken up and were screaming, 'Don't kill mom, don't shoot us,'" according to the affidavit. Police arrived shortly after midnight, and Ray allowed his wife and three children to leave the house. His wife had visible cuts and abrasions on her nose and a large bump on her forehead, the affidavit states. Ray threatened to shoot officers if they tried to arrest him, but after about two hours, he surrendered to police, it adds. Before assuming the I Corps chief of staff position, Ray commanded the 1st Special Forces Group and held other leadership positions in the Green Beret unit, such as commanding a detachment in 2003. -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Related: Green Beret Colonel Threatened to Kill Wife in Front of Children Before Standoff with Police: Affidavit Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. China's long-term plan to be more economically self-sufficient could harm Australia's major exporters, including those in the once unassailable resources sector. The Communist power is Australia's biggest trading partner buying 35 per cent of Australia's exports in a deal worth $150billion during the last financial year. Iron ore, the commodity used to make steel, is by far the most valuable good sent to China, but thermal coal, agricultural and service exports would be under threat if China aimed to be less reliant on imports and more focused on renewable energy. Scroll down for video China's long-term plan to be more economically self-sufficient could harm Australia's major exporters, including those in the once unassailable resources sector. Pictured is a coal loader at Newcastle north of Sydney Associate Professor Jane Golley, the director of the Australian Centre on China in the World at Canberra's Australian National University, said local exporters would be vulnerable under President Xi Jinping's plan to be more self-sufficient and generate more economic growth to legitimise Communist Party rule. 'If the Chinese government succeeds in making the Chinese economy more reliant on domestic production and consumption, that doesn't sound like a great idea for the Australian export market broadly,' she told the ABC's 7.30 program. China in 2019-20 bought $18billion worth of Australian coal. That component included about $8billion worth of thermal coal, used for electricity generation. China is aiming to produce net zero carbon emissions by 2060 which threatens Australia's lucrative coal exports. 'For example, they will continue to shift out of coal and towards renewable energies,' Dr Golley said. 'They're also going to open up for capital investors to come in from abroad to support that green growth and so there will be opportunities for Australians in certain markets but I don't think it will be quite as universal as it has been in the past.' Associate Professor Dr Jane Golley, the director of the Australian Centre on China in the World at Canberra's Australian National University, said Australian exporters would be vulnerable under President Xi Jinping's plan to be more self-sufficient and generate continued economic growth to legitimise Communist Party rule Australia's biggest export markets 1. China: $150.5billion 2. Japan: $52.8billion 3. South Korea: $25.1billion 4. United States: $17.5billion 5. United Kingdom: $15.6billion 6. Singapore: $12.2billion 7. Taiwan: $11.8billion 8. India: $10.8billion 9. New Zealand: $10billion 10. Malaysia: $8billion Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics export goods data for 2019-20 Advertisement In December, former trade minister Simon Birmingham lodged a formal complaint to the World Trade Organisation about China in May slapping 80 per cent tariffs on Australian barley. This occurred a month after Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19. Little more than six months later, China in November imposed tariffs of up to 212 per cent on Australian wine. During 2020, Chinese customs authorities have stymied shipments of Australian timber, beef, lamb, lobster, and cotton. Even before coronavirus pandemic, China was seeking to create a domestic wine industry. China bought 36 per cent of Australian wine exports during the last financial year, a Westpac analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics trade data showed. Australia's $13billion agricultural export sector is in particular danger should China produce more of its own produce or switch markets for political purposes. China in 2015 signed a bilateral trade deal with Australia. Australia's new Trade Minister Dan Tehan, a former diplomat, is for now taking a more diplomatic approach to the China trade relationship than his immediate predecessor, Senator Birmingham. 'Australia and China have both benefited from our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and from open and rules-based trade,' he told Daily Mail Australia. China bought 36 per cent of Australian wine exports (Shanghai bottle shop pictured) during the last financial year, a Westpac analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics trade data showed. Australia's $13billion agricultural export sector is in particular danger should China produce more of its own produce or switch markets for political purposes 'Australia is a reliable place to do business, a safe and welcoming destination, and an exporter of high quality, price-competitive goods and services that contribute to China's economic growth.' With Australia's diplomatic relations with China at an all-time low Mr Tehan, a Liberal MP from rural western Victoria, has chosen his words carefully. 'We will continue to engage constructively with China to resolve outstanding trade issues,' he said. 'I will engage, listen and work tirelessly to advance Australia's trade interests with all of our trading partners.' Trouble is China bought $150.5billion worth of Australian exports in 2019-20, almost triple the next biggest trading partner Japan's $52.8billion. [January 05, 2021] Adastra Joins Scale AI Supercluster Community; Actively Seeks AI Industry Use Cases to Transform Canadian Supply Chains Adastra Corporation, a global leader in Data Management, AI and Analytics, is proud to announce that it is now a part of the Scale AI community. Scale AI is a Government of Canada-supported supercluster aimed at leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) to boost the economic development of the country through the adoption and integration of AI into supply chains. Scale AI receives funding from the Governments of Canada and Quebec, matched by contributions from the private sector, and has already invested $111 million in 20 confirmed projects through its member community. The AI supercluster brings together private entities across industries, academic researchers, and high-potential startups to build a knowledge-sharing network and identify cross-sector collaborative projects for funding and support. "We are thrilled to be a part of the Scale AI program and will be actively identifying cross-sector collaborative opportunities to bolster the adoption of AI in innovative business use cases. There is tremendous potential for leveraging AI to optimize supply chains across industries, and this initiative is a great stepping-stone towards solidifying Canada's position as a leader in intelligent supply chains," said Robert Turner, EVP Marketing & Sales, Adastra Corporation. Adastra has been a leading player in Canada's Data Management and Analytics space for 20 years and, as part of the Scale AI program, will continue to help our clients innovate their supply chains. Adastra's experience in building and deploying innovative AI solutions across industries will be key n identifying use cases that could have a transformational impact on businesses of all sizes. Adastra is actively seeking innovative project ideas and industry use cases that have the potential to leverage AI to transform the supply chain ecosystem. Adastra can help secure funding from Scale AI. The identified projects will be evaluated by Scale AI for business viability and overall ecosystem impact. The supply chain industry contributes to over 10% of Canada's GDP, and as a member of this supercluster, Adastra aims to bolster innovation and accelerate the integration of AI into these businesses to create a world-class supply chain network with enhanced employment opportunities. "The vision of accelerating innovation and fostering connections between cross-sector players to create a competitive advantage and uncover new opportunities is one that resonates with Adastra. We look forward to working closely with private organizations, researchers, and other partners to pool our collective expertise, and build solutions that will drive the transformation of supply chains," said John Yawney, Chief Analytics Officer, Adastra Corporation. The Scale AI consortium has over 120 members, ranging from industry leaders to research groups and not-for-profit organizations. Together, they aim to boost productivity across industries by integrating AI with supply chains and building a knowledge-sharing framework to advance technological research and pave the way for adoption of advanced technologies by Canadian businesses. About Adastra Corporation Since 2000, Adastra has been helping global organizations accelerate innovation, improve operational excellence, and create unforgettable customer experiences, all through the power of their data. By providing cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud, Digital and Governance services and solutions, Adastra helps enterprises leverage data that they can control and trust, connecting them to their customers - and their customers to the world. More information: adastracorp.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005117/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Southwestern Energys Chief Financial Officer Julian Bott died Sunday from a non-COVID-related medical condition, the Spring oil and gas company said. It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my dear friend and colleague Julian Bott, Southwestern CEO Bill Way said in a statement Monday. We have lost a well-respected business leader, adviser and mentor who will be remembered as a compelling and insightful thinker with a steady hand and warm demeanor that made him immensely successful. His presence will be deeply missed within the SWN family and across the broader industry. The company didn't release the cause of Bott's death. Michael Hancock, Southwesterns vice president of finance and treasurer under Bott, will serve as interim CFO, the company said. He joined the company in 2010. CONSOLIDATION: Southwestern Energy acquires Montage Resources for $193M Bott, who joined Southwestern in 2018, was previously the CFO of SandRidge Energy, Texas American Resources and 3DMD Technologies, and was a managing partner at Kensington Energy Partners. He had a bachelors degree in economics from Harvard University and an MBA from Rice University. Southwestern Energy recently completed its acquisition of Montage Resources for $193 million, expanding its footprint in the nations top natural gas field: the Marcellus Shale of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The deal gives Southwestern more than 786,000 acres of leases in the Marcellus, and will save the combined company at least $30 million in costs. The combined company expects to generate $300 million in revenue next year. OTTAWA - Experts who advocate for improvements to long-term care in Canada say the provinces need to move faster to vaccinate residents and the people who look after them. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is shown at a vaccine clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Dec. 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette OTTAWA - Experts who advocate for improvements to long-term care in Canada say the provinces need to move faster to vaccinate residents and the people who look after them. Canada's overall vaccination rollout is being questioned with more than 420,000 doses now received, but only about one-quarter of those injected. And long-term-care residents, who have paid the heaviest price for the pandemic and were to be at the front of the line, have had to wait in most provinces because the first vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech was deemed too fragile to distribute outside major hospitals, at least at first. "It's another tragedy," said Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. "The reality is all the excuses used for not doing them first are just that, excuses." Quebec is the only province that selected two long-term-care homes as the first sites to receive and inject the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. All other provinces went with major hospitals, and two other priority groups, front-line hospital staff and long-term-care workers, were the first recipients. Grinspun was among several long-term-care experts and advocates who participated in a virtual town hall hosted by Green party Leader Annamie Paul Monday afternoon. All of them said getting long-term-care residents vaccinated as quickly as possible is critical to ending the ongoing outbreaks that have killed more than 10,000 long-term care residents in Canada since last March. There are about 425,000 people living in long-term care and retirement homes in Canada, or about 1.2 per cent of the total population. But residents in the homes account for 10 per cent of Canada's total COVID-19 cases and 72 per cent of deaths. Among two dozen of the world's wealthiest nations, only Australia had a higher percentage, at 75 per cent. However Australia's total death toll from COVID-19 is 908. Canada's is now close to 16,000. Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, said there is no data yet showing specifically who received the first 120,000 vaccine doses. But Sinha says in Ontario alone, there are more than 72,000 long-term-care residents and about 100,000 staff, and that province has administered about 42,000 doses total out of more than 148,000 doses now received. "Frankly, we've had 21 days to start getting these vaccinations, rolling at a quick pace, because as soon as we vaccinate people, we're saving lives," he said. "And vaccines do nothing to help anybody when they're sitting in the freezer. So we actually have an opportunity to even get ourselves out of this pandemic sooner and end this nightmare." Long-term-care residents are at the front of the line to receive the Moderna vaccine, which can be stored and transported at less frigid temperatures. Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine was approved Dec. 9 and began arriving in Canada Dec. 14. Moderna's was approved Dec. 23, and the first doses arrived in Canada on Christmas Eve. Many of those first Moderna doses are going to the territories and remote First Nations, but some are also going to long-term care. Alberta vaccinated its first long-term-care resident on Dec. 30. Prince Edward Island did so Monday. Donna Duncan, the CEO of the Ontario Long Term Care Association, said there are vaccination teams going into homes in the province's hardest hit regions now. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday there have been a few bumps along the way but that vaccine administration should get significantly faster in the next few weeks. Dr. Samantha Hill, a cardiac surgeon in Toronto and current president of the Ontario Medical Assocation, said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is tricky and the there was fear that too many doses might be lost if the distribution network was too complicated. She said she hopes that with Moderna's vaccine arriving now that "will be rapidly corrected." Hill also said vaccinating long-term-care workers will help with the overall picture, because in many cases, the impact of the virus on long-term care has been exacerbated as workers fall ill and leave homes even shorter-staffed than usual. Nearly 17,000 long-term care workers have contracted COVID-19 in Canada and 16 have died. Hill said she is horrified and angry to hear stories of long-term-care patients dying not of COVID-19, but because there wasn't a worker to help them eat or drink. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. A pensioner whose interview went viral after his first dose of the Covid vaccine is one of few people to have received a second dose. Martin Kenyon, 91, was one of the first people in the world to receive the vaccine last month and was interviewed on CNN as he left Guy's Hospital in London. Mr Kenyon became a viral star when he described getting his first vaccine by simply phoning the hospital and booking a slot. Martin Kenyon, 91, pictured during the interview, in which he spoke about being one of the first person to receive Pfizer's jab at Guy's Hospital in London, with CNN's Cyril Vanier last month Martin Kenyon, pictured in his London home, has since received his second Covid vaccine jab He told the CNN's Cyril Vanier: 'I hope I'm not going to get the bloody bug now (...) there's no point in dying when I've lived this long, is there?' Mr Kenyon has since told Sky News he has now received his second jab and described the publicity surrounding his first jab as 'nonsense'. He said: 'It's all rather uninteresting - I feel exactly the same. It's a good idea for people to have it. 'It's sensible. Rather like all the injections I've had all the 91 years I've lived. 'I don't understand the medical or scientific side of it all - but I do what I'm told and trust the experts.' Mr Kenyon said after receiving his first jab, he was able to spend Christmas with his family and enjoyed reconnecting with his grandchildren. The 91-year-old's CNN interview amassed tens of thousands of shares across social media, with fans praising the 'charming gentleman' and labelling him a 'treasure.' Mr Kenyon exclusively revealed to MailOnline last month that he had been friends with Desmond Tutu for 60 years after he looked after the South African archbishop when he arrived in London in the early 1960s to study. Mr Kenyon with his family - (Left to right) his daughter Nina; his grandson Leo; Ben Clarke; Mr Kenyon himself; his daughter Eliza; his granddaughter Molly and son-in-law Andrew Through his friendship with the Anglican cleric, he became involved in the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa as well as racial injustice in the US, once spending an evening with Dr Martin Luther King in Chicago in 1966. Mr Kenyon ran the Overseas Students Trust for 30 years between 1963 and 1993, and was based in South Kensington where he looked after foreign students who came to study in Britain. On Monday, the UK began to roll out the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine with 82-year-old Oxford resident Brian Pinker becoming the first person to be given the jab. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson tonight revealed that one in 50 of the population of England - around a million people - are infected with coronavirus as he defended his U-turn to plunge the country into lockdown. The PM told a Downing Street briefing that the scorching spread of the mutant version of the disease meant there was 'no choice' about imposing lockdown. But he insisted the measures can get the situation under control while vaccines are rolled out - revealing that 1.3million people have now had jabs as he dismissed criticism that he is 'over-promising' about the most vulnerable categories being covered by mid-February. The scale of the problem was underlined tonight as the UK reported a record 60,916 cases - up nearly 15 per cent on last Tuesday. The tally of deaths was 830, double the number from last week. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Shady Grove Fertility's Dr. Connell and Dr. Shah launch 2021's first virtual events of the year. "SGF recognizes topics like weight because it not only fosters a healthier quality of life but improves overall success for fertility treatments. With 2020 in hindsight, Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) is ringing in the new year with free virtual events covering health, wellness, and fertility treatments for information seekers looking to kick off 2021 with rejuvenated hopes and goals. Since its founding nearly 30 years ago in 1991, SGF has and continues to empower the community by providing firsthand access to SGF physicians through frequent virtual events. One of the first steps in overcoming suspected infertility is recognizing when it is time to see a fertility specialist. Join host Valerie Libby, M.D., from SGF Atlantas Northside office for the What to Expect When Youre Not Expecting webinar on January 19 at 4 pm. Dr. Libby will review the following need-to-know information, and conclude with an anonymous Q&A: who should see a fertility specialist, what to expect during the initial appointment, how fertility is diagnosed, treatment options, and financial options. There are many factors that can impact ones ability to conceive, including weight. Join Matthew Connell, D.O., who sees patients at SGFs Mechanicsburg and Lancaster offices, for the Weight and Fertility webinar on January 6 at noon. During the live event, Dr. Connell will review how weight, whether its over or under, can impact a persons ability to conceive as well as tips for maintaining and achieving a healthy body mass index (BMI). Weight is a sensitive subject, but often found at the top of New Year's resolutions lists, shares Dr. Connell. Similar to how its recommended to control medical conditions like diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and hypertension prior to pregnancy, its important to know that weight requires similar attention. SGF recognizes topics like weight because it not only fosters a healthier quality of life but improves overall success for fertility treatments. Over the course of nearly 30 years, SGF has helped bring more than 85,000 babies into the world. While not all these babies were the result of in vitro fertilization (IVF), IVF is a very popular and effective fertility treatment. On January 13 at 4 pm, Anish Shah, M.D., M.H.S., of SGF Richmonds Stony Point and Henrico locations will host the "IVF" webinar where he will review: what to expect during the IVF process, IVF success rates, and exclusive SGF financial programs. IVF can seem intimating, but Im here to help soften that perception by giving patients an inside look at the process, explains Dr. Shah. While many patients will not need IVF to conceive, it may be helpful that they understand the process so that if they do need this advanced treatment option, they will feel fully informed." January Virtual Fertility Events at a Glance While SGF fertility webinars are complimentary, interested parties must register to attend by visiting the SGF calendar of events. For more information, visit SGFs growing resource library for free, on-demand webinars, E-books, and other education resources on topics such as endometriosis, PCOS, low-tech treatment options, weight and infertility, and much more. Follow SGF on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and events. For people struggling to conceive, it may be time to consult a fertility specialist. Contact the SGF New Patient Center at 1-888-761-1967 or complete a brief online request form to schedule a virtual fertility consult with an SGF physician. A virtual physician consult is the first step toward pursuing a pregnancy with the help of SGF. About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 85,000 babies born and 5,000+ 5-star patient reviews. With 37 locations throughout FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, we offer patients virtual physician consults, deliver individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including 100% refund guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com. Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Thursday appealed to people of the hill state to take their children to their ancestral villages during the summer vacations and post selfies from those locales. In posts on social media site twitter, Rawat said that visiting their ancestral places will kindle a feeling of attachment in children while the selfies would present a unique picture of the state through social media. Reiterating his government's commitment to combat the problem of migration from the hills, Rawat said those who are parents could do their bit to contribute to the cause. "All parents who have their homes in the hills but live elsewhere should take their children to their ancestral villages this summer to revive in them a sense of attachment for their roots. "They should also share their photo with their children from their village at Selfie From My Village," Rawat said. He said that taking children to their village home in the hills will rekindle a love for their roots in them and they may feel tempted to come home again and again. "Each photo will tell a separate story and present aunique picture of Uttarakhand through the social media," Rawat said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. OTTAWA - A Twitter post by NDP MP Charlie Angus on Israel's vaccination policy has kicked up a storm of social media controversy. NDP Ethics Critic Charlie Angus speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - A Twitter post by NDP MP Charlie Angus on Israel's vaccination policy has kicked up a storm of social media controversy. The online post links to a Jan. 3 article in The Guardian newspaper that highlights how Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza are not among the beneficiaries of Israel's rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, whereas Jewish settlements are. "This is appalling," Angus wrote, capping off the tweet with the words, "#apartheidstate." The post Sunday sparked more than 1,000 likes, but also backlash, including from Liberal MP Ya'ara Saks. Saks, who represents Toronto's York Centre riding, which includes a sizable Jewish community, said in a reply that the Palestinian Authority is largely responsible for the medical care of its citizens under the Oslo Accords. The article states the authority has not officially asked for help from Israel, she noted. "Health care is actually cooperatively managed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to serve all residents of the West Bank. His post did not productively or constructively contribute to any conversation on the issue," Saks said of Angus's tweet in an email to The Canadian Press. Israel has led the world in per-capita inoculations, but which shoulders receive the shots remains a controversial issue. So far, virtually none of the 2.7 million Palestinian residents of the West Bank have received any of the more than 150,000 doses Israel administers daily, the article says. Michael Bueckert, vice-president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, says Israel is an occupying power and therefore responsible for the health of the local population under the fourth Geneva Convention. Bueckert called Israel's vaccination program "impressive," but said Palestinians' exclusion from it constitutes a "massive hole" in the plan. He said he was encouraged to see a parliamentarian highlight the issue. In an email, Shimon Koffler Fogel, head of the Toronto-based Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, called the tweet a "dog whistle" that has "no place in Canadian politics." The recriminations did not end there. Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith Canada tweeted Monday that Angus and fellow New Democrat Leah Gazan who also posted a link to the story were "tweeting inaccurate information demonizing Israel," and called their posts "shameful." Angus posted a follow-up statement Monday evening, saying B'nai Brith had reached out to him and accused him of "promoting 'anti-Semitic conspiracy theories' by releasing this tweet." "As a parliamentarian involved at the international stage on addressing the crisis of online conspiracy theories I was shocked by the accusation," he said, adding that he rejects it. "If Bnai Brith objects to the tone or the facts presented in the Guardian article the appropriate channel is to contact the editor of the Guardian." Several hours after his Sunday post, Angus retweeted one from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum commemorating a victim of the Holocaust, as he does each day. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2021. NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has rejected recent comments by two Russian lawmakers describing Kazakhstan's current territory as being a gift from Russia, saying such "provocative" remarks aimed to "spoil" relations between the two neighbors. "Nobody from outside gave Kazakhs this large territory as a gift, Toqaev wrote in an article published in state-run newspapers on January 5. Kazakhstan must "stand against provocative actions by some foreign citizens" who are trying to "spoil neighborly relations," he said, without mentioning the two Russian politicians. Last month, Vyacheslav Nikonov and Yevgeny Fedorov -- two members of the lower house of Russias parliament, the State Duma -- described Kazakhstan's current territory as being a gift from Russia, echoing remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 that Kazakhs never had any statehood before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Kazakhstans Foreign Ministry denounced provocative attacks that cause serious damage to relations between Kazakhstan and Russia. Some Kazakh opposition activists have claimed the Russian lawmakers made the remarks to boost support for the ruling Nur Otan partys national unity platform ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for January 10. Civil rights activists and opposition politicians have accused Kazakh authorities of intentionally refusing to officially register opposition political groups in recent months. The only officially registered political party that labels itself as an opposition group, the All-National Social Democratic Party (OSDP), is boycotting the vote, saying that Kazakhstan's political landscape continues to be dominated by the same political elite. In his article, titled Independence -- A Most Precious Thing, Toqaev wrote that democratic reforms in Kazakhstan should be introduced gradually to preserve the Central Asian countrys foundation and unity. The upcoming polls for parliament's lower chamber, the Mazhilis, will be the first parliamentary elections since Toqaev succeeded Nursultan Nazarbaev, who resigned in March 2019 after nearly three decades in power. Nazarbaev still maintains key positions of power, including head of the countrys powerful Security Council and the ruling Nur Otan party. He also enjoys almost limitless powers and immunity as elbasy -- leader of the nation. The last parliamentary elections were held in 2016. International election observers say that past elections in Kazakhstan have been neither free nor fair, citing electoral fraud, repression of opposition candidates, and restrictions on the freedom of the press. The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has released a Guidance Note on Provision of Investment Advice, cautioning the public against dealing with unlicensed investment advisers. This was in response to the growing number of queries and complaints regarding various social media, chat, and messaging applications that seem to be offering specific stock recommendations and investment advice to the public for a fee. The SC cautions members of the public against dealing with unlicensed investment advisers, as they could be defrauded or used as part of a market manipulation scheme, said the regulator in its note. Investors are reminded to verify the licensing status of platforms, companies, and individuals offering capital market services or products including the provision of investment advice, before making any investment decision, the SC said. According to the SC, a person is required to be licensed for providing investment advice under the Schedule 2 of the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007 (CMSA), when the activity fulfils any one of the following: carrying on a business of advising others concerning securities or derivatives; or as part of a business, issues or promulgates analyses or reports concerning securities or derivatives. So, if the giving of investment advice falls under one of the categories above, the giver must be licensed as the activity is meant to be regulated by the SC. Under the CMSA, conducting a business of offering investment advice is an offence punishable with a fine not exceeding RM10 million or imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both. You can refer to the SCs Guidance Note on Provision of Investment Advice here. (Source: The Edge Markets, The Sun Daily) 0 0 votes Article Rating A Progressive Conservative backbench MLA and a second senior adviser to Brian Pallister travelled outside of Manitoba during the Christmas holidays contrary to the urgings of the premier and public-health officials. A Progressive Conservative backbench MLA and a second senior adviser to Brian Pallister travelled outside of Manitoba during the Christmas holidays contrary to the urgings of the premier and public-health officials. BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES MLA James Teitsma. Radisson MLA James Teitsma and his family went on a driving trip to British Columbia Dec. 21-30, a PC caucus spokeswoman said in an email Monday, adding that they "did not socialize with anyone outside their immediate household." The family stayed in hotels and did not visit anyone, she said. Meanwhile, the province's director of strategic communications and marketing, Logan-Theanna Ross, travelled to Eastern Canada over the holiday season, a government spokeswoman confirmed. The political staffer, who earns $105,781 per year, was required to self-isolate for two weeks upon her return. The Free Press previously revealed that the province's top civil servant, David McLaughlin, spent the last two weeks of 2020 working from his Ottawa home. Opposition politicians decried the hypocrisy of a government legislator and senior staff travelling at a time when ordinary Manitobans were being told not to visit or share meals with extended families during the holidays. Its completely inappropriate. Hes completely ignoring what public-health officials and the premier are publicly saying. Liberal leader Dougald Lamont Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont described Teitsma's vacation trip as "mind-boggling" and "reckless." "Its completely inappropriate. Hes completely ignoring what public-health officials and the premier are publicly saying," Lamont said. The fact that two senior government officials, in McLaughlin and Ross, are also flouting provincial edicts is "absolutely outrageous," he said. "These are people who are... working with the premier on a daily basis, talking about messaging for the pandemic and telling people what to do. And they are telling people to do one thing while not doing it themselves," Lamont said. The Liberal leader said Pallister had to be aware that his senior staff were travelling against the government's advice, "so he's making special exceptions for the people around him." MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister. Pallister's spokeswoman was asked for the premier's reaction to Teitsma's decision to travel, but the Free Press received no response before Monday's deadline. NDP Leader Wab Kinew said news that Pallister's senior advisers and an MLA were travelling outside the province while Manitobans hunkered down in their homes over the holidays is "pretty tough for people to take." "I think its very frustrating when you hear about people who decided that (the government's guidelines) didnt apply to them," Kinew said. The fact that the government's top civil servant, tasked with overseeing the government's COVID-19 vaccination rollout, was away from Winnipeg for weeks at a critical time is especially troubling, he said. "For (McLaughlin) to be ignoring (chief provincial public health officer) Dr. (Brent) Roussins advice on a personal level, to me, begs the question, 'Is he going to follow Dr. Roussins advice on the public-health level?'" he said. "I think its very frustrating when you hear about people who decided that (the government's guidelines) didnt apply to them. NDP leader Wab Kinew Kinew said none of his party's 18 MLAs have travelled outside of the province during the code-red coronavirus restrictions that have been in effect since mid-November. Going back to Sept. 1, the NDP says none of its MLAs has travelled out of province on vacation. However, three left the province for personal reasons. City councillors did not go abroad Click to Expand Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman and all 15 councillors say they have not left Canada since Manitoba declared its COVID-19 state of emergency on March 20. Councillor Shawn Nason visited an eastern province in the summer, but says he did a full 14-day isolation upon his return. Councillor Scott Gillingham went to Rushing River Provincial Park in northern Ontario as well as Saskatchewan in July and August, but neither region fall under the provincial requirements to isolate. Staff Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey, who lives near the Saskatchewan border, travelled to neighbouring Creighton, Sask., where several essential services are located. Point Douglas MLA Bernadette Smith spent three September days in Terrace, B.C., where she helped a local Friendship Centre develop a toolkit for the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. And Kinew travelled to his home reserve, Onigaming First Nation in Lake of the Woods, Ont., for two-day trips and a weekend in October to repair a roof on his home. While the Free Press asked all parties Monday to account for any out-of-province travel by MLAs since Sept. 1, the Tories' response was confined to the period since the code-red restrictions took effect on Nov. 12. Apart from Teitsma, the Progressive Conservatives said, none of its caucus members has travelled outside of the province since then. Cindy Lamoureux, Liberal member for Tyndall Park, says she took a personal trip to an isolated cabin at Lake of Two Mountains, just inside the Ontario border, Sept. 12-13. She said she travelled by car and did not make any stops along the way. She said she was following public-health rules in force at that time. Neither of the two other Liberal MLAs took trips outside of Manitoba since Sept. 1, the party said. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) announced that it has agreed to buy the Sprint-branded wireless operating assets of Brookings Municipal Utilities (BMU) in Brookings, South Dakota. T-Mobile expects the closing to occur in the first quarter of 2021. The acquisition will further expand T-Mobile's retail distribution and enhance network coverage in the area. The deal includes BMU's wireless network, retail stores, and PCS spectrum. Following transaction, T-Mobile expects to fully integrate the acquired assets into T-Mobile's network and retail distribution in the region. Under the former Sprint brand, BMU operates a network of cell sites and provides wireless and data services to approximately 14,000 customers in Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Brookings, South Dakota and Sioux City, Iowa. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX DEUTSCHE TELEKOM-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de British nationals who live in Sweden were forced to spend the night in Gothenburg airport after initially being denied entry to the country. As of 1 January, the only Britons allowed into Sweden are those who have an urgent reason to enter the country, such as family commitments, or those who reside there, until at least 21 January. All British travellers must produce a negative PCR Covid result from a test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival into Sweden. However, several Brits who reside in Sweden have reported being barred from entry after arriving on a flight from Manchester on 3 January, despite having negative test results. When we landed in Gothenburg, all Swedish people were allowed to get off, but British people were told to remain seated, Gina Smart, a teacher who lives in Sweden, told The Local. Then the police came onto the plane and everyone had to show a negative Covid test. Smart provided her test result, but was told the lab shed used was not on Swedens list of authorised providers. She wasnt the only one denied entry to Sweden, but while some agreed to be flown straight back to Manchester the same day, Smart refused to return. Along with four others, Smart says she was ushered into a room at the airport, where the group were given blankets and microwave meals and forced to spend the night on chairs. She called the treatment diabolical, saying they had to ask permission to go outside and were given no access to showers. They're not telling us what's happening, she said. It feels like a psychological experiment. I feel like a criminal and we're not. Eventually, at 10pm on 4 January, Smart was told her test result had been accepted and she was permitted entry into the country. The Independent has contacted Landvetter Airport in Gothenburg for comment. Another passenger on the same flight, Jason Ryan, returned on the flight to Manchester despite having a negative NHS PCR test. He said he had been threatened with arrest if he did not comply, and described the experience as emotionally draining. BA denies boarding to UK residents of Spain British ambassador to Sweden Judith Gough said she was concerned upon hearing about British citizens who reside in Sweden being turned away at the border. The British Embassy in Stockholm has been in regular contact with the relevant Swedish authorities over the last week and requested that any measures be clear, well-communicated and appropriate, she said. It is clear that there have been teething problems with the new system over the weekend, and we are asking the Swedish authorities to provide greater clarity and consistency for UK nationals, who wish to return home to Sweden. The Foreign Office has advised that travellers to Sweden from the UK who are exempt from the entry ban will have to show a negative Covid-19 test from an authorised provider. It has now provided a list of approved testing facilities. Neighbourhood: Central Area/City Area Description: The English House, By Marco Pierre White is a one-of-a-kind restaurant and bar interior that combines the best of Straits Chinese and classic Singapore shophouse design elements indigenous to this part of the world, with whimsical English touches that are an homage to Whites culture. The menu of elevated British comfort food, in particular, reflects the restaurateurs philosophy. I think food should be food. Generous, hearty, delicious, he says. Im not in the business of gastronomy, Im in the business of selling a night out. And I want The English House to be a place where the atmosphere, service and food come together, creating a memorable experience. A US Congressional report has warned that India's decision to ink a multi-billion dollar deal to purchase S-400 air defence system from Russia may prompt Washington to impose sanctions on India. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in its report to Congress that India is "eager for more technology-sharing and co-production initiatives, while the United States urges more reforms in India's defence offsets policy and higher Foreign Direct Investment caps in its defence sector". It is to be noted that the CRS is an independent and bipartisan research wing of US Congress. The CRS said that it has prepared the report "for the members of the Congress for them to make informed decisions." "India's multi-billion dollar deal to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defence system may trigger US sanctions on India under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act," added the report. Notably, the reports of the CRS are not an official report of the US Congress and independent experts prepare the reports of the CRS in order to help the American lawmakers to make informed decisions. India and Russia had inked a USD 5 billion deal in October 2018 under which it was agreed that Moscow will give five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems to India. India decided to finalise the deal despite a warning from the US that the US may impose sanctions on New Delhi if it goes ahead with the deal. On December 15, the US had imposed sanctions on Turkey for acquiring S-400 air defence systems from Russia. It may be recalled that the ground-to-air defenses system was acquired by Turkey from Russia in mid-2019. At that time Turkey had said that the acquisition poses no threat to NATO allies. Live TV The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) and it is seen as the world's most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM). Experts maintain that S-400 is much better than the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD). Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday discussed names for the upcoming Legislative Council (MLC) polls and the strategy for the panchayat elections likely to be held in March or April in Uttar Pradesh. The discussion took place in the presence of chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the partys state unit office in Lucknow on Monday evening. It was decided that the party would prepare the roadmap for the panchayat polls between January 7 and 17 when all top leaders would visit different places across the state. Through these visits, the BJP leadership would galvanise the cadres for the rural polls, a party leader said. At the nearly two-hour meeting, senior party leaders, including the chief minister as well as partys national general secretary and office in-charge Arun Singh, authorised the partys state chief Swatantra Dev to send a panel of names for clearance to the BJPs central leadership. Wait and watch. Soon everything will be before you, said a senior BJP leader privy to the meeting when asked if the candidate list would also have some surprises. Apart from CM Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, UP BJP in-charge Radha Mohan Singh, general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal, agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi, minister of state Neelima Katiyar and UP BJP vice-president Kanta Kardam were present at the meeting. The six-year tenure of 12 members of the legislative council would end on January 30. They include six MLCs of the Samajwadi Party and three each of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Since its impressive victory in the 2017 UP assembly polls, the BJP is now in a position to send maximum MLCs to the upper house of the state legislature. It is comfortably placed to send at least nine candidates to the legislative council where, as of now, the opposition Samajwadi Party has a majority with 55 members. The BJP is a distant second with 25 members followed by the Bahujan Samaj Party (8) and the Congress (2). The number of MLCs a party can get elected to the legislative council is dependent on the number of members it has in the state assembly. The BJP has 305 members in the UP assembly, the SP 48 and the BSP 16. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 7:15 am The Battle Ground City Council gave a virtual welcome to new Battle Ground Police Department staff hired throughout the year, an expansion of police services brought on by the approval of the citys annexation into Clark County Fire District 3 in February. During the Dec. 21 council meeting, the new hires and one promotion in the police department were introduced by BGPD Chief Mike Fort. The department made four hires over the course of the year: three officers and one professional staffer, and also made one promotion. Officer Ashley Kinlaw previously worked for the Delmar Police Department, which serves both the municipalities of Delmar in Delaware and Maryland as there are two technically distinct towns with the same name in both states due to its location on the border, Fort said. The chief noted this meant Kinlaw had to attend different police academies for both states. Fort said Kinlaw was an officer for Delmar for about five years, where he became the first drug recognition expert for the Delmar department, something Fort said was difficult to attain During his tenure at Delmar, Kinlaw won several awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and was Delmars officer of the year in 2018, Fort said, adding Kinlaw had experience in collision investigations and defensive training. In the short amount of time Ive been here, Ive fallen in love with the community and the city, Kinlaw remarked. He was hired in April, and currently works on solo patrol. A Prairie High School graduate, officer Luke James joined the Clark County Sheriffs Office cadet program at the high school before joining the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation, Fort said. James had worked for a private security agency prior to his hire at BGPD, and had graduated from the Washington State Police Academy the prior week with flying colors, the chief said. He added James was currently working toward a bachelors degree in homeland security The most-recent hire was Shane Bradley, who joined the force Dec. 1, Fort said, adding Bradley would be attending police academy in January or February. Prior to his hire, Bradley was a pilot for Delta Airlines, Fort said. A Heritage High School graduate, Bradley earned a degree in aeronautical science before his commercial flying career. If for some reason we come to you, councilmembers, and need a pilot or air program, we have a pilot already built in, Fort remarked. The one non-officer hire was Jennifer Kirby who joined the department in May as its Prevent Together Coalition Coordinator. In that role she manages the departments Drug-free Communities Grant, which was approved this year for the Prevent Together: Battle Ground Prevention Alliance to help fund their efforts in addressing drug abuse in the community. Fort said that Kirby had been in a similar position in the Evergreen School District before coming to Battle Ground. Kirby said shes lived in Battle Ground for 18 years, and was excited to be working in the community she calls home. Jennifers brought a wealth of freshness to our police department, Fort remarked, noting her contributions to the department in a particularly challenging year. The introductions also acknowledged the promotion of officer Jim Hurley to sergeant. Coming to Battle Ground a few years ago, Fort said Hurley had about 30 years of law enforcement experience, including as a corrections deputy in Washington County, Oregon, and as an officer for the Port of Portland and the Portland Police Bureau. Promoted in August, Fort acknowledged that some officers with that much tenure may lack motivation and drive. That wasnt the case for Hurley when he arrived at BGPD, the chief said. (Hurley) came to us as a lateral (transfer) police officer with a ton of experience, and we quickly recognized that, Fort said. He noted that Hurley wasnt the only officer in the family, as his wife, Erica, serves as a precinct commander for PPB. The new hires were in part made possible due to the approval of Battle Grounds annexation into Fire District 3 in February, which had previously served the city via contract. With the increase of funding the city received due to the addition of a fire district levy, as opposed to the city paying the contract for fire services out of its own levy, the city was able to fund an additional $550,000 to the police department annually for a number of improved services, including new officers, Fort wrote back in September. Fort said the department had been holding off from a formal introduction of the hires in a hope that an in-person introduction could happen down the line, though the continuing COVID-19 pandemic prevented such a ceremony. He said that for all of the hires he saw a call to volunteer service, which was emblematic of his focus on building up the force following his promotion to his role as chief in February. Weve hired the best. Well continue to hire the best. Thats my promise, Fort said. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Cut off: Proceedings to remove China Mobile and other operators from the New York Stock Exchange have begun. Photo: Roy Liu/Bloomberg Chinese oil majors may be next in line for delisting in the US after the New York Stock Exchange said last week it would remove the Asian nation's three biggest telecom companies. China's largest offshore oil producer Cnooc could be most at risk as it's on the Pentagon's list of companies it says are owned or controlled by Chinese military, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Henik Fung. PetroChina and China Petroleum & Chemical also known as Sinopec may also be under threat as the energy sector is crucial to China's military, he said. "More Chinese companies could get delisted in the US and the oil majors could come as the next wave," said Steven Leung, executive director at UOB Kay Hian in Hong Kong.The impact of removing the telecom firms is probably minimal as they were thinly traded in the US and they haven't raised much funds there, he said. A Sinopec spokesperson declined to comment. Cnooc and PetroChina didn't immediately comment, although Cnooc said in a Hong Kong exchange filing that it was not aware of any reasons for the "unusual" drop in its share price yesterday. Cnooc fell 1.8pc while PetroChina was unchanged. Sinopec rose 1.7pc. The three firms are mostly traded in Hong Kong, although they each have American depositary receipts listed in New York. Read More "The bottom line is the impact will be very limited," said Neil Beveridge, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co in Hong Kong. "Most institutional investors invest through the Hong Kong shares rather than the US ADRs. The biggest downside for investors would be the loss of transparency from SEC filings." Cnooc's appearance on the Pentagon list is possibly due to its drilling activity in the fraught South China Sea, said Leo Ho, an analyst with Daiwa Capital Markets. If that's the case, PetroChina and Sinopec would be at less risk of US action, he said. The NYSE said it would delist the telecom operators to comply with a US executive order imposing restrictions on companies identified as affiliated with the Chinese military. China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom Hong Kong would all be suspended from trading between January 7 and 11, and proceedings to delist them have started, the exchange said. US President Donald Trump signed an order in November barring American investments in Chinese firms owned or controlled by the military in a bid to pressure Beijing over what it views as abusive business practices. Bloomberg Read More Bloomberg 01/04/2021 Photo (c) zoranm - Getty Images Distribution of several COVID-19 vaccines began over the last few weeks. While some consumers have expressed concern over the safety and efficacy of these treatments, the findings from a new study should give consumers some peace of mind. A group of allergists from Massachusetts General Hospital explored the risks of the COVID-19 vaccine for people with food or medication allergies, and they found that allergic reactions from the vaccine are unlikely. They explained that vaccine-related allergic reactions are typically rare, and the COVID-19 vaccine is no exception. As allergists, we want to encourage vaccination by reassuring the public that both FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe, said researcher Dr. Aleena Banerji. Our guidelines are built upon the recommendations of U.S. regulatory agencies and provide clear steps to the medical community on how to safely administer both doses of the vaccine in individuals with allergic histories. Minimal vaccine risks Recently, experts found that consumers were most worried about a COVID-19 vaccine because of potential side effects -- including allergic reactions. Now, this team of allergists is working to be as transparent as possible to help ease consumers fears. For starters, the allergists want consumers to know how rare vaccine-related allergic reactions are; just 1.3 out of every one million people vaccinated typically develop an allergic reaction. This also includes those who are predisposed to food or medication allergies. Because all current evidence indicates that the COVID-19 vaccine operates under this same low allergic reaction rate, the allergists say that consumers with food or medication allergies are likely safe to be vaccinated. However, they identified two vaccine ingredients -- polysorbate and polyethylene glycol -- that could be a cause for concern. The allergists encourage consumers with a history of anaphylaxis to either of these ingredients to consult with their doctors before getting vaccinated. Protections in place Though these vaccines are new, and consumers may be worried about how theyll react, the allergists also explained that patients are monitored by health professionals for up to a half hour post-vaccination to monitor signs of an allergic reaction. As the vaccines become more widely available, the allergists hope that consumers utilize this information to help them make the best decisions for their health and wellness. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. KALAMAZOO, MI The city of Kalamazoo is taking steps toward becoming an anti-racist organization, though officials said the communitys history will present challenges. The Kalamazoo City Commission on Monday, Jan. 4, signed off on spending more than $145,000 on an assessment of the citys progress toward diversity, equity and inclusion. City Manager Jim Ritsema started the Monday meeting by reading a statement about the citys role in systemic racism, and how the city plans to look at those truths as part of a journey to become an anti-racist organization. Systemic racism is unfortunately deeply rooted in government institutions, Ritsema said, including the city of Kalamazoo. The city of Kalamazoo is committed to governing intentionally to create equitable and inclusive outcomes for everyone in Kalamazoo, he said. That commitment begins with understanding and acknowledging the truth of our past, Ritsema said, and the role the city of Kalamazoo has played in creating and sustaining systemic racism. We understand that words are not enough, and we must demonstrate our commitment to transformational change with credible action to change policies, promote community healing and increase trust, and ensure community members are treated fairly and are truly valued, Ritsema said. Two commissioners pointed out how the managers statement relates to something that happened last month, when reporting by MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette revealed the city manager fired the former public safety chief but told everyone she retired. Commissioner Erin Knott called Ritsemas statement ironic and that it rings a bit hollow. Knott said the city commission did not take the opportunity to hold the city manager accountable in December, when confronted with the facts about the chiefs departure, and instead approved a watered-down resolution that tells Ritsema not to do it again. Vice Mayor Patrese Griffin echoed Knotts comments, asking what action city leaders would take to ensure accountability, rather than just making a statement. Accountability just got used a lot of times in this call, in this meeting, yet when we have opportunities to hold people accountable, that doesnt happen, Griffin said. So Im very confused how this is going to move forward. And Im saying this to this body where we are responsible as elected officials to hold people accountable, and when we dont do that, what is the expectation moving forward? Griffin asked. Related: Commissioners want accountability for city manager who secretly fired police chief Griffin and Knott said they both support the citys efforts in working toward being anti-racist. Commissioner Jeanne Hess talked about the commissions ability to hold people and systems accountable, and said they should make sure everyone in the city has an opportunity for education. Commissioner Chris Praedel said he is committed to the journey, and thanked staff for taking the step. Praedel said he thinks the city will have to take action moving forward. The city commission approved a $145,330.10 contract Monday with the Michigan Public Health Institute to conduct the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Assessment. It will include a review of the citys equal employment opportunity records and other personnel decisions like hiring, promotions, and separations from an equity perspective. I think we all look forward energetically to the work, Mayor David Anderson said, voicing support for Ritsemas statement Monday. The assessment will also include an organizational and cultural survey to understand employee attitudes, conditions, and experiences, and more, according to the city. Commissioner Eric Cunningham supports having the conversation, but expressed frustration it took until 2021 for that discussion to happen. It has been more of the same, Cunningham said, indicating he wants to see meaningful changes. I dont want a listening session, he said. Dorla Bonner, hired early in 2020 as the citys diversity equity, and inclusion director, said an assessment is an appropriate first step in the process. To achieve our goals in diversity, equity, inclusion we first have to understand where we are, Bonner said We want our work to be focused and transformational, and we want equity to become ingrained into the culture of our organization so that our internal and community facing work and relationships will reflect that culture. The city has dealt with a variety of racial issues, and the city commission has taken action, in some cases. A 2013 study determined Kalamazoo Public Safety officers target black drivers in traffic stops. Complaints from city officials and citizens have highlighted other past and current racial inequalities in Kalamazoo, such as redlining, segregation and environmental racism. In 2018, the city commission voted to remove a controversial statue from Bronson Park that depicted a white man facing a Native American. Race was part of the conversation this summer when police responded to protests in downtown Kalamazoo. The controversial choices made by police resulted in public backlash, and the citys public safety chief was fired amid calls for her resignation. Police used tear gas multiple times in May and June as demonstrators took to the streets in Black Lives Matter demonstrations, gassing citizens who were on the ground. During an August event, violence erupted between Proud Boys and counterprotesters while no police officers were at the location to respond. Officers showed up after two separate bouts of violence had occurred, according to witnesses. Police arrested several citizens including a reporter and a legal observer, but did not arrest any Proud Boys. Police later confirmed the tactic to stage offsite was intentional. City Manager Jim Ritsema publicly questioned the arrests made and not made by KDPS, but he later emailed all staff at KDPS to apologize and say he should not have questioned the arrests. Under scrutiny from residents and elected officials alike, an independent investigator was hired to look into the citys police responses over the summer. Matt Smith, a Kalamazoo Public Library employee who gives talks about historic racism, said he feels excitement about the plan to do something, and also the healthy skepticism that is historically justified. He said he finds it important to honor and respect all the antiracist people, particularly Black women, working to make the changes happen. He shared ideas for things the city could do. Reparations to Black Kalamazooans, homeownership for those cut out, affordable housing, and permanent supportive housing would significantly transform Kalamazoo towards an antiracist community that materially benefits Black Kalamazooans, low-income people, and our community in general, Smith said in an email to the Kalamazoo Gazette. All of those ideas would take a lot of financial support, Smith said, but so does doing nothing. Antiracist policy is a win for most people, creating an egalitarian society that America and Kalamazoo has never known, Smith said. The city listed in a news release some of the efforts already underway to combat racism in Kalamazoo: In October, Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety pledged to work with ISAACs Anti-Racism Task Force to build a culture of trust and legitimacy between the community and law enforcement.. In 2019, staff from the city managers office, department directors and deputy directors completed ERACCEs Introduction to Systemic Racism training. By the end of 2020, 98 City of Kalamazoo staff members completed the training. It will continue to be offered to all city employees in 2021 and beyond. Additional training opportunities will be developed based on the results of the diversity, equity and inclusion assessment being completed this year, the city said. Public Safety Chief Vernon Coakley previously transitioned the KDPS department of professional standards, or internal affairs, to KDPS division of community affairs and diversity, equity and inclusion. That division is led by newly appointed Assistant Chief Victor Green. Our goal is for KDPS to be a national leader in diversity, equity and inclusion for all law enforcement agencies, that is why we are committed to continually improving how we train, recruit and hire our public safety officers, Green said in a prepared statement. I will be working closely with Director Bonner to ensure Public Safetys full cooperation in the upcoming assessment. Read more: Commissioners want accountability for city manager who secretly fired police chief Kalamazoo City Commission looks to change how police handle protests and assemblies Commissioners learned police chief was fired months after the fact She was struck by Zengels cinematographic quality, with almost translucent white skin, white hair that make her look like an angel, but with an ambivalence that is fascinating, she said. During the child actors audition, in which she was asked to improvise a scene in which she freaks out by screaming and throwing things, Fingscheidt said that she was drawn in by the way her eyes sparkled when I told her she could behave as badly as she wanted. By Carl Bildt STOCKHOLM The Arab Spring that began on Dec. 17, 2010, is a somewhat uncomfortable subject a decade later. Seldom has such a vast outpouring of hope resulted in so much disappointment and in such deep confusion about what lies ahead. In 2002, the U.N.-sponsored Arab Human Development Report issued its stark initial findings, revealing a region that was falling behind the rest of the world, and where the aspirations of the young and the educated could no longer be met. Reform was obviously needed, but it would not be forthcoming. Eight years later, the conditions were ripe for revolution. When it came, it started in Tunisia, where a street vendor, fed up with the petty abuses of a corrupt system, immolated himself. The focus soon shifted to the center of the Arab world, Egypt. When that country's aging dictator, Hosni Mubarak, threw in the towel as hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the prospect of a democratic revolution in the Arab world suddenly came into view. Egypt seemed ready for a genuine democratic transition, with traditions of political pluralism to fall back on and a middle class that longed for a more open society and a more stable, representative political system. There was genuine hope, which is why the European Union invested heavily in Egypt's democratic transition, launching ambitious programs to help with the details of building a new political system. Early on, it was evident that the Muslim Brotherhood was the best-organized political and social movement in the country. For years, it had been mobilizing small-scale entrepreneurs and providing social services to communities, thus building a latent political base that no other movement could replicate. When Egypt held its first competitive election, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood emerged victorious as president. The basic question posed by the Arab Spring was whether Islam and democracy could be combined in a way that was both effective and sustainable. In Egypt's case, the Morsi administration stumbled and misused its powers early on. Though its inexperience was hardly surprising, it was glaringly obvious, opening the door for the Muslim Brotherhood's opponents both inside and outside Egypt. When the military coup came in July 2013, the Morsi government had lost most of its initial support. But that does not mean that Egypt's transition to democracy had to fail. The process was always bound to be bumpy, and one can imagine counterfactual scenarios in which it would have succeeded. In any case, the repression that followed was brutal. The clearing of Rabaa Square by security forces left at least 817 people dead. By then, the Arab Spring had already begun to fizzle in other countries, too. The United States and key European countries led a military intervention to get rid of Moammar Gadhafi's regime in Libya. But this resulted in even more instability in that country, which meant that no one was willing to intervene against Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, despite the extreme brutality with which it was cracking down on opposition and rebel movements. In the years since the Arab Spring, there has been a counter-revolution an Arab Winter. And for the past four years, this democratic reversal has been actively supported by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which largely abandoned America's tradition of advocating human rights and democracy. Where there have been exceptions, such as China and Iran, U.S. criticism has mainly served other strategic interests. Everywhere else, dictators have been flattered, courted, and bestowed with large arms contracts. Meanwhile, the EU has been effectively marginalized in the region. Few if any of the structural challenges that led to the Arab Spring revolts have been resolved. Early in the 2010s, the International Monetary Fund estimated that most countries in the Arab world would need to achieve annual growth of 7 percent just to keep the unemployment rate constant; but growth over the past decade has fallen well short of that target. And the human rights situation is no better. "Under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government," Human Rights Watch reports, "Egypt has been experiencing its worst human rights crisis in many decades." When it comes to the long term, the regimes in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Egypt are hardly sustainable. One way or another, there will have to be fundamental reforms to bolster representative government and establish more open societies and economies. That is the abiding lesson of the Arab Spring in a region with a massive and growing youth population. For the EU and U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's administration, the emphasis now should be on alleviating regional tensions in the Middle East and North Africa so that governments can focus on sorely needed domestic reforms. Without insisting that everything be changed overnight, America and Europe both need to apply consistent pressure on issues like human rights and representative government. As was the case a decade ago, the key question is how to combine Islam and democracy in a way that facilitates the project of reform. The Arab Spring failed partly because of its own contradictions, and partly because powerful entrenched interests and outside forces wanted it to fail. But the counter-revolution, too, must end eventually. Without repeating the excessive hopes of a decade ago, the basic demands that drove the Arab Spring must be taken seriously. Political leaders across the region should recognize that meeting them is the only way to ensure long-term stability. Carl Bildt, a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden, was European Union special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, co-chair of the Dayton Peace Conference, high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (1995-97), and U.N. special envoy to the Balkans (1999-2001). This article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). More than 100,000 total vaccinations have been administered in health agency's region local New Delhi, Jan 5 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has attacked the government a day after the seventh round of talks with the farmer unions did not achieve any breakthrough. The eighth round of talks is scheduled for January 8. Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said, "Modi govt's apathy and arrogance have claimed lives of over 60 farmers. Instead of wiping their tears, Government of India is busy attacking them with tear gas. Such brutality, just to promote crony capitalists' business interests. Repeal the anti-farm laws." The Congress leader who is against the farm laws since they were enacted has been attacking the government and demanded withdrawal of the laws. The seventh round of talks of the farmer groups with the government at Vigyan Bhawan on Monday remained inconclusive as the farmers were adamant about withdrawal of the three farm laws. Two issues were to be discussed in the meeting but due to the stalemate over the withdrawal of the farm laws, demand for legal guarantee on MSP couldn't be discussed. Now, the discussion over the MSP will be held on January 8. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in the meeting that the farm laws are beneficial for the farmers across the country, therefore, a decision will be taken after consulting farmers of all the states. The farmers said they will not end their protests on the borders of the national capital till the farm laws are withdrawn. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text COURBEVOIE (dpa-AFX) - Saint-Gobain (CODGF.PK) announced it has entered into exclusive negotiations with Building Materials Europe in preparation for the sale of Saint-Gobain Building Distribution the Netherlands. The transaction is anticipated to be finalized by the end of the year 2021. The deal will be based on an enterprise value of 150 million euros. The Group said the divestment is part of Saint-Gobain's continued portfolio optimization strategy to enhance the Group's growth and profitability profile. The transaction is subject to approval by the European competition authority. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. A floating solar farm in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province / Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo Korean firms seeking to pursue RE100, a global campaign of transitioning to 100 percent renewable power, will be able to purchase electricity generated from renewable sources from solar farms and other eco-friendly power plants, the government announced Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Cabinet Meeting has passed a revision to the Enforcement Decree of the Electric Utility Act. The revision is aimed at allowing power purchase agreement (PPA) between renewable power plants, consumers and state-run power distributor Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO). PPA is regarded as one of the most important tasks for expanding renewable energy use in Korea, where KEPCO collects electricity generated by its subsidiaries and independent power companies, and sells it as a single source. Due to this system, companies pursuing RE100 have been facing obstacles in because they cannot separate electricity generated from renewable sources. RE100 campaign is backed by more than 280 big name companies, including Apple, Google and BMW, and expected to expand as those firms demand their suppliers to join the move. In Korea, six affiliates of SK Group were acknowledged as RE100 member on the Climate Group, which leads the campaign, but the companies have been using 100 percent renewable energy at their overseas plants and offices. The Korean law regulates all electricity produced here should be distributed on KEPCO's grid, prohibiting direct power purchase between consumers and power plants. This scheme will remain, but the revision allows renewable power companies whose generation capacity exceeds 1 megawatt to sign a trilateral supply agreement with KEPCO and the consumer, so KEPCO can relay the power transaction. The ministry said signing of PPAs will be available within the first half of this year, and this will help more Korean companies to expand renewable energy use and pursue RE100. The Korean government is seeking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Civic groups advocating Korea's PPA welcomed the revision, but tasks are remaining to see the desired outcomes. "Though it is not a perfect form of PPA, it is a meaningful improvement which will provide options to electricity consumers," Solutions for Our Climate said in a statement. "To provide better options for consumers, the system should allow consumers to freely and directly sign PPAs with renewable power firms. Through this, power firms can secure stable profits through long-term agreements and consumers also can prepare themselves from a potential electricity rate hike from KEPCO." The organization added that "enough environmental costs for fossil fuels and LNG" are required in order to encourage more firms to join RE100, in order to convince firms that renewable power will be cheaper than KEPCO-distributed electricity in the near future. Along with PPA, the government introduced its Green Premium program, in which consumers are able to purchase renewable power from KEPCO on additional charge, and allowed corporates to purchase renewable energy credits (RECs). So far, power companies following renewable portfolio standard (RPS) were only able to purchase RECs. RPS refers to a regulation that requires power firms to generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources. A satirical clip broadcast on RTE's New Year's Eve Countdown show has generated 3,500 emails and 1,250 calls since airing last Thursday night. Many viewers were not impressed with the Waterford Whispers News sketch, which showed 'God' being led away by gardai for "sexual harassment" offences. Rocketed The mock news clip features former RTE news anchor Aengus Mac Grianna reporting that "God has become the latest figure to be implicated in an ongoing sexual harassment scandal". The clip received more than 600 complaints within 24 hours of airing, and RTE has since revealed that the number has rocketed. "Since Friday, RTE has received approximately 3,500 emails and 1,250 calls regarding the Waterford Whispers sketch segment in the RTE One New Year's Eve Countdown programme," the broadcaster said in a statement. "This takes into account emails to RTE's Complaints and Information Offices and calls to RTE's Information Office and to RTE's reception." The Catholic Church spoke out about the controversial skit, describing it as "blasphemous", while Catholic Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin condemned the "outrageous" footage. "To broadcast such a deeply offensive clip about God and Our Blessed Mother during the Christmas season on RTE and on the eve of the Solemn Feast of Mary, Mother of God, is insulting to all Catholics and Christians," he said. Despite apologising for the skit in a statement on Saturday, RTE has since indicated that it will not remove the clip from the Player. Herald Channel Nine's Lauren Phillips reportedly started dating multimillionaire private jet tycoon Paul O'Brien last year. And the couple were spotted together for the first time on Monday as they stepped out for a morning walk in Byron Bay. Lauren and Paul all but confirmed their romance as they soaked in the fresh air and idyllic surroundings during their leisurely stroll. Rare sighting: Weekend Today host Lauren Phillips and her boyfriend, private jet tycoon Paul O'Brien, were pictured together for the first time on Monday as they took a stroll in Byron Bay The pair happily chatted as they got their post-Christmas steps in. The Weekend Today weather presenter showed off her toned legs in high-cut purple shorts and an oversized P.E Nation T-shirt. She went makeup free and styled her brunette hair in a no-fuss ponytail. Close: Lauren and Paul all but confirmed their romance as they soaked in the fresh air and idyllic surroundings during their leisurely stroll Fit and fabulous: The weather presenter showed off her toned legs in a pair of high-cut purple shorts and an oversized P.E Nation T-shirt She completed her outfit with Nike sneakers and black socks. Paul, meanwhile, opted for an all-black ensemble comprising a T-shirt and shorts, and finished things off with white ankle socks and Asics trainers. The pair began dating when Lauren was living in Melbourne last year. Workout gear: Paul opted for an all-black ensemble comprising a T-shirt and shorts, and finished things off with white ankle socks and Asics trainers Successful: Paul, who previously dated Sunrise host Sam Armytage, runs high-end aviation business AVMIN. His celebrity clients include Matt Damon and Chris Hemsworth Lovers: The pair began dating when Lauren was living in Melbourne last year. When Victoria's second wave of coronavirus took hold in July, the bubbly TV presenter relocated to Byron Bay But when Victoria's second wave of coronavirus took hold in July, the bubbly TV presenter relocated to Byron Bay. There, she reportedly moved in with Paul while continuing to work as Weekend Today's weather presenter. Lauren was previously married to television producer Lachlan Spark, but they split in 2018 after just one year of marriage. The story continues: There, she reportedly moved in with Paul while continuing to work as Weekend Today's weather presenter They had dated for six years before tying the knot on the Mornington Peninsula. Paul previously dated Sunrise host Samantha Armytage for several months from 2018 to 2019. He runs high-end aviation business AVMIN, which boasts celebrity clients including Matt Damon and Chris Hemsworth. Exes: Paul (back right) dated Sam Armytage (centre) for several months from 2018 to 2019 HIMALAYA A Human History By Ed Douglas When I first came to India, I asked one of the most erudite politicians in the Indian government a question I had been scared to pose to anyone else but that seemed fundamental to understanding the region: Why does India have so many people? Geographically, its one-third the size of the United States but its population is nearly five times as large. The politician, who had had a long successful career in the United States as a business executive and seemed happy to explain just about anything to a new correspondent, stood up from his desk and walked over to a large wall map. He tapped a certain region, shaded brown and white. The answer, he told me, is the Himalaya. He explained that the worlds highest mountain range, home to Mount Everest and countless myths and counter-myths, had created such an immense river network that it left behind staggeringly rich soil across a vast swath of Asia. Its no accident, he said, that on either side of these mountains lie the worlds two most populous nations, India and China. If you include Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, all of which also greatly depend on rivers sourced in the Himalaya, were talking about nearly half of humankind tied to these mountains. The range, part of an even vaster highland region stretching more than 2,000 miles from Kyrgyzstan in the west to Myanmar in the east, has shaped Asia more than any geographical feature has shaped any other continent. The forces that drove religion, trade, learning and human interactions flowed across these mountains and their foothills for thousands of years. Even today, some of the rawest flash points in Asia, which can send armies rushing to the border and fighter jets roaring through the sky, lie high up in the Himalaya. The pros never put an s at the end of the word; its just Himalaya, which in Sanskrit means abode of snow. Yendluru Jessy Prashanthi, a deputy superintendent of police from Andhra Pradeshs Guntur district, was talking to her superior officers about the arrangements being made at the Andhra Pradesh Police Duty Meet in Tirupati on Monday, when an inspector of police walked up to her and saluted. Prashanthi, too, returned the salute quickly, only to realise that the inspector was none other than her father Y Shyam Sunder. What, daddy? she said, before bursting into a hearty laugh and tearing up. The emotional scene caught the attention of everybody, including top police officials, who attended the event Ignite that will continue till January 7. Also Read: Andhra administration likely to operate from Visakhapatnam from April 13, hints minister We often see such scenes in films, but not in real life. I am happy to see father and daughter in uniform doing their duty at the police meet. I am proud of Prashanthi, said Tirupati (Urban) SP A Ramesh Reddy. The picture of Shyam Sunder saluting his daughter went viral on social media after it was tweeted by the Andhra Pradesh Police on its official handle. #APPolice1stDutyMeet brings a family together! Circle Inspector Shyam Sundar salutes his own daughter Jessi Prasanti who is a Deputy Superintendent of Police with pride and respect at #IGNITE which is being conducted at #Tirupati. A rare & heartwarming sight indeed! #DutyMeet, the police tweeted. #APPolice1stDutyMeet brings a family together! Circle Inspector Shyam Sundar salutes his own daughter Jessi Prasanti who is a Deputy Superintendent of Police with pride and respect at #IGNITE which is being conducted at #Tirupati. A rare & heartwarming sight indeed!#DutyMeet pic.twitter.com/5r7EUfnbzB Andhra Pradesh Police (@APPOLICE100) January 3, 2021 Shyam Sunder said he was excited to see his daughter, a Group-I police officer, talking to higher officials. What more does a father want when his children achieve success and bring laurels to the country? I am confident that my daughter discharges her duty with sincerity and integrity, he told reporters later. Prashanthi, who was in charge of the Disha wing at the event, said, It was a pleasant surprise, but I felt a little embarrassed when he saluted me. But that is all part of the duty, she said. She attributed her growth as a police officer to her father. He was my inspiration and it was because of him that I chose this profession, Prashanthi said. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. A year after George Floyd's death, Pennsylvanians are still fighting for change During a public hearing about law enforcement in Northampton last month, residents voiced a slew of overlapping concerns about houseless residents in the city. The concerns included that they believe the homeless are over-policed, that they do not receive adequate community services and, more specifically, that they have been unable to get public drinking water this winter. Northampton creates massive human rights violations, one resident bluntly claimed during the meeting. Just to back that right now, for everyone to hear, we do not have access to public drinking water in Northampton right now. Houseless individuals have remained one of the most at-risk demographics since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and are slated to be among the first in the state to received doses of the vaccine for the viral respiratory infection. Although city officials in Northampton said local service organizations do not view a lack of water as an issue for houseless residents in the community, they recognized a variety of other issues facing those in need of housing, ranging from accessing food to simply finding a place to warm up amid the chilly New England weather. The small Hampshire County city has plans in the work to address several of these concerns. The mayor has been deeply concerned about people experiencing homelessness and has directed the executive branch of the city of Northampton to do everything possible to prevent people from harm during this pandemic since it began last March, Alan Wolf, chief of staff to Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, wrote in an email to residents in mid-December that laid out a few of the ongoing initiatives the city is spearheading to help alleviate the plight of the houseless. His statements came in response to numerous calls and emails expressing concern about Northamptons houseless community, particularly with the arrival of colder weather. In his email, Wolf said he aimed to explain what the mayors office has done in the months after the opening of a homeless shelter at Northampton High School last spring during the height of the pandemic. That facility has since been closed due to teenagers having to return to classes. The city, Wolf wrote, has worked tirelessly with its many partners to fill every possible gap in the social service system that has been exposed by this deadly disease. Among the efforts the city has been involved in to help houseless residents amid the ongoing public health crisis are adding portable toilets in the communitys downtown, creating a Community & Resilience Hub for at-risk residents and joining a regional task force to organize winter shelters. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Wolf noted, expanding the citys shelter capacity has been a top priority for the mayors office and its longtime partner, ServiceNet. The nonprofit operates multiple shelters in the community, including the Grove Street Inn and the Interfaith Shelter. In late November, the mayors office announced the city and ServiceNet would be partnering to open a third facility for houseless residents, an emergency 24/7 shelter at First Churches of Northampton on Main Street. First Churches is proud to partner with ServiceNet and the city of Northampton to meet this important need. Our congregation is committed to providing shelter and safety for people currently without homes, Rev. Todd Weir of First Churches said in a statement. In this holiday season, I find hope in our communitys ability to work together to alleviate the serious impacts of COVID. The opening of a new shelter in Northampton had been in the works for months. With the onset of winter, officials recognized that sleeping spaces at the Grove Street Inn and Interfaith Shelter would be strained and not provide enough room for proper social distancing. The Northampton COVID-19 Emergency Team - led by Narkewicz and made up of public health, fire rescue, emergency management, police and city personnel - then spent several months searching for a location for a new shelter. Through conversations and searching the community, we identified First Churches and got them together with ServiceNet, and they worked out an arrangement to use portions of their indoor space, Narkewicz told MassLive during a phone interview last month. Were grateful for First Churches, and obviously theres a bunch of really kind-hearted community members who are stepping forward to volunteer at the shelter, much like they did at the shelter at Northampton High School. So far, its going well. United Way volunteers prepare the First Churches of Northampton for use as a shelter. Volunteers are needed to assist with the new shelter. The First Churches facility has been open for a month now and has expanded the citys total shelter capacity from 25 to 42 beds for those in need. Organizers aim to make another 13 beds available as well as possible temporary surge space beyond that, according to Wolf. Those entering the facility, whether they are staff or residents of the shelter, are screened for any signs of illness. If they show any of the predetermined public health markers, they are not allowed inside the shelter and are instead directed for medical evaluation and isolation at another location. Once there, residents are then screened twice a day, the mayors office said. We know so much more about how the virus is transmitted now than we did last spring, and I look forward to working with ServiceNet to ensure the safest possible environment for the shelter residents, First Churches, and our community, Northampton Health Director Merridith OLeary said in a statement. The fact that there will be a nearby isolation and quarantine shelter for those who need it will help tremendously. Following the opening of the First Churches shelter, Narkewiczs office turned its attention to setting up a warming center in the community. With the ongoing closures of Northamptons library and other city buildings, the mayor noticed the need for a new space that could welcome houseless residents during the cold weather, Wolf said. Manna Soup Kitchen, which serves more than 500 meals per week to those in need, was working with St. Johns Episcopal Church earlier last month to open a room for warming, according to Wolf. At the same time, Narkewicz asked Amy Cahillane, executive director of the Downtown Northampton Association, to seek a contribution from Coca-Cola of bottled water for the houseless. The company has since donated 200 cases of bottled water, which were delivered to Mannas locations on the backs of trucks by the Northampton Department of Public Works, according to Narkewicz. While not environmentally ideal, the mayor noted, bottled water is the safest way to meet the hydration needs of the houseless during the pandemic. We need to extend a huge thank you to Coca-Cola, Manna Soup wrote in a Facebook post. We also need to thank the Northampton Department of Public Works for doing the heavy lifting - picking it up, delivering it to us, and bringing it through our door. It takes a village, Northampton, Narkewicz added in another post. Thank you to Coca-Cola for your generous donation of water to Manna Community Kitchen to support our houseless neighbors... Posted by David Narkewicz on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The mayor has also sought to help houseless residents by joining a task force kicked off by Pamela Schwartz, director of the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness. Compromised of more than 60 state legislators, mayors, town managers, health departments, social services agencies and others in the region, the group is working to address a variety of issues facing those without housing. The group represented an unprecedented joint effort to craft a regional approach to the need for winter shelters across the four counties of western Massachusetts, the mayors office noted. It also represented a unique opportunity to bring unified pressure to bear on the Baker Administration for financial support for common-sense solutions executed at the local level. One of the so-called common-sense solutions, Narkewicz stated, was the reopening of a quarantine facility and homeless shelter at a Northampton hotel. Through the task force, the mayor drafted a letter that several Western Massachusetts mayors and town managers signed onto it asking Gov. Charlie Baker to reopen a quarantine and isolation facility for houseless residents at the Quality Inn in the city. The facility would also have included space for healthy people in need of shelter, according to Wolf. The hotel on Conz Street was previously authorized for use as a shelter in April and was operated by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for a period of time. Our public health leaders from the region have expressed grave concern that many people experiencing homelessness are likely to refuse to get tested or to quarantine -in effect refuse shelter -for fear of being relocated so far from their home community if they test positive or have been exposed to COVID-19, municipal officials wrote in their letter. Narkewiczs letter led to a meeting with Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders and other state officials, according to Wolf. While they did not support the concept of a single shelter model, they did commit to - and later followed through on - full financial support for a Northampton shelter, Wolf wrote in his email to residents. Those wishing to volunteer for the city to help houseless residents can sign up at www.northamptonma.gov/volunteersubmission or contact Northampton Volunteer Coordinator Loren Davine at lorendavine@gmail.com. Related Content: The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka. Thursday, Dec. 31 8:59 p.m. Officers responded to an intoxicated driver area of North Saginaw Road and Perrine Drive. 7:16 p.m. A deputy made contact with the owner of a Hope Township business about a subject doing donuts in the gravel parking lot. The owner asked that the subject be contacted and asked to stop, and to stop using the business. Contact was made with a Mills Township man who admitted to doing donuts and agreed to fix any damage. The man stated he would contact the business owner and resolve the matter peacefully. 2:39 p.m. Officers responded to a vehicle crash in the 1800 block of North Saginaw Road. 2:12 p.m. Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Mount Haley Township. 11:50 a.m. Officers responded to a report of domestic violence in the 5300 block of Dublin Avenue. 10:48 a.m. A 52-year-old man came into a Larkin Township business and was being threatening. The man left prior to deputy arrival. A deputy later spoke with the man, and issued him a trespass warning on the business behalf. 10:27 a.m. A deputy was dispatched to a Homer Township residence in reference to a possible domestic assault, after a 20-year-old man called to report his 54-year-old father and 50-year-old mother were arguing. A report will be sent to the courts for a warrant review. Wednesday, Dec. 30 11:10 p.m. Deputies were dispatched to Edenville Township after a 68-year-old man called 9-1-1 stating a 33-year-old Gladwin man showed up to his residence unwelcomed. The 33-year-old left the residence prior to poloice arrival. A deputy made contact with the man near the complainant's house and attempted to detain him, because he had several warrants for his arrest. When the deputy attempted to detain the man, he resisted, and was arrested for and transported to the Midland County Jail without further incident. 6:34 p.m. Deputies responded to a possible domestic assault between a 60-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter. The daughter was given a ride to a hotel. A report was sent to the courts. 3:52 p.m. Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Homer Township. 2:05 p.m. Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in Ingersoll Township. 8:34 a.m. Deputies responded to a vehicle crash in the Village of Sanford. 1:23 a.m. Deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash in Mills Township. New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum have demanded the rollback of approvals for emergency use authorisation given to two vaccine candidates by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). "Science can't be compromised in the pursuit of private profit and political gains. PMSF demands revoking the approval of vaccine candidates and revisiting the vaccination and approval strategy based on the efficacy data and other considerations," the forum said. "The current incoherent messaging regarding vaccine efficacy, statements like 110 per cent certain of vaccine efficacy by DCGI, 'LIKELY' to be effective against UK strain of Covid-19 statement by the Health Minister, have taken the scientific community and general public by surprise. The Director of AIIMS is on record stating 'Covaxin will be used as a backup for Covishield which doesn't have proven efficacy'. As a group of doctors and researchers actively monitoring the situation, PMSF wishes to raise the concerns for wider consideration of the scientific community as well as the general public," it added. The DCGI had approved Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by Serum Institute of India for emergency use authorization on Sunday. While Covishield was approved with certain riders, Covaxin was permitted for restricted emergency use in clinical trial mode by the drug controller. It was also reasoned that the Covaxin, which is 'Inactivated Whole Virion, Corona Virus Vaccine,' has the potential to target mutated coronavirus strains. However, the scientist community and public health experts have strongly objected to the approval of Bharat Biotech's vaccine as the firm is yet to present the efficacy data of its Phase 3 trials. "DCGI's approval document stating 'clinical trial mode' doesn't provide any additional details. Will informed consent be taken from all those who take the vaccine and experience adverse effects be eligible for compensation?" PMSF President Dr Harjit Bhatti asked. He also cautioned about the likelihood of violation of clinical trial protocols during the immunisation. "Serum Institute had threatened a participant in a clinical trial with a defamation suit demanding financial compensation. Instances where the trial was conducted without adequate information and consent are being brought to notice already. If adherence to protocol has been violated even while under trial, there is less likelihood of the same during large scale deployment," Bhatti said. Meanwhile, the forum also doubted upon the claim that the Covaxin is effective in targeting the mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2 since it is not backed by any data. "It is not clear if there is any scientific basis to claim that Covaxin will be effective in controlling the infection by mutant strains when its efficacy has not been established and is currently unknown against any strain of the virus. The claim being propagated that the whole virion inactivated vaccine is likely to be effective against mutations of the virus is not being supported by any efficacy from the trial because no data have as yet been generated in the Phase 3 trial," it stated. "Experts have already warned that current vaccines may not protect against South African mutant strain. With such worldwide uncertainty of vaccines against mutants, what is the basis of these claims made?" Dr Vikas Bajpai, Professor at Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health in JNU and executive member of PMSF, asked. In this photo illustration, a person files an application for unemployment benefits in Arlington, Va., on April 16, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Handful of States Begin Paying Out Extra $300 Weekly Jobless Benefit Around a dozen states have begun paying out the extra $300 per week in unemployment benefits that are part of the recently enacted COVID-19 relief bill, with most states poised to join them by mid-January. Jobless Americans in Arizona, California, Delaware, Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia can expect to receive the unemployment boost soon as these states have started making payments as of Tuesday, according to a tracker. A handful of others are poised to begin $300 disbursements this week, while nearly all states are expected to start by the middle of the month. There will probably be a couple outliers that dont get it up for like three weeks, but I think three weeks is really the outside number, Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, told Yahoo Money. The $300 weekly supplement under the new stimulus package is essentially a reauthorization of the CARES Acts Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, but modified by cutting the original $600 FPUC benefit in half. The payments will last for 11 weeks, from December 26 through March 14, 2021. The boost was part of the $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, which is a component of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, that President Donald Trump signed into law on Dec. 27. Around $120 billion of the $900 billion went to the unemployment system, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. As we enter a New Year, thanks to the Presidents actions, states will be able to offer vital assistance to Americans struggling, said John Pallasch, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, in a statement. The Department, as it swiftly did after passage of the CARES Act in March, will work with states throughout the duration of the pandemic and offer them the resources and dedicated assistance they need to implement the new and extended unemployment provisions of the law. The new relief package also extends the CARES Acts Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which extends benefits to gig workers and those who are self-employed who would otherwise not be be eligible. It also extends the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, the current temporary unemployment scheme for those that have exhausted regular unemployment benefits. Like FPUC, both programs are extended for 11 weeks through March 14. To date, Congress has enacted around $2.7 trillion of net COVID-19 relief, the bulk of which has already been spent, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Shillong: Amid major controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said the issue of banning cow slaughter has to be decided by the respective states and the Centres recent notification on sale of cattle has nothing to do with it. BJP leader Nalin Kohli, who is in-charge of the partys affairs in Meghalaya, said the state governments can decide on cow slaughter ban keeping in view the local food habits even as he admitted that in this state, a majority of the BJP leaders eat beef. The comment assumes significance as the BJPs Meghalaya unit has views divergent to its central leadership since its local leaders eat beef. The BJP is saying this clearly that the question of having a law in a state on cow slaughter is to be decided by the state and not the Centre, Kohli told reporters here when asked about his partys position on the North Eastern states where majority of people consume beef. Every state government that decides to have a law or not have a law on cow slaughter, do so keeping in mind the local food habits of that particular state and in the North East every state government will keep this in account, he said. Kohli said the Centres notification banning sale of cattle in animal markets for slaughter is based on a Supreme Court order and recommendations made by a Parliamentary Committee. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules 2017 is based on recommendations of a Parliamentary Committee report, which included members of all political parties and a Supreme Court order,? he said. Also Read | BJP using cow slaughter, Ram temple as vote bank politics: Congress The notification has nothing written on cow slaughter and beef ban. Any state can decide on this and we fully respect the federal structure. How can the Centre impose on the states? The Constitution does not permit that and the Constitution is the only book the BJP follows, said Kohli, who is a lawyer himself. With regard to the controversy, he blamed the Congress for deliberate, false and fabricated rumours on social media about the notification which did not even have a word about beef or beef ban mentioned anywhere in it. Can BJP be blamed for something that the Congress party enacted in 1960 following which the Supreme Court asked us (NDA government) to frame rules? The act is Prevention of Cruelty against Animals and the Congress framed it. If it (Congress party) wants to complain, it should complain against its leaders in the past who came up with the act, Kohli said. He said the BJP was aware that the dirty tricks department of the Congress is adopting a strategy of spit and run by putting out deliberate, false fabricated rumours in the social media that has affected communal balance in Meghalaya. My charge is that those people spreading lies on the social media on beef issue are responsible of trying to communalize the situation, said Kohli, who is on a visit here. He said the way Congress workers slaughtered a calf in Kerala to protest against the notification was wrong. He asked, Is that not a communal agenda? In India, majority are Hindus. Muslims and Christians eat beef. Muslims do not eat pork, so do Jews. So the Congress, if they want to protest against the Muslims, will they slaughter a pig? Stating that such protests are unacceptable, Kohli said, Are we supposed to cause pain to other religious groups in a protest and hurt the sentiments of somebody? Also Read | Cow slaughter, beef consumption will be banned in Goa without govts help: VHP Prohibition of cow slaughter is also mentioned in Article 48 of the Constitution and although it is not an enforceabale article, it is a Directive Principles of State Policy and mandates the states to bring laws to ban cow slaughter, he said. On the Madras High Court staying the notification, Kohli said it has been done to see whether the notificaiton was correct under the law or not. If it is not correct, then questions can be asked if it is badly drafted. But when it is correct in law, can we call it today, before the court has arrived at a judgement, an indictment of the government, he asked. He said the party has given a show cause notice to a district leader in western Garo Hills region who had reportedly announced a beef party to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modis three years in office. What he said was his personal views and my state president has sought explanation from him. How can slaughter of an animal be a ground for celebration of Prime Minister Modis government when the notification in itself is to prevent slaughter of animals, he asked. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The market continued its uptrend with the benchmark indices hitting a fresh record high on January 5, driven by technology, banking, and financial stocks. Both the indices ended at record closing peaks. The BSE Sensex rallied 260.98 points to 48,437.78, while the Nifty50 climbed 66.60 points to 14,199.50 and formed a bullish candle on the daily charts. "A long bull candle was formed on Tuesday, which indicates a confirmation of small upside breakout of the range at 14,000 levels, which is a positive indication. New swing high was formed at 14,215 and Nifty closed near the highs," Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities told Moneycontrol. "The long term charts like monthly timeframe signal sharp upside breakout of the intermediate trend line with confirmation (connecting monthly top to top at 12,750-12,800 levels) and this area is going to be a strong support during any sharp profit booking in the market," he said. "The short term trend of Nifty remains positive. Though intraday profit booking is emerging from the new highs on daily basis, the strong buying is also witnessing on dips. The next Fibonacci projection resistance is at 14,310 and the near term upside targets to be watched around 14,600-14,800 levels. Immediate support is placed at 14,080," he added. The broader markets also gained further, with the Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices rising more than 0.6 percent each. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks given in this story are the aggregates of three- month data and not of the current month only. Key support and resistance levels on the Nifty According to pivot charts, the key support levels for the Nifty are placed at 14,093.27, followed by 13,987.03. If the index moves up, the key resistance levels to watch out for are 14,260.67 and 14,321.83. Nifty Bank The Nifty Bank outperformed Nifty50, rising 509.80 points or 1.63 percent to close at 31,722.30 on January 5. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 31,182.63, followed by 30,643.07. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 32,014.73 and 32,307.27. Call option data Maximum Call open interest of 20.15 lakh contracts was seen at 14,000 strike, which will act as a crucial level in the January series. This is followed by 14,500 strike, which holds 13.22 lakh contracts, and 15,000 strike, which has accumulated 12.67 lakh contracts. Call writing was seen at 14,600 strike, which added 94,425 contracts, followed by 14,300 strike which added 71,925 contracts and 14,400 strike which added 54,450 contracts. Call unwinding was seen at 14,200 strike, which shed 1.37 lakh contracts, followed by 14,000 strike which shed 83,250 contracts. Put option data Maximum Put open interest of 21.79 lakh contracts was seen at 14,000 strike, which will act as crucial support level in the January series. This is followed by 13,500 strike, which holds 21 lakh contracts, and 13,600 strike, which has accumulated 16.46 lakh contracts. Put writing was seen at 13,700 strike, which added 2.99 lakh contracts, followed by 14,000 strike, which added 2.59 lakh contracts and 14,100 strike which added 1.32 lakh contracts. There was hardly any Put unwinding seen on January 5. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. 52 stocks saw long build-up Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which a long build-up was seen. 16 stocks saw long unwinding Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long unwinding was seen. 38 stocks saw short build-up An increase in open interest, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which a short build-up was seen. 31 stocks witnessed short-covering A decrease in open interest, along with an increase in price, mostly indicates a short-covering. Based on the open interest future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short-covering was seen. (For more bulk deals, click here) Analysts/Board Meetings Eicher Motors: Company's officials will interact with Antique Stock Broking on January 6 and Quantum Advisors on January 7. Mahindra & Mahindra: Company's officials to interact with IDFC Mutual Fund on January 6 and Axis Mutual Fund on January 7. Endurance Technologies: Telephonic or virtual meeting with GIC Mumbai have been scheduled for January 6. Indoco Remedies: Company's officials to interact with L&T Mutual Fund on January 6. Mishra Dhatu Nigam: Company's officials interact with investors/analysts on January 6. Garware Polyester: Company's officials to interact with ANS Wealth and Milars on January 7, and Ambit Capital on January 8. JSW Steel: Company's officials will attend Investec India ESG Conclave on January 7. Motherson Sumi Systems: The management of the company will attend the investor conference organised by Prabhudas Lilladher on January 7. Centum Electronics: Company's officials will interact with Acacia Partners on January 7. ONGC: Board meeting is scheduled for January 11 to consider the allotment of proposed NCDs. L&T Finance Holdings: Company will hold a conference call with the institutional investor(s) and analyst(s) on January 18 to discuss Q3 FY2021 financial performance and provide updates on strategy. Federal Bank: Company will declare its December quarter earnings on January 20. Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail: Investor Call will be held on February 8 to discuss the financial results for the December quarter and the business outlook. Stocks in the news Hero MotoCorp: Life Insurance Corporation of India increased its stake in the company to 9.166% from 7.145% earlier. Tips Industries: Board in-principally agreed to explore the demerger of the film business of Tips Industries into a separate entity. BEML: Company bagged orders for supply of high mobility vehicles from Ministry of Defence, at an approximate value of Rs 758 crore. UTI AMC: Mirae Asset Mutual Fund raised its stake in the company to 5.003% from 4.984% earlier. ACC: Company announced the commissioning of new cement production facility at the company's existing Sindri Grinding Unit in Jharkhand. Bajaj Finance: RBI imposed a Rs 2.5 crore penalty on the company for breach of risk management and outsourcing norms. Fund flow FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net bought shares worth Rs 986.3 crore, whereas domestic institutional investors (DIIs) net sold shares worth Rs 490.03 crore in the Indian equity market on January 5, as per provisional data available on the NSE. Stocks under F&O ban on NSE One stock - SAIL - is under the F&O ban for January 6. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. NEW YORK, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices retreated on Monday after major oil producers adjourned their meeting to Tuesday with no agreement on output. The West Texas Intermediate for February delivery lost 90 cents to settle at 47.62 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March delivery decreased 71 cents to close at 51.09 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, widely known as OPEC+, ended discussions on Monday without agreement on production levels for February. The meeting will resume on Tuesday. In their last meeting, OPEC+ agreed to boost oil production by 500,000 barrels per day from January and said they would meet monthly, starting January, to decide on further production adjustments for the following month. The COVID-19 pandemic damaged the market for crude in 2020. For the past year, the U.S. benchmark slumped 20.5 percent, while Brent crude lost 21.5 percent. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Earn your Associate of Applied Business in Business IT (BIT) degree online from the University of Cincinnati. This program can be completed fully online, with curriculum customized to fit your schedule, interests and how quickly you want to complete your degree. Application deadline July 1, 2021. Learn More The rise in consumer adoption of e-commerce in the wake of the pandemic is pushing the rebirth of brick-and-mortar stores as potential bastions of interactionless in-store shopping that resembles an e-commerce experience. But these redesigns are not for all shoppers. Some prefer no brick-and-mortar shopping at all. That consumer reaction is pushing retailers to redesign physical stores. Harris Poll research recently found that 70 percent of people want zero interaction with store personnel while shopping. Plus, 35 percent are totally fine never shopping in person again. An online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18+ conducted by 3D vision system company Sense Photonics further drives home this sharp directional turn by consumers. The survey disclosed that shoppers willing to return to physical storefronts want a completely human-free, contactless, shopping experience. Those two surveys and other marketing research loudly suggests that big-box retailers need to follow through with what consumers want in order to return to in-person shopping. More automation is on their demand list. Implementing systems that let stores meet consumer standards for convenience and safety from COVID-19 infections arguably help them stand out in a hyper-competitive brick-and-mortar marketplace. These findings recommend big-box retailers restructure their traditional physical stores into warehouses and fulfillment centers. Those that do not take the lead and heed consumer wishes may not succeed in the new retail normal. Those retailers that do buy into the redesign will position their stores to accommodate radically altered consumer preferences without alienating those who prefer conventional shopping methods. "Consumer shopping preferences are shifting, and retailers are starting to adapt to a frictionless experience," said Sense Photonics CEO Shauna McIntyre. "The retailers that embrace automation and introduce high-performance 3D vision systems and other sensors into their industrial and commercial workflows are more likely to stay ahead of consumer preferences, according to McIntyre. "This new era of technology is essential to scaling time-sensitive processes like order fulfillment," she said. In the 'Before' Times A physical store redesign movement was already underway with some big box namesakes in 2019. Customers relying more on Internet shopping did not go unnoticed by marketers. But most retailers viewed format redesign as risky, time-consuming, and too costly. They looked for a better way. That better way needed to position brick-and-mortar stores is something more than just a transactional venue. It needed to build brands with in-person experiences not possible in digital channels. Physical stores should offer built-in sensory advantages over e-commerce or customers would not step inside. Then, COVID-19 happened. With the reopening of brick-and-mortar shops not already permanently shuttered by the pandemic, marketers still face interior redesigns. But the focus is less on a sensory experience that draws customers away from digital storefronts. Instead, the need is for duplicating the digital experience with contactless pay stations and human-free interaction. The overall new redesign must address customers' fears of COVID-19 and their desire to maintain social distancing. "Users have shifted away from visits to B&M stores to online, and many retailers look for a quick hit with store redesigns. The goal is to achieve zero-touch alternatives," Bilal Soylu, founder of XcooBee, told the E-Commerce Times. This is a good first step. But shopping models developed in the industrial revolution should be rethought. The old floor plans may not be able to bring back shoppers, he added. Not New, Only Repurposed Catalog shopping has made a comeback forced by the need for social distancing in physical stores. Its 360-degree return comes with a few twists and turns, according to retail expert Adele Harrington, chief development officer of United National Consumer Suppliers (UNCS). Older consumers probably remember tales of parents thumbing through the huge Macy's holiday gift catalog and picking up their purchases at the service counter. Retailers are bringing back the catalog shopping mentality but delivering it online and even "online in-store," observed Harrington. "Most stores are emulating an e-commerce experience by allowing their consumers to browse online and pick up in-store or curbside. They are also making returns and refunds easier than ever so that consumers can get the safety net feeling that e-commerce gives them if they have a change of heart," she told the E-Commerce Times. Some non-traditional retailers are even taking it a step further and offering products "online in-store," she added. For example, Off Lease Only, an omnichannel car dealership in Florida, sells its inventory online and at their retail location. However, when shopping for a car at the retail level, you do not walk into a showroom or wander around a car lot. Instead, you walk in, sit down at a computer catalog, select the vehicles you would like to see, and then a salesperson brings you the merchandise. This is an extreme example of online shopping in-store, Harrington explained. "Still, it has been very successful based not only on COVID-19 shopping limitations but also based on shifting consumer shopping habits and expectations," she said. In 2018-2019, every retailer was thinking about and using e-commerce/mobile for sales and marketing. So it is not "new," noted Harrington. "But COVID-19 was the tidal wave that pushed everyone to the digital shore in a hurry," She said. Redesigning for Automating In-Store Shopping The COVID crisis has accelerated the interest and adoption of contactless payment technologies. Biometric fingerprint technology allows users to make touchless payments via a personal fingerprint stored on a credit card that is safe, secure, and unique to each individual customer, according to Vince Graziani, CEO of IDEX Biometrics. "The global demand for biometric technology in the payments industry is robust and will accelerate during the busy end-of-year shopping season and as business returns to a new normal in 2021 and beyond," he told the E-Commerce Times. Retailers need to make shoppers feel safe and secure in a brick-and-mortar setting. Plus, the checkout experience needs to be automated with technology that removes direct physical contact of signing and punching in PIN numbers, Graziani added. Amazon's experiments with automating in-person shopping at a small number of grocery stores in Seattle could help retailers elsewhere create touchless in-store experiences consumers are demanding, offered Jack Choros, CMO of Little Dragon Media. You can take things off the shelves, and you do not need to check out. Motion, weight, and infrared sensors track when you take something off the shelf, according to Choros. Those tools can track data and figure out exactly what you took, how much of it you took, and what it costs. Your credit card is billed without the shoppers needing to see a grocery cashier or bagger. "The fact is, the average retailer cannot do this yet, especially when it comes to groceries. Can this happen with other things? Absolutely, but what I would say is that you would have to convince your customers to be okay with providing you with credit card information and having them be automatically billed," he told the E-Commerce Times. Otherwise, how would you serve them? Theoretically, you can include self-checkout terminals in your stores, but Choros has yet to see those outside of the grocery store business. Making Zero Interaction Work Retailers have no option but to redesign stores to keep up with the safety needs. Simple things such as sanitizing stations and making masks mandatory is the first step, advised Mohammed Ali, founder and CEO of Primaseller. "There will be some level of trial and error, but after the initial phase, there should be some semblance of a contactless or interactionless retail model that works," he told the E-Commerce Times. Stores will need to have more open floor spaces to maintain social distancing protocols. They will have to be reconfigured for space and speed, he said. He also sees other avenues of bringing safer in-store shopping to stores. The next step would be to think about contactless payment solutions via mobile and digital wallets, tap and pay. Cash as a payment option will have to be dissuaded, he added. Self-checkouts, QR-based shopping, and curbside pickups will be crucial in providing an interactionless and, considering the times, safe shopping experiences. "The other aspect of is the viability of doing this, which can only be guessed. As long as the implementation strategy is broken down into multiple parts, then each part can be independently tweaked for customer satisfaction, as well as growth," he concluded. New Normal Retail Checklist George Pitchkhadze, CMO at Thrive Cuisine, has a quick checklist of things store operators can do to make their floorspace more in line with what hesitant shoppers want for their in-store shopping experience. Use printed materials and tablets to educate people about products. Offer QR codes that shoppers can scan to see online information about products, such as available sizes, available colors, etc. Teach staff to avoid talking to people unless asked to do so. Add super-market style self-checkout counters instead of side-by-side with cashier-operated counters. Give people the features they are used to using in e-commerce. For instance, a companion app, prompts like "people who view this item also look at...," QR codes that pull up item reviews, etc. Automated retail or A-retail has been a steadily growing trend in the U.S and has been the norm in many places around the world for some time, noted Haris Bacic, co-founder of PriceListo. Anyone who has ever used a self-checkout option or a smartphone app to pay while actually in the physical store has already had a taste of the A-retail trend at work. "It is perfectly reasonable to see retail choosing to double down on the technology in the form of more self-check options that will help reduce checkout lines," he told the E-Commerce Times. Consumers listed waiting on lines as the most painful and stressful part of the in-store buying experience, he added. Other amenities for redesigning in-store floor space include low- or no-contact kiosks that offer circulars and coupons. Having robot greeters and sales assistants to help maintain social distance safety measures would also be well received. Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack. Hoda Kotb's eldest daughter Haley Joy is only three years old, but she has already learned the joy of giving. The Today host revealed on Monday's show that her little girl has been wrapping up her Christmas presents to give to her friend, explaining that she has been talking to her daughters about having less and not needing so many material things. 'I walked in and Haley was wrapping one of her presents that she had already played with, I'm sure,' Hoda, 56, said, recalling how her daughter taped up the present and said: 'I'm giving this to Christian.' Scroll down for video Heartwarming: Hoda Kotb, 56, revealed on the Today show that her three-year-old daughter Haley Joy has learned the gift of giving Aww! The proud mom said Haley wrapped up a few of her presents and asked to take them to her friend house. Hoda is pictured with her fiance Joel, her mother, and her two daughters After she was done wrapping the present, she asked her mom if they can take it over to Christian's house. 'So we took it, we walked it over, we delivered it,' Hoda said, noting Haley's friend wasn't there, so they left it on his doorstep. 'Then the next day she wrapped up a pair of glasses to take to Christian's,' the mom explained. 'His family's probably like, 'Why are we getting all these things on our doorstep?" But that made me feel good.' Hoda shared the heartwarming story while talking to her co-host Jenna Bush Hager about her New Year's resolution. Goal: Hoda shared the story while chatting with her co-host Jenna Bush Hager about her New Year's resolution, saying: 'I want everyone in my family to be settled' 'I want everyone in my family to be settled. I think you're happy when everybody's got their stuff together,' said the journalist, who also shares a younger daughter, Hope Catherine, with her fiance Joel Schiffman. 'I feel like this is a year for everybody to their cool lane, and they're already there,' she added, 'but it's just like hitting that stride.' 'I love that your New Year's resolution doesn't revolve around you,' Jenna, 39, said. 'It revolves around other people.' The former first daughter, who has three children with her husband Henry Hager, thinks it's 'good to have a fresh start' come January 1. Early birds: On New Year's Eve, Hoda shared a photo of herself and Joel wearing matching party hats, writing: 'Happy new year! Lights out by 9:00' Fun times: The mom enjoyed a snow day with her daughters Hope Catherine (pictured) and Haley last month Winter wonderland: Hoda posted photos of their snow day, including a snapshot of Haley building a snowman 'I usually go for a walk with my sister or Henry and really map out what I'm going to do, and I haven't done that this year,' Jenna said. 'But I think I've just been with the kids so much I haven't had the space. I want to do it. 'I was thinking, I speak some Spanish and I used to be fluent. I lost a lot of it,' she explained. 'Maybe I take lessons? We live in New York where all of the best classes are. I want to do something for myself that requires some learning.' The co-hosts both spent New Year's Eve with their families, with Hoda admitting on Instagram that she and Joel were in bed hours before the ball dropped. She shared a photo of herself and Joel wearing matching party hats, writing: 'Happy new year! Lights out by 9:00.' Safeway, Vons and other stores owned by Albertsons Companies will be laying off delivery drivers and in their place, using third-party drivers from the app-based delivery service DoorDash starting Feb. 27. While we know that this move will help us create a more efficient operation, it wasnt a decision we made lightly or without a great deal of consideration, Wendy Gutshall, a Northern California Safeway representative, told SFGATE. This decision will allow us to compete in the growing home delivery market more effectively. Gutshall added that the company is working to place all impacted associates in stores, plants and distribution centers. They are also rewarding drivers who stay until the transition is complete with incentive bonuses. The Los Angeles-based activist news outlet Knock.LA, which first broke the news Monday, confirmed the elimination of in-house delivery workers after speaking with two separate employees in the Southern California area. Proposition 22, which passed with 58.6% of the vote during the November elections, permitted the likes of Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Postmates to classify drivers and other workers as independent contractors and prevent them from accessing full-time employee benefits. San Francisco was one of the few cities in the state to reject the bill, as nearly 60% of voters opposed it. Marc Perrone, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said in a statement Wednesday: Exploiting the passage of Prop. 22 to destroy the good-paying jobs of these dedicated frontline workers, in the middle of this public health crisis, is simply wrong. As the union for grocery workers across California, UFCW is calling on Albertsons to immediately halt these plans and to put the health of their customers first by protecting the jobs of these brave essential workers at a time when our communities need them most. Taylor Bennett, a representative from DoorDash, told SFGATE that the partnership which extends nationally was made prior to Proposition 22. "DoorDash has always supported local economies, and as e-commerce and delivery have become even more important for many businesses during these challenging times, we remain committed to helping brick-and-mortar local merchants reach consumers with the best of their neighborhood," he said in a statement. DOHC When it comes to creating some of the most rad custom motorcycles youll ever encounter, the gifted moto gurus over at Switzerlands VTR Customs are no rookies. More often than not, the firms bespoke machines will not only manage to look the part, but also outperform their stock counterparts without breaking a sweat.One such entity goes by the name of Goodwood; that would be a menacing 2016 BMW R1200R thatll have just about any moto-loving petrolhead drooling. Bavarias behemoth is brought to life by an unholyflat-twin powerplant that boasts a humungous displacement of 1,170 cc.At about 7,750 revs, this vicious piece of twin-cooled machinery will gladly develop as much as 125 hp, while a healthy torque output of up to 92 pound-feet (125 Nm) will be produced at 6,500 rpm. A six-speed gearbox is tasked with transmitting the engine's remarkable force to a shaft final drive.Long story short, Motorrads 2016MY R1200R is a force to be reckoned with in stock form. As for VTR Customs unique creature, the Swiss experts kicked things off by fabricating a selection of bespoke bodywork modules to replace the factory panels. These include a flawless aluminum tail section, a new front fender, and a tiny fairing that flanks the bikes headlight, to name a few.As soon as their work on cosmetics was wrapped up, the workshop's pros went about installing a majestic two-into-one exhaust system from Akrapovics catalog, as well as a Unit Garage muffler and K&N air filters. The whole structure crawls on a pair of laced aftermarket wheels that wear Michelins Powercup rubber with pride.To round it all out, VTR installed a Rizoma filler cap and Magura levers, while LSLs inventory was raided to obtain a set of clip-on handlebars. Lastly, a local upholsterer named Yves Knobel is the author behind that fresh single-seater saddle. All things considered, it goes without saying that VTRs Goodwood is among the sexiest one-off R1200Rs out there, don't you think? Former President Pranab Mukherjee has written in his memoir The Presidential Years that he was not consulted by Prime Minister Narendera Modi ahead of demonetisation in November 2016. The Presidential Years is the fourth book authored by Mukherjee, who passed away on August 31, 2020, in New Delhi at the age of 84. The late Congress veteran wrote, PM Modi had not discussed the issue of demonetization with me prior to his announcement on 8 November 2016. I learnt of it along with the rest of the country when he made it known through a televised address to the nation. While the NDA faced criticism for the sudden announcement on demonetisation, Mukherjee wrote that the suddenness and surprise was absolutely necessary for such an announcement. There has been criticism that he should have taken lawmakers and the Opposition into confidence, before making the announcement. I am of the firm opinion that demonetization could not have been done with prior consultation because the suddenness and surprise, absolutely necessary for such announcements, would have been lost after such a process. Therefore, I was not surprised when he did not discuss the issue with me prior to making the public announcement. It also fitted in with his style of making dramatic announcements, Mukherjee wrote in his book. Mukherjee wrote that after the announcement, the prime minister had discussed the need for demonetisation with him and had outlined three main objectives of the bold step tackling black money, fighting corruption and containing terror funding. He desired explicit support from me as a former finance minister of the country. I pointed out to him that while it was a bold step, it may lead to a temporary slowdown of the economy. We would have to be extra careful to alleviate the suffering of the poor in the medium to long term. Since the announcement was made in a sudden and dramatic manner, I asked the PM if he had ensured that adequate currency was there for exchange. I extended my support to him, Mukherjee wrote. The former president wrote that even he had sent a note on demonetisation to the PMO in the 70s after the successful implementation of the Voluntary Disclosure of Income and Wealth Ordinance, 1975, but it was not accepted by former prime minister Indira Gandhi. While mentioning Indira Gandhis view on demonetisation, Mukherjee wrote, She did not accept my suggestion, pointing out that a large part of the economy was not yet fully monetized and that a substantial part of it was in the informal sector. Under these circumstances, she argued, it would be imprudent to shake the faith of people in currency notes. Mukherjee said in his book that questioning the decision of demonetisation was understandable because it shook the confidence of the people in the banking system. But perhaps one thing can be stated without fear of contradiction: that the multiple objectives of the decision of demonetization, as stated by the government, to bring back black money, paralyse the operation of the black economy and facilitate a cashless society, etc., have not been met, Mukherjee wrote The State Bank of India (SBI) has said that it has a customer base of 44.89 crore at 22,141 branches across the country, is higher than the entire US population. America's population stands at 33.2 crore. YY: Population in 2020 was 33.2 crore YY: SBI has 44.89 crore customers #USvsIndia *As per SBI annual report of 2019-20. a State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) January 5, 2021 While the country's largest lender was exuberant about its customer base overtaking the total American population as of 2020, Twitter users did not spare this chance to share their two cents about their experience. Is that the reason of providing with the poor service to customers? Staffas rude behaviour, inefficiency and many more. a Apurv (@ask_apurv) January 5, 2021 The pet lunch time dialogue YY: How may I help you sir? YY: Abhi lunch time h baad m aana! Also YY: Counter number 2 m jao! a Rohit Rawat YY (@rohitrrawat) January 5, 2021 Please talk about NPAs also What is your NPA data ?? As per SBI annual report 2019-2020. a Nehal (@iNehalDesai) January 5, 2021 You can crack better jokes for sure WHAT A JOKE , CORRECT You YOUR FIGURES a amar jha (@anjha26) January 5, 2021 This tweet by SBI comes on the back of the country's largest lender clearing the 'positive pay system ' for cheques which requires confirmation of key information for payments exceeding the Rs 50,000 threshold. State Bank of India was not the only one to celebrate its expanding customer base. Reliance Jio claimed in its recent tweet that its subscriber base is more than the entire US population at 40 crore. YY : 332 million YY : 400 million #OnJio a Reliance Jio (@reliancejio) January 4, 2021 How has SBI fared across segments in 2019-20? According to its 2019-20 annual report, SBI's loan segments like home, auto and other personal loans have improved between March 2019-20. Home loans portfolio surged to Rs 4.56 lakh crore, auto loans reached Rs 72,662 crore and other personal loans stood at Rs 2.19 lakh crore on a year-on-year basis. SBI not only saw an uptick in its loan segments. Downloads of its online banking app, YONO reached over 46 million while registrations rose to more than 21 million. Also read: SBI mega e-auction of over 1,000 properties today; check out details Also read: SBI YONO app continues to show error, customers complain on social media Also read: Bank credit grows 5.4% in Sept quarter Also read: HDFC Bank top among 100 BFSI firms; Google Pay No.1 in UPI payments Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (881) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (897) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (851) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (852) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (942) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (643) Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Kelly admits these travel hackers are not his target audience. I dont want to have to go around to 10 different Targets to buy different gift cards to get points, he says. People called me a sellout in the beginning, like, Oh, youre just doing this for the masses. And yeah I am. Thats the point. He didnt start The Points Guy to keep his deals a secret. That was a business decision early on, and thats why I think weve been able to grow it. We are very open about the fact that we have to make money. I have 100 employees. I cant pay their salaries in Amex points. I left Washington on March 8 and arrived back home in New York City just in time to watch it shut down. That Thursday, Broadway went dark, and a prohibition on gatherings of more than 500 people was announced. In the following weeks, the schools were closed; the citys daily Covid deaths reached a peak of more than 800, by some counts. The Points Guy, with its fluency in bureaucratic jargon, pivoted almost exclusively to parsing the daily-changing crisis plans. (Some sample headlines: Everything You Need to Know About the U.S. European Travel Ban; Heres How to Figure Out if You Qualify for a Flight Refund; How to Cancel an Airbnb if Your Reservation Is Affected by Coronavirus.) Over the months that followed, I checked in with Kelly periodically as he bounced around the world, from Palm Springs, Calif., to Antigua to Mexico City getting massages, dining out at restaurants, updating his Instagram story throughout. When we last spoke, in November, he had just returned from two weeks in French Polynesia, where he stayed at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui and swam with humpback whales. Now back home in Pennsylvania, he was once again looking forward to the release of the Points Guy app, which had been kicked down the road to mid-2021. Im still confident it will change the way people think about points, he said. While writing this article, my own perspective on miles and points certainly changed. Through day-to-day spending and expenses, which were later reimbursed by The New York Times my rewards balances began to grow. At press time, I have: 3,815 in AAdvantage, 4,735 in Delta SkyMiles, 5,600 in Marriott Bonvoy, 44,485 in Southwest Rapid Rewards and 65,482 in Chase Ultimate Rewards. I hoped to end this story in a faraway place, relaxing on my own plot-concluding free vacation, but who knows when this might be possible? The more I sit home daydreaming about travel, the more skeptical I feel about the sorts of trips that points and miles tend to produce. As corporate partnerships have grown increasingly enmeshed, rewards have come to form a worldwide hamster tube, connecting Sky Club lounges to Ritz-Carlton lobbies to Wolfgang Puck Expresses to Uber Black cars. This elite global habitat part of our world, but also apart from it is suggestive of our stratified economy at large, one that stays aloft through financial novelties and unfettered access to cheap money. A major reason points-and-miles trips exist is because airlines turn a more stable profit by minting their own currencies than by selling actual airline seats. The flight seems almost ancillary to the financial transaction it enables a trend across the whole economy, where the selling of goods or services serves to enable the collection of data, the absorption of venture capital funds or the levying of hidden transaction fees. In this scheme, posting to social media, or collecting points and miles, or ordering a taxi or a gyro on your phone, is merely a gesture to keep the whole process in motion. The real moneymaking happens behind the scenes, driven by a series of exchanges where value seems conjured from nothing at all. But of course, value always comes from somewhere. If you trace the thread back on any one of these businesses, its always the same deal: The poor underwrite the fantasies of the middle class, who in turn underwrite the realities of the rich. When credit cards charge high interchange fees, they pass the cost of loyalty programs on to merchants, who in turn pass it back to customers by building the fees into their sticker prices. Those who pay with credit can earn it back in points. Those who pay with debit or cash wind up subsidizing someone elses free vacation. According to a 2010 policy paper by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the average cash-using household paid $149 over the course of a year to card-using households, while each card-using household received $1,133 from cash users, partially in the form of rewards. It remains a regressive transfer to this day. Almost a year into the pandemic, weve seen travel plummet to practically premodern lows. According to the United Nations World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals dropped 93 percent year-over-year last June, the beginning of the summer tourism season. The ripple effect was quick and vast, manifesting itself in idiosyncratic ways: Carbon emissions dipped; the Mona Lisa sat alone for four full months, probably her longest solitude since she was painted. In famously overtouristed Venice, reduced canal traffic and the disappearance of tourist wastewater output contributed to what one study called unprecedented water transparency. The decline in export revenue from international tourism has been, according to one estimate, eight times more severe than the loss the sector experienced following the global financial crisis. Hundreds of millions of people are out of work. The United Nations predicts travel will begin to rebound as early as the third quarter of 2021. McKinsey says we might return to pre-Covid levels by 2023. Rebound, to me, is a strange way of describing whatever the next tourist wave might look like. In any case, Ill keep holding on to my points. Tuesday, January 5, 2021 The Delaware Superior Court affirmed the decision to deny Judicial Watch and The Daily Caller News Foundation access to papers that then-Senator Joseph Biden donated to the University of Delaware library. The appeal involved two opinions of the state Attorney General that the papers were not subject to a FOIA demand. The court noted that "[e]very lawyer licensed in Delaware is bound by a duty of candor" and that "statements made by the University General Counsel may be given proper weight." The "Appellants have provided nothing other than unsupported speculation in opposition to University Counsel's representation." (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2021/01/the-delaware-superior-court-affirmed-the-decision-to-deny-judicial-watch-access-to-papers-that-then-senator-joseph-biden-dona.html Athena appearing to Odysseus to reveal the Island of Ithaca by Giuseppe Bottani (17171784). (Public Domain) Militant Ignorance Reshapes Our Schools and Culture Commentary Meet Heather Levine, a teacher at Lawrence High School in Massachusetts. According to an article by Meghan Cox Gurdon in The Wall Street Journal, Levine is in the pedagogical vanguard, so woke that she recently bragged to a colleague: Very proud to say we got the Odyssey removed from the curriculum this year! That would be Homers Odyssey, one of the literary bedrocks of Western culture, a staple in classrooms since before the time of Plato. Nor is Levine alone. She is part of a movement, epitomized by the hashtag #DisruptTexts, whose goal is to cancel classic texts from Homer and Shakespeare down to the present day and replace them with young adult books that mirror the pieties and attitudes of woke commissars of correctitude. Quoth another standard bearer of this campaign extolling ignorance: Absolving Shakespeare of responsibility by mentioning that he lived at a time when hate-ridden sentiments prevailed, risks sending a subliminal message that academic excellence outweighs hateful rhetoric. Yet another soldier in this cloud of unknowing pointed out that many classics were written more than 70 years agoimagine that!the bad old days before supreme enlightenment took place and produced, well, us! Think of U.S. society before then, she wailed. THAT is what is in those books. Wouldnt that be the United States that won the Revolutionary War, mastered a continent, fought the Civil War and freed the slaves, created the most dynamic economy in the world, giving its citizens, and much of the rest of the world, the highest standard of living in history? Yes, were talking about the country that defeated the militarism of the Kaiser, the tyranny of Hitler, and the totalitarianism of Stalin. THAT country. These new wardens of wokeness didnt spring forth fully formed, like the goddess Athena from the head of Zeus (an allusion their pedagogy would guarantee no student would recognize). No, they are the painstaking product of that long march through the institutions of our culture that began in the 1960s. Matthew Arnold When Susan Sontag, in the mid-1960s, championed the new sensibility she saw erupting across American society, she rightly observed that its representatives have broken, whether they know it or not, with the Matthew Arnold notion of culture, finding it historically and humanly obsolescent. What exactly is the Matthew Arnold notion of culture that Sontag and her cadre of hip intellectuals rejected as outmoded and irrelevant? For one thing, it is culture understood as a repository of mankinds noblest spiritual and intellectual aspirations: the best, in Arnolds famous phrase, that has been thought and said in the world. But, of course, those determined to ban Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, and their spiritual brethren are determined also to deny our civilization precisely of that best. The Matthew Arnold notion of culture is a hierarchical idea of culturea vision of culture as a sacred order whose majesty depends on its relevance to our deepest cares and concerns. A second feature of the Matthew Arnold notion of culture is its independencewhat Arnold summed up in the term disinterestedness. Criticism achieves disinterestedness, Arnold said, by keeping aloof from what is called the practical view of things; by resolutely following the law of its own nature, which is to be a free play of the mind on all subjects which it touches. By steadily refusing to lend itself to any of those ulterior, political, practical considerations about ideas. Understood in one way, Arnolds ideal of disinterestednesswith its emphasis on a free play of the mind on all subjectsmight seem to be a prescription for moral quietism or frivolous aestheticism. What rescues it from that fundamental unseriousness is Arnolds unwavering commitment to truth and honesty. The business of criticism, he said, is to know and propagate the best, to create a current of true and fresh ideas, and to do this with inflexible honesty. It tells us a great deal about the state of culture that Arnolds demanding ideal of disinterestedness isnt merely neglected but actively repudiated by many influential academics and intellectuals today. You can be woke and politically correct, or you can cultivate disinterestedness. You cannot do both. A third feature of the Matthew Arnold notion of culture is its immediacy, its emphasis not on virtual but on first-hand experience. Here, Arnold noted, the great safeguard is never to let oneself become abstract, always to retain an intimate and lively consciousness of the truth of what one is saying, and, the moment this fails us, to be sure that something is wrong. The Matthew Arnold notion of culture, then, comes armed with a sixth sense against the seductions of the spurious, the attractions of the ersatz. Would-Be Totalitarians Many elements in our educational establishment have, whether they know it or not, embraced Sontags attack on the Matthew Arnold notion of culture and pushed it to absurdity. Even Sontag, enemy of the West and especially of America though she was, thought it was a good idea to know something about the past. These new would-be-totalitarians have gone beyond all that. Theirs is a culture where history is bunk and the only aid to enlightenment a student needs is a mirror to reflect the vapid marvelousness of his empty mind. As Gurdon noted in her WSJ column, If there is harm in classic literature, it comes from not teaching it. Students might think they are getting off easy by reading ephemeral trash instead of challenging works from the classical pantheon. In fact, they have been cheated. Compared with their better-educated peers, Gurdon sagely observes, they will suffer a poverty of language and cultural reference. Worse, they wont even know it. Roger Kimball is the editor and publisher of The New Criterion and publisher of Encounter Books. His most recent book is Who Rules? Sovereignty, Nationalism, and the Fate of Freedom in the 21st Century. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa A traffic stop for speeding in North Iowa has a Minnesota man facing a drug charge. Courtney TaSean Williams, 26 of Burnsville, MN, is accused of possession with intent to deliver marijuana. Authorities say he was pulled over Sunday on U.S. Highway 18 in Cerro Gordo County for doing 87 miles per hour. The arresting officer says the smell of marijuana was coming from Williams vehicle and that several ounces of the drug were found inside, along with packaging material, and a scale. Williams was booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $5,000 bond. An OWI charge is pending lab results. U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX 12th District), of Fort Worth, has tested positive for COVID-19, her office confirms. Granger's office said she tested positive after being tested in accordance with the Attending Physicians guidance for members of Congress returning to Washington D.C. from their home state. Granger, who received the first of two vaccine shots last month, said through her office that she is "asymtomatic and feeling great!" (Natural News) Making the vote irrelevant makes secession relevant. (Article by Robert Gore republished from StraightLineLogic.com) If he gets anything approaching an honest vote count Trump will win in a landslide. The Corruptocracy, Robert Gore, October 25, 2020 I stand by my statement. Its obvious that Trump didnt get anything approaching an honest vote count. One of the better crime scene investigations Ive seen is The 2020 Election: Fuckery Is Afoot, by blogger Correia45, and Ive posted others as well. As the litigation-filled days go by, were sure to find out more about the Democrats electoral fraud. I wont venture a guess as to whether such disclosure and litigation will ultimately lead to awarding Trump the election, but I have my doubts. The corruption runs too deep. If Biden wins, his camarilla will try to explain away the obvious with talk of glitches and anomalies, all of which mysteriously broke their way. They shouldnt bother; theyll be fooling no one and it just adds to the rage. Good often emerges from even the worst situations. The good emerging from this one is that the veil is completely lifted, the election provides transcendent clarity. Many have already peeked under the veil. Those who refuse to grasp what is now appallingly obvious are too dense, deluded or corrupt to be of concern, and should be left to whatever ignominious ends fate has in store for them. This election has made it made perfectly clear that we live in a corruptocracy. We cant vote corruptocracy out any more than the people of the Soviet Union could have voted out communism (also a corruptocracy) and for the same reason: the vote itself is fundamentally corrupt. If Trump loses, it clearly discredits the notion embraced by the losers of every election: wait til next time. Next time is likely to be even more corrupt. Whats clear to those of us who voted for Trump is if we want to get back what we cherish about America, were going to have to fight for it. Freedom is not free, and neither are individual rights, the rule of law, capitalism, peace, or the opportunity to build a better life. Although I and others have suggested some sort of semi-amicable divorce for our bitterly divided country, thats not going to happen because of the nature of the division. As I said in The Corruptocracy, the division is between the productive class and those it supports. After this election there are undoubtedly millions of disgusted Trump supporters who would embrace a split in a heartbeat, but peaceful secession is precluded by the fundamental flaw at the core of every collectivist ideology: governments dont produce, they steal. Leeches never desires separation. The blue needs the red; man cannot live on high tech, media, crony capitalism, and finance alone. The battle is joined, collectivists versus producers. Tactically, theres no dumber strategy than waging war against those who support you, but their pretensions notwithstanding, collectivists are never all that bright. If Biden is declared the winner, Covid-19 restrictions are no longer necessary to hamstring the economy, discredit Trump, and justify mail-in voting fraud. The precedents have been set and a scary germ story can always be concocted when needed to frighten and subjugate those who are easily frightened and subjugated. If the collectivists have a brain in their collective head theyll quickly lift all the restrictions to resuscitate economies so their collectivist governments will have something to steal. On any honest accounting for pension and medical liabilities, most of them are already bankrupt. SLL reader SW Richmond recently commented: if one looks at this map: one can see the geographic answer to our problem: Centralia. Centralia includes the entire South except Virginia, extends north and west to the mountain states, Midwest and Arizona. Centralia has copious access to ports and harbors, energy, food, internal transportation, manufacturing, fresh water, military assets including nukes. Centralia does not include VA, MD, PA, NY, etc, nor CA, OR, WA. MN, IL, WI and MI can choose. We may desire to include Jefferson. A not-so-great migration would ensue much like during the dust bowl. Voter registrations could be reviewed before migrants were accepted. This is not a drill. It is about survival. This most definitely is not a drill, it is about the paramount issue that defines human history and philosophy: who decides the terms of an individuals survival, the individual or those who rule by violence in the name of divine right, the collective, some other vicious justification, or naked force? Thiruvananthapuram: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing a gold smuggling racket uncovered in Kerala in July, on Tuesday filed the first charge-sheet, in a surprise naming one of the suspects as an approver to substantiate the prosecutions case. NIA filed the charge-sheet in a special court in Kochi. The charge-sheet named Sandip Nair, who was arrested along with main accused Swapna Suresh from a Bengaluru hideout in July, as approver. The agency filed the first charge-sheet at a time when some suspects had been planning to move the courts for bail after spending six months in judicial custody. Twenty persons have been named in the charge-sheet and they have been booked under sections 16,17, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, NIA said in a statement. Senior Indian Administrative Service officer M Sivasankar, who was chief minister Pinarayi Vijayans secretary, did not figure in the initial charge-sheet. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in connection with money laundering charges related to the gold smuggling racket. Thirty five suspects have been arrested so far. A senior official familiar with the probe said a supplementary charge-sheet will be filed later as the investigation progresses. He also said on condition of anonymity that efforts were under way to secure the extradition of some suspects from West Asian countries. The gold smuggling racket was uncovered with the discovery of a consignment in July addressed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. Customs officers seized 30 kg gold from the diplomatic consignment: Tuesdays charge-sheet was filed by investigating officer Radhakrishna Pillai before the NIA court.While hearing the bail pleas of some of the suspects in the case, the court had repeatedly asked the agency to submit evidence of a terror angle to the case. This is the first time the agency slapped the UAPA on suspects in a smuggling case. Investigation revealed that the accused had knowingly conspired since June 2019, raised funds and smuggled from the UAE, between Nov 19 and June 20 around 167 kgs of gold, through the import cargo addressed to diplomats at the consular general office of UAE in Thiruvananthapuram, said the NIA. The main accused in the case also planned to smuggle more gold from countries like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, it said adding eight accused are still at large. The case was registered by the central agency on July 10. Ludhiana, Jan 5 : The Northern India Textile Mills' Association has urged the government to levy the Anti-Dumping Duty on Polyester Spun Yarn on the lines of similar duty proposed for Viscose Spun Yarn coming into the country from Indonesia, Vietnam and China. In a press statement issued on Tuesday, NITMA said that while the decision of Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) to levy the anti-dumping duty on Viscose Spun Yarn is highly appreciable, it is time for similar action on Polyester Spun Yarn where dumping has been causing considerable amount of injury to domestic manufacturers. Spun yarns are long continuous length of interlocked fibers, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, and rope making. The trade data clearly brings about the change in the market structure for polyester spun yarns (PSY) where presence of imported material has risen sharply over the years. Against imports of 5,833 tonne of PSY in 2015, the imports have jumped manifolds to 43,306 tonne in 2019 from four countries under question responsible for dumping the material in India. These countries are Indonesia, China, Vietnam, and Nepal. Monthly average imports of Virgin Polyester Spun Yarn (under the PUC) have increased by 972 per cent from 2015 to 2020. Imports from Vietnam alone have increased by mammoth 10,512 per cent, that is, 107 times. Average monthly imports for 2020 are 5,212 tonnes/month out of the total domestic monthly consumption of 22,000 tons/month, which means that imports enjoy 25 per cent of the total market share. "Import numbers have been rising substantially year after year due to an extremely and unreasonably low prices offered by Indonesian and Vietnamese spinners on account of huge idle capacities created owing to their government's incentives," the NITMA statement said. According to NITMA President Sanjay Garg, the rise in import quantities being dumped into India has the potential to cause an irreparable injury to domestic PSY spinning sector with the cascading effect, from closure of mills to NPAs, and eventually resulting into massive loss of employment. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Patrol boat crews check the Yangtze River in Wuhan, Hubei province, last month after the introduction of a 10-year fishing ban on the waterway. [Photo/Xinhua] Nation's mother river undergoes major cleanup The Yangtze has fed people living along its banks with a wealth of natural resources for thousands of years. One of the cradles of Chinese civilization, it is the nation's mother river. Hailed as a major economic engine, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, which comprises nine provinces and two municipalities, accounts for more than 40 percent of the country's population and GDP. However, economic development has resulted in conflict between progress and conservation. Environmental issues such as overfishing, water pollution and soil erosion have affected the river and residents. In recent years, the Yangtze has started to witness a green renaissance. The turning point came at a symposium in Chongqing on Jan 5, 2016, when President Xi Jinping said a key strategy for the country was to boost green growth in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Xi said the river's status meant that priority for progress made along the waterway must be given to ecological development to respect natural, economic and social rules. He said restoring the environment along the Yangtze should be a major long-term priority, adding that protecting the river requires coordination and avoiding overexploitation. In November, another symposium chaired by Xi on comprehensively advancing development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt was held in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. This gathering highlighted high-quality development, green growth, opening-up and self-innovation. During the meeting, Xi called for a comprehensive improvement in the efficient use of resources and for accelerated green and low-carbon development. 5 1 [ Editor: WPY ] Chinese telco Huawei is calling on the Australian government to begin talking to the company about how to roll out a new generation of mobile technology called 6G, to avoid a repeat of the ban on its equipment in 5G mobile networks. The company, which has given up on overturning its ban from Australia's 5G rollout, now wants to discuss working with the government on research and development for the next generation of mobile infrastructure. Huawei has been banned from supplying equipment to Australia's 5G network. Credit:AP Huawei Australia's director of corporate affairs Jeremy Mitchell said it was not too late to allow Huawei to supply equipment for Australias 5G network but it is very unlikely. The conversation we now want to have with the Australian government is what do we do when 6G or 7G comes, because like it or not Huawei or another Chinese company will be the leader in this area, Mr Mitchell said. Berwyn, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Annovis Bio Inc. (NYSE: ANVS), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, today announced its CEO, Maria Maccecchini, Ph.D., will present at the H.C. Wainwright BioConnect Virtual Conference, taking place January 11-14, 2021. The on-demand presentation will be available beginning January 11 at 6:00 a.m. EST and can be accessed through the registration link. Dr. Maccecchini's presentation will highlight the Company's unique approach to neurodegeneration, current development pipeline, and near-term milestones. About Annovis Bio Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's in Down Syndrome (AD-DS). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD and AD-DS that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. We expect our treatment to improve memory loss and dementia associated with AD and AD-DS, as well as body and brain function in PD. We have two ongoing Phase 2a studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. For more information on Annovis, please visit the company's website: www.annovisbio.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release contain "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness and anticipated results of ANVS401 clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate, including that clinical trials may be delayed. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. Investor Relations: Dave Gentry, CEO RedChip Companies Inc. 407-491-4498 Dave@redchip.com SOURCE: Annovis Bio, Inc. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71383 The next round of discussions to resolve the deadlock over laws enacted in September last year will be held on January 8 The farmers have threatened to hold a rally on January 26 if their demand for repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the MSP are not met (Image: PTI) NEW DELHI: The seventh round of talks between the representatives of protesting unions at Delhi borders and the Central ministers failed to end the impasse on Monday as the government ruled out a roll-back of the three contentious agricultural laws and the farmers' leaders refused to call off their agitation till that happens. The next round of discussions to resolve the deadlock over laws enacted in September last year will be held on January 8. The government, represented by Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Som Prakash, told a delegation of 41 union leaders that it would review any clause the protesters had a problem with. During the meeting, the government also listed various benefits from the three laws, but farmers kept insisting that the legislation must be withdrawn to address their apprehension that the new Acts would weaken the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and mandi systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporates. The agriculture minister clearly said that the laws will not be repealed, he even told us to approach the Supreme Court for repeal of the laws," said Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who attended Monday's meeting. We urge the youth of Punjab to prepare for a long haul. We will take out a big procession on Republic Day, he added. The farmers have threatened to hold a rally on January 26 if their demand for repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the MSP are not met. The agriculture minister wanted us to discuss the laws point-wise. We rejected it and said that there is no point in discussing the laws because we want a complete rollback of the laws, said Yudhvir Singh, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU). BKUs Rakesh Tikait said that farmers unions will hold a meeting on Tuesday to decide their future course of action. Kanoon wapasi nahi, to ghar wapasi nahi (We will not go home until the laws are withdrawn)," he added. After the meeting, Mr Tomar said the government is sensitive to farmers' concerns and offered clause-wise discussion on the three Acts but they could not reach a conclusion. "The meeting was held in a good atmosphere but farmers were adamant on their demands and we could not arrive at any conclusion. The next meeting has been decided with due consensus," he said in response to allegations by farmers' leaders that they do not trust the government. "Several rounds of talks are held during such important issues. The government has to decide keeping in mind farmers of the entire country. Both sides want to resolve the issue. The laws have been made keeping in mind the best interest of farmers, he added. Before the meeting at Delhis Vigyan Bhavan began, both parties observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the 50 protesting farmers who have died during the agitation till now. The two sides took a long break after about one hour of discussions, during which union leaders had their own food, arranged from langar (community kitchen), as they have been doing for the last few times. Unlike the last round of talks on December 30, the Central ministers did not join the leaders for the langar food and were seen having their own discussion separately during the break, which lasted for almost two hours. Monday's was the first meeting this year as the sixth round of discussion was held on December 30 when both the sides reached a consensus on two issues the rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning. The meeting, which lasted for over five hours, had, however, failed to break the deadlock over the repeal of three agriculture legislations and a legal guarantee for MSP. The ad was distributed in the UK. Photo: Getty Images Britain's advertising watchdog has launched an investigation into Europes biggest airline Ryanair following 1,600 complaints about a jab and go advert. The Advertising and Standards Authority (ASA) said they received objections from consumers about the ad, which included a syringe and a bottle labelled vaccine. The ad was distributed in the UK, and promoted flights to sunny European destinations and offered seats for 19.99 (22.16), telling customers to jab & go. Read More An ASA spokesperson told CNN consumers complained the ad misleadingly suggests that the vaccine will have been successfully rolled out across the population by spring/summer and that travel restrictions won't apply by then. The UK began their vaccination campaign in December, becoming the first country in the world to do so. In a statement to ABC News, Ryanair responded and said that the ads were factually accurate, as two vaccines have been approved for use in the UK. Additionally, it confirmed that booking could be changed without fees. Some critics wish to complain just for the sake of getting noticed when it is clear that vaccines will mean an end to Covid travel restrictions in mid-2021, Ryanair said in a statement. As of yesterday, over one million people in the UK have received their first dose of the vaccine against Covid-19. Irish Independent GOP Senators Objecting to Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona Electoral Votes: Brooks Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) said several Republican senators are objecting to the electoral votes for Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Georgia during the Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday. Brooks, in an announcement on Twitter, said he need[s] more senators to join GOP representatives in objecting to electoral votes in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the first senator to announce a challenge, signed on to object to the electoral votes in Pennsylvania, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said hes objecting to votes in Arizona, and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) is objecting to votes in Georgia, according to the Alabama republican. LOTS of Congressmen object to AZ GA MI NV PA WI electoral college votes. In Senate, Hawley=PA Cruz=AZ Loeffler=GA, so battle engaged there. STILL NEED SENATORS FOR MI NV WI! Brooks wrote on Twitter. Americaurge your senators to fight voter fraud & election theft! Brooks on Monday was seen signing written objections to all six states. Those states were flagged by President Donald Trump and his team for having rampant voter fraud, irregularities, or unconstitutional laws passed to relax mail-in ballots. The challenge requires both a representative and a senator to carry out. Then, an hourslong debate ensues on a states electoral votes before a simple majority vote is held on whether to certify that states electoral votes. The House is controlled by Democrats while a number of GOP senators have said they dont support the challenge. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) in an interview with American Thought Leaders. (The Epoch Times) Hawley revealed that Antifa activists protested outside his home in Washington, demanding that he drop the electoral challenge, as his wife and newborn were in the house. Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who cant travel, he wrote, adding that they screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Cruzs decision to object to Arizonas electoral votes came after he and about 10 other senatorsother than Hawleyreleased a letter over the past weekend vowing to support challenges unless a commission was formed to carry out an emergency audit. Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commissions findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed, they said in a joint statement. Dozens of House Republicans have announced they support the challenge, with some estimates saying upwards of 100 could partakeas House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told The Hill on Sunday that he backs the move. But, according to Brooks in a tweet earlier on Tuesday, its not clear if all senators will sign onto the initiative. Im less confident in GOP Senators. Now is the time to call on senators to demand they stand for honest [and] accurate elections, and support House members on Jan. 6, he said. Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told Republican senators recently that he wont judge anybody for their decision about objecting, according to Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) in a Politico report. Ive voted twice on declarations of war. And he said, This is right up there. But theres a lot of noise out there and I wont judge anybody for their decision, Cramer said of what McConnell told the senators. This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong! Actor Kajal Aggarwal on Tuesday shared a throwback picture from her recent visit to Himachal Pradesh with husband Gautam Kitchlu. She mentioned it was from their trek in the mountains. Sharing the pictures, she wrote: #throwback to Starting the year with an intense trek in the Himalayas. The pictures showed the two in a warm wrap in the midst of snow all around. They were dressed in winter gear. Kajal, who married Gautam on October 30 in Mumbai, has been in a holiday mood for a while, with a brief spell at work. The couple first went to Maldives for their honeymoon and had shared a number of pictures from the island nation. She had reported to work on the sets of Acharya in December and then, again taken off to the snow-capped peaks of Himachal to ring in the New Year. At the time of her wedding, sharing a picture from the wedding, she had written: In our Punjabi meets Kashmiri wedding, we just had to include #Jeelakarrabellam - a tribute to both Gautam and my individual relationships with South India! In a Telugu wedding, Jeelakarra Bellam signifies the union/marriage of the bride and the groom. Jeelakarra (cumin) and bellam (jaggery) are made into a thick paste and put on a tamalapaku (betel leaf). The bride and the groom put it on each others head while the purohit chants mantras from the Vedas. The bride and the groom look at each other only after this ceremony is completed and this auspicious ceremony signifies that the couple will stay together in bitter and sweet times. Also read: Diljit Dosanjh hits back at Kangana Ranaut, offers her job as his PR person, says dont think Punjabis will forget what youve done In another post, she had said how she was happy to have married her best friend and soul mate. And just like that, from ms to mrs! I married my confidante, companion, best friend and soulmate. So glad I found all of this and my home in you @kitchlug #kajgautkitched. On the work front, Kajal will be seen next in Chiranjeevis Acharya as well as Dulquer Salmaan and Aditi Rao Hydari starrer Hey Sinamika. Follow @htshowbiz on Twitter ott:10 DOLMATOVO, Kazakhstan -- The remote village of Dolmatovo is located on the banks of the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan, just 4 kilometers from the Russian border. The majority of the tiny hamlets 326 residents are ethnic Russians, mostly elderly, who say they often visit a nearby Russian town and watch Russian-language television but have no intention of moving to Russia for good. Dolmatovo is the northernmost village in Northern Kazakhstan Province, which has found itself at the center of controversial comments by two Russian politicians who recently said the region was a "great gift" from Russia to its Central Asian neighbor. Speaking on Russian state TV on December 10, Vyacheslav Nikonov, the chairman of the Education and Science Committee in Russias State Duma, said Kazakhstan simply didnt exist before. Northern Kazakhstan was not inhabited at all. [Ethnic Kazakhs] existed, but much further to the south. The territory of Kazakhstan is a great gift from Russia and the Soviet Union, Nikonov said. It echoed much earlier remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who six years ago said Kazakhs never had any statehood before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Soon after Nikonovs comment, an activist from the Russian movement Patriot reportedly placed a banner near the Kazakh Embassy in Moscow that read: "Northern Kazakhstan Is A Russian Territory." Days later, another Duma member, Yevgeniy Fyodorov, said Kazakhstan has rented its territory from the Soviet Union. Fyodorov even urged Russian lawmakers to look into the issue of reclaiming the territories and the annulment of illegal decisions made in 1991, following the collapse of the former Soviet Union. The comments prompted furious reaction in Kazakhstan, with President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev saying Kazakhs must "stand against provocative actions by some foreign citizens," who try to "spoil neighborly relations." "Nobody from outside gave Kazakhs this large territory as a gift. Whatever they say, we have internationally recognized borders, established by bilateral treaties and nobody can doubt them, Toqaev wrote in an article published on January 5. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry in Nur-Sultan even summoned the Russian envoy to hand him a letter of protest. Many Kazakhs demanded an apology from Russia for the comments that they believe were aimed at fueling separatism in their country. Back in Dolmatovo, people say they are aware of the Russian lawmakers remarks and the anger they have caused. Several elderly villagers who spoke to RFE/RL said they dont support Nikonov and Fyodorovs positions. It was wrong of them to make such statements. The Soviet Union collapsed long ago and the territories [of each country] have been defined, the borders have been clarified, said Ivan Kolomeitsev, an 84-year-old former school director. Kolomeitsev said he has never had any intention of leaving Kazakhstan to settle in Russia, like many other ethnic Russians living in Central Asia did after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I have lived all my life in Kazakhstan, no one oppressed Russians here. I am a citizen of Kazakhstan and if I wanted to move [to Russia] I would have moved long ago. My children and grandchildren, too, live in Kazakhstan, he told RFE/RL. A similar sentiment came from another villager introducing herself as Nina Ivanovna. I can literally see Russia from my backyard. Its over there, she said pointing toward the north. I have lived almost all my life here and have no plans to leave. Actually, I have nowhere to go. Better Life In Russia? But in some of the cities in the Northern Kazakhstan Province there are ethnic Russians -- especially the younger generations -- who dont rule out the idea of moving to Russia, where they envisage a more prosperous future for themselves. Those who spoke to RFE/RL said the reason behind a decision to leave northern Kazakhstan is strictly the dream of having a better life in Russia and has nothing to do with politics. In the provincial capital, Petropavl, Sergei and Marina are planning to move to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. The married couple say that in the past decade almost all of their ethnic Russian friends have left Kazakhstan. Everybody wants to live a good life, not just to exist," says Sergei, a computer engineer. "Were moving to Yekaterinburg not because there are Russians living in that city, but because there are jobs. For example, I want to get a new car, I want my son to have better opportunities, I want to travel to the sea with my family, he adds. But with his current salary of about $355 a month, Sergei said he can barely save for a trip to a neighboring city. Aizhan Shaikenova, a journalist from Petropavl, says low salaries have driven out not only ethnic Russians, but Kazakhs and others from the province. Kazakhstan, Wary Of Separatism Shaikenova says the controversial statements by the two Russian lawmakers have failed to become a hot topic of discussion among ordinary residents in northern Kazakhstan. At least, I dont remember it being discussed among my friends or in our circles in the city. Our people are very apolitical and somewhat indifferent, the local journalist said. Not everyone in Petropavl was indifferent, however. A group of civil activists from the province prepared a letter to the Kazakh government, condemning the Russian politicians remarks. The comments also renewed calls to rename Petropavl to Kyzylzhar, which would give the city a Kazakh name. Members of the youth group Namys placed a banner in front of the provincial government's headquarters that read "Petropavl Kyzylzhar," with Petropavl being crossed out. The topic of renaming the northern city has been discussed several times in the past, although officials have so far resisted calls for a name change. But the government in Nur-Sultan has also taken some mild steps to address the demographic challenges in the province, where the population has declined in recent years. The government has a special program that encourages people from the south, which is predominantly populated by ethnic Kazakhs, to relocate to northern Kazakhstan, where ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers have a slight majority. The southerners are offered various social and financial incentives to make the move to the often frigid northern part of the country. In 2014, Kazakhstan introduced an article to its Criminal Code about separatist activities that stipulates harsh penalties -- such as up to 15 years in prison and even an extremely rare punishment of revoking citizenship -- for anyone found guilty of separatism or undermining the territorial integrity of the country. The move came after Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and began fueling a separatist war in eastern Ukraine. Omir Eskali, a journalist and activist from northern Kazakhstan, says the comments by the Russian lawmakers are not only offensive, but also potentially dangerous. Eskali said the statements are aimed at inciting separatism in Russias southern neighbor, where ethnic Russians make up almost 20 percent of the countrys population. Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL Kazakh Service correspondent Pyotr Trotsenko RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) initiates transcription at a multitude of positions in the human genome. However, only a fraction of these sites is associated with genes that give rise to functional RNA. The 'Integrator' complex by default terminates RNAPII shortly after its initiation (top), unless specific gene-defining elements are present allowing for transition to productive elongation (bottom). In the latter case, transcription is typically terminated by the 'Cleavage & Polyadenylation' Complex that recognizes specific 'terminator' sequence elements in the genome (bottom, red box). In the former case the produced short RNA is by default rapidly degraded by the RNA exosome, whereas snRNAs constitute a special case that avoids degradation. Credit: Sren Lykkke-Andersen In a joint collaboration, Danish and German researchers have characterized a cellular activity that protects our cells from potentially toxic by-products of gene expression. This activity is central for the ability of multicellular organisms to uphold a robust evolutionary 'reservoir' of gene products. Manufacturing processes need quality control systems in order to ensure proper assembly of functional products. Moreover, space-consuming, and perhaps even toxic, by-products of such processes need to be properly discarded or recycled by efficient waste handling systems. By analogy, transcription of our genome is an imperfect process that produces large quantities of non-functional and potentially harmful transcripts both from within and outside of conventional genes. The RNA polymerase II enzyme transcribes the majority of our genes, and it also generates pervasive transcripts from multiple non-genic regions. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly clear that the enzyme is relatively promiscuous when it comes to where it starts, and there are transcription initiation sites scattered everywhere in the genome. However, not all these sites are associated with a 'proper' gene, and this requires the presence of specific gene-defining elements. Discovery of new activity of the protein complex 'Integrator' In a new article published in the international journal Molecular Cell, a Danish-German research team has now demonstrated that the multi-protein complex 'Integrator'which was previously described as the transcription termination factor for a specific class of genes encoding small nuclear (sn)RNAsis in fact a default 'early' termination factor for most, if not all RNA polymerase II initiation events (Figure, top panel). The resulting short transcripts are in most cases rapidly degraded by the ribonucleolytic RNA exosome. This mechanism is also at play to varying degrees inside conventional genes, but these have evolved elements, counteracting such early termination, to facilitate productive transcription elongation, which eventually produces functional transcripts such as protein-coding 'messenger' (m)RNA (Figure, bottom panel). Through this newly discovered mechanism of action, Integrator ensures that production of wasteful transcripts remains limited, while at the same time allowing maintenance of thousands of transcription start sites under neutral selection in the human genome. These provide a reservoir of transcription units that may turn into functional genes over time, exemplified by the evolution of the currently known functional RNAs of our genome. As a curious example, snRNA genes appear to be a special case, taking advantage of the general early termination activity of Integrator and fend off the ensuing RNA exosome activity to allow production of stable functional RNAs (Figure, top panel). Inactivating mutations in Integrator subunits lead to severe neurodevelopmental disorders, and elevated expression of some integrator subunits is associated with increased epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitiona key step in tumor metastasis. This duality highlights the need for a tight control of the Integrator activity. Moreover, the realization that Integrator is a general attenuator of nonproductive transcription may inform the molecular characterization and potential treatment of such ailments. Explore further New insights into the epigenetic control of hematopoiesis More information: Sren Lykke-Andersen et al, Integrator is a genome-wide attenuator of non-productive transcription, Molecular Cell (2020). Journal information: Molecular Cell Sren Lykke-Andersen et al, Integrator is a genome-wide attenuator of non-productive transcription,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.12.014 " " The alkali metals are on the left column of the periodic table highlighted in hot pink. bamlou/Getty Images There are alkali metals all around you right now. Sodium is found in table salt, lithium in your phone battery and potassium in your bananas. Alkali metals make up six different elements found in the first column of the periodic table. These are: lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs) francium (Fr) They're part of the S-block of elements in the periodic table, that along with hydrogen, helium, calcium, and others, have their outermost electron in an S-orbital. The alkali metals are soft metals that are highly reactive with water and oxygen. They're so soft that you can cut them with a plastic knife. They also have a silver-like shine and are great conductors of heat and light. Alkali metals are so-called because when they react with water, they create highly alkaline substances. Alkalinity refers to the pH of the substance, or the ability to neutralize acid. Substances that are highly alkaline can form strong bases able to neutralize acids and maintain a stable ph level. Every element has a nucleus, made up of protons and neutrons, and alkali metals are no different. Surrounding the nucleus of atoms are electrons, which are particles with a negative charge. These electrons exist in energy shells around the nucleus of the atoms, each of which can hold a varying number of electrons. The first shell can hold up to two electrons, the second up to eight, the third, 18 and the fourth, 32. It's these shells of electrons and how alkali metals are structured that make them so reactive. All atoms naturally want to have a completely full outermost shell of electrons. However, elements in that first column of the periodic table all have one electron in their outermost shell. This outermost shell is also called the valence shell, and the electrons that reside there are called valence electrons. Having only one electron in the outermost shell makes it very easy for the atoms of alkali metals to reach points of stability they just need to lose one electron! This willingness and ease of losing an electron to reach a state of equilibrium is known as high reactivity. In fact, reactivity in chemistry is defined by the number of electrons in the outermost shell. Noble gases (elements like neon and helium) are very unreactive because their outermost electron shells are full. "Since the alkali metals only have one valence electron, they typically achieve this state by giving up that electron. In this process, the alkali metal is said to be oxidized, and whatever takes the electron from the alkali metal is reduced. All of the alkali metals like to give up their single valence electron," says Dr. Chip Nataro, chemistry professor at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. "As electrons have a charge of -1, losing an electron causes the atom to have a charge of +1. When this happens, the atom is referred to as an ion and since it would have a positive charge, it is called a cation. So, all of the alkali metals like to make cations that have a charge of +1." Since alkali metals are so reactive, they are usually found in conjunction with other metals in nature. If an element is highly reactive, it's harder to find naturally. "All of these elements were first discovered in compounds [and] some of the discoveries are hard to attribute due to the abundance and usage of the compounds," says Nataro. "As you go down the periodic table, the alkali metals become more inclined to lose their valence electron" and thus, "the amount of the element found in nature also decreases, [resulting in] later discovery dates." Advertisement When Were Alkali Metals Discovered? Lithium was first discovered in 1817 when Johan August Arfwedson, a Swedish chemist, was analyzing mineral ore. Cesium and rubidium were discovered in 1860 and 1861, respectively, by German chemists Robert Bunsen (who lent his name to the Bunsen burner) and Gustav Kirchhoff (who devised Kirchhoff's laws for electrical current). Francium, the most reactive of the alkali metals we currently know of was discovered in 1939 by French scientist Marguerite Perey at the Curie Institute in Paris. " " AA alkaline batteries line up in rows. These are made with lithium, one of the alkali metals on the periodic tables. Anastasiia Krivenok/Getty Images Sodium and potassium, two very common alkali metals, have unknown discovery dates they have been used for so long. But they weren't isolated in pure form until 1807 (by the famous chemist Humphrey Davy). Rubidium wasn't isolated until 1928, also by Bunsen and Kirchhoff. One of the most common traits of alkali metals is their reactivity to water and air. These elements will dance around, sizzling due to the production of hydrogen gas, and often explode. They get more reactive the further down on the periodic table you go too, with cesium and francium being so reactive that they can burst into flames simply by being exposed to the air. The elements also increase in atomic radius, decrease in electronegativity and decrease in melting and boiling points as you move down the periodic table. You might wonder how the alkali metals were ever discovered in nature if they react so violently to air and water. Well, as it turns out, most of the alkali metals are found in nature as ions due to their high desire to react and lose that one valence electron. In their ionic form the metals are far less reactive. Advertisement Alkali Metals in Everyday Life Alkali metals have an interesting chemical duality, because they are very common in everyday life but also very uncommon in their raw elemental forms. " " This illustration of a cesium atomic clock shows the cesium beam tube. Cesium atomic clocks are extremely accurate. They'd lose only a second of time over millions of years. Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images For instance, sodium doesn't occur in nature and must be prepared from compounds. Sodium and potassium are essential elements to everyday life, with sodium helping to regulate blood pressure and move electrolytes throughout cells. Sodium also combines with other compounds to make table salt and baking soda. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and glucose and is found in fertilizers. Lithium, as mentioned before, is used in battery production and is also a mood-stabilizing drug. The more reactive elements, cesium, rubidium and francium, have fewer natural uses. Cesium is used in atomic clocks, drilling and in creating optical glass among other highly specialized applications. Rubidium is used in medical imaging and vacuum tubes. Francium, which is very rare, doesn't have many commercial applications but is used in research and to diagnose some forms of cancer. Finally, all the alkali metals are also incredibly useful teaching tools in the field of chemistry. Teachers love demonstrating the principle of reactivity by dropping an alkali metal in water only for the class to watch in awe as it spews fire and explodes. Now That's Radioactive! Francium is the rarest of the alkali metals and the second rarest element in the Earth's crust (only 340-550 grams or about 1 pound is estimated to be in the Earth's crust). It also happens to be highly radioactive and has a maximum life of only 22 minutes. Francium has never been dropped in water, because it's so rare and so expensive, but scientists do expect it would have the highest reaction of any alkali metal. Leigh Anthony Gardiner (centre), who allegedly murdered John Pender in the toilets of a pub in Spain, has died in his Spanish prison cell. Photo: Solarpix.com A BRITISH chef facing trial in Spain for the murder of a gentle giant Irish holidaymaker has been found dead in his jail cell. Prison wardens discovered Leigh Anthony Gardiner lying lifeless on his bed. The 51-year-old was put on suicide watch after his June 2019 arrest for the murder of John Pender at an Irish pub in the popular resort of Fuengirola. Mr Pender, an acupuncturist father-of-two, from Shankill, Co Dublin, was attacked with two broken bottles after asking Mr Gardiner to stop pestering his wife Caroline McGuigan and the partner of a friend he was with. Mr Gardiner, who was based in the Costa del Sol hotel, was being held at Alhaurin de la Torre prison near Malaga ahead of his trial. Two investigations are now under way an internal prison probe and a second led by police in conjunction with a local court. Well-placed sources said the death of Mr Gardiner was being treated as suicide and there was nothing at this stage pointing to foul play. He was discovered inside his cell last Wednesday morning. Read More A source said: He was found lifeless on his bed after failing to respond to morning roll-call. He had been dead for several hours and nothing could be done to save him. Another added: The death is still being investigated but everything is pointing towards suicide. Other sources confirmed Mr Gardiner had been taken off suicide watch after being placed under a monitoring programme when he initially arrived at the maximum-security prison. Prison workers association, TAMPM, released a statement, identifying the dead man only by his initials: We regret to have to confirm the death of an inmate in Module Five of Alhaurin de la Torre Prison. The 51-year-old foreigner L.A.G was discovered dead in his cell during morning roll-call on December 30. Prison workers found him lying lifeless on his bed when they opened the cell. He appeared to have died several hours earlier and nothing could be done to save him. A Spanish Prison Service source added: The separate judicial and internal prison service investigations are ongoing and there wont be any official comment on the possible cause of death at this stage. Mr Gardiner, a father-of-two, was arrested in the early hours of June 21, 2019 after allegedly attacking Mr Pender with two broken bottles while he was using the toilet at Pogs Old Irish Rock Pub. Police said at the time that the Irishman was targeted after politely asking the suspect to stop bothering his wife and the partner of a friend he was with. Witnesses told detectives Mr Pender was attacked with two broken beer bottles as he was relieving himself and had no chance to defend himself as he was stabbed several times in the neck and body. One of the blows is believed to have severed his jugular vein. Police who happened to be passing by the pub where the crime occurred tried to save his life, but he bled to death in front of them. Mr Pender was on holiday with his wife Caroline McGuigan, founder of charity Suicide or Survive, and their two children Conor, then 21, and 18-year-old Amy, who were not in the pub at the time. A source close to the probe revealed that the suspect had no criminal record in Spain and was on his own for a few days because his wife and kids had gone on a foreign holiday. A neighbour in Shankill described Mr Pender as a fantastic, friendly man and a gentle giant. The neighbour said: Hed do anything for you. If the weather was bad, he would often knock in here to see if I needed anything in the shop. At the celebration of his life, nearly 18 months ago, Mr Penders wife described Mr Gardiner as a coward. She added: John never feared death because he said life is for living. He would say every morning, I got to wake up and in the evening he would say, I got a day. Read More Irish Independent A nurse in Portugal lost her life two days after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The incident has caused a stir across the world amid concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. According to Daily Mail, the 41-year-old health care worker named Sonia Acevedo suffered a "sudden death" at her home on January 1, two days after being inoculated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Acevedo's father, while speaking to the local media, said his daughter was absolutely fine after receiving the vaccine jab and did not show any symptoms before her "sudden death" on New Year's Day. Read: 'Not Rooted': US FDA Warns Against 'premature' Changes In Dosing Strategy Of COVID Vaccine Side-effects from vaccine ruled-out Acevedo worked with the paediatrics department at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Porto, Portugal. Acevedo had been administered the COVID-19 vaccine shot on December 30. Acevedo's father has said that he wants answers regarding what caused his daughter's sudden death because she was doing absolutely fine before her demise. Experts have ruled-out vaccination side-effects as the cause of her death. A post-mortem was expected to be carried out on January 4 or 5. Read: Kazakhstan Producing 3 COVID Vaccines, Ready To Talk For Ordering Indias Vaccine: Envoy Acevedo, who was the mother of two children, had changed her profile picture hours after getting vaccinated, where she could be seen wearing a facemask and the caption read, "COVID-19 vaccinated". According to the report, Acevedo lived with her family but died at her partner's home on January 1. Acevedo's daughter said her mother had told her about mild pain in her arm near the injection area but did not display any other symptoms. Read: BioNTech-Pfizer: No Data To Suggest COVID-19 Vaccine Will Work If Second Shot Is Delayed Acevedo was vaccinated at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology, which received the first batch of vaccine on December 28. By December 31, the institute had administered the COVID-19 vaccine shots on 538 professionals, about 24% percent of total staff members. The institute has said that the cause of Acevedo's death is being looked into and only after the autopsy report further conclusion will be made. Portugal's health ministry has reportedly been informed about the death. Read: Israel Excluding Palestinians Colonies From COVID-19 Vaccine Programme: Report She's expecting her first child in the spring. And on Monday, Elsa Hosk showed off her baby bump in another revealing Instagram snap. The Swedish model, 32, posed wearing only black underwear for the selfie that emphasized her blossoming belly. Pregnant: She's expecting her first child in the spring. And on Monday, Elsa Hosk, 32, posed wearing only black underwear for an Instagram selfie that emphasized her blossoming belly Hosk took the photo in the $6 million home in South Pasadena that she and partner Tom Daly purchased as their base on the West Coast. The couple had previously been based in New York City but have relocated to the Los Angeles area to raise their child and so that Hosk can explore opportunities in Hollywood. The home that features walls of glass is situated on an acre of lush green landscaping. It boasts three bedrooms and three bathrooms as well as a detached guest house and a swimming pool. New digs: The Swedish model took the photo in the $6 million home in South Pasadena that she and partner Tom Daly purchased as their base on the West Coast Model mom-to-be: The former Victoria's Secret Angel is expecting a baby girl with her longtime partner Tom Daly The former Victoria's Secret Angel is expecting a baby girl and and she recently told People that she can't wait to welcome her. 'Exploring life with a baby will be new and scary and exciting,' she told the publication. And on Instagram, as she bid farewell to 2020 and looked forward to a new chapter in her life, Hosk shared: 'Here I am a few weeks from giving birth and feeling grateful for the pain, stress, change, and fear because out of it came something so positive and made me stronger.' Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado. BOSTON, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Analysis Group, one of the largest international economics consulting firms, has again been recognized as a leader on the Global Competition Review (GCR) Economics 21. The annual ranking highlights top firms measured by size of practice, reputation, and work on impactful competition matters over the previous year. Analysis Group was highlighted as having one of the largest practices, with 268 competition economists across its offices worldwide, supporting 116 litigation cases, 40 merger reviews, and two dozen government investigations in the past year. "In a year in which markets have been challenged in unprecedented ways, I'm reminded that hard work, thoughtful analysis, and sound judgment continue to serve as pillars of competition policies around the world," said Martha S. Samuelson, CEO and Chairman of Analysis Group. "Our recognition in the Economics 21 reflects the important work we are doing to help our clients as they navigate complex issues in a shifting environment." Analysis Group played a significant role in many of the past year's noteworthy antitrust cases around the world. GCR cited several examples of the firm's work on complex issues involving questions of market dominance, reverse payments, and pricing strategies, such as the following: Federal Trade Commission v. Qualcomm Inc. An Analysis Group team supported academic affiliate Professor Edward A. Snyder of the Yale School of Management on behalf of Qualcomm in its defense of an antitrust suit brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC alleged that Qualcomm refused to license its standard essential patents in wireless technology to rival chip manufacturers; that it charged mobile phone manufacturers "supra-FRAND" royalty rates; and that these actions caused some modem chip suppliers to exit the industry, suppressed innovation, and raised prices to consumers. Prof. Snyder analyzed factors relevant to success in the modem chip industry and concluded that those factors fully explained outcomes in the industry. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ultimately reversed a lower court's ruling, finding that Qualcomm's licensing practices and royalty rates were lawful. In re: Lamictal Direct Purchaser Antitrust Litigation An Analysis Group team supported academic affiliate Professor James Hughes , the Thomas Sowell Professor Emeritus of Economics at Bates College , on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline and Teva in their defense of a reverse payment antitrust matter. Prof. Hughes filed an expert report critiquing the opposing expert's reliance on the average prices of the brand and generic versions of Lamictal to establish proof of common injury. A panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit vacated the district court's order certifying the class and remanded the case to the district court, citing Prof. Hughes's report at multiple points in its opinion. French Competition Authority Investigation Analysis Group supported Octoplus, a French provider of mobile meal voucher services, in a market entry complaint filed with the French Competition Authority (FCA). Octoplus, along with restaurant trade unions, alleged that the four major providers of meal vouchers for the government-subsidized program had shared confidential data with each other and prevented rivals such as Octoplus from entering the market. Analysis Group provided an economic analysis of the defendants' pricing strategies. In December 2019 , the FCA decided for the complainants and issued large fines against the defendants. AbbVie Inc. Acquisition of Allergan PLC Analysis Group supported Allergan in its acquisition by AbbVie. The blockbuster deal was approved by both the European Union and the FTC with provisions (divestiture of specified drugs). To learn more about Analysis Group's capabilities, visit AnalysisGroup.com About Analysis Group: Analysis Group is one of the largest international economics consulting firms, with more than 1,000 professionals across 14 offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Since 1981, we have provided expertise in economics, finance, health care analytics, and strategy to top law firms, Fortune Global 500 companies, and government agencies worldwide. Our internal experts, together with our network of affiliated experts from academia, industry, and government, offer our clients exceptional breadth and depth of expertise. Contact: Analysis Group Eric Seymour, 978-273-6049 [email protected] SOURCE Analysis Group Related Links www.analysisgroup.com Trump-Appointed US Attorney in Georgia Resigns The chief law enforcement officer in the Northern District of Georgia announced his resignation on Monday, the Department of Justice said. U.S. Attorney Byung J. BJay Pak, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, said he was leaving his role on Jan. 4 after serving the department for more than three years. It has been the greatest honor of my professional career to have been able to serve my fellow citizens as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. I have done my best to be thoughtful and consistent, and to provide justice for my fellow citizens in a fair, effective, and efficient manner, Pak said in a statement. I am grateful to President Trump and the United States Senate for the opportunity to serve, and to former Attorneys General Sessions and Barr for their leadership of the department. His departure comes a day after a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was leaked to the press in which the president focused on issues of election integrity and claims of voting irregularities. During the call, Raffensperger countered most of Trumps claims and asserted that the allegations were untrue. Some of the allegations include ballots being cast by dead people, illegal out-of-state voters casting ballots in Georgia, thousands of people who were not on voter registration lists casting votes, and a couple of hundred thousand of forged signatures on ballots, Trump said. Raffensperger responded to Trump saying: Respectfully, President Trump: What youre saying is not true. The truth will come out. Prior to becoming the top federal prosecutor in the district, Pak served as a state representative in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. He also served on several national committees during his time in the department. Paks resignation comes after former Attorney General William Barr departed from his role just before Christmas. Then-Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen took over the department following the exit as the acting attorney general. Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Talbros Automotive Components jumped 7% to Rs 162.70 after the company said that the growth momentum continues in its overall performance for the fiscal FY20-21. The company further said that the forging business continued to outperform all other segments. The segment achieved approximately 45% revenue growth on year-on-year (Y-o-Y) basis. The gaskets business achieved revenue growth of over 25% on Y-o-Y basis, it added. Talbros Automotive said that all the joint venture companies have reported positive revenue growth. Nippon Leakless Talbros reported double-digit revenue growth on YoY basis. Magneti Mareli Talbros Chassis Systems reported mid-single digit revenue growth on YoY basis. Talbros Marugo Rubber reported lower-single digit revenue growth on YoY basis. During Q3 FY21, the company entered in a Technical Assistance Agreement (TAA) with its Japanese partner 'Sanwa Packing Industry Co.' for lightweight aluminium heat shields. Talbros Automotive Components, the flagship manufacturing company of the Talbros Group, manufactures automotive & industrial gaskets in collaboration with Coopers Payen of UK. Talbros stands proud and tall as a mother brand of gaskets, chassis, rubber products and forgings in India. Talbros Group portfolio also includes Mercedes Benz dealership for passenger cars. The company posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 10 crore in Q2 FY21 as compared to a net profit of Rs 3.01 crore in Q2 FY20. Net sales during the quarter rose 19.3% to Rs 108.26 crore. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) Tuesday's election in Georgia and Wednesday's certification of the presidential vote in DC have given pundits no shortage of things to write about. As Mike Allen puts it at Axios, the "next two days look to be the most tumultuous and telling of the wild, never-ending 2020 election." A sample: At the New Yorker, John Cassidy writes that President Trump's "authoritarian moment" has arrived. "If there were any doubt remaining that Donald Trump still represents a dire threat to American democracy, the events of this weekend dispelled it," he writes, referring to Trump's Georgia phone call. He also lays plenty of blame on the GOP for embracing a "populist personality cult" and getting the US into its current position. "If the Republic gets through the next two weeks without a catastrophe, we must surely take steps to protect ourselves against the next would-be authoritarian, which could well be Trump himself in 2024." But in Trump's camp is Rep. Jim Jordan, one of about 100 GOP members of the House who plan to object to the election results. "This is about President Trump and the Constitution," he says, per Newsmax. "He has fought for us, the American people. He has done more of what he said he would do than any president in our lifetimes, I mean, he's accomplished so much in his four years as president. It's time for us to fight for him and the Constitution." story continues below In a scathing column in the Washington Post, George Will calls out Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and the dozen or so GOP senators who plan to formally object to certifying Joe Biden's victory. The "Hawley-Cruz cohort will violate the oath of office in which they swore to defend the Constitution from enemies 'foreign and domestic,'" he writes. "They are its most dangerous domestic enemies." In regard to the Senate vote, Patrick Buchanan at RealClearPolitics points out that the GOP objections will be futile because the Democrat-controlled House will obviously not go along. So what is this really about? "The succession struggle inside the GOP, about who inherits the Trump estate if the president elects not to run again," he writes. "The [Hawley] and Cruz challenges are signals to the Trump faithful that they stood by Trump when the faint of heart had abandoned him to do the establishment's bidding." He predicts this "family brawl" within the GOP will be long-lasting. At the New York Times, columnist Michelle Goldberg demands an investigation of Trump over the Georgia call. She cites a federal law saying that anyone who "knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a state of a fair and impartially conducted election process" can get five years in prison. Trump "certainly seems to have violated this law," she writes. (Read more President Trump stories.) Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. St Petersburg: With hours to go before the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian officials said that last-minute talks are taking place to iron out details and language of the agreement on a line of credit for building Unit 5 and 6 of the Kundankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. "The agreement remains work in progress," the source said. The reactors are being built by India's Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Russia's Atomstroyexport company, a subsidiary of Rosatom, the regulatory body of the Russian nuclear complex. The two sides are expected to ink 12 agreements in wide-ranging sectors, including in science and technology, railways, cultural exchanges and other business areas between private parties also, in addition to a "vision statement" that the two leaders will release. Read | Modi's four-nation tour: India, Spain sign 7 agreements during PM's visit The nuclear deal, if signed, would be the centerpiece of the summit, the second time in eight months after their last bilateral in Goa in October 2016. If signed, the two units of the plant, with capacity to produce 1000 MW of electricity each, will significantly boost the country's nuclear power generation. The current nuclear power generation capacity of all 22 nuclear power reactors is 6780 MW. In October 2015, a joint statement between Modi and Putin promised the signing of a General Framework Agreement on the nuclear units by December 2016. Read | Prime Minister Narendra Modi backs Chancellor Merkel's EU leadership as US President Trump scolds Germany After an inter-ministerial group cleared the project, it was sent to the Prime Minister's Office for approval. But, sources said, the Credit Protocol, or a line of credit that Russia was to provide, proved to be a hurdle. "There is a lot of mutual trust and personal chemistry between the two leaders that has developed over the last three years," Pankaj Saran, India's ambassador to Russia, told PTI. At the summit on Thursday, "the leaders will take stock of the current relationship and discuss a blueprint for a vision of the future," he said. India's traditional ties with Russia dating back to the days of Soviet Union have been complicated by Moscow's growing economic and political alliances with China and Pakistan. However, Saran said India's relations with Russia are independent of its ties with Pakistan. "Our relations with Russia are on a different pedestal and we have a full agenda between us that is important to both of us. We have clear understanding of our core concerns and vital security interests," he said, hours before Modi was to arrive from Spain. Modi will arrive in stormy weather in St. Petersburg, the former capital of imperial Russia that was founded by Czar Peter the Great in 1703, and was also known as Petrograd and Leningrad. The prime minister will begin his three-day Russia sojourn with a visit to the Piskariovskoe cemetery, a memorial for some 500,000 Russians who were killed in the siege of Leningrad in World War II, which the Russians call the Great Patriotic War. Modi will then be received by Putin at the Konstantin Palace, a sprawling regal complex that is also the Russian president?s official residence where he hosts world leaders. After the summit, Putin will host Modi at a private dinner without any aides. On Friday, Modi will be the guest of honor at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which is being attended by a host of political and business leaders from around the world. It is the first time that an Indian prime minister is attending the economic and business summit. Some 60 Indian CEOs ae attending the summit, and India has also set up a 'Make in India' pavilion in addition to hosting roundtables and an exclusive India-Eurasia economic and business breakfast. Trade between the two nations stands at 7.8 billion dollar, down from 10 billion in 2014. The two nations are targeting to raise the trade to USD 30 billion in the next five years. Read | PM Modi in Spain: Terrorism is a challenge for all of our societies, we get to hear a lot about terror attacks these days For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The coronavirus may weaken across the country but it won't go anywhere, the expert believes. A leading expert on infectious diseases at Ukraine's Health Ministry, Olha Holubovska, says the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients hospitalized has increased, while a new surge in COVID-19 cases is expected nationwide following the New Year and Christmas holidays. The situation has relatively calmed down in hospitals for the time being, whereas the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a grave condition is growing, she told the Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel on January 4. "There was a collapse in October-November. There was a huge number of those hospitalized amid capacity shortage, which required additional wards to be open," she said. Read alsoLockdown in Ukraine on Jan 8-24: RegulationsToday, there are really fewer patients in hospitals. Also, the number of free beds increased in December, the expert added. The coronavirus, Holubovska says, may weaken across the country, but not disappear. "COVID-19 is not expected to vanish in spring, although it will weaken markedly. At least, we hope so. However, the coronavirus proves that not all forecasts come true," she summed up. Coronavirus in Ukraine: Latest Ukraine said 5,334 new active COVID-19 cases had been confirmed across the country in the past 24 hours as of January 5, 2021. The total number of confirmed cases grew to 1,083,585 as of January 5, 2021 Reporting by UNIAN The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has allocated UAH 20 million for the provision of humanitarian aid to the Republic of Croatia in connection with the earthquake in this country. "The government decided to allocate UAH 20 million to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide humanitarian aid to the Republic of Croatia," the government's press service said. In this regard, the Cabinet of Ministers instructed the Ministry of Finance to carry out these expenses at the expense of the state budget reserve fund. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor SPRINGFIELD Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration has refiled an emergency COVID-19 rule similar to one that expired Monday to continue statewide mask and social distancing requirements in Illinois for another 150 days. A rule filed last year before the legislature met in May was repealed by the governor after critics said it criminalized business owners. In August, Pritzker filed a different emergency rule the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules allowed to stand. JCAR member state Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said that rule expired Monday. The Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday said a similar emergency rule was filed Monday. Any individual who is over age two and able to medically tolerate a face covering (a mask or cloth face covering) shall be required to cover their nose and mouth with a face covering when in a public place and unable to maintain at least a six-foot social distance, the rule states. This requirement applies whether in an indoor space, such as a store, or in an outdoor space. In August, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association opposed a mask mandate rule because it meant the enforcers were store clerks, and that could put them in harms way. IRMA CEO Rob Karr applauded local governments that have since approved civil fines for individuals violating the mask rule, but theres a patchwork across the state. Karr said the statewide rule filed Monday by the Pritzker administration was an improvement over the expired rule. This puts in place that you can hand them something in writing, Karr said. So, you could give them a notice that IRMA had produced that said, You know you should be wearing a face mask, we may ask you to leave, and that helps the retailer avoid, try to avoid, some of those confrontations. The new rule reads: For retail businesses, reasonable efforts to comply with regard to customers shall be determined based on the totality of the circumstances and include, but are not limited to: posting signage requiring face coverings to be worn on the premises; providing face coverings to customers; giving verbal or written warnings to customers who are not wearing a face covering to inform them of the requirement to wear a face covering when on the premises; requesting verbally or in writing that customers leave the premises if not wearing a face covering; and making available reasonable accommodations for individuals who are not able to medically tolerate a face covering. The updated emergency rule also prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people. Public and nonpublic schools are to have fewer than 50 people in any one space. Enforcement of the rule will be up to all local boards of health, health authorities and officers, police officers, sheriffs and all other officers and employees of the state and any locality, it says. If a business refuses to comply with a written warning and a subsequent written order to disperse, that business, service, facility or organization open to the public shall be subject to the penalties set forth in Section 8.1 of the act. That could lead to a Class A misdemeanor with penalties up to $2,500 fine or up to a year in jail. But the rule says no individual will face such penalties. No individual shall be held responsible for compliance with this rule on behalf of a business, service, facility or organization even if the individual is an owner, officer, principal or employee of that business, service, facility or organization, the rule says. If the rule is approved by JCAR when it meets on Jan. 12, it would remain in effect through June 3, or until JCAR blocks the rule or the governor repeals it. No legislative committee outside of JCAR has debated the issue of the mask and social distancing mandates. JCAR is composed of 12 members of the state legislature, six from the House and six from the Senate. There are 174 members of the state legislature. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wont be invited for the upcoming Sikh centenary events as the latter had taken an anti-farmer stand by enacting the three agri laws. The Prime Ministers stance has caused a great damage to farmers. So, we have decided not to invite him for the events being organised by us, the SGPC chief told mediapersons here after the executive committee meeting of the apex gurdwara body. Modi was the chief guest at the event to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak. Currently, the SGPC plans to celebrate the upcoming 400th birth anniversary of ninth Sikh master Guru Teg Bahadur in a big way. Demanding immediate reopening of the Kartarpur corridor, the SGPC chief said, The Government of India should respect the sentiments of the sangat (community). The corridor, which was temporarily closed due to pandemic, should be reopened as the situation has now improved. The SGPC has also decided to organise a grand function to commemorate Baba Jiwan Singh, a Sikh general and companion of 10th Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh gave Baba Jiwan Singh a title of Ranghreta Guru Ka Beta. A joint function will be organised every year at Anandpur Sahib on a grand scale to commemorate his sacrifice, said the SGPC chief. To cut down expenditure on power, we have decided to install solar panels at gurdwaras. Besides, we are also mulling to implement the concept of a steam kitchen in the gurdwaras, she said. The SGPC president also appealed to the sangat visiting the shrine not to do anything to offend the dignity of the shrine. Stevenson said the series has been following the theme of we all need a vacation. The vacation includes time travel as well as trips to various parts of the world to hear music by well-known composers. For example, in November the STEAM Quartet took the audience on a tour of time with old and new Irish tunes in its virtual concert. In December, Axiom Brass took the listeners through different countries and time periods celebrating the holidays. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 4:32 pm Ten months after the arrival of the coronavirus in Washington, the Legislature is convening on Jan. 11 for a new legislative session amid a pandemic that will shape every aspect of the session, from the way lawmakers conduct business (over computer screens instead of beneath the Capitol dome) to the issues they debate. There is cause for optimism as a vaccine begins to roll out here in Washington and around the country, but a return to normal life is likely many months away. For many businesses, especially those in the hard-hit restaurant, hospitality, and retail industries, this will be too long to wait. Without further assistance, many will close their doors for good. Although federal support is a critical element, the actions state lawmakers take or dont take during this legislation session will greatly affect the ability of employers to survive this crisis and begin to rebuild. One of the best ways the Legislature can promote economic and job creation is by following the example from medicine and first, do no harm. This is not the time to impose new taxes or regulatory burdens on employers that are already struggling to survive. This is a budget-writing year, which means one of the main tasks facing lawmakers is to adopt a new two-year state budget. Fortunately, the budget outlook has steadily improved after suffering a steep decline in the spring thanks to federal stimulus from the first round of the CARES Act and the easing of business restrictions over the summer. Rather than facing a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, lawmakers are now looking at modest budget growth, meaning they can adopt a balanced budget without raising taxes. Most Washington families would be happy to be in this condition, especially those most affected by the pandemic. Lawmakers should take this opportunity to avoid placing another hurdle in front of employers. We need to grow the economy more, not tax it more. Another important way that lawmakers can help is to address the unemployment insurance crisis. Unless lawmakers act, Washington employers will see increases in UI taxes of up to 500 percent as a result of the COVID-19-induced layoffs and the subsequent need to replenish the states unemployment fund. Thats a huge tax increase on employers through no fault of their own. Fortunately, lawmakers are working to address the issue and were hopeful they arrive at a solution early in the session. There are other ways lawmakers could promote economic recovery. They could pass a transportation package that puts people to work and invests in Washingtons infrastructure. They could approve tax increment financing, giving the state a tool for economic development that most states already have. They could push pause on the expansion of child care regulations to help parents get back to work, and they could prioritize the reopening of schools. As is often the case in a time of crisis, there are opportunities to be found during this time. As lawmakers consider ways to rebuild the economy following the pandemic, they have an opportunity to help the communities, the industries and the people that were left behind during the last recovery. The AWB Institute, the workforce and economic development arm of the Association of Washington Business, recently launched the Washington in the Making initiative with the goal of creating a foundation for lasting prosperity for all people and all communities throughout the state. Lawmakers can help by supporting policies that ensure employees are educated and prepared to meet the needs of a changing workforce, by building up infrastructure and connectivity to support a remote workforce, and fueling a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation. Ten months into this pandemic, Washingtons economy is in a fragile state. Lawmakers can help the economy recover by first doing no harm. But more than that, they can support the effort to remake Washington in a way that works better for everyone, everywhere. For more information, visit www.washingtoninthemaking.org Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the states chamber of commerce and manufacturers association. All the other options will disappear in the next day or so as Congress betrays America and votes to accept the fraudulent slate of electors for Biden. The SCOTUS option is a non-actionable, given that SCOTUS is run by an alleged globalist puppet pedophile named Roberts, according to recent bombshell tweets from Lin Wood . We believe that the US Congress is incapable of following the Constitution. Over 90 percent of the members of Congress are treasonous criminals who are actively seeking to install CCP puppet Joe Biden in the White House, even if it means destroying the republic in the process. By the end of the day tomorrow, we will likely see Joe Biden confirmed (80% chance) as the president-elect. ( Natural News ) Barring some miracle, it looks like tomorrow, the US Congress and VP Mike Pence will betray America and shut down any objections to the Biden slate of electors from swing states where massive election fraud took place. In breaking news today, it emerged that VP Mike Pence may not be present tomorrow, and would be replaced by Sen. Charles Grassley, who would oversee the opening and counting of the electoral votes. There are still many wildcards and moving pieces to the sh#tshow that will unfold in the next 24 hours. About the author: Mike Adams (aka the Health Ranger) is a best selling author (#1 best selling science book on Amazon.com called Food Forensics), an environmental scientist, a patent holder for a cesium radioactive isotope elimination invention, a multiple award winner for outstanding journalism, a science news publisher and influential commentator on topics ranging from science and medicine to culture and politics. Follow his videos, podcasts, websites and science projects at the links below. Mike Adams serves as the founding editor of NaturalNews.com and the lab science director of an internationally accredited (ISO 17025) analytical laboratory known as CWC Labs. There, he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for achieving extremely high accuracy in the analysis of toxic elements in unknown water samples using ICP-MS instrumentation. Adams is also highly proficient in running liquid chromatography, ion chromatography and mass spectrometry time-of-flight analytical instrumentation. He has also achieved numerous laboratory breakthroughs in the programming of automated liquid handling robots for sample preparation and external standards prep. The U.S. patent office has awarded Mike Adams patent NO. US 9526751 B2 for the invention of Cesium Eliminator, a lifesaving invention that removes up to 95% of radioactive cesium from the human digestive tract. Adams has pledged to donate full patent licensing rights to any state or national government that needs to manufacture the product to save human lives in the aftermath of a nuclear accident, disaster, act of war or act of terrorism. He has also stockpiled 10,000 kg of raw material to manufacture Cesium Eliminator in a Texas warehouse, and plans to donate the finished product to help save lives in Texas when the next nuclear event occurs. No independent scientist in the world has done more research on the removal of radioactive elements from the human digestive tract. Adams is a person of color whose ancestors include Africans and American Indians. He is of Native American heritage, which he credits as inspiring his Health Ranger passion for protecting life and nature against the destruction caused by chemicals, heavy metals and other forms of pollution. Adams is the author of the worlds first book that published ICP-MS heavy metals analysis results for foods, dietary supplements, pet food, spices and fast food. The book is entitled Food Forensics and is published by BenBella Books. In his laboratory research, Adams has made numerous food safety breakthroughs such as revealing rice protein products imported from Asia to be contaminated with toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium and tungsten. Adams was the first food science researcher to document high levels of tungsten in superfoods. He also discovered over 11 ppm lead in imported mangosteen powder, and led an industry-wide voluntary agreement to limit heavy metals in rice protein products. In addition to his lab work, Adams is also the (non-paid) executive director of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (CWC), an organization that redirects 100% of its donations receipts to grant programs that teach children and women how to grow their own food or vastly improve their nutrition. Through the non-profit CWC, Adams also launched Nutrition Rescue, a program that donates essential vitamins to people in need. Click here to see some of the CWC success stories. With a background in science and software technology, Adams is the original founder of the email newsletter technology company known as Arial Software. Using his technical experience combined with his love for natural health, Adams developed and deployed the content management system currently driving NaturalNews.com. He also engineered the high-level statistical algorithms that power SCIENCE.naturalnews.com, a massive research resource featuring over 10 million scientific studies. Adams is well known for his incredibly popular consumer activism video blowing the lid on fake blueberries used throughout the food supply. He has also exposed strange fibers found in Chicken McNuggets, fake academic credentials of so-called health gurus, dangerous detox products imported as battery acid and sold for oral consumption, fake acai berry scams, the California raw milk raids, the vaccine research fraud revealed by industry whistleblowers and many other topics. Adams has also helped defend the rights of home gardeners and protect the medical freedom rights of parents. Adams is widely recognized to have made a remarkable global impact on issues like GMOs, vaccines, nutrition therapies, human consciousness. In addition to his activism, Adams is an accomplished musician who has released over fifteen popular songs covering a variety of activism topics. Click here to read a more detailed bio on Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, at HealthRanger.com. Find more science, news, commentary and inventions from the Health Ranger at: Brighteon.com: Brighteon.com/channel/hrreport Diaspora: (uncensored social network) Share.NaturalNews.com GAB: GAB.com/healthranger Podcasts: HealthRangerReport.com Online store: HealthRangerStore.com #1 Bestselling Science Book Food Forensics: FoodForensics.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-health-ranger-report/id1063165791 SoundCloud: Soundcloud.com/healthranger Health Rangers science lab CWClabs.com Health Ranger bio HealthRanger.com TruthWiki.org Search engine: Webseed.com President Trump on Tuesday falsely declared that Vice President Mike Pence has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors, part of his final push to overturn the presidential election ahead of Wednesdays electoral vote count. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Pence will oversee a joint session of Congress on Wednesday to tally the Electoral College votes, which President-elect Joe Biden won with 306 votes to Trumps 232. However, the vice president does not have the power to reject slates of electors, only Congress has that power and it has only ever been exercised in a case where a state sent two slates of electors due to a recount that overturned the states initial results and it fell to Congress to choose between the two slates. Trumps message came in a tweet one day after he expressed hope that Mike Pence comes through for us at a political rally in Georgia. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him as much, he added. Hes a wonderful man and a smart man and a man that I like a lot but hes going to have a lot to say about it, Trump said on Monday. You know one thing with him. Youre going to get straight shots. Hes going to call it straight. While a growing number of Trump allies in both the Senate and the House have pledged to object during the electoral vote count on Wednesday, the debate and vote sparked by such an objection is highly unlikely to end with Trump as the victor, as such a vote would not get past the Democrat-controlled House. Additionally, a number of Republicans, including Senator Mitt Romney of Utah have criticized Trump and his allies for their efforts to delegitimize the election. Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the election was rigged against him and that the vote was plagued by widespread voter fraud. Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) last week became the first senator to say he would object to the electoral vote count saying he cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws. Story continues And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden, he added. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act. Hawley was joined by Ted Cruz and ten other Senate Republicans who have committed to objecting to the electors submitted by at least one battleground state. More from National Review Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. On Tuesday, multiple polling places being used for Georgias Senate runoffs experienced equipment malfunctions, causing a handful of delays and, perhaps more consequentially, giving Trump supporters a foothold for their voter-fraud conspiracy theories. They were not, according to reports on the ground, the kinds of incidents that usually attract much notice: Columbia County, in eastern Georgia, faced problems with programming errors in the keys that start up paper-ballot scanners and in the cards that poll workers use to activate touch-screen voting machines. The issue was resolved by 10 a.m. after the secretary of states office sent over new keys and cards. And Paulding and Gwinnett counties, in northern Georgia, also each had a ballot scanner go down, though they were quickly repaired or replaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Equipment malfunctions at polling places are a serious issue that can make lines unreasonably long and potentially discourage people who have taken time out of their day from voting. Malfunctions have been all too common in previous elections and arent unique to the Georgia runoff. Often, theyre suggestive of neglected voting infrastructure. What theyre not is evidence of a shadowy conspiracy to steal an election from a presidentor, in this case, from two of his Senate allies. Almost immediately, however, disinformation peddlers latched on to disparate reports of malfunctions in Georgia in order to bolster their unfounded claims about a wider undertaking to tamper with voting machines in the 2020 election. Voting machines have been an obsession of MAGA world thanks in part to President Donald Trumps lawyer Rudy Giuliani falsely asserting that software from the election technology company Dominion allowed Democrats to switch votes from Trump to Biden. Prominent pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell has made even more fantastical claims, alleging that Dominions voting machines were created at the direction of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to influence election results and that the company also has ties to George Soros and the Clinton Foundation. Dominion has been an object of groundless speculation among followers of QAnon, the conspiracy theory holding that a satanic pedophile ring runs the worlds major institutions, and Trump himself has claimed that there was tremendous corruption in the companys machines. Advertisement So when reports of run-of-the-mill malfunctions began trickling out of Georgia, Trump supporters naturally surmised that Dominion was trying to throw the Senate to Democrats as well. One of the first to pick up on this Dominion thread on Tuesday was John Fredericks, a conservative radio host and a member of the Trump campaigns advisory committee. In an interview on Steve Bannons War Room podcast, Fredericks said that people had called into his show to report malfunctions in Republican counties, which he characterized as red flags, but also allowed that it could have been happenstance.* Gateway Pundit, a far-right blog that has amplified Dominion misinformation, then published a post featuring the interview along with a dozen social media posts from Georgia voters who experienced issues and blamed it on the company. Advertisement The interview and Gateway Pundit post were later picked up by Ron Watkins, one of the most influential figures in the QAnon scene. Watkins is known as the (former, he claims) administrator of 8kun, the imageboard where the QAnon leader known as Q communicates with followers, and can access the Q account at any time. Trump has retweeted One America News Network interviews in which Watkins promotes Dominion fraud misinformation. Watkins said of the Georgia malfunctions on Twitter, The fix is in? and Theyre laughing in our faces Advertisement Trump himself spotlighted the machine malfunctions in a tweet early Tuesday afternoon. Reports are coming out of the 12th Congressional District of Georgia that Dominion Machines are not working in certain Republican Strongholds for over an hour. Ballots are being left in lock boxes, hopefully they count them. Thank you Congressman @RickAllen! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2021 Advertisement Gabriel Sterling, an election official with Georgias secretary of states office, quickly shot back at Trumps tweet, suggesting that the president had received old intel. And this issue in Columbia Co. was resolved hours ago and our office informed the public about it in real time. The votes of everyone will be protected and counted. Sorry you received old intel Mr. President. https://t.co/qqGmnIqwsM Gabriel Sterling (@GabrielSterling) January 5, 2021 COLUMBIA U.S. Sen. Tim Scott announced Tuesday he will oppose efforts by GOP colleagues to object to President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, breaking with other South Carolina Republicans who support the longshot bid to overturn the election results. In a statement, Scott said he supported President Donald Trump's legal right to contest the election through the courts but noted that his campaign's many lawsuits have been unsuccessful. "As I read the Constitution, there is no constitutionally viable means for the Congress to overturn an election wherein the states have certified and sent their Electors," Scott, R-S.C., said. While Scott said he does not question the objectors' "good intentions to take steps towards stamping out voter fraud," he said he disagreed with their method "both in principle and in practice." For any challenge to be successful, Scott noted, the Democratic House majority would need to go along with their plan. "That it is not going to happen, not today or any other day," Scott said. Scott added that he remains open to seeing any new evidence of election fraud, and he encouraged Congress to pass an "election security and voter protection package" to minimize uncertainty in the future. "There is a growing perception in this country that our elections are not as secure as they can be, and that must be remedied immediately," Scott said. The only other Republican in South Carolina's congressional delegation who has come out in direct opposition to objecting is newly elected U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace of Charleston, who narrowly unseated Democrat Joe Cunningham in the state's most competitive congressional district last year. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, R-Myrtle Beach, voiced skepticism about the wisdom of contesting the results but said they would listen to the debate before reaching a final conclusion about whether there is credible evidence of widespread fraud needed to reverse the race outcome. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! The four remaining Republicans in South Carolina's delegation U.S. Reps. Jeff Duncan of Laurens, Ralph Norman of Rock Hill, William Timmons of Greenville and Joe Wilson of Springdale joined dozens of House members in planning to object, citing unfounded claims of fraud or changes to election procedures in several key states. Like most Republicans, Scott has generally supported Trump, working particularly closely with him on issues like tax reform. But he has also spoken out at times when he disagreed with him, most commonly on his handling of race relations. Scott is the only Black Republican in the Senate. In his Tuesday statement rejecting Trump's plea to object to Biden's victory, Scott reiterated he is "grateful for all of the work President Trump has done for the people of this country." "As I have said multiple times over the past four years, the lives of the American people have been bettered by what has been accomplished in the Trump Administration," Scott said. Scott will be up for reelection in 2022, a race that he has long said would be his last. Polls often show him to be one of the most popular elected officials in the Palmetto State, with solid approval ratings from moderate and conservative Republicans alike. His speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention even stoked speculation among some fans that he could pursue the presidency at some point. Congress is set to confirm the 2020 presidential election results Wednesday. Scott on Wednesday will also introduce a bill to establish what he is calling the election-related Bipartisan Advisory Committee that would be "charged with examining the integrity of the November election and making recommendations to state legislatures to improve the security, integrity, and administration of federal elections." Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to say Scott spoke at the 2020 Republican convention. Public schools in Lake Oswego will be among the first in the Portland area to allow students back into classrooms, according to a letter to district staff from Superintendent Lora De La Cruz. Kindergartners will start first, on Feb. 4. The announcement comes two weeks after Gov. Kate Brown punted decisions on whether to provide in-person instruction to districts and their school boards. Until Dec. 23, districts had to get approval to reopen from the Oregon Department of Education, which would grant it only if the county a district was in met recommended coronavirus infection rates, except in the cases of some rural remote schools. De La Cruz said the Lake Oswego district plans for elementary students to return to classrooms first. After kindergartners, first-graders will return to in-person instruction Feb. 11. Second-graders are up on Feb. 16 with third-graders coming three days later. Fourth-graders return Feb. 23 and fifth-graders do so on Feb. 25. District leader have not set a date by which they would allow middle or high school students to return. Families wont be required to send their children to a school building. The Lake Oswego districts virtual academy will still be in operation, De La Cruz wrote, and both music and P.E. will remain remote. And school days wont look exactly like they did before the governor ordered schools closed nearly 10 months ago. The Oregon Department of Education still requires public schools adhere to strict protocols for in-person instruction, including maintaining at least 35 square feet per person inside classrooms and other school spaces and limiting pupils to intact cohorts to ensure children do not interact with more than 100 unique people over the course of the week. That means the hallways in Lake Oswego schools wont be bustling with students when they return. De La Cruz said the district will adopt separate morning and afternoon schedules, so separate groups of students will spend just a half-day in school in person. In her note to staff, she also said the Lake Oswego district has already offered limited in-person instruction at all of its schools. The state Department of Education previously encouraged districts to allow students with an acute need for in-person instruction back into classrooms for up to two hours a day. When Brown announced the states relaxed reopening measures in late December, the governor said she wanted districts to prioritize elementary students in their plans and urged superintendents to work toward allowing young children into classrooms by Feb. 15. Officials in most Portland-area districts have told The Oregonian/OregonLive in recent days that theyve only just begun discussions on how and whether to do so, many of them building on negotiations with teachers unions on what a safe return might look like. Portland Public Schools spokesperson Karen Werstein said the states largest district will wait for educators to be vaccinated before mounting any large-scale return to classrooms. Hillsboro school board chair Erika Lopez similarly said her district still needed to discuss its educators access to the COVID-19 vaccine, testing and personal protective equipment. By contrast, Lake Oswegos De La Cruz said vaccinations would not play a role in deciding whether her district would offer in-person instruction, citing safeguards district officials have established in school buildings like installing hand washing stations, signage encouraging social distancing and air filtration systems. She also said the Oregon Health Authority and Department of Education have not reported widespread coronavirus transmission in schools that have offered in-person instruction. The state Health Authority releases a weekly list of schools providing in-person instruction where students or staff have tested positive, although the agency does not specify whether the infection occurred in class. No cases in Oregon have been proven to have resulted from transmission at a public school rather than in the community. The states tallies of cases among students and school employees sometimes lag weeks behind positive tests. A pair of recent national studies suggest that reopening schools does not increase the spread of virus in communities where COVID-19 case rates are low, defined as below about 40 new hospitalizations per 100,000 people per week in the larger of the two studies. But the studies suggested that when new cases are high, reopening schools may lead to spread. Hospital admissions in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties peaked in late November well below a rate of 40 per 100,000 per week and are currently in the range of 2 to 3. In one of the studies, data from Washington suggested that reopening schools in counties with as few as 35 new cases per 100,000 per week increased the spread of the virus. But researchers noted that, with only 2% of Washington students attending substantially reopened schools, the findings are not precise. Data from Michigan pegged the level where school reopenings may lead to spread at about 140 new cases per 100,000 per week. In the most recent two weeks the state has reported, Dec. 20 to Jan. 2, Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties each had about 160 to 170 new cases per 100,000 people per week. --Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344 | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook Eder is The Oregonians education reporter. Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email ecampuzano@oregonian.com. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 06:16:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Tuesday welcomed the results of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit held in Saudi Arabia which ended the rift with Qatar. "Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been following the ongoing developments and what has been achieved of a breakthrough in the intra-relations of the GCC member states, including the decision by Saudi Arabia to open its air, and land and sea borders with Qatar," the ministry said in a statement. "The Gulf wisdom is needed at this phase as it is entrusted with the interests of the GCC states and the aspirations of its citizens; and it is qualified and prepared to bring relations between these countries to the highest levels, which is what the ministry hopes the outcome of the summit will reflect," it added. Enditem You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported total December sales of 31,308 vehicles, achieving best-ever December results and an increase of 18.2 percent compared to December 2019. Full year sales in 2020 totaled 279,076 vehicles sold, an increase of 0.2 percent compared to 2019. With 28 selling days in December, compared to 25 in 2019, the company posted an increase of 5.5 percent on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis in December. With 309 selling days in 2020, compared to 307 in 2019, the company posted a decrease of 0.5 percent on a DSR basis for the year. "Overall, our sales improved in 2020, which is remarkable when you consider the events of the year," MNAO President Jeff Guyton said. "This isn't the year anyone expected, and Mazda's approach to 2020 was informed by 100 years of operations and always finding innovative ways to brighten people's lives. Our dynamic product lineup, purposeful community programs, enhanced dealership experience, and new financial partner have led to our success." Sales Highlights Sales of Mazda's family of crossovers, including the CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, and CX-9, totaled 220,457 for the year, an increase of 11 percent compared to 2019. December sales of all crossovers increased 20.8 percent with 25,671 vehicles sold. Sales of the CX-9 increased 2.9 percent in 2020 with 27,638 vehicles sold. The CX-5 saw its best month ever in December, with sales increasing 14.1 percent with 17,954 vehicles sold. CX-30 saw its best month in December with 4,408 vehicles sold. Sales of the CX-30 totaled 38,064 in 2020. Sales of the MX-5 Miata increased 13.6 percent in 2020 with 8,807 vehicles sold. December sales totaled 694 vehicles, an increase of 58.1 percent. Full year CPO sales totaled 66,193 vehicles, an increase of 8.4 percent compared to 2019. CPO sales totaled 5,945 vehicles in December, an increase of 23.9 percent compared to December 2019 . Despite its challenges, 2020 was a memorable year for Mazda, as the brand focused on community efforts and achieved many milestones in the US. Major announcements included: Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported December sales of 4,843 vehicles, a decrease of 18 percent compared to December 2019. Full year sales decreased 23.2 percent, with 46,117 vehicles sold. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through approximately 620 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom. Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA. Month-To-Date Year-To-Date December December YOY % % MTD December December YOY % % MTD 2020 2019 Change DSR 2020 2019 Change DSR Mazda3 3,256 3,175 2.6% (8.4)% 33,608 50,741 (33.8)% (34.2)% Mazda6 1,687 1,630 3.5% (7.6)% 16,204 21,524 (24.7)% (25.2)% MX-5 Miata 694 439 58.1% 41.1% 8,807 7,753 13.6% 12.9% CX-3 437 1,409 (69.0)% (72.3)% 8,335 16,229 (48.6)% (49.0)% CX-30 4,408 868 38,064 899 CX-5 17,954 15,734 14.1% 1.9% 146,420 154,545 (5.3)% (5.9)% CX-9 2,872 3,236 (11.2)% (20.8)% 27,638 26,861 2.9% 2.2% CARS 5,637 5,244 7.5% (4.0)% 58,619 80,018 (26.7)% (27.2)% TRUCKS 25,671 21,247 20.8% 7.9% 220,457 198,534 11.0% 10.3% TOTAL 31,308 26,491 18.2% 5.5% 279,076 278,552 0.2% (0.5)% *Selling Days 28 25 309 307 SOURCE Mazda North American Operations Related Links www.mazdausa.com A nurse from Co Londonderry who works in a coronavirus ward was caught speeding just minutes after she had tested positive for Covid A nurse from Co Londonderry who works in a coronavirus ward was caught speeding just minutes after she had tested positive for Covid. Derry Magistrates Court heard that nurse Nicola Henrietta Wilson-Cartwright (31) was caught driving 12mph over the speed limit shortly after testing positive. Solicitor Peter Jack told Deputy District Judge Laura Ivers that given the background to the speeding and his client's personal work circumstances, he had attempted to persuade the Public Prosecution Service to deal with the case by way of a caution "but I was told nothing could be done". Wilson-Cartwright, from Railway Cottages in Limavady, pleaded guilty to driving at 62mph along a stretch of the dual carriageway between Derry and Eglinton with a 50mph limit. On the date she was detected speeding, May 29 of last year, the defendant already had nine penalty points on her licence. Mr Jack said his client now faced the possibility of being disqualified for six months. "She is a nurse in the Covid ward in the Causeway Hospital," he said. "On the date in question she was feeling unwell and went to Altnagelvin Hospital for a Covid test. Unfortunately the test proved to be positive and after receiving the result she became distracted when driving home and exceeded the speed limit. "I spoke to the PPS and explained the background to them and asked if they could mark it by way of a caution rather than by proceeding with the case. "But I was told the case had been allocated to a prosecutor and nothing could be done. I am concerned that if she receives a lengthy disqualification today that she will have difficulty in getting to and from her work." The judge said she would "deal with the matter by way of a short disqualification today" and disqualified the defendant from driving for three days and fined her 60. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Belfast Telegraph OMAHA, Neb. (AP) An Omaha man who has served five stints in prison is now charged with attempted murder, child abuse and other counts after police say he repeatedly hanged and choked his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter until the child lost consciousness. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form British residents in Spain hoping to return to their homes after spending the holidays in the United Kingdom have been turned back at the airport. Two airlines have reportedly claimed their proof of residency documents were no longer valid after the end of the Brexit transition period with the EU on 31 December. It comes amid stricter travel measures due to a new Covid-19 variant which has been blamed for a faster spread of coronavirus the UK. Spain has banned all travel from Britain except for its nationals and UK citizens with residency rights. Spanish and British authorities have said a green-coloured certificate of EU citizenship with a foreign national identification number issued by Spain is still valid for British nationals residing in Spain. But British Airways and Iberia staff have reportedly refused to allow some people to travel to the country over the past two days. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 11:27:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Experts and scholars inspect China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) under maintenance in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 11, 2020. China's FAST, the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, will be available for global service from April 1. (Xinhua/Liu Xu) A group of supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is taking steps to safeguard the legacy of Alhaji Abu-Bakar Saddique Boniface, the immediate past Member of Parliament (MP) for the Madina Constituency. The group called Bonicore, addressing journalists in Accra on the theme: Safeguarding our legacy in Madina, said the move would help prevent anyone from claiming glory to those projects initiated by the MP in the future. It said Alhaji Boniface, who led the constituency for the past four years, though was not re-elected, and had chalked major developments that ought to be safeguarded. Mr Reginald Bosompem, Convener of Bonicore, told journalists that under the tenure of Boniface, there was a tremendous transformation in the constituency. He said the MP's work spanned from education, road infrastructure, construction of drainage, bridges, water and sanitation and public toilets. Others included health, employment, electricity, peace and security, donations, among others that raised the human development status of the constituency. According to him, 15 Electoral Areas in the Municipality were also provided with streetlights. Let me take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the constituency executives, the council of elders, patrons, campaign team, electoral area coordinators, polling station executives, volunteer groups and all the electorate for their dedication, sacrifices, love and commitment towards the campaign. "I will say that a good battle was well fought but we lost and as the saying goes, the falling down of a hero is not the end of his life," Mr Bosompem said. The NPP supporters indicated that they were proud of Alhaji Boniface, despite the fact that he was not voted again in the 2020 parliamentary election. "As a party, we are confident that Alhaji Boniface would bounce back to ensure that the Madina Parliamentary Seat is won again by the NPP because we know his potential and what he is capable of doing," he Bosompem said. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The "unilateral and provocative" actions by the Chinese military to change the status quo by force in more than one area on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were responded to in a "firm" and "non-escalatory way", the Defence Ministry has said in an annual report. The report said Indian troops are well entrenched to counter any "misadventure" by Chinese forces and that the Indian Army is prepared for any eventuality, adding talks are also progressing to resolve the issue in an amicable manner. Referring to the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 that marked one of the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades, the defence ministry said the Chinese side also suffered "significant casualties". Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the clashes. "Unilateral and provocative actions by the Chinese to change the status quo by force, in more than one area on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), were responded to in a firm and non-escalatory way, ensuring the sanctity of our claims in Eastern Ladakh," it said. "Indian Army has maintained all protocols and agreements between the two countries while the PLA escalated the situation by utilisation of unorthodox weapons and amassing a large number of troops," it added. India and China are locked in an eight-month-long bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh that has significantly strained their ties. Both sides held a series of diplomatic and military talks to resolve the row. However, no breakthrough has been achieved to end the standoff. The defence ministry said the Indian Army, with assistance from IAF, mobilised troops including accretionary forces in a very short duration including heavy equipment like guns, tanks as also ammunition, rations and clothing. On the June 15 incident, the report said, "In a major skirmish in Galwan, 20 brave Indian soldiers lost their lives while preventing PLA troops from ingressing into our territory. The Chinese also suffered significant casualties." It said on August 28 and 29, Indian troops in a precautionary deployment, pre-empted Chinese "expansionist designs" and occupied heights along the southern bank of Pangong Tso. The report said Indian troops, braving inclement weather, continue to be deployed on these heights. "Advance Winter Stocking (AWS) and winter preparations for the enhanced strength have been completed and troops are well entrenched to counter any misadventure by Chinese forces. While the Indian Army is prepared for any eventuality, talks are also progressing to resolve the issue in an amicable manner," it said. The report said the Indian Army has resolutely countered adversaries on the Line of Control (LC) and the LAC. The force carried out relentless counter-insurgency and counter-terror operations. "There has been no let-up in operational readiness along the LC, LAC, hinterland and the security of military establishments. Indian Army has not just ensured force preservation but has also ensured that operational readiness remains unaffected in order to safeguard the borders of the nation," the report said. It said a 'whole of government' approach was adopted against the "terror ecosystem" and that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has seen progressive improvement due to consistent efforts by the security forces. "On one hand, high level of alertness by troops along the Line of Control (LC) blunted Pakistan's endeavours to infiltrate terrorists into the Valley, at the same time, high tempo of kinetic operations in the hinterland ensured denial of operational space to terrorist organisations," it said. The report said ceasefire violations committed by Pakistan Army were given a befitting reply by Indian troops causing significant casualties to the military of the neighbouring nation. "Counter infiltration grid was strengthened resulting in neutralisation of a number of terrorists along the LoC. A number of attempts to smuggle arms, ammunition and contraband were also foiled along the LoC," it said. The report said well synergised, intelligence-based operations have resulted in significant successes against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. "Residual terrorist strength in the Valley now is below 200 and local recruitment is decreasing giving a serious blow to the nefarious designs of Pakistan to 'indigenise' the movement and fuel unrest in the Valley," it said. "Attempts to spread violence south of Pir Panjal Range have been comprehensively defeated by proactive operations. All possible steps are being taken to provide a secure environment to the Awaam of Jammu and Kashmir," it added. It said a significant reduction in protests has been witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, providing an opportunity to the people to lead a peaceful life. "Attempts of inimical elements to mislead people by running disinformation campaigns were defeated by proactively monitoring the situation and engaging with the local population," it said. The report mentioned the government's efforts to modernise the defence forces as well as various aspects of the functioning of the Indian Air Force as well as the Indian Navy. The Coronavirus pandemic left a world with wounds. Not that it didn't exist before, but the one wound that kept staring at our faces was-- discrimination. Is #Indiawothoutdiscrimination just a hashtag and an impossible dream? Not for those who despite being discriminated against, continue to fight for a future where social and economic justice will be accessible to all regardless of caste, religion and gender. These are grassroots warriors whose stories of struggle are unimaginable to a vast section of their fellow citizens whose social and economic privileges have never exposed them to the harsh reality of the 'other' India. The India where Dalit children cannot study in schools with higher-caste students. Where a guest at an event is asked to wash her own plate after eating, because no one else will touch it. Where a young woman will be forbidden to drink from a Thakur's tap and a young boy not allowed to use the moniker 'Singh' against his name because he is Dalit. The stories of discrimination and dehumanisation go on but so does the human spirit that won't give up. In their new campaign called #IndiaWithoutDiscrimination, Oxfam India wants to showcase real stories of real people who are fighting against discrimination. Meet some of these heroes: 1. Reeta Devi - Fighting against all odds Reeta Devi is fighting against all odds to create a better life for the people of Bundelkhand. 2. Rihana Mansoori - Fighting for women's rights As a woman belonging to the minority community, Rihana has many struggles of her own. She is fighting for women empowerment and their rights, to stop people treating women as secondary. 3. Rajesh Kumar - Spreading the light of education Rajesh Kumar is a firm believer that education is the only way to bring the country out of poverty and towards prosperity. He says that people should spread the light of education everywhere for everyone. 4. Pratima Verma - Fighting Social discrimination Pratima Verma is fighting to end social discrimination and give girls their right to live freely. In this video, she shares her experience of facing social discrimination for being a Dalit. 5. Kuldeep Kumar Baudh Kuldeep Kumar Baudh is a social activist fighting to end caste discrimination. 6. Aarti Aarti is resident of slums in Delhi and shares her experience of facing social and caste discrimination. Let's hope the fight against the discrimination stays on and more warriors join the movement to support such social causes. KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan delegates flew to Qatar on Tuesday to reopen peace talks with Taliban leaders amid a rash of mutual recriminations, mixed signals from U.S. officials and a continued spate of assassinations targeting prominent civilians. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. diplomat who brokered a separate U.S. deal with the Taliban in February, arrived in Kabul on Tuesday from Doha, the Qatari capital and Taliban political base. He tweeted that he hoped "both sides" would make "real compromises" that would lead to "tangible progress" in the talks, which began in September but have failed to address any major issues. But while both Afghan and Taliban officials have issued recent statements saying they were committed to the talks and hoped to settle the 19-year conflict through discussions, their messages were tinged with anger and blame that boded ill for the new round. Some observers in Kabul predicted that the talks, which are resuming after a two-week holiday hiatus, would probably collapse. The "demand of Afghanistan's people is that the bloodshed should end forever in this country," Massoom Stanekzai, a former national intelligence chief who heads the Kabul delegation, said in a video message posted Tuesday on Twitter. "Afghanistan's people suffer from the terror that the war has created every day, every night, every moment." The Taliban, sidestepping the issue of civilian killings, issued a harsh statement Monday that lashed out at the U.S. government, denouncing what it said were U.S. military airstrikes on civilian areas. It warned that "such pernicious actions" could both threaten their February pact and "jeopardize" progress in resolving issues among Afghans, "turning nascent hopes to despair." American military officials here responded with unusual speed and sharpness, saying Monday that U.S. stated policy is to "defend Afghan forces" against Taliban attacks. For the first time, they also directly blamed the insurgents for a recent spate of targeted killings of journalists, civic leaders and government officials. Taliban spokesmen have denied similar charges by Afghan officials and suggested that they amount to a "survival tactic" by the government of President Ashraf Ghani, who narrowly won reelection last year but has lost public support as violence and economic problems persist. "The Taliban's accusations [that] the US violated the US-TB agreement are false," tweeted Col. Sonny Leggett, the U.S. military spokesman here. "The Taliban's campaign of unclaimed attacks & targeted killings of government officials, civil society leaders & journalists must also cease for peace to succeed." The status of the U.S.-Taliban pact, while seemingly unrelated to the domestic issues of religion, power-sharing and democratic freedoms that Afghan and Taliban leaders are slated to negotiate, is a critical but highly contested factor in the Afghan talks. Under that deal, the Trump administration agreed to gradually withdraw most U.S. troops by early this year, acceding to the insurgents' most important demand. There are now about 5,000 troops in the country, and that number is slated to drop to 2,500 by next month. In return, Taliban negotiators agreed to reduce violence, avoid targeting American forces and cut ties with al-Qaida and other extremists. Many Afghans say the Taliban has failed to fulfill those pledges and that the U.S. concessions gave the religious militia too much leverage over a weak Afghan government at the current talks. The insurgents, meanwhile, are worried that the incoming Biden administration will set further conditions before continuing the promised troop drawdown. At the moment, though, the message from Washington, amid a tense and contested presidential transition, is confused. On Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised the Taliban for not killing any Americans since the pact was signed, suggesting that it will hold. The next day, the U.S. military denounced the rash of civilian killings as an obstacle to peace. Khalilzad, who is meeting with Pakistani, Afghan and Taliban leaders during his current regional visit in an effort to improve the chances for revived talks, called the targeted killings "unacceptable" but did not directly accuse the Taliban. He also hinted at problems on the Afghan side, including disputes between Ghani and some negotiators, who insist that an interim government must be installed because the Taliban refuses to recognize his administration and will never make peace with it. Other divisions exist about how hard to press the Taliban for a nationwide cease-fire, which it has resisted. In a statement Tuesday welcoming the resumption of talks, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, said a "cessation in fighting would create a better atmosphere for talks" and allow emergency winter aid to reach rural areas. On Monday, Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi told a group of lawmakers that the Taliban is preparing to launch a "full-scale" war in the coming months, ordering fighters to keep going through the bitterly cold winter instead of waiting for their traditional spring offensive. Taliban officials declared Monday that they are now "in a relatively stronger political and military position" than at any previous time. Their efforts to act as a "responsible party" and resolve differences through talks, they warned, "should never be read as weakness." - - - The Washington Post's Sharif Hassan contributed to this report. The country's biggest airlines are asking the Trump administration to institute a "global program to require testing for travelers to the United States" - and scrap many travel restrictions. In a letter to Vice President Mike Pence on Monday, the advocacy group Airlines for America said it was supporting a proposal by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement the universal testing. The organization, which represents airlines including American, Delta, United and Southwest, said it also urged the administration to eliminate entry restrictions on people traveling "from Europe, the United Kingdom and Brazil." The letter argues that such moves would protect the health and safety of people flying and communities on the ground while also allowing for "essential economic activities." "We believe a well-planned program focused on increasing testing of travelers to the United States will further these objectives in a much more effective way than the blanket travel restrictions currently in place," the letter says. Some national testing requirements are in place to fly in North America: Late last month, in light of news of a faster-spreading variant of the virus, the CDC introduced a requirement that anyone flying from the United Kingdom must show negative coronavirus test results from no more than 72 hours before departing. As of Thursday, the Canadian government is requiring all air passengers who are 5 years of age or older to test negative before flying to Canada. Health experts have warned that testing isn't foolproof for travel, as passengers can become infectious in the time window after testing negative. Testing, too, remains imperfect: According to the Food and Drug Administration, antigen tests for the coronavirus provide faster results than molecular tests but "have a higher chance of missing an active infection." Airlines for America said it is in favor of accepting both kinds of tests, calling the testing program "another layer of safety in the travel journey." Airlines for America suggested a timeline of at least 14 days to roll out a global testing program and asked for government help in making rapid tests available to fliers. "We share optimism that the end of this devastating pandemic is in sight now that safe and effective vaccines are being distributed," the group said in the letter to Pence. "However, we also know that additional vigorous action is needed in the months ahead to bring the virus under control." Three key stakeholders in education have described the reopening of pre-tertiary educational institutions across the country, after nine months of closure as a bold decision by government. The stakeholders are the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS). In their view, any decision to delay the reopening of schools any further will lead to the increase in social vices among the youth, such as teenage pregnancy, truancy and loitering. The groups believe that children have been home for too long and so to have them stay longer would not be helpful, especially when there have been some improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the country, coupled with the successes chalked up in the pilot scheme for a section of students with regard to the measures adopted to make schools safe from the COVID-19. The General Secretary of GNAT, Mr Thomas Musah; the President of the CCT, Mr King Ali Awudu, and the Executive Secretary of GNACOPS, Mr Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah, made the assertions in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic over the weekend. The three associations called on the public to support the government to make the school environment safe for students to return to the classroom. They also urged chiefs, religious bodies, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to take more interest in the safety of students and teachers and offer support in whatever way they could to ensure smooth academic calendar. Among other things, the groups said the schools could be supported with personal protective equipment on the COVID-19, such as face masks, hand sanitiser, Veronica buckets, tissue paper and infrared thermometers. Schools closure On Monday, March 16, last year, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, announced the closure of schools following reported cases of the COVID-19 in the country. At a subsequent time, schools were reopened for final-year students to go back and write their final examinations. Students in Form Two were also consequently allowed to return to school, under strict observance of the COVID-19 safety protocols. Yesterday, the President announced that all schools, including pre-schools and primary schools, be reopened. GNAT Mr Musah described the reopening of schools as a "rescue mission". He noted, for instance, that according to the Ghana Living Standard Survey Seven, some 651,000 children who had attained the age of four could go to school, instead of being at home. CCT Mr Awudu said it was important to learn lessons from incidents that had happened, protect oneself from those that were negative and observe what had happened subsequently. He said once the required safety protocols on COVID-19 had been put in place, there was no need to keep schools closed and keep children who had attained school age at home. GNACOPS For his part, Mr Gyetuah said private schools were ready for schools to be reopened. According to him, private schools had enough spaces and were capable of making sure that schoolchildren observed the safety protocols on the disease. He said the council of private schools was in the process of procuring 450 buses for its members to ensure enough spacing for their students who boarded buses to school, since in the past some school buses were rickety and overcrowded. Meanwhile, he said, the council was faced with the challenge of obtaining a tax waiver. We are in touch with the Ministry of Education to assist it to get a waiver. he said. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Identical twins believed to be the oldest in Britain have both tested positive for Covid-19 - despite spending most of 2020 'inside and sticking to the rules'. Doris Hobday and Lil Cox, both 96, from from Tipton, West Midlands, shot to fame when they appeared on Good Morning Britain in May and claimed the secret to long life is 'plenty of sex'. The duo had previously been guests on This Morning, where they discussed becoming social media sensations after joining Facebook in 2019 and amassing 20,000 viewers, and left the nation laughing when they admitted they sometimes wear their drawers inside out. They made a second appearance on This Morning in September and had viewers in stitches when Lil declared she'd turned down a proposal because she wants 'an old man, about 98, with about six months to live and a big fat cheque book'. Identical twins Doris Hobday and Lil Cox, from from Tipton, West Midlands, believed to be the oldest in Britain, have both tested positive for Covid-19 - despite spending most of 2020 'inside and sticking to the rules' Writing on Facebook yesterday, Lil and Doris revealed they tested positive for coronavirus a few days ago and are 'both in shock'. 'We have said in the past if him up there wants us.... hes going to have to run fast!' the post read. 'We took a routine Covid test just before Christmas and it was negative. We have both stayed in over the Christmas period to keep safe and was lucky to have each other for company. 'A few days ago Doris had a high temperature and Lil had a cough, so we took a 2nd test and unfortunately the results came back positive. Writing on Facebook yesterday, Lil and Doris revealed they tested positive for coronavirus a few days ago and are 'both in shock' Their recent announcement sparked a flood of well-wishes from their fans, with one commenting: 'Well if anyone is going to smash this virus you two will. Hoping for a speedy recovery, youve got this' 'We are both in shock...we have been inside for most of 2020 sticking to all the rules and being careful, now this has happened and we cant work out why or where weve picked it up from.' They went on to beg people to take the virus seriously, adding: 'COVID is real and its affecting so many lives across the world...dont let it affect yours or your families. 'We are running faster than ever because we both arent ready yet... we still havent met Jason Statham!' During their GMB appearance, the duo had hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid in peals of laughter when they admitted to a crush on the Hollywood action hero. After claiming lots of sex was the secret to long life, Lil said of Statham: 'One night with him and I'll die happy!' They also ruled out a romance with NHS hero Captain Tom, 100, while admitting they are loving life at their daughter's home after she took them out of their care home. Their recent announcement sparked a flood of well-wishes from their fans, with one commenting: 'Well if anyone is going to smash this virus you two will. Hoping for a speedy recovery, youve got this.' Another wrote: 'So sorry to hear you are both unwell, you are both tough women and you will see this awful virus off. Stay strong, Jason may be waiting for you both.' And one added: 'Wishing you lovely ladies a very speedy recovery. Him upstairs is not ready for you pair yet so you're going nowhere. Big loves.' We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Officials in the northern California county of Mendocino were forced to distribute emergency coronavirus shots after a power outage affected a freezer holding the county's supply of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine, reports said. An outage at a medical centre in Mendocino County on Monday meant health care workers had to distribute all 830 doses of the jab before the shots thawed and became spoiled, The Mendocino Voice first reported. Judson Howe, president of Adventist Health in the county, confirmed to CBS News that a power failure had occurred around 11.30am in the Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Medical Center in the city of Ukiah. An alarm designed to alert staff to power failures on the freezer malfunctioned, so the vaccine either had started to thaw or could have thawed, the broadcaster said. To make sure the vaccines did not go to waste, the hospital reportedly spread the word of an emergency distribution plan and called in staffers to give shots at the hospital and some clinics. Patients and residents quickly queued at the hospital to accept the emergency shots and the doses were administered within two hours, Mr Howe reportedly said. Some of the doses were sent off to a local nursing home to be administered, he added. The two-dose Moderna vaccine, developed by US biotech firm Moderna, is almost 95 per cent effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 and needs to be stored at fridge temperature. The lower temperature requirement for the Moderna shot differs from the Pfizer vaccine which needs to be stored and transported at -70C. Information was collected from those who received a vaccine so that they can be called at a future date for their booster shot. Mendocino county has recorded 2,663 cases of the novel coronavirus since the outbreak began with 297 active confirmed cases and 31 deaths reported, according to the government website. Statewide, California posted a new single-day record for coronavirus cases on Monday, recording more than 74,000 cases, according to a tally by The Los Angeles Times. As Georgians head to the polls to determine the future of the U.S. Senate, they will have to leave something behind. Unlike most states, Georgia prohibits guns in and around polling places, a commonsense rule that more states should adopt before our next election cycle. Polling places are already heavily regulated in a variety of ways to preserve what the Supreme Court has called an island of calm for voters. All states prohibit electioneering at polling placesacts that can include campaigning, displaying signs, or even wearing campaign clothing in or near voting sites. But only six states and the District of Columbia prohibit open carry of firearms at polling places and just a handful of others prohibit concealed carrying (though additional restrictions may apply if, for example, the polling place is in a school or other building where guns are already prohibited). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The result is that a voter might be legally prohibited from wearing a button bearing an NRA slogan but permitted to carry an actual gun. Neither the Constitution, nor history, nor policy considerations require this paradoxical state of affairs. In states without a bright-line rule, gun carriers must still comply with legal prohibitions against voter intimidation and brandishing a weapon as a threat. But those laws require the government to make discretionary calls about, for example, whether a particular individual is intimidating. Such judgments are prone to racial and other forms of bias, while also leaving gun owners subject to the whims of local officials. That is one reason electioneering rules are written in bright-line fashion. Fortunately, the November election was not marred by gun violence. Most gun owners are responsible, and few would even think to take a gun with them to a polling place. But some Trump supporters showed up to polling sites with guns, while private militias and other groups have displayed arms and leveled threats at lawmakers. The stakes are high: Even one violent incident could not only claim lives but deter countless would-be voters from venturing to polling places in the future. Such harms to the body politicthe chilling effect that guns can have on others constitutional interestsare often overlooked in the gun debate, which tends to focus exclusively on body counts. But gun laws are designed to do more than protect physical safety alone. They can and do also help preserve public order and the freedom of others to assemble, speak, worship, and vote without intimidation. Advertisement Advertisement Attempting to address concerns about guns and voter intimidation just before the November election, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued an order banning firearms in and within 100 feet of polling places. Gun rights advocates immediately challenged the rule in court, and a state appellate court later struck down the ban for administrative law reasons unrelated to the Second Amendment. But the constitutional issue is likely to come before the courts again. When it does, gun rights advocates might raise the common complaintrepeatedly advanced by Justice Clarence Thomas, among othersthat the Second Amendment is treated as a second-class right. But at least with regard to voting booths, that argument has things exactly backward: Guns in polling places are less regulated than even core political speech. The Supreme Court has consistently upheld electioneering bans and should do the same for an analogous gun restriction. Advertisement In District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court established that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms for certain private purposes. But Justice Antonin Scalias majority opinion explicitly acknowledged the constitutionality of laws prohibiting carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings. Historical experience confirms the reasonable conclusion that polling places are sensitive places. Even before the Constitution was ratified, states had laws restricting firearms in election-related contexts, and those laws were upheld in court. As the Georgia Supreme Court wrote in an 1874 decision in Hill v. State: The practice of carrying arms at courts, elections and places of worship, etc., is a thing so improper in itself, so shocking to all sense of propriety, so wholly useless and full of evil, that it would be strange if the framers of the constitution have used words broad enough to give it a constitutional guarantee. Advertisement Advertisement Such prohibitions were adopted to address real harms. During and after Reconstruction, guns were often used to scare Black voters away from the polls. That history of racialized, armed voter intimidation is not a distant memory. Under a 1982 consent decree, the Republican National Committee agreed to refrain from sending squads of armed people to patrol polling places in Black and Latino neighborhoodspatrols ostensibly designed to prevent voter fraud, but with the effect of intimidating and deterring would-be voters. That decree, however, is no longer in effect, even as overheated rhetoric about ballot security and voter fraud, combined with a substantial spread in armed political protests, raises a similar set of risks today. There are already too many impediments to voting in the United States. This is one that can be readily addressed before we are in the heat of the next election cycle. The Constitution does not stand in the way. The Southeast Texas Food Bank is using a $9 million windfall to address the growing and immediate needs caused by this years economic upheaval and then prepare itself for the time after the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal will be using this to sustain us for the short-term and situate us for a strong future, executive director Dan Maher said Thursday. Maher this week announced the $9 million gift largest in the Food Banks history from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who is currently in the midst of a multibillion-dollar distribution campaign to help charities across the nation. We see something of this scale and magnitude as an investment that we have to be good stewards of in the long haul, Maher said. We dont want to consume it immediately, but we can certainly enhance our programming like improving the benefits we can give in our food distribution. Maher acknowledged that the Food Bank has seen an uptick in requests for food regionally during the pandemic and the associated economic slowdown. Related: Jasper County food pantries face shortages Maher is leaving next month to helm a food bank in his home state of Virginia. Decisions on how to use the Scott money to the board and the next generation of leadership. But the long-range plan would likely include capital investment, infrastructure improvements and even a small endowment that could ensure a reliable revenue stream, he said. We hope it will also inspire others to try to match that spirit of generosity, Maher said. Related: Food bank exec to leave for job in Virginia The Southeast Texas Food Bank regularly works with 90 other nonprofit agencies and 40 school partners to distribute food across eight counties in Southeast Texas. It provided more than 8.3 million meals in 2019, and operated a handful of support programs for children, seniors and under-served populations. During the pandemic, it also has helped support food pantries and related organizations in rural areas, even while contending with the virus at a more direct and personal level. In September, multiple staff members tested positive for the virus and operations briefly stopped while they quarantined and leadership regrouped. Since then, the food bank has adjusted its policies and recently received a $25,000 from the One Star Foundation for protective equipment and sanitary supplies. Related: Southeast Texas Food Bank focused on Monday restart Scott, also a novelist and the ex-wife of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, has dedicated more than $4.15 billion to 384 nonprofits and missions across the country, including the East Texas Food Bank, South Texas Food Bank and three other hunger-related programs in the state. In blog posts associated with discussion of her philanthropy, Scott noted that the organizations were chosen because she wished to emphasize giving support to organizations with strong leadership teams and results, with special attention to those operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates, and low access to philanthropic capital. Shes also given millions to historically Black colleges and universities. Scott is believed to be the third-richest woman in the world, with an estimated net worth of $55.1 billion after her most recent donations, according to Forbes. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jd_journalism "The merger itself will not set the world on fire," he said. "It's a modest improvement. But the other part about the court powers is very important." Professor Parkinson had previously caught the eye of the Prime Minister's office with research that found court resources were disproportionately used by people who had the money to fight protracted battles and came at the expense of other litigants. It is a theme with which the family law courts are familiar. In one egregious case, a couple's combined legal costs extended to $860,000 during an acrimonious dispute in which voluminous letters flowed between the parties' solicitors, airing grievances that the judge would later say served no forensic purpose. Their seven-day trial settled on the final day. Justice Robert Benjamin, presiding over the case in the Sydney registry of the Family Court, was appalled. Loading Whether this win at all costs, concede little or nothing, chase every rabbit down every hole and hang the consequences approach to family law litigation is a reflection of a Sydney-based culture by some or many litigants or whether it is an approach by some legal practitioners or a combination of both, I do not know, he said, referring the solicitors to the Legal Services Commissioner of NSW for professional misconduct. Whichever is the cause, the consequences of obscenely high legal costs are destructive of the emotional, social and financial wellbeing of the parties and their children. It must stop. But that was 2017, and the acrimonious culture described by Justice Benjamin did not stop. "I wouldn't be surprised if he still holds that view," family law solicitor Deborah Searle said. "The adversarial culture goes on. There are firms that will run it for costs but in some cases where you have an enormous amount of work and the parties are intractable theres absolutely no way around it. I've had people arguing over who owns the debt." Loading Last month, a Sydney couple spent $60,000 - nearly 8 per cent of the total property pool - on an interim application that a judge of the Family Court said was devoid of merit, even though the final hearing was only three months away. Last year, the Federal Circuit Court in Parramatta heard that one man had spent $80,000 on lawyers to quibble with his ex-wife over a sum of $4500. He wanted Judge Joe Harman to make an order for his ex-wife to pay his costs on an indemnity basis. "You're kidding," Judge Harman said, learning the size of the man's legal bill. The proceedings appeared to be a perpetuation of hatred between the parties, Judge Harman said. Taxpayers were already paying $20,000 for the matter to be heard. "This is a busy trial court," Judge Harman said. "It is a trial court which has far more work than it can possibly deal with simpliciter on any given day. Matters of this nature take up time which is then ... not made available to other litigants. The cases displaced include cases where children are not seeing a parent, or a parent their child. Cases where children are seeing a parent, but are alleged to be at risk. Cases where children are at risk ... It is that business which this case displaces." Other strategies well-known to the legal profession include "burning off", when litigants run every conceivable issue or contest applications that are bound to succeed to pressure the other party to settle, and "trial by ambush", where affidavits are served the night before trial. Both strategies lend themselves favourably to the Family Court. In the case of burning off, the default rule that each party pays its own costs puts the person in a weaker financial position at a disadvantage. Trial by ambush leverages the delays in the system because people are unwilling to ask for an adjournment if they have been waiting months for a hearing. Or it just derails them completely. That is what happened to Angus, 43, when he turned up to a dispute resolution with his wife in 2018. The estranged couple sat with their legal representatives in two separate rooms in the Parramatta court complex. The mediator started by blindsiding Angus with the news that his wife intended to move interstate with their 18-month-old son. "I just spent the first half of the day in tears," Angus said. "My lawyer was arguing against their lawyer, saying you can't just drop a bombshell like that and expect us to make decisions about property. It was the worst day of my life." It is illegal to identify the parties in family law proceedings. Jane Wangmann, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Technology, Sydney, interviewed 35 men and women who had represented themselves in Family Court proceedings for a study published by the Australian National Research Organisation for Women's Safety this month. Around 22 per cent of litigants in the Family Court and a quarter of litigants in the Federal Circuit Court were self-represented at some stage in 2019-20, typically because they could not afford a lawyer, which significantly slows down proceedings because judges need to explain legal concepts to them. Several of Dr Wangmann's subjects believed that their ex-partners had deliberately tried to deplete their finances. "When I had a private lawyer the spam from [my ex-partners lawyer] increased, drastically, and I quite honestly believe it was to deliberately burn through [my] money as fast as possible," one woman said, referring to the cost of her solicitor being required to read and respond to the other side's communications. "And then when I became self-represented she entirely backed off. Instantly. Less than 10 per cent of the volume of communication from her once I was self-represented." From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. As COVID-19 vaccinations begin, health officials around the world are watching for any problems that might develop. These side effects -- a result from taking the vaccine -- are both expected and unexpected. Allergic reactions Recently, two health workers in the state of Alaska experienced allergic reactions after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. One had a severe reaction and was hospitalized for observation. The second workers reaction was less severe. Britain recently reported two similar cases. The Associated Press (AP) reported that these people had serious allergies in the past. As a result, British officials have warned people with a history of severe allergies to medicines to delay getting the vaccination. Health officials in the United States are not giving such a strong warning. Healthcare workers in the U.S. always ask people about allergies before vaccinations. Instructions for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine say to avoid it if you are severely allergic to one of its ingredients or already have had a reaction to it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to remain under observation for about 15 minutes after a vaccination. Those with a history of allergies should remain for 30 minutes. If they have a reaction, they can be treated immediately. However, doctors said the health worker in Alaska who had the severe allergic reaction had no history of allergies. She experienced redness in her face and difficulty breathing 10 minutes after the first shot. She will not be given a second vaccine shot. The second Alaskan worker experienced less severe signs. Her eyes became puffy, her throat scratchy, and she felt shaky or light-headed. Allergic reactions are common with new medicines. However, observing COVID-19 vaccines for unexpected side effects is more difficult in this case. That is because of the huge number of people who need to be vaccinated over the next year. Another difficulty is the different kinds of vaccines being used at the same time. It is quite possible that one vaccine will have different side effects than another. The first vaccine beginning widespread use in the U.S. and many Western countries is the one made by Pfizer and Germanys BioNTech. The second vaccine from the company Moderna is expected soon. Both vaccines were made using the same method. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that huge studies of each have uncovered no major safety risks. Dr. Jesse Goodman, of Georgetown University, used to be a top vaccine official at the FDA. He told the AP that the allergy concern points out again the importance of real-time safety monitoring. Health officials have several ways of observing how people react to COVID-19 vaccines. The AP said that in coming months as more people get vaccinated, health officials will create more ways to monitor reactions to the vaccines. Flu-like side effects Getting either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine can cause some temporary discomfort. This happens with many vaccines. In addition to pain in the arm, people can experience a high body temperature and other flu-like symptoms. These include extreme tiredness, body pain, feeling cold, and a headache. These symptoms last for about a day. But sometimes they can be severe, causing the person to miss work. Reports suggest these symptoms are more common after the second shot and more common in younger people. COVID-19 vaccines seem to cause more of those reactions than a flu shot. In some people, the reaction is similar to one people get to the vaccine for the infection called shingles. Coronavirus-like side effect However, some reactions are similar to early coronavirus symptoms. This is one reason hospitals are not giving the vaccine to all their employees at the same time. They are giving the vaccines to workers in smaller groups over a longer period of time. What about serious risks? The FDA found no serious side effects in the tens of thousands of people involved in studies of the two vaccines. However, sometimes rare but serious side effects happen when a vaccine is used very widely. This also happens when the vaccine did not go through exact and complete tests. The CDCs Dr. Jay Butler warned that balancing any possible risks with the benefits the vaccine provides in the pandemic is an ongoing process. And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. Im Anna Matteo. Anna Matteo adapted this Associated Press story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. Quiz - Health Officials Carefully Watch for Side Effects from COVID-19 Vaccine Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story allergic adj., allergy n. related to a medical condition that causes someone to become sick after coming in contact with a substance that is harmless to most people ingredient n. one of the substances that make up a mixture puffy adj. larger than normal, swollen scratchy adj. painful, larger, or rougher than normal monitor v. to watch, observe listen or check for a special purpose, such as health, over time discomfort n. an uncomfortable or painful feeling in the body symptom n. a sign that a disease or problem is present benefit n. good, helpful or healthful results Good morning, its Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021 -- Election Day 2.0 in Georgia. Jan. 5 is also an eventful date in Americas cultural, economic, and political history. Harry Truman delivered his Fair Deal speech on this date in 1949; House Speaker Tip ONeill died on Jan. 5, 1994. If youre from New Jersey and like rock music, you can point to the Jan. 5, 1973, release of Bruce Springsteens debut album. If San Francisco is your hometown (as it is mine), you may recall that exactly 40 years earlier construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge. Like Donald Trumps big beautiful wall, the span across San Francisco Bay was delayed by political differences, environmental concerns, litigation, and funding issues. Unlike the unattractive structure along the U.S.-Mexico border, however, the Golden Gate truly is a splendid sight. Moreover, the purpose of that iconic suspension bridge isnt to separate people, but to unite them. The final hurdle to building it -- financing -- was cleared when San Francisco-based Bank of America purchased $35 million in bonds as a way of helping the Depression-saddled economy of Northern California. San Francisco needs the bridge, chief engineer Joseph Strauss told Bank of Americas founder and CEO, A.P. Giannini. We will take the bonds, Giannini replied. Once upon a time, capitalists often weighed civic considerations when contemplating the bottom line. They figured they could do well by doing good. On this date in 1914, Henry Ford unveiled a profit-sharing plan for Ford Motor Co. employees, along with a minimum wage of $5 a day, which represented a significant bump in pay. Even the boy who sweeps up the floors will get that much, enthused the New York Times. It is our belief that social justice begins at home, explained Ford general manager (and future Detroit mayor and U.S. senator) James Couzens. We want those who have helped us to produce this great institution and are helping to maintain it to share our prosperity. Pretty basic, isnt it? Its a standard we might want to apply to todays oligarchs as well. Ill leave you with that thought and direct now you to our front page, which aggregates, as it does each day, an array of columns and stories spanning the political spectrum. This mornings lineup includes offerings by Christina Cauterucci (Slate); Deroy Murdoch (American Spectator); Timothy OBrien (Bloomberg News); Ella Nilsen (Vox), and Matt Taibbi (Substack). We also offer original material from RCPs reporters and contributors, including the following: * * * Even Republicans Defying Trump Wont Level With Voters. A.B. Stoddard faults GOP lawmakers who have turned a blind eye to the presidents prevarications. A Pink Georgia, Not a Blue One. At RealClearPolicy, Jack Rowing argues that down-ballot results from November offer a better look at trends in the state than the presidential outcome. The Reaffirmation of U.S. Foreign Policy. At RealClearWorld, Ronald Tiersky welcomes the reset sure to come under the new administration. Two Pleas for a Post-Trump Academic Life. At RealClearEducation, Peter Minowitz lays out a template for constructive discussion of hot-button issues. Biden, Taxes and Growth. RealClearMarkets editor John Tamny explains that capital availability is a direct consequence of reduced taxation on those with the most capital to provide to innovative entrepreneurs. Rx for a Bearish Market Forecast: Stay Cool. Also at RCM, Ken Fisher advises level-headedness when the long bull market runs out of steam. Biden's Eco-Friendly Goals Mean Greater Dependence on China. At RealClearEnergy, Daniel Turner outlines the supply-chain realities that underpin the thinking of the president-elect and his Cabinet nominees. A Century Ago, Churchill Began A World Crisis. At RealClearHistory, Francis Sempa revisits the great British leaders seminal tome on WWI. * * * Carl M. Cannon Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com In the midst of the pandemic, Premier Brian Pallister has overhauled his front bench, replacing his health minister, and added three new faces to his inner circle, including Manitoba's first Black cabinet minister. In the midst of the pandemic, Premier Brian Pallister has overhauled his front bench, replacing his health minister, and added three new faces to his inner circle, including Manitoba's first Black cabinet minister. In a low-key ceremony in an ornate meeting room at the Legislative Building Tuesday, Pallister named Tuxedo MLA Heather Stefanson as the province's new minister of health, replacing Cameron Friesen, who assumes responsibility for the justice portfolio. Cliff Cullen, who oversaw justice and served as attorney general since October 2019, becomes the province's education minister. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS New cabinet minister, Audrey Gordon, Minister of Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery, during her first media scrum after Premier Brian Pallister announced his new cabinet, Tuesday morning. Among other key moves, Rochelle Squires moves from municipal relations to families, and Kelvin Goertzen, who had been spearheading the province's school reforms as education minister, becomes deputy premier and head of the newly formed ministry of legislative and public affairs. Pallister bristled when asked if Friesen had been demoted or had requested to be removed from the high-stress health portfolio. "I've got a tremendous amount of respect for Cameron Friesen otherwise he wouldn't be our new justice minister and attorney general," the premier told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony. Fresh faces Audrey Gordon (Southdale) joins cabinet as minister of mental health, wellness and recovery. She becomes the first Black person to be appointed to the Manitoba cabinet. Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli) is the new municipal relations minister. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet) becomes minister of advanced education, skills and immigration. click to read more Audrey Gordon (Southdale) joins cabinet as minister of mental health, wellness and recovery. She becomes the first Black person to be appointed to the Manitoba cabinet. Derek Johnson (Interlake-Gimli) is the new municipal relations minister. Wayne Ewasko (Lac du Bonnet) becomes minister of advanced education, skills and immigration. New portfolios Ralph Eichler (Lakeside), who had been the economic development and training minister, is no longer responsible for advanced education. His retains economic development. Tuxedo MLA Heather Stefanson takes over the health portfolio from Cameron Friesen, who becomes justice minister and attorney general. Cliff Cullen (Spruce Woods), who held the justice portfolio, becomes minister of education, tasked with carrying out the government's long-awaited education reforms. Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen, who had been in education, becomes minister of legislative and public affairs, a new portfolio, and deputy premier. The latter position had been held by Stefanson. Rochelle Squires (Riel), who had been municipal affairs minister, takes over the Families Department. Staying put Ron Schuler (Springfield-Ritchot) minister of infrastructure Blaine Pedersen (Midland) minister of agriculture and resource development Eileen Clarke (Agassiz) minister of Indigenous and northern relations Cathy Cox (Kildonan-River East) minister of sports, culture and heritage Scott Fielding (Kirkfield Park) minister of finance Jeff Wharton (Red River North) minister of Crown services Reg Helwer (Brandon West) minister of central services Sarah Guillemard (Fort Richmond) minister of conservation and climate Close Friesen became health minister more than two years ago without knowing COVID-19 was on the horizon, the premier said. "I don't think there's a person in this province who would've wanted the job that he undertook to do as a leader in our Health Department over the last number of months. He's worked diligently and very, very hard on that file." Pallister wouldn't say if Friesen asked to be moved off the health hot seat. "It's what the premier wants let's be clear," he said, referring to himself in the third person. "What the premier wants is to make sure people who are capable are in roles of responsibility and that's what the premier got today." Friesen was seen beaming from ear to ear when he temporarily removed his mask at the ceremony for a photo with Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon. He did not speak to the media afterwards. Manitobas shuffled cabinet Justice and attorney general NEW PORTFOLIO Legislative and public affairs Cullen moved from justice to education Cameron Friesen Education Kelvin Goertzen Goertzen moved from education to legislative and public affairs Cliff Cullen Health and Seniors Care Friesen moved from health to justice and named attorney general Heather Stefanson Families Rochelle Squires Stefanson moved from families to health Municipal Relations Squires moved from municipal affairs to families Derek Johnson NEW PORTFOLIO Advanced education, skills and immigration NEW PORTFOLIO Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery Wayne Ewasko Audrey Gordon Economic Development and Jobs Eichler no longer responsible for advanced education Ralph Eichler Infrastructure Finance Ron Schuler Scott Fielding Sport, culture and heritage Conservation and climate Cathy Cox Sarah Guillemard Crown services Central services Jeff Wharton Reg Helwer Agriculture and resource development Indigenous and northern relations Blaine Pedersen Eileen Clarke WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitobas shuffled cabinet NEW PORTFOLIO Legislative and public affairs Cullen moved from justice to education Justice and attorney general Health and Seniors Care Education Cameron Friesen Kelvin Goertzen Friesen moved from health to justice and named attorney general Goertzen moved from education to legislative and public affairs Cliff Cullen Heather Stefanson Families Stefanson moved from families to health Municipal Relations Rochelle Squires Squires moved from municipal affairs to families Derek Johnson NEW PORTFOLIO Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery NEW PORTFOLIO Advanced education, skills and immigration Economic Development and Jobs Eichler no longer responsible for advanced education Audrey Gordon Ralph Eichler Wayne Ewasko Crown services Infrastructure Central services Finance Jeff Wharton Ron Schuler Reg Helwer Scott Fielding Agriculture and resource development Indigenous and northern relations Sport, culture and heritage Conservation and climate Cathy Cox Blaine Pedersen Sarah Guillemard Eileen Clarke WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitobas shuffled cabinet NEW PORTFOLIO Legislative and public affairs Cullen moved from justice to education Justice and attorney general Health and Seniors Care Education Kelvin Goertzen Cameron Friesen Stefanson moved from families to health Friesen moved from health to justice and named attorney general Goertzen moved from education to legislative and public affairs Cliff Cullen Heather Stefanson Economic Development and Jobs Families Eichler no longer responsible for advanced education Rochelle Squires Ralph Eichler NEW PORTFOLIO Advanced education, skills and immigration NEW PORTFOLIO Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery Municipal Relations Squires moved from municipal affairs to families Wayne Ewasko Audrey Gordon Derek Johnson Agriculture and resource development Indigenous and northern relations Conservation and climate Sport, culture and heritage Finance Crown services Central services Infrastructure Scott Fielding Blaine Pedersen Jeff Wharton Eileen Clarke Reg Helwer Sarah Guillemard Ron Schuler Cathy Cox WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Normally, cabinet swearing-in ceremonies are jammed with MLAs, government officials, family members and journalists. But Tuesday's event was noticeably different due to health protocols. The room was mostly empty, with the nine ministers three new ones and a half-dozen others changing jobs arriving in groups of three to be sworn in and departing before the next cohort arrived. The premier appointed the province's first Black cabinet minister Southdale MLA Audrey Gordon, who becomes minister for mental health, wellness and recovery. The province now has a second health minister, as it did under the previous NDP administration. Also joining cabinet are Lac du Bonnet MLA Wayne Ewasko, who takes on the new advanced education, skills and immigration portfolio, and Interlake-Gimli MLA Derek Johnson, who assumes responsibility over municipal relations. With the three additions, Pallister's cabinet grows to 18 members, from 15, making it nearly as large as during the dying days of the former NDP government. MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Premier Brian Pallister watches the first media scrum that his new cabinet minister, Audrey Gordon, Minister of Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery, held after her appointment on Tuesday. NDP Leader Wab Kinew said he believes the motivation behind the cabinet shuffle was the need for Pallister to revive his government's "sagging political fortunes" as a result of its mismanagement of the COVID-19 health crisis. "The bottom line is that Mr. Pallister fired his health minister, and he did so in the middle of the pandemic," Kinew said. "That is not good for Manitoba, but unfortunately, it is a reflection of Mr. Friesen and Mr. Pallister's failings." Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said no minister was demoted in the cabinet shuffle, calling it "a sign that nobody will be held to account for any of the mistakes that have been made over the last many months." Meanwhile, Pallister said that Goertzen's new role as minister of legislative and public affairs "is to improve our levels of communication transmitting information openly, making information available and also processing and making sure that our government works better internally in the way in which it develops legislation, the way in which it communicates it and the way in which it involves Manitobans." Moving Goertzen out of education in the middle of a pandemic with an overhaul of the K-12 education system expected this year isn't a concern, the premier said. "There's no perfect time for doing a shuffle," he said. Squires, who takes over as families minister, has a unique perspective in coming to the job, Pallister said. "This is a woman who, as a teen mom, was forced to live on welfare, and is now the person in charge of welfare," he said. "These are inspirational people with inspirational accomplishments," he said of his cabinet. "I have great confidence in them and affection for them." larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Carol Sanders Legislature reporter After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020. Read full biography What is your plan to lead Trinidad and Tobago out of the Covid-19 pandemic? This was the question Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar repeatedly asked Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday. RTHK: Iran forces 'stormed and seized South Korean tanker' Armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced the ship to change course and travel to Iran, the vessel's owner said on Tuesday, the latest maritime seizure by Tehran amid heightened tensions with the West over its nuclear program. The military raid on Monday on the MT Hankuk Chemi was at odds with Iranian explanations that they stopped the vessel for polluting the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, it appeared the Islamic Republic sought to increase its leverage over Seoul ahead of negotiations over billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks amid a US pressure campaign targetting Iran. An Iranian government spokesman, when asked on Tuesday about the seizure, offered Tehran's bluntest acknowledgement yet of a link with the frozen assets. If anybody is to be called a hostage taker, it is the South Korean government that has taken our more than US$7 billion hostage under a futile pretext, spokesman Ali Rabiei said. Iran on Monday also began enriching uranium up to 20 percent, a small technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent, at its underground Fordo facility. That move appeared aimed at pressuring the US in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration, which unilaterally withdrew from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. Later comments on Tuesday by the head of Iran's civilian nuclear program suggested Tehran's current production of uranium enriched to 20 percent wouldn't reach levels needed for a nuclear weapon for over two years, potentially giving time for negotiations under President-elect Joe Biden. An official at DM Shipping Co. Ltd. of Busan, South Korea, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorised to talk to journalists, offered details of the Hankuk Chemi's seizure. The vessel had been traveling from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates when Iranian forces reached the ship and said they would board it. Initially, Iranian forces said they wanted to run an unspecified check on the ship, the official said. As the vessel's captain spoke to company security officials back in South Korea, armed Iranian troops stormed the tanker as an Iranian helicopter flew overhead, the official said. The troops demanded the captain sail the tanker into Iranian waters over an unspecified investigation and refused to explain themselves, the official added. The company has since been unable to reach the captain, the official said. Security cameras installed on the ship that initially relayed footage on the scene on the deck to the company are now turned off, the official said. After the company lost contact with the captain, the company received an anti-piracy security alert notice, suggesting the captain activated an onboard warning system, the official said. It remains unclear if the ship tried to call for outside assistance. The US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet routinely patrols the area along with an American-led coalition monitoring the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 percent of the world's oil passes. A separate European-led effort also operates there as well. The official denied the vessel had been polluting the waters. In past months Iran has sought to escalate pressure on South Korea to unlock some US$7 billion in frozen assets from oil sales earned before the Trump administration tightened sanctions on the countrys oil exports. The head of Irans central bank recently announced that the country was seeking to use funds tied up in a South Korean bank to purchase coronavirus vaccines through COVAX, an international program designed to distribute Covid-19 vaccines to participating countries. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it plans to dispatch a delegation of officials to Iran for talks on securing the early release of the ship and its crew members. The crew included sailors from Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea and Vietnam, according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. South Koreas Defence Ministry said it was sending its anti-piracy unit to near the Strait of Hormuz a 4,400-ton-class destroyer with about 300 troops. South Koreas presidential office said it views Irans ship seizure very gravely. Foreign Ministry's spokesman Choi Young-sam said Iranian officials have assured South Korea that the ships crew were all safe. He said an Iran-based South Korean diplomat has been dispatched to the location of the detained ship. The US State Department joined South Korea in calling for the tankers immediate release, accusing Iran of threatening navigational rights and freedoms in the Persian Gulf in order to extort the international community into relieving the pressure of sanctions. Last year, Iran similarly seized a British-flagged oil tanker and held it for months after one of its tankers was held off Gibraltar. (AP) This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. On Jan. 8, 2021 Pennsylvania will host its second annual PA Donor Day, a chance to galvanize our friends and neighbors to rally behind the nearly 7,000 Pennsylvanians who are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Why January 8th? This is because just 1 registered donor has the power to save 8 lives. My own life has been deeply touched by organ donation. In 1997, my 12-year-old son Jonathan fell from his bike and suffered fatal head injuries. I knew very little about organ and tissue donation at the time, but we made the decision and five of Jonathans organs helped save the lives of four people. Since then, Ive done all I can to support awareness of organ donation and registration. I believe that opening our hearts and sharing our story helps other people understand the importance of discussing donation with their families, and I believe we are giving meaning and purpose to Jonathans death. 2021 PA Donor Day is especially critical as the number of Pennsylvanians registering as organ donors has slowed, with fewer Pennsylvanians going to Department of Motor Vehicles due to the pandemic. Thankfully, registration is something that all Pennsylvanians can do online at www.DonateLifePA.org. If you are not registered to be an organ donor, please do so today! Cheryl Eshenour, Hershey, Pa. She's one of ten stars who have debuted on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! But things go horribly wrong for Toni Pearen when she's bitten on the face multiple times by snakes on Tuesday night's episode. The actress, 48, takes part in a jungle trivia challenge and is forced to enter a box with snakes after getting the answers wrong. Shocking: I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star Toni Pearen gets bitten on the face by multiple snakes during a terrifying Tucker Trial set to air on Tuesday night After noticing the snakes in the box, Toni says: 'Oh s**t! Far out! Oh my god, I hate snakes.' The former Australia's Funniest Home Videos host places her head inside the box while several jungle carpet pythons slither around her. One of the snakes then bites her on the face and she yells: 'Oh my god!' Moments later, two other snakes bite Toni, leaving co-hosts Julia Morris and Dr Chris Brown shocked. Punishment: The actress, 48, takes part in a jungle trivia challenge and is forced to enter a box with snakes after getting the answers wrong Toni entered the jungle during Sunday night's premiere, alongside Jack Vidgen, Grant Denyer and Abbie Chatfield. On Monday night, the actress revealed the 'humiliating' job she took during her 'slim times' while struggling to find work in Hollywood. She admitted to her campmates she once sold roses to customers at restaurants. 'I had a couple of slim times when I was in LA, where I had to take bad jobs. There was this friend of mine, she was selling roses,' she began. Ouch! One of the snakes then bites her on the face and she yells: 'Oh my god!' Moments later, two other snakes bite Toni, leaving co-hosts Julia Morris and Dr Chris Brown shocked 'She's also an actress and she said to me, "I went into this venue, and this guy just bought this entire basket of roses for $200. And that was my night." 'I was like, "Oh my god, I want that job. That's amazing. I can do that." So anyway, I've got my roses, every single venue I went to, no one wanted to buy my rose.' She continued: 'People were eating dinner and they were like this [turning their heads] as I walked past, they didn't even want to look at me. 'It was humiliating. So, I went, "You know what? I'm just going to go to a nightclub." So I go to this nightclub. No action for my roses.' Veeam Backup & Replication with Microsoft Azure Blob storage Veeam Cloud Tier to Microsoft Azure reduces long-term data retention costs, combining on-premises storage with native object storage capacity. By utilizing on-prem storage with Microsoft Azure Blob storage, customers can implement data tiering policies and automatically transition backup data to the cloud as it ages, reducing costs, improving performance, and increasing business agility. Check out this 5-minute demo for a high-level overview of this solution, including how to set up a Veeam Scale-out Backup Repository and how to send your Veeam backups to Azure Blob storage. Initiated two Phase 3 trials with NCX 470 in glaucoma and a Phase 2b trial with NCX 4251 in blepharitis in 2020 Partner Ocumension Therapeutics initiated a Phase 3 trial in China with ZERVIATE in allergic conjunctivitis in December 2020 Top-line results for NCX 470 Mont Blanc Phase 3 trial and NCX 4251 Mississippi Phase 2b trial both currently due in Q4 2021 January 5, 2021 - release at 7:30 am CET Sophia Antipolis, France Nicox SA (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, COX), an international ophthalmology company, today highlighted the strong progress in its development programs in 2020 and the key clinical milestones expected in 2021. Michele Garufi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nicox, stated "We have positioned ourselves as a major player among international ophthalmic R&D companies. We achieved outstanding progress in 2020 with the start of four large clinical trials, covering our three major assets, despite the challenging environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, we expect significant milestones in 2021, above all the results from late-stage clinical trials with our lead assets NCX 470 and NCX 4251. Furthermore, thanks to our unique advantage of having licensing revenue from two products commercialized in the U.S., and partnered in other markets, we anticipate steadily increasing revenue for many years to come to support our growth." Overview of Our Late-Stage Clinical Pipeline NCX 470, Nicox's lead clinical product candidate, a novel nitric oxide (NO)-donating prostaglandin analog, is being evaluated in the Mont Blanc and Denali Phase 3 clinical trials for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.Top-line results are currently expected in Q4 2021 for Mont Blanc and in Q4 2022 for Denali. Together Mont Blanc and Denali trials will support New Drug Application (NDA) submissions in the U.S. and China. NCX 4251 , a novel patented ophthalmic suspension of fluticasone propionate nanocrystals, is being evaluated in the Mississippi Phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of acute exacerbations of blepharitis. Top-line results are currently expected in Q4 2021. If successful in meeting the primary efficacy endpoint previously agreed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Mississippi trial could represent the first of two pivotal trials needed to support the submission of an NDA for the treatment of blepharitis in the U.S. , a novel patented ophthalmic suspension of fluticasone propionate nanocrystals, is being evaluated in the for the treatment of acute exacerbations of blepharitis. Top-line results are currently expected in Q4 2021. If successful in meeting the primary efficacy endpoint previously agreed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Mississippi trial could represent the first of two pivotal trials needed to support the submission of an NDA for the treatment of blepharitis in the U.S. ZERVIATE, (cetirizine ophthalmic solution), 0.24%, the first and only topical ophthalmic formulation of the antihistamine cetirizine, is being evaluated in a confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial in China by our partner Ocumension, to support a Chinese New Drug Application. ZERVIATE is already commercialized in the U.S. by our partner Eyevance Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd of Japan in September 2020 for $225 million. We continue to closely watch the spread and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We do not currently anticipate delays in our clinical timelines but we are monitoring the situation and will provide an update when needed. [January 05, 2021] Digital Realty Announces Pricing of 1.0 billion of Guaranteed Notes due 2031 SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of carrier- and cloud-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today that Digital Intrepid Holding B.V., an indirect wholly owned holding and finance subsidiary of the company's operating partnership, Digital Realty Trust, L.P., priced an offering of 1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 0.625% Guaranteed Notes due 2031 at a price of 99.515% of the principal amount. The Euro Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of Digital Intrepid Holding B.V. and will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the company and the operating partnership. Interest on the Euro Notes will be payable annually in arrears at a rate of 0.625% per annum from and including January 12, 2021, and the Euro Notes will mature on July 15, 2031. The company intends to allocate an amount equal to the net proceeds from the offering of the Euro Notes to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, recently completed or future green building, energy and resource efficiency and renewable energy projects, including the development and redevelopment of such projects. Pending the allocation of the net proceeds of the Euro Notes to eligible green projects, all or a portion of an amount equal to the net proceeds from the Euro Notes may be used to temporarily repay borrowings outstanding under the operating partnership's global revolving credit facilities, acquire additional properties or businesses, fund development opportunities, invest in interest-bearing accounts and short-term, interest-bearing securities which are consistent with the company's intention to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and to provide for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including potentially for the repayment of other debt, or the redemption, repurchase, repayment or retirement of outstanding equity or debt securities, or a combination of the foregoing. The Euro Notes are being sold only outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Euro Notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to United States persons (within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Euro Notes, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of the Euro Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. /p> Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to the timing and consummation of the offering of the Euro Notes and the expected use of the net proceeds. The company can provide no assurances that it will be able to complete the offering on the anticipated terms, or at all. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the company's reports and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020 , June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020 . The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Reg S Statement This communication is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. or its subsidiaries. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. Consequently, the securities may not be offered, sold, resold, transferred, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, into or within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. Any offering of the securities will be conducted pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. Notice to EEA Retail Investors The Euro Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and, with effect from such date, should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (the "EEA"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, "MiFID II"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2016/97/EU (recast) (as amended, the "IMD"), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II. No key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling any in scope instrument or otherwise making such instruments available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared. Offering or selling the Euro Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. This communication has been prepared on the basis that any offers or sales of Euro Notes in any Member State of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded, the "Prospectus Regulation") from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers or sales of Euro Notes. This communication is not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation. Notice to UK Retail Investors The Euro Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the "FSMA") and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the Euro Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the United Kingdom has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Euro Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-realty-announces-pricing-of-1-0-billion-of-guaranteed-notes-due-2031--301201271.html SOURCE Digital Realty [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. New Delhi : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday asserted the valley has witnessed drop to a large extent in infiltration by militants from Pakistan after India conducted surgical strikes on the terror hubs across the Line of Control. Addressing a gathering of central police and paramilitary personnel during a BSF investiture ceremony here, the home minister also asked security personnel to be cautious against using and forwarding unverified social media content. There used to be infiltration by militants from Pakistan. But I can say after surgical strikes, incidents of infiltration have come down to a large extent. I compliment both the army and the BSF for ensuring border security, Singh said. The strikes were conducted by the army at terror launch pads across the LoC in September last year. He said the forces, especially the Border Security Force (BSF), should stay more alert against the cross-border smuggling of fake Indian currency notes and drugs. Speaking about dangers of the social media, the minister said the enemy is spreading rumours and false information using tools like Facebook and Whatsapp. It is seen that the personnel and officers use and put such information or videos on their Facebook page or Whatsapp. You should not forward such items, unless it is authentic and in the interest of the country as you not only protect our borders but also the countrys unity and integrity, he said. The home minister added the government was working to fully deploy a Comprehensive and Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) to secure the frontiers by using radars, lasers, camera and other command and control devices. Also Read: Family of each martyred paramilitary jawan will get Rs 1 crore aid, says Home Minister Rajnath Singh We are trying to secure our borders effectively...by putting a three-tier system which will be like deploying a border guarding force (like BSF), an intelligence network and police presence behind this. This is being integrated on our borders in a fast mode, he said. Calling the BSF as Indias First Wall of Defence, he said that in the last few years the border guarding force has come out of the shadows of the army and registered its independent identity at the borders (Indo-Pak). Earlier, the BSFs valour used to go along with that of the army but in the last few years you have done exceptional work, Singh said. The home minister reiterated that it is his desire that the family of every jawan, who lays down his or her life in the line of duty, of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) must get a minimum compensation of Rs 1 crore. I urge all the DGs (Directors General) of the CAPFs to inform me of any such case where the family is not able to get the minimum of Rs 1 crore aid. I will try all that I can to ensure that this amount is provided to the families, Singh said. Also Read: Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with top security brass review situation in Kashmir He added his ministry has launched a special web portal in this context and that many people have come forward to contribute to the families of the slain jawans and officers. The minister also talked about launching of special apps (mobile applications) for the personnel of these forces to register and get resolution for their grievances. While every jawan or officer should get their grievances resolved through the established forum that you have in your respective forces, all such cases that come to the home ministry will be reviewed by me at least once a month, he said. Singh said he had a special attraction towards the army and uniformed forces since his early days, but god destined him to be at this place (as a politician and home minister). For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. SHOWS February 22, 2021 10.00 am Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Scott Fraser, Upper Allen Townships assistant manager since 2009, recently was named township manager by the board of commissioners. Fraser succeeds Lou Fazekas, who retired in December after serving as township manager since 2000. As assistant manager, Frasers primary responsibilities were budgeting and finance, human resources, administration and oversight of the parks system, according to a press release. President Commissioner Ken Martin said there would be no learning curve for Fraser. He is ready to lead, Martin said in the release. Scott knows our budgeting processes inside and out. I am confident that he will bring cost savings and efficiencies to our operations. Fraser said Upper Allen is well-positioned to meet challenges while continuing to provide first-class public safety, infrastructure and recreational services. Over the past 11 years, the parks system has improved significantly, our dedicated roadway management program has provided a strategy for upgrades, and we have had clean financial audits and streamlined budgeting, he said in the release. Fraser came to Upper Allen from Harrisburg, where he was the citys grants officer and budget manager, the release said. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Delaware and a masters degree in public administration from Shippensburg University. Fraser said the board expects to fill the assistant manager position early this year, according to the release. Fazekas, who retired from the Army Reserve in 2011 as a colonel, served deployments in Kosovo and Iraq. As township manager, he received the distinguished service award from the Capital Region Council of Governments in 2019, according to the release. Under Fazekas, the townships taxable assessments increased from $61 million to more than $2.1 billion. Upper Allen also earned the Governors Award for Excellence and the Gold Sustainable Community Award from the Pennsylvania League of Cities. We are deeply indebted to Lou Fazekas for 20 years of exceptional service as our township manager, Martin said in the release. During his tenure, the township budget has tripled but is well-managed with cost-effective operations and professional employees. Google has recently made "Question Hub" available in the US, a feature that takes in the realm of online forums where users can submit questions or queries and publishers can answer or share content. Despite resembling online forums, Google focused more on content creators and publishers that make it possible to reach its intended audience. The most popular and massive internet tech conglomerate in the world, Google, has made its old feature available in the United States after testing it in other countries including India, Indonesia, and Nigeria. The tech company is planning to expand the feature among other countries across the globe, with the hopes of uniting the online world through the forums. Google Question Hub: More than an Online Forum Forums are old school and a thing of the past, indeed, but Google is making sure that this would focus more on creating proper content or sharing among the users with the queries that may directly help with their problems. According to Google Question Hub, the feature would focus more on publishers or content creators, giving them organized information and search with relevant inquiries. Moreover, the Mountain View giant regarded that there is a massive number of content that remains unanswered up to this day, and Question Hub would fill in these gaps with publishers to provide direct answers for help. Instead of a social network that publishers scroll to (like online forums), this would focus on looking for specialized content to extend help and reach. Answers through the Question Hub does not need to be direct and in-text like online forums, as users can link and create interactive responses that show more of the "content creation" that is widely popular nowadays. Uploading the content would not be limited to the person who asked the question, but to everyone who browses the internet. Read Also: Google Wings Respond to FAA's Stricter Rules About Drones in the United States Google Question Hub: How to Use as Publisher As a publisher, there would be some confusion early on, as Google's Question Hub tools have various features and functions that complement the technology behind it. To get started, Google says that users need to create an account by linking a Google account with Gmail. Google also recommends users to have a "Search Console" verified account to use the platform for better usage. To get started, users would need to choose Add Questions to search or explore topics in the browse mode. Add the questions to one's queue where publishers can easily search and answer after creating content. Content creators can also remove questions if they feel like they cannot answer or fulfill their roles. To view the progress of the answer or how much it reaches the audience with similar content, go to the Performance tab, and grant access to the Search Console to access data on one's website. Then, users can view their progress through a graph that is provided by Google in terms of interactions and views. Related Article: Top 5 Google Home Features that Beat Apple Siri and Amazon Alexa-What Makes it Better? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, is encouraging residents to celebrate the start of the New Year with the launch of its New Years Sale get two tickets for the price of one. Travellers can jet off any time before June 15, and lay back and relax at a luxury resort, explore ancient architecture or spend the weekend discovering a new city. Fares from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul start from just AED1,790 ($487.2), Dublin from AED3,830 ($1,042.5) and Toronto from AED5,790 ($1,576). The sale extends across all of Etihads cabins, with return Business fares starting from AED8,750 ($2,381.8) out of Abu Dhabi to Maldives and AED10,370 ($2,822.8) from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul. Flying to, from, and via Abu Dhabi is supported by the airlines fully redesigned Etihad Wellness sanitisation and safety programme, which ensures the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at every stage of the customer journey. This includes specially trained Wellness Ambassadors, a first in the industry, who have been introduced by the airline to provide essential travel health information and care on the ground and on every flight, so guests can fly with greater ease and confidence. All passengers travelling with Etihad receive complimentary Covid-19 insurance. The sale starts on January 5 and ends on January 13 at etihad.com. This offer is valid only for one guest and a companion. Booking for the companion must be made in the same transaction, and the companion must fly on the same flight, date, and class of travel as the accompanying guest. Additional terms and conditions apply. - TradeArabia News Service Man sentenced to jail for 15 years for anti-State propaganda Pham Chi Dung, the 55-year-old head of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam, was sentenced to prison for 15 years for anti-State propaganda on Tuesday. Defenders Pham Chi Dung (standing, right), Nguyen Tuong Thuy (left, standing), and Le Huu Minh Tuan (standing behind) appear at the HCM City People's Court on Tuesday to hear the verdict of the charge producing, storing, propagating information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam under the Penal Code.' The HCM City Peoples Court found him guilty of the charge "producing, storing, propagating information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam". As Dungs accomplices, 71-year-old Nguyen Tuong Thuy, and Le Huu Minh Tuan, a 32-year-old former student of Hanoi Law University, were handed 11 years behind bars. The three will be on probation for another three years after completing their prison sentence. Dung, Thuy, and Tuan were all educated individuals but due to their constant exposure to political dissidents, had joined these persons in posting numerous articles and posts mischaracterising and distorting the Party and the States policies, the judges said. The activities of the defendants constituted a danger to society, and their opposition to the State caused division among the public, the indictment reads. According to the indictment, on July 4, 2014, Thuy, Dung and 39 others announced the establishment of the so-called Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam aiming for regime change in Vietnam with Dung at the helm of the organisation and Thuy serving as the deputy leader of the northern regions branch. Dung then created a blogger account named Vietnam Thoi Bao (Vietnam Times) in addition to an accompanying website to post his own articles along with others with anti-State content and attempted to recruit members both inside and outside the country as well as called for donations to the association. Minh Tuan was tasked with the role of the administrator in charge of technical issues for both the website and the blogger account, as well as posted the articles Dung approved on the two sites. Investigators found that Dung used many pseudonyms to post a total of 1,530 articles onto the website and blogger site, Thuy wrote 245 articles (under a pseudonym as well), and Tuan himself posted 534 articles. Dung had 25 articles containing content defaming the peoples administration, assailing the reputation of the Party, or attempts to undermine Vietnam, according to investigators. Thuy was the author of five stories of a similar nature, while Tuan published six. Dung was also said to have done interviews with foreign media to fight for a change of political regime in Vietnam. From August 2014 to the mid-2019, Tuan was paid (by Dung) more than VN400 million, and he received some VN1 billion to pay as compensation for the works of other contributors. Thuy was paid VN180 million and transferred some VN120 million to other contributors. Dung used to work for the HCM City Party Committee. On October 21, 2019, Dung was arrested by the police of HCM City, while Thuy was detained on May 23, 2020, and Tuan on June 12, 2020. COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) - Law enforcement arrested an armed robbery suspect sought in Lowndes County. Officers arrested Anthony Handley on Monday, Jan. 4 during a traffic stop. Lowndes County investigators sought him for armed robbery. According to investigators, a Dallas Drive homeowner arrived home on Nov. 29, 2020, and found Handley stealing and loading property into a container. The homeowner confronted him, investigators say, and Handley drew a gun, took the items and left. During his arrest, officers found Handley with a Bowie knife, the sheriff said, and investigators also charged him with weapon possession by a felon. STOCKHOLM, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- POLYGONVATRO has acquired SMD in Siegen, Germany. The acquisition will add 75 employees and a turnover of about 8 MEUR. SMD is a full range property damage restoration company. "We are welcoming another member to our growing family. The acquisition of SMD is another step on our acquisition agenda and will strengthen our clear number one market position in Germany and Europe," says Axel Granitz President & CEO of Polygon Group. "SMD has made a name for itself as a high-performance company and.in the future we will be able to use existing SMD infrastructure to offer our customers an even better service. We are thus expanding our leading position in the field of fire and water damage restoration even further," says Andreas Weber, CEO at POLYGONVATRO. In addition to RecoSan GmbH from Kamp-Lintfort, SMD is the second acquisition of POLYGONVATRO within a very short time. With SMD, POLYGONVATRO is increasing its presence in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district and the other neighboring districts not far from its own headquarters in Olpe. "We're looking forward to this cooperation. Joining forces will enable us to develop further in our region and, with POLYGONVATRO, we can rely on a strong partner," affirm Georg and Christian Stiegler, managing directors of SMD. CONTACT: For more information, please visit www.polygongroup.com or contact Martin Hamner Chief Financial Officer martin.hamner@polygongroup.com +46-70-607-85-79 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/polygon/r/polygon-strengthens-its-market-position-with-the-acquisition-of-smd-sanierungs-management--smd--in-g,c3264284 The following files are available for download: America's Dark Covid Winter Ahead Its like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didnt want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, its only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didnt. They kept going, because they were holding on to something. That there is some good in this world, and its worth fighting for. J.R.R. Tolkien With all the talk about dark winters from Biden, Harris, Fauci, tyrannical Democrat governors, pandemic hysteria medical experts, and the corporate media paid to propagate the vital narrative, my mind was naturally drawn to the words of J.R.R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a story of good versus evil, with a foreboding mood of darkness and doom. To those of us of a conspiratorial nature, according to those who conspired to overthrow a duly elected president for four years and are currently conspiring to steal the presidency through blatant election rigging and mail-in ballot fraud, we believe the darkness engulfing our nation has been initiated by the billionaire globalist evildoers marshaling dark forces in their Mordor on the Potomac. The globalist elites, along with the Deep State and social media tyrants of Silicon Valley are rich, influential, and arrogant. They have stepped out from the shadows and are now blatantly flaunting their capture of our government, electoral systems, financial systems, mainstream media, social media, and medical complex. They have gauged the intellectual, ethical, and mathematical aptitude of the masses and found them wanting. They have no fear of significant pushback as they commit treason by stealing a presidential election, trashing the Constitution, destroying small business owners, impoverishing what remains of the middle class, and imposing totalitarian restrictions upon a compliant obedient populace. A nation once populated by independent minded, self-reliant, frontiersmen has rotted from within, as the country is now populated by millions of weak minded, submissive, docile sheep, allowing themselves to be bullied and propagandized into paralysis, while texting, tweeting and facebooking their every mindless thought to their followers. Unless the Trump forces can prove fraud on a multi-state basis or are willing to take the drastic step of utilizing the September 12, 2018 Executive Order regarding foreign interference in elections as justification for using the Insurrection Act in overturning the fraudulent outcome of the election, the end of the nation as we know it will have arrived. Losing the two Senate runoff elections in Georgia would greatly accelerate the decline. If more Americans had the ability and/or desire to think critically, rather than choosing to be willfully ignorant and entranced by their electronic gadgets, they would understand how they are being manipulated and played by global elites, corporate fascists, billionaire totalitarians, and a corporate media using a common narrative as propaganda to mold their minds and play upon their emotions. It is not a coincidence when common phrases and narratives are propagated by those pulling the strings behind the scenes of this Potemkin village of villainy. It has never been more apparent than during this year of pandemic hysteria. Phrases like dark winter, lockdown, build back better, we are all in this together (were not), flatten the curve, social distancing, stop the spread, self-quarantine, contact tracing, new normal, remote learning, black lives matter, and of course The Great Reset, have been introduced into our vocabulary as a means of controlling, dehumanizing, and invoking fear among the population. Bidens handlers have had him fear mongering with the Dark Winter jargon since October, as their plan was to not pass a relief bill for poverty stricken unemployed workers and small businesses; ramp up testing to extraordinary levels using a PCR test guaranteed to produce millions of false positives; and classify the deaths of thousands of very old people as Covid deaths, no matter what they really died from; all to seize power over the government. The propaganda of Dark Winter is designed to scare the population into submitting to lockdowns, canceling Thanksgiving and Christmas, begging for the Big Pharma vaccines, and allowing totalitarian mandates from Washington DC, state capitols, and localities to be executed without resistance. With the unceasing support of left-wing media outlets, the use of dire warnings by your overlords isnt based upon facts, but a purposeful effort to appeal to the emotions of the non-critical thinking masses. When doing a search regarding Dark Winter you find a conspiracy theorist bonanza. Operation Dark Winter was the code name for a bio-terrorist simulation conducted in June 2001 by John Hopkins, high-level government officials and the media regarding a widespread small-pox attack scenario. The similarities to the release of a virus from a Chinese bio-weapon lab in Wuhan are a little eerie. The findings from this simulation should be familiar to anyone who has been paying attention for the last ten months. Dark Winter outlined the possible breakdown in essential institutions, resulting in a loss of confidence in government, followed by civil disorder, and a violation of democratic processes by authorities attempting to restore order. Shortages of vaccines and other drugs affected the response available to contain the epidemic, as well as the ability of political leaders to offer reassurance to the American people. State government leaders wanted to invoke mandatory quarantining and border control. The lack of coordinated healthcare response exacerbated the fear of the population and overwhelmed the capacity in hospitals. The most pertinent finding from the simulation was information management would be the critical element in manipulating the crisis. They would need to manage the narrative to convince the population lockdowns, mandatory vaccinations, and disease containment measures were good for society, and most importantly, the government knew what was best. It seems those who believe they know what is best for the world Gates, Soros, Schwab, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Dorsey, Obama, Clinton, along with other Deep State operatives have put these lessons to good use. They understand the power of Bernays propaganda techniques, combined with modern day technological algorithms and psychological manipulation, along with population dumbed down by decades of government school indoctrination where they were taught to feel rather than think. They know if they can successfully market their desired narrative through plugging paid expert opinions, unceasing mainstream media messaging, social media promotion of the narrative and suppression of counter-narratives through censorship, and politicians mouthing what they are told to regurgitate by their puppeteer controllers, they will achieve their objectives. You can even use their own technology to prove their duplicitous intentions. Google Trends reveals the phrase Dark Winter was virtually non-existent until October 2020. The Deep State public relations leeches running Bidens campaign did some psychological testing on potential propaganda victims and found having Biden, his minions, and co-conspiratorial media utter this phrase thousands of times per day would invoke enough fear to convince the plebs to stay locked down, masked up, and pleading for the vaccine. The message was designed to scare enough people into voting for Biden, that the election rigging wouldnt seem as blatant as it became. The Dark Winter narrative peaked in the weeks following the election but is now being revived as part of the Big Government/Big Pharma marketing campaign to shame and fear the ignorant masses into compliantly getting injected with an experimental Big Pharma vaccine, with unknown long-term effects. So, what is the ultimate purpose of this propaganda campaign? There are no coincidences when it comes to the narrative being utilized to manipulate the minds of the masses during this deliberately over-hyped pandemic. Is the virus real? Based on personal anecdotes of numerous people who have had this China flu, it most certainly makes some people extremely sick and contributes to the deaths of some people. Most people barely notice any symptoms. People less than 70 years old and in relatively good health have a 99.7% chance of not dying from this flu. Even those over 70 have a 94.6% chance of surviving if they get this flu. This flu contributes to the deaths of the very old and very sick, probably shortening their lives by months, not years. Maybe that is why the study done by a doctor at Johns Hopkins showing no excess mortality in the U.S. during 2020, needed to be scrubbed, deleted and memory holed it revealed the pandemic hysteria narrative to be false. Amazingly, reported flu cases are down 98%, with no deaths, and deaths from heart disease and other respiratory ailments have plummeted. What a coincidence. Based on the positivity rate from the mass testing, it appears 10% of the population has had or has this flu. There have been 326,000 deaths classified as Covid since March. We know this is a grossly exaggerated number because the medical industrial complex is highly compensated by the government with your money to classify deaths as Covid. Actual data shows only 6% of the total deaths are from Covid alone. Also, for those incapable of critical thinking, a case is not a sickness. Most people testing positive (due to faulty PCR tests) dont know they even have this dreadful disease. And now that everyone entering a hospital for a procedure gets tested, a positive test means they are classified as a Covid hospitalization. The masking saves lives narrative is a complete and utter joke, as proved by any factual analysis which will be immediately suppressed by Facebook, Twitter, and Google. How many tik-tok nurse dance routines does it take for people to realize the hospitals at capacity narrative is bullshit? We also know for a fact over 40% of all deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, thanks to best selling author on leadership and Emmy award winner Andrew Cuomo and his fellow left wing totalitarian governors Newsom, Wolf, Murphy and Whitmer. As the election approached, the daily testing was ramped from 1 million to over 2 million because the Resistance needed cases to surge and make it appear the situation was getting dramatically worse to help steal the election. All part of the plan, along with the necessity of mass mail-in ballot voting because it was too dangerous to stand in line at polling places, but perfectly safe to be in massive lines at Wal-Mart, Target and Costco. And now we have the full press life-saving vaccine marketing campaign, on par with the rollout of version 6,875 of the Apple iphone, designed to enrich Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, and the other dozen Big Pharma mega-corporations and their billionaire benefactors. The televised vaccine injections by politicians, Hollywood actors, Fauci, and other important people are broadcasted breathlessly by the vacuous bimbo and brainless male model talking heads on CNN, MSNBC and the other propaganda media to convince the ignorant masses they need to blindly comply to save themselves from a horrible disease with a 99.7% survival rate. The concerted effort to scorn, ridicule, censor and disallow any discussion about the tremendous effectiveness of Hydroxychloroquine + Zinc + Zpack in curing this virus is another example of the Big Pharma profits mantra as the dominant theme. This perfectly safe and effective treatment only costs a few bucks and doesnt enrich the pandemia crowd, so it had to be squashed. How many people died because politicians banned this treatment until after the election? Ivermectin, generally used to treat parasite infestations, has also proven to be highly effective in treating Covid-19, but you will never hear Fauci or a MSM talking head admit this is true. There are billions to be made. And if cases begin to peak, just announce a new mutant strain with no proof or data, and the fearful masses will again beg the government to keep them locked down. There is a population to control and reduce. They expect you to believe the 95% vaccine success rate after 9 months, when they havent achieved a 40% success rate with the annual flu after decades. And they absolutely know the long-term effects of a product they just produced with far less testing than has been done to test the safety of previous vaccines. Five years from now when negative impacts begin to reveal themselves, they will say how could we have known?. And since the mega-corporation Pharma companies have been granted immunity from liability for their negligence, their hundreds of billions in profits will be safe. How long before Fauci is sitting on the Boards of Pfizer and Moderna, collecting six figure board fees? It is fascinating how the WHO suddenly changed their definition of herd immunity on their website to say that it can only be achieved through vaccinations, which is categorically untrue. When you realize the breadth of this conspiracy of billionaire oligarchs, the UN, WHO, CDC, corrupt politicians, Big Pharma, the entire medical complex, corporate media, and feckless bureaucrats, to plunder the wealth of the masses and implement their command-and-control agenda, you might understand Menckens rage. In Part Two of this article I will lay out Klaus Schwabs master plan to reset the world in the warped vision of the globalist elites. In Part Three I will use the wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien to try and map a path through these dark times. If you feel youve received some value from this article and this blog dedicated to free speech and truth in the face of lies, corruption and fake news, feel free to make a Donation to keep the lights on at The Burning Platform. By James Quinn quinnadvisors@comcast.net James Quinn is a senior director of strategic planning for a major university. James has held financial positions with a retailer, homebuilder and university in his 22-year career. Those positions included treasurer, controller, and head of strategic planning. He is married with three boys and is writing these articles because he cares about their future. He earned a BS in accounting from Drexel University and an MBA from Villanova University. He is a certified public accountant and a certified cash manager. These articles reflect the personal views of James Quinn. They do not necessarily represent the views of his employer, and are not sponsored or endorsed by his employer. 2019 Copyright James Quinn - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. James Quinn Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. [January 05, 2021] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, a Leading Securities Fraud Law Firm, Announces the Filing of a Securities Class Action on Behalf of SolarWinds Corporation (SWI) Investors Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM"), a leading national shareholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired SolarWinds (News - Alert) Corporation ("SolarWinds" or the "Company") (NYSE: SWI) securities between February 24, 2020 and December 15, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). SolarWinds investors have until March 5, 2021 to file a lead plaintiff motion. If you suffered a loss on your SolarWinds investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information at https://www.glancylaw.com/cases/solarwinds-corporation/. You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at shareholders@glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights. On December 13, 2020, Reuters (News - Alert) reported hackers have been monitoring email traffic at the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments. The hackers are believed to have breached the emails by deceptively interfering with updates released by SolarWinds, which services various government vendors in the executive branch, the military, and the intelligence services. On December 14, 2020, the Company disclosed that "a vulneability [was inserted] within its Orion monitoring products which, if present and activated, could potentially allow an attacker to compromise the server on which the Orion products run." The vulnerability was inserted in Orion products downloaded, as well as updates released, between March and June 2020. On this news, the Company's stock price fell $3.93, or 17%, to close at $19.62 per share on December 14, 2020, thereby injuring investors. Then, on December 15, 2020, Reuters reported that Vinoth Kumar, a security researcher, alerted the Company last year that anyone could access SolarWinds' update server by using the password "solarwinds123." The article also reported that co-founder of cybersecurity company Huntress, Kyle Hanslovan, noticed the malicious updates were still available for download even days after SolarWinds was aware their software was compromised. On this news, the Company's stock price fell $1.56, or 8%, to close at $18.06 per share on December 15, 2020, thereby injuring investors further. The complaint filed alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) since mid-2020, SolarWinds Orion monitoring products had a vulnerability that allowed hackers to compromise the server upon which the products ran; (2) SolarWinds' update server had an easily accessible password of 'solarwinds123'; (3) consequently, SolarWinds' customers, including, among others, the Federal Government, Microsoft, Cisco (News - Alert) , and Nvidia, would be vulnerable to hacks; (4) as a result, the Company would suffer significant reputational harm; and (5) as a result, Defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. If you purchased or otherwise acquired SolarWinds securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than March 5, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff. To be a member of the Class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the Class. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Charles Linehan, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to shareholders@glancylaw.com, or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005898/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A Magnolia apartment complex at 4235-4239 27th Ave. W. sold for a little over $2.8 million, according to King County records. The sellers were three private investors in Pennsylvania, which acquired the property in 2010 for about $1.4 million. . . . The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Samuel Gridley Howe is known as the first director of the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Massachusetts and a notable abolitionist during the Civil War era. He was born to parents Joseph N. Howe, a ship ropemaker, and Martha Gridley Howe in 1801. Howe graduated from Brown University in 1821 and Harvard Medical School in 1824. During the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s and 30s, Howe served as a soldier and doctor. In later years, he married Julia Ward Howe and together they had six children. After returning from the war in Greece, Howe met with his friend, Dr. John Fisher. Fisher founded the New England Asylum for the Blind in 1829, and he invited Howe to become the institutions first director. Howe accepted this offer and began researching similar programs in Europe. Serving as first director was a major undertaking. The Asylum was the first school for the blind in the US, so Howe relied on European models for inspiration. Howe returned to the US with devices and programs he had learned and gathered from European schools. The first students at the American school arrived in 1832, ranging in ages 6 to 21. Thomas H. Perkins, a wealthy trustee and for which the school was eventually renamed, donated his home as their teaching space. In 1839, the school moved to the Mt. Washington House Hotel in South Boston. Today, the Perkins School for the Blind is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Samuel Gridley Howe believed that blind students should not be doomed to inequality or regarded as mere objects of pity. Instead, he advocated for their education and traveled across 15 states to support schooling programs elsewhere in the country. In his first years as director, Howe helped found schools for the blind in Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. In later years, Howe founded schools for children with intellectual disabilities in 1848 and deaf children in 1867. Howe opposed sign language as a method of communication. Instead, he preferred to teach lipreading and oral communication. Howe also developed an embossed letter system for the blind to read. This was first known as the Howe Type and later as the Boston Line Type. This reading format was used until Braille came into common use by the late 1800s. Howe gained fame in 1837 when he invited Laura Bridgman, a child with deafblindness, to attend Perkins Institution for the Blind. Bridgman drew attention as the first deafblind student to successfully receive an education. Bridgman later served as a teacher at the Perkins Institution. In 1843, Howe married Julia Ward, daughter of New York banker Samuel Ward and Julia Rush Cutler. Julia Ward Howe was an abolitionist and suffragist; she also wrote the Civil War-inspired song, Battle Hymn of the Republic. Though progressive in many ways, Samuel Gridley Howe disapproved of his wife having a career outside the home. In their private life, friends and family recalled Samuel Gridley Howe as disagreeable and self-important. Julia Ward Howe mothered six children and remained an activist throughout her life, particularly after her husbands death. Samuel Gridley Howe also took action against slavery. He founded an antislavery newspaper, the Boston Daily Commonwealth, which he edited with Julia Ward Howe. He also helped form the Boston Vigilance Committee, which was concerned with the protection of former slaves. Though he disapproved of the attack at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in 1859, Howe supported attack leader John Brown and the work of other abolitionists. In 1850, Howe along with other abolitionists, protested at Faneuil Hall in Boston and tried to free a captured escaped slave, Anthony Burns. According to the Fugitive Slave Law, Anthony Burns was required to return to his owner in Virginia. A year later, Howe and others raised enough money to pay for Burns freedom. Again, in 1852, Howe and fellow abolitionists supported the escape of another enslaved man to reach freedom. In 1863, Dr. Howe visited Canada and interviewed several freed black men and women about their experiences traveling on the Underground Railroad and reaching Canada. These interviews were compiled in The Refugees from Slavery in Canada West, published in 1864. This book served as evidence in Congress for those in favor of the 14th Amendment. During the Civil War, Howe served as one of the directors on the Sanitary Commission. This commission aimed to improve hygiene standards and prevent outbreaks of disease. After the war, Howe assisted with the Freedmens Bureau, a US agency which assisted to direct such issues of provisions, clothing, and fuel as well as the immediate and temporary shelter of freed enslaved individuals. In 1864, Howe became the chair of the Massachusetts State Board of Charities. Samuel Gridley Howe passed away at the age of 74 in 1876 and is buried at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months HK quarantine tag found on Taiwan beach The tag was found on Qixingtan beach in Hualien, Taiwan on Sunday. Photo via Facebook An electronic bracelet used for people who have been placed under coronavirus quarantine in Hong Kong has been found washed up on a beach in Taiwan. Emma Wong, a Hong Kong-based artist, posted on social media on Monday that the wristband was found on Qixingtan beach in Hualien. The photo was sent by a friend in Taiwan who found the bracelet during a beach clean-up on Sunday. It was not clear if the tag was removed by someone in Taiwan or if it had drifted across the ocean. The government currently uses three types of wristbands to monitor those under quarantine amid the pandemic. The wristband was first unveiled by the the authorities in February during the early days of the new coronavirus pandemic. The tag is used in conjunction with the government's "StayHomeSafe" mobile app. In response to enquiries, the office of the chief information officer told RTHK on Tuesday that most of the electronic tags are disposable, and individuals who complete their quarantine can delete the StayHomeSafe app and cut the electronic tag off themselves. The authorities also confirmed that as of the end of December last year, 410,000 electronic wristbands had been distributed, of which 27,000 or 6.5 percent were reusable. For those using the reusable tags, the government said that when the quarantine period ends they will contact the invidual to arrange for collection of the tag. The individual can either personally return the tag or they can arrange for someone to collect the tag from them. The Environmental Protection Department said the wristband is not medical waste, and when people have completed their quarantine, it can be disposed of in a covered rubbish bin. 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Visit: For more information, please visit the Down in Bermuda press page: www.yakandco.com/press-kit A British grandmother that shocked This Morning viewers when she shared graphic detail of her sexual antics with her Egyptian boyfriend 46 year her junior, has broken down in tears as she revealed fears she will never see him again. Mohamed Ahmed Ibriham, 35, swept British grandmother Iris Jones, 81, from Somerset, off her feet when they met on Facebook last year and she flew to Egypt to be with him. The couple made hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield blush last year after admitting that their first night of passion, which included an 'entire tube of KY jelly', left Iris 'saddle sore', and went on to wed last November. But now Iris, a former cleaner who claims pension and disability benefits, has now revealed she is worried she may never see the love of her life again because he is struggling to secure a spousal visa for the UK due to red tape. Iris Jones, 81, from Somerset, broke down in tears as she said she fears she will never see the love of her life, Egyptian toyboy and husband Mohamed, 35, again because red tape is stopping him coming to the UK Speaking to Metro.co.uk, she broke down in tears, and said she had no idea when her husband would be able to join her in Britain. She explained: 'Im separated from someone I love, its so hard. I havent got time on my side, his lawyers know that. Ive had to go over there three times and come back without him.' She confessed she had spent days 'crying all the time' because she misses her beau but doesn't want to move to Egypt because the environment is ill-suited to her health. She said Egypt 'doesn't suit her' because it is 'too hot and dusty', adding: 'I can't go back to Egypt.' Iris left This Morning viewers shocked by sharing graphic details of her sex life with her Egyptian toyboy Mohamed Ahmed Ibriham last year Meanwhile she also revealed she was 'skint' after previous trips to the country, after spending 50 per day on accommodation. Iris added: I havent got age on my side. I could drop dead tomorrow. Every day is precious. Its bloody awful being apart. It comes months after she appeared on This Morning, and said her family had not contacted her since she and Mohamed tied the knot. At the time, she sent a call for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to let Mohamed come to the UK, where he would be an 'asset' to the economy. Iris opened up about the lack of reaction from her family following her wedding announcement, saying: 'I'm getting the silent treatment, I haven't heard anything yet, I'll get in touch with them when I'm about to return to England on 11 December because I need to know how they feel about Mohamed.' 'He is wonderful, but the fact that their father is younger than their sons is maybe a point of contention. The grandmother said she fears she 'hasn't got time on her side' when it comes to spending time with Mohamed, who is still living in Egypt 'But it makes no difference. I'm older than his mother and father, my mother-in-law and father-in-law are younger than me,' Iris said. 'It makes no difference, we love each other and that's all that matters,' she concluded. The couple recounted how they tied the knot and celebrated during their segment, with Iris saying: 'It was third time lucky for us.' The couple did not go through a traditional wedding, but signed paper written in Arabic to make things official. British grandmother Iris appeared on This Morning in November when she spoke of celebrating her wedding to her husband at the local KFC 'It was an exchange of documents. We had to sign several documents for the signature,' she said. 'After that, the document was handed to us, one for Mohamed and one for me, all in Arabic, I don't know what it says at all,' she said. 'It might say that i'm completely under his thumb, but if that's the case, I'm not,' she added. The couple then revealed they had not celebrated their union with a reception, but rather had gone to their local KFC, because they enjoyed the food and Iris had a Coca Cola. Iris was a bit more tongue-tied about their bedroom antics after Holly asked: 'How was the wedding night, dare I ask.' 'Just the same as the first night, just it wasn't so difficult this time,' Iris said. Meanwhile, Mohamed shared how he felt about his union with Iris, saying: 'My feel is very good, we have in the past difficulties.' He added he was worried for Iris due to the coranavirus pandemic, but that it did not matter to him whether the couple stayed in Egypt or went to the UK. The couple made hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield blush earlier this year after admitting that their first night of passion, which included an 'entire tube of KY jelly', left Iris 'saddle sore'. Iris first struck up a conversation with Cairo native Mohamed, in summer 2019on a Facebook group exploring atheism. He initially declared love for her through social media and then said his feelings were confirmed when he saw Iris for the first time at Cairo airport that November. Mohamed swept British gran Iris off her feet when they met on Facebook in 2019 and she flew to Egypt to be with him Speaking to MailOnline earlier this year, he recalled: I was very nervous but the moment I laid eyes on her I knew that it was true love. Im a very lucky man to have found a woman like this.' Mohamed worked as welding inspector but gave up his job to spend time with Iris when she came to Cairo. He lives in a three-room house with his parents plus two sisters and a brother who are all younger than him, but vehemently denied he was with Iris for her money or a passport to Britain. Iris, a former cleaner, lives in a 220,000 bungalow and gets by on a 200-a-week pension and disability benefit. Mohamed said: I dont care where we live or how rich or poor she is, I just want to be with Iris. 'At the end of the day, which country she wants to make her home is her choice; it can be either Britain or Egypt. People think I am with her for all the wrong reasons. I know Britain is a beautiful country and a lot of people want to go there but Im not bothered. I'm prepared to live with her anywhere in the world. Mohamed revealed that during her visit to Egypt he took Iris home for dinner, where she spent time with his mother. My mother really liked Iris and they got on well even though there was a language problem. Iris left This Morning presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield in hysterics after she appeared on the programme in January to discuss her sex life 'But my mother said to me that if Im happy, then shes happy. Thats all any mother wants; for her son to be with a woman he really loves. Iris, who divorced her ex-husband more than 40 years ago, has now managed to save up to and return to Egypt in order to marry Mohamed, who is from Giza The couple's relationship hit the spotlight earlier this year when Iris went on ITV's This Morning to discuss the huge age gap and ended up revealing details of their sex life. Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield weren't prepared for how forthcoming she would be and immediately collapsed in giggles as the OAP exclaimed: 'The first night was pretty rough. 'Nobody had been near me for 35 years... I thought I was a virgin again!' As Phil, 57, held his head in his hands, Iris continued: 'Can I tell you what we used? A whole tube of KY jelly'. Collapsing in laughter, a flustered Holly, 38, couldn't control herself as Iris continued: 'The thing is I couldn't walk the next day... I felt like I was riding a horse! Saddle sore wasn't in it. Anyway, we got over it.' Rapper Mase returns to pulpit as new senior pastor of troubled The Gathering Oasis Church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Mason Durell Betha, popularly known as rapper Mase who rose to fame in the 1990s before finding faith and developing a rocky record as a church leader, has been named as the new senior pastor of The Gathering Oasis Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Cornelius Lindsey, who founded The Gathering Oasis Church, made the announcement in a statement on Facebook Sunday. Pastor Mase, first off....WELCOME BACK! Lindsey began, referencing Mases 2004 Welcome Back album, which was released five years after the rapper famously announced at the height of his career that he was retiring from the music industry to follow God in 1999. Mase went on to start El Elyon International Church with gatherings in Atlanta and Phoenix. He then attempted a second comeback to the hip-hop world in 2009. He cut ties with the church in 2014 after his divorce filing from his wife Twyla Betha was made public, angering parishioners. Pastor Lindsey, who recently resigned as leader of the church following allegations of spiritual, financial and psychological abuse, expressed optimism about Mases return to the pulpit with a fresh vision and renewed hope for his congregants. Ive been encouraged by our conversations and your heart for the people. You come with a fresh vision and renewed hope. Im thankful for our initial conversation that started out talking about life and slowly unraveled into a serious conversation on transitioning thats brought us to this point today, Lindsey wrote. He explained that when he launched the church in 2013, it was around the same time that Mase began his transition away from church leadership. Now that he is ready to move on from his ministry at a time when Mase is ready to return, Lindsey suggested God may have a hand in the timing. When I started contemplating moving on from pastoring three years ago, you were considering coming back. God was directing our path individuallyseparatelyuntil it was time, and the timing was perfect. If all God wanted me to do was remain content in my assignment until you were ready then Im fine with that. It was all worth it to get to this point, he said. Nothing was wasted, which is Gods style. Im praying for your continued success! May God bless you on this journey. I love you forever, The Gathering Oasis Church. In a discussion with Lindsey published on YouTube Sunday, Mase said his vision for the church is to see the current generation turn back to God. I really see this generation being turned back into Gods hands. I think theres been a major challenge with the city like being able to direct people back to God and I really welcome the challenge to do so, he said. The rapper explained that Lindsey had been asking him about taking over the church for a while but he kept telling him he needed to pray about it. At one point during the discussion, Mase asked Lindsey what made him decide he should be the one to take over from him, Lindsey said he just felt like God sent him. The rapper also noted that the year Lindsey started the church is the year when he started having marriage troubles. Prominent televangelist and founder of World Changers Church International Creflo Dollar had high praise for The Gathering Oasis Church and their founders as well as the selection of Mase to replace them. We are transitioning over to Pastor Mase and Twyla Betha. You know what an act of love to decide that we cant leave you comfortless. It reminds me of what Jesus did when he left the earth. He said I wont leave you comfortless but Ill give you another comforter which is the Holy Ghost who will lead and guide you and teach you in all things. And thats what I see in this transition tonight. Another comforter, Dollar said, noting that the two are anointed to get the job done. In a public announcement Monday, Mase said everyone was welcome to attend his church. THANK YOU. Also tag someone who is expecting something great from God and let them know that God has already started answering prayers in 2021. Tag someone looking a new church family and remember ALL PEOPLE ARE WELCOMED, he noted on Instagram. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Flash Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday, after a British judge ruled that Assange could not be extradited to the United States "due to concerns about his mental health." In his customary morning press conference, the president said he will ask Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry to contact British officials over the asylum offer and request Assange be pardoned. "It is a triumph of justice. I commend England's action because Assange is a journalist and deserves a chance," Lopez Obrador told reporters, referring to the ruling. "We will give him protection, we will take that step," the president added. U.S. authorities wanted to try Assange, 49, for his alleged role in hacking and revealing U.S. military secrets. The controversial activist previously spent nearly seven years holed up inside Ecuador's embassy in London, where he sought and received political asylum. However, the British side claimed to arrest him if he set foot outside the embassy and never allowed him safe passage out of the country. He was eventually handed back to British authorities and imprisoned for breach of bail as alleged. BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- suitX, a California-based leading innovator in exoskeleton technologies, announces the launch of a novel wearable exoskeleton, shieldX. For use by healthcare personnel required to wear heavy anti-radiation aprons, shieldX removes 100% of the weight of a heavy anti-radiation apron from the user's shoulders and spine. shieldX aims to reduce neck and back injuries linked to these heavy aprons that are shortening careers and limiting activities outside of work. suitX "For years we have refined how to remove injurious forces off a person's joints through our industrial exoskeleton products, and we are very excited to bring this effective technology to the healthcare market," said Dr. Wayne Tung, the Chief Technology Officer at suitX, "shieldX is a game-changer; it provides a better quality of work for physicians and healthcare personnel who are wearing heavy anti-radiation clothing." shieldX eliminates spinal loading by transferring the entire apron weight from the shoulders to the buttocks and hips. For long procedures, a breathable mesh lumbar support promotes healthy standing posture and prevents the device from slipping over time. shieldX incorporates adjustable height, fitting up to 6'3" tall users. It has a flexible hip frame that conforms to 28"-60" waist. Additionally, shieldX has removable textile for hygiene. With no training needed, shieldX can be put on and taken off in less than 10 seconds. Additionally, a fan accessory cycles cool air across the user's back, neck, and upper arms to reduce any thermal discomfort often inherent in the use of heavy personal protective aprons. shieldX utilizes patented technologies and years of customer feedback gained from the industrial exoskeletons manufactured by suitX. Many studies have linked the heavy aprons to injuries. In an American Journal of Neuroradiology article in August 2000, Dr. Pelz states, "wearing a 15-pound lead apron can place pressures of up to 300 pounds per square inch of intravertebral discs." The publication warns, "cardiologists who wore lead aprons had a significantly higher incidence of skeletal complaints and more days missed from work because of back pain than did individuals of the control groups." "We want this device to work for everyone. Our focus is on user comfort and practicality in the healthcare environment," adds Dr. Logan Van Engelhoven, a research scientist at suitX in charge of the shieldX product, "The goal is to have a big impact in reducing the risk of long-term work-related injuries among healthcare personnel wearing heavy anti-radiation aprons." About suitX suitX is a venture capital-, industry- and government-funded exoskeleton company based in California. suitX designs and manufactures affordable medical and industrial exoskeleton technologies to improve the lives of workers and people with gait impairment. suitX has received investment from Wistron (Taiwan), been awarded several U.S. government awards and won two Saint-Gobain NOVA Innovation Awards. suitX has also won the $1 million USD top prize in the UAE AI and Robotics for Good Competition. suitX is currently seeking funding and strategic partners for creating global sales and marketing. Inquiries on investment can be sent to [email protected] Pre-orders are now being accepted for shieldX, which is expected to ship in Q1 of 2021. Please contact [email protected] for pricing. PR Contact: [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE suitX 1. Yes. The public must have assurances that ethical standards are met by everyone. 2. Yes. As long as an independent board hears the grievances, its a worthwhile idea. 3. No. The concept is too broad. It should be limited to the citys elected officials. 4. No. There are plenty of stipulations in place already. An ordinance is a waste of time. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say without seeing how it would be structured and applied. Vote View Results The website calls him an "accomplice of Russian invaders" and a "provocateur." Member of Ukraine's Mykolaiv City Council Maksym Nevenchannyy (Nevenchannyj) representing the Opposition Platform - For Life Party has been included in the so-called Myrotvorets ("Peacemaker") database of persons who pose a threat to Ukraine's national security. His profile appeared on the Myrotvorets database after he had posted New Year's greetings on his Facebook page with a screenshot of Russian President Vladimir Putin against the background of the Kremlin. "The Myrotvorets Center asks law enforcement agencies to consider this publication on the site as a statement about committing by this citizen of deliberate acts against Ukraine's national security, peace, human security, and international law and order, as well as other offenses," the site says. The website calls him an "accomplice of Russian invaders," a "provocateur" and accused him of a "denial of Russian aggression." The Opposition Platform - For Life Party's political council is headed by Viktor Medvedchuk, Vladimir Putin's closest ally in Ukraine. Nevenchannyy has already reacted to the fact that he was included in the Myrotvorets database, saying that his post with Putin's image had been criticized by "patriots on someone's signal," who "took it out on him because of high tariffs, poor healthcare services, and other things." He is confident that his act was politically correct. Nevenchannyy: Other controversial incidents Several years ago, Nevenchannyy came under an "attack" with the use of eggs. Several dozen young people on December 2, 2017, tried to disrupt an event with his participation in Kherson for his pro-Russian sentiments. And later, in May 2018, an unidentified person used a rubber sex toy to hit in Nevenchannyy's face instead of a microphone while the politician was talking with journalists. Reporting by UNIAN This years Kennedy Centre Honors will be a slimmed-down affair as the nation emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. The 43rd class of honorees includes country music legend Garth Brooks, dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen, actor Dick Van Dyke, singer-songwriter Joan Baez and violinist Midori. They were being honoured Friday night at a medallion ceremony that had been delayed from December 2020. WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans mounting an unprecedented challenge to Joe Bidens election win are setting up a congressional showdown on Wednesday that threatens to divide their party and the country for years to come. With protestors already gathering in Washington to support President Donald Trump, the House and the Senate will convene a joint session to count the electoral votes cast in November's election. Trump has repeatedly said there was widespread fraud, but his claims have been roundly rejected by Republican and Democratic election officials in state after state and by judges, including at the Supreme Court, further cementing Biden's victory. Trump sees the joint session of Congress as one of his final attempts to overturn the results, even though there is no credible path for that to happen. Echoing Trump's baseless claims, some of his Republican allies in Congress plan to formally object to the results, focusing on six battleground states - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. But a growing number of their GOP colleagues, especially in the Senate, said they would not sign on. If an objection has support from both a House member and a senator in writing, then both chambers will vote on it. That could happen three or more times on Wednesday as Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, along with at least ten other GOP senators, have indicated they will support at least some of the House challenges. It is unclear just what the Republican senators will do, but the process could drag into the night as the two chambers will have to consider each objection individually. There could be more than 100 Republicans in the House willing to object. The challenge to the presidential election is on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War, though the typically routine process of confirming Electoral College votes has been hit with brief objections before. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trumps win, but Biden, who presided at the time as the vice president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Trumps victory. In 2005, a challenge by a Democratic House member and a Democratic senator to George W. Bushs victory in Ohio was quickly dismissed by both chambers. FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2019 file photo, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington. A deepening divide among Republicans over President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election runs prominently through Wyoming, the state that delivered Trump's widest prevailing margin by far. Eleven Republican senators saying they will not be voting Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory include Wyoming's newly sworn in Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Cheyenne-area rancher and former congresswoman. Vocal opponents of any such move include Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, leader of GOP messaging in the House as its third-ranking Republican (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) The effort this week is expected to be much broader, but is all but certain to fail. Biden is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. Republicans had not yet settled on a full strategy the night before the joint session. A late-night meeting on Monday convened by Cruz reached few conclusions, according to two Republicans familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. Cruz will object to electoral results from Arizona, another Republican said - likely to be the first objection considered, in a state Biden won. Hawley has said he will object to the Pennsylvania results, and Loeffler may object to Georgia, where she was vying to keep her seat in a runoff election on Tuesday. With mounting desperation, Trump declared at a campaign rally for Loeffler and David Perdue in Georgia Monday that he would "fight like hell" to hold on to the presidency and he appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss. Perdue is seeking another six years in the Senate, but his term expired Sunday. The days ahead will be defining for his presidency. Trump is whipping up crowds and people are gathering in Washington, where security is on alert. Lawmakers are being told to arrive early at the Capitol and some are considering sleeping overnight in their offices to ensure they can safely access the building amid the protests. Vice President Mike Pence will be closely watched as he presides over the session. He is under growing pressure from Trump and others to tip the results in Trumps favor. But Pence has a ceremonial role that does not give him the power to affect the outcome. "I promise you this: On Wednesday, well have our day in Congress," Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesdays runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. But he did not detail what that meant. The high-stakes decisions on whether to ally with Trump are splitting the Republican Party. A range of Republican officials - including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan - have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. And more than a dozen Republican senators have said they will not support the effort. "The 2020 election is over," said a statement Sunday from a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah. Several others have said they, too, will not back objections, including Republican Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate who said last month he thought any challenges would go down "like a shot dog." In a statement Tuesday, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said that as he reads the Constitution, "there is no constitutionally viable means for the Congress to overturn an election wherein the states have certified and sent their electors." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in the battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era and create lingering resentments among Republican voters. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trumps base of supporters. Some other potential candidates, including Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, have chosen not to challenge the results. Cruzs coalition of 13 senators has said it will vote to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Congress is unlikely to agree to that. Facing the criticism from many in his own party, Cruz has attempted to put a finer point on his challenge. The commission remains his focus, he has said, not to undo the election results, even though that would be the practical effect of a successful objection. "We are going to vote to object to the electors - not to set aside the election, I dont think that would actually be the right thing to do," Cruz said on Mark Levin's conservative talk radio show Monday. "But rather to press for the appointment of an electoral commission." When the two chambers split to consider the objections and vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will preside over the House. If Pence does not preside over the Senate, it will be Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who serves as Senate pro tempore because he is the longest-serving senator in the majority. __ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Steve LeBlanc in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Jim Salter in OFallon, Missouri, Alan Fram in Washington and Tali Arbel of the Technology Team contributed. People attend a rally at Freedom Plaza Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue, at Dalton Regional Airport, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, in Dalton, Ga. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) A coalition of senators and senators-elect have pledged to reject the results. Vice President Mike Pence waves as he walks off the stage after speaking at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Cumming, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) People attend a rally at Freedom Plaza Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) MINUSCA's armoured vehicles and tankers operate next to the Cathedral of Bangassou (AFP or licensors) Rebels have attacked the city of Bangassou in the Central African Republic in a Sunday 3 January 2021 early morning attack. Vatican News English Africa Service The citys Catholic Bishop, Juan-Jose Aguirre Munoz, MCCI, said Monday, the situation was calm, but there had been looting, and many residents had fled into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). An assault on the city by rebels and mercenaries Earlier reports spoke of artillery attack on the city by the suspected infamous 3R rebels (3R -Retour, Reclamation, Rehabilitation) and the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC) rebels. Bishop Munoz, however, said a combination of mercenaries and rebels had overrun the city. The mercenaries are looking for natural resources and wealth. Yes, Bangassou has fallen into the hands of the rebels, many of whom are mercenaries and people from Niger. The morning (Sunday) was hectic. There was heavy artillery from 5 am with about thirty dead and wounded, said Bishop Munoz, the Bishop of Bangassou, a city in the southeastern Central African Republic, lying on the north bank of the Mbomou River. Residents have fled to nearby DRC The Bishop reports that, after trying to resist the rebel offensive, government soldiers fled Bangassou. The military put up resistance for several hours but were overwhelmed, said Bishop Munoz. As a result of the fighting, part of the population of Bangassou has fled to Congo, said the Bishop. Civilians have crossed the Mbomou River to seek refuge in the town of Ndu, just across the border. Bangassou is almost deserted now. Sunday night went fairly well. There was no shooting, confirmed Bishop Munoz. Touadera wins CARs presidential election The siege on the city of Bangassou further complicates President Faustin-Archange Touaderas electoral win announced Monday. According to Reuters, Touadera won Central African Republics 27 December presidential election by securing more than 53% of votes in the first round, according to provisional results announced by the electoral commission on Monday. Faustin-Archange Touadera, having received the absolute majority of the vote in the first round with 53.9%, is declared winner, Mathias Morouba, president of the electoral commission, told a news conference in the capital, Bangui. CARs election was marred by a coordinated offensive carried out by rebel groups who tried to disrupt the vote after its highest court rejected former President Francois Bozizes candidacy. GLASTONBURY State police are seeking witnesses to a deadly crash on Route 2 late Monday afternoon that killed a 58-year-old woman. First responders were dispatched for a reported crash on Route 2 west near the Exit 9 on-ramp around 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to an accident report released by Connecticut State Police on Tuesday. Police said a 62-year-old Hartford man was driving on Route 2 west in the right of two lanes when he rear-ended Colchester resident Marie Mathieu, who was on the shoulder of Route 2 west at the top of the Exit 9 on-ramp. The crash pushed Mathieus car into the metal beam guardrail on the side of the road, police said. Mathieu, a Coco Drive resident, was taken to Hartford Hospital with serious injuries and died shortly afterward, police said. The Hartford man was uninjured and declined medical treatment, police said. State police said both vehicles suffered disabling damage and had to be towed from the scene. The crash remains under investigation. Police asked any witnesses to the crash to come forward, and asked anyone who might have been driving through the area with a camera in their vehicle at the time of the crash to review their footage and send it to investigating officers. Witnesses are asked to reach out to Trooper First Class John Wilson at Troop H at 860-534-1098 or john.wilson@ct.gov. Genworth Financial and China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. cant seem to put the finishing touches on their agreement for Oceanworth to buy Genworth, a $2.7 billion cash deal that was first proposed in October 2016. The parties had originally hoped to close by Nov. 30, 2020 and said they were working on an extension of that deadline but that has not happened. The merger agreement remains in effect even though neither party is proposing to extend the end date at this time. Rather they say they will get back together if some of the obstacles to closing the deal can be addressed. According to Oceanwide, those obstacles include the finalization of the Hony Capital financing terms and restrictions brought about by the pandemic. Oceanwide has shared that it will continue to work towards closing the transaction, and Genworth remains open to completing the transaction if Oceanwide completes the remaining steps, said a statement released by the two parties. In the meantime, Delaware-based Genworth has a backup plan. It said it is focusing on executing a potential partial initial public offering (IPO) of Genworths U.S. mortgage insurance business, which would help it meet near-term liabilities of approximately $1.0 billion of debt due in 2021. Genworth has already executed other parts of its contingency plan to recover from losses on its long-term care business. It has closed on the sale of its Canadian mortgage insurance business for approximately $1.8 billion in December 2019 and completed a $750 million debt offering at the U.S. mortgage insurance holding company level in August 2020. In addition, Genworth said it settled litigation with AXA in July 2020. As a result of actions it has taken, Genworth said it has reduced holding company debt over time and built a position of approximately $1.0 billion in cash and liquid assets as of December 31, 2020. Approximately $340 million of this cash balance is ring-fenced to pay for Genworths February 2021 senior notes at maturity. Genworth previously disclosed that it intends to manage its U.S. life insurance companies on a standalone basis with no plans to infuse capital into those companies in the future, absent an Oceanwide transaction. James Riepe, non-executive chairman of the Genworth board, putting the situation with Oceanwide in context, said when its directors weighed another extension they believed a closing on the deal was near. But that is no longer the case. Given the most recent update, we do not believe a closing can occur in the near term. Thus, the management team will fully focus its efforts on executing our contingency plan, he said. Tom McInerney, Genworth president and CEO, said the parties retain the ability to ultimately complete the transaction if Oceanwide can secure the required funding and the parties can complete the remaining steps to closing, and if the transaction is still in the best interests of Genworth at that time. LU Zhiqiang, chairman of Oceanwide, said his company still believes the value of the transaction is significant for both parties stakeholders, and his team is continuing to work towards completing the transaction with Genworth. Regulatory Approvals The transaction has received all U.S. regulatory approvals needed to close the transaction. The deal had been stalled over concerns by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) about Chinese access to sensitive U.S. personal data. That panel eventually approved the deal in June 2018 after Genworth agreed to use a U.S.-based, third-party service provider to manage the data of its U.S. policyholders. The securities industrys self-regulatory body, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, has confirmed that the transaction may close. The North Carolina Department of Insurance has extended its previously-granted approval through Jan. 24, 2021. The transaction is still subject to confirmation by the Delaware Department of Insurance. Also, Chinas National Development and Reform Commission last month renewed its approval of the acquisition. Given the passage of time as well as the terms of these approvals, the parties said they will need to assess whether re-approvals or confirmations are necessary at the appropriate time. Genworth sells mortgage insurance and long term care insurance. Oceanwide is a privately held, family owned international financial holding group founded by LU Zhiqiang. Headquartered in Beijing, China, Oceanwides businesses include operations in financial services, energy, technology information services, culture and media, and real estate assets globally, including in the United States. Oceanwide also has real estate investments in the U.S. Topics China When the 21st century began, no legislative chamber in the country was more volatile than the Indiana House. Control switched between Republicans and Democrats no fewer than six times between 1990 and 2010. During the 1989-1990 session, the chamber was tied, leading to the practice of having a speaker du jour, with party control effectively changing hands on a daily basis.The idea of a Democratic majority in Indiana is a dim memory at this point. Republicans took over the House in 2010 and havent looked back since. Although they gave up three seats in November, they still hold two-thirds of the chamber. As in many other states, Democrats have been wiped out in rural counties. Theres only one Democrat left in the Indiana House who holds a rural seat. In the southwestern section of the state -- once such a competitive region that the congressional district was known for decades as the bloody 8th -- a Democrat represents downtown Evansville but Republicans control everything else. Its dramatic supermajorities in both chambers, says Robert Dion, a University of Evansville political scientist. The minority party is teetering on irrelevance.What makes the Indiana example important is that its not an exception. Instead, such circumstances have become common. All over the country, chambers that once were up for grabs are now firmly controlled by one party holding what resembles an open-ended lease. There are exceptions, but in most states, either Democrats or Republicans have held power for years and are unlikely to give it up anytime soon. There are only two split legislatures in the entire country -- Congress and Minnesota, says Matt Walter, president of the Republican State Leadership Committee. Everyone else lives in a state that is either red or blue.Look at Indianas neighbors. Republicans have been out of power in the Illinois House since 1996. The question during election years isnt whether Democrats will win, but whether theyll win big enough to hold a supermajority. Ohio, long considered a bellwether state in presidential voting, has become solidly red at the legislative level, with Republican supermajorities in both chambers. As in Indiana, Republicans took the state House in 2010 and have held it ever since. Theyve controlled the Ohio Senate since the mid-1980s. Having picked up a seat in November, Republicans now hold their largest majority in the chamber in 70 years.In American state politics these days, power results not from a contest of ideas, but rather from demographic identities. The country is divided along various, often overlapping lines, including race, age, gender, religious attendance and, increasingly, education levels. These various subgroups of Americans are increasingly sorted into separate geographic areas, a reality reflected in legislative results. These are close to winner-take-all situations for the majority party. Despite the upcoming presidential election and the round of redistricting that will follow, the map of legislative control isnt likely to change much in the coming years.As Walter notes, Minnesota is now the only state with a divided legislature -- largely because the state Senate wasnt up for grabs in the fall. The last time the nation had only one divided legislature was way back in 1914. Most legislatures today are not only unified but home to solid majorities. Supermajorities have become common and majorities on average are growing larger. Over the past decade, the median majority in state houses has risen from 22 seats to 29, while increasing in state senates from nine to 14 seats.Whats happened is that America has been experiencing a slow-motion realignment, with broad swaths of the country now off-limits to one party or the other. In the old days, when the South was solidly Democratic, voters there were often referred to as yellow dog Democrats, meaning theyd vote for a yellow dog before theyd vote for a Republican. Now yellow dog fever is common in both parties. Divided by nothing so profound as slavery, which led to century-long Southern Democratic intransigence, the countrys politics have nonetheless become sectarian again, with blocs of voters differing on issues they consider fundamental and non-negotiable. Increasingly, Democrats wont consider voting for any Republican at any level of government, a disdain Republicans are more than willing to return in kind. Democrats run up Soviet-style majorities in central cities and college towns, while their candidates fare even worse in rural and exurban America than they did during Barack Obamas presidency. Thats why prominent Democratic gubernatorial contenders Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum lost last year in Georgia and Florida, respectively.Lightning can strike anywhere -- Louisiana has a Democratic governor and Massachusetts a Republican governor -- but in most states the playing field has become tilted, with politicians from the minority party starting out well behind. Total control creates a spiraling effect for the out party, with donors and the national party unwilling to throw money at what look like losing propositions. In politics, power allows whichever party is in control to further bake in its advantages, while the bench on the other side starts to empty out. When you take a pasting, money dries up, volunteer enthusiasm goes down, candidate recruitment is harder, says Dion of the University of Evansville. Everything conspires to make it difficult for the party thats out of power.Republicans currently control the legislatures in 31 states, while Democrats hold 18. In three-quarters of the states, the same party controls both the legislature and the governors office. It would be tempting to say that the era of divided government is over, except for the fact that governors, at least, are able to carve out personal profiles that sometimes allow them to cut against the partisan grain of their states. Popular Republican governors were reelected last year in otherwise blue states including Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont, while Democrats took back governorships in states that supported Donald Trump in 2016 such as Kansas, Michigan and Wisconsin.In Illinois, where Chicago and its suburbs can outvote the rest of the state, Democrats are in the drivers seat. In Indiana and Ohio, where the cities are smaller and minority populations are lower, Republican rule is assured. Until minority parties find a way of reshaping their coalitions, they face lowered ceilings of support in nearly every corner of the country. In the [Indiana] Senate, theres really no way youre ever going to see Democrats significantly increase their numbers, because of the demographic patterns, says Ed Feigenbaum, editor ofThe Senate is basically off-limits to Democrats.There have always been one-party states -- blue Hawaiis and Marylands, Democratic deserts in Idaho and South Dakota. But until this decade, states with seemingly permanent legislative majorities were exceptional. Now, theyre more common than not. In both 2016 and 2018, stasis was the rule, with far fewer chambers changing hands than has been the historic norm. Last November, all but a few chambers saw less than five seats flip one way or the other. It was more common for no seats to change hands at all than to see pickups numbering in the double digits.From Arkansas to Oregon, states that were competitive at the start of the decade have become strictly one-sided affairs. Nothing is forever in politics, but traditional swing states such as Colorado, Iowa and Nevada have all pledged their allegiance to one-party control. In the wake of the 2018 election, obituaries are being written for the Democratic Party in Missouri, another former presidential bellwether where the party lost a U.S. Senate seat and where two decades of GOP dominance in the legislature show no sign of abating. Meanwhile in California, no Republican running for statewide office managed to crack even 40 percent of the vote. Republicans elected a grand total of one new member to the state Assembly, the partys loneliest freshman class since 1958. Democrats hold a 46-7 advantage in the congressional delegation, representing the smallest GOP share since 1883. The California Republican Party isnt salvageable at this time, Kristin Olsen, a former GOP Assembly leader, wrote shortly after the election.Despite giving up a few chambers in the fall, Republicans still control the legislature in every state that President Trump carried in 2016. Thanks to their gains last year, Democrats now control both legislative chambers in every state that Hillary Clinton won, with the exception of the Virginia House and Senate and the Minnesota Senate, all of which are virtually tied but were not up for grabs in 2018. In states where Trumps approval rating has fallen by at least 10 points since he took office, Democrats improved their share of legislative seats by 4.6 percent, according to calculations by St. Louis University political scientist Steven Rogers.But there arent many states where Trumps approval ratings have fallen that dramatically, or risen by much either. His poll numbers have remained remarkably consistent, reflecting the entrenched partisan divisions in the country. Exit polls in November suggested that 90 percent of Trump supporters voted for down-ballot Republicans, while 90 percent of his detractors voted Democratic. But both those numbers are considerably higher than has been the case under recent presidents.There was a time in the not-too-distant past when compromise was not a curse word, recalls Lena Taylor, a Democratic state senator in Wisconsin. Thats changed. All the political incentives run against cooperation, with voters looking for politicians to stand up against their enemies and stand with their partisan brethren. Its become more difficult for politicians to get a hearing from voters on the other side, let alone change their minds.Because partisan feelings are so strong, and voters are so well sorted geographically, almost every area is a stronghold, whether for Republicans or Democrats. The people who support gun control, access to abortion and gay rights tend to live in cities and dense suburbs, while those with opposing views live in small towns, exurbs and rural counties. For such reasons, the vast majority of legislative districts are not competitive. People are locked into their voting patterns, Taylor says.A dozen chambers flip, on average, in every election cycle. In 2016 and 2018, only half as many changed hands. In 2016, Republicans managed to take the Kentucky House and the Iowa Senate -- chambers that had long eluded them in states they otherwise dominated -- as well as the Minnesota Senate, even as Trump narrowly lost the state. Democrats, meanwhile, took over chambers in states that supported Clinton for president, namely the New Mexico House and both chambers in Nevada.This past November, Democrats picked up seven chambers. These were all in Clinton states and most of them were short putts. They only needed to net one seat each to win the state senates in Colorado, Maine and New Mexico and to break a tie in Connecticut. They also took both chambers in New Hampshire and won back the Minnesota House -- which has replaced Indianas as the nations swingiest chamber this decade -- by picking up an impressive 18 seats. As noted earlier, the Minnesota Senate was not up for grabs, although there the Democrats again will only need one seat to take control in 2020.But that was about the extent of the upheaval. Democrats picked up more than 300 seats nationwide, lifting them to a post-2010 high-water mark. But thats about 100 seats fewer than the average loss for the presidents party. At the state level, you managed to have one of the least change elections in terms of legislatures that you had in decades, says Walter of the Republican State Leadership Committee.The Democratic takeover of the Minnesota House was built mostly in the suburbs. That was similar to what was happening in the rest of the country. Republicans still hold many suburban seats -- exit polls last November showed that the suburban vote was exactly tied in the most contentious U.S. Senate races -- but Democrats gained significant ground in what might be called Whole Foods suburbs, full of affluent and highly educated residents who dont like Trump and have turned against his party. In winning the U.S. House, Democrats carried no fewer than 46 out of the 50 congressional districts with the highest levels of college attainment. As at the congressional level, legislative Democrats made their biggest inroads in 2018 in affluent suburbs outside cities such as Denver, Philadelphia and Raleigh, N.C.Republicans were completely wiped out in the San Francisco Bay Area, losing their last Assembly seats. They were also eliminated from King County, Wash., which includes Seattle, giving up four Senate seats and five in the House. Democrats picked up a total of four legislative seats in Oakland County, Mich., a rich suburb of Detroit, while ending more than 40 years of GOP rule on the county board of commissioners. In the Philadelphia suburbs, a dozen state House seats and four state Senate seats moved from the Republican to the Democratic column.Houstons Harris County, which for years was the most closely split large county in presidential voting, has turned blue. Democrats gained a pair of state House seats there, while sweeping all 59 judicial races and installing first-time candidate Lina Hidalgo, a 27-year-old Democrat, as the top county administrator. Republicans lost five state House seats in Dallas County and their remaining four House seats in the Austin metro area. The suburbs accounted for nearly all the Democratic gains across Texas.In the suburbs of Johnson County, Kan., outside of Kansas City, Democrats gained four state House seats, giving them 10 in that county for the first time -- up from just two as recently as 2014. At the same time, however, several rural Democratic legislators lost. There are no Democratic legislators left from west of Hutchinson, in the center of the state, and only one remaining in the southeast. Similar stories can be told in other states. Up until about a dozen years ago, half the Democrats in the Iowa Senate were from districts west of Interstate 35. Now, none are left in those rural counties. While Marion County and its suburbs are trending more Democratic, the vast majority of Indiana thats mostly rural has shifted even more to the right than Indianapolis has shifted to the left, says Jonathan Williams, vice president of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council.If a mom picks up her kids from school in a BMW, odds are shes voting Democratic. Conversely, the guy in a pickup truck who belongs to a union, or whose daddy did, is more than likely a Republican. The Republican Party has moved from the country club to the country, while the Democratic base has moved from the union hall to the faculty lounge. Democrats are far more likely to represent districts with a strong minority presence, while Republican areas continue to get older and whiter. The most significant phenomenon is the concentration of Democrats in center city areas, says Bill Bishop, the author of, a 2008 book that described the phenomenon of people increasingly clustering in like-minded communities. Its Democrats in central cities, and then they do poorly everywhere else. Essentially, youre not going to vote for anybody with a D beside their name in a Republican area.Bishop notes that, despite the growth in people identifying or registering as independents, most voters now are loyal partisans. Pollsters and political scientists have shown that individuals will change their positions on climate science, trade, immigration and the economy to jibe with their partys positions. Recent studies have found that people are shifting their religious or secular affiliations to comport with their party. Parties are about identity now, not about policy, Bishop argues. It makes it doubly hard for parties to get people to change.The most telling point may be that Democrats failed to make deep inroads into the GOPs legislative advantage last year in what was generally a favorable climate. As noted earlier, the map of legislative control already closely parallels the Electoral College. To add to their totals, Democrats now need to gain ground on less favorable terrain.Democrats can point with some satisfaction to Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, where they won more votes in state House races last fall, even though they fell short of majorities. In Wisconsin, Democrats won 200,000 more state House votes, but the GOP held onto a 63-36 majority. This was no doubt partly the result of partisan gerrymandering, but most Democratic voters live in or around Madison and Milwaukee, meaning the number of districts they dominate or can win is limited. Across the country, Democrats should fare better in the next round of mapmaking, given gubernatorial and judicial wins or the creation of independent redistricting commissions. But maps that are fairer to Democrats, or even heavily tilted in their favor, wont solve the partys problem that most of its voters live in larger cities and close-in suburbs, creating huge majorities in the denser districts but at the same time wasting thousands of votes that they badly need elsewhere. That remains their Achilles heel.To many Democratic minds, Virginia is the new model. In 2017, Democrats made unexpectedly large gains, picking up 15 state House seats. That was still one short of a tie and two short of a majority, but they are convinced they can make up the extra ground the next time around. Elections for the Virginia House will be held this year, along with contests for the state Senate, where Democrats would also need a net gain of two to take over the chamber. Now that we know what were actually capable of, were going to be able to invest more in those reach seats and range into Trump territory, says Chris Walsh, co-founder of Flippable, a group that supports Democratic legislative candidates.Flipping close legislative chambers like the ones in Virginia is clearly doable. And many Democrats, recognizing the size of Republican majorities around the country, have adopted a two-cycle strategy. Where they chipped away last year, they believe they can make up the extra ground needed in 2020, or once redistricting takes place for 2022. Walsh points to chambers in states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas, all of which saw sizable Democratic gains last year.But suppose that all the Democratic dreams come true, and they win back legislatures in the Upper Midwest, while also realizing their long-gestating plans to become serious players in the Sun Belt. Its unlikely to happen, but even a best-case scenario for the party means that legislatures in more than 40 states would likely stay fixed in place, remaining under one partys control for the foreseeable future. For their part, Republicans, who have been dominant at the legislative level since 2010, remain in solid shape, controlling 63 chambers. But the GOPs monopoly on rural and exurban territory is so complete that its difficult to see where else they might go on offense.No political professional is willing to say that all hope is lost for minority parties in the foreseeable future. Things can change fast. Many chambers under supermajority control were competitive less than a decade ago. Perhaps the next president will be less divisive than Trump, allowing partisan fevers to cool and convincing people its all right to support candidates from the other party.But Trump is the fourth president in a row that at least half the country has deeply disliked. Both politics and the media have become more nationalized over that time period. In the South, the GOP first convinced yellow dog Democrats that it was acceptable to vote Republican for president, then lured them in for the U.S. Senate and on down the line until the party came to control local judgeships and county commissions. Now, it only makes sense for ambitious Southern politicians running for any office to run as Republicans. The same thing is starting to happen in reverse in other parts of the country. In Seattle, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, who ran and won three times as a Republican, announced last May that he was switching to the Democratic Party. For a candidate seeking reelection in the Seattle area, that turned out to be the right move.Partisan sorting and the nationalization of politics have made it more difficult -- often impossible, really -- for state legislators to convince voters from the other party to support them because of their independence, their fine work fixing roads and stoplights, or their approachability at the grocery store. Not only are people sorting into the right party, but people are sorting geographically, says Rogers, the St. Louis University political scientist. No matter what we do, it may be impossible to create more moderate states. A year after George Floyd's death, Pennsylvanians are still fighting for change A former postal carrier in Western New York has admitted not delivering mail after being arrested on Election Day. Brandon Wilson, 27, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty to delaying or destroying U.S. mail, U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced Monday. The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Wilson, who was a U.S. Postal Service worker assigned to the West Seneca post office, was traveling on I-90 when he accidentally got in the wrong lane and ended up at the Canadian border crossing on the Peace Bridge shortly after 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3. Authorities found a bin in his trunk containing 701 pieces of mail, including three absentee ballots sent out by the Erie County Board of Elections, and a USPS employee uniform and identification badge. When asked about the mailings in his trunk, Wilson initially claimed they belonged to him and his mother but could not explain the mail addressed to other people. He eventually admitted stealing mail from his delivery routes and placing it into his car on at least four instances beginning in September 2020. Wilson intended to whittle down the amount of mail in the trunk of his vehicle by placing a small amount of the mail into USPS mis sort containers in the morning before his shift began, said Brendan M. Boone, a special agent for the Postal Services Office of Inspector General. Wilson last reintroduced mailings into the mail stream in this fashion approximately three weeks prior [to] the date of the interview. The mail was reportedly found during a standard sweep by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the international bridge, which connects Buffalo, N.Y., with Fort Erie, Ontario, in Canada. Wilson, who was hired by the Postal Service in 2019, denied throwing out any mail or taking any greeting cards, cash or checks from mail on his route and also denied knowing there were absentee ballots in the mail found in his car, which also included 106 political mailings, 218 first-class mailings and 305 standard mailings. Sentencing is scheduled for May 6. WNY US Attorneys office - postal worker Brandon Wilson of Buffalo guilty plea to failing to deliver 3 absentee ballots with 800 pieces of mail. Stopped by CBP at Peace Bridge on election night after wrong turn, trunk searched. He tweeted for people to get out the vote. @WGRZ pic.twitter.com/FRfuvjchZE Ron Plants WGRZ (@RonWGRZ) January 4, 2021 Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 DAA International has been awarded a contract to operate a new airport in Saudi Arabia at the kingdoms Red Sea Development Project. The project is a major development being built over 28,000 square kilometres on Saudi Arabias west coast with the aim of creating a new luxury tourism destination. The airport is due to be completed next year. The international arm of the company that operates Dublin and Cork airports has run Terminal 5 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh since it opened in 2016. DAA International was selected because we are confident that they can deliver not only an airport experience worthy of our luxury destination, but for their commitment to ensuring our sustainability goals are met, the Red Sea Projects chief executive John Pagano said. The airport expects traffic of a million passengers a year. Online Editors You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Platinum Specialty Underwriters has acquired International Property & Casualty Insurance Brokers of Nevada Inc. IPC will continue to operate under its established brand name. Terms of the deal werent disclosed. IPC is a managing general agent and program manager specializing in excess and surplus. IPC was founded by Tammy Sunderland and Chris Sunderland in 1996. Platinum is a managing general underwriter platform distributing through the wholesale channel. Topics Mergers Excess Surplus Underwriting Nevada The chief of the World Bank on Tuesday said Chad and several other countries were already in deep debt distress and more were expected to join their ranks this year, given the severity of the global recession triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. World Bank Group President David Malpass said the African oil producer Chad may need a deep reduction in the net present value of its debt, and creditors would need to work with the country to find a viable solution to its debt overhang. For some countries, its a red alert, Malpass told reporters during a teleconference. We need to find ways to adjust the debt burden, so that the burden of debt on people in poorer countries can be reduced dramatically. Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a bill lessening the blow of a $940 million unemployment payroll tax increase businesses would have faced in July to begin replenishing New Jerseys Unemployment Trust Fund. Nearly 1.9 million workers here have sought unemployment benefits since mid-March, when Murphy effectively shut down the state to slow the spread of the coronavirus. New Jerseys unemployment trust fund has in that time paid out more than $6 billion to people out of work, depleting the fund and forcing the state to borrow from the federal government. Without intervention, the poor health of the fund likely would have triggered a $940 million increase in employers unemployment payroll taxes come July, according to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The bill Murphy signed Monday evening (A4853) phases in the increased unemployment payroll tax hike through July 2023. COVID-19 continues to pose economic challenges to businesses across the state, Murphy said in a statement. Todays bill signing will alleviate the financial burdens many businesses are facing and help them get back on their feet during this difficult time. The Unemployment Trust Fund is financed through employer and employee contributions. Employees all pay the same tax rate on their first $35,300 in wages, while an employers contributions depend on the overall fund balance and how many of their own employees have claimed benefits. Nobody knows Jersey politics like NJ.com. Add your email now and dont miss a story. The calculation of the funds well-being, called the reserve ratio, puts employers current contributions at the second-lowest fee structure. The slide from that fee column to the highest, would increase employers unemployment insurance taxes by $940 million. Under the new law, businesses will drop down one column each year. This, according to a fiscal estimate from the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, will lower contributions into the unemployment trust fund by at least $660 million in fiscal year 2022, $450 million in fiscal year 2023, and $230 million in fiscal year 2024. The state took similar a similar step after the trust fund went into the red during the Great Recession. Without this change, said Michele Siekerka, president of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, New Jersey business owners would be looking at a massive payroll tax increase this summer, effectively penalizing struggling employers who were forced into workforce reductions beyond their control. Spreading out this increase over three years makes this increase more palatable and helps give our businesses a fighting chance. From 1992 to 2005, more than $4.6 billion in employer and employee contributions to the Unemployment Trust Fund were diverted by both Democratic and Republican governors. When the Great Recession hit and claims soared, the state was forced to borrow from the federal government and didnt stop running deficits in the trust fund until 2013. The health of unemployment reserves triggered several tax cuts for businesses since the end of the Great Recession, thanks to sustained low unemployment and a state constitutional amendment barring the state from raiding the fund. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Operations Lead to Support Growth NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / TransWorld Holdings Inc (OTC PINK:TRWO), to be renamed Charge Enterprises, Inc., today announced a key hire to support growth in its Charge Infrastructure division, which offers patented, unique and problem-solving solutions that solve last mile micro-mobility infrastructure challenges to metropolises throughout the world. Andrew Pressler has been named Operations Lead. Andrew Fox, TransWorld's CEO and President, commented, "We are investing in our team to answer the enormous interest Charge is receiving in our patented micro-mobility infrastructure solutions. We welcome Andrew Pressler back to Charge, whose tremendous experience in operations and real estate at both Spin (Ford Mobility) and Charge makes him the ideal Operations Lead as we expand our dock footprint." Mr. Pressler joins TransWorld from Spin (Ford Mobility), a San Francisco provider of dockless electric scooters acquired by Ford in 2018, where he was Operations Shift Manager. Previously, he was with Charge (now TransWorld's Infrastructure Division), where he held positions of increasing responsibility and was instrumental in Charge's launches in the Atlanta and Los Angeles markets, including site selection for EV service stations and docking stations, fleet management, prototyping, production, and implementation. Mr. Pressler also served as Operations Lead at Lime, a San Francisco based maker of app-supported shared smart bikes and scooters revolutionizing micro mobility and empowering a new urban lifestyle, managing special projects, including site selection and operations, deployments and mapping. Prior to that, he was an Associate at GGP, an Atlanta based real estate company now part of Brookfield Partners, an Associate at Brixmore Property Group, an Atlanta based real estate investment trust (REIT) and held other real estate and sales positions. He earned a BFA in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Valdosta State University and served in the United States Marine Corps. About TransWorld Holdings Inc. Transworld (to be renamed Charge Enterprises, Inc.) is a global business with capabilities and talent focused on connectivity in communications, last mile delivery and micro-mobility infrastructure. The company is about connecting people, business and goods and services, and its mission is to drive growth and returns, building value for all stakeholders through each of its three core services: telephony communication, last mile delivery, and infrastructure for micromobility. The Communication Division is being designed to become a significant UCaaS and CPaaS company with a comprehensive stack of offerings; the infrastructure division is capturing explosive growth in last mile micro-mobility by offering patented, unique and problem-solving infrastructure solutions to metropolises throughout the world; and the Transport Division lends the stability of additional cash flow from the ever-growing instant delivery economy. Learn more about us at https://www.charge.enterprises/. Safe Harbor Statement Information in this news release may contain statements about future expectations, plans, prospects or performance of TransWorld Holdings Inc. that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor Provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words or phrases "can be," "expects," "may affect," "believed," "estimate," "project," and similar words and phrases are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. TransWorld Holdings Inc. cautions you that any forward-looking information provided by or on behalf of TransWorld Holdings Inc. is not a guarantee of future performance. None of the information in this press release constitutes or is intended as an offer to sell securities or investment advice of any kind. TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, some of which are beyond TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s control. In addition to those discussed in TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s press releases, public filings, and statements by TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s management, including, but not limited to, TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s estimate of the sufficiency of its existing capital resources, TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s ability to raise additional capital to fund future operations, TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s ability to repay its existing indebtedness, the uncertainties involved in estimating market opportunities and, in identifying contracts which match TransWorld Holdings Inc.'s capability to be awarded contracts. All such forward-looking statements are current only as of the date on which such statements were made. TransWorld Holdings Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which any such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Contact: LHA Investor Relations Carolyn Capaccio, CFA ccapaccio@lhai.com 212.838.3777 SOURCE: TransWorld Holdings, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/622974/TransWorld-Strengthens-Infrastructure-Division-Operating-Team In his final week of Jeopardy!, host Alex Trebek quizzed contestants on a bit of Lehigh Valley history. Late in Mondays nights episode, an $800 question under the category Replicas posed this clue: A replica of this, crack & all, can be seen at an Allentown church where the original was hidden during the Revolutionary War. (Stumped? The answer is below.) This is far from the first time the Lehigh Valley was referenced on Jeopardy. The long-running game show has also included a number of contestants from the area. But the episodes aired this week carry a special significance for Jeopardy! fans. They were taped in late October, just before Trebek died of pancreatic cancer on Nov. 8 at age 80. Trebek continued working until 10 days before he died. His final episode will air Friday and conclude with a tribute. A permanent replacement has not been announced. Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings will start as a guest host on Jan. 11. The answer What is: the Liberty Bell. Zions UCC Church at 622 Hamilton St. in Allentown was a hiding place for the Liberty Bell during the Revolutionary War. Today, the church houses a Liberty Bell museum.Sue Beyer | lehighvalleylive.com file photo The famously cracked bell is an icon of Philadelphia. But when the city fell during the Revolutionary War in 1777, the symbol of the revolution was secreted away north to the Lehigh Valley so it wouldnt be melted down for British munitions. It was hidden in Zions UCC on West Hamilton Street in what is now Allentown. The still-active church is known as the Liberty Bell church and has a museum dedicated to its role in history. The museums Facebook account posted a video of the Jeopardy! clue Monday evening, with the comment: So this happened tonightEnjoy! The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. More than 371,500 babies were born worldwide on New Years Day and India is estimated to have recorded the highest number of births at around 60,000, according to the UN's children's agency. UNICEF said that an estimated 371,504 babies were born around the world on New Years Day. Fiji in the Pacific was projected to have welcomed 2021s first baby while the United States would welcome its last. Also Read: Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Globally, over half of these births are estimated to have taken place in 10 countries: India (59,995), China (35,615), Nigeria (21,439), Pakistan (14,161), Indonesia (12,336), Ethiopia (12,006), the United States (10,312), Egypt (9,455), Bangladesh (9,236) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (8,640), it said. In total, an estimated 140 million children will be born in 2021 and their average life expectancy is expected to be 84 years, the UN agency said. "The children born today enter a world far different than even a year ago, and a New Year brings a new opportunity to reimagine it," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said, calling on nations to make 2021 the year they start to build a fairer, safer, healthier world for children. The year 2021 will also mark the 75th anniversary of UNICEF. Over the course of the year, UNICEF and its partners will be commemorating the anniversary with events and announcements celebrating three-quarters of a century of protecting children from conflict, disease and exclusion and championing their right to survival, health and education. "Today, as the world faces a global pandemic, economic slowdown, rising poverty and deepening inequality, the need for UNICEFs work is as great as ever," said Fore. "For the last 75 years, throughout conflicts, displacements, natural disasters and crises, UNICEF has been there for the worlds children. As a New Year dawns, we renew our commitment to protect children, to speak up for their rights, and to make sure their voices are heard, no matter where they live," Fore said. In response to the global pandemic, UNICEF launched the Reimagine campaign, a global effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for children. Through the campaign, UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments, the public, donors and the private sector to join UNICEF as it seeks to respond, recover and reimagine a better, post-pandemic world. For the estimates, UNICEF used vital registration and nationally representative household survey data to estimate the monthly and daily fractions of births in countries. UNICEF used the annual live births numbers and period life expectancy from the latest revision of the UNs World Population Prospects (2019) to estimate the babies born on January 1, 2021 and their cohort life expectancy. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. In another setback for the local visitor industry, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition has canceled its 2021 event, reversing plans for a scaled-back version next month. The nonprofit group that was organizing the 39th annual gathering set for Feb. 11-14 has called off the festivities, which would have included wildlife art exhibits, dog-jumping competitions and herding showcases at the Charleston Marriott and Brittlebank Park. Sign up for the Charleston Hot Sheet Get a weekly list of tips on pop-ups, last minute tickets and little-known experiences hand-selected by our newsroom in your inbox each Thursday. Email Sign Up! SEWE usually is the city's first major tourism draw each year, driving traffic to area hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other businesses during an otherwise slow period for the hospitality industry. The 2019 event generated an estimated $16.4 million in direct visitor spending, according to a College of Charleston analysis. The staff and board of directors of the organizing group met this week to assess the state of public heath and evaluate the plans and safety protocols for this year's event tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. They reached the conclusion that it should be canceled. "We knew that we faced a difficult task, but we navigated this last year by having open conversations with stakeholders and regulatory agencies," said John Powell, executive director of SEWE, who last year decided to set in motion event planning despite uncertainty surrounding COVID-19. The expo was hoping to move forward in 2021 with a modified schedule, limited attendance and new ticket structure. The daily attendance limit for the event, which typically draws 40,000 visitors and residents to the peninsula over the weekend, would have been cut off at 25 percent of normal capacity. The city of Charleston gave SEWE an initial green light to proceed with provisional planning in December, with no promises of approving the event after the new year. We are not saying 'no' because we dont even know what its going to be like next week, but we made it clear that we can turn off the plug at any time if we think it is in the public healths best interest, Tracy McKee, the city's head of innovation, told The Post and Courier in December. The Lowcountry Oyster Festival also initially proceeded with planning for its large-scale gathering set for late January. But because of the rise in coronavirus cases in mid-December, the Charleston Restaurant Foundation decided to postpone it. SEWE tickets and VIP packages, which were already available at sewe.com/tickets, can be refunded upon request within 45 days of event cancellation. Requests can be submitted online, and questions can be directed to sewe@sewe.com. There is also an option for patrons to gift the value of their purchased ticket price. The donation would be tax-deductible. Ticket prices ranged from $35 to $5,500. SEWE is working on other opportunities throughout the year before the eventual return of the festival, now slated for 2022 from Feb. 17-20. The New York Stock Exchange said on Monday it no longer intends to move forward with the delisting of China Mobile Ltd, China Telecom Corp Ltd and China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. The exchange said in a statement published on its website that it made the decision "in light of further consultation with relevant regulatory authorities." The NYSE said last week it would delist the three companies following the U.S. government's move in November to block investment in 31 firms deemed to be owned or controlled by the Chinese military. ALSO READ: Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Hong Kong-listed shares in the three firms surged on the announcement, with China Unicom up 9%, while China Mobile and China Telecom each gained 7%. China Unicom said it planned to issue a statement later in the day. Representatives for China Mobile and China Telecom were not immediately available for comment. China's foreign ministry had called the planned delisting of the three companies "unwise" and denounced what it said were "random, arbitrary and uncertain" rules. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. GPR Ventures has acquired a 199,600 square foot light industrial property in South Sacramento. The Sacramento market continues to flourish and is poised to keep attracting new attention from businesses and individuals throughout the foreseeable future. GPR Ventures has closed escrow on a light industrial property totaling nearly 200,000 square feet in South Sacramento. Located at 7000 Franklin Blvd., the new acquisition is comprised of 11 buildings with a mix of office and warehouse space and is the firms 27th overall acquisition. GPR Ventures closed escrow on the property on December 31 and will immediately begin significant capital improvements across the entirety of the property. Since closing, the firm has already increased tenant occupancy from 44 percent to 56 percent. We were drawn to this property because of its great redevelopment opportunity, and its wonderful to start the new year by adding this significant acquisition to our Sacramento portfolio, said GPR Ventures co-founder and Managing Principal Phil Rolla. As with all of our properties, we plan on taking a very hands-on approach to the management of the property and our planned enhancements will provide a refreshed and updated environment for the existing tenants. TWEET THIS: To kick off the new year, real estate investment firm #GPRVentures announces it has closed escrow on an 11-building, 200,000 sq ft property in South Sacramento. https://gprventures.com/ #business #realestate The Sacramento market continues to flourish and is poised to keep attracting new attention from businesses and individuals throughout the foreseeable future, said Glen Yonekura, GPR Ventures co-founder and Managing Principal. In anticipation of further industrial and commercial growth in the area, we are excited to invest in this exceptional property and make it a prime destination for additional tenants. Planned Capital Improvements GPR Ventures plans to execute significant renovations and upgrades across all buildings on the property, beginning with new exterior paint and trim, replaced awnings and updated lighting. The parking lot will be completely resealed and restriped, while new signage and landscaping will be installed. For more information on GPR Ventures and its complete portfolio, visit https://www.gprventures.com/. About GPR Ventures Founded in 2011, GPR Ventures is a privately held real estate investment firm with offices in Silicon Valley and Sacramento that specializes in providing real estate opportunities for a select group of sophisticated investors. GPR Ventures uses a dynamic, fully developed process and the acquisition-to-disposition expertise of founders Glen Yonekura and Phillip Rolla to yield consistent results. GPRs portfolio includes 81 buildings totaling over 2 million square feet and an additional 26 acres of land. For additional information, please visit GPRVentures.com or call (408) 559-3300. Hyundai Chairman Euisun Chung - 2021 'Inflection Point for Future Growth' Chairman Euisun Chung stresses 2021 will be a year of great transformation of Hyundai Motor Group into a new growth engine Group to pursue uncompromising perfection in quality and safety The year 2021 will be a crucial inflection point: Stressing eco-friendliness, future technology, and business competitiveness Reinforcing electrification leadership with E-GMP based new EV models Striving for carbon neutrality by utilizing hydrogen fuel cell technology Realizing the safest and most innovative mobility technologies Expanding the realm of new mobility by investing in new growth fields Laying the foundation for the Groups sustainable growth by rationalizing business portfolio Chairman encourages members to find ways to maximize shareholder value and contribute to partners, neighbors, communities and the environment SEOUL, January 4, 2021 Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) Chairman Euisun Chung today delivered a New Years message for the Groups employees around the globe, outlining the companys strategic direction and commitments for the year 2021 and beyond. Underlined in his speech were Hyundais future vision, customer-first philosophy, quality-innovation drive and direction for elevating its corporate culture, as the multi-affiliate group prepares to be at the forefront of the future mobility industry. We should all stay true to our mission, which is realizing humanitys dream of safe and free mobility as well as a peaceful life, Chairman Chung stressed, adding that 2021 should be the year in which we kick-start our great transformation into a new growth engine. He also emphasized the importance of making bold progress in eco-friendliness, future technology, and business competitiveness. In particular, the enduring need for prioritizing quality and safety was highlighted, as the Groups chief urged all staff of the Group and business partners to collaborate to make quality and safety a top priority. Year of inflection point In the post-pandemic era, social values and lifestyles different from the past will prevail, the Chairman said at the opening of the speech. And as a result, only those companies prepared for continuous transformations will survive and grow. He also expressed confidence that 2021 will be a decisive year for Hyundai Motor Group as a catalyst for long-term sustainable investments and innovations. We have to therefore think of 2021 as an inflection point for shaping our future growth and prepare ourselves to become the first mover in a new era. The Chairman presented a vision for transforming the Group to a new growth engine by expanding market share in the eco-friendly market, securing future technology capabilities and strengthening business competitiveness in collaboration with all the members of the Group. Our great transformation into a new growth engine is possible only when we are all on board together, according to Chairman Chung. If we persevere by uniting our hearts and capabilities, Im confident we will triumph over any challenges and turn them into new growing opportunities. Electrification leadership With the launch of new vehicles based on the recently released electric vehicle platform, the E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform), we plan to provide attractive eco-friendly mobility options that aptly reflect customers diverse tastes and needs at more reasonable prices, the Chairman said regarding the Groups vision to become a top-tier global eco-friendly brand. Furthermore, our hydrogen fuel cell technology, recognized as the worlds most advanced, will be expanded to diverse mobility and industrial sectors to help achieve carbon neutrality under the HTWO (Hydrogen + Humanity) brand, he added. This year Hyundai Motor Group will concentrate efforts to become a global electric vehicle powerhouse by launching dedicated electric vehicles built on the E-GMP, including Hyundai Motors IONIQ 5, Kias crossover electric vehicle and Genesis luxury brands crossover electric vehicles. The E-GMP offers a multi-charging system allowing both the 800V and 400V charging capabilities. The system is the worlds first patented technology which operates the motor and inverter to boost 400V to 800V for a stable charging compatibility. A battery electric vehicle based on the E-GMP is capable of a maximum range of over 500 kilometers with a fully charged battery (WLTP standard) and it can high-speed charge up to 80 percent in just 18 minutes and can add up to 100 kilometers of driving range in just five minutes. Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand its battery electric vehicle lineup from the current eight models to 23 by 2025 and sell 1 million units annually in global markets. It will also accelerate the building of EV infrastructure. Hyundai Motor Group will set up 20 high-speed charging stations in Korea by 2021 and will further expand its charging network in cooperation with energy companies. Overseas, the Group plans to have EV charging infrastructure optimized for market-specific environments with various partners, including IONITY, Europe's leading high-power charging network in which the Group made a strategic investment. Moreover, the Group will accelerate the creation of a hydrogen energy ecosystem. It will expand the supply of hydrogen fuel cell systems with the worlds best technology as power sources for ships, generators, and trains as well as global automakers. The Group recently introduced a dedicated HTWO brand for fuel cell systems as part of such efforts. Through strategic partnerships with global companies specializing in hydrogen, energy and logistics, the Group will aim to take the lead in hydrogen-related projects. It will also focus on developing next-generation hydrogen fuel cell systems that will be applied to future eco-friendly mobility solutions such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM). Safe and innovative mobility technologies In terms of securing future technology capabilities, the Chairman said, We will realize the safest and most innovative mobility technology in the world by strengthening our autonomous driving, connectivity and software capabilities. We will continue to invest in new growth fields such as urban air mobility (UAM) and robotics to expand the realm of new mobility in the near future. Hyundai Motor Group will apply Level 3 autonomous driving technology to mass production models in 2022 and push for commercialization projects for autonomous driving technologies such as robotaxi services in 2023. Motional Inc., the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, plans to conduct Level 4 driverless tests on public roads in Nevada, U.S. In 2023, the company will work with U.S. car-sharing provider Lyft to launch autonomous driving commercialization services in major U.S. regions. The Group will also focus on core technologies for next-generation software such as vehicle software that closely interacts with vehicle driving assistance, precision map-linked navigation, and various connected and infotainment services to provide the best convenience and safety to customers. The development of the UAM product lineup, which encompasses both passenger and cargo transportation markets, is also speeding up. The Group aims to introduce Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for cargo with hybrid powertrains in 2026, and a fully electrified UAM model optimized for urban operations in 2028, and regional air mobility products connecting adjacent cities in the 2030s. In the robotics area, the Group recently signed a deal to acquire the controlling stake in Boston Dynamics to actively respond to global mega trends of aging society and digital transformation as the Group seeks to provide humanity with a higher level of experience and more value. Hyundai Motor Groups wearable robot technology and its industrial and logistics automation technology are expected to maximize synergies with Boston Dynamics innovative capabilities. Robotics technology will also be applied to various mobility areas such as autonomous driving, UAM, and PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle) to help the Group establish a leading position. On strengthening the Groups business competitiveness, Chairman Chung said, We will rationalize the Groups business portfolio, and lay the foundation for sustainable growth by continuously discovering new growth engines that would meet the industrys paradigm shift. The affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group will enhance their future business capabilities through electrification and self-driving core components and software specialization, and will explore new growth engines such as smart city development as well as renewable energy projects. Quality and safety first All of our activities would be meaningless without quality and safety, because they are the prerequisites for serving our customers, Chairman Chung noted. It should be always remembered that quality and safety are not the domains of any particular fields of our operations. Customers will only give us their trust when all Hyundai Motor Group members and our business partners work together to make quality and safety a top priority In his inaugural message in 2020, Chairman Chung underscored a similar point, saying that All of our goals and efforts must be customer-centric. The first step to customer happiness is to enable them to focus on their own lives through perfect quality of our products and services. With regards to the Groups social responsibility, he said, I kindly ask all of you to always prioritize our customers and humanity in your daily operations, so that we can maximize our shareholder value. Please think hard about how we can contribute to our partners, as well as various neighbors, communities and the environment. ### About Hyundai Motor Group Hyundai Motor Group is a global corporation that has created a value chain based on automobiles, steel, and construction and includes logistics, finance, IT and service. With about 250,000 employees worldwide, the Groups automobile brands include Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp and Genesis. Armed with creative thinking, cooperative communication and the will to take on all challenges, we are working to create a better future for all. More information about Hyundai Motor Group, please see: www.hyundaimotorgroup.com South Carolina surpassed 300,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday. The state also recently exceeded 5,000 confirmed deaths, another grim milestone in the pandemic. Over the past seven days, more than 30 percent of tests for the virus have returned a positive result, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Meanwhile, 447 intensive care hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients across the state and 241 were breathing with the assistance of ventilators. In the Lowcountry, 76 percent of ICU beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. State health officials had warned that travel and gatherings during the holidays could exacerbate community spread of COVID-19 this month. Statewide numbers New cases reported: 2,285, which is 1,346 percent higher than the 158 tallied on March 31, the day Gov. Henry McMaster ordered nonessential businesses to close. Total cases in S.C.: 302,003, plus 26,070 probable cases New deaths reported: 12 Total deaths in S.C.: 5,068 confirmed, 430 probable Total tests in S.C.: 3,818,562 Hospitalized patients: 2,344 Percent of positive tests, seven-day average: 30.7 percent. Five percent of tests or fewer returning positive results is a good sign the virus spread is slowing, researchers say. Hardest-hit areas The top South Carolina counties for new coronavirus cases as of Sunday were Greenville, 405; Horry, 160; and York and Lexington, with 132 each. What about tri-county? Sign up for our new health newsletter The best of health, hospital and science coverage in South Carolina, delivered to your inbox weekly. Email Sign Up! For Sunday's report, Charleston County had 85 new cases; Berkeley, 61; and Dorchester, 59. Two more Charleston County patients have died, DHEC reported Tuesday. Deaths Of the 12 new deaths reported as of Saturday, three were patients aged 35 to 64 and the rest were aged 65 and older. They lived in Aiken, Charleston, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Horry, Richland and York counties. Hospitalizations Of the 2,344 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, 447 were in intensive care and 241 were on ventilators. How many cases have been found in long-term care facilities? There have been 14,401 confirmed coronavirus cases in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities: 9,044 residents and 5,357 staff workers, according to DHEC data. So far, 1,651 residents have died from the virus, a mortality rate of 18 percent. Twenty-eight workers also have died. Together, they account for 33 percent of deaths in the state, the data released Tuesday shows. There are active outbreaks at 185 facilities monitored by DHEC. Some type of visitation indoor, outdoor or both is allowed at 345 facilities; 319 do not allow it; 21 did not report. What do experts say? Authorities continue to urge South Carolinians to take precautions, such as wearing masks or other face coverings, social distancing and frequently washing hands. They also urge anyone who believes theyve been exposed to the virus or who is developing symptoms to get tested. Those out in the community or not able to socially distance should get tested monthly, DHEC advised. Go to scdhec.gov/findatest to find a testing site in your area. A hit-and-run driver who crashed into another car on a motorway while on cocaine has been disqualified for 15 months. Belfast Magistrates' Court heard Christopher Goodman was discovered dazed and disorientated after his Mini came to a halt further down the M2. The 36-year-old, of Cairngorm Crescent in Newtownabbey, pleaded guilty to driving when unfit through drink or drugs, and failing to stop, report or remain at the scene of an accident. He also admitted two counts of having defective tyres. The crash happened on the southbound carriageway, close to the Bellevue Bridge, in the early hours of July 2 last year. Goodman's car had struck the rear of another vehicle, causing extensive damage, before heading on towards Belfast, the court heard. Prosecutor Stephanie Boyd said police located the Mini in an "immobilised" state at the Greencastle junction of the M2. Goodman was unsteady on his feet and unresponsive to simple questions, while checks on his car revealed tyres devoid of tread. "Blood samples were examined and he had substantial amounts of cocaine in his system," Mrs Boyd said. He admitted driving the Mini when it came up behind and struck the other vehicle. "That car had tried to move out of its way because it was so close, but when it moved lane the Mini moved too and impacted on the rear," Mrs Boyd added. Defence barrister Declan Quinn emphasised Goodman's remorse at the collision. "It occurred in the early hours of the morning, him having consumed cocaine much earlier with friends," counsel said. "There was an element of panic when he initially didn't stop." Mr Quinn argued that his client pulled over at the next junction and flagged down police. "His car was in bad shape.... it isn't one of those situations which required significant police investigation. "We are talking hundreds of metres down the road." The barrister added: "It was a momentary lapse where he ran into the back of somebody having clearly misjudged the space in front of them. "But of course the impact of cocaine was a contributing factor." Along with the 15 months driving ban, District Judge Fiona Bagnall imposed 12 months probation. She also fined Goodman 200 for the defective tyres. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Belfast Telegraph Traces Rating: 24 Hours In Police Custody: Black Widow Rating: You know that feeling when you need to pay for the parking meter, and you haven't got any change? There's a 2p piece in the car ashtray, a couple of 5p bits in your jeans pocket shrapnel, my uncle used to call it. When a pound coin turns up under the passenger seat, it's like winning the Lottery. That's how it is at New Broadcasting House, as BBC execs search frantically for something to fill the schedules. Their Lottery win is Traces (BBC1), a crime drama with an exceptional cast, including Breaking Bad's Laura Fraser as a police forensics investigator and Line Of Duty's Martin Compston as . . . well, you'll have to wait and see in tonight's second episode. Unless, that is, you watched Traces in 2019, when it screened on the Alibi channel. Alibi isn't available on Freeview it comes with a Sky or Virgin subscription, serving up repeats of cosy crime serials such as Father Brown and New Tricks. Breaking Bad's Laura Fraser plays a police forensics investigator in Traces Traces is the network's first original commission, created to satisfy Alibi's hardcore crime fans. Based on an idea by the celebrated Scottish crime writer Val McDermid, and written by former Scott And Bailey star Amelia Bullmore, it's steeped in investigator's jargon. Molly Windsor plays Emma, a trainee forensics officer horrified to discover that her online university course appears to be based on the real-life murder of her own mother. All the specifics match: a woman's body found in a shallow grave on a Dundee hillside by a dog-walker. Her professor (Laura Fraser) insists it's a coincidence, as bodies are always turning up in shallow graves around Scotland. Unconvinced, Emma starts asking questions starting with her druggie father (John Gordon Sinclair) and her creepy stepdad. Guilt trip of the night: Five celebs tucked into a meal on Feast To Save The Planet (BBC2), before Gregg Wallace judged how much greenhouse gas their dinners created. It's January! As if we weren't all feeling bad about food already. Advertisement It's the sheer depth of detail that makes Traces absorbing, at least for the sort of viewer who is ghoulishly intrigued to learn that a barcode on a sticky label can still be legible, even after a blaze that destroys a building. The fire-blackened corpses are modelled with obsessive realism, too. The realism of 24 Hours In Police Custody: Black Widow (C4) is so vividly presented that you could be forgiven for thinking it was scripted. This two-part observational documentary opens with a recording of a well-spoken woman conducting a job interview with a hired thug. She's thinking about having her ex-husband murdered, she says. How much would that cost? Trying to sound cocky and offhand, the thug is vague about prices 'very, very, very expensive . . . ten to fifteen grand' but precise about the murder method. He would visit the man's house, set his car on fire and, when the victim rushed outside, smash his head in with a brick. Then he'd bundle the body in his car boot, drive it to a remote patch of woodland and dump it. I assumed this conversation was a reconstruction, by actors. In fact, it was recorded by the woman's jealous boyfriend, who left his phone on record in the house all day, hoping to trap her in an affair. What he heard instead shocked him so much that he went to the police. Every stage of this inquiry was more sordid and surprising than the last. Minutes after she was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder, the ex-wife was rolling around on the floor of the interview room, feigning back pain. Her unlucky former husband wasn't even slightly shocked to be told she was plotting his death. It was all much stranger than fiction. The first patient diagnosed with a coronavirus variant in Vietnam is in stable health condition with no signs of coughing or shortness of breath, according to Dr. Nguyen Van Lo, director of Tra Vinh Provinces Center for Disease Control. The health sector in Tra Vinh Province takes drastic measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 epidemic. The 45-year-old woman of Tra Vinh Province, southern Vietnam, was confirmed on January 2 as the countrys first case of the latest novel coronavirus (COVID-19) variant. The woman, dubbed patient No. 1435 has had her samples taken seven times since first arriving in Vietnam from the UK on December 22, said Dr. Lo, adding the patient caught a cough several days ago, but she has stopped coughing now. Doctors are giving the same treatment to her as with other patients who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, said Dr. Lo. The patient has been placed under strict quarantine to receive treatment at the provincial hospital, while a group of medical workers who are responsible for providing treatment for the patient have been put into a separate area in order to prevent cross infection due to the fast spread of the latest strain variant. Tra Vinh has so far treated a total of seven cases of individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including five recoveries and two cases who are currently under treatment. VOV First case of new coronavirus variant detected in Vietnam Vietnam detects first COVID-19 case carrying the newly found, highly contagious variant of coronavirus on Saturday. Amber Heard is welcoming the new year headstrong. While her former husband Johnny Depp lost most of his blockbuster movie deals such as "Pirates of Caribbean" and the "Fantastic Beasts," the 33-year-old actress is rumored to be getting a massive deal from HBO Max. According to We Got This Covered, Heard is in talks to star in a spin-off of her "Aquaman" character, Mera. This comes after months of speculation that the "Pineapple Express" star may be replaced on the sequel of "Aquaman," but with the rumor, it may seem like Warner Bros. is still on her side. Depp has a different outcome because Warner Bros. asked him to step down from his role as Grindelwald in the third movie of "Fantastic Beasts." It can also be noticed that the studio isn't paying any attention to online petitions that demand Depp to be re-hired in his blockbuster movie franchises. At the same time, Heard needs to be removed from "Aquaman 2." Movie boss Zack Snyder recently revealed that he would want to work with Heard once again. While these are still rumors, Beyond The Trailer said in an article that the script for the second movie is being written to allow Heard's role to be "cut down if needed." The outlet also mentioned how the movie executives are planning to introduce a secondary female lead into the movie, with "Killing Eve" star Jodie Comer rumored to have an unknown part. Amber Heard 2021 Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have had a court-filled year. With Depp losing in his libel case in the UK, he and his former wife will return to a US court for a second case, this one about defamation. But despite the lawsuit, the blonde star seems to be looking forward to the new year. While out and about promoting the Stephen King series "The Stand," in an interview with Access Hollywood recently, she was asked about her takeaway from last year while heading into 2021. Heard said, "Adapt and survive. The better you are at making the changes internally, the better you have a chance of actually not just surviving but thriving." The actress also seems to be adapting to the circumstances that she has found herself following her high-profile split from Depp and allegations of abuse she first reported. The defamation case hearing has already been pushed back because of the COVID and then conflicting schedule, but now, fans are waiting to see if Heard's cheerful attitude would hold up. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million, while she countersued for $100 million. READ MORE: Olivia Jade Makes Bold and Rational Move After Lori Loughlin Prison Release See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Schools may remain closed until the end of the month under plans being considered by Government to stop the rapid spread of Covid-19. Primary and secondary schools were due to reopen next Monday but the Cabinet is set to consider keeping them closed for another two or three weeks. The moves comes as 6,110 new Covid cases were recorded along with six deaths. Meanwhile, 776 patients remained in hospital last night after testing positive for Covid-19 while 70 people were in intensive care units. Escalating A Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 will meet to discuss the escalating public health crisis, and a key focus of the meeting will be on schools. Education Minister Norma Foley will update the Cabinet sub-committee on the latest situation regarding schools. Expand Close Escalating spread: Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Escalating spread: Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan Party leaders and ministers will consider asking schools to remain closed to stop the spread of the virus among students, teachers and their parents. Plans are also being discussed to keep some schools open for the children of frontline workers and those with disabilities or who are from disadvantaged areas. A Government source said schools would be closed not because they are unsafe but to stop the movement of around a million people. It comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced all schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from today in England. Schools in Scotland will shut for the rest of January. Last night, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said we are going to see a significant impact on the provision of education due to the escalating spread of Covid-19. He said there are decisions to be taken by Government on the schools issue and they will meet this week. He spoke to Taoiseach Micheal Martin yesterday about schools. While the transmission of the virus in school-going children is still below average it is increasing at a very fast rate. He said they were looking at the contribution schools would make to virus spread. "We have made clear that high levels of transmission pose a risk to all sort of activities," Dr Holohan said. "We have successfully managed to protect children and education but you can see the position we are in now with very high levels of transmission. "Those high rates now represent a risk to all of those objectives." Surprised Professor Philip Nolan, chair of Nphet's Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said the issue was not just what happens in schools but what happens "around the service". Ministers across all three Government parties anticipate that schools will not fully reopen next week due to the rising Covid-19 cases and would be "surprised" if they did. A Fine Gael minister told the Herald: "Schools will not fully reopen next week". Meanwhile, a Fianna Fail minister said they would be "very surprised" if the Government did not to keep schools closed for longer after delaying their initial reopening. A Government spokesperson said: "Schools will be discussed at Cabinet committee and then Cabinet." "The Taoiseach had discussions with the opposition leaders today to update them on the situation," he added. Meanwhile, Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin is understood to be cautious about the reopening of schools. Ms Martin, a former schoolteacher, believes that even if Nphet recommend opening schools it will have to be done very differently to ensure teachers, pupils and their parents are kept safe. However, Minister of State in the Department of Education Josepha Madigan insisted yesterday that there is no advice against reopening schools next week. If schools do reopen, the primary teachers' union INTO wants them to have the flexibility to shut and use remote learning if Covid makes it too difficult for them to stay open. That was part of a back-up plan presented by the union to Education Minister Norma Foley yesterday. Up to now, schools had no authority to close to deal with the fallout from a Covid outbreak unless public health officials made such a recommendation. In the first term, some schools took a decision to shut but were forced to reopen by the Department of Education. But if the Government decides to reopen schools, INTO says principals must have more autonomy . "We flagged a potential problem where large numbers of school staff may be absent when schools do reopen, and we want flexibility to move to remote learning where necessary," an INTO spokesperson said. Herald Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - The Tupelo Public School District will return to instruction Tuesday, including in-person learning at its schools. Middle school principal Mark Enis said parents will ultimately decide if they want their children to learn in school or virtually. A sign in front of Tupelo Middle School. Photo taken 01-04-21. A sign in front of Tupelo Middle School. Photo taken 01-04-21. He said Tupelo Middle has approximately 1,100 students. Of those, approximately 230 students were distance learners before the Christmas break. Now, 40 of those 230 students are coming back to in-person classes. Were excited to have them on campus, Enis said of students. Were gonna have some teachers kinda show them around the building because some of these kids havent been in school since, you know, early spring of last year. Spanish teacher Mark Garrett said leading up to Tuesday, teachers have been conducting meetings and preparing lesson plans. Itll be different for those students to transition back into the classroom, so to speak, Garrett said of students returning to in-person classes. Precautions against the virus remain. Masks are required. It doesnt matter, even if you are within six feet or more, we still have to wear the mask, (name) said He added people will clean classrooms on a daily basis. I know mine personally, is every day; the custodian comes in and sprays everything, wipes everything down, Garrett said. I know its cliche, but our number-one priority is safety of our students and our faculty and staff, Enis said. With Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approving two vaccine candidates in India, the Kazakhstan Ambassador to India Yerlan Alimbayev said that Kazakhstan will discuss the matter with India and is ready to procure the vaccines. Kazakhstan is producing three vaccines, which are in 2nd and 3rd phase, theres been no official dialogue with India, but we know India has two vaccines, which is good. We are ready to talk for ordering Indias vaccine after the approval of both countries, Alimbayev told ANI. The development comes at a time when Adar Poonawala, CEO, Serum Institute of India announced on Twitter that his company will clarify exports of Covishield to all the countries. I would like to clarify two matters as there is confusion in the public domain, exports of vaccines are permitted to all countries and a joint public statement clearing up any recent miscommunication with regards to Bharat Biotech will be made, Poonawala said in his tweet. There have been several queries regarding Indian vaccines being exported to other countries. Reports are there that several countries have expressed their interest to procure Indias vaccine. The developments come days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing National Metrology Conclave through video conferring and said India is on the threshold of starting the worlds largest vaccination programme. Worlds biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme set to begin in India. For this, the country is proud of the contributions of its scientists and technicians, PM Modi said. HOW DO CHATBOTS WORK? MANY PURPOSES FLEXIBILITY THE FUTURE The 2020 Center for Digital Government Surveys,* which collected responses from public officials in states, cities and counties across the country, provided tangible evidence that several emerging technologies were gaining momentum. Responses came in before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that has pushed many governments to rapidly adopt technologies they either had little interest in or were eyeing for future use.That includes chatbots , which governments have used to help handle a massive influx of questions from the public. The idea is that chatbots, which typically use some form of AI algorithm, can handle common questions and leave less common or more complicated questions for human staff to answer.And while the data on chatbot use shouldnt be treated as a nationally representative sample, it does provide a picture of the general state of chatbots in government.Most jurisdictions that use bots have a definite list of questions they are capable of answering in other words, we arent talking about Asimov-style intelligences that can learn to solve new problems and answer new questions on their own. Rather, the IT department might spend time configuring the chatbot before it goes live in order to work on how the bot recognizes and responds to questions.They are often structured for triage, the weeding out of people whose questions can be answered easily so that call-takers can focus on people whose questions will take more effort. Thats especially important during the pandemic because, as many vendors and governments have documented, people have been turning to the government a lot more than usual for things like health testing, unemployment benefits and other kinds of assistance. Records have been set all over the country for visits to .gov websites, as in-person office visits became restricted, placing new emphasis on all citizen engagement channels.In King County, Wash. , for example, a chatbot helped identify which people calling for a professional nurse had coronavirus-like symptoms and which didnt. The county estimated that the chatbot saved 35 percent of the time nurses had been spending speaking to people without those symptoms.And in states across the country, chatbots served a vital role in augmenting the capabilities of human staff members to deal with unrelenting waves of questions from applicants of unemployment programs. The Texas Workforce Commission, for example, relied upon chatbots to field frequently asked questions, again letting employees focus on more complex issues.A lot of the jurisdictions surveyed used their chatbots for COVID-19-related purposes. Connecticuts COVID chatbot, for example, built using technology from IBM Watson, logged nearly 40,000 interactions in a four-month period beginning last March. The state estimates that it did the work of four full-time employees during that time. But chatbots often proved useful well beyond COVID-19 needs as well.Placer County, Calif., for example, has a bot called Ask Placer capable of answering more than 375 questions. IT agencies in San Joaquin County, Calif. , and Fairfax County, Va. , both worked with other departments to figure out what their needs were and what their most frequent questions were so that they could build those into their chatbots.Minnesota has a similar approach, leaning on its IBM Watson chatbot to help address general inquiries. Iowas chatbot dates back to late 2018, and capabilities continue to be added as new needs arise. Seventeen agencies now use it, and so does the public. In May 2020, the states chatbot tools, combined with its live chat function, saved an estimated 1,700 hours of staff time that would have been spent addressing those same inquiries using traditional tools.Cabarrus County, N.C.s chatbot was integrated with Laserfiche technology in order to help people use digital services. The chatbot is capable of pulling in information from other systems in order to help the user. Missouris Department of Revenue worked with Accenture on a virtual agent named DORA, which answered 100,000 resident questions in its first three months since its debut in November 2019. Agency goals were to help field questions on taxes, drivers licenses and motor vehicles, though the tool has also proven useful in addressing pandemic and unemployment-related inquiries. Since digital services have become a necessity for many government agencies that have found themselves transitioning to telework during the pandemic, tools to help citizens use digital services make a lot of sense.A key feature of chatbots is that theyre designed to answer a growing number of questions over time. Kansas Citys Facebook chatbot was born several years ago out of a desire to make it easier for citizens to navigate and use its open data portal. The effort at the time got a lot of grassroots help from the local Code for America Brigade, and city officials considered the chatbot an experiment of sorts, to better understand how the technology could be used more broadly.Many governments use data analysis tools to follow the kinds of questions citizens ask as well as the ways they ask them so that they can add answers to those questions over time, and so bots can learn how to respond to variations. San Jose, Calif., for example, has a chatbot on its 311 page, SJ311, which gathers feedback to fuel continuous improvement.South Carolinas first foray into chatbots was Caroline, developed with its partner NIC and launched in early 2020 to provide a simple path to information for site visitors. The deployment undoubtedly smoothed the way in mid-2020 for Axel, a chatbot feature incorporated into the states COVID-19 recovery portal, accelerateSC.Chatbots can also take inputs in many different forms, which gives them the unique ability to serve citizens across multiple channels. Several jurisdictions got into chatbots by first making them available via text, a more ubiquitous option a few years ago when the technology was first taking off. This was the case in North Charleston, S.C., as well as Williamsburg, Va., which this year has added Web functionality, greatly increasing citizen use of the chatbot. Washington County, Ark., too, is working on a bot that works with texting, while Placer and King counties integrated with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa so residents could access the bots with their voices a practice also gaining ground in government.San Joaquin County also built its bot to work in three languages, with more planned for the future. This tactic, too, is spreading across government as jurisdictions seek to develop tools that are as useful as possible to the specific needs of their community. Bellevue, Wash., for instance, has a chatbot offering COVID-related information in seven languages.Survey results and the trends of government technology during the pandemic point to a time of growth for government chatbots. Especially if they can help make digital services, emergency operations and telework more workable for local governments, their usefulness might make them hard for many jurisdictions to ignore.Government Technology's I look forward to helping the company accelerate that evolution and build out its security portfolio, providing a broader set of capabilities to help secure businesses as they digitally transform in the future. Ericom Software, a leader in cloud cybersecurity solutions for secure web and application access, today announced that Dr. Chase Cunningham has joined the company as its Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, he will shape the company's strategic vision, roadmap and key partnerships. Dr. Cunningham previously served as vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, providing strategic guidance on Zero Trust, artificial intelligence, machine learning and security architecture design for security leaders around the globe. Dr. Cunningham was initially introduced to Ericom in his role at Forrester, where he covered the company and its Zero Trust-related solutions. Regarding his decision to join Ericom, he commented, "The world changed in 2020 and more strategic solutions to enable a growing remote and dispersed workforce became absolutely essential. As a result, a focused Zero Trust strategy came to be the global standard. Ive spent years analyzing the evolution in this space, and after seeing Ericoms current technologies and previewing the ones it will introduce in 2021, I was convinced that this place had a real focus on the future for Zero Trust and it had the team I wanted to work with to continue to drive innovation and help businesses achieve a better Zero Trust end state." While at Forrester Research, Dr. Cunningham spearheaded and evolved the Forrester Zero Trust certification program, and was the principal architect for the Zero Trust eXtended (ZTX) framework, which helped drive Zero Trust adoption globally. His first-hand knowledge, years of operational experience in the security market, and specific focus on strategic technologies, Zero Trust solutions, and effective security architecture design make Dr. Cunningham uniquely qualified to assist Ericoms clients and partners to better secure their businesses in a post-Covid, perimeter-less world. Prior to joining Forrester Research, Dr. Cunningham was the Director of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Armor, where he designed and managed the cloud security and intelligence engine for their enterprise customers. He is also a retired US Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician, with more than 20 years experience in cyberforensic and cyberanalytic operations, including time spent working in security centers within the NSA, CIA, FBI, and other government agencies. "Chases Zero Trust vision and drive have had a major impact on the global cybersecurity market, and his passion, real-world expertise, and candor are valued and appreciated by industry executives and as well as government leaders. We believe that his insights and hands-on security expertise will enable the digital transformation that is crucial to our customers secure growth and success," said David Canellos, CEO of Ericom. "His guidance and direction of our strategic programs and technology innovation will help us rapidly deliver more impactful cloud cybersecurity solutions for our customers and partners. "Ericom has a strong history of helping its customers establish secure connectivity and network access, and it is evolving into a leading Zero Trust security player," Dr. Cunningham continued. "I look forward to helping the company accelerate that evolution and build out its security portfolio, providing a broader set of capabilities to help secure businesses as they digitally transform in the future." Ericom Software provides Zero Trust cloud security solutions that keep organizations connected and productive, while protecting them from advanced cybersecurity threats. Leveraging a strategic combination of remote browser and application isolation technologies, as well as cloud focused security solutions that are all delivered via the Ericom Global Cloud, a high availability multi-tenant cloud platform that makes adoption of Ericoms solutions simple and cost effective. Its security and connectivity solutions are used by thousands of businesses and millions of end users. In addition to his role at Ericom, Dr. Cunningham will continue to provide insights and perspectives on Zero Trust security on media platforms including Forbes Technology Council, The Analyst Syndicate, and Cybercrime Magazine, in addition to his LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube social media channels. Visit the Ericom blog to read Dr. Cunninghams article on why he joined Ericom Software, and the hands-on Zero Trust security leadership approach he will be taking going forward. About Ericom Software Ericom Software is a leading provider of Zero Trust cybersecurity solutions that protect organizations from advanced security threats. Leveraging innovative browser and application isolation technologies, Ericoms cloud-delivered security solutions enable simple, secure policy-driven access to mission-critical applications and resources, including the web, without impacting end-user productivity. Ericoms platform of browser isolation, remote access, secure connectivity, mobility, and virtualization technologies enhance cybersecurity and productivity while reducing cost and complexity for tens of thousands of businesses and millions of end users worldwide. The company has offices in the US, UK, and EMEA, and a global network of distributors and partners. For more information about Ericom and its products, visit http://www.ericom.com. You can also follow Ericom Software on our blog, as well as on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. She's been enjoying an relaxing break on the balmy French-Caribbean island of Saint Barthelemy since November. And Victoria Silvstedt put on an eye-popping display in a skimpy olive one-piece as she posed for an outdoor photoshoot behind St Barts's airport. The Swedish model, 46, flaunted her enviable physique in the cut out swimsuit, which she teamed with a statement gold belt and a floating grey silk sarong. Sun-kissed: Victoria Silvstedt put on an eye-popping display in a skimpy olive one-piece as she posed for an outdoor photoshoot at the back of the airport in St Barts She sent temperatures soaring as she showcased her ample assets in the show-stopping beachwear look. Victoria shielded her eyes from the blazing sunshine with a large pair of round sunglasses as she modelled in front of a grassy field for the outdoor shoot. As her glamorous sarong billowed out behind her, she flaunted her bronzed pegs and even gave a cheeky glimpse of her pert derriere. The TV personality let her windswept golden tresses fall naturally across her shoulders, pushing her glossy locks away from her face with her fingers. Photoshoot: The Swedish model, 46, flaunted her enviable physique in the cut out swimsuit, which she teamed with a bold gold belt and a floating grey silk sarong Flirty: As her glamorous sarong billowed out behind her, she flaunted her bronzed pegs and even gave a cheeky glimpse of her pert derriere She appeared to be in her element as she confidently struck a series of flirty poses while her photographer captured her seductive looks on camera. Victoria picked a rather unusual location for the outdoor shoot, as a sign revealed that the field in the backdrop was in fact a 'restricted area' of the airport. She has been soaking up the sun in St Barts since November, with many other celebrities also jetting to the Caribbean to ring in the New Year. Others stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, Bella Hadid and Paul McCartney had also jetted off to the Caribbean to ring in the New Year. As well as frequenting St Tropez and Italy, the media personality also spends a large part of her year in tropical St Barts. Stunning: Victoria shielded her eyes from the blazing sunshine with a large pair of round sunglasses as she modelled in front of a grassy field for the outdoor shoot Confident: The TV personality let her windswept golden tresses fall naturally across her shoulders, pushing her glossy locks away from her face with her fingers Gorgeous: Victoria proved that she is still a talented model, after more than 25 years of experience, as she flawlessly worked the camera Victoria has enjoyed a lengthy stint in the spotlight after being chosen to represent her country in the Miss World pageant in 1993. After her pageant days, the Scandinavian stunner was spotted by Hugh Hefner and went on to become a Playboy Playmate. Since her career rocketed, Victoria has modelled for some of the world's most prestigious fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior and Valentino. Despite the glamorous veneer to her lifestyle as a young model, she revealed there was a dark side in a recent interview with Female First. Victoria said: 'I started very young to model in Paris when I was 18, I remember like starving myself to fit into the clothes and it was an amazing experience but you know I did shows for Valentino, Chanel, so it was really prestigious.' Random: Victoria seemed to have picked an unusual location for the outdoor shoot, as a sign revealed the field in the backdrop was in fact a 'restricted area' of the airport A Bergen County judge properly declared a mistrial in a murder case that was repeatedly interrupted and delayed by the coronavirus pandemic last year, a state appeals court ruled Monday. The appeals court said prosecutors can retry the sibling suspects without double jeopardy, rejecting an argument by defense attorneys to have the charges dismissed against Adrienne Smith and her brother Orville Cousins. Smith is charged with killing her husband, Randolph Smith, in their Bergenfield apartment in December 2016 and cutting up his body. Cousins is charged with helping her package Smiths remains in plastic bins, and leaving them on a friends porch in Burlington City, about 80 miles away. Their trial started in January 2020 and testimony began the next month. But on March 15, the state court system suspended all jury trials as the pandemic mounted. The trial was in full swing, with the state having called 29 witnesses, with a few more to go, the appeals decision says. In July, the state said trials could resume with new pandemic cautions in place. However, over a period of months, prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Smith and Cousins case could not come to an agreement on exactly how to resume the trial. The negotiations ran the gamut, from arguing over fairness toward defendants, to if the jurors would or should return after a large break, to several health safety issues brought on by COVID-19, including how to use face shields and social distancing during testimony, the decision says. And some of the lawyers on the case fell into high risk groups, the decision noted. One, Frank Lucianna, is 97 years old. The judge at one point offered a larger courtroom, which was not agreed to, and the state suggested polling jurors to see if they would return, which the judge rejected, the decision says. In October, after months of back-and forth, the judge declared a mistrial, after finding no viable options to keep the trial alive. And the next month, the state again shut down jury trials as the second coronavirus wave intensified. Defense attorneys ultimately disagreed with the judges decision, resulting in the appeal. They argued there was no manifest necessity for a mistrial and the judge acted with imprudent haste. Double jeopardy would apply, and the charges should be dismissed, the argued. The appeals court, though, over 41 pages, continually sided with the judge, Christopher R. Kazlau, and painstakingly and strongly affirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic has put the justice system into an unprecedented bind. Neither the judge nor the parties here could have predicted the restrictions on the judiciary that would become necessary as a result of the pandemic, and even today it remains unclear when jury trials may be able to return to the status quo, the decision says. Kazlau did everything he could, saying he carefully navigated the trial through these challenging times. In performing his sound analysis, the judge properly balanced defendants constitutional and statutory rights while maintaining the publics interest in fair trials, mindful of the unique and unprecedented public health risks facing participants owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision says. Smiths defense attorney, Frank Carbonetti, said disappointed in the appeals decision, and said he still believes in his arguments for double jeopardy. He acknowledged that the challenges facing jury trials are truly unique during the pandemic, but he still believes it was the wrong decision to declare a mistrial, he said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China stands ready to work with Argentina to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China attaches great importance to bilateral ties, Xi said in a recent exchange of letters with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, urging concerted efforts to sustain and deepen the development of the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi noted that since Fernandez took office, they have talked over phone and had multiple exchanges of letters, and have reached important consensuses on deepening bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation in areas such as battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is a severe test for the whole world, Xi said, adding that in the face of the disease, the two nations have stood together and helped each other, and their traditional friendship has been further elevated in the joint battle. China, he said, stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Argentina in research, development and application of COVID-19 vaccines, and will continue to provide as much support and assistance as its capacity allows for Argentina's fight against the pandemic. For his part, Fernandez spoke highly of the development of bilateral relations and China's achievements in containing the pandemic, and thanked China for supporting Argentina's fight against COVID-19. Facing the impact of COVID-19, countries should show solidarity, as well as mutual respect and support, and commit themselves to building a community with a shared future for mankind, a notion put forward by Xi, he said. The Argentine president noted that China has accomplished its poverty alleviation target as scheduled and scored remarkable achievements in science and technology, bringing benefits for the Chinese people and the world at large. He also said that both Argentina and China uphold multilateralism, support inter-state dialogues, and strengthen regional dialogues, so as to achieve harmonious development. The Belt and Road Initiative is conducive to deepening connectivity and mutual understanding between the two countries, Fernandez said, adding that his country stands ready to strengthen cooperation with China in areas including vaccines, and to jointly push for greater development of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The state administration will soon appoint new deputy commissioner (DC) after Amit Khatri left on leave on Tuesday for pursuing higher studies in public administration in the United States of America. Although the state has not yet issued any official order for appointing a new DC, a few senior officials said that a decision is likely to be taken this week. The decision will be taken soon at the state level. It can be within day or a two, said a senior administration official. He said that Khatri applied for a study leave in July last year to go for higher education in the USA. Khatri, a 2011- batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre was appointed as Gurugram DC in 2019 after Vinay Pratap Singh, who is currently the commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), and the newly formed Municipal Corporation of Manesar. He was the additional commissioner of MCG in 2016-17. Thereafter, he was appointed as DC Jind in 2017. He continued till February 2019, after which he was transferred as DC Gurugram. Between July 2019 and December 2019, Khatri was also given additional charge as MCG commissioner. During the same time period, he successfully conducted general election held in May 2019 and the state assembly election held in November 2019. A senior official with the Biden transition team, speaking on background Tuesday in a briefing call with reporters, called the last-minute rollbacks an unrelenting assault on the environment and said rebuilding federal agencies that the Trump administration has gutted will be an enormous task. The official vowed the policies would be reversed, but when and how long that might take may depend on several factors, including when the measures go into effect. One way or another the most pernicious of these rules will end up getting undone, Mr. Revesz said. But he and other legal experts said reversing the measures would not be a quick or easy process. In the case of the bird rule, conservationists and oil industry executives alike have said that was precisely what the Trump administration intended. The industry has long sought to be shielded from liability for killing birds unintentionally in oil spills, toxic waste ponds and other environmental disasters. Under the measure, which changes the way the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act is implemented, the federal government will no longer fine or prosecute companies whose actions cause the death of birds, as long as killing birds was not the underlying intent of the action. That holds true for accidents like oil spills and electrocutions on power lines and also intentional or even illegal acts, like the spraying of a banned pesticide as long as birds are not the intended target of the poison. David Bernhardt, the interior secretary, described the new policy as a simple clarification of the law. IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunwest Bank, a privately held, entrepreneurial business bank serving the Western United States, has announced today it will be participating in the most recent economic relief package, which includes an additional $284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small businesses, created under the original Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) in March. Sunwest Bank provided over 2,000 PPP and MSLP loans across the Western United States during the first round of funding earlier this year and is gearing up for the next round of funding. If you have already received a PPP loan, below are the key details regarding program changes and eligibility for a second PPP loan. A second PPP loan will be available for businesses with fewer than 300 employees and that sustained a loss of revenue of 25% or greater during any quarter in 2020. Restaurants and hotels (NAICS code 72 will be eligible for 3.5x avg. monthly payroll) and all other business will be eligible for 2.5x. Loan size is capped at $2mm and the total of the two loans cannot exceed the initial $10mm cap. Expenses paid for with PPP loans will now be considered tax deductible. Expenses eligible for forgiveness have been expanded to include the following (if your loan has already been forgiven, you are excluded from this change): Operational expenditures: business software, payroll software, HR, billing functions, accounting, tracking of inventory Property damage: vandalism or lootings that is not covered by insurance (during 2020 only) Supplier costs: POs, perishable goods, or inventory Worker protection: screens, cough guards, or any structure to be in compliance with new health codes from the CDC or DHHS PPP Loans under $150,000 will have a one-page forgiveness application. will have a one-page forgiveness application. 501(c)(6) organizations that are not lobbying organizations such as chambers of commerce, trade associations, and boards of trade are now eligible if they have fewer than 150 employees. If you did not apply for or receive a PPP loan in the first round, you have another opportunity to apply for one now. The program guidelines are largely unchanged, except the maximum loan amount is now $2 million and eligible businesses must have 300 employees or less (excluding NAICS code 72 businesses). To apply for either your first or second PPP loan, please visit Sunwest's PPP page to apply. "The Sunwest team provided impeccable service to our PPP borrowers during a time of need and our team is ready to meet our clients' needs with this new round of PPP funding," said Carson Lappetito, President of Sunwest Bank. If you are interested in a PPP loan under the renewed program or have any questions about the program, please call us at (866) 920-2745 or visit our website at www.sunwestbank.com. About Sunwest Bank Founded in 1969, Sunwest Bank is a privately held commercial bank with more than $2.0 Billion in assets. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, with operations in California, Arizona, Idaho and Utah; Sunwest is an entrepreneurial business bank with a long tradition of providing excellent service to entrepreneurs, privately held corporations, family offices, small-medium sized business and real estate developers throughout the Western United States. Sunwest Bank is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. More information about Sunwest Bank and its full line of products and services is available at www.sunwestbank.com. Media Contact: Heather Tidwell (949) 777-1333 [email protected] SOURCE Sunwest Bank Related Links https://www.sunwestbank.com A 30-year-old African stowaway who had miraculously survived an eleven-hour British Airways flight by clinging to the wheel arch of the Boeing 747-400 jetliner for 5,639-mile, has now been granted asylum to Britain. The man from South Africa had hidden in the jumbo jets undercarriage in the freezing-60 C temperatures in one of the most terrifying air journey. Appearing for the first time on Channel 4s documentary The Man Who Fell From The Sky, Themba Cabeka opened up about his nerve chilling travel to Londons Heathrow Airport from Johannesburg by hitching a ride, dangling outside the plane with his best friend, who fell to his death from nearly 5,000 ft halfway through the dangerous journey. In the show that aired LIVE, the man appeared for the first time, revealing his identity to the world as he spoke about the fateful day of June 18, 2015, when he and his friend Carlito Vale decided to escape the hardship and poverty at their South African campsite, and head to London. As the two men had no funds to buy the planes air ticket, they decided to sneak into the wheel arch of the aircraft, Cabeka, who identified himself with the British name Justin told Channel 4. Hanging outside of the plane the whole time with his friend as it flew several thousand feet from the ground, Cabeka said that he could see the ground from the dangerous height, and could see tiny cars, and small people as he clung to the jumbo jet in the air. Read: 98-year-old Shares 'thoughtful' Advice With Youngsters, Netizens Say 'kindness Matters' Read: 'Grease' Receives Backlash From Netizens; Twitterati Calls It 'sexist And Misogynistic' As the two men were some miles from Londons international airport, in a tragedy that he described as horrifying, Cabekas friend fell from the sky on the ground near the air-con unit of an office block just 6 miles away. As the sight shook him to the core, Cabeka began to pass out. He told Channel 4 that after struggling to keep his grip on the plane, he fainted due to lack of oxygen and frosty temperature. Spent months in a coma The last thing, he reportedly remembered was just after the plane took off and his friend Carlito telling him, 'Yeah, we've made it, the stowaway said in the televised interview. The man had spent months in a coma and after he gained conscience, he spent years in the wheelchair. However, he was then given asylum in Britain by the government and now resided in a one-bedroom flat in Liverpool. Doctors were stunned at the mans recovery who they had described was in a state of suspended animation and had his organs functioning on standby mode after hanging from the plane for hours. Read: 'Sum Up 2020 With A Song' Trend Breaks Internet, Netizens Sing 'Staying Alive' Read: 'New Friends': Dog And Dolphin's Playtime Video Leaves Netizens In Awe; Watch Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. A male jaguar carries off an ocelot at a watering hole in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala. Credit: Washington State University In what may be a sign of climate-change-induced conflict, researchers have captured rare photographic evidence of a jaguar killing another predatory wild cat at an isolated waterhole in Guatemala. In the footage, a male jaguar arrives near the waterhole and apparently lies in wait for an hour. It lets a potentially dangerous prey animal, a large tapir, pass by, but when the ocelot stops to drink, the jaguar pounces and carries off the smaller predator. The event, detailed in a recent study published in the journal Biotropica, was captured in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in March 2019, a dry month in a drought year for the tropical forest, by wildlife ecologists from Washington State University and the Wildlife Conservation Society. "Although these predator-on-predator interactions may be rare, there may be certain instances when they become more prevalent, and one of those could be over contested water resources," said Daniel Thornton, a WSU assistant professor and co-author on the paper. "People don't often think of tropical systems as being dry, but in many parts of the world, tropical rains are quite seasonal, and with climate change, some of these tropical ecosystems are expected to become even more seasonal. The more isolated and rare water resources become, the more they're going to become hotspots of activity." Jaguars which can weigh more than 200 pounds typically prey on small animals like armadillos or peccaries. Ocelots, also carnivores, are smaller than their larger jaguar cousins at around 18 to 44 pounds, and their activity patterns overlap with the jaguars particularly in twilight periods of the day. Researchers captured rare footage of a male jaguar killing an ocelot, another predatory wild cat, at an isolated waterhole in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala. Credit: Washington State University While some research has noted signs of ocelot in jaguar feces, until now, no known images have been captured of a jaguar directly killing an ocelot. "These dramatic camera trap images clearly show the fierce competition wildlife face for precious resources like water," said Rony Garcia-Anleu of WCS's Guatemala Program and a co-author of the study. "Unfortunately, climate change and associated droughts are predicted to worsen, which means tough times are ahead for wildlife that depend on watering holes for their survival." The researchers had placed cameras at 42 waterholes in the area in 2018 and 2019. In the 2019 dry season only 21 had water, and none of those were within 10 km (6.2 miles) of this particular waterhole. At this same remote spot, scientists also recorded a fight between two jaguars and a jaguar attempting to attack a young tapir. They also noted that seven different jaguars frequented this waterhole, which is unusual for a species that normally avoids its peers and sticks to its own territory. The jaguar-ocelot kill was captured as part of a larger monitoring project looking at the distribution of animals across the entire landscape in northern Guatemala, especially in relation to human pressures. Ironically, this waterhole was one that was far from any human community, but that did not mean it was necessarily unaffected by human activity. "We have evidence that many things are happening related to climate change, but we might not be aware of every detail, of every consequence," said Lucy Perera-Romero, a WSU doctoral student and lead author on the study. "For example, in these beautiful, green forests, we may not be aware that water flow is a serious issue. It could be another source of mortalityapart from deforestation, from hunting, and from everything else that we do." The Maya Forest is one of Mesoamerica's 5 Great Forests, spanning from Mexico to Colombia, collectively covering an area three times the size of Switzerland. The 5 Great Forests are all transboundary and represent Mesoamerica's most critical bastions for jaguars and other wildlife, and provide services such as carbon sequestration, clean water and food security to five million people. Explore further Protecting two key regions in Belize could save threatened jaguar, say scientists More information: Lucy PereraRomero et al, When waterholes get busy, rare interactions thrive: Photographic evidence of a jaguar ( Panthera onca ) killing an ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ), Biotropica (2020). Journal information: Biotropica Lucy PereraRomero et al, When waterholes get busy, rare interactions thrive: Photographic evidence of a jaguar ( Panthera onca ) killing an ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis ),(2020). DOI: 10.1111/btp.12916 There is a slow but steady build-up of freight movements between Britain and Ireland, a Dublin Port official has said. Hauliers had warned of "mayhem" at ports post-Brexit which has not yet materialised. The first ferries arrived in Ireland from Britain under new trade rules on Friday following the end of the Brexit transition period. Tom Talbot, head of Revenue's customs operations for Dublin Port, said today they are still seeing very low levels of trade because of the time of year. "We're talking about extremely low numbers," Mr Talbot said. "The reality is that the full blown traffic at the port would be a multiple of what it is today." He said it would be "fair to say" that traffic through the port was less than half of a normal day, but he would not be drawn on the exact volumes. He added that officials expected it to be much busier in the next couple of weeks. Speaking on the fourth day of the new post-Brexit rules coming into force, Mr Talbot said the lower volume levels had helped the situation. "This has provided a good opportunity for ourselves, for trade, for business to build familiarity with the system, with new procedures," he said. "It allow firms to build familiarity with procedures that apply to trade and new trade with Great Britain and the arrangements that are in place across both Rosslare and in Dublin Port. "Even for businesses that are familiar for a number of years with dealing with third-country trade, the fact that this trade never arises on roll-on and roll-off traffic is a new feature. "We are now into a much more time-sensitive case and this is moving things a little faster." He said that customs issues that arise are being resolved as quickly as possible by all agencies. On Friday, several lorries were turned away in Holyhead before they boarded ferries destined for Dublin because they did not have the correct paperwork completed. On Sunday Mr Talbot said officials in Dublin refused to allow a handful of trucks board an Irish Ferries' ship in Dublin destined for the UK due to not having the right documentation in place. But Mr Talbot said officials had assisted the hauliers to fill in the correct forms. Hauliers have been warned that only trucks with the correct documentation will be allowed to board ferries. Mr Talbot added that it would take time for drivers and hauliers to get used to the new post-transition period procedures. If all the correct documents and declarations are in place, then drivers will get a green light that will allow them to pass through the port. Mr Talbot said that up to 92% of drivers are getting green lights. "We are seeing a little bit of more orange checks at the moment, but that's because it is bedding in, but you get your green and that's all you have to do." Mr Talbot said the Government has invested substantially in infrastructure, staffing and IT systems. "We are looking at a billion euro being spent on Brexit-related infrastructure," he added. He also said that a green-approved lorry will take just minutes to leave the ferry and the port. "That investment we put in is there for a reason and will minimise delays. There will be delays, we are now dealing with a third country but we want to minimise those delays." Mr Talbot also said Dublin Port is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week which had allowed officials to intervene and support trade and business when problems arise and when they arise on a real-time basis. He also urged drivers to check their custom channel, within 30 minutes of them arriving in port, which helps in the transition of traffic. "To date there has been really good engagement with both trade and business and that will continue to ensure that smooth flow, and I am confident that will continue in the days and weeks ahead," he said. WASHINGTON - The leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested by D.C. police Monday afternoon on a warrant charging him with burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during a demonstration last month, officials said. Police stopped a vehicle Tarrio had been in shortly after it entered the District, said Dustin Sternbeck, a D.C. police spokesman. He said it is believed that Tarrio, who lives in Miami, was coming into the District from the airport. Sternbeck said Tarrio is charged with one misdemeanor count of destruction of property in connection with the Dec. 12 burning of a banner stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church. Tarrio had told The Washington Post last month that he was among those who burned the banner. Police said Tarrio, who was in custody Monday evening, also was charged with two felony counts of possession of high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, which is a legal term for a firearms magazine that allows guns to hold additional bullets. The devices were found during the arrest, police said. Members of the Proud Boys, a male-chauvinist organization with ties to white nationalism, are planning a rally in the District on Wednesday in support of President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the election he lost to Joe Biden. The church banner was ripped down after a similar rally last month. Tarrio could appear Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court. Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney's office in the District could modify the charges brought by police. Authorities had described the burning of the banner as a potential hate crime. Sternbeck said it would be up to prosecutors to determine whether to file hate crime charges, which could increase the penalty. Tarrio last month told The Post that he would plead guilty to destruction of property, pay the church the cost of the banner and surrender to authorities if a criminal charge was filed. However, Tarrio said he would not admit to committing a hate crime. He said he was not motivated by race, religion or political ideology, but because he believes the Black Lives Matter movement "has terrorized the citizens of this country." Police have said four churches were vandalized the night of Dec. 12 as the Proud Boys and other groups marched through downtown. More than three dozen people were arrested during the day's events. In one incident, four people were stabbed amid a crowd of Proud Boys and Trump supporters outside Harry's Bar, which has become a Proud Boys gathering spot. After the stabbings, authorities said the Proud Boys and Trump supporters roamed through the city looking to fight people. Tarrio has said his supporters reacted to being attacked. It was during this time that Black Lives Matter signs were taken from Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, both historically Black houses of worship. The banner that Tarrio said he participated in burning was taken from Asbury United Methodist, one of the oldest Black churches in the city, at 11th and K streets NW. D.C. police have classified the burning as a destruction of property, a misdemeanor when damage is under $1,000. It is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Tarrio previously said he does not know who tore down the banner, and that neither he nor his members knew the church is predominantly African American. "We didn't Google the church and go, 'Oh, it's a Black church, let's target it,' " Tarrio said. "The sign was taken down because of what it represents." Asbury replaced its banner after it was taken on Dec. 12, but the church said the second banner was taken during the week of Christmas. Church officials have asked for an increased police presence on Wednesday. (Natural News) As millions of eligible Americans rush out to get vaccinated with Pfizers new Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, it is important to remind everyone that back in 2009, Pfizer was forced to pay a whopping $2.3 billion settlement in what quickly became the largest healthcare fraud case in history. In order to resolve criminal and civil liability charges stemming from its illegal promotion of various pharmaceutical drugs, Pfizer Inc. subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc. agreed to fork over this large sum of cash, which despite its lofty amount was still less than the untold billions the company raked in from committing the now-settled crimes. As part of the case, Pfizer pleaded guilty to misbranding an anti-inflammatory drug known as Bextra for the intended purpose of defrauding and misleading customers. Pfizer illegally marketed Bextra for uses and at dosages that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had specifically declined to approve due to safety concerns. Pfizer consequently paid a criminal fine of $1.195 billion, the largest criminal fine ever imposed in the United States for any matter. Pfizer was also forced to forfeit another $105 million, resulting in a total criminal resolution of $1.3 billion. Bextra was later pulled from the market in 2005. In addition to this, Pfizer also agreed to pay another $1 billion to resolve allegations that it illegally promoted three other drugs besides Bextra: Geodon, an anti-psychotic pharmaceutical Zyvox, an antibiotic pharmaceutical, and Lyrica, an anti-epileptic pharmaceutical Pfizer not only illegally marketed these drugs, but it also submitted false claims to government health care programs that cited uses for them that were never medically accepted under the law, and thus did not qualify for reimbursement. This same civil settlement also resolved allegations that Pfizer paid kickbacks to various health care providers to spur them to prescribe these and other drugs illicitly. All in all, the case represents the largest civil fraud settlement against a pharmaceutical company in history. Pfizer developed COVID-19 vaccine in just a few hours on Jan. 25 As part of the massive settlement, Pfizer also agreed to join on to an expansive corporate integrity agreement with the Office of Inspector General (OIG), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The stated purpose of this integrity agreement was to ensure that nothing like what was dealt with in the case ever happened again at Pfizer. This turned out to be a failure, though, as the company several years later was forced to pay out yet another settlement in a separate illegal bribery case. It would seem as though Pfizer just cannot operate with any type of integrity or honesty, and yet this is one of the companies that was chosen as part of President Donald Trumps Operation Warp Speed program aimed at delivering fast-tracked China virus vaccines to the public. Keep in mind that Dr. Ugur Sahin of BioNTech, Pfizers plandemic partner, says he developed Pfizers WuFlu vaccine in just a few hours on Jan. 25, 2020. Based on the companys track record of criminality, would you trust an alleged vaccine that was produced this quickly? No other vaccine in history has been created and manufactured so quickly, reports Great Game India. Previously, the fastest vaccine ever developed took more than four years. Pfizers warp speed COVID-19 vaccine reportedly killed at least six people during human clinical trials, while also causing Tiffany Dover, a Tennessee nurse, to collapse during a live interview. It is claimed that Dover survived, but her lack of social media activity since the incident would seem to suggest otherwise. More related news about Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: GreatGameIndia.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com New Delhi/Washington, Jan 5 : Former US President Barack Obama's administration knowingly funded a sanctioned affiliate of the pan-Islamist banned terror outfit al-Qaeda, as per a recently released report of a US Senate committee. The report is based on a probe by the office of the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) into the Obama administration's approval of a $200,000 grant to a US evangelical aid organisation World Vision for the al-Qaeda affiliate, Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA). Incidentally, World Vision works in India as well and is a member of InterAction, America's largest alliance of international non-profit organisations. Last year, IANS in a major expose revealed how the US government agencies have been funding the Islamic charities linked to terror groups based in Pakistan and the Middle East through InterAction. InterAction's Together Project involves the most controversial Islamic charities including Helping Hand for Relief & Development (HHRD), which works with the charitable and political wings of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani terror outfit directed against India in Kashmir. The US Senate probe into World Vision and its ties with ISRA had been initiated in 2019 after the Middle East Forum's Sam Westrop and Cliff Smith exposed the details through a series of articles published in 2018. In January 2014, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded World Vision a grant of $723,405 grant for providing humanitarian services to the conflict-torn Blue Nile region of Sudan. World Vision outsourced the services to ISRA, with which it had collaborated earlier too. But ISRA has been sanctioned by the US government since 2004. World Vision in its defence has claimed that it was unaware about the sanctions against ISRA over its ties to terrorism. Though the Senate committee report has exonerated World Vision of any intentional wrongdoing, it lashed out at the charity for illegally sending government funds to ISRA. Though World Vision was notified of ISRA's status as a sanctioned entity in September 2014 and its payments halted, yet it sent requests that ISRA be awarded a temporary licence to complete the contract. Despite official confirmation about ISRA's sanctioned status, the US State Department on May 4, 2015, asked the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to oblige World Vision. The OFAC granted World Vision the licence to pay ISRA $125,000 for its services but later sent it a "cautionary letter" informing it that its collaboration with ISRA violated the Global Terrorism Sanction Regulations. In its report, the Senate committee report concluded that World Vision had "access to the appropriate public information and should have known how, but failed to, properly vet ISRA as a sub-grantee, resulting in the transfer of US taxpayer dollars to an organisation with an extensive history of supporting terrorist organisations and terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden." Describing World Vision's vetting as "borderline negligent", the US Senate committee said the organisation "ignored elementary level investigative procedures." World Vision, it said, has a "duty to ensure that funds acquired from the US government or donated by Americans do not end up supporting terrorist activity." "Moreover, although we find no reason to doubt World Vision's assertion that the funds in their entirety were used by ISRA for humanitarian purposes, that money inevitably aids their terrorist activities," the Senate committee said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - PORTOFINO RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: POR) (FSE: POTA) ("Portofino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has received encouraging Soil Gas Hydrocarbons ("SGH") gold-in-soil results from a focused geochemical survey conducted in October/November at its South of Otter property. The South of Otter property is situated in the Red Lake Camp of northwestern Ontario and lies only 8km east of Great Bear Resources Dixie Project and contiguous to Dixie Gold's Red Lake Gold Project. Both Great Bear and Dixie Gold have recently announced multiple gold-in-soil SGH anomalies and have utilized the SGH analysis method to vector toward gold exploration targets. Portofino completed 168 soil samples over the Yellow Jacket and Cliff Zone gold targets that were previously trenched in 2020. These trench locations resulted in new gold mineralization discoveries on the South of Otter property. Channel and chip sample results from the trenches returned 1.09 grams/tonne ("g/t") gold over 0.58metres ("m") and 0.220 g/t gold over 0.35m respectively (news release September 15th, 2020). Portofino's soil survey covered an area totalling approximately 160,000 square metres in size and the SGH analytical method was successful in outlining gold-in-soil anomalies proximal to each of the Yellow Jacket Zone and the Cliff Zone. (Figure 1 and 2). SGH hydrocarbon signatures detect and analyze hydrocarbon residues produced by the decomposition of naturally occurring bacteria that fed on gold in rock. These residues subsequently migrated to the surface as a flux of different classes of hydrocarbons or decomposition products (ActLabs Report). The subjective SGH confidence rating for the survey assigned to the anomalies at the Yellow Jacket Trench is a 5.5 on a scale of 6.0 which means that, based on SGH, there is a "good" chance that mineralization is present. A rating of 4.0 on a scale of 6.0 is assigned to the anomalies in the Cliff Trench area. Confidence ratings begin to be categorized as "good" at 4.0 (ActLabs Report). Portofino's geological crew is planning to return to the South of Otter property shortly to expand the areas of geochemical surveys. The 2021 Phase 2 SGH Soil Sampling Program will produce approximately 215 additional SGH soil samples collected at the expanded Cliff Zone and Yellow Jacket Zone grids and will double the size of the Phase 1 sampled area. Phase 2 samples will be taken from 100m spaced grid lines and sample stations every 25m along the lines. Portofino's CEO, David Tafel comments: "The limited soil sampling program utilizing the SGH analytical method at the South of Otter property is very encouraging. This methodology for focusing exploration efforts toward those areas of bedrock gold mineralization in a region of minimal outcrop exposure has worked well for Great Bear Resources at their Dixie Project. In addition, the recently announced positive gold-in-soil results from the (contiguous) Dixie Gold property have enhanced the gold prospects of our South of Otter property. Our crew will return to site this month to expand the soil survey coverage around these initial positive results. The objective is to pinpoint drill targets for a follow-up program." About the South of Otter Property The 5,363 hectares South of Otter Property is contained within the Birch-Uchi-Confederation Lakes greenstone belt which hosts the world-renowned Red Lake gold deposits and includes the outstanding Dixie project currently being drilled by Great Bear Resources Ltd. ("GBR"). Over the past 2 years, GBR has reported company-building drill results with mineralized intersections commonly returning bonanza gold grades in association with coarse visible gold grains. Portofino's South of Otter Property boundary is located approximately 8 km east of GBR's claims (Figure 3). Figure (3) Portofino's South of Otter Property in the Red Lake gold mining camp and its location relative to Great Bear Resources outstanding discoveries. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3751/71396_d83e2f0da4a26a8f_001full.jpg The Property contains excellent targets for both Red Lake-style gold mineralization as well as gold-bearing base metal prospects. Historical work on the claims includes prospecting, sampling, limited drilling, and airborne geophysical surveys. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Mike Kilbourne, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Portofino Resources Inc. Portofino is a Vancouver-based Canadian company focused on exploring and developing mineral resource projects in the Americas. Its South of Otter and Bruce Lake projects are in the historic gold mining district of Red Lake, Ontario proximal to the high-grade Dixie gold project owned by Great Bear Resources Ltd. In addition, Portofino holds three other northwestern Ontario gold projects; the Gold Creek property located immediately south of the historic Shebandowan Nickel-Copper mine, as well as the Sapawe West and Melema West properties located in the rapidly developing Atikokan gold mining camp. The Company also maintains a 100% interest in the Yergo lithium salar property located within the world-renowned "Lithium Triangle" in Argentina. For further information on the Company, its projects and its management please visit our website: https://www.portofinoresources.com/. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "David G. Tafel" Chief Executive Officer For Further Information Contact: David Tafel CEO, Director 604-683-1991 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward looking statements concerning future operations of Portofino Resources Inc. (the "Company"). All forward- looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's project expectations or beliefs may be subject to certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual performance and exploration and financial results may differ materially from any estimates or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71396 New Delhi: Amritsars Anmol Sher Singh Bedi has secured the second rank in civil services examination 2016 held by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). With Karnatakas Nadini KR as the topper, the 23-year-old Bedi has become the male topper of the prestigious all-India competition. An elated Sarbjit Singh Bedi, father of 23-year-old Anmol, told media at his residence in Green Avenue area in Amritsar that it was the first attempt of his son, who has remained topper throughout his academic carrier. My son, born and brought up in Amritsar, studied at the local Spring Dale School and then earned his engineering degree in Computer Science. He was always keen on appearing in UPSC examination, said Bedi, a teacher at Guru Nanak Dev University in Jalandhar. Anmol is the topper among male candidates and has graduated in engineering from BITS, Pilani. Nandini KR, who hails from Karnataka, has topped the prestigious civil services examination for 2016. As many as 11,35,943 candidates had applied for this examination, out of which 4,59,659 candidates actually appeared. A total of 15,452 candidates qualified for the mains examination held in December, 2016. Of these, 2,961 candidates qualified for the personality test or interview conducted in March-May. (With Inputs from PTI) #mce_temp_url#Read | UPSC results 2016: I always wanted to be an IAS officer, says Nandini K R Tidy Towns' group members as well as members of the community have expressed their disappointment at people leaving behind boxes of empty bottles if bottle banks are full. There has been a lot of pressure on capacity at bring sites in recent days as households recycle bottles and cans that mounted up over the festive season. At the bring site in Kill, several cardboard boxes of empty bottles were discarded on the ground as bottle banks were full. One local said: "Really disappointing to see. Maybe there should be an extra collection at Christmas time but surely it shouldn't be left like this. It's a shame since Kill Tidy Towns do a great job all year round to have our little village looking lovely." In the Leixlip area, there was a related problem of cardboard box litter left at the local bring site. A local woman called for the issue to be treated as illegal dumping and the offenders should be prosecuted. England on Tuesday entered a strict national lockdown aimed at stemming a steep rise in virus cases that a senior government minister warned could last into March. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the measures, including school closures and a ban on leaving home except for exercise and essential shopping, on Monday evening. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told Sky News on Tuesday morning that he could not say precisely when the lockdown, announced as lasting six weeks, would be lifted, warning of "very, very difficult weeks". The measures will be reviewed from February 15, he said, but the government cannot "predict with certainty" whether they will be lifted then. "I think it is right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all," he added. The measures began in England on Tuesday morning and will become law in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also bringing in strict lockdowns including school closures. The lockdown comes as the surge of a new strain of the virus that is said to be more infectious threatens to overwhelm hospitals, despite the rollout of two vaccines, including UK's own Oxford University/AstraZeneca shot from Monday, bringing hopes of beating the virus in the coming months. The UK has already vaccinated over one million people. A total of 58,784 people tested positive in the UK on Monday, with cases in the last seven days up 50 percent on the previous week. Schoolchildren will not sit crucial end-of-year exams needed to enter higher education as usual, Gove said. "We will be putting in place alternative arrangements," he said. He also said the UK could impose new restrictions on international travel. Currently quarantine is compulsory for those arriving from some countries but not virus testing. Gove said he had discussed this with the leaders of the other UK nations, adding: "We will be coming forward very shortly with new proposals." Overall, Britain has been among the worst hit in the world by the outbreak, with some 2.7 million cases and 75,431 deaths. Johnson was widely criticised for hesitating too long about the measures, particularly school closures. But he won some support on Tuesday. The Times wrote: "Mr Johnson said that the weeks ahead would be the hardest yet. But at least we have given ourselves a fighting chance." This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. NEW DELHI : Future Group founder and CEO Kishore Biyani on Tuesday said Amazon was fully aware of his group's talks with Reliance Industries for the sale of retail assets that followed the US giant offering no concrete help to tide over the cash crisis. Opening up after being locked in an intense legal battle with Amazon over the 24,713 crore deal with Reliance, Biyani in an interview with PTI said the US giant's 2019 investment in Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL) -- Future Retail's parent -- was for coupon and gifting business only and the same could continue post-retail assets going to Reliance. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 He hoped to complete the deal with Reliance within two months of Sebi approval. While the arbitration would commence later in January over the plea filed by Amazon contesting the deal with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Biyani said both the deal and arbitration process would continue in "parallel" as the deal with billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led group is not related with the e-commerce major's stake in one of the group firms, Future Coupons. Biyani said Future Group had approached them several times after its retail business was massively hit after the lockdown and its debt level zoomed. "The day COVID and lockdown started, since then we were in continuous engagement with Amazon. That's not the case that they (Amazon) were not aware of. We had written to them somewhere in March also about the price deterioration and invocation of shares," Biyani told PTI. There was a clause through which Amazon could replace lenders with some others which can help them (Future) to retain the ownership of the shares if it falls, he added. "COVID had happened and things did not materialise then. After that, we were in discussion with them (Amazon) through the whole transaction. Even when Reliance was part of the negotiation, they were always aware of that," he added. Asked as to how many times Future Group approached Amazon, he said, "we were in continuous dialogue. We had approached them multiple times. We had calls and meetings". Biyani said Amazon was also apprised when there were exclusive talks with RIL. "After the matter has become legal (sub-judice), we have not spoken,"he said. While noting that Amazon's response was always "let's find a solution", Biyani said they never got any solution from Amazon except "lots of paper works". "To be honest, we never got a concrete solution," Biyani said, adding, "we approached RIL only after things were not moving. You cannot work with one option at a time". However, Amazon has contended this version. "It is incorrect to say that Amazon did not offer help to Future Retail Limited as there were ongoing discussions on multiple options with partners on the one hand and with the promoters of Future on the other, including a signed Term Sheet," an Amazon spokesperson said. Amazon had dragged Future Group to arbitration at Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), which on October 25 passed an interim award in favour of the e-commerce giant. Future Retail has questioned the move and said the order was "not binding" and had even approached Delhi High Court, which last month upheld Amazon's right to make representations to statutory authorities against the Future Group-Reliance Retail deal. The court also gave a go-ahead to the regulatory authorities to decide about the deal in accordance with the rules and regulations. Future Group has approached Sebi to expedite the review of the proposed deal and issue a no-objection certificate while Amazon has urged that the review of the "impugned transaction" be suspended. "We are responding to what they (Amazon) are writing. We are not the first writers," Biyani said when asked about the ongoing war of letters between Amazon and Future. "We had applied for CCI permission, which we have got. We have applied to BSE and NSE, which is linked to Sebi's approval," he said. Biyani does not expect any hurdle after the order of the Delhi High Court which has directed the regulators to take an independent call on the issue. "I do not see (it taking) much time. Once we get Sebi approval, then we have to go NCLT for creditors, lenders and shareholders' approval," he said adding that after Sebi approval, it would take 45 to 60 days. The process of appointing an arbitrator at SIAC has not been done yet and Biyani said the deal with RIL has nothing to do with Amazon. He hinted that the arbitration and the process of completion of the 24,713 crore-deal with Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), subsidiary of RIL would continue in parallel. "It is a dispute between the promoters and Amazon in a way because they are part of a company (Future Coupons), which we built for gifting and loyalty business. That company has invested in FRL and they are not directly the owners of FRL," he said. Biyani also emphasised that the partnership with Amazon was for coupon and gifting business only and to work with Future brands and portfolios and to sell it on Amazon. "That continues today also," he added. On being asked as what would be left for Future Coupon to do after the assets of the group are transferred to RIL, Biyani said, "it can still continue to hold the shares of the resultant entity. It will continue to do the gifting business". Biyani also hinted that post completion of the deal, an exit route may be offered to Amazon. "The best solution is conciliation on every issue," he said, adding, "we would love to find a solution". In 2019, Amazon agreed to purchase 49% stake in Future Coupons with the right to buy into flagship Future Retail after three to ten years. Future Coupons holds 7.3% equity through convertible warrants in Future Retail, that operates popular supermarket and hypermarket chains such as Big Bazaar. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. [January 05, 2021] Skylo Hires Angira Agrawal as Chief Operating Officer Skylo, the world's first and most affordable end-to-end solution connecting machine and sensor data via satellite, today announced that Angira Agrawal has joined the company's leadership team as COO. Angira will oversee all operations and customer-facing activities throughout the US, India and beyond, ensuring a positive customer experience during a period of rapid growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005888/en/ Skylo COO Angira Agrawal (Photo: Business Wire) "As Skylo grows broadly around the world, and deeply into verticals like farming, fishing, logistics and healthcare, it is vital to bring in key leadership who understand what customers want and who can help deliver smooth user experiences," said Skylo CEO and co-founder Parth Trivedi. "Angira brings an impressive resume of scaling complex businesses with specific expertise in wireless and mobility solutions, and his deep experience in India and Asia Pacific will be critical as we deploy in these regions and beyond. Angira embodies Skylo's core value -- customer first -- and we're proud to have him on the team." Angira joins Skylo from Vodafone (News - Alert) Idea, where he served as head of the enterprise business for the North and Eastof India, leading a multifunctional team specializing in digital solutions to government, enterprise and SME customers. Highly skilled in scaling customer centric go-to-market deployments, his strong focus on customers and their digital journey has leveraged best practices in both business and technology to increase market share and revenue growth. He is passionate about how technology can disruptively create and improve new economies, while impacting society for the better. "The global market is increasingly looking for effective and affordable connectivity solutions, and getting access to information is key," said Angira. "There is a tremendous opportunity to serve the needs in underserved markets such as India and beyond. I am excited to join now as Skylo is rapidly scaling up to meet critical connectivity needs across many industries. I look forward to working closely with the fantastic team and helping make a meaningful impact with Skylo's disruptive solution." Today's networks were designed to connect people. But the world's machines and sensors, especially those in remote and underserved areas like rural farms and boats out at sea, require a different type of network -- one that's reliable and 100% continuous. Skylo's end-to-end solution meets this need with a geostationary satellite-based network (the Skylo Network), its elegant Skylo Hub, and the immersive Skylo Platform, accessible on mobile and desktop. Together, these components can increase safety, drive economic development and job creation, and help with disaster preparedness. To that end, Skylo already successfully serves customers across public and private sectors, and in industries including farming, fishing, logistics, railways, and more. Skylo is funded by Softbank Group, DCM (News - Alert) , Innovation Endeavors, Boeing HorizonX, and Moore Strategic Ventures. Skylo was founded in 2017 by CEO Parth Trivedi, CTO Dr. Andrew Nuttall, CPO Tarun Gupta, and Chief Hub Architect Dr. Andrew Kalman. About Skylo Skylo delivers the world's first disruptively affordable, satellite-based solution that connects machines and sensors, from slow moving tractors to fast moving trucks, from fishing boats at sea to railcars, from pipelines to livestock, no matter where in the world they are. Skylo continuously collects and shares this valuable data through an intuitive and immersive user platform so people can make smarter decisions faster. The first company to leverage the cellular Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) protocol for satellite communications, Skylo connects remote areas to serve a wide range of industries including farming, fishing, railways, logistics, and disaster preparedness. Skylo has offices in Palo Alto, CA (News - Alert) ; Bangalore, India; Tel Aviv, Israel; Espoo, Finland, and is growing globally to support its customers. To learn more about Skylo, visit www.skylo.tech, or find us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005888/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] India will soon start mega vaccination drive against coronavirus infection across the country. The healthcare and frontline workers and those above 50 years old will receive the jab on a priority basis. India on Sunday approved the restricted emergency use of two vaccines against novel coronavirus Covishield by Serum Institute of India and Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech. Following the recommendations of National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19, the state government has started identifying beneficiaries. Nearly 30 crore people will receive the vaccine during the first phase of vaccination. COVID-19 registration The COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system a digitalised platform will be used to track enlisted beneficiaries for the vaccination and coronavirus vaccines on a real-time basis. At the vaccination site, only pre-registered beneficiaries will be vaccinated in accordance with the prioritization, the health ministry earlier said. There will be no provision for on the-spot registrations. Once the registration is complete, the beneficiary will receive SMS on their registered mobile number on the due date, place and time of vaccination. The photo-identity documents, including Voter ID, Aadhar card, driving license, passport and pension document, will be required for self-registration on the Co-WIN website, it added. However, healthcare and frontline workers do not need to register themselves for vaccination. "Healthcare workers and frontline workers would not need to register themselves as a beneficiary as their data is bulk database that has been populated on the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk manner," said Rajesh Bhushan, health secretary. Here are the priority groups that will receive vaccine during the first phase: (i) Approximately one crore, healthcare workers (HCWs) healthcare providers and workers in healthcare setting, (ii) About two crore frontline Workers (FLWs) which includes personnel from state and central police, armed forces, home guards, civil defence and disaster management volunteers, municipal workers, (iii) Approximately 27 crore prioritized age group population above 50 years and persons below 50 years with associated co-morbidities. Union ministry of health and family affairs on Tuesday said that the government is prepared to roll out COVID-19 vaccines within 10 days of granting emergency use authorisation. "Based on feedback of dry-run, govt said it is ready to introduce COVID-19 vaccine within 10 days from date of emergency use authorisation," said Bhashan while briefing the media. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. South Korea's anti-piracy unit began operations in waters near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday to respond to heightened tensions after Iran's seizure of a South Korean oil tanker, officials said. On Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized the tanker, the MT Hankuk Chemi, due to what Teheran claims to be environmental and chemical pollution by the ship. The vessel, which was traveling from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, was carrying 20 crew members -- five South Koreans, 11 Myanmarese, two Indonesians and two Vietnamese. "The Cheonghae Unit arrived in waters near the Hormuz Strait earlier in the day. It is carrying out missions to ensure the safety of our nationals," ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan told a regular briefing. The ministry refused to give details, but officials stressed that the unit is not taking military actions for the release. "The issue should be resolved through diplomacy. The unit is focused on the safety of our people who use the waterway after the seizure incident," another official said. Around six South Korean vessels are known to sail through the waterway every day. South Korea has also been in close coordination with multinational entities operating in nearby waters, the official added. The 33rd contingent of the 300-strong Cheonghae Unit on the 4,400-ton destroyer Choi Young has been in the Middle Eastern region since late last year to conduct anti-piracy missions. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that South Korea is making diplomatic efforts for the swift release of the ship and crewmembers. "We have been trying to figure out what happened through the Iranian Embassy in South Korea and the South Korean Embassy in Iran and continuing to make efforts to address this situation," Kang told reporters. Asked about speculation that Tehran might have seized the ship out of anger over its assets frozen in Korea due to U.S. sanctions, Kang stressed the first priority is on "verifying the facts and ensuring the safety of the crewmembers." On Monday, the U.S. State Department called on Iran to immediately release the tanker, saying that the seizure is part of Teheran's attempt to press the international community into lifting sanctions on the country. As the world's most important oil passageway and a chokepoint between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the strait is the route to the open ocean for more than one-sixth of global oil production and 70 percent of South Korea's oil imports. The Cheonghae Unit has been in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia since 2009 and broadened its mission areas into the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf last year amid heightening tensions in the region. (Yonhap) Full ties have been restored between Qatar and the four nations that severed relations with Doha in a rift that began in 2017, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister said Tuesday. "What happened today is... the closure of the folder of all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a press conference at the conclusion of a landmark regional summit. Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration, named after the Saudi city where the summit was held, and a final communique. Their contents were not immediately released but hopes for a deal to end the bitter impasse were raised overnight when Saudi announced it would open its borders to Doha despite lingering enmity between the neighbours. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Tuesday that the Gulf states had signed an agreement on regional "solidarity and stability" at a summit aimed at resolving a three-year embargo against Qatar. "These efforts helped us reach the agreement of the Al-Ula statement that will be signed at this summit, where we affirm our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," he told the meeting, thanking the United States and Kuwait for their mediation. "There is a desperate need today to unite our efforts to promote our region and to confront challenges that surround us, especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction." The summit was also attended by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain cut ties and transport links with Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of backing radical Islamist groups and cooperating with Iran. Qatar has always denied these allegations. Short link: PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- JLL Capital Markets announced today that it has closed the $326 million sale of the Pittock Block, a 302,262-square-foot, mixed-use asset in Portland's central business district. The sale represents the highest priced single-asset sale in Oregon since 2015. JLL represented the seller, Alco Investment Company, and procured the buyer, a joint venture between Harrison Street and 1547 Critical Systems Realty. The Pittock Block is named after Portland publishing magnate Henry L. Pittock, whose house was located on the property until construction. The building was developed by a subsidiary of the Northwestern Electric Company and several other investors, primarily as an office building with an electrical and steam generation plant in the three-story sub-basement serving the Portland westside. In 1986, Alco Investment Company purchased the property as a distressed asset with investment advisor Leavitt Shay as the developer. Shortly after, several long-distance companies expressed interest in leasing space at the building due to its proximity to one of the major telecom companies, whose regional switching hub was located near the building, making the Pittock Block the primary neutral cross-connection point in the Portland Metro. "About the same time, the Internet became more widely adopted and Internet Service Providers that were also interested in gaining access to the neutral telecommunications infrastructure, built data centers in the building," said Doug Rosen, Chief Investment Officer, Alco. "As a result, we oversaw a major retrofit of the building in 1999 that set the building up to take on these types of tenants." The Pittock Block now provides a unique combination of data center space, office suites, telecommunication, and retail space. The Pittock Block is one of only two primary internet exchanges for the entire Pacific Northwest, hosting elite cloud-based and e-commerce companies, and is one of only 10 such exchanges nationally. In addition, the property contains 16 fiber-optic carriers and 179 other service providers exchanging data in its self-managed, carrier-neutral Meet-Me Room ("MMR"). The asset is strategically located within a Qualified Opportunity Zone at 921 SW Washington St. in Portland's dynamic West End neighborhood. Boasting a Walk Score of 100 and a Transit Score of 94, the property is just a short walk from Pioneer Courthouse Square, numerous high street retail stores, diverse dining options, and Portland's mass transit system. Portland's central business district is home to many of the world's largest technology firms, which fuels the local demand for data center and cloud space. Regionally, Portland has become a strategic data center location between San Francisco and Seattle, and globally, Portland offers low latency to the Midwest, East Coast, Asia Pacific, EMEA, and Latin America. Additionally, Hillsboro, Oregon, located 18 miles west of the property, is one of the fastest growing data center submarkets in the world. The JLL Capital Markets team representing the seller was led by Managing Director Buzz Ellis, Managing Director Conan Lee, and Director Adam Taylor. "The data center segment of the market has performed extremely well during the pandemic, if not better than pre-Covid levels," Ellis said. "We anticipate investor interest to remain strong in alternative investment asset classes such as data centers, which will continue to drive record pricing." JLL Capital Markets is a full-service global provider of capital solutions for real estate investors and occupiers. The firm's in-depth local market and global investor knowledge delivers the best-in-class solutions for clients whether investment sales advisory, debt placement, equity placement, or a recapitalization. JLL has more than 3,700 Capital Markets specialists worldwide with offices in nearly 50 countries. For more news, videos, and research resources on JLL, please visit our newsroom. About Alco Investment Company Alco Investment Company is a privately held and family-owned investment, development, and property management firm headquartered in Kent, Washington, and established in 1913. Alco has structured and participated in capital investment and commercial real estate transactions spanning numerous industries. Alco Investment Company invests in office, flex/industrial, retail, technology, and telecommunications buildings located primarily in the Pacific Northwest. About Harrison Street Harrison Street is one of the leading investment management firms exclusively focused on alternative real assets. Since inception in 2005, the firm has created a series of differentiated investment solutions focused on demographic-driven, needs-based assets. The firm has invested across senior housing, student housing, healthcare delivery, life sciences and storage real estate as well as social and utility infrastructure. Headquartered in Chicago with an office in London, the firm has more than 185-employees and approximately $30 billion in assets under management. Clients of the firm include a global institutional investor base domiciled in North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Harrison Street has been awarded Best Places to Work by Pensions & Investments for the last seven consecutive years and was named 2019 North American Alternatives Investor of the Year by PERE. For more information, please visit www.harrisonst.com. About fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty, LLC fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty ("1547") is a leading developer and operator of custom-designed data centers with over 1,300,000 SF of data center space in Orangeburg, NY; Toronto, ON; Chicago, IL (2); Cheyenne, WY; San Francisco, CA; Kapolei, HI; Milwaukee, WI; and Portland, OR. Central to the Company's strategy is its ability to uncover the true intrinsic value of properties and opportunistically develop world-class data center facilities. 1547's focus is providing tenants with strategic, customized mission critical solutions from concept through completion. For more information, please visit www.1547Realty.com. About JLL JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $18.0 billion in 2019, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of over 92,000 as of September 30, 2020. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com. Connect with us https://www.linkedin.com/company/jll https://www.facebook.com/jll https://twitter.com/jll https://www.instagram.com/jll Contact: Kristen Murphy, JLL Senior Manager, Public Relations Phone: +1 617 848 1572 Email: [email protected] SOURCE JLL Related Links http://www.jll.com Debi Domenick will head the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners this year, replacing Jerry Notarianni in the leadership role. A historic vote at Mondays reorganization meeting makes Domenick the first board chairwoman. It may also prompt ethics concerns, as Domenick voted for herself for the position that pays $3,049 more than commissioners standard salary. During the virtual meeting, commissioners voted 2-0 to approve separate motions making Domenick chairwoman and Notarianni vice chairman of the board. Minority Commissioner Chris Chermak, the boards lone Republican, remained silent during votes on both motions. He voiced his objection to the leadership change when reached after the meeting. Were in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, Chermak said. I thought we did an awesome job last year holding this county together. (Its) not any time to switch chairman of the board. Asked why he remained silent during the vote, as opposed to voting no, Chermak said he didnt have anything to say. They dont care what I have to say, so I guess the less said the better, he said of his fellow commissioners. Among other duties, the chairperson approves meeting agendas, signs written correspondence and legal documents and serves as the boards official spokesperson. The leadership role carries a slightly higher salary, $85,269 in 2021, than the $82,220 the other commissioners will earn. Because of Chermaks silence, Domenick cast one of the two votes necessary to make herself chairwoman. When former Commissioner Patrick OMalley did the same in 2017, The Times-Tribune reported he may have violated the state ethics law because that vote did not include a statement disclosing the leadership post carried a higher salary, along with his reasons for casting a vote. OMalleys vote for himself broke a 1-1 tie. County officials at the time cited a long tradition of chairmen voting for themselves and contended the move did not violate the ethics law. Commissioners ultimately conducted a revote of making OMalley chairman in February 2017. While he did not believe he did anything wrong, OMalley said he wanted to redo the vote to err on the side of transparency. Pennsylvania Ethics Commission Executive Director Robert Caruso said he couldnt speak specifically to Domenicks case when reached Monday. However, in general, he said public officials are advised to first abstain from any vote that will result in a financial benefit to themselves, an immediate family member or a business with which they are associated. Public officials voting on items that increase their compensation is generally considered by the law to be a conflict of interest, he said in 2017. He also outlined a process to break ties that conflicts of interest can create an option available to three-member boards to prevent deadlocks. After a measure is introduced and fails with the conflicted member abstaining, it should be reintroduced, he said at the time. The member with the conflict can cast a vote if he or she discloses it and offers a statement explaining the vote to be added to the record. Notarianni abstained from last years vote that made him chairman of the board in 2020. Domenick also abstained from last years vote that made her vice chairwoman, though that position does not carry a higher salary. Both of those motions passed 2-0. County Solicitor Frank Ruggiero said Monday that Domenicks vote did not constitute an ethics violation because commissioners salaries are public record. Theres no issue, Ruggiero said. Theres no ethics violation, and the commissioners are not prohibited, particularly the elected chairperson, from voting for themselves even with the additional remuneration thats provided them because its public record. Salaries for commissioners and the board chairperson were enumerated in the countys original Home Rule Charter and modified over the decades by publicly available ordinances, Ruggiero said, noting residents also may request a salary schedule from the county. The countys 2021 budget lists the combined wages for the three commissioners, $249,709, though those salaries are not broken out individually in the spending plan. For now, commissioners do not plan to hold a second vote to make Domenick chairwoman, Ruggiero said. I mean if a discussion ensues as a result of anything then ... well always keep an open mind, but no, not right now there wouldnt be any need to have a second vote, he said. Notarianni, who said Domenick is well-equipped to serve as chairwoman, noted hes not averse to holding a second vote if officials determined that is the appropriate way to proceed. A second vote would likely result in the same outcome, he said. Attempts to reach Domenick after the meeting were not successful. Also during the reorganization meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to maintain the boards meeting schedule in 2021. Meetings will be held at 10 a.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of each month. The sessions will continue to be held virtually and broadcast live on ECTVs YouTube channel. Commissioners next meet Wednesday. Ten communities in Donetsk region and eight ones in Luhansk region are on the list. Ukraine's Central Election Commission (CEC) has asked Ukrainian-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk Regional Civil and Military Administrations to provide conclusions no later than noon on January 15, 2021, on the possibility of preparing and holding the first local elections on March 28, 2021, in certain territorial communities in those regions. This was reported by the CEC's press service. Read alsoZelensky retains lead in presidential rating, leading party tops parliamentary ranking poll The list of the communities includes 10 village, town, urban territorial groups in Bakhmut, Volnovakha, Mariupol, and Pokrovske districts in Donetsk region, as well as eight communities in Severodonetsk and Schastia districts in Luhansk region. "On August 8, 2020, the Commission, being guided by the relevant conclusions of Donetsk and Luhansk Regional Civil and Military Administrations, established that it was impossible to hold the first elections of members of certain village, town, city councils in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the corresponding village, town, city heads. Their lists were drawn up [by the Commission]. Therefore, local elections were not held in the indicated territorial communities on October 25, 2020, and therefore [local] citizens' electoral rights were not implemented. In this regard, the Commission noted that if it is possible to prepare and conduct local elections under the Electoral Code of Ukraine in certain territories in those regions on the last Sunday in March 2021, the Commission must decide no later than January 17, 2021, on scheduling the first local elections for March 28, 2021," the CEC noted. However, the CEC explains that under the laws of Ukraine, it is not authorized to independently determine the possibility of ensuring adequate security and avoiding a terrorist threat during the organization and holding of local elections in certain territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Yet, given the need to ensure that citizens of Ukraine exercise their right to form local self-government agencies by participating in the relevant local elections, there is a need to obtain information about the security situation in certain territories of those regions located near the contact line with Russia-occupied parts of Donbas. "Therefore, to ensure the implementation and protection of the constitutional electoral rights of citizens of Ukraine, the Commission adopted an appropriate request to Donetsk and Luhansk Regional Civil and Military Administrations," the Commission said. Other related news reports Reporting by UNIAN Amid the new coronavirus mutation in the United Kingdom, the country has decided to speed up its COVID-19 vaccine distribution process, with the first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine ready for distribution starting this Monday, January 4, 2021. AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution According to the BBC, Oxford and AstraZeneca have more than half a million doses ready for distribution, with more coming soon. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the public that tougher rules will likely be implemented in the meantime to help curb the growing cases of infections in the country, even with COVID-19 distributions and jabs continue to take place. In a report by ABC News, the PM Johnson has issued a new national lockdown that will be effective until mid-February due to the new variant of the coronavirus that spreads faster. The new variant was initially discovered in the UK. "As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from COVID than at any time since the start of the pandemic," Prime Minister Johnson said during a televised speech. Read More: Virologist Uses $2 Head Lice Treatment Against Coronavirus, Reducing COVID-19 Deaths by Up to 80%, Leaked Data Shows A 'Pivotal Moment' Six hospital trusts located in London, Oxford, Lancashire, Sussex, and Warwickshire will begin administering the COVID-19 vaccines starting Monday, with 530,000 doses available. More doses will be available later this week and will be distributed to GP-led services as well as care homes across the country, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), following the vaccine protocol that medical frontliners and the elderly are to be prioritized. "This is a pivotal moment in our fight against this awful virus and I hope it provides renewed hope to everybody that the end of this pandemic is in sight," Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. The first man in the UK to receive the AstraZeneca jab is 82-year-old Brian Pinker, a dialysis patient at the Oxford Churchill Hospital. The prime minister is expecting "tens of millions" of Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs by April. He also said that he believes this first week of distributing the coronavirus vaccine would be the hardest they will face, but that it will be the last phase of the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic. New National Lockdown in England However, Hancock urged the public to remain vigilant and follow social distancing rules to help keep the cases down and to help protect our loved ones. Based on the report, over 50,000 new cases have been reported in the country this Sunday, January 3, for the sixth day in a row. By Monday, 26,626 patients are currently confined in hospitals in England due to COVID-19, increasing 30% from the number of patients a week ago and 40% above the highest peak of the virus during its first wave in Spring 2020. Besides England, Scotland has also imposed a national lockdown. Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of the country, announced the lockdown early this Tuesday, January 5, 2021, which will last until the end of January. In her speech, Sturgeon said that she is "more concerned" about the current situation of the country and the rest of the world is facing compared to "any time since March last year." Related Article: If COVID Vaccine Delivery Accelerates, Herd Immunity Possible by July, Life to Normalize by Fall 2021 - Fauci Says This article is owned by Tech Times Written by: Nhx Tingson 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The five new members to the UN Security Council spoke on Monday of the priorities for their time on the council. Mexico, India, Ireland, Kenya, and Norway have all been elected as non-permanent members and will serve on the council for the next two years. Speaking to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York Indian Ambassador lndra Mani Pandey said the country would act as a "voice for the developing world" on the council. "We will not shy away from raising our voice against the common enemies of humanity, like terrorism," he said. Meanwhile Ireland Ambassador, Geraldine Byrne Nason, said the coronavirus pandemic would shape the country's time on the council. She acknowledged there were many people across the world "living in fragile contexts" due to the virus and they "risked being pushed over the edge" as the crisis continues. The UN Security Council is made up of five permanent members, which include the UK, France Russia, China and the US, and ten non-permanent members. Five non-permanent members are elected each year by the UN General Assembly and serve a term of two years. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps relentless effort to overturn the result of the election that he lost has become the most serious stress test of American democracy in generations, one led not by outside revolutionaries intent on bringing down the system but by the very leader charged with defending it. In the 220 years since a defeated John Adams turned over the White House to his rival, firmly establishing the peaceful transfer of authority as a bedrock principle, no sitting president who lost an election has tried to hang onto power by rejecting the Electoral College and subverting the will of the voters until now. It is a scenario at once utterly unthinkable and yet feared since the beginning of Trumps tenure. The president has gone well beyond simply venting his grievances or creating a face-saving narrative to explain away a loss, as advisers privately suggested he was doing in the days after the Nov. 3 vote. Instead, he has stretched or crossed the boundaries of tradition, propriety and perhaps the law to find any way he can to cling to office beyond his term that expires in two weeks. That he is almost certain to fail and that President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated Jan. 20 does not mitigate the damage he is doing to democracy by undermining public faith in the electoral system. Trumps hourlong telephone call over the weekend with Georgias chief election official, Brad Raffensperger, pressuring him to find enough votes to overturn Bidens victory in that state only brought into stark relief what the president has been doing for weeks. He has called the Republican governors of Georgia and Arizona to get them to intervene. He has summoned Michigans Republican Legislature leaders to the White House to pressure them to change their states results. He called the Republican speaker of the Pennsylvania House multiple timesseeking help to reverse the outcome there. Trump and and his staff have floated the idea of delaying Bidens inauguration, even though it is set in stone by the Constitution, and the president met with a former adviser who has publicly urged him to declare martial law to rerun the election in states he lost. Trumps erratic behavior has so alarmed military commanders who fear he might try to use troops to stay in the White House that every living former defense secretary including two he appointed himself issued a warning against the armed forces becoming involved. Undaunted, the president has encouraged Vice President Mike Pence and congressional allies to do anything they can to block the final formal declaration of Bidens victory when Congress meets Wednesday, seeking to turn what has historically been a ceremonial moment into a last-ditch showdown over the election. The idea has disturbed even many senior Republicans and it is guaranteed to fall short, much to the presidents frustration. The Surrender Caucus within the Republican Party will go down in infamy as weak and ineffective guardians of our Nation, who were willing to accept the certification of fraudulent presidential numbers! Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday, quickly drawing a fact-checking warning label from the social media firm. He denied subverting democracy, posting a quote he attributed to Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, one of his Republican allies: We are not acting to thwart the Democratic process, we are acting to protect it. But Trumps efforts ring familiar to many who have studied authoritarian regimes in countries around the world, like those run by President Vladimir Putin in Russia and Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Hungary. Trumps attempt to overturn the election, and his pressure tactics to that end with Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, are an example of how authoritarianism works in the 21st century, said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present. Todays leaders come in through elections and then manipulate elections to stay in office until they get enough power to force the hand of legislative bodies to keep them there indefinitely, as Putin and Orban have done. The call with Raffensperger, which was recorded and released to the news media after Trump tweeted a false version of the conversation, provided a breathtaking case study of how far the president is willing to go to preserve power. He ran through one unfounded conspiracy theory after another and pushed Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes to flip the election outcome, appealing to him as a Republican to show loyalty and implicitly threatening criminal charges if he refused. So what are we going to do here, folks? Trump said at one point. I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. The call was unseemly enough that even some of the presidents allies distanced themselves. One of the things, I think, that everyone has said is that this call was not a helpful call, Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, one of the Republicans pushing to reject Biden electors from swing states, conceded on Fox News. Trumps claim that the election was somehow stolen from him has gained no traction in any of the dozens of courts that he and his allies have petitioned, including the Supreme Court, with three justices he appointed. Republican election officials in swing states like Raffensperger have rejected his assertions as false. Even Trumps own attorney general, William Barr, said he saw no widespread fraud that would have changed the outcome of the election. A group of 22 historians released a statement Monday pointing out that the 2020 election was not even particularly close in historical terms. Biden won more Electoral College votes than the winning candidates in five elections since 1960 and larger popular vote majorities than in more than half of the presidential elections held in the past six decades. Yet in none of these elections did any losing candidate attempt to claim victory by brazenly sabotaging the electoral process as Donald Trump has done and continues to do, said the letter, organized by Douglas Brinkley of Rice University and Sean Wilentz of Princeton University. Among the signatories was Michael W. McConnell of Stanford University, a former appeals court judge who was effectively repudiating the effort led by one of his former clerks, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. Trumps fidelity to the concept of American democracy has long been debated. From the earliest days of his campaign for the White House, critics suggested that he harbored autocratic tendencies that raised questions about whether he would eventually subvert democracy or seek to stay in power even if he lost, questions that grew loud enough that he felt compelled to respond. There is nobody less of a fascist than Donald Trump, he insisted in 2016. But Trump did little to disabuse those fears in subsequent years. He expressed admiration for strongmen like Putin, Orban, President Xi Jinping of China and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, evincing envy of their ability to act decisively without the checks of a democratic government. He asserted at various points that the Constitution allows me to do whatever I want with the special counsel investigating him and that his authority is total to order states to follow his wishes. He sought to turn government agencies into instruments of political power, pressuring the Justice Department to prosecute his enemies and go easy on his friends. He has made expansive use of executive orders that courts at times ruled went too far. He was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House in 2019 for abuse of power for pressuring Ukraine to help him sully Bidens reputation although he was later acquitted by the Republican-led Senate. When Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt published their bestselling book, How Democracies Die, in 2018, warning that even the United States could slide into autocracy, they faced blowback from some who thought they were overstating the case. We were criticized by some as alarmist, Ziblatt, a government professor at Harvard University, said Monday. It turns out we werent alarmist enough. Ziblatt said a healthy democracy requires at least two political parties that know how to compete and lose. I hope and think we will get through the next few weeks, he said, but our democracy cant survive in any recognizable way for long if we dont have two parties committed to the rules and norms of democracy. In the end, this period of conflict and confrontation should not have come as a surprise to anyone who watched Trump over the past four years. He foreshadowed his plans to challenge the election as invalid unless he won, suggesting as far back as summer that the November vote be postponed and refusing to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Even now, just two weeks before the end of his term, Trump has left doubt about how he will leave the White House when Biden is inaugurated. What else Trump could try to do to stop it remains unclear because he seems out of options. But he is not yet willing to acknowledge the reality of his situation, much less follow John Adams example. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 4:47 pm CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT Malicious Mischief A caller in the 1200 block of Alder Street reported around 8:35 a.m. on Dec. 31 that their window was broken. Hit and Run At about 1 p.m. on Dec. 31, a hit and run was reported in the 1000 block of Belmont Avenue. The caller reported that their vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle while parked. A hit and run was reported in the 1100 block of View Avenue around 3:15 p.m. on Dec. 31. The caller reported that their vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle while parked. A caller reported a hit and run into a parked vehicle in the 1000 block of Harrison Ave. just after 9 p.m. on Jan. 2. Thefts A burglary reported around 7:40 p.m. on Dec. 31 in the 1100 block of Long Road is under investigation. At about 11 a.m. on Jan. 2, a caller reported that a package was stolen from a porch in the 900 block of Atherton Street. Theft of clothing was reported at approximately 3 p.m. on Jan. 3 in the 300 block of North Tower Avenue. Collisions A two-vehicle collision was reported around 5 a.m. on Jan. 1 in the 900 block of Harrison Avenue. Responding officers reported that there was minor damage and no injuries. A two-vehicle collision occurred in the 700 block of Harrison Avenue at approximately 1:33 p.m. on Jan. 2. Responding officers reported moderate damage and no injuries. A vehicle left the roadway and struck a decorative barrier in the 800 block of Harrison Avenue just before noon on Jan. 3. Responding officers reported moderate damage and no injuries. A two-vehicle collision was reported around 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 3 in the 500 block of Harrison Ave. One Man, Three Arrests Brandon J. Pickens, 21, of Chehalis, was arrested and released with a criminal citation for stealing a piece of stereo equipment. The arrest occurred just after 1 p.m. on Dec. 31 in the 1700 block of Gold Street. About an hour later, at 2 p.m., Pickens was arrested and released with a criminal citation for trespassing in the 300 block of South Tower Avenue. At around 4:45 p.m. that same day, Pickens was arrested in the 900 block of South Scheuber Road and booked into Lewis County Jail for third-degree assault of a police officer. Assault Russell G. West, 30, of Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for allegedly assaulting a person who he had a domestic relationship with. The assault was reported at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 in the 200 block of South Diamond Street. A second-degree assault, reported at approximately 12:18 a.m. on Jan. 1, is under investigation. Jonathan A. Lewis, 28, of Centralia, was issued a criminal citation for assaulting another person. The assault was reported in the 3500 block of Steelhammer Drive around 4:20 a.m. on Jan. 1. DUI A Centralia woman was arrested at the corner of West Chestnut and South Ash Streets at 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 and booked into Lewis County Jail for driving under the influence of alcohol. Unlawful imprisonment Jonathan J. Garcilazo Lucht, 23, of Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail on charges of unlawful imprisonment, eluding police and driving on a suspended license. He was arrested at approximately 11:50 p.m. on Jan. 3 at the intersection of East Cherry Street and South Tower Avenue. CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT Animal Abuse A caller reported possible animal abuse in the 600 block of Southwest William Avenue at approximately 3 p.m. on Dec. 31. Cut Fuel Lines Around 5 p.m. on Dec. 31, a caller reported potential malicious mischief related to cut fuel lines in at least two vehicles in the 1200 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue. Phone Threat A caller reported at approximately 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 31 that their daughter received a death threat over the phone. A person, who later identified himself as a local 10-year-old, called the daughter and didnt say anything, according to police logs. The person called again after the daughter texted who are you to the number, and allegedly said he was going to murder the daughter. Robbery A flashlight was reported stolen from a vehicle in the 1400 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue at approximately 10:40 a.m. on Jan. 1. A second-degree robbery was reported in the 1700 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue at 7:15 p.m. on Jan. 2. The incident is under investigation. Sexual Misconduct A case of potential sexual misconduct, reported 11:35 a.m. on Jan. 1, is under investigation. Rude Customers At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 1, a caller reported that someone was trespassing in the 1400 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue. A man allegedly spit at the caller and all over the store, including on $20 worth of sodas. He reportedly entered the store three times to try and get gas but left, slamming the doors, when he didnt have enough money. A caller in the 1400 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue reported two rude customers at approximately 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 1. A man was reportedly upset because he refused to wear a mask, and he and a woman were allegedly cussing at the caller. Hit and Run A hit and run occurred at approximately 4 p.m. on Jan. 1 at the intersection of Northwest West St. and Northwest State Avenue. Assault and Theft At approximately 7 p.m. on Jan. 1, a man reported that a woman and a couple of her friends assaulted him and took all of his belongings. The man was reportedly sleeping in the passenger seat of the womans car when she pulled into a parking lot in the 1200 block of South Market Boulevard. Two male subjects who arrived in a separate car pulled him out of the vehicle, punched him in the mouth and took his wallet, backpack and phone before driving away. Shoplifting A caller reported that two people shoplifted from a store in the 1700 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue at approximately 8 p.m. on Jan. 1. A caller in the 1700 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue reported a woman shoplifting some electronics and tools at approximately 2 p.m. on Jan. 2. The suspect left on foot before getting into a vehicle. Sparking Street Lamps Multiple callers near the intersection of Northwest Louisiana Avenue and Northwest Chamber of Commerce Way reported street lights sparking between 5:57 p.m. and 6:38 p.m. on Jan. 2. Crashes A two-vehicle crash occurred in a parking lot in the 1300 block of Northwest Maryland Avenue at approximately 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 3. The caller reported some damage but no injuries. LEWIS COUNTY JAIL STATISTICS As of Monday morning, the Lewis County Jail had a total system population of 150 inmates, including 125 in the general population and 25 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center. Of general population inmates, 102 were men and 23 were women. All WERC inmates were male. By The Chronicle Staff Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Authorities on Monday were investigating the killing of a woman in Maplewood, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutors Office said. The death was a homicide and there were no immediate arrests reported, according to prosecutors office spokeswoman Katherine Carter. Officials did not immediately release more information or say if they were seeking a suspect. Police and prosecutors office investigators were gathered at the crime scene at a high-rise condo building in the 600 block of South Orange Avenue, near South Mountain Reservation, Monday afternoon. Officers appeared to be standing at the entrance while investigators took photos and removed bags from the area. A person who answered the phone at the building said police remained on scene as of around 5 p.m. after working at the building much of the day. Investigators from the Maplewood Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office work the scene of a homicide at The Top condominiums on South Orange Avenue in Maplewood on Monday afternoon. 01/04/2021Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media Investigators from the Maplewood Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office work the scene of a homicide at The Top condominiums on South Orange Avenue in Maplewood on Monday afternoon. 01/04/2021Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media Investigators from the Maplewood Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office work the scene of a homicide at The Top condominiums on South Orange Avenue in Maplewood on Monday afternoon. 01/04/2021Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media Investigators from the Maplewood Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office work the scene of a homicide at The Top condominiums on South Orange Avenue in Maplewood on Monday afternoon. 01/04/2021Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media Investigators from the Maplewood Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office work the scene of a homicide at The Top condominiums on South Orange Avenue in Maplewood on Monday afternoon. 01/04/2021Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media An investigator from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office cleans his shoes after leaving the scene of a homicide at The Top condominiums on South Orange Avenue in Maplewood on Monday afternoon. 01/04/2021Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Its too early to tell how many San Antonians will jump into races for City Council and mayor. The first day for candidates to file to run is next Wednesday, and theyll have until Feb. 12 to make their campaigns official. District 5 on the West Side may see some competition as term limits prevent Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales from seeking re-election. Itll open opportunities for candidates, some who have never run for office. Marie Crabb intends to be one of them. Shes 34, native to San Antonio and a St. Marys University graduate who sells real estate. Though its hard to ascertain definitively, she may be the first Native American to run for City Council. Shes part of a movement of Native Americans seeking to fill local, state and national leadership roles. Theyre raising awareness of the first peoples of the Americas, north to south, and the issues critical to them. U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo of New Mexico, has to be the most notable. Shes President-elect Joe Bidens pick as U.S. secretary of the interior, making her the first Native American to serve on the Cabinet level. Her nomination marked a major threshold for American Indians who belong to federally recognized tribes, as well as the many others who define themselves as Native, Native American or urban Indian, and belong to both official tribes and tribal groups that dont have federal recognition. Crabb, whos of Mescalero Apache and Irish descent but isnt a member of the New Mexican tribe, had an unstable life as a youth. She grew up in the Hill Country and moved back to San Antonio to attend Holmes High School. She describes herself as a first-generation college student, homeowner and business owner. But her life started a lot differently. It was traumatized by poverty and a mother and stepfather with alcohol and substance abuse problems. Both died in their 50s. She knows little of her biological father, but her mother spoke of her Apache heritage with pride. Its where my pride comes from, she said. For much of her life, Crabb was in survival mode. I look back at things I went through and see it in 2D, as if it exists only on paper, not real life. While her family life was overwhelming, I wasnt overwhelmed, she added. I just kept pushing forward. I just wanted to do better. It was difficult, God, thats for sure. A few lifetimes were squished into one, she said. Moving back to San Antonio to live with her sister changed her life. She got involved in sports, a hip-hop step team that performed at pep rallies and a volunteer service club that performed duties around town. Crabb did well academically, placing ninth in her class and attended the University of Texas at Austin. After a year there, she found it too massive and enrolled at St. Marys as a criminal justice major. She was interested in the subject long before that, when her mother tuned to police scanners at night to listen for her sons name. He was imprisoned after three drug-related convictions. He died of a brain aneurysm within days of arriving at a hospital. Crabb drove him there and fought hard to get him admitted because he had no health insurance. Shes passionate about helping the uninsured, the poor and the imprisoned. Her political activism began in college. She was president of the Native American Students Association, which raised awareness about the native population on campus and put on an annual pow wow. She did two internships at the U.S. State Department in its Office of Civil Rights. At some point, she learned that institutions such as the Witte Museum held Native American human remains in their collections. The common practice, now viewed as abhorrent and unethical, has been a major issue for Native American groups. With the help of the Central Texas chapter of the American Indian Movement, Crabb helped launch a weekly protest in front of the Witte the summer of 2008. The museum acknowledged Monday that its still holding archaic remains between 2,000 to 4,000 years old and is working to repatriate them. Native Americans either have been studied in such ways or been invisible. Thats slowly changing, said Dave Ortiz, who heads AIMs Central Texas chapter and remains one of Crabbs mentors. Another mentor, Ray Leal, an associate professor of criminal justice at St. Marys, agreed. Now theyre more aware that they need to be heard, Leal said. Theyre now taking a more active role in leading the country. Crabbs masters degree in international relations focused on conflict resolution. She trained as a mediator and traveled to Ireland to study the Protestant-Catholic conflict. Her own political career should she be successful will start closer to home, where the issues put before council still look mighty big. eayala@express-news.net Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has come under fire after a video emerged of his son at a maskless party, as the state becomes the latest COVID-19 hotspot with the highest rate of infections in the world. Footage shared on Twitter on Monday shows Jack Ducey, 25, attending a recent large gathering where dozens of guests were seen drinking and dancing with no masks nor social distancing in sight. The video comes as Arizona was reported to now have the highest rate of transmission in the world, recording 236 cases per 100,000 people on Sunday, with its overall positivity rate surpassing 15 per cent. The event appeared to be a birthday celebration for one of Jack's clients from his record label Crescent Room Music that began at earlier in the night with a group dinner at Benihana. Scroll down for video Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (pictured with his wife and three sons) has been slammed after video emerged of his son Jack (far left) attending a party amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state Clip was posted on his Instagram account around the time Governor Doug Ducey urged Arizona residents to stay home and limit the spread of infection Footage shared on Twitter on Monday shows Ducey, 25, attending a large gathering where dozens of guests were seen drinking and dancing with no masks nor social distancing in sight The video began with a group dinner at Benihana in celebration of one of Jack's clients The video showed the friends dining indoors before cutting to a clip of a crowded party where guests were seen shoulder to shoulder, dancing to music, and disregarding social distancing restrictions. 'Solid birthday to say the least,' the caption read. The clip had been posted on Jack's Instagram - which has now been made private - on December 30, around the same time his father had urged Arizona residents to limit the spread of infection and stay home during the holidays. It has since been making its way around social media after Twitter watchdog 'AccountableInAZ' shared the post criticizing Governor Ducey's for failing to lead by example. 'If [Doug Ducey's] own adult son isn't following Ducey's soft advice how can Ducey expect Arizonans to? We need mitigation measures with enforcement now,' the tweet said. A graph tracking the number of daily infections in the state shows COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed in the last few weeks New data shows the state also has the highest rate of COVID-19 transmission in the world, with 236 new cases per 100,000 people reported on Sunday Arizona now has the highest rate of transmission in the country, surpassing California, the current epicenter 'You can't even convince your own son to respect the virus. He's just following your lead by attending maskless super spreader events,' the group said in a follow-up tweet. The post included photos of Governor Ducey neglecting to wear a mask at recent political events. In a statement to the Arizona Republic regarding the controversial video, Jack admitted to making a 'mistake', but noted that he and his father have different professions. Jack has worked as a client manager at the Phoenix-based label since August 2019, according to his LinkedIn profile. The video comes amid mounting criticism of his Republican governor father, who has been slammed for failing to implement stricter COVID-19 restrictions as cases continue to soar across the state. The governor himself has also been criticized for neglecting to wear a mask at recent political events (pictured) Governor Ducey has urged residents to make 'responsible choices' amid the pandemic but has refused to impose statewide lockdown restrictions or mandatory mask mandates A heat map provided by the CDC shows Arizona's rate of positivity has surpassed 15 per cent Over the last few weeks, Ducey has repeatedly advised residents to take personal responsibility in the fight against the outbreak by urging them to wear a mask and practice social distancing, but has so far declined to impose more drastic measures such as a statewide lockdown order. Arizona's rate of transmission has surged recent weeks and has surpassed California, the current epicenter of the virus, according to data released by the CDC on Monday. The state has also recorded the highest seven-day average of infections per capita in the world, with 121.8 new cases per 100,000 people in that last week, according to COVID-19 tracking site 91-divoc.com. On Sunday, it reported 236 new cases per 100,000 people. There are currently more than 561,000 COVID-19 cases in the state with 9,064 deaths, the latest figures from the state health department show. Of those cases, seven per cent - or 39,987 - are being treated in hospital. About 18,943 new cases were reported on Friday and Saturday, a record for the state in any two-day period. Across the United States, 13.6 per cent of tests came back positive for the virus, up from 10.3 per cent the prior week, according to data from the volunteer-run COVID Tracking Project. December was the deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States with nearly 78,000 deaths, and health officials warned that even more people will likely die in January despite the rollout of vaccines. OTTAWA - Conservative MP David Sweet has resigned as chair of the House of Commons ethics committee after travelling to the United States over the holidays. OTTAWA - Conservative MP David Sweet has resigned as chair of the House of Commons ethics committee after travelling to the United States over the holidays. Sweet's resignation Monday followed the revelation that the Conservative leader in the Senate, Don Plett, took a personal trip to Mexico shortly after Christmas. Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole asked all caucus members to refrain from international travel over the holidays. But his office said Monday that Sweet and Calgary MP Ron Liepert were given approval by the party's whip to undertake "essential travel" to the United States. Liepert's travel related to "emergency repair" to property he owns in California. Sweet also travelled to the United States for an unspecified "property issue." But, the leader's office said, Sweet then decided to stay in the U.S. "for leisure" without informing the whip. Consequently, "Mr. O'Toole has accepted his resignation as committee chair." Whether Plett will face any penalty for travelling briefly to Mexico remains to be seen. His fate rests with his fellow Conservative senators, who elect their Senate leader. Conservative Senator Don Plett speaks to media the Senate foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 25, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick A spokesperson said the senator travelled to Mexico on Dec. 28. Upon his arrival, the spokesperson said Plett "reflected on his decision to travel" and immediately made arrangements to return home to Manitoba on Dec. 31. Plett's arrival in Mexico would have coincided with the furor that erupted over the Dec. 29 revelation that Ontario's finance minister, Rod Phillips, was vacationing on the Caribbean island of St. Barts. Phillips resigned several days later. Plett is now quarantining for 14 days as required by Manitoba public health protocols. His spokesperson said this was Plett's only trip outside the country since last March, when the COVID-19 pandemic first swept across Canada. O'Toole's office said no other Conservative MPs have left the country since O'Toole became leader last August. It is not clear whether any other Conservative senators may have travelled outside the country. Sweet and Plett are just the latest among a number of federal and provincial politicians to get into hot water for travelling outside the country at a time when ordinary Canadians are being advised to stay home and avoid any non-essential travel in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19. New Democrat MP Niki Ashton was stripped last week of her critic role after travelling to Greece to see her seriously ill grandmother. On Sunday, Liberal MP Kamal Khera resigned as a parliamentary secretary after travelling without her party whip's knowledge to the U.S. for a small memorial service for her father and uncle. Montreal Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi similarly gave up his role on Commons committees after travelling to the U.S. to visit his wife's sick grandfather. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. Britain entered another strict national lockdown Tuesday, amid a sudden and sharp resurgence in cases of COVID-19 linked to a new variant of the coronavirus. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the measures in a somber televised address Monday evening. As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from COVID than at any time since the start of the pandemic, Johnson said. In England alone, the number of COVID patients in hospitals has increased by nearly a third in the last week to almost 27,000. And that number is 40 per cent higher than the first peak in April. On the 29th of December, more than 80-thousand people tested positive for COVID across the U.K., a new record. The number of deaths is up by 20 percent over the last week and will sadly rise further, Johnson added. We must therefore go into a national lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant. That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home. The prime minister himself has cancelled a planned trip to India. Britains elementary schools had only re-opened for the new term Monday morning. The policy reversal took many teachers by surprise. It is something which will have a deep impact on children, a deep impact on their well-being and mental health, the Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield told Sky News. Scientists warn the new variant of the coronavirus identified in southern Britain in September is up to 70 percent more infectious and is now spreading across the country. In London, an epicenter of the new variant outbreak, doctors say they are struggling to cope as ambulances line up outside emergency rooms carrying sick patients, with intensive care units at full capacity. We have people in their forties, their thirties, their twenties on our intensive care unit, dying of COVID, said Dr. Dominic Spray, the clinical director of adult critical care at St Georges Hospital in south London. We are having to think about whether we do cancer surgery. We are having to postpone cancer surgeries because of the number of COVID patients we have in. Senior nurse Chloe Peach said staff morale is suffering. It's been one of the worst shifts of my entire life. Intense, Peach said Monday evening. I'm looking after many more sick patients than I normally look after. It's just overwhelming, the whole situation. Once again, the British government must respond to an escalating health emergency and a resurgent economic crisis, as non-essential shops and services are forced to close. The government announced one-time grants of up to $12,200 for businesses. However, many retailers, pubs and restaurants have already closed their doors for good. Gary Marshall, the owner of London-based Bevington Salads, which supplies the hospitality industry, said trade was running at a fifth of pre-pandemic levels. The lockdowns, the tier systems, especially to the hospitality sector, have had a tremendous effect, an astronomical effect on the industry. It is really, really in a bad place, he said. However, this time there is one big difference. Britain began mass vaccinations using the drug developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Monday, following its approval by regulators in late December. Already a million people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The government aims to inoculate 2 million people per week from Monday. In his televised address Monday, Prime Minister Johnson said there was light at the end of the tunnel. By the middle of February, if things go well and with a fair wind in our sails, we expect to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the four top priority groups, he said. That means vaccinating all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, everyone over the age of 70, all frontline health and social care workers, and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable. If we succeed in vaccinating all those groups, we will have removed huge numbers of people from the path of the virus. And of course, that will eventually enable us to lift many of the restrictions we have endured for so long," he said. Johnson said the easing of lockdown measures could happen by March If the vaccinations go to plan. But he warned the coming weeks will be the hardest yet for Britain since the pandemic began. Marvels of engineering, the rover's sample tubes must be tough enough to safely bring Red Planet samples on the long journey back to Earth in immaculate condition. The tubes carried in the belly of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover are destined to carry the first samples in history from another planet back to Earth. Future scientists will use these carefully selected representatives of Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust) to look for evidence of potential microbial life present in Mars' ancient past and to answer other key questions about Mars and its history. Perseverance will land at Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. About the size and shape of a standard lab test tube, the 43 sample tubes headed to Mars must be lightweight and hardy enough to survive the demands of the round trip, and so clean that future scientists will be confident that what they're analyzing is 100% Mars. "Compared to Mars, Earth is filled with evidence of the life that covers our planet," said Ken Farley, the Mars 2020 project scientist at Caltech in Pasadena. "We needed to remove those signs so thoroughly that any scant evidence remaining can be confidently detected and differentiated when these first samples are returned." The practice of engineering containers to ferry samples from other worlds goes back to Apollo 11. When Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin returned to Earth with 47.7 pounds (21.8 kilograms) of samples from the Moon's Sea of Tranquility in 1969, they carried them in two triple-sealed, briefcase-size aluminum boxes. But Apollo's rock boxes needed to keep their cargo pristine only for about 10 days - from the lunar surface to splashdown - before being whisked off to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. Perseverance's sample tubes must isolate and preserve the scientific value of their contents for well over 10 years. Mars Sample Return As NASA's newest rover investigates Jezero Crater, mission scientists will determine when and where it will drill for samples. This precious Martian cargo will be packaged in those tubes with the most intricate and technologically advanced mechanism ever sent into space: the Sample Caching System. After the samples have been deposited on the Martian surface, two other missions being formulated by NASA in partnership with ESA (the European Space Agency) will complete the relay to get them back to Earth. The second mission in this sample return campaign will send a "fetch" rover to retrieve the hermetically-sealed tubes and deliver them to a special sample return container inside the Mars Ascent Vehicle. The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover could also deliver tubes with samples to the vicinity of the Mars Ascent Vehicle if it remains healthy well into an extended mission. The Mars Ascent Vehicle will then launch the tubes into orbit. The final mission will fly an orbiter to Mars to rendezvous with the encapsulated samples, capture them in a highly secure containment capsule, and ferry them back to Earth (as early as 2031). Robust Containers Made chiefly of titanium, each sample tube weighs less than 2 ounces (57 grams). A white exterior coating guards against heating by the Sun potentially changing the chemical composition of the samples after Perseverance deposits the tubes on the surface of Mars. Laser-etched serial numbers on the exterior will help the team identify the tubes and their contents. Each tube must fit within the tight tolerances not only of Perseverance's Sample Caching System, but those of the future missions. "They are less than 6 inches [15.2 centimeters] long, but we still found over 60 different dimensions to scrutinize," said Sample Tube Cognizant Engineer Pavlina Karafillis of JPL. "Because of the intricacies of all the complex mechanisms they will pass through during the Mars Sample Return campaign, if any measurement was off by about the thickness of a human hair, the tube was deemed not suitable for flight." 100% Pure Jezero Precision engineering is only part of the challenge. The tubes are also the product of extreme cleanliness standards. All of NASA's planetary missions involve exacting processes to prevent the introduction of Earthly organic, inorganic, and biological material. But since these tubes could hold proof that life once existed elsewhere in the universe, the Mars 2020 team needed to reduce - even further - the possibility that they could host Earthly artifacts that could complicate the scientific process. The mandate was essentially that nothing should be in a tube until the Sample Caching System begins filling it with 9 cubic inches (147 cubic centimeters) of Jezero Crater (about the size of a piece of chalk). "And when they said 'nothing,' they meant it," said Ian Clark, the mission's assistant project systems engineer for sample tube cleanliness at JPL. "An example: To achieve the kind of science the mission is going after, we needed to limit the total amount of Earth-based organic compounds in a given sample to less than 150 nanograms. For a set of particular organic compounds - ones that are very indicative of life - we were limited to less than 15 nanograms in a sample." A nanogram is a billionth of a gram. An average thumbprint carries about 45,000 nanograms of organics - about 300 times the total allowed in a sample tube. To meet such stringent mission specifications, the team had to rewrite the book on cleaning. "We did all our assembly in a hyper-clean-room environment, which is essentially a clean room inside a clean room," said Clark. "Between assembly steps, the sample tubes would be cleaned with filtered air blasts, rinsed with deionized water, and sonically cleaned with acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and other exotic cleaning agents." After each cleaning, the team would measure contaminants and bake the tubes for good measure. By the time the 43 sample tubes were selected from a field of 93 fabricated for flight, each had generated over 250 pages of documentation and 3 gigabytes of images and videos. Of the tubes aboard Perseverance, up to 38 are destined to be filled with Martian rock and regolith. The other five are "witness tubes" that have been loaded with materials geared to capture molecular and particulate contaminants. They'll be opened one at a time on Mars to witness the ambient environment primarily near sample collection sites, cataloging any Earthly impurities or contaminants from the spacecraft that may be present during sample collection. The the sample and witness tubes' eventual return to and examination on Earth will allow the full breadth of terrestrial science laboratory capabilities to investigate the samples, using instruments too large and complex to send to Mars. More About the Mission A key objective of Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent missions, currently under consideration by NASA in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 mission is part of a larger program that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA's Artemis lunar exploration plans. JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover. For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ nasa.gov/perseverance For more information about NASA's Mars missions, go to: https://www.nasa.gov/mars Astrobiology Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. The Saudi-hosted 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit will promote peace and unity of the region in the face of common challenges, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince said on Tuesday. The summit will begin later in the day. For the first time since 2017, it will be attended by Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani -- a symbolic mark of the end of a fierce diplomatic feud among the Gulf monarchies. "The Gulf Cooperation Council summit will consolidate the ranks and enhance peace and prosperity, supporting the pursuit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the King of and his brothers, as well as the Gulf state leaders, to unite in tackling the challenges facing our region," the crown prince said in a statement. Qatar has been under a diplomatic and economic blockade since June 2017, when and other monarchies accused it of meddling and sponsoring terrorism. Doha has consistently denied the accusations, insisting that the neighbours' discontent with its economic successes was behind their hostile policies. The reconciliation has been brokered by the United States over the past few months, especially by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, who will be among attendees at the GCC summit. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India will be a voice for the developing world and will not shy away from raising its voice against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism and will use its tenure on the UN Security Council to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of international peace and security, India's Ambassador to the UN said on Monday. India's Permanent Representative to the UN T S Tirumurti made the remarks while speaking at a special flag installation ceremony organised at the Security Council stakeout here. Flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members of the Security Council - India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico - were installed at the stakeout during the special ceremony. On January 1, India began its tenure as non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation UN organ for the 2021-22 term. Tirumurti installed the Indian tricolour and said that as India assumes the membership of the Security Council for the eighth time, "it is an honour for me as the Permanent Representative of India to take part in todays flag installation ceremony." "India comes into the Security Council as the largest democracy representing 1/6th of humanity and with a strong commitment to reformed multilateralism, rule of law, a fair and equitable international system and to peace, security and development. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we stand united as one, bound by our ethos of democracy, pluralism and commitment to fundamental rights," Tirumurti said in his remarks during the ceremony. He said India will "use our tenure to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of international peace and security. India will be a voice for the developing world." "We will not shy away from raising our voice against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism," he said, adding that India looks forward to "our collective pursuit for an ideal where the World is One Family - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam." The Indian envoy said peace-keeping, peace-building, maritime security, women and youth, especially in conflict situations, and technology with a human face, will receive Indias attention while on the 15-nation Council. Noting that even as the world comes together in solidarity to face the COVID-19 pandemic, Tirumurti quoted the Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda to say "Each nation must give, in order to live. When you give life, you will have life; when you receive, you must pay for it by giving to all others." Tirumurti also expressed gratitude to all the Member States of the United Nations who have given us an overwhelming mandate to represent them in the Security Council. The ceremony was organised in a restricted format keeping in mind the strict COVID-19 protocols. Ambassadors of the other four countries also installed their national flags at the stakeout. Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN Magzhan Ilyassov welcomed the newly elected non-permanent members of the Security Council and expressed confidence that they will make a sterling contribution" to the Councils work in the two crucial years of modern history. We acknowledge that these five incoming members, because of their prior long-standing experience with the Council, will bring much depth and focus to the issues of peace and security, he said. He paid special tribute to the scientists who have dedicated their efforts to combat the pandemic and develop the COVID-19 vaccines. This new year is the year of hope for all of us no doubt and for our world organisation, global peace, security and further sustainable development in 2021 will largely depend on the decisions of the United Nations and the Security Council with its permanent and non-permanent members, he said. Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the UN and President of the Security Council for the month of January, extended a warm welcome to the incoming members. I hope together with the new elected members, we will manage to create positive dynamics in the Council and make concrete steps towards the resolution of conflicts. In his address to the virtual high-level UN General Assembly session in September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that as the worlds largest democracy, India will bring its years of rich developmental experience for the benefit of the whole world when the country sits on the horseshoe table of the Council. "India will always speak in support of peace, security and prosperity. India will not hesitate in raising its voice against the enemies of humanity, human race and human values - these include terrorism, smuggling of illegal weapons, drugs and money-laundering," Modi had said. India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico join non-permanent members Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam and the five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US in the Council for 2021. India will be UNSC President in August 2021 and will preside over the Council again for a month in 2022. The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States names. The tradition of the flag installation ceremony was introduced by Kazakhstan in 2018. The ceremony was unanimously confirmed by all 15 UNSC members to become an annual tradition of the Security Council. (Image Credits: Facebook) (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) ARCHIVED - British Covid variant of Covid spreads across Spain: at least 50 cases confirmed and hundreds under study Seven regions have confirmed cases and two more have suspected cases The coronavirus saga ebbs and flows. Each time our hopes are raised that the virus seems to be slowly coming under control along comes another bank holiday and politicians cave in to the pressure to permit greater movement and then the week after up goes the number of new cases yet again. But this time theres another element to the story, the so-called British variant which is un-nerving those anxiously monitoring the rise of cases across Spain, a new variant revealed by the British Government on December 14th, which spreads rapidly and is highly contagious. And its starting to spread here in Spain. Although UK nationals have been banned from entering Spain unless they have residency and must take a PCR test before leaving the UK, there are already at least 50 cases of the new variant detected in Spain with hundreds more under examination. The first region to detect the mutation known as B.1.1.7 was Madrid, which notified the Health Ministry of the detection of four cases on December 26th. The origin of these four cases were two passengers who had flown from London. Five days later, the strain had reached another five autonomies and the number of positives amounted to 19 and less than two weeks later there are seven affected regions and another two have suspected cases. Madrid now has 16 confirmed cases of the new variant and another 70 under study. Andalusia has also reported 16 cases (1 case was found in Gibraltar during November and there has been concern that the interchange of thousands of workers daily between the British Colony and the Campo de Gibraltar may have permitted the entry of the new variant into Andalucia; Gibraltar has now gone into a full lockdown and the eight worst affected areas of the Campo de Gibraltar have been confined) and in an interview on Antena 3, the regional Minister for Health and Families , Jesus Aguirre, has also reported the existence of "many" samples in genomic sequencing, of which "some come directly by plane and others are contacts of positives who have developed the British strain within the national territory." The Basque Country has found six cases; the Valencia Region, which today reported its highest figures of new cases ever and is experiencing what the regional government there is calling an alarming rate of increase has diagnosed five; Asturias has two, Galicia one, and Cantabria announced on Monday that it had four cases: one primary and three secondary. The first case found there is a person from the United Kingdom who landed with a negative PCR test but who developed symptoms three days after his arrival. The rest are part of the same family group. Hundreds more cases are being checked, but the problem currently faced is a lack of facilities in which to undertake genomic sequencing of the virus, something that is not possible to carry out in every part of the country. Samples are being sent to the Majadahonda National Microbiology Center, in Madrid for analysis, but this is delaying the capacity of the authorities to react quickly and decisively when it is suspected that a case may be related to this new variant. The Canary Islands for example, has two suspect cases in la Palma, but is waiting to receive the necessary reagents to carry out the sequencing process and confirm if it too, has positive cases of the new variant. Extremadura, is also waiting for confirmation that its two suspected cases are B.1.1.7. In most cases the new variant will be spreading undetected and is only likely to show when there is a sudden increase in new cases in a localised area, but various epidemiologists are questioning why more immediate lockdowns arent being implemented in areas where the new variant is being found to try and limit its spread now we know how virulent it is and are witnessing the devastating effects in the UK; today more than 60,000 new cases were reported, another record high. They jetted out of London last month before London was plunged into Tier 4. And Lucy Watson and her fiance James Dunmore certainly looked to be enjoying their time in the sun as they strutted down the beach on Tuesday. The Made In Chelsea star, 29, looked sensational in the chic beach ensemble, with the ruched cups highlighting her assets and the sarong showing her waist. Happy days: Lucy Watson and her fiance James Dunmore certainly looked to be enjoying their time in the sun as they strutted down the beach on Tuesday Lucy, who is also joined by her sister and MIC co-star Tiffany, looked stunning for her saunter along the shores in the sexy ensemble. James was showing his ripped physique in a pair of bold swimming trunks as he stepped out alongside his radiant bride-to-be. The group jetted off to Barbados just before London was plunged into Tier 4 on December 20 and celebrated Christmas on the idyllic island. She was cautious in posting holiday content to her 1.2 million followers and asked their views in advance of sharing her trip with fans, to avoid seeming insensitive. Elegant: The Made In Chelsea star, 29, looked sensational in the chic beach ensemble, with the ruched cups highlighting her assets and the sarong showing her waist During the break, Lucy took to Instagram on Thursday to hit back at a social media user who asked if she was pregnant as she coined a cutting response. After a fan simply penned: 'Pregnant?' she swiftly responded: 'Seriously?' Fellow critics quickly swarmed upon the commentator and lashed out at the comment given Lucy's tiny frame in the picture of her taut stomach. The reality star took to her Instagram Stories, explaining that being asked if she's pregnant is 'socially unacceptable'. 'Pregnant'?: Last week, in an Instagram post, Lucy displayed her slim figure in a white bikini top and shorts while tying a striped, loose cover up around her stomach She said: 'It is not and will never be socially acceptable to ask someone if they are pregnant, whether you know them or not. You are basically telling that person they look bigger. Please stop.' Lucy became engaged to her boyfriend of five years James in September last year after he popped the question during a romantic getaway in Greece. The couple have been going strong ever since meeting on the E4 series back in 2015, following her ill-fated flings with Andy Jordan, Jamie Laing, Spencer Matthews and Oliver Proudlock. Congress national general secretary and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat demanded the government of India to confer Bharat Ratna to Congress national president Sonia Gandhi and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati. Rawat made the demand by taking to social media wherein he said that Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati made immense contribution towards women empowerment. Both Sonia Gandhi and Mayawati are eminent politicians. One may agree or disagree with Gandhis politics but cant deny her tremendous contribution in woman empowerment and public service. Today, she is considered as an admirable image of womanhood in India, said Rawat. Similarly, Mayawati has raised the voice of the oppressed and the exploited, apart from instilling a sense of belief in them. The government of India should honour them by conferring Bharat Ratna to both this year, he said. The state BSP leadership has, however, termed his demand as a tactic to befool public. Also read: India may have to make choices on arms deals, says outgoing US envoy His demand is just a tactic to befool the public and nothing more than that. Erstwhile Congress governments failed to confer the highest honour to Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar. It was only conferred after BSP founder Kashiram Sahu and other BSP leaders, including Mayawati raised the demand, said Gautam. He added, We have been demanding the same honour for Kashiram Sahu also but when Congress was in power it didnt pay any heed to it. Now, when they are not in power they are making such demands. The state BJP also countered Rawats demand of Bharat Ratna for Sonia Gandhi, saying, Rawat wants to set a wrong precedent by awarding countrys highest honour to someone who is facing court cases. By conferring Bharat Ratna to Sonia Gandhi, does Rawat want that the honour should be given to someone who is on bail? What sort of precedent he wants to set by putting such a demand? It will never happen, said Devendra Bhasin, BJP state vice-president. Their destination wedding in Italy was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. But Bachelorette lovebirds Georgia Love and Lee Elliott are FINALLY set to tie the knot in Tasmania this year. On Tuesday, Georgia, 31, shared a very telling clue about what her wedding dress will look like. Dressed to Impress: On Tuesday, Georgia Love [pictured] shared a very telling clue about what her wedding dress will look like Posting to her Instagram account, the TV presenter shared a throwback photo of herself in a floor-length white gown while starring on the Channel Ten dating show. Click here to resize this module '2016 Bachie Georgia is present Georgia's whole 2021 vibe,' she captioned the post. ADVERTISEMENT Georgia stuns in the image, as she struts towards the camera in the strapless gown that features a thigh high split. Bridal gown: Posting to her Instagram account, the Channel 10 presenter shared a throwback photo of herself in a floor-length white gown while starring on The Bachelorette. Pictured with Lee Elliott Her brunette tresses are styled into loose curls and she looks glamorous with a full face of makeup including a smokey eye and bronzer. While it might not be her actual wedding frock, this is the biggest clue that Georgia has shared so far in regards to what her gown might look like. Planning their wedding has been a difficult journey for the lovebirds, who met on The Bachelorette in 2016. Setbacks: Planning their wedding has been a difficult journey for the lovebirds, who met on The Bachelorette in 2016 They originally wanted to get married in Italy, but then chose Tasmania as their alternative wedding destination when international borders closed. But disaster struck for the Melbourne-based couple, when Victoria slammed its borders shut in response to a second wave of coronavirus, meaning their back-up plans were also thwarted. Speaking to The Herald Sun in September, she said: 'We have set a (wedding) date next year and are forging ahead hoping it is going to happen as we want it to.' Cheers: 'We have set a (wedding) date next year and are forging ahead hoping it is going to happen as we want it to,' Georgia told The Herald Sun in September She continued: 'We had planned an entire wedding for Italy and that has just gone completely out of the window. 'We then planned a wedding for Tasmania and that date has now changed.' Georgia explained the pair don't want to plan a third wedding if they have to change their latest plans due to the pandemic. ADVERTISEMENT 'We don't want to have to plan a third wedding, but if it ends up that we have to postpone it we will do that.' An extremist who threatened to shoot and kill an MP after telling doctors 'there should be more Jo Coxes' has been jailed. Colin Brown said he wanted to make an example of Bridget Phillipson, who represents Houghton and Sunderland South, having previously 'expressed support' for the murder of fellow MP Jo Cox in 2016 by a far-right killer. Brown, who was mentally unwell and has a previous conviction for hurling racial abuse at council staff, also warned he was going to 'hurt' MP for Sunderland Central, Julie Elliott and said politicians needed 'shooting'. During a series of threats made in 2019, the 50-year-old also warned he would drive a car into a mosque in a bid to target Muslims. Jailing Brown for 18 months, a judge said the jail term was a 'deterrent to others who seek to poison democratic and political debate by threatening those who disagree with you'. In a victim statement, Mrs Phillipson said the threats to her were 'very worrying and distressing' and added: 'I work hard to serve my community. I am concerned for the safety of myself, my family and my staff. Colin Brown, pictured left, said he wanted to make an example of Bridget Phillipson, pictured right, who represents Houghton and Sunderland South Brown also warned he was going to 'hurt' MP for Sunderland Central, Julie Elliott, pictured, and said politicians needed 'shooting' 'Due to the repeated nature and violence involved in the threats towards me I am fearful he may carry out his threats. 'My role in the community puts me in contact with members of the public on a regular basis, at public forums and surgeries. 'I am concerned he will attend one of those events and put myself and other people in danger. 'I understand the strength of feeling around political issues. 'I work tirelessly to support my community and it should not be part of my role or an expectation people can make threats without facing consequences. 'They must understand the impact these things have.' Mrs Elliott, who shares an office with Mrs Phillipson, said she got a 'sick feeling inside' and added: 'I appreciate I am an MP but I am also a human being. I have a family therefore this also impacts on them.' Newcastle Crown Court heard Brown was an inpatient at Hopewood Hospital in Sunderland when he attended a meeting, attended by doctors and health professionals, in May 2019 and was asked about the beliefs he had expressed about Jo Cox. Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said: 'He stated there would be more Jo Coxes.' The court heard Brown was told his opinions could amount to criminal behaviour and he responded by saying 'all politicians are criminals'. While being escorted back to his room at the hospital Brown said he could 'easily obtain a rifle and shoot Mrs Philipson'. Mr Wardlaw said it was noted Brown had 'no remorse' for the comments and threats he was making when confronted. Brown, pictured outside Newcastle Crown Court, has been jailed for 18 months During another meeting with medics in August, the court heard Brown repeated the comments and threats he had made and confirmed he still held the same views in respect of politicians. Mr Wardlaw added: 'He said if he was terminally ill he would drive a car into a mosque. 'He said as politicians go against the will of the people they should be treated at traitors. 'He said he was far-right extremist and his comments were not attributable to mental illness.' When questioned by the police, Brown said 'MPs needed shooting for what they had done to the country' and said 'MPs are attempting to keep the UK in Europe despite the result of the referendum'. Brown told detectives he had targeted Miss Phillipson because she 'supported a second referendum and acted contrary to the wishes of the people of Sunderland' and threatened to shoot her to 'make an example of her'. When asked if he would actually carry out his threats to Miss Phillipson, Brown told police: 'If it came to a second referendum I would contemplate it'. Brown admitted he did not have a firearm but would be able to source one from unnamed contacts and had been military trained. It was during day release from the hospital in December 2019 Brown made a series of calls to medical staff repeating the threats to Mrs Phillipson and said he was going to hurt Julie Elliott MP. Brown said during the conversations 'I'm doing vigilante democracy' and warned: 'I've got to do what I've got to do.' Judge Tim Gittins told Brown some of his statements were 'chilling', adding: 'It is clear you hold some views that are extreme and appalling in relation to race and religion. 'You took exception to the local MP's stance on withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. Brown previously 'expressed support' for the murder of MP Jo Cox, pictured, in 2016 by a far-right killer 'You are perfectly entitled to hold a different view to anyone, as is she. 'What you are not entitled to do is threaten serious violence and death to that person holding a different view. 'It is clear you intended your threats to cause serious damage, to cause terror by your words.' The judge said Brexit going ahead had appeared to have halted Brown's behaviour, but issued ten year restraining orders to keep him away from both women. Brown, of no fixed address, admitted two charges of making threats to kill, using threatening behaviour with intention to cause harassment, threatening to damage property and sending a malicious communication. He also admitted assault and common assault after he threw a chair and injured two health care workers while being treated in hospital. Penny Hall, defending, said Brown has struggled with psychosis, schizophrenia, autism and a delusional disorder. She added: 'At the time he was an inpatient in hospital, being treated for his mental health. 'Fortunately he did not act on his threats at all.' Miss Hall said Brown did not approach his targets directly to make the threats. The court heard Brown has since been released from hospital. As many as 224 former bureaucrats, judges, and veterans under the banner of Forum of Concerned Citizens have written an open letter backing the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, saying it applies to everyone and safeguards the dignity of women. The letter came days after another group of 104 former bureaucrats demanded the illegal ordinance be withdrawn forthwith while calling Uttar Pradesh the epicentre of the politics of hate, division and bigotry amid reports that the executive order was being used to target interfaith couples. Also Read: 3 men framed in false love jihad case: Cops Former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Yogendra Narain, who is one of the 224, said there is nothing anti-constitutional about the ordinance. It does not ban religious conversions or interfaith marriages. It is meant to regulate them. Also, it cannot be called divisive as it is applicable to people of all religions and does not single out anyone. Former bureaucrats Sarvesh Kaushal, Dharam Vir, former Delhi High Court chief justice Rajendra Menon and former ambassador Lakshmi Puri are among signatories to the statement. The Forum of Concerned Citizens criticised the 104 former bureaucrats, including former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon, for asking Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to re-learn the Constitution. ...[it] is irresponsible... This group seems to have usurped to themselves the constitutional power of judicial review to put every law of the land to the test of their own whims. ...they are doing [a] monumental disservice to India. The Atlantic County Prosecutors Office has taken over the day-to-day activities of the Linwood Police Department after allegations of misconduct were levied against Chief John Hamilton, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner announced Monday. The move was made effective Jan. 1 following an investigation into several complaints of alleged misconduct, Tyner said. As such, I am compelled to exercise the authority over the day-to-day activities of the Linwood Police Department until further notice, Tyner said in a statement. Hamilton was put on paid administrative leave by the Linwood City Council, which also named Capt. Jason Weber the departments acting chief, the office said. Hamilton is still listed as the citys chief of police. Hamilton has a salary of $133,316, according to online records. No other details were released and no specific allegations were divulged Monday evening. A spokeswoman for the office could not immediately be reached for comment and Linwood Mayor Darren Matik said that because the situation was considered a personnel matter that the council and he could not comment directly on the allegations. During the interim and until a resolution has been reached in this matter, Jason Weber is serving as Acting Chief of Police and Steve Cunningham is serving as Acting Captain of the Linwood Police Department, Matik told NJ Advance Media. We welcome any support from the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office as the City progresses with the matter. The Linwood Police Department is fully staffed, and as always will continue to provide the residents of Linwood the essential services they require and deserve. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Closing schools is a disaster for children, a Co Down principal has warned. Teachers should have been able to begin planning online lessons before Christmas, said Kevin Donaghy, of St Ronans Primary School in Newry. Instead they have had to duplicate everything for physical teaching conditions. Mr Donaghy said: My staff are completely devastated. We were all gearing up for coming back. The children are the most important thing to them, they are young and vulnerable - it is a disaster Kevin Donaghy On Monday, Stormont ministers said there will be an extended period of remote learning for school pupils. For weeks teaching unions have been calling for that to happen immediately. Mr Donaghy added: They have already done three months of remote teaching and they do not like it. They would rather the kids were in school, for us this is the best place and none of us want this. The children are the most important thing to them, they are young and vulnerable it is a disaster. He said teaching heads have been left seeking clarity from the authorities. If contingency plans had been put in place before Christmas, if the minister had consulted and decided things with school leaders to see what we do, if he would talk with us rather than at us Expand Close Primary school teacher Caolan Byrne putting out remote learning packs at St Ronans Primary School (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Primary school teacher Caolan Byrne putting out remote learning packs at St Ronans Primary School (Liam McBurney/PA) For me the hardest bit, the ones suffering the most, are the children. They were looking forward to coming back to school this week. Remote does not replace face-to-face teaching at all. Justin McCamphill, NASUWT teaching union national official for Northern Ireland, said closing schools to face-to-face education should always be a measure of last resort. His union has been calling for remote learning for some time. We believe the minister missed an opportunity by not giving schools the last week before Christmas to prepare, he said. Teachers and principals would have had certainty in what to expect after Christmas. First Minister Arlene Foster has said the period of online learning for schoolchildren in Northern Ireland is to be extended amid soaring coronavirus cases. The most recent plan was for primary pupils to be taught remotely for the week from January 4-8, while for secondary school Years 8 to 11, it is due to last for the entire month. Itas easy to blame Peter Weir for the totally avoidable disaster unfolding around transfer, GCSEs and A-Levels. And yes, he has refused to listen to the profession for months. But letas not forget the entire education department beneath him and the political party around him. Graham Gault (@drgrahamgault) January 5, 2021 Graham Gault, principal at Maghaberry Primary, said: Its easy to blame Peter Weir for the totally avoidable disaster unfolding around transfer, GCSEs and A-levels. And yes, he has refused to listen to the profession for months. But lets not forget the entire education department beneath him and the political party around him. Education Minister Mr Weir previously told the Assembly that he was acting in accordance with scientific and medical advice presented by Stormonts health experts. He said the situation had deteriorated rapidly since his statement before Christmas when he said schools would reopen as planned on January 4. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. PA We are associating with 6, with the purpose of collaborating with this select group of professionals who can undoubtedly benefit from our cross-border talent Capita, the most reputable virtual assistant company in Mexico, just became a 6 Networking Sponsor. With this collaboration, Capita will continue its mission of helping entrepreneurs in the USA to delegate administrative work to top-notch virtual assistants from the most important talent hubs in LATAM. Capita has been working closely with the entrepreneurial sector in San Diego by providing highly-competitive talent at incredibly attractive prices, said CEO and Founder Adrian J. Romero. Now, we are associating with 6, a leading networking organization of professional service providers in the region, with the purpose of collaborating with this select group of professionals who can undoubtedly benefit from our cross-border talent. 6 is a networking group that believes that being professionally connected is a lifelong passion. Their mission is to connect the community in valuable, long-lasting business relationships by hosting hundreds of meetings and events. As for Capita, they specialize in providing solutions such as virtual assistance, employee outsourcing, employer of record, staff augmentation and nearshore staffing. The company has quickly positioned itself in the market thanks to its efficient processes that are characterized by great customer service, multiple candidate screenings to find the best fit and constant support, and training for all their virtual assistants. Companies from industries such as real estate, marketing, financial services, healthcare, IT, and more, have benefited enormously by saving between 60% and 80% in salaries. Were looking forward to bringing our expertise to 6 and helping more entrepreneurs as we go, said Head of Client Relations, Erika Pichardo-Ley. As 2021 is here, companies will face an increased workload, making it the best time to hire a team of virtual assistants that can manage the demands of a new year. Dont miss this chance and contact Capita to figure out what works best for you! Learn more about Capita by visiting their website: https://capitaworks.com Learn more about 6 Networking by visiting their website: https://www.6degreesnetworking.com Regulatory News: Tikehau Capital (Paris:TKO): Credit Agricole Group is providing significant support to the aeronautical investment fund created to bolster the capital of strategic French companies in this sector weakened by the current health and economic crisis, prepare for the post-crisis environment, assist them in their development, and contribute to the reinforcement of the sector. Thanks to the concerted efforts of its regional banks, LCL, and Credit Agricole S.A., Credit Agricole Group is investing 100 million alongside the French government, four major players in the GIFAS (French aerospace industries association) Airbus, Dassault, Safran, and Thales and Tikehau Capital. This investment in the aeronautics sector supports the main focus areas of the Plan de Relance (France's recovery plan) and is in line with Credit Agricole Group's purpose: "Working every day for you and society". It has the following aims: Ensuring short-term protection for companies weakened by the health crisis, Maintaining skills and know-how in this sector employing more than 380,000 people, Supporting the sector's SMEs and mid-caps in their innovation efforts and digital transformation "The investment by more than 20 Credit Agricole regional banks reaffirms our long-lasting support for the aeronautics sector in all regions. It will help to sustain and transform this French sector of excellence," explained Nicolas Langevin, CEO of the Credit Agricole Toulouse 31 regional bank. Olivier Nicolas, Head of Corporate, Institutional, Wealth Management and Private Banking Division of LCL, confirmed that "by investing in the Ace Aero Partenaires fund and as arranger of the first 'Aero' government-guaranteed loan on 23 December, LCL is demonstrating its support for this sector, which will face immense post-COVID challenges: strengthening an industrial base weakened by the crisis, preserving research and development capabilities, and, of course, accelerating innovation to foster the green transition. LCL will be proud to participate alongside other Credit Agricole Group entities. The fund is managed by the private equity firm Ace Capital Partners, subsidiary of Tikehau Capital, which specialises in strategic industrial and technological sectors and invests in niche players (Support Capital) and in platforms aimed at strengthening the sector (Platform Capital). Marwan Lahoud, Executive Chairman of Ace Capital Partners, stated, "We applaud Credit Agricole's commitment to this key investment vehicle for the aeronautics sector, which we have the pleasure of managing. This investment marks an important milestone in its development. We are delighted to be able to count on this new strategic partner in our work as a sector-focused investor committed to protecting and strengthening this cutting-edge industry. Antoine Flamarion and Mathieu Chabran, co-founders of Tikehau Capital, added, "We are delighted with this investment by our long-standing partner, Credit Agricole. Its very significant contribution will be an important factor in ensuring the success of the fund dedicated to the aeronautics sector. We wanted to go beyond our subsidiary Ace Capital Partners' role as the manager of the fund by committing our own balance sheet in this sector, in line with our strategy to align our interests with those of our investor partners. When it was launched on 28 July 2020, the ambition of the aeronautical fund, which had raised total commitments of 630 million in the first round of funding1, was the rapid accumulation of 1 billion in assets under management. This investment by Credit Agricole is therefore a major step towards achieving this goal. About Credit Agricole Group Credit Agricole group is the leading financial partner of the French economy and one of the foremost European banks. The Group is one of the largest retail banks in Europe, as well as the top European asset manager, the number one banking and insurance group in Europe, and the third-biggest European player in project finance. Built on its strong cooperative and mutual roots, its 141,000 employees, and the 30,000 directors of its local and regional banks, Credit Agricole Group is a responsible and responsive bank serving 51 million customers, 10.1 million members, and 900,000 individual shareholders. Thanks to its universal banking model combining close relationships between its retail banks and the specialist expertise of its different business divisions Credit Agricole Group helps its customers achieve their financial objectives in France and around the world: everyday banking, home and consumer loans, savings, insurance, asset management, real estate, leasing, factoring, and corporate and investment banking. Credit Agricole is also distinguished by its dynamic and innovative corporate social responsibility policy in the service of the economy. The policy is based on a pragmatic approach that permeates the entire Group and puts each employee into action. About Ace Capital Partners Ace Capital Partners, a subsidiary of Tikehau Capital, is a private equity firm specialised in strategic industries and technologies, with nearly 1 billion in assets under management. Founded in 2000, Ace invests through sector-focused approaches such as industries, cybersecurity, and digital trust. Ace has built its model on strategic partnerships with large corporates (including Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation, Thales, EDF, Naval Group, and Sopra Steria), which invest in its funds and maintain an ongoing dialogue with the firm, enabling Ace to take a differentiated approach to investing. Ace operates offices in Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Montreal and benefits from the worldwide presence of Tikehau Capital. www.ace-cp.com About Tikehau Capital Tikehau Capital is an asset management and investment group with 27.2 billion of assets under management (at 30 September 2020) and shareholder equity of 2.8 billion (at 30 June 2020). The Group invests in various asset classes (private debt, real assets, private equity and capital markets strategies) including through its asset management subsidiaries that act on behalf of institutional and private investors. Controlled by its managers alongside leading institutional partners, Tikehau Capital employs more than 570 people (at 30 June 2020) in its offices based in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, New York, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo. Tikehau Capital is listed in compartment A of the regulated Euronext Paris market (ISIN code: FR0013230612; Ticker: TKO.FP) www.tikehaucapital.com Disclaimer This document is not an offer of securities for sale or investment advisory services. This document contains general information only and is not intended to represent general or specific investment advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and targets are not guaranteed. Certain statements and forecasted data are based on current expectations, current market and economic conditions, estimates, projections, opinions and beliefs of Tikehau Capital and/or its affiliates. Due to various risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements or in any of the case studies or forecasts. All references to Tikehau Capital's advisory activities in the US or with respect to US persons relates to Tikehau Capital North America. _____________ 1 Raised from the French government (200 million euros), Airbus, Safran, Dassault and Thales (200 million euros), and Tikehau Capital (230 million euros). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005749/en/ Contacts: Shareholders and Investors: Louis Igonet +33 1 40 06 11 11 shareholders@tikehaucapital.com Press: Credit Agricole Group Olivier Tassain: 01 43 23 25 41 olivier.tassain@credit-agricole-sa.fr Pauline Vasselle: 01 43 23 07 31 pauline.vasselle@credit-agricole-sa.fr Benedicte Gouvert: 01 49 53 43 64 benedicte.gouvert@ca-fnca.fr Marie-Catherine Cornic (IDIA CI): 01 43 23 43 69 marie-catherine.cornic@ca-idia.com See all our press releases at: www.credit-agricole.com www.creditagricole.info Twitter: Credit_Agricole LinkedIn: Credit Agricole Group Instagram: creditagricole_sa Ace Capital Partners Audrey Hood ah@ace-cp.com +33 1 73 31 30 10 Image 7 Juliette Mouraret jmouraret@image7.fr +33 6 81 67 38 80 Tikehau Capital Valerie Sueur vsueur@tikehaucapital.com +33 1 40 06 39 30 Image 7 Charlotte Le Barbier clebarbier@image7.fr +33 6 78 37 27 60 Heres an idea for the new state flag design. Why not ask state residents what they prefer? Instead of changing the design completely, pick a couple of commonly used designs and let the people in this state vote on their choice via email? Would it be outrageous for me to ask that the design that was used on the flag I grew up with and loved for the past 74 years be included in the vote? Anything would be better than that awful design printed in the Dec. 29 Post and Courier. JO CANNON Ashley Avenue Charleston Precarious balance John Burbages commentary in the Dec. 30 Post and Courier took issue with the leadership of Wofford President Nayef Samhat, whom Burbage described as having arrived in 2013 from elite Kenyan College in Gambier, Ohio. The school in question is Kenyon College. My father graduated from Kenyon in 1946 and my brother followed in his footsteps 30 years later. (If elite means striving for excellence, then yes, it is elite.) Burbages blunder seemed odd, given that his brief bio described him as a journalist, editor, and book publisher, but the remainder of the article made it feel more like a Freudian slip. Burbage noted that Samhat enjoys bonding, especially with minority students, and, later on, that woke is traceable to black Americans in the 1940s and reemerged with the Black Lives Matter movement. Whats his point? He doesnt say. He also doesnt acknowledge that college presidents throughout the country, not just at Wofford, have been caught in a precarious balance, criticized for candor on one flank and for appeasement on the other. And, yes, many have reacted clumsily. Burbages words actually give a very good sense of how difficult it is for someone in Nayef Samhats position to thread the needle, but the words were delivered with disparagement rather than sympathy. Burbage would have done well to follow the advice of another commentary on the very same page. Its title? Uphold Southern Hospitality, even for those from Ohio. DERRICK NIEDERMAN State Street Charleston Admissions scandal Recently, actress Lori Loughlin was released after serving 2 months in federal prison for paying $500,000 to get her daughters into the University of Southern California. Her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, is serving 5 months. She paid a $150,000 fine and is due to perform 100 hours of community service. I am trying to rationalize this decision to send them to prison and what positive effect it has on her, the greater community or legitimate students who cant afford to go to college. Lets look at the numbers. According to the California Legislative Analysts Office, it costs $81,203 per year to house an inmate in a California federal prison. Doing the math, it costs taxpayers more than $13,000 to house Lori and more than $33,000 for her husband. Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! This doesnt even include the legal costs to bring their case to trial. They are reportedly worth more than $88 million in combined assets. Would it not have made more sense to demand that they set up scholarships of several million dollars so that truly needy students could attend college? Hurt them in their pocketbooks and help those less fortunate to get a college education. Sending them to prison seems like a waste of tax dollars to me. PRISCILLA SHUMWAY Wappoo Hall Road Charleston Donate stimulus funds My wife and I are most fortunate that we dont need the stimulus money for basic necessities. Therefore, we plan to donate this money to local food banks. If enough people would do this throughout the nation, it would make very good use of the money and ensure that food banks have plenty of money now and in the future. DONN PITTMAN Bonneau Lane Mount Pleasant Energy considerations The Jan. 3 Post and Courier front page article on South Carolinas energy landscape left out two important facts that impact the decisions utility leaders must consider: Availability of renewable energy during peak usage periods and instantaneous power demand. Solar energy is generally available from midday to late afternoon, which is helpful during warm months, but is unavailable during peak periods in winter months, which occur between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Also, renewable energy is not useful in meeting sudden changes in electrical demand, such as when a large industrial customer (think steel or aluminum) requires an immediate 200,000-kW load increase. Currently, only natural gas or coal units can provide such power demands. Until these issues can be resolved, fossil fuel generating units will be needed to provide a portion of our power needs. MIKE LANKFORD Summerton Court Pinopolis This week: Pitkin Countys front line workers are eligible for the COVID19 vaccine, but can your employer require you to get vaccinated? Also a look at the two back-to-back worldwide ski events Aspen is hosting beginning March 10. Host Alycin Bektesh is joined by Madeleine Osberger, Erica A bookkeeper from La Grande who diverted more than $1.1 million from medical and dental practices where she worked to support a lavish lifestyle was sentenced Tuesday to four years in federal prison. The rather shocking betrayal by Anndrea D. Jacobs continued for at least five years -- including after her arrest while she was on pretrial supervision, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bounds said. Jacobs, 49, speaking by phone from Multnomah Countys Inverness Jail, told the judge she got caught up in living a double life, things just spiraled out of control. Im sincerely sorry for my actions, and Im willing to put in the work and dedication its going to take to make amends, she said. Jacobs pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return for 2011, aggravated identity theft in the furthering of wire fraud and impersonating an IRS employee. U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez ordered Jacobs to pay $1.2 million in restitution. From January 2011 through December 2015, Jacobs wrote business checks from a La Grande urologists practice to herself. She used the stolen money to make payments on personal credit cards and pay other personal expenses, according to the prosecutor. To hide her fraud, she also prepared and maintained false business financial records, overstating expenses and estimated tax payments, according to Bounds. Without the consent of the medical practices owner, she opened a business bank account in his name, deposited a business check payable to the Oregon Department of Revenue into her own personal account, gave the practice owner falsified property tax statements and convinced the owner to grant her limited power of attorney to handle the practices pending IRS tax collection action, according to court records. Jacobs impersonated an IRS agent through a fake identity, setting up a phone and voicemail account in the made-up name of IRS taxpayer advocate Linda Gibson, purporting to help the medical practice owner and his wife with their IRS tax collection issues, according to court documents. While facing a 15-count indictment in the 2018 case, Jacobs continued her criminal scheme, Bounds said. She engaged in bank fraud in 2019, depositing insurance checks made out to a second employer, a Hood River dental practice, into her Wells Fargo Bank account and then spent the money on herself. Money Jacobs embezzled paid for frequent meals out in Portland, travel between Portland, Hood River and La Grande, shopping, her personal bills and trips to Chicago and Hawaii, according to prosecutors. Celia Howes, Jacobs lawyer, said Jacobs has been in custody since August after violating her release conditions. Those last few months have been eye opening for Ms. Jacobs, Howes said. Jacobs time in custody has giving her the opportunity to think about her past. ... She was able to see the harm that she had caused. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Facebook page NEW HAVEN The citys school meals program promises students free, nutritionally-balanced meals. The programs finances, however, are out of whack. Michael Gormany, the citys budget director, said the district is facing upward of a projected $4 million deficit in its school meals program by the end of the fiscal year, at the current rate. This has been a tough first half of the year for food services, Gormany said. The program, which offers free breakfast, lunch and dinner to students under the age of 18 in the city five days per week, receives about 90 percent of its revenue from federal reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To remain solvent, the program must serve about 10,000 meals daily in a school system that has about 20,000 students. However, with students learning remotely, school officials are struggling to put those meals into the hands of students. Gormany told the Board of Educations finance committee that recent efforts to expand the program such as adding dinners and a pre-ordering program have only brought the program to about 3,000 meals served per day. The financial losses to the meals program, which so far has kept its staff levels consistent throughout the pandemic, are an incentive to return students to school, district leaders said. The citys school buildings have been closed since March 2020 including the entirety of the current academic year to date after a Board of Education vote over concerns regarding the districts pandemic preparedness. When the school board was due to reevaluate whether schools should open in early November, an increase in coronavirus cases in the city led to an intervention from the health department to keep schools closed indefinitely. On New Years Eve, Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey informed families that there would be an effort to reopen schools to students pre-K through fifth grade by Jan. 19. Two members of the Board of Education who voted against reopening schools in August told the Register they were not consulted about the announcement of Jan. 19 as a target date to reopen schools. Were encouraged by the fact we have students potentially coming back now on Jan. 19, District Chief Financial Officer Phil Penn said. It gives us a lot more opportunities to serve meals, he said. Penn said the proposed hybrid model, which would see students of families who agree to in-person learning put into groups for alternating days of in-person instruction, also could mean students take home meals for days when they are not in school further expanding the number of reimbursable meals served. Were still not getting close to the numbers we need to be sustainable at this point. Im somewhat optimistic that by having the younger grades come into the classroom in the coming weeks we can start to tackle the problem pretty aggressively, Penn said. Committee member Larry Conaway said he had concerns about the heavy reliance on reopening schools in two weeks as a means of solving the food programs money issues. He asked whether the district could pursue community partnerships as a means of distributing more meals. Penn said the district has considered measures such as distributing to food banks, but federal restrictions require that the district log who picks up a meal for it to be reimbursable. Assistant Superintendent Ivelise Velazquez, who has assumed the operational management of the food service program as the district looks to fill the vacant chief operating officer position, also said many families she has spoken to do not realize they do not have to have a need for free lunch to qualify. Even if a family has food in the home for students learning remotely, they still are eligible to pick up school meals for free which adds revenue to the program at no cost to families or the district. Tracey said she has learned from discussions with the state Department of Education that the problem of maintaining a food service program reliant on federal reimbursement for revenue during a time without regular school lunch periods is being experienced around the state. This is not just New Haven. Its around Connecticut, she said. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com The Philippine government's temporary travel ban on foreign travelers from the United States due to the threat of the new COVID-19 variant, includes those coming from Guam and the CNMI. The Philippine Consulate General on Guam on Tuesday clarified that Guam and the CNMI, being U.S. territories, are included in the travel ban. The travel ban started at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 3, and will last through Jan. 15. At least three states in the U.S. have identified cases of the new, more contagious coronavirus strain, including California, Colorado and Florida. Guam and the CNMI, about three hours away from Manila, are home to a large number of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. "Only Filipinos and dual citizens are allowed entry; hence, former Filipinos who are now U.S. citizens will not be allowed entry. Balikbayan privilege is also suspended," the Philippine Consulate General on Guam said in response to The Guam Daily Post's questions. Filipinos and dual citizens coming from listed countries are required to complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine, the Philippine Consulate General on Guam said. According to an advisory from the Philippine from the consulate general: "Filipino citizens coming from the U.S. or who have been to the U.S. within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines 'shall not be prohibited from entering', but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result." The Philippines' expanded travel ban list includes: In one instance, customers of a Woolworths supermarket were warned of an infection risk, before the name of the outlet was corrected to Coles. In another, the list was quietly changed on Monday to show a COVID-positive person had dined at the Guilty Moose Cafe in Albert Park on December 21 after the wrong date, December 30, had been displayed for at least two days. Patrons at the Lion Hotel in La Trobe Street were initially told to isolate only until they tested negative, before that advice was upgraded to 14 days of quarantine. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video La Trobe University epidemiologist Associate Professor Hassan Vally said the danger of communication failures was that people with coronavirus would be missed and be moving around the community without knowing they were infected. As I heard another epidemiologist say, no one ever gets to the end of a pandemic and says that we communicated too much, he said. Youve got to take on feedback and keep on adjusting your strategy. Mr Weimar said the Department of Health and Human Services had already made changes to its website to reflect public feedback and lessons learnt from mistakes. "In an operation of this scale, moving at this velocity, where we're making changes and adjustments not even hour by hour but minute by minute ... I think if you look at the website today, we're highlighting much more now, a clearer way of saying here is emerging breaking news, he said. The virus response chief pledged more publicly prominent corrections when errors were identified. If weve got some things massively wrong, where we have directed a whole bunch of people down the wrong rabbit hole, I think well be upfront about them, he said. Im upfront about where were not always getting it right. Theres exposure sites on the website for this outbreak that have been unchanged since the very beginning, and theres exposure sites we have changed six times over, as more information has come to light. He said he expected everyday Victorians to be checking the DHHS website at least once or twice a day. Victoria's Minister for Emergency Services, Lisa Neville, addressed the media on Tuesday, expressing concern about the UK COVID-19 variant. Credit:Jason South Ms Neville acknowledged on Tuesday that mistakes had been made and pledged improvements but the minister also said that one of the most important lessons from Victoria's deadly second wave of COVID-19 infections had been the need for rapid notifications of potential exposure sites. "We put it up as quickly as possible. That's the decision that's been taken and I think that's one that we've learnt from the last time as quickly as you can, get it up," the minister said. "We've got the website and we now put out any corrections on social media, in relation to any errors that have occurred in relation to exposure sites." But state opposition leader Michael O'Brien said the government had failed to be upfront about the mistakes and corrections. Its not about the governments political embarrassment. Its about getting the right information into the hands of Victorians as quickly as possible and being upfront about that. The Black Rock cluster began when a woman who travelled from NSW ate at the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant on the night of December 21. There are yet to be any other cases linked to other public exposure sites, with people instead catching the virus from close contacts in private homes and one via a work connection. Loading The state government also said it had been successful in its effort to persuade the federal government's key decision-making body, the Australian Health Protection Principle Committee, to examine ways to boost Australia's defences against the highly contagious mutated strain of the virus which has forced Britain back into a full national lockdown. Ms Neville said earlier in the day that suspensions of flights from the UK and the closure of Australian ports to British shipping might be considered but the federal Health Department would confirm only that it was closely monitoring instances in Australia of the variant coronavirus strain, known as lineage B.1.1.7. She was revealed to have a new man when they were spotted putting on a PDA-fest in a north London park in July. And Daisy Lowe looked loved-up as she shared a snap of herself alongside her boyfriend Jordan Saul to her Instagram Stories on Monday. The model, 31, also set pulses racing as she posted a sultry throwback photo of herself putting on a busy display in a black top. Romance: Daisy Lowe looked loved-up as she shared a snap of herself alongside her boyfriend Jordan Saul to her Instagram Stories on Monday Daisy was taking part in the social media trend of users sharing pictures after being given a prompt by their followers. The media personality looked radiant in the snap alongside her boyfriend as she fixed the camera with a sultry stare while he stood close behind her, after a fan asked for a photo of 'you and your partner'. Daisy was also asked to share a photo of herself 'gaming' and posted a sultry black and white shot of herself displaying her ample assets in a low cut top. The beauty also wore a black leather jacket in the post while she styled her brunette locks into a ponytail. Wow: Daisy was also asked to share a photo of herself 'gaming' and posted a sultry black and white shot of herself displaying her ample assets in a low cut top An avid traveller, estate agent Jordan documents his various international adventures on social media, including regular stops in South Africa and plenty of ski trips. A source previously told The Sun of the couple: 'Theyre enjoying spending time together while they have time off. Shes not in any rush to put a label on anything, theyre just taking things easy.' It comes after Daisy shared a candid post about her well-being in October as she marked World Mental Health day. The model admitted that at the time she had felt 'overwhelmed' and both 'mentally and physically exhausted'. Couple: Daisy was revealed to have a new man when she and Jordan were spotted putting on a PDA-fest in a north London park in July Daring: Clearly at home in the animal kingdom, social media snaps show Jordan relaxing with a cheetah Daisy said that she gave herself a 'mental health day' where she ditched her phone, spoke to her best friends, went for a walk and didn't 'get dressed properly'. The model, who bravely shared she had a secret breakdown in 2016 earlier this year, admitted that sometimes she just needs a 'good cry' and that managing her mental health is a 'constant battle'. Daisy added that she is 'so thankful' she has a 'better grip' on her well-being and also celebrated that the 'stigma around illnesses we can't see with our eyes is dissolving'. As they begin the new year, members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are figuring out their first major task of 2021: choosing one of their own to be board president. The person selected by a majority of their colleagues will steer the 11-member board through the one of the most tumultuous times in modern San Francisco history, as the pandemic wreaks havoc on the local economy and exacerbates the already gaping disparity between rich and poor. Over the past few weeks, those on the short list to replace outgoing president Norman Yee have included Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Shamann Walton and Rafael Mandelman. But that could rapidly change, as the conversations and political jockeying continue ahead of the Jan. 8 vote. Two new supervisors Myrna Melgar and Connie Chan will also join the board in January, and it remains to be seen whom they will rally behind. Of the contenders, Peskin is the only one who has held the job before. During his first two terms as District Three supervisor between 2001 and 2009, he was unanimously elected president twice. He served two two-year terms between 2005 and 2009. Now, as he enters his fourth term as supervisor, Peskin may take the reins again. Ive done the job before and I think the imperative of this time is unity within the board, and unity between the board and the mayor, he said. Lets see how that evolves between now and Jan. 8. The election for board president is sometimes a last-minute and contentious decision, as the 11 supervisors must balance political alliances, personal differences and public perception as they cast their votes. Yee was elected in 2019 after a dramatic few weeks among his colleagues, who spent the lead-up to election arguing with each other over who should take the reins. While board presidents are second in line to the mayors office, they have only a little more power and authority than a typical supervisor on a day-to-day basis. The position is largely administrative, with much of the daily tasks revolving around assigning legislation to committees and deciding what to fast-track through the bureaucratic process. But they do have their hand in some key decisions like assigning their fellow supervisors to committees, which impacts how legislation is amended before it goes to the full board for a vote. They can also set the tone for how the board works with Mayor London Breed. Yee was a consensus candidate who has guided the board with a steady, calm hand for the past two years. He often steered away from controversy, and tried to mediate between colleagues when board meetings devolved into contentious, unwieldy disputes. Peskin would likely be much more outspoken and commanding. Although he can be controversial, his colleagues respect him for his political savvy and deep knowledge of the citys intricate legislative process and arcane laws. He also has a good personal relationship with Breed, but isnt afraid to stray from her when they dont agree. Walton, another supervisor on the short list, is part of a tight progressive faction of supervisors who often spar with the mayor and other members of the board. He repeatedly refused to answer a request for comment. Mandelman, who has a good working relationship with the mayor and many of his colleagues, had initially been considered by his colleagues for the position. But when asked if he would be interested in the job, he told The Chronicle that he is not seeking it. Another key feature of the board presidency is that its often a steppingstone to higher office. Breed was board president before becoming mayor, while former President Malia Cohen is now on the states Board of Equalization. Supervisor David Chiu also served as president before winning his Assembly seat. And, perhaps most famously, Sen. Dianne Feinstein was the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. Feinstein then stepped in as mayor after Mayor George Moscone was assassinated. But now, as the city grapples with crisis after crisis amid the holidays, several supervisors said at least publicly that figuring out who the next board president should be is not their main priority. Theres a lot bigger problems in the world now than who the board president is, Mandelman said. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani Saadallah, right, admitted the murders of three people but denied he was driven by ideology. (PA/Facebook) A 26-year-old murdered three men and injured more in less than a minute during an attack in a Reading park last year, a court has been told. Ruthlessly efficient Khairi Saadallah was accused of shouting Allahu Akbar as he launched his fatal assault on 20 June last year, in what prosecutors claim was a terror attack. He killed history teacher James Furlong, 36, scientist David Wails, 49, and US citizen Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in Forbury Gardens, Reading. Their friend Stephen Young was also injured, as were Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan, who sat nearby. Saadallah then got rid of the knife and fled from the park but an off-duty police officer called 999 and followed the attacker before he was caught. Read more: Ex-police sergeant 'raped woman while on break from work' A hearing at the Old Bailey is examining what happened in the run-up to Saadallah's murders. (PA/Facebook) The defendant admitted three murders and three attempted murders in November but said he did not substantially prepare or plan for the attack and was not motivated by ideology. Prosecutors, however, claim Saadallah thought he was performing an act of religious jihad and Justice Sweeney adjourned the case to hear more evidence about the run-up to the murders. Alison Morgan QC, prosecuting, said at the Old Bailey on Tuesday: In less than a minute, shouting Allahu Akbar, the defendant carried out a lethal attack with a knife, killing all three men before they had a chance to respond and try to defend themselves. Within the same minute, the defendant went on to attack others nearby, stabbing three more people, Stephen Young, Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan, causing them significant injuries. The defendant was ruthlessly efficient in his actions. The prosecutions case is that the attack perpetrated by the defendant was carefully planned and executed with determination and precision. Read more: Boy who punched Singapore student over coronavirus guilty of GBH (Left to right) Joe Ritchie-Bennett, James Furlong and David Wails, the three victims of the Reading terror attack. (PA/Thames Valley Police) The Old Bailey was told Saadallah was released from prison on 5 June, days before the attack, and had searched the internet for is Corona a sign of the end of the world on 15 June. Story continues The court also heard Saadallah accessed material about the Isis extremist Jihadi John, and searched images of military activity in Libya, body bags and the Reading park, later looking up how to disappear with magic with reference to witchcraft, the court heard. The court heard he contacted a crisis team on 19 June, the day before the attack and the day he bought a knife but he did not open the door. Police later visited after his brother raised concerns but he told them he was alright. The defendant believed that in carrying out this attack he was acting in pursuit of his extreme ideology, an ideology he appears to have held for some time, Morgan said, describing his killings as highly effective executions designed to do as much damage in as little time. He believed that in killing as many people as possible that day he was performing an act of religious jihad. The attack took place at Forbury Gardens in Reading. (PA) Eyewitness Andrew Cafe said Saadallah was charging towards us and shouted Allah Akbar. Among the victims group was Roger Smith, who saw Ritchie-Bennett just going over sideways, like a tree being felled and described the attack as seeming like a weird dream. A Muslim member of the public told Saadallah as he was arrested he had nothing to do with Islam, b******. The court heard that after his arrest, the defendant said he wanted to plead guilty to the jihad that I done but feigned mental illness in interviews with detectives. Court documents say Saadallah, of Reading, fled civil war in his home country Libya and arrived in the UK in 2012. He had been involved with militias in the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi and was seen handling weapons, the Old Bailey heard. He was refused asylum, and the court heard on Tuesday that he had developed an emotionally unstable and antisocial personality disorder which worsened with alcohol and cannabis misuse. However, a psychiatrist has concluded his killings had nothing to do with his disorder or drug abuse. Saadallah was jailed at HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire in 2017, where he was seen mixing with radical preacher Omar Brooks, who is associated with banned terror group Al-Muhajiroun, the court was told. Morgan said that showed Saadallah was still interested in ideology he encountered in Libya, and described the defendant as impressionable and volatile. The hearing continues. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo News UK Effective leadership is never easy.But for government cyberleaders in the 2020s, the challenge is perhaps more daunting than ever before. From keeping track of exploding cyberthreats to acquiring and retaining talented pros for your public-sector team to championing the importance of cybersecurity to managing budget priorities in tough economic times, the list of responsibilities and expectations is growing steadily.Add the remote working changes in people, processes and technology that enterprises faced in 2020, along with other pandemic pressures, and it is amazing that security leaders keep coming back each day. So how can cyberchiefs traverse this hectic landscape?Here are 10 best practices that come from a list of security industry resources, five dos and five donts for new and veteran government cyberleaders. Even if youve heard some of these tips before, ask a trusted colleague to help assess how you are doing in each area. Ill start with what not to do:. Security professionals are infamous for shooting down whatever ideas or new technologies business areas propose to improve. Typical answer: Cant do that! Not secure! Instead, get to yes on projects. Be known as an enabler of new technologies. Offer alternative solutions that can work at different price points with varying levels of risk that are understood by the business. If your team is having difficulty coming up with workable options, do more research or talk with similar governments in other parts of the country about how they implemented similar solutions.Poor communication is listed as the top hindrance for organizations globally. Many security leaders start off well, but fail to communicate 360 degrees in an ongoing manner via a variety of channels. Instead, security leaders must constantly be providing timely updates and cyberawareness to internal and external clients. Consider regular security road shows to customers to articulate threats, describe actions required and show the value that your security organization is providing.One tendency for gov tech leaders is to just focus on internal audit findings, data breaches or other incidents. The immediate problems may be so overwhelming that it seems there is no time to look outside your organization to get help or give help. Instead, build lasting partnerships. Security on an island will fail. You dont know what you dont know, so get involved with groups like the MS-ISAC for collaboration. Also, consider the security committees for the National Governors Association, the Public Technology Institute, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and vendor partners with helpful case studies addressing your cyberissues.Surprisingly, a significant number of government security leaders report that everything is fine on the security front. No data breaches here! This is often overconfidence in their teams abilities, or perhaps the fruits of a job well done. Instead, stay humble and vigilant. Even if you have been able to successfully navigate your leadership challenges so far, you never know what tomorrow will bring. Bad actors are trying harder than ever to overcome your cyberdefenses.Since securing the enterprise is never complete, some never stop to enjoy project success. Be sure to thank your staff. Throw a party when key milestones are complete.And here are five more things you should do:Do lunch, and not just with technology or security pros. Discuss their unique business requirements and goals, not just your teams strengths and weaknesses.Cyberstrategies that work together with wider technology goals are a must. If you are struggling to plan, review peer strategies from government leaders you trust and respect.Partner with other governments, criminal justice agencies, nonprofits and others on tabletop exercises surrounding security incident response.The MS-ISAC mentoring program is a great place to start.Become a resilient team. You can do this, and there are many people eager to help. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 06:54:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday that negative COVID-19 test results should be required not only for travelers from the United Kingdom but those from all countries, as infections of a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus that was initially discovered in the UK have been found in four U.S. states. "How many times does the fed gov't have to learn the same lesson? They should require ALL internat'l travelers to test negative before entering the U.S.," he tweeted. "We reached an agreement w/ carriers to require testing for NY-bound UK travelers. The fed gov't must expand it to all countries," he added. Earlier on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that "It's time to STOP the half measures. It's time for a travel ban on the United Kingdom." "This new variant is tremendously troubling. We need to buy ourselves time to get the vaccinations done and protect our residents. Let's shut down the danger RIGHT NOW," he added. New York State reported on Monday its first case of the more contagious variant of the coronavirus. The case was identified in a 60-year-old man from Saratoga County who had no travel history, according to Cuomo. New York is the fourth state in the country that has confirmed infection of the new strain, which has also been found in California, Florida and Colorado. The variant is thought to be more transmissible but does not appear to make people more ill or increase the risk of death from COVID-19, experts have said. While the variant does not appear to cause more severe disease in people who are infected and current vaccines should still work against it, it could lead to more hospitalizations as a result of an increase in cases, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week. The CDC implemented a new order in late December which requires air passengers arriving in the United States from the United Kingdom to test negative, no more than 72 hours before departure. More new strains of the coronavirus are likely to make their way to the United States, said Michael Osterholm, member of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 advisory board, on Tuesday. "And it's the first of what will likely be a number of these strains that are emerging as we're at this point in the pandemic," he added. Total COVID-19 hospitalizations reached 8,590 on Monday in New York State, up from 8,251 on Sunday, tweeted Cuomo on Tuesday. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported 38,741 coronavirus deaths in New York State, the worst in the country. The United States has recorded over 20.9 million cases with over 355,600 related deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Enditem NASHVILLE Tennessee continues efforts to administer COVID-19 vaccinations as described in the states COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. Tennessee county health department staff members administered more than 25,000 COVID-19 vaccinations during the New Year weekend, and more than 157,000 total vaccinations have been administered statewide to date. We are pleased with the overwhelming interest Tennesseans are showing in receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, and are working as quickly as possible to provide vaccinations as we receive additional shipments of vaccines, said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. Some Tennesseans are now receiving their second doses of vaccine as well, so they will be well protected against COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccine supplies remain limited at this time, and availability of vaccines varies by county. Tennessee is currently working to vaccinate Phase 1a populations and individuals aged 75 and up as vaccine supplies are available. It is important to note Tennessee counties may progress through COVID-19 vaccination phases at different times, depending on supplies of COVID-19 vaccines. To learn what phase your county is in, visit https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/vaccine-phases/. This week shipments of COVID-19 vaccines are expected to begin arriving at Tennessee pharmacies that are partnering with long-term care facilities to vaccinate their residents and staff members onsite, as outlined in Phase 1a1 of Tennessees COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. As county health departments vaccinate phase 1a2 and begin to vaccinate those aged 75 years and older, pharmacies will also be administering vaccines for long-term care facility residents and employees. Although this may result in smaller shipments to county health departments, it is critical to get vaccines to those who are the highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 as quickly as possible. TDH reminds all Tennesseans that in addition to vaccination, wearing a face mask, maintaining social distance and getting tested when exposed or sick are critical to controlling the pandemic. The Tennessee Department of Health updated the Tennessee COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Dec. 30. The plan is available online at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/COVID-19_Vaccination_Plan.pdf Find answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination at www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/health/documents/cedep/novel-coronavirus/COVID-19_Vaccine_FAQ.pdf. The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is to protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee. Learn more about TDH services and programs at www.tn.gov/health. Connect with TDH on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @TNDeptofHealth! Jewellery store Lovisa has been forced to shut 42 stores immediately as coronavirus runs rampant in Britain. The Australian retailer announced it would temporarily close 42 shops across the UK following the government declaring a national lockdown. Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged England back into restrictions not seen since March on Monday, in a desperate bid to keep the mutant strain at bay. Lovisa has been forced to shut 42 stores immediately as coronavirus runs rampant in the UK Following Mr Johnson's announcement, Lovisa posted a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange on Tuesday. 'As a result of the announcement by the UK government of a further lockdown in response to increasing Covid-19 cases, our 42 UK stores will be subject to temporary closure effective immediately with the timing for re-opening subject to further government advice,' the statement read. 'All our other stores globally as well as our online business remain open and trading.' Earlier, Lovisa was forced to shut 40 stores in the UK in November due to earlier local lockdowns. In France, the company closed 24 shops at the end of October due to coronavirus restrictions there. The jewellery chain's stores across Australia are not impacted. Mr Johnson imposed the toughest national lockdown since March to prevent health systems from being overwhelmed by surging coronavirus infections. The measures being introduced immediately are expected to last until mid-February. Shake Shack has introduced a little Seoul to its menu nationwide, with a new Korean-inspired fried chicken sandwich, chicken bites and fries featuring gochujang sauce and kimchi. The company was inspired by its teams' work and travel in South Korea, according to a website post, and decided to spotlight some traditional Korean flavors in the new items. He welcomed his first child, son Edward Anthony, with vegan chef Sharlene Fletcher in January 2020. And 12 months on from his wife giving birth, Grant Hackett is already encouraging the youngster to follow in his footsteps as a professional swimmer. The 40-year-old appeared to be in his element on Tuesday, as he stood waist deep in a pool with his son to do 'laps'. Like father, like son! He welcomed his first child with vegan chef Sharlene Fletcher (left) in January 2020. And 12 months on from his wife giving birth, Grant Hackett (right) is already encouraging the youngster to follow in his footsteps as a professional swimmer 'Doing laps at grandma's,' the former Olympian cheekily captioned the post. In the first picture, his bulging biceps were on show as he stood holding his son in place in the water, who appeared to be comfortably sitting in a pool float. Grant's beard was disheveled in appearance and his hair was slicked back, having been in the water with his little boy. In the second picture, the dynamic duo beat the heat by playing in the water along the pool's edge underneath the shade. 'Doing laps at grandma's,' the former Olympian cheekily captioned the post to his Instagram Stories on Tuesday. Pictured with his 11-month-old son, Edward Anthony Grant is smiling ear-to-ear as he helps Edward balance on his feet, while he held onto the side of the pool and a snorkeling mask. Grant's mother Margaret appeared to be enjoying the father-son time as she sat in the shade nearby. Their sweet day out 'at grandma's' follows Grant marrying Sharlene in a secret, intimate ceremony in Melbourne in December. Family time! In the second picture, the dynamic duo beat the heat by playing in the water along the pool's edge underneath the shade. Pictured with Grant's mother, Margaret Hackett In a gushing tribute to his bride, Grant revealed he could no longer wait to be married - even though the pandemic ensured the wedding was smaller than he and Sharlene, 35, had hoped. 'I feel so blessed to call you my beautiful wife @sharhackett. With a year that's been filled with so much uncertainty it's been such a perfect way to finish off 2020,' he captioned his post. 'With COVID-19 continuing to delay our nuptials and the ability to properly plan our wedding, with all of our friends and family in the one location both locally and from overseas, Sharlene and I just wanted to say 'I do'!' Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. With mounting desperation, Donald Trump declared he would fight like hell" to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are not gonna take this White House!" he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally on Monday night in Georgia. Trumps announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesdays run-off election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss which he insists he won by a lot." Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object on Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Bidens victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Bidens victory attained on 3 November. Though he got nothing but cheers on Monday, Trumps attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning it is undermining Americans faith in democracy. All 10 living former defence secretaries wrote in an op-ed that the time for questioning the results has passed." Its unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesdays joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesdays joint session. I promise you this: On Wednesday, well have our day in Congress," Pence said while campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesdays run-off elections that will determine control of Senate. Trump said in Georgia: I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Hes a great guy. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much." He added, No, Mike is a great guy." One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesdays run-off Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Bidens win. The other Republican seeking re-election, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials Republican as well as Democratic in state after state and courts up to the US Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. Biden, speaking at a drive-in rally in Atlanta, said Trump spends more time whining and complaining" than he does working on solving the coronavirus pandemic. He added dismissively, I dont know why he still wants the job he doesnt want to do the work." The US Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, said the electoral vote challenge undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation." So far, Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Bidens 306-232 Electoral College win. With Biden set to be inaugurated 20 January, Trump is intensifying efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. On a call disclosed on Sunday, he can be heard pressuring Georgia officials to find" him more votes from the 3 November election he lost in that state Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 07:36:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Monday called Iran's decision of enriching uranium to the 20 percent level at its Fordow facility as "nuclear extortion." "Iran enriching uranium to 20 percent at Fordow is a clear attempt to increase its campaign of nuclear extortion, an attempt that will continue to fail," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. "The United States and the international community will continue to look to IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors to report the facts on the ground," it added. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced late on Monday that the 20-percent enriched uranium had started at its Fordow facility and had reached the stability level. According to AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, the 20-percent uranium enrichment process was launched on Monday as part of Iran's Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions, which was approved by the parliament in December 2020. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted the same day that Iran's action "conforms fully with Para 36 of JCPOA, after years of non-compliance by several other JCPOA participants. Our measures are fully reversible upon FULL compliance by ALL." The latest move came amid increasing tension between Washington and Tehran. The Pentagon said late Sunday that U.S. aircraft carrier USS Nimitz would remain in the Middle East waters due to "threats from Iran," reversing a previous decision to order the warship back home. In May 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Iranian nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reimposed harsh sanctions against Iran. In response, Tehran has gradually dropped some of its JCPOA commitments since May 2019. Enditem * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Janet Yellen, President-elect Joe Biden's pick for Treasury secretary, made more than $7 million in recent years by giving speeches to Wall Street banks, major corporations and industry groups. The former chair of the Federal Reserve hauled in nearly $1 million alone in multiple speeches to Citigroup, according to financial disclosure documents filed last week. Since stepping down from the Fed in early 2018, Yellen has also given paid speeches to other companies, including Google, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America and Salesforce. It's common for former government officials, including Fed leaders, to make money by giving speeches that share their insights on the economy and policy. However, the disclosure of Yellen's lucrative speaking fees is awkward because she could soon be Biden's point person on the economy and finance. If confirmed as Treasury secretary, Yellen will have enormous sway over everything from taxes and climate to tariffs and government spending. Yellen would also chair a team of US regulators that responds to emerging risks in the financial system. 'This disclosure dovetails with some broader Democratic concerns regarding the revolving door and the access certain financial services firms have to top policymakers,' Isaac Boltansky, director of policy research at Compass Point Research & Trading, said in an email. Big bank speeches The fact that the majority of Yellen's speaking fees were from the financial industry could raise concerns that she is too cozy with Wall Street. Yellen listed $952,200 in income from speeches to Citi, one of the nation's largest banks. She also disclosed speaking fees from PIMCO, Barclays, Citadel, BNP Paribas, UBS, Credit Suisse, ING, Standard Chartered Bank and City National Bank. 'The next Treasury Secretary making millions off of the biggest banks, PE firms, tech companies, etc. raises serious red flags,' The Revolving Door Project, a progressive group that tracks conflicts of public officials, wrote on Twitter. The group called on Yellen to publish 'in full' all of her paid speeches -- a disclosure that would explain whether she was 'merely opining on the markets, or offering lobbying/policy advice.' Former government officials have been criticized for their post-politics relationships with big banks and corporations. During the 2016 campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump criticized his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for making millions off speeches to banks, securities firms and trade associations. The transcripts of some of those speeches were released by WikiLeaks. The Biden transition team downplayed concerns about Yellen's income from Wall Street and noted that some speeches were moderated or covered by journalists. 'Take a look at her record on enforcement this is not someone who pulls punches when it comes to bad actors or bad behavior,' a Biden transition official told CNN Business. Yellen appealed to some progressives in part because of her crackdown on Wells Fargo. In February 2018, the Yellen-led Fed imposed unprecedented growth restrictions on Wells Fargo, penalties the scandal-ridden bank has yet to recover from. 'She didn't hesitate to tell some audience that the rules governing their business should be tougher and more stringent and it could create problems for the economy otherwise,' the Biden transition official said. Avoiding conflicts of interest However, transcripts of Yellen's speeches to Wall Street banks have not been made public. And the Biden transition official did not immediately provide specific examples of Yellen telling companies that rules may need to be toughened. In a recent letter to ethics officials, Yellen pledged to take steps to 'avoid any actual or apparent conflicts of interest' if she's confirmed to lead the Treasury Department. Specifically, Yellen promised that no later than 90 days after confirmation she will sell her stakes in several major companies, including Pfizer, Raytheon, DuPont, ConocoPhillips and CNN parent AT&T. Additionally, Yellen plans to resign from the Washington Speakers Bureau, which has represented the former Fed chief in paid speeches. Yellen also wrote that for a period of one year after her last speech she plans to recuse herself from matters related to several companies, including Salesforce, Principal Financial and Japanese investment bank Daiwa Securities. Yellen said she will 'not participate personally or substantially in any particular matter' unless she is authorized to. However, Yellen also signaled she will seek written authorization to participate in matters related to other companies she earned speaking fees from, including Barclays, Citi, Citadel, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. Confirmation not in doubt Analysts said the disclosures are unlikely to derail Yellen's confirmation by the US Senate. 'Yellen will face questions on these speeches during the confirmation process, but it's difficult to envision this disclosure impacting her odds of becoming Treasury Secretary,' Boltansky said. 'The fact is she did absolutely nothing wrong and she will still cruise to confirmation.' Yellen's forms ran 21 pages and included her stamp collection, which was estimated to be worth between $15,001 and $50,000. Other former Fed officials have similarly hauled in lucrative speaking fees after leaving the US central bank. For example, Ben Bernanke, who led the Fed through the 2008 financial crisis, made as much as $250,000 per speech at one point. In 2015, Bernanke was hired as a senior adviser to Chicago-headquartered hedge fund firm Citadel a role he still holds today. Biden's nomination of Yellen has received widespread support, including from progressive leaders like Senator Elizabeth Warren. Even some Republicans such as Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator John Thune spoke positively about Yellen. Greg Valliere, chief US policy strategist at AGF Investments, doubts the speaking fees will prevent Yellen from becoming the first woman to lead the US Treasury Department. 'She has such a reservoir of goodwill on Capitol Hill that she will easily win confirmation,' Valliere said. New Delhi, Jan 5 : Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed unprecedented progress in road and bridge construction in the last five to six years and the proposed Chattergala tunnel, to be build at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore, is going to be a revolutionary game changer, Border Road Organisation (BRO) Director General Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry told Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday. Lieutenant General Choudhary met Singh in Delhi and updated him about works being carried out by BRO across the border. He also stated that about a dozen bridges have come up in the single Lok Sabha constituency of Udhampur-Kathua-Doda itself, the notable among which are Atal Setu at Basohli and Devika Bridge at Udhampur. Talking about the proposed Chattergala tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir that will connect district Kathua with district Doda en-route the new Highway via Basohli-Bani through Chattergalla to touch Bhaderwah and Doda, the Lieutenant General said it will be a historic project providing all-weather alternate road connectivity between the two distant regions and reducing the travel time from Doda to Lakhanpur on the Punjab border to just around four hours. It was going to be a 6.8 kilometer long tunnel for which the feasibility survey has already been conducted by BRO. The tunnel is likely to take about 4 years for completion after the execution work starts and its construction cost is around Rs. 3,000 crore. It is going to be a revolutionary game changer. This will not only generate revenue but also job generation. Moreover, the all-weather road connectivity will bring ease of business, shorten the travel time and also provide a unique opportunity for places like Bani and Bhaderwah to emerge as tourist destinations of national repute. Singh said, the demand for the tunnel at Chattergalla had been pending for several years, but was somehow not taken up by earlier governments because of their different priorities. The other important BRO projects that came up during the review meeting included construction of roads and bridges in the hilly and difficult terrain of Jammu and Kashmir. About the Northeast, Singh received an update about BRO projects in different states, particularly about four road projects funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) in Mizoram and two BRO projects in Manipur. The first of Alister McGraths three earned Oxford University doctorates was in molecular biophysics. The next two were in, first, theology and, second, intellectual history. On pages 38-39 of Alister E. McGrath, Darwinism and the Divine: Evolutionary Thought and Natural Theology (Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2011), McGrath offers an excellent example of how the same bare scientific facts can be interpreted and expanded upon in radically different ways, depending upon the presuppositions that interpreters bring to them: As his initial illustration, he uses a passage from the Oxford evolutionary biologist, science popularizer, and vocal New Atheist polemicist Richard Dawkins, cited from Dawkinss early masterpiece of Darwinian popularization, The Selfish Gene (1976). This important and influential work supplements overt scientific description with a covert metaphysic, which represents genes as active agents in control of their own destiny and those of their hosts. [Genes] swarm in huge colonies, safe inside gigantic lumbering robots, sealed off from the outside world, communicating with it by tortuous indirect routes, manipulating it by remote control. They are in you and me; they created us, body and mind, and their preservation is the ultimate rationale for our existence. This passage presents a completely defensible scientific statement genes are in you and me with a series of rather less defensible metaphysical assertions. We are told, for example, that the preservation of our genes is the ultimate rationale for our existence. This is, however, simply a presentation of a genes eye view a hypothetical metaphysical way of interpreting scientific observation, which arguably reached its zenith in the early 1980s. This approach conceived the gene as an active controlling agent, which could be regarded as manipulating the destiny of biological entities, including humanity. Yet the empirically verified facts in this statement are limited to the brief statement that genes are in you and me. The rest is speculative. Metaphysical presuppositions have been smuggled in, and portrayed as if they were scientifically verified facts. McGrath then cites a satirically rewritten version of the same paragraph created by the Oxford University systems biologist Denis Noble: Noble retains what is scientifically valid and verifiable in Dawkinss prose. Then, in a masterly piece of ideological subversion, he identifies and inverts Dawkinss non-scientific statements. Noble playfully portrays genes as passive, where Dawkins depicts them as active: [Genes] are trapped in huge colonies, locked inside highly intelligent beings, moulded by the outside world, communicating with it by complex processes, through which, blindly, as if by magic, function emerges. They are in you and me; we are the system that allows their code to be read; and their preservation is totally dependent on the joy that we experience in reproducing ourselves. We are the ultimate rationale for their existence. Obviously, Dawkins and Noble depict the functional status of genes in radically distinct ways. They accurately report the same very limited scientific information, but then they go completely different directions with their metaphysical interpretations which each of them suggests (one in earnest and the other more or less in jest) to be just as secure, scientifically speaking, as the fact that genes are in you and me. Their statements are empirically equivalent, in a sense, but both cannot be correct. Alister McGraths comment on the foregoing two summary statements is important: So which is right? How could we decide which is to be preferred on scientific grounds? As Noble observes, no-one seems to be able to think of an experiment that would detect an empirical difference between them. The question of the metaphysical presuppositions and consequences of evolutionary thought is entirely legitimate, and is of considerable interest. Nevertheless, it is important to be clear that discussion of this issue is often muddied by confusion over the status of the metaphysical dimensions of evolutionary thought. The challenge facing anyone interested in reflecting on the cultural, religious, ethical, and theological implications of biological evolution is to separate the observational evidence from the accumulated detritus of metaphysical speculation. *** As an addendum, heres a potpourri of recent science-related links that caught my attention: Science and Nature (date unclear): NASAs $1 Billion Jupiter Probe Just Sent Back Dazzling New Photos of the Giant Planet and Its Great Red Spot LiveScience (roughly 11 December 2020): Ancient Egyptian hoard of counterfeit dirty money unearthed Haaretz (19 December 2020): Archaeological Trove Spanning Millennia Emerges From Construction Work in Ancient Jaffa: A Bronze Age baby buried in a jar, a Greek call to accept death as part of life and an Islamic headache remedy are just some of the recent discoveries in one of the worlds oldest port towns Gizmodo (23 December 2020): Archaeologists Find Evidence That a Massive Tsunami Hit Ancient Levantine Coast CNN (27 December 2020): The peace, insights and life-rescuing power of the rosary and other religious prayer beads CNN: (27 December 2020): Ancient snack stall uncovered in Pompeii, revealing bright frescoes and traces of 2,000-year-old street food The Economist (30 December 2020): A new push to ban medical treatments for transgender children: State legislators are seeking to make puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender reassignment surgery illegal KSL (31 December 2020): 2021 is the perfect time to set meaningful goals, psychiatrists say Science Alert (31 December 2020): Study of More Than 1 Million People Finds Intriguing Link Between Iron Levels And Lifespan SmartNews (31 December 2020): Inscription Leads Archaeologists to Tomb of One of the Last Han Emperors: A manufacturing date on a vessel confirmed a Chinese mausoleums ties to second-century A.D. ruler Liu Zhi Wall Street Journal (31 December 2020): For New Years Resolutions, Never Think Youre Too Old to Become a Beginner: In 2021, take on the challenge of learning a new skill or hobby as an adult. It can bring big cognitive and emotional benefits. ScienceNews (31 December 2020): These are the most-read Science News stories of 2020 KSL (1 January 2021): Romney calls for comprehensive COVID-19 vaccination plan Finally, heres one that, I think, might be especially interesting for Latter-day Saints who are inclined to theological speculation. Its reprinted from the 21 April 2019 issue of Scientific American: When Lab Experiments Carry Theological Implications: Efforts to create new life-formsand new universeswill raise profound questions. Hizbul Mujahideen narco-terror case: NIA files supplementary chargesheet against 2 more accused India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: The NIA on Tuesday filed a supplementary chargesheet against two alleged narco-terrorists in a case registered last year following the arrest of a Hizbul Mujahideen operative along with Rs 29 lakh from Punjab, a spokesperson of the investigating agency said. Earlier, a chargesheet was filed in the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) narco-terror case on October 10 against 10 people, including the slain chief of the Kashmir-based terror group Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo. The supplementary chargesheet was filed against narco terrorists Jaswant Singh alias ''Jassa'' of Gurdaspur and Gursant Singh alias ''Gora'' of Tarn Taran in the NIA special court in Mohali, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson said. The accused persons were involved in collection, distribution and selling of heroin smuggled from Pakistan as also in collection and channelisation of proceeds to further activities of the HM, he said. "Gora was one of the important members of the terrorist gang and as a close associate of prime accused Iqbal Singh alias ''Shera'', was responsible for safe movement of heroin and proceeds to various places/unknown persons," the spokesperson said. Kearala Gold Smuggling: NIA files charge sheet, Sandeep Nair turns approver The investigation has also brought to the fore that he has purchased many immoveable properties to be used as hideouts and luxury cars for transportation of drugs and proceeds, he said. The earlier chargesheet was filed against Hilal Ahmed Shergojri of Jammu and Kashmir''s Pulwama, Bikram Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Ranjit Singh and Maninder Singh (Amritsar), and Ranjit Singh and Jaswant Singh (Gurdaspur). The spokesperson said all have been arrested except Iqbal Singh of Amritsar and Zafar Hussain Bhat, of Jammu and Kashmir''s Anantnag. While Iqbal Singh is absconding, Bhat is hiding in Pakistan, he said. The spokesperson said a case was registered at the Sadar Police Station in Amritsar on April 25 last year following the arrest of Shergojri and recovery of Rs 29 lakhs from his possession by the Punjab Police. The NIA took up the investigation of the case on May 8 last year. During the course of investigation, it emerged that the accused, who had come to Amritsar to collect the money, was a member of proscribed terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen and a close associate of Naikoo. "This led to busting of a major narco-terror module involved in smuggling and selling of heroin in India and channelising of drug-proceeds to Pakistan through Hawala and to the HM terrorists based in J&K at the behest of HM terrorists based in Pakistan," the spokesperson said, adding further investigation against the absconding is underway. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 22:22 [IST] (@ChaudhryMAli88) KABUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th January, 2021) Afghanistan's National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib and US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad met in Kabul on Tuesday for talks on the peace process and a ceasefire with the Taliban, Mohib's office said. "The sides discussed efforts underway to reduce Taliban violence and reach a ceasefire. Discussions also covered efforts to effect regional and international consensus in support of peace in Afghanistan," it tweeted. The National Security Council's Office said the two agreed to continue pushing for a political settlement in line with Kabul's and the United States' vision of a "sovereign, unified, democratic Afghanistan at peace with itself and the world. " This comes a day after Khalilzad traveled to Qatar's Doha, the seat of the Taliban's political bureau, for talks with the two negotiating teams. He insisted that Kabul and the insurgents must strive for an immediate reduction in violence, a ceasefire and a power-sharing deal. Himachal Pradesh became the fifth state in India to have confirmed bird flu cases in the last one week. This comes after the same virus was detected in Rajasthan, Kerala, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh While lakhs of poultry were reported dead from Haryana, migratory birds died in Himachal Pradesh. In Madhya Pradesh, hundreds of crows were found dead in the last one week. Heres what we know about it so far: 1,800 birds found dead in Himachal Around 1,800 migratory birds died at the Pong Dam lake in the state in one week and now officials have confirmed that it was because of the H1N1 avian influenza virus. The State Animal Husbandry Department told ANI, Around 1775 migratory birds have died. We've suspicions of bird flu. A 10-km alert zone declared where no sale of eggs allowed and poultry markets closed. Reports said that most of these birds were bar-headed geese. In an order issued on Monday evening, the district magistrate of Kangra declared a ban on sale or culling of poultry in the alert zone and asked shops selling poultry or fish to remain closed. Movement of tourists or locals were also prohibited within 1 km radius of the Pong Dam lake. The order also prohibited grazing of animals within 1 km radius of the lake as a measure of precaution. Probe into dead birds in Haryana Meanwhile, in Haryana, the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department had launched a probe into the death of lakhs of poultry birds, reported The Indian Express The deaths occurred in at least 20 poultry farms in Barwala. The report said that around 80 samples of dead birds have been sent to the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar. The Tribune reported that another team from the lab in Jalandhar will collect samples from the area today. Dead crows in Madhya Pradesh test positive for bird flu Samples of dead crows tested by the animal husbandry department have tested positive for the avian influenza in Madhya Pradesh. Deaths of crows have been reported in several districts including Indore, Mandsaur, Agar Malwa and Khargone. Manish Ingole of the Animal Husbandry department told ANI , Bird Flu has been detected in four samples of dead crows sent to the state lab. Around 100 crows died in Mandsaur between December 23 and January 3. Medical team to conduct surveillance within 1-km of the infected area. According to the ANI, 367 crows have died in the four districts between December 23 and January 3. Rajasthan sounds bird flu alert Deaths of birds began in Rajasthan too around December 25. And as more and more deaths of birds have been reported from the state since then, authorities have sounded a bird flu alert. NDTV reported that around 250 crows have been reported dead from the districts of Jhalawar, Kote, Baran, Pali, Jodhpur and Jaipur. The report said that Section 144 was imposed in a 1km radius of the Balaji area of Jhalawar district as a precaution. This comes after Rajasthans animal husbandry minister Lalchand Kataria held an emergency meeting on Sunday. 40,000 birds to be culled in Kerala Reports say that Kerala plans to cull around 40,000 birds as a strain of the influenza virus H1N8 was detected in the state. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Industry Veteran John Foley to be Appointed as Chief Executive Officer OpenGate Capital, a global private equity firm, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire the amphoteric surfactant manufacturing business ("Business") from Solvay (Euronext: SOLB). The acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of works council consultations and regulatory approvals. The Business is a key player in surfactants, with a focus on the production of amphoterics primarily utilized in body care, hair care, and home care products. Approximately 175 employees are part of the Business and it also includes three main production sites located in University Park, Illinois USA, Halifax, UK, Genthin, Germany, and a tolling business in Turkey. Commenting on the acquisition agreement, OpenGate Capital's Founder and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Nikou stated, "We are incredibly proud to have been chosen by Solvay to guide their amphoteric surfactant business in its next stage of growth. We look forward to collaborating closely with the Business' management team to help them reach their strategic objectives and drive continued success." Upon the completion of the acquisition, John Foley will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Business. Foley is a tenured, industry veteran and has held the roles of Chief Executive Officer at ORG Chemical Holdings, and Vice President General Manager of Novecare, North America. Foley stated, "I am looking forward to working alongside the existing team and continuing their great work, as well as with the OpenGate team, which is an operationally focused, collaborative investor. There is a bright future ahead for the Business and I am excited to begin the work." "This agreement represents another critical step in the execution of our strategic plan as we further focus our home personal care portfolio on growing specialty formulations and custom solutions," commented Michael Radossich, president of Solvay's Novecare global business unit. About OpenGate Capital OpenGate Capital is a global private equity firm specializing in the acquisition and operation of businesses to create new value through operational improvements, innovation, and growth. Established in 2005, OpenGate Capital is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with a European office in Paris, France. OpenGate's professionals possess the critical skills needed to acquire, transition, operate, build, and scale successful businesses. To date, OpenGate Capital, through its legacy and fund investments, has executed more than 30 acquisitions including corporate carve-outs, management buyouts, special situations, and transactions with private sellers across North America and Europe. To learn more about OpenGate, please visit www.opengatecapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005153/en/ Contacts: OpenGate Media Contacts Prosek Partners Email: Pro-opengate@prosek.com Alanna Chaffin Co-Head, Investor Relations Communications Email: AChaffin@opengatecapital.com Telephone: +1 310-432-7000 OpenGate Business Development Contact Joshua Adams Email: jadams@opengatecapital.com Telephone: +1 (310) 432-7000 The winter chill of Los Angeles was no match for the wills of Leighton Meester and husband Adam Brody when they headed out for an afternoon of surfing. Like they have done regularly over the last couple of months, the couple hit the waves in Malibu on Monday with the help of their tight black wetsuits. The pair followed each other -- sometimes side-by-side -- while out on the surf as the temperatures hovered around 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Surfs up: Leighton Meester, 34, was all smiles during an afternoon of surfing alongside her husband in Malibu on Monday, January 4. With a big beaming smile across her face, the Gossip Girl alum looked to be in her element when she made her way across the sand with her surf board in tow. She also didn't seem to mind the less-than summer temperatures from the looks of her sleeveless wetsuit that left all of her arms, feet, and part of her chest bare. The Texas native, 34, made sure to pull her long brown tresses back into a ponytail during their time on the beach. On it: The Gossip Girl alum, who learned how to surf from Brody in late 2018, showed off her skills in a sleeveless wetsuit, despite the temperatures hovering around 55 degrees Fahrenheit One with nature: Brody, 41, opted for the added warmth of a full-body wetsuit while he and his wife followed behind one another on waves and, at times, side-by-side Brody, 41, opted for the added warmth of a full-body wetsuit while he and his wife followed behind one another on waves and, at times, side-by-side. It turns out Brody turned the Single Parents star on to surfing in late 2018, and she has since incorporated it into her main form of exercise for both the body and mind. In an interview with Shape in March 2019, Meester revealed surfing has become sort of 'a spiritual experience' for her and that she finds it to be 'so fulfilling.' Meester is still only about three-and-a-half months out from giving birth to the couple's second child, a son. Body and mind: In an interview with Shape in March 2019, Meester revealed how surfing has become sort of 'a spiritual experience' for her and that she finds it to be 'so fulfilling'; she and her husband are pictured in Los Angeles in August of 2019 News broke about her pregnancy in March when the actress debuted her baby bump during a casual walk, according to Us magazine. They also have a five-year-old daughter, Arlo Day Brody, who was born a year-and-a-half after getting married in a private ceremony. 'Shes the thing I'm most proud of and gives me the most joy,' Brody, whose resume includes The O.C., confessed in an interview with GQ magazine in August 2019. 'She's just so dang awesome. It just gives you a new perspective in the best way --something to focus on that's greater and more important than yourself.' Washington, US (PANA) - The global economy is expected to expand 4% in 2021, assuming an initial COVID-19 vaccine rollout becomes widespread throughout the year, acco9rding to the World Bank Group forecast of the global economy released on Tuesday Dubai-based Emirates and Qatar Airways have been ranked among the top five safest airlines in the world for 2021 by AirlineRatings.com, the worlds only safety, product, and Covid-19 rating website. In making its evaluation of the safest airlines in the world, AirlineRatings.com takes into account a comprehensive range of factors that include: airlines crash and serious incident record, audits from aviations governing and industry bodies, government audits, industry-leading safety initiatives, and fleet age. Qatar Airways claimed the second spot and Emirates came in fifth place. Once again, Australian carrier Qantas took pole position, while Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines took the third and fourth spot, respectively. In selecting Qantas as the worlds safest airline for 2021, AirlineRatings.com editors noted that over its 100-year history the worlds oldest continuously operating airline has amassed a truly amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted as the industrys most experienced airline. The top 20 safest airlines in the world for 2021 are: 1. Qantas 2. Qatar Airways 3. Air New Zealand 4. Singapore Airlines 5. Emirates 6. EVA Air 7. Etihad Airways 8. Alaska Airlines 9. Cathay Pacific Airways 10. British Airways 11. Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic 12. Hawaiian Airlines 13. Southwest Airlines 14. Delta Air Lines 15. American Airlines 16. SAS 17. Finnair 18. Lufthansa 19. KLM 20. United Airlines According to AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas, these airlines are standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft. Separately, AirlineRatings also spotlighted the safest low cost airlines, listing the top 10 in alphabetical order. They are Air Arabia, Allegiant, EasyJet, Frontier, Jetstar Group, Jetblue, Ryanair, Vietjet, Westjet, and Wizz Air. - TradeArabia News Service SANDUSKY, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PAO Group, Inc. (USOTC: PAOG) today announced an engagement with Veristat, Inc., a contract research organization headquartered in Southborough Massachusetts. PAOG has engaged Veristat to assist in advancing PAOG with its proprietary Cannabidiol (CBD) extract for the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) toward initiating an Investigational New Drug application (IND) with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On July 30, 2020, PAOG acquired RespRx from Kali-Extracts, Inc. (OTC Pink: KALY) RespRx is a cannabis treatment under development for COPD derived from a patented cannabis extraction method - U.S. Patent No. 9,199,960 entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING HERBACEOUS PLANT MATERIALS INCLUDING THE CANNABIS PLANT." Veristat, a scientific-minded global clinical research organization (CRO), enables sponsors to solve the unique and complex challenges associated with accelerating therapies through clinical development to regulatory approval. With more than 26 years' experience in clinical trial planning and execution, Veristat is equipped to support any development program. Learn more about PAOG at www.paogroupinc.com. Learn more about Veristat at www.veristat.com. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. CONTACT INFORMATION Contact Us: Jim DiPrima +1 888-272-6472 [email protected] SOURCE PAO Group, Inc. Related Links http://www.paogroupinc.com LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GR0 is kicking off the new year by partnering with Comparably to showcase comprehensive and transparent company workplace data. The leading LA-based agency helps brands rank #1 on Google by leveraging search engine optimization. According to a 2019 Mission and Culture Survey , nearly four in five employees and job seekers consider a company's mission and culture before applying for a job. GR0 is dedicated to creating and maintaining a great workplace culture that will not only attract the best talent but also retain them. "As we go into our second year as a company, we are extremely focused on making sure we create an innovation environment that is not only related to the great work that we do, but also the culture that we build," says co-Founder and CEO Kevin Miller. "We truly believe our company's culture, mission and vision will guide and drive our performance." In today's digital marketplace, job-seekers and consumers not only expect an online presence but also are more likely to trust a business with a substantial digital footprint. With the resurgence of SEO as a legitimate performance channel, GR0's unique approach for direct-to-consumer startups have become essential to achieve significant organic growth and even rank #1 on Google . If a brand cares about organic visibility on Google, GR0 has the expertise and knowledge to take their brand to the top. About GR0: GR0 is a digital marketing agency focused exclusively on igniting organic growth for direct-to-consumer startups and helping brands rank #1 on Google . GR0 empowers clients to build powerful online brands that deliver incredible value and joy to consumers. GR0 was co-founded by SEO & marketing experts and long-time best friends Jonathan Zacharias , and Kevin Miller who both have a wealth of online marketing and advertising experience with top D2C and B2B brands. For more information about GR0 and read reviews related to client and employee feedback, please visit the GR0 Glassdoor , Clutch or Crunchbase . For business or media inquiries, please contact us at [email protected] . Contact: Kevin Miller, Co-Founder & CEO Email: [email protected] SOURCE GR0.com LLC Related Links https://gr0.com/ SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 1st, two cities in California made giant strides for public health by removing tobacco products from stores. Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach, became the only jurisdictions in the U.S. to eliminate the sale of commercial tobacco, although other jurisdictions are seriously considering it. Both cities included a phase-out period to allow retailers to adjust and to help people who smoke to quit. The Beverly Hills City Council, the first to pass its ordinance, fully understood the importance of its move. "Somebody's got to be first, so let it be us," said then-Mayor, current Councilmember John Mirisch, who first proposed the concept in 2017. Mr. Mirisch recently joined the Board of Trustees of the advocacy group Action on Smoking & Health (ASH), which coordinates Project Sunset, aimed at phasing out tobacco sales worldwide. "Cigarettes have become so normalized that to some this might seem like a drastic step," said Chris Bostic, ASH Policy Director. "But if another product emerged tomorrow that was highly addictive and killed when used as intended, of course we'd ban its sale. We'd probably charge the people who marketed it with manslaughter." The idea of eliminating tobacco sales is not new. When Surgeon General Luther Terry released the landmark report connecting tobacco to death and disease in 1964, he assumed that the sale of cigarettes would be outlawed, releasing the report on a Saturday to lessen the stock market impact. The concept has been gaining traction more recently. The Danish Institute for Human Rights, after concluding a human rights assessment of Philip Morris International in 2017, concluded that "there can be no doubt that the production and marketing of tobacco is irreconcilable with the human right to health. For the tobacco industry, the UNGPs [United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights] therefore require the cessation of the production and marketing of tobacco." At its last world conference, the global tobacco control community recognized the importance of envisioning an end to the tobacco epidemic, adopting The Cape Town Declaration on Human Rights and a Tobacco-Free World. The tobacco industry, which has repeatedly promised to stop selling tobacco if it was ever shown to be harmful, has said little about initiatives to phase out tobacco sales. Both cities are fully aware of the threat of industry litigation. The tobacco industry has launched hundreds of lawsuits against tobacco control initiatives, which they rarely win but file anyway to impose legal costs on cities and states. Today, we are honored to see public health prevail. ACTION ON SMOKING AND HEALTH Founded in 1967, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is America's oldest anti-tobacco organization, dedicated to a world with ZERO tobacco deaths. Because tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, ASH supports bold solutions proportionate to the magnitude of the problem. https://ash.org Contact: Megan Arendt (202) 390 9513 SOURCE Action on Smoking and Health Related Links http://ash.org Jacinda Ardern seems to have been destined to become New Zealand's prime minister. An old year book from her time at Morrinsville College in 1998 has resurfaced and shows how even as a teenager she was tipped for greatness. When she was just 18, Ms Ardern was voted the student most likely to become Prime Minister by her peers. Other categories include best-looking, friendliest, happiest, sportiest, funniest, loudest and most likely to succeed. Ms Ardern told Herald Focus she was only voted that 'because I was the only one who cared about politics at school'. 'There's this natural assumption somehow that was where I was going to end up. I thought I was going to be a policewoman.' But it seems the precocious young woman made no secret of her desire to be leader. In an interview with her local newspaper in 1997, a young Ms Ardern opened up about her goal to become New Zealand's first female prime minister after being named as the winner of Waikato regional competition of United Nations of New Zealand speech contest. Long before she was one of the world's most influential leaders, Jacinda Ardern was a precocious young kid with a passion for politics The New Zealand prime minister's tale from humble beginnings to celebrated politician has been documented in a new biography , proving she has always been a voice of the people An old year book from her time at Morrinsville College in 1998 has resurfaced and shows how even as a teenager she was tipped for greatness In the interview she shared how her passion for public speaking could serve her well in politics. The focus of her speech was Drug Abuse: The Human Scrouge. Ms Adern argued that the UN needed to allocate more resources to combat drug addiction. Mrs Malcon approached me about the competition about five days before. So the speech wasnt as fully prepared as I wanted it to be,' she said. And while Ms Adern wasn't able to achieve her dream of becoming New Zealand's first female prime minister - that honour went to her mentor Helen Clark - she has broken several barriers during her time in office. When she first took office in 2017, she became the world's youngest female head of government at age 37. She made history as one of only a handful of women who have given birth while in power. Ms Ardern (pictured aged 15), who was raised Mormon, is the product of a police officer father and a mother who worked in the school cafeteria Sporting much lighter locks and blonde highlights, Jacinda Ardern (pictured) is almost unrecognisable Since then she has been praised for her handling of catastrophic events, including the Christchurch terror attack, the White Island volcano disaster and the coronavirus pandemic. Growing up, Ms Ardern was a far cry from the no-nonsense leader she has grown to be. Ms Ardern, who was raised Mormon, is the product of a police officer father and a mother who worked in the school cafeteria. She grew up being encouraged to dress modestly and stay away from coffee, cigarettes and alcohol. And while she may not have been a stand-out to her peers, her teachers had always taken note of her. She was known by school staff as someone who would go far. After graduating from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Communication Studies in Public Relations and Political Science, she went on to work under then Prime Minister Helen Clark. Ms Ardern (pictured at 18) studied public relations and political science at the University of Waikato before working under former Prime Minister Helen Clark As a New Zealand Labour MP, Jacinda Ardern performed her DJ set in the Thunderdome during the Laneway Festival in 2014 Critics have long compared Ms Ardern's leadership style to that of the former Labour leader, who New Zealand's fifth longest serving prime minister, and the second woman to hold the office. Ms Ardern then moved to London where she worked as a senior policy advisor for British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the UK Cabinet Office. In 2007 she was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth, a political organisation that says it fights for freedom, social justice and democracy. While presiding over the union's World Council annual meeting in 2009, her socialist views became clear. In a discussion about the global financial crisis of 2008, the union stated: 'Redistribution will lead to more financial stability and justice. Ms Ardern was pictured donning a black head scarf as a sign of solidarity as she hugged the grieving relatives of the slain victims of the Christchurch Massacre on March 17, 2019 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) and her daughter Neve Gayford at the upper Treaty grounds at Waitangi in February 'Human beings are born with unequal resources available. We as young socialists believe in a social democratic system which secures a redistribution of resources,' official records from the meeting state. During this time she entered New Zealand's Parliament as a list MP for the Labour party. Over the years she became known as an advocate for women, children, speaking often about New Zealand's education system. During this time the Labour party was struggling in the polls. John Key had served a the prime minister for two terms under National. And the party was looking at an easy third term thanks to the inconsistency of leadership within the Labour Party. Then leader Andrew Little was unpopular in the polls and there was talk of Jacinda Ardern stepping into the role. But Ms Ardern was young, she had no desire to taken on the top spot. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets with members of the Moslem community in the wake of the mass shooting at the two Christchurch mosques, Christchurch last year Their engagement comes almost a year after the birth of their first child Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford in June 2018 In 2014 she said: 'I've seen how hard it is to raise a family in that role'. In 2015 she stated: 'I don't want to be prime minister'. Then in 2017, while on her way to becoming the MP for the Auckland electorate Mt Albert, she was elected as the new leader of the Labour Party. With less than two months before the polls closed, Ms Adern saw an astounding victory, becoming the country's third female prime minister. She has become New Zealand's most popular prime minister in more than 100 years after leading the country through a series of crises. Ms Ardern's COVID-19 response, which saw NZ become one of the most successful countries at containing the virus, earned her a score of 59.5 per cent as the Pacific nation's preferred leader according to the Newshub-Reid Research poll. Ms Ardern was lauded for her compassion and composure in press conferences as she handled the crisis, and for comforting families and first responders Jacinda Ardern has become one of the most influential political leaders in recent years by breaking down stereotypes and traditions New Zealand was locked down for more than a month under 'level 4' restrictions, which were eventually wound down to stage three in late April. Businesses in the country including malls, cinemas, cafes and gyms reopened last Thursday, although strict social distancing measures continue to be enforced nationwide to prevent the risk of a widespread outbreak. On 15 March last year, a white supremacist carried out two consecutive mass shootings at mosques leaving 51 people dead and dozens more injured. Ms Ardern donned a black head scarf as a sign of solidarity and grieved with relatives, while promising to cover the funeral costs of those who died. Later that year, on December 9, popular tourist attraction White Island Volcano, in the Bay of Plenty, erupted during a tour, killing 21 people and leaving many more with serious burns. Ms Ardern was lauded for her compassion and composure in press conferences as she handled the crisis, and for comforting families and first responders. The 2020 election will put Ms Adern's popularity to the test when it is held on September 19. WEST HAVEN The Veterans Affairs medical center on Campbell Avenue began administering doses of the coronavirus vaccine to veterans Tuesday, with plans to give the shots to thousands within a month. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Alfred Montoya, director of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and hospital officials spoke with the media after two veterans over the age of 90 received the vaccine. America should know our veterans believe in this vaccine, and our VA staff is stepping up and rolling up its sleeves, said Blumenthal. We should be very proud of these veterans who are over 90 years old, Blumenthal said. Theyre part of the greatest generation; theyre among the first to step forward and theyre role models for all of us. ... Theyre showing that this vaccine is safe and effective. Montoya said the hospital was beginning by vaccinating veterans over the age of 90 with several co-morbidities, transplant patients, and all people undergoing dialysis. Approximately 23 people were scheduled to get a dose Tuesday, he said. Comorbidities are other diseases or conditions present in a patient, often long-term or chronic ailments, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The hospital is selecting those veterans served by the hospital deemed to be the most vulnerable and contacting them to set up an appointment, Montoya said. Calling to ask for the vaccine, he said, does not speed access to it. Dr. Chris Ruser, chief of primary care at the hospital, said their goal was to administer the first round of shots to the roughly 2,000 to 2,500 people in the initial category within a month. The hospital has a sufficient supply of the vaccine to get that done, he said. But staffing limitations and social distancing requirements, as well as a mandatory questionnaire and 15-minute waiting period for those vaccinated, to check for adverse reactions, will limit the speed of the process. Theres that throughput part, said Ruser. So even if youre doing two shifts a day or three shifts a day plus weekends theres some limitations to the numbers of vaccines we can give in the setting that we have. I think that will be one of the factors that we will have to deal with, more than supply at this point. As the process moves forward, the vaccine largely will be administered based on age, but other risk factors also will dictate who is chosen, Ruser said. Age is probably the easiest and most important predictor of risk for severe COVID, said Ruser. However, Ruser said, veterans undergoing chemotherapy could also be considered vulnerable enough to receive the vaccine, even if theyre younger than the age bracket thats the main focus of the rollout. Blumenthal said about 75 percent of the VA staff had been vaccinated so far. Blumenthal said he had gotten the vaccine after the National Security Council suggested that Congress be inoculated as a national security measure, and his doctor had recommended it. He hasnt had any adverse effects. Blumenthal said the VA staffers were working as hard as they can, with every resource at their disposal, to provide the vaccine to veterans. He said that the medication has not been rolled out quickly enough to the American public, including veterans, and called for the process to be expedited through the Defense Production Act. The president, he said, could in effect, commandeer the resources of United States manufacturers to to create a Marshall Plan for the vaccine in America. He also suggested that National Guard members could be put to work administering vaccines to people. The rollout has to be expanded, said Blumenthal. We need these vaccines to go in the arms of our veterans, and into the arms of all Americans. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com One grant from the National Geographic Society and four grants from the University of North Georgia (UNG) including two Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities grants and two Presidential Incentive Awards are just a few of the monetary awards Dr. David Patterson has garnered. The associate professor of biology at the University of North Georgia (UNG) also has conducted a seven-week expedition across Kenya, organized and managed a handful of fossil excavations in Brunswick, Georgia, and cofounded the Study of Community and Landscape Evolution (SCALE) lab at UNG. But nothing compares to his love of fieldwork. "I love being in the field, especially in challenging situations," Patterson said. "Paleontology has allowed me to live in Africa and other foreign places excavating and analyzing fossils." He shares that passion with his students. Patterson learned that trait from his mentor, Dr. Al Mead, while earning his bachelor's and master's degrees at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia. He also has master's and doctoral degrees from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. "I first started working on fossils as an undergraduate and got hooked," he said. "The paleontological record allows you to do fieldwork and address many important ecological and evolutionary questions that are impossible by only looking at modern ecosystems." Now, Patterson researches the ancient ecosystems of coastal Georgia and encourages his students and colleagues from different departments and universities to join him. "This is an integrative project that includes lots of people with different specialties," he said. "I try to create connections among different groups of students and faculty." Patterson also is involved in endeavors outside of the classroom and research realm. In 2020, he connected with Julie Knight-Brown, school nutrition director of Lumpkin County Schools, to offer fresh produce grown at UNG's Historic Vickery House to area schoolchildren. Patterson doesn't see his actions as leadership, but he cultivates that characteristic through his actions. "I think being empathetic to the perspective of students and faculty is really important," he said. "If you can try to understand it, it makes arriving at a common solution much easier." Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan landed in legal trouble after they were found violating COVID-19 norms. An FIR was registered by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against the two actors and Sohail Khan's elder son Nirvaan Khan. The Khan brothers returned to Mumbai on December 25 from Dubai and were asked to remain quarantined at a hotel but then skipped isolation and went home. An FIR has been registered against actors Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan and his son Nirvaan Khan for violation of Covid norms in Mumbai. They returned from Dubai on Dec 25 & were asked to remain in quarantine in a hotel but they went home. ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2021 According to a report on ETimes, the Khan brothers also attended Salman Khans birthday bash at his Panvel farmhouse. Now, they have been sent to a five star hotel for quarantine. Arbaaz, Sohail and his son have been sent to quarantine for seven days. A high level inquiry has been initiated in the matter. After a gap of seven days, all three of them will have to undergo an RT-PCR test again, revealed a source to ETimes. "Arbaaz, Sohail cancelled their institutional quarantine on December 26 and went straight for Salman's birthday celebration. there is a chance that those who attended Salman's party may be asked if they have any symptoms," added the source. After the news started to get traction, people started to flood Twitter with hilarious memes. Salman bhoi be like ---- pic.twitter.com/S8p69iGN7E (@SRKianYash_) January 4, 2021 Before opening the case itself, the case would have been closed by saying " my driver was already present. ". pic.twitter.com/8CycxoXchk Sachin.K.Jaiswal (@sachinkj10) January 5, 2021 Wondering what Salman Khan has to say about this? Alec and Hilaria Baldwin are recently facing an issue about Hilaria's heritage, with the social media questioning her Spanish heritage. A source close to the couple and the family that they are very upset about allegations on Hilaria's identity and background after social media claimed that she has exaggerated her connection to Spain, according to an ET Online report. The Baldwin couple are parents to five kids aged between seven-years-old and three months old. The source added that the controversy has affected Hilary and her family, adding that Hilaria is such a soft-spoken, kind, and loving person. "The harassment and hate that she has been receiving on social media has been a lot for her," the source was quoted on a report. The source also noted that Alec has always known that Hilaria is from Boston. However, the actor said during David Letterman's late-night talk show in 2013 that his wife from Spain. Alex even impersonated his wife talking on the phone with an accent during at that certain interview. He then added that he does not mean to be racist when he put that accent. Related story: Selena's 25th Anniversary to be Celebrated by Latino Artists in San Antonio Hilaria's Spanish Heritage Journalist and podcaster Tracie Egan Morrissey took to her Instagram Story to share her posts examining Hilaria's alleged claims of her Spanish roots. Morrissey put into question whether or not she had misrepresented her ethnic and cultural background. Hilaria was not born in Spain, but in Massachusetts. However, her parents and her brother now live in Spain, which she frequently traveled throughout her childhood. Hilaria said that she is bilingual and speaks English with different tones of Spanish accent depending on how she is feeling at the moment, according to an Irish Times report. Hilaria then clear every misunderstandings about her said heritage. Hilaria said that she is born in Boston and spent some time in Boston and in Spain. She added that her family now lives in Spain and she moved to New York when she was 19-years-old and have lived there ever since. "For me, I feel like I have spent 10 years sharing that story over and over again," she was quoted on a report. She added that now it seems like the time she spent there was not enough. Hilaria added that she made her Boston heritage clear to her husband when they met in 2011. She was speaking in Spanish to an Argentine man and his girlfriend who were seated at a table next to Alec. Meanwhile, Hilaria's sister-in-law Chynna Philipps is defender her against the fake Spanish roots claims. Philipps said that her sister-in-law, Hilaria, is a good woman, adding that no one is perfect as all have their own issues, according to a Daily Mail report. Meanwhile, an old blog post written by her father in 2015 showed that she got her love her Spain from her dad. David L. Thomas Jr. earlier wrote about his fascination with Spain on International Integrator's website, which is a company he founded with his wife. Hilaria was also known to adopt the Spanish version of Hillary as her name for years. Related story: Live Concert Films of Latino Artists to Hold You Over During Quarantine SEATTLE, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NextStep , a health care education and job placement company helping solve the caregiver crisis by retraining displaced workers to begin careers in the fast-growing health care sector, today announced a $2.5 million investment from new funders ZOMA Capital and [email protected] , along with existing investors Springrock Ventures and JAZZ Venture Partners. This new funding will help propel the company's growth in Colorado, where NextStep already trains and places new certified nursing assistants (CNAs) at over 70 facilities of employer partners, and their expansion into other states. "NextStep is leading the way in creating a new model for career education and advancement, enabling displaced workers to start pathways to quality careers in healthcare while meeting critical workforce gaps," said Ben Walton , co-founder and principal of ZOMA Capital. "NextStep's unique tuition-free certified nursing assistant training and job placement program broadens career growth opportunities for students and helps address the most pressing problem in long-term care. We're delighted to support their work in our home state of Colorado and their growth nationally." " JFF's mission of economic advancement for all involves accelerating innovative approaches to education and workforce development and expanding their impact," said Joann Chen , director of [email protected] "NextStep is at the forefront of applying technology to health care learning, which has the potential to revolutionize the growth and diversification of the frontline health care workforce. This is an urgent need, and we're thrilled to help NextStep get there." The aging U.S. population is increasing rapidly, causing health care jobs to grow at significantly faster rates than the broader economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, six of the ten fastest growing jobs in the United States are in the health care industry, where jobs such as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are projected to grow 41 percent by 2026. A 2016 study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, found that the supply of health care workers is expected to fall short of projected global hiring demand by more than 15 million workers. At the same time, millions of U.S. workers have been displaced by artificial intelligence, automation and, now, the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these people have already worked in fields, such as hospitality, using skills that are easily transferable to caregiving jobs in the health care sector. "We are honored to have the support of new investors such as ZOMA Capital and JFF. ZOMA is enabling innovative progress for workers across Colorado, and JFF is helping drive change in the American workforce and education systems to promote economic advancement for all," said Chris Hedrick, CEO of NextStep. "More than 40 percent of our graduates were unemployed before joining NextStep. This new support will help NextStep create more health care career opportunities in Colorado and beyond." NextStep's training-to-placement model solves both the caregiving and unemployment crises with one elegant solution. The company reaches job seekers who have been left behind by traditional education models and provides them with convenient, blended-learning CNA training at no up-front cost. Graduates are then placed with NextStep's respected employer partners, whose critical staffing shortages are relieved. Surveys of NextStep graduates document that, on average, their lifetime earnings are projected to be over half a million dollars more than if they hadn't worked with NextStep to become CNAs. "I'm proud that Colorado is taking the lead to create new and innovative pathways to ensure an expanded pool of new certified nursing assistants. We want these critical workers to receive education and training so they can provide care and support to Coloradans during this challenging time and in the future," said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Prior to co-founding NextStep, Hedrick, a long-time entrepreneur, was previously CEO of venture-backed Intrepid Learning. He also served as science and technology advisor to Washington Governor Gary Locke; was Country Director of the Peace Corps in Senegal and coordinator of an Africa-wide malaria prevention initiative; was CEO of Kepler, a university program designed to expand educational opportunity in Rwanda; and served as the first employee at the Gates Library Foundation, the predecessor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was an outgrowth of Hedrick's work managing corporate philanthropy programs at Microsoft. A graduate of Stanford, Hedrick was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. About NextStep NextStep is an innovative health care education and job placement company helping solve the accelerating caregiver crisis in the United States. We train and place workers displaced by automation and artificial intelligence with respected long-term care providers, benefiting both. NextStep's blended-learning certified nursing assistant (CNA) program gives learners the opportunity to start a new, rewarding career and provides employers a solution to their critical workforce needs. We also offer continuing education courses and the National COVID-Ready Caregiver Certification, which equips caregivers with the knowledge to keep themselves and those they care for safe during the pandemic. SOURCE NextStep A nurse has leaped to the defense of her colleague who wore a Christmas Tree costume now linked to a COVID-19 outbreak that killed one and infected 44 at a California hospital. The unidentified hospital employee wore the novelty air-powered inflatable costume on the wards at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center on Christmas Day. In the days that followed at least 44 employees tested positive for coronavirus including one female staffer who later died. It is now thought that the costume may have blown virus droplets across the ward from the female wearer, who did not know she had COVID-19 at the time. It is not clear if any hospital patients or visitors were also infected. A colleague at the hospital who was working the morning of the incident told Mercury News the woman had wanted to provide some 'innocent' festive relief to her coworkers and patients. 'She was just spreading joy,' the nurse who did not want to be named told the outlet. The giant inflatable Christmas tree costume linked with spreading COVID-19 to at least 43 California hospital staff, killing one, has been pictured on the wards The nurse said her colleague had surprised everyone at the central nurses station at the emergency department by appearing dressed in the costume sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. December 25. 'You just see this Christmas tree coming bounding down towards you, and it makes you smile. It was a brief moment of levity, and you get back to working,' she recalled. She said she stayed six feet from the woman in the costume in line with social distancing guidelines and that she was wearing a mask and a face shield alongside everyone else in the emergency department. She told how the festive gesture had been 'spur of the moment' and insisted that previous reports of a party or gathering of people around the woman in the costume were incorrect. '[They] painted us in a light of being irresponsible when we've been working our butts off to save lives. We're not seeing our families. It portrayed us as not caring about our community,' she said. She added that all staff wear masks and 'don't hug' and that no one wore Santa hats in the ER this year in case they got in the way of PPE. A nurse has leaped to the defense of her colleague who wore a Christmas Tree costume now linked to a COVID-19 outbreak that killed one and infected 44 at a California hospital (above) But on December 27, two days after the brief merriment, the nurse said she started showing symptoms of COVID-19. Many colleagues working Christmas Day also began feeling ill and showing symptoms around the same time, she added. The woman wearing the costume had no symptoms on Christmas Day but later also tested positive. Between December 27 and January 1, at least 44 staffers at the hospital tested positive for the virus. Officials announced Sunday that one staff member had died from COVID-19. The woman who died has not been named but is said to be a registration clerk who was working a Christmas Day shift. Her death hit the workforce hard like 'a death in the family,' the nurse told Mercury News, adding that the woman in the suit felt a 'heavy burden' over her passing. 'We're physically exhausted and emotionally already taxed, and this is just more on top of it,' said the nurse. 'People don't realize the toll that it takes and just what it takes for us to come in and do what we do. The unidentified hospital employee wore the novelty air-powered inflatable costume on the wards at the Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center on Christmas Day 'Yes, we've chosen this profession and we're all very good at our jobs, but that doesn't make it any less stressful or any less emotional or less devastating when you lose a family member.' The nurse added that she was struggling to get her head around the idea that the costume could have sparked the cluster of cases. 'It just doesn't seem completely plausible that it was all her because it was just a moment in time compared to what we deal with all the time,' the nurse said. 'How could it be that if this occurred at 9 in the morning that people were being infected at three o'clock in the afternoon? Could this happen? Yes. But was it tragically coincidental or something else? We just don't know.' The Santa Clara County Health Department is investigating whether the costume may have caused the outbreak via its internal battery-operated fan which inflated the outfit and may have blown out virus droplets. Many of those infected had already been given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before the outbreak. But the hospital said they 'would not be expected to have reached immunity when this exposure occurred.' A view of a Kaiser Permanente staffer getting vaccinated on December 14 above. Many of those infected had already been given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before the outbreak Officials added: 'It is important not only for everyone to get vaccinated, but to receive the required two doses of vaccine to be protected.' Health officials say people must receive the two doses of the vaccine to get the maximum protection and the first dose's partial effectiveness usually kicks in only about 10 days after the first vaccination. Irene Chavez, senior vice president and area manager, Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center said in a statement that it was 'a highly unusual situation involving a well-intentioned staff member acting on their own without advance notice or approval'. 'Any exposure, if it occurred, would have been completely innocent, and quite accidental, as the individual had no COVID symptoms and only sought to lift the spirits of those around them during what is a very stressful time,' she said. 'Obviously, we will no longer allow air-powered costumes at our facilities,' Chavez said. 'At the same time, we are taking steps to reinforce safety precautions among staff, including physical distancing and no gathering in break rooms, no sharing of food or beverages, and masks at all times,' the hospital said, as per ABC7. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease expert at UCSF told the paper the costume was likely 'acting as the mover of air in a huge way. It's like a fan that's kind of multidirectional and random.' The hospital is currently conducting contact tracing to determine if other staff, patients or visitors may have been exposed to the virus. It has also introduced weekly testing for its staff. The hospital's emergency department is still open and safe to receive patients and all areas of the department are undergoing a deep cleaning, while those infected go into isolation. Nearly 40,000 health care workers at Kaiser Permanente have already received COVID-19 vaccines and more are anticipated soon. California reached a new daily record for new coronavirus cases Monday, with more than 74,000, according to analysis by the Los Angeles Times. The Golden State also marked its sixth-highest death toll on record with 379 kiled Monday. In total, 2.45 million cases have been recorded and 27,003 have died in California. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies late. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 22:11:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths announced on Tuesday that he will soon visit the southern port city of Aden to meet the new power-sharing government based there. A brief statement released by the UN envoy's office on the official Twitter account stated that "Griffiths will be visiting Riyadh and Aden in the next few days, to meet with the Yemeni president and the newly formed cabinet." It said Griffiths will first head to Riyadh meet Yemen's President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi as well as senior Saudi officials, then visit Aden to meet Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik and members of the country's new government. Griffiths is mediating between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group, with the aim of finding a peaceful solution to end the years-long bloody conflict between the two warring rivals. The UN is trying to end the war in Yemen that has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, displaced 4 million, and pushed over 20 million to the brink of starvation. It describes the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as the worst on the planet, with hunger, acute malnutrition, epidemics, and economic blockade killing thousands of Yemen's children. Enditem Brazil made a diplomatic push on Monday to guarantee an Indian-made shipment of British drugmaker AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, hoping to avoid export restrictions that could delay immunizations during the world's second-deadliest outbreak. In parallel, Brazil's private clinics struck a preliminary deal for an alternative injection made by India's Bharat Biotech despite a lack of public results from late-stage trials. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 The scramble by Brazil's government and private sector underscored how Latin America's largest nation, once an example of mass immunization success in the developing world, has fallen behind peers in the race to inoculate against the coronavirus. Plans by Brazil's Fiocruz Institute to import AstraZeneca's vaccine in bulk, filling and finishing doses locally, would only have 1 million doses ready by the second week of February, the head of the government-funded biomedical center told Reuters last week. Amid rising criticism of its slow response and a death toll approaching 200,000, second only to the United States, Brazil is now rushing to import finished doses, playing catch up to neighboring Chile and Argentina where inoculations are underway. However, the chief executive of the Serum Institute of India told Reuters on Sunday that he expected India's government to restrict export of COVID-19 vaccines. That raised red flags in Brasilia, where health regulator Anvisa had granted approval on New Year's Eve to import 2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. Two people familiar with the matter said diplomats were working to confirm the shipment would not be affected by any export ban. Fiocruz confirmed that Brazil's Foreign Ministry was leading the talks. Brazil's government is optimistic that it will be able to import the vaccines from India and any hurdles will be resolved diplomatically, a Brazilian official with knowledge of the matter said. Separately, an association of private Brazilian clinics announced plans to buy 5 million doses of a vaccine developed by Indian company Bharat Biotech, a day after India's health regulator gave it emergency use approval. Bharat Biotech has not yet applied for approval by Brazil's health regulator Anvisa for its Covaxin vaccine, and the agency said it would have to undergo Phase III trials in the country. Geraldo Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC), who will lead a delegation to India departing on Monday, said a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with Bharat Biotech. "This should be the first vaccine available on the private market in Brazil," he said, adding that the Covaxin doses should arrive in Brazil in mid-March, to be sold by private clinics after regulators there approve the vaccine. Anvisa said in a statement on Sunday that Covaxin does not fit the continuous data submission process for vaccine registration and the vaccine would have to undergo late phase clinical trials in Brazil. On Sunday, India's drugs regulator DCGI approved Covaxin and AstraZeneca's vaccine for emergency use, the first approvals of vaccines in India. The fast tracking of the homegrown Bharat Biotech vaccine faced questions from industry experts and opposition lawmakers because the company has not published efficacy data. Covaxin is undergoing late stage trials in the largest such trial in India. A spokeswoman for Bharat Biotech said 24,000 volunteers have been recruited out of a target of 26,000 for the Phase III trial, which began in November. The pharmaceutical company, based in Hyderabad in southern India, produces millions of doses of vaccines for hepatitis, Zika, Japanese encephalitis and others illnesses. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Covid-19 pandemic has helped everyone to evolve and left an imprint on their lives in different ways, Delhi High Court Judge Hima Kohli Monday said. Justice Kohli was speaking at her farewell from the Delhi High Court on her elevation as Chief Justice of Telangana High Court. The Delhi High Court, which has been functioning through video conferencing since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, conducted a virtual farewell for its senior judge. Delhi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel, other judges and lawyers bid farewell to 61-year-old Justice Kohli, who became judge in May 2006 and will be the first woman Chief Justice of Telangana High Court. Justice Kohli described the Covid-19 pandemic as a testing time and thanked Justice Patel for his valuable guidance and support. The Covid-19 pandemic has helped each one of us to evolve in every manner and to realise how we have complicated our lives and how it can be simplified. It has also brought us closer to our families with whom we have been able to spend quality time while working from home, she said, adding that she misses partying with court staff and sitting together with colleagues which had stopped during the pandemic. We have reinvented us in these tough times and Covid-19 has left an imprint on all of us in different ways, she said. The judge said Covid-19 has left farewells and reference on virtual mode but that does not mean it makes me any less emotional than it would have been had we met physically. The feelings are deep and will remain the same. The nostalgia is overwhelming. While preparing to don a new role in a new high court I shall carry the ethos and culture of this high court and I shall return here in the canteen with a cup of tea at the first opportunity I shall get. In the meantime please permit me to extend an invitation to all of you to visit Hyderabad in the near future. I will be delighted to see you there, she said, while concluding her speech. Sharing her experiences at her farewell, Justice Kohli said when she had joined the bar in 1984 there were a handful of women lawyers in the high court and establishing an independent practice was tough and clients who are mostly men gravitated to a male lawyers. However good a woman lawyer is at work, she has to make her way. That is where the challenge lies and the benchmark for a woman lawyer is a notch higher, she said. She was appointed as the Chairperson of a High Powered Committee constituted by Delhi government in March 2020, in pursuance to the Supreme Courts order for decongestion of jails in all states and union territories in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from performing her official duties as a judge, she used to take a keen interest in promoting mediation as an alternative dispute resolution forum, in highlighting the role of the judiciary in preservation of the ecology and environment and the role of family courts in resolving family disputes. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter " " A huge crowd gathers outside the White House during Andrew Jackson's first inaugural reception, 1829. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Nowadays, presidential inaugurations in the U.S. take place on Jan. 20 and include parades, speeches and several sedate balls. Nothing like Andrew Jackson's inauguration, when complete mayhem allegedly broke out in 1829. American presidential inaugurations used to be held in March, a full four months after the election. On March 4, 1829, a crowd estimated in the tens of thousands descended on Washington, D.C., to witness Andrew Jackson take the oath of office on the portico of the Capitol. The white-haired war hero known as "Old Hickory" gave a speech (which nobody could hear), kissed the Bible and bowed to the adoring throng. Jackson was America's first populist president, a straight-talking "outsider" candidate who vowed to represent the people, not the Washington elite. (He was the first president to win by appealing to the masses.) When the inauguration ceremony was over, the crowd broke through the barriers and rushed up the Capitol steps to shake hands with "the peoples' president." "The living mass was impenetrable," wrote Margaret Bayard Smith, a Washington socialite and author. "Country men, farmers, gentlemen, mounted and dismounted, boys, women and children, black and white. Carriages, wagons and carts all pursuing him to the President's house." But what happened next is the only thing that most Americans know about Jackson's inauguration. Following a tradition established by George Washington, Jackson held a "levee" back at the White House, an "open house" of sorts where regular citizens could mingle with the new First Family. And that's when things allegedly got out of control. Way out of control. "This is the iconic event that everybody knows about today, when thousands of people 'dirty' people with mud on their boots who, according to the genteel, should not have been there stormed the White House and created total chaos," says Daniel Feller, an emeritus history professor at the University of Tennessee and editor of The Papers of Andrew Jackson. "People standing on chairs to get a better view, grabbing for food and drinks to the point that tables are overturned and being shattered. This is the story that you've probably heard." Advertisement The Source of the 'Melee at the Levee' For almost two centuries, Andrew Jackson's inauguration blowout has been cited as the wildest party ever thrown at the White House, but historians like Feller believe we should take the colorful accounts with a grain of salt, if not a 5-pound bag of it. The most vivid descriptions of the melee at Jackson's levee were nearly all based on the writings of one person: Margaret Bayard Smith, the socialite and prolific letter-writer quoted above. Far from being a witness, Smith actually showed up late to the March 4 party, long after the events she described had allegedly taken place. Feller also notes that Smith was not a fan of Jackson's populist politics, which undoubtedly colored her opinion of the day's events. "I don't want to undercut this too much," says Feller. "I don't think Smith would have made it up out of whole cloth. But you have to recognize that her account is basically the only one that portrays what happened at the White House in such extreme terms. It's not an eyewitness account, and it's very likely a jaundiced account." Reading Smith's account of Jackson's inauguration day, it's easy to understand why so many contemporary newspapers and later historians jumped on the story of how Jackson's uncouth rabble ransacked the White House and almost trampled the president to death. In a letter to her daughter, Smith wrote of the majesty and pomp of the inaugural itself and how her visit to the White House had been delayed by rumors of overwhelming crowds. Sometime after 3 p.m., she and her crew finally made it to the party. "But what a scene did we witness!" wrote Smith. "The Majesty of the People had disappeared, and a rabble, a mob, of boys, negros [sic], women, children, scrambling, fighting, romping. What a pity what a pity!" You can almost hear Smith clutching her pearls at the scene she found at the White House, where previous presidents had always opened their doors to the public, but not this kind of public, surely. "Among people like Smith, if you go to the White House, you should be presentable, gentlemanly or ladylike," says Feller. "And to her, there were clearly some people at Jackson's levee who didn't look like they belonged there. How much of that was her perception and how much was reality? Undoubtedly some of both." Smith reported that the crowd at the White House was estimated at 20,000 people, although she admitted, "I think the number exaggerated." She didn't hesitate, though, to pass along secondhand accounts of women fainting, men "seen with bloody noses" and expensive glassware "to the amount of several thousand dollars" broken in the mad rush for refreshments. Advertisement Other Views of the 'Monstrous Crowd' Of course, Smith wasn't the only attendee of Jackson's inaugural to write about the experience. Daniel Webster, then a senator from Massachusetts, was also no fan of Jackson's politics, but he came away with a different opinion of the "monstrous crowd of people" who descended upon the city. " " The crowd goes "wild" at the White House after Andrew Jackson's Presidential inauguration in 1829. Bettman/Getty Images "I never saw anything like it before," wrote Webster. "Persons have come 500 miles to see General Jackson and they really seem to think that the Country is rescued from some dreadful danger." Instead of describing the inaugural audience as uncivilized rabble, though, as Smith had, Webster blamed the crush of humanity on "thousands of expectants for office who throng the City, & clamor all over the Country." In Webster's eyes, the impressive crowds at Jackson's inaugural weren't just members of the president's adoring public, but also political aspirants looking for a cushy government job with the new administration. "Throwing 'office-seeker' into the mix undercuts the idea that the outpouring of people into Washington was somehow pure and noble and un-self-interested," says Feller, who also thinks it's notable that in Webster's long description of the day's events, he doesn't even mention the allegedly shameful party. "If it had been that riotous scene that Smith reports, you'd think [Webster] would have mentioned it." It should be noted that Smith's account, while widely quoted, isn't the only evidence that something ugly may have happened at the White House on March 4, 1829. Newspapers functioned differently in the early 1800s, explains Feller. In a "small town" like Washington, D.C., it was expected that everyone would already know the local news, so city papers were usually stuffed with national or international headlines. That explains why the Washington papers didn't waste ink on the inaugural party, but why one of the most colorful accounts showed up a week later in the New York Spectator. "Here was the corpulent epicure grunting and sweating for breath," wrote the Spectator, "the dandy wishing he had no toes, the tight-laced Miss, fearing her person might receive some permanently deforming impulse, the miser hunting for his pocket-book, the courtier looking for his watch, and the office-seeker in an agony to reach the President." In 1978, the Tennessee Historical Society dug up a few more contemporary accounts of the infamous inaugural bash for one of Tennessee's most famous sons. "Sheer bedlam" was how the Historical Society characterized the party at the White House. Rep. Charles Miner from Pennsylvania offered a description that may have been the inspiration for Smith's own account. "Orange punch by barrels-full was made," wrote Miner, "but as the waiters opened the door to bring it out, a rush would be made, the glasses broken, the pails of liquor upset, and the most painful confusion prevailed. To such a degree was this carried, that wine and ice-creams could not be brought out to the ladies. . ." Miner was also shocked to see "men, with boots heavy with mud, standing on the damask satin-covered chairs, from their eagerness to get a sight of the President." It's clear from these corroborating accounts that lots and lots of people showed up at the White House on inauguration day, some to shake Old Hickory's hand, some to ask him for a job, and some presumably to get free punch and ice cream. Indeed the crush forced Jackson to retreat to the National Hotel for his safety. But was it the carnival that Smith so dramatically described or an overblown legend that fits a convenient political stereotype? Sen. James Hamilton of South Carolina, who was a Jackson supporter, described the inaugural event as a "regular Saturnalia," but added that most of the damage was minimal. "You might be surprised at how often this happens with history," says Feller. "One particular quotation or anecdote gets picked up as being absolute truth, then it becomes of much greater importance than it was at the time, because it just seems to fit." Now That's Interesting White House inaugural receptions continued for several decades after the Jackson debacle until afternoon inaugural parades created scheduling conflicts. President George H.W. Bush revived the idea in 1989 with a "White House American Welcome," inviting the public to the White House the day after his inauguration. As the government inches closer to begin India's mega Covid-19 vaccination drive, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday released a slew of features for its CoWIN app, which will provide every detail on the vaccination programme. Short for Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network, the CoWIN app will be used to manage and scale up the massive vaccination drive amid the pandemic, the government said. Among the various features, the CoWIN app includes automated session allocation, the health ministry said in a press briefing. One of the authentication methods would be to use of Aadhaar to prevent malpractice, officials said. Other features include SMS in 12 languages, which will be sent to guide those waiting to get vaccinated and frontline workers who are engaged in inoculation process. A QR code-based vaccination certificate will issued after all the doses and people can store it in their mobile phone, the ministry said. Moreover, the government's document storage app DigiLocker can be integrated to store and fetch the QR code-based certificate. Apart from this, there will be a 24x7 helpline, chatbox with pattern recognition to help navigate the portal SMS to be sent in 12 languages, 24x7 helpline, chatbox with pattern recognition to help navigate portal, digital locker for integrated data retrieval and storing of QR code certificate are some of the salient features of the CoWIN Delivery Management Plan. Healthcare workers and frontline workers would not need to register themselves as a beneficiary as their data is bulk database that has been populated on the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk manner. Moreover, at a press briefing in New Delhi, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "There are 4 primary vaccine stores called GMSD located in Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata and there are 37 state vaccine stores in the country. They store vaccines in bulk and distribute further." States are responsible for sending the vaccines to primary health centres and from there, vaccines will be taken to sub-centres through passive equipment like ice boxes. Earlier, the government said multiple dry runs have been held to test the software in the field at various stages of its development. It said over 90,000 people in 700 districts have been trained to use the software. There were 285 session sites across 125 districts in all states and Union Territories, it had also said. The health ministry also added that the government is prepared to roll out Covid-19 vaccines within 10 days of granting emergency use authorisation. "Based on feedback of dry-run, govt said it is ready to introduce COVID-19 vaccine within 10 days from date of emergency use authorisation," said Bhushan. On 3 January, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Serum's Oxford COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield' and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. DCGI granted the approval on the basis of recommendations by a COVID-19 Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). In a PTI interview earlier, Poonawalla said that the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine will cost $3-4 per shot ( 219-292) to the Indian government and will be priced at double that rate in private market ones such sales open up. Pune-based SII's shot is a Recombinant Chimpanzee Adenovirus vector vaccine (Covishield), encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein with technology transfer from AstraZeneca/Oxford University. On the other hand, Bharat Biotech has already produced about 20 million doses, Ella said, which will be increased to about 150 million before July or August. The firm has previously said its vaccine -- that uses a dead version of the virus -- has efficacy rates of at least 60%, though it has yet to release detailed data. Ella said Covaxin will feature in two peer reviews in international health journals on 10 January. Meanwhile, in a joint statement issued by SII CEO Adar Poonawalla and Bharat Biotech's Chairman Dr Krishna Ella, the companies said that "the more important task in front of them is saving the lives and livelihoods of populations in India and the world." "Now that two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued EUA (emergency use authorization) in India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines," the companies said. With agency inputs Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Everyone in Switzerland who wants to be vaccinated against Covid-19 should be able to get a shot by summer, a Swiss health official said on Tuesday, as the nation anticipates imminent approval of a second vaccine, this one from Moderna. With 233,000 doses delivered by Pfizer and BioNTech, so far, the country is expecting vaccine deliveries to hit at least 1.5 million doses by the end of February, provided Modernas shot wins the regulators blessing. The shots require two doses several weeks apart, to confer maximum protection shown in clinical trials to be around 95%. Switzerland is concentrating initial shots on older people, including in nursing homes, and those with chronic diseases. Switzerland has ordered a total of about 15 million doses, including from other manufacturers whose products have yet to be approved, after setting aside 400 million Swiss francs ($455 million) to buy shots. High global demand from virtually everywhere, combined with limited production, means there is too little to go around. We continue to be in negotiations, to see how we can boost volumes, said Nora Kronig, head of the Swiss Federal Health Ministrys international division that is leading talks with companies, during a press conference in Bern. Kronig declined to say if talks extend to companies including Johnson & Johnson, which is due shortly to release results of clinical trials of its one-dose vaccine in tens of thousands of volunteers. Switzerland has, so far, recorded 28 documented cases of Covid-19 infections caused by an especially infectious variant of the new coronavirus that has been circulating rapidly in Britain. Thats up from just a handful reported late last month. (Natural News) Dominion Voting Machines CEO John Poulos says their machines are not designed to be online. (Article by Jim Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com) Poulos made the statement during testimony before the Michigan State Oversight Committee on December 15, 2020. John Poulos told the committee, Additionally, voting systems are by design are meant to be used as closed systems that are not networked meaning they are not connected to the internet. That was the CEO of Dominion just two weeks ago. Then this happened. On Wednesday during his live testimony before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Elections, inventor Jovan Hutton Pulitzer hacked into a Dominion Voting Machine LIVE during his testimony. Pulitzer confirmed that the Georgia runoff IS connected to the internet. He established a two-way communication from a polling pad in a voting center. At this very moment at a polling location in the county, not only do we have access through the devices to the poll padthe system, but WE ARE IN, Pulitzer said. He continued, And its not supposed to have WiFi and thats not supposed to be able to happen so weve documented now its communicating two ways in real time, meaning its receiving data and sending data should never happen, shouldnt be WiFi, weve now documented it in real-time. Jovan Pulitzer just exposed the Dominion CEO as a confirmed liar. These voting machines should be outlawed from use in future elections! American patriot @JovanHPulitzer showed today in Georgia how easy it is to remotely access and change the voting data on the Dominion machines. Its time, folks 1776!#Jan6 #StopTheStealpic.twitter.com/QmGCQQx7f1 Bruce Porter, Jr. (@NetworksManager) December 30, 2020 Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com Referring to Akhilesh Yadavs BJP Vaccine remark, Mulayam Singhs youngest daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav has termed the statement of the SP leader as inappropriate and said it is his personal wish and no one can force him. We are not talking about BJP, Yogi or Modi. We are talking about vaccines being made by our doctors and scientists. It is not a BJP drug, nor is it a BJP lab. This is a political statement. I trust my doctors and scientists that they neither work for any political party, nor do politics, Aparna Yadav said. Doctor-researcher belongs not to any political party but to everyone. They do not treat people by seeing political parties. So, this kind of statement is not appropriate. But if someone wishes that they do not get the vaccine, then it is their personal opinion, she added. Aparna Yadav said that the Covid-19 vaccine should be welcomed wholeheartedly as the scientists have worked round the clock to make the vaccine. The vaccine has come due to the efforts of doctors and scientists. We should welcome it wholeheartedly. We salute all the doctors and scientists who have worked round the clock to make the vaccine for such a dangerous virus, Aparna Yadav said. The government should make it available to the common citizens free of cost, so that we can start our lives again like ordinary days. Everyone was upset with Coronavirus. So, the vaccine is welcome, she added. Reacting to Akhileshs statement she said it is his personal wish and no one can force him to get the vaccine. Bhaiya (Akhilesh Yadav) said that he will not get vaccinated. If he does not wish to get this vaccine, then it is his personal wish and no one can force him. Maybe after seeing the positive effects of the vaccine he might change his mind. This vaccine has been created by the very best doctors and scientists of India. The Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) of South East Asia has also said that it is a victory not only for India but for South East Asia. So it is a matter of pride, she said. The SP supremo had on Saturday courted controversy with his statement that he will not accept a vaccine against Covid-19 as he does not trust the vaccine that will be given out by the BJP government. "I will not get vaccinated by the shot given by the BJP government as I don't trust them. When we (SP) will come to power, we will ensure free vaccines to everyone," he had said at a press conference. However, on Monday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav clarified that he did not want to raise questions on scientists and their hard work but wanted to know how much time it will take for the vaccine to reach the poor. Four states across the country start paying $300 unemployment benefits after Pres. Donald Trump signed the roughly $900 billion Stimulus Package. Pres. Donald Trump signed the $2.4 trillion government spending bill that included the roughly $900 billion Stimulus Package. This entails financial aids such as stimulus checks, unemployment benefits, Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses, and more. Read also: IRS, Treasury Start Sending Out $600 Stimulus Payments First Four States Paying $300 Unemployment Benefit Millions of Americans across the country lost their jobs amid the global pandemic. This led them to rely on government and state unemployment benefits to meet their daily needs and expenses. The federal weekly unemployment benefit has helped millions to buy food and pay their rent. Pres. Donald Trump recently signed the $900 billion Stimulus Package that includes $300 weekly unemployment benefits. Just two days after it was signed into law, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Treasury Secretary announced that they started sending the stimulus checks, according to Latin Post. Meanwhile, four states also started sending $300 weekly unemployment benefits and these are California, New York, Arizona, and Rhode Island, according to Business Insider. These states started sending the payment, according to the state labor agencies. Moreover, it is estimated that there are still about 10 million people who remain unemployed while millions of Americans and residents in the country coming from different demographics who are at risk of house eviction and food insecurity. Read also: Many Qualified Americans Start to Receive $600 Stimulus Checks When will the payments be made? Not all but some Californians started receiving their $300 weekly unemployment benefit on January 3, while New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Dec. 29 that residents in the state will receive their weekly unemployment benefit on the first week of January. Rhode Island also posted on its official Twitter account on Dec. 31 and wrotex, "Starting next week, all claimants will receive an extra $300/week on top of your regular payment amount. This will be done automatically; no need to reapply or contact us. Like all UI payments, it's taxable, so the deposit won't be the full $300 if you have taxes withheld." According to CNBC, the states of Connecticut and Washington will also start ending the $300 unemployment benefit by the middle of the month. Meanwhile, other states across the country did not yet signify when they will send out the benefit. This is the third time that the federal government provided weekly unemployment benefits since the pandemic began. The first one was given after the CARES Act was signed into law in March 2020. Pres. Trump then released an executive order expanding the weekly unemployment benefit using the unspent budget from FEMA in August. It can be remembered that the unemployment benefit under the CARES Act was $600 every week while $300 using the unspent budget from FEMA. This is just one of the financial aids that millions of Americans received amid the global pandemic. There are still many aids like stimulus checks, PPP loans, dependent payments, and more. Bulgaria plans to start vaccinations against Covid-19 on December 27 in three of its main cities, chief health inspector Angel Kunchev said on Sunday. Along with other European Union members, Bulgaria has been waiting for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to approve the vaccine developed by US drug company Pfizer and BioNTech. The EMA is expected to make an announcement on December 21. Kunchev said that trucks loaded with vaccine shots are expected to ship from Belgium to all European Union member states on Dec. 24 and estimated the batch for Bulgaria will arrive in the country late on Dec. 25 or early on Dec. 26. "We are prepared and will start vaccinations from the following day, Dec. 27, in hospitals in the cities of Sofia, Varna and Burgas," he told BNT TV channel. The Dec. 27 start date - confirmed by EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen - will be almost three weeks after the world's first fully tested Covid-19 vaccination was administered in England. The first batch of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine will be of only 10,000 shots, Kunchev said, but he added that country expects to receive another 57,000 shots in January and bigger dispatches from February onwards in the country of 7 million people. Bulgaria reported 1,002 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 191,029, including 6,551 deaths. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. More resources for technology and innovation, and building of infrastructure along the India-China border, besides raising budgetary support for the Indian Navy and increasing defence purchases by 10,000 crore topped the wishlist of defence experts who on Monday took part in a panel discussion at Mints Road to Recovery" series in the run-up to the Union Budget for FY22 on 1 February. While India was looking to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to develop smart cities, and for agriculture and healthcare solutions, Rajeshwari Rajagopalan, who deals with nuclear and space issues at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) think tank, made a strong pitch for employing AI in the military and security domain as well. Besides Rajagopalan, the experts panel on Countering the China challenge: from the borders to cyberspace" comprised former Indian ambassador to Russia P.S. Raghavan; former defence secretary G. Mohan Kumar; Laxman Behera, associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University; and Lt Gen (retired) S.L. Narasimhan. The experts expected finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to raise the defence budget in view of the tensions along the border with China but were of the view that a substantial chunk of the allocations could be earmarked for salaries and pensions. They expressed concerns over the dwindling resources for modernization and new acquisitions for the armed forces, more so at a time when the Indian economy is in a recession following the stringent lockdown to stem the spread of covid-19. Behera said the need of the hour was to initiate hard reforms", that is, a reduction in the wages and pensions component of the defence budget. Though the panellists were divided over the quantum of increase for the defence sector, all of them agreed that China was a major strategic threat that India must be prepared for. In 2018, a parliamentary standing committee had suggested that the defence budget should be 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). Todays wars are not only fought on land, sea and air. They are fought with technology. So, you have cyber space, you have electronics, you have information (warfare). Many of these may not come directly in the defence budget. Let us see what we require for our national security and then see how we find the finances for it," said Raghavan, who was the chairman of the National Security Advisory Board. Our defence (budget) has a mix of revenue and capital expenditureWe need to see how we can increase the spend on hardcore defence," Raghavan added. The panel discussion came against the backdrop of the ongoing military face-off between India and China in Ladakh, which enters its ninth month this week. In the past, India mostly focused on the threat of terrorism emanating from Pakistan, and expected that a series of agreements signed with China between 1993 and 2013 will keep the border stable while New Delhi and Beijing ironed out the differences over the demarcation of the frontier, said Mohan Kumar. But the situation has changed. China has become hegemonistic. We cannot expect China to behave in a predictable fashion. Countering China is a big challenge for India because if you look at the defence expenditure that China incurs, it is something like $270 billion every year, whereas Indias total defence expenditure is $71 billion. We have a peculiar task of being ready for any threat on both the borders," he said. He said that Indias revenue budget (salaries and pensions) has been climbing steeply while money available for capital expenditure or modernization has been declining. If revenue expenditure erodes capital expenditure, we will not be able to go forward in capability building." Kumar said defence allocation should be equivalent to at least 3% of Indias GDP. ORFs Rajagopalans concerns over the defence budget being disappointing year after year" was supported by other analysts, too. Indias defence budget as a proportion of the central governments expenditure and GDP has been decreasing over the past decade. In 2010-11, defence expenditure was 2.5% of GDP, which fell to 2.1% in 2020-21. The Standing Committee on Defence (2018) had recommended that the ministry of defence should be allocated a fixed budget of about 3% of GDP to ensure adequate preparedness of the armed forces. Lt General Narasimhan agreed that while Indias defence forces needed more money and modern equipment, we also need to anticipate the kind of incidents that happened during this summer". The reference was to the incursions by Chinese forces, which resulted in the violent flare-up at Galwan Valley and claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops. This was a surprise," he said, adding that India did not expect China to backtrack from all the agreements that were signed between 1993 and 2013. China, on its part, has been steadily increasing its defence spends with conservative Chinese government estimates suggesting an allocation of $178 billion last year, while international think tanks estimate it to be at least $250 billion. The country had made substantial investments in artificial intelligence, drone technologies as well as cyber and space technologies. To counter China, Mohan Kumar suggested that India must look at establishing technology missions that would look at specific areasfrom artificial intelligence to space and cybersecurity. Indian businesses should be encouraged to partner with the government to develop niche technologies and capabilities, he added. India has already opened the doors for private sector participation in defence manufacturing, including the production of hardware, and has announced a number of incentives. Indias premier Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), too, has started the process of sharing technologies developed by it with the private sector for commercial production of weapon systems. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Kathmandu, January 5 The Ministry of Health and Population has informed that the countrys Covid-19 tally has reached 262,784 as of Tuesday afternoon. The ministry says 522 new cases were confirmed in the country in the past 24 hours. Out of those, 232 have been reported in the valley. In this period, 4,551 swab samples were tested. So far, 1 million and 957,454 people have been tested in the country. As of today, 5,225 cases are active. Of the total cases so far, 255,666 people have achieved recovery whereas 1,893 died, according to the ministry. In the past 24 hours, 578 people have been discharged whereas eight deaths have been reported. Over 300 people are quarantined across the country. Georgia Democratic Electors stand and clap after casting their Electoral College votes at the Georgia State Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) Georgia State Senators Call on Pence to Delay Jan. 6 Electoral Vote Republican state senators in Georgia started a push on Monday to delay the Jan. 6 counting of electoral votes. At least a dozen have signed a letter directed to Vice President Mike Pence asking him to officially delay the countand the number is still growing. Theres about 16 or 18 of us now that signed this letter to the Vice President asking him to delay the electoral vote for 10 to 12 days, Sen. Brandon Beach told The Epoch Times. We were going to get it to him tomorrow morning, Beach said, adding that more Senators might still sign on. Beach says that he is concerned about the integrity of the election. People are saying yeah there is something here, theres something that just doesnt pass the smell testthat there was some irregularities, there was some impropriety going on in the voting process, he said. Ballots and voting machines need to be forensically audited, especially in Fulton county, said Beach. The biggest concerns he has relate to the State Farm Arenas vote-tabulation center in Atlanta. It appears that a state election monitor was absent for a part of the counting process and that Republican poll watchers were led to believe the counting was over when it in fact wasnt. Coincidentally, Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign and one of Trumps campaign attorney suggested on Monday that Pence delay certifying the votes on Jan. 6 and instead ask legislatures in the six contested states to clarify which candidates slate of electors should be approved. What Mike Pence could do, and what he should do, in fact, is to direct a question back to the state legislatures when there are two competing slates of delegates from these six states. He can ask that question to the states and say, Well, state legislators, you know, I have an oath to the Constitution to uphold the Constitution as written in Article II Section 1.2, which says the state legislatures direct the manner in which electoral delegates are selected, so you tell me which of these two slates was selected in the manner that your state general assembly has designated,' Ellis told Just the News television show The Water Cooler. When Beach was asked if they had discussed anything relating to certifying the states electoral votes, he said: If the Vice President is able to take our letters to postpone, then we would be in session and we could discuss what we could maybe do as a state senate in a state house. Right now, we cant do anything because were not in session, he added. Georgias governor Brian Kemp previously refused to call a special session to consider claims of election fraud and other irregularities. Other state senators in Georgia, including Beach, recognize it is highly unlikely for a special session to be called in the state as things stand now. Since Congress meets Wednesday regarding the electoral college vote, a special session before they meet is not an option, state Senator Kay Kirkpatrick told The Epoch Times via email. But I will continue to fight for the truth. I am working every day to get to the facts of any and all fraud reports, she added. It is critical that we can trust our election system. I have been dividing my time between looking into all aspects of the Nov. 3 election and trying to get our two U.S. Senators re-elected. Beach said he and other senators called for the delay so they can continue to have more time to investigate and scan these ballots. The senator said he also wrote an individual letter to Pence as a member of the states judiciary subcommittee. State senators in other states have also started a similar push, according to Beach. I think several senators from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Arizona also wrote letters sent to the Vice President, [telling him] we want the vice president to at least delay it 10 to 12 days. Under the Constitution, Jan. 20 is the date where officially, The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin. Beach said he is doing all of this because he wants to get to the bottom of it. Ive had my cell phone on my website and on my senate sites for eight years, I have never received any calls, he said. I may have gotten a call here now and then but after thismy phone has blown up, my email has blown up, my text messages have blown up. People are angry, theyre mad, they feel disenfranchised, he added. Earn your Associate of Applied Business in Business IT (BIT) degree online from the University of Cincinnati. This program can be completed fully online, with curriculum customized to fit your schedule, interests and how quickly you want to complete your degree. Application deadline July 1, 2021. Learn More Amazon reported recently that online grocery sales tripled during the pandemic. The company also saw a 160 percent increase in delivery capacity and tripled the number of Whole Foods pickup spots. This is all great news if you live in a city with Whole Foods or where grocery delivery services are easily accessible. But if your food and home supplies depend on local pickup and delivery, and you live in rural strongholds, you might be in for some shortages. E-commerce is not every rural community's Holy Grail for shopping. Many local rural retailers are strangers to e-commerce. If stores in rural America want to keep customers happy and healthy, transitioning to e-commerce is key, according to Mark William Lewis, CTO of Netalico Commerce. Rural grocery stores need to offer ordering and delivery comparable to companies like Amazon/Whole Foods and Instacart. That can be difficult because delivery is often more expensive, the more spread out the customers are, he observed. "Grocery stores can start by offering an easy pickup option to get customers used to ordering groceries online, and then it is only a small extra step to get them to switch to delivery. Small retailers can even use off-the-shelf platforms like Shopify, where they can offer a standard e-commerce experience that most customers expect from the larger retailers," Lewis told the E-Commerce Times. The home delivery routine for rural customers is often very different compared to the opportunities enjoyed by suburban and city consumers, agreed Chris Dessi, vice president of Americas at Productsup. "Delivery services, like Uber Eats, are oftentimes not available in rural areas. If local retailers want to offer home delivery, it is something they will most likely have to organize themselves," he told the E-Commerce Times. For example, a local grocery store might hire extra employees as drivers to deliver items from the store to the customer. There are, of course, limits to that solution such as a delivery radius and workforce availability, he noted. In the wake of the continuing pandemic, some of those refinements are starting to come to rural consumers. The majority of large, widely-known grocery stores offer curbside pickup now as a result of the pandemic. The smart rural store owners have also adopted this option. "Small and local grocers in rural areas should adjust their budget to prioritize curbside pickup over in-store experiences, as they are getting less foot traffic through their doors," Dessi advised. A Business Restarter Third-party parcel delivery in rural areas is particularly viable now. It is a great option for local retailers in rural areas to look into, suggested Dessi. "For local retailers considering involving a third-party service, I would suggest hiring a point-person to serve as the liaison between the retailer and third-party vendor. That is an extra step, but managing delivery is a beast of its own and requires dedicated attention in order to run smoothly," he said. Another option would be mimicking grocery delivery services like Home Chef or Hello Fresh, using products sold in-store. Again, local retailers run into the issue of being understaffed and delivery radius restrictions, but it is becoming a necessary option, he explained. E-commerce is the way of the world now, so rural businesses need to know how to overcome the delivery and other barriers. Getting product data set up online and ensuring it is consistent and up-to-date across channels is the easiest way for retailers to make sure they are getting started on the right foot, according to Dessi. "Once retailers establish their online presence and introduce e-commerce, consumers will surely take advantage," he offered. The Rural E-Commerce Challenge Rural areas provide many logistical challenges for e-commerce. Grocery delivery is even more complex, agreed Meaghan Brophy, retail analyst at Fit Small Business. "Because residents are more spaced out, e-commerce delivery is significantly more expensive in rural areas. Many e-commerce retailers, even Amazon, rely on the USPS for last-mile delivery in rural areas," she told the E-Commerce Times. It is simply not cost-effective for for-profit companies to organize their delivery services in spaced-out neighborhoods, she continued. Grocery is even more expensive and challenging than regular e-commerce because of the temperature regulations required to keep food from spoiling. Independent grocers could serve their customers by offering delivery with in-house staff, Brophy added. However, it would likely need to look different than a Whole Foods type operation that offers groceries on-demand. "To make the process more efficient, independent grocers would likely need to organize orders by location and offer specific delivery days for each area," she said. Aside from independent grocery stores, many rural areas depend on Walmart and dollar stores for groceries. Walmart does offer grocery delivery in many (though not all) rural locations, Brophy added. "It will never make sense for dollar stores to offer grocery delivery (unless a third-party platform takes it on independently) simply because of the low price-points," she said. Price Busters Rural America is seeing e-commerce growth, agreed Robb Hecht, an adjunct professor of marketing at Baruch College. To date, it has been sketchy, as WiFi and broadband are not universal as they are in the cities. "To offset the cost, UPS and FedEx charge an extra US$4 per package for remote residential deliveries. The prevalence of free shipping to consumers and the need to price items the same online and in stores typically leaves retailers bearing this additional cost," he told the E-Commerce Times. For retailers, that adds to already steep costs. Shipping a container of Tide Pods laundry detergent from Atlanta to urban Oklahoma City is estimated to cost a retailer $11.44 -- already more than the approximately $11 price of the item itself, according to an analysis by Spend Management Experts. Shipping the pods to Mangum, Okla. costs $15.65, he explained. Also, consider that Amazon and its Whole Foods will soon have drones delivering e-commerce purchases. Once that ramps in scale, the delivery costs should decline, reasoned Hecht. Rural population differences also factor into the delivery mechanisms for rural consumers, suggested William Schumacher, CEO and founder of Uprising Food. "Grocery delivery is a bit harder to obtain in rural areas as there are fewer people to offer the service and to deliver groceries," he told the E-Commerce Times. "In order for e-commerce to be as productive in rural towns as it is in the city, grocery stores would need to take charge of delivery in order to ensure customer satisfaction." No Clear Path By its geographical nature, serving the rural consumer is a persistent challenge. To some extent, e-commerce in rural areas suffers. For obvious reasons, most businesses will address market segments that are easy to reach and serve. The rural consumer is often subject to what economists call a "rural penalty" or a lack of services, resources, employment, and consumption opportunities that give this population unequal social outcomes, according to Jim Salas, professor of marketing and economics at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. "From a business perspective, rural areas suffer from gaps in human capital, distance, and low population challenges and overall, lower socioeconomic differences which often do not represent the "low hanging" fruit that most businesses go after," he told the E-Commerce Times. The delivery routine for rural customers is typically the same as postal rates are the same for everyone. That is true even when USPS has to drive hundreds of miles, he added. Salas suggested that the math indicates rural e-commerce is not lagging behind more populated areas though. Rural America is increasingly digital, more and more of rural communities are connected to the Internet -- with Internet access rates for rural communities approximating those of households across the country, 85 percent versus 94 percent, he said. With 12.4 percent of all retail sales projected to be online by the end of this year, 73 percent of those sales will come from rural consumers. However, some studies have found that rural consumers with access to the Internet choose to not go online, let alone conduct purchase transactions. Other reports show online grocery shopping is a challenge when 55 percent of shoppers are very satisfied with their local grocery stores and 65 percent of them have never purchased groceries online. These results do not change much when distinguishing between rural and urban consumers. The unanswered question is whether those results are caused by demand or supply issues, he asked. "I think it is a bit of both. Rural consumers may have digital access, but the cost is much higher for them compared to their urban counterparts. They are also demographically older, not as educated, and of lower socioeconomic status so these factors place them on the low end of tech adoption in general, said Salas. He also focused on a behavioral component to this debate over rural versus urban e-commerce. The appeal of rural communities for many who reside here is in being an intimate part of the community. This often plays out in visiting your local store and socializing in person, he noted. "In fact, these communities often have a negative view of big-box retailers who are encroaching on their local shops, run by their friends and neighbors. They are far too familiar with the Walmart effect," he said. Tide Is Turning While rural e-commerce is a challenge, Salas does not think that it is out of reach of rural consumers. If anything, they are about to see more competition in this space for their business, he predicts. As online shopping becomes more and more of a norm for all consumers, including rural shoppers, Walmart, eBay and Amazon have all announced renewed interest in this market. In fact, Walmart has a defensive strategy to product its in-store sales by moving to an omnichannel strategy. Amazon and eBay see the 37 million working-age adults in rural communities as an attractive market. Walmart has launched free two-day deliveries through Walmart.com for orders over $35 and introduced its Pickup Today program that allows customers to order online and pick up in stores. "This fits their announced strategy of investing more in their online channels than building new brick and mortar stores and allows them to leverage their rural footprint strategically against competitors like Amazon," Salas said. Consider one SMB entrepreneur's experience with rural e-commerce as an example of changing times. Meaghan Thomas, owner of Pinch Spice Market, delivers organic spices to many rural areas. "We are seeing a 400 percent year-over-year growth as people turn to shop online for pantry items like they never have before," she told the E-Commerce Times. "E-commerce shopping levels the playing field for rural consumers, especially when it comes to shopping for food and pantry items." Thomas often gets messages from customers in small towns or remote areas that cannot find high-quality organic spices or international blends at local stores. When they discover her online spice shop, they are excited about the variety they have at their fingertips. Plus, since she uses USPS for deliveries, she is able to keep low shipping costs for customers. "We eat most of the shipping cost to make the idea of shipping a little less painful, charging only a portion of the real shipping cost. While we eat that cost, we easily make up for it in the increased volume. We also offer free shipping when they spend over a certain threshold -- $45 in our case," Thomas said. "More than 60 percent of our rural customers become repeat buyers." Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack. BEIJING - The New York Stock Exchange has withdrawn plans to delist shares of three Chinese state-owned phone carriers. The shares were to be removed under an order from President Donald Trump, a move Beijing had warned might lead to retaliation. FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2020, file photo, people wearing face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus talk on their cellphones near a booth for Chinese telecommunications firm China Mobile at the PT Expo in Beijing. The New York Stock Exchange says it is withdrawing plans to remove shares of three Chinese state-owned phone carriers under an order by President Donald Trump.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) BEIJING - The New York Stock Exchange has withdrawn plans to delist shares of three Chinese state-owned phone carriers. The shares were to be removed under an order from President Donald Trump, a move Beijing had warned might lead to retaliation. The exchange cited further consultation with regulators but its announcement late Monday gave no other details. China's foreign ministry on Tuesday criticized Washington for suppressing foreign companies but made no direct comment on the NYSE announcement. The NYSE said Thursday it would remove China Telecom Corp. Ltd., China Mobile Ltd. and China Unicom Hong Kong Ltd. under Trump's November order barring Americans from investing in securities issued by companies deemed to be linked to the Chinese military. The order added to mounting U.S.-Chinese tension over technology, security and spying accusations. The Trump administration has imposed export controls and other sanctions on some Chinese companies, visa curbs on members of the ruling Communist Party and other restrictions. The suppression will have very limited impact on Chinese companies, but it will damage the national interest and image of the United States," said a foreign ministry spokeswoman, Han Chunying. She expressed hope Washington will do more to maintain the order of the global financial market and protect investors. Political analysts expect little change in policy under President-elect Joseph Biden, who takes office Jan. 20, due to widespread frustration with Chinas trade and human rights records and accusations of spying and technology theft. Trump's November order bars Americans from investing in securities issued by companies deemed by the Defence Department to be part of efforts to modernize the Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army. The 2 million-member PLA is one of the biggest and most heavily-armed militaries. It is spending heavily to develop nuclear submarines, stealth fighters, ballistic missiles and other advanced weapons. The Pentagon has added 35 companies to its blacklist. In addition to the phone carriers, they include telecom equipment giant Huawei, China's biggest maker of processor chips, three state-owned oil producers and construction, aerospace, rocketry, shipbuilding and nuclear power equipment companies. Hong Kong-traded shares in the three phone carriers surged Tuesday. China Telecom rose 3.4%, China Mobile jumped 5.7% and China Unicom surged 8.5%. Shares in all three have fallen recently. The Chinese government has accused Washington of misusing national security as an excuse to hamper competition and has warned that Trumps order would hurt U.S. and other investors worldwide. On Saturday, the foreign ministry said Beijing would take unspecified necessary countermeasures to protect its companies. The government made the same announcement following previous U.S. sanctions without taking action. South Korea has demanded the release of a tanker that was seized by Iran on Monday in the latest Gulf stand-off pitting Tehran against America and its allies. Seoul said it had dispatched an anti-piracy unit to the sensitive waters near the Strait of Hormuz after the Korean-flagged Hankuk Chemi and its crew of 20 were captured by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Iran said the ship was seized for 'repeated infringement of maritime environmental laws', but it comes amid Iranian demands for South Korea to release $7billion in assets that were frozen because of US sanctions. The head of Iran's central bank said recently that Tehran wanted to use funds tied up in a South Korean bank to buy coronavirus vaccines for its 83million population. But an Iranian government spokesman today rejected claims that the seizure amounted to hostage-taking, claiming it was South Korea that was holding $7billion 'hostage'. 'We've become used to such allegations... but if there is any hostage-taking, it is Korea's government that is holding $7 billion which belongs to us hostage on baseless grounds,' spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters. The US last night called the seizure 'part of a clear attempt to extort the international community' and joined South Korea's demand for the tanker to be released. It comes amid high tensions in the Middle East one year on from the US drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, leaving the foes on the brink of war. Under escort: The South Korean-flagged tanker Hankuk Chemi is escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boats in the Gulf on Monday View from the bridge: A Revolutionary Guards boat, circled right, is seen in CCTV footage taken from the Hankuk Chemi, as watched from South Korea by owner DM Shipping The US has already reversed a decision to bring the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz home from the Gulf, blaming 'recent threats' emanating from Iran. To add to the tensions, Iran said on Monday it had started the process to enrich uranium to 20 per cent purity, a short technical step away from the weapons-grade level of 90 per cent. Iran is hoping that Joe Biden will ease sanctions on Iran after he takes office on January 20, but there are fears that tensions could still boil over before then. Vipin Narang, an expert on nuclear strategy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, warned that Donald Trump was sending signals of 'total chaos'. 'If I were Iran right now, I would actually be thinking that it's possible that Trump is so unhinged and so angry about the election that he may overreact to any slight provocation,' Narang said. Trump had warned that he would hold Iran accountable for the killings of any Americans after the US embassy in Baghdad was hit by rockets a week ago. But Sunday's anniversary of the Soleimani drone strike passed without violence, despite angry demonstrations and Tehran's calls for vengeance. The seizure of the South Korean vessel came days before Seoul's deputy foreign minister was due to visit the Islamic republic. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the ship carrying 7,200 tonnes of chemical products was manned by a crew from South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar. The tanker was seized near the sensitive Strait of Hormuz (as shown on the map), as Iran announced that it was resuming uranium enrichment to 20 per cent Iran claimed that the Hankuk Chemi (pictured) was seized for 'repeated infringement of maritime environmental laws' The Guards did not specify where the tanker was seized but said it was transferred to Bandar Abbas port in Hormozgan with the 'case handed to judicial authorities'. Pictures released by the Guards appeared to show three speedboats and a patrol boat approaching the tanker. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh claimed that the tanker's seizure was over a 'purely technical issue and due to polluting the sea'. 'Just like other countries, Iran is sensitive towards such infractions, especially polluting the maritime environment,' he said. But the tanker's operator DM Shipping denied that the vessel had polluted waters, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Shortly before news of the ship's seizure, Khatibzadeh had complained at a press conference about the 'slow' process of unfreezing funds from Iranian oil sales, blocked by Seoul over fears of violating US sanctions. Trump re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran after abandoning the nuclear deal that Barack Obama had struck with Tehran and other world powers in 2015. Last night the foreign ministry in Seoul said it had confirmed the safety of the crew and was now demanding that the vessel be released. The country's defence ministry said it had dispatched its anti-piracy Cheonghae unit to waters near the Strait of Hormuz. The latest tensions in the Gulf come after the January 3 anniversary of the US drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani (pictured, demonstrators in Baghdad where he died) In Washington, a State Department spokesperson called the seizure of the ship 'part of a clear attempt to extort the international community into relieving the pressure of sanctions'. 'We join the Republic of Korea's call for Iran to immediately release the tanker,' said the spokesperson. The incident was the first seizure of a major vessel by the Iranian navy in more than a year. In July 2019, the Guards seized the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the sensitive Strait of Hormuz for allegedly ramming a fishing boat and released it two months later. It was widely seen as a tit-for-tat move after Gibraltar detained an Iranian tanker which was suspected of violating EU sanctions against Syria. Tehran denied the two cases were related. The Guards seized at least six other ships in 2019 over alleged fuel smuggling, while other tankers were hit by mysterious explosions that were blamed on Iran. The US said it had found fragments of a limpet mine on one vessel attacked in the Gulf of Oman which were 'strikingly' similar to those seen in Iranian military parades. Last week, sailors discovered a limpet mine stuck on a tanker off the coast of Iraq, near the Iranian border, as it prepared to transfer fuel to another vessel. The incidents have raised fears over the safety of oil supplies in the Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint through which a fifth of world oil output passes. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has booked actors Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan and the latter's son Nirvaan Khan for alleged violation of COVID-19 institutional quarantine rules. They went to their home without isolating themselves at a hotel. According to the complaint, the trio was asked to isolate at Mumbai's Hotel Taj Lands End in keeping with coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the BMC. As per the BMC guidelines, the trio should have undergone seven-day institutional quarantine due to the detection of new coronavirus mutant in the UK. Thus, an FIR has been registered against them. The BMC registered a case against the trio under section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), section 269 of the IPC (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease) and under relevant provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act. Dr Sanjay Funde, a medical officer of H/West ward told the Khar police station that he received information that Arbaaz, Sohail and Nirvaan returned from Dubai but didn't undergo institutional quarantine. Following this, Dr Funde and police officials reached Sohail Khan's house on Bandra's Nargis Dutt road. Sohail Khan has told officials that he and Arbaaz returned from Dubai on December 25 whereas Nirvaan came back on December 30. He added they booked rooms at a Bandra five-star hotel for quarantine but decided to head home since their COVID-19 tests at the Mumbai airport came out negative. With PTI inputs; by Mehak Agarwal Also read: Kangana Ranaut hosts New Year brunch for team Dhaakad with Arjun Rampal, Gabriella Demetriades Also read: 'Grave violation': Mumbai court to Kangana Ranaut for merging three flats Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Love Island star Marcel Somerville's heavily pregnant fiancee Rebecca Vieira fought back tears as she revealed she may have to give birth alone after the government introduced a third lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic. The businesswoman, 24, who is expecting a boy with the Blazin' Squad rapper, 34, took to Instagram on Tuesday morning to admit she 'wasn't able to sleep all night' and her head is 'all over the place' as she's two weeks away from her due date. Influencer Rebecca also expressed her frustration at the prospect of not being able to welcome her child at home as she confessed: 'I don't want to go to the hospital right now'. 'I'm all over the place': Love Island star Marcel Somerville's heavily pregnant fiancee Rebecca Vieira revealed she may have to give birth alone after the new lockdown was introduced The model wrote: 'I've been awake since 3:30am. My spirit is troubled & my head is just all over the place. 'So the government cancel all homebirths, your partners can't be with your for your whole labour but your still allowed to go and live your best life in Dubai and come back like it's nothing. Ok. Makes sense.' YouTuber Rebecca became emotional as she elaborated her thoughts in a separate video. She complained: 'I haven't been able to sleep all night. I just don't understand it. I'm literally two weeks away from giving birth, and they do this. Approaching: The businesswoman, 24, is expecting a boy with the Blazin' Squad rapper, 34, and is due to give birth in two weeks (pictured in October) 'My spirit is so troubled': The influencer took to Instagram on Tuesday morning to admit she 'wasn't able to sleep all night' and her head is 'all over the place' 'Ok, make sense': The model also expressed her frustration at the prospect of not being able to welcome her child at home 'My only birth plan was to have a home birth, that was the most important thing to me... to have Marcel there the whole time. 'I have to speak to my midwife today so I'm going to tell her how I'm feeling because I do not want to go to hospital right now.' At present, the NHS website states pregnant women will be able to have a birth partner during labour and the birth if they do not have symptoms of coronavirus, while some homebirths can still go ahead. But there may be limits on how long they can stay after the birth. If the birth partner has coronavirus symptoms, the NHS advises to have a backup birth partner. 'I just don't understand this': YouTuber Rebecca became emotional as she elaborated her thoughts in a separate video The blonde and the reality star announced they were expecting their first child in July 2020, with loved-up Marcel popping the question to his partner a month later. In a video shared to social media, the artist dropped to one knee after they pulled poppers which released blue confetti, leaving Rebecca, who said yes, in tears of joy. A source told OK! Online: 'Marcel didn't tell anyone that he was going to propose, even his best friends, he did not tell anyone that he was planning it so it was a whole surprise for everyone. 'Rebecca cried and every one at the party was crying, it was really emotional and every one was super happy.' Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 5 : An alert has been sounded after six UK returnees to the state after December 14 tested positive for the new coronavirus strain, including two each in Kozhikode and Alappuzha and one each in Kottayam and Kannur, officials said on Tuesday. Health Minister KK Shailaja called upon the people to opt for self-imposed lockdown. "More people are coming out after the lockdown restrictions were relaxed. We will now have to adopt self-imposed lockdown and show more self-discipline. People must go out only of their houses for emergency purposes. The next few weeks are crucial." The Minister said: "The infected UK returnees were quarantined ever since they had returned and tested positive. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology at Pune, which has now confirmed that they are infected with the new strain." Shailaja said that these people have since been shifted to hospitals and lists of people they came in contact with were prepared. These contacts have also been put in quarantine, she said. Meanwhile, the state has requested the Union government for 5 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines for healthcare professionals in the first phase. The state informed the Centre that the test positivity rates and the number of corona cases in Kerala are expected to touch 9,000 cases per day. The state had given more relaxations during the festive season and the recent local body elections, which may have led to the projections on the number of cases. Around 3.13 lakh people have already registered for the vaccine in the state, which include frontline health workers, medical students from all streams, and aanganwadi workers. The state is also planning to include police personnel in the list if the state receives 5 lakh doses of vaccines in the first phase. In a related development, BJP state President K Surendran told IANS: "Kerala's Covid-19 cases are mounting and I have requested the Prime Minister to constitute a special team of doctors to be sent to the state to assess the ground situation." Earlier in the day, the central government said that 20 more cases of mutant strain of coronavirus reported from UK have been detected in India, taking the total such cases in the country to 58. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New York, USA, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a report published by Research Dive, the global specialty water treatment market is anticipated to garner a revenue of $53,465.0 million at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period, increasing from $33,292.5 million in 2018. Check out How COVID-19 impacts the Global Specialty Water Treatment Market. Click here to Connect with our Analyst to get more Market Insight: https://www.researchdive.com/connect-to-analyst/141 The inclusive report provides a brief overview of the current scenario of the market including significant aspects of the market from growth factors, challenges, other market dynamics, restraints and various opportunities during the forecast period. The report also provides all the market figures making it easier and helpful for the new participants to understand the market. Exclusive Offer - As we are running Anniversary discount, here are some additional benefits which you are entitled to avail with this report. Free Excel Data Pack The report will cover impact of COVID-19 on this market. 20% Free Customisation 16 analyst hours support Quarterly Update on Enterprise License 24 hours priority response Download Sample Report of the Global Specialty Water Treatment Market and Reveal the Market Overview, Opportunity, Expansion, Growth and More: https://www.researchdive.com/download-sample/141 Dynamics of the Market Government is taking various initiatives for conserving water across the globe because of the climate change and rising population. This is going to boost the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, increase in the demand for chemically treated water in various end use industry is predicted to be another major driving factors for the global market of specialty water treatment chemicals. There are numerous ways of treating the wastewater. The presence of huge variety of treatments for wastewater technologies is predicted to hamper to the growth of the specialty water treatment chemicals market during the forecast period. In addition, the shifting cost of raw material is predicted to restrain the growth of the market in upcoming years. Development of eco-friendly products is expected to create many opportunities for the specialty water treatment chemicals market. Key Segments of the Market The report has divided the market into different segments based on type, end-use, and regional outlook. Type Segment: Biocides sub-segment to become the most lucrative: Biocides type registered a revenue of $6,591.9 million in 2018 and is further predicted to grow with a CAGR of 5.2% in the forecast period. Biocides has many usages in many commercial, manufacturing and industrial processes in closed systems, cooling towers, and cold-water storage tanks to purify and reuse water for operational work. Biocides ensure that the systems are safe, well maintained, and operated at a good efficiency which is considered to be another factor driving the growth of the market. Check out all Materials and Chemicals Industry Reports: https://www.researchdive.com/materials-and-chemicals End-use Segment: Municipal Sub-Segment will earn the Highest Profit: Municipal end use industry generated a revenue of $6,325.6 million in 2018 and is further predicted to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% in the forecast period. This industry includes local reservoirs, rivers, or lakes. Regional Analysis: North America will dominate the Industry North America market accounted for $8,456.3 million in 2018 and is foreseen to grow with a CAGR of 7.0% in the forecast period. This growth is due to the presence of large number of industrial companies, rise in the disposable income, and higher standard of living. Leading Players of the Market Novozymes A/S Evonik Industries AG Clariant AG Rhodia S.A. Chemtura Corporation Huntsman International LLC. AkzoNobel N.V. Bayer AG The Dow Chemical Co., BASF SE Access Varied Market Reports Bearing Extensive Analysis of the Market Situation, Updated With The Impact of COVID-19: https://www.researchdive.com/covid-19-insights The report also summarizes many important aspects including financial performance of the key players, SWOT analysis, product portfolio, and latest strategic developments. Recent Developments in the Market The key players of the market are focusing mainly on developing different strategies such as product development, merger and acquisition, partnership and collaboration to stay ahead of the race. For example, Essen, Germany. Evonik has successfully closed the acquisition of the US-based company PeroxyChem in February 2020, for US$640 million after the responsible court in Washington D.C. dismissed the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to block the acquisition. This acquisition has unleashed many additional opportunities for growth of Evonik. The report summarizes various aspects of all the prominent players functioning in the market such as financial performance, recent strategic moves & developments, product portfolio, and SWOT analysis. Click Here To Get Absolute Top Companies Development Strategies Summary Report TRENDING REPORTS WITH COVID-19 IMPACT ANALYSIS Personal Protective Equipment Market https://www.researchdive.com/covid-19-insights/212/personal-protective-equipment-market Barite Market https://www.researchdive.com/covid-19-insights/216/global-barite-market Bitumen Emulsifier Market https://www.researchdive.com/covid-19-insights/219/global-bitumen-emulsifier-market Apple Inc said in its annual proxy filing on Tuesday that it will modify executive cash bonuses based on progress toward the companys social and environmental goals. According to the filing, Apple notes that "Beginning in 2021, an environmental, social, and governance modifier based on Apple Values and other key community initiatives will be incorporated into our annual cash incentive program." (Click on image to Enlarge) Further, "This change is intended to further motivate Apples executive team to meet exceptionally high standards of values-driven leadership in addition to delivering strong financial results." Apple lists their corporate values in their latest proxy filing as noted below. (Click on Image to Enlarge) Executive Compensation Apple's proxy filing also presented a segment on Executive Compensation Tables that lists a number of key Executives such as Apple's CEO Tim Cook, CFO Lucas Maestri and others. Cook is listed as being paid $14, 769, 259 in 2020. (Click on image to Enlarge) Hudson, NY (12534) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Showers and a possible thunderstorm in the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. AMSTERDAM, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- During a summit organised by Techleap.nl, a non-profit organisation helping to quantify and accelerate the tech ecosystem of the Netherlands, leading investors agreed to join a taskforce to engage in international collaboration to curb climate change. The taskforce consists of a diverse group of investors with long-standing experience in the European venture market. Institutional investors, with a longer-term horizon, as well as public investors, will participate to build a framework to invest capital in innovations and technologies that bring long term solutions to the market. Additionally, best practices will be developed for public and private capital to be deployed where the largest impact on the climate and economy can be achieved. Europe, and the Netherlands in particular, is home to a great number of startups and scaleups that relentlessly work towards curbing climate change. It is crucial that they are able to scale their solutions and ideas across borders. The Dutch government, and other governments across Europe, have released capital to support innovative growth companies. This will give a boost to the capital market, but more financing is needed and private investors must also be attracted to new initiatives. Techleap.nl research shows that lack of capital is the main reason preventing energy companies from growing and the recently published Atomico State Of European Tech 2020 report shows similar findings - 46 % of European tech founders cited access to capital as their main challenge in 2020. To strengthen collaboration, co-investments, and growth in Europe, Techleap.nl will organise the taskforce around three main pillars; 1) LP/GP Co-investment framework, 2) Talent for Growth and 3) EU Tech IPO's. A set of best practices and a framework will be developed for increased collaboration and capital deployment into start-ups and technologies that help to flatten the climate curve. Parties that have already committed to the taskforce and will contribute through investment, insights, and lessons learned are: Bootstrap Europe; a lender that supports thriving industries across the globe, growth accelerator and impact investor Brabant Development Agency (BOM), global early-stage venture firm DN Capital, HPE Growth; a leading pan-European private equity firm focused on expansion/growth capital investments in technology companies, Invest-NL; a private impact investor committed to businesses and projects that will make the Netherlands more sustainable and innovative, MN; on behalf of the pension funds PMT and PME, one of the largest pension administrators and asset managers in the Dutch pension market, lifecycle financier InnovationQuarter, Rabobank's Captive Investment Fund, a global life cycle investor focussing on building better and more sustainable food value chains, support of transitions to curb climate change and a more effective and efficient healthcare system; Rabo Corporate Investments, and international venture capital firm Vickers Venture Partners. The taskforce is a direct result of The Flattening the Climate Curve LP/GP Investor Summit, where the world's largest investors came together to mobilise smart capital and to improve the growth climate for the Dutch and the European tech ecosystem, sparked by insights shared by Larry Fink, Chairman, and CEO of BlackRock and Rebecca Henderson, Professor, Author, and Authority on Reimagining Capitalism. During the summit, Larry Fink, Chairman, and CEO of BlackRock, said: "The absence of a significant tech industry in Europe has far-reaching repercussions for its long-term growth, but also for its dependence on other nations to provide key technologies. Today, more than ever, we need capital to finance sustainable innovation. Meeting these goals requires major investments to transition the European economy towards a carbon-neutral structure. European savers will need to become investors. The "sleeping money" in Europe needs to be awakened and put to work in productive investments." "Despite a global pandemic, we should not overlook other impending threats, such as climate change. As investors, we need to be addressing this crisis with urgency", Maurice van Tilburg, Managing Director Techleap.nl, added: "Currently there is not enough funding available in Europe for tech startups flattening the climate curve, and we believe that the capital that is available can be allocated in a smarter way. In the taskforce, we connect national and international investors to help companies in this segment accelerate and maximise their impact." Wouter Bos, CEO Invest-NL, said: "The current Covid-19 pandemic is only a temporary set-back with little or no effect on the fundamental transition towards a carbon neutral and circular economy. As an impact investor, we finance the technologies that enable this transition in the long run. With this taskforce we mobilise the capital and impact knowledge to further accelerate innovations on an international scale." Notes to editors: Watch the video recording of the Flattening the Climate Curve LP/GP Investor Summit here . About Techleap.nl Techleap.nl is a non-profit organisation, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, helping to quantify and accelerate the tech ecosystem of the Netherlands. Empowering Dutch leaders in tech to scale with programs and initiatives for improving access to technology, market, capital and talent. Special Envoy for Techleap.nl is Constantijn van Oranje. SOURCE Techleap.nl Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) describe an endoscopic modality for detecting upper gastrointestinal tract neoplasms by Linked Color Imaging that innovatively mixes light of different wavelengths to better depict mucosal changes Tokyo, Japan - Recently there have been significant advances on several fronts in the ongoing war against cancer of the alimentary tract. Now, Japanese researchers report the development of another weapon: Linked Color Imaging (LCI), a novel endoscopic technique that improves detection of cancer by viewing the upper digestive tract mucosa under illumination that combines specific wavelengths of light to intensify subtle color variations indicative of neoplastic change. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is routinely performed to detect tumorous changes or neoplasia in the pharynx, esophagus, and stomach and is conventionally done under White Light Imaging (WLI). Using the innovative LASEREO system developed by the Fujifilm Corporation, LCI technology balances white light with narrow-band short wavelength light in a specific ratio that deepens and enhances the contrast of red and white hues, thus intensifying nuances of mucosal transformation. Though earlier studies have described the role of LCI in histological diagnosis of upper GI tract tumors, the research team felt the need for a large-scale, broad-based comparative study to assess its efficacy in neoplasm detection. "Our research was conducted in 19 hospitals across Japan involving 1502 patients with known past or current gastrointestinal cancer, representing a high-risk population" explains Dr Shoko Ono, lead author. "Patients underwent upper GI endoscopy under both WLI and LCI protocols wherein they were grouped according to which modality was performed first. Ingeniously, our study design ensured diagnostic accuracy; not only did each modality serve as a backup and crosscheck on the other, this was further followed by histopathological confirmation." Dr Kenro Kawada, co-lead author, describes the results. "With LCI, lesions were detected in 8% of the patients but the detection rate was only 4.8% with WLI. Conversely, with WLI 3.5% of patients had a lesion overlooked but this rate was only 0.67% with LCI. This shows a clear superiority of LCI over conventionally illuminated endoscopic screening for discerning mucosal changes related to upper GIT neoplasia as it detected neoplasia 1.67 times more frequently." Professor Mototsugu Kato, senior and corresponding author, explains the implications of their research. "Combined with previous studies that show the efficacy of LCI in detecting large intestinal neoplasia, our findings make a strong case for wider adoption of this modality in surveillance of the entire endoscopically accessible digestive tract. However, we need further research to confirm its efficacy in the hands of general clinicians for upper GI screening of an average population." ### The article, "Linked Color Imaging Focused on Imaging for Neoplasm Detection in Upper Gastrointestinal Tract (LCI-FIND): a randomized trial" was published in Annals of Internal Medicine. at DOI: 10.7326/M19-2561 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. San Francisco: In a bid to tackle issues like pay disparity, retaliation and controversial government contracts, Google workers have announced plans to unionise with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the media reported on Monday. The Alphabet Workers' Union will be open to all employees and contractors at Google's parent company, reports The Verge. "This union builds upon years of courageous organising by Google workers," said Nicki Anselmo, a Google programme manager. "From fighting the real names' policy, to opposing Project Maven, to protesting the egregious, multi-million dollar payouts that have been given to executives who've committed sexual harassment, we've seen first-hand that Alphabet responds when we act collectively," Anselmo was quoted as saying. Project Maven, now shelved, was a project that involved the US department of Defense and used artificial intelligence in tasks such as analyzing drone footage. Google faced backlash from employees over its involvement in Maven. The decision not to renew the contract in 2018 came after about 4,000 employees signed a petition demanding "a clear policy stating that neither Google nor its contractors will ever build warfare technology." Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai last month apologised for the departure of top AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru and said he would probe the events that led to her leaving Google. Pichai, however, did not touch upon why was she fired as alleged by Gebru on social media. Famous for her work on algorithmic bias, particularly in facial recognition technology, Gebru who was the technical co-lead of Google's Ethical Artificial Intelligence Team took to Twitter to explain why she has been fired. Supporting Gebru, the Google Walkout for Change group had posted from its Twitter account: "Dr Gebru is a pathbreaking scientist doing some of the most important work to ensure just and accountable AI and to create a welcoming and diverse AI research field". Internal activism within Google increased after reports of the company offering multimillion-dollar severance packages to employees accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual relationships. At one point, about 20,000 employees staged a walkout. Many employees later alleged that Google resorted to retaliation against those who reported workplace issues. More than 170 prominent US business leaders have urged Donald Trump to finally accept the result of the presidential election. The outgoing president has refused to concede the election to Joe Biden and Congress is set to certify the electoral college results on Wednesday. But supporters of Mr Trump in the House and Senate have said they will refuse to certify Mr Bidens win and the president is still trying to reverse his defeat. Mr Bidens victory has been ratified in courtrooms and states across the country and the presidents false claims of voter fraud have repeatedly been debunked. Now the Partnership for New York City, a business advocacy group, published a letter urging Congress to quickly certify Mr Bidens victory. Signatories to the public letter include Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO David Solomon, Microsoft president Brad Smith, BlackRocks Laurence Fink, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. "This presidential election has been decided and it is time for the country to move forward," said the letter. "President-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have won the electoral college and the courts have rejected challenges to the electoral process. And they added that "attempts to thwart or delay this process run counter to the essential tenets of our democracy. The letter came after Mr Trump was caught on tape pressuring the Georgia secretary of state to help him find the 11,780 votes he needed to overturn Mr Bidens win there. A dozen senators, including Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, have said they will refuse to certify the results, and up to 140 House representatives may do the same. But Republicans almost certainly do not have the votes in either chamber to prevent Mr Bidens win being formally accepted and vice president Mike Pences role is largely ceremonial. Mt Biden won the election with 306 electoral college votes, comfortably more than the 270 needed to take the White House. He also won 81 million votes to Mr Trumps 74 million and flipped five battleground states, including Georgia, to punctuate his win. The former commissioner of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya (IEBC), Roselyn Akombe, has started the new year on a high after landing a new job with the United Nations. In an announcement on Monday, January 4, 2021, Akombe said she has joined the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Akombe mentioned that she was delighted to switch from the political side to her other passion; development. She will be serving as the Governance and Peacebuilding Africa Coordinator at the Regional Hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Akombe was working as Chief of Policy at the Policy and Mediation Division, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs at the United Nations in New York. Thrilled to join the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) todayAfter 14 years on the political side of the UN family, glad to switch to my other passion development, she said in a tweet. Akombe controversially resigned from IEBC on 18 October 2017, days to the October 26th fresh election. Also Read: Raila Reveals He Had Frequent Private Communication With Akombe Before She Resigned A staff member wearing protective gear stands in front of a vehicle at Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa District, Seoul, Tuesday, when a sixth mass round of COVID-19 testing was conducted among correctional officers and detainees. / Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin Prison authorities, who have already been criticized for lax management resulting in mass COVID-19 infections at a prison, are under fire again as they allegedly cremated the body of an inmate who died as a result of infection by the coronavirus without notifying his immediate next of kin, according to the deceased's family, Tuesday. The Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, currently struggling with massive infection outbreak, had recently reported the first death of an inmate, Yoon Chang-yeol, 66, who had been serving out a four-and-a-half year jail sentence for fraud since 2018. According to the center, the inmate tested positive with the virus Dec. 23. After a court ordered medical parole, he was transferred to a hospital for treatment the next day, but died Dec. 27. He reportedly had an underlying disease, and had been receiving hemodialysis treatment prior to contracting the virus. Council of Ministers meet as six new positive COVID-19 cases confirmed The Council of Ministers is currently meeting to evaluate the evolving threat to the Island posed by COVID-19. It follows the deteriorating situation in the United Kingdom and six positive test results that emerged late yesterday and overnight. The positive results are from a mixture of circumstances although, at the moment, there is no indication of any link to the two cases announced on New Years Eve. One of the six most recent positive cases is again from an individual who had completed their 14 day period of self-isolation. The case pre-dates the new day one and day 13 testing regime introduced on 23 December 2020. All those who have tested positive are self-isolating, as are their close contacts. Contact tracing is continuing and close contacts have been offered tests. The Chief Minister, Howard Quayle MHK, said: This news is concerning and I know it will cause understandable worry amongst our community. The Council of Ministers is currently meeting to assess matters and what actions we may need to take to bring this situation quickly under control. I would encourage the public to remain calm and vigilant. I will hold a COVID-19 briefing later today to provide an update. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Kelly Picciurro, 29, a physical therapist from the Upper East Side, had been checking New York Citys website for days to find out when she could get the coronavirus vaccine. Many health care workers in the first priority group, like Ms. Picciurro, had been anxiously waiting to hear when it would be their turn. After finally being able to make an appointment online on Monday, Ms. Picciurro was one of the first people at a clinic in East Harlem on Tuesday morning, one of the citys initial two pop-up vaccination sites that mark a more urgent stage of the inoculation campaign. The effort to vaccinate millions of New Yorkers against the virus has been off to a sluggish start, alarming city and health officials at a time when infection numbers are surging and a more contagious variant has been detected in the state. To ramp up capacity, the city is planning to open more than a hundred of these new vaccination hubs. Image Kelly Picciurro took a selfie after getting vaccinated. Credit... Kelly Picciurro By 9 a.m., a trickle of health care workers had arrived at the East Harlem site, by bike from a nearby neighborhood, by car from Long Island and by taxi, still in their scrubs. Walk-ins were turned away, including Eric Ettinger, 65, a receptionist at a doctors office, who biked over just before dawn, was first in line and waited for over an hour before being told an appointment was required. Paris, TX (75460) Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. 2020 was the year in which the mask fell. The coronavirus pandemic exposed the cruel essence of capitalism: Profits over lives. Millions of refugees have experienced this policy first-hand for decades, but the past year also brought their desperate situation to a head once again. Anyone wanting to gauge the criminal character of European governments and the European Union (EU) must look to Kara Tepe, the temporary camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. Here, around 7,200 people spent Christmas and New Year in the cold and wet, in sickness and fear. More than 19,000 refugees are forced to persevere on the Aegean islands. Migrants walk after a rainstorm at the Kara Tepe refugee camp, on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece. (AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas, File) The Kara Tepe tent camp is located on a former military training area directly adjacent to the sea; it is a construction site where the noise is deafening day in, day out. Refugees had to move here in the autumn after the notorious Moria slum camp went up in flames in September. Refugees and aid organisations report with horror that conditions in the new camp are even worse than in Moria. We all live in fear and hardship, Kara Tepe inmates wrote in a Christmas letter to the EU and its commission president Ursula von der Leyen (Christian Democratic Union, CDU): How is it that after three months and so many millions of government donations and money raised by NGOs, we are still sitting in a place without running water, hot showers and without a functioning sewage system? ... Do we not have rights as human beings and refugees in Europe that include basic services for everyone? We often read and hear that we must live like animals in these camps, but we think that is not true. We have studied the laws protecting animals in Europe and we have found that even they have more rights than we do. One in three refugees on the islands is thinking of suicide, the letter says. We see a lot of appeals for donations and promises and we see our reality and it makes us frustrated and angry. Their demands include adequate water supplies and showers, proper sanitation, provision of electricity, light, heating and tents for the winter, and better medical and psychological care. But the EU will cast even these minimal demands for basic human needs to the winds because the hardship in Kara Tepe is not an accident, but a deliberate and conscious policy of deterrence. In the burnt-out Lipa refugee camp in Bihac on the Bosnian-Croatian border, refugees are also fighting for sheer survival under the eyes of the EU. For days, hundreds of refugees have been camping out in the open in the snow, facing death from frostbite with almost no help. Marcus Bachmann of the aid organisation Doctors Without Borders Austria confirmed the extent of the disaster in the Greek refugee camps in an interview with the Viennese weekly Falter at the end of December. He used to be head of operations in crisis regions such as Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. But the dimension of the misery of the refugees on the Greek islands also stuns me, he says. Compared to his experiences in war zones, the Greek camps do not even reach the minimum standard. As Doctors Without Borders, we have to do things in Greece that are otherwise only necessary in countries where the health system has completely collapsed, says Bachmann. An unbearable stench pervades the entire Kara Tepe camp. Until recently, there were no shower and washing facilities, people had to bathe and wash their clothes in the sea. There is still no hot water. There is no rubbish and sewage disposal. Dirty water and rainwater flow through the camp. Often the packaged food is inedible and already spoiled when it is handed out. Food scraps, feces, mudthese unhygienic conditions attract rats and other creatures. They crawl into the tents at night and sometimes run around during the day, says Bachmann. Especially children are badly hurt by these rodents, he explains. We have had babies in our clinic with several rat bites. In the warmer months, the snakes also come. He has treated many snakebite victims on Samos, for example. We usually do that in South Sudan or the Central African Republic. But not in Europe. However, the warnings and demands of Doctors without Borders have not been heard in the EU and Greece for years, Bachmann said. On the contrary, we see that the situation has even worsened. In addition to the coronavirus, numerous cases of diarrhoea, respiratory and skin diseases are rampant, as well as typhoid fever. People receive only 1.5 litres of drinking water per day per person, even in the hot summer, although according to Bachmann, the minimum standard at the beginning of a refugee crisis is 7.5 litres, which is achieved in camps in Ethiopia and Sudan, for example. He sums up, It has to be said very clearly: if the people there are not evacuated, their lives are in danger. The severe traumas refugees suffer because of war, flight and the countless fires in the camps are particularly serious. Eight out of 10 people in the camps come from war and crisis regions, according to Doctors Without Borders. Mental illness and the risk of suicide increase dramatically. The huge Moria fire, in which several people were killed and wounded, drove thousands of families to flee. Children, who make up more than a third of camp inmates at Kara Tepe, are suffering the most. On Lesbos alone, 49 children and young people with suicidal thoughts or attempts were treated last year. Joseph Oertel, who has worked as a counsellor in a therapeutic childrens project run by the aid organisation Medical Volunteers International in Kara Tepe, spoke to Der Spiegel of a whole new form of hopelessness in the new camp. At least 300 police officers are operating in Kara Tepe. In an interview with the conservative newspaper Kathimerini, Greek migration minister Notis Mitarakis gloated that, You didnt have this feeling of security in Moria, it was a jungle. By security he means the brutal repression of the refugees. The police monitor the camp around the clock and use batons against the refugees. Drones, barbed wire fences and exit restrictions give the camp more the character of a prison, as child psychologist Thanos Chirvatidis explained to Der Spiegel. Children are afraid of the police. Access for aid organisations and journalists is extremely difficult. But Kara Tepe is only a foretaste of what is to come. The Greek government and the EU want to build a closed camp by summer 2021, which will probably be right next to a rubbish dump. German EU bureaucrat Beate Gminder, who heads the European Commissions Task Force on Migration Management and is responsible for the construction of the new camp, sees no problem with this. Better sites were not available, but Greece had taken numerous samples of soil and water, she claims in an interview with Der Spiegel. On December 31, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Kara Tepe and praised it as representing progress over Moria. With similar gall, Gminder also glosses over and justifies the conditions. The camp had many advantages, for example, it is located directly by the seapeople can swim. And in the winter? Well, large, heated tents have been set up and warm blankets and sleeping bags have been distributed. When it comes to a lack of hot water and electricity, it was the Greek authorities who were to blame for all the problems, according to Gminder. The moral decay and criminality emanating from these words are an expression of an EU policy under German leadership that has only one goal: To get rid of refugees at all costs and to mercilessly crush resistance within their ranks. In October, Migration Minister Mitarakis boasted that 73 percent fewer refugees had arrived in Greece in the first nine months of the year than in the same period last year. However, the drop in new arrivals is not the result of declining refugee numbers, but the massive intensification of illegal rejections and deportations without asylum procedures. The so-called pushbacks of rubber dinghies into Turkish waters take place not only under the eyes but also with the involvement of the European border protection agency Frontex. According to an internal letter from Frontex head Fabrice Leggeri to the EU Commission, reported by Der Spiegel at the end of November, German officials were also involved in pushbacks. The German Interior Ministry is trying to cover up these crimes and human rights violations. In early December, reporters from Der Spiegel described the story of one of these brutal deportations, which are happening more frequently. Two African female refugees were picked up by hooded Greek police officers after arriving on Lesbos, searched, beaten, spat on and forced to undress. Along with sixteen others seeking protection, including minors and several pregnant women, according to the refugees, the two were left on two small inflatable life rafts. In the middle of the night, in the middle of the sea, with no chance of reaching the coast under their own power. Only after holding out for hours were they rescued by Turkish coast guards and taken to Izmir. The entire year 2020 was marked by the war against refugees in Greece. In February, Greek police used tear gas against protesting refugees on Lesbos. In March, the land border with Turkey was sealed off and the right to asylum suspended. Suddenly, refugees were trapped in no-mans-land on the Greek-Turkish border at the river Evros. Soldiers and police fired live ammunition and tear gas at defenceless people; at least three refugees were killed crossing the border. In its brutal action, the Greek government worked closely with the EU leadership under von der Leyen and received backing from Syriza party leader Alexis Tsipras. At the same time, the coronavirus was spreading throughout Greece and thus also in refugee shelters and camps. Due to a lack of tests and inadequate health care, there are many unreported cases of infection and death among refugees. Under the pretext of the pandemic, Europe has also effectively stopped sea rescue operations, further accelerating mass deaths in the Mediterranean. This was followed by the unveiling of a murderous Asylum and Migration Pact that will further drive forward the disenfranchisement, deportation and ultimately the killing of refugees. From January to November 2020, more than 1,200 refugees lost their lives on the way to Europe. Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months A student escaped from handcuffs and tried to kick gardai when she became violent after being arrested in a disturbance outside a Dublin hotel. Abigail Rush (21) had to be pepper sprayed during the incident that happened after she drank alcohol while on medication, a court heard. Judge Flann Brennan struck the case out, leaving her without convictions, after she made a charity donation. Rush, of Seachnaill Place, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, obstruction and violent behaviour in Kevin Street garda station. Dublin District Court heard officers were called to Cardiff Lane in the docklands last September 7. Restrained The accused was hitting a glass door at the Clayton Hotel and shouting. She said he had been trying to get a room and had been refused entry. Rush refused to leave, became abusive to gardai, resisted arrest and had to be restrained on the ground. On the way to the garda station she freed herself from handcuffs and gardai had to stop the van. Rush tried to kick a garda and get out of the van and had to be pepper sprayed. At the garda station she refused to use water to wash her eyes and tried to kick an officer. She should not have been drinking, the court heard. Her only memory of the incident was of waking up in the station "in a very poor state". Rush was "remorseful, distressed and regretful". "Thankfully, you didn't hurt yourself or anybody else," the judge said. Herald Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Subscriber content preview The Value Village at 16771 Redmond Way, near the future light rail station, closed last fall. It wasn't publicly listed for sale. Now that property and a neighboring retail complex have sold for $26.4 million, according to King County records. The buyer was PPF AMLI Redmond Way LLC, which is associated with AMLI Residential of Chicago. . . . Bad weather Monday morning threw a damper on local businesses reopening after Gov. Tom Wolf lifted his order to restrict indoor gatherings over the holidays. Monday was the day the ban expired, but a mixture of snow and sleet Sunday made for a slow start Monday morning. Rocco Arruzzo, business operations manager for the Laurel Mall, said stores in the mall impacted by the governors order Planet Fitness, in particular were busy Monday. It was a little slow first thing this morning, but it is busy over there now, Arruzzo said around 2 p.m. All of the restaurants in the mall are busy. The mall had a great Christmas. With the pandemic the way it was, everybody was unsure how it was going to do, but most of our tenants did very well. Kay Yordan, assistant manager of Planet Fitness, echoed what Arruzzo said. It was good, Yordan said. We had a relatively sizable amount. For having just opened, it was good. It got busier as we moved into the afternoon. Tamara Hersberger, proprietor of the Poppy Press Coffee Company in downtown Hazleton, which is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, welcomed back its regulars Monday morning I wasnt real busy, but a lot of my regular customers came in, Hersberger said. They posted on Facebook that they came in. I was happy to see everybody. It was a nice day. I went down twice before. This will be the third time I reopened. Ann Marie DeLese, of Carmens Bakery, felt the bad weather Monday morning had an impact on the reopening. There were only two tables out of 15 filled. she said. I didnt expect a big horde of people coming in. I think because of the weather it was a slow day for us. This pandemic definitely hurt a lot of businesses. While places from the casino in Plains Twp. to eateries in Greater Hazleton opened, Glenn Boyer, director of operations for the local McDonalds, said they will reopen their dining rooms starting Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Like many restaurants, McDonalds has been operating strictly through their drive-thru windows during the holidays. We dont want to rush into it, Boyer said. The case count in Luzerne County is quite high. We just wanted to make sure. We didnt want to open and then have to close again right away. Another local restaurant that wont reopen until Wednesday is Cusats, which normally is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, said Jeff Cusat, whose family runs the cafe. Also, Roccos Restaurant in Hazleton Heights isnt reopening until this coming weekend, Cusat said. Schuylkill County Schuylkill restaurant owners who resumed indoor dining Monday said while not having customers inside hurt them, they believe the industry will survive. On Monday, Gov. Tom Wolf let his orders banning indoor dining in restaurants and bars expire. They were originally issued Dec. 12 to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Restaurants who complete a voluntarily self-certification process with the state were allowed to open at 50% capacity, while those that didnt self-certify could open at 25% of their occupancy. Staff at the Dutch Kitchen at 433 S. Lehigh Ave. in Frackville showed their enthusiasm for reopening on the restaurants billboard, which read, Yahoo! Open Monday indoors. Co-owner Jennifer Levkulic said she feels comfortable with indoor dining as customers tend to come in and out. There is also hand sanitizer at every table, face masks required, plexiglass dividers in the booths and employees space out diners. Levkulic said she had very little inventory to throw out as she was able to cancel orders from distributors when she heard indoor dining wouldnt be allowed. Levkulic said all 45 employees at Dutch Kitchen, including herself and her husband, co-owner Tom Levkulic, were laid off when they closed for three weeks, all of which returned to work Monday. While the restaurant had offered takeout in the spring, she said it was difficult to adopt its 10-page menu for takeout. Customers who dined in at Dutch Kitchen said they were more than comfortable having their meals inside the restaurants. Im comfortable in here because Jen and Tom keep it so clean, said Dutch Kitchen diner Virginia McAndrew of Shenandoah, who dined at the restaurant Monday afternoon with her husband, Joseph McAndrew. You get claustrophobic at home. Leslie Gilroy, also of Shenandoah, ate her meal a few tables down from the McAndrews with her husband Patrick Gilroy and grandson Joseph Peters. She said that as long as there are masks and social distancing, she didnt have a problem with indoor dining. We dont have a problem with it, as long as it is run the right way, Gilroy said. A large white tent in the Dutch Kitchens parking lot last summer proved to be so popular with customers, Levkulic said she plans to bring it back and expand outdoor dining. Takeout is also offered, but wasnt available during the three weeks it was closed. The restaurant industry will always be around for people to gather, celebrate and meet a friend, she said. They found a way to do so outdoors. Levkulic said the pandemic made her more aware of safety procedures and cleanliness. Its made me a lot more careful and aware of keeping the main dining area clean, she said. Its made people more mindful of being healthy and safe. Christine Lee, staff writer, contributed to this report. (Updated to clarify timing and fix a typographical error.) President Moon Jae-in stressed the urgency Tuesday of containing COVID-19, stabilizing the housing market and recovering the economy in 2021. "(We) start the new year with a heavy sense of responsibility," he said at the outset of the first Cabinet meeting of 2021. South Korea's top priority this year is "to get out of the long tunnel of the coronavirus as soon as possible," he emphasized. He described the country as standing at another watershed in its antivirus fight before the supply of vaccines begins in February. "Housing market stability is also a crucial policy task for people's lives," the president pointed out. The government won't hesitate to map out additional measures to curb hikes in home prices and rent, especially with a focus on exploring "innovative and various" ways to expand supply, he added. Many agree that Moon's falling job approval ratings in recent months are mainly attributable to a resurgence in coronavirus cases and a failure to stabilize the home market. Moon said the nation should pull off a "speedy and strong economic recovery" as well and move toward a longer-term goal of becoming a "leading country." Outlining key policy tasks in his fifth year in office during his brief public opening remarks at the Cabinet session, Moon did not mention other crucial issues, such as prosecution reform and inter-Korean relations. (Yonhap) Indian Army is set to start the process of recruitment rally of its second batch. An open recruitment rally for women military police will be held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, from January 18-30, 2021. The recruitment rally for interested women candidates from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand for the post of women military police will take place from January 18 till January 30, 2021, at the stadium of AMC Center and College in Lucknow. The recruitment will be organised by the headquarter of the recruitment office in Lucknow. it is expected that around 5898 women candidates from all the districts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand would participate in the recruitment rally. Eligibility criteria The detail information about eligibility criteria/eligibility for this recruitment rally, Dos & Donts and series of tests is given in the notification dated July 27 2020. The notification is already available on the website www.joinindianarmy.nic.in. Candidates are advised to beware of touts/fraudsters and avoid the use of drugs. It is again emphasized that if the candidates are found involved in such behavior, then their candidature will be canceled. Candidates must visit the official website for any kind of information. With the inability to open our buildings due to State guidelines, this was a cold-weather safety decision for staff and guests as well as a financial cost-savings decision for Chicagos free zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo spokeswoman Jillian Braun said as the institution announced the shutdown in mid-November, on the same day Illinois said it would require many indoor businesses to close due to rising coronavirus infection rates. Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday deployed 1,250 Special Constabulary Officers for community policing to boost security in different parts of the state. Community Policing is an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, to complement the efforts of the Nigeria police to effectively combat crime and criminal activities. Speaking at the passing-out parade of the Community Policing Special Constabulary Officers held at Police College, Ikeja, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, appealed to all Lagosians, especially community leaders and associations to support community policing by cooperating with the officers. Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Tayo Ayinde, assured the Special Police Constabularies that his administration will provide everything they will require to carry out their assignment most efficiently and effectively. He said the passing out parade of 1,250 Special Constabulary officers who have undergone series of trainings specially designed to equip them with the skills required for the job is an indication of the commitment of Lagos State Government to community policing initiative. Governor Sanwo-Olu also congratulated and commended the chairpersons and members of the State Community Policing Advisory Committee and the State Community Policing Committee for their efforts and progress that has been recorded so far in making community policing initiative a reality in Lagos State. L-R: Mr. Hakeem Odumosu; Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command; Brigadier General Etsu Ndagi, Commander, 9 brigade, Ikeja Army Cantonment; Commodore Ibrahim Aliyu Shettima, Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Apapa; Mr. Tayo Ayinde, representative of Lagos State Governor and the Chief of Staff to the Governor; Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Olasupo Ajani, representative of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Air Commodore Rasaq Olanrewaju, Commander, 651 Base Services Group, Nigerian Air Force Base, Ikeja, during the passing out parade of 1,250 Community Policing Special Constabulary Officers at the Police College, Ikeja, on Tuesday, January 5, 2020. Mr. Tayo Ayinde, representative of Lagos State Governor and the Chief of Staff to the Governor (middle in motorcade), inspecting the Guard of Honour during the passing out parade of 1,250 Community Policing Special Constabulary Officers at the Police College, Ikeja, on Tuesday, January 5, 2020. He said: The issue of security and safety of lives and property have been a major source of concern, which requires deliberate and urgent attention by the government, and the cooperation of all citizens. In an attempt to address this challenge, there was a national consensus on the need to embrace community policing which has been identified as a potent strategy that will complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police to effectiveiy combat crime and criminal activities. I want to appeal to all Lagoslans especially community leaders and associations to support this initiative by cooperating with these officers. They are no strangers but people that are known to you within your community. Let us therefore embrace this initiative to improve security and safety of lives and property within our various communities. Governor Sanwo-Olu also implored the Special Police Constabulary to operate within the operational guidelines that had been given to them. He said: You must understand that you have been recruited to perform a very important job which is about improving on the existing security architecture and making it more effective. Your major responsibility is to support the operations of the State Police Command through the provision of credible and timely intelligence on activities within the community which might result in perpetration of crime and threat to safety of lives and property. In carrying out your responsibility, it is very important that you operate within the operational guidelines that have been given to you. In recognition of the importance attached to the duty you have been recruited to perform. I want to assure you that the State government will accord your welfare priority attention. We will also provide everything that you will require to carry out your assignment most efficiently and effectively. Speaking earlier, th IGP, who was represented at by Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Olasupo Ajani, warned the Special Constabulary officers not to see themselves as conventional police officers. He said: You are expected to be a link and to build a good relationship between police and the general public. As you might have known, you as Community Policing officers are very strong stakeholders in maintaining law and order and the protection of lives and property. You should always remember the local knowledge you were taught and make use of it wherever you may find yourselves. Lastly, you are warned not to wear any other police uniform except the black uniform issued to you. Do not wear blue or the camouflage uniform of the conventional police officers In their goodwill messages during the passing-out parade, representatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Department of the State Services (DSS), community and religious leaders promised to support community policing initiative in their various community and Lagos State at large. ADVERTISEMENT Optimists might argue that a shut down isn't inevitable and measures to chase away rambunctious youngsters might help to save the mall from the precipice of oblivion. And polka music could also make a comeback to the pop charts . . . However unlikely. Accordingly . . . SOCIAL MEDIA SKEPTICS SEEM TO THINK THAT INDEPENDENCE CENTER IS DOOMED!!! AND SO WE'RE TAKING BETS: HOW LONG UNTIL SHUT DOWN??? Consider the recent chaotic scene before making a prediction that'll only provide disappointing on either side of a correct guess . . . Even with officers patrolling the Independence Center parking lot, police say suspects who were inside two vehicles fired more than 30 shots at each other around 2:15 Monday afternoon. Many shoppers left the mall to find crime scene tape surrounded their cars. Police carried car seats to families whose vehicles were damaged and located inside the crime scene tape. It is still definitely very scary that it happened while we were here whether it be inside or outside, a shopper said. Police found a man who was shot in the head inside one of the bullet riddled vehicles they believe was involved in the shooting. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive. That person unbelievably has non-life-threatening injuries, the Independence Police Department Public Information Officer said. More deets in these links . . . KCTV5: Independence Center extends curfew, owner coming into town to address recent violence Fox4: Independence Center extends 3 p.m. teen curfew to seven days a week after parking lot shooting KCTV5: Shoppers react to continued violence following Monday shooting outside Independence Center Developing . . . Spring for Children Charity Programme to raise VND100bn for children The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has launched the 14th Spring for Children annual charity programme which raises funds for disadvantaged children. Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha speaks at the press conference on the event. At a press conference held on January 4 to announce the programme, the organisers want to provide a warm and full Tet Holiday to the children with difficult backgrounds. The programme will be held at the Hanoi Opera House on January 10 and will be broadcast on VTV2. Secretary of the Party Central Committee Head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Mass Mobilisation Truong Thi Mai and Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and other leaders will attend the ceremony. After 13 years, the programme has raised a total of over VND1.2trn (USD52m) for nearly 1 million children via many methods like giving scholarships, building a clean water system or classrooms, supporting children that need operations for heart disease and other illnesses, helping orphaned children or those that live in natural disaster and epidemic zones. Spring for Children Charity Programme to raise VND100bn for children. The National Police of Ukraine is interested in obtaining additional information, which may concern those who ordered the murder of journalist Pavlo Sheremet in Kyiv, for which it intends to conduct appropriate investigative actions with the person who is the manager of the audio recording, in which allegedly KGB officials of Belarus are discussing the elimination of political opponents. "Since the manager of the sound recording is now in the territory of one of the EU countries, in order to carry out the relevant investigative actions, the procedures of international legal assistance must be followed. A joint group of officers of the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office has already been formed, which is ready to travel to the country of residence of the recording's owner in the near future," the National Police of Ukraine said on the website on Tuesday. In addition, according to the press service of the department, the investigators of the National Police have prepared an official invitation to Ukraine for the person who is the manager of the sound recording to participate in the investigative actions. "The man will receive the procedural status of a witness, and he will also be provided with proper protection," the police said. As reported, on January 4, the Ukrayinska Pravda Internet edition with reference to the published audio recordings and the EUobserver Belgian edition said that the murder of Sheremet was prepared by the special services of Belarus. As follows from the recording of the conversations of head of the State Security Committee of Belarus in 2008-2012 Vadim Zaitsev, transferred to Ukrayinska Pravda by the Belarusian opposition, the secret services of Belarus in 2012, by order of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, discussed the possibility of detonating Sheremet with explosives, which was carried out four years later. "The recording contains the words of Zaitsev, recorded by a hidden device on April 11, 2012, during the briefing of officers of the KGB's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorist unit, in Zaitsev's office in Minsk. The KGB also discussed killing Pavlo Sheremet, who was living in Russia at the time. The task is to blow it up. And to do it so that this murder becomes a public message," Ukrayinska Pravda said. Ukrayinska Pravda cites Zaitsev's words published in EUobserver: "We have to work on Sheremet, which is a big headache [...] we will plant a bomb [...] the president [Lukashenko] is waiting for these operations." Harvard Inventor of FEND Co-Authors Study Showing That Airway Hygiene Can Help Reduce Lung Exposure to Airborne Contaminants CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and BANGALORE, India, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sensory Cloud, a Cambridge-based health technology start-up and maker of FEND, and Bangalore Baptist Hospital (India), today announced new research published in the Molecular Frontiers Journal highlighting the effectiveness of the FEND product to significantly improve airway hygiene by reducing and suppressing respiratory droplets potentially containing airborne pathogens and other contaminants. This study's findings further highlight why the FEND product is an important new daily hygiene protocol that joins century-old hand washing, masking and distancing measures as a fourth protective layer of defense against aerosolized particles. The research examined the individual's respiratory droplets particles generated in human airways during breathing that may contain contaminants, and that can evade masks and linger within indoor environments and found a reduction in number on exhalation by up to 99% following airway hygiene using the FEND product. Reduction of exhaled particles following an isotonic nasal saline spray control was statistically insignificant. The research also found that exhaled particles were considerably higher and efficacy of airway hygiene greatest in Bangalore India, where particulate levels of air pollution exceeded those at the other sites of the study by at least ten-fold. "We are encouraged by these latest data," said coauthor Dr. David Edwards, whose research at Harvard and within Harvard spinout technology companies has, since the first SARS outbreak, explored the action of physiological salts for reducing respiratory drops as a safe and inexpensive means to reduce exposure to airborne pathogens. "Bringing to over 300 human volunteers evaluated this year at six sites in the USA and India, the results of this study underline the value of a fourth human hygiene for assuring hygienic safety during and after the pandemic daily airway hygiene as an efficacious and inexpensive complement to hand sanitizing, masks and social distancing." Story continues The multi-site study found that exhaled aerosols were 30 to 50 times higher in Bangalore, India where ambient air pollution was an order of magnitude greater than at the other two sites of the study. "It was incredible to see how FEND reduced exhaled aerosols in our participants," said Dr. Carolin Elizabeth George of Bangalore Baptist Hospital in India, another co-author of the FEND study. "In countries like India, where public health measures for Covid-19 have serious livelihood implications, FEND is a practical alternative. It is worthwhile to investigate its effect further on viral and bacterial burden in low and middle income countries where pollution is high - as the success can have farfetched positive implications." The new study examined two nasal salines: FEND, a drug-free nasal saline hygiene formulation comprised of calcium chloride and sodium chloride in distilled water, and Simply Saline by Arm & Hammer, a commercially available nasal spray of isotonic sodium chloride, as a control. The study involved 253 human volunteers, ranging from ages 10-70 years old from three different locations: Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids Michigan, Cape Cod Academy in Cape Cod Massachusetts, and Bangalore Baptist Hospital in Bangalore, India (a location of relatively high airborne particulate burden). The geographic and demographic distributions were chosen to determine the impact of airway hygiene in highly polluted versus less polluted environments, including elementary, secondary and college learning environments. Since launch of the FEND product in late October 2020, airway hygiene has begun to be used in work, home, and educational settings threatened by COVID-19, and other lower-airway respiratory threats. Both Grand Rapids Community College and Cape Cod Academy have integrated FEND into the schools' hygiene protocols for students and staff for 2021. At Bangalore Baptist Hospital in India, follow-on human trials are underway evaluating the efficacy of FEND in Covid positive patients. Further research in India will explore the use of FEND in low-income neighborhoods where access to existing hygiene protocols is limited. For more information on FEND, please visit www.hellofend.com. For additional studies and scientific research on this topic, please visit https://www.hellofend.com/pages/news. About Sensory Cloud: Sensory Cloud is a Cambridge-based technology startup company that designs solutions to problems of human wellbeing and healthcare through pioneering discoveries at the frontiers of olfaction and respiratory biology. Sensory Cloud is developing a proprietary line of consumer products based on its proprietary olfaction and calcium-salt platforms for human health and wellbeing. The Company launched its new hygienic product FEND (helloFEND.com) in October 2020. FEND was recently selected as a Time Magazine Best Invention of 2020. About Bangalore Baptist Hospital: Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) is a 340-bed not for profit hospital governed by Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. The first mission hospital in the country to have met national quality standards (NABH and NABL) of excellence in healthcare, BBH reaches out through its Community Health Division to one million population in rural villages and an additional million people in slums of Bangalore. BBH is known for its high-quality medical care, compassionate service to the underprivileged and for its excellent medical, nursing & allied health training and research. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-peer-reviewed-research-shows-effectiveness-of-fend-a-drug-free-airway-hygiene-system-in-reducing-up-to-99-of-respiratory-droplets-301200967.html SOURCE Sensory Cloud After a long and eerie uncertainty that loomed over the premises of Mumbais iconic Prithvi theatre, Naseeruddin Shah returned to stage as Einstein, much to the delight of theatre goers. Shah, who continues to be the theatre circuits mainstay, to a large extent, feels there are tough times ahead for theatre in a Covid-19 world. The 70-year-old actor says, I fear for the existence of the large commercial spaces as well as the very small ones. But there was the plague in Shakespeares time, too. Theatres were shut for a year but recovered gradually. I am optimistic thatll happen here as well. But I love being on the stage and will continue even if no one turns up. His return to stage as Einstein is based on a story written by Canadian playwright Gabriel Emmanuel. The actor first stepped into the shoes of the Nobel laureate six years ago. What emerges is a sort of line drawing of the man which is very precise and beautifully simple and captures all his salient qualities, his wisdom and his sense of humour, Shah says. Theres a section where Einstein says I owe the discovery that I am a Jew to the Gentiles. It applies perfectly to me and my Muslim identity in India. Einstein, it is well documented, was an ardent lover of literature and classical music. His biographer even wrote about how he always had a copy of Don Quixote next to his bed on his night table. Shah, himself, swears by Cervantes classic 17th century work. I myself find Don Quixote fascinating and I love music though I dont know much about it says the 70-year-old, before he adds, I was hopeless at physics and cant claim to understand one millionth of what Einstein said but his puckishness and precision of expression are what charmed me. I cant claim any affinity with him at all except perhaps that we both believe in the God of Spinoza. And if the parallels between these personalities end here, Shahs clairvoyant self is not averse to the stark similarities between the two eras either. The systematic marginalisation and victimisation of the Jews in Germany resonates eerily in todays India. Theres a section where he says I owe the discovery that I am a Jew to the Gentiles. It applies perfectly to me and my Muslim identity here. Shah as Einstein Shahs propensity for being brutally honest evidently comes across as he expresses his disappointment with some of the developments that have taken place in the last few months. The actor made his debut on OTT last year with Bandish Bandits is apprehensive about the development that saw the government announce its decision to regulate the OTT space. He says, The I&B ministry wanting to interfere with online content is a double edged sword, we might see the same idiotic censorial guidelines that operate in movies being applied online as well. The I&B ministry wanting to interfere with online content is a double edged sword, we might see the same idiotic censorial guidelines that operate in movies being applied online as well. Shah doubts whether the move might just be a step towards an odious intent to curtail the freedom of the makers under the garb of regulation. The intention of the I&B is actually not to limit the rampant permissiveness and obscene language on OTT but to be a watch dog for anything it perceives as anti-national and anything these days can be branded as such-even saying that you dont like Hindi movies, adds the actor. I feel nervous about that (his old films streaming on OTT) because many of those 70s and 80s films were rubbish disguised as art. Although he ventured into the uncharted waters somewhat late, Shahs films, nevertheless, have been the beneficiaries of OTT. And the actor does realise its numerous merits, i.e, according to him: writers and filmmakers dont face the pressure of casting stars or compromising their content with unnecessary songs and violence. Yet, he remains somewhat dismissive of the fact that a completely new generation is getting to see his definitive work from the 80s and 70s. I feel nervous about that because many of those 70s and 80s films were rubbish disguised as art, he quips. ott:10 Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The Chief Minister said that priority groups should be vaccinated first and his turn should come later The Opposition Congress took a potshot at Chouhan for opting out of the first phase of vaccination, saying that his decision would not inspire confidence among the people on the corona vaccine (Photo:PTI) Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday joined the select group of politicians in the country who have chosen to opt-out of the initial phase of coronavirus vaccination, by declaring that he would not get the vaccine right away. Chouhan, however, has his reasons for deciding not to get vaccinated first. The CM said that priority groups should be vaccinated first and his turn should come later. I will not get vaccinated now. The vaccine should be administered to others first. My turn should come afterwards. We should ensure that the priority groups get vaccinated, Chouhan said, while addressing the commissioners, district collectors and police officers through video conferencing. Chouhans comment comes a day after the Drugs Controller-General of India gave its approval to two coronavirus vaccines, one developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and the other by Bharat Biotech, for emergency use. Hours after the DCGI granted approval to the two vaccines, former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav said he will not get vaccinated now, inviting sharp reactions from several BJP leaders, who dubbed his attitude towards the coronavirus vaccine as negative. The Opposition Congress took a potshot at Chouhan for opting out of the first phase of vaccination, saying that his decision would not inspire confidence among the people on the corona vaccine. As chief minister of the state, Chouhan should volunteer to be the first to get vaccinated to inspire confidence among people for the corona vaccine. But he has announced he would get vaccinated later. This may hurt the confidence of people in the vaccine, state Congress spokesman Narendra Singh Saluja said. The internet is aflame about President Trump's Jan. 3 call to the Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's secretary of state. Any semi-honest perusal of the transcript will force a conclusion that not only was there nothing wrong with Trump's statements, but Raffensperger's position is nothing but a dodge, a subterfuge, a bid to cover up his own failure to do his job and follow the law. Raffenberger's dodge is this: to assert that anonymous state government employees have "investigated" allegations so there is nothing to speak about, all the while keeping the "reports" of the investigations secret. If there are any. An especially slick part of the dodge is that it is largely anonymous government employees being complained about, both in the execution of acts of fraud and with regard to their investigation (or cover-up). An attorney for Trump, Cleta Mitchell, who participated in the call, came close to spotting this. She said: [Y]ou have data and records that we don't have access to. And you can keep telling us and making public statement[s] that you investigated this and nothing to see here. But we don't know about that. All we know is what you tell us. What I don't understand is why wouldn't it be in everyone's best interest to try to get to the bottom, compare the numbers, you know, if you say, because ... to try to be able to get to the truth because we don't have any way of confirming what you're telling us. You tell us that you had an investigation at the State Farm Arena. I don't have any report. I've never seen a report of investigation. I don't know that is. I've been pretty involved in this, and I don't know. The salient point is that there is no honest, above-board reason to hide the reports. Not one single solitary reason, and there is every reason, if one is serving the public, to make certain they are made public and reviewable. President Trump, much to his credit, sees this clearly. Trump said to Raffensperger: But why wouldn't you want to find the right answer, Brad, instead of keep saying that the numbers are right? 'Cause those numbers are so wrong! The second part of the dodge is to refer anyone who doesn't like being stonewalled to the courts. In relation to the Georgia matter, as both Trump and his assistants noted: [T]he court is not acting on our petition. They haven't even assigned a judge. What a run-around. Moreover, it's not as if there were a statute addressing this problem. There are no special statutes directing courts on how to review elections, let alone presidential elections. There are no statutes listing what should be reviewed, such as behavior of officials or access by observers of political parties, and to what standard. Moreover, there is nothing at all like "The court is bound to invalidate purported presidential election results when it finds there to have been a substantial lack of procedural integrity." Brad Raffensperger's dodge, his stonewalling, and that of others like him, appears in itself to be nothing other than evidence of election fraud. What else could it be? Tadas Klimas is a former FBI agent, awarded the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement (NIMA). He is also a former law professor and former chief legal counsel to the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, Prof. Vytautas Landsbergis. gets 84 percent of its thermal power from coal-based plants that are yet to comply with sulphur dioxide emission norms notified by the Environment Ministry, the maximum by any state in the country, according to a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). (74 percent) and (71 percent) are also among the nine major defaulting states. On an average, 33 states and Union territories in the country receive 58 percent thermal power from unclean coal-fired power plants, it said. In its assessment, the CSE ranked the states and Union territories (UTs) based on how much electricity they get from unclean coal-fired power plants. "'Unclean' coal-fired power plants are those which have not made any progress to comply with the emission norms so far. Those who have awarded work to meet the standards have been considered under the 'cleaner' coal-fired stations, Soundaram Ramanathan, deputy programme manager, industrial pollution unit, CSE, said. The ministry had notified emission norms for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen in 2015. These had to be complied with by power stations in 2017. Nine states -- West Bengal, Telangana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu -- are the major defaulters as per the study. On an average, these states have been procuring around 60 percent of their thermal power from unclean coal-fired stations, the CSE report said. Nivit Kumar Yadav, programme director, industrial pollution, CSE, said, Coal-fired power stations emit three major pollutants -- particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen, and sulphur dioxide. Power stations have been specially lagging behind in their compliance with the sulphur dioxide norms. Therefore, in this study, the researchers have considered the progress made by stations to meet the sulphur dioxide norm as a measuring scale to identify the 'dirtiest' power. The study comes at a time when the Ministry of Power is pushing the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to dilute or further delay the implementation of sulphur dioxide norms, Ramanathan claimed. India'spresent installed power capacity(till November 30, 2020) is 374 gigawatts (GW). Of this, coal and lignite account for 205.8 GW (55 percent). Renewable sources of energy, including solar, wind, and biomass, contribute about 90 GW. Of around 162 GW of coal power capacity, for which data is available on the website of the Ministry of Power, 58 percent on an average comes from 'unclean' coal-based power plants, Ramanathan said. According to the study, inWest Bengal, 84 per cent of the thermal power comes from "unclean" coal-based power plants far away from meeting the sulphur dioxide norms. In Telangana, this figure is 74 per cent. It is 71 per cent inGujarat. The study also found that in three of the nine states -- Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu unclean power stations were one of the key sources of ambient air pollution in non-attainment cities. In the remaining three states -- Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh unclean power stations are located in clusters, and are not making sufficient efforts to comply with the norms, it said. Only 13 states/UTs (out of 33) are sourcing 100 percent of their requirements from clean coal-based power stations. These are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, the CSE said. Delhi and Goaare also very close in terms of procuring the clean power -- only 5-8 per cent of their electricity comes from unclean sources. Of the nine states buying maximum unclean power, only and have the full authority to monitor the stations as these are located within their state boundaries. The rest of the states have dual accountability of cleaning up both their own stations as well as ensuring stations supplying to them from other states are clean. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Jacob Blake's family have said they will continue to fight for justice as peaceful protesters gathered in Kenosha Tuesday night after the District Attorney refused to prosecute the white cop who shot the black man seven times in front of his kids. Justin Blake, the 29-year-old's uncle, slammed the decision not to file charges against police officer Rusten Sheskey in a press conference Tuesday and vowed that 'we're not backing down' in seeking justice for his nephew. 'This is going to impact this city, this state and the nation for many years to come unless the people rise up and do what they're supposed to do,' he said. 'Allow police officers to rein down terror on our community? It's unjust. We're going to unite our people from coast to coast until we get justice. We're not backing down. We've got work to do.' Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced Tuesday that no charges will be filed against Sheskey, who shot Blake multiple times and left him paralyzed back in August. On August 23 Sheskey, a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha Police Department, responded to a domestic incident in Kenosha, Wisconsin and shot Blake multiple times as he tried to get into his SUV as his three young children watched on from the back seat. Blake has been left paralyzed and was discharged from the hospital in October. 'No Kenosha law enforcement officer in this case will be charged with any criminal offense,' Graveley said Tuesday. No charges will be filed against the other two officers involved in the incident - Officers Vincent Arenas and Brittany Meronek - or against Blake. The decision not to charge Sheskey sparked a peaceful protest in the city of Kenosha Tuesday night, with a small crowd gathering in front of the courthouse where they chanted 'hands up don't shoot' in front of National Guard members. No charges will be filed against white police officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot black man Jacob Blake seven times and left him paralyzed, Kenosha County prosecutors announced Tuesday. Sheskey pictured left and right Jacob Blake was discharged from hospital in early October 2020 where he had been recovering for more than a month after being shot seven times by police during a domestic disturbance call in August A small crowd of peaceful demonstrators gathered in Kenosha Tuesday night protesting against the DA's decision and were seen chanting 'hands up don't shoot' in front of National Guard members Around 100 protesters gathered marched through Kenosha Tuesday night just hours after the DA's decision Demonstrators travel in a caravan through town to protest Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley's announcement : National Guard troops stand watch as demonstrators protest outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse Marchers disperse after walking in a small protest to the town square opposite the Kenosha County courthouse Justin Blake, right, uncle of Jacob Blake, speaks at a news conference Tuesday afternoon after the DA's decision was announced Justin Blake said the lack of charges allows 'police officers to rein down terror on our community'. 'This is going to impact this city, this state and the nation for many years to come unless the people rise up and do what they're supposed to do,' he said B'Ivory LaMarr, an attorney for the family, described the decision as 'deeply disturbing'. He said the 20-second bystander video released online back in August should have been enough to bring charges against the officer About 25-35 protesters are at the Kenosha, Wisconsin courthouse chanting hands up dont shoot in front of National Guard members. pic.twitter.com/v1qKtW1k81 Ann (@LadyIld) January 6, 2021 Blake's uncle Justin urged people to take part in a 'nonviolent' uprising calling for justice for his nephew following Tuesday's announcement. 'We, the Blake family, are asking this city, this county, this state and this nation to rise up in a non-violently... to let our friends and family know there's a new sheriff in town and he's wearing the colors of red, black and green,' he said in a press conference, in reference to the colors of the Black Flag of Liberation. He added that this is 'about more than little Jacob' and called for people to make 'noise'. 'I need a lot of noise. I need you to get in people's face,' he said. 'Martin Luther King went to jail. John Lewis went to jail for it. Don't be scared to go to jail.' B'Ivory LaMarr, an attorney for the family, also described the DA's decision as 'deeply disturbing'. 'Today the news that we have heard from the Kenosha District Attorney's Office is very disturbing. We are immensely disappointed by that decision,' LaMarr said. 'We believe there was more than sufficient evidence to find probable cause to charge officer Sheskey. 'We believe that there were certain standards and operating procedures that Officer Sheskey should have followed that were not followed. 'There was no de-escalation and we believe that the shooting an individual seven times when walking away from the officer was nothing less than intentional.' Justin Blake ended the march by asking for a moment of silence for his nephew. All seems quiet now in Kenosha. pic.twitter.com/z2rmV5j69T Rory Linnane (@RoryLinnane) January 6, 2021 Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced Tuesday that no charges would be filed against Sheskey or the other officers involved in the incident Black Lives Matter protesters gather in Kenosha. The demonstration, which was peaceful, included members of Blake's family, who condemned the DA's decision as 'deeply disturbing' in a press conference Tuesday afternoon Community activist Kejuan Goldsmith, who led a protest, told DailyMail.com 'we don't want to have any issues with the National Guard. We protest in peace' Demonstrators sit in a vehicle during the protest sparked by Tuesday's decision. The number of protesters is expected to increase as the days go on LaMarr said the 20-second bystander video released online back in August should have been enough to bring charges against the officer. 'We believe that the DA's office somehow believes that as we roll into 2021 that all of a sudden the country is legally blind or something,' he said. 'We think that the 20 second video is very clear. 'We don't need a two hour explanation for what our eyes can see,' he said, taking aim at Graveley's long press conference. 'It takes 20 seconds to watch that video and find probable cause - it took them over four months to find a reason to ignore it.' He added: 'There are three justice systems in America. There's one for black and brown people, one for police officers and one for the rest of America.' Blake's family will pursue civil action, LaMarr said, as he vowed to 'exercise every remedy that is available' to get 'justice and liberty for us all'. Graveley said no charges were filed against Sheskey because prosecutors could not disprove Sheskey's claim of self-defense. He said it is 'incontrovertible' that Blake had a knife, citing how officers reported seeing a razor blade-type knife and Blake admitted to authorities he had a knife. Graveley noted a separate federal civil rights investigation into the shooting is ongoing. The moment Sheskey opened fire on Blake on August 23 in Kenosha Jacob Blake (pictured) has been left paralyzed from the waist down following the shooting on August 23 Blake pictured above with his three young children who were in the back seat of his SUV when he tried to get in and was shot Wisconsin had braced for potential unrest Monday ahead of Tuesday's decision with Evers mobilizing 500 National Guard troops to help Kenosha authorities, the county sheriff declaring a state of emergency, and Mayor John Antaramian was given power to enact a curfew. This came after the shooting triggered massive, outraged protests in the city back in August decrying police brutality and demanding accountability. In one protest, then-17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly shot dead two protesters and injured a third. Around 100 protesters marched through Kenosha Tuesday night, trailed by a caravan of vehicles, just hours after the DA's decision. Concerns among officials of violence didn't materialize with the demonstration being peaceful and there were more National Guardsmen than protestors out in the streets. Around 100 members of the National Guard surrounded the local courthouse and other government buildings in the town square after the announcement was made. Some protesters approached the guards as night fell and chanted 'hands up, don't shoot'. Concerns of violence didn't materialize with the demonstration being peaceful and there being more National Guardsmen than protestors out in the streets A group of protesters with a megaphone protest near a group of National Guard members outside a museum late Tuesday Around 100 members of the National Guard surrounded the local courthouse and other government buildings in the town square after the announcement Some protesters approached the guards but just chanted such as saying 'hands up, don't shoot' Jacob Blake's uncle, carries the Pan-African or Marcus Garvey flag as he leads several dozen protestors, in a march Protesters stand in the road in Kenosha as they marched through the streets demonstrating against the decision One protester, Kejuan Goldsmith, 19 from nearby Racine told DailyMail.com he had helped organize the demonstration as he slammed the DA's decision Goldsmith said he was part of about 100 protestors that had marched from mid-town Kenosha to the town square and back One protester, Kejuan Goldsmith, 19 from nearby Racine told DailyMail.com he had helped organize the demonstration as he slammed the DA's decision. 'It was stupid for the DA not charging the cops, we are disheartened by the news but we weren't surprised. It's the system that needs to be fixed, society as a whole views black people are less than white people,' he said. Goldsmith said he was part of about 100 protestors that had marched from mid-town Kenosha to the town square and back. 'When we reached the town square we encountered the armed National Guardsman. We aren't going back there tomorrow, we don't want to have any issues with the National Guard. We protest in peace,' he said. Jacob Blake's uncle, Justin Blake, carried the Pan-African flag as he led several dozen protestors in a march through the streets. 'Life is too short with people willing to take your life as you walk our your front door,' he told the crowd. He ended the march with a minute's silence for his nephew. Most of the protestors had left the area by 9 p.m. but Goldsmith said he expects the crowds of protestors will grow everyday, with about 300 expected for Wednesday night's protest. A small demonstration also took place in Times Square in New York City in solidarity with protesters in Kenosha. In New York City, a small group of protesters gathered in Times Square, Manhattan, Tuesday night One protester holds a Black Lives Matter banner as a small group of protestors march in support of Jacob Blake People walked and pushed their bikes through the heart of the Big Apple after the DA ruled that no charges would be brought against the white cop People carry banners and march through the Big Apple in solidarity with protesters in Kenosha 'No charges against cops who shot Jacob Blake 7 times in the back!?' reads one demonstrators sign People gathered to watch Blake's family at the press conference as his uncle urged people to stage a 'nonviolent' uprising Heavily armored vehicles are stationed near the courthouse Tuesday following the announcement that no charges will be brought against the white cop Fencing has been put up around the courthouse. Authorities are preparing for unrest following Tuesday's announcement and the National Guard has been mobilized in the city The National Guard is seen surrounding the Kenosha County Courthouse in a pre-emptive measure to deter any violent reaction National Guard troops gather around the Kenosha County courthouse Tuesday in a pre-emptive measure to deter any violent reaction to the DA's decision On Tuesday before Graveley shared the announcement he pleaded for peace. 'Rather than burning things down, can moments of tragedy like this be an opportunity to build things?' Graveley said. At the lengthy press conference Graveley played a recording of Blake's girlfriend's 911 call to police, saying he had the keys to a rental car and was worried he would take it and crash it. When Sheskey arrived to the scene of the 911 call he saw Blake placing a child in the car saying: 'I'm taking the kid and I'm taking the car.' The cops then tried to take Blake to the ground and shock him with Tasers three times, but it had no effect, leading to the shooting. Graveley said that Blake was shot four times in the back and three times in the side and Sheskey told investigators he fired until Blake dropped the knife then tried to give him medical aid. Sheskey told investigators he used deadly force because he was afraid of Blake and feared he was trying to flee the scene and kidnap a child in the backseat of the vehicle. Sheskey and the other officers who were at the scene in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave. In sharing the highly-anticipated news, DA Graveley said how personally difficult the decision was. 'I feel in many ways completely inadequate for this moment. I have never in my life had a moment where I've had to contend with explicit or implicit bias based on my race. I have never had a moment in my life where I've had to fear for my safety either with police officers or people in authority,' he said. He noted that he never had to face police officers 'knowing I could face armed persons who might try to end my life.' Following the DA's announcement, Jacob Blake's attorneys Ben Crump, Patrick A. Salvi II and B'Ivory LaMarr released a statement condemning the decision. 'We are immensely disappointed in Kenosha District Attorney Michael Graveley's decision not to charge the officers involved in this horrific shooting. We feel this decision failed not only Jacob and his family, but the community that protested and demanded justice,' the statement shared with DailyMail.com said. 'This sends the wrong message to police officers throughout the country. It says it is OK for police to abuse their power and recklessly shoot their weapon, destroying the life of someone who was trying to protect his children,' it adds. Some businesses boarded up this week ahead of the announcement, bracing for renewed protests in light of the District Attorney's office decision 500 members of the Wisconsin National Guard were activated earlier Tuesday in case of violence Wisconsin had already started to brace for renewed protests ahead of the DA's decision with Gov. Tony Evers mobilizing 500 National Guard troops to help Kenosha authorities. National Guard members pictured Tuesday outside a museum on Kenosha National Guard troops standing guard near the Kenosha County Courthouse hours before the charges announcement on Tuesday above Basketball star LeBron James also commented on the decision calling it a 'blow to the heart and to the gut' after the Los Angeles Lakers game with Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night. 'To hear what happened in Kenosha today was a blow to the heart and to the gut, not only to that community, but to us and to every black person that has been a part of this process, seeing these outcomes for so long,' he said. Local Wisconsin team the Marquette also showed solidarity with Blake during their game Tuesday as they took a knee and wore black uniforms to protest the decision. 'We are extremely disappointed in the decision involving Jacob's shooting and we will continue to use our platform to advocate and fight for racial justice,' the team wrote on its Twitter account. 'This is another reminder that just because racial and social injustice hasn't received as much attention recently, doesn't mean the need to fight against it has gone away. Governor Evers slammed the decision not to bring charges against Sheskey saying it was 'evidence that our work is not done.' The Democrat blasted officials for taking 'no action' at a time when they 'presented with an 'opportunity to rise to this moment.' 'Over the past year, our state and country have witnessed a movement - one that echoes hundreds of years of movements that have come before it, demanding justice, equity, and peace for black lives. 'What is just as clear today as it has been is we have failed to deliver on these promises, both as a state and as a country,' he said. People hold a vigil for Jacob Blake Monday night - on the eve of the announcement of the DA's decision Activists show support for Jacob Blake during a vigil near the Kenosha County Courthouse on January 4 Activists show support for Jacob Blake Jr. during a vigil near the Kenosha County Courthouse on Monday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, urging for Sheskey to be charged Protesters carrying a sign that says 'Arrest The Cops' during a rally on Monday near the Kenosha County Courthouse above Jacob Blake Sr., the father of Jacob Blake Jr. said at the Monday rally: 'Let's be heard around the world. We're not going to stop in Kenosha. We're headed to DC. We're headed to Nancy Pelosi's office. We're headed to whoever is going to be in charge of the Senate. Because this has got to be federally heard, for not just my son, but for everybody who has suffered police brutality - everyone' Evers spoke of Blake's children who witnessed their father being shot saying they 'experienced trauma no kid should ever endure'. 'Jacob Blake's life has forever been changed and his kids witnessed violence no kid should ever see, experienced trauma no kid should ever endure, all while the world watched,' he said in the statement. 'And yet, when presented the opportunity to rise to this moment and this movement and take action to provide meaningful, commonsense reform to enhance accountability and promote transparency in policing in our state, elected officials took no action. 'Today's decision is further evidence that our work is not done - we must work each day in earnest toward a more just, more fair, and more equitable state and country, and to combat the racism experienced by black Wisconsinites. The governor said he wished for 'peace and justice for Jacob, his family, and the entire Kenosha community' and people protesting the decision to do so 'peacefully and safely.' Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley also condemned Tuesday's decision and called for cops to be held accountable. 'The likelihood of an everyday citizen not facing charges for shooting someone 7 times in the back on video is slim to none. That shouldnt change for the police. When the police are above the law it means it's time to change the law to be sure officers are held accountable,' he tweeted. 'Todays decision not only failed to deliver justice to Jacob and his family, but it failed to listen to the people in communities across the state and nation who demanded systemic change in policing in the wake of Blakes shooting.' On Monday, ahead of the decision, Evers said he was mobilizing 500 National Guard troops to the city 'to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans are able to assemble safely, and to protect critical infrastructure as necessary' at the request of local officials. The Kenosha City Council held a meeting on Monday and agreed to grant Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian emergency powers as officials prepared for expected unrest following the DA's decision. In anticipation of the announcement many businesses were boarded up and some streets in Kenosha were closed. On Monday Blake's father, Jacob Blake Sr, led a rally throughout Kenosha where he called for charges against Sheskey, urging the public to 'stand up and make some noise.' 'Let's be heard around the world. We're not going to stop in Kenosha. We're headed to DC. We're headed to Nancy Pelosi's office. 'We're headed to whoever is going to be in charge of the Senate. Because this has got to be federally heard, for not just my son, but for everybody who has suffered police brutality - everyone,' he said. He questioned why authorities were ramping up law enforcement in the city before the decision. 'What is the National Guard for?' Blake Sr. said. 'They going to deliver mail? Deliver ice cream? What do you think they're here for?' Blake's shooting was captured on video and circulated online, fueling massive protests back in August that caused $50 million in damage to public and private property in Kenosha. During one of the protests calling for justice for Blake on August 25, Kyle Rittenhouse, then 17, allegedly shot dead two protesters and injured a third. Also on Tuesday, Rittenhouse, an 18-year-old from Illinois pleaded not guilty to charges. Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests on August 25, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Pictured above carrying the rifle in Kenosha during the night of the shooting He entered his plea in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference. He looked serious during his appearance, wearing a blue button down shirt, tie and black face mask, for the hearing from the office of his attorney Mark Richards. Rittenhouse had traveled from his home in Antioch, Illinois to Kenosha and opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests on August 25, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse has argued he opened fired in self-defense, claiming he was protecting local businesses from the raucous protests. He faces seven charges: first degree intentional homicide in the death of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36; first degree reckless homicide of Anthony Huber, 26, attempted first degree intentional homicide of Gaige Grosskreutz, 22, two counts of recklessly endangering safety for shots fired at others, being a minor in possession of a firearm and violation a curfew. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, pleads not guilty to killing two protesters and injuring another in Kenosha Kyle Rittenhouse, the Illinois teenager who fatally shot two people and wounded a third during violent protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin over the summer, pleaded not guilty to charges including intentional homicide on Tuesday. The 18-year-old entered his plea in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference. He looked serious during his appearance, wearing a blue button down shirt, tie and black face mask, for the hearing from the office of his attorney Mark Richards. Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests on August 25, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. The protests were decrying the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake, who was shot seven times in the back and left paralyzed on August 23. Rittenhouse has argued he opened fired in self-defense, claiming he was protecting local businesses from the raucous protests. He faces seven charges: first degree intentional homicide in the death of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36; first degree reckless homicide of Anthony Huber, 26, attempted first degree intentional homicide of Gaige Grosskreutz, 22, two counts of recklessly endangering safety for shots fired at others, being a minor in possession of a firearm and violation a curfew Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, pleaded not guilty to charges including intentional homicide on Tuesday in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference. Rittenhouse pictured in blue with his lawyer Mark Richard's from his lawyer's office Rittenhouse pictured above during his remote arraignment via video conference call Tuesday During the Tuesday hearing when Kenosha County Circuit Court Commissioner Loren Keating asked Rittenhouse if he understood that the previously imposed conditions of bond and bail 'remain in full force and effect,' he replied, 'Yes sir.' The trial is slated to start on March 29. Kyle Rittenhouse is charged in the slayings of two people during street protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He has pleaded not guilty During the hearing Rittenhouse's attorney Richards slammed the timeline as 'ridiculous', saying that the state's discovery materials, consisting of videos and reports, are being turned over this week. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger agreed and said the date of the trial will be reviewed at a pre-trial discussion with Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder on March 10. Conservatives have rallied around Rittenhouse, describing him as a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property, and raised enough money to make his $2 million cash bail, allowing him to walk out of jail on November 2. Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited protesters. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shootings. The family of victim Anthony Huber is suing the city of Kenosha for $10 million. Protester Gaige Grosskruetz, who was injured, has similarly filed a suit seeking $10 million in compensation. The Blake shooting happened three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis, which sparked outrage and national protests demanding police accountability. In Kenosha, a city of 100,000 near the Wisconsin-Illinois border, protests led to an estimated $50 million in damage. Some people answered a call on social media to travel to Kenosha in the wake of the Blake shooting. That included Rittenhouse who traveled from his home in Antioch, Illinois to neighboring Wisconsin in a bid to 'protect' local businesses from getting destroyed. Victims: In the August 25 shooting Rittenhouse fatally shot Anthony Huber (left) and shot and wounded Gaig Grosskruetz (right). The family of Anthony Huber is suing the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin for $10 million. Gaige Grosskruetz has similarly filed a suit seeking $10 million in compensation Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, was also shot and killed by Rittenhouse. Rosenbaum's family have not yet filed a suit against the city of Kenosha Louise Power became the first person in Tallaght University Hospital to be vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. She was vaccinated by her colleague Vivienne Dick. Covid-19 vaccination of staff in Tallaght Hospital in Dublin has got underway with the aim of rolling it out over the next two weeks. Louise Power, Arthroplasty Nurse Specialist, became the first person at the hospital to be vaccinated with the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. She was vaccinated by her colleague Vivienne Dick, Clinical Nurse Facilitator, from Milford, Donegal. A spokeswoman said that peer vaccination team of up to 30 nurses will vaccinate staff from Monday to Saturday. Read More Louise was given a HSE vaccine information leaflet, along with more detailed manufacturers patient information leaflet, before getting the vaccine. Afterwards, each person vaccinated was given a vaccine record card, showing the name and batch of the vaccine they have received. Appointments for staff to receive the second dose of the vaccine are automatically generated ensuring they will be fully protected, in three weeks. Hospital chief executive Lucy Nugent said : We are delighted to start the new year by offering this protection to our frontline workers with this Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. It is a very worrying time for everyone, particularly our frontline workers who continue to face this dangerous virus. I would like to commend the team in TUH who have worked so hard to begin the delivery of this vaccination programme, which also includes CHI at Tallaght staff who are located at TUH. Dr. Peter Lavin, Consultant Nephrologist and Clinical Director of the Medical Directorate added: It has been a long few months for all of us here in TUH. We are very grateful to receive the vaccine, it is the beginning of the end but there is a long road ahead of us. It is our combined efforts now that will help stabilise the current COVID-19 status in our communities. Please stay at home and stay safe. Its our actions today that may result in the avoidable sickness or death of a member of your family in the coming weeks. Trevor OCallaghan, CEO of Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, said that in the coming days the vaccine programme in the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital and St Lukes Radiation and Oncology Network will get underway. We also are working to commence vaccinations in the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and Naas General Hospital in the latter part of this week, he said. Online Editors Sorry! This content is not available in your region Amazons newest distribution center in Alabama could be in Spanish Fort, according to city officials. Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan told WKRG that the center would be a $45 million facility across 24 acres. The center would be located near the Bass Pro Shops at the Spanish Fort Town Center. According to McMillan, Amazons new distribution center could bring more than 100 jobs to the city and surrounding areas. However, the plans for the new center are still in their infancy. The city of Spanish Fort still has to vote on a slew of things, including zoning changes, and also have to hold public hearings before Amazon could break down. Amazons first site in Alabama was built in Theodore in October of 2017. That project cost $30 million and occupies 362,000-square-feet. Amazon also opened a 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Bessemer in 2020. That facility, which employs 1,500 workers, is at the center of an unionization push. If everything is approved, the Spanish Fort center could open as early spring 2022. The design of the Sa Pa airport (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn) Hanoi The assessment of the Sa Pa airport project proposed by the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has received the authorities nod to kick off. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to assess the project and make relevant submission to the Prime Minister for his decision on investment policy.In 2018, Lao Cai proposed building an airport in Sa Pa resort town at a total cost of nearly 5.8 trillion VND (252 million USD) to the Ministry of Transport.Covering 371ha in Cam Con commune, Bao Yen district, the joint-use airport will be built in association with a runway and a two-lane road linking to the Noi Bai Lao highway route. The entire project will last for 50 years, with the construction phase pning four years under a public-private partnership.According to a PM-approved aviation transport planning until 2020 with a vision toward 2030, the airport, once completed, will be capable of serving 3 million passengers per year.Located on the economic corridor of Kunming Lao Cai Hanoi Hai Phong, Lao Cai is an economic belt based on trade development among provinces in Southwest China.Currently, the provinces transport system incorporates only roads and railways. Therefore, an airport is viewed as crucial to improve local transport network, creating new engine for the development of Lao Cai and the northwest mountainous region at large. CALGARY - The new operator of the White Rose offshore oilfield says no final decision has been made about its future despite a move by partner Suncor Energy Inc. to take a $425-million impairment charge on the value of its stake. A Suncor logo is shown at the company's annual meeting in Calgary, Thursday, May 2, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh CALGARY - The new operator of the White Rose offshore oilfield says no final decision has been made about its future despite a move by partner Suncor Energy Inc. to take a $425-million impairment charge on the value of its stake. In a news release late Monday, Suncor said the purchase of operator Husky Energy Inc. by Calgary rival Cenovus Energy Inc. has cast doubt on the future of the East Coast project and its partly built $2.2-billion West White Rose extension. Cenovus announced the close of its all-stock friendly takeover of Husky Energy earlier on Monday. "The West White Rose 2021 construction season has been cancelled; however, certain scopes of work will progress in 2021," said Cenovus spokeswoman Sonja Franklin in an email. "The joint venture continues to evaluate its options beyond 2021 and no decisions have been made." More information about Cenovus' business plans will be issued throughout the course of the year, she said, adding Huskys 2020 results will be reported in the next couple of months. The original White Rose project is still producing oil but the West White Rose project is needed to access up to 200 million barrels of crude oil and extend the life of the White Rose field by about 14 years, Suncor said. In September, Husky put the West White Rose project under review while asking the federal government and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador to make direct investments in it. In October, it confirmed construction would be suspended through 2021. Suncor said talks are ongoing with Cenovus and various levels of government to determine the future of the project. It said its 2021 guidance is unchanged because it didn't include any major capital spending on West White Rose. Cenovus holds a 72.5 per cent stake in White Rose, while Suncor owns 27.5 per cent. The West White Rose project owners are Cenovus with 69 per cent, Suncor with 26 per cent and Nalcor, the provincial energy corporation, with five per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:SU, TSX:CVE) Regional communities have been placed on alert after a man with COVID-19 took a 900-kilometre road trip across the state before learning he was an infection risk. The 18-year-old man received a text message from NSW Health notifying him the BWS store at Berala, which he visited on Christmas Eve, was associated with coronavirus cases after he had travelled from Broken Hill to Orange via Nyngan on a camping trip, Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said. An 18-year-old who visited BWS Berala is NSW's latest coronavirus case. Credit:Getty "Can I thank this individual ... [he] was totally unaware of the issues and acted promptly on our text message," she said, adding the man had a runny nose but no other coronavirus symptoms. Western NSW is not subject to any coronavirus restrictions: there are no limits on gathering sizes or venue capacity and masks do not need to be worn. The last time a coronavirus case was detected in the area was in July, when a person living at Charles Sturt University's Orange campus with links to a Sydney cluster tested positive while in self-isolation. 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. Police in California were more likely to stop, search and use force against Black motorists than other drivers in 2019, the state reported Monday. The report from the states most populous areas also found officers were more likely to search and use force against Latino drivers than whites, even though they were less likely to find contraband when they searched Blacks or Latinos than whites. The report by the states Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board examined nearly 4 million stops by Californias 15 largest law enforcement agencies, including the Highway Patrol and police departments in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Los Angeles. Similar disparities in treatment of white and minority drivers were documented by police departments in 2018, and state law will require data from all law enforcement agencies in 2022. The findings show that there is significant work to be done to prevent further disparities in who is stopped, how they are treated when stopped, and the outcomes of those stops, said the board, which includes law enforcement representatives and appointees of Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra. About 16% of all drivers stopped by officers in 2019 were Black, who made up 7% of the states population, the report said. Whites accounted for 33% of the drivers stopped and 34% of the population; Latinos, 39% of the stops and 41% of the population; Asian Americans, 6% of the stops and 12% of the population; and those from the Middle East or South Asia, 5% of the stops and 2% of the population. Officers who pulled drivers over were much more likely to search minorities than whites, the report found: 4.5 times as likely for Black drivers, and 2.5 times as likely for Latinos, even though both groups were slightly less likely than whites to have contraband or incriminating evidence. There were also disparities in police use of force, which was 1.45 times as likely to be used against Black motorists and 1.18 times as likely against Latinos as against whites, the report said. Blacks were more likely than others to be ordered out of their vehicles and to be handcuffed. And among 154 motorists who were shot by officers, fatally or non-fatally, in 2019, 73 were Latino, 37 were Black and 35 were white, with the remainder from other groups. Some of the differences can be attributed to implicit bias that police share with others in society, the report said. It said the disparity in searches of motorists was partly caused by the fact that Blacks are more likely than other groups to be on probation or parole, and thus can be legally searched without evidence of wrongdoing. But the report also said that while the great majority of police stops were for traffic violations, and only about 12% because officers claimed a reasonable suspicion of other crimes, they cited such suspicions in 21% of the stops of Black motorists in 2019. And the report also cited some overt bigotry, such as the racist Facebook postings by a group of active and retired San Jose police officers that led to four suspensions in June 2020. One posting, allegedly by an active officer, said that black lives dont really matter, while another from a retired officer called Black Lives Matter protesters racist useful idiots and domestic enemies. The report suggested that police departments check the backgrounds of job applicants for evidence of explicit bias and monitor officers use of cell phones and computers for racist messages, like those exchanged by San Francisco police in 2011 and 2012. Law enforcement agencies should take other steps to remove structural practices that contribute to misconceptions about race and identity, the report said for example, deciding to stop posting mug-shot photos of people they have arrested, a step San Francisco took last July. Pleasanton Police Chief David Swing, co-chair of the advisory board that issued the report, said the findings will be used by our profession to evaluate our practices as we continue to strive for police services that are fair and impartial. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko At 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Senators and Representatives will gather in the House chamber for a Joint Session of Congress to count and certify the electoral college ballots. Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump by 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232. But the constitution calls for Congress to certify the results, in a process that has become largely procedural. It is very difficult to over turn an election and it has never happened in American history. Republicans, however, have vowed to object to the electoral college results, dragging out the certification process and putting on a grand display of theater that will likely please the president. Here's how the day will play out: The process is presided over by the president of the Senate, which is Vice President Mike Pence. Pence will open the states' sealed certificates in alphabetical order and hand them them to one of four 'tellers' a Republican and a Democrat from each chamber of Congress - who will announce how each state voted. As each state's result is read, Pence will ask whether any member of Congress wishes to raise an objection. At least one member of the House and one member of the Senate must object for the objection to stand. The law also states the objection must be in writing. If the objection is recognized, the lawmakers go to their respective chambers to debate the matter for up to two hours. Then the House and Senate each votes on whether to sustain the objection - which would dismiss the state's votes - or reject the objection. For a state's results to be dismissed, majorities of both chambers have to vote to sustain the objection. If one chamber votes to sustain the objection and the other doesn't, the objection is dismissed and the state's electoral college results stand. The Democratically-controlled House is unlikely to support sustaining an objection, meaning the states' results will stand and Biden will ultimately be declared the winner. Additionally, the Republican-controlled Senate isn't likely to vote in favor of an objection, either. The GOP has a slim margin in the upper chamber and a number of Republican senators have voiced their objections to the objection process. After the objection is voted on by each chamber, the joint session reconvenes and continues with the count. If there's another objection to a different state's vote, the process is repeated. President Trump's allies are looking at challenging three states: Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, which could go into the early morning hours of Thursday. 'At the end of the day, which could be the middle of the night, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be officially declared the next President and Vice President of the United States,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Democratic House members on Monday. After the votes are recorded from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the vice president declares who has received the requisite majority of electoral college votes. That announcement finalizes the election. WHAT IF THE OBJECTIONS ARE SUSTAINED? If, by some remote chance, an objection is sustained, Trump and his allies hope that will result in the electors being thrown out, ultimately bringing Biden's electoral count below the 270 needed to win. If all three state challenges are successful, Biden would have 259 electoral votes, throwing the election to the House of Representatives to select the next president. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, each state congressional delegation gets one vote. While Democrats control the House, Republicans control the majority of state delegations, which is how Trump hopes to be 'elected.' Sources: NBC News, Washington Post, New York Times Nova, however, was adopted as the name of the entire series in 1968 when Chevrolet officially dropped the Chevy II moniker with the debut of the third generation.The first Nova was offered in three different versions called 100 Series, 300 Series, and 400 Series, yet Chevrolet also planned to sell a 200 Series; however, the latter was abandoned quickly after the launch. The first-generation Nova was manufactured until 1965 and was available with five different engines, including two V8s 283 and 327.The Nova youre looking at here is indeed powered by a 283-ci (4.6-liter) unit, but what you need to know is this isnt the engine that Chevrolet installed back in 1962 when it built the car.In fact, this is an upgrade the Chevy received after changing owners and moving from Georgia to Rochester, NY, with the buyer converting it into a hot rod by installing a small-block engine and a Muncie 4-speed transmission. The car ended up parked in a garage, after which it was purchased by someone else who took proper care of it.The suspension and the engine have been rebuilt, new brakes and clutch have been installed, and the car was babied to look just like you see it today in the photo gallery here. The current owner says the paint is old and shows its age, but other than that, the Nova runs and drives nicely, with only small fixes required here and there. Theres no rust on this Nova, so whoever buys this car should be able to bring it back to tip-top shape quite easily.The Nova is listed on eBay with a $17,500 Buy It Now price, but on the other hand, other deals are also accepted, and you can use the Make Offer button to get in touch with the seller.The car is currently located in Scottsville, New York. PM Modi to hold virtual summit with Vietnamese counterpart; Likely to talk on healthcare, defence Vietnam buys rice from India for first time in decades: Report International oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Hanoi, Jan 05: Vietnam has began shopping for the grain from rival India for the primary time in a long time after native costs jumped to their highest in 9 years amid restricted home provides, officials said. The purchases spotlight tightening provides in Asia, which might raise rice costs in 2021 and even drive conventional consumers of rice from Thailand and Vietnam to change to India - the world's greatest exporter of the grain. The merchants in India have been contracted to export 70,000 tonnes of 100 per cent damaged rice for January and February shipments at round $310 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) foundation, the business officers say. Joe Biden slams Donald Trump for whining, complaining about election results "For the first time, we are exporting to Vietnam," BV Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, said on Monday. According to reports, Vietnam's 5 per cent damaged rice is obtainable round 500-505 US Dollars per tonne, considerably larger in comparison with Indian costs of 381-387 US Dollars.The shrinking provides will heighten issues about meals insecurity with sub-Saharan Africa among the many areas the place import demand has been rising due partly to inhabitants progress. Chronic and acute starvation is on the rise, impacting weak households in nearly each nation, with the COVID-19 pandemic lowering incomes and disrupting provide chains, in line with the World Bank. Explained: How COVID-19 vaccine made way for political bickering in India It is also said that worldwide pandemic has additionally prompted Vietnam and different international locations to stockpile rice. Vietnam introduced final 12 months it will stockpile 270,000 tonnes of rice to make sure meals availability amid coronavirus-driven provide chain disruptions worldwide. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News According to preliminary information from the federal government's General Statistics Office confirmed that Vietnam's complete paddy output in 2020 fell 1.85 per cent to 42.69 million tonnes, equal to round 21.35 million tonnes of rice. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 15:01 [IST] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Huntington, WV (25701) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. YES Bank, Adani Enterprises, PI Industries, Jubilant FoodWorks, Hindustan Aeronautics and Gland Pharma made entry to the large-cap group of stocks, as per the classification list of large-cap, midcap, and smallcap stocks, released by the Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI). On the other hand, NMDC, MRF, United Breweries, Concor, General Insurance Corporation, Bank of Baroda and Max Healthcare Institute were shifted to the mid-cap group from the large-cap group. Laurus Labs, IndiaMART InterMESH, Dixon Technologies, Navin Fluorine, AstraZeneca Pharma, Bombay Burmah, Suven Pharma and Persistent Systems were among the stocks that moved from small-cap to mid-cap club. On the other hand, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Kajaria Ceramics, Apollo Tyres, Cholamandalam Financial Holdings, V-Guard, PVR, Symphony and Future Retail were among the stocks that moved from mid-caps to small-caps. Click here for the complete AMFI list This classification of stocks will be effective for the February-to-July 2021 period. As per the SEBI circular dated October 6, 2017, mutual funds have one month to align their portfolios as per the fresh list. The market regulator on September 11 tweaked its October 2017 circular, mandating multi-cap funds to invest at least 25 percent each in small-caps, midcaps and large-cap stocks, leaving the remaining 25 percent to their discretion. These funds are now required to invest a minimum of 75 percent of their assets in equity and equity-related instruments from 65 percent earlier. On September 13, the regulator issued a clarification, reemphasising that mutual funds should be true to label and stick to appropriate benchmarking, indicating its seriousness to implement the circular strictly. The SEBI said it was conscious of market stability and that is why it had given the industry time till January 31, 2021, to meet the new minimum limit norms pertaining to multi-cap funds. All mutual funds are required to comply with the latest provisions by the first week of February 2021. More than 100,000 hopefuls have applied to fill 20,000 vacancies for police officers, the Home Office has revealed. The huge number will be a boost to Home Secretary Priti Patel today as she launches a new phase of a crime-busting recruitment campaign. So far, 6,000 officers have been hired across England and Wales and the Home Office aims to take on a similar number this year. The next phase will be backed by TV, radio and social media adverts aimed at graduates and career-changers as well as school-leavers. Total applications so far have exceeded 107,000 since the drive began at the end of 2019, according to a Home Office source. A department spokesman said: 'The 6,000 who have already signed up are just the start and this new round of recruitment will mean more police on our streets helping to cut crime and keep people safe.' Last month it was announced that police and crime commissioners will be able to increase council tax bills to pay for extra officers and other crime-fighting costs. If they opt to impose the maximum amount on the precept, then total police funding could reach 15.8billion next year in England and Wales. This includes 400million to continue the recruitment of 20,000 officers by 2023. More than 100,000 hopefuls have applied to fill 20,000 vacancies for police officers, the Home Office has revealed [Stock image] Police numbers fell by more than 21,000 in England and Wales during austerity. In another development, Miss Patel was yesterday accused of 'forgetting' the real issues faced by police officers as they try to deal with foreign criminals. Former Scotland Yard chief Lord Blair said there had been too much focus on stopping offenders getting into Britain or deporting them after conviction and not enough on 'practical' issues. He claimed Britain's loss of access to EU crime and security databases in the transition deal had made the country 'less safe'. The crossbench peer told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The police have been beating the drum quietly saying this is going to make us less safe and I'm afraid that is what is going to happen. 'I think what the Home Secretary has been doing is concentrating on illegal immigration and has forgotten the real, practical issues facing officers in their cars as we speak today. The huge number of applications will be a boost to Home Secretary Priti Patel today as she launches a new phase of a crime-busting recruitment campaign. Pictured: Patel exists a car in London on September 22, 2020 'We have lost the European arrest warrant which we used to send 12,000 suspects to Europe for trial in the last decade and 1,600 of our own offenders back. 'We've lost full access to Europe-wide, real-time databases on criminal records, DNA, fingerprints, criminal intelligence. 'One of the other things we will lose is knowing who is coming here and their records on aeroplanes. We will know their names but we won't know whether they have a criminal record.' Last month MPs heard that the transition deal could leave a 'gap' in knowledge on foreign criminals. Last night a Home Office source said: 'These are the same old tired arguments from people who never wanted to leave the EU. 'For Ian Blair to say Britain is less secure is offensive to the police and security services who work tirelessly to keep us safe. 'There are tried-and-tested systems in place which involve co-operation with Interpol. These are already used with the rest of the world and were used with the EU before 2015.' (Natural News) The legislation would punish Big Tech companies that engage in political censorship of their users, and judge them to be a publisher, not a platform. (Article by Jack Hadfield republished from NationalFile.com) Arizona State Rep. Mark Finchem has drafted legislation that will fine Big Tech companies for every online user in the state if they engage in political censorship. Finchem, the State Representative for Arizonas 11th District, was suspended from Twitter on Tuesday morning after he encouraged residents in the state to phone up the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The Board is currently fighting subpoenas from the Arizona State Senates Judiciary Committee that were handed out in order to perform a forensic audit of the Dominion voting machines and ballots in the county. Following his suspension, Finchem provided National File with draft legislation prepared late last month that is designed to tackle the exact political censorship that he fell victim to. He told National File that his suspension has only galvanized his efforts to push back against Big Tech. Im coming for you guys, Finchem said. Currently, Big Tech companies are regulated by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which defines online organizations as either platforms, where users can post whatever they want (within the platforms rules) but the company is not liable for what they write, or publishers, which exert editorial control over their content, but they are then liable for what is on their site. Social media sites are currently classed as platforms. However, many people, including President Donald Trump, have noted that social media platforms have been engaging in censorship of conservatives, thus exploiting the benefits of a platform, yet exerting the control of a publisher without the liability. Finchems legislation would deem any site that is engaged in the business of allowing online users to upload publicly accessible content on the internet and that exercises a level of control over the uploaded content for politically biased reasons as a publisher, not a platform. Such a move was hinted at by President Trump in May this year when he signed an Executive Order with a similar aim. The legislation defines the control of political content as including editing, deleting, delisting [also known as shadowbanning], blocking, censoring, or making it difficult or impossible for online users to locate and access uploaded content in an easy or timely manner. However, the draft legislation from Finchem also includes a step that has not been suggested by Big Tech critics previously. The organizations that are reclassified as publishers will pay to the Attorney General an annual fee as determined for each [authorised] online user in this state. The fees will then be deposited into Arizonas Antitrust Enforcement Revolving Fund, a legislative fund used to investigate potential monopolies and cartels. The newly classified publishers will also then become liable for damages suffered by an online user because of [the sites] actions. Either the State Attorney General or the user themselves may then bring action to recover the damages. This would allow anyone in Arizona who has been politically censored by Big Tech to sue the operators of these sites. UPDATE: Finchem gained access to his account again on Wednesday afternoon, and expressed his willingness to push on against Big Tech in a tweet. Cant wait to introduce legislation that fines Twitter for this clear violation of Sec. 230 USC, Finchem wrote. Out of Twitter Jail. Had to delete a tweet that did nothing more than repost public information. Can't wait to introduce legislating that fines Twitter for this clear violation of Sec. 230 USC. On to stopping the steal #stopthesteal Mark Finchem (@MarkFinchem) December 30, 2020 Read more at: NationalFile.com and BigTech.news. BMS Group Ltd., the London-based independent specialist insurance and reinsurance broker, announced the launch of its Asia broking operations, headquartered in Singapore and with proposed operations in Hong Kong, pending regulatory approval. BMS Asia will initially focus on M&A insurance broking, enhancing the groups existing capabilities in that class of business in London, Canada and Australia. Sandra Lee will be CEO of BMS Asia and is joined by Martijn de Lange and Aris Wong, who will be managing directors in the regional private equity, M&A and taxation (or PEMAT) operation, and by Amy Fu, who is executive director in Singapore. This is the latest stage in our strategy to provide our clients with a competitive and diverse, globally integrated offering by establishing scalable hubs in the key insurance markets around the world, commented Nick Cook, CEO of BMS Group. The M&A insurance market in Asia is evolving and maturing at pace, and we are delighted that Sandra and the team will be driving our initial offering in the region, said Cook. We will look to expand out from M&A insurance into additional specialisms, extending our existing areas of expertise into other sectors, potentially including reinsurance, renewable energy, marine, and capital markets, he added. The creation of BMS Asia is a really exciting development for insurance buyers in the region. As a leading independent broker, we can offer a genuine alternative to the worlds largest intermediaries and our independence gives us the freedom to be innovative and entrepreneurial and thus pursue the very best solutions for our clients, said Sandra Lee, CEO of BMS Asia. Growth in the Asian M&A insurance market is accelerating and we expect a robust increase in deal flow in 2021, with buyers looking for ways to protect their investments and sellers seeking the best solutions to reduce their liability post closing, Lee continued. From launch, the key initial members of the BMS Asia team are: Sandra Lee , CEO of BMS Asia, brings with her more than 16 years of legal and insurance experience, mostly spent advising leading international private equity and corporate investors on the legal aspects of their M&A transactions as well as placement of various M&A insurance solutions. , CEO of BMS Asia, brings with her more than 16 years of legal and insurance experience, mostly spent advising leading international private equity and corporate investors on the legal aspects of their M&A transactions as well as placement of various M&A insurance solutions. Martijn de Lange leads the Tax Liability Insurance practice. He has over 12 years of combined insurance, legal and tax experience, with a focus on Tax and M&A, having advised private equity and corporate investors on tax and transactional risk insurance solutions in the region. leads the Tax Liability Insurance practice. He has over 12 years of combined insurance, legal and tax experience, with a focus on Tax and M&A, having advised private equity and corporate investors on tax and transactional risk insurance solutions in the region. Aris Wong leads the M&A insurance practice in Singapore and the SE Asian region. She has more than 10 years of legal and insurance experience, most recently in advising investors on various transaction risk insurance solutions across the broader Asian region. leads the M&A insurance practice in Singapore and the SE Asian region. She has more than 10 years of legal and insurance experience, most recently in advising investors on various transaction risk insurance solutions across the broader Asian region. Amy Fu will help drive the strategy and growth of the broker operation, working with diverse corporate and public stakeholders, and reinsurance. Most recently, she led the distribution strategy and stakeholder engagement for Lloyds Asia, having established an international marine portfolio for Pioneer Underwriting and worked for Swiss Re across the region. About BMS Group BMS Group is an independent re/insurance broker specializing in the fields of reinsurance, wholesale and direct insurance. For 40 years, BMS has provided comprehensive, customized solutions in the fields of wholesale, reinsurance and direct insurance, and capital advisory. Source: BMS Group Topics Mergers Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Board President Pat Groody at the meeting gave her high praise, saying after a consulting firm helped the district screen 35 candidates, eight were formally interviewed by the district. Of those, Groody said three rose above the rest. In announcing Herrmann, he said the best word to describe the hire was exciting. In total, the search for a new superintendent took roughly two months, officials said. LIBERTY LAKE, Wash., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vega Cloud, Inc., provider of the most user-friendly cloud automation platform, after successfully completing its initial funding round in September of 2020, announced today that it has appointed three independent directors to its Board of Directors including Cloud Computing and finance veteran Sean Boyle, technology veteran and executive Matt Gerber, and Cloud Computing pioneer and executive Bob DeSantis. As a board member, Sean Boyle brings more than 25 years of finance and capital markets experience, an extensive background in financial planning and operations, management and strategy, and a deep knowledge of Cloud. Sean is currently COO of Wildlife Studios, a global, mobile gaming developer. With his multi-billion dollar scaling acumen, Boyle has served in various roles during his nearly 13 years at Amazon, including as Vice President of Investor Relations, Chief Financial Officer, followed by Vice President of Amazon Web Services. Sean also serves as Board Director for Splunk and is a member of Seattle's Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center's Board of Trustees. "The importance of Public Cloud cannot be understated. It is one of the largest and most disruptive technology evolutions of our time and is a tool in every business' toolbox," said Boyle. "I look forward to helping Vega make it easier and faster for companies to use these great technology tools and I look forward to contributing to their continued growth and success." Matt Gerber has over 30 years of global high-technology market experience concentrated in the computing products and services markets. Gerber is currently CEO and board member at Rohinni LLC, and a board member at Rohinni's three joint venture companies. Gerber is also Board Chairman at TeraGo (TGO.TO), a provider of cloud and colocation infrastructure and telecommunications services across Canada. Prior CEO and board roles for Gerber include Digital Fortress, IT-Lifeline (acquired by Reynolds & Reynolds), and SprayCool (acquired by Parker Hannifin). Prior board roles also include 2nd Watch, Blue Box (acquired by IBM), and Pacinian (acquired by Synaptics). Bob DeSantis brings more than 30 years of leadership experience managing operations, global sales, marketing, and business development organizations at companies across the technology sector, with significant experience in both SaaS and IaaS markets. Bob is an active board member and advisor for many technology companies including Copado and OwnBackup. Bob most recently was the President and COO of hypergrowth SaaS company Conga, where he led the company to 8x growth over four years. Prior to that, Bob held executive positions at IaaS pioneers Tier 3 (acquired by CenturyLink) and Blue Box (acquired by IBM). Kris Bliesner, Vega Cloud, Inc. CEO, stated, "Vega is excited to welcome such a fantastic team of industry veterans to its Board of Directors. Their deep industry backgrounds are unmatched, and the validation of our vision is inspiring. Cloud infrastructure is complex and implementing at scale is challenging, but with Vega Cloud, it doesn't have to be. We look forward to helping businesses use Cloud technology to grow their operations and successfully innovate for the future." About Vega Cloud Vega is a new scale management platform for public cloud infrastructure. If you use AWS, Azure or Google, we can help you save time and money and enable you to manage your infrastructure the way you think about it, not the way cloud providers lay out their datacenters. Cloud is complex it's time to make it easier with Vega. Media Contact: Leslie Ho Phone: 509.821.9210 Email: [email protected] Related Images vega-cloud.png Vega Cloud Vega Cloud is a next-generation scale cloud management platform designed to save time and money managing cloud infrastructure. Related Links Vega Cloud SOURCE Vega Cloud, Inc. Gardai are hunting two men who caried out a burglary that happened at a cafe in the Forte Lynn Retail Park, Letterkenny in the early hours of yesterday morning. An investigation is underway and two males are wanted in connection with incident which happened shortly after 3am One male youth is seen entering the premises on CCTV. He was wearing dark bottoms, a grey jacket, black Nike air max trainers and a black mask. The front door was kicked in until the glass shattered. Read More A second male youth waited outside the premises. He was wearing all black clothing. The males left with the drawer of the cash register that contained a small sum of cash. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have been in the area around that time and who may have had a dash cam or who may have observed these two males in the area to contact them in Letterkenny. In a statement, gardai said: Gardai are investigating a break in at a retail premises in Letterkenny, Co Donegal that occurred yesterday morning, January 4, at approximately 3am. Damage was caused to the front of the property during the incident and number of items were reported as stolen." No arrests have been made. Investigations ongoing. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors A new strain of Covid-19 , more contagious than previous strains, is now circulating in dozens of countries. Other new strains, such as one first detected in South Africa, will almost certainly emerge. Aside from the challenges these mutations pose to public health, they will also be a test of our moral and political principles. As exhausted as we all are from making stressful judgments throughout this pandemic, we are about to face some of the most difficult trade-offs yet. Preliminary data indicate that the new strain in the U.K. allows the virus to spread from one person to another more easily. The practical upshot is that even the strict lockdowns of early 2020, such as the one just ordered in the U.K. by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, may not be enough to reverse the spread of the virus. ALSO READ: Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 It is far from obvious that politicians will be able to sell voters on strict lockdowns if they still allow the virus to spread. Furthermore, vaccine distribution has been sufficiently slow that a full lockdown would have to last for many months, and that probably isnt feasible or desirable. Yet not having lockdowns would lead to a much more rapid spread of the virus, overloading hospitals and public health facilities. Its hard to come up with the moral language to compare those outcomes when all of them are unacceptably bad. Trust in elites is already weak in the U.S., and it is likely to wane further. Whatever one might think is the correct course of action, how exactly would or should a President Joe Biden present and defend it to the public? A further set of moral dilemmas comes from the interaction of viral spread and the vaccine process. If the virus is spreading more quickly, then so should vaccinations. The U.K. will be vaccinating a greater number of people with a single dose, and giving them the second dose somewhat later, rather than reserving second doses for a rapid follow-up within two to three weeks. The Brits also might experiment with giving a first dose of one vaccine, and a second dose of a different vaccine, to stretch the available supply. That might work, but it is also untested and thus it involves some risk. Whatever you think of those approaches, the public health establishment is not well-geared to evaluate and present them to the public. The common mentality and message in public health is safety first." Yet none of the available approaches increases the level of safety or avoids major additional risks. One option would be for public health experts to speak explicitly in terms of expected value" and medical triage, and to be upfront about how many lives are being sacrificed and according to which standards. An alternative would be to retreat into a defense of status-quo vaccine allocation procedures, insisting that major changes would involve risks, and maximizing blame avoidance rather than seeking the best outcome. Either way, the public health bureaucracy doesnt appear to have much ability to negotiate such treacherous shoals. Perhaps more condescension is what should be expected. The biggest moral dilemmas might come in those countries that to date have been fairly successful at containing the spread of the virus. Apart from restrictions on foreign travel, life in Taiwan has been normal for some time now, and Covid-related casualties have been miniscule. Other successful examples of virus containment can be found throughout Asia and the Pacific. But how will those countries deal with the new strain? It has already appeared in both Taiwan and China. So far it has not taken over, but the previous tactics of quarantine and tracing may no longer suffice, should the new strain become more active. It is already spreading in Denmark, which did a good job against Covid-19 early on. Imagine being a leader of a country that has successfully contained Covid, and now realizing that a single mistake could undo almost a year of very hard work. You also know that, precisely because your country has been so effective at fighting the virus, it is not on the verge of vaccinating your entire population. What if you let a single returning citizen pass through customs taking one Covid test rather than three? What if you then cannot control the subsequent spread of the strain that person is carrying? When was the last time that stakes for such apparently minor decisions were so high? How will leaders deal with the extreme moral anxiety that their decisions will likely induce? It is like we are living in a horror movie, and just when we think its over, the monster comes back, stronger than ever. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Tyler Cowen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Political interests, teachers unions and legislators are thwarting new and existing charter schools, and parents and students must use every available tool to fight back, argues a new research brief released today by the Pacific Research Institute, a California-based, nonpartisan think tank. Click here to download the brief Pacific Research Institute "Research shows that charter schools are improving student achievement more than traditional schools," said Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI's Center for Education. "Unfortunately, charter schools are under attack. Recent successes by opponents would trap students in failing schools and prevent their escape to alternatives that will better prepare them for the future." In "New and Emerging Obstacles Facing Charter Schools," Izumi cites recent Harvard University research showing that African American charter school students are gaining a half-year of learning in math and by twice the amount in reading versus students attending traditional schools. He also cites University of Washington, Bothell research showing charter schools have better transitioned to virtual learning during the Covid-19 pandemic than traditional schools, noting better teacher interaction with students and technology availability. Among the threats he cites to charter schools are: Laws in 21 states capping the number of charter schools, effectively limiting expansion; Inefficient laws like those in Oregon that provide insufficient school accountability; that provide insufficient school accountability; Efforts in California and Michigan to deny charter schools equal funding with traditional schools, citing local and state Covid-19 fiscal crises; and and to deny charter schools equal funding with traditional schools, citing local and state Covid-19 fiscal crises; and Action to hinder the growth of virtual, online charter schools, denying an important education alternative during the Covid-19 pandemic. Izumi cites a political shift in California, a state previously known for relatively strong charter school laws under former Gov. Jerry Brown, a charter school supporter. Legislation signed in 2019 by Gov. Gavin Newsom weakens these laws by giving school districts more loopholes to deny charter petitions on fiscal grounds. However, recent University of Washington, Bothell research shows that charters do not increase the likelihood of schools entering fiscal distress. He argues the strategies and tactics of teachers unions are among the biggest obstacles for charter schools to overcome. For example, teachers unions in Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and elsewhere have called strikes and used contract negotiations to push for new charter school moratoriums and restrictions on charter school flexibility such as expanding charter school teacher unionization. To overcome these hurdles, Izumi recommends that charter school supporters urge state lawmakers enact reforms that mirror the best, most thoughtfully-crafted laws in other states. Where politicians are hostile to charter schools, he says litigation could be an effective strategy. Citing recent successful lawsuits in Mississippi and Washington state, Izumi notes that charter school proponents have a strong recent track record of prevailing in court. The Pacific Research Institute (www.pacificresearch.org) champions freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility by advancing free-market policy ideas. Follow PRI on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Media Contact: Madison Miller [email protected] (202) 471-4228 ext. 125 SOURCE Pacific Research Institute Related Links https://www.pacificresearch.org Advertisement Prime Minster Scott Morrison has declared Julian Assange will be free to return to Australia once his legal battle in the United Kingdom is over. A British judge on Monday ruled the Wikileaks founder - who was born in Townsville, Queensland in 1971 - cannot be extradited to the US to face spying charges due to the risk of him taking his own life in an American jail. US officials wanted to put him on trial for conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law by releasing top secret documents about US military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US government is expected to appeal the decision but if that appeal also lands in Assange's favour then he will be a free man after almost ten years in prison or self-imposed confinement. Mr Morrison avoided passing judgement on the decision but said Assange would be able to travel home if he his freed. 'I note the decision overnight and like any other Australian I understand that's subject to appeal... assuming that all turns out, he's like any other Australian, he's free to return home to Australia if he wishes,' Mr Morrison told 3AW radio. 'Consular support has been offered to Assange... it's a matter for him [if he returns] when proceedings and processes end,' the prime minister added. Julian Assange has won his legal battle against US officials who wanted to put him on trial for helping hack government computers and violating an espionage law by releasing confidential cables. He is sketched at the Old Bailey on Monday Assange is still wanted on 18 charges in the US - with a maximum 175 years in jail - relating to the 2010 release by WikiLeaks of 500,000 secret files detailing military campaigns. His legal team argued that the US effort to extradite him was launched under pressure from Donald Trump's administration, and that his extradition would pose a severe threat to press freedom. But it was only the risk he would commit suicide if he were held in a US maximum security jail that led Judge Vanessa Baraitser to reject the extradition request. She said Assange suffered at times from severe depression and had been diagnosed with autism. Half a razor blade was found in his London prison cell in May 2019, and he had told medical staff of suicidal thoughts and made plans to end his life. A US Justice Department spokesman said on Monday: 'While we are extremely disappointed in the court's ultimate decision, we are gratified that the United States prevailed on every point of law raised.... We will continue to seek Mr Assange's extradition to the United States.' In court in London, Assange sat in a blue suit with crossed legs and wiped his brow after the decision was announced, while his fiancee, Stella Moris - with whom he has two young sons - wept. Ms Moris, who fell in love with Assange while she was his lawyer, said outside the Old Bailey: 'Today is a victory for Julian. Today's victory is a first step towards justice in this case.' Assange's supporters cheered and hugged outside the Old Bailey after the judge revealed she was blocking his extradition She also issued a direct appeal to President Trump, which references President Ronald Reagan's 1987 appeal to Soviet lead Mikhail Gorbachev to 'tear down' the Berlin Wall. 'Mr President tear down these prison walls,' she said. 'Let our little boys have their father. Free Julian. Free the press.' Assange's defence team, including celebrity barrister Jennifer Robinson, will return to the Old Bailey on Wednesday for a bail application. If they successful, he could be a free man immediately afterwards. However, this is thought to be unlikely given the US government's intent to appeal. They have 14 days to state their grounds, during which time Assange will stay on remand at HMP Belmarsh in south-west London. Had Assange been convicted in the US, he would have been held in isolation at the notorious Supermax jail in Colorado, which has been described by a former warden as a 'clean version of hell' and a 'fate worse than death'. Judge Vanessa Baraitser said there was an 'unmanageable high risk' of Assange taking his own life if he was housed amid the grim conditions as she revealed he has autism, Asperger's and a severe depressive disorder. She accepted the evidence of medical experts who revealed that Assange had spoken openly about suicide while in Belmarsh and had prepared for it by writing a will. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's partner, Stella Moris, speaks to the media outside the Old Bailey in London on Monday 'Today is a victory for Julian': Assange's partner Stella Moris hails verdict Ms Moris, who fell in love with Assange while she was his lawyer, said outside the Old Bailey: 'I had hoped today would be the day Julian would come home. Today is not that day but that day will come soon. 'As long as Julian has to endure suffering in isolation as an unconvicted prisoner at Belmarsh prison, as long as our children continue to be robbed of their father's love and affection, we cannot celebrate. 'We will celebrate the day he comes home. 'Today is a victory for Julian. Today's victory is a first step towards justice in this case. 'On behalf of Julian and myself, I want to thank the millions of people around the world and the institutions that are already calling for this persecution to end. 'I ask you all to shout louder, you lobby harder, until he is free. I call on everyone else to come together to defend Julian's rights; not just Julian's rights, they are your rights too. Julian's freedom is coupled to all our freedoms and our freedoms are lost in the blink of an eye. 'I call on insiders to come forward to expose the full extent of the misconduct that has led to Julian's imprisonment. And I call on the president of the United States to end this now. 'Mr President, tear down these prison walls. Let our little boys have their father. Free Julian, free the press, free us all.' Advertisement Meanwhile, Mexico offered political asylum to Mr Assange on Monday afternoon. The country's president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said: 'I'm going to ask the foreign minister to carry out the relevant procedures to request that the UK government releases Mr Assange and that Mexico offers him political asylum.' He said Mexico would ensure 'that whoever receives asylum does not intervene or interfere in the political affairs of any country.' The country has previously offered political asylum to high-profile international figures such as former Bolivian president Evo Morales. Mr Assange's supporters were overjoyed at the decision not to extradite him to the United States but expressed dismay that the ruling was made on health grounds rather than in defence of freedom of expression. The activist has been backed by a raft of celebrities including Pamela Anderson, artist Al Weiwei and designer Dame Vivienne Westwood. Assange's mother, Christine urged the US not to appeal, saying her son had suffered enough. She tweeted: 'UK Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled against extraditing my son Julian to the US on medical grounds. 'US prosecutors state they will appeal. I implore Pres Trump & Pres elect Biden to order them to stand down. The decade long process was the punishment. He has suffered enough.' Conservative MP David Davis said: 'Good news Julian Assange's extradition has been blocked. Extradition treaties should not be used for political prosecutions.' Former UK Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose brother, Piers, was outside the Old Bailey today, said: 'Good news that the extradition of Julian Assange has been refused - my congratulations to him and his legal team. Extradition would be an attack on press freedom. 'And it is alarming that the judge has accepted US government arguments threatening freedom of speech and freedom to publish. There remains much at stake in his case, which is being observed by so many around the world. Assange should be released.' But the journalist Glenn Greenwald added a note of caution, saying the judge had endorsed most of the arguments put forward by the US in favour of extradition - including dismissing the idea that it was an attack on freedom of speech. He said: 'This wasn't a victory for press freedom. Quite the contrary: the judge made clear she believed there are grounds to prosecute Assange in connection with the 2010 publication. It was, instead, an indictment of the insanely oppressive US prison system for security 'threats.' Meanwhile, Edward Snowden - the whistleblower who worked with Wikileaks and is currently living in Russia after leaking US surveillance secrets - called for an end to the proceedings, tweeting: 'Let this be the end of it.' Amnesty International tweeted: 'We welcome the fact that Julian Assange will not be sent to the USA, but this does not absolve the UK from having engaged in this politically-motivated process at the behest of the USA and putting media freedom and freedom of expression on trial.' Assange, 49, faces an 18-count indictment, alleging a plot to hack computers and a conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information Assange supporters celebrating outside the Old Bailey today after he was spared from being sent for trial in the United States How Assange is being defended by celebrity lawyer Jennifer Robinson Jennifer Robinson, a key member of Assange's defence team, is the go-to barrister for the rich and famous, most recently walking hand in hand with actress Amber Heard in her showdown against her ex-husband Johnny Depp in his acrimonious libel trial. She counts the Hollywood elite among her inner circle, travelling to George and Amal Clooney's wedding on a speedboat with actor Bill Murray. A self-confessed Kyle Minogue fan, who has 'nothing in her fridge but Champagne' , the human rights lawyer once set headlines alight after she was spotted canoodling with Jeremy Corbyn's former spin doctor, Seumas Milne. Australian human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson (left) with Assange's partner Stella Moris (right) at an earlier Old Bailey hearing Ms Robinson and Mr Milne - a then-married father-of-two - were photographed in a passionate embrace on the terrace of the Courthouse hotel in East London in 2017. The 39-year-old, who came from humble beginnings in Australia, has been known to use her social media as an outlet to criticise the Tories on their human rights record and tweet support for Corbyn. Less is known about Vanessa Baraitser, the district judge overseeing Assange's case. She appears to be a specialist in extradition cases and last year gave the go ahead for an associate of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to be returned to France for trial. Alexandre Djouhri, who was arrested at Heathrow last year after arriving on a flight from his Swiss home, and is accused by French prosecutors of nine offences relating to money laundering and corruption. These are alleged to have been committed in circumstances connected to Mr Sarkozy's 2007 presidential campaign. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser delivering her verdict today Advertisement Judge Baraitser ruled that Assange risked being held under Special Administrative Measures (Sams), which would have seen him in solitary confinement with limited access to family and only two phone calls per month. She said: 'Faced with the conditions of near total isolation without the protective factors which limited his risk at HMP Belmarsh, I am satisfied the procedures described by the US will not prevent Mr Assange from finding a way to commit suicide and for this reason I have decided extradition would be oppressive by reason of mental harm and I order his discharge. 'Despite his lighter spirit at times, he's a depressed and sometimes despairing man who is genuinely fearful of his future. He represents an unmanageable high risk of suicide, both in Belmarsh and the US.' She revealed that in 1991 Mr Assange had tried to take his own life and that there was a history of depression in the family. His maternal grandmother and uncle both died by suicide, and Assange phoned the Samaritans most nights while in jail. Mr Assange had been charged under the US's 1917 Espionage Act for conspiring with Chelsea Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst, to hack into a Pentagon computer network and publish secret documents related to 'national defence.' The WikiLeaks founder faced a total of 18 charges and was also accused of putting the lives of US informants at risk by publishing the material. Assange has been locked in a bitter dispute with US authorities since July 2010 when WikiLeaks started publishing hundreds of thousands of classified US military and political documents from the Afghan and Iraq wars. As US officials pursued him through the British courts, in June 2012, Assange entered the Ecuadorian embassy, requesting political asylum, which was granted two months later. Assange remained holed up at the embassy until April 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum status, leading to his arrest and kickstarting a legal battle that culminated in today's judgment. During his time in the embassy, the WikiLeaks founder fathered two children with his partner Stella Morris. For the past 19 months, Assange has been held at Belmarsh top security jail. He first appeared at the Old Bailey last February, but the case was pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic. If Assange had stood trial in the US, he faced a possible 175 years in prison if convicted of all charges. The controversial WikiLeaks founder has attracted a number of high-profile supporters including Pamela Anderson and Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel, who visited him at the Ecuadorian embassy. Others to have lent their support include the artist Al Weiwei and designer Dame Vivienne Westwood. Assange was represented at his Old Bailey trial last year by eminent lawyer Jennifer Robinson. The court head extraordinary details of the lengths US authorities were prepared to go to ensure that Assange stood trial in the country. This included hiring a US security contractor to bug Assange's meetings in the Ecuadorian embassy and even a possible kidnap or poison plot to end the stalemate. Judge Baraitser heard that if convicted, Assange faced the prospect of being held in a Supermax ADX facility in Colorado, where convicted terrorist Abu Hamza has been housed under Sams in solitary confinement. Psychiatrists for the defence said Assange had suffered from severe depression and was a high suicide risk. But lawyers for the US Government claimed that the prospect of Assange being held under Sams was 'speculative' and the sentence was likely to be much lower. Chelsea Manning had been sentenced to 35 years over her role in leaking classified material but was given clemency after seven years. However, she was jailed again for contempt in 2019 and fined for refusing to testify in court about Assange. Stella Moris, the mother of Julian Assange's children, Max and Gabriel (pictured left and right) this weekend said Britain 'would no longer be a haven for free speech' if he was extradited A prison van - most likely carrying Assange - is seen coming into the Old Bailey for today's hearing A further 17 Covid-19 related deaths have occured and 5,325 cases of the virus have been confirmed by the Department of Health this evening. There is a total of 113,322 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, while the death toll is now 2,282. Of the cases notified today, 1,931 are in Dublin, 767 in Cork, 323 in Kildare, 322 in Limerick, 238 in Donegal and the remaining 1,744 cases are spread across all other counties. The median age is 36 years old and 63pc are under 45 years of age. There are currently 840 Covid-19 patients in hospital and 76 in ICU. Speaking about today's figures, Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer said: "We are now experiencing a considerable surge in cases and hospitalisations. We can turn this around quickly if we stick to the measures we know worked last spring. "We have seen some early progress in that the average number of contacts per case has been dropping in recent days but we need to continue this effort to limit as much as we can our contact with other people in the days and weeks ahead. If we all stay home and keep to the public health advice, we can bring Covid-19 back under control - which ultimately will protect our essential services such as Health and Education and most importantly save lives." Earlier today, Dr Holohan warned that there will be a "sharp increase" in Covid-19 related deaths this month as a result of the surge in cases. He said January will "see a significant mulitple of the number of deaths" seen over November and December due to the rising level of community transmission now occuring as a result of the relaxtion of restrictions over the Christmas period. Read More "We now this morning have over 800 people in hospital. We're in the 70s now in terms of intensive care and it was only at the beginning of last week we had less than 30 in intensive care. That is the information we really need to look at in terms of where we need to direct our collective focus and energy," he told Newstalk's Pat Kenny Show. "We will see a very sharp increase in mortality, I'm sorry to say that that will be the case. January will see a significant multiple of the number of deaths that we saw over the course of both November and December as a consequence of all of this. "It's just we haven't seen it yet because it lags, but there's still an opportunity for people to to take the immediate measures to drive down these transmission habits as soon as possible." Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors Some residents in East Portland must take multiple buses to get to a doctors appointment. In some families, three school-aged children share a single computer for virtual public-school classes while their parent works a frontline job. These are the people on Carmen Rubios mind as she prepares for her first week in elected office. How do we make sure that the city of Portland represents them too? she asked in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive. Its a challenge and opportunity that the 47-year-old might be uniquely suited for. After two decades in government and nonprofit work focused on those historically overlooked by city leaders, Rubio will begin a four-year term on the Portland City Council, becoming the first Latinx commissioner in its history. Rubio, who was born and raised in Hillsboro in a family that immigrated from Mexico, will ensure communities of color and others who are marginalized have a voice at the table when decisions critical to their lives are made, said Serena Cruz, a former Multnomah County Commissioner. Representation matters. It makes a difference. Rubio became the first in her family to attend college studying political science at the University of Oregon and entered public service after graduating. She spent the late 1990s and early 2000s working as a policy adviser for Cruz and then-Portland Commissioner Nick Fish, as well as director of community affairs for former Portland Mayor Tom Potter. Rubio then went on to work more than a decade as the executive director of the Latino Network, which serves Latinx youth and families in Multnomah County. The experience provided a firsthand view into the lives of Portlanders struggling to get by even as the city flourished economically. It also compelled her to run for the seat being vacated by longtime Commissioner Amanda Fritz. Many of the people Ive worked with, you know, are working so hard just to provide for their families, Rubio said. Those are the stories that we need to lift up. She won the election to replace Fritz outright in the May primary, capturing more than two-thirds of the vote in a crowded field of seven candidates. Rubio received the backing of nearly every swath of the citys political establishment, including elected leaders, unions and business groups. By the standards of Portland city politics, shes relatively moderate, more bridge-builder than firebrand or radical reformer. A studied, deliberate approach to policy has earned her the praise of progressives and business leaders alike throughout her career. On the council, Rubio wants to play the role of a problem solver and consensus builder, even on the most contentious issues, she said. I will be the person committed to listening to all stakeholders to achieve a solution or goal, to know all sides of an issue she said. Thats the only way you can truly tackle things at their root cause. How such an approach might play out during such a divisive time in politics, both locally and nationally, is yet to be seen. But Rubio said she feels undeterred. Its incumbent upon us to do the work to make sure we have carefully considered and weighed everything, she said. Thats often going to involve hard decisions. But Im under no illusion thats part of this job. That could pit her at times against the other woman of color on the council, Jo Ann Hardesty, who after decades digging deep into what she and others say is blatant Portland police mistreatment of Black people and a lack of accountability for misconduct is impatient for change. She, too, wants to listen to a broad spectrum of Portland residents but she prefers to listen fast, then act faster. In part because of those two womens electoral success, the new Council that convenes Wednesday is the citys most diverse. Joining Rubio is Mingus Mapps, a former city employee and political science professor who unseated Commissioner Chloe Eudaly in November. He is only the third Black man to serve on Portlands city council. Commissioner Dan Ryan, who is openly gay, took office in August after winning a special election to replace Fish, who died of cancer last year. That makes Hardesty, who joined the council in 2018 as the first Black woman elected to the Portland City Council, the second-longest serving member behind Mayor Ted Wheeler, who was elected to a second term in November. Portland is also at an inflection point. Calls for radical changes to policing have been at the heart of months of racial justice protests. The city is reeling from a battered economy and an ongoing homelessness crisis. Meanwhile, the coronavirus continues to disproportionately harm the citys most vulnerable. What this pandemic has done has crystalized the deep disparities that already exist in our communities, Rubio said. Police reform, homelessness prevention and charting an equitable path to recovery from the pandemic are among the most urgent issues facing the council, Rubio said. But she also sees a great opportunity to improve the lives of Portlanders through the three city bureaus that shes been assigned to oversee Planning and Sustainability, Parks & Recreation and the Office of Community Technology. Among her priorities, she said, are seeking ways to achieve Portlands climate goals to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and making the citys byzantine planning process more equitable and inclusive. She is also looking to increase greenspace access to communities of color, particularly those who live east of Interstate 205, and expand popular parks programs to low- and moderate-income Portlanders. During the summer, they can be a lifesaver for working families, she said. Many single parents, many immigrant families, cant afford the traditional summer camp programs for children who are out of school. Even the sleepy and often overlooked city Office of Community Technology can and should be leveraged to help shrink a digital divide that remains in Portland, Rubio said. One of the biggest disparities to emerge during this time, in my opinion, has been the lack of internet and digital access for Portlanders, especially for BIPOC and low-income communities, she said. To achieve these goals, Rubio is likely to often align with Wheeler, Ryan and Mapps, who are seen as centrist figures in the council, according to longtime political observers and those whove known her for years. I have been fortunate to know Carmen for over two decades. She is steady, measured and persistent as she fights for justice, Ryan said. He and Rubio worked together when she was on the board of All Hands Raised, the education nonprofit Ryan previously ran. Both also previously served at the same time on the board of the University of Oregon Alumni Association. In both roles, dealing with wildly different perspectives and ideologies, Carmen operated with authenticity and grace, Ryan said. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. New Delhi: Emphasizing the need to build guidelines and if necessary, "red lines" for the Info-Pacific region, outgoing US Ambassador to India Ken Juster said on Tuesday that such an endeavor would enable all countries in the region to prosper. In his farewell policy speech here, Juster said the Indo-Pacific region needs stability and democratic governance, and that is why India is important. He also asserted that no bilateral relations in the world are as broad and of such substance than the one between India and the US. Juster was appointed by the US president on November 3, 2017, to be the 25th United States ambassador to India. Underlining the importance of the Info-Pacific in US-India ties, Juster said, "We are now building out the foundation of a stronger Indo-Pacific architecture that will enable us to tackle the challenges that lie ahead." "Our mission over the next five years and beyond should be to give this endeavour further form and substance to develop guidelines and if necessary, even red lines. This should enable all countries to prosper in a region that respects sovereignty, a rules based order and a peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law," he said. Juster said as democracies, the US and India are committed to a rules based order as well as to peace and diplomacy. "We (US and India) are both influenced by the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. But we know that not everyone thinks as we do and some choose suicide vests or military incursions," he said without naming any country. "That is why the US and India committed to strengthening our defence and security cooperation," he said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Angela Merkel came under fire yesterday after it emerged she intervened personally to block a bid by European health ministers to secure larger orders of coronavirus vaccine over the summer. Public anger is growing across the continent at the European Unions failure to order enough doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine which was developed in Germany and manufactured in Belgium. But it now appears Mrs Merkel blocked an initiative by the German, French, Italian and Dutch health ministers to order more stocks of vaccine last summer. Bild newspaper published a leaked letter from the four health ministers to Ursula von der Leyen in which they agreed to drop the initiative and hand over control of vaccine orders to the European Commission. Read More According to the newspaper, the letter was written under pressure from Mrs Merkel, who wanted to send a signal of solidarity at the start of Germanys six-month EU presidency. We believe that it is of utmost importance to have a common joint and single approach towards the various pharmaceutical companies, the four ministers wrote. We also consider that speed is of the essence in this case. So we deem it very useful if the commission takes the lead in this process. In fact, Europe began to fall behind in the race to secure sufficient stocks after the Commission took over. The four ministers had already negotiated an order for 400 million doses of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine, but the commission became locked in protracted negotiations as the UK and US secured large orders. The row came with the European Medicine Agency (EMA) poised to approve the Moderna vaccine this week. It will become the second vaccine approved for use in the EU, following the Pfzier-BioNTech vaccine. Jean-Claude Juncker, Mrs von der Leyens predecessor as commission president, spoke out against the EUs response to the virus, telling Luxembourgs Telecran magazine the bloc had reacted very weakly. But he added that the EU was hamstrung by the fact member states retain control of health policy. Meanwhile, India is to stockpile the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine until March as part of a nationwide inoculation drive, delaying its wider distribution to worlds less wealthy countries. The government granted the Serum Institute of India (SII) emergency authorisation to produce at least one billion doses of the jab on Sunday on condition that it does not export the shots. Global health experts have expressed concerns that the move means the pharmacy of the developing world has shut its doors. This is a huge blow for access to the AstraZeneca vaccine in developing countries, said Dr Mark Eccleston-Turner of Keele University. India has suffered the worlds second-largest Covid-19 epidemic.. Other countries, including the UK, have been accused of effectively stockpiling doses by securing them in advance from pharmaceutical firms. Read More Irish Independent Sports lie at the margins of our culture, different from how it is elsewhere in the world, and from how it used to be. This is one of the reasons why criminality among youth proceeds unchecked. There is no youth labour market, and the school system ruthlessly triages youth. Vaccinations against coronavirus are underway in Alabama. The state has administered 87,138 COVID-19 vaccinations roughly 32% of its total allotment - since its program began the week of Dec. 12, 2020. Front-line medical workers were the first to receive the vaccine followed by first responders. Starting Jan. 18, the state is expanding its program to include people age 75 and older and more categories of essential workers. There are roughly 300,000 healthcare workers in the state and 350,000 people age 75 and older that qualify for the vaccine, according to the ADPH. In its first day of operation, the states COVID-19 vaccination hotline received more than 1.1 million phone calls as many people complained they were unable to reach anyone to schedule their appointment. Hospitals were flooded with calls and state officials pointed out that vaccine demand still far outweighs supply. For more vaccine news, visit here https://www.al.com/topic/vaccines/ Jeremy Gray TriWest Healthcare Alliance -- the health care company that oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs' community care program in 13 states -- has agreed to pay $179.7 million to resolve claims that it kept overpayments under the VA's Choice program. The Justice Department announced Monday that TriWest, based in Phoenix, Arizona, reached a settlement regarding allegations that it improperly retained payments from the VA while managing the departments various private care programs, including Choice. According to a Justice Department release, TriWest was under investigation for keeping overpayments from the VA in cases where the department had already paid for the services and in instances where it already had received full or partial reimbursement from health care providers. Read Next: The Pentagon Has 6 Months to Disclose What it Knows About UFOs "The VA provides invaluable assistance to those who have sacrificed on our behalf," said Michael Bailey, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. "It is vital that those who administer programs for the VA be held accountable to do so with the utmost care and integrity." A VA Office of Inspector General report in 2018 found that two health care contractors -- TriWest and Health Net Federal Services -- received more than $140 million in overpayments from 2014 to 2017 while managing the VA's private health care programs, including VA Choice, created in 2015 in response to the department's wait times crisis. Following release of the VA OIG report in 2018, TriWest President and CEO David McIntyre told the Arizona Republic newspaper that the overpayments were a product of past "mechanical errors on both sides." On Monday, McIntire said the company identified the overpayments to VA "for return several years ago" and is pleased that "the overpayments it set aside ... have finally been accepted after a lengthy period of government review." "TriWest brought VA overpayments -- for reimbursement of veterans' health claims that TriWest had already paid to providers -- to VA's attention more than three years ago based on the results of TriWest's own internal audits, and TriWest also requested an avenue to promptly reconcile and repay those funds," McIntire said in a statement to Military.com. The settlement marks the second time in eight years that TriWest has settled with the Justice Department over its federal health care contract management. In 2012, TriWest agreed to pay $10 million amid allegations that the company defrauded Tricare -- the Defense Department's purchased care health program -- by billing the government higher rates than the company had negotiated with health care providers. The company also allegedly paid claims to ineligible beneficiaries and sent 3,000 claims to one location in a day to avoid late payment fees. TriWest managed the DoD's Tricare West Region from 1996 to 2012, when it lost the contract to UnitedHealth following a bitter competition and the subsequent DoJ investigation. It managed VA community care programs alongside Health Net Federal Services until 2018, when it was named the sole contractor to run the VA's Choice Program. Later, with passage of the Mission Act, the contracts for providing community care were reissued, with Optum awarded the contract for managing three of the five regional networks and TriWest managing two, including the Western states and Alaska. With the settlement, the claims against TriWest remain allegations and there has been "no determination of liability," according to Justice officials. But, added VA Inspector General Michael Missal, the "settlement is integral to ensuring that the VA's funds are spent for the benefit of our nation's veterans." "I appreciate the teamwork and dedication that led to this significant recovery," Missal said. According to McIntyre, TriWest has provided nearly 34 million appointments for veterans with 720,000 network providers since partnering with the VA on its private care programs and will continue to work with the department to support veterans. "The resolution of these issues will now permit TriWest to return funds it has long desired to return and continue to improve services to veterans," he said. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: VA Secretary Confident June 6 Rollout of Private Care Options Will Be Smooth A dog owner is demanding Bunnings Warehouse pay her vet bills after her six-month-old puppy was 'seriously injured' on a store travelator. Lisa Sinclair's short-haired Chihuahua Chelsea's left front paw and right hind paw became stuck in a travelator at Bunnings Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast in Queensland at 3pm on Saturday. Ms Sinclair rushed Chelsea to a vet across the road, where the puppy's middle toe on her injured hind paw had to be amputated. Shocking photos show that both of Chelsea's injured paws were left mangled and bloody with exposed flesh after becoming caught in the travelator. The dog owner wants Bunnings to pay for Saturday's vet bill and ongoing bills related to Chelsea's injuries. She also wants the Bunnings store it happened at to erect warning signs around the travelator. Lisa Sinclair's short-haired Chihuahua Chelsea's left front paw and right hind paw (pictured) became stuck in a travelator at Bunnings Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast in Queensland at 3pm on Saturday Ms Sinclair rushed Chelsea to a vet across the road, where the puppy's middle (pictured) toe on her injured hind paw had to be amputated Ms Sinclair said the ordeal was 'horrific' for both herself and Chelsea. 'I had her (Chelsea) on a leash on my left hand side, I'm trying to help her be independent so I let her walk a bit,' Ms Sinclair told Daily Mail Australia. 'I put her on travelator with me and as I stepped off, I heard a scream and that's when I turned around and saw that she was in a lot of pain so I picked her up right away. 'I could see as I picked her up, she was bleeding and there was some damage to the front paw.' A woman who worked at Bunnings and another woman who was shopping heard the dog's screams and came to help Ms Sinclair, offering a towel for the blood. Ms Sinclair then rushed Chelsea to a vet across the road, where the dog required immediate surgery for her injuries. 'Her middle balance toe on her back foot had to be fully amputated, they couldn't save it,' Ms Sinclair said. 'There were similar injuries on the front one, part of the paw and nail was gone.' Part of the paw and nail on the left hind lef were chewed off by the travelator at Bunnings Ms Sinclair and Chelsea celebrated Christmas last month. Now her pet puppy cannot walk and needs to be carried everywhere Ms Sinclair paid a total of $472.10 for the vet fees and will likely pay hundreds more for subsequent checkups. 'I'm not working so it's very hard to survive or even buy food at the moment,' she said. 'Chelsea can't stand, she's quite wobbly on her feet and I have to carry her around. 'I'll take her for another check next Monday but she may need more pain medication and there's a consultancy fee as well so it's really adding up.' The dog owner wants Bunnings to pay for the Saturday's bill as well as ongoing bills related to injuries sustained from the travelator incident. Bunnings Acting Area Manager Dean Nantes said: 'We were sorry to hear that an incident involving a customer's dog happened at our Burleigh Waters store over the weekend. 'We have been liaising directly with this customer to offer support and are working towards a resolution.' Ms Sinclair said she received a call from Bunnings management on Tuesday offering to pay for Saturday's bill on the condition that she sign a contract and no longer speak about the incident. Chelsea curled up asleep after her injury on Saturday. Ms Sinclair paid a total of $472.10 for the vet fees and will likely pay hundreds more for subsequent checkups 'I think he (a man from Bunnings management) wants to shut me up and make it go away really quickly,' she said. 'He was trying to make me sign something and convince me it was in my interest but I don't think it was in my interest. 'If I accept that and sign something right now, there will be another vet bill next week, what about then? She also believes there should be signage around the travelator warning owners about the potential danger to their dogs. 'The vet across the road told me he has treated another dog who was injured on the same travelator, so I think there might be something wrong with it,' Ms Sinclair said. 'I'm not the one that's done anything wrong, I just think awareness needs to be out there so it doesn't happen to another dog at this store. Bunnings Warehouse's guidelines dictate that dogs are welcome in stores as long as they are friendly. Owners must secure their dogs either on a leash, in a vehicle, in a trolley or carry them by hand. Developers have asked Brisbane City Council to give them more time to begin work on a 91-storey apartment tower on Albert Street, despite earlier concerns that it would impinge on the Cross River Rail tunnel. The planned 857-apartment and retail tower at 30 Albert Street, close to the Botanic Gardens, was approved by council in 2016, but delays have meant construction is yet to begin. The 2016 development application, approved by Brisbane City Council, would see a skyscraper as tall as Skytower rise up over the city. With the current permit to begin building work set to expire in June 2021, developers WCL (QLD) Albert Street Pty Ltd have asked council to give them more time by extending all the approvals needed until 2024. The project hit problems in 2018 when a request to increase the number of basement carpark levels put the tower's foundations in the Cross River Rail tunnel envelope, which did not exist when the tower was first approved. Nour al-Shilo has been freed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, after previously being handed a death sentence for allegedly communicating with the US-led International Coalition reports Enab Baladi. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham released media activist Nour al-Shilo, about two months after she was arrested in Idleb Governorate. Activists circulated the news of Shilos release on social media, while Tahrir al-Sham did not announce her official release. During the past weeks, activists warned of the intention of Tahrir al-Sham to execute the activist after a death sentence was issued against her, on charges of communicating with the US-led International Coalition. Shilo is a mother of three, and she has worked with local media and civil society organizations that empower and support women in the countryside of Aleppo and Idleb, including the Misrat and Darna organizations affiliated with the Basmeh & Zeitooneh organization. Activists had signed a petition to release Shilo, which opened a debate around the right of the controlling forces in Syria to issue arbitrary arrest or death warrants and other sentences. Activists accuse Tahrir al-Sham of violating the rights of journalists by arresting dozens of them. Among the recent decisions issued by the Tahrir al-Sham through the Salvation Government is restricting the work of correspondents of Agence France Presse and its collaborators, in addition to preventing media professionals from working with Al-Now channel in September 2020. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Sloan Digital Sky Surveys fifth generation made its first observations earlier this month. This image shows a sampling of data from those first SDSS-V data. The central sky image is a single field of SDSS-V observations. The purple circle indicates the telescopes field-of-view on the sky, with the full Moon shown as a size comparison. SDSS-V simultaneously observes 500 targets at a time within a circle of this size. The left panel shows the optical-light spectrum of a quasara supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy, which is surrounded by a disk of hot, glowing gas. The purple blob is an SDSS image of the light from this disk, which in this dataset spans about 1 arcsecond on the sky, or the width of a human hair as seen from about 21 meters (63 feet) away. The right panel shows the image and spectrum of a white dwarf the left-behind core of a low-mass star (like the Sun) after the end of its life. Credit: Hector Ibarra Medel, Jon Trump, Yue Shen, Gail Zasowski, and the SDSS-V Collaboration. Central background image: unWISE / NASA/JPL-Caltech / D.Lang (Perimeter Institute) The fifth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey is collecting data about our universe for Vanderbilt University astronomers and other project members to use to explore the formation of distant galaxies and supermassive black holes, and to map the Milky Way. The SDSS-V will make full use of existing satellites, including NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission, to lead to new discoveries. Keivan Stassun, Stevenson Professor of Physics and Astronomy, is co-investigator of NASA TESS, which enabled the discovery of a newly formed exoplanet in June 2020. That discovery boosted the potential for a joint effort with SDSS data. "SDSS-V will magnify the exoplanet discoveries from TESS, both retrospectively and prospectively," Stassun said. "Retrospectively in the sense that SDSS-V data will provide a rich characterization of the chemical makeup of the exoplanet systems that TESS has already discovered; prospectively in the sense that SDSS-V will provide the same rich characterization for millions of stars whose planets TESS has yet to find. Even more prospectively, the combination of SDSS-V and TESS data will enable us to confidently identify the most promising planets whose atmospheres we will study for habitability with the upcoming Twinkle mission." Set to launch in late 2023, Twinkle will deliver unprecedented satellite telescope data about the elemental composition of exoplanet atmospheres. Vanderbilt and The Ohio State University have become founding members of the mission. Further, the latest SDSS-V data will inform the research of Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Physics Jessie Runnoe, whose work primarily focuses on quasarssupermassive black holes that feed on disks of gas and dust in the centers of distant galaxies. Quasars give off a tremendous amount of light energy, and Runnoe studies the environments that make them or cause them to change over time. The latest release from SDSS-V will enable her to digest huge quantities of data into new observations and conclusions. The new data will make it much easier to see how, when and why quasars are changing, Runnoe explains. "Quasars are so far away that capturing an image makes it look like it's a star," Runnoe said. "The real action is looking at how the energy, or light, output of quasars appears when it's spread out over different wavelengths. Having consistent data over time from SDSS-V will help us create a benchmark to understand how quasars really behave." Operating out of Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico and Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, SDSS has been providing publicly available data since 1998. This survey has given scientists the tools to create the most detailed map yet of the known universe, discover earth-like planets and observe other celestial bodies. "The quantity of information provided by SDSS-V is astronomical in both senses of the word. We are looking forward to turning this data into a new understanding of our place in the universe with Prof. Runnoe," said Andreas Berlind, co-director of Vanderbilt's Data Science Institute and associate professor of physics and astronomy. In a release, program director at the Sloan Foundation Evan Michelson said, "SDSS-V will continue to transform astronomy by building on a 20-year legacy of path-breaking science, shedding light on the most fundamental questions about the origins and nature of the universe. It demonstrates all the hallmark characteristics that have made SDSS so successful in the past: open sharing of data, inclusion of diverse scientists, and collaboration across numerous institutions." The release also highlights the leadership role of Vanderbilt Research Assistant Professor Jon Bird in the overall design and implementation of the SDSS-V mission. "Supermassive black holes eat like the Cookie Monstermore comes out than comes in," said Runnoe, also a faculty affiliate at the Data Science Institute. "My interest is in understanding environments that feed these black holes. I am looking forward to maximizing the data we have, it's a great challenge." Runnoe believes this publicly available data will encourage critical thinking and allow researchers to better communicate their findings to the general public. "We're getting into an era where we're making movies out of the sky, not just pictures," said Runnoe. "It's exciting to unravel mysteries we've been stuck on." Explore further First light on a next-gen astronomical survey toward a new understanding of the cosmos Columbia, MO (65201) Today Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms later during the night. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Sir Keir Starmer has urged the Government to use the third national lockdown in England to create a 'round-the-clock' vaccination scheme in order to end 'this nightmare'. In a televised response to Boris Johnson's statement, the Labour leader reiterated that his party supports the new measures being imposed and would back them in a Commons vote - but said his party will continue to scrutinise the Prime Minister. 'The British people have sacrificed so much but, thanks to the dedication and brilliance of our scientists, there is hope of a way out of this nightmare,' Sir Keir said, calling on the nation to 'recapture the spirit' of the beginning of the pandemic. 'That means using this lockdown to establish a massive, immediate, and round-the-clock vaccination programme to deliver millions of doses a week by the end of the month in every village and town, every high street and every GP surgery,' he continued. 'We need our businesses and public services working hand-in-hand for the common good. We need an army of volunteers and to use every resource at our disposal. 'This is now a race between the virus and the vaccine. And if we pull together as a nation, we can win.' In a televised response to Boris Johnson's statement, the Labour leader reiterated that his party supports the new measures being imposed and would back them in a Commons vote - but said his party will continue to scrutinise the Prime Minister It comes as senior Cabinet minister Michael Gove warned tough new coronavirus restrictions may have to remain in place until March as England enters its third national lockdown. In a televised address on Monday, Boris Johnson announced stringent new controls - including closing schools to most pupils - in an attempt to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed by a surge in new infections. At the same time, the Prime Minister raised the prospect that the vaccination programme being rolled out across the country could enable restrictions to be progressively eased from mid-February. But, in a round of broadcast interviews on Tuesday morning, Mr Gove said relaxation of the rules may have to wait until the following month - and that even then some measures may have to remain in place. 'We will keep these constantly under review, but we can't predict with certainty that we will be able to lift restrictions in the week commencing February 15-22,' he told Sky News. 'What we will be doing is everything that we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated, so that we can begin to progressively lift restrictions. 'I think it is right to say that, as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions, but not necessarily all.' It came as the UK recorded 60,916 lab-confirmed coronavirus cases as of 9am on Tuesday - the highest daily total reported so far. The Government said a further 830 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Tuesday. New figures from the Office for National Statistics showed an estimated one in 50 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between December 27 and January 2. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, meanwhile, unveiled a fresh 4.6 billion support package for businesses across the UK dealt a further crippling blow by enforced closures. It includes one-off top-up grants worth up to 9,000 for firms in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors to help nurse them through to the spring. The Chancellor was forced to defend himself and Mr Johnson against allegations that they have consistently been behind the curve on decision-making, telling reporters: 'The Prime Minister has acted decisively in the face of new information.' Mr Sunak also said he would 'take stock' of government support packages in March's Budget, when pressed on whether he would extend the furlough scheme to prevent a wave of business closures and redundancies. Mr Johnson's announcement came after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon imposed a lockdown on Scotland for the rest of January, with a legal requirement to stay at home and schools closed to most pupils until February. 'The British people have sacrificed so much but, thanks to the dedication and brilliance of our scientists, there is hope of a way out of this nightmare,' Sir Keir said, calling on the nation to 'recapture the spirit' of the beginning of the pandemic Schools and colleges in Wales will also remain closed until at least January 18 and move to online learning, while in Northern Ireland - which is already under a six-week lockdown - 'stay at home' restrictions will be brought back into law and a period of remote learning for schoolchildren will be extended. The Stormont Executive is meeting on Tuesday to confirm details of the plan, which could run beyond January. In his address, Mr Johnson warned the coming weeks will be the 'hardest yet' but said that 'with a fair wind in our sails' it should be possible to vaccinate 13 million of the most vulnerable people by mid-February, paving the way for controls to be eased. The Prime Minister had previously strongly resisted calls to delay the reopening of primary schools in particular following the Christmas break - despite pressure from the teaching unions. Mr Gove said they had been forced to act with a 'heavy heart' after the chief medical officers of the four nations warned there was a danger the NHS would be overwhelmed by the surge in infections caused by the new variant of Covid-19. 'In the circumstances we felt that the only thing we could do was to close those primary schools that were open,' he said. With the Government acknowledging that exams in England will not be able to go ahead as planned in the summer, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will address a recalled House of Commons on Wednesday to update MPs on how pupils will be assessed. With MPs due to debate the new restrictions on Wednesday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer confirmed his party would support the Government. He warned however that meeting Mr Johnson's target of vaccinating 13 million people by mid-February - including all over-70s - would not be easy. 'That's the ambition of the Prime Minister. I hope he is not overpromising. It's going to be a struggle and we need to make this work,' he said. Meanwhile, some doctors and scientists expressed concern that the latest measures would still not be enough to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed. Dr Claudia Paoloni, chairwoman of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We're now in a situation where the risk of overwhelming the NHS at this point, over the next few weeks, is very, very high.' Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was important to learn lessons from the first wave of the pandemic. 'I think the lockdown announced yesterday will clearly save tens of thousands of lives. The threat we're facing is at least as bad as we were back in March,' he told the Today programme. 'I think the virus is different and it may be that the lockdown measures we had are not enough, so we need to learn from the new insights and new technologies, we need to learn from the last lockdown and particularly some of the things we saw.' Researchers at the University of Birmingham are investigating how sex offenders have changed their behaviour in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The insights generated by the research will provide urgently needed information about how to protect vulnerable people to police and other stakeholders including victim support organisations. Project lead, Professor Jessica Woodhams, of the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, explains: "Sex offenders are versatile, and will change their behaviour according to circumstance and opportunity. The Covid-19 outbreak is a crisis that will alter offender behaviour - as well as who is vulnerable to sexual violence. Our research to understand these changes is urgently needed so that we know how best to protect those vulnerable people in uncertain and changing times." The project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), as part of UK Research and Innovation's rapid response to COVID-19 will enable the team to examine extensive data on sex offenders collated by the Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS) of the National Crime Agency. This analysis will enable the team to determine how offender behaviour has changed since March 2020. They will continue to track these changes over the next 12 months and compare them to data collected in the 12 months prior to the start of the pandemic. "Our aim is to support SCAS, and UK policing more widely, in its efforts to tackle serious sexual offending by ensuring the unit's understanding of sexual offences remains contemporary and comprehensive in changing and unprecedented times," says Dr Heather Flowe, Reader in Forensic Psychology at the University of Birmingham. The study will also collate detailed, county-level information about the national lockdown and social distancing measures implemented during the pandemic and relate these to changes in patterns of offending. By cross-referencing between these different data sets, the team hope to be able to draw conclusions about what social and economic changes have led to changes in offender behaviour and victim vulnerability. Using machine-learning techniques to analyse the data, the team will be able to identify sex-offending patterns, including rates of offending, geographical and temporal patterns, and any changes in the time between the date of the offence and the date of reporting it to the police. "This work will enable law-enforcement agencies and other organisations to put detailed and immediate measures in place to target offenders and safeguard victims most at risk," adds Professor Woodhams. "In the longer term it will enable policy makers to be better prepared for future lockdowns or periods of restriction." Sarah Rock, Principal Analyst at the NCA's Serious Crime Analysis Section said: "The pandemic has highlighted the readiness of serious criminals to adapt to changing circumstances, making it all the more crucial that law enforcement is one step ahead. "This research will enable SCAS to have an up to date understanding of how Covid-19 has impacted the behaviour of sexual offenders against strangers in the UK, both temporarily and permanently. "Our data will support UK policing by establishing models of sexual offending behaviour, which can then be applied to behavioural analysis to detect serial rapists and murderers at the earliest stages of their offending. We believe that this will shape future operational practice and assist behavioural analysis units across the world." ### Notes to editor: Actress Reef Neeman portrays Ruchami on Shtisel. Photo credit Verid Adir. "It's the perfect story to connect with the students and families of Ida Crown Jewish Academy. The viewers at the benefit event will see themselves, or, at least, characters very like themselves, on screen. That's a validating and empowering experience." Independent streaming platform, Film Festival Flix, will host the world premiere of critically-acclaimed Israeli television drama, Shtisel, season 3, from producer Dikla Barkai. The first two seasons of the series, which follows the lives of an Haredi Jewish family living in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem, have gained a devoted following in the U.S., after a successful original run on Israeli network, yes OH. Fans have been clamoring for an update on the beloved characters for years, and the popularity of internet searches for "Shtisel Season 3" bear witness to the hum of anticipation in the Shtisel fandom. This third season picks up four years from when we last saw the Shtisel family, with fan-favorite characters grown and facing new challenges, relationships, and choices. "It's the perfect story to connect with the students and families of Ida Crown Jewish Academy," says Amber Davis Johnson, Director of Communications at Film Festival Flix. "ICJA is a co-educational Modern Orthodox high school, preparing their students to meet the challenges and choices of life after graduation. The viewers at the benefit event will see themselves, or, at least, characters very like themselves, on screen. That's a validating and empowering experience." While the January 9th showing is a private event, limited to the ICJA Society of Patrons, Film Festival Flix has cultivated a relationship with the show's producers and will be bringing Shtisel to more viewers via community events in the very near future, weeks ahead of season 3's projected Netflix release. Next on the schedule is Bnei Akiva of Los Angeles. For members of the ICJA Society of Patrons, tickets are available by RSVP here: https://www.icja.org/shtisel-midwest-premiere/ ABOUT FILM FESTIVAL FLIX (https://filmfestivalflix.com/) FILM FESTIVAL FLIX is home to a growing community of Virtual Film Festivals and curated Streaming Channels. The Company was founded with the mission to connect passionate audiences to Film Festivals, and the premiere films they champion, through the Virtual Film Festival Experience. A cryptocurrency founder charged with trafficking cocaine, ice and other drugs has had his bail conditions changed so he can attend his brother's wedding and bucks night and oversee his chain of souvlaki stores. Sam Karagiozis, the Lamborghini-driving founder of the Auscoin cryptocurrency and a self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur", is charged with importing cocaine, MDMA and ketamine and with selling those drugs and the drug ice. Auscoin founder Sam Karagiozis faces serious drug charges. Federal police allege he and other men imported more than 100 packages of drugs, with a combined weight of more than 30 kilograms, through the mail in 2016 and 2017. Mr Karagiozis, 29, was charged almost two years ago and granted bail in mid-2019. In the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday he had his bail conditions relaxed so he could attend his brother's bucks night and wedding this month and oversee the running of his Greek-themed food stores. The Kenosha County district attorney will not file charges against the police officer who shot Jacob Blake in August, whose shooting set off protests across a country already reeling from a summer of social unrest. District Attorney Michael Gravely said Officer Rusten Sheskey was justified in his use of deadly force. Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back seven times on Aug. 23 after walking away from a white police officer and two others who were trying to arrest him. Sheskey shot Blake after Blake opened an SUVs driver-side door and leaned into the vehicle. Blake was left paralyzed from the waist down. The shooting was captured on video and circulated quickly online, fueling large protests in Kenosha that caused millions of dollars in damage to public and private property. An Illinois teen is accused of killing two people and wounding a third during one night of unrest. Sheskey and the other officers who were at the scene have been placed on administrative leave. "We are immensely disappointed and feel this decision failed not only Jacob and his family but the community that protested and demanded justice," civil rights attorney Ben Crump tweeted after the announcement. "This isn't the news we hoped for, but our work is not done and hope is not lost. We must broaden the fight for justice on behalf of Jacob Blake and the countless other Black victims of racial injustice and police brutality. We will continue to press forward with our own investigation and fight for systemic change in policing and transparency at all levels. We urge Americans to continue to raise their voices and demand change in peaceful and positive ways during this emotional time." This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Sister station WISN-TV contributed to this report. As union leaders representing over 35,000 Teamsters, we were angered but not shocked by the recent Inquirer report on the business communitys misconception: that a major problem facing Philadelphia is that they rarely get their way in City Hall. The Big Business community is not one of the underdogs, and the citys richest and most powerful people are not helpless victims of anti-business government hostility. In fact, City Councils powers are highly proscribed. Council cant for instance raise the minimum wage, or levy taxes on prized real-estate like Lincoln Financial Field or rich institutions like the University of Pennsylvania to help pay for our struggling school district. READ MORE: Why Philadelphias business community rarely gets its way in City Hall These business community-approved exemptions and preemptions have helped ensure that Philadelphia remains the poorest major city in the country, wages remain stagnant for most working people, our schools remain under-funded, and year after year ordinary people are priced out of once stable working-class neighborhoods. Philadelphia ranks third among cities in income inequality and we boast the shameful title of lowest minimum wage of any major city. Seen in this light, Councils efforts to expand workplace protections should be lauded. By passing the nations first anti-retaliation bill, expanding paid sick leave, and passing a right to return law requiring employers to first rehire workers who were laid off when they reopen, Council has led the nation in workers rights. These policies can only be seen as excessive to those cold-hearted enough to think a few pennies saved in overhead are worth more than the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands. Workers are risking their lives to keep the economy afloat, deliver needed goods, care for patients, and ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine reaches Philadelphians. Many others are suffering the pain of layoffs and uncertain futures. Its true that Philly now boasts the strongest municipal level labor protections in the country. But what is wrong with that? There is no evidence that protecting our essential employees and ensuring that jobs hit hardest by the crisis are safeguarded has adversely affected the operations of the largest employers. There are, however, plenty of horror-stories of employers openly flouting new workplace regulations endangering the workforce and the public. We have personally heard countless accounts of employers who have taken safety shortcuts, managers who have abetted dangerous work environments or ignored scheduling regulations, and bosses who have skirted the law. READ MORE: The 10 most important figures in Philadelphia labor in 2020 Big Business often gets its way, especially in Harrisburg and Washington. For decades, business-backed legislation to cut corporate taxes and limit labor rights has helped to bloat corporate profits at the expense of wage gains. In Harrisburg, 28 Senators and 105 House members have voted with the Chamber of Commerce 90% of the time or more. Yet when workers win some significant local level reforms, business interests complain they cant get a hearing. Leftwing special interests have not outflanked the Chamber of Commerce in City Hall. Nor is Council irrationally beholden to unions and progressive groups. The simple fact is that workers, who make up the vast majority of Philadelphians, rightly oppose the corporate agenda the Chamber promotes. On the other hand, pro-worker legislation is popular: a commanding majority of Pennsylvanians support raising the minimum wage and there is similar support for policies like paid family leave. This is the chief reason Council has implemented and defended these reforms. Instead of attacking Councils efforts at improving the lives of workers, those truly invested in Philadelphias future of work should train their sights on the statewide and decades-long campaign to handcuff and kneecap efforts at a genuinely pro-worker reform in Philadelphia. READ MORE: 5 things that must happen to save Phillys small businesses | Opinion The reality is Philadelphians want to raise wages, expand health coverage, improve safety on the job, and fully fund our education system to prepare the next generations workforce. We are prevented from doing exactly that not because City Council is too pro-worker, but because the state and federal government are just the opposite. Until our city can brag about being first in the nation in wages, health care coverage, education, and safety, there is still plenty more work to be done for the working class. Richard Hooker Jr. is Secretary Treasurer & Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 623. Jed Dodd is National Vice-President of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division International Brotherhood of Teamsters. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Twitter Inc. (TWTR) has acquired podcasting app Breaker for an undisclosed sum, a deal that the social media giant expects will improve its position in podcast market dominated by Spotify and Google Podcasts. Breaker co-founder Leah Culver confirmed the news on Twitter. 'I'm joining Twitter to help build @TwitterSpaces,' said tweeted. 'While I'll very much miss @breaker, I'm so excited to help create the future of audio conversations.' 'Here at Breaker, we're truly passionate about audio communication and we're inspired by the ways Twitter is facilitating public conversations for people around the world,' CEO Erik Berlin said in a statement late on Monday. Breaker said it plans to shut down its app and website on January 15. 'This will allow us to focus on building what comes next. You'll want to find a new podcast listening app, but we believe apps have improved so much since Breaker first launched (and likely because Breaker existed). If your podcast is hosted on Breaker, it's fairly straightforward to move to another platform. We truly hope you can find a new home for your podcast listening and hosting,' Berlin said. Breaker said that its users can now transfer their subscriptions to other podcast listening apps like those offered by Apple Inc and Spotify. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Ted Howard started taking Truvada a few years ago because he wanted to protect himself against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But the daily pill was so pricey he was seriously thinking about giving it up. Under his insurance plan, the former flight attendant and customer service instructor owed $500 in copayments every month for the drug and an additional $250 every three months for lab work and clinic visits. Luckily for Howard, his doctor at Las Vegas' Huntridge Family Clinic, which specializes in LGBTQ care, enrolled him in a clinical trial that covered his medication and other costs in full. "If I hadn't been able to get into the trial, I wouldn't have kept taking PrEP," said Howard, 68, using the shorthand term for "preexposure prophylaxis." Taken daily, these drugs like Truvada are more than 90% effective at preventing infection with HIV. Starting this month, most people with private insurance will no longer have to decide whether they can afford to protect themselves against HIV. Most health plans must begin to cover the drugs then without charging consumers anything out-of-pocket (some plans already began doing so last year). Drugs in this category Truvada, Descovy and, newly available, a generic version of Truvada received an "A" recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Under the Affordable Care Act, preventive services that receive an "A" or "B" rating by the task force, a group of medical experts in prevention and primary care, must be covered by most private health plans without making members share the cost, usually through copayments or deductibles. Only plans that are grandfathered under the health law are exempt. The task force recommended PrEP for people at high risk of HIV infection, including men who have sex with men and injection drug users. In the United States, more than 1 million people live with HIV, and nearly 40,000 new HIV cases are diagnosed every year. Yet fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from PrEP are taking it. One key reason is that out-of-pocket costs can exceed $1,000 annually, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health last year. Required periodic blood tests and doctor visits can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of the drug, and it's not clear if insurers are required to pick up all those costs. "Cost sharing has been a problem," said Michael Crews, policy director at One Colorado, an advocacy group for the LGBTQ community. "It's not just getting on PrEP and taking a pill. It's the lab and clinical services. That's a huge barrier for folks." Whether you're shopping for a new plan during open enrollment or want to check out what your current plan covers, here are answers to questions you may have about the new preventive coverage requirement. Q: How can people find out whether their health plan covers PrEP medications without charge? The plan's list of covered drugs, called a formulary, should spell out which drugs are covered, along with details about which drug tier they fall into. Drugs placed in higher tiers generally have higher cost sharing. That list should be online with the plan documents that give coverage details. Sorting out coverage and cost sharing can be tricky. Both Truvada and Descovy can also be used to treat HIV, and if they are taken for that purpose, a plan may require members to pay some of the cost. But if the drugs are taken to prevent HIV infection, patients shouldn't owe anything out-of-pocket, no matter which tier they are on. In a recent analysis of online formularies for plans sold on the ACA marketplaces, Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute, found that many plans seemed out of compliance with the requirement to cover PrEP without cost sharing this year. But representatives for Oscar and Kaiser Permanente, two insurers that were called out in the analysis for lack of compliance, said the drugs are covered without cost sharing in plans nationwide if they are taken to prevent HIV. Schmid later revised his analysis to reflect Oscar's coverage. Coverage and cost-sharing information needs to be transparent and easy to find, Schmid said. "I acted like a shopper of insurance, just like any person would do," he said. "Even when the information is correct, [it's so] difficult to find [and there's] no uniformity." It may be necessary to call the insurer directly to confirm coverage details if information on the website is unclear. Q: Are all three drugs covered without cost sharing? Health plans have to cover at least one of the drugs in this category Descovy and the brand and generic versions of Truvada without cost sharing. People may have to jump through some hoops to get approval for a specific drug, however. For example, Oscar plans sold in 18 states cover the three PrEP options without cost sharing. The generic version of Truvada doesn't require prior authorization by the insurer. But if someone wants to take the name-brand drug, they have to go through an approval process. Descovy, a newer drug, is available without cost sharing only if people are unable to use Truvada or its generic version because of clinical intolerance or other issues. Q: What about the lab work and clinical visits that are necessary while taking PrEP? Are those services also covered without cost sharing? That is the thousand-dollar question. People who are taking drugs to prevent HIV infection need to meet with a clinician and have bloodwork every three months to test for HIV, hepatitis B and sexually transmitted infections, and to check their kidney function. The task force recommendation doesn't specify whether these services must also be covered without cost sharing, and advocates say federal guidance is necessary to ensure they are free. "If you've got a high-deductible plan and you've got to meet it before those services are covered, that's going to add up," said Amy Killelea, senior director of health systems and policy at the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors. "We're trying to emphasize that it's integral to the intervention itself." A handful of states have programs that help people cover their out-of-pocket costs for lab and clinical visits, generally based on income. There is precedent for including free ancillary care as part of a recommended preventive service. After consumers and advocates complained, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) clarified that under the ACA removing a polyp during a screening colonoscopy is considered an integral part of the procedure and patients shouldn't be charged for it. CMS officials declined to clarify whether PrEP services such as lab work and clinical visits are to be covered without cost sharing as part of the preventive service and noted that states generally enforce such insurance requirements. "CMS intends to contact state regulators, as appropriate, to discuss issuer's compliance with the federal requirements and whether issuers need further guidance on which services associated with PrEP must be covered without cost sharing, the agency said in a statement. Q: What if someone runs into roadblocks getting a plan to cover PrEP or related services without cost sharing? If an insurer charges for the medication or a follow-up visit, people may have to go through an appeals process to fight it. "They'd have to appeal to the insurance company and then to the state if they don't succeed," said Nadeen Israel, vice president of policy and advocacy at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. "Most people don't know to do that." Q: Are uninsured people also protected by this new cost-sharing change for PrEP? Unfortunately, no. The ACA requirement to cover recommended preventive services without charging patients applies only to private insurance plans. People without insurance don't benefit. Gilead, which makes both Truvada and Descovy, has a patient assistance program for the uninsured. (ANSA) - ROME, JAN 5 - Almost 180,000 COVID jabs have been given in Italy so far, Higher Health Council (CSS) chief Franco Locatelli said Tuesday. "There are significant regional differences but we are already at more than 179,000 people vaccinated, a quite significant number," he said on Italian TV. In the last 48 hours, Locatelli said, "we have vaccinated 95,000 people". Locatelli recalled that the vaccination programme started on December 31 and so it was too early to make a negative assessment of the regional discrepancies, but added: "the gaps must be closed". National COVID commissioner Domenico Arcuri said "the regional discrepancies will soon be eliminated". Meanwhile a second batch of 470,000 Pfizer vaccine doses are arriving at Italy's many vaccination hubs on articulated lorries. And Germany and Russia are weighing whether to produce vaccines together. (ANSA). Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 22:00:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIYADH, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The leaders and heads of delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday convened the 41st session of the GCC Supreme Council in Al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud called for unity at the summit, the Saudi Press Agency reported. He chaired the session on behalf of the Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, conveying the directive to name the summit after the former Kuwaiti and Omani leaders for their decades of contributions. The crown prince also hailed the efforts of Kuwait and the United States to end the Gulf crisis. "The efforts led to Al-Ula Agreement that would be signed during the summit, stressing Gulf, Arab and Islamic stability," he said. Mohammed bin Salman highlighted that the GCC states should unify efforts to face challenges, including Iran's nuclear program. He also urged the leaders to call on the international community to stop Iran to protect regional security and stability. Enditem In brief: Teslas Berlin Gigafactory has run into some issues during its construction, but the end looks to be in sight. CEO Elon Musk has tweeted a drone video showing the snow-covered buildings, which will manufacture the Model Y for Europe, as it nears completion. Located in Brandenburg, about 20 miles south-east of Berlin, the 92-hectare site is so large that it looks quite flat in the video, though Musk notes it actually ranges up to 5 stories tall. Snow falling on Giga Berlin pic.twitter.com/eTXMtYp8hG Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 4, 2021 The Gigafactory will create 10,000 jobs and produce 500,000 cars per year, according to Musk. The worlds largest battery plant is also set to be constructed at the location. Not everyone is happy about the plant. As reported by the Guardian, a group of locals are campaigning to stop construction, which has already seen one hundred hectares of pine trees felled and 86 more hectares likely to follow. Tesla had been ordered by a court to suspend work over claims by Germanys Nature Protection Union (NABU) that it is destroying the habitat of the sand lizard and European smooth snake, both protected species that live in the woodland. Tesla also has the problem of an outstanding downpayment to the local environment agency of 100 million ($122.7 million) to cover possible remediation costs. Company lawyers have, however, filed to extend the deadline for payment. In total, 360 objections to the Gigafactory have been lodged, but authorities have told Musk he can continue the project, albeit at his own risk. Teslarati writes that the recent lawsuits have ended up accelerating the approval process for the site. In response to the environmental protests, Tesla has promised to plant three times as many trees as it fells, and build fences to protect the lizards and snakes. President Trump's demand that Congress overturn the election results in states he lost has provoked a split in his party and Democratic leaders are now cautioning their own members to steer clear of arguments when the vote gets certified. Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat who is joining the incoming Biden administration as director of White House engagement, has told colleagues there isn't an upside to jumping into a point-by-point clash over Trump's election fraud claims. 'You don't argue with fools, because at a distance you cant tell who the fool is,' he said on a party conference call Monday, Politico reported. 'You don't argue with fools,' Representative Cedric Richmond, a Democrat from Louisiana is urging colleauges House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is mindful of the spectacle that the election challenges could provoke and wants her members to be 'dignified' through the process although unsubstantiated allegations of widespread fraud by Texas GOP Rep. Louis Goehmert and others is certain to provoke an angry backlash. The House meets Wednesday in a special joint session to count the Electoral College votes. The number of Republican senators planning to go along with election challenges grew to 13 at Trump's Georgia rally when Sen. Kelly Loeffler announced she was behind the effort. But the leaked recording of Trump's call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger may have undermined the Senate GOP efforts by linking claims the lawmakers hitched to the Constitution to the president's request that Raffensperger 'find' 11,780 votes for him. It was unclear if the explosive call had prompted Senate Republicans to dial back some of their plans and focus on a smaller number of states to launch challenges. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants Democrats to remain dignified as Republicans challenge the election Joe Biden won by 306 to 232 electoral votes Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says he will raise election challenges President Donald Trump asked Georgia's secretary of state to 'find' 11,780 votes for him Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley (R) was the first senator to say publicly he would back election challenges Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling debunked many of the president's 'fantastical' claims in a press conference Monday. GOP strategist Doug Heye told The Hill regarding Trump's leaked call: 'The tape now makes it harder for other people to join on. They had a legal process argument that they could make even if it wasn't the most credible one, he continued. The tape blows that out of the water." Whatever Democratic leaders caution, rank-and-file Democrats who get opportunities to speak when Republicans raise protests to states' electoral votes are likely to get heated. 'Its treasonous. The fact of the matter is the election results have been certified,' said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif. Party leaders are preparing for tense debates on Wednesday Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) is among those who have erupted at Republicans going along with Trump's effort. 'Its treasonous. The fact of the matter is the election results have been certified,' he said. If a House and Senate member object to a state's certification, each chamber will meet separately for two hours to consider the challenge, where members will give speeches, followed by a vote. More than 100 House Republicans are expected to back election challenges. A care home resident has been charged with murdering an elderly woman in her 90s after she was attacked in the residential home they both lived in. Alexander Rawson, 62, was arrested after allegedly assaulting another resident at the care home in south east London. The woman, who has not yet been named, was injured during the early hours of yesterday morning and rushed to hospital by paramedics where she later died. A murder probe was launched - the first in London this year - and Rawson was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to a police station for questioning. Forensic officers and a policeman pictured outside the care home in Catford, south east London. The woman was injured during the early hours of yesterday morning A forensics van and officers pictured outside the property. Alexander Rawson, 62, was arrested after allegedly assaulting another resident at the care home in south east London A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out and the victim's next of kin have been told. Officers and the London Ambulance Service were called to the care home in Catford at around 12.40am yesterday, Scotland Yard said. Rawson was charged with murder and appeared in custody at Bexleyheath Magistrates' Court today. A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'Police were called at around 12.40am on Monday, January 4, to a report of an assault at a care home in Canadian Avenue, Catford. 'Officers attended along with London Ambulance Service. 'A woman, aged in her 90s, was taken to hospital where she later died. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. Forensics at the scene in Catford. A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out and the victim's next of kin have been told, but she has not yet been named by the Met Police 'Her next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. 'The same day, a man in his 60s was been arrested on suspicion of murder and taken to a south London police station. 'On Tuesday, January 5, Alexander Rawson, 62, of Canadian Avenue, Catford was charged with murder and will appear in custody at Bexleyheath Magistrates' Court on January 5. 'Both the man and the woman were residents of the care home.' Last year 122 people were murdered in the capital, down from 147 in 2019. Mamata Banerjee expands Bengal Cabinet, 43 TMC leaders sworn in as ministers: Full List here All 77 BJP MLAs in Bengal to have central security cover BJPs tally in West Bengal assembly down to 75 West Bengal elections 2021: Cong-Left set to begin seat sharing talks India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Kolkata, Jan 05: The Congress on Monday set up a panel headed by senior party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to hold talks with the Left parties regarding seat sharing and joint programmes for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls. The committee has Congress state president Chowdhury, Congress Legislature Party leader Abdul Mannan, former state chief Pradeep Bhattacharya and Nepal Mahato. "The committee will hold talks with the Left parties regarding seat sharing and joint programmes for the West Bengal polls," a statement from Congress'' state in-charge Jitin Prasada said. Cong forms panel to hold seat-sharing talks with Left parties for Bengal polls The Congress last month formally approved its electoral alliance with the Left parties for the assembly elections in West Bengal. The West Bengal PCC had earlier recommended an alliance in favour of the Left parties. The Left parties had also favoured an alliance with the Congress for the state elections. The Left and the Congress did not contest the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal together. The two parties are also pitted against each other in Kerala. The West Bengal assembly elections are due by March-April next year. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 9:51 [IST] WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Most of Washtenaw Countys school districts are planning for the return of students in a hybrid format this month after going remote to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ban on in-person learning at high schools expiring on Dec. 18, a number of county districts have indicated they plan to offer some form of in-person learning in the coming semester. Heres a look at where each of the countys school districts stand after some returned to the classroom on Jan. 4. Ann Arbor Public Schools Ann Arbor Public Schools has offered three different options for remote learning since the beginning of the school year. On Dec. 16, the districts school board voted to extend remote learning for all students through the new year. Students returned to remote learning on Jan. 4. AAPS will revisit whether it is safe to begin phasing some students into in-person classes during its school board meeting later this month. The district has heard dissenting voices from families about not providing an in-person option for its younger students, in particular. In October, the board approved using a COVID-19 data dashboard to guide and inform a return the the classroom, with metrics based on the number of new coronavirus cases, the number of cases per 100,000 or 1 million residents and the COVID-19 testing positivity rate. The district has prioritized plans to phase students back in a hybrid learning model that would start with bringing in kindergarten through second-grade students and those with the most need for in-person learning. Chelsea School District All K-12 Chelsea students have been in remote learning since Nov. 23, after previously offering elementary and middle school students a hybrid learning model. In December, Superintendent Julie Helber said the district would reassess the impact of COVID-19 in the community with the Washtenaw County Health Department, with hopes of all students Y5-12 being offered both hybrid and virtual learning models when it returns from winter break on Jan. 11. Dexter Community Schools Dexter Community Schools has been in remote learning since mid-November, pausing in-person learning based on a recommendation from the Washtenaw County Health Department. In an email to parents Monday, Jan. 4, Superintendent Chris Timmis said elementary students will return to the hybrid learning format beginning Jan. 11. Middle school students will begin hybrid learning on Jan. 25, while high school students are scheduled to begin learning the hybrid format on Jan. 28. At this time, we believe we can safely educate all of our buildings in a hybrid but cannot adequately provide for safety protocols with 100% of our students in the building each day, Timmis said. Ideally, we would have liked to bring all of our students back at the same time but we are still struggling with staffing challenges. By staggering the building starts from Y5-6 and 7-12, we are able to more fluidly work through the staffing and provide a little more time to hire staff. Lincoln Consolidated Schools After spending the month of December in remote learning for all students, Lincoln Consolidated Schools returned from winter break in a remote format on Jan. 4. Superintendent Robert Jansen said the district will remain in remote learning this week. Early childhood and elementary students will return to hybrid learning on Jan. 19, while middle and high school students will return to the hybrid format on Jan. 26. Manchester Community Schools While students in grades 9-12 were moved from in-person to remote learning on Nov. 12, K-8 students returned to in-person classes on Dec. 10, after a short stint in remote learning. All students K-12 who have selected the in-person option returned to the classroom on Jan. 4, with Wednesday serving as a virtual learning day for the district. Milan Area Schools All students in Milan Area Schools returned to the hybrid learning format when the district returned from winter break on Jan. 4. Milans school board opted to bring K-8 students back from the virtual learning format on Dec. 14, while high school students remained in remote learning until returning from break on Jan. 4. Superintendent Bryan Girbach said he doesnt anticipate students returning to full in-person learning until the state changes requirements for social distancing in the classroom, allowing it to meet all of its required mitigation strategies. The reason were in hybrid now is because we feel we can keep close to six feet (social distancing) between the students in classrooms, Girbach said. We would not be able to come anywhere near that if we came back all day, every day. Saline Area Schools Saline Area Schools moved all students back to remote learning on Nov. 18 and extended virtual learning through the winter break. When students return on Jan. 11, they will all be in the hybrid learning format, Superintendent Scot Graden said. A return to full-time face-to-face learning, Graden said, will depend on a couple of factors. If you can partner declining (community spread of COVID-19) with the fact that our teachers and other educators are able to get the vaccine, I think that is when the window opens for a greater sense of in-person time, Graden said. Whitmore Lake Public Schools After originally, being scheduled to return to in-person instruction after winter break, Whitmore Lake Public Schools Superintendent Tom DeKeyser said in an email to families that all students would remain in remote learning through Jan. 8. DeKeyser said the extra time will allow families to evaluate any potential COVID-19 symptoms, with an expected return to in-person classes for K-12 students on Jan. 11. Ypsilanti Community Schools Ypsilanti Community Schools students continue to receive remote instruction after returning from winter break on Jan. 4. In a letter to district families on Monday, Dec. 28, Superintendent Alena Zachery-Ross said all students who began the year with in-person learning will return to the classroom on Jan. 25. Many of the remaining students in remote learning could begin phasing back into the classroom on Feb. 8, Zachery-Ross said, while students in virtual learning will remain in that format for the remainder of the year. Additional information regarding the return to the classroom will be provided during the Jan. 11 school board meeting, Zachery-Ross said. READ MORE: More than just high schools are going or staying virtual in Washtenaw County Political pressure wont drive Ann Arbor schools to return to classroom, board says More than 120 physicians join push for in-person classes in Ann Arbor Public Schools Alain Servais, a Brussels-based collector who before the pandemic would typically attend around 15 major art fairs per year, said that the crisis provided an opportunity for smaller regional events. Mr. Servais said that he planned to be in the Netherlands in early February for Art Rotterdam, a showcase mainly for Northern European galleries representing emerging artists that as of Tuesday was still scheduled to be an in-person event. But Arabella Coebergh, a spokeswoman for Art Rotterdam, said that an expected announcement by the Dutch government next week regarding pandemic restrictions could lead to the postponement of the fair until July. Still, said Mr. Servais, There is room for local fairs if they have a good focus Im not so worried about them. But he added: The big international fairs are most exposed this year. People will travel less, and these fairs count on international attendance for their success. This shake-up of the international fair scene comes at a time when, in a contracting art market, many gallerists were already questioning the cost of exhibiting at such events. In 2017, we were doing 12 art fairs, said Marianne Boesky, a New York-based gallerist. I felt I had to do these events. Theyd gotten so expensive. When I looked at our revenues compared to overheads at art fairs, we barely broke even, and that didnt count the man hours. In 2021, Ms. Boeskys program will be cut down to about six fairs in Europe, the United States and Asia, she said. But Im not sure, she added. Every two weeks we seem to change our plans. All Indian vaccines being developed against the coronavirus will have to be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius as the logistics have been worked out while considering temperature as a factor, Department of Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup said on Tuesday. Swarup said Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin and Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield have robustly undergone immunoassay lab tests. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 (For) all our vaccines, we are looking at right now..(we) are targeting 2-8 degree because our logistics are worked out on that basis and we are working on that," Swarup said at a press briefing. She said the DNA vaccine candidate being developed by Zydus Cadila, and the Biological E's mRNA vaccine work at storage temperatures of 2-8 degrees Celsius. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna which requires a minus 70 degree Celsius (cold) chain, this (the Biological E's vaccine candidate) is basically at the 2-8 degree Celsius," Swarup said. The Zydus Cadila candidate has been granted approval to conduct the phase-3 trial while the Biological E candidate is in its phase-1 clinical trial stage. Swarup said Dr Reddy's Laboratories has partnered with Russia's Gamaleya Institute and a vaccine is being developed for India targeting storage at 2-8 degrees Celsius. They (Dr Reddy's Laboratories) have started phase 2/3 trials in the country. They have completed the first part of the phase 2 trial on 1,000 subjects and they are now looking at interim data which is to be analysed. They also have large global trials, like the Astrazeneca and that data is also being looked at. What they are targeting is for India to try and see how it could be at 2-8 degrees," Swarup said. There are 30 vaccine candidates in India at different stages. The country's drugs regulator Sunday granted emergency use approval to Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield and also to the indigenously developed Covaxin even though not enough data on the latter's efficacy and safety was available, which has triggered a debate. Seeking to ally apprehensions on this, Swarup said, These two vaccines which have been spoken about right now, we have had the robust immunoassays which have been studied through within the laboratories." Referring to the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, an institute under the DBT, Swarup said the lab has sets of immunoassays -- which are biochemical tests -- that run all these vaccines through them. So anything that comes out of this immunoassay lab gives you the confidence that it has gone through the robust assay system which gives you the immunogenicity and the safety data as we move forward," Swarup said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The RIGGS Community Health Center in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. A 43-year-old woman in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, visited the RIGGS Community Health Center.external icon She wanted to talk to a doctor about a problem with vaginal discharge. Clinic staff noted she was past due for her cervical cancer screening test. When they brought this to her attention, she got the screening done at the same visit. This story demonstrates the health centers new focus on getting its women patients screened for cancer, as recommended. The health center serves people who have a low income. Many of them do not know why cancer screening is important. The Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Programexternal icon (part of CDCs National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program) helped staff at the health center get more women screened for cancer. The program suggested strategies that worked well in other clinics. Health center staff looked at the medical records of all women with an appointment, no matter what the reason was for the appointment. If a patient was due for a cancer screening test, the doctor offered to screen her at that visit or to schedule the test later. The patient with vaginal discharge who was offered a screening test had early-stage cervical cancer. She was referred to a gynecologic oncologist right away and started cancer treatment in less than a month. When cervical cancer is found early, treatment works best. In 2020, fewer patients made appointments for routine health care than in 2019. During this time, staff members called women on the phone to schedule appointments for cancer screening tests. As a result of these reminders, the percentage of patients who were up-to-date with cervical cancer screening went up from about 65% in 2019 to 87% in 2020. The health center also made cancer screening reminders a part of its nurse practitioner residency program. This change will help make sure reminders are done in the future. This project has changed the way I practice, said April Fife, a nurse at the health center. She plans to train nurse practitioner residents to make sure they dont miss opportunities to help women get screened for cancer. It wasnt a surprise to Counting On fans that former stars Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard missed out on the 2020 Duggar family Christmas celebration. According to Derick, he and his wife didnt even receive an invitation. Former Counting On stars Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard | D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra However, Jessa Duggar says thats absolutely not true. She claims that no one in the family is ostracized. But if thats the case, why hasnt Jim Bob Duggar responded to Derick and Jills shocking claims? The former Counting On star has been calling out Jim Bob Duggar for years Derick and Jill walked away from Counting On in late 2017. Ever since, the couple has become increasingly vocal about why they decided to leave reality TV. In recent months, Derick and Jill have made YouTube videos where they answer fans questions about the messy situation. But long before that, Derick was calling out Jim Bob on social media. It hasnt always been this way, though. As Cafe Mom points out, Jim Bob is the reason that Derick and Jill met. Many years ago, Jim Bob was Dericks mentor and he introduced him to his daughter. Everything Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard Have Said About Their Estranged Family Relationship https://t.co/L7qCZv0GQc E! News (@enews) October 22, 2020 At the time, Derick was living in Kathmandu, Nepal, so he and Jill started a long-distance relationship. Jim Bob ended up traveling to Nepal with Jill so she could meet Derick in person and they could begin their courtship. Derick and Jills relationship moved quickly after that. They tied the knot just a few months after they met, and Derick became a regular on 19 Kids & Counting, before it turned into Counting On. However, it wasnt long before trouble started brewing between the young couple and her parents. Derick Dillard and Jill Duggar claim Jim Bob controls his children and the TLC money Derick has claimed in several social media posts that the main reasons the relationship with Jim Bob soured were money and control. Jill doubled down on those claims in her and Dericks recent YouTube videos. Before they officially left in late 2017, Derick and Jill tried for a long time to leave Counting On. They explained that every time they tried to pursue their own projects and interests, they were shut down. RELATED: Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard: The 11 Most Shocking Revelations the Former Counting On Stars Made in 2020 The couple also claims that Jim Bob has kept all of the TLC money the family has received over the years. The Duggars have had their own reality show since 2008. Its not clear what the family earns for the series, but some have estimated as much as $40,000 per episode. In order to get paid, Derick and Jill say they had to get lawyers involved. Eventually, Jill was able to receive some compensation that Derick says added up to nothing more than minimum wage. Why did the former Counting On stars miss out on the Duggar family Christmas? After they left Counting On, Jill and Derick still showed up at family events. But that started to change in late 2019. Jill, Derick, and their sons Israel and Samuel skipped out on Duggar Thanksgiving in November 2020. They also skipped Christmas in 2019, and the same thing happened this year. Jill and Derick missed out on Christmas 2020 at the Duggar compound, and the reason had nothing to do with the pandemic. According to Derick, he and Jill did not score an invite to the party. No, we were not invited or told about it, Derick told a fan on Instagram. But when a fan asked Jessa Duggar about the family Christmas, she told a different story. Jill #Duggar and Derick Dillard snubbed from family Christmas gathering after Jim Bob didnt invite them to holiday bash https://t.co/E4VAynDyFB The US Sun (@TheSunUS) December 27, 2020 RELATED: Counting On: Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard Reveal How They Are Making Money After Being Cutoff By Jim Bob and TLC How is that a Duggar family Christmas, when your sister and your brother-in-law are not there because your family has ostracized them? the fan asked Jessa on her YouTube page. She quickly replied, Nobody is ostracized. The Dillards were invited, but chose to celebrate the holiday with Dericks family. Its not clear who is telling the truth. But Derick has been extremely candid about the rift with his in-laws. Fans will have to keep up with his social media accounts to find out more juicy details about this latest Duggar feud. Counting On is currently on hiatus. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Saddle up, country fans. The Eli Young Band will perform March 13 at the John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes, according to a Facebook event for the concert. Doors open at 5 p.m. READ ALSO: H-E-B owners among richest families in US, according to Forbes Ticket buyers can only choose seated options. The venue's tables and seat groupings will be 6 feet apart, according to the event page. Tickets range from $20 to $100 per seat. Visit etix.com to purchase the tickets and for more information on the seating arrangements. The members of the popular country band met while students at the University of North Texas in Denton: Mike Eli (lead vocals, guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar) and Chris Thompson (drums). The band has toured with famous country artists like Jason Aldean and Tim McGraw. Fans will most likely hear their newest single "Break It In," as well as some of their greatest hits like "Crazy Girl" and "When It Rains." Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre Gunmen killed at least 15 people in Syria, mostly government soldiers travelling on a bus, in the second such road ambush in recent days, a war monitor said Monday. The attack late Sunday resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers, four allied fighters and three civilians, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, updating an earlier toll. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the monitor said the Islamic State jihadist group was to blame. Another 15 people were wounded, with cars and fuel tankers also attacked, in the Wadi al-Azib area of Hama province. Syria's official news agency SANA said the "terrorist attack" killed nine people, all civilians. Last week, IS said it had ambushed a bus on December 30 in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province, killing at least 37 soldiers. IS in 2014 overran large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a cross-border "caliphate" before multiple offensives in the two countries led to its territorial defeat. The group was overcome in Syria in March 2019, but sleeper cells continue to launch attacks in the vast Badia desert, which runs from central Syria eastwards to the border with Iraq. "The group has since last spring been ramping up its activities and launching attacks against regime forces in the Badia," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. Analyst Aymenn al-Tamimi said the latest ambushes reflected the difficulty in stamping out sleeper cells in such a broad region. "The Syrian government forces and its allies have to cover a very large, sparsely populated area that is easy for IS to survive in and conduct attacks," he said. More than 387,000 people have been killed and millions forced from their homes since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Sens. Tim Scott, Jim Inhofe Announce They Will Not Object to Electoral College Votes Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) on Tuesday announced they wouldnt join with some of their Republican colleagues who plan on objecting to electoral votes on Jan. 6. Scott said hes grateful for the work President Donald Trump has done while in office and added that he believes the lives of the American people have gotten better because of the accomplishments of Trumps administration. He said that most elections include some modicum of error. He wants to work to end the errors, whether they are intentional or not. Scott also said he supported Trumps legal right to pursue lawful avenues to probe and litigate allegations of voter fraud and related issues, but noted that Trumps lawsuits challenging election results have not been successful so far, and that some were struck down by judges appointed by the president. Additionally, no state legislatures have taken back the power to appoint electors. As I read the Constitution, there is no constitutionally viable means for the Congress to overturn an election wherein the states have certified and sent their electors. Some of my colleagues believe they have found a path, and while our opinions differ, I do not doubt their good intentions to take steps towards stamping out voter fraud. Importantly, I disagree with their method both in principle and in practice, Scott wrote in a statement. For their theory to work, Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats would have to elect Donald Trump president rather than Joe Biden. That it is not going to happen, not today or any other day. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has claimed victory in the 2020 election, pointing to certified results from states. The claim has been backed by virtually all Democratic lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and a number of Republicans. Inhofe, meanwhile, said his job on Wednesday is clear. There are only two things I am permitted to do under the Constitution: ensure the electors are properly certified and count the electoral votes, even when I disagree with the outcome, Inhofe said in a statement. To challenge a states certification, given how specific the Constitution is, would be a violation of my oath of officethat is not something I am willing to do and is not something Oklahomans would want me to do. Senate Armed Services Committee member Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) arrives for a hearing about the Pentagon budget in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 17, 2016. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Thirteen senators and some 74 House of Representatives members plan on objecting to votes during the joint session of Congress on Wednesday, according to a tally by The Epoch Times. They say theres credible allegations, or evidence, of election irregularities, including voter fraud, and want to raise awareness of those issues. Some hope to nullify some of the electoral votes for Biden, potentially leading to a Trump win. Scott and Inhofe appeared to be the 26th and 27th Republican senators to voice plans not to object. Nearly every senator who is part of the bodys GOP leadership is among them. Objections require a majority vote in each chamber to uphold. No Democrats have said they will vote to uphold an objection. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), Oklahomas other senator, has committed to objecting. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), South Carolinas other senator, has said he wont join in the objections, though he said hed hear out colleagues during the debate the objections will trigger. Inhofe, 86, has been in office since 1994. He won reelection last year. Scott, 55, was appointed to the Senate by then-Gov. Nikki Haley in 2013, following the retirement of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). He won a special election the following year and a regular election in 2016. Scott has said he will not run again for office, except for a potential reelection bid in 2022. Scotts decision came about two weeks after a group of 30 South Carolina state representatives sent a letter to him and Graham urging them to join the electoral challenge, which originated with Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.). We write this letter to voice our strong support for Rep. Brooks call for the investigation into the widespread election irregularities. Fair elections, free from foreign and outside interference, are pivotal to the survival of our republic, which exists based on the consent of the governed, they wrote. If our elections cannot be trusted, the republic will no longer enjoy the consent of the governed. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global electric vehicles market is anticipated to reach USD 912 billion by 2026 according to a new study published by Polaris Market Research. Electric vehicles are one of the fastest growing mode of transport which have adopted smart technologies. It constitutes of electric buses, cars, trucks, and electric bikes. The market is maturing at a fast rate due to increasing demand, initiatives to expand electric vehicle charging stations, and diverse vehicle models. Large number of consumers have become more familiar with these technologies and the trend is spreading fast across the world economies. Browse for full research summary: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/electric-vehicles-ev-market Government initiatives to accelerate the shift of their nations vehicle fleet from combustion to electric drive has led to rapid growth in the sale of the electric vehicles. Some of the actions undertaken in 2018 by the federal and state regulators in this regard include Evolve NY (an electric vehicle expansion initiative in New York), funding opportunities for advanced electric vehicle projects by the U.S. Department of Energy, and rebate programs for EV charging stations in Ohio, U.S. Oil dependence benefits, climate change, and clean air are the most crucial factors for different governments across the world to promote the electric vehicles among consumers. Apart from these factors, one another significant parameter includes economic benefits from manufacturing of the future electric car industry. The automobile manufacturing hubs such as the United States, Germany, and Japan will have much to lose if they do not support the transition to electric vehicles. Electric vehicle sales & production has witnessed a tremendously rapid growth due to numerous advanced technological developments. The manufacturing companies have undertaken R&D concerning the design, range, and maintenance of these vehicles. In 2017 ten big companies (Tesla, BAIC, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, and five others) had more than 50,000 in annual sales as compared to five such companies in 2016. Get sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/electric-vehicles-ev-market/request-for-sample Asia is the most popular region for the growth of electronic vehicles with China as the most significant global player. Other Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan along with China have been major battery providers. Increase demand from India for the electric vehicles has also contributed towards the growth of this regional market. However, the global industry is also subjected to some restraints such as high product price. Electric vehicles are highly priced and are not affordable by each consumer, especially in the countries with lower economic growth. Moreover, the maintenance of the electric bikes is costly and requires frequent charging and changing of batteries. Some battery related issues also include lead emissions from few batteries and the energy storage systems, are some of the factors restraining the market growth. The global electric vehicle industry constitutes of many international and domestics players. Some of the key players include Volkswagen Group, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, BAIC Corporation, General Motors, Ford, and Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi. Avail discount on this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/electric-vehicles-ev-market/request-for-discount-pricing About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com External Article 5 January 2021 Business travel between the European Union and its former member state the United Kingdom is set to become significantly more complicated from Jan. 1. The UK left the EU on Dec. 31, 2019 but little changed in the transition period that runs to Dec. 31, 2020. However, annexes included in the 1259-page trade agreement between the EU and UK published on Christmas Eve confirm that once the transition ends many activities carried out by short-term business visitors will require work permits and in some cases the passing of an economic needs test. There are several additional new restrictions on freedom of movement and other changes, although the ending of state healthcare rights for visitors and the need to carry international driving permits have largely been avoided. Nevertheless, said Scott Davies, CEO of the UK and Ireland's Institute of Travel Management, "the deal which has been struck does not appear to directly address the need to minimize friction and paperwork for business travel to and from the EU. Previously, travel to the EU required little thought around entry requirements and permissions. Travelers will now potentially need to understand the conditions and rules that apply for each country." DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Digitalization and Security Convergence Driving Growth in the Security Industry, 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research and Markets Logo The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the security industry and to provide insights on trends, threats, and opportunities for global security leaders, businesses, and governments. It illustrates how markets and business models are evolving in the security industry and identifies the potential opportunities from the perspective of the following: Technologies to invest in Application areas Business models Region of Interest Regulations The report also provides visionary insights on the Mega Trends and technology trends that businesses should focus on in the next decade along with information on the contracts awarded in applications like border security, digitalization, critical national infrastructure, and public safety & security. The report provides the security industry market size for 2019 and forecasts from 2020 to 2025 with a sectorial view for the following: Airport security Land borders Oil & gas Mass transportation Utilities First responders Disaster and emergency management Banking & finance The report also analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and security industry from the perspective of two different possible post-COVID scenarios: Prolonged recovery Accelerated recovery The report also underlines the importance of counter-UAS solutions within the security industry and highlights the countries that face the risk of drone attacks. Key Issues Addressed What are the current trends impacting demand and supply? Which are the growth opportunities for expansion in 2020? Which are the crucial security threats and challenges? What are the key factors driving the global security market? How is the concept of operation changing within the security industry? What is the current global security sector market size and forecast for the next 5 years? What will the competitive landscape look like for the global security market? What are the biggest security concerns for 2020 and beyond for critical national infrastructure, governments, businesses, and citizens? Key Topics Covered: Story continues 1. Executive Summary Analysis Factsheet Context: Market Evolution 2. Research Scope and Segmentation Research Scope Key Questions this Study will Answer Market Segmentation 3. Megatrends of the Next Decade Megatrends of the Next Decade - Security Market Digitalisation Privacy Rights Data Protection Policies Analytics 4. Technological Trends of the Next Decade 5 Technological Trends of the Next Decade Social Media Video Intelligence Hybrid-Cloud 5G and IOT Cyber Protection 5. Threat Landscape Major Events - Security Market Threat Vector Analysis Biggest Security Concerns for 2020 Security Industry's Concept Of Operation is Changing New Importance of Counter-UAS Solutions within the Security Industry Major Security Threats for THE Global Supply Chain Major Opportunities for Security Industry 6. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on 2020 and Beyond Growth Drivers in Security Market Growth Restraints in the Security Market Revised State of the Security Industry Due to the Pandemic Key Forecast Criteria Industry Growth Rate Comparison by Scenario COVID Scenario 1: Prolonged Recovery Forecast COVID Scenario 1: Prolonged Recovery Forecast Discussion COVID Scenario 2: Accelerated Recovery Forecast COVID Scenario 2: Accelerated Recovery Forecast Discussion Security Industry Future Outlook Security Industry Future Outlook: Risk Mitigation Strategies 7. Industry Watch Innovative Businesses State-of-the-art Contracts - Border Security State-of-the-art Contracts - Digitalisation State-of-the-art Contracts - Critical National Infrastructure State-of-the-art Contracts - Public Safety & Security State-of-the-art Contracts - Commercial Security Key Mergers & Acquisitions - Security Market, Global, 2019 Key Competitors 8. Critical National Infrastructure Market Analysis Global CNI Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Airport Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Land Borders Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Oil & Gas Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Mass Transportation Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Ports Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Utilities Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Digital Transformation Across the CNI Security Segment 9. Public Safety & Security Market Analysis Global Public Safety & Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 First Responders Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Disaster and Emergency Management Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Digital Transformation Across the Public Order & Security Segment 10. Commercial Security Market Analysis Global Commercial Security Revenue Forecast, 2019-2025 Commercial Security Sub-segment Analysis - Banking & Finance Digital Transformation Across Commercial Security 11. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action Major Growth Opportunities for the Security Industry Growth Opportunity: Cyber Security for Enterprise and Governments, 2019 Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth Key Conclusions 12. Appendix: Growth Pipeline Engine Abbreviations and Acronyms Used About the Growth Pipeline Engine Next Steps List of Exhibits For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lb39o8 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. 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Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Bill Gates Microsoft founder Bill Gates has praised India for its vaccine-manufacturing capabilities to end the COVID-19 pandemic. The billionaire philanthropist also praised Indias leadership in scientific innovation. Its great to see Indias leadership in scientific innovation and vaccine manufacturing capability as the world works to end the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates tweeted. The co-founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hailed India multiple times in the past, especially for the governments proactive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. According to officials, Gates - in a letter to Modi - said he was glad that the Indian government was fully utilising its exceptional digital capabilities in its COVID-19 response and had launched the 'Aarogya Setu' digital app for coronavirus tracking, contact tracing, and to connect people to health services. He also expressed the need for Indias cooperation in manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier, while speaking in a documentary, Gates said that India's pharmaceutical industry will be able to produce COVID-19 vaccines not just for the country but also for the entire world. A lot of "very important things have been done" in India and its pharma industry is doing work "to help make the coronavirus vaccine building on other great capacities that they have used for other diseases" Gates said in the documentary, named COVID-19: India's War Against The Virus. HARTFORD The citys police chief says two supervisory members from the Major Crimes Division each face up to a five-day unpaid suspension for code of conduct violations in connection with their response to a recent text message scandal that has led to the demotion and suspension of a detective. Hartford police last week released the interrogations and findings from an internal review authored by Capt. Jeffrey Rousseau regarding what was repeatedly described in the 20-page report as an inappropriate text message sent by then-Detective Jeffrey Placzek, who was demoted to the rank of officer and given a four-month unpaid suspension. Released with the report was a statement from Chief Jason Thody, who indicated two supervisors each face up to five days of unpaid suspension for code of conduct violations, and a third was ordered to undergo documented counseling. Thody said Placzeks return to the department is contingent on a fitness-for-duty evaluation as well as a restorative justice program involving discussion with community members. Placzek admitted to Rousseau during the internal probe that he sent a group text around 1 p.m. on Dec. 2 to 20 individuals in which he proposed a betting pool in regards to the location of the citys first homicide of 2021, according to the report. The text told the recipients they had been selected to participate in the Major Crimes Dead Pool through a $20 donation, the report said. The text indicated that once payment was made, the participant would choose an address or intersection where they thought the first homicide of the year might take place, according to the report. Placzeks text was received by 20 people, including Lt. Paul Cicero, commander of the Major Crimes Division, Sgt. Anthony Rykowski and Sgt. Jeffrey Morrison. Eleven detectives in the division also received the text, as well as an officer in the Traffic Division, the report said. There were no replies to Placzeks text, other than one detective who responded with a generic thank you, which he later explained was because he did not fully read the message, but wanted to acknowledge receiving it. The report said phone numbers of Senior Assistant States Attorney David Zagaja and Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice inspectors Joseph Buyak, Gerald Kumnick and Craig Davis were also identified among the group messages recipients. Rousseau said Zagaja and Davis acknowledged they received the text, Kumnick said he uses an older style phone that does not receive texts and Buyak did not confirm or deny receiving the message, the report said. The text was made public when it was posted on a blog page on Dec. 4, the report said. Rousseau said the incident has significantly damaged police and community relations. Sgt. Anthony Rykowski, Placzeks direct supervisor in the division, verbally counseled Placzek about the text on Dec. 3, according to Rousseaus internal report. Rousseau said although there was some supervisory intervention, it failed to meet the expectations of the department. The conduct of Detective Placzek should have been instantly recognized as a serious violation of the code of conduct that demanded an immediate supervisory investigation with speedy notifications made through the chain of commend, Rousseau said. The investigation shows that Sgt. Anthony Rykowski and Lt. (Paul) Cicero did not communicate about the incident until approximately two days after receiving the text message. Rousseau said Rykowski failed to properly supervise subordinates or take appropriate action, the report said. Thody said Rykowski faces up to five days of unpaid suspension. Cicero failed to properly supervise subordinates or to prefer disciplinary action, or take other appropriate action; and failed to make proper notifications as a supervisor, in violation of the departments code of conduct, the report said. Rousseau said Cicero should have made notification to other police officials about the text on Dec. 2 when it was initially sent and not two days later on Dec. 4. Thody said Cicero, who was previously removed from major crimes as well as from his role as public information officer, faces up to five days of unpaid suspension for his failure to supervise charge, and a verbal reprimand on the failure to notify charge. Morrison was found to be inattentive to duty or assignment in violation of the code of conduct. During his interview for the internal investigation, Rousseau said Morrison told him that although he received Placzeks text during his shift, he didnt fully read it until after work. He was the only one to receive the text on his work phone, the report said, As a supervisor who is issued a work cellphone as part of his job function, the department would have expected that he be more attentive to communications, especially while at work, Rousseau said, adding that this might have allowed for quicker intervention on the matter. Thody said Morrison will receive documented counseling, the maximum penalty for that charge. The chief said from his perspective, the supervisors did not take strong or quick enough action. He said speaking with Placzek about the text after the fact was simply not enough. The detectives who received the text on their personal phones may not have had a duty to report the incident, according to the code of conduct, but I am discouraged by the fact that they did not take more proactive action to address the behavior of their peer, Thody said. The report indicated there were no code of conduct violations by any of the non-supervisory personnel that received Placzeks text, and no formal discipline was recommended for them. Rousseau did, however, recommend the personnel assigned to the Major Crimes Division be included in additional division-wide sensitivity training. Sgt. Michael Rykowski, a supervisor for the Patrol Division who was included in the group text, contacted Placzeks direct supervisor, Sgt. Anthony Rykowski about the text, Rousseau said. There was no formal discipline recommended for Michael Rykowski. Rousseau said there was no evidence to suggest the dead pool ever took place, nor that there were any previous incident that occurred that were similar in nature. He said longstanding detectives and supervisors in the division indicated Placzeks text offering a betting pool was the first of its kind. There were no responses that would suggest Detective Placzek, or anyone else from the Major Crimes Division, was involved in following through, or collecting any money to be used as bets or wages in a pool, Rousseau said. Neither was any money ever offered by any of the recipients of the text message to participate in such a pool. The consensus among the responses was that it was a bad joke on the part of Detective Placzek. There is also no information to indicate there is an environment within the Major Crimes Division that would help foster this type of behavior, Rousseau said, citing the lack of responses as proof. In his findings, Rousseau called it concerning that someone who seemingly received or was linked to the message in some way released it to be shared publicly. The fact that the text message was shared immediately, with the likely intent of having it made public, without first allowing management the opportunity to address it, I find to be dishonorable, Rousseau said. He said there are many internal and external avenues that exist for someone to report wrongdoing in the department without publicly releasing the information. Rousseau said while the investigation didnt reveal who shared the content of the text message, he will pursue a follow-up investigation and determine if a violation of the code of conduct occurred if that information is ever learned. Shortly after noon on Dec. 5, Placzek sent another text to the group, apologizing for placing a poor decision on your doorstep during the holiday season. My text was in poor taste and I take ownership of it, Placzek wrote in the text, according to the report. Not only did this cause a black eye to our police department, but an even bigger one with the city. Thody said since the initial text message came to light, he has held individual and small-group meetings with all supervisors to emphasize his expectations of them. The bottom line is that this conduct crossed the line by a big margin, and every member of the department, myself included, now has the responsibility to help fix the damage this caused, Thody said. While glass is a truly ubiquitous material that we use on a daily basis, it also represents a major scientific conundrum. Contrary to what one might expect, the true nature of glass remains something of a mystery, with scientific inquiry into its chemical and physical properties still underway. In chemistry and physics, the term glass itself is a mutable concept: It includes the substance we know as window glass, but it may also refer to a range of other materials with properties that can be explained by reference to glass-like behaviour, including, for instance, metals, plastics, proteins, and even biological cells. While it may give the impression, glass is anything but conventionally solid. Typically, when a material transitions from a liquid to a solid state the molecules line up to form a crystal pattern. In glass, this does not happen. Instead, the molecules are effectively frozen in place before crystallization happens. This strange and disordered state is characteristic of glasses across different systems and scientists are still trying to understand how exactly this metastable state forms. A novel state of matter: liquid glass Research led by professors Andreas Zumbusch (Department of Chemistry) and Matthias Fuchs (Department of Physics), both based at the University of Konstanz, has just added another layer of complexity to the glass conundrum. Using a model system involving suspensions of tailor-made ellipsoidal colloids, the researchers uncovered a new state of matter, liquid glass, where individual particles are able to move yet unable to rotate - complex behaviour that has not previously been observed in bulk glasses. The results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) (date of publication: 19 January 2021; published online: 4 January 2021). Colloidal suspensions are mixtures or fluids that contain solid particles which, at sizes of a micrometre (one millionth of a metre) or more, are bigger than atoms or molecules and therefore well-suited to investigation with optical microscopy. They are popular among scientists studying glass transitions because they feature many of the phenomena that also occur in other glass-forming materials. Tailor-made ellipsoidal colloids To date, most experiments involving colloidal suspensions have relied on spherical colloids. The majority of natural and technical systems, however, are composed of non-spherical particles. Using polymer chemistry, the team led by Andreas Zumbusch manufactured small plastic particles, stretching and cooling them until they achieved their ellipsoid forms and then placed them in a suitable solvent. "Due to their distinct shapes our particles have orientation - as opposed to spherical particles - which gives rise to entirely new and previously unstudied kinds of complex behaviours", explains Zumbusch, who is a professor of physical chemistry and senior author on the study. The researchers then went on to change particle concentrations in the suspensions, and tracked both the translational and rotational motion of the particles using confocal microscopy. Continues Zumbusch: "At certain particle densities orientational motion froze whereas translational motion persisted, resulting in glassy states where the particles clustered to form local structures with similar orientation". What the researchers have termed liquid glass is a result of these clusters mutually obstructing each other and mediating characteristic long-range spatial correlations. These prevent the formation of a liquid crystal which would be the globally ordered state of matter expected from thermodynamics. Two competing glass transitions What the researchers observed were in fact two competing glass transitions - a regular phase transformation and a nonequilibrium phase transformation - interacting with each other. "This is incredibly interesting from a theoretical vantage point", comments Matthias Fuchs, professor of soft condensed matter theory at the University of Konstanz and the other senior author on the paper. "Our experiments provide the kind of evidence for the interplay between critical fluctuations and glassy arrest that the scientific community has been after for quite some time". A prediction of liquid glass had remained a theoretical conjecture for twenty years. The results further suggest that similar dynamics may be at work in other glass-forming systems and may thus help to shed light on the behaviour of complex systems and molecules ranging from the very small (biological) to the very big (cosmological). It also potentially impacts the development of liquid crystalline devices. ### The research was initiated as part of the University of Konstanz's Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1214 "Anisotropic Particles as Building Blocks: Tailoring Shape, Interactions and Structures", which was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) from 2016 to 2020. Facts: A team of chemists and physicists from the University of Konstanz has discovered a new state of matter, liquid glass, with previously unknown structural elements. Research led by Professor Andreas Zumbusch (Department of Chemistry) and Professor Matthias Fuchs (Department of Physics) provides new insights into the as-yet unresolved issue of glass transition. Experiments with ellipsoidal colloids reveal that liquid glass forms because the particles are able to move but unable to rotate - which results in local particle clusters that obstruct each other and thus prevent an ordered state of matter from forming. Original publication: Jorg Roller, Aleena Laganapan, Janne-Mieke Meijer, Matthias Fuchs, Andreas Zumbusch: Observation of liquid glass in suspensions of ellipsoidal colloids, PNAS, 4 January 2021. URL: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1073/ pnas. 2018072118 The research was initiated as part of the University of Konstanz's Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1214 "Anisotropic Particles as Building Blocks: Tailoring Shape, Interactions and Structures", which was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) from 2016 to 2020. Note to editors: You can download a photo here: https:/ / cms. uni-konstanz. de/ fileadmin/ pi/ fileserver/ 2020/ Bilder/ Weder_fluessig_noch_fest. png Caption: Image of the position and orientation of ellipsoidal particles in clusters of a liquid glass. Image credit: Research groups of Professor Andreas Zumbusch and Professor Matthias Fuchs Contact: University of Konstanz Communications and Marketing Phone: +49 7531 88-3603 Email: kum@uni-konstanz.de - uni.kn/en In early October, Alex Azar, Health and Human Services Secretary, said that there would be 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by the end of the year. Due to supply chain issues, that estimate was quickly curtailed to 40 million doses a month later. Exactly four weeks ago, Margaret Keenan of the UK, a 91-year-old grandmother, was the first person to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine on December 8, 2020. The United States officially rang in their vaccination rollout on December 14 after emergency use authorization was granted for Pfizers vaccine. Modernas vaccine was inaugurated on December 20. Before the Christmas holidays, the White House coronavirus taskforce had assured the public that they were on track to vaccinate 20 million people by December 31. But by the end of the year, barely three million had received the vaccine. According to a detailed report by Bloomberg, the US has administered 4.66 million doses, or 1.55 million doses per week. This means that only 1.4 percent of the population has been vaccinated, and only 30 percent of the distributed vaccines have been given out. The United Kingdom had administered just over 947,000 doses, representing 1.42 percent of its population. At these rates, barely a third of the British and American people will have been vaccinated by the beginning of 2022. Internationally, after much fanfare and a media blitz, the intervening weeks have recorded a disastrously anemic administration of just over 13 million doses of these lifesaving vaccines across 33 countries. The world is organized into a nation-state system tightly interlinked by financial ties. Still, when it comes to a broad-based public health initiative, the utter incompetence of these state machines befuddles the mind. It will take a decade to deliver billions of doses to the globes population at the current pace. Presently, most of the vaccines have been given to healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The significant challenges ahead will be vaccinating the general population. With limited supplies and vaccination sites still undesignated, finger-pointing and blaming have quickly become common. The federal government has left it to states to decide how the rollout would take place with little funding to aid them in this herculean task. Clair Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers, told the Wall Street Journal, There may have been an expectation from Operation Warp Speed or others that wed give everyone the vaccine overnight. It was a logistics equation for them. If youve been in vaccines for a long time, you know thats the easy part. Getting it into actual arms is the hard part. Compounding the inadequate budgets of most exhausted state health departments tasked with managing and overseeing the rollout is the massive underfunding for these initiatives. In a September press release, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced a miserly $200 million to jurisdictions for COVID-19 vaccine preparedness. At a minimum, it has been estimated that $6 to $8 billion would be needed to fund these programs. Amid the ongoing surge in cases nationwide, health systems have a limited supply of staff available to assist in administering these vaccines. Attempting to administer these treatments in a socially distant approach and then monitor the recipients of the vaccine for 15 to 30 minutes for adverse reactions is resource-intensive. Overworked and stretched thin, the limited available staff are prioritized to the care of hospitalized patients. Not surprisingly, a high percentage of health care professionals and frontline health providers, who are a priority for vaccination, are hesitant or refusing to be inoculated. After months of mismanagement by health systems and authorities at all government levels, many find it difficult to accept these interim analyses' results and prefer to wait for the actual studies to be concluded. Governor Michael DeWine of Ohio noted he was troubled that a relatively high number of nursing home staff, 60 percent to be exact, have elected not to take the vaccine. He threatened them that if they didnt accept the vaccine now, they would have to wait for it in the future. Frozen vials of the COVID-19 vaccine (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Dr. Nikhila Juvvadi, the chief clinical officer at Chicagos Loretto Hospital, who administered the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to frontline health workers, told NPR that many hospital staff who are minority groups were mistrustful of the vaccine. In a survey conducted by the hospital, 40 percent would not get vaccinated. In a recent Los Angeles Times article, less than half of the staff at St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Tehama County were willing to be vaccinated. Twenty percent of the frontline health care providers at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills refused to be inoculated. Close to half of healthcare workers at Riverside County have declined the vaccine. On an anonymous basis, a Riverside nurse speaking to the World Socialist Web S ite expressed her distrust of the government agencies from the California Department of Public Health and Governor Newsom, who have waived their patient to nurse ratios, to the CDC who has repeatedly stated that it was safe to open schools. "For a very long time, the CDC kept saying the virus was spread through droplets. Health care workers were only given masks if their patient was on a breathing treatment. CDC was clinging to the fact that it was droplet-based. They did that because they knew they didn't have the respirator masks, so a decision was madelet's sacrifice the health care worker and hang on to the lie. But as for nurses, we knew from the beginning that this was airborne. We have a nursing degree, and we knew we were being lied to and demanded PPE. If my simple mind can understand and see what we need, why is it that they cant, and they have all the greatest minds at their disposal? At my hospital and EVS, lab workers died, and they were not given proper protection. [The SEP Congress resolution 2020] resonated really hard with me. The right thing would be to quit worrying about profit, stop war profiteering off [of] people dying." There is merit to these concerns raised by rank-and-file healthcare workers. Stop-gap solutions being posed to deal with supply issues mean distributing the vaccines in ways not validated by the trials conducted to date. The UKs chief medical officer has defended the decision to extend the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine out to three months, citing shortages in COVID-19 vaccines that will pose significant issues for several months to come. In a recent Washington Post opinion piece, Robert M. Wachter and Ashish K. Jha attempt to make the case for offering a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and delaying the second one in the face of the hundreds of thousands of daily infections. They claim that the vaccine trials indicated that a single dose after ten days offered 80 to 90 percent efficacy. Chief Operation Warp Speed adviser Moncef Slaoui has suggested that adults between 18 and 55 receive only two half-doses of the Moderna vaccine to increase the number available. BioNTech warned the Financial Times that there was no data to support such recommendations, whose aim is to reach as many people as possible despite the limitations in supplies. Yet, other European countries like Germany are planning to follow the UKs lead. As these regimens have been given emergency use authorization, a change in the protocol would need a separate approval, but based on what data? A New England Journal of Medicine study published on December 31 found that twelve days after the Pfizer vaccine's first dose, efficacy was only at 52 percent with a confidence interval of 29.5 to 68.4 percent. The acceptable limits established by the World Health Organization require both a threshold of 50 percent and a lower bound over 30 percent, which would categorize the treatment barely acceptable. One solution that all these national figures and leading scientist fail to mention is a program to shut down all nonessential workplaces, the closing of schools and the emergency provision of the financial support necessary to sustain the population until the crisis is overcome, as noted in the recent New Years Statement published on the WSWS yesterday. This would allow time to contain the virus, provide breathing room for health systems, and initiate a mass vaccination initiative while resources were directed to vaccine production. It isnt science, but its misapplication, that has created the present disaster. The Joint Foreign Chambers on Wednesday renewed its commitment to deliver up to $50 billion in foreign direct investments and generate 3 million jobs over the next 10 years. As Arangkada Philippines starts its second decade, the Joint Foreign Chambers is setting a new target for the next decade of $50 billion in foreign investment and 3 million new jobs from the Philippines. After all, the word Arangkada means to accelerate, American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines president Peter Hayden said in a virtual conference during the second day of the Arangkada Project Philippines 2020. Hayden said the combined investments from companies belonging to foreign chambers reached $8.3 billion in the last 5 years from 2015 to 2019, almost hitting the $10-billion target set in 2010. He said the government and investment promotion agencies were instrumental in achieving the previous targets and that the chambers would continue to expect the same level of commitment from the government to reach the full potential of the new targets. Weve agreed to announce our new target for added foreign direct investment and jobs in the Philippines. Just 10 years ago, we targeted $10 billion in additional FDI and 1 million additional new jobs, assuming reforms are being made. Im pleased to announce that these targets were achieved, he said. Hayden said the JFC continued to believe in the enormous potential of the Philippines to generate FDI with the right policies for investment. European Chamber of Commerce president Francis Nabil said that given the economic impact of the pandemic, the Philippines future was not canceled, but it was postponed. We are optimistic [of the target]. Its important for us to be in a position to unfold this potential, and if we want to deliver, if we want to achieve this target, we will have to decisive, and to work hand in hand with the government as the JFC has always been doing. If we just sit at this, this will not be realized, he said.Meanwhile, the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines said the lifting of the ban on open pit mining could unlock the potential of $1.8 billion in additional exports and about P12 billion in revenues for the government. CMP president Gerard Brimo said an additional revenue stream was expected from three major open-pit projects that were forced to shut down when the ban was enforced. So you can imagine the social development that can take place in these areas in Mindanao, he said in his remarks during the Arangkada forum. He said these projects are the Kingking mining project in Davao, the Tampakan mining project in South Cotabato and the Silangan Mining project of Philex Mining Corp. in Surigao del Norte. These projects are all in Mindanao. And we all know that Mindanao is crying for projects and for development. If these projects are allowed to go forward, IP royalties for the indigenous peoples could go beyond the current amount of royalties which is over P600 million a year, Brimo said. He said the projected P12 billion in additional revenue from mining would be 50 percent more than what the sector pays the government at present. Local governments will also get their share of up to P1.5 billion in estimated LGU taxes or double what the local governments receive today, Brimo said. IRVING, Texas, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences, a leading innovator in molecular science and artificial intelligence focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, announced today that the company will present at the 39th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, which is being held virtually, on January 12, 2021, at 12:10 p.m. ET. The company will provide an overview of the business and discuss recent corporate achievements that position it to further extend its leadership position in the market. Caris Life Sciences will be represented by David D. Halbert, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brian J. Brille, Vice Chairman, David Spetzler, MS, MBA, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer and Thomas Parker, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Caris. About Caris Life Sciences Caris Life Sciences is a leading innovator in molecular science and artificial intelligence focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation. The company's suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps physicians and cancer patients make more precise and personalized treatment decisions. MI Exome whole exome sequencing with 22,000 DNA genes, and MI Transcriptome whole transcriptome sequencing with 22,000 RNA genes along with cancer-related pathogens, bacteria, viruses and fungi analysis run on every patient provides the most comprehensive and clinically relevant DNA and RNA profiling available on the market. Caris is also advancing precision medicine with Caris MAI (Molecular Artificial Intelligence) that combines its innovative service offerings, Caris Molecular Intelligence with its proprietary artificial intelligence analytics engine, DEAN, to analyze the whole exome, whole transcriptome and complete cancer proteome. This information, coupled with mature clinical outcomes on thousands of patients, provides unmatched molecular solutions for patients, physicians, payers and biopharmaceutical organizations. Caris Pharmatech is changing the paradigm and streamlines the clinical trial process by assisting biopharma companies with accessing research-ready oncology sites for clinical trials. With over 200 research sites within the Caris Pharmatech Just-In-Time (JIT) Oncology Network, biopharma companies can identify and enroll more patients, faster. Caris Pharmatech Just-In-Time Clinical Trial Solutions focus on rapid site activation and patient enrollment to streamline the drug development process. By implementing Caris' Just-In-Time Trial-Matching System, Caris will automatically match patients to clinical trials and sites can be activated and eligible to enroll patients within one week. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences has offices in Phoenix, Denver, New York, and Basel, Switzerland. Caris provides services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS). Media and Investor Relations Contact: Argot Partners [email protected] 212-600-1902 Corporate Development Contact: Narendra Chokshi Caris Life Sciences [email protected] 917-689-3511 Caris Life Sciences Media Contact: Lindsey Bailys GCI Health [email protected] 212-798-9884 SOURCE Caris Life Sciences Related Links http://www.carislifesciences.com Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 2020 was an eventful year for Vietnams defence external affairs sector as the country successfully organised the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and the 7th ADMM Plus. browser not support iframe. In the context of Vietnam being ASEAN Chair in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, its successes are historic. For the first time in history, the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) and the 7th ADMM Plus and related meetings were held online. These are the most important events among ASEAN defence-military activities and were hosted by the Ministry of Defence during ASEAN Year 2020. Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, host Vietnam made the best preparations possible for the meetings to take place safely. The initiative of organising meetings online in combination with other flexible forms, as proposed by Vietnam during the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials Meeting Plus, was welcomed by ASEAN countries and partners. Vietnam successfully prepared and organised defence conferences, including the Joint Declaration of ASEAN Defence Ministers on Defence Cooperation for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN, manifesting its prestige and reputation in the international arena. In its ten years, ADMM Plus has been held seven times but only issued a Joint Declaration three times. As ASEAN Chair in 2010 and 2020, Vietnam held the ADMM Plus meetings twice and issued a Joint Statement for both occasions. This is of great significance in the context of a changing world and region, with countries having different perspectives. With the successful organisation of major events within the ASEAN Year, Vietnams defence external affairs sector brought into full play its comprehensive strength and became an important pillar in the external activities of the Party and State, contributing to maintaining a peaceful environment for national construction and development./.VNA Defence diplomacy improves Vietnams position Images of Vietnams flag flying at the Army Games 2020, UN peacekeeping operations, and ASEAN meetings over the years prove the significant role of defence diplomacy in improving the prestige and position of Vietnam in the international arena. Durham, NC - Mid-term results of the first clinical trial designed specifically to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two cell therapies that are showing early promise in treating angiitis-induced critical limb ischemia were released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. The study, by researchers at Zhongshan Hospital/Fudan University in Shanghai, compared how transplantation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells fared versus transplantation of purified CD34+ cells in treating this condition. It revealed both therapies yielded satisfactory results and provided evidence for more precise application of cell therapy under different conditions, the researchers say. Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a type of peripheral artery disease caused by severe blockage in the arteries of the lower extremities, which markedly reduces blood-flow. Angiitis-induced CLI (AICLI) occurs when the CLI is the result of inflammation of the walls of small blood vessels. This chronic condition results in severe pain in the feet or toes, even while resting. Left untreated, the complications of CLI often result in amputation. "Cell transplantation, such as purified CD34+ cells (PCCs), which are multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs), which are a mixture of highly specialized immune cells including T cells, NK cells and more, is gradually being used as a promising treatment for AICLI," explained Zhihui Dong, M.D, who along with Weiguo Fu, M.D, led the investigation. "The aim of our trial was to compare the mid-term safety and efficacy between the two groups and determine their respective advantages." From April 2014 to September 2019, 50 AICLI patients were equally allocated to the two treatment groups. At the 36-month follow-up, 47 patients remained. The endpoints assessed were major amputation-free survival and total amputation-free survival. At six months after treatment these had been 96 percent and 84 percent in the PBMNCs group, and 96 percent and 72 percent in the PCCs group, respectively - rates that remained stable at the 12- and 24-month periods, too. The mid-term trial period focused on in this report - 36 months - once again confirmed stability. "The PCCs group had a significant higher probability of earlier rest pain relief than the PBMNCs group, while earlier significant improvements in the Rutherford classification (which describes seven stages of peripheral artery disease) were observed in the PBMNCs group. Accordingly, PCCs would be preferred for patients with significant pain, while PBMNCs may be a good option for patients with two or more critically ischemic limbs," Dr. Fu noted. Additionally the study compared the therapies' cost effectiveness and found that PCCs treatment was less cost-effective compared to PBMNCs treatment, mainly due to the extra cost of the purification process. "This finding is interesting and useful for future clinical trials in which we could consider avoiding purifying PBMNC into PCCs, thus reducing the cost of trials," Dr. Dong said. "The next step should be to verify our outcomes in long-term trials involving larger numbers of patients." "The outcomes provided in this study of two cell therapies for the treatment AICLI show both to be effective and safe," said Anthony Atala, MD, Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "This finding is promising and useful for the planning of future clinical trials." ### The full article, "Three-year outcomes of PBMNCs versus PCCs in the treatment of angiitis-induced no-option critical limb ischemia and a cost-effectiveness assessment," can be accessed at https:/ / stemcellsjournals. onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ doi/ abs/ 10. 1002/ sctm. 20-0033 . About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation. About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS (http://www. StemCells. com ), celebrating its 39th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist (http://www. TheOncologist. com ), also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 26th year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines. About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www. wiley. com . About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The ongoing Korean drama "Run On" starring actors Im Siwan and Shin Se Kyung are receiving different reactions from critics. One of the famous Asian publication called it "standard" and lacking in charm. Many new dramas kicked off airing in the last two months of 2020, including "The Uncanny Counter," "Mr.Queen," and "True Beauty." And among the latest series that had been released, JTBC's "Run On" have been doing good so far, but some viewers and critics were not satisfied about the lead characters' chemistry and the plot. Im Siwan is playing the character of Ki Seon Gyeom, a former popular athlete on the national team who later on retired from the sport due to his past experience. Whereas Shin Se Kyung is Oh Mi Joo, a passionate film translator who gets overjoyed when she sees her name on movie credits. The drama started in a glamorous film festival setting, where Ki Seon Gyeom attended the event with his mother, a top actress in their country. Oh Mi Joo was also in the same festival, having worked on one of the films, which was handled by a rising director who happens to be her ex-boyfriend. One time, Oh Mi Joo and Ki Seon Gyeom crossed paths on the street, and something between them arose. Typically in romantic K-dramas, the standards are built within a fairly awkward structure, wherein a good looking, distant, rich young man gets attracted to a strong young woman without power or connections. It's the usual plot wherein the woman is baffled by the man's arrogance, and the woman's pride attracts the man. Their world will collide - commonly, hers is captivated by his, which is full of traitorous family members, and eventually, they will develop feelings for each other. Then the second love interest would be a rich woman and a poor man. Every new romantic drama somehow has similar plots, so what makes them stand out is the chemistry present between the leads. However, "Run On" is different due to the unusual works of its characters. The second romantic plot hasn't overpowered the main couple, not in the first six episodes. More than that, it has a good standard location that includes a trip to Jeju Island and other known places in South Korea, which is sometimes involved by snappy dialogues. Aside from the main leads, there were also the second couple in every drama, just like the characters of Girls' Generation's Sooyoung as Seo Dan and Kang Tae Oh as Lee Young Hwa. The tandem of these characters surely gives new flavors to the audience. Lee Young Hwa is a young painter who becomes attached to Seo Dan. He is bright and appealing in his role, giving the show some adorable moments, which likely would have been taken differently with other actors. Shin Se Kyung may have an interesting job as a movie translator, but as Oh Mi Joo's character is said to be prickly and dull, her role fails to stand out. Im Siwan, who has excelled in many films already, has a hard time showing his character's true side. His role as Ki Seon Gyeom may have good motivations, but his behavior is baffling rather than cute, or maybe it was intended by the director. There are still upcoming episodes that might change the relationship of one character to another and may give more interesting events, but as of the moment, some said the "Run On" is missing some worth interesting moments in the drama. For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Written by Shai Collins. Who will be the next CBI chief? PM Modi-led panel shortlists these three names; Congress protests Planet will not be the same after COVID-19: PM Modi 'World is our market': PM Modi makes strong 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' pitch India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: The world is in pursuit of affordable, durable and usable products, and a huge market, both domestically and globally, is waiting to be tapped, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, asserting that India wants to make products that are of good quality and are admired globally. In a post on LinkedIn, Modi shared his thoughts on his government''s project of ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat'' (self-reliant India) and said it is as much about scale as standards. "Today, the world is our market. The people of India have the ability. As a nation the world trusts India as a nation with credibility," he said. With our people''s ability and the nation''s credibility, Indian products of top quality will travel far and wide, he said, stating that this will also be a true tribute to the ethos of ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat'', a "force multiplier for global prosperity". The prime minister shared the highlights of his Monday address at the National Metrology Conclave where he had stressed the need for Indian products to have standards as well as scale, and quality as well as quantity. "India is a powerhouse of skill and talent. The success of our start-up industry shows the innovative zeal of our youth. New products and services are being created rapidly," Modi said in his LinkedIn post. ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat'' rests on the twin principles of scale and standards, he said, adding that India wants to make more and at the same time it wants to make products that are of good quality. PM Modi did not discuss demonetisation: Pranab Mukherjee in memoir "India does not want to merely fill global markets with its products. We want Indian products to win the hearts of people around the world," he said. "When we ''Make in India'', we not only aim to fulfil global demand but also get global acceptance. I would urge you all to think about ''Zero Effect, Zero Defect'' in any product or service you create," he said, addressing manufacturers and entrepreneurs. LinkedIn is a social media platform, especially catering to career and business professionals. The prime minister said he could see that there is already a great degree of consciousness about this during his interactions with industry leaders, business representatives, youths of the start-up sector and professionals. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 21:13 [IST] Family Law Just about anyone can start a family on their own, but certain procedures affecting the responsibilities of family life must be pursued in court. While matters of the heart are very personal, the rights of same-sex couples to get married, laws regarding divorce, and the process of adopting a child are governed by state and federal laws. "Family law," therefore, refers to rules, regulations, and court procedures involving the family unit. While some family law matters may be handled without counsel, processes such as divorce and child custody often require the skill and expertise of a skilled attorney. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed bipartisan legislation aimed at providing more alternatives to jail time for offenses that dont pose a public safety risk, among other reforms to the states criminal justice system. Many of the bills signed Monday stemmed from a yearlong study into Michigans jail system led by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack and other members of a bipartisan task force. The task force ultimately found the states overcrowded jails are filled with people who are either there too long or would be better served by an alternative to jail. As a former prosecutor, I recognize how critical it is to take steps toward a smarter and more equitable justice system that not only saves taxpayer money, but keeps people in their communities, Whitmer said in a statement. Today proves that it is possible to make tremendous progress to improve our state when we work together to get things done. Related: Michigan lawmakers made big inroads on criminal justice reform, but advocates say theres more to be done Changes to the system signed into law by Whitmer Monday include: Reducing penalties for a number of low-level offenses from misdemeanors to civil infractions, including driving on a suspended license, and eliminating license suspension for violations of the law unrelated to dangerous driving Eliminating mandatory minimum jail sentences Creating a presumption of sentence other than jail for most misdemeanors and certain felonies, and ensuring summonses, rather than arrests, are used for first-time failures to appear in court Expanding law enforcement discretion to issue citations for most misdemeanors and presuming citation in lieu of arrest in many cases Reforming the states probation and parole policies, capping jail sanctions for technical probation violations and allowing more discretion to assess risks and needs. Redefining the term good moral character in state law to remove barriers to obtaining many occupational licenses for people with a prior criminal conviction Sealing juvenile court records from public view and creating an automatic expungement process for juvenile records Lifting a ban on food assistance for people with more than one drug-related felony on their record Over the course of two years, criminal justice reforms saw a broad range of support from progressives, conservatives, experts, advocates, law enforcement, business groups and public officials. Supporters of the reforms say theres more work to be done, but note that the changes shepherded into law make Michigan a leader in reform efforts. Our courts and justice system belong to the people, and these reforms reflect a consensus-based process that brought together all who share our commitment to fairness, accountability, transparency, and efficiency, Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack said in a statement. This is not reactionary policy its thoughtful and purposeful, said Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, characterized the changes as thoughtful and purposeful public policy thats rooted in data, informed by research and built on consensus among a broad variety of groups. Amanda Alexander, executive director of the Detroit Justice Center and a member of the task force, said in a statement that the legislation will help end a vicious cycle many people are trapped in: being poor, not being able to pay your fines, having your license suspended and a warrant issued for failing to come to court. At the Detroit Justice Center, we are eager to see this legislation make a difference in peoples lives, and we are committed to continuing the fight alongside our movement partners for more widespread change, she continued. Other recommendations made by the task force, including possible changes to pretrial release and how to better address mental health in the criminal justice system, could come up in the new legislative session. Read more on MLive: Eight things you might have missed from the legislatures lame duck session What pending changes to expungement laws mean for setting aside criminal records in Michigan Michigan House OKs expungement for first-time drunken-driving convictions, certain juvenile offenses Whitmer signs bills classifying 17-year-olds as youth in Michigans criminal justice system Bill lifting ban on food assistance for people with multiple drug-related felonies headed to governor Criminal conviction needed to seize property under new Michigan law Whitmer creates bipartisan task force to study Michigans jails, court system [January 05, 2021] As First Patients Are Vaccinated for COVID-19 Across the UK, An Integrated EPR Makes a Herculean Effort Easier Cambridge University Hospitals use Epic software to help schedule timely doses for patients, record administration, monitor side effects, and report on outcomes VERONA, Wisconsin, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As a difficult year comes to a close, the first COVID-19 vaccines are a powerful new advancement in the fight against the SARS-Cov-2 virus. The logistical requirements of scheduling and administering two doses of the vaccine to each person necessitate a massive nationwide undertaking that must be done with precision to be most effective. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are taking an innovative approach to this challenge by coordinating the effort using their electronic patient record. "This is the first step of many toward ending the greatest public health challenge of our lifetimes," said Afzal Chaudhry, MD, CUH's Director of Digital, Chief Clinical Information Officer & Consultant Nephrologist. "The team caring for a patient can see the medical record in its entirety, wherever and whenever they need to, which is critical as we begin our vacination programme." CUH recently became the first organisation in the UK to reach Stage 7, the highest level of digital maturity according to the HIMSS Analytics international Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). Clinicians and staff across its hospitals share the same integrated EPR, so information entered at the front desk, by a pharmacist, or on the hospital ward is automatically visible in a single system to everyone who needs it to coordinate the patient's care. CUH is using its Epic EPR to: Plan for vaccine availability. The vaccine vials are carefully stored in ultra-cold freezers. Reports allow clinicians to see ahead of time how many patients are receiving a vaccine so they can thaw enough vials without waste. The vaccine vials are carefully stored in ultra-cold freezers. Reports allow clinicians to see ahead of time how many patients are receiving a vaccine so they can thaw enough vials without waste. Schedule critical second doses. Patients need two doses of the vaccine at the appropriate time intervals; for example, for the approved Pfizer vaccine, a second dose is required 21 days after the first to reach full 95% effectiveness. Staff are prompted to schedule both appointments at once to simplify follow-up later. Patients need two doses of the vaccine at the appropriate time intervals; for example, for the approved Pfizer vaccine, a second dose is required 21 days after the first to reach full 95% effectiveness. Staff are prompted to schedule both appointments at once to simplify follow-up later. Send important data to the NHS. Information such as who was vaccinated and which vials of the vaccine were used is vital for tracking the nationwide public health effort. Information such as who was vaccinated and which vials of the vaccine were used is vital for tracking the nationwide public health effort. Identify priority patient populations. As more vaccines become available, clinicians will prioritise patients as directed by the NHS, such as by age or occupation, using data in the health record. This centralised approach by CUH supports the efforts of the NHS's public health programme to end COVID-19 in the UK. Visit www.epic.com/about. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394377/Cambridge_University_Hospital.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1153667/Epic_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Indians can expect to get their first COVID-19 vaccine shot on January 13, Union Health Ministry Secreatry Rajesh Bhushan said on January 5. Based on the feedback of dry-run, the government is ready to introduce COVID-19 vaccine within 10 days from date of emergency use authorisation, he said during the health ministry briefing on coronavirus. The announcement comes days after the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) approved emergency use authorization for Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, which is being manufactured by Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. The coronavirus vaccine will be first administered to about one crore healthcare workers on COVID-19 duty. The government has assured they would not have to register for the vaccine shots. The priority groups that will receive the vaccine shots are: around 1 crore healthcare workers, healthcare providers, and those working in healthcare setting; around 2 crore frontline workers including armed forces, state and central police personnel, home guards, civil defence and disaster management volunteers and municipal workers; and almost 27 crore persons aged above 50 years and those with co-morbidities (irrespective of age). COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Follow our coverage of the coronavirus crisis here The Centre will be procuring 6.6 crore doses of the coronavirus vaccine from Serum Institute of India, which is manufacturing Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine Covishield in India. The government will be procuring the vaccine at Rs 200 per dose and is expected to sign a Rs 1,300 crore purchase agreement with SII for the same soon. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Hyderabad, Jan 5 : The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has embarked on a phased return to 'in-person' classes for postgraduate students. Vice Chancellor P. Appa Rao on Tuesday approved the Task Force recommendation to permit about 148 terminal semester students of the science schools and S.N. School to return to the campus for completion of laboratory/practice courses that have either been left incomplete from the last semester or have been postponed to the final semester. The list of students to return was identified by the respective academic units. The Task Force, headed by Prof Vinod Pavarala, has been carefully monitoring the current state of prevalence of Covid-19 (including the new variant) and the potential roll-out of vaccination and also following the unlock guidelines, being issued from time to time by the Central and Telangana governments. Taking into consideration the risk of the outbreak of pandemic on campus, limited facilities for quarantine/isolation of students, and UGC guidelines on hostel accommodation, the Task Force has planned for a gradual/phased return of students to the campus. The university has already enabled the return to the campus of over 320 research scholars (M.Phil, and Ph.D.) across various schools of study to enable them to carry out experimental work as well as timely submission of their theses. A full semester was also completed online successfully for the ongoing batch of Masters' students and the first semester classes were also initiated online. In this latest phase announced Tuesday, the Task Force considered the requirements of academic units that have laboratory/practice components that need to be completed before students graduate in June 2021 and have prioritised the return of about 148 students. This is the beginning of a gradual process hope that will continue through the next couple of months. As the situation with Covid-19 starts improving and the government issues guidelines for further unlocking of higher education activities, the University of Hyderabad hopes to facilitate the return of most students to normal academic work. The Vice Chancellor has requested the faculty, Staff and students in the social sciences, economics, humanities, management, and S.N. School to view this as a process, whereby all are compelled to prioritise the immediate needs of some students over others. "It is not that university administration does not understand the enormous difficulties that students across disciplines are facing with online classes. It is widely recognised that in the Indian context, there is no satisfactory substitute for classroom teaching and that virtual classes are only a last resort," he said. UoH has tried to ease some of the problems by facilitating remote access to digital library resources and putting in place a digital access grant for needy students. Elaborate teaching and evaluation guidelines have been framed to suit the current situation. Training has been offered to teachers for effective online teaching, and a learning management system has been put in place. Few central universities in the country have been able to do as much to restart academic activities during this period of crisis. For now, all theory classes, including for those who are being permitted to return to the campus for practical inputs, will continue online. The strong point of our church is that the people are very generous, said Pereira, of St. Isaac Jogues. He is particularly proud of the churchs outreach ministry. All those who come to our rectory seeking food and assistance, if we cannot reach out to them because of the shortage of funds, we try to tie these people with some other parish so that they get help. Our people, whenever we tell them that our pantry is running low, they will come with whatever food you suggest to them. We never run short of food. (Natural News) Department of Justice (DoJ) Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) filings show that communist China has infiltrated nearly every major mainstream media outlet in the United States, including Forbes, a heavy promoter of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and chemical violence against children. Along with CNN, The Wall Street Journal and many other household names, Forbes has been colluding with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by generating favorable coverage and positive messages about China in exchange for fancy private dinners and sponsored trips to China and elsewhere. The China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), which is funded by the CCP, has been targeting not just Big Business and Big Media but also Big Education. Colleges and universities all across North America have been infiltrated by its slithering tentacles, producing a new breed of indoctrinated Americans that embrace communism. A report from the U.S. government explains that the purpose of the effort is to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party. CUSEF was founded by Tung Chee Haw, who also serves as vice-chairman of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which has been identified by the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commission as an important cog in the CCPs United Work Front. The United Front strategy uses a range of methods to influence overseas Chinese communities, foreign governments, and other actors to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijings preferred policies, the government report further explains. Communist Chinese control over American institutions is far-reaching Forbes remains one of the most inflammatory fake news outlets in the country, especially when it comes to advocating for vaccines, GMOs, crop chemicals, artificial water fluoridation and other forms of chemical violence against humanity. About a week after the inauguration in 2017, Forbes published a hit piece against President Donald Trump accusing him of being anti-science for his past statements questioning the causes behind childhood autism. The medical establishment continues to claim that vaccines have nothing to do with autism, despite a direct correlation between the ever-increasing vaccination schedule and autism rates. According to Forbes, there is a compelling body of evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and anyone who suggests otherwise is a conspiracy crackpot. Forbes further denigrated the president by claiming that he gets all of his information from cable news and social media. Before Trump was president, Forbes was aggressively pushing products from Monsanto. Forbes advertisers, it turns out, are largely comprised of chemical companies like Monsanto that only exist because of fraudulent science that says GMOs are the solution to world hunger. It would appear that the fake news outlets constant pushing of vaccines, crop chemicals and other poisons is a direct result of its relationship with the CCP, which is concretely established in the FARA filings. The CCPs influence on Forbes is also manifested in its constant hiring of biotechnology industry shills like Jon Entine, an industry-connected scam artist who helped set up the infamous American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), a front group for the chemical industry. The Forbes-Entine connection to CUSEF is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to communist Chinese influence over American corporations and institutions. According to Foreign Policy magazine, CUSEF is not a privately funded non-profit organization, but rather a registered foreign agent bankrolled by a high-ranking Chinese government official with close ties to a sprawling Chinese Communist Party apparatus that handles influence operations abroad. More related news about the CCPs influence on American institutions can be found at Propaganda.news. Sources for this article include: TheNationalPulse.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com JERUSALEM: An Israeli security officer shot a Palestinian who threw a knife towards him in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israels military said, and Palestinian officials said the man had been killed. The incident occurred at a road junction situated near a cluster of Israeli settlements southwest of the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, the military said in a statement. (A) community security officer spotted a suspect approaching the junction. Following the suspicion, the security officer and an IDF (Israeli military) soldier operated to stop the suspect by firing into the air," the statement said. The suspect threw a knife at the officer, who responded with fire and neutralised the suspect," the statement added. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the mans death, but said it did not have details of his identity. Israel captured and occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians seek the territory for a future state that would include the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor The temple was demolished on Sunday by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in accordance with court orders as part of the ongoing Chandni Chowk beautification plan. New Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal members were detained by police during a protest on Tuesday over the demolition of a Hanuman temple at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. The temple was demolished on Sunday by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in accordance with court orders as part of the ongoing Chandni Chowk beautification plan. The protesters, carrying saffron flags and raising slogans, took out a march from the Gauri Shankar Mandir to the site where the temple existed. They were stopped by police at a barricade. According to VHP spokesperson Mahendra Rawat, around 15-20 workers and leaders, including its Delhi unit president Kapil Khanna, vice president Surendra Gupta, secretary Ravi and Bajrang Dal state convener Bharar Batra were detained during the protest. A senior police official said 27 protesters who gathered near the Gauri Shankar temple on Tuesday were detained owing to COVID-19 guidelines. They were taken to a nearby police station and released later. These protesters belonged to Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal outfits, the official said. As a precautionary measure, security personnel have been deployed in the area, police said. Boris Johnson cancels Jan 26 India visit citing pandemic in UK India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 05: UK President, Boris Johnson has cancelled his visit to India, a Reuters report said. UK PM Boris Johnson cancels India visit as the new virus strain rages on in UK|Oneindia News A Downing Street spokesperson said:, Athe Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned. He cited the need to oversee the pandemic situation in the UK. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation today with Johnson. Prime Minister Johnson reiterated his thanks for India''s invitation for him as the Chief Guest of the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations, but regretted his inability to attend in view of the changed COVID-19 context prevailing in the UK. He reiterated his keenness to visit India in the near future," a release from the Prime Minister''s office in New Delhi said. "Prime Minister (Modi) expressed his understanding of the exceptional situation in the UK, and conveyed his best wishes for the quick control of the pandemic spread. He looked forward to receiving Prime Minister Johnson in India at the earliest opportunity after normalisation of the situation," the PMO said. There was a lot of speculation regarding Johnson's visit as the UK sees the strictest restrictions in months over the new mutants strain of coronavirus. Johnson had last month said that he had accepted India's very generous invite to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Johnson "will use his visit to India to boost cooperation in areas that matter to the UK and that will be priorities for our international engagement throughout 2021 - from trade and investment, to defence and security, and health and climate change, his office had said last month. The Republic Day this year will be of shorter duration. The marching contingent will be smaller and the cultural performances will be fewer. The number of spectators too be reduced at Rajpath on January 26. The overall traditional character of the parade would however be maintained despite the restrictions. A contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces will take part in the parade in view of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the 1971 war of liberation. The parade will begin from Vijay Chowk. However this year it would culminate at the National Stadium instead of ending at the Red Fort. This means that the parade which normally covers 8.2 kilometres will only 3.3 kilometres this year. round 25,000 spectators will be allowed to witness the parade as compared to the average of 1.3 lakh people every year. There would be no permit for elders with Co-morbidities and children below the age of 15. KOTA IBUSHI VS. JAY WHITE, COBB VS. TAKAGI & MORE: COMPLETE NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING WRESTLE KINGDOM 15 NIGHT TWO COVERAGE Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom Night 2! Kevin Kelly, Chris Carlton and Rocky Romero are handling the English language commentary. King of Pro Wrestling 2021 Four-Way: Toru Yano vs. Bad Luck Fale vs. BUSHI vs. Chase Owens. Fale did the finger poke of doom on Owens and covered him but Yano broke it up. OOF. He was dispatched. BUSHI battled with the Bullet Club mates but Yano rolled him up. Yano removed the turnbuckle pad but Owens grabbed it before he could use it. Owens nailed Yano with it. Fale and Owens snapped Yano's legs apart rudely. They continued to work over Yano. Owens went for the pin but BUSHI broke up the pinfall. BUSHI pulled down the ropes and sent Fale over the top to the floor. BUSHI nailed a tope suicida on Owens. He snapped him in the ring and went for the pin but Yano broke it up. Yano went for a slam on Fale but collapsed under his weight and was almost pinned. Owens went for a kick on BUSHI and nailed Fale by accident. BUSHI missed a kick on Owens but nailed the Rewind kick for a two count. Owens clapped his ears and wernt for the package piledriver. BUSHI escaped and used a forward roll for a two count. Fale returned to lariat BUSHI as Owens held him for a back suplex. Fale went for the pin, which Owens objected to and they argued. They grabbed the referee and lifted him in the air. Yano low blowed them both and pinned BUSHI for the pin. Your winner and King of Pro Wrestling 2021, Toru Yano! This was OK. Yano is extremely likable and was so here. Everyone played their role well. They showed Jushin Liger at ringside doing commentary. It's been a year since he retired and he is missed. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi Wato went right after Desperado and stomped away at him. He nailed several rights and whipped him into the ropes but was hit with a big boot. Desperado chopped away at him but Wato kicked him out of the ring to the floor. Wato hit a great looking twisting dive to the floor on Desperado. Taguchi tagged in and began kicking away at Desperado. Taguchi ran the ropes mocking Desperado but Kanemaru tripped him and pulled him to the floor, whipping him into the barricade. The Champions worked over Taguchi for a long time, even drilling his leg into a chair while the referee was predisposed. Kanemaru nailed a low dropkick to the leg and continued working him over. Taguchi fired back and went for a hip attack but Kanemaru avoided it and there was no water in the pool. The attack on Taguchi continued. Wato finally made a tag and nailed a clothesline on Kanemura. He nailed a springboard uppercut for another two count. Kanemaru shoved the referee into the path of Wato and used that to attack and cut off his momentum. Desperado went for a suplex but Wato escaped and laid him out with a kick to the mid-section. Taguchi tagged in and used a head scissor to drive Desperado into well, his butt. Taguchi nailed the Three Amigos, scoring another two count. They battled back and forth until Desperado was nailed with a reverse powerslam. Taguchi set up for a knee strike but was attacked from behind. Desperado nailed a knee buster. Kanemura dropkicked the knee. Desperado locked in a stretch muffler, trying to force a submission but Wato broke up the attempt. Taguchi went for an anklelock. He elevated and drilled Desperado down over his knees. Wato tagged in and ascended to the top but Kanemaru interfered Everyone batted. Desperado nailed a big right hand on Taguchi and scored the pin with a Jay-Driller. Your winners and still IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru! A solid, well worked and competitive match. Wato really shined here. NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi vs. Jeff Cobb They began slugging it out at the bell Shingo ducked a clothesline and tackled Cobb for a two count. Cobb leapfrogged Shingo and nailed an insanely scary dropkick. Shingo went to the floor, where Cobb whipped him into the barricade and chopped him hard. Cobb sent him into the barricade again, then hit a monstrous overhead belly to belly suplex. Cobb brought Shingo back into the ring and kicked away at him. Cobb nailed a forearm to the back. Takagi was worked over but finally came back with a big lariat. He pulled Cobb up on the apron and went for a DVDR but Cobb shoved him away and nailed a clothesline from behind Cobb set up for a Razor's Edge off the apron to the floor but Shingo slipped over the ropes back into the ring, smashed Cobb to the floor and hit a big flip dive to the floor. This has been damn entertaining thus far. Shingo nailed a flying elbow off the top for a two count. Cobb nailed a spin cycle to cut him off. Cobb nailed a charge in the corner and muscled Shingo with a pair of Gutwrench suplexes. He went for a third but it was turned into a rana. Cobb nailed a Black Tiger Bomb out of a Razor's Edge position for a two count. They battled and Shingo caught Cobb with a DVDR out of nowhere. Both men were down with the referee counting them out. They each forced themselves back to their feet. Takagi got the crowd clapping and rallying him. Takagi nailed a superplex and then hit an impressive as hell wheelbarrow suplex. Takagi was selling the back from the beating he endured over the course of the bout. Cobb caught him and suplexed him across the ring and then followed up with another throw. They met on the mat and began headbutting and slapping each other. Cobb began peppering him with forearms but Takagi fired back Takagi put together a hell of a lariat and strike combinations, then hit a German suplex but was too spent to make the cover. Takagi went to the floor and was almost counted out but made it back to the ring at the last second. Cobb nailed a powerbomb for another close two count. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands but Shingo slipped out and drilled him with a clubbing blow to the back of the leg. He nailed a Dragon Screw Legwhip. He nailed Made in Japan and scored another close two count. They battled back and forth until Cobb nailed Tour of the Islands, only to see his knee give out. He spent a moment trying to recover then covered Shingo, only to see him get his foot atop the ropes. Both men were spent. They battled to the top. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands but Shingo fought him off and slipped underneath, nailing a powerbomb out of the corner. Cobb clubbed him with a lariats and went for Tour of the Islands. Shingo blocked but was caught with a moonsault/powerslam combination. They charged at each other with lariats. They fired away with headbutts. Shingo went for a slam but they just collapsed in violent fashion down to the mat. The Dome was loving this and with great reason. Takagi wiped out Cobb with a lariat, turning him inside out. He nailed a sit-down bomb and scored the pin. Your winner and still NEVER Openweight Champion, Shingo Takagi! A HELL of a match. They just took it to each other with unbridled physicality and beat the living hell out of each other. This may have been my favorite match across Wrestle Kingdom thus far. Just an amazing bout and it may have been the best bout either has ever had. It was the type of physical war you'd seen in New Japan or All Japan in the 1990s and it was glorious. NJPW Wrestle Kingdom can be ordered via New Japan World and at www.FITE.TV! Coverage continues on Page 2! If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! The Devil went down to Georgia He was lookin' for a soul to steal He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind And he was willin' to make a deal - The Charlie Daniels Band: The Devil Went Down to Georgia (1979) As Georgians go to the polls on Tuesday to decide who runs the United States Senate for the next two years and the reality of whether Joe Biden's presidency has a chance of being effective the party that has held sway in the state for decades is in turmoil. President Donald Trump's insistence that he won the state that he actually lost in November's General Election by nearly 12,000 votes and his Sunday night phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has split Republicans down the middle. And despite its national importance, whether the GOP manages to hold on to the two Senate seats or lose them to the Democrats has now become something of a sideshow. Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp, previously Trump loyalists, have taken the high road and refused to bow to the president's demands to manipulate the electorate to give him victory. But others in the party are fighting one last battle either to please Trump or to advance their own future electoral chances in a party whose rank and file remains fiercely behind the man who, almost certainly will still hold sway even after he has left the Oval Office. President Donald Trump's insistence that he won Georgia in November's General Election by nearly 12,000 votes has split Republicans down the middle Republican incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are running against Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are expected to vote on Tuesday before the polls close at 7:00 p.m. after a record-shattering 3 million already voted in the runoff elections early by mail or in-person 'There's definitely a civil war, if you will, brewing in the Republican Party, but not just in Georgia,' Heath Garrett, a Republican strategist who was top aide to former Georgia senator Johnny Isakson, told NPR. 'It's [over] what does a post Trump presidency look like? And can we bring it back together?' And in Georgia, with its fast-changing demographics that has turned the state purple after four decades of being reliably Republican, these are the men and women who will have to decide the path to turning it back to red in the next few years Gov. Brian Kemp Kemp's election in 2018 was the first sign that The Peach State could go Democrat. He beat Stacey Abrams by just 55,000 votes. Four years earlier his predecessor Nathan Deal had won by more than 200,000. At the time he was Secretary of State, and so was the officer in charge of the vote, but he refused to resign, leading to claims from Abrams's camp that the election was rigged when 300,000 people were flagged as ineligible. But this time round, Kemp, 57, has stood firmly against accusations of irregularity, prompting Trump to denounce him. Kemp's election in 2018 was the first sign that The Peach State could go Democrat. He beat Stacey Abrams by just 55,000 votes 'Like a schmuck, I endorsed him and he got elected, but I will tell you, he is a disaster,' Trump said of Kemp during Sunday's hour-long call to Raffensperger. 'I can't imagine he's ever getting elected again, I'll tell you that much.' Previously Trump attacked Kemp for 'doing nothing' to help him overturn the vote in Georgia. In response, Kemp said moves to appoint a Republican slate of electors would be 'unconstitutional.' Kemp faces re-election in 2022 and is bound to face a Republican challenge, most likely from former Congressman Doug Collins. A poll released this week showed that Collins would win a primary by 52%-32% with 16% undecided. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Raffensperger, 65, thrust himself into the nation's consciousness with the release of the tape of his conversation with Trump, in which he said little except one memorable line. 'Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong.' Raffensperger, 65, thrust himself into the nation's consciousness with the release of the tape of his conversation with Trump With few Republicans willing to take such a stand against Trump even if the president's claims are clearly false, Raffensperger could be seen as a standard-bearer for the Never-Trump wing of the party. But the father-of-three hasn't always been a hero to those fighting for electoral rights. He initially pushed for ballots to be mailed to all registered voters due to the Covid pandemic but failed to follow through, saying the cost would be too high. 'Lionizing Brad Raffensperger's a bit wrong-headed,' Abrams told Stephen Colbert. 'This man is not defending the right of voters. He's defending an election that he ran.' Now his political fortunes depend on whether Trump fades from the spotlight in his post-presidential era or, as seems likely, he remains a force to be reckoned with. Either way, Raffensperger doesn't really need the headaches. The father-of-three made a $26 million fortune as CEO of Tendon Systems before entering political life when he joined the city council in Johns Creek, a suburb of Atlanta in 2012. Since then, his ascent has been rapid, but his fall could be even more steep. Sen. Kelly Loeffler Loeffler is the richest member of Congress by a country mile. Her $500 million fortune is double that of Florida's Rick Scott, the next richest senator. Kemp controversially appointed her a year ago after Isakson stood down because of ill health. Trump had pushed for Collins to get the seat but the governor had the final say. Since her appointment Loeffler, 50, has committed herself to supporting the president, touting her '100% Trump voting record' during her campaign to win the seat in an election. Kelly Loeffler is the richest member of Congress by a country mile. Her $500 million fortune is double that of Florida's Rick Scott, the next richest senator She has claimed without offering any proof that there were 'failures' in the electoral process in Georgia and signed on to a lawsuit that claimed that hundreds of voters had already voted in Senate elections in other states and therefore should be banned from Tuesday's run-off election. She has also said she will join 12 other senators in objecting to the certification of the election result when it is presented to the full Senate and House on Wednesday. Now her fate is in the hands of Georgia's voters. She was handily defeated by Democrat Raphael Warnock in the original election in November 33%-26%, but that vote was muddied by 18 other candidates including her nemesis Collins, who won 20% of the vote. If she loses Tuesday's run-off, it is hard to see a political future for Loeffler. If she wins she will have to face re-election in just two years' time. Former Sen. David Perdue Unlike Loeffler, Perdue left the Senate at least temporarily on Sunday when his term was up and a new Senate installed. Loeffler stays on until a replacement is seated because she was appointed. So Perdue is not in the difficult position of having to decide whether to accept the result of the election or vote with the dissenters when Congress meets on Wednesday even though he has said he would have sided with the Trump loyalists led by Sens Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley. Perdue, 71, was originally elected to the Senate in 2014 and has been a loyal Trump supporter. The former Dollar General CEO originally opposed the president's positions on tariffs but was won round. Perdue joined Monday night's rally remotely to address the crowd at one point. He is still quarantining at his home after contracting coroanvirus Perdue was at the White House in 2018 when Trump allegedly called El Salvador, Haiti and a number of African nations 's***hole countries.' He initially said he didn't recall Trump making the statement, then later said he definitely did not. But White House officials told the Washington Post that that was because Perdue thought Trump had used the word 's***house' not 's***hole.' Both he and Loeffler have been involved in scandals involving alleged insider trading with claims that they traded stock after being briefed on the potential seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic. Perdue sold stock for $825,000 and bought others for $1.8 million including in companies that make personal protective equipment in a series of 112 deals. On Tuesday he faces Democrat Jon Ossoff in the run-off election. He won by a razor-thin majority less than two percentage points in November, but fell an agonizing 13,947 votes short of getting 50% of the vote and winning outright. A win gives Perdue another six years in the Senate. A loss condemns him to political purgatory. Former Rep. Doug Collins No-one stands to win more from the turmoil surrounding the Georgia Republican Party than Doug Collins, who resigned from Congress last year so he could take on Loeffler for the Senate seat. He lost, but is a favorite of Trump, who urged Kemp to appoint him rather than Loeffler to the seat when it became vacant. Now Collins, 54, is expected to take on Kemp in 2022 in a fight for the governorship, and as Trump continues to call out the governor he is currently favored to win. Collins is unapologetically right-wing and outspoken. Just hours after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in September he tweeted: 'RIP to the more than 30 million innocent babies that have been murdered during the decades that Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended pro-abortion laws. With @realDonaldTrump nominating a replacement that values human life, generations of unborn children have a chance to live.' No-one stands to win more from the turmoil surrounding the Georgia Republican Party than Doug Collins, who resigned from Congress last year so he could take on Loeffler for the Senate seat In his race against Loeffler he recruited Trump ally Roger Stone to campaign with him as the two candidates tried to outdo each other in their fealty to the president. He attacked Loeffler, claiming she donated money to 'abortion-on-demand Democrats.' But as the special elections drew closer, he has thrown his weight behind the Republican candidates. 'You have Jon Ossoff, who's a trust-fund socialist. You have Raphael Warnock, who is a pastor who believes that abortion is OK. There's just things that are really contradictory to conservative lifestyle in Georgia. 'Not voting is letting the Democrats win this argument We've got to make sure our voters turn out.' Gabriel Sterling Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer in Raffensperger's office could have remained an obscure cog in the state's governmental machine, but instead has been outspoken in attacking Trump's claims of irregularities in the election. It was as his role as voting implementation manager that he first came to public attention in a press conference in December when he accused the president of stoking death threats against his boss. 'It's all gone too far,' he said. Gabriel Sterling, the Chief Operating Officer in Raffensperger's office, has been outspoken in attacking Trump's claims of irregularities in the election Since then, he has fired an election director in Georgia's Floyd County for not counting 2,600 votes and then on Monday set out in a detailed point-by-point takedown of all the ways Trump's accusations were wrong. For Sterling, 50, it has been a sudden leap into the spotlight complete with its own death threats to him. Sterling, a lifelong Republican, was previously on the city council in Sandy Springs. He campaigned for a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives and ran a failed bid for chair of Fulton County Board of Commissioners. He is now said to be eyeing a run for mayor of Sandy Springs. Former council colleague Chip Collins told Reporter Newspapers: 'You can believe every word that comes out of Gabe Sterling's mouth. He's everything that you want in a public servant. He's in it for the right reasons. And he loves digging into the granular details.' Now it is to be seen if his sudden fame can rocket him to higher office or whether his criticism of Trump holds him back. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene To many, Greene has become the new face of Georgia Republicans as the first open supporter of the fringe QAnon group to win a seat in Washington. Marjorie Taylor Greene has become the new face of Georgia Republicans as the first open supporter of the fringe QAnon group to win a seat in Washington Her victory in the rock-ribbed red 14th District in the extreme north-west of the state was assured when she won the primary in August after incumbent Tom Graves announced he was standing down. She was unopposed in the General Election She fought the primary with the slogan 'Save America, Stop Socialism' and posted a Facebook video of her holding an AR-15 warning 'antifa terrorists' to 'stay the hell out of North-west Georgia.' Her theatrics continued on Sunday when she got into a screaming match with Democratic staffers for refusing to wear a mask, something she has called 'Democrat tyrannical control' but then posed for a picture wearing one emblazoned with the statement 'Trump Won.' She got into a Twitter fight with leftist Democrat Ilhan Omar after the Minnesota congresswoman had attacked Loeffler. 'Back Down. You married your brother, so you're disqualified from running your mouth,' Greene tweeted. Greene, 46, supports criminalizing abortion and says she intends to continue to pull the Republican Party to the right and could become the new standard-bearer for the most extreme elements of the party. Or the former gym owner could just as easily flare up and burn out. Only time will tell. GOP State Chairman David Shafer Trump loyalist Shafer was thought to be a shoo-in for Georgia's Lieutenant Governor in 2018 after easily winning the primary, but his campaign was derailed when an old fling who had turned lobbyist accused him of making sexually harassing comments. He vehemently denied the claim and an ethics investigation cleared him, but the damage was done and he lost the election by 50.1%-49.9% The following year he was elected party chairman in the state and under his leadership it filed a lawsuit to prevent the certification of election results which like virtually all similar lawsuits throughout the country was thrown out. Shafer, 55, has staunchly taken Trump's side during the battle over certification. He called the tape 'mind-boggling' but slammed Raffensperger for leaking it, rather than criticizing the president for what he said. David Shafer, 55, has staunchly taken Trumps side during the battle over certification After the Washington Post posted snippets online, Shafer claimed the prime reason Trump had called was to discuss settling litigation and it was therefore 'confidential under federal and state law.' However, once the entire hour-long call was posted, it was clear that no pending litigation was mentioned. Shafer has not issued any further statement. Shafer was a state senator from 2002 to 2019 and even before 2018 had his eye on becoming lieutenant governor. He was favored for the job 10 years earlier when then-office holder Casey Cagle said he would run for governor. But then Cagle was found to have a debilitating back problem and decided the number two job would be better for his health and Shafer was forced to pull out. Now his future prospects rest on how popular Trump remains after he leaves Washington. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Bay of Plenty Our client has plenty of work in the pipeline and as such they are in need of hammerhands for an immediate start.The successful... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The Swearing-in Ceremony in the Pennsylvania Senate, typically a collegial and joyous affair, was instead marked by shouting and bitter clashes on Tuesday. Despite long, impassioned speeches, Democrats argued unsuccessfully to convince Senate Republicans to seat Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster from the 45th district in western Pennsylvania. Brewster edged his GOP opponent, Nicole Ziccarelli, in a tight contest by 69 votes, according to the Department of States certified results. But Ziccarelli asked the Republican-controlled Senate to reject the certified results and wants the Senate to decide who should fill the seat. Ziccarelli is challenging whether mail-in ballots received from Allegheny County voters without dates on them should be counted, which is what gave Brewster that winning margin. Senate Democrats argue that issue has already been settled by other courts. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre County, decided on Monday to leave the seat vacant for now until senators review Ziccarellis 500-page petition and Brewsters 120-page response. Ultimately, the Senate did not seat Brewster Tuesday. Democrats accused Senate Republicans of usurping the will of the voters and by blocking Brewster from taking the seat. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who typically presides over the Senate, pushed for Brewster to be seated. After heated arguments, Senate Republicans voted to remove Fetterman as presiding officer for the day and Corman filled that role. The clashes continued with most Democrats objecting to Cormans election as the Senates top presiding officer. The first day of the new legislative session proved to be fiery. Shameful power grab In the question over seating Brewster, Corman cited a provision in the state constitution that grants the chamber the authority to judge of the election and qualifications of its members as the rationale for allowing the Senate, rather than the election results in the district, to determine the winner of that race. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday strongly objected to that decision. Republicans in Pennsylvania and nationally have spread disinformation and used it to subvert the democratic process. Sen. Jim Brewster rightfully won the 45th Senate District, but Senate Republicans are ignoring the voters in the district and refusing to swear him in as Senator, Wolf said in a statement. This is a shameful power grab that disgraces the institution. He went on to call it simply unethical and undemocratic to leave the district without a voice simply because the Republicans dont like the outcome of the election. Voters, not Harrisburg politicians, decided this election, and Sen. Brewster is the rightful winner. All ballots were counted and certified, and the results are accurate. Sen. Brewster received the most votes in this race and should be sworn in as the senator for the 45th District. There is no precedent, and no legal rationale, for failing to do so The governor ended his statement, saying, I will do everything in my power to ensure that voters have the final say in elections. Ziccarelli also has a pending lawsuit in federal court disputing the election results. Corman indicated on Monday that he was uncertain whether the outcome of that case would influence senators decision as to whether Brewster or Ziccarelli should be seated. Tempers flared In the heated Senate debate, state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks County, put forth a motion that sought to allow Brewster to be seated. I understand that candidates who lose are disappointed but a candidates disappointment should not ever result in overturning our democratic process, Santarsiero said. He warned that it sets a dangerous precedent for our democratic form of government and interjected a reference to the dispute playing out in Washington, D.C., over President-elect Joe Bidens victory. Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster County, interrupted him several times, admonishing Santarsiero to limit the scope of his argument. Santarsiero continued, Were talking potentially of undoing a fair and free election. What could be more fundamental to us as Pennsylvanians and to us as Americans than that. All because one candidate is displeased. Tempers flared as procedural motions and counter motions were made to allow or cut off the debate over whether Brewster, who was sitting in the chamber, should be administered the oath. A shouting match broke out when Republicans voted 14-11 to set aside the election results of the 45th senatorial district. Shortly thereafter, Fetterman refused to recognize Aument and instead allowed a Democratic senator to speak. Republicans made the motion, in accordance with Senate rules to have Corman take over Fettermans duties for the day as presiding officer of the chamber. A commotion ensued as the vote on that motion was being taken. When it came time for Sen. Tony Williams, D-Philadelphia, to vote, he said, I dont know what the hell is going on before voting a loud no. The motion ended up passing by a 14-11 margin. For a while, both Corman and Fetterman stood at the rostrum, Corman standing on a lower level with Fetterman above. Sen. Katie Muth, D-Montgomery County, from her front row seat in the chamber shouted for Corman to step aside. Let him do his job, Muth said, referring to Fetterman. Fetterman insisted on remaining in charge, saying a couple of times, The chair will not cede the rostrum. Both men were recognizing senators to speak, adding more chaos by having senators talking over each other. Corman, appearing flustered, held papers with shaky hands as he turned to Senate parliamentarian Megan Martin for guidance. Fetterman watched from above for awhile until he finally surrendered the rostrum when a motion that would have allowed Brewster to be seated failed. All the while Brewster remained in the chamber sitting quietly at a Senate desk in the rear of the chamber as the election results for the other 24 senatorial district contests were read. When the reading of those results was concluded, Williams shouted out the results of the 45th senatorial district contest. When it came time for the Democratic senators who were duly elected in November to be sworn in, they encouraged Brewster to join them in front of the rostrum. Corman made it clear that the oath would not be administered to any of them as long as he stood among them, which caused the ceremony to come to a halt. After a brief pause, Williams said despite their objections to Senate Republicans actions, Brewster didnt want to hold up the swearing-in of his other Democratic colleagues. Applause broke out in the chamber when the ceremony concluded, followed by the taking of the roll call. At that point, Brewster departed, leaving behind the vase of flowers on his desk. Fetterman left soon after. In a later interview with PennLive, Fetterman said, When Senator Brewster left the floor, there wasnt a reason for me to remain to create chaos for chaos sake. My first day The hard feelings created by the Senate Republicans refusal to seat Brewster lingered. Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County called on his colleagues to oppose Cormans election to the position of president pro tempore. Sen. Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia, echoed that sentiment, saying Cormans statement that he was not going to allow Democratic senators to be sworn in if Brewster didnt leave the rostrum left him surprised and concerned. That characteristic of issuing that kind of threat is a serious concern for me, Haywood said. And I note that we have some heated moments in the Senate but I am very concerned about that reaction and the suitability of that reaction for being president pro tempore. In the end, all but two Democratic senators Lisa Boscola of Lehigh County and John Blake of Luzerne County joined Costa in voting against electing Corman, who won the president pro tempore post by a 31-18 vote. Republican senators rushed to Corman to give him congratulatory elbow bumps and hugs as all Democrats except for Boscola walked out of the chamber. Corman made a point of walking over to Boscola and hugging her before being escorted to the rostrum to deliver his remarks. My first day, said an exasperated Corman as his first words as president pro tempore. After thanking his mother Becky and wife Kelly and three children for standing by him throughout his career, his 10-minute speech offered up an agenda for the Senate to pursue that involves bringing more transparency to]] build the publics faith in their state government. He asked members to post their expenses online if they dont already. He is calling for lobbying reform. Among other initiatives, he wants to see campaign expenses posted in real time. And then he concluded referencing the discord that dominated the session day. Things that unite us are far stronger than things that divide us with increased transparent, Corman said. I am confident we can come together to improve the lives of Pennsylvania, especially those who so desperately need our help. The raucous session began with a dispute over mask wearing that led to the passage of a temporary rule proposed by Senate Democrats to mandate everyone in the chamber to have a face covering. A couple Republican members, state Sens. John DiSanto of Dauphin County and Doug Mastriano of Franklin County, had resisted wearing face coverings until that point. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. ANN ARBOR, MI Twenty-six newly annexed properties in residential neighborhoods on Ann Arbors west side are now zoned for single-family use. City Council voted unanimously Monday night, Jan. 4, to OK the zoning for the former township islands that used to be part of Scio Township and are now within the city. Before the vote, Council Member Ali Ramlawi, D-5th Ward, noted theres been a lot of controversy over single-family zoning, some calling it racist, and those whove tried to protect it have been tarred and feathered. Hes been on the receiving end of some of the criticism, he said. Defenders vs. disrupters: The debate over preserving neighborhood character in Ann Arbor Newly elected council members said on the campaign trail last year they want to have a community conversation about the history of racism and single-family zoning and explore options for more diverse housing, including more affordable housing and higher-density, mixed-use development. Yet were bringing land into the city under this, what is being called at times racist zoning, Ramlawi said Monday night, questioning when the city would take a look at the issue. Im looking for some consistency here to apply to policymaking, Ramlawi said. Jen Eyer, D-4th Ward, one of the new council members who has said the history of racism and zoning is well documented and a community conversation about single-family zoning is overdue, objected as Ramlawi pressed the issue. Mayor, point of order ... were drifting off topic here, Eyer said after Ramlawi asked when the city might revisit the master plan and make zoning changes. Mayor Christopher Taylor determined Ramlawis comments were on topic and allowed the conversation to continue. Council Member Erica Briggs, D-5th Ward, said its an issue the Planning Commission has discussed and the hope was the city would be in the midst of a master plan update process by now, but that hasnt happened due to budget issues. Communities across the country are having conversations about the history of single-family zoning and the reckoning that we need to have as communities about what the impact of that has been on growth and formation of our community, Briggs said, agreeing it needs to be discussed. I agree as well, said Brett Lenart, city planning manager, noting the Planning Commissions work plan includes starting a conversation about single-family zoning. Theres a lot of community conversation and education that needs to happen before any policy changes, Lenart said. The Planning Commission has a working session next week now that University of Michigan researchers have started to do some research on the history of racially exclusionary deed restrictions in the city, Lenart said. Theres a lot to learn and were just starting that, he said. I think its going to be a long conversation. Zachary Ackerman, who left council in November, co-wrote an op-ed in The Detroit News last year, arguing restrictive zoning contributes to systemic racism. Those wealthy enough to afford expensive, single-family homes live in some neighborhoods, while those who cant live in poorer neighborhoods, and since wealth and race are correlated, it exacerbates racial segregation, he argued. The op-ed cited a 1970 Ann Arbor News article stating some voters back then opposed greater housing density because they desired large one-acre lots which would be too expensive for Negroes to purchase. The city needs to find a balance between what current policies say and future aspirations, Lenart said. Some incremental changes still could advance without a comprehensive master plan update, he said. The Planning Commission is already taking up a council directive to explore higher-density zoning along transit corridors. Ramlawi noted the owner of some of the properties before council Monday night asked for higher-density zoning. Robert Horvath, who owns two single-family properties across from the Suburban Chevrolet dealership along Wagner Road, south of Jackson Avenue, sent council a letter objecting to single-family zoning for the two annexed properties. Horvath, who identified himself as an attorney and real estate broker, argued higher-density zoning could attract new development and put the land to higher use. He lives nearby on Westover Street and did not object to single-family zoning for that property, he said. At least for now, consistent with the master plan, the council decided to establish single-family zoning for all 26 annexed properties, though they suggested changes could be made in the future and Horvath could seek a rezoning. Lisa Disch, councils liaison to the Planning Commission, said when she read Horvaths letter, she initially thought it might be a great opportunity to establish zoning other than single-family, but theres a separate process for that with public hearings and Planning Commission review. Eyer said she also was intrigued, but with annexations, city staff recommends a zoning consistent with the master plan and surrounding land uses. I would be totally open to seeing a plan down the road and considering a zoning in conjunction with that, she said. But I think that, for today, we just follow the process and encourage the landowner ... to bring forward a plan when theyre ready. Ramlawi agreed to drop the issue for now, saying, I understand we all want to hurry this meeting along. In an email, Eyer further clarified why she called for order in response to Ramlawis remarks Monday night. I am looking forward to a thoughtful and thorough community conversation about the future of zoning and our master plan, she said. In my view, this is a topic that deserves a careful, methodical approach, not random, off-agenda discussions at the council table. I will be working hard to ensure maximum engagement of Ward 4 residents throughout this process at the Planning Commission, at community meetings, and, in due course, at council. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Washtenaw prosecutor launches effort to review thousands of past cases for racial bias Mayors refusal to censor Violin Monsters F-bombs sparks Ann Arbor council debate Stephen Postema, Ann Arbors longest-serving city attorney, to retire Washtenaw County ramping up COVID-19 vaccination efforts after slower start Ann Arbor transit system to restore Ypsilanti services, update routes Saudi Arabia reopened its air traffic, land and sea crossings with Qatar on Monday, in a breakthrough agreement aimed at ending the three-year diplomatic row with Doha, media reports said. The agreement is expected to be signed on Tuesday at the 41st annual GCC Summit in the northwestern Saudi city of Al Ula, chaired by Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz and attended by Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, reported Arab News. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain had imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar in June 2017. Recent mediation efforts have been led by Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, the emir of Kuwait, reported Kuwait News Agency (Kuna). Based on Sheikh Nawafs proposal, it was agreed to open the airspace and land and sea borders between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the state of Qatar, starting from this evening, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah was quoted by the report as saying in a Kuwait TV broadcast. White House special adviser Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trumps son-in-law, is expected to fly to the Kingdom to witness the signing on Tuesday, along with US Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook, a special State Department adviser, Reuters reported. Under the emerging agreement, the four countries will end the blockade of Qatar, and in exchange, Qatar will not pursue lawsuits related to the blockade. At the signing on the 5th, leadership from the GCC plus Egypt will be coming together to sign an agreement that will end the blockade and put an end to the Qatari lawsuits, the official said. Its just a massive breakthrough. The blockade will be lifted. It will allow for travel among the countries as well as goods. It will lead to more stability in the region. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. RADNOR, Pa., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP alerts investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("Restaurant Brands") on behalf of those who purchased or otherwise acquired Restaurant Brands common stock between April 29, 2019, and October 28, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Restaurant Brands common stock during the Class Period may, no later than February 19, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation please click https://www.ktmc.com/restaurant-brands-international-inc-securities-class-action?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=restaurant_brands Restaurant Brands is a Canadian corporation and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the world's largest restaurant chains with over 27,000 Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes restaurants in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. On April 24, 2018, Restaurant Brands announced a new strategy designed to improve performance within its Tim Hortons brand. Specifically, the "Winning Together Plan" would focus on three key pillars: restaurant experience; product excellence; and brand communications. Then, on March 20, 2019, Restaurant Brands announced "Tims Rewards" a new loyalty program for Tim Hortons customers in Canada. Under the Tims Rewards program, customers would be eligible for a free hot brewed coffee, hot tea, or baked good after every seventh paid visit to a participating Tim Hortons restaurant. On April 10, 2019, Restaurant Brands announced that it was expanding the Tims Rewards program to include customers in the United States. The Class Period commences on April 29, 2019, when Restaurant Brands filed its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 with the SEC. Among other things, Restaurant Brands reported 0.5% system-wide year-over-year sales growth for Tim Hortons on system-wide sales of $1.547 billion. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the defendants repeatedly touted the implementation and execution of Restaurant Brands' Winning Together Plan and Tims Rewards loyalty program. On the heels of Restaurant Brands touting the benefits of these initiatives, the company completed two stock offerings on or about August 12, 2019, and September 5, 2019, collectively resulting in proceeds of approximately $3 billion to insiders. However, on October 29, 2019, the truth about Restaurant Brands' execution of its Winning Together Plan and Tims Rewards loyalty program was revealed when the company announced disappointing financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2019. Among other things, Restaurant Brands reported a 0.1% system-wide year-over-year sales decline for Tim Hortonsrepresenting a 1.4% same-store sales declineon system-wide sales of $1.774 billion. Following this news, the price of Restaurant Brands common stock declined $2.59 per share, or approximately 4%, from a close of $68.45 per share on October 25, 2019, to close at $64.86 per share on October 28, 2019. The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Restaurant Brands' Winning Together Plan was failing to generate substantial, sustainable improvement within the Tim Hortons brand; (2) the Tims Rewards loyalty program was not generating sustainable revenue growth as increased customer traffic was not offsetting promotional discounting; and (3) as a result, the defendants' statements about Restaurant Brands' business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. Restaurant Brands investors who wish to discuss this securities fraud class action lawsuit and their legal options are encouraged to contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (James Maro, Jr., Esq. or Adrienne Bell, Esq.) at (844) 887-9500 (toll free) or at [email protected]. Restaurant Brands investors may, no later than February 19, 2021 , seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed as a lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country involving securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties and other violations of state and federal law. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP is a driving force behind corporate governance reform, and has recovered billions of dollars on behalf of institutional and individual investors from the United States and around the world. The firm represents investors, consumers and whistleblowers (private citizens who report fraudulent practices against the government and share in the recovery of government dollars). For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, please visit www.ktmc.com. CONTACT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP James Maro, Jr., Esq. Adrienne Bell, Esq. 280 King of Prussia Road Radnor, PA 19087 (844) 887-9500 (toll free) (610) 667-7706 [email protected] SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Related Links http://www.ktmc.com Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff speaks to the crowd during a "It's Time to Vote" drive-in rally on Dec. 28, 2020 in Stonecrest, Georgia. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) Campaign Aide: Jon Ossoff Keeps Progressive Values Low Key to Sway Georgia Rednecks As voters head to polls on Tuesday in the Georgia Senate runoff elections, there has been renewed interest on social media in an October video recording by Project Veritas showing a campaign aide for Jon Ossoff, a Democrat contender for one of the Senate seats, saying that Ossoff keeps his progressive values low key to sway Georgia rednecks. In the undercover video, originally posted on Oct. 26, field organizer for the Ossoff campaign Dino Nguyen says that Ossoff is not going to win the election as a progressive, and thats basically it. On the surface, he tries to portray himself as left of moderate so that all the Georgiansnot us Georgians, but all the rednecks and all that stuffwill be like, Oh, hes kind of cool, but hes not so far to the left that Im not cool with that. But deep down hes low-key progressive, Ngyuen said in the video. Jon is genuine to a certain point, but he cant show his true self 100 percent of the time, Nguyen said. Thats the tough part of the campaigning in purple or red states. He added that the reason Ossoff keeps his progressive views under wraps in Georgia is because the people here are not open-minded. The post has attracted renewed interest on Twitter as voters head to the polls on Tuesday, with one commenter posting on Monday, He is basically calling us irredeemable deplorables, while another wrote, dont be fooled, hes a radical leftist. The Epoch Times has reached out to the Ossoff campaign for comment on the video and its central claims. Polls in Georgia opened at 7 a.m., with two Senate seats up for grabs. Ossoff is competing for the seat that was held by David Perdue until Sunday, when his term expired. Perdue beat Ossoff in the general election in November by over 88,000 votes, but fell short of avoiding a runoff. A polling average by FiveThirtyEight shows Ossoff ahead by 1.8 percentage pointsOssoff with 49.1 percent and Perdue with 47.4 percent. In the other runoff, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) is facing pastor Raphael Warnock. Loeffler, 50, a businesswoman and part owner of the WNBAs Atlanta Dream, had never been in office before last year. Warnock, 51, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, has never held office. A polling average by FiveThirtyEight shows Warnock ahead by 2.1 percentage pointsWarnock with 49.4 percent and Loeffler with 47.2 percent. Two wins by Democrats, along with securing the White House, would deliver a Senate majority through the tiebreaking vote a vice president can cast in their role as president of the Senate. Otherwise, Republicans retain control of the body. The current composition of the upper chamber is 50 Republicans and 49 Democrats. Republican Senate candidate David Perdue (top L) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) (bottom L) and their Georgia runoff election challengers, Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, are seen in a combination of file photographs. (Reuters) The races have attracted outsized attention and funding because of the stakes. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, along with a slew of Republican lawmakers, have campaigned in recent weeks with Loeffler and Perdue, urging voters to choose them by focusing on what may happen if Republicans are made the minority in the Senate. Theyll massively raise your taxes on the middle class to pay for socialism, Trump told a crowd in Dalton on Monday night. The damage they do will be permanent and will be irreversible. These Senate seats are truly the last line of defense. Trump praised Perdue as one of his strongest allies in Washington, calling the vote he cast for the tax reform bill critical. Loeffler is a committed defender of Second Amendment rights, he added, and helped confirm Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the court. Biden, meanwhile, told a rally in Atlanta that voting for Warnock and Ossoff would lead to $2,000 direct payments and break the gridlock that has gripped Washington and this nation. With their votes in the Senate, well be able to make the progress we need to make on jobs and health care and justice and the environment and so many other things, he added. Over 962,000 mail ballots were received in the races as of Jan. 4, Gabriel Sterling with the secretary of states office told reporters, with just over 281,000 still outstanding. Early in-person votes amounted to 2.07 million. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. Just when we thought we were about to defeat Covid-19 by launching our Oxford vaccine, an alarming strain of the virus has emerged to strike fear into the ministers and experts fighting the pandemic. Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted yesterday that he is incredibly worried about the fast-spreading mutant strain that has emerged in South Africa. The new variant appears to have evolved weapons that may defeat both the Oxford jab finally launched in the UK yesterday and Pfizers vaccine, which was first administered a month ago. Hancock warned that the South African strain may cause even more problems than the strain first discovered in Kent and which is blamed for propelling the surge in infections currently crippling Britain. Health Secretary Matt Hancock (pictured) admitted yesterday that he is incredibly worried about the fast-spreading mutant strain that has emerged in South Africa Indeed, several countries including the UK have now banned all flights from South Africa. The Health Secretary is not alone in his concerns. One of the Oxford vaccine teams key members, Professor Sir John Bell, has also expressed concern. Nevertheless, cynics are swarming on social media to accuse Hancock of fearmongering in order to frighten the country into tighter lockdowns. A cool look at the evidence suggests that Mr Hancock is wise to be alarmed. The South African mutant, 501.V2, has already been found in two places in Britain. South Africa has now confirmed 1.1 million Covid-19 infections and almost 30,000 deaths since the outbreak began in March. Doctors there are already struggling with the new strain, which seems to spread far more easily than its predecessors. Swabs from patients there show that the mutant strain multiplies far more vigorously in the nose and mouth which can make it easier to spread via talking and breathing. This boosted virulence may also defeat robustly youthful immune defences. South Africas health minister has warned that young, previously healthy people are now becoming very sick. Prime Minister Boris Johnson after addressing the Nation from inside No.10 Downing Street, on the new Covid-19 Lockdown restrictions on Jan 4 Perhaps most worrying of all, the mutant strain could beat antibodies that people had developed by surviving previous Covid-19 infections. Doctors are now reporting a growing numbers of patients contracting Covid-19 a second time. Such reinfections were considered exceedingly rare. Now, patients are reportedly catching the new mutant within three months of suffering from earlier strains. Laboratory reports show that the strain has changed its structure to make it resistant to antibodies from those who survived previous Covid-19 infections. This is why, sadly, it may beat our current vaccines. The approved jabs protect against the virus by teaching our immune systems to recognise proteins on the viruss surface as targets for destruction. The South African strain appears to have altered its signature surface proteins in two ways, making it unrecognisable to immune systems that have encountered earlier strains of the virus. The Kent mutation, meanwhile, has changed its signature protein only in one way, which makes it easier to attack with existing vaccines. As South African scientists warn that the new strain is now dominant there, could the same happen here? The new variant appears to have evolved weapons that may defeat both the Oxford jab finally launched in the UK yesterday (pictured) and Pfizers vaccine, which was first administered a month ago Mr Hancock has said: Weve got to keep an eagle eye on this one, because it is even harder to deal with than the UK [Kent] variant. Thats why we are restricting all movement from South Africa and insisting that anybody whos been to South Africa self-isolates. However, experts such as professor Lawrence Young, a molecular oncologist at the University of Warwick, suspect that the two cases seen in the UK are the tip of the iceberg. You can identify it in a couple of people but therell be more, for sure, he warns. Some cases will be from people spreading it in the UK. Some will be from other introductions from South Africa. However, Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, says his team is trying to establish if current vaccines can beat the new mutants. He believes there is still room to manoeuvre, because the vaccines worked much better than any of us thought they were going to. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, says his team is trying to establish if current vaccines can beat the new mutants. He said: 'Were now in a game of cat and mouse. Because these are not the only two variants were going to see. Were going to see lots of variants I think its unlikely that these mutations will turn off the effects of vaccines entirely I think the jabs will still have a residual effect, he said. Sir John believes it is perfectly possible to adjust existing vaccines quickly, so everybody should stay calm. Its going to be fine. He added: But were now in a game of cat and mouse. Because these are not the only two variants were going to see. Were going to see lots of variants. Cat-and-mouse sounds like a slow game. The reality will be much more frantic, given the speed at which mutant strains of Covid are emerging, and thus the speed at which scientists must race to fight them. The various mutants and their swift rise reinforces the need for mass vaccinations and lockdowns. The more people that Covid infects, the more opportunities it has to mutate which often happens when the virus swaps genes with other viral infections inside the patient. Keeping infection numbers down, therefore, inhibits Covids ability to acquire lethal new tricks. Nevertheless, as Professor Bell predicts, many more mutants may still arise. Vaccination against Covid-19 looks set to mirror flu-jab campaigns: they will be an annual event, aimed to protect against each years worst new strains. It looks most likely, too, that jabs will never eradicate Covid-19 in the way they killed smallpox. Instead of cat-and-mouse, we appear fated continually to be playing a life-or-death game of whack-a-mole, against a fast-moving and wily target. Earl Spencer's former security chief has reportedly complained to police over the faking of his bank statements which were used by Martin Bashir to gain an interview with Princess Diana. Alan Waller's lawyer is said to have written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick to request an investigation into 'very serious concerns' over an alleged conspiracy to 'create an instrument of fraud'. Anton van Dellen allegedly accused Mr Bashir, who is now the BBC's religious affairs editor, of 'dishonest conduct' and claimed the BBC 'benefited' while knowing the reporter's actions were 'unlawful', the Daily Telegraph reported. Mr Bashir allegedly used the faked bank statements to clinch his infamous interview with Diana in 1995, which was broadcast on the BBC's Panorama programme. Earl Spencer's former security chief Alan Waller (pictured) has complained to police over the faking of his bank statements which were used by Martin Bashir to gain an interview with Princess Diana Last month, Dame Cressida said the Met had not yet received a complaint to assess but had not ruled out a criminal investigation. Mr Waller, 57, a former British Army paratrooper and an ex-US Marine, previously said he was considering making a complaint to police. The statements forged for Mr Bashir wrongly showed Mr Waller had been taking payments from the press in return for information about Diana. Mr Waller said in November that the faked bank statements had a 'devastating effect' on him. He described how he contemplated suicide while working outside the UK. Mr van Dellen's letter, which has been seen by the Telegraph, reads: 'In 1995, two BBC employees or agents engaged in a conspiracy to create an instrument of fraud, namely a purported copy of Mr Alan Waller's bank statements. 'Mr Martin Bashir agreed with a graphic artist, Matt Wiessler, to create a bank statement purporting to belong to Mr Alan Waller. Mr Bashir allegedly used the faked bank statements to clinch his infamous interview with Diana in 1995, which was broadcast on the BBC's Panorama programme 'The fraudulent bank statement was then used to persuade Charles Spencer of Mr Bashir's purported credentials and Mr Bashir subsequently gained an inteview with the late Princess Diana to conduct the most significant interview to date for the BBC.' Mr van Dellen reportedly said the faked bank statements had caused 'significant reputational and financial loss' to his client. The letter added that the BBC 'wrongfully benefited' from Mr Bashir's actions and claimed the corporation knew it was engaged in 'unlawful activity'. A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'We can confirm that correspondence has been received alleging unlawful activity. 'Any information received will be assessed accordingly. At this time, there is no police investigation.' Graphic designer Mr Wiessler previously said he mocked up the statements in the belief they were faithful reproductions of genuine documents. His explosive revelations triggered the scandal involving Mr Bashir. The BBC has appointed retired judge and former master of the rolls, Lord Dyson, to lead an inquiry into what steps the BBC and Mr Bashir took to land the interview with Diana. Earl Spencer has alleged Mr Bashir showed him the fake financial documents and told untrue stories about the royal family to gain access to his sister. The documents also falsely suggested that Diana's then private secretary - Patrick Jephson - and another royal household member were being paid by the security services to spy on the Princess. The claims fuelled her fears about her safety and privacy. Mr Waller's lawyer, Anton van Dellen, has written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick to request an investigation into 'very serious concerns' over an alleged conspiracy to 'create an instrument of fraud' Former BBC director-general Lord Hall in 1996 led an internal BBC investigation into the circumstances surrounding the interview, which led news bulletins around the world and sent shockwaves through the royal family. The BBC previously said in a statement that Mr Bashir had admitted commissioning the bank statements. It is understood the journalist was found to have 'done wrong' at the end of the process. It is not known if he faced any sanction. The BBC said Mr Bashir is seriously ill with Covid-19-related complications and was not in a position to respond to Earl Spencer's allegations. He was however pictured near his home at the end of last year carrying a takeaway meal. Earl Spencer has alleged Mr Bashir showed him the fake financial documents and told untrue stories about the royal family to gain access to his sister A spokeswoman for the corporation previously said: 'A lot has been written and broadcast about the Princess of Wales's interview in recent weeks. It is important that we have a view of what happened based on the evidence of everyone involved. Clearly that has not yet been able to happen. 'But to be absolutely clear, the BBC is determined to get to the truth of what happened. That's why we have appointed Lord Dyson to lead a fully independent investigation. 'It is vital that everyone with information shares that with Lord Dyson, so that he can investigate thoroughly and draw his conclusions having heard all the evidence.' Mr Waller could not be reached for comment but Mr van Dallen has been contacted. The BBC and the Met have been approached for comment. Mr van Dellen said the faked bank statements, which were allegedly commissioned by Mr Bashir (pictured) had caused 'significant reputational and financial loss' to his client Last month, it emerged the BBC's inquiry is scrutinising a handwritten letter from Diana which apparently showered Mr Bashir with praise. The note went missing for more than 20 years after a Panorama staff member took it home as a souvenir. It was however handed in in November. The BBC is now using the letter to suggest Diana never saw the faked financial documents commissioned by Mr Bashir. The letter on Kensington Palace stationery also purports to heap praise on the BBC's shamed religion editor. The contents of the letter has not been made public, but was examined by the previous 1996 internal investigation. A spokeswoman for the corporation previously said: 'A lot has been written and broadcast about the Princess of Wales's interview in recent weeks. It is important that we have a view of what happened based on the evidence of everyone involved. Clearly that has not yet been able to happen. 'But to be absolutely clear, the BBC is determined to get to the truth of what happened. That's why we have appointed Lord Dyson to lead a fully independent investigation. 'It is vital that everyone with information shares that with Lord Dyson, so that he can investigate thoroughly and draw his conclusions having heard all the evidence.' A handout photo made available by the Tasnim News agency shows Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' jet boats seizing a Korean flagged tanker in Persian Gulf, Jan. 4, 2021. EPA Iran's abrupt seizure of a South Korean-flagged oil tanker this week appears aimed at pressuring Seoul to unlock its financial assets frozen under U.S. sanctions amid its worsening economic woes and the COVID-19 scourge, analysts said Tuesday. The Islamic Republic might also intend to send a warning to South Korea and other U.S. allies that have followed U.S. sanctions and assert its maritime presence in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically crucial waterway in the Middle East, they added. On Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized the tanker, MT Hankuk Chemi, in the Persian Gulf reportedly due to environmental pollution by the ship. It has been taken to an Iranian port for examinations, though the ship's operator denies it polluted waters. The oil tanker, which was travelling from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, was carrying 20 crewmembers 11 Myanmarese, five South Koreans, two Indonesians and two Vietnamese. "For Iran, there could be a motive for the seizure, though facts related to what happened have yet to be clarified," Park Wong-gon, professor of international politics at Handong Global University, said. "The assets frozen in Korea are obviously huge, particularly when Iran has been facing serious economic pressure due to sanctions. In other words, Iran appears to have a resolve to clarify its position regarding the assets," he added. Iran's assets at two Korean bank accounts known to be worth around US$7 billion in total have been frozen since September 2019, when Washington's sanctions waiver for South Korea's imports of Iranian oil expired. The two countries had used the accounts based on the Korean currency of the won to continue Korea's imports of oil and its exports of goods to Iran despite U.S. sanctions banning dollar-based transactions with the Islamic republic. Due to the economic challenges caused by crippling sanctions and the fallout of the new coronavirus, Iran has been stepping up calls for Korea to unlock the frozen assets and pave the way for its purchase of essential items such as medicine. With little progress in Iran's push to regain the assets, speculation emerged that Iran could even threaten to bring the case to the International Court of Justice in a procedure that could deal a serious blow to bilateral trade ties. Gov't seeks reason behind Iran's tanker seizure Korean anti-piracy unit begins operations after Iran's tanker seizure US urges 'immediate release' of Korean tanker from Iran To address Tehran's frustration, South Korea has been trying to figure out a way to ramp up humanitarian trade with Iran without violating U.S. sanctions. But that effort floundered amid tensions between Washington and Tehran, particularly ahead of last year's U.S. presidential election. "Due to hard cash shortages, Iran might have intended to poke South Korea and add pressure to move forward negotiations over the frozen assets," Nam Chang-hee, professor of diplomacy at Inha University, said. "Stressing its longstanding history of exchanges with South Korea dating back to an ancient time, Tehran has hoped Seoul would look at it separately from its alliance partnership with Washington," he added. Some observers presumed that the seizure might be intended to a certain extent to send a warning message against American allies that have joined U.S. sanctions to the detriment of its economic recovery, particularly reminding them that Iran holds significant control over the Strait of Hormuz. Considering that Korea is a staunch American ally, analysts also raised speculation that the seizure could send some message to Washington at a time of high tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The seizure coincided with growing anti-American sentiment in Iran as the Iranians marked the first anniversary of the death of a top general who was killed in a U.S. drone attack under the Trump administration. Tensions also rose as Iran reportedly began enriching uranium up to 20 percent at an underground facility in a step that moved farther away from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal that the U.S. withdrew from in 2018. The seizure came as a surprise as South Korea is seeking to send First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun to Tehran to help address the frozen asset issue, according to a source. Seoul is still seeking a diplomatic solution for the release of the ship and its crew. "We have been trying to figure out what happened through the Iranian Embassy in South Korea and the South Korean Embassy in Iran and continuing to make efforts to address this situation," Foreign Minister Kang told reporters. On Tuesday, Koh Kyung-sok, director-general of the foreign ministry's African and Middle Eastern affairs, met with Iranian Ambassador Saeed Badamchi Shabestari and called for an early release of the ship. Before the meeting, the ambassador told reporters that there is "nothing to worry" about in regards to the health of the sailors of the seized ship. With the incoming U.S. administration of Joe Biden expected to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal and put Tehran back into compliance, a glimmer of hope emerged that Seoul's ties with Tehran could get better. "When the Biden administration kicks in, dialogue with Iran could likely resume. Thus chances of the current situation between the two countries slipping into a crisis is not that high," Professor Park said. (Natural News) The crime rate in Minneapolis has surged in recent weeks following the resignation of over 100 Minneapolis Police Department officers. Gunfire can be heard around neighborhoods in northern Minneapolis almost every night, where much of the renewed crime is located. Many of these bullets have hit their targets as well as innocent passersby, including a woman who was shot when a bullet went through her living room wall, a seven-year-old boy who was wounded during a drive-by shooting and a 17-year-old girl who was shot in the head and killed. According to Cathy Spann, a community activist who works for the Jordan Area Community Council, one of the community councils servicing neighborhoods in northern Minneapolis, she cannot recall another time when the situation in the city was this bad. In fact, Spann believes that the crime wasnt this bad in the mid-1990s, when the city was given the nickname of Murderapolis. If you want to talk about pandemics, were dealing with a pandemic of violence, said Spann. Were under siege. You wake up and go to bed in fear, because you dont know whats going to happen next and our city has failed to protect us. Spann points out that the police are not as present as they should be in the neighborhoods. She noted that, when neighbors call the emergency hotline, officers are either delayed in responding or they dont come at all. MPD said they have been struggling to respond to the surge of violence because an unprecedented number of officers have resigned from the force in the wake of the death of George Floyd in late May and the near-endless engineered rioting that has overtaken the city. According to Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, more than 100 officers have already left, which is more than double the number that usually resigns or retires from the MPD in any given year. Arradondo has given multiple reasons for why the police officers have resigned from the MPD. Many filed for retirement or for disability claims, citing post-traumatic stress disorder linked to the rioting. Many others said they were hesitant to continue working for a city that had a very volatile anti-police environment. (Related: University of Minnesota experiences surge in crime after it severed ties with Minneapolis Police Department.) MPD asking for more police officers In a meeting with the Minneapolis City Councils Policy and Government Oversight Committee, composed entirely of Democrat and Green Party councilors, Arradondo tried to plead with them for more officers. Our resources are hemorrhaging, said Arradondo. Our city is bleeding at this moment. Im trying to do all I can to stop that bleeding and Im hoping that having the funds to launch a citywide joint enforcement team initiative we can try to stop the bleeding in our city. Arradondo is begging the city council to approve a nearly $500,000 contract with the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office and the Metro Transit Police Department, which polices public transport and other properties belonging to the Metro Transit. This contract could provide an extra 20 to 40 law enforcement officers to supplement the MPDs thinning ranks. The police chief received a lot of backlash for his proposal, such as from Councilman Steve Fletcher, who asked Arradondo why he didnt just take money from other parts of the police budget. An offended Arradondo pointedly asked Fletcher if they had a suggestion that would be better than what he is proposing. If you choose to say no to these victims of crime, said the police chief, then please stand by that. Im saying we need more resources today and right now. This retort was not well received by the council, and it led to a heated back and worth between councilmembers who wanted to chastise Arradondo for his comments. In the end, the committee voted seven to six in favor of the proposal. It is expected to be voted upon by the full council on Friday, Nov. 20. Unless one or more councilmembers changes their mind from now until then, the measure will pass and the MPD will get the resources it desperately needs. There have been more than 4,600 violent crimes committed in Minneapolis this year alone. Nearly 75 people have been killed, which represents a 50 percent increase in homicides, and more than 500 people have already been shot, the highest number in more than a decade. If the lack of adequate police presence in neighborhoods is not properly addressed, the citys residents can expect to see more violence in their future Learn more about how police departments are trying to survive amid hostile anti-police environments by reading the latest articles at PoliceViolence.news. Sources include: GreenwichTime.com MPRNews.org Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh on Tuesday announced that the city is extending restrictions on businesses, gyms, museums and other cultural institutions for at least three more weeks amid a continued rise in COVID hospitalizations and deaths. In December, the city moved to a modified version of Phase 2 Step 2 of the states reopening plan in an effort to combat the rise in cases following Thanksgiving. Those restrictions which limited indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25, and forced a number of businesses closed were set to expire on Wednesday. Given the high numbers that were seeing today and the last several weeks, were extending this pause for at least another three weeks until Jan. 27, Walsh said during a press conference on Tuesday. In mid-December I announced Boston would temporarily pause our reopening, and move back into a modified Phase 2, Step 2 for at least 3 weeks. This is an effort to slow the spread to protect hospital capacity and avoid a more severe shutdown later on. Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) January 5, 2021 Under the restrictions, gyms, indoor fitness centers, health clubs, movie theaters, museums and aquariums will remain closed. Indoor dining is allowed to continue with restricted bar seating, and indoor instructional classes for youth can also resume, with a 10-person maximum. Other institutions and activities, like sightseeing, organized tours, indoor historical spaces and sites and arcades, must also remain closed. On Monday, there were 431 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, for a total of 41,847 citywide since the start of the pandemic, Walsh said. Two deaths were also reported in Boston on Monday, bringing the death total in the city to 1,020. State health officials confirmed another 4,358 COVID-19 cases on Monday across Massachusetts, bringing the number of active statewide cases to 81,449. Officials also announced another 60 COVID-related fatalities, for a total now of 12,401 confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic. Related Content: Netflix's steamy new period drama Bridgerton is projected to be viewed by more than 63 million households in its first 28 days on Netflix, according to Variety. The series has already earned the title of the fifth largest original series to launch on the streaming platform, and has held the number one slot in 76 countries. Bridgerton has become a worldwide hit since it debuted on Christmas Day, as fans praised the racy drama about the self-titled family, and how their lives are turned upside-down by the revelations of the illusive Lady Thistledown. Massive hit: Shonda Rhimes steamy romance' Bridgerton is projected to be viewed by more than 63 million households in its first 28 days on Netflix The series, which has earned a 92% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is Shonda Rhimes' first scripted show for Netflix since she struck a $150 million deal with the streaming giant. While the staggering number is definitely impressive, it was also reported by the outlet that when Netflix records their viewing data, a viewer is equivalent to a subscriber watching at least two minutes of content. The news was welcomed by some of the show's cast, including Derry Girls' Nicola Coughlan, who tweeted: 'I cannot believe this, I'm blown away thank you, thank you, thank you. 63 Million is like.... I don't even understand that as a number.' Impressive: The series has already earned the title of the fifth largest original series to launch on the streaming platform, thanks to its racy scenes (pictured) Over the moon: The news was welcomed by some of the show's cast, including Derry Girls' Nicola Coughlan Rhimes is also the mind behind some of ABC's biggest and longest running primetime hits, such as Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Private Practice and How To Get Away With Murder. The series follows Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest daughter of the powerful family, as she makes her debut onto London's competitive marriage market. The show boasts a star-studded cast, including Julie Andrews' as a narrator, alongside Nicola, Adjoa Andoh and Ben Miller. Breaking records: Bridgerton has become a worldwide hit since it debuted on Christmas Day, as fans praised the racy drama about the self-titled family As narrator of the big-budget Netflix series, actress Julie, 85, describes scandals in Regency high society in salacious detail. In the opening episode she says: 'It has been said that of all b**ches dead or alive, a scribbling woman is most canine.' It prompted one viewer to comment: 'Julie Andrews as a high-end gossip girl is shocking and thrilling in equal measure.' The show is based on a series of books by Julia Quinn, who said that when Dame Julie agreed to play the unseen role of gossipy Lady Whistledown, 'I legitimately stopped breathing.' Impressive: The series follows Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest daughter of the powerful family, as she makes her debut onto London's competitive marriage market And Chris Van Dusen, who is in charge of the production, has said: 'She was always top of our wish-list. She gets to say the most scathing things... most non-typical of Julie Andrews. It's been a blast.' Critics have lauded the $6.7 million-an-episode show for subverting period drama by having a multiracial cast, including a black Queen Charlotte, racy sex scenes and a string quartet playing classical versions of modern hits. A source told The Mail on Sunday that the series, about the Bridgerton siblings' quest to marry well in 1813, has received record viewing figures. Drama: The series is based on a series of books by Julia Quinn, who said that when Dame Julie agreed to play the unseen role of gossipy Lady Whistledown, 'I legitimately stopped breathing' They added: 'It's already been renewed for a second season but there are enough books to keep this going for a decade. 'Netflix is hoping Bridgerton will become a Christmas tradition. It's on track to become Netflix's most-watched show after The Crown. 'It's a real bonk-buster and it has turned period dramas upside-down. This show is designed to push boundaries but it's a brilliant confection.' The program, which shows same-sex relationships and a female character pleasuring herself, hired an intimacy co-ordinator to meticulously choreograph the bedroom action in the same way that a fight sequence would be planned to 'avoid any surprises.' Binge-worthy: Critics have lauded the $6.7 million-an-episode show for subverting period drama by having a multiracial cast and racy sex scenes Bridgerton looks set to make stars out of the largely British cast, including Rege-Jean Page, who plays the roguish Duke of Hastings, Golda Rosheuvel, who is Queen Charlotte, and Phoebe Dynevor, (the daughter of Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Webster in Coronation Street) as Daphne Bridgerton. Page, 30, who was raised in Zimbabwe before moving to London as a teenager, is being hailed as Hollywood's hottest new leading man. A Disney Studios producer previously said: 'Everyone wants Rege-Jean for their next project. He's the breakout star. He's a great actor who everyone falls in love with.' Page says playing a black love interest in Regency England 'is a critical opportunity', adding: 'Setting the story in the past doesn't mean that black folks do nothing but suffer. We've always lived and laughed and loved and married just the same as everyone else.' Progressive: The program, which shows same-sex relationships and a female character pleasuring herself, hired an intimacy co-ordinator Producers were also keen to ensure that there was not a bonnet in sight. New York-based costume designer Ellen Mirojnick and a team of 238 people spent five months making all 7,500 costumes from scratch a task virtually unheard of for period dramas that would normally hire the majority of outfits. While the Bridgerton women are draped in pastel pink and blue hues befitting of an upper-class Regency family, the nouveau-riche Featheringtons are much tackier. 'We've made them over-decorated, over-zealous and over the top,' Mirojnick said. 'It's definitely gaudy. But if you think it looks ugly, that's OK. Being 100 percent historically correct was not on our agenda at all.' Fans have already noticed other anachronistic bloopers including a ball illuminated with hundreds of light bulbs, 50 years before they were invented, and rebellious Eloise Bridgerton chain-smoking a form of cigarettes not introduced to England until the 1830s. Following the success of the show, Quinn's books have been re-released and are set to top the bestseller lists on both sides of the Atlantic. A hilarious video has captured a young girl on a farm trying to close a gate - and failing six times. The video captured on a southeast Queensland farm showed nine-year-old Charli in a cowboy hat and boots running back and forth as she tried to catch the swinging gates. Katherine Holloway, who taped the footage, laughed as her daughter struggled to bring the gates together on the cattle and farm-stay property in Kandanga, two hours drive north-east of Brisbane. 'Every time we seemed to pull up to this particular gate she would have trouble closing it, and every time she and I would be in hysterics. So one day I decided to film it,' said Katherine. Charli shouted 'no!' as she pushed one squeaky gate shut, only to have it sway back towards her before she could reach the other gate. A patient dog watched from the back of the Holloways' ute as Katherine encouraged her daughter by yelling 'Push!' The tired young girl crouched over after six attempts, but pulled herself up to finally grab both runaway gates on her seventh try. 'Woo hoo!' shouted Katherine. Nine-year-old Charli tried to close the gate on her family property seven times Commenters on social media admired Charli's persistence. 'Well caught Charli. Good to see you never gave up' said one. Another said, 'Good exercise for her. She just did a workout .. lol'. Published January 2021 Contemporary treatment options for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, and active surveillance. Surgery can be curative for approximately two-thirds of patients choosing radical prostatectomy.1 However, men with adverse pathologic findings at the time of radical prostatectomy, such as the presence of positive surgical margins, extraprostatic extension, or seminal vesicle invasion,2,3 experience up to a 60% risk of recurrence at 10 years and may require subsequent radiation therapy.2 In three well-powered randomized controlled trials, adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a lower risk of recurrence for men with adverse pathologic findings at the time of surgery, compared to a watch and wait approach (SWOG S8794,4,5 EORTC 229116,7 and ARO 96-028,9). A randomized multi-institutional study of adjuvant radiotherapy for pathologically-advanced prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (SWOG S8794), post-operative radiotherapy (P-RXT) after radical prostatectomy (Px) improves progression-free survival (PFS) in pT3NO prostate cancer (PC) (EORTC 22911), and a Phase III postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy compared with radical prostatectomy alone in pT3 prostate cancer with postoperative undetectable prostate-specific antigen: (ARO 96-02/AUO AP 09/95). On the basis of these studies, joint guidelines were published by the American Urological Association (AUA) and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) recommending adjuvant radiotherapy for patients with adverse pathologic findings.2 More recently, the FINNPROSTATE trial, "Randomised Trial of Adjuvant Radiotherapy Following Radical Prostatectomy Versus Radical Prostatectomy Alone in Prostate Cancer Patients with Positive Margins or Extracapsular Extension (FINNPROSTATE)", was published, addressing a similar question and yielding similar results.10 In a recent meta-analysis including all four of these trials, use of adjuvant radiotherapy (compared to a permissive post-operative treatment approach with late salvage) was associated with consistent, and statistically significant, improvements in biochemical recurrence-free survival, but uncertain benefits in metastasis-free survival and no benefit in overall survival.11 Further, this analysis demonstrated that the routine use of an adjuvant approach is associated with high rates (35-60%) of overtreatment. Thus, in spite of the American Urological Association (AUA)/American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) guidelines, many experts do not support the routine use of adjuvant radiotherapy,12,13 due to concerns of overtreatment with associated toxicity, and due to limitations in the design, analysis, and interpretation of these studies. Another commonly utilized strategy is salvage radiotherapy in which radiation is only administered at the time of early recurrence. Salvage radiotherapy has been shown to provide durable cancer control rates for patients at high risk for progression to metastasis14 and to decrease the risk of prostate cancer-related mortality compared with observation.15 The benefit is maximized when radiotherapy is administered early following recurrence detected by a rise in the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (biochemical recurrence),15,16 so-called early salvage radiotherapy. Until very recently, there were no randomized data to compare adjuvant and early salvage radiotherapy. Observational data and decision modeling analyses had suggested equivalence of these two approaches,17 with benefits to the salvage therapy approach due to lower rates of toxicity and resource utilization. Following presentation at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2019 meeting, four relevant manuscripts have been published to address this question including three randomized controlled trials and a prospectively planned meta-analysis of these data. The remainder of this manuscript will detail these studies. Randomized Controlled Trials: RADICALS-RT, GETUG-AFU 17, RAVES RADICALS-RT18 The RADICALS-RT, "Timing of radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy (RADICALS-RT)", randomized controlled trial was an international, Phase III, multicenter, open-label trial implemented at 138 trial-accredited centers in Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. Patients with non-metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate were eligible for the trial if they had undergone radical prostatectomy, had postoperative PSA of 0.2 ng/mL or less, and at least one specified risk factor (ie. pathological T-stage 3 or 4, Gleason score 710, positive margins, or preoperative PSA of 10 ng/mL or more). Participants were randomly assigned within 22 weeks after radical prostatectomy to receive either adjuvant radiotherapy to the prostate bed with or without pelvis, or close observation with salvage radiotherapy to the prostate bed with or without pelvis given in the event of PSA biochemical progression, defined as either two consecutive rising PSAs with a PSA of 0.1 ng/mL, or three consecutive rising PSAs. Radiotherapy to the prostate bed used a dose-fractionation schedule of either 66.0 Gy in 33 fractions or 52.5 Gy in 20 fractions. The primary outcome for RADICAL-RT was disease-specific survival and a key secondary outcome was freedom from distant metastases. In 2011, the primary outcome of RADICALS-RT was changed to freedom from distant metastases following a review of the expected event rate based on other publications. Biochemical progression-free survival was defined as freedom from PSA of 0.4 ng/mL or greater following postoperative radiotherapy, or PSA of more than 2.0 ng/mL at any time, or clinical progression, or initiation of non-protocol hormone therapy, or death from any cause. The trial had ~80% power to detect a hazard ratio of 0.70 if 5-year biochemical progression-free survival was 0.86 in the early salvage group. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial accrued 1,396 patients over 9 years from November 22, 2007, through December 30, 2016, with participants being randomly assigned to an adjuvant radiotherapy (n=697) or salvage radiotherapy policy (n=699). The median age was 65 years (IQR 6068) and the median PSA at diagnosis was 7.9 ng/mL. Median PSA at randomization was undetectable in both randomized groups, and the median follow-up was 4.9 years at the time of data freeze. At the time of analysis, 223 (32%) of 699 patients allocated to the salvage radiotherapy group started radiotherapy within 5 years after randomization. There were 169 biochemical progression events were reported87 events in patients in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 82 in patients in the salvage radiotherapy group. There was no difference between the adjuvant and salvage groups in terms of biochemical progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] for adjuvant radiotherapy 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.811.49; p=0.56). The 5-year biochemical progression-free survival was 85% for those in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 88% for those in the salvage radiotherapy group. At the time of analysis, data for the primary outcome measure of freedom from distant metastasis were not sufficiently mature, which was the same for overall survival. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) toxicity events were more commonly reported in the group randomized to adjuvant radiotherapy in comparison with the salvage radiotherapy group. The majority of diarrhea, proctitis, and cystitis events were low severity, with grade 3 or 4 events reported for approximately 1% of patients. Patient-reported outcome measures for urinary and bowel function showed similar results for both groups at baseline, with a small but significant worsening of symptoms with adjuvant radiotherapy one year after randomization, which then normalized in later years. GETUG-AFU 1719 The GETUG-AFU 17, "Adjuvant radiotherapy versus early salvage radiotherapy plus short-term androgen deprivation therapy in men with localised prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (GETUG-AFU 17)", was a randomized, open-label, multicenter, Phase III trial completed at 46 French hospitals. Inclusion criteria included men with localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated with radical prostatectomy with or without pelvic lymph node dissection who had pathologically-staged pT3a, pT3b, or pT4a (with bladder neck invasion), pNx (without pelvic lymph nodes dissection), or pN0 (with negative lymph nodes dissection), and those who had positive surgical margins. Patients were randomized (1:1) to either immediate adjuvant radiotherapy or delayed salvage radiotherapy at the time of biochemical relapse. Importantly, postoperative radiotherapy was combined with short-term hormonal therapy in both study groups (6 months of triptorelin). All patients had radiotherapy planned for 7 weeks at a dose of 66 Gy in 33 fractions of 2 Gy, five days per week. Pelvic lymph nodes could be treated at a dose of 46 Gy in 23 fractions of 2 Gy, five days per week. Biochemical relapse before initiating salvage radiotherapy was defined as a PSA level greater than 0.2 ng/mL confirmed after four weeks. The primary outcome for GETUG-AFU 17 was event-free survival, assessed as the time from random assignment to the first documented event, either disease relapse (locoregional or metastatic), biochemical progression, or death. Secondary outcomes were overall survival, metastasis-free survival, and incidence of acute and late toxic effects. The study was designed to show a 10% increase in the 5-year event-free survival rate, from 60% with early salvage radiotherapy to 70% with adjuvant radiotherapy (HR 0.70). GETUG-AFU 17 enrolled 424 patients between March 7, 2008, and June 23, 2016, at 46 French centers. The plan was to enroll 718 patients, with 359 in each study group, however, early trial termination was recommended secondary to low event rates. At that time of accrual cessation, only 12 (5%) of 242 events needed for the primary outcome analysis had been reported; at that time 424 patients had been randomly allocated, 212 to the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 212 to the salvage radiotherapy group. At the time of analysis, 54% of patients in the salvage radiotherapy group had initiated radiotherapy after biochemical relapse. For the primary outcome analysis, 58 events were reported, 25 in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 33 in the salvage radiotherapy group. The 5-year event-free survival rate was 92% (95% CI 8695) in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 90% (8594) in the salvage radiotherapy group (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.481.36; p=0.42). Although data was not mature, the 5-year overall survival was 96% (95% CI 9298) in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 99% (96100) in the salvage radiotherapy group (HR 1.60, 95% CI 0.713.60; p=025). Acute toxic effects were reported in 87% of patients in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 44% of patients in the salvage radiotherapy group. Late genitourinary adverse events were reported by 73% of patients in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 29% of patients in the salvage radiotherapy group. RAVES20 The RAVES trial, "Adjuvant radiotherapy versus early salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy (TROG 08.03/ANZUP RAVES)", was a Phase III, randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial completed at 32 oncology centers across Australia and New Zealand. Eligible patients were at least 18 years of age and had undergone radical prostatectomy for prostate adenocarcinoma with pathological staging showing high-risk features defined as either positive surgical margins, extra prostatic extension, or seminal vesicle invasion. Patients were also required to have a postoperative PSA of 0.10 ng/mL or less, and to be able to start radiotherapy within four months of radical prostatectomy. The dose in both the adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy groups was 64 Gy in 32 fractions. Adjuvant radiotherapy was given within six months of radical prostatectomy and salvage radiotherapy was given within four months of a PSA measurement of 0.20 ng/mL or more. For both groups, biochemical progression was diagnosed on the first occasion following radiotherapy when PSA was 0.40 ng/mL or more and increasing. The primary endpoint for RAVES was freedom from biochemical progression, and secondary endpoints were time to initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), time to local, regional, and distant progression, and overall survival. Additional secondary endpoints (not reported in this first analysis) were quality-of-life outcomes, anxiety and depression, adverse events, disease-specific survival, quality-adjusted life-years, and cost-utility. In terms of a power calculation, salvage radiotherapy would be considered to be non-inferior to adjuvant radiotherapy if the 5-year freedom from biochemical progression was at most 10% lower than that for adjuvant radiotherapy (ie. >64%). Between March 27, 2009, and December 31, 2015, there were 333 patients randomly assigned to treatment adjuvant radiotherapy (n=166) and salvage radiotherapy (n=167); the median follow-up was 6.1 years (IQR 4.37.5). In the intention-to-treat analysis, there were 25 biochemical progressions in the adjuvant radiotherapy group and 30 biochemical progressions in the salvage radiotherapy group. The 5-year freedom from biochemical progression was 86% (95% CI 8192) in the adjuvant radiotherapy group compared to 87% (8293) in the salvage radiotherapy group (unstratified HR 1.15 [95% CI 0.671.95). The grade 2 or worse genitourinary toxicity rate was lower in the salvage radiotherapy group (54%) than in the adjuvant radiotherapy group (70%; OR mixed 0.34, 95% CI 0.170.68; p=0.0022). Meta-Analysis: The ARTISTIC Collaborative As described above, three randomized controlled trials were contemporaneously designed and began accruing to assess the comparison of adjuvant and early salvage radiotherapy strategies, each with a different primary outcome: time free of metastasis (RADICALS-RT), event-free survival (GETUG-AFU 17), and biochemical progression (RAVES). These outcomes were selected as intermediate endpoints due to the difficulty of accruing and powering a trial for longer-term survival outcomes. On this basis, a collaborative was struck in 2014 which all three trials were recruiting to allow for a prospectively designed individual patient data meta-analysis of the three trials. As an intermediate step, the group planned an aggregate data meta-analysis which is what has been reported to date.21 Given that each study was designed and powered to assess a different outcome, the collaborative group defined a primary outcome of event-free survival defined as the time from randomization to the first of biochemical progression, clinical or radiographic progression, initiation of non-trial treatments, death from prostate cancer, or PSA 2.0 ng/mL at any time following randomization. To summarize the details provided above, all trials required patients to have undergone radical prostatectomy with at least one high-risk feature, defined as stage pT3 or pT4, Gleason score 7-10, pre-operative PSA of 10 ng/mL or greater, or positive surgical margins. All patients were required to have a post-operative PSA of 0.2 ng/mL or less, unlike some of the early adjuvant radiotherapy studies. However, it is important to understand the differences between the trials. In RADICALS-RT, patients were allowed to have pT3 or pT4 disease; in GETUG-AFU 17, patients were required to have pT3 or pT4a disease and positive surgical margins; while RAVES included patients with at least one of positive surgical margins (including among patients with pT2 disease) or extracapsular extension. In all studies, patients were randomized to receive adjuvant radiotherapy or a surveillance regime with early salvage radiotherapy administered at the time of biochemical recurrence. Treatment regimes, as detailed above, varied somewhat between studies with concomitant ADT being mandated in GETUG-AFU 17, being forbidden in RAVES, and being either at the treating physician's discretion or as part of a second randomization (RADICALS-HT) in the RADICALS trial. Also, notable are differences in study design: while RADICALS-RT and GETUG-AFU 17 were designed as superiority trials, RAVES was designed in a non-inferiority manner. Characteristics of patients included in the systematic review mirror those of the individual trials as discussed above: patients had a median age between 64-65 years and the majority had either pT3a/b disease (79.8%), positive surgical margins (70.9%), and extracapsular extension (76.9%). In total, 1075 included patients were randomized to adjuvant radiotherapy and 1078 to an early salvage radiotherapy strategy. Notably, 421 patients (39.1%) randomized to early salvage radiotherapy have, to date, received postoperative radiotherapy. With a data cut-off of April 22, 2020, 270 events had been recorded, the vast majority of which were PSA-driven. Pooling event-free survival results from the three trials yielded an overall fixed effect hazard ratio of 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.75 to 1.21, p = 0.70) with an absolute difference in five-year event-free survival of 1% (95% confidence interval -2 to 3) between early salvage and adjuvant radiotherapy. The authors then undertook a variety of pre-planned subgroup analyses. These demonstrated consistent results across subgroups defined on the basis of pre-surgical PSA less than or equal to 10 or greater than 10 ng/mL), Gleason score (7 vs. 8), seminal vesicle involvement (present vs. absent), surgical margins (positive vs. negative), and Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Postsurgical (CAPRA-S) risk group (intermediate vs. high) with no benefit seen to the use of adjuvant radiotherapy in any of these groups. Conclusions Until recently, there has been a paucity of high-quality data available to delineate the optimal timing of radiotherapy for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Data from RADICALS-RT, GETUC-AFU 17, and the RAVES phase 3 trials, in addition to the ARTISTIC prospective systematic review and meta-analysis, have shown that standard of care for treatment of biochemical recurrence should follow an early salvage rather than an adjuvant radiotherapy approach. Table 1. Comparison of randomized controlled trials of adjuvant versus early salvage radiotherapy Written by: Christopher J.D. Wallis, MD, PhD, Instructor in Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia References: 1. Bianco Jr, Fernando J., Peter T. Scardino, and James A. Eastham. "Radical prostatectomy: long-term cancer control and recovery of sexual and urinary function (trifecta)." Urology 66, no. 5 (2005): 83-94. 2. Thompson, Ian M., Richard K. Valicenti, Peter Albertsen, Brian J. Davis, S. Larry Goldenberg, Carol Hahn, Eric Klein et al. "Adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy: AUA/ASTRO Guideline." The Journal of urology 190, no. 2 (2013): 441-449. 3. Swanson, Gregory P., Michael A. Hussey, Catherine M. Tangen, Joseph Chin, Edward Messing, Edith Canby-Hagino, Jeffrey D. Forman, Ian M. Thompson, and E. David Crawford. "Predominant treatment failure in postprostatectomy patients is local: analysis of patterns of treatment failure in SWOG 8794." Journal of Clinical Oncology 25, no. 16 (2007): 2225-2229. 4. Thompson, Ian M., Catherine M. Tangen, Jorge Paradelo, M. Scott Lucia, Gary Miller, Dean Troyer, Edward Messing et al. "Adjuvant radiotherapy for pathologically advanced prostate cancer: a randomized clinical trial." Jama 296, no. 19 (2006): 2329-2335. 5. Thompson, Ian M., Catherine M. Tangen, Jorge Paradelo, M. Scott Lucia, Gary Miller, Dean Troyer, Edward Messing et al. "Adjuvant radiotherapy for pathological T3N0M0 prostate cancer significantly reduces risk of metastases and improves survival: long-term followup of a randomized clinical trial." The Journal of urology 181, no. 3 (2009): 956-962. 6. Bolla, Michel, Hein van Poppel, Laurence Collette, Paul van Cangh, Kris Vekemans, Luigi Da Pozzo, Theo M. De Reijke et al. "Postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy: a randomised controlled trial (EORTC trial 22911)." The Lancet 366, no. 9485 (2005): 572-578. 7. Bolla, Michel, Hein van Poppel, Bertrand Tombal, Kris Vekemans, Luigi Da Pozzo, Theo M. De Reijke, Antony Verbaeys et al. "Postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer: long-term results of a randomised controlled trial (EORTC trial 22911)." The Lancet 380, no. 9858 (2012): 2018-2027. 8. Wiegel, Thomas, Dirk Bottke, Ursula Steiner, Alessandra Siegmann, Reinhard Golz, Stephan Storkel, Norman Willich et al. "Phase III postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy compared with radical prostatectomy alone in pT3 prostate cancer with postoperative undetectable prostate-specific antigen: ARO 96-02/AUO AP 09/95." Journal of Clinical Oncology 27, no. 18 (2009): 2924-2930. 9. Wiegel, Thomas, Detlef Bartkowiak, Dirk Bottke, Claudia Bronner, Ursula Steiner, Alessandra Siegmann, Reinhard Golz et al. "Adjuvant radiotherapy versus wait-and-see after radical prostatectomy: 10-year follow-up of the ARO 9602/AUO AP 09/95 trial." European urology 66, no. 2 (2014): 243-250. 10. Hackman, Greetta, Kimmo Taari, Teuvo L. Tammela, Mika Matikainen, Mauri Kouri, Timo Joensuu, Tiina Luukkaala et al. "Randomised trial of adjuvant radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy versus radical prostatectomy alone in prostate cancer patients with positive margins or extracapsular extension." European urology 76, no. 5 (2019): 586-595. 11. Bhindi, Bimal, Soum D. Lokeshwar, Zachary Klaassen, Laurence Klotz, and Christopher JD Wallis. "Systematic review and meta-analysis of trials evaluating the role of adjuvant radiation after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer: Implications for early salvage." Canadian Urological Association Journal 14, no. 10 (2020). 12. Walsh, Patrick C., and Nathan Lawrentschuk. "Immediate Adjuvant Radiation Therapy Following Radical Prostatectomy Should Not Be Advised for Men with Extraprostatic Extension Who Have Negative Surgical Margins." European urology 69, no. 2 (2015): 191-192. 13. Stephenson, Andrew J., Michel Bolla, Alberto Briganti, Cesare Cozzarini, Judd W. Moul, Mack Roach III, Hein Van Poppel, and Anthony Zietman. "Postoperative radiation therapy for pathologically advanced prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy." European urology 61, no. 3 (2012): 443-451. 14. Stephenson, Andrew J., Shahrokh F. Shariat, Michael J. Zelefsky, Michael W. Kattan, E. Brian Butler, Bin S. Teh, Eric A. Klein et al. "Salvage radiotherapy for recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy." Jama 291, no. 11 (2004): 1325-1332. 15. Trock, Bruce J., Misop Han, Stephen J. Freedland, Elizabeth B. Humphreys, Theodore L. DeWeese, Alan W. Partin, and Patrick C. Walsh. "Prostate cancerspecific survival following salvage radiotherapy vs observation in men with biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy." Jama 299, no. 23 (2008): 2760-2769. 16. Pfister, David, Michel Bolla, Alberto Briganti, Peter Carroll, Cesare Cozzarini, Steven Joniau, Hein Van Poppel et al. "Early salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy." European urology 65, no. 6 (2014): 1034-1043. 17. Wallis, Christopher JD, Gerard Morton, Angela Jerath, Raj Satkunasviam, Ewa Szumacher, Sender Herschorn, Ronald T. Kodama, Girish S. Kulkarni, David Naimark, and Robert K. Nam. "Adjuvant Versus Salvage Radiotherapy for Patients With Adverse Pathological Findings Following Radical Prostatectomy: A Decision Analysis." MDM policy & practice 2, no. 1 (2017): 2381468317709476. 18. Parker, Christopher C., Noel W. Clarke, Adrian D. Cook, Howard G. Kynaston, Peter Meidahl Petersen, Charles Catton, William Cross et al. "Timing of radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy (RADICALS-RT): a randomised, controlled phase 3 trial." The Lancet 396, no. 10260 (2020): 1413-1421. 19. Sargos, Paul, Sylvie Chabaud, Igor Latorzeff, Nicolas Magne, Ahmed Benyoucef, Stephane Supiot, David Pasquier et al. "Adjuvant radiotherapy versus early salvage radiotherapy plus short-term androgen deprivation therapy in men with localised prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (GETUG-AFU 17): a randomised, phase 3 trial." The Lancet Oncology 21, no. 10 (2020): 1341-1352. 20. Kneebone, Andrew, Carol Fraser-Browne, Gillian M. Duchesne, Richard Fisher, Mark Frydenberg, Alan Herschtal, Scott G. Williams et al. "Adjuvant radiotherapy versus early salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy (TROG 08.03/ANZUP RAVES): a randomised, controlled, phase 3, non-inferiority trial." The Lancet Oncology 21, no. 10 (2020): 1331-1340. 21. Vale, Claire L., David Fisher, Andrew Kneebone, Christopher Parker, Maria Pearse, Pierre Richaud, Paul Sargos et al. "Adjuvant or early salvage radiotherapy for the treatment of localised and locally advanced prostate cancer: a prospectively planned systematic review and meta-analysis of aggregate data." The Lancet (2020). Download Issue Press Promotion From the Heart of Jamaica Appleton Estate has announced a brand new release of three vintages, called the Hearts Collection, which stand as a premium trio of rum alongside the current range. However, these aren't like any other bottlings from the brand; these three expressions are the first single marque 100% pot still rums Appleton Estate has ever released. This rare, limited collection comprises three vintages aged between 21 and 26 years: the 1994, 1995 and 1999. Much like whisky, Hearts Collection derives character from the American Oak barels and the tropical Nassau Valley climate in which it was aged. Appleton is one of the few rums in the world to claim 'terrior' status, and the brand credits this tropical ageing method for the supreme flavour of its rums. Appleton Estate's tropical ageing methods add another complex depth of character. One year aged in the tropics is equivalent to nearly three years aged in a temperate climate - so the flavour of the rums develops at a quicker pace. Dark spirits enthusiasts will find it is worth the wait. Appleton Estate's legendary master blender, Joy Spence, hand-selected these rums from the Estate's inventory. When it comes to rum, Joy is something of an authority. Over two decades ago, in 1997, she became the first female master blender in the spirits industry. During her illustrious career at Appleton Estate, Joy has been responsible for creating many of the blends that have been behind Appleton's rise to fame. Spence's unwavering attention to detail and adherence to premium standards and high quality are just one of the many traits she shares with fellow dark spirits blenders. The new Hearts Collection sees the first-ever pairing of Joy Spence's distilling experience with the industry knowledge of Italian rum connoisseur Luca Gargano. One of the most influential rum experts alive, Gargano owns Velier, an importer and distributor of premium spirits, and has one of the most comprehensive collections of old rums in the world, with more than 40,000 bottles in his possession. To create these particular treasures, with aroma and flavour profile in mind, Joy pulled just 10 casks from the nearly 200,000 barrels of rum ageing in Appleton Estate's warehouses - one of the largest and oldest in the world. Gargano, having dreamed of a collaboration with Spence, travelled from his home in Italy to Appleton Estate in Jamaica to conduct a blind tasting with her. The pair ultimately landed on the same three as their favourites, which became Hearts Collection. Joy remarked, "I'm a pot still girl. It's just so complex and intriguing. I always had a passion to release a single-marque pot still. I was looking for beautiful, spicy, fruity notes, something ruonded with vanilla, a little coffee, and coca notes coming from the oak. It's the funkiest, pot still rum - such an amazing base to work with, and the heart and soul of our blends. The Hearts Collection is not only named for the heart of Jamaica, where it is created. The symbolic name carries the weight of the collective shared passion for rum by Master Blender Joy Spence and aficionado Luca Gargano. "For me, the Hearts Collection is really to show the biodiversity of Appleton Estate in the sense that the Estate has so many different marques, so many different vintages," says Luca. "The big value of Appleton Estate is its production, heritage, and stock - which makes it the best distillery in the world." There are only 3,000 bottles of each vintage in the Hearts Collection, which are meant to be sipped neat from a snifter. The new Hearts Collection is available in select premium spirits retail outlets in global markets starting in November 2020. 5 January 2021 - Choose an author Appleton Estate Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, speaks in front of a graphic at a Covid -19 update press conference at the Department of Health.....Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin The month of January will see a significant increase in coronavirus deaths, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has warned. He said that the third wave and surge in infection will result in a sharp increase in mortality which will be greater than the number of deaths in November and December combined. This is due to surges in hospitalisation, according to Dr Holohan. As of 8am this morning, there were 817 coronavirus patients in hospital, 73 of which were in ICU. Weve seen a very, very sharp increase in hospitalisation, Dr Holohan told Pat Kenny on Newstalk. Read More We will see a sharp increase in mortality, Im sorry to say that will be the case. January will see a significant increase in multiples of the numbers of deaths that we saw in the course of both November and December as a consequence of all of this, we haven't seen it yet because it lags. He once again reiterated the message of staying inside unless for essential reason and to have little to no contact with other people. Theres still an opportunity for those who haven't heard the message to take the immediate measures to drive down these transmission levels as soon as possible and that is to stay at home and limit contacts, he said. Dr Holohan said that health chiefs are worried about the situation in Irish hospitals. The really important information that weve tracked now that's telling us the burden of this infection and what we need to focus our efforts around is what is happening in the hospitals, he said. Now this morning we have over 800 people in hospital, were in the 70s now in terms of people in intensive care. Online Editors Sen. Tommy Tuberville is raising money with emails under the headline launching election defense fund that appear to promote the effort by some Republicans in Congress to block Joe Bidens win in the Electoral College. Im so proud to be part of a team of a dozen Republican U.S. senators and preparing for our LAST STAND in the fight to safeguard the integrity of our great nations elections. Were demanding transparency and accountability, Tuberville says in the email. But the link to donate to that cause goes to Tommy Tuberville for Senate, Tubervilles campaign fund. Tuberville announced Saturday he would join other Republicans in the Senate and House who will challenge Bidens win, alleging it was the result of fraud and vote-counting irregularities. Congress is scheduled to officially count the Electoral College votes Wednesday. Brendan Fischer, director of the federal reform program for the Campaign Legal Center, said Tubervilles fundraising email is not unusual. The Campaign Legal Center describes itself as a nonpartisan organization that supports transparency in campaign fundraising, as well as voting rights and other issues. Its not entirely uncommon for candidates for both political parties to use inflammatory fundraising appeals, Fischer said. And this probably falls into that category. Candidates are allowed to stoke their partisan base in order to raise money. The fundraising solicitation does make reference to an election defense fund, which does not appear to actually exist, Fischer said. Donations are actually going to Tubervilles campaign. So, donors who receive this email and give thinking that they are helping to finance efforts to overturn the results of the election would be misled because they would actually be giving to support Tubervilles reelection campaign. But I think otherwise its relatively straightforward that Tuberville is describing what he is going to do in office and the donation landing page seems to make pretty clear that the donations are going to Tubervilles Senate campaign. Efforts to reach the Tuberville campaign or Senate office for comment were not successful. President Trump has also repeated and unsubstantiated claims of a stolen election to raise money. Trump raised about $170 million over a few weeks after the Nov. 3 election by seeking donations for an election defense fund, the Associated Press reported on Dec. 1. According to AP, 75% of those donations went to Save America, a new political committee Trump founded, and 25% to the Republican National Committee. The money went toward the legal costs of election challenges only after donors gave the maximum allowed to Save America and the RNC, the AP reported. Fischer said Trumps fundraising tactics were more misleading than the Tuberville email. When a fundraising solicitation talks about trying to overturn the results of the election and asks for donations to an election defense fund, but in reality the money is going to a PAC that is not being used for those purposes whatsoever, then its very misleading, Fischer said. Whereas here, very likely, Senator Tuberville is going to contest the results of the election with or without any additional donations. But he is actually going to be on the floor of the Senate refusing to certify the results of the election. So fundraising off of an activity like that is not totally uncommon. And to the extent that a donation to Tuberville is an expression of support for his political positions then a donation to Tuberville to support his efforts to overturn the will of the people is relatively reasonable given the contents of this solicitation. In the fundraising email, Tuberville describes the challenge as an effort to uphold the will of the people. Senator Ted Cruz is taking the lead. Were demanding a 2020 Election Commission be launched with full investigative authority to conduct a 10-day review to get to the TRUTH and FACTS about what happened in these states with disputed election outcomes, Tuberville says. Five other Alabama Republicans will vote to challenge the count -- Rep. Mo Brooks of Huntsville, the first member of Congress to commit to a challenge, and Reps. Robert Aderholt of Haleyville, Jerry Carl of Mobile, Barry Moore of Enterprise, and Mike Rogers of Saks. Sen. Richard Shelby has said he was not happy with the elections outcome but said he has accepted it and its time to move on. Related: Alabama GOP juggles mixed bag of constituent reaction to Electoral College challenge, Trumps anger Courts have rejected efforts by Trumps campaign and supporters to overturn election results. Former Attorney General William Barr, former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs, and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, are among those who have disputed claims of widespread election fraud. Related: Trump, on tape, presses Ga. official to find Trump votes Rational thought hasnt taken such a beating since the 17th century, when Galileo discovered that the sun did not revolve around the Earth, as the church taught. Had they peered through his telescope, Galileos inquisitors would have seen that he was right. Instead they sentenced him to house arrest for life, as a heretic. [January 05, 2021] Oldest African-American-Owned Bank in the U.S. Selects CSI Core to Offer Digital Suite of Services Computer Services, Inc. ( CSI (News - Alert) ) (OTCQX: CSVI), a provider of end-to-end fintech and regtech solutions, announced that Nashville, Tennessee-based Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Co. (Citizens Bank) has selected its NuPoint core platform to further the bank's mission of fostering the economic advancement of minorities and consumers who are largely underserved in the community. Citizens Bank began operations on Jan. 16, 1904, under the guidance of three prominent African-American citizens of Nashville: R.H. Boyd, Preston Taylor, and J.C. Napier. The institution was originally named the One-Cent Savings Bank and Trust Company to emphasize the importance of every customer, no matter their financial worth. Now, more than 100 years later, Citizens Bank is the oldest, continuously operating African-American-owned bank in the United States. "We always want to honor and cherish the history and legacy we have, but we must also lead our team and our organization toward the future," said Sergio Ora, president and CEO of Citizens Bank. "We can be very committed and passionate about our vision and mission, but in order for us to help people develop financial independence and wealth equality, we must have the resources and technology. CSI will play in integral role in giving us that." As a small institution in a large market, Citizens Bank has thrived for more thana century because of its mission and dedication to banking the underserved. And to ensure it's around for the next 100 years, the institution recognized the need to remain competitive with larger institutions by offering the same level of products and solutions, but with a decided edge in service. In addition to a strong core platform, Citizens Bank is partnering with CSI because of its flexibility and agility in quickly adding solutions to the core that improve customers' ability to digitally connect with the bank in a variety of ways. "For more than 100 years, Citizens Bank has never faltered in its mission to provide financial opportunity to individuals and communities who have been overlooked and underserved," said David Culbertson, president and COO of CSI. "We are honored that this important and vibrant institution chose CSI to deliver innovative solutions that will help its customers grow wealth, solidify their businesses and make their dreams come true." About Citizens Bank In 1904, the One-Cent Savings Bank and Trust Company, now Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company, became the first minority-owned bank in Tennessee. Now, Citizens Bank is the oldest, continuously operating, African-American-owned bank in the United States. With its strong roots in the community, a storied past and an eye toward the future, Citizens Bank takes pride in building up the community, giving those largely underserved in the community access to the financial services and education they need to thrive. For additional information, please visit bankcbn.com. About Computer Services, Inc. Computer Services, Inc. (CSI) delivers innovative financial technology and regulatory compliance solutions to financial institutions and corporate customers across the nation. Through a combination of expert service, cutting-edge technology and a customer-first mentality, CSI excels at driving businesses forward in a rapidly changing industry. CSI's expertise and commitment to authentic partnerships has resulted in the company's inclusion in such top industry-wide rankings as the FinTech 100, American Banker's Best Fintechs to Work For and MSPmentor Top 501 Global Managed Service Providers List. CSI's stock is traded on OTCQX under the symbol CSVI. For more information about CSI, visit www.csiweb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005058/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SYRACUSE, NY / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / Music for the Mission names a new Executive Director, native Central New Yorker and musician herself, Joanna Jewett, to lead its' 2021 and beyond initiatives. "We're thrilled to have Joanna with her immense talents and background in non-profit fundraising on board to lead us into the New Year and reach new benchmarks for the organization," states current Executive Director, Christina Cole. Cole has pioneered many efforts on behalf of Music for the Mission in her role over the past four years. "Given that Joanna is a longstanding musician in our Syracuse community in particular," says Founder Joe Stanley, "We're excited to have her on board as a voice and Ambassador of our mission and ongoing efforts to create impact in the communities we serve." Joanna Jewett has a marketing background and specializes in fundraising and event planning. After years of working in media sales, she entered the non-profit world several years ago. She is currently (and proudly) serving as the Director of Development and Marketing for Arc of Onondaga. Known for her keen organizational skills, uber-positive attitude, and creativity, she has built a reputation as a 'go-to' idea person who can conceptualize and execute. She is a former board member of the NY State Blues Festival and Harborfest. She served as co-chair of the Marketing committee of Safe Kids of Upstate New York, led by Golisano Children's Hospital. She is currently a proud member of the Oswego Music Hall of Fame Board of Directors. Joanna is also a professional vocalist with CNY bands Funkadelphia, The Mix Tapes, and the CNY Songbirds. Music for the Mission provides grant funding and generates awareness for local food pantries and other non-profit organizations who work tirelessly to help families in need across our Upstate New York communities. Founded in 2009 by Joe Stanley of Stanley Law in Syracuse, Music for the Mission is a humble non-profit organization focused on assisting the homeless and the hungry in Central New York. Music for the Mission raises money by sponsoring local musical events and redirecting proceeds to small, non-profit organizations focused on Central New York. By supporting the organization's local and regional events, participants and attendees are providing targeted assistance to those within the local community. Music for the Mission 215 Burnet Ave, Syracuse NY 13203 Music for the Mission is proud to advocate and assist those in need in the Central New York Area. Music for the Mission is continuously partnering with musicians and venue operators, seeking partnership opportunities to generate donations to help local food pantries and homeless shelters. The organization works to address these two worldwide issues, by starting locally. If you are a local non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the homeless and hungry you are encouraged to apply for emergency grant funding today. To learn more visit: https://www.musicforthemission.org/ Contact Executive Director Joanna Jewett today at: musicforthemission@gmail.com Angela Moonan, Board Member Music for the Mission 315.474.3742 musicforthemission@gmail.com SOURCE: Music for the Mission View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623160/Music-For-The-Mission-Secures-New-Executive-Director (Natural News) At least eight people who were vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in the days immediately following the jabs initial release back in December suffered severe allergic reactions that mainstream science is now claiming were caused by toxic messenger RNA (mRNA) nanoparticles. A compound known as polyethylene glycol (PEG) that was added to the matrix structure surrounding the mRNA ingredients used in Pfizer and BioNTechs China virus jab is believed to be triggering severe anaphylaxis, prompting authorities to issue warnings about its dangers. PEG has never been used before in an approved vaccine, but it is found in many drugs that have occasionally triggered anaphylaxis a potentially life-threatening reaction that can cause rashes, a plummeting blood pressure, shortness of breath, and a fast heartbeat, warns Science magazine. Some allergists and immunologists believe a small number of people previously exposed to PEG may have high levels of antibodies against PEG, putting them at risk of an anaphylactic reaction to the vaccine. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), headed up by Anthony Fauci, held several meetings right after the jab was released to discuss the problem with both Pfizer and Moderna, the latter of which released its COVID-19 vaccine a short time later. Representatives from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were present, as were independent scientists and physicians. To reassure Americans that COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective, the NIAID agreed to set up a study in collaboration with the FDA that will analyze how China flu vaccines affect people with high levels of anti-PEG antibodies. Until we know there is truly a PEG story, we need to be very careful in talking about that as a done deal, warns Alkis Togias, branch chief of allergy, asthma and airway biology at the NIAID. COVID-19 vaccines making people more susceptible to illness, death Despite the serious risks involved, Elizabeth Phillips, a drug hypersensitivity researcher at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and an attendee at the Dec. 16 NIAID meeting, still believes that everyone needs to get vaccinated. We need to get vaccinated, she is quoted as saying, plainly. We need to try and curtail this pandemic. These next couple of weeks in the U.S. are going to be extremely important for defining what to do next. Long before these vaccines were commercially released, scientists and medical experts who are not on the dole of Big Pharma raised concerns not only about anaphylaxis but also about the fact that mRNA vaccines trigger what is known as pathogenic priming. In a nutshell, pathogenic priming causes the body to produce so many antibodies in response to the vaccine that when a vaccinated person encounters the actual wild virus out in the real world, his or her immune system responds with life-threatening aggression. Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 can actually increase a persons risk of becoming severely ill or dying from exposure to the virus post-vaccination, in other words. There has never been a successful vaccine for SARS or MERS, two viruses related to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that can lead to COVID-19 disease.), reports Informed Choice Washington. Animal models revealed that although experimental SARS and MERS vaccines could create high amounts of antibodies, when challenged with exposure to the wild viruses they were supposed to be protected against, the animals instead developed severe, even lethal disease reactions. Dr. James Lyons-Weiler actually published a study on this very subject, warning that all SARS-CoV-2 immunogenic epitopes except for one are similar to human proteins, suggesting that any associated vaccine will induce some degree of life-threatening autoimmunity. More breaking news about Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ScienceMag.org NaturalNews.com InformedChoiceWA.org ScienceDirect.com The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. An Illinois teenager accused of killing two men during protests in Kenosha after the police shooting of Jacob Blake pleaded not guilty on Tuesday during a virtual hearing. Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, was 17 at the time of the Aug. 25, 2020, shootings. He was charged with five felonies, including first-degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon, two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety with a dangerous weapon, first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon and attempted first-degree intentional homicide with a dangerous weapon. If convicted, Rittenhouse faces up to life in prison. He was also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under the age of 18 and violating Kenosha's curfew. The arraignment lasted about four minutes. Rittenhouse, who claims he acted in self-defense, posted a $2 million cash bail and was released from custody. Video below: Rittenhouse case moves forward to trial Prosecutors said he shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injured Gaige Grosskreutz. He was able to walk past police the night of the shootings and returned home to Illinois. Rittenhouse turned himself in to police the following day and told investigators where to find the gun. He fought extradition to Wisconsin. Rittenhouse's case has energized militia members who raised money for his bail. Conservatives have rallied to Rittenhouse's legal defense, arguing he was a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property. Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited protesters. Rittenhouse will be back in court March 10. A trial date was scheduled for March 29. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Chicago, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transdev is honored to have been recently named the operator of the City of Dekalbs Urban Paratransit Service. The company assumed service of the Urban Paratransit Service on January 2, 2021. Dekalb is located in northern Illinois, about 50 miles west of downtown Chicago. This new contract for Transdev complements its existing fixed-route service contract with the City of Dekalb. As part of this contract, Transdev is operating 24 vehicles with 42 employees. We are excited to expand our service offerings to the City of Dekalb by managing the operations and maintenance of the Urban Paratransit Service, said Laura Hendricks, CEO Transdev U.S. We have operated Northern Illinois Universitys Huskie Line service in Dekalb for close to 50 years and look forward to bringing our expertise in managing paratransit operations to the area. Transdev will provide its paratransit riders with new technology options to enhance their passenger experience. Passengers will be able to receive SMS text message alerts to remind them of their upcoming trip, book a trip or notify them when their driver is approaching the pickup location. We appreciate the trust and confidence the City of Dekalb has shown in Transdevs operations. We look forward to continuing our partnership and providing safe, consistent and reliable service to our new passengers who will be relying on us to get them to where they need to go safely and on-time, continued Hendricks. About Transdev: Based near Chicago, Transdev is the largest private-sector operator of multiple modes of transit in North America, including bus, rail, streetcar, paratransit, and shuttle services. Transdev is committed to being the trusted partner of cities and transit authorities through quality execution and innovations in mobility. Its parent company, Transdev Group, is a leading global operator and integrator of mobility operating in 17 countries and provides passengers every day the freedom to connect to what they care about in their cities. www.transdevna.com Attachment (@ChaudhryMAli88) ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jan, 2021 ) :Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest extra-judicial killings by the Indian occupation forces of three Kashmiri youth in Srinagar on December 29 and its refusal to handover bodies to their families. The Foreign Office said the families and neighbours of the martyred Kashmiris - Aijaz Maqbool Ganie, Zubair Ahmed Lone and Athar Mushtaq Wani (aged 16 and student of Class 11), had affirmed that the young boys were innocent, who visited Srinagar on the fateful day and became victims of Indian state-terrorism. "It is doubly inhuman that the bodies of the three martyrs are not handed over to their families for a proper burial, despite repeated appeals by the families," the Foreign Office said in a statement. The Foreign Office said this was a "new form of oppression" that the Indian occupation forces were now resorting to in order to break the will of the Kashmiri people and emphasized that they would never succeed in this attempt. "The unabated killing spree in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) and the reprehensible refusal to hand over the bodies should be a matter of grave concern for the people of conscience across the world," it said. The Foreign Office stressed that the "morally bankrupt RSS-BJP regime" should not be allowed to act with such impunity. It said that Pakistan had consistently emphasized that the gross and systematic violations of human rights being perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces warranted an investigation by a UN Commission of Inquiry, as recommended by the OHCHR in its Kashmir reports of 2018 and 2019. "Pakistan reiterates its call for an independent inquiry under international scrutiny to investigate the extra-judicial killings of Kashmiris by Indian occupation forces and to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice," the FO statement added. Together again. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images At the White House on Friday, President Trump held what may have been his most deranged meeting yet. In it, the president raged at his loyalists for betraying him, and discussed taking extralegal measures to overturn the election. The meeting, first reported by the New York Times, included lawyer and conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell, convicted felon Michael Flynn, and Rudy Giuliani. One plan floated at the meeting was for Trump to appoint Powell as a special counsel overseeing allegations of voter fraud. Powells voter fraud claims are so fantastical she has been mocked even by other far-right legal conspiracy theorists. Andrew McCarthy, a former birther and author of one book titled How Obama Embraces Islams Sharia Agenda and another calling for his impeachment on multiple counts, has described Powells vote-fraud claims as loopy. Trump also reportedly brought up Flynns proposal, which he has expounded on cable news, to impose martial law and direct the military to hold a new election. At one point in the meeting on Friday, Mr. Trump asked about that idea, reports the Times. Political scientists have debated whether it is accurate to describe Trumps efforts to overturn the election as a coup, an autogolpe, or neither. Trumps interest in deploying the military to cancel an election he clearly lost certainly seems to resolve that debate, at least in terms of his intent. There is no reason to believe Trump commands the power to actually implement any of these wild ideas. Trumps best chance to steal the election was to have the decisive voting margin in the Electoral College determined by the counting of mail-in ballots that were mailed before, but arrived after Election Day. This would have let him either persuade the Republican-controlled Supreme Court to invalidate those decisive ballots, or Republican-controlled state legislators to disregard their states voting results and appoint pro-Trump electors to represent their state. But the election was not close enough for him to pursue either strategy, whatever chance he had for some kind of Bush v. Gore replay has passed. The measures he is now contemplating lie outside the normal framework for resolving election disputes, and would require, at minimum, almost uniform levels of GOP support. Trump does not have that. Indeed the striking thing is that he is veering to positions so extreme and self-defeating that even his loyalists have blanched. Perhaps the most alarming fact about the Friday meeting is that Giuliani, who has spent months spreading fantastical claims of imagined voter fraud, became a quasi-voice of reason. Giuliani has proposed using the Department of Homeland Security to seize and examine voting machines a move the Department has resisted but even Giuliani opposes appointing a nutter like Powell. One theme running through Trump World reporting in recent weeks is that the president has increasingly tuned out any advisers or friends who try to reason him toward accepting defeat. Fridays meeting devolved into a loyalty contest, with yelling and screaming, and competing lawyers often accusing each other of failing to sufficiently support the presidents efforts, reports Politico. Reporters are emphasizing that it isnt just the usual Republicans who have always privately worried about Trump who express concern. Advisers fret that Trump is spending too much time with people they consider crackpots or conspiracy theorists, reports Jonathan Swan. The too much time line captures the extremely relative nature of the schism. Its apparently well and good for Trump to spend some time with crackpots and conspiracy theorists just not too much time. Even Trumps hardened loyalists sound genuinely worried: Sources who have gotten used to Trumps eruptions over four years sound scared by whats transpired in the past week when Ive talked to them. https://t.co/oICndCsXIw Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 19, 2020 Ive been covering Donald Trump for a while. I cant recall hearing more intense concern from senior officials who are actually Trump people. The Sidney Powell / Michael Flynn ideas are finding an enthusiastic audience at the top. https://t.co/NxjC0sUrzI Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) December 19, 2020 In all likelihood, their concern is not some scenario where tanks roll down the streets or Trump blockades himself in the Oval Office on January 20 like Al Pacino in the last scene of Scarface. Its that Trump will spin so completely out of control that he discredits them, or puts the Georgia special election at risk. The crazies are turning on the crazier. Albany, N.Y. Another 149 people in New York died due to Covid-19 on Monday, down 21 from the day before. New deaths have been at levels not seen since the spring in recent days. The statewide death toll has increased more than 14% since the start of December after days in the summer and early fall when new deaths were in the single digits. A total of 30,802 people in the state have now died due to the coronavirus. A total of 8,590 people in New York were hospitalized due to the virus on Monday, up 339, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomos office. Hospitalizations are at levels not seen since May. A total of 1,392 people were in intensive care units yesterday, up 35, and 851 were intubated, up eight. The state confirmed 12,666 new cases of the Covid-19 on Monday, which is comparable to the last few days. The state conducted 152,402 tests for the virus yesterday and has now had 1,041,028 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. The statewide percentage of people testing positive for the virus on Monday was 8.31%, compared with 8.34% Sunday and 7.98% Saturday. The seven-day average of the positive rate in Central New York was 9.13%. The seven-day average rate was 10.7% in the Mohawk Valley, the highest in the state. U.K. variant Cuomo called today for the U.S. to mandate virus testing of all incoming international travelers in response to a new variant of Covid-19 first found in the United Kingdom. Though the strain does not appear more deadly, it spreads more easily, creating the potential for more cases and stress on the hospital system. New York confirmed the first case of the new variant in the state on Monday. It has been found in three other states and over 30 other countries so far. Cuomo said theres no excuse for the delay in mandatory testing. He compared it to the spring, when the virus spread from Europe to the East Coast for weeks before travel restrictions were imposed. He said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Robert Redfield have acted irresponsibly and negligently. What happened to competent leadership in government? The USA must act, Cuomo said. If the United States wont act, then New York state will act. Cuomo didnt specify what actions the state will take, but he previously convinced airlines flying from the U.K. to New York to test all passengers for Covid-19 before departure. Travelers who test positive arent allowed to fly. MORE ON CORONAVIRUS Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources Syracuse schools stay remote because hundreds of kids, teachers have coronavirus or are quarantined Onondaga County plans to vaccinate up to 6,000 against Covid this week New York has first confirmed case of UK Covid-19 variant, Cuomo says Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598 New Delhi/Ahmedabad, Jan 5 : A three-day meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamswak Sangh (RSS) started at Karnavati College in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to discuss various issues including better coordination between the three dozen affiliated organisations. Sources said that six major items are on the agenda fir the meeting scheduled to conclude on January 7. As many as 150 officials of the RSS including Sarkaryavah Bhaiyyaji Joshi and BJP President J.P. Nadda are in Ahmedabad to attend the meeting under the chairmanship of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. RSS ideologue Dilip Deodhar told IANS: "The RSS will review the works of all its associate organisations and discuss the upcoming plans. The associate organisations of the RSS will also share their feedback on the work done by the BJP and the Union government." Sources said the impact of the Narendra Modi government and its welfare schemes is also been discussed in the three-day meet. The expansion of the Modi cabinet is also awaited as a lot of ministerial posts are vacant after the death of Ram Vilas Paswan and Suresh Angadi and resignations of ministers from Akali Dal and Shiv Sena. "Inclusion of new faces in the cabinet is likely to be discussed in the meeting," a source said. The meeting, ahead of the West Bengal, Keral, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry elections, holds great significance as the BJP and the RSS, together, will make a strategy for these Assembly polls. Apart from this, farmers' protest and economic situation of the country will also be discussed. Nadda will share the party's report card. He will also apprise the top officer bearers about the future plans of the party. Deodhar said: "This is a special internal meeting of the 'Sangh parivar'. The RSS holds this meeting for mutual coordination among all its allied organisations. Feedback of the people at ground level and how much the government has been able to fulfill the expectations of the allied organisations will also be discussed during this meet." Here are todays top news, analysis, and opinion at 1pm. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Delhis Singhu, Tikri borders remain blocked, rain worsens traffic woes The routes around Delhis borders remained restricted on Tuesday as farmers continued to protest against the three new farm laws. Read More Farmers continue protests a day after talks with Centre remain inconclusive Thousands of farmers, who are have been protesting at the borders of Delhi, on Tuesday continued their agitation on Tuesday as they remained firm on their demands for the repeal of the three farm laws and legal backing for minimum support price (MSP). Read More Supreme Court clears redevelopment plan for Central Vista project The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the road for the Central Vista project and allowed the government to go ahead with its construction in a near-unanimous decision. Read More 20 more people in India test positive for new UK Covid-19 strain; total reaches 58 With 20 more people testing positive for the new UK variant of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the total number of UK returnees having tested positive for the mutant virus in the country has reached 58. Read More Audi A4 2021 launched in India at 42.34 lakh Audi has officially launched A4 2021 in India at a starting price of 42.34 lakh (ex-showroom). The updated A4 gets a number of significant changes and updates to help it take on its rivals with a whole lot of new vigour. Read More KL Rahul ruled out of ongoing Test series against Australia due to injury Team India have been dealt another blow on their tour of Australia as opening batsman KL Rahul has been ruled out of the ongoing Test series due to an injury. Read More Kangana Ranaut opposes Shashi Tharoor, Kamal Haasan over pay for homemakers: Dont put a price tag on sex we have with our love Actor Kangana Ranaut has opposed actor-turned politician Kamal Haasans idea of recognising housework done by homemakers as a salaried profession. Read More 98-year-old womans advice strikes a chord with netizens. Seen it yet? Some say that wisdom is accumulated as one ages, which is why often grandparents make for the best advice-givers. Read More Govt digressing from real issues: Robert Vadra grilled by IT department The Income Tax department questioned Robert Vadra in connection with its probe against him under the benami assets law, official sources said. Watch People across China mourned Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice who helped feed millions. Following the death of the iconic agronomist on Saturday, cities across the nation held memorial ceremonies. People lined up in rain to bid farewell to the scientist at the Mingyangshan funeral home in Changsha, where a service took place on Monday. Flowers were also laid in places Yuan had studied and worked May 25, 2021 06:22 PM The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader and Ellenabad MLA, Abhay Singh Chautala, will begin a tractor march from Sirsa on January 7 to join the protesting farmers at Tikri border. Abhay said he will reach Tikri border via Fatehabad, Hisar and Rohtak. Thousands of tractors will join the march. I have reached every corner of the state where farmers have been protesting against the three black laws to express my solidarity. I am a farmer first, then an MLA. Many of our volunteers have already joined the stir across the state, he added. He said his party stands united with the farmers, who are the backbone of this country. The government is so cruel that it has failed to accept the farmers demand even after the sacrifice of over 50 farmers, he added. Former Samalkha MLA leaves BJP to support farmers Extending his support to the protesting farmers, former BJP MLA from Samalkha assembly constituency, Bharat Singh Chhokar, has left the BJP. Making this announcement at his residence in Panipat, Chhokar accused the BJP-led Union government of imposing anti-farmer laws on the country. To support the farmers agitation, I have decided to leave the BJP and resign from the primary membership of the party, Chhokar said. He also accused the BJP leadership of ignoring the farmers to protect the interests of big corporate houses. If the government cannot feel the pain of farmers and resolve their issues, there is no reason to support this government and the party, he added. It is worth mentioning here that in 2005, Chhokar had contested the assembly election from Samalkha on the Congress ticket and defeated Kartar Singh of the INLD. He had left the Congress in 2009 and joined the BJP. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Source: Reuters The new variant of the COVID virus is present in Paris, Martin Hirsch, director general of the Paris hospitals system, told France 2 television on Tuesday. Follow our LIVE blog for latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic French Health Minister Olivier Veran had earlier told RTL radio that there were around 10 cases in France at present of the new UK variant of COVID. Follow our full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here Saeed to Lakhvi: Arrests in Pakistan more protective than preventive India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 05: Last year in October just before the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) met, Pakistan decided to jail Lashkar-e-Tayiba chief, Hafiz Saeed. This year it was no different and before the FATF plenary votes to decide whether Pakistan remains on the grey list or is moved to black list, Pakistan arrested the operational commander and one of the masterminds of the Mumbai 26/11 attack, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Pakistan has been under immense monitoring by the global watchdog. A top official tells OneIndia that this appears to be a routine exercise. In Pakistan, such persons are arrested ahead of possible international action. We do not read much into this and there appears to be no seriousness by Pakistan to curb the terror menace. These are just showcase actions, the official said. Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed sentenced to 15 years in jail in terror financing case Lakhvi, who was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). However, the CTD did not mention his place of arrest. The official cited above says that these are just eye-wash actions. The arrest comes at a time when a court in Pakistan ordered the immediate release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and three others, all convicted for the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl. Sheikh was cleared of murder charges, his death sentence had been reduced to 7 years and he was under preventive detention. The preventive detention was also struck down by the court, following which Sheikh was ordered to be freed. It was only after the US fumed that Sheikh was back behind bars. In February, Pakistan decided to ban the Jamaat-ud-Dawa which is the financial wing of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. There have been scores of instances in the past when such action was taken, but Saeed always got away scot free. Indian officials have often said that the arrests are more protective than preventive in nature. The arrests are aimed at protecting their asset rather than preventing them from acting against India. Both the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court had cleared the JuD in the past and allowed it to operate. While the bans have been in place in the past as well, the JuD has always managed to overcome it either by going to court or carrying out its activities by coming up with newer outfits. The JuD is the parent group of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. However in the year 2000, there was another parent group of the Lashkar which was known as the Markaz Dawa wal-Irshad. This was the group that carried out the alleged charity work and raised funds for the Lashkar. Paksitan's eye wash was evident in the year 2008. It sealed 100 offices of the JuD and even Saeed was placed under house arrest only to be released later. During all this Pakistan made a shocking statement in which it stated that there was no need to issue any notification banning the JuD when the UN has already added it to the list of banned outfits. There was some more eye wash by Pakistan. It claimed that it had sealed the 200 acre campus of the JuD in Murdike. It also stated that an administrator in Pakistan had taken over the operational facility of the JuD. All this led to the JuD seeking legal recourse. The petition drafted by top bureaucrats of Pakistan sought a directive to first release Saeed who was under house arrest. The court allowed the petition and in the days to come even the ban on the JuD was lifted. Lashkars operational commandeer, 26/11 mastermind Lakhvi arrested in Pakistan It is quite surprising that the Pakistan government was asked to return the property of the JuD and also its other assets when there was never any official notification Pakistan has failed to act on the six important action items stipulated by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), New Delhi had said in October. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News India further accused Islamabad of aiding and abetting cross border terrorism, smuggling of arms and narcotic substances. Delhi also said that Pakistan has been using drones and quadcopter to facilitate smuggling. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 11:34 [IST] Over the weekend, a report surfaced that Ericsson CEO Borje Ekholm attempted to persuade the Swedish Minister of Foreign Trade to reverse a ban that was imposed. The ban would require telecom companies in Sweden to phase out any Huawei or ZTE 5G equipment by the beginning of 2025. The Executive sent the Minister, Anna Hallberg, a series of text messages that pleaded her to take a look at the bans order that was imposed by the PTS (Swedish Post and Telecom Authority). Ekholm has previously expressed his concerns about the ban, which would put pressure on vendors and risks creating a fragmented 5G market and would hinder innovation. The ban follows an assessment by Swedish Police and military agencies who conclude that the Chinese States influence could incentivize private companies to align their goals and strategies with those of the Communist Party. Ericsson receives about 10% of its sales from China is one of Huaweis most significant rivals in the sector. Despite a warning from China back in October that Negative impacts could be faced by Swedish companies, the Prime Minister Stefan Lofven affirmed that the Swedish government stood by the decision for the ban. Via The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF), the world's first halal international accreditation network, has topped the list of top halal food exporters, marking a major milestone in global halal integrity in trade in 2020. The top five nations, all members of the IHAF, exporting to Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries are Brazil at $16.2 billion; India at $14.4 billion; the US at $13.8 billion; Russia at $11.9 billion, and Argentina at $10.2 billion, reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report 2020-2021. The report is an annual study produced by US-based research company Dinar Standard and supported by the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre. The IHAF, an independent, non-government network of accreditation bodies which aims to harmonise accreditation practices in halal, currently has 38 accreditation body-members and stakeholders from 35 countries across six continents. Dr Rehab Al Ameri, Secretary-General of the IHAF, stated that Islamic countries are dependent on Islamic imports; hence there is a need for halal certification and accreditation in food production and logistics industry. The IHAF ensures this integrity is maintained through harmonising halal standards amongst members. Dr Al Ameri said: "The top food exporters to the OIC countries are non-OIC-countries. To cement the integrity of halal, and to ensure that the halal products consumers are buying are truly halal, utmost standards across different countries and regions should be enforced." In the year 2020, the Forums initiatives had focused on strengthening its membership globally, building a robust digital infrastructure and injecting essential tools and education for the halal sector while fostering stronger collaborations. The IHAF upgraded the National Centre for Accreditation (NCA) Kazakhstan to Full Member and welcomed Cambodian Accreditation National Council (DACANC) - Cambodia as its newest Affiliate Member. It held key meetings including the 7th Board of Directors meeting that discussed achievement reports and strategies for 2020 to 2024 and the Multi-lateral Recognition Arrangement Committee (MRAC) meeting, which tackled ways on how to continue the peer-to-peer accreditation exercise in consideration of the limitations brought about by the pandemic. The IHAF launched its new digital infrastructure with a new and improved website that comes with members web application and a members management system to ease the processes between its members and IHAF. The application, which can be accessed through www.ihaforum.ae, allows for real-time interactive communication between IHAFs members. The new website and web application will also include an automated voting system that will approve all submissions, helping speed up the process of new memberships as well as requests from existing members. Amongst the issues undertaken by the IHAF to showcase its commitment to collaboration to promote harmonisation of halal standards include its participation in the Gulf Food 2020, the largest and longest-running food and beverage show in the world, held in February 2020 in Dubai. It also hosted a webinar titled "The Future Perspectives of The Halal Industry", which discussed ways to resolve the challenges faced by the halal trade industry today, including remote assessments. The Forum also participated in the Global Islamic Economy Summit, the worlds largest forum dedicated to the Islamic economy held in July 2020. It also took part in the 5th Global Halal Industry Platform, as well as a global seminar on best halal norms hosted by the Polish Embassy. Dr Al Ameris persistent efforts to lead the halal sector also earned her a prestigious accolade at the "Emirates Women Award 2020" as the winner for the Strategic and Financial Planning Professional Category. Just days after a malnourished mountain lion was captured in a downtown Santa Cruz apartment complex, a second sickly cat has been spotted elsewhere in the county. The multiple sightings are raising concerns that the cats' condition is linked to last year's wildfires, or poisoning through fire retardant or rodenticides, according to a press release from Wildlife Emergency Services. Our concern is, the lion is malnourished. Desperate. A desperate cat is a dangerous cat, said spokesperson Rebecca Dmytryk in the statement. The black and white video taken from a stationary camera posted on Facebook Monday shows a skinny cat prowling near Newell Creek, Santa Cruz County. These arent the only sightings of mountain lions near well-populated Bay Area spots lately. In June a mountain lion seen around San Francisco was safely captured in Mission Bay and moved to the Oakland Zoo. Later in the year, another cougar was seen watching kids play in Pacifica before the children rode safely away on their bikes. Mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas, are native to California. California Fish and Wildlife estimate that four to six thousand mountain lions live in the state, though there have been only 16 verified mountain lion attacks on people in California since 1890, six of them fatal. Zara McDonald, a biologist with the Bay Area Puma Project, told SFGATE that mountain lions are solitary, shy animals that avoid people. Dmytryk said in the press release that the rescue group is sharing information with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on the recent sighting, in hopes of finding the animal. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / Black Tusk Resources Inc. ("Black Tusk" or the "Company) (CSE:TUSK)(OTC PINK:BTKRF)(FRA:0NB) is pleased to provide results of the on-going data review and compilation for the PG Highway property located north of Val d'Or, Quebec. Historic reports from various mining exploration companies, and the Quebec government, have been reviewed for the project area. Historic work has included geologic mapping, economic potential assessments, airborne and ground geophysics, geochemical sampling, and drilling. Of particular interest to the PG Highway is work documented by Hudbay Mining Ltd in 1978 (report GM58971) and Exploration Louphior Inc in 1988 (GM46998). Hudbay completed geologic mapping, ground geophysics, trenching and overburden sampling. One site was tested by diamond drilling. Louphior completed lithogeochemical sampling and ground geophysics (magnetics, electromagnetics, and Induced Polarization) and five diamond drill holes. Drill hole locations are summarized in the table below. Historic drill holes completed on the PG Highway property Drill Hole id Company Year East North Azimuth Dip Depth (m) 8712-1 EXPLORATION LOUPHIOR INC 1988 304631 5352374 10 45 112.2 8712-2 EXPLORATION LOUPHIOR INC 1988 304849 5352280 10 45 100 8712-3 EXPLORATION LOUPHIOR INC 1988 304678 5352365 10 45 123.4 8712-4 EXPLORATION LOUPHIOR INC 1988 304857 5351819 10 45 170.1 8712-5 EXPLORATION LOUPHIOR INC 1988 304649 5351860 10 45 93.9 DDH-F-G-1-78 HUDBAY MINING LTD 1978 305032 5352353 47 45 54.0 The PG Highway was originally staked to cover documented historic drill-hole 8712-2. Drill logs for this hole indicate that it intercepted 9.6 metres of near-massive to massive pyrite and pyrrhotite within basaltic rocks. Further review of the historic drill logs indicate that significant sulphide intercepts were also reported in holes 8712-1, 8712-3, 8712-4, and F-G-1-78. All of these holes were drilled within a 600 metre diameter area in close proximity to Highway 397 north of Val d'Or. The sulphide intercepts are summarized in the table below. The reader is cautioned that intercepts reported in historic drilling have not been verified by Black Tusk. Significant sulphide intercepts in historic drilling Hole id from (m) to (m) Geology Summary* ddh 8712-1 0 4.9 Overburden 4.9 27.8 Basalt 27.8 112.2 silicified basalt including 35.6 36.2 30% po, 15% py 40.4 41.4 25% po, 25% py 42.7 44.1 20% po, 10% py 45.3 45.7 60% py, 10% po 46.9 48.6 40% py, 30% po 53 53.4 50% py, 30% po 55.2 56.5 20% po, 20% py 76.4 77.7 50% po, 5% py ddh 8712-2 0 4.8 Overburden 4.8 100 Basalt including 35 44.6 40% py, 10% po 45.7 45.76 80% py 53.4 53.45 40% py 54.2 54.36 40% py, 30% po ddh 8712-3 0 7.6 Overburden 7.6 22.3 Dacite 22.3 23.3 80% py, 3% po, 10% mag 23.3 123.4 altered mafic rock including 25 25.04 massive po 26.3 26.4 70% py 31.2 31.3 massive po 42.9 43.5 several thin bands massive po 45.2 46.1 20% po 77.8 78.1 60% po ddh 8712-4 0 15.2 Overburden 15.2 115.2 Metabasalt 115.2 170.1 Rhyodacite including 119.4 119.8 80% py 121 121.6 40% py ddh F-G-1-78 0 9 Overburden 9 27.3 grey green volcanic 27.3 28.7 chlorite biotie schist 28.7 29.7 50% po and py, some mag 29.7 44.8 quart biotite chlorite schist including 31.9 32.2 50% py and po 39.3 39.6 po py banding * po = pyrrhotite, py = pyrite mag = magnetite Note: Black Tusk has not verified the intercepts described above Actual intercept widths (accounting for drilling angle and geologic structure orientation) were not provided in the historic records and are considered unknown at this time. The historic reports indicate that work, including diamond drilling, had been concentrated only on gold and silver potential. Drill core was only analyzed for gold (maximum value of 50 ppb), or gold and silver. Black Tusk intends to continue to investigate the property for gold as well as other commodities including platinum group elements (PGE). Regionally, the PG Highway property adjoins claims that cover the Lynx and La Tour PGE mineral showings (See News Release dated April 14, 2020). Exploration is expected to be undertaken on the PG Highway in 2021. Black Tusk holds title to five mineral properties in the Quebec, Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Three of these properties are located to the immediate north of Val d'Or. This includes the McKenzie East Gold Project, PG Highway, and MoGold properties. The other properties are the Golden Valley located north of La Sarre, and the Lorrain located immediately south of Lorrainville, Quebec. The McKenzie East Gold Property is scheduled to begin diamond drilling on January 15, 2021. The Lorrain property is also scheduled for drilling in early 2021. Perry Grunenberg, P.Geo, a "Qualified Person" as that term is defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Grunenberg is also a Director of the Company. The Company also announces that it has entered into agreements to settle outstanding indebtedness of $198,450 at a price of $0.05 per share. The shares will be subject to four month and one day hold period from the date of issuance. Additionally, the Company announces that it and has granted a total of 1,000,000 options to directors of the Company exercisable at a price of $0.065 per share for a three-year term. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions as of that date. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development; the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; the Company's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; fluctuations in the prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Prospectus dated September 8, 2017 available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions, and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. On behalf of the Board of Directors Richard Penn CEO (778) 384-8923 SOURCE: Black Tusk Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623088/Black-Tusk-Completes-Data-Compilation-for-the-PG-Highway-Property-Val-DOr-Quebec State-owned on Tuesday said that over 36.69 crore bulbs have been distributed under the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme, while 1.14 crore LEDs have been installed under the Street Lighting Programme (SLNP) in the past six years. Till date, the implementation of these government schemes have resulted in cumulative energy savings of 55.32 billion kWh per year, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) said in a statement. "Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 5, 2015, zero subsidy and SLNP marks their sixth anniversary today (Tuesday). Both programmes are being implemented by " has distributed 36.69 crore bulbs and installed 1.14 crore streetlights, resulting in cumulative energy savings of 55.32 billion kWh per year," the statement said. Sharing further details, EESL said that under the scheme, it distributed over 36.69 crore LED bulbs across India. This has resulted in estimated energy savings of 47.65 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand of 9,540 MW and an estimated reduction of 38.59 million tonne CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission per year. Over 72 lakh LED tubelights and over 23 lakh energy-efficient fans have also been distributed at an affordable price under the programme, it said. Under SLNP, EESL said it has installed about 1.14 crore LED streetlights across India. This has resulted in an estimated energy savings of 7.67 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand of 1,280 MW and an estimated reduction of 5.29 million tonnes CO2 emission per year. In the statement, Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy R K Singh said "Both and SLNP have been at the heart of large-scale socio-economic transformation. They have not only reduced emissions and enabled sustainable development but have revamped household and public lighting systems across the country." He added that "I congratulate EESL for successfully anchoring these programmes and completing six years of transforming the Indian power sector". EESL Managing Director (MD) Rajat Sud said that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of climate change is more real than ever before. "We understand that energy efficiency is a powerful tool to mitigate environmental challenges of the future, while at the same time make a positive impact on the economy." He congratulated all state governments, urban local bodies, stakeholders and EESL's team for their continued efforts towards achieving the country's energy-efficiency goals. "We will continue the hard work even in a post-pandemic world. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oregon Coast During World War II, History With More Lessons to Teach Published 12/20/20 at 5:35 PM PDT - Updated 12/21/20 at 3:45 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Oregon Coast) World War II is something the vast majority of us living now can only vaguely imagine. True, this cross-section of humanity is going through the entire COVID crisis and making our own sacrifices, but it still pales compared to what all parties involved (enemy or foe) were forced to deal with around the world, including the average civilian. (Photo above: Battery 245 at Battery Russell, Warrenton). Along the Oregon coast, the story was the same as the nation: shortages of food and travel necessities like tires, rations of stockings for women, etc. Yet the coastlines of America had to deal with other issues. Beach towns from Astoria to Brookings had lights out / blackout laws prohibiting any light showing from your home, lest it give away locations to incoming invaders by sea or air. Lookouts and troops were stationed in more ominous ways out here. Such sacrifice provides a lesson for us today that, sadly, does not seem learnable by so many in this country now. Not to mention those who now sympathize with the enemy at the time: the Nazis. Meanwhile, the war had killed most of the tourism biz along these beaches, although some areas like Seaside still saw plenty of summer visitors. Along the central central Oregon coast, those lights out laws reached a boiling point one year. According to Lincoln Citys North Lincoln County History Museum, patrol vessels would wander the seas at night to check if all home lighting was indeed blocked. Some areas around Lincoln City (this was when the town was actually five different little communities) werent complying well. The army official in charge of the area wrote an op-ed in the local newspaper threatening martial law if residents didnt get it together. OTHER WORLD II / OREGON COAST FINDS. This is Just a Sampling Military Forts and Radar Stations. The Oregon coast was dotted, perhaps even shaded, with hordes of little installations here and there. There were radar stations at Cape Arago, Siletz Bay, Cape Meares, Cape Perpetua and one above the cemetery at Yachats, and many more. There are still now-crumbling remnants of radar bases near Oceanside and atop Tillamook Head. Military bases abounded. They were at Tillamook, Myrtle Point, Bandon, Charleston, Newport, Siletz and dozens more. Brookings. In 1942, a small enemy plane was catapulted off a Japanese submarine and dropped a few incendiary bombs to try and start forest fires. It didnt work. Later, the Japanese launched thousands of bomb-laden balloons from their homeland, and some made it to the States. One went off in southern Oregon near Bly and killed a family. Bandon / Coos Bay. Many beaches were closed off to the public around Charleston, according to the Coos Bay History Museum. War plane bombing exercises were conducted in some of the dunes areas, and there were Navy installations / lookouts at places like Shore Acres, Coos Head and North Bend. There was even one constructed on top of Bandons high school. There were two U.S. ships torpedoed by the enemy off this part of the southern Oregon coast. Near Yachats. The New Deal in the 30s may have constructed the beautiful lookout atop Cape Perpetua, but it was used by the U.S. Army to look out for invading forces. Waldport. This was the location of Civilian Public Service Camp No. 56, where conscientious objectors were relocated during the war years. Lincoln City. Various troops were stationed all around the central coast, and there was one Roads end home built by a famed radio talk show host in the 30s that became a lookout for Japanese subs. There are no pictures of this and most World War II installations on the coast because taking photos of all this secret stuff was a no-no. However, the home is now a vacation rental run by A1 Beach Rentals, called the Submarine. You can see it. Tillamook. The town contained the U.S. Naval Air Station, which housed the massive blimps that patrolled the skies and beaches from Neskowin up through Seaside. You can still visit this facility, as part of the Tillamook Air Museum. (Photo courtesy Seaside History Museum) Cape Lookout. A startling incident occurred here where a bomber exercise went horribly wrong in 1943 and the aircraft crashed into the headland near Oceanside. Warrenton. Fort Stevens is the crowned king of World War II attractions on the Oregon coast, where you can still visit Battery Russell, with the fort built in the Civil War and the guns later, both used especially during World War II to guard the Columbia. It was fired upon by the same submarine that launched the aircraft near Brookings, and the shells left a few craters around the beaches and swamps here. One nearly hit the wreck of the Peter Iredale. Also see Remnants of WWII on Oregon Coast You Can Visit Oregon Coast Hotels for this event - Where to eat - Map - Virtual Tour More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted -- China has started inoculating some key groups with COVID-19 vaccines in this winter-spring period, which is expected to lower the risks of domestic outbreaks of the epidemic. -- The vaccines have been given to priority groups, including frontline customs inspectors of imported cold-chain goods and personnel working in the overseas and domestic transportation sector. -- A total of 73,537 people in Beijing have received COVID-19 vaccines at 220 inoculation venues, and Beijing will complete the inoculation for key groups before the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 12 this year. BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- China is administering COVID-19 vaccines to key groups across the country, with Beijing slated to complete the inoculation for key groups before the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 12 this year. Since the city began administering the jab among specific groups of people with high infection risks on Jan. 1, a total of 73,537 people received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at 220 inoculation venues on the first two days. "I'm glad to receive the vaccine for I'm in charge of cold-chain food transportation. I feel much safer now," said a vaccinee surnamed Tong at a temporary vaccination site in Beijing's Chaoyang District. After this round of inoculation, all the eligible people in Beijing will receive the COVID-19 vaccines as the vaccines receive market approval, along with a gradual increase in vaccine production. People are inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines at a healthcare center in Honglian Community in Xicheng District of Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin) Liu Hong, director of the health service center in Puhuangyu Community, Fengtai District, said the center started reservation for vaccination in different time slots for different groups of recipients to avoid gathering as of Jan. 1. The whole process lasted less than 10 minutes to reduce the waiting time and avoid cross-infection with other outpatient personnel, Liu said. On Dec. 15, 2020, China officially launched a vaccination program for this winter-spring period targeting several key groups. These groups include those engaged in the handling of imported cold-chain products, customs officers, medical workers, and people working in public transport and fresh produce markets. In east China's Shandong Province, a total of 217,158 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to key groups, said the provincial health commission. A medical worker inoculates a recipient with a COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Jinan of east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei) As of Sunday, no serious side effects have been reported among vaccine recipients. Related personnel in port cities are prioritized for inoculation. According to the commission, frontline customs inspectors involved in the import of frozen goods and loading and transporting personnel working at ports have already received their first vaccine doses. Roughly 500,000 people in key groups are also receiving Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccines in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the regional health commission said. The inoculations began in the region on Dec. 22, 2020. Inner Mongolia plans to complete the inoculation of the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines for all those in key groups by Tuesday, and the second doses by Feb. 5. Huhbat, a local resident, was given his first vaccine dose on Monday in the Darhan Muminggan Joint Banner, which borders Mongolia. "My colleagues and friends who were vaccinated did not feel much. Some experienced slight swelling or pain that soon disappeared," he said. A total of 47 inoculation points have been designated in the regional capital Hohhot. "We administer more than 1,200 doses daily," said Li Guimei, director of the No. 2 Hospital of Hohhot. A medical worker inoculates a recipient with a COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Jinan of east China's Shandong Province, Jan. 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei) China approved the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines in June last year, targeting groups with a high risk of infection. By the end of November last year, more than 1.5 million doses of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines had been distributed for emergency use. A total of 60,000 vaccinated people have traveled abroad to high-risk regions, with no severe adverse reactions reported, according to Zeng Yixin, deputy head of the National Health Commission. By the end of December last year, the number of vaccine doses among the key groups exceeded 3 million. "The 3 million vaccine doses plus the previous 1.5 million doses fully prove that Chinese vaccines are safe," Zeng noted. China announced on Dec. 31, 2020, that it had granted conditional marketing authorization to its first self-developed COVID-19 vaccine. The inactivated vaccine got approval from the National Medical Products Administration. It was developed by the Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., Ltd. under the China National Biotec Group, affiliated with Sinopharm. As nations race to get their hands on the COVID-19 vaccine, North Korea has also sought to get its hands on the vaccine by submitting an application to the main global alliance which helps low-income countries obtain the vaccine. According to a person familiar with the matter, the hermit kingdom reached out to the international vaccine alliance, Gavi, for aid in obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, the alliance refused to give a comment on the North's application. However, a spokesperson for Gavi said that the group is currently looking into the applications and are assessing the demands of the economies of the countries that sought their help. The alliance stated that they are expecting to give n update on the applications early this year, The Wall Street Journal. It can be noted that in the recent weeks, aside from Gavi, Pyongyang has also reached out to different embassies in Europe on how they could possibly get their hands on vaccines against COVID-19. On the other hand, Gavi has stated that in the last month, 86 out of 92 lower-income countries has written detailed requests for vaccines from them. The said countries and economies are those who were listed as eligible for the Covax Advance Market Commitment program. The Covax Advance Market Commitment is a program which aims to distribute vaccines equitably to everyone including those in countries whose economies are in the low-income group, The Korean Herald reported. For the low-income countries and economies belonging to the said group, including North Korea, Covax stated that they are targeting the coverage of at least 20% of the population before 2021 ends. Covax also stated that they already have at least 1.3 billion doses secured, all of which were funded by donations. Read also: Super Spreaders: COVID-19 Variant in Several Cities in Northern China North Korea Claims It Remains COVID-free While man nations have struggled to keep COVID-19 out of their borders, the hermit kingdom has not reported at least one case of the illness. Despite this, the nation's great leader, has made the fight against COVID-19 a battle for national survival. In their fight against COVID-19, North Korea has completely sealed off its borders and has suspended foreign travel. The alerts have also been placed on maximum level following the spread of a new variant of the virus in other countries, Reuters reported. As of December 17, almost 12,000 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the North. While the regime claims that there has been zero cases of the virus in the country, foreign officials and health experts have expressed their skepticism since there are tens of thousands of North Koreans who were quarantined. Having no COVID-19 cases has been a point of national pride for Pyongyang, as well as a sensitive issue. Early in December, Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong has called out the foreign minister for South Korea, after the latter said that it was "hard to believe" that the rogue nation has not recorded a single case of the virus. Meanwhile, the North insisted that its efforts against the pandemic, requiring all citizens to wear face masks and banning smoking in places which have been viewed as high risk for COVID-19 contract, helped in keeping their nation COVID-free. Related article: Inflatable Christmas Costume Possible Cuplrit in Kaiser Permanente COVID-19 Outbreak @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A screenshot taken Jan. 4, 2021, from Refinitiv Eikon shows the location of a Korean-flagged tanker seized by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps in Gulf. Reuters The U.S. State Department on Monday called on Iran to immediately release a South Korea-flagged tanker it detained. The State Department argued Iran's detention of the South Korean tanker may be part of an attempt to force the international community to remove its sanctions on the country. "The United States is tracking reports that the Iranian regime has detained a Republic of Korea-flagged tanker," a department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency, referring to South Korea by its official name. "The regime continues to threaten navigational rights and freedoms in the Persian Gulf as part of a clear attempt to extort the international community into relieving the pressure of sanctions. We join the Republic of Korea's call for Iran to immediately release the tanker," the spokesperson added, while asking not to be identified. "These innovative products demonstrate why Zurich has been a trusted leader in the construction space for 25 years." Tweet this Instead, claim payment is based on predetermined weather events occurring in the project's location, such as extreme rain, wind or temperatures (hot or cold). Any of these perils can cause project delays, resulting in severe financial losses, even when the project doesn't sustain physical damage. The coverage is highly customizable for the buyer contractor or owner with options to help optimize cost-effectiveness for customers who face varying consequences if a project is delayed. An owner, for example, could incur heavy revenue losses from operating profits that aren't being realized. A contractor who misses project deadlines could suffer penalties, including liquidated damages, as well as incur additional expenses. "We are proud to offer this solution as a complement to our newly enhanced suite of Master Builders Risk and Project Builders Risk policy forms, which include flexible reporting options, as well as several new coverage enhancements attuned to today's evolving marketplace," said Kelly Kinzer, Head of Construction Property for Zurich North America. "These innovative products demonstrate why Zurich has been a trusted leader in the construction space for 25 years. The Zurich Construction team is committed to putting our extensive knowledge, experience and financial strength to work for contractors and owners." With Zurich Construction Weather Parametric Insurance, the perils, thresholds, limit, deductible and coverage duration can be individually tailored to meet the needs of the buyer. The threshold options for each peril are based on historical weather data at the location of the project. Parametric customers can purchase coverage for one or more weather perils, and coverage duration can be tailored to peak season for the weather risk and pegged to milestones in the construction schedule. A simplified claims process helps expedite payouts. Because payment is based on objective weather data, there is little need to investigate the loss. Coverage responds as long as the trigger event occurs, the project is impacted within the agreed-upon dates, and the deductible has been met. To learn more, read "Weather Parametric Insurance for Construction: Building Resilience for the Future." About Zurich Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. Read more here. Visit us on social media: LinkedIn and Twitter SOURCE Zurich North America Related Links www.zurichna.com BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huami Corp. (NYSE: HMI) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquired 29.99% of the outstanding shares of Jiangsu Yitong Hi-Tech Co., Ltd., (Shenzhen: 300211) for an aggregate consideration of RMB959.68 million (US$147.08 million) in cash. Leveraging Huami's core capabilities, as well as Yitong's access to the Chinese domestic capital market, Huami and Yitong is expect to expand the healthcare ecosystem for Chinese market in the long term. "This new partnership with Jiangsu Yitong is an investment in the future of our business in China," said Mr. Wang Huang, chairman, CEO and founder of Huami Corp. "Our equity stake in Yitong will allow us to drive growth and shareholder value for investors in both companies." The transaction is subject to the approval of shareholders meeting and filling with the stock exchange, among other customary closing conditions. We expect the transaction to close before the first half of 2021. About Huami Corporation Huami's mission is to connect health with technology. Since its inception in 2013, Huami has developed a platform of proprietary technology including AI chips, biometric sensors, and data algorithms, which drive a broadening line of smart health products for consumers, and analytics services for industry. In 2019, Huami shipped 36.6 million units of smart watches and fitness bands, including its own Amazfit brand, and products developed and manufactured for Xiaomi, comprising 23% of global category shipments1. Huami Corporation is based in Hefei, China, with U.S. operations, Huami-USA, based in Cupertino, Calif. 1 IDC, Correcting and Replacing Shipments of Wearable Devices, 3/10/20 Exchange Rate The Company's business is primarily conducted in China and the significant majority of revenues generated are denominated in Renminbi ("RMB"). This announcement contains currency conversions of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("US$") solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to US$ are made at a rate of RMB6.5250 to US$1.00, the effective noon buying rate for December 31, 2020 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on December 31, 2020, or at any other rate. Safe Harbor Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to whether all the closing conditions to the transaction described in this announcement can be satisfied and whether the transaction can be ultimately consummated. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. For Huami media inquiries: Lydia Huang, lydia.huang@huami-usa.com, c: 407-800-5625 For Huami investors: U.S. - Brad Samson, [email protected], c: 714-955-3951 China Grace Zhang, [email protected] SOURCE Huami Corporation Related Links www.huami.com NORWALK While the city has increased COVID-19 testing opportunities throughout the area, some residents said they are running into trouble when it comes to getting their results. At least three people who spoke with Hearst Connecticut Media said they had to contact Sema4, the company running Norwalks COVID-19 testing events, in order to get their results after being tested at Brien McMahon High School. Results are supposed to be accessible through an online portal. Patients who get tested receive a text afterward with a link to the portal and instructions on how to set up an account. Results should be available within 48 hours of being tested. All were able to get their test results only after contacting Sema4s customer service. One resident said when they called, they found out their name had been misspelled when their information was being entered into the system. Another said their results were simply never posted. Sema4 issued a statement in response to these complaints, saying they were unaware of anyone in Norwalk still waiting on test results beyond those tested last week. They said only about 5 percent of patients have been impacted by these issues ,which are a result of personal information being entered incorrectly or customers not providing all the information needed to get results. A spokesperson for the company said the lab is currently processing 30,000 COVID-19 tests a week, a number they said is two times the amount of what they were doing in November and quadruple the amount from October. In response, the company added staff and increased their hours of operation. Since April, we have performed hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 viral tests in our state-of-the-art lab in Branford, the company said in a statement Monday. The vast majority is for the State of Connecticut, including the pop-up testing that they asked us to perform in Norwalk and other parts of the state over the last few months. Like so many companies across the country offering COVID testing, weve faced some challenges as the demand for testing has massively surged. ... Things do not always go perfectly but we have been able to meet our turnaround commitment the vast majority of the time for tests conducted at pop-up sites in Connecticut (and elsewhere). The company added that delays are more often due to poor quality samples or low-level positives, which are on the rise as the positivity rate increases. They said there have also been minor technical issues from a small number of people registering after being tested at multiple Sema4 sites. Although we have encountered some QC issues with our pop-up testing in Connecticut, including in Norwalk, 95% of patients have not been impacted, the company said. ... We are doing our absolute best to get as many people through the pop-ups as we can and to make sure we get their information correct, including asking the patient to verify all details before leaving the testing site. Josh Morgan, spokesperson for the city, said Norwalk has been directing people to Sema4 when there are complaints about getting results, as the city is not responsible for testing itself. We are simply providing the space for them, Morgan said. Sema4 also does COVID testing in Kent, Killingly, Milford, Stamford, Storrs, Tolland, Vernon, Watertown, and Woodbridge. Stamford is using Sema4 for testing at Stamford High School on Tuesdays and Sundays, as well as for pop-up testing, according to Arthur Augustyn, spokesperson for the mayors office. The feedback weve received is requesting information about how to get their test results, not necessarily about their information being incorrect, Augustyn said Monday. Enough residents have lost the portals information that we now published the How do I get my results on the testing page. Since publishing that information, we have not received as many inquiries about how to receive test results. erin.kayata@hearstmediact.com Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Monday night met BJP MLAs from Mumbai-Karnataka region, the ruling partys stronghold in the state. The purpose of the meeting was to pacify the MLAs who are upset with him over not taking them into confidence. Interestingly, Basangouda Patil Yatnal, the rebel MLA and former Union minister, was seated in the front row. Yatnal has been at loggerheads with Yediyurappa for over a year now. The moment Yediyurappa took his chair, a visibly agitated Yatnal stood up and started attacking the 78-year-old chief minister. Questioning his style of functioning, the senior leader asked him to keep his son BY Vijayendra out of administration. A startled Yediyurappa tried his best to put up a brave face and tried to pacify Yatnal, denying allegations of any interference by his son in the administration. However, Yatnal refused to yield and continued his attack on CM and his family members calling them a disgrace to Karnataka and the Bharatiya Janata Party. According to an MLA who was present in the meeting, at one point, the Chief Minister lost his cool and told Yatnal to get out. It angered Yatnal further. It is a party meet and not his private residence, came Yatnals fierce retort on being asked to leave. Not so surprisingly, except one, all other MLAs kept quiet and did not rush to defend BSY. Honnali MLA and the CMs political secretary, MP Renukacharya, tried to defend Yediyurappa. But, Yatnal firmly stood his ground demanding explanations from the CM. The meeting ended inconclusively. The fresh round of attack on BSY has led to all kinds of speculations over the stability of his government. The last weekend, newly appointed BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Arun Singh, held a meeting in Yediyurappas hometown Shimoga, requesting all MLAs to cooperate. He has also ruled out the possibility of removal of the chief minister, hinting that there will be a disciplinary action against Yatnal for repeatedly breaching the partys line. However, Yatnal chose to ignore his warnings and took on the CM next day, triggering panic in the party camp. Speaking to News18, Yatnal defended his stand and said that he was hurt by the attitude of the CM. I have not breached the party line. I questioned him at the party meeting, not in public. How can anyone say that I violated the discipline, he asked. Yediyurappa camp believes that Yatnal has no backing in the party and his outbursts will have no impact on the CM chair. Some of his close aides believe that Yatnal was propped up by the RSS which does not share a good rapport with the CM. But, it is not in a position to come to his rescue because of his unpredictable nature. Officially, the RSS denies any involvement claiming it has nothing to do with internal affairs of the BJP. The anti-BSY faction believes that Arun Singh is openly siding with the chief minister and there is no point in continuing the tirade against him. Yatnal has vowed to continue his fight against BSY claiming he is trying to save the partys image, which he believes dented by BSYs family politics. Yatnal, a Lingayat leader from Bijapur, was a minister of state Textiles and Railways in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-government. A two-time MP and three-time legislator, Yatnal looks increasingly isolated in the party as no one is coming forward to defend him in the public. Meanwhile, the Yediyurappa faction is confident that the current crisis will blow over soon. Qualcomms current CEO, Steve Mollenkopf, is retiring and the companys Board of Directors unanimously selected Cristiano Amon to replace him. Mollenkopf has been working at Qualcomm for 26 years and became its CEO in 2014. Amon should be a familiar face to you if youve watched phone announcement live streams he is often invited to speak at major releases of Snapdragon-powered phones. He is also the driving force behind the companys push into 5G. Amon is in charge of Qualcomms semiconductor business, which includes the Mobile, RF Front End (modems), Automotive and Internet of Things divisions. He was promoted to the President position in January of 2018 and will retain that role while also taking on CEO duties. Steve Mollenkopf (left) and Cristiano Amon (right) Steve navigated through unprecedented circumstances during his tenure, facing more in his seven years as CEO than most leaders face in their entire careers, said Mark McLaughlin, Chair of Qualcomms Board of Directors. Under Steves leadership, the Company remained focused and created immense value for stockholders, inventing key technologies that are driving economic growth and improving lives. On behalf of the entire Qualcomm Board, I want to thank Steve for the vision and leadership he brought during his years as CEO and for leading what I am confident will be a seamless transition. I am honored to be named the next CEO of Qualcomm and appreciate the confidence that Steve and the Board have in me," said Amon. Qualcomm is an incredible Company. We have been at the forefront of innovation for decades and I look forward to maintaining this position going forward. Source The coronavirus pandemic has created a striking phenomenon: a population of unemployed Americans living on the margins are simultaneously fully protected from homelessness and falling deeper and deeper in debt to their landlords. With the looming possibility of a massive wave of evictions once moratoriums expire, tenant advocates are bracing for it in Hudson County, where more than two-thirds of residents are renters. The number of households behind on rent here is hard to pinpoint, but those who are have in many cases racked up six months worth of debt, said attorneys who represent low-income tenants. The worst part of it is the uncertainty as to whats going to happen, said Gregory Diebold, director of litigation for Northeast New Jersey Legal Services. Theres a lot of uncertainties built up over the months as people get further and further behind. What could be in store Somewhere between 192,000 and 419,000 renter households in New Jersey are at risk of eviction, according to the most recent estimate in a National Council of State Housing Agencies study by the consulting firm Stout. While it is illegal to evict until 60 days after Gov. Phil Murphy ends the public health emergency, plenty of landlords have continued filing lawsuits against their tenants. In November, there were 355 eviction filings in Hudson County, about one-third of the number filed in November 2019. Once the courts fully reopen and the moratorium ends, the number of evictions will likely be historic, but it also probably wont be as immediate as some people are expecting, said Rebecca Symes, interim executive director of The Waterfront Project, which offers free legal services and housing counseling for Hudson County residents. Theres one judge and that one judge hears all the housing cases, she said. I think were going to see an unprecedented number of evictions, and I think that theyre going to take a while to start happening. Northeast New Jersey Legal Services, which also provides free representation for low-income residents, is currently training new attorneys in anticipation of a spike in clients, Diebold said. Slightly more than two-thirds of Hudson County residents are renters, according to the Census Bureaus 2019 American Community Survey estimate. Thats the opposite story of New Jersey as a whole, where about two-thirds of homes are owner-occupied. As one of the most populated and renter-heavy counties in the state, Hudson County could see among the most concentrated eviction crises in New Jersey. At the Waterfront Project, Symes said there are fewer active eviction cases than a typical year, but many more potential clients are being directed by the courts to free or low-cost legal help. Her two attorneys have handled an average years worth of cases in just three months. Expanded access to such legal services is one of the keys to minimizing the scale of the looming eviction crisis, Symes said. That helps people keep their homes and ultimately that is cheaper for taxpayers, she said. Its better for landlords, too, because we basically find them the money. But both advocates for tenants and property owners say direct government relief will be crucial. What that might look like, at what scale it will arrive, and even whether it will arrive at all is the big unknown. In the meantime Bills have floated around New Jerseys legislature seeking to resolve the impending crisis, though none have yet fully passed. One such bill, dubbed The Peoples Bill, would allow tenants up to 30 months to repay the back rent in full. Regardless of what new regulations may emerge, direct government aid similar to rent relief efforts that surfaced after the CARES Act will be key, local stakeholders said. Ron Simoncini, who leads the Hudson County Property Rights Coalition, said hes optimistic that the aid will eventually come. Were going to dole out to corporations that dont need (Paycheck Protection Program) money and were not going to dole out money to tenants? I just dont think thats the way its going to go, he said. In the meantime, some tenants and landlords have begun making dramatic decisions, Symes said. Rather than letting another month of unpaid rent tack on, some tenants are moving out, even if they dont have the money to afford another apartment, she said. Others are being evicted anyway. There has been a spike in illegal evictions in Hudson County several a month when previously they almost never happened, the attorney said. And there has also been more widespread harassment from landlords amongst tenants who are facing lawsuits, she added. Tenants are living with a lot of fear and a sense of not knowing whats going to happen next, and that really takes a toll on them and it also makes them more likely to potentially leave an apartment, she said. Widespread evictions or apartment abandonment threatens to permanently change the patchwork of Hudson County. Tenants that have called Jersey City home for years with rent prices that havent risen to market rate will likely learn there are no other apartments in their budget and pack up and leave the city, Symes said. Two of her clients who are restaurant workers recently headed north to Albany, New York. The cost of living there will make their unemployment benefits go further, the Waterfront Project director said. We dont want to lose these people from the community, Symes said. The first group of refugees from Ethiopia's Tigray region are welcomed by UNHCR staff at the Tunaydbah refugee camp, Sudan. UNHCR/Taylan Dagci UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to register new refugee arrivals at the Sudanese-Ethiopian border. Some 800 people crossed from Ethiopias Tigray region into eastern Sudan in just the first few days of the new year. Since early November, more than 56,000 Ethiopian refugees have fled to neighbouring Sudan. Latest arrivals tell of being caught in the conflict and being victims of various armed groups, facing perilous situations including looting of their houses, forceful recruitment of men and boys, sexual violence against women and girls. Refugees are arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, fatigued and in weak conditions after sometimes days of travel. More than 30 per cent of them are estimated to be under 18 and 5 per cent over 60 years old. In support of the government-led response in Sudan, UNHCR and Sudans Commission for Refugees (COR) continue to relocate the refugees from the arrival locations at the border to the designated refugee camps, further inland in Sudans Gedaref State. With the Um Rakuba refugee camp approaching its full capacity, UNHCR and its partners are striving to swiftly relocate refugees from reception sites at the border to a second, newly opened refugee camp, Tunaydbah, in order to keep refugees safe and offer them better living conditions. The new site is located some 136 kilometres from Gedaref town. Since this Sunday, 580 refugees were relocated to Tunaydbah from Village 8 reception site, with relocations from Hamdayet reception site set to start also this week. Both reception sites are overcrowded, and their close location to the border putting the safety and security of refugees increasingly at risk. Upon arrival to Tunaydbah, hot meals are being provided and 1,000 tents, aimed at sheltering up to 5,000 people, have so far been set up by partners. More tents are being pitched as the relocation is set to progress in the coming days and weeks. UNHCR, COR, and partners are scaling up their response to meet the needs of the increasing refugee population in all locations. Currently, more than 20 humanitarian partners are on the ground in Um Rakuba and another six are starting their activities in Tunaydbah to assist and engage the refugee and host community with shelter, health, food and nutrition services. Once more, the government of Sudan is generously keeping its border open to refugees, but additional support is needed to complement the authorities response. In particular, it is critical to further improve water and sanitation conditions in the refugee camps and reception areas, as well as to ramp up COVID-19 prevention measures, including isolation facilities. Additional funding is also required to sustain shelter projects and improve the living conditions of refugees in the camps, especially in anticipation of the next rainy season expected to start in May. As at the end of 2020, US$40 million has been pledged to UNHCR for the regional response to the emergency in Ethiopia's Tigray region, which covers only 37 per cent of the financial requirements in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. For more information on this topic, please contact: The New York Stock Exchange had announced plans to delist three Chinese telecommunications giants. Legal considerations and Joe Bidens imminent arrival are behind the change of direction. Trump imposed limits on investments in China's tech companies. Beijing accuses Washington of targeting its companies for political reasons. New York (AsiaNews) The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) last night announced that it will no longer delist three Chinese telecommunications giants, saying that it decision was based on further consultation" with regulatory authorities over the guidance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). On 31 December 2020, the NYSE had announced that it would delist China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, which have been traded on Wall Street for more than 20 years. The three, which are traded in Hong Kong, do not have a significant presence in the US. Currently, more than 200 Chinese companies are listed on US stock exchanges with a total capitalisation of US$ 2.2 trillion. According to analysts, the NYSE's initial move followed a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump barring US investments in Chinese firms and their subsidiaries that US authorities say are owned or controlled by Chinas military. In addition to legal issues, the NYSEs U-turn appears to be a good-will gesture towards China, waiting to see what strategy the new US president, Joe Biden, will adopt towards the Asian giant after he takes over on 20 January. The NYSE however indicated that it might revisit its decision, and that it would continue to evaluate the applicability of Mr Trump's executive order, which comes into effect on 11 January. For the three companies, delisting thus remains a distinct possibility. In a statement released this morning, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had taken notice of the NYSEs change of direction. On several occasions, Chinese authorities have criticized the Trump administration, accused of targeting foreign companies listed in the US for political reasons. As part of a wider geopolitical conflict with China that began in in 2018, the Trump administration launched a campaign against a number of Chinese tech companies, especially those involved in the development of the 5G internet network (Huawei), artificial intelligence, and microchips. The Congress on Monday set up a panel headed by senior party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to hold talks with the Left parties regarding seat sharing and joint programmes for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls. The committee has Congress state president Chowdhury, Congress Legislature Party leader Abdul Mannan, former state chief Pradeep Bhattacharya and Nepal Mahato. "The committee will hold talks with the Left parties regarding seat sharing and joint programmes for the West Bengal polls," a statement from Congress' state in-charge Jitin Prasada said. The Congress last month formally approved its electoral alliance with the Left parties for the assembly elections in West Bengal. The West Bengal PCC had earlier recommended an alliance in favour of the Left parties. The Left parties had also favoured an alliance with the Congress for the state elections. The Left and the Congress did not contest the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal together. The two parties are also pitted against each other in Kerala. The West Bengal assembly elections are due by March-April next year. (Image Credits: PTI) (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) We are excited to continue expanding our international footprint, especially with a firm as aligned with Trinitys core values as AWN. We look forward to learning from each other and enabling AWN to continue along its path to success. Trinity Consultants, Inc. (Trinity), an international EHS, engineering, and science consulting firm based in Dallas, Texas, announces the acquisition of AWN Consulting (AWN), an environmental and risk management consulting firm located in Dublin, Ireland. AWN provides environmental, acoustics, and risk management services to industrial and public sector clients throughout Ireland and in Europe. Client sectors include semi-conductor manufacturing, data centers, chemical distribution, pharmaceuticals/bio-pharmaceuticals, wind farms, real estate development, and public infrastructure. The firm comprises more than 40 experienced scientists and engineers as well as field technicians and administrative staff. AWN assists its clients with air quality impact assessments, acoustics design, process safety management under the Seveso III Directive/COMAH, preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments, and water/waste-related compliance. AWN was founded in 2000 by Terry Donnelly, Dr. Fergal Callaghan, Chris Dillworth, and Dr. Edward Porter, with Teri Hayes, Damian Kelly, and Stephen Smyth joining later to make up AWNs current senior management team, all of whom will remain in place following the acquisition. Regarding the transaction, AWN Managing Director Terry Donnelly commented, The AWN leadership team and staff are thrilled about this exciting new phase in our companys development. Trinitys appreciation for niche technical expertise, commitment to client service, and a fine-tuned approach to operations management is a great fit with the AWN culture. We anticipate many positive outcomes for our employees and clients as a result of this transaction. Mike Remsberg, Trinity Managing Director, noted, We are excited to continue expanding our international footprint, especially with a firm as aligned with Trinitys core values as AWN. In terms of technical excellence, client responsiveness, and talent depth the similarities are numerous. We look forward to learning from each other and enabling AWN to continue along its path to success. AWN will continue to operate out of its Dublin location. Background on Trinity Consultants Founded in 1974 in Dallas, Texas, Trinity operates in locations across the U.S. and in Canada, the U.K., China, and Australia. Trinity assists organizations with compliance obligations related to EHS, process engineering, and facility design through a combination of consulting, technology, training, and staffing support. CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday called on Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here and raised the issue of the recent encounter in Srinagars Hokersar-Lawaypora with him. He demanded an impartial and time-bound probe into the incident in which three youths including a 17-year-old from South Kashmirs Pulwama and Shopian districts were killed on December 30 inside a house in Hokersar on the outskirts of Srinagar by the security forces in an encounter. While police and army claimed they were militants, the families say they were killed in a staged gunfight. In his meeting with the LG, the CPI (M) leader briefed him about the version of the families of the slain trio and urged him to order an impartial and time-bound probe so that reality is known. On Monday, the families of the two of the three young men slain in the encounter protested in Srinagar demanding their bodies that have been buried in Ganderbal be given to them and an impartial investigation into the encounter. Penetron in the mix: Because of the depth of the initial slab and its seaside location, the Cayucos wastewater treatment plant in California needed a robust concrete waterproofing solution. Permeability by water, chlorides, sulfates and other potentially harmful substances is a key characteristic of concrete durability. PENETRON ADMIX enhances durability by reducing permeability and preventing the penetration of harmful substances. The January 2021 commissioning of the new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for Cayucos, California provides the community with its own treatment facility. PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete was used for the facilitys various processing tanks to provide protection from the aggressive environment. Listed as one of the "Coolest Small Towns in America" by Frommer's "Travel" magazine, Cayucos is a small seaside town of less than 3,000 souls, located about 200 miles (320 km) northwest of Los Angeles. In 2015, the Cayucos Sanitary District began the planning and construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Cayucos to replace the now decommissioned facility in Morro Bay, an adjacent town. The new $25 million Cayucos wastewater treatment plant uses a membrane bioreactor and ultraviolet light (MBR/UV) treatment technology with a 0.34 million gallons/day (MGD) (peak 1.2 MGD) tertiary treatment facility. Recycled wastewater will be used for onsite irrigation and fire protection. Thanks to recent innovations and a significant drop in the cost of treatment membranes, MBR facilities have become an accepted process option for wastewater treatment and the reuse of industrial and municipal wastewaters, adds Christopher Chen, Director of the Penetron Group. Past Success a Good Indicator Because of the depth of the initial slab (about 30 feet below grade) and the seaside location, the Cayucos Sanitary District engineer needed a robust waterproofing solution. Cal Portland of Paso Robles, the concrete supplier for this project, recommended PENETRON ADMIX, which was approved by Ashley & Vance, the projects engineering firm, thanks to superior performance parameters and success with similar projects in the past. Approximately 4,000 cubic yards of concrete were treated with PENETRON ADMIX, which was used to waterproof and protect the sewage treatment holding tank and processing tanks including the 3.5 foot thick foundation slab and the treatment tank walls. Cal Portland incorporated PENETRON ADMIX into the concrete mix design to provide concrete that is not only waterproof (i.e. decreased permeability) but also corrosion resistant and protected against sulfate attack. The Process of Making Concrete Impermeable The active ingredients in PENETRON ADMIX react with water to form insoluble crystals, which fill in cracks, pores, and voids in the concrete becoming an integral part of the concrete matrix. This prevents liquid molecules (and harmful chemicals) to pass through the concrete. "Permeability by water, chlorides, sulfates and other potentially harmful substances is a key characteristic of concrete durability, explains Christopher Chen. PENETRON ADMIX enhances durability by reducing permeability and preventing the penetration of harmful substances. Since its commissioning, the Cayucos treatment plant has consistently outperformed expectations for wastewater treatment based on the regulatory standards and the performance criteria anticipated in the original design. The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels. For more information on Penetron waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700. Trumps Iran-COVID-Gate Anniversary A year ago, the Trump administration escalated regime change efforts against Iran, while shunning the war against COVID-19. Due to misplaced priorities, more Americans have perished in the pandemic than US combatants in World War II. In the past month, US B-52 bombers flew over the Gulf three times in a show of force the Trump administration called a deterrence measure. Presumably, to keep Iran from retaliating on January 3; the first anniversary of the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike. The international concern is that President Trump could resort to military action against Iran, even in his remaining days in office. January 3 also marked another first anniversary. A year ago, the White House was informed about a potential virus outbreak in China. For a year, a potential war against Iran has been overshadowed by COVID-19, which is now raging almost out of control in the United States and Europe. At the end of 2020, COVID-19 had resulted in 85 million confirmed accumulated cases and over 1.8 million deaths. In the United States alone, the number of cases surpassed 20 million and deaths exceed 350,000; more than the number of all U.S. combat deaths in World War II. US Economic losses have soared to a fifth of US GDP (more than $4 trillion), as measured by COVID-19 fiscal relief. Failed mobilization against COVID-19 On Sunday, January 3, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed about a new potential virus outbreak in China. Thats also when Chinas CDC completed the virus gene sequencing, initiated emergency monitoring and multiple countries were notified about the virus. That same day, US CDC director Dr. Robert R. Redfield called Trumps secretary of health Alex M. Azar II to tell him that China had discovered a new coronavirus. Azar informed the National Security Council and Trumps national security adviser Robert OBrien about the matter. There was reason for hurry. When Trump arrived in the White House three years before, he eliminated NSCs global health unit that had monitored such virus risks. Despite proactive mobilizations in many nations, the Trump White House shunned such measures, including the WHOs international emergency warning in late January. When the WHO announced the global pandemic alert in mid-March, a delayed, slow and ineffective national mobilization began against the virus. Worse, President Trump and several cabinet members downplayed, even undermined urgent measures promoted by the nations top public-health experts. Meanwhile, a long debate began within the Trump administration over what to tell to the American public, as efforts to ensure presidents re-election overwhelmed the war against the virus. The Trump administration did declare a war on January 3, 2020 but a wrong one. Destructive escalation against Iran On January 3, 2020, the plane of Qassem Soleimani, major general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and commander of its elite Quds Force, arrived at Baghdad International Airport. After his convoy took off toward Baghdad, an assassination drone launched several missiles. As two cars exploded in flames, some 10 people perished, including Soleimani. Trumps team struggled to justify the execution by Irans imminent attacks, but without hard evidence. Instead, Trump relied on his Orwellian soundbite. We took action last night to stop a war We did not take action to start a war. Meanwhile, Pentagon sent 3,500 members of the 82nd Airborne Division toward the Middle East; one of the largest deployments in decades. After the assassination, Iraqs Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said Soleimani had been on a peace mission. The two had planned to meet on the morning the general was killed to discuss a diplomatic rapprochement Iraq was brokering between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Abdul-Mahdi said Trump knew about the plan and personally thanked him for the efforts. Even as the administration was preparing the hit. The Democratic House resolution to limit Trumps war powers against Iran was a move in the right direction but it could neither reverse Trumps exit from the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) nor halt the new escalation, which has prevailed, even amid the last days of the transition of power in the White House. Fatal priorities, deadly outcomes After Soleimanis assassination, Trumps national security adviser OBrien struggled to legitimize the execution. He was informed about the Chinese outbreak on January 3, 2020, the day of the assassination, but he shunned the war against COVID-19. Unlike OBrien, Trump. Pompeo and other administration authorities, the Obama administration saw global pandemics as a pressing national security issue, as does the incoming Biden administration. Truth to be told, the challenge Washington faces is systemic. Unlike most nations, America doesnt have an appropriate self-defense policy, as U.S. Army colonel and military historian Ed Bacevich has noted. In Washington Rules: Americas Path to Permanent Wars, Bacevich stresses that the exercise of global leadership as prescribed by the credo obliges the United States to maintain military capabilities staggeringly in excess of those required for self-defense. Priorities are misguided. As the anniversary of Iran-COVID gate suggests, the costs of these policy flaws are staggering in economic and human terms. National security starts at home. Leadership matters - as does global cooperation across all political differences. Dr. Dan Steinbock is the founder of Difference Group and has served at the India, China and America Institute (US), Shanghai Institute for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see http://www.differencegroup.net/ 2020 Copyright Dan Steinbock - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. Dan Steinbock Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Source: Reuters India Gold MCX February futures are trading flat on Tuesday following a muted trend seen in the international spot prices as the US dollar halted its slide ahead of Senate runoff elections in Georgia. Spot gold was down to $1,938.11 per ounce, after hitting its highest since November 9 at $1,945.26 earlier in the session, while US gold futures shed 0.3% to $1,941.40, said a Reuters report. The dual runoff elections in Georgia will decide which party controls the US Senate. A win by Democrats would make it easier for President-elect Joe Biden to push policies such as boosting stimulus, it said. On the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX), February gold contracts were trading lower by 0.04 percent at Rs 51,405 per 10 gram at 0920 hours. March silver was trading 0.49 percent higher at Rs 70,376 a kilogram. Gold and silver prices gained on Monday amid safe-haven buying due to the spread of new virus strain in the UK. Gold February futures contract settled at $1946.60 per troy ounce and silver March futures contract settled at $27.36 per troy ounce. Gold & Silver Rates Yesterday Gold Rate in Mumbai Yesterday 10g of 24K gold in Mumbai 47,000 47,000 10g of 22K gold in Mumbai 46,000 46,000 View more Silver Rate in Mumbai Yesterday 10g silver in Mumbai 762 762 1kg silver in Mumbai 76,200 76,200 View more Show Gold February futures contract settled at Rs 51424 per 10 gram and Silver March futures contract settled at Rs 70,036 per one kilogram thanks to the weakness in the US dollar that hit a 2.5 years low in the forex market. Safe-haven demand amid the new virus strain in the UK and surging COVID-19 cases in the US, Europe and other parts of the world are also supporting the precious metals, Manoj Jain, Director (Head-Commodity & Currency Research) at Prithvi Finmart told Moneycontrol. We expect both the precious metals remain volatile and any dips in the prices will be an opportunity for buying. At MCX, Gold has support at Rs 51100-50920 and resistance is placed at Rs 51770-52100 levels. Silver has support at Rs 69200-68500 and resistance at Rs 70800-71500 levels, he said. Jain suggests buying in the gold on dips around Rs 51100 with a stop loss of Rs 50770 for the targets of Rs 51800 and in silver around Rs 69200 with the closing stop loss of Rs 68500 for the target of Rs 70800. Trading strategy Sriram Iyer, Senior Research Analyst, Reliance Securities International gold and silver prices ended higher on Monday tracking the weakness in the US Dollar ahead of runoff elections for both US Senate seats from Georgia. Domestic gold and silver ended with gains on Monday, tracking overseas prices. Prices also found support amid safe-haven appeal for the metals as tougher lockdown restrictions are expected in Britain and Japan, as COVID-19 cases mount. Domestic bullion could trade flat this Tuesday morning, tracking the international prices. Technically, MCX Gold February has given a breakout above Falling Channel formation and is trading above Rs 51000 levels. Resistance is at Rs 51650-51900 levels. Support is at Rs 51050-50900 levels. MCX Silver March has given a breakout above Rs 69000 levels indicating a positive momentum up to Rs 70600-72700 levels. Support is at Rs 69000-68200 levels. Ravindra Rao, VP- Head Commodity Research at Kotak Securities COMEX gold trades about 0.3% lower near $1941/oz after a sharp 2.7% gain yesterday. Gold eased as the US dollar index recovered from April 2018 lows on the back of safe haven buying. Position squaring ahead of Tuesdays runoff elections in Georgia also weighed on price. However, supporting price is sharp ETF inflows, worsening virus situation and hopes of continuing stimulus measures. Gold rallied sharply yesterday and closed above $1900/oz and hopes of stimulus measures have paved the way for more gains. : The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Source: Twitter UN leaders and member States welcomed India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway to the UN Security Council and said they look forward to working with the five new non-permanent members to help advance peace and security globally during their 2021-22 term in the powerful world body. Flags of the five new UNSC members were installed at the Security Council stakeout on Monday during a solemn ceremony organised by the Kazakhstan Mission to the UN. Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti installed the Indian tricolor at the ceremony and said that as India assumes the membership of the Security Council for the eighth time, "it is an honour for me as the Permanent Representative of India to take part in todays flag installation ceremony." UN member States and top leaders posted congratulatory messages for the five incoming members, welcoming them to the Council for the 2021-22 term. "Welcome to the Security Council," the UN tweeted. President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir tweeted, "I congratulate the new members of the @UN Security Council I wish them success in their important work during the 2 years term, in support of global peace and prosperity". United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said she was looking forward to working with the new Security Council members "to help advance peace and security globally." US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft tweeted, "A warm welcome to the new members of the @UN Security Council, @IndiaUNNewYork, @irishmissionun, @UnKenya, @MexOnu and @NorwayUN. I look forward to working with you in support of global peace and prosperity!" The US State Departments Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs tweeted, "A new year brings new opportunities to strengthen relationships with old friends and partners. We welcome India to the @UN Security Council and look forward to working with @IndiaUNNewYork to advance our shared interests in a more peaceful, secure Indo-Pacific and world". The Permanent Mission of United Kingdom said in a tweet, "Welcome India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway to UNSC for the 2021-2022 term. We can''t wait to see half your faces". "As of January 1st, 2021, the @UN Security Council welcomes 5 new members! Welcome to India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, the French Mission to the United Nations tweeted. The Chinese Mission to the UN expressed "a warm welcome" to the incoming UNSC members in a tweet and said, "New year brings new hope. Multilateralism matters even more. China is ready to work with you and other members for a peaceful and prosperous world. Senior Bureau Official for International Organization Affairs at the State Department Pamela Pryor tweeted, "Its a new year filled with opportunities to build international peace and security. We look forward to working closely with newly-elected @UN Security Council members India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway for the 2021-2022 term! Ambassador Tirumurti will participate in the Security Council virtual meeting on Syria on Tuesday which will be the first open UNSC meeting of Indias tenure that began on January 1. It was called the Joe Murphy Dinner. Whenever my mother gave us a dinner that included peas, potatoes, and carrots, shed announce it as a grand Joe Murphy dinner'. Im not surprised I remember it so well four out of five dinners in 1970s Ireland included peas, potatoes, and carrots. Pasta was for intellectuals. This dinner was named after someone who died on hunger strike. Joe Murphy, my mothers uncle, died just over 100 years ago in Cork Gaol, after 76 days on hunger strike. Arrested in July 1920, but never tried, he was one of 60 Republican prisoners who went on hunger strike in Cork in August of that year after their demands for release were ignored by the British authorities. In the end, he was one of three prisoners who died during that period, along with Michael Fitzgerald from Fermoy, and Terence MacSwiney, the Lord Mayor of Cork. MacSwineys death caught the headlines all over the world and his contentious funeral was a massive PR victory for republicans during the War of Independence. Joe Murphy died a few hours after MacSwiney and had a big enough funeral of his own, but he remains in the shadows by comparison, an almost forgotten figure in Irelands struggle for independence. He was largely forgotten in our house. The Joe Murphy dinner peas, potatoes and carrots was a reference to the green, white and gold on the tricolour. But it was the only time my mother would talk about her uncle. If anything, the word around our house was that Joe had made a mistake, giving his life for the cause. Joe wasnt completely forgotten. There is a road named after him in Ballyphehane; the family home in Pouladuff is called Joe Murphy House; republicans still march from there to his grave in St Finbarr's Cemetery every year. Other branches of the family tree have been actively keeping his memory alive. A campaign urging the State to award him a posthumous service medal, dating back to 1923, ended in May 2019 , when the medal was given to his nephew, Henry Delaney. Also, Henrys daughter, Shirley Kelleher, produced and directed a YouTube video telling Joes story, in collaboration with Maurice Dineen and Club Ceoil in Ballyphehane. The world is a better place because of people like Shirley Kelleher and Maurice Dineen. Their production is thoroughly-researched, informative, and entertaining. You can see for yourself if you search for Joe Murphy The Boy from Pouladuff My Unsung Hero' on YouTube. I rang Shirley, a second cousin Id never talked to before, and asked how they treated his legacy. "My father, Henry [Joes nephew] is the longest-serving member of Sinn Fein in Cork," she told me over the phone. "From an early age, I was taught about Joe Murphy. We would have gone to the commemorations, we would have walked from Joe Murphy House to St Finbarrs Cemetery, we were reared with it. "And I wish when I was younger that I listened more carefully to my father, you don't appreciate the gold of the history when you're a youngster. She filled me in on Joes brother Richard, who was arrested by the British authorities in Belfast when he arrived back from the States to see his hunger-striking brother, and sent back to America without ever seeing him again. Shirley also told me how the Black and Tans targetted the Murphy house in Pouladuff after Joes arrest. When I asked my mother about this, she recalled her mother (Joes younger sister, Annie) telling her that the Black and Tans used to fire shots at the house as they passed by, stopping in some days to empty out the familys large sack of flour all over the kitchen. My mother can also remember marching out to the republican plot for the commemoration when she was younger, so its not like they were completely shut off from Joes legacy. Why then did we never talk about him in our house when we were growing up? Part of this would have come from my father, who was of course not a blood relation of Joe Murphy. (I hope.) My Dad had no time for the narrow, Catholic, Gaelic republicanism that emerged in 1930s Ireland, as he was growing up. He was also a native of Kinsale, which had prospered thanks to the British barracks in the town, and then sank into a long decline when they left in 1921. None of this was going to make him sympathetic to Joe Murphys way of life, or death. A plaque was unveiled to Joe Murphy in Pouladuff, Cork, in 1960 when people knew where they stood on the national question. And the other thing was the context of the times. Republicanism was a dirty word in a lot of Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s, as we tucked into our Joe Murphy dinners. The IRA was at war with official Ireland; the news had pub bombings and bodies dumped on border roads; republicans were, and I heard the word often enough, a disgrace. I think my parents were also afraid Id get involved with the IRA, even though I didnt know any republicans. (After my Dad died, my mother told me he used to worry that Id become a bomber. Dont ask where he got this idea from.) My generation, born in the late 1960s to early '80s, are oddballs in Ireland. Before then, Irish people knew where they stood on the national question. My uncle Mattie passed on a folder of clippings relating to Joe Murphy from the Evening Echo. A lot of them are from 1970, the 50 th anniversary of his death. You can see from the language of the time that patriotism and Irish nationalism were viewed with respect, even reverence. This didnt last. Republicans will tell you that revisionist historians dismantled the legacy of the IRA and violent nationalism, colluding with official Ireland to taint anything to do with Sinn Fein. There was a bit of that going on. But there was also no shortage of republican atrocities against innocent people and my generation had had enough. A lot of us saw the Provos in the same light as the Catholic Church and crony politicians, conspiring to drag Ireland back into the past. The Good Friday Agreement changed everything. The generation born in the '80s and '90s is more comfortable with Irish nationalism, as you can see from the youth vote for Sinn Fein, and people like podcast superstar Blindboy having an unambiguous cut at British colonialism in his podcast. Ive changed my views in the last few years. Now that the upper class twit brigade are back at the helm in London, Im grateful for the massive sacrifices that people like Joe made to get our independence. Youll find twits in charge here too sometimes, but at least theyre our twits. I went out to the Republican plot in St Finbarrs Cemetery to take a photograph to go with this article. It was my first visit to Joe Murphys grave. Standing there in the drizzle, I remembered someone I know telling me recently that I should be proud of my granduncle. I didnt say anything at the time, because I didnt know what to say. Now, by his grave, with all I know thanks to people like Shirley Kelleher, Im still not sure if Im proud of him. Thats my upbringing: Too much water under the bridge. But Im happy to tell my kids about Joe Murphy. When they ask, Ill tell them he was fearless. Not only that I think he was right. By now, the Larney family is used to getting unexpected knocks at their door. Since 1992, theyve lived in a historic building in Old Ellicott City that used to be an Episcopal boys school, and they occasionally have folks stop by, thinking its a Howard County government building. But when Evan Woodard showed up on their porch in late November, he wasnt lost. Instead, he was hoping with their permission to search their property for hidden pieces of history. While some crocheted miles of yarn or worried over nurturing sourdough starters during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, Woodard delved into a new hobby: tracking down relics of Baltimores and Marylands past in centuries-old dumps and long-surviving homesteads. A self-described history nerd who was raised on The History Channel (when Cartoon Network wasnt playing), Woodard spent the past few months poring over maps and old newspaper clippings to pinpoint the location of potential artifacts. Before stopping by historic properties, he contacts their owners and he said youd be surprised how many are open to letting him dig around in their backyards. I think thats really neat, because otherwise, this stuff would have just sat there, polluting the environment, he said. Its cool to still find these pieces that are just out there, sitting on top of leaves, baking in the sunlight. At the Old Ellicott City property, for instance, Woodard found old insulators and pieces of broken pottery, as well as aged bottles from Baltimore breweries, Elizabeth Larney said. Considering the propertys long history, she wasnt surprised. Her family has found some relics over the years, from bottles and coins to bits of machinery. Her son once found an old gear that looked to be cast iron. We knew the items were there to be found if you really looked for them, said her mother, also named Elizabeth Larney. She said she enjoyed chatting with Woodard. Woodard, 33, grew up in Laurel. Though he spent some years in Asia, including Tokyo and Hong Kong, he moved to Baltimore in 2012 and now lives in Patterson Park. He manages cybersecurity for the Ravens when hes not hunting for relics. Story continues In a matter of months, he has unearthed intricately embossed glassware, religious medallions caked in dirt and a beautifully ornate kerosene finger lamp that he initially mistook for a mug. He takes his Instagram followers along for the ride, feeding them a steady stream of photos of his finds, along with an occasional look at how he returned them to their former glory. Some artifacts stand out to Woodard because of their beauty like the Baltimore Glass Works flask he found embossed with a phoenix emerging from the ashes and the Latin word Resurgam, or I Shall Rise Again. Others stick with him because of the impossibility of their survival. Once, he found a two-part malt extract bottle buried 6 or 7 feet below the surface of an abandoned dump. When I pulled that out, it was like, this is still intact? he recalled. Thats incredible. Woodard doesnt just excavate relics; he also combs through archives from The Baltimore Sun, the University of Maryland, College Park, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library to unearth little-known stories that explain how the items fit within Baltimore and Maryland history. On his Instagram page, hes shared tales of centuries-old scandals, lawsuits and tragedies like the death of a 5-year-old boy whose leg was crushed by a wagon carrying malt, and the 1901 execution of a Black man for murder who Woodard said maintained his innocence. Jane Woltereck, the Baltimore Museum of Industrys director of collections and exhibitions, is a big fan of Woodards Instagram page. She described him as a Renaissance man. Since the pandemic started, Woltereck said, Woodard has donated a series of bottles to the museums collection, including a Coca-Cola bottle stamped with the citys name, a glass quart bottle from Cloverland Farms Dairy and a Royal Crown RC Cola bottle. We have a massive bottle collection and I always hesitate when people offer bottles because nine times out of 10, we already have them. But he found some bottles that were different, she said. Woodard, who describes the Museum of Industry as his favorite museum ever, said hes psyched to have been able to contribute to its collection. It takes him back to watching the Indiana Jones movies as a kid and hearing the titular characters familiar refrain: It belongs in a museum! Its always stuck with me, he said, laughing. To be able to do that, like, in real life? Its super neat. His habit of wandering also dates back to his childhood. Hes always been into urban exploring something he describes as going where youre not supposed to go. When he was younger, he and his friends used to hop the fence of a wildlife refuge and go exploring. There was a collection of old homes back there, Woodard remembers, and he had his mom drive him to the library so he could learn more about them. Woodard doesnt have a background in archaeology. If hed stayed in college, he said, he probably would have majored in history or political science, but it took him only one semester to figure out college wasnt for him. Molly Ricks, community engagement and communications manager for Baltimore Heritage, said you dont need a degree to contribute to the effort of preserving and understanding history. She said the nonprofit is indebted to its volunteers, who have mapped Baltimores trade of enslaved people and helped honor the citys LGBTQ community, among other initiatives. We just think you need to have a passion for Baltimore and for history, she said. Woodard certainly checks both of those boxes. And after months of studying Baltimores history, he feels an even deeper connection to the city. Just knowing whats going on thats below the surface or behind these buildings that a lot of people just dont know its bizarre, but its a really neat thing to have in the back of your head at all times, he said. Were a cool city. I love this place. A couple have welcomed triplets into the world after four heartbreaking miscarriages and 11,300 ($19,890) on IVF. Leonie Fitzgerald, from Brisbane, became a mother to three 'perfect' girls at the age of 45, after giving up hope of having a family when she suffered four miscarriages, caused by low progesterone levels. But Leonie and her husband Peter, 51, took a leap of faith and tried for a baby one more time with the help of IVF in January 2020. The couple became proud parents on August 23 as they welcomed identical twins Liliana, who weighed 2lb 6oz, Isabella, 3lb 5oz and their sister Charlotte, 4lb 2oz. Leonie Fitzgerald, 45, and and her husband Peter, 51, became parents to three 'perfect' girls after spending 11,300 on IVF Leonie said: 'We spent almost six years trying for a baby and it was devastating to say the least. 'It took nearly three years for me to fall pregnant naturally at 41, we were elated but our joy soon turned to sorrow when I miscarried at 13 weeks. 'We decided IVF was our only option and were filled with faith again. 'You never expect it not to work until it doesn't. I miscarried three more times, once with IVF and twice naturally. 'Our dreams of becoming parents were slipping away.' Leonie, who runs her own business, refused to give up hope of becoming a mother despite being diagnosed with low progesterone which led to four devastating miscarriages The couple became proud parents on August 23 as they welcomed identical twins Liliana, who weighed 2lb 6oz, Isabella, 3lb 5oz and singleton Charlotte, 4lb 2oz Leonie spent most of the pregnancy on bed rest due to severe morning sickness before giving birth at 32 weeks and six days Leonie describes her journey to motherhood as a 'lonely experience' because miscarriage is a 'taboo' subject. After the second round of IVF, Leonie quit her highly-stressful job and started her own business in property investment. Adoption was not an option for the couple because the waiting list is five years and they felt they'd be 'too old'. Leonie said that her jaw dropped when the ultrasound revealed three heart beats Despite spending approximately 55,000 ($96,900) on acupuncturists, herbalists and many more healers and specialists - the couple had no baby joy. She said: 'We began to accept being parents weren't meant to be until I saw a physic who predicted I was going to have twins. 'It was our third and final round of IVF and it worked!' Leonie recalls her jaw dropping when the ultrasound revealed three heart beats. She said: 'It was definitely third time lucky. I remember we looked at each other and smiled. 'I spent the following week walking around like a zombie as I was in total shock. 'But we believe you get what you need, rather than what you want in life. 'We had to upsize our home from a three bed to five bed. And buy an eight seater car!' Leonie admits feeling 'terrified' in case she lost the babies due to her age. She spent most of the pregnancy on bed rest due to severe morning sickness before giving birth at 32 weeks and six days. But the labour did not go as planned as Leonie was put into an induced coma for 16 hours after a seizure and increased heart rate. But the labour did not go as planned as Leonie was put into an induced coma for 16 hours after a seizure and increased heart rate The triplets had to spend 34 days in NICU (left and right) before heading home with their besotted parents The triplets spent 34 days in NICU before heading home with their besotted parents. Leonie said: 'I felt pretty disconnected from them as I didn't get the first cuddle. 'But we bonded as I sat by their sides whilst they were in NICU. 'Peter and I haven't grown up around children so all we knew was from the amazing nurses. 'It was surreal taking them home - we didn't know where to start. 'They were going through ten nappies per day and 24 bottles a day at the very start. Leonie described her journey to motherhood as a 'lonely experience' as miscarriage is a 'taboo' subject but the couple eventually got the news they had longed for after six years The couple decided that the adoption was not an option as the waiting list is five years and they felt they'd be 'too old' Despite a hectic household, the couple couldn't be happier and they have learnt to be super organised and to never waste time 'Sometimes, we have to have 1000 nappies in the house at a time. 'We are fortunate enough to have a nanny who comes four days a week - and help from our family and friends. Despite a hectic household, the couple couldn't be happier and they have learnt to be super organised and to never waste time. She said: 'I wouldn't change our busy lives for the world. 'Being an older mum definitely has it's advantages as we have a more positive approach to life these days and follow our intuition. Wisdom is on our side.' Smarter Faster Payments events are recognized for their superior educational content, which draw leaders, decision-makers, innovators and practitioners from every area of the payments industry, said Stephanie Prebish, AAP, CTP, Senior Director & Group Manager, Association Services at Nacha. Nacha is accepting proposals for its Smarter Faster Payments 2021, which will be held in San Francisco from Aug. 9-12 and Smarter Faster Payments: Remote Connect, the conferences virtual counterpart from Aug. 23-26. Deadline to submit session proposals is Jan. 10. For more information and to submit proposals, which will be considered for both events, go to https://payments.nacha.org/call-presentations. Smarter Faster Payments Conference is Nachas annual conference, which provides unparalleled payments education, a dynamic exhibit hall, and valued networking opportunities. This industry event is designed for diverse organizations that are driving innovation, delivering value through new solutions and services, and employing these offerings to meet their business and customers needs. Payments Remote Connect is a slimmed down virtual version of the Smarter Faster Payments Conference and is geared for those that are seeking education and new solutions yet are unable to travel. Remote Connect will feature a mixture of both new and repeated content from the Payments conference. Smarter Faster Payments events are recognized for their superior educational content, which draw leaders, decision-makers, innovators and practitioners from every area of the payments industry, said Stephanie Prebish, AAP, CTP, Senior Director & Group Manager, Association Services at Nacha. This year, with Payments and Remote Connect, speakers and attendees have additional opportunities to expand ideas for business solutions necessary for a competitive advantage. Registration for Smarter Faster Payments 2021 is now open with discounted rates still available. Additionally, there are special registration offers available for attorneys, new attendees and fintech start-ups. To learn more or register, go to https://payments.nacha.org/register. Registration for Smarter Faster Payments Remote Connect is also now open. Visit https://payments.nacha.org/smarter-faster-payments-remote-connect to learn more or to register. About Nacha Nacha governs the thriving ACH Network, the payment system that drives safe, smart and fast Direct Deposits and Direct Payments with the capability to reach all U.S. bank and credit union accounts. More than 24 billion ACH payments were made in 2019, valued at nearly $56 trillion. Through problem-solving and consensus-building among diverse payment industry stakeholders, Nacha advances innovation and interoperability in the payments system. Nacha develops rules and standards, provides industry solutions, and delivers education, accreditation and advisory services. In a shocking new twist over the death of a Ukrainian interpreter in Turkey, police are investigating if she took her own life in a copycat suicide from a 2003 film starring Kevin Spacey and Kate Winslet, say reports. Kristina Novitskaya's body was found on a chair in her rented apartment in the Bodrum resort on the Aegean coast on Saturday with a blue plastic rubbish bag over her head - and wearing locked handcuffs. Friends have disputed law enforcement claims that it could be suicide, suspecting a cover-up to hide the involvement of 'someone important', a VIP associate. Turkish police have also not ruled out murder. Kristina Novitskaya, 30, was discovered at her home in the Bodrum resort on the Aegean coast on Saturday. She had died a few days earlier Ms Novitskaya, 30, is believed to have killed herself by local police but her friends say it cannot be and suspect a cover-up to hide the involvement of 'someone important' An ambulance pulling out of the apartment complex in Bodrum after Ms Novitskaya was discovered on Saturday Now it has emerged that the 30-year-old - whose name can also be spelled Khrystyna Novitska - ordered the handcuffs online four days before her death, reported Hurriyet, citing police sources. The newspaper also suggested she may have been 'influenced' by the movie 'The Life of David Gale' in which a main character is discovered apparently raped and murdered, suffocated by a plastic bag taped over her head. In the film, an autopsy shows Constance Harraway, played by Laura Linney, had been forced to swallow the handcuffs key - a torture technique deployed by Romanian communist-era dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Evidence points to Gale, a professor and anti-capital punishment campaigner, who is convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to death. The newspaper also suggested she may have been 'influenced' by the movie 'The Life of David Gale' in which a main character is discovered apparently raped and murdered, suffocated by a plastic bag taped over her head Ms Novitskaya's body was found on a chair in her rented apartment with a blue plastic rubbish bag over her head - and wearing locked handcuffs Now it has emerged that the 30-year-old - whose name can also be spelled Khrystyna Novitska - ordered the handcuffs online four days before her death The film shows how Bitsey Bloom, played by Winslet, investigates the death and finds that in fact it was an elaborate suicide - made to look like murder - by Harraway who was suffering from terminal leukaemia. This discovery is too late to stop Gale - played by Spacey - being sentenced to death. Reports on the Ukrainian woman say the cause of death is still being examined by Turkish forensic experts. There was no evidence of a fight, and three locks on a steel door were closed from the inside. Hurriyet reported the death appeared similar to the one in the 2003 film, but there was no sign of assault on her body and the handcuff keys were in their box nearby Hurriyet reported the death appeared similar to the one in the 2003 film, but there was no sign of assault on her body and the handcuff keys were in their box nearby. No visitors were seen on CCTV cameras entering the compound in Eskicesme district where she lived, it was reported. Turkish law enforcement suspected she had become depressed about the pandemic, but her friends denied this. Officers also surmised that she may have sought to kill herself with a rope and a scarf found at the scene - before opting for the method in the film, say reports. Friends say that 'life-loving' and 'cheerful' Kristina was 'secretive' about her private life in Turkey, where she lived. 'We do not believe that she committed suicide,' said one. Turkish law enforcement suspected she had become depressed about the pandemic, but her friends denied this The last known man to see her alive, security guard Ramadan Askin, 65, said she appeared 'happy' after returning from a walk on New Year's Eve. Novitskaya had been a regular at a dance studio, where owner Fevzi Deniz Isldar said she was fluent in Turkish. 'Both she and her heart were beautiful,' he said. 'None of us could believe that someone who radiates so much positive energy could commit suicide,' he added. Ukrainian diplomats had taken the case under 'special control', said the country's foreign ministry. They were 'in contact with the Turkish law enforcement agencies carrying out the investigation and the relatives of the deceased citizen'. 'The consulate, in cooperation with the local funeral service, is also taking measures to prepare the repatriation of the body,' the foreign ministry added. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hailed the completion of GAILs Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline, saying completion of the project halted due to various obstacles was one of the major poll promises of his government. Noting that GAIL had to stop the project in September 2104 due to several obstacles, the Chief Minister said at the 450 km pipelines virtual inaugural function that his government, after coming to power in 2016, had to clear obstacles by proactively addressing the genuine concerns of the people. GAIL authorities also stood by us in making this project come to life. I am extremely happy that our combined efforts have borne fruits, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 450-km natural pipeline between Kochi and Mangalore in the virtual event attended by dignitaries including governors and chief ministers of Kerala and Karnataka, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and authorities of GAIL. The 450 km-long pipeline will carry natural gas from Kochi in Kerala through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts to Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. The pipeline is a landmark example of project execution with active support of governments of Kerala and Karnataka. Officials said the pipeline will bring convenient and uninterrupted supply of environment friendlyand affordable fuel in the form of piped natural gas (PNG) to households, commercial units and compressed natural gas (CNG) across different city gas distribution (CGD) areas in different Geographical Areas. The pipeline will offer clean industrial fuel and feedstock for petrochemical and fertilized sectors and provide an opportunity for multiple gas-based industries to emerge, thus bringing about socio-economic benefits to the people of these states and creating direct and indirect job opportunities, they said. PTI TGB ROH ROH Protesters Rally at Torontos Dundas Square, Call on Governments to End Lockdowns The organizer of an anti-lockdown protest held at Dundas Square in Toronto on Jan. 2 says that the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Canada are part of a political agenda from the governments and an attack on our democracy. Called the Freedom Marches, the protest called on the municipal, provincial, and federal governments to end the COVID-19 lockdowns that are affecting small businesses and Canadians. Several hundred protesters turned up on Saturday. Were here to support small businesses and to end the lockdown, organizer Kelly Anne Wolfe from Freedom Forum Canada (FFC) told The Post Millennial. Its a political agenda, and its an attack on our economy, an attack on small businesses, and therefore an attack on our democracy. Its time people start standing up. According to the FFC, there have been contradicting views, peer reviews, and scientific literature related to the pandemic, but officials intentionally suppressed or ignored the dissenting views and went on to issue restriction orders. Authors Dr. Barry Cooper and Dr. Macro Navarro-Genie, both senior fellows with think tank Frontier Centre for Public Policy, wrote that politicians and bureaucrats are making decisions out of fear and panic and thus implementing COVID-19 policies that are disproportionate to the problem, as detailed in their book titled COVID-19: The Politics of a Pandemic Moral Panic. The authors note that inaccurate epidemiological modelling by professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London that predicted tens of millions of deaths worldwide in mid-March last yearadvice which Ottawa heeded and turned into panicresulted in rolling out policies such as large-scale lockdowns that were not warranted. Fergusons model has since been found to be greatly flawed, according to the Montreal Economic Institute and others. Because of the over-reaction on the part of social and political authorities, instead of promoting their ability to keep their citizens safe, governments (especially in Canada) tried to scare them and were successful, at least in the short term, the book says. The authors also added that some have even benefited from the pandemic. There are people who have benefited from this, not necessarily monetarily but in terms of power, Cooper told The Epoch Times, referring to political actors and moral entrepreneurs who saw the opportunity to use the pandemic as a means to expand and consolidate their power. In a separate rally organized by The Line Canada, another advocacy group, on Saturday at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, protesters called on Canadians to defend their rights and civil liberties and resist oppression and tyranny. Our message is to end the lockdown, reopen business and raise awareness about government overreach and violation of our rights and freedoms, The Line said, while stressing they are not anti-mask or vaccines. Our goal is to return to work and reopen Canada. End The Lockdown March https://t.co/N5KaJlBSiV THE LINE CANADA (@thelinecanada) January 2, 2021 Hugs over Masks, another advocacy group that joined the anti-lockdown protest with FFC, had sent a letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford urging him to roll back his lockdown orders. Ford shut down the province on Dec. 26 last year. Your actions are responsible for bankrupting small businesses, destroying families & potentially putting our children & other vulnerable citizens at severe risk, the letter wrote. Last October, three epidemiologists from Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford co-authored a declaration dubbed the Great Barrington Declaration, saying lockdowns cause irreparable damage. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short- and long-term public health, says the declaration. The results include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings, and deteriorating mental healthleading to greater excess mortality in years to come. The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk, declaration said. While governments repeatedly urge Canadians to follow the COVID-19 restrictions, particularly staying at home, politicians are often spotted flouting the rules themselves, undermining public trust and compliance. For instance in Ontario, former finance minister Rod Phillips was found to be having his holiday with his wife in the Caribbean over the holidays when the province was ordered to shut down by Ford on Dec. 26 last year. He has since resigned his ministerial position. Saskatchewans Joe Hargrave, who resigned as highways minister on Monday, travelled to California during the holidays when the provincial government urged people to stay home. In Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney said Monday he had accepted the resignation of his municipal affairs minister and asked his chief of staff to step down after they took holiday trips during the pandemic. With files from The Canadian Press. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Bill Montgomery, HC staff / Houston Chronicle NRG Energy, one of the biggest electricity sellers in Texas, said Tuesday that it completed its $3.6 billion deal to buy British-owned Direct Energy, a move that further consolidates the Texas retail electricity market under the banner of NRG. Direct Energy, which is owned by U.K.-based Centrica, was the third-largest seller of electricity in Texas and controlled about 10 percent of the market. The deal adds 3 million retail customers to NRG in the United States and Canada, nearly doubling its footprint, and would open a new market for retail natural gas sales in the East. The erosion of democracy can be a slow and insidious process but on Tuesday, Pennsylvania state Senate Republicans demonstrated how fast it catches up on you. In the first Senate meeting after the 2020 election, Republican Majority Leader Jake Corman refused to swear in Jim Brewster of Allegheny County. Brewster, who has served in the Senate for over a decade, defeated Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli by 69 votes. Ziccarelli disputes the results on technical issues and filed one suit, which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected, and another in federal court, which is pending. Despite the fact the election results in the 45th Senatorial District have been certified by the secretary of state, Senate Republicans took matters into their own hands, and citing a technical rule, they announced Monday that they wouldnt seat Brewster. When Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who presided over the session, wouldnt entertain the motion to ignore the results from Brewsters district, the Republican majority simply took the gavel from him in a motion to let Corman preside. Eventually, all senators but Brewster were sworn in. The voters of the 45th District dont have a state senator, despite a certified election winner. READ MORE: Pa. GOP senators refused to seat a Democrat and removed Lt. Gov. Fetterman from presiding What happened in the Pennsylvania state Senate on Tuesday is the shameful preface for what Republicans are planning for Wednesday in Washington. Eight of the nine Republican members of Pennsylvanias delegation to the House of Representatives are poised to object to the certification of Joe Bidens Electoral College victory on Wednesday. Late last year, seven of those joined a Texas lawsuit asking for all the votes in Pennsylvania to be tossed out the very votes that got them elected. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the frivolous legal effort. Disappointingly, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the only Republican who is not going to oppose the certification of Bidens victory, joined the fray though in a more insidious way. He introduced the Restoring Faith In Elections Act: a bill that calls for uniform standards for mail voting and for curing ballots but also imposes a national voter ID requirement. He called the bill not political and should not be controversial. Considering Pennsylvanias history with voter ID laws, Fitzpatrick is either ignorant or playing dumb. READ MORE: Frustrated by the Pa. legislature? How obscure rules kill reforms and fuel partisan gridlock In 2012, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett signed one of the strictest voter ID laws in the nation. At the time, state data showed that nearly one in 10 voters did not have a valid ID. A Commonwealth Court judge struck down the law saying: Voting laws are designed to assure a free and fair election; the voter ID law does not further this goal. The same can be said today. This board asked Fitzpatrick if he can share instances of voting irregularities. He did not provide any of fraud but referenced inconsistencies across counties in ballot curing. Fitzpatrick intends to restore peoples full faith and confidence in the voting process and the results of our elections. The problem is, it is the actions of Republicans from the White House, Congress, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly that have undermined peoples faith in the voting process and served to question the results of the elections because they dont like the outcome. The system is working. Democracy? Not so much. Despite the high demand, Ho Chi Minh City still sits on 900ha of unused land and 14,000 vacant units, photo Le Toan The projects were approved for transfer from land for growing rice to urban development land between 2015 and 2017, but remain long-delayed due to various reasons. Two prominent projects are in the citys central business districts. One located on the triangle of Tran Hung Dao, Nguyen Thai Hoc, and Pham Ngu Lao streets was in 2007 assigned to a joint venture between Thai Son Construction Company, Chi Thanh Investment, Anh Duong Finance and Investment, BIDV, and South Korean investors of Hanwha Engineering and Construction, Hanshin Engineering and Construction, and Hanwha Galleria. The site was planned to develop a 65-storey complex with different functions such as commercial, office for lease, and hotel. The scheme was rejected by the government because of an incorrect auction process held, before a new joint venture involving the three South Korean companies was approved just under a decade ago. However, the new investors could not implement the initiative and Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee decided to stop the project altogether. In 2015 it was put up for public auction once more, with the joint venture of South Koreas Jimiro Construction and domestic Dai Tan Phu chosen as investor, but they made no further progress. A second major cancelled project is the complex located on the corner of Dong Khoi, Nguyen Hue, and Ngo Duc Ke streets in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. In 2014, this project was assigned to domestic investor Ho Chi Minh City Services and Trading Corporation but city authorities have finally pulled the plug after zero progress had been made. Apart from the aforementioned project cancellations, many other large-scale property projects are awaiting the approval to proceed from the authorities. The $900-million eco-smart city, funded by a consortium of Lotte Group affiliates, has similarly been delayed for years. In 2015, Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee assigned the project to Lotte without an auction, as it was the only group expressing interest in the venture. The following year, the consortium advanced VND120 billion ($5.2 million) to implement it. A representative from Lotte Properties Ho Chi Minh City Lottes arm in charge of this project last week confirmed to VIR that it was continuing talks with the government and local authorities to pave the way for the project. It has taken longer than expected but it seems like the government and local authorities are in the final stages of making a decision and I look forward to good news, said the representative. Meanwhile, Keppel Land Watco, a joint venture between Keppel Land Singapore and domestic partners, is now waiting for final approval from the government for adjusting the lifespan of Saigon Centre IV and V. These are two sub-projects of the Saigon Centre scheme, which first received certification 27 years ago. According to the proposal to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), operations will last until 2070 instead of 2043 due to the slow land delivery by city authorities. The MPI claimed that the proposal should be approved because the reasons of delay were not caused by Keppel Land but by difficulties in land clearance and compensation. Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, meanwhile, claimed that the long-delayed projects had been causing many difficulties for local residents, as well as losses for investors. The committee explained that the key reason for delays involved complicated regulations on the actual ownership of the land plots in the city. In addition to this, the zoning plan of different areas has also been changed regularly, forcing projects to constantly adjust. According to a report from competent bodies, many projects are also long-delayed because of the lack of capacity from investors. We are drawing up a list of projects which cannot be implemented and those will have their licences revoked, said a source from the committee. According to Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Investment, the city has more than 130 projects delayed for years due to many reasons, including overlapping and complicated procedures, causing uncomfortable situations for local residents, and wasting land plots. Some of the land from the cancelled schemes will be reallocated for calling for new investors. Among those are a 23-hectare land plot and another 90ha land plot in Nha Be district, to serve for other purposes. So far, Ho Chi Minh City has more than 900ha of unused land and around 14,000 unused units, draining resources from the citys budget and general investment of developers. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE The Delta Marine property, at 1608 S. 96th St., sold for about $37.1 million, according to King County records. The seller was Delta Marine, which owned the property for decades. . . . Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 A housebuilder within Lagan Specialist Contracting Group is behind revived proposals for a former industrial site in Co Down, Business Telegraph can reveal. Clonrose Developments in Belfast is expected to apply for planning permission for the transformation of the 25 acre former Crepe Weavers site on Comber Road in Newtownards. The textiles factory closed in 2005. An earlier proposal for nearly 100 homes on the site, as well as industrial and business units, two nursing homes, a hotel, a health centre and shops, received outline planning permission from then Environment Minister Mark H Durkan in 2013. It had been tipped to bring 400 new jobs to the area. That proposal was led by then site-owners Marm Developments, a property company linked to former directors of Crepe Weavers. However, that project did not proceed. Now Clonrose Developments is behind another move to redevelop the site. It's part of Lagan Specialist Contracting Group, which is owned by Michael Lagan and his family. A notice of a pre-application public consultation was published yesterday. It states that the proposals will involve 96 homes, a hotel, a nursing and care village, industrial units and a drive thru neighbourhood retail centre. There will also be an amended proposal for a new roundabout, as well as road improvements. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, no public event will take place as part of the consultation. Instead, the consultation will take place remotely. The notice reads: "We are using a number of online, digital and remote tools to help you view, discuss and provide feedback to help shape our proposals." Crepe Weavers produced fabrics from nylon filament yarns, especially coated fabrics used for sportswear, waterproofed garments and covers. The factory employed 400 people at its peak. Clonrose has carried out major development at other former industrial sites, including a builders' yard on the Ormeau Road which had been the home of H&J Martin, now part of Lagan Specialist Contracting. The company signed a development agreement for that site with Choice Housing Ireland for the provision of 42 social housing units. That development is known as The Brickworks. And in east Belfast, it signed another deal with Choice Housing Ireland for the construction of 18 social housing units. The site at 179-203 Beersbridge Road was formerly occupied by the Oxo Company as a factory and stores during the inter-war years The Oxo Factory apartment development was due for completion in spring last year. Because of its vast size, the 2013 planning application by Marm was treated as an Article 31 application - of such a large scale that the Environment Minister was required to decide whether to approve or reject it. Mark H Durkan agreed to the application on the basis of it being a "tremendous economic and social boost for the area". Speaking at the time, he said the mix of industrial and other types of buildings was a key factor in a positive outcome. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Why it matters: Microsoft is looking to simplify its Outlook apps by using a single client powered by the web. This would allow Microsoft to have a shared experience across platforms without having to deal with differing code bases. This also seems to be part of a larger initiative to revitalize the Microsoft brand to be amicable to all platforms. Microsoft will eschew dedicated desktop apps for Outlook in lieu of a single client powered by the web, according to Windows Central. This is part of Microsoft's "One Outlook" initiative that seeks to unify Outlook regardless of platform. The effort is called Project Monarch and will look to replace all Microsoft email clients, including the default Windows Mail app. Project Monarch will be built on a single codebase in order to simplify deployment across platforms. Windows Central says that Microsoft looks to have a single user experience and will be accessible to all customers, business and consumers. While you can technically install Outlook as a Progressive Web App (PWA) now, it doesn't have all of the integrations that Monarch will have. For example, Monarch will include support for offline storage, notifications, and share targets. Microsoft wants to ensure that it feels "native" to each platform while still adhering to the same look and feel as the Outlook website. Microsoft will start previewing Monarch towards the end of the year. The default Mail and Calendar apps are scheduled to be sunset next year with Monarch combining both functions into the one application. The company also has plans to sunset the Win32 Outlook application, but that will likely happen further out in the future due to the complexity of the app. In the meantime, Windows Central states that the current Mail and Calendar apps are in "maintenance mode" and will get a slight UI change in line with Microsoft's planned "Sun Valley" design refresh for Windows 10 later this year. An independence protestor outside the Scottish Parliament last week - AFP Nicola Sturgeon must abandon her plan to publish an independence referendum Bill before May's Holyrood election as Scotland tackles the mutant strain of Covid, Douglas Ross has demanded. The Scottish Tory leader said the First Minister's plan to publish draft legislation for another separation vote was "more absurd than ever" as Covid cases surge to a new high. He argued it would be "irresponsible in the extreme" to divert civil servants to working on the Bill when their attention should be focused on vaccine delivery, education and protecting jobs. His call was echoed by Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, who said her independence campaign should be "locked down" with the rest of the country. Mr Rennie pointed out that Ms Sturgeon suspended her campaign for separation during the first lockdown and argued she must do so again when "the country and the NHS are in an even more perilous situation." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Their intervention came shortly after the First Minister reiterated that Scotland was at its most dangerous point in the pandemic since last spring, with the new Covid strain triggering a huge rise in cases over recent weeks. However, she insisted that May's Holyrood election should go ahead as planned. Ms Sturgeon plans to ask voters for a mandate for another independence vote. She hopes to use this to force Boris Johnson to give her the powers for a legal referendum, with the Bill ready to be enacted. However, he said last weekend another separation vote should not be staged until 2055. Jim Sillars, a former SNP deputy leader, also urged Ms Sturgeon to "deprioritise" independence and focus instead of tackling the economic devastation caused by the pandemic. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. But, speaking on Channel 4 News on Monday, the First Minister said the pandemic was an "opportunity" for Scots to question how they want to be governed in future and "that of course brings to the fore the question of independence." Story continues One of the Scottish Government's civil service-administered Twitter accounts also highlighted an article she wrote for French newspaper Le Figaro in which she argued for another separation vote. Mr Ross said: "The SNPs choice to prioritise their Indyref Bill is more absurd than ever when the country is in lockdown and people across Scotland only care about fighting this pandemic. There is so little time left in this term and the Parliaments essential work will clearly be limited by the impact of Covid-19 restrictions." He added: We cant waste time on the same constitutional arguments of the last 13 years when all our attention should be on moving on from this pandemic. Mr Rennie said: Civil servants are being put to work right now on the SNPs next Independence Bill. That is the wrong priority for government. That work and any other work on independence should cease without delay." A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said: "We have a Programme for Government commitment to publish a Bill before the end of this current parliament, to set out the terms of a future referendum clearly and unambiguously. "Such a referendum will allow the people of Scotland to choose who is best to lead them out of the current crisis and to oversee the rebuilding of the country after the pandemic. With coronavirus pandemic raging across the country, United Kingdom PM Boris Johnson on Tuesday cancelled his visit to India that was scheduled for later this month. Britain began its third COVID-19 lockdown on Tuesday with citizens under orders to stay at home and the government calling for one last major national effort to stem the virus before mass vaccinations turn the tide. Johnson was scheduled to visit India on 26 January for the Republic Day celebrations. "The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a Downing Street spokesperson said. "In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the prime minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus." Johnson has indicated that his India visit would take place during the first half of this year and before the G7 summit presided over by the UK, where PM Narendra Modi is due to attend as a guest, planned for later this year. The Prime Minister said that he hopes to be able to visit India in the first half of 2021, and ahead of the UKs G7 Summit that Prime Minister Modi is due to attend as a guest," the spokesperson said. The lockdown comes as the surge of a new strain of the virus that is said to be more infectious threatens to overwhelm hospitals, despite the rollout of two vaccines, including the UK's own Oxford University/AstraZeneca shot from Monday, bringing hopes of beating the virus in the coming months. A total of 58,784 people tested positive in the UK on Monday, with cases in the last seven days up 50 percent on the previous week. Overall, Britain has been among the worst hit in the world by the outbreak, with some 2.7 million cases and 75,431 deaths. Johnson was widely criticised for hesitating too long about the measures, particularly school closures. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Travelers look at COVID-19 results after being tested inside JFK International airport in New York on Dec. 22, 2020. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images) TSA Says About 500 Million Fewer People Traveled by Air in the US in 2020 U.S. travel agencies have seen about 61 percent fewer people at security checkpoints last year compared to 2019 statistics when about 824 million passengers were screened nationwide. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced in a statement on Monday about 324 million people passed through airport security checkpoints last year across more than 440 federalized airports between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, totaling just 39 percent of the number in 2019. The administration reported the lowest travel volume on April 14, when only 87,500 passengers passed throughout all TSA checkpoints nationwide, amounting to just 4 percent of the passenger volume on the same weekday in 2019. The airline travel industry saw an increase again around the summer-period, which is also historically the busiest time of the year, the TSA said. Between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve, it saw another climb. Average travel volume per day between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve in 2020 continued to fluctuate between a low of 24 percent and a high of 61 percent of 2019 travel volume during the same period, according to the TSA statement. Passengers arrive on a flight from London amid new restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at JFK International Airport in New York City on Dec. 21, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) TSA added that they anticipate daily travel volumes will continue to rise steadily and follow seasonal patterns, adding that the agency expects volume will remain well below pre-pandemic levels through most of 2021. Measures to counter the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus were implemented at security checkpoints in airports around the country despite the reduced number of passengers, the TSA said. TSA modified security checkpoint procedures around the country to reduce physical contact and help protect workers and passengers. The agency accelerated deployment of acrylic barriers and technologies that enhance security and reduce touchpoints throughout the checkpoint, the statement reads. Last year, a total of 6,873 acrylic barriers were installed by the TSA at 384 airports nationwide. Those plastic-style barriers were broadly recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. The agency also placed more than 311 computed tomographies (CT) units at 135 airports, giving TSA officers the ability to review a 3D image of a passengers bags, resulting in a reduction of employees having to search travelers bags. A traveler places her carry on items into a tray as a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent helps her use the 3D scanner at the Miami International Airport on May 21, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The technology deployments also resulted in the installation of 927 credential authentication technology (CAT) units at 125 airports, eliminating the need for travelers to physically give their photo identification to TSA officers. Despite the multiple precautions that were implemented last year, more than 5,200 of the agencys 50,000 employees have tested positive for the CCP virus since the start of the pandemic, according to the agency. A total of 13 people have died while 769 employees are currently still infected with COVID-19, according to the Tuesday statement. Nearly 4,500 employees have fully recovered. Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said U.S. airline passenger volumes were down 57 percent over 2019 levels in mid-December, with domestic travel down 56 percent and international air travel down 66 percent. Major airlines lost more than $36 billion in the first nine months of 2020 but Congress has approved $15 billion in new payroll assistance as part of a CCP virus relief package to keep thousands of aviation workers on the payroll through March 31. The U.S. Transportation Department said in December that U.S. passenger airlines as of mid-October employed 9.1 percent fewer full-time equivalents employees versus the prior month to 368,162down 36,707 jobs in a month and down 91,871 since mid-March. Business travel remains especially hard hit. Planes are on average just 61 percent full compared with 89 percent in the same week last year, while non-U.S. citizen travel to the United States was down 84 percent in November. U.S. travel to and from 14 of the 20 top foreign country destinations were down 90 percent or more in October. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News Catalyte wins an Inc. Best in Business Award for 2020 I could not be more in awe of the work everyone at Catalyte does to ensure the continued success of our customers and to blaze a trail for anyone to begin and advance a career in technology. - Jacob Hsu, Catalyte CEO Inc. named Catalyte as one of its Best in Business in 2020. It awarded the company this honor for its use of machine learning and predictive analytics to remove the unconscious bias from hiring, its training and software developer apprenticeship that creates a new, diverse generation of tech talent and the launch of RetrainAmerica, which extends the promise of retraining and a new career to a greater number of Americans. This inaugural edition of the Best in Business Awards celebrates companies, "making a superlative impact on their industries, their neighbors, and our world." These are companies that made an outsized impact this year, leaving, collaborators, clients, customers, employees, and surroundings better off than when [they] found them. The award caps an impressive year for Catalyte, which continued its software developer training program uninterrupted, bringing people from all backgrounds hope of a new career in the midst of the pandemic. Among other notable corporate achievements in 2020, Catalyte: Opened its sixth development center in Phoenix-Scottsdale Started a retraining program with Koch Industries to find and train developers from the local Wichita, Kan. community Created a Software Development Fellowship to build a sustainable pipeline of local tech talent for Baltimore City Launched Create Opportunity Columbia, an initiative to train people in the Midlands region of S.C. from non-technical backgrounds to become software engineers If in January you showed me this list, I would have been very happy with the continued growth of the company, said CEO Jacob Hsu. The fact that our team was able to accomplish all this during a global pandemic that fundamentally changed how the world does business is herculean. I could not be more in awe of the work everyone at Catalyte does to ensure the continued success of our customers and to blaze a trail for anyone to begin and advance a career in technology. This Best in Business Award is a direct result of these individual efforts, compounded day-after-day. About Catalyte Catalyte produces technology talent others cant. Its Odyssey talent transformation platform finds, trains and advances new software developers from unexpected backgrounds, closing the talent gap and producing sustainable and diverse technology workforces. Its Surge division provides on-demand access to exceptional software engineers, allowing clients to flexibly scale technology resources when and how they need them. Catalyte operates training and software developer apprentice centers in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Phoenix-Scottsdale and Portland, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.catalyte.io. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. London: Despite growing vaccine access, January is looking grim around the globe as the virus resurges and reshapes itself from Britain to Japan to California, filling hospitals and threatening livelihoods anew as governments lock down businesses and race to find solutions. Mexico Citys hospitals hold more virus patients than they ever have. Germany reported one of its highest daily death tolls to date on Tuesday, and South African undertakers are struggling to keep up with virus mortalities. Even pandemic success story Thailand is fighting an unexpected wave of infections. A medical worker conducts a COVID-19 rapid test on a woman at a drive-through testing site in Athens. Credit:AP And as doctors face or brace for rising numbers of COVID-19 patients after end-of-year holiday gatherings, more and more countries are reporting cases of a new, more contagious virus variant that has already swept across Britain. January is going to be a tough one, Dr Margaret Harris, a spokeswoman for the World Health Organisation, said. This idea that seems to be Ah, were all sick of it. We want to look at something else. Oh, this doesnt apply to me' .... Thats got to go away. It really is all hands on deck. SHELTON Former Shelton Police Officer Dan Loris, who was fired in September, has found a new home with the Fairfield department. Loris, who had been the Shelton police departments K-9 officer as well as a patrolman before his termination, was sworn in Monday by Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick. According to a post on the Fairfield police Facebook page, Loris will complete a period of field training before being assigned to the Patrol Division as a patrol officer. Right now, were not going to comment on the specifics, but I can say that the officer in question went through a rigorous testing process, including an interview before the Board of Police Commissioners, Fairfield Police Chief Christopher Lyddy said. He was deemed to be an exceptional candidate, and given a conditional job offer. Lyddy said the commission was aware that Loris was fired in Shelton before offering him a job. Everyone deserves a second chance, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti said. His performance here was good for a long time, but he made some big mistakes this past year that could not be overlooked. Loris was fired from the Shelton department, according to Chief Shawn Sequeira, on allegations of ethics and sexual harassment violations and misconduct while on duty. Loris termination resulted from an internal affairs investigation in connection with what were alleged to be photos of officers changing their clothes in the department parking lot that appeared on the Support the Shelton Police Union Facebook page in July. Loris filed a grievance, which is still pending. There are no hard feelings, but we feel that the evidence and facts compiled could not, should not be accepted as police department standards in 2020. If the Fairfield Police Department want to overlook that, that is their prerogative, Lauretti added. The hiring comes after the Connecticut Department of the American Legion named Loris the Connecticut Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Loris was nominated by Legion Post 16 in Shelton, and he was chosen last summer. This award is usually presented at the American Legion State Convention in July, but due to the pandemic, the convention was canceled. The state passed the award on to Post 16 and recently the commander of Post 16 Dave Gallagher presented the award to Loris. Each year, the American Legion gives its National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award to a well-rounded law enforcement officer who has exceeded the duty requirements expected of his or her position and has demonstrated a distinct pattern of community service coupled with professional achievement. The award, which especially takes into account heroic acts, is presented annually at the legion's national convention, according to the American Legion website Department Law and Order Committees are encouraged to select and honor a Law Enforcement Officer of the Year at their conventions. Staff writer Joshua LaBella contributed to this story. brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 12:00:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Monday made public its revised regulations on safeguarding Party members' rights, over 15 years after the previous version was released. The revision was made in light of new situations, tasks and requirements, according to a circular issued by the CPC Central Committee along with the new regulations. The regulations consist of five chapters and 52 articles with improvements to the previous version, laying out specific provisions on Party members' rights, exercising the rights, and safeguarding the exercise of their rights. In accordance with the Party Constitution, the regulations listed the rights enjoyed by Party members in 13 aspects, including their rights to know, benefit from Party education and training, participate in discussions, offer suggestions and proposals, oversee Party affairs, call for dismissal or replacement, participate in voting, stand for election, plead their cases, voice disagreements, and submit requests, appeals and accusations. The new regulations have clearly defined the boundaries of exercising of the rights, said an official with the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. To enjoy their rights, Party members must fulfill their obligations, shoulder responsibilities, and observe the discipline, the regulations said. Party members shall criticize, expose, or report issues through Party organizations, the regulations added, noting that they should refrain from spreading the information at will or distorting the facts. Party members will be held responsible for the wrongful exercise of their rights, according to the regulations. The revised regulations also emphasized measures to safeguard Party members' rights including ensuring transparency in Party affairs and intraparty democracy. In addition to improving the existing measures in the previous version, the new regulations also introduced measures such as improving the system of establishing ties between Party officials and members. The revised regulations clearly stipulated the obligations and tasks of Party committees, the Party's disciplinary inspection commissions, primary-level Party organizations, officials, among other units, in safeguarding Party members' rights. Playing a key role in this regard, Party committees and leading Party members groups should fulfill their responsibilities for ensuring full and strict governance over the Party and strengthen leadership over work related to safeguarding Party members' rights, the regulations noted. The regulations set out in detail the specific cases involving infringements on Party members' rights by Party organizations and officials, as well as inappropriate exercise of rights by Party members. The regulations also defined the accountability of Party organizations, officials, Party members for infringements on Party members' rights and for failing to safeguard Party members' rights, as well as the liability for violating related disciplines and laws. Enditem Kriti Sanon recently got to fulfill one of her dreams and the video shared by her on Instagram is proof how happy the actor was to be able to accomplish her goal. She is seen riding a bike in the video and shared it with the Lucky Ali song Hairat playing in the background. She wrote along with the video, Four wheels Move the body, Two wheels Move the soul.. P.S. I always wanted to ride a bike with this song playing in the background! The Bareilly Ki Barfi actor is seen in a brown high-neck and denims, with a helmet and knee pads while confidently riding a back on an empty road. A team member is seen riding on another bike behind her. Her industry colleagues and fans were all praise for the actor as her happiness was clearly visible in the video. It received more than 870000 likes within a few hours, including one each from Arjun Kapoor and Ayushmann Khurrana. Preity Zinta dropped multiple fire emojis while Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari shared a heart in reaction to the video. Dia Mirza commented, Arrey waah, Varun Sharma wrote, Gedddddiiiiii. When one of Kritis friends asked her when did she learn to ride the bike, the actor answered, this is day 1 of learning, along with a laughing emoji. Kriti, who recently recovered from Covid-19, just resumed the shoot for her next, Bachchan Pandey with Akshay Kumar. The video seems to be from the sets of the film. The actor is with her team in Jaisalmer and had shared a few short video clips from their shooting venue--Suryagarh fort. Also read: On Deepika Padukones birthday, how she went from wanting open relationship with Ranveer Singh to marrying him Kriti recently changed her Instagram bio to Uncomplicate. She made a unique resolution on the start of the new year and shared a glimpse of how she is planning to declutter her thoughts. Sharing a picture of two journal diaries , she wrote, Humans are often conditioned to suppress emotions. Showing vulnerability, sadness, fear, anger, frustration, insecurity is considered a sign of weakness..As kids we cry loudly, we scream, laugh on innocent things, speak without thinking.. we keep it Simple! But as we grow up, we learn to behave and mask.. We feel something, we say something else..And i feel thats kinda messed up.. Never been a new year resolution person.. but this year, i choose to express in my own way.. Declutter and write down my thoughts.. my kinda meditation. Whats that one habit youd like to have in 2021? #Uncomplicate. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10 Andersen Global strengthens its presence in Europe as Porto-based Curado, Nogueira Associados (CNA), a collaborating firm since April 2018, becomes a member firm and adopts the Andersen name. "For the past couple of years, our relationship with Andersen Global has been beneficial to our firm's growth and development," CNA Partners and new Office Managing Partners of Andersen in Portugal, Teresa Nogueira and Luisa Curado said. "We are excited to adopt the Andersen brand as it strengthens our capabilities globally and further demonstrates our commitment to providing clients with best-in-class solutions." Founded in 2005 by Luisa Curado, Teresa Nogueira and Carla Malhao, CNA provides legal services, domestic and foreign, with capabilities including business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, labor law, tax law, tax litigation, intellectual property law and public law. CNA joins Lisbon-based Andersen in Portugal, where Andersen Global has had a member firm since 2017. Jose Mota Soares, Office Managing Partner of Andersen in Portugal, added, "It has been a pleasure working with like-minded individuals who are dedicated to serving clients at the highest level. We've had positive synergy, and together, we will continue to build strong relationships with our clients locally and internationally." "Teresa, Luisa and their team consistently demonstrate their commitment to their clients by providing best-in-class solutions," Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen CEO Mark Vorsatz said. "The team in Porto already has established a strong working relationship with the Lisbon office. This integration reinforces their collaborative nature, and our organization's commitment to ensuring our clients are afforded a full suite of services in a seamless fashion across the globe." Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax and legal professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 6,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 227 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005280/en/ Contacts: Megan Tsuei Andersen Global 415-764-2700 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Gemma Mai, 35, who lives in New South Wales, travelled from the Gold Coast to Melbourne thinking she could visit the Victorian capital but was denied entry and put into hotel quarantine A healthcare worker burst into tears when she was put into hotel quarantine and separated from her son for 14 days after being caught out by Victoria's border closure with NSW. Gemma Mai, 35, who lives in Tweed Heads just one street away from the Queensland border, travelled to the Gold Coast last week believing she could then fly on to Melbourne. She said she thought she would be fine to visit the city because she left New South Wales before 11:59pm on January 1, when Victoria slammed shut its border. But on arrival in Melbourne, officials told her that because she had been in NSW in the previous 14 days, she would have to quarantine at a supervised hotel and pay $3,000. After spending more than three hours at the airport following her arrival on Sunday afternoon, where she was even escorted to the toilet, she was taken to a hotel in Docklands. 'When I got to the hotel, you walk into the hotel lobby and there's about 15 different people all in PPE. And they're all looking at you like you're a criminal. And it's very confronting and very overwhelming,' Ms Mai told Daily Mail Australia. 'You proceed up the stairs and they give you a sticker with your room number. I was ready for someone to walk out and hand me a green jumpsuit like I was going to jail.' Ms Mai said the tears started flowing as soon as the reality kicked-in she was spending 14 days in a hotel without human contact. 'I got into the lift. As much as I was trying to crack a few jokes to make light of the situation, as soon as the doors closed I burst into tears. The reality had definitely kicked in,' she said. Ms Mai said she had kept up-to-date with the latest advice on the border but could not find any information alerting her that she would be denied entry because she had been in New South Wales in the previous 14 days Ms Mai had only planned to be in Melbourne for a few days before returning home to her son and job as a clerical manager at a radiology Ms Mai was provided with a Detention Notice on arrival at Melbourne Airport on Sunday as she was directed to hotel quarantine Ms Mai said she had not seen any information before her flight saying her travel plans would result in her being refused entry. 'I kept up to date with everything knowing if I'd be able to travel. As soon as I found out that Victoria was closing their borders to NSW and had to be out by 11.59pm on January 1, I got out,' she said. Ms Mai, who is a clerical manager at a radiologist, said she had not been to a known coronavirus hotspot area before travelling to Queensland for her trip to Melbourne. 'I had not been anywhere. I had only been to my place of work, my house and my parents house, which is located not very far from me,' she said. Ms Mai said she found the situation at Melbourne Airport to be 'confronting' and officials provided her with little information other than 'you'll have to go into 14 days hotel quarantine'. Her and two others who were told they had to quarantine were shocked by the decision. She was provided with a detention notice that said she was a prohibited person under the NSW Border Scheme Directions, having arrived in Victoria after 11.59pm on December 20. There was no option to immediately return to the Gold Coast, or NSW, she said. Ms Mai, a former Miss Supercars finalist, said prior to her being on the Gold Coast, she had only been at her home, work and her parents home nearby On the second morning of her hotel quarantine, Ms Mai was provided with a letter informing her Victoria was reviewing the circumstances of people returning from New South Wales She had planned to be in Melbourne for only a couple of days to see friends for personal reasons, before returning home to her 11-year-old son and job. Following her quarantine stint, Ms Mai said she would have to head straight back home as needed to get back to her son and her job. She said her case is being assessed by authorities. On her second morning of quarantine, a letter was slipped under her door informing her Victoria's Health Department had started a process to review the circumstances of people returning from NSW. The review will look into circumstances where quarantine may be more suitable at a private residence. Victoria banned anyone from entering from New South Wales, even its own residents returning home, from 11.59pm on January 1. 'The state of NSW has been designated as a Red Zone and the Northern Beaches a Hot Zone,' the Victorian Government said. 'Victorians visiting New South Wales cannot return to Victoria unless an exception (eg resident of border community) or exemption applies.' Victoria had first banned residents from the Greater Sydney area and the Central Coast from 11:59pm on December 20, before extending the ban to the entire state. Under the Border Scheme Directions a person who resides in, or has visited, a state or territory other than NSW may only enter Victoria from NSW if the person if they have not been in NSW for the last 14 days, other than to transit to Victoria. Daily Mail Australia contacted the Victorian Health Department for comment. On Dec. 31, 2020, a Turkish military delegation, led by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Chief of General Staff Yasar Guler, participated in the opening of a photo exhibition on the theme, Turkish-Azerbaijani Brotherhood is Eternal. In the display, the photo which grabbed Akar's particular attention was that of Lt. Valeh Memiyev. Col. Abdullah Gurbani of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry has now shared the story of the fallen hero with Anadolu Agency. According to him, the photo was taken during an award ceremony that followed a joint Turkish-Azerbaijani joint military exercise on Aug. 13, 2020. Addressing the Azerbaijani troops who participated in the exercise, the Turkish defense minister had appreciated their "strength and professionalism." "Your main task remains the liberation of Azerbaijani territories, which are under Armenian occupation for the last 30 years, he had said. We are waiting for orders from our supreme commander [Ilham Aliyev]. Once we receive the orders, we will liberate our territories and realize your wish," Lt. Memiyev had responded to Akar. Gurbani said Memiyev and his comrade-in-arms kept their promise by participating in the liberation of many settlements in the Qubadli region. Unfortunately, war and victory come with losses. During the clashes, Memiyev was critically wounded. In his last moments, he smiled and told his comrades that he kept his promise to Hulusi Akar." Relations between the former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as an Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions. When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and even violated humanitarian cease-fire agreements. During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages, while at least 2,802 of its soldiers were martyred. There are differing claims about the number of casualties on the Armenian side, which, sources and officials say, could be up to 5,000. The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution. A joint Turkish-Russian center is being established to monitor the truce. Russian peacekeeping troops have also been deployed in the region. The cease-fire is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have withdrawn in line with the agreement. Violations, however, have been reported in the past few weeks, with some Armenian soldiers said to have been hiding in the mountainous enclave. The Charger Blog Meet two Chargers who recently represented the University of New Haven at the annual Connecticut Public Health Association conference. They discussed their important research exploring students knowledge of COVID-19 and weight control behaviors among journalists. By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications Yanice Mendez-Fernandez 21 MPH presented her research exploring students knowledge of COVID-19. When the University of New Haven shifted to online learning last spring amid the coronavirus global pandemic, Yanice Mendez-Fernandez 21 MPH became interested in exploring college students perceptions and knowledge of the virus. She began working on a study to do just that. Using a 50-question survey, she assessed University of New Haven students understanding of COVID-19, perceptions of risk, and the impact of the virus on them, which included mental health, quality of life, and social cohesion. She presented her findings at the annual Connecticut Public Health Association (CPHA) conference, which was held virtually late last year. The CPHA conference always addresses topics that are relevant to the current climate, and it is always a wonderful experience to participate, said Mendez-Fernandez, Ph.D., a lecturer in the University of New Havens department of biology and environmental science. By presenting our data at the conference, I hope we make the community aware of the impact the pandemic has on college students. Mendez-Fernandez, Ph.D., whose background is in infectious and inflammatory diseases, examined how the impact of COVID-19 varied between undergraduate and graduate students and international and domestic students, and across different programs of study. Yanice delivered a compelling oral presentation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on School of Health Sciences students, said Karl Minges, Ph.D., MPH, chair of the Universitys health administration and policy department. As director-at-large of CPHA and moderator of the COVID-19 breakout session, I am proud to have had one of our own students work highlighted at the virtual conference. Yanice deftly discussed the stark differences we observed regarding the financial, stress/anxiety, and academic impacts of the pandemic on undergraduate and graduate students. Bryan Cadavos 23 presented his research at the Connecticut Public Health Association conference. I hope to continue doing more research Bryan Cadavos 23 also represented the University at the conference, presenting his research exploring weight control behaviors among journalists. He has been conducting this research with Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, and Michele Smallidge, Ed.D., RD, as part of his work with the Universitys WeEmbody Lab as a student research assistant. Being able to share the results of the research was an experience that I will not forget, said Cadavos, a genetics and biotechnology major. People who joined my virtual booth were intrigued by the topic, and I was able to inform them that those who work in the news industry go through a lot that people do not realize. The conference was a great opportunity because it helped me begin what I want to pursue as a researcher. I learned a lot, and I hope to continue doing more research in the future. The conference was Cadavoss first, and he is grateful for Dr. Trans mentorship and guidance. He says the experience improved his public speaking skills and his confidence as a researcher. Dr. Tran says Cadavoss presentation, as well as the recent publication of his research, impressed his audience. Presenting at a conference provides students with many opportunities for growth, he said. Students are not only able to present their research, but they are able to gather feedback from experts in their respective fields. He was professional, clearly understood the methodology of his project, and was receptive to feedback from those who watched his oral presentation. Changing the landscape of higher education Mendez-Fernandez, the master of public health candidate, also hopes to publish her results. She is continuing to expand the study, and she hopes to increase the sample size and collect additional data. Because there has been so much uncertainty and misinformation around the pandemic, it is important to learn people's attitudes and beliefs about COVID-19, especially those concerning transmission and prevention, she said. The pandemic is changing the landscape of higher education, and we need to learn how the student population is impacted by the pandemic to address specific barriers to learning. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 23:19:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A staff member checks the packaging quality of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine products at a packaging plant of the Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 25, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) China has promised and championed from the very beginning that COVID-19 vaccines developed in the country will be made a global public good when they are available. BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The international community has long been cleaved by deep disparities in wealth, education and even access to vital necessities such as electricity and clean water. The provision of COVID-19 vaccines must not add to that. However, the race to end this deadly pandemic may end up further segregating the world's haves and the have-nots, if the fair, just and universal vaccination can not be ensured. While some certain rich countries are trying to hoard as many vaccines as they can, many developing countries seeking their own doses are left in limbo. "Nearly 70 poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in ten people against COVID-19," People's Vaccine Alliance, an international vaccine watchdog, stated in December, adding that rich nations representing just 14 percent of the world's population have bought up 53 percent of all the most promising vaccines produced as of now. Nobody should be left out from getting a life-saving vaccine because of their country of residence or bank balance. China has promised and championed from the very beginning that COVID-19 vaccines developed in the country will be made a global public good when they are available. The first batch of 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, developed by China's SinoVac Biotech, arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara last week. Egypt licensed China's inactivated COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have approved the Chinese inactivated vaccine registration according to the World Health Organization technical standards, while other countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, Chile and Malaysia, have ordered vaccines developed by China's Sinovac Biotech. China's approach runs contrary to what has been smeared as "vaccine diplomacy." The country is rather walking the talk on its promise to ensuring vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries. And it is determined to continue doing so. Any attempt at hoarding vaccines should be named and shamed, and it could even be argued that buying up the vast majority of the global vaccine supply is in potential breach of global human rights obligations, in times of nothing less than a catastrophe. It is also time to ponder how to properly share the vaccine expertise with more developing countries, so as to scale up urgently needed productions worldwide. While full protection of intellectual property rights behind the vaccines is needed and conducive to innovation, a for-profit monopoly of know-how must be opposed, as humanity is at an unprecedented juncture and bold actions are required. When it comes to a pandemic like this, no one is safe until everyone is safe. Vaccine nationalism and an unfair vaccine distribution will only prolong the pandemic and claim more lives. Director Ali Abbas Zafar announced that he has tied the knot with an Instagram post on Monday. Sharing a photo of him holding his bride's hand, he simply said 'Bismillah' in the caption. On Tuesday, the filmmaker shared a romantic moment from their wedding, revealing the face of his bride Alicia. "1400 years ago Imam Ali said to Fatimah Al- Zahra's, all my worries and sadness disappears. When I look at your face, I feel the same Alicia Zafar," Ali wrote alongwith the photo. Arjun Kapoor, Disha Patani, Bhumi Pednekar and other celebs dropped heart emojis in comments. The filmmaker recently tied the knot in a private ceremony and shared a glimpse of his big day on social media on Monday. He shared a photo on Instagram that shows him holding the hands of his bride, wearing beautiful traditional outfits. Ali's close friend actress Katrina Kaif, who has collaborated with him on several films, wrote, "Congratulations to you both." Her Bharat co-star Sunil Grover expressed him excitement, writing, "Congratulationssssssssss!!!!" Actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor also commented on the photo. Ali started his career in the film industry as an assistant director. He made his directorial and screenwriting debut with the romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan in 2011. He has directed hit films such as Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai and Bharat. He turned producer last year with Khaali Peeli starring Ananya Panday and Ishaan Khatter. He has created a new web series, called Tandav, which will premiere on January 15. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The December collapse was jolting in its speed and followed a failed coup by hard-liners against then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Many Russians will celebrate the anniversary privately, although no formal ones are planned by state authorities. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the dissolution of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century. But it is an event also preoccupying the Kremlin today, analysts and Western diplomats say, a haunting historical example of how quickly an authoritarian state can unravel. They say a lesson being drawn inside the Kremlin is to double-down on using state power to maintain control. Bracing for challenge They point to the poisoning of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny last year as a sharp escalation in a Kremlin campaign seemingly aimed at squashing dissent and silencing alternative political voices. Speaking at an online event hosted last month by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, Russian pollster Denis Volkov said the Kremlin is aiming to demobilize the critics, to make them passive, to make them inactive. Last year, Putin changed Russias constitution, paving the way for him to remain in power potentially until 2036. The amendment was backed in a referendum by 79% of Russians who cast a vote, although there were also allegations of irregularities, including voter coercion and multiple voting. But that does not appear to have reassured the Kremlin or made it any more confident about the future. Navalny's poisoning suggests the Kremlin remains on edge and nervous about future challenges to its authority. FILE - Russian lawmakers vote on a third reading of constitutional amendments at the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russian Parliament in Moscow, Russia, March 11, 2020. According to Andrei Kolesnikov, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center, the Kremlin is facing a growing number of problems and is trying to prepare for all possible scenarios. Unrest in neighboring Belarus, which has been rocked since August by mass protests against the rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as disturbances in Kyrgyzstan, is heightening Kremlin alarm. The only goal of Putin and Putins elite is to keep themselves in power, Kolesnikov said. The analysts say numerous recent pieces of legislation emphasize the Kremlins apparent determination to continue to increase efforts against Putins domestic opponents ahead of what is likely to be a big political year in Russia, with parliamentary elections scheduled for September. They say the Kremlin senses the political winds are shifting against the government, which goes some way in explaining the timing of the attempted assassination of Navalny and measures strengthening state power. Navalny fell ill in August 2020 on a flight home from Siberia to Moscow. The pilot diverted the plane so Navalny could receive life-saving treatment. The political activist is recuperating in Berlin, where he was treated. Tests in Berlin indicated the presence of the nerve agent Novichok in his body. Western governments say Navalny was poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent, the same toxin that British officials say was used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in England in 2018. The European Union has sanctioned FSB (Russian intelligence service) chief Alexander Bortnikov and senior Kremlin officials over the attack. The Kremlin has denied any role in the poisoning. In December, Putin neither confirmed nor denied the involvement of Russian agents in the assassination attempt of Skripal but joked that if they had wanted him dead they would have probably finished it. But the Russian leader did not dispute that Navalny had been tailed for years by FSB agents. New legislation Last week, Putin signed a measure updating the so-called foreign agent law, which was first passed in 2012 and initially targeted foreign media outlets and civil society groups that receive any funds from outside Russia. The law was subsequently broadened to include individual journalists and bloggers, requiring them, like foreign-media outlets and foreign-funded civil rights groups, to report their activities and submit to frequent financial audits. The law has already led to the closure of some major non-governmental organizations in Russia. The amendment signed by Putin Wednesday further expands the parameters under which a person or entity can be deemed a foreign agent." Before, they had to receive foreign funding. Now, they can be labeled a foreign agent if state authorities consider their activities to be in the interests of a foreign power. Amnesty International said the new measure signals the start of a a new witch hunt in Russia. It exposes the Russian authorities belief that civil society actors are destructive "agents of the West" bent on destabilizing the government, Amnesty International researcher Natalia Prilutskaya said. The Russian authorities have already starved civil society financially and forced many organizations to close. Now, they are further demonizing individual activists. New restrictions have also been imposed on public protests, and the government has given itself enhanced authority to block foreign and domestic websites it says are censoring Russian state-media content. Rising discontent The economic repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, which is adding to growing inequality and poverty, is likely to fuel public frustration. It comes amid signs that Putins hitherto majority support is not something the Kremlin can take for granted, said pollster Volkov. Russian officials appear to have been surprised by anti-Kremlin protests last year in Khabarovsk in Russias far east, where locals reacted furiously to the arrest on criminal charges of the regions popular governor and political outsider, Sergei Furgal. In a national poll conducted last year, the Levada Center said 47% of respondents said they had a positive view of the Khabarovsk protests. Putins approval ratings have also been slipping. Putin recently spoke about the final years of the Soviet era. The Soviet Union had everything, but there was not enough for everyone," he said. Back then, the problem was due to a shortage. But now, it could be because people do not have enough money to buy certain products at the prices we see on the market. The New York Times About a month after the new year has started on Earth, three spacecraft will pull into the vicinity of Mars. These explorers, which launched in July last year, will be heralds of a busy year of space exploration, launches and astronomical occurrences. What follows is a preview of some of 2021s most notable expected events. Private companies and the worlds space agencies are likely to announce more. Martian meetup The United Arab Emirates, China and the United States all launched robotic missions to Mars last summer, seeking shortened voyages during the period every two years when Earth is closest to the red planet. The three spacecraft will join a bustling community of explorers either in orbit or on the planets surface. The first to arrive will be the Emirati Hope orbiter, the first deep space explorer of the Arab countrys small but ambitious space program. The mission will study the Martian atmosphere, sending valuable data back to scientists on Earth. It is to reach its destination on Feb. 9. Chinas Tianwen-1 mission is to arrive at Mars on Feb. 10. After orbiting the planet for a time, it will send a lander containing a rover to the surface in May. Landing intact on the solar systems fourth planet is perilous, and only NASA has done it more than once. A successful landing there would extend Chinas record of impressive spaceflight achievements, especially after last years Change-5 mission to the lunar surface came back to Earth with a fresh cache of moon rocks. Soon after, on Feb. 18, NASAs Perseverance rover will arrive and plunge toward the surface of Mars. If it lands successfully, the rover will seek signs of extinct life in a dried out crater lake and riverbed. But first it will deploy Ingenuity, a small helicopter. That device has its own mission of carrying out the first powered flight from the surface of another planet. Locking on to the lunar surface While China has landed spacecraft on the moon three times in the past seven years, NASA has not landed there since 1972, the last Apollo mission. That could change in 2021, deepening the commercial transformation of American space efforts. NASA has in the past decade relied on private companies to build and operate spacecraft that could ferry cargo, and now people, to the International Space Station. It is trying a similar approach with Commercial Lunar Payload Services. The program has contracted with a number of private companies to build robotic lunar landers that will carry cargo from NASA and other customers to the moons surface. The first company, Pittsburghs Astrobotic, is scheduled to launch its Peregrine lander to the moon in June. It could be followed in October by Nova-C, a spacecraft built by Intuitive Machines of Houston. NASA also has its eye on returning astronauts to the moon this decade. Its first step will be an uncrewed test flight of the massive Space Launch System built for future American deep space launches. The rocket has faced numerous delays and ballooning costs, but NASA still plans a journey in 2021 known as Artemis-1. It will send Orion, a capsule for astronauts, around the moon and back to Earth. That test is tentatively scheduled for November. Deeper into deep space The most scientifically important mission of 2021 has been a long time coming. The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, effectively a successor to the Hubble telescope, has been postponed for years, plagued by technical problems and mounting costs. NASA and the worlds astronomers and planetary scientists are eager to see it get off the ground at the end of October. The agency settled on that time frame after the coronavirus pandemic and other problems added another delay to the existing schedule. Two other NASA explorers will also head out into the solar system. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft, launching in July, aims to test whether a spacecraft could deflect a future asteroid that was headed toward Earths surface. To do that, it will visit Didymos, a pair of near-Earth asteroids that travel around the sun together, and attempt a collision to nudge the orbit of the smaller rock. A second mission, Lucy, will launch in October and travel much farther, making flybys through Jupiters orbital path. There it will study the Trojans asteroids that travel in the same orbit as Jupiter but hundreds of millions of miles ahead or behind, trapped there by the giant planets gravity. Scientists think these space rocks could conceal secrets of how the solar systems outer planets were formed. Odysseys to orbit Human spaceflight was transformed in 2020 as SpaceX successfully launched a pair of crews to the space station. The company is likely to send more astronauts to orbit in 2021, and not all of them may be working for NASA and other government space agencies. Multiple companies are working with SpaceX to launch paying customers on the Crew Dragon capsule. One of them, Axiom Space, could send its first private tourists to the space station late in the year. When NASA picked SpaceX to build transport for its astronauts, it also hired Boeing to do the same. During an uncrewed test to orbit in December 2019, a series of errors nearly led to the catastrophic loss of Boeings Starliner capsule. To make up for that unsuccessful flight, Boeing will carry out a second test flight as early as March. Other human journeys to space also beckon this year. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin may send paying customers on short trips to the edge of space and back in 2021. China could also start launching pieces of its next generation space station during the year, setting it on a course to have a regular human presence in low Earth orbit in the years to come. Solar system showtime If 2020 taught people anything, it was to expect the unexpected. While Covid-19 darkened the world as it traveled around the sun, humanity was surprised by views of Comet NEOWISE in the summer months and enthralled with the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn during the winter solstice. Its a big universe, and there is so much of it to be seen from our small part of it. A lunar eclipse on May 26 will overlap with a period when the moon is closer to Earth than usual, what some call a super blood moon. People in Australia and on Pacific islands as well as in the Western United States will get the best views of the occurrence, and some if the event will be visible in other parts of the Americas as well as East and South Asia. Most people in North America will have to wait until 2024 to experience the next total solar eclipse like the one in August 2017. But on June 10, some North Americans will get a taste of whats to come in three years when an annular solar eclipse darkens some skies. Also known as a ring of fire eclipse, it happens when the moon is too far from Earth to fully obstruct the sun, leaving a halo of sunlight around its edges. This unusual eclipse will cross over the North Pole as it travels, and only people in small parts of Canada and Russia will get the full effect. But those willing to wake early enough on parts of the East Coast and wear their safety glasses will get to see a partial eclipse around sunrise that morning. Michael Roston. c.2021 The New York Times Company Diresa Cusco Deputy Director Javier Ramirez on Tuesday explained that the rates will be reflected between January 7 and 15. In this sense, the official argued that although the number of daily contagion remained between 50 to 100 people in recent days there is the probability that a sector of the population has contracted the virus. Thus, the alert is in force throughout the city, which relies on 21 health establishments and 201 beds. "If there are mild cases, they can be controlled so that they do not become moderate or critical and reach hospitals," he expressed. Ramirez went on to add that for severe cases the regional hospital has 12 equipped beds in the intensive care unit. "It is a modern room, one of the top in Latin America," he stressed. Furthermore, the official said that another six beds are equipped at Antonio Lorena Hospital 's ICU located in Santiago district. "The provision of oxygen is also ready for eventual consumption; let's remember that it is the only authorized medicine, which does have a positive effect on people's recovery," he added, stressing that there should be no self-medication. Finally, Ramirez explained that out of the registered COVID-19 cases about 30% are active, which means that these citizens can infect others. According to the most recent COVID-19 Situation Room Report in Cusco , 77,947 people have been infected since the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) to date of whom 3,549 received hospital and other 76,905 epidemiological discharges. Meanwhile, there are currently 114 hospitalized people, of whom 18 are in the ICU. For its part, the death toll has reached 1,326 since the start of the pandemic. In fact, three citizens passed away in the last 24 hours. (END) PHS/LZD/MVB Death of Flight Attendant Causes Online Outrage, Sparks Talks on 'Rape Culture,' 'Victim Blaming' The recent death of 23-year-old flight attendant, Christine Dacera, now sparked outrage online as netizens are not only seeking the truth regarding the case but also emphasized the truth about the rape, that it is never the victim's fault. Based on the recent update, the Philippine National Police has branded the said case as 'solved' after the arrest of three suspects who were immediately charged with rape and homicide following inquest proceedings. The #JusticeForChristineDacera went viral overnight, with Filipinos preempting the usual narrative of victims being blamed for their clothing and level of intoxication by reiterating that rape is only caused by rapists, Philippine news outlet, Rappler reported. Aside from the mentioned tweet, other related tweets like #ProtectDrunkGirls #StopVictimBlaming, and Rape is rape also went viral overnight. In a Facebook post of netizen Christy Prejido, she shared that there is a need to teach men that vulnerability is not a form of consent. Celebrity and gender advocate Kakie Pangilinan also called beyond protection for drunk girls and shared that women should be treated with respect and given basic human decency in the first place. She also tweeted that women would prefer respect over protection as Pangilinan emphasized that they are not pretty things that need constant guarding as they are human beings as well. the hashtag rly shouldnt be protect drunk girls man, it should be respect tf out of any human being because drunk girls shouldnt be needing any more protection than drunk guys. thats exactly whats wrong here, though a few drinks and were suddenly no longer people ig kakie (@kakiep83) January 4, 2021 A twitter user also mentioned in her tweet that even the law did not define rape as caused by the clothing and condition of the victim. Read also: Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's Former Partner, Has Been Denied Bail Again The public also emphasized that the said case is a product of sexism that is running deep and rooted in centuries of inequality between men and women, Spot.ph reported. User even tweeted that it needs to be blamed to centuries of male privilege, blame men who will not acknowledge the equality, and blame men who tolerate the said act. The true cause of the death of Dacera is still surrounded with questions that are still hounding the case, but netizens are not stopping to dig deeper and demand more evidence. The New Year's Party Fiasco Based on a report from CNN Philippines, the 23-year-old victim was found unconscious in an empty bathtub in a hotel room where the victim together with her friends celebrated the New Year's Eve party. Dacera was, later on, declared dead after being rushed to the nearest hospital. The chief of the Makati City Police, Col. Harold Depositar, shared in a statement that the charge of provisional rape and homicide was filed against the 11 persons who were present and with the victim at the time of her death. He also added that based on their gathered information, they were occupying two hotel rooms adjacent to each other in the city of Makita during a party on New Year's eve. The local police chief also made some clarifications that the charges were only provisional since the office of the prosecutor is currently waiting for the results regarding the autopsy findings and toxicology report of the victim. Depositar also mentioned that the said reports will be present and submitted by the Makati City Police on Tuesday. Related article: Flight Attendant Brutally Dies Allegedly From the Hands of Friends on New Year's Eve remaining of Thank you for reading! This is your last free article before you will be asked to subscribe. Already have a paid subscription? Sign in Do as I say, not as I do. Do as I say, not as I do. Of all the mistakes leaders and high-profile politicians are prone to make, the propensity to say one thing and do the exact opposite has to be among the most maddening. The public looks to leaders for advice on what to do and examples of how to behave. When leaders do not heed their own advice, it erodes trust and confidence until quite frankly they cease to function as leaders. Manitoba provides an acute recent case in point. Three members of the Progressive Conservative government one MLA and two senior advisers travelled outside the province in defiance of urgings from Premier Brian Pallister and public health officials to stay home to guard against spreading COVID-19. The Tory government confirmed MLA James Teitsma (Radisson) and his family took an extended holiday season car trip and visited Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Three members of the Progressive Conservative government one MLA and two senior advisers travelled outside the province in defiance of urgings from Premier Brian Pallister to stay home to guard against spreading COVID-19. David McLaughlin, clerk of the executive council, was given two weeks leave in December to travel to Ontario to be with family, while the province's director of strategic communications and marketing, Logan-Theanna Ross, travelled to eastern Canada over the holiday season. A spokesman for the government said Teitsma and his family did not visit with anyone during their trip, and McLaughlin was not on "vacation" when he visited Ontario, where he worked in a virtual capacity while out of province. Upon his return sources say McLaughlin was in the legislative building last weekend did not quarantine for 14 days, as is required of any other citizen who makes a non-essential trip east of Terrace Bay, Ont. A provincial government spokeswoman provided no details about Ross's trip, except to say she would be required to quarantine for 14 days. Teitsma would not have been required to quarantine because he went west. Now that it's been confirmed that three members of the Pallister government travelled outside the province, how much should we care? At face value, the fact that three members of the Pallister government were travelling at a time when Manitobans were being urged to stay home is a valid issue, and one that requires some sort of response from the premier. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES David McLaughlin, clerk of the executive council, was given two weeks leave in December to travel to Ontario to be with family. Teitsma is an elected member of that government and had a clear obligation to stay home. Things get a bit more complicated for Ross and McLaughlin. Ross is a senior member of the premier's political staff while McLaughlin is the highest-ranking mandarin in government, the titular head of the civil service and also one of Pallister's most-trusted advisers. Although the clerk's role is normally filled by a career public administrator, McLaughlin earned his consideration for the job by serving as campaign manager for both the 2016 and 2019 Progressive Conservative election drives. He also earned a handsome income as a consultant to the Pallister government on climate change policy. However, now that he is the province's top civil servant, he is clearly expected to set an example for all core government employees, particularly those that by virtue of their occupations worked throughout the Christmas break to support the pandemic response. The failure of senior government officials elected or otherwise to live up to that expectation has become a pressing political issue. Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips, who took a Caribbean trip last month, was forced to resign his cabinet post. In Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney forced the resignations of two cabinet ministers and a senior political adviser, all of whom travelled for non-essential reasons. Three other Alberta MLAs were stripped of legislative responsibilities. FACEBOOK PHOTO MLA James Teitsma (Radisson) and his family took an extended holiday season car trip and visited Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. On the federal stage, Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton was stripped of her critic duties for travelling to Greece to visit an ailing family member. Is this a fair way of dealing with public officials that flout public health rules about non-essential travel? Clarity on that question came from Kenney, who made no bones about the motivation for asking for the resignations of members of his government. "Albertans have every right to expect that people in positions of public trust be held to a higher standard of conduct during COVID-19," he said Monday. That "higher standard of conduct" at this critical stage of the pandemic has certainly been acknowledged by others in the Manitoba government, including the premier. Given the number of times Pallister has made ill-advised trips outside the province during the pandemic, that is really saying something. In early 2020, Pallister left Manitoba to visit his vacation property in Costa Rica, just as the World Health Organization was declaring COVID-19 a global health emergency. Twice since the pandemic reached Manitoba, Pallister made clearly contrived trips to Ottawa that combined some work (although only in the vaguest possible terms) and recreation. However, even a premier with a keen appetite for travel was not going to be caught outside of Manitoba this holiday season. In December, Pallister proudly proclaimed in year-end interviews he was not leaving Manitoba for any reason. "I'm on duty," he told the Free Press. Pallister also posted an emotional holiday video message on social media, promoted by the hashtag #SafeatHomeMB, in which he begged people to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19: "This year, just stay home and be safe." There is no chance Teitsma, McLaughlin and Ross didn't get the memo. They indulged holiday trips no one in their government could possibly justify. Will they be punished? The respective trips were the wrong thing to do, at the worst possible time. However, all three have one clear advantage officials in other provinces do not: they work within a government that rarely finds fault in anything it does. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Most people would agree that 2020 was a difficult year and most of us are hoping that 2021 will be better. Along with the COVID-19 pandemic came job losses, working from home, toilet paper and sanitizer shortages, illness and death, loneliness and a myriad of other troubles. Did you put on weight being stuck at home turning to chips and ice cream for comfort? Did you binge on Netflix because you lost your job? Did home-schooling drive you insane? You arent alone. The job resources website Zippia.com analyzed Google trends to determine the most common searches related to New Years resolutions in each state. The most common resolution in 12 states including Pennsylvania was - to seek therapy. That comes as no surprise as many people faced mental-health challenges during a difficult year. The second most common was weight loss. Other resolution searches included dating, sleeping better, getting a new job, taking a vacation, saving money and reading more. Others of us want to make more money, take on weight training, quit drinking or meet new people. Therapy was the top goal in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee. We have to wonder what is going on on the West Coast where those seeking better sleep are in Oregon, Washington and Alaska and most of the people who want to read more live on the East Coast in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The exception being Arkansas. READ MORE Hyundai Motor case reaffirms need for corporate manslaughter act A worker at Hyundai Motor's plant in Ulsan was killed after being caught in a machine Sunday. We can't help but ask until when and how frequently such tragedies should be allowed to recur. Little wonder Korea has a disgraceful No.1 title in industrial disasters among OECD member nations with a daily average of seven deaths. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has repeatedly vowed to legislate an act on the punishment of businesses responsible for fatal industrial accidents. However, the bill has been in limbo in the face of vehement opposition from business lobbies. Belatedly on Tuesday, the DPK agreed with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) to pass the bill at the ongoing National Assembly session Friday. The bill is designed to prevent companies from passing dangerous work on to subcontractors and to better protect workers from their firms' greedy pursuit of profits. The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but a blatant disregard for safety could be the main reason. The victim, 54, an employee at one of Hyundai Motor's subcontractors, was removing scraps at the bottom of high-pressure compression equipment. The job with a first-degree hazard requires workers to operate in pairs, but the subcontracted laborer did the job alone. According to union workers, Hyundai Motor overworked the machine to manufacture a new electric vehicle model by Monday. Police should investigate why the carmaker operated the machine even while the worker was sweeping it and why there were no safety rails. Hyundai Motor Chairman Chung Eui-sun expressed his condolences and said, "We will do our best to create a safe work environment and prevent safety accidents." However, if the union is right, the accident was due to the giant carmaker's time-old practice of leaving dangerous work to subcontractors without taking any proper safety steps. The latest tragedy reaffirms the need to enact the Korean version of a corporate manslaughter act that holds large companies and prime contractors accountable for fatal industrial accidents. However, the government's proposal submitted to the Assembly in December sharply weakened the original bill. The public must not allow attempts to make the proposed law an empty shell. Politicians should no longer be swayed by the business lobbies' allegations of "excessive legislation" but keep their bipartisan promise to prevent workplace deaths. Cynthia Smiths 11-year-old granddaughter was scrolling through social media Dec. 26 when a bullet pierced the window inches above her head. The projectile drilled through the washroom and living room, where the 63-year-old Smith had been watching TV with her daughter and two younger grandchildren. No one inside was hurt, but Smith, a lifelong Acres Homes resident, cannot shake the incident from her mind. If she had stood up it would have been another story, she said of the 11-year-old. Smith joined about two dozen other longtime Acres Homes residents Monday for a press conference to shed light on what they described as a major uptick in violence throughout the north Houston neighborhood. In addition to the Dec. 26 shooting, the residents also pointed to a fatal shooting Sunday afternoon that forced people to take cover in their homes. Houston activist Deric Muhammad led the press conference, which also drew Houston City Councilmember Tarsha Jackson and HPD Commander James Bryant. In calling for an end to the violence, Muhammad noted that the historically Black neighborhood is filled with elderly residents who are proud of their roots. Our elders built this community, Muhammad said. They deserve better than to watch what they built be torn down brick-by-brick, block-by-block and homicide-by-homicide. A crime wave swept through Houston and other major cities in 2020 as the nation grappled with the coronavirus pandemic. Houston surpassed 400 murders, solidifying the years murder rate as one of the worst in three decades. An increase in aggravated assaults also drove up the overall violent crime rate. Acres Homes was no exception to that trend, Bryant said. We have to do the best we can with what we have, said Bryant, whose district covers the neighborhood. Thats why it is so important we have the support of the community and (Councilmember Jackson) and Mr. Muhammad. So its going to have to be a team effort. But I can guarantee you, HPD is 100 percent on board when it comes to reducing the violent crime in this area. Smith had been visiting a neighbor Sunday afternoon when she said 16 gunshots forced them to get on the ground. She said the shots came from a store at the corner of De Priest and St. Clair streets. It was the same location from which the bullet on Dec. 26 struck her home, she said. Every day theres something going on at the store, she said. They shoot all day and all night. We took down our kids trampoline because they cant jump in the afternoon because theyre shooting . This is like a war zone living around here. An employee at the store said the manager or owner was not available for comment. Houston police have not identified a suspect or the deceased victim in Sundays shooting. In that incident, a roadway altercation ended in a three-car crash at the intersection of De Priest Street and West Little York, officials said. Two people were shot, one fatally, at that intersection. A second shooting injured another two people at the corner store, about 1 mile north of the first shooting. Police believe the two incidents are related. Bryant said he could not release more information, citing the ongoing investigation. Acres Homes resident Diane Shepard, 64, blamed corner store owners throughout the neighborhood for allowing people to commit crimes on the property We need to take our community back, she said. We need to go back to being Acres Homes proud. We need to keep our heritage and our history. Muhammad said a layered solution is necessary, including more economic opportunity, mentorship and counseling in the neighborhood. Councilmember Jackson, who was born in Acres Homes, said Harris County is currently working on a community reinvestment fund that would inject resources into organizations that serve at-risk children and families in need. She pledged to work with community leaders, police and activists to address the crime. During the press conference, she reflected on a time when her grandmother could leave the front door open while she ran down the street as a child. You didnt have to worry about a bullet coming through the window, she said. We were at home, and everybody should feel safe at their home. julian.gill@chron.com The chairman Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume, has said that the Nigeria Army has no option than to end the Boko Haram insurgency because the government has provided them with enough funds this year. Mr Ndume, a Borno State Senator, said the military has obtained approval for all requests they placed before the federal government in terms of weapons and ammunition needed to end insurgency and banditry in Nigeria. The Nigerian Army now has what they need, Mr Ndume said. The senators comment is coming about a week after the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, told the media that the army will disgrace Boko Haram this year. It is not clear if the army chief, who many opinions around the country feel has overstayed his tenure in service, was speaking about the support Mr Ndume was inferring. Last year the army staff, Mr Buratai, a Lieutenant General, said There is the likelihood of terrorism persisting in Nigeria for another 20 years unless there is appropriate responses by all stakeholders both civil and military authorities. Speaking in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Ndume said the federal government has given all the expected appropriate responses. In this fiscal year, the army had requested that the funds given to them, especially the capital should be released to them so that they can get the necessary arms and ammunition. And all that they asked for has been approved, he said. So, they now have all their money. As a matter of fact, in a bid to avoid any shut down this January, the National Assembly said the capital funding of the army should run concurrently with the budget that was signed, up to the end of March. The gesture is to enable Nigeria to procure the necessary arms and ammunition. The Borno senator, who has been vocal about the federal troops incapacity to win the Boko Haram war, said the National Assembly had taken strategic steps in ensuring that the pocket of the army does not dry off funds again. But we should know that the procurement orders for arms are not off-the-shelf; it is not something that takes bureaucracy, and with the Corona pandemic things are slowed down. However, we thank God; and I can assure you that arms and ammunition is coming in for the Nigeria army, and the other armed forces. All that they needed to get the soldiers on ground motivated has also been provided in this budget. The personnel and recurrent budgets of the armed forces, in this years budget, is over N500 billion. Last year, the budget was N75 billion for Operation Lafiya Dole alone. But this year, due to the complaint they made about lack of adequate funds, we budget N100 billion just for Operation Lafiya Dole alone, and it was approved and signed by Mr President. The Senate Committee Chairman of the Army said the National Assembly had directed the army to recruit more troops that could match Boko haram and bandits across the country. To increase troops, the National Assembly had emphasized to the military that instead of the normal recruitment of 6000 soldiers or thereabout, they should now recruit 8000, he said. As I am talking to you now, the recruits are undergoing training in Zaria and Folgore. This is the first time that two pieces of training are being conducted concurrently in a different location. And this is because we want to beef up the number. Besides that, the Nigeria Army, the Navy and the Air Force are also churning out their special forces that were sent for specialised training in various countries. ADVERTISEMENT The special troops have returned and we have seen here recently in Borno how one of the officers is doing as a special force along the northern Borno axis. Challenges Mr Ndume said Nigerians must acknowledge the challenges faced by troops in the frontline. We must understand that both Boko Haram and the Nigerian army face similar terrain advantages and challenges, he noted. It is the dry season now, just as the army finds it easy to navigate the terrain, so does the Boko Haram take advantage of the dry season to move or sneak around for attacks on soft spots where it could easily attract attention. Nigerians will hail PMB again Mr Ndume, who has traduced the President Buhari government for not doing enough to tackle security, said he has a renewed confidence that the widely criticised president would soon be hailed by Nigeria for restoring security in the country. Nigerians are resilient and appreciative people, he said. Of course, it has been terrible in 2020, but we are not in a hopeless situation. The challenges we have are not insurmountable. And we cannot write off Mr Presidents effort. It is an achievement for a leader to admit the shortcomings of his government because others were living in denial. At the risk of not politicizing the issue of security, the fact remains that PDP was out of power because they failed. And when we came on board, Nigerians were naturally expecting us to distinguish ourselves, we could not score credit grade, but at least we got a Pass. One good thing is that Nigerians are good at appreciating things; once we address the insecurity issues, Nigerians will still chant Sai Baba again. Need to Commend Troops Mr Ndume said Nigerians still need to appreciate the army for the sacrifices they have made so far. We must commend the efforts of the Nigeria Army given the fact they are doing their best even in the face of all challenges, he said. It is a fact that the troops are facing serious challenges ordinarily no one would want his or her child to join the Nigeria Army as soldiers because of what the ground troops suffer. It is no longer enticing to be a soldier. People are disenchanted because we have all witnessed the suffering they go through due to lack of adequate motivation and tools; the best one could take is going into the army as officers where someone is there protecting you with an AK47. But despite these noticeable challenges and suffering, we have our soldiers still patriotically standing their ground in remote locations where no civilians stay. READ ALSO: For example, army troops have been in Ngoshe, a community within my constituency for over three years even though the place is not safe for the civilians. The governor had just moved people to that place after the troops had made the place safe enough. Nigeria army has been standing in defence of the country on that axis. But for all these three years, The soldiers are trying, but we all know it is not over until it is completely dealt with. But I believe that with more commitment from the government; especially with the hope given to us by Mr President in his New Year broadcast, things will drastically improve and reasonable security would be restored by the middle of 2021, Insha Allah. I am not saying crimes, like insurgency and banditry, would be eliminated, but it would be reduced to the barest minimum. I assure you that given the support given to the army, insecurity will not overwhelm Nigerians this year, as it did in 2020. And already, the news we are getting from the Northwest states like Kaduna and how the Nigeria air force in collaboration with the army is confronting the bandits in the northeast, I believe the business of banditry would soon be over in the northwest. The good news again is that the Nigeria Air Force is now taking delivery of attack helicopters that are versatile and can effectively manoeuvre. With that high-profile equipment, I believe that 2021 as promised by the President himself, will be a better year. I heard the speech of Mr President and it was a very honest speech. It was one of the best speeches ever delivered by Mr President. This is a leader admitting his shortcomings. Ongole : , Jan 5 (IANS) Amid raining reports of unverified alleged attacks on temples in Andhra Pradesh, a senior Prakasam district police official warned rumour mongers for spreading falsehoods about a local temple and peddling corrosion as an attack on temple in the district on Tuesday. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP, Admin) B. Ravichandra, warned of stern action against rumours that two idols were dismembered at Singarayakonda Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy arch. "The arms of Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy and mother Goddess, which were part of the arch broke and fell down due to corrosion," said Ravichandra. He said the temple was originally built during the reign of Sri Krishnadevaraya, to which an arch was added two decades ago. The temple's executive officer Sri Bhairagi confirmed that corrosion caused parts of the idols to break off. According to Bhairagi, the arch is being repaired every year with the help of donors, but last year (in 2020), the arch could not be repaired as Brahmotsavalu was not held due to Coronavirus. On Tuesday morning, without confirming the information from any official authority or the police department, a local Telugu news channel repeatedly blared the news alleging another attack on the temple over this incident. "Those who spread untruths without knowing the facts about the incident, those who behave in a way that disturbs public peace and security, those who create clashes between the two communities must be prosecuted, arrested and charged with strict actions," warned the ASP. The senior state police official appealed to the general public not to believe such falsehoods. Egypt is planning to convert 150,000 old vehicles to new ones running on natural gas, in addition to scraping 250,000 rickety cars and replacing them with new bi-fuel system models within three years. The announcement was made by Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea on Monday during the inauguration of the countrys first vehicle fuel system conversion exhibition - dubbed Go Green - showcasing technologies for converting vehicles to run on natural gas. The exhibition was inaugurated by the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Monday, accompanied by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly in addition to a number of cabinet members and several representatives from major auto manufacturing companies. Gamea said the country is targeting converting the fuel systems of 150,000 vehicles to run on natural gas instead of, or along with, gasoline in three years, with a total cost of EGP 1.2 billion (approximately $76 million). The plan will be carried out within a three-year long period ending in 2023, with the help of the country's Medium, Small, and Micro Enterprises Development Agency, which will finance the conversion process. During the three-day-long exhibition, the trade and industry minister said around 50,000 to 70,000 cars will be converted each year, with an annual cost ranging between EGP 400 and 600 million. She added that the country has already converted 47,000 cars to run on a bi-fuel system, with a total cost of EGP 252 million. The conversion of these vehicles contributed to creating 47,000 jobs, the minister said. The country is also aiming to replace up to 250,000 rickety cars, including microbuses and taxis, with new ones that run on bi-fuel systems. As many as 70,000 cars are set to be replaced in the first year, 90,000 in the second year, and 90,000 in the third year, according to the minister. The plan is meant to preserve the environment and make use of the countrys plentiful natural gas production, resulting from recent oil discoveries. It also aims to reduce fuel imports, decrease pollution from harmful emissions, ensure the safety of drivers and passengers, and tap into the potential of under-exploited auto factories. El-Sisi said during the inauguration that the initiative has been launched as a result of in-depth and integrated scientific studies and is in line with the state's strategy to raise citizens' standards of living. Short link: India on Sunday approved the emergency authorisation of two vaccines against novel coronavirus Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by Serum Institute of India. Earlier, Britain and Argentina had approved the emergency marker use of coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, joined hands with British-Swedish drugmaker to produce 1 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. The local version of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be known as Covishield. The 'virus-vectored' vaccine uses a weakened version of a chimpanzee common coldvirus that encodes instructions for making proteins from the novel coronavirus to generate an immune response and prevent infection. Researchers claim the vaccine protected against disease in 62% of those given two full doses and in 90% of those initially given a half dose. Compared to the vaccines by United States drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna, Covishield is "logistically feasible for distribution in the country's both urban and rural parts as it can be stored at two to eight degrees celsius." "Covishield is highly effective vaccine against novel coronavirus," Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer, Serum Institute of India earlier mentioned. The company has made 50 million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine. The British laboratory announced in interim findings in November that its vaccine was on average 70% effective. India will be given first priority for the delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Poonawalla earlier said. "The COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed initially in India, then we will look at the COVAX countries which are mainly in Africa. Our priority is India & COVAX countries," Poonawalla added. "The United Kingdom and European markets are being taken care of by AstraZeneca and Oxford," he further mentioned. "The first 100 million doses of Covishield were being sold to the Indian government at a special price" of 200 rupees ($2.74) per dose, after which prices would be higher. The vaccine will be sold on the private market at 1,000 rupees ($13.68) per dose," Poonawalla told in an interview with the Associated Press. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. - By Praveen Chawla Last month, I wrote about China Mobile Ltd. (HKSE:00941)(NYSE:CHL), remarking on how cheap the stock was in terms of fundamentals. At the time, the world's largest telecom company paid a 7.5% dividend and had no long-term debt. However, I failed to properly take into account the political risks the company faced in the trade war between the U.S. and China. This turned out to be quite the roller-coaster ride, but in the end, it reinforced my view that ignoring politics and focusing on fundamentals is the way to go in the investing world. Administrative risks On Nov. 12, President Trump signed an unprecedented executive order restricting Americans from investing in companies with ties to the Chinese military (which, much like the U.S. and any other major economy, means a significant portion of the large-cap companies in the country). The order gave U.S. persons until Nov. 11, 2021 to divest themselves from these securities. Trump aimed to bar Americans from trading or owning securities from 35 Chinese companies in particular, which the U.S. Department of Defense has designated as being owned or controlled by the Chinese military. This list included Telecom companies such as China Mobile, China Telecom (NYSE:CHA) and China Unicom (NYSE:CHU), as well as surveillance camera maker Hangzhou Hikvision, supercomputer manufacturer Dawning Information (SHSE:603019) and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC). On Dec. 29, the U.S. Treasury Department clarified the extent of the executive order, saying U.S. investors were forbidden from owning exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds that contained any of the 35 companies or any of their 50%-owned units and subsidiaries. Since the executive order, China Mobile's stock has dropped 25% or so, as shown in the chart below. I think it represents outstanding value, just like I did when I initiated my position in the stock. Story continues Lessons From the China Mobile - NYSE Flip-Flop The executive order covers the activities of both individual and institutional investors, targeting investments in equities, bonds and related derivatives. It also covers "passive" investments in international benchmarks, where investors buy and sell instruments tied to a specific market index. This focus on index-related investments began in May with a White House directive blocking a federal government retirement savings fund from investing about $50 billion to track a Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) stock index that includes some of the restricted Chinese companies. In the end, the executive order turned out to be half baked and not properly thought out, but the damage to the stock prices of the Chinese companies in question has been done. It forced American investors to trade the affected companies down to multi-year lows due to panic. Additionally, the success of the executive order depended on consistent foll-ups from the Trump administration. The Biden administration doesn't even necessarily have to rescind the order to get rid of it - they could just not implement it after its expiry on Nov. 11, 2021. The American Depository Receipts (ADR) of the stocks would most likely continue to trade on the OTC exchange till Nov. 11 and very likely after that as well. Also, the ADR's are exchangeable for H shares as long as your broker is willing to do it for you (if not, I suggest getting a new broker). The US listing isn't necessary As far as the Chinese telecom companies are concerned, the U.S. listings are nice to have, but American investors do not account for a large percentage of the shareholders of any of the affected telecom firms. Thus, many ended up overestimating how much of an effect a U.S. delisting would have, even if it were to go through as per the executive order. China Mobile, which has been listed in the U.S. for more than two decades, has the largest portion of its shareholder base in the U.S. - a whopping 2% of its overall issued share capital as of Dec. 31. China Telecom's main listing is on the Hong Kong stock exchange (HKSE:00941). One option for investors is to exchange their ADR's for China Telecom's common shares. Each ADR will net them five ordinary shares. The ordinary shares are freely tradable in Hong Kong. Bank of New York Mellon (BK) is the ADR sponsor and will deliver the Hong Kong shares upon receipt of the ADR. The NYSE flip-flop On Dec. 31, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) rather suddenly announced that they planned to delist China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicomm to comply with the executive order ahead of schedule. However, late on Jan. 4, news broke that the NYSE has reversed its decision to delist, "backtracking on a plan that had threatened to escalate tensions between the world's largest economies." This just goes to show how many moving parts are involved in politics, and how unpredictable such factors can be in the grander scheme of things. It is far more useful for investors to focus on the company itself. With China Mobile, I am comfortable with the fact that the stock is very cheap and has enough of a margin of safety that one can ignore the day-to-day news flow, erratic decision making and politics. Whether or not the stock remains listed on NYSE is just a sideshow, in my opinion. The main listing and liquidity are in Hong Kong. The key question is, where else can you get a 7.5% dividend yield on a debt-free company in an oligopoly? I cannot find too many candidates. Disclosure: The author owns shares of China Mobile and continues to add to them. Read more here: Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Jack Ma, the founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba and one of China's billionaires, is suspected missing because he has not made a public appearance in over two months. His disappearance comes after he called for economic reform in a speech delivered in Shanghai on October 24. Jack Ma's Disappearance According to Ma, "Today's financial system is the legacy of the Industrial Age. We must set up a new one for the next generation and young people. We must reform the current system," reported Fox Business. Once the model for a new batch of multi-billionaire Chinese tech and business leaders, the Alibaba founder's fortunes have taken a severe dip in the previous three months. Since his disputed October speech in China wherein he lamented the nation's financial regulatory system and called for it to be reformed, Ma has been facing a surge of actions from Chinese authorities, reported Independent. Ma also failed to be present as scheduled in the final episode of his own talent show, "Africa's Business Heroes," which provides budding African entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete for a slice of $1.5 million. Ma was supposedly a judge but was replaced by an Alibaba executive in the November final, reported Yahoo News. According to the company's spokesman, Ma could not make it due to his tight schedule. Ma's removal from the event's webpage and the promotional video for the event, which aired without Ma, concerned many. The deepening mystery surrounding his disappearance comes at a time when China authorities have increased scrutiny of his business empire, including Ant Group, after Ma denounced China's regulation system in October 2020. Also Read: Russia Suspected Behind SolarWinds Hack, US Cybersecurity Agency Issues Emergency Directive Ma was in contention with the President Xi Jinping-led Central Communist Party government. Ma condemned China's "pawnshop" financial regulators and state-owned banks in the searing speech in Shanghai. Both Alibaba and Ant Group came under the scrutiny of the country's government following Ma's speech. Alibaba is fazed with an antitrust probing initiated in December. Meanwhile, Ant Group's IPO was suspended, and the business was ordered to reorganize. Ant's IPO valued at almost $37 billion, was suspended due to "significant issues," according to reports. Discussions and speculations regarding the Alibaba founder's whereabouts circulated on social media on Monday, with #JackMa and #Alibaba becoming trending topics on Twitter. His last tweet on the social media platform was in October 2020. Ma's fortune is surmised to be at $58.4 billion. He committed millions of dollars to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In the spring, he stated that he would offer $14.4 million from his foundation toward supporting the vaccine development for the novel coronavirus in Wuhan. Since his speech, he has faced multiple business setbacks, involving one block on his plans for a stellar listing on the stock market. Such actions left the market dubious of his firms. Ma, 56, was born in Hangzhou in eastern China. He came from a poor family and was once taught English. Upon purchasing his first computer at 33 years old, he rose in the last two decades to become a shining star of China's booming economy through his e-commerce giant Alibaba's triumph. Related Article: Apple's iPhone 13 Massive Upgrades Leaked; Very Smooth 120Hz ProMotion Displays @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Capitol is seen in Washington on Dec. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Congress Members Urged to Use Tunnels Amid Protests, Electoral Count: Letter House lawmakers are being urged to use underground tunnels while travelling between the Capitol and office buildings on Jan. 6 in the midst of the Joint Session of Congress and related protests, according to a letter sent out by the House sergeant at arms that was obtained by The Epoch Times on Tuesday. The notice from House Sergeant at Arms Paul D. Irvings office said that all members of Congress should expect demonstration activity and street closures to impact access to the Capitol building area. The Rayburn, Cannon, and East House Underground garages will be open for use. Whenever possible, Members, and staff who are authorized to park in the garages are encouraged to do so, says the notice. All Capitol plaza and drive permit holders are permitted to park in the Rayburn Garage and will have access to the G1R and G2R levels. It added: When moving to and from the House Office Buildings and the Capitol, the Sergeant at Arms and U.S. Capitol Police continue to encourage Members and staff to use the underground access points and the Cannon and Rayburn tunnels in lieu of walking outdoors or driving to the Capitol plaza. Those underground access points refer to tunnels that span a few blocks between office buildings and the U.S. Capitol. Local reporters noted that its not a common procedure. President Donald Trump said he would attend rallies on Jan. 6 as lawmakers are slated to object to the Electoral College vote, triggering potentially an hourslong process involving debates and a simple majority vote. Trump and his team have asserted that voter fraud, irregularities, and unconstitutional laws around mail-in ballots prevented his victory. Photos and video footage showed that Trump supporters started gathering on Tuesday near the White House. The sergeant at arms instructions to lawmakers will also provide emergency telephone numbers for Capitol police and other officials. Lawmakers were told to arrive early at the Capitol building early on Wednesday and should make use of garages with barricades and security checkpoints, according to the letter. The letter noted that more U.S. Capitol Police will be deployed. On January 6, starting at 7:00 AM access to the House Office Buildings will be restricted. Only Members, and staff with a valid Congressional ID will be allowed into the House Office Buildings, the letter states. In addition to the current vehicle barricades, garages and pedestrian entrances, access to the following vehicular barricades will be modified to assist Members and staff accessing the campus on January 6. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, called on residents not to engage with protesters and called on the National Guard for assistance. Both Bowser and the D.C. chief of police issued warnings that carrying firearms to the demonstrations is illegal. Most Thais will have COVID jabs, vows PM THAILAND: The government is seeking to buy another 35 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, taking its total order to 63 million, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday (Jan 4). CoronavirusCOVID-19health By Bangkok Post Tuesday 5 January 2021, 09:03AM Photo Image: Bangkok Post Gen Prayut did not say where the extra doses would come from but stressed the government needed to be sure they were safe, had no side effects and were in line with standards set by the countrys Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He said he had instructed the Disease Control Department and National Vaccine Institute to work with the FDA to handle the vaccinations. The first order of 2 million doses will arrive from China in the next three months, with the government prioritising who should get them, Gen Prayut said. It also recently signed a deal with AstraZeneca for 26 million doses and the right to produce its COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand, with supplies expected by May. That vaccine will be produced by Thailands Siam Bioscience with a formula and technology developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. I have also ordered another 35 million doses and most of the population are expected to be vaccinated, the prime minister said. The Public Health Ministry says the first batch will come from Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech, with an initial 200,000 doses due to arrive by the end of next month. The second batch of 800,000 doses will be shipped to Thailand by the end of March, and the last batch of one million doses will arrive by the end of April. Healthcare personnel and village health volunteers will be offered the first doses. Gen Prayut also said his government was assessing the situation on a daily basis and ministers were mindful of the economic damage from overly strict containment measures. We dont want to lock down the entire country because we know what the problems are, so can you all lock down yourselves? he said. This is up to everyone, if you dont want to get infected just stay home for 14 to 15 days. If you think like this then things will be safe, easier for screening. Thailand yesterday recorded 745 new coronavirus cases, 729 of them local transmissions, bringing the total since COVID-19 first appeared in January 2020 to 8,439. One additional death was reported, raising the total to 65, while migrant workers (577) formed the majority of new infections, plus 152 Thai nationals. The daily increase in case numbers, the largest since the beginning of the pandemic, was expected after Samut Sakhon province reported an additional 541 cases on Sunday. That number is included in yesterdays figures. The latest death was a 56-year-old man in Bangkok, said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). The man died on Sunday, two days after testing positive for COVID-19, and had suffered from numerous underlying diseases before being admitted to hospital on Dec 28. Records showed he had recently travelled to Samut Prakan and the Klong Toey district of Bangkok, he added. Samut Sakhon recorded the highest number of local transmissions among Thais 93 followed by Bangkok (28), Chanthaburi (27), Samut Prakan (20) and Rayong (17). Dr Taweesilp said the number of provinces affected by the latest outbreak rose to 54 after Hua Hin district recorded the first case in Prachuap Khiri Khan. He reiterated his fear that the number of cases nationwide cases could increase due to people travelling among provinces over the New Year holidays. Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said yesterday the CCSA had decided to impose lockdowns in the provinces of Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Rayong, Trat and Chanthaburi to stop COVID-19s surge. The lockdown measures include travel restrictions, with checkpoints to be set up to prevent people in the five provinces from leaving unless they could show it was absolutely necessary, Mr Sathit said. Meanwhile, Samut Sakhons public health office late yesterday reported another 470 new infections, which were not included in the national tally reported earlier by the CCSA. Some 439 of the 470 new infections 49 Thais and 390 migrant workers were detected by active contact tracing. Of the others, 25 were Thais and six were migrant workers. Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Suvicharn Yankittikul, the Chanthaburi police chief, has been moved to the operation centre at the 2nd Provincial Police Region, pending an inquiry into claims that officers were negligent in allowing illegal gambling dens to operate. This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong! People across China mourned Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice who helped feed millions. Following the death of the iconic agronomist on Saturday, cities across the nation held memorial ceremonies. People lined up in rain to bid farewell to the scientist at the Mingyangshan funeral home in Changsha, where a service took place on Monday. Flowers were also laid in places Yuan had studied and worked May 25, 2021 06:22 PM Agreement in the Gulf, embargo on Qatar ends With US mediation, signing at GCC summit (ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 5 - A diplomatic crisis that has punctuated regional dynamics in the Gulf for over three years following the 'freezing' of relations between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on the one hand and Qatar on the other, appears headed for resolution thanks in part to mediation by the United States. First came the announcement of the decision by Riyadh to reopen its borders and airspace to Qatar, then came news of the signing on Tuesday of an accord that puts an end to the three countries' embargo against Doha, which on Monday confirmed the turnaround. The accord is the result of mediation work by Jared Kushner, adviser to and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, who flew to Saudi Arabia to participate in Tuesday's Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Al-Ula, where the signing is scheduled to take place. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, will participate in the summit for the first time since the embargo was put in place. The agreement contains the adoption of three commitments aimed at strengthening reciprocal trust. In the first, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will take off the block on Qatari transport; for its part, Qatar will annul legal actions against the countries. In addition, the media campaign of accusations among the three countries and Qatar will end. According to the website Axios, the accord was reached in principle during Kushner's last visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar some weeks ago, when he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sheikh Tamim. The agreement was polished in recent weeks with additional mediation by Kushner that led to the finalisation of the accord. The move is a clear gesture by the Gulf countries towards the Trump administration, which maintained diplomatic relations the entire time with each of the countries involved. It allows the tycoon to leave a last sign, a legacy, in the complicated relations with the Gulf countries and the Middle East prior to leaving the presidency. It also shows the desire of the countries involved to resolve the issue prior to the arrival of the new US president, Joe Biden.(ANSAmed). (ANSA). Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech. Balram Bhargava, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), on January 5 said Bharat Biotech has been asked by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to provide the SOPs (standard operating protcols) for administering its COVID-19 vaccine candidate under clinical trial mode. "The clinical trial mode means, that everyone will consent for the vaccine, there will be no placebo arm and the recipients will be closely monitored," Bhargava told media. Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine has been granted restricted emegency use permission in clinical trial mode, to have more options for vaccinations, especially in cases of infection by mutant strains. But the use of clinical trial mode has raised questions. Unfair to accuse us of inexperience, Covaxin Phase-3 efficacy data by March: Bharat Biotech Chairman Krishna Ella COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, on January 4 said he didn't know what the regulator meant when it accorded approval under clinical trial mode, the first such approval. He said he was in the process of getting more clarity from the drug regulator. Bhargava hasn't provided clarity, on whether those who may suffer from serious adverse event due to vaccine are eligible for getting compensation, like participants of clinical trials. Vacations amid travel curbs cost Canadian politicians' jobs Eight Canadian politicians have resigned or were demoted after travelling internationally over the Christmas holidays despite urgings from government officials to avoid non-essential trips during the covid-19 pandemic. Conservative member of parliament David Sweet resigned as chair of the House of Commons' ethics committee after he travelled to the United States to deal with a "property issue" but stayed on for leisure, federal opposition Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole's office said in a statement. In the western province of Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney said on social media he accepted the resignation of Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and asked his chief of staff Jamie Huckabay to step down after they travelled to Hawaii and the United Kingdom respectively. "I have listened to Albertans who are sending a clear message that they want real consequences for these actions," Kenney said. "By travelling abroad over the holidays, these individuals demonstrated extremely poor judgment." Pictures on social media showed a large banner reading "Welcome Home, Aloha Allard" hung outside Allard's constituency office in Grand Prairie. Local media reported angry constituents had put it there. Five other legislative assembly members of Alberta's ruling United Conservative Party have been demoted for travelling abroad over the holidays, violating coronavirus travel warnings issued by federal and provincial governments. KALAMAZOO, MI Citizens and commissioners shared harsh criticism during the first commission meeting of 2021 over a lack of accountability after the city manager fired the police chief but told the community she retired. Commissioner Erin Knott kicked off a discussion Monday by criticizing Ritsema and five other commissioners who supported a resolution last month to accept an apology from the city manager for his handling of the public safety chiefs firing. Instead of addressing an action that continued to cause harm especially to our Black and Brown neighbors, our commission chose to adopt a watered down resolution that basically wagged our finger at the city manager, and told him not to do it again, Knott said on Jan 4. The commissions vote made a statement that the body is not interested in doing the hard work on the issue, Knott said. The city managers office initially told the community in September that former chief Karianne Thomas was retiring on Oct. 1. The announcement came amid public outcries for change in city leadership and at the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The truth, that Thomas was fired, was revealed only after the Kalamazoo Gazette/MLive obtained documents related to the chiefs departure. Several commissioners said they did not know the truth until December, soon before the Gazette article was published. We need to recognize that we have shattered trust and put a shroud on transparency in our community, Knott said. Vice Mayor Patrese Griffin on Monday echoed Knotts comments, and asked why city officials are having conversations about accountability at the city, but commissioners failed to take action when they had the chance at the previous commission meeting. Commissioner Jack Urban put forth a motion in December to accept Ritsemas explanation and apology. The motion passed, with Griffin and Knott opposing the motion. What are the plans for gaining trust for this community moving forward? Griffin said on Monday, reiterating something she asked at the last city commission meeting. She asked about the city taking action rather than making statements. Kalamazoo resident Emily Demorest called in to comment during Mondays meeting, saying Ritsema lied about the departure of Chief Thomas. She thanked Knott and Griffin for voting against the motion to accept the city managers apology in December. I think it was a totally inappropriate motion to approve and it did not at all serve the purpose of building trust with the community, Demorest said during the public comment portion of the meeting. The city can post all the transparency pages in the world, but if whats happening behind the scenes violates transparency, then none of it matters. Demorest was a candidate for city commission in 2019. David Benac, who ran for Kalamazoo mayor in 2019, called in to make a comment about the budget and also criticized how the city decided to fire the chief and hide what happened. Local resident Joe Byars called to criticize the commissioners who voted to accept Ritsemas apology, also noting the government voted to allow liquor in the park during the same December meeting, which he said amounted to a business interest. Another citizen talked about the city manager not disclosing the chiefs firing, and said she is very disillusioned there is no meaningful communication with the public. She also asked for changes to make meetings involving commissioners open to the public to help the city be more open and transparent. Related: Kalamazoo City Commission will consider ending private, small-group meetings The status quo isnt good enough, the caller said. Discussion of the chiefs firing was not an agenda item Monday. Ritsema apologized to the community in December for his handling of the chiefs firing. Ritsema said the information was not held back intentionally. However, the city managers office did not answer several questions when MLive asked initially about the chiefs departure in September. MLive obtained documents and asked again multiple times before the city managers office eventually confirmed the chief was fired, months after her departure was announced as a retirement. Related: Commissioners learned police chief was fired months after the fact The comments Monday also included talk of police reform and systemic change as the city approved a measure meant to help the city become an antiracist organization. Commissioner Eric Cunningham said accountability and the changing of standards are important. He thanked the city administration for beginning to take the journey to make changes, but also expressed frustration. In order for the standards to change we have to have accountability behind the actions that we deem negative, that we deem unacceptable, Cunningham said. Mayor David Anderson did not directly address comments made by Griffin and Knott about holding Ritsema accountable. Anderson touched on issues of trust and asked commissioners and others to stay grounded while reading prepared remarks to close Mondays meeting. Although it seems the world wants us to see one another as enemies and mistrust each others every action, we commit to assuming that we share more than we do not and we will focus on those values that align us and make us feel good about being human together, Anderson said. The mayor spent time Monday giving advice about how city officials can approach the challenges in 2021. By remaining grounded and not emotionally following every internet story or reinforcing dire predictions, we will keep our feet firmly on the ground here in Kalamazoo, Anderson said. The year 2021 is not going to start a lot differently than how 2020 ended, Anderson said. He asked people to stay resolute toward their goals, and to focus on together. Read more: Kalamazoos police chief, who retired in September, was actually fired Kalamazoo City Commission looks to change how police handle protests and assemblies Citizens give input on Kalamazoos proposed 2021 budget By Aziz El Yaakoubi AL-ULA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Embracing Qatar's ruler, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince pushed a deal to end a row with Doha at a Gulf summit on Tuesday to try to strengthen an Arab alliance against Iran, although a final declaration contained only a general pledge of solidarity. The kingdom's foreign minister said Riyadh and its Arab allies agreed to restore ties with Doha to end a boycott imposed in mid-2017, in a deal backed by Washington but which a United Arab Emirates official suggested would take time. While the communique contained no detailed confirmation of a deal, the apparent breakthrough signalled hope for mending a rift between major U.S. allies two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office and at a time of tensions with Iran. "There is political will and good faith" to guarantee implementation of the deal, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud told a news conference, saying the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt had agreed to restore ties with Doha. His Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, tweeted that leaders "closed the page on disagreement". But UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash voiced a more cautious view in remarks to Al Arabiya TV, saying "we need to be realistic about the need to restore confidence and cohesion". He later told Sky News Arabia there was a timeline for ending the conflict, but gave no details. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States welcomed what he called a "breakthrough to restore Gulf and Arab unity." He added: "We hope the Gulf countries will continue to reconcile their differences. Restoring full diplomatic relations is imperative for all parties in the region to unite against common threats." The emerging deal followed mediation efforts by the United States and Kuwait, and a U.S. official has said Qatar would suspend legal cases related to the boycott. Story continues Ahead of the gathering in the historic city of al-Ula, also attended by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, Kuwait said Saudi Arabia would reopen its air space and borders to Qatar. The other three nations have yet to announce similar moves. 'DEFINING MOMENT' In a gesture of reconciliation, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, hugged on the tarmac before heading to the summit venue in a mirrored building reflecting the desert landscape. Sheikh Tamim later tweeted that the summit, which included Egypt, was a "defining moment" for the Gulf bloc. Saudi de facto ruler Prince Mohammed, who chaired the short event instead of his father King Salman, said the al-Ula agreement "confirms Gulf, Arab and Islamic unity and stability." He called for serious global action to address a threat he said was posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its "subversive and destructive plans". Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar over allegations Doha supports terrorism and is cosying up to foe Iran. Qatar denies the charges and says the embargo aims to curtail its sovereignty. Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a Twitter post congratulated Qatar for "the success of its brave resistance to pressure & extortion." WORKING THE PHONES President Donald Trump's administration has been pushing for a resolution and reopening air space. Kushner was making phone calls on the emerging deal until the early hours of Monday, the U.S. official had said. Diplomats and analysts said Riyadh was also pushing reluctant allies to show Biden it is open to dialogue. Biden has said he will take a harder line with the kingdom over issues including its human rights record and the Yemen war. "This (deal) is seemingly influenced by a desire to pre-empt pressure from an incoming Biden administration, more than a genuine commitment to conflict resolution," said Emadeddin Badi, nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council. All the states are U.S. allies. Qatar hosts the region's largest U.S. military base, Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE host U.S. troops. The other countries had set Doha 13 demands, including closing Al Jazeera TV, shuttering a Turkish base, cutting links to the Muslim Brotherhood and downgrading ties with Iran. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Al-Ula; Additional reporting by Raya Jalabi in Dubai, Alaa Swilam in Cairo and David Brunnstrom and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by William Maclean and Matthew Lewis) Florian Muckel. Credit: Simon Wegener Skyrmionstiny magnetic whirls that appear in certain combinations of materialsare considered promising information carriers for future data storage. A research team from RWTH Aachen University, Kiel University, and the University of Iceland has discovered that these magnetic nano-knots untie themselves in two distinct ways. Using a magnetic field, the probability to succeed in untying can be varied by up to a factor of 10,000. This insight might be groundbreaking for future information processing with skyrmions. The research has now been published in Nature Physics. The magnetic nano-knots encode information by their presence or absence. Key advantages of the knots are that they are extremely stable, only a few nanometers in size, exist at room temperature, and can be moved by very small currents. Due to the small currents, the formation is read out and written in a very energy-efficient way. In principle, skyrmions can also be used for data processing, such that processing and storage can be combined in a single structure. This would make computers more compact and, more importantly, more energy-efficient. Based on these very promising characteristics, researchers worldwide are striving to optimize skyrmion properties, particularly focusing on skyrmion stability. While skyrmions are usually extremely stable, the smallest skyrmions, which are required for adequate data storage density, still decay far too quickly at room temperature. A detailed understanding of possible decay mechanisms could provide insights into how to significantly improve their stability. The exceptional stability of skyrmions is a result of the knot-like configuration of these atomic magnets. As with a piece of rope, where the end of the rope must be pulled through a central hole, untying the atomic knot requires considerable effort. For the magnetic nano-knot, there is a slightly easier solutionafter reversing a single atomic magnet against the restoring forces of its neighboring atoms, the knot decays continuously without further effort. However, until now, it was not known which of the atomic magnets of the around 100 in a skyrmion is reversed most easily and what exactly the process is. The researchers from Aachen, Kiel, and Reykjavik pooled their expertise to answer these questions. "Which atomic magnet is turned depends on different conditions," explains Florian Muckel from the RWTH Chair of Experimental Physics (Solid State Physics): "By changing a magnetic field that acts on the skyrmions, we can choose between two distinct mechanisms." The first mechanism initially compresses the skyrmion to the size of a single nanometer to ease the subsequent spin reversal in the center. The other mechanism shifts the center of the knot one nanometer towards the skyrmion periphery, before an atomic magnet can flip its orientation there rather easily. As Professor Markus Morgenstern, holder of the Chair of Experimental Physics (Solid State Physics) explains: "With the help of these two processes, we were able to improve the efficiency of untying the nano-knot. The stability of the skyrmion changes by up to a factor of 10,000, where the most stable configuration can withstand one hundred trillion unknotting attempts before the knot unravels." The novel understanding of how to untie magnetic knots is based on a precise comparison of experiments conducted in Aachen with theoretical work of the researchers from Kiel and Reykjavik. Atomistic computer simulations, based on new theoretical tools that took many years to develop, are able to track the movement of each atomic magnet in the untying process. "Thanks to the use of material specific interaction parameters obtained from quantum mechanical calculations, the simulations show a very good match with the innovative experiments," explains Professor Stefan Heinze. For the experiments, single electrons are deposited at distinct positions within the skyrmion. At each position, it is determined whether the nano-knot remains present or disappears with the help of the excess energy provided by the extra electrons. Based on this information, maps of the probability to succeed in untying the knot have been created. "The agreement between experiment and simulation is impressive," comments Stephan von Malottki, University of Kiel, who performed the simulations. "It is a great success of our theoretical approach," adds Dr. Pavel Bessarab from Reykjavik, who, thanks to an Alexander von Humboldt grant, worked in the research group of Professor Stefan Heinze in Kiel in 2019. The researchers believe that the new insights on the limits of stability of the magnetic nano-knots will help make them even more stable in practice. Improved stability of skyrmions will make their application in information processing more efficient. This might help the nano-knots to be applied in commercial data storage in the near future, according to the researchers. The equilibrium structure of the skyrmion displayed on top (colored cones symbolize the orientation of the atomic magnets) can decay in two different ways (left and right). These paths have been discovered with the help of computer simulations. The transition structure is shown in the second row. The third row displays the corresponding energy distribution during the transition with an energy hill marking the decisive reversal of a single atomic magnet. Maps in the lowest row show the transition rates for both processes. These maps have been determined experimentally by depositing additional electrons at 200 different positions within the skyrmion and determining whether or not the nano-knot has unraveled by measuring the excess energy of the electrons. Explore further Scientists find a new mechanism for the stabilization of skyrmions More information: Florian Muckel et al. Experimental identification of two distinct skyrmion collapse mechanisms, Nature Physics (2021). Journal information: Nature Physics Florian Muckel et al. Experimental identification of two distinct skyrmion collapse mechanisms,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-01101-2 Provided by RWTH Aachen University (CNN) -- Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed to reopen their airspace and maritime borders starting Monday, after a years long freeze on relations, Kuwaiti officials have announced. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Mohammed al Sabah said Monday on state television that "based on the recommendation of his highness Sheikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait God protect him, it was agreed to open the air and maritime borders starting today (Monday) between Saudi Arabia and Qatar." He also said that the final agreement was the fruit of a call brokered by the Kuwaiti Emir with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The diplomatic breakthrough comes one day before a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday, hosted by Saudi Arabia. Representatives from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will attend the event. The Qatari Emir will also attend the summit, his first visit to the country in three years. In a statement, bin Salman said the summit would focus on regional "unity and cohesion," according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA). "Through [the summit] the hopes of the [Saudi] King and his brothers, the leaders of the (Gulf Cooperation Council), for unity and cohesion will be translated into facing the challenges of the region," SPA reported. A senior US administration official told CNN on Monday that President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, helped negotiate the reopening between the two countries and was also expected at Tuesday's summit to attend a ceremony marking the achievement. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates broke off relations with Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region. Qatar -- which shares its only land border with Saudi Arabia -- rejected the accusations, calling them "unjustified" and "baseless." But Saudi Arabia and Qatar have recently worked to close the rift. At a virtual diplomatic conference in December, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said he was "optimistic" about repairing relations. The two countries had taken "significant" steps toward reconciliation, he added, crediting both Kuwait and the US: "We've made significant progress in the last few days, thanks to the continuing efforts of Kuwait but also thanks to strong support from President Trump and US administration towards bringing all parties closer." At the same conference, Qatar's Foreign Minister acknowledged that there were movements to finally "put an end to the Gulf crisis." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Saudi Arabia and Qatar agree to reopen airspace and maritime borders" Russia has condemned other nations for not supporting the upcoming presidential elections, while also stressing the need for the Constitutional Committee to be a success writes Al-Masdar. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said that calls by some countries not to recognize the Syrian presidential elections scheduled for this year undermine the stable performance of official institutions in the country. Vershinin said, in an interview with RIA Novosti, Despite the negative factors and restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus, the work of the Constitutional Committee continues in Geneva. The fifth round of consultations between the Syrian parties is scheduled to take place from Jan. 25 29, 2021, during which time, the constitutional principles will be discussed, and solutions acceptable to both sides will have to be seriously searched for. The deputy minister stressed, In the meantime, statements appear in some international forums about the urgent adoption of a new constitution and the failure to recognize the upcoming presidential elections in Syria. In practice, this means depriving the Syrians of the right to elect their leadership, and at the same time undermining the stability of the work of the Syrian state institutions. The deputy minister pointed out that UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the Constitutional Committees work rules, directly impose the need to advance the political process, led and implemented by the Syrian people themselves, without external interference and without imposing artificial timeframes. The Russian diplomat concluded, It is on this basis that a long-term political settlement in Syria can be reached. Earlier, President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with RIA Novosti agency, that at the beginning of this year, he might make his decision to participate in the presidential elections. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. DETROIT, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Reverie , an innovative leader in sleep technology for more than 15 years, today announced the donation of more than 1.4 million of its Protective Face Masks to organizations in need. Developed back in March of 2020, Reverie began redirecting its supply chain amidst a retail shutdown to manufacture protective face masks to address the shortage of personal protective equipment for the general public. As COVID-19 cases in the United States continue to increase and vaccine rollout begins, the company has made commitments to the following organizations: Forgotten Harvest - dedicated to relieving hunger and preventing nutritious food waste, envisioning communities that work together to increase individual, neighborhood, economic, and environmental health - dedicated to relieving hunger and preventing nutritious food waste, envisioning communities that work together to increase individual, neighborhood, economic, and environmental health Good360 - helps socially responsible companies do good by distributing highly needed product donations to people facing challenging life circumstances including disaster recovery support - helps socially responsible companies do good by distributing highly needed product donations to people facing challenging life circumstances including disaster recovery support Yes U Can Foundation - on a mission to change the future for all those who struggle with a life transition, empowering minds, building communities and bringing people together to build homes, eliminate homelessness, uplift communities, renew hope, feed the hungry, educate, counsel and ultimately change lives forever "As we move into 2021, it's important for the team at Reverie to support people through this pandemic in whatever ways we can," said Martin Rawls-Meehan, CEO of Reverie. "For this reason, earlier this year we pivoted part of our supply chain to the production of face masks. Knowing we have resources that can help create relief for marginalized communities means we're going to do exactly that, and we're looking forward to even more ways to give back in the future." Reverie's face masks are high-quality 3-ply, made from 100% cotton soft jersey knit for extra breathability. Gentle elastic ear loops are on each side for a comfortable fit on most adults. Made through an environmentally friendly manufacturing process, each mask is machine washable up to 20 times. "We're thrilled to be able to announce such a large donation to these incredible partners," said Deena Gardner, VP of Marketing & Communications of Reverie. "At Reverie, it's important to us to provide holistic health solutions wherever possible and we will continue to look for ways to create healthy internal environments as we get through this together." Reverie Sleep Systems and other products are sold online and at more than 2,000 locations globally, including Macy's, Raymour & Flanigan, Havertys, Costco, Sleep Country Canada, Star Furniture and more. For every Sleep System sold, an additional box of masks (500) will be donated to charity through February. About Reverie Founded in Michigan in 2003, Reverie is a revolutionary sleep technology company dedicated to helping people sleep better so they can live better lives. Rooted in its mastery of sleep science, Reverie believes everybody is unique and needs customized sleep solutions that fit their individual needs. As a result, the company has become known for its patented DreamCell latex foam springs which may be easily reconfigured to adjust firmness levels. Combined with its award-winning adjustable bases, Reverie is dedicated to providing the most comfortable sleep possible. Visit www.reverie.com for more information and follow us at Facebook , Instagram and Twitter . SOURCE Reverie Related Links https://reverie.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to forbid his security group from attending the Senate probe on use of unregulated vaccines is part of his executive privilege to "make correct" decisions even if these are unpopular ones and not usually favored by the public, his spokesperson said Tuesday. "The concept of executive privilege arises from separation of power and the fact that the President must be allowed to make correct, even if unpopular decisions," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said during his noontime briefing. Roque also stressed that Duterte's move to block the attendance of the Presidential Security Group only applies to the Senate probe, while other agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration, the Bureau of Customs and the National Bureau of Investigation are still free to resume their investigation on the matter. "Malinaw po ang mensahe ng Presidente, para po iyan sa Kongreso (What the President said was clear, the order applies to Congress)," he said. Roque also insisted once again during the briefing that Duterte neither knew the source of the vaccine, and how the military was inoculated. This is contrary to the admission of Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana that the President himself made the order through the direction of the "chain of command of the armed forces." READ: Army chief says troop vaccination authorized by Duterte "Hindi po nagpaalam, hindi nagbigay ng consent, nabalitaan na lang niya (Duterte) na maraming nagpaturok, kaya sabi lang niya, c'est la vie (carry on)," he said. [Translation: No one asked for permission, no consent was given, he just heard that many were already vaccinated, so he just said, c'est la vie.] In an interview with CNN Philippines' New Day earlier in the day, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said that it is within the President's power to invoke executive privilege by barring his personnel from attending legislative hearings. He said Congress can tap other sources to get to the bottom of the issue. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that the investigation of the NBI's Special Action Unit will focus on the proliferation of the unregistered vaccines in the country, and they can also obtain information from various sources. In his address to the nation on Monday night, Duterte told PSG Chief Jesus Durante to disobey possible summons from the Congress to testify on the much-criticized inoculation as part of "self preservation." Should they decide to attend any legislative investigation, he told them not to disclose any information. READ: Duterte orders PSG to skip Congress vaccine probe, warns solons of 'little crisis' Despite Duterte's pronouncement, the Makabayan bloc filed a resolution seeking to conduct a House probe on the controversial vaccination. Numerous lawmakers also stressed the need to continue exercising their mandate and lauded the move of other agencies that will still look into the matter. "We need effective checks and balances, lalo na sa usapin ng pagbakuna sa ating mga mamamayan (most especially on the issue of vaccination for the public). Congress must exercise its mandate to conduct investigations in aid of legislation regarding the VIP vaccination of Duterte's security group," Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said in a statement. "I feel that it is our duty to get to the bottom of this. It is government's responsibility to crack down this COVID-19 vaccine black market," Sen. Risa Hontiveros said. For House dangerous drugs panel chair Ace Barbers, the focus of investigation by the government should be on the identification of "smugglers and facilitator-cohorts" of the unregistered vaccines from the Bureau of Customs. The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved any anti-COVID vaccines for use in the local drug market. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Monday that they will also check the condition of PSG members who were inoculated, for possible "adverse effects" of the administered vaccine. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! When it comes to dealing with the biggest pandemic in a century that is devasting lives, economies and forcing a new paradigm on us, politicising the response is a bad idea. Given its size, population, density, lack of public awareness, and poor health infrastructure, it was feared that COVID-19 would become a never-ending nightmare for India. For a while, till September, it threatened to do so. Then India turned it around. A lot of credit should go to the single-minded effort by frontline health care workers, scientists, laboratories, regulators and even the political class who showed a sense of purpose in keeping differences aside and drawing, implementing coordinated policies. A lot of credit should also go to the general public for the way they adhered to health guidelines, especially on wearing face covers or masks without any political debate or faux activism. The importance of this cannot be overstated. From reporting almost 100,000 COVID-19 cases a day in September 2020, India has dramatically brought down that number. According to data from Union health ministry data on Monday, daily new COVID-19 cases in the country remained below 20,000 for the third consecutive day taking the virus caseload to1,03,40,469. Higher testing has led to a further decline in the cumulative positivity rate to 5.89 percent. Total cumulative tests in India have crossed 17.5 crore (17,56,35,761) with7,35,978 samples being tested on Sunday, reports PTI. In contrast, the richer countries in the world are paying the price for politicizing the COVID-19 response. Study after study indicate a direct link between wearing a face mask and reduced rate of COVID-19 infections and yet there has been a stubborn resistance in the West, especially the US, against wearing a face cover chiefly due to misguided political activism and cultural aversion. The result? One model suggested in October last year that more than a half-million people in the US could die from COVID-19 by the end of February, but around 130,000 of those lives could be saved if everybody were to wear masks. The latest news from the US suggests the study wasnt inaccurate. The situation has come to such a pass that Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US, pleaded with Americans to set politics aside and wear a face mask to arrest an escalation of COVID-19 cases. The moral of the story is this: When it comes to dealing with the biggest pandemic in a century that is devasting lives, economies and forcing a new paradigm on us, politicizing the response is a bad idea. And India, having reached a stage where a vaccine and mass inoculation is in sight, must guard against falling into a trap that it has avoided before. There should be no politics over vaccines. The vaccine solution, which could be an important part of Indias health and economic recovery, should not be allowed to become a problem. And since India is a democracy, an important part of the process is to debate on information and facts, not misinformation, half-truths, and narratives. The issue needs stressing as the country took a major step on Sunday towards effectively fighting the pandemic by approving two vaccines Oxford-AstraZenecas Covishield, which is being manufactured in India by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotechs Covaxin, which has been wholly made in India with the assistance of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The formal authorization by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) follows the recommendation by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). According to a statement released by the Union health ministry, the Subject Expert Committee of CDSCO, that met on January 1 and 2, made the following recommendations to DCGI: grant of permission for restricted emergency use of vaccine, subject to multiple regulatory conditionalities, to Serum Institute of India, Pune, (Covishield) and grant of permission for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, specially in the context of infection by mutant strains, to Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad (Covaxin). Also, permission has been granted for conduct of Phase-III Clinical Trial Protocol to Cadila Healthcare. We shall presently explore the meaning of these terminologies mean but its worth noting upfront, as the Indian Express points out in an editorial, that the DCGI emergency use approval for both vaccines are conditional on the vaccine developers submitting details of any adverse effect to the drug regulator, every 15 days. A factsheet with safety details will also be provided to those receiving the first lot of vaccines. Now, though the drug regulator has approved the twin jabs, it has stressed the difference in the nature of the approvals. Covishield developed jointly by Oxford University and Swedish-British pharma major AstraZeneca that has already been approved for use in the UK has been recommended for emergency use in India whereas Bharat Biotechs Covishield will carry the stamp of restricted use. Both vaccines will be administered in two doses over 28 days and can be stored at temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. The difference in the approval terminology for both vaccines means that Covaxin must meet additional conditions and it wont be the first choice. The Union health ministry statement quoted above says of Covaxin that grant of permission is being given for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, specially in the context of infection by mutant strains. It means that Covaxin, which has not completed Phase 3 trials in India but boasts of robust data in Phase 1 and Phase 2, will be used only in emergency situations as a backup if a surge is detected during mass inoculation. AIIMS director Randeep Guleria told ANI that Bharat Biotechs vaccine received conditional approval because it is still to furnish more data. It is for an emergency situation and not emergency use authorization that Serum Institutes Covishield received. Or when we have a situation where we are not sure how efficacious Serum Institutes vaccine is going to be then as a backup we may use the Bharat Biotech vaccine. The question then arises, why did the drug regulator feel the need to give conditional approval even as an emergency use jab or a backup to a vaccine that hasnt completed the double-binded Phase 3 trial? It appears that Covaxin which will be administered only in clinical trial mode after receiving formal consent from participants, is more effective at tackling the mutant strain of COVID-19 that has severely affected Britain and has already infected 38 patients in India. ICMR chief Balram Bhargava told India Today that the conditional approval was given based on a consideration that the indigenously produced vaccine will prove to be better against the new strain of Covid that has infected over 50,000 people in the UK because unlike Pfizer, Covaxin is a whole virus vaccine. In other words, the decision to give conditional approval to Bharat Biotechs vaccine before the completion of Phase 3 trials was a strategic move to provide India with an option in case the Oxford-AstraZeneca option proves ineffective against the new strain. Would it have been better to delay the approval until after Phase 3 trials were complete? Possibly. However, not approving a vaccine that has shown positive signs in tackling the new strain despite availability (Covaxin was found to be safe and effective after Phase 2 and Bharat Biotech has announced that it has already submitted data on ongoing Phase 3 would have meant taking another form of risk. On balance, Covaxin is a potent weapon in Indias arsenal that would be used only if it is needed. The government, meanwhile, has done the right thing in creating conditionalities for mass inoculation by conducting dry run across all states and its efforts have been complemented by Serum Institute that already has nearly 40-50 million doses of Covishield vaccine ready, and nearly three crore frontline workers will get the first shot in the coming weeks, followed by another 27 crore people senior citizens and those with comorbidities in the second phase. This calls for even greater coordination between the Centre and states. The administrative mechanism should be ready to handle the logistical challenges that will arise, and the entire operation must be aided by big data mobilization. The effort required will be enormous, and what India cannot afford at this stage is needless political distractions that will make the task even more challenging. Politicians need to be measured in their approaches to ensure that the debate over vaccines in India doesnt degenerate into crude political jousting of the kind India can ill afford, least of all on a public health crisis. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadavs comment the other day, calling for a boycott of BJPs vaccines that cant be trusted is the worst form of politics. Yadav was perhaps trying to sound the dog whistle for his communal brand of politics ahead of UP elections. His comments are irresponsible and condemnable and may undermine public confidence in a vaccine that needs mass participation to do its job. The Congress, meanwhile, is as confused as ever. Rahul Gandhi asked the prime minister last month when would Indias turn come to get vaccinated? 23 lakh people in the world have already received Covid vaccinations. China, US, UK, Russia have started... India ka number kab ayegaa, Modi ji? pic.twitter.com/cSmT8laNfJ Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 23, 2020 Now that vaccines have been approved, one Congress leader has backed Akhilesh Yadav while leaders such as Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh have accused the government of bypassing norms. Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, but it is puzzling that internationally-accepted protocols relating to phase 3 trials are being modified for Covaxin. Health Minister @drharshvardhan should clarify. pic.twitter.com/5HAWZtmW9s Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 3, 2021 The Centre, too, must get its fair share of the blame for announcing the vaccine without a proper explanation of the approval process. Therefore, while the approval decisions may be strategically sound, the debate became partisan and polarized. This isnt a time to bicker. The virus hasnt gone anywhere, and the Indian economy cannot afford yet another lockdown. gettyimagesbank By Park Han-sol The year 2020, throughout which residents in Korea were inundated with daily updates about the changing number of COVID-19 cases, was a period of uncertainty and confusion. Although reliance on accurate information about the pandemic proved to be more crucial than ever, the public remains largely distrustful of news media, a poll showed Friday. When asked about "the role of the press as a provider of information in regards to the issues directly related to the life and safety of the public" in the age of the coronavirus, 62% of respondents said they have "not much" trust in the media or "none at all." Meanwhile, only 34% responded that they have "a fair amount" or "a great deal" of trust in their reporting. The nationwide survey of 1,000 adults over 18 years of age was jointly conducted by Media Today, an outlet dedicated to reviewing journalistic reporting practices, and the pollster Research View from Dec. 28 to 31. The numbers of those who expressed distrust in the news media were all higher than those who trusted news, regardless of age group and political inclination. Though people in their 30s (70 percent of distrust versus 27 percent of trust) and 40s (67 percent versus 29 percent) had the strongest distrust of news media. In regards to the public's trust in specific news outlets, both terrestrial and cable, the increase in trust of conservative cable networks, especially that of TV Chosun, was noteworthy. Compared to the poll conducted last April, people who trusted TV Chosun rose 6 percentage points, while Channel A and MBN also experienced a 1 percentage point growth, making TV Chosun the network with the highest level of trust among all seven news channels for the first time (within the polling's margin of error). On the other hand, all three terrestrial broadcasters saw a decline, with KBS experiencing the biggest drop of 4 percentage points. Yu Hyun-jae, professor of communications at Sogang University, stressed that the public's growing distrust in mass media is not a new phenomenon, but a result of the each outlet's partisan characteristics. "News consumers are now trained to realize how each outlet will differ in handling and delivering facts according to their partisan views," he told The Korea Times. "Seeing how the news agencies are having a feud with one another, readers become fatigued, leading to their skepticism of media in general." This results in more consumers looking for alternatives to traditional news outlets, including YouTube videos, Yu explained. He added that even though the COVID-19 is an unprecedented, world-changing case requiring genuine experts to provide accurate information, journalists are limited in their capabilities to discover proper sources. "Oftentimes, reporters see certain experts getting recognition on other media platforms, and based on that publicity alone, they end up consulting the same individual, even if they are not a real expert in that field. It can become a vicious cycle." Aerial crews have dropped more than 75,000 litres of fire retardant in the area to help land crews holding off the fire front. There are up to 13 aircraft dispatched. "Speeds of 3-4km/h are extremely challenging to contain," DFES deputy incident controller Andy Duckworth said. "We are treating this extremely seriously." Easterly and north-easterly winds are expected to fan the flames on Wednesday when the mercury is set to reach 37C. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting extremely hot and dry conditions going into next week, which only fuels the unpredictability of a fire threat. Bureau spokesman Neil Bennett said easterly winds would usually last a day or two because of the presence of a high-pressure system moving through the Bight. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video However, this time the high was particularly slow-moving, resulting in easterly winds lasting longer. The fire is uncontained and uncontrolled. Warning areas Residents in Oceans Farms Estate, Seaview Park and surrounding areas, in parts of Regans Ford, Red Gully, Cowalla, Moore River National Park, Nilgen, Mimegarra, Karakin and Orange Springs have been issued an emergency warning advising them they are in danger and need to act immediately to survive. A watch and act alert is also in place for parts of Wedge Island. People camping in the areas are urged to not attempt to leave south but leave and relocate to a safer place by heading north on Indian Ocean Drive. Burning embers are likely to start spot fires up to 100 metres ahead of the fire, and there is a lot of ash and dust blowing over the fire ground. "If you cannot leave, you need to get ready to shelter in your home," DFES advised. "Go to a room in your home away from the fire front and make sure you can easily escape. "Choose a room with two exits and water such as a kitchen or laundry." The bushfire is approaching Lancelin and surrounds. Credit:DFES Roads have been closed including Indian Ocean Drive from K.W Road to Wedge Island Road, K.W Road (east of Indian Ocean Drive), Minegarra Road from Brand Highway, and Orange Springs Road West from Brand Highway, and from the intersection of Sappers Road, Nabaroo Road and Cowalla Road to Nine Mile Swamp Road. There are vehicle checkpoints in the area, including on Wedge Island Road, Lancelin Road, K.W Road, Cowalla Bridge and Orange Spring Roads. Access to Lancelin via Lancelin Road has been closed and there is no access north of Lancelin on Indian Ocean Drive but those leaving Lancelin can do so in a southerly direction. Oceans Farms resident Amanda Solarino was on her way to Mindarie to buy a generator on Monday evening when she got the text message telling her and her partner to evacuate. She rushed back to Lancelin to pick up a friend's horse float before driving back to Ocean Farms to rescue her horse, chickens and goats. The blaze started on Saturday and has burned through more than 7200 hectares. Credit:Evan Collins In a daze, she managed to fit the four goats and four chickens inside regular cars and drove back to Lancelin, where she sought shelter at her in-laws' home. Ms Solarino, who has managed to house the horse in the backyard and the goats in the garage, said the flames got up to 8 kilometres from their home, but she said she wasn't worried. "More pissed off. My boyfriend and I work at the Endeavour Tavern and we have been so busy since Christmas, we are so tired we hardly have the energy to cope with it all," she said. Loading In town, Lancelin Lodge owner Karen Stokke opened the doors of the hostel to families fleeing the blaze and farm workers stuck with nowhere to go. "It is so emotionally draining for families that are being affected. We will do everything we can to help them out and make things feel safer for them and less stressful," Ms Stokke said. Ms Stokke urged anyone in need of safe accommodation to call the lodge instead of booking online. Wedge Island concerns Unexploded ordnance from the old Lancelin bombing range surrounding the suburb of Wedge Island, which is directly on the fire's path, is a major concern for firefighters. The winds are causing spot fires to ignite within 100 metres of the blaze. Credit:Nikki Woods Mr Duckworth said the ordnance prevented ground crews from accessing the area to battle the fire, which was quickly moving towards the suburb fanned by gusty winds. While he was confident the ammunition would not explode, he said it would be "extremely dangerous" for the flames to reach the area. "There's a lot of bush around there and we are limited in our ability to fight the fire, we can use our aircraft to do it but not much else," he said. "We are not confident we can pull [the fire front] up before it reached Wedge Island by any means, that is why we are urging those residents to pay particular attention to the warnings." Strong easterly winds, hot temperatures set to continue The Bureau of Meteorology is also predicting extremely hot and dry conditions going into next week, which are expected to fuel the unpredictability of a fire threat. DFES Deputy Commissioner Craig Waters said climate change had caused fires to burn with the same intensity into the evenings, whereas before firefighters would get a lull or reprieve with cooling conditions. People across China mourned Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice who helped feed millions. Following the death of the iconic agronomist on Saturday, cities across the nation held memorial ceremonies. People lined up in rain to bid farewell to the scientist at the Mingyangshan funeral home in Changsha, where a service took place on Monday. Flowers were also laid in places Yuan had studied and worked May 25, 2021 06:22 PM Professor Brendan Delaney developed a mild case of Covid just before the first lockdown in March, suffering the now- familiar symptoms of a cough, temperature and headache. Feeling tired and achy, the 57-year-old London GP self-isolated for two weeks, by which time he had recovered enough to return to work. But a week later, he suddenly experienced the 'most extreme fatigue'. 'I was breathless and had muscle pains and a recurring fever,' he says. The official treatment for lasting fatigue, which is now recommended to long Covid patients, is graded exercise therapy Professor Delaney, a specialist in medical informatics at Imperial College London, used to cycle 80 miles every Sunday, but after he developed long Covid which is thought to have affected 60,000 people in the UK even speaking to patients on the phone was a challenge. Sometimes he would feel better, but then he'd relapse. Three months later, in June, when he'd been able to start working again (though only part-time), he still had brain fog. The official treatment for lasting fatigue, which is now recommended to long Covid patients, is graded exercise therapy (GET). It involves doing a bit more exercise every day, with NHS website Your Covid Recovery suggesting: 'It is important that you start being active as soon as possible after discharge from hospital . . . You should aim to build up to 30 minutes of activity at least five days a week.' For people exhausted by a simple phone call, this seems like a huge task. This regimen has been prescribed for patients with the long-term fatigue condition known as ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) or CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) for nearly 20 years. However, when these patients complained they felt worse after exercise, they were told it was because they had a faulty belief that they couldn't exercise. As a result, GET was often combined with cognitive behavioural therapy to rid them of this mistaken idea. The official treatment for lasting fatigue, which is now recommended to long Covid patients, is graded exercise therapy (GET). It involves doing a bit more exercise every day The good news for these patients is that last November, treatment watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), issued draft guidelines for ME which dropped the graded exercise approach from its recommendations and replaced it with a treatment that is the exact opposite. Rather than issuing a prescription of what exactly they should be doing and pushing them to do more every day, patients are now being told to exercise only as much as feels comfortable, 'at a level that does not worsen . . . symptoms'. But while this sea change is welcome news for some, Covid patients with long-term fatigue are being told they need GET. 'The ME patients I knew through my practice howled with anguish at the idea of treating Covid patients with GET,' says Professor Delaney. 'I gave it a try as I'd told my ME patients in the past to do. But as a result, my fever came back and I felt a lot worse.' Professor Paul Garner, another long Covid sufferer, described his experience in The BMJ in May as 'being on a rollercoaster of ill health' after developing the illness in mid-March. He is a senior member of the Cochrane Collaboration, a respected source of information about the latest treatments and evidence. He was shocked, however, when he consulted its database about treatment for long-term fatigue. 'It told me I needed cognitive behavioural therapy to challenge 'unhelpful negative thoughts',' he told Good Health. 'This was shortly after I had suffered a three-day relapse following a ten-minute bicycle ride. That wasn't the result of negative thoughts.' By July, a growing number of doctors with long Covid, including Professor Delaney and Professor Garner, had formed online support groups where they described their experiences and discussed alternative treatments. Professor Garner says those in his support group each benefited from going at their own pace, even though they had different symptoms. Professor Delaney was shocked at the response of doctors treating him and others for fatigue with the approved protocol. 'There was complete disbelief when we weren't getting better,' he says. 'They were pretty unsympathetic and negative. We realised this was what ME and CFS patients had been suffering because of the graded exercise therapy advice.' Patient activists had been warning that GET was 'ineffective and could be deeply damaging to patients since 2007, when the previous guidelines came out', says Andy Devereux-Cooke, co-founder of online group Science For ME. What patient surveys have repeatedly found is that 'pacing' where they exercise within their comfort levels is much more helpful. One survey of more than 1,400 patients, published in the Journal of Health Psychology in 2017, found that 44 per cent reported an improvement in symptoms when 'pacing' while exercising, compared with 12 per cent for GET. The patient groups argued that their symptoms, such as profound fatigue, poor memory and irregular changes in blood pressure, all suggested a physical cause. As Andy Devereux-Cooke explains: 'It eventually got enough academic support for patient advocates like me to be invited to be part of the committee that draws up the NICE guidelines.' The committee commented that the guidelines should end the 'stigmatisation and prejudice' patients had suffered as a result of their fatigue being described as 'psychological'. The NICE experts accepted the claim that profound fatigue was the result of a disordered energy metabolism and that patients should stay in their 'energy envelope' the new term used in the draft guidelines, which is essentially pacing. Even though the new guidelines are specific to ME and CFS, the gentler approach to treating chronic fatigue has been receiving strong support from doctors who have fallen victim to long Covid. The hope is that their involvement could help transform our understanding of what's going on with ME and long Covid. Already, multi-disciplinary clinics are being set up to properly address all long Covid symptoms. One of the organisers is Dr Ian Frayling, a senior clinical research fellow and pathologist at Cardiff University, who has long Covid himself. 'The aim is to make treatment more specific and targeted and find out more about the biological causes,' he told Good Health. There are plenty of possibilities to explore. Research by a Norwegian team, published in JCI Insight in 2016, found that some cells in patients with CFS/ME were less efficient at making energy compared with healthy people, and they produced excessive amounts of waste products when the patients did exercise. Less oxygen was being carried in their blood and less blood was getting to the brain and heart. It's possible this may be happening with long Covid, too, says Dr David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School. 'The similarity between the symptoms of fatigue in Covid and CFS/ME suggests a common factor,' he says. 'There is evidence both have blockages in the tiny blood vessels that supply our cells with nutrients and remove waste. 'This could explain symptoms such as brain fog, crippling tiredness and inability to exercise.' But it is still early days, he stresses. And this won't help long Covid patients currently being advised to push the exercise envelope. Kylie Jenner's best friend Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou rang in the new year while vacationing in The Bahamas. The 23-year-old Instagram model has been posing up a storm in a variety of bikini looks on her tropical getaway, as she proves that island time is certainly for her. On Monday Stassie shared photos of herself playing with pigs - which are native to the island - as she flashed her ample assets in a skimpy leopard bikini. Bahama mama: Kylie Jenner's BFF Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou, 23, shows off her killer curves in a skimpy leopard bikini while playing with pigs on a Bahamas getaway Friends since their formidable years in elementary school, Stassie has taken center stage as Jenner's number one pal since her fallout with Jordyn Woods. ADVERTISEMENT Stepping into her own as of late, the curvy brunette has garnered quite the following on social media as she boasts nearly 10M followers and has her own YouTube channel. Click here to resize this module Additionally she is a brand ambassador for Fashion Nova and Rihanna's Savage X Fenty. Putting on quite the eye-popping display while on vacation, Karanikolaou softly grinned as she pet a pig. Island time: The Instagram model flashed her curves as she rang in the new year on an island in The Bahamas Opting for a no fuss look she wore her hair in loose braids as she showed off her body in the high rise bikini. She captioned the photo series, 'bahama mama,' as she looked blissful to be in paradise. Karanikolaou joined a laundry list of influencers and celebrities who have fled Los Angeles for the holidays amid the raging pandemic. With LA County currently in full lockdown mode, many privileged residents have taken their business elsewhere in the interim, despite a non-essential travel ban and a whopping 819,000 total cases. Tropical tan: She joined many privileged influencers who have fled Los Angeles amid the raging pandemic in favor of a tropical vacation Like many islands, The Bahamas only allows travelers to visit if they can show proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. Stassie was joined by good pal, model Sydney Carlson, and Jenner's former assistant, Victoria Villarroel, on the journey as they got away on a girl's trip. The ladies soaked up some rays and shared glimpses of their enviable vacation as they flashed their bronzed bodies. On January 2, the Fashion Nova influencer shared a photo series in a bright geometric set as she played up her holiday fashion. Vava voom: She flashed her toned tummy and curves in a tube top and skirt as she leaned into 2021; pictured January 2 Bad to the bone: Stassie's sultry island series garnered a comment from her rumored beau Noah Centineo She playfully confessed, 'still as bad as i was in 2020,' as she showed off her killer curves. ADVERTISEMENT Khloe Kardashian commented, 'That's right boo,' as she affirmed her love for her sister's friend. Rumored beau Noah Centineo, 24, who is best known for his role in To All The Boys I've Loved Before, commented, 'Just wait til 2022.' The pair were first linked a bit before Halloween and seemed to confirm their romance on the holiday, as they were seen packing on the PDA at a party. Furthermore, celebrity tea spilling account DeuxMoi posted an unverified rumor around the same time, that the two had eloped as a social media joke, but then freaked out when they realized it was actually legal. SACRAMENTO Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would seek to create a multibillion-dollar economic aid and recovery package for California businesses struggling through the coronavirus pandemic. The plan, part of a state budget proposal that Newsom will formally unveil later this week, would include more than $4 billion in grants for small businesses, corporate tax credits, funding to expand housing and green infrastructure, and fee waivers for industries that have been hit particularly hard by lockdown measures. Californias economy is known the world over for our innovation, inclusion and resilience. That spirit will carry us through this pandemic and beyond, Newsom said in a statement Tuesday. These budget proposals reflect our commitment to an equitable, broad-based recovery that ensures California remains the best place to start and grow a business and where all Californians have an opportunity to reach their dreams. A quicker economic rebound than anticipated has eased Californias budget woes, bringing the state a one-time windfall that legislative analysts estimate could grow to about $26 billion by the next fiscal year. That will provide Newsom and policymakers with more resources to chart an economic recovery for the state, which has been battered by the pandemic, though analysts also project California will face an operating deficit in the coming years. At the center of Newsoms economic aid proposal is an additional $575 million to help small businesses adapt their operations for the coronavirus. The state set aside $500 million in November to provide businesses with grants of between $5,000 and $25,000. The second round of funding would include $25 million dedicated for small cultural institutions, such as museums and art galleries, that have been unable to operate or are otherwise financially challenged by the pandemic. The plan would also provide $765 million for job creation and economic development efforts, including $430 million to increase a tax credit for businesses that relocate to or grow in California, $100 million to extend a hiring tax credit for small businesses and $100 million to defray sales taxes on manufacturing equipment. Bars, restaurants, barbershops, manicurists and other industries that have been required to close down or limit their capacity during the pandemic would receive about $71 million in fee waivers under Newsoms proposal. The governor also proposes supporting job growth through a $353 million funding increase for worker training and apprenticeship programs; $300 million in one-time money to tackle deferred maintenance and greening projects, such as the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at state buildings; and $500 million in grants to bring down the cost of housing developments. In the single biggest item of the package, Newsom is proposing an additional $1.5 billion to boost the states transition to clean cars by funding construction of more charging stations and rebates for vehicle purchases. The governor signed an executive order in September requiring that all new passenger vehicles sold in California be zero-emission by 2035. Newsoms plan would need approval from the Legislature, which must pass a state budget by June. The governors office said it would ask lawmakers to act immediately to appropriate the $575 million in small-business grants and $71 million in fee waivers. Californians are hurting and need immediate assistance to weather the current crisis, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood (Los Angeles County), said in a statement. A unified effort is critical to success and we look forward to working with the governor on the specifics of his, and legislative proposals to take early action in providing meaningful additional relief. On Monday, Newsom said he would also seek an immediate $300 million infusion to bolster the states coronavirus vaccine distribution. The governors announcement of his full budget plan is expected Friday. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shopoff Realty Investments ("Shopoff"), a national manager of opportunistic and value-add real estate investments, announced today that the company has acquired Castilian Technical Center located at 50, 70 and 90 Castilian Drive in the city of Goleta, in Santa Barbara County, CA. The property was acquired in conjunction with co-investment partner Praelium Commercial Real Estate, and is the second project the two firms have partnered on together. The recently renovated property includes 10.82 acres comprised of a fully renovated, three-building, 165,905-square-foot creative office campus. The campus features extensive outdoor amenity spaces with indoor/outdoor meeting areas, patios, picnic tables and walking trails. The property is conveniently located between US Highway 101 and Hollister Avenue, providing ease of access to Santa Barbara Airport, University of California, Santa Barbara, Goleta Commuter Amtrak and Downtown Santa Barbara. "The Castilian Office Campus is a stellar property in a well-established tech corridor within the coastal market of Santa Barbara," explained Shopoff Realty Investments president and chief executive officer, William Shopoff. "This office campus will provide a stable asset of fantastic value to our portfolio, with the Goleta-Santa Barbara area in high demand due to its entrepreneurial quality for startups." Located less than two miles from the property, University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading center for teaching and research, with Forbes ranking the college as one of the top schools for entrepreneurship. The surrounding area has become a dynamic engineering and technology corridor in recent years, and is home to Raytheon, Google, LinkedIn, Citrix, FLIR, Yardi Systems, Orbital ATK, LogMeIn, and more than 100 defense contractors. Scott G. San Filippo, founding principal of Praelium Commercial Real Estate, added, "We are pleased to expand our partnership with Shopoff in this quality asset backed by superior long-term credit, and hope to build on our success with additional investments in the Santa Barbara market." AppFolio occupies all three buildings as its company headquarters, with an 11-year triple net lease. Founded in 2006, AppFolio offers industry-specific, cloud-based business software solutions, services, and data analytics to the real estate and legal markets. Brian Rupp, Shopoff Realty Investment's executive vice president of real estate added, "AppFolio has fully leased the office campus, and is also investing significant capital into the property for tenant improvements. This further demonstrates their commitment to this property, and helps to support the property's long-term value." About Shopoff Realty Investments Shopoff Realty Investments is an Irvine, California-based real estate firm with a 28-year history of value-add and opportunistic investing across the United States. The company primarily focuses on proactively generating appreciation through the repositioning of commercial income-producing properties and the entitlement of land assets. The 29-year history includes operating as Asset Recovery Fund, Eastbridge Partners and Shopoff Realty Investments (formerly known as The Shopoff Group). Performance has varied in this time frame, with certain offerings generating losses. For additional information, please visit www.shopoff.com or call (844) 4-SHOPOFF. About Praelium Commercial Real Estate Praelium is a Southern California and Charlotte, NC based real estate operating company that acquires and operates real estate in the Western and Southeast US. Disclosures This is not an offering to buy or sell any securities. Such offer may only be made through the offering's memorandum to qualified purchasers. Any investment in Shopoff Realty Investments programs involves substantial risks and is suitable only for investors who have no need for liquidity and who can bear the loss of their entire investment. There is no assurance that any strategy will succeed to meet its investment objectives. The performance of this asset is not indicative of future results of other assets. Securities offered through Shopoff Securities, Inc. member FINRA/SIPC, 2 Park Plaza, Suite 770, Irvine, CA 92614, (844) 4-SHOPOFF. Contact: Jill Swartz Spotlight Marketing Communications 949.427.1389 [email protected] SOURCE Shopoff Realty Investments Related Links https://www.shopoff.com Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The list of places where people in Alabama can get the COVID-19 vaccine is getting longer. Initially only available in large hospitals and major medical facilities, COVID vaccines are now being distributed at smaller hospitals, county health departments and even three independent pharmacies in Alabama. The vaccines are still being reserved for people who fall under Phase 1A of Alabamas vaccine allocation plan -- mostly frontline health care workers, emergency medical personnel and nursing home residents and staff. But those who qualify can now get the vaccine in more places. The state has administered 42,810 doses of vaccine so far, as of Jan. 2. Supplies of the Moderna COVID vaccine have been distributed to all 67 county health departments in Alabama, with each county receiving 500 doses, according to Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Mark Wilson. Wilson said the Jefferson County Health Department will begin vaccinating employees at Childrens Hospital in Birmingham this week and will begin reaching out to employees at smaller clinics and healthcare facilities in the county after that. With these initial allocations, were supposed to make every effort to give half of those to hospital workers, Wilson said. Were not at a phase where the vaccine is available for the general public, but we will be basically targeting some more of those frontline health care workers. Many county health departments in Alabama have already begun hosting vaccine clinics on a weekly or semi-weekly basis for qualified health care workers to receive the Moderna vaccine. The Alabama Medical Association has posted a link on its web site to a list of clinics in most counties and where and when people can get vaccinated. The Medical Association also listed 27 smaller hospitals and medical centers across the state that have supplies of the Moderna vaccine available by appointment for people who qualify. Residents and employees of long-term care facilities are being vaccinated through a federal arrangement with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, which are sending vaccination teams out to participating nursing homes to administer the vaccine to residents and staff at the facility. The University of Alabama announced Monday that it had also received 3,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine, and plans to begin administering them on Friday. New clues to prostate cancer Australian research has identified a new mechanism in which prostate cancer cells can 'switch' character and become resistant to therapy. These findings, just published in Cell Reports, are an important development in unravelling how an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer, neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), develops after hormonal therapies. It is well established that some tumours show increased cellular 'plasticity' in response to new or stressful conditions, such as cancer therapy, says lead researcher Associate Professor Luke Selth, from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute. This plasticity allows the cancer cells to adapt and continue to grow by evolving into different cell types that no longer respond to the therapy. "Increased cellular plasticity is increasingly recognised as a key feature by which prostate cancers become resistant to therapy and progress to a lethal stage," he says. "Our new study reveals that a particular molecule, the microRNA 'miR-194', can enhance this plasticity in prostate cancer, leading to the emergence of NEPC. "By targeting miR-194, we were able to slow down and inhibit the growth of prostate cancer models with neuroendocrine features." Associate Professor Selth says while this study is a long way from clinical application, it "nevertheless provides us with important new insights into how prostate cancers 'evolve' in response to therapy". There are currently no effective treatments for NEPC, with estimates up to 15% of men may develop this aggressive subtype of prostate cancer after hormonal treatment - a major problem because these men face "very poor outcomes". "By revealing another regulator of prostate cancer cell plasticity that can promote evolution of tumours, our study highlights why prostate cancer is so difficult to cure. "While this reality is sobering, we hope that our study and lots of other research going on around the world will eventually lead to smarter, more targeted ways to treat NEPC or even prevent its emergence," Associate Professor Selth says. ### The new paper, 'Post-transcriptional gene regulation by microRNA-194 promotes neuroendocrine transdifferentiation in prostate cancer' (2021) by RC Fernandes, J Toubia, S Townley, AR Hanson, BK Dredge, KA Pillman, AG Bert, JM Winter, R Iggo, R Das, D Obinata, MURAL investigators, S Sandhu, GP Risbridger, RA Taylor, MG Lawrence, LM Butler, A Zoubeidi, PA Gregory, WD Tilley, TE Hickey, GJ Goodall and LA Selth has been published in Cell Reports (Elsevier) DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108585 Acknowledgement: This research was funded by the NHMRC, Cancer Council of South Australia, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Victorian Cancer Agency, the Movember Foundation and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Flinders University Associate Professor Selth is supported by a Principal Cancer Research Fellowship awarded by Cancer Council's Beat Cancer project on behalf of its donors, the South Australian Government through the Department of Health, and the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund. Co-authors include experts from The University of Adelaide, ACRF Cancer Genomics Facility (SA Pathology and UniSA), Centre for Cancer Biology, Institut Bergonie Unicancer (France), Northwestern University (US), Nihon University School of Medicine (Japan), Monash University, University of Melbourne, SAHMRI and University of British Columbia (Canada). This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Gandhinagar, Jan 5 : A PIL has been filed in the Gujarat High Court seeking direction on prohibition of kite flying in the entire state during the upcoming Uttarayan or Makarsankranti that falls around mid-January. The high court has asked the government lawyer to take instructions from the government and have scheduled the next hearing in the next week. Maulik Mankad, representing the Animal Welfare Foundation Gandhinagar has filed the PIL seeking prohibition on sale of kites and threads as it leads to large gatherings during Uttarayan. The foundation through the PIL, wants a complete ban imposed on gatherings at one place from January 9 to 17. The PIL says that people also gather to get the kite threads coated with glass from street vendors. The PIL pointed out that people celebrate the festival with friends and families which raises the risk of Coronavirus infection. It also warned that vendors of kites and threads could become superspreaders of COVID-19 in the present situation. He also argued that those involved in coating the kite thread could become superspreaders of the virus. The PIL submitted before the court that enforcement of police patrolling and drone surveillance is required during Uttaryan to enforce Covid safety guidelines, including masks, social distancing among others. It sought directions from the court to impose a ban on gatherings of more than 4 people at one place, be it on terraces, footpaths, or on-roads for kite flying. It added that medical and paramedical staff have already been working hard to battle Covid for the past nine months. The unrestricted celebration will further add to the workload of medical and paramedical staff. Uttarayan or the Makarsankranti, falls on January 14 and 15 which is a Thursday and Friday this time, respectively. This, coupled with the weekend will see people eager to extend the celebration. Gujarat has seen a huge spike in Coronavirus cases post-Diwali, which is now coming under control after over a month. The Gujarat government has already decided to cancel its annual International Kite Festival that is held every year during Uttarayan. The high court has ordered to attach the PIL with the suo moto petition on Covid-19 and lockdown, which is scheduled for the hearing on January 8. The high court has also sought a reply from the Gujarat government on the matter. Billionaire Robert T. Brockman will have his trial on fraud charges in his hometown of Houston rather than San Francisco after a federal judge granted a change of venue in the $2 billion case. The move comes after Brockmans lawyers claimed the software magnate has a form of dementia. Brockman, 79, was charged in October in a 39-count indictment of using a group of Caribbean entities to conceal $2 billion in income. He is the founder and former chief executive of Reynolds & Reynolds Co., which makes software used by automobile dealerships. Brockman started the business out of his living in room in Houston in 1970. In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco granted the change of venue requested by Brockmans attorneys, who cited his declining health and Department of Justice guidelines that require such trials occur in the judicial district of the taxpayers resident or principal place of business FRAUD CHARGES: DOJ charges Texas billionaire in $2 billion tax fraud scheme Brockman, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, suffers from Parkinsons disease, Parkinsonism, Lewy body dementia, or some combination of all three, according to the filing. Lewy body dementia is a common form of the cognitive illness in which protein deposits in nerve cells cause physical and mental impairment. In the change of venue filing, defense attorneys said Brockmans physician believes conducting the trial in a location other than his home town would disorient Brockman in a manner that could accelerate the deterioration of his mental condition. They said Brockman also suffers from short- and long-term memory loss. Prosecutors were offered the chance to interview Brockmans attorneys but declined, according to the filing, and are still awaiting medical records the defense has not provided. Brockmans attorneys have requested a competency hearing to determine whether he can participate in his own defense. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox Brockman is accused of masterminding the single biggest tax evasion scheme in U.S. history, officially charged with wire fraud, tax evasion and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts. The case involves hiding profits in funds overseen by Vista Equity Partners of Austin. The founder of that firm, billionaire Robert Smith, admitted to evading $43 million in taxes and is helping the government in the case against Brockman. Brockman stepped down as Ohio-based Reynolds & Reynolds CEO in November. The companys software is used by auto dealerships to manage the financing process and organize inventory. One of its most-visible products is docuPAD, which turns an auto financing officers desk into a giant touchscreen, simplifying the process of signing vehicle purchasing documents. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger HARRISBURG About 200 people, many waving American and Trump 2020 flags, gathered on the Capitol steps in Harrisburg Tuesday morning, hoping the lawmakers that were inside for the start of a new session will hear their voices. For those at the Hear Us Roar rally, this might be a session in which democracy is at stake, as attendees called for the decertification of the Pennsylvania Election results. Were asking the state legislators to have a vote on the floor to decertify the election votes due to the fact that we have a lot of election fraud that has been brought to the table and our election is in dispute, said organizer Tricia Cunningham of the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. The rally was held on the day that Pennsylvania lawmakers are convening for the first time in 2021. Cunningham said there was a sense of urgency about the rally since Wednesday is the final confirmation of the votes in Washington D.C. It comes down to election integrity, she said, adding there are too many votes in question in Pennsylvania. The rally was held as President Donald Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Senate Republicans and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge the Electoral College vote when Congress convenes in a joint session Wednesday to confirm President-elect Joe Bidens 306-232 win. Eight Republican U.S. Congressmen from Pennsylvania are among those who plan to object to the final certification of Bidens win Wednesday. Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey said he is not going to join those in the Senate who also will seek to overturn the certified votes. The senators justify their intent by observing that there have been many allegations of fraud, Toomey said in a statement released Friday. But allegations of fraud by a losing campaign cannot justify overturning an election. They fail to acknowledge that these allegations have been adjudicated in courtrooms across America and were found to be unsupported by evidence. President Trumps own Attorney General, Bill Barr, stated we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election. I acknowledge that this past election, like all elections, had irregularities. But the evidence is overwhelming that Joe Biden won this election. Despite President Trumps claims of voter fraud, state officials have insisted the elections ran smoothly and there was no evidence of fraud or other problems that would change the outcome. Of the more than 50 lawsuits the president and his allies have filed challenging election results, nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. Hes also lost twice at the U.S. Supreme Court. But attendees of Tuesdays rally in Harrisburg are nevertheless calling for lawmakers to overturn that certification in Pennsylvania. Among the speakers was WHP 580 radios Ken Matthews, who looked out on the crowd and said we the people are fully awake. He told them its time for their elected officials to step up and work for them. Were no longer going to vote for people who sell out the truth. We will no longer vote for people that dont have the guts to fight for a stolen election, he said. You will no longer get away with locking us down and ignoring the fraud you helped create because youre afraid of a governor or how it might hurt your career to fight for a president who fights for America first. Many of the speakers were lawmakers, who took aim not only at the Wolf administration, but at their fellow state senators and representatives. State Rep. Dawn Keefer, who serves parts of York and Cumberland counties, told the crowd It is not about changing the outcome. It is about election integrity. To loud applause, she told the crowd the election that took place in 2020 in November for president was unlawful, therefore its invalid. She accused the governor and secretary of state of violating election laws and accused the state Supreme Court of rewriting those laws when challenged, but she said the legislature still has power to decertifying the states votes. The problem, she said, is there are not enough members of the the legislature who are willing to take action. The path is there. The courage is not, she said. State Sen. Doug Mastriano, who represents parts of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties, told the crowd the fight is not over, and took aim at Gov. Tom Wolf, saying Any governor who cared about the people would investigate any allegations. He added a proper investigation and audit of the election must be done and, If people believe their guy won, what are they afraid of? Radio personality Wendy Bell spoke near the end of the rally, telling the crowd We are witnessing an amazing part of our history. Regardless of how it ends, this is the beginning of a great awakening. A sleeping giant has awakened, and its called serving us like they were elected to do. And we have awakened as well, she said. Glenn and Rosa Nolt from Strasburg attended the rally today, their first, in an effort, they said, to stop the steal of the election. We want to support the president, we believe he belongs there another four years, he was legally voted in, we need to just respect the vote and count it legally and properly, Glenn Nolt said. Its a special moment in our countrys history. We just wanted to be part of it and be here to be part of the excitement and enthusiasm. And whatever happens in the state Capitol Tuesday, or in Washington D.C on Wednesday, the Nolts said they are hopeful for the future and encouraged after seeing the crowd gathered in the cold at Tuesdays rally. We need to keep praying, and we need to stay positive, regardless of who is in the Oval Office Jan. 20, Rosa Nolt said. I think our elected officials need to start understanding they are elected to represent us and not the other way around. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. BEIJING: Alibaba founder and Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has reportedly gone missing for over two months now following his controversial speech in October in which he severe criticised the regulation system of China and called the banks 'pawnshops'. The tech tycoon has not made any public appearance since November 2019. In fact, he did not appear in the final episode of his own talent show, Africas Business Heroes, thus deeping the mystery around his whereabouts. UKs Telegraph reported that Alibaba founder was supposed to be a part of the judging panel in November final but he was replaced by an Alibaba executive. Surprisingly, Jack Ma's picture was also removed from the website. It is being speculated that Jack Ma's wrangle with China's authoritarian regime has led to a crackdown on his business in the country and his disappearance from public space. Also Read: Chinese billionaire and Alibaba founder Jack Ma suspected missing after criticising President Xi Jingping Jack Ma's trouble with the Chinese government first began when he gave a speech criticising China's regulators and state-owned banks for their 'backwardness'. His remarks are said to have infuriated Beijing's party brass, leading to Chinese President Xi Jinping to personally order a halt to the offering by Alibaba's financial affiliate company, Ant Financial, which was set to raise USD 34 billion in the biggest stock-market debut in history, reported Hollywood Reporter. In early November, Beijing cancelled the IPO of Ant Financial, while in late December, Chinese regulators announced that they would launch an antitrust investigation into Alibaba's e-commerce business, as well as enforcing new rules to curb Ant's business activities. These new enforcements led to a decline in Alibaba's shares and Jack Ma`s personal wealth. According to a report by The New York Times, Jack Ma publicly castigated financial regulators for being obsessed with minimising risk and accused China's banks of behaving like 'pawnshops' by lending only to those who could put up collateral. "Based on my understanding, what President Xi said about 'enhancing governing ability' meant orderly regulation to maintain healthy and sustainable development, not just regulation without development," NHK World quoted Jack Ma. The report mentioned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seems more than willing to tap into a long-running resentment of the rich, which could mean trouble ahead for Chinese entrepreneurs and private businesses under Xi Jinping. Of late, China has been stepping up efforts to curb the influence of big tech companies like Alibaba and Tencent. In November, China released draft regulations aimed at preventing these firms from colluding to share sensitive consumer data, forming agreements to block out smaller rivals and engaging in other anticompetitive behaviour, reported The Wall Street Journal. In addition, a meeting of the CCP's Politburo, chaired by Xi in early December pledged to strengthen antimonopoly efforts next year and to 'prevent the disorderly expansion of capital', a message seen as portending a larger crackdown on internet giants. Jack Ma is said to be a key target of these new policies. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Beijing is seeking to shrink Jack Ma's technology and financial empire and potentially take a larger stake in his businesses, according to some Chinese officials and government advisers familiar with the matter, while regulators zero in on the billionaire in a campaign to strengthen control of an increasingly influential tech domain. (With ANI inputs) Vietnam, the worlds third biggest exporter of rice, has started buying the grain from rival India for the first time in decades after local prices jumped to their highest in nine years amid limited domestic supplies, four industry officials told Reuters. The purchases highlight tightening supplies in Asia, which could lift rice prices in 2021 and even force traditional buyers of rice from Thailand and Vietnam to switch to India - the worlds biggest exporter of the grain. Indian traders have been contracted to export 70,000 tonnes of 100% broken rice for January and February shipments at around $310 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, the industry officials say. For the first time we are exporting to Vietnam, B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters on Monday. Indian prices are very attractive. The huge price difference is making exports possible. Dwindling supplies and continued Philippine buying have lifted Vietnamese rice export prices to a fresh nine-year high. Vietnams 5% broken rice is offered around $500-$505 per tonne, significantly higher compared to Indian prices of $381-$387. The shrinking supplies will heighten concerns about food insecurity with sub-Saharan Africa among the areas where import demand has been increasing due partly to population growth. Chronic and acute hunger is on the rise, impacting vulnerable households in almost every country, with the COVID-19 pandemic reducing incomes and disrupting supply chains, according to the World Bank. Stockpiling Traders said the global pandemic has also prompted Vietnam and other countries to stockpile rice. Vietnam announced last year it would stockpile 270,000 tonnes of rice to ensure food availability amid coronavirus-driven supply chain disruptions worldwide. Traders in Vietnam said the rice from India had been stockpiled in government reserves since 2016/17 and its relatively cheap price reflected low quality. The rice quality is so poor that it is not good for direct consumption for humans, but only for producing animal feeds and beer, said a rice trader based in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnams total paddy output in 2020 fell 1.85% to 42.69 million tonnes, equivalent to around 21.35 million tonnes of rice, preliminary data from the governments General Statistics Office showed. The countrys rice exports in 2020 were forecast to have fallen by 3.5% to 6.15 million tonnes. Robust demand from Asian and African countries has also been lifting Indian prices but they are still very competitive due to ample stocks, said Nitin Gupta, vice president of Olam Indias rice business. Vietnam could make more purchases as long as the price difference remains, Gupta said. In December, the worlds biggest rice importer China started buying Indian rice for the first time in at least three decades due to tightening supplies from Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam and an offer of sharply discounted prices. In 2020 India exported a record 14 million tonnes of rice, provisional data from the trade ministry showed. ORWIGSBURG With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions, fundraising events have been few and far between. Schaeffers Motor Sports, however, still felt the need to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association by hosting its first Fruitcake Toss. The event was held Saturday morning at the dealership off Route 61 in conjunction with National Fruitcake Toss Day observed annually Jan. 3. Kim Weist, marketing coordinator with the dealership, said she was looking on the internet for ways to turn a national event into a local fundraiser and came across the fruitcake toss. We wanted to come up with something different and this was certainly different, Weist said while signing up those planning to participate. Participants were able to give a donation, with all proceeds going to MDA. Each person received a cellophane wrapped fruitcake in preparation for the toss. At 11 a.m., the participants unwrapped the fruitcakes, went outside of the front of the building and began tossing the cakes, one person at a time, into a grassy area while wearing masks and observing social distancing. Weist said the purpose of unwrapping the fruitcakes was so none of the packaging materials would litter the area and also to have the tossed fruitcakes available for birds and other animals to eat. Nate Calderone threw his fruitcake the longest, logged by Donna Dukman at 84 feet, 2 inches. His mother, Denise, had the shortest distance at 34 feet. Dukman, a member of Harley Owners Group, worked with Dwayne Weist, who served as the official distance measurer. For throwing the longest, Nate Calderone received a handcrafted Harley-Davidson themed decoration from HOG along with a gift card to the business and a fruitcake. Kim Weist said that she hopes Saturdays event will become a yearly tradition and get better and better year after year. National Fruitcake Toss Day is celebrating its 25th anniversary observance today. The first Great Fruitcake Toss was held in Manitou Springs, Colorado, on Jan. 3, 1996. National Fruitcake Toss Day acknowledges a persons responsibility to fruitcakes everywhere, to save them from humiliation in a trash can or the discomfort of being eaten. Instead, people throw them, slingshot them and catapult them into the sky. Fruitcakes are statistically listed in the top 10 of the most re-gifted items given over the Christmas holiday. There are also facts about fruitcakes that most people do not know about: n Fruitcakes improve with age, like fine wines. They have to sit for at least a month to ripen. n A small fruitcake accompanied Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin into space on Apollo 11, while President Grover Cleveland had a fruitcake at his wedding in 1886. Kim Weist said the 2022 Fruitcake Toss may include a different type of throwing and could possibly incorporate teams and the possible use of sling shots to throw the cakes. Were going to think about and include some changes to make it more inviting and fun as it goes on, she said. Asaduddin Owaisi. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi announced on January 3 that his party will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls with influential Muslim cleric Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui. At Furfura Sharif, West Bengal in a meeting with Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui sb, Pirzada Naushad Siddiqui sb, Pirzada Baizid Amin sb & Janab Sabir Ghaffar sb pic.twitter.com/lptUX24JnJ Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) January 3, 2021 The development, first political move by the Hyderabad MP in poll-bound West Bengal, could spell trouble for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress (TMC) as it has the potential to split the Muslim votes and thereby benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), political analysts said. Siddiqui, who represents the revered Muslim pilgrimage site Furfura Sharif in Hooghly, had earlier announced to launch his own political party to take on the TMC, the party that he has been supporting for last ten years. Clerics from Furfura Sharif have influence in four South Bengal districts of Hooghly, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, according to political analysts. The BJP has been trying to strengthen its presence in these areas. Siddiqui has been drawing large crowds in his recent anti-TMC meetings in the region, urging Muslims to not support Mamata Banerjees party in the upcoming elections. The AIMIM has some presence in Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Cooch Behar districts of north and central Bengal, which it intends to strengthen in coming days. 'B-team of the BJP' After winning five of the 20 seats it contested in Bihar elections last year, Owaisi's party was accused of helping the BJP-led alliance win the polls, a charge that has dogged the AIMIM for long. Even in West Bengal, where elections to the 294-member assembly are due in a few months, TMC leaders, including MP Sougata Roy, have called the AIMIM a "B-team of the BJP" that would eat into anti-saffron camp votes, a charge refuted by Owaisi. "Owaisi is well aware that Muslims here are mostly Bengali-speaking, and won't support him. He is trying to forge ties with Abbas Siddiqui, but that won't yield any result. Muslims in Bengal stand firmly by Mamata Banerjee," Roy has said. The experts, however, think otherwise. Owaisi was not a factor in Bengal until last week. However, his meeting with Abbas Siddiqui of Furfura Sharif and the announcement that they will come together is an interesting development. Together they can impact voting patterns in some of the constituencies in Southern districts of Bengal, in particular. They may win few seats, but damage the TMC in few others as well, said Dr Mohammad Reyaz, Head of the Mass Communication Department at Kolkata-based Aliah University. The clerics from Furfura Sharif had been close to the CPI(M) until 2006 when the Sachar Committee report revealed the poor situation of Muslims in West Bengal. In 2011, they switched their support to the TMC. The Muslim votes Of late, Owaisi is seen as a leader of Muslims, though he says he is not. His poll plank is playing up what many call a growing resentment against the secular parties - the Congress, RJD, SP, TMC, and the NCP - that he says have enjoyed the Muslim community's backing over the years but failed to uplift the community. He largely targets Muslim voters. In Bihar, for example, the five seats that the AIMIM won from the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region of the state - Baisi, Amnour, Bahadurganj, Kochadhaman and Jokihat - have a Muslim population ranging between 50-70 percent of the electorate. In West Bengal, his first political move has already left analysts guessing. Read: How Asaduddin Owaisi is emerging as the rising star of Muslim politics in India There is no denying the fact that the BJP and the AIMIM help each other mutually by the kind of politics they do. The BJP comes up with own narrative, the AIMIM comes with a counter. Furfura Sharif has committed followers in 20-25 seats. It will help the AIMIM, Prof Afroz Alam, Head of the Department of Political Science at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, told Moneycontrol. Muslims, 27 per cent of votes in West Bengal, have traditionally voted for the Congress and the Left Front till 2011. In the last ten years, Muslims largely backed the TMC. In 2016 assembly elections, 50 percent Muslims supported the TMC. In 2011 assembly polls, 41 percent Muslims supported the TMC. In 2019 general elections, 65 percent of Muslims voted for the TMC. Complementary role Owaisi and Siddiqui may play a complementary role for each other, experts said. While the TMC calls Owaisi an outsider, Siddiqui will be a Bengali face by his side. AIMIM leaders speak Urdu, an impediment in connecting with Bengali speaking Muslims who constitute 90 percent of the communitys population. Dr Reyaz also said it would be too early to predict the actual impact since many other influential Muslim clerics such as Siddiqullah Chowdhury, state president of the Jamiat Ulema Hind, were still with the TMC. Other influential clerics too may urge to vote for secular forces in this election. The election is still months away, and there have been reports of Abbas Siddiqui also in negotiations with the TMC. So saying anything definitive at this moment would not be right, he said. The Jamiat Ulema Hind and the Furfura Sharif are two major religious institutions that can have a sway over voting patterns of Muslims of West Bengal. The TMCs Muslim leaders were, however, confident that the community was behind Mamata Banerjee. It is no secret that the party from Hyderabad is going to help the BJP in the polls. Muslims will support the TMC, said TMC MLA Shaukat Mulla last week. After registering a first information report (FIR) against actor Arbaaz Khan, his brother Sohail and Sohails son Nirvaan for flouting Covid-19 norms, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday, quarantined the trio at a five-star hotel in Bandra for seven days. Despite repeated attempts, the Khans were unavailable for a comment at the time of going to print. On December 25, the Khan brothers had arrived from Dubai and were asked to quarantine themselves at a hotel in Bandra, but instead, they went straight to their residences. Vinayak Vispute, assistant municipal commissioner of H west ward (Bandra-Khar), said, They have been quarantined at a hotel in Bandra for seven days. There is no provision to penalise the trio for violating the quarantine norms, however, further investigation into the matter will be done by the police. An FIR against the three was filed at the Khar police station on Monday, acting on the complaint of Dr Sanjay Funde, a medical officer in H-west ward of BMC. In his complaint, Funde said that when he visited Sohail Khans residence, he told him that they had booked rooms at a five-star, Bandra, to quarantine; but on arrival when they tested negative for Covid-19, they decided to directly go to their homes. Two days after they arrived in Mumbai, they had also gone for Salman Khans birthday celebration in Panvel. Vispute said, As per the protocol, we are supposed to trace close contacts of a positive patient. In this case, they both have tested negative. If the contacts will be traced, it will be done by the public health department and not by our ward officers. Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner (health), said, They will be tested on the seventh day and if they test positive, contact tracing will be done. In 1996, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act, which fueled the rise of the modern internet and technology giants Facebook, Google and Twitter. That law contains a provision that has emerged as one of the nation's most hotly contested issues. Section 230 allowed these companies to largely regulate themselves, shielding them from liability for much of the content their users post on their platforms and granting companies legal immunity for good faith efforts to remove content that violates their policies. The key part of the provision sometimes called the "26 words that created the internet" reads, No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider. What that boils down to: Individual users can be sued for content they post, but generally the platforms cannot, at least not successfully. From COVID-19 to voter fraud:Trump is nation's single largest spreader of disinformation, studies say 'Who the hell elected you?' Tech CEOs accused of bias against Trump and conservatives days before election There are exceptions such as federal crimes and intellectual property claims. Lawmakers chipped away at Section 230 protections in 2018 by passing a law that makes it easier to sue internet platforms that knowingly aid sex trafficking. But broadly speaking, internet companies have wide latitude to decide what can stay on their platforms and what must come down. Internet platforms say they could not exist in their current form without these protections. We have to get rid of Section 230, President Donald Trump said at a rally in Georgia on Monday night, referring to the horrendous tech giants. Or youre not going to have a country very long. Why do critics hate Section 230? Democrats and Republicans agree that the nation's leading tech companies have become too powerful and need tougher regulation. Both parties threaten to narrow or repeal Section 230. Story continues Bottom line, they say, social media platforms should be held more accountable for how they police content. But their reasons are very different. Democrats, including President-elect Joe Biden, urged Congress to revise Section 230 to force tech companies to remove hate speech and extremism, election interference and falsehoods. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Section 230 a gift to Big Tech. "It is not out of the question that that could be removed," she said in 2019. Trump and many Republicans accuse tech companies of censoring conservatives and limiting their reach on social media. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appears on a monitor behind a stenographer as he testifies remotely during the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing "Does Section 230's Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?" on Oct. 28. A number of bills that would hold Facebook, Google and Twitter legally accountable for how they moderate content are circulating in Congress, including the EARN IT Act and the PACT Act. Jeff Kosseff, an assistant professor of cybersecurity law in the U.S. Naval Academys Cyber Science Department, said it would be challenging for Congress to reach consensus on how to alter Section 230. You have two competing views as to what platforms should be doing, Kosseff, author of The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet, told USA TODAY last year. Its hard to imagine what would satisfy everyone who is upset with the tech companies. If Section 230 were repealed, he said, platforms would conduct more moderation, not less, because of the increased risk of their liability for content users post. What do Facebook and Twitter say? Twitters Jack Dorsey and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg say their platforms strike a balance between promoting free expression and removing harmful content. They acknowledge making some enforcement errors but say their policies are applied fairly to everyone. Both tech leaders said they're open to revising Section 230. Zuckerberg told lawmakers in November: "We would benefit from clearer guidance from elected officials." Censorship or conspiracy theory? Trump supporters say Facebook and Twitter censor them, but conservatives still rule social media Dorsey said the platforms should be more open with users about how content moderation decisions are made and should offer a straightforward way to appeal moderation decisions. He said hed like to see users be able to opt out of algorithms that determine what content they see on the platform. Whats Trumps beef with Section 230? Trumps attacks on Section 230 intensified in the final weeks of his reelection campaign as social media companies labeled or removed posts they deemed false or misleading or that could cause harm or incite violence. President-elect Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are critical of Section 230 but for different reasons. The attacks intensified after the election as social media companies flagged the presidents allegations of election rigging and voter fraud. Trump tried to repeal Section 230 through the National Defense Authorization Act. What does Hunter Biden have to do with it? Charges of anti-conservative bias raged before the presidential election when Facebook and Twitter limited the spread of a New York Post article about Bidens son Hunter, which cited unverified emails reportedly uncovered by allies of Trump. Zuckerberg said Facebook throttled the story while it was being fact-checked after warnings from the FBI to be on "heightened alert" about "hack and leak operations" in the final days before the 2020 election. Twitter initially blocked links to the article, saying the links included peoples personal information and relied on hacked materials, both violations of its policies, then it reversed itself. Do Facebook and Twitter censor conservatives? Conservatives have complained for years that social media companies silence the political speech of right-leaning users. Nine in 10 Republicans and independents who lean toward the Republican Party said its at least somewhat likely that social media platforms censor political viewpoints they find objectionable, up slightly from 85% in 2018, according to a report in August from the Pew Research Center. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law on Online Platforms and Market Power on July 29, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Researchers such as Steven Johnson, an information technology professor at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, have found no evidence to support GOP grievances that conservative voices are squelched. Rather, they said, social media algorithms dont have a political affiliation or party but favor content that elicits strong reactions from users. Studies consistently show that conservative voices and viewpoints dominate the conversation on these platforms. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump and Biden vs. Facebook: Why Section 230 could get repealed (Newser) Another new coronavirus variant has been found, this time in South Africa, where experts worry it will be resistant to vaccines now being rolled out around the world. Shabir Madhi, a scientist who led trials for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in South Africa, says there is a "theoretical" but "reasonable concern that the South African variant might be more resistant" to current vaccines, and therefore "weaken the impact," per the BBC. Vaccines work by prompting an immune response, including the creation of antibodies, which effectively block the virus. The concern is that antibodies might not be as effective against this new strain, dubbed 501.V2. Experts hope to find out for certain by the end of the month, per CBS News, and say there is no reason to panic in the meantime. story continues below Though this variant has mutated "far more than the variant in the UK," known as B117, per the BBC, scientists say there is no evidence to suggest it is more transmissible or deadly. That said, it has "spread like wildfire" along South Africa's coast and already reached abroad, including the UK, per the Guardian. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock says he's "incredibly worried," per CBS. "Fortunately, should further modifications of the vaccine be required to address the new variants, some of the vaccine technologies under development could allow this to be done relatively rapidly," Helen Rees, a vaccine expert at Wits University in Johannesburg, tells the BBC. For Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine lead Sir John Bell, this is a sign of things to come. "These are not the only two variants we are going to see," he tells the Guardian. (Read more coronavirus stories.) * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! This undated photo provided by Taylor family attorney Sam Aguiar shows Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. She was shot when detectives serving a no-knock warrant busted into her apartment on March 13, 2020. Taylor's boyfriend fired at the officers, believing they were being robbed. (Photo provided by Taylor family attorney Sam Aguiar via AP) PHOTO:Photo provided by Taylor family attorney Sam Aguiar via AP Detectives in Breonna Taylor Case Face Termination By The Associated Press LOUISVILLE - A Kentucky police detective facing termination in connection with his role in the raid that left Breonna Taylor dead has met with his police chief.Detectives Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes received notice last week from Louisville Police Interim Chief Yvette Gentry that she intends to fire them.Both were scheduled to appear for termination hearings Monday.A statement from Jaynes' attorneys said that he met with Gentry to explain his perspective surrounding the investigation and is awaiting Gentrys decision.Cosgroves attorney did not reply to a message seeking information about his status on Monday.Taylor, a Black woman, was killed March 13 by police executing a narcotics search warrant. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 09:50:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LISBON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said Monday that global understanding, economic recovery and social support are the main goals for next years in the presidency of the European Union (EU) Council. In terms of global understanding, the EU's investment deal with China, which has been under negotiation for seven years, is "very important," Costa said in an interview with Portuguese news agency Lusa. On Dec. 30, 2020, China and the EU announced that they have completed investment agreement negotiations as scheduled. According to the prime minister, the agreement between Brussels and Beijing "guarantees reciprocal security of market opening" and "investment relations which ensure and respect all security rules on both sides." "If Europe wants to be a global actor, as it has to be, its strategic autonomy depends on being able to speak with each of the other global actors. It must relate to the United States, China, Australia and New Zealand, India, Africa," Costa said. As for Africa, which will be crucial to the Portuguese presidency's external agenda, the prime minister hoped that the EU-African Union summit, which was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, would be held "in the spring." "I think it would be important at a time when the African Union has signed a continental free trade agreement. This would have been a fantastic time for a meeting of the European Union and Africa," said Costa. The prime minister agreed it was fair to say that Europe has given "a rapid and assertive response" and "shown great ability to lead" in this crisis, which can be seen in the "joint purchase of vaccines" and the "giant step" of moving towards a joint issuance of debt to finance the recovery. Health service, housing, public administration, major industrial projects and digitalization are the priorities for the recovery program supported by the European funds, Costa noted. He also said the development of social Europe is "absolutely essential" for "giving confidence" to citizens. "This is a critical issue because, as we have seen, the challenges posed by climate change and the digital transition require major investment in training and retraining," he concluded, adding that solid social protection is needed to ensure nobody is left behind. Enditem Trade in food, veterinary drugs and medicines is allowed during a strict quarantine, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said during a press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday. "During the strict quarantine from January 8 to January 24, it is allowed to trade in food products in trading areas, at least 60% of which is intended for the sale of food, medicines, medical products, hygiene products, communications, veterinary drugs, feed, seeds, plant protection products. Trade in other groups of goods can only be carried out with targeted delivery of orders," he said, noting that the information about the alleged ban on the sale of medicines and veterinary drugs does not correspond to reality. "There was also a question about household chemicals. I think today we will make a clarification at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers," he said. Noted Telugu film producer Dil Raju has tied the knot for the second time on Sunday night with Tejaswini (who changed her name to Vygha Reddy). The marriage was held in a Nizamabad temple and a statement was released beforehand by the producer on Sri Venkateswara Creations' Twitter page. Dil's statement read, "With the world coming to standstill, things havent quite been great for most of us on the professional front. I havent been going through a great time personally as well for a while now. But I am hopeful things will settle down very soon and all will be well. And in that fervour of hope, its now time for me to turn over a new leaf and restart my personal life on a happy note." A Vietnamese student who had been repatriated from the U.S. has been found positive for COVID-19 right after he left a quarantine center in northern Vietnam. Authorities in Ha Long City, the capital of northern Quang Ninh Province, said on Tuesday that D.T.N., 21, had his second test return positive for COVID-19 on Monday evening. The Hanoi Center for Disease Control announced the result of his second test after he already left a military-managed quarantine center in the Vietnamese capital on Monday afternoon. A person is allowed to step out of a quarantine facility only if he or she has tested negative for the coronavirus twice and been quarantined for 14 days, according to the Ministry of Healths protocols. N. arrived in Ha Long from the U.S. on December 20, according to a report by the health ministry. He was sent to the military-managed quarantine center in Hanoi upon landing as per regulations. The student tested negative for the virus once while in quarantine there. He was allowed to leave the quarantine center at 4:00 pm on Monday, when his second test conducted on a sample taken on Saturday had yet to come back. The student was then taken to Ha Long by five family members driving in two cars. Quang Ninh authorities received a notice from the Hanoi Center for Disease Control around 9:30 pm on Monday, confirming the student to be positive for the pathogen. Health officials are speeding up their extensive contact tracing to identify and quarantine his direct and indirect contacts. The quarantine center flouted existing rules to let him go home despite his retest result having not returned, Khong Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Hanoi Center for Disease Control, said on Tuesday. The risk of him transmitting the virus to the community is low because he has come into contact with a limited number of people, Tuan claimed. Vietnam has confirmed 1,497 coronavirus patients as of Tuesday morning, with 1,339 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. The country has reported no domestic case since December 2, with four infections detected since December 26 among a group of six Vietnamese who had made an illegal entry on December 24 to avoid mandatory quarantine. Two domestically-made vaccines are undergoing clinical trials in Vietnam, their rollout expected late this year or early next year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A first of its kind clinical trial in the world will evaluate the ability of a rapid COVID-19 breath test to monitor the antibody levels and type of antibodies developed by the population of subjects getting vaccinated for the coronavirus.Scentech-Medical Inc. (Tel-Aviv, Israel) has received approval for conducting the new clinical trial from the Shamir Medical Center (Asaf Harofe) Review Board (Helsinki committee). As part of the research, Scentech-Medical will test subjects getting vaccinated to map biomarkers specifically related to antibodies of type IgM and IgG. The test to monitor antibody levels and type (which is being developed concurrently with the rapid breath test for coronavirus detection) will be able to provide a quick indication as to the efficacy of all vaccines available on the market, including the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Moreover, such a test has the potential to indicate the immune system's response to various types of vaccines.There is a clear need for a diagnostic tool that can provide information regarding the immunity levels and efficacy durations of those immunized. Monitoring antibody levels and type of antibodies is of utmost importance due to the fact that there are multiple coronavirus vaccines available on the market and even more expected to come to market in the near future.Additionally, Scentech-Medical also continues its ongoing clinical trial for the detection of coronavirus positive subjects at the Shamir Medical Center (Asaf Harofe). As part of the trial, the company is verifying the biomarkers that were mapped after its early clinical trials. Scentech-Medical believes that its breath test technology can detect both symptomatic coronavirus active carriers as well as asymptomatic carriers. The VOX system developed by the company was able to detect differences among various test groups: positive subjects, negative subjects, and negative subjects with antibodies for the coronavirus. The company believes that by using the test it has developed for the analysis and quantification of volatile compounds in breath, it can detect coronavirus patients, active symptomatic, and asymptomatic carriers. It may even give an indication of the body's immune response as reflected by the type and level of antibodies expressed by the body.Scentech-Medical is also working on completing its global analysis system which combines advanced artificial intelligence and unique algorithms developed by the company. This system is aimed for the rapid and automated analysis of data collected by the company's devices to monitor disease spread, detect new mutations of the coronavirus, and identify new disease outbreaks in real-time on both a local and global level. The development of the global analysis system is expected to enter alpha testing within a month. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The West Lafayette Community School Corporation Board kicked off 2021 Monday night with its first meeting of the year, starting with swearing in its newly elected members. Re-elected members Bradley Marley and Tom Schott, along with newly elected members Yue Yin and Amy Austin took their oaths of office. All four won their school board seats in the November election. The group also re-elected Alan Karpick as board president. At the end of the organizational meeting, the board approved their compensation at $2,000 per year per board member plus $112 per meeting. Board member Karen Springer noted in discussion that this action is taken every year. It was clear based off the agenda items that the WLCSC school board wants to keep things moving forward in more ways than one. The board approved an update to the Junior-Senior High School construction. The education wing is on track for move in come February, and they expect to host the open house for the new performing arts center in late May-early June. The board approved a generous donate from the estate of Rose Hedrick. She left $65,000 to the school. Karpick had Mrs. Hedrick as a typing teach when he attended the Junior-Senior High School. He said that while he could only manage to type 26 words per minute, he remembered her as a well-liked and well respected member teacher. They plan to add some kind of memorial to the school in Mrs. Hedrick's honor. The board moved on to Happy Hollow Elementary. The school board was supposed to vote on the lease for the West Lafayette public library to use the former school. As News 18 reported last month, the City of West Lafayette moved out of the building and the library is looking for a space to move some of its services while it undergoes a renovation. However, the board tabled that lease discussion until the February meeting. But the board did approve to keep COVID-19 testing at the school. Happy Hollow is one of the ISDH's Optum Serve locations. Another future plan is for Happy Hollow to become a COVID-19 vaccination location as well. Next, the board made a decision on the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Margaret Psarros and Laura Falk spoke together at Monday's meeting. They are co-chairing the new task force. Along with Dr. Carolyn Johnson from Purdue, who will act as the group's facilitator. Dr. Johnson is the Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue and has helped educational institutions all over the world work towards a more diverse and inclusive culture. Psarros shared how she and her family moved to West Lafayette when she was a child from the country of Cyprus. She said she and her family didn't speak English well, but they found comfort and support in the West Lafayette community. Now as Principal of West Lafayette Intermediate School, Psarros wants to make sure every family and every child feels welcome at WLCSC. "We need to now look at what we have been doing well, what can we now add that maybe will be beneficial, and how do we reach the people that we still aren't reaching," she said. Falk shared how she grew up in a diverse and open-minded community on the south side of Chicago. However, as a Black woman, she was met with racism and close mindedness in her college years. Now as a teacher and a parent of two WLCSC graduates, she wants to make sure they hear every voice. "Some don't feel comfortable speaking out and those underrepresented voices are the ones that are as important as anyone," she said. "We have to make sure that everyone has a voice." Their goal is to form a committee of 30 people to provide policy recommendations to the board. They are looking for students, teachers, staff, administrators and any other community members who want to join and give input. The group will put together policy recommendations for the school board using testimony and data from the Indiana Department of Education. They have four focus topics: academic support, social and emotional support, staff development and parent outreach. They are asking for time and patience as they begin their work. "This issue is a large issue and it took many years to get to the point of being where we are today and progress has happened but we still have a long way to go still," said Psarros. "This will take time," added Falk. "We do not want to act off the cuff and just get something done to say we did it. We want it done deliberately. We want it done with intention." They are accepting applications to join the committee for the next few weeks. Click here to apply. They are planning to have their first meeting this month. The WLCSC School Board will meet again on February 1st. (Natural News) Right now, the single most existential threat to free speech in America is the rise of financial deplatforming. If conservatives want to preserve the ability to think and speak freely in the decades to come, they must act to prevent the countrys most powerful financial institutions from imposing a brutal censorship regime on the entire country. (Article republished from Revolver.news) Lenin never actually said the capitalists will sell us the rope with which to hang them, but that apocryphal quote exactly describes the present-day hapless Republican partys relationship to Big Tech and the left. In Congress and across fifty state legislatures, the GOPs shortsighted support for laissez-fair economics is allowing left-wing corporations to plot their destruction. Conservative writer Bay Buchanan recently summed up the danger in a piece for CNS News: Time and time again, corporations [have] bent the knee before outraged activists and stifled the free speech of ordinary Americans. We see this when social media giants regularly censor and ban individuals who run afoul of liberal orthodoxy. Less noticed is the threat of financial de-platforming. This growing menace means those who dissent from the official left-wing line wont even be allowed to bank or use a credit card. [CNS] Throughout the Trump era, the left has increasingly leveraged its cozy relationships with oligarchic corporations to make it difficult or impossible for patriots to raise money or obtain other financial services essential to modern life. In New York, state financial regulators pressured banks and insurance companies to deny services to the NRA on the grounds that those services created reputational risk that would invite further regulatory harassment. Conservative activist and former Congressional candidate Laura Loomer has been banned from PayPal, GoFundMe, and Venmo in an effort to keep others from donating to her. At the request of the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center, Visa and MasterCard stopped processing donations to the David Horowitz Freedom Center. In 2018, Citigroup announced that it would not help any company borrow money or use banking services if it was involved in the (legal) sale of firearms to those under 21. Shotgun manufacturers have had their bank accounts closed. So have contractors working with federal immigration enforcement. In 2019, Chase Bank forcibly closed every account for Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio. Tarrio has also been banned by PayPal and many other credit card payment processors. The intent is clear: Because Tarrio is linked to a group the left hates, he must not be allowed the basic trappings of a normal life. It is inevitable that under a Biden Administration these tactics will get more and more aggressive. The time to start fighting back is right now. Some in the Trump administration have fought to reverse the deplatforming trend and hold the big banks accountable. The Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) recently drafted a rule that would bar major banks from denying services to customers for any reason other than a documented failure to meet quantitative, impartial risk-based standards established in advance. In other words, banks could only reject customers for valid financial reasons, not political ones. The OCCs leadership understands the importance of this rule. Banks dont set national policy. They dont choose what goods and services are available to consumers. Nor do they determine which industries are legal. It is the job of democratically elected government to make those decisions, OCC acting comptroller Brian Brooks and OCC chief economist Charles Calomiris wrote in a November Wall Street Journal op-ed. The OCC deserves credit for its willingness to stand up against big banks. Unfortunately, this position is not shared by others in the Trump administration. As Revolver recently reported, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin proposed new regulations this month that would block Bitcoin transactions and hinder the economic freedom of ordinary Americans. In the internet age, Bitcoin and other decentralized cryptocurrencies are the single best antidote to financial deplatforming. Castrating crytocurrencies would therefore deliver a major victory to big banks and the left-wing ideologues who increasingly fill their senior executive posts. The OCCs proposal to bar major banks from denying services to customers for political reasons would apply to all bank transactions and include cryptocurrency. Some Republican senators, such as Ted Cruz, wisely support the OCCs initiative, but other Republicans are distracted. Some even endorse financial deplatforming as a tool. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley praised MasterCard for deplatforming Pornhub earlier this month and urged every other credit card company to follow suit. Its upsetting to see Senator Hawley be so clueless. Its clear from his statement that Hawley understands the power of powerful financial deplatforming if Pornhub loses access to financial platforms, it will be crippled or killed. To be clear, pornography is insidious and fighting it is a moral imperative. Pornhub should be put out of business. But the way to ban internet pornography is by simply enforcing obscenity laws that are already on the books. Conservatives controlled the Department of Justice for the past four years, and yet they did nothing to combat this scourge. As the National Review has previously noted, this is not a constitutional issue. As a matter of Supreme Court doctrine, the regulation of 21st-century Internet pornography is not a constitutional issue. This is because the type of material found on American porn websites clearly constitutes obscene material, which has never been treated as constitutionally protected speech under the First Amendment. [National Review] And as First Things previously noted, Ronald Reagans DOJ largely put the pornography industry out of business in the 1980s. The late 1980s saw a major political effort, led by an ideologically diverse coalition of Christian conservatives and liberal feminists, to take on the pornography industry. The movement passed legislation that cracked down on sex trafficking, criminalized digital transmission of child pornography, and required producers to engage in record-keeping and age verification for all participants in the production of pornographic material. President Ronald Reagan put the purveyors of illegal obscenity and child pornography on notice: your industrys days are numbered. In addition to signing anti-pornography legislation, Reagan directed the Department of Justice to enforce existing obscenity statutes against wholesale and large retail distributors. The strategy was successful. According to the DOJ, by 1990, seven of these nationwide distributors had been forced out of business after settling with government prosecutors. Unfortunately, President Bill Clintons DOJ did not prioritize enforcement of these statutes. [First Things] The financial deplatforming of Pornhub is clearly a Pyrrhic victory that conservatives shouldnt cheer, especially as it distracts from the real problem that the DOJ is either impotent or captured by special interests. We absolutely must not normalize financial deplatforming simply because one target deserves to be destroyed. Asking banks and credit card companies to censor a nominally lawful business creates a precedent that will be used against conservatives and other political dissidents. Liberal politicians would love to have credit card processors cut off gun rights groups and pro-lifers. If the Pornhub incident becomes a precedent, any business or group that offends the powerful will be subject to an extrajudicial death sentence. Disgracefully, left-wing organizations that pose as free speech advocates have been quiet on this issue. The Electronic Frontier Foundation denounced MasterCards attack on Pornhub, but it has been totally silent on the OCCs proposed rule. For the left, free speech is only useful when protecting pornographers, not for preserving actual political speech. Republicans must back the OCCs rule. The proposal is currently open for public comment at Regulations.gov, and all concerned citizens should voice their support. Fighting for financial liberty must be a conservative priority in the years to come. Its a battle just as important, if not more important, than the battle against Big Techs censorship. If conservative and populist groups cant raise money online, the First Amendment is a nullity. If gun makers and sellers cant have bank accounts, then the Second Amendment is dead. If ICE cant find contractors because banks have decided they shouldnt exist, then we dont even have a country. Read more at: Revolver.news and FirstAmendment.news Newsom Says State Is Looking to Speed COVID Vaccine Administrations LOS ANGELES (CNS)Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state is working to accelerate the administration of COVID-19 vaccines across the state, including expanding the number of distribution sites and the types of people who can give the shots. Newsom said the state has received nearly 1.3 million doses of the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, and another 611,500 doses have been shipped. As of Jan. 3, a total of 454,306 doses had actually been administered. We are working aggressively to accelerate our pace, Newsom said on Jan. 4. Were going to start seeing more rapid distribution of vaccines, I can assure you of that. That said, its gone too slowly, I know, for many of us. All of us, I think, we want to see 100 percent of whats received immediately administered in peoples arms. So thats a challenge, a challenge across this country. Its a challenge for that matter around the world, but thats not an excuse. Newsom said the state is working to increase the number of sites where shots can be administered and the people who can give them, including dentists, pharmacy technicians and members of the National Guard. He said hes heard anecdotal evidence about frontline health care workersthe top priority for receiving the shotsdeclining to be vaccinated, but he had no specific numbers. He said the state is conducting a survey to get a better idea of the number. The states vaccine task force is still working to set priorities of who will be first in line during upcoming phases of the distribution system. The state is still in the first phase of distribution, covering health care and frontline workers. Weve got work to do on this, he said. Obviously as we move into January, we want to see things accelerate, and we want to see things go much faster. Meanwhile, Newsom said there are now six confirmed cases in the state of a new COVID-19 variant that was first detected in the United Kingdom. The new strain of the virus is not considered more deadly, but its far more contagious and spreads more rapidly. The virility of that strain contributed to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Jan. 4 announcing a nationwide lockdown in an effort to control its spread. Johnson said his advisers informed him that the new strain was 50 to 70 percent more transmissible than the original virus. Of the six cases found in the state, four were detected in San Diego Countywhich confirmed the diagnoses last weekand two more were identified in San Bernardino County. He added that federal health officials believe the current COVID-19 vaccines will also protect against the new strain of the virus. More than 1.3 million people moved through U.S. airport security checkpoints Sunday - the most since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. The number was far below what it was on the same day in 2019, when more than 2.4 million people were screened. Still, the increase came despite recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials that people not travel during the holiday season. It also comes as the U.S. death toll from the virus surpassed 350,000 on Sunday, according to data compiled and reviewed by The Washington Post. During the first three days of January, the TSA screened more than 3.3 million people. Roughly 1.2 million people moved through TSA checkpoints Saturday before the record the next day. December also saw an increase in airport traffic, with the number of people screened surpassing 1 million on nine days. The agency recorded similar upticks in November. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving - traditionally one of the busiest travel days of the year - more than 1.1 million people were screened, compared with 2.8 million in 2019. In November, screening volumes exceeded 1 million on four days during the Thanksgiving travel period. Whether those trips will fuel a surge in infections is something officials are watching. "For the past nine months we have been reminding people of best practices for staying safe," said Craig Fifer, a spokesman for the city of Alexandria, Va. "Anything that disregards those causes a risk. Travel does bring with it a lot of inherent risks." Despite the recent rise in airport screenings, the industry will close out the year with far lower numbers than in 2019. In all, TSA officers screened 324 million passengers in 2020, compared with 824 million in 2019, a decrease of more than 60%. Passenger volumes have slowly increased and are significantly higher than in the spring, when communities grappled with how to manage the first wave of infections. The TSA recorded the lowest number of screenings on April 14, when 87,500 people were screened nationwide. The agency expects volumes to continue to mirror traditional travel patterns with upticks around holidays and traditional getaway periods such as spring break. Officials said numbers will likely remain well below pre-pandemic levels for most of 2021. In a briefing last week, Montgomery County (Md.) Health Officer Travis Gayles said he was aware of reports of more people flying during the holidays but said it is unclear whether those trips will result in a surge in cases. He said an "unknown factor" is how people behaved during and after their trips, such as whether they wore masks. The TSA, airports and airlines have adopted measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, including requiring people to wear masks and to practice social distancing. The agency has installed nearly 7,000 acrylic barriers at 384 airports across the country, as well as more than 900 machines that allow passengers to scan their own IDs, eliminating the need to hand it to a TSA officer. Reagan National Airport is among the 125 locations where the self-serve Credential Authentication Technology units are in use. Even so, TSA's own workforce has not been immune from the virus. More than 5,000 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. While more than 4,300 have recovered, 12 have died. Currently, 851 employees have active infections and are isolating, the agency said. Many airports and airlines offer travelers the option of being tested before they board their flights. In early December, the CDC updated its guidelines to encourage people to be tested one to three days before they depart, and again three to five days after returning. Health officials, however, continue to caution that even if a person tests negative for the virus, the result represents only a single point in time, and individuals must continue to wear a mask, wash their hands and physically distance from others. - - - The Washington Post's Rebecca Tan contributed to this report. Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan hails completion of Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline project India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Kochi, Jan 05: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hailed the completion of GAIL's Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline, saying completion of the project halted due to various obstacles was one of the major poll promises of his government. Noting that GAIL had to stop the project in September 2104 due to several obstacles, the Chief Minister said at the 450 km pipeline's virtual inaugural function that his government, after coming to power in 2016, had to "clear obstacles by proactively addressing the genuine concerns of the people". 20 more people test positive for new UK COVID-19 strain in India; Total rises to 58 "GAIL authorities also stood by us in making this project come to life. I am extremely happy that our combined efforts have borne fruits," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 450-km natural pipeline between Kochi and Mangalore in the virtual event attended by dignitaries including governors and chief ministers of Kerala and Karnataka, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and authorities of GAIL. The 450 km-long pipeline will carry natural gas from Kochi in Kerala through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts to Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. Coronavirus cases: India records 16,375 new COVID cases, 201 fatalities in last 24 hours The pipeline is a landmark example of project execution with active support of governments of Kerala and Karnataka. Officials said the pipeline will bring convenient and uninterrupted supply of environment friendlyand affordable fuel in the form of piped natural gas (PNG) to households, commercial units and compressed natural gas (CNG) across different city gas distribution (CGD) areas in different Geographical Areas. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News The pipeline will offer clean industrial fuel and feedstock for petrochemical and fertilized sectors and provide an opportunity for multiple gas-based industries to emerge, thus bringing about socio-economic benefits to the people of these states and creating direct and indirect job opportunities, they said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 13:56 [IST] Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh became the fourth state to report cases of bird flu after Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, with officials confirming that migratory birds found dead at Pong Dam Lake in Kangra district have tested positive for the dreaded avian influenza. In Himachal Pradesh, around 1,800 migratory birds, most of them bar-headed geese, have been found dead in the Pong Dam Lake sanctuary. In Rajasthan, deaths of more than 170 new birds were reported from some districts on Monday, taking the total fatalities in recent days to over 425. Some parts of Kerala too reported the influenza outbreak, authorities have ordered culling of ducks, hens and other domestic birds within one km radius of the affected areas in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. Officials said some 40,000 birds will have to be culled to check the spread of the H5N8 virus. A farm in Kerala's Kottayam has recently seen deaths of around 1,500 ducks due to bird flu. In Indore, 152 crows were found dead and bird flu was confirmed in 12 crows. An alert has been issued near Daily College in the city. A survey was conducted in the nearby areas. The Indore Zoo has also been put on high alert and medicines are being sprayed. Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well Northern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Jalandhar has also suspected avian influenza in the bird samples. Kangra District Magistrate Rakesh Prajapati has prohibited slaughtering, sale, purchase and export of any poultry, birds, fish of any breed and their related products, including eggs, meat, chicken, etc, in Fatehpur, Dehra, Jawali and Indora subdivisions of the district. Exercising his powers under Sections 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the official said that shops selling these products would also remain closed in these four subdivisions. Prajapati also banned the movement of locals and tourists within a kilometre radius of Pong Dam. In Himachal's Pong Dam Lake wildlife sanctuary, wildlife staff first reported the sudden death of four bar-headed geese and one common teal in the Fatehpur area last Monday. The next day, over four hundred migratory waterfowl were found dead in Majhar, Bathari, Sihal, Jagnoli, Chatta, Dhameta and Kuthera areas in the wildlife ranges of Dhameta and Nagrota. Subsequently, hundreds of more birds were found dead each day, totalling 1,773 till Sunday, she said. She said that more than 90 per cent of the dead birds were bar-headed geese, the most common migratory species at the lake who arrive here from Central Asia, Russia, Mongolia and other regions in winters after crossing the Himalayan ranges. There are eight-nine other bird species whose members have been found dead. Last year, more than one lakh migratory birds had camped at the lake by late January and this year, over 50,000 have arrived so far. The dead birds are being disposed off as per bird-flu protocol, officials said, adding that no such deaths have been reported so far from other water bodies in the state. Wildlife, veterinary and animal husbandry staff across the state have been put on alert and asked to immediately report the death of any bird or animal. The Gopalpur zoo in Kangra which is situated near the Pong Lake has been put on high alert. Recently, a bird flu alert has been sounded in Rajasthan after crows were found dead in half a dozen districts. Bird flu cases were also confirmed in dead crows in Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Bird flu virus was detected in around 50 crows whose carcasses were found in Indore in Madhya Pradesh last week, prompting authorities to issue an alert. In Rajasthan, 80 bird deaths were reported in Bikaner on Sunday, 42 in Sawai Madhopur, 12 in Kota, 12 in Baran, eight each in Pali and Jaipur, six in Dausa, five in Jodhpur and two in Jhalawar, according to the state animal husbandry department. The deaths have been reported in 15 districts of the state. Kerala, which saw the last major case of bird flu in 2016, has sounded high alert in the affected districts considering the potential of the virus to infect humans, even though officials said that the situation was under control. (With PTI inputs) Janhvi Kapoor Shells Out Rs. 39 Crores For A New House, Spreading Over Three Floors In Juhu Based Building Janhvi Kapoor is looking at new beginnings in 2021. The actress who is just two films in old in Bollywood is now a proud owner of a lavish triplex in Mumbai city which she has reportedly sealed the deal on in December 2020. The Dostana 2 star who presently lives with her father Boney Kapoor and sister Khushi Kapoor has bought a new house that comes with an eye-popping price tag. Janhvi has according to reports shelled our Rs. 39 crores in securing ownership of three floors in a Juhu-based building. The place spreads over 3,456 square feet on the 14th, 15th, and 16th floor according to a report on Square Feet India. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Janhvi Kapoor (@janhvikapoor) The deal for the property was finalized on December 7 and a stamp duty of Rs. 78 lakhs was paid by the actress. It is still unclear what Janhvis plans are with this swanky new place. On the work front, Janvhi is looking at several busy months ahead. She has Dostana 2 in the pipeline this year opposite Kartik Aaryan and is due to being shooting for the Hindi remake of Nayantharas Tamil film Kolamaavu Kokila in Punjab. She also has her film Roohi Afzana waiting to be released and has Takht with Karan Johar waiting to go on floors. The result is thanks to the Government's efforts to improve the business environment and promote economic supports and institutional reforms over the recent years, helping boost the brands of Vietnamese products and enterprises. A number of large companies have built their brands in the domestic and international markets, helping enhance the position of the national brand of Vietnam. According to the Forbes Vietnam 2020 ranking, the total value of the top 50 Vietnamese brands is over US$12.6 billion, including Thaco, Hoa Phat, Vinamilk, Habeco, Vietnam Airlines, Vingroup, and others. However, there are still many Vietnamese enterprises who are not properly aware of the role and importance of the brand and have not yet built a strong brand. Although Vietnam has strengths and a leading position in exporting agricultural and aquatic products in key product areas such as rice, coffee, and pepper, the country is yet to have a worthy agricultural brand with the ability to dominate internationally. Vietnam posts a very large export volume of goods with good product quality, but the value that Vietnamese enterprises earn from these is not high. The main reason is that Vietnam mostly exports raw materials or preliminary processing products through intermediaries or through a brand of other trading partners in foreign countries. Consequently, foreign consumers themselves do not know that the commercial product is a Vietnamese product. Many enterprises worry about costs and wastefulness in brand building, claiming that branding is only suitable for large enterprises. This mindset causes many Vietnamese brands to be inferior to foreign brands of the same form, quality and price. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade also shows that more than 20% of surveyed enterprises have invested in branding while 80% of them are not interested in brand building and do not consider branding as a true business tool, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. It is time for enterprises to recognise and give due attention to building, maintaining and developing the national brand. This is an urgent job, requiring a long-term and consistent plan in terms of State policy and a consensus of effort among the entire business community in order to improve competitiveness and promote the export of Vietnamese goods to the global market. In addition, there should be guidance and support for enterprises to protect the intellectual property rights related to potential export goods. Enterprises also need supports to build and promote brands in the domestic and international market so that they can continue to invest in improving product quality and competitiveness and increasing exports. The success of each product will contribute to increasing the value of the Vietnamese national brand, helping Vietnamese products to assert their prestige and position in the international arena. Though it is unclear whether Kapil Sharma's project is a comedy special, series, or film, it will premiere on Netflix in 2021. Indian comedian and talk-show host Kapil Sharma has announced his debut project on Netflix. He took to social media to share the development. Though it is unclear whether the project is a comedy special, series, or film, it will premiere on the streaming platform in 2021 globally. Sharma said he is looking forward to his first-ever association with Netflix. Talking about his Netflix debut, Sharma said in a statement, I am super excited for my first-ever association with Netflix. 2020 has been a bumpy ride for everyone around the world and my motive is to make people forget their worries and welcome this new year with love, laughter, and positivity. I always wanted to be on Netflix but I didnt have their number. Its a project close to my heart and I cannot wait to share more details with my fans soon. Check out the announcement See Kapil's other posts View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kapil Sharma (@kapilsharma) (With inputs from Press Trust of India) More than 100 GOP lawmakers from the House of Representatives are about to object to the certification of the presidential election results on Wednesday. There are more than 100 Republican representatives that reportedly expressed support to Sen. Ted Cruz and other GOP senators who plan to object to the presidential election results' certification. Read also: Sen. Ted Cruz Leads GOP Lawmakers to Object Presidential Election Results GOP Representatives To Object Certification of Presidential Election Results Lawmakers from the House of Representatives are about to certify the recent presidential election results on Jan. 6. However, more than 100 Republican representatives are about to object to the certification due to the alleged fraud. According to a recently published report in FOX News, among the Republican representatives who would object to the certification of election results in at least one state are Reps. Jim Jordan, Mo Brooks, and Elise Stefanik. FOX News has learned that Republican Reps. Jody Hice, Matt Gaetz, Scott Perry, Guy Reschenthaler, Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs, Lauren Boebert, Debbie Lesko, Louie Gohmert, among others, will also object during the joint session on Wednesday. It is still unclear which states and how many exactly of these Republican lawmakers are going to object in every electoral state. But two House Republican officials said on Sunday that more than 100 lawmakers were going to object to the election results in Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Read also: Sen. David Perdue Supports GOP in Challenging Election Results in Favor of Trump GOP Representatives Released Statements of Support Stefanik already announced on Monday her plans to object to "certain contested electors." The Republican lawmaker said: "I do not take this action lightly. I am acting to protect our democratic process. Article II and the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution make clear that I have an obligation to act on this matter if I believe there are serious questions with respect to the Presidential election." She further noted that millions of Americans and those who voted are rightly concerned that the 2020 election featured unprecedented voting irregularities, a fundamental lack of ballot integrity and security, unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws. Stefanik asserted that as a member of Congress, she is "committed to restoring the faith of the American people in our elections - that they are free, fair, secure, and according to the United States Constitution." Meanwhile, there are Republican lawmakers like Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom McClintock of California, Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, and freshman Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who have taken issue with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential race results and are seeking to protect the Electoral College. Rep. Chip Roy wrote on his social media account that he is as outraged as anyone on "the still-unanswered questions about the election." But he noted that the "Constitution is clear: States select electors. Congress does not. There is only one path to victory for @POTUS on Jan. 6: state legislatures certifying Trump electors in states at issue." In the last two weeks of 2020, China has seen a sharp increase in Covid-19 infections, with clusters in three very large cities. The spread of the virus, despite Chinas relatively strict testing, quarantine, and contact tracing measures, is a serious warning of how dangerous and highly infectious this coronavirus is. In December, according to the National Health Commission of China, 122 cases of Covid-19 infections have been recorded, a 107 percent increase from the 59 cases in November. Among the 122 cases in December, more than two thirds occurred in the last two weeks of the month. People wearing masks in China [Credit: AP Photo/Kin Cheung] These infections took place in three major cities: 24 cases in Beijing, 17 cases in Shenyang, and 43 cases in Dalian. Both Shenyang and Dalian are located in Liaoning Province in northeastern Chinathe former is its capital and the latter its major port city. It is particularly disturbing that China has had three almost simultaneous but separate clusters of outbreaks, something that has not been seen in the past few months. As the weather gets colder with ventilation more limited, and as the Lunar New Year approaches where hundreds of millions will travel back to their hometowns, infections could escalate and spread much more widely. An examination of the chain of infections in these three cities further underscores the highly contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus. It not only poses a huge challenge to China in keeping the infection rate relatively low as in the past months, but could pose further dangers for countries like the United States and Britain where the virus is basically spreading freely under the murderous herd-immunity policy. Beijing The infections in Beijing all originated from a common source. On November 26, a 28-year-old man flew into China from Indonesia. Another passenger on the same flight tested positive on arrival, but the young man tested negative. He was quarantined for 14 days in Fujian Province, where he entered China. After he tested negative, he left for Beijing where he lived. A month later, on December 26, his nucleic acid test still yielded negative results, but his IgM antibody test showed positive results, indicating he had already been infected. He was then hospitalized, and only two days later, on December 28, his nucleic acid result turned positive as well. After a whole-genome sequencing of the virus, it was determined that the virus most likely came from Southeast Asia, from where he had traveled. His flat mate was also infected and passed the virus to a staff member at a local supermarket. Then, the staff member infected her husband, her co-workers, a cab driver, and two friends who she went out with. Both of her friends then infected their husbands. Four of the infected people were working at an industrial complex in the suburbs of Beijing and transmitted the virus to five other co-workers. Since December 25, a lockdown was imposed over this industrial complex. The 2,340 people kept inside were tested overnight, and all tested negative. A second round of testing was performed on December 30, and a third round has been planned. Shenyang The cluster of infections in the city of Shenyang also started with a person who had traveled internationally: a 67-year-old woman who returned from South Korea on November 29. She was quarantined in Shenyang after her flight and underwent two nucleic acid tests and one antibody test during her quarantine. All results were negative, but she later tested positive on December 23. During the interim, the woman transmitted the virus to her husband, granddaughter, and a few neighbors. She visited a clinic on December 18. Even though she wore a face mask throughout the entire visit, a nurse and a physical assistant still tested positive later on December 28. Some 706 people were identified as close contacts, and another 1,833 people were identified as secondary close contacts. They were all tested and collectively quarantined. Another 3,716 close contacts of secondary contacts were tested and quarantined at home. Residents, staff members and students in five neighborhoods, five health clinics and three schools where cases were found, roughly 20,000 people, were tested by December 28, five days after the initial case was detected. Dalian The city of Dalian recorded the highest number of cases in the last two weeks of December, 43 symptomatic cases on top of another 36 asymptomatic ones. As a major Chinese port city, Dalian has a vast industry dealing with imported goods, including a large number of cold-stored products. The initial infections in Dalian were found among porters at a company that handles such goods. Four workers tested positive during a regular screening ordered by the company on December 15, but all of them were asymptomatic. Then, through the screening of their close contacts, more cases were detected each day. People in contact with the virus were concentrated in the district where this cold-storage company operated, including street vendors, small-shop owners, restaurant workers and service workers. The exact chain of transmission has not been completely identified. Since December 22, an effort was made to test everyone in the city. Now, more than 6 million people have been tested across the city. According to Peoples Daily, instructions were issued to vaccinate all workers handling frozen goods by the end of 2020 and to put them in soft quarantine. These workers would only be allowed to leave their workplace area if they had two recent negative test results. A weekly screening with nucleic acid tests among these workers was also planned. The very detailed contact tracing provided by public health organizations points to multiple health and political issues bound up with the COVID-19 pandemic. First, people who contracted the virus in this wave of infections are overwhelmingly working class. As is the case in the mass infections in factories, meat-packing plants, schools and Amazon supercenters in many other countries, workers have been put on the frontline of the pandemic. The cases published by health organizations in China point to the difficult living and working conditions of these workers. For example, one worker at the industrial complex in Beijing who contracted the virus also worked part-time at a transit center for SF Express, the leading package-delivery company in China. On top of a regular workday at the industrial complex, he also worked from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the transit center every day. Second, the COVID-19 virus is highly infectious. Even though China has been able to keep the number of cases relatively low by carrying out large-scale testing and detailed contact tracing after an infection was identified, the spread of the virus could still not be halted and is potentially escalating. The cases that initiated the clusters of outbreaks in Beijing and Shenyang, were both properly quarantined for 14 days after international travel and tested negative several times but the virus was still transmitted to their close contacts. The cases in Dalian were not the first to be infected by the coronavirus carried on the surface of frozen goods. In November, a number of port workers in Tianjin, another port city in northeastern China, were infected by imported frozen pork from North America. A truck driver, who did not handle the frozen goods, was infected by helping porters pick up a bag of frozen meat which carried the virus on the outer package. Moreover, a report released on December 31 by the Municipal Health Commission in Chengdu, a city in southwestern China where a cluster of infections were reported in early December, found the first case was very likely infected by picking up trash. The trash was thrown out from a quarantine center housing five people who had travelled back from Nepal. What all these clusters powerfully demonstrate is that the pandemic is fundamentally a global issue that could not be resolved on a national level. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for any country to prevent the virus from entering its borders. All countries are part of globalized production chains, and as long as the pandemic is still raging and killing tens of thousands of people around the world, no country is a safe, virus-free bubble. The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave a go-ahead to the governments ambitious Central Vista project, which means that if things go as planned, India will get a new Parliament building in 2022. Also Read | Supreme Court clears redevelopment plan for Central Vista project In the light of Tuesdays Supreme Court verdict, heres a look at places where leaders of some other countries sit: 1. The United States Capitol: The United States Congress, which consists of the Senate and House of Representatives, meets at the United States Capitol (also called the Capitol building) in Washington, DC. Its construction started in 1793 and was completed in 1800; it was later extended in 1962. It currently houses 535 members - 100 in Senate and 435 in House of Representatives. 2. Palace of Westminster (United Kingdom): The parliament of the United Kingdom is housed at the Palace of Westminster, in the City of Westminster, London. The British parliament, though bicameral, has three parts: the Crown-in-Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It is the latter two houses which meet at the Palace of Westminster. 3. Palais du Luxembourg and Palais Bourbon (France): The French parliament consists of the Senate and the National Assembly. Both houses meet at different locations in Paris; while the Senate meets at the Palais du Luxembourg, the National Assembly convenes at the Palais Bourbon. The two houses have 348 and 577 members respectively. 4. Reichstag (Germany): The German parliament, called Bundestag, meets at Reichstag in Berlin. The only body elected directly by the German citizens, the Bundestag currently has 709 seats, making it the largest-ever Bundestag. It is similar to the Lok Sabha in India, the House of Commons in the UK and the House of Representatives in the US. 5. Parliament Hill (Canada): Also known colloquially as The Hill, Parliament Hill houses the parliament of Canada. The Canadian parliament has three parts: the Monarch, the Senate and the House of Commons. While the Senate has 105 members, the House of Commons has 338 members. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has asked the Peoples Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces nationwide to roll out urgent solutions to control air pollution and promptly address any hotspots. A ministry representative noted that air pollution in major cities, especially Hanoi and HCM City, has become worse in recent years and affected peoples health and socio-economic activities. Major contributors include vehicle emissions, uncontrolled industrial operations, and the weather. The ministry asked that localities strengthen environmental monitoring while calculating and announcing the local air quality index, in line with guidance from the Vietnam Environment Administration. Localities should also publicise the air quality index on the Peoples Committees online portal and the media, and send it to the ministry. When environmental pollution reaches levels that harm peoples health, authorised agencies must issue warnings in a timely manner, the ministry asked. It also urged localities to request that media agencies use official environmental monitoring results, so that accurate information is provided to the community. Meanwhile, localities should encourage local residents not to burn solid waste or straw but to reduce sources of emissions, while reviewing all sources to identify and apply suitable solutions and address violations in environmental protection. Organisations and individuals violating the law are to be named and shamed in the mass media. In Hanoi and HCM City, the ministry asked the Peoples Committees to direct authorised local agencies to speed up the installation and operation of automated air monitoring stations, while conducting regular monitoring and keeping the public informed of the results. The two cities should also design plans to develop their public transport networks while banning outdated vehicles that are harmful to the environment. It is also necessary to reduce traffic congestion while applying environmental protection measures on industrial and construction activities. The ministry also requested the two cities support local people in minimising the use of coal-fuelled stoves and guide them on how to treat straw after the harvest./.VNA Hanois residents alarmed at indoor air pollution Outdoor air pollution is considered a major factor leading to increased indoor air pollution in Hanoi. LAist only exists with reader support. If you're in a position to give, your donation powers our reporters and keeps us independent. Our reporting is free for everyone, but its not free to make. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. As college-bound students await news of acceptance to schools for this Fall, most will get financial aid offers based largely on their family's pre-pandemic income. For many, that's a relic from a more financially stable past that could cost students millions in aid. It could also make it tricky for prospective students to figure out whether they can afford college in the first place, and to compare offers from different schools. Students can ask schools to recalculate their aid package if their financial situation, as initially reported on their Free Application For Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, has changed. But many students aren't aware of this, said Adam Gottlieb, senior manager for postsecondary initiatives at UNITE-LA, an organization that works to make college more accessible for underserved youth. "If I were filling out a FAFSA right now, I would assume that the IRS -- which I didn't understand as a high schooler, which I don't completely understand as a tax-paying adult -- would just know that my situation has changed because it's the government and I assume that they know these things," Gottlieb said. Even if students do know they can appeal a financial aid award, the process can be daunting, said Lina Calderon-Morin, deputy director of the Southern California College Access Network. "I would say 99% of the time the student has no idea how even to use the language to appeal for this type of situation. And for most of our families, too, who are very low-income, the parents don't have any idea how to do this, either," Calderon-Morin said. "It's a very, you know, intimidating process because it sounds so legal from the get-go. An appeal for aid? Is this something that people do? How do you do it?" Yes, it is. Here's how you do it. (If you read through and still have questions about financial aid, let me know.) How Student Financial Aid Works First, a quick explanation of how financial aid for college works. Any student who wants to be eligible for federal loans, grants or work-study has to fill out the Free Application For Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Many schools and states, including California, also use the application to award state aid such as Cal Grants. The FAFSA's 106 questions about a student and their family's finances and living situation -- for example, the number of people in the household -- are used to determine an index number known as Expected Family Contribution. (The term "Expected Family Contribution" will be permanently replaced by "student aid index" starting with the 2023-2024 school year. This change and others that simplify the FAFSA and expand federal aid, were part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed into law in late December.) Colleges subtract the index from the cost of attending their school to figure out how much financial aid a student would need to attend. (The Federal Student Aid office has a more detailed explanation on their website.) Carry the one, divide by 5 If youre trying to understand how your chosen schools will calculate the amount of financial aid you could receive, here's a simple way to think about it https://t.co/GeY3VPA5Rh pic.twitter.com/5iuvjGCdXH Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) December 28, 2020 Schools can then use that information to offer prospective and current students loans, grants and scholarships. In California, students who are undocumented and therefore do not qualify for federal financial aid can apply for state financial aid by filling out the California Dream Act Application, or CADAA. Some schools -- including Caltech, the Claremont Colleges, and Occidental -- also require students to fill out a supplementary financial aid application, the CSS profile, which is used to determine eligibility for grants and scholarships from sources other than the federal government. While the FAFSA and CADAA do ask about a family's current balance of cash and whether an applicant or their parents have lost a job, much of the financial information collected on the application is based on tax returns from two years prior. In other words, students filling out a FAFSA with plans to attend college in Fall 2021 would submit tax information from pre-pandemic 2019. Former first lady Michelle Obama delivered remarks at a FAFSA workshop at the T.C. Williams High School on February 5, 2014 in Alexandria, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Why? The Obama administration changed the FAFSA to require "prior-prior year" tax information with the intention of making it easier for students to submit their aid applications earlier in the college-going process. In the past, students would have to wait until they or their parents filed the previous year's taxes before submitting a FAFSA. That meant students often received acceptance letters from universities before they had a full picture of how they could pay for it. Education leaders applauded the clunkily named prior-prior rule. "It works for the vast majority of families in the vast majority of years because most families have consistent income year-to-year," said Karen McCarthy, director of policy analysis for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. But 2020 was, well, 2020, and the prior-prior rule doesn't work so well when an estimated 4-in-10 adults lost jobs or income during the pandemic. Those losses weren't reflected at all for many students who filled out a FAFSA for the 2020-21 school year and they might not be fully reflected for students filing for financial aid for the 2021-22 school year. Major expenses, such as a family's out-of-pocket medical bills or a new baby, can also change a student's financial situation after they file their FAFSA, and therefore might not be reflected in their student aid package. What If My Family Doesn't Have The Same Kind Of Money It Had In 2019? This is where an appeal comes in. If a student gets a financial aid offer that doesn't seem to reflect their current ability to pay for school, they can contact the school and request to have their financial aid package reconsidered. "FAFSA is just the first step," said Calderon-Morin from the SoCal College Access Network. "But all aid letters ... are appealable." The appeal process is officially known as "professional judgment." The federal government doesn't specify when to contact a school about a professional judgment appeal, but McCarthy said students who know their FAFSA doesn't accurately capture their family's financial picture should do so as soon as possible. "Don't wait until you get the bill from your business office and you can't pay the tuition bill." Prospective students can ask a school for a professional judgment review even before they've been accepted. So, say you or someone you love has applied to their dream school and submitted a FAFSA, but is now in worse financial shape than the numbers reported on that FAFSA. You can reach out to the school's financial aid office now to let them know. If you're considering multiple schools, you'll have to do this with each school individually. Before You Appeal, Find Out If It's Worth It The professional judgment process can be tedious and hard to navigate for many students. "It requires additional documentation that sometimes isn't available, especially if you have a parent who only works on cash-based payments," Calderon-Morin said. "In addition to that, you can just wait for a long time to hear any kind of confirmation [from the financial aid office] that they received the appeal. And then they'll come back with another list of documents that you need to now send and confirm. And sometimes they need to be notarized," she said. In other words, it's a lot. So before you go through all that, find out whether additional funding is available. Some students may already be eligible for, or be receiving, the maximum aid possible --even with an outdated FAFSA, said Marcos Montes, project manager for the Covid-era virtual hub Let's Go To College California. "One of the problems that we're seeing, unfortunately, is that probably the people who are being most impacted by the pandemic are families and students who are already very low income so they're already capped at how much aid they can [get]," Montes said. Even if you think you might be capped out, though, you should still ask. Many schools have awarded emergency grants to students affected by the pandemic. Financial aid officers may also be able to suggest potential scholarships and private sources of aid. How Do I Contact The Financial Aid Office At A Particular School? In pre-pandemic times, you could probably find the office on campus and talk to an actual person, in-person. (I know, crazy.) Some schools have reached out to students proactively, for example, via email, to tell them about their options if they're facing financial strain. If that's not your school, or you're not yet enrolled, your best bet is to check the school's website to find contact information -- phone or email -- for the financial aid office. By this point in the pandemic, even if the campus is closed, most schools have modified their phone systems so that someone will pick up from their home office. Many colleges also have chatbots that can answer basic questions and point students in the right direction, and virtual lobbies where you can set up a video or phone conference with a financial aid officer. As for the actual appeal, some schools have a specific form they'll want students to fill out. There's also now a free online tool, SwiftStudent, developed in response to the pandemic, that helps students figure out what documents they'll likely need for an appeal and generates a letter that you can submit to the financial aid office. What If I Haven't Filled Out My FAFSA Or CADAA Yet? It's not too late -- the deadline to file a FAFSA or CADAA to be considered for a Cal Grant for the 2021-22 school year is March 2. Cal Grants provide money to qualifying California residents to pay for tuition, fees and, in some cases, living expenses at in-state schools. Completing your 202122 FAFSA form is as easy as 123 ways that is. Youve got options when it comes to filling out your form. Choose the best one for you and remember to submit it ASAP. https://t.co/wdDmg7cr0I pic.twitter.com/jJC6YH3FTg Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) December 29, 2020 Even if you're just thinking about attending college next fall, but haven't actually decided, submitting a financial aid application can help you figure out how much help you can expect if you decide to attend. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 1 million Californians cancelled plans to attend college in Fall 2020 because of financial concerns. And higher education advocates fear another big drop in college enrollment this year. As of mid-December, the number of California high school seniors completing FAFSA applications was down nearly 13% compared to last year, according to an online FAFSA tracker sponsored by the National College Attainment Network. "Our hope is that the sooner students submit their FAFSA and get those results and get financial aid award letters, that'll help encourage and increase the number of students who go to college and enroll," said Calderon-Morin, "because they'll actually get to see those numbers on paper. Where if they opt out and just don't submit at all, it's just going to be another reason why, 'Well, I don't know, I probably couldn't afford it anyway and I'm not going to go.'" Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Federal officials are starting to build a temporary housing site for residents in Linn and Marion counties who lost everything in the 2020 wildfires. KOIN-TV reports the Mill City site will hold up to 16 temporary housing units, according to the Federal Emergency Management Association. FEMA is setting up utilities and making sure they are accessible before the mobile homes arrive. La-Tanga Hopes, a FEMA official, said the homes are expected to arrive in Mill City in three to four weeks, depending on the weather. In Oregon, 250 families have been approved to receive FEMA Direct Temporary Housing. The agency says that number has decreased over time as many households have located alternate temporary or permanent housing on their own. In order to qualify for the Direct Temporary Housing program, Hopes said wildfire victims must file a claim, which is then assessed. A person is eligible for temporary housing if FEMA confirms a person owned a home that suffered $17,000 or more in damages, or if FEMA confirms a renters home suffered major damages or was destroyed. Wildfire victims must also prove they do not have rental assistance available to them. Residents approved for temporary housing can remain in the units for up to 18 months, until March 2022. 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More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Integrating with homeIQs innovative lead management solutions enhances the originators sourcing and retention strategies for all of our mutual clients. - Wes Yuan, LendingPads managing director SOA Labs, a San Francisco-based real estate startup company that allows loan officers and real estate agents to stay connected with their clients through personalized homeIQ reports, has partnered with LendingPad, a leading cloud-based loan origination system (LOS). The partnership allows the companies to deliver loan officers an even more powerful suite of automated lead generation tools. SOA Labs launched homeIQ in January 2020, and it has already brought in thousands of registered users. Additionally, the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) has endorsed the company. The partnership with LendingPad, a company that is the winner of 2019 HousingWires Tech100 award and also endorsed by NAMB, strengthens homeIQs market reach and growth path. HomeIQ delivers homeowners and homebuyers personalized financial information while facilitating engagement with their loan officer and real estate agent. HomeIQ positions the lender and real estate agent as trusted advisors staying top of mind with their clients through personalized, branded homeIQ reports. These reports help ensure clients return to the loan officer and real estate agent for their next real estate transaction by providing them valuable, monthly data about their house. Additionally, homeIQ strengthens real estate agent and loan officer relationships and expands their network by partnering with industry-leading client nurturing and lead generation solutions so they land more business. Providing clients with real-time equity, loan repayment and refinance opportunities positions loan officers and real estate agents as the clients financial experts and makes them think twice before using someone else for their next real estate purchase. Approximately 67 percent of homeowners dont return to their lender or real estate agent for their next transaction because there is a lack of genuine effort to stay in touch, said Alex Tkachuk, SOA Labs CEO. HomeIQ allows loan officers the ability to stay in touch through a real-time, valuable tool. With our partnership with LendingPad, whose innovative loan origination systems aligns perfectly with our product, we are able to deliver this technology to their users. Focusing on originators has always been one of our top priorities, said Wes Yuan, LendingPads managing director. Integrating with homeIQs innovative lead management solutions enhances the originators sourcing and retention strategies for all of our mutual clients. For more information about homeIQ, visit https://homeiqreport.com. About SOA Labs Based in San Francisco, Calif., with offices in Sacramento, SOA Labs is a real estate technology company with a focus on nurturing past clients for real estate agents and loan officers. Its product, homeIQ, allows real estate agents and loan officers to stay connected with their clients with co-branding and provides tools to generate new leads. It does this by empowering homeowners and homebuyers to build real estate wealth by sending customized, regular reports that provide valuable home insights. This keeps the real estate agent and loan officer top of mind should the homeowner or homebuyer decide to sell or purchase real estate in the future.. For more information, visit https://homeiqreport.com. About LendingPad LendingPad Corp provides a complete suite of loan origination solutions for banks, brokers and institutions. LendingPad is designed to streamline lending operations, strengthen communication, and reduce costs in mortgage lending. The cloud-based solutions include end-to-end features such as MLO app, document management, origination and fulfillment functionalities. LendingPad is a winner of the 2019 HousingWire's Tech100 award and one of the Top 10 Mortgage Solution Providers by Banking CIO magazine. LendingPad is endorsed by the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB), a Platinum sponsor for the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), a proud member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and MISMO organization. For more information, visit lendingpad.com. (R-L) Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) hold a news conference unveiling House Democrats' new infrastructure framework at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 29, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Georgia Runoffs May Impact $2,000 Stimulus Checks: Top Democrat Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chairman, said Sunday that the results of the runoff election in Georgia would influence the $2,000 stimulus checks that President Donald Trump and other officials have proposed. I think its more contingent upon what happens on Jan. 5, Neal told reporters when talking about the timing of future legislation on direct payments, according to The Hill. Trump reiterated on Dec. 25 that the $2,000 stimulus payments should be distributed in as part of a new CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus relief bill. The House subsequently passed a bill with the relief payments increased to $2,000, but it was blocked by Senate Republicans. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and other Republican senators opposed raising the stimulus check amount from $600 to $2,000. However, Romney didnt appear to be opposed to other spending measures included in the massive bill, including $300 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, billions of dollars for landlords, and $47 billion for transportation. Trump previously condemned the bill the Senate and House would have passed because, he said, it included too many non-pandemic-related measures, including significant amounts of funding to foreign governments, as well as funding for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Trump said on Dec. 22 that Congress needs to pass a pandemic stimulus bill that includes $2,000 direct payments to Americans, not the current $600, or he would veto it. Since Congress started again on Sunday, the House will have to pass the $2,000 bill again if they want to push it forward. If Democrats win both seats in the Georgia runoff, the bill will have a higher possibility of passing. In a press conference on Monday, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the House Democratic Caucus chair, said that he thinks the $2,000 stimulus checks represent unfinished business for the next administration. Jack Phillips contributed to this report Security personnel carry a box containing coronavirus vaccines upon its arrival in Bali, Indonesia, Jan. 5, 2021. Indonesia is poised to begin its mass COVID-19 inoculation drive starting with a Chinese-made vaccine on Jan. 13, officials said Tuesday, as the archipelago-nation combats Southeast Asias worst coronavirus caseload. But the drug first needs to be approved through an emergency-use authorization (EUA) from the countrys drug regulator, a spokesman for the national coronavirus task force said, adding this would hopefully happen soon. President Joko Jokowi Widodo, in an event to be televised next week, will be the first person in Indonesia to receive a shot of a vaccine developed by Chinas Sinovac Biotech, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said. The first injection will be administered to the president on Wednesday [Jan. 13], in a bid to assure the public that Sinovacs CoronaVac vaccine is safe, Budi said. In the next days, public officials, health workers and religious leaders would begin to be inoculated nationwide, he added. The vaccine will be free for everyone, the government said last month. For Governors, the regional leaders, please make the preparations, select the persons to be vaccinated, as on January 14-15 we will start the vaccination in the regions, especially in the provinces. A spokesman for the COVID-19 task force, Wiku Adisasmito, said the president and others would be inoculated only after the Drug and Food Control Agency (BPOM) authorized the vaccine for emergency use. The agency is awaiting preliminary results of late-stage trials of CoronaVac being conducted in Indonesia, Turkey and Brazil. Wiku said he hoped BPOM would soon authorize its use. Everything will be based on science, Wiku told reporters. The president, too, will receive the vaccine when the EUA from BPOM has been obtained. Indonesian state-owned pharmaceutical firm Bio Farma said last month that early data indicated that 97 percent of those injected with the Sinovac vaccine developed antibodies. The government said that elderly people would have to wait to be vaccinated because there was not enough data to determine whether Sinovacs vaccine is safe for people aged 60 years or older. For Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia, there isnt nearly enough data to support vaccinations even for younger people. He criticized the government for what he described as its lack of transparency about the vaccine. Maybe the efficacy is not that high, Pandu told BenarNews. All data should be made public. Maybe the emergency-use authorization has already been issued, but based on what data? Has the trial been completed? Vaccine preparedness Indonesias target is to inoculate close to 182 million people by March, as the worlds fourth most populous country with 270 million people reported nearly 800,000 confirmed cases and more than 23,000 virus-related deaths as of Tuesday. Indonesia so far has received 3 million doses of Sinovacs CoronaVac vaccine. Sinovac is also scheduled to deliver 45 million doses of the vaccine in bulk later this month, for production by Bio Farma, the government had said. Jokowi said that more than 700,000 of the 3 million CoronaVac doses had been distributed to Indonesias 34 provinces. Vaccines developed by other companies are expected in the coming months. In late December, Health Minister Budi said the government had signed deals to procure 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and U.S. vaccine developer Novavax. A deal with Pfizer for 50 million doses was expected in January, he had said last month. Meanwhile, early findings showed that Sinovacs vaccine did not contain pork, which is forbidden by Islam, said Muti Arintawati, executive director of the food and drug control department at the Indonesian Ulema Council, a semi-official authority on Islam. Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world. Halal certification is still in the works, but so far we have not found any pork content. Hopefully the results will be good, the news site merdeka.com quoted Muti as saying. Vaccine-related developments in other countries Elsewhere, Thailand will begin COVID-19 vaccinations in February, officials said Tuesday, as they announced the acquisition of 37 million more doses, amid a surge that saw the national cumulative caseload double over the last three weeks. The government said it was acquiring 35 million more vaccine doses from AstraZeneca, and 2 million doses from Chinas Sinovac Biotech. In November, the Thai government had approved the purchase of 26 million doses from AstraZeneca. The Southeast Asian country had been among the least affected by the global pandemic, but the COVID-19 caseload soared to nearly 9,000 as of Tuesday, after an outbreak last month mostly among migrant workers at the countrys largest seafood market-complex in Samut Sakhon province, near Bangkok. In South Asia, Bangladesh has received U.S. $600 million from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to procure and store COVID-19 vaccines, inoculate people and contain the virus through measures such as contact tracing, Bangladeshi officials said Tuesday as the government approved the funds. Nontarat Phaicharoen and Kamran Reza Chowdhury contributed to this report from Bangkok and Dhaka. NEW DELHI: In a move to expand the power of its Central Military Commission (CMC), the Xi Jinping government in China has amended its National Defence Law to mobilise military and civilian resources in defence of the national interest at home and abroad. The new law, effective from January 1, weaken the role of the State Council, Chinas Cabinet headed by Premier Li Keqiang and aims at further consolidation of power in the hands of President Xi. With this move, Xi would not only be commanding the army through direct orders but also through his ideology as a guiding force, and thus the division between philosophy of CPC and the Army have been sidelined. The revised law came into force after the key conclave of the ruling CPC in November last year finalised plans to build a fully modern military on par with the US by 2027. Amended law to ensure military personnel's loyalty towards CCP One of the major objectives of the NDL-2020 is to ensure the loyalty of military personnel towards the Communist Party of China (CCP). The NDL-2020 chalks out the responsibilities of all party/state/military organizations and individuals on matters of national defence and makes them obligatory and legally binding. It mandates all members of the armed forces to abide by the directions of the party even if they are not members of the Party. The centrality of Xi Jinping, who already holds the posts of Communist Party of Chinas (CPC) General Secretary and Chairman of Central Military Commission, besides being the President of the People's Republic of China, would be further fortified through the new law. While decisions on the declaration of a state of war would be taken by the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress, the power of declaring a state of war rests with the President of the People's Republic of China. Military power headed by Xi Jinping expanded The law makes the definition and scope of national interest more inclusive by expanding it to cover space, electromagnetic spectrum, cyberspace and country's developmental interest, besides the traditional areas of land, air and sea. The aim seemingly is to ensure intervention of Xi-controlled army in the civil, commerce and technical area as well. This would also enable Xis administration to easily frame charges of treason and subversion on those who do not fall in line with the CPCs ideologies or instructions. The broadened scope of armed forces would thereby be the justification for the creation of new forces of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) such as PLA Rocket Force, PLA Strategic Support Force and PLA Joint Logistic Support Force. The goal primarily is to increase China's military strength. The NDL-2020 establishes a military welfare guarantee system that would be coordinated with the development of the national economy. It further emphasizes guaranteeing the status of military personnel by incorporating the clause 'make military personnel a profession respected by the whole of society'. The military welfare guarantee system makes the military profession more lucrative resulting in the better intake of more qualified personnel at the entry-level. At the same time, the guaranteed stature of military personnel is meant for forcibly making its citizens to accept the supremacy of armed forces. Military power strengthened over state council Moreover, the law provides for the establishment of a 'coordination mechanism' between the State Council and the CCP's Central Military Commission to discuss important defence matters. This infuses Xi Jinping's favoured concept of military-civil fusion/integration in the country's defence law as well as further consolidating his centrality as he would be entitled to directly/indirectly take all the important military decisions. Experts believe, "The new NDL specifies that Chinese armed forces could be engaged as per the Chinese laws to protect Chinese citizens, organizations, institutions and facilities abroad. The concept was roped in earlier through the Military Strategy paper released in 2015 and is being fortified under the new NDL. This would be used to justify overseas unilateral military actions undertaken by China. Moreover, it also indicates that China is likely to be more aggressive in its overseas actions on the pretext of national defence and security of its entities abroad, undermining the international laws even when it is participating in international organizations." Such unilateral military actions overseas have cost China a pan-global confrontation. The same was even asserted by Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in his statement that "the changes incorporated in the NDL were urgently needed in view of the heightened state of 'strategic rivalry around the world". China's NDL-2020 reinforces the primacy of CCP in all dimensions of national defence and security. This new law is in line with China's intermediary military reforms brought in by Xi's administration in the past and enforces PLAs centrality to the CCP and thereby Xi Jinping himself. It aims to empower the Chinese military for a wider domestic and global role. This presents an almost certain potential threat to global peace as the world might witness intensified military offensives by Chinese armed forces in foreign countries in the coming times. It added: At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence gathering effort. We are taking all necessary steps to understand the full scope of this campaign and respond accordingly. The characterization of the intrusion as an intelligence gathering effort is significant because it shows there is no indication yet that the Russians had planted malware in American systems that is intended to cause disruptions to power grids or alter data in government or private databases. But in interviews over the past two weeks, both government and private officials have said they are still discovering the scope of the intrusions, and it may take months to figure out whether Russia or others may make more malicious use of back doors they placed in the systems. The statement by the office of the director of national intelligence, the National Security Agency, the F.B.I. and the Department of Homeland Security appeared very similar in wording to one the White House was preparing to release nearly two weeks ago. But it was pulled back after Mr. Trump erupted at his intelligence briefers and said they had no evidence to link the action to Russia. Mr. Trump has not addressed the hack, which happened on his watch, apart from one series of tweets that suggested any alarm was the work of the news media. Mr. Biden, in contrast, has suggested that Mr. Trump is ignoring a major threat to national security, and said that once in office he may seek in kind retaliation though that could be difficult, since the United States is far more vulnerable to network attacks than is Russia. Mr. Biden has acknowledged that the government he is inheriting in a little more than two weeks is riddled with so many intrusions in its systems that trusting the integrity of the systems on which the government runs will be next to impossible. I dont know what the state of them is, Mr. Biden said. Theyre clearly not safe right now. The joint statement on Tuesday announced the creation of a task force of officials from the F.B.I., Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and intelligence agencies, to be known as the Cyber Unified Coordination Group. Amid the scare over the UK variant of Coronavirus, Karnatka Health Minister K Sudhakar has stated on Tuesday that 11 UK returnees have been tested positive for the new Coronavirus strain in the state. Karnataka reported 600 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths, taking the infection count to 9,22,538 and the toll to 12,110 on Monday, while 728 patients got recovered on the same day with the active cases standing at 10,207. 11 UK returnees have tested positive for new coronavirus strain in the state: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar pic.twitter.com/SYW1HJ02X6 ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 Meanwhile, the cumulative toll of the people infected by the mutant Coronavirus in the country has risen to 58 with twenty more people testing positive for the new UK variant. Mandatory testing of all UK-returnees through RT-PCR test is being conducted. "The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel coronavirus first reported in the UK now stands at 58," the Union Health Ministry said. The respective state governments have kept the infected people in single room isolation at designated health care facilities and their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Of the 58, the mutated UK strain was detected in eight samples at National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, 11 in the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, in one in National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani (near Kolkata), 25 in the National Institute of Virology in Pune, three in Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad and ten was sequenced in National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Hospital (NIMHANS) Bengaluru. The INSACOG labs at NCBS InSTEM, Bengaluru, CDFD Hyderabad, ILS Bhubaneswar, and NCCS Pune have so far found no mutant virus. READ | Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's Tally At 1,03,56,845; Vaccine Rollout In 10 Days READ | 6 UK Returnees To Kerala Test Positive For New Strain UK Varient of Coronavirus The Civil Aviation Ministry had suspended flights to and from the UK from December 23 to December 31 as a preemptive action against the entry and spread of the mutant Coronavirus in India. Later the Ministry extended the flight ban till January 7. The mutant Coronavirus has already been reported in several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. The mutation of COVID-19 first emerged in South East England and it is 70% more transmissible than the previous one. Due to the alarming surge of cases through the mutation, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered a complete lockdown in the country starting from January 4, as the UK has been reporting daily fresh load of cases between 50,000 to 60,000. (Image: PTI) READ | Delhi: 38 UK Returnees Found Positive For COVID; New Strain Detected In Seven Patients READ | COVID-19 Situation Of India Vis-a-vis The World: Health Ministry Gives Detailed Analysis Many of the best ideas for legislation come from the community and Springfield needs fresh ideas now more than ever, Didech said in a news release seeking constituent input. This past year has brought unprecedented and new challenges for the people of Illinois due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I want to hear directly from our community on how state government can be more effective for them as we work to rebuild. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 4:41 pm If theres one area surrounding the pandemic where consensus has begun to grow, its that our children need to be back in school. Teachers and administrators have performed admirably these last nine months, but its clear now that days and weeks spent in front of computer screens and away from educators and classmates have been damaging. This message is nothing new to residents of Lewis County, many of whom have lobbied for their children to return to in-person instruction for months. The science and data have increasingly shown that, along with precautionary measures, in-person schooling is no more dangerous than virtual learning when it comes to spreading the virus. Its worth pointing out that many of our local districts have taken the lead, first with smaller local schools such as Mossyrock and Adna opening their doors and more recently with the Chehalis School District. The Centralia School District plans a March return. It was encouraging when, last month, Gov. Jay Inslee announced significantly reduced restrictions and recommendations for a return to classrooms. But more must be done so that the state is not attempting to manage 295 school districts that face completely different circumstances. Sen. John Braun, a Republican from Centralia, has produced bipartisan legislation along with Democratic Sen. Mark Mullet that would force schools to reopen when they hit a benchmark reflecting the prevalence of COVID-19 in a given community. The decision to shift to virtual learning would still be left to local school districts. According to previous reporting by The Chronicle, the metric most commonly used to inform policy and gauge a regions risk-level is new cases per 100,000 people, with 75 or more cases per 100,000 conferring a high-risk designation. Brauns bill would mark a shift to the new metric of test positivity the percent of COVID-19 tests coming back positive. Under his plan, public schools would have to offer in-person learning if the communitys test positive rate fell below 5 percent for two consecutive weeks. This metric does not punish communities for testing more, as does a metric tied to cases per population, the bill reads. The legislature intends to establish clear school opening metrics based on the positivity standard within counties, so these decisions are transparent and uniform throughout the state of Washington. This is, simply put, a more mathematically accurate way of offering guidance to local school districts that can vary vastly when it comes to the amount of testing taking place. The problem is when you dont have even testing around the state, Braun told The Chronicle. So if you have to pick between the two, until you can get the exact same amount of testing, you pick the positivity rate. Its a better indicator. Inslee has spent the better part of nine months managing the ongoing pandemic with little to no input from lawmakers. Brauns bill is just one example why the governor should have called a special session of the Legislature long ago. Now, with the 2021 session quickly approaching, were pleased to see practical and innovative solutions to issues that have for far too long been managed only from the governors office. Our kids need to be in school. This legislation will create clearer guidelines and more clarity, and we urge lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to support it for the health and betterment of our states children. Chad Taylor is publisher of The Chronicle and owner of CT Publishing. Union Petroleum Minister on Monday flagged off from L&T's Hazira plant in Surat district critical components bound for Indian Oil's MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) plant coming up at the refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Paradip in Odisha. During his visit to Surat in Gujarat, the minister flagged off the equipment from the engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro's Hazira plant. "Flagged-off indigenously manufactured critical components from L&Ts Hazira manufacturing facility to @IndianOilcls MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) plant coming up at the refinery-cum- petrochemical complex at Paradip in Odisha," Pradhan tweeted after the visit. In a series of tweets, the Union Minister said the delivery of three super critical equipment -- Ethylene Oxide Reactor, Wash Tower and De-ethyleniser -- "will be a significant stride in the commissioning of the MEG project at Paradip refinery" and will help reduce MEG imports and also enhance the competitiveness of the refinery. "It will also act as a driver for the growing textiles industry in Odisha, fuel several downstream textile and polymer industries in the region, strengthen #MakeInIndia and also meet the entire MEG requirement for the proposed Textile Park at Bhadrak and Dhamra," he said. "The MEG project being setup with an investment of Rs 5,654 crore is expected to be commissioned in October, 2021. It will boost large-scale employment generation in the textile sector, including creation of 14,000 job opportunities in the downstream units at Bhadrak and Dhamra alone," he said further. He said this will help establish Paradip as a hub of petroleum, textiles and petrochemical-based industries and usher in unprecedented opportunities for the development of Odisha. Pradhan also visited steel-making facilities at Arcellor-Mittal Nippon Steel at Hazira. In another tweet, he said the company is planning a capacity addition of 8 million tonne per annum to its 12-MTPA capacity iron ore pelletization facility in Paradip. "Happy that AMNS India has evinced interest in expanding its investment footprints to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore in Odisha, especially in the areas of value added and special steels," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists develop new approach to understanding massive volcanic eruptions A geosciences team led by the University of South Florida (USF) has developed a new way to reconstruct the sizes of volcanic eruptions that occurred thousands of years ago, creating a first-of-its kind tool that can aid scientists in understanding past explosive eruptions that shaped the earth and improve the way of estimating hazards of future eruptions. The advanced numerical model the USF team developed allows scientists to reconstruct eruption rates through time by estimating the dimensions of the umbrella clouds that contribute to the accumulation of vast deposits of volcanic ash. The research is published in the new edition of the Nature Journal, Communications, Earth and Environment. The research, which was used to decipher the 2,500-year-old eruption of a volcano in Ecuador, was led by USF doctoral candidate Robert Constantinescu in collaboration with USF colleagues Research Associate Laura Connor, Professor Chuck Connor, Associate Professor Sylvain Charbonnier, doctoral alum Alain Volentik and other members of an international team. USF's Volcanology Group is one of the world's leading centers of volcano science and hazard assessment. When large explosive eruptions occur, they form laterally spreading umbrella clouds into the stratosphere, facilitating the transport of fine-grained ash over hundreds of miles that settles and covers large swaths of land. Current technology allows scientists to observe ash clouds. However, past eruptions are characterized based on the geological interpretation of their tephra deposits - the pieces and fragments of rock ejected into the air by an erupting volcano. By estimating the erupted volume and mass, plume height, umbrella cloud dimensions and other characteristics, the scientists are able to understand and characterize the volcanic eruptions, therefore improving the forecast of future events. Using a series of field techniques combined with statistical and numerical modeling, volcanologists extract information from the deposits in order to characterize and classify an eruption on one of the most commonly used scales, the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). Until now, the most sought-after information is the eruption column height and the total erupted mass or volume, Constantinescu said. But over time, deposits erode and can provide an uncertain picture of older eruptions. Also, current models have been limited in that they assume all volcanic eruptions created mostly vertical plumes, Constantinescu said, and don't account for large explosive eruptions that form laterally spreading umbrella ash clouds. The USF team's work shows that it is the dimensions of the umbrella clouds that is the telling factor in reconstructing past large explosive eruptions. "The better we can reconstruct the nature of past eruptions from deposit data, the better we can anticipate potential hazards associated with future explosive eruptions," the team wrote in the new journal article. The researchers propose updating the VEI scale with the umbrella cloud dimensions, which can now be easily estimated using the mathematical models they've developed. The researchers applied their model to the tephra deposit of the eruption of Pululagua, a now dormant volcano about 50 miles north of the capital city of Quito. Ecuador is considered one of the world's most hazardous countries for volcanoes. The volcano last erupted an estimated 2,500 years ago and the area is now a geobotanical reserve renowned for its biodiversity and lush green landscape. There are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, in addition to those that lurk beneath the world's oceans. In 2020, there were at least 67 confirmed eruptions from 63 different volcanoes, according to the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program. "If in modern times the umbrella clouds of large eruptions are easily observed, we now have the ability to estimate the umbrella clouds of past eruptions," Constantinescu said. "Our numerical model enables us to better characterize past volcanic eruptions and inform models for future hazard assessment." ### The USF team was joined in the research by Aurelian Hopulele-Gligor of Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Costanza Bonadonna of the University of Geneva; and Jan M. Lindsay of the University of Auckland. The research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation. This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Huntington, WV (25701) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Californias Employment Development Department has suspended unemployment payments for numerous people because of fear of fraud. Many Californians who said they are legitimately unemployed flooded social media over the weekend with laments that they desperately need the benefits that they rely on for housing, food and other necessities. You have been receiving unemployment benefits, but we have temporarily suspended your claim because it may be tied to fraudulent activity, said a notice dated Dec. 31 that many people received. You will receive further instruction from EDD on how to verify your identity beginning Jan. 6, 2021. In a tweet on Sunday, the agency said, As part of ongoing efforts to fight fraud, EDD has suspended payment on claims considered high risk and is informing those affected that their identity will need to be verified starting this week before payments can resume. More details on the EDD website in the days ahead. Some social media posts said hundreds of thousands of people were notified. The EDD declined to say how many people are getting identity-verification requests. In an email, spokeswoman Loree Levy said, EDD continues to strengthen its fraud detection methods and apply them to new and existing claims to further reduce the fraud that has plagued unemployment systems throughout the country. The employment department sent many other requests for ID verification in late November, around the same time it asked almost a million self-employed people to document the 2019 income they reported when they applied for pandemic unemployment assistance, a program under the Cares Act of 2020 that provides federal benefits to those not eligible for state benefits. Given how many legitimate (pandemic unemployment assistance) recipients received this notification of potential fraud, it appears that EDD has overestimated the suspicious accounts, said Daniela Urban, executive director of the Center for Workers Rights in Sacramento. EDDs requests to verify claimant identities continues to be a primary cause of delay in timely accessing much needed benefits. Even some elected representatives said they have not been able to reach EDD for answers about halted payments. The agency is taking a sledgehammer approach instead of a scalpel approach to the fraud problem by freezing so many accounts, said state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who has received at least 50 complaints in recent days from constituents whose accounts were frozen. Its very frustrating that EDD did this and we still havent heard back three or four days later, said Wiener, whose office contacted the agency last week about the issue. I get that theres a fraud problem. But when you have people who have been receiving benefits for a number of months, you dont just shut off their benefits. If EDD needs additional evidence that someone is who they say there are, then ask for that information and give them a deadline before (they) shut it off. Unemployment has soared during the pandemic and shelter-in-place, hitting a record high 15.5% in April. EDD has struggled to cope with the surge in applicants, leaving many unemployed people frantic to get benefits. In September, a strike team appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to investigate the growing backlog of unpaid claims identified numerous bottlenecks. Among other things, it faulted the EDD for manually verifying identities in a way that prevented legitimate claims from being processed while catching relatively few cases of fraud. Every month theres a new EDD fiasco, Wiener said. Since the pandemic, my district staff probably spend two-thirds of their time on EDD issues, at times higher than that. Its like EDD is building the plane while flying it, Wiener added. Reports continue to surface of fraudulent claims being paid out to toddlers, prisoners including notorious Death Row inmates, and an applicant who impersonated U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Bank of America, which issues the debit cards that contain benefits, estimated the fraud could reach $2 billion. In her email, Levy said, EDD used Thomson Reuters fraud criteria and additional industry standard fraud detection criteria to review existing claims and stop payment on higher risk claims. It notified those affected that it will require identity verification or additional eligibility determinations starting later this week before payments can resume. She said EDD wanted to move quickly to avoid paying out the extra $300 per week in federal benefits approved by Congress for up to 11 weeks starting Dec. 27 to fraudulent claimants. Instead of fixing the system, EDDs new ID protocols made (it) harder for people to apply, said Ellyn Moscowitz, head of employment law at Legal Aid of Marin. Spanish speakers, people from other countries, and people without computers are particularly affected, she said. Addresses with multiple unemployed people are targets, which disadvantages immigrant families that live in multi-generational households, she said. Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available. We walk them through it, but it takes a lot of time, she said. There is disruption in their payments for weeks. ... Most of them eventually get their money again, but plenty just give up because theyve made the process so hard. Clint Snider, who lost his job managing a Soup Plantation restaurant in Southern California, said he noticed Monday, Dec. 28, that his latest payment was pending rather than paid. He called EDD and was told payments were late because of the holidays, and there were no issues going on, he said. I called back Tuesday, and thats when I started hearing about the ID verification process. The next day, he uploaded his identity documents, and got a receipt saying EDD had received them. But still he didnt get paid. So on Sunday, he called EDD again. The representative told me they did receive my documents, but not the back of my ID. Nothing in the messaging said you had to include the back of the ID, he said. In the drop-down menus, it says you can only upload one photo, so you have to have the front and back both on one side. And you only have 30 minutes to upload your documents. So he reloaded them on Sunday and called EDD again but hasnt been able to reach someone who could help. The last time I received payment was Dec. 13, Snider said. Since then, Ive been relying on the kindness of family to get by. Monica Norcia of San Rafael also got the notice dated Dec. 31. My first thought was, this had to do with the prison stuff, because there has been fraud, she said. I was puzzled somewhat. I havent had a problem with them. One of my first thoughts was, I hope somebody didnt take my identity. On Wednesday, Gavin Newsom appointed Rita Saenz as EDD director, replacing Sharon Hilliard, who retired Thursday after nearly 40 years with the agency. Saenz, 71, has more than 40 years of experience in state government and the private sector. From 1998 to 2004, she was director of the California Department of Social Services. Carolyn Said and Kathleen Pender are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid @kathpender Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Central to the discussions of election law changes will be the states expansion of mail-in voting for any registered voter. Passed in 2019 and used for the first time last year in the midst of a pandemic that prevented many from going to the polls, Act 77 contributed to Pennsylvanias record turnout in the general election, with more than 2.6 million people casting a ballot by mail. Full ties have been restored between Qatar and the four nations that severed relations with Doha in a rift that began in 2017, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister said Tuesday. "What happened today is... the closure of the folder of all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a press conference at the conclusion of a landmark regional summit. Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration, named after the Saudi city where the summit was held, and a final communique. Their contents were not immediately released but hopes for a deal to end the bitter impasse were raised overnight when Saudi announced it would open its borders to Doha despite lingering enmity between the neighbours. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Tuesday that the Gulf states had signed an agreement on regional "solidarity and stability" at a summit aimed at resolving a three-year embargo against Qatar. "These efforts helped us reach the agreement of the Al-Ula statement that will be signed at this summit, where we affirm our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," he told the meeting, thanking the United States and Kuwait for their mediation. "There is a desperate need today to unite our efforts to promote our region and to confront challenges that surround us, especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction." The summit was also attended by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain cut ties and transport links with Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of backing radical Islamist groups and cooperating with Iran. Qatar has always denied these allegations. Short link: It was revealed on Saturday that Zoe Kravitz had filed for divorce from her husband of 18-months Karl Glusman, 32, on December 23. And shorty after news broke, rumors began to swirl that the 32-year-old actress may be romantically linked to Hollywood hunk Channing Tatum, 40. But a source confirmed to E! News on Monday that Zoe and Channing are NOT dating in the slightest. Not happening: A source confirmed to E! News on Monday that newly single Zoe Kravtiz is NOT dating fellow actor Channing Tatum amid her divorce from husband Karl Glusman And that confirmation appeared to be a big relief to many being that the pair's potential relationship sparked some particularly negative reactions on social media. The rumors appeared to stem from a tweet issued out by one verified Twitter user who wrote: 'zoe kravitz and channing tatum ...... is that what i'm hearing ......' 'zoe kravitz and channing tatum rumor is not allowed here,' tweeted one unimpressed fan, while another attempted to see the bright side of the situation: 'What if Zoe Kravitz teaching Channing Tatum how to dress?' One lost Twitter user, clearly unaware of Zoe's divorce news, appeared particularly perplexed by the pairing, writing: 'zoe kravitz and channing tatum? bruh isn't she married? wtf is going on?' Rumor mill: The rumors appeared to stem from a tweet issued out by one verified Twitter user who wrote: 'zoe kravitz and channing tatum ...... is that what i'm hearing ......' Two sides of the coin: 'zoe kravitz and channing tatum rumor is not allowed here,' tweeted one unimpressed fan, while another attempted to see the bright side of the situation: 'What if Zoe Kravitz teaching Channing Tatum how to dress?' Break it down: One lost Twitter user, clearly unaware of Zoe's divorce news, appeared particularly perplexed by the pairing, writing: 'zoe kravitz and channing tatum? bruh isn't she married? wtf is going on?' Thankfully for fans of the Big Little Lies actress, Zoe appears to be reveling in the single life following her split from Karl. Channing has had a rather short romantic wrap sheet, following his own divorce from wife of nine years Jenna Dewan, 40, in 2018. Since their split, the Magic Mike star has been romantically linked to UK pop princess Jessie J, 32, whom he has been in an on and off relationship with since 2019. Split: It was revealed on Saturday that Zoe Kravitz had filed for divorce from her husband of 18-months Karl Glusman, 32, on December 23; Zoe and Karl pictured in 2019 Former flame: Channing has been previously linked to UK pop princess Jessie J, 32, following his divorce from wife Jenna Dewan, 40, in 2018; Channing and Jessie pictured in January 202 Channing also happens to be a father to seven-year-old daughter Everly, whom he shares with ex Jenna. Shortly after news broke about her divorce on Saturday, Zoe (and notable daughter of rock legend Lenny Kravitz), started to air her grievances in cryptic ways on social media, leading many to believe something catastrophic happened to prompt the split. Posting a meme of a drag queen throwing trash in a dumpster, the bag read, 'People places and things that no longer serve my greatest and highest good,' to which she wrote, 'MOOD.' On the fritz: After news broke that Zoe Kravitz, 32, had filed for divorce from husband of 18-months Karl Glusman on December 23, she began posting cryptic memes on social media Taking out the trash: The Big Little Lies actress shared a meme of a drag queen taking out the trash with a bag that read, 'People places and things that no longer serve my greatest and highest good' Alluding to tossing Glusman out like trash, she continued to post a series of unrelated images that included selfies and random images including the moon, a rustic tablescape and a fireplace. The captions all read, 'new year. little things.' Though the reason for their split is unknown, fans began to speculate things were on the fritz when they had seen no mention of him on her social media for months. Her last post was a tribute on their one year anniversary as she shared a black and white wedding photo from their June 29, 2019 wedding that read, 'one year.' Short-lived: The pair started dating in 2016 and secretly got engaged in February 2018 before they wed in June 2019; pictured February 2020 As of last night the two still followed each other on social media though as of Sunday, the Neon Demon actor unfollowed Kravitz - presumably after seeing her posts. Though Kravitz still follows him, Glusman wiped his Instagram feed clean except for two photos - one of an extended shot of a nature walk with the caption, '...and as the sun sets on this eye-opening year...,' from last week, and another from January 1 where he posted his bloody leg of him in a doctor's office. The caption for that image was, 'JAN 1, 2021: 7AM BUT IM LIKE...' Days before the news of her separation from Karl went public, Zoe also used Instagram to bid farewell to 2020, writing: 'bye 2020. you f**kin weirdo.' She included a self-portrait that showed her leaning over the back of her sofa with part of her face out of frame. Bye bye! Days before the news of her separation from Karl went public, Zoe used Instagram to excitedly bid farewell to 2020, writing: 'bye 2020. you f**kin weirdo' In pain: Glusman shared a photo on New Year's of his bloody leg in a doctor's office The pair first met in 2016 when the High Fidelity actress was not looking for anything serious. She revealed to British Vogue following their wedding: 'I love that it wasn't on an app and that it wasn't on a movie set. My friend knew that I wanted to meet someone not even to get serious, I think just to get laid, to be completely honest with you and he brought Karl.' Kravitz continued, 'I instantly felt something then he turned around and started talking to the blonde girl next to him and I was like, "Wait, what?" But he later told me that he was just nervous,' recalled Zoe to the outlet at the time. Kravitz and Glusman secretly got engaged in February 2018, revealing the news to Rolling Stone in October 2018. 'Im engaged! I havent told anyone yet I mean, I havent told the world. I wanted to keep it private.' Bad blood: Glusman who had previously gushed over his 'best friend' on their one year anniversary has since unfollowed Kravitz and removed all photos of her He proposed when they were cuddling on their bed surrounded by candles, though his heart was beating so fast Kravitz grew concerned. When he dropped down to one knee she continued to be oblivious as she told him, 'Yes, stretch! Stretch to calm your heart down!' The pair set a date for a lavish Parisian wedding that was held inside her dad Lenny's three-story townhouse with Zoe's mother Lisa Bonet, her husband Jason Momoa, and their two children, son Nakoa-Wolf and daughter Lola, in attendance. The couple had already wed legally a month prior but chose to a celebratory wedding surrounded by famous guests including Denzel Washington, Eddie Redmayne and Cara Delevingne as well as her Big Little Lies co-stars Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon. Aside from her social media posts, neither Zoe nor Karl have spoken out on the divorce matter. The matters of cultural appropriation and closed practices have been in the forefront of the Pagan internet for the past few weeks. Theyre never far from the surface. Recent conversation has been less than helpful. A few people still insist that anything and everything is theirs for the taking, no matter who gets hurt in the process. Most people mean well, but too many are more interested in being on the right side than in doing the right things or in being historically accurate. By now youve probably heard that some are saying Tarot is a closed practice of the Romani people, and the rest of us should stop reading cards. This idea demonstrates a complete ignorance of the origins of Tarot. The cards were originally created for Tarocchi and other games in 15th century Europe their use in divination came much later. Beyond that, incorrectly ascribing ownership of the Tarot to the Romani perpetuates racist stereotypes against them, namely that theyre all fortune tellers and likely swindlers. While I support those who call out cultural appropriation in an attempt to end it (at least when they do it accurately), Im frustrated by those who seem to enjoy scolding beginners but who never offer an ethical alternative. Its not the job of oppressed people to educate those who are stealing from them, but if youre relatively privileged, you have an obligation to use some of that privilege to build a better, more ethical world. As good liberals, we dont want to punish crime we want to build a society where crime is unnecessary and therefore rare. What can we do to build a Pagan movement where cultural appropriation doesnt happen because no one feels the need to do it? We all want to belong somewhere I keep repeating this in hopes that it will sink in: religion isnt about what you believe. Religion is about what you do, who you are, and whose you are. Its about what binds us together: beliefs and ritual practices, to be sure. But also stories, foods, clothes, music all the things we share in common. Good religion says you belong here. In a perfect world we would all belong where we are. But our world is far from perfect, and many of us grew up in religions and cultures were we dont belong. I certainly didnt belong in the fundamentalist church were I grew up. If we dont belong here where ever here is for you where do we belong? DNA is not religion or culture Heres another thing I hope will eventually sink in: religion and culture are spread by contact, not by blood. If you live in the United States, finding out that your ancestors came from Ireland or Norway or Greece doesnt mean youre Irish or Norwegian or Greek. It means youre an American of Irish or Norwegian or Greek descent. And also, Greece is 90% Orthodox, Ireland is 78% Catholic, and Norway is 68% Lutheran. Yes, there are Pagan movements in all those countries, but theyre small minorities. If you really want to be a part of another culture, most though not all will accept you. But you have to do it their way: live on the land, learn the language, join in the work of supporting the people. Declaring that you already are a part of the culture because your great grandmother who you never met came from there is offensive to those who live in those lands. Besides, it isnt true. And pretending to be something you arent isnt very satisfying. We cant follow the roadmap of the large religions If youre a Christian, there are opportunities for you to plug in at whatever level seems right to you, pretty much anywhere in this country. If youre a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, or a Buddhist there are fewer opportunities particularly outside large cities but theyre still available. If youre a Pagan or a polytheist, theres not much. In the past, this is where I would make a plea to start building institutions and infrastructure. Im done with that. As a movement, we arent willing to invest our time and money building for the future. Far too many of us are more interested in doing our own thing than in working together, much less in compromising for the greater good. If your deep desire is to find a place where you belong but your top priority is that nobodys going to tell me what to do! you will always be disappointed. All healthy groups and traditions have boundaries and standards. We can build strong local groups: covens, groves, and the like. We can network using the internet, and when in-person gatherings become possible again, through conventions and conferences. But mainly, were going to have to build our modern Pagan religions on individual practice. Real roots have to be grown It is unfortunate though not at all surprising, in that grass is always greener way that so many of us try to form connections with lands where weve never been and ignore the land where we live. I grew up in Tennessee. I felt at home in the hills and trees. I go back there once a year or so to visit family and friends, and I still feel a connection to it. But like so many people throughout history, I moved for a better opportunity. I came to Texas in late 2001 it took me till 2014 to realize that I was going to stay here and I needed to make it my home. I needed to form a connection to the land. The history of humanity is the history of migration. Its the story of immigrants and refugees, of invaders and colonists. Its the story of people forced off the land, and people brought forcibly to the land. All these people had to form connections with the land where they moved. They had to go from simply living on the land to becoming part of the land. So do we. We need to grow roots where we are. Thats not something you can get by buying a t-shirt, or a flag, or anything else. It only comes by getting outside and getting outside your head and getting your hands dirty. It takes time. It takes work. But what it builds is real. Relationships have to be formed and maintained Religion and culture are about forming and maintaining a group identity, which in turn supports maintaining and strengthening the group and its members. And all relationships require work. As a polytheist, I have relationships with my Gods the deities who I worship, work with, and work for. I maintain those relationships with prayer, meditation, offerings, and with tangible work to manifest Their virtues and values in this world. I have relationships with my ancestors. I maintain them with offerings and meditation, and with doing my best to be someone who someday will be a worthy ancestor. And I have relationships with my co-religionists the people who see the world and relate to it as I do, more or less. Some of these are my local friends and family of choice, without whom I never would have made it through 2020. These are the people I count on, and I do my best to be sure they can count on me. There simply is no substitute for building relationships, in this world and between the worlds. We are building a new tradition I value the work of Pagan reconstructionists, especially the historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and others whose scholarship helps us better understand and appreciate the religions of our ancestors. So much of what should be our cultural heritage was lost or destroyed in the conversion to Christianity (see The Darkening Age by Catherine Nixey for details you may not know). I wish my Druidry had a 2500 year lineage instead of only 300 years. But it doesnt, and thats OK. We are not pre-Christian Norse or pre-Roman Celts or anything like that. We are 21st century Americans (or whatever you happen to be). We are inspired by our ancient ancestors and we can relate to them, but we arent them. We need to build a new tradition that while grounded in timeless principles speaks to our needs and our experiences here and now. Some of these traditions already exist. Modern Druidrys 300 years isnt since time immemorial but its something. Gardnerian Wicca is legitimately 70 years old. Covenant of the Goddess is 45. There are groups and traditions out there, even if theyre not as widespread and well-established as the Catholic church. And what of those of us who dont fit neatly into any of those? I still dont have a name for what I call ancestral, devotional, ecstatic, oracular, magical, public, Pagan polytheism. But its what Im called to do. And its what Im called to be. And so Im building it, one offering, one prayer, one ritual, one blog post at a time. This is where I belong. Maybe you belong here too if so, welcome. Its not as cool as calling yourself a Viking or anything like that. Its not as easy as taking a DNA test and declaring that youre this or that. But its a lot more real. HOLLAND, MI As someone who entered his career in education seeking to make meaningful changes to the K-12 public school system, the coronavirus pandemic presented the perfect opportunity for Brian Davis. The superintendent of Holland Public Schools saw the pandemic expose fundamental inequities in Michigans public school system, including gaps in resources like food, internet, childcare and mental health support among students. Davis took those challenge head-on this fall, embracing the pandemic as an opportunity for monumental impact in his district. He looked for ways the district could utilize technology differently for learning, engage better with students at home, and how to prioritize the schools budget to support those changes. I would dare say Ive seen more changes that have occurred in this last year, in 2020, than what we saw in the three or four years prior to that, Davis told MLive. Having accomplished the changes he hoped for, the pandemic will be the final chapter in Davis educational career. After serving 21 years in Holland Public Schools, the superintendent announced at a recent school board meeting he will retire after this school year, on June 30, 2021. Davis will leave Holland Public Schools as the third-longest-serving superintendent in the districts 164-year history. During his time with this district, he has filled the roles of principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent, and also has completed several educational degrees including his doctorate. Some of his most memorable accomplishments as superintendent have included the implementation of a Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Program, Holland Early College and Holland Virtual Tech, Davis said. He also helped the district double its offerings of Advanced Placement courses and implemented a 1:1 technology model, which has been imperative for virtual learning amid the pandemic. But his favorite memories have been those where he engaged directly with Holland students in their activities. The superintendent has taken voice lessons with the schools choir and performed with students at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and ran with the districts cross country team when he was training for a 5K. Any opportunity to try to engage with our kids or support our kids in the activities they were doing, I would do, he said. Students have been the foundation of Davis love of education, he said. Davis first started his educational career as a math teacher in 1992, a job he cherished because he was working one-on-one with students. But he soon decided to pursue a more administrative role and was hired by Holland Public Schools in 2000 as an elementary school principal. When I made the decision to leave the classroom about 25 years ago, it wasnt because I didnt enjoy teaching I loved teaching, Davis recalled. It was because I saw the opportunity to impact more kids than just in my classroom. I wanted to see what more I could learn and how I could impact a greater system. As principal of Lakeview Elementary School, Davis saw firsthand the many advantages of what he called a small neighborhood school he knew each of the roughly 280 students by first and last name, he was working closely with teachers to provide instructional feedback and had a great relationship with parents. But he also saw some of the downsides of those smaller schools, especially in a district with dwindling enrollment caused by decreasing birth rates in Holland and many families leaving for schools of choice. I saw firsthand the impact that small neighborhood schools had on communities, he said. Over time, districts across our state have found they become very inefficient in terms of overall operation, just based upon enrollment and the ways schools are funded today. It was because of those financial challenges that the district decided to close Lakeview in 2009. From there, Davis went on to become assistant superintendent for Holland Public Schools, taking another step in his quest to impact the K-12 system. In that role, he was in charge of curriculum instruction and assessment and the handling of state and federal program dollars. What I really, really enjoyed about that job was the capacity to look at things across the larger system, he said. I had the change to work with teachers across the district, to look at how all our students were performing and what kind of changes we needed to make. When he became superintendent in 2007, the most challenging part was being further removed from the classroom, Davis said. Thats why he made an intentional effort as superintendent to visit classrooms often, engaging with teachers and students firsthand which was one of his favorite parts of the job. When visiting classrooms, youre able to talk to teachers, hear whats going well, hear ideas that they have for improvement, he said. But the best part is being able to kneel down or pull up a chair next to a student and have them share what theyre learning and find out from them what their experiences are. Davis has also seen the district through its challenges, the most significant being declining enrollment. Hollands student count has fallen to 60% of what is was two decades ago, from roughly 5,400 in 2002 to 3,217 last year, according to MI School Data. Weve had to go through, unfortunately, multiple restructuring plans and weve had to close a number of buildings over time, he said. But I really feel as though we emerge stronger and better as a school district. School board president Philip Meyer agreed that despite the challenges the district has faced, Holland Public Schools has grown stronger and more committed to each child under Davis leadership. Meyer thanked the superintendent for his service in the boards Jan. 4 work session, where Davis announced his retirement. Speaking personally, one of the reasons I wanted to be on the school board is because I was aware of (Davis) leadership with the board over the past dozen years, and wanted the opportunity to work with you as we try to make this happen for kids, Meyer said during the Jan. 4 board meeting. Davis also served on multiple governing boards while with the district, including the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators (MASA), the Middle Cities Education Association and as a panelist for the Michigan School Finance Research Collaborative. He was named the MASA Region 3 and State Superintendent of the Year in 2011. The board will hire a search firm in the coming weeks to find a new superintendent, according to a news release from the district. The search process will be inclusive and will have opportunities for community engagement, the release said. More on MLive: More than 50,000 students left Michigan public schools this year. Where did they go? I dont know normal, Kalamazoo superintendent says amid unusual school year Video diaries: Teachers reflect on 2020s roller coaster ride KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, one of the largest and most respected mission-driven hospices in America's heartland, has joined the growing family of community-based hospices utilizing pharmacy benefit management (PBM) leader Delta Care Rx for its hospice pharmaceutical care, benefit management and various workflow innovation needs. Under the recently executed agreement, Delta Care Rx will provide a local prescription medication access program with home delivery, electronic prescribing, on-demand pharmacist consults, technology for remote patient care and on-site inpatient unit dispensing services to Kansas City Hospice, which cares for several hundred patients each day across the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. "With two hospice houses in our service area NorthCare Hospice House in North Kansas City, MO, and the Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, MO Delta Care's Inpatient Innovations places a remote Delta Care dispensing pharmacy right in our clinical area, providing on-demand access to the most commonly used prescription medications. This is necessary to ensure we can expertly manage our patients' pain and other symptoms," said David S. Wiley, President & CEO of Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care. "As innovators and pharmacists dedicated to serving only hospice and serious illness providers, Delta Care Rx welcomes the opportunity to partner with Kansas City Hospice to support its comprehensive mission across its Missouri and Kansas markets," stated Drew Mihalyo, Pharm D, President of Delta Care Rx. "Operating in a highly competitive market for hospice and palliative care, our admissions and patient care teams need a pharmacy provider that can provide expert assistance 24/7/365 and provide technological innovations that allow our nurses and other caregivers to spend more time providing hands-on patient care and less time on managing the patient's electronic medical record," Wiley added. "And in an age of greater focus on federal and state regulatory oversight, Delta Care's digital tools ensure our staff can handle compliance responsibilities efficiently." "For Delta Care, every new partner is an opportunity to learn how best to support quality, efficient care at the bedside," said Helen New, Delta Care's National Director of Client Strategy. "With a respected provider like Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, our always-on pharmacists are eager to contribute to their important mission to bring expert care, peace of mind, comfort, guidance, and hope to people who are affected by life-limiting illness or by grief." Wiley added, "Switching pharmacy providers was a major decision for our organization. We hosted a detailed request-for-proposal process and carefully reviewed a number of solutions. Our selection team unanimously chose Delta Care Rx because of Delta Care's ability to customize a pharmaceutical care program specific to our needs. We believe this decision will help us continue to provide the expert, compassionate care for which we are known." About Kansas City Hospice Celebrating 40 years of service this year, Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care is at the forefront of how individuals should be cared for at the end of life, and how grieving families should be supported. Every dollar donated stays right here in Kansas City to help local families. Its mission is to bring expert care, peace of mind, comfort, guidance, and hope to people who are affected by life-limiting illness or by grief. About Delta Care Rx Delta Care Rx ( www.deltacarerx.com ) transforms and improves the hospice pharmacy sector through business transparency, innovation, extreme customer service, and the maintenance of vital community-pharmacy relationships. As a pharmacist-owned, privately held provider, Delta Care sets the industry benchmark for pharmacy benefit management, mail order pharmacy options, on-demand pharmacist services and hospice-tailored electronic prescribing. In addition, Delta Care offers electronic tools, including cutting-edge telehealth technology, to improve the quality of patient care and simplify essential workflow and ordering processes within hospice settings. Mark Cohen Delta Care Rx 800.335.8219 Caryn Hohnholt, CFRE, BSW Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care 913-260-1241 SOURCE Delta Care Rx Related Links https://www.deltacarerx.com/ GBP/USD exchange rate dips sharply from 32-month highs, US politics in focus Pound Sterling volatility remained high on Monday with a sharp reversal as England and Scotland imposed a fresh lockdown while global risk appetite dipped sharply. The Pound to Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate slumped to 1.3550 from 32-month highs above 1.3700, and a recovery to 1.3600 on Tuesday faded while the Pound-Euro rate recovered only slightly to 1.1070 from 1.1050 lows. Volatility is likely to remain high in the short term on domestic and global factors. New lockdowns announced for England and Scotland Ahead of the European close on Monday, the Scottish first Minister Sturgeon announced that there would be a lockdown introduced for the mainland with schools closed until at least the end of January. After the close, UK Prime Minister Johnson confirmed that there would be a similar move for England. Given action taken earlier in Wales and Northern Ireland, the UK as a while if effectively in lockdown, although it is not quite as severe as in March 2020. The further restrictions reinforced fears over the near-term outlook. Sterling moved sharply lower in Europe on Monday with GBP/USD sliding to 1.3550. The UK currency was able to demonstrate some resilience on Tuesday, although GBP/USD hit selling interest above 1.3600 and faded to 1.3570. Socgen commented; "GBP/USD has reached the target of 1.37/1.3740 representing the trend line connecting peaks of September 2018 and December 2019. An initial pullback cant be ruled out however 1.3135 should cushion downside. Next objective could be at 1.4030." UOB commented on the short-term GBP/USD outlook; The risk is on the downside but for now, any weakness is viewed as part of a 1.3500/1.3620 range. In other words, a sustained decline below 1.3500 is unlikely. "For the beleaguered pound, the successful conclusion of the Brexit talks offered just a momentary breather. It was back into the dumps after PM Boorish Johnson ordered a third economically disastrous national lockdown for England, following a similar move in Scotland. He warned that the National Health Service risked becoming overwhelmed by a surge in cases of the new Covid-19 strain. The lockdown will last at least until mid-February. Image: Covid cases compared - BDSwiss "The UK is definitely in bad shape with regards to the virus" says Marshall Gittler, analyst at BDSwiss on Tuesday. "Other European countries (we can still call the UK European, cant we?) saw a spike around November but have since gotten their situations somewhat under control. In the UK however its still headed up, up, up. "Combined with the kick-in-the-pants from Brexit, the general lockdown is bound to make the Bank of England tilt dovish. The overnight index swap (OIS) market is now forecasting a base rate of -0.12% by the end of this year (i.e., fully discounting negative rates), vs -0.05% a week ago (i.e., a 50-50 chance of negative rates). Thats definitely negative for the pound. " US dollar confidence remains fragile The US currency recovered ground on Monday as risk appetite dipped, but the US currency was unable to sustain the advance, especially with expectations of a sustained and very loose policy by the Federal Reserve. The Chinese central bank fixed the Chinese yuan sharply higher on Tuesday. Ray Attrill, head of FX strategy at National Australia Bank noted; If the Chinese currency is going up, its providing a degree of support for Asian currencies in general, and I suspect thats why the U.S. dollar is partially reversing the gains that we saw from Wall Street time. Georgia Senate run-off in focus The Senate election run-offs in Georgia will have a significant impact on market risk sentiment and influence the pound rate. On Monday, measures of US volatility increased to the highest level since November. There will be an element of caution as tight outcomes would trigger further political ructions and demands for recounts. Two Democrat victories would give the party control of the Senate with expectations that a more expansionary fiscal policy would underpin risk appetite. MUFG commented; In the short term, the prospect of US fiscal stimulus is likely to be welcomed by risk assets as it would help to strengthen the global recovery. It should ensure that the US dollar continues to weaken for now even if US yields move higher. If the Republicans gain at least one seat, the party will retain Senate control which could undermine risk appetite. There will, however, be the risk of erratic trading, especially given the fluid positions in US politics and there will be the risk of a delayed result. HSBC commented; Given that Georgia did not declare its winner in the presidential election for many days after the polls closed and that the election result between Jon Ossoff and David Perdue was not known for many days either, a close vote count could be met with a delayed result. PORTLAND, Maine, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leavemark, the first ad-free data storage and social media hybrid app, today announced the addition of the platform's Legacy Capsule, an extension of their Time Capsule feature, designed to release only when a user has passed on. Users can include images, videos, documents, or voice recordings in Legacy Capsules within the Leavemark platform. These digital capsules are triggered for release, by a person each user selects to be their Legacy Admin. "One of the main reasons I created Leavemark is so users can share important information and knowledge with the next generation. Not only through passing on the memories we're collecting now, but by giving users the ability to leave messages in the future," said Jason Morgese, Founder and CEO of Leavemark. "As the father of two younger girls, my original idea for our Time Capsule feature was to leave delayed messages for my daughters at different milestones in their lives when they turn 16, 18, 21, etc. That way, no matter what happens to me, I can still pass on some valuable or inspirational lessons from my life during those times." The Legacy Capsule, which only releases upon death, was created specifically to give people the chance to say things that they may have wanted to say in life, but just didn't have the opportunity to. It's also a good way to leave information on important items that you would want people to have clear instructions on when you pass on. "No one wants to think about or promote something related to death, and I went back and forth about releasing this feature, but with the combination of what's currently happening in the world with COVID and hearing about some friends recently passing at a younger age from cancer, I felt it was truly needed and beneficial," added Morgese. "I hope this feature can help people in a very difficult situation, find a bit of peace, when the unthinkable happens." Leavemark is meant to encompass a person's entire life story. From birth, through death, and beyond. They want their users to save and share life's most important moments, to stay connected with those closest to them, and to pass on generational information so that their history isn't forgotten. Leavemark is available on both iOS and Android and has many additional unique features including family trees, time capsules, space capsules, newsfeed, messenger and content archiving system. To learn more about Leavemark, visit https://www.leavemark.com/ About Leavemark Leavemark is THE place to stay connected and share life's best with family and friends. Whether you want to share exciting moments, save important memories, or send messages into the future, we've got you covered. As an ad-free social media platform, we will never monetize your data or push you unsolicited content. How will you leave your mark? The app is available for download for iOS and Android devices. PR Contact: Megan Cuellar [email protected] (949) 777-2468 SOURCE Leavemark Related Links http://www.leavemark.com Close Related video: Georgia election official debunks one Trump conspiracy theory after another Democrats took control of the Senate after Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock defeated Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler by razor-thin margins. The victories were overshadowed by riots in Washington DC as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an effort to stop the count of the Electoral College votes declaring Joe Biden as president elect. The chaos spread to Georgia as governor Brian Kemp and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger were reportedly evacuated after a 'militia' gathered outside the state Capitol. Mr Ossoff, 33, becomes the youngest man to enter the Senate since president-elect Joe Biden did so himself in 1973 while Reverend Warnock becomes the states first black senator and only the second black senator elected to represent a former Confederate state. Their wins mean that both parties have 50 senators each, leaving the deciding vote in legislative matters with vice president-elect Kamala Harris and seeing Mitch McConnell deposed as majority leader. [January 05, 2021] NTT DATA Study Shows Lack of Timely Technology Investments Hindering Businesses from COVID Recovery NTT DATA Services today announced the results of a new study - "Could Have. Would Have. Should Have." - that found 48% of organizations report declining revenue and profitability since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show 69% of leaders across financial services and insurance, manufacturing, healthcare and the public sector indicated they would be more resilient if they had invested more in digital technologies prior to the crisis. As a result, the crisis accelerated digital transformation plans for 79% of respondents. The study examines how technology established business Leaders and Laggards during the crisis, revealing early technology adoption created a considerable advantage. In fact, the Leaders, which made up 10% of the survey sample, were significantly more likely to report an increase in revenue (63% vs. 18%), as well as improved customer (61% vs. 21%) and employee satisfaction (59% vs. 14%), since the start of the crisis. As a result, Leaders are also more than twice as likely as Laggards, which include 49% of respondents, to be returning to business as usual as much as possible in the new economic environment. "While nobody was prepared for COVID-19, these findings underscore the importance of companies investing in digital technologies to foster the resilience and agility to respond to unexpected market forces," said Jeff Bergeron, SVP, Consulting, NTT (News - Alert) DATA Services. "Organizations that leveraged technology to gain a competitive advantage during the crisis are now better positioned to seek new opportunities for growth as the vaccine rolls out and can be ready to pivot to tomorrow rather than focusing on the past." With a much wider technology portfolio, 60% of Leaders indicate they are able to adapt products and services to customers' rapidly changing needs, compared to just 29% of Laggards. In addition, Leaders are more likely to have achieved cost savings during te pandemic and are now allocating those savings to core (52% vs. 23%) and new (44% vs. 19%) products or services. Leading-Edge Technology Adoption Varies by Industry The financial services and insurance sectors boast 29% of the Leaders - the largest proportion among the industries surveyed. Organizations in this sector demonstrate agility in their approach to digital transformation with 81% saying the crisis has accelerated their digital transformation plans. The manufacturing sector accounts for the second-highest number of Leaders (23%) with 72% reporting the crisis has accelerated their digital transformation plans. As one of the sectors most severely impacted by the pandemic, 55% say their revenues have decreased due to the pandemic. As a result, operational efficiencies have become key for manufacturers with 48% saying they've achieved cost efficiencies due to technology adoption. Healthcare respondents make up the second-highest number of Laggards (23%) with few showing the agility necessary to respond effectively to the unique challenges of this health crisis. However, 63% of healthcare respondents say the crisis has accelerated their digital transformation plans and 56% indicate they are planning to reinvent their organization digitally in response to the crisis. Out of the industries surveyed, the public sector had highest number of Laggards (30%). Organizations in the public sector have been more focused on maintaining day-to-day operations rather than transformational projects that would deliver greater value to citizens. However, 64% say a greater investment in digital technologies prior to the crisis would have made them more resilient; 68% note the crisis has accelerated their digital transformation plans; and 31% are actively identifying opportunities for growth through digital transformation. The success of the Leaders provides valuable insight into how critical technologies can mean the difference between success or failure during a crisis. Their focus on technology adoption enabled these organizations to adapt more quickly to the impact of COVID-19, drive operational efficiencies and return to "normal" more quickly than their competition. In addition, organizations focused on digital transformation are more likely to be reinvesting in their business, creating new business models and preparing for what's next. NTT DATA, in partnership with Longitude, a Financial Times (News - Alert) company, conducted a survey of 500 senior executives from the U.S. (80%) and Canada (20%). There were at least 100 respondents from each of the following sectors: financial services and insurance, manufacturing, healthcare and the public sector. The remaining respondents came from a range of sectors, including telecommunications, media and technology, as well as consumer products and retail. To learn more about the research, download the "Could Have. Would Have. Should Have." research on NTT DATA's website. About NTT DATA Services NTT DATA Services is a digital business and IT services leader, and a leading TPA (third-party administrator) in the Life & Annuities processing market. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, we are the largest division of trusted global innovator NTT DATA Corporation, a top 10 provider and part of the $109B NTT Group. With our consultative approach, we leverage deep industry expertise and leading-edge technologies powered by AI, automation and cloud to create practical and scalable solutions that contribute to society and help clients worldwide. Our global team delivers one of the industry's most robust and integrated portfolios. This includes consulting, applications, data intelligence and analytics, hybrid infrastructure, workplace, cybersecurity and business process services to help organizations accelerate and sustain value throughout their digital journeys. Visit www.nttdataservices.com to learn more or @NTTDATAServices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005253/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The acquisition includes well known wine brands such as Arbor Mist, Black Box, Clos du Bois, Estancia, Franciscan, Hogue, Manischewitz, Mark West, Ravenswood, Taylor, Vendange, and Wild Horse that will join the Gallo portfolio. With this acquisition, Gallo will expand its operational footprint with the addition of five wineries located in California, Washington, and New York, along with Constellation's Polyphenolics business. Gallo will also acquire the Nobilo New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc brand in a separate transaction with Constellation. "The closing of this transaction represents our company's long-term commitment to the wine industry," said Chief Executive Officer, Ernest J. Gallo. He added, "We are pleased to welcome the new employees joining the Gallo family." The acquisition was first announced by Gallo and Constellation on April 3, 2019. Pursuant to the FTC consent order, Gallo will also divest two of its legacy dessert brands, Fairbanks and Sheffield, to Precept Brands LLC. Terms of the transaction between Gallo and Precept were not disclosed. About E. & J. Gallo Winery Founded by brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo in 1933 in Modesto, California, E. & J. Gallo Winery is a family-owned winery with more than 7,000 global employees and is the acclaimed producer of award-winning wines and spirits featured in more than 110 countries around the globe. A pioneer in the art of grape growing, winemaking, sustainable practices, marketing and worldwide distribution, Gallo crafts and imports wines and spirits to suit a diverse range of tastes and occasions, from everyday offerings to boutique, luxury bottlings. The Gallo portfolio is comprised of more than 100 unique brands, including Barefoot Cellars, Dark Horse, and Gallo Family Vineyards, as well as premium box wines The Naked Grape and Vin Vault. Premium offerings include Apothic, Carnivor, Chateau Souverain, Columbia Winery, Ecco Domani, Edna Valley Vineyard, J Vineyards & Winery, Louis M. Martini, MacMurray Estate Vineyards, Mirassou, Orin Swift, Talbott Vineyards, and William Hill Estate, along with highly acclaimed imports, such as Alamos, Brancaia, La Marca, Las Rocas, Martin Codax, Whitehaven, and LUX Wines, importers of Allegrini, Argiano, Jermann, Pieropan and Renato Ratti. Gallo Spirits currently offers New Amsterdam Vodka and Gin, Familia Camarena Tequila, RumHaven, Lo-Fi Aperitifs, E&J Brandy, Argonaut Brandy, Germain-Robin Brandy, Diplomatico Rum, as well as imported Scotch whiskies from Whyte & Mackay, including The Dalmore, Jura and John Barr. Contact: Natalie Henderson E. & J. Gallo Winery (209) 341-6479 [email protected] SOURCE E. & J. Gallo Winery By Susan Haigh Sen. Carlo Leone, a veteran state lawmaker from Stamford, will resign from his position to take on a new job in Democratic Gov. Ned Lamonts administration. The 57-year-old Democratic legislator, who served more than three terms in the state House of Representatives before winning the 27th Senate District in a 2011 special election, will work at the Department of Transportation, he said in a written statement. Hearst Connecticut Media reported Leone will serve as a special adviser to DOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity of a lifetime to serve in both the House and Senate, and it has been a true honor to serve my constituents, city and state, he said in a statement. While its unclear what specific duties Leone will have, Lamont suggested he will play a role in coordinating the states efforts to obtain federal transportation funding. I have a feeling that transportation and infrastructure is going to be a big piece of what you see in Washington over the course of the next, say, four years. And I want to make sure that Connecticut is ready. I want to make sure that we have our strategy in place. We have our design and build plans ready to go, Lamont said. Leone was reelected to his Senate seat in November. His resignation will take effect by the close of business on Tuesday. Lamont then has 10 days to order a special election, which must be held on the 46th day after the writ is issued. Leone has served in recent years as co-chair of the General Assemblys Transportation Committee and vice-chair of the Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee. He has been supportive of tolls, including Lamonts most recent plan for truck-only tolls, as a way to help generate revenue to fix the states roads and bridges. But its questionable whether the issue of tolls will reemerge this year. In February, a frustrated Lamont called for a pause on a planned vote for truck-only tolls after repeated delays from lawmakers. An Air Force veteran, Leone earned an MBA from Sacred Heart University. He was employed at Xerox Corp. for 17 years. More recently, he has been the program manager at The WorkPlace, an organization that helps homeless veterans in Fairfield County. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. James Corden has returned to filming his US chat show in his garage due to surging Covid-19 case numbers in Los Angeles (Yui Mok/PA) James Corden has returned to filming his US chat show in his garage due to surging Covid-19 case numbers in Los Angeles. The Gavin & Stacey star was forced to improvise in March when the first wave of the pandemic struck. The Late Late Show returned to the studio in August. No, you're not experiencing dAjA vu. With Los Angeles back on lockdown, we're once again taping the #LateLateShow in @JKCorden's garage until it's safe to return to our studio. So mask up, stay safe, and we'll see you tonight at 12:37 on CBS ai pic.twitter.com/jK3YNt0ElY The Late Late Show with James Corden (@latelateshow) January 4, 2021 However, Corden is now back in his garage as the virus rages in Southern California. A message on the programmes official Twitter account said: No, youre not experiencing deja vu. With Los Angeles back on lockdown, were once again taping the #LateLateShow in @JKCordens garage until its safe to return to our studio. Los Angeles County is in the grip of a deadly wave of coronavirus and on Sunday the city said there had been 12,488 new daily cases. More than 10,000 people have died with the virus since the pandemic began, official figures show. Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles mayor, said a person is being infected every six seconds. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has urged the film and TV industry to pause production amid the latest surge. PA Media Egypt and Saudi Arabia have opened their borders to Qatari citizens, Kuwait has announced that both countries as well Bahrain, UAE agree to end more than three years of diplomatic feud. Saudi Arabia according to the Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah Monday agreed to open its airspace and land and sea borders to Qatar. Egypt too, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah said, has agreed in principle to open its airspace for flights to/from Qatar allowing citizens to travel there directly. The moves by both countries took place ahead of todays Tuesday Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, 41st summit in Saudi Arabia where Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is expected. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and UAE have severed their ties with Doha since June 2017 following accusation that the tiny Gulf country supports terrorism. The quartet also imposed a sea/air/land blockade and established a set of conditions to lift the ban. Qatar has vehemently denied the charges and slammed the boycotters to seek regime change. Kuwait and several countries have sought to reconcile the regional neighbors but the efforts have met resistances from the quartet which asked Qatar to fulfil certain demands. Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani according to the Qatari royal court will lead the countrys delegation to Saudi Arabia. He skipped previous summits except the one Kuwait hosted in Dec. 2017. The U.S welcomed Saudi Arabia and Egypts decisions arguing that the resolution of the three-year old dispute is in the interest of all [Gulf Cooperation Council] GCC members as well as the interest of the United States. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, reports say, helped negotiate the deal and was working the phones on it until the early hours of Monday morning. Weve had a breakthrough in the Gulf Cooperation Council rift, A senior Trump administration official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. With the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, Massachusetts education officials announced Tuesday morning that there will be modifications to Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System testing. The test will be shorter for students in grades 3-8, the competency determination for the class of 2021 will be modified and the commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will not name any new schools or districts as underperforming or chronically underperforming, according to a memo sent Tuesday by DESE to superintendents. The Department continues to believe the MCAS test is a crucial diagnostic tool to promote student success and educational equity and we remain committed to administering the assessment this spring, while recognizing the need for adjustments and flexibility, the memo reads. The MCAS tests will give Massachusetts educators and families critical insight into academic losses that need to be addressed this spring and summer, and data on which students and districts have been most impacted by the disruptions in schooling. Administering the MCAS will make it possible to reliably assess students progress in relation to curriculum standards. For students in grades 3-8, test-taking time will be reduced with a session sampling approach, according to the memo from Commissioner Jeffrey Riley. Each student will take only a portion of each MCAS assessment in each subject, which the department says will preserve the validity and reliability of the test at the school, district, and state levels and provide meaningful diagnostic data at the individual student level. For 12th graders, the make-up MCAS administration window, which was scheduled to open on Jan. 14, will be postponed. The commissioner plans to recommend to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that the competency determination requirement be modified in English language arts and mathematics for students in the class of 2021 who have not yet earned their CD. That would allow students to receive their CD by passing an approved course and demonstrating competency in that subject in lieu of a qualifying MCAS score, though seniors who still want to take the tests may take them later this school year, according to the memo. Riley also will not name or recommend to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education any new underperforming or chronically underperforming districts or schools in the upcoming school year, the memo says. The department has also given districts flexibility on scheduling the high school biology MCAS test and now can offer the biology MCAS to first-time 9th graders in June, instead of or in addition to offering it in February, according to the memo. Previously, DESE announced that the window for ACCESS testing for English language proficiency, which normally concludes in February, has been extended until May 20. The sudden shift to remote learning last spring, and the continuation of hybrid/remote learning this school year has likely led to significant learning loss for students around the country. The extent of the learning loss in the Commonwealth is not yet known, Riley wrote in the memo. The department plans to release additional information about resources to support schools in preventing learning loss in the coming weeks. Related Content: [January 05, 2021] Black-Owned Private Equity Firm, East Chop Capital, Raises $4 Million and Announces Closing of its Inaugural Fund When it comes to funding minority entrepreneurs, only 1 percent goes to Black founders. With only 2 percent of investment professionals being Black, one private equity firm seeks to change the face of the industry. Today, East Chop Capital, a Black-owned private equity firm, announces the successful closing of its inaugural $4 million fund. The fund was created to capitalize on the thriving $113 billion global vacation rental market. East Chop Capital was founded in 2018 by experienced entrepreneurs and real estate developers, Calvin L. Butts, Jr., and Carrington M. Carter. The firm seeks to expand access to capital and other resources for Black, women, and minority entrepreneurs, while also building generational wealth for its investors. "Our firm was created to help accredited investors build wealth and gain exposure to private investments that they may not have access to," says Butts, Jr. "East Chop Capital's first fund exposes our investors to the travel and hospitality industry via luxury vacation rental homes, by owning and operating homes in places like Martha's Vineyard, Hilton Head, Gatlinburg, Orlando, and several other markets that we will expand to in 2021." Serving as the marketing and management company for their $10 million portfolio, in which they generate seven-figure revenues, Getaway Society, the pair's luxury vacation rental brand delights thousands of guests each year as they travel with family, friends, and every combination in between. "As avid travelers, Getaway Society and our vacation rental home fund gave Calvin and I the opportunity to build a business based on something we both love, which is travel," said Carter, general partner, East Chop Capital, and co-founder, Getaway Society. "As experienced entrepreneurs, we know the value of investors. Nurturing these relationships and having their support is what enabled us to build a $10 million real estate portfolio in just five years. Raising $4 million and closing this fund is a huge accomplishment for us. This new capital infusion will allow us to double the value of our portfolio over the next six months. We will continue to do the work needed to close the wealth gap by leveraging private equity to grow minority-owned businesses and generate strong returns for our investors." The broader vision of East Chop Capital is to be a different type of private equity firm by disrupting the traditional model. In fact, East Chop Capital's commitment is to provide the best combined financial, educational, and social returns. They do this by executing on their fund's objectives, but also by hosting investor retreats, providing learning and professional development opportunities, and even helping investors analyze other deals that they may be considering. According to Carter, "There is a huge 'soft ROI' benefit for our investors, as the network that we created has fostered some phenomenal relationships. The network is also an amazing resource for all of us to make smarter investments together and individually. We are extremely humbled and proud of the support by our nearly 80 investors who helped us reach this $4 million milestone. We've only just begun to scratch the surface of what we can accomplish when we work together." The future is promising for East Chop Capital. Current investors are requesting a larger vacation rental home fund that covers more locations across the U.S. In 2021, the co-founders will launch a debt fund that will provide first-position real estate debt financing to minority real estate investors and developers who are typically underserved by traditional financing. There is also a larger fund being planned that will support the next generation of Black, women, and minority entrepreneurs across a variety of industries. To learn more about East Chop Capital, visit eastchopcapital.com. About East Chop Capital East Chop Capital was founded by Calvin L. Butts, Jr. and Carrington M. Carter in 2018, borne from the idea and necessity of working together-pooling the resources of many, to accomplish much more than individuals can on their own. Lack of access to capital is a top hurdle for businesses and entrepreneurs, especially minority-owned businesses. East Chop Capital is working to eliminate that disparity and is dedicated to providing resources to the businesses that need them, from seed to late-stage companies. For investors, their commitment is to provide the best combined financial, educational, and social returns. East Chop is a residential area in the town of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Calvin and Carrington fell in love with the island due to its natural beauty, rich history, sense of community, and being known as a place where one can enjoy the simpler things in life. The logo was inspired by the East Chop Lighthouse, which stands prominently on top of Telegraph Hill. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005363/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gustavo Rivas-Solis, Vice President of ENroute Communications, is now part of the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association 2021 board (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - January 5th, 2021 - Gustavo Rivas-Solis, Vice President of ENroute Communications, is now part of the LGBT Meeting Professionals Association (LGBT MPA) 2021 board. Announced by LGBTM MPA on Dec. 15, 2020, the new board took their seats on Jan. 1, 2021. The LGBT MPA (www.lgbtmpa.com) is the first and only organization solely committed to the professional advancement of LGBT meeting professionals. Statistically, there are an estimated 100,000 meeting professionals currently practicing in the United States. LGBT MPA predicts that, in the U.S., 8,000 to 12,000 of these professionals working in the field are members of the LGBT community. Globally, the current estimate is 18,000 to 23,000. Led by LGBT MPA Chair Derrick Johnson, II, CMP, DES, Director, Event Strategy and Chief Diversity Officer for Tally Management Group (TMG), the organizations nominating committee met virtually in September to determine the slate of the 2021 board officers and directors for the open positions. The final board was elected in November of 2020. Rivas-Solis will assist the board primarily with public relations initiatives, well as other communications-focused efforts. He also sits on the board of the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA). About ENroute Communications enroutecommunications.com ENroute is a public relations and tourism representation agency with its head office located in New York City and specialized in the Canadian, United States & Mexico markets. The award-winning agency has represented the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, the State of Yucatan Ministry of Tourism and the San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board, as well as Quito Tourism, Patagonia Camp and Costa Rica, among others. About the LGBT MPA www.lgbtmpa.com The LGBT MPA (www.lgbtmpa.com) is the first and only organization solely committed to the professional advancement of LGBT meeting professionals. The LGBT MPA Board of Directors have years of experience and are devoted to networking, educating and mentoring to develop successful business leaders who continue the work of promoting the essential elements of inclusivity and diversity throughout the profession. ### (Newser) Dominion Voting Systems has been dragged through the wringer by the Trump campaign, and now the company is fighting back. Its founder and CEO tells Axios it will "imminently" sue ex-Trump campaign attorney Sidney Powell for defamation, and that it is looking into suing othersincluding, possibly, President Trump himself. The POTUS and his team have lobbed numerous baseless accusations of fraud against the company, whose machines were used in Georgia and elsewhere, with Powell often claiming the machines "flipped" votes from Trump to Joe Biden. The company says its employees have received death threats as a result. A rep tells the Hill the suit against Powell could be filed as soon as this week. (Read more Sidney Powell stories.) Lawton, OK (73501) Today Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 23:12:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YEREVAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Armenian President Armen Sarkissian has tested positive for COVID-19, said the presidential office on Tuesday. According to the office, Sarkissian went to London on a New Year holiday with his family. He underwent a successful leg surgery there and then showed symptoms of the novel coronavirus on Sunday. Later, the result of his test for the coronavirus was positive. Sarkissian will temporarily work remotely, said the office. The number of COVID-19 cases in the country reached 160,544 on Tuesday, with 145,759 recoveries and 2,878 death in total, according to the Armenian Ministry of Health. Enditem Every morning around 7 a.m., as she prepares to film a live workout for her 237,000 Instagram followers from her New York City apartment, Megan Roup sips on warm water with a squeeze of lemon while her French press coffee brews. Its a ritual she has followed for years, the origin of which she cant quite remember. It just get things moving and grooving in the morning, said Ms. Roup, a fitness instructor in her 30s who founded the Sculpt Society workout beloved by many models. Along with a probiotic, its really helped my overall digestion. Ms. Roup is one of many influential figures who swear by the drink, which counts Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Gisele Bundchen as devotees. In interviews with models and on fitness feeds, the tip has become commonplace, almost a given at this point. Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, the founder of the Pilates-centric Melissa Wood Health Method, is another believer, posting about it almost daily on social media. The reasoning behind the ritual varies. Some share Ms. Roups belief that it aids digestion, lessening bloat and constipation; others point to its benefits for skin health, believing it wards off the formation of wrinkles and clears up acne. And, for the dehydrated among us, its simply a way to make drinking water more enticing. Mutual funds asset base rose by 7.6 per cent to 29.71 lakh crore in the quarter ended December, mainly on account of the rally in equity markets. The average asset under management (AAUM) of the industry, comprising 45 players, was at Rs 27.6 lakh crore in July-September quarter, according to data by Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi). The AAUM of December quarter is higher compared to the preceding quarter due to surge in equity markets. The surge in asset base comes on the back of excellent stock market performances over the last 3 months, with Nifty 50 rising by 3.15 per cent in October, 12.02 per cent in November and 14.9 per cent in December, Gopal Kavalireddi, Head of Research at FYERS said. The increase is quarterly asset base is majorly due to mark to market gains in equity-oriented mutual funds. Markets being at an all-time high has resulted in this, although there have been net outflows in this quarter, said Omkeshwar Singh, Head RankMF at Samco Securities. Of the 42 operational AMCs, the top four AMCs-- SBI MF, HDFC MF, ICICI Prudential MF, Aditya Birla Sunlife MF -- continue to dominate and account for 50 per cent of total assets of the mutual fund industry. These top four fund houses witnessed an increase in their respective average AUMs during the September quarter. With an asset base of Rs 4.56 lakh crore, SBI Mutual Fund continues to be the largest fund house in the country during the December quarter 2020. It had an average AUM of Rs 4.21 lakh crore in the preceding quarter. This indicates a growth of 8.3 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis. HDFC MF, which is at the second position, saw its asset base rising to Rs 3.89 lakh crore during the period under review from Rs 3.75 lakh crore in the September quarter. This is followed by ICICI Prudential MF at the third position with an average AUM of Rs 3.8 lakh crore in the three months ended December, compared to Rs 3.6 lakh crore in the previous quarter. Aditya Birla Sunlife MF, the fourth largest fund house, has seen its average AUM growing to Rs 2.55 lakh crore from Rs 2.39 lakh crore. The asset base of Kotak Mahindra MF soared Rs 13 per cent to Rs 2.16 lakh crore at the end of the December quarter, as against Rs 1.91 lakh crore in the three months ended September 30. Nippon India MFs average AUM rose to Rs 2.13 lakh crore in the December quarter from Rs 2 lakh crore in the preceding quarter. Among the other large AMCs by size, AAUM of Axis MF climbed 13.6 per cent to Rs 1.77 lakh crore, while that of DSP MF grew 8.8 per cent to Rs 89,487 crore. During the September quarter, the industrys AAUM went up by 12 per cent due to appreciation in the value of their existing holding in equity-oriented funds. For her distraught boyfriend it was a moment of agony, followed by utter disbelief and then joy. Lance OBrien was midway through a TV interview about the sudden death of his longtime girlfriend, former Charlies Angel and Bond Girl Tanya Roberts, when he broke off to take an urgent call. It was from the Los Angeles hospital where only a day earlier he said he had taken the actress in his arms for the last time. As I held her in her last moments, she opened her eyes, he had recounted earlier. Tanya had the most beautiful eyes. And then she slipped away, he added tearfully. Only she hadnt as that extraordinary telephone exchange revealed when it was broadcast on Monday by the CBS show Inside Edition, which had been interviewing Mr OBrien at the time via Zoom. Lance OBrien was midway through a TV interview about the sudden death of his longtime girlfriend, former Charlies Angel and Bond Girl Tanya Roberts, when he broke off to take an urgent call (pictured) Now youre telling me that shes alive? Mr OBrien is heard asking the caller, his voice rising in shock. Thank the Lord, thank God! The shows presenter then tries to find out what is happening. The hospitals telling me shes alive . . . theyre calling me from the ICU, Mr OBrien said, before breaking down. Im so happy, he sobs. His relief, however, was to prove sadly short-lived. For the 65-year-old actress did indeed pass away hours later on Monday night after developing unexplained liver and kidney problems. The bizarre final days of the star whose death, then life and then death again had her fans and the worlds media scrambling to keep up started on Christmas Eve when she returned to their Hollywood Hills home from walking their dogs complaining of feeling unwell. Tanya Roberts is pictured in the 1984 movie Sheena. She posed naked for Playboy in 1982 and established herself as the go-to star for camp fantasy films with Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle, an expensive female Tarzan flop in 1984 Mr O'Brien (pictured), Tanya's partner of 15 years, spoke to the media outside his home in LA yesterday. Roberts, 65, had been mistakenly reported dead on Sunday by her publicist but was still found to be alive in a bizarre chain of events In the early hours of Christmas Day, her boyfriend found her collapsed in their bathroom where she told him she had lost control of her limbs. She was rushed into intensive care and put on a ventilator after developing breathing problems, although she had tested negative for Covid-19. Mr OBrien said, at first, hospital officials had reassured him shed be home within days, only to phone on Sunday to say she was fading fast and not expected to live. Covid restrictions prevented him from visiting her but, now she was close to death, the couple were reunited at her bedside. He reportedly told Ms Roberts publicist she opened her eyes and tried to grab on to him, but her eyes closed and she faded and she seemed for [Lance] to slip away. She died in my arms, he added before phoning Ms Roberts family while the publicist, Mike Pingel, issued an official statement announcing the actresss passing and the tributes started rolling in. The American actress starred as Stacey Sutton in the James Bond film 'A View To A Kill' in 1984 Born Victoria Leigh Blum in 1955 and the daughter of a Manhattan fountain pen salesman, Roberts (pictured) said she was a wild and crazy teenager who ran around with street gangs and hitchhiked across the U.S .in her teens Fellow Bond girl Britt Ekland, who starred in the The Man With The Golden Gun in 1974, wrote on Twitter: RIP Tanya Roberts, once a Bond Girl always a Bond Girl! It seems, however, that when the devastated Lance OBrien left the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre on Sunday, he did so without checking with clinical staff that his lover had indeed passed away. In a hospital struggling to cope with an influx of coronavirus victims there were according to Mr OBrien few staff to be seen. It was a distressing and farcical turn of events by any measure and one that Roberts, who appeared alongside Roger Moore in A View To A Kill, his final turn as 007 in 1985, would no doubt have recoiled from. She once admitted to her agent that she feared that playing a Bond Girl was a curse that haunted every actresss career. Her turn as the husky-voiced, piercingly-blue-eyed blonde geologist Stacey Sutton certainly returned to haunt her as reports of her premature death did the rounds on social media. Sadly, as the mystery deepened, Mr OBrien confirmed yesterday that the hospital had rung him a second time, this time on Monday night, to say she had now died. The exact cause of her death remains unexplained and it has left thousands of fans lamenting her passing. Roberts was a popular Hollywood pin-up of the early 1980s, attracting a male fan club that went far beyond 007. She continued to interact cheerfully with her devoted admirers online during the virus lockdown, and insiders say she had had no health problems in the weeks leading up to her hospital admission. Born Victoria Leigh Blum in 1955 and the daughter of a Manhattan fountain pen salesman, Roberts said she was a wild and crazy teenager who ran around with street gangs and hitchhiked across the U.S .in her teens. She paid her way through drama school by modelling for Clairol and Ultra Brite toothpaste, meeting her future husband, screenwriter Barry Roberts, as they queued for the cinema. A few weeks later, she got down on one knee and proposed to him in a New York subway station. Their marriage hit a rough patch in the early 1980s when she was reportedly romantically linked with film producer Dodi Fayed later the Princess of Waless lover who was killed in the car crash 1997 which claimed Dianas life. But she and her husband were still together when he died in 2006 two years after shed given up acting to nurse him through a terminal illness. Roberts acting career took off after she beat 2,000 other aspiring stars to be chosen as the third Charlies Angel in 1980, alongside Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd. She earned a reputation as hard working but somewhat outspoken, shocking her co-stars with her liberal profanities. She posed naked for Playboy in 1982 and established herself as the go-to star for camp fantasy films with Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle, an expensive female Tarzan flop in 1984. Even so, she had qualms about becoming a Bond Girl the following year, fearing she would forever be typecast as a glamorous, dumb blonde. I said to my agent: No one ever works after they get a Bond movie and they said to me, Are you kidding? Glenn Close would do it if she could, she recalled. Roger Moore had his own qualms about making A View To A Kill at 58, he was 28 years older than Roberts and felt only about 400 years too old for the part. Discovering that he was older than his co-stars mother didnt help. Just as Roberts used to hold up filming on Charlies Angels by insisting on redoing her make-up, she showed some prima donna tendencies during the Bond movie, insisting a boiler suit she had to wear for one scene be custom-made for her. Moore got his revenge, ad-libbing: Pity you couldnt find one that fits. Roberts glared back at him in genuine annoyance and the shot stayed in the film. Later, though, she came to view Bond as a blessing. At the time, I didnt know what I know now and, to be honest, who would turn that role down, really? Nobody would. And despite the strange circumstances of her passing, it is as that iconic and fabulously feisty Bond girl that she will be best remembered. Nebraska Gov. Says Illegal Immigrants at Meatpacking Plants Wont Be Getting COVID-19 Vaccine Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said at a news conference Monday that illegal immigrants at meatpacking plants wont be getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Rickettss remark came in response to a question if illegal immigrants employed at such facilities would be part of groups of workers getting inoculated under Nebraskas vaccination program. Illegal immigrants are not permitted to work in those facilities, so I dont think that will be a problem, he said. In light of reports that illegal immigrants account for a proportion of meatpacking industry labor, The Epoch Times reached out to Rickettss office, asking whether officials plan to take any specific steps to prevent illegal immigrant workers from getting vaccines when they are made available to meatpacking plant populations. No reply was received by the time of publication. Nebraskas meatpacking industry is the biggest in America, employing tens of thousands of people, with immigrant labor a key constituent. According to some reports, illegal immigrants account for a significant proportion of workers in such plants. Most are brown-skinned. Many dont speak English. Some are undocumented, reads a June 2020 piece in the Omaha World-Herald, which delves into the dynamics of immigrant labor in Nebraskas meatpacking industry. It has been immigrants all the time who have been essential workers, said Sergio Sosa, executive director of the Heartland Workers Center in South Omaha, in remarks to the news outlet. These essential workers became invisible. Because of COVID-19, theyve become visible again. The outbreak of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the pathogen that causes the disease COVID-19, cast a spotlight on the nations meat processing industry. After nearly two dozen meat plants closed in April after workers contracted COVID-19, plant owners and farmers warned of possible meat shortages on store shelves. This led to President Donald Trump designating meatpacking plants as part of critical infrastructure and essentially ordering them stay open to protect the nations food supply amid the pandemic. Workers in the meatpacking industry typically work in close proximity to one another and congregate in common areas, posing an increased risk of virus transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in a July report that meat and poultry processing facilities face distinctive challenges in the control of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and that outbreaks in meatpacking plants can rapidly affect large numbers of people. The CDC recommended targeted interventionsincluding worker temperature or symptom screening, added hand hygiene stations, and physical barriers between workersto help curb the spread of the virus among workers in meat processing plants. According to the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, more than 44,500 COVID-19 cases and 232 deaths have been linked to meat processing plants across the United States, with over 5,200 of those cases and 22 deaths associated with 23 plants in Nebraska. Immigration groups, and others, have expressed support for the COVID-19 vaccine to be made available to illegal immigrants on the premise that excluding them would put all Americans at higher risk of infection. Angie Ling, Department of Health and Human Services incident commander, said that 86,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been delivered to Nebraska, while local news outlet KETV cited Ling as saying 36,000 people in the state have already received a shot. Adorable footage shows a male panda rolling around in fresh snow at Edinburgh zoo. Neil Gordon, from Edinburgh, took the sweet video during a visit last week and posted it on his social media. The footage shows Yang Guang - one of two giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo - enjoying the wintery conditions and rolling around on his back down a slope. There are two giant pandas at the now-closed Edinburgh Zoo - Yang Guang and Tian Tian. Yang Guang means Sunshine in Mandarin while Tian Tian means Sweetie. The two are the only giant pandas in the UK and are in the UK on a 10-year loan from China. Adorable footage shows a male panda rolling around in fresh snow at Edinburgh zoo last week The footage shows Yang Guang - one of two giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo - enjoying the wintery conditions and rolling around on his back down a slope However there have been warnings that the pair could be returned to China next year due to a funding crisis. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs both Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, faced enormous financial pressure when it was forced to close for three months during the summer. Costing about 1 million a year to lease the mating pair - female Tian Tian and male Yang Guang - chief executive of the Society David Field says the charity will have to 'seriously consider every potential saving' including their giant panda contract. Mr Field said: 'The closure of Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park for three months due to Covid-19 has had a huge financial impact on our charity because most of our income comes from our visitors. Neil Gordon, from Edinburgh, took the sweet video during a visit last week and posted it on his social media The two mating pandas currently living at Edinburgh Zoo may be sent back to China next year as the zoo faces financial pressure. Pictured: Tian Tian, the female panda in her enclosure 'Although our parks are open again, we lost around 2 million last year and it seems certain that restrictions, social distancing and limits on our visitor numbers will continue for some time, which will also reduce our income. 'We have done all we can to protect our charity by taking a government loan, furloughing staff where possible, making redundancies where necessary and launching a fundraising appeal. 'The support we have received from our members and animal lovers has helped to keep our doors open and we are incredibly grateful.' The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs both Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park. Pictured: Male panda Yang Guang The zoo was not eligible for the Government's zoo fund, which was aimed at smaller zoos. Neil who took the footage said: 'I took these photos and videos at Edinburgh Zoo of Yang Guang making the most of the snow on 2 January 2021. 'Unfortunately, the chief executive of RZSS stated a couple of days ago that due to the impact of covid-19 on income this year, the pandas may have to return to China next year due to the expense of keeping them.' The Sahel had just turned the page on a grim 2020 when the new year brought a chilling reminder of the regions vulnerability to ruthless, mobile jihadists. About 100 people were slaughtered on Saturday in two villages in western Niger, according to local sources the biggest single massacre of civilians in the Sahels eight-year-old Islamist insurgency. The same day, two soldiers in Frances Barkhane anti-jihadist mission were killed in Mali days after three of their colleagues were killed by a roadside bomb, bringing the total of French military deaths to 50. Hit-and-run raids and roadside bombs are the deadliest tactics of a jihadist campaign that began in northern Mali before spreading into Niger and Burkina Faso. Thousands have died and nearly three million have fled their homes, according to UN figures. The latest attacks come as France contemplates cutting in its 5,100-man force, balancing the ability of Sahel states to defend themselves with French public opinion. Defence Minister Florence Parly, confirming plans to withdraw an additional 600 troops deployed a year ago, told Le Parisien newspaper: Reinforcements, are by definition, only temporary. Defence sources in Paris have indicated that President Emmanuel Macron would like to bring home further troops before the next presidential election in 2022. Up until now the French have not really questioned Frances role in the Sahel. But one has to be very careful. Public opinion can change very quickly, a government source told AFP recently. Mali void Niger is caught in a pincer between jihadists crossing from Mali in its southwest and from Nigeria in its southeast. Scores of armed men on motorbikes carried out Saturdays attack in the western Tillaberi region, an area that has been a hotbed of insurgents. Interior Minister Alkache Alhada told AFP after a top-level security meeting on Monday that the country had decreed three days of national mourning. He promised to increase troop numbers near the Mali border to achieve greater saturation. We have to stop incursions. We have to create a kind of security cordon, but one of the difficulties is that theres a void on the Malian side, he said. Lacking decent equipment and training, Nigers armed forces have lost nearly 200 men to roadside bombs and camp raids in the last two years. The government plans to double military personnel to at least 50,000 over the next five years, raising questions about funding as defence already eats up 17 percent of the budget. Mohamed Bazoum, a former interior minister who at the weekend was declared the winner of the first round of presidential elections, told AFP last month that there had been a shift in tactics on the ground. The army dismantled static posts in the border area because they were so vulnerable to large-scale hit-and-run raids, and replaced them with patrols. We have drawn the lessons from our failures, Bazoum said. Ethnic friction Jihadist violence comes on top of heightened ethnic tension between rival communities in the Mali-Niger border area, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank. Yvan Guichaoua, a researcher at the University of Kent in England, said jihadists stir tensions by recruiting from nomadic communities while regarding sedentary farming groups as accomplices of the state. Interior minister Alhada said the government would hold forums with ethnic and religious leaders to prevent the risk of intra-ethnic conflict in the border area. I was there yesterday with the prime minister, Alhada said. Its hard we saw the graves, the victims relatives. We have to hold back (anger) to prevent flareups. Some people are calling for weapons. SOURCE: AFP A catering assistant working at Buckingham Palace who was charged for stealing medals and photos worth between 10K and 100K was jailed on Monday. A thief at Buckingham Palace North Yorkshire native, Adamo Canto, has begun serving his eight month-long sentence in jail for having stolen valuable items from Buckingham Palace over the course of his time working there since 2015. A total of 77 items were recovered when police searched his quarters at the palace's Royal Mews. Including signed photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and a photo album of US President Donald Trump's UK visit. The latter was said to be worth around 1500. Lowballing his own sales The 37-year-old made a mere 7741 after putting up 37 items for sale which also included a Companion of Bath medal belonging to the Master of the Household, which was sold online for 350, and a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order medal from the locker of former British Army officer Maj Gen Richard Sykes. The stolen items reportedly had an actual value worth between 10K and 100K confirmed by prosecutor Simon Maughan. Vice Admiral Master Tony Johnstone-Burt reports having first noticed that his medal was missing after not being able to wear it for the Queen's Trooping the Colour and was later told that it was seen on eBay for sale. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Canto gained further responsibilities and was granted access to offices and other areas he did not previously have permission to go to. Adamo Canto pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to three counts of theft between 11 November 2019 and 7 August 2020. Premier Legault Postpones Announcement of New Lockdown, Nightly Curfew Quebeckers who have been anxiously waiting for updates of a new lockdown to be released Tuesday have to wait until Wednesday, as Premier Francois Legault postponed his press briefing. The province announced on Monday that Legault will hold a rare 5 p.m. press conference on Tuesday. But a second announcement came a few hours later to postpone the public briefing to Wednesday. Legault will speak about the new restrictions, which take effect Saturday and will last for three to four weeks, according to La Presse, a French-language newspaper in Montreal. La Presse said the premiers announcement was suspended due to the complexity of implementing a total lockdown in schools, offices, businesses, and construction. Legault will meet with opposition leaders in the National Assembly, and also discuss the terms with Public Security on Tuesday. According to the sources from the La Presse, the public health directorate is also supportive of a curfew to be imposed nightly. The specific duration is still under debate, but could start from around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. until the following morning. The report said similar confinements implemented in other countries have encouraged Quebec to accelerate the process. On Jan. 4, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson implemented the latest nation-wide lockdown. On Jan. 2, France launched a more stringent curfew from 6 p.m. on top of the 8 p.m. curfew that had been in place since Dec. 15, 2020. On Jan. 5, Quebec has reported 2,508 new cases of COVID-19 and 62 more related deaths. Health officials said 1,317 are hospitalized with 194 people in intensive care, reported the Canadian Press. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Low near 50F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. New Delhi: Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again vowed support to the people of Kashmir in connection with the observance of Kashmiris' Right to self-determination Day on January 5. Imran Khan reiterated Pakistan's steadfast support for the Kashmiri people and reminded the international community, especially the United Nations Security Council, to honour its commitment in this regard. The half-truth that Pakistan's Prime Minister tried to convey to the world community has opened Pandora's box. It needs a revisit on the blunders committed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that resulted in India losing half of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan. The United Nations, on January 5, 1949, gave the people of Jammu and Kashmir a right to referendum or plebiscite due to the Government of India's blunder. In the year 1947, an attempt was made to resolve the merger of Jammu and Kashmir in India with the help of the United Nations, though it was a domestic matter. The attempt to resolve this issue through an international organization was a historic blunder, according to later studies. As we know, Pakistan had invaded Kashmir in October 1947 and annexed a large part of India, soon after independence. In response, the Indian Army advanced and won its territories from Pakistan, but the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared a ceasefire. The sudden decision gave Pakistan an opportunity to occupy a large part of Jammu and Kashmir. Jawaharlal Nehru made another 'historic blunder' of taking the Kashmir issue to the United Nations in 1948 when both the neighbouring nations were in the war. This was a turning point in favour of Pakistan, which could not be removed from the present days PoK. The consequence of that blunder is a constant pain for us, and Pakistan still utilises Kashmir against India. It is said that Nehru's failure to trust Sardar Patel on the Kashmir issue and his decision to get a referendum on Kashmir by relying excessively on Lord Mountbatten--the first Governor-General of independent India, proved to be a Himalayan blunder that the nation still suffers. Kashmir is, no doubt, the Crown of India, but it also causes the biggest headache, terrorism. Although Prime Minister of Pakistan again tried to give wrong information about Jammu and Kashmir to his people through a series of tweets. Imran Khan said, "Pakistan stands unequivocally with the Kashmiri people in their struggle for freedom from the tyranny of one of the most ruthless, inhumane & illegal Occupation in modern history." "Despite suffering 73 years of brutal Indian Occupation, generation after generation of the Kashmiri people remain steadfast in the demand for their inalienable right to self-determination as guaranteed to them under the UN Charter and by the UNSC." He further tweeted, "On 5th January 1949, the United Nations guaranteed the right to self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir through an impartial plebiscite. We observe this day as a reminder to the UN & its member states of their unfulfilled commitment to the Kashmiri people." He also sought support from the international community, and tweeted, "We call on the international community to take action against the well-documented human rights violations being committed with impunity by Indian Occupation forces against innocent Kashmiri men, women & children; & to ensure Kashmiris get their right to self-determination." On contrary to his half-truth, the well-documented facts relate a different story. In its resolution to resolve this dispute, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan had said that India was responsible for the security of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir including PoK and the areas occupied by China. According to the resolution, it was not necessary for India to hold a referendum in Kashmir until Pakistan applied the ceasefire in this area and did not evacuate from the PoK region. It further added that evacuated areas in North Kashmir should be handed back to Jammu and Kashmir and India would hold responsibility for the security of the region. So far, Pakistan has failed to comply with any of these conditions but still nourishes a dream that India should hold a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. The male suspects are around 20 years old and were wearing masks similar to those worn to protect against COVID-19, Robinson said. They fled the bank and left the area in a lime green Dodge Challenger. New Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines for district court sittings around Ireland have been announced by the Court Service which says a judge can suspend a sitting if it cannot be conducted safely. Judge Colin Daly, President of the District Court, has announced a series of measures concerning the business of the Court to be implemented between January 1 and January 31. He says these measures are a necessary response to the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Framework for Living with Covid-19 and the recent raising of restrictions to Level 5. "These measures are to ensure access to justice in a manner fully respecting public safety and considering Government public health advice. These measures will be constantly reviewed in line with public health guidelines and may be subject to change as the guidelines change or our experience suggests changes are required. "The Courts and the justice system have been identified as essential services by the Government in the Framework and we will continue to be open for essential business in the District Court, however, we must continue to conduct our business in accordance with public health guidelines. "We will be limited to the number of people that can safely be present in any of our court buildings and court rooms at any time and we have put in place measures to better regulate the numbers required to attend courts to ensure that court buildings do not become overcrowded There may be times when those not actually necessary to the conduct of the case before the court may be asked to leave and we ask for your cooperation in this regard. "District courts have adopted measures to stagger the court day according to business and the scheduling of hearings or applications. Details of the schedule adopted by each court will be available from the court offices or maybe set out on the Court Service Website. There may be some variations in the volume of work that can be safely carried out in different Districts as some court buildings will have a greater capacity for waiting than others, therefore it will be important to be familiar with the schedule for the court that you are attending. "In all District Courts, only people who have been summoned to court or who have business listed before the courts should attend at court buildings for the foreseeable future. Exceptions will be made for advocates or support workers to attend with vulnerable witnesses. Those with business before the court are asked to come to court only at the time specified. Legal practitioners are asked to have their instructions taken in advance of the court event and to have any settlement talks in advance of court appearances," said the Judge. Criminal Matters & The Children Court If you have a solicitor and you are charged with an offence or summoned to appear before the District Court, contact your solicitor who will advise you when you need to attend court. Solicitors may advise their clients to attend court only for entering their election for summary trial, for service of a book of evidence, to attend a hearing or for sentencing. If you do not have a solicitor then you do need to attend court as directed. Applications for legal aid need not be accompanied by a signed statement of means for the duration of this level of restriction and this will be reviewed in February 2021. Hearings will continue but may be remanded if vital witnesses are not willing to attend court. Hearings involving state witnesses should proceed. Prisoners will appear in court by live TV link as per Practice Direction DC20. Civil Law All civil law matters will proceed as scheduled. If any party is not able to attend they must contact all other parties and the court office and matters may be adjourned accordingly. If parties compromise or agree matters they can provide the court office with the terms of compromise and the court will rule all matters that can properly be ruled.Civil regulatory matters will proceed as scheduled. Parties need not attend court if they are legally represented, solicitors may advise their clients to attend court only to attend a hearing or for penalty. If you are not legally represented then you must attend court. If parties are not able to attend they must contact the prosecutor and the court office and matters may be adjourned accordingly. Family Law Family law matters listed before the District Court your case will proceed at the time specified. Parties should attend court on their own unless they have a need for an advocate or support person. If both parties agree to adjourn or have reached an agreement then they may email the terms of agreement to the court office and a consent order will issue as set out in Practice Direction DC16 which can be found on the Court Service website. The District court will be open to hear all applications for protection from Domestic Violence. If you need to issue new applications then you can leave completed documents in the drop box at your local court office and your applications will issue through the post. Child Care Cases Child care cases will continue to be dealt with in the District Court as scheduled. If the parties have reached agreement then a consent order may issue in accordance with Practice Direction DC14 which can be found on the Court Service website. New applications, extension of existing orders and hearings will continue to be heard as scheduled. Those attending court are requested to observe public health guidance regarding social distancing, hand hygiene, cough/sneeze etiquette and use of face coverings while in the court building and the courtroom. The Court Service has set guidance on how to access the courts safely and expect all court users will always observe this guidance. The Court Service says has put measures in place to help people safely navigate their way through court buildings and again asks people for cooperation. "In the event that courts cannot be conducted safely, Judges may have to suspend cases until a safe environment can be achieved. "We are encouraging all matters before the District Court to be concluded with as few court events as possible and we appreciate the cooperation of An Garda Siochana, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and legal practitioners and all court users in this endeavour. "Where possible we will be using live television links for remote courts to avoid people having to physically come to a court. In the District Court this will most likely be for call overs of family law or child care matters and for some (mainly interlocutory) hearings in child care matters. Prisoners will continue to appear by live television link wherever possible," said the Service. REMOTE ATTENDANCE BY PRISONERS In the interests of public health and the health of all those engaged with the administration of justice, pursuant to s.23 (3) and (14) of the Civil Law and Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 with effect from the 14th September 2020 and until the 31st of December 2021 (or the earlier revocation of the Practice Direction) all persons remanded in custody by a Judge of the District Court, and all persons who are remanded on bail and who are in custody on unrelated matters and all persons who are in custody and serving a sentence on unrelated matters shall have all relevant applications as specified in s.23 (3) of the said Act heard using a live video link between the court and the place where the relevant person is located. IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Year is already bringing about new milestones for Club Pilates, particularly entry into Europe. The nation's largest premium boutique Pilates franchise announced today it has signed a Master Franchise Agreement in Spain, which will bring a total of 50 studios to the country over the next decade. The massive deal is being driven by a group including Horacio Rosentgberg, a Club Pilates multi-unit franchisee in Florida, his Barcelona-based brother Fernando and a business partner, Gabriel Mops. They will serve as the chief operators with additional investors entering the company soon. Since making its first international debut in Canada in 2018, Club Pilates has quickly grown in popularity and shows no signs of slowing in its mission to bring the low-impact, mind-body benefits of Pilates to populations across the globe. Over the last couple of years, the brand has opened locations in Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea, with more studios in development in Germany, Singapore and the Dominican Republic. Club Pilates is backed by Xponential Fitness, a curator of leading boutique fitness brands including Pure Barre, CycleBar, StretchLab, Row House, YogaSix, AKT, and STRIDE. "We are excited for Club Pilates to further its European expansion in Spain," said John Kersh, Chief International Development Officer for Xponential Fitness. "With a seasoned Club Pilates owner like Horacio Rosentberg on board, along with Fernando and Gabriel, we are confident Spanish consumers will quickly adopt and enjoy the benefits of Pilates through our unique Club Pilates experience, and open the door for future growth of Xponential Fitness brands in the country." Despite the pandemic, Club Pilates opened 60 new studios in 2020 and now has over 615 locations in North America. Due to its impressive domestic and international growth, Club Pilates has been ranked #1 on Franchise Times' Fast & Serious in both 2019 and 2020, landed at #69 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2020 Franchise 500, marking its fourth year in a row on the list, as well as appearing in Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list three years running. "The challenges 2020 brought about have shown how strong our core and resilience at Club Pilates truly is," said Shaun Grove, President of Club Pilates. "This deal in Spain is only the beginning of great things to come for the brand in 2021 and another step forward in bringing the incredible benefits of Pilates to a global audience." Since acquiring the brand in 2015, Xponential Fitness CEO Anthony Geisler has helped Club Pilates carve a niche in the crowded boutique fitness industry by providing consumers a tailored, high-end workout at an affordable cost. Strategic international development is a key element to expanding the brand's community-focused and premium group and private practice, with state-of-the-art equipment including reformers and empowering atmosphere at an affordable price. About Club Pilates: Founded in 2007, Club Pilates is the largest Pilates brand by number of studios, designed with the vision of making Pilates more accessible, approachable and welcoming to everyone. Based in Irvine, CA, Club Pilates has appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list four years running, ranked #1 on Franchise Times' Fast & Serious two years in a row, as well as landed on Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 three years running. Club Pilates offers extensive training certification for its instructors as its 500-hour training program includes instruction on Pilates, barre, Triggerpoint, and TRX Suspension Trainers. To learn more about the Pilates franchise opportunity, visit https://www.clubpilates.com/franchise. Media contact: David Robertson, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 847-945-1300 SOURCE Club Pilates Related Links http://www.clubpilates.com WASHINGTON Texas Republicans have taken center stage in President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the election he lost and now they plan to stand in the way of certifying the results this week, even as top members of the party acknowledge Trumps defeat and encourage them to do the same. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is leading an effort to throw out the results in the Senate, while several Texans in the House have said they wont vote to accept the results. And Attorney General Ken Paxton is heading to D.C. for a Trump rally outside the White House on Wednesday, calling on all patriots to join him. Like Paxtons failed bid last month to have the U.S. Supreme Court toss out the results from four battleground states, this weeks political acts wont change the outcome. Trumps lawyers have failed to prove allegations of fraud in dozens of failed lawsuits and Congress will have more than enough votes to certify the results, the final step of the election process before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated later this month. POLITIFACT 2020 LIE OF THE YEAR: Downplaying, denying threat of COVID-19 ANNA MONEYMAKER, STR / NYT The effort is splintering the GOP with even some Texas Republicans warning of the damage it may cause to the publics faith in the process and is likely to do little more than stall the proceedings. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn had said he hoped no one would challenge the results, recently telling reporters, I cant imagine it will be successful. Theres good constitutional and other legal grounds to say: You had your day in court, 60 different lawsuits in state courts, you had a chance to appeal those to the Supreme Court, and as I read the law, once a state certifies its electoral vote its conclusive, Cornyn told POLITICO last week. Cruz, however, is calling for an emergency audit, saying too many voters already question the integrity of the election and pointing to polling showing as many as 39 percent of Americans believe it was rigged. Weve seen in the last two months unprecedented allegations of voter fraud. And thats produced a deep, deep distrust of our democratic process across the country, Cruz said in a recent interview on Fox News. I think we in Congress have an obligation to do something about that. But political experts say Cruz and company are likely weighing the political points theyre scoring and see little incentive to give up the fight. Cruz is using his call for an election audit to raise money, meanwhile, with Google ads for the Ted Cruz Objection Fund that read: Will you help protect our Election Security by rushing an urgent donation today? TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox President Trump received almost 6 million votes in Texas thats a huge electorate and these guys will be running again, in most cases in two years, said Renee Cross, senior director of the University of Houstons Hobby School of Public Affairs. Trump remains massively popular among Republican voters, and his Texas defenders will be looking to woo them again soon enough. Cruz is expected to make another presidential run, while Paxton, who has been indicted for securities fraud and is also under investigation by the FBI, may be preparing for potential primary challenges, experts said. Other members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert of Tyler who led a failed lawsuit seeking to give Vice President Mike Pence the power to toss out the election results represent heavily Republican districts and likely see themselves as doing the will of their constituents. Anything you can do to tie yourself to President Trump is only going to help you in the Republican primary, said Mark P. Jones, a political scientist at Rice University. Paxtons on the defensive, worried about getting challenged. Cruz is more thinking proactively. And in Texas, the anti-elitist, nativist, reactionary populism, that Trump espouses has been dominant among Republicans for years, said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. Its the same approach that carried Cruz to his first Senate victory nearly a decade ago, even if Trump wielded it more successfully during the 2016 Republican presidential primary. The Republican Party in Texas has been dining out on this for more than a generation and Donald Trump decided to pull his chair up and elbow Ted Cruz out of the way in 2015, Henson said. Setting ethical considerations aside, from a sheer realpolitik perspective, of course hes finding a lot of support among Texas Republicans. TEXAS ELECTORS SOUND OFF: Electors call on peers in four swing states to erase Bidens win Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Cruz has defended his efforts as not aimed at overturning the election results, but an attempt to uphold an obligation to the voters to ensure that this election was lawful. Hes repeatedly pointed to unfounded claims of voter fraud, which the presidents attorneys failed repeatedly to prove in court. Still, Cruz and others are wearing on some of their GOP colleagues. Elected officials continuing to sow doubt amongst the public for petty political gain is playing into our enemies hands, tweeted Will Hurd, a former CIA operative and Republican congressman from San Antonio who many expect has broader political ambitions, as well. Fraud should be rooted out, but attempting to invalidate tens of millions of Americans votes by a select few elected officials in Washington, D.C., is not the path forward for our party and it does nothing to unite Americans around solving the real challenges we are facing. Meanwhile, on Sunday night, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, an Austin Republican, objected to seating dozens of House members from the six states where Trump has challenged election results, a move meant to highlight GOP hypocrisy on the matter. Those representatives were elected through the very same systems with the same ballot procedures, with the same signature validations, with the same broadly applied decisions of executive and judicial branch officials, Roy said. Roy, a former chief of staff to Cruz, offered an argument against the political path his former boss is taking. From a purely partisan perspective, Republican presidential candidates have won the national popular vote only once in the last 32 years. They have therefore depended on the electoral college for nearly all presidential victories in the last generation, he said in a statement about the attempts to overturn the election results. If we perpetuate the notion that Congress may disregard certified electoral votes based solely on its own assessment that one or more states mishandled the presidential election we will be delegitimizing the very system that led Donald Trump to victory in 2016, and that could provide the only path to victory in 2024. Cruz and the 11 senators backing his effort have drawn plenty of pushback from GOP colleagues in the Senate, as well. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had urged Republicans against making such a move. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said Cruzs call for an audit is more of a political dodge than an effective remedy. And four others U.S. Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska signed a statement saying further attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 Presidential election are contrary to the clearly expressed will of the American people. The 2020 election is over, they said. In two weeks, we will begin working with our colleagues and the new Administration on bipartisan, common sense solutions to the enormous challenges facing our country. It is time to move forward. ben.wermund@chron.com New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Punjab government to bring on record the charge sheet filed in the fresh FIR against former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the three-decade old murder case of junior engineer Balwant Singh Multani. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah said: "Gopal Subramanium, senior counsel, for the state seeks time to place the charge sheet and additional documents on the record. Let him do within two weeks." The bench also asked the trial court to postpone the hearing of the case slated on January 22, as it is already seized of the matter. The observation was made during hearing on Saini's plea seeking quashing of FIR, which was registered in May last year. Subramanian, representing the Punjab government, submitted before the top court that a charge sheet has been filed and summons have been issued to Saini for appearance before the court on January 22. The bench said: "It has been informed by learned counsel for the State that matter is fixed by the Magistrate on 22.01.2021 for the appearance of the petitioner. In view of the fact that we are hearing this matter, it shall be appropriate for the Magistrate to postpone the date by the end of February 2021." The top court had already granted anticipatory bail to Saini in this matter. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Saini, submitted the charge sheet cannot be filed in the matter, as the question over FIR's validity is yet to be decided by the apex court. Rohatgi argued before the top court to stay the chargesheet proceedings before the trial court. He urged the top court to grant liberty to record appearance through his lawyer on January 22. The top court in December last year had granted anticipatory bail to Saini in a fresh case in the murder of Multani. The Punjab and Haryana High Court in September, last year, had declined to entertain Saini's pleas seeking anticipatory bail and quashing of the fresh FIR. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - As the coronavirus pandemic continues - there is little doubt that this is taking a toll on the mental health of not only adults but also children. Local therapist, Katy Luallen, says some of the biggest impacts of isolation are depression, people feeling hopeless, and feeling a lack of motivation. She says this is especially alarming for children who are missing out on social interaction. "For kids - their lifeline is connection, so I really worry about the lack of connection for kids," she said. Butte County Behavioral Health officials say they saw the highest number of crisis calls in October - right when schools reopened. The number of calls increased by nearly 24% compared to last year. They say the majority were from teachers and parents who noticed warning signs within students. Luallen explained what some of the warning signs may look like. "I think isolation is a huge one, kids who are not talking about how hard it is or how they're hurting. Most kids are having a hard time so if they aren't talking about having a hard time that is something to be concerned about. When there is a sudden change and kids seem a lot better all of a sudden and they've been having a hard time., that's a huge red flag it means that may have decided to do something. We need to talk to our kids especially high school kids that if they have information about a friend who is struggling they are not betraying that friend they are likely saving that friend," she said. Butte County Behavioral Health officials say the number of calls continues to gradually increase and they want to stress that they are here to help. If you need to get in contact with them, you can reach them at 530-891-2810 and 1-800-334-6622. Penn Mutual demonstrates commitment to offering the industry's most competitive and comprehensive product line-up. Tweet this In other product news, the company's convertible term and non-convertible term life insurance products, helping people seeking a competitive, temporary protection solution, are now available in the State of New York. The company's guaranteed convertible term product offers one of the most powerful guaranteed conversion options in the industry. 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You can reinstate the no-lapse guarantee by repaying outstanding loans. Ask your adviser for additional information about accessing cash value, including circumstances under which the values you access could be taxable. You should always consult your tax professional prior to accessing policy cash value. SOURCE The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co Related Links https://www.pennmutual.com CHICAGO - With prosecutors in Kenosha, Wis., expected to decide as early as this week whether to charge the White police officer who shot Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, seven times in the back in August, the city is once again bracing for the national spotlight. Businesses are being boarded up, roads are being closed and security fencing is being erected around public buildings. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, D, said Monday he was sending the National Guard to Kenosha at the city's request to assist local law enforcement. On Aug. 23, police shot Blake, who witnesses said had been trying to break up an argument between two women, as he walked back toward his SUV, an officer trailing behind. Three of Blake's sons watched from the vehicle as officer Rusten Sheskey fired toward Blake's back at close range. The incident was recorded on video and widely shared, setting off a fresh wave of protests in what had already been a summer of unrest and strife after the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. For many, the decision regarding Sheskey will be a referendum on whether social justice is possible in a city where police already have a strained relationship with those they are sworn to protect. "It is going to weigh on this city and this state for years to come," Justin Blake, the victim's uncle, said of the pending decision. On Monday night, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian asked for and was granted emergency powers by the city's Common Council that will allow the city to quickly respond should protests break out following District Attorney Michael Graveley's charging announcement. The authority is good for eight days starting with the announcement and the city is already preparing for public demonstrations by erecting protective fencing, scheduling road closures and detouring city buses. Officials also are planning designated sites for protesters. Graveley did not respond to emails seeking comment, but according to Antaramian's resolution to the council, Graveley notified the mayor on Dec. 29 that he would make the announcement before Jan. 16. Blake's family members said they are prepared for the same outcome as Breonna Taylor's family. Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was killed in the early hours of March 13, when several officers arrived at her Louisville apartment to serve a warrant on her ex-boyfriend as part of a drug investigation. No officers have been charged in Taylor's death, although the Louisville department did move last week to fire two officers involved in the raid. Blake's father, Jacob Blake Sr., told reporters on Monday that his family plans to take the case to the federal level should charges not be brought against Sheskey. "This has to be federally heard, not just for my son, but for everyone who suffered police brutality. Everyone. We can't sit around anymore. We can't wait," he said. Sheskey's attorney said the officer fired because he thought Blake was holding a knife and that he was attempting to kidnap a child. Blake's father said the argument was false. "There's no misunderstanding. [Sheskey] shot him seven times in this back. Unjustifiably. Nobody's life was threatened. The only one's life who was threatened that day was my son," he said. The family also said they were frustrated at having to wait so long for a decision on charges. Graveley has had the investigative results from the Wisconsin Department of Justice since early December. The files include 170 reports and multimedia evidence. "This was handled in a terrible manner," Justin Blake said. "Sheskey needs to be fired, indicted, have his day in court and convicted. Until we get that, the Blake family is not leaving Wisconsin." The family led a candlelight vigil through downtown Kenosha on Monday, ending in an assembly outside the courthouse. Family spokeswoman Tanya McLean said the family is calling for no violence "no matter what the decision is." "We want people to make a lot of noise, but we don't want anyone harmed and we don't want anyone's property destroyed," she said. Justin Blake said his nephew is living in an undisclosed location outside Chicago where he is going through physical therapy. He is paralyzed from the waist down. "He can motor his arms and stimulate his muscles to hopefully get his lower region to work again," Blake said. Justin Blake said President-elect Joe Biden had spoken with family members "at least three or four times" since the shooting and that the family was encouraged that Biden said he plans to make civil rights a priority of his administration. Publicly, Biden has said he will revive the Department of Justice's Office of Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, which will examine police misconduct cases. "A lot of promises were made, and our great new president intends to keep them," Blake said. Protests roiled the city for days after the Blake shooting. Rioters also looted stores and set fire to vehicles and several buildings in an area stretching from downtown to Uptown, a neighborhood whose central business district of modest two-story brick buildings was largely gutted by fire. Plywood went up immediately and stayed for months throughout the city. The most tragic incidents to occur during the protests were the Aug. 25 killings of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, two demonstrators who police say were fatally shot by Kyle Rittenhouse, an Illinois teenager who was among dozens of civilians who took up arms that week in what they said was an effort to protect local businesses. Rittenhouse, who has since emerged as a folk hero for the far right, will be arraigned in Kenosha County District Court on Tuesday. Rittenhouse, who was released on a $2 million bond in late November, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree reckless homicide in the killings. He is also charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the wounding of a third man, Gaige Grosskreutz. Additional charges include possession of a dangerous weapon while younger than 18, failure to comply with an emergency order, and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment. Rittenhouse, who turned 18 on Sunday, is living in an undisclosed location with his family. Many Kenosha residents, like Dirk Ingram, say that the city is still experiencing "post-traumatic stress" from the summer's events. Boards went up Monday on the windows of the downtown wellness clinic where he works as a massage therapist. "We have a sick feeling in the pit of our stomachs again," Ingram said. "I'm curious to see what the city of Kenosha has learned since the Blake shooting." Dave Prill, who owns a used-car dealership that was destroyed during the unrest, said he suffered nearly $500,000 in losses. Rioters burned or wrecked 54 cars and he is still fighting his insurance company for full reimbursement, he said. "I'm nervous," he said. "I'm definitely not going to have a large inventory next time." Many business owners blamed the lack of police presence, which they say allowed rioters to destroy property without consequences. "People were pretty violent. A lot of people in this crowed were armed and there was no police presence. You had the sense you had to [protect your business] yourself," Prill said. "I wasn't counting on any police coming." The Blakes and victims' families said police encouraged the presence of armed citizens like Rittenhouse. Last week, attorneys for the families of Huber and Grosskreutz filed paperwork notifying city and county officials that they planned to sue for at least $10 million each. The Huber claim, for example, alleges "multiple state law claims" against the city, county and other law enforcement agencies that include "negligence, negligent supervision and training, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, wrongful death [and] survival." Attorneys for the Grosskreutz family said in their claim that the "Kenosha Police and Kenosha Sheriff's Department were aware of, condoned, cooperated with and enabled the actions of" a local militia "and other armed vigilantes through explicit and implicit support." Federal lawsuits for both claims are expected to be filed in February. The Kenosha County Board of Supervisors will address the claims during a meeting Tuesday night. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A small portion of scientific papers are retracted for research that is in error or fraudulent. But those papers can continue to be cited by other scientists in their work, potentially passing along the misinformation from the retracted articles. Jodi Schneider, a professor of information sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who studies scholarly publications and how information gets used, is considering how scientific journals can better communicate about retracted articles. In a new study published in the journal Scientometrics, she found that a retracted clinical trial report continues to be cited 11 years after its retractionand that citations actually increased after it was retracted. Schneider's team reviewed citations of a 2005 paper in the field of respiratory medicine that found omega-3 fatty acids to be helpful in reducing inflammatory markers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The paper was retracted in 2008 for reporting on falsified clinical trial data. However, it continues to be cited to support the medical nutrition intervention. Schneider's analysis covered 148 direct citations of the paper from 2006-2019 and 2,542 second-generation citations. The retraction was not mentioned in 96% of the 112 direct post-retraction citations for which she was able to study the context of the citation. The example demonstrates problems with how the current digital library environment communicates the retraction status of scientific papers, Schneider wrote. The number of articles that are retracted "is really, really tiny. It's a regular occurrence that things get retracted, but people publish so much," Schneider said. Since 2012, there have been about four retractions per 10,000 publications, she wrote in her article. When a new paper is published, most journals don't check the bibliographies for citations of retracted research. "It's really rare for any journal to be scanning reference lists," Schneider said. Notices of retractions are often hard to find. Some websites and databases, such as PubMed, make retraction notices easily visible, but many others do not, Schneider said. There may be multiple sites where a copy of a scientific paper can be found, and not all will indicate if it is retracted. In addition, many databases don't have complete information about a retraction. Retractions can occur for a number of reasons, including errors made in the research or misconduct such as reporting fraudulent data. About 10% of retraction notices don't mention the reason for retraction, Schneider said. "Part of the challenge is understanding the reasons why a particular article was retracted, which often are really vague," Schneider said. How an article is cited mattersfor example, whether authors seem aware of the retraction, whether they use the retracted paper as a foundation to build on with their own work or whether it is cited for a general concept or the history of research on a particular matter. Analyzing the context as well as the number of citations, Schneider found that more than 41% of the post-retraction citations of the respiratory medicine paper that did not mention the retraction also described the paper in detail. "We looked at whether they were discussing the methods and results of the retracted paper. The more in-depth they are discussing it, the more they are using it as part of an argument for their work," she said. Unlike with most retracted research articles, the respiratory medicine paper's citations increased substantially after the retraction, Schneider found. One likely factor influencing the number of citations the paper received is that it was the first purported random clinical trial on a research question with very little previous research, she said.The retraction process can take a long time and involve institutional or governmental investigations, she said. The longer it takes to retract an article that is in error or fraudulent, the more likely it is to be cited in the meantime."The current information environment facilitates the spread of research papers, but basic facts about these papers, such as their retraction status, do not spread as swiftly as the PDFs or citations to these papers themselves. Our case study suggests that unknowing and likely unintentional citation of retracted papers could be common, and that post-retraction citation may be correlated with visibility of retraction status," Schneider wrote. She has led several workshops for people across scholarly publishing to talk about how journals can better check for citation of retracted articles, and the workshop participants are drafting recommendations. Schneider said best practices for journals should include ensuring every retraction notice is publicly available and establishing a convention for how to flag an article that is retracted. Among the suggestions is developing a standard set of metadata regarding retractions that would be attached to articles and use a taxonomy of statuses, such as retraction or expression of concern. Information sciences students at Illinois built a prototype tool called ReTracker that would automatically check for retractions among the articles that scholars compile in their online libraries, using data from PubMed, and add the retraction status directly into the library. Zotero, a popular reference-management software system used for managing bibliographic data and research materials, also has developed such a tool, Schneider said. Ensuring that retracted articles don't continue to be cited as reliable research is important not just for scientists but also for public confidence in scientific research, Schneider said. "A scientific paper that is right is like a brick to build walls of evidence we can rely on," she said. Explore further Study finds faulty research creates a significant drop in use of prior published work More information: Jodi Schneider et al, Continued post-retraction citation of a fraudulent clinical trial report, 11 years after it was retracted for falsifying data, Scientometrics (2020). Jodi Schneider et al, Continued post-retraction citation of a fraudulent clinical trial report, 11 years after it was retracted for falsifying data,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03631-1 Yesterday, Julian Assange, 49, won his legal battle at the Old Bailey against US authorities who wanted to put him on trial over spying charges MPs from across the political divide, lawyers and journalists welcomed decision But the WikiLeaks founder has a complex story and a far from noble character Whatever your views about the man, the United Kingdom is likely to be stuck with Julian Assange for the rest of his life. Or at least as long as the United States maintains its desire to prosecute him for espionage. Which might amount to the same length of time. ADVERTISEMENT Having defied the British justice system by jumping bail to avoid sex charges, the WikiLeaks founder now owes it his protection from Washingtons retribution for placing hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in the public domain. MPs from across the political divide, lawyers and journalists including myself have welcomed the decision by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser to block Americas extradition attempt. But many of us have done so while holding our noses. Assange helped expose some of the dirty secrets of Americas 21st Century foreign wars. In a democracy, investigative journalists and whistle blowers Assange was more a technical facilitator should be protected from politically motivated punishment. But his is a complex story and a far from noble character, for all the unquestioning hero worship he has received from some quarters. Ousted: Julian Assange is hauled from Ecuadors embassy in 2019 (pictured). Assange has won his legal battle against US officials who wanted to put him on trial for helping hack government computers and violating an espionage law by releasing confidential cables A reckless narcissist and sexual predator, the Australian-born Assange, 49, was disdainful of the collateral human cost of his un-redacted leaks. WikiLeaks collusion with hackers working for the Russian state to undermine Hillary Clintons 2016 Presidential Election campaign won by her Putin-friendly opponent Donald Trump saw his support wither among liberals who had cheered his initial exposes. It wasnt about the justice of the cause, they thought. It was about Julian Assange. Yesterday, Judge Baraitser ruled that while US prosecutors met the tests for Assange to be extradited for trial, she discharged him on the grounds that she found the US was incapable of preventing him from attempting suicide. ADVERTISEMENT She had heard evidence of him being a depressed and sometimes despairing man who had thought of killing himself. The example of another recent very high profile case that of the paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein who managed to kill himself while on remand in custody in New York in 2019 was not far from her mind. An astounding blunder by the American authorities. Still, there will be those who wonder at the true extent of Assanges extradition-preventing mental health problems. And it should be noted that the judge did not reach her decision on the grounds that Assange was a campaigning journalist. One issue is clear: Assange would be foolish in the extreme now to leave these shores of his own volition, save perhaps on an Aeroflot flight to Russia, where his fellow whistle blower Edward Snowden has been living as a guest of Mr Putin to similarly avoid American prosecution. Planes can be diverted, companies or individuals punished for complicity. The CIA has a recent history of extraordinary renditions of those America cannot reach through official channels. They would not dare move against him in London. Who could have foreseen this tortuous saga back in 2010, at the height of Assange-mania? Fiancee: A jubilant Stella Moris, Julian Assange's partner, speaks to the media outside the Old Bailey in London yesterday That spring WikiLeaks had released a devastating tranche of cables that had been given to the organisation by a disaffected US Army intelligence analyst called Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning. Some of the material showed what appeared to be war crimes. Others exposed what was happening in the back channels. It wasnt pretty. Manning was arrested and sentenced to 35 years in jail (she would be pardoned after serving seven years behind bars). Based in the UK, Assange remained at large; a rock star for the internet age. ADVERTISEMENT That summer he took himself to Sweden to meet his fans and explore the possibility of moving the WikiLeaks operation to Scandinavia. But while he was there two female WikiLeaks supporters went to the police and made allegations against Assange of sexual assault. Against their wishes, they said, he had deliberately not used a condom during what had started as consensual sexual encounters. Having returned to the UK, Assange denied any wrongdoing. He claimed the allegations were part of an American plot to see him extradited to Washington. The sexual encounters had been a honey trap, many in liberal Sweden agreed. One of the alleged victims hit back: The accusations were not set up by the Pentagon or anybody else. The responsibility for what happened to me and the other girl lies with a man with a twisted view of women, who has a problem accepting the word no. Click here to resize this module The Swedish prosecutor concurred. Interpol issued an arrest warrant for sex crimes. And the stage was set for the drama to take an extraordinary turn. In September 2011 Assange dumped WikiLeaks entire library of 250,000 secret US cables on to the internet. These communiques reportedly contained the identities of informants, sources and agents who had been assisting the US in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries. As they were un-redacted, the cables presented a de facto hit list of vulnerable targets to Al Qaeda and the Taliban. But Assange was unrepentant, apparently. He was reported to have told his media partners: Well, theyre informants so, if they get killed, theyve got it coming to them. They deserve it. In May 2012, the British Supreme Court ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden. He wasnt willing to get what was coming to him in Stockholm so he jumped bail. Friends and supporters, who knew nothing of his plans to abscond, lost a total of 93,000 they had put up for surety. He swapped the stately home which had been his bail address for asylum in the embassy of a sympathetic Ecuador, situated behind Harrods. There began a long, long stand-off. Longer than anyone could have anticipated. While the police mounted a surveillance operation that in the end cost more than 12million, Assange played host to a series of famous and glamorous visitors, such as Pamela Anderson and Lady Gaga. The Wikileaks founder helped expose some of the dirty secrets of Americas 21st Century foreign wars. In a democracy, investigative journalists and whistle blowers Assange was more a technical facilitator should be protected from politically motivated punishment. But his is a complex story. Pictured: Assange sketched at the Old Bailey yesterday But his existence inside the embassy was constrained and by all accounts squalid Assange was not particular about hygiene. Gradually his relations with his hosts soured and his access to the internet was restricted. The Ecuadorian leadership changed and by April 2019 theyd had enough of their troublesome guest. The police were allowed inside the embassy and Assange was arrested, charged with jumping bail and sentenced to a years imprisonment, which he spent in Bellmarsh high security prison. By then the Swedes had dropped their cases against him, having run out of time to proceed with them. But the Americans had shown their hand. Shortly after his arrest at the embassy, the US charged Assange with a single count of conspiring to hack into a Pentagon computer. He would face a possible five-year jail term. A further 17 offences against the Espionage Act were then added. Assanges friends claimed he faced up to 175 years in prison. The US authorities suggested no more than six. The extradition hearing began last September. Perhaps the most sensational revelation during the case was that Assange had fathered two sons, Gabriel and Max, by a junior member of his legal team while inside the embassy. The couple are now engaged to be married. Stella Moris is a 37-year-old lawyer of Spanish-Swedish nationality. She recently gave a couple of well-timed interviews to bemoan her fiances plight. If extradited, she claimed, Assange might kill himself and I will lose the man I love for ever. Even now I dont know whether my children will ever be held in their fathers arms again. That could happen as early as tomorrow when his formal bail application is heard. ADVERTISEMENT Barring a successful US appeal against the decision there might even be a Wiki-wedding. A new chapter in the always remarkable and often unsavoury life of Julian Assange has begun. MASON CITY, Iowa - You might remember the old slogan, "There's more for your life at Sears." Now the old Sears location in Mason City has found new life as Cerro Gordo County's mass vaccination clinic. The county had been considering the site for quite some time, according to CG Public Health Director Brian Hanft. He says they decided on one central location to use as a clinic for logistical reasons. When vaccinations become available on a larger scale, the 90,000 square foot facility should be able to handle it. The goal is to have it up and running by the end of the week. "We need to get the inside of it, set up and complete. We've got a plan as far as setting it up, so the goal this week is to get it all set up and early next week do some dry runs," said Hanft. Hanft also said the building's owner is providing the space rent free, although the county will pay for the cost of utilities. The lease agreement will run through April, although they have the option to extend it month-to-month if it is needed for longer. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/05/2021 -- According to the new market research report "Infrared Imaging Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Technology (Cooled and Uncooled), Wavelength (Near Infrared, Shortwave Infrared, Mid-wave Infrared, and Long-wave Infrared), Application, Vertical, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Infrared Imaging Market is expected to grow from USD 5.8 billion in 2020 to USD 8.3 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2020 to 2025. The infrared imaging market has been witnessing significant growth over the years, mainly due to the high adoption of infrared imaging solutions in nonindustrial and industrial verticals in emerging use cases. However, the COVID-19 outbreak is likely to result in a decline in the growth rate of the infrared imaging market, especially in 2020 and 2021. This is because organizations in most of the major demand-generating verticals are currently, or were, non-operational in various countries, thereby negatively impacting the demand for infrared imaging products. The COVID-19 pandemic has also disrupted the supply chain of the infrared imaging market, thus hindering the manufacturing, distribution, and installation of infrared imaging solutions. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=593 Uncooled segment to hold the largest share of the infrared imaging market, by technology, in 2020 Uncooled segment will lead the infrared imaging market, by technology, in terms of size, in 2020. Long-wave infrared cameras and near infrared cameras mostly employ uncooled detectors. These cameras are widely adopted in the security & surveillance application, which accounts for majority share of the infrared imaging market. This is one of the key factors that is expected to lead to the dominance of the uncooled segment in the infrared imaging market. The market for monitoring & inspection application to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period On the basis of application, the infrared imaging market has been broadly classified into three segments: security & surveillance, monitoring & inspection, and detection. Among these, the market for the monitoring & inspection application is expected to record the highest CAGR between 2020 and 2025. The rising demand for infrared imaging cameras for predictive maintenance is accelerating the growth of the infrared imaging market for the monitoring & inspection application. Browse in-depth TOC on "Infrared Imaging Market" 134 Tables 62 Figures 190 Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=593 North America to hold the largest share of infrared imaging market by 2020 North America is expected to hold the largest share of the infrared imaging market by 2020. The US leads the market in North America owing to its well-established economy that encourages government and private investments in new technologies. Europe is expected to account for the second-largest share of the infrared imaging market during the forecast period. The UK and Germany are significant demand-generating countries for infrared imaging solutions in this region. A few key players operating in the infrared imaging market are FLIR Systems (US), Fluke (US), Sensors Unlimited (US), Leonardo DRS (US), DALI Technology (China), Lynred (France), Axis Communications (Sweden), Xenics ((Belgium), Opgal Optronic Industries (Israel), and New Imaging Technologies (France). Related Reports: Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Scanning Type (Area Scan and Line Scan), Technology (Cooled and Uncooled), Application (Security and Surveillance, Monitoring and Inspection, and Detection), Vertical (Industrial and Non-industrial), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025. Infrared Detector Market by Type (MCT, InGaAs, Pyroelectric, Thermopile, Microbolometer, and Others), Technology (Cooled and Uncooled), Wavelength (NIR & SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR), Application, Vertical, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025. About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Senate finance committee chair Sen. Sonny Angara on Wednesday expressed hopes the bicameral conference meeting to finalize the 2021 national budget will go smoothly, as members of both chambers of the House were focused on pandemic responses, COVID-19 vaccines, and other health programs of the Duterte government. I dont think there will be many disagreements (during the bicam), said Angara. He also said the calamity spending would also be particularly important which is one of the prime considerations. Asked for the timeline of the budget, Angara replied, very tricky to put a timeline. But he said they have enough time. He brushed aside any reenacted budget for next year. Angara guaranteed to give the Commission on Elections (Comelec) additional powers or even funds to conduct elections that meets the challenges of COVID-19. This is because we fall in line in polling precincts in barangays and people are at a close distance from each other, he said. Meanwhile, Public Attorneys Office chief Persida Acosta on Wednesday appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to veto a Senate insertion removing the budget of the agencys forensic laboratory. At a media briefing, Acosta called the effort of Senators Franklin Drilon and Angara a brazen act of discourtesy and disrespect to the President. Duterte had ordered, through former Budget secretary Benjamin Diokno, the creation of a forensic laboratory at PAO to be primarily responsible for undertaking medico-legal and forensics-related functions and activities of the agency. Diokno, in the Jan. 14, 2019 two-page communications, directed the creation of positions for medico-legal officers, medical specialists, dentist, medical technologist, nurse, and laboratory aide and abolished 10 positions for associate attorneys which are no longer needed by the PAO to fund the creation of the medical personnel. Thats what you call disrespect. I did not create those positions. It was the President, Acosta told reporters. She accused the two senators of trying to protect the interest of Sanofi Pasteur Inc., the manufacturer of the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine, saying the giant pharmaceutical company is their legal client. Why insert a one-line sentence defunding the forensic laboratory? PAO forensic laboratory chief Dr. Erwin Erfe asked. Reacting to the reported Comelec insertions in the 2021 national budget, Angara said the instruction of Senate President Vicente Sotto III is clear nothing should affect the conduct of the 2022 election. He said they are ready to look into the needs of the Comelec to respond to the pandemic. Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said he does not agree on anything that is not transparent, especially if it concerns the national budget.While the bicam may have been reduced to a Committee of Two, he said this was not exactly the case. In fact, Lacson said he already instructed his staff to coordinate closely with the Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office on whatever movements of funds before the final version of the bill is presented to the bicam members for our signatures and approval. Also, he practically demanded that he be furnished with a copy of the details of the Senate version before the convening of the bicameral conference, since what they had until yesterday morning was only the summary of the Senate version. Having said all that, we already found some realignments that may seem questionable, based on our preliminary examination, Lacson said. For instance, while some of my recommended slash from the Department of Public Works and Highways budget was adopted, we also noticed at least P10 billion worth of infrastructure projects realigned within the same agency under the Senate version, he added. Lacson said that while they can identify the locations of the Senate-realigned projects, they may not be able to identify the senator-proponents. This is the reason why I have always called for transparency in all our individual amendments by posting the same on our official websites for the media and the public to see. As I already stated, these are very preliminary even as we continue our scrutiny of the budget measure. Thus, the importance of transparency cannot be emphasized enough, Lacson said. As this developed, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said he authored the proposed amendment in the Senate version of the General Appropriations Bill. He said operating a forensic laboratory division in PAO is a duplication of the functions of the primary law enforcement agencies which are authorized and recognized by law to conduct forensic examination: the PNP and the NBI. Note that the NBI, like the PAO, is an attached agency of the DOJ. Instead of duplicating the functions of the NBI and the PNP, PAO should use the funds to hire more lawyers to assist indigents with legal problems, added Drilon, a former justice secretary. The hands of the forensic laboratory staff are now tied and could no longer be able to conduct autopsies not only on the victims of the Dengvaxia vaccine but also on victims of other crimes, he said, adding they could no longer testify in courts for the criminal cases filed against ex-health secretary Janette Garin, former active government officials and Sanofi executives. Nothing in the appropriation provided in this act shall be used in the salaries and compensation of personnel and travel allowance, meetings, maintenance and other operating expenses of the PAO Forensic Laboratory Division, the senators one-line insertion read. Acosta cried foul over such insertion, citing it is illegal and an unconstitutional rider, a violation of the Civil Service Commission rules on permanent employees. If the 2021 national budget is approved, Acosta vowed to elevate the matter before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality and legality of the provision that would prevent the staff of the PAO forensic laboratory from receiving their salaries for next year. The results of the U.S. Senate elections in Georgia Tuesday will ripple through California especially if Democrats sweep the two races. If Democrat Jon Ossoff defeats Republican Sen. David Perdue and the Rev. Raphael Warnock beats GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Democrats will gain a 50-50 split in the Senate. That means Californias most prominent national figure, Kamala Harris, will become the tiebreaking vote in the Senate and gain far more visibility than most vice presidents and perhaps jump-start her own presidential hopes if 78-year-old President-elect Joe Biden does not seek a second term. Being visible is important, said Democratic strategist Rose Kapolczynski. If you look at Bidens race for president, a lot of his message was about his work in the Obama administration, far more than it was about his 40-year Senate career. Harris has the same opportunity. The impact on California will be different if Tuesdays results leave Republicans in charge of the Senate, giving Democrats few avenues for change other than Biden executive orders. That could spell the end of California Democrats hopes of seeing major reforms coming from Washington. Only a small part of the Biden agenda can be implemented with executive orders, Kapolczynski said. To make major changes for climate (policy), which is crucial to California, that requires money and that requires Congress. The same for infrastructure or another COVID relief package. Thats why these Georgia elections are very important for California, she said. A look at the stakes for Harris and California: Harris time: If she has to preside over a divided Senate to cast the deciding vote on key issues, Harris will get more face time than all her modern predecessors. But it could also have its downsides, said vice presidential historian Joel Goldstein. Constantly being on call to break ties means Harris would have to structure her schedule around the Senate calendar, said Goldstein, author of The White House Vice Presidency: The Path to Significance, Mondale to Biden. It isnt necessarily the best way to build her future, he said. She cant be on a trip to China or maybe even to the West Coast at a time when theres an important vote, Goldstein said. Xavier Becerras confirmation: Californias attorney general will face a rougher confirmation fight to be Bidens health and human services secretary under a GOP-led Senate, as Republicans have sought to brand him as a radical for his support of abortion rights and advocacy for the Affordable Care Act. A Democratic-led Senate would be easier on controversial nominees, Kapolcyznski said. But Democratic strategist Katie Merrill said that although every incoming administration has a sacrificial lamb among its Cabinet nominees, I dont think it will be Becerra even if the Georgia races leave Republicans in control. It will be hard for some Republican senators who are up for re-election in 2022, such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, to vote against one of Bidens Latino Cabinet nominees, Merrill said. And I dont think the radical label really fits Becerra, Merrill said, noting that he spent 20 years in the House as a mainstream Democrat before being appointed attorney general in 2016. Alex Padillas profile: If Democrats win the Senate, Gov. Gavin Newsoms pick to complete Harris term in the Senate could have a role in passing major legislation something thats far less likely as a member of the minority party. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was able to take advantage of Democratic control of Congress and the White House when she was elected to serve the final two years of a term in 1992. She led passage of an assault weapons ban and won election for a full six-year term in 1994. But if Padilla is a back bencher in the minority party, he will have to make his reputation as a resister, Merrill said. He will have to make his reputation as someone who is forcefully opposing the Republicans. That would complicate his plans to win a full term in 2022. If Democrats dont win (in Georgia), it will be easier to take on Padilla, Merrill said. Kevin McCarthy, future speaker? Democrats hold a 222-211 advantage in the House over Republicans, with two seats yet to be filled, the smallest majority either party has held in two decades. McCarthy, the Bakersfield Republican who leads the House GOP, stands to gain if Democrats slip up even a bit. Typically, the presidents party loses seats in its first midterm election. But, said Kapolcyznski, if Democrats can sweep the Georgia elections and pass legislation that gets the economy back on track and gets the vaccine distributed quickly and addresses climate change, then that gives Democrats a much better chance to hang onto the majority. But if Democrats are stymied, then voters in 2022 may say, OK, Democrats. What have you done? I might try somebody else, she said. That could be enough to flip the House to Republicans and put McCarthy in charge as speaker. Nancy Pelosi, policymaker: If Democrats win the Senate, Pelosi will shift as House speaker into focusing on governing, much as she did in 2009 when Barack Obama became president. That led to the passage of the Affordable Care Act and other Democratic priorities, said Matthew Green, author of Choosing the Leader: Leadership Elections in the U.S. House of Representatives. But if Republicans retain the Senate, Pelosi will have to negotiate with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to get anything done. To date, its a partnership that has yielded little other than gridlock. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli Consumer groups, large power generators and retailers are calling on state and federal governments to pull together on energy policy, warning their go-it-alone approach coupled with the Morrison government's lack of climate policy increases the risks of higher power prices and network failure. Their warnings follow a plea from Kerry Schott, chair of the Commonwealth's Energy Security Board, for "urgent" reforms to keep the energy grid resilient amid the disruption to existing systems and infrastructure from the rapid growth in renewable energy. Industry analysts, as well as customer and investor representatives are calling for governments to deliver a national approach to energy policy. Credit:Stock Photo Energy Users' Association of Australia chief executive Andrew Richards said state and federal governments all shouldered some of the blame for the current disjointed policy. Driven by a need to replace ageing coal fired power plants, NSW and Victoria announced separate targets to drive more renewable energy into the grid. Saudi Arabia's Petro Rabigh, a joint venture between state oil giant Aramco and Japan's Sumitomo Chemical, has appointed Engineer Othman Ali Al Ghamdi as the new chief executive effective January 1, 2021, replacing Nasser Al Mahasher, who resigned from his post recently. An industry veteran with over 30 years of diversified experience in refining and petrochemical business, Al Ghamdi had various assignments in wholly-owned refineries, domestic JVs, and Saudi Aramco International JVs at China and South Korea. Othman is currently the CEO at Saudi Aramco Mobile Refinery (Samref), a post he has been holding since July 2019. Prior to that, Al Ghamdi was the CEO of S-Oil Corporation at South Korea from September 2016 to June 2019, said the company in a statement. During his assignment there, Al Ghamdi was named the best CEO in South Korea for 2018 by the Korean Management Association. Also, he had served as representative director of Aramco Korea Office in 2015/16 for one year. Al Ghamdi has a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) as well as a Master degree in Business Administration at KFUPM, it stated. He had joined Saudi Aramco as an engineer in 1990 and started his career at Ras Tanura Refinery where he held various engineering positions. In 2004, he moved to International Operation for an overseas assignment at China where he assumed different leadership positions in Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Company. In 2009, Al Ghamdi returned to Saudi Aramco at Riyadh Refinery as Engineering Superintendent. In June 2012, Othman was appointed as Manager of Ras Tanura Refinery Operations, a post he held until June 2015, it added.-TradeArabia News Service IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bascom Group announced today that it has partnered with Capital Trust Group to acquire a Class A, 372,856-square-foot, cutting edge, absolute net-lease build-to-suit research and development, manufacturing and testing facility and an adjacent 118,620-square-foot corporate office in the Milwaukee-area community of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin for $100.0 million. Leonardo DRS JLL worked on behalf of Bascom Group to arrange the joint venture partnership with The Capital Trust Group. Additionally, working on behalf of the new partnership, JLL placed a 10-year, 65-percent, LTV, CMBS, fixed-rate $63.7 million loan with Citigroup. This transaction marks Capital Trust Group's first acquisition in the United States for over two decades. The mission-critical facility was delivered in July 2020 as a build-to-suit for Leonardo DRS' naval division, which already occupied the adjacent three-story office building beginning in 2019. The facility is used to design, test, and produce naval and marine products for the U.S. Navy. The asset provides exceptional income stability. The tenant has been based in Milwaukee since 1899 and has entered a 20-year absolute net lease with annual rent escalations. The parent entity is one of the largest companies in Italy and a worldwide leader in aerospace, defense and security. It has more than 80 percent of its revenues coming from military or government contracts and over 49,000 employees across five divisions with products and solutions used in over 150 countries. Leonardo DRS is the largest among all 11 Leonardo subsidiaries. Since 1969, it has been the mission-critical supplier to the U.S. Government's Department of Defense (DOD). "We are delighted to be re-entering the U.S. real estate market after a prolonged period of focusing on Europe and the U.K.," said Raney Aburdene, head of Investor Relations and Business Development with Capital Trust. "The asset we have secured provides attractive risk adjusted returns for our investors in a challenging market. This was enhanced by JLL being able to source very competitive debt terms, and we are very satisfied with the work of Christopher Knight and Claudio Sgobba throughout this process. We are also very excited about the opportunity to work with an established name in the U.S. market such as Bascom, who have an exceptional track record, and are looking forward to growing our portfolio through our partnership." "We are excited about our new partnership with Capital Trust to acquire credit-tenant, triple-net-leased properties in the United States," added Jerry Fink, managing partner of Bascom. "Our local knowledge, acquisition, due diligence and operational experience coupled with Capital Trust's capital sourcing makes for an attractive partnership," David Kim, managing partner of Bascom said. Paul Diamond, Senior Principal-Operations, further added, "In addition, given all three of the principals of Bascom met in the real estate program at the University of Wisconsin, the acquisition is very meaningful for us given the proximity to the campus." Bascom has a long history of value add and development industrial projects beginning with the Magellan Group in 1996. Magellan and Bascom established the Southern California Industrial Fund ("SCIF") to acquire and reposition value added industrial properties, and target development of new properties in identified sub-markets in Southern California. Since the inception of its first fund, SCIF has raised more than $400 million in financing and has purchased over 3.5 million square feet of property. Bascom has also partnered with Southern California based Real Estate Development Associates, LLC ("REDA") on several other logistics / warehouse development deals in Southern California. Together, the REDA / Bascom partnership has entitled over 6.5 million square feet of logistics / warehouse facilities in the past 48 months. In March of 2020, the partnership delivered a 1.1 million square foot building to Kimberly Clark Corp. and signed a lease for a BTS with Uline, Inc. totaling 1.245 million square feet which is currently under construction at the Ontario Ranch Logistics Center in Ontario, California. In March 2021 the partnership will break ground on the development of the Ontario Ranch Business Park, also in Ontario, California. The two-phase project will total over three million square feet in 12 buildings. Phase I, totaling 1.7 million square feet is anchored by a state-of-the-art 1.1 million square feet logistics facility and will be built on a speculative basis with completion in Q3, 2022. The partnership also has another 200 acres of land which is slated for development in 2022. In addition to REDA, Bascom has also partnered with Shubin Nadal Realty Investors. The value add and development focused venture has completed eight projects totaling over two million square feet and $1.3 billion in market value over their nine-year relationship. The JLL Capital Markets team that advised the joint venture equity partnership and arranged financing was led by Managing Director Claudio V. Sgobba in JLL's London office and Senior Director Christopher Knight in JLL's Chicago office. "This long-term, single-tenant net lease is exactly what Middle East based investors are seeking: A United States-based, safe, yield-generating income stream held for diversification and capital appreciation purposes," Sgobba said. "It is our pleasure to serve our long-standing London-based client, Capital Trust. We are extremely excited about Capital Trust's U.S. commercial real estate ambitions and their strategic programmatic joint venture with the Bascom Group." "The long-term stability of credit-worthy, net-lease facilities is incredibly attractive to financing institutions, particularly in a market with perceived uncertainty in other asset types," Knight added. "Given that there was significant interest from both U.S. and Middle Eastern-based lenders that provided a range of highly accretive options to the venture." About Capital Trust Group Capital Trust Group, founded in 1985, is a private equity, real estate and corporate finance advisory firm operating in the U.K., Europe, United States, the Middle East and North Africa. The group has managed 10 funds to date and has offices in London, Beirut and Washington D.C. Its primary objective is to source investments that will produce superior risk-adjusted returns for the group and its clients. About Bascom The Bascom Group, LLC (bascomgroup.com) is a private equity firm specializing in value-added multifamily, commercial, and non-performing loans and real estate related investments and operating companies. Bascom sources value-added and distressed properties including many through foreclosure, bankruptcy, or short sales and repositions them by adding extensive capital improvements, improving revenue and reducing expenses by realizing operational efficiencies through implementation of institutional-quality property management. Bascom, founded by principals Jerry Fink, David Kim and Derek Chen, is one of the most active and seasoned buyers and operators of apartment communities in the U.S. Since 1996, Bascom has completed over $17.0 billion in multifamily and commercial value-added transactions including more than 330 multifamily properties containing over 85,000 units. Bascom's subsidiaries and joint ventures include the Southern California Industrial Fund, Rushmore Properties, Bascom Portfolio Advisors, Shubin Nadal Associates, Spirit Bascom Ventures, REDA Bascom Ventures, MHF RM Holdings, Bascom Northwest Ventures, Bascom Arizona Ventures, Harbor Associates, Village Venture Partners, Bascom Milestone Ventures and the Realm Group. Bascom's subsidiaries also include Premier Workspaces, the largest privately held coworking company in the U.S. Contact: Jerry Fink Tel: 714-293-0888 Email: [email protected] SOURCE The Bascom Group Related Links https://bascomgroup.com Proud Boys leader arrested over burning of church's Black Lives Matter banner Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The leader of the far-right group Proud Boys was arrested by police in Washington on Monday for participating in the burning of a churchs Black Lives Matter banner. According to a District of Columbia police spokesperson, 36-year-old Henry Enrique Tarrio was charged with one misdemeanor count of destruction of property in connection with the burning of the banner stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church during a Dec 12 rally. Spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck said that Tarrio, the Afro-Cuban international chairman of the Proud Boys who lives in Miami, was arrested shortly after he arrived in the city as a warrant was issued for his arrest, the Associated Press reports. Tarrios arrest comes ahead of protests in the nations capital this week organized by supporters of President Donald Trump. The presidents supporters are convening this week as Congress is expected to vote to affirm former Vice President Joe Bidens election victory. Tarrio is also facing a weapons charge as police found two high-capacity firearm magazines when he was detained, according to AP. He previously told The Washington Post that he was among those who participated in the banner burning last month. The former congressional candidate was still in custody Monday night. The newspaper notes that he could appear Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court and that the U.S. attorneys office could alter the charges brought against him by D.C. police. As previously reported, a similar pro-Trump protest held last month in Washington, D.C., saw protesters burning Black Lives Matter banners and signs at historically black churches. Police investigated the incidents at Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church as potential hate crimes. Two other churches were also said to have been vandalized on Dec. 12. Asbury Senior Pastor Rev. Ianther M. Mills compared the incident to cross burnings in a lengthy statement posted to Facebook at the time. For me it was reminiscent of cross burnings, she wrote. Seeing this act on video made me both indignant and determined to fight the evil that has reared its ugly head. We had been so confident that no one would ever vandalize the church, but it has happened. We are a people of faith. As horrible and disturbing as this is for us now it doesn't compare with the challenges and fears the men and women who started Asbury, 184 years ago, faced, she added. So, we will move forward, undaunted in our assurance that Black Lives Matter and we are obligated to continue to shout that truth without ceasing. We are assured that our church is surrounded by God's grace and mercy. Despite the arrest, Tarrio is still active on Twitter and has responded to reports of his arrest with emojis and GIFs stating Oh Happy Day. Tarrio ran for the U.S. House to represent Floridas 27th Congressional District. However, he withdrew before the Republican primary in August. This week, the Metropolitan AME Church filed a lawsuit against the Proud Boys in D.C. Superior Court over damage sustained during the December rally. The lawsuit names Tarrio and other John Doe members of the group that are believed to have participated in the banner burning, according to WTOP. The Proud Boys have faced much criticism in the national media over the last few years as the group has been active in expressing their support for Trump and have been involved in violent clashes. In October, Tarrio denounced racism and white supremacy as he tried to shoot down attempts to conflate Proud Boys with white nationalism. I denounce white supremacy. I denounce anti-Semitism. I denounce racism. I denounce fascism. I denounce communism and any other ism that is prejudice towards people because of their race, religion, culture, tone of skin, Tarrio said during an interview with WSVN. During the lead-up to the 2020 general election, Trump was criticized for not clearly denouncing white supremacists and the Proud Boys group during a presidential debate. Trump later issued a clear denunciation. "I've said it many times, and let me be clear again: I condemn the KKK. I condemn all white supremacists. I condemn the Proud Boys. I dont know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing. But I condemn that," Trump said on Sean Hannity'sFox News show. Tarrio explained last month that he would plead guilty to a destruction of property charge and even pay the church the cost of the banner but said he would not admit to committing a hate crime because the action was not motivated by race, religion or political ideology, according to The Washington Post. Rather, he said that the action was committed because he believes the Black Lives Matter movement has terrorized the citizens of this country. As clashes between protesters and counterprotesters led to at least four stabbings and more than 30 arrests on Dec. 12, Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller approved on Monday a request from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to deploy D.C. National Guard to support local police during the demonstrations this week. Bowser last month put much of the blame for last month's clashes on the Proud Boys group, calling the group avowed white nationalists who have been called to stand up against a fair and legal election. After the four stabbings, authorities accused the Proud Boys and Trump supporters of looking for a fight. But Tarrio claimed that Proud Boys supporters reacted to being attacked. WATERBURY, Conn., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ReFocus Eye Health ("ReFocus") has announced today that it has affiliated with Eye Center of Southern Connecticut, expanding its presence in the state of Connecticut to ten locations, including its ambulatory surgery center in Waterbury. Eye Center of Southern Connecticut is a comprehensive medical and surgical eye care practice with seven providers and 46 employees across its three offices in Hamden, Cheshire and Branford, CT. "We're excited to partner with Eye Center's talented team, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support them as they continue their provision of top-quality care and service to their patients," said Dan Doman, CEO of ReFocus. Eye Center of Southern Connecticut offers comprehensive services including routine eye exams, cataract surgery, corneal transplant surgery, glaucoma services, laser vision correction (LASIK, PRK) and a range of cosmetic and facial rejuvenation procedures. "ReFocus' commitment to patient care and its focus on a positive and collaborative culture made it the perfect group to partner with," Paul Masi, MD FACS, of Eye Center of Southern Connecticut, said. "The people of southern Connecticut have long known the stellar reputation that Eye Center of Southern Connecticut since its establishment nearly 60 years ago, and that will only continue to grow as a member of the ReFocus family. I myself and my partners Peter Marks MD and Andrew Swan MD, as well as our highly skilled associate physicians, James Murphy MD, Jenny Temnogorod MD, Nataliya Pokeza MD and Liz Moore OD, look forward to continuing the tradition of providing quality eye care to our family of patients." About ReFocus Eye Health: ReFocus Eye Health is a management services organization dedicated to the provision of best-in-class administrative support to its affiliated eye care physicians. ReFocus' current affiliate network includes 14 locations across Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. ReFocus Eye Health is headquartered in Waterbury, CT. To learn more, visit www.refocuseye.com. SOURCE ReFocus Eye Health Related Links http://www.refocuseye.com Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday announced that the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) would provide a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the farmers agitation. In a statement, Hooda said that financial assistance would be paid to the families of farmers from the personal finances of Congress MLAs. Hooda, who is the leader of opposition, demanded that the state government should provide financial help and government jobs to one member of the family of such farmers. He said it is the responsibility of government to do so because all these people lost their lives because of the stubborn attitude and insensitivity of the government. Tens of thousands of poultry will be slaughtered in India after an outbreak of deadly avian influenza was found to have killed scores of birds across the country, officials said Tuesday. At least six Indian states have stepped up efforts to contain two strains of bird flu -- H5N1 and H5N8 -- in recent days after the deaths of thousands of migratory birds, ducks, crows and chickens. H5N8, an Avian influenza subtype among poultry and wild birds, has spread across several countries since early last year. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Officials in Himachal Pradesh said carcasses were found over the past week at a Himalayan lake that witnesses large flocks of migratory birds during the winter season. "The death toll in the last week or so at the Pong lake crossed 2,400 migratory birds. Over 600 birds died on Monday," state wildlife chief Archana Sharma told AFP. Samples sent to the Indian National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases tested positive for H5N1, officials added. Most of the dead were Central Asian high-altitude bar-headed geese -- one of the world's highest flying birds -- that migrate to South Asia in their thousands during the winter season. Local authorities have banned the sale and export of poultry in the region and have stepped-up testing to control the spread. The mass deaths came amid a cull of nearly 35,000 poultry in Kerala, where an H5N8 virus outbreak killed up to 12,000 ducks. Authorities said the slaughter was ordered within a one kilometre (0.6 mile) radius of the infection epicentre. In Haryana state authorities said nearly 150,000 chickens died mysteriously across several poultry farms in Barwala district. Neighbouring Punjab also reported similar deaths. More than 20 farms said their flocks were wiped out by an "unknown disease" and samples have been sent to labs for testing. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have also reported hundreds of crow deaths caused by H5N1 and H5N8 over past weeks. Rajasthan had already seen nearly 4,500 crows and herons die over several months from avian flu. India has witnessed bouts of devastating bird flu outbreaks in recent decades, most seriously in 2008, when millions of poultry were culled. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. OPEC+ will resume talks on Tuesday after reaching a deadlock over February oil output levels as Saudi Arabia argued against pumping more due to new lockdowns while Russia led calls for higher production citing recovering demand. The unusual decision to push negotiations into a second day was taken after a three-hour debate in a virtual meeting of OPEC+, which groups OPEC and other producers including Russia. The talks are scheduled to resume at 1430 GMT on Tuesday. OPEC+ sources told Reuters that Russia and Kazakhstan had backed raising production while Iraq, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates suggested holding output steady. On Sunday OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo had warned OPEC+ experts of downside risks facing the oil market. On Monday, Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said OPEC+ should be cautious despite a generally optimistic market environment as demand remains fragile and the new variant of coronavirus is unpredictable. "In many parts of the world, where infection rates have increased worryingly, a new wave of lockdowns and restrictions are being put in place, which will inevitably impact the rate of economic recovery in those countries," he said. The new variant of coronavirus, reported in Britain last month, is spreading globally and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was scheduled to set out tougher lockdown rules on Monday. With benchmark Brent oil futures holding above $50 per barrel, OPEC+ took the opportunity to raise output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) this month as it looks to eventually ease cuts that stand at 7.2 million bpd. OPEC+ producers have been curbing output to support prices and reduce oversupply since January 2017, with cuts reaching a record 9.7 million bpd in mid-2020 as COVID-19 hammered demand for gasoline and aviation fuel. In previous meetings de facto OPEC leader Saudi Arabia has repeatedly suggested a cautious approach to restoring output while non-OPEC member Russia has backed a speedier increase. Benchmark Brent prices topped $53 a barrel on Monday to hit their highest levels since March 2020 before falling back. "Under the current output terms, surpluses are expected from February until April, before demand recovers from May onwards, so a possible OPEC+ decision to not increase production will keep balances at a manageable level," said Bjornar Tonhaugen from Rystad Energy. Short link: Thiruvananthapuram: Bird flu has been declared as a state-specific disaster in Kerala and a high alert has been issued after an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in certain parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, the Kerala Government said. Bird flu is declared as state-specific disaster in Kerala and high alert has been issued after an outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in certain parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts: Kerala Government ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 State Animal Husbandry Minister K Raju said at least 50,000 ducks will be culled to check the spread of the virus and the government will compensate farmers. According to reports, the state government issued a high alert in the state considering the potential of the virus to infect humans. The state government had on Monday ordered the culling of ducks, hens and other domestic birds in and around a one km radius of the affected areas after tests conducted at the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal confirmed the bird flu outbreak. The minister has also called a meeting to coordinate steps to contain the outbreak. Himachal Pradesh today became the fourth state to report cases of bird flu after Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, with officials confirming that migratory birds found dead at Pong Dam Lake in Kangra district have tested positive for the dreaded avian influenza. In Himachal Pradesh, around 1,800 migratory birds, most of them bar-headed geese, have been found dead in the Pong Dam Lake sanctuary. In Rajasthan, deaths of more than 170 new birds were reported from some districts on Monday, taking the total fatalities in recent days to over 425. Bird flu is a highly infectious and severe respiratory disease in birds caused by the H5N1 influenza virus, which can occasionally infect humans as well. Meanwhile, an alert has been sounded after six UK returnees to the state after December 14 tested positive for the new coronavirus strain, including two each in Kozhikode and Alappuzha and one each in Kottayam and Kannur, officials said on Tuesday. [January 05, 2021] The JAPAN TECH Pavilion at the All-digital CES2021: Showcasing Leading Technologies From Japanese Companies, Universities, and Local Governments The Japanese pavilion "JAPAN TECH", brings together today's advanced technologies from a wide range of fields developed by Japanese companies, universities, and local governments will be joining the world's largest technology trade fair, CES, which will be held digitally from January 11 (Mon) to January 14 (Thurs). As a new project, JAPAN TECH, a fourth-time participant in 2021, will simultaneously open an area at "b8ta Yurakucho, Tokyo" where attendees can personally experience CES (News - Alert) exhibits from January 9 (Sat) to January 17 (Sun) (Japan time). At JAPAN TECH 2021, we are reaching out globally through Virtual CES and reaching out locally by displaying the innovative products at b8ta, Yurakucho, Tokyo for a real experience. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005560/en/ Exhibition images (Graphic: Business Wire) [Digital Exhibition] "CES2021" Digital Platform Event Details: Introducing advanced technologies from Japanese companies, universities, and local governments at the JAPAN TECH pavilion Date: January 11 to 14, 2021 Venue: CES Digital Platform [In-person Exhibition] "CES2021 JAPAN TECH @b8ta" CES Exhibit Experience Area Event Details: An event where you can experience (see, hear, and touch) the technology of Japanese entities in collaboration with JAPAN TECH at the CES2021. Date and Time: January 9 (Sat) to January 17 (Sun), 2021, 11 AM to 7:30 PM (Japan time) Venue: b8ta Yurakucho, Tokyo (address) 1st Floor, Yurakucho Denki Building, 1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0006 (map) https://goo.gl/maps/s7oozvcAZeUdhFY3A Introduction to JAPAN TECH Exhibitors and Exhibition Details Diversity of the JAPAN TECH Exhibition You can personally experience exhibits from a wide range of fields developed by Japanese companies, universities, and local governments using state-of-the-art technology. Information on Exhibitors and Exhibits: https://ces-japantech.jp/en/ For JAPAN TECH Exhibit Inquiries: info@ces-japantech.jp ? About JAPAN TECH PROJECT https://ces-japantech.jp/en/ JAPAN TECH PROJECT supports Japanese entities with excellent technologies so that they can stand on the stage of CES and showcase their fine products. It is our goal to not only promote the new technologies that have yet to venture overseas but also to have them experience the latest worldwide trends with all five senses and to meet new business partners. Exhibiting at the JAPAN TECH Pavilion will help companies expand overseas, which in turn paves the way to fulfilling the aim of further strengthening the "JAPAN" brand and the future technological development of Japan. For Inquiries About JAPAN TECH PROJECT: info@ces-japantech.jp ? About CES https://www.ces.tech/international.aspx CES, which is held every January in Las Vegas, Nevada, is the world's largest technology trade fair organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). It started as the "Consumer Electronics Show" in 1967 and has since introduced countless new products to the world. CES attracts, from all over the planet, manufacturers, buyers, retailers, investors, etc. from various industries as well as the media. It is an opportunity to engage in a wide range of activities that can lead to the creation of new businesses, from business negotiations to fundraising (including crowdfunding), all the way to technological exchange, startup consultations, and recruitment. At CES2020, 4,419 exhibitors unveiled their latest technology, attracting approximately 171,268 visitors (including 6,517 from the media) to the 2.9 million-square-foot venue. The all-digital CES2021 will be held from January 11 (Mon) to January 14 (Thurs), 2021. ( Source (News - Alert) : https://cdn.ces.tech/ces/media/pdfs/2020-ces-attendance-audit-summary.pdf) ? About b8ta Japan https://b8ta.jp/ Founded in 2015, b8ta, the experiential retailer and pioneer of Retail as a Service, has served as a forerunner in the retail space for the past five years. Our mission is to make retail accessible for all, whether you're a product maker or a product lover. With b8ta, brands can access physical retail as easily as they buy digital advertising, and consumers can discover, try and buy the world's most innovative products in real life. ? JAPAN TECH PROJECT Production Committee Creative Vision LTD. https://www.creativevisionworld.com/ Daiko Advertising Inc. https://www.daiko.co.jp/en View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005560/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have said that there is no data to suggest their COVID-19 vaccine will continue to generate an immune response if the second shot is delayed by more than 21 days. This comes after several countries have changed or are thinking to change their strategy of administering two-shot vaccines by giving the prime shot to as many people as they can before inoculating them with the booster shot, even if it means a delay of more than three weeks between each jab. Read: COVID-19: UK Imposes Toughest Lockdown Since March As New Variant Wreaks Havoc Pfizer and BioNTech in a joint statement on Monday said that there is no evidence to suggest their COVID-19 vaccine will continue to protect against the virus if the second shot is administered later than the 21-day schedule tested during the trial studies. The companies said that they have only tried one dosing schedule during the trial of the vaccine, adding that most of the participants received the booster shot before the deadline of 21 days. Pfizer and BioNTech added that there is no data at the moment to prove recipients will sustain the antibodies if the second shot is delayed by more than 3 weeks. "The safety and efficacy of the vaccine have not been evaluated on different dosing schedules as the majority of trial participants received the second dose within the window specified in the study design. There is no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days," the companies said. Read: WHO Chief Heaps Praise On India's 'decisive' COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts UK, Canada approves delay between shots Last week, the United Kingdom changed its vaccine strategy after approving the two-shot AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine. The UK government extended the window between the two shots and said that it will vaccinate as many people as it could before giving them the booster jab. Canada also adopted the strategy with Quebec saying it won't hold back doses for the booster shot. Germany and Denmark are also contemplating changing their immunization strategy. Read: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Orders Third Nationwide Lockdown As COVID-19 Cases Surge Meanwhile, the United States government on Sunday hinted that it might also go for the same strategy adopted by the UK and Canada if the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it. Moncef Slaoui, the head of Operation Warp Speed, told CBS on Sunday that they may give the first of Moderna's two-dose vaccine to as many people as possible in order to speed up the vaccination process. However, the expert also warned against the move, saying his personal opinion is that it might be a mistake because it goes against the data. Read: COVID-19: US May Halve Moderna's Vaccine Doses To Inoculate More People North Adams Housing Authority Replaces Hydrants With CARES Act Funds NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The North Adams Housing Authority used CARES Act funding to replace out of service fire hydrants at the Greylock Apartments. Housing Authority Director Jennifer Hohn said the topic came up at a recent board of commissioners meeting when Chairman Colin Todd, who works for the city's Water Department, noted that the hydrants at the Greylock Apartments in the West End were not in optimal condition. "I was shocked. This was the first I have heard this," Hohn said in an email exchange. "I assumed that when hydrants are no longer working, they are replaced as soon as possible. I panicked, thinking that the health and safety of our residents were at stake. Additionally, the lives of our firefighters were at risk if, God forbid, there were a major fire and no source of water immediately available to hookup to." Hohn said four of the five hydrants at the Greylock Apartments were out of service and one was on its "last leg." The city is only able to replace so many hydrants at a time so she tapped the authority's federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act money to purchase five hydrants. She said the total expenditure was $10,176.85 "NAHA is 100 percent federally funded by HUD," she said. "As a result, this will alleviate the city of some financial burden during difficult times when collaborating resources is so vital for the city and NAHA." Hohn said the hydrants were installed in late December. "The health and safety of our residents have always been, and will always be our number one priority," she said. Pakistani Christians return home after threats of violence over Facebook post forced them to flee Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Hundreds of Christian families have returned to their homes in the Charar neighborhood of Lahore, Pakistan, after threats of violence over a Facebook post forced them to flee. On Dec. 22, Pakistani Pastor Raja Waris published a Facebook post that some Muslims alleged was blasphemous. Its unclear what the post said, International Christian Concerns South Asia Regional Manager Will Stark told The Christian Post. Once people describe a post as blasphemous in Pakistan, people stop sharing it and take it down. If they leave it up, they will likely be targeted by violent Islamists too. [The post] could say something as benign as Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior; He is the final prophet. Even if he said something like Jesus is God, it could be considered blasphemous, said Stark. Christians in Pakistan usually behave very respectfully toward Islam, he said, because they fear the violence that often follows a blasphemy accusation. Blasphemy accusations are Pakistans scarlet letter, Stark added. The whiff of him being a blasphemer is enough to be a black mark on his life for the rest of his life, said Stark. In the days immediately after the blasphemy accusations, Islamic radicals threatened to burn the homes of Christians and demanded the beheading of Waris, said Stark. Hundreds of Christians fled, and police took Waris into custody on Dec. 28. It remains unclear whether they mean to arrest him or protect him. About 98% of the Christians who fled their Charar homes over Christmas have returned, but Waris will probably have to flee to another place if he leaves police custody. Weve been looking to see if there was a First Information Report as to why hes being held. We have not found one, Stark said. Pakistani police might cave to mob pressure and charge Waris with blasphemy, Stark explained. If they do, local Muslims will interpret the arrest as official approval for attacks on local Christians. If Muslims cant kill the person accused of blasphemy, they often attack Christians in their communities. It would probably turn up the heat again on the situation, he said. If the government or the police force says Yes, this is blasphemy, its going to give credibility to the fringe voices. Blasphemy accusations in Pakistan have a tendency to ignite very emotional outrage. In Pakistan, Muslims consider blasphemy so horrible that in many cases, it justifies murder, said Stark. Its common in Pakistan for a murderer to be let free after he accuses his victim of blasphemy. A vindictive or jealous neighbor can destroy a rival by making a blasphemy accusation. Popular opinion upholds blasphemy laws, Stark told CP. Research has shown that these attacks often cause an increase in terrorism, intolerance, and violence. Since Pakistan widened its blasphemy laws in 1987, the number of accusations has increased dramatically. From 1987 to 2017, 1,534 people have been accused of blasphemy in the country. A disproportionate number of the accusations target Christians. When we start talking about reform and repeal, at this point in time in Pakistan, there is no political will for repeal. I dont think there should be a blasphemy law, they lead to extremism and violence, Stark said. Were trying to advocate now for reform. Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas often bring attacks on Christians, Stark said, noting that Pakistans government has encouraged churches to strengthen security during the high holy days. To visit church on Christmas or Easter, a Pakistani Christian must go through almost a prison-like block of checkpoints with metal detectors, passing by armed guards and security cameras, he said. Without the security, churches would risk letting in suicide bombers. President-elect Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images, Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images More than 170 American business executives signed a letter urging Congress to certify the electoral vote on Wednesday and confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon, Microsoft President Brad Smith, BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla were among the signatories. "Attempts to thwart or delay this process run counter to the essential tenets of our democracy," the business leaders said in the letter. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris deserve respect as America faces "the worst health and economic crises in modern history," they said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. More than 170 American business leaders on Monday signed a letter urging Congress to certify the result of the presidential election without delay. Congress is scheduled to certify the result on Wednesday and confirm President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. President Donald Trump has so far refused to acknowledge that he lost the election. The Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit organization and major business advocacy group, published the letter on Monday. Signatories included Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon, Microsoft President Brad Smith, BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. James Zelter, a copresident of Apollo Global Management, and Lyft CEO Logan Green also signed the letter. "This presidential election has been decided and it is time for the country to move forward," the letter said. "President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have won the Electoral College and the courts have rejected challenges to the electoral process." The leaders added that "attempts to thwart or delay this process run counter to the essential tenets of our democracy." Biden and Harris deserve respect and bipartisan support as America faces "the worst health and economic crises in modern history," they said. Story continues The letter said that Congress should certify the electoral vote and that "there should be no further delay in the orderly transfer of power." But at least 140 Republican House members are planning to vote against certification, two representatives told CNN last week. Read more: Secret Service experts are speculating in group chats about how Trump might be hauled out of the White House if he won't budge on Inauguration Day Trump and other Republicans have tried to overturn the result of the election, pushing false claims of voter fraud. Over the weekend, Trump pleaded with Georgia's secretary of state in an hourlong phone call to "find" additional votes to overturn Biden's victory in the state. Biden won the 2020 presidential election with 306 electoral votes, flipping five states that voted for Trump in 2016. Read the original article on Business Insider (CNN) There may have been far fewer airplanes in the skies this past year, but if you're looking ahead to future travel, you might take heed of the latest rankings of the world's safest airlines from AirlineRatings.com. AirlineRatings.com keeps tabs on 385 carriers from across the globe, measuring factors including the airlines' crash and serious incident records, and age of their aircraft. "The challenge this year was the number of airlines that were flying, although our Top 20 safest airlines have all continued to fly or had limited cessation of flights," AirlineRatings editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas tells CNN Travel. For 2021, the airline safety and product review website awarded Aussie airline Qantas the top spot. AirlineRatings highlighted Qantas' commitment to retraining pilots ahead of a return to service after time out during the pandemic. AirlineRatings found that a Qantas 737 pilot must undergo a six day course ahead of returning to the skies, including a day focused on wellbeing. Winning streak Qantas held the title of world's safest airline from 2014 to 2017. In 2018, AirlineRatings said it could find no clear winner and chose to rank its top 20 equally, but once again in 2019 and 2020 Qantas was crowned world's safest carrier. On some previous occasions, AirlineRatings has chosen its winner and then listed the rest of the top airlines alphabetically. But for 2021, the website has ranked each of the top 20 airlines in numerical order. Qatar Airways takes the number two spot, while Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Emirates round out the top five. Thomas told CNN Travel that the rating system was slightly adjusted this year, to allow for greater accuracy. "Over the past two years we have become aware that some airlines, which had passed bi-annual safety audits, were not on a day-to-day basis following the operational disciplines required by the auditors," Thomas said. AirlineRatings also looked into airline fraudulent pilot license scams and bribery allegations, added Thomas. As a result, they decided to do a five-year audit of serious safety incidents to narrow down the top 20. "Accidents and incidents make up five of our seven star rating with audits accounting for one and Covid-19 compliance the final star for a maximum seven-star ranking," says Thomas. Thomas adds that travelers are even more focused on airline safety in the wake of the pandemic. "They are not taking anything for granted and our inquiry level has tripled over the past six months on a variety of safety issues, not just Covid-19," says Thomas. Separately, AirlineRatings also spotlighted the safest low cost airlines, listing the top 10 in alphabetical order. They are Air Arabia, Allegiant, EasyJet, Frontier, Jetstar Group, Jetblue, Ryanair, Vietjet, Westjet, and Wizz Air. COVID compliance AirlineRatings has also produced a separate index of the top 20 Covid-compliant airlines, listed in alphabetical order. They are Air Baltic, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, AirAsia, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Eva Air, Japan Airlines, Jetblue, KLM, Korean Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, Qatar Airways and Westjet. AirlineRatings said these airlines had gone "above and beyond in the protection of passengers." Thomas highlighted how Qatar Airways, for example, has been providing face shields as well as masks, while Emirates introduced Covid-19 health insurance and a health kit for passengers. AirlineRatings.com's safest airlines for 2021: 1. Qantas 2. Qatar Airways 3. Air New Zealand 4. Singapore Airlines 5. Emirates 6. EVA Air 7. Etihad Airways 8. Alaska Airlines 9. Cathay Pacific Airways 10. British Airways 11. Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic 12. Hawaiian Airlines 13. Southwest Airlines 14. Delta Air Lines 15. American Airlines 16. SAS 17. Finnair 18. Lufthansa 19. KLM 20. United Airlines This story was first published on CNN.com, "The world's safest airlines for 2021 revealed." NEW DELHI : With Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approving two vaccine candidates in India, the Kazakhstan Ambassador to India Yerlan Alimbayev said that Kazakhstan will discuss the matter with India and is ready to procure the vaccines. "Kazakhstan is producing three vaccines, which are in 2nd and 3rd phase, there's been no official dialogue with India, but we know India has two vaccines, which is good. We are ready to talk for ordering India's vaccine after the approval of both countries," Alimbayev told ANI. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 The development comes at a time when Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India announced on Twitter that his company will clarify exports of Covishield to all the countries. "I would like to clarify two matters as there is confusion in the public domain, exports of vaccines are permitted to all countries and a joint public statement clearing up any recent miscommunication with regards to Bharat Biotech will be made," Poonawala said in his tweet. I would like to clarify two matters; as there is confusion in the public domain, exports of vaccines are permitted to all countries and a joint public statement clearing up any recent miscommunication with regards to Bharat Biotech will be made. Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 5, 2021 There have been several queries regarding Indian vaccines being exported to other countries. Reports are there that several countries have expressed their interest to procure India's vaccine. The developments come days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing National Metrology Conclave through video conferring and said India is on the threshold of starting the world's largest vaccination programme. "World's biggest COVID-19 vaccination programme set to begin in India. For this, the country is proud of the contributions of its scientists and technicians," PM Modi said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. DAEJEON, South Korea and SHANGHAI, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Korean biotech company Y-Biologics and the China-based biopharmaceutical company 3D Medicines have entered into a License Agreement granting exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize YBL-013, a T cell bi-specific engager based on ALiCE platform technology, in the Territory of Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). Under the terms of this Agreement, Y-Biologics will receive an upfront fee of $2 million and is eligible to receive up to $85 million in additional development, regulatory, commercialization and sales milestone payments as well as up to double-digit royalties on net sales in the Territory. Both Parties will share part of IND development cost. In the meantime, 3D Medicines will have an exclusive right to develop, manufacture, and commercialize for YBL-013 in Greater China, with potential expansion collaboration opportunity in US and other regions. YBL-013, a novel I/O therapeutic candidate which simultaneously targets CD3 on T cell and PD-L1 on cancer cell, is the first candidate developed based on Y-Biologics' proprietary T cell bispecific engager technology, namely 'ALiCE' (Antibody Like Cell Engager). The technology is the CD3-based bispecific antibody engineered to have a unique 2 versus 1 structure with two Fab regions targeting for a tumor antigen and Fv region specific for CD3 by placing between T cell and cancer cell. Notably, it shows a higher binding affinity to tumor antigens and activates mainly T cells around the tumor. This is an innovative technology that can significantly reduce the toxicity which current T cell bispecific antibodies have. "We are very pleased to enter into this exclusive license agreement with Y-Biologics," said John Gong, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 3D Medicines. "We believe that YBL-013, bi-specific engager, a next generation T cell bi-specific engager, together with Envafolimab, the global first subcutaneous PD-L1 antibody to be launched in China, and other innovative products in our pipelines, could alter the treatment paradigm across various tumor types. We are committed to working closely with Y-Biologics to further advance the development of YBL-013, which has great potential to help patients living with cancer. Young Woo Park, CEO of Y-Biologics, stated "We have focused our capabilities on the development of ALiCE, T cell bispecific engager technology, and we are extremely pleased that the output has emerged as the global license agreement. Through ALiCE technology, we will strengthen our novel therapeutic portfolio by presenting a variety of competitive novel I/O therapeutic candidates in the CD3-based T cell bispecific engager market, which is a key trend in the field of bispecific antibody. In addition, starting from China, we will put our efforts to present our highly skilled technology to an international market." Meanwhile, Y-Biologics has licensed out YBL-001, which is an ADC candidate co-developed with LegoChem Bioscience, to Pyxis Oncology in early December. On the other hand, 3D Medicines recently licensed-in AVB-500 from Aravive and galinpepimut-S (GPS) from SELLAS Life Sciences for both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. About ALiCE ALiCE, a novel T cell bispecific antibody format, is designed to overcome immune evasion in cancer. This format allows T cells to directly engage to target cancer cells and thereby activates the cytotoxic immune responses. The ALiCE molecules are engineered to have a unique 2 by 1 structure with two Fab regions targeting for a tumor antigen and Fv region specific for CD3 found on T cells. The targeting strategy is designed to have a higher binding affinity to a target cancer cell by two arms and a lower binding affinity to CD3 by one arm. Therefore, T cell activation occurs only near the tumor site when the ALiCE molecule bound to the target cancer cell, which is leading to reduced off-tumor toxicity. ALiCE molecules appear to have more advanced target cancer cell killing mechanism in low doses than other T cell engagers with 1 by 1 structure. The structural feature of bivalent binding and much higher binding affinity to tumor antigens allows T cell engagement to tumor cell efficiently. This clustering formation can generate strong T cell activation signaling and induce cancer cell killing potency. ALiCE molecules can be formed as heterodimers by harnessing innate assembly mechanisms in mammalian cells and secreted into the culture medium. The molecules can be easily produced and purified with conventional manufacturing procedures. About 3D Medicines 3D Medicines, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company at the stage of late clinical development and early commercialization. With the concept "Help people with cancer live longer and better," aiming for the future long-term survival of tumor patients, 3D Medicines focuses on the development of differentiated next-generation immuno-oncology drugs, to help cancer patients live longer with better quality of life. 3D Medicines has built a pipeline with both innovative biological and small-molecule anti-tumor drugs, and a professional team with global development, registration and commercialization capabilities. For more information, please visit www.3d-medicines.com. About Y-Biologics Founded in 2007, Y-Biologics is a biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics based on its human antibody library "Ymax-ABL" & bispecific antibody platform technology "ALiCE" (Antibody Like Cell Engager). With a diversity of 1011, Ymax-ABL has highly competitive quality and quantity leading to higher singularity and probability of findings from the proprietary library. Based on Ymax-ABL, Y-Biologics currently has developed more than 20 antibody candidates in various modalities. Following early work in discovery, the novel bispecific platform technology ALiCE, allows effective redirection of T cells onto tumor cells and thereby specifically kill the tumor cells giving very potent and long-lasting efficacy in the treatment of cancer patients. ALiCE has overcome the major drawbacks of currently available technologies such as excessive toxicity and low developability. Therefore, it has strong potential to further address those unmet needs in fields of immuno-oncology. While focused on research initially, Y-Biologics recently started conducting joint development and investment through strategic alliances and providing various collaboration opportunities for global partnering. For more information: http://ybiologics.com/eng/main/ SOURCE Y-Biologics Inc. Related Links http://ybiologics.com/eng/main/ Skylo, the worlds first and most affordable end-to-end solution connecting machine and sensor data via satellite, today announced that Angira Agrawal has joined the companys leadership team as COO. Angira will oversee all operations and customer-facing activities throughout the US, India and beyond, ensuring a positive customer experience during a period of rapid growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005888/en/ Skylo COO Angira Agrawal (Photo: Business Wire) As Skylo grows broadly around the world, and deeply into verticals like farming, fishing, logistics and healthcare, it is vital to bring in key leadership who understand what customers want and who can help deliver smooth user experiences, said Skylo CEO and co-founder Parth Trivedi. Angira brings an impressive resume of scaling complex businesses with specific expertise in wireless and mobility solutions, and his deep experience in India and Asia Pacific will be critical as we deploy in these regions and beyond. Angira embodies Skylos core value -- customer first -- and were proud to have him on the team. Angira joins Skylo from Vodafone Idea, where he served as head of the enterprise business for the North and East of India, leading a multifunctional team specializing in digital solutions to government, enterprise and SME customers. Highly skilled in scaling customer centric go-to-market deployments, his strong focus on customers and their digital journey has leveraged best practices in both business and technology to increase market share and revenue growth. He is passionate about how technology can disruptively create and improve new economies, while impacting society for the better. The global market is increasingly looking for effective and affordable connectivity solutions, and getting access to information is key, said Angira. There is a tremendous opportunity to serve the needs in underserved markets such as India and beyond. I am excited to join now as Skylo is rapidly scaling up to meet critical connectivity needs across many industries. I look forward to working closely with the fantastic team and helping make a meaningful impact with Skylos disruptive solution. Todays networks were designed to connect people. But the worlds machines and sensors, especially those in remote and underserved areas like rural farms and boats out at sea, require a different type of network -- one thats reliable and 100% continuous. Skylos end-to-end solution meets this need with a geostationary satellite-based network (the Skylo Network), its elegant Skylo Hub, and the immersive Skylo Platform, accessible on mobile and desktop. Together, these components can increase safety, drive economic development and job creation, and help with disaster preparedness. To that end, Skylo already successfully serves customers across public and private sectors, and in industries including farming, fishing, logistics, railways, and more. Skylo is funded by Softbank Group, DCM, Innovation Endeavors, Boeing HorizonX, and Moore Strategic Ventures. Skylo was founded in 2017 by CEO Parth Trivedi, CTO Dr. Andrew Nuttall, CPO Tarun Gupta, and Chief Hub Architect Dr. Andrew Kalman. About Skylo Skylo delivers the worlds first disruptively affordable, satellite-based solution that connects machines and sensors, from slow moving tractors to fast moving trucks, from fishing boats at sea to railcars, from pipelines to livestock, no matter where in the world they are. Skylo continuously collects and shares this valuable data through an intuitive and immersive user platform so people can make smarter decisions faster. The first company to leverage the cellular Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) protocol for satellite communications, Skylo connects remote areas to serve a wide range of industries including farming, fishing, railways, logistics, and disaster preparedness. Skylo has offices in Palo Alto, CA; Bangalore, India; Tel Aviv, Israel; Espoo, Finland, and is growing globally to support its customers. To learn more about Skylo, visit www.skylo.tech, or find us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005888/en/ Congress ended what seemed to be a Christian prayer to pagan deities with the words "amen" and "awoman." On Jan. 3, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver opened the first session of the 117th Congress with a seemingly Christian prayer addressed to a Hindu god. The ordained United Methodist minister ended the prayer with an "amen" and "awoman" -- a statement that most hearers took as a gender commentary. Reports say that though the pastor from St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri used languages filled with Christian themes and terminologies, he ended his utterance appealing to gods of various faiths. The representative and ordained pastor implied that the deities of different faiths are all the same. "We gather now in this consequential chamber to inaugurate another chapter in our roller coaster representative government," uttered Cleaver. "The members of this august body acknowledge your sacred supremacy and therefore confess that without your favor and forbearance, we enter this new year relying dangerously on our own fallible nature," he added, as per the Daily Wire. Conservatives went up to Twitter raging with various reactions hearing the Democratic representative's statement that seemed like a commentary on gender. On his Twitter update, Ben Shapiro of Daily Wire explained the meaning and usage of the word "amen." He later expressed his disappointment over what they heard. "Amen" is a Biblical Hebrew word: . It is a word simply meaning "may it be so." It has nothing to do with the word "man" or "woman" because it is FROM HEBREW. This is some of the dumbest s*** I have ever seen in my life. https://t.co/O4JhcHwywv Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 4, 2021 Kassy Dillon, Lone Conservative founder posted an update expressing her reaction to the prayer. The Twitter post has been retweeted almost 300 times and people talking and commenting about it continue to increase. Can I get an AWOMEN? Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) January 4, 2021 Cleaver's attempt to render the term "amen" equal to both genders came days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi together with Democratic Massachusetts Rep. James McGovern announced the release of their future-focused proposal. The proposal contains rules that will modify the use of pronouns in the house. In their aim to honor all gender identities, the 48-page proposal orders to eliminate gender-specific pronouns such as father, mother, son, daughter, and alike. The resolution will require the use of more gender-inclusive pronouns such as a parent, child, sibling, and alike as replacements. Reports reveal that with the recent events in the House, Congress has officially gone gender crazy. From the idea of eliminating the gender-specific pronouns as proposed by the present house speaker to the opening prayer that intended to lecture on gender inclusion not minding on the real meaning of the word "amen," conservatives are worried that the matter could go beyond just a simple playing along with words but could result to as far as what Canada is experiencing as of the moment. The Stream's Dr. Michael Brown believes that the way the prayer went and the future-focused proposal goes beyond technical or legal language. It is a reflection of mindset and legal logic that shows where the culture of the country is headed. The author reminded everyone to take the issues such as the "a-woman" prayer and the gender-inclusive proposal seriously and to bear in mind that "we can be compassionate to people in their struggles without engaging in their gender madness." PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague is investigating potential securities fraud claims against Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") on behalf of investors who purchased Northern Dynasty securities (NYSE: NAK) between December 21, 2017 and November 25, 2020 (the "Class Period"). A national class action and commercial litigation law firm with nationally known attorneys highly sought after for their legal skills. (PRNewsFoto/Berger Montague) If you purchased Northern Dynasty securities during the Class Period, have questions concerning your rights or interests, or would like to discuss Berger Montague's investigation, please contact attorneys Andrew Abramowitz at aabramowitz@bm.net or (215) 875-3015, or Donnell Much at dmuch@bm.net or (215) 875-4667, or contact us at www.bergermontague.com/northern-dynasty. A recently filed lawsuit accuses Northern Dynasty and its senior management of misleading investors about the Company's proposed Pebble Project, a large mining project in Alaska, and its prospects for securing a permit from federal and state regulators. Northern Dynasty repeatedly touted its progress in obtaining the necessary permits for the Pebble Project and assured investors that its design entailed a substantially reduced development footprint and new environmental safeguards for the mine. Investors first began to learn the truth on August 24, 2020, when the U.S. Army announced that the Pebble Project "cannot be permitted" as currently proposed, as it would significantly degrade the environment and result in significant adverse effects on the aquatic system or human environment. Then, on September 21, 2020, the Environmental Investigation Agency released recordings in which Northern Dynasty executives secretly revealed that the Company intended the Pebble Project to be far bigger than publicly represented. Finally, on November 25, 2020, Northern Dynasty announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had rejected its Pebble Project permit application. On this news, shares of Northern Dynasty fell 50%, from a closing price of $0.80 per share on November 24, 2020 to $0.40 per share on November 25, 2020. Story continues If you purchased Northern Dynasty securities during the Class Period, you may seek Court appointment as lead plaintiff to represent other injured investors in a class action. The lead plaintiff appointment deadline is February 2, 2021. You do not need to be a lead plaintiff to share in any potential Class recovery. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. are encouraged to confidentially assist Berger Montague's investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under this program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to thirty percent (30%) of recoveries obtained by the SEC. For more information, contact us. Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States. Contacts Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel Berger Montague (215) 875-3015 aabramowitz@bm.net Donnell Much, Associate Berger Montague (215) 875-4667 dmuch@bm.net Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nak-stock-berger-montague-investigates-alleged-securities-fraud-claims-against-northern-dynasty-minerals-ltd-nyse-nak-lead-plaintiff-deadline-is-february-2-2021-301201222.html SOURCE Berger Montague Queensland has been hit by massive flooding as ex-tropical cyclone Imogen blasts through parts of the state's north. Roads have been cut-off after a week's worth of rain fell in just one day, while trees uprooted during 100km/h wind gusts have smashed cars and homes. And there are warnings there the situation is about to get worse, with more widespread heavy rainfall of up to 300mm and damaging winds on the way. Residents are being warned to expect life-threatening flooding. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for northeastern Queensland. The areas include Herbert and Lower Burdekin and parts of North Tropical Coast and Tablelands and Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders forecast districts. 'Six hourly rainfall totals between 150 mm to 200 mm are possible,' the bureau warned on Tuesday. A severe weather warning for damaging winds and heavy rainfall is in place for parts of North Queensland Up to 300mm of rain is expected across parts of North Queensland with warnings of life-threatening flash flooding (pictured, flooding on the Gulf Development Road) There are warnings for damaging and destructive winds, with wind gusts of 100km/h already recorded (pictured, a a tree crashed onto a car in Normanton) The damaging winds have already caused havoc to the Barramundi Discovery Centre in Karumba, pictured 'Periods of localised intense rainfall leading to life-threatening flash flooding with six hourly totals of 300mm about the coast and ranges in the warning area are also possible. 'Damaging to locally destructive winds are possible with thunderstorms about coastal areas from Ingham to Ayr. 'Areas north of Babinda are no longer likely to experience widespread heavy rainfall, however thunderstorm activity may produce some more localised heavy rainfall in this area, especially Tuesday afternoon.' The bureau advised Imogen was 80km east-northeast of Georgetown at 8am AEST and is forecast to track slowly in an east-southeast direction. A trough extends eastwards through the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands to the south of Innisfail and is forecast to slowly move south. Several flood warnings are current throughout the area for locations including Townsville, Ingham, Cardwell, Ayr, Giru, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Greenvale and Charters Towers. Ex-tropical cyclone Imogen made its way to Queensland late on Sunday about 11pm at 85km/h causing widespread flooding and 1,400 power outages (pictured, flooding at Normanton) The tropical cyclone caused major flash flooding which saw roads across Queensland closed (pictured, at Normanton) The clean-up operation has begun in Normanton, which bore the brunt of the cylcone earlier in the week More than 200mm of rain was recorded inland of Cairns and Innisfail on Monday. The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has advised residents to never drive, walk or ride through floodwaters, keep clear of creeks and storm drains and move cars under cover or away from trees. Ex-tropical Cyclone Imogen crossed the coast north of Karumba shortly before 11pm on Sunday before slowly weakening to a tropical low on Monday. About 1400 houses were left without power, but there were no reports of injuries, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said. 'It would appear at this stage there is no massive damage either, but there is a lot of water,' she told reporters on Monday. The system dumped 262mm of rain in Normanton, with 186mm of that falling in six hours up until 3am on Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology's Pieter Claassen told AAP. The cyclone saw a massive dumping of 262mm of rain in Normanton - 186mm of fell in a mere six hours until 3am on Monday Motorists have been warned not to drive through floodwaters and risk their lives (pictured, Queensland floods) When I first heard of his passing, the first thought that came to my mind was, What a great man, what a great life, said Brian Lazzaro, a friend and member of the Park Ridge Historical Society who helped bring the fire truck affectionately referred to by Bishop as the Lil Pirsch to the assisted living residence in Des Plaines where Bishop and his wife, Ramona, had recently relocated. NEW HAVEN In a New Years Eve announcement to public school families, Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey said two elementary schools will not be included in the districts reopening plan slated for Jan. 19 West Rock STREAM Academy and Quinnipiac Real World Math STEM School because of outdated ventilation systems. Parents and teachers at that school found out this week that the decision to keep those schools closed is permanent. This was a health and safety decision, Tracey said. She held a virtual forum for parents of students at those schools Tuesday evening. She said she already fielded concerns and questions from staff at this schools this week. Anne Rhodes, mother of a first-grade student at Quinnipiac, said the meeting was set up so parents could not share audio or video. Though questions could be asked via the chat function, she said hers was not answered. I think they are cognizant of how challenging and emotionally wrenching this is for everybody, but I do wonder why no questions about alternative spaces have been entertained and why that didnt come up, she said. City spokesman Gage Frank confirmed that the city health department condemned both buildings. Theyre very old buildings, he said. They wont be part of the hybrid opening and will be permanently closed. Darnell Goldson, a member of the Board of Education since 2016, said he supports the decision although his grandson attends West Rock School by choice. Ive said for years now that we were overpopulated with schools, he said. When he ran for reelection to his seat in 2019, he suggested closing two schools but acknowledged that closing schools usually angers the community. Although the pandemic has had an unexpected side effect of a budget surplus for the citys schools largely as a result of not opening and operating school buildings since March Goldson has urged his colleagues to consider closing those two schools as a cost-saving measure when the district was faced with six- and seven-figure deficits in past years. Both schools were in horrible shape and were in the masterplan to be replaced, he said. In an update provided to teachers, New Haven Federation of Teachers President Dave Cicarella said that, while pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers at the districts other elementary schools will be expected to return to the classroom, teachers at West Rock and Quinnipiac will continue teaching remotely and will not be transferred to other schools. Students at those schools who hope to attend school in-person will be transferred to other schools through a mini-lottery. Teachers at Quinnipiac and West Rock will be given priority in transferring to other schools for next year, Cicarella wrote to the unions members. Rhodes said she was relieved to learn that her son could finish the school year remotely with his teacher, who she said has an excellent rapport with the first-grade students and parents at Quinnipiac. We have some really great educators in this school system and I hope that the people at Quinnipiac STEM who are going to have to go to other schools will stay within our system, because theyre valuable and theyre making a huge difference in our community, she said. When Rhodes reenters her son into the school choice and enrollment lottery this year, she said they will look to send him to Fair Haven School for second grade. Although Fair Haven is one of the largest elementary schools in the district and Quinnipiac is one of the smallest, Rhodes said the appeal of both schools is that they are in the neighborhood. About 400 students attend both West Rock and Quinnipiac, although enrollment has fallen at both in the last five years. According to the data, West Rocks enrollment fell by nearly 100 students between 2015-16 and 2019-20 from 272 to 174. In that same time period, Quinnipiacs enrollment fell from 330 to 279. The closure of the two schools would mark the first time the district has closed schools since 2018, when the school board voted to close Creed High School and to consolidate three alternative high schools into one. Since then, the district relocated the former Strong School into a new location just off Southern Connecticut State Universitys campus and renamed it the Barack H. Obama magnet school. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com WASHINGTON U.S. intelligence and national security agencies on Tuesday afternoon pointed to Russian hackers as the culprit behind an unprecedented digital breach of thousands of public and private sector networks. A sophisticated hacking group that is likely Russian in origin is responsible for most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks, according to a joint statement issued by the newly organized Cyber Unified Coordination Group. The members of the new group include the FBI, the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the National Security Agency. The announcement comes just weeks before President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration, and at a time when the outgoing Trump administration has been focused on its claims of electoral fraud, which have been rejected repeatedly by election officials and the courts. SolarWinds headquarters in Austin, Texas. (Sergio Flores/Reuters) In early December, private cybersecurity company FireEye, the first to notice something awry in its systems, announced it had been breached. FireEye passed what it knew on to government investigators, determining that hackers had inserted malicious code into security updates for widely used IT monitoring software made by software company SolarWinds. SolarWinds disclosed the intrusion on Dec. 13 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, noting that fewer than 18,000 customers had installed the specific dangerous update. The scope of the intrusion has exploded in the intervening weeks, leading both government and private sector workers to scramble to determine the damage, a process that may take months or years. The new statement confirms earlier news reports as well as a public statement from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo putting responsibility for the intrusion on the Kremlin. However, President Trump has consistently resisted publicly blaming or pressuring Russia for either this breach or previous covert and overt Russian operations against American and allied interests. Story continues Trump previously downplayed the seriousness of the breach, announcing that it was under control. He also alleged in a series of tweets that the Fake News Media wanted to blame Russia, claimed China could be behind the breach, and resurfaced conspiracy theories about compromised voting machines that could have led to his loss in the presidential election. Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 7. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin/Pool/AP) In the meantime, the Trump administration has continued to oust public servants who have helped fact-check those claims, starting with former CISA Director Chris Krebs and, most recently, earlier on Tuesday, CISA Director of Public Affairs Sara Sendek. Its unclear whether Trump will push back on the new statement blaming Russia, though the new task force was formed on behalf of President Trump, the agencies wrote in a joint press release. In addition to offering a tentative attribution for the compromise, the intelligence agencies also concluded that the Russian effort amounted to an intelligence gathering effort rather than a targeted attack aimed at destruction or subterfuge an assessment that will likely affect the governments potential response. President-elect Biden in mid-December condemned the intrusion and pressured the Trump administration to name and shame Russia, promising to do all that needs to be done to investigate and address the compromise once in office. He said he will probably respond in kind, though experts have pointed out the NSA and other U.S. intelligence agencies are constantly looking for opportunities to infiltrate Russian networks the same way U.S. networks were exposed. While the investigation into the breach is ongoing, the intelligence agencies wrote, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic. According to the investigation so far, the government has only learned of fewer than 10 U.S. government agencies that have been compromised by follow-on activity on their systems. The statement did not elaborate, however, on what exactly that follow-on activity might be, including additional indicators of further compromise or evidence that data was exfiltrated from those agencies. The group also promised to release further details on the compromise as they become available. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Former Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said January 6 would be 'Judgment Day' - the tagline of one of his popular 'Terminator' films - blasting lawmakers who plan to vote against President-elect Joe Biden's win. 'For those in my party considering standing up against the voters on January 6th, know this: our grandchildren will know your names only as the villains who fought against the great American experiment and the will of the voters,' Schwarzenegger wrote in an essay for The Economist. 'You will live in infamy.' On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence will preside over a Congressionl session in which the Electoral College votes are read and counted. Former GOP California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (left) blasted Republican lawmakers backing President Donald Trump (right), who plan to object to Electoral College vote counts in the Congressional session Wednesday to certify the election results In an essay for The Economist, Schwarzenegger called Wednesday's Congressional session 'Judgment Day,' the tagline of one of his 'Terminator' films. 'Will they choose to side with the voters, or will they choose to side with their party and their selfish president?' he wrote Usually the session is a formality, but Democrats in 2005 and 2017 raised some objections. In those cases, nominees John Kerry and Hillary Clinton weren't on board. But President Donald Trump, who has refused to concede the election to Biden, is continuing to push the false narrative that Republican lawmakers and Pence can overrule the results on January 6. Pence doesn't have the Constitutional power to do so. In Congress, while a number of Republicans have said they'd object to certain states' results, they don't have the votes to be successful. Additionally, Congress has never thrown out Electoral College votes. Packs of the president's supporters were already roaming around downtown D.C. for a protest event by lunchtime Tuesday. Schwarzenegger called on Republican members of Congress to put an end to the farce. 'There is no question about who won the presidential election and continuing this charade is stupid, crazy and evil,' he wrote. Schwarzenegger talked about his own Austrian upbringing, writing about how the country was in ruins after World War II. 'Growing up, I was surrounded by broken men drinking away their guilt over their participation in the most evil regime in history,' he recalled. 'They were part of a system that murdered 6 million Jews along with at least 5 million other innocent people, tortured and experimented on human beings and started a war that caused 75 million deaths,' he continued. 'Not all of them were rabid anti-Semites or Nazis,' Schwarzenegger observed. 'Many just went along step by step down the road toward greater and greater evil because it was the easiest path,' the ex-actor added. Schwarzenegger said he didn't believe the U.S. was 'capable of those depths of evil.' 'But I do believe we should remember the dire consequences that choosing selfishness and cynicism over service and hope can have,' he wrote. He applauded Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who stayed firm when the president asked the state's election officials to 'find 11,780 votes' on a Saturday call. Raffensperger then leaked audio of the call to The Washington Post. 'If I hadn't already given Mr. Raffensperger a Democracy Action Hero award last month - which my institute at the University of Southern California hands out to recognise officials who protect American values - Id be scrambling to honour him now,' Schwarzenegger said. 'He is a true hero for standing up to this un-American bulls***,' he said. Throughout the essay, the so-called 'Governator' played up his Hollywood roots. He quoted George Washington's essay - a warning about toxic partisanship. 'Today he sounds like someone who travelled through time (though I thought that was my thing),' Schwarzenegger remarked. That, of course, was a 'Terminator' reference. 'I once did a Terminator film called "Judgment Day,"' Schwarzenegger also wrote. 'That's just Hollywood. But January 6th is Judgment Day for a lot of politicians.' 'Will they choose to side with the voters, or will they choose to side with their party and their selfish president?' the former governor asked. A little optimism can go a long way these days particularly for hard-hit companies. This was the case for Tui, whose shares leapt after boss Fritz Joussen told a German newspaper that he expects 'a largely normal summer' for the company this year. His comments, made over the weekend, were reassuring for investors in the battered travel industry, which was among the worst-hit in 2020 when Covid chaos grounded flights for months on end and in many countries put paid even to domestic trips. Boost: Anglo-German holiday company TUI's shares rose 4.7% yesterday after boss Fritz Joussen said he expects 'a largely normal summer' for the company this year The rollout of multiple vaccines this winter comes during the quietest part of the year for travel firms and the mass jab programmes may mean holidaymakers desperate for a beach break can book ahead for the summer. The Anglo-German travel company will be helped by the fact that it sells holidays both in Europe and further afield and that it does not overly rely on customers coming from any one country. The FTSE 250-listed group crashed to a 2.9billion loss in the year to September, after the pandemic forced it to cancel thousands of trips, including 80 per cent during the lucrative summer season. But Tui shares surged by around 9 per cent in early trading and finished the day up 4.7 per cent, or 21.4p, at 479.8p after the surge in Covid infections and new clampdowns in the UK made traders nervous and ate into some of the earlier gains. Joussen's upbeat comments meant Tui outperformed many of its peers. Stock Watch - Eqtec Waste-to-energy specialist Eqtec soared after a major shareholder lent it 1.25million. The one-year loan from Altair Group, which owns around 20 per cent of Eqtec, will be used to pay off money still owed to another firm, Riverfort Capital. Eqtec said earlier this year it has seen an increase in the number of potential clients asking about its technology that gasifies waste such as wood chippings to make gas. AIM-listed Eqtec's shares jumped 6.6 per cent, or 0.17p, to 2.76p. British Airways-owner IAG which has been hammered by the slump in transatlantic flights fell 6.2 per cent, or 9.95, to 149.85p, while Easyjet slumped by 7.9 per cent, or 65.2p, to 764.8p, and plane engine maker Rolls-Royce by 7.2 per cent, or 8.05p, to 103.2p. The wider market rose during the first day of trading in 2021 although, like Tui, the early surges lost steam later in the day. After climbing by as much as 3 per cent the FTSE 100 ended 1.7 per cent higher, or 111.36 points, to 6571.88, as the index's biggest miners rose in parallel with metals prices. The more domestically focused FTSE 250 inched 0.2 per cent higher, or 49.59 points, to 20537.89 on the prospect of more lockdowns. Boris Johnson's Christmas Eve Brexit deal with the EU meant there was no turbulence related to Brexit. The agreement covers goods rather than services meaning there are a lot of details that still have to be hammered out, particularly where finance is concerned. Bitcoin prices see-sawed, with the digital currency racing through the $34,000 mark at rip-roaring speed before slumping back to around $30,000. One bitcoin was worth around $31,175 last night. Hip replacement-maker Smith & Nephew, up 3.8 per cent, or 57p, to 1567p, completed the 175million takeover of US group Extremity Orthopaedics, which has been working on new shoulder replacement systems. And Country Life-publisher Future also got a boost, rising 3.7 per cent, or 64p, to 1802p, after providing an update on a deal. It said it has been given a green light by regulators to buy price comparison site Goco. Elsewhere, high-tech defence company Qinetiq bagged a 127million contract to support the RAF's fleet of Typhoon jet fighters. Qinetiq which was spun out of the Ministry of Defence and is said to have been the inspiration for Q in James Bond will provide engineering services and will work on a radar development programme.Shares fell 0.4 per cent, or 1.2p, to 318.6p. An upgrade to 'neutral' from 'underperform' from Exane BNP Paribas analysts was not enough to rouse Next's stock. It slid 2.5 per cent, or 174p, to 6912p, as investors braced before seeing the full extent of the damage done by Covid restrictions over Christmas. From a strange figure appearing in an Indonesia forest to lightning-proof humans and an alien creature found in Russia the world is full of strange and unusual sightings, but with science and technology these mysteries can be solved. Veteran television journalist Tony Harris has set out on a journey to determine what is real, what is fake and everything in between with the help of experts during History channels latest series The Proof Is Out There. Harris takes an in-depth look at some of the most incredible and thought provoking videos of unexplained phenomena and mysterious must-see moments of all time. I have become more interested in UFO and extraterrestrials as the revelations have been coming out from various governments around the world, Harris told DailyMail.com. We have moved beyond the tin foil hat guy. This seems to be a really interesting field and as journalists we are always interested in finding answers to big questions and are you alone in the world is a big one. The first episode begins with a video showing a group of motorcyclists riding through an Indonesian forest when a small, human-like figure runs out from the brush and disappears into the trees. Residents in the area speculated that it may be a rare Orang Pendek that once lived in the region, while others suggest it could be a member of a long lost pygmy tribe. The Proof Is Out There showcases 30-minute episodes with the first airing Tuesday, January 5 at 10pm ET. Scroll down for videos Veteran television journalist Tony Harris has set out on a journey to determine what is real, what is fake and everything in between with the help of experts during History Channels latest series The Proof Is Out There' A team of experts from around the world have been brought in to help Harris determine what is seen in the clips. They use a number of scientific methods and technologies to evaluate each of the videos. For investigating the video footage, the team is using such methods as macroblock and motion vector analysis and geolocation. Macroblock is used to determine authenticity of videos, as it compresses the clip into individual blocks and allows users to analyze each one individually. Motion vector allows viewers to see how content moves and geolocation provides insight into the location of where a video was captured. Spectogram analysis is used for audio and dentition and gait analysis was conducted for evaluating animal morphology and biological analysis. For the video showing motorists in Indonesia, Harris and his team investigate the two theories was it an elusive Orang Pendek or a member of a long-lost tribe? An Orang Pendek is a creature in Indonesian folklore, similar to America's Big Foot, which lived in forest son the island of Sumatra (concept drawing) For the video showing motorists in Indonesia, Harris and his team investigate the two theories was it an elusive Orang Pendek or a member of a long-lost tribe? An Orang Pendek is a creature in Indonesian folklore, similar to America's Big Foot, which lived in forest son the island of Sumatra. The name means 'short person' in Indonesian and was allegedly seen by villagers some 100 years ago, which may be why some believed the figure in the video was this long-lost creature. A forensic video expert took an in-depth look at the video to determine if the video is real or fabricated before Harris moved on to what the figure actually is. To answer this, motion vector analysis was used, which allowed the expert to see how well the video flowed and how the content plays out. We understand that we have a bit of a mission to people who are true believers, Harris said. There are a number of videos out there that have gone unexplained and we are using our team of experts to see what is there or what is not there. After being hit by lightning, a man gets up, walks a few steps and is struck again. Mic Wess, a science writer, also weighed in on the strange footage and notes that there are discrepancies Another segment of the first episode shows a clip of humans who survive being struck by lightning and sometimes even hit twice in a matter of seconds. The location of one video is unknown, although Harris speculates it is from China. It shows a man walking into a driveway who is struck by lightning. After being hit, the man gets up, walks a few steps and is struck again. Lightning bolts can leave bizarre markings on the body called Lichtenberg figures, which appear to produce flowering patterns along a persons arm, leg or anywhere on the flesh. There are also cases where people develop an immunity to electricity and can withstand lethal doses of electricity. Atmospheric scientist Dr. Deanna Hence was brought in for these cases and found it peculiar that the man who was struck by lightning twice was surrounded by larger objects that should have been hit first. Mic Wess, a science writer, also weighed in on the strange footage and notes that there are discrepancies. Together, Hence and Wess used different computer modifications to determine the whether the footage was authentic. The outcome will be revealed in the first episode. Another investigation highlights what some say was an encounter of the third kind. In Siberia, a man walking his dog stumbled across a strange three-foot creature lying in the snow. The figure was missing limbs, displayed a gray coloration and did not have any features that suggests what it might have been. Harris asked Lucy Eckersley, a wildlife biologist, to help solve the mystery of the strange figure, which she determines isn't human. Forensic investigator Chase Kloetzke then set out to answer the question of what the figure actually is and looked at the surrounding scene for clues like blood, pus and debris to determine whether the figure was a fallen alien or the remains of an earthly animal. Another investigation highlights what some say was an encounter of the third kind. In Siberia, a man walking his dog stumbled across a strange three-foot creature lying in the snow' The figure was missing limbs, displayed a gray coloration and did not have any features that could suggest what it might be Harris is an Emmy Award winning journalist filmmaker, who has covered stories including the British Petroleum oil spill, the Hurricane Katrina and the Southeast Asia tsunami. 'When folks come to our show, you are coming into my lair when you are here with us, Harris told DailyMail.com. No questions are off limits. No judgments. We are just trying to explain the unexplained. I am really proud of our team. I think for me, I have covered some of the biggest stories on the planet and wanted to take a different route that answers are we alone? By Florence Tan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday after OPEC and allied producers, including Russia, continued deadlocked talks on February output while fuel demand concerns lingered on amid new COVID-19 lockdowns. Brent crude futures for March rose 8 cents, or 0.2%, to $51.17 a barrel by 0206 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for February was at $47.74 a barrel, up 12 cents, or 0.3%. Both contracts fell more than 1% on Monday after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, failed to ... New Delhi, Jan 5 : After Supreme court's nod to the Central Vista project, the Congress on Tuesday said the case was not about the legal aspects, but it was an issue of misplaced priorities during the time of pandemic and economic recession. Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "The Rs 13,450 crore Central Vista Project is not a legalistic issue but a case of misplaced priorities of a whimsical autocrat seeking to etch his name in the annals of history with cement and mortar." The Congress leader said it is ironic that in times of the corona pandemic and economic recession, Delhi has Rs 14,000 crore for the Central Vista and Rs 8,000 crore for buying aircrafts for PM. "But the same BJP Govt imposes cuts of Rs 37,530 crore in allowances of 113 lakh Armed Forces and Central Govt Employees and Pensioners," he tweeted. The Congress leader said the Prime Minister must not forget that he has imposed cuts of Rs 11,000 crore on 15 lakh soldiers and 26 lakh military pensioners and the same BJP government at the Centre has no time to provide 'heated tents and equipment' to our soldiers braving brazen the Chinese incursions in Ladakh. On Tuesday a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court cleared the redevelopment plan for the Central Vista with a 2:1 majority on Tuesday, although with riders. The bench held that there were "no infirmities in clearances given, change in land use and the environmental clearances". However, it imposed some riders like clearance from the heritage conservation committee. The project envisages a new Parliament building, with a seating capacity of up to 1,200 MPs. The project is estimated to be constructed by August 2022, when the country will celebrate its 75th Independence Day. On December 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building. The construction is expected to cost around Rs 971 crore and the common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Champaign, IL (61820) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies late. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Last week, a roof collapse at a cremation ground at Muradnagar in Ghaziabad killed 24 people and injured at least 17 others. On Tuesday, Ghaziabad Police arrested the contractor who built the crematorium; four government officials, too, have been arrested. An initial report indicated that substandard material was used to build the crematorium, and there were other design issues, which might have led to the structural failure. While the swift action taken by the administration and the police is praiseworthy, the roof collapse is symptomatic of a larger problem that is rampant across India the failure of the State to not just ensure good quality public infrastructure (all built with public money), but also force contractors to keep to timelines and maintain infrastructure projects during their lifecycle. This lack of admin-istrative capability and criminal negligence is responsible for open borewells, weak flood embankments, wobbly bridges, and potholes in the roads, all of which have humanitarian conseque-nces. Slow police action, judicial delays when it comes to taking action against the culprits, and absence of political will to ensure quality projects add to the challenge. Research from around the world (compiled by TheConversation, an academic website) throws up several reasons why governments slip up in implementing public projects. Announcement is often equated with accomplishment and officials lose interest when details are worked out; when things go wrong, those who speak up about the problems are dismissed, discounted or punished; many implementers suffer from optimism bias (what could go wrong?), and there is steady turnover of officials. These are valid explanations and structural reform is essential. For now, it is important that there is justice for all those who lost their lives in a needless tragedy. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. DecisionDatabases added the latest report with a global perspective on the Conductivity Transmitters Market studied under different segments, including type, application, and regions. The report is treated with size, trends, growth, share, and forecast till 2025. Besides, the research report studied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall growth at the global level. This report also offers a lucrative area of the industry at the regional and country level. The final report will cover the impact of COVID-19 on this industry. The global Conductivity Transmitters market report presents a complete research-based study of the industry including details such as company shares, forecast data, in-depth analysis and an outlook of the market on a worldwide platform. The report further highlights the market drivers, restraints and the top manufacturers at the global and regional levels. For a thorough understanding, the report also offers market segmentation and regional analysis for the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. Click here to get a Sample PDF Copy of the Conductivity Transmitters Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-30101 According to this study, over the next five years, the Conductivity Transmitters market will register an xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ xx million by 2025, from $ xx million in 2020. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in the Conductivity Transmitters business, shared in Chapter 3. This Conductivity Transmitters market report also splits the market by regions: Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries). This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of the Conductivity Transmitters market by type, application, key manufacturers, key regions, and countries. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3. ABB DKK-TOA SWAN Analytische Instrumente ALFA LAVAL Nivelco Xylem Analytics Deltaohm LTH Electronics Thermo Fisher Scientific Schneider Electric Analytical Technology KOBOLD Messring Others To inquire about report customization, feel free to reach out to our team of expert analysts @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/ask-questions-30101 This study considers the Conductivity Transmitters value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments: Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.7. Measurement Range Less Than 100S/cm Measurement Range 100-1000S/cm Measurement Range More Than 1000S/cm Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.8. Water Treatment Chemical Environmental Food & Beverages In addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, challenges and the risks faced by key manufacturers and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development. Purchase the Complete Global Conductivity Transmitters Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-30101 Research Objectives To study and analyze the global Conductivity Transmitters consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, type and application, history data from 2015 to 2019, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of the Conductivity Transmitters market by identifying its various subsegments. Focuses on the key global Conductivity Transmitters manufacturers, to define, describe, and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years. To analyze the Conductivity Transmitters with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). To project the consumption of Conductivity Transmitters submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 90 28 057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Reference Source: https://www.topnewscorner.com/global-conductivity-transmitters-market-report-analysis-by-types-applications-regional-outlook-and-forecast-to-2025/ Andhra Pradesh: When a sacred river offers shelter, livelihood to 4 families by T. Appala Naidu January 05,2021 | Source: The Hindu For nearly two decades, the sacred river Sabari and a group of four migrant fisherfolk families have remained steadfast companions near Chintoor village along the tri-State border of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chattisgarh in East Godavari Agency. The strong survival skills of the fisherfolk motivated them to make the river their permanent home by developing a tiny settlement by it. Migrating from Dowleswaram village in the Godavari delta in early 2000, the four families decided to make a living by taking up fishing in the Sabari, and are operating four houseboats in which they live as well as fish on the tri-State border. Their habitat now comprises four house boats, four temporary houses on the sands of the river, where four families with 25 people have settled, eking out a livelihood by fishing in the river. We have ten children with us. All of them attend school in Chintoor village, says Volisetti Durga, one of the eight women who live in the settlement and join their families for fishing. The eldest in the settlement, Gudem Venkateswarlu, narrates how life is by the river. Except the children, everyone including women go for fishing in the Sabari, covering the stretch of 13-km river until Konta in Chhattisgarh, Motu in Odisha and Chintoor. We never fish in the Sileru that joins the Sabari at Konta, he says, adding that many a times, they go for fishing during the night. A majority of the days catch is sold at their settlement that is thronged by locals, while the rest is sold in Chintoor village. Another family elder, Volisetti Kamaraju, 40, says: We never felt the need to return to our native place. Life by the Sabari is comfortable thanks to the low cost of living. Here, we have everything we want water, fish, family and a market. Post the floods in the Godavari and Sabari, many fisherfolk began thronging this area for fishing but later returned to their native places. Recently, local authorities have sanctioned a ration card to my family. Our children have enrolled at the government school in Chintoor. Here, we have never faced any problems as the Koya tribe is always there to help us at any time, says Durga, Mr. Kamarajus wife. On October 23 last year, Nutti Harikrishna and Nutti Vijaya got married on this settlement. The bride, Ms. Vijaya, belongs to Dowleswaram. I wanted my marriage to be performed along the Sabari. We even invited our relatives and guests from outside for the wedding, Mr. Harikrishna says. I am happy to live in the houseboats and spending the days with my husband going fishing, Ms. Vijaya says. US-based e-commerce giant Amazon.com NV Investment Holdings LLC and Kishore Biyani-founded Future Group are gearing up for the final battle at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) over Future Groups 24,713-crore deal with Asias richest man Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd. This, as SIAC formed its panel on Tuesday to pass its final judgement on the high-profile arbitration case between Amazon and Future Group. Two persons directly familiar with Tuesdays development at SIAC confirmed this. SIAC, on 25 October, had passed an interim order in favour of Amazon, restraining Future Group from proceeding on the deal. Amazon has also asked Indias market regulator to restrain Future Group from merging six of its firms, which is a key part of the deal with RIL. The SIAC arbitration panel is meant to pass the final verdict whether Future Group can go ahead with its mega deal with RIL or not. The SIAC Registry has informed parties that the arbitral tribunal has been constituted," said Alexander Kwiatkowski, Amazon's spokesperson for Asia Pacific. Amazon, on 5 October, had filed an arbitration case against Future Group for deciding to forge an alliance with RIL to sell Future Groups retail, wholesale and logistics business without Amazons consent, which was required according to an agreement signed between Future Group and Amazon in August 2019. Veteran barrister Michael Hwang has been appointed as the judge for the tribunal in the Amazon-Future case," said the first person aware of the development. There will be two members in the arbitration panel when the case will come up for hearing in the next few weeks, according to the first person. Albert Jan van den Berg, a founding partner of law firm Hanotiau and Van de Berg and Jan Paulsson, a Swedish arbitration veteran and founding partner of Three Crowns Llp. are the two members of the arbitration panel. Albert Jan Van Den Berg has been appointed by Amazon, while Paulsson has been shortlisted by the Future Group as the members of the tribunal," said the first person. Hwang is a former judicial commissioner of the Supreme Court of Singapore. SIAC's final verdict will be key to the RIL-Future deal since the Delhi Court recently judged that Future Group and Amazon should approach competent regulators or authorities and go by their judgement. While an interim order by SIAC restrained Future Group from taking any step towards the proposed deal with RIL, the SIAC tribunal may dismiss this interim order and judge in favour of Future Group since the Delhi High Court has mentioned in its order that Amazon would be in breach of India's FDI norms if it intervenes in the deal between Future Retail Ltd. and RIL since Amazon doesn't own control of FRL and has not taken the government's approval to control FRL. Indias FDI norms allow 51% holding by a foreign entity in a multi-brand retail firm such as FRL, but Amazon did not take the governments permission for acquiring control over FRL. However, the agreement between Amazon and Future Group, which was signed in August 2019, states that Future Group cannot forge an alliance in the retail space with RIL without Amazons prior consent. Amazon and Future Group are entangled in a bitter legal battle that is intensifying fast in the wake of an increased competition among some of the largest retailers in the world to capture a market share in India's thriving retail and e-commerce space. And therefore, SIAC's final ruling will be crucial for Amazon. A favourable verdict will help Amazon continue to serve its Indian retail customers seamlessly since Future Group will have to keep providing goods ordered by customers on Amazon's marketplace through digital applications. A judgement against Amazon will make the e-commerce battle tough for Amazon since it will have to compete with an already-grown Indian retail giant RIL. In fact to stall the RIL-Future deal Amazon has written five letters to the Securities and Exchange Board of India or Sebi. In its latest letter on 21 December, Amazon has asked Sebi to stop the amalgamation of Future Group companies, for which both BSE and NSE have given NOCs recently. The Delhi High Court, on 21 December passed an order, declining Future Group's plea for an interim injunction to stop Amazon from approaching regulators on the RIL-Future deal. FRL has argued before the court that SIACs ruling is not legally enforceable in India. Future Retail Ltd. had prayed before Delhi High Court for an interim injunction restraining Amazon from interfering in the RIL-Future deal. The Court has declined to grant this injunction. The Delhi High Court has held that the interim award is valid under Indian lawThe Delhi High Court has also made it clear that no observations were passed with respect to the merits of the interim award. Consequently, all findings contained in the interim award, including the finding that FRL is a necessary and proper party to the arbitration proceedings, continue to be valid. The arbitration proceedings thus continue, including against FRL," said the Amazon letter. On 29 August, RIL signed an agreement with Kishore Biyanis Future Group to buy out the retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing businesses from Future Group companies for 24,713 crore. Following this, Future Group has approached stock exchanges and Sebi for an approval on a draft scheme of arrangement entailing merger of six Future Group firms into its flagship Future Enterprises Ltd. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. ISLAMABAD: Minorities have continued to be the favourite target of Islamist Sunni hardliners in Pakistan. This time terrorists from the Islamic State have committed Hazara genocide. A recent spurt in anti-Shia violence was seen in Pakistan, wherein a cowardly incident on Sunday (January 3), 11 miners were killed and many others were injured in a terrorist attack in Machh, Balochistan. These poor miners belonged to the Hazara community. The miners were killed in a barbarous manner, where their hands were tied, and throats were slashed after blindfolding them. This was a clear case of target killing against minorities as local newspaper The Balochistan Post reported that the terrorist surrounded the mines and abducted the miners after identifying them as Hazaras. Additionally, 4 other miners were injured in the indiscriminate firing by the terrorists. Reuters later reported that the attack was carried out by the terrorists from ISKP,backed by ISI, who have claimed the responsibility for this barbarism. The killings have come at a time when the Pakistans army is engaged in killing Baloch activists in a regular manner. The precursor to Sunday's violence were majorly visible, where a globally known nexus of ISI,Pakistani Army and its sponsored terror outfits have been active towards their goal of riding on the wave of fanatic religiosity and jingoism in Pakistan. It should be noted that the Pakistan's army has been actively engaged in quelling the voices of dissent from the region. The killing has been condemned by many notable Baloch voices, who see the presence of such religious fundamentalist forces in the region as a Pakistani army supported venture. Baloch activists from the region have called this attack an attempt to create fear amongst the people, who are fighting for the basic human rights in Balochistan. Hazaras have faced the heat of sectarian violence all over Pakistan. A large number of killings have happened primarily in Balochistan , where the Hazaras form a significant part of the demography. As per the report published by the Home Office of the Government of UK, till 2019, a total of 2,000 Hazaras have been killed in different waves of sectarian violence by Islamic State, Tehreek-i-Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. The Hazaras are also easily profiled out by the terrorists and security forces due to their distinct physical features. They also have faced public discrimination by being referred to as heretics. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has been holding anti-Shia rallies, handing over anti-Shia and ant Hazara leaflets in Balochistan, they have also been found to be engaged in drawing of anti-Hazara graffities on the walls in Quetta, thus trying to create a public hatred against the community. The possibility of such a dastardly attack on the Hazaras was already anticipated and conveyed to the world in 2020 only, when human rights activist Derakhshan Qurban Ali had expressed her concerns on the rising statue of Sunni terrorist groups in the region, including ISKP and Taliban, who have previously also engaged in the terror attacks on Hazaras. On the lines of these religiously motivated terror outfits, many anti-Shia terrorist organizations like Sipah-e Sahaba have gradually emerged with new names and a larger fanatic base. In the wake of terrorist attacks on Hazaras, prominent journalist from the newspaper Dawn, Mubashir Zaidi, in a tweet cornered the Pakistani government in failing to provide security to its citizens and called out the popular gimmick used by Pakistan, of accusing India for its own security failures and using the anti-India sentiment as a scapegoat from the situation. Similarly, the Baloch political parties have extended their support and condolences to the families of the slain miners. The families of slain miners have continued the demonstration with the bodies on the Western bypass in Quetta and blocked the national highway in Machh. Even after multiple terrorist attacks, the plight of Hazaras in Pakistan has repeatedly failed to fetch the attention of Indias human rights defenders, who claim to be the messiah of human rights all over the world. The Hazaras face the risk of persecution every time they go out of their designated settlement areas. The report by the Home Office of government of UK also mentioned the deliberate delay by the officials from Pakistani agency, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), in issuing the Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) to the Hazaras, thus creating difficulties for them in accessing basic needs such as education,healthcare and employment. Over the time the sectarian violence against the Hazaras has led to many of the male members of families being killed, further the ghettoization of the community has made them unable to find means to sustain themselves.The Hazara community has been confined to open jails where the basic means of sustenance are not available. The government has failed in its promise to grant the basic necessities to the community, which also faces restrictions of movement owing to the security threats. This has led to development of another gendered issue in the region, where the women who lead such households, where there is no male member alive to earn bread, have to step out as breadwinners for their family in an extremely hostile environment. Pakistan has a proven track record of not only denying minority rights but also making them socially vulnerable to persecution and fanatic mob lynching. Countless young women from minority communities like Hazaras, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians have been abducted, raped and converted, while their families have been tortured by Islamist hardliners and weird rulings by the courts. Facing the same fate, the persecution of Hazaras is a worrying cause, in an increasingly fanatic environment where political parties like Tehreek-e-Labbaik have started to gain support and momentum, the future of religious, linguistic and ethnic minorities seems too grim in Pakistan. Pakistan has assured safeguarding of minority rights to many international organizations, but it has repeatedly and deliberately failed on its promises and has resorted to reap out the political benefits from internal hatred, While it often tries to propagate some unfortunate instances of random frictions in India as the acts of oppression against minorities, time has come for Pakistan to correct its wrongdoings and face the questions arising in the geopolitical arena regarding its treatment of minorities. The ongoing Baloch genocide, the targeting of Hindu temples, Christian churches and Ahmedi mosques raise serious question on what message Pakistan wants to give to its minorities. Aerial photo taken on Jan. 1, 2021 shows the Three Gorges Dam in central China's Hubei Province. The Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station on China's Yangtze River has generated 111.8 billion kWh in 2020, a new world record. (Photo by Xiang Hongmei/Xinhua) WUHAN, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station on China's Yangtze River has generated 111.8 billion kWh in 2020, a new world record. It beat the previous world record for hydropower generation of 103.098 billion kWh set by Brazil's Itaipu hydroelectric plant in 2016. The clean energy produced by the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station in 2020 is estimated to be equivalent to saving about 34.39 million tonnes of standard coal and preventing the emissions of carbon dioxide by 94.02 million tonnes. Chen Hui, head of the Three Gorges hydroelectric plant, said the new world record is of great significance considering the COVID-19 epidemic and floods in the Yangtze River basin in 2020. At the beginning of 2020, the hydropower station continued to increase its output and the clean electricity it transmitted to eastern, central and southern China reached the highest level in the same period in history, which provided a strong basic energy guarantee for epidemic prevention and control and work resumption in China. With 34 hydropower turbo-generators, the hydropower station has a generating capacity of 22.5 million kilowatts. Enditem 7 1 [ Editor: SRQ ] The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Kerala gold smuggling case on Tuesday filed the first charge- sheet against selected accused in a special court in Kochi. In a surprise move, fourth accused in the case Sandip Nair, who was arrested along with prime accused Swapna Suresh from their hideout in Bengaluru in July, was made an approver in the case. The NIA filed the first chargesheet since some of the accused were planning to move court for bail citing their 6-month long judicial custody. Twenty people have been named in the charge-sheet and they were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act Sections 16, 17, 18 and 20, said NIA in a statement. But senior IAS officer M Sivasankar, who was Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans secretary, did not figure in the initial charge-sheet. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested him in connection with money laundering related to the smuggling case. Among the 35 arrested, 20 figure in the first charge-sheet. A senior official familiar with the probe said a supplementary charge-sheet will be filed later as the investigation progressed. He also said hectic efforts are on to extradite some of accused staying in West Asian countries. The chargesheet was filed by investigating officer Radhakrishna Pillai before the NIA court. Earlier, while hearing the bail pleas of some of the accused, the court had repeatedly asked the agency to submit the terror angle evidence in the case. This is the first time the agency slapped the UAPA, which is usually invoked for terror incidents, in a smuggling case. Investigation revealed that the accused had knowingly conspired since June 2019, raised funds and smuggled from the UAE, between November 19 and June 20 around 167 kgs of gold, through the import cargo addressed to diplomats at the consular general office of UAE in Thiruvananthapuram, said the NIA. The main accused in the case also planned to smuggle more gold from countries like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, it said adding eight accused were absconding. The case was registered by the central agency on July 10. The sensational gold smuggling case came to light on July 5 after 30 kg of the yellow metal was seized by the Customs from a package camouflaged as diplomatic consignment addressed to the UAE consulate in the state capital. Later PS Sarith Kumar, a former public relations officer of the consulate who came to receive the baggage, was arrested by the Customs. Customs sniffed trouble after many household items were imported through the consular office. Five days later, two other suspects, Swapna Suresh and her accomplice Sandip Nair, were arrested from their hideout in Bengaluru by the NIA. Later senior IAS officer M Sivasankar, Kerala CMs principal secretary, was arrested after his alleged links with Suresh surfaced. Now a multi-agency team involving five central agencies is probing the case and has arrested 34 people. The Enforcement Directorate had grilled another secretary of the Chief Minister, CM Raveendran, and state minister KT Jaleel a couple of times in connection with the case. Meanwhile, Speaker P Sivaramakrishnans additional private secretary K Ayyappan, who was summoned by the Customs in connection with the case, failed to appear before the agency. He later informed the Commissionerate of Customs that he would appear after getting a proper notice. There is a strong speculation that the Speaker will also be summoned. There are many allegations saying he travelled with some of the accused during foreign trips. New Delhi: The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel Coronavirus that was first reported in the United Kingdom now stands at 58, the Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry said on Tuesday. The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel Coronavirus first reported in the UK now stands at 58: Union Health Ministry pic.twitter.com/o9hadPPBrl ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 "All these persons have been kept in single-room isolation in designated healthcare facilities by the respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put in quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on," the Health Ministry said. Of these total cases, eight have been registered at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 11 at CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), (both in Delhi), and 10 at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. Three such cases have been detected at Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, one at National Institute of Biomedical Genomics in West Bengal, and 25 at National Institute of Virology, Pune. The Ministry further stated that the NCBS, InSTEM, Bengaluru, CDFD Hyderabad, ILS Bhubaneswar, and NCCS Pune have so far found no UK mutant virus. The positive samples are being tested at 10 INSACOG labs (NIBMG Kolkata, ILS Bhubaneswar, NIV Pune, NCCS Pune, CCMB Hyderabad, CDFD Hyderabad, InSTEM Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, IGIB Delhi, NCDC Delhi) for genome sequencing. The Ministry said that it is monitoring the situation closely and giving regular advice to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to labs. This is to be noted that apart from India, the new strain has been reported in several countries including Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the Civil Aviation Ministry has partially restricted the operations of flights between India and the UK. Flights from India to the UK can commence from January 6, while operations from the UK to India will begin on January 8. The Ministry has also issued a set of guidelines for passengers from the UK. All passengers will have to submit a self-declaration form on the online portal of Delhi Airport (www.newdelhiairport.in) and need to carry a negative report of the RT-PCR test conducted within 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey. Meanwhile, India on Tuesday recorded 16,375 new cases of coronavirus - the lowest in over six months - the Union Health Ministry data said. This has taken the country's COVID-19 caseload to 1,03,56,844, according to The Health Ministry. The death toll increased to 1,49,850 with 201 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 AM showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 99,75,958 pushing the national recovery rate to 96.32 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the 15th consecutive day. There are 2,31,036 active coronavirus infections in the country which comprises 2.23 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. By Finian Cunningham January 04, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Russias federal prison authorities were right to jolt Alexei Navalny this week by warning him to return immediately from Germany or else face a suspended sentence being made into jail time. The professional opposition activist claims to be convalescing in Germany after he was allegedly poisoned by a Soviet-era nerve agent in August. Western news media dutifully repeat the claim that Navalny is recuperating in Germany after having survived an assassination plot by Kremlin agents. Navalny has personally accused Russias President Vladimir Putin of ordering the alleged hit. Last week, a team of medics from the Berlin hospital where Navalny had been staying published a paper in The Lancet medical journal in which they claimed he had been poisoned with Novichok nerve agent. Their findings are dubious because the medics acknowledged the involvement of German military intelligence laboratories in conducting their analysis. But one thing the German doctors did let slip was that a 55-day follow-up check on Navalny ascertained that he had made a near-complete recovery. The Russian dissident figure was flown to Berlin on August 22, two days after he was treated in a hospital in Omsk, Russia. Thus, the German medical team are indicating no doubt inadvertently that Navalnys health recovered nearly two months ago, if not before that. No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter That means there is no medical reason why he should remain at large in Germany. His claims of convalescing and the Western medias indulgence of those claims are false, if the German doctors are correct about his recovery. Despite Navalnys arrogant disdain for Russian state laws, he is nevertheless answerable to those authorities as a citizen. While in Germany he was on probation for a suspended jail sentence concerning a fraud conviction in 2014. His so-called Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has a checkered history of shady financing, from allegations of foreign funding by the U.S. State Department to charges of embezzling millions of dollars. Ironically, the blogger and media activist produces slick programs accusing the Russian government of corruption. In any case, under the laws of the Russian Federation, the 44-year-old Navalny was on probation during the past four months of his stay in Germany. For the last two months, he is in good health, according to his German doctors. So there are no grounds for why he should abscond from Russian territory and evade the laws for which he is answerable. Not only is Navalny living as if he above the law, he has also shown flagrant contempt for the Russian authorities. Last week, he published a video on his website claiming that he had pranked a named member of Russias security service, the FSB, into admitting that agents had poisoned him while he was visiting the Siberian city of Tomsk on August 20. He was later flown in an emergency to Omsk where he was treated after having apparently fallen ill onboard a flight to Moscow. The FSB dismissed Navalnys prank telephone claim as a deep fake. The Russian doctors who treated him in Omsk and who probably saved his life have repeatedly stated that their tests showed there was no poison in Navalnys body, and specifically no traces of nerve agent. They said his illness was due to a metabolic disorder. Perhaps self-induced as a ruse to later transfer to Germany? The transcript of Navalnys purported prank call to the FSB agent reads like a comic set-up. Posing as a senior member of Russias national security council, Navalny affects to bully the supposed agent as if he is a pathetic stooge. A telling segment is where the self-styled super sleuth fishes for compliments about his own character from the purported FSB man, betraying the narcissism of a megalomaniac. Again, incredibly, we are expected to believe that someone who had a near-death experience with a lethal nerve poison and who is convalescing still in Germany somehow managed to find the energy and mental reserves to pull off a daring 45-minute telephone sting. If Navalny is fit enough to participate in such practical jokes regardless of their credibility then he is surely fit enough to abide by Russian laws and respect his probation terms. As the Russian Federal Prison Service stated this week: The convicted man is not fulfilling all of the obligations placed on him by the court, and is evading the supervision of the Criminal Inspectorate. One gets the unerring impression that Navalny and his foreign handlers have become so self-intoxicated with hubris that they are blind to their own absurd implausibilities. Why was he permitted to fly by air ambulance to Berlin in the first place if the Russian authorities had evil designs against him? While there, as a guest of the German government, Navalny has wildly accused President Putin of ordering his alleged assassination. The European governments have subsequently and rashly imposed sanctions on Russia in support of Navalnys unfounded claims. Then we have the media activist mounting further provocations parlayed into even more outlandish accusations against President Putin and the Kremlin. All the while there has been no evidence of poisoning presented to support these claims, other than unverifiable assertions by German doctors working with German military intelligence labs, as well as two other NATO laboratories and the Organization for the Prohibition on Chemical Weapons. All of them including the OPCW (the latter compromised over complicity in NATO false-flag provocations in Syria) have refused to share their analytical data and samples with Russia, and yet they are demanding that Moscow launch a criminal investigation into the Navalny case. The abdication by European governments of due process and of respect for Russian state laws, its government, and its president is astounding. They are indulging a foreign-sponsored gadfly as if he is the sovereign representative of the Russian Federation. Navalny and his foreign allies have lost the plot in their own telling of an alleged assassination plot. First things first: he is a convicted felon who is answerable to Russian law. Pushing false flags and slanderous falsehoods from abroad with the intent of damaging Russias sovereignty is an abuse of his rights. Arrogant and overindulged Navalny is patently incapable of even understanding his obligations under law as a Russian citizen. He evidently feels above the law, like many of his Western backers. Thats why Russia is right to tell him to put up or shut up. Brace for traffic chaos as the Mumbai traffic police have put in place road restrictions and diversions in areas of Mahim, where underground Metro railway construction will be carried out from January 9 to 13. According to the traffic police officers, installation of monitoring instrument and excavation work will be carried out at Paradise Cinema in Mahim. The south-bound carriageway at Lady Jamshedji Road between Mahim Junction and Paradise Cinema will be closed for vehicular traffic. Lady Jamshedji Road will be a no-parking zone for 24 hours from January 9 to 13. There will be no entry on Mohammed Chotani Road and Gabriel Road. Vehicular traffic from north to south will be diverted to SVS Road (Cadel Road), one-way from Mahim Junction towards Dadar. By taking left from Mahim Junction to Mori Road, right towards Senapati Bapat Marg, left through Sitladevi Road, then proceed to LJ Road. SVS Road from Hari Om Junction to Mahim Junction will be closed for vehicular traffic towards Bandra. The traffic towards Bandra will proceed by taking a right turn from Hari Om Junction to Sitladevi Road, then left turn towards LJ Road. Vehicular traffic from Sitladevi Road towards north will not be diverted. Barricading will be done on the south-bound road at Mahim Junction. Saint Mary Road from Haribahu Vadgaonkar Chowk towards Dallas Kolu Chowk will be closed for vehicular traffic till January 31, 2021. There will be no parking on this road on account of excavation work. A video of Canada police storming a home on New Year's Eve over a party of six has gone viral for allegedly using excessive force, Fox News reported. The video, as per Fox News, have caught the attention of Donald Trump, Jr. who retweeted it as "insanity." While Canadian broadcaster and Rebel News Founder Ezra Levant tweeted, "There were six people in a house in Gatineau, Canada. A neighbour snitched. Police went in, Gestapo style. Assaulting citizens." This is insanity and its coming here soon if you dont wake the hell up. https://t.co/48Qk0u3tWr Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 3, 2021 Levant's tweet accompanied the video that was originally posted by Nusakan Le Recalcitrant, one of those arrested. The video has been viewed 5.5 million times and received 33,300 likes, 16,800 retweets, and 4,800 quoted tweets as of writing time. Fox News revealed netizens were on a divide after watching the video saying "police officers should have tried to diffuse the situation, while others said the responding officers were in a difficult situation and simply upholding the province's mandate." The said video actually shows the arrest done by two groups of police officers to Gatineau, Quebec residents who had a New Year's Eve party despite the province's COVID-19 mandate against the intermingling of households. The first group were the original responders while the second group came as emergency responders when the situation went out of control, Fox News said. According to CBC, the police received an anonymous call from a neighbor who complained about the private gathering around 11pm ET. CBC explained that Quebec prohibits at the moment visitors from another address to visit or be inside people's homes because of the lockdown. CBC said that one of those arrested, Mattieu Tessier, complained that they were treated "like animals, like criminals" after posting a video of the arrest in his Facebook account. CBC presented Tessier's narration that his sister originally spoke to the police and when his mother asked his sister to come in because she didn't have a mask on, the police officers allegedly took their mother by the "arms from the house and pulled to get her out." This started the commotion since his mother screamed and he went to help her. CBC reported the Gatineau police clarified that what was posted in Tessier's account was only a portion of the actual incident, particularly after "one of those being arrested assaulted a police officer." "Intervention of Dec 31: The video only shows an extract of the intervention. The individuals were Recalcitrant and refused to cooperate. The individual arrested in the video had assaulted a police officer, hitting him in the face a few times," explained the Gatineau Police in its 2-part tweet. "Offense = obligation to identify oneself. A second person was also arrested and 6 reports issued (Public Health Act). We ask for your collaboration to continue to respect health measures and collaborate during any police intervention," read the second part of their tweet. Gatineau Police also responded to Levant's "Gestapo" accusation stating, "First 2 officers were wearing their masks, speaking outside with the owner. Some people became agressive. One male hit an officer multiple times in the face. The officers who were not wearing masks were called as back up and due to the emergency, didn't have time to put it on." (HealthDay)Two top officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Monday that any American who gets the Moderna or Pfizer coronavirus vaccines must get two full doses, despite international debate on possible ways to stretch vaccine supply. "We have been following the discussions and news reports about reducing the number of doses, extending the length of time between doses, changing the dose [half-dose], or mixing and matching vaccines in order to immunize more people against COVID-19," FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Dr. Peter Marks, who heads FDA's vaccine division, said in an agency statement. "These are all reasonable questions to consider and evaluate in clinical trials. However, at this time, suggesting changes to the FDA-authorized dosing or schedules of these vaccines is premature and not rooted solidly in the available evidence," they added. On Sunday, Operation Warp Speed's top adviser, Moncef Slaoui, told CNN that the FDA would consider giving half-doses of Moderna's vaccine to people aged 18 to 55which could deliver the vaccine to twice as many people in that age group. Slaoui said earlier data showed that the vaccine appeared to rouse similar antibody responses among volunteers under age 55 who received either the full 100-microgram dose or a half dose. But Marks and Hahn said these preliminary findings covered only a few people who were not followed long enough to see if their immune responses held up over time. "What we have seen is that the data in the firms' submissions regarding the first dose is commonly being misinterpreted. In the phase 3 trials, 98% of participants in the Pfizer-BioNTech trial and 92% of participants in the Moderna trial received two doses of the vaccine at either a three- or four-week interval, respectively," they said in their statement. "Those participants who did not receive two vaccine doses at either a three-or four-week interval were generally only followed for a short period of time." Changing the dosage could also hamper the U.S. vaccine effort just as the public is starting to trust the program, Dr. Anthony Fauci told The New York Times. "One of the dangers of making a change in midstream is that it could confuse the public," he explained. He also suggested that changing the vaccine dosage was "the right answer to the wrong question. At the present time, we are not dealing with a shortage of doseswe are dealing with the need to increase our efficiency in getting people vaccinated," he said. In the U.K., where England and Scotland have entered a third national lockdown as officials battle a more contagious variant of coronavirus, officials have said they will allow more than 21 days between doses of Pfizer's vaccines and would consider allowing people to get vaccinated with two different vaccines. But Hahn and Marks rejected those policies for the United States. "The available data continue to support the use of two specified doses of each authorized vaccine at specified intervals," they wrote. It's understandable that people may want to stretch the vaccine supply, but it's not safe to do so, they added. "If people do not truly know how protective a vaccine is, there is the potential for harm because they may assume that they are fully protected when they are not, and accordingly, alter their behavior to take unnecessary risks," they explained. Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, told CNN that he thought halving vaccine doses was a bad idea. "There's no data on efficacy of a half dose. If you use a half dose, you're just making it up. You're just hoping that you're right," said Offit, a member of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. "Why would you dare to make up something when you don't know whether or not it works?" New coronavirus variant now spotted in 4 U.S. States On Monday, New York joined Florida, California and Colorado as states with a known case of the new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus. Experts believe the new variant is probably already spreading elsewhere in the United States. "The virus is becoming more fit, and we're like a deer in the headlights," Dr. Eric Topol, head of Scripps Research Translational Institute, told the Associated Press. Topol said that the United States does less genetic sequencing of the virus to discover variants than other nations, and thus was probably slow to detect this new mutation. No evidence has been found that this variant is more deadly or causes more severe illness, and scientists are saying that the vaccines will work against it. But a faster-spreading virus could swamp hospitals with seriously ill patients. Researchers estimate the variant is 50% to 70% more contagious, Dr. Eric France, Colorado's chief medical officer, told the AP. "Instead of only making two or three other people sick, you might actually spread it to four or five people," France said. "That means we'll have more cases in our communities. Those number of cases will rise quickly and, of course, with more cases come more hospitalizations." The rapid spread of the new variant within Britain has triggered a third national lockdown there, with many countries banning or restricting flights from the United Kingdom. A global scourge By Tuesday, the U.S. coronavirus case count passed 20.8 million while the death toll passed 353,700, according to a Times tally. On Tuesday, the top five states for coronavirus infections were: California with over 2.4 million cases; Texas with more than 1.8 million cases; Florida with over 1.3 million cases; New York with over 1 million cases; and Illinois with more than 987,000 cases. Curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the rest of the world remains challenging. In India, the coronavirus case count was over 10.3 million on Tuesday, a Johns Hopkins University tally showed. Brazil had over 7.7 million cases and more than 196,500 deaths as of Tuesday, the Hopkins tally showed. Worldwide, the number of reported infections passed 85.7 million on Tuesday, with more than 1.8 million deaths recorded, according to the Hopkins tally. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. KABUL, Afghanistan The Fatemiyoun Brigade, a militia of Afghan refugees created by Iran to fight in Syria, held a public symposium in the Iranian city of Mashhad in August 2020. According to online promotional material, the conference was held to highlight the groups ultimate aim to expel US forces from the region. To policymakers and analysts in neighboring Afghanistan, the statement hit far too close to home. The country, which shares a 936-kilometer (582-mile) border with Iran, has been the theater of Washingtons longest-ever foreign incursion. Then, on Dec. 21, Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif appeared on Afghan television and put forth a disquieting offer to the Afghan government. The Afghan government, if willing, can regroup [the Fatemiyoun]. For the fight against Daesh and for the fight against terrorism and for the protection of Afghanistan security, Zarif told TOLOnews, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (IS). The offer came after Zarif said the Afghans were in Syria voluntarily and that the force numbered no more than 5,000 fighters. Both claims have been heavily reputed by Afghan politicians, families of former fighters and rights groups. Watching the interview, Abdul Sattar Hussaini, a member of parliament from the western province of Farah, which shares a porous border with Iran, felt both angered and vilified. Why are you trying to return our own people back to us. Who are you to return Afghans to Afghanistan? Hussaini said in response to Zarifs offer, which he noted further proves Tehrans yearslong interference in Afghan matters. In response to Zarifs comments, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement, The Constitution, national interests, and foreign policy of Afghanistan do not permit that Afghan citizens, expect from being under the national flag, enter regional wars and conflicts in different countries. Hussaini and others speaking to Al-Monitor said Kabuls response was lacking when it came to denouncing the Iranian claims. He pointed to an official visit by Afghanistan's national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib to Iran in the days following Zarifs statements as proof that the Afghan government did not go far enough. Beyond his resentment at the audacity of the statement, Hussaini sees the proposal as clear evidence of what he has been saying for years, based on both his 13 years working in border security in the western zone and his time in the parliament that Iran is actively supporting armed groups, including the Taliban, in Afghanistan. Hussaini said that Iranian spies have been arrested along the western zone of Afghanistan. One of them was caught after photographing each of our airports, he said. But he noted that Tehrans efforts in Afghanistan go beyond simple espionage. He said that at least 30%-40% of the Talibans armaments come from the neighboring Islamic Republic. Hussainis statement falls in line with years of reports from residents and officials in the provinces of Herat, Farah, Ghazni, Helmand and Kandahar that Tehran is aiding and abetting the Taliban. Hussaini said he has clear evidence that the orders for the Taliban to fight in Farah came straight from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He added that Iranian fighters have stood side by side with Taliban forces across Afghanistans western and southern zones, noting, They dress like us, talk like us and try very hard to blend in. Hussaini said these Iranians operate in a very systematized manner and possess pictures, maps and GPS details of Afghanistan. Abdul Qayyum Rahimi, who served as governor of Herat, home to Afghanistans largest border with Iran, in 2019-20, agrees with Hussainis assertions. He told Al-Monitor that though Zarif claimed Iranians just like officials of other countries met the Taliban delegation either in Doha or in their respective capitals, as part of the US-initiated peace talks, Tehrans connections to the Taliban started well before 2018. He added, Their interactions did not start yesterday; it was long before the peace talks. Hussaini said that Tehrans interference in Afghan affairs date back to the Soviet occupation of the 1980s. This was long before the United States entered Afghanistan and will continue long after, he added. Despite Zarifs disavowal of such statements, both Hussaini and Rahimi said there is clear evidence that Taliban officials are residing in various parts of Iran and that their fighters have been treated in Iranian health facilities. Rahimi, Hussaini and other sources Al-Monitor spoke to all said the Afghan people dont look highly upon foreign-trained militias, including the Fatemiyoun. Rahimi said if the Fatemiyoun were ever to shift from fighting so-called IS forces in Syria to Afghanistan, it could only create more tensions in the country. Its a huge risk. It could lead to sectarian, tribal and ethnic disputes in our own country, he noted. But the complications surrounding the Fatemiyoun in Afghanistan have already led to difficulties within the country. Last February, a new article in the Afghan penal code set out to prosecute a person who participates in wars or internal armed conflicts of other countries with a prison sentence of up to seven years. One 23-year-old from Sar-e Pol province has already been detained for at least a year under the law. This of course raises questions of how Kabul can prosecute its own citizens for committing crimes sources say were prompted by poverty and well-documented ill-treatment in a neighboring country. Ultimately, Zarifs comments, along with the reports of Irans role in assembling the Fatemiyoun and their alleged assistance to the Taliban point to a clear fact, according to Hussaini. "Afghanistan has no worse enemy on this Earth than Iran, he concluded. As dream jobs go, this one could hardly have been higher up Sarah Brett's wish list. But, so far, she freely admits that the much-coveted Good Morning Ulster gig is not quite what she signed up for. Rather than sharing the studio hot-seat alongside a co-presenter in Belfast, and with a bank of producers just behind the studio glass, the 46-year-old anchor began her new role in broadcasting from the sunroom in her elderly parents' home in Donegal. Now, after ending 2020 by moving into a new house in Co Londonderry, she is "still working remotely", but this time surfing the airwaves from "a little bunker in the Radio Foyle studio". "GMU was the job that I always really wanted," she said. "It's BBC NI's flagship breakfast programme. It's had superb presenters down through the years and is a massive honour. I thought I was ready for it." Nevertheless, she has high hopes of hitting Belfast "in the spring" - when, for the first time, she will join sidekick Chris Buckler (45) and the rest of the GMU team in its Ormeau Avenue studio - over a year since she first got the job. "Chris and I haven't actually seen each other since the interview process, which was at the end of December 2019," Sarah revealed. "Much as I'd had a great time on BBC Radio 5 Live, I'd been looking to come back to Northern Ireland for a while. I always missed home. "My mum and dad were getting to an age where they were going to need me around a bit more often." Going through the interview process, Sarah said she was "very pleased to see that Chris was one of the people in the frame for it." She added that the pair, who front GMU together three days a week - she does Monday to Thursday, while he covers Tuesday to Friday - didn't actually know each other, although she was aware of Buckler's work, which included a two-year stint in the US as BBC's Washington Correspondent. With a global pandemic in full swing, causing massive disruption to 'normal' working practices, Sarah revealed: "It was the strangest start to a job that you could possibly experience". Having initially relocated from the Peak District to Donegal with husband Terry Coyle (48) and six-year-old son Theo, Sarah was well aware of the challenge that lay ahead. "I felt a real weight of responsibility to be broadcasting on a programme that reaches all of Northern Ireland at such an important time, said Sarah, who follows in the footsteps of GMU stalwarts Noel Thompson and Karen Patterson. "With that in mind, I had to put to one side the weirdness of being only yards away from my entire sleeping family!" As a presenter on the Manchester-based national 5 Live station for five years before landing the Radio Ulster role, Sarah is no stranger to flying solo, so how much is she enjoying being a co-host? "For news presentation, I believe a double-headed programme is the best way," she replied. Expand Close Sarah, husband Terry and son Theo / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sarah, husband Terry and son Theo "It's what I like listening to the most. It sounds a lot better, especially if there's good chemistry between the two presenters." She added: "Having said that, if I was doing, say, Desert Island Discs - Lauren [Laverne], if you're listening I'm coming for you - it's my favourite programme ever and that would definitely be a single header for me." Celebrity interviewees during her 5 Live stint included Russell Crowe - she kept the teaspoon he stirred his coffee with, and then lost it; Big Little Lies actor Alexander Skarsgard and Formula 1 star Jenson Button. "The great thing about 5 Live was that you got to have such in-depth interviews with people you could never have imagined spending so much time with, from Stephen Fry to Stormzy," she said. "It meant a lot of preparation, but it was an amazing gig." As Sarah, an only child, alluded to earlier, the main reason for coming home was to spend more time with parents Margaret (85) and Aubrey but, sadly, she lost her father on August 18. "We celebrated his 86th birthday on June 29, which was great fun," Sarah recalled. "While I realise how appalling a year it has been for many people, I was deeply fortunate that the pandemic gave me the opportunity to spend quality time with my father that I otherwise wouldn't have had... so I feel very blessed on that front. "He'd been ill for a long time - he had a heart condition - but he soldiered on. He was on 12 different tablets. "But while clearly knew how poor his health was, hilariously he was also quite the hypochondriac. "Dad was absolutely convinced that I had given him coronavirus coming back from England. In the end he was tested for it, and of course he didn't have it." Aubrey Brett died, surrounded by all the people he loved, including his wife of 64 years. "He passed away, here in the house," Sarah said. "I was colouring-in with my son on a Tuesday morning around 10. I'd made my parents their breakfast in bed, then mum came in and told me dad was making a funny noise. "I went in to his room and could see that he was in massive trouble. "It was hard to tell whether he'd choked or was having a heart attack but, because I knew about his condition, I thought it was much more likely to have been the latter. "I put him into the recovery position and cleared his airway and started CPR. I kept going until a friend came to the house with a defibrillator and took over. Expand Close Sarah Brett with her late father Aubrey / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sarah Brett with her late father Aubrey "That was probably the most traumatic part, because you never expect to have to give your own father CPR. It was really, really difficult." Sarah also revealed that she has since tortured herself with dark thoughts. "You wonder if you did it wrong, could you have done something more," she said. "I spent the first week lying in bed every night, going over the entire thing." She said that when two teams of paramedics arrived they "gave him everything they could", including injections and shocks with the EMT paddles. "They worked on him for a further 30 or 40 minutes," she recalled. "It was all so deeply distressing; you're pleased that they're doing everything they can for him, but he's lying on the floor of his bedroom. "I can see my mum on the other side of the hallway and she's looking at her husband lying there, with all of these people around him, and he's in his PJs and not moving... it was absolutely horrendous." But, as she said: "If there's any consolation to be had, my dad died at home in a matter of minutes after a full breakfast, with his wife beside him, with no fear or pain, and with the rest of his family around him." Describing her mum as being "up and down" in the aftermath of her husband's death, Sarah said: "Aubrey was her absolute everything; her whole world revolved around him and vice-versa. She feels rudderless now." She recalled how much she enjoyed the previous Christmas with Aubrey, a former butcher, who worked at the world-famous Smithfield Market in London before going on to run a meat processing plant in England. Memories of 2019 obviously made the most recent Yuletide a little harder to get through. "We had many things in common but food and laughter were chief among them," she said. "We loved being in the kitchen together, and on Christmas Day we were like a machine!" And then there was the 'turkey incident' from a few years back. "We couldn't fit everything into the fridge on Christmas Eve and my dad decided to put the turkey crown on an outside table," she said. "When I got up on Christmas morning and looked out the window, I saw a load of plastic packaging rolling around... and when I went outside I realised it was the wrapping of what had been the turkey crown. "That was all that remained of it. "We've got a local fox - and the fantastic Mr Fox had seen his opportunity and taken it... he dragged the turkey away and we never saw a scrap of it on the big day. We ate a lot of ham that year..." Husband Terry (48), whom she married in June 2013, is an artist, as well as a "fully trained teacher", and Sarah revealed that "he's one of those people who's extraordinarily talented". "He's really good at landscaping and building and we've just bought a house that needs a lot of both of those things, which is handy". She added: "I wasn't sure if either marriage or children would ever happen for me. "I'd a very close relationship with my parents, good mates, was working hard and just enjoying life. But then you meet somebody, and all of that goes out the window... Terry got me right when I thought I was about to get away with it!" Recalling her time at 5 Live, Sarah spoke fondly of colleagues Chris Mason ("he's just brilliant"), Nicky Campbell ("I got on really well with him") and Dan Walker ("great fun"). Now that she is broadcasting from her "little bunker", Sarah drives into Derry from Eglinton after getting up at 4.20am. It is a big change from getting to bed in the wee small hours, which is what she did when she worked in England. "My body clock's shot to bits, but I absolutely love my new job," she said. So how does a busy working mum with a six-year-old manage to juggle everything? "As anyone with a demanding job and children will tell you... you're knocking your pan in trying to be a brilliant mother and being the best you can at work, while at the same time feeling like you're stuffing it all up." With fellow Radio Ulster presenter Stephen Nolan occasionally referring to GMU as "Buckler's Show", I ask Sarah if she would prefer it was called "Sarah's Show" instead. With characteristic diplomacy, she replied: "I'm very happy for it to stay as Good Morning Ulster." Who knows, maybe Desert Island Discs will one day have her name on it. The vice president welcomes the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use the authority they have under the law to raise objections and bring forward evidence before the Congress and the American people on Jan. 6, he said. The statement, which frustrated senators who say Mr. Trump is trying to thwart democracy, helped to mollify the president, according to one person close to him. But it was not enough to squash the belief of many Trump supporters and the president himself that the vice president could still somehow help overturn the results. Two people briefed on the discussions said Mr. Trump had directly pressed Mr. Pence to find an alternative to certifying Mr. Bidens win, such as preventing him from having 270 electoral votes and letting the election be thrown to the House to decide. In Georgia on Monday night at a rally for Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, Mr. Trump openly pressured the vice president, saying, I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you. He added, Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him as much, before saying that he really likes Mr. Pence. On Monday, after Mr. Pence returned from Georgia, the vice president and Mr. Trump were expected to hear a last-minute pitch at the White House from John Eastman, another Trump lawyer. Mr. Pence also met with Senate parliamentarians for hours on Sunday to prepare himself and the president for what he would say while on the Senate floor. The fact that Mr. Pences role is almost entirely scripted by those parliamentarians is not expected to ease a rare moment of tension between himself and the president, who has come to believe Mr. Pences role will be akin to that of chief justice, an arbiter who plays a role in the outcome. In reality, it will be more akin to the presenter opening the Academy Award envelope and reading the name of the movie that won Best Picture, with no say in determining the winner. Real estate moguls Bill and David S. Mack are said to have arranged for their rich friends to receive COVID-19 vaccines at a Florida retirement home chaired by David. Some of those getting the jab had reportedly flown down on private jets from Manhattan after their shot was arranged by the millionaire brothers at the Joseph L. Morse Health Center in Palm Beach. Others who received the vaccine are said to be members of the exclusive Palm Beach Country Club, where it costs at least $100,000 to join. Their alleged exclusive list comes as other elderly people in the state are forced to camp overnight for a chance to get the life-saving vaccine. The news has sparked outrage online with Twitter users labeling those who got the shots 'rich scumbags' and 'RAT F***ING B*****DS'. A source told Page Six: 'David and Bill Mack arranged for their friends from the Palm Beach Country Club to be vaccinated for COVID-19. 'They apparently made a list of people who could get the vaccine, who one can only assume are their wealthy friends and clients. 'Supposedly, some people flew down in private jets from New York just for the vaccine, if they were lucky enough to be on the list the brothers made.' Others said friends asked 'Do you know Bill Mack?' in discussions about the jab. Real estate moguls Bill, right, and David S. Mack, left, are said to have arranged a list of their rich friends to receive vaccines at a Florida retirement home chaired by David The millionaire brothers reportedly had friends flown down on private jets from Manhattan for the jab at Joseph L. Morse Health Center, pictured, in Palm Beach Joseph L. Morse Health Center, pictured, has 310 beds and describes itself as 'five-star senior living' combining an 'atmosphere of luxury' and 'compassionate care'. They provide a range of services from hospice to short-term rehab. Tom, 69, and Judy Barrett, 67, wait in line in the early morning hours at Lakes Park Regional Library to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Fort Myers, Florida December 30 In the wake of the news Twitter user @FirenzeMike said: 'Its really shocking that the Florida vaccine distribution plan is a disaster and while senior citizens wait overnight in their cars for a shot...the rich scumbags that are friends with Bill and David Mack are already vaccinated.' Another, @Lrb551, added: 'Why were Bill and David Mack allowed to jet themselves and friends into SoFl to jump the line & get vaccines at a nursing home?' Geoff Green said: 'Hey @MorseLifeHealth whats the minimum donation required to get a COVID vaccination from yall? Unfortunately my parents arent buddy buddy with David Mack.' Bill Bradbury wrote: 'Meanwhile NY real moguls Bill and David Mack fly their rich buddies down to a FL nursing home to jump the vaccine waiting list."RAT F***ING B*****DS!" The news has sparked outrage online with Twitter users labeling those who got the shots 'rich scumbags' and 'RAT F***ING B*****DS DailyMail.com has contacted a spokesperson for the Mack brothers, the Joseph L. Morse Health Center and the Palm Beach Country Club for comment. Joseph L. Morse Health Center has 310 beds and describes itself as 'five-star senior living' combining an 'atmosphere of luxury' and 'compassionate care'. They provide a range of services from hospice to short-term rehab. In Florida anyone over the age of 65 is eligible for the vaccination. As of Monday, more than 260,000 Floridians had been vaccinated, most of them health care workers and first responders although an increasing number are seniors 65 years and older, whom the governor has made a key demographic for vaccinations. Cape Coral residents wait in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccine last Wednesday morning Hundreds of people wait in line Tuesday, December 29, 2020, at the STARS Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., to receive the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine Seniors and first responders wait in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the Lakes Regional Library on December 30, 2020 in Fort Myers, Florida. There were 800 doses of vaccine available at the site People wait in a line on New Year's Eve to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at a site for seniors in an unoccupied store at the Oviedo Mall in Florida Websites for vaccine appointments in the state have also been crashing and facilities have filled up so fast, they pose a risk of infection spread. People wait in line for the vaccination In Lee County, senior citizens last week waited outside all night in lawn chairs for the chance to get their first shot. The line was so long the site hit capacity hours before the shots were even given out. Websites for vaccine appointments in the state have also been crashing and facilities have filled up so fast, they pose a risk of infection spread. Local reporters have shared horrific stories of seniors having to endure long lines in an attempt to get access to the vaccine. Rebecca Jarvis, an ABC News Business correspondent, shared on Twitter that her parents and other elderly people in SW Florida were experiencing a 'disgrace' of a vaccine rollout. 'In Lee County Florida, where vaccines started as first come/first served for seniors Monday, hundreds of people in 70s & 80s slept in lawn chairs, lined up outside vaccine sites,' she said in the two-day thread that started on Tuesday. Some of those who received the jab are said to be members of the exclusive Palm Beach Country Club, pictured, where is costs at least $100,000 to join A Mack spokesman confirmed they have been helping administer the jab but insisted while 'some' of those getting the jab ' may have been Palm Beach Country Club, pictured, members' it was 'not a targeted effort to vaccinate club members' Page Six notes that there is no suggestion that the Joseph L. Morse Health Center did not vaccinate those living there or that others were turned away because of the Macks' alleged list featuring members of the club, pictured Jarvis shared that one family friend, a woman in her 80s, described her vaccine site as a 'superspreader' event because so many people were crammed together - with many not wearing masks. The woman had been waiting since 4.30am that morning while others had been waiting overnight. 'After hours of waiting, she left because she felt her risk of getting COVID there was higher than yet chances of getting vaccinated,' Jarvis added. She continued: 'Seniors are being told to show up at Lee County vaccination sites with warm clothes, blankets, water and their medications given how long the wait times will be. A Mack spokesman confirmed they have been helping administer the jab, adding: 'David and Bill Mack were asked to assist a not-for-profit healthcare institution with the organization of its vaccination campaign.' But the rep insisted while 'some' of those getting the jab ' may have been Palm Beach Country Club members' it was 'not a targeted effort to vaccinate club members'. David is left, Bill is right A Mack spokesman confirmed they have been helping administer the jab, adding: 'David and Bill Mack were asked to assist a not-for-profit healthcare institution with the organization of its vaccination campaign.' But the rep insisted while 'some' of those getting the jab 'may have been Palm Beach Country Club members' it was 'not a targeted effort to vaccinate club members'. They added: 'Everything was done in accordance with Governor DeSantiss order as it relates to persons 65 and older.' Page Six notes that there is no suggestion that the Joseph L. Morse Health Center did not vaccinate those living there or that others were turned away because of the Macks' alleged list. Florida has one of the nations oldest populations with 4.4 million of the states 21 million people 65 years or older. About 83% of those who have died from the disease in Florida have been older than 65. On Monday, the state Department of Health added more than 11,200 new confirmed coronavirus cases to its tally, bringing the states total to nearly 1.4 million. With more 100 new deaths, the states death toll surpassed 22,000. Washington: Indias economy is estimated to contract by 9.6 per cent in the fiscal year 2020-21, reflecting a sharp drop in household spending and private investment, and the growth is expected to recover to 5.4 per cent in 2021, the World Bank said on Tuesday. In its Global Economic Prospects report, the World Bank said that the informal sector, which accounts for four-fifths of employment, has been subject to severe income losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. "In India, the pandemic hit the economy at a time when growth was already decelerating. The output is estimated to contract by 9.6 per cent in Fiscal Year 2020/21, reflecting a sharp drop in household spending and private investment," it said. "In India, growth is expected to recover to 5.4 per cent in 2021, as the rebound from a low base is offset by muted private investment growth given financial sector weaknesses," the bank said. The informal sector, which accounts for four-fifths of employment, has also been subject to severe income losses during the pandemic. Recent high-frequency data indicate that the services and manufacturing recovery are gaining momentum, the report said. "In the financial sector, non-performing loans were already high before the pandemic," it said. In Pakistan, the recovery is expected to be subdued, with growth at 0.5 per cent in fiscal 2020/21. Growth is projected to be held back by continued fiscal consolidation pressures and service sector weakness," it said. In the rest of South Asia, the economic impact of COVID-19 has been somewhat less severe but still significant. Economies that depend heavily on tourism and travel have been especially hard hit. That includes the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, the report said. "Regional economic activity is estimated to have contracted by 6.7 per cent in 2020, led by a deep recession in India, where the economy was already weakened before the pandemic by stress in non-bank financial corporations," the World Bank said. In Bangladesh, which had been one of the fastest-growing emerging markets and developing economies prior to the pandemic, growth is estimated to have decelerated to two per cent in FY2019/20. In Pakistan, growth is estimated to have contracted by 1.5 per cent in FY2019/20, reflecting the effects of localised COVID-19 containment measures as well as the impact of monetary and fiscal tightening prior to the outbreak, the bank said. South Asia is projected to grow by 3.3 per cent in 2021. "Weak growth prospects reflect a protracted recovery in incomes and employment, especially in the services sector, limited credit provisioning constrained by financial sector vulnerabilities, and muted fiscal policy support," it said. The forecast assumes that a vaccine will be distributed on a large scale in the region starting the second half of 2021 and that there is no widespread resurgence in infections, it added. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Many candidates and supporters have been hurt after losing a presidential election. Every four years in the United States, one candidate wins and the other loses. One party is disappointed, the other elated. I was disappointed four years ago when Hillary Clinton lost, and my husband was so grieved that he would not talk to me about politics for many months after. When Al Gore lost to George W. Bush in 2000 by a razor-thin margin in Florida, we were equally crushed. I remember thinking, This election was unfair. Gore, however, quickly conceded after the Supreme Court ruled in Bushs favor, saving the country further pain. The loss for the losing candidate must be excruciating but while defeat is always devastating, only one candidate in American history has embarrassed the nation before the world and intentionally divided the country by his refusal to concede. Only one has called America a Third World country because the election did not go his way and inspired his followers to intimidate those who do not blindly follow his lead. Every opportunity has been given to President Donald Trump to prove his case in court. He has lost more than 50 court cases, with some judges even his own appointees admonishing his lawyers for their lack of evidence and spurious reasoning. When legal cases, including appeals to the Supreme Court, proved of no avail, Trump and his surrogate, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, contacted Republican officials in other states in November to see if they would declare their states election rigged and put in their own slate of electors. Fortunately, the state representatives and officials had more courage than do some in Washington. Now, the electors have voted and all that is left is for Congress to read out the votes and authorize the count. Trump has encouraged House and Senate leaders to object to the electoral votes. Those who do Trumps bidding will go down in history as ambitious and craven sycophants who were willing to risk our democracy for their political power. Texas Take: Get the latest news on Texas politics sent directly to your inbox every weekday On New Years Eve, Republican U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska wrote of his colleagues fears: When we talk in private, I havent heard a single Congressional Republican allege that the election results were fraudulent not one. Instead, I hear them talk about their worries about how they will look to President Trumps most ardent supporters. Republicans know that Trump and his base will reward or punish them according to their willingness to validate his lie. Some will be willing to cry election fraud, even though Trumps own officials have declared the election sound and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and announced that the Electoral College has spoken. Chris Krebs, former head of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was fired by Trump soon after calling the 2020 election the most secure in American history, and former Attorney General William Barr, one of Trumps greatest enablers, mysteriously left his position after announcing his investigation had found no widespread election fraud. Perhaps destroying democracy for a falsehood was one bridge too far for Barr. After so many failed attempts to overturn the election, it is clear to all who value facts, reason and evidence that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Biden. It is long past time to stop the charade. There was no grand conspiracy or fraud, just voting and counting. Though energetic and charismatic, Trump is sadly an egocentric bully and counterfeit. He was a fraud when he promoted Trump University cheating earnest students with bogus claims of teaching real estate success and he is today as he raises donations by means of unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. Trump is not a loser because he lost an election; he is a loser because he claims what is not his. He diminishes himself and endangers the United States by encouraging conspiracies, obstructionand violence. Many of us, unfortunately, have allowed ourselves to be drawn into his narcissistic fantasies. It is time for us as a country to accept Biden as president-elect and give him the courtesy and respect that he deserves. Leaders in Washington must put America before their careers before it is too late. Speaking truth to power is not very much to ask of our leaders in a democracy. Catherine Cox is a retired English professor in Texas. Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said it will invest $250 million in India to produce four new SUVs over the next couple of years. These models will be an upgraded variant of Jeep Compass, a global first three-row SUV codenamed H6, and the next-gen Grand Cherokee and Jeep Wrangler. The 2021 Jeep Compass, the automaker's flagship offering for India, will be unveiled on January 7 and the mid-sized three-row SUV is slated for a 2022 launch. The Grand Cherokee and Jeep Wrangler will be assembled locally at FCA's manufacturing facility in Ranjangaon in Maharashtra, which it runs in a joint venture with the Tata Group. All four products will hit the road by end-2022. FCA's $250 million investment marked towards expanding its local product line-up is in addition to the $150 million it will be investing in a global digital hub in Hyderabad, Telangana. Fiat had said the new digital hub will serve as a 'transformative and innovative engine' for the company and will create at least a thousand new jobs, mainly in engineering and IT, by the end of the year. That brings FCA's investment in India to $400 million over the next couple of years, signalling a redoubled reach for India's SUV market pie. Our new investment of $250 million will give us a competitive edge in multiple segments with our new Jeep SUVs rolling out of Ranjangaon", FCA India Managing Director, Dr Partha Datta said in a statement, adding, This investment is in addition to $450 million we have already committed to our Indian operations over the past five years." Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months India responded firmly, in a non-escalatory manner against Chinese aggression along LAC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 05: In its year end review of major developments, the Defence Ministry said that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) escalated the situation in the sensitive Ladakh theatre by using unorthodox weapons and also amassed a large number of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The review published on January 1 said that the Indian Army assisted by the Indian Air Force mobilised troops, accretionary forces, artillery guns, tanks and ammunition at a swift pace to deal with the emerging situation. It further said that roads, bridges and habitat were constructed at a quick pace to support the enhanced troop deployment. The ministry said that unilateral and provocative actions by the Chinese to change the status quo by force in more than area on the LAC were responded to in firm and non-escalatory way to ensure the sanctity of our claims in Eastern Ladakh. LAC standoff: No reduction in deployment until status quo continues says Singh The Indian Army stuck to protocols and agreements between the two countries even as the PLA took actions that were escalatory. On the Galwan Valley clash, the ministry said that the Chinese side suffered significant casualties. The review said that the Indian troops in a precautionary deployment on August 28-29 pre-empted the Chinese expansionist designs and occupied heights along the souther bank of Pangong Tso. The review said, 'braving inclement weather, own troops continue to be deployed on these heights. Advance winter stocking (AWS) and winter preparations for the enhanced strength has been completed and troops are well entrenched to counter any misadventure by Chinese forces.' The Indian Army swiftly moved and occupied a series of key heights to prevent the PLA from grabbing Indian territory on the southern bank in a stealthy midnight move on August 29. The review said that while the Indian Army was prepared for any eventuality, talks were in progress to resolve the issue in an amicable manner. Further the review said that the IAF's heavy lift planes altered the dynamics of force posturing in the Ladakh sector by mobilising a huge quantum of war-waging machinery along with battle ready troops in quick time frames. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 17:28 [IST] God made me the youngest in my family so that I could see the directions my siblings were taking and decide for myself which way to go, Fabby Torres said. The question I asked myself was: Do I want to go to college and try to make a difference? The Midland native is the youngest of five children and the first in her family to graduate from college. Both of her parents left school in the third grade. She graduated from Lee High School in 2017. My brothers and sisters went to college but never finished, Torres said. I thought that I would be exactly like them. Torres followed after her two brothers and two sisters throughout her life. Her parents are Hispanic, and her dad never wanted his children to forget Spanish. He would tell Torres, I dont care what language you learn. I dont care what you decide to do as long as you dont forget your culture and your background. Her parents believed that women were not supposed to strive and succeed in the pursuit of a career. Women should be housewives and mothers, a mentality she embraced throughout her high school years. I was supposed to get married and have kids, she said. Despite knowing that, I told myself I was a different breed. In my sophomore year in high school, my counselors told me about Midland College and the Legacy Scholarship. She put that conversation to the side until the end of her sophomore year when she decided that she needed to do something with her life. I had to think about my future, so I started to take everything very seriously, Torres said. I had some of the highest grades in high school. When I was younger, I disliked school and didnt take it seriously. Upon reflection, I feel that God puts people in your path that will help you become a better person. I decided to start school. I had a lot of teachers and mentors. Torres enrolled at MC with a Legacy Scholarship in 2017. That is when she met Associate Director of Scholarships Erin Casey-Richardson. When I started at MC, I was on the Legacy Scholarship, Torres said. I would go to Erins office and complain about my classes. She would look at my grades, and if there was a B, she would say Get it up. You are better than this. At the end of her second year of college, Casey-Richardson called and asked to meet. She told Torres that her school funding through the Legacy Program was ending. Torres struggled with the news: My heart sank. I thought that I would never finish. Casey-Richardson arranged for her to meet Outreach & Bill Pace Cogdell Scholarship Coordinator Josie Samaguey. That meeting resulted in Torres receiving the Bill Pace Cogdell Scholarship, which financed the remainder of her education at MC and continues to pay for her education at The University of Texas Permian Basin. While at Midland College, Torres was also a Phi Theta Kappa member and a two-time legacy essay winner. This experience added to her sense of community and helping others. Professor of Government and Director of the MC Honors Program Terry Gilmour remembers Torres well: Fabby was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community college students, which means that she had to maintain a very high GPA. As the advisor, I appreciate Fabbys enthusiasm and smiling face and her willingness to put forth the extra effort in all endeavors. Torres graduated with honors from Midland College in the fall of 2019 with an Associate of Arts in Teaching and was on the Deans List. She just completed her second semester at UTPB, where she is working on a Bachelor of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies with a certification in Early Childhood through the sixth grade. She is already in the teacher certification program and was recently elected president of the Bilingual Students Educational Organization at UTPB. Her mentors at Midland College are not surprised to hear that Torres is doing well. When I think of Fabby Torres, I remember her warm smile and determination to become a teacher, Casey-Richardson said. I am not surprised to hear she is doing well at UTPB, but it does warm my heart. I know she will do incredible things in the world of education. Samaguey feels blessed to have had the opportunity to help Torres as one of the Bill Pace Cogdell Scholarship recipients. Fabby is the kind of student everyone dreams they could have, Samaguey said. She has a goal, and there is no doubt she will reach it. Torres primary goal is to teach Pre-K and help others achieve their goals. I want to stay in Midland because this is my community, she said. People in my life made a difference with me, and I will strive to make a difference for others. I want to educate the younger minds and help guide them toward their future. Her advice to future students is simple: Put God in the first place. If you feel there is no other way, remember that God is using you like a pencil to write a story that will help others. Dont forget that there are people to help you. Torres experience at Midland College started her on a path to her future: Because of my background I learned to strive to the best of my abilities. I know that I am smart, and I believe in myself. Travis Woodward is director of Marketing & Communications at Midland College. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said Tuesday that due to rising numbers of people requiring hospitalization, there will ''inevitably'' be an increase in the number of people dying from coronavirus in January. The government's chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance said it was possible ''theoretically'' that the virus variant coming from South Africa could impact the effectiveness of vaccines, while cautioning that it was too early to know. ''It is unlikely to abolish the effect,'' he added. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Unconscious Man in Vehicle Faces DUI, Drug Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff ossession of a controlled substance (drug unspecified), possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of substances. MAYFIELD - A Mayfield man found passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle was arrested Tuesday on DUI and drug charges.The Mayfield Police Department said 23-year-old James Blakemore was found unconscious in the driver's seat of his vehicle, while it was stopped in the middle of the road and in "drive." Police said multiple drugs and items of drug paraphernalia were found on Blakemore and inside his vehicle.Officers said Blakemore was found to be under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. He was arrested and lodged in the Graves County Jail.Blakemore is charged with p The city of Collegedale is in the process of assigning permanent zoning to a recently annexed property. A new restaurant was built on a small lot at 5503 Main St. in Ooltewah, in Hamilton County. In September, the Collegedale commissioners approved the property owners request to annex the parcel with the new Ooltewah Whistle Stop Restaurant already nearing completion. At the time, it was recognized that space needed for parking would be a challenge. At the Monday night meeting, Commissioner Ethan White said that when the commissioners originally voted on the annexation, they had been told the lot adjacent to the restaurant, which is still in Hamilton County, not Collegedale, would be bought and used to park cars. Now the commission is being told that property three lots away from the restaurant is being bought for parking. Collegedale Mayor Katie Lamb said that the owner of the restaurant had come to the planning commission saying he hoped to get an agreement with the owner next door, but she said it must have fallen through. The city has worked with the owner and the only option was to buy additional property to expand parking. Commissioner Phil Garver expressed concern that it would not be safe for people walking between the two locations along Main Street and made the suggestion that the city mandate that a sidewalk be built to connect the restaurant and parking. The vote on Monday night approved zoning the property as MUTC, Mixed Use Town Center, which Kelly Martin, planning and economic development director, said was an appropriate fit for small lots with small setbacks. When the city annexed 1.7 acres of property bordered by Lee Highway and White Oak Valley Circle from Hamilton County it was zoned MUBC, Mixed Use Business Center. A new owner would like to use that property which is adjacent to their home, as pastureland with a barn and fencing. A request that the city rezone the land to AG, Agricultural District was approved on first reading Monday night. Commissioner White questioned the preparedness of the city for functioning in the event that there is an executive order for workers to stay home, due to the rapidly increasing cases of COVID-19. Earlier in the pandemic, Collegedale purchased computers for some employees to take home if needed. City Manager Ted Rogers said that currently there are no employees working full time from home, because most of their jobs require them to be available to the citizens. The computers that were bought are in the process of being programmed, the commissioners were told, but the city manager said special circumstances would be needed for employees to work strictly from home. He also told the commissioners that $175,000 that had been allocated to Collegedale as coronavirus funding has been spent and he is doubtful if more will be received. The importance of code enforcements was discussed after Commissioner Debbie Baker cited a property that she said is an eyesore on Main Street, just beyond Church Street. Over time various uses have included someone living in a dilapidated house, storage for boats and mobile homes. She was told the owner had died and his daughter lives out of state and has no interest in the condition. The citys hands are tied because the land is in Hamilton County, not the city, so it is out of Collegedales jurisdiction. Mr. Rogers said that Hamilton County lacks code enforcement like municipalities do. He said some property owners request annexation just because of code enforcement. Lee Ann Johnson researches the stigma attached to lung cancer, in the hope that patients dont endure additional suffering at the end of their lives. Credit: Christine Phelan Kueter, UVA Nursing Lung cancer kills more than 150,000 Americans each year, accounting for a quarter of all cancer deaths, and remains the nation's No. 1 cancer killer. Though few survive itjust 4.5% to 8% remain alive the five years following their diagnosesstigma and shame surrounding the disease are rampant. Although many patients with lung cancer were smokers, even those who never took a pufflike University of Virginia nurse scientist Lee Ann Johnson's mother, Donna King, who died of the disease in 2008often feel chastened by others and blamed for their disease. That stigma, Johnson found in her research, not only robs them of quality of life, it makes them less likely to seek relief in palliative and end-of-life care, a tide of suffering Johnson hopes to turn. Here, Johnson speaks to UVA Today about her work. Q. Your interest in lung cancer is pretty personal. A. It is. It sounds dramatic, but it's true. My promise to my mom on her deathbed was that I could "fix lung cancer" (she also made me promise to find a man, buy a house and have babies). That kept it broad, but I feel like my focus on palliative and end-of-life care for patients with lung cancer fulfills that final promise to her. She is the reason I have my Ph.D. in nursing, and why my dissertation was related to stigma and advanced lung cancer. My mom was a never-smoker and, over the years, I noted [that] when I told anyone my mom had or died from lung cancer, the first thing out of their mouth was, "Did she smoke?" With other cancers, the first response is always how the person was sorry for my loss. It became more than an annoyance. And things came full circle for me. The day I turned in my dissertation, my grandfather, Bob Robinson, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. At that point, I moved back to Arkansas to care for him while finishing up and defending my dissertation. I used to drive my son around until he fell asleep (he was one at that time, and I also was pregnant) and then work on edits in the McDonald's parking lot. My grandfatherwho quit smoking in 1970died in 2015, a few days after I defended my dissertation, and I'm honestly convinced he held on long enough to see me finish my degree. Q. How does stigma impact people with lung cancer? A. Stigma stirs people's shame and prevents them from accessing pain- and symptom-relieving palliative and end-of-life care, even when they desperately need it. And given that advanced lung cancer is almost always terminalfewer than one in 10 people are alive five years after being diagnosedit's critical to examine factors that may influence and contribute to their quality of life. They don't have long to live, and the collective "we"their loved ones, nurses and other care providersneed to make sure that beyond managing their symptoms, their mental and social well-being is intact, too. Q. What did you find in your research on stigma's impact on individuals with lung cancer? A. Previous studies found that between 30% and 95% of lung cancer patients felt stigmatized by the disease. I took that work one step further by querying individuals who'd been diagnosed with lung cancer to see whether stigma itself inhibited the care they sought and received, and what specific factors seemed to be associated with that stigma. I received an American Cancer Society grant to fund the research. With that, I asked 62 patients with either stage III or IV lung cancer whether they felt people avoided them because of their cancer, whether they perceived that others looked at them as "less of a person" and whether they perceived they were to blame for their disease. Most were women (37), most were highly educated (27 had at least a college degree) and most reported a history of smoking (41). One-third reported high levels of stigma, a group that also experienced more frequent feelings of distress, depression and anxiety, fewer meaningful relationships and less enjoyment of life. The verdict's still out on whether the higher-stigma-experiencing patients had a greater symptom burden (more pain, more depression and so on). It all points to the fact that we clinicians have a lot more work to do to support these patients. Lung cancer-related stigma is generally not part of a typical nursing assessment, but there's evidence to suggest it'd benefit people, isn't complex and can easily incorporated into routine care. It's exactly the kind of space where a nurse makes every kind of difference. She rung in the new year in Dubai with some of her reality co-stars. And Sophie Kasaei looked sensational as she posed up a storm on a boat in the UAE on Tuesday. The Geordie Shore star, 31, flaunted her incredible figure in a black and white bandana bikini from Gucci. Wow! Sophie Kasaei looked sensational as she posed up a storm in a black and white bandana bikini on a boat in Dubai on Tuesday The TV personality leant to the side as she posed in front of the Dubai skyline in her latest Instagram snap. She opted for glamorous make-up, as she wore the front portions of her hair in plaits and left the rest hanging in loose waves down her back. Sophie captioned the post: 'Staying in my own lane minding my own business - Gucci Bikini @ruderthantherest.' She previously enjoyed a sun-soaked trip to Dubai before returning home to spend Christmas with her loved ones. Sun-kissed: The Geordie Shore star enjoyed a sun-soaked trip to Dubai before returning home for Christmas, returning to wave in the New Year alongside her reality pals But she returned to the celeb-favourite city to wave in the New Year alongside her reality star pals, including Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry and Bethan Kershaw. Sophie has joined a long line of reality stars and influencers who have travelled to Dubai this month, amid strict coronavirus restrictions back home in the UK as the third national lockdown takes hold. Last week, Sophie was accused of breaking coronavirus social distancing rules after she appeared to mix with three households and attended a family party on Christmas Day. The reality star appeared to flout rules around mixing during the festive period by travelling to numerous houses and documented some of the celebrations on her social media, according to The Sun. Celeb-filled: Sophie has joined a long line of reality stars and influencers who have travelled to Dubai, as a third national lockdown takes hold in the UK A source claimed: 'Sophie put the whole day on Instagram Stories - I couldn't believe what I was seeing. 'She started the day with her mum at her house, then she went to her dad's house to see him and her nan, then she went back to her own house - and then went off to her cousin's house for a family party. 'Then she had the cheek to tweet about how good the day was - it's one rule for celebrities and one for everything else.' After eating her Christmas dinner, Sophie recorded herself travelling to her cousin's house for a bash. Rules: Last week, Sophie was accused of breaking coronavirus social distancing rules after she appeared to mix with three households and attended a family party on Christmas Day The reality star said: 'We're on our way, cuz. We've got our bottles, hun. Get us a lemonade ready, cuz.' The North East was under Tier 3 restrictions at the time, meaning people could visit a maximum of two households on December 25. The Government website said: 'If you do not live in a Tier 4 area, you may see a maximum of two other households (your 'Christmas bubble') on Christmas Day (25 December). You cannot see anyone from a Tier 4 area. 'You should think very carefully about the risks and only form a Christmas bubble if you feel you absolutely need to. Wherever possible, discuss alternatives to meeting up in person.' Festivities: According to The Sun, the TV personality appeared to flout rules around mixing during the festive period by travelling to multiple houses Loved it! Two days after her celebrations, Sophie took to Twitter and said she had cooked dinner for herself and her mother It's unclear whether Sophie's father and grandmother are classed as one household, and whether her mother is living with her during the COVID-19 restrictions. MailOnline has contacted representatives of Sophie for comment. Two days after her celebrations, Sophie took to Twitter and said she had cooked dinner for herself and her mother. She wrote: 'Uno what usually I'm not a massive fan of xmas and especially this year made me anxious. 'But Iv had such a lovely few days my first Xmas at my own home and cooked dinner for just me and my Mam. Couldn't care less about gifts or presents it is generally all about loved ones.' Kapil Sharma Ready To Go Digital With New Netflix Venture, Teases Fans With An 'Auspicious' Announcement: Watch Comedian Kapil Sharma is all set to take over the OTT space in 2021 and made an auspicious announcement about liaison with Netflix for an upcoming project. The popular TV personality who has never had qualms laughing at himself in a video shared by the digital streaming platform can be seen struggling with pronunciation of the word auspicious for the video he was supposed to shoot in English. Kapil who is the host of the hit TV comedy special the Kapil Sharma Show on Sony will make his debut with this Netflix venture and it certainly looks like something to look forward to. The comedian had teased his fans about a special announcement on Monday and in the video announced that he will soon be available on TV, mobiles and laptops of fans. I am super excited for my first-ever association with Netflix. 2020 has been a bumpy ride for everyone around the world and my motive is to make people forget their worries and welcome this new year with love, laughter, and positivity. I always wanted to be on Netflix but I didnt have their number (hahaha). Its a project close to my heart and I cannot wait to share more details with my fans soon, Kapil said talking about this venture. While the announcement for this project is enough to get fans excited, Netflix has still kept the details of this venture under wraps. People queue as they wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at London Bridge vaccination centre, amidst the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, Britain, on Dec. 30, 2020. (Toby Melville/Reuters) UK Scientists Worry Vaccines May Not Protect Against South African Coronavirus Variant LONDONUK scientists expressed concern on Monday that COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out in Britain may not be able to protect against a new variant of the coronavirus that emerged in South Africa and has spread internationally. Both Britain and South Africa have detected new, more transmissible variants of the COVID-19-causing virus in recent weeks that have driven a surge in cases. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday he was now very worried about the variant identified in South Africa. Simon Clarke, an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said that while both variants had some new features in common, the one found in South Africa has a number additional mutations which are concerning. He said these included more extensive alterations to a key part of the virus known as the spike proteinwhich the virus uses to infect human cellsand may make the virus less susceptible to the immune response triggered by the vaccines. Lawrence Young, a virologist and professor of molecular oncology at Warwick University, also noted that the South African variant has multiple spike mutations. The accumulation of more spike mutations in the South African variant are more of a concern and could lead to some escape from immune protection, he said. Scientists including BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin and John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, have said they are testing the vaccines against the new variants and say they could make any required tweaks in around six weeks. Public Health England said there was currently no evidence to suggest COVID-19 vaccines would not protect against the mutated virus variants. Britains health ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The worlds richest countries have started vaccinating their populations to safeguard against a disease that has killed 1.8 million people and crushed the global economy. There are currently 60 vaccine candidates in trials, including those already being rolled out from AstraZeneca and Oxford, Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, Russias Sputnik V, and Chinas Sinopharm. Scientists say both the South African and UK variants are associated with a higher viral load, meaning a greater concentration of virus particles in patients bodies, possibly contributing to increased transmission. Oxfords Bell, who advises the UK governments vaccine task force, said on Sunday he thought vaccines would work on the British variant but said there was a big question mark as to whether they would work on the South African variant. BioNTechs Sahin told Germany Spiegel in an interview published on Friday that their vaccine, which uses messenger RNA to instruct the human immune system to fight the virus, should be able to protect against the UK variant. We are testing whether our vaccine can also neutralise this variant and will soon know more, he said. She's known for flooding her social media pages with racy snaps. And Zara McDermott has put on a very busty display in figure-hugging activewear for a stunning snap shared to Instagram on Monday. The former Love Island star, 24, flaunted her washboard abs as she sported a navy blue Missguided crop trop and matching skintight leggings. Racy: Zara McDermott has put on a very busty display in figure-hugging activewear in a stunning snap shared to Instagram on Monday She sent temperatures soaring as she showed off off her ample assets in the stylish gym clothing and fixed the camera with a sultry gaze. Zara opted for a nude make-up palette and wore her golden tresses in a straight fashion across her shoulders for the picture. She also shared another snap in the same revealing outfit on her Instagram stories, which saw her striking a flirty pose as she promoted the fitness gear. In a lengthy caption alongside her post, Zara announced that she is launching her own range with Missguided, which will feature a mix of activewear and casual wear. Busty display: The former Love Island star, 24, sported a navy blue Missguided crop trop and matching skintight leggings, announcing she is launching her own range with the brand Revealing her big news, she penned: 'Guys!!! Happy 2021!!! I have some REALLY exciting news that I've been bursting to tell you all... 'I am SO excited to announce I've been working on an edit with @missguided! #ZaraMcDermottxMissguided launches at 11am tomorrow- it's a mix of my fave new season activewear and casual wear, I can't wait for you to see!!! 'I am such a lucky girl to be working with Missguided as I've been a huge fan of them for years!! 'I remember being in year 7 at school and scrolling through the website dreaming that I could own all the dresses, and now I have my own range with them!!! I couldn't be more excited!!! (Ad)' (sic) Her latest post comes after Zara recently hit back at trolls who criticised her for sharing a snap about feeling good about herself amid the UK's new Covid-19 rules. Firing back: Her post comes after Zara recently hit back at trolls who criticised her for sharing a snap about feeling good about herself amid the UK's new Covid-19 rules The TV personality set pulses racing when she shared a snap of herself putting on a busty display in a white off the shoulder top. Also sporting a pair of ripped blue jeans, Zara posed in the driver's seat of her car ahead of her shopping trip. Styling her blonde locks into loose waves, the beauty completed her look with a silver necklace. Alongside the post, the reality star wrote: 'This is how excited I get to go Sainsburys nowadays'. However, some social media users were unimpressed with Zara sharing the cheery snap amid the UK's ongoing coronavirus restrictions. Comments: Some social media users were unimpressed with Zara sharing the cheery snap amid the UK's ongoing coronavirus restrictions but she was quick to hit back at the haters Hitting back at the haters, Zara commented on the photo and said: 'I know we are in a global pandemic and its depressing for everyone but can a girl not feel good about herself in a pic without getting s**t tons of hate.' It comes amid reports that Zara's boyfriend Sam Thompson was recently spotted on celebrity dating app Raya, despite reconciling with Zara after she cheated on him. According to The Sun, the Made In Chelsea star, 28, who forgave Zara for her infidelity in emotional reality show scenes, was spotted on the popular app as recently as last week. A friend told the publication: 'The ball is well and truly in Sam's court after Zara begged for forgiveness. 'He feels like he can use it to his advantage and have a bit of a flirt with other women. Claims: It comes amid reports that Zara's boyfriend Sam Thompson was recently spotted on celebrity dating app Raya, despite reconciling with Zara after she cheated on him 'But it's very unlikely to be more than that as he has forgiven Zara and feels committed to her now, despite what she did.' Sam is said to have described himself as a 'presenter' on his profile and used a photo of himself taken by Zara during a trip to New York in January. Mailonline previously contacted representatives for Sam Thompson and Zara McDermott for comment. Raya costs 7.99 to subscribe and users must go through a strict vetting system before being accepted to meet other stars. Other stars who have previously been linked to the app include Ben Affleck, Jack Whitehall and Harry Styles, Cara Delevingne and Paul Mescal. Trouble in paradise? Sam is said to have described himself as a 'presenter' on his profile and used a photo of himself taken by Zara during a trip to New York in January Zara and Sam's reconciliation was played out on Made In Chelsea, with Sam's ex Tiffany Watson even intervening to try to get him to forgive Zara for cheating. At the time, Louise was the first to hint about the betrayal, tweeting 'Cheaters always want you to be loyal', just weeks before their split was confirmed. MailOnline revealed that the couple got back together in November, with Sam also telling us that his emotional breakup with Zara has 'humanised' him. He also confessed to sympathising with his ex-girlfriend after learning from his own past and being 'the person who's made a mistake and come back stronger'. Sam said: 'I believe in forgiveness. I understand the context and I think in any walk of life you can't move forward unless you forgive. Back together: The Made In Chelsea star, 28, previously told MailOnline that his emotional breakup with Zara - which was documented on the E4 series - has 'humanised' him 'Forgiveness allows you to heal. You can only heal when you forgive the other person and get over that. 'I would definitely say no matter what you should always try to forgive and you'll feel better in yourself it's f***ing easier said than done but you've got to strive for that. 'The people I care about caring about me will know we're all human. We are all human and you can't grow and evolve and be a better person without making mistakes along the way. 'For that to be shown on TV, it almost humanises you and makes you more relatable.' The couple first made their relationship official back in May 2019 after they got to know each other when Zara 'slid into his DMs' on social media. Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said harsh restrictions will 'put a lot of pressure' on constables in London Police say it will be 'impossible' to fine everyone caught leaving their homes without a reasonable excuse during the latest Covid lockdown with the Met already down 1,300 officers because of sickness and self-isolating. Under the current restrictions, people can now only leave home for a few reasons including shopping for food or medicine and exercising once a day. It does not include socialising or travelling on to a second home in another part of the country. But police say they have an 'impossible task' in rooting out all offenders as many will just lie about what they are doing. A police source said: 'People will try to find loopholes in the Regulations and some will succeed'. The comments came as Government guidance released last night warned that police could take action if people leave home without a 'reasonable excuse' permitted under new lockdown rules. Fixed penalty notices of 200 will be issued for a first offence, with this doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. Those holding, or involved in holding, an illegal gathering of more than 30 people risk a police-issued fine of 10,000. Police chiefs have warned that enforcing the third national lockdown will increase the load on officers, whose numbers are already stretched because of the pandemic. Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said harsh restrictions will 'put a lot of pressure' on constables in London. Mr Marsh revealed that some 1,300 Scotland Yard officers were off sick or self-isolating in the capital. Police officers speak with members of the public attending a large gathering in Manchester in May Meanwhile John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said that some forces in England had as much as 15 per cent of staff off. Asked about how lockdown enforcement would affect officers, Mr Marsh said: 'It will obviously create a lot of pressure on us because we have a lot more officers off this time than we did back in March. 'Our numbers have rocketed in terms of officers with Covid and officers isolating and we envisage that getting worse. 'So the pressure is on my colleagues who are still out there to maintain the same level that they did before.' Last night Boris Johnson announced a seven-week lockdown to curb the surge of coronavirus being driven by a highly transmissible new variant of the disease. England will revert from a tiered system of restrictions which has seen the country following different degrees of measures. Mr Apter warned that blanket restrictions were clear to grasp, which means officers would be less lenient to flouters. 'People should expect to see more enforcement as a consequence because there really are no excuses for not knowing the rules this time,' he said. He added: 'The majority of the public will do what is expected of them, but I think there is a real issue over virus and lockdown fatigue. 'There is a real frustration and the police often deal with the sharp end of that as people are angry when challenged.' Those holding, or involved in holding, an illegal gathering of more than 30 people risk a police-issued fine of 10,000. The Prime Minister concluded his gloomy televised address with a ray of hope, heralding the 'biggest vaccination rollout in our history'. Ministers hope that by mid-February, all care home residents, extremely vulnerable, over-75s and frontline health workers will have received the jab. Police officers chat with members of the public on patrol around the Barton Hill area Police top brass are also calling for officers to get the vaccine. Mr Marsh claimed: 'It would appear that policing has been airbrushed out of any conversation in relation to protecting my colleagues, which I find quite incredible considering they are on the front line. 'They are the one group of people other than the National Health Service that actually have to go to work and have to be out there with the public, every day, 24 hours a day. 'It's just amazing that no consideration whatsoever has been given to vaccinating police.' Mr Apter has also called for officers to be prioritised after society's most vulnerable groups and NHS workers have been given the jab. He wrote in the Daily Telegraph: 'Without the vaccine, there is a real danger that more officers will contract the virus. 'As growing numbers self-isolate or report sick with the virus, then the police service begins to struggle to do what the public fully expects of it. 'Some forces are already starting to report up to per cent of their officers off sick or self-isolating. This is getting worse and is simply not sustainable.' Mr Apter, whose organisation represents 130,000 officers, said the 'last thing the public want is to call 999 in their hour of need, only to find we are too short of officers to be able to respond'. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'It's wrong to suggest that police don't have the resources they need absence rates remain low nationally and we have supported the police throughout the pandemic, including providing an additional 30million in October for enforcement of coronavirus regulations. 'Police will continue to engage, explain, encourage and finally enforce where this is necessary to save lives.' North Korea has asked an international NGO for coronavirus vaccines, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. Pyongyang made the request to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which aims to give equal access to vaccines in poor countries in partnership with the World Health Organization and other bodies. It provides 92 low-income countries with donor-funded vaccines for free. North Korea was one of 86 countries that had applied by last month. Once their application is accepted, they will be eligible for all kinds of support necessary for supply like cold chain storage. The North has also tried to secure vaccines through Europe. "In recent weeks, North Korea has reached out to several European embassies inquiring how the country might obtain COVID-19 vaccines," the daily wrote. Officially, North Korea has claimed zero coronavirus infections. According to WHO, North Korea had tested 11,707 people until Dec. 17 last year but none tested positive. But according to curiously specific reports that seem to have leaked from high places, 4,275 showed coronavirus symptoms like respiratory distress and fever. Funeral cortege of Michael McKevitt on the way to his funeral service at St. Furseys Church Chapel Road, Haggardstown Co Louth this morning. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin The funeral of former Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt has taken place in Co Louth. A funeral mass was held at St Fursey's Church in Haggardstown following the removal from the family home in Beech Park, Blackrock. Members of the gardais Special Detective Unit (SDU) discreetly monitored the funeral which passed off without incident. According to a death notice McKevitt died "peacefully at home in the presence of his loving family" on Saturday. Expand Close Michael McKevitt / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael McKevitt McKevitt died of cancer. He headed the Real IRA terror group which was formed in 1997 by dissident members of the Provisionals. The father-of-six was found by Belfast High Court to be centrally involved in the planning the Omagh bombing, but he never paid any of the 1.6m judgment against him. However, he was never found guilty in a criminal court for the atrocity which claimed the lives of 29 people, along with unborn twins. More than 200 were injured in the bombing. Expand Close Funeral cortege of Michael McKevitt on the way to his funeral service at St. Furseys Church Chapel Road, Haggardstown Co Louth this morning. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Funeral cortege of Michael McKevitt on the way to his funeral service at St. Furseys Church Chapel Road, Haggardstown Co Louth this morning. Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin McKevitt spent 13 years in prison in the Republic after being found guilty by the Special Criminal Court of "directing terrorism". Originally from Co Louth, McKevitt joined the Provisional IRA at the outbreak of the Troubles and became a senior figure, before quitting in protest at the ceasefires in 1997. He was married to Bernadette Sands McKevitt, sister of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Online Editors Skip to main navigation School Seedling Program The application period is now closed, please check back next year. Planting and caring for tree seedlings can help young people learn about ecosystems and the valuable role trees play. Schools and youth organizations are eligible to receive free trees or shrubs by participating in this educational program. Participants receive seedlings from the Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery along with guidance on how to plant and care for them. Meeting Next Generation Science Standards Provide young people with a hands-on way to understand natural systems, observe their environment, and learn key vocabulary. When students plant tree seedlings they can discover the structure and function of trees while building their awareness about conservation. As the trees mature they can serve as an ongoing living laboratory for young people to learn from. The experience can help students make informed decisions about the conservation and use of natural resources. Eligible Organizations All schools located within New York State - public, private, nursery, elementary, secondary, vocational, college or university. Any youth education-based organization. Homeschool groups, but not individual family homeschools. Limit of one application per school or organization. Planting can be related to a wide variety of scholastic programs - it is not confined to any given subject, purpose or age level. We encourage planting on-site so students can be responsible for the care and protection of the seedlings. How to Apply The application period is now closed. Please check back next year. Species available If you have questions about what species might be right for your site, contact your Regional DEC Forestry Office. A forester will be available to advise you on the appropriate species of trees to choose and proper planting technique. White Spruce (Picea glauca): Native, short-needled evergreen. Grows in clay and/or loamy soils and reaches 70 feet at maturity. Can be planted statewide. Fifty (50) seedlings will be given to each participating organization. You will need 1,800 square feet of open space for 50 seedlings. Each needs a growing space about 6 feet in diameter. Native, short-needled evergreen. Grows in clay and/or loamy soils and reaches 70 feet at maturity. Can be planted statewide. Fifty (50) seedlings will be given to each participating organization. You will need 1,800 square feet of open space for 50 seedlings. Each needs a growing space about 6 feet in diameter. White Pine (Pinus strobus): Native long-needled evergreen. Grows best in well-drained soils and reaches 100 feet at maturity. Can be planted statewide. Fifty (50) seedlings will be given to each participating school. You will need 1,800 square feet of open space for 50 seedlings. Each needs a growing space about 6 feet in diameter. Native long-needled evergreen. Grows best in well-drained soils and reaches 100 feet at maturity. Can be planted statewide. Fifty (50) seedlings will be given to each participating school. You will need 1,800 square feet of open space for 50 seedlings. Each needs a growing space about 6 feet in diameter. Wildlife Packet (Packet #2): Out of stock. Seedling Shipment The seedlings are 2 to 3 years old, about 4"-12" tall, and bare-root. They are light enough for young children to carry and plant. Shipment is by UPS, beginning April 14th and running through the third week in May. Select a shipping date at least 3 days prior to the planting date. Shipping takes place on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday only. For schools: Do not schedule shipment during school vacation. Planting Instructions Seedlings are perishable. Keep in a cool, shaded place until planting. Do not let the roots dry out. TOOLS REQUIRED: Shovel and bucket Place seedlings in a bucket and fill with water until all roots are covered. Remove all vegetation for at least one foot around the planting spot for each seedling to reduce competition with other plants. Dig a hole deep and wide enough to contain the tree's roots. Place the roots of the seedling in the hole and carefully spread them out. The root collar (where roots join the stem) should be at the ground's surface. The seedling should stand straight. Fill the hole with soil and gently compact to remove air pockets that could dry out the roots and kill the seedling. Reposition the seedling as necessary to keep it straight and to prevent the root collar from being buried. Water the seedling slowly and thoroughly after planting to settle the soil. If rainfall is not adequate, water weekly for the first year after planting. Mark the seedlings with a stake or flagging so they won't be cut off by a mower or stepped on. Fertilizer is not recommended at planting time. It can be applied two or three years after planting when the root system has developed. Resources for Educators The School Seedling program can easily be paired with a curriculum of your choice, check out some of our recommended curriculums: Support the School Seedling Program You can support the School Seedling Program through a donation to the Natural Heritage Trust's Tree Fund by clicking the "Donate to Help Plant Trees" button on the right. Just $20 can support 40 bare-root trees and shrubs that will be given to school programs across the state to teach young people about the natural world. A bowl and cutlery used by Mahatma Gandhi while in prison in India in the 1940s are expected to fetch more than 60,000 at auction. The metal bowl, two spoons and a fork were used by the father of Indian independence after British colonial rulers confined him to the Aga Kahn Palace during World War II. He was imprisoned from 1942 until 1944 - during which time his wife died - and after his release went to stay with a friend called Sumati Morarjee, who later sold the bowl and cutlery to the current vendor. Bids in the online auction have already started at 55,000, and East Bristol auction house says it believes the culinary items will end up going for somewhere between 60,000 and 80,000. Historic item: A bowl used by Mahatma Gandhi while in prison in India in the 1940s is part of a set which is expected to sell for more than 60,000 at auction On the table: A fork and two spoons are also part of the collection, which once belonged to a friend who Gandhi stayed with after leaving imprisonment The same Bristol-based seller wascleft a pair of Gandhi's glasses last year which sold at auction for 260,000 - 26 times their asking price. Describing the cutlery and bowl, auctioneer Andrew Stowe said: 'It's a really humbling piece of history - here is a very simple, almost crude, metal bowl that was used daily by one of the most iconic figures in modern history. 'In many ways this bowl epitomises everything that Gandhi stood for. To think he sat down each day and ate from this very bowl, with this very fork, is just amazing.' He described the items as 'an incredibly important set of historical artefacts, not only relating to Gandhi but to the history of India.' The bowl is accompanied by three items of cutlery, two spoons and a matching fork carved from wood. Stowe said that the auction house had been 'inundated' with Gandhi-related requests following the sale of his glasses. He said: 'Many of those items were coins, photographs or pictures, but then this one came through and we just thought, wow! 'To anyone else this is just an old food bowl, but to many this represents not only an important historical artefact, but a real tangible link to one of the world's most iconic figures.' Gandhi, pictured, was in prison from 1942 to 1944 because of his famously non-violent campaign for Indian independence Gandhi was imprisoned along with other leaders of his Indian National Congress movement after demanding a British withdrawal from India during the war. By this time, Gandhi was already a leading nationalist figure and had been named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 1930. His so-called 'Quit India' movement angered Britain's colonial rulers, who imprisoned another 100,000 amid protests over Gandhi's arrest in 1942. But the crackdown failed to stop Gandhi's momentum, and he continued his famously non-violent campaign for independence after his release in 1944. Independence was finally granted in 1947, but Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist in January 1948, aged 78. The bowl and cutlery forms part of East Bristol's Christmas Collectables Auction which ends on January 10. Fifty MPs have demanded the BBC axe an 'extremely irresponsible' show about puppy breeding, which had the working title 'Will My Puppies Make Me Rich?' The controversial programme, renamed Britain's Puppy Boom Counting the Cost, will explore the rise of puppy breeding as a business among 'aspirational, social media savvy' Britons. A number of animal rights advocates, including the RSPCA, have recently criticised the show for framing puppy breeding as an 'ambitious' business venture to undertake as a response to Covid-19 job losses. Several MPs have now written to BBC Director-General Tim Davie asking him to reconsider airing the film, which was commissioned last year following the BBC Three Pitch at Sheffield Doc/Fest. Fifty MPs have demanded the BBC axe an 'extremely irresponsible' show about puppy breeding, which had the working title 'Will My Puppies Make Me Rich?' Pictured: Sophia Slater The idea for the show was pitched by Sophia Slater and Helena Rochester (pictured) The cross-party letter, seen by the Mirror, was compiled by MP for Crawley Henry Smith, with around 50 signatories including former environment secretary Theresa Villiers. It said: 'Given the level of trust associated with the BBC, we believe you have a huge responsibility to set and maintain the very highest ethical standards and a programme of this nature appears at odds with this.' The note went on to describe the premise of the documentary as 'extremely irresponsible', claiming it seeks to 'glamorise puppy breeding as a "get rich quick" scheme.' A petition calling for the BBC to cancel the programme has today reached 212,000 signatures, with those organising the appeal saying: 'Anything that promotes animals as commodities to make money from is absolutely disgraceful.' Several MPs have now written to BBC Director-General Tim Davie asking him to reconsider airing the show, which was commissioned following the BBC Three Pitch at Sheffield Doc/Fest. Pictured: Henry Smith, MP for Crawley The cross-party letter was compiled by MP for Crawley Henry Smith, with around 50 signatories including former environment secretary Theresa Villiers (pictured) There have also been recent protests from the likes of TV presenter Paul O'Grady, who hit out at the broadcaster's 'shameful' decision to air a show about designer dogs. The animal activist, 65, said the show could 'encourage puppy farming,' adding: 'I only hope that the BBC come to their senses and take it off air immediately.' 'Its a bit of a worry when the bright sparks at BBC3 believe this is suitable viewing. You dont keep a dog to make money off it. Ive seen what excessive breeding does and its pitiful. Shame on you.' The RSPCA also said in December that it had joined forces with a number of animal welfare groups to write to the BBC demanding the show is abandoned. There have also been recent protests from the likes of TV presenter Paul O'Grady, who hit out at the broadcaster's 'shameful' decision to air a show about designer dogs There have also been protests on social media, with Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan tweeting: 'This is possibly the worst idea Ive ever heard. @bbcthree clearly has no idea about creative programming if this is an example of their work. I am truly shocked by this' An RSPCA spokesperson added: 'We're aware of this programme and are concerned that it is extremely irresponsible to encourage and glamorise breeding as a "get rich quick" scheme which, in turn, could lead to serious dog welfare issues and fuel the illegal puppy trade.' In a statement last month, the BBC said the film would be 'underpinned by sound journalism, providing a balanced exploration of why more young people have become interested in turning their passion for dogs into a profession.' Pictured: Ms Slater, who pitched the idea to BBC Three The broadcaster added: 'It will not be a "how to" guide. It is not about encouraging people to get into breeding. Nor is it an attempt to glamorise breeding. 'The welfare of animals is of the utmost importance and this programme will follow young individuals that are already responsibly breeding or are training to become accredited in order to highlight what constitutes best practice. 'The idea was commissioned during a live pitch event for new talent which is different to how we usually commission, but it will now be developed and made in accordance with the usual processes in line with BBC Editorial guidelines and the production team will research and consult widely within the industry.' Information on the BBC's website about the show states: 'With average puppy prices doubling in the last six months because of Covid-19, this timely film will look at some of the 20-somethings looking to launch new businesses breeding designer canines' The show does feature the pitfalls of dog breeding, as the broadcaster continues: 'The film will follow the young breeders as they try to build their businesses and make them reputable. 'But, with puppies for life and not just lockdown, and a rise in "bad breeders" looking to make a quick buck, it will also explore and discuss what constitutes good and bad practice in the world of dog breeding.' The idea was pitched by Sophia Slater and Helena Rochester. MailOnline has contacted the BBC for further comment. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A recent market study published by Future Market Insights (FMI) on the air quality monitoring equipment market includes global industry analysis of 2014-2018 and opportunity assessment for 2019-2029, and delivers a comprehensive assessment of the most important market dynamics. After conducting thorough research on the historical as well as current growth parameters of the air quality monitoring equipment market, the growth prospects of the market are obtained with maximum precision. Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market: Segmentation The air quality monitoring equipment market is segmented in detail to cover every aspect of the market and present a complete market intelligence approach to the reader. Component Air Sampling Pumps Sorbent Tubes Filters & Membranes Sample Bags Other Accessories Request a Sample of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11083 Equipment Type Indoor Air Quality Monitors Fixed Indoor Air Quality Monitors Portable Indoor Air Quality Monitors Outdoor Air Quality Monitors Fixed Outdoor Air Quality Monitors Portable Outdoor Air Quality Monitors Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) Stations End User Residential Government Environment Monitoring Agencies Commercial Hotels & Restaurants Corporates & Academic Institutions Construction & Real Estate Others Industrial Energy & Utilities Pharmaceuticals Petrochemicals Others Region North America Central and South America Europe Asia Pacific MEA Report Chapters Chapter 01 Executive Summary The report initiates with the executive summary of the air quality monitoring equipment market, which includes a summary of key findings and statistics of the market. Chapter 02 Market Introduction Readers can find the definition and a detailed taxonomy of the air quality monitoring equipment market in this chapter, which will help them understand the basic information about the air quality monitoring equipment market. This section also highlights the inclusions and exclusions, which helps the reader understand the scope of the air quality monitoring equipment market report. Chapter 03 Key Market Trends The air quality monitoring equipment market report provides the key market trends that are expected to significantly impact the market growth during the forecast period. Detailed industry trends are provided in this section. Chapter 04 Global Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Demand Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This section explains the global market value analysis and forecast for the air quality monitoring equipment market during 2019-2029. This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the historical air quality monitoring equipment market, along with an opportunity analysis of the future. Readers can also find the absolute $ opportunity for the current year (2019), and an incremental $ opportunity for the forecast period (2019-2029). Along with this, pricing analysis of the air quality monitoring equipment market at the regional level has been provided in this section. This section also explains the global market analysis and forecast for the air quality monitoring equipment market during 2019-2029. Chapter 05 Market Background This chapter explains the key macroeconomic factors that are expected to influence the growth of the air quality monitoring equipment market during the forecast period. Along with the macroeconomic factors, this section also highlights the value chain, supply chain, forecast factors, and value chain analysis for the air quality monitoring equipment market. Moreover, in-depth information about the market dynamics and their impact analysis on the market have been provided in the successive section. Chapter 06 Global Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis by Component Based on component, the air quality monitoring equipment market is segmented into air sampling pumps, sorbent tubes, filters & membranes, sample bags, and other accessories. In this chapter, readers can find information about the key trends and developments in the air quality monitoring equipment market and market attractiveness analysis based on component. Chapter 07 Global Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis by Equipment Type This chapter provides details about the air quality monitoring equipment market based on equipment type, and has been classified into indoor air quality monitors and outdoor air quality monitors. The indoor air quality monitors are further sub-segmented into fixed indoor air quality monitors and portable indoor air quality monitors. Similarly, the outdoor air quality monitors are sub-segmented into fixed outdoor air quality monitors, portable outdoor air quality monitors, and air quality monitoring (AQM) stations. In this chapter, readers can understand the market attractiveness analysis based on equipment type. Chapter 08 Global Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 by End User This chapter provides details about the air quality monitoring equipment market based on end user, and has been classified into residential, government environment monitoring agencies, commercial, and industrial. The commercial segment is further sub-segmented into hotels & restaurants, corporates & academic institutions, construction & real estate, and others. Moreover, the industrial segment is further classified into energy & utilities, pharmaceuticals, petro-chemicals, and others. In this chapter, readers can understand the market attractiveness analysis based on the end user. Chapter 09 Global Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 by Region This chapter explains how the air quality monitoring equipment market will grow across various geographic regions such as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, GCC Countries, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Chapter 10 North America Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the growth of the North America air quality monitoring equipment market, along with a country-wise assessment that includes the U.S. and Canada. Readers can also find the pricing analysis, regional trends, and market growth based on the application and countries in North America. Chapter 11 Latin America Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This chapter provides the growth scenario of the air quality monitoring equipment market in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America. Along with this, assessment of the market across target segments has been provided. Chapter 12 Eastern Europe Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This chapter highlights the growth of the air quality monitoring equipment market in Eastern Europe by focusing on Russia, Poland, and Rest of Eastern Europe. This section also help readers understand the key factors that are responsible for the growth of the air quality monitoring equipment market in Eastern Europe. Chapter 13 Western Europe Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 Important growth prospects of the air quality monitoring equipment market based on its end users in several countries such as Germany, the U.K., France, Spain, Italy, BENELUX, and the Rest of Western Europe are included in this chapter. Chapter 14 Asia Pacific excluding Japan Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This chapter highlights the growth of the air quality monitoring equipment market in Asia Pacific excluding Japan by focusing on China, South Korea, India, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand & Rest of APEJ. This section also help readers understand the key factors that are responsible for growth of the air quality monitoring equipment market in APEJ. Chapter 15 Japan Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This chapter highlights the growth of the air quality monitoring equipment market in Japan. This section also help readers understand the key factors that are responsible for the growth of the air quality monitoring equipment market in Japan. Chapter 16 GCC Countries Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This chapter provides information about how the air quality monitoring equipment market will grow in major economies in the GCC region such as Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, during the forecast period. Chapter 17 MEA Air Quality Monitoring Equipment Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Opportunity Assessment 2019-2029 This chapter provides information about how the air quality monitoring equipment market will grow in major countries in the MEA region such as Israel, Turkey, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of MEA, during the forecast period. Request for Report Ask A Question @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-11083 Chapter 18 Market Structure Analysis In this chapter, readers can find detailed information about the tier analysis and market concentration of key players in the air quality monitoring equipment market, along with their market presence analysis by region and product portfolio. Chapter 19 Competition Analysis In this chapter, readers can find a comprehensive list of all the prominent stakeholders in the air quality monitoring equipment market, along with a detailed information about each company, which includes company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Some of the market players featured in the report are SKC Ltd, Honeywell, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Vaisala, ENVEA group, TSI Incorporated, Ecotech, LumaSense Technologies, among others. Chapter 20 Assumptions and Acronyms This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provides a base to the information and statistics included in the air quality monitoring equipment market report. Chapter 21 Research Methodology This chapter help readers understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions as well as important qualitative and quantitative information about the air quality monitoring equipment market. As Verizon launched its partnership with Discovery+, it is now offering its new and existing customer free 12 months subscription for the new streaming service, which officially launches on January 4. Discovery+ is a brand new streaming service which provides thousands of episodes on-demand Discovery content and over 50 originals. It houses contents from the History Channel, TLC, HGTV, Food Netflix, Discovery Channel, A&E as well as BBC's Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and other natural history programs. Discovery Plus Verizon Free One Year Subscription In the U.S., Discovery Plus streaming service will normally cost $4.99 per month while its ad-free subscription is $6.99 per month. However, Verizon customers can get free Discovery Plus subscription for up to 12 months with select Verizon Unlimited plans or with a new 5G home internet or Fios plan. According to Gizmodo, since Discovery Plus is become available in the website, smart TVs, tablets, mobiles, and other major platforms such as Roku, Apple devices, Xbox One, Android devices, Samsung smart TVs, Xbox Series X and other next-gen devices, Chromecast with Google TV, and Fire TV devices, which will include Prime Video channel. Subscribers can add up to five users on each account as well as four simultaneous streams. Read also: Apple App Store Removes Vybe Together App That Promotes Secret Parties; TikTok Account Banned How to Get Your One Year Free Discovery Plus with Verizon Verizon customers can enjoy up to 12 months free streaming service from Discovery Plus. According to the Verizon website's Discovery Plus landing page, there are four ways to claim the free subscription. Check how to do it below: For existing Unlimited subscribers Sign in to the Verizon account. Choose the rightmost option on the website and click the Learn More link, which would take users to add-ons menu where various packages and promotional offers are listed. Scroll down and look for Discovery+. Click on the Get it now button. For existing Verizon subscribers Those who are not yet on Unlimited plan may choose to upgrade to Verizon Unlimited to enjoy the free Discovery Plus streaming service. When signed in to the Verizon account, go to Discovery Plus landing page on the website, click either the second or third options and click Switch now or Change plan links. For Internet users, $35 Start Unlimited plan and the $45 Do More Unlimited plan will provide six months free Discovery Plus subscription while $45 Play More and the $55 Get More Unlimited plans will give free Discovery Plus service for 12 months. For non- Verizon subscribers Meanwhile, non-Verizon customers may still be able to claim a free seven-day Discovery+ trial. After one week, they will be charged depending on the plan they chose when they signed-up, either $5 with ads or $7 for ad-free. Take note that subscribers will need to accept the Verizon terms and conditions on the next page toad the service to the account. Also, the promotion provides ad-free version, but it means subscribers will need to pay $6.99 per month once the free trial expires. Otherwise, they need to cancel the subscription after the trial ends, so they do not need to pay for the service. Related article: CES Convention Las Vegas 2021 Schedule: What to Expect from Acer, Asus, Lenovo, LG and More! This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The Stormont Executive has very difficult decisions to take in a dire situation, Arlene Foster said. Ministers are taking part in an urgent meeting tonight in response to soaring numbers of coronavirus infections. The First Minister, along with Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill, took part in a four nations call at 5pm on the response to the pandemic. Speaking to reporters in Co Fermanagh before the Executive meeting, Mrs Foster did not rule out keeping schools closed. The advice coming to us is that we will need to take action and that well need to take action very quickly, she said. I dont want to prejudge the discussions at the Executive at 6pm but we will have very difficult decisions to take, there is no doubt about that. I was very clear that I would like to keep schools open for as long as possible but if it is the case that we do need to close schools as we did in March of last year, I will deeply regret that, but we will of course take whatever action is needed based on the medical evidence in front of us. Asked about the first of the post-primary transfer tests, which is due to take place on Saturday, Mrs Foster said it will be for the private companies which run the tests to take into account the advice that we will be giving out tonight after the Executive meeting. The First Minister also expressed disappointment at the number of gatherings, and said ministers will speak to police about enforcement. Just today I was sent photographs of Portstewart and Portrush over the past couple of days and there were huge crowds gathering together and I really regret that because we have very difficult decisions to take tonight as a consequence, she said. It is very clear to me that we cannot keep going in the trajectory upon which we currently are, 1,801 cases today, something similar yesterday, over 2,000 the day before. We cannot keep going in this direction or our health service will fall over, it will not be able to cope with what is going on. In terms of compliance, I have indicated that I have been disappointed by some of the actions which I have seen people being involved in. We will be engaging with the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the next coming hours as well to see what more we can do in relation to enforcement. Ms ONeill tweeted: Urgent decisive action is required to respond. It comes amid spiralling numbers of cases of Covid-19. A further 1,801 positive cases were notified in Northern Ireland on Monday as the number of new cases over seven days hit 12,507. Hospitals remained under pressure with a 99% occupancy rate. There were 513 Covid-19 positive patients, 39 of whom were in intensive care units. Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Michael McBride described those figures as deeply troubling. Dr Michael McBride, the chief medical officer (Liam McBurney/PA) A six-week lockdown came into effect in Northern Ireland on St Stephen's Day, which included the closing of non-essential retail, most of the hospitality industry and close-contact services. An 8pm to 6am curfew applied for the first week of the latest lockdown. Dr McBride said the Executive will look at whether more is needed on Monday evening. We have put in place a significant number of restrictions, there are not many more restrictions which remain open to us, he said. So its a combination of restrictions but also most importantly of us all following the advice and abiding by those restrictions. Now is not the time to duck or to dodge or to find a way around the restrictions. The vast majority in Northern Ireland are abiding by the guidance and following the regulations, its important now that everybody else does as well. We need to keep this virus in check, we need to get back in control of it again. Airtel Networks Zambia Limited has been awarded 20 MHz of radio spectrum by the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) in the 800MHz frequency band. The cost of the spectrum, according to independent news website Zambia Reports, is said to be $12.5 million. The move is expected to boost the telecommunications companys 5G service rollout, although, with no specific date mentioned, its hard to know when this might happen. Airtel apparently won a competitive process in which a Request for Offer was issued to all eligible international operators. On September 21, 2020, ZICTA invited eligible licensees holding an Electronic Communication Network Licence issued by the Authority in the International Market Segment to apply for spectrum in the 800MHz band. An Evaluation Committee was appointed to evaluate the application through a process that took place in December. Airtel Networks Zambia met all the requirements. ZICTA public relations manager Ngabo Nankonde was quoted as saying that the spectrum is expected to improve quality of service through an enhanced user experience that will see faster call setup, clearer voice quality and fewer dropped calls. In addition, of course, this spectrum band supports longer range, so mobile broadband coverage is also anticipated to increase in both urban and rural areas. Nankonde also suggested that the award could pave the way for new and innovative product offers such as VoLTE. More importantly perhaps, she also said that the release of the spectrum would help to keep pace with the recent exponential growth in mobile voice and data traffic, not least in response to the coronavirus pandemic. DENVER, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FMI Capital Advisors, an investment banking firm dedicated to construction, engineering, and other sectors of the built environment, today announced the acquisition of Interstate Highway Construction, Inc. ("IHC") by Clyde Companies, Inc. ("Clyde"). The company, to be known as IHC Scott after merging with Clyde subsidiary Scott Contracting, dramatically expands Clyde's infrastructure construction capacity while bolstering and extending its geographic reach. FMI Capital Advisors served as the exclusive financial advisor to IHC for this transaction, which closed on December 31, 2020. Headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, Interstate Highway Construction is a highly diversified airport, heavy civil, and highway construction contractor with $219 million in revenue in 2019. IHC's extensive capabilities and market coverage complements Clyde's existing infrastructure construction services, expands their presence along Colorado's Front Range, and adds new geographies and market verticals to its platform. Furthermore, the privately held, family-owned companies share similar values, providing the transaction with cultural alignment between the two parties. Ken Schaeffer, CEO of IHC, said, "We are extremely excited to partner with Clyde Companieswe could not ask for a better strategic and cultural fit. This acquisition will allow IHC to provide more growth opportunities for our people, while they continue to work for a company with a strong appreciation of blending family values into their operations." Through the acquisition of IHC, Clyde plans to expand its construction services and resources to a wider geographic location. "The merger of IHC Scott is equally advantageous for Scott Contracting and IHC. IHC will gain advantages from Scott's expertise and Scott will dually benefit from IHC's experience," said Jim Golding, President of the Construction Materials and Services Group at Clyde Companies. "We anticipate that their individual strengths will combine in a dynamic and successful alliance." About Interstate Highway Construction Founded in 1947, Interstate Highway Construction is a leading heavy construction builder of airfields, highways, streets, parking lots, industrial pavements, and water resource projects across the Rocky Mountain West, Midwest, and Southwestern United States. With an advanced equipment fleet and highly experienced and dedicated personnel, IHC specializes in concrete paving, treated and untreated bases, pavement restoration, removals, grading, and related earthwork as well as underground utility trenching, drainage installation, and minor structure and miscellaneous concrete services. For more information, visit ihcquality.com. About Clyde Companies Headquartered in Orem, Utah, Clyde Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in heavy highway, earthwork, and paving services as well as building materials. The Clyde business ventures started in 1926 in Springville, Utah, with the formation of W.W. Clyde & Co., a heavy civil construction contractor. Clyde Companies has grown from a small Utah construction company into a billion-dollar organization with more than 3,500 employees. For additional information, visit Clyde's website at www.clydeinc.com. About FMI Capital Advisors FMI Capital Advisors, a subsidiary of FMI Corporation, is a leading investment banking firm dedicated to the built environment. With more than 750 completed M&A transactions, our industry focus enables us to maximize value for our clients through our deep market knowledge, strong technical expertise, and an unparalleled network of industry relationships. FMI Capital Advisors' Contractor and Construction Services team is a dedicated group specializing in M&A, capital formation, and ownership transition services for construction firms and related service providers, including general contractors, heavy civil contractors, specialty trade contractors, and industrial and commercial building service providers. For more information, visit FMI Capital Advisors. FMI Capital Advisors Contacts: Ryan Foley, Managing Director, Contractor & Construction Services [email protected] 303.398.7202 John Steinegger, Director, Contractor & Construction Services [email protected] 303.398.7210 Media Contact: Liz Hester Email: [email protected] Phone: 919.785.9209 SOURCE FMI Corporation Related Links http://www.fminet.com dentsu Malaysia has named Dheeraj Raina as media chief executive officer to lead all media brands under its wing - iProspect, Vizeum, Carat, dentsu X, Amplifi, Posterscope, Amnet. Former CEO Yap Chee Weng has exited the organisation after spending nine years with the company. Raina was most recently associated with Mindshare Malaysia as Managing Director since October 1, 2018. Raina is recognised for his proprietary IPs for retail, telecommunications and travel industries in marketing planning, and for his contributions as a mentor to the fintech, SME, and startup scenes in Malaysia. Yap Chee Weng is an industry veteran of 25 years who first joined dentsu Malaysia as chief media officer in 2011. He set up the agency's media arm when it only had creative operations. In 2013, Yap was moved to head dentsu X and lead the brands Carat, Vizeum and dentsu X. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Victoria could push for a ban on Australians returning from the UK as a new coronavirus strain runs rampant - infecting 58,784 residents in one day. Police Minister Lisa Neville suggested Australia should consider closing its airports to flights from Britain due to the 'concerning' new variant. 'You cannot look at the UK and not be concerned about it,' she said during Victoria's daily coronavirus update on Tuesday. Australia has so far identified at least eight cases of this particular strain in arrivals from Britain, including three in Perth on Tuesday. Victoria could move to ban Australians returning from the UK as a new coronavirus strain runs rampant. Pictured: People in face masks are seen in London on Sunday Pictured: Passengers are tested for Covid-19 at Melbourne Airport on December 20, 2020 Ms Neville said Victorian deputy chief health officer Allen Cheng would float the idea during an Australian Health Protection Principal Committee meeting on Tuesday. It's understood he will ask the AHPPC to conduct modelling on the risks associated with accepting returnees from Britain. Victoria has also called for UK's coronavirus strain to be addressed by the national cabinet. A senior state government official has referred to the British variant as 'radioactive, toxic material, wildly infectious'. The strain is believed to be up to 70 per cent more infectious than the original. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night ordered England into a new national lockdown until at least mid-February. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant on Tuesday said there was 'no one silver bullet' to keep the community safe from variant viruses which are moving across the world. 'Just because you're tested a couple of days before you get on the plane, you can develop the infection on the plane, you can develop as you're getting off the plane, or the next day,' she said. Returned travellers are dropped off at a hotel in Melbourne on Monday for their mandatory hotel quarantine 'It is about that universal approach, making sure we treat anyone with Covid as highly infectious and making sure we go through all of the end to end chains to ensure that we don't have any incursion events in our community.' Acting Premier John Barilaro said measures would always be put in place to protect Australians. 'We're learning, like any other nation, there's no playbook or rule book that shows you how to manage a global pandemic at the scale we've seen,' he said on Tuesday. Another international strain - a South African variant - was detected in a woman who arrived in Queensland on December 22 who went straight into hotel quarantine. More than 30 countries around the world have recorded cases of the South African or UK coronavirus variants, including the US, Lebanon, Singapore, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Japan, France, Germany and Italy. The World Health Organisation is yet to determine whether the new variants could undermine Covid-19 vaccines being rolled out around the world. AMSTERDAM: The Dutch government was caught off guard by the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by EU regulators in December and has been unable to start vaccinating due to logistical problems, Prime Minister Mark Rutte told parliament on Tuesday. The Netherlands has hundreds of thousands of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses in cold storage, but will not give a first shot until Wednesday, in a limited roll-out to health care workers. Ruttes government was criticised by lawmakers during a debate for allowing the Netherlands to be the last country in the EU to begin vaccinating. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Dec. 21. By last week, 164,000 doses had been delivered to the Netherlands and that number stood at 288,000 on Tuesday, Rutte said. The Netherlands was not prepared for the logistics of distributing the Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, Rutte told parliament. The main problem was that we got it sooner than we had expected," Rutte said, referring to the EMA approval. It was a different vaccine (than we had expected)making it impossible to be flexible." Labour Party leader Lodewijk Asscher accused Rutte of making excuses, while there are 300,000 vaccines in freezers and no one vaccinated". The Dutch had planned to start vaccinating the most vulnerable people at elderly care homes, but the Pfizer vaccine comes in boxes of nearly 1,000 doses, which could not be stored at those sites. Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have remained high in recent weeks, despite a tough lockdown in which all schools and many stores were closed last month. There are no convincing effects of the Dec. 15 lockdown yet," the National Institute for Public Health said on Tuesday. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor The President of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, has been re-elected after securing nearly 54% of the votes. The electoral commission said the results made a second-round run-off unnecessary. Former prime minister, Anicet George Pologuele, finished a distant second with just 21% of the votes, while Martin Ziguele finished third with 7% of the votes. There were a total of 16 candidates running for president - including three women. Opposition candidates have said the election was riddled with massive irregularities. The vote took place despite an offensive by a coalition of armed rebel groups which left thousands unable to cast their ballots. The government has accused the former President Francois Bozize, who was barred from standing in the poll, of staging an attempted coup. He's denied the allegations but said he supported the rebels. Prosecutors have launched an investigation, accusing Mr Bozize of acts of destabilization and rebellion. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video At least 19 persons, who arrived from the United Kingdom recently, are missing in Patna, officials said on Monday. Patna Civil Surgeon, Dr Vibha Kumari, said that the matter has been handed over to the police. "The Patna airport has given the list of passengers who came from the from November 23 to December 31 and their addresses. When health officials went to their houses to put them under quarantine, they found they were missing. Since their mobile numbers are untraceable, it is extremely difficult to trace them out and put under quarantine," Vibha Kumari told IANS. The is witnessing surge in corona cases after detection of a new variation which causes a higher infection rate. Hence, India's Health Ministry had issued fresh guidelines for passengers returning from the these days. "New versions of are considered as more transmissible. Hence we have to find them to prevent transmission of the deadly virus to others. The acts of these passengers are extremely irresponsible and are a threat to other persons. "They could face legal action under the Disaster Management and Epidemic Acts. We will also recommend authorities for cancellation of their passports as well," she said. --IANS ajk/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The apex court cleared the decks for the project by upholding the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the decks for the ambitious Central Vista Project, which covers a three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens' Delhi, by upholding the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use. The Central Vista revamp, announced in September 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with a seating capacity of 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project. A three-judge bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar, by 2:1 majority, held that the grant of environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for the project was valid. Justice Khanwilkar, writing the judgement for himself and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, also directed that the project proponent set up smog tower and use anti-smog guns at the construction site for the Central Vista project. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the third judge on the bench, also agreed on the issue of award of the project. He, however, disagreed with the judgment on change of land use and on the grant of environmental clearance for the project. In the majority verdict, the apex court said that prior permission shall be taken from the heritage conservation committee and other relevant authorities before the start of construction at new sites. On the aspect of change in land use, Justice Khanna said it was bad in law and there was no disclosure for public participation on the issue. The top court's verdict came on several pleas on the issue, including the one filed by activist Rajeev Suri, against various permissions given to the project by authorities including the grant of environmental clearance and the nod to change of land use On December 7, last year the top court had allowed the Centre to proceed with the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Central Vista project on December 10 after the government assured it that no construction or demolition work would commence till the apex court decides the pending pleas on the issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building and the construction is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore. The apex court had earlier said that any change at the ground level made by authorities for the Central Vista project will be "at their own risk". It had made it clear that the fate of the project, which includes several new government buildings and a new Parliament House, will depend on its decision. The Centre had earlier argued in the top court that the project would "save money" which is paid as rent for housing central government ministries in the national capital. It had submitted that the decision to have a new Parliament building has not been taken in haste and no law or norms have been violated in any manner for the project. The Centre had also said there was no arbitrariness or favouritism in selecting consultant for the project and the argument that the government could have adopted a better process cannot be a ground to scrap the project. Gujarat-based architecture firm HCP Designs has won the consultancy bid for the project to redevelop the Central Vista. The pleas filed in the apex court had also challenged the grant of a no-objection certificate by the Central Vista Committee (CVC) and also the environmental clearances for the construction of a new Parliament house building. One of the pleas was filed against a Delhi High Court order which had said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was not required to appraise it before notifying changes in the Master Plan to allow the Central Vista project. A division bench of the Delhi High Court had on February 28 stayed an order of its single-judge bench which had asked the DDA to approach the court before notifying any change in the Master Plan for going forth with the project to redevelop the Central Vista. The stay order of the high court on the single-judge bench's February 11 direction had come on the intra-court appeal of the DDA and the Centre. The petitioners before the high court had opposed the Central Vista project on grounds that it involves a change in land use of the green area adjoining Rajpath and Vijay Chowk for building a new Parliament building and government offices. DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Fashion E-Commerce Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth and Change" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Fashion E-Commerce Global Market Report 2020-30: COVID-19 Growth And Change provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global fashion e-commerce market. This report focuses on the fashion e-commerce market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the fashion e-commerce market which will be shaping and changing our lives over the next ten years and beyond, including the markets response to the challenge of the global pandemic. Reasons to Purchase Gain a truly global perspective with the most comprehensive report available on this market covering 12+ geographies. Understand how the market is being affected by the coronavirus and how it is likely to emerge and grow as the impact of the virus abates. Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis. Identify growth segments for investment. Outperform competitors using forecast data and the drivers and trends shaping the market. Understand customers based on the latest market research findings. Benchmark performance against key competitors. Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing. Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysis Description: Where is the largest and fastest growing market for the fashion e-commerce? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The Fashion E-Commerce market global report answers all these questions and many more. The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider fashion e-commerce market, and compares it with other markets. The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market. The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, the influence of the COVID-19 virus and forecasting its growth. Market segmentations break down market into sub markets. The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers the growth trajectory of COVID-19 for all regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets. Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified. The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers. The fashion e-commerce market section of the report gives context. It compares the fashion e-commerce market with other segments of the fashion e-commerce market by size and growth, historic and forecast. It analyses GDP proportion, expenditure per capita, fashion e-commerce indicators comparison. Major players in the fashion e-commerce market are Amazon, Flipkart, Alibaba, Snapdeal, eBay, Myntra, ShopClues, AliExpress, and HomeShop18. The global fashion e-commerce market is expected to decline from $531.25 billion in 2019 to $485.62 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -8.59%. The decline is mainly due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing and remote working, and the closure of industries and other commercial activities. The entire supply chain from production to international trade has been impacted. The market is expected to recover and reach $672.71 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 11.48%. The fashion e-commerce market consists of sales of fashion goods and its related services through online channels. Fashion goods include fashion accessories, clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry, cosmetics, and other luxury goods. The fashion e-commerce market comprises of revenue generated by the establishments using several online platforms and tools for trading fashion products. North America was the largest region in the fashion e-commerce market in 2019. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. Technological innovations are a leading trend in the fashion e-commerce industry. The companies dealing in the market are adopting new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), barcode scanners, virtual reality outfits, and e-commerce automation tools that offer highly personalized and relevant consumer experience. Moreover, many fashion companies are launching new apps to sell their products online in order to reach a large consumer base. For instance, in June 2019, Amazon launched an AI-powered tool named StyleSnap, which uses machine learning to find similar styles and clothes. StyleSnap is an app wherein people can take a picture, upload, and search for similar clothes available on Amazon.com. The fashion e-commerce market covered in this report is segmented by product into apparel/clothing; accessories; footwear; cosmetics; others and by end user into men; women; children. Rules concerning website content and safety of consumer information are predicted to limit the growth of the market. The rules and regulations for companies about the content of the website make it difficult for players to manage their business. A major concern is to mandate the use of local languages on their website, as in countries with more than one local official language, it results in a higher cost for the companies dealing with online retailing. This scenario is projected to act as a restraint for the fashion e-commerce market. Weakening brand trust and loyalty, and high return rates are other major concerns for the growth of the fashion e-commerce market. The decline in brand loyalty can be due to several factors including product quality, a lack of selection options, or better prices elsewhere. This, in turn, is a reason for the high return rates. In June 2018, the online retailers Media24 and Takealot.com announced that they will merge their online fashion brands, Spree and Superbalist, creating an exciting online fashion platform for South African consumers. The merger of Superbalist and Spree provides an opportunity to accelerate the growth of online fashion retail in South Africa. Increasing use of internet and smartphones is expected to contribute to the expansion of the fashion e-commerce industry. According to the Digital 2019 Global Overview Report, the total number of phone users including smart and feature phones reached 4.78 billion, which was 61.51% of world's population in 2019. The smartphone users increased from 2.5 billion in 2016 constituting 33.58% of the year's global population to 3.5 billion in 2019, which was 45.04% of the world's population. This has also led to an increase in the number of online shoppers. This scenario is anticipated to boost the demand for fashion and other e-commerce markets, generating higher revenue for the online fashion industry over the coming years. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Fashion E-Commerce Market Characteristics 3. Fashion E-Commerce Market Size And Growth 3.1. Global Fashion E-Commerce Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion 3.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.1.2. Restraints On The Market 3.2. Global Fashion E-Commerce Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 3.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.2.2. Restraints On the Market 4. Fashion E-Commerce Market Segmentation 4.1. Global Fashion E-Commerce Market, Segmentation By Product , Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Apparel/Clothing Accessories Footwear Cosmetics Others 4.2. Global Fashion E-Commerce Market, Segmentation By End User, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Men Women Children 5. Fashion E-Commerce Market Regional And Country Analysis 5.1. Global Fashion E-Commerce Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2. Global Fashion E-Commerce Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 6. Asia-Pacific Fashion E-Commerce Market 7. China Fashion E-Commerce Market 8. India Fashion E-Commerce Market 9. Japan Fashion E-Commerce Market 10. Australia Fashion E-Commerce Market 11. Indonesia Fashion E-Commerce Market 12. South Korea Fashion E-Commerce Market 13. Western Europe Fashion E-Commerce Market 14. UK Fashion E-Commerce Market 15. Germany Fashion E-Commerce Market 16. France Fashion E-Commerce Market 17. Eastern Europe Fashion E-Commerce Market 18. Russia Fashion E-Commerce Market 19. North America Fashion E-Commerce Market 20. USA Fashion E-Commerce Market 21. South America Fashion E-Commerce Market 22. Brazil Fashion E-Commerce Market 23. Middle East Fashion E-Commerce Market 24. Africa Fashion E-Commerce Market 25. Fashion E-Commerce Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles 26. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Fashion E-Commerce Market 27. Fashion E-Commerce Market Trends And Strategies 28. Fashion E-Commerce Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis 29. Appendix Companies Mentioned Amazon Flipkart Alibaba Snapdeal ebay Myntra ShoClues AliExpress HomeShop18 Jabong SHEIN Koovs Flo Mattress Yebhi Biba Nykaa Decathlon Pepperfry Naaptol Shopclues.com ShoppersStop Shopping.indiatimes Shopping.rediff StalBuyLove.com Styletag Stylista Yebhi For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uaz5qx Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Alexander Parkin, 45, worked on the popular BBC Radio 3 show Late Junction and won nine Sony awards for his work A former BBC radio producer befriended clients of his interior design business and sold crystal meth to them at chemsex parties, a court heard. Alexander Parkin, 45, who worked on the popular BBC Radio 3 show Late Junction and won nine Sony awards for his work, admitted possession of crystal meth with intent to supply after 123g was found in his flat last September. The Oxford graduate now has an interior design business and befriends clients before inviting them to his parties and selling chemsex drugs at 'cost prices', Kingston Crown Court heard. It was said he was selling crystal meth for around 25 a gram and not making a profit. Experts analysed messages on Parkin's phone in which he used drug slang including 'Fanta' for MDMA, 'water' for GBL, and 'tea' for crystal meth. The ex-producer was first convicted of drug dealing in 2016, when he admitted selling GBL to celebrity barrister Henry Hendron, 35. The lawyer had bought 1,000 worth of mephedrone and GBL for parties at his London flat, a court heard at the time, and woke one morning to find his boyfriend Miguel Jimenez, 18, dead beside him. A post-mortem found the cause of Mr Jimenez's death was a lethal mix of mephedrone and GBL. Parkin was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work and lost his job at the BBC two days after his admission. Hendron was ordered to do 140 hours of unpaid work. The ex-producer also faced a trial in 2017 over claims he had been selling crystal meth, ecstasy and 'liquid ecstasy' GBL from his Marylebone flat - but was cleared. However, he has now admitted possession of crystal meth with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug after 123g was found in his flat on September 29. Parkin previously admitted selling GBL to celebrity barrister Henry Hendron, 35, after the death of the lawyer's 18-year-old boyfriend Miguel Jimenez (seen together) that January Jonathan Hardy, defending, said: 'One of his character traits is warmth, love and generosity towards others. That may seem alien in the drug world.' Judge Jonathan Davies replied: 'This is exceptional, doing it out of generosity.' The court heard how police arrived at Parkin's south London flat after finding evidence on another suspect's phone that he had been drug dealing. A specialist search team found 123g of methamphetamine hidden in the flat 'within home-made concealments'. Prosecutor David Povall said: 'It is accepted that Mr Parkin himself is a drug user, an addict. 'The people he engaged with are not only known to Mr Parkin but many of them are known to each other as well. 'It is a networked supply situation which takes place within the individual's own social lives.' The prosecutor said there was 'some' financial motive but there were no accounts to estimate a profit. Parkin's lawyer said the drugs were not sold for profit but for 'pleasure' at sex parties because his client is a 'party man'. He said: 'The defendant can now be recognised as someone who supplied only to friends. He did not seek to make a profit beyond his own personal re-investment. 'In general terms my client supplied to those who he trusted and had a degree of emotional if not physical intimacy, and it was very much taken in the confines of his home.' He added: 'I do present this defendant as someone who is exceptional in his generosity of spirit. In his abandonment of profit and winning friends and bringing them into his home for their special benefit. 'His benevolence and his accepted skill in managing to source drugs wholesale and hold those sex parties for the pleasure of his friends, means the pleasure is the profit. 'If the pleasure is the profit your honour may now distinguish this from those who want gold watches and fancy cars.' Judge Davies adjourned sentencing until March 1. Pre-departure COVID-19 testing and negative results to be required for all air travellers coming to Canada Washington, DC, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FiscalNote, a global technology company that provides software and political intelligence around legislative and regulatory risk, announced that it has acquired AI-enabled transcription and alternative data firm FactSquared. Receiving timely and accurate read-outs of comments made by our public officials is a crucial service to our clients, said FiscalNote founder and CEO, Tim Hwang. FactSquareds commitment to innovative rigor in the transcripts space will not only further strengthen the robust set of products and services we provide clients, but also drive meaningful technological innovation as we continue expanding the breadth and depth of our offerings globally. FactSquared gained national attention for running Factba.se, a website that transcribes and analyzes every word spoken publicly by President Trump. It has been the canonical source for everything the President has said publicly since January 2017, making his speeches, tweets, schedule and announcements instantly searchable in real time, without commentary or opinion. It has been cited more than 4,000 times by CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Fox News, MSNBC and hundreds of media outlets worldwide. Our AI platform has had an enormous impact in the political information space over the past four years, noted FactSquared founder and CEO, Bill Frischling. But when thinking about whats next for FactSquared, we quickly realized that by joining FiscalNote, wed have the opportunity to not just expand the reach and impact of our current technology, but also team up with their brilliant data scientists and machine-learning experts to build some pretty exciting products and services. FactSquared was founded in 2017 by both Frischling and former Head of the Office of Investment and Innovation at the Small Business Administration, Mark Walsh, who also served on FactSquareds board of directors. Frischling will join FiscalNote's Research and Development team, while Walsh will become an advisor to FiscalNote. Mary-Sara Camerino, FactSquareds COO, will work with FiscalNote to help integrate the business and continue FactSquareds legacy of innovation. About FiscalNote FiscalNote is a global technology company focused on delivering timely and relevant political and regulatory intelligence in a complex and evolving world. More than 4,000 clients worldwide rely on FiscalNote for legislative and regulatory data, policy news & analysis, stakeholder management, collaboration and advocacy tools. To learn more about FiscalNote and its family of brands, visit www.fiscalnote.com. About FactSquared FactSquared is an alternative data company specializing in analyzing and transcribing public figures by building unique neural profiles based on everything an individual has said and how they said it. FactSquared's proprietary algorithms allow its customers to analyze what someone says like any other data -- finding trends, correlations, patterns, and outliers in the information. FactSquared customers know what wasn't said as well as what was said. Attachment ADVERTISEMENT The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Edo Sector Command, says no fewer than 252 road traffic crashes (RTCs) were recorded in the state in 2020. The Edo Sector Commander of the corps, Henry Benamaisia, disclosed in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Tuesday. Mr Benamaisia said that of that figure, 87 were fatal, 130 serious and 37 were minor crashes. He also disclosed that 179 persons were recorded dead and 608 persons got various degrees of injury within the period under review. He added that 1,718 persons were involved in the RTCs within the period. According to the sector commander, this is a four-per-cent increase when compared with the 2019 road traffic crash statistics, which recorded a total number of 242 road crashes. Out of the 242 RTCs recorded in 2019, a total of 86 were fatal, 126 serious and 30 minor cases. A total of 2,117 persons were involved in road traffic crashes in 2019, while 788 persons were injured and 162 deaths recorded. Edo state registered an increase in the number of road traffic crashes in 2020 according to the data collated, he said. The major causes of these crashes, he said, were observed to be Speed-related Violations (SPV), Driving under the Influence of Alcohol (DUI), Overloading (OVL) and Route Violation (RTV). Mr Benamaisia, however, wished the people of Edo a happy New Year and warned motorists to be careful, tolerant and imbibe defensive driving culture always. He said this would help to reduce road traffic crashes in the state drastically, noting that the behaviour of road users was an important determinant of a countrys road safety performance. (NAN) Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Starvation is agonizing and degrading. You lose control of your bowels. Your skin peels off, your hair falls out, you hallucinate and you may go blind from lack of vitamin A. While you waste away, your body cannibalizes itself: It consumes its own muscles, even the heart. Yet Abdo Sayid, a 4-year-old boy so emaciated he weighed just 14 pounds, wasnt crying when he was brought to a hospital recently in Aden, Yemen. Thats because children who are starving dont cry or even frown. Instead, they are eerily calm; they appear apathetic, often expressionless. A body that is starving doesnt waste energy on tears. It directs every calorie to keep the major organs functioning. Abdo died soon after arriving at the hospital. A photographer named Giles Clarke, a friend of mine whom I met on my last trip to Yemen, was there again and captured the scene. His photographs are painful to witness, but many families, including Abdos, allow photography indeed, want photos to be circulated because they hope that the world will understand that children are dying needlessly of hunger, and that help is desperately needed to avert more child deaths. The world had pretty much licked famine, until 2020. The last famine declared by United Nations authorities was in a small part of South Sudan for a few months in 2017 but now the U.N. warns that famine is looming in Yemen, South Sudan, Burkina Faso and northeastern Nigeria, with 16 other countries slightly behind in that trajectory toward catastrophe. Famines are now back, said Mark Lowcock, the U.N. humanitarian chief. It will be a horrible stain on humanity for decades to come if we become the generation to oversee the return of such a terrible scourge. This is still avoidable. We have been privileged to live in a thrilling epoch in history in which child mortality has plunged, disease and famine retreated, literacy soared and human well-being skyrocketed. At this time of the year I normally counter all my gloomy columns by writing that the previous year was the best in human history, by such metrics as the share of children dying by the age of 5. But 2020 was not the best year in human history. It was an annus horribilis, and UNICEF warns that the result may be 10,000 additional children dying each month from hunger. The setback in developing countries has been exacerbated by passivity, paralysis and indifference in the United States and Europe, and in international organizations like the World Bank. The biggest cause of the global crisis is the coronavirus pandemic, but only indirectly. Outside of the rich world, the casualties are not octogenarians with the virus so much as children dying of hunger because of economic disruptions, or middle-aged adults dying of AIDS because they cant get medicines. The capital of human suffering today is arguably Yemen, which the United Nations calls the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. As we celebrate the new year, Yemeni children like Abdo are dying of hunger. Yemens suffering is complicated. Always poor, the country has been shattered by a war and blockade by Saudi Arabia, with backing from the United States under both the Obama and Trump administrations. (Obama officials have acknowledged, not as candidly as they should, that this was a mistake.) Misrule by the Houthi faction, backed by Iran, has compounded the suffering, as have both cholera and the coronavirus and donor countries are focused on their own problems and averting their eyes. So Abdo died. If you simply look at coronavirus numbers, you might think that poor countries had dodged a bullet. Developing countries have generally avoided high mortality from COVID-19, particularly in Africa. But that may be changing with a tide of new infections, and in any case the indirect effects have been devastating, so that a pandemic of a coronavirus has been followed by pandemics of hunger, disease and illiteracy. Lockdowns meant that casual laborers had no income, and tuberculosis patients couldnt get medicine. Campaigns to battle malaria, polio, AIDS and vitamin A deficiency were left in disarray. The repercussions are endless. The United Nations warns that poverty and disruptions from the pandemic may push 13 million additional girls into child marriages. Disrupted campaigns against female genital mutilation may result in 2 million more girls enduring genital cutting, the U.N. said, while reduced access to contraception may lead to 15 million unintended pregnancies. The World Bank says an additional 72 million children may be pushed into illiteracy. We are increasingly talking about a lost generation, whose potential may be permanently quashed by this pandemic, said Angeline Murimirwa of Camfed, which supports girls education in sub-Saharan Africa. An expert panel crunched the numbers and estimated that under even a moderate scenario of what lies ahead, an additional 168,000 children will die from malnutrition because of the consequences of the coronavirus. Think about that: Abdo times 168,000. Many others will survive, but with lifelong intellectual impairment, or in some cases permanent blindness, caused by deprivation in 2020 and 2021. This toll is worsened because of indifference in the rich world. The magnitude of the problem is an outrage, but it is even more outrageous that there are powerful, proven solutions that are not being delivered at scale, said Shawn Baker, the chief nutritionist at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Some poor countries will be able to vaccinate at most one-fifth of their populations in 2021, suggesting that the pandemic will continue to ping around the globe and smother poor countries. Partly thats because the United States and other rich countries, at the behest of the pharmaceutical company lobby, refuse to waive patent protections to allow poor countries access to cheaper vaccines. Gayle Smith of the One Campaign calls for three kinds of measures to help: greater efforts to distribute the vaccine globally, debt relief and assistance from wealthy countries. The paradox is that 2020 may still be one of the five best years in human history, by such measures as the share of children dying or the proportion of people living in extreme poverty. If the world moves aggressively to address the crisis, the year could be remembered as a blip. But the nightmare is a prolonged crisis in poor countries and a turning point on our watch that ends the march of progress for humanity. NICHOLAS KRISTOF is a columnist for The New York Times. Skip to main navigation Spring Seedling Sale The 2021 spring seedling sale is now closed. Thank you to all who supported us this year! We look forward to another sale in 2022. DEC operates the Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery, which produces tree and shrub seedlings for conservation plantings on public and private lands. Native New York seed sources are used when available. The nursery's annual spring seedling sale is open to all interested customers in New York and bordering states. SALE MATERIALS: Before ordering, consider specific space requirements for each type of tree: Species Spacing in Feet Trees/Acre Wildlife 6 x 6 1,210 Conifer 8 x 8 680 Hardwood 12 x 12 300 How to Order Sandbar willow makes a great visual screen and live snow fence Sandbar willow makes a great visual screenand live snow fence BY PHONE: Order seedlings from January 4 until May 12 by calling (518) 587-1120, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM. This is the recommended way to order since operators have the latest availability information. Operators can answer questions or direct you to the proper office for other information. An order will be completed over the phone and sent to you via mail or e-mail for your signature and payment. For all other inquiries call the Nursery office at (518) 581-1439, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. BY MAIL OR E-MAIL: Complete the order form (PDF). Send the order form to: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Saratoga Tree Nursery 2369 Rt. 50 S Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-4771 Or e-mail to nysnursery@dec.ny.gov Red oak seedlings Red oak seedlings Do not send payment at this time. DEC will send you an invoice for you to sign and return within 10 days along with your check or money order to complete the purchase, unless other arrangements have been made. DO NOT SEND CASH. Instructions on how to complete the order are on the invoice. We do not accept credit cards at this time. All requests are filled after January 4 in the order received. Some species sell out quickly, so order early. Shipping Options and Instructions Please make shipping arrangements when you place your order. Orders placed after May 1 must be picked up at the Nursery. There are three (3) options available: 1. Pick up your order at the Saratoga Tree Nursery, located just south of Saratoga Springs on Route 50, approximately 30 miles north of Albany. You will be notified by mail when your order is ready. Pay no shipping. 2. Preferred method: For a fee, seedlings are shipped by designated truckers to a single location within certain counties. Customers pick up their orders at designated locations on specified dates, which are not set until early April. Do not choose this option if you need delivery by or on a specific date. Orders shipped this way are given preference over option #3. Customers will be notified of the shipping charges when the order is made. Orders MUST be placed by March 31 for this option. 3. UPS delivery: Limited to customers who do not have the "designated trucker" option, or who place an order after March 31. Fee per order: $5.00 plus 20% of the total bill or $20.00, whichever is higher. Minimum UPS fee is $25. Shipments are made from mid-April through early May. Seedlings should be planted as soon as possible. Until planted, keep seedlings cool and out of direct sunlight. Do not let roots dry out. More about Spring Seedling Sale: Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor UPDATE: State asks only health care workers use new registration portal due to huge volume Some users who tried to sign up for New Jerseys new vaccine registration site reported it wasnt working shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday. Instead of being able to register, users received a message saying: Were sorry, but something went wrong. Please try again, and if this persists, contact the website administrator. Other users said the site allowed them to start to register but didnt accept their birth dates. The Department of Health said the system is experiencing a high volume. Some users may experience a temporary delay as the system scales to meet demand, said spokeswoman Donna Leusner. She said if you are a health care worker in category 1a who has yet to be vaccinated, the Department of Health encourages you to go online and pre-register. Because the vaccine is limited, the Department encourages only health care workers to pre-register at this time, she said. When more vaccine is available for essential workers, older adults, and members of the public over the next few weeks/months there will be a public announcement. Leusner also said the departments technical team is looking at the birth date issue. But the website, covid19.nj.gov/vaccine, will allow people to pre-register even if they are not currently eligible to receive the vaccine. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage The state is so far only vaccinating healthcare workers and nursing home residents and staff, classified as 1a. The online portal will ask for your personal data, insurance information, and for information about the type of work you do and if you have any of 19 medical conditions that would put you at higher risk, including diabetes, asthma and heart conditions, plus a few other medical questions. If you are not currently eligible, you will get a message saying you will get an email when its your turn to schedule an appointment. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. The footage shows a panda named Yang Guang enjoying the wintery conditions There are two giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo - Yang Guang and Tian Tian The pair could be returned to China next year due to a Covid funding crisis Adorable footage shows a male panda rolling around in fresh snow at Edinburgh zoo. Neil Gordon, from Edinburgh, took the sweet video during a visit last week and posted it on his social media. ADVERTISEMENT The footage shows Yang Guang - one of two giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo - enjoying the wintery conditions and rolling around on his back down a slope. There are two giant pandas at the now-closed Edinburgh Zoo - Yang Guang and Tian Tian. Yang Guang means Sunshine in Mandarin while Tian Tian means Sweetie. The two are the only giant pandas in the UK and are in the UK on a 10-year loan from China. Adorable footage shows a male panda rolling around in fresh snow at Edinburgh zoo last week The footage shows Yang Guang - one of two giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo - enjoying the wintery conditions and rolling around on his back down a slope However there have been warnings that the pair could be returned to China next year due to a funding crisis. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs both Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, faced enormous financial pressure when it was forced to close for three months during the summer. Costing about 1 million a year to lease the mating pair - female Tian Tian and male Yang Guang - chief executive of the Society David Field says the charity will have to 'seriously consider every potential saving' including their giant panda contract. Mr Field said: 'The closure of Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park for three months due to Covid-19 has had a huge financial impact on our charity because most of our income comes from our visitors. Neil Gordon, from Edinburgh, took the sweet video during a visit last week and posted it on his social media Yang Guang having fun in the snow Click here to resize this module The two mating pandas currently living at Edinburgh Zoo may be sent back to China next year as the zoo faces financial pressure. Pictured: Tian Tian, the female panda in her enclosure 'Although our parks are open again, we lost around 2 million last year and it seems certain that restrictions, social distancing and limits on our visitor numbers will continue for some time, which will also reduce our income. 'We have done all we can to protect our charity by taking a government loan, furloughing staff where possible, making redundancies where necessary and launching a fundraising appeal. ADVERTISEMENT 'The support we have received from our members and animal lovers has helped to keep our doors open and we are incredibly grateful.' The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs both Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park. Pictured: Male panda Yang Guang The zoo was not eligible for the Government's zoo fund, which was aimed at smaller zoos. Neil who took the footage said: 'I took these photos and videos at Edinburgh Zoo of Yang Guang making the most of the snow on 2 January 2021. 'Unfortunately, the chief executive of RZSS stated a couple of days ago that due to the impact of covid-19 on income this year, the pandas may have to return to China next year due to the expense of keeping them.' The University of Waikato has partnered with the Ministry of Education to deliver a new, community-led kaupapa to address racism and inequity in schools and early learning centres. The aim is to accelerate Maori student achievement and wellbeing across six communities in Aotearoa. Te Hurihanganui: A Blueprint for Transformative Shift, was funded by the Governments Wellbeing budget and is led by Minister Kelvin Davis. Te Hurihanganui aims to work with iwi, mana whenua, whanau, schools and centres to address racism and accelerate outcomes for akonga Maori (learners) in six communities nationally. This work is expected to inform and support transformation across the wider education system, says a statement from the University of Waikato. A Blueprint for transformation A Matanga panel, with expertise spanning the whole education sector, developed the Te Hurihanganui Blueprint which promotes two pou supported by six design principles. The Pou, Kaupapa Maori and critical consciousness, and the principles, are based on evidence of what works for Maori in education and were chosen as collectively capable of transformative system reform. The design principles are: Te Ao Maori including and validating Maori knowledge and ways of being Te Tino Rangatiratanga Maori leading and making decisions about te ao Maori Te Whanaungatanga building positive relationships through connections, mutual trust and respect Te Ira Tangata believing in the unlimited potential of every person Te Mana Orite achieving equity throughout the system where power and decision making are reciprocal and mutually respectful Te Hangaitanga taking collective responsibility for addressing racism and building a fair education system. Communities will work with mana whenua and receive support, resources and tools to strengthen kaupapa Maori knowledge and build critical consciousness in education in ways where inequity and racism can begin to be addressed. Led by Maori, for Maori, for all Chair of the Matanga and University of Waikato project lead, Professor Mere Berryman, says Te Hurihanganui has been designed and will be led by Maori for Maori, and will benefit all learners and teachers. We will work with mana whenua to design responses with schools and centres that are localised, new and focussed on the potential of tamariki mokopuna, rangatahi and whanau. Te Hurihanganui is about mobilising communities. It acknowledges that addressing racism and inequity is everybodys responsibility, and that akonga, whanau, hapu, iwi and home communities have as much of a role to play as early learning centres, schools and government policy makers. Professor Berryman says the University is well placed to deliver Te Hurihanganui, working from early childhood through to employment. We are really excited about the connects between the University, iwi and the education system. Implementation of Te Hurihanganui has already begun by Te Whanau o Te Hurihanganui within the Ministry of Education and will continue with the University of Waikato Poutama Pounamu team through to 2023. More information about Te Hurihanganui: A Blueprint for Transformative Shift can be found on the Ministry of Education website. Members of the Matanga panel include: Professor Mere Berryman (Chair, Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Awa and Ngati Whare) Emeritus Professor Wally Penetito (Ngati Haua, Ngai Raukawa and Ngati Tamatera) Jim Peters (Ngati Wai, Ngati Hine, Nga Puhi and Clan McInnes) Professor Bobbie Hunter (Manihiki, Aitutaki) Dr Lesley Rameka (Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Tukorehe) Whetu Cormick (Ngati Raukawa ki Wharepuhunga) Daniel Murfitt (Ngati Pakeha) Therese Ford (Ngai Takoto) Hurae White (Ngati Mahuta, Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Pikiao and Ngati Ruahikihiki) Te Waipounamu Teinakore (Waikato Tainui and Ngati Haua) Boris Johnson's Cabinet was bitterly divided over the decision to close schools, it was revealed today as MPs voiced their frustration at the Government's handling of the pandemic. The Prime Minister initially sided with hawks led by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson who wanted classes to remain open. But he switched to agree with doves including Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Michel Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister, after being presented with new data showing the scale of the problem facing the nation, the Financial Times reported. It came amid more rumbles of discontent from Tory backbenchers over the handling of everything from the lockdown announcement to the pace of the roll-out of vaccines. Britain was the first nation to approve the new drugs but has since vaccinated far fewer people than Israel, the current world leader. Senior Tory MPs had joined the Opposition in calling for the introduction of another national lockdown. But the idea of hardening the restrictions sparked fury from other Conservatives, who insist the country's experience of the pandemic shows that lockdowns do not work and are crippling the economy. There are claims that at least two MPs from the 2019 intake have now sent letters of no confidence in the PM to Conservative backbench chief Sir Graham Brady - although the numbers are nowhere near the threshold to put his position in doubt. The Prime Minister initially sides with hawks led by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (right) who wanted classes to remain open. But he switched to agree with doves including Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left) and Michel Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister, after being presented with new data showing the scale of the problem facing the nation, the Financial Times reported. Evidence of disquiet over the vaccination drive has been growing, with claims ministers have failed to prepare. 'We need that scaling up of vaccination like Israel has managed to achieve,' one backbencher told MailOnline. 'Why aren't we there already? Why hasn't the time been used over the summer and autumn to get the army of vaccinators in place? 'The only limitation should be the speed by which the manufacturers are able to supply it to you. 'The whole future of the economy, the future of saving more lives, the future of a sense of normality is in the hands of the vaccinator. That is where we now are.' Other senior Tory MPs were just as gloomy. 'We are over-promising and under-delivering,' one said. 'It is a big risk. They are not prepared and they are not ready to do it. 'The problem is people don't understand the logistics of administering this vaccine and checking people are OK and doing the paperwork. It is not just a case of putting a jab in someone's arm.' Mr Johnson tonight revealed that one in 50 of the population of England - around a million people - are infected with coronavirus as he defended his U-turn to plunge the country into lockdown. The PM told a Downing Street briefing that the scorching spread of the mutant version of the disease meant there was 'no choice' about imposing lockdown. But he insisted the measures can get the situation under control while vaccines are rolled out - revealing that 1.3million people have now had jabs as he dismissed criticism that he is 'over-promising' about the most vulnerable categories being covered by mid-February. Mr Johnson vowed to give the country 'jab by jab' information about the crucial process. He was flanked at the press conference by medical and science chiefs Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance - whose warnings about the threat of the NHS being overwhelmed sparked the extraordinary U-turn to plunge England into new restrictions. The podiums once again were adorned with the slogan from the March lockdown - 'stay home, protect the NHS, save lives'. Asked if he thought the target of vaccinating more than 13million people over the next seven weeks was possible, Prof Whitty said it was 'realistic but not easy'. But the medic also delivered a grim message that 'some' restrictions could still be needed next winter, as the virus was likely to be in regular circulation like flu. The scale of the problem was underlined tonight as the UK reported a record 60,916 cases - up nearly 15 per cent on last Tuesday. The tally of deaths was 830, double the number from last week. Mr Johnson said the total of 1.3million vaccinated so far included 1.1million people in England, and 650,000 people over the age of 80 - 23 per cent of all that age group in England. A driver was arrested Tuesday after allegedly leading police on a chase and driving into a Tualatin convenience store his car coming to a stop among the shelves inside the business. James Powell, 30, is accused of eluding authorities, criminal mischief, reckless driving and other charges, according to Tualatin police. Hes being held in the Washington County Jail. Police said they started pursuing Powell on Tuesday morning after he was seen driving without headlights or license plates. The chase spanned about seven minutes and covered surface streets and a stretch of Interstate 5, according to police. Speeds during the pursuit ranged from 30 to 55 mph, according to a Tualatin police spokesman. There was little to no traffic at the time, the spokesman said. An officer deployed spike strips at one point, and Powell allegedly swerved toward the officer nearly hitting him. The spike strips flattened one of Powells tires, but he continued on, entering the parking lot of a Shell gas station and Jacksons Food Stores location on Southwest Nyberg Street near Interstate 5, police said. Powell drove through the lot and directly into the convenience store, nearly hitting a pair of workers who were standing in the doorway, according to police. His car came to a stop completely inside the store. No injuries were reported. Police said law enforcement officers from the Tualatin and Tigard police agencies, as well as the Oregon State Police and Washington County Sheriffs Office, contacted Powell, who stood outside his car but inside the store. Officers negotiated with him for about 24 minutes before he peacefully surrendered, according to police. -- Jim Ryan jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A Dunthorpe estate just missed being ranked among the top 10 most expensive Portland-area homes that sold in 2020. The list ranged from a Northwest Regional midcentury house in Portlands West Hills that went for $5.75 million to a waterfront estate in Lake Oswego that traded for $3,756,700. The resort-like Dunthorpe property, on Southwest Iron Mountain Boulevard, sold on Dec. 21 for $3,675,000. The 1.4-acre, secluded parcel includes a Craftsman house with almost 7,000 square feet of living space. Completed in 2011, many of the homes features were inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which was pioneered at the turn of the last century on the West Coast by architects Charles and Henry Greene in Pasadena, California. Around 1901, the brothers and their Greene & Greene firm gained attention for their refined way of showcasing natural timber, stone and brick in private residences. Their Craftsman bungalows were a radical departure from ornate Victorian-era dwellings and were received as a welcomed antidote to industrialization, where machines pushed aside artisans and handmade goods. The design requires intense attention to detail since supportive joints, pegs and beams are exposed. Importance was also placed on drawing in natural light and fresh air. Sleeping porches, tucked under wide eaves and open on two or more sides to accept breezes, were incorporated into homes designed by influential architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who is recognized as originating the Craftsman approach in the U.S. The cutting-edge Craftsman style appeared in Portland in time for the crowd-pleasing 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. Architect Emil Schacht designed a custom house in Northwest Portlands emerging Willamette Heights neighborhood that cost about $2,500 to build. Due to widespread appeal, materials for a Craftsman bungalow were soon sold in a kit for $1,000. Fast forward a century: The brick, cedar and stone-clad Dunthorpe house opens to a two-story entry dressed in architectural paneling. Graceful lantern-shaped light fixtures hang from the ceiling and classic Arts and Crafts motifs are seen in stained glass around the front door. Hardwood floors, built-in cabinets and other cherrywood millwork were installed throughout the home by modern-day craftspeople. A distinctive Greene and Greene-style wood mantel rests above the massive stone fireplace in the living room. Six other fireplaces are in three of the four bedrooms as well as in the dining room and den, and under the covered patio. Natural materials of wood, stone, copper and glass create a luxurious, timeless style inside and out, said listing agent Terry Sprague of Luxe Christies International Real Estate, who said the estate was inspired by Greene & Greene masterpieces. The 378-square-foot kitchen has professional appliances, custom cabinets and granite counters plus a butlers pantry and temperature-controlled wine cooler. The home also has a wet bar in the upstairs media room, sound and security systems, and energy efficient heating and cooling. A palm tree-lined pool and spa are part of the landscaped grounds. The buyer was represented by Yonette Fine of Living Room Realty. Annual property taxes are around $38,000. Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman Want to search Oregon real estate listings and use local resources? Click here. ATLANTA - Debate over President Donald Trump's own electoral grievances dominated the final day of campaigning for two U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia on Monday, raising concerns among Republican strategists and local officials that his conspiracy theories would depress GOP turnout and jeopardize continued Senate control. The Republican secretary of state's office on Monday held a news conference with a top election official to denounce Trump's false claims of election fraud over the weekend, urging Georgians to "please turn out and vote tomorrow." At an earlier event in Milner, Ga., Vice President Mike Pence was interrupted by someone who shouted a demand that Pence vote to overturn the presidential election results. President-elect Joe Biden, who also traveled to the state on Monday, turned Trump's efforts to overturn the November election results into a rallying cry to drive Democrats to the polls on Tuesday. Only by winning both seats would Democrats control the Senate, giving Biden far better odds of pushing through his agenda. "In America, as our opposition friends are finding out, all power flows from the people," Biden said at an Atlanta rally, in a reference to Trump's efforts - unsuccessful so far - to force the courts or state officials to overturn the results. "Politicians cannot assert, seize or take power. Power is granted by the American people and we cannot give that up." Little about the first campaign clash of 2021 suggested a fresh political start for the new year. The president's nine-week effort to reverse the November vote, which he hopes will come to a head Wednesday when the House and Senate meet to accept those results, have become the biggest applause lines at Republican events in the state, popping up even when party leaders wanted to focus on issues closer to home. As a result, Republican strategists spent the final hours of the contest focused on pressuring Trump and his aides to script his Monday night appearance in the state in a way that does not further undermine their chances. "If he tells people not to vote," said one Republican involved in the race who requested anonymity to speak frankly, "that is a cataclysmic failure." Another strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for similar reasons, said there was broad concern that Trump would use his rally in the state to spread the same threats that he aired in a weekend phone call with Georgia Republican officials, in which he told them that "because of what you've done to the president, a lot of people aren't going out to vote." "It is a white-knuckle moment for Republicans all over the place," said the second strategist. "He wants attention more than he wants the win, and that could really screw us. So much of these elections are about momentum." Though Republicans had confidence they could shape what went into Trump's teleprompter when he spoke at night in Dalton, Ga., they said they had no idea what he would improvise and were worried about his mood. Democratic strategists, also, expected Trump to play a decisive role in the outcome. "All of the story is about their turnout," said J.B. Poersch, the president of the Senate Majority PAC, the largest outside group supporting Democrats in the state. "If they win it is because they had enough enthusiasm to go to the polls. And if they lose it is because there was a lot of ambivalence." Widely circulated false conspiracy theories have animated Republican crowds on the campaign trail in the closing days. At the final public rallies for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., her loudest applause came not when discussing her background in business, or the "radical liberal" agendas of the Democrats, but when discussing Republican challenges to the Nov. 3 vote. "We have to get to the bottom of these elections," Loeffler said at a Sunday night rally in Cherokee County, one of the Republican strongholds where the party is trying to boost turnout. "The Democrats will never look into this. That's what we're fighting for, integrity in this country." But she also was concerned that the focus on the last election could divide her own voters. She had refused as the runoff date neared to take a clear position on whether she would support Trump's efforts to get the Senate to refuse the electoral college result later this week, although late Monday she said she would support the president. Asked on Saturday about the challenge to the electoral college that Trump has backed, she offered a vague comment: "Everything is on the table," she said, before returning to a familiar line. "This president has fought for us," she said. "I'm fighting for him every day." The party's other candidate, David Perdue, whose Senate term lapsed on Sunday, leaving him on the sidelines for the electoral college fight in that chamber, has said he would support the effort to challenge the election result. "They stole the election. That's the truth. We've got tons of evidence," said Patty Smith, 61, who interrupted Pence during his event by shouting for him to "do the right thing on Jan. 6," when Congress will meet to accept the election results. Republicans have not submitted credible evidence of widespread fraud, but the sentiment was widespread enough that local Republican officials held the news conference to contest, point by point, the case Trump argued in a phone call over the weekend with state officials that the election result was wrong. "This is all easily, provably false," Gabriel Sterling, a Republican official who oversaw the voting systems in the state, said at the news conference. "Yet the president persists and by doing so undermines Georgians' faith in the electoral system, especially Republican Georgians, which is important because we have a big election coming up." When they could, both Perdue and Loeffler focused on a unified message that blanketed the state's airwaves: Only their election would save the nation from the socialist decline they said would result from victory for their rivals, filmmaker Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who both reject the "socialist" label. "The very future of our republic is on the line," Perdue said at the Pence rally, addressing the crowd by telephone because of a coronavirus exposure that has put him in quarantine. He said the result could set the country's course for "at least 50 to 100 years." The Democratic candidates spent the closing days of the race trying to refocus the campaign on more local concerns such as health care and job opportunities, even as they brought in star power from around the country to help seal the deal and continued to jab at Trump. A closing ad for Ossoff featured narration by former president Barack Obama and a musical appearance by John Legend. "When the president of the United States calls up Georgia election officials and tries to intimidate them to change the election results . . . that is a direct attack on our democracy," Ossoff said in Savannah on Sunday, at an event with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. "And if David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler had one piece of steel in their spine, one piece of integrity, they would be out defending Georgia voters from that assault." Warnock, speaking at a Monday afternoon rally in Clayton County, ridiculed Trump for his appeal to state election officials to reverse the presidential results - especially "in the middle of a pandemic" - but told his own supporters to "pay him no mind." "The only way this thing goes in the wrong direction is if we become overly confident and give in to the ghosts of complacency and indifference," Warnock said. "We lose only by the margin of our disengagement." Democrats, who have long considered themselves underdogs in the runoff contests, have been cheered by early vote numbers and clear signs in the state that many core Democratic constituencies, including suburban and urban voters, remained engaged. Public polling, which has been less prominent than during the presidential campaign, has generally shown a close race. Just about every available bit of television and radio airtime has been consumed by the four campaigns and their supporting outside groups, leading to barrage of messaging. But Democrats thought their advantage came via an aggressive voter registration effort, which continued after the presidential campaign, and a large get-out-the-vote operation that did not pause after Biden's victory. "Over the course of this campaign, it is clear that the structural advantages that we had, the sweat equity on the ground, has paid off," said Bradley Beychock, the president of American Bridge, which has spent about $9 million to elect the two Democrats. "A day out it is clear that this race is a toss-up, and we maybe have a slight advantage." The Republican candidates have been bedeviled by Trump's actions, even as the president remains one of their biggest assets. Both Perdue and Loeffler have said they support Trump's late call for $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans, a move that is also backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and opposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. But the debate over whether to approve larger checks for American workers gave their Democratic opponents an opportunity to seize on the issue, arguing that the best way to push through increased payments is by giving Democrats control of both chambers. "The debate over $2,000 isn't about some abstract debate in Washington. It's about real lives, your lives, the lives of good hard-working Americans," Biden said in Atlanta on Monday. "If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door." On other recent Trump maneuvers, the Republican candidates have been less clear, as they try to minimize divides in their own party. Besides brushing aside questions about Trump's efforts to overturn the electoral college results, Loeffler has declined to take a firm position on whether she would have voted to override Trump's veto of the defense authorization bill, after missing the vote in December. Even as Democrats have been bolstered by the high numbers of early voters, particularly in liberal-leaning areas where they have focused their efforts, many note that the gains come against a historical conservative lean of the state. "If you look at these numbers, you will see White and Black voters are voting at slightly higher rates," said Michael Thurmond, the chief executive of Dekalb County and the first African American in modern Georgia history to win a statewide election (labor commissioner) without first being appointed to an office. "But about 70 to 75% of White voters are Republicans, and Republicans vote in higher numbers on Election Day, so it's too early to draw any conclusions." Thurmond also said the historic nature of the pair of Senate runoffs has Democrats not wanting to celebrate too early. The national stakes of the races mean they have seen unprecedented attention and nearly half a billion dollars in campaign cash is expected to flow into Georgia during the two months of the runoffs. Georgia election officials, who have been beating back unfounded claims of fraud and malfeasance since the November election, say they're prepared to be in the spotlight once again after the runoffs. "All the counties in Georgia are in the spotlight right now, so we are all prepared for this as well as we can be," Richard Barron, Fulton County's elections director, said at a news conference Monday afternoon. Trump has attacked Fulton County, the most populous in Georgia, repeatedly since he lost the state two months ago - including in his weekend call to the secretary of state and others. Barron said his staff has had to endure a bomb threat, multiple death threats and racial slurs in the run-up to Tuesday's vote. "We're trying to take each of those things as they happen and just continue to do our jobs," Barron said. Memphis, Tenn. (January 4, 2021) - The Hamilton Eye Institute (HEI) at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has been awarded an RPB Challenge Grant by Research to Prevent Blindness to continue vision research initiatives conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology at UTHSC. The $300,00 grant will be distributed over four years. HEI holds one of three RPB Challenge Grants nationwide. Other Challenge Grant recipients include the Departments of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Illinois. RPB Challenge Grants encourage growth for emerging eye research programs and recently appointed department chairs. The competitive grants are designed to enhance a department's environment and capability to conduct vision research, facilitate collaborative studies of the visual system, and attract researchers to the department. Upon the grant's expiration, chairs will then be invited to apply for an unrestricted RPB grant. The RPB Challenge Grant will allow HEI to continue to serve the Memphis community by discovering new treatments to preserve vision. "HEI is honored and delighted to receive this grant," said Penny A. Asbell, MD, FACS, MBA, FARVO, Barrett G. Haik Endowed Professor and Chair for Ophthalmology in the UTHSC College of Medicine and director of the Hamilton Eye Institute. "It will give us the fuel to move our vision research forward by allowing for the expansion of research faculty, innovative pilot studies, and new equipment for our research efforts." Dr. Asbell joined UTHSC in 2018. Under her leadership, HEI has seen the further development of a collaborative, research-based team-approach to achieving the institute's stated purpose of "improving vision and empowering lives." Additionally, HEI has added four clinical faculty members and four research faculty members. There are plans to bring in additional clinical faculty members, including clinician scientists, as well as additional basic and translational research faculty members over the next four years to increase the institute's research presence in its core interest areas of neurodegenerative diseases, such as glaucoma; ocular infections, and biomarkers; patient-based research, including clinical trials; translational research; and the use of artificial intelligence. Overall, HEI has garnered more than $15 million in research funding and published more than 260 papers in the last four years. "Collaborating as a team with both research and clinical experts at HEI, within UTHSC, and across the globe, our research will lead to improving our understanding of ocular disease mechanisms and hasten the development of novel therapies and devices that preserve vision," Dr. Asbell said. ### As Tennessee's only public, statewide, academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health through education, research, clinical care, and public service, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region. The main campus in Memphis includes six colleges: Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. UTHSC also educates and trains medicine, pharmacy, and/or health professions students, as well as medical residents and fellows, at major sites in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. For more information, visit uthsc.edu. Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/uthsc, on Twitter: twitter.com/uthsc and on Instagram: instagram.com/uthsc. A suspicious package that made a popping noise and shot confetti into the air was sent to Hudson County Executive Tom DeGises home last month to intimidate him, a spokesman said Monday. Several of DeGises colleagues on the Hudson County Board of Commissioners have also been receiving threats via phone calls, said Commissioner Anthony Vainieri, who attributed them to the officials support for a new contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In addition to a fake bomb that was sent to the County Executives home, all of these threats of violence are clear acts of harassment and intimidation, said Vainieri said in a press release Monday. They will not succeed and they must be condemned by all decent people, including those officials who oppose the county contract with Homeland Security. Commissioner Anthony Romano confirmed he had been receiving threats about two weeks ago. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the county sheriffs office as well as the United States Postal Inspection Service, are said to be investigating the threats and the package. The suspicious box arrived at DeGises home Dec. 13, county spokesman Jim Kennelly said. It did not have a return address and when opened made a loud popping noise and shot confetti and other materials in all directions at a high velocity, Kennelly said. It did not pose a physical danger, he said. There is simply no place for this kind of aggressive threatening and intimidation of public officials that this latest incident is another unfortunate example of, Kennelly said. Reasonable people can have disagreements about public policy and the county executive has always been open to having a dialogue with responsible organizations and constituents. County officials have faced public scrutiny for weeks after they approved a new contract allowing ICE to continue locking up detainees in the countys jail in Kearny. What began as hours of public comment at meetings evolved into rallies and vigils in front of DeGises home. DeGise won a restraining order limiting protests outside of his home and authored a fiery op-ed calling the activists extremists. Multiple local organizations have made up that has been leading the movement. A member of Hudson County Progressive Alliance, one of the organizations that make up the Abolish ICE NY-NJ coalition, said they had not previously heard about the package sent to DeGises home. Just this weekend, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman joined Sens. (Bob) Menendez and (Cory) Booker in condemning local contracts with ICE, said the member, who requested anonymity. Its a shame that Hudson County leadership is quicker to respond to a package of confetti than all of the years of public comment, letters, and calls demanding an end to the ICE contract. At Monday afternoons reorganization meeting, Vainieri was re-elected by fellow commissioners as chairman for the fifth consecutive year, with Romano elected as vice chairman. Jerry Walker was elected as chairman pro tempore. Vainieri and Romano were elected by an 8-0 vote, with Commissioner Bill ODea abstaining on each vote. Walker was elected by a 9-0 vote. Id like to say thank you to my colleagues today, thank my family for their support, and putting up with the tireless hours that we have to put in with this job, Vainieri said. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 HANOI (Reuters) -A court in Vietnam on Tuesday sentenced three freelance journalists known for their criticism of government to between 11 and 15 years in prison, after finding them guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda. Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan were convicted of "making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state" at a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Public Security said. Dung established the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam in 2014, which police said had sought regime change. Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism. The party, under the leadership of 76-year-old Nguyen Phu Trong, has intensified a crackdown on dissent ahead of its five-yearly congress due to be held later this month. Dung was jailed for 15 years and Thuy and Tuan 11 years each. Washington-based Radio Free Asia said Thuy had contributed commentary to RFA's Vietnamese Service, and condemned the convictions. "The harsh sentencing of Thuy and two other independent journalists is a blatant assault on basic freedoms and flies in the face of the freedom of expression enshrined in Vietnams constitution," RFA President Stephen Yates said in a statement. RFA said two other RFA Vietnamese contributors were already serving jail terms in Vietnam: Truong Duy Nhat, a blogger who was sentenced last March to 10 years, and Nguyen Van Hoa, a videographer who was sentenced in November 2017 to seven years. The U.S. State Department, which has developed close ties with Hanoi while remaining concerned about its human rights record, said it was disappointed by the latest sentences, calling them "harsh" and "the latest in a worrisome trend." "We urge the Vietnamese government to ensure its actions are consistent with the human rights provisions of its constitution and its international obligations and commitments," a spokesperson said. Story continues Amnesty International said the sentences underscored Hanoi's contempt for free media, particularly ahead of the congress. "Even by its own deeply repressive standards, the severity of the sentences show the depths being reached by Vietnam's censors," said its deputy regional director, Emerlynne Gil. Human Rights Watch, called the charges "bogus." "If the ruling party is so assured in its leadership, it should demonstrate its confidence by respecting civil and political rights," its deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said. (Reporting by Khanh Vu in Hanoi;additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; editing by Martin Petty and Jonathan Oatis) No new cases of the South African Covid variant have been spotted in Britain over the past fortnight, in a glimmer of hope that the highly-contagious mutation has not yet taken root in the country. Two infections with the mutant form of Covid had been identified on British soil by December 23, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced before Christmas. Experts warned the two cases were probably 'just tip of the iceberg'. But since then no new cases of the variant called 501.V2 have been declared by officials. Scientists tracking the constantly-evolving virus admit the strain is 'difficult to track', however. Experts raised concerns over the South African variant because they feared it could be even more infectious than the mutated UK strain currently ripping through the country called B.1.1.7. A World Health Organization vaccination boss warned today there was a 'theoretical concern' it could get around antibodies triggered by the jabs. But scientists have yet to prove the current crop of vaccines don't protect against the variant. Results from rigorous testing are expected within weeks, with some experts saying the mutations are unlikely to have any noticeable impact on vaccines. But even if they do, scientists say the formula can be tweaked in a matter of days to shield people from mutant strains. There is no proof that either the South African or UK strains of coronavirus are any more deadly or cause more severe symptoms than previous strains. The mutations of the coronavirus have triggered changes to the spike protein on its outside (shown in red), which is what the virus uses to attach to the human body. (Original illustration of the virus by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Hospitalisations in the UK have escalated after the discovery of a new variant - which ministers say is 56 per cent more infectious SCIENTISTS CAN TWEAK COVID VACCINES TO TARGET NEW MUTANT STRAINS Covid vaccines could be reprogrammed to target new strains in just 'a few days', experts said today in a bid to calm fears about the South African variant. Top Government scientists have warned changes to the virus may mean the current wave of vaccines are less effective against it or don't work at all. Matt Hancock said he was 'incredibly worried' about the highly-infectious South African variant, which has already been spotted in two Brits. But experts told MailOnline today there was no publicly-available data to suggest the strain possesses the ability to escape the current iteration of jabs, even though it is more transmissible. Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, claimed he was 'almost certain' the vaccines will still be effective at some level. He added that, in the unlikely event any new strain does makes vaccines redundant, it would take 'a few days or less' to tweak the jabs to target them. Experts are less worried about the Covid strain racing through the UK because it has less changes on its spike protein that would threaten how well vaccines work. Advertisement Public Health England told MailOnline only two confirmed cases of the South African variant have been spotted in the UK since the pandemic began. But health bosses said they hoped that there would be an update on just how prevalent the variant has become later this week. The strain can only be identified through sequencing the genomes of samples which would then reveal whether it had the tell-tale mutations. Only a fraction of positive tests are sent on to COG-UK for further investigation, meaning the South African variant could still be spreading. The consortium consisting of the NHS, public health agencies and 13 universities is considered to be the best genomic sequencing programme in the world. Standard PCR tests that diagnose Britons with Covid cannot spot the South African strain because it looks too similar to the original variants. But the Kent mutation is much easier to track because it can be spotted through the standard swabs due to its genetic make-up, experts say. Professor Lawrence Young, a molecular oncologist at Warwick Medical School, told MailOnline there was 'no question' that COG-UK would be checking for the South African variant over Christmas. He added: 'But they're only sampling a very small number of swabs meaning the variant [may be missed].' Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, told The Sun: 'On that standard PCR, you will not be able to distinguish between the South Africa strain, and the strains that have been doing the rounds for months already. 'That's why its more difficult to track.' He added: 'They would only pick it [the South Africa variant] up if someone goes for the normal testing procedure because they have symptoms, and they hit that one in ten chance of their strain being sent for sequencing. That is the only way the authorities would know about it. 'That's a slower way, and less refined way, of doing things because there would be a time lag. 'If you have an outbreak of the South Africa strain, you have to wait till you've got the sequence data.' COG-UK checks around 10 per cent of all positive swabs taken in the UK for mutant strains of the virus, a figure that is far higher than other countries. One case of the South African variant had been identified in London and one in the North West by December 23. Announcing the find last month, Mr Hancock said: 'As part of our surveillance and thanks to the impressive genomic capability of the South Africans weve detected two cases of another new variant of coronavirus here in the UK. 'Both are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks.' The cases had no link between them and they are thought to have been infected by separate travellers, suggesting there are many more cases of the variant already in Britain. On December 14 Matt Hancock revealed that a UK variant of the coronavirus - which was first detected in Kent - had spread to more than 60 local authorities. There are also fears the variants may be able to evade the vaccines and trigger a serious infection, with scientists saying they are more worried about the South African strain. But Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline today it was 'almost certain' the vaccine would still protect against both strains 'at some level'. 'The vaccines all produced multiple antibodies that block the virus-receptor interaction and while the changes in the variants might dodge a few of these they are unlikely to dodge all of them,' he said. 'So it is almost certain the vaccine will still be effective at some level. 'And as long as severe Covid is prevented even a partially effective vaccine would be useful. 'If a change in the vaccine was required the genetic alteration required could be done in a few days but of course the scale up to millions of doses would take time.' South African medics are pictured above in Johannesburg yesterday. Only two cases of the mutant strain have been identified in the UK Helen Reiss, chair of the WHO's immunisation committee for the Africa region, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was a risk a variant could evade the vaccines. 'Many of the vaccines that are in the most advanced stages of development have targeted this spike protein,' she said. 'The spike protein is what allows the virus to attach to cells and infect cells. So many of the vaccines have targeted that. 'And what we're seeing in the South African variant is that there are changes and mutations around the spike protein so there is, indeed, a theoretical concern that vaccines might be less effective. 'The good news is that we are able to study that because all of the vaccine studies have got stored blood samples from participants, and in a few weeks, we'll be able to say: "Do all of these different vaccines appear to work as well against the original lineage that we looked at versus this new variant?".' The blood samples will contain antibodies triggered by the vaccine, which can be tested on the new variants to see if they bind to its spike protein - stopping infection. She also called on the world to start focusing on rolling out the vaccine in Africa, to ensure that no region is left behind. 'At the moment, if you look at the maps of who has got the vaccine, unfortunately for the African region, there's very little access,' she said. 'But we're hoping that in the first quarter of this year we'll start to see that access become a reality. It'll be small quantities of vaccines at first and pretty certainly all of that will go to protecting healthcare workers.' It comes after vaccine manufacturers said yesterday they were already looking at ways to tweak their jabs to make them more effective. German firm BioNTech, which helped deliver Pfizer's vaccine approved in the UK last month, said it could use existing technology to produce a new vaccine against mutations of coronavirus in six weeks. The team's vaccine uses brand-new mRNA technology, which BioNTech's chief executive says can be engineered much more easily than traditional vaccines. Professor Sarah Gilbert, who heads up the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot, added her team was also looking at how it could change its vaccine to battle new strains. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Tobago recorded its 7th covid19 death since the start of the pandemic, with a record forty-two covid19 cases reported in the last 24 hours. The latest victim, Carmen Yorke of Bon Accord Tobago. With most Brazilian schools remaining closed during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, state governors are preparing to reopen them in February, when the next school year begins. UNICEF data showed only 3 percent of Brazilian students attending in-person classes during the second half of last year, making Brazil a worldwide exception in not reopening its schools. By October of last year, however, 11 of Brazils 26 states had allowed public schools to reopen in part or totally. Private schools, on the other hand, due to enormous pressure from associations representing school owners, had been reopened in 16 Brazilian states. Despite state permission, the final decision to reopen schools rests with municipalities. The return to school has also been on a voluntary basis, with many parents electing not to send their children into classrooms for fear of their contracting the deadly virus. A student taking a test in Manaus. (Credit: Divulgacao/Seduc) The drive to reopen schools last year was not broader only because the end of the school year was approaching. In addition, November saw the first and second rounds of municipal elections, and many mayors running for reelection feared losing votes if the reopening of schools caused further COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths among students and their families. However, after the first round of municipal elections, the Brazilian corporate media began a campaign echoing the mantra of the worlds ruling elite that it is safe to reopen schools during the pandemic. It widely reported an open letter from a group of pediatricians, dubbed Science for Education, calling for the return of in-person teaching. They argued that children become less infected and transmit less, concluding that schools ... are not the places of major infection. The European experience has emphatically proven this. In early December, in a report titled Most countries keep schools open even with new high cases, Brazils leading daily, Folha de S. Paulo, served as a mouthpiece for the president of the Brazilian Association of Private Schools, Arthur Fonseca Filho, for whom The logic in the rest of the world is this: education is an essential activity, so it needs to return, and for the president of the largest Brazilian pro-corporate educational think tank, Todos pela Educacao (All for Education), who said, The right thing is to do like Europe, close bars, theaters and gyms to reduce the circulation of the virus, and keeps school open. A school in Manaus, Brazil. (Credit: Ione Moreno/Semcom) Already in early December, Folha reported that six Brazilian states planned or had already deemed public education an essential service and that schools could reopen even in the red phase, when the pandemic is escalating and non-essential services are not allowed to open. Before, this could only happen in the yellow phase, with the pandemic under control and non-essential services functioning under restrictions. On December 17, the state of Sao Paulo, with the largest school district in Brazil and the Americas, proclaimed education an essential service, which will certainly pave the way for other states to do the same. All the claims that it is safe to reopen schools have no scientific basis. The European experience has proved to be a catastrophe in recent weeks, with the UK and Germany reporting more than a thousand deaths per day, and December being the deadliest month since the outbreak of the pandemic. Undoubtedly, the decision by the British and German ruling elites to keep schools open contributed to the pandemics upsurge. Although studies have shown that children are less susceptible to the virus and that they tend to become less severely ill, they are still one of the vectors for the spread of the deadly virus. Studies have also shown that adolescents are as susceptible and as major spreaders as adults. In addition, reopening schools means setting in motion a transmission network within a huge percentage of the population, including students, parents, teachers and school staff, which would inevitably send COVID-19 cases and deaths spiraling. A study published in December in Science magazine showed that the closure of schools and universities reduced the spread of the coronavirus by 38 percent. Contrary to claims of the Brazilian ruling elite, the majority of Brazils population is against reopening schools. On December 17, a Datafolha Institute poll showed that 66 percent of the population supports the closure of schools to contain the pandemic, as well as the closure of non-essential services such as bars, stores and gyms. The campaign for a broad reopening of schools in Brazil is unfolding as the coronavirus pandemic is spiraling out of control in the country. The last three days of 2020 saw more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths per day. On December 30, Brazil registered 1,224 coronavirus deaths, the highest number since August 20. Marking the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic in Brazil, December showed increases of 64 percent in COVID-19 deaths and 67 percent in cases. It was also the month with the highest number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic. COVID-19 is already the major cause of death in Brazil, which, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, may reduce life expectancy in the country by up to two years. The catastrophic situation of the pandemic in Brazil may be further aggravated by the millions of Brazilians who traveled over the Christmas and New Year holidays, and by the refusal of mayors and state governors to implement more restrictive measures on non-essential services. In addition, on December 31, the new strain of the coronavirus identified in the United Kingdom was detected in the state of Sao Paulo. It is estimated that it is 56 percent more contagious than the other coronavirus strains already identified, and that it has contributed to the huge increase in the number of cases in the UK since last month. On January 1, Brazil surpassed 195,000 COVID-19 deaths, with a total of almost 7.7 million cases. It is the second country in the world in coronavirus deaths, trailing only the United States, and the third in cases, exceeded only by the US and India. However, these numbers are a gross underestimation of the grim reality. On December 30, BBC Brasil reported that the excess number of deaths indicates that there are at least 50 percent more COVID-19 deaths in Brazil than official data indicates. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Brazil has been one of the countries with the least coronavirus testing in the world, without any systematic contact tracing program to achieve a minimum control of the pandemic. Only 20 percent of the 24 million RT-PCR tests that the Brazilian Health Ministry promised by December of last year were carried out. Since August, after the peak of the pandemic, the number of tests has decreased by between 10 and 15 percent each month. This, combined with the lifting of the few remaining lockdown measures and the complete underestimation of the pandemic by both Brazils fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro and state governors, means that a de facto herd immunity policy is being implemented to let the deadly virus spread freely and infect as many people as possible. Under these conditions, reopening schools will further increase coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Teachers, school staff, parents and students should be aware that it is not safe to reopen schools until the pandemic is under control on a global scale. The official claims of concern about the educational damage done to students by school closures are a fraud. For years, these same officials have been cutting education budgets and imposing pro-corporate policies with the aim of privatizing public education. The main concern of Brazils corporate and financial ruling sectors in promoting the reopening of schools is to give parents somewhere to leave their children and to work without any kind of constraint. This campaign has a definite political and class logic: putting profits before human lives. Against the death policy of the ruling elites, it is necessary to demand that all schools and all non-essential services be closed immediately until the pandemic has been eradicated. At the same time, high-quality online education must be provided to all students, along with a substantial guaranteed income to everyone who has to stay home. To fight for these aims, teachers and the Brazilian working class as a whole must build rank-and-file committees independent of the pro-corporate unions and fight to expropriate the capitalist ruling elite, using the resources they have monopolized to ensure quality education during and after the pandemic. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Do as I say, not as I do. Do as I say, not as I do. Of all the mistakes leaders and high-profile politicians are prone to make, the propensity to say one thing and do the exact opposite has to be among the most maddening. The public looks to leaders for advice on what to do and examples of how to behave. When leaders do not heed their own advice, it erodes trust and confidence until quite frankly they cease to function as leaders. Manitoba provides an acute recent case in point. Three members of the Progressive Conservative government one MLA and two senior advisers travelled outside the province in defiance of urgings from Premier Brian Pallister and public health officials to stay home to guard against spreading COVID-19. The Tory government confirmed MLA James Teitsma (Radisson) and his family took an extended holiday season car trip and visited Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Three members of the Progressive Conservative government one MLA and two senior advisers travelled outside the province in defiance of urgings from Premier Brian Pallister to stay home to guard against spreading COVID-19. David McLaughlin, clerk of the executive council, was given two weeks leave in December to travel to Ontario to be with family, while the province's director of strategic communications and marketing, Logan-Theanna Ross, travelled to eastern Canada over the holiday season. A spokesman for the government said Teitsma and his family did not visit with anyone during their trip, and McLaughlin was not on "vacation" when he visited Ontario, where he worked in a virtual capacity while out of province. Upon his return sources say McLaughlin was in the legislative building last weekend did not quarantine for 14 days, as is required of any other citizen who makes a non-essential trip east of Terrace Bay, Ont. A provincial government spokeswoman provided no details about Ross's trip, except to say she would be required to quarantine for 14 days. Teitsma would not have been required to quarantine because he went west. Now that it's been confirmed that three members of the Pallister government travelled outside the province, how much should we care? At face value, the fact that three members of the Pallister government were travelling at a time when Manitobans were being urged to stay home is a valid issue, and one that requires some sort of response from the premier. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES David McLaughlin, clerk of the executive council, was given two weeks leave in December to travel to Ontario to be with family. Teitsma is an elected member of that government and had a clear obligation to stay home. Things get a bit more complicated for Ross and McLaughlin. Ross is a senior member of the premier's political staff while McLaughlin is the highest-ranking mandarin in government, the titular head of the civil service and also one of Pallister's most-trusted advisers. Although the clerk's role is normally filled by a career public administrator, McLaughlin earned his consideration for the job by serving as campaign manager for both the 2016 and 2019 Progressive Conservative election drives. He also earned a handsome income as a consultant to the Pallister government on climate change policy. However, now that he is the province's top civil servant, he is clearly expected to set an example for all core government employees, particularly those that by virtue of their occupations worked throughout the Christmas break to support the pandemic response. The failure of senior government officials elected or otherwise to live up to that expectation has become a pressing political issue. Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips, who took a Caribbean trip last month, was forced to resign his cabinet post. In Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney forced the resignations of two cabinet ministers and a senior political adviser, all of whom travelled for non-essential reasons. Three other Alberta MLAs were stripped of legislative responsibilities. FACEBOOK PHOTO MLA James Teitsma (Radisson) and his family took an extended holiday season car trip and visited Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. On the federal stage, Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton was stripped of her critic duties for travelling to Greece to visit an ailing family member. Is this a fair way of dealing with public officials that flout public health rules about non-essential travel? Clarity on that question came from Kenney, who made no bones about the motivation for asking for the resignations of members of his government. "Albertans have every right to expect that people in positions of public trust be held to a higher standard of conduct during COVID-19," he said Monday. That "higher standard of conduct" at this critical stage of the pandemic has certainly been acknowledged by others in the Manitoba government, including the premier. Given the number of times Pallister has made ill-advised trips outside the province during the pandemic, that is really saying something. In early 2020, Pallister left Manitoba to visit his vacation property in Costa Rica, just as the World Health Organization was declaring COVID-19 a global health emergency. Twice since the pandemic reached Manitoba, Pallister made clearly contrived trips to Ottawa that combined some work (although only in the vaguest possible terms) and recreation. However, even a premier with a keen appetite for travel was not going to be caught outside of Manitoba this holiday season. In December, Pallister proudly proclaimed in year-end interviews he was not leaving Manitoba for any reason. "I'm on duty," he told the Free Press. Pallister also posted an emotional holiday video message on social media, promoted by the hashtag #SafeatHomeMB, in which he begged people to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19: "This year, just stay home and be safe." There is no chance Teitsma, McLaughlin and Ross didn't get the memo. They indulged holiday trips no one in their government could possibly justify. Will they be punished? The respective trips were the wrong thing to do, at the worst possible time. However, all three have one clear advantage officials in other provinces do not: they work within a government that rarely finds fault in anything it does. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday cancelled a planned trip to India later this month, citing the need to oversee the pandemic response at home. The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned, a Downing Street spokeswoman said. In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the prime minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the ... The school has stressed that no final decision has been made to sell the mural. But behind the scenes, administrators and the institute's leaders are strongly pushing to do so, as it would pay off debts and allow them to make ends meet for an annual operating budget that typically runs around $19 million. (The board chairwoman, Pam Rorke Levy, disputed that, saying, Our first choice would be to endow the mural in place, attracting patrons or a partner institution that would create a substantial fund that would enable us to preserve, protect and present the mural to the public.) In a Dec. 23 email obtained by The New York Times that was sent to staff members, Jennifer Rissler, the vice president and dean of academic affairs, acknowledged that a number of people had expressed concern over the possible sale of the mural. She added that the board voted, as part of their fiduciary duty to explore all options to save S.F.A.I., to continue exploring pathways and offers for endowing or selling the mural. At a Dec. 17 board meeting, Ms. Levy said that the filmmaker George Lucas was interested in buying the mural for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. Details of that discussion were provided by an attendee who asked for anonymity because the attendee was not authorized to discuss internal matters. Speaking with faculty members on Dec. 17, Ms. Levy detailed another plan in which the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art would take ownership of the mural but leave it on campus as an annexed space, said Dewey Crumpler, an associate professor at the school. A spokeswoman for the institute, Sara Fitzmaurice, the founder of the public-relations firm Fitz & Co., declined to discuss ongoing negotiations regarding the possible sale. A number of conversations have been taking place with several institutions about the possibility to endow or acquire the mural to ensure the future of the school, she said in a statement. Happy New Year! But what, you may ask, is the quickest route to happiness? Never have there been quite so many books advising us how to be happy. Recent titles include The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Dr Russ Harris; 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote To Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson; Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self Love Is The Way To Unlocking Your Greatness by Vex King; The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success: A Practical Guide To The Fulfilment Of Your Dreams by Deepak Chopra; Love Yourself First! Boost Your Self-Esteem In 30 Days by Marc Reklau; and, of course, the perennial bestseller How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Some titles take after Dale and make firm promises: Think And Grow Rich. Others incline more towards the spiritual: The Holistic Masterclass In How To Truly Love Life. Some have a slight air of desperation Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It. Others are more bullish: You Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness And Start Living An Awesome Life. Needless to say, a fair number of celebrities have muscled in on this flourishing market. Just out is Happiness Becomes You: A Guide To Changing Your Life by Tina Turner, no less. 'Here, I reveal my greatest untold life lessons, deepest realisations, and beloved ancient rituals to help you recharge your soul,' she writes in her introduction. US musical icon Tina Turner has joined the ranks of self-help gurus with her new book Happiness Becomes You: A Guide To Changing Your Life Thankfully, she soon gets going with her top tips. I had expected raunchy, full-throated, get-down-and-get-with-it advice from Ms Turner, but in Happiness Becomes You, she is much more of a mystic. 'I learned to listen to my heart, which taught me that you and I are connected to each other and everything else on this planet. We are joined together by the mysterious nature of life itself, the fundamental creative energy of the universe.' Golly. It all goes to show how tricky it is to link any given celebrity with his or her advice. Take these four examples of words of wisdom, all derived from the earth: A) Rocks unattended turn into mounds, and then mountains. B) Let a hundred flowers bloom, and a hundred schools of thought contend. C) The thicker the mud, the stronger the lotus that blooms from it. D) If our hearts are closed, if our hearts are made of stone, the stones find their way into our hands and we are ready to throw them. Now, match the words to the person who said or wrote them: i) Tina Turner ii) Mao Tse-tung iii) Oprah Winfrey iv) Pope Francis The answers may surprise you: A iii; B ii; C i; D iv. As you can see, celebrity advice is much of a muchness, whether it comes from Tina Turner or Chairman Mao. I've noticed that those who make a habit of dispensing wisdom often make a bee-line for the sky. This must be because the sky provides the largest blank canvas of them all, ready for any metaphor one wishes to pin on it. Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong, depicted here in a portrait, was just one person who looked to the sky for inspiration Who said: 'The sky stays, but the clouds come and go'? Who said: 'Don't forget: beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies'? And who advised: 'Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to God, and keep your face to the rising sun'? The first was coined by Sarah, Duchess of York, the second by the New Age guru Paulo Coelho, and the third by rapper Kanye West, but they are interchangeable. Add to the mix, 'Women hold up half the sky' (Chairman Mao) and 'When I look up the sky, it gives me a nice feeling, like looking at an old friend' (Yoko Ono), and you may begin to see what I mean. Even Donald J. Trump has found wisdom in the sky. Before he went haywire in his inaugural address, he came up with this observation, so blandly universal that it might have been spoken by any president at any time: 'And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same Almighty Creator.' In my next column, I will examine how the happiness gurus love to see life as a journey, or a river, or both. OPEC+ resumes debate on Tuesday after talks stumbled over February policy, with Russia leading calls for higher output and others suggesting holding or even cutting production due to new coronavirus lockdowns. Debate resumes at 1430 GMT after the group, which combines OPEC and other producers including Russia, failed to find a compromise on Monday. OPEC+ sources told Reuters that Russia and Kazakhstan backed raising production by 0.5 million bpd while Iraq, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates suggested holding output steady. An internal OPEC document, seen by Reuters on ... PLANO, Texas, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Hospital Consulting, the management and consulting arm of Community Hospital Corporation (CHC), is pleased to announce a new, five-year management agreement with Montrose Memorial Hospital, Inc. (MMHI), Montrose, Colo. Management services became effective Jan. 4, 2021. The MMHI Board of Directors decided in favor of CHC Consulting based on similar mission, vision and values, and after considering multiple proposals. Montrose Memorial Hospital in Montrose, Colo. "The Board sought a management company with industry leaders who know the importance of maintaining the independence and financial viability of the hospital," said Dr. Kjersten Davis, MMHI Board Chair. "We really like that CHC is a nonprofit and supports hospitals just like ours to help make us even better. CHC is a great cultural fit and brings enthusiasm and expertise to boost our hospital." Since its inception, CHC has remained a not-for-profit company whose sole mission is to help hospitals remain community-operated and governed. CHC owns, manages and consults with hospitals across the United States. CHC Senior Vice President Craig Sims shared, "We are excited to bring CHC's expertise in hospital management and talent across many areas of hospital operations to MMHI." About Montrose Memorial Hospital Montrose Memorial Hospital is a 501(c)3 nonprofit healthcare system serving Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, Delta, Hinsdale and San Juan counties. The health system offers an extensive range of inpatient & outpatient health care services, including interventional cardiology, oncology, Robotic Assisted surgery, laboratory, medical imaging/radiology, Mountain View Therapy, Level III Trauma Center, acute rehabilitation unit and the family birthing center. The health system partners with regional providers on joint ventures to meet local healthcare needs, including CareFlight air ambulance service, San Juan Cancer Center, and Black Canyon Surgical Center. Montrose Memorial Hospital is the second-largest employer in Montrose County, with more than 700 employees and 100 physicians who represent 23 medical specialties. Visit: www.MontroseHospital.com . About Community Hospital Corporation HELP WHERE HOSPITALS NEED IT Community Hospital Corporation owns, manages and consults with hospitals through three distinct organizations CHC Hospitals, CHC Consulting and CHC ContinueCARE, which share a common purpose to guide, support and enhance the mission of community hospitals and healthcare providers. Based in Plano, Texas, CHC provides the resources and experience community hospitals need to improve quality outcomes, patient satisfaction and financial performance. For more information about CHC, please visit www.communityhospitalcorp.com . CONTACT: Anne Block [email protected] 972-943-6470 SOURCE Community Hospital Consulting Flash China urges the United States to return to reason and rationality on the origins of the COVID-19 virus, and protect the lives and health of the American people through its own efforts and international cooperation, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to comments by the U.S. President's Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger alleging that coronavirus was leaked by a Chinese lab. Hua said that almost all the top scientists and disease-control experts in the world, including those in the U.S., have publicly rejected the so-called allegation that the virus was made or leaded from a lab in Wuhan. She urges the U.S. government to clarify whether Pottinger's comment represents his own position or that of the U.S. government, adding Pottinger should show the evidence immediately, if any credible evidence exists. "Since some senior U.S. officials attach so much importance to the origin of virus, why has the U.S. side not invited the WHO to send experts to conduct field investigations?" asked Hua, adding that the U.S. media have already reported the relationship between the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2019 influenza season and the research base at Fort Detrick in the United States. Hua asked why the U.S. has built more than 200 biological labs overseas, and why it doesn't invite international journalists to visit them. Noting that a new wave of COVID-19 is raging worldwide, Hua said China is ready to further strengthen solidarity and fight against the epidemic with other countries. "We hope that those U.S. officials can return to rationality and reason, face the reality, and protect the lives and health of the American people through its own efforts and international cooperation. If it believes itself to be a major country, it should consider behaving like one," Hua said. SPRINGFIELD Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito detailed the states plan to vaccinate residents against the coronavirus during a visit Tuesday to Baystate Medical Center. Were obviously excited the vaccine process has begun in Massachusetts, Baker said. The vaccine is safe and effective and when it is your turn we hope everyone will step up. Some 287,000 doses have already been shipped to Massachusetts with 117,000 administered, he said. The governor noted that 70,000 health workers have been vaccinated. As for a new variant of the virus that spreads more quickly, Baker said I think most of us are working on the assumption that its here. Theres no reason for it not to be. Baker extended his thanks to those who have followed guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus. I also want to say how much we appreciate the time away from family and friends and what a difference it makes, Baker said. He noted it was too early to draw conclusions about the impact of Christmas gatherings. Polito cited the need to dig in a little deeper and continue to make progress. Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health, noted that there have been fewer than 10 allergic reactions of out of 7,000 doses administered by the Springfield-based health provider. The challenge is getting people to accept it, said Keroack, adding that Baystate has been working with pastors and community leaders to get the message out. Massachusetts seven-day average positive test rate for COVID-19 rose above 8% in late December and has hovered there for nearly a week. The last time the rate was above 8% was in early June. While the rate is lower rate when compared to other states, it is well above the 5% rate recommended by the World Health Organization for populations not in lockdown. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 375,455 confirmed cases in Massachusetts, resulting in 12,401 deaths. Related content: KOTA IBUSHI VS. JAY WHITE, COBB VS. TAKAGI & MORE: COMPLETE NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING WRESTLE KINGDOM 15 NIGHT TWO COVERAGE Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom Night 2! Kevin Kelly, Chris Carlton and Rocky Romero are handling the English language commentary. King of Pro Wrestling 2021 Four-Way: Toru Yano vs. Bad Luck Fale vs. BUSHI vs. Chase Owens. Fale did the finger poke of doom on Owens and covered him but Yano broke it up. OOF. He was dispatched. BUSHI battled with the Bullet Club mates but Yano rolled him up. Yano removed the turnbuckle pad but Owens grabbed it before he could use it. Owens nailed Yano with it. Fale and Owens snapped Yano's legs apart rudely. They continued to work over Yano. Owens went for the pin but BUSHI broke up the pinfall. BUSHI pulled down the ropes and sent Fale over the top to the floor. BUSHI nailed a tope suicida on Owens. He snapped him in the ring and went for the pin but Yano broke it up. Yano went for a slam on Fale but collapsed under his weight and was almost pinned. Owens went for a kick on BUSHI and nailed Fale by accident. BUSHI missed a kick on Owens but nailed the Rewind kick for a two count. Owens clapped his ears and wernt for the package piledriver. BUSHI escaped and used a forward roll for a two count. Fale returned to lariat BUSHI as Owens held him for a back suplex. Fale went for the pin, which Owens objected to and they argued. They grabbed the referee and lifted him in the air. Yano low blowed them both and pinned BUSHI for the pin. Your winner and King of Pro Wrestling 2021, Toru Yano! This was OK. Yano is extremely likable and was so here. Everyone played their role well. They showed Jushin Liger at ringside doing commentary. It's been a year since he retired and he is missed. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi Wato went right after Desperado and stomped away at him. He nailed several rights and whipped him into the ropes but was hit with a big boot. Desperado chopped away at him but Wato kicked him out of the ring to the floor. Wato hit a great looking twisting dive to the floor on Desperado. Taguchi tagged in and began kicking away at Desperado. Taguchi ran the ropes mocking Desperado but Kanemaru tripped him and pulled him to the floor, whipping him into the barricade. The Champions worked over Taguchi for a long time, even drilling his leg into a chair while the referee was predisposed. Kanemaru nailed a low dropkick to the leg and continued working him over. Taguchi fired back and went for a hip attack but Kanemaru avoided it and there was no water in the pool. The attack on Taguchi continued. Wato finally made a tag and nailed a clothesline on Kanemura. He nailed a springboard uppercut for another two count. Kanemaru shoved the referee into the path of Wato and used that to attack and cut off his momentum. Desperado went for a suplex but Wato escaped and laid him out with a kick to the mid-section. Taguchi tagged in and used a head scissor to drive Desperado into well, his butt. Taguchi nailed the Three Amigos, scoring another two count. They battled back and forth until Desperado was nailed with a reverse powerslam. Taguchi set up for a knee strike but was attacked from behind. Desperado nailed a knee buster. Kanemura dropkicked the knee. Desperado locked in a stretch muffler, trying to force a submission but Wato broke up the attempt. Taguchi went for an anklelock. He elevated and drilled Desperado down over his knees. Wato tagged in and ascended to the top but Kanemaru interfered Everyone batted. Desperado nailed a big right hand on Taguchi and scored the pin with a Jay-Driller. Your winners and still IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru! A solid, well worked and competitive match. Wato really shined here. NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi vs. Jeff Cobb They began slugging it out at the bell Shingo ducked a clothesline and tackled Cobb for a two count. Cobb leapfrogged Shingo and nailed an insanely scary dropkick. Shingo went to the floor, where Cobb whipped him into the barricade and chopped him hard. Cobb sent him into the barricade again, then hit a monstrous overhead belly to belly suplex. Cobb brought Shingo back into the ring and kicked away at him. Cobb nailed a forearm to the back. Takagi was worked over but finally came back with a big lariat. He pulled Cobb up on the apron and went for a DVDR but Cobb shoved him away and nailed a clothesline from behind Cobb set up for a Razor's Edge off the apron to the floor but Shingo slipped over the ropes back into the ring, smashed Cobb to the floor and hit a big flip dive to the floor. This has been damn entertaining thus far. Shingo nailed a flying elbow off the top for a two count. Cobb nailed a spin cycle to cut him off. Cobb nailed a charge in the corner and muscled Shingo with a pair of Gutwrench suplexes. He went for a third but it was turned into a rana. Cobb nailed a Black Tiger Bomb out of a Razor's Edge position for a two count. They battled and Shingo caught Cobb with a DVDR out of nowhere. Both men were down with the referee counting them out. They each forced themselves back to their feet. Takagi got the crowd clapping and rallying him. Takagi nailed a superplex and then hit an impressive as hell wheelbarrow suplex. Takagi was selling the back from the beating he endured over the course of the bout. Cobb caught him and suplexed him across the ring and then followed up with another throw. They met on the mat and began headbutting and slapping each other. Cobb began peppering him with forearms but Takagi fired back Takagi put together a hell of a lariat and strike combinations, then hit a German suplex but was too spent to make the cover. Takagi went to the floor and was almost counted out but made it back to the ring at the last second. Cobb nailed a powerbomb for another close two count. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands but Shingo slipped out and drilled him with a clubbing blow to the back of the leg. He nailed a Dragon Screw Legwhip. He nailed Made in Japan and scored another close two count. They battled back and forth until Cobb nailed Tour of the Islands, only to see his knee give out. He spent a moment trying to recover then covered Shingo, only to see him get his foot atop the ropes. Both men were spent. They battled to the top. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands but Shingo fought him off and slipped underneath, nailing a powerbomb out of the corner. Cobb clubbed him with a lariats and went for Tour of the Islands. Shingo blocked but was caught with a moonsault/powerslam combination. They charged at each other with lariats. They fired away with headbutts. Shingo went for a slam but they just collapsed in violent fashion down to the mat. The Dome was loving this and with great reason. Takagi wiped out Cobb with a lariat, turning him inside out. He nailed a sit-down bomb and scored the pin. Your winner and still NEVER Openweight Champion, Shingo Takagi! A HELL of a match. They just took it to each other with unbridled physicality and beat the living hell out of each other. This may have been my favorite match across Wrestle Kingdom thus far. Just an amazing bout and it may have been the best bout either has ever had. It was the type of physical war you'd seen in New Japan or All Japan in the 1990s and it was glorious. NJPW Wrestle Kingdom can be ordered via New Japan World and at www.FITE.TV! Coverage continues on Page 2! If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Pragmatic Play Gives Back in Malta to Those Who Need it at the Perfect Time Published January 5, 2021 by Lee R Pragmatic has thrust the social role of iGaming into the most positive spotlight in Malta. Pragmatic Play is making a magnanimous gesture for the holidays. The Donation The leading gaming and content supplier has celebrated the strength and resilience of the iGaming market with a 30,000 donation to three of Malta's leading NGOs. The Recipients Supporting the most vulnerable in society is Pragmatic's answer to a challenging year for iGaming, with 10,000 each to the St. Jeanne Antide Foundation, Malta Hospice Movement, and Good Shepherd Sisters being Pragmatic's gesture to show faith and hope for the future. Social Benefits The contributions will go directly towards family support, palliative care, and domestic violence victims in the pioneering Malta market. Pragmatic in Malta Pragmatic Play's major presence in Malta includes a global hub in Sliema, where a diverse multicultural team has established Pragmatic as a dynamic force in the Mediterranean region nation for years to come. Pragmatic Leader Speaks Pragmatic Play Malta VP Lena Yasir called 2020 a difficult year for everyone and we are determined to give something back to the community, in particular those individuals that have been hit hardest in recent times. Yasir explained that the organisations receiving the donations were chosen because of their immeasurable contributions to society, with Pragmatic very pleased to be in a position to help them in an even greater period of need. Pragmatic Re-Commits Yasir re-affirmed Pragmatic's commitment to Malta's iGaming community, and looked forward to continuing to support the organisations as the causes continue to assist the nation during these difficult times. Outlook Pragmatic's gesture complements their organisational passion as a leading iGaming content provider, and should increase engagement and inspiration for players associating with the brand. The charitable component stands to become a more prominent part of iGaming operating culture in coming years, and Pragmatic Play's gesture may well stand out historically as the launch of an era of widespread altruistic initiatives in iGaming as the game becomes safer for all. CLEVELAND, Ohio Police have a suspect in custody after a teen delivery driver for Dominos Pizza was robbed at gunpoint in the Kenmore neighborhood. The 18-year-old female driver was asked to deliver a pizza to a residence on the 2300 block of 29th Street SW at about 9:10 p.m. Friday, police say. When the teen arrived, a woman approached her and asked her for directions. A male armed with a handgun then came up behind the driver from behind and demanded money. The driver gave the man money and he left the area, police say. There were no reports of injuries. Police at the seen found a woman leaving the residence who matched the description given by the victim. Information then led to the arrest of a 19-year-old male, Andre Yeager Jr. , 19, as he exited the home. Police say two handguns were found inside the home. Yeager Jr. is being held in the Summit County Jail on a charge of aggravated robbery. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Cuyahoga County Jail officer fired after admitting he smuggled drugs for inmates, records say Brook Park man killed in Cleveland during argument between drivers Bob Evans customer talking politics throws mask & hand sanitizer at restaurant staff in Brook Park Kem Sokha travels by car to his trial at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in Phnom Penh, Jan. 15, 2020. The long delay of the trial of Cambodias opposition leader Kem Sokha amounts to an abuse of his right to an expedited legal process, his defense lawyer said Tuesday, while an analyst said the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) stands to benefit politically by keeping the case in limbo. Cambodias Supreme Court dissolved the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in November 2017, two months after the arrest of Kem Sokha for his role in an alleged scheme to topple Prime Minister Hun Sen with the help of the U.S. government. His trial began on Jan. 15, 2020 but was suspended in March on the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic and Hun Sen has hinted that it may not resume for years. Kem Sokhas defense lawyer Ang Udom told RFAs Khmer Service on Tuesday that prolonging the CNRP chiefs case seriously affects the accuseds right to an expedited trial, according to both national and international legal standards. He called the Phnom Penh Municipal Courts refusal to reschedule the trial over the past several months a form of misconduct and said it was an open violation of Kem Sokhas rights. Firstly, the case of His Excellency Kem Sokha is an extraordinary case, and secondly, it is a political conflict, he said. How can a political dispute be resolved legally? [The court] isnt following the law, they are violating the law, procedure, and the rights of the accused What should we do now? What can we expect now? Ang Udoms criticism of the court follows two letters sent by Kem Sokhas defense team calling for the resumption of his trialneither of which received a response. Last month, the defense filed a petition for intervention with the Ministry of Justice, which has yet to reply. With Kem Sokhas trial on hold indefinitely, Ang Udom said the defense has no way to proceed. Repeated calls to Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesperson Y Rin and Justice Ministry spokesperson Chin Malin went unanswered Tuesday. Government unconcerned The ban of the CNRP marked the beginning of a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for the CPP to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. While Kem Sokha is out on bail awaiting his trial, his political activities are restricted, and he has largely involved himself in humanitarian work. But the opposition chief has said that even such activities are viewed with suspicion by the CPP. Sok Eysan, a senior official and spokesman for the CPP, said he had no comment on the cases of Kem Sokha or dozens of other opposition activists arrested in recent months because they are in the hands of the court. He said that the ruling party is concentrated on helping to solve the problems of Cambodias people. "No matter who says what, we do not take it into account or worry [about it], because every day the CPP is busy working on grassroots issues to resolve the challenges facing the citizens, he said. Hun Sen said in a closed-door meeting of the Council of Ministers in early August that Kem Sokhas case could be postponed until after the 2022 commune elections and even beyond the 2023 election of the National Assembly, or parliament. Lack of independence Political commentator Em Sovannara told RFA it would be more profitable for the ruling party to delay Kem Sokha's case and instead proceed with a pending case against more than 100 CNRP activists on charges of incitement. He said the strategy could reduce the strength of the opposition so that the ruling party could increase its influence and attract additional voter support ahead of future polls. "Firstly, it benefits the ruling party because no other party or politician can come and compete for popularity, he said. Secondly, doing so provides party stability and would provide for a smoother transition of power to the next generation of the CPP. Nonetheless, Em Sovannara warned that such a strategy is likely to tarnish the image of Cambodias judiciary, which is already widely seen as beholden to the ruling party. He said that when the court charged Kem Sokhaleading to the dissolution of the CNRPbut provided no solid evidence against the opposition leader, both the national and international community could no longer ignore that it was operating under the influence of the CPP. Additionally, he said, such a strategy could lead to further sanctions from Western governments over further rollbacks on human rights and democracy. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) speaks to the crowd of supporters during a "Defend the Majority" rally at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agriculture Center in Perry, Ga., on Nov. 19, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) Sen. Kelly Loeffler to Object to Electoral College Certification Process Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) announced on Monday that she will object to Electoral College votes when lawmakers gather for a joint session in Congress on Jan. 6. Elections are the bedrock of our democracy and the American people deserve to be 100% confident in our election system and its outcomes. But right now, tens of millions of Americans have real concerns about the way in which the November Presidential election was conductedand I share their concerns, she said in a statement. The American people deserve a platform in Congress, permitted under the Constitution, to have election issues presented so that they can be addressed, she added. Thats why, on January 6th, I will vote to give President Trump and the American people the fair hearing they deserve and support the objection to the Electoral College certification process. Loeffler noted that she has introduced legislation shes seeking to pass in the Senate to establish a commission to investigate election irregularities and recommend measures to ensure election integrity. We must restore trust, confidence and integrity in our election system, Loeffler said. Loeffler joins another 12 senators and senators-elect to plan to object to Electoral College votes on Jan. 6. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) this week was the first senator to announce he would object, later followed by 11 more GOP senators: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), as well as Sens.-elect Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). Loefflers public statement comes after the Trump campaign responded to a full audio recording that The Washington Post released on Jan. 3 of a call in which President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger spoke about alleged election irregularities in the state. Jason Miller, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, wrote in a Twitter post on Jan. 3 that the full recording shows that [Trump] is spot-on in his criticisms of the terrible job Raffensperger did, all of the officials running Georgias elections are trash, and [the president] won the state. The full transcript of the call showed Trump sharing a list of claims of election fraud, including double voting, dead people voting, and Trump votes being shredded, along with other allegations of cheating and corruption that the president said denied him a win in Georgia. Raffensperger and his lawyer countered Trumps claims during the call by generally asserting that the issues raised by the president were either inaccurate or have been probed and shown to be untrue. When asked to provide public access to the states voting data, Raffenspergers lawyer said that they could not do so due to legal restrictions. Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp have previously said they believe that elections in Georgia are reliable, despite lawsuits filed in the state by the Trump campaign and other third parties that allege a wide range of voting irregularities, which witnesses suggest put the results of the election in doubt due to Bidens razor-edge lead of 11,779 votes (0.24 percent). More evidence of irregularities emerged in late November and early December, including a video revealing concerns over counting processes at the State Farm Arenas vote-tabulation center in Atlanta; a video where an election official explains how Dominion Voting Systems software allows the adding or changing of votes; and the submission of evidence of more than 21,000 election anomalies and irregularities to Georgia officials. The Epoch Times has yet to declare a winner of the 2020 presidential election. The totals in Georgia currently stand at 2,474,507 for Biden and 2,461,837 votes for President Donald Trump. Libertarian Jo Jorgensen received 62,138 votes. Loefflers statement also comes just hours before voting for the Georgia Senate runoff elections closes on Tuesday. She and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) are facing Democrat challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. The election will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Republicans have secured 50 Senate seats and Democrats have secured 48 Senate seats, which includes two independent senators who caucus with Democrats. Republicans need to win just one race to claim the majority and control of the Senate, while Democrats would need to win both races, and require Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) to cast tie-breaking votes, if she takes office on Jan. 20. Gabriel Sterling, Georgias voting implementation systems manager, said on Monday that a record over 3 million people have cast early votes ahead of the runoff races. Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. In the late 1980s, as many of his friends headed off to college, Colm Markey faced a tough choice. The farm next door to the teenagers homeplace near Drogheda Co Louth was up for sale and his parents told him theyd buy it if he stayed at home to farm it. Ye may buy it so, he said, and so began his career in agriculture. He admits that he found fulltime farming a challenge at first as all his mates went off to college. They were having a great time and I was at home farming. Macra was a great help. It was my college lifestyle, it was my chance to get out and about, says Markey. I almost felt after five or six years that the clock had turned and I was well used to being out in the world and when my mates left college they found it challenging. Expand Close Colm Markey on his farm in Corstown, Togher, Co Louth PHOTOS: FINBARR O'ROURKE / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Colm Markey on his farm in Corstown, Togher, Co Louth PHOTOS: FINBARR O'ROURKE Despite his new role as MEP, Markey says hes very much still dairying and is currently milking about 300 cows. Earmarked for the role after the resignation of then Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan and Mairead McGuinnesss appointment as Irish Commissioner last summer Markey only technically became an MEP in November. Believe it or not I havent been in Brussels yet which is an awful shame. Ive been dealing with everyone over the phone or on Zoom, but its not the same thing as being on the ground. He says he has massive shoes to fill and believes Irelands position in Brussels had been weakened by the tumultuous events of last summer. My perspective is that when we had Phil as Agriculture and Trade Commissioner, and Mairead high profile in the parliament, it had been a brilliant position to be in for Ireland. Its great that I have got the opportunity, but we need key people in key places as well, he said. Serving as Macra President from 2005-2007, and then as a local Councillor in Louth from 2009 to last November, has prepared him well for the position, he says. Expand Close Markey and supporters celebrate his election to Louth County Council in 2009 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Markey and supporters celebrate his election to Louth County Council in 2009 Partnership In Macra, I was involved in social partnership and representing at EU level as well. I would have seen plenty of the wheels of both government and the EU at that stage. And juggling farming with politics will not be a problem. I am lucky that I have two guys working with me fulltime that are brilliant. We have had a great working dynamic for almost 20 years. I couldnt do it without their help. Some people that come into politics remark that it is 24/7, but I had no problem with that farming is 24/7 anyway. I am used to that lifestyle, he says. Like the other MEPs in his constituency, Markey faces the arduous task of representing one of the largest and most diverse electorates in Europe. From the commuter belts around Dublin to the wilds of Donegal, there is no other constituency with such varied demographics. And no more is this evident than in farming. There is every type of farmer and farming. For example, in Donegal an issue like fisheries is very important, you have lots of tillage and dairy in Meath, Kildare and areas of Cavan and Monaghan, and then beef and sheep are important in the west, he says. So is it possible to be all things to all farmers? According to Markey, the important thing is that farmers pull together. The big thing I would notice now versus 10 years ago is the lack of unity among farmers. I think farmers all need to pull together, he says. That needs to be the strength of the farming lobby we are all in it together. And in terms of the challenges facing agriculture, supporting the sectors under pressure has to be a priority. One obvious area where there are very differing opinions across his constituency is whether farmers payments should be further flattened. He believes support should be directed at the sectors under pressure, the farmers within those sectors and farmers that rely on agriculture for their primary income. Expand Close new Midlands North west MEP Colm Markey on his farm in Corstown, Togher, Drogheda Co. Louth / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp new Midlands North west MEP Colm Markey on his farm in Corstown, Togher, Drogheda Co. Louth At the end of the day if the number of people farming gets smaller, then the importance of agriculture diminishes, and the multiplier effect it has on the economy diminishes. It is vital to support the sectors under pressure; however, the other side of that is that active and fulltime farmers must also be prioritised, says Markey. This is very difficult if the CAP budget remains the same or falls over time, he concedes. Making decisions at national level will bring a massive challenge and has the capacity to divide the industry. Division is the one thing that we have to avoid whatever solutions are there, they have to be solutions that everyone can buy into. New CAP His role on the European Parliaments Agriculture Committee means he will have a role in shaping the next CAP as well as the implementing the EUs new Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. He admits he is worried by many elements of the proposed new CAP, and says the dynamic within the Parliament has changed considerably since the last European elections. Those outside agriculture now have a greater influence and interest in agriculture policy. I worry that a lot of the agenda is being driven by people outside of agriculture that dont have a realistic understanding of farming and the CAP. New EU targets such as a 50pc reduction in pesticides, 20pc reduction in fertiliser use and an increase of 25pc in the area farmed organically are a big ask for a country like Ireland. Markey is a strong advocate for an impact assessment study on these proposals, and he highlights recent research indicating they would hit EU food production by 12pc and lead to a 10pc increase in food prices. The worry is that outside influences will look at populist and idealistic policies. It is vital if we are to progress in terms of agriculture and the environment, that the proposals have to be realistic. Id have a worry about keeping it real if you like, he said. Expand Close new Midlands North west MEP Colm Markey on his farm in Corstown, Togher, Drogheda Co. Louth / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp new Midlands North west MEP Colm Markey on his farm in Corstown, Togher, Drogheda Co. Louth Tackling the red tape and bureaucracy facing farmers will be a key priority for Markey At the 1998 Macra Conference, Colm Markey said he wasnt in favour of the removal of quotas as they gave farmers a secure milk price. Less than 10 years later, along with the then IFA president, Padraig Walshe, he met with the EU Agriculture Commissioner to put a big push on for quotas abolition. So what had changed? A number of things, says Markey, pointing to the fact that Europes share of the world market had diminished in the 20-30 years of quotas, inhibited by the restrictions on production growth. We were getting left behind by other parts of the world, and we had the potential to expand. I think the abolition of them in the last five years has proven that in terms of the competitiveness of our sector, including its environmental performance. Twenty years ago, we were in a fundamentally different position than we are today. At that stage, in many ways, quotas did protect the price, he says. However, he describes any thought of reintroduction of quotas as retrograde, and highlights his fears that other EU countries less competitive in milk production may try and reintroduce production controls. Red tape One area Markey wants to see action on is red tape and the seemingly never-ending bureaucracy farmers face. In my county council role, the last thing the County Manager said to me as when you get over there do something about the red tape. It has been something of a bugbear all the way through. Markey says there is a need for policymakers to recognise that red tape is a drain on resources, increases costs and turns people away from valuable and progressive farm schemes. However, he acknowledges that CAP moving to a goal-orientated system, rather than the compliance one of the past, might offer some hope to farmers. But he adds that ultimately the red tape devil will be in the detail and warns that much of this yet to be agreed. Generational renewal was one of his major priorities as Macra president and remains so today, as does improved access to finance for young farmers. He has personal experience on the benefits of generational renewal, as his family utilised the original Early Retirement Scheme. In fairness to my father and mother, they gave me full control when they took the early retirement scheme. It was massive for me as it gave me the opportunity to make a few changes. Washington: The US will not impose a ban on carry-on laptops on flights coming from Europe for now, an official spokes person on Tuesday said, days after America underlined the need to "raise the bar" on airline security, including screening certain carry-on items. The ban is already in place for flights from certain regions of the Middle East and North Africa after intelligence reports that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is developing ways to hide explosives in batteries and battery compartments. No laptop ban on US flights from Europe for now but the option is still on the table, Homeland Security Secretary DaveLapan announced after a call between Homeland SecuritySecretary John Kelly and European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc. "While a much-discussed expansion of the ban on large electronic devices in the cabin on flights to the United States was not announced today, the Secretary made it clear that an expansion is still on the table," Lapan said in a statement. Lapan was referring to comments by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly who in a call today with European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc discussed aviation security. "Kelly affirmed he will implement any and all measuresnecessary to secure commercial aircraft flying to the United States including prohibiting large electronic devices from the passenger cabin if the intelligence and threat level warrant it," Lapan said, after the conference call between American and European leaders, during which two other items were discussed. Lapan said the American and European leaders agreed to raise the bar for aviation security globally, including through a range of potential seen and unseen enhancements. "The parties also agreed to continue to work together tosecure global aviation and to maintain clear lines of communication and cooperation," he said. Over the last few months the US has continuously reached out to global aviation partners regarding serious and evolving threats to aviation, and it will continue to do so, Lapan said. The decision comes just days after Kelly said that the US wanted to "raise the bar" on airline security, including screening certain carry-on items. The US Transportation Security Administration has already begun testing new procedures to help security agents identify problematic carry-on items. Passengers in recent years have reportedly begun stuffing their bags with more and more items in order to avoid having to pay fees for checking bags in, leading to more clutter in carry-on bags that can be difficult for security to screen. There are roughly 4,300 international flights that take off and land in the US each day, carrying more than a half amillion passengers. That amounts to roughly 200 million passengers a year that would potentially have been impacted by the laptop ban. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Here are the APs latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All Times EST. For up-to-the minute information on APs coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom ap.org. ______________ TOP STORIES ______________ SENATE-GEORGIA Georgia voters are set to decide the balance of power in Congress in a pair of high-stakes Senate runoff elections that will help determine President-elect Joe Bidens capacity to enact what may be the most progressive governing agenda in generations. Democrats must win both elections to seize the Senate majority. By Steve Peoples and Bill Barrow. SENT: 980 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Updates throughout the day; polls close at 7 p.m. Find complete coverage for the Georgia runoff election here. UNITED STATES-IRAN-TENSIONS Joe Biden has an Iran problem, and its getting more complicated by the day. Thanks to provocative moves by Iran and less-than-coherent actions by the outgoing Trump administration, the president-elect is facing an increasingly uncertain situation when it comes to Iran. By Matthew Lee, Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 940 words, photo. PERSIAN-GULF-TENSIONS Armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced the ship to change course and travel to Iran, the vessels owner says, the latest maritime seizure by Tehran amid heightened tensions with the West over its nuclear program. By Hyung-Jin Kim and Jon Gambrell. SENT: 1,070 words, photos. TRUMP-PENCE Vice President Mike Pence will find himself in the most precarious position of his tenure Wednesday when he presides over the congressional Electoral College tally that will be the last gasp of President Donald Trumps attempts to overturn Bidens victory in the November election. By Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. Also see CONGRESS-ELECTORAL COLLEGE below. AFGHANISTAN-PEACE-TALKS Afghan negotiators are to resume talks with the Taliban aimed at finding an end to decades of relentless conflict even as hopes wane and frustration and fear grow over a spike in violence across Afghanistan that has combatants on both sides blaming the other. By Kathy Gannon. SENT: 1,150 words, photos. VIRUS-OUTBREAK-US-SURGE As lawmakers around the U.S. convene this winter to deal with the crisis created by the pandemic, statehouses themselves could prove to be hothouses for infection. Many legislatures will start the year meeting remotely, but some Republican-controlled statehouses, from Montana to Pennsylvania, plan to hold at least part of their sessions in person, without requiring masks. By Amy Beth Hanson. SENT: 1,030 words, photos. _______________________________ WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT _______________________________ PEOPLE-TANYA ROBERTS Tanya Roberts, Bond girl and 70s Show" star, hospitalized. SENT: 270 words, photo. OBIT-YOSEMITE CLIMBER George Whitmore, legendary climber of El Capitan, dies at 89. SENT: 710 words, photos. ________________________________ MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK _________________________________ VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a new national lockdown for England until at least mid-February to combat a fast-spreading new variant of the coronavirus, even as Britain ramped up its vaccination program by becoming the first nation to start using the shot developed by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca. SENT: 1,040 words, photos. VIRUS OUTBREAK-MEXICO Mexico approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, hoping to spur a halting vaccination effort that has only given about 44,000 shots since the third week of December, about 82% of the doses the country has received. SENT: 380 words, photos. VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADA Albertas premier reverses course and is now punishing members of his government for vacationing outside Canada despite government guidelines urging people to avoid nonessential travel during the pandemic. SENT: 430 words, photo. VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ASIA Thailand reported 527 new coronavirus cases, most of them migrant workers who already were isolated, and the government said it was tightening movements of people around the country. SENT: 480 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST. VIRUS-OUTBREAK-MOROCCO-TOURIST-TOWN-PHOTO-GALLERY Pandemic empties blue-hued Moroccan tourist town. SENT: 360 words, photos. Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom. _______________________ WASHINGTON/POLITICS _______________________ TRUMP-ANALYSIS Trumps ongoing efforts to overturn the 2020 election results laid bare for the world in an hourlong weekend phone call with a Georgia election official demonstrate his unrestrained determination to maintain a grip on power no matter the consequences for the nations democratic traditions. By Jonathan Lemire and Kate Brumback. SENT: 850 words, photos. CONGRESS-ELECTORAL COLLEGE Trump is appealing to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote, but more Republicans are turning against him. By Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 900 words, photos, video. With ELECTORAL COLLEGE-PROTESTS Washington, D.C., mayor calls in National Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests. EPA-PUBLIC HEALTH STUDIES The Environmental Protection Agency has completed one of its last major rollbacks under the Trump administration, changing how it considers evidence of harm from pollutants in a way that opponents say could cripple future public-health regulation. SENT: 450 words, photo. _________________ INTERNATIONAL _________________ QATAR-GULF CRISIS Qatars ruler was to arrive in Saudi Arabia, following an announcement that the kingdom would open its airspace and land border with its tiny Gulf neighbor. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. UNITED NATIONS-LIBYA Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is recommending that international monitors be deployed to Libya under a U.N. umbrella to observe the October cease-fire agreement from a base in the strategic city of Sirte, the gateway to the countrys major oil fields and export terminals. SENT: 600 words. ZIMBABWE-TAEKWONDO GIRLS In Zimbabwe, where girls as young as 10 are forced to marry due to poverty or traditional and religious practices, a teenage taekwondo enthusiast is using the sport to give girls in an impoverished community a fighting chance at life. SENT: 780 words, photos. ___________________ BUSINESS/ECONOMY ___________________ FINANCIAL-MARKETS Asian shares were mixed, as Japanese shares echoed pullbacks on Wall Street while other regional indexes recouped earlier losses amid continuing worries about surging coronavirus cases. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 690 words, photos. STOCK EXCHANGE-CHINESE COMPANIES The New York Stock Exchange says it no longer plans to remove shares of three Chinese state-owned phone carriers under an order by Trump. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 350 words, photos. _________________ HOW TO REACH US ___________________ At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Wally Santana (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477. [January 05, 2021] ID Insight Launches Financial Institution Fraud Investigation Network(SM) MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Organized fraud rings are growing more sophisticated, sharing technology, data and insights designed to defraud financial institutions. And now on the heels of FinCEN encouraging banks and credit unions to share information about financial crimes a nationwide network of fraud investigators is working together to stop organized fraud for the first time. ID Insight, a Minneapolis-based national leader in developing solutions to prevent account takeover and new-account fraud, announced today that it is applying its award-winning fraud-mitigation technology to launch the Fraud Investigation Network SM, creating the unprecedented level of industry collaboration needed to detect and shut down fraud rings and schemes that target financial institutions. The Fraud Investigation Network expands upon ID Insight's fraud intelligence platform utilized by thousands of financial institutions across the country. For more than 15 years, banks and credit unions have improved their fraud detection by leveraging ID Insight solutions with a built-in velocity network that captures the repeated submission of identity attributes across participating institutions nationwide. With this new level of collaboration, fraud investigators nationwide will now easily and automatically benefit from the investigative efforts and insights of their industry peers as they fight together to stop sophisticated fraud rings and schemes related to account takeover and new-account fraud. For the first time, available investigation insights around suspicious behavior from other institutions in the network are automatically shared in real-time as alerts and messages to the entire network, bringing added authority to every inquiry result. The launch of the Fraud Investigation Network comes just days after FinCEN, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network at the United States Department of the Treasury, released clarifying information that encourages banks to share information about financial crimes. At the annual American Bankers Association/American Bar Association Financial Crimes Enforcement Conference in mid-December, FinCEN Director Kenneth A. Blanco announced that a provision of the USA Patriot Act allows banks to share more financial crime data among themselves. According to ID Insight Co-Founder and President Adam lliott, because completed investigations can be marked in one of two ways, either "fraud" or "not fraud," it is possible to convert investigation results into a simple, binary variable a 1 or a 0. "Each 1 or 0 packs an incredible predictive punch," Elliott says. "Because our fraud intelligence platform already captures and codifies how investigations are ultimately resolved, all participating banks will benefit when these warning signals are provided back to other investigators in the network." Fraud investigators are critical to the ecosystem of fraud prevention and detection, working on the front lines to save banking systems millions of dollars each year. "The Fraud Investigation Network utilizes and amplifies their expertise for the entire network in the most efficient way possible. The outcome for both financial institutions and the entire industry is truly greater than the sum of its parts," Elliott says. With the launch of the Fraud Investigation Network, financial institutions will improve the fraud catch rate, reduce fraud losses, reduce customer friction through fewer false-positive results, and improve the fraud investigators' efficiency by pinpointing where they should focus their investigations. ID Insight's analysis identified multiple benefits for network users to defend against both new-account fraud and account takeover. One example: Through the use of this network, one major banking system would have found 4,000 additional fraudulent account opening cases representing over $600,000 in fraud savings over the course of one month. Because of the real-time alerts, financial institutions using the network will be able to act more quickly to prevent new-account fraud loss. Investigators are informed of likely fraud that happened up to several months before an inquiry, and ongoing monitoring alerts them to fraud found by peers up to several weeks afterward. It is important to note that no immediate adverse action is taken based solely on what investigators have shared as part of the Fraud Investigation Network. Although investigators will use the data to focus their investigations, they will still conduct full due diligence, reviewing all aspects of the case before determining whether it is "fraud" or "not fraud." ID Insight's fraud screening solutions come after, and are distinct from, the various consumer reporting/decisioning solutions governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). "Account takeover fraud continues to be a challenge, and more information sharing across departments as well as across institutions is necessary to thwart fraud across the board," says Tracy Kitten, Director of Fraud & Cybersecurity at Javelin Strategy & Research. "Receiving information about emerging fraud schemes in real-time can only stand to benefit fraud and cyber teams." Financial institutions can benefit from the new Fraud Investigation Network through our distribution partners or directly through ID Insight. To view a short demonstration of the Fraud Investigation Network, check out this four-minute video, or contact us for more information or to schedule a personalized demo. To learn more about ID Insight, visit idinsight.com. About ID Insight ID Insight is on the front lines in the fight against identity fraud. Only ID Insight has a fraud intelligence platform combining patented analytics with massive consortium and identity datasets to stay ahead of emerging fraud schemes. Since 2003, thousands of banks and credit unions, as well as credit issuers, retailers, and healthcare companies, have relied on ID Insight's platform-based solutions to mitigate the damaging effects of account takeover and new-account fraud. Contact us, watch our video, or request a personalized demo to learn more. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/id-insight-launches-financial-institution-fraud-investigation-networksm-301201116.html SOURCE ID Insight [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Georgians head to the polls today for a critical election that will determine whether Republicans retain control of the Senate, just a day after President Trump and President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. converged on the state to campaign for their partys candidates. Mr. Trump on Monday appeared alongside the Republican candidates, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, in Dalton, Ga., but remained fixated on his own loss in Georgia in November and continued his pattern of prioritizing his personal grievances over the partys drive to win the states two seats. Theres no way we lost Georgia, Mr. Trump said just after taking the stage. Ive had two elections. Ive won both of them. Its amazing. Mondays rallies were also shaken by the stunning revelation the day before that Mr. Trump had, in an hourlong phone call with Georgias secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, repeated a litany of conspiracy theories and asked Mr. Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes to overturn the will of Georgia voters, who chose Mr. Biden. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close When UK District Judge Vanessa Baraitser declared she was rejecting the US request to extradite Julian Assange, his partner Stella Moris wept with relief. In an emotional speech outside the court, Moris described the ruling as the first step towards justice, and called on US President Donald Trump to halt further extradition efforts. According to Baraitsers ruling, Assange could not be extradited because he was depressed and at risk of suicide. Assanges lawyers are planning to apply for bail, while lawyers for the US government say they are going to appeal. A courtroom sketch of Julian Assange (inset) and his fiancee Stella Moris-Smith Robertson outside court in London on Monday. The court's decision is both a victory in Assange's fight against extradition and a defeat for press freedom. Credit:Getty Images/Elizabeth Cook/PA Although he is by no means a free man, this crucial round goes to the Australian WikiLeaks founder. But on every other point of law, the judge found in favour of the US. She rejected claims that Assanges case was politically motivated, that he would not get a fair trial and that it was an assault on press freedom. To professional analysts, it has long been clear that the Russiagate saga including the Russian hacking claims, the Trump-Russia collusion claims, as well as the Skripal poisoning incident and the more recent Navalny poisoning incident has been a US and NATO psychological operation aimed at containing a resurgent Russia and a somewhat unpredictable US President. Several aspects of the Russian hacking psychological operation had already been uncovered by independent researchers like Stephen McIntyre, Adam Carter and The Forensicator. In early November, however, British researcher David J. Blake essentially solved the Russian hacking psyop, down to the operational level, as described in his new book Loaded for Guccifer 2.0. Blake shows how the Russian hacking psyop was initiated by the US and NATO in 2014 in response to Russias reaction to the US regime change in Ukraine, when Russia retook control of the Crimean Peninsula and supported the de-facto secession of Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine. The US/NATO psyop was inspired by the actual amateur hackers CyberBerkut in Ukraine and Guccifer in Romania. Blake shows how in 2014, NATO created a Cyber Defence Trust Fund and used this entity to initiate false-flag hacking operations against the US and other NATO members that would then be falsely attributed to alleged Russian state-sponsored hacking groups. Regarding the most prominent such case, the alleged hacking of the US Democratic Party (DNC) and the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, Blake shows how the emails and documents in question were in fact exfiltrated by the FBI and FBI cybersecurity contractor CrowdStrike, whose founder, Dmitri Alperovitch, is a Senior Fellow at the US-NATO think tank Atlantic Council. (1) Blake shows how the mysterious persona of Guccifer 2.0, who claimed the hack, was played by none other than Alperovitch himself, while the technical infrastructure, including the notorious website dcleaks.com, was provided by US and NATO intermediaries in NATO member Romania. Later, former FBI director Robert Mueller would pretend to investigate the cyber operation, attributing it to alleged Russian hacking groups named Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear based on information provided by FBI and DNC contractor CrowdStrike and its CTO Dmitri Alperovitch. (2) Blake also shows how other alleged Russian hacks, including the hacking of the German parliament in 2015, relied on the very same NATO-controlled technical infrastructure. Blake was able to show this based on archived information about previous owners of IP addresses, name servers, and SSL security certificates all pointing to the US military, NATO, and the Ukrainian government. (3) In the case of the staged hack of the US Democratic Party, Blake shows how FBI cybersecurity contractor CrowdStrike added false Russian fingerprints by embedding the documents into previously published CyberBerkut documents and inserting additional false signatures. However, CrowdStrike made a few technical mistakes that ultimately revealed their US time zone. Blake highlights the important fact that in all of these false-flag Russian hacks, originating from NATO-controlled infrastructure, either no data or only trivial data was released to the public. Some questions continue to remain open, however, such as the role of murdered DNC employee Seth Rich and the actual source of Wikileaks, whose founder Julian Assange is still in British custody. In the wake of the 2014 US regime change in Ukraine, the family of then Vice President Joe Biden exfiltrated millions of dollars from Ukraine, protected against corruption investigations by Joe Biden himself, as leaked phone recordings confirmed. As of 2021, the professionals behind the Ukraine regime change and the Russiagate pysop will once again be in full control of the US government. Most US and European media have promoted the Russiagate and Russian hacking psyops and will continue to do so. This is because most US and European media, both liberal and conservative, are themselves embedded in networks linked to NATO and the US Council on Foreign Relations. It is only some independent media that have been seriously investigating these topics. Are there real Russian state-sponsored hacks against Western targets? Yes. Blake argues that, for instance, the hacking operation against the British Institute for Statecraft and its Integrity Initiative itself deeply involved in the Russiagate psyop was likely a professional Russian operation. The problem is that such real operations are much harder to attribute than fake ones. Book: Loaded for Guccifer2.0: Following A Trail of Digital Geopolitics (2020) by David J. Blake (1) Another well-known Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council is Eliot Higgins, founder of the Bellingcat group, which appears to serve as a civilian front organization of British military intelligence and was involved in psychological operations both in Ukraine and the Syria war. (2) Blake was even able to show, based on archived IP address and SSL certificate data, that the FBI prepared its Russia Special operation on an off-the-books, inofficial web-based email system that was created by or for Robert Mueller during his time as FBI director (2001-2013). (3) The alleged Russian hacking of the Swiss Ministry of Defense and Swiss arms manufacturer RUAG, in January 2016, may also have been a NATO false-flag operation. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. CHICAGO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce a new partnership between EyeCare Associates of East Texas (ECA) and EyeCare Partners (ECP) resulting in the addition of ECA's four Texas clinics to ECP's national network of full-scope medical optometry and ophthalmology practices, and launching ECP's expanded presence in Texas. BGL's Healthcare & Life Sciences team served as the exclusive financial advisor to ECA in the transaction. The transaction furthers BGL's commitment to ophthalmology and more broadly, the provider services sector and represents its sixth completed provider services transaction in 2020. The specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This transaction represents BGL's sixth completed provider services transaction in 2020. Tweet this Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce a new partnership between EyeCare Associates of East Texas (ECA) and EyeCare Partners (ECP) resulting in the addition of ECAs four Texas clinics to ECPs national network of full-scope medical optometry and ophthalmology practices, and launching ECPs expanded presence in Texas. BGLs Healthcare & Life Sciences team served as the exclusive financial advisor to ECA in the transaction. Based in Tyler, Texas, ECA has grown to become one of the leading eye care providers in Eastern Texas. Today, the practice serves the community in four clinical locations and its own ASC with 12 providers supported by approximately 100 clinical and administrative staff. ECA provides comprehensive vision care in areas including, but not limited to, cataract surgery, retina treatment, glaucoma treatment, and Lasik surgery. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, EyeCare Partners currently offers comprehensive medical eye care services throughout Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. The doctors of ECP serve the vision care needs of hundreds of thousands of patients annually. EyeCare Partners LLC is a portfolio company of Partners Group, one of the largest private markets investment managers in the world. About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, capital markets, financial restructurings, valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and Philadelphia, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, and San Antonio. The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 30 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, Inc., an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com. SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company Related Links www.bglco.com Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. President Trump on Monday pledged to campaign against Georgias Republican governor, Brian Kemp, a sign that he will seek retribution against those who did not support his unfounded claims that the election was rigged. Ill be here in about a year and a half campaigning against your governor, I guarantee you that, he said during a rally in Georgia for Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue on the eve of the runoff elections. He went on to criticize Kemp and crazy Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger both of whom have pushed back against Trumps unfounded claims of widespread election fraud saying theyre petrified of former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. They say theyre Republicans, I really dont think they are, he said. They cant be. President Trump opened his remarks at the rally saying he had run in two elections and won both of them. He continued, as he has since the November 3 election, to maintain that the election was rigged and that he won by a landslide, without offering any evidence. President-elect Joe Biden won the election with 306 Electoral College votes to Trumps 232 votes. Biden also won the popular vote, with roughly 81 million votes to Trumps 74 million votes. If the liberal Democrats take the Senate and the White House and theyre not taking this White House were going to fight like hell, Ill tell you right now, Trump said. In the three-week stretch after Election Day, Trump and the Republican Party raised $207.5 million in an effort to contest the election. Trumps legal team struggled, however, losing roughly 60 lawsuits and winning only one. His Trump Make America Great Again Committee raised $121.7 million in that period, having only raised $$44.8 million in the 20 days leading up to and including Election Day. Trump is expected to use the post-election funds to wield influence in the party. The Democrats are trying to steal the White House, you cant let them steal the U.S. Senate, Trump said. Story continues David and Kelly are running against the most extreme liberal candidates in the history of your state, he said. More from National Review If the New York Yankees lose free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu to the Los Angeles Dodgers, they can pin the blame on Justin Turner. The Los Angeles Times reports Turner seeks a four-year contract on the market, according to people with knowledge of the situation. ... The Dodgers dont want to commit more than two years to a 36-year-old third baseman whose mobility has appreciably diminished in recent seasons. The Dodgers have internal options to fill the void but likely would seek to acquire a third baseman if Turner signed with another franchise, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. Free agent DJ LeMahieu sits atop the list of external options. Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers A four-year deal for a 36-year-old seems pretty ridiculous. But a four-year deal for a 32-year-old, such as LeMahieu, makes sense. The Yankees first offer to LeMahieu was believed to be for four years and about $84 million, which is $21 million annually. LeMahieu, who finished third in voting for the 2020 American League MVP Award, reportedly is seeking a five-year deal for about $110 million, which comes to $22 million annually. LeMahieu led the majors with a .364 batting average in 2020, becoming the first player in the modern era to win batting titles in both leagues. He led the National League with a .348 batting average in 2016 for the Colorado Rockies. (NJ Advance Medias Randy Miller contributed to this report.) Get Yankees text messages: Cut through the clutter of social media and text during games with beat writers and columnists. Plus, exclusive news and analysis every day. Sign up now. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu and his 19 other colleague Members of Parliament who were expected to appear before an Accra Circuit Court over their protest march to the Electoral Commission head office on Monday failed to appear in court. The police prosecutor indicated his readiness to proceed with the case when it was called but the failure of none of the accused persons or their lawyers present forced the presiding judge to adjourn the case without a new set date. The NDC MPs were charged by the Circuit Court after they walked from Parliament to the EC Head Office on December 22 to present a petition to the EC over the collation of the presidential results. The statement of offence said the NDC MPs unlawfully assembled and conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause persons in the Neighbourhood reasonable fear where a breach of the peace is likely to be occasioned. The MPs charged are Haruna Iddrisu, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Samuel George, John Abdulai Jinapor, Rockson Defiamekpor, Ras Mubarak, Mutawakilu Adam, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, A.B. Fuseini, Kwabena Minta Akando, Yusif Issaka Jaja, Isaac Adongo, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, James Klutse Avedzi, James Agalga, Collins Dauda, Abdul Rashi Pelpuo, Richard Quashigah and Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings. Background The Minority in Parliament on December 22 marched to the Electoral Commission headquarters to protest the results of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary polls. The march came on the back of the continuous street protests by supporters of the party following the declaration of results by the chairperson of the Electoral Commission Jean Mensa. The NDC and its flagbearer John Mahama described the results which gave President Akufo-Addo 51% of the votes as flawed. The MPs intended to march to the EC Head office and present a petition to the Chairperson of the Commission over the results of the December elections. Source: kasapafmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video WYOMING, MI Police are on the lookout for a four-door cobalt blue truck that may have been involved in two cases of theft on Monday. The truck, which has no license plate on the back, was used as a getaway vehicle for four suspects who robbed a Verizon store in the 5800 block of Byron Center Avenue SW at around 10:50 a.m., a news release from the Wyoming Police Department states. A gas station in the area later reported a Ford F-150 with a matching description having been involved in a gas drive off just prior to the robbery of the Verizon store. Police said four men, who were possibly teens, wearing masks over their faces, entered the cell phone store, pushed an employee out of the way, grabbed an undisclosed amount of phones and then fled the store northbound in a blue truck. The truck was described as having body damage on the passenger side with a white paint transfer from a previous and unrelated accident, the release states. No weapons were used in the robbery and the employee was not injured, police said. Also on MLive: Portage woman sentenced to 2 years in prison in death of boyfriends daughter Woman, 65, struck by bullet fired into Grand Rapids house has died Trump repeats false claims about Michigan election in leaked Georgia phone call Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long has submitted a report to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, proposing that inbound flights should be suspended or limited from countries and territories where new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are found. Illegal immigrants sent to quarantine in Quang Binh In the report, the minister noted that 34 countries had announced the detection of new COVID-19 variants as of January 3. On December 18, 2020, the World Health Organisation reported that a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus was found in the UK, which is said to be 70 percent more transmissible than the old one. It is spreading to other countries rapidly. So far, more than 40 countries territories have restricted travel from/to the UK and other countries that have reported cases with the virus variant. Germany and the Netherlands have been the first to close the border with the UK, while France has requested travellers to take quarantine and show proof that they have been tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, Spain and Turkey have banned immigrants from the UK until the end of January. The US and the rest of Europe have also reduced the number of flights to the UK. Japan has announced the ban of all entries until the end of this month, while Indonesia has refused to receive travellers from the UK. In Vietnam, Patient 1,435 returning home from Britain and quarantined in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh upon arrival on December 22 was confirmed to be infected with the new virus strain. So far, Vietnam has reported 1,497 COVID-19 cases, including 693 found in the community./.VNA SPRINGFIELD A State Police trooper arrested a 21-year-old resident and recovered a gun during a routine traffic stop Saturday night. Bobby Guzman was arrested at about 9 p.m. and charged with illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition without a permit, possession of a large capacity feeding device and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, Massachusetts State Police said. Trooper Justin Dauplaise pulled over a red Honda van which had a revoked registration and defective brake and license plate lights while patrolling on Liberty Street. After stopping the vehicle, he learned the driver did not have a valid license and asked him and his two passengers to exit the vehicle, police said. While searching the car to prepare it to be towed, Dauplaise and other troopers located a loaded Luger 9 mm gun on the floor next to the rear passenger seat, where Guzman was sitting. None of the occupants in the van had a license to carry a gun, police said. While Guzman was being booked, troopers also found 13 baggies containing marijuana in his possession, police said. He was held over the weekend on $35,000 bail, police said. Related Content: Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. She has recently published her "last post on Facebook," where she says that Ukrainians are invincible. Semen Gluzman, head of the Association of Psychiatrists of Ukraine, director of the Ukrainian-American Bureau for the Protection of Human Rights, told the Strana news outlet that former Acting Minister of Health in Ukraine Ulana Suprun had allegedly left the country for the United States. "According to my information, Suprun has departed for the United States. It is not clear it is for a while or for good. But if one looks at her 'preparatory work,' we can assume the second option," Gluzman said. Later, the outlet's sources in the State Border Guard Service said Suprun had not departed from Ukraine as of January 4. Read alsoZelensky gives feedback on petition calling for Suprun's reinstatement as health ministerThe information has also been refuted by acting Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko he wrote on Facebook about their meeting in Kyiv. According to him, Suprun came to visit them at the ministry and presented her book. Vitrenko added it is always "interesting and useful" to talk with Suprun and her book on healthy Ukraine is worth reading. Ulana Suprun's career in Ukraine Ulana Suprun was appointed as Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine, as well as acting Health Minister in July 2016. She held that post until August 29, 2019, after which a new government was formed and she and her deputies submitted a letter of resignation. The Cabinet of Ministers on September 4, 2019, accepted Suprun's resignation. After completing her work at the Health Ministry, Suprun continued her social healthcare-related activities and ran a Facebook page, where she gave health advice and debunked myths around diseases and their treatment methods. She has recently published her "last post on Facebook," where she said that Ukrainians are invincible. Reporting by UNIAN Last spring, New Jersey emergency room nurse Maritza Beniquez saw "wave after wave" of sick patients, each wearing a look of fear that grew increasingly familiar as the weeks wore on. Soon, it was her colleagues at Newark's University Hospital the nurses, techs and doctors with whom she had been working side by side who turned up in the ER, themselves struggling to breathe. "So many of our own co-workers got sick, especially toward the beginning; it literally decimated our staff," she said. By the end of June, 11 of Beniquez's colleagues were dead. Like the patients they had been treating, most were Black and Latino. "We were disproportionately affected because of the way that Blacks and Latinos in this country have been disproportionately affected across every [part of] our lives from schools to jobs to homes," she said. Now Beniquez feels like a vanguard of another kind. On Dec. 14, she became the first person in New Jersey to receive the coronavirus vaccine and was one of many medical workers of color featured prominently next to headlines heralding the vaccine's arrival at U.S. hospitals. It was a joyous occasion, one that kindled the possibility of again seeing her parents and her 96-year-old grandmother, who live in Puerto Rico. But those nationally broadcast images were also a reminder of those for whom the vaccine came too late. Covid-19 has taken an outsize toll on Black and Hispanic Americans. And those disparities extend to the medical workers who have intubated them, cleaned their bedsheets and held their hands in their final days, a KHN/Guardian investigation has found. People of color account for about 65% of fatalities in cases in which there is race and ethnicity data. One recent study found health care workers of color were more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to test positive for the virus. They were more likely to treat patients diagnosed with covid, more likely to work in nursing homes major coronavirus hotbeds and more likely to cite an inadequate supply of personal protective equipment, according to the report. In a national sample of 100 cases gathered by KHN/The Guardian in which a health care worker expressed concerns over insufficient PPE before they died of covid, three-quarters of the victims were identified as Black, Hispanic, Native American or Asian. "Black health care workers are more likely to want to go into public-sector care where they know that they will disproportionately treat communities of color," said Adia Wingfield, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis who has studied racial inequality in the health care industry. "But they also are more likely to be attuned to the particular needs and challenges that communities of color may have," she said. Not only do many Black health care staffers work in lower-resourced health centers, she said, they are also more likely to suffer from many of the same co-morbidities found in the general Black population, a legacy of systemic inequities. And they may fall victim to lower standards of care. Dr. Susan Moore, a 52-year-old Black pediatrician in Indiana, was hospitalized with covid in November and, according to a video posted to her Facebook account, had to ask repeatedly for tests, remdesivir and pain medication. She said her white doctor dismissed her complaints of pain and she was discharged, only to be admitted to another hospital 12 hours later. Numerous studies have found Black Americans often receive worse medical care than their white counterparts: In March, a Boston biotech firm published an analysis showing physicians were less likely to refer symptomatic Black patients for coronavirus tests than symptomatic whites. Doctors are also less likely to prescribe painkillers to Black patients. "If I was white, I wouldn't have to go through that," Moore said in the video posted from her hospital bed. "This is how Black people get killed, when you send them home, and they don't know how to fight for themselves." She died on Dec. 20 of covid complications, her son Henry Muhammad told news outlets. Along with people of color, immigrant health workers have suffered disproportionate losses to covid-19. More than one-third of health care workers to die of covid in the U.S. were born abroad, from the Philippines to Haiti, Nigeria and Mexico, according to a KHN/Guardian analysis of cases for which there is data. They account for 20% of health care workers in the U.S. overall. Dr. Ramon Tallaj, a physician and chairman of Somos, a nonprofit network of health care providers in New York, said immigrant doctors and nurses often see patients from their own communities and many working-class, immigrant communities have been devastated by covid. "Our community is essential workers. They had to go to work at the beginning of the pandemic, and when they got sick, they would come and see the doctor in the community," he said. Twelve doctors and nurses in the Somos network have died of covid, he said. Dr. Eriberto Lozada was an 83-year-old family physician in Long Island, New York. He was still seeing patients out of his practice when cases began to climb last spring. Originally from the Philippines, a country with a history of sending skilled medical workers to the United States, he was proud to be a doctor and "proud to have been an immigrant who made good," his son James Lozada said. Lozada's family members remember him as strict and strong-willed they affectionately called him "the king." He instilled in his children the importance of a good education. He died in April. Two of his four sons, John and James Lozada, are doctors. Both were vaccinated last month. Considering all they had been through, John said, it was a "bittersweet" occasion. But he thought it was important for another reason to set an example for his patients. The inequities in covid infections and deaths risk fueling distrust in the vaccine. In a recent Pew study, around 42% of Black respondents said they would "definitely or probably" get the vaccine compared with 60% of the general population. This makes sense to Patricia Gardner, a Black, Jamaican-born nursing manager at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey who has been infected with the coronavirus along with family members and colleagues. "A lot of what I hear is, 'How is it that we weren't the first to get the care, but now we're the first to get vaccinated?'" she said. Like Beniquez, the nurse in Newark, she was vaccinated on Dec. 14. "For me to step up to say, 'I want to be in the first group' I'm hoping that sends a message," she said. Beniquez said she felt the weight of that responsibility when she signed on to be the first person in her state to receive the vaccine. Many of her patients have expressed skepticism over the vaccine, fueled, she said, by a health system that has failed them for years. "We remember the Tuskegee trials. We remember the 'appendectomies'" reports that women were forcibly sterilized in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Georgia. "These are things that have happened to this community to the Black and Latino communities over the last century. As a health care worker, I have to recognize that their fears are legitimate and explain 'This is not that,'" she said. Beniquez said her joy and relief over receiving the vaccine are tempered by the reality of rising cases in the ER. The adrenaline she and her colleagues felt last spring is gone, replaced by fatigue and wariness of the months ahead. Her hospital placed 11 trees in the lobby, one for each employee who has died of covid; they have been adorned with remembrances and gifts from their colleagues. There is one for Kim King-Smith, 53, the friendly EKG technician, who visited friends of friends or family whenever they ended up in the hospital. One for Danilo Bolima, 54, the nurse from the Philippines who became a professor and was the head of patient care services. One for Obinna Chibueze Eke, 42, the Nigerian nursing assistant, who asked friends and family to pray for him when he was hospitalized with covid. "Each day, we remember our fallen colleagues and friends as the heroes who helped keep us going throughout this pandemic and beyond," hospital president and CEO Dr. Shereef Elnahal said in a statement. "We can never forget their contributions and their collective passion for this community, and each other." Just outside the building, stands a 12th tree. "It's going to be for whoever else we lose in this battle," Beniquez said. This story is part of "Lost on the Frontline," an ongoing project from The Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the lives of health care workers in the U.S. who die from COVID-19, and to investigate why so many are victims of the disease. If you have a colleague or loved one we should include, please share their story. With the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approving the restricted emergency use of two coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines on Sunday (January 3) and state governments preparing to inoculate their residents, the Union health ministry said on Tuesday that it was prepared to roll out a vaccine within 10 days of emergency-use authorisation approvals. Addressing a news briefing on Tuesday evening, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, We are prepared to roll out vaccine within 10 days of emergency use authorisation approvals. The final call will be taken by the government. Also Watch | Covid-19: Health Secretary explains how vaccination process in India works Bhushan pointed out that there were four primary vaccine stores called GMSD (Medical Stores Organisation) situated in Karnal, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata and 37 vaccine stores across India adding that they store vaccines in bulk and further distribute them. Also Read| Misinformation: Health ministry says no ban on export of Covid-19 vaccine The facility including the number of vaccines stored and temperature trackers is monitored digitally. We have this facility for over a decade in the country, he added. We are prepared to roll out vaccine within 10 days of emergency use authorisation approvals. The final call will be taken by the government: Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan DGCI gave approval to two vaccines on January 3 pic.twitter.com/g6sWMsX4cG ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 As healthcare, frontline workers have been identified as priority groups for inoculation, according to government guidelines, the health secretary said that these people would not be required to register themselves as beneficiaries as their data has been populated on the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk manner. The Co-WIN app, which was introduced by the Centre, allows people to self-register themselves for getting a vaccine shot. The app is in the pre-product stage and data of healthcare workers is being uploaded as of now. Over 7.5 million beneficiaries were registered during the nationwide dry run on January 2. Also Read| Covid-19 worries force UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to call off India visit Bhushan at the beginning of the briefing had said that the total active coronavirus cases in India were less than 250,000 and were continuing to decline adding that the positivity stood at 1.97 per cent. On Tuesday, the country added 16,375 fresh cases- which have been the lowest in more than six months- and 201 related deaths in the last 24 hours which pushed the overall tally to over 10.3 million, according to the health ministrys update at 8am. Nearly 9.98 million people have recovered from the disease so far and the national recovery rate is 96.32 per cent of the total caseload. SACRAMENTO A former chair of the Federal Election Commission filed a complaint Monday urging state officials to investigate an Orange County company with a biblical name that contributed $500,000 to the campaign to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. The complaint says Prov. 3:9 LLC appears to be a shell company designed to conceal the true source of the largest contribution to the effort to oust the California governor, which has gained momentum recently. Ann Ravel, chair of the election commission under former President Barack Obama and an unsuccessful candidate for a South Bay state Senate seat last year, said the firm doesnt appear to be engaged in any business and could be evading campaign finance laws if it is helping to disguise the source of the money. She filed her complaint with the California attorney general and state Fair Political Practices Commission. Ravel is a Democrat and said she supports Newsom, but that she filed the complaint on her own behalf. Such a dark money scheme is antithetical to a functioning democracy and in violation of the states comprehensive campaign finance laws, Ravel wrote in the complaint. The people of California have the right to know, when the recall is being circulated, who is behind the effort. Corporate filings indicate that Prov. 3:9 is an Irvine-based consulting firm created in 2018. Its manager, Thomas Liu, also appears to be a tax accountant and partner at the firm White Nelson Diehl Evans. Liu has not responded to repeated requests for comment from The Chronicle. He told Politico last week, We have our beliefs in terms of the direction the state needs to go, and we felt that this effort was worthy of our contribution. The contributing firms name appears to be a reference to the biblical verse Proverbs 3:9: Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops. Anne Dunsmore, campaign manager for Rescue California-Recall Gavin Newsom, said Ravels complaint shows the recall effort is gaining momentum, to the chagrin of the governors allies. We are challenging the governor of California, and up to this point they have not taken us seriously, Dunsmore said. Frankly, no one has. These types of complaints are normal things to do when you have serious contenders. Dunsmore said she knew little about the source of the contribution, other than they contacted us and wanted to help. Ravel said theres ample evidence to suggest Prov. 3:9 isnt a legitimate company. Her complaint says the firm has no business license in Irvine and no website, social media or advertising presence. She said that suggests the company has little revenue and that the $500,000 probably came from hidden donors. If the company was a pass-through, Ravel said, state law requires that the original source of political funds be reported. Without immediate action, California will be giving the green light to wealthy donors to evade disclosure laws by setting up shell companies through which to make contributions, her complaint says. A spokesperson for Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the office would not comment on a potential investigation. The Fair Political Practices Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Organizers of the Newsom recall said they have collected more than 900,000 petition signatures. They must submit about 1.5 million valid signatures of registered voters by March 17 to force a recall election, though theyll probably need closer to 2 million total signatures to make up for ones that are invalid. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner The Trinamool Congress and the BJP have once again locked horns ahead of the upcoming Bengal assembly elections. This time the face-off is over the celebration of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have set up different committees to chalk out the plan for Netajis birthday. PM Modis committee will be headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and will include Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a host of other prominent people from the family of historians, authors and people from Netajis Azad Hind Army. On the other hand, Banerjee has plans to hold a big parade on the day on the lines of Independence Day. The Centre will conduct a light and sound show and if sources are to be believed then PM Modi is likely to attend the programme at the iconic Victoria Memorial and deliver an address. The Centre will hold three mega programmes, including one at Netajis birthplace Cuttack, as well as, Morang in Manipur where the INA's first office existed. CM Banerjee has already announced setting up of a national university funded entirely by the state government, which will have tie-ups with foreign universities in the late freedom fighters name and also build a monument in Rajarhat. She has also announced that a number of Netaji's writings would be translated in various languages and that the states planning commission would be named after Bengals one of the tallest freedom fighters. Meanwhile, the BJP-rule Union government will set up a museum in Netaji's memory in Bengal. A digital museum is and a further enhancement of the museum set up at Delhi Red Fort are also in the offing. While the Bengal government has announced January 23 as 'Desh Nayak Divas', Banerjee has yet again urged the Centre to declare the day as a national holiday. However, this is not the first time that the centre has took on Bengal government over Netaji's legacy. On October 14, 2015, PM Modi met Bose' family at his residence in Delhi and announced that his government would declassify Netaji's files. Right from the PMO to HMO to MEA the first lot of 100 files related to Netaji were put out digitally in the public domain on January 23 in 2016. The National Archives of India subsequently released digital copies of 75 declassified files relating to Netaji in the public domain in two batches on March 29 and April 27 in 2016. The fourth batch of 25 files consists of 5 files of the PMO, 4 files of MHA and 16 files of MEA pertaining to the years 1968-2008 was launched on May 27, 2016. CM Banerjee, too, declassified sixty-four secret files relating to Netaji on September 18 in 2015 at the Kolkata Police museum, asking the Centre to also do the same. Back in 2018, on October 21, during the celebrations of 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the Azad Hind government by Bose, PM Modi hit out hard at opposition parties obsessed with one family or the other. His speech on ignoring the contributions made by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Netaji by the previous governments was met with heavy criticism from opposition parties like Congress, Left and TMC. On 23 January in 2019, PM Modi inaugurated the Subhas Chandra Bose museum at the Red Fort in Delhi. NOVI, MI -- Fadi Zeineh, a 19-year-old Ann Arbor man has been charged in the death of 17-year-old Dylan Stamper of South Lyon. Zeineh was arraigned in 52-1 District Court in Novi Monday on a 10-count warrant that includes a felony murder charge which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. According to a press release from the South Lyon Police Department, Zeineh turned himself into Ann Arbor police Friday, two days after he allegedly shot Stamper and his father at a home in South Lyon. Zeineh was accompanied by his lawyer when he turned himself in. Police say they were unable to find Zeineh after the shooting which took place around 9 p.m. on Dec. 30. Police are also looking for another person who was allegedly in the car with Zeineh during the incident. The two were seen in a 2011 Ford Escape with the Michigan license plate: EFH6360. Dylan and Kevin Stamper were discovered when a woman called 911 after hearing gunshots and what she thought was someone trying to break into the house. Both men were found on the floor of the house near the front door. Dylan Stamper was pronounced dead at the scene, and Kevin has been listed in critical but stable condition. Bond was denied for Zeineh during Mondays arraignment. He is next scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 13 for a probable cause hearing. Anyone with information regarding the shooting or the whereabouts of the second suspect is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. READ MORE: Woman, 65, struck by bullet fired into Grand Rapids house has died Fire destroys three-story apartment building in Muskegon Woman, 34, missing since New Years Eve, state police say I remember being 10 years old in 1985, watching the video of We Are the World on MTV, tears streaming down my face, as all the music legends of the day (Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, Bob Dillon, Tina Turner, to name a few) were singing in unison for the collective purpose of raising awareness of and relief for famine in Africa. Aside from selling over 20 million copies worldwide and raising $63 million for humanitarian causes in Africa, We Are the World promoted a sense of global responsibility, set an example of the beauty and effectiveness of collaboration and, most importantly, influenced people to act. This is what we desperately need today, as we face a global pandemic, and our government leaders fail to make data-based decisions or collaborate for the greater good. Social distancing and mask wearing should not be political issues. Science tells us that masks do provide individuals some protection from the COVID virus. Many infected people are symptomless in the first few days, so while they may not appear to be sick, they may be able to spread the virus. A recent scientific study concluded that face masks reduce the daily transmission rate by 47 percent. Given this data, why wouldnt American leaders be uniformly recommending masks? President Trump himself refused to wear a mask publicly until July, several months into the pandemic. Even now, he is rarely seen wearing one in news briefings and political rallies. His administration has regularly held meetings indoors, without masks and without social distancing. His campaign hosted large gatherings that disregarded state and local restrictions. In fact, President Trump hosted about 20 holiday parties, while the rest of America was advised to stay home and Zoom their loved ones. Its no wonder people across the nation feel emboldened to crowd together without masks to protest shutdowns. President Trumps lack of leadership by example sends a reckless message to the Americans he is charged to protect. Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., recently blamed Republicans for the shutdowns: All these Republicans were the same people who werent wearing masks, who forced us to shut down in the first place. I would postulate that failure to comply with mask-wearing is a bipartisan problem. People on both sides of the aisle, either selfishly do not like the inconvenience of mask wearing or have been misinformed and do not feel particularly at risk. There is a widely held belief that because the mortality rate of COVID is approximately 2 percent and more dramatically affects the elderly, young healthy people need not worry. This purview is a fatal cultural crisis of American selfishness. Americans are not considering how exercising their civil liberties, by congregating in large groups and not wearing masks, may have tragic consequences for others. In Asian countries, by contrast, mask wearing is a matter of cultural etiquette. It is a gesture of civic duty and compliance with safety measures. In the US, the issue of mask wearing and limits on socializing are perceived by many as a part of the crucial fight against an overbearing liberal government seeking to curtail individual freedoms. If only we had Taylor Swift, Drake, BTS, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles and other superstars going viral with moving music and images that would universally touch people the way We are the World did. Because music is a universal language that speaks to all people: Democrats, Republicans, young and old. These issues of public health and safety should not be party-affiliated. Political leaders and Americans should all be on the same team, with the same goal of beating this virus as quickly as possible with the fewest fatalities and minimizing the suffering of shutdowns. The lyrics of the 25-year-old song are as relevant today as ever: Theres a choice were making. Were saving our own lives. Patricia Pan Connor is a freelance writer, former investment banker and private equity investor. She wrote this for InsideSources.com. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form On December 21, a group of people met up for a meal at a Thai restaurant in Black Rock, in Melbournes south-east. One of those people had coronavirus, and before long people who had dined at the venue that day started feeling unwell. The first cases in the cluster tested positive exactly one week ago and were the first instances of local coronavirus transmission in Victoria for more than two months. In the days that followed, more people - either those who dined at the restaurant that day or close contacts of those who did - also tested positive for the virus, until, as it stands as of today, the cluster grew to encompass 27 people. Those 27 people live in 11 postcodes throughout Victoria, and this map shows how they are spread out across the state. Nine of them live in Black Rock, but one is based all the way in the Leongatha area, in the states east. The health department has not yet established who seeded the Black Rock cluster, but genomic sequencing has linked the infections to Sydneys northern beaches cluster. The day after the first people in the cluster tested positive, five more were found to have the virus the following day, and then on New Years Day a further 10 cases were confirmed. But since then the clusters growth has slowed. There were three new cases for three days in a row and then yesterday, for the first time in six days, there were no new daily positive tests associated with it. This graph shows the number of locally/interstate acquired COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Victoria each day. Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the annotations. The health department has not yet established who seeded the Black Rock cluster, but genomic sequencing has linked the infections to Sydneys northern beaches cluster. The day after the first people in the cluster tested positive, five more were found to have the virus the following day, and then on New Years Day a further 10 cases were confirmed.But since then the clusters growth has slowed. There were three new cases for three days in a row and then yesterday, for the first time in six days, there were no new daily positive tests associated with it. This graph shows the number of locally/interstate acquired COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Victoria each day. Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the annotations. The single locally acquired COVID-19 case confirmed in Victoria on Wednesday has not been linked to the Black Rock cluster and is currently being treated as a mystery case by Victorias health department. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! New Jersey has suspended the Emergency Medical Technician license of a 31-year-old Hunterdon County man arrested and charged last year after allegedly filming people in the bathrooms and showers of two rescue squad buildings without their consent. Douglas Gimson of Hampton was charged in March for using hidden cameras to film at least 15 people at both the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance & Rescue Squad and Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad between November 2016 and March 2020, according to police reports. His EMT license was suspended on Dec. 29 by the state Department of Health. Gimson was at one time a member of both the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance & Rescue Squad and Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad, according to social media posts and newsletters produced by both squads. He was charged with one count of third-degree invasion of privacy and one count of fourth-degree invasion of privacy by police in both Flemington and Lambertville, the Hunterdon County Prosecutors Office said. Tom Hoffman, chief of the Flemington-Raritan Rescue Squad, previously said Gimson served as a full-time, paid emergency medical technician for the squad, but was dismissed around late March or early April. The Department of Health is doing their due diligence as to (the suspension), and we have no further comment on it right now, Hoffman said Tuesday. A representative for the Lambertville-New Hope Ambulance & Rescue Squad did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a letter addressed to Gimson, Eric Hicken, the chief of Licensing, Inspections and Enforcement for the Office of Emergency Medical Services, said the office launched an investigation after being notified that Gimson was criminally charged with invasion of privacy on Dec. 4. Because you have been charged with serious crimes, the nature of which are not only indicative of poor judgment and lack of trustworthiness, but also evidence that you pose a threat to vulnerable patients, the department finds that your continued certification as an EMT constitutes an immediate and serious threat to public health, safety and welfare, Hicken wrote. Gimson can contest the suspension by appealing to the Commissioner of the Department of Health for a hearing on the matter. His case is now pending before state Superior Court Judge Angela F. Borkowski in Hunterdon County Superior Court. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com. A man was injured in a shooting Monday night in the Pines Village area of New Orleans East, police said. The shooting happened at 11:37 p.m. in the 6000 block of Chef Menteur Highway (map) near Stemway Drive, New Orleans police said. The man said he was driving an SUV when someone pulled up next to him, police said. A person, described only as a male, got out of the other vehicle and fired several shots into the man's SUV, police said. The man got of his SUV, authorities said, and the other person continued firing. The SUV driver was shot multiple times and was taken via ambulance to a hospital for treatment, police said. No other details were immediately available, including the man's condition, a possible motive or a description of a shooter. Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from authorities. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Shareholders of French automaker PSA have voted to approve a merger with the US-Italian group Fiat Chrysler, a move that catapults the new company, "Stellantis", into the fourth position of the world's carmakers by volume. Approval for the three merger resolutions tabled at PSA's annual shareholder meeting -- held online -- was nearly unanimous, PSA chief Carlos Tavares said. The outcome of the votes was seen as a foregone conclusion, coming two weeks after the European Commission gave conditional approval to the deal announced in late 2019. The 50/50 tie-up, which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is considered crucial for the two groups to undertake investments needed to transition to clean car technology. It also allows Fiat Chrysler to strengthen its presence in Europe, while the French group will regain a foothold in the US. "This merger is a matter of survival for both Fiat and PSA," said Giuliano Noci, a professor of strategy at Milan Business School, citing "enormous technological and strategic challenges" faced by both as well as damage wrought by the pandemic. The accord brings together PSA's Peugeot, Citroen and other brands with Fiat Chrysler's stable that includes their namesake brands as well as Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. By the number of cars sold, Stellantis and its workforce of over 400,000 will now rank behind Volkswagen, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, and Toyota -- though it will be the third-largest automaker by revenue. PSA and Fiat expect the merger to allow them to achieve billions of euros in synergies each year. - Weathering Covid - "Only the most agile, with a Darwinian spirit, will survive," PSA chief Carlos Tavares, who will take the helm of the merged group, said in November. The European Commission had been worried the merger could affect competition in Europe's lucrative van market, with PSA and FCA together accounting for 34 per cent of market share. To assuage those concerns, the commission said PSA would continue an agreement with Toyota to manufacture vans to be sold under the Japanese brand in Europe. The disruptions wrought by Covid-19, which ground manufacturing to a halt for several weeks in the first half of 2020, forced PSA and Fiat to change the terms of their tie-up to ensure it remained a merger of equals. FCA agreed to lower an exceptional dividend to be distributed to shareholders, while PSA agreed to share its 46-per cent stake in French automotive equipment maker Faurecia among all shareholders of the new company, rather than its shareholders alone as agreed previously. The two companies have so far shown relative resilience in the face of the pandemic. Fiat Chrysler posted a net profit of 1.2 billion euros ($1.5 billion) for the third quarter, compared with losses of 1.04 billion euros ($1.27 billion) in the second quarter -- when auto sales plummeted as much of the world was in coronavirus lockdown. Also Watch: - French union concerns - PSA sold 589,000 fewer vehicles in the third quarter but sold them for more money as part of a strategy to maximise profitability and cash flow, which lifted turnover by 1.2 per cent. When the merger was announced, Tavares assured no plant would be closed, but unions in France remain sceptical. "On the whole, it's a good insurance policy for the future of our group. Those who don't make the shift risk being left by the wayside," a representative for the CFTC union at PSA, Franck Don, said. But he wondered: "What synergies will they find and what consequences will that have for sites in France?" In accordance with a Trump administration rule that was implemented on Friday, hospitals are now necessitated to divulge the rates they privately negotiate with insurers. Although President Donald Trump has gloated that the historic measure would save patients money, health policy experts are not quite on the same page. Hospital Price Transparency Rule This January is ushering the new federal rule for hospitals across the country. The new Price Transparency Rule necessitates hospitals to publicly post prices for all services they offer and break down such prices by procedure and components, reported KTVQ. According to hospitals, which unsuccessfully combatted the rule in court, it is an additional extra burden on them while they are tackling COVID-19. The effort is rooted in an executive order the incumbent president issued in 2019. The Trump administration contends that such price transparency would allow patients to shop for lower-priced medical services and help diminish health care costs generally -- one of his main vows during his campaigns and while in office. According to Trump on Twitter, "Transparency in medical pricing will be one of the biggest and most important things done for the American citizen. Enjoy all the extra money you will have." The rule applies to an estimated 6,000 hospitals. This orders them to provide in an online, searchable way the rates for 300 common services, including outpatient visits, X-rays, lab tests, and Cesarean deliveries, reported CNN. Having been commenced on January 1, hospitals operating in the US are required to provide transparent, accessible pricing information on the internet regarding the items and services they offer. The Trump government's Transparency Rule is engineered in a way that lets people select where they would prefer to receive their treatment, taking into account the price. Also Read: McConnell Blocks Quick Vote on $2,000 Stimulus Checks, Dubs as 'Socialism for Rich People' Hospitals that do not submit will face a civil penalty of a maximum of $300 per day. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, it will start auditing hospitals this January. The new rule also seeks to help patients who are usually blindsided by expensive medical payments. According to Forrest Ehlinger, Chief Resource Officer for Benefis Health System, "The new law that went into effect has multiple components, both around charges as well as shoppable services. And so some of those parts we already have on our website, that you can go and find specifically around what our charge master is and what our cash pricing is. We're still working on the shoppable services component." The medical industry contends that the disclosure may actually confuse patients instead of serving to inform them. It does not inform consumers what out-of-pocket charges they could face since the posted rates do not take into consideration a patient's copay requirements and personal deductible. While a number of hospitals are working on supplying the new information to their patients, the Great Falls Clinic has had their pricing data for their services available to people with internet access. In early January 2021, the Center for Medicare Services seeks to start auditing hospitals for compliance with the new Price Transparency Rule. Related Article: Nancy Pelosi's House Spray-Painted With Graffiti, Pig's Head Left on Sidewalk @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Curtis Sparrer Far too many tech companies dont have a crisis communications playbook. Which is counterintuitive, because tech companies are particularly vulnerable to crises. Technology may drive economic growth, but many U.S. citizens dont trust it, or, at the very least, have a love/hate relationship with its applications. No matter that technology is an integral part of our lives, the ick factor looms large over Big Techs essential services, from fears of bias in artificial intelligence to worries of being spied on 24/7 and resentment that algorithms decide what we see on social media. Fan-favorite Disney may be given the benefit of the doubt if theres a breach of some sort, but that goodwill doesnt extend to tech companies. Consumers dont have a soft spot for Facebook, Twitter or the smaller players they havent heard of. In fact, its typically the opposite. We may be addicted to Facebook and Twitter, but when something goes wrong, the inevitable pouncing is quick to begin. Besides general negative sentiment, there are several specific crises that tech companies may encounter and that can affect a significant negative impact on their reputation and their bottom line. Some of the more common are: Hackers breach a network and access corporate and/or customer confidential information. Product or service liabilities are exposed. Anti-trust suits can follow. Fraudulent sales and marketing practices lead to litigation. Executive personal misbehavior makes headlines. Social media is flooded with customer complaints. A detailed crisis communications plan is a must-have for every tech company, no matter its size. What follows are five recommendations tech companies should consider in their crisis communications planning. Lesson 1: be proactive, not reactive What continues to surprise our agency is that many tech companies are still unprepared for managing a crisis that is bound to go public. A little preparation goes a long way. Things will go wrong. Crises will happen. Have your PR agency or internal team develop a step-by-step crisis communications plan before you are hacked or find yourself on the wrong side of the social or political divide. Go through each scenario (i.e., if were hacked, we will ...) and decide on specific courses of actionand who in your organization will be responsible for carrying out that action. Assigning responsibility is key; you dont want to be scurrying around while in the midst of a crisis wondering who the lead is on the response effort. Make sure your plan includes social media engagement (see below). Lesson 2: accept responsibility You may get away with mishandling or ignoring a crisis one timeor maybe even several timesbut eventually you will be faced with a crisis that cant be ignored. Even the emperor was called out eventually for not wearing any clothes. Companies have always been reluctant to apologize when they screw up. Especially tech companies like Twitter and Facebook. When things do go wrong, dont take to Twitter and rail against your evil competition for causing the crisis. Taking responsibility takes courage, but its always the better path forward. Your clients, employees and the public at large will applaud you for doing so. Take the time to assess the situation, and then implement the necessary steps to mitigate the crisis. If an apology is appropriate, then apologize. Its also a great time to remind the public of your companys long-standing integrity and commitment to the common good. Lesson 3: social media is your frenemy Social media is your best friend when alls right in the world. But as weve all witnessed, social media feeds off bad news and details of your crisis can go viral in nanoseconds. Social media monitoring is always important but even more so during a crisis. Have engagement strategies and tactics in place for activation when a crisis happens. Check on the activities of the nay-sayers and have at the ready predefined advocates and thought leaders who can rapidly provide content that can counter false claims with known facts. In addition, scrutinize the brands entire set of stakeholders, paying special attention to any red-hot issues that are gathering attention. Which leads to Lesson 4: engage in authentic two-way communication For tech companies, listening and responding appropriately to the public and your stakeholders are essential. Active listeningvia social media and digital media outletswill keep you informed as to your stakeholders concerns. Make sure your stakeholder group extends to employees and brand managers. Take note of what happened when Facebook and Salesforce didnt acknowledge employees concerns over corporate decisions. Facebooks employees held a virtual walkout and Salesforces employees held an actual walkout. Active listening will also help inform your communications team on how to respond when a crisis hits. Do your stakeholders tend to respond to direct statements? Or do they prefer humor? Ongoing two-way engagement will give you the answer. Lesson 5: trust and integrity are key Crisis in todays world is bound to happen. Being prepared is certainly key, but if your brand isnt considered trustworthy or viewed as having integrity, you could apologize 24/7, but it might not help alleviate the situation. Consumers want to feel aligned with the brands that they interact withyes, even their tech brands. Recent studies show that trustworthiness is the top trait that makes consumers feel aligned with a brand. Integrity is next. Being recognized as trustworthy and having integrity provide you with some capital when something does go wrong. Your fans will rally to your side and give you that much-needed benefit of the doubt. Having a communications plan in place is the most effective method to offset the perils of a crisis. Its not the time to be learning on the fly. To ensure the plan is vigorously and expertly executed, engage the assistance of a public relations crisis management professional. *** Curtis Sparrer is Co-Founder and Principal at Bospar in San Francisco. Independent journalists Nguyen Tuong Thuy (left), Pham Chi Dung (right), and Le Huu Minh Tuan (at back) are shown on trial in Ho Chi Minh City, Jan. 5, 2021. Updated at 2:50 ET on 01-05-2021 A Vietnamese court on Tuesday sentenced dissident Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Tuong Thuy to 11 years in prison for writing articles online criticizing Vietnams one-party communist government, handing two other independent journalists lengthy jail terms at the same time. Thuy, a former vice president of the Vietnam Independent Journalism Association, had blogged on civil rights and freedom of speech issues for RFAs Vietnamese Service for six years, and visited the United States in 2014 to testify before the House of Representatives on media freedom problems in Vietnam. Arrested in May, Thuy was indicted along with IJAVN members Pham Chi Dung and Le Huu Minh Tuan on Nov. 10 for making, storing, and disseminating documents and materials for anti-state purposes under Article 117 of Vietnams Penal Code. Sentenced with Thuy on Tuesday, Pham Chi Dung was given a 15-year prison term, while Le Huu Minh Tuan was jailed for 11 years. At their trial, the three defendants said they had founded the Independent Journalists Association to promote freedom of expression, democracy, and human rights only in accordance with permitted regulations, defense attorney Dang Dinh Manh wrote on his Facebook page after the trial. They said that their activities had not violated Vietnamese laws, Manh said. Press freedoms blocked Speaking to RFA by phone following the trial, fellow defense attorney Nguyen Van Mieng called the sentences given the three journalists too harsh. These are very harsh sentences to give to [writers] who only promote and support the press freedoms guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution, he said. What this case shows is that the right to press freedoms is being blocked, Mieng said. The court did not prosecute these three men for establishing the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam. Instead, they were prosecuted because of the stories and articles they wrote. The trials held in cases like this in Vietnam are often called pocket judgments, and the sentences are often too harsh, Thuys wife Pham Thi Lan told RFA. In fact, [the defendants] actions had not violated the Constitution, since Article 25 protects freedom of expression. However, the court paid no attention to justice in this case and didnt base their decision on the law, she said. In an earlier report, Pham had described Thuy as being seriously ill in the lead-up to his trial because of the harsh conditions in which he was held, saying he was "aching all over his body, especially on his left hand." "He now has scabies even though the detention center has provided him with some medication," Pham told RFA on Dec. 31. "This is due to the conditions in the closed cell in which he has been jailed, which has only one ventilator that is covered with a wire mesh," she said. Call for immediate release In a statement Tuesday, RFA President Stephen Yates condemned Thuy's sentencing and called for him to be freed. "Radio Free Asia unequivocally condemns today's conviction of Nguyen Tuong Thuy and calls for his immediate release," Yates said. "The harsh sentencing of Thuy and two other independent journalists is a blatant assault on basic freedoms and flies in the face of the freedom of expression enshrined in Vietnam's constitution." "Despite this development, RFA will continue to bring the people of Vietnam trustworthy journalism and provide a platform for independent commentary," Yates said. 'Extremely shocking' Rights groups also slammed the three journalists conviction and sentencing on Tuesday, with Daniel Bastardhead of the Asia/Pacific desk for Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF)calling the sentences handed down extremely shocking. Imposed ahead of the Vietnamese Communist Partys 13th national congress at the end of the month, these sentences are clearly designed to extinguish any form of civil society debatea debate that these members of the independent journalists association had been echoing. The three journalists had already been held in "appalling conditions" in detention, Bastard said, adding, "They were held incommunicado for months and were not granted the right to see their lawyer until last November." They have no place being in prison," he said. The three sentenced journalists now join the estimated 170 prisoners of conscience currently held in Vietnam, said Emerlynne Gill, deputy regional director for Amnesty International, adding that Tuesdays verdicts underscore the Vietnamese governments contempt for free media. Even by its own deeply repressive standards, the severity of the sentences shows the depths being reached by Vietnams censors, Gill said. Two other RFA Vietnamese contributors are serving jail terms in Vietnam. They are Truong Duy Nhat, a blogger who was sentenced in March last year to 10 years, and Nguyen Van Hoa, a videographer who was sentenced in November 2017 to seven years. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huy Le. Written in English by Richard Finney. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 On Saturday, in a phone call that might have been even more brazen than the one that got him impeached, Donald Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes for him in order to flip the state into his column in the presidential election. During the hourlong call, which also included White House chief of state Mark Meadows, Raffenspergers general counsel Ryan Germany, and several election lawyers working for Trump, the president repeatedly insisted that hed actually won Georgia, marshaling a number of falsehoods about voter fraud to support his claims. The Washington Post published a recording of the call as well as a transcript on Sunday. Advertisement Throughout the call, Raffensperger and Germany calmly rebutted each of Trumps claims, versions of which theyve apparently encountered as Trump, his campaign lawyers, and far-right media sources have insisted that the vote in the Peach State was fraudulent. (In fact, there have been two hand recounts and a voter signature audit that affirmed Joe Biden won Georgia, as well as multiple lawsuits on behalf of Trump, some of which have failed and some of which are pending.) At one point, Raffensperger said, Mr. President, the problem you have with social media, theypeople can say anything, to which Trump replied: Oh, this isnt social media. This is Trump media. Advertisement Advertisement While little Trump said during the phone call had much to do with the truth, its worth decoding his claims as he continues to try to overturn the election. They tell you a lot about the information well Trump is immersed in, and which sources are continuing to poison it. The Broken Water Main and the Suitcases Full of Votes They ran out because of a water main break, and there was no water main. There was nothing. There was no break. Advertisement They werent in an official voter box; they were in what looked to be suitcases or trunks, suitcases, but they werent in voter boxes. Trump referenced an incident in which a water leak at State Farm Arena, which served as a polling place in Fulton County, Georgia, held up voting for two hours on Election Day. Right-wing conspiracy theorists have alleged there was an evacuation to allow poll workers to sneak in fake ballots, partly based on surveillance footage showing workers at the arena retrieving containers that look like suitcases. This footage surfaced on Dec. 3 in Trump attorney Rudy Giulianis presentation before the Georgia State Senate, from multiple prominent conservative social media accounts like Restoration PAC, and on the pro-Trump One America News Network and Sean Hannitys Fox News show. Advertisement Advertisement In actuality, a urinal leak did occur that resulted in a delay, but poll watchers at the arena werent asked to leave because of it. In addition, the suitcases were in fact storage containers that poll workers typically use for packing and transporting ballots. Investigators with the Georgia secretary of states office watched hours of surveillance footage and ultimately found that nothing was amiss. Compromised Poll Worker We had at least 18,000thats on tape, we had them counted very painstakingly18,000 voters having to do with [redacted name]. Shes a vote scammer, a professional vote scammer and hustler [redacted name]. Trump was referring to a poll worker in the State Farm Arena footage who has been the target of false allegations that she introduced thousands of invalid ballots from the suitcases in to the count. (News organizations have been withholding her identity since the claims Trump has made against her are unfounded.) As NBC News reports, she and her daughter have faced harassment from followers of QAnon, a conspiracy theory holding that the worlds major institutions are controlled by satanic pedophiles. QAnon accounts further fueled false rumors that shed been arrested. Gateway Pundit, a far-right blog known for misinformation, also revealed the workers identity and has continued to disseminate the hoax. Destroying Ballots And this may or may not be true this just came up this morning, that they are burning their ballots, that they are shredding, shredding ballots Advertisement Advertisement False claims that election fraudsters were destroying ballots in Georgia took root online in late November, when the state was conducting a recount. AP News reported at the time that L. Lin Wood Jr., the pro-Trump lawyer and conspiracy theorist, was key in disseminating this misinformation when he posted a series of photos and videos taken by a Georgia resident of shredding trucks stationed at the West Parking Government Center and Jim R. Miller Event Center in Cobb County. After Wood amplified the images, Cobbs election officials refuted the claims by explaining that the truck at West Parking Government Center was in fact there for a routine shredding of tax documents; the county tax commissioners office shares the building with the elections office. The truck at the Jim R. Miller Event Center, on the other hand, was helping with the routine destruction of nonrelevant election materials. Items essential for the recount remained on file. Advertisement Wood has since then tweeted out QAnon-linked conspiracy theories that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is part of an elite pedophile ring and called for Vice President Mike Pence to be executed for treason. More Votes Than People in Pennsylvania In Pennsylvania, they had well over 200,000 more votes than they had people voting. Advertisement Trump mentioned this supposed irregularity while trying to convince the Georgia officials that widespread voter problems had appeared in other states as well. According to Snopes, the apparent source of this false factoid, which Trump has tweeted out a number of times, is a press release that Pennsylvania State Rep. Frank Ryan issued on Dec. 28. (Ryan joined dozens of his fellow lawmakers in requesting that Pennsylvanias congressional delegation not recognize the states electors.) The Pennsylvania Department of State subsequently released a statement in response to the representative, pointing out that his analysis used incomplete data that was missing several counties. The department called it another perfect example of the dangers of uninformed, lay analysis combined with a basic lack of election administration knowledge. Dead Voters in Michigan But they had as an example, in Michigan, a tremendous number of dead people that voted. I think it was, I think, Mark, it was 18,000. Advertisement The New York Times reported in early November that Republican Twitter circles were rapidly spreading spurious claims that thousands of ballots bearing dead peoples names had been submitted in Michigan. According to the Times, one of the main purveyors of this theory was Austen Fletcher, a prominent right-wing internet personality also known as Fleccas. He tweeted a day after the election that he had found registration documents for four Michigan voters who listed their birth dates as falling between 1900 and 1902. He later released a list of 10,000 supposedly dead voters. Conservative figures like Candace Owens and James Woods soon glommed onto his claims. It turns out, however, that hed in many cases ended up highlighting typical clerical errors such as digital voter roll systems defaulting to 01/01/01 when a birth date wasnt on file. The BBC gathered a sample of 31 names from his list and found that all but three were still alive. Fletcher has made other unfounded claims, some of which have been amplified by the Trump family, and was instrumental in promoting lawyer Sidney Powells false narrative about widespread voter fraud. Dominion Voting Machines I mean, in other states, we think we found tremendous corruption with Dominion machines, but well have to see. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Do you think its possible that they shredded ballots in Fulton County? Because thats what the rumor is. And also that Dominion took out machines. That Dominion is really moving fast to get rid of their, uh, machinery. Trump repeatedly suggested during the call that the election technology company Dominion had either removed machines from Fulton County, Georgia, or replaced certain parts in those units in order to cover up supposed vote tampering. As NBC News reports, QAnon dabblers like Sidney Powell and L. Lin Wood Jr. have been the principal drivers of elaborate conspiracy theories surrounding Dominion. Trump has also recently been retweeting One America News Network interviews about vulnerabilities in Dominions machines featuring Ron Watkins. Watkins is famous for being the administrator of 8kun, the seedy image board where Q, the leader of QAnon, posts messages to his followers. Though he claimed to have resigned from his position on Election Day, Watkins has the ability to take over the Q account whenever he wants to and has played a crucial role in Qs rise. NBC also notes that many of the rumors that Watkins has been spouting about Dominion are sourced from 8kun and its predecessor 4chan. A Brazilian association of private health clinics said Sunday it was negotiating with Indian pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech to buy five million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine , which India has just authorized for emergency use. The Brazilian Association of Vaccine Clinics (ABCVAC) confirmed on its website it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian firm to purchase its Covaxin vaccine, which is currently in the final stage of clinical trials. Any final deal would be subject to approval by Brazil's health regulator, Anvisa, which has yet to approve any vaccines against the new coronavirus. Also Read | A year on, China is shaking up the world Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's government faces mounting criticism of dragging its feet on a vaccination campaign in Brazil, which has the second-highest death toll in the pandemic, after the United States. That has left some state governments, and now the private sector, scrambling to try to launch vaccination drives on their own. ABCVAC described its planned deal with Bharat Biotech as a way to ensure Brazilians using the private health system -- typically the wealthy -- would have access to a vaccine, even as the government reserves its own initial doses for the public health system and high-priority groups such as health workers and the elderly. "We had been looking for solutions for the private market, and the possibility came up of using this Indian vaccine, which is very promising," ABCVAC president Geraldo Barbosa told TV network Globo News. "It's an additional sale that will not interfere with the quantity of vaccine doses the government has ordered." ABCVAC representatives will travel to India Monday to continue negotiations, the association said. It said its clinics could begin vaccinating people by the second half of March, pending the conclusion of clinical trials and regulatory approval from Anvisa. India approved vaccines from both Bharat and Britain's Oxford University earlier Sunday for "restricted use in emergency situations," even though the former is still in testing. The country has set an ambitious target of vaccinating 300 million of its 1.3 billion people by mid-year. Brazil is meanwhile struggling to get its vaccination campaign off the ground, amid political squabbling and vaccine skepticism from Bolsonaro. The president regularly flouts expert advice on containing the pandemic and says he does not plan to get a Covid-19 shot himself. The government has secured 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, but has yet to set a start date, get regulatory approval or acquire the necessary syringes. Brazil's health ministry is due to announce the start date for its vaccination campaign Monday. Earlier Sunday, Anvisa authorized the importation of the first two million doses of the Oxford vaccine, pending approval for their use. - 'Intolerable' vaccine delays - But many accuse the government of waiting too long. The situation has grown "intolerable," Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes said in a blistering tweet. "Neighboring countries have already started their vaccination campaigns. It is urgent we establish a timeframe to do the same. Ignorance must not prevail over science," he wrote. There are warning signs the virus is surging again in Brazil. Experts say the country of 212 million people is being hit by a second wave, and areas that once seemed to have brought the virus under control are again facing an onslaught of cases and deaths. That includes the Amazon rainforest state of Amazonas, whose capital, Manaus, was devastated by the virus last year, with haunting scenes of mass graves and corpses piled in refrigerator trucks. After a lull in cases in the second half of 2020 -- leading some experts to wonder whether so many people had been infected that the city reached "herd immunity" -- the virus is now exploding again in the region. With its morgues overwhelmed, Manaus has again deployed refrigerator trucks outside hospitals to store cadavers. A judge on Saturday ordered the Amazonas government to shut down all non-essential businesses and activities for 15 days to slow the spread of the virus. Brazil has recorded more than 196,000 deaths from Covid-19. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. A long-running debate over how an important gene-silencing protein identifies its targets has been resolved by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Their findings, reported in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, also explain certain mysteries about the behavior of this protein, known as Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). PRC2 helps regulate whether genes are active ("on) or silent ("off"). PRC2's role in gene silencing is critical throughout the lifespan, from embryo formation to old age. For example, PRC2 determines whether genes that suppress the growth of malignant tumors are turned on or off, which has made it the focus of pharmaceutical companies developing anti-cancer drugs. But a mystery about PRC2 remained unsolved for years: How was the protein able to target specific genes? A major breakthrough occurred in 2008, when a team led by Jeannie Lee, MD, PhD, an investigator in the Department of Molecular Biology at MGH, proposed that RNA acts a recruiter for PRC2. RNA (or ribonucleic acid) is a molecule similar to DNA that's found in cells. RNA is usually a messenger that does DNA's bidding by spelling out the code to make proteins, but that is not the case here. Rather, Lee and her colleagues demonstrated that RNA acts as a "free agent" that binds to PRC2. RNA then targets PRC2 to a specific gene in order to silence it. After Lee and her colleagues reported their discovery, dozens of other papers were subsequently published that supported the theory that RNA recruits PRC2 as a necessary step in gene silencing. However, studies from several prominent labs have challenged these findings, leading to an ongoing and often-heated debate about the relationship between PRC2 and RNA. These critics questioned Lee's discovery on two grounds: PRC2 isn't specific and can bind with any RNA (some scientists noted that the protein is "promiscuous"), suggesting that RNA can't be a factor in targeting PRC2 for gene silencing. The interaction between PRC2 and RNA often occur at genes that are active, an indication that this relationship isn't important for silencing specific genes. The new study resolves both critiques. In the first case, explains Lee, think of PRC2 as a letter that needs to be delivered by a mail carrier, but lacks an address. How does the mail carrier know where to deliver it - that is, what is the "address" of the gene to be targeted for silencing? "The address is written on the RNA," says Lee. "RNA is an exact copy of DNA, where our genes are encoded." Lee and her colleagues identified "motifs," or unique sequences in RNA, which allow it to be recognized by PRC2. The RNA "address" then guides PRC2 to a specific gene location. This possibility had been proposed in the past, but Lee and her team now shed new light on how motifs make possible specific interactions between PRC2 and RNA that enable targeting. Lee uses another analogy to explain why PRC2 and RNA often interact at genes that are not silenced. In the past, light bulbs could only be turned on or off, but the invention of the dimmer switch allowed for them to cast soft or bright light. Likewise, genes are not always turned completely on or off, and PRC2 acts like a dimmer switch. We are saying that the genes are 'on,' but only yielding dim light. If you took away the Polycomb-RNA interaction, the genes would turn up and shine brightly." Lee, Senior Author, Professor, Genetics, Harvard Medical School By reconciling past disputes over how PCR2 interacts with RNA, says Lee, this new unified model advances basic science and provides invaluable insights for developers of new therapeutics. Frances McDormand and Kate Valk will launch the new Zoom series Fran & Kate's Drama Club, which will explore the past, present, and future of the storied Wooster Group. Fran & Kate's Drama Club is the brainchild of two-time Oscar winner McDormand and created as a way to support the Performing Garage, which has been the Wooster Group's home since its founding in 1975. All proceeds will go toward maintaining the space and making it Covid compliant for when live performances return. The first edition, airing live on January 28 at 8pm ET, will include a conversation between McDormand and Wooster Group founding member/leading performer Valk, as well as a screening of Juliet Lashinsky's The Archivist, a series of short films that mine the company's archives, told through the imagination of Wooster Group archivist Clay Hapaz. The Wooster Group is also at work on a series of new productions, developed through Covid compliant in-person rehearsals that have taken place since August 2020. Those productions include Brecht's The Mother, which is still currently scheduled to premiere at the Vienna Festival this June; a followup to Eric Berryman's The B-Side; as well as an audio production of Daniel Paul Schreber's Memoirs of My Nervous Illness, which will feature McDormand, Maura Tierney, and Ari Fliakos. The company will also stream its archival films of past productions The Town Hall Affair and Since I Can Remember. Click here for more information and tickets. South Africa's National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) on Monday said the vaccine roll-out plan the state unveiled last night lacked details and was unclear on delivery timelines. "The plan did not have a clear logistical roll-out plan for vaccination, for example in terms of training of the clinicians to vaccinate, geographic layout of the vaccination especially for the vulnerable cohorts," Nehawu General Secretary, Zola Saphetha said. This comes after the Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize unveiled South Africa's vaccine rollout strategy on Sunday night. Mkhize said the government hoped to roll out the vaccine next month. "Hopefully as early as February 2021. This will very much depend on the success of current bilateral negotiations we are in the midst of with various companies," he said. The minister said the plan was to vaccinate about 60 percent of the population by the end of this year. "Unfortunately they did not meet our expectations because we had thought that by now we might have concluded negotiations and engagements with manufacturers and those that are responsible for the vaccine," said Saphetha. "Furthermore, we demand that government engages both Russia and China on emergency procurement of their vaccines for healthcare workers whilst waiting for the Covax delivery," said the union. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Spending her life in Los Angeles, Morgan Andersen knows natural disasters all too well. In college, an earthquake shook her home hard. Her grandfather was affected by recent wildfires in neighboring Orange County. Its just that constant reminder, `Oh yeah, we live somewhere where theres natural disasters and they can strike at any time,' said the 29-year-old marketing executive. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has calculated the risk for every county in America for 18 types of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, volcanoes and even tsunamis. And of the more than 3,000 counties, Los Angeles County has the highest ranking in the National Risk Index. New York and Philadelphia rank far higher on the risk for tornadoes than tornado alley stalwarts Oklahoma and Kansas. The way FEMA calculates the index spotlights places long known as danger spots, like Los Angeles, but some other places highlighted run counter to what most people would think. For instance, eastern cities such as New York and Philadelphia rank far higher on the risk for tornadoes than tornado alley stalwarts Oklahoma and Kansas. And the county with the biggest coastal flood risk is one in Washington state thats not on the ocean, although its river is tidal. Those seeming oddities occur because FEMAs index scores how often disasters strike, how many people and how much property are in harms way, how vulnerable the population is socially and how well the area is able to bounce back. And that results in a high risk assessment for big cities with lots of poor people and expensive property that are ill-prepared to be hit by once-in-a-generation disasters. While the rankings may seem counterintuitive, the degree of risk isnt just how often a type of natural disaster strikes a place, but how bad the toll would be, according to FEMAs Mike Grimm. Take tornadoes. Two New York City counties, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Hudson County, New Jersey, are FEMAs top five riskiest counties for tornadoes. Oklahoma County, Oklahoma with more than 120 tornadoes since 1950, including one that killed 36 people in 1999 ranks 120th. They (the top five) are a low frequency, potentially high-consequence event because theres a lot of property exposure in that area, said University of South Carolina Hazards & Vulnerability Research Institute Director Susan Cutter, whose work much of the FEMA calculations are based on. Therefore, a small tornado can create a large dollar loss. In New York, people are far less aware of the risk and less prepared and thats a problem, Grimm said. The day before he said that, New York had a tornado watch. Days later, the National Weather Service tweeted that in 2020 several cities, mostly along the East Coast, had more tornadoes than Wichita, Kansas. New York and Philadelphia rank far higher on the risk for tornadoes than tornado alley stalwarts Oklahoma and Kansas. In general, Oklahoma is twice as likely to get tornadoes as New York City, but the damage potential is much higher in New York because there are 20 times the people and nearly 20 times the property value at risk, FEMA officials said. Its that risk perception that it wont happen to me, Grimm said. Just because I havent seen it in my lifetime doesnt mean it wont happen. That sort of denial is especially true with frequent and costly flooding, he said, and is the reason only 4% of the population has federal flood insurance when about one-third may need it. Disaster experts say people have to think about the big disaster that happens only a few times a lifetime at most, but is devastating when it hits Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy, the 2011 super outbreak of tornadoes, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake or a pandemic. Were bad at taking seriously risks that happen only infrequently, said David Ropeik, a retired Harvard risk communications lecturer and author of How Risky Is It, Really? We simply dont fear them as much as we fear things that are more present in our consciousness, more common. Thats practically disastrous with natural disasters. Something like FEMAs new index opens our eyes to the gaps between what we feel and what is, Ropeik said. FEMAs top 10 riskiest places, in addition to Los Angeles, are three counties in the New York City area Bronx, New York County (Manhattan) and Kings County (Brooklyn) along with Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas, St. Louis and Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California. Loudoun County, a Washington, D.C. outer suburb, has the lowest risk of any county. Three other Washington suburban counties rank among the lowest risks for larger counties, along with suburban Boston, Long Island, suburban Detroit and Pittsburgh. By the same measurement, Loudoun County, a Washington, D.C. outer suburb, has the lowest risk of any county, according to FEMA. Three other Washington suburban counties rank among the lowest risks for larger counties, along with suburban Boston, Long Island, suburban Detroit and Pittsburgh. Some of FEMAs risk rankings by disaster type seem obvious. Miami has the highest risk for hurricanes, lightning, and river flooding. Hawaii County is tops in volcano risk and Honolulu County for tsunamis, Dallas for hail, Philadelphia for heat waves and Californias Riverside County for wildfires. Outside risk expert Himanshu Grover at the University of Washington called FEMAs effort a good tool, a good start, but one with flaws, such as final scores that seem to downplay disaster frequency. Risks are changing because of climate change and this index doesnt seem to address that, Ropeik said. FEMA officials said climate change shows up in flooding calculations and will probably be incorporated in future updates. This new tool, based on calculations by 80 experts over six years, is about educating homeowners and renters and communities to be more resilient, FEMAs Grimm said, adding that people shouldnt move into or out of a county because of the risk rating. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Top photo: Los Angeles City Hall is seen downtown Los Angeles. A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Southern California late Friday night Sept. 18, 2020, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Natural Disasters Huntington, WV (25701) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. By Alan Charlish and Pawel Florkiewicz WARSAW (Reuters) - Scaling the world's second-highest peak, K2, in winter is one of the last great feats in mountaineering -- and despite what some see as a lack of experience, 28-year-old Pole Magdalena Gorzkowska wants to be the first to do it. If Gorzkowska, a medal-winning runner who also became the youngest Polish woman ever to climb Mount Everest, makes it to the summit, she will have made history and silenced those who see her attempt as a social media stunt with no chance of success. "Everyone can have their opinion, and some believe that it takes many years to be able to face such challenges. I just do what I feel I can do," Gorzkowska told Reuters by telephone from her base camp. "Why should I limit myself?" Gorzkowska is one of several mountaineers attempting this winter to scale K2, which at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet) is second only to Mount Everest. Gorzkowska, who is being accompanied by sherpas, said she had returned to her base camp, at an altitude of 5,000 metres, after an acclimatisation trip that saw her spend a night at a camp at 6,550 metres. "The conditions were very difficult. The mountain gives you a hard time, it is very demanding. You have to climb hard all the time, the wind is very strong. It is at least minus 30 degrees non-stop," she said. NOTORIOUS PEAK K2, in the Karakorum mountains along the border between China and Pakistan, is notorious for its high winds, especially steep and icy slopes, and a high fatality rate among climbers. Eighty six climbers are reported to have died on its slopes. Two years ago a Polish team abandoned their attempt to reach the summit in winter due to heavy snow. The scale of the challenge has made some in the male-dominated world of Polish mountaineering regard her bid with scepticism. "Just wait for the desire to attack K2 in winter to be announced by top Polish Youtubers, Instagrammers or other influencers," Polish mountaineer Marcin Miotk said, on hearing the news of her attempt. Story continues Gorzkowska is unfazed by such comments. "I dreamt of K2 in winter and that's why I'm here. Maybe they (her critics) don't have dreams like that, maybe they aren't so determined," she said. (Reporting by Alan Charlish and Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Gareth Jones) Amaravati, Jan 6 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday instructed officials to step up vigilance against the 'guerrilla warfare' of attacking temples to disturb religious harmony and take stern action. Addressing officials during a Spandana video conference, he directed them to conduct in-depth investigations into the untoward incidents of idol destruction. Reddy also directed them to display information on these crimes to the wider world and criticised that some people under political influence are intentionally demolishing temples with no fear or devotion towards God while a section of media houses constantly propagate these incidents, including in the social media. "Unable to face the government directly which is gaining popularity by welfare schemes, some elements out of sheer jealousy are resorting to such attacks to defame the government," he said. According to the Chief Minister, as many as 36,000 CCTV cameras were installed in temples across the state but still incidents like this are happening in remote areas during late hours in deserted places. Reddy highlighted that these acts of vandalism are occurring in private temples owned by political leaders. "In fact, there has never been a situation like this before. In these circumstances, the police have to take stern action, get into the details without sparing anyone," observed the chief minister. Ex-Graves Deputy Jailer Faces Contraband Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff GRAVES COUNTY - A former Graves County deputy jailer was arrested Tuesday on promoting contraband charges.Graves County Jailer George Workman said the jail's internal affairs investigators received information that 22-year-old Darian A. Smith of Metropolis, IL had been bringing contraband into the jail. Workman said the investigation revealed that Smith had brought tobacco and vape juice into the jail on two separate occasions and supplied them to inmates.A warrant was obtained and Smith was arrested Tuesday morning by the Graves County Sheriff's Office. He's charged with two counts of 2nd degree promoting contraband. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Michigan's election was secure and fair, and the results are accurate Michigan's election was secure and fair, and the results are accurate JANUARY 5, 2021 Members of Congress are expected to make false claims in partisan attempt to discredit election Michigans election was conducted fairly and securely, and the results accurately reflect the will of Michigan voters, the majority of whom cast ballots for President-elect Joe Biden. This was the most successful election in our states history, in which a record-setting 5.5 million citizens cast ballots, and clerks and election workers processed every vote meticulously, fairly and efficiently, despite the challenges of the pandemic, said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. There is no evidence of widespread election misconduct, as has been confirmed by President Trumps former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, as well as numerous election officials of both political parties, and state and federal judges and justices. Additionally, state and local election officials have conducted more than 100 post-election audits, all of which have demonstrated the integrity of Michigans election. Yet members of Congress are expected to parrot previously debunked false claims of election fraud on Wednesday in a partisan attempt to discredit Michigans election. By making false claims that undermine voters faith in our election, these elected officials demonstrate their shameless willingness to prioritize personal and partisan politics over the good of our country, said Benson. They dishonor every citizen who voted and the thousands of public servant election clerks and volunteer election workers who carried out this successful election. Voters should be wary of the disinformation that is shared on Wednesday. They can find accurate election information at Michigan.gov/SOSFactCheck, on Michigan Department of State social media accounts, and with their local and county election clerks. # # # For media questions, contact Tracy Wimmer at 517-281-1876. We welcome questions and comments at the Contact the Secretary of State page. Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424). If rumors are to be believed, the Harrisburg-area will soon be getting its first-ever Trader Joes, a specialty grocery store with a cult following. Trader Joes has been on the wish lists of central Pennsylvanians for years. But why? Michael Roberto is a professor in management at Bryant University. Hes known for his lectures on Trader Joes, having spoken about the store on CNBC and Freakonomics. He likes to open his talks on Trader Joes the same way, pointing out all the things Trader Joes doesnt do. They dont sell many branded items. They dont have sales. They dont have coupons. Theres no loyalty card. Theres no self-checkout. There arent any TV ads, or circulars in the newspapers. Theres not even a big selection of goods to purchase. Its the anti-grocery store, Roberto said. So how is it so successful? Its because of what the store does offer. What they give you is a really well curated collection of affordable foods. Some of the stuff is a little quirky, different, unique -- not everything is unique, but enough of it is, he said. Then theres the atmosphere. Like Chick-fil-a, Trader Joes is known for its service. Its employees are called crew members and they wear floral shirts. They ring bells rather than use a PA. Theyll gladly stop stocking shelves to help a customer find a product or to answer a question. They give the store its special vibe, its soul. Its a stark contrast to other stores, according to Natasha Fischer, a Trader Joes enthusiast who runs one of the most popular social media accounts about the store, Trader Joes List. You dont feel like youre in a big grocery store thats soulless and cold, Fischer said. Trader Joes is warm. It feels like a community place. FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2020, file photo, the original Trader Joe's grocery store in Pasadena, Calif., is viewed. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)AP The Anti-Grocery Store One of the key indications Trader Joes could be coming to the Harrisburg area is the announcement of a 12,500-square-foot specialty grocer opening up in Cumberland County. Thats a classic Trader Joes size and it is properly tiny. Thats smaller than a CVS or a Rite-Aid, according to retail analyst Bob Gorland, who works at the Harrisburg office of consumer research and real estate strategy firm Matthew P. Casey & Associates, Inc. And thats not even comparing it to a standard supermarket, which average at 42,000 square feet according to the Food Industry Association. While large supermarkets average around 40,000 items (and Wegmans boasts between 50,000 and 70,000 in its stores), Trader Joes has just a tenth of that. Most are listed under some sort of Trader Joes branding. Many are organic, gluten-free and natural foods. Most importantly, Trader Joes isnt a one-and-done shopping experience. Its a complement to your grocery shopping, not the be-all, end-all. Trader Joes is not a supermarket, said Phil Lempert, food industry analyst and founder of supermarketguru.com. Trader Joes is a store that has lots of great food, lots of great value and lots of fun. Pre-COVID and post-COVID, Trader Joes goes out of its way to have more unique products, especially in frozen foods, that you cant get elsewhere. The company typically has no more than three stores in an area -- if that. There are only 11 Trader Joes stores in Pennsylvania right now, with three in Pittsburgh and two in Philadelphia (there are also a couple stores in southern New Jersey near Philly). Trader Joes arrival wont have Weis, Giant, Walmart or Wegmans, quaking in their boots, though. According to Gorland, itd be normal for a store to feel a 2 to 3 percent impact from a Trader Joes opening, but not much more than that. While Trader Joes is famous for its cheap wine (such as Two-Buck Chuck), it isnt selling alcohol at any of its Pennsylvania stores yet -- so it wont be dipping into alcohol sales either. Its not like Trader Joes is going to come and someones going to close, Gorland said. The only Trader Joes effect seems to be in encouraging chains to raise the quality of their store brands. Trader Joes really has led the way for store brands, said Lempert. Now every other store, from Kroger to ShopRite and so on, has created more curated experiences and more different flavors. A selection of some of the most popular products at Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com The Treasure Hunt Ask someone why they love Trader Joes, and youll inevitably come upon the phrase treasure hunt. Thats because, unlike other grocery stores, this is one you dont want to have a list with you. You want to browse. You dont go to Trader Joes with a list of what you need, according to Fischer. You go and let Trader Joes tell you what you need. Wandering the aisles is encouraged, and impulse purchases are the modus operandi. Youre on a treasure hunt, Fischer said. Youre going to find something unique and cool that youre excited to try and share it with your friends. Its geared towards food lovers on a budget and those who have a fondness for adjectives. Trader Joes packaging is riddled with descriptors. You dont just buy cheddar cheese, you buy Unexpected Cheddar Cheese. Its not just a burrito, its a Super Burrito! Youll find unique combinations too. That Super Burrito!, for example, is filled with quinoa, sweet potato and kale seasoned with a Peruvian style Aji Amarillo sauce and wrapped in a chili-onion tortilla. If youre into food, the experience of food and flavor and want to save some money -- youre a perfect Trader Joes customer, Lempert said. Trader Joes doesnt offer the rows upon rows of sauces and oils youre used to having at a grocery store. But the limited, curated choices are actually a plus for Trader Joes shoppers. Studies have shown that there is such a thing as too much choice, which can overwhelm consumers. Roberto likened it to the Netflix experience, where you can become so overwhelmed by choices that you can end up scrolling for 20 minutes to find something to watch. Lempert agreed. You go into ShopRite and youll see 100 bottles of olive oil, Lempert said. Run your hand on the top of the cap and youll see dust. We dont need that kind of choice. At Trader Joes, products will come and go. You may be obsessed with the Spicy, Smoky, Peach Salsa, only for it to disappear a few months down the line. Not everything will cycle out, but enough product is flexible that it adds an idea of scarcity. If you see something interesting, youll have to grab it now or risk never getting it at all. Each of Trader Joe's "crew members" is friendly and knowledgeable about store products and trained to do just about everything at the store. The newly built Trader Joe's grocery store is located at 5099 Century Ave. in the Corner@Drake shopping center, across from Costco will stock about 4,000 items. The Crew The fact that shopping at Trader Joes is an adventure means that people love talking about it. It has a passionate fanbase and they arent shy about their love of the store. Thats helped propel Trader Joes to the top of Consumer Reports list of the best supermarkets in 2019 and to the premiere spot in Dunnhumbys Retailer Preference Index study that same year. Its vocal fanbase has also meant Trader Joes has been able to avoid major marketing campaigns. Theyve done a really nice job of letting the community talk for them, Roberto said. Its much more genuine than a marketing department pushing things. That community is thriving on Instagram. Jessica Hamke began shopping at Trader Joes eight years ago while she was in college. Now a nurse in New York City, she has become a Trader Joes evangelist through her social media account Trader Joes Addict. She shares the account with a co-worker, creating it after they continually found themselves excitedly talking about what they had purchased at Trader Joes. They swapped recipes and shared tips and eventually, as a joke, started the account. Now its grown to 38,600 followers on Instagram. Fischer has a similar story. She began the Trader Joes List account after growing tired of having her roommates eat all the food she bought at the store. When she asked them why they didnt just go out and get their own snacks, they told her they found Trader Joes intimidating and werent sure what to get. So she began chronicling her own purchases. Now, she has more than 1.4 million followers. For both Hamke and Fischer, shopping at Trader Joes isnt a chore, its enjoyable. A large chunk of the good experience is because of the stores crew members. I feel like the people they hire there are interested in people, Hamke said. They always start a conversation with you at checkout and talk to you about items. Theyre not the typical cashier. These are people who are interested in the store and interested in the people who shop there. Crew members are out and about, stocking the stores during prime retail hours. Its less efficient than stocking shelves at night, like most grocery stores do, but it does mean customers are more likely to come face-to-face with a crew member. Crew members are also given freedom to go the extra mile, whether that means helping older customers carry their groceries to the car, giving a bouquet of flowers to someone who is having a bad day or just dropping whatever they were in the midst of doing to help a customer out. Youll hear how their training is more about culture and values than it is about how to be a good supermarket employee, Roberto said. They recognize that that part matters and they spend a lot of time training on that. Trader Joe's in State College. December 20, 2017. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comHAR There Will Be Haters Trader Joes may have fans, but there are people who will loathe the store when it opens near them. And they have valid points. Some will hate the fact they cant get all their shopping done in one place. Theyll get frustrated with crew members stocking the aisles as theyre trying to find their favorite product which might not even be available any more. Theyll lament the subpar produce section. Theyll despise the absence of their favorite brand. Theyll get annoyed at the parking lot situation. There will be haters, Roberto said. I cannot stress that enough. And Trader Joes is okay with that. It knows that there are a whole segment of people who dont mind those inconveniences, and thats who its targeting. Its not for everybody, but thats why theyve been so successful, Roberto said. They know who they are. Theyre not trying to be all things to all people. Thats the key to their success. The closure will leave the big department store space vacant for the first time since the eight-story mall opened in 1975 with Marshall Fields as the anchor tenant. The Marshall Fields name disappeared in 2006 after a series of ownership changes and it has operated under the Macys name since then. After decades specialising in dressings and wound care, it was unexpected to say the least when Eakin Healthcare Group in Co Down announced it had taken over Armstrong Medical. The Coleraine family-run company specialises in machinery to help people breathe during an operation, and to help tiny babies in neo-natal units. Eakin Healthcare Group, which was founded by Tom Eakin, is based in Comber. It sells skin-friendly medical adhesives to distributors, wholesalers, hospitals and pharmacies for use by patients who have undergone surgery such as a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, was announced last month. Speaking at the time, the companies said that "the combined resources of the two indigenous NI healthcare manufacturing businesses will now help the group to grow its domestic and international presence". "The acquisition will be supported by an ambitious investment plan to enable further development of innovative medical products in Northern Ireland to meet the needs of patients worldwide." But speaking to Business Telegraph over the Christmas break, Jeremy Eakin, the managing director of Eakin and son of Tom, said the global Covid-19 pandemic and the huge demand it has prompted for respiratory equipment, had not been a factor in driving forward the deal. Jeremy says: "Covid-19 really was nothing to do with it, to be honest. Our two worlds collided in a positive way and it was a coincidence that it was the year of the pandemic. "We had been in one therapeutic area of ostomy care and wound care for a long time, but for a considerable number of months, we had been putting our feelers out for expanding into another therapeutic area and looking into potential acquisitions. "And I know now that for John Armstrong, the founder of Armstrong Medical, he had been planning on exiting the business, and was looking for ways to do that and potentially sell up. "Clearly in the first wave of Covid-19 last springtime, Armstrong was massively impacted and was able to step up to the mark and come to the rescue of quite a few intensive care units." But Eakin's core business will remain in wound and ostomy care. Tom Eakin founded the company in 1974. At the time, he had been working as a pharmacist in Dundonald. Many patients were telling him that patients were experiencing discomfort such as leakages and skin irritation from existing ostomy pouches. Even now, Jeremy says there are still advances to be made in the area: "We haven't exhausted ostomy and it's still our core business and a growth area. We will be expanding our geographies and looking to new product development. We've investigated significantly in research and development at our premises in the 'three Cs' of Comber, Cardiff and Cambridge." But there was a strong desire to diversify - and he said there were parallels between Armstrong Medical and Eakin Healthcare Group. Both had entered into their second generation of family ownership. "We can all relate to each other and we in the second generation have been working with our respective founders. We're very enthusiastic and there is that shared Northern Irishness - we're both businesses that have grown up and survived the Troubles and difficult times. "Eakin wants to retain, grow and develop the group for future generations. "And for John Armstrong, for whatever personal reasons, he felt it was time for him to retire. "He was very clear that he could have sold the business to international businesses in the same sector, but for him, it was about giving back to Northern Ireland and retaining and growing that business in Coleraine." He said Eakin had seen peaks and troughs in its business throughout the year. People had overstocked on its goods in April, May and June, with the company ending the year as normal. But such was the demand for Armstrong Medical's products during the first wave that it had to double its staff numbers to around 300 employees. "It was great they were able to step up in their capacity and help and support the NHS - it was very positive and also very stressful. "We're now monitoring demand very carefully to make sure we can continue to meet whatever demand there is. We'll have the capacity and will be ready, able and willing to support the NHS. "Being based in the UK, Armstrong was able to get product to the NHS and the HSE in the Republic in a way that some competitors weren't." In its results for the year to May 2019, Armstrong Medical reported sales of 14m, up from 11.7m. Pre-tax profits were 2.3m, up from 747,252. TG Eakin, the main manufacturing firm within the Eakin group, is a much larger company, with pre-tax profits at 16m for the year ending March 2019. Jeremy says the deal was done quickly. "From start to completion, it was 10 weeks. I think John would have preferred to have sold at the end of 2019 but at the start of 2020, the pandemic came and he really only approached us at the start of that wave. "Once it was agreed, he wanted to complete very quickly - before Christmas and before Brexit - so we met and shook hands. It's fair to say that in terms of NI merger and acquisition activity, it would be a pretty big deal though the value of the deal was commercially sensitive." And he says the Armstrong deal isn't the end of its ambitions. "We are still as a group looking to diversify and expand more. We have a great track record in stoma and wound care, we will invest and grow respiratory but we would like to move into another therapeutic area, be that through acquisition or not." In the meantime, he says they will be investing and expanding Armstrong Medical at its base in Wattstown Business Park in Coleraine. "There is a great team and a great community there, and we'll be building on what we have there. "There is an extension which was just completed in February last year and there will likely be further investment, and we are constantly recruiting." He says he believes Northern Irish companies will be resilient and will cope well with the challenges of Brexit. The company has stockpiled in its warehouse in Comber. "There've been enough challenges for us already in NI and we're in the habit of getting the head down and getting on with it. "I personally didn't see any advantages to Brexit after always being on the international side of the group. All my work was in exporting and the EU was borderless, which was great. "Personally I struggle to see any real benefit to it at all. I only see negatives and disuprtion. "But Northern Ireland is extremely resilient and we will get on with it." Some of the Armstrong family are staying on after the deal. Speaking in December after announcing the sale of the company, John Armstrong also stressed the common ground between the two firms. "We are very pleased to have completed the sale of our business to the very successful Eakin Healthcare Group and believe it will deliver an important next chapter for Armstrong Medical... the fact that we are selling to another successful family-owned NI business with a shared ethos and approach gives us great confidence. I and other family members will be pleased to continue to support the ongoing efforts to grow the business under the Eakin Healthcare Group banner." Earn your Associate of Applied Business in Business IT (BIT) degree online from the University of Cincinnati. This program can be completed fully online, with curriculum customized to fit your schedule, interests and how quickly you want to complete your degree. Application deadline July 1, 2021. Learn More A new mobile processor announced by Qualcomm Technologies Monday is expected to spawn a wave of economically priced 5G smartphones. Phones with the Snapdragon 480 5G Mobile Platform will be in the $125 to $250 price range, Qualcomm President Cristiano R. Amon predicted on Twitter in September. Great question. We expect to see prices ranging from $125 to $250 USD. Lots of phones . In China, 5G price points can already address 60% of the market. With the new Snapdragon 4 in Q121, the transition from 4G to 5G will significantly accelerate globally. Cristiano R. Amon (@cristianoamon) September 3, 2020 "The 400 series is designed for phones that go into low-priced markets outside the U.S. -- China, India, places where price sensitivity is a bigger issue," explained Bob O'Donnell, founder and chief analyst with Technalysis Research, a technology market research and consulting firm in Foster City, Calif. "This gives vendors of those phones the ability to bring 5G to their customers," he told TechNewsWorld. "In China, for example, where there's a huge amount of 5G, it's a big deal." "This is about bringing 5G to the world," he said. Upper Tier Features, Lower Tier price Kedar Kondap, vice president for product management at Qualcomm maintained in a statement that the 480 will exceed OEM and consumer expectations in delivering high- and mid-tier features at an affordable price. The platform's capabilities include: Support of both mmWave and Sub-6 GHz bands of the 5G spectrum; Improved CPU and GPU performance over the previous generation of the chip of 100 percent, and 70 percent improvement in AI performance; Inclusion of Quick Charge 4+ technology; Support for capturing a still image in ultrawide, wide and telephoto cameras all at once or three 720p videos through those cameras simultaneously; and Support for 120fps FHD+ displays and Qualcomm aptX audio. "The process node is also now eight nanometers versus eleven nanometers which translates to an even smaller and more efficient chip," Anshel Sag, a senior analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, told TechNewsWorld. "The inclusion of Fast Charge is a nice feature," added Ross Rubin, the principal analyst at Reticle Research, "because 5G is a bit more aggressive in battery usage so it's nice to be able to top off the phone more quickly, especially since low-end phones have smaller batteries." However, he questioned how noticeable the performance improvements would be to users. "You won't see night and day difference in terms of throughput, particularly on the Sub-6 GHz spectrum," he told TechNewsWorld, "but over time, in a year or two, you will see improvements as the carriers optimize their networks." Solis, though, believes the performance of phones based on the 480 won't disappoint most consumers. "The performance should appear pretty good," he said. "It's not going to be as snappy as a 700 or 800 series phone -- just because it's a 5G phone doesn't mean the whole phone is going to be super powerful -- but for most of the ways that people use their phones, it's going to be fine." Consumer Benefits Consumers will benefit from the new chip, noted David McQueen, a research director, at ABI Research. "It will enable smartphones to be sold at much lower price points, helping to bring 5G smartphone models to market quickly and democratize the 5G experience," he told TechNewsWorld. "Many leading OEMs are expected to push deeper into the lower-priced 5G smartphone segment, and this will be the main growth driver for accelerating adoption in 2021 and beyond, aided by the continuing availability of more affordable 5G chipsets, notably those from Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Unisoc." Even if a consumer doesn't take advantage of the performance and feature improvements offered by the 480, they can benefit from its 5G capabilities, observed Phil Solis, a research director at IDC. "The more devices that are on 5G, the more efficiently the network will run," he told TechNewsWorld. "New generations of cellular technology are more efficient than previous ones because they can move data faster and have lower latency," he continued. "Not everyone needs a high-powered smartphone that can do complex tasks fluidly, but connectivity is important to everyone." He added that the pricing predictions for new phones based on the 480 seemed reasonable. "There are phones in the market now that use the 600 series 5G Snapdragon processor that are selling for $250," he said. Ecosystem Play By bringing more consumers into the 5G fold, Qualcomm's new chip will help accelerate 5G commercialization, McQueen maintained. "Having more users on 5G improves network efficiency and speeds and allows operators to accelerate their 5G adoption," added Sag. With the introduction of the 480, the price of 5G phones is going to drop further and faster than a lot of people predicted, noted O'Donnell. "It's indicative of how quickly and how aggressively the market is moving to 5G, in terms of phones being available at a wider range of price points," he continued. "It's going to be hard to sell even cheap 4G phones going forward because there are going to be so many inexpensive 5G options". This latest move by Qualcomm is part of a huge, long-term ecosystem play for the company, he asserted. "They want to drive more usage of 5G because they have some strong technologies that are unique to them," he observed. It also gets people to upgrade their phones. "The phone market has declined over the last year so there's a strong desire to get people to upgrade," he explained. "One of the best ways to get people to that is to get a 5G phone." Emerging Market Appeal Phones based on the 480 will probably be most popular in emerging markets, McQueen noted. "It will drive volume in large markets, such as China and India, creating even greater demand for 5G devices in the low-to-mid range, accelerating affordability and adoption," he said. "This seismic shift to lower price tiers means that 5G will undoubtedly be good news for smartphone replacement cycles and subscriber technology migration, and not just for the benefit of these emerging markets," he added. With the 480, Qualcomm is also making a statement to competitors like MediaTek, which has been a low-cost modem supplier for a long time and has had some low-cost 5G options available since the second half of last year. "MediaTek recently became the highest volume producer of smartphone chips, in part, because they have 5G available in the value segment of the market," Rubin observed. The 480 would appear to have an edge over MediaTek's 5G Sub-6 GHz-only chips because Qualcomm's platform supports mmWave. But O'Donnell cautioned, "Just because the 480 supports mmWave doesn't mean mmWave support will be enabled because it's more expensive to add the other pieces you need to make mmWave work." "It's about offering choices for the handset makers, particularly if they're a Qualcomm customer, and they have a broad range of phones," Rubin explained. "They'd prefer to get all their chips for all their phones from a single supplier." "If you're a smaller handset maker," he continued, "that's not as important to you so you might go to a MediaTek, especially if the geographies you sell into aren't implementing high-speed mmWave." John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John. Advertisement The Surgeon General has called on US states to relax their guidelines in order to get more Americans vaccinated as thousands of Florida seniors camped out in their cars overnight to get their shots and New York threatened to fine hospitals for not using up supplies amid a train wreck vaccine rollout across the country. Just 4.66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the US in the last three weeks despite federal officials having distributed 15.4 million doses to the states. It means more than two-thirds of the vaccines shipped within the US have gone unused and just 1.4 percent of the population has been vaccinated even as cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to surge across the US. One in 930 Americans have now died from COVID-19 with the death toll surging past 353,000 and the seven-day rolling average for fatalities at just over 2,600 per day. There were 180,477 new infections across the country on Monday and a record 128,210 patients currently being treated for coronavirus in hospitals. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Tuesday admitted that the largest vaccination campaign in US history, which has been in the works for months, has been a 'little bit messy'. He blamed, in part, the states for the slower than expected rollout and called on governors - who are in charge of their state plans - to speed up the process by moving to the next priority groups if demand wasn't being met. Based on guidelines issued by the federal government, most states are currently prioritizing frontline healthworkers and nursing home residents in the first phase, before moving on to the elderly and other essential workers. 'In many cases, (the vaccines) are sitting in freezers. We've been telling these states since September, we need to prioritize getting everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible while trying to adhere to the guidelines,' Adams told NBC's Today. 'If healthcare workers don't want to get these vaccines in some places... we need to move on to the (next groups). 'If the demand isn't there in 1A, go to 1B and continue on down. If the demand isn't there in one location, move those vaccines to another location.' The widespread rollout failures have already been blamed on a range of factors, including governors setting convoluted priorities for initial distribution, lack of federal oversight, chaos in distribution given the freezing temperatures of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and the simple lack of staff to administer jabs in overstretched healthcare systems. FLORIDA: Hundreds of seniors camped up in their cars overnight on Monday in Daytona Beach, Florida parking lot in order to get their first dose of the vaccine. In Florida, where officials have put senior citizens ahead of many essential workers for getting the vaccine. Image courtesy of NBC FLORIDA: Hundreds of seniors camped out overnight at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium to be first in line for vaccinations in the state Just 4.66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the US in the last three weeks despite federal officials having distributed 15.4 million doses to the states In other COVID-19 vaccine news: Hard-hit California has only vaccinated 1 percent of its 40 million population Governors of New York and Florida have vowed to penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city's hospitals vaccinated just 148 people across the five boroughs on January 1 - delivering just 13 doses per hospital According to a state-by-state breakdown, Kansas and Georgia have only administered 17 percent of the doses distributed to them Most states are prioritizing healthcare workers in hospitals for phase one but Florida is allowing senior citizens to be among the first vaccinated Washington DC's health department is urging providers to hand out vaccines that are nearing expiration to anyone who wants it Dozens of people, who are spread across New York, California, Colorado, Georgia and Florida, have now been confirmed to have the UK mutant strain of the virus Dr Anthony Fauci was more optimistic about the sluggish start, saying the US could soon be giving at least a million vaccinations a day Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Tuesday admitted that the largest vaccination campaign in US history, which has been in the works for months amid the pandemic, has been a 'little bit messy' Adams warned the US needed to do a better job of matching up supply and demand in states like Florida where hundreds of seniors camped out in their cars overnight in Daytona Beach in order to get their shots. The seniors camped out in the Daytona Stadium parking lot so they could be first in line for at the drive-thru vaccine facility. In other parts of Florida, seniors are registering online to get access to the shots. 'The problem is we need to do a better job of matching up supply and demand at the local level,' Adams said. 'Some states are doing a really good job. You have red states like North and South Dakota and blue places like DC and Connecticut who have distributed 75 plus percent of their vaccines. But you have some states that still haven't distributed 25 percent of their vaccines.' In New York, Gov Andrew Cuomo has threatened to fine hospitals up to $100,000 for not using up their allocated doses. He had previously threatened health care providers with a $1 million fine if they are caught fraudulently obtaining and giving out the vaccine. Florida has taken a similar approach in penalizing hospitals with Gov Rick DeSantis announcing a policy under which the state will allocate more doses to hospitals that dispense them most quickly. New York has so far used up 33 percent of its allocation and vaccinated 1.5 percent of its population. Florida has used up 23 percent of its vaccine doses with 1.2 percent of residents having received the shots. In comparison, Washington DC's health department is urging providers to hand out vaccines that are nearing expiration to anyone who wants it. Pharmacists in DC have been handing out vaccines to people in grocery stores if those scheduled to receive the shot don't show for their appointments. As of Tuesday, DC had used up 48 percent of its shots and vaccinated 2.4 percent of it population. According to a state-by-state breakdown, Kansas and Georgia have only administered 17 percent of the doses distributed to them. Hard-hit California has so far used 24 percent of its vaccine shots, while Florida has used 23 percent. New York, the initial epicenter of the outbreak, has used up 33 percent of its allocation. Only a handful of states have used more than 50 percent of the shots distributed to them: South Dakota (62%), North Dakota (58%), Tennessee (50%), Connecticut (50%) and Maine (50%). The race to vaccinate Americans quickly comes as a super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Dozens of people, who are spread across New York, California, Colorado, Georgia and Florida, have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed that one in 50 in England - around a million people all up - are now infected with coronavirus. Dr Anthony Fauci was more optimistic about the sluggish start, saying the US could soon be giving at least a million vaccinations a day. 'Any time you start a big program, theres always glitches. I think the glitches have been worked out,' Fauci told The Associated Press. According to a state-by-state breakdown, Kansas and Georgia have only administered 17 percent of the doses distributed to them. Hard-hit California has so far used 24 percent of its vaccine shots, while Florida has used 23 percent He noted that vaccinations have already begun speeding up, reaching roughly half a million injections a day, in the wake of the holidays. 'Once you get rolling and get some momentum, I think we can achieve 1 million a day or even more,' he said. He called President-elect Joe Biden's goal of 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days 'a very realistic, important, achievable goal.' Fauci estimated that between 70 percent and 85 percent of the US population will need to be vaccinated to achieve 'herd immunity,' meaning enough people are protected that it's difficult for the virus to continue spreading. That translates to as many as 280 million people. He said he is hoping to achieve that by the start of next fall. California Gov Gavin Newsom said on Monday that his state has only vaccinated 1 percent of the population. He said distribution hiccups and logistical challenges have slowed the initial vaccine rollout in California, setting a pace that he said is 'not good enough'. The 454,000 doses of vaccine that have been administered in California represent just a third of the more than nearly 1.3 million received in the state so far, according to the California Department of Public Health. Even as he acknowledged the state must do better, Newsom sought to shift some responsibility for the slow rollout, noting 'the vaccines don't arrive magically in some state facility.' The governors of New York and Florida have already vowed to penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly. In New York, hospitals must administer vaccines within a week of receiving them or face a fine and a reduction in future supplies, Gov Andrew Cuomo said, just hours before announcing the state's first known case of a new, more infectious coronavirus variant originally detected in Britain. 'I don't want the vaccine in a fridge or a freezer, I want it in somebody's arm,' Cuomo said. 'If you're not performing this function, it does raise questions about the operating efficiency of the hospital.' New York hospitals on the whole have dispensed fewer than half of their allocated doses to date, but performance varied from one group of hospitals to another. The NYC Health + Hospitals system, the city's main public hospital network, has only administered 31 percent of its allotment, compared with 99 percent for a few private hospitals in the state. The CDC reported an even lower vaccine uptake for New York overall, saying fewer than one in five of the 896,000 doses shipped to the state since mid-December have been given. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed on Monday that the city's hospitals vaccinated just 148 people across the five boroughs on January 1 - delivering just 13 doses per hospital. It came as he promised to vaccinate 100,000 people every week going forward. FLORIDA: Hundreds of seniors and first responders wait in line for a COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday at Central Broward Park in Lauderhill NEW YORK: A resident at Hamilton Park Nursing and Rehabilitation, a nursing home facility, receives the Pfizer vaccine from Walgreens pharmacists in Brooklyn on Monday CALIFORNIA: Engineer/paramedic Bonnie Breckenridge (right), gives the the Pfizer vaccine to Fire Chief Colin Stowell (left) at the San Diego Fire-Rescue Training Facility Why the vaccine rollout has proceeded so slowly: Shipping delays created chaos in the first weeks, a mistake General Gustave Perna apologized for Overstretched hospitals have struggled to find enough staffers to administer the shots Some governors have issued increasingly convoluted restrictions on who gets the jabs Local and state officials complain that their public health offices are underfunded Some healthcare workers have refused the vaccine, with reports of 50% declining in some areas Cold storage requirements create logistical hurdles and tight windows for administering the vaccine Advertisement In Florida, where officials have put senior citizens ahead of many essential workers for getting the vaccine, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a policy under which the state would allocate more doses to hospitals that dispense them most quickly. 'Hospitals that do not do a good job of getting the vaccine out will have their allocations transferred to hospitals that are doing a good job at getting the vaccine out,' DeSantis said. 'We do not want vaccine to just be idle at some hospital system,' he added, although he did not say they would face fines. Florida, which has dispensed less than a quarter of the 1.14 million doses it has received, according to the CDC, will also deploy an additional 1,000 nurses to administer vaccines and will keep state-run vaccination sites open seven days a week, DeSantis said. In Florida, in particular, elderly residents have said they are unsure how to even access the vaccine - even though they are being prioritized. Some counties have set up online portals, including Eventbrite, or phone lines so elderly residents can sign up for vaccinations but multiple local health departments reported crashing systems on Monday. Dr Amesh Adalja, a scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said New York and Florida were being 'overly bureaucratic' in penalizing hospitals over vaccine deliveries even as they coped with soaring patient caseloads. 'Instead of fining hospitals, why not give them more resources to do this, more money, more staffing?' he said. Pennsylvania's Health Secretary Dr Rachel Levine has blamed the holiday period for their slow rollout. The state has so far administered 163,207 of its allocated 592,125 doses. 'I think it was always going to be a challenge during those two to three weeks to administer the shots that were sent to us,' Levine said. Across the country, the pace of immunizations has gone slower than planned due to logistical hurdles and differing approaches across states and counties. The failure to speedily vaccinate millions of Americans has already been blamed on various factors, including lack of federal oversights and chaotic distribution. The 20 million-dose goal hasn't been reached in part because local health departments and medical facilities had to stay focused on testing to handle a surge in cases, the Surgeon General has previously said, adding that the holiday season meant health workers were taking time off. Medical authorities have confronted widespread distrust of immunization safety, even among some healthcare workers, owing in part to the record speed with which COVID-19 vaccines were developed and approved 11 months after the virus emerged in the US. But some officials also have cited organizational glitches in launching the most ambitious mass inoculation campaign in the nation's history in the year-end holiday season. 'The logistics of getting it going into the people who want it is really the issue,' Dr Anthony Fauci, told MSNBC. 'We're not where we want to be. No doubt about that. 'I don't think we can blame it all on vaccine hesitancy.' CASES PER CAPITA: While the dire situation in California continues to unfold, Arizona is now currently the worst affected state for cases per capita with an average of 121 cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days, according to the latest CDC data The race to vaccinate American quickly comes as a super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Dozens of people, who are spread across New York, California, Colorado, Georgia and Florida, have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus Give as many people one dose of coronavirus vaccine as possible, Ivy League experts say: Studies find a single shot is at least 50% effective and giving more first jabs is cheaper Three new studies suggest that as many people as possible should receive at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Currently, both vaccines approved for emergency use authorization in the U.S. - from Pfizer Inc and Moderna Inc - require two doses administered about one month apart. But researchers from Yale University, Stanford University and the University of Washington have found that an initial dose is about 50 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 infection. This could help curb the spread of the virus and help relieve hospital systems from some of the strain they are under - and then second doses could be given a few months later. The trio of new research, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggest giving as many Americans as possible one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before distributing the second dose could 'maximize population health benefits.' In one study, conducted by Stanford University, researchers developed a model to test different vaccine distribution methods. The first model, known as the 'fixed strategy,' gives 50 percent of patients their first doses and reserved the other 50 percent for the second dose three weeks later. The second model, known as the 'flexible strategy,' reserves 10 percent of the supply for second doses during the first three weeks, 90 percent during each of the next three weeks, and 50 percent thereafter. Results showed the flexible strategy would result in preventing between 23 percent and 29 percent of cases COVID-19. In both scenarios, 24 million people received at least one dose of the vaccine by week eight. Studies from Yale University and the University of Washington found that one dose of the coronavirus vaccine (yellow and blue lines) is about 50% effective, which could help reduce the number of infections Another study, from Stanford University found that giving as many as people as possible a first dose, known as a 'flexible strategy,' could reduce an additional 23% to 29% of COVID-19 cases (above) However, in the flexible strategy resulted in 2.4 million additional people receiving two doses because one million more people had been given an initial dose during the first three week compared to the other strategy. 'We find that under most plausible scenarios, a more balanced approach that withholds fewer doses during early distribution in order to vaccinate more people as soon as possible could substantially increase the benefits of vaccines, while enabling most recipients to receive second doses on schedule,' the authors wrote. In another study, from Yale University, the team developed a model analyzing coronavirus transmission and vaccination leading to protective immunity. Consistent with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), researchers assumed the two-dose vaccine would prevent the risk of contracting the coronavirus by 95 percent and took four weeks to achieve lifetime protection. This was compared with two hypothetical, single-dose alternatives, one with lifetime protection and the other with protection for about six months. The model showed that a single-dose with six months of protection would need to be 75 percent effective to prevent as many infections as a two-dose vaccine with 95 percent efficacy. However, a single-dose vaccine conferring lifetime protection would only need to be about 55 percent effective to avert as many infections as the two-dose jab. 'The success of a COVID-19 vaccination program will depend more on the speed and reach of its implementation than on the efficacy of the vaccine itself,' the authors wrote. 'Depending on the duration of protection conferred, a single-dose vaccine with 55% effectiveness may confer greater population benefit than a 95%-effective vaccine requiring two doses.' The third article, an editorial, from a team at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, analyzed data from the clinical trials run by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. A single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot was found to be 52 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 infection. Meanwhile, the Moderna jab was reported to be 51 percent effective in the first 14 days after the first dose. Additionally, a single dose of the Moderna vaccine decreased the number of asymptomatic coronavirus infections by two-thirds. Based on these findings, they suggest that speed of the vaccine rollout is essential for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic rather than administering two doses. 'Doubling the vaccine coverage with a single dose compared with a two-dose regimen will accelerate pandemic control because even lack of complete protection on an individual level is likely to lower transmission rates enough to stop epidemic growth,' they wrote. 'Providing effective protection for as many people as possible is more ethical because it distributes the scarce commodity more justly.' The researchers also noted that more adverse events, such as fever, headache, fatigue and chills, were reported within seven days of people receiving the second dose compared to the first dose. 'A single-dose vaccine approach could mitigate the higher incidence of many vaccine-associated adverse events seen with the second vaccine dose, increasing tolerability and thus likely acceptability in the general population,' they wrote. ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) announced during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month that the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative has trained 6,000 beer distribution employees to safely spot and report the signs of human trafficking. NBWA is well on its way to reaching its goal of training 10,000 employees by the end of 2021. "When we began the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative in July 2020, distributors were eager to get involved," said Craig Purser, NBWA president and CEO. "These local business leaders instantly recognized the fight against human trafficking as one where they could play a valuable role." Beer distributors are uniquely positioned to aid state and federal law enforcement agencies in spotting signs of human trafficking due to their unique access to locations often unseen by the public as they visit around 600,000 licensed retail locations across the country. "Adding beer distributors to the fight against human trafficking is one of the most strategic partnerships I've encountered," said Camila Zolfaghari, executive director at the anti-human trafficking nonprofit Street Grace and a former human trafficking prosecutor. Zolfaghari noted beer distribution employees' regular behind-the-scenes access to bars, restaurants, hotels, truck stops, convenience stores and more. The Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative centers around a short training video featuring Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and nonprofit Street Grace, along with resources like tip cards and truck signs that outline common red flags and behaviors associated with human trafficking. "Beer distributors play an important role in communities across the country and in this critical fight. They step up when we need them and now they have joined us as extra eyes and ears on the ground to help identify signs of human trafficking," said Sean Reyes, Utah Attorney General. While human trafficking may seem like a crime that only occurs in big cities and faraway countries, many are surprised to learn that human trafficking continues to be a major issue in neighborhoods throughout the United States with hundreds of thousands of victims being identified nationwide. "We know that human trafficking happens in every community across the country," said Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General. "When more of us are aware of the signs of human trafficking, traffickers have fewer places to hide. This partnership with beer distributors will help us eliminate exploitation while protecting victims and survivors." "As the fourth generation in my family's business, I know that beer distributors are passionate about the people in our local communities," said Caylin Wiebe with Del Papa Distributing Company, Inc., in Texas. "Our company alone has educated our nearly 350 employees. Together with beer distributors from all over the country, we are confident we are going to save lives." For more information on the Distributors Against Human Trafficking initiative, please visit www.nbwa.org/HumanTraffickingAwareness. SOURCE National Beer Wholesalers Association Related Links http://www.nbwa.org Detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested four suspects over the disappearance of a teenage girl in Ruaka, Kiambu County. The suspects include three Nigerian national identified as Morah Stanley Apple, Boniface Nnamdi Nkachukwulu and Godwin Ovoepeke. They were arrested at Courtyard Apartments on Sunday evening, January 3, 2020.g. Also arrested during the swoop was a 20-year-old Kenyan, Neema Maisori, who was in the company of the suspects. According to the DCI, the Nigerians had been trying to lure the minor into their house, a narrative supported by the suspects neighbours. The minors distraught parents have been looking for their daughter in vain, only to realize that she had on various occasions been lured to the apartment where the three men reside. Neighbours also reported to have seen the minor in the company of the three on diverse dates during the festive period, DCI said in a statement. Detectives are still looking for the minor, who was not in the house at the time the arrests were made. An urgent health alert has been issued in Melbourne after a string of popular stores were exposed to coronavirus. An IKEA, Nando's, Sikh temple and several bars were added to the growing list of exposure sites in the city on Tuesday. Health authorities are urging anyone who visited the locations to get tested as soon as possible and self-isolate. The warning comes as Victoria recorded three new locally acquired cases, taking the number of active cases to 38. An IKEA, Nando's, Sikh temple and several bars were added to the growing list of exposure sites in the city on Tuesday Anyone who visited IKEA Springvale restaurant from 5.30-6.30pm on December 30 is being urged to get tested and self-isolate It is not yet known if the new infections are linked to the Black Rock outbreak - which was initially connected to the Buffalo Smile Thai restaurant. There was also one Covid-19 case reported in a returned traveller in hotel quarantine. More than 1,000 primary and secondary contacts are isolating and a growing number of exposure sites have been identified. The Sikh Temple in Keysborough was altered as an exposure site on Tuesday. Anyone who attended the site between 3-5pm on January 1 is being told to get tested immediately. Melbourne eateries, such as Nando's in the CBD, Mexican restaurant Fonda, Melbourne Central Lion Hotel and European Bier Cafe have also been put on alert. Tao Dumplings in Camberwell and the Merrymen Cafe in Hampton have also been impacted by the virus. An infected diner also visited Stomping Ground Brewery in Collingwood. The new alerts have added to the growing list of venues, which now includes more than 100 exposure sites. Health authorities are urging anyone who visited the locations to get tested as soon as possible and self-isolate (Pictured: Australians lining up for testing) The Grape and Grain cellars in Moorabbin was also upgraded as an exposure site on Monday. Shoppers who visited the bottle shop \on December 21 from 2pm-10pm, December 22 from 10am-6pm, December 24 from 1pm-10pm, December 28 from 8.05pm-8.47pm, December 29 from 12pm-4pm must quarantine for 14 days A Boost Juice at Chadstone shopping centre was put on alert in Monday after a worker tested positive for the virus. 'Our team has been notified a person who worked at Boost Juice (outside Bonds) has returned a positive test for Covid-19,' the centre said. 'We are working closely with the team at Boost Juice, both kiosks at Chadstone are currently closed and a deep clean has been undertaken.' The centre attracts about 68,000 people on its busiest trading days. A Puffing Billy railway stop in emerald was also put on the exposure site list. The Grape and Grain cellars in Moorabbin was also upgraded as an exposure site on Monday. Genomic testing shows Victoria's latest coronavirus outbreak came from NSW. Pictured: A health worker takes a person's details before conducting a Covid-19 test Latest exposure sites include a Boost Juice at Chadstone shopping centre, which attracts about 68,000 people on its busiest trading days It is one of 13 sites linked to the cluster where anyone who has visited in a defined period must be tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days. Visitors to another 29 sites must be tested immediately and quarantine until they have a negative result. A third category carries a warning stating anyone who develops symptoms should go for testing. This includes more than 50 sites. Shoppers who visited Grape and Grain on December 21 from 2pm to 10pm, December 22 from 10am to 6pm, December 24 from 1pm to 10pm, December 28 from 8.05pm to 8.47pm, December 29 from 12pm to 4pm must quarantine for 14 days. Genomic testing shows Victoria's latest coronavirus outbreak came from NSW. Victoria also recorded three locally acquired cases on Monday. KABUL The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar received the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of UNAMA, Ms. Deborah Lyons, this afternoon. The two sides discussed the latest developments with regards to the Afghan peace process and the resumption of negotiations between the Afghan government delegation and the Taliban in Doha. The Foreign Minister expressed serious concerns over the escalation of violence by the Taliban and the rising number of civilian casualties through targeted killing of journalists and human rights activists, including women, in different regions of Afghanistan. Minister Atmar noted that ensuring an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, protecting and promoting democratic values including human rights, rule of law, and freedom of speech, and strengthening the civil society were the main priorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan amid the ongoing peace process. Ms. Lyons briefed the Afghan Foreign Minister on the programs being implemented in Afghanistan by various UN agencies, assuring Mr. Atmar of UNAMAs full support for the resumption of talks and restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Mr. Atmar expressed his appreciation for the constructive role the UN and its related organizations, especially UNAMA, had been playing in running development projects inside Afghanistan and in supporting and enhancing the Afghan peace process at regional and international levels. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) Eighteen personnel of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the hospital to close down its operating rooms for disinfection. A clustering of cases in the operating room was detected resulting in 18 infections, according to an official statement released by the hospital on Tuesday. Among those infected were four doctors, seven were nurses, two nursing attendants, and five institutional workers. The hospital said 10 of the personnel are asymptomatic, while eight are experiencing mild symptoms. All of them are in stable condition, it added. All operating rooms in the hospital will be shut down from Jan. 5 to 7 for decontamination. However, emergency surgical procedures will still be accommodated, the hospital said. "With this, all elective surgeries shall be temporarily suspended except for emergency surgeries that shall be accommodated by this medical center following prioritization of patients' policy and implementation of strict infection prevention and control protocols," the advisory read. The country now has a total of 448,375 coronavirus cases nationwide, with the death toll reaching 9,321. CNN Philippines Cebu-based correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this story. Its easy to understand Donald Trumps disappointment and anger as he witnesses the overthrow of his transformational presidency. What he managed to build in just three quarters of a single term, against all odds, battling an unprecedentedly rabid opposition party, a nasty no-not-you faction within his own party, and a corrupt press corps which has redefined the term media bias and further weaponized junk science, was nothing short of astounding. The stuff of Nobel Peace Prizes were his name not Trump. To watch it all being torn down, not by popular demand, not even by a failed strictly-partisan impeachment, but by election fraud the likes of which hed quip no one has ever seen, must be even more infuriating for him than it is for his legions of supporters. Indeed, we were all victimized by the battery of despicable pandemic exploitation leftist activists employed to change the mail-in voting rules in select key states. We then watched helplessly as election evening unfolded largely as Trump had predicted: A convincing and widening Trump lead on election day miraculously gave way to a sudden Biden turnaround the following day, by way of a wide array of ballot fraud tricks and no shortage of pure, dumb luck. Then, abetted by coconspirators in the criminally complicit media (of both mainstream and social variety) and the mortally-wounded but not quite dead Never-Trumpers, they quickly relegated even the implication of such fraud to the tin-foil-hat zone, effectively attaching an eye-roll to its every mention, an overabundance of irrefutable evidence and very pissed-off vote-assault victims notwithstanding. Adding insult to injury was the double-edged sword the MSM forged once it became clear that control of the US Senate remained up for grabs. With total disregard for witnesses, sworn and expert testimony and widely-available caught-red-handed videos most honest observers recognized as proof of structured, if not organized, ballot manipulation in battleground states, talking heads continued to claim that any talk of fraud was any of a dozen synonyms for dangerous and twice that many for unproven. And they cleverly broadened their concerns to include the sense of futility such debunked conspiracy theories imposed upon those poor Georgia Republicans voting in the states immensely important Senate runoff elections on Tuesday. Stories sprouted overnight like mushrooms from soggy Georgia ground, suggesting that downtrodden conservatives were actually planning to boycott the runoffs, some in protest, many others convinced that the runoff, too, would be stolen, so why bother? Election-rigging engineer extraordinaire Stacy Abrams wasted no time amplifying such concerns by announcing with signature devilish smile that she had already harvested over 800,000 ballots, mostly from younger voters -- clearly a shot across the bow to would-be Republican voters. One Trump attorney of record in the #StopTheSteal campaign even suggested voters #WriteInTrumpForGA, a uniquely stupid idea echoed by thousands of new-kid-on-the-social-media-block Parler posters and a smattering of local billboards. The message was simple: The louder the outcry over the President elects outright illegitimacy, the greater the chance disillusioned Republican voters might simply stay home, essentially handing control of the Senate to Dems, and with it, the capitalist future of the nation. In other words, give up all this talk about fraud and concede Bidens mathematically impossible victory, or youll all but assure your worst nightmare -- a Dem political hattrick, controlling both houses and the White House. Thats quite a threat, as handing the government keys to a delusional bumbling old fool, an even older and only marginally more compos mentis angry old lady, and a bitter, sniveling NY liberal who has promised as majority leader to change America would be nothing short of existential, likely for the country but surely for any future conservative candidates. And their first change would be the erasure of America First, MAGA and all remaining artifacts of the previous administrations momentous successes, raising our taxes and lowering our defenses to boot, including our personal ability to defend ourselves according to our guaranteed 2nd Amendment rights. Thered be more rewriting of history, with the woke nonsense of the 1619 Project and White Fragility replacing truth in our schools, institutions and very reality, and many more globalist policies and treaties born of Junk Science. And with the coast cleared for our new puppet-prez to install a friendly AG, say goodbye to any investigations of Hunter Biden or the 2020 election-theft caper. And with Chuck Schumer regularly checking his rear-view mirror for Sandy Cortez coming for his job, hed be pressured to move further and further left, just to hold on. That means cementing Dem power by first eliminating the filibuster, then packing SCOTUS and clinching DC and Puerto Rico statehood, all but assuring a permanent GOP minority status. A clever scheme, indeed, particularly given Trumps well-known proclivities, which include insistence on not only recognition of, but also recovery of that which was stolen. Crime victims rarely get both. More on that later. To be sure, the Democrats purloined the 2020 presidential election. And yes, the mainstream media continue to ignore while social media work overtime to obscure the insurmountable evidence, but that doesnt make it untrue. YouTube has removed hundreds of evidentiary videos and flagged as misinformation magnatudinal orders more, but that doesnt make them baseless. Key states have recounted their tainted ballots and, not surprisingly, the tallies remain fundamentally unchanged, but that doesnt make the accusations unfounded as the bogus ballots have already been injected. Evidence of fraud presented in over 50 court cases has been largely overruled, the cases halted dead in their tracks, sometimes (as emphasized by so-called news-people) by right-leaning judges, but that doesnt make them baseless. Even SCOTUS has all but dropped the hammer on such allegations, mostly on technicalities and dubious remedy options, with the whisper suggesting for fear of riots or even actual civil war, but that doesnt make the allegations debunked. The Electoral College has met and voted Joseph Biden the 46th president of the United States, but even that doesnt change the reality that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election. And according to a November survey, 79% of Trump voters know this election was stolen. Theyve endured endless, laughable claims of no evidence of fraud. Once fraud became evident, theyve cringed at the mind-ripping switch to no evidence of widespread fraud. And their noggins nearly exploded each time they heard the latest version: no evidence of widespread fraud enough to have changed the election results. As though were expected to accept widespread fraud of any serving-size. Truth be told, considering the steady drip-drip of exceptionally compelling evidence and its insulting summary media dismissal, one wonders just what the remaining 21% have been reading, watching or smoking. Yes weve been robbed, and, like all robbery victims, were pissed-off. And, as with all robberies, odds are well never fully recover that which was stolen. But rule #1 of robbery response is to avoid further loss. In this case that means not allowing Trumps victimhood to become any more of a national disaster than it already is. And that means sounding the alarm and stopping the crooks from completing the final phase of their treacherous scheme. Which means all eyes on the Peach State on Tuesday. And all Georgia voters to the polls. Therell be 8,000 GOP Poll watchers there to help with the former, but the latter means all registered voters, including those concerned with the elections integrity. Given the outcry Novembers dirty tricks elicited, remote and local watchers of varying stripes will be better prepared to detect, prevent and, if necessary, prove any attempted Dem-o-rat sleight-of-hand. Therell be plenty of time to address our long-term election issues later. In this age of pocket-computing, open-source and blockchain solutions, theres no excuse for the existing lack of simplicity, security and transparency currently plaguing the process. Right now -- A Republican landslide on Tuesday will not only vaccinate the Senate against the contagious woke illness which has afflicted the Democratic Party faster than a Chinese designer-virus, but also provide further support for the Presidents claim that a Red Peach State did not hand 16 Electoral Votes to a pathetic shell of a man. Donald Trump may not be on Tuesdays ballot, but everything he has accomplished is. Grahic credit: Tom Arthur CC BY-SA 2.0 license Marc Sheppard is a data analyst, software engineer, and writer. He's been a frequent contributor to American Thinker and welcomes your feedback. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/04/2021 -- According to the new market research report "Oil Accumulator Market by Type (Bladder, Piston, and Diaphragm), Pressure Rating (Up to 6,000 Psi and Above 6,000 Psi), Onshore vs Offshore, Application (Blowout Preventer & Well Head Control, Offshore Rigs, and Mud Pumps), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", The oil accumulator market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 488.5 million in 2018 to USD 617.1 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 4.78%, during the forecast period. The market is set to witness growth because of the digital revolution in the oil & gas industry and shale gas exploration in the US. Browse 82 market data Tables and 31 Figures spread through 124 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Oil Accumulator Market - Global Forecast to 2023" Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=84277665 Bladder segment is expected to be the largest oil accumulator market, by type, in 2018. The bladder segment of the oil accumulator market, by type, is expected to be the largest market from 2018 to 2023. Factors such as high investment in onshore and offshore industries are driving the oil accumulator market. The strong market share of bladder accumulators is attributed to high preference of customers for this type of accumulator, which is further expected to continue holding the largest share in the future with new API regulations. Another advantage of bladder accumulators is that it can be used for almost many offshore applications and has high durability compared with other types. Up to 6,000 PSI segment is expected to be the fastest oil accumulator market, by pressure ratings, during the forecast period. The up to 6,000 PSI segment is expected to be the fastest growing oil accumulator market from 2018 to 2023. This is due to various factors, including rising investments in the oil & gas industries. Consumption of accumulators of pressure ranges up to 6,000 psi is higher because of the application of multiple units in place of a single unit to avoid idle time during production or drilling; this is expected to drive the up to 6,000 PSI segment of the oil accumulator market. Target Audience: The report's target audience includes: Oil & gas manufacturing companies Consulting companies in the power and oil & gas sector Engineering, procurement, and construction contractors Government and research organizations Energy and environmental associations Water Industry Forum State- or government-owned corporations Power distribution companies North America: Largest oil accumulator market during the forecast period. In this report, the oil accumulator market has been analyzed with respect to 5 regions, namely, Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and South America. North America is the largest oil accumulator market, by region, during the forecast period. Digitalization in the oil & gas industry, shale gas exploration in the US, and supportive government plans are expected to drive the market for oil accumulators in this region. The US and Canada are the leading countries, among others, which are likely to contribute to the growth of the oil accumulator market in North America. Ask for Sample Pages of the Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=84277665 To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top players in the oil accumulator market such as Hydac (Germany), Parker Hannifin (US), Eaton (Ireland), Freudenberg (Germany), Bosch Rexroth (Germany), and Nippon Accumulator (Japan). About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. 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MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA : 1-888-600-6441 sales@marketsandmarkets.com If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit ALBANY Two more letters sent to a federal judge on behalf of a convicted fraudster were fabricated in part or whole including one attributed to a Catholic priest. Michael P. Fish, who was already facing federal prison time after pleading guilty in May to multiple felonies, was arrested Friday after he allegedly sent U.S. District Judge Mae DAgostino a letter falsely attributed to Jonathan Carman, a district director for U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik. All three letters asked the judge to impose a lenient sentence on Fish, who pleaded guilty to identity theft, computer intrusion causing damage and possession of child pornography. JAMES GOOLSBY Federal authorities said the 25-year-old Albany resident, who had volunteered for Stefanik's 2016 campaign, sent the fake letter from his grandfathers computer. Now, the Times Union has discovered that two other letters supposedly sent on Fishs behalf contained fabrications, including one from the Rev. Michael A. Farano, the former pastor of St. Pius X Chruch in Loudonville. Mary DeTurris Poust, a spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, told the Times Union that "the referenced letter attributed to (Farano) has been altered without his knowledge or consent. Father Farano said the letter you have from court documents includes his original text but has been expanded without his knowledge. The other apparently fraudulent letter was attributed to Dale Annis, a former client of Fish's when he worked at Northwestern Mutual insurance. Annis told the Times Union he was "100 percent positive" he did not send the letter. Annis, who seemed to barely remember Fish, said his entire dealings with the felon were over a span of at most two months before Annis transferred to an agent based in Baltimore, where he now lives. In the letter, the person claiming to be Annis wrote that he was extremely upset to hear about Mike's troubles, I hope this letter can demonstrate his true character outside of the mistakes he made. The letter went into great detail: My relationship with him was not a purely transactional one, as you could imagine with most financial advisors, but rather a friendship. He would call on birthdays, send cards on holidays, and always remember meaningful details about my family. I believe he truly breaks the stigma that can tend to define the industry he was in. I referred him to several friends, colleagues, and even family. They have all received the warmth care and service that Mike provided us. " ... Some of his memorable words were, I could not look you in the eye and tell you I did everything I could for you and your family if something ever happened to you and we didn't address this, the letter stated. Digital fraud was central to the crimes Fish pleaded guilty to on May 19, when he admitted that between 2016 and 2019, while attending the state University at Plattsburgh and later Albany Law School, he accessed the accounts of female students within the Plattsburgh schools computer network. Fish created passwords, gained access to the women's social media accounts and their personal information. Fish downloaded sexually explicit and embarrassing photos stored in other accounts, and traded stolen photos and videos online, the plea agreement said. Fish distributed collages that mixed sexually explicit photos with innocuous photos of graduations. He identified the names of the women whose images he traded, and possessed information from more than 100 students at Plattsburgh and elsewhere, the plea agreement said. The letter falsely attributed to Carman, the Stefanik aide, mixed portions of a letter that Carman had written on behalf of Fish years before his legal troubles. The Times Union reached out to Stefanik's office for a response last week after a reporter examined the court filings; Stefanik's senior advisor Alex DeGrasse spoke to Carman and responded that the letter was "a falsified document submitted to court, which is a crime." At a hearing Tuesday, D'Agostino removed Fish's attorney, James Tyner, from the case. It's was not immediately clear who will be representing him going forward. Tyner said on Thursday that the allegations surrounding the first fabricated letter to come to light were a "complete surprise to me. Just like the government is investigating the situation, my office has undertaken a similar investigation to examine the validity of these claims." Fish's sentencing was initially set for Jan. 8, but will be delayed indefinitely. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. AUDI AG is the first automobile maker to be awarded the Chain of Custody certificate of the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI). This certifies that Audi can comply with the materials flow chain for sustainably produced aluminum in accordance with the ASI standard and can also input correspondingly certified material to the Aluminum Closed Loop with its suppliers. In this way, the level of sustainability attested by the ASI is completely maintained, not only for components of car making but also for the process scrap from Audi press plants that is retained in the loop. The Aluminum Stewardship Initiative takes account of business ethics, ecology and social criteria across the entire aluminum value chain in order to achieve constant improvements. The focus is on the efficient and economical use of the material, in order to save valuable resources and limit the demand for primary aluminum. Furthermore, the environmental impact of the extraction of bauxite and processing of the material is to be reduced. The ASI also puts the spotlight on the people who are part of the aluminum supply chain. Its members are responsible for, among other things, respecting human rights across the value chain, and they work to produce joint solutions and measure for complying with these rights. For example, representatives of indigenous peoples who live close to the bauxite mines are an established part of the organizational structure of the ASI. A dialog with labor union representatives also plays an important part. The supply chain for aluminum comprises several pre-suppliers stages. The processes of implementing ASI standards at all levels and monitoring compliance with them are correspondingly complex. The importance of aluminum for Audi. Since the 1990s aluminum has been in use at Audi as a key material for bodywork and chassis systems. In the context of the Aluminum Closed Loop, the company contributes to usage of this energy-intensive material in the most efficient possible way. The scrap that arises in press plants is sorted and returned to the suppliers. These suppliers can use the valuable secondary material for producing new sheet aluminum and therefore require less primary aluminum. The Chain of Custody certificate of the ASI attests that the Audi press plants process correctly sorts and tracks certified materialand in consequence the seal of quality is also maintained for the scrap. In 2017 this Aluminum Closed Loop was initiated at the Neckarsulm site, and in 2020 the press plant in Ingolstadt followed. From 2021 onwards the Audi site at Gyor will apply the procedure. In terms of the carbon balance, in 2019 alone approximately 150,000 tonnes of CO 2 emissions were avoided in this way. Since 2013 Audi has taken part in the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative, which now has 143 members in the aluminum industry. The common aim of the stakeholders is to make aluminum production as sustainable as possible and to achieve greater transparency in the aluminum sector. In 2018 Audi was the worlds first automobile maker to be awarded the Performance Standard certificate of the ASI. This is an attestation by the Initiative that Audi sustainably manufactures and assembles the aluminum components of the battery housing for the Audi e-tron series according to the requirements of the ASI. For this purpose, independent inspectors carried out audits at the sites in Gyor, Neckarsulm and Brussels. The next step is now the supply of the material between the process partners in accordance with the regulations. At the end of 2020 Audi received the seal of approval of the ASI for the process chain of aluminum at the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm sites, and more sites are already scheduled to follow in 2021. Tibetan exiles in Dharamshala, India vote in the first round of the 2021 elections for their government in exile Jan. 3, 2021. Tens of thousands of Tibetans in exile have voted in the first round of elections for a new political leader of their exile government in Dharamshala, India. Voters around the world selected two candidates for Sikyong, or president of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), who will face off against each other in a final round scheduled for April 11. They also selected 90 candidates for 45 parliament seats. The election commission will announce the results on Feb. 8. In Nepal, where Tibetan issues are sensitive, the local Tibetan community held the elections in secret on Dec. 25 and 26, but police on Dec. 27 detained five Tibetans, including an RFA reporter based in Kathmandu. According to the online Tibetan Journal, a representative of the Human Rights Organization of Nepal said the five were detained because voting coincided with a visit from a Chinese official. They were released the same day after a representative of the organization appealed on their behalf at the police station. We spoke to the police station in Boudha and they agreed to release all of them around 6pm that day. But the police official warned them not to engage in any such activities not approved by Nepal, Sangpo, a member of the organization, told RFAs Tibetan Service. Anticipating large crowds, a voting center in Ontario, Canada opened the polls from Friday to Monday. We had a very successful first round of voting process here in Ontario with the help from our volunteers. The ballot boxes will be locked and sealed under secured surveillance in our community hall. We will be counting the votes on January 5, 2021, Tsering Wangyal, election commissioner for Ontario told RFA. In the United States, more than 4,700 Tibetans in New York and New Jersey cast their ballots on Jan. 2 and 3. We have around 44 members who helped make this historic election process a success, Lhawang Ngodup, election commissioner for the region told RFA. We arranged 50 voting booths on each of the two floors of our Tibetan community hall to minimize crowding and make the process swifter, he said. Tenzin Pasang, a resident of New York, told RFA that voting was the duty of all Tibetans. Elections are one of the most significant processes in a democracy. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has bestowed democracy to all Tibetans and therefore we must make the best use of it, Pasang said. Tsetan Dhondup, another New York resident, told RFA that changes in global politics were an important factor in the election. There are lots of political changes taking place in the world and also in terms of their support for Tibet. So, we must elect a deserving candidate for both the Sikyong and member of parliament, said Dhondup. Dawa Tsering Tekhang of Virginia said regional background was not a factor in his decision. Even though I am from U-tsang province, my vote went for someone from a different province. That is to say, I voted for the person who deserves to be the leader, he said. A 100-year-old monk cast his ballot in Minnesota. I wish that all Tibetans were united, the Venerable Gendun Kalsang told RFA. Globally, about 80,000 exiles registered to vote in the 2021 election, 7,000 of whom reside in or near Dharamshala, but RFA estimates a lower turnout for the elections first round. An RFA exclusive exit poll among 907 voters in India, Europe, Canada and the U.S. showed former speaker of Tibets exile parliament Penpa Tsering in a commanding lead with 40 percent of the vote, followed by Gyari Dolma, former CTA home minister and the first woman to run as a candidate for Sikyong, with 20 percent. Drongchung Ngodup, the Dalai Lamas representative in the Indian capital New Delhi, received 19.4 percent, the poll showed. The CTA was formed in 1959 and has been electing presidents by popular vote every five years since 2011. A total of 59,353 Tibetans voted in the 2016 election. Reported by RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Former Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) listens to a question during a campaign stop in Londonderry, N.H., on Oct. 1, 2019. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo) Tulsi Gabbard Criticizes Democrats for Removing Gendered Language from House Rules Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) criticized her partys recent decision to change the House Rules so the language in written and formal proceedings is gender-neutral, calling the change hypocritical. Gabbard told Fox News she believes the new change in the House rules does not support women but instead shows how out of touch lawmakers are with common Americans. It absolutely does the very opposite of that and its the height of hypocrisy, she said. For people who claim to be the champions of rights for women to deny the very biological existence of women and this recent rule change that the House just voted and passed on today that you were talking about removing references to, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters from congressional rules and administration, its mind-blowing because it shows just how out of touch [Congress is] with reality and the struggles of everyday Americans, Gabbard continued. The House Rules Committees press statement on the new rule reads, [The House] will honor all gender identities by changing pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender-neutral. Gabbard also said Democrat lawmakers should be prioritizing getting the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus vaccine to the elderly population, not changing House rules language. Their first act is as this new Congress could have been to make sure that elderly Americans are able to get the COVID vaccine now alongside frontline health care workers elderly Americans who have the highest mortality rates from this virus, but instead of doing something that could actually help save peoples lives, theyre choosing instead to say well you cant say mother or father in any of this congressional language and its astounding, Gabbard added. House Rules Committee Chairman, Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) said in a speech on the House floor on Jan. 4 that the change in House language honors all gender identities, by changing pronouns in the House rules so they are gender-neutral. We made this change for the sake of inclusion, not exclusion, he added. But then I heard the distinguished Minority Leader say that we are canceling Mothers Day. The House rules are powerful, but they arent that powerful! McGovern said it is not true that members are not allowed to say father, mother, son, or daughter. Adding, Thats just not how this works! And by the way, our Founding Fathers are still our Founding Fathers. Gabbard, a former member of the armed forces and representative of Hawaii since 2013, in her last legislative action before retiring from Congress, recently created legislation that would prevent athletes who are biological men from competing in womens sports. There are people who are trying to undermine the very place (of women) by denying my existence, denying the existence of biological women, she said. It defies common sense. It defies basic established science. It just doesnt make any sense. Two Children Dead in NSW Hit and Run Two children are dead and three people injured after a hit and run near Dubbo. Emergency services were called to Warne Street in Wellington abut 4:30pm on Tuesday after reports five people were hit by a car at high speed. NSW Police told AAP two children have been pronounced dead, while another has been airlifted to hospital in a serious condition. A fourth child and an adult were also rushed to hospital. We were confronted with an absolutely devastating scene in Wellington, NSW Ambulance Superintendent Andrew DeGabriel said in a statement. Its heartbreaking for this to happen to such a small community. The driver fled the scene and is yet to be located by police. Officers are on scene and have commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident, a spokesperson told AAP. By Tiffanie Turnbull Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The property market remains open despite England being plunged back into a March-style lockdown. But unlike in the first lockdown, this means that people can continue to move home, and do everything needed to complete that process. This includes viewing homes for sale in person, right through to allowing removal firms into homes. But the news comes with a plea from housing experts to follow safety guidelines and only attempt to move if it is essential, due to the sharp rise in Covid cases. The property market remains open as the country is plunged back into a March-style lockdown Tomer Aboody, of property lender MT Finance, said: 'Unlike the first lockdown, estate agents remain open for business - and both sellers and buyers are still keen to proceed with their transactions. 'With lawyers, valuers and agents all still working, this should limit any further delays to transactions. 'It is now down to the comfort level of sellers in terms of allowing potential buyers in to view their homes, and buyers feeling comfortable attending viewings. Extra caution will be taken on all sides to allow viewings to proceed.' What is the safety advice for buyers and sellers? Mark Hayward, of the estate agents' body Propertymark, said: 'We welcome the news that the housing market is to remain open throughout this new lockdown period. 'But it is essential that all agents continue to play their part in reducing the spread of the virus by following all relevant guidance on how to safely conduct viewings. 'It is vital to keep movers and buyers safe and keep the housing market moving through these uncertain times.' Virtual viewings are taking place on many properties for sale and buyers are being urged to look at those first before committing to a physical viewing. The safety advice from the Government about moving home includes those viewing a property for sale having to wash and sanitise their hands and avoid touching surfaces, with viewings only able to involve members of a single household. Without these safety measures in place, viewings are not meant to take place, with most agents adhering to the new guidelines. Propertymark has gone a step further, advising everyone at a viewing to wear gloves and face coverings. It has previously warned that if its members failed to adhere to its guidelines, the Government may decide to lockdown the housing market once again. What are the restrictions on the property market? The housing market has had to deal with some big pressures during the global pandemic. With tenants facing the challenges of unemployment and not being able to pay their rent, they risked losing their homes. It led the Government to place a ban on tenant evictions at the beginning of the lockdown, which was extended until September last year. However, court proceedings can now take place. It prompted fears that landlords would be unable to meet their mortgage payments. Along with homeowners, they were given payment holidays. Both tenants and property owners are still required to repay their debts. Virtual viewings are taking place and people are being urged to look at those first before committing to a physical viewing As the number of Covid cases increases, people are being urged to move only if necessary. North London estate agent Jeremy Leaf said : 'This latest national lockdown is disappointing but understandable and hopefully we will make up for short-term pain with medium and longer-term gain. Enforced confinement is likely to mean the release of pent-up demand when it is over. 'There are many people who have made legal commitments to buy, sell or rent, and need or have to move. This could be for health or financial reasons, a relationship breakdown or domestic violence - whatever the reason, these moves can't be halted even in light of the pandemic. 'We will be returning to the protocols that we previously adopted and there will be a clear distinction between occupied and unoccupied properties. 'The new lockdown will affect surveyors, removals firms etc and in the circumstance, it would be prudent for the Chancellor to reconsider the stamp duty deadline. Those who have moved heaven and earth to meet the deadline should not now be penalised if they miss it through no fault of their own.' Will the stamp duty holiday be extended? Despite the coronavirus crisis, the property market has remained resilient after its initial lockdown freeze, with some support from the Chancellor. Rishi Sunak introduced a stamp duty holiday that applies to the first 500,000 of a home's purchase price. The holiday is scheduled to stop at the end of March, but there are calls for an extension. Mr Hayward is urging the Government to extend the stamp duty holiday. He said: 'The prioritisation of the Government of a functioning property market and subsequent implementation of the stamp duty holiday as well as measures taken to keep the rent flowing within the private sector have allowed for record-breaking levels of house sales and rental accommodation.' All regions saw prices rise in 2020, with the East Midlands seeing the biggest jump of 8.6% What is happening in the property market? Propertymark's data revealed the highest number of tenants on record searched for homes in August. Meanwhile, house prices saw their biggest annual increase in six years in December as the property market continued to boom despite the usual slowdown in the run-up to Christmas and new Covid restrictions. The average price of a home in Britain rose 7.3 per cent, or more than 15,000, in the past year to 230,920, according to Nationwide Building Society. It said prices rose 0.8 per cent, or almost 1,200, in the last month alone. Nationwide calculated that property values are also more than 11,000, or 5.3 per cent, higher than they were in March, before the first lockdown. The property market in all four nations England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - remain open. ATLANTA Georgia voters are set to decide the balance of power in Congress in a pair of high-stakes Senate runoff elections that will help determine President-elect Joe Biden's capacity to enact what may be the most progressive governing agenda in generations. Republicans are unified against Biden's plans for health care, environmental protection and civil rights, but some fear that outgoing President Donald Trump's brazen attempts to undermine the integrity of the nation's voting systems may discourage voters in Georgia. At a rally in northwest Georgia on the eve of Tuesday's runoffs, Trump repeatedly declared that the November elections were plagued by fraud that Republican officials, including his former attorney general and Georgia's elections chief, say did not occur. The president called Georgia's Republican secretary of state crazy" and vowed to help defeat him in two years. At the same time, Trump encouraged his supporters to show up in force for Georgia's Tuesday contests. "You've got to swarm it tomorrow, Trump told thousands of cheering supporters, downplaying the threat of fraud. Democrats must win both of the state's Senate elections to gain the Senate majority. In that scenario, the Senate would be equally divided 50-50 with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaker for Democrats. Democrats already secured a narrow House majority and the White House during November's general election. Even a closely divided Democratic Senate likely won't guarantee Biden everything he wants, given Senate rules that require 60 votes to move most major legislation. But if Democrats lose even one of Tuesday's contests, Biden would have little shot for swift up-or-down votes on his most ambitious plans to expand government-backed health care coverage, strengthen the middle class, address racial inequality and combat climate change. A Republican-controlled Senate also would create a rougher path for Biden's Cabinet picks and judicial nominees. Georgia, the whole nation is looking to you. The power is literally in your hands, Biden charged at his own rally in Atlanta earlier Monday. One state can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation. Georgia's January elections, necessary because no Senate candidates received a majority of the general-election votes, have been unique for many reasons, not least because the contenders essentially ran as teams, even campaigning together sometimes. One contest features Democrat Raphael Warnock, who serves as the senior pastor of the Atlanta church where slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. grew up and preached. The 51-year-old Black man was raised in public housing and spent most of his adult life preaching in Baptist churches. Warnock is facing Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a 50-year-old former businesswoman who was appointed to the Senate less than a year ago by the state's Republican governor. She is only the second woman to represent Georgia in the Senate, although race has emerged as a campaign focus far more than gender. Loeffler and her allies have seized on some snippets of Warnocks sermons at the historic Black church to cast him as extreme. Dozens of religious and civil rights leaders have pushed back. The other election pits 71-year-old former business executive David Perdue, who held the Senate seat until his term officially expired on Sunday, against Democrat Jon Ossoff, a former congressional aide and journalist. At just 33 years old, Ossoff would be the Senates youngest member if elected. The fresh-faced Democrat first rose to national prominence in 2017 when he launched an unsuccessful House special election bid. Despite fears among some Republicans that Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud could depress turnout, the two GOP candidates have pledged fealty to the president. Perdue on Tuesday said that Trump would of course" deserve the credit if the Republicans won. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up What the president said last night is, even if you are upset about all of that, youve got to stand up with us and fight," Perdue told Fox & Friends. "Well look back on this day if we dont vote and really rue the day that we turned the keys to the kingdom over to the Democrats. Democrats have hammered Perdue and Loeffler, each among the Senate's wealthiest members, for conspicuously timed personal stock trades after members of Congress received information about the public health and economic threats of COVID-19 as Trump and Republicans downplayed the pandemic. None of the trades has been found to violate the law or Senate ethics, but Warnock and Ossoff have used the moves to cast the Republicans as self-interested and out of touch. Perdue and Loeffler have answered by lambasting the Democratic slate as certain to to usher in a leftward lunge in national policy. Neither Warnock nor Ossoff is a socialist, as Republicans allege. They do, however, support Biden's agenda. This week's elections mark the formal finale to the turbulent 2020 election season more than two months after the rest of the nation finished voting. The stakes have drawn nearly $500 million in campaign spending to a once solidly Republican state that now finds itself as the nations premier battleground. Its really about whether an agenda that moves the nation forward can be forged without significant compromise, said Martin Luther King III, the son of the civil rights icon and a Georgia native, who predicted razor thin margins on Tuesday. There are a lot of things that are in the balance. The results also will help demonstrate whether the sweeping political coalition that fueled Biden's victory was an anti-Trump anomaly or part of a new landscape. Biden won Georgias 16 electoral votes by about 12,000 votes out of 5 million cast in November. Democratic success will likely depend on driving a huge turnout of African Americans, young voters, college-educated voters and women, all groups that helped Biden become the first Democratic presidential candidate since 1992 to win Georgia. Republicans, meanwhile, have been focused on energizing their own base of white men and voters beyond the core of metro Atlanta. More than 3 million Georgians voted before Tuesday. The runoff elections come as Trump continues his unprecedented campaign to undermine election results across various states he lost. In a recording of a private phone call made public on Sunday, the president told Georgia's secretary of state to find enough votes to give him an outright victory in the state, even after repeated recounts, failed court challenges, and state certification. Campaigning in Georgia on Monday hours before Trump's visit, Vice President Mike Pence said he has concerns about voting irregularities." He has also repeatedly described Georgia Republicans as the last line of defense against a Democratic takeover in Washington, an implicit acknowledgement that the Trump has indeed lost the election. Congress is scheduled to vote to certify Biden's victory on Wednesday. In another affirmation of Trump's hold on his fellow Republicans, Loeffler took the stage at Trump's rally and vowed to join the small but growing number of Republicans protesting the count on the Senate floor. Look, this president fought for us, she said. "We're fighting for him." By STEVE PEOPLES and BILL BARROW, Associated Press Credit: ETH Zurich For the first time, researchers at ETH Zurich have successfully automated the modeling of turbulence by combining fluid mechanics with artificial intelligence. Their project relies on fusing reinforcement learning algorithms with turbulent flow simulations on the CSCS supercomputer Piz Daint. The modeling and simulation of turbulent flows is crucial for designing cars and heart valves, predicting the weather, and even retracing the birth of a galaxy. The Greek mathematician, physicist and engineer Archimedes occupied himself with fluid mechanics some 2,000 years ago, and to this day, the complexity of fluid flows is still not fully understood. The physicist Richard Feynman counted turbulence among the most important unsolved problems in classical physics, and it remains an active topic for engineers, scientists and mathematicians alike. Engineers have to consider the effects of turbulent flows when building an aircraft or a prosthetic heart valve. Meteorologists need to account for them when they forecast the weather, as do astrophysicists when simulating galaxies. Consequently, researchers from these communities have been modeling turbulence and performing flow simulations for more than 60 years. Turbulent flows are characterized by flow structures spanning a broad range of spatial and temporal scale. There are two major approaches for simulating these complex flow structures: One is direct numerical simulation (DNS), and the other is large eddy simulation (LES). Flow simulations test the limits of supercomputers DNS solves the Navier-Stokes equations, which are central to the description of flows, with a resolution of billions and sometimes trillions of grid points. DNS is the most accurate way to calculate flow behavior, but unfortunately it is not practical for most real-world applications. In order to capture the details of these turbulent flows, they require far more grid points than can be handled by any computer in the foreseeable future. As a result, researchers use models in their simulations so that they do not have to calculate every detail to maintain accuracy. In the LES approach, the large flow structures are resolved, and so-called turbulence closure models account for the finer flow scales and their interactions with the large scales. However, the correct choice of closure model is crucial for the accuracy of the results. Schematic of multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) for modelling. The agents (marked by red cubes) execute a control policy that maximises the similarity between simulations. Credit: CSElab/ETH Zurich) Rather art than science "Modeling of turbulence closure models has largely followed an empirical process for the past 60 years and remains more of an art than a science," says Petros Koumoutsakos, professor at the Laboratory for Computational Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich. Koumoutsakos, his Ph.D. student Guido Novati, and former master's student (now Ph.D. candidate at the University of Zurich) Hugues Lascombes de Larousillhe have proposed a new strategy to automate the process: use artificial intelligence (AI) to learn the best turbulent closure models from the DNS and apply them to the LES. They published their results recently in Nature Machine Intelligence. Specifically, the researchers developed new reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms and combined them with physical insight to model turbulence. "Twenty-five years ago, we pioneered the interfacing of AI and turbulent flows," says Koumoutsakos. But back then, computers were not powerful enough to test many of the ideas. "More recently, we also realized that the popular neural networks are not suitable for solving such problems, because the model actively influences the flow it aims to complement," says the ETH professor. The researchers thus had to resort to a different learning approach in which the algorithm learns to react to patterns in the turbulent flow field. Automated modeling The idea behind Novati's and Koumoutsako's novel RL algorithm is to use the grid points that resolve the flow field as AI agents. The agents learn turbulence closure models by observing thousands of flow simulations. "In order to perform such large scale simulations, it was essential to have access to the CSCS supercomputer "Piz Daint'", stresses Koumoutsakos. After training, the agents are free to act in the simulation of flows in which they have not been trained before. The system leanrs the turbulence model by 'playing' with the flow. "The machine 'wins' when it succeeds to match LES with DNS results, much like machines learning to play a game of chess or GO" says Koumoutsakos. "During the LES, the AI performs the actions of the unresolved scales by only observing the dynamics of the resolved large scales." According to the researchers, the new method not only outperforms well-established modeling approaches, but can also be generalized across grid sizes and flow conditions. The critical part of the method is a novel algorithm developed by Novati that identifies which of the previous simulations are relevant for each flow state. The so-called "Remember and Forget Experience Replay" algorithm has been shown to outperform the vast majority of existing RL algorithms on multiple benchmark problems beyond fluid mechanics, according to the researchers. The team believes that their newly developed method will not only be of importance in the construction of cars and in weather forecasting. "For most challenging problems in science and technology, we can only solve the 'big scales' and model the 'fine' ones," says Koumoutsakos. "The newly developed methodology offers a new and powerful way to automate multiscale modeling and advance science through a judicious use of AI." Explore further New method brings physics to deep learning to better simulate turbulence More information: Guido Novati et al. Automating turbulence modelling by multi-agent reinforcement learning, Nature Machine Intelligence (2021). Journal information: Nature Machine Intelligence Guido Novati et al. Automating turbulence modelling by multi-agent reinforcement learning,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s42256-020-00272-0 WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- During COVID-19 pandemic, it's the first time companies worldwide had to ask employees to work remotely for an extensive period. It is a means of practicing social distancing and preventing themselves from the Coronavirus outbreak. These days, many companies have started investing in Best Remote Work Software . It is the easiest way to ensure all the projects are carried out on time and to the client's specifications. The alternative to this is that the firms work with multiple software tools, spreadsheets, and meetings. In recent research by GoodFirms, around 88.9% of Employees choose to work remotely, and 46.6% of them said they would like to work in an office (partially). Apart from this, the study spotlights that most employees worldwide, who are 70% of them, will opt for hybrid models in the post-covid. With the help of How Do Employees Prefer to Work Remotely? - Locations, Allowances & More research by GoodFirms can help the organizations to bring in the change in management to reimagine the future of their business and how employees can work and collaborate. The study highlights several points that will help the companies move as quickly as possible in an agile and adaptive manner. GoodFirms performed the survey in which 500+ professionals across the world participated. It helped grab some insights about what kind of working model and locations they prefer, the types of allowances they require from their employer, practice holding meetings, and maintaining the time and performance for better productivity and allowances. The survey participants are mainly males (71.4%), followed by females (27.8%). The participants belong to the ages: 18 - 24 (9%), 25-39 (70.8%), 40-59 (19%), and 60+ (1.2%). Respondents are from the United States (23.2%), United Kingdom (14%), Australia (13%), Canada (20%), India (13.8%), and Others (16%). The employers and HR professionals can also use this study to know the employees' preferences on remote working and different locations. Ultimately they even understand what kind of compensation employees are expecting while working remotely. Thus, all these parameters can be a great asset to the employers and HR's to tackle remote work structurally and be quite successful. An internationally recognized GoodFirms.co is a maverick B2B research, ratings, and reviews platform. It builds a secure platform to associate the service seekers with exceptional service providers that fit in their budget and other requisites. The analyst team of GoodFirms analyzes each firm through the profound research process, which consists of three crucial factors that are Quality, Reliability, and Ability. These elements integrate several qualitative and quantitative measures such as determining the past and present portfolio of each agency, verify the experience they have got in their domain areas, demonstrate the online market penetration and also take a look at the client reviews of what they have said for their services. Following all the above-stated measures, firms are compared to each other and then allot each of them with a score that is out of total 60. Considering these points, every agency is indexed in the catalog of top development companies, best software, and various organizations from different industries. Here at GoodFirms, the businesses can pick the Best Collaboration Software known to help streamline the work, track the progress and improve the internal communications. Moreover, GoodFirms supports the service providers to engage in the research process and show strong evidence of their work done. Thus, grab a chance to Get Listed for free in the catalog of top companies as per the proficiency. Obtaining a position among the top companies at GoodFirms will improve the visibility of the agencies, get an opportunity to meet potential customers, and grow the business globally. About GoodFirms: GoodFirms is a Washington, D.C. based research firm that aligns its efforts in identifying the most prominent and efficient remote work software that delivers results to their clients. GoodFirms research is a confluence of new age consumer reference processes and conventional industry-wide review & rankings that help service seekers leap further and multiply their industry-wide value and credibility. Rachael Ray (360) 326-2243 [email protected] SOURCE GoodFirms Related Links https://www.goodfirms.co Appointment 5 January 2021 Isaac Collazo, formerly of InterContinental Hotels Group, has been named VP of analytics for STR. Collazo served in a VP capacity at IHG for the past 18 years, including the last two in competitive intelligence with a focus on performance analysis, predictive analytics, modeling and macroeconomic interpretation. His more than 30-year industry resume also includes earlier positions with Marriott International, Promus Hotel Corporation and La Quinta Inns & Suites. "This was a unique opportunity to add someone of Isaac's perspective and expansive industry data experience," said Amanda Hite, STR president. "Isaac will be an immediate voice in conversations around STR methodology as well as our ongoing product development in the CoStar platform. Long-term, he'll contribute to the evolution of the holistic solution we will deliver to the industry." Collazo is also a longstanding content committee member for the Hotel Data Conference, hosted annually by STR and Hotel News Now. "The opportunity to work with the premier lodging industry leader to further strengthen its contributions is a dream come true," Collazo said. "I believe my 30-plus years of working with STR and its data will provide an additional level of understanding that will enable us to further advance the comprehensive solutions that empower our industry. STR's industry leadership is more important than ever given the impact of COVID-19. I am thrilled to be a part of the STR and CoStar Group teams." A pedestrian walks by Christmas decorations during the holidays in Montreal on Dec. 18, 2020. (Mario Beauregard/The Canadian Press) Nearly Half of Canadians Visited Friends and Family During the Holidays: Poll Nearly half of Canadians visited with family or friends over the winter holiday period despite public health guidelines to limit contact amid rising COVID-19 cases, a new poll suggests. The Leger/Association for Canadian Studies poll found 48 percent of those surveyed visited with people outside their households, compared to 52 percent who said they did not. Of those who did visit with friends or family outside their homes, 34 percent did it once, 12 percent two or three times, and two percent did it often. As COVID-19 infection numbers rise across the country, the poll suggests 62 percent surveyed have little to no confidence in Canadas ability to limit the spread of the virus over the next few weeks. That pessimism is notable, considering that before the holidays polls suggested Canadians were feeling optimistic about 2021, said Leger vice-president Christian Bourque. But stories in the waning days of 2020 about delays in vaccine rollouts, climbing case counts, and news that many politicians left the country over the holidays despite limits on travel, seem to be turning Canadians moods, he said. I think its gotten people to be more skeptical about how much we can do in the short term, he said. Throughout the pandemic, Leger has asked Canadians about their mental health, and Bourque said the latest round of responses reflect a downturn: in the most recent survey, only 33 percent rated their mental health as good, the lowest figure yet, he said. January is set up to be a bit gloomy, he said. Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies carried out the survey of 1,506 Canadians between Dec. 30, 2020, and Jan. 3, 2021. The poll was conducted online and cannot be assigned a margin of error as online surveys arent considered truly random. As pollsters were asking the questions, news reports surfaced of politicians, including Ontarios finance minister and several federal MPs and provincial politicians in Alberta, among others, taking trips outside the country in recent months. This is in spite of repeated warnings from local and national governments, as well as public health officials, that travel should be limited to only essential trips. Under the program, USDA works with food distributors across the country to buy fresh meat, dairy and produce from farmers and assemble them into boxes that are delivered to food pantries and other charities. Deliveries for the latest round will begin shortly after contracts are awarded this month and continue through the end of April. Republic Day Trailer: Farmers to hold tractor march on 7 Jan; Desh Jagran Abhiyan for 2 weeks India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: The protesting farmers on Tuesday announced that they will intensify their agitation against the three contentious agriculture laws for the next two weeks. Addressing a press conference, Swaraj India's Yogendra Yadav said that a tractor march will be organised at four Delhi borders on January 7 to press for their demands -- repealing the laws and giving legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. The leader called the march a "trailer" before the massive Republic Day agitation. "We have decided that on January 7, we will take out a tractor march at four borders of Delhi including Eastern and Western peripheral. This will be a trailer for what lies ahead on January 26," Yadav said. "From tomorrow, for 2 weeks, 'Desh Jagran Abhiyan' will be started and protests will be intensified throughout the country," he added. No breakthrough in farmer-government talks, next meet on Friday "On January 26, we will hold a massive rally in Delhi with tricolours on tractors. We give a call for countrywide protests at all headquarters (of the unions)," the protesting farmers had said. A stalemate continued on Monday between the government and a representative group of thousands of protesting farmers, as the unions stuck to their demand for the repeal of three farm laws right from the beginning of the meeting even as the ministers listed various benefits of the Acts. Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various Delhi borders for over a month against the three laws. They have stayed put despite heavy rains and waterlogging at protest sites over the last couple of days, besides severe cold weather conditions prevailing in and around the national capital. Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major farm reforms and aimed at increasing farmers'' income. During the meeting, the government listed various benefits from the three laws, enacted a few months ago, but farmers kept insisting that the legislation must be withdrawn to address their apprehensions that the new Acts would weaken the MSP and mandi systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporates. The government has maintained that these apprehensions are misplaced and has ruled out repealing the laws. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 19:29 [IST] Oman has allowed cruises to resume after a long hiatus following the spread of Covid-19. The sultanate will receive its first cruise this month. said a report citing various sources following the cruise Itineraries. As per the reports, AIDA Cruises have voyages planned around the GCC region, with its Aida Prima to sail on seven-day voyages starting January 29, Oman Daily Observer reported. Aida Prima will be sailing on a voyage that will depart from Dubai and sail to Muscat, where the vessel will remain for two days January 30 and 31. The ship will be visiting Oman again in February and March besides Salalah in April. Aida Prima is the current flagship for AIDA Cruises. The 3,300 passenger vessel is part of Carnival Corporation. Meanwhile, MSC cruises also listed Salalah as its port of call for MSC Fantasia on April 15, the report said. Oman received 110,000 cruise ship visitors until the end of February 2020. Before the worldwide travel ban due to Covid-19, Oman was expecting 300,000 cruise ship tourists in 2020. The CEO of Dominion Voting Systems has said the company is contemplating legal action and plans to sue President Donald Trump and his former attorney Sidney Powell for defamation. Dominion Voting Systems is the company behind the voting machines which had been used during the presidential election in Georgia and elsewhere. The company has been subjected to a number of baseless accusations since the results were revealed. Dominion Voting Systems CEO John Poulos has said his company plans on suing former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell, pictured, imminently for defamation Company CEO John Poulos told Axios on Monday that his company plans on suing Powell, a former Trump campaign lawyer imminently for defamation over her claims about its voting machines. 'Our focus right now is on Sidney Powell, and there's very good reason for that. She is by far in our opinion the most egregious and prolific purveyor of the falsities against Dominion. Her statements have caused real damage. They're demonstrably false,' Poulos said. 'We were originally quiet and we sat back as a company because our hope was that all of these claims would be filed in a process in court where procedure and evidence is important. And it's become clear to us that there is absolutely no interest to reveal this evidence because we know it doesn't exist. And there's no effort to actually put it in front of the court proceedings so that these allegations and all of the evidence can follow a proper process and be litigated right to the end.' During his leaked call with Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, President Trump called the American company 'corrupt'. 'Sidney Powell's statements have caused real damage. They're demonstrably false' Dominion's CEO John Poulos said Do you think its possible that they shredded ballots in Fulton County? Because thats what the rumor is. And also that Dominion took out machines. That Dominion is really moving fast to get rid of their, uh, machinery. Do you know anything about that? Because thats illegal, right?" Trump asked Raffensperger. Raffensperger attempted to correct the president after he claimed the machines had recently removed or altered by Dominion employees. Dominion has said that the allegations have even led to death threats against some of it workers including one who is unable to return home. Eric Coomer, security director at the Colorado-based firm, said he wants his life back after being named in false charges as a key actor in 'rigging' the election for President-elect Joe Biden. There has been no evidence that the election was rigged. His defamation lawsuit, filed Tuesday in district court in Denver County, Colorado, names the Trump campaign, lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, the website Gateway Pundit, Colorado conservative activist Joseph Oltmann, and conservative media Newsmax and One America News Network. 'I have been thrust into the public spotlight by people with political and financial agendas but, at heart, I am a private person,' Coomer said in a statement. Eric Coomer from Dominion Voting has been driven into hiding by death threats and has filed a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump's campaign, two of its lawyers and some conservative media figures and outlets 'While I intend to do everything I can to recapture my prior lifestyle, I have few illusions in this regard,' he said. 'And so, today, I put my trust in the legal process, which has already exposed the truth of the 2020 presidential election.' Dominion, which provided vote-counting equipment to several states, has denied accusations that it switched Trump votes in Biden's favor, and no evidence has emerged to back those charges up. Dominion and another voting technology company, Smartmatic, have begun to fight back against being named in baseless conspiracy theories. After legal threats were made, Fox News Channel and Newsmax in recent days have aired segments that challenge false allegations made about the companies on those networks. A touchscreen voting machine is seen at a Fulton County polling station in Atlanta, Georgia. The red and white Dominion Voting Systems logo is seen at the upper left of the screen A sample ballot is shown using the Dominion Voting system Georgia used during the election Coomer's lawyer say his client has become 'the face of the false claims.' Coomer's name first got public exposure in a podcast by Oltmann, who claimed to have heard a strategy call of Antifa activists. When the prospect of a Trump victory was brought up, Oltmann said a man identified as 'Eric from Dominion' supposedly said 'dont worry about the election, Trump is not going to win. I made ... sure of that,' adding an expletive. In an opinion piece written for the Denver Post, Coomer wrote that he has no connections to Antifa, was never on any call and the idea that there is some recording of him is 'wholly fabricated.' The fact-checking website Snopes said Oltmann hasn't cooperated in any attempts to verify his claims. Oltmann also claimed that Coomer made anti-Trump comments on Facebook. The lawsuit acknowledged that Coomer made comments critical of the president on his private Facebook page; he now says his page is inactive. President Trump has also called the American company 'corrupt' claiming the machines were removed or altered during the election by Dominion's workers Oltmann's charges spread after he was interviewed by Malkin and Gateway Pundit. Eric Trump tweeted about them. OANN, and its White House correspondent Chanel Rion, reported on them. Powell, misidentifying Coomer as working for Smartmatic, said at a news conference that Coomer's 'social media is filled with hatred' for Trump, and she later repeated her charges in a Newsmax interview. Giuliani, at a news conference, called Coomer 'a vicious, vicious man. He wrote horrible things about the president ... He is completely warped,' according to the lawsuit. Fox News Channel, another network popular with Trump supporters, is not being sued and Coomer actually uses Fox's Tucker Carlson to buttress his case. Powell has continued to claim without evidence that Dominion's algorithm flipped votes and that the company paid Georgia GOP officials to stay quiet about it The lawsuit notes a scheduled Powell appearance on Carlson's show did not happen after she could not provide evidence for her charges. Coomer said that right-wing websites posted his photo, home address and details about his family. Death threats began almost immediately. He said his father, an Army veteran, received a handwritten letter asking, 'How does it feel to have a traitor for a son.' 'It's terrifying,' Coomer said. 'I've worked in international elections in all sorts of post-conflict countries where election violence is real and people are getting killed over it. And I feel that we're on the verge of that.' A picture shows the South Korean-flagged tanker being escorted by Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy after being seized in the Gulf. (Tasnim News/AFP via Getty Images) Iran Denies Holding South Korean Ship Hostage in Exchange for Frozen Funds Iran said it wasnt taking a South Korean oil tanker and its sailors as hostages, a day after its naval unit seized the vessel in the Gulf waters while demanding Seoul release billions of dollars in Iranian money frozen due to U.S. sanctions. Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Monday intercepted and captured the MT Hankuk Chemi, a South Korean-flagged tanker, and detained its 20-member crew, citing environmental and chemical pollution concerns. The seizure came as South Korea, in accordance with sanctions reimposed by the United States in 2018 after withdrawing from the Obama-era nuclear agreement, continues a freeze on $7 billion from Irans oil exports in two Korean banks. Tehran has been calling on Seoul since July 2020 to release the money. The Islamic regime on Tuesday denied speculation that it is planning to exchange the captured ship for its $7 billion funds. Weve become used to such allegations, spokesman Ali Rabiei told a news conference, reported The Korea Times. But if there is any hostage-taking, it is Koreas government that is holding $7 billion, which belongs to us, hostage on baseless grounds. South Korea on Tuesday summoned the Iranian ambassador, calling for the immediate release of the ship and the sailors. The Blue House also said it is sending a delegation to Tehran to discuss the matter. Iran has a record of seizing foreign ships traveling near the strategic Strait of Hormuz as a method of gaining advantage in sanctions talks. In 2019, Iran held a British tanker for two months after the United Kingdom seized an Iranian tanker that was suspected of carrying oil to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions. A speedboat of Irans Revolutionary Guard moves around a British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero which was seized in the Strait of Hormuz by the Guard, in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, on July 19 2019. (Morteza Akhoondi/Mehr News Agency via AP) The fate of U.S. sanctions against Iran is likely to be determined by the result of the White House race. A reelected Trump administration, according to State Secretary Mike Pompeo, will continue the maximum pressure campaign on the Iranian regime until it reaches a comprehensive agreement with the United States to rein in its proliferation threats and stops spreading chaos, violence, and bloodshed. Former Vice President Joe Biden, by contrast, has expressed a willingness to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal if elected president. He wrote in a September essay for CNN that if Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations. Marcello Velez, 56, was arrested on Monday and charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault by sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child A vice president at Columbia University is facing charges of sexually abusing a child under the age of 13. Marcello Velez, 56, was detained on Monday and charged with aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault by sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child. The Woodcliff Lake Police Department received a tip that Velez was engaging in sexual acts with the underage child Sunday while in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office shared in a release. A joint investigation by the two agencies found that the sexual acts had occurred at Velez's home in Woodcliff Lake. He is currently being held in the Bergen County Jail while awaiting trial. The relationship between Velez and the minor is not presently known. Columbia's website states that Velez is the Vice President for Manhattanville Development at the university. Columbia's website states that Velez is the Vice President for Manhattanville Development at the university. The university could not be immediately reached for a comment 'He serves as the University's point person on all aspects of development, design and construction of the University's 6.8 million sq. foot Manhattanville in West Harlem campus expansion,' the website reads. Velez has been at the university since 1995 under a number of titles, with his prior position being the Associate Vice President for Capital Management for the Morningside Campus. He has been with Columbia's Manhattanville Development Group since 2007. Columbia could not be immediately reached for a comment. Tourists visit Ninh Binh's Trang An Landscape Complex on the New Year holiday 2021 (Photo: VNA) Ninh Binh Ninh Binh province, a tourist destination in the north, is launching several measures to achieve its goal of welcoming 7 million arrivals this year, during which it hosts the National Tourism Year. According to Director of the provincial Tourism Department Bui Van Manh, the department is giving recommendations to the local authorities on preparing for the year, assessing tourism service development projects, upgrading the local tourism portal to be trilingual (Vietnamese, English, and French), and launching promotion activities on social networks, among other activities. It is also working with the provincial tourism association to mobilise travel agencies engagement in demand stimulus activities and increase service quality, he added. Ensuring related security and order, environmental sanitation, and COVID-19 prevention and control are also key tasks, noted the official. According to statistics from the department, during the recent three-day New Year holiday, the province received more than 32,000 visitors. Most of them went to local renowned destinations like Trang An Landscape Complex a world cultural and natural heritage site, Cuc Phuong national park, and Van Long submerged natural reserve. Last year, it hosted 2.8 million tourists, equaling to just 37 percent of the 2019 figure. The reduction was largely due to the impact of the pandemic. Partnership will continue to break new ground in education, providing unique and rewarding opportunities for students while promoting comprehensive programming and a pathway to understand, diagnose and service Samsung digital appliances TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Samsung Electronics Canada has extended its partnership with Centennial College's Electronics Engineering Technician program through 2023. Over the last five years, Samsung has supported more than 275 Centennial students to develop the skills needed to pursue a wide range of opportunities in electronics engineering for digital appliances, with a number of program graduates now working at Samsung Service Centres across the province. The Samsung Tech Institute and the Electronics Engineering Technician program integrate curriculum that was developed by Samsung and Centennial College in response to the strong demand for electronic technicians in the digital home appliance service sector. At the heart of the two-year program is a fully-functioning digital servicing and home appliance lab at the college's Progress Campus. The space allows students to interact with peers and demonstrate the skills they have learned in the classroom utilizing Samsung equipment. This experience provides a powerful and practical reference throughout the certification process. "When we launched The Samsung Tech Institute with Centennial College five years ago, our goal was to invest in the futures of students pursuing careers in the electronic industry," said Frank Martino, VP Corporate Service, Samsung Electronics Canada. "We are proud of our continued investment to extend the program through 2023, which will support even more students on their journey to being Electronic Engineering Technicians, specializing in Samsung Digital Appliances." Dr. Patrick Kelly, Dean of the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science at Centennial College, added that the Samsung Tech Institute provides students with "a tangible future career path." Story continues "Samsung is an invaluable partner that has poured time and talent into our students for the last five years," said Kelly. "The Samsung Tech Institute Lab is much more than the beautiful mobile devices, home appliances and excellent resources; it is a testament to the impact of hands-on learning and having the skills to attain employment after post-secondary school. When students can see potential career paths, use the specialized tools of the trade, and learn from professionals in those roles, they can see themselves in that profession." The ICET department of Centennial's School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science has pivoted all its programs, including Electronics Engineering Technician and Mobile Applications Development, to online learning and hybrid delivery. Other prominent programs include Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering Technology, and a four-year applied degree in Computer and Communication Networks. The Samsung Tech Institute offers programming in developing mobile apps, specialized home appliance training and the opportunity for select graduates to participate in co-op and career placement opportunities. Additionally, each year Samsung provides three students enrolled in the program with a $1,000 achievement scholarship. Post-graduation employment or higher earnings are not guaranteed. About Samsung Electronics Canada Samsung Electronics Canada inspires Canadians to reach their full potential through a transformative ecosystem of products and services that deliver innovation and distinct design to every aspect of their connected lives. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets and digital appliances. In 2020, Samsung was ranked in the Top 10 List of Canada's Most Influential Brands. Dedicated to helping make a difference in the lives of Canadians, Samsung's award-winning corporate giving initiatives support public education and health-related issues in communities across the country. About Centennial College Established in 1966, Centennial College is Ontario's first public college. It primarily serves the eastern portion of the Greater Toronto Area through five campuses and six satellite locations. Best known for its record of exemplary teaching, innovative programming and extensive partnership-building, Centennial enrols more than 25,000 full-time students and 20,000 part-time learners annually. For more information, visit www.centennialcollege.ca/setas. SOURCE Centennial College Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2021/19/c0368.html NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the pandemic crisis and lingering economic and political volatility increasingly threaten businesses and recovery globally, WomenCorporateDirectors Foundation (WCD) is seeing many companies consider establishing a stand-alone board Risk committee. This is just one way the best-prepared boards are arming themselves in the current climate and as they look ahead toward 2021, says Susan C. Keating, CEO of WCD. "2020 has forced companies to look at risk in a completely new way," Keating says. "2021 will be a time for boards to really integrate risk and strategy on a long-term basis." "While risk oversight is the role of the full board, many companies are now opting to form dedicated committees to drill down on new risks and make recommendations to the full board on ways to approach a mitigation strategy," says Keating. "Risk has become an integral part of strategy development, as companies have seen what happens when threats come to light." WCD recently teamed with risk advisors, C-level executives, and board members to offer two programs on risk as part of its virtual WCDirect program series the first being so popular that members demanded a second. Catherine Allen, founder and chairman of The Santa Fe Group and a WCD member, led the panel discussions on board Risk committees and best practices in approaching risk. Additional panelists included: Christopher Burt : Co-Founder and Director of the UK Risk Coalition; Principal, Halex Consulting; Director, Risk Coalition Research Company Co-Founder and Director of the UK Risk Coalition; Principal, Halex Consulting; Director, Risk Coalition Research Company Jackie Daylor : KPMG Audit Partner who formerly served as National Managing Partner Audit Quality and Professional Practice KPMG Audit Partner who formerly served as National Managing Partner Audit Quality and Professional Practice Agnes Bundy Scanlan, Esq. , CIPP: President, The Cambridge Group LLC; Director, Truist Financial Corporation, NewTower Trust Company, and AppFolio, Inc.; Member, WCD Boston In their deep dive with the hundreds of WCD member directors who attended each of the programs, key lessons and best practices emerged about how boards should approach risk today: 10 Ways Corporate Boards Need to Approach Risk in 2021 Create a Risk committee separate from the board Audit committee. "While expert with financials and investments, Audit committee members often do not have the deep operational expertise required to evaluate risk in a broader sense," said Catherine Allen . "A Risk committee needs members with experience in areas such as cybersecurity, IT, compliance, third-party risk management, privacy, and reputational risk." With this knowledge and expertise, the Risk committee can understand the significance of risk profiles for each business and establish metrics. Don't spend too much time on risks you already know. Boards tend to focus too much on known risks that already have mitigations in place. "The real value is focusing on new and emerging risks where you may need to develop a solution or process to reduce or control a potential threat," said Chris Burt . "An important quality to look for in a board Risk committee member or a Chief Risk Officer is imagination." Keep an eye on what can go very wrong, very quickly. The liquidity crisis stemming from the COVID-19 shutdown put many companies in a dangerous financial position virtually overnight. Many of these businesses had seen a liquidity crunch just twelve years earlier during the 2008 financial crisis. These kinds of existential threats are where Risk committees must not get complacent, said Burt. "Pay attention to risks that are currently under control but have the potential to go very wrong, very quickly, when cascading consequences emerge from new risks." Reputational risk can stem from multiple other risks. "A Risk committee often has to handle reputational repercussions that happen as a result of other matters under their oversight going awry," said Agnes Bundy Scanlan . "Everything from regulatory issues, to an ESG failure, to a customer data breach can carry significant reputational consequences, which require a level of risk management beyond the initial incident." Risk management doesn't mean being afraid to pull the trigger. There can be a tendency when making strategic decisions, especially with certain boards in financial services, to keep asking for more and more data and not move forward. "Don't paralyze the organization by always asking for more data and refusing to act," said Burt. "At some point, you have to make a decision." Leverage a strong risk culture. "The institutions that have come into the events of 2020 the pandemic, the economic collapse, the social unrest with a strong culture are managing better," said Bundy Scanlan . "Organizations that have addressed risk in the past, in a strategic way, have been able to tap into this culture and adapt. These companies are better at working remotely they aren't as disrupted by these kinds of changes that drag down the performance of those who can't adapt. Make sure performance isn't being driven by bad culture. "What are the cultural elements the tone at the top, the incentives, the pressures that could create risk in an organization?" asked Jackie Daylor . "It's important to look at the behaviors that are driving results and the culture that's developing around the bottom line." Don't devote all attention to today's headline crisis. "Risk committees tend to focus on the current threat in the news, whether it's a cyberattack or COVID," said Burt. "They always need to look at the risks as a whole the ongoing threats that are always there and not ignore any of them." Keep strategic objectives top of mind. "Risk management isn't just about preventing bad things from happening, it's also about analyzing opportunities to help good things happen," said Burt. Risk committees should be involved closely in strategic decisions, and Burt even predicted that one day these committees will be renamed "Strategy and Risk" committees. Plan for risk management and review the strategy frequently. "Strategy and risk are intertwined," said Daylor. "It's essential to have a strategic approach to risk management. Companies need organizational resilience to withstand black swan events, such as the current pandemic, so that their people and processes are prepared to respond in the right way." "Diversity plays a huge part in reducing management's blind spots when it comes to risk," says Daylor. "A diversity of experience and social diversity help with problem solving, whether it's COVID-related health and safety concerns, managing remote workforces or the acceleration of digital transformation that comes along with a remote workforce. The value of diversity is especially critical as risks grow in complexity, argues Susan Keating. "On your Risk committee and for your board as a whole," she says, "you want to make sure the diversity of the team is broad enough to address the wide spectrum of risks that are multiplying quickly each day." For more information, please contact Suzanne Oaks Brownstein or Trang Mar of Temin and Company at [email protected] or 212.588.8788. About WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc. The WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc. (WCD) is the only global membership organization and community of women corporate directors. WCD members serve on numerous boards of large private and family-run companies globally. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, WCD has 76 chapters around the world. The aggregate market capitalization of public companies on whose boards WCD members serve is over $8 trillion. For more information visit www.womencorporatedirectors.org or follow us on Twitter @WomenCorpDirs, #WCDboards, #WCDGlobal2020. About KPMG, WCD's Global Lead Sponsor KPMG LLP is the U.S. firm of the KPMG global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. The KPMG global organization operates in 147 countries and territories and has more than 219,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients. About The Santa Fe Group The Santa Fe Group's risk management experts work collaboratively with organizations worldwide to identify meaningful trends, risks, and vulnerabilities, and to advise, educate, and empower organizations in the areas of cybersecurity, third party risk, privacy and enterprise risk management programs. The Santa Fe Group is the managing agent of the membership-based Shared Assessments Program, which guides many of the world's leading organizations with the best practices to manage and protect against third party IT security risks. www.sharedassessments.org. SOURCE WomenCorporateDirectors Education and Development Foundation, Inc. Related Links http://www.womencorporatedirectors.org AMHERST The University of Massachusetts will host one of the states vaccination sites for first responders when clinics begin next week. Registration is required, and it begins Wednesday, January 6. The first dose schedule will be Monday through Thursday, January 11-14. The second dose schedule will be from Feb. 8-11. Individuals eligible to get vaccinated under state guidelines include police, fire and emergency medical services professionals, who will need to show a professional ID or license confirming their status. All first responders in Massachusetts are eligible to schedule an online appointment in advance and come to UMass Amherst to receive the vaccine. For registration details and other informaiton, visit www.umass.edu/coronavirus/vaccine. Plans developed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health call for distribution of the Moderna vaccine, which includes two doses administered 28 days apart. The clinic will be conducted at the UMass Amherst Campus Center, 1 Campus Center Way. Free parking will be available at the nearby Campus Center Parking Garage. Related Content: You are the owner of this article. Credit: CC0 Public Domain For several years, researchers have known that women are generally better than men at tasting bitter flavors. Now, research from the University of Copenhagen suggests that ethnicity may also play a role in how sensitive a person is to the bitter taste found in for example broccoli, Brussels sprouts and dark chocolate. By letting test subjects taste the bitter substance PROP, two studies demonstrate that Danish and Chinese people experience this basic taste differently. The reason seems to be related to an anatomical difference upon the tongue surfaces of these two groups. "Our studies show that the vast majority of Chinese test subjects are more sensitive to bitter tastes than the Danish subjects. We also see a link between the prominence of bitter taste and the number of small bumps, known as papillae, on a person's tongue," says Professor Wender Bredie of the University of Copenhagen's Department of Food Science (UCPH FOOD). A taste of artificial intelligence Using a new artificial intelligence method, researchers from UCPH FOOD, in collaboration with Chenhao Wang and Jon Sporring of UCPH's Department of Computer Science, analyzed the number of mushroom-shaped 'fungiform' papillae on the tongues of 152 test subjects, of whom half were Danish and half Chinese. Fungiform papillae, located at the tip of the tongue, are known to contain a large portion of our taste buds and play a central role in our food and taste experiences. To appreciate the significance of papillae in food preferences across cultures and ethnicities, it is important to learn more about their distribution, size and quantity. The analysis demonstrated that the Chinese test subjects generally had more of these papillae than the Danish subjects, a result that the researchers believe explains why Chinese people are better at tasting bitter flavors. However, Professor Bredie emphasizes that larger cohorts need to be examined before any definitive conclusions can be drawn about whether these apparent phenotypical differences between Danes and Chinese hold at the general population level. More knowledge about differences in taste impressions can be important for food development. According to Professor Bredie: "It is relevant for Danish food producers exporting to Asia to know that Asian and Danish consumers probably experience tastes from the same product differently. This must be taken into account when developing products." Danes prefer foods that require a good chew Professor Wender Bredie points out that genetics are only one of several factors that influence how we experience food. Another significant factor has to do with our preferencesincluding texture. Think, for example, of the difference between munching on crispy potato chips from a newly opened bag, compared to eating softened ones from a bag opened the day before. Here, many Danes would probably prefer the crispy ones over the soft ones, even if the taste is similar. According to the UCPH studies, there seems to be a difference between the Danish and Chinese test subjects on this point as well. While the vast majority of Chinese subjects (77%) prefer foods that don't require much chewing, the opposite holds true for the Danish subjects. Among the Danes, 73% prefer eating foods with a harder consistency that require biting and chewingrye bread and carrots, for example. The reason for this difference remains unknown, but the researchers suspect that it stems from differences in food culture and the ways in which we learn to eat. The studies do not point to tongue shape as making any difference. The new method Because the counting of tongue papillae is usually done manually, and a tongue has hundreds of tiny fungiform papillae, it is a demanding job in which mistakes are easily made. The new method, based on artificial intelligence and developed by image analysis experts Chenhao Wang and Jon Sporring of the Department of Computer Science, automates the counting and delivers precision. Using an algorithm, they have designed a tongue-coordinate system (see figure) that can map papillae on individual tongues using image recognition. Explore further What happens when food first touches your tongue More information: Chenhao Wang et al. A Novel Approach to Tongue Standardization and Feature Extraction, Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention MICCAI 2020 (2020). Chenhao Wang et al. A Novel Approach to Tongue Standardization and Feature Extraction,(2020). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-59722-1_4 Camilla Cattaneo et al. Cross-cultural differences in lingual tactile acuity, taste sensitivity phenotypical markers, and preferred oral processing behaviors, Food Quality and Preference (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.103803 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Iraq's president Barham Salih on Tuesday said that his country cannot "be a conflict arena for others", as he attended an official ceremony in Baghdad to commemorate the anniversary of the killing of a powerful Iranian general and a top Iraqi militia leader in a US drone strike. The killing of General Qassim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad's airport pushed Tehran and Washington perilously close to all-out conflict and sparked outrage in Iraq, leading parliament to pass a non-binding resolution days later calling for the expulsion of all foreign troops from Iraq. The Iraqi government's commemoration is being held amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration. Already, America has conducted B-52 bomber flyovers and sent a nuclear submarine into the Persian Gulf over what Trump officials describe as the possibility of an Iranian attack on the anniversary of the strike that killed Soleimani and al-Muhandis. Soleimani headed the elite Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, responsible for the Islamic Republic's foreign operations, and he frequently shuttled between Iraq, Lebanon and Syria. Al-Muhandis was Iraq's most powerful militia leader and was deputy commander of the PMF. They both gained prominence for advising Shiite paramilitary forces fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq, before it was defeated in 2017. Their killing dramatically ratcheted up tensions in the region and brought the US and Iran to the brink of war. Iran hit back by firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops, resulting in brain injuries to dozens of them. Iranian officials have suggested that more retaliation is coming. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) "We are excited to welcome the Forecast5 team to Frontline Education. Forecast5's decision support capabilities are a natural extension of our solutions and further our commitment to innovation, supporting the growth of district staff and optimizing the management of their processes," said Mark Gruzin, CEO of Frontline Education. "In the current climate, budgetary, financial management and planning considerations have become more complex. Together, our organizations will provide more advanced solutions and resources to address those needs for school districts." "We are thrilled to bring our broad capabilities in data and analytics to Frontline Education." - Scott Smith The acquisition expands the reach and impact of Forecast5's data analytics and decision support capabilities by introducing the company's solutions and expertise to thousands of Frontline Education clients across the country. Frontline's Student Information System (SIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) clients will have opportunities to take advantage of Forecast5's decision support capabilities. Forecast5 clients will benefit from Frontline Education's expansive data set as well as the company's broad portfolio of school administration software and services for human capital management, business operations and student management. Frontline will continue to support Forecast5's unique expertise, client success and advisor model, as well as their extensive partnerships to provide best practice guidance and resources to clients. "We are thrilled to bring our broad capabilities in data and analytics to Frontline Education, building on the strengths of both companies to create opportunities for greater efficiency and improved student outcomes," said Scott Smith, President & CEO of Forecast5 Analytics. "By combining tools, expertise and resources, we can deliver enhanced value and decision support to school organizations across the country, many of whom have already chosen Frontline and Forecast5 solutions to address their data, analytics and school administration needs." As the combined companies move forward together, Frontline Education and Forecast5 Analytics will support educational organizations as they navigate increased complexity and changing school dynamics by providing a holistic approach to decision support and strategic planning. Leveraging Frontline's nationally representative education data with Forecast5's powerful analytics tools will enhance accuracy in reporting, increase confidence in compliance and support improved outcomes for district clients. Riverwood Capital was the majority owner of Forecast5 Analytics and Thoma Bravo is the majority owner of Frontline Education. About Frontline Education Frontline Education is a leading provider of school administration software and services purpose-built for K-12 to support the growth of people and optimize the management of processes. With solutions for human capital management, student management and business operations, Frontline partners with school systems to deliver tools, data and insights for greater efficiency, productivity and performance resulting in more time for initiatives that matter to the education community. Frontline's broad portfolio includes solutions for proactive recruiting and hiring, absence and time, professional growth, student information systems, special education, special programs, Medicaid reimbursement, school health management, payroll, benefits and financial management. Educational organizations representing over 80,000 schools, millions of educators, administrators and support personnel have partnered with Frontline Education in their efforts to develop the next generation of learners. Frontline Education corporate headquarters are in Malvern, PA, with offices in Roseville, CA; Salinas, CA; Andover, MA; Walled Lake, MI; New York, NY; Rockville Centre, NY; Brecksville, OH; Austin, TX and Plano, TX as well as a growing remote workforce. About Forecast5 Analytics Forecast5 Analytics is a leading provider of financial forecasting, benchmarking, student performance and geovisual analytics software to the K-12 education sector. With Forecast5 tools, K-12 financial leaders can track current financial performance, benchmark historical performance and develop scenario-based forecasts to predict financial needs. The company's tools also enable district administrators to assess student performance, assess readiness and improve student outcomes. Forecast5's geovisual analytics provide a location-based perspective to help districts address complex challenges. More than 2,000 clients across the country use Forecast5 tools to make more informed decisions and improve student success. About Riverwood Capital Riverwood Capital is a technology-focused growth equity firm with over $3 billion in assets under management. Riverwood offers a unique combination of operational, strategic, technological, and financial insight to portfolio companies that need both growth capital and expertise in order to scale. The firm has offices in Menlo Park, CA; New York, NY; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. SOURCE Frontline Education WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures ended sharply higher on Tuesday, lifted by an announcement from Saudi Arabia that it will cut crude production by 1 million barrel per day from February through March. The decision of the Oraganization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies to hold output steady in February further helped push up oil prices. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for February ended up by $2.31 or about 4.9% at $49.93 a barrel. Brent crude futures were up $2.51 or nearly 5% at $53.60 a barrel. Tensions in the Middle East after Iran detained a South Korean vessel carrying ethanol in the Straits of Hormuz contributed as well to the uptick in oil prices. While Iran says the ship violated pollution rules, the operators of the vessel have denied the allegations. The incident comes amid tensions over Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks because of US sanctions. Meanwhile, traders were looking ahead to the weekly inventory data. The American Petroleum Institute will release its weekly report later today, while the Energy Information Administration's data on U.S. crude inventory is due out Wednesday morning. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday after OPEC and allied producers, including Russia, continued deadlocked talks on February output while fuel demand concerns lingered on amid new COVID-19 lockdowns. Brent crude futures for March rose 8 cents, or 0.2%, to $51.17 a barrel by 0206 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for February was at $47.74 a barrel, up 12 cents, or 0.3%. Both contracts fell more than 1% on Monday after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, failed to agree on Februarys oil output levels. Saudi Arabia argued against pumping more because of new lockdowns while Russia led calls for higher production, citing recovering demand. OPEC+ will resume talks on Tuesday. OPEC+ drama is of course steering the latest oil price downgrade, but the heavier hand is likely the still unknown impact of the new strain on economic activity and travel - both factors that warrant a belated mini-price correction after the winter holidays, said Louise Dickson, oil markets analyst at Rystad Energy. Rising tensions in the Middle East supported oil prices. Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew amid tensions between Tehran and Seoul over Iranian funds frozen in South Korean banks due to U.S. sanctions. Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushn also said that the Centre has not banned the export of any vaccines. The country's drugs regulator had on 3 January approved Oxford-Astrazeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured in India by Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for restricted emergency use. As India's coronavirus cases rose to 1,03,56,844, the Union health ministry on Tuesday said it is prepared to introduce the COVID-19 vaccine by 13 January, within 10 days from date of Emergency Use Authorisation, but added that the final decision lies with the government. The country's drugs regulator had on 3 January approved Oxford-Astrazeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured in India by Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for restricted emergency use. Amid questions being raised by health experts and journalists over the approval to Covaxin in the absence of Phase 3 trial data, the Centre said that all scientific and statutory requirements have been met and regulatory norms followed for granting the authorisation. Also on Tuesday, UK prime minister Boris Johnson postponed his trip to India in wake of the rising cases of the new virus variant and lockdown in that country. Johnson, who had accepted the invitation as the chief guest for India's Republic Day parade, indicated that his visit would take place during the first half of this year and before the G7 Summit presided over by the UK. No ban on export of vaccine, clarifies health ministry Addressing a press briefing, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said: "Based on the feedback of the dry-run, the Health Ministry is ready to introduce COVID-19 vaccine within 10 days from date of emergency use authorisation," However, while responding to a question on roll-out, Bhushan said the final decision will be taken by the government. In response to another question, Bhushan said, "The Union government has not banned the export of any one of the COVID-19 vaccines and this should be absolutely clear." Referring to a joint statement issued by the SII and Bharat earlier in the day, Bhushan said neither the Centre nor the vaccine manufacturers are talking on any ban on the export of vacccines. Sounding a truce after engaging in a war of words, the two companies on Tuesday said they will work together to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines in India and globally. In a joint statement on behalf of the two companies, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla and Bharat Biotech chairman and managing director Krishna Ella announced their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines for India and the world. They also noted that the vaccines were a global public health good. "We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for the people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our COVID-19 vaccines," the statement said. ICMR DG defends Covaxin approval, explains clinical trial mode In the briefing, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chief Balram Bhargava said that during a pandemic, restricted emergency use of vaccines is considered based on safety and immunogenicity data while phase three clinical trial is underway. "The immunogenicity data generated through phase two clinical trial serves as a surrogate for efficacy. The Clinical Trial Rule, 2019, provides for considering phase two results to guide approval," he said. The New Drugs and Clinical Trial Rules issued on 19 March, 2019, clearly state that if remarkable efficacy is observed with a defined dose in the Phase 2 clinical trial of investigational new drug for the unmet medical needs of serious and life threatening diseases in the country, it may be considered for grant of marketing approval by the Central Licensing Authority based on Phase 2 clinical trial data, he said. Industry experts and some Opposition leaders have expressed concern over the absence of Phase 3 trial data on Covaxin. The critics have cautioned that "sidestepping" processes and giving "premature" clearance could risk lives and fuel vaccine hesitancy in India. Explaining the process followed in giving the nod to the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine and indigenously developed Covaxin, Bhargava said, "The existing pandemic situation, high mortality, available science and lack of definitive treatments were considered by the subject expert committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of CDSCO for granting accelerated approval to these vaccines, and that is in our legal provision." "Now the SEC guides the DCGI in the process of decision making for restricted use under emergency situation. Now we have two vaccines," Bhargava said. The ICMR chief said animal studies of Covishield in the UK showed that vaccine prevented SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in monkeys and elicited good immunogenicity in mice. The Phase one and Phase two clinical trials in 1,077 participants showed an acceptable safety profile, and homologous boosting increased antibody responses. Phase two and three in prime-boost regimen in 560 participants showed it was better tolerated in older adults than in younger adults and has similar immunogenicity across all age groups after a boost dose. The result was published in the Lancet, the ICMR chief said. Phase 3 trials in 11,636 participants from UK and Brazil, with two standard doses, showed vaccine efficacy was 62.1 percent, in case of a low dose followed by a standard dose, the efficacy was 90 per cent. Overall, Covishield efficacy was 70.4 percent and this has been published online last month, he said. As for Covishield's phase two and three clinical trial in India, there were 1,600 participants above the age of 18. Their immunogenicity data is being generated, more than half is available. Covishield is safe and immunogenic and the data showed that it is "non-inferior to the UK product," Bhargava said, adding that this was an important point that led to its approval. As for Covaxin, Indian studies on animals such as rats, mice, rabbits, hamsters and monkeys showing excellent safety, immunogenicity. It showed robust viral clearance in both the upper and lower respiratory tract in large animals. The Phase one and Phase two clinical trial on 375 and 380 participants respectively revealed very low adverse events, Bhargava said, adding, "It showed neutralising antibody responses equivalent to human convalescent serum, strong antibody responses to all structural proteins... three months after vaccination." The Phase three clinical trial will include 25,800 participants of which 24,000 have been enrolled. There are no safety concerns and (participants) have been given their first dose and more than 5,000 given the second jab, he said. The ICMR DG said Covaxin animal studies have been published in Nature Communications and High science." The phase one trial was being published in Lancet Infectious Diseases... and the phase two paper is under review there. They also have the protocol of phase three which is also under review by the British Medical Journal." "There is another important publication in the Indian Journal of Medical Research which has compared the large animal data in all vaccine products and has shown the efficacy of this as well," Bhargava said. Bhargava said permission for restricted use in clinical trial mode has been allowed for Covaxin, which means consent of participants has to be taken and there has to be a regular follow-up with participants. Explaining further, he said the manufacturer of Covaxin has been requested by the drug controller to provide the protocol for the clinical trial mode and added that there will be no placebo used. Drug Controller has requested manufacturers to provide SOPs and protocol for a clinical trial mode which means everyone will give their consent for the vaccine. There will be no placebo. There will be closer follow up: Balram Bhargava DG ICMR pic.twitter.com/OxlGrj6MHF ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 'Indian vaccines will have to be stored at 2-8 degree Celsius' Department of Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup said Covaxin and Covishield have robustly undergone immunoassay lab tests. She also said that all Indian vaccines being developed against the coronavirus will have to be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius as the logistics have been worked out while considering temperature as a factor. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine require a minus 70 degree Celsius (cold) chain, she said. The Zydus Cadila candidate has been granted approval to conduct the phase-3 trial while the Biological E candidate is in its phase-1 clinical trial stage. Swarup said Dr Reddy's Laboratories has partnered with Russia's Gamaleya Institute and a vaccine is being developed for India targeting storage at 2-8 degrees Celsius. They (Dr Reddy's Laboratories) have started phase 2/3 trials in the country. They have completed the first part of the phase 2 trial on 1,000 subjects and they are now looking at interim data which is to be analysed. They also have large global trials, like the Astrazeneca and that data is also being looked at. What they are targeting is for India to try and see how it could be at 2-8 degrees, Swarup said. Asked about Pfizer not getting approval, Bhushan said the company has been given three opportunities, but it has not appeared before the subject expert committee and added that the panel which is willing to listen to their presentation. 'Health and frontline workers need not register' The health secretary said Co-WIN system is made in India and for the world, and the Indian government will actively help whichever country wants to use it. The health secretary said that healthcare workers and frontline workers need not register themselves as their database has been populated on to the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk manner. But the provision of registration and editing of data would come in for the priority population groups, he said. #IndiaFightsCorona: CO-WIN Vaccine Delivery Management System: These are those activities which were being digitally monitored within the country under the universal immunization programme: Secretary, @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/fEnMWlY2YR #IndiaFightsCorona (@COVIDNewsByMIB) January 5, 2021 "Then the system electronically allows session allocation... the beneficiary has been vaccinated this will also be digitally captured and he would be given this information digitally that when he has to come for the next dose. They will also get an acknowledgement, a unique health ID would also be generated," he said. Giving more information on Co-WIN, Bhushan said it has the facility for automated session allocation, Aadhaar authentication to prevent malpractice, creation of Unique Health ID for willing beneficiaries, reporting and tracking of adverse events following immunisation, if any, SMSes in 12 languages to guide beneficiaries and vaccinators, QR code-based vaccination certificate issued after all doses, DigiLocker integrated for data retrieval and storing QR code-based certificate and a 24x7 Helpline including IT professionals. "In case of an adverse event, to ensure its real-time reporting there is a provision in Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system," he said. 'No untoward cluster of UK strain' NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul said an optimistic scenario is emerging with the pandemic situation in India consistently improving in terms of active cases and new deaths declining. "Let's hope this trend will continue. In terms of the new UK mutant issue, this mutation has entered this country and 71 have been isolated which shows our capacity to mount that kind of a scientific investigation. But at the same time we have not seen the emergence of any untoward cluster in the country as of now which is reassuring so far," Paul said. Earlier in the day, the health ministry had put the number of cases of the UK virus strain at 58, with 20 more found to be infected with the variant. All these persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by respective state governments, it said. The mutated UK strain was detected in eight samples at National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, 11 in the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, in one sample in the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Kalyani (near Kolkata), 25 in the National Institute of Virology in Pune, three in the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB)in Hyderabad and ten were sequenced in the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Hospital (NIMHANS)Bengaluru. India records lowest daily cases in six months Giving COVID-19 figures in the briefing, Bhushan said the average COVID-19 recovered cases exceeded average daily new cases for last five weeks. "Daily positivity rate of COVID-19 is continuously declining and has been less than 3 percent from 23 December 23, 2020 to 5 January, 2021," he said. "India's cumulative COVID-19 positivity rate has declined to 5.87 percent; last week positivity rate was recorded at 1.97 percent," he said. India has reported only 96 new cases and 1 death per million population in the last 7 days: Secretary, @MoHFW_INDIA at #COVID19 media briefing pic.twitter.com/6EJlz3oIdt PIB India (@PIB_India) January 5, 2021 Bhushan said of the total active COVID-19 cases presently, 43.96 percent patients are in healthcare facilities, while 56.04 percent are in home isolation. In a statement issues earlier, the Union health ministry had said India's COVID-19 active caseload stands at 2,31,036 and accounts for a "paltry"2.23 percent of the overall caseload. "A net decline of 12,917 cases has been recorded in the total active cases in a day," the ministry India recorded 16,375 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, the lowest in over six months,taking the country's COVID-19 caseload to1,03,56,844. The toll increased to 1,49,850 with 201 deaths, the health ministry's data updated at 8 am showed. The tally of recovered cases stands at 99,75,958. The ministry said 82.62 per cent of the 29,091 new recoveries were contributed by 10 states and UTs. Maharashtra reported the highest number of 10,362 single-day recoveries, while Kerala recorded 5,145 and Chhattisgarh 1,349. Ten states and UTs have contributed 80.05 percent of the new cases. Maharashtra reported 4,875 cases in the last 24 hours. Kerala recorded 3,021 new cases, while Chhattisgarh registered 1,147 daily cases. The ministry said 70.15 percent of the 201case fatalities reported in a span of 24 hours are from 10 states and UTs. Maharashtra registered 29 deaths, West Bengal reported 25 and Punjab 24. said. Johnson postpones India visit Meanwhile, UK prime minister Boris Johnson spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his regret over not being able to visit India as planned for the Republic Day on 26 January, said a statement. "In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the prime minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus," a Downing Street spokesperson said. The two leaders underlined their "shared commitment" to the bilateral relationship, and to continuing to build on the close collaboration between India and the UK including in response to the pandemic. Johnson's call with Modi came a day after he addressed the nation in a televised address to plunge the country into a new stay-at-home lockdown as his medical chiefs warned that the National Health Service (NHS) was under threat of being overwhelmed by the rising infection rates. The new rules are expected to stay in place until mid-February with a review planned based on vaccine rollout data and infection rates. With inputs from PTI DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "European Customer Experience Outsourcing Services, 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global customer experience (CX) outsourcing services market is challenged by commoditization. Consequently, outsourcers are deploying advanced technology-enabled solutions and working with partners from across the ecosystem to differentiate in the fragmented marketplace. Over the years, the focus has shifted from cost and labor arbitrage to customer and agent experience enhancement. Technology has a significant role in helping companies meet evolving customer demand as change is primarily driven by customers who prefer digital solutions. In Europe, the CX outsourcing services market has some unique requirements in terms of language and demand for nearshore / onshore capabilities. The market has witnessed a shift with innovations across technology and business models. Greater reliance on partnerships and the ecosystem are also imperative to growth. Working closely with partners and clients, many of whom are long-term associates, helps outsourcers to initiate innovation in a multi-vendor environment and retain relevance. The report reveals the market positioning of companies in an industry using their Growth and Innovation scores as highlighted in the methodology. The document presents competitive profiles on each of the companies in the report based on their growth, innovation, and a small discussion on their positioning. The report analyzes hundreds of companies in the industry and benchmarks them across 10 criteria on the report, where the leading companies in the industry are then positioned. Industry leaders on both the Growth and Innovation indices are recognized as best practice recipients. Key Topics Covered: Strategic Imperative and Growth Environment Strategic Imperative Growth Environment The European Customer Experience Outsourcing Services Market Competitive Environment Companies to Action Atento Bosch Capita CGS Comdata Concentrix Covisian Grupo Konecta Majorel Sitel Sutherland Global Services SYKES Teleperformance TELUS International Transcom TTEC Webhelp Strategic Insights Next Steps: Leveraging the Report to Empower Key Stakeholders Significance of Being on the Report Empowers the CEO's Growth Team Empowers Investors Empowers Customers Empowers the Board of Directors Analytics Benchmarking Future Growth Potential For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jpqvs1 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. China in Focus (Jan. 4): Superspreaders Appear in Multiple Chinese Cities A Chinese doctor warns against a new mutation of the virus. But some netizens are concerned he could become the next Dr. Li Wenlianga whistleblower silenced for his efforts. One insider says there are nearly a hundred times more confirmed cases than reported in a city in northern China. Chinese authorities are blocking the most vulnerable groups from being vaccinated: the sick and the elderly. Its a strong contrast to vaccine distribution methods in other countries. An analyst says China may have sided with the Taliban to create trouble for the United States in Afghanistan. This, on the heels of unconfirmed intelligence that China offered to pay insurgents to kill Americans. Some power plants coal reserves are dwindling while much of China endures electricity shortages. And authorities in China are taking drastic measures to cut down on coal burning. That includes confiscating the fuel from residents and even filling their heating stoves with cement in the middle of winter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter. United Nations, Jan 5 : India will be the voice against terrorism at the UN Security Council, but will also act a healer and a bridge-builder within the polarised body, according to India's Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti. Outlining New Delhi's "very ambitious agenda" for its two-year term, Tirumurti told IANS on Monday: "We will be raising our voice against the enemies of humanity, particularly terrorism." In a polarised Council, India will be bridge-builder, especially when the world emerges from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, he said. "We are also entering the Security Council when the Covid pandemic is on. Therefore, we are hoping that we will play a role not only during the pandemic, but also in the post-pandemic world, where I think there is a lot of healing to do. There are fissures, (and) I'm confident India will be a bridge to overcome these fissures." At a global level, India is already helping countries with fighting the coronavirus, he said citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge at last year's General Assembly session to "be an important player in the context of the Covid pandemic" and to share "the vaccines for the sake of humanity and mankind". "We have already assisted more than 150 countries, by way of medical aid. And I'm confident that during the pandemic we will play an extremely important role," he said. An Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1985 batch, Tirumurti took over as the Permanent Representative last year just as India was getting ready for the Council election and guided the campaign to an impressive victory, polling 184 of the 192 votes cast. India is historically the biggest contributor to the UN peacekeeping operations and he indicated that the topic will be high on India's agenda. Peacekeeping is "an extremely important component of our engagement with the United Nations, as well as peace-building, which has come into prominence in recent years", he said. The peacekeeping mandates are issued by the Council mostly driven by the permanent members who are oblivious of ground realities and India has complained that the troop-contributors were not consulted. Now India, which has sent more than 200,000 peacekeepers in 49 missions, will be able to contribute to the framing of missions. "We will also be advocating reformed multilateralism, the rule of law, women and youth in the context of conflict situations," he said. On the terrorism front, India will be able as a Council member to participate in the discussions about terrorism and terrorists, where China has given Pakistan cover in the past. For example, Beijing for several years protected Masood Azhar, the Pakistan-based terrorist leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, who was behind several terrorist attacks - the most recent one in Pulwama in 2019 that killed 40 Indian security personnel. The Council is scheduled to take up international terrorism on January 12. Tunisia's Permanent Representative Tarek Ladeb, who is the Council President for this month said at a news conference on Monday evening that because of the grave threat from terrorism, he was organising the session as "a signature event". "We believe that this challenge cannot be addressed individually. It can only be addressed only within the framework of the strong international cooperation and coordination and, of course, within the implementation of all the relevant Security Council resolutions," he said. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) 100% Website manche-iles-express.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 36304 bytes (35.45 kb uncompressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-01-05, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Low farmer participation in planned new agri-environmental schemes could see millions in EU farm supports going unspent, the Department of Agriculture has warned. And industry stakeholders said at discussions on the next CAP that unless the planned schemes genuinely reward farmers, the proposals will fail. The proposed new programmes are known as Eco-schemes that farmers can choose to participate in each year. While similar to the agri-environmental schemes farmers are already familiar with, the planned Eco-schemes for the first time must be funded within the CAP budgets Pillar 1 which delivers farmers direct payments. The EU has proposed that payments under these Eco-schemes schemes can only be made for actions that go beyond farmers normal environmental requirements. While the plans are still being negotiated, the final deal is likely to specify that a minimum percentage of each member states Pillar 1 budget must be devoted to Eco-schemes. While this figure is not yet known, a Department of Agriculture discussion document recently stated that it could be significant. The document seen by the Farming Independent anticipated 20-30pc of Pillar 1 could be ringfenced for Eco schemes, meaning these could be potentially worth over 2.4bn to Irish farmers over the course of the EUs next seven-year budget. Unspent funds In addition, the Department indicated that there is unlikely to be any provision to allow unspent Eco-Scheme funds to be carried forward into the next financial year. Given there is no previous experience dealing with Eco-schemes, combined with the fact that farmers will be able to opt-in/opt-out of the scheme each year, there is significant uncertainty regarding scheme participation levels and there is a potential risk of the loss of unspent funds, it said. An industry stakeholder committee, which examined the Department document, warned that farmers must be rewarded for participation in Eco-Schemes and that it should not be just payment on the basis costs incurred/income foregone. Committee members also stated that it must be profitable to be in the Eco-Scheme; if not, stakeholders felt the scheme will fail. Committee members emphasised the need to engage active/genuine farmers. It was also stressed that the application process for the Eco-Schemes needs to be simple and accessible enough to allow farmers deliver action on environmental targets. GRAFTON, Wisconsin A pharmacist is being held in jail after authorities say he intentionally tried to destroy more than 500 doses of a coronavirus vaccine, reportedly spurred by conspiracy theories. Steven Brandenburg, 46, a pharmacist with Aurora Health, appeared in Ozaukee County court Monday after being arrested last week, NBC News reports. He has been charged with first degree recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug and criminal damage to property, all felonies, the New York Times reports. Judge Paul Malloy ordered Brandenburg to be released on a $10,000 signature bond, surrender his firearms, not work in health care and have no contact with Aurora employees. Court records say Brandenburg admitted he tried to ruin 57 vials containing the vaccine created by Moderna. The court documents show he believed the shots would mutate peoples DNA. Hed formed this belief they were unsafe, Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said during a virtual hearing, the Associated Press reports. Gerol added that Brandenburg was upset because he and his wife are divorcing, and an Aurora employee said Brandenburg had taken a gun to work twice. Wisconsin Public Radio reports Brandenburg is accused of leaving the vials out at room temperature overnight an attempt to have them spoil. Gerol said Monday its unclear if the vaccines were damaged and that they will have to be tested. The AP reports that misinformation about the vaccines has surged online, with false claims circulating on everything from the vaccines ingredients to its possible side effects. Experts say there is no truth to the claims that the vaccines can genetically modify humans. An affidavit his wife filed on Dec. 30 says Brandenburg visited her house on Dec. 6 and dropped off a water purifier and two 30-day supplies of food, telling her that the world was crashing down and she was in denial. He said the government was planning cyberattacks and was going to shut down the power grid. She added that he was storing food in bulk along with guns in rental units and she no longer felt safe around him. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reshuffled his cabinet, new government spokesperson Christos Tarantilis announced in a televised statement. Key portfolios in the economic team, the Foreign Ministry, and other ministries remained unchanged, Xinhua news agency quoted Tarantilis as saying on Monday. Presenting the new line-up, Tarantilis said the reshuffle was due to "new challenges and needs" as is trying to address the ongoing pandemic and pave the way for economic recovery. Makis Voridis is the new Minister of the Interior, whereas Spilios Livanos is now at the helm of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food. Stelios Petsas, the outgoing government spokesperson, has been appointed as Alternate Minister of the Interior. Kostis Hatzidakis takes over as new Minister of Labor and Social Affairs while Kostas Skrekas becomes new Minister Environment and Energy. The new cabinet will be sworn in on Tuesday. The current government's term will end in July 2023. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stacker compiled a list of 50 times actors hated their own movies, according to direct quotes from various media outlets. CAIRO Fear has plagued the world during the holiday season amid the ever-escalating coronavirus pandemic and the rise in the number of deaths all over the world. But for the first time in 20 years, the Cairo Opera House, a major cultural institution in Egypt, organized a series of Christmas events, with the participation of over 150 artists from numerous musical groups including the Cairo Opera Company, the Cairo Celebration Choir and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. The events started in mid-December and are expected to continue until early January. The Cairo Opera Company was officially formed in 1964 and opened for many of the most famous international opera groups, and its repertoire includes over 32 famous operas based on novels. Magdy Saber, head of the Cairo Opera House, told Al-Monitor over the phone that the Egyptian Opera House is an essential partner in all artistic and cultural events, stressing that many major events take place at the venue, most recently the Music Festival in November and the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival in December, all of which were held in an open-air theater, with full commitment to all COVID-19 precautionary measures. Saber pointed out that the Cairo Opera House canceled events in its venues in Cairo, Alexandria and Damanhour on Dec. 30-31 following the Cabinet's announcement that the country has entered the second wave of the virus and precautionary measures should be strictly adhered to. He stressed that daily Christmas events were held until Dec. 27, before the Cabinets decision was issued, while taking into account all precautionary measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. They [the events] included Arabic musical performances by many different opera groups, in addition to modern dance routines, performed by 150 artists, Saber said. In light of the rising number of cases of COVID-19, the Cabinet issued Dec. 27 a decision banning all New Years celebrations, threatening to close down any institution that violates the decision. Meanwhile, Saber expressed his happiness with the Christmas events that were organized in 2020, describing them as a message of peace from Egypt to the world using the language of music and art a language that brings peoples closer together. He added that the Opera House aims to raise the artistic taste of Egyptians through these events, and bring joy and happiness to all visitors by holding celebrations during Christmas in the various halls of the Opera House in Cairo and Alexandria. Speaking about the precautionary measures taken at the Opera House, Saber noted, We have taken many measures, including the mandatory wearing of masks for workers and visitors as well as members of musical groups. We are sanitizing the halls with various types of disinfectants. We have also been broadcasting online musical performances every night at 9 p.m. on the YouTube channel of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. The Opera House now offers the possibility of booking tickets online, by instant payment or by credit card. The Cairo Opera House was inaugurated on Oct. 10, 1988, in its new Islamic-style building, which was built thanks to a grant from the Japanese government on Gezira Island in Cairo. This cultural edifice is considered an alternative to the Khedivial Opera House built by Khedive Ismail Pasha in 1869, which burned down on Oct. 28, 1971, after it had been a cultural beacon for 102 years. Ismail had ordered the construction of the Khedivial Opera House in the Azbakeya district in central Cairo on the occasion of the inauguration of the Suez Canal in mid-November of 1896 in a legendary ceremony. Imam Mostafa, artistic director of the Cairo Opera Company, said in a press statement Dec. 9 that she developed a new artistic vision for the celebration this year, presenting first-time performances using modern technology and display screens. Mostafa noted that the Christmas events include unique performances of the world's most famous holiday tunes, including "Silent Night," "Wonderful Grace," "The Lord's Prayer" and "Jingle Bells." TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI)Visit Lafayette, West Lafayette is optimistic after the NCAA's announcement it's planning to hold the entire March Madness tournament in Indiana. The tourism center is hoping it will have an impact on Greater Lafayette. News 18 spoke with the president of the county's local tourism center about the excitement and hope for the local economy. President of Visit Lafayette, West Lafayette Jo Wade said having March Madness in Indiana is a win. She said it will give those who have never been to the Hoosier state an opportunity to really explore all it has to offer. Wade said the center expects a lot of people passing through the area which will hopefully boost sales for establishments. "It's a positive," said Wade. "It gives us hope that events are coming back and groups are really trying to do it right." Wade said the center will be ready to assist visitors. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 5:15 pm Although flood warnings were still in effect in the region, rivers were receding Monday and flooding is expected to subside in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle. However, storms are still on the way, with potentially significant rainfall on Wednesday, and Lewis County Emergency Management is still warning residents to be wary of mud and landslides. Even if the rains do subside, we still have the threat of landslides, Lewis County Emergency Management Deputy Director Andy Caldwell said Monday. Thats something that, when the ground gets this saturated, we want to make sure were aware of. Approximately 3 inches of rain fell in the last 48 hours, NWS meteorologist Jacob DeFlitch said Monday morning. The rain on the forecast is not a drier pattern at all, but will likely be more spotty, with breaks between systems to allow for water levels to recede. Over the weekend, the Skookumchuck River near Bucoda hit the moderate flood stage, and is currently receding into the preliminary action stage. The Chehalis River near Grand Mound is still in the moderate phase, but near Doty, Chehalis and Porter, are in lower-risk categories. The Satsop and Newaukum Rivers also both hit or approached the moderate flood stage this weekend, and have since receded. No major roadways were impacted over the weekend, though urban flooding closed many roads. China Creek also spilled out of its banks in Centralia, inundating some homes and businesses. It just so happened we did have a number of systems move through in the last few days that were pretty damp, DeFlitch said. That combined with more rain up in the mountains led to the rise of the rivers, and we didnt really see too much of a break between systems. Higher snow lines also meant more rain flowing into river systems. According to DeFlitch, it will take a few days for levels to recede. Flooding season may be exacerbated this year by an ongoing La Nina event. Sand and empty bags are available throughout the county for residents concerned with local flooding. Stations are across from Centralias City Hall, in front of the countys Law and Justice Center in Chehalis and in most public work yards in the county, according to Caldwell. If assistance is needed after hours, residents can call 360-740-1105. Residents can monitor local levels at rivers.lewiscountywa.gov and at https://bit.ly/38TE2bz. Caldwell urged all residents to sign up for Lewis County Alert as well, a system that will call, text or email participants with emergency notices. Messages are also available in Spanish, although the county is still struggling to connect Spanish-speaking residents with the emergency service. Its a great time to think about preparedness, he said. Think about how your 72-hour kits are prepared. Are you ready if power goes out? Have you checked your batteries? Is your car serviced? Your browser does not support the video tag. A suicidal young mother jumped from a Tennessee highway overpass overnight with her toddler son in her arms, killing them both. The Madison County Sheriff's Department has launched an investigation into the deaths of 26-year-old Tonisha Lashay Barker, of Memphis, and her son, who has been identified by family members as 21-month-old Jonathan Jones. According to officials, the incident began unfolding before midnight on Monday, when deputies received 911 calls about a woman who had attempted to crash into a gas pump at the Shell gas station on Law Road. Former COVID testing site employee Tonisha Barker, 26, jumped to her death from a Tennessee overpass with her 21-month-old son, Jonathan Jones (pictured together), in her arms, killing him as well Barker walked over to the I-40 overpass in Madison County after midnight on Monday and jumped with her son in her arms Prior to the incident, passing drivers report seeing Barker attempting to crash into a gas pump at this Shell gas station Witnesses who called 911 said they observed the woman get out of her car with a small child and walk over to the nearby Interstate 40 overpass, never to return, reported WREG. A few minutes later, authorities got a call from a truck driver reporting that his vehicle was struck by 'a large object' that fell from the bridge. Deputies who responded to the scene near Exit 93 found the bodies of Barker and her son. Sheriffs spokesperson Tom Maples told WKRN deputies are now trying to determine what might have motivated Barker to end her and her son's lives. A truck driver reported that 'a large object' had fallen from the overpass onto his vehilce near exit 3, leading deputies to the bodies of Barker and her son (pictured) The woman's grandmother said she had been depressed in recent days. Her job at a COVID-19 testing site had ended last month. Barker's death is being classified as a suicide and Jonathan's death is under investigation. For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 The coronavirus will not kill the office. But the remote work habits that the pandemic brought about are helping to accelerate the destabilization of the traditional office market in cities around the world. With a new creative class that may be able to live-work anywhere it wants, some office spaces in central employment districts may become housing, and some housing in residential areas may become work spaces. Above, Facebook expanded its office space in Manhattan last year. Heres what else is happening Qatar boycott: Saudi Arabia agreed to reopen its borders and airspace to Qatar after boycotting it since 2017. A broader agreement to end Qatars isolation from its Arab neighbors, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, could be announced today. Auto merger: Shareholders of Fiat Chrysler and PSA, the parent of Peugeot, voted to join forces in an effort to cope with a changing industry and plummeting sales. The new company, to be called Stellantis, will be the worlds fourth-largest carmaker, employ 400,000 people and include the Jeep, Ram Trucks, Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands. Julian Assange: A British judge ruled that the WikiLeaks founder could not be extradited to the U.S. to face trial on charges of violating the Espionage Act, saying he would be at extreme risk of suicide. The decision in the high-profile case grants Mr. Assange a major victory. Norway landslide: Rescuers have recovered the bodies of seven people killed in a landslide last week in the village of Ask, about 30 miles northeast of Oslo. Three people remained missing. Officials said the landslide was related to clay terrain that can collapse into a liquid state. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. A dramatic police chase has been caught on camera by two shocked tourists, showing the moment an allegedly stolen sedan rammed into a cop car. A man was seen dangling out of the moving car as it travelled backwards in the underground car park of the Mantra Wings Surfers Paradise hotel on Saturday night. The sedan had driven over police spikes, deflating its tyres. A man was seen dangling out of the moving car as it travelled backwards in the underground car park of the Mantra Wings Surfers Paradise hotel on Saturday night A marked police car was then rammed by the out of control sedan, before the man attempted to flee on foot up the stairwell. The 26-year-old was cornered by police who pulled him to the ground before arresting him. Nearby tourists Matthew Ritchie and Dylan Whitley heard yelling and sirens and recorded the chaotic incident as it unfolded. 'They blocked him in the car park and then he tried to get out and he rammed the cop car and then it came back down the ramp backwards and nearly ran him over,' Mr Whitley told Nine News. 'It actually looked like a Hollywood film or something,' Mr Ritchie said. The man, who has never held a drivers license, has been charged with obstructing police and willful damage of police property. He didn't appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday when his case was mentioned. He was remanded in custody and will return to court in February. Two women were also in the car at the time of the incident. One of them has been charged over unrelated offences. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 07:18:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- A state laboratory has confirmed New York State's first case of the UK variant (B.1.1.7) of the virus that causes the COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted on Monday. "An individual from Saratoga County, New York, tested positive for the strain. The individual had no known travel history," said Cuomo in his tweet. "It's a gentleman who is in his 60s. He was symptomatic, but he is on the mend and he's doing better. He did not travel recently, so this suggests that it's in the community, it was community spread as opposed to having traveled to the UK," the governor was quoted as saying in an official release. "If you went to the N. Fox Jewelers store in Saratoga Springs from December 18th through December 24th you should contact us and get a test immediately. From a public health point of view now it's about contact tracing, and this UK strain is reported to be 70 percent more contagious than the normal COVID strain. So, we want to make sure we're doing everything we can to do effective contact tracing on this case," he added. The test was done at the Wadsworth Center, the research-intensive public health laboratory of the New York State Department of Health (DoH) located in Albany. The New York State government announced on Dec. 22 that the Wadsworth Lab had begun aggressive research of the new, highly contagious COVID-19 strain that has been discovered in the United Kingdom. Wadsworth and DoH had forged agreements with six hospitals from across the state to obtain additional samples and is continuing to make arrangements with other hospitals to do the same, it said. Meanwhile on Monday, the governor tweeted that the total COVID-19 hospitalizations topped 8,000, reaching 8,251 on Sunday in New York State, up from 7,963 on Saturday. He once warned that a post-holiday hike of the coronavirus hospitalizations was expected, because people would usually travel and gather during this time, which could fuel the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, of the 134,360 COVID-19 tests reported on Sunday in the state, 11,209 were positive, or 8.34 percent of the total, up from 7.98 percent one day earlier, said Cuomo, adding that the fatalities rose to 170 on Sunday, compared with 138 on Saturday. The last time that the rate topped 8 percent was on Dec. 29, reaching 8.66 percent, according to the records on the governor's Twitter account. "We have the hospital system all across the state being monitored daily and we're having those hospitals do what they need to do to the greatest extent possible within their capacity to manage the surge, what we call surge and flex," said the governor in the official release featuring the announcement of the figures. As of Monday evening, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University reported 38,583 coronavirus deaths in New York State, the worst in the country. Enditem The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) has recommended that the Budget session of Parliament commence from January 29 and conclude on April 8. According to the Committees recommendation, while Part 1 of the Budget session would be held from January 29 to February 15, Part 2 would be from March 8 to April 8. President Ram Nath Kovind would address the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament on January 29, a Friday, and the Union Budget would be presented on February 1, sources said citing the CCPA recommendations. All Covid-related protocols would be followed during the session, the sources said. The final decision on the commencement of the session will be taken by the Union Cabinet. The Winter Session of Parliament, which generally begins in the last week of November, was cancelled in the view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic amid rising demands from the opposition to hold the Sessions to discuss farm laws. This Budget session will be much awaited as this will the first Budget of the NDA government amid the pandemic. On being asked whether this Budget will have special provision for Covid-19 vaccine, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2020 said that the cost per dose and other details are required before allocating any fund for vaccines. Addressing CII Partnership Summit 2020 in December, Nirmala Sitharaman said the Budget will be like never before, a Budget which is being made after a pandemic. The finance minister also held a pre-Budget consultation with representatives of industry, services and trade. @the idea factory was started by 3 marketing professionals, Sunder Thiyagarajan, Prakash Sankaranarayanan and Shankar M Shiv who cut their business teeth in various media houses such as The Hindu, Network 18, The Times Group and Ananda Vikatan Group at various functional roles such as media marketing, brand strategy, business development & operations. Started in 1977, Naga Foods is a major player in convenience foods with products such as Maida, Sooji, Samba Rava & Atta and expanding their operations in Kerala and Karnataka in recent times. Naga has become a household name amongst Tamilnadu women and Maida, Sooji & Samba Rava has become a standard order in their monthly shopping list. Launched recently, NAGA ATTA is making strong inroads into Tamil Nadu market competing with both national players and regional players. With a strong focus on product quality and distribution, Naga foods is currently available at every super market / modern trade and in general trade across tier 1 & 2 markets and in rural markets in Tamil Nadu. In an attempt to build a stronger food portfolio for becoming a holistic food brand, Naga foods recenlty acquired Savorit, a popular brand for the Vermicilli and Pasta range of products. The mandate for @TIF is to develop a competitive and brand marketing strategy for Naga foods with an aim to add vibrancy to Brand Naga while at the sametime bringing in efficiency in their media spends. In addition, as part of their mandate, @TIF was tasked to streamline Naga's operational challenges in S & D function and help in improving their channel strategy. Sounder Kannan, Whole Time Director, Naga foods said, "in a evolving food market place, Naga is aiming to become a pan south player in the next 2 years. As a third gen business, we clearly wanted to reorient ourselves towards becoming a national brand during the next decade. To complement our ambitious growth plans, we had engaged @TIF to prepare a marketing blueprint to consolidate Naga's position in the hyper competitive market for food FMCG. Their differentiated marketing approach and comprehensive understanding of various aspects of food business such as brand marketing, retail trade dynamics and competitive strategy is valuable for Naga foods. Im confident that @TIF will empower Naga to grow manifold to become a national food brand by going beyond the boundaries of South India". @TIF in a statement said, "we are happy to partner Naga Foods in their ambitious growth phase and add value and efficiency to their business aspirations. For a brand marketing startup, bagging the growth obsessed Naga Foods mandate is an important milestone because it fuels our growth as well. We are confident of not only meeting their expectations but going beyond the traditional mandate of proper agency client relationship. We are sure, its going to be mutually win win association both for Naga foods & @TIF". The United States says it is considering giving some people half the dose of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine in order to vaccinate more people. Moncef Slaoui is the head the countrys vaccine program. He said Sunday that officials were discussing the possible plan with Moderna and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Modernas vaccine requires two doses per individual. He said that giving half of the dose to people between the ages of 18 and 55 will allow the vaccination program to double the number of people with the doses we have. He added that just one injection causes an identical immunity. Moderna and the FDA could not immediately be reached for comment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had injected more than four million people with a first dose of vaccine by Monday morning. It said it had sent out more than 13 million doses. The U.S. has also approved a two-dose vaccination treatment from drug company Pfizer. The governments vaccination plan has not been meeting its goals. Officials had hoped to have 20 million people vaccinated by the end of the 2020. Vaccine race Britain has administered about one million vaccinations since it approved the Pfizer vaccine in early December. On Monday, it became the first country to use a vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. That vaccine is easier to store and transport. A new surge of COVID-19 cases is threatening the countrys National Health Service. Britain is trying to vaccinate older people and others at higher risk from the disease. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government has secured 100 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Eighty-two-year-old Brian Pinker was the first person to get that vaccine outside of experimental use. Pinker, who has kidney disease, said he was proud the medicine was invented in Oxford. Israel is the worlds vaccination leader. More than ten percent of its population is already vaccinated. Israel is now injecting more than 150,000 people a day. In December 2020, China approved its first COVID-19 vaccine. It is one injection and was created by drugmaker Sinopharm. The government-owned company has said its treatment is 79 percent effective against the virus. Russia has been providing its COVID-19 vaccine, called Sputnik V, since August. More than 100,000 people have been injected. In November, the government said the treatment was more than 91 percent effective. New versions Britain has seen a surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks as officials struggle to control the spread of a new version of the COVID-19 virus. The new version is far more contagious than others. Officials have recorded more than 50,000 new infections a day since December 29. On Monday, they reported 407 deaths related to the virus. That brings the total number of confirmed COVID deaths in Britain to 75,431. Britain also reports the presence of a second new version of coronavirus. It appears that version came from South Africa. Johnson said on Sunday that more restrictions were likely, even with millions already living under the highest level of restrictions. Starting at midnight tonight, most of mainland Scotland will be in total lockdown, announced Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Europe In Germany, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that the government does not regret its decision last year to have the European Union order vaccines for all 27 nations. He said that for a country in the middle of Europe with many borders, everyone for themselves cannot be the way. Nearly 265,000 vaccinations have been reported since the program began one week ago. Critics are pointing to faster programs in the U.K., the U.S. and Israel. Health Ministry spokesman Hanno Kautz said 1.3 million doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine were delivered to Germany before the end of 2020 and another 670,000 are due on Friday. Germany has 83 million people. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press and the Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story dose n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time immunity n. the power to keep yourself from being affected by a disease surge - n. a move that is very quick and sudden in a particular direction contagious adj. able to be passed from one person or animal to another by touching STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. This was one quick trip to New Jersey that three North Shore residents likely wont forget for all the wrong reasons. The trio was arrested Wednesday on various charges after two of the suspects tried to buy items at a Walmart store in Bayonne with stolen credit cards, authorities allege. Busted were Mariners Harbor residents Lester Alexander and Jalen DeJesus, both 21, and Stephan Jackson, 20, of West Brighton. The incident unfolded around 7:30 a.m. Cops were notified that individuals had fled the Walmart at 500 Bayonne Crossing Way after trying to purchase unidentified items with two stolen credit cards, said Bayonne police. The cards were declined, police said. Store security personnel pointed out the car the suspects had entered, which was still in the parking lot, said police. On approaching, cops saw the three defendants in the car and detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from it, police said. Officers seized the pot, which was Alexanders, said police. They also found two credit cards and an ID document belonging to another person in the car, authorities said. The defendants allegedly didnt know that person. Officers also recovered a black leather knapsack and a gray bag containing personal items belonging to a burglary and theft victim on Staten Island, said police. Cops determined Alexander and Jackson had tried to buy the merchandise inside Walmart with the stolen credit cards, police said. All three defendants were charged with receiving stolen property, said police. Alexander and Jackson were also accused of fraudulent use of a credit card and conspiracy. In addition, Alexander was charged with identity theft, credit card theft, marijuana possession and possession of narcotic paraphernalia, said police. Police listed an address on Harbor Road for Alexander, Grandview Avenue for DeJesus and Cary Avenue for Jackson. Jackson is already in trouble with the law on Staten Island. He is facing attempted murder and other charges for allegedly shooting and wounding a man in Port Richmond on Nov. 27, said prosecutors. That case is pending. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 09:54:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador offered political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday, after a British judge ruled that Assange could not be extradited to the United States "due to concerns about his mental health." In his customary morning press conference, the president said he will ask Mexico's Foreign Affairs Ministry to contact British officials over the asylum offer and request Assange be pardoned. "It is a triumph of justice. I commend England's action because Assange is a journalist and deserves a chance," Lopez Obrador told reporters, referring to the ruling. "We will give him protection, we will take that step," the president added. U.S. authorities wanted to try Assange, 49, for his alleged role in hacking and revealing U.S. military secrets. The controversial activist previously spent nearly seven years holed up inside Ecuador's embassy in London, where he sought and received political asylum. However, the British side claimed to arrest him if he set foot outside the embassy and never allowed him safe passage out of the country. He was eventually handed back to British authorities and imprisoned for breach of bail as alleged. Enditem Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. There is growing concern among public health experts that highly contagious variants of the coronavirus could upend efforts to control the surge of new COVID-19 cases hammering California. Twenty-four new cases of a mutated SARS-CoV-2 strain, known as B117 and first identified in the United Kingdom in December, were discovered in San Diego County on Tuesday, bringing the total to 32 in the state. We anticipate there will be others identified, Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a press briefing Monday. The variant of the virus which is less detectable by current testing methods but up to 80% more transmissible from person to person than previous mutations could push the current COVID-19 crisis in California to the breaking point and threaten efforts to reopen the economy and schools. If the new variant manages to acquire a mutation which hides it from PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, we would be headed for the worst possible perfect storm, said Fyodor Urnov, the director of UC Berkeleys Innovative Genomics Institute, whose laboratory tracks changes in the genetic material of viruses. The new variant has acquired mutations much more rapidly than scientists expected. It has gone through 23 separate variations so far, 17 of which are linked to the building blocks of proteins that form the virus. Newsom said California plans to ramp up its contact tracing and disease investigation efforts to track the new strain, which has also been identified in New York, Georgia, Colorado and Florida. Jessica Christian / The Chronicle We have not yet detected the new strain in San Francisco, said Dr. Grant Colfax, the citys top health adviser. It would certainly not be surprising if and when it gets detected. California has a partnership with UCSF to conduct aggressive genomics testing running roughly 5,000 to 10,000 tests a week to identify the different mutations of the virus circulating in the state. Charles Chiu, director of viral diagnostics at UCSF, said it is likely that the U.K. strain is already in circulation across the United States but has so far been identified in the states with robust genomic sequencing test programs. The current data suggest that this is a variant that is not currently prevalent in the U.S., Chiu said. Its in the minority of the strains circulating in the U.S. That being said, it could change very quickly. In the U.K., it went from accounting for 5% to 60% of the cases in three weeks. Thats why its really important for us to remain vigilant. More contagious The U.K. variant, believed to have first surfaced in September, is more contagious but not more severe in terms of its impact on your condition, Newsom said. Public health officials believe that the mutations, including some changes to the crucial spike proteins, allow the virus to bind more strongly and enter human cells more easily. Its a little bit more sticky than the COVID virus weve been seeing, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, Californias top health official. More cases could mean fewer people have access to urgent medical care, especially as hospitals in California run critically low on intensive care unit beds. On top of an existing pandemic, this may make things worse, said Chiu. Health officials in Britain have also suggested that the B117 variant carries mutations that make children as susceptible to becoming infected with it as adults. We havent established any sort of causality on that, but we can see it in the data, said Neil Ferguson, a professor and infectious disease epidemiologist at Imperial College London. We will need to gather more data to see how it behaves going forward. Britain has closed its schools for the next six weeks as the country deals with a record number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Harder to detect Because the virus is harder to detect due to a mutation in part of the spike protein gene that requires more stringent testing to become identifiable it could hinder the ability for schools in the Bay Area to depend on rapid antigen tests to reliably screen asymptomatic students and staff. The virus has more or less erased its fingerprints, said Urnov. One change in the viruss genetic code, in particular, called 69-70del, has helped it evade detection by the immune system in some people, according to studies conducted in the U.K. Dr. Nicholas Moss, the Alameda County health officer, said hes concerned about the new variants, but not overly so. Variants have emerged over time, its part of the way these organisms work, he said. The data from England that Ive seen suggest that this one spreads a little better. How much better is still an area for exploration. The circumstantial evidence is pretty concerning, the direct evidence is still limited. He said it is also unclear how widespread the variant is in the United States, though it has infected more people than the cases reported so far. And he said its too early to say whether the U.K. variant, or some other mutation, has helped fuel the current West Coast surge in cases. I dont have anything to suggest that its driving a surge in any part of the U.S., he said. Maybe well find that something similar has driven what we see here on the West Coast in recent weeks, whether its the U.K. variant or another variant. Variants versus vaccines Another variant discovered in South Africa known as 501Y.V2, which has rapidly become the dominant strain in the countrys coastal areas, is also raising concerns. Health experts worry that the vaccines currently in development may not be effective against it. This is the most pressing question facing us right now, Dr. Richard Lessells, an infectious disease expert who is working on the countrys genomic studies of the variant, told The Associated Press Monday. We are urgently doing experiments in the laboratory to test the variant. The strain has so far been identified in the U.K., Finland, Switzerland, Japan and Australia. The way you fight something that tends to change is you have more than one weapon, said Urnov. We have more than one test. We have more than one vaccine. For now, given there is a broad range of vaccines being developed, we have good hope it will not be globally resistant. Neither variant has been detected in the Bay Area, but Chiu said his lab is actively analyzing data from the region. In the meantime, he said the best way to curb the spread of the new strains is to continue to follow the old mitigation measures: masking, physical distancing and good hand hygiene. If its here there may still be a window of time to get it under control, he said. Chronicle reporter Erin Allday contributed to this article. Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The Pentagon has set up interviews this week between President-elect Joe Biden's defense policy team and U.S. commanders in Afghanistan, Africa and South Korea. The move comes after Biden claimed that the Trump administration was stonewalling the transition process. In a statement Friday, the Defense Department said that the Biden team would consult with Army Gens. Austin "Scott" Miller, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan; Stephen Townsend, head of U.S. Africa Command; and Robert Abrams, commander of U.S. Forces Korea. Biden's team will also have access to top officials of the National Guard Bureau and Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Kevin Fahey, and will hold roundtables with several assistant secretaries and deputy assistant secretaries of defense, including those for special operations and low intensity conflict, the DoD said. Read Next: The Pentagon Has 6 Months to Disclose What It Knows About UFOs In prepared remarks Dec. 28, Biden complained that Trump administration political appointees were setting up "roadblocks" to a smooth transition, especially at the DoD and the Office of Management and Budget. "All of it makes it harder for our government to protect the American people," he said, calling the alleged lack of cooperation "nothing short of irresponsibility." "We need to make sure nothing is lost in the handoff between administrations," Biden said as he prepares to take on defense issues including climate change; the border wall; the rise of China; and the drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq. The meetings with Miller, Townsend and Abrams could set a tone for the new administration once Biden is inaugurated Jan. 20. Under executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, Miller has been tasked with reducing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by Jan. 15, despite increased attacks by the Taliban. Townsend is overseeing the withdrawal of most of the 700 to 800 U.S. troops in Somalia to neighboring countries. And Abrams is caught up in the continuing dispute between the Trump administration and Seoul over how much South Korea should contribute to maintain the presence of 28,500 U.S. troops there. The DoD has repeatedly pushed back on the Biden transition team's complaints of a lack of cooperation. In the statement Friday, the department said that the Biden team has been provided with 168 interviews with more than 400 officials since Nov. 23. In addition, 194 requests for information have been met, and the Biden team has been provided with more than 6,000 pages of documents, according to the DoD. However, Jake Sullivan, the former State Department official tapped by Biden to be his national security adviser, on Sunday renewed the charge that the Defense Department "has dragged its feet" in the transition process. The issue is with political appointees at the Pentagon and not with the career professionals, he said on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS program. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Related: Biden Warns of Trump Officials' 'Roadblocks' to Transition A top advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi has sparked anger among pro-Tehran factions in Baghdad with comments about Iran's revered commander Qasem Soleimani, whom Washington assassinated last year. Hosham Dawod's comments, made to the BBC, came as people marked the anniversary of the January 3, 2020 US drone strike near Baghdad's international airport that killed Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Soleimani headed the foreign operations arm of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while Muhandis commanded the powerful, state-sponsored pro-Iranian Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary network. The duo had worked closely together. "Soleimani didn't think he was just a co-coordinator with Iraq," Dawod told the BBC. "He actually believed himself responsible for Iraq. That is why he entered and left (the country) when he wanted." Pro-Iranian supporters have accused Kadhemi of complicity in the drone strike, which last year brought Washington and Tehran to the brink of war. "The founding principles of the Iraqi state were not in his (Soleimani's) priorities," Dawod said. "So, with Qaani, we, the Iraqi government, made him apply for a visa," he added, referring to Soleimani's successor, Esmail Qaani. Dawod's comments sparked an angry reaction from Ahmed al-Assadi, one of the leaders of the Hashed's parliamentary bloc, who said that Soleimani had been entering Iraq "officially and legally" and had been there to "help the government and the people". Assadi poured scorn on Dawod, a French-Iraqi anthropologist, and praised Soleimani, noting that the Iranian military commander was on the frontlines in the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq. "Where was this 'advisor' when Soleimani went from trench to trench to defend Iraq, until his blood was spilt at the international airport?" Assadi asked. Since making the comments, Dawod's post as advisor to the premier has been "frozen" on Kadhemi's orders, an Iraqi official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Dawod issued a statement "to apologise to all those who misunderstood his words". But other lawmakers, such as Mehdi al-Amerli, a member of the parliamentary defence committee, demanded Kadhemi sack Dawod immediately or to "clearly state his position". Shoalan Abu al-Jon, a lawmaker from the pro-Iran Badr armed faction, said that Kadhemi "no longer deserves to remain" as leader. "A prime minister who does not act, and does not say a word to defend the Iraqis and Iraq's guests, must resign," he said. Short link: Mumbai, Jan 5 : A year before polls to major civic bodies in the state, major political parties in Maharashtra have demanded free Covid-19 vaccination for the poor in the state, here on Tuesday. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that people living below the poverty line can ill-afford the vaccine even if its two doses are priced at Rs 500 or so, and hence the Centre should foot the vaccination cost. "Poor people, those with co-morbidities and people above 60 years of age should get the vaccine free. We shall raise this demand during our video-conference with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Thursday," Tope said. Though there is no clarity yet, the vaccine is likely to be administered free to health workers, security personnel and other frontline workers by the Centre and hence even the poor people should get it free, he urged. Building up pressure on the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the opposition BJP also demanded free vaccination for all people in Maharashtra. BJP legislator and spokesperson Ram Kadam has shot off letters to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Tope seeking free vaccines for all citizens in the state. "Maharashtra and particularly Mumbai have been the worst-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The death toll is the highest in India here along with severe economic repercussions," Kadam said. He contended that despite an economic package rolled out by the Centre, the state government failed to provide relief to the people. "The working class, mainly labourers, small shopkeepers, taxi and auto drivers had faced monetary issues during the pandemic and many poor people lost their lives because of inadequate health infrastructure," Kadam said. Cyclone Nisarga in the Konkan region added to the woes of the people while the problems of farmers have also been compounded, he said. However, with two vaccines getting Centre's clearance for emergency use there is a ray of hope for the people. "With common man having been affected badly, we are hoping that the state would provide the vaccine free of cost to all," he said. Earlier, sections of Congress and Shiv Sena have also expressed the view that given the economic scenario, the government should give free vaccines to the people, as it was promised prior to people of Bihar during the Assembly election there a couple of months ago. Several prominent civic bodies in the state including in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and others are slated to go for elections in the first quarter of 2022 and all parties hope that free vaccination for the corona-ravaged state could result in a political windfall. South Africa completed a sweep of their two-match series against Sri Lanka as they strolled to a 10-wicket win on the third day of the second test on Tuesday. South Africa knocked off a target of 67 runs without loss as openers Dean Elgar (31 not out) and Aiden Markram (36 not out) saw them to victory at the Wanderers Stadium with two and a half days of the contest still remaining. Success in Johannesburg followed a convincing innings and 45-run triumph in the first test in Pretoria last week and turns around a poor run of test form over the last year. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 211 in their second innings, surviving only 95 minutes of Tuesdays morning session. They resumed their second innings at 150-4 overnight with a tenuous five-run lead but with captain Dimuth Karunaratne not out on 91 and hoping to set the home side an imposing target to chase in the fourth innings. Karunaratne reached his 10th test century off 123 balls as the visitors began in an aggressive fashion, but a misjudged pull shot saw the Sri Lanka skipper top edge Anrich Nortje to be caught by Wiaan Mulder in a major blow to their hopes, just 20 minutes into the days play. He was dismissed for 103. Niroshan Dickwella, who scored 36, followed in the next over as Lungi Ngidi (4-44) took another crucial wicket, setting off an end to the resistance among the lower order. Lutho Sipamla cleaned up the tail with three wickets in 12 balls, including bowling Wanindu Hasaranga for 16, to finish with figures of 3-40. Sri Lanka, who won the toss and elected to bat, scored 157 in their first innings and South Africa replied with 302, with Elgar top-scoring on 127. South Africa now look ahead to their first visit in 14 years to Pakistan, where they will play two tests and three Twenty20 internationals later this month, while Sri Lanka return home to host England in two tests in Galle. The first starts on January 14. Parliament suspends statuses of three Alliance of Patriots MPs By Veronika Malinboym As requested, the Parliament of Georgia suspended the status of three MPs of the Alliance of Patriots opposition party. Irma Inashvili, Giorgi Lomia, and Gocha Tevdoradze are no longer members of the Parliament. Much like many other opposition parties, Alliance of Patriots has refused to recognize the results of the October 2020 Parliamentary Elections, claiming that they were fabricated by the ruling Georgian Dream party. At the end of last year, the party also submitted an official request to the Central Election Commission, to have its party lists annulled. This was done in order to prevent other candidates on the list from taking up the mandates of the MPs who have already refused them.However, four other candidates of the Alliance of Patriots Gela Mikadze, Pridon Injia, Davit Zilpimiani, and Avtandil Enukidze decided to retain their names on the party list and enter the Parliament. According to the ruling Georgian Dream party, the reason why the vote on the suspension of the Alliance of Patriots MPs was held so early is that there are four candidates available to replace them in the Parliament.As of now, fifty-four out of sixty opposition MPs in a 150-seat Parliament have already boycotted their seats and called for a re-election. The ruling Georgian Dream party claimed the vote on the status of the remaining opposition MPs will be held after the fifth round of talks between the ruling party and the opposition. Despite the continuous efforts of the foreign diplomats and repeated calls of the international community, the country remains in a one-party state.The first session of the 10th convocation of the Parliament of Georgia was held on December 11th, and no opposition MPs were present. On December 23, the Parliament passed a bill in the first reading, which stated that the parties, whose candidates refuse to claim their seats in Parliament will be stripped of the state funding and the free media time. The rationale behind such a decision was explained by the MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Anri Okhanashvili. He claimed that state funding that the MPs and the parties receive is the salary for their service to the Georgian citizens, thus, there is no reason why such salary should be paid if the MP refuses to do their job.It is not yet clear if the country will be able to find a solution to the ongoing crisis, and whether the request of other opposition MPs will be granted with the Parliament voting in favor of the suspension of their statuses. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Web.com is a leading platform that enables businesses to establish, maintain, promote, and optimize their online presence. Web.com offers domain registration, hosting, website, and marketing services for businesses globally. For more than 20 years, the Company has provided more than three million customers with competitive online solutions to support their changing business needs and drive results. "Web.com provides market-leading web presence services in an attractive market segment that is seeing strong growth driven by accelerating digital transformation of small-and-medium sized businesses," said James Pade, Partner, of Clearlake. "We look forward to partnering with Siris and leveraging Clearlake's O.P.S. playbook to accelerate growth." "This investment recognizes the strong execution of the Web.com team in providing best-in-class web presence solutions and delivering profitable growth," said Tyler Sipprelle, Managing Director, of Siris. "Web.com has bright prospects as a global, multi-brand web technology company, and we welcome Clearlake's support of the business's future growth." About Web.com Web.com Group is a leading web technology company serving millions of customers around the world. Through our portfolio of brands Network Solutions, Register.com, Web.com, CrazyDomains we help customers of all sizes build an online presence that delivers results. Web has the breadth of capabilities and depth of knowledge to be your go-to partner in today's always-on digital world. With our extensive product offerings and personalized support, we take pride in partnering with our customers to serve their online presence needs. Learn more at www.web.com. About Clearlake Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is a leading investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational improvement approach, O.P.S. The firm's core target sectors are technology, industrials and consumer. Clearlake currently has approximately $25 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 200 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @ClearlakeCap. About Siris Siris is a leading private equity firm that invests primarily in mature technology and telecommunications companies with mission-critical products and services, facing industry changes or other significant transitions. Siris' development of proprietary research to identify opportunities and its extensive collaboration with its Executive Partners are integral to its approach. Siris' Executive Partners are experienced senior operating executives that actively participate in key aspects of the transaction lifecycle to help identify opportunities and drive strategic and operational value. Siris is based in New York and Silicon Valley and has raised nearly $6 billion in cumulative capital commitments. www.siris.com. Media Contacts For Web.com : Alex Sheehan Finn Partners +1 415-348-2734 [email protected] For Clearlake : Jennifer Hurson Lambert & Co. +1 845-507-0571 [email protected] For Siris: Dana Gorman Abernathy MacGregor +1 212-371-5999 [email protected] Blair Hennessy Abernathy MacGregor +1 212-371-5999 [email protected] SOURCE Clearlake Capital Group Related Links https://clearlake.com/ Chennai, Jan 5 : Actor R. Madhavan has slammed a netizen on social media for labelling him a drug addict and alcoholic. It all began with Bollywood actor Amit Sadh tweeting a beautiful photograph of himself clicked together with Madhavan, expressing his love for "Maddy sir". Commenting on the actor's tweet, a user wrote: "Maddy was once my heartthrob But Now It's so disheartening to see Madhavan ruining his brilliant career, health and life behind alcohol and narco drugs. While he entered b-wood in RHTDM, he was fresh as a blossoming bud. Now look at him, his face & eyes, They speak it all..!" Madhavan slammed the troll, described as a doctor. The actor wrote: "Oh .. So that's your diagnoses ? I am worried for YOUR patients. May be you need a Docs appointment." On the work front, Madhavan recently unveiled the trailer of his next film Maara. The Tamil film casts the actor as an artist named Maara, and it also features South actress Shraddha Srinath. Directed by Dhilip Kumar, Maara will stream on Amazon Prime Video in Tamil, from January 8. BATTLE CREEK, MI A fatal fire at a home Sunday, Jan. 3, in Battle Creek has nothing to do with a homicide investigation involving a woman last seen at the home in June, authorities say. Battle Creek spokesperson Jessica Vanderkolk confirmed in an email Monday, Jan. 4, that the home at 266 Oneita Street which fire crews responded to Sunday morning was the same house where Amber Griffin had been on the last night she was seen, on June 22. Related: Fire kills one at Battle Creek house linked to disappearance of Amber Griffin Vanderkolk said no information is available for release at this time about the person who died in the fire. The victim was one of two tenants inside the home Sunday morning, but the other tenant was able to get out safely, the fire department said in a release Sunday. Vanderkolk said Battle Creek Police processed the home multiple times, and have no reason to believe the fire is related to Griffins case. A preliminary investigation of the fire by both the citys fire and police departments, she said, shows the fire was accidental by nature. The victim who was killed was not affiliated with the Griffin case, city officials said. Griffin was involved in a physical altercation with her boyfriend Derrick Horton at the home the same night she went missing in June, Battle Creek Police confirmed Sunday. A 911 call traced back to the home was also placed from Griffins phone around the time she was last seen. During the call, dispatchers could make out an active struggle between a man and a woman. Dispatchers were able to identify the womans voice as Griffins, Battle Creek Police Sgt. Joel Case told MLive in June. Read more: Boyfriend charged with murder of missing Battle Creek woman Within a week of the womans disappearance, Horton was charged with killing Griffin, who officially remains missing. Horton, 25, is being held at Calhoun County Jail without bond. He was due in Calhoun County District Court for a preliminary conference on Monday, Jan. 4, and has a preliminary hearing slated for Jan. 19. Horton was previously charged in February 2019 with assault with intent to do great bodily harm against Griffin and, in January 2020, with domestic violence against Griffin, Calhoun County Assistant Prosecutor Daniel Buscher told the court during Hortons June 29 arraignment hearing. Both charges were later dismissed, Buscher said. Firefighters responded at 7:52 a.m. Sunday morning to the Oneita Street home and were on scene for 2 1/2 hours. According to the preliminary fire report, the two-story wood structure had extensive damage throughout. Also on MLive: Portage woman sentenced to 2 years in prison in death of boyfriends daughter Man, 21, killed New Years Day at Kalamazoo apartment complex Man, 27, shot in neck while attempting to buy PlayStation off Facebook Marketplace Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies have signed a unity and stability declaration with Qatar that is set to end a years-long boycott of the Gulf state, in a move seen as a victory for Doha. Qatars ruling emir was greeted with a warm hug by rival Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman after he touched down in the Kingdom for the first time in three and a half years to attend the annual Gulf Cooperation Council meeting. It followed announcements by US and Kuwaiti officials that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain would end a blockade on Qatar and restart transport and diplomatic ties severed in 2017 over Dohas support for groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, and its close ties with Iran. At the time Doha was handed a 13-point ultimatum including closing its flagship broadcaster Al-Jazeera, expelling Turkish troops on its soil and dramatically scaling back cooperation with Iran. Four years later, Qatar has apparently not fulfilled any of those demands. Instead, analysts told The Independent the Gulf states agreed to vaguer joint security declaration to end the embargo. The contents of the communique, which was signed in a mirrored building in Saudis historical desert city of AlUla, have yet to be disclosed. But Saudis foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, said it and its allies agreed to restore full ties with Doha, including resumption of flights. A US official said they agreed to do this in exchange for Doha suspending lawsuits related to the boycott. Jared Kushner, senior adviser to the US president Donald Trump, who reportedly worked into the early hours of Monday morning to seal the deal, attended the summit. These efforts ... led to the AlUla agreement which will be signed at this blessed summit and which confirms Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability, Prince Mohammed, the kingdoms de facto ruler, said as he opened the summit. The Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, tweeted at the end of the session: a new bright page begins after earlier writing that we have more work to do. Middle Eastern leaders pictured at the summit in the northwestern Saudi city of al-Ula (Saudi Royal Palace/AFP via Getty) The Egyptians, who arguably have the frostiest ties with Qatar, released a statement via local media saying that it was keen to promote joint Arab action after the signing ceremony. But its foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, who was sent as Egypts representative, left for Cairo immediately after signing the document without publicly commenting. Kuwaits Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jabar al-Sabah, who has long worked towards a rapprochement, hailed the statement as a historic achievement towards Gulf reconciliation. We seek to support the Gulf and joint Arab work, he stressed. The apparent breakthrough in the Gulf rift is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington to close ranks against Iran, following agreements between Israel and Arab states. It also suggests Saudi Arabia wants to put the feud with Qatar behind it before Joe Biden takes office, potentially removing a stumbling block to warm ties with the incoming president who is expected to take a firmer stance toward the kingdom. All the states involved in Tuesdays agreement are close US allies. Qatar hosts the regions largest US military base, while Bahrain is home to the US Navys Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE host US troops. The specifics of the deal were not immediately made public. According to Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst and businessman with close ties to Riyadh, in lieu of the 13 demands, the Gulf nations agreed to a vaguer declaration to stop all efforts to undermine [the] security of each other, including media and funding of opposition groups. There was a realisation that boycotts eventually dont change policies. The cost of continuing this quarrel was becoming too much of a burden Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, political scientist The bitter spat has long driven the Gulf region apart, in recent years forming a warring axis that has set the Gulf and Arab countries against each other in conflicts including Libya and Yemen. The crisis is anchored in decades of disputes, but reached a crescendo in 2017 when comments purportedly made by Qatars ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani appeared on its state news agency website expressing sympathy for Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, while attacking Mr Trump. Qatar blamed a cyber attack for the messages. Shortly afterwards there were reports some of the Gulf countries had even mulled military action until the then newly elected President Trump implored them to hold off. Mr Trump was blamed for being partly responsible for the heightened rift after a fiery speech in June 2017 accusing Qatar of being a high level funder of terror. The blockade battered the tiny Emirate, but not badly enough to prompt a capitulation. Instead Qatar, which had been reliant on the land border with Saudi for goods, turned to Turkey, Iran, Oman and Kuwait for food supplies and new shipping routes. At one point it flew in thousands of cows via Qatar Airways so it could produce its own milk. And so rather than crippling the state, the blockade improved Qatari resilience and independence, and pushed it closer to regional foes Iran and Turkey. The growth rates have been slow [in Qatar] but Saudi has been worse, said Samuel Ramani, researcher at Oxford University and a fellow at the Gulf International Forum in Washington. They have diversified their supply chains for agricultural and industrial goods. The true result of the blockade for Qatar was forging a multi-vector set of partners. Emirati analysts say Qatars ability to be unaffected by the blockade and its move to become more aggressive in its criticism of the rest of the Gulf, was ultimately why the detente has been agreed. There was a realisation that boycotts eventually dont change policies, said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati political scientist, adding that Qatar had instead drawn closer to the UAEs regional enemies. The cost of continuing this quarrel was becoming too much of a burden," he told The Independent. He added Qatar had agreed to tone down Al-Jazeera and its support for the Brotherhood, as well as to reconsider its ties with Iran but the promises were vague. Doha had been ordered to close its flagship broadcaster Al-Jazeera (AP) And so, the resolution of the crisis is very much in Qatars favour, according to Andreas Krieg, a Gulf security specialist at Kings College in London who said that none of the GCC demands on Doha had been addressed let alone met. If you dont fill [the declaration] with content, it allows the Qataris, Saudis and Emiratis continue to do what theyre doing and get away with it, he said. On Tuesday, Mohammed bin Salman was photographed taking the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani around the AlUla site. Notably absent were representatives of the other countries that signed the declaration as well as King Salman who was supposed to be chairing the summit. The agreement strengthens the Crown Princes hold on power. Qataris initially dismissed the crown prince as an upstart and chose to place bets on other royals. During meetings between Gulf monarchs they ignored MBS, which rankled him, say insiders. Qataris were stunned when he managed to outflank all other powers in the kingdom, with the US cheering him on. The biggest concession that Qatar granted Saudi was merely recognising Prince Mohammed as the new hegemon of the region in the form of a hug. One of the major demands and concessions was the Emir coming to Saudi, said Mr Krieg. His coming to Saudi and greeting MBS the way he did was a concession. I didnt see this happening any time soon. These are images that the Crown Prince can use domestically. Still, the issues that divide the countries continue to fester. There is ideological, ontological conflict between MBS, MBZ and the Qatari. They have entirely different visions for the future of the region and that cannot be reconciled. COMSTOCK, MI -- The increased demand for aluminum cans has been an issue for years, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. But as two shutdown orders took their toll on Michigan businesses, especially breweries, the lack of cans really hit hard at the end of the year, area brewery owners say. As on-premise draft and keg sales plummeted, and more people purchased beer from grocery stores and other retail outlets, breweries scrambled to find cans. The market was trending toward cans, and Covid just exacerbated it because people want bigger packs in lighter packaging, so cans just really took off, said Larry Bell, founder and president of Bells Brewery, Inc. Plus, nobody sells seltzer in a bottle, do they? Beer sold in cans accounted for 60 percent of sales in 2019, a 20 percent increase from 2010, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association, a trade association for U.S. beer distributors. That number is expected to be significantly higher in 2020. Ball Corporation, the worlds largest manufacturer of cans, told investors last month that the U.S. market alone is short 10 billion cans this year, according to Thrillist.com. Were in a better space than most, Bell said. But I think any brewer that cans is being affected by the big guys, especially the small brewers. We at least have a contract with our supplier. But will we be short? We dont know. What the scarcity of cans means to customers is that beers like Bells popular seasonal Double IPA beer Hopslam will be released exclusively in bottles for the first time in years. It started arriving in stores this week. It just makes sense to cover our butts and put Hopslam in bottles. We need to make sure we have enough cans for Oberon and Two Hearted for the rest of the year, Bell said. A move back to bottles would be helpful, too, he added. If consumers would consider switching some of their can purchases to bottles it would help every brewer in the country, and especially the small guys that dont do bottles, he said. Why is there a can shortage? Odd Side Ales There are a multitude of reasons, said Wes OLeary, head of sales for Odd Side Ales in Grand Haven. The manufacturers were trying to scale up their facilities. Ball in particular is building two more massive production plants, he said. Amidst these build-outs, lockdowns worldwide started happening, especially of bars and restaurants who typically pour draft beer from kegs, shifting most alcohol purchases to the off-premise world. This increased the demand from breweries to put more products, if not all, into cans. Also, this exponential growth of the seltzer category has definitely put added pressure on the production of aluminum. All the while, it seems people are drinking even more throughout these stressful times. It was the perfect storm. The growth of seltzers this summer only made matters worse. Can manufacturers told Odd Side they wouldnt get more cans until the summer of 2021, at the earliest. We had to wrap Dank Juice cans to support our seltzer line, OLeary said. Although this was the initial plan, we definitely had to wrap way more than anticipated. We ultimately ended up ordering heat wrapped cans, which are a little more expensive, to fulfill our needs for the seltzers. The minimum order was 8,000 cases of cans per flavor, which was a lot, but totally worth it now looking back. Odd Side also bottled beers again. About eight to 10 at one point, OLeary said. Is a return to bottles the first trend of 2021? Alliance Beverage Distributing Weve seen a lot of (breweries) transitioning back to bottles if they are able to do so, said Tim Wille, craft brand manager at Alliance Beverage Distributing in Grand Rapids, who works with close to 40 breweries. Those that are unable to transition back to bottles are being put in a tough situation. He said the impact is being felt across the board, from little breweries to national ones. California-based Stone Brewery Co., for example, has decided to package all of its seasonal beers in bottles this year, he said. But the mid-size breweries have been hit the hardest, he added. Theyre struggling because they dont have the flexibility to switch over to a bottle line. They dont have a bottling line. They invested in canning lines when they decided to do package. Weve seen a lot of those guys cut orders because they cant get cans from their suppliers, Wille said. Shorts Brewing Co. Shorts Brewing Co. in Bellaire, which took over brewing some of Arcadia Ales popular beers like Whitsun Ale and Loch Down last summer after it closed in 2019, has decided all future Arcadia beers will be released in bottles. Scott Newman-Bale, CEO of Shorts and past president of the Michigan Brewers Guild, said he has enough Whitsun cans to get him to summer, but after that, who knows? If the can supplier randomly has volume, then I can take a truck or two for (Whitsun). I may get lucky, I may not, he said. He said Arcadias Porter Rico is in cans now, but he said Loch Down and future releases will be in bottles. Literally, these are the sort of decisions we have to make every day, Newman-Bale said. Do we have cans? If so, is it worth using our can supply on that? Not just for Arcadia, for any project. It has really changed the planning process. As for Shorts beers, he said the biggest impact has been fewer variety packs. They are not the highest profit margin for us, but theyre very popular, Newman-Bale said. Now we really have to ask, Do we really want to risk can supply on a project where the margin is lower? Is that a good idea? The future is uncertain when it comes to the availability of aluminum cans. Shorts, like other breweries, are going overseas. They are expecting a shipment of cans from South Korea in April. We dont have enough for our forecasted needs for sure, but we have always been lucky enough to find the extras, Newman-Bale said. In November he was helping local breweries by personally delivering pallets of cans to help them through the crisis. He had to stop. Im not comfortable in my own position, he said. " December was by far worse than anyone anticipated. I decided to freak out a little bit. Im OK now. 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end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken 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"Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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The actress stepped out with her parents Chunky Panday, Bhavana Pandey, and sister, Rysa in the city. The Panday family spent some quality time touring around the Gateway of India after a perfect dinner. The family of four enjoyed dinner at an upscale restaurant in Mumbai before they headed out. In the picture shared by Ananya on Monday, she is looking pretty in a chic animal printed skirt paired with a cropped top. Rysa opted for a hoodie and jeans while Chunky wore a matching pair of trousers and shirt. Bhavana, who made her digital acting debut with Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, looked amazing in a green coloured dress. Sharing the family photo, Ananya wrote, "twentytwentyfun." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ananya (@ananyapanday) Bhavana and Chunky also posted pictures from the family night out on their respective social media handles. Chunky shared a picture where the family is posing at a dinner table. "All my Girls," he wrote in the caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chunky Panday (@chunkypanday) Ananya, who rang in the New Year with Khaali Peeli co-star Ishaan Khatter in Maldives, is back home. Ananya was last seen in the OTT release Khaali Peeli with Ishaan Khatter. The actress next has Shakun Batras as-yet-untitled romantic drama. Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi will join her in the main cast. The shooting of the film in Goa was completed before Diwali 2020. Ananya will debut in a Telugu film co-starring Vijay Deverakonda. The Puri Jagannadhs yet-untitled project will be a multilingual release. Forty-eight years after the U.K. entered what would become the European Union and more than four years after voters shocked David Camerons government by voting to leave, Brexit is no longer only a gleam in Nigel Farages eye. As of last weekend, Britons have joined Americans in those crowded Other Passport" lanes in European airports and British trade faces more red tape. Whatever its merits as policy, Brexit was an important test of the U.K. political system. Most of the British establishment hates Brexit as much as the U.S. establishment hates Donald Trump. But instead of following the European pattern of holding repeated referendums until voters return the right" answer, the political glitterati bowed to the peoples will. Like Brexit or loathe it, that is how democracy is supposed to work. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 It is also a personal triumph for Boris Johnson. Prime Minister Johnson took office with a Parliament hopelessly deadlocked on Brexit. He maneuvered his opponents into allowing him to call an election on a date of his choosing, won some of Labours safest seats to gain a solid majority, andto the astonishment and chagrin of his criticsnegotiated an agreement that won the backing of both hardline Tory Brexiteers and the head of the Labour opposition. That he pulled all this off despite the pandemic eroding his governments standing in the polls, and sending him to critical care, only emphasizes the extraordinary nature of his success. It remains to be seen what Mr. Johnson will make of Brexit, but he has already joined Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair on the short list of post-imperial British leaders who made a mark on world history. It is also much too soon to tell how Brexit will work out in practice. Raising barriers to travel and trade is not a recipe for economic growth, and the world-beating U.K. financial sector is particularly vulnerable. Still, both Britain and the EU may find offsetting advantages. Without Eurosceptic Brits dragging their feet, Europeans are now free to tighten the ever closer union" that many hope will make the EU a more significant world power. And freed from the regulatory burdens of EU membership, Britain has the chance to engage more deeply with faster growing economies around the world. For the U.S., Brexit is a challenge. Britains egress from the EU didnt only widen the English Channel; the Atlantic Ocean is going to be harder to cross. Without the U.K., the EU is likely over time to become less Atlanticist, more statist and more inward looking. It will almost inevitably seek to define itself in juxtaposition to America in various ways. The rush to sign an investment treaty with China despite public requests for delay and consultations from senior members of the incoming U.S. administration is a sign of things to come as the center of gravity of the post-Brexit EU shifts east. And the United Kingdom may shrink too. Brexit was unpopular in Scotland, and a plurality of Scots currently tell pollsters they would vote to secede from Britain if a new referendum is held. Scexit would have serious implications for U.S. security and the future of NATO. Although the Scottish National Party dropped its longstanding opposition to NATO in 2012, it remains fiercely opposed to nuclear weapons. This means that an independent Scotland might seek to ban both British and American nuclear submarines from its waters, a stance that could make Scottish membership in NATO impossible. Brexit has been on the table since Jan. 2013 when then-Prime Minister David Cameron, hoping to eliminate Brexit as a divisive issue in British politics, announced that he intended to renegotiate the terms of Britains EU membership and ask British voters to endorse the agreement in a referendum. The failure of the Obama administration to take this issue seriously, to try to facilitate a U.K.-EU agreement palatable to British voters, was the first of a number of unmistakable signals from Washington that Europe was no longer an important foreign policy priority. Any Cold War American administration would have seen a potential rift between key NATO alliesto say nothing of the potential break-up of Britainas a major national security challenge demanding a focused response. In the Obama years, Washington mostly yawned when the subject came up; then President-elect Trump suggested that the U.K. name Mr. Farage as its ambassador to the U.S. Neither approach did much to strengthen our trans-Atlantic alliances or to protect American interests as Brexit moved forward. But there are weighty consequences to Britains EU departure, and the Biden administration will need a more proactive European and Atlantic policy to avoid the worst. Promoting an Open Atlantic trade agreement, supporting Franco-British military cooperation and working to rejuvenate NATO can strengthen critical U.S. alliances even as the U.K. and the EU go their politically separate ways. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Cedar Rapids police are investigating the shooting death of a 21-year-old man. Police said Jayson Lee Jones, of Cedar Rapids, was shot early Sunday at a Cedar Rapids home. He was taken by private vehicle to Mercy Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Police have not released any further information about the shooting or any potential suspects. Today Cloudy early with thunderstorms developing later in the day. High 64F. SE winds shifting to NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms in the evening. Cloudy skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Tomorrow Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 68F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. If there was one celebrity, whose Instagram profile we loved stumbling upon in the last few months, it was actress Madhuri Dixit Nene's. She indulged in many creative activities during the lockdown owing to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, and blessed her fans with many cute pictures and videos. In her recent tete-a-tete with a leading daily, Madhuri opened up about her culinary skills, and revealed that her husband Dr Shriram Nene is better cook than her. The Devdas actress said that she knew the basics of cooking when she was growing up, and used to make an omelette, batatyachi bhaaji (potato dish), poha etc. She further added that she never had the opportunity to cook, because she started working very early in life and got busy with her film career. Spilling the beans about her husband's culinary skills, Madhuri said, "I learnt most of the cooking that I know today after I got married. Ram had a French cook there (in the US), and he assisted him as a sous chef. So, he has learnt a lot of recipes, which he can make from scratch- be it continental, French or Italian cuisine." "The Indian part of the cooking is what I picked up from my mom. All the dishes that I make are my mom's recipes, so he learnt the Indian cooking from my mom and a little bit from me as well. Ram is definitely a better cook than I am, but I am not bad either," added the Dil To Pagal Hai actress. ALSO READ: Madhuri Dixit Says It Isn't Easy Being In Bollywood; Gives Credit To Family For Making Her Strong On a related note, we loved Madhuri and Shriram Nene's video from their last year's Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, wherein the duo was seen relishing modaks prepared by the actress. ALSO READ: Madhuri Dixit Urges Everyone To 'Think About People Around You' You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, U.S., Jan. 4, 2021. Reuters With mounting desperation, Donald Trump declared he would ''fight like hell'' to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are ''not gonna take this White House!'' he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally Monday night in Georgia. Trump's announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday's runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss _ which he insists he won ''by a lot.'' Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Biden's victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Biden's nationwide victory Nov. 3. Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans' faith in democracy. All 10 living former defense secretaries wrote in an op-ed that ''the time for questioning the results has passed.'' It's unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesday's joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesday's joint session. ''I promise you this: On Wednesday, we'll have our day in Congress,'' Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesday's runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. Trump said in Georgia: ''I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. He's a great guy. Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him quite as much.'' He added, ''No, Mike is a great guy.'' One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesday's runoff _ Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock _ told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Biden's win. The other Republican seeking reelection, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials _ Republican as well as Democratic in state after state _ and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. The congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with rank-and-file House members, some on the party's fringe. ''Just got off the phone with (at)realDonaldTrump,'' tweeted newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is aligned with a conspiracy group backing Trump. ''He wants you to call your Rep Senators TODAY, ALL DAY!'' she tweeted Monday. ''Don't let Republicans be the Surrender Caucus!'' She later joined the president on Air Force One as he traveled to Georgia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, has declined to say much publicly on it. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trump's base of supporters. Biden, speaking at a drive-in rally in Atlanta, said Trump ''spends more time whining and complaining'' than he does working on solving the coronavirus pandemic. He added dismissively, ''I don't know why he still wants the job _ he doesn't want to do the work.'' During the day Monday, more current and former GOP officials rebuked the effort to upend the election. Former three-term Sen. John Danforth of Missouri said in a stinging statement, ''Lending credence to Trump's false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack.'' He said, ''It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical.'' Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Portman said in a statement, ''I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters.'' At the Dalton rally, Trump noted he was a ''little angry'' at Lee, but expressed hope that the senator would change his mind. ''We need his vote,'' Trump said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, said the electoral vote challenge ''undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation.'' So far, Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win. With Biden set to be inaugurated Jan. 20, Trump is intensifying efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. On a call disclosed Sunday, he can be heard pressuring Georgia officials to ''find'' him more votes from the Nov. 3 election he lost in that state. The challenge to the presidential election is on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War, though the typically routine process of confirming Electoral College votes has been hit with brief objections before. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trump's win, but Biden, who presided at the time as the vice president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Trump's victory. States run their own elections, and Congress has been loath to interfere. ''The 2020 election is over,'' said a statement Sunday from a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah. A range of Republican officials _ including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan _ have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. Hawley defended his actions in a lengthy email over the weekend to colleagues, saying his Missouri constituents have been ''loud and clear'' in insisting Biden's defeat of Trump was unfair. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Congress is unlikely to agree to that. The group, which presented no new evidence of election problems, includes Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. (AP) I will never understand what it is to be a person of color in todays society, but you can still stand with them and educate yourself about what they go through, said Grace Regan, an LTHS junior, who led a march June 10 from downtown Western Springs to LTHS North Campus in Western Springs. The slogan, white silence is violence, is true, she said. You cant reach equality without support from everybody. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday summoned six West Bengal police officials in the ongoing investigation of the cattle smuggling and illegal coal mining cases. The summoned DGP and inspectors have been asked to appear before the CBI in Kolkata. READ | In West Bengal, Kolkata Police Denies Permission For BJP's Roadshow; Party To Go Ahead It was reported earlier that the CBI was speculating the role of governement officials in an alleged organised racket behind the cattle-smuggling case and coal-mining scam. The CBI had earlier done an enquiry and found out that cattle smuggling was unrestrained along the India-Bangladesh border which is allegedly aided by some corrupt officers of the BSF and Customs receiving illegal gratification from smugglers, they said. READ | On Bengal Elections, Left's Yechury Highlights CPI-M's Dual Battle With BJP & Mamata's TMC On December 15, the central probe agency had summoned two officials of the West Bengal Police in connection with the cattle smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. READ | Absconding TMC Leader Vinay Mishra Summoned By CBI In Cattle Smuggling Case CBI issues summons to TMC leader Vinay Mishra in connection with cattle smuggling case On December 31, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) issued summons to TMC leader Vinay Mishra in connection with the cattle smuggling case. The Trinamool Youth Congress general secretary had been asked to appear before the CBI on January 4. A lookout notice had also been issued for the leader was absconding at that point. The TMC leader had come under the scanner in the multi-crore cattle-smuggling scam along with illegal coal mining cases. The case is being probed by the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Income Tax department together. Mishra is also said to be a close aid of TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee. READ | Saradha Scam: CBI Moves SC Against Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar In November 2020, CBI had raided around 45 locations across the states West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar relating to illegal mining and theft of coal from Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL). The agency alleges a large scale corruption in ECL with the involvement of security and railway officials. There are also no Irish or Jews, or Indians or Armenians on the list of individuals to be studied for sure, no Chinese-Americans, no immigrant business leaders like the founders of Zoom, Google and other seminal California companies. That makes the list highly partisan, allowing the right to plausibly label it a propaganda instrument. There is also an objectionable, though optional, lesson on Aztec gods including Texcatlipoca, supposedly the originator of human sacrifice and other problematic practices. Most of this will satisfy educators from the Critical Ethnic Studies Association, dedicated to teaching about the prevalence of white supremacy, racial privilege and oppression in American history. But theres nothing here about more establishment minority group members, like the scientist Booker T. Washington. This is deliberate, as made plain by state Schools Supt. Tony Thurmond. The curriculum, he said last August, needs fidelity to the four ethnic groups that launched the (critical ethnic studies) movement during a 1968 student strike at San Francisco State University: African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Native Americans. He did not explain why the new curriculum must stay faithful to ideas conceived more than 50 years ago by emotionally heated students lacking solid academic credentials. U.S. President Donald Trump arrives with Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) at a campaign rally at Dalton Regional Airport in Dalton, Ga., on Jan. 4, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Trump: I Hope Mike Pence Comes Through for Us President Donald Trump said on Monday that he hopes Vice President Mike Pence will do more than just carry out a ceremonial role during the joint session of Congress to count Electoral College votes on Jan. 6. I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. I hope our great vice president comes through for us. Hes a great guy. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him very much, Trump told a crowd at a rally in Georgia. The president traveled to the Peach State to campaign for two Republican candidatesSen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and David Perduebefore a tight runoff election that will determine the majority in the Senate for the next two years. His comments come two days before the vice president and both houses of Congress are scheduled to meet at Capitol Hill to count Electoral College votes and hear challenges from Republican lawmakers. Disputes over election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada remain unresolved after courts refused to address the allegations of election fraud and irregularities, and state legislatures were out of session. A growing group of Republican House members and senators have announced their intention to challenge Electoral College votes in states where election results are disputed over allegations of irregularities and election fraud. Lawmakers, in the lead up to Jan. 6, have been picking sides in this last-ditch effort to ensure that allegations of voter fraud are transparently and independently addressed. Thirteen Republican senators have expressed their intent to participate in the efforts, and at least 55 Republican House members have committed to objecting to the contested votes on Jan. 6, according to a tally by The Epoch Times. Meanwhile, more than two dozen Republican lawmakers have also said they will not participate in the efforts. Pence, who will be presiding over the Jan. 6 session, will be reading the electoral votes for all 50 states. His role during the session has been heavily debated in recent days, as Trump and his allies hope that the vice president will reject the slate of electors for contested states. Meanwhile, critics have said that Pences role is simply ministerial in that he only has the ability to count the votes even if he has concerns over their validity. Republican lawmaker Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) attempted to seek clarification from the federal courts last week by filing a lawsuit against Pence. His lawsuit, which was dismissed by a district and appeals court, argued that Pence had the exclusive authority and sole discretion under the 12th Amendment to determine which slates of electors for a state, or neither, may be counted. In a separate campaign event in Georgia on Monday, Pence told a crowd that he promises Trump and Republicans will have our day in Congress. Well hear the objections. Well hear the evidence, Pence said without elaborating on the role he plans to play. Trump campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis has suggested that Pence could delay the certification of the Electoral College votes and ask the legislatures in the six contested states to determine which slate of electors should be selected. The current slates with electoral votes cast for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden were certified by the governors. Republican electors in seven states cast alternate votes for Trump on Dec. 14. Critics have argued that the strategy of pushing Congress to adopt alternative Republican electoral votes is a long shot, as the alternative votes havent been authorized by state officials. On Monday, Loeffler announced that she would join the efforts to challenge the electoral votes on Jan. 6. Elections are the bedrock of our democracy and the American people deserve to be 100% confident in our election system and its outcomes. But right now, tens of millions of Americans have real concerns about the way in which the November Presidential election was conductedand I share their concerns, the Georgia senator said in a statement. Thats why, on January 6th, I will vote to give President Trump and the American people the fair hearing they deserve and support the objection to the Electoral College certification process, she added. Theres a strong feeling growing among investors of relief that the new year will feature lower volatility than 2020. That along would be enough to boost spirits, but better yet, there is also a perception that the markets are going to drive higher in the new year. Marko Kolanovic, JPMorgans well-known quant expert, sees the initial stages of a positive feedback loop, with lower volatility and systematic investment strategies coming together to drive gains, attracting more investors and, in Kolanovics view, pushing the S&P 500 to 4,600 by years end. That will be a 25% increase for the index. A general market environment like that is bound to produce plenty of stock winners, and Wall Streets analysts are busy pointing them out. Among other things, they are tapping penny stocks, equities priced at less than $5 per share. Their rock-bottom starting price makes pennies the logical place to look for huge returns on investment. Although their risk factor is high, even a small gain in absolute numbers will turn into a massive percentage gain in share price. Using TipRanks database, we identified two penny stocks the pros believe could see explosive gains in the coming months. Not to mention each one gets a Strong Buy consensus rating from the analyst community. 9 Meters Biopharma (NMTR) Some biopharma companies take a broad-based approach, while others focus on a niche. 9 Meters is one of the latter, taking aim at unmet needs for gastrointestinal patients. The companys development pipeline features drug candidates under investigation as treatments for short bowel syndrome (SBS) and celiac disease (CeD), two conditions that are both dangerous and difficult to treat. Drilling down to pipeline details, 9 Meters flagship product, Larazotide, is in Phase 3 development for the treatment of CeD. CeD affects about 1% of the population, yet there are no approved therapies. Top-line data from the study is expected in the second half of 2021. Story continues Furthermore, this past December, the company announced that it had entered an agreement with EBRIS, the European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno, to investigate Larazotide as a potential treatment for respiratory complications due to COVID-19. The other major drug in the companys pipeline is NM-002, for SBS. The company has recently announced positive Phase 1b/2a results, with a measurable impact on disease symptoms from a compound that was well-tolerated by patients. NMTRs strong pipeline and $0.89 share price have scored it substantial praise from the pros on Wall Street. One of these NMTR bulls is Truists Srikripa Devarakonda. Citing Larazotide as a key component of his bullish thesis, the analyst noted, We acknowledge investors are likely to see a pivotal trial in a tough-to-crack Celiac disease program as high risk despite encouraging Ph2b data. We model $705M/$353M in peak unadjusted/adjusted sales and see potential upside of 400% - 1650% from positive Ph3 readout. Devarakonda also sees significant unmet need in SBS and continues to believe that NM-002 has a differentiated profile vs. SOC. His key takeaways from the recent Phase 1b/2a results include: 1) we believe that the drug showed early activity in SBS patients; all 9 patients showed meaningful reduction in total stool output volume; average TSO reduction was 42% from baseline; 2) responses occur rapidly, with effects on TSO seen within 48 hours of dosing; 3) safety profile looks favorable, we would like to see greater durability. To this end, Devarakonda rates NMTR shares a Buy along with a $5 price target. This figure conveys his confidence in NMTRs ability to soar 462% in the coming year. (To watch Devarakondas track record, click here) Turning now to the rest of the Street, other analysts are on the same page. With 4 Buys and no Holds or Sells, the word on the Street is that NMTR is a Strong Buy. Given its $4.33 average price target, upside of 386% could be in store for investors. (See NMTR stock analysis on TipRanks) Orchard Therapeutics (ORTX) Orchard Therapeutics takes the broad-based approach to the biopharma industry. The company is engaged in the development of gene therapies for rare, frequently terminal, diseases, including neurometabolic disorders, primary immune deficiencies, and blood disorders. The gene therapy approach uses blood stem cells to deliver corrected genetic information directly into the patients body. Orchards pipeline demonstrates the diversity of disorders amenable to gene therapy the company has no less than 12 drug candidates in development. Among these candidates, Libmeldy (OTL-200) stands out. Libmeldy is in commercialization stages as a treatment for MLD (metachromatic leukodystrophy), a rare, mutation-based genetic disorder of the nervous system. Libmeldy, which is designed to treat children suffering from the infantile for juvenile forms of MLD by replacing the defective ARSA gene, received its approval for medical use in the EU in December 2020. Wedbush analyst David Nierengarten notes the European approval of Libmeldy, and its implication for Orchards progress. He writes, We look forward to the companys commercial execution in the EU and an eventual 2022 approval in the US. Last month ORTX received IND clearance from the FDA for the program paving the way for discussions with the US regulators to decide a suitable path forward toward a BLA filing. "Net-net, with possibly two gene therapies approved in the next 12-18 months and a pivotal study beginning in a third (MPS-I), we think ORTX shares are undervalued at these levels," the analyst concluded. In line with his bullish comments, Nierengarten rates ORTX as Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $15 price target indicates a potential for 241% growth in the year ahead. (To watch Nierengartens track record, click here) Do other analysts agree with Nierengarten? They do. Only Buy ratings, 3, in fact, have been issued in the last three months. Therefore, ORTX gets a Strong Buy consensus rating. At $15, the average price target indicates shares could appreciate by 241% in the year ahead. (See ORTX stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for penny stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! They escaped Britain's ongoing coronavirus restrictions by jetting off to Dubai for a festive getaway. And Francesca Allen and Joanna Chimonides went on a scenic boat trip in the cityy just hours after the UK's new national lockdown was announced on Monday. The Love Island stars donned bikinis in a clip Francesca shared to her Instagram Stories as Britons at home are preparing to spend several weeks at home. Abroad: Francesca Allen and Joanna Chimonides went on a scenic boat trip in the cityy just hours after the UK's new national lockdown was announced on Monday Francesca, 25, showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a beige two-piece while she also donned a crisp white shirt. The reality star wore a patterned bandanna and added to her look with a pair of shades as she relaxed on the boat. Joanna, 24, put on an eye-catching display as she donned a bright orange bikini along with a multi-coloured bandanna. Letting her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders, she struck a playful pose for the camera as she sat alongside her pal. Looking good: Francesca, 25, showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a beige two-piece while she also donned a crisp white shirt Also on Monday, Joanna shared a snap of herself going for a Dune buggy ride where she donned a black crop top that highlighted her washboard stomach. Dubai had become a hotspot for influencers as people are still permitted to travel there for work purposes. Under the latest national lockdown rules, which is now in effect, holidays are banned as international travel is only permitted for a strict number of reasons such as for work. UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, they should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning. In Dubai, social distancing and the wearing of face masks is mandatory when away from your home. This also applies to visitors staying in hotels when they are not in their room. Incredible: Also on Monday, Joanna, 24, shared a snap of herself going for a Dune buggy ride where she donned a black crop top that highlighted her washboard stomach The United Arab Emirates has played host to a number of stars over the past year, despite the consistent rules throughout advising against international travel, save for work or education. Amid yacht trips and wild nights out, a host of stars, including TOWIE's Amber Turner, Dan Edgar, Yazmin Oukhellou and James Lock, have all maintained their trips have been for business purposes with many confirming their work plans on social media or to publications through their representatives. It comes amid the UK being plunged into a third national lockdown that comes into effect on Wednesday, with secondary schools, pubs and non-essential shops shut. Government guidelines for international travel currently state: 'Following identification of a new variant of the virus, international travel from your area may be increasingly restricted because of domestic regulations... 'Different rules apply in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For example, those in tier 4 areas in England will not be permitted to travel abroad apart from limited exceptions, such as work purposes. Follow all the rules that apply to you.' Doing her thing: Francesca posed up a storm in a tiny coral string bikini as she continued to live it up in Dubai on Instagram The general travel advice on the Gov.uk site reads: 'We continue to advise against all non-essential international travel to some countries and territories. You should check the country page for your destination.... 'We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping this advice under constant review so that it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British people. We take a range of factors into account. 'For coronavirus, this includes the incidence rate and the resilience of healthcare provision in each country.' Newly-launched Vietravel Airlines is cooperating with its parent company Vietravel to offer all-inclusive tour packages with competitive pricing, starting January 7. The carrier will welcome the first wave of passengers boarding its flights with a tour bundle including high-end leisure and travel services, said a company representative. The bundle will be sold for the first time between January 7 and 14, with departure locations including Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc, and a discount of up to 40 percent. The packages offer optimized itineraries to travel to Vietnams best destinations, namely the mountains in northwest and northeast areas, Ha Long Bay, Bai Dinh Pagoda the biggest Buddhist structure in Vietnam, as well as famous beaches at Ky Co, Eo Gio and Phu Quoc, among others. A four-day-three-night tour through the northern upland, crossing Sa Pa, Mount Fansipan, Lao Cai Province, and Hanoi is priced at VND3.9 million ($168). Meanwhile, a journey along the northern coast, from Hanoi to the limestone formations of Ninh Binh and Ha Long, takes only VND4.6 million ($198). Tourists who wish to visit all destinations in both mentioned tours can opt for a six-day-five-night bundle for only VND6.5 million ($281) per person. A subsidiary of private travel agency Vietravel, Vietravel Airlines will operate both domestic and international routes. It was officially launched after a ceremony on December 26. As the latest addition to Vietnams aviation industry, the air carrier is expected to raise proficiency for the air transport and tourism sector in Vietnam. According to Vietravel Airlines CEO Vu Duc Bien, the airline positions itself as a hybrid of a low-cost carrier and traditional airline model, which means its tickets will be higher than no-frills Vietjet's but not exceed Bamboo Airways' range. Customers will be able to buy flight tickets at 17 set price points and enjoy support for booking errors as well as rescheduling. It is envisioning routes to other ASEAN countries, specifically Thailand, before reaching out to the Middle East and Northeast Asia, markets which Vietravel already has an edge in. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! New Jersey health officials on Tuesday reported 5,400 new positive tests for the coronavirus and another 138 confirmed deaths the most in a single day since May as the state opened an online portal to allow residents to register for COVID-19 vaccinations for the first time Gov. Phil Murphy provided the latest update on the outbreak during an unrelated event on NJ Transit in Middlesex County. It will get better, theres no question about it, Murphy said, noting the rollout of vaccines, which are currently only available to health care workers and those in long-term care facilities. Its gonna be a while until were out of the woods. New Jerseys hospitals reported 3,702 patients as of Monday, the third day of increases as health officials closely monitor the potential rise in infections following the holidays. Thats still far below the more than 8,000 patients being treated at the peak of the initial wave. We can not allow our hospitals to become overwhelmed, Murphy said. Thats the number we watch like a hawk. The state has now recorded 499,636 positive PCR tests since the outbreak began 10 months ago. The state just began reporting rapid antigen test results on Monday and calling them probable cases. That total rose to 51,783 on Tuesday. The positivity rate for tests conducted on New Years Day was more than 15%, Murphy said. He did not disclose how many tests were conducted on the holiday, when people were less likely to seek tests. The statewide rate of COVID-19 transmission remains below 1 at 0.94, Murphy said. Thats slightly higher than on Monday, when it was 0.92 for the second straight day. Any transmission rate over 1 means each person who gets COVID-19 is spreading the virus to more than one person, and keeping the rate below 1 is key to suppressing the pandemic, officials have said. Officials say the transmission rate had dropped below 1 because cases arent increasing at the same pace they were during the first wave in the spring, when the state was still learning how to fight the virus. The state of 9 million residents has now reported 19,382 COVID-19 deaths - 17,361 confirmed and 2,021 probable fatalities from complications related to the virus. COUNTY-BY-COUNTY NUMBERS (sorted by most new cases) Middlesex County: 47,095 total confirmed cases (546 new confirmed cases), 1,490 confirmed deaths (219 probable) Hudson County: 45,852 total confirmed cases (469 new confirmed cases), 1,553 confirmed deaths (168 probable) Bergen County: 48,953 total confirmed cases (459 new confirmed cases), 2,082 confirmed deaths (263 probable) Monmouth County: 33,778 total confirmed cases (449 new confirmed cases), 967 confirmed deaths (103 probable) Ocean County: 34,379 total confirmed cases (435 new confirmed cases), 1,327 confirmed deaths (82 probable) Burlington County: 22,484 total confirmed cases (382 new confirmed cases), 586 confirmed deaths (51 probable) Essex County: 48,879 total confirmed cases (364 new confirmed cases), 2,160 confirmed deaths (250 probable) Camden County: 29,924 total confirmed cases (316 new confirmed cases), 780 confirmed deaths (65 probable) Passaic County: 41,023 total confirmed cases (309 new confirmed cases), 1,317 confirmed deaths (157 probable) Union County: 37,635 total confirmed cases (259 new confirmed cases), 1,388 confirmed deaths (181 probable) Morris County: 21,255 total confirmed cases (251 new confirmed cases), 791 confirmed deaths (178 probable) Mercer County: 19,519 total confirmed cases (231 new confirmed cases), 698 confirmed deaths (40 probable) Gloucester County: 14,918 total confirmed cases (223 new confirmed cases), 388 confirmed deaths (17 probable) Atlantic County: 12,921 total confirmed cases (164 new confirmed cases), 362 confirmed deaths (17 probable) Cumberland County: 8,280 total confirmed cases (132 new confirmed cases), 225 confirmed deaths (10 probable) Somerset County: 13,189 total confirmed cases (116 new confirmed cases), 585 confirmed deaths (88 probable) Hunterdon County: 3,981 total confirmed cases (64 new confirmed cases), 86 confirmed deaths (54 probable) Warren County: 4,163 total confirmed cases (62 new confirmed cases), 170 confirmed deaths (13 probable) Sussex County: 4,825 total confirmed cases (60 new confirmed cases), 176 confirmed deaths (43 probable) Salem County: 2,963 total confirmed cases (58 new confirmed cases), 107 confirmed deaths (7 probable) Cape May County: 2,502 total confirmed cases (26 new confirmed cases), 123 confirmed deaths (15 probable) VACCINATIONS Health officials have administered the first doses of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines to nearly 101,417 people, officials said Monday. Some healthcare workers began to receive their second doses Monday. Officials hope to vaccinate 70% of New Jersey adult residents about 4.7 million people in the next six months. The state is rolling out the vaccine in phases, with healthcare workers and people who live in congregant settings like nursing homes and prisons in the first phase. Officials have said doses should be available for the general public by April or May. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage HOSPITALIZATIONS There were 3,702 patients hospitalized in New Jersey with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases as of Monday night, 69 more than the previous night. That included 679 in critical or intensive care (15 more than the previous night), with 481 on ventilators (five more than the previous evening). There were 271 COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals while 365 people were admitted, according to Murphy. Hospitalizations as of 1/4/21 SCHOOL CASES There have been 108 in-school coronavirus outbreaks in New Jersey involving 546 students, teachers and staff since the school year began in late August, according to the states COVID-19 dashboard. Those numbers do not include students or staff believed to have been infected outside school or cases that cant be confirmed as in-school outbreaks. Though the numbers keep rising every week, Murphy has said the school outbreak statistics remain below what state officials were expecting when schools reopened for in-person classes. New Jersey defines school outbreaks as cases where contact tracers determined two or more students or school staff caught or transmitted COVID-19 in the classroom or during academic activities at school. The number of New Jersey school districts with all-remote learning has increased as students return from winter break, Murphy said on Monday. There are 339 districts starting 2021 remotely an increase of 18 all-remote districts from Dec. 21. Meanwhile, only 77 school districts are returning with full in-person instruction (down from 82 on Dec. 21), and 348 are returning with a hybrid of in-person or remote instruction (down from 362). Another 47 districts are using some combination of in-person, hybrid, or all-remote across multiple buildings one more than Dec. 21. AGE BREAKDOWN Broken down by age, those 30 to 49 years old make up the largest percentage of New Jersey residents who have caught the virus (31.4%), followed by those 50-64 (23.9%), 18-29 (19.1%), 65-79 (11.2%), 80 and older (5.7%), 5-17 (7.1%), and 0-4 (1.5%). On average, the virus has been more deadly for older residents, especially those with preexisting conditions. Nearly half the states COVID-19 deaths have been among residents 80 and older (47.48%), followed by those 65-79 (32.14%), 50-64 (15.78%), 30-49 (4.19%), 18-29 (0.37%), 5-17 (0%) and 0-4 (0.02%). GLOBAL NUMBERS As of Tuesday morning, there were more than 85.8 million positive COVID-19 tests across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.85 million people have died from coronavirus-related complications. The U.S. has reported the most cases, at more than 20.82 million, and the most deaths, at more than 353,600. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, its victory was primarily based on a staggering success ratio in Indias north and west. But from the day it won, the party has been clear that this was the ripe moment for it to break out of the old stereotype of being seen as a Hindi heartland party and it decided to expand, first in the east and then the south. Over the last six years, this strategy has paid dividends, especially in the east where the partys win in the Assam state elections of 2016 inaugurated a period of expansion across the North-east. The party also put up a robust performance in two states where it had limited presence historically West Bengal and Odisha which helped it cross the 300 mark in the 2019 elections. While Karnataka has been an older stronghold and there have been some recent successes at the local level in Telangana, it has for the most part been unable to translate this intent to expand and corresponding political investment into actual seats in other regions of the south. And that is why 2021 is key for the BJP to retain and expand its hold in the east, and to be able to make a mark in the south. Read more| The Number Theory: A decade of rightward shift in Indian politics For the Opposition, this is precisely what makes the year a critical turning point. If it is able to keep the BJP out of power of two eastern states (West Bengal and Assam), and force it to remain a marginal player in the south, it will come as a shot in the arm of those opposed to the central government, limit the BJPs growth, and retain the political balance in what is otherwise a hegemonic polity dominated by the BJP. Within the Opposition, the outcome of state polls in 2021 will also determine the balance of power between the Congress and regional parties and all signs are that this tilt further towards the regional parties, for the Congresss individual strength and prospects in at least two of the bigger states going to the polls (Tamil Nadu and West Bengal) is limited. But beyond the frame of party politics, the electoral battles of 2021 will also give a glimpse into the nature of identity-based politics in these regions, the tension between incumbency where being in power has afforded an opportunity to expand power and anti-incumbency where being in power has generated a backlash and thus eroded power; the vocabulary of development and welfare, especially in the backdrop of a public health and economic crisis; and the key role of individual leaders in determining outcomes. In the east The big battle of 2021 is, of course, in West Bengal where the Trinamool Congress, led by the formidable Mamata Banerjee, who fought for decades against the Left as a challenger, has to now defend its record. No other local leader in Bengal matches Banerjees brand value, her tenacity and grasp over the ground realities of the state. But while Brand Mamata is the Trinamools calling card backed by welfare schemes initiated by the state government it also now suffers from a set of weaknesses, which is being leveraged by the BJP. The Trinamool has been portrayed due to Mamata Banerjees own, arguably excessive, emphasis on the Muslim vote to be able to win it over from the Left and Congress in the initial years as a party too close to the minorities. This, in the BJPs campaign on the ground, throws up the allegation of politics of appeasement against the rival on the one hand, and on the other, leads to a conscious effort to construct a Hindu vote through a set of cultural, political, and legislative measures. After her setback in the 2019 polls, Mamata Banerjee advised by political consultant Prashant Kishor, whose trademark signature in recent campaigns has been to ask non-BJP forces to avoid the Hindu-Muslim binary has made a conscious effort to be seen as sensitive to Hindu aspirations. For her, this is unnatural politics though she has, in her personal beliefs, always remained a devotee of Kali. But the BJP believes that this messaging is too little and too late, and the ground in Bengal is ripe enough for a polarised election. The party believes that its push for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will help rally Hindu voters in bordering areas with links to the east. Its leaders are banking on constituencies with over 60% Hindus to be able to polarise the landscape and win. But it is not just the politics of identity. The BJP has steadily built its organisation in the state aided, in no small measure, by the entry of former Trinamool heavyweights, the latest being Suvendu Adhikari. In Bengals politics, the key is having control of the local machines on the ground. Local election machines loose grids populated by influential panchayat leaders and others quite comfortable with using violence to intimidate rivals and coerce voters shifted from the Left to the Trinamool, and the big question is whether they will now move to the BJP. This history of violence also makes the election particularly sensitive, and has already seen a spate of political killings, with the Opposition being targeted. But beyond identity and organisation, the big battle in Bengal will be between Narendra Modi who appears to enjoy a high degree of popularity in the state and, who will be the BJPs key face in the absence of a pan-Bengal leader and Mamata Banerjee. Modi will speak of double engine growth (of political alignment between the Centre and state), the Centres welfare schemes (which the BJP alleges is not being implemented on the ground), and perhaps a big promise of development package, while Banerjee will focus on Bengali sub-nationalism, the Centres assault on state rights, and her own achievements of the past decade. If in Bengal, the BJP has to be the challenger to win power, next door, in Assam, it is the incumbent which has to retain power. Under Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma, the party has deepened its organisational networks in the state, and will speak of infrastructure projects and welfare as its achievement. It is also aided, in no small measure, by the disarray in the Congress with Tarun Gogois death, the party lacks a towering leader, though the former chief ministers son, Gaurav, is hoping to inherit his legacy. But the BJPs biggest hope and challenge comes from the decades-old, vexed question of identity. Unlike Bengal, where there is a degree of support for CAA and opposition to National Register of Citizens (NRC), in Assam, there is opposition to CAA which is seen as an effort to provide back-door entry to Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh and ambivalence towards NRC it is viewed as the first step to identifying citizens and outsiders, but the flawed NRC process in the state with tremendous humanitarian consequences has led to apprehensions; it has also deepened the divide between the Brahmaputra and Barak valley. How the BJP is able to reconcile these complex strands, portray itself as the party committed to indigenous interests, even as it cultivates the Bengali Hindu vote, while constructing the Muslim as the other, will be key. For the Opposition, the political task ahead will hinge on whether it is able to portray the BJP as opposed to the sentiments of the Assam Movement. The Congress has its own challenge an understanding with Badruddin Ajmal can lead to a consolidation of the Muslim vote, but alienate the indigenous vote while the absence of an understanding can fragment the Muslim vote. The southern battles The stake is higher for the Opposition in the southern states, where the BJP knows its limits. As a top leader of the party said about the southern challenge: It will take us a decade to establish ourselves firmly. We lacked a pool of leaders and were constrained by our past image of being seen as a North Indian party. The image is breaking now, and more and more leaders and workers are joining us in states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala but to build the organisation and dominate the narrative, it will take a few elections. This does not mean that the BJP wont unleash its shock-and-awe campaign strategies. But in Tamil Nadu, where it is still viewed with a degree of suspicion for its attachment to the Hindi language and its perceived opposition to the Dravidian movement, it is primarily relying on its understanding with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), especially with actor Rajinikanth quitting politics even before entering the electoral fray. The challenge for the AIADMK is that it is fighting its first state election without J Jayalalithaa and it has been in power for two terms, leading to strong anti-incumbency. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), too, is fighting its first election after the death of M Karunanidhi, and undergoing a generational transition with MK Stalin as the face. And while it does face its own factional struggles, and tussle over potential seat sharing, the DMK-led alliance, which includes the Congress, starts out as the favourite. In Kerala, the contest will be fundamentally bipolar between the Left Front and the Congress-led alliance. The state has had a pattern of alternating between governments led by the two formations (much like Rajasthan in the north, which shuffles between the Congress and the BJP). But the success of the Left front in recent local elections has thrown up the possibility of this cycle breaking. This will be a high stakes election because Rahul Gandhi, as the member of Parliament from Wayanad, can be expected to invest substantially in the Congress campaign but despite his proximity to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership in Delhi, he will have to face a tough incumbent in the form of Pinarayi Vijayan, who has developed a reputation for delivery. The BJP has been making efforts to crack open the Kerala political matrix but has had limited success and can be expected to be a distant third, primarily due to the demography of the state (it has a substantial presence of both Muslims and Christians), entrenched political loyalties, and weak organisation (ironically, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs strength in the state hasnt translated into political advantage for the BJP.) By the middle of next year, the political complexion of some of Indias most crucial political states will be clear. If the BJP wins Bengal and Assam and manages to retain influence over the Tamil Nadu government, it will be one more step towards its expansion and, potentially, a more centralised Indian polity. If the Trinamool is able to retain Bengal, the BJP is pushed out of Assam, the DMK-led alliance wins Tamil Nadu, and irrespective of whether the victor in Kerala is the Left or the Congress, the political message will be the continued strength of regional forces in states against the BJPs dominance and, potentially, an assertion of states against the Centre. 2021s message will last till 2024. PARIS In the latest of several scandals to test French attitudes toward sexual abuse of minors, a prominent political scientist, radio show host and television commentator has quit his media and university posts after being accused in a new book of committing incest with his teenage stepson more than 30 years ago. Olivier Duhamel, a French public intellectual, said in a Twitter post Monday that he had decided to step down as a result of personal attacks against him, and out of a determination to preserve the institutions in which I work. These included the Sciences Po university, where Mr. Duhamel, 70, headed the body overseeing the renowned Paris institution. Camille Kouchner, in a book called La familia grande to be published Thursday, said Mr. Duhamel persistently abused her twin brother, starting when he was 14, which would be considered incest under French law. In a statement to the daily Le Monde, the brother, who is identified in the book as Victor, said, I confirm that what my sister has written about the actions of Olivier Duhamel toward me is correct. Addressing Mr. Duhamel directly in the book, excerpts from which appeared in Le Monde, Ms. Kouchner writes: I am going to explain to you who sound off on the radio, you who offer the gift of your analysis to students, and strut about on TV stages. I am going to explain that you could, at least, have said sorry. "Post Reports" is the daily podcast from The Washington Post. Unparalleled reporting. Expert insight. Clear analysis. Everything you've come to expect from the newsroom of The Post - for your ears. - - - In this episode: Amy Gardner explains why President Donald Trump's latest phone call to Georgia officials has legal scholars crying foul. As the nation keeps a close eye on Georgia's two U.S. Senate runoff elections, it's a good time to revisit Post Reports' deep dive into the real - and perceived - voter suppression in the state. And, after months of isolation, a "hug room" in Italy lets nursing home residents touch their families for the first time, reports Chico Harlan. Parents of children due to sit post-primary transfer tests have voiced frustration that they could be cancelled in a fresh lockdown (Liam McBurney/PA) Parents of children due to sit post-primary transfer tests have voiced frustration that they could be cancelled in a fresh lockdown. Private companies AQE and PPTC, which run the tests, are expected to announce later whether they will go ahead. First Minister Arlene Foster indicated on Monday evening that a period of remote learning for schoolchildren in Northern Ireland will be extended amid soaring coronavirus cases. Expand Close Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster indicated that a period of remote learning for schoolchildren will be extended beyond January (DUP/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster indicated that a period of remote learning for schoolchildren will be extended beyond January (DUP/PA) The Stormont Executive is set to meet later to confirm details of the proposal, but it is believed it could extend beyond January. With 12,507 fresh diagnoses of Covid-19 over the last seven days, ministers are also expected to order people to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus legally enforceable. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is set to receive 127 million from the Treasury for lockdown grants to support businesses forced to close. The first of the five post-primary transfer test papers is scheduled to take place on Saturday. Childrens Commissioner Koulla Yiasouma, along with Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill, Stormont Education Committee chairman Chris Lyttle (Alliance) and SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan have pressed for the tests to be cancelled. Expand Close Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Koulla Yiasouma has pressed for the tests to be cancelled (David Young/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Koulla Yiasouma has pressed for the tests to be cancelled (David Young/PA) However some parents say it is too late to cancel the tests, which have already been delayed from autumn when they are normally sat. Phil Meredith, from South Belfast, said his daughter has been working hard for the tests. All the hard work my daughter has been doing since the start of last year for this test is wasted, he said. All the stress and tears, and now it potentially isnt going ahead. My daughter has a better chance of getting in to grammar school through the AQE rather than the sub criteria. The problem is the alternative criteria for schools isn't transparent as yet Naomi McBurney Naomi McBurney, who runs the campaign Bring It Back To Primary, said parents are very divided on the matter. There are parents who are very concerned that if their child doesnt get the opportunity to sit the test, then they are going to be disadvantaged; for example, if they have an eldest child or only child, the main thing for them would be that the test was a more fair way for them to get access to a school that they want to go to, she said. Its quite frustrating for those opposed to the test because they are saying the country has had to sacrifice so much. The problem is the alternative criteria for schools isnt transparent as yet. The 12 schools that said they would cancel the test back in June have indicated that it would be sub criteria so if you had a child already at the school, or if you have a parent that had previously attended the school or a member of the family on the board of governors similar to that of nurseries, not based on academic criteria. Ms McBurney has been running a campaign which urges that children be allowed to sit the transfer test in their own school, instead of having to travel to a large testing centre. Note the date the campaign started asking for arrangements to be considered. Very disappointing that the needs of P7 children were not considered. This situation was inevitable due to inaction. Urgent reform is needed. No more privatisation - regulate or reform! pic.twitter.com/T7z5KJR7Fk bringitbacktoprimary (@backtoprimary) January 4, 2021 She has also called for reform of the system, with testing regulated by the Department of Education and reduced from children potentially sitting up to five papers if they take both the AQE and PPTC tests, to one. The department-set transfer test was previously abolished, with the last 11-plus paper sat in 2008. Meanwhile, a Co Down principal warned that closing schools is a disaster for children. Teachers should have been able to begin planning online lessons before Christmas, said Kevin Donaghy, from St Ronans Primary School in Newry. Instead they have had to duplicate everything for physical teaching conditions. Mr Donaghy said: My staff are completely devastated. We were all gearing up for coming back. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. PA A grandmother was "at a loss" to explain why she shoplifted two jackets from a city centre store, a court heard. Carol Rooney (60) was caught as she tried to flee with the property, worth a combined 500. Judge Bryan Smyth fined her 200 when she appeared in Dublin District Court. Rooney, with an address at St Mary's Mansions in Dublin's north inner city, pleaded guilty to theft. The court heard it was reported to gardai that Rooney had taken two jackets worth 500 from Mountain Warehouse on O'Connell Street Lower on February 7 last year. Arrested She was stopped and arrested and the goods were recovered. The court heard Rooney had previous convictions for offences including theft and possession of drugs. Rooney, who had undergone treatment for medical issues, was at a loss to say what she was thinking on the day of the theft, her solicitor Yvonne Bambury said. What happened was "out of character at this point in her life", Ms Bambury said. Rooney was of "limited resources" and did not have much by way of finances, she said. The judge fined and convicted Rooney. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors Consumer groups, large power generators and retailers are calling on state and federal governments to pull together on energy policy, warning their go-it-alone approach coupled with the Morrison government's lack of climate policy increases the risks of higher power prices and network failure. Their warnings follow a plea from Kerry Schott, chair of the Commonwealth's Energy Security Board, for "urgent" reforms to keep the energy grid resilient amid the disruption to existing systems and infrastructure from the rapid growth in renewable energy. Industry analysts, as well as customer and investor representatives are calling for governments to deliver a national approach to energy policy. Credit:Stock Photo Energy Users' Association of Australia chief executive Andrew Richards said state and federal governments all shouldered some of the blame for the current disjointed policy. Driven by a need to replace ageing coal fired power plants, NSW and Victoria announced separate targets to drive more renewable energy into the grid. This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong! Actor Malvi Malhotra, who recently visited filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkars office is touched by his gesture aimed at providing her moral support. For the uninitiated, in October last year, Malhotra was stabbed by a man after she turned down his marriage proposal. While the accused is in judicial custody, shes still recuperating from the physical and mental trauma. About her meeting with Bhandarkar, the actor tells us, Madhur sir isnt just an amazing director but also a wonderful human being. He has been checking on me since the beginning. Recently, he called me to his office saying he wanted to discuss something. Upon reaching, I saw his staff was also present and they made me cut a cake that had Brave Malvi, stay strong, written on it. Sir and his team wanted to cheer me up. She even shares that they might collaborate on a project soon, however, she wont be a part of Bhandarkars upcoming Bollywood project, India Lockdown. I havent healed completely and my doctor has asked me to avoid outdoor shoots for at least two more months. So, I wont be able start anything immediately. And Madhur sir is starting India Lockdown this month. I might work on his next project and to be able to work with him will be a dream come true, she adds. However, Malhotra feels upset that some people think this (stabbing) incident has actually worked in her favour professionally. Every time I talk about the incident, I relive the trauma again. The incident has scarred me for life. Now, when I step out, I dont move around freely and am more alert. No one wants to live through something like this to become popular. And no one is going to give me work out of sympathy or because I was stabbed. Ill have to prove myself, give auditions to land a project, she shares. Once fully recovered and stable, Malhotra will start her outdoor shoot for Tamil film alongside Chetan Chandra. Meanwhile, she is auditioning for TV and web projects. Also, Ive finished my poetry book thatll be published soon. Im working on my craft, taking acting workshops and voice training from actor Aashique Hussain, ends the actor. Follow @htshowbiz for more Author tweets @Shreya_MJ ott:10:ht-tv_listing-desktop The Mayor of Antwerp suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction after an interviewer noticed he wasn't wearing any trousers during their video call. Bart de Wever, the mayor of the second biggest city in Belgium, wore a smart shirt for the radio interview which was broadcast from his own home. But the 50-year-old chose to forego trousers for the chat, believing only the top half of him would be visible from his phone camera. The Mayor of Antwerp suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction after an interviewer noticed he wasn't wearing any trousers during their video call Unfortunately for the mayor, a strategically placed mirror behind him showed his nude legs. It took until four minutes into the interview with the Flemish broadcaster Radio 2 that the presenter acknowledged his mishap. She said: 'I'm a little distracted, Bart de Wever. You are wearing a very nice shirt, probably you wore it especially for us because you know people are watching on the Radio 2 app. 'But under that shirt, could it be that you are there in your underwear?' Bart de Wever, the mayor of the second biggest city in Belgium, wore a smart shirt for the radio interview which was broadcast from his own home The 50-year-old chose to forego trousers for the chat, believing only the top half of him would be visible from his phone camera De Wever, who heads the Flemish separatist New Flemish Alliance Party, replied: 'How do you know that?' Then, realising his mistake, he said: 'I'm probably sitting in front of a mirror. I had not taken that into account. 'The year begins with a particularly embarrassing moment, I'll remember this for a long time.' De Wever's counterpart in the French-speaking liberal party, Georges-Louiz Bouchez, poked fun at the mayor in a tweet which was accompanied with a picture of boxer shorts in the colours of the Belgium flag. It took until four minutes into the interview with the Flemish broadcaster Radio 2 that the presenter acknowledged his mishap Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Showers and a possible thunderstorm during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 77F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 48F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Columbia, MO (65201) Today Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms later during the night. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. In the front rank of the cast of heroes and villains of 2020 is Andy Cuomo, the feckless Governor of New York, a villain. He preened while New York burned. His policy of sending covid-infected patients into nursing homes killed thousands, while he tried to obscure the disaster by misleadingly reporting covid deaths. As the catastrophe unfolded, he hosted a nightly television show that bore little relation to reality and therefore was hailed by liberals. The apotheosis of Cuomo adorationweird, since he has one of the worst records of any governor east of Gavin Newsom, not only on covid but on policy generally, which is why New York is shrinkingcame when he won an Emmy for his television appearances. I want to be clear, though: I do not think that Cuomo has been trying to kill New Yorkers. I think their deaths have been mostly accidental, from his perspective. Still, it is hard to argue with the Babylon Bee: Cuomo Seen Pushing Barrels Of Vaccine Into The Hudson River https://t.co/gfvZWlPmGP The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) January 4, 2021 We must add, for the benefit of Twitter, Facebook, Snopes et al. that this is satire! Its a joke! Andy Cuomo was not really seen rolling barrels of vaccine into the Hudson River! See, the idea is that he has done such a terrible job as governor that it is almost as though he is trying to get his constituents killed. I should add, too: It is legal to criticize Democratic politicians! This may be contrary to what the fact-checkers learned in college, but it is true. Ridiculing politicians is legal, even if they are Democrats. Who knew? So, to Twitter, Facebook, Snopes, etc., please: tell your fact-checkers to start focusing on Joe Biden, who, as far as we know, isnt kidding. This acquisition is the second in a series of substantial Massachusetts SMART program projects Agilitas is constructing over the next two years. These projects collectively represent 35MW of solar and 17 MW of energy storage that will be constructed by our internal EPC group. Agilitas Energy, a leading energy developer with a robust portfolio in the northeast, has acquired an 8.9 megawatt photovoltaic solar plus energy storage project in the Town of Rochester on 38 acres of land. The project is currently under construction. Agilitas is working in lockstep with the Town of Rochester, including its Planning Board and the Conservation Committee, to sustainably construct the solar project. The project is targeting commercial operations in the first quarter of 2022 and will be able to power more than 1,800 Massachusetts homes. The energy storage component of the project not only will increase the total power output of the array, but also can provide peak-shaving capabilities to stabilize the grids power supply. This acquisition is the second in a series of substantial Massachusetts SMART program projects we are constructing over the next two years, said Barrett Bilotta, President of Agilitas Energy. These SMART projects collectively represent 35MW of solar and 17 MW of energy storage that will be constructed by our internal EPC group. We look forward to working with the Town of Rochester and other townships to build out our new Massachusetts SMART program portfolio. As part of the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program, this project will also serve as a Community Solar facility. Community solar allows anyone to access clean solar energy, without having to install solar on-site, and provides significant energy savings to subscribers of the facility. The well-known grocery chain Roche Brothers will be the anchor subscriber of the Project, and many small-to-medium-sized local businesses will also take advantage of the cost-saving benefits brought by the project. It was an easy business decision to sign a long-term agreement for community solar power with Agilitas Energy. There was no investment or risk, and well realize guaranteed savings on our electric bills, said Mark Sullivan, the Chief Financial Officer of Roche Brothers Supermarkets. In addition to the economic savings for local businesses, this project permanently protects 221 acres of forest and wetlands in the Town of Rochester. Agilitas Energy is working with the Buzzards Bay Coalition, who now owns the land, to implement a conservation management plan and maintain a conservation restriction on the parcel. This is an important property to protect for the overall health of the Buzzards Bay Watershed, said Coalition President Mark Rasmussen. Its part of a large tract of wild and natural land that filters water flowing to both the Sippican and Weweantic rivers and then to the Bay and provides habitat for a diversity of wildlife. Its an irreplaceable resource for the health of our region. The parcel is critical habitat for many species of plants and animals, including the eastern box turtle. To further protect critical habitats in the Town of Rochester, Agilitas Energy has made a significant contribution to the Towns arbor fund to invest in the planting of new trees. Besides this project, Agilitas is currently constructing another SMART project in the Town of Auburn and is actively developing new solar and energy storage projects in Massachusetts and New York to bring cost benefits to the local townships, businesses, and residents. About Agilitas Energy LLC Agilitas Energy is a leading commercial solar and energy storage developer and owner / operator in the Northeast. The Company is expert in the full cycle of development, construction, and distribution of utility-scale energy projects. The Agilitas team has developed and/or built over 100 MW of solar PV systems since 2014 and is actively developing multiple solar PV and energy storage projects in the Northeast. Agilitas invests in energy projects at various stages, from inception to full entitlement to commercial operation. More information can be found at: http://www.agilitasenergy.com The state constitution gives lawmakers the power to object to swearing in a member if they believe that person does not meet the qualifications to serve. Those conditions include being of a certain age to hold office and being a resident of a legislative district for a certain period of time. The lives of nearly 100 million disadvantaged people in China have changed beyond recognition over the past eight years, thanks to the poverty alleviation campaign. Let's join Xinhua reporters in Xinjiang, Guizhou, Ningxia, Hebei and Hunan to explore how that was possible. International experts will also weigh in and share their views about the largest poverty alleviation campaign in human history. PM Boris Johnson South Blocks preparations for the Republic Day parade have been thrown in a tizzy after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his India visit with a terse announcement from Downing Street that cited the need to oversee the pandemic response at home. Johnson was invited to take part in the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 as a chief guest. "The prime minister spoke to Prime Minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned," a Downing Street spokesperson said. In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus," Johnson told PM Modi. Rye Brook, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Here To Serve Holding Corp. (OTC: HTSC) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that the value of the company's portfolio of equity securities has grown substantially from $485,075 as of fiscal year end September 30, 2020, to a value of $1,187,625 as of the quarter ended December 31, 2020, an increase in equity of 145%. According to Paul Riss, CEO, "Our wholly owned subsidiary that runs our Executive Industries business has become extremely profitable by accepting equity securities from clients, in lieu of cash. Our services inherently add intrinsic value to the client's securities, which makes it advantageous for us to take payment in a client's temporarily distressed equity. We believe we will attract a large number of additional clients this year because OTC companies need to be current with their financial reporting to have a listed quote on the OTC, in accordance with the amended Rule 15c2-11." "Many potential OTC clients are cash strapped from a lack of liquidity resulting from being delinquent in their filings, and our strategy of accepting securities when they are often trading near their lows, makes Executive Industries an attractive option. Executive Industries benefits by owning securities in delinquent company clients and profiting along with company shareholders when the clients becomes current in their financial reporting, alleviating the threat of delisting, which often leads to a large share price increase in a client's equity. Our company is responsible for saving many shareholders from the delisting process, which frequently renders securities worthless overnight. The intended goal we have for every client is to make them a fully reporting, audited corporation. Our team works with PCAOB auditors and attorneys on behalf of our clients doing the footwork required to become audited, allowing clients to focus strictly on their business plan." On September 16, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) amended Rule 15c2-11 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which sets forth the requirements broker-dealers must comply with to initiate or resume quotations for securities traded in the over-the-counter (OTC) market. The amended rules are designed to enhance the protection of investors in the OTC market by attempting to minimize opportunities for fraud and manipulation, which the SEC believes disproportionally impact the OTC market. There are approximately 3,500 OTC companies that are delinquent in their filings. Executive Industries is ready to help OTC companies comply with the amended rules, help remove the stop sign on OTC Markets Group and allow the company to continue trading. Executive Industries is a boutique firm offering OTC companies accounting and compliance support which includes corporate advisory, SEC compliance, consulting, and marketing services. About Here to Serve Holding Corp. Here To Serve Holding Corp. is a holding company that hunts for undervalued assets in the mining, real estate, and securities industries. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Fortune Nickel and Gold Inc. ("Fortune"), is dedicated to the global acquisition, exploration and development of mining properties in prolific jurisdictions. Fortune recently acquired a mining project known as the Gowan project located in the Timmins mining camp in Ontario, Canada. The Gowan project is a nickel property for which company management and skilled technicians are moving quickly through the mining sequence. Through technology, science and the experts at Prairie Fire Enterprises, Fortune expects the Gowan project to be a massive nickel find. Please visit our web sites at www.heretoserve.tech and www.fortunenickelandgold.com. Executive Industries offers corporate advisory, consulting and marketing services to both public and privately-owned companies. Executive Industries helps entities with corporate strategy, negotiation, corporate structure, marketing and executive management decisions. Please call Investor Relations with any questions at 855-4NICKEL (855-464-2535) extension 1. The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71356 The Goa government on Tuesday demarcated the land for the proposed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus at Shel-Melaulim village in Sattari taluka of North Goa amid heavy police deployment and protests. Locals from the village are opposing the IIT project claiming that the facility would rob them of their land. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had on Sunday claimed that the state government is going ahead with the project, despite the protests. A large posse of policemen descended at Shel-Melaulim village only to be stopped by a crowd of 200-odd locals, mostly women, who reiterated that they would not part with their land for the project. Police teams were called in to prevent villagers from stopping officers of the state land survey department from demarcating the land for the project, a senior police official said. "The situation turned tense when villagers realised that they were kept busy at the protest site, while some of the survey officers had already completed their work by entering the area through a forest road," one of the protestors claimed. According to eye witnesses, there were minor clashes between villagers and police in the afternoon when the land survey officers had already left the scene. "The demarcation was done without our consent. We don't recognise the process," said Nikita Naik, one of the protestors. "Villagers had been protesting peacefully till now, but the time has come for us to get more aggressive to save our land," she said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, DC on May 10, 2019. Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images A woman in California left multiple voice messages containing bomb threats to a Catholic prep school after the school declared it would add same-sex marriage announcements to its alumni magazine in 2019. Sonia Tabizada, 36, pleaded guilty to the hate crime of "intentionally obstructing persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs" to Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, DC. "Remove the f-----g gay motherf-----s from your magazine or I'm going to f-----g kill your kids. That's a promise," Tabizada said in one of her threatening voice messages. Visitation Prep is the oldest Catholic school for girls in the US and serves 500 high school students. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A woman in California who left multiple voice messages threatening to bomb a Catholic prep school for advertising same-sex marriage announcements pleaded guilty to a hate crime on Monday, according to the US Department of Justice. Sonia Tabizada, 36, pleaded guilty to "intentionally obstructing persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs" in relation to her bomb threats to Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, DC, the oldest Catholic school for girls in the US. According to the school's website, it currently serves 500 high school-aged students. In May 2019, "Visitation Prep" announced it would begin to publish same-sex wedding announcements in the school's alumni magazine in an effort to advance the teaching that "we are all children of God ... worthy of respect and love." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Following the prep school's plans, Tabizada left two voice messages for the school, one of which to the president emeritus, and accused Visitation Prep of "seducing innocent eyes" and "accepting sinners." Tabizada's first voice message was left at 5:14 a.m. on May 15, 2019. "This message is for [name of Visitation Prep's president emeritus], who calls herself a nun, and is straight from hell, and is going to hell - she's seducing innocent eyes," Tabizada admitted to saying. "She's not helping the cause of Jesus. She's accepting sinners - they have to be separate. Hey motherf-----s, I'm going to burn that f-----g church, I'm going to bomb it, b---h! I'm going to f-----g kill you guys. I'm going to send my f-----g soldiers, motherf-----g. Remove the f-----g gay motherf-----s from your magazine or I'm going to f-----g kill your kids. That's a promise." Story continues One minute after leaving the first message, Tabizada called the school once more. "What kind of pervert priests do you guys have running the show," Tabizada said. "Nobody cares for those girls? You're crushing the innocent, motherf-----g a--hole. I'm gonna f-----g blow up the school and call it a mission from God. You guys are going to get terrorism within your f-----g school, motherf-----s. And you're going to be guilty. And I warned you!" While the original sealed indictment contained two charges, one charge for threatening to obstruct religious exercises and another for transmitting a bomb threat in interstate commerce, Tabizada only pleaded guilty to the religious hate crime. "Tabizada used threats of violence to intimidate others because of differing religious views," said Steven M. D'Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Every citizen and community has the Constitutional right to exercise their own religious beliefs free from fear and discrimination. Defending civil rights is a top priority for the FBI and we will continue to work to protect the civil rights and freedoms granted to all Americans." Tabizada waived her right to a trial by jury on Monday and her hearing and sentencing is scheduled for March 23. She will face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of no more than $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Read the original article on Insider With China giving massive economic aid to Indias neighbourhood, India has stepped up its economic assistance to its neighbours External affairs minister S. Jaishankar will go on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka starting Tuesday. With China giving massive economic aid to Indias neighbourhood, from Nepal to Iran, India has stepped up its economic assistance to its neighbours as well as nations in the Indian Ocean Region, including Sri Lanka. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit with Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on September 26. Ties between New Delhi and Colombo remain friendly despite the issue of Indian Tamil fishermen being caught by the Sri Lankan authorities, which the two nations are trying to resolve. India had said last month that there exists a common understanding to handle the matter in a humanitarian manner. In a statement, the MEA said: At the invitation of Sri Lankan foreign minister Dinesh Gunawardena, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from 5-7 January 2021. He will hold discussions with his counterpart and Sri Lankas leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations. The MEA added: This will be the first foreign visit by EAM in 2021, and also the first by a foreign dignitary to Sri Lanka in the New Year. As such, it signifies the priority both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest. China too has considerable economic interests in Sri Lanka, which is why observers note New Delhi is going all out to keep the Chinese influence at bay. Government sources earlier told this newspaper that Indias total development assistance to Sri Lanka now exceeds $3.45 billion, of which $560 million is in the form of grant assistance. Indias aid programmes in Sri Lanka focus on capacity-building, human resources development connectivity and infrastructure development. Not surprisingly, India has undertaken numerous development projects covering all provinces in Sri Lanka. The sources said these span a wide range of areas, from cultural conservation in the form of restoration of Thiruketheeswaram Temple to the construction of iconic landmarks like the Jaffna cultural centre to enhancing connectivity through restoration of railway lines. India has also renovated various schools, provided computers and created English language labs across the country, besides upgrading four vocational training centres in the island nation. But it is the Indian housing project to construct 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka that is Indias flagship and largest grant assistance project in Sri Lanka. ( Agencies) The editor-in-chief of a Communist Party-controlled newspaper in China has taken a swipe at the West for giving COVID-19 vaccines to elderly people first as Beijing steps up its effort in shaping the narrative about the coronavirus pandemic. Hu Xijin, the head of state-run propaganda publication The Global Times, praised Beijing's decision to inoculate its working population ahead of the others as 'responsible'. While the United Kingdom and other Western countries prioritise the immunisation of senior citizens and essential workers to reach herd immunity, China is racing to vaccinate those aged between 18 and 59 who work for the government and public services or have plans to travel overseas. The UK prioritises the immunisation of senior citizens and essential workers to reach herd immunity against the novel coronavirus. Pictured, 82-year-old Brian Pinker receives the world's first Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine in Oxford, England, on January 4 In comparison, China is racing to vaccinate those aged between 18 and 59 who work for the government and public services or have plans to travel overseas. Pictured, a medical worker vaccinates a man against the coronavirus at a health centre in Hefei, China, on December 29 Hu Xijin (pictured), the head of state-run propaganda outlet The Global Times, has praised Beijing's decision to inoculate its working population ahead of the others as 'responsible' Hu's harsh commentary came after an 82-year-old retired maintenance manager in Britain yesterday became the first person in the world to receive the Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine outside clinical trials. It also came after PM Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown from last night to tackle a surge in COVID-19 infections driven by a new, more transmissible variant of the virus. Hu lashed out at the United States for promoting the Pfizer vaccine, the world's first authorised COVID-19 jab which was approved by the UK authorities in early December. He condemned the Trump Administration for 'touting' the product 'on insufficient evidence', but did not provide further explanations. He then hailed China's homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, which is produced by state-run drug maker Sinopharm and said to have an efficacy rate of 79 per cent. Hu condemned the Trump Administration for 'touting' the Pfizer vaccine 'on insufficient evidence', but did not provide further explanations. He praised China's homegrown jabs A nurse is pictured preparing a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine before administering it to an 85-year-old woman at a vaccination centre in Potsdam, Germany, on January 5 On New Year's Eve, Chinese health authorities granted 'conditional' approval to Sinopharm's vaccine. The country is now aiming to vaccinate millions of people before the upcoming Lunar New Year travel rush in mid-February. China is putting nine 'key groups' of people ahead of the queue in its immunisation campaign. They include customs inspection and quarantine officers for imported frozen food, international and domestic transport workers, and employees of government organisations, police, fire brigades and local communities. Staff in the logistics and public utility sectors are also included. So are those who plan to study or work overseas. In Hu Says, an online talk show published by the Global Times, the outspoken, 60-year-old editor insisted that avoiding the elderly in COVID-19 vaccination reflected China's 'responsible attitude'. 'Western public opinion believes that the COVID-19 vaccine should be first distributed among the elderly and that avoiding this group indicates that Sinopharm's vaccine is not yet mature. I think it reflects China's responsible attitude,' Hu argued in English. China's capital city Beijing is racing to vaccinate nine 'key groups' of people ahead of Lunar New Year. Pictured, people walk to a COVID-19 vaccine center in Beijing on January 4 China is putting its working population at the top of the list. This photo shows people waiting to receive COVID-19 vaccines at a temporary vaccination centre in Beijing on January 3 Beijing has administered around 4.5million doses of largely unproven emergency vaccines this year. Pictured, people wait to board shuttle buses to a vaccine center in Beijing on January 4 Hu asserted that 'very few' new infections in China were elderly people, and that middle-aged and younger people who were socially active could spread the disease more quickly. 'That's why the Chinese government's decision fits our situation on the ground,' he concluded in the show. While many countries are pinning their hope of beating coronavirus on the roll-out of vaccines, Hu's Global Times compared the effect of the injections to 'water hoses against a wildfire' in the COVID-19 pandemic. In a separate opinion piece, the Communist mouthpiece escalated its criticism against the West by calling on democratic countries to stop betting on vaccines and start learning from China and adopting a centralised social system. 'A vaccine is a powerful weapon against the pandemic. But as the virus has spread extensively, the effect of vaccines is similar to water hoses against a wildfire,' read the article which mainly ripped into the United States. 'Other measures must be taken simultaneously to stop it from spreading, and finally being eradicated.' The strongly-worded piece added: 'The final outcome of the world's COVID-19 fight may depend on whether the US and the West can carry out important reforms to make up for their shortcomings in social organisation and mobilisation.' Chinese health authorities have granted 'conditional' approval to Sinopharm's vaccine (pictured). The country is now aiming to vaccinate millions of people before mid-February Worldwide, more than 85.27million people have been reported to be infected and 1,848,724 have died. Pictured, an elderly man riding his bicycle crosses a street in Beijing on January 4 China -- where the coronavirus first emerged late in 2019 -- has broadly stamped out the virus inside its borders, introducing swift local lockdowns and mass testing when cases emerge. But the country has stepped up testing and movement controls after a recent spate of small local outbreaks, including a handful of cases in Beijing. Worldwide, more than 85.27million people have been reported to be infected and 1,848,724 have died in the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Reuters tally. This is in response to the House and Senate approving a bill that would require the removal of Confederate names from military bases. Who these bases are named after, for the general public, has been lost to time and history. The names of those bases now represent the brave men and women who have trained and deployed into harms way. The history about to be erased isnt about the Confederacy, it is the history of over one hundred years of soldiers protecting the United States. The U.S. military is representative of the American people; Eskimo, Hawaiian, Native American, Asian, Hispanic, Black and white people, working together for our country. Financially speaking, the taxpayer money spent on changing signs and information referencing their current names could be better spent. Invest in schools and business districts in Black neighborhoods. Well educated, well employed people would be a long-term fix to the problems they are dealing with. Protests and marches, changing names and emblems, making words taboo are cosmetic cover-ups that could be better spent on infrastructure issues. Karen Kennedy, Thorndike UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th January, 2021) The UN Security Council will appoint a new Special Envoy for Libya as soon as possible after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' nomination, Tunisian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Tarek Ladeb said in a press briefing. "The Secretariat is thinking of suggesting the new name, instead of Mr. [Nickolay] Mladenov, who couldn't take this position due to personal and family reasons," Ladeb, whose country presides over the Security Council in January, said on Monday. "We think that he [Guterres] will suggest a new Special Envoy and I think the council will adopt it as soon as possible. " Ladeb added that nominating a new Special Envoy for Libya is crucial at the moment to give the push to a political process and the settlement of the crisis. Former UN Special Coordinator for the middle East peace process Nickolay Mladenov, who long been considered to become a new UN envoy for Libya, in a letter to Guterres informed that he would not take up the role and resigned from the United Nations. Since March, Stephanie Williams has been serving as Acting Special Envoy following the resignation of Ghassan Salame, who cited stress as the reason to step down. The judicial custody of four alleged Popular Front of India (PFI) activists, booked for sedition and other charges after their arrest while going to the Hathras rape-murder victim's village in October last year, has been extended for 90 days, a senior government counsel said on Monday. Deputy SP of Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Rakesh Paliwal on Monday sought extension of the judicial custody of Atiq-ur Rehman, Masood, Alam and journalist Siddiq Kappan, he said. Paliwal submitted to the court that since most of the offices of the PFI and other allied organisations are based in Kerala and during investigation there some more information has surfaced, the STF needs the accused to be in judicial custody for verification of the information. "Additional district and sessions Judge (first) Anil Kumar Pandey has allowed extension of judicial custody remand by another 90 days," District Government Counsel Shiv Ram Singh said. Defence counsel Madhuban Datt Chaturvedi said he would challenge the decision in the High Court. He had opposed the extension contending that it was mandatory to release the accused after 90 days. According to the FIR, charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the IT Act were also filed against the four men, who were accused by the state police of having links with the Popular Front of India (PFI). The UP government had accused PFI members for instigating violence during the anti-CAA protests last year. The four men were arrested from a toll plaza in Mathura as they were heading to Hathras district to visit the victim's native village. The Hathras incident that witnessed nationwide outrage involved a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly raped at a village in the district by four men on September 14 last year. She later died in a Delhi hospital on September 29. She was then cremated in her native village with her family alleging the local police forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) The National Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday it would reach out to civic leader Teresita Ang-See, as the agency hopes to collect more information on reports that thousands of Chinese nationals in the country have already been vaccinated against COVID-19. Ang-See earlier revealed that over 100,000 Chinese workers, including those in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator industry, have already received shots despite the absence of regulatory approval. We will also reach out to the Bureau of Customs on the matter of importation or how did the vaccines of this like have come to our shores. And we also expect that we can reach out to Ms. Teresita Ang-See for her statement on involving POGO workers, Lavin said in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source. Hopefully we can get enough information on that, their whereabouts, the identities, how it happened, he added. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said his agency is already coordinating with the Food and Drug Administration and the Customs Bureau to look into the issue. Malacanang said it has also not yet received any confirmation on the report, but downplayed concerns, saying the development would mean less possible carriers of COVID-19. Currently, NRIs are required to vote in person in their respective constituencies. In last Lok Sabha elections only 25,000 NRI voters flew to India to cast their votes. Now, due to Covid-19 restrictions on top of costs and commitments of employment and education, the number of NRI voters are assumed to be even lower. Out of approximately 32 million NRIs only service personnel are allowed to vote leaving 25 million NRIs without the right to be able to vote from the country of their residence. NRIs were given voting rights only in 2011 after the amendment to the Representation of the People Act 1950. Currently, NRIs are required to vote in person in their respective constituencies. In last Lok Sabha elections only 25,000 NRI voters flew to India to cast their votes. Now, due to Covid-19 restrictions on top of costs and commitments of employment and education, the number of NRI voters are assumed to be even lower. Last year in December, the Election Commission approached the law ministry to seek permission for NRIs to cast their vote through postal ballots. The Election Commission in its letter to the Law Ministry has informed that it is technically and administratively ready to initiate the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) for Indian Citizens abroad other than members of Armed forces, Para Military forces and Government employees serving outside the country. Also Read: 25 industries eager to join IN-SPACe, ISRO-private sector collab to boost Atmanirbhar Bharat: Jitendra Singh Also Read: MEA Jaishankars first foreign visit in 2021; on 3-Day visit to Sri Lanka The Ministry of External Affairs has given a nod to the proposal extended by the EC by writing in favour of the proposal. It has suggested that EC should consult all the stakeholders before implementation. According the report of Indian Express, a news agency, to provide the facility to overseas voters, the government merely needs to amend the Conduct of Election Rules 1961. It would not require parliaments nod to go ahead with the move. On the other hand, a point of contention that this move has faced is that the migrant workers within India still do not have the right to cast their vote through postal ballots. The workers who migrate domestically from villages to big cities in search of work often do not return back to their constituencies to cast their vote due to financial and employment constraints. Also Read: China revises defence law to bolster Xi Jinpings military powers Chinese car company Xpeng or Xiaopeng continues to advance its technology and challenge Tesla as it adds Lidar sensors for the new autonomous car models it will mass-produce in 2021. In a press statement, Xpeng announced its partnership with startup Livox as the carmaker will add lidar sensors from the startup. Xpeng adds Lidar sensors for its new car models in 2021 Tesla's battle with the car company Xpeng continues to stiffen as the Chinese challenger makes its autonomous driving campaign stronger as it taps Lidar technology. According to Tech Crunch, the electric vehicle startup Xpeng targets China's middle-class tech-savvy consumers. The company is run by He Xiaopeng, a former Alibaba executive, who has raised around $500 million in a Series C+ investment round back in July, which brings its total funding to $1.7 billion. The recent decision to add Lidar's remote sensing technology and a Chinese supplier suggests the technology war between the United States. and China. According to Xpeng, Lidar will also enhance performance in low ambient light, measurement accuracy, target detection, and other challenging perception conditions. While the company already uses different sources to collect data, including ultrasonic, millimeter-wave radar, camera, and other sensors, Lidar will "provide a greater level of safety redundancy." This means a self-driving car will continue to work even when its primary system component fails since it will allow "more accurate imaging of the road situation." Meanwhile, picking Livox is also interesting, as other established foreign companies like Luminar and Velodyne are available. However, it is quite expected since the Chinese government pushed for technological autonomy in China's key industries. In 2016, Livox was founded as an "independent company" through DJI's internal incubation program. The company claims to be able to provide cheaper Lidar using its unique optoelectronic scanning technology. However, the startup is distancing itself from DJI to avoid possible U.S. government after the U.S. government recently added DJI to its trade blacklist, which included other Chinese tech giants like SenseTime Huawei. Read also: Why Elon Musk Will Not Have LiDAR for Tesla's Autonomous Vehicles? Xpeng-Tesla Autopilot Lawsuit Tesla has accused the five-year-old startup of intellectual property theft, which the Chinese electric carmaker denied. In 2019, Xpeng has been tangled in a legal battle against Tesla after its former engineer Cao Guangzhi allegedly stole Autopilot source code before he joined the startup. While Guangzhi admitted copying some of source codes from Tesla, he claimed to have deleted all files before he left Musk's company. The coronavirus pandemic has since delayed the case's proceedings while Tesla summoned Xpeng to find evidence such as computer images and source code, which the electric vehicle startup called Tesla's motion to "bully and disrupt a young competitor." However, Xpeng's decision to add lidar technology to new car models that it will mass-produce in 2021 differentiates the Chinese startup from Tesla. While it surprised some experts in the car industry, Tesla CEO Elon Musk mere scoffed at Xpeng's announcement. For the longest time, Musk has long dismissed Lidar technology's use in autonomous driving as he regards it as unnecessary expensive sensors. Instead, Tesla relies on camera-enabled visual recognition and neural network training for its Autopilot feature. Other Chinese companies agree with Musk, such as the Daimler-backed Momenta, which uses high-definition cameras and the cheaper millimeter-wave radars. Related article: Look! Tesla Model S 'Refresh' Will Soon Arrive as Plaid Version; Spotted Near Silicon Valley HQ This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Tuesday that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health and Transport have to coordinate with each other and draw up a list of countries and territories that this new regulation will apply to. For now, the list includes U.K. and South Africa, where two different variants of the virus have been found. The one found in the U.K. early last month is said to be 70 percent more transmissible than the old one. Britains health minister said Monday that the mutation found recently in South Africa is even more problematic. PM Phuc issued the order after the health ministry proposed Monday that inbound flights are suspended or limited from countries and territories with the new, more contagious coronavirus strains. The proposal was submitted after the ministry confirmed Saturday that a 44-year-old Vietnamese woman returning home from Britain and quarantined in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh upon arrival was infected with the new virus strain. Over 40 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and the Middle East have restricted travel from the U.K. and, in some cases, travel from other countries that have documented cases with the virus variant. The PMs statement noted that the pandemic is developing in more complicated ways. The virus was spreading more quickly with around 600,000 new infections and 6,000 deaths recorded each day, he said. The U.K. variant has been found in 38 countries so far. Since Vietnam suspended inbound international flights late March, the government has organized around 260 repatriation flights to bring Vietnamese citizens back from 59 countries and territories, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to repatriation flights, some special flights carrying foreign experts and investors have also been allowed to fly into Vietnam. Vietnam, with a population of 96 million, has recorded 1,504 Covid-19 infections and 35 deaths to date. The Plank Owner program provides a way for civilians and veterans from all services to share in the excitement and enjoy a sense of ownership as we bring this incredible museum to life. Battleship USS Iowa Museum, the historic U.S. Navy battleship that has become an iconic landmark and a top five museum and attraction in the Los Angeles area, today announced the launch of the Plank Owner program for the future National Museum of the Surface Navy. Plank Owner is an honorary title given to U.S. Navy and Coast Guard sailors who are assigned to a ship at the time of its commissioning. The free Plank Owner program provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for individuals to show their support for the nations first-ever Surface Navy Museum prior to its opening aboard Battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro at the Port of Los Angeles. Each individual who registers as a Plank Owner will receive a full-color, downloadable, personalized certificate suitable for framing. Plank Owners who donate $25 or more to the Museum will have their names permanently added to the Museums Quarterdeck of Honor, forever identifying them among the initial supporters that helped bring the museum to life. When it opens aboard Battleship USS Iowa in 2025, the National Museum of the Surface Navy will raise awareness of the U.S. Navy Surface Fleets important role in international relations, free trade, humanitarian assistance, and technological innovation. The state-of-the-art museum will include a 270-degree theater experience, simulated combat engagement center, an interactive holographic globe depicting Navy operations around the world, and an interactive recreation of a modern Navy ship bridge. After 243 years as the Navys premier fighting force, the nation is finally going to have a museum that is dedicated to the past, present and future of the Surface Navy, explained retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mike Shatynski, Chairman of the Board of the National Museum of the Surface Navy. The Plank Owner program provides a way for civilians and veterans from all services to share in the excitement and enjoy a sense of ownership as we bring this incredible museum to life. The National Museum of the Surface Navy will find its home aboard the storied Battleship USS Iowa. Throughout her 50 years of service, USS Iowa and the thousands of brave sailors that served aboard her, operated around the world protecting Americas interests during World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Cold War. The Battleship of Presidents welcomed several Commanders-in-Chief during her long, storied history including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. USS Iowa, also known as The Grey Ghost and The Big Stick, was decommissioned in October 1990, but continues to serve today. There is no better place for the first national museum dedicated to the Surface Navy to be located than aboard USS Iowa, said Jonathan Williams, president and CEO of Battleship Iowa Museum. As the namesake of the last class of Battleships, Iowa and the men and women that served aboard her contributed immeasurably to the country, serving missions around the world from WWII through the Cold War. Were thrilled to become the home of the Museum and are looking forward to welcoming our Plank Owners aboard! Click here to become a Plank Owner of the National Museum of the Surface Navy. Click here to learn about the programs and tours available now aboard Battleship USS Iowa. Click here to learn more about the National Museum of the Surface Navy. Follow Battleship Iowa Museum on: About Battleship USS Iowa Museum Located in the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, Calif., Battleship USS Iowa Museum is one of the top five museums and attractions in Los Angeles, bringing the ships history to life through in-person and virtual tours and educational programs for youth. In addition to providing a natural platform for veterans and patriotic civilians to come together as a community, Battleship USS Iowa Museum provides a wide array of impactful programs and resources that support the critical needs of our military and veterans. The museum is operated by Pacific Battleship Center, a 501c3 non-profit organization solely supported by admissions, donations, event space rentals, and gift shop. We do not receive government funding for our operations. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Remote Monitored Systems PLC - data collection and surveying firm based in London - Says face mask manufacturing machine due to be delivered to subsidiary Pharm 2 Farm Ltd has now been dispatched from Spain and will likely arrive in Nottingham by Friday. Last Tuesday, it said that due to the situation at English-French boarder, the haulier was unable to make delivery of the machine. Current stock price: 2.28 pence Year-to-date change: up 64% By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The decision to block Julian Assanges extradition to the U.S. is unlikely to make him a free man anytime soon. Assange, who has spent the last decade either in a U.K. prison or stuck in Ecuadors embassy in London, won an important legal fight Monday when a judge ruled that he shouldnt be sent to the U.S. to face criminal charges. While his legal team prepares for a bail hearing Wednesday, prosecutors said they will fight his release as they appeal the decision, dragging the process through the British courts for months or years. This is not the end of the story," said Jasvinder Nakhwal, an extradition lawyer at Peters & Peters in London who wasnt involved in Assanges hearing. The 49-year-old initially took shelter in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 after he lost a U.K. Supreme Court appeal of his extradition to Sweden for questioning on rape allegations. While the Swedish case was later dropped, Assange was booted out of the embassy in April 2019 and arrested for skipping his U.K. bail. That same day, the U.S. announced it was charging him with espionage for his role in releasing hundreds of thousands of pages of classified documents via WikiLeaks, with the help of U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning. He is being held in Londons Belmarsh prison. He has a very poor history, thats all prosecutors need to say," extradition lawyer Daniel Sternberg said, referring to Assanges breach of earlier bails. Prison authorities would consider him to be a flight risk. Hes likely to be in Belmarsh for the time being." The decision by London Judge Vanessa Baraitser -- based on fears that he might commit suicide in a U.S. jail -- came as a surprise to most. In the weeks before the hearing, his supporters put more faith in a presidential pardon than on winning the case. Even Assanges fiancee, Stella Moris, said she had to re-write her speech in light of the decision. Moris has spent the last few months making direct pleas for clemency to President Donald Trump via Twitter and appearances on Fox News. U.S. Appeal As long as Julian has to endure suffering and isolation as an unconvicted prisoner in Belmarsh Prison and as long as our children continue to be bereft of their fathers love and affection we cannot celebrate," Moris said outside Londons Old Bailey court building after the ruling. We will celebrate the day he comes home." U.S. prosecutors said they will appeal. In a statement, the Justice Department pointed to Baraitsers opinion, which backed much of its case and rejected Assange lawyers arguments regarding fair trial and freedom of speech. The judge also said that there was insufficient evidence to support the allegation that prosecutors were pressured into bringing charges by Trumps administration. Its unclear whether U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden will pursue the case. His transition team declined to comment on whether the Democrats administration would continue to pressure for Assanges transfer. At the end of his term, President Barack Obama commuted Mannings 35-year prison sentence. Biden called Assange a high-tech terrorist" in 2010, saying he shouldnt get protection provided to journalists because he encouraged Manning to release the information. The U.S. has 14 days to appeal, and the process will likely take months, particularly given the current backlog of cases caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Even if they lose again, they could also make an application to the British Supreme Court, which will further elongate the process. It may be a tall order for the judge to allow him bail Wednesday while the appeal process continues. Even if hes granted bail, however unlikely, there will probably be very strict conditions attached and the ruling could itself immediately be appealed. In this particular case, Id be surprised if the judge granted him bail," said Sternberg, an extradition lawyer who doesnt represent anyone in the case and who has worked for and against the U.S. government in court. The Australian has applied for bail several times, including on health grounds, saying that the crowded conditions increased his risk of contacting Covid-19. Baraitser cited Assanges health in her decision. She said that Assange would face conditions of significant isolation" in U.S. prison, and cited Jeffrey Epsteins 2019 death as an example of when preventative measures werent able to protect inmates from self-harm. In these harsh conditions, Mr. Assanges mental health would deteriorate causing him to commit suicide with the single-minded determination of his autism-spectrum disorder," Baraitser said. Assange Extradition Blocked as Judge Cites Mental Health Issues Whatever happens Wednesday, Assange continues to garner support from politicians. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Assange could return after his legal case ends, and that consular officials had reached out to him during his detention in the U.K. Hes like any other Australian: hes free to return home if he wished," Morrison said in an interview with Melbourne radio station 3AW. Hes going through those processes. That would be a matter for him when those matters or procedures end." Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador celebrated the British ruling, and said his administration would offer him political asylum. Assange is a journalist and he deserves an opportunity," Lopez Obrador said in his daily press conference. Im in favor of pardoning him. Well give him protection." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. An Illinois teenager who fatally shot two people and wounded a third amidst sometimes violent summer protests on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges including intentional homicide. Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, entered his plea in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference that came just as Kenosha was bracing for a charging decision in the event that brought Rittenhouse to the city in August the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Prosecutors say Rittenhouse, who is white, left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and traveled to Kenosha after learning of a call to protect businesses after Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times in the back Aug. 23 and left paralyzed. Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests two nights later, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse has argued he fired in self-defense. Conservatives have rallied around Rittenhouse, describing him as a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property, and raised enough money to make his $2 million cash bail. Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited protesters. The Blake shooting happened three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis, which also was captured on bystander video and which sparked outrage and protests that spread across the United States and beyond. The galvanized Black Lives Matter movement put a spotlight on inequitable policing and became a fault line in politics, with President Donald Trump criticizing protesters and aggressively pressing a law-and-order message that he sought to capitalize on in Wisconsin and other swing states. In Kenosha, as the protests that followed damaged businesses in the city of 100,000 near the Wisconsin-Illinois border authorities ultimately estimated some $50 million in damage some people answered a call on social media to travel to Kenosha. Conservatives have rallied to Rittenhouses legal defense, arguing that he was a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property. Rittenhouse, who is white, was 17 at the time of the shootings, and charges include illegal possession of a dangerous weapon by someone under age 18. A pretrial conference for Rittenhouse was set for March 10, with a March 29 trial date, though his attorney Mark Richards indicated he would seek to delay that to allow more time to prepare. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley hasnt publicly announced the timing of a decision on whether to charge Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey. But the city began moving in recent days to prepare for the event, with some businesses boarding their windows and concrete barricades and oversized metal fencing surrounding the Kenosha County Courthouse. Fearing a repeat of the August protests, the Kenosha Common Council on Monday night unanimously approved an emergency resolution that goes into effect with the announcement and allows the mayor to set curfews. Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to help Kenosha authorities when the decision is announced. Our members of the National Guard will be on hand to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans are able to assemble safely, and to protect critical infrastructure as necessary, Evers said in a statement. Blakes father led a march through the city Monday evening, calling on people to make noise and be heard around the world. (Sheskey) tried to kill my son and could have killed my grandchildren, Jacob Blake Sr. said during a news conference before the march. He shot him seven times in his back unjustifiably. The family said its taken too long for a charging decision, and the precautions suggest that Sheskey wont be charged. What is the National Guard for? Jacob Blake Sr. said. They going to deliver mail? Deliver ice cream? What do you think theyre here for? Tanya McLean, executive director of the community organization Leaders of Kenosha and a friend of the Blake family, said as Monday evenings march was kicking off that violence isnt acceptable. No matter what the decision is, we are seeking nonviolence, she said. We want everybody to come out, make as much noise as you want, but we dont want any destruction of property or businesses. We are for nonviolence. Anything else is not acceptable for this community. (TNS) The Maine Legislature is poised to debate more than a dozen bills that could substantially change the way ballots are cast and counted in state elections.In all, the pandemic-restricted Legislature has more than 1,600 bills on its docket as it prepares for public hearings and other actions this month.The voting bills range from requiring verification of absentee ballot signatures to establishing full online voting. These proposals follow a historic election that saw record levels of voter participation followed by President Trump's baseless and ongoing claims of election fraud.The Republican lost the popular vote by more than 7 million votes nationwide in November and was soundly defeated in the Electoral College as well winning 232 votes to the 306 votes won by Democrat Joe Biden. Still, Trump and his allies have continued to claim, without evidence, that votes were cast illegally in states the president narrowly lost.Those claims have set the stage for debates over ballot access and election security in legislatures across the country.In Maine, both Republicans and Democrats are offering proposals that will be the subject of public hearings before the Legislature's Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee in the weeks ahead.Rep. Maureen Terry, D-Gorham, is the primary sponsor of a bill that would make Maine one of the first states to allow full online voting. Terry believes encryption technology is at a point where voters should be able to cast their ballots securely from their homes electronically."There's a way to do it that's safe and secure and has all the security that our regular voting has," Terry said.Maine currently restricts electronic voting to overseas residents or those with significant visual impairments.Rep. Heidi Sampson, R-Alfred, is one of several lawmakers who is sponsoring a bill seeking to make Maine's absentee balloting system more secure and more private. Her bill would remove the voter's party designation from a bar code that is printed on all envelopes that are used to return completed absentee ballots.Sampson said her bill helps lower the risk that an absentee ballot will be tampered with or destroyed, while protecting voters' right to keep their party affiliation confidential."Clearly, allowing that designation lends itself to have the opportunity to tamper with that ballot if there was some nefarious intent by somebody," Sampson said. The increased use of absentee ballots in 2020 brought the issue to light, she said, and many voters were concerned that their party affiliation was displayed on the outside of the pre-addressed ballot return envelope.Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, is proposing a bill that would have Maine adopt a system to verify absentee voter signatures, a practice required in a handful of states.Maine voters must sign the back of the return envelope of their absentee ballots, and state law requires that the signature match the signature on a voter's absentee ballot application. However, ballots are rarely rejected because of signature problems, and voters can apply for and receive ballots in Maine both online and over the phone with no signature requirement.Other bills would put into law temporary policies that were adopted last fall to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. Rep. Kyle Bailey, D-Gorham, is sponsoring legislation that codifies the drop boxes that many towns and cities installed for absentee ballots in last November's election.Another bill offered by Bailey would codify an online absentee ballot tracking system that went into effect in 2020. The system enabled voters to confirm that their absentee ballot requests had been accepted, mailed to them, and then received by local election officials after the completed ballot had been returned.Several other bills dealing with absentee ballots would expand the time allowed for early processing of ballots by local election officials or expand the period when a voter can apply for an absentee ballot. The processing time for absentee ballots was expanded from four days before Election Day to up to seven days before under an executive order issued by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills because demand on the system during the pandemic had increased to record levels.A measure sponsored by Rep. Tiffany Roberts, D-South Berwick, would incorporate that expanded processing time into state law.Other proposals by lawmakers include a repeat bill by Faulkingham whose legal name is William Robert Faulkingham that allows a candidate for office in Maine to use their nickname on the ballot. Faulkingham got this measure through the previous Legislature, only to have it vetoed by Mills last January.In her veto message Mills said the use of nicknames could be easily abused by candidates to manipulate voters by adopting monikers like "the People's Hero" or "the Greatest."Other states also will face a number of proposals to alter their voter registration and election laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, the details are unclear, as few states have hit their deadlines for submitting legislative proposals.The conference said New Hampshire has 26 voting-related bills on its legislative docket, while Texas has at least 60 and there are 41 bills on the agenda in Montana. In 2020, lawmakers in 43 states, Washington, D.C., Guam and Puerto Rico passed 223 bills dealing with elections and voting, many of them in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WASHINGTON Citing what they call an impeachable offense, Democrats in Congress plan to censure President Donald Trump after he asked Georgias top election official to find enough votes to win the state, days before Congress is set to certify the results of the 2020 election. On Monday, Connecticuts entire House delegation, along with over 90 House Democrats, signed onto a resolution to censure Trump for his call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over the weekend. Trump asked Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes enough for him to overturn President-elect Joe Bidens win in the state. He also insisted, without evidence, that he won the state, contrary to the findings of multiple recounts that uncovered no significant fraud or errors. Raffensperger, a Republican, rebutted Trumps allegations and declined to change Georgias election results. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, called Trumps call impeachable conduct and said he supports efforts to censure the president, the highest form of rebuke Congress can give short of adopting articles of impeachment. Given the fact that were 16 days away from a new inauguration, given the fact that impeachment is a terribly serious thing, were just, as a logistical matter, not going to be able to impeach, he said Monday. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, accused Trump of trying to get state election officials to try to commit fraud. It would appear that the president doesnt know any bounds when it comes to overturning the results of the election, DeLauro said. U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1, called Trumps actions shameful, criminal, and un-American. Trump continued his allegations of election fraud on Twitter Monday, again without citing any evidence. He did not address the call for a censure nor did the White House make any statements. Trump was scheduled to speak at a rally in Georgia Monday night. U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, is leading the House effort to censure Trump and planned to formally introduce a resolution Monday afternoon. Its unclear if or when the House might vote on the resolution. Only four presidents have been officially censured. Democrats also held a call Monday morning to craft their strategy to oppose the efforts of some Republicans to prevent certification of the 2020 election results by Congress on Wednesday. Individual lawmakers can object to Congress's approval of the vote. The decision by some GOP members to do so has divided the Republican party on the eve of two Georgia run-off elections Tuesday that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. Over 140 House Republicans and at least 13 GOP senators have said they plan to object Wednesday to certifying the Nov. 3 election results. A vocal Trump ally, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said she would object because she believes there are serious questions about how the 2020 election was conducted. Tens of millions of Americans are rightly concerned that the 2020 election featured unprecedented voting irregularities, unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws, and a fundamental lack of ballot integrity and security, she said. In a joint statement, 11 senators said they want to establish a commission to conduct an audit of election results in disputed states and will object to certification unless an audit is conducted beforehand. Vice President Mike Pence has also supported the objecting lawmakers. But other Republicans rebuked their colleagues saying they were undermining faith in American elections. U.S. Rep. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called it bad for the country and bad for the party. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said, The courts and state legislatures have all honored their duty to hear legal allegations and have found nothing to warrant overturning the results. GOP objections are not expected to alter Trumps impending exit from the White House this month. The Democratic-majority House plans to vote down the GOP objections and Democratic lawmakers from the states in question plan to make speeches in defense of their states election integrity, Himes said. In the Saturday call, Trump indirectly threatened Raffensperger with criminal consequences if he did not comply. He also continued unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud. There is no question that the presidents call with the Georgia officials is impeachable conduct. Its like the Ukraine phone call, but much worse because its not aid to Ukraine thats at stake, its our very democracy thats at stake, Himes said. Trump was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of justice by the House, but the Senate voted to acquit him of those charges. The charges stemmed from a phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine in which Trump appeared to threaten to withhold military aid to the country in order to secure an investigation into the family of President-elect Joe Biden, among other actions. Joe Lieberman, Connecticuts former U.S. senator whom Trump once considered appointing as his FBI director, called Trumps call to Georgia reckless, irresponsible and possibly illegal on CNN. If President Trump was in the middle of his term, I have no doubt that this call and a tape of it would be the basis of another attempt to impeach him, for conducting, carrying out behavior that is not worthy of our American presidency, he said. Trump sounded exactly like a mob boss and potentially committing crimes, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said on Twitter. Gov. Ned Lamont said the call was shocking and Unlike anything Im a student of history Ive seen in 200 plus years of presidential history. Some legal experts have concluded that Trump may have broken federal and Georgia election laws, which prohibit solicitation of election fraud and depriving residents of a fair election. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson People are loading up their cars for a mammoth outback trip often on dirt roads from Queensland to Victoria via Birdsville to avoid travelling through New South Wales. Victoria's border will remain shut to NSW until at least the end of January, with stranded residents urged to apply for a travel exemption to make it home. People driving out to Birdsville to avoid NSW border closures have been urged to take precautions. Credit:iStock Creative travellers have been going bush to avoid strict border closures, delivering a tourism boost to the outback during the sweltering off-season and prompting safety warnings from seasoned locals. But people may soon stop going the long way around after Victoria started issuing permits to people in Queensland and the ACT enabling them to drive back directly through NSW with brief stops for toilet breaks, food and petrol. People from the crash were taken in serious-to-critical condition, some to Advocate Christ Medical Center and at least one to the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to the Chicago Fire Department. At least some of the people involved in the crash were pinned in at least one of the vehicles by the force of the impact. The OPEC+ talks on production cuts in February have been postponed until Tuesday, January 5, since the six-hour ministerial meeting failed to yield an agreement, three participants in the meeting said on Monday. Later, the information was confirmed at the OPEC Secretariat. "It was postponed until tomorrow. The meeting was scheduled for 15.30 Vienna time," one of the sources said. The meeting is to start at 17.30 Moscow time, TASS reported. On Monday, the ministers of the OPEC and non-OPEC nations discussed oil production in February, but failed to yield an agreement. Russia and Kazakhstan insist that the output should be increased by another 0.5 million barrels per day, while the other members of the alliance call for the current production cut of 7.2 million barrels per day to remain in place in February. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus and the incoming head of the police union put up a united front Monday against efforts to repeal two local laws that give police the right to collectively bargain. The rare move comes as Fix SAPD, a group of police reform activists, approaches the date by which it needs to submit the roughly 98,000 signatures needed to put two charter amendments on the ballot. McManus said Fix SAPD has misrepresented his statements about the collective bargaining process, which gives police the right to negotiate wages, working conditions and discipline. I am not opposed to collective bargaining, McManus said, adding that the Police Department looked forward to working with the union on upcoming contract discussions. I think that what we need to do can be done at the negotiating table. On ExpressNews.com: Activists launch petition drive to neuter San Antonio police union McManus alongside John Danny Diaz, the incoming president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association also said he has heard that Fix SAPD members have misrepresented themselves as police officers while gathering signatures. Fix SAPD is going door to door, lying to voters, and saying theyre from the Police Department and saying they have the support of Chief McManus, Diaz said. These out-of-state political operatives are funded by dark special interest groups. While impersonating a public servant is a felony under the Texas Penal Code, McManus said he is not aware of a criminal investigation into the allegations, nor has he directed his officers to look into it. Leaders from Fix SAPD, which is registered in Texas as a nonprofit, pushed back. They said no one from their organization has identified themselves as police officers as they seek signatures at events or visits to residences. The group also refuted union claims that it accepts political donations from undisclosed out-of-state donors. The police union provided no evidence to support those statements. At no point have any of us petitioners said were with SAPD or SAPOA, said Ananda Tomas, deputy director of Fix SAPD. I believe people are getting confused because the name is Fix SAPD. Sometimes its hard to hear through a mask, Tomas added. Sometimes people arent listening fully. Thats where this confusion is happening. The joint news conference Monday featuring McManus and Diaz in addition to other high-ranking members of the Police Department was surprising, as the department and union have historically been at odds. On ExpressNews.com: Controversial San Antonio police union boss says protests not a factor in decision to retire One notable example of that came in 2018, after police released a dozen undocumented immigrants found in a tractor-trailer that had been smuggled across the Mexico border. Outgoing union President Mike Helle chided McManus over the incident, at one point urging Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to launch an investigation into whether the city violated state law. Helle, who announced his retirement last year after five terms as the union boss, also paid for billboards along freeways lambasting the chief for the incident involving the migrants. One read, Violation of Sanctuary Cities Ban. WHY DID YOU DO IT, CHIEF? McManus said Monday that he began working with union officials after Diaz was elected. Diaz described McManus as a friend. We have turned a corner with his election, and we will be working closely together on issues that affect the department, the city and public safety, McManus said. Its a breath of fresh air coming into a new era, and knowing we will be working closely with the SAPOA on common goals. McManus said his main concern in the upcoming contract negotiations is with the disciplinary process an issue the city said it will prioritize. Previously, the city has said it wants to modify a 180-day rule in the union contract that restricts when the police chief can impose discipline. It also wants to grant the chief or the city manager the ability to have the final say over an arbitrators decision during the appeal process. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg proposed a resolution addressing police discipline. City Council, local activists werent so sure. McManus said he is confident the city and the union can resolve their differences. The citys contract with the union expires in September, but it could be temporarily extended if a new agreement isnt reached by then. Those issues need to be resolved on the bargaining table, McManus said. Im confident that if we will go forward in the negotiations ... that we will reach a meaningful solution on the issues I have concerns with. But James Dykman, a board member with Fix SAPD, said it is unlikely that the city and union will come to a compromise on all the issues. Fix SAPD has identified more than 10 provisions in the union contract that it wants addressed. He said voters should have the ultimate say. We feel that with how many years this has gone on, and all the contention in the last collective bargaining agreement, we dont think all the issues that need to be covered will be, Dykman said. If youre only getting two or three issues done every six years, were going to have this problem for the next 30 years, Dykman said. We cant have that. This needs to change. We need a better system. eeaton@express-news.net New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday addressed a press conference on the Indian economys performance in three years of Modi government. Cautioned by the shocking GDP data released on Wednesday, the finance minister seemed to be defending the economic measures taken by the government rather than sharing the glory of GST and demonetisation, which usually is the tone of these press conferences. Shifting the blam of slowere GDP growth on UPA-II regime, Jaitley said, We received economy in a very bad situation, our robust decisions have restored the credibility of the economy. Read | Demonetisation impact: GDP slows to 6.1% due to slowdown in Q4 of 2016-17; all sectors, except agriculture, show deceleration Live updates: #Steps intended to ease tension responded by a Pathankot or a Uri; environment which must exist for talk successfully prevented by Pak-Jaitley #Don't want to get into the strategic details but in past few weeks our armed forces are dominating the LoC: Arun Jaitley #In state of preparedness for GST implementation on July 1. Using media propaganda for getting rates varied wont make significant impact on council's decision: FM #We received economy in a very bad situation, our robust decisions have restored the credibility of the economy: FM #Last 3yrs were challenging for the entire world on the economic front. 3yrs ago, there was slowdown in policy reforms and structural changes in India: FM #The system we inherited was weak in terms of credibility mainly due to corruption and indecisiveness: Arun Jaitley #Note ban has helped end cash economy as we move towards a digital one. It has helped increase tax payers: FM #Demonetisation has also made Operation Clean Money possible: FM #There has been a boost in tax revenue by 18 per cent: FM For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A New Orleans man is at large and accused of kidnapping a woman and driving her to Baton Rouge against her will, according to a Monday release from the New Orleans Police Department. Police obtained an arrest warrant for Jerome Burks, 32, who is accused of the simple kidnapping incident on December 30, 2020, which happened in the 3000 block of Holiday Drive. At about 2:45 p.m., Burks reportedly picked up the victim from Holiday Drive. He then allegedly refused to let the woman leave and held her against her will. Police state that Burks relocated the woman to Baton Rouge, where she was released. Burks remains at large. Anyone with information on this incident or on Burkes' whereabouts is asked to call NOPD Fourth District detectives at 504-658-6040 or call anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or toll-free 1-877-903-STOP. A customer looks at an antique shotgun at a gun shop in Ottawa, Ohio, on Jan. 23, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Ohio Governor Signs Stand Your Ground Gun Bill Into Law Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday signed a new bill into law, eliminating a duty to retreat before using a firearm in self-defense in his state. The law, which passed the Republican-dominated state legislature last month as Senate Bill 175, expands the locations where an individual can shoot an attacker with a gun without first trying to flee from the persons residence or vehicle to any place, so long as its legal for the person to be there. It also specifies that when determining whether a person shot someone else in self-defense, a court should no longer take the possibility to retreat into consideration. The newly-signed legislation makes Ohio the 26th state to adopt whats commonly known as Stand Your Ground doctrine into the legal code, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. I have always believed that it is vital that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when confronted with a life-threatening situation, DeWine said in a statement. While campaigning for Governor, I expressed my support for removing the ambiguity in Ohios self-defense law, and Senate Bill 175 accomplishes this goal. DeWine added that he was very disappointed that the legislation did not include the gun control measures he proposed in 2019 following the deadly shooting in Dayton, Ohio. He said those measures, such as enhanced background checks, would make it harder for dangerous criminals to illegally possess and use guns. The provisions I am requesting in no way infringe upon the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms, the Republican governor said. These provisions will save lives. These provisions need to become law. Nan Whaley, mayor of Dayton, decried the legislation for making the state less safe. Gov. DeWine came to our city and stood on stage for a vigil for our murdered friends and neighbors and then told us he stood with our community in our fight against gun violence. Now it seems he does not, Whaley wrote on Twitter. Gov. DeWine has made clear he opposes this dangerous policy, but he once again folded to the extreme elements of his own party. Meanwhile, the change was applauded by organizations in favor of gun rights, including the National Rifle Association. Crimes can happen quickly and without warning. Most victims have a split second to react with the best course of action for their survival, John Weber, state director for the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. By signing SB 175, Gov. DeWine ensures the law favors victims and not criminals. Things are heating up. Josh Hawley's family was targeted at home, the National Guard has been called out, the leader of Proud Boys was arrested, and several state legislatures want Pence to delay counting the votes, among several other updates that unfolded yesterday. Yesterday's news pertaining to January 6 listed below as follows: Modern-day brownshirts threaten Senator Hawley and his family Mayor Bowser called in the National Guard The leader of the Proud Boys was arrested Georgia State legislators (and those from other states in question) want Pence to delay the vote count Mark Levin and Ted Cruz discuss what's possible under the Constitution regarding the vote count Congress approves the rules for the count, more members of the GOP will object Trump responds to Tom Cotton Jon Ossoff is a dangerous fool Prayers Modern-day brownshirts threaten Senator Hawley and his family Antifa showed up at Josh Hawley's home in Washington, D.C., pounding on the door and terrorizing his wife and newborn baby who were inside. They demanded that he not object to any votes. Hawley was in Missouri at the time and sent out the following message: Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can't travel. They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence. I've yet to read about a single arrest. May God bless Josh Hawley and keep his family safe. Mayor Bowser called in the National Guard Washington, D.C.'s Mayor Bowser has called up 340 National Guard troops to support the city police in advance of tomorrow's Stop the Steal rally. Presumably, they won't be armed or wearing body armor. Bowser is also considering a curfew and has warned that anyone carrying a gun within 1,000 feet of the protest will be arrested. It's predictable that she would do this while allowing her city to burn while Antifa and BLM wreaked havoc all year long. And (also predictably) American Pravda is promoting the idea that patriots are violent. Businesses downtown are boarding up, and members of Congress are being urged to avoid contact with protesters and to use the underground tunnel system to move about in the Capitol. Proud Boys leader arrested On Monday, Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, was arrested and charged with destruction of property for removing a BLM banner from an historically black church and burning the banner (this happened a month ago). He was additionally charged with carrying two high-capacity firearm magazines. So, as we've witnessed all year long, the law is enforced for some and not for others. Mike Pence in Georgia and Georgia contacting Mike Pence Speaking at a rally in Georgia last night, Pence said: I know we've all got our doubts about the last election and I want to assure you that I share the concerns of millions of Americans voting irregularities. And I promise you, come this Wednesday, we'll have our day in Congress. We'll hear the objections. We'll hear the evidence. More patronizing and meaningless words. We know you'll be in Congress, that you'll hear objections and hear evidence. The question is, then what? What can someone anyone! do about it to make this right?! Well, maybe this. About eighteen state legislators from Georgia (with a few more to come) signed a letter to Vice President Pence asking him to delay the January 6 electoral vote count by 1012 days. They plan to get the letter to Pence this morning. It appears that legislators from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Arizona have sent similar letters to the vice president requesting a similar time frame for the delay. The Epoch Times reports (in a lengthy article worth reading in full): Coincidentally, Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to the Trump campaign and one of Trump's campaign attorney suggested on Monday that Pence delay certifying the votes on Jan. 6 and instead ask legislatures in the six contested states to clarify which candidate's slate of electors should be approved. What Mike Pence could do, and what he should do, in fact, is to direct a question back to the state legislatures when there are two competing slates of delegates from these six states. He can ask that question to the states and say, 'Well, state legislators, you know, I have an oath to the Constitution to uphold the Constitution as written in Article II Section 1.2, which says the state legislatures direct the manner in which electoral delegates are selected, so you tell me which of these two slates was selected in the manner that your state general assembly has designated ... Of note, one of the legislators in Georgia stated: "I've had my cell phone on my website and on my senate sites for eight years, I have never received any calls," he said. "I may have gotten a call here now and then but after this my phone has blown up, my email has blown up, my text messages have blown up." "People are angry, they're mad, they feel disenfranchised," he added. Keep lighting up the phone lines, folks. Our message is getting through! Mark Levin and Ted Cruz weigh in on "shall" count the votes These two constitutional scholars talked about the January 6 vote, historical precedent, and defining language in the Constitution. Levin pressed Cruz about the meaning of "shall" count the Electoral College votes as has been discussed here at AT and other sites, with some claiming that the verbiage gives Pence leeway to cast votes aside at his discretion, while others assert that this is not the case. Levin raised a couple of points, the broader of which was that it seems inconceivable that votes should be accepted if they are known to be garnered via illegal means. Cruz had a different focus: historical precedent. This is what he's looked to in requesting an electoral commission to investigate fraud. If the commission request isn't granted, he and those joining him will object to the vote. Congress has approved the rules for tomorrow's vote The House and the Senate have established the rules for tomorrow's certification of the Electoral College vote. Pence will open all certificates of the electoral votes in front of the joint session of Congress. Each will be addressed in alphabetical order. If there is an objection from at least one representative and one senator to any state, the joint session is paused so each house can debate for two hours. After this time, the joint session reconvenes. If votes on the objections in both houses favor the objections, those votes can be cast out. If not, the process continues as states are called and the votes are accepted until another objection, followed by debate, and so on. Jim Jordan explained that the ultimate power lies with the state legislatures, who have control over the slate of electors they send. State legislatures have until January 6 to make any such changes, but with four states asking for a delay, it's anyone's guess how this will play out. More members of the GOP will object More congressional representatives are going on record as planning to object, including Elise Stafanik. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he supports efforts to challenge the election but stopped short of saying he would object to votes. Unless he comes out with a stronger, more definitive statement, I'll chalk what he said up to being a mealy-mouthed do-nothing. In addition to the dozen or so senators who have gone on record as planning to object, Mike Lee and Kelly Loeffler have joined the group. And speaking of Loeffler, yesterday, while Trump was in Georgia campaigning for her, Loeffler's husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, owner of the N.Y. Stock Exchange, defied Trump's executive order prohibiting American citizens or companies from owning shares from among thirty-one Chinese companies that have enabled the People's Liberation Army. Sprecher's move is pure evil and the timing as well. It seems the announcement was made right after President Trump started speaking at the rally in Georgia. Trump even praised Sprecher in his speech. I know not whether to scream or cry. Trump responds to Tom Cotton On Sunday, Tom Cotton sent out a press release stating that he won't object to the votes with a pathetic list of reasons as to why. Yesterday, President Trump responded. How can you certify an election when the numbers being certified are verifiably WRONG. You will see the real numbers tonight during my speech, but especially on JANUARY 6th. @SenTomCotton Republicans have pluses & minuses, but one thing is sure, THEY NEVER FORGET! Trump also described other members of the GOP who will not oppose the votes as the "Surrender Caucus." The "Surrender Caucus" within the Republican Party will go down in infamy as weak and ineffective "guardians" of our Nation, who were willing to accept the certification of fraudulent presidential numbers! And speaking "ineffective guardians of our nation," Rob Portman announced that he won't oppose any of the votes. Ossoff exploits voter fraud because: RACISM!!! Jon Ossoff announced that he'll accept the outcome of the run-off election, which is easy to do when you know you've got a corrupt voter fraud operation in place to ensure that you win. That detail aside, he claims that Republicans have been changing the rules to make it more difficult for people to vote, that it's an attack on black voters, and that it harkens back to Jim Crow. Sure, Jon. Let's not enforce voting laws because anything related to enforcing the law is an automatic "ding!" against black Americans. As far as his reference to Jim Crow, could someone inform him that the Democratic Party was the party of Jim Crow? Prayers (and horn-honking if you wish) Prayers: Keep them coming! Horn-honking: here. Graphic credit: Public domain image via Pixabay. [January 05, 2021] Tauriga Sciences Inc. Completes the Translations of its Tauri-Gum Packaging Into 4 Additional Languages: French, Arabic, Hebrew, and Japanese The Company Has Established an Aggressive Plan to Expand Internationally During Calendar Year 2021 NEW YORK, NY, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, with a proprietary line of functional supplement chewing gums (Flavors: Pomegranate, Blood Orange, Peach-Lemon, Pear Bellini, Mint, Black Currant) as well as two ongoing Biotechnologies initiatives, today announced that it has completed the translated versions of its Tauri-Gum packaging into the following 4 additional languages: French, Arabic, Hebrew, and Japanese. The Company contracted GTS Translation Services (GTS) to provide this service, important to the Companys long-term growth strategy. In particular, the Company is actively pursuing potential opportunities to launch its Tauri-Gum product line in the Middle East. The Companys Tauri-Gum product line is both Kosher Certified (Authority: Star-K) and Halal Certified (Authority: Etimad). The Companys international presence, via its E-Commerce customer base, continues to expand in terms of its customer base. Recently, the Company has received E-Commerce orders from: Israel, Kuwait, United Kingdom, and Australia. Previously, on December 21, 2020, the Company announced that it had successfully translated its Tauri-Gum packaging into Mandarin Chinese (Mandarin). At this time, the Companys Tauri-Gum packaging is available in the following 6 languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, French, Arabic, Hebrew, and Japanese. ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives. The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Edibles market segment. The main product line, branded as Tauri-Gum, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is Kosher certified, Halal certified, and Vegan Formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomeranate), (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Peach-Lemon, Black Currant) & (Vitamin C + Zinc Immune Booster Tauri-Gum Flavor: Pear Bellini). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com Complementary to the Companys retail business, are its two ongoing biotechnology initiatives. The first one relates to the development of a Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed to help patients that are subjected to ongoing chemotherapy treatment). On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it filed a provisional U.S. patent application covering its pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. The second one relates to a collaboration agreement with Aegea Biotechnologies Inc. for the co-development of a rapid, multiplexed, Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) test with superior sensitivity and selectivity. On October 6, 2020, the Company announced that it has been approved to operate as a U.S. Government Vendor (CAGE CODE # 8QXV4). On October 7, 2020 the Company disclosed a Strategic Alliance with Think BIG, LLC, Social Impact Startup Founded by CJ Wallace, Son of Christopher The Notorious B.I.G. Wallace. The Company is headquartered in New York City and operates a regional office in Barcelona, Spain. In addition, the Company operates a full time E-Commerce fulfillment center located in LaGrangeville, New York. DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Contact: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 555 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor New York, NY 10022 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: sshaw@tauriga.com cell # (917) 796 9926 Instagram: @taurigum Twitter: @SethMShaw Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com Attachment Jan 5th PR [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A tailor-made innovation programme delivered by Maynooth Universitys Innovation Value Institute (IVI) will support companies who are forced to re-think how they do business. The ReThink|ReDesign programme is unique in Ireland. The initiative provides customised help for firms to rethink, redesign, and reboot their business models to recover from the disastrous economic disruption caused by COVID 19, and the critical need to survive and thrive in a post-Brexit economic landscape. The stresses of Covid-19 and Brexit have accelerated the need for firms to re-design their business model and leverage technology for the benefit of their business. The initiative spearheaded by Maynooth University, Meath Enterprise and County Kildare Chamber aims to address this need. Digitisation will be at the forefront with the company workshops. Read more County Kildare news Research gathered from the chamber and ME show that the four main concerns CEOs have with implementing digitisation practises into their businesses are employee pushback, lack of expertise to lead digitisation initiatives, lack of overall digitisation strategy and limited budget. Allan Shine, CEO of County Kildare Chamber said Entrepreneurs embracing the new age of AI, digitalisation and High Performance Computing are more productive, show higher profitability and experience better outcomes. Businesses engaging in new markets over the past 24 months in the region have increased their turnover by an average of 18%. Indigenous businesses in the food sector and tech sector are performing extremely well over the past 12 months. Kildare itself is awash with a vibrant eco system of HPSUs that excites. In many ways, if a business remains static and still they may not survive but to thrive and succeed they can rely on the chamber, ME and MU to develop current, bespoke training programmes. The possibility to leverage state supports to fund this practical collaboration between business and a regional third-level institution such as Maynooth University is a game changer for businesses. Feedback from our 390 members employing 37,500 show that 62% of businesses in the region will reinvent, re-model or pivot their business. In the midst of Brexit, Covid 19 and the uncertainty with transatlantic trade agreements, businesses can now avail of a bespoke, innovative series of workshops. He added: with the evolving and increasing number of entrepreneur led enterprises opening in the mid-east region, now is the time to engage with the ReThink ReDesign programme led by MU, ME and the chamber. Its ideal for tech related companies exporting or planning to export into international markets in 2021. Companies in the mid-east region are facing huge challenges with the current pandemic and Brexit. This innovative programme has being specially crafted to suit all business types and focuses on innovation and digital capabilities. Prof Markus Helfert, Director of IVI at Maynooth University, stated: We are delighted to partner with Meath Enterprise and County Kildare Chamber with this innovation programme. I have no doubt it will be of value to businesses in the region as we have developed and trialled the programme with a number of SMEs. Gary O'Meara CEO ME said: "the current covid 19 crisis has brought into sharp focus the importance of innovation and demonstrable sustainable business development across all sectors. As we recover from the covid crisis, and as we begin to tackle issues such as climate change, sustainable food production, digital transformation and blended working, the Mideast has demonstrated that it has the companies, the supportive infrastructure and the brainpower to capitalise on emerging opportunities. The University recognises the impact that Covid-19 has had on companies and with Brexit upon us. Our bespoke programmes are well positioned to support businesses across all sectors and of all sizes. The digital economy is realand it is here to stay. We are witnessing an era unmatched in the history of business innovation and transformation. The resulting pace of change is staggering and lines defining sectors and industries are blurring. Over the next 10 years, 40% of the companies indexed will have ceased to exist unless they keep up with these technology trends according to the World Economic Forum. Its estimated that in 2030 one job out of two will have disappeared and 60% of jobs that will be practiced in 2030 dont yet exist. Leaders in the digital economy are emerging seemingly from out of nowhere like Uber and Airbnb, he stated. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. James 'Mago' Gately was shot five times in Dublin in 2017 and survived the attack A hitman who gunned down Kinahan cartel target James 'Mago' Gately, who was shot five times but survived, has been found guilty of attempted murder by the non-jury Special Criminal Court this afternoon. A second man has been found guilty for his part in burning out the car used in the shooting. Mr Gately was shot five times as he sat in his car at the Topaz filling station on the Clonshaugh Road in north Dublin at lunchtime on May 10, 2017. The victim, who was warned by gardai of a threat to his life and wore a bullet-proof vest, survived the shooting after sustaining injuries to his upper chest and neck. The three-judge court found it was beyond reasonable doubt that Caolan Smyth (28) was both the driver and gunman who pulled alongside Mr Gately's Ford Mondeo and fired the shots. Expand Close Caolan Smyth / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Caolan Smyth Smyth of Cuileann Court, Donore, Co Meath, had pleaded not guilty to Mr Gately's attempted murder. He had also denied the possession of a firearm with intent to endanger on the same date and location. The attack marked the second attempt to murder Mr Gately, with former Estonian separatist Imre Arakas having been intercepted by gardai before he could carry out a contract on the victim's life the month beforehand. Arakas (62) was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years in December 2018 after he admitted to conspiring with others to murder James Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017. The prosecution had argued there was "no other conclusion" than Smyth being the man who "pulled the trigger", while the court also heard that Smyth had put Mr Gately under surveillance the day before and on the morning of the shooting. Gary McAreavey (52) of Gort Nua, Station Road, Castlebellingham, Co Louth, had pleaded not guilty to acting to 'impede an apprehension or prosecution by purchasing petrol and assisting in the burning out of the vehicle, a black Lexus, used in the attempted murder' at Newrath, Dromiskin, Co Louth on the same day. Today, presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt said it was beyond any reasonable doubt that Smyth was both the gunman and the driver in an "organised murder" attempt. The prosecution case relied on mobile phone locations through cell towers and phone-use tied to the car's movements over May 9-10 and positive Garda identifications of Smyth from CCTV at the filling station. Shortly after the attempted murder, McAreavey was spotted on CCTV in Castlebellingham filling petrol into a red petrol can, which the non-jury court found was used in the "comprehensive destruction" of the getaway car near Dromiskin after Smyth and McAreavey travelled in convoy to the burn-site. Two cartridges were found in the wreckage but the firearm was not recovered. Prosecution barrister Ms Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, in her closing speech had said that the circumstantial case against Mr Smyth "is a whodunnit, where the only issue is if Caolan Smyth did it". Regarding Mr Smyth, counsel said that the shooting was a "planned" one, which involved the "stake-out" of Mr Gately's north Dublin home that began the day before, May 9, 2017. Mr Gately's address had been confirmed by gardai during the trial as the location where he received information that his life was under threat. She said there was "a blanket of evidence that extinguishes oxygen from any other reasonable possibility other than Caolan Smyth being the driver of that vehicle," said Ms Lawlor. "This isn't a case of identifying a snowman in a blizzard," she said. "The weight of the evidence is of a kind that the court can have no doubt whatsoever but that Mr Smyth was the person who shot Mr Gately," said Ms Lawlor. The car, which had previously been in the service of the Pakistan embassy and had diplomatically registered plates, had been captured on camera before the shooting without any passenger present. At around 1.30pm on May 10 it was viewed on CCTV idling at the petrol station before pulling up to Mr Gately's red Ford Mondeo. Gun-smoke and was visible on CCTV and Mr Gately could be seen getting out of his car and falling to the ground. The Lexus, which was recognisable by tinted rear windows and a flag-holder, then sped off, almost colliding with another car. The car's movements were traced through Smyth's use of a mobile phone, whose number was found in the contact book of McAreavey's phone, after he saved a text to it that read "Smythser new". Witnesses told gardai that a large pall of smoke could be seen from the burn site at Dromiskin at around 2.50pm later the same day. Delivering judgement today, Mr Justice Hunt said that it was "beyond reasonable doubt" that Smyth was the driver of "the murder car". The judge said that Smyth was also identifiable on CCTV from his clothing and from a "distinctive tattoo on his right arm of a striking young female". Four gardai gave evidence that they could also identify the defendant from CCTV images of Smyth emerging from his home on both May 9 and May 10. After the shooting, CCTV captured McAreavey in a white Caddy van reversing from his home and waiting for Smyth. The pair exchanged calls as Smyth approached and both vehicles went to the burn site. CCTV from a farm also captured that only the Caddy van returned from the remote road at Dromiskin. Mr Justice said that he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of Smyth's guilt, adding that Mr Gately only survived the attempt because he was "forewarned by gardai and forearmed by the vest". The judge said that the rural burn site was selected "to ensure there would be no trace left for investigators". Mr Justice Hunt said that the phone and car were in "consistent association with Mr Smyth, before, during and after the shooting". "Then the music stopped and Caolan Smyth was clearly the only man left standing," said the judge. He then found Smyth guilty on both the attempted murder and the possession of a weapon charge. Regarding McAreavey, the judge said that counsel had argued that no evidence of McAreavey's state of mind had been put forward by the prosecution and that there was therefore no evidence that he knew Smyth had committed a crime. However, the judge said that there was "no doubt" that the phone used by McAreavey had more than one number for Smyth in it. Mr Justice Hunt said that the calls after the attempted murder and the transit in convoy were "not coincidental" and revealed a pattern. He added that contact between the two phones only ceased when Smyth and McAreavey met up before burning out the murder car. "He knew well before he [McAreavey] provided assistance. I am satisfied that that threshold has been comfortably passed," said the judge, who added that McAreavey lied to gardai in his interview, when McAreavey denied knowing Smyth. "He [McAreavey] had no possible reason to deny knowing him [Smyth] unless it was not an innocent denial," said the judge, who then found McAreavy guilty of assisting in the burning out of the car. McAreavey was then granted bail and both men will reappear before the Special Criminal Court on January 25 for sentencing. Online Editors What is the current situation? Schools had been due to reopen this week after the Christmas break. However, the decision was taken to keep primary and secondary schools shut for another week until January 11. How safe are schools? Education Minister Norma Foley told a meeting of opposition spokespeople that the latest advice received by the Government is that schools are by nature a "safe environment". Ministers Foley @NormaFoleyTD1 and Madigan @josephamadigan have announced that schools will reopen on 11 January and asked all members of the school community to limit contacts in advance of this, in line with public health advice. https://t.co/C0PoqEnqld education.ie (@Education_Ire) December 30, 2020 Transmission of the virus appears to be lower among young children and their symptoms less severe. On Sunday evening, there were three children in Crumlin hospital with the virus and no patients with Covid in either Temple Street or Tallaght children's hospitals. However, there are concerns about the transmissibility of the new strain of the virus and how it might impact schoolchildren. So will schools reopen next week? Keeping schools closed was a difficult decision for the Government as significant emphasis had been placed on the fact that they had managed to get one million pupils safety back into classrooms in September. The extension of the Christmas holidays highlights the precarious position Ireland now finds itself in and the growth of the virus. The Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 is due to meet on Tuesday where Government leaders will discuss the possibility of reopening schools with Nphet and the HSE. The Government has promised a decision by Wednesday, however, there is now a growing opinion among ministers that schools will remain closed for at least another week. What do teachers think? The Teachers Union of Ireland wants schools to remain closed until January 18 at the earliest. After union heads met Ms Foley, on Monday evening, ASTI general secretary Kieran Christie said the minister had been a "long way short of convincing" with regard the reopening of schools Greater assurance on school safety needed https://t.co/5dtI3Lkk8V ASTI (@astiunion) January 4, 2021 He said the "space has to be found and time has to be found to look at the implications of the new variant strain" of Covid-19. Forsa also said Nphet should conduct a fresh risk assessment on the reopening of schools, and clearly set out the criteria for determining when it would be safe for them to open. What do opposition parties think? Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald raised growing concern on safe return to school with the Taoiseach on Monday and said reopening next week is not realistic. Spoke with Taoiseach to raise growing concern on safe return to school & childcare - return next Monday is not realistic. Imperative that plan to safely open is produced. Clarity needed. Also pressed again for govt to #PayStudentNursesandMidwives who are on the Frontline #COVID19 Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) January 4, 2021 Labour said a middle ground solution must be found between full closure and all attending. The Social Democrats said a national strategy was required for continuing with education during Covid-19. Solidarity-PBP TD Paul Murphy called on the Government to close schools until it is safe for them to be re-opened so that alternative plans can be made. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Foothill Ranch, California--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - TAE Life Sciences (TLS), a biological-targeting radiation therapy company developing and commercializing next-generation boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), today announced that CEO, Bruce Bauer will be giving an on-demand company presentation at Biotech Showcase 2021. To view the full announcement, including downloadable images, bios, and more, click here. Key Takeaways: TAE Life Sciences' first Alphabeam customer installation in progress and agreement signed with prominent cancer center. The presentation will review 2020 milestones and outline 2021 objectives. TAE Life Sciences is the only company developing developing next-generation target drugs and neutron source for BCNT treatments for patients with aggressive and recurrent cancers. Click image above to view full announcement. About Biotech Showcase Biotech Showcase is an investor and networking conference devoted to providing private and public biotechnology and life sciences companies with an opportunity to meet with investors and pharmaceutical executives in one place. Investors and biopharmaceutical executives from around the world gather in San Francisco during this bellwether week which sets the tone for the coming year. Now in its 13th year, this well-established, highly respected conference features multiple tracks of presenting companies, plenary sessions, workshops, networking, and an opportunity to schedule one-to-one meetings. Biotech Showcase is produced by Demy-Colton and EBD Group. Both organizations have a long history of producing high-quality programs that support the biotechnology and broader life sciences industry. About TAE Life Sciences TAE Life Sciences (TLS) is a privately held biotechnology company committed to developing a new biologically targeted radiation therapy based on Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). TLS is developing the next generation targeted boron drugs and low-energy accelerator-based neutron source - optimized for an in-hospital BNCT program that can one day treat patients with the most aggressive and recurrent cancers. We have assembled a world-class, cross-functional team of clinicians, radiation oncologists, physicists, and other researchers to enable us to bring our technology to cancer patients who need it most. TLS's target drugs and neutron radiation system are currently in development and have not been approved for sale. More information about TAE Life Sciences is available at www.taelifesciences.com. Contacts: Lauren Arnold 617-694-5387 larnold@macbiocom.com Source: tae LIFE SCIENCES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71386 Residents, staff roll up their sleeves to battle COVID-19. ST. LOUIS PARK, MN / ACCESSWIRE / January 4, 2021 / The first round of residents and staff at Sholom's facilities in St. Paul and St. Louis Park were among the first Minnesotans to get in line for COVID-19 vaccinations. Shots began on Sunday, January 3, and will continue on Wednesday, January 6, at Sholom locations in St. Louis Park and St. Paul, Minnesota. More than 700 residents call Sholom home and more than 700 employees work to keep residents healthy and safe at home. "This pandemic has tested everyone and there is the first light at the end of the tunnel," said Sholom CEO Barbara Klick. "Getting a vaccine in everyone's arms is the first step to bringing our community back together and ensuring everyone can be safe. It is one of the best ways to protect yourself and those around you." The Moderna vaccine will be administered by CVS Health in conjunction with Sholom's nursing staff. Most residents and front-line staff are eligible for vaccinations according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines. Sholom leadership know eager residents await the vaccinations. "While we will still be masking, distancing and washing our hands regularly for the foreseeable future, receiving these doses over the next few days and the follow-up injections in about three weeks, is a big step in the right direction," Klick said. "I am so grateful for the dedicated work of our entire Sholom team for the exceptional care they have provided throughout the pandemic. They have all lived the idea that everyone deserves Sholom." Residents and family members were able to attend online presentations earlier in the week to learn more about the vaccinations and ask questions of Sholom's leadership and nursing staff. Additional information for residents and families can be found on their COVID-19 update page. For more information about Sholom, contact the company here: Sholom Jamie Maddeaux - Vice President of Marketing and Sales 651-894-4242 JMaddeaux@SHOLOM.com 3620 Phillips Parkway, St. Louis Park, MN 55426 SOURCE: Sholom View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623070/COVID-19-Vaccinations-Begin-At-Sholom A dangerous criminal, named in court as being involved in the murders of Martin 'Marlo' Hyland and innocent plumber Anthony Campbell, was refused a request for leave from prison to celebrate Christmas. John Mangan, who is currently incarcerated in Loughan House prison on weapons and drug related charges, had applied for temporary release to spend Christmas in Dublin with family. But sources say the request was turned down. "Mangan would have been very disappointed," a source told the Sunday World. "He is nearing the end of his sentence so would have thought he had a good enough chance this year. Expand Close Martin 'Marlo' Hyland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Martin 'Marlo' Hyland Read More "The reality is he was never charged or convicted of anything to do with the murder of Marlo Hyland and Anthony Campbell. And he has done a good long stretch on the other charges. Mangan (52) of Whitestown Green, Blanchardstown, was among dozens of criminals arrested in relation to the shocking double murder of Hyland and Anthony Campbell in December 2006, but gardai did not charge him despite considering him a suspect. In March 2012, journalist Paul Williams gave evidence in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court alleging Willie Hynes and John Mangan were responsible for the double murder, and that the late Eamon The Don' Dunne acted as the getaway driver. Mr Williams said two former lieutenants of Hyland were allegedly involved in the murders and named them as Hynes and Mangan. Expand Close Plumber Anthony Campbell / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Plumber Anthony Campbell Read More He said that Dunne was allegedly spotted in the area driving them away. Mangan was a key member of the gang that was led by Hyland, but he and his close associate, Finglas criminal William Hynes, were snared after a massive operation by gardai at Brown's Barn, south Dublin, on July 31, 2006. More than 2m worth of cannabis resin was seized by gardai in 14 boxes split between a Ford Transit van and an Opel Astra car in Brown's Barn public house car park. The two men were arrested nearby. After a lengthy trial in November 2009, Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a 12-year sentence on Hynes and a 14-year sentence on Mangan. When the Brown's Barn seizure happened in 2006 both Hynes and Mangan were on bail for other serious offences linked to Marlo's crew at the time of the operation. Expand Close Marlo Hyland and innocent Anthony Campbell were shot dead at this house in Finglas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Marlo Hyland and innocent Anthony Campbell were shot dead at this house in Finglas Gardai believe the Brown's Barn bust directly led to the murder of Hyland because gang members suspected that Marlo was touting to gardai. The capture was part of the gardai's Operation Oak which targeted Hyland's gang and led to 41 arrests and 26 charges. Only five months before that, Mangan was arrested in Drumconda and was caught with more than 300,000 of cannabis. When he was arrested on that occasion and asked what was in the bag, he replied: "Hash, what do you think? That's what happens when you owe people money." He said "the job" was worth 2,000 to him off a 9,000 debt. Just eight months after Hyland and Anthony Campbell were shot dead, Mangan was arrested with a loaded Luger pistol down his trousers in the Comet pub in Santry in August 2007. He was on bail on the two charges of possession of cannabis at this time. Mangan told gardai his life had been threatened between eight and 10 times that year and he was only carrying the pistol for his safety. Mangan is serving 10 years for the firearms offence on top of the 14-year drugs sentence imposed on him in 2009. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Sunday World At least 750 Phoenix-area teachers are expected to participate in sickouts Tuesday in opposition to schools reopening to in-person instruction this week amid record surges in COVID-19 cases throughout the state. The sickouts were organized by teachers across two districts in Maricopa County, with as many as 150 teachers in the Gilbert Public Schools (GPS) and 600 teachers in the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) expected to participate. On Monday evening, over 100 teachers, staff and community members protested outside district board offices in the county while both districts held emergency board meetings regarding their reopening plans. Officials in both districts have been insisting that teachers and students return to in-person classes this week following the winter break and, in fact, had prepared for the sickouts by relying on substitutes, deans and assistant principals to cover classes. Local teacher Lisa Vaaler joins other teachers as they hold a #Return2SchoolSafely Motor March protest in Phoenix earlier this year. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) The protest outside the Monday night school board meeting in Chandler caused the district to change plans and vote to keep students learning remotely while teachers give their lessons from campus until January 19. In Gilbert, a marathon six-hour board meeting left the district in nearly the same place it was when the meeting started. Schools will be opening on Tuesday as planned for in-person learning, under a hybrid model. Teachers in both districts are still expected to be on campuses Tuesday, so it is likely that most teachers will continue with their sickout. Arizonas health systems are strained to the brink as the states per capita seven-day rolling average of new cases ranks highest in the nation with 121.8 cases per 100,000. Hospitals report they are on the verge of implementing Crisis Standards of Care, meaning health care workers will have to begin rationing care. All 15 counties in Arizona have test positivity rates well above 10 percent, with Maricopa County as the hotspot, seeing the highest number of cases and deaths with over 5,000 new cases reported Monday. According to the states COVID-19 dashboard, there are only 131 ICU beds left in the state, which has filled 93 percent of all ICU beds. Over the weekend, hospitals in major cities had to turn away ambulances and send patients to other health systems. In addition to a lack of beds and staffing, some hospitals report not even having enough clean sheets. Given the catastrophic conditions throughout the state, Arizona Public Health and Services (APHS) officials have recommended that schools in all counties move to 100 percent virtual instruction. The APHS states that county-specific public health benchmarks should fall in the moderate or minimal category for two weeks before schools should be allowed to open to hybrid or full face-to-face instruction. Yesterday, Arizonas state Superintendent Kathy Hoffman issued a series of tweets calling for Arizonas Republican Governor Doug Ducey to order all schools to remain in distance learning for a mere two weeks. In response, C.J. Karamargin, a spokesperson for Duceys office, said the governor will not be considering this request. This is a local decision, the online option is already available, and the governor has repeatedly made his preference clear: Kids have already lost out on a lot of learning, and he wants schools opened, safely. In reality, it will not matter if schools open for in-person instruction January 5 or January 15, either date will result in a new wave of cases that will send the case rates and death toll skyrocketing to new heights. Governor Ducey has been a major proponent of the homicidal policy of reopening schools throughout the state. During the summer he issued a plan that would incentivize school districts to reopen based on funding. Districts that reopened fully would receive 100 percent funding, whereas those that opted for hybrid or fully virtual would receive 10-20 percent less funding, prying open the doors particularly for poor and cash-starved schools. While Hoffman and Ducey volley in the media over a two-week difference, teachers and the working class as a whole must be warned that this is a political stunt by representatives of the ruling class that agree on reopening regardless of the consequences. What is true in Arizona is also true next door, where Californias Democratic Governor Newsom is also dangling $2 billion in funding over impoverished schools to reopen by February when all projections show hospitals will continue to be overwhelmed. Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been over 900 COVID-19 cases and at least two deaths reported throughout schools in GPS and CUSD. One teacher in CUSD expressed concern over schools reopening, noting, Health Department in the red. Hospitals are at capacity. Weve had at least 2 employees die and at least 2 parents (that was made public) die from COVID-19. What else will it take for the board and district to see sense and go virtual until its safe?! At the bare minimum, be virtual for the first 2 weeks to allow numbers to get a little better!! I have a friend/colleague whose husband now has it, he was one of the most vulnerable. Shes expected to be at work next week. Insanity! Recently, the Chandler Education Association (CEA) surveyed 1,200 teachers and found that 65 percent did not feel comfortable returning to work on January 5. Additionally, 70 percent of those polled said they would feel more comfortable if schools could revert to online instruction for the first two weeks of the year, officials said. Responding to the majority of opposition among teachers in the district, the CEA has announced its support for the sickout by teachers in Chandler but seeks to stifle the opposition by mimicking the call by Hoffman for a two-week delay in reopening. Meanwhile, the Gilbert Education Association (GEA) has made clear it will not support the sickout by Gilbert educators. The GEA issued a proposal to the board which states, GEA has not promoted a sickout. We do acknowledge and support the concerns of these members and teachers and believe constructive discourse is the best action to work together for all stakeholders. In addition to calling for virtual learning until benchmarks are met in the district, Gilbert teachers are also calling for accurate COVID-19 data in the schools. In an open letter to the district, teachers and staff argued that the only way to determine the percentage of active cases on any campus is to implement regular mandatory testing of all students and staff. At present, data collection in the district is done on a voluntary basis. The WSWS spoke with a teacher in Gilbert who expressed concerns over the districts reporting of data. Schools are running their own dashboards. They say they are reporting all confirmed cases within the district, but multiple letters go out to parents regarding exposure, and it does not match up with the numbers reported on the dashboard. Exactly how and when the district receives and reports information is not transparent. My husband [also a teacher in the district] has a colleague who was on campus and had COVID, but there was never a letter sent out to parents about her, and her case was not recorded. She added, We are held responsible for all the ills of society. Its on us to do everything with limited resources. OK, great, make schools the center of the community, but give us counselors and nurses and psychologists; make our classrooms no more than 25 students if they are in high school; and give everyone equal access to funding and technology. Teachers cant do it all. We have been begging the district to go virtual. We are calling in sick because we actually dont feel safe at work, not because we dont want to be there. Teachers must be warned that they are being set up. The entire trade union apparatus is working directly with the highest levels of state and local officials to continue the reopening policies of which the schools are the linchpin. A false narrative is being spun in which the CEA is portrayed as a more militant union, while the GEA is portrayed as a weak union. In reality, the teachers unions across the US and internationally have both allowed and assisted with school reopenings, ranging from full reopening plans to the equally dangerous hybrid and part-time models. The CEA is openly calling for a mere two-week delay and has run a survey asking if educators support a two-week delay. Neither the CEA nor any other union has asked teachers if they support full lockdowns, the provision of billions in education funding, financial support for families to stay home, online resources for students and teachers, and a guarantee to remain closed until the virus is under control. This is because the entire trade union apparatus is tied to the financial elite and is dedicated to suppressing the struggle of teachers and keeping them from uniting. Genuine opposition to the homicidal policies of the ruling elite must be directed toward building independent organizations which workers themselves control, in order to fight back against the deadly reopening of schools. As the pandemic continues to rip through communities and claim lives in record numbers, workers in Arizona, across the US and around the world must fight for their safety by forming neighborhood and workplace rank-and-file safety committees, to coordinate a unified struggle of the entire working class against the capitalist system and the herd immunity policies of the ruling class. Educator Rank-and-File Safety Committees have formed across the US and are calling for a nationwide general strike to demand the immediate closure of all public, private and charter schools, as well as all nonessential businesses, to contain the pandemic and save lives. Full funding for public education, internet access and online instruction, and full income protection to all parents and caregivers to stay home must be paid for by expropriating the wealth of the pandemic profiteers, who amassed roughly $1.8 trillion in 2020 alone. All educators, school workers, parents and students who support this initiative should join our Facebook page and contact us today to establish local rank-and-file committees in your school and neighborhood. We will be hosting a national call-in meeting at 1pm EST this Saturday, January 9, to discuss the developments in Arizona, across the US and internationally, and advance a fighting strategy for educators and the working class as a whole. We urge you to send us your contact information today and make plans to attend this important meeting. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus and the incoming head of the police union put up a united front Monday against efforts to repeal two local laws that give police the right to collectively bargain. The rare move comes as Fix SAPD, a group of police reform activists, approaches the date by which it needs to submit the roughly 98,000 signatures needed to put two charter amendments on the ballot. McManus said Fix SAPD has misrepresented his statements about the collective bargaining process, which gives police the right to negotiate wages, working conditions and discipline. I am not opposed to collective bargaining, McManus said, adding that the Police Department looked forward to working with the union on upcoming contract discussions. I think that what we need to do can be done at the negotiating table. On ExpressNews.com: Activists launch petition drive to neuter San Antonio police union McManus alongside John Danny Diaz, the incoming president of the San Antonio Police Officers Association also said he has heard that Fix SAPD members have misrepresented themselves as police officers while gathering signatures. Fix SAPD is going door to door, lying to voters, and saying theyre from the Police Department and saying they have the support of Chief McManus, Diaz said. These out-of-state political operatives are funded by dark special interest groups. While impersonating a public servant is a felony under the Texas Penal Code, McManus said he is not aware of a criminal investigation into the allegations, nor has he directed his officers to look into it. Leaders from Fix SAPD, which is registered in Texas as a nonprofit, pushed back. They said no one from their organization has identified themselves as police officers as they seek signatures at events or visits to residences. The group also refuted union claims that it accepts political donations from undisclosed out-of-state donors. The police union provided no evidence to support those statements. At no point have any of us petitioners said were with SAPD or SAPOA, said Ananda Tomas, deputy director of Fix SAPD. I believe people are getting confused because the name is Fix SAPD. Sometimes its hard to hear through a mask, Tomas added. Sometimes people arent listening fully. Thats where this confusion is happening. The joint news conference Monday featuring McManus and Diaz in addition to other high-ranking members of the Police Department was surprising, as the department and union have historically been at odds. On ExpressNews.com: Controversial San Antonio police union boss says protests not a factor in decision to retire One notable example of that came in 2018, after police released a dozen undocumented immigrants found in a tractor-trailer that had been smuggled across the Mexico border. Outgoing union President Mike Helle chided McManus over the incident, at one point urging Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to launch an investigation into whether the city violated state law. Helle, who announced his retirement last year after five terms as the union boss, also paid for billboards along freeways lambasting the chief for the incident involving the migrants. One read, Violation of Sanctuary Cities Ban. WHY DID YOU DO IT, CHIEF? McManus said Monday that he began working with union officials after Diaz was elected. Diaz described McManus as a friend. We have turned a corner with his election, and we will be working closely together on issues that affect the department, the city and public safety, McManus said. Its a breath of fresh air coming into a new era, and knowing we will be working closely with the SAPOA on common goals. McManus said his main concern in the upcoming contract negotiations is with the disciplinary process an issue the city said it will prioritize. Previously, the city has said it wants to modify a 180-day rule in the union contract that restricts when the police chief can impose discipline. It also wants to grant the chief or the city manager the ability to have the final say over an arbitrators decision during the appeal process. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg proposed a resolution addressing police discipline. City Council, local activists werent so sure. McManus said he is confident the city and the union can resolve their differences. The citys contract with the union expires in September, but it could be temporarily extended if a new agreement isnt reached by then. Those issues need to be resolved on the bargaining table, McManus said. Im confident that if we will go forward in the negotiations ... that we will reach a meaningful solution on the issues I have concerns with. But James Dykman, a board member with Fix SAPD, said it is unlikely that the city and union will come to a compromise on all the issues. Fix SAPD has identified more than 10 provisions in the union contract that it wants addressed. He said voters should have the ultimate say. We feel that with how many years this has gone on, and all the contention in the last collective bargaining agreement, we dont think all the issues that need to be covered will be, Dykman said. If youre only getting two or three issues done every six years, were going to have this problem for the next 30 years, Dykman said. We cant have that. This needs to change. We need a better system. eeaton@express-news.net WASHINGTON -- When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called, newly elected Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., wondered if she was in trouble. Williams thought back to interviews she'd recently done on CNN and MSNBC. Could she have said something that caught the attention of the presiding officer of the legislative body she was about to join? It turned out that Pelosi, D-Calif., was calling to ask Williams to second her nomination for speaker when the Democratic caucus met to choose its leaders. "I had the privilege of speaking before the entire House Democratic caucus to second the nomination of Speaker Pelosi and give brief remarks on why I was supporting her," Williams said of the November meeting. It was another high point for Williams, who, along with other Georgia Democrats, is enjoying the spotlight after delivering big in the state in the November election. Williams was sworn in Sunday to the seat that had been held for 33 years by Rep. John Lewis, D, the civil rights icon who died of pancreatic cancer last year at age 80. Lewis was a political role model and personal friend to Williams, whose husband was an aide to the congressman. She also is chair of the Georgia Democratic Party, which secured the state's 16 electoral votes for Joe Biden in the presidential election. And Tuesday, she will be leading the charge to win two Senate runoff elections that will determine which party controls the upper chamber. "So, no, I feel zero pressure," she joked during an interview. Williams's political ascension coincided with the comeback of Georgia's Democratic Party, which she joined when she moved to Atlanta after graduating from Talladega College in Alabama. Democrats, Republicans race to finish in Ga. as Trump casts shadow over Senate runoffs In 2019, Williams, 42, became the first Black woman to chair the state party, after working to help Stacey Abrams in her gubernatorial bid. Though Abrams lost, the close margin was a sign that Georgia was on the verge of turning blue after nearly 30 years of Republican dominance in statewide elections. Snaring a Democratic victory in the November general election, and forcing Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler into runoffs, was the culmination of more than a decade of aggressively registering and engaging Black voters, the party's largest and most loyal base of support. Turnout, particularly among Black, Latino, Asian American and young voters, will be key to the hopes of Democrats Jon Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, and Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, on Tuesday. At the outset of the runoff campaigns, political prognosticators noted that Democrats historically have not fared well in such races in Georgia. In a Senate runoff in 2008, for example, the Democratic candidate lost by 15 percentage points after a steep drop-off among Black voters who had turned out in large numbers during the general election to support Barack Obama's bid to become the first Black president. John McCain, the Arizona senator and Republican presidential nominee, won Georgia that year. "Georgia has changed tremendously since 2008," Williams said. "In 2008 Georgia would have never had a Black woman chair of the Democratic Party. But here I sit. 2020 is just so very different." DuBose Porter, a former state lawmaker and party chairman, said he handed the party over to Williams, who was his vice chair, confident that she would take it "to a new level." "Nikema has come up through the Young Democrats, she's helped rebuild the party," he said. "It's time for young voices and young faces to take the lead, and there's none better than Nikema." Williams was born in Columbus, Ga., and raised just across the state line in Smiths Station, Ala., where she grew up on her grandparents' farm. "When people think about towns with one traffic light, well, we didn't even have that," Williams said. "We had one flashing caution light in front of the high school, not even a real traffic light. The home that I grew up in had no indoor plumbing and no running water." Williams said her upbringing has informed her work to improve the lives of women, people of color and low-income families. A few years after moving to Atlanta in the early 2000s, she went to work for Planned Parenthood, where she spent a dozen years and was vice president for public policy in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, before leaving in 2017 after winning a special election for the state Senate. For the past two years, Williams has juggled multiple jobs: state senator representing Atlanta, deputy director of civic engagement for the National Domestic Workers Alliance and mother to Carter, her 5-year-old son. In March, she tested positive for the coronavirus and was sick for three weeks, although she did not have to be hospitalized. For the domestic workers alliance, Williams developed a program that focused on identifying and engaging low-frequency women-of-color voters. Ai-jen Poo, the group's co-founder and executive director, said Williams pushed back against skeptics who said focusing on those voters would be too much work for too little return. "Nikema said, 'We know they can be reached,' " Poo said. "And we would knock on these doors, and people would be so grateful to hear from us and say that nobody ever comes around here." The alliance adopted the program across Georgia in 2018 and expanded it nationwide for the 2020 election. Poo said she was sorry to lose Williams, who recently left the organization, but is glad to have an ally in Congress. The strategy of targeting low-frequency voters was the cornerstone of Abrams's gubernatorial campaign. It helped her decisively win the Democratic primary and come within 1.4 percentage points of becoming the nation's first Black female governor. Williams was among many Black female political activists who worked tirelessly for Abrams's election, so much so that when her toddler son saw campaign yard signs he would exclaim "Stacey!" In the days after the vote, when Abrams was protesting myriad election irregularities, Williams was arrested during a demonstration at the Capitol. Abrams described Williams as "a champion for working families, [who] spent her time in the state legislature fighting for Georgians who are too often left out and left behind. . . . I will be proud to call her not only my friend but also my congresswoman." Williams's husband, Leslie Small, was a top aide in Lewis's Atlanta office, and she looked up to the storied civil rights activist. She said it had never occurred to her that she would assume his seat. "He was like that figure that you just always assumed was always going to be there. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer, in my mind, he was still going to be here because he was just this larger-than-life figure," Williams said. When Lewis died, several mentors, including former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young, encouraged Williams to add her name to the list of more than 130 people who applied to be the Democratic nominee in the general election. "It took me awhile to come to grips that this was something that could actually happen and that I've done the work for so long that I am just as qualified as all of the other people who are putting their names in the hat," Williams said. "This opportunity was presented to me to be able to fulfill the legacy of Congressman Lewis. I just - I don't take it lightly." Pushing for passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will be a top priority for Williams, who said she also supports Medicare-for-all, universal paid family leave and addressing climate change. It is a decidedly liberal agenda, for which she doesn't apologize, and not just because her seat is in the blue haven of metro Atlanta. Williams said her politics also are informed by her experience growing up in rural Alabama, where residents lack access to health care, broadband and economic development. "I often say that I live my life out loud and on purpose," Williams said, "and I hope to continue to do that as I navigate my way through the United States Congress, because there are a lot of people counting on us." Samsung Electronics' BESPOKE home appliances are seen in this photo provided by the company, Tuesday. Samsung will display the products at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics By Baek Byung-yeul Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are looking to vie for the leadership in home appliances at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is scheduled to take place from Jan. 11 to 14, and, for the first time, will take place online. The world's largest consumer technology trade show will be held in virtual space due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the importance of the annual event is still valid for tech firms as they can demonstrate their new technologies and products to consumers from across the globe. For this year's event, Samsung and LG are focusing on promoting new home appliances at a time when the demand for such gadgets is soaring with people worldwide being encouraged to stay at home to contain the spread of the pandemic. Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that it will introduce its popular BESPOKE refrigerators at the trade show to launch the customizable home appliance brand in the U.S. market. In the local market where the company is fiercely competing with arch rival LG, Samsung has hit a jack pot with the BESPOKE products that let customers customize their own configurations of material, color and size among other choice features. "Since we launched the BESPOKE refrigerator domestically in June 2019, the product has gained immense popularity, accounting for over 60 percent of the country's entire refrigerator market in terms of sales last year," the company said adding the BESPOKE refrigerators will hit the U.S. market in March. Consumers in the U.S. can choose three door styles four doors, two doors and one door with eight different kinds of panel. Samsung also offers various color options such as silver, black and pink. Samsung added that its four-door BESPOKE 4D Flex refrigerator will have a water purifier feature to meet the needs of U.S. consumers, who want to have a water dispenser in their refrigerators. LG Electronics' Objet Collection home appliances are placed in a model apartment. The company said it will showcase the products at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, which will be held online from Jan. 11 to 14. / Courtesy of LG Electronics Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. As Judge Vanessa Baraitser started to deliver her ruling in the Old Baileys number two court yesterday, nothing felt right. In this file photo Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks on the balcony of the Embassy of Ecuador in London. Credit: Justin Tallis/AFP Proceedings started late. Julian Assange slumped in the dock, surrounded by bullet-proof glass, his clothes flapping slightly around his diminished frame. The Dont Extradite Assange campaign had decided against a rally outside the court building because of the risk of spreading covid. The very air tasted sour. As Baraitser intoned her summary judgement, the atmosphere deteriorated. She dismissed the defence case unequivocally, point by point. The protection of those accused of political offences implied by the US/UK Extradition Treaty was worthless in this case. Assange is accused of actions that would be offences in the UK, she told the court. His actions could not be compared to those of an investigative journalist and by dumping data he had adversely affected scores of US contacts. She declined to consider the uncontested evidence that CIA contacts bugged the Ecuadorian Embassy to snoop on Assanges meetings with lawyers. And she found ample evidence that a fair trial would be available, once the Wikileaks founder arrived in Virginia. By now, Assange appeared to be deflating in the dock before our eyes. One sensed a great weight pressing on the usually ebullient shoulders of Edward Fitzgerald QC, who leads Assanges legal team. Baraitsers cautious delivery continued as she reached her conclusion, providing no prompt of a change in her direction of travel. In September the extradition hearing spent a week considering medical evidence relating to Assange. Much of it was harrowing and, unlike all the other expert statements, written copies were not released to the media despite formal protests. Baraitser, however, accepted most of the doctors and psychiatrists conclusions. Assange has a personal and family history of suicide attempts, he suffers deep, long-term depression. He also has Autism spectrum disorders. These have been managed with some success in HMP Belmarsh, the judge told the court. Then she turned to conditions in the US supermax prison, ADX Colorado, where it is generally accepted Assange would have been sent, if he had been sentenced by a US court. Faced with the conditions of near total isolation I am satisfied the procedures described by the US will not prevent Mr Assange from finding a way to commit suicide and for this reason I have decided extradition would be oppressive by reason of mental harm and I order his discharge, The air in court felt suddenly lighter. A broad smile flashed across Assanges face, and the handful of Wikileaks staff in court were animated anew. Clair Dobbin, the barrister representing the US government, was quick to her feet, insisting that an appeal against the ruling would be immediately forthcoming. Her interjections are always highly controlled, but anger apparently underscored her words. Edward Fitzgerald, meanwhile, had rediscovered his Tiggerish bounce. He requested his clients immediate release. That may happen on Wednesday. The court hearing will reconvene at Westminster Magistrates (its real home). Fitzgerald promises to make a case featuring both the deteriorating conditions at Belmarsh and a considerable package of measures to reassure the court that Assange would not abscond. This is a stunning victory for free speech, common sense and humanity. Assange heard the news from the same dock where the Guilford Four were wrongly convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1975. It would be refreshing to think that yesterdays judgement showcases a new era when British justice can be rightly praised for its compassion, fairness and honesty. A little restraint with the champagne is required, however, as the response from the National Union of Journalists makes clear. The judge rejected the defence case that the charges against Assange related to actions identical to those undertaken daily by most investigative journalists, commented General Secretary, Michelle Stanistreet. "In doing so, she leaves open the door for a future US administration to confect a similar indictment against a journalist. It is a prudent caution. Of course, it is hard to imagine a similar circumstances prevailing the most extensive and damaging national security leaks in history, an ex-CIA director running US foreign policy, and a president whose grasp on reality is tenuous at best. As became clear during the extradition hearing, however, this conjunction appeared against a backdrop that is increasingly challenging for those who report defence and security issues. Several witnesses described US administrations going into overdrive to classify more and more information. Rising levels of hostility to the media have been fuelled by administrations of both stripes increasing enthusiasm for chasing down and denigrating leakers who were clearly honestly intentioned. It makes it hard to believe that Assange will be the last person the US tries to prosecute for acts of journalism. Assange departed the dock yesterday, wreathed in smiles, having caught a quick chat through the security glass with his partner Stella Morris. He faces challenges too not least adjusting to freedoms that he has not enjoyed for a decade. His defence made much of his appreciation of transparency, methodical checking, and concern for the welfare of others. If he chooses to return to public life at some point, my hope would be that he makes these his guiding principles. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. WASHTNEAW COUNTY, MI Washtenaw Urban County is seeking input from residents to help prioritize and plan future community projects. The partnership between Washtenaw County government and cities, townships and villages who have agreed to participate in federally funded programs is surveying residents on community development needs to comply with U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development requirements, officials said. Community projects can include improving parks, funding social services, helping lower income residents make crucial home improvements and more. Many of our local governments receive funding through HUD to invest in our community, Tara Cohen, Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development Community Development Block Grant management analyst, said. This survey allows residents to let their elected officials know what types of improvements they want to see in their neighborhood using these funds. Questions included in the survey touch on the perceived need for facilities like youth and senior centers, shelters and health facilities. Other questions probe residents about the condition of public streets, sidewalks and properties in their neighborhoods. Respondents can also rank the level of need for different types of public services, like access to curb cuts, sidewalks and non-motorized paths, or park and open space within their neighborhood. Click the following links to take the English Survey, or it is available in Spanish here. The survey is open through Jan. 22. A public hearing also is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, to solicit citizen input on community development needs in the Washtenaw Urban County for consideration in the development of the 2021-22 Annual Action Plan. The plan will identify specific projects and programs the county intends to implement with federal funds in the Washtenaw Urban County from July 1 to June 30, 2022, according to county officials. The hearing invites participation from anyone living in the city of Ann Arbor, city of Dexter, city of Saline, city of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Township, Augusta Township, Bridgewater Township, Dexter Township, Lima Township, Manchester Township, Northfield Township, Pittsfield Township, Salem Township, Saline Township, Scio Township, Superior Township, Sylvan Township, Webster Township, York Township and Ypsilanti Township. The meeting is being conducted remotely using Zoom. Those interested in participating can click the following link. READ MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Washtenaw County ramping up COVID-19 vaccination efforts after slower start Washtenaw County prosecutor rolls out new policy to end use of cash bail Washtenaw prosecutor launches effort to review thousands of past cases for racial bias Washtenaw County saw 250% increase in requests for assistance during pandemic, report finds Will cater to the advanced prototyping and production requirements in the Dental, Medical sectors among others GE Additive has selected Imaginarium to join its global sales partner network as an official sales partner in India. Imaginarium will resell GE Additives portfolio of metal additive manufacturing machines and metal powders which includes Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) technologies. The products are aimed at manufacturers across a wide range of industries, including the aerospace and defence, medical and dental, automotive, tool & die and jewellery. Imaginarium will engage with potential customers to demonstrate the different applications in industry-grade prototyping and production. This will help to educate and build awareness and prospective companies confidence to apply in additive manufacturing across their business. GE Additive will leverage Imaginariums network in the Indian market to drive adoption of its state-of-the-art metal additive manufacturing machines. Some of the key benefits of metal-based additive manufacturing technology from GE Additive include: Dental: On-demand manufacturing of crowns, bridges Medical: Customised implants and optimised supply chain Czek Haan Tan, General Manager Sales & Services APAC, GE Additive said, Companies across India are starting to make good progress in their adoption of Industry 4.0, and with that comes increased interest in additive technologies, including metal 3D printing. Kamlesh Parekh, CEO, Imaginarium India Pvt Ltd, said, Metal additive manufacturing technology has the potential to disrupt the industry by catalysing innovation and enabling the production of indigenous, made-in-India, made-for-the-world products. On Sunday, following a tense six-day standoff, 16 prisoners involved in protesting appalling conditions at New Zealands Waikeria Prison surrendered to authorities. Five of the 21 men who started the protest had already given themselves up. The men had climbed onto the roof of a prison block and caused significant damage, including by starting fires. Hundreds of inmates were relocated due to the fires. Authorities responded with brutal measures. On December 31, three days into the protest, Newshub cited an anonymous source who said negotiators from the Corrections Department were withholding food and water in a bid to starve out the prisonersa claim echoed in other media outlets. The same source said prisoners had accused armed officers of trying to storm them during the night. Police denied this. Waikeria Prison building (Source: NZ Department of Corrections website) Prisoners were demanding improved conditions at Waikeria, which was built in 1911 in the Otorohanga district, and is one of the most run-down and unsanitary prisons in the country. The protesters alleged that they were being made to wait months for medical treatment and to wear the same dirty clothing also for months. As well, they complained about the poor quality of drinking water. A manifesto posted on social media by People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA), reportedly issued by the prisoners, also stated: We have no toilet seats: we eat our kai [food] out of paper bags right next to our open, shared toilets We are Maori people forced into a European system. Prisons do not work! Prisons have not worked for the generations before!... They keep doing this to our people, and we have had enough! There is no support in prison no rehabilitation, nothing. On Sunday, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis dismissed these complaints. He threatened that the police would consider laying charges over the destruction of facilities. Davis told the media that those involved in the stand-off, which he labelled a riot, had never raised any issues prior to this event It is my view that the underlying reasons for their actions are not what they claim. He declared that the men wanted political attention and vaguely denounced those who waded into the issue in order to generate headlines and embolden the protesting prisoners. The Labour Party-led government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, first elected in 2017, made false promises to reform New Zealands judicial system, with a focus on rehabilitation, reducing overcrowding and improving other inhumane conditions. Waikeria exemplifies the brutal situation that exists throughout the prison system. A report issued by Ombudsman Peter Boshier, in August 2020, noted that two-thirds of Waikerias population were Maori. Indigenous people make up around 15 percent of New Zealanders, but they are far more likely to be incarcerated. The majority of Maori are among the most exploited layers of the working class. Boshier found that most men in the prisons high security complex (HSC) were double-bunked in cells originally designed for one, and living conditions were poor The provision and quality of clothing and bedding was problematic across both complexes. Direct segregation cells, used to isolate prisoners from the rest of the prison population, were run down Windows did not have curtains and toilets did not have lids, and ventilation was poor. Boshier concluded that the HSC environment is not fit for purpose and is impacting adversely on the treatment of tane [men]. A typical double-bunk cell in Waikeria Prison (Source: Ombudsman's report) Family members of the Waikeria protesters denied claims by Davis and his department that prisoners had not tried to complain before staging the protest. A statement quoted in the media said: Our loved ones inside also tried many times to make complaints, but were denied access to PC01 complaint forms. They said the jail was unfit for humans to live in the jail was unhygienic and conditions inside were disgusting. PC01 forms are the only means for prisoners to lodge formal complaints. Waikeria is not an isolated example. On December 14, Ombudsman Boshier released a damning report on a surprise inspection of Aucklands Paremoremo Prison earlier in 2020. Inspectors found that maximum security prisoners were spending 22-23 hours confined to their cells. Boshier also viewed footage of prison officers using pepper spray on an inmate, which amounts to cruel treatment under the Convention against Torture. The construction of a new maximum-security facility, opened in 2018, had not changed the culture, Boshier said, despite government claims that it would focus more on rehabilitation and reintegration. According to the Corrections Department, more than 90 percent of prisoners had mental health or substance abuse issues, but treatment is largely unavailable. A previous report, released in August 2019, found degrading and severely overcrowded conditions at Ngawha Prison in Northland, which mostly housed low-security prisoners. The prison was opened with much fanfare in 2005, with a stated aim of operating based on Maori values focusing on rehabilitation. Among other findings, the Ombudsman noted insufficient access to drinking water and a lack of toilets, which forced prisoners to urinate and defecate in the compound. The Labour Party campaigned in 2017 on a platform of reducing the overall prison population by 30 percent over 15 years, and lowering the proportion of Maori in prisons to the same level as in the general population, through various cultural programs, based on race or national identity. The most recent figures show that in September 2020 there were a total of 9,078 prisoners, down from 10,470 three years earlier, a drop of just 13.29 percent and still above the 8,700 prisoners in 2014. The government is clearly anticipating a resurgence in the prison population, since it has recruited an extra 1,200 police officers, and in 2019 allocated $406 million to build 976 new prison beds. Maori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi played a role in negotiating the end of the Waikeria stand-off, after the protesters demanded to speak with him. Waititi was highly praised by PAPA, which is linked with the pseudo-left group Organise Aotearoa. The Maori Party is a right-wing party. It was part of the 2008-2017 National Party-led government and has campaigned for Maori-run prisonsas part of a parallel, racially segregated justice system. This would not make prisons humane, but would provide significant state funding for contracts for the tribal-affiliated businesses that the Maori Party represents. Racism undoubtedly plays a role in the over-representation of Maori in prisons and as victims of police brutality. However, the prison system is not a European or colonial institution, as the Maori Party and its supporters claim. Prisons are part of the state apparatus that defends capitalism and oppresses the working class as a whole, regardless of race. That is why, amid soaring social inequality and growing anti-capitalist sentiment, due to the economic crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, the Ardern government is boosting the powers of the stateto deal with the inevitable eruption of working-class opposition. Sri Lanka: Negombos salted delights by Dishan Joseph January 05,2021 | Source: Daily News LK For centuries this island nation has relished the taste of fresh fish. Our seafood beautifully cooked in spices has attracted discerning guests from all over the world. In the recent past, owing to the spread of Covid-19 from one of the major fish markets there has been undue paranoia about consuming fish. This is one element within the greater realm of the fish industry. In this narrative I hope to bring out the dried fish industry that flourishes in areas like Negombo, Trincomalee and Mannar, with memories of visits to the Negombo Fish Market. The town of Negombo is famous for its beachfront hotels, Catholic churches and bountiful fish. To many people who go in search of fresh fish, the market of Negombo is a seafood lovers paradise. About two kilometres from the fresh fish market is the busy dry fish processing area on the beach. As we got down from the trishaw, the pungent smell of drying fish permeated the air. There was a statue of the Virgin Mary mounted on a pedestal, as most folk engaged in this enterprise are devout Catholics. For as far as my eye could see there were rows of drying fish that was heavily salted. After finding a path to walk we met Roshan, a young man. He was busy turning the sprats with his bare hands. He greets us and explains, As you see, we make the best dry fish in the country here. We get the fish from the boats. We wash the fish and then coat them in salt. The sun is so intense these days that the fish dry completely in a few days. There are others around Roshan, young men bending and turning the fish. They add, You may have eaten jardi. In this process we immerse the larger cuts of fish in a mixture of brine, saffron and gorraka. After a few days in a barrel, the fish is fully fermented. It goes down well with rice. This item is not often featured in authentic Sri Lankan culinary festivals. It captures that exotic island seafood appeal. Another young woman is walking amidst the rows of fish. Her robust figure indicates her strength as a result of carrying baskets of dried fish. She says, Sir, we work hard in the hot sun. We are also young people like you, yet at times we face the social stigma of being fisherfolk. We do this work as this has been the family tradition for generations. Perhaps in the future it may change. The young woman explains that during the rainy season they dont get work and at times the fish in the process of drying can go stale and they would incur a loss. As we walked along this maze of deep-sea delights, we spotted a young man and his uncle carrying a basket of fish on a pole. This pair moved back and forth. Along the left side of this beach are a few shops. Some vendors were selling baskets used to carry the dry fish. Others are selling long reels of coir-woven rugs, on which the fish is spread out to dry. A tiny kiosk sold plain tea. The pot-bellied man behind the counter grins and displays his teeth, stained red by chewing betel. A well-nourished calico cat was observing everyone. Further along the beach a group of women are cutting and filleting large fish. A young girl wearing a silver cross on a chain giggled as she showed us the sharp knife with which, by years of experience, she cut away with dexterity. After this the fish is immersed in cold water. A young man came towards me. His name is James, the name is reminiscent of one of the disciples of Jesus and many of them were indeed fishermen. James carried the washed fish and began to rub each fillet with a hand full of salt. Crows hovered around expectantly. This is the vital part of curing the fish. The fish heads are discarded and collected in a large barrel. When asked about prices, they admitted of selling only to wholesale customers, although there were a few small shops. The youth said that the fish mudalali is the one who decides the price at the daily auction. Like the defiant Alpha male in the food chain, these dominating businessmen control the prices, making profits. The young people working in this enterprise begin their day at 7.00 am and work round the clock. They have to ward off intruding crows and other birds that try and swoop in for a free meal. After a hard days work, their primary aim is to wash the strong smell of dried fish from their hands. Amidst the sweltering sun and hard work these youth have good attitudes and smiles. Their life is simple. They talk, work and drink plain tea. They share their rice and curry. They intercede seeking divine blessings. Hopefully in the future their dried fish will be sold in a more appealing way to domestic customers. As I said before, in comparison to meat, poultry and forms of seafood, dried fish has not been a desired choice on many domestic menus. The vast dry fish operation on the beaches of Negombo (and other areas in this island) is a must visit place for all who love seafood. Besides when you purchase dried fish it is the most dependable seafood option during any crisis, and in comparison to fresh fish is in a distinct class of its own in a culinary sense. Donald Trump on Monday threatened Senator Tom Cotton for not backing the plan by some Republicans to oppose the counting of certified electoral votes in the US Congress on 6 January. How can you certify an election when the numbers being certified are verifiably wrong. You will see the real numbers tonight during my speech, but especially on January 6th. [Senator Tom Cotton] Republicans have pluses and minuses, but one thing is sure, they never forget! tweeted Mr Trump on Monday. Several Republicans are planning to object to the election results certified by states during the joint session of the US Congress on 6 January which will be presided by vice president Mike Pence. However, several Republicans are not in favour of objecting to the results already certified by the states. The presidents barely veiled warning to Mr Cotton came after the Senator from Arkansas said he wont object. Mr Cotton, in a statement, said that elections are entrusted to the states and not Congress." And they entrusted the adjudication of election disputes to the courts - not Congress Congresss power is limited to counting electoral votes submitted by the states, said Mr Cotton, who has been an ardent supporter of Donald Trump. He announced that he wont oppose the counting of certified electoral college votes on 6 January and noted that if Congress purported to overturn the results of the electoral college, it would not only exceed that power, but also establish unwise precedents. First, Congress would take away the power to choose the president from the people, which would essentially end presidential elections and place that power in the hands of whichever party controls Congress. Second, Congress would imperil the electoral college, which gives small states like Arkansas a voice in presidential elections. However, in a bid to offer an olive branch for refusing to play along with Mr Trumps unsubstantiated election fraud claims, Mr Cotton said he is grateful for what the president accomplished over the past four years, which is why I campaigned vigorously for his re-election. Mr Cotton said he shares the concerns about irregularities in the presidential election and the disappointment with the election results and thus supports a commission to study the last election and propose reforms to protect the integrity of our elections. He is not alone as several other Republicans have also announced that they wont support the plan to object. On 3 January, seven Republicans came out with a joint statement cautioning against the plan and stating that we must respect the states' authority here. The vice president himself hasnt openly supported the plan to objecting to election results certified by states. On Monday, Mr Trump, during a rally in Georgia for the senate run-off said he is hoping Mr Pence will come through in their plan to reject Mr Bidens wide electoral college victory. Food drive held Brian Loughney and Tom Hallinan organized a food drive to benefit the Immaculate Conception Church Food Pantry in memory of the Rev. Joseph F. Sica. Sica was a senior priest at the church who passed away in April. The drive was held on Nov. 21. High notes Daniel Winer recently held a virtual bingo fundraiser to benefit the Childrens Advocacy Center of NEPA. Winer raised $210 for the nonprofit center and presented the proceeds to Jordan Aebli and Jennifer Aglialoro from the center. Many of the prize gifts were donated from community businesses. Super students Local students who attend the Indiana University of Pennsylvania have been recognized as provost scholars. The students include McKala Danielle Newhart, New Milford, B.S.Ed. in early childhood and special education/urban; Emma M. Olver, Beach Lake, B.S. in biology/pre-veterinary; and Mikayla Christine Mills, Monroe Twp., B.S. in physical education and sport/exercise science. Students achieve provost scholar status after completing a minimum of 45 semester hours and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Provost scholar recognition is given only once during a students time of study at the university. East Stroudsburg University student Jordan Houston from Scott Twp. was among 14 psychology students recently accepted into Psi Chi: The International Honor Society in Psychology. Jordan is a senior communication major. Psi Chi is the largest student psychological organization in the world. ESUs chapter was founded in 1980. Network International Holdings said that Simon Haslam, Group Chief Executive Officer has decided to retire from the Company after forty years in the financial services sector. Nandan Mer, currently MasterCard Strategy Head - International Markets, will succeed Simon as Group CEO effective February 1, 2021. Haslam will step down as Group CEO and from the Board of Directors on January 31 and will remain with the Company throughout his six month notice period to ensure a smooth transition. Nandan Mer has a proven track record of building and growing businesses over 30 years in a number of global markets with leading financial institutions including American Express, Citigroup, United Bank for Africa (UBA) and most recently at MasterCard. Ron Kalifa, Chairman, said: "On behalf of the Board and all of our Network colleagues, I would like to thank Simon for his invaluable contribution as CEO and wish him well in his retirement. During his tenure, Simon has led the Companys transformation into the largest payment solutions provider in the UAE and the leading enabler of digital commerce throughout the Middle East and Africa, and delivered significant growth across all our markets. He leaves behind a strong business and a legacy of success. I am also delighted to announce Nandan's appointment as Group CEO. He has a wide breadth of experience across the consumer credit and payment industries in several international markets, includingwithintheMiddleEastandAfrica.NandansstrongtrackrecordofsuccesswithMastercardand strong sector expertise make him an excellent appointment to lead Network through the next stage of our ambitious strategic growth plans. Simon Haslam, commented: "I feel very fortunate to have led the Company at a pivotal time in its history and surrounded by a strong and committed team. I am proud of leading the change to make Network the pre-eminent provider of payment solutions in the Middle East and Africa, the worlds most underpenetrated markets with regard to digital payments. We have acted decisively to protect the business during the pandemic, and at the same time continued to prioritise strategic focus and investment into areas that will ensure Network can capitalise on future growth opportunities. It is with this in mind that I feel now is the right time to hand over the business for the next stage of its growth. I believe that Nandan is an excellent choice as my successor to drive Networks future growth agenda. Nandan Mer commented: Network International is a great Company, with great people, and Im honoured to be given the opportunity to help shape its future. I look forward to working with my new colleagues and building on the great foundation and growth potential in the business. My focus will be on delivering for all stakeholders in the business whilst continuing to deliver strong financial returns to investors. TradeArabia News Service Public encourage to play critical role as new Test Trace Protect jobs set to open This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 5th, 2021 Members of the public are being encouraged to keep an eye out for the job vacancies as Wrexham Council prepares to expand its Test Trace Protect (TTP) team. As part of the fight against coronavirus, the tracing and isolating of those who have been close contacts of someone who has tested positive for the virus has been in place since the spring. Yesterday Health Minister Vaughan Gething indicated his frustration that several months into a pandemic people were still not playing by the rules, and encouraged firmer enforcement by police. We asked Wrexham Council about their enforcement teams, and Public Protection role that inspects areas of coronavirus regulation compliance amid concerns over supermarkets and some retailers. Wrexham Council Chief Executive Ian Bancroft said: Through the pandemic, weve had investment into our enforcement team and its been a key priority for us. We have enforced in a number of places in relation to hospitality establishments that have been operating outside of the restrictions, where we have evidence and information, then we will pick up on that and our team is ready to do that. It is an absolute priority for us and will continue to be a priority for the future. Council Leader Mark Pritchard, who has Public Protection in his portfolio, commented: We put a North Wales bid in for more funding for the enforcement, and in North Wales we had 19 officers. The other five authorities had three each and we had a four officers, they gave us the extra officer funding because of the the prison and the large industrial estate. So we have taken steps to improve and increase the staffing level and we will revisit it again in discussions this week with ministers over the hardship fund. Cllr Pritchard pointed to Welsh Government having 1.2 billion of money unused, and that such discussions and future bids is not about the money as it is there. Cllr Pritchard and Chief Executive Bancroft both highlighted the work of the Test Trace Protect (TTP) scheme, which in Wales is run by local councils rather than the english model of outsourcing. Cllr Pritchard said the TTP staff have been wonderful, theyve worked tirelessly. Mr Bancroft added: In terms of TTP, just like enforcement, its a real critical area for us during the pandemic, weve obviously received funding to recruit staffing externally but clearly what happens when we have spikes is we have to move our staff around very quickly because we have to enhance that team. So weve been pulling in people from other services, when numbers have been going up. Mr Bancroft pointed to an imminent major recruitment drive for the TTP team, and encouraged people to keep an eye out for the job opportunities over the next few weeks, It is a really, really critical role during these next months as the vaccination program rolls out, the next stage of recruitment into that team is really critical to deal with the numbers that were dealing with at the moment. The team working extremely hard, obviously worked all through Christmas and New Year, and test, trace and ultimately help protect people until weve got the vaccination in place. The adverts are now linked to in the below tweet: Think you could undertake one of these important roles? Then take a look at the details here: Contact Adviser https://t.co/3WavWXr7Nc Contact Tracer https://t.co/bkTo8JuGyo Closing date: 15/01/21 pic.twitter.com/ppeE9ImvU5 Wrexham Council (@wrexhamcbc) January 5, 2021 People are moving out of Connecticut at least according to one moving company In its annual tally of national migration, United Van Lines ranked Connecticut among the top states for people booking more outbound moves than inbound moves. Connecticut fell behind New Jersey, New York and Illinois for the top spot. In United's 2019 report, Connecticut also earned the fourth spot among the top states to move out of. Despite Connecticut seeing an influx of people moving into the state due to COVID-19, United Van Lines reported that the number of outgoing residents still outweighed the number of incoming residents in 2020. Some of the most significant factors for outbound moves in Connecticut included retirement, lifestyle change and job change. To determine the rankings, United Van Lines tracked the company's own moves throughout the U.S. and documented the customers' reason for each move. From there, each state was ranked based on the individual inbound and outbound percentages. Scroll below to see the top reasons people moved out of Connecticut in 2020, according to United Van Lines report: Total outbound in 2020: 63.5 percent | Total inbound in 2020: 36.5 percent Total outbound in 2019: 63 percent | Total inbound in 2019: 37 percent Retirement Outbound in 2020: 31.28 percent | Inbound in 2020: 6.36 percent Outbound in 2019: 34.83 percent | Inbound in 2019: 6.85 percent Job Outbound in 2020: 30.26 percent | Inbound in 2020: 34.55 percent Outbound in 2019: 37.31 percent | Inbound in 2019: 58.90 percent Family Outbound in 2020: 21.54 percent | Inbound in 2020: 38.18 percent Outbound in 2019: 23.88 percent | Inbound in 2019: 24.66 percent Lifestyle Outbound in 2020: 21.54 percent | Inbound in 2020: 10.91 percent Outbound in 2019: 18.41 percent | Inbound in 2019: 9.59 percent Health Outbound in 2020: 8.21 percent | Inbound in 2020: 10.00 percent Outbound in 2019: 2.99 percent | Inbound in 2019: 4.11 percent Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 4) More local government units are setting aside funds to ensure their residents will be immunized against the coronavirus. Among these is the Makati City government which announced on Monday it has allotted 1 billion to buy vaccines for its residents this year. In a statement, Mayor Abby Binay said vaccination is the city's top priority for 2021, adding she wants all residents to be able to receive shots. She said city officials are coordinating with vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. and the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force to finalize details of the purchase and the vaccination. She told CNN Philippines the national government has given local governments the liberty to choose which vaccines they want to purchase. "Because there are several options, the IATF is giving us the opportunity to procure our own vaccine, but we will piggyback with the order of the national government," she explained. Binay said Makati Medical Center frontliners top choice is American firm Pfizer. This is followed by the Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceutical (which is owned by another American company Johnson & Johnson), UK's AstraZeneca, and US drugmaker Moderna. If the vaccines to be bought by the country do not include these picks, Binay said chances are Makati City will not avail of these or at least immediately. "For example, if the national government procures vaccines coming from China or Russia or a different brand, if there is an openness or a willingness for our Makatizens to have themselves vaccinated using the available vaccine, then we will purchase additional vaccines," she said. "But again, we will have to wait and see how receptive people will be to vaccines that are not Western-produced." Binay added that should the 1 billion fund fail to suffice in vaccinating all constituents, the city still has another billion prepared. The city council will be asked to pass a supplemental budget once the local government gets the approval from the IATF, the mayor noted. Companies and businesses in the city will also be assisted in purchasing vaccines for their employees and workers. Meanwhile, the city government of Paranaque will cover the free vaccination of 300,000 residents under its 250-million fund, Mayor Edwin Olivarez also said on Monday. The city-wide vaccination will prioritize health workers and senior citizens. Another 1 billion will serve as the city's "standby" fund for their own procurement of the vaccine, which must first be regulated by authorities, according to the mayor. Olivares also said they have reached out to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which was recently given clearance to hold clinical trials in the country. Caloocan, on the other hand, has earmarked 125 million for all constituents free vaccination. Mayor Oscar Malapitan said they also intend to augment this with an additional 1 billion fund which will come from loans. He added that the Caloocan government has likewise reached out to various pharmaceutical companies in a bid to secure doses, but noted that it will still wait for whatever vaccine will receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto shared during the Laging Handa briefing that they will also prioritize health workers and senior citizens for vaccination, with a 300-million budget "at the very least," that can be increased depending on the availability of resources. In Valenzuela, Mayor Rex Gatchalian said they are allotting an initial 150 million for vaccines to supplement the national government's initiative. Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos has also set aside 200 million for COVID-19 vaccines, while Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said the local government has already prepared an initial 20 million. The Quezon City government also said it is currently finalizing talks with a "reputable multinational pharmaceutical company" for its acquisition of an initial 750,000 doses of vaccine. It earlier bared it is designating an initial 1 billion for vaccine procurement. Like other LGUs, Quezon City will prioritize health workers and senior citizens, along with adults with disabilities and other priority sectors as recommended by the World Health Organization. Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco also assured her constituents the city is ready to purchase an initial 200 million worth of vaccines. Other local governments which earlier announced allocating funds for vaccine procurement include Puerto Princesa with 500 million, the City of Manila with 250 million, Muntinlupa with 170 million, and San Juan City with 50 million. Health spokesperson Rosario Vergeire urged LGUs to coordinate with the national government, as vaccine candidates that are still undergoing trials in the country have yet to get a final approval and certificate of product registration that would make them commercially available. "Ang local governments ay hinihikayat ng (The local governments are urged by the) national government to work with us because we can pool the funds and the national government can procure, and we can have an effective distribution system," she said. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque welcomed the move of LGUs in his own briefing. "Kasi ibig sabihin mas marami tayong budget para bumili ng vaccine at hindi lang iyong manggagaling sa pondo ng national government." [Translation: Because this means we have a bigger budget to procure vaccines and we're not just relying on the budget of the national government.] Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 5:12 pm OLYMPIA Conservatives in Washington spent much of 2020 fuming that Gov. Jay Inslee used the broad powers given to him by the Legislature to enact restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. And unlike other states where lawmakers held emergency sessions to respond to the pandemic, Inslee and Democratic leaders didnt call a special session in Washington. Now, Republican lawmakers are proposing bills to curb the governors emergency powers and a constitutional amendment to make it easier for the Legislature to call itself back into session. With Democrats controlling strong majorities in both the House and Senate, the proposals are not likely to pass, but they pose a philosophical debate over executive power and checks and balances in government. The legislation comes as conservative organizers plan to protest at the Legislature this month when lawmakers convene, in a session that will take place mostly remotely due to the pandemic. The lack of a special session last year frustrated Republicans, who since spring had sought to gather to cut the budget amid a then-bleak projected revenue shortfall, and later to provide business relief, or weigh in on other pandemic issues. Under current law, the governor can call a special session, or lawmakers can call themselves into one with a two-thirds majority in both chambers. In response, Chris Gildon, a Republican senator-elect from Puyallup, is sponsoring Senate Joint Resolution 8201, a proposed amendment to the state constitution. If approved, it would ask state voters to lower the threshold for the Legislature to call itself into a special session to a 60 percent vote of lawmakers, rather than the two-thirds majority needed now. Certainly Ive heard from constituents all throughout the year wondering, Where is the legislative branch, and what are you doing to represent me?' said Gildon, a state representative who won election this November to the Senate. As we certainly have seen this year, we can never fully anticipate all future circumstances were going to be faced with, added Gildon. And when those circumstances arrive, I think its really vital that the people have a voice, and that their elected representatives can thoughtfully and vigorously debate whatever the topic is at hand. Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, is sponsoring House Bill 1029, which would limit the scope of a governors emergency declaration. That order is the foundation that has served as the basis for Inslees restrictions this year. If approved, HB 1029 would restrict emergency proclamations to 14 days before they must be reauthorized by the Legislature or legislative leaders. The proposal would also require a separate proclamation for each county. What weve seen, I believe, in our response to the COVID outbreaks, is too much of a broad-stroke response on the states part, said Walsh. And I think in many cases where state action and even dramatic action was warranted, it should have been focused more narrowly on those geographic hot spots And there are other proposals. Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, has sponsored House Bill 1013, which seeks to rein in rule-making by state agencies carrying out emergency orders and House Bill 1004, which would curb the state health secretarys emergency powers. Under Inslees orders, Washington has seen some of the fewest coronavirus deaths per capita and cases per capita of any state, according to data compiled by The New York Times. Asked about the GOP proposals, Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk pointed to states with fewer restrictions and more confirmed cases and deaths per capita. During the pandemic, we have seen in many states what happens when decisive action is not taken: Large increases in infections, hospitalizations and deaths, Faulk wrote in an email. The focus on proclamations is misplaced, in that the real limitation in our lives comes from the destructive nature of the pandemic itself. As the Legislature considers those proposals, conservative demonstrators are planning a daily protest at the Capitol. Organizer Tyler Miller said the demonstrations are against the closure of the Capitol building because of the pandemic. The legislative session that begins in January will be held largely remotely, with committee sessions, public hearings and floor sessions conducted by teleconference. Were protesting the unconstitutional way that this session is going to be conducted, with locking the public out, specifically of the legislative building, Miller, 40, an engineering technician and Bremerton resident, said in an interview. Miller who organized one of last springs protests at the Capitol against pandemic restrictions cited Article 2, Section 11 of the state constitution. Part of that section states that, The doors of each house shall be kept open, except when the public welfare shall require secrecy. That specific language originally came from Wisconsins constitution in 1889, according to Hugh Spitzer, a professor at the University of Washington School of Law, and we dont have any Washington court decisions on it. In an email, Spitzer said that in his view, the provisions state a basic principle that legislative proceedings should be in public unless the legislature reasonably (non-arbitrarily) determines that there is a legitimate reason to keep a particular deliberation in secret. That language is focused on open debates and open government, Spitzer wrote, much more than whether the building happens to be open to the public or not. If, because of the pandemic, the legislature decides to close the building but continue to hold its sessions publicly on Zoom or otherwise, the state constitution is not being violated, Spitzer added. Miller said he would cancel the demonstrations if the Legislature allowed at least a few members of the public in to witness activity on the House and Senate floors where a handful of lawmakers and staff are expected to be on hand. Demonstrators will seek to enter the closed Capitol each day, but, Were not there to cause trouble, were not there to break down doors, to occupy the building, Miller said. Were there simply to observe our constitutional right. Millers demonstration comes as tensions during political protests at the Capitol have gradually escalated. Shootings have occurred during two political clashes last month around the Capitol. New Delhi: Income Tax department officials at the Sukhdev Vihar residence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, who was questioned for nine hours in Benami properties case on Monday; in New Delhi on Jan 5, 2021. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Jan 5 : A team of Income Tax department on Tuesday recorded the statement of Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra for over three and half hours on the second consecutive day in connection with the 'benami' properties case. However, Vadra once again slammed the government describing the move as "political vendetta" and questioned the timing of the investigating agencies amid the farmers agitation. A team of IT department officials arrived around 2.45 p.m. at Vadra's Sukhdev Vihar residence here and recorded his statement for over three and half hours. On Monday, the I-T team had recorded the statement of Vadra for over nine hours. According to IT department sources, the team recorded Vadra's statements as he was unable to join the probe during the Covid pandemic. Speaking to media after the IT department sleuths left from his residence, Vadra said, "I have answered all the questions asked by them and also shared the records of the acoounts." When asked if the team of the IT department would be coming again on Wednesday, Vadra replied, "I welcome them if they want to come, have some tea with me and find out what they want." Terming the questionning by the agency as political move, the businessman said, "It is consistent. It keeps happening to me. Whenever there is an issue around, Robert Vadra props up." "If it not this, it will be something else. When there is an election, when there is something, my name is used. The government wants to digress from the main issues. Rather than all this, they should help the farmers and do something good for the people of the country," he said. When asked about the details of the benami properties, Vadra said, "I have shared all the information with them. I don't have any other information, but it seems that they have much more information than me." When pressed further if the IT department asked him to write his statement or type, he said that he is a law-abiding citizen and he will follow the instructions of the investigative agencies. When questioned about his name linked with defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari, Vadra said, "Whatever the queries are, I am here to answer for it. You just cannot claim anything. You cannot say that I went to Taj Mahal, so I own Taj Mahal. You need to have proof." He further stated that if they want to clarify with Bhandari then they need to question him. "I am here only, I can answer for myself and how I can answer for someone else," he said. When asked about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioning him for over 15 times for over 80 hours, Vadra said, "I have also spoken to ED on everything." Besides the I-T department, Vadra is also being investigated by the ED under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) pertaining to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square, worth 1.9 million pounds. It is alleged that the said property is allegedly owned by Vadra. He is currently out on anticipatory bail. Burma Myanmars Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Unveils New Peace Architecture Policy State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi delivers an address to the public on New Years Day. / Myanmar State Counselors Office YANGONMyanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has introduced a new approach to the countrys peace process-which she calls the New Peace Architecturedesigned to allow participation by political groups, civil society organizations and the public. In her New Years speech on Jan. 1, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the new approach will seek a balance between representation and effectiveness, and that various points of view will be taken into account as it is implemented. She said the aim is to convince not only the signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), but also non-signatories to come on board and cooperate. Both formal and informal dialogues will be pivotal to the peace process in the post-2020 period, said the leader of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD). The government will prioritize implementation of the new approach over the next five years, she said. We recognize the important role of public participation [in the peace process]. This depends on how much we can pave the way for all stakeholders to participate, she said, calling for changes to the frameworks, systems and mechanisms of the peace process so that it can be more effectively implemented. With Myanmar set to mark the 75th anniversary of the Panglong Agreement in 2022, she said she hoped the country would soon see signs of progress toward the establishment of a federal union. She said the Constitution must be amended to establish a democratic federal union. She called for a Constitution that aligns with existing peace agreements, the long-term needs of the country and the expectations of the people. In two years, Myanmar celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence. The top priority of the government this year is to shape the future of the country. It is also a task for the people, she said. During its first five-year term, the NLD government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi managed to sign three parts of the Union Accord with the 10 NCA signatories. The accord has been approved by the Union Parliament. At a press conference in August 2020, a set of principles for the establishment of a federal political system for the country was announced as Part 3 of the Union Accord. The government is also in the process of negotiating with the members of the Northern Alliancethe Kachin Independence Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Taang National Liberation Army and Arakan Army (AA)to sign individual bilateral ceasefire agreements. The Tatmadaw (Myanmars military) and the AA reached an unofficial ceasefire in November after fighting for two years in northern Rakhine State and Chin States Paletwa. On New Years Day, the AA also released three former NLD candidates it had detained since October. On the same day, the armed group returned three captured soldiers to the Tatmadaw. The two sides have also discussed troop deployments and other security matters. Following its Nov. 8 election victory, the NLD issued statements calling on 48 ethnic political parties to join renewed talks on federalization. The party formed a team on Dec. 12 to hold discussions with ethnic parties. The team last Friday met lawmakers-elect of local ethnic parties in Kachin. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Myanmars NLD, Mon Unity Party Fail to Meet Due to Venue Dispute AA Frees Three Abducted NLD Members, Three Soldiers in Myanmars Rakhine State NLD Sends First Delegation to Discuss Federal Union with Myanmars Ethnic Parties Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Uttar Pradesh (UP)s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion law colloquially called the love jihad law has attracted controversy ever since it was initially enacted as an ordinance two months ago. On the surface, the law proclaims itself to be against unlawful conversions, which, in turn, are defined broadly as conversions secured through coercion or other forms of inducement. To start with, it is unclear why the State should be specially concerned with something as personal as religious conversions, when the Indian Penal Code already has provisions against both criminal intimidation and various forms of fraud. However, as such laws have existed on the statute books for many years and have been upheld by the Supreme Court their continued existence needs a larger and longer debate. More specifically, however, there are two ways in which UPs law contravenes fundamental principles of the Constitution. First, it discriminates on the basis of gender. The law provides for greater penalties if the unlawful conversion is with respect to a minor, a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, or a woman. Furthermore, the law also stipulates that an unlawful conversion conducted for the purpose of marriage will be void in cases where the woman has been unlawfully converted before the marriage. This provision makes it clear that the law continues to be based on a patriarchal mindset that views women as lacking agency and autonomy, and therefore in need of special protection. Such logic has been strongly repudiated by the courts most recently while striking down the criminalisation of adultery, which had a very similar gender asymmetric provision and it has been made clear that the Constitution does not allow ostensibly beneficial laws for women that are based on patriarchal or stereotypical assumptions. Second, the law requires an advance notice of any conversion to be provided to the district magistrate, who is then required to initiate an inquiry through the police into the real intention behind the conversion. To this is added the fact that the law places the burden of proving that a conversion is not illegal upon the person who desires to convert (or someone who has facilitated the conversion). Shorn of legalese, therefore, the effect of the law is that any person who wants to change their religion must first convince the State and the police that they are doing so for reasons that the State deems to be genuine. It should be clear that the law infantilises Indian citizens, reduces them to the level of subjects, and authorises State intrusion into the most personal of domains, that of individual conscience. Secular law already has provisions penalising coercion, intimidation, and fraud, and there is no reason why coercion or fraud deserves any special treatment where religion is concerned. The requirement of a public notice accompanying a decision of conversion also requires a larger debate, as variants of it are found in many laws, including the Special Marriage Act, which was ostensibly enacted to protect the rights of inter-faith couples. Let us, for the purposes of argument, assume for a moment that the State has some interest in regulating valid marriages and conversions. This does not change the fact that both marriage and conversion are decisions that lie firmly within the domain of individual choice, and individual privacy. There is, therefore, no justification for requiring people choosing to be married under the Special Marriage Act or individuals choosing to convert to publicly announce their intention to do so. In essence, this sanctifies social interference with individual privacy, and goes far beyond any interest the State may have to ensure that the laws are upheld. The UP conversion law is unconstitutional. But the debate does not end with this one law, as it also replicates many existing provisions from other laws, which have been left standing for too long. India cannot call itself a constitutional democracy until social interference in matters of conscience is eliminated from its laws, once and for all. Gautam Bhatia is a Delhi-based advocate The views expressed are personal With COVID-19 cases remaining high, the mild influenza season so far has become a cautious bright spot. During the last flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had South Carolina marked as having high influenza activity in December. This year during the week of Dec. 19, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported one additional case of the flu, with 50 total cases this season. More than 800 cases were recorded for the same week during the last flu season. Dr. Valerie Scott, a primary care physician with Roper St. Francis Healthcare, said that over the past couple of months, the number of positive respiratory illnesses she has seen overall are also dramatically lower compared with other years. "Its amazing, its truly amazing," she said. Experts argue that while they can't say specifically what aspect of managing the COVID-19 pandemic has had the greatest impact, it's possible activities such as social distancing and mask-wearing are a part of it. A report by the CDC said there are additional factors that could also be considered. A decline in global travel and the emergence of a vaccine could play a greater role. The CDC says it's also possible that the decline in flu cases is due to this time just being the natural end of the previous flu season. Its hard to know which part of this picture is controlling the flu," Scott said. Dr. Michael Schmidt is a microbiology and immunology professor with the Medical University of South Carolina. He said when he saw people wearing masks in public before this year, it often was associated with patients about to receive a kidney transplant. He says it's unfortunate there are still people who are skeptical about mask-wearing since they work on things beyond COVID-19. We know that masks can actually protect us," he said. Mask-wearing has become a highly debated issue recently. Dozens of residents have fought against mask laws. Scott said she is hoping that after the pandemic, it's at least less of an issue for someone to put on a mask when sick. A patient recently told her they plan to continue to wear a mask on occasion long after they get the vaccine. "Hopefully, that will keep going forward," Scott said. One of the biggest changes that could potentially help manage the flu is centered around people's behaviors when they become sick. Another patient told Scott that the benefit of the pandemic is that their spouse is washing their hands. Sign up for the Charleston Hot Sheet Get a weekly list of tips on pop-ups, last minute tickets and little-known experiences hand-selected by our newsroom in your inbox each Thursday. Email Sign Up! People also have a different view of being sick at work, Scott said. Before this year, an employee might still try going to work if they felt a little sick or felt a cold coming on. This would increase their chances of spreading viruses like the flu. People don't want to lose their jobs," she said. "Theyll come to work with their arm hanging off. Now it's not uncommon to hear about people deciding to stay home after the slightest signs of a cold. Scott said this should be the ideal behavior the general public has about respiratory illnesses. If a person gets sick, then maybe they should consider wearing a mask or staying home, she said. Scott said that in the past she was pretty casual about going into an urgent-care room to visit a patient with a respiratory illness. She expects to be more careful in the future. But experts emphasize that the current mild flu season doesn't mean people should let their guard down. It's not uncommon for cases of the flu to spike after New Year's Day. Experts have more data about the flu and know how adaptable the virus can be. It's also possible for people to contract the virus from animals, such as dolphins. That's why some farmers push visitors to wear foot coverings when walking around animals, Schmidt said. In the past, the virus has spread around entire flocks. It literally changes its coats so that it can hide from our immune system," he said. "That's why we get a vaccine each year." With the number of COVID-19 cases still high, trying to manage an additional outbreak of the flu will add more stress to the health care system. So experts are still encouraging people to get the flu vaccine. Dr. Nadine Rouphael, a vaccine researcher and infectious disease specialist at Emory University, told The New York Times that prevention is especially important because of the stress the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on the health care system. When we have record numbers of deaths, why would you go to a hospital for a vaccine-preventable illness," he said. Some health officials say the biggest takeaway from the pandemic is that there are more ways for people to protect themselves from the flu besides covering a sneeze. If anything, Scott said, this year has been a learning experience. Type address separated by commas Your Email: We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form (Newser) It would be understandable if Ruth Shady felt a sense of ownership over the ruins of a 5,000-year-old civilization in Peru: The archaeological discovered the site in 1994. But she says, "The owner of the land is the Peruvian state." And she's sure the squatters at the city of Caral don't own it. So after the place was breached nine times during the pandemic, the Guardian reports, Shady asked the government to step in. Then she began receiving threats. "They called the site's lawyer and said if he continued to protect me they would kill him, along with me, and bury us five metres below the ground," Shady said. "Then they killed our dog as a warning. They poisoned her." The site is now patrolled 24/7 by a police car, but no effort has been made to evict the squatters. story continues below Damage has been done to the World Heritage Site, which was built before the Egyptian pyramids and 4,000 years before the rise of the Incan Empire, per Discover. In July, squatters used heavy equipment to take down adobe walls. They also destroyed ancient ceramics and tombs holding mummies. The squatters, who may belong to one extended family, said they're entitled to do what they want because they were given the land by the government in the 1970s. That's not true, Shady says: "They do not have a single land title." Shady's worried about the toll. "We cant allow archaeological sites to continue being invaded and destroyed, because it is an unwritten history and we recover that history through our investigation," she said. "If we cant do that it is like burning a book which no one will ever read." (Read more archaeology stories.) (Natural News) A pro-vaccine YouTube channel has inadvertently revealed to the world that the vaccine industry offers different vaccines for people depending on their skin color. Allen Pan, who gets a thrill out of designing various vaccine weapon prototypes for shock value, discovered that his camerawoman Shani, who has dark skin, is skeptical of vaccines. This prompted him to have a discussion with her on camera about her concerns. I dont think you should treat people who dont want to get vaccines, or who are skeptical of vaccines, like theyre idiots, Shani told Pan during a recent segment on vaccine skepticism. I dont have a good enough track record of our government taking care of us, of doctors taking care of us, for me to feel comfortable that Im not being experimented on, Shani explained. Lets just look into history, youve got the Tuskegee project, you have a radiologist who decided to radiate his patients, so I dont feel comfortable at all putting anything in my body where I know that they dont care about me. After discussing the matter further with Pan, Shani ultimately agreed to go with him to a pharmacy to get a flu shot, the caveat being that Shani only wanted to go where the white people go which is exactly what the two proceeded to do. Pan took Shani to a pharmacy in Beverly Hills, where the two appeared to get vaccinated for influenza on camera. When it was time for Shani to receive hers, however, the pharmacist pulled out a different vaccine just for blacks watch below: Are there different types of COVID-19 vaccines being unleashed for different races? At around 2:50 in the video, Shani is heard rejecting the black vaccine and telling the pharmacist to give her the good one. Pan is then heard acknowledging that the situation is weird, to which Shani responds back that theyve got to be different, referring to the two jabs. Youd better include this in the video that they tried to give me a different type of vaccine, Shani then says to Pan, who laughs in response. The spectacle was apparently meant to show that vaccines are safe and effective, and to reassure Pans viewers that they need not worry about the new Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines that are being peddled as part of President Donald Trumps Operation Warp Speed program. In the end, however, the charade produced the opposite outcome by drawing attention to the fact that the medical establishment is not treating everyone equally when it comes to vaccination. Depending on a persons race or ethnic background, he or she could receive a different vaccine than the one someone else receives. This is especially concerning as billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates openly admits, along with his wife Melinda, that he wants to see black people put to the front of the line for China virus jabs. Could it be that black people are intended to receive a different WuFlu shot than white people? Is one more dangerous than the other, or designed to produce a different outcome? To be clear, COVID-19 vaccines are deadly no matter how you slice it. None of them are safe, regardless of ones skin color. However, there is the possibility that some are worse than others, which is what this video by Pan illustrates. [Shani] gives legitimate reasons not to get vaccinated, then immediately goes and gets vaccinated, wrote one Banned.video commenter. Enjoy cancer in your 50s. Of course his last name is Pan, wrote another, presumably referring to California Sen. Richard Pan who spearheaded the elimination of medical exemptions to vaccination in the Golden State. More related news about China virus vaccines can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Infowars.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com In 2021, the village will be funding several million dollars worth of road reconstruction and resurfacing, sidewalk installation and water main replacement, Patterson said. Work from the Illinois Department of Transportation can also be expected at the intersection of Willow and Pfingsten roads as well as on Shermer Road. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Britain closed its schools Tuesday ahead of a new national lockdown, with Germany set to extend its own restrictions as Europe battles surging coronavirus infections. The British government announced an extra 4.6 billion ($6.3 billion, 5.1 billion euros) to help battered businesses following Monday's announcement of tough new measures across England, which include a full shutdown of restaurants, pubs and non-essential retail. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also bringing in strict lockdowns. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new English measuresinitially set to last six weeksin a televised address just hours after Britain celebrated the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, seen as a potential COVID-19 game-changer as it could prove more accessible to poorer nations than alternative jabs. Senior British minister Michael Gove warned of "very, very difficult weeks" as the country struggles to contain a new coronavirus strain believed to spread faster. Meanwhile pressure is growing on European authorities to speed up vaccine approvals and hasten the economic recovery from a pandemic that has infected more than 85 million people worldwide, with more than 1.8 million known deaths. Spainexpected to show the biggest slump of any western economyregistered a nearly 23-percent jump in unemployment in 2020, government figures showed Tuesday. National governments in some European countries are also under fire for a slow start in deploying vaccines that have already been approvedparticularly France, which has vaccinated only 2,000 people so far, compared to 264,000 in Germany. Russian-German vaccine production? German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin have discussed the possibility of jointly producing vaccines in a phone call, according to the Kremlin. While Germany is using the vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and the Mainz-based company BioNTech, Russia has put into mass circulation its homemade jabSputnik Vwhich has been viewed with skepticism in the West. Mass vaccinations are considered key to breaking the back of a pandemic that has severely restricted activities that involve large gatherings. The ease of storage and use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, compared with the ultra-low temperatures needed for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna alternatives, could mean greater access for less wealthy nations in the fight against the virus. Mexico and India have approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, while Rwanda, which on Tuesday banned transport in and out of the capital Kigali in a bid to combat surging infections, said it was in touch with its makers to purchase doses. The efforts to accelerate vaccinations come as concerns grow about the potentially more transmissible variant detected in Britainwhich has since been found in other countries, including in Italy on Tuesdayspreading out of control. Chinese firm Sinopharm has said its vaccinewith a claimed effectiveness of 79 percentremains effective against the new variant. In the United States, the worst-hit nation in the world, the rollout of vaccines has been plagued by logistical problems and overstretched hospitals and clinics. But authorities also face the challenge of conspiracy theories spread on social media that could increase vaccine skepticismand even sabotage. That threat was illustrated last week in the state of Wisconsin, where a pharmacist was accused of intentionally spoiling hundreds of Moderna doses because of a baseless conspiracy theory. Steven Brandenburg, who appeared before a judge Monday, "told investigators that he believed that COVID-19 vaccine was not safe for people and could harm them and change their DNA", according to a police statement quoted by local media. WHO experts due in China In Chinawhere the pandemic began a year agoexperts from the World Health Organization are due for a highly politicised visit to explore the origins of the virus. Beijing delayed access for independent experts, reluctant to agree to an inquiry. But the WHO now says China has granted permission for a visit by its experts, with a 10-person team expected to arrive shortly for a five or six week visitincluding a fortnight spent in quarantine. Chinese authorities this week refused to confirm the exact dates and details of the visit, a sign of the enduring sensitivity of their mission. COVID-19 was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, before seeping beyond China's borders to wreak global havoc. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 04:55:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- With a slight improvement in assessment access to conflict areas of Tigray, Ethiopia, UN humanitarians reported on Monday a "dire situation" in the region and called for urgent assistance. "Initial assessment findings indicate a dire humanitarian situation throughout the region, with poor access to services and limited livelihoods," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a release. There were urgent needs for shelter, food, non-food items, water, sanitation and hygiene and provision of health and protection services. The findings follow two joint assessment missions by the government and UN humanitarians in the southeastern Tigray regions of Alamata, Mehoni, Mekelle and Enderta and western Tigray's Dansha and Humera areas. "Although humanitarian access into some areas of Tigray, Ethiopia, has slightly improved recently, it remains critically challenged by insecurity and bureaucratic constraints throughout the region," OCHA said. "Access to some cities and refugee camps has been possible, but is hindered (in) the countryside and Hitsats and Shimelba refugee camps." The United Nations continues to engage with the federal government of Ethiopia and relevant interlocutors for the safe passage of humanitarian personnel and supplies to all parts of Tigray. The UN humanitarians also said that health facilities in major cities in the Tigray region are partially working with limited-to-no stock of supplies and absence of health workers, while facilities outside major cities are not operating. More than 222,000 people are estimated to be internally displaced due to the recent conflict in Tigray, in addition to 100,000 people displaced before the conflict, OCHA said. Many of the newly displaced are hosted by local communities, which have also been affected by the loss of livelihoods, damaged or looted houses, lack of water and collapsed markets. Enditem The year 2021 is young, but the internet is already fixating on what's sure to be one of the most bizarre celebrity dramas of the year: the battle of the babies named Baby. In November, Australian model Jessica Hart and her NASCAR driver fiance James Kirkham welcomed a daughter whom they named Baby which apparently proved 'devastating' for Jessica's friend, fashion influencer Sasha Benz, who has a nearly three-year-old daughter named Baybi and accused Jessica of copying her. When social media users learned this week that two fashionstas were feuding over who could name their baby Baby thousands piled on the mockery, basking in the cringe-worthy squabble. Bad baby blood: Model Jessica Hart (left) and fashion influencer Sasha Benz (right) reportedly feuded when Jessica named her baby Baby after Sasha had already named her baby Baybi Calling dibs? Sasha is a New York-based fashion influencer who owns Wyld Blue and Wyld Black in Montauk. In March 2018, she and DJ Oli Benz named their daughter Baybi Blue. TWO of them did it! Then in November of 2020, Jessica, who is friends with Sasha, welcomed her own daughter, also named Baby Sasha is a New York-based fashion influencer who owns Wyld Blue and Wyld Black in Montauk. She is also the creative director for Montauk celebrity hotspot Surf Lodge and runs a blog, All My Friends Are Models. In March 2018, she and DJ Oli Benz named their daughter Baybi Blue. Then in November of 2020, Jessica, who is friends with Sasha, welcomed her own daughter, also named Baby but spelled more traditionally. 'I first heard it in the movie Dirty Dancing and always thought Id love to name my daughter Baby,' Jessica told People. In the movie, Jennifer Grey's character is really named Frances, with Baby used as a nickname. 'I was hesitant to ask James about it at first but we just werent landing on a name. Finally, probably a month before she was born, I said what about Baby, and he said, "Oh my gosh, I love it." Its felt right ever since,' she said. But when Sasha learned of the name, she did not think it 'felt right.' Only she can do it! A mutual friend of the fashionistas said that Sasha was 'devastated' that Jessica 'copied' her name Babe: Sasha was reportedly 'blindsided' when Jessica told her, 'We are calling her Baby, but don't worry it's spelt differently!' Amends: Sasha told DailyMail.com that she and Jessica (pictured with her NASCAR driver fiance James Kirkham) have since made up 'Sasha was devastated that her close friend would copy her daughter's "unique" name, especially after she'd gone to her for name ideas,' a mutual friend told the Sydney Morning Herald. Sasha was reportedly 'blindsided' when Jessica told her, 'We are calling her Baby, but don't worry it's spelt differently!' The mutual friend added that they hadn't spoken after the baby name reveal. However, Sasha told DailyMail.com this week that all has since been forgiven. 'Of course Jess and I are still friends. We chatted it out a few weeks back, and I am happy she has a name she loves for her beautiful girl,' she said. 'This is her moment and I want her to enjoy this beautiful part of becoming a mother,' she added. 'Baybi is almost three now and our new babies are only weeks apart, so it's more important that they all grow up knowing there are more important things to care about, and both Jess and I agree on that.' The topic to talk about! But even with the insistence that the pair have reconciled, social media users are buzzing about the absurdity that there had been any feud at all Meanwhile, a source from Jessica's camp insisted she had not 'copied' Sasha by calling her daughter Baby, adding: 'It has always been on her list of names before she even knew Sasha and her baby.' But even with the insistence that the pair have reconciled, social media users are buzzing about the absurdity that there had been any feud at all and that two women have named their babies Baby. 'Darwin, please take over here,' wrote one, while others insisted that the feud must have been something conjured up by the satire site The Onion. 'Hear me out: both of them change Babys name, solve the feud, and spare the kids having a dumb name in the process,' wrote a commenter. 'Not much genuinely shocks me about influencers anymore but this did,' said another. Many mocked the names and said no babies wore, two babies should be named Baby Many noted how cruel it would be to name a baby Baby, since she will have to go to school with that name, been a teenager and adult with that name, and one day apply to jobs and go on dates with that name. 'What a sad thing to do to your daughters. Feminize and minimize them from the get go...' wrote one. One charged that the women 'are both big babies. Grow up.' 'There are many many layers of things to hate in this one, folks,' said another. Naturally, there were many Dirty Dancing jokes, including commenters who said that they should have named their daughters Frances and just called them Baby. 'Nobody puts two babies in a corner,' quipped one. 'Nobody puts Baby in the birth certificate,' said another. Crazy! Some insisted that the feud must have been something conjured up by the satire site The Onion Several others compared the odd name choice to the CW show Jane the Virgin, in which a character named his child Baby. 'Rogelio de la Vega must be furious,' wrote one. But mostly, people just commented with the verbal equivalent of an eyeroll, exasperated by the story. 'Thought we wanted to do better this year?' asked one. 'I dont want to live on this planet anymore,' said another. LONDON (dpa-AFX) - As the total number of people hospitalized with coronavirus infection in the United States continues to break records following the holidays, the new variant of the deadly virus was reported in a fourth U.S. state. 'The Wadsworth lab confirmed a case of the UK strain in Saratoga County, New York. It's a gentleman who is in his 60s. He was symptomatic, but he is on the mend and he's doing better,' New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. 'He did not travel recently, so this suggests that it's in the community, it was community spread as opposed to having traveled to the UK,' Coumo told reporters. As the strain was traced back to an individual affiliated with N. Fox Jewelry store located on 404 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, the Governor urged all those who visited the store between December 18 and 24 to receive a COVID-19 test immediately. The new variant of coronavirus, which is said to spread faster than the original one, has already been identified in three other U.S states - California, Colorado and Florida. As per the latest update published by COVID Tracking Project on Tuesday, a total of 128,210 patients are currently admitted in U.S. hospitals with the deadly disease. Out of this, 23,435 patients are admitted in Intensive Care Units. With 2041 additional fatalities reporting in the last 24 hours, the total U.S. death toll from the deadly disease rose to 353621, as per latest data from the Johns Hopkins University. During the same period, 1,84,124 new cases were reported across the country, taking the total number of patients infected with the disease to 20823343. Despite testing data dropping, the 7-day average for COVID-19 cases is higher than pre-holiday figures and increasing in many states across the U.S. The 7-day average for COVID-19 deaths is also increasing in 30 states. 'We expect the daily death numbers to increase significantly once the reporting trends stabilize post-holidays, in part due to backlogs,' COVID Tracking Project said on Twitter. Over the past week, an average of 2,637 people died of coronavirus infection every day, which means one Covid-19 death occurs in the U.S. in every 33 seconds, according to Johns Hopkins. The national average Covid test positivity rate is 13.51 percent. About 15.4 million COVID vaccine doses have been distributed in the country so far, but only 4.56 million people have received their first doses, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As per COVID Tracking Project's latest update Tuesday, 4.66 million doses have been administered so far. This is up by 330,000 doses from yesterday. Only 1.42 percent of U.S. population is covered yet, according to the U.S. collaborative volunteer-run effort to track the pandemic. The governors of New York and Florida have urged hospital authorities to administer coronavirus vaccines more quickly. After the UK reported a record 58,784 coronavirus cases on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced another national lockdown for England. He warned that the coming weeks will be the 'hardest yet.' All schools in the country have been ordered to switch to online learning. The summer examinations will be canceled. A meeting of four chief medical officers on Monday recommended that the country should move to the highest level of alert - threat level five. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de MASON CITY, Iowa Guilty pleas in two drug cases result in probation for a Britt man. Daniel Lee Vavrik, 54, was accused of supplying 13, 28 grams of methamphetamine to someone working with Mason City law enforcement on April 11, 2019. He was then charged with possession of meth after being arrested for shoplifting from the Mason City Walmart on August 23, 2020. Vavrik pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and drug possession-3rd or subsequent offense. Hes been given five years of supervised probation and ordered to spend 180 days at a residential correctional facility. Vavrik must also complete all recommended substance abuse treatment We caught the thief, read a headline in the hard-line Iranian newspaper Vatan Emrooz one day after armed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) soldiers boarded a South Korean tanker in the Persian Gulf. The unit arrested the crew and took control of the vessel. The editorial fueled speculation that Irans move was a tactical decision to force the South Korean government into unblocking $7 billion in Iranian oil sales held due to US sanctions and banking restrictions imposed on business with Tehran. The Islamic Republics marathon talks with South Korean officials to unfreeze the fund have yielded no results. Last week, Iran's Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati expressed frustration with the delays, saying South Koran banks are not only refusing to release the money but even charging Iran for holding it. In the early hours following the tanker seizure, Iran justified the move by accusing the vessel of failing to comply with international environmental protocols. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh noted that such seizures are routine in international navigation. But South Korea said it was dispatching an anti-piracy unit to the Persian Gulf, called for the tankers immediate release and summoned the Iranian ambassador to Seoul, who assured the South Korean side that the "crew members are in good health." On Tuesday, Seoul announced that it was sending a delegation to Tehran to negotiate a solution to the standoff. Addressing the piracy and hostage-taking allegations, Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabiee said, If anyone is to be labeled a hostage-taker, it would be the South Korean government, which has held onto $7 billion of our money under baseless pretexts. In its editorial, Vatan Emrooz called the move a warning to the debtor and a strong message that will leave South Korea with a dilemma in choosing between paying up or jeopardizing the security of its business with Arab partners in the Persian Gulf waterways. The Persian Gulfs strategic Strait of Hormuz has been the site of several such incidents, involving Iranian commandoes rappelling onto the decks of foreign vessels. In 2019, Iran captured the British tanker Stena Impero, holding it for weeks before the United Kingdom agreed to release the Iranian tanker Grace 1, which British marines had seized off the coast of Gibraltar for violating international sanctions on oil shipments to Syria. Back in 2016, the IRGC also captured American marines accused of trespassing into the Iranian maritime territory. Islamic Republic loyalists, who have frequently praised such operations as a show of force to the West, are now sharing the same jubilation about the South Korean vessel. South Koreans have asked the US for help reclaiming their tanker. Show them this photo! Thats when the Americans were last seen in the Persian Gulf, one Iranian tweeted, reposting pictures of a detained US marine. Hyderabad, Jan 5 : Cyberabad police in Telangana has busted a fake vehicle insurance racket with the arrest of 11 accused. Police Commissioner V.C. Sajaanar told a news conference on Tuesday that the Special Operations Team (SOT) of Shamshabad zone busted the racket. It also seized 1,125 fake insurance policies, and other incriminating documents as well as a computer system, stamps, laptop, printer, and scanner. Acting on the complaint of of Guruvardhan Perla, Area Manager, Reliance General Insurance, the SOT busted the racket and arrested the accused who were involved in preparation of fake vehicle insurance policies in the name of Reliance General Insurance, Kotak General Insurance, HDFC ERGO General Insurance, IFFCO-TOKIP General Insurance, Chola M.S. General Insurance, Future General insurance, Shreeram General Insurance and Royal Sundaram general insurance and selling them to needy people for a huge amount. The accused were operating pollution testing vehicles on highways and near RTO offices. "Whenever vehicles came for pollution testing, they enquired with the vehicle owner regarding insurance policies and if they did not have them, convince them to buy vehicle insurance and issued the insurance bond instantly," the police commissioner said. Since passenger and transportation vehicles are not be registered without insurance policies, they had also tied up with RTO agents, who used to bring vehicle owners to them for buying insurance. Police made the arrests in connection with three cases registered at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) police station and Medchal police station on complaints by Reliance Insurance, HDFC Ergo and Kotak Mahindra Insurance. The accused were booked for cheating, impersonation and forgery. Investigations revealed that main accused G. Ramesh Naik, who was operating a government registered pollution testing vehicle at different places, was preparing fake policies in his vehicle. He purchased the software programme used for preparing vehicle insurance policies from G. Krishna. Another accused T. Sairam has worked in different Insurance companies as sales executive, and had full knowledge of the policies and installed a software programme in his mobile phone to prepare fake policies and sold them to other accused. Third accused G. Govardhan was also operating the pollution testing vehicle and preparing fake policies vehicle in his vehicle. Police also seized Rs 57,000 cash, three pollution testing vehicles, three stamps, two laptops, eight letter pads of Reliance, six CPUs, five monitor, seven printers and 11 mobile phones The Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech issued a joint statement on Tuesday, January 5, pledging their support towards a smooth roll out of COVID-19 vaccines to India and the world. The statement came shortly after Adar Poonawala, CEO, Serum Institute tweeted that a public statement would be issued to clear up any miscommunication between the two companies. Both Bharat and Serum have received emergency use authorisation (EUA) for their Covid-19 vaccines from India's drug regulator, the Drugs Controller General of India. The statement was necessitated after a remark by Serum against the quality of the vaccine was strongly contested by Bharat on Monday, January 4. Also Read: India approves Serum-Oxford, Bharat Biotech COVID vaccines for emergency use The joint statement said, "Adar Poonawala and Dr. Krishna Ella, jointly on behalf of the two companies today, communicated their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines for India and globally". It also stated that the more important task in front of both the companies is "saving the lives and livelihoods of populations in India and the world". This should clarify any miscommunication. We are all united in the fight against this pandemic. https://t.co/oeII0YOXEH a Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 5, 2021 Vaccines are a global public health good and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest," it added. Mentioning that two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued EUA in India, the statement further stated that the focus of both the companies is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines. "Both our companies are fully engaged in this activity and consider it our duty to the nation and the world at large to ensure a smooth rollout of vaccines. Each of our Companies continue their COVID-19 vaccines development activities as planned. We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our COVID-19 vaccines", the statement said. Urs Jordi has the backing of the board and is continuing disposals THE Swiss investor that led last years campaign to unseat Aryztas board of directors and which has opposed efforts to sell the business in recent months has again reduced its stake in the baked goods company. Hedge fund Veraison now owns significantly less than 3pc of Aryzta, having at one stage owned almost 10pc of the company. Veraison said that in the last trading days of December it sold around 4pc of Aryzta in two block trades to two Swiss family offices. The achieved return amounts to more than 100pc, it said. Veraison now holds significantly less than 3pc in Aryzta. While long-term Aryzta shareholders nurse huge losses and a still-uncertain outlook, Veraison has scooped spectacular gains from its investment. Veraisons stake fell below 5pc on December 7 last year. On April 24 last year Veraison first notified regulators that it had a 3.2pc stake in the troubled Swiss-Irish company. By mid-September Veraisons stake had increased to almost 10pc. On December 7, shares in Aryzta traded at 68c each in Dublin following confirmation of a takeover bid from US hedge fund Elliott at CHF0.80 (0.74) a share compared to 30.02 cents on April 24 2020. Verasion - alongside Spain's Cobas - led the campaign last year to unseat Aryzta board members, including Gary McGann and Kevin Toland, and to replace them with directors it backed so as to accelerate a restructuring. Following an EGM in September, Verasion said they were convinced that the renewed board of directors will quickly restore the confidence of investors in Aryzta. The aim is to rebuild shareholder value and to review all strategic alternatives in the best interest of all stakeholders, Veraison said at the time. Veraison has endorsed asset sales, including that of Aryztas US business, as the best route to boost shareholder value, shunning Elliotts bid for the whole company. In October Veraison welcomed the news that the negotiations between Aryzta and Elliott had been terminated. The company has focused on restructuring the business, with plans dispose of its North American and Latin American units and to cut 25pc from the overall cost base. On Monday, Aryzta said it had reached agreement with Lion Capital and Invest Group Zouari to sell its remaining 4.64pc interest in French frozen foods group Picard for around 24m. It initally acquired Picard for 447m and nursed huge losses on the deal when it sold most of its holding in the French company. Since 2014 Aryzta, which traces its roots back to IAWS, has lost over 90pc of its value, leaving thousands of Irish farmers, co-op shareholders and investors with collective losses running well into the millions of euro. The company was once valued at more than 6bn, today remains a far cry from the valuation it hit in its heyday, despite recent improvements in its share price. Urs Jordi, who is chairman and interim CEO of Aryzta, said the company was focused on delivering on its plans. Shares in Aryzta were down more than 3pc at 59c. Online Editors The aerial photo shows the relocation site of Darya Boyi village of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Peoples Daily Online/Gao Yayong) Darya Boyi village, a sparsely populated village that used to sit in the Taklimakan Desert of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has witnessed profound changes over the past years after being relocated to a new site, thanks to China's poverty alleviation efforts. The per capital annual income of the residents in the village surged to 9,136 yuan (nearly $1,400) from 3,200 yuan six years ago. All 287 impoverished households have been lifted out of poverty, pulling down the poverty headcount ratio to zero. Darya Boyi, with almost 80 percent of all its 1,404 residents suffering from poverty, is the only administrative village in Darya Boyi Township, according to Wang Fang, deputy Party head of Darya Boyi Township, who is responsible for poverty alleviation work there. Photo shows a highway that leads to Darya Boyi village of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Peoples Daily Online/Gao Yayong) Situated in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert, the township is bothered by declining underground water level and frequent sandstorms, which has made it increasingly inhospitable in recent years. Relocating the villagers to a new settlement remained the only way out. Two rounds of relocation were carried out for the village in 2017 and 2019, after a poverty alleviation relocation site was established 91 kilometers away from the township. The last batch of villagers moved to the new site on Sept. 27, 2019. By that time, Xinjiang had finished all of its poverty alleviation relocation missions required by China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), moving nearly 170,000 residents to new homes. Currently, the relocation site has 422 laborers, 346 of whom are working near their homes and 29 outside of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Wang introduced. Masatik Abdulkalim and his wife tell stories of their new life in the relocation site. (Peoples Daily Online/Yang Rui) Senior Metsidik Abdurehim is one of the villagers who was relocated to the new site, where he is living a better life. Now his family lives in a house supplied with power and natural gas, a clean bathroom and spacious living room, along with network cables, as well as abundant household appliances. Before we moved here, my familys annual income was less than 20,000 yuan. Now both of my sons are employed and my wife works in the tourism cooperative. Our income this year is expected to reach 90,000 yuan, Metsidik Abdurehim told People's Daily Online. Its merely the start of an even better life, he added. A school has been constructed at the relocation site, admitting all of the 417 school-age students. In addition, the village also built a clinic and covered almost all of its residents with medical insurance. The cultivation of Cistanches Herba, a kind of Chinese herbal medicine, is a tradition of the village. To help the residents better sustain themselves, the village handed out a kilogram of Cistanches Herba seeds to each of the relocated household, which is expected to bring an extra annual income of 4,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan for each household in the next five years. Kuwahan Mettursun and her daughter pose for photos in front of their new home. (Peoples Daily Online/Yang Rui) Apart from that, the village established a cooperative to which the villagers can entrust their sheep, so the latter wouldn't have to herd the livestock themselves and are allowed more time doing other jobs. Rural tourism has been on the rise at the original site of the village, where the unique desert culture and traditions are attracting many visitors. Fifty bed and breakfast businesses have been built there, and a tourism cooperative is offering stable jobs for 50 households, each of which can earn 16,000 yuan on an annual basis. The aerial photo shows the relocation site of Darya Boyi village of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Peoples Daily Online/Gao Yayong) Villager Kuwahan Mettursun now runs a restaurant at the relocation site. She can receive over 100 tourists a day in the peak season, and her average monthly income has reached 2,000 yuan. She gained a total of over 90,000 yuan in 2020, including the part she made from sheep raising and planting Cistanches Herba. Tourism supports many pillars of our economy and the Covid -19 crisis and all the resultant ramifications has ensured that the past year has been an arduous one for Offaly Tourism. However, as we come to close the chapter on 2020 theres a beacon of light beginning to shine at the end of the tunnel and the recent progress with regard to vaccines will allow the industry to enter the recovery phase and begin to grow again in 2021. Theres no denying that in these highly uncertain times for our country the tourism sector has been hit the hardest. The Offaly Tourism team team have been working closely with Failte Ireland and our counterparts from Irelands Ancient East and Irelands Hidden Heartlands to assist and support our stakeholders. In May, the Government established a Tourism Recovery Taskforce to prepare a Recovery Plan for the industry. The Taskforce was tasked with coming up with recommendations that can help the tourism sector to survive the crisis and recover in a stable manner. As part of its work, the Taskforce undertook a widespread stakeholder consultation process and the report was submitted to the Government in October. The final report makes a number of recommendations, both to help the survival of tourism business and jobs and also to help the sector stabilise and recover in the years to come. A Tourism oversight recovery group Chaired by former Tullamore Tribune reporter Noirin Hegarty, VP Lonely Planet and member of the Board of Tourism Ireland, has now been established to oversee the implementation of the recommendations in the Taskforce report and monitor the sectors recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. The Groups membership consists of tourism industry practitioners, a transport policy expert, along with the CEOs of the tourism agencies and a Departmental representative. The Group will keep the Minister apprised of progress on the implementation of the Recovery Plan and the recovery of the sector. Already plans are in place for a major Tourism Ireland marketing campaign to kick-start the resumption of tourism back into the country next year. St Patricks week in March has been earmarked by Tourism Ireland as the time to launch its three-phase plan to restart and rebuild the Irish tourism sector next year. Great Britain and mainland Europe are set to be the priority markets to attract tourists from in 2021, along with the United States. And as part of the build up to the resumption of inbound tourism, Tourism Ireland ran a digital campaign over Christmas called "Let's get back to Ireland". It ran in 12 different markets including Britain, the US, France and Germany. During the initial stages of the pandemic we unfortunately had to close our tourist office in OConnor Square in March for ten weeks. However, the Tourism Offaly team were busy behind the scenes assisting with enquiries and working with our stakeholders. Offaly Tourism had a strong representation at the Failte Ireland organised Meitheal' an event that enables representatives of the Irish tourism industry to meet directly with influential overseas buyers from around the world. Failte Irelands largest in-Ireland event was cancelled in March due to COVID and for the first time ever was held on a virtual platform in July. We attended 23 meetings with suppliers and gained valuable contacts in the tourist trade both nationally and internationally. The follow up contact includes a presentation showcasing Offaly as a destination to specific markets. Thanks to our wonderful volunteers who give up their time selflessly, our Visit Offaly office in Tullamore opened again in June and with all non-essential foreign travel discouraged, Staycations were very much in vogue and we launched our summer marketing campaign to coincide with the lifting of travel restrictions throughout the country. The national radio campaign ran for a period of four weeks on Newstalk and Today FM. It included a week-long promotion on Today FMs flagship Fergal DArcy afternoon show. Both the adverts and the promotion has been very well received and has definitely boosted Offalys profile nationwide. For the first time ever, Offaly tourism was delighted to collaborate with its neighbours in the midland counties to jointly promote the area on local radio. The Magical Midlands adverts began broadcasting in June for a period of four weeks. The campaign consisted of three county specific adverts for Offaly, Laois and Westmeath. The common message at the beginning and ending of the adverts is to enjoy the Magical Midlands. The adverts encourage the midlanders to get out and explore the wonders and beauty within the region. Anne Cassin and a Nationwide crew visited for two days in July for a programme focussing solely on tourism in Offaly and the attractions the county has to offer including Clonmacnoise, Lough Boora Discovery Park, the Slieve Blooms and the River Shannon. The programme aired on 27th July on RTE One and was broadcast to a national audience of up to 250,000 viewers. The programme was very well received and wonderfully showcased Offalys sites and attractions as the sun shone! It is still available to watch on RTE Player. Tourism in the county had gained great traction from the exposure gained nationally from our marketing activities, with local tourism providers reporting significant increase in bookings. Unfortunately, Offaly went into another two week lockdown from 7th August, which impacted the sector significantly. The 1m promotion campaign announced by the government in the package of measures to support businesses impacted by the regional restrictions was most welcome. Offaly, along with Laois and Kildare received an equal share. This campaign focussed on increasing the appeal of Offaly to visitors and drive bookings under the banner of Make A Break For It. The Make A Break For It campaign encouraged the domestic audience to pack their bags and get out to explore all that Ireland has to offer by communicating the anticipation, excitement and joy of a home holiday by leveraging our regional experience brands. The campaign reached 97% of Irish adults and Failte Ireland published the first adverts in this campaign at the end of August. This campaign ran for 16 weeks in press, radio, online audio and social media. The content in these adverts changed on a weekly basis focusing on different sites and attractions each week. These Offaly specific ads were in addition to the adverts running for the regional brands Irelands Ancient East and Irelands Hidden Heartlands in which Offaly continues to feature. Were under no illusions that theres great uncertainty in the tourism industry and challenging times ahead but we should seek solace in that old latin adage *Post Nubila, Phoebus. *After the clouds, the sun). With mounting desperation, Donald Trump declared he would fight like hell to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are not gonna take this White House! he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally Monday night in Georgia. Trumps announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesdays runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss which he insists he won by a lot. Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Bidens victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Bidens nationwide victory Nov. 3. Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trumps attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans faith in democracy. All 10 living former defense secretaries wrote in an op-ed that the time for questioning the results has passed. Its unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesdays joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesdays joint session. I promise you this: On Wednesday, well have our day in Congress, Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesdays runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. Trump said in Georgia: I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Hes a great guy. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much. He added, No, Mike is a great guy. One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesdays runoff Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Bidens win. The other Republican seeking reelection, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials Republican as well as Democratic in state after state and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. The congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with rank-and-file House members, some on the partys fringe. Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump, tweeted newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is aligned with a conspiracy group backing Trump. He wants you to call your Rep & Senators TODAY, ALL DAY! she tweeted Monday. Dont let Republicans be the Surrender Caucus! She later joined the president on Air Force One as he traveled to Georgia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, has declined to say much publicly on it. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trumps base of supporters. Biden, speaking at a drive-in rally in Atlanta, said Trump spends more time whining and complaining than he does working on solving the coronavirus pandemic. He added dismissively, I dont know why he still wants the job he doesnt want to do the work. During the day Monday, more current and former GOP officials rebuked the effort to upend the election. Former three-term Sen. John Danforth of Missouri said in a stinging statement, Lending credence to Trumps false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack. He said, It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators challenge. Portman said in a statement, I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters. At the Dalton rally, Trump noted he was a little angry at Lee, but expressed hope that the senator would change his mind. We need his vote, Trump said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, said the electoral vote challenge undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation. So far, Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Bidens 306-232 Electoral College win. With Biden set to be inaugurated Jan. 20, Trump is intensifying efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. On a call disclosed Sunday, he can be heard pressuring Georgia officials to find him more votes from the Nov. 3 election he lost in that state. The challenge to the presidential election is on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War, though the typically routine process of confirming Electoral College votes has been hit with brief objections before. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trumps win, but Biden, who presided at the time as the vice president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Trumps victory. States run their own elections, and Congress has been loath to interfere. The 2020 election is over, said a statement Sunday from a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah. A range of Republican officials including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. Hawley defended his actions in a lengthy email over the weekend to colleagues, saying his Missouri constituents have been loud and clear in insisting Bidens defeat of Trump was unfair. Cruzs coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Congress is unlikely to agree to that. The group, which presented no new evidence of election problems, includes Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. Thomas Hedrich sets up voting flags at a polling location in advance of the Senate runoff elections in Gwinnett County, Ga., on Jan. 4, 2021. (Ben Gray/AP Photo) Voters Head to Polls in Georgia Senate Runoff Elections Voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday in the Georgia Senate runoff elections. Polls open at 7 a.m. Filmmaker Jon Ossoff is trying to grab the seat that was held by David Perdue until Sunday, when his term expired. Perdue beat Ossoff in the general election by over 88,000 votes, but fell just short of avoiding a runoff. Perdue had 49.7 percent of the vote, compared to Ossoffs 47.9 percent. Perdue, 71, a businessman, was a political neophyte before he was elected in 2015. Ossoff, 33, tried but failed to get elected to the House of Representatives in 2017. In the other runoff, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) is facing pastor Raphael Warnock. They emerged from a so-called jungle election last year to finish the term of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who retired due to health reasons. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, appointed Loeffler to temporarily fill the seat until the free-for-all election. Loeffler attracted the most votes on the Republican side, with 1.2 million votes. But Warnock received more with 1.6 million votes. Republicans are optimistic because Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) came in third place with over 980,000 votes. Theyre hopeful Collinss voters will choose Loeffler this time around. Loeffler, 50, a businesswoman and part owner of the WNBAs Atlanta Dream, had never been in office before last year. Warnock, 51, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, has never held office. Two wins by Democrats, along with securing the White House, would deliver a Senate majority through the tiebreaking vote a vice president can cast in their role as president of the Senate. Otherwise, Republicans retain control of the body. The current composition is 50 Republicans and 49 Democrats. Republican Senate candidate David Perdue (top L) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) (bottom L) and their Georgia runoff election challengers, Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, are seen in a combination of file photographs. (Reuters) The races have attracted outsized attention and funding because of the stakes. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, along with a slew of Republican lawmakers, have campaigned in recent weeks with Loeffler and Perdue, urging voters to choose them by focusing on what may happen if Republicans are made the minority in the Senate. Theyll massively raise your taxes on the middle class to pay for socialism, Trump told a crowd in Dalton on Monday night. The damage they do will be permanent and will be irreversible. These Senate seats are truly the last line of defense. Trump praised Perdue as one of his strongest allies in Washington, calling the vote he cast for the tax reform bill critical. Loeffler is a committed defender of Second Amendment rights, he added, and helped confirm Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the court. Biden, meanwhile, told a rally in Atlanta that voting for Warnock and Ossoff would lead to $2,000 direct payments and break the gridlock that has gripped Washington and this nation. With their votes in the Senate, well be able to make the progress we need to make on jobs and health care and justice and the environment and so many other things, he added. Over 962,000 mail ballots were received in the races as of Jan. 4, Gabriel Sterling with the secretary of states office told reporters, with just over 281,000 still outstanding. Early in-person votes amounted to 2.07 million. Combined, the number of votes smashed the previous record in a runoff, which was 2.1 million in 2004. So, obviously, a lot of interest, Sterling said. Im sure Georgians are tired of TV ads, text messages, voicemails, and mail. So its all going to end very soon, hopefully. Happy New Year everyone and apologies for the late post. Its the first time in my life I dont feel the most sparkly and energetic at the beginning of the year. I guess its ok to be feeling overwhelmed due to this global pandemic:) Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I was very lazy during the holiday. We ordered lots of Chinese dishes from restaurants and drunk lots of wine. I watched the Chinese TV series Golden Faith () until 3am on new years eve. Havent done that in ages! Have you ever heard of Golden Faith ()? It was originally written by Yi shu(, one of my favorite Chinese female writers. and played two main characters when the adapted movie first came out during the 80s. The newly released TV versions story plot was very different from the original story. And in my opinion no other Chinese actress now days can meet the glamour during and s peak time. But I still found its kind interesting. The story was about the relationship between two very different young ladies Their pain, their growth. Ok, my wasteful life during the holiday is over. Lets go back to the normal track:) See you tomorrow! Boris Johnson tonight defended his screeching coronavirus U-turn that closed schools as part of a new national lockdown in England. The Government's response to the coronavirus crisis has been repeatedly punctuated by damaging flip-flops, but last night's announcement trumped them all. The Prime Minister told the nation that the rapid spread of a new, more infectious variant of the disease meant he had no choice but to order people to stay at home. But just 36 hours earlier Mr Johnson was encouraging parents to send their children back to classrooms this week and insisting tougher restrictions 'may be' required 'in the next few weeks'. Ultimately it was cold, hard statistics that prompted Mr Johnson to perform the dramatic volte-face. Questions have been asked about whether he was aware that cases had reached 80,000 per day on December 29 before he went on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme on Sunday - January 3 - to insist schools were safe to keep teaching. Facing the nation in a press conference tonight, Mr Johnson said: 'Its very important to understand we have been looking at the new variant very hard since we first became aware of its rapid spread on December 18. Its been clear that the Tier 4 measures were something that we wanted to evaluate and over the course of the days leading up to Sunday clearly, like everybody else in the country we were hoping we would start to see some impact and that we would be able to keep schools open.... But what we obviously had to contend with was figures - not just the decision by the four CMOs to go up to alert level five, but figures - for the infection rate, of 80,000 one day then 65,000 the next. Boris Johnson tonight defended his screeching coronavirus U-turn that closed schools as part of a new national lockdown in England as he faced questions in Downing Street Boris Johnson told the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday (pictured left) that parents should send their children back to primary school this week. But the PM then announced yesterday evening (pictured right) that all schools across England will remain shut until the middle of February as he imposed another national lockdown The Prime Minister's screeching U-turn was prompted by new data which showed there were more than 80,000 positive tests for coronavirus on December 29 - a new record Meanwhile, the number of Covid patients in hospitals in England almost hit 27,000 on January 4, an increase of nearly one third in the space of just one week The Government's U-turn on the return of schools in full December 14: Education Secretary Gavin Williamson threatened councils with legal action if they refused to reopen schools in January. December 15: The Government announced that every secondary school and college in England would be given access to rapid coronavirus tests from January. December 17: Ministers announced that the return of secondary school and college pupils to the classroom in the New Year would be staggered in the first week of January. December 22: The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advised ministers that secondary schools should stay shut in January to slow the spread of coronavirus. December 31: Gavin Williamson announced that the start of term would be pushed back to give schools more time to put in place mass testing facilities. A majority of pupils were due to return on January 18 instead of January 11. Primaries in hotspot areas were told they had to stay shut from January 4. January 1: The Government said that all primary schools in London would remain shut but ministers urged schools elsewhere to reopen as planned. January 3: Boris Johnson urged parents to send primary-age children back to school, insisting there is 'no doubt' schools are safe. The PM said education is a 'priority'. January 4: In the morning Department for Education officials were reportedly told that there were no plans to close schools or to cancel exams in the summer. Mr Johnson announced that schools were closing in his address to the nation at 8pm. Advertisement It was clear that we had got to a situation where Tier 4 on its own couldnt be relied upon to get the virus under control. Thats without really going the whole way and asking people to stay at home and sadly to close schools as well. That is why we took the step that we did. I appreciate the frustration of teachers and parents and obviously the frustration of pupils. The PM tonight revealed that one in 50 of the population of England - around a million people - are infected with coronavirus as he defended his U-turn to plunge the country into lockdown. He told the Downing Street briefing that the scorching spread of the mutant version of the disease meant there was 'no choice' about imposing lockdown. But he insisted the measures can get the situation under control while vaccines are rolled out - revealing that 1.3million people have now had jabs as he dismissed criticism that he is 'over-promising' about the most vulnerable categories being covered by mid-February. Mr Johnson vowed to give the country 'jab by jab' information about the crucial process. Mr Johnson's top scientific experts, led by Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty, yesterday presented him with data which showed the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals in England had almost hit 27,000 on January 4. That number represented an increase of nearly one third in the space of just seven days. The peak of hospital admissions during the first wave last year was 18,974 which was recorded on April 12. That means hospital admissions are now 40 per cent above the highest level seen during the first wave. The PM was also told that on December 29 more than 80,000 people tested positive for the disease across the UK - a new record - with a further 65,571 cases recorded on December 30. The number of deaths had also increased by 20 per cent in a week while the case rate in England up to December 30 was over 518 per 100,000 people. That number is three times the level recorded on December 1 when the case rate stood at 151.3 per 100,000. Experts warned Mr Johnson that cases are rising rapidly in every part of the country. The UK's four chief medical officers then announced just after 6pm that they had recommended the Covid alert level be elevated from Level 4 to the top Level 5 for the first time. Level 5 means there is a risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed within 21 days unless urgent action is taken. Combined, the numbers and warnings painted such a grim picture that Mr Johnson moved immediately to impose another national lockdown, lasting until at least the middle of February. Addressing the nation from 10 Downing Street at 8pm yesterday evening, the PM said: 'With most of the country already under extreme measures, it is clear that we need to do more, together, to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. 'In England, we must therefore go into a national lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant. 'That means the Government is once again instructing you to stay at home.' On the issue of schools, the PM said: 'Because we now have to do everything we possibly can to stop the spread of the disease, primary schools, secondary schools and colleges across England must move to remote provision from tomorrow, except for vulnerable children and the children of key workers.' Whitehall insiders have stressed that the nature of the pandemic means that decisions are often taken in a hurry because of rapidly changing evidence and new expert advice. But the pace and breadth of yesterday's U-turn set a new high bar for Government chaos as critics asked why the PM had not acted sooner. They pointed out that the data had shown rising case numbers and hospital admissions for a number of weeks. Meanwhile, Government experts had warned at the end of December that ministers needed to take tough new national action in order to avoid a 'catastrophe' in the New Year. Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, claimed Mr Johnson had 'waited until the eleventh hour' to act and argued the lockdown should have been announced before Christmas. Sir Ed said Mr Johnson had 'ducked the difficult decisions, failed to listen to experts and acted too late'. On Sunday morning Mr Johnson was encouraging parents to send their primary-age children back to school this week as he suggested new draconian curbs, while likely inevitable, would not be rolled out at least for the next few days. Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show if parents of primary school children should send them back to the classroom, the PM replied 'yes, absolutely'. He added: 'So I'd advise all parents thinking about what to do, look at where your area is: overwhelmingly you'll be in a part of the country where primary schools tomorrow will be open.' Mr Johnson said the Government had 'really fought very hard throughout this pandemic across the country to keep schools open' and insisted that 'schools are safe'. On the issue of whether restrictions would be increased, Mr Johnson said: 'It may be that we need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher in many parts of the country. I'm fully, fully reconciled to that.' Mr Johnson also repeated what has become the Government's mantra in recent weeks as he said all measures would be kept 'under constant review'. The latest data was presented to Mr Johnson by experts led by Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, who last night recommended the UK Covid alert level be elevated to the top Level 5 for the first time. Prof Whitty is pictured arriving in Downing Street yesterday Government U-turns during the Covid crisis Face masks: In March, Government experts said masks are 'not a good idea for the average member of the public. In May people in England were advised to wear one on public transport. It became compulsory in June. Banning mass gatherings: SAGE experts said on March 11 the UK was not banning large gatherings because those sorts of events... are not seen to be something which is going to have a big effect. The PM imposed a national lockdown at the end of March. Mass testing: Widespread community testing was stopped in the middle of March as Government experts said there comes a point in a pandemic where that is not an appropriate intervention. Ministers subsequently made ramping up testing capability one of their main objectives. Exams: The closure of schools during the first lockdown prompted exams to be cancelled, with grades calculated using an algorithm. In August Ministers initially stuck by the algorithm grades before then backing down after public outcry because 40 per cent of grades were lower than teacher estimates. Advertisement Number 10 aides went to bed on Sunday night believing that the PM could move more tier 3 areas into tier 4 this week as the next step in the Government's coronavirus response. A new national lockdown being imminent did not seem to be on the cards. However, Mr Johnson signalled a potentially hardening of his stance yesterday morning. Speaking during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London to meet some of the first people to receive the Oxford vaccine, Mr Johnson said there were 'tough tough' weeks to come. He added: 'If you look at the numbers there's no question we will have to take tougher measures and we will be announcing those in due course.' However, he still appeared to be of the view that schools across England should remain open wherever possible. He said: 'The risk to teachers, and of course we will do everything we can to protect teachers, but the risk to teachers is no greater than it is to anyone else. 'The reasons for wanting to keep schools open I think are very, very powerful.' The new data presented to Mr Johnson prompted a rethink of his strategy, with Number 10 deciding by yesterday afternoon that the PM would address the nation in the evening to announce a new lockdown. The PM's Covid 'S' Cabinet sub-committee signed off on the plans late in the afternoon before they were then presented to the wider Cabinet. The decision to keep schools shut came after a rumbling Cabinet split on the issue. Mr Johnson had originally backed Education Secretary Gavin Williamson who argued for a staggered return to the classroom this month. But Michael Gove, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, and Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, were said to have been pushing for schools to close because of fears over the spread of the virus, according to the Financial Times. The data presented to Mr Johnson yesterday prompted him to ditch Mr Williamson's plans as the premier decided all schools must close and exams in their current form will have to be cancelled. One Cabinet source conceded there had been tensions over the schools decision and the position shifted late, but insisted the public understood that the situation was changing fast. 'You try to keep everything open until the pressure on NHS is just too much and you have to protect people,' the source told MailOnline. 'There are just no easy decisions available.' By Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, Deputy Director General of the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), answers reporters' questions at a regular press conference on December 31, 2020. (Photo: mod.gov.cn) (The following English text of the press conference is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.) Question: At the recent military training meeting of the Central Military Commission (CMC), President Xi Jinping stressed the need to comprehensively strengthen military training under real combat conditions and improve the training level and the capability of winning wars. Please brief us on the overall situation and characteristics of the PLAs military training in 2020. Answer: President Xi attaches great importance to military training. At the beginning of this year, he signed the CMCs Order No.1to launch annual military training. Recently, he attended the CMC military training meeting and delivered an important speech to guide and encourage all service members to conduct training under real-combat conditions and promote combat capabilities through training, continue to deepen military training in the new era and carry out higher-level actual combat training within the Chinese military. First, the CMC held a military training meeting to review the training experience since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), analyze the new dynamics and tasks of training and readiness, and plan the establishment of a new-type military training system. The meeting is a milestone in strengthening the military in the new era. Second, the military continued to strengthen targeted training in responding to real security threats in different directions and fields. Third, led by the strategic level training, theater-command level joint training and training in services and arms put more focus on real combat. Compared with the same period last year, the number of training in high-altitude areas and has increased by around 30% and night training by 10%. Fourth, to adapt to the needs of epidemic prevention and control, the military has adjusted its military training and exercise plans to focus on fighting against the pandemic and strengthening military preparedness. Fifth, great efforts have been made to accomplish the tasks set in the 13th five-year plan for military training, and to plan and work out the 14th five-year military training plan. Sixth, military training supervision and inspection has evolved into combat-oriented supervision and law-based inspection, having achieved noticeable effects on promoting training and military preparedness. Seventh, efforts have been strengthened to create a joint training standard system and to continuously improve the regulations and textbooks on military training. More than 300 training outlines and 2,000 textbooks have been compiled and revised. Finally, the supportive system for military training has been enhanced, and the training base construction has been advanced continuously. In the past year, our service members have trained hard and scientifically with stronger faith, and have gained better military competence. They have the confidence and determination to accomplish the missions and tasks entrusted by the Party and the people in the new era. Question: A conference on political education in the military was held in Beijing in early December, which focused on strengthening the Partys political leadership over the military, and building an education system for the new era. Please brief us on the relevant arrangements. Answer: Building a political education system for the new era is a major subject proposed by President Xi Jinping. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, we held the conference on political education work in the military to study and implement Pr. Xis important instructions for strengthening and improving political education in the military. The meting focused on strengthening the Partys political leadership over the military, building an education system for the new era, and making innovations in the concepts, contents, methods, forces, and working and institutional mechanisms of education. The conference studied and discussed three three regulatory documents on the militarys political education, and regulated the top-level guideline on system-building, basis for teaching, and required measures for implementation and supervision. A series of textbooks and supporting videos, as well as an APP named Xue xi Qiang jun, will be launched to help. Building the political education system for the new era will elevate the militarys political education to a new level, open a new horizon in that regard, and provide a strong political support for building a strong military. Question: It is reported that the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress(NPC) recently deliberated and adopted the revised National Defense Law. Could you please comment on the significance of the revisions? What important institutional innovations have been made in the revised law? Answer: National defense is the security guarantee for the survival and development of a country. The National Defense Law is the basic law of the state in the field of national defense to guide and regulate national defense and military development. On December 26, the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC deliberated and passed the revised National Defense Law of the Peoples Republic of China at its 24th session. It was signed by President Xi Jinping through the No.67 presidential decree on the same day and will take effect on January 1, 2021. It is a significant milestone in Chinas national defense legislation. Since it was promulgated in 1997, the previous edition of the National Defense Law has played an important role in building and consolidating national defense and advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. However, with the development and changes of the world, the nation, the Party and the military, the previous edition no longer fully suits the new tasks and requirements of Chinas national defense and military development in the new era and needs to be revised and improved. A strong country stands on the basis of a strong legal system. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the revised National Defense Law follows Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, the overall national security outlook, and the military strategic guideline for the new era. Being target-oriented and problem-based, the revised National Defense Law emphasizes the Partys centralized and unified leadership, meeting reform requirements, taking in practical experience and addressing concerns of different groups. It will provide a solid legal guarantee for safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests and promoting national defense and military modernization. The latest revisions have enriched the basic systems concerning national defense and military development in various fields and demonstrated the outcomes of major policy and institutional reforms. First, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is established as the guiding thought over Chinas national defense activities. Second, the national defense duties of relevant state institutions are adjusted. For instance, some national defense duties of Chinas State Council and the Central Military Commission (CMC) have been adjusted to adapt to the new structure and functions of the military, and the content regarding the system wherein the CMC chairman shall assume overall responsibility is added. Third, the tasks and goals of Chinas armed forces are further enriched. For example, contents are added regarding the Chinese militarys missions and tasks in the new era, and the Partys objectives of building a strong military and the Party's basic guidelines on building and governing the military. Fourth, the defense policies for major security fields are specified. For instance, to meet the defense needs of new types of security activities and interests, the traditional border, maritime and air defense is expanded to border defense, maritime defense, air defense and defense in other major security fields. The defense in such major security fields as outer space, electromagnetics, and cyberspace are clarified. Fifth, the scientific research and production for national defense as well as military procurement institutions are improved. Sixth, the institutions of national defense education and mobilization are enriched and perfected. For instance, contents are added about civil servants playing a leading part in participating in national defense education. Seventh, the protection of the status, rights, and interests of military personnel is strengthened. Focusing on "making the military a profession respected by the whole society", the basic regulations for the status, honor, rights and related guarantees of service members have been laid down in particular. Finally, the policies and institutions concerning foreign military relationship between China and other countries are refined. For example, contents are added regarding pursuing common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. In general, the newly revised National Defense Law, as the basic law in the field of national defense and military development, and the overriding law of other laws and regulations on that front, formulated the fundamental principles and norms governing major guidelines and principles, targets and tasks, and basic institutions for national defense activities. It revised the basic policies which can not meet the new circumstances and requirements, and will serve as a top-level institution that urgently needed in the new era. To establish a complete and well-aligned system of military laws and regulations with Chinese characteristics,the framework and main contents of the revised law have been carefully designed.It will serve as a guidance for the draft or revision of other military laws and regulationsin the reform of military policies and institutions and has left space for new contents, making it a sound legislation better aligned to the political requirements and development of the times. Question:In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc around the world and there have been profound changes in the international security environment. Nevertheless, the Chinese military has risen to the challenge and achieved fruitful outcomes in international military cooperation through innovative methods. The PLA Daily published an article on December 31, which reviewed and interpreted the highlights of Chinas international military cooperation in the past year. Please elaborate on that. Answer: The year 2020 is an unusual year both for China and the world. The review of Chinas international military cooperation and its highlights published by the PLA Daily is a faithful portrayal of how we have overcome difficulties and made progress in international military cooperation. In the face of the sweeping outbreak of COVID-19 and complicated international security environment in 2020, the Chinese military, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, has strictly implemented the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee, CMC and President Xi on international military cooperation. Keeping in mind and focusing on the overall political and diplomatic interests of the Party and the country, the military has endeavored to foster opportunities out of crises and open a new horizon amid changes, making new a contribution to defending national interests, preserving world peace, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. First, the military has been actively engaged in international cooperation with foreign counterparts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders of the CMC have sent letters to the defense and military leaders of 28 countries and held phone talks with defense leaders of 12 countries, expressing sympathies to their pandemic situation and gratitude for their assistance to China. The PLA has provided anti-epidemic supplies to the militaries of 50 countries, sent experts to the militaries of four countries, held video conferences to share epidemic prevention and control experience with the militaries of 18 countries (international organizations), and offered assistance to foreign military personnel in China, making great contributions to building a community of common health for mankind. Second, the Chinese military has fostered favorable strategic posture. The Chinese and Russian militaries have continuously deepened exchanges and cooperation in high-level exchanges, epidemic prevention and control, joint exercises and other fields, intensified strategic coordination and mutual support and maintained the high-level development of mil-to-mil relationship. The Chinese and the US militaries have strengthened strategic communication, and managed and controlled risks and divergences to keep their relations generally stable. China and Europe have steadily advanced defense and security cooperation and carried out institutional dialogues and exchanges. With neighboring countries, China has had active high-level exchanges to deepen practical defense cooperation and advance the construction of a neighborhood community with a shared future. China has also kept close military relations with developing countries in Africa and Latin America. Besides, China participated in the China-ASEAN defense ministers informal meetings and ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), and hosted workshops underthe Beijing Xiangshan Forum, doing its active part to respond to regional and global challenges. China has also engaged deeply in the international arms control cooperation and the global security governance, and consistently provided public security products in forms of peacekeeping operations and naval escort missions to safeguard global strategic stability. Third, the Chinese military have focused on military preparedness and combat readiness. In implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military and the military strategic guideline for a new era, the military, while strictly carrying out anti-pandemic measures, has strengthened practical exchanges and cooperation with foreign counterparts on military training. It organized the second China-Russia joint aerial strategic patrol, and participated in a list of international military events, including the Military World Games 2020, Kavkaz-2020 strategic exercise hosted by the Russian military, China-Pakistan Sea Guardians 2020 joint maritime exercise and Shaheen (Eagle) IX joint air force training, China-Cambodia Dragon Golden 2020 joint training, and Cobra Gold-2020 multilateral military exercise. These joint exercises and training have enhanced the mutual trust and exchanges between the Chinese military and its foreign counterparts, and improved realistic training of Chinese troops. Fourth, the Chinese militaryhas defended national interests and dignity. Whenever foreign forces tried to pressure and provoke China on the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue, the Chinese military has always made its stance known and firmly fought back. The Chinese military has staunchly safeguarded national sovereignty and territorial integrity and strongly responded to the US arms sales to Taiwan, its military vessels trespassing into Chinese territorial waters off islands and reefs in the South China Sea, and its defense leaders groundless accusations against China. Adhering to military and diplomatic channels, including border defense exchange, Chinese side has communicated and consulted with the Indian side, urging it to maintain peace and tranquility in the border area. Furthermore, the military has been committed to expose all kinds of disinformation, lies and slanders about the military, clarifying facts and truths. Finally, the Chinese military has been sharing its vision with the world. The Chinese military has released a white paper titled Chinas Armed Forces: 30 Years of UN Peacekeeping Operations, which expounds on the original aspiration, policies, practices, visions and initiatives of China's participation in the UN peacekeeping operations. In combination with the anti-epidemic aid to foreign counterparts, the Chinese military, taking into consideration of the recipients cultural features, has designed 50 bilingual posters that embody the essence of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and sent them along with the anti-epidemic supplies, in a bid to pass confidence and strength to the peoples afflicted by COVID-19 . The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the beginning of Chinas 14th Five-year Plan. No matter how the international situation changes, the Chinese military, under the guidance of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, will continue to uphold the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, advance international military cooperation of the new era, and contribute to creating a beautiful world of lasting peace and universal security. Question: The US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have jointly released a new maritime strategy, Advantage at Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All-Domain Naval Power, on December17, 2020. It accused China of strengthening military build-up in space and cyberspace, and threatening world peace and prosperity. Do you have any comment on this? In addition, what's your comment on the China-US mil-to-mil relationship this year? And what are your expectations for the future relationship between the two militaries? Answer: We have noticed the US document. The paper deliberately exaggerated international strategic competition and the so-called Chinas military threat. Its intention is nothing more than to create an excuse for itself to seek absolute military superiority. China is firmly opposed to this. China adheres to the path of peaceful development and unswervingly pursues a defensive national defense policy. Meanwhile, China will resolutely safeguard its national sovereignty, dignity and core interests. To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Some people in the US still cling to the outdated Cold War mentality and the narrow-minded zero-sum game thinking. They always hypothesize other countries as threats, disregard international fairness and justice, frequently incite disputes and conflicts, and undermine the international system and order. We urge them to face reality, follow the general trend, correct mistakes, put the hammer down, and do more things conducive to world peace and common development. As for the China-US mil-to-mil relationship, China has resolutely responded to the wrong actions of the US in provoking and exerting pressure on the issues involving China's core interests and major concerns, and vigorously safeguarded national sovereignty, security, and development interests since the beginning of this year. The relationship between the two militaries has been disturbed by the negative words and deeds of the US side, and has experienced some setbacks. However, the two sides have maintained strategic communication and risk management, and the relationship between the two sides is generally stable. China has always attached great importance to the military relationship between China and the US. Maintaining a sound and stable mil-to-mil relationship serves the common interests of both sides, and is also the common expectation of the international community. In the new year, we hope that the US side could proceed from the overall perspective of the relations between the two countries and the two militaries, effectively reduce hostility and provocations towards China, work with the Chinese side towards the same goal, continue to strengthen cooperation in such areas as strategic communication, institutional exchanges, conflict prevention and crisis management, and jointly promote the stable development of the relationship between the two militaries. Question: It is reported that Chinese and Russian defense ministers signed a protocol in mid-December to extend the Agreement on Mutual Notification for Launches of Ballistic Missiles and Carrier Rockets by another ten years. In late December, the Chinese and Russian militaries launched the second joint strategic air patrol. Commentaries say that the intensive military cooperation between China and Russia demonstrates the high level of strategic mutual trust between the two countries. What is your comment on the current mil-to-mil relationship between China and Russia? Answer: Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, the relationship between the Chinese and Russian militaries has been running at high-level in 2020, and cooperation has been carried out in multiple areas including high-level exchanges, pandemic prevention and control, and joint exercises. In high-level exchanges, State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe attended the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War and the joint meeting of defense ministers of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Russia. The defense ministers of China and Russia held a video conference and jointly announced to extend the period of validity of the Agreement on Mutual Notification for Launches of Ballistic Missiles and Carrier Rockets by another ten years, further strengthening the strategic cooperation between China and Russia. In pandemic prevention and control, the two sides strengthened mutual support and close communication and cooperation through letters between leaders, material assistance, video conferences of military medical experts and other ways. In joint exercises, the Chinese military went to Russia to participate in the International Army Games-2020 (IAG-2020) and the Kavkaz-2020 strategic exercise. Besides, the two militaries organized the second joint air strategic patrol. The bilateral military cooperation continued to deepen, which continuously enriched new connotations of the relations between the two countries and the two militaries, and fully reflects the high-level and special comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between China and Russia for a new era. As an old saying in China goes, only heart-to-heart exchanges can last long. The year 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and FriendlyCooperation, which is of particular significance to China and Russia. In the new year, under the strategic guidance of the twoheads ofstate, China will continue to maintain close communication with Russia, strengthen practical cooperation, strive to promote the military relationship to a new and higher level and contribute more to maintaining world peace and stability. Question: According to reports, Chinas State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe recently had a video call with Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, in which he mentioned speeding up the building of a maritime and air liaison mechanism. Please brief us on the latest progress of the mechanism. Answer: The maritime and air liaison mechanism between the Chinese and Japanese defense departments has been operating well in general since its establishment in 2018and has played a positive role in maintaining peace and stability in the East China Sea. At present, after several rounds of consultations, the defense departments of the two countries have made positive progress on the direct telephone line under the maritime and air liaison mechanism. It is expected to start building as soon as possible. Question: It is reported that Pakistans Chief of Air Staff recently called for a closer China-Pakistan partnership under the current global security situation at the closing ceremony of the joint exercise between air forces of the two countries. What's the comment of the Chinese side on this? How does China view its military relationship with Pakistan? Answer: From December 7 to 25, the China-Pakistan Joint Air Force Exercise "Shaheen (Eagle) - IX" was held at the Pakistani air base in Bholari. The two sides conducted a series of realistic training during the joint exercise and achieved the preset goals. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The bilateral relationship will continue to improve in the future. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of their leaders, the two countries have constantly strengthened cooperation in various fields, firmly supported each other in issues concerning their core interests, and built a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era. The military relationship between China and Pakistan serve as an important pillar for their bilateral relations. Since the beginning of this year, the two militaries have maintained close high-level strategic communication and carried out practical cooperation in related fields, testifying their brotherhood and friendship enabling them to go through thick and thin together. The year of 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in fields like epidemic control, joint exercises, military equipment and technology, and logistics to push their military relationship to a higher level. Question: Since the eighth round of Corps Commander Level Meeting between Chinese and Indian militaries in November, the two sides have maintained close communication on issues such as continuing to promote disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control in the west section of China-India boundary. According to recent reports by the Indian media, the ninth round of Corps Commander Level Meeting will be held soon. Could you please confirm that? Answer: Since the eighth round of Corps Commander Level Meeting between Chinese and Indian militaries, the two sides have maintained consultation on disengagement of frontline troops and strengthened management of border troops. The situation in the border areas is generally stable. China is willing to maintain communication with India via military and diplomatic channels. We hope that India will work with China towards the same goal, implement the consensus reached at the Corps Commander Level Meetings, and take solid measures to further abate the tension in border areas. The two sides are holding consultations onthe ninth round of Corps Commander Level Meeting. Question: Reuters reported that a NATO report released in early December claimed that China's rise posed threat to the security of NATO. According to foreign media reports, the British Royal Navy announced that it would deploy its aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the South China Sea early next year. Please comment on that. Answer: We have noticed relevant report, and we strongly oppose groundless and false accusations against China. China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and advocates common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. The development of Chinas national defense aims to contribute to the growth of the worlds peaceful forces, and the Chinese military has been a staunch force for world peace and stability. You see but your shadow when you turn your back to the sun. We hope relevant parties will broaden their vision, discard prejudices and establish correct views on China and security, and hold a rational attitude towards the development of China and the Chinese military. China believes that the South China Sea should be neither an arena for major-power wrestling nor a sea dominated by warships. At present, the situation in the South China Sea maintains overall stability thanks to the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries. Some countries outside the region come from afar to flex their military muscles, ignite confrontations, and create tensions in the South China Sea, which is the root reason for the militarization of this region. The Chinese military will take necessary measures to resolutely protect Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. Question: It is reported that a ship of PLA Hong Kong Garrison recently berthed at the Central Military Dock for the first time. Will you please provide more information on the military functions of the Central Military Dock and the intention of the berthing? Answer: At the end of September this year, the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Regionand the PLA Hong Kong Garrison signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Handover of Central Military Dock, and officially handed over the Central Military Dock to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison. The handover further enhanced the Garrison's ability to fulfill its defense responsibilities in accordance with the law. In light of defense needs, the dock is mainly used for ship berthing, marine transportation, routine combat readiness enhancement, military exercises, etc. Recently, the PLA Hong Kong Garrison is debugging and testing relevant facilities of the dock, and the ship's berthing is part of the relevant testing work. Since Hong Kongs return to the motherland, the PLA Hong Kong Garrison has performed its duties strictly according to the Basic Law and the Garrison Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China, and has become a mainstay in safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. The PLA Hong Kong Garrison firmly obeys the direction of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi Jinping, upholds the One Country, Two Systems policy, remains committed to its defense responsibility, resolutely maintains Hong Kongs long-term prosperity and stability, and safeguards Chinas sovereignty, security and development interests. Ending Remarks The year 2020 will soon be over. In the past year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi Jinping, the Chinese military has made remarkable contributions to defending the country, serving the people and safeguarding peace. Life or death, I will do whatever I can for the benefits of the country. In 2020, all service members have remained true to their original aspiration and spared no effort to strengthen combat readiness and safeguard national sovereignty and security with their loyalty, courage and dedication. Always put the people and their lives first. In 2020, the peoples armed forces have kept in mind this fundamental commitment and taken their responsibilities to safeguard the safety and benefits of the people on numerous frontlines such as epidemic prevention and control, disaster relief, and poverty alleviation. Stand together through difficulties and build a community with a shared future for mankind. This year, the Chinese military has been committed to its responsibility as the military of a major country, conducted in-depth international military cooperation, faithfully fulfilled its international duties and obligations, opposed the hegemony, tyranny and bullying, safeguarded international justice, defended world peace, and actively promoted the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. In the year to come, under the guidance of Xi Jinpings Thought on Strengthening the Military, the peoples military will continue to enhance their political loyalty and strengthen themselves through reform and technology, and run the army in accordance with the law. They will adopt a holistic approach to national security, and comprehensively strengthen the strategic capacities to safeguard the countrys sovereignty, security and development interests, fulfill the missions and tasks bestowed by the Party and the people, and accelerate the modernization of national defense and the military. Despite challenges and difficulties, they will bravely move forward towards the Partys goal of building a strong military in the new era. Trump at Georgia Rally: I Dont Concede President Donald Trump, at a runoff rally in Georgia on Monday, said he wont concede the presidential race and again asserted that the Nov. 3 election in Georgiaand other stateswas rigged against him. We are still fighting it, and youre going to see what will happen, Trump told supporters in Dalton, Georgia. I had two elections, he added. I won both of them. Its amazing. I did much better on the second one. Trump was in the Peach State to campaign for Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in a race against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, for Georgias Senate seatsand potentially control of the Senate. The president said that Republicans cannot allow the two Democratic challengers to prevail on Jan. 5 and urged people to go to the polls Wednesday. Nothing and no one will be able to stop them, Trump said of Democrats if Republicans lose the Senate. The Senate seats are the last line of defense. I must preface, because they will say, He just conceded,' Trump said, referring to his own election. Trump remarked: No, no, I dont think so. I dont concede. After the runoff election, both chambers of Congress are slated to meet for the Joint Session where Electoral College votes are then certified. At least 50 Republicans in the House and about a dozen in the Senate are expected to challenge the results for key states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, both Loeffler and Perdue have pledged they would join the GOP challenge. Loeffler made the announcement she would challenge on Monday night during the rally. Trump in the rally swung the focus on the two candidates, saying its do or die for Republicans. I have to tell you the stakes of this election could not be higher, Trump told rallygoers. You vote [Tuesday]. People want to go out. They dont want to do the ballot thing, unless its the other side. They want to go and vote. Make sure your vote is counted. Dont let them say, Im sorry, someone else voted for you. Trump warned that should the Democrats take the majority, they will attempt to exert power over Americans livelihoods in an unprecedented manner. The radical Democrats are trying to capture Georgia Senate seats, so they will have absolute power over every aspect of your lives, if the liberal Democrats take the Senate and the White House, he said. And they are not taking this White House. We will fight like hell. I will tell you right now. Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued notice to the Punjab government and the Centre on a plea by Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited seeking action against vandals damaging its network infrastructure and commercial properties in Punjab. The companys counsel, Ashish Chopra, said the high court had sought responses from the Punjab administration and the Centre by February 8. Reliance Jio, in its petition, alleged that business rivals with vested interests were taking advantage of the ongoing farmers protests and damaging its infrastructure in Punjab. The petition said 1,500 telecom towers operated by Jio in Punjab had been vandalised, crippling the mobile network in Punjab, where the company has 14 million subscribers. Subscribers are compelled to port to other networks, the plea said, adding that the acts of vandalism had also endangered the lives of thousands of its employees. Jios parent company, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), and its retail arms or affiliates have no interest and does not intend in future to do corporate or contract farming, according to the petition. RIL and its retail arms have not purchased any agricultural land directly or indirectly for the purpose of farming, it said. Underscoring that Jio and RIL have the greatest regard for the hard work of farmers, the petition added that RIL and its affiliates have never entered into long-term procurement contracts to gain unfair advantage over farmers or their produce. Reliance Jio filed the petition on Monday seeking a direction to the government authorities in the state and at the Centre to protect its communication infrastructure as well as ensure the safety of its employees. The plea claims it had been targeted in Punjab because those with vested interests were taking advantage of the farmers agitation against the recently enacted agricultural laws. Jio also sought the appointment of a competent authority to assess the damages to be recovered from the vandals in the context of a judgment by the Supreme Court that rioters must be made to pay for the destruction of properties. The destruction has been done in a well orchestrated manner, which is result of a sustained disinformation campaign being carried out by vested interests, said the plea, demanding that adequate security arrangements be made to stop the vandalism of its infrastructure. Telecom infrastructure owned by the company has been targeted in parts of Punjab by protesters who have alleged that the new farm laws were meant to benefit certain corporate houses at the cost of farmers. The laws change the way Indias farmers do business by creating free markets as opposed to a network of government marketplaces, allowing traders to stockpile essential commodities for future sales, and laying down a national framework for contract farming. In response to submissions, states advocate general, Atul Nanda said that the company itself has admitted that the action has been taken to protect its assets. The government has deployed 1019 patrolling parties in 22 districts and has appointed 22 nodal officers to ensure that no further damage is caused. The state is carrying out the duty enjoined upon it by the various statutes. ..the impact of the agitation on 1300 affected towers has been removed and they are now functioning, Nanda told the court adding that the task of the state agencies would become easier, if the petitioner was to share information regarding the alleged vested interest involved. These laws are the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. Farmers say the laws will make them vulnerable to exploitation by big corporations, erode their bargaining power and weaken the procurement system, whereby the government buys staples such as wheat and rice at guaranteed prices * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Nessel Joined Series of Multistate Efforts During Last Month of 2020 Nessel Joined Series of Multistate Efforts During Last Month of 2020 January 5, 2021 LANSING - During the last month of 2020, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined attorneys general from across the nation in the following multistate actions: Amicus Brief Challenging Trump Administrations Rollback of Clean Water Protections: On Dec. 17, Nessel joined 14 other attorneys general in filing a brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts challenging regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers (agencies) that illegally strips away critical, longstanding federal water quality protections under the federal Clean Water Act. The regulation excludes a substantial amount of wetlands and streams throughout the country, which were previously protected by the act. The Trump administration continues to show a blatant disregard for science and it is incumbent upon my colleagues and I to take actions like filing this amicus brief to protect states waterways and wetlands, said Nessel. States share water resources with one another and without protective national standards, these shared resources will be subject to the standards of the lowest common denominator. A regulation that goes against the very purpose of the Clean Water Act doesn't have a place on the books. The brief argues that the regulation is contrary to the purpose of the Clean Water Act, which is to restore and maintain the nations water quality. The brief further argues that the agencies ignored the significant harms that the regulation will inflict on states, and declined to conduct a comprehensive review of the scope of waters that would be left unprotected by the new regulation, ignoring that the regulations massive reduction in federal protections will lead to serious degradation of ecological resources. Michigan is currently a plaintiff, along with a number of other states and cities, in a lawsuit challenging the same regulation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Work Authorization Limitations for Immigrants Comment Letter: On Dec. 21, Attorney General Nessel joined 15 other attorneys general in opposing a proposed Trump administration rule that would virtually eliminate work authorization for nearly all immigrants who were released under orders of supervision. In the comment letter submitted to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the coalition argued that the proposed rule lacks reasoned justifications and would harm immigrant communities, small businesses and states economies. Moreover, the proposed rule which impacts approximately 17,000 individuals and their families nationwide would also violate federal law, increase the cost of publicly-funded social services, and further burden individuals and businesses that are already suffering from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump administration is once again taking aim at immigrant communities. This proposed change is ill-conceived, unlawful, and will hurt us all, Nessel said. Immigrants like any American have the right to earn an income to provide for their families. Any effort to put unnecessary roadblocks in place for these individuals who simply want to do the right thing is unconscionable. Immigrants under orders of supervision are already required to meet certain conditions to qualify for temporary release from DHS custody. Upon their release, DHS has the authority to grant employment authorization documents that allow those under orders of supervision to legally work in the United States. The proposed rule seeks to virtually eliminate their work authorization eligibility, with one narrow exception. In the comment letter, the coalition urges DHS to withdraw this proposed rule because, in addition to the hardship on these individuals and their families, the loss of their employment would also harm employers and the states economies and tax bases, which would also cause an increase in expenditures on publicly-funded social services. According to DHSs own estimates, the financial damage by prohibiting these immigrants to legally work in the U.S. will result in federal tax losses ranging from $900 million to more than $2 billion from fiscal years 2020 to 2029. States will lose tax revenue for the same reason. The coalition also emphasizes that the proposed rule is contrary to law because Congress never gave DHS authority to categorically deny work authorization to immigrants under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Lastly, the purported acting secretary of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, was not legally authorized to exercise the functions and duties of the secretary of Homeland Security position based on the Homeland Security Act, as the courts have already found. Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Rule Undermining Energy Efficiency Standards for Dishwashers: On Dec. 29, Nessel, 12 other attorneys general and the City of New York filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Energys (DOE) final rule undermining current energy efficiency standards for residential dishwashers. The rule, issued at the request of the anti-regulatory group Competitive Enterprise Institute, unjustifiably exempts a class of dishwashers from energy efficiency standards by creating a new, unnecessary category of dishwashers defined only by shorter cycle times. In the lawsuit, the coalition intends to argue that the final rule violates the Energy Policy Conservation Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. The Trump administration is needlessly, and recklessly, rolling back energy efficiency standards that have helped consumers save money and avoid excess pollution to our environment, Nessel said. The Department of Energy must be held accountable for continuing to undermine these standards. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act directs the DOE to establish energy efficiency standards covering most major household products, including dishwashers. The DOEs long-standing energy efficiency program has resulted in substantial economic and environmental benefits, with more than $2 trillion in projected consumer savings and 2.6 billion tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. The Energy Policy Conservation Acts anti-backsliding provision prohibits DOE from prescrib[ing] any amended standard which increases the maximum allowable energy use . . . of a covered product. In October 2020, the DOE ignoring concerns raised in comments by a California-led coalition moved to finalize its proposal to create a new category of dishwashers defined only by shorter cycle times. By creating a new product class, the DOE claims that short-cycle dishwashers are not subject to existing energy efficiency standards for residential dishwashers. In the lawsuit, the coalition intends to argue that the final rule: Violates Energy Policy Conservation Acts anti-backsliding provision; Fails to comply with National Environmental Policy Act by invoking an inapplicable categorical exclusion to avoid conducting an environmental review; and Is arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act. Amicus Briefs Opposing Trump Administration Death to Asylum Rule: On, Dec. 30, Nessel and 21 other attorneys general filed two amicus briefs in support of two separate challenges to a Trump administration rule that guts major aspects of the existing asylum system and effectively eliminates the meaningful right to apply for protection in the United States. By severely restricting asylum eligibility and abolishing certain procedural protections, the so-called death to asylum rule will result in the deportation of bona fide asylum seekers who are certain to face persecution or torture in their home countries. As a result, the rule will inflict direct harm on asylum seekers and the states that welcome them across the country. "This rule imposes sweeping changes on the asylum system that will significantly raise the qualifications for gaining asylum in this country, codify discretionary factors that will result in the denial of many claims and allow immigration judges to deny cases without a hearing, Nessel said. For those seeking reprieve from persecution and torture in their home countries, this rule could be the line between life and death for them, and my colleagues and I cannot ignore this attempt by the federal government to deny those seeking refuge in the United States. Set to go into effect on Jan. 11, 2021, the final rule will make it nearly impossible for people to successfully obtain humanitarian relief in the United States. These consequences will fall hardest on survivors of trauma, and victims of gender, gang and homophobic violence. The rule threatens to do so through a wide range of artificial and arbitrary new barriers. For example, the rule creates a list of adverse discretionary factors that would provide a basis for unilaterally denying even meritorious asylum applications. The coalition argues, among other things, that the rule will: Undermine our countrys and the states commitment to being a safe haven for asylees fleeing persecution by upending the current asylum system and increasing family separation; Hinder enforcement of legal protections and criminal laws by pushing those who might otherwise seek asylum into the shadows where they are more vulnerable to exploitation; Burden state programs, leading to an increased need for legal representation to navigate the extremely complex asylum process made even more complex by this rule, as well as medical and mental health services; and Harm the states economies and workforces, robbing them of essential workers and their contributions to local businesses. A copy of the amicus brief in Pangea Legal Services v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security is available here. A copy of the amicus brief in Immigration Equality v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security is available here. Catholic Legal Immigration Network v. EOIR On Dec. 31, Attorney General Nessel joined 19 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of a challenge to a Trump administration final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Justice that increases the fees imposed for appeals, motions, and other forms of deportation and removal relief available in proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review. As a result, the rule will prevent immigrants from appealing deportation orders or asserting valid bases to remain in the United States, such as family-based cancelation of removal or asylum, simply because they cannot afford to pay the filing fee. Such a result conflicts with Congresss objectives of keeping families together, promoting economic prosperity, and upholding the United States international treaty obligations to protect those fleeing persecution or torture. The increases for different applications range from 205% to 800%, and would have an adverse effect on immigrants and refugees in Michigan. Michigan is home to a significant number of immigrants and refugees who play a vital role in our economy. They make up just under 10% of the states workforce, pay approximately $6.7 billion in state and local taxes, have a spending power of $18.2 billion, and comprise close to 34,000 of the states entrepreneurs, said Nessel. This final rule has the potential to inflict harm on state and local economies, separate families, and would undermine state programs and laws in place to aid and protect immigrants. ### Ryan Jarvi 517-599-2746 Attorney General Britta Hansen Brown, OD, FAAO, joins Fischer Laser Eye Center I like to solve problems...I'm always up for a challenge. Fischer Laser Eye Center welcomes optometrist Britta Hansen Brown, OD, FAAO, to their eye care team. An optometrist providing primary eye care, Dr. Hansen Brown fits specialty contact lenses (soft, rigid gas permeable, scleral) and also provides glasses, low vision, and dry eye services to our patients in Willmar, New London, Benson, and Montevideo. I like to solve problems, says Dr. Hansen Brown, so if that means fitting a scleral contact lenses and other specialty lenses, putting on an amniotic membrane graft, placing punctal plugs, ordering or recommending some low vision equipment, I'm always up for a challenge. I also like to treat dry eyes, which I know many eye doctors do not. I feel like this is how I was trained, how I have practiced, and what I like doing. Being a handi-girl for eye health. A Ms. Fix It. Dr. Hansen Brown earned an optometry degree from University of California and completed a fellowship with American Academy of Optometry. To request an appointment with Dr. Hansen Brown or for Fischer Laser Eye Centers full list of locations and services, call (320) 235-2020 or visit FischerLaser.com. Workers sit on duty at the headquarters of Pinduoduo, an e-commerce platform, in Shanghai Wednesday, July 25, 2018. China's official Xinhua News Agency is calling for shorter work hours in the country's tech sector following the sudden death of a young employee at the leading e-commerce platform. (Chinatopix via AP) China's official Xinhua News Agency is calling for shorter work hours in the country's tech sector following the sudden death last week of a young employee at a leading e-commerce platform. Last month's tragedy refocused attention on "the pain of an abnormal culture of overtime," Xinhua said in a brief editorial posted Tuesday on its Twitter-like Weibo account. Dreams should be pursued through striving, but workers' legitimate rights and interests should not be sacrificed and employers may be breaking the law in encouraging health-sapping overwork, Xinhua said. "Strengthening the protection of legal rights and interests for workers, letting those chasing their dreams run along in a healthy manner and introducing more warmth into the development of enterprisesthat's the form striving should take," the news agency said. The editorial follows the Dec. 29 death of a 22-year-old employee of Pinduoduo as she was walking home with a colleague at 1:30 a.m. Few details have been released, other than that the woman apparently suffered stomach pains before collapsing, but internet users have seized on the case as an example of the health impacts of long working days. Grueling hours have long been a hallmark of China's tech industry, heralded by business luminaries such as Alibaba's Jack Ma, one of China's richest and most prominent entrepreneurs. Ma drew controversy in 2019 by endorsing the "996" week, entailing working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with many arguing that would further discourage young people from marrying and having children. The ruling Communist Party's flagship People's Daily newspaper even weighed in at the time, saying it was unfair of dictatorial managers to demand excessive overtime. Worldwide, the tech sector is known for demanding long hours spent designing, coding and processing customer requests. While Chinese labor law limits the work week to five days and no more than 44 hours, increasing numbers of people work outside the state sector or in the informal economy where such regulations tend not to be adhered to as closely. China also outlaws independent labor organizing, allowing only one union, the tightly party-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Explore further China orders Ant Group to rectify businesses 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly nine pounds of banned bushmeat from a passenger who arrived on a flight from Ghana at Newark Liberty International Airport, officials said Tuesday. The passenger, identified as a United States citizen, declared the meat to CBP agriculture specialists Sunday, the agency said. Bushmeat is a term for a range of wild animals, including primates, bats, civets and African rodents. The meat is often raw or minimally processed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials from the CDC advised CBP to destroy the meat, which can spread human diseases. CBP Agriculture Specialists made critical interceptions of these prohibited animal products and stopped them from entering the United States before they could potentially cause grave damage to our agricultural and economic vitality, Troy Miller, CBP director of field operations at the New York Field Office, said in a statement. The traveler was not fined because the person declared the meat, a CBP spokesman said. It was not immediately clear what animal the intercepted meat came from. According to the CDC, bushmeat is illegal to bring into the United States and has been linked to diseases, including Ebola. Animal disease outbreaks are a threat to the United States that can adversely affect public health, cause global trade halts, and destabilize the economy and our nations food supply, CBP said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. RTHK: Vietnam jails three journalists for criticising govt A court in Vietnam on Tuesday sentenced three freelance journalists known for their criticism of government to between 11 and 15 years in prison, after finding them guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda. Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan were convicted of "making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state" at a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Public Security said. Dung established the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam in 2014, which police said had sought regime change. Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism. The party, under the leadership of 76-year-old Nguyen Phu Trong, has intensified a crackdown on dissent ahead of its five-yearly congress due to be held later this month. Dung was jailed for 15 years and Thuy and Tuan 11 years each. They wrote stories to "distort and defame the people's administration, infringe the interests of the Communist Party of Vietnam and state," the ministry said in a statement. "These are especially dangerous activities that if not stopped could hurt national security," it said. Amnesty International said the verdict underscored the government's contempt for free media, particularly ahead of the congress. "Even by its own deeply repressive standards, the severity of the sentences show the depths being reached by Vietnam's censors," said its deputy regional director, Emerlynne Gil. Ahead of the trial, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called the charges "bogus". "If the ruling party is so assured in its leadership, it should demonstrate its confidence by respecting civil and political rights, ending its tight control of the press, and allowing independent journalists to freely voice their opinions instead of silencing them with arrest and long prison sentences," he said. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Archbishop Eamon Martin said: "To broadcast such a deeply offensive clip about God and Our Blessed Mother during the Christmas season on RTE and on the eve of the Solemn Feast of Mary, Mother of God, is insulting to all Catholics and Christians." A satirical clip broadcast on RTEs New Year's Eve Countdown show has generated 3,500 emails and 1,250 calls since airing last Thursday night. Many viewers across the country were not impressed with the Waterford Whispers News sketch, which showed God being led away by gardai for sexual harassment offences. The mock news clip features former RTE news anchor Aengus Mac Grianna reporting that God has become the latest figure to be implicated in an ongoing sexual harassment scandal. The clip received more than 600 complaints within 24 hours of airing and RTE has since revealed that the number has now doubled since the weekend. Confirming the figures in a statement this afternoon, RTE said: "Since Friday, RTE has received approximately 3,500 emails and 1,250 calls regarding the Waterford Whispers sketch segment in the RTE One New Years Eve Countdown programme. This takes into account emails to RTE's Complaints and Information Offices, as well as calls to RTE's Information Office and to RTE's main reception." The Catholic Church spoke out about the controversial skit, describing it as blasphemous, while Primate of All Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin condemned the footage, saying: To broadcast such a deeply offensive clip about God and Our Blessed Mother during the Christmas season on RTE and on the eve of the Solemn Feast of Mary, Mother of God, is insulting to all Catholics and Christians. I am shocked that producer/editor of NYE Countdown Show didnt realise how deeply offensive was a mocking 'news report' accusing God of rape and reporting his imprisonment. This outrageous clip should be removed immediately & denounced by all people of goodwill. Despite apologising for the skit in a statement on Saturday, RTE has since indicated that it will not remove the clip from the RTE Player, where it is still available to view. Online Editors Flash A 17-year-old youth appeared in court in Britain on Monday to face six terrorism charges. The teenager, from Essex in southeastern England, cannot be named because of his age. He appeared by video link before Westminster Magistrates Court in London. He is being held on remand to appear at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court on Jan. 22. He was charged with six terrorism offenses following an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTP), supported by Eastern Region Special Operations Unit and Essex Police. CTP said the teen was arrested and detained under the Terrorism Act on Dec. 29, as part of a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation. Two homes in Chelmsford and Brentwood in Essex were searched in connection with the arrest, police added. He faces one offence of engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism, one offence of disseminating a terrorist publication and four offences of possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Fire breaks out at Company office in Gurugram Image Source: IANS News Fire breaks out at Company office in Gurugram Image Source: IANS News Gurugram, Jan 5 : A fire broke out at the corporate office early Tuesday, said a fire officer. No casualties were reported. The fire at the Sector-44 office building was reported by a company guard at 3.24 a.m. The blaze came under control after nine hours, a fire officer said. While the fire officer said that the corporate office was of Jindal Steel, the company denied any fire at its premises. "Our office is in Sector-32 Gurgaon not in Sector 44 as reported. Our office is completely safe and no fire incident happened there at all," a company spokesman told IANS. Twenty-four fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames at the seven-storeyed building. Fire tenders from Sector-29, Udyog Vihar, Bhim Nagar, DLF, Maruti and Manesar fire stations were all pressed into service. A Fire Department officer said no employees were present when the fire broke out in the company. A large number of furniture and electronic items, including computers, were gutted in fire. Exact cost of damage was yet to be determined. The cause of the fire could not be ascertained immediately. "The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained. Luckily, no one was injured in the incident. We suspect that short-circuit could be a cause of the incident but it will be cleared after a detailed investigations," said Isham Singh Kayshap, district fire officer, Gurugram. Advertisement As the UK beds in for a tough new lockdown that could last months until enough people are vaccinated against Covid-19, some of its European neighbours are taking similarly strict measures while others have their eye on relaxing the current rules. Germany has extended a national lockdown today in order to drive the infection rate down, while Denmark could face harsher rules because of fears over the UK variant of the disease. But France sent all 12million of its schoolchildren back to the classroom on Monday, while Spain is not in lockdown and Italy is planning to ease restrictions on Thursday. It comes amid concern in several European countries about the slow pace of the vaccine rollout which offers the best hope of bringing the misery to an end. France has vowed to ramp up its vaccine delivery 'on an exponential curve', while other countries are weighing up whether to follow Britain's model and use up its stock of vaccines to give one dose to as many people as possible. Britain currently has by far the highest infection rate in Western Europe, followed by the Republic of Ireland, and then Sweden which is still holding out against lockdowns. While Britain beds down for a lengthy lockdown and Germany extends its own restrictions, other countries including Italy are looking to ease their toughest measures and Sweden is still holding out against a full lockdown Britain's infection rate is currently by far the highest in Europe, following rapid growth blamed by Boris Johnson on the new strain of the virus which is feared to be far more infectious than the old variant GERMANY: FULL LOCKDOWN EXTENDED Angela Merkel and the leaders of Germany's 16 states agreed today to extend the 'hard lockdown' that has been in place since December 16 until the end of January and introduce tougher restrictions. Shops, bars, restaurants and schools will remain closed until at least the end of the month. For the first time, the rules will restrict non-essential travel for residents of hard-hit areas across the country. Movement is limited to a 15-kilometre (nine-mile) radius in towns and districts where the number of new coronavirus cases is above 200 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. The rules also include the strictest limit on gatherings since the first lockdown in the spring, with members of any one household being allowed to meet only one other person. Germany's infection rate has dropped in the last two weeks but officials say it is too early to tell whether this is a genuine improvement or a mirage caused by limited data over the Christmas period. 'We need to reduce contacts further because we have seen that we have not been able to lower the incidence (of coronavirus) in the last (few) weeks as far as we would have wished for,' Merkel told journalists on Tuesday after a meeting with the leaders of Germany's 16 federal states. The measures will be reviewed on January 25. GERMANY: People walk on a pedestrian street in Cologne on Monday, a day before the country extended its 'hard lockdown' in order to drive down its infection rate ITALY: LOCKDOWN EASED BUT MANY SCHOOLS CLOSED Stay-at-home orders imposed across Italy over Christmas and New Year are set to expire on Thursday, with the country returning to a three-tier system. While different measures can be applied in different regions, the government has ordered all bars and restaurants to remain closed this weekend. Meanwhile, the planned re-opening of schools at 50 per cent capacity on Thursday has been postponed until Monday. Some regional governments, including in the Veneto region which includes Venice, have decided to push the re-opening back until January 31. The government has also extended travel restrictions between Italy's 20 regions, with movement only permitted for certain reasons. Italy's infection and death rates are down from their November and December peaks, but an average of 473 people are still dying every day. FRANCE: CURFEWS TIGHTENED BUT SCHOOLS RE-OPEN A national 8pm curfew has been brought forward to 6pm in some parts of France, including the Les Alpes-Maritimes department which includes Nice. Paris has, for now, been spared the additional restriction. The government has also confirmed that theatres, cinemas and concert halls would remain closed beyond the current deadline of January 7. Similarly, government minister Alain Griset said on Sunday that it was unlikely that restaurants would re-open as initially planned on January 20. However, France has bucked the trend by sending all its children back to school this week, with 12million pupils returning on Monday. France has also promised an 'exponential' acceleration in its vaccine drive after criticism over the slow pace of the rollout. SPAIN: REGIONS TAKE ACTION AMID RISING CASES Spain is not in a national lockdown, but some regions have imposed new measures after cases started rising again in mid-December. After Spain's infection rate fell in early December to its lowest level since the summer, it has since ticked up again and is now back above 10,000 a day. Catalonia announced new restrictions on Monday, banning people from leaving their municipality until at least January 17 and closing non-essential shops at weekends. The new measures also include the closure of gyms and shopping malls - but bars and restaurants can still have customers in for breakfast and lunch. Other regions such as Andalusia, Murcia and Extremadura have also announced new measures in recent days, with Madrid locking down some districts. SPAIN: Military personnel carry boxes of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine after arriving at a warehouse in Colmenar Viejo - with the Spanish government deciding not to follow Britain's lead by changing the two-dose rollout plan SWEDEN: STILL NO LOCKDOWN BUT MASKS COME IN After earning both admiration and notoriety for holding out against lockdown, Sweden is continuing to keep shops open and resist stay-at-home measures. But public gatherings have been limited to eight people, and people are advised to choose only one or two friends to socialise with. In addition, Sweden is now recommending masks on public transport for the first time after months of playing down their effectiveness. Sweden has published little data over Christmas and New Year, but thousands of people are still being infected and dozens dying every day. The death toll of 8,727 is a far higher rate than that in other Nordic countries, but lower than in Britain, Spain, France and Italy which have all imposed lockdowns. DENMARK: NEW MEASURES COULD TARGET BRITISH STRAIN Denmark last month brought in a series of restrictions due to last until January 17, including the closure of shops, restaurants. Schools are also remaining shut in that time - marking a shutdown almost as long as last spring, when Denmark was the first country in Europe to re-open schools. Ministers have voiced concern about the new British strain of the virus, with reports saying that this could lead to a further tightening of restrictions in Denmark. Denmark has a relatively low death rate from Covid-19, with only 1,389 since the start of the pandemic, but the toll has reached new highs in recent weeks. PM Mette Frederiksen said last week that 'the situation regarding infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths is now even more serious than in the spring'. AUSTRIA: PLAN FOR TESTING PASSPORTS SCRAPPED Austria's third national lockdown was effectively extended until January 24 on Monday after a plan to allow some people out earlier was dropped. The government had proposed that those who tested negative in a mass-testing programme be allowed to visit shops, restaurants, cafes and bars from January 18. But the plan would have obliged those who did not participate to stay at home for a week longer, and the proposal has now been scrapped after public opposition. The current, third lockdown came into effect on December 26, just twenty days after the previous lockdown ended. The country's infection rate climbed to among the highest in the world in late November, with outbreaks in elderly care facilities emerging as a particular issue. IRELAND: SCHOOLS DECISION LOOMS AS CASES AND HOSPITALISATIONS RISE The Irish government is set to tighten lockdown restrictions including the closure of schools as rampant rates of Covid infections threaten to overwhelm the health service. On Wednesday, the cabinet will meet to decide whether to keep schools closed until February as part of a string of measures to control the third wave which has been described as 'extremely worrying and dangerous'. Schools were originally scheduled to reopen next Monday but government sources say it is highly likely they will remain closed for the rest of this month. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has warned there will be a sharp increase of deaths this month. The government introduced a second nationwide lockdown in October which succeeded in reducing Covid rates to the lowest among EU states when the restrictions were lifted in the first week of December. For most of last month, the daily rate of infection averaged 300 but on Monday there were 6,110 cases reported, which is almost twice the peak reached in the first wave last March. The 14 day incidence rate is now 583 per 100,000 compared to 110 per 100,000 in mid-December. A new strain of COVID-19 detected in South Africa is believed to be more infectious than the variant found in the UK Former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts said Americans should assume the strain has already reached the US He warned the two new transmissible variants of the virus recently detected in the UK and South Africa won't be the last Rather than impose a travel ban, the US should require all international travelers to undergo COVID-19 testing prior to entering the country, Pitts said The US is yet to impose any travel restrictions on South Africans coming into the country South African travelers or people returning from trips to South Africa can still enter the US, and testing is not currently required Mutant strains of COVID are inevitable and these will NOT be the last Former FDA associate commissioner Peter Pitts says Americans should assume a new mutant strain of COVID-19 detected in South Africa is already in the States A former FDA official has revealed he does not support imposing a ban on South African travelers to the US, despite fears a new, super-infectious COVID-19 variant detected in the country could spread to the states. ADVERTISEMENT Peter Pitts, the co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, said Americans should assume the mutant strain already exists in the country. 'It's probably not nascent and it's probably been around a lot longer than South Africans think,' Pitts told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. Both Britain and South Africa have detected new, more transmissible variants of the COVID-19-causing virus in recent weeks that have driven a surge in cases. The US has imposed restrictions on travelers from the UK in an effort to reduce the spread of infection, however, it has failed to take action on South African travelers so far. But Pitts said that while tightening US border restrictions may help, it won't necessarily do much to mitigate the inevitable spread of mutant virus strains, which are likely to continue emerging. The US has imposed restrictions on travelers from the UK to the US in an effort to reduce the spread of infection, however, it has failed to take action on South African travelers so far Former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts said that while a travel ban may help, it won't necessarily mitigate the spread of other mutant variants spreading to the country 'I don't think a travel ban is going to solve the problem because viruses have a way of getting places that humans can't always control and with the cat out of the bag, you're heading in the wrong direction,' he added. 'What the US should be doing is requiring people traveling from South Africa be tested before they even get on an airplane to come to the US.' Those travelers should quarantine for three to five days and then get tested again once they arrive in the country, Pitts explained. 'It's more than just putting a band-aid on a bazooka wound. You need to slow down the infection rates.' The US is yet to detect any cases of the South African variant, which some UK scientists now fear could be resistant to COVID-19 vaccines, although there is currently little evidence to support those claims. This map shows how the coronavirus variants have been tracked as they spread around the world. No cases of the South African variant have been detected in the US, but efforts to sequence the genomes of viral samples to find new mutations has been 'patchwork' The super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Ten people spread across New York, California, Georgia, Colorado and Florida have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called for a tougher restrictions from the federal governnment in a bid to curb the spread, demanding a full travel ban from the UK to the US The strain has become dominant in South Africa and spread to at least four other countries, including the UK, where health authorities are 'incredibly worried' by its arrival. ADVERTISEMENT The US, meanwhile, has been slow to detect new threats. Click here to resize this module Last week, Colorado health officials reported the nation's first case of the UK variant dubbed 'super covid', in a person who had not traveled, meaning they caught it locally. Q&A: Everything we know about the South African variant Has the variant been found in the US? Not yet. The US has not sequenced nearly as high as share of coronavirus samples as the UK has, but is ramping up its efforts in the hopes of detecting the South African variant and other mutations earlier. Where has the variant been found? The variant was found in two people, one in London and another in the North West, who came into contact with separate people returning from South Africa. The fact that they were detected through random routine sampling which picks out only around one in 10 tests carried out in the UK - and that they are thought to have been infected by separate travelers - suggests there are many more cases of the variant already in Britain. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was 'highly concerning' and the variant was 'yet more transmissible' than the original strain the UK has been battling. Where has the new strain come from? The new variant emerged after the first wave of coronavirus at Nelson Mandela Bay, in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, and rapidly became the dominant strain in the area. South Africa picked up the strain using genomic sequencing. It was discovered in mid-December and is believed to have caused infections to soar from under 3,000 per day at the beginning of the month to over 9,000 by the end. Where else has the variant been found? Confirmed cases have been announced in France, Japan and Britain. It is likely to be circulating in many more countries but only a select few nations have the genomic sequencing ability to be able to spot it when it's present in low numbers. What has been done to tackle it? Both of the people in the UK who had the new strain of the virus were quarantined, along with their close contacts. Public Health England researchers are currently investigating the variant at their research laboratory at Porton Down in Wiltshire. All flights to and from South Africa have been banned. What does it mean for the fight against the virus? One mutation in the new strain, called N501Y, is thought to help the virus become more infectious and spread more easily between people. That means measures such as social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding unnecessary contacts have become more important. What about the vaccine? Dr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England, told the Downing Street press conference there is no evidence the new strain may stop coronavirus vaccines from working. Scientists will test the blood of those who have been vaccinated against coronavirus, or have recovered from it, to ensure they can fight off the new strain. But Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, argued the strain was more concerning than the Kent one. He said it has 'pretty substantial changes in the structure of the protein', meaning vaccines could fail to work. The slow response has instilled little confidence that American scientists would know if the South African strain has arrived. ADVERTISEMENT It wasn't until the virus strain emerged in different states that the federal government took action. 'You can always do more, quicker. I think the lesson learned from the UK experience is don't wait until you have all the information to do anything. That's not intelligent public health policy,' Pitts said. 'This is a great example of that because just as you begin to put travel and testing protocols in place in the US and UK, it pops up in South Africa - and you also have to assume it'll pop up in other countries as well.' The former FDA associate commissioner noted that while the variant is more infectious, it is not necessarily deadlier. Viruses are known to mutate in order to survive thus it is likely the US and other countries will see more mutations as the pandemic goes on, Pitts said. As for the South African strain, Pitts believes it has actually been around for much longer but has only just been discovered due to the country's health care system which is less developed than that of the UK and the US. 'As to why we didn't act sooner, the US is kinda in a political vacuum where nobody is willing to step up to the plate and take responsibility for appropriate epidemiological action. 'Our public health officials on the federal level are stymied. There's no one really in charge,' he added. The US is yet to make a call on whether to impose restrictions on travelers from South Africa, all of whom can currently still enter the US, and testing is not currently required. Earlier on Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the federal government to impose an order requiring all international travelers to provide a COVID negative test before flying into the US. Cuomo's calls follow an announcement Monday that the new, super-infectious UK variant of the coronavirus was discovered in upstate New York. Overall, the US has reported four cases of the UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, - in New York, California, Florida and Colorado. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called for a tougher restrictions in a bid to curb the spread, demanding a full travel ban from the UK to the US. US-based commercial airlines are not scheduling direct flights to the US from South Africa, and there are no South African Airways flights into the US, nor have there been since April. But at least 11 flight itineraries are scheduled for to arrive in the US from South Africa - with layovers in between - between now and Friday. And if the South African strain is here already, viral genome sequencing may not have caught it. Only some 57,000 coronavirus genome sequences have been submitted by the US to GISAID, an international database configured to help scientists around the world track how viruses change. The US ranks 43rd out of all countries sequencing viral genomes and submitting them to GISAID, having sequenced just 0.3 percent of all samples among more than 20 million cases since the pandemic began. The UK has done much better, submitting about 141,000 sequences, despite seeing about 13 percent of the infections the US has. Scientists say the South African variant is different from others circulating in the country because it has multiple mutations in the important 'spike' protein that the virus uses to infect human cells. It has also been associated with a higher viral load, meaning a higher concentration of virus particles in patients' bodies, possibly contributing to higher levels of transmission. Several countries have already banned travel from South Africa amid fears. Vietnam suspended inbound flights from countries with new COVID-19 variants, initially Britain and South Africa. ADVERTISEMENT The UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also banned travelers from South Africa to try and contain the spread of the new strain. Victorias testing chief has apologised for mistakes and corrections that have cropped up on the official list of Victorias coronavirus exposure sites. COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar also defended the states contact tracers after several businesses reported that they only found out they had been listed as exposure sites through the media while others found out well before the government let the public know. COVID reponse commander Jeroen Weimar. Credit:Paul Jeffers The Health Department exposure site list has changed rapidly over the past few days, with new sites added and then sometimes removed sometimes erroneously. In one case, a Woolworths supermarket was initially listed, before the outbreak site was changed to a Coles. The list was quietly changed on Monday to show a COVID-positive person dined at the Guilty Moose Cafe in Albert Park on December 21, nine days before December 30, which was the date listed by the department for at least two days. Democratic state Sen. Andy Manar, a prominent downstate lawmaker who played a key role in revamping education funding in Illinois, is resigning his office to become a senior adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Manar announced Monday. Manar, of Bunker Hill, said he will step down Jan. 17, just days after the next Illinois General Assembly is inaugurated. (Very) early on Monday morning Seven broadcast an apology for its infamous Sunrise panel in which commentator Prue MacSween advocated for a second stolen generation. Seven broadcast the apology at 6:45am in summer non-ratings. On 13 March 2018 we aired a segment about alleged child abuse and neglect in Aboriginal communities and statements made by the Assistant Minister for Children and Families about white people adopting Aboriginal children, it read. Opinions were expressed during the segment which referred to the stolen generation [sic] and which were offensive to some viewers, including Indigenous Australians. Channel Seven, the Sunrise team and our commentators Prue MacSween and Ben Davis apologise for those comments and the harm they have caused. But the apology has already drawn a mixed response. Richard Weston CEO from the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care welcomed the official apology. But Family Matters Co-Chair Sue-Anne Hunter told NITV News she didnt view the pre-recorded apology as authentic. I dont know how you can make those comments and then think that an autocue voice is going to be okay for people who have been hurt so deeply, the Wurudndjeri and Ngurai illum wurrung woman said. It has affected their lives and the lives of their children. Others on social media also questioned the sincerity of an early morning voice-over (it screened at the same time as the original segment). It followed a previous apology screened at the end of an ad break last January to the Yirrkala community for using blurred footage of them during the panel discussion. The footage was originally filmed for a health promotion. ACMA found Sunrise in breach of the Code of Practice in September 2018. Seven agreed to an independent audit of its production processes for current affairs. It is yet to confirm if the audit has been completed. Seven has been contacted for comment. Photo: Greenleft Related Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Parliament nod to Budget 2021-22; FM Nirmala Sitharaman says no risk of India's rating downgrade Andhra Pradesh sets new record by concluding assembly budget session in one day Union Budget 2021 to be presented on February 1 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 05: The Union Budget will be presented on February 1, while the Parliament budget session starts on January 29. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) recommended that the budget session of Parliament to be held from January 29 to February 15. While the Union Budget will be presented on February 1, the second part of the budget session will be from March 8 to April 8. President, Ram Nath Kovind will address both Houses of Parliament on January 29. All COVID-19 protocols will be in place and both houses will function for 4 hours each. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister led Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs will meet. This would be followed by the full Cabinet meet tomorrow at 10.35 am. NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("Restaurant Brands" or the "Company") (NYSE: QSR). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Restaurant Brands and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On October 28, 2019, Restaurant Brands announced disappointing financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. Among other issues, the Company reported a 0.1% system-wide year-over-year sales decline for its Tim Hortons brandrepresenting a 1.4% same-store sales declineon system-wide sales of $1.774 billion. On this news, Restaurant Brands' stock price fell $2.59 per share, or approximately 4%, to close at $65.86 per share on October 28, 2019. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com BEACON FALLS A 24-year-old Valley resident has been identified as the man killed after he was ejected from his car when it plunged more than 50 feet off Route 8 and landed on its roof below the highway, police said. Jonathan Vasquez, of Lafayette Street, in Derby was killed in the crash that occurred around 1 p.m. Monday. Volunteer firefighters were dispatched to the area of Cold Spring Road and Lopus Road Extension, according to the Beacon Hose Company No. 1. Officials said a man fishing in the Naugatuck River was the first to report the crash to first responders and to alert them that the vehicle had fallen from Route 8 onto the railroad tracks below the highway. The drop was about 50 to 75 feet, officials said. The first arriving fire officials, Chief Brian DeGeorge, arrived on scene and confirmed a single-vehicle crash. The Connecticut State Police accident report indicated that Vasquez was driving a Honda Accord on Route 8 north about one mile north of Exit 23 in Beacon Falls when he lost control for an unknown reason and veered off the road to the right. Vasquez crossed into the grass shoulder where he hit and went over the metal beam guardrail, the report said. About 100 feet of guardrail was damaged by the crash, according to the state police report. Vasquezs car traveled down the embankment, crossed both travel lanes of Cold Spring Road and continued down another embankment, the report said. At the bottom of the second embankment, the car flipped over the railroad tracks and landed on its roof and Vasquez was ejected, the report said. Fire officials said Vasquez was on a full trauma alert en route to the hospital with serious injuries. Medics rushed him to Waterbury Hospital, where he died from his injuries, state police said. Photos from the scene shared by fire officials showed Vasquezs car resting on its roof, completely totaled, near the bank of the river. Railroad transportation was halted until about 6 p.m., resuming once first responders cleared from the scene and officials confirmed no damaged was done to the tracks. Metro-North Railroad said the 1:03 p.m. train from Waterbury train number 6937 was delayed at Naugatuck because of the incident. Route 8 north was closed between exits 23 and 25 as crews investigated. Traffic on the highways northbound lanes was diverted off Exit 23. Fire units cleared from the scene around 1:45 p.m. The highway reopened to traffic shortly after 4 p.m. State police said no enforcement action has been taken. The accident remains under investigation. Any witnesses are asked to call Troop I in Bethany at 203-393-4200. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reportedly been selling off his shares in Intels, a company he co-founded with an Italian national Gabriele Volpi, to provide integrated logistics services for Nigerias maritime, oil and gas sectors. Intels signed an agreement with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in 2010 to collect revenue on behalf of the federal government agency on some port operations, but there has been many issues from the deal on grounds of alleged illegalities. In a statement released on Monday January 4 by his spokesman Paul Ibe, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party accused the federal government of going after his business. Insisting that there should be a marked difference between politics and business, Atiku added that he is redirecting his investment to other sectors of the economy for returns and creation of jobs. The statement read; Co-founder of Integrated Logistics Services Nigeria Limited (Intels), Atiku Abubakar, has been selling his shares in Intels over the years. It assumed greater urgency in the last five years, because this Government has been preoccupied with destroying a legitimate business that was employing thousands of Nigerians because of politics. He has sold his shares in Intels and redirected his investment to other sectors of the economy for returns and creation of jobs. Source: LIB Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video For elected officials in the U.S. House and Senate to try to undo a valid presidential election by demanding legal legitimate votes be thrown out so their preferred candidate can stay in the White House is treason. Joe Biden won the election, winning both the Electoral College and popular vote by large margins. The disgusting behavior of the Republican Party up until this point, with the exception of very few members of Congress, is abhorrent and shocking. Are they aware that their oath is to the Constitution and not a would-be king? Do they know the people vote and they just certify? Whatever hold the current occupant has over these traitors has alluded me for four years and is mystifying to this day. I know that Trump got a lot of votes, but Biden got more, and it is a fact the one with more votes wins. When Hillary Clinton lost the Electoral College, though she won the popular vote, Democrats were told to suck it up, you lost. Well, right back at you. Trump lost and you have to get used to it. There was no dishonesty. People are tired of a president who tweets his way through major decisions and frankly knows very little about how the government works. So get used to it, Biden is the next president, fair and square, and will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. Members of Congress need to stop objecting to a free and fair election, live up to their constitutional obligation and congratulate Biden. Peggy Lehman Hampton Loading the player... Centre-farmers' talks inconclusive; next meeting on January 8 as agitation continues The seventh round of talks between protesting unions and three central ministers ended inconclusively on Monday, January 4, as farmer leaders insisted on the repeal of the three contentious farm laws right from the beginning, even as the government listed various benefits from the Acts. The next meeting will take place on January 8, farmer leaders said. GST compensation shortfall: Centre releases 10th instalment of Rs 6,000 crore to states The Ministry of Finance on Monday said it has released the tenth weekly instalment of Rs 6,000 crore to the states to meet the GST compensation shortfall. Out of this, an amount of Rs 5,516.60 crore has been released to 23 states and an amount of Rs 483.40 crore has been released to three union territories (UT) with Legislative Assembly (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir and Puducherry) who are members of the GST Council. Google employees form workers' union in United States More than 200 Google employees in the United States have formed a workers' union, the elected leaders of the union wrote in a New York Times opinion piece on Monday.The "Alphabet Workers Union" aims to ensure that employees work at a fair wage, without fear of abuse, retaliation or discrimination, the union heads wrote. UK researchers worried coronavirus vaccines may not work on South African COVID-19 variant Scientists are not fully confident that COVID-19 vaccines will work on a new variant of the coronavirus found in South Africa, ITV's political editor said on Monday, citing an unidentified scientific adviser to the British government. Both Britain and South Africa have discovered new, more infectious variants in the coronavirus in recent weeks that have driven a surge in cases. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday he was now very worried about the strand found in South Africa. Tesla shares open 2021 at record high Tesla Inc shares rose to a record high in the first trading session of 2021, extending last year's more than eight-fold surge that helped it become the world's most valuable carmaker. The stock's meteoric rise was supported by five straight quarters of profit, which helped the electric-car maker stand out in the global auto industry that has been witnessing a slump in sales, quarterly losses and supply chain disruptions. Saudi Arabia has welcomed fellow Gulf nations to a summit after finally ending its three-year embargo of Qatar. The leaders signed a declaration on Tuesday in the kingdom to mark a new page in relations following the blockade that deeply divided the region. Mohammed bin Salman even embraced Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani as he arrived at the summit. The Saudi decision to open its air space and borders to Qatar was the first major step towards ending the diplomatic crisis that began in 2017, just as the Trump administration was raising pressure on Iran. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, welcomes Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani upon his arrival to attend the Gulf Summit on Tuesday The Saudi decision to open its air space and borders to Qatar was the first major step towards ending the diplomatic crisis that began in 2017 The move was announced on Monday night, on the eve of the gathering of Gulf Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia's ancient desert city of Al-Ula today. It is unclear what, if any, concessions Qatar made before the summit, but an immediate shift in tone was palpable as one of Qatar's Al Jazeera Arabic news Twitter accounts shared photos of the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi skylines following years of critical coverage. The diplomatic breakthrough followed a final push by the outgoing Trump administration and Kuwait to mediate the dispute. It also came as Saudi Arabia seeks to unify Arab ranks ahead of the incoming administration of president-elect Joe Biden, which is expected to take a firmer stand toward the kingdom and re-engage with Iran. The leaders signed a declaration on Tuesday in the kingdom to mark a new page in relations following the blockade that deeply divided the region Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who embraced Qatar's emir on his arrival at the summit, said the region needed to unite and face challenges posed by Iran's proxies and its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. He said the declaration signed by Gulf leaders and Egypt 'emphasises Arab and Gulf solidarity and stability, and reinforces the continuity of friendship and brotherhood between our countries'. The four countries that jointly boycotted Qatar - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain - were hoping their embargo and media blitz would pressure it to end its close relations with Turkey and Iran. Egypt and the UAE view the support by Qatar and Turkey of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood as a security threat. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are primarily concerned about Qatar's ties with Iran. The boycott failed to change Doha's stance, instead buoying its young ruler domestically as patriotic fervour swept through Qatar in support of his resolve. It also pushed Qatar closer to Turkey and Iran, which rushed to support the ultra-wealthy Gulf state as it faced medical and food supply shortages in the first days of the embargo. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the region needed to unite and face challenges posed by Iran's proxies While the Saudi decision to end its embargo marks a milestone in resolving the dispute, the path towards reconciliation is far from guaranteed. The rift between Abu Dhabi and Doha has been deepest, with the UAE and Qatar at sharp ideological odds. UAE foreign affairs minister Anwar Gargash tweeted late on Monday that his country was keen to restore Gulf unity but cautioned: 'We have more work to do.' The presence of Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the summit marked the first time he has attended the Gulf Co-operation Council meeting in Saudi Arabia since the boycott began. He sent an envoy to the past two summits there. This year, Egypt's foreign minister also attended the meeting of the six-nation council, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The meeting was chaired by the Saudi crown prince rather than his father, King Salman. 75 people who returned from the UK yet to be traced: Karnataka Health Min India oi-Briti Roy Barman Bengaluru, Jan 05: As many as 75 people, who recently returned from the UK where a new COVID-19 variant has emerged, are yet to be traced in Karnataka, state Health Minister Dr Sudhakar K said on Monday. Of these, 70 are from areas within Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits. "Foreign nationals are also there...Their details have been collected from immigration department," Sudhakar added. Locating 72 returnees among the 75 has been difficult since they gave their overseas contact number said the minister. The rest submitted addresses of their country of origin. Sudhakar told that he was in touch with the concerned authorities tracking the 75 UK returnees who have been missing since the campaign to detect, trace and treat was launched 10 days ago. "The matter needs meticulous investigation and they [Home Dept. and BBMP authorities] need more time. The returnees need to understand we (the government) are trying to help," he explained. "We have approached immigration authorities and they have assisted us in every way possible. Most of the details furnished by missing passengers are incomplete. We are trying our best to locate them." The total number of Covid positive among UK returnees reached 48, and of these 34 are those who returned from the UK, while 14 are their primary or secondary contacts who tested Covid-19 positive. Only ten among them were infected with SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News Earlier, the minister said Sudhakar said, "It is expected that vaccine may be available in January itself and this dry run will help us to implement the vaccination drive later. The Union Health Minister has said that all corona warriors will be administered vaccines in the first phase free of cost. Centre will issue detailed guidelines and SOPs for vaccination. All necessary infrastructures like cold storage, logistics, and manpower are being arranged. We will use the existing infrastructure and centre will augment the additional infrastructure." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 12:03 [IST] Gen. Gustave Perna may look familiar to those who watch television or generally follow the news. Perna, a four-star general, is the chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, the program initiated by the U.S. government to facilitate and accelerate the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. As such, he frequently appears in the public eye to give updates and talk about the program. Perna also has a connection to Aiken. His mother, Ritchie Weldon-Samples, lives in Houndslake. She said Perna has visited Aiken frequently and that he and his wife, Susan, enjoy vacationing in the city. Perna was born in Naples, Italy, at the Naval hospital in 1960, as his father, the late Gustave Perna, was working at the Department of Defense's overseas schools in the area. Perna has been educated across the United States, earning degrees from the University of Maryland, Florida Institute of Technology and Valley Forge Military Academy, where he graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Infantry Officer. Having been in the Army for 39 years, Perna has held many titles, including the U.S. Army's deputy chief of staff, G-4, where he oversaw policies and procedures used by Army logistic personnel across the world, from 2014-2016; commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, which is the primary provider of material to the Army, from 2016 to 2020; and other various command assignments. In May 2020, Perna was named COO of Operation Warp Speed. The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination on July 2, and he took office shortly after. In a statement from that day, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said of Perna, "With experience as Commander of the Armys Materiel Command (AMC), Gen. Perna is exceptionally well qualified to help lead this historic operation to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 medical countermeasures." Over the course of his military career, Perna has received multiple awards and decorations, including the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal. With the COVID-19 vaccine produced, Operation Warp Speed is now working to distribute it so that citizens can start receiving the shot. As of Jan. 2, around 13 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been distributed across the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with around 4 million of those doses being administered. As of Jan. 3, South Carolina had received around 112,000 vaccine doses, and around 42,500 have been administered, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The Maharashtra government has demanded free Covid-19 vaccination for the poor. The state government has said it would raise the issue during a video conference with the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) on January 7. State health minister Rajesh Tope said on Tuesday that people below the poverty line cannot afford the vaccine even if its two doses are priced at Rs500 and so, the Centre should bear the cost for them. People below the poverty line, persons with comorbidity and population above 60 years should be given the vaccine for free. We are going to raise this demand during our conference with the MoHFW on Thursday. Though there is no clarity on it as yet, we believe that it has been made free for health workers, frontline workers by the Centre. The poor people too should get it for free, he said. Also read | 10 states with most number of fresh Covid-19 infections Tope said that epidemic diseases and their handling is the responsibility of the Centre and the state has followed all its instructions and protocol right from the beginning of the outbreak. For the past three months, the Centre has not been providing us equipment like ventilators, RT-PCR kits, and tablets like Remdesivir and Tocilozumab. The state has borne the expense of making them available through public health services...We have also been bearing the establishment cost for the drive including training of the vaccinators, storage of the vaccine. Now, the Centre should take the responsibility of cost of the vaccine for the poor, he added. The health minister said that the state is going to conduct dry run for vaccination in all the 36 districts, including Mumbai, on January 8. Maharashtra is all set for the vaccination, which we expect to be rolled out in the next 8-10 days. We have a cold chain system in place, 16,000 vaccinators have been trained and are ready for the drive. 780,000 health care workers have already been registered on CoWIN app, while people from other categories, like frontline workers, are being registered by the respective departments. We are all set to roll out the programme once it is announced by the Centre. We expect the release of the vaccine doses by the Centre in proportion of the registrations done, Tope said. He said that in the wake of the second strain of the virus found in some of the UK returnees in Maharashtra, the state has decided to strictly follow the quarantine protocol. As per the new guidelines, asymptomatic passengers found with second stain of virus will have to go through 14 to 21 days of the quarantine. A baby girl has died after she was allegedly shaken so hard by her professional poker player father she suffered catastrophic brain injuries. Four-month-old Aleaha passed away on December 27, three months after her father, Juan Daniel Visagie, assaulted the child at his south Perth house leaving her 'severely disabled', police allege. Visagie, 25, has been behind bars since September, charged with causing grievous bodily harm, with prosecutors opposing bail over concerns he would harass the key witness - the baby's mother. A medical exam after she was rushed to hospital showed the 30-day-old baby suffered severe injuries including bruising on her chest - allegedly at the hands of his father (pictured) Juan Daniel Visagie (pictured) was charged with grievous bodily harm over the injuries his daughter received which could be amended to more serious charges WA Detectives are now looking into upgrading the charges against Visagie pending a review of medical information and a post-mortem. Among the medical information to be reviewed is an examination conducted on September 4 after Aleaha was rushed from the suburb of Gosnells to Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital by Visagie and the girl's mother. Staff are understood to have found bruising on the child's chest and body during the examination and determined her injuries to be life-threatening. In an October hearing, where Visagie was denied bail from Hakea Prison, the court heard he had a history of charges connected to domestic violence, reports The West Australian. He had also breached a previous police order involving the girl's mother and breached protective bail for a different matter involving another young woman. His defence lawyer has previously claimed his client would be fighting the charges but he is yet to make a formal plea. 'I have had preliminary discussions with two medical experts and other hypothesis (for the cause of the baby's injuries) were raised,' lawyer Clayton Woodhouse said. Prosecutors successfully opposed bail and told the court Visagie had already tried to contact the girl's mother from jail by phone calls and social media. She recently jetted off to South Africa for a New Year's break with three-year-old daughter Sunday and pals. And Ferne McCann certainly made the most of sunnier climes as she slipped into a lilac bikini while leaving her Cape Town hotel with pal Carl Cunard this week. The former TOWIE star, 30, looked incredible as she showed off her trim physique in the swimwear as she seemingly headed for a day out in the city. Looking good: Ferne McCann made the most of sunnier climes as she slipped into a lilac bikini while leaving her Cape Town hotel with pal Carl Cunard this week Ferne teamed her purple bikini top with a leopard print sarong and orange flip-flops as she made her way down the steps with her friend. She kept her look simple for the outing, she swept her caramel tresses up into a dishevelled topknot, while going make-up free. The TV personality carried a child's life jacket while Carl held onto a pink bucket, indicating that the group may have been heading off to the beach. Ferne took to her Instagram stories on Monday where she gave a further glimpse of her luxury getaway, with one picture showing Sunday splashing around in the swimming pool. Heading out: The former TOWIE star, 30, looked incredible as she showed off her trim physique in the swimwear as she seemingly headed for a day out in the city While another saw the tot enjoying her surroundings as Ferne filmed around their incredible accommodation. The group also headed on a safari where they came across a very intimate moment between two lions during mating season. Their relaxing day time comes after Ferne and her pals worked up a sweat after hiking up Lion's Head mountain in Cape Town on Monday. The TV star showed off her gym-honed physique as she donned an orange crop top which she paired with matching leggings. Loving life: Ferne took to her Instagram stories on Monday where she gave a further glimpse of her luxury getaway, with one picture showing Sunday splashing around in the swimming pool Holiday fun: While another saw the tot enjoying her surroundings as Ferne filmed around their incredible accommodation Do not disturb: The group also headed on a safari where they came across a very intimate moment between two lions during mating season Ferne showed off several snaps from their three-hour hike in which she and her friends took it in turns to carry little Sunday up the mountain. It comes after Ferne declared she 'can't wait to get married and have babies' as she looks forward to 2021 after going public with her new man, hunky model Jack Padgett. Ferne told MailOnline: '100% I would love to have more kids, I really want to grow my family. 'I am very happy and content at the moment, but the other day I started to feel broody. I saw a pregnant woman in the supermarket and it set me off! Keeping fit: Their relaxing day time comes after Ferne and her pals worked up a sweat after hiking up Lion's Head mountain in Cape Town on Monday Fun day: Ferne showed off several snaps from their three-hour hike in which she and her friends took it in turns to carry little Sunday up the mountain 'I started to get that feeling again, honestly, I would love to be pregnant, I love that cosy feeling of growing a baby inside you. 'It is crazy and a bit alien but it was an amazing experience that I would love to have again. 'I'm open to love and I can't wait to meet the one, have kids, get married and run off into the sunset! But there wasn't much dating going on for me last year because of the pandemic.' Ferne was spotted getting close to model Jack earlier this week during her winter break to Cape Town. While she is yet to confirm or deny a possible romance with the hunk, she stated that her personal growth in recent years has changed her taste in men. Growing family? Ferne said she has 'started to feel broody and would love more kids' as she opened up to MailOnline about the future (pictured with Sunday) The mother-of-one added: 'I think turning 30 was a really big moment for me. I'll be honest, I had a little wobble and then I was cool with it, and then I went back to "ah I'm an adult now." 'I feel really content with my life but there's definitely things I do now that I wouldn't have done in my twenties. You do change, you just mature and have new goals. 'I talk about my behaviour patterns in therapy, to identify them and therapeutically work through them. I have taken a long hard look at myself in order to do some self improvement, but I see that as a positive not negative.' On Monday, nine Bangladeshi nationals, including three minors were apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel while they were trying to cross the international border in Nadia district of West Bengal. BSF handed over the individuals to Bangladesh authorities as a gesture of goodwill. "The jawans posted at the border outpost Kumari received specific input from the force's intelligence branch regarding illegal migration from Bangladesh. Around 3 am, the vigilant troops observed suspicious movement and found nine Bangladeshi nationals trying to cross into India", said BSF in a statement. READ | Secret Tunnel Connecting India & Bangladesh Found In Assam's Karimganj During Rescue Ops Identities of the Bangladeshi migrants were revealed after BSF Jawans questioned them at border outpost Kumari. According to the BSF, the Bangladeshi nationals identified themselves as Taniya Khatoon (25), Moni Rani Nath (28), Rashi Nani Nath (8), Nilu Haldar (20), Purnima Sarkar (16), Anjali Rani Nath (50), Ruma Gazi (27), Md Bilal (8) and Paritosh Rai (25). READ | Bangladesh, India Consolidate Bilateral Ties In 2020 Amidst Challenges Posed By COVID-19 One of the apprehended migrants, Nilu Haldar in her statement mentioned that she was trying to enter India for the first time in order to marry Paritosh Rai who had been living here for over a decade. "Purnima Sarkar said that she was also coming to India to marry the son of her maternal aunt. Taniya Khatoon said she wanted to look for labour in Mumbai while Moni Rani Nath claimed she was on her way to meet her parents who live in West Bengal's Chatra. Similarly, Anjali Rani Nath was trying to enter India to meet her daughter who lives in Bengal and Ruma Gazi was on her way to meet her husband in Karnataka," BSF said. READ | Protests Held In Bangladesh's Dhaka Over Activist Karima Baloch's Alleged Assassination The apprehended Bangladeshi nationals informed the BSF personnel that they were entering India with the help of an Indian named Ravi who hails from Bangaon in West Bengal. Three mobile phones and 1,430 Bangladeshi Taka recovered by the BSF personnel from the nine individuals were handed over to the Border Guard Bangladesh. READ | Bangladesh Pays Tribute To Indian Army Heroes Who Fought 1971 Liberation War, 50 Years On (With ANI Inputs) Chinese jets made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan's defence zone last year, a defence official said Tuesday, as a military-linked think-tank warned tensions were now at their highest since the mid-1990s. Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it one day, by force if necessary. Beijing's animosity has increased dramatically since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen won election in 2016, as she rejects the idea that the island is part of "one China". But the sabre-rattling reached new peaks last year as Beijing sent jets, bombers and surveillance planes into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) at an unprecedented rate. "The 380 incursions into our southwest ADIZ in 2020 are a lot more frequent than the past," said defence ministry spokesman Shih Shun-wen. "This... poses a threat to regional and our national security." Chinese aircraft targeted the area "to test our military's response, to exert pressure on our aerial defence and to squeeze the aerial space for our activities", he added. The figures came as the military-affiliated Institute for National Defence and Security Research warned in an annual report on the People's Liberation Army that "the Chinese military threat was the highest since the 1996 missile crisis in Taiwan Strait". That year Beijing fired missiles into the strait in a bid to deter voters in the island's first democratic presidential election, prompting Washington to send warships to the area. Jeremy Hung, a co-author of the report, said Chinese jets flew closer to Taiwan and frequently into its defence zone on at least 110 days last year. This compared with just six long-distance training missions around Taiwan in 2016, and 20 in 2017. Beijing's increased military actions were meant as "a warning to Taiwan not to cross the red line" amid warming relations with the United States, Hung said. Story continues Chinese jets also crossed over the so-called "median line" of the Taiwan Strait during two high-level visits by US officials. The median line is an unofficial but, until now, largely adhered to border running down the narrow strait separating Taiwan from the mainland. Last year a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman declared the line did not exist. Beijing has also been angered by the increasingly warm ties Taiwan built with Washington during outgoing President Donald Trump's tenure. On top of the high-level visits, his administration approved some $18 billion worth of arms sales to Taipei, while US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait 13 times last year, according to local media. aw/jta/fox The coronavirus has parents and school leaders anxious and cautious as schools reopen for the first time in 2021. A handful of districts, including Port Arthur ISD, returned on Monday with a more students attending in-person than it has had this school year. Our first day back has gone well, district spokesperson Kristyn Cathey told The Enterprise. We saw an increase with in-person instruction today. Cathey said that while there is always a concern for a post-holiday surge in cases, our hope is that our students and staff took the steps necessary to keep themselves and their families safe while our district was closed. Surging cases already have caused one district, Jasper ISD, to transition to online. The district did not provide an exact number of cases, but said a number of its employees were either in quarantine for exposure or positive with the virus. We received word that active cases in our county jumped to over 230, and have numerous staff either positive or quarantined, Jasper ISD Superintendent John Seybold said in a post on social media. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, Jasper ISD will move to at-home learning for at least January 4-8. Thank you for your patience as we strive to keep all students and staff safe while focusing on providing the best education for all our students. Some parents responded to the announcement with confusion over how to log in online. I dont mind doing the at-home learning, but I wish our schools would have better instructions, Patricia Hancock, who has two children in the district, told The Enterprise. They said they went over it with the kids but it is a little confusing how it is set up. Hancock, as well as other parents, worry about missing work to take care of the kids, although they are fearful of their children getting the virus. It is much easier for them to be in school than at home learning, she said. But their safety is number one and Id much rather them be at home safe if the numbers are up and a lot of teachers or students are coming up positive. Other parents have been online since the start of the school year due to high numbers of cases. April Duhon is one of those parents, and said she anticipated the rest of the district would return to virtual learning eventually. It is a bit rough in the beginning figuring out the flow and the process where you find assignments and how you submit them but after you get it down it runs smooth, Duhon said. If you are familiar with the technology, it is not too hard to figure out. If not, then the teachers will usually help. Little Cypress-Mauriceville ISD also returned Monday, and saw an uptick in enrollment. Monday ended in 94.23%, whereas 2020 ended at 94.19%. A growing number of districts, including Hardin-Jefferson ISD, are ending virtual learning programs this semester, requiring all students to return to campus or enroll in another school. Students at Bob Hope Schools in Beaumont and Port Arthur could soon face a similar in-person mandate if failing rates do not fall below 15%, according to a letter sent home to parents last month. This letter serves to notify you that at the end of the 3rd six weeks, if our failure rate does not come down to at least 15% of all students working remotely, then we will cease with remote learning with the start of the 4th six weeks, Bob Hope Elementary Principal John McLendon said in a written statement to parents. As students and staff return to campus across the region, more will be able to take rapid coronavirus tests by appointment at a growing number of campuses through a collaboration between the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Education Agency. Kirbyville ISD is among the latest to offer the tests. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes In an interview with pv magazine, Indra Overland, head of the Center for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, explains how international hydrogen strategies may play out in the upcoming decades. Plans and roadmaps will not be enough to turn a hydrogen economy into reality and its success will depend on becoming cost-competitive vis-a-vis other solutions in several areas, he says.pv magazine: Prof. Overland, this year we have seen a large number of governments, industrial conglomerates and big corporations announce new plans or strategies to make hydrogen into a ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. French forward Lys Mousset of Sheffield United is one supercar short after his orange Lamborghini Aventador was wrecked in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Photos of the wreck first emerged on social media, with the police confirming for the BBC that two people were arrested in the aftermath.Two men in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of being over the prescribed limit. Both have been released under investigation while inquiries continue, the official statement says.The official line is that the Lamborghini Aventador smashed into several parked cars. No other details were revealed at this time.It is not known whether Mousset was at the wheel but, for what its worth, he is 24 years old. His social media posts indicate that he was understandably attached to the car, often posing next to it like every respectable and well-off celebrity out there.As per the report, the emergence of the photos of the crash on social media have prompted an internal investigation with Sheffield United. Mousset himself would not respond to calls for comment, and his Instagram is now private.Mousset joined Sheffield from Bournemouth last summer, under a 10 million ($13.5 million) deal. He makes 25,000 ($34,000) a week and is a budding car collector, based on his social media posts.Ironically, a recent photo has him showing off his orange Aventador next to Benjamin Mendys white Aventador. As a reminder, the latter is the same Lambo seized by cops in November and was in danger of being crushed in December because Mendy couldn't provide documentation for it. If there ever was a pair of unlucky Lambos, this must be it. Egypts tourism sector is eying a gradual recovery after revenues plunged by nearly 70% to $4 billion in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tourism minister and travel companies said. The number of tourists visiting Egypt sank to 3.5 million last year from 13.1 million in 2019, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany told Reuters. Foreign occupancy rates in Egyptian hotels dropped to just 10-15% of 2019 levels. Tourism accounts for up to 15% of Egypts national output, and is a key source of foreign currency. Officials have been unveiling new archaeological discoveries in an effort to revive visitor numbers, and hope the delayed opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum next to the pyramids, expected later this year, will help the sector recover. The goal right now is not to count the number of tourists but to have it be said that Egypt is a safe tourist destination during the coronavirus pandemic, said Enany. Of 1,200 hotels, 700 have licenses to operate under current health restrictions, said Enany. Egypt plans to start Covid-19 vaccinations this month after approving Chinas Sinopharm vaccine, but it was unclear how quickly the programme could be rolled out. In 2021, with the vaccine, the recovery will be incremental, said Mohamed Farouq, chief executive of travel agency Egypt Express. It will be slow ... until this virus is totally controlled. On Sunday, Egypts central bank extended waivers on debt interest payments for tourist companies and other businesses until the end of June. After a second wave of infections in Egypt in December, even bookings that had been postponed were cancelled, said Elhamy Mostafa of Emeco Travel. We know that the problem isnt only Egypt, the tourist cannot travel. Or if he comes back home, he will have to quarantine, said Mostafa. This problem will persist. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Champaign, IL (61820) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies late. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 07:40:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KIEV, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian marines from the Island-class patrol boats' crews will undergo a 10-week training course in Baltimore, U.S. state of Maryland, reported the Ministry of Defence's press service on its official website on Monday. Ukrainian boat crews will work directly in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, in the Atlantic Ocean, and will learn to operate the main engines, diesel generators, onboard navigation systems, and other boat equipment. The first two Island-class patrol boats joined Ukraine's Navy in November 2019. The boats are already successfully performing tasks in the Black Sea region. The United States plans to provide Ukraine with an additional three boats of this class by the middle of this year. After the boats acquire all the necessary capabilities, a full-fledged division of Island-class patrol boats will be created within the Ukrainian Navy by the end of this year. Enditem Despite all the buzz about green technology mitigating man-made environmental problems, the only way for human consumption to become sustainable is to rein in wealthy consumers. If 2020 teaches us anything, it's that the next crisis is likely right around the corner, and could be prevented, or at least contained, if we act swiftly. A pandemic that scientists long warned was likely to occur, occurred, and has already killed well over 240,000 people in the U.S. Dozens of large wildfires the latest evidence of the climate emergency are torching the American West, their smoke more damaging to health than almost any fire season on record. These words, written by Edwin S. Rubenstein, mark the start of his new work titled Will Affluence Ruin the Environment? Published by Negative Population Growth, Inc., the paper seeks to flush out the role of the globally affluent for their part in the degradation of the environment while paying close attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rubenstein initiates his discourse by referencing a recent study in the academic journal Nature Communications, noting their warning that despite all the buzz about green technology mitigating man-made environmental problems, the only way for human consumption to become sustainable is to rein in wealthy consumers. In other words, those affluent enough to regularly consume resources will need to disengage their dependencies to counteract the detrimental effects of consumerism on the environment. Rubenstein comments further on affluence, explaining: Most people living in developed countries fit into this category, meaning you dont have to consider yourself rich in order to be globally affluent. Even poor people in the U.S. and other wealthy countries have a disproportionately large and unsustainable resource footprint compared to the global average. Add to the mix the unavoidable reality that super affluent powerful business owners have a vested interest in promoting a high consumption, high population growth, economy and whats left is a system focused on consumerism without regard to long-term sustainability. After establishing who is considered affluent and the harm caused by consumerism, Rubenstein relates how policies enacted in direct response to the COVID-19 crisis have affected the environment, saying: Government policies during the COVID pandemic drastically altered patterns of energy demand around the world. International borders were closed and populations were confined to their homes, which reduced transport and changed energy consumption patternsresearchers estimate that global fossil fuel emissions for all of 2020 will be 4% to 7% lower than 2019. If this holds, it will be several times larger than the decline seen in 2009 after the global finance crisis. While some social scientists have expressed the long-term benefits of the pandemic, Rubenstein cautions: In a perfect world, mainstream economists would joinin warning policymakers of the dangers of over-stimulating the economy. Unfortunately, conventional economists measure economic progress with data biased toward growth...Mainstream economists reject the very notion of limits to growth. In their view, all shortages are temporary, and can be eliminated by allowing prices to rise. Technological progress, according to the mainstreamers, is capable of overcoming any scarcity faced on earth. Rubenstein concludes his work, reviewing the effects of affluence on the environment and what needs to happen to move forward sustainably into the future, stating: For more than a century growth in affluence, and in the number of people living in affluent circumstances, increased resource use and greenhouse gas emissions faster than technological progress reduced them. A meaningful transition to sustainability will require far-reaching lifestyle changes as well as continued technological progressA few months of world-wide economic lockdown did more for the environment than decades of technological progress. But this is a Band-Aid. The global economy must re-open soon. A balanced strategy of economic moderation plus global population reduction is needed for long term stability. Founded in 1972, NPG is a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to educating the American public and political leaders regarding the damaging effects of population growth. We believe that our nation is already vastly overpopulated in terms of the long-range carrying capacity of its resources and environment. NPG advocates the adoption of its Proposed National Population Policy, with the goal of eventually stabilizing U.S. population at a sustainable level far lower than todays. We do not simply identify the problems we propose solutions. For more information, visit our website at NPG.org, follow us on Facebook @NegativePopulationGrowth or follow us on Twitter @npg_org. Berlin, Jan 5 : The coronavirus crisis in 2020 ended a 14-year streak of job growth in Germany, which also continued during the global economic and financial crisis, the country's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said. The number of people in employment with place of work in Germany decreased by 1.1 per cent year-on-year to around 44.8 million people, Xinhua news agency quoted Destatis as saying in a statement on Monday. "Employment in Germany fell for the first time since 2005," Holger Schaefer, senior economist for employment and unemployment at the German Economic Institute (IW), told Xinhua on Monday. "At the same time, this was the sharpest decline since 1993," he added. In Germany's service sector, the number of employees in 2020 fell by 2 per cent in trade, transport and hospitality and by 2.5 per cent in business services, including labour leasing, according to Destatis. Meanwhile, employment in public services, education and health in Germany increased by 1.4 per cent, it said. In industry, the number of people in employment declined by 2.3 per cent to around 8.2 million in 2020. The construction industry continued to provide "positive contributions" to the country's labour market with an increase of 0.7 per cent to around 2.6 million people in employment. The overall development in employment in Germany last year was "almost entirely driven by the coronavirus pandemic despite a previously emerging recession", said Schaefer. As shown by the unemployment figures, which only increased slightly, the labour market in Germany remained stable. AKRON, Ohio A man is being held in jail on several charges after police say he beat a woman with a pan and a can during a robbery last week. Doneire Love, 30, was arrested at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday as he got out of a car on the 1100 block of Patapsco Place in the Firestone Park neighborhood, police say. He is being held in the Summit County Jail on charges of felonious assault, robbery and a parole violation. The 56-year-old victim tells police she was at her residence on Dec. 29 when a relative of one of her friends knocked on the door at about 5:15 p.m. The male suspect asked the woman to make a phone call for him, police say. The man then said the victim owed him money, leading to an argument, according to police. The woman told the suspect she didnt have any money. The man then assaulted the woman, using a pan and a can, causing cuts on her head, police say. The man left the residence with unspecified items belonging to the woman, police say. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Dominos teen delivery driver robbed at gunpoint in Akron Cuyahoga County Jail officer fired after admitting he smuggled drugs for inmates, records say Brook Park man killed in Cleveland during argument between drivers Bob Evans customer talking politics throws mask & hand sanitizer at restaurant staff in Brook Park Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 00:23:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad met with Pakistan's Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday and discussed the Afghan peace process, the military said. The meeting came ahead of the resumption of intra-Afghan negotiations in Qatar that will focus on reduction of violence and a ceasefire in conflict-stricken Afghanistan. The Taliban and an Afghan government's negotiating team had announced a three-week break last month for consultations with their leadership. They were scheduled to resume talks on Tuesday. An army statement said Khalilzad met the Pakistan army chief and other military leaders at the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi and discussed matters of mutual interest including overall regional security situation with particular reference to ongoing Afghan reconciliation process. "Both reaffirmed the commitment towards the common goal of peace and stability in the region and agreed on continued engagement at multiple levels," the statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said. Enditem BAY CITY, MI A decade after robbing a Bay City adult bookstore, a 32-year-old man is newly charged with holding up a party store. Jeramie J. Griffin was arraigned Monday, Jan. 4, in Bay County District Court on single counts of armed robbery, carrying a concealed weapon and larceny in a building. The most serious charge is armed robbery, a conviction of which is punishable by up to life in prison. The other two charges are five- and four-year felonies, respectively. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly set Griffins bond at $150,000 cash-surety. Police allege Griffin on New Years Eve robbed the 7-Eleven at 1510 Kosciuszko Ave. in Bay Citys South End. The stores clerk told responding Bay City public safety officers that a masked and hooded man had entered the business, pulled out a knife and demanded money. The clerk gave the robber money in one- and five-dollar bills, as well as a pack of Newport cigarettes, she told police. The robber then left the store on foot. No one was physically injured during the incident, police have said. Within minutes of the holdup, Hampton Township public safety officers located Griffin several blocks from the 7-Eleven and detained him. They found $72 on him in small bills and an unopened pack of Newports, according to reports contained in court records. Taken to police headquarters and interviewed, police allege Griffin said he was high, did not know what happened and had not been to the 7-Eleven. He said he works two jobs and is only three months from completing his term of parole. When police confronted him with surveillance camera photos of the robber, Griffin reiterated he was not the culprit and denied any wrongdoing, reports show. A 7-Eleven manager determined the stores tills were $70 short. That amount and the Newport pack police seized from Griffin were returned to the store. Griffin went to prison a decade ago for robbing the former Ace Adult Video at 210 Third St. in downtown Bay City in October 2009. Griffin brandished a knife and made off with $376 in cash and several pornographic DVDs in that case. After Griffin pleaded guilty to armed robbery, then-Bay County Circuit Judge Kenneth W. Schmidt in March 2010 sentenced Griffin to 96 to 240 months in prison. The Michigan Department of Corrections paroled Griffin on Aug. 20, 2019. The agency listed Griffin as a parole absconder on Dec. 2, 2020. Ace Adult Video had been open for decades but permanently closed its doors in the summer of 2020. The same 7-Eleven Griffin is accused of robbing was previously held up on Aug. 28. In that instance, a masked man brandished a handgun and made off with about $80 and two packs of cigarettes, specifically Newport 100s. No arrests have been made in the August robbery. Griffin is to appear for a preliminary examination at 3 p.m. on Jan. 20. Read more: Bay City man arrested minutes after armed robbery of 7-Eleven Man who pleaded guilty to robbery of Bay City adult book store was desperately trying to go to prison, assistant prosecutor says Longtime Bay City adult video store closes for good Masked gunman steals cash, cigarettes in Bay City 7-Eleven robbery The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy has ceased to keep a list of websites to which it proposes to deny access in Ukraine. "The determination and publication of the list of websites that contain information that has signs of prohibition for distribution in Ukraine according to the norms of Ukrainian legislation was carried out by the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine, which today is in a state of suspension of a legal entity as a result of its liquidation," the Ministry of Culture said in its response to a request of Interfax-Ukraine. In this regard, the ministry said that at the moment they do not compile such lists. The ministry also said that the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy "conducts information security activities and cooperates with the NSDC on sites that pose a threat to the security of Ukraine." "At the same time, such a form as the 'list of sites recommended for banning,' which was used by the Ministry of Information Policy, is not used by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, since lists from ministries cannot be the basis for blocking access to the site from Internet providers," the ministry said. Internet providers in their activities regarding the blocking of sites are guided exclusively by the decisions of the NSDC, enacted by decrees of the President and decisions of the courts, the ministry said. "Currently, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy is developing a concept for combating fakes and disinformation, and is also working on a project on media literacy so that regulation is carried out in a manner defined by legislation. The draft law on media proposed for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada formulates clear criteria for regulating both traditional and online media," the ministry said. As reported, the Ministry of Information Policy on June 19, 2017, announced a list of 20 websites with recommendations to ban them in Ukraine. That list contained, in particular, such websites as Russian Spring (rusvesna.su)," Novorossia (novorossia.su), Antifascist (antifashist.com), Antimaydan (antimaydan.info), and others. In April 2018, the ministry proposed a list incorporating 21 websites banned for the use in Ukraine: dan-news.info, admin-gorlovka.ru, dnr24.su, gorlovka.today, golospravdy.com, s-narodom.ru, politnavigator.net, riafan.ru, dnr-hotline.ru, genocid.net, miaistok.su, dnr24.com, republic-tv.ru, ruskline.ru, dnipress.com, kianews24.ru, c-eho.info, crimea.ria.ru, c-inform.info, komtv.org and gazetacrimea.ru. Advertisement The second England-wide lockdown from November 5 to December 2 was severely jeopardised by the Government leaks at the end of October, which revealed the restrictions were imminent. The delay between the first leak on October 31 and the lockdown coming into force on November 5 gave the public 'five days of liberty', which they used to flock to restaurants and shops and socialise before it was outlawed. A new study has found that this grace period triggered a deluge of new infections in areas that were in Tier 1 and 2 at the time, including London, Bristol and Leicester. Case numbers and the R rate reached a peak in mid-November as a result of this due to a lag in detecting and registering new infections. But lockdown was effective when it did come into force with the infection rate and plummeting and the R rate dropping to around 0.7. However, 'much of the beneficial impact of the national lockdown was lost' due to the five-day window which saw the public mingle and increase the spread of the virus, according to researchers. Scroll down for video These graphs show infection rate (top) and R value (bottom) from October 14 to December 7 and covers the November lockdown. Both measures increased steeply in Tier 1 and Tier 2 locations as a result of the five-day grace period. The lines peak in the middle of November due to the delay in detecting all the cases caused by the five day window pre-lockdown LEEDS: People out in Leeds city centre, ahead of the November national lockdown for England. Revellers gathered in force ahead of the restrictions coming in A pre-pint published on the site medRxiv, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, analysed infection data across England for the duration of the lockdown. It found there was no surge in infections in the five-day window in Tier 3 areas, which at the time was just parts of the North-West of England, around Liverpool. 'It has been suggested that this surge of cases around the start of lockdown was due to increased socialising,' the researchers write. 'Google mobility did detect an increase in visits to non-grocery retail and leisure venues just prior to the start of lockdown in England but not in Scotland. 'Given that this early lockdown spike did not occur in Tier 3... a link to increased socialising in the days before lockdown is plausible. 'In any event, it would appear that the value of the lockdown in Tier 1 and 2 authorities was largely dissipated by this early November surge.' The researchers also draw a link from the infection rate spike to the Government leak. Whispers of a month-long November lockdown emerged first on Friday, October 31 and it was the front page of The Daily Mail that evening. At this moment only Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Michael Gove and Matt Hancock had been in discussions about the decision. Before this ministerial quad could tell the rest of the Tory party the news was leaked, infuriating politicians. At 11am Saturday morning an investigation was launched to identify the source of the leak, as it emerged the politicians intended to keep the plan under wraps until Monday. BIRMINGHAM: Friends in Birmingham enjoy a night on the town ahead of the November 5 restrictions coming in all across England NEWCASTLE: People out in Newcastle, ahead of the November national lockdown for England. There was a heavy police presence in several cities Later that day the Prime Minister, flanked by Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Chris Whitty, gave a delayed press conference revealing the plan for a second lockdown and announced it would not come into force until the following Thursday. This delay is what allowed the five-day period to emerge and, as a result, saw infections soar in Tier 1 and 2. The national lockdown came into force just three weeks after the three-tier system first came into force on October 14. Lead researcher and Covid-19 expert Professor Paul Hunter, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: 'People were instructed to stay at home except for specific purposes, non-essential retail was closed, but schools and universities remained open. 'However, news about this new lockdown was widely leaked in the last two days of October. 'This gave people almost a week of "freedom" and it seems that this window caused cases to surge.' Data from the Department of Health and Social Care was scrutinised from all the 315 local authorities in England. By tracking infections over time the researchers also calculated the change to R rate over time. Professor Hunter said: 'We found that there was a clear surge in infections from a few days before to several days after the lockdown was implemented. 'But this surge was almost exclusively associated with Tier 1 and Tier 2 authorities. In Tier 3, where hospitality venues were only allowed to operate as restaurants, there was no such surge. 'After this initial surge, cases declined in all three tiers with the R value dropping to a mean of about 0.7 across all tiers.' ALBANY -- A day after gray wolves officially came off the federal Endangered Species list, lawmakers in New York are urging the state to keep the canines on the list here, even though theyve been extinct in the Empire State for decades. Retaining them on the states endangered list could help protect potential habitat for the animals should they make a comeback or be imported into the state at some point. We certainly wanted to put our concerns on the record, Long Island Sen. Todd Kaminsky said of the letter he wrote with his fellow Long Islander Steve Englebright to state Environmental Commissioner Basil Seggos on Tuesday. Both Democrats chair their respective chambers environmental committees. In addition to keeping wolves on the list, they also want to keep the eastern cougar, hawksbill sea turtle, and humpback whale on the New York State Endangered Species list as well. And they want to retain the osprey, Coopers hawk, and sharp-shinned hawk on the species of special concern list. We also ask that you ensure climate change considerations are included as part of the review process, adds the letter. We certainly think if they want to be there it would benefit the area, Kaminsky said of wolves, which historically inhabited parts of northern New York such as the Adirondacks but were hunted to extinction in the state in the 19th century. Conservationists agree, especially since wolves came off the federal list on Monday, as part of a Trump Administration plan to reduce the number of protected species. They first spoke up about a year ago when Seggos said they were looking at updating the list -- a process that is ongoing. Protection on New York's state endangered species list is even more important now that gray wolves have lost federal Endangered Species Act protection, said Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director and senior attorney at the Center for Biodiversity. Wolves still remain in parts of Canada, notably in the Algonquin National Park in Ontario. Thats 120 miles from the New York border, which is the dispersal distance, or ability of a species to travel from one habitat to another, noted Adkins. The lawmakers in their letter note that there have been sightings of wolves in northern New York and they referenced an eastern cougar spotting in Connecticut. While wildlife officials in the Nutmeg State say there are no cougars or mountain lions there, one was confirmed to be hit and killed on a highway in 2011 after traveling east from South Dakota. While we cannot say when these animals will return to our land and seascape, we believe it is our obligation as stewards to be prepared for that eventuality. These animals once occurred in abundance in New York and may again, especially as the climate changes, states the letter. Kaminsky didnt say they are pushing for reintroduction of wolves, although that will be happening in Colorado after voters in a November referendum supported bringing them back to the wild parts of their state. Most gray wolves live in remote areas of the upper Midwest including Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to Sylvia Fallon, senior director of the wildlife nature program for the Natural Resources Defense Council. There also is a small population of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. With the removal of federal protections it would be great for the state to keep the protections for wolves even if just for the opportunity for the wolves on their own to come back there, said Fallon. More for you News Wildlife groups want NY to protect the wolves, even... rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU The facility will make banking services available around the clock with no additional requirement of application download, easy access and convenience Bank of Baroda, a Public Sector lender, has announced the launch of banking services on WhatsApp in order to strengthen its service in the digital domain. The services that will be available on WhatsApp include balance inquiry, mini statement, cheque status enquiry, cheque book request, blocking debit card, information of bank's products and services and registration/application for digital products. As per a report, Bank of Baroda has stated that those who are not customers of the bank at present can also make use of the platform to raise queries related to the bank's products, services, ATM and branch locations. The bank has stated that familiarity will make it easier for customers to avail banking services in a seamless manner via WhatsApp. AK Khurana, executive director, Bank of Baroda stated that with the growing prominence of social media, they believe that WhatsApp banking will offer immense convenience to customers to meet banking requirements. The facility will make banking services available around the clock with no additional requirement of application download, easy access and convenience to customers. The service is available for both Android and iPhone and can be accessed by customers and no-customers for any banking related queries. To activate BoB WhatsApp banking services, customers need to first save Bank of Baroda's WhatsApp Business Account Number 8433 888 777 in their mobile contact list. Once the number is saved, they will have to send 'HI' to the number to begin conversations. Bank of Baroda has a distribution network that includes over 8,200 branches, over 10,000 ATMS, over 1,200 self-service e-lobbies and 20,000 Business Correspondents. Qatar's ruling Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will attend a Gulf Arab summit in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the royal court said on Monday. The confirmation of his participation came after a Kuwaiti minister announced that Saudi Arabia would reopen its airspace and land and sea border to Qatar, citing a deal towards ending a dispute in which Riyadh and its allies imposed a boycott on Qatar since mid-2017. Short link: In terms of global understanding, the EU's investment deal with China, which has been under negotiation for seven years, is "very important", Xinhua news agency quoted Costa as saying in a media interview on Monday. Lisbon, Jan 5 (IANS) Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that global understanding, economic recovery and social support are the main goals during his country's presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). On December 30, 2020, China and the EU announced that they have completed investment agreement negotiations as scheduled. According to the Prime Minister, the agreement between Brussels and Beijing "guarantees reciprocal security of market opening" and "investment relations which ensure and respect all security rules on both sides". "If Europe wants to be a global actor, as it has to be, its strategic autonomy depends on being able to speak with each of the other global actors. It must relate to the US, China, Australia and New Zealand, India, Africa," Costa said. As for Africa, which will be crucial to the Portuguese presidency's external agenda, the Prime Minister hoped that the EU-African Union summit, which was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, would be held "in the spring." "I think it would be important at a time when the African Union has signed a continental free trade agreement. This would have been a fantastic time for a meeting of the European Union and Africa," said Costa. He agreed that it was fair to say that Europe has given "a rapid and assertive response" and "shown great ability to lead" in this crisis, which can be seen in the "joint purchase of vaccines" and the "giant step" of moving towards a joint issuance of debt to finance the recovery. Health services, housing, public administration, major industrial projects and digitalisation are the priorities for the recovery program supported by the European funds, Costa noted. He also said the development of social Europe is "absolutely essential" for "giving confidence" to citizens. "This is a critical issue because, as we have seen, the challenges posed by climate change and the digital transition require major investment in training and retraining," he concluded, adding that solid social protection is needed to ensure nobody is left behind. On January 1, Portugal assumed the Presidency of the the EU Council for a fourth time. --IANS ksk/ WASHINGTON - The U.S. government's top infectious-disease doctor, a leading drug regulator and the Health and Human Services secretary are dismissing suggestions that the second shot of authorized coronavirus vaccines could be delayed to make more doses available faster to more people. In recent days, some public health experts have debated whether it is worth taking a scientific gamble by altering the two-dose regimen that proved highly effective in trials to maximize the number of people partially protected with at least one shot as the pandemic surges. The debate is playing out as the United States struggles with administering the doses it already has. Nearly 18 million doses of vaccine have been distributed, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data updated Monday morning; about 5 million have been administered. Last week, the United Kingdom decided to prioritize giving a first dose of its authorized vaccines - even if it meant there was not enough to give people a booster shot within the recommended three to four weeks. U.K. authorities have said people could wait as long as 12 weeks for a second shot. Limited data suggests that a single shot affords some protection against the coronavirus-caused disease covid-19, but it is not known how complete or long the protection lasts. The first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 52% effective in the three-week interval before people received the booster shot. U.S. officials have said repeatedly that while it is worth evaluating whether different dosing regimens make sense, such a strategy is not supported by scientific evidence. "There really are no data on what happens if you delay the second dose by three months or four months or two months," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday. "We don't have any idea what the level of protection is and what the durability of protection is. It's fraught with some danger when you're making a decision about the regimen you're going to use when you don't really have a considerable amount of data." "We're holding in reserve that second dose, because we believe we need to go according to what the FDA said is the safe and effective way to use these vaccines," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told "Good Morning America." On CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Moncef Slaoui - chief science adviser of Operation Warp Speed, the federal initiative to speed vaccine and therapeutics development and distribution - said the second dose gives people an immune response 10 times stronger than the first dose. "We always said that these vaccines will be developed on the basis of science and all decisions will be made transparently on the basis of data," Slaoui said. "Changing the decisions made . . . without any data I think would not be responsible." Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration, warned in a statement that use of a single dose of vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna could give people a false sense of security. "If people do not truly know how protective a vaccine is, there is the potential for harm because they may assume that they are fully protected when they are not and alter their behavior to take unnecessary risks," Marks said. Others argued that because of the severity and persistence of the pandemic, the strategy of holding in reserve a second dose to ensure that people get their booster shot on time is too conservative. The first shot trains the immune system to recognize the novel coronavirus, but the second is necessary to muster a full response, solidifying the immunologic memory that was more than 90% effective at preventing illness in clinical trials. "My feeling is that we're better off giving people one dose and hoping we'll get a second dose than holding back a second dose," said Walter Orenstein, professor of medicine at Emory University and scientific advisory board member of Moderna. "It's one of those things where it's much nicer to be a historian and look backward." Jennifer Beam Dowd, associate professor of demography and population health at the University of Oxford, said she was initially surprised by the British decision to allow people to defer shots, but she likened the policy positions to wartime decisions. "To me, it's very compelling, giving the first doses to more people as soon as possible, given this exponential growth we're seeing in a lot of places," Dowd said. "Under reasonable assumptions, that would save a lot more lives and hospitalizations and prevent more severe disease than doing the complete course on half the number of people in the next three months or so." Pfizer spokeswoman Jerica Pitts said in a statement that the company's vaccine appears to confer some protection as early as 12 days after the first dose, but that there is not data on whether protection is sustained beyond three weeks with a single dose. "While decisions on alternative dosing regimens reside with health authorities, Pfizer believes it is critical health authorities conduct surveillance efforts on any alternative schedules implemented and to ensure each recipient is afforded the maximum possible protection, which means immunization with two doses of the vaccine," Pitts said. Fauci said there was scientific interest in the possibility that two half-doses of the Moderna vaccine might be effective in adults ages 18 to 55 based on evidence from an early clinical trial in which 150 people in that group received half a dose and had similar immune responses as the group given the full dose. But, he said, regulators would have to decide whether that evidence was compelling, and "right now, I don't think there's a need to do that at this point, because you've got to ask yourself: What is the problem, and our problem is efficiently getting doses we already have into people." Moderna spokesman Ray Jordan declined to comment on the use of the vaccine beyond the conditions in its emergency authorization. "At this point we wouldn't have any further information to share about any potential ongoing regulatory discussions," Jordan said. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the external advisory committee to the FDA, called changes to the dosing regimen without more evidence "terrible ideas." "We did a Phase 3 trial which taught us that two doses of Pfizer's or Moderna's vaccine induced excellent, high-level protection against disease. We don't know whether a half-dose would do that; we don't know if a single dose would do that," Offit said. "When people get on TV and say, 'Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good' - we shouldn't let the unknown be the enemy of the known." Asked their views on the idea of a single dose, the transition team for President-elect Joe Biden did not answer with specifics. However, a transition official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the absence of a solid policy, said the incoming administration will follow the guidance of medical and scientific experts. If experts' recommendations about the number or pace of doses were ever updated, the official said, the Biden team would update the public on such guidance. More vaccines are being manufactured, which will increase the supply - and the pressure to get distribution systems up and running. But the early months of this year could yield developments paralleling those in December, when the first two coronavirus vaccines, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, were granted emergency authorization. The one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial is fully enrolled and expected to report results by the end of the month, with an application for emergency authorization possible next month. The AstraZeneca-Oxford trial is ongoing in the United States. Slaoui recently said the AstraZeneca vaccine could be available in the United States in April. A 30,000-person trial of a shot from Novavax vaccine began last week. - - - The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein and Laurie McGinley contributed to this report. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. KENOSHA, Wis. The top prosecutor in Kenosha, Wis., declined to bring charges against the police officer who shot and gravely wounded Jacob Blake outside an apartment building in August, an episode that sparked protests and rioting and made the city an instant flash point in a summer of unrest that began with the killing of George Floyd. The decision not to file charges against the officer, Rusten Sheskey, was announced on Tuesday afternoon by Michael Graveley, the Kenosha County district attorney. He said that investigators had reviewed 40 hours of video and hundreds of pages of police reports before making the decision. The prosecutor said a case against the officer would have been very hard to prove, in part because it would be difficult to overcome an argument that the officer was protecting himself. He said Mr. Blake had admitted to holding a knife even describing switching it from one hand to another as he moved to open a car door and that statements from officers and other witnesses indicated that Mr. Blake had turned toward an officer with the knife immediately before he was shot. The day after the election, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a rising star of conservative populism, declared: Republicans in Washington are going to have a very hard time processing this. But the future is clear: We must be a working-class party, not a Wall Street party. Hawley is right that the Republican Party should become a pro-worker party. But continuing to embrace Donald Trumps populist policies and bromides will work against that goal. Instead, Republican pro-worker policies should advance traditional conservative commitments to free markets and opportunity. READ MORE: Phillys protection of workers rights doesnt make business an underdog | Opinion Many in the GOP, including potential 2024 presidential aspirants like Hawley and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, have apparently concluded that the key to taking back the White House is to stick to the Trumpian formula. According to this view, the president would have won reelection if it hadnt been for the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to the strong pre-virus economy. After all, Trump won millions more votes in 2020 than in 2016. The GOP gained seats in the House of Representatives, will likely keep control of the Senate, maintained its grip on state legislatures, and increased its support among Black and Hispanic voters. Liberals point out that a lot of the populist pro-worker rhetoric on the right is just that: rhetoric. They are largely correct. The problem with Rubios and Hawleys interpretation of the election results is simple: Trump did scant for workers during his four years as president. His 2017 corporate tax cut will eventually raise workers wages, but his destructive trade war worked against that by depressing investment spending. Moreover, the trade war not only hurt the overall economy; it also hit manufacturing workers specifically by reducing employment in that sector. The promised manufacturing rebirth never came, and significant progress on reducing drug prices or strengthening health care for workers did not occur. As for Hawley, his Trumpian populism is most evident in his insistence that the working and middle classes have not seen improvement in their economic outcomes for decades, efforts to break up major technology companies, attacks on international institutions, and attempts to curtail free trade and impose heavy-handed drug pricing regulation. Thus far, Rubios moves toward populism have been more restrained than Hawleys, but he has openly endorsed the need for a sweeping pro-America industrial policy, criticized Wall Street, and courted organized labor. Both Hawley and Rubio have joined Trump and congressional Democrats over the past few weeks in supporting the measure to send checks for up to $2,000 per person to nearly all households. Im all for the GOP placing workers in the center of its policy agenda. But the partys current populist agenda is not focused on workers, and much of it would actually hurt them. Moreover, it does not reflect conservatives commitments to free markets and personal responsibility, which are both right on the merits and popular among Republican voters. READ MORE: A less-racist brand of Trump populism could bring a GOP dynasty unless Dems do something | Will Bunch Republican leaders should start with a plan to repair the damage caused by the pandemic recession. The number of workers unemployed for six months or longer has increased every month since April, more than quadrupling over that time. Rather than offering months of extra unemployment benefits, the federal government should pick up part of the tab to help them move from high unemployment areas to parts of the country with better job prospects. In addition, to fight poverty and increase workforce participation, Republicans should champion the expansion of the earned-income tax credit. Both of these policies use government power to advance economic opportunity while acknowledging that we all should earn our own success in the labor market. Republicans should also aggressively roll back barriers to employment like occupational licenses and safety-net programs such as disability insurance that discourage employment. Conservative populists want to use policy to prop up the manufacturing industry, pining for a return to an imagined past. But a conservative pro-worker agenda would look to the future with confidence, recognizing that the same market forces reducing manufacturings share of employment are giving rise to new middle-class occupations, and would help workers capitalize on those opportunities. READ MORE: The 10 most important figures in Philadelphia labor in 2020 A pro-worker conservative agenda should also include investments in job training programs that have shown promise. Work-based learning programs, like apprenticeships, harness market forces to determine what enrollees in job training programs are taught. This agenda should also expand opportunities for the formerly incarcerated to get jobs, including through reforms like ban the box, which regulate questions about criminal history on job applications. These are all ideas that Republicans should be proud to embrace; to his credit, Sen. Rubio has been a leader on many of them. But the party should recognize that wrapping its arms around Trumpian populism will not help workers. Michael R. Strain is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion, where this piece first appeared. He is the director of economic policy studies and the Arthur F. Burns scholar in political economy at the American Enterprise Institute. The first official visit by a high-level Egyptian delegation to Tripoli last week reflects Cairos openness to all Libyan stakeholders and its determination to handle the Libyan crisis comprehensively. Egypt has long made it clear that it has no bias in favour of one Libyan region or party over another. It signalled this once again on the eve of the delegations visit to western Libya by hosting another delegation including a broad range of tribal, political and academic figures from southern Libya. The Egyptian approach is to promote an intra-Libyan solution to the Libyan crisis, with its role being to bridge the differences between the Libyan parties and help them reach consensual solutions. The Cairo Declaration in June and the meetings Egypt has hosted to support the political, economic and military tracks of the Libyan process are milestones in this effort. The high-level delegations visit to Tripoli was an extension of this strategy. The agenda included meetings with most of the political and military leaders of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA). Egypt has previously demonstrated its openness to the GNA, having hosted GNA Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha and GNA security and military delegations in Cairo. However, last weeks visit marks an important shift at this level, epitomised by the agreement on the reopening of the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli, a step that reflects Egypts confidence in the improvement in the security and political environment in the Libyan capital and the GNAs recognition of Cairos pivotal role in support of peace and stability in Libya. The timing of the visit was also significant given the current impasse in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) that has been convening in Tunisia. Cairo is eager to safeguard the achievements that this has made thus far, including the participants agreement to hold general elections by the end of 2021. It is working with the various parties to help them overcome obstacles and consider alternatives in the hope of reaching a breakthrough. Egypt is, perhaps, the outside stakeholder best positioned to do this as it is the only one that has demonstrated its willingness to hear out all the parties. The inclusion of meetings with GNA military leaders reflected another crucial aim of the visit, which was to ensure that the ceasefire agreement continues to hold. There has been a marked rise in tensions between the eastern and western camps over the question of the continued Turkish military presence in Libya despite the articles of the ceasefire agreement. Cairo has been closely monitoring developments on the ground in Libya and has formulated messages it has sought to convey to officials in Tripoli. One message would have expressed Egypts firm opposition to foreign military intervention in Libya, which can only serve to fuel the conflict and never to resolve it. Reactions to the visit reflect another important dimension of Egypts mediating efforts that have been welcomed locally and internationally. Egypt enjoys a credibility in Libya and abroad that other stakeholders lack since it has actively and tangibly demonstrated its commitment to building a climate conducive to the restoration of stability in Libya. This is why observers believe we are on the threshold of a new phase in turning Egypts comprehensive outreach to all the Libyan players into progress at all levels and why they predict further exchanges and coordination between Egyptian and GNA officials as part of Egypts larger network of relations with the Libyan people as a whole. The reopening of Egyptian airspace to Libyan Airlines is of symbolic importance in this regard, and Cairo is anticipating the visit of a large and diverse Libyan economic delegation next month. It is also looking into opening Egyptian consulates in different regions of Libya in order to facilitate movement between the two countries. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Short link: Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Notwithstanding the challenges faced due to the pandemic, India has sent the first consignment of relief materials to the cyclone-hit Fiji on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced. Fiji was hit by a Category 5 Tropical Cyclone 'Yasa' on December which caused extensive damage and destruction of critical infrastructure.The relief material sent by the Government of India, consisting of shelter and hygiene kits, will provide immediate assistance to the cyclone-affected communities, the official statement read. READ | Fiji Cyclone Kills At Least 2, Destroys Dozens Of Homes Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, over 6 tons of relief supplies were put together in a short span of time by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and were airlifted to Fiji with the help of Air India and Fiji Airways via Sydney, Australia. This was possible thanks to the effective cooperation among multiple agencies in three countries to deliver the relief material to Fiji in record time, the statement added. Another consignment of relief materials to be sent by January 6 One more such consignment is due to reach Fiji by January 6. The Ministry, in a statement, said over 6 tons of relief supplies were put together in a short span of time by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and were airlifted to Fiji with the help of Air India and Fiji Airways via Sydney, Australia. READ | Heavy Rains, Strong Winds As Cyclone Nears Fiji The Ministry said that India has firmly stood by Fiji during times of crisis and devastation caused by natural disasters like Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016. The relief material sent now in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Yasa highlights Indias commitment to providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) support to Friendly Foreign Countries as a first responder, it added. READ | Fiji Imposes Curfew, Braces For Major Cyclone Disaster Risk Reduction and Management is an important pillar of Indias Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2019, the Ministry noted, adding that India remains committed to extend full support to Fijis efforts to restore livelihoods of the affected communities and to build resilient infrastructure. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has also been helping Fiji reach out to communities severely affected by cyclone Yasa in order to ensure schools are ready to reopen this year. The tropical cyclone, which hit the archipelago last month, has obliterated over 1,500 homes and severely damaged about 85 schools till now. Following the damage, the UN agency has now stepped in to provide temporary classrooms, heal traumas of the victims amongst other things. READ | 'Need To Move More Quickly': UNDP Offers Humanitarian Aid To Kids In Cyclone-hit Fiji (With ANI Inputs) Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Should Covid-19 boosters be delayed? Could the dose levels be reduced, and would mixing and matching shots from different makers work just as well? These are questions now facing governments around the world as vaccine rollout falters and the coronavirus continues to rage, spurred on by new variants that are believed to be more contagious. British health officials set the pace, announcing they will stretch out the second dose of vaccines authorized for use there up to three months, well beyond the three or four weeks recommended. The idea is to scale up the number of people who can be reached quickly, even if the level of individual protection falls short of what is reached with the booster. The World Health Organization on Tuesday effectively endorsed the UK position, saying that the second Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine dose could, in "exceptional circumstances," be delayed a few weeks. Authorities in England have also granted permission to give people a second shot from a different vaccine maker if the kind they got the first time has run out. The United States, meanwhile, has tacked a more cautious line. On Monday night, Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn said that while these are "reasonable questions to consider and evaluate," the moves are "premature and not rooted solidly in available evidence." The debate has exposed a division among experts, with respected scientists falling on both sides. Ideally, policy decisions should rest solely on the parameters in which clinical trials were conducted. But with the virus threatening to spiral out of control, some argue we're in far from an ideal situation. "We didn't pick three weeks for Pfizer or four weeks for Moderna because we knew it to be perfect," Howard Forman, a public health expert at Yale University told AFP. "It was the best guess for an optimal time for the booster dose to be given to augment immunity." Story continues Forman added that much of medicine is based on imperfect data -- such as how long a course of drugs should be taken, and physicians routinely prescribe medicine approved for one purpose for other conditions. "So modest changes to what we've already recommended may make all the difference in getting a lot more bang for the vaccines that we have," he said. Forman stressed that he's only suggesting delaying the second dose -- seen as vital to ensuring longer term protection -- and only in the case of under-65s and those who are less medically vulnerable. - Sluggish rollout - The US had set vaccinations for 20 million people as its target for December but as of January 4, it had only reached 4.5 million. Both the US and UK have covered about 1.4 percent of their populations, Europe is far behind, while Israel is out front having covered some 13.5 percent. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, based on mRNA technology, reach about 95 percent efficacy on second dose, which is reserved in storage for a person after their first. The Moderna vaccine in particular has shown high levels of protection after the first shot -- in the region of 90 percent -- but the numbers should be treated cautiously as the sample size is small. Saad Omer, a vaccine researcher and director of Yale's Institute for Global Health, told AFP that he saw only a need for changing strategy in countries where supply itself is short. In the US, the rate at which vaccines are being sent to states is only a little behind schedule, and Omer believes addressing the bottleneck in administering them to people should be given priority. As for mixing vaccines, noted Yale immunologist Akiko Iwasaki has said it should work in theory, but experts agree that it requires more study and should only be a last resort for now. - Confusing to public - Both Omer and Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida, argue that a path forward might lie in further data analysis to find biological markers, such as antibody levels, that correlate to protection against Covid-19. This could be determined by combing through the results of existing trials to calculate a threshold value, then setting up small studies to determine what dose of vaccine gets you there. National Institutes of Health scientist John Mascola told the New York Times on Tuesday that a study based on this process was underway to determine whether half-doses of the Moderna vaccine deliver equal protection. Dean said she was worried that the discussion around changes could be confusing to the public, "and I'm concerned about anything that could jeopardize trust." People should therefore be assured that any changes in the US would go through the same transparent regulatory process that granted the vaccines their emergency authorization, she said. ia/st A former Lord Mayor of Armagh has paid a heartfelt tribute to her dad after he passed away from Covid-19. Dessie Bratton, father of ex-SDLP councillor Mealla Campbell, passed away at Craigavon Area Hospital on Monday aged 88. Following his death Mrs Campbell paid an emotional tribute to her father on social media. She said she was devastated at losing her beloved father to the "cruel hand of Covid". In a Facebook tribute alongside a picture of her holding her late father's hand Mrs Campbell wrote: "The hand I hold "This is the hand that held me as a newborn "The hand that fed me "The hand that picked me up when I fell "The hand that held me over his head - again and again "The hand that walked me into school on the first day "The hand that healed all hurts "The hand that pulled me out of the pool when I won my first race "The hand that eased my broken heart "The hand that led me down the aisle "The hand that kept my children safe "This is the hand I hold "Your hand that I held as I watched you cling to life and struggle to breathe and yet I am blessed to have had this opportunity for many have not. "Yet still, I am angry that the cruel hand of covid has taken what we need the most. The chance to console and be consoled, to comfort and to be comforted and even to just be present. "I hope you sense me with you as you take your final journey. "In my heart forever this is now my hand holding yours Mealla (Meeps)." She also reminded people of the importance of following the Covid-19 guidance writing: "Face, Space, Hands." SDLP Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty offered his condolences to his party colleague. "My sympathies with my friend Mealla on the sad loss of her dear Father Dessie Bratton RIP," he wrote. "It is terribly sad to lose a parent but at this time it is especially traumatic. "Deepest condolences with Dessies wife Sheelagh, his daughter Mealla, his son Michael and the wider Bratton family circle." Mrs Campbell announced last month she was retiring from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council where she had served since 2005. She served as mayor of the council during 2019-20 and won praise for her role in the leading community efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Bratton was laid to rest at St Patrick's Cemetery in Armagh on Tuesday. He was predeceased by son Emlyn and daughter Rebecca and is survived by wife Sheelagh, daughter Mealla and son Michael. "He will be very deeply missed," a family death notice read. Belfast Telegraph New Delhis self-reliance and Make in India initiatives have the potential to lead to higher tariffs and other trade barriers that could hit the countrys capacity to integrate into global value chains, outgoing US ambassador Kenneth Juster cautioned on Tuesday. Juster pointed to frictions and frustrations on trade and investment between India and the US, and said the two sides were unable to finalise even a small trade package despite persistent efforts. There are also growing restrictions on market access for some US goods and services, increasing tariffs, new limitations on free flow of data and a less-than-predictable regulatory environment for investors, he said. In a farewell address, he also spoke of the need for both countries to preserve their commitment to diversity and tolerance in order to maintain their status in the world and the strength of bilateral ties. On the strategic front, Juster said the time has come for India and the US to develop guidelines and even redlines for a stronger Indo-Pacific architecture to tackle future challenges. Without naming China, he said this framework should enable all countries to prosper from a region that respects sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes. Juster, a political appointee of the Trump administration who has overseen key aspects of India-US strategic relations over the years, is set to step down this month. His address, at an event organised by the Observer Research Foundation that was attended by senior diplomats and the media, largely focused on taking forward ties in key areas such as trade, defence and security, energy and healthcare. Noting that the US is Indias largest trading partner, and India the 12th largest partner of the US, he said bilateral trade was worth $146.1 billion in 2019, up from $18.6 billion in 2001. It is frustrating that bilateral trade isnt near its potential and greater openness on the part of India would boost trade and investment, he added. This is a lot of good news for the economic and commercial relationship. But I would be less than candid if I did not note that there are also frictions and frustrations on the trade and investment front. Despite persistent efforts, we were unable to conclude even a small trade package, Juster said. Moreover, there are growing restrictions in India on market access for certain US goods and services, increasing tariffs, new limitations on the free flow of data, and a less-than-predictable regulatory environment for investors, he said. Juster added: As with the US, India would naturally like to enhance its economic security by increasing domestic production and reducing critical dependencies... The current view in India is that the best way to meet these various objectives is through a policy of Self-Reliance, emphasising Make in India, while still seeking to be engaged globally, participate in global value chains, and be an exporter to the world. It remains to be seen whether all of these policies are compatible and mutually reinforcing, or whether they will lead to higher tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. The latter would limit Indias capacity to truly integrate into global value chains and, in the process, raise prices for Indian consumers. Juster said India has a strategic opportunity to become an alternative destination for manufacturing investments as American and other companies find it increasingly difficult to operate in China or seek to diversify away from Chinese-led supply chains, but the Indian government may need to take further action to benefit fully. Both the US and India have benefited from their diverse populations and Indias embrace of diversity will always be what makes it exceptional, he said. It is a source of strength for this great country and an inspiration for all of us, he added. While neither of us is nor has been perfect, we understand that preserving our commitment to diversity and tolerance is important to maintaining our status in the world and the strength of our bilateral relationship, Juster said. Without directly referring to Chinas aggressive actions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) or in other parts of the Indo-Pacific, Juster said the US and India are committed to a rules-based order, peace and diplomacy, while there are others who choose suicide vests or military incursions. In response to a question, Juster said the US has been very supportive amid the India-China border standoff. We both share a vision of the Indo-Pacific region...and that is an inclusive vision that provides opportunities for all countries to grow and prosper but also wants to avoid incursions of any type, intimidations and predatory financing, and when theres a situation that is along those lines, we cooperate to try to resist it, he said. The two sides have deepened cooperation on defence and security issues, including efforts to provide security beyond their borders, and convergence on the Indo-Pacific, which has the worlds fastest-growing economies and most populous nations, reflects this cooperation, he said. The region needs stability, leadership and a democratic model for development that does not threaten the sovereignty of other countries. This is why a strong and democratic India is an important partner to promote peace and prosperity, he said. We are now building out the foundation of a stronger Indo-Pacific architecture that will enable us to tackle challenges that lie ahead. Our mission over the next five years and beyond should be to give this endeavour further form and substance to develop guidelines and, if necessary, even redlines, Juster said, adding this would enable all countries to prosper from a region that respects sovereignty, a rules-based order and peaceful resolution of disputes in line with international law. Gilda's Club Offers Support for People with Cancer By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The oncology program at Mercy HealthLourdes Hospital has partnered with Gildas Club Kentuckiana, a non-profit social and emotional support community for men, women, teens, and children living with cancer.Mercy Health-Lourdes Public Relations & Communications Manager Kevin Compton says through this partnership, cancer patients will have access to the more than 100 free monthly programs offered by Gildas Club.The club provides support throughout the cancer journeyfrom diagnosis, survivorship, bereavement, including support for caregivers, and family and friends. Prior to the pandemic, programming for Gildas Club was offered in-person at the non-profits headquarters in Louisville, but all programs have been offered online since March of 2020 to help protect the medically-fragile cancer community.Gilda's Club offers more than 100 free monthly programs available through gck.org. They include:Support groupsYoga classes for all levelsMeditation Reset and Reiki EnergyFrankly Speaking About Cancer education series with medical professionalsCooking classesIntro to SpanishFlying Solo support for individuals with an active cancer diagnosisLiving through Loss bereaved support groups for youth, men, women, spouses and parentsCrafting, virtual holiday parties and moreWe are excited to expand the services offered to our patients through this partnership, said John Montville, the hospitals executive director of its oncology service line. Gildas Club Kentuckiana is a very active group so were proud to be able to bring all the benefits they offer to those in our region. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! CHICAGO Chicago Teachers Union members who are refusing to return to the classroom said Monday theyre worried about losing their jobs but they believe that reopening schools is a greater risk. Were afraid for our lives. We dont want to lose our jobs. The fear of losing our jobs is real. Many of us are the sole income earners in our homes, Chicago Public Schools teacher Lori Torres said. But the fear of this virus is greater than that fear. Torres and other union members spoke at a news conference early Monday, a day after the union announced that some of its members would not report to work on Monday because they dont trust that CPS reopening plan is safe and equitable. About 5,800 teachers and other staff members who serve preschoolers and some special education students were expected to return to classrooms on Monday, with those students due to return on Jan. 11, which would mark the first in-person classes in CPS since the coronavirus prompted a statewide shutdown of schools in March. About another 850 staff members were granted leave or an accommodation exempting them from in-person teaching. But for other employees, it is the districts expectation that teachers without an accommodation report to work tomorrow, just as principals, custodial staff, engineers, and food service staff have throughout the entirety of the pandemic, CPS spokeswoman Emily Bolton said in a statement, which did not address whether disciplinary action would be taken against teachers who decline to show up. Parents were given the option to continue with remote learning an option the CTU noted was chosen at a much higher rate by Black and Latino families. But union members also criticized the expectation that they teach simultaneously to in-person and at-home students. Torres said the plan will only weaken remote learning. Teachers are expected to be two people, overseeing students in the classroom and on the screen. CPS has also cited equity as a major concern, pointing to data showing that Black and Latino students are seeing lower participation and grades in remote learning. The CTU has not identified any area where the districts plan falls short of public health guidelines and the CTUs last-minute tactics are deeply disrespectful to the 77,000 mostly Black and Latinx families who selected in-person learning, Bolton said. The overwhelming scientific evidence, expert guidance and experiences of school districts across Illinois are clear: schools can safely reopen with a comprehensive plan in place, she also said. The union has said those anecdotes and data dont take into account the high levels of community spread seen particularly in some areas of the city. CTU members and officials have also questioned why schools should reopen now when teachers could be months away from receiving the coronavirus vaccine. Its a half-baked (reopening) plan. If all of us were vaccinated, for me, I would feel safer, said Quentin Washington, a CPS teacher who was due to return to school Monday. He also cited the lack of a requirement that those entering schools show theyve tested negative for the virus. The biggest gaping hole is no testing mandate, Washington said. Thats a big problem for me. ___ Diana Wallace and Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas of the Chicago Tribune wrote this story. (c)2021 the Chicago Tribune Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) In a few weeks, the city of Woodbury will lay out its plans at a City Council meeting to buy and fly a drone for police and other purposes, hoping to join a growing number of municipalities that rely on drones.If it once seemed excessive or futuristic for a suburb to fly its own unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), that notion is quickly fading.A number of Minnesota cities and counties now have drones that not only feed live video back to their controllers, but also use heat-seeking cameras, bright spotlights and speakers to search for people or carry out other missions. Some carry payloads, from handwritten messages to life jackets.Drone trainer and salesman Logan Noess said he's seen a rapid increase in drone use and now counts Eden Prairie, Edina, Crystal, Coon Rapids, Golden Valley, Plymouth and a host of other cities and counties among those he's either sold gear to or helped train."It's been growing quite a bit," said Noess.Just a little over a year ago, 6-year-old Ethan Haus went missing with his dog in a cornfield near Becker, Minn. It wasn't local law enforcement, but a private citizen who used his drone with thermal imaging capabilities, who located Ethan, who was safely rescued. The story was widely covered by state media, and the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office said afterward that it would buy its own drone. Noess said several agencies in the area now have UAVs, including neighboring Big Lake, Minn., which got a new drone this week.Most departments aren't interested in a drone unless it has a thermal imaging camera, said Noess, who owns Plymouth-based Vertex Unmanned Solutions. The FLIR camera, the acronym for Forward Looking Infrared, can't see through walls or heavy leaf cover, but can otherwise search open areas far more quickly than on-the-ground searches.The drones also have some level of artificial intelligence, flying themselves around obstacles and above ground while also following instructions from a pilot."Before you had to have a highly skilled person to fly the drone, now the drone flies itself. You just tell it where to go," said Noess.In just the last year or so in Minnesota and nearby, drones have helped search-and-rescue operations save not only Ethan Haus, but also vulnerable adults, lost hunters, swamped kayakers and disoriented car crash victims who leave their vehicle and don't know where they are.The rapid adoption of drone technology was one of the primary reasons the Minnesota ACLU lobbied for restrictions on their use, said policy director Julia Decker."Part of the concern with something like a drone or some of these other new and evolving technologies is that you might never know about it, because they have the potential to be used secretly, without anyone's notice," she said.The ACLU supported the passage in May 2020 of a new state law that requires a public comment period and the crafting of a written policy before a city can purchase a drone. The law, which went into effect on Aug. 1, carries other restrictions on the drone's use, including the need for a warrant for some searches."These are highly mobile, potentially invasive technologies that can be used to covertly surveille people," she said. "The idea is you want there to be transparency; you want there to be oversight."It's still early in the drone era, but at least one awkward and potentially invasive use took place last summer, when police spied on nude sunbathers at Theodore Wirth Regional Park. A woman who was sunbathing topless in a remote area of the park was cited for indecent exposure, and learned from Golden Valley police that she was spotted by police using a drone camera.The citation was quickly followed by a Park Board committee making moves to end ticketing of topless women on park property.As drone use has intensified, other concerns have surfaced. The Department of Natural Resources has warned drone pilots to stay away from forest fires because they can interfere with firefighting operations from suppression aircraft.And the FAA said it gets 100 reports per month nationwide of unmanned aerial sightings near airports and planes. It has issued stern warnings to drone pilots to stay away from airports, planes and helicopters, saying infractions can lead to stiff penalties and jail time.In Woodbury, police Cmdr. John Altman said the department's drone is most likely to be used for search and rescue."Getting a UAS in the air quickly to locate a missing person especially in the winter months can save precious time," he said by e-mail. It could also be used for determining the size of fires, infrastructure inspection, and making videos to promote the city's parks, he added.Since Woodbury is one of the first cities to buy a drone after passage of the state's new drone law, it's required to hold a public comment period, which got underway in December. A presentation planned for the Jan. 27 City Council meeting will share a summary of public comments.The city plans to spend $39,000 for its drone, a DJI Matrice 300 RTK with a flight time of 55 minutes, high-quality video and swappable batteries to allow sustained use, said Altman. New Delhi: Flipkart is celebrating Realme Days Sale 2021, offering great discounts and offers on Realme phones. The 5 day Realme Days Sale kicked off from January 5 and will run till January 9. Check out some great discounts and offers on Realme phones during Flipkart Realme Days Sale 2021 Under the 'Best ever Price' Flipkart has listed Realme 6 (6GB/64GB) at Rs 12,999 as against Rs 17,999. Realme C11 at Rs 6,999 as against Rs 8,999 Realme C12 at Rs 8,499 as against Rs 10,999 Realme 6 pro from Rs 15,999 Flipkart's 'Speed of the Dart' at Rs 13,999 as against Rs 16,999 Flipkart has some more phones under 'Great deals'. The Realme 7 is available at Rs 14,999 as against Rs 17,999 The Realme 7 Pro is available at Rs 19,999 as against Rs 20,999 Realme X3 is available at Rs 21,999 as against Rs 26,999 Realme Narzo 20 is available at Rs 10,499 as against Rs 12,999 Realme Narzo 20A is available at Rs 8,499 as against Rs 10,999 Realme X3 Super Zoom is available Rs 23,999 as against Rs 29,999 Realme X50 Pro 5G is available at Rs 31,999 as against Rs 41,999 Following offers are available on Realme C-series Realme C15 is available at Rs 9,999 as against Rs 11,999 Realme C15 Qualcomm Edition is available Rs 9,999 as against Rs 11,999 Realme C3 is available from Rs 8,999 Realme 7i is available at Rs 11,999 as against Rs 13,999 Under the 'Flagship best price', the Realme X is available from Rs 17,999 Community Labs is expanding its coronavirus testing efforts in local schools and across Texas amid a surge in the pandemic that is threatening to overwhelm the states health care systems. The state has contracted with the San Antonio-based non-profit to provide up to 10,000 tests per day for first responders, particularly firefighters, in Laredo and El Paso, two cities hit especially hard by the pandemic. Were going to go wherever the state of Texas needs us to go, J. Bruce Bugg, a co-founder and board member, told the San Antonio Express-News editorial board Tuesday. Community Labs has done some testing in Boerne and Kerrville, but its work in the two border cities will be its farthest venture outside of Bexar County since its creation last summer. As we know, COVID changes, and were here to respond as the need presents itself, added Sal Webber, president of Community Labs. On ExpressNews.com: Silent spreaders of the coronavirus are the target of a new testing venture in San Antonio The startup is still figuring out the logistics but expects to be operating in Laredo and El Paso in the next few weeks. The Texas Division of Emergency Management chose Community Labs as a partner because its tests are cheaper, faster and just as effective as any alternative, said Graham Weston, its co-founder and chairman. Officials did not give a dollar amount for the value of the state contract but said it would cover all the tests which could amount to $350,000 per day at its standard $35 per test and the cost of the expansion. The purchase order can be renewed on a monthly basis. We are ramping up to serve the state of Texas, and however much and however and wherever they need us in the state of Texas is what were doing, Bugg said. On ExpressNews.com: More school districts in South Bexar County to offer weekly COVID-19 testing The San Antonio Independent School District, the third-largest school district in Bexar County and one of several that are using Community Labs to regularly test asymptomatic students and staff, will expand testing to all of its campuses, said Superintendent Pedro Martinez. Previously, SAISD had only been offering testing in some schools and it was not clear how long the partnership would last. Martinez said he saw a sigh of relief when he made the announcement to families last week. Having this as part of our safety procedures is a game-changer, he said. Especially when were seeing a (Bexar County) positivity rate of 23 percent, that gives them a sense of assurance. Community Labs has been providing PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, tests to schools and businesses since early in the fall. It also provides many of the tests used at community testing sites like the AT&T Center, accounting for nearly half of all the coronavirus tests administered in San Antonio. The non-profit is administering about 10,000 tests in San Antonio daily, but hopes to double that number in the next few weeks, said Richey Wyatt, a board member at Community Labs and general counsel at BioBridge Global, the non-profit that operates the labs where the tests are analyzed. Were pushing the envelope to get as much capacity as we can for our community, Wyatt said. Among local school districts, SAISD has taken one of the most conservative approaches to reopening classrooms, expecting to have less than one-third of its students back on campuses when classes restart next week. Other superintendents have touted weekly testing as an effective way to monitor and control the presence of the virus on their campuses so as to encourage families to sign up their children for in-person instruction, which has proven more effective than remote learning for most students. School leaders have pointed to low on-campus transmission and positivity rates as indicators that schools are generally safe for students and staff. In December, as Bexar Countys positivity rate rose to 15 percent, SAISDs hovered around 1 percent, and in Somerset ISD in Southwest Bexar County, it was below 0.5 percent. On ExpressNews.com: As COVID cases push them into red zone, superintendents in San Antonio say school wont go fully online again Somerset ISD piloted Community Labs tests in September, starting with just a couple hundred tests on a single campus. By November, the district was testing thousands of students and staff and in-person enrollment had increased by 20 percent. By the end of the fall semester, Somerset was testing roughly 2,000 people every week, and nearly 70 percent of students were back on campuses. We feel that testing has brought confidence and assurance in our community and has allowed teachers to do what they do best, which is teach in the classroom, said Superintendent Saul Hinojosa. Edgewood ISD is also testing students and staff on every campus. Superintendent Eduardo Hernandez called the impact of the testing immeasurable, adding that it directly contributed to a rise in on-campus enrollment. The district is expecting about 56 percent of its students to be on campuses when the semester starts. Community Labs officials said they plan to announce partnerships with four more school districts in the coming weeks. The tests are 99 percent effective, less invasive than many others and yield results in 15 hours or fewer, on average. Tests have been paid for by the city, Bexar County and school districts. Any tests taken outside of the county will be paid for by the state, Bugg said. Community Labs founders hope they will be able to lower the price of tests to $15 each before the pandemic is over, citing promising technological innovations. They expect to be providing testing services for the next 18 months or as long as they are needed, Weston said. Making the test more affordable could also make it accessible to more people in the community, many of whom have waited in long lines to get tested as the pandemic has worsened. The testing locations using Community Labs tests saw the number of people wanting to get tested increase tenfold in December alone. The tests are able to detect the new variant of the coronavirus, which is more contagious than the strain that has been spreading since March, and has been detected in several states. The non-profit will work with UT Health San Antonio to determine whether the variant has arrived in San Antonio. andy.picon@hearst.com | Twitter: @andpicon New Law Requires Federal Agencies to Disclose If They Are Leasing Foreign-Owned Property A bipartisan bill aimed at addressing the security threats associated with federal agencies leasing foreign-owned properties has recently been signed into law. Under the new law, the federal government needs to develop a system that identifies property owners before their spaces could be used by federal tenants for high-security purposes. According to the language of the bill, all immediate, highest-level, and beneficial owners of the property must be identified. The General Services Administration (GSA), an independent agency of the U.S. government that manages workplaces for U.S. government offices, must implement the system before January 2023. Additionally, the new law requires that GSA and other federal agencies include certain provisions in their leasing agreements for high-security spaces. These provisions include banning property owners and their property management companies from having physical access to high-security leased spaces. The bill, named Secure Federal Leases from Espionage And Suspicious Entanglements Act, or the Secure Federal LEASEs Act (S.1869), was signed into law by President Donald Trump on Dec. 31 last year. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in June 2019. I applaud President Trump for signing into law this important legislation to help ensure our federal agencies are prepared to address the risk of espionage and unauthorized cyber and physical access to federally leased buildings, stated Portman in a Jan. 4 statement. He added: This bill, now law, will ensure that the federal government has access to leased properties ownership information so we can better protect our people and information. According to the senators, the bill was drafted in response to a 2017 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), which reviewed available leasing information from the GSA. The 2017 report found that leasing space in foreign-owned buildings could present security risks such as espionage, unauthorized cyber and physical access to the facilities, and sabotage. For example, a buildings telecommunications infrastructure could be compromised or devices could be surreptitiously placed in certain locations within the building to collect intelligence, according to the report. It found that the GSA leased high-security space (about 3.3 million square feet) from foreign owners in 20 buildings as of March 2016. The 26 government tenants for this leased space included six Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and three Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field offices. These foreign owners were based in countries such as Canada, China, Israel, Japan, and South Korea. The report highlighted the threat posed by Chinese-owned properties, explaining that Chinese companies were likely to have ties to the Chinese regime and that cyberespionage by Chinese actors posed a great security concern. Since Chinas national intelligence law went into effect in 2017, Chinese companies and organizations are required to assist and cooperate with Beijings national intelligence efforts. The law gives Beijing access to all data stored within its national borders. The report also included a detailed list of U.S. tenant agencies and owners of the properties that they occupied. Government agencies that occupied a Chinese-owned property included the DEA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Social Security Administration. The federal government was not able to identify ownership information for about one-third of GSAs 1,406 high-security leases. People are loading up their cars for a mammoth outback trip often on dirt roads from Queensland to Victoria via Birdsville to avoid travelling through New South Wales. Victoria's border will remain shut to NSW until at least the end of January, with stranded residents urged to apply for a travel exemption to make it home. People driving out to Birdsville to avoid NSW border closures have been urged to take precautions. Credit:iStock Creative travellers have been going bush to avoid strict border closures, delivering a tourism boost to the outback during the sweltering off-season and prompting safety warnings from seasoned locals. But people may soon stop going the long way around after Victoria started issuing permits to people in Queensland and the ACT enabling them to drive back directly through NSW with brief stops for toilet breaks, food and petrol. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Stella Morris, partner of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, gestures as she addresses the media outside the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court, in London, yesterday. Photo: REUTERS/Henry Nicholls A British judge has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States to face charges of violating the Espionage Act, because he is at extreme risk of suicide and might not be protected from harming himself in a US prison. Many experts had expected District Judge Vanessa Baraitser to permit extradition in the high-profile case, but she said the defence had provided compelling evidence that Mr Assange (49) suffe rs from severe depression, that he has written a will, sought absolution from a priest and that a razor blade was found hidden in his cell at Belmarsh prison in London. The judge said she relied on testimony from psychiatrists called by the defence, who stressed that Mr Assange was actively planning to kill himself if ordered to face trial in the United States. The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future, Judge Baraitser said. Mr Assange was at the rear of courtroom, sitting in a glass booth, wearing a dark blue suit and a green surgical mask, and he closed his eyes as he listened to the judge block his extradition. Read More His partner and mother of their two children, Stella Moris, wept, as WikiLeaks editor in chief Kristinn Hrafnsson put his arm around her shoulders. In her ruling, the judge said she had no doubt that Mr Assange could have a fair trial with an impartial jury in the United States. Instead, she focused on the harsh conditions Mr Assange could face if convicted. She described Americas supermax prison, the Administrative Maximum Facility or AMX, in Florence, Colorado, as a facility where inmates are kept in lockdown 23 hours a day with almost no human contact. Faced with the conditions of near total isolation without the protective factors which limited his risk at HMP Belmarsh, I am satisfied the procedures described by the US will not prevent Mr Assange from finding a way to commit suicide and for this reason I have decided extradition would be oppressive by reason of mental harm and I order his discharge, Judge Baraitser said, reading from her ruling. Mr Assange is charged with 18 federal crimes, including conspiring to obtain and disclose hundreds of thousands of pages of secret government documents, including classified diplomatic cables and sensitive military reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were released through the WikiLeaks website, as well as directly to journalists. Prosecutors want Mr Assange flown by US marshals to Northern Virginia to face the charges, which expose him to 175 years in a maximum-security prison. The US government will appeal to the High Court to reverse the judges ruling, a process that could take several months perhaps even longer because of Mr Assanges poor health and the soaring outbreak of coronavirus in Britain. As the Assange extradition case has been long and complex, the High Court will probably agree to hear the appeal, said Nick Vamos, formerly head of the extradition unit at the Crown Prosecution Service and partner at Peters & Peters law firm. Mr Assange was returned to Belmarsh prison yesterday. He will seek release on bail and his attorney Edward Fitzgerald said the defence will submit new evidenc e tomorrow to counter a previous ruling that Mr Assange is a flight risk. Mr Vamos said that if the US government loses its appeal in the High Court, it can pursue a final appeal to Britains Supreme Court, which might agree to hear the case, if it raises new legal questions that need to be resolved. In a series of hearings over the past year, Mr Assanges lawyers argued that the Trump administration is targeting the Australian for purely political reasons. Read More GRAND RAPIDS, MI A 65-year-old woman who was shot late Sunday night has died. The woman was inside her home on Alpine Avenue NW, near Leonard Street, at around 11:45 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3, when she was hit by a bullet fired by somebody outside the home. She was taken by ambulance to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital where she was listed in critical condition, police said last night. Kent County Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cohle confirmed with MLive/Grand Rapids Press Monday evening that the woman has died. The womans name has not been released at this time. Grand Rapids Police had no comment on the investigation, but said more information may be available Tuesday. No suspect information has been released. Also on MLive: Grand Rapids man accused in gunfight with police on Illinois campus Man, 27, shot in neck while attempting to buy PlayStation off Facebook Marketplace Two Michigan Republicans will object to Electoral College vote Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Former FDA associate commissioner Peter Pitts says Americans should assume a new mutant strain of COVID-19 detected in South Africa is already in the States A former FDA official has revealed he does not support imposing a ban on South African travelers to the US, despite fears a new, super-infectious COVID-19 variant detected in the country could spread to the states. Peter Pitts, the co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, said Americans should assume the mutant strain already exists in the country. 'It's probably not nascent and it's probably been around a lot longer than South Africans think,' Pitts told DailyMail.com on Tuesday. Both Britain and South Africa have detected new, more transmissible variants of the COVID-19-causing virus in recent weeks that have driven a surge in cases. The US has imposed restrictions on travelers from the UK in an effort to reduce the spread of infection, however, it has failed to take action on South African travelers so far. But Pitts said that while tightening US border restrictions may help, it won't necessarily do much to mitigate the inevitable spread of mutant virus strains, which are likely to continue emerging. The US has imposed restrictions on travelers from the UK to the US in an effort to reduce the spread of infection, however, it has failed to take action on South African travelers so far Former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts said that while a travel ban may help, it won't necessarily mitigate the spread of other mutant variants spreading to the country 'I don't think a travel ban is going to solve the problem because viruses have a way of getting places that humans can't always control and with the cat out of the bag, you're heading in the wrong direction,' he added. 'What the US should be doing is requiring people traveling from South Africa be tested before they even get on an airplane to come to the US.' Those travelers should quarantine for three to five days and then get tested again once they arrive in the country, Pitts explained. 'It's more than just putting a band-aid on a bazooka wound. You need to slow down the infection rates.' The US is yet to detect any cases of the South African variant, which some UK scientists now fear could be resistant to COVID-19 vaccines, although there is currently little evidence to support those claims. This map shows how the coronavirus variants have been tracked as they spread around the world. No cases of the South African variant have been detected in the US, but efforts to sequence the genomes of viral samples to find new mutations has been 'patchwork' The super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Ten people spread across New York, California, Georgia, Colorado and Florida have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called for a tougher restrictions from the federal governnment in a bid to curb the spread, demanding a full travel ban from the UK to the US The strain has become dominant in South Africa and spread to at least four other countries, including the UK, where health authorities are 'incredibly worried' by its arrival. The US, meanwhile, has been slow to detect new threats. Last week, Colorado health officials reported the nation's first case of the UK variant dubbed 'super covid', in a person who had not traveled, meaning they caught it locally. Q&A: Everything we know about the South African variant Has the variant been found in the US? Not yet. The US has not sequenced nearly as high as share of coronavirus samples as the UK has, but is ramping up its efforts in the hopes of detecting the South African variant and other mutations earlier. Where has the variant been found? The variant was found in two people, one in London and another in the North West, who came into contact with separate people returning from South Africa. The fact that they were detected through random routine sampling which picks out only around one in 10 tests carried out in the UK - and that they are thought to have been infected by separate travelers - suggests there are many more cases of the variant already in Britain. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was 'highly concerning' and the variant was 'yet more transmissible' than the original strain the UK has been battling. Where has the new strain come from? The new variant emerged after the first wave of coronavirus at Nelson Mandela Bay, in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, and rapidly became the dominant strain in the area. South Africa picked up the strain using genomic sequencing. It was discovered in mid-December and is believed to have caused infections to soar from under 3,000 per day at the beginning of the month to over 9,000 by the end. Where else has the variant been found? Confirmed cases have been announced in France, Japan and Britain. It is likely to be circulating in many more countries but only a select few nations have the genomic sequencing ability to be able to spot it when it's present in low numbers. What has been done to tackle it? Both of the people in the UK who had the new strain of the virus were quarantined, along with their close contacts. Public Health England researchers are currently investigating the variant at their research laboratory at Porton Down in Wiltshire. All flights to and from South Africa have been banned. What does it mean for the fight against the virus? One mutation in the new strain, called N501Y, is thought to help the virus become more infectious and spread more easily between people. That means measures such as social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding unnecessary contacts have become more important. What about the vaccine? Dr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England, told the Downing Street press conference there is no evidence the new strain may stop coronavirus vaccines from working. Scientists will test the blood of those who have been vaccinated against coronavirus, or have recovered from it, to ensure they can fight off the new strain. But Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, argued the strain was more concerning than the Kent one. He said it has 'pretty substantial changes in the structure of the protein', meaning vaccines could fail to work. Advertisement The slow response has instilled little confidence that American scientists would know if the South African strain has arrived. It wasn't until the virus strain emerged in different states that the federal government took action. 'You can always do more, quicker. I think the lesson learned from the UK experience is don't wait until you have all the information to do anything. That's not intelligent public health policy,' Pitts said. 'This is a great example of that because just as you begin to put travel and testing protocols in place in the US and UK, it pops up in South Africa - and you also have to assume it'll pop up in other countries as well.' The former FDA associate commissioner noted that while the variant is more infectious, it is not necessarily deadlier. Viruses are known to mutate in order to survive thus it is likely the US and other countries will see more mutations as the pandemic goes on, Pitts said. As for the South African strain, Pitts believes it has actually been around for much longer but has only just been discovered due to the country's health care system which is less developed than that of the UK and the US. 'As to why we didn't act sooner, the US is kinda in a political vacuum where nobody is willing to step up to the plate and take responsibility for appropriate epidemiological action. 'Our public health officials on the federal level are stymied. There's no one really in charge,' he added. The US is yet to make a call on whether to impose restrictions on travelers from South Africa, all of whom can currently still enter the US, and testing is not currently required. Earlier on Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the federal government to impose an order requiring all international travelers to provide a COVID negative test before flying into the US. Cuomo's calls follow an announcement Monday that the new, super-infectious UK variant of the coronavirus was discovered in upstate New York. Overall, the US has reported four cases of the UK variant, known as B.1.1.7, - in New York, California, Florida and Colorado. New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called for a tougher restrictions in a bid to curb the spread, demanding a full travel ban from the UK to the US. US-based commercial airlines are not scheduling direct flights to the US from South Africa, and there are no South African Airways flights into the US, nor have there been since April. But at least 11 flight itineraries are scheduled for to arrive in the US from South Africa - with layovers in between - between now and Friday. And if the South African strain is here already, viral genome sequencing may not have caught it. Only some 57,000 coronavirus genome sequences have been submitted by the US to GISAID, an international database configured to help scientists around the world track how viruses change. The US ranks 43rd out of all countries sequencing viral genomes and submitting them to GISAID, having sequenced just 0.3 percent of all samples among more than 20 million cases since the pandemic began. The UK has done much better, submitting about 141,000 sequences, despite seeing about 13 percent of the infections the US has. Scientists say the South African variant is different from others circulating in the country because it has multiple mutations in the important 'spike' protein that the virus uses to infect human cells. It has also been associated with a higher viral load, meaning a higher concentration of virus particles in patients' bodies, possibly contributing to higher levels of transmission. Several countries have already banned travel from South Africa amid fears. Vietnam suspended inbound flights from countries with new COVID-19 variants, initially Britain and South Africa. The UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also banned travelers from South Africa to try and contain the spread of the new strain. The Washington Post's Amy Gardner had a terrific scoop Sunday, obtaining the audio of a one-hour call between President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump urged Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to overturn his defeat in the state. Her article provided a quick summary of the various false claims that the president made in the call, but here's a quick guide on the facts so readers can see how the president framed these statements himself. We will go through the claims, more or less in the order in which they were presented. What is clear is that the president is relying on highly dubious sources of information as he continues to contest the election results. - - - "I think it's pretty clear that we won. We won very substantially in Georgia." No, Trump lost. President-elect Joe Biden has been certified as the winner of the state, after two recounts. - - - "You even see it by rally size, frankly. We'd be getting 25-30,000 people a rally, and the competition would get less than 100 people. And it never made sense." Trump has long been obsessed over the size of the crowds at his rallies. In the final days of the election campaign, according to our database of Trump's false and misleading claims, Trump repeatedly hyped the number of people at his rallies - he rarely attracted more than 25,000 people - and often remarked that his crowds were bigger than any previous American or even world figure. (Not so.) He also knocked Biden for having small crowds, even though the Biden campaign was purposely trying to model good behavior during the pandemic. In these comments, Trump echoes something he said often in his final rallies - that he could not possibly lose because of the crowds he attracted. He constantly inflated the size of the "tractor rallies" and "boat rallies" on his behalf. But it's absurd to believe crowd sizes translate into votes. Many losing presidential campaigns - such as George McGovern's in 1972 - attracted huge crowds in the last days of the campaign. "The crowds at campaign events were large and enthusiastic," recalled McGovern in a 2012 article. "I didn't pay undue attention to the polls, and I wasn't overly concerned that there would be no face-to-face debates with Nixon. But when election night came and the early returns revealed one of the most lopsided victories in U.S. history, I was genuinely stunned." (McGovern lost 49 states to Richard Nixon.) - - - "Anywhere from 250 to 300,000 ballots were dropped mysteriously into the rolls." Only someone unaware of how ballots are counted would think something is mysterious. Trump is referring to the counting of mail-in ballots - almost two-thirds of the 1.3 million absentee ballots in Georgia were cast for Biden - that were generally counted after in-person ballots had been tabulated. In Georgia, absentee ballots can be processed (such as removed from envelopes and signature checked) upon receipt, but they cannot be counted until Election Day. - - - "Much of that had to do with Fulton County, which hasn't been checked. We think that if you check the signatures - a real check of the signatures going back in Fulton County - you'll find at least a couple of hundred thousand of forged signatures of people who have been forged." Trump is making up numbers here. There were only about 147,000 absentee ballots cast in Fulton County, making it impossible for "a couple of hundred thousand" forged signatures. - - - "People that went to vote and they were told they can't vote because they've already been voted for. And it's a very sad thing. They walked out complaining. But the number's large. . . . You also have a substantial numbers of people, thousands and thousands, who went to the voting place on November 3, were told they couldn't vote, were told they couldn't vote because a ballot had been put on their name. And you know that's very, very, very, very sad." This has been a persistent claim by the Trump campaign in various states - that Trump supporters went to vote, only to find their ballot had already been cast (presumably by Democratic operatives) and thus they were given a provisional ballot. No evidence has ever emerged to prove this. "There have no reports of anyone being turned away on Election Day," Raffensperger told CBS Evening News, noting the situation described by Trump surely would have been reported. - - - "There were no Republican poll watchers. Actually, there were no Democrat poll watchers, I guess they were them. But there were no Democrats, either, and there was no law enforcement. Late in the morning, early in the morning, they went to the table with the black robe and the black shield, and they pulled out the votes. Those votes were put there a number of hours before - the table was put there - I think it was, Brad, you would know, it was probably eight hours or seven hours before, and then it was stuffed with votes. They weren't in an official voter box; they were in what looked to be suitcases or trunks, suitcases, but they weren't in voter boxes." During a campaign rally for the Senate runoff races in December, Trump made a similar claim, which we debunked at the time. The surveillance video at State Farm Arena, which comprises four security camera feeds - shows no irregularities, illegal behavior or evidence of malfeasance on behalf of poll workers. The supposed "suitcases" have been repeatedly identified by election officials as the standard boxes used in Fulton County to transport and store ballots. The video also fails to show any act of hiding or obscuring any ballots or election materials. Additionally, the video shown doesn't prove the Trump campaign's assertion that GOP monitors were told to leave the counting room in order for poll workers to engage in illegal ballot counting. - - - "It was late in the evening, late in the, early in the morning, and there was nobody else in the room. Where were the poll watchers, and why did they say a water main broke, which they did and which was reported in the newspapers? They said they left. They ran out because of a water main break, and there was no water main. There was nothing. There was no break." Later in the call, Trump referenced a supposed water main break used to clear the room of poll watchers, a key focus of right-wing conspiracy theory websites. Officials have explained that a urinal had created a "little slow leak" in the arena. - - - "You had out-of-state voters. They voted in Georgia, but they were from out of state, of 4,925." During the call, secretary of state counsel Ryan Germany told Trump that his numbers were wrong. "They're not accurate," he said. "Every one we've been through are people that lived in Georgia, moved to a different state, but then moved back to Georgia legitimately." - - - "You had drop boxes, which is very bad. You had drop boxes that were picked up. We have photographs, and we have affidavits from many people." Germany previously told the state House Government Affairs Committee that video reviews found this to be false. - - - "The other thing, dead people. So dead people voted, and I think the number is close to 5,000 people. And they went to obituaries. They went to all sorts of methods to come up with an accurate number, and a minimum is close to about 5,000 voters." Another ludicrous number. During the call and at the state hearing, Germany said they have found a total of two dead people who voted. "Usually, that's somebody who died recently, and a family member votes with [the name]," Germany said. "That handful of instances are consistent with what we see in every election. Again, it's not OK." - - - "The bottom line is, when you add it all up and then you start adding, you know, 300,000 fake ballots." It is easy to add up nonsense numbers and come up with an even bigger number. - - - "They are burning their ballots, that they are shredding, shredding ballots and removing equipment. They're changing the equipment on the Dominion machines and, you know, that's not legal." As Raffensperger explained during the call, none of this is true. At a news conference Monday, Georgia's voting system manager Gabriel Sterling expressed bewilderment at Trump's claim about Dominion machines being altered. "This is not a thing," he said. During the call, Raffensperger pointedly noted that Trump's claims about Dominion machines could not possibly be true "because we did a hand re-tally, a 100% re-tally of all the ballots, and compared them to what the machines said and came up with virtually the same result. Then we did the recount, and we got virtually the same result." - - - "Remember, her reputation is - she's known all over the internet, Brad. She's known all over. I'm telling you, 'Where's [name]' was one of the hot items . . . [name] They knew her. 'Where's [name]?' So Brad, there can be no justification for that." At one point, Trump referenced by name an election worker at the State Farm Arena who has been subject of feverish speculation by QAnon followers, who falsely believed she had been arrested. (The Washington Post is not printing her name.) Trump here demonstrates how deep in the conspiracy theory swamps he has swum. - - - "Brad, why did they put the votes in three times? You know, they put 'em in three times." "Mr. President, they did not put that," Raffensperger replied. "We did an audit of that, and we proved conclusively that they were not scanned three times." - - - "They supposedly shredded I think they said 300 pounds of, 3,000 pounds of ballots. And that just came to us as a report today." This is more crazed Twitter speculation, with no basis in fact. Cobb County officials explained on Nov. 24 that a shredding company every election is hired to "dispose of non-relevant materials that cannot be easily disposed of," such as mailing labels and sticky notes. "None of these items are relevant to the election or the re-tally," Elections Director Janine Eveler said. "Everything of consequence, including the ballots, absentee ballot applications with signatures, and anything else used in the count or re-tally remains on file. - - - "In Detroit, we had, I think it was, 139% of the people voted. That's not too good." This has been debunked repeatedly. As we previously reported, Trump campaign allies mixed up precincts in Minnesota and Michigan. Someone had apparently mixed up two states that started with "Mi." The precincts were not in Wayne County but in some of the reddest parts of Minnesota - Trump country. It turns out that about 51% of the registered voters in the city cast a ballot. - - - "In Pennsylvania, they had well over 200,000 more votes than they had people voting." Another debunked statement, based on a misunderstanding of an incomplete voter registration database, which was missing numbers for some of the most populous counties in the state. "To put it simply, this so-called analysis was based on incomplete data," said Pennsylvania's Department of State, which labeled the claim as "obvious misinformation." - - - "She got you to sign a totally unconstitutional agreement, which is a disastrous agreement. You can't check signatures. I can't imagine you're allowed to do harvesting, I guess, in that agreement." The "she" here is voting-rights advocate Stacey Abrams. Trump is referring to a March settlement under which voters were to be contacted if problems arose with their absentee ballot. But Trump wrongly believes it did not allow signature verification and that it allows "harvesting," the collecting of ballots in bulk permitted in some states. But not in Georgia, as Raffensperger quickly pointed out. - - - The Pinocchio Test Is there any doubt? Four Pinocchios. The government has put in place arrangements, including storage, for the COVID-19 vaccines and can administer the shot to about three core eligible population in the state over a period of one month, a health department official said on Tuesday. About 10 lakh people can be vaccinated in the state per day, he said, two days after the country's drug regulator gave approval for restricted emergency use of Oxford's Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and Covaxin of Bharat Biotech here. The state government has created the capacity to store at least three crore vaccine doses -- 1.5 crore doses at the state vaccination centre and another 1.5 crore at ten other places, he told PTI. In addition to this, one crore doses can be stored in freezers in about 1,000 hospitals in the state, he said. "That means acquiring the capacity for our state even if the (vaccine) is to be given at one go to the 3.5 or four crore population that we have," the official said. One round of vaccination can be completed in one month by covering about 10 lakh people per day and the total number of the eligible would be less than three crore after exclusion of children and others, he said. The administration of booster dose can be completed in the second month. The whole programme can be completed in two months if the Centre directs vaccination of the entire population (eligible people), he said. The state government already has 17 insulated vaccine transport vehicles and 19 more such vehicles were being acquired to ensure that the regular vaccination programme did not suffer, he said. The infrastructure was almost in place to store the COVID-19 vaccines, being developed in the country, at the desired temperature levels, he said adding vaccination was not new. Front line personnel like health care staff have been identified in the priority category as per the present indication from the Centre, he said. State Health Minister Eatala Rajender has recently said the state had trained about 10,000 personnel for administering the vaccine and it has the capacity to cover about ten lakh people a day. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SelectMedia and Protected Media are announcing a close collaboration to empower publishers in the CTV space by solving ad fraud at the source. The newly formed partnership will enable SelectMedia to ensure validated high-quality traffic for publishers and advertisers, creating transparency and trust across the supply chain. Protected Media's CTV solution uses the most advanced technological stack and cybersecurity methods to guard advertisers and publishers against current and emerging CTV ad fraud threats. By working across the supply chain, on both the supply and demand ends, Protected Media develops demand side verification methodologies that are unattainable in any other way. SelectMedia is a full-stack advertising technology solution for the online publishing ecosystem. Major publishers use SelectMedia's comprehensive suite of video, header bidding display technology, and Search in mobile and desktop to eliminate cost, maximize yield and create exposure to new demand sources. The company provides advertisers with direct access to high quality video, display, and mobile inventory, and is historically invested in guaranteeing quality, viewability, and brand safety. Now, with SelectMedia's expansion into CTV and OTT, the new breeding ground for innovative ad fraud, the company is upping its ante in its fight against fraudsters. By integrating Protected Media's innovative CTV cybersecurity ad fraud solution, SelectMedia is providing its customers with protection against both monetary damages (revenue, fill rates, chargebacks, CPMs) and loss of reputation, in addition to the loss of trust associated with fraud in the advertising space. ProtectedTV employs impression-level, tamper-proof cryptography for user & device authentication, data verification, and "bad" source take-down. The solution's patented Three-Way Handshake guarantees the validity and quality of any given transaction across the CTV supply chain by enabling anyone to easily verify and authenticate their transactions. In addition, the solution offers stronger, more proactive protection because it caters to both supply and demand, creating an internal feedback loop of cross-supply chain knowledge sharing and collaboration to effectively fight fraud. Sagi Gordon, SelectMedia's CEO, said that "SelectMedia has always been a champion of fraud protection, with a profound understanding of the damages wrought by fraud on the advertising supply chain and of the huge value of fraud free traffic for both publishers and advertisers. That's why we chose Protected Media and its cutting edge ProtectedTV solution we're adamant to provide our customers with complete fraud coverage in the CTV space." Amichai Zuntz, Protected Media's EVP, said that "Digital fraud research estimates that up to 18% of traffic in the CTV ecosystem is fraudulent. The growing sophistication and scale of ad fraud can only be eradicated through technologies that work across the supply chain. By collaborating with SelectMedia, ProtectedTV brings clarity and trust to digital publishers and advertisers, empowering them to deliver campaign performance across measurable metrics, most notably overall campaign ROI." SelectMedia is a full-stack technology solution that provides a holistic solution for publishers to manage their online business. Established in 2012 by a veteran team of digital advertising professionals, SelectMedia partners with the industry's most respected publishers and advertisers and is widely considered one of the most trusted video and mobile technology platforms globally. From its headquarters in Tel Aviv and offices in Singapore, Thailand and other countries across Asia, SelectMedia serves the largest brands and agencies in Asia and beyond. Protected Media is an MRC-accredited global innovator in ad fraud prevention and detection. ProtectedTV, Protected Media's patent pending CTV solution, offers a unique three-way authentication and verification technology that guarantees the validity and quality of any given transaction across the CTV supply chain. Founded in 2014 by veterans of Israel's cybersecurity industry, Protected Media uses cyber methodologies and the most advanced technology stack to protect its over 100 global customers from sophisticated ad fraud and current and emerging threats. HQ in Tel Aviv and an office in New York. Contact Person: Amichai Zuntz EVP Sales & Business Development [email protected] SOURCE Protected Media; SelectMedia Due to the OPEC+ production cut deal and the decreased demand in the pandemic, Russias crude oil and condensate production fell in 2020 for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis and then slump in oil prices, according to government statistics. Russias annualized oil production declined by 8.6 percent to 10.27 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2020, down from a record-high in 2019, data from the energy ministry cited by Russian news agency Interfax showed. According to Reuters estimates, the 2020 oil production dropped for the first time year over year since the 2008 recession and was at its lowest level since 2011. The decline in Russias oil production was not unexpected, considering the demand crash and the new pact that the OPEC+ alliance forged in April for steep proportionate production cuts. Russia and Saudi Arabia, the leaders of the OPEC+ pact, had to cut the most under the new agreement after failing in early March 2020 to initially find common ground on how to react to the oil price and oil demand collapse. The drop in Russias oil production in 2020 comes after two consecutive years of production records in Russias post-Soviet history. In 2019, crude oil and condensate production in Russia hit a record high for the post-Soviet era, despite Moscows key role in supporting the production cuts of the OPEC+ coalition. According to figures from Russias energy ministry, Russia pumped 11.25 million bpd of crude oil and condensate in 2019up from 11.16 million bpd in 2018, which was the previous production record in Russias post-Soviet era. As of January 2021, Russia should be boosting its production by 125,000 bpd after the OPEC+ group decided in December to ease the collective cut by 500,000 bpd. The ministers of the group are meeting at the time of writing early on Monday to discuss the production policy in February, with Russia reportedly favoring another 500,000 bpd increase in the alliances production from next month. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: State Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, said Monday he has opted against running for the congressional seat that U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond is giving up. "Over the past few months many friends and supporters have encouraged me to return to Congress; however I have decided not to run for Congress," Fields said in a statement. "Serving the people of the 14th senatorial district is my primary responsibility and I am committed to giving my full attention and focus to that task during this difficult time in our state and nation," he said. Fields, 58, in January began his third term as state senator representing neighborhoods in north Baton Rouge, downtown, and Gardere, including Southern University and LSU. He was congressman representing the newly redrawn 4th Congressional District from 1993 to 1997. He ran for governor in 1995 losing to Republican Gov. Mike Foster in the runoff. He ran for another term in the state Senate again in 1997 and served until 2007, when he was forced out by term limits. In 2019, Fields challenged state Rep. Patricia Smith, D-Baton Rouge, and won another term. Fields chairs the Senate Education Committee. The 2nd Congressional District covers parts of 10 parishes including most of New Orleans, a section of Jefferson Parish and extends up the Mississippi River to take in neighborhoods largely in north Baton Rouge. The district was drawn as the state's only one in which minorities are the majority. Of the 530,796 registered voters, 61% are Black and 63% are Democratic. Forty-five percent of the voters live in Orleans Parish and 12% live in East Baton Rouge Parish. Richmond, a Democrat who lives in New Orleans East, announced on Nov. 17 that he would be leaving Congress to become director of the White House's Office of Public Engagement. He had served as an adviser to President-elect Joe Biden during Biden's successful run for president. Richmond, a former state lawmaker, first won the congressional seat in 2010. He has won easily in each reelection since, including in November when he scored 64% of the vote against five challengers. Two New Orleans Democratic state senators Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson have announced plans to run for the job. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Helena Moreno, an at-large member of the New Orleans City Council, is considered a possible contender and others have also been mentioned. Gary Chambers, a Baton Rouge community activist and publisher of the online publication called the Rouge Collection, indicated he will get in the race and has a website called chambersforcongress.com. "Gary is a leading social justice advocate based in Baton Rouge," according to the website. "Gary is running for the open congressional seat in Louisiana's 2nd District." Chambers ran an unsuccessful campaign for the state Senate in 2019 when he tried to replace state Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge. He said then that he favored the abolition of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education because he said there was too much money involved in BESE politics. Chambers also said state officials needed to be more aggressive about pursuing economic development. No election dates have been announced. Gov. John Bel Edwards said he wouldn't set the date until Richmond officially resigns. But the primary is expected to be March 20, with a runoff in April, if necessary. Those are the dates Edwards set to replace Congressman-elect Luke Letlow, who died unexpectedly last week of complications from COVID-19. Qualifying for the election, in which candidates sign up and pay the fees, will take place Jan. 20th to 22nd. ROCHESTER, Minn. - It's not just senior citizens that are experiencing loneliness during the pandemic. Turns out, so are our children. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry warns physical isolation is making kids lonely. The Journal warns those feelings may lag long after the pandemic is over. Distance learning is creating a variety of obstacles for students, from lack of structure to social isolation. KIMT News 3 spoke with one student who says she misses the hustle and bustle of life with her regular in-person school schedule. While some kids don't mind the changes, some are not adjusting well. The National Alliance on Mental Illness says to watch for severe risk-taking behavior, significant weight loss, excessive use of drugs or alcohol, and drastic mood swings. A John Marshall senior tells KIMT News 3 she wishes she wouldn't have taken her life pre-pandemic for granted. "It's really isolating and kind of lonely just waking up every day and turning on my computer and staring at a screen for hours. And then doing homework right after that, still in my room, and only coming out for dinner. It's really draining. I feel more alone than ever," Isabella Ostman says. She says there's nothing to look forward to at school anymore and she really misses that. She hopes to be back at school in-person soon. John Marshall High School students returned to school today following the holiday break, but all classes are still online. A promising start to the new year in Pakistan 05 January 2021 The cement industry in Pakistan kicked off the FY20-21 on an exciting note. During the first six months of the current fiscal year, total cement dispatches grew by 15.7 per cent, from 24.751Mt in July-December 2019, to 28.628Mt in July-December 2020. Local dispatches have increased by 15.9 per cent in July-December 2020 to 23.61Mt from 20.373Mt in July-December 2019. Exports also increased from 4.377Mt in July-December 2019 to 5.017Mt in July-December 2020, showing a growth of 14.6 per cent. Sources note that this is the reflection of the uptick in demand accompanied by the government incentives for the construction sector and steady cement price recovery can further unlock value. They also predict local dispatches and exports to grow by 16 and 38 per cent YoY, whereas total industry utilisation is estimated to reach 85 per cent in FY20-21. On the pricing front, cement prices are forecast to average at PKR558 (US$3.47) and PKR617/bag in the north and south, respectively in FY20-21. Construction package Prime Minister Imran Khan last week announced that the fixed tax regime for the construction sector that was introduced earlier this year had been extended to 31 December 2021. "I want to give [the construction sector] good news for the new year. We have extended the fixed tax regime to 31 December 2021," the Prime Minister said during a live address to the nation. APCMA concerns A spokesman of All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) mentioned that the rising trend of coal, electricity and diesel prices is affecting the cement sector. During the last six months coal prices have increased by almost US$35/t. Furthermore, duty and taxes on cement sector are also very high. Cement is subject to federal excise duty at PKR1500/t and PKR75/bag, and general sales tax at 17 per cent (PKR77/bag). Total direct taxes on cement per bag are PKR152/bag. He requested the government to give tax concessions on the cement sector which will reduce the cost of production, giving a boost to construction activities and employment in the sector. Published under We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form There is an utmost need for the GCC states to unite their efforts to advance the region and confront the challenges that surround it, particularly the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear program, said His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, addressing the 41st GCC summit in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia. Leaders and heads of delegations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) convened for the summit today at Maraya Concert Hall in Al-Ula. Upon their arrival at the hall, the leaders and heads of delegations were received by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, said a Saudi Press Agency report. On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the session was chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. Saudi Arabia's official delegation includes Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State and Cabinet's Member Dr Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban. HRH Prince Mohammed said: "We miss this year two great leaders who had a significant role in supporting the joint Gulf action -- Sultan Qaboos bin Said (of Oman) and Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad (Kuwait). In recognition of their great efforts over decades in support of the GCC, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has directed that this summit shall be named the Summit of Sultan Qaboos and Sheikh Sabah. We also wish all success for Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said and Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in continuing the march of progress, growth, and prosperity in their countries and supporting our joint Gulf action." He expressed thanks and appreciation for the efforts to bridge the gap in ties among GCC states, led by the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad and continued by Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad. "In this regard, we also hail endeavours of the United States of America and all parties that have contributed. These efforts led to reach 'Al-Ula Declaration' that will be signed at this summit which affirms the importance of the solidarity and stability in the Gulf, Arab and Islamic countries and strengthens the bonds of friendship and brotherhood among our countries and peoples in order to serve their aspirations," he said. "Today, we are in utmost need to unite our efforts to advance our region and confront the challenges that surround us, particularly the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear program, its ballistic missile program, its destructive sabotage projects as well as its terrorist and sectarian activities adopted by Iran and its proxies to destabilise the security and stability in the region. These actions put us in a position to call the international community to work seriously in order to stop these programs and projects that threaten regional and international peace and security," he said. Saudi Arabia's firm and continuous policy, future plans, and ambitious development vision (the Kingdom Vision 2030) prioritises a unified and solid Gulf Cooperation Council, in addition to strengthening the Arab and Islamic cooperation in a way that serves the security, stability, and prosperity of our countries and the region, he added. Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf expressed his sincere thanks to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and to the Government and people of Saudi Arabia for the warm reception, hospitality, and excellent organization of this summit, praising the keenness of all participants to hold this meeting which will support joint GCC and Arab action, and achieve our peoples aspirations. Sheikh Nawaf praised the historic achievement of signing the statement of Al-Ula, recalling the sincere role played by the late Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who contributed greatly to the success of this agreement. Sheikh Nawaf concluded that naming the Declaration of Al-Ula as "The Solidarity Agreement" reflects our keenness on the cohesion and unity of the Arab nation. Jessie Wallace appeared strained as she spoke to police near her London home alongside her daughter Tallulah, 16, last week. The EastEnders icon, 49, emerged in her slippers to speak to two police officers, who parked their squad car in the middle of a suburban street on 28 December. She was flanked by Tallulah, who she shares with her policeman ex Dave Morgan, as they engaged in the strained conversation with the law-enforcement officers. Discussions: Jessie Wallace appeared strained as she spoke to police near her London home alongside her daughter Tallulah, 16, last week Jessie and her daughter were similarly-clad in comfortable garb as they spoke to and gesticulated at the police officers, who were pointing at a Range Rover. MailOnline has contacted police officials and Jessie's representative for comment. Tallulah's father Dave was a policeman when he was dating her mother over 10 years ago, before the couple split shortly after Jessie gave birth in 2004. The actress, who plays Kat Slater in EastEnders, previously blasted Met Police's failure to investigate when Tallulah was mugged in north London in 2018. Stepping out: She was flanked by Tallulah, who she shares with her policeman ex Dave Morgan, as they engaged in the strained conversation with the law-enforcement officers Speaking away: The group were engaged in the tense conversation Jessie recalled how Tallulah was robbed by a gang in Muswell Hill when she was just 14. She detailed how police failed to investigate the crime after calling at the house in the early hours of the next morning, seven hours after the attack. Jessie's appearance comes after it was revealed her firm owed around 40,000 in unpaid tax as her company was 'fully wound up', official documents show. The report, shared by Companies House last month, follows the aftermath of her firm Thatcher Promotions Limited being placed in voluntary liquidation in 2015. According to the agency, Jessie's company owed a total of 69,614 to the HMRC in unpaid corporation tax and VAT which liquidators have since been trying to regain. In depth: She was gesticulating during the conversation In depth: Jessie and her daughter were similarly-clad in comfortable garb as they spoke to and gesticulated at the police officers, who were pointing at a Range Rover Strife: Jessie's appearance comes after it was revealed her firm owed around 40,000 in unpaid tax as her company was 'fully wound up', official documents show A legal charge was later placed on the EastEnders star's home to ensure she repaid the money, the Mirror reported. She returned a total of 60,000, but much of this went to cover legal fees. Jessie ended up with enough to pay back around 27,000 of the 69,614 owed to HMRC, it was said. The report, published as Thatcher Promotions Limited was 'fully wound up', reportedly showed she had agreed to return 1,000 per month. However, she reportedly did not meet these instalments and 'continued chasing was required.' Therefore, to secure the debt, I instructed solicitors to place a charge upon her property,' the report said. Jessie is listed as the director of Thatcher Promotions Limited on Companies House. The report concluded: 'There are no other matters outstanding and the affairs of the company have been fully wound up.' Back then: The actress previously blasted Met Police's failure to investigate when Tallulah (pictured aged 14) was mugged in north London in 2018 ROCHESTER, Minn. - College students all across the country are getting ready to head back to class for spring semester. For students at Rochester Community and Technical College, it's going to look similar to the fall. Classes begin both in-person on campus and online January 11th. However, 80% of students are taking at least one online class now during the pandemic compared to before, which was only 30%. RCTC led the Minnesota state system in enrollment growth during the fall semester. That was the first time in four years the school has seen the numbers increase. The school offers three different learning options: in-person, online and the hy-flex model, which is the two combined. Nate Stoltman with RCTC said there hasn't been any COVID-19 transmission within the school and that's because students don't live on campus, classes are at less than 50% capacity and they've been able to make adjustments to allow for social distancing. He explained these guidelines are working so everything will stay the same. "We continue to get new guidance. We continue to get revised recommendations. So we're planning for spring as basically a continuation from fall," Stoltman said. "But as the vaccine is getting rolled out and things are changing, there's a possibility that maybe we can bring more folks back to campus and there's a possibility that maybe we have to go online." Schools across the nation are rolling out testing sites on campus, but according to Stoltman, its own testing site isn't necessary thanks to their guidelines. "We ended up doing a lot of rearranging of rooms," he said. "We took out a lot of furniture and we even moved some classes out of their traditional spaces and put them in new spaces." Because the holidays were just last week and many people traveled to see family they don't see every day, staff is encouraging students to get tested for COVID-19 before classes start begin and again a week or two after. If you still need to apply for enrollment at RCTC, the deadline is January 6th and it is free to do so. Jack Ma's business is under tremendous pressure right now, but nothing has been heard of the co-founder of China's most successful tech empire and legendary billionaire Jack Ma for months, CNN reported. Ma has not appeared in public or posted on social media since late October, a week before the long-awaited listing of Alibaba's financial subsidiary, Ant Group, was blocked by Chinese regulators. Ant Group has gone from preparing the world's largest IPO to receiving an order to overhaul large sections of its business. The company has been criticized by Chinese regulators for pushing competitors out of the market and harming consumer rights. Meanwhile, an antitrust investigation was carried out against Alibaba. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Beijing is trying to shrink Ma's empire and take a larger stake in Ma's business. According to the Financial Times, the billionaire did not even participate in the finale of the African talent show he created. Ma was reportedly replaced by a judge during the November filming of the latest episode of 'Africa's Business Heroes', a TV competition for entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, on October 12, Ma announced that he was looking forward to meeting with the finalists during the online finals on November 14. Alibaba told CNN Business on Monday that Ma "had to miss the finale due to scheduling conflict." It declined further comment on his whereabouts. As a district, we must make decisions which we feel will protect the health and well-being of our students, staff and families, she said. It is our hope we will get children back in the classroom as soon as possible. It is best for the children to be in a school environment. A father has sparked a heated debate on social media for ranking classic canteen snacks from best to worst, with Sunnyboys taking out the top spot and Warheads described as 'cat vomit'. Bruno Bouchet, from Sydney, shared his 'definitive' rankings of 20 foods typically found in school canteens across Australia in the 90s and early 2000s. And while there were many items listed, the self-proclaimed 'List King' left out iconic snacks such as chicken & corn roll, potato scallops, Dunkaroos, Le Snak cheese dip and Redskins, now known as 'Red Ripper'. 'The 100 per cent accurate classic tuck shop food power rankings. Don't bother commenting, this isn't up for discussion,' the former Kyle & Jackie O radio show producer wrote on Instagram. A father has sparked a heated debate after ranking classic canteen snacks from best to worst, with Sunnyboys taking out the top spot while describing Warheads as 'cat vomit' Poll What's your favourite snack from your school canteen? Pizza roundas Sunnyboys Burger Man Mamee Noodles Nerds Billabong Zooper Doopers Zappos Ovalteenies Fizzers Warheads Jelly cups What's your favourite snack from your school canteen? Pizza roundas 21 votes Sunnyboys 51 votes Burger Man 10 votes Mamee Noodles 3 votes Nerds 4 votes Billabong 11 votes Zooper Doopers 8 votes Zappos 2 votes Ovalteenies 10 votes Fizzers 3 votes Warheads 3 votes Jelly cups 2 votes Now share your opinion Sunnyboys, Burger Man chips, Mamee noodles and pizza roundas, also known as pizza pockets, were awarded the coveted top spot in the 'God tier' category. Nerds, meat pies and Billabong ice cream were featured in the second-best 'Royalty tier', alongside sherbet pops, which are fizzy sherbet lollipops. In the centre of his rankings, Bruno controversially put sausage rolls and Zooper Dooper ice poles along with Ghost Drops and Sesame Snaps in the 'Adam Sandler tier', or what he describes as the middle ground of 'take it or leave it'. The 'Pleb' or second-lowest tier consisted of Zappo lollies, Nutella snack packs, Ovalteenies and Fizzers chewy sweets. Jelly cups, J.J. chicken chips, pizza singles and Warheads sour candy stood at the bottom of the barrel in the 'cat vomit' tier. Dozens of people agreed with Bruno's ranking, while others were offended by the low placement of Warheads, pizza singles and Zooper Doopers. 'Warheads are god. I'm now at war with you,' Beau Ryan wrote. Michael said: 'Burger Man are and always will be God tier,' while Matt added: 'Sunnyboys? God tier? Did you drink bad egg nog over Christmas? Solid list otherwise. But man alive if anything deserve cat vomit tier it's that.' Bruno Bouchet, from Sydney, shared his 'definitive' rankings of 20 foods typically found in school canteens across Australia in the 90s and early 2000s Others shared their memorable moments about the snacks, whiles many said they'd 'kill everyone just for one bite of a pizza rounda'. 'Those sherbet lollipops would be higher if the stick didn't sog up half way through,' Jack suggested. TM said: 'Sunnyboys are just a tasteless block of ice after the first few sucks', to which Bruno responded: 'Homie - you're not sucking correctly.' Some reflected back on the iconic snacks from the 90s, with one saying: 'Ahhhhh treats from back in the day before the food police took over.' ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced the acquisition of Phoenix-based Ashton Tiffany LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1995, Ashton Tiffany is a full-service risk program administrator serving clients throughout the state of Arizona. The team specializes in developing and managing public entity risk pools. Founders John Ashton and Michael Tiffany, Jr., and their associates, will continue to operate from their current location as part of Gallagher's Risk Program Administrators (RPA) divisionformed in 2016 specifically to serve public entity pools and programsunder the direction of Cynthia LaMantia, head of Gallagher's Great Lakes region retail property/casualty brokerage operations. "Ashton Tiffany has earned an excellent reputation as a risk program administrator. Gallagher's decades-long experience with managing risk pools, combined with Ashton Tiffany's market recognition and attractive proprietary administrative tools, strongly positions us for continued growth in this area," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am delighted to welcome John, Mike and their associates to our growing global team." Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 49 countries and offers client-service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP Investor Relations VP Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-4009/ [email protected] SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Related Links https://www.ajg.com/ P iers Morgan has blasted Boris Johnsons utterly insane decision to u-turn on school closures after just one day. Thousands of pupils returned to primary schools after the Christmas break on Monday after the the Prime MInister insisted that classrooms were safe. Hours later, Mr Johnson announced a new national lockdown in Englan, ordering peopke to stay at home and forcing all schools to close until at least after the February half-term. The brief reopening of many schools on Monday came despite pleas from teaching unions pleas and local councils demands that it was not safe for pupils to return. On Tuesday Good Morning Britain co-host Piers Morgan launched a sarcastic tirade against the Prime Minister over the u-turn. He said: "All the kids, who we know are the biggest spreaders of the virus, going back for a day. What a brilliant idea by the Prime Minister! "He sends them all back to school so they can mingle with other students for them to then go home and infect their elderly relatives?" "My thoughts are with Gavin Williamson," he continued. "This guy is the most clueless Education Secretary we've ever seen." "I watched Boris Johnson, still mindful of his six times pledge of Andrew Marr - 'schools are safe!'" said Piers as a variety of clips of the prime minister claiming schools were safe were shown. Piers Morgan experiences childbirth through a TENS machine 1 /7 Piers Morgan experiences childbirth through a TENS machine Piers Morgan was left screaming in agony on Good Morning Britain as he tried out a childbirth simulator ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV He continued: "Sorry prime minister, but how did they go from being completely safe on Sunday to to closing on Monday? "Why do you do this? Why do you disrupt everybody's lives for one day? It's utterly insane." Mr Morgan pre-empted his latest rant with an angry tweet after yesterdays lockdown announcement. He wrote: "So, just hours after Boris Johnson assured us schools are 'safe' and will stay open, he shuts them all. But only after allowing them to be open for one day so everyone could infect each other & take the virus home to their older relatives. "This is scandalously bad government." All schools and colleges in England will be closed until after the February half-term, except for children of key workers and the vulnerable. However, early years settings such as nurseries, alternative provision and special schools will remain open. Denton, TX (76205) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 72F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Bartender Josh Vaughn served the last drink at a Hilton hotel bar in Savannah, Ga., on March 14. He was furloughed the next day. The company promptly filed paperwork for him to receive unemployment aid, yet he spent more than nine months waiting for the money. Vaughn is among more than 1.2 million Americans stuck waiting months for desperately needed aid as states struggle to catch up with backlogs of unemployment claims stretching back to March, a Post analysis showed. In April, Vaughn received a letter saying he qualified for $320 a week, but then his file was put on hold until he proved his identity. The fraud check process took nearly six months to clear up. But Vaughn, who is now decorating cakes and stocking shelves at a grocery store, a job that pays about half what he made as a bartender, was waiting in December for his unemployment benefits. "It's just so unbelievably difficult to get unemployment. It shouldn't be this hard, especially at a time like this when millions of us are out of work," Vaughn said. Vaughn received $14,000 in unemployment on Thursday - a few days after The Post inquired about his case with the state. The Post's calculation reflects 703,000 pending appeals across the country and 529,000 people waiting on a benefits decision in the states that publicly share that information or who responded to a request for comment. People's claims have been held up for months at times for something as simple as a typo or uploading a scan of a driver's license instead of a photo. Most delays are the result of three key factors: extensive fraud prevention checks, antiquated computer systems and applications getting flagged for extra scrutiny. Claims set aside for manual review often take months to resolve. The holdup in sending out unemployment aid has caused families to fall severely behind on rent, cancel health treatments and struggle to buy food, according to interviews with more than a dozen people who have yet to receive any money despite applying for unemployment in the spring or summer. The stimulus bill that President Donald Trump signed over the holidays includes an extra $300 a week for the unemployed until mid-March, but that additional money won't help people who are still "pending" in the unemployment system. The fact that so many are still waiting for their claims to be processed underscores how unprepared the United States was to deal with this large-scale crisis, analysts say. "The unemployment insurance system has been unfair," said Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation. "In Europe, they're paying unemployment through company payrolls, which is a lot simpler and faster. Here, the system has to handle millions of individual cases." The Post reached out to 20 state unemployment offices. Most stressed that they have doubled or tripled staffing levels, worked weekends and contracted with third parties to process applications as quickly as possible. But Labor Department data shows only eight states are currently processing the bulk of new applications and sending out payments in three weeks, which was the standard time before the pandemic. "We are still dealing with twice the normal number of claims even today, nine months into the pandemic, while simultaneously continuing to plow through the record onslaught of claims that came in the door from March to June," said Bret Crow, communications director at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio has hired 150 new unemployment claim adjudicators and more than a thousand call center agents. Even so, Ohio is among many states that have still not been able to achieve pre-pandemic processing times. New Jersey is another state that has been proactive in beefing up staff and upgrading its systems. But unemployed people still fall through the cracks. Martin Jones, 39, of Camden, N.J., lost his security guard job in late May and applied for unemployment in June. But there was a glitch: New Jersey kept sending him letters asking why he wanted to resurrect an old claim from the summer of 2019. Despite numerous phone calls explaining he was applying for aid in 2020, it has not been fixed. He was told to refile in September, which he did, but he's still waiting for his first payment. "The very last person I talked to in November basically told me I should keep my fingers crossed and hope it eventually goes through," Jones said. "I haven't received a penny." Jones is diabetic and has been relying on charity from family members to buy the food and medicine he needs. In a recent trip to the store, he didn't have enough money for toothpaste and deodorant. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development spokeswoman Angela Delli Santi declined to comment on Jones's case, but she said the state is seeing a lot of applications with missing information or a "complicating factor" that "often requires the assistance of an experienced agent." State unemployment offices stressed that most people still waiting for aid don't qualify for the regular unemployment aid program. Instead, these people believe they qualify for the new program Congress created in March called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or "PUA," that is meant to help gig workers, self-employed workers and parents who had to stop working to take care of a sick relative or watch a school-aged child when schools shut down in-person education. States had to implement this new program from scratch in the spring when they were receiving millions of applications each week. Many states are struggling to figure out what proof is acceptable to show a gig worker lost their job because of the pandemic or whether a parent truly left a job to care for a child. Unemployment aid has typically replaced a little less than half of a worker's prior wages, but gig workers often have wages that fluctuate a lot week to week, another challenge that requires case-by-case calculations. Chantel Clark is a mom caught in this PUA limbo. She worked at Macy's for years and was furloughed in March. Both her dad and her father-in-law died of the coronavirus in the spring. Despite her fears of the virus, when Macy's asked her to return to work in June, she went. Then the summer camp for her autistic son closed, leaving Clark and her husband without childcare. Clark, 38, says she tried to work out something with Macy's but ultimately had to resign to watch her son. Clark would not have been eligible for unemployment insurance before the pandemic because she voluntarily left her job, but PUA covers parents who were not able to work because their kids' childcare or schools shut down because of the pandemic. "I filed for unemployment insurance at the end of July and I haven't received a dime," said Clark, who lives in Alpharetta, Ga. She and her husband recently had to sell one of their two vehicles because they ran out of savings and needed money. When Clark finally got through to someone in Georgia's unemployment office, they told her the computer system showed she quit her job, so a senior manager would determine whether she's eligible for PUA. Clark was told a manager would call her to discuss her case in February 2021 - seven months after she initially filed a claim. Clark received a call last week after The Post inquired about her case, but she has not received any money. "I honestly just want to give up. It's so not worth the stress," she said. Investigations into why someone left their last job are taking much longer during the pandemic. In November 2019, 90% were resolved within a month. Now only 40 percent are done in a month. In Georgia, 75% of cases like Clark's are taking more than 10 weeks to resolve, Labor Department data show. But even people with more straightforward job loss situations are having problems. Angie Ivey, 31, from Atlanta is a mother of three who was laid off from her job in May at a mental health center because so few patients were coming in. She applied for regular unemployment and was denied. She then applied for PUA, but her case has been pending for months. "My unemployment is still pending since August and there is nowhere to turn," Ivey said. "You call and wait on hold for hours. Then they hang up or give you a message that says, 'phone system not working.'" She was recently informed there was an "IT issue" with her case and they needed to manually override it to approve her, but she has yet to receive any money. Ivey, a widow, is $3,000 behind on rent. The family is barely surviving on lunch meat and bread from a nearby church food pantry. Several Democratic state representatives sent a letter this month to Georgia's attorney general requesting an investigation into Georgia's inability to pay claims in a timely manner. Mark Butler, Georgia's commissioner of labor, said his office has been working quickly to get money out, but it has also seen a spike in fraudulent claims. More than 4.1 million applications have been processed, but 111,000 were from people who were fired or quit, which requires extra review, and more than 31,000 have been flagged as potentially fraudulent, he said. "A huge portion of the issues we have seen with claims stem from individuals who have quit, have been fired, or have not had a job in the past year who believe they are owed benefits from the state regardless of their separation reason," Butler said in a statement. "We are responsible for making lawful benefit determinations based on the evidence presented in each case." The Trump administration has made fraud prevention a top priority, noted Peter Ganong, a public policy professor at the University of Chicago. But it has slowed the distribution of aid. "I think we would be better served by focusing on getting benefits out to people who need them and getting them out quickly," Ganong said. It's a difficult balancing act for states. Bank of America estimates that California paid up to $2 billion in fraudulent claims. At the same time, a report by California's Employment Development Department Strike Team found that one simplistic fraud-detection technique redirected about 1.4 million claims to manual processing. About 0.02 percent of the claims processed were found to be fraudulent. Efforts to prevent fraud can often hinder legitimate applicants from aid. Michelle Stoltenberg from Pittsburgh thought she had uploaded all the required ID documents: driver's license, passport, gas bill, electric bill, birth certificate and landline phone bill. But when she called to check, Pennsylvania's unemployment office told her a scan of driver's license wasn't acceptable; she needed to photograph it. She did that. Then she was told she needed to upload a photo of the back of her birth certificate - even though it's blank. She did that, too. "I applied in July. This has gone on for five months," said Stoltenberg, who has fallen behind on utility bills and put off a surgery. "My trust in my government is just fundamentally broken now." Stoltenberg, 44, works live music events in Pittsburgh, which stopped in March. She is still owed more than $10,000 in back pay from Pennsylvania's unemployment office. Her former employer, a law professor and her state senator are all advocating for her, yet was not paid until Thursday, just after The Post asked about her case. Another holdup is the appeals process. When people are denied unemployment, they can appeal, but getting a hearing can take months. Undecided appeals in the United States were open for an average of 82 days at the end of November, according to Labor Department data. Rhett Wilkinson is a prime example. The 31-year-old freelance writer has worked for several years doing various writing gigs for companies and newspapers. He had a good job before the pandemic hit, but that firm told him in a note on March 18 that "with everything going on in the world right now, we are putting this project on hold" and that he was no longer needed. Wilkinson, who lives in Utah, applied for PUA in April. He was denied in late August because the state said it wasn't clear whether he lost his job because of the pandemic. He filed for an appeal but did not get a hearing until November 23 - just before Thanksgiving. "The administrative law judge reversed the decision upon my appeal, but I still have not gotten any money," Wilkinson said. State unemployment agencies argue that they are doing the best they can. Many states report hiring hundreds of new adjudicators to handle appeals. The Oregon Employment Department tripled the number of adjudicators on staff and winnowed down its backlog from 52,000 claims in September to 12,600 in December, despite a coronavirus outbreak at one of the departments' offices. Other states have taken to more creative solutions. Wisconsin partnered with Google Cloud, while Kentucky and Pennsylvania hired accounting firm Ernst and Young to help work through their backlogs. California stopped accepting applications for two weeks in the fall to work through their backlog. Virginia, facing a potential lawsuit, has begun the process of paying 58,000 workers before their cases go through adjudication - on the condition that they pay the money back if they are found to be ineligible. State unemployment offices are often saddled with decades-old computer systems that delay the implementation of new programs. Oregon was the last state in the nation to waive a one-week waiting period for benefits because it took seven months to reprogram their computer system. Oregon, like many other states, uses a computer system based in a 1960s-era programming language called COBOL. The latest relief package passed by Congress did not include additional funding to help state unemployment offices upgrade their computers. An early proposal included $1 billion for such upgrades but that measure was scrapped from the final bill. "It's crazy our computer systems couldn't be programmed to do the right thing," said Glenn Hubbard, former chief economist for George W. Bush and a Columbia Business School professor. "Something will happen again some day and we shouldn't be in this position." Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 06:16:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for caution in dealing with the issue of Syria's chemical weapons. China notes that Syria has expressed on many occasions its strong willingness to cooperate with the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and the two parties have, through consultation, closed three outstanding issues related to the initial declaration, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. Syria's constructiveness and the outcomes of the engagement between the two parties deserve recognition. China encourages them to continue to work toward positive progress on other outstanding issues, he told the Security Council. Syria's UN ambassador has addressed many letters to the president of the Security Council with detailed information on terrorist organizations' misinformation campaign attempts with regard to chemical attacks. Syria's information deserves full attention. China hopes follow-ups to such information will be provided in the monthly reports and Security Council briefings, said Dai. Given the crucial importance of the chemical weapons dossier, the issue of accountability must be placed back within the framework of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Investigations must be based on respect for facts and science, he said. "We object to taking action with undue haste when conclusive evidence is absent, and question marks abound, as regards the reports." China hopes that the OPCW reports are able to establish a complete chain of evidence with no loose ends, failing which the objectivity, neutrality and authority of the OPCW would be called into question, he said. Forcing an action is not the right thing to do at this point. The OPCW Technical Secretariat should encourage exhaustive discussions on the question marks regarding the reports in order to convince people with science-based analysis and with factual information. This is the only way to implement Security Council Resolution 2118 to the letter and preserve the authority of the OPCW, he said. "Right now we are seeing challenges facing the OPCW in its work and sharp division and confrontation among the parties. Last month, OPCW Director-General (Fernando) Arias indicated he was in close engagement with member states. We encourage the director-general and the Technical Secretariat to step up efforts to help bring states parties back to the tradition of consensus-based decision-making and avoid forced voting. We also look forward to Director-General Arias briefing the council at its open meetings and answering council members' questions." On the issue of chemical weapons, China's position has been consistent all along. It opposes the use of chemical weapons by any country, organization or individual under any circumstances for any purpose. Alleged use of chemical weapons must be investigated and dealt with in an impartial and objective manner, on the basis of factual evidence and the provisions of the CWC, he said. Enditem A police officer in Glen Ridge says he plans to sue the borough, claiming the police chief has been harassing him relentlessly for years. Its the third time in four years Chief Shelia Byron Lagattuta has faced claims of unfair treatment from one of her workers. Sgt. Ryan Schwartz claims Byron-Lagattuta first expressed her displeasure and was expecting better from him after he was injured and filed a workers compensation claim in 2017, according to a recent notice of claim obtained by NJ Advance Media. Schwartz said he also received a nasty email from the chief after he filed a health claim when a suspect spit on him, according to the notice sent to borough officials last month. The notice of claim also states that Byron-Lagattuta was upset when the department was subjected to a Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health investigation around the time that police officer Charles Rob Roberts died of COVID-19 in May 2020. In the days leading to that officers funeral, the chief was heard to say, When this is all over, this better go back to the way (we) were, the claim states. Byron-Lagattuta also allegedly invited anyone who disagreed with her to settle their differences in the parking lot, the way it was done in the old days, the claim states. Byron-Lagattuta said on Monday that borough officials would have no comment on the matter at this time. If Schwartzs lawsuit is filed, it will be the third in four years a Glen Ridge employee has accused Byron-Lagattuta the boroughs first female police chief of unfair treatment and harassment. In October 2016, police Sgt. Meritt Carr filed a lawsuit claiming Byron-Lagattuta embarked on a continuing, systematic and outrageous pattern of abusive and adverse actions. Carr had claimed the chief began harassing him when another officer in the police department had accepted a job offer elsewhere. Things got worse when Carr refused to write an unfavorable annual review of a subordinate, whom the chief did not like, according to the suit. The lawsuit was settled in 2020 for $675,000, according to court documents. In May 2017, Byron-Lagattutas former personal assistant, Thanny Rodriguez, alleged in a lawsuit that the chief made inappropriate sexual remarks to her, ridiculed her Dominican accent and created such a hostile work environment that the assistant eventually resigned. Rodriguez settled her lawsuit last year for an undisclosed amount, according to court records. A spokesman for PBA Local 58, which represents Glen Ridge police officers, declined to comment on the notice of claim. Paul W. Tyshchenko, an attorney for the union, issued a statement supporting Schwartz in his claims against the chief. The union has twice issued no confidence votes against Byron-Lagattuta and has urged the borough to take appropriate action against (the chief) to improve officer morale and cleanse the hostile working environment, Tyshchenko said in a statement. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Timothy Bowman Jr., 22, has been arrested in relation to a domestic dispute on Monday evening and shots fired this morning at the same residence on Boston Lane in Hixson. Hamilton County Sheriffs Office Deputies were dispatched to the 7900 block of Boston Lane in Hixson Monday at 10:50 p.m. for the report of a domestic assault. The suspect in the assault was no longer on the scene and was identified as Bowman. Deputies took out warrants charging him with domestic assault. On Tuesday at 7:35 a.m., shots were fired into the victims residence on Boston Lane. HCSO detectives have developed information leading them to believe the shooter is Bowman, who was involved in the earlier domestic assault. Moments ago, Bowman was arrested by the HCSO Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (FAST) on the domestic assault warrant and detectives will be pursuing additional charges related to this mornings shooting. Junta de Andalucia spokesman, Elias Bendodo, has not ruled out adopting new restrictions after the festive period to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Bendodo has announced a meeting of the regional governments committee of experts for 8 January, just two days before the expiry of the measures that were adopted over the Christmas, New Year and Three Kings holidays. At the meeting the Junta will choose to maintain, relax or tighten the existing restrictions. The Andalusian government spokesman doesn't rule out new measures to curb spread of the coronavirus and insisted that the restrictions will always be in accordance with what the expert committee decides and in accordance with "proportionate decisions." The councillor stressed that the Junta continues to analyse the evolution of the pandemic on a daily basis and will always put forward measures that prioritise health and at the same time have the least possible impact on the economy. Donald Trump lost the presidential election. One of the key states he lost was Georgia. On Saturday, he told Georgias secretary of state to change the official results to find 11,780 votes and make it appear he won that state. Legal experts, actual and armchair alike, may parse whether Mr. Trumps actions technically fit the definition of a crime. But clearly, Mr. Trump sought, in an hour-long diatribe, to get a public official to change the results of an election. Criminal or not, Mr. Trumps actions were undeniably anti-democratic. The question is whether those who have the power indeed, the duty to hold Mr. Trump accountable will defend the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, or whether they will scurry to his defense, or stay silent and hope no one notices their complicity. Mr. Trump has been at this so long its been two months since Election Day that the big lie he keeps telling of a stolen election might seem like a legitimate point of contention. It is not. States have certified that President-elect Joe Biden achieved some 7 million more votes than Mr. Trump, and the Electoral College affirmed Mr. Biden won 306-232. Mr. Trump and his allies have lost some 60 court cases of varying degrees of absurdity. Several judges, including even some Mr. Trump picked, scolded the lawyers filing these cases for the vacuousness of their complaints. There werent tens of thousands of dead voters voting, nor live people impersonating other voters. There wasnt some massive influx of out-of-state people registering to vote. There werent people stuffing ballot boxes in secret. All this has been disproved. The presidents insistence that the opposite of all that is true might lead some to think he genuinely believes the falsehoods and wild conspiracy theories no matter how much evidence to the contrary there is. If so if he is truly sincere in his denial of reality then the United States is being led by a president, and most critically, a commander in chief of its armed forces, in a deep state of delusion. He is, in other words, quite sick. The alternative is that he is fully aware that none of this is true, and hes trying intentionally and deceitfully to subvert an election. Delusional or dishonest, it makes no difference. Either way, he is unfit to serve. Yet we have no expectation that those around him with the power under the 25th Amendment to declare him incapable of holding office will have the courage to do so. So where does America go? Impeachment, surely, is justified, both to end Mr. Trumps hopes of a political comeback in 2024, and to send a message to those who would mess with elections. But thats a debate for a new Congress, especially a new Senate in which Mr. Trumps party may be out of power after Georgias special election. So, first, we go to Wednesday, when Congress is scheduled to affirm the Electoral College results. Usually a perfunctory act, this year its shaping up to be a political spectacle. Some of Mr. Trumps loyalists plan to challenge electoral votes in swing states the president maintains were stolen from him allegations he has, remember, had every chance to prove, and failed to. He was still claiming in that Saturday phone call that new evidence is about to come out the same sort of con he played for years with his ridiculous birther conspiracy about President Barack Obama. This is the chance for representatives and senators to begin to lead the nation out of this morass of delusions or lies again, whichever you prefer rather than follow Mr. Trump down the undemocratic path he seeks to take America. There is no excuse at such an incendiary moment for the political posturing were seeing from Mr. Trumps supporters, among them Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, who in a convoluted statement Monday said she will object to certain electors no doubt those in swing states Mr. Biden won as a way to both protect and defend the Constitution and follow the wishes of not just her constituents but patriots across the country. Bunk. There is no fuzzy moral ground here. Either you stand for the rule of law and accept the results of an election that Mr. Trump has not a shred of credible evidence to challenge, or you follow a deluded or corrupt president take your pick and the mob he and his surrogates and radical right-wing propagandists have whipped into a frenzy. Republicans have failed this test once already, letting Mr. Trump off the hook when he was rightly impeached for another corrupt phone call, that one to the president of Ukraine asking him to help damage Mr. Biden politically while at the same time withholding badly needed military aid a blatant act of extortion and abuse of power. And here are the consequences of Mr. Trump being told that there are no consequences: a president telling a public official to fix an election for him. What message will Republicans in the House and Senate send this time, not just to Mr. Trump, but to the next would-be autocrat or madman, take your pick looking to subvert our democracy? And will they vote not as if their political future depends upon it, but Americas? We've talked about this twice already . . . We shared video of the controversial prayer. And then we talked about the explanation yesterday morning. Still, we share one last reference for not-so-faithful readers . . . Edited by me The Guardian Link is here https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/dec/17/hector-retamal-agency-photographer-of-year-2020 From the agencies I tried to become part of Wuhan': Hector Retamal agency photographer of 2020 This year the picture desk has chosen Hector Retamal as its agency photographer of the year. The Guardian spoke to the AFP photojournalist about his experience of covering the Covid pandemic in Wuhan and Shanghai, and take a closer look at his work during 2020 There was one unavoidable story of 2020, which touched everyone around the world: the coronavirus pandemic. What is fascinating about Hector Retamals work is that he has covered the crisis almost exclusively in China, which bore the initial impact and led the events that followed around the globe in the months to come. Images that came to dominate our consciousness were first seen in Wuhan as the virus struck. Retamals photojournalism follows a narrative arc, from the initial discovery and spread of the virus, through the treatment and containment efforts, and towards a more hopeful exit on the other side. The Guardian spoke to Retamal about his experience covering the story: When it all started, in mid-January, I was in Shanghai and had relatives from Chile my mother, my cousin and her fiance visiting me. I remember feeling a bit worried by this mysterious virus. At first my main concern was whether they would be able to leave China to get home. Then the masks started appearing in the street. It is usual to see some people wearing them, but now it had become widespread. I could sense the fear in the air. Within a few days, I knew it would be a big story. On 22 January, AFP decided to send a team to Wuhan, one day before it became the first city in the world to be put on lockdown. The next day, I remember how my bosses called me, having second thoughts. They were concerned. Would I get trapped in Wuhan? Would I be exposed to too much risk? I insisted on going. I reminded them that I had already covered a cholera epidemic in Haiti. On that high-speed train to Wuhan I met a woman who insisted I should not go. She said the city had become very dangerous, and came back to me several times to try to convince me to go back to Shanghai. A passenger stands after arriving at the nearly deserted Wuhan train station, usually full of passengers ahead of the lunar new year, in Wuhan on 23 January People wearing protective masks walk inside a mall in Wuhan on 23 January I truly grasped the seriousness of the situation when, after four hours, the train arrived in Wuhan. Hardly anyone got off there. There were no taxis waiting for us outside. And the few passengers I did see were roaming around the station looking lost. Then I stepped out into a ghost town. Fear had gripped Wuhans inhabitants. Some hotels would not accept foreigners. Eventually the one I found was just perfect from a photographers point of view: it faced a park, near the Yangtze River. The view from my room window was just breathtaking: everything streets, parks, river walk was empty. I teamed up with video journalist Leo Ramirez and reporter Sebastien Ricci, who had arrived from AFPs Beijing office. In the streets, police officers would stop us and tell us to go back to our hotel. It is dangerous to stay in the street, they said. There was fear in the air. I saw people shut up in their homes, peering out of their windows. In two hours walking around the city I must have seen only about four or five other people outdoors. Excavators and trucks at the construction site of a new hospital being built in Wuhan. China rushed to build the hospital in a staggering 10 days Medical staff wearing protective clothing to protect against a previously unknown coronavirus arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross hospital in Wuhan People wait in line on stools at Wuhan Red Cross hospital The shock really came when we went to visit the hospitals. People were queuing inside and outside, some sitting on stools. What was even more unusual was that people came up to me and took my arm, asking me to come in and see. They wanted to show me what was happening. That doesnt usually happen in China. I was hesitant to follow them in case the security guards saw me and called the police. But I went inside anyway, and then I saw how difficult the situation was. We left on 31 January using the only possible way out: a French evacuation flight that flew us out of China with another 251 people. We were then quarantined for two weeks near Marseille, at a resort on the Mediterranean coast. A crew member of an evacuation flight of French citizens from Wuhan gives passengers disinfectant during the journey to France on 1 February Police escort a bus transporting French citizens after leaving The Vacanciel Holiday Resort in Carry-le-Rouet, near Marseille, southern France on 14 Februar At that point we had very little information about the virus but the hospitals were clearly swamped. A sick woman threw up right next to me. Others would cough with no mask. I did feel some apprehension at that point. We were wearing masks, goggles, gloves and had gel but no hazmat suits. I was lucky: I never caught the virus, as shown by the dozen tests I have taken since Medical staff in protective clothes are seen carrying a patient from an apartment suspected of having the virus in Wuhan, 30 January During that first trip, we did have one tense encounter with hospital guards who called the police. We had to stay for a couple of hours. But most of the time the police only stopped us to suggest we go back to the hotel and avoid being exposed to the virus. Later, in September, I tried to take outside pictures of the market where the first cases were detected. Some market guards came out and requested I follow them inside. They called the police. They checked the pictures I had taken and forced me to erase them. It was their condition to let me go. Young women wear traditional costumes while walking at the Bund along the Huangpu River in Shanghai on 2 June Women in face masks and traditional costumes of the Song dynasty and Tang dynasty are seated on a bench in a park next to the East Lake, Wuhan I got back to Shanghai on 24 February and have since then focused on Covid coverage. I have made seven additional trips to Wuhan to document how the city has changed over the year, after its 76 days of lockdown. I wrote about it in the AFP blog. I went back to Wuhan on 28 March, days before the city ended its mass lockdown. Little by little, the city started getting back to normal. I spent hours walking around and documenting that return to life, showing people in their day-to-day activities. Some would stay home, others would bring them food. An elderly woman arrives in an ambulance to Wuhan Red Cross hospital after being transferred from another hospital after recovering from Covid-19 Mask-clad passengers wait in a line after arriving at the railway station in Wuhan following two months of lockdown in March. Right; a man is tested for Covid in April A man prepares to jump into the Yangtze River in Wuhan on 16 Apri In a way, I tried to become part of the city. Wuhan is a huge city but the people are friendly. They kept coming up to me and asking what I was doing there. I like getting close to people. I like to be accepted and win peoples trust. I want them to feel at ease and take the time to talk. How could I get an insight into other peoples lives if I do not let them into mine? I learned that in Haiti, where life is hard and people get by with nothing. In Wuhan, I did not try to stay out of sight. I want people to know what I am doing and understand why I am there. I do not hide my camera. That is the basic rule. I do not like photographs taken covertly Medical staff from Jilin province hug nurses from Wuhan during a ceremony before leaving as Tianhe airport is reopened on 8 April On 8 April, the lockdown of this megacity and its 11 million inhabitants ended. People flocked to the train stations and airports to leave, among them the nurses who had come to Wuhan from Jilin province to help. Couples wearing face masks dance in a park next to the Yangtze River in Wuhan on 13 April Couples wearing face masks dance in a park next to the Yangtze River in Wuhan on 12 May. By August, there were hundreds of couples in the same spot The next day, the ferry resumed its activities and on 13 April I saw the first couples dancing again along the river. There were only a few of them and all the dancers kept their masks on. I went back several times to that place and could see the group grow. A few months later there were over a hundred of them. A music festival in Wuhan following the end of the lockdown in August During that trip, I did a lot of night photography. It brings more intimacy. I like those warm lights falling from street lamps while people just walk by. It creates a very special atmosphere that I would not find during the day. I like to capture very simple life moments and love to do it at night. The night is full of mystery and things to discover People party in a club in Wuhan on 26 September Students at Changchun Street primary school in Wuhan on 4 September during a media visit organised by local authorities My career as photojournalist started in Chile, were I was born 44 years ago. I have covered all kinds of drama: quakes, hurricanes, landslides, floods and the ordeal of the 33 miners trapped for more than two months in a copper mine deep underground in the Atacama desert. In 2010 I left for Haiti were I experienced first-hand a terrible cholera epidemic Medical staff members wearing protective clothing arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross hospital on 25 January But Wuhan was something different. The enemy was silent and invisible. We could guess it was there by watching people queueing outside hospitals and hiding in their homes. I like to be close to people and suddenly I couldnt be that close. I wanted to show peoples emotions but they were wearing masks, so I had to find other ways. I also had to overcome their own fear. In Shanghai, people look differently at foreigners now. Sometimes when I take an elevator people do not want to get in with me. But that never happened to me in Wuhan. People there greeted me. They kept coming up to me and asking what I was doing there. Officials in protective suits checking on an elderly man wearing a face mask who collapsed and died on a street near a hospital in Wuhan On of the most impacting pictures is obviously the picture of the man laying down, dead. My video journalist colleague Leo Ramirez and I saw this man exactly eight days after we had arrived, on 30 January. The man was lying on the street floor, just metres away from the Red Cross hospital. He was dead. Two very scared women also shouted at us. Then two more people came with hazmat suits. They shouted. Nobody wanted to get too close. One of them got closer and then stepped back, looking scared. We saw a woman running away scared and pointing to a street corner with her hand. She was screaming. We had never seen such a scene and it was so impressive that we called the reporter Sebastien Ricci. He came and tried to find out what had happened to that man. We never found out what this man died of, though we tried. The old mans body lay on the ground for hours before people came to take it away. The picture of the body and the agitation around it came to symbolise the Covid-19 crisis. Zhong Hanneng with a portrait of her son who died from Covid-19 in Wuhan. Zhong still struggles to sleep or eat following the death of her son from the disease nearly 10 months ago, and says friends and relatives are shunning her family amid lingering fears of infection Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Australia's next federal election is likely to cost the country about an additional 30 million Australian dollars (USD 22.9 million) due to COVID-19 measures. In a submission to a Senate budget hearing, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) said that the next election would cost taxpayers at least 400 million Australian dollars (USD 306.7 million), up from 372 million Australian dollars (USD 285.3 million) in 2019, as a result of an expected increase in postal ballots and the hiring of COVID-19 wardens, according to The Australian on Tuesday. "Many of the direct cost drivers for a COVID-safe election relate to personal protective equipment, additional security staff for social distancing and hygiene materials," it said. "Due to the long lead times and storage of many of the sanitizer products, it is unlikely there would be significant reductions in cost as most will be required for readiness for a 2021 event, even if the election does not ... occur until 2022." The current three-year term of Parliament is set to end in 2022 but The Australian has reported that Members of Parliament (MPs) prepare for Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison to call an early election between August and November this year with a break in the parliamentary sitting calendar and "the government's strong position in the polls." The AEC said that the status of the vaccine rollout would have a significant effect on the cost of the election. "A post-vaccine electoral event may see a reduction in staff costs (compared to a pre-vaccine event) due to the resourcing requirements to manage hygiene and physical distancing," it said. However, the government is not expecting the vaccine program to be completed until October under a best-case scenario. On Tuesday, Morrison told local radio station 3AW that there was a lot of work to do over the course of the next 12 months and "an election isn't a due till 2022." "The election is not due until 2022, so I've got enough to do in 2021 and so does the rest of the country," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Herzliya, Israel and Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Innocan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTC Pink: INNPF) (the "Company" or "Innocan"), is pleased to announce the launch of its commercial web-platform, shop.innocanpharma.com . The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Innocan Pharma Ltd. ("Innocan Israel"), has signed certain agreements with world leading companies for the fulfillment, logistics, and service of the website. The new website has been designed to offer a user-friendly experience with excellent navigation and functionality, allowing consumers to see the full product information to enhance the shopping experience. The online product distribution will be led and handled by Brandzon Co Ltd. (www.brandzon.co), a company which specializes in ecommerce growth and worldwide acceleration. The Brandzon team has a proven sales track record worldwide, with global 3PL (Third-Party-Logistics) capabilities. Roni Kamhi, CEO & Co-founder of Brandzon said, "We believe that Innocan is a leading innovative pharmaceutical company that has the potential to bring an advanced formulated product into the skincare market with the science to back it. Together we can achieve success in the ecommerce space and generate revenue for both companies." Innocan Pharma products To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6922/71307_6574846314346977_002full.jpg "We are pleased to unveil our new website shop.innocanpharma.com," says Iris Bincovich, founder and CEO of Innocan Pharma. "The site will allow consumers to browse smoothly through our product collection and find the perfect product that will meet their requirements. This is a major milestone and a great opportunity for Innocan to start with B2C operation that will secure a new and sustainable source of income for the Company." About Innocan The Company, through Innocan Israel, is a pharmaceutical tech company that focuses on the development of several drug delivery platforms combining cannabidiol ("CBD"). Innocan Israel and Ramot at Tel Aviv University are collaborating on a new, revolutionary exosome-based technology that targets both central nervous system (CNS) indications and the COVID-19 coronavirus using CBD. CBD-loaded exosomes hold the potential to help in the recovery of infected lung cells. This product, which is expected to be administrated by inhalation, will be tested against a variety of lung infections. Innocan Israel signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the commercial arm of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to develop a CBD drug delivery platform based on a unique-controlled release liposome to be administrated by injection. Innocan Israel plans, together with Professor Berenholtz, Head of the Laboratory of Membrane and Liposome Research of the Hebrew University, to test the liposome platform on several potential indications. Innocan Israel is also working on a dermal product that integrates CBD with other pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the development and sale of CBD-integrated pharmaceuticals, including, but not limited to, topical treatments for relief of psoriasis symptoms as well as the treatment of muscle pain and rheumatic pain. The founders and officers of Innocan have commercially successful track records in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors in Israel and globally. For further information, please contact: For Innocan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +972-54-3012842 info@innocanpharma.com NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding the markets, requisite regulatory approvals and the anticipated timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import / export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71307 The European Union is negotiating with Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE on a deal that could double their supply of Covid-19 vaccine to the region, according to people familiar with the talks. The new contract would include 100 million doses, as well as an option for as many as 200 million more, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Governments across the EU face growing questions over the slow pace of their vaccine rollouts, and shots from other drugmakers such as AstraZeneca Plc wont be available for weeks at the earliest. The attempt to secure more of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine comes less than a week after the 27-member bloc boosted its original 200 million-dose order to 300 million. If the option in the new agreement were exercised, it would lift the total doses to 600 million, enough to vaccinate two-thirds of the blocs population based on a two-dose regimen. In premarket trading, BioNTech American depositary receipts rose 2%, with Pfizer showing little change. Vaccine Rollout Member countries have pressured the EU to secure more doses as the pandemics death toll rises, lockdowns lengthen and leaders worry about containing a new, more contagious strain of the virus that has emerged in the U.K. While the EU has signed deals with a range of companies for access to almost 2 billion doses, only the Pfizer-BioNTech shot has thus far won approval from its regulator. A decision on a similar vaccine from U.S. biotech Moderna Inc. could come on Wednesday. However, the EU has locked up less of that shot, with a contract for as many as 160 million doses. We are in talks about whether and how we can provide further vaccine doses from Europe for Europe this year, BioNTech Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said in an e-mailed statement. No agreement has been reached and the numbers could still change. A Pfizer spokesman declined to comment. A BioNTech spokeswoman declined to comment on the number of doses involved. The European Commission is examining with BioNTech and Pfizer whether there is a way to increase supply beyond the initially contracted 300 million doses, Stefan De Keersmaecker, a health-policy spokesman, said Monday. He declined to comment Tuesday about the details of the extra shots being sought. Pfizer and BioNTech are pursuing all their options to boost production capacity for the vaccine beyond the 1.3 billion doses originally planned for this year, Sahin said in an interview last month. The CEO said he was confident that would be possible, saying the partners would probably know by January or February whether and how many additional doses they would be able to offer. European leaders have also come under fire for how the existing doses have been distributed. In France, administrative red tape and a lack of nursing home staff hobbled the early days of the vaccine campaign. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is being criticized for tasking the EU with centralized negotiations instead of striking out on her own sooner to get more of the vaccine for Germany itself. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday that Egypts presence at the Gulf summit in Saudi Arabias Al-Ula carried an important message. According to Sky News Arabia, Gargash added in statements on Monday that Egypt's commitment to the statement of the summit confirms the existence of a real desire to end the crisis with Qatar. He also added that he is optimistic about the Al-Ula statement on Arab solidarity, describing the summit as "a bright new page." Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry signed the Al-Ula agreement for Arab reconciliation with Qatar, which was signed by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states during the 41st GCC summit held on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. This comes within the framework of Egypts constant keenness to [achieve] solidarity among the Arab quartet states and in their orientation towards consolidating ranks and removing any disagreements among brotherly Arab nations, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. Leaders of the six-member GCC signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration, named after the Saudi city where the summit was held, and a final communique. The contents of the declaration and the communique are expected to be released to the press later. Short link: When Amy McFalls was convicted of driving under the influence in Montgomery County in 2019, the judge made clear she would face both jail time and a $300 fine. What the Delaware resident didnt expect was an alphabet soup of court costs ATJ, CJES, JCPS, OAG-JCP, and many other mystery acronyms totaling about $3,500. Now, McFalls is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in Commonwealth Court alleging that Montgomery County court illegally double-billed her and other defendants for many of those costs, which were created by the state legislature to fund the operation of the criminal justice system. As a result of these unlawful and unconstitutional practices and policies, thousands of defendants in Montgomery County criminal cases have been taxed with, have paid in part or full, and in many cases still owe illegal costs that add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars per case, the filing by the ACLU of Pennsylvania says. A Montgomery County spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The ACLU alleges that, in about 1,500 cases each year, Montgomery County assessed various costs and fees for each individual charge, rather than once per case as the law allows. The organization identified 12,918 affected people. A big point of our lawsuit is to get them to cancel the illegal debt, said Mary Catherine Roper, deputy legal director at the ACLU of Pennsylvania. There are thousands of people who are the subject of collections proceedings in Montgomery County, who are being asked for more money than they owe. READ MORE: Pennsylvania judges are sentencing people for debts they wont ever be able to pay After the organization wrote a letter urging reform in 2018, the rate of double-billing declined. But it did not cease, and still affects hundreds of defendants each year. The ACLU alleges the county opted not to eradicate the practice and instead to institutionalize it, adopting a policy that allows judges of the Court of Common Pleas to exercise arbitrary discretion to impose duplicative costs. The organization first learned of the problem when a defendant was billed numerous times for a case involving a slew of criminal charges. It has since uncovered double-billing in other counties as well, but sued Montgomery County only because requests to resolve the issue were not satisfied, Roper said. Its unclear whether the double-billing was intentional, or if judges even knew it was taking place. The costs were, in some cases, imposed on people who were acknowledged to be unable to pay, and were represented by public defenders. Another named plaintiff, Jason Crunetti, was double-billed even after his sentencing judge agreed to waive costs related to his intoxicated-driving conviction, due to Crunettis indigence. READ MORE: How probation detainers can keep people locked up indefinitely even when they haven't committed a crime Across the region, counties including Montgomery routinely impose hundreds of dollars in court costs on such indigent defendants many of whom remain in debt to the court even a decade after the case was resolved. For cases adjudicated in 2010, 86% of fines, 45% of costs, and 70% of restitution remain unpaid, an ACLU report published last month found. That exposes those tens of thousands of defendants to penalties from disruption of food stamps to revocation of their drivers license to incarceration. With the addition of collection fees, those debts only balloon, Roper said. Youre never done. When you then start adding on illegal charges, you just make it harder for people to move on. The Department of Trade and Industry order to implement safeguard measures against the imported automobile business is fast becoming the lightning rod for the Philippine auto industry; a sector that is feeling the sting of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier today, Atty. Rommel Gutierrez, the president of the Chamber of Automobile Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) has just issued a statement regarding the matter. As if the adverse impact of the pandemic is not enough, the decision to impose provisional safeguard measures against imported vehicles is yet another blow to the automotive industry. This will further derail the recovery efforts of industry players and stakeholders, said Atty. Gutierrez. Atty. Gutierrez speaks for the many automobile companies under the CAMPI umbrella. These include automobile importers and manufacturers in the Philippines such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Honda, Isuzu, to name a few. Gutierrez himself is a senior executive at Toyota Motor Philippines, one of the few companies that still have a significant manufacturing presence in the country. While CAMPI supports the development of local vehicle manufacturing, it has consistently [been] opposed to the imposition of safeguard duty against imported completely built-up units or CBUs. We project further reduction in sales volume, which, in turn, poses risk of employment downsizing, not to mention government revenue loss. This will also encourage revival of grey market/used vehicles. With much uncertainty, investments in dealer expansion and parts localization may be deferred. continued the CAMPI president. The many large companies that comprise the auto industry weathered a major storm in 2020 with a significant decline in sales numbers. Some were even forced to downsize their operations by laying off employees and face an uncertain future, especially since the virus is still floating around. The risk in the short term will be a disruption in regional production and supply. In the medium to long term, this will further slow down regional economic growth because of a chain reaction to other industrial sectors. Furthermore, this could potentially weaken trade and economic relations triggered by retaliation by concerned exporting countries to the Philippines. As to how the situation will play out, we'll have to wait and see. But we expect a lot of legal maneuvering over this matter in the coming days and weeks, and maybe even an unprecedented united effort from CAMPI and their importer counterpart: the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, or AVID. The Union is likely to discuss the issue of a fresh extension to the panel for sub-categorisation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), sources said on Tuesday. In June last year, the chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the extension of the term of the commission to examine the issue of sub-categorisation of the OBCs by six months -- up to January 31, 2021. The Cabinet, which is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, is likely to discuss the issue of a fresh extension of the panel, the sources said. The commission, headed by Justice (Retd) G Rohini, started functioning on October 11, 2017 and has since interacted with all the states and Union territories that have sub-categorised the OBCs and the state backward classes commissions. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Here are todays top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Will take that vaccine...: What Niti Aayog member says about his preference between Covishield and Covaxin Amid the raging debate over the efficacy of indigenous Covaxin, manufactured by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and Punes National Institute of Virology, the Centre on Tuesday clarified why Covaxin has been given the emergency-use approval though its third phase trial is still going on. Read more Mixed response to Tamil Nadu allowing 100% seating in theatres Tamil Nadu governments decision to allow 100 per cent seating in cinemas from the current 50 per cent capacity has evoked mixed response amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and a new variant of the virus being detected in four people in the state. While some movie goers welcomed the move, experts are worried that people gathered inside an enclosed space will lead to further spread of the virus. Read more Congress MLA loses status of leader of opposition in Assam assembly Leader of the Congress legislature party in Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia has lost his position as leader of opposition (LoP) after two MLAs of his party quit and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Read more Fake Covid-19 vaccines are flooding the dark web as slow vaccine rollout frustrates As millions of people await their turn to get a Covid-19 vaccine that could be months away, scammers online, in emails and on messaging apps are luring victims with claims they can deliver shots within days for as little as $150. Covid-19 vaccine scams are on the rise, according to European and US government officials who are warning the public of fraudsters out for money and personal data. Read more India Predicted XI for 3rd Test: Ajinkya Rahane & co. likely to make two changes in Sydney After a memorable win at MCG to get back the series at level pegging, Ajinkya Rahane-led Indian team will look to continue the same form in Sydney in the third Test. The Indian team is expected to make a couple of changes, as fast bowler Umesh Yadav who was in impressive form in the first two games with the new ball, was ruled out of the series due to a strained calf muscle. Read more Shashi Tharoor responds to Kangana Ranauts rebuttal: Id like all Indian women to be as empowered as you Politician and author, Shashi Tharoor, has responded to actor Kangana Ranauts rebuttal to his call for homemaking to be designated a salaried profession. Earlier on Tuesday, Kangana had said, we dont need salary for being the Queens of our own little kingdom. Read more Samsung teases laptop screen tech that will be showcased in upcoming First Look 2021 event If you have been following Samsung, you might be aware that the company is hosting the First Look 2021 event tomorrow (January 6). In the teaser, the company talked about introducing new screen technology for the masses through different devices. Read more Ishaan Khatter, Ananya Panday flaunt their Maldives tan, quirky fashion at Mumbai airport, get gossip mills rolling Khaali Peeli actors Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Panday got the rumour mills going when they shared pictures from the same resort during their Maldives vacation, and were even spotted at Mumbai airport arriving together, skins sun tanned, wearing quirky casual outfits. Read more The Weeknd changes Instagram profile pic to this fan art, twitter reacts Canadian singer, The Weeknd has captured netizens attention. This time around it is not for his trendy tunes or captivating music videos but for a rather unique reason. The mastermind behind songs such as Save Your Tears recently changed his Instagram profile picture to a sketch of himself that a fan drew. Read more Watch| Covid: What led to DCGI nod of Covishield & Covaxin in India? IMCR DG explains Lets set things straight; Jonathan Evans Minority Custom is among the apex predators of Indonesias bespoke moto food chain. The Surabaya-based enterprise hosts some genuine talent under its roof, to say the least. For a clear demonstration of the crews remarkable abilities, well be diving in for a closer analysis of their work on a 1998 Honda CB400 Super Four.The donor motorcycle in question is powered by a liquid-cooled inline-four engine that prides itself with a respectable displacement of 399 cc and four valves per cylinder. This piece of Japanese machinery will be more than happy to deliver as much as 53 hp at 10,000 rpm, while a solid torque output of up to 30 pound-feet (40 Nm) will be summoned at around 7,500 revs.A five-speed transmission is tasked with channeling the engines force over to a chain final drive, leading to a generous top speed of 114 mph (184 kph). Furthermore, Honda s mid-sized beast is perfectly capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in just 5.2 seconds.Evans crew kicked things off by removing the standard wheels to make room for a pair of 17-inch forged counterparts with three spokes on both ends. Their rims are hugged tightly by top-shelf tires from Michelins inventory. At the front, the Super Fours refurbished forks are gripped by a bespoke aluminum top clamp thats been manufactured in-house.You will find a single aftermarket gauge sitting atop the aforementioned component, while a retro-style LED headlight and custom turn signals are hosted between the fork legs. At the rear, we notice a loop subframe supporting a one-off tail unit with integrated LED lighting items, as well as a single-seater leather saddle that keeps it classy.In terms of powertrain upgrades, Minority Custom s surgeons installed one neat stainless-steel four-into-one exhaust system. Furthermore, CB400s carbs were retuned to suit the fresh pipes. The finishing touch comes in the form of a two-tone color scheme, incorporating grey, black, and a slim white pinstripe.Ladies and gents, this is what wed call a showstopper! People in the Central African Republic cast their ballots in the presidential and legislative elections as polls opened early on Sunday morning. In the capital Bangui, long lines of people waited to vote in an electoral process marked by the threat of increasing violence in the country. "I am really pleased (to vote) and I ask the citizens, even those who are still at home, to come and vote massively so by tomorrow, peace returns to our country," said Bangui resident Desire Ngaibona after casting his vote. The opposition parties had wanted the vote to be delayed, alleging poor preparations and an electoral body influenced by the president. President Faustin Archange Touadera - also a candidate himself - said the vote will go ahead despite recent clashes between government forces and rebels. The government blames the unrest on former President Francois Bozize, who returned from exile a year ago and has been blocked from running in the election. Bozize has been accused of joining up with armed groups in an attempt to stage a coup. He has denied this. The government and international bodies are calling for peace after a February 2019 agreement between the government and 14 rebel groups. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Dear Fellow Investor: 2020 was indeed our Year of Discovery! Kodiak Copper (TSXV: KDK) had a truly momentous and transformational 2020. We reported our first results from a discovery at what could be a world-class copper-gold porphyry system at the MPD project, raised almost $18 million and attracted a large, respected industry participant as a significant shareholder, all resulting in a manyfold increase in our share price and valuation. I am excited to report that 2021 is shaping up to be an equally exciting year but would first like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Kodiak's dedicated team, our shareholders, supporters and local First Nations who all contributed to our company's success. You could say that our small initial drill program at the MPD copper gold porphyry project in Southern British Columbia met with success right 'out of the Gate'. In January , Kodiak was able to announce results from a new discovery at what we coined the Gate Zone. The discovery hole was mineralized from bedrock surface to over 800 metres in depth, with intervals having grades comparable to the mined grades at neighbouring copper mines. This was the first sniff that there was potential to be unlocked below the shallow historic drilling at MPD, a validation of the approach taken by our exploration team led by Kodiak's Chairman and Founder, Chris Taylor. Our Gate Zone discovery was followed by a name change in March to Kodiak Copper to reflect the company's new focus on the red metal. After closing a $2.8 million private placement and a share consolidation we set out to follow up on our early exploration success. Drilling at the Gate Zone recommenced in summer and despite the global pandemic, we were still able to operate due to MPD's location in an established mining district in Southern British Columbia with excellent infrastructure and accessibility. We could rely on local crews and carry out our program as planned. Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3803/71402_eb45349eb46d79fe_002full.jpg Kudos to our VP Exploration Jeff Ward and VP Operations Andy Berry who executed the program successfully and safely on a tight budget. We were encouraged to see that all drill holes continued to intersect prospective, sulphide-bearing alteration and decided to extend the program beyond the planned 4,000 metres. To view a video outlining the features of our MPD Project, click on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-PrhWRtTew&feature=youtu.be The first assay results received in September were nothing short of transformative. Kodiak announced initial results from hole MPD-20-004 which returned a central high-grade interval of 282 metres of 0.70% copper and 0.49 g/t gold (1.16% copper equivalent), one of the most impressive copper-gold intercepts from early-stage porphyry drilling in British Columbia. The market response was swift and positive and in October we closed an upsized $12.7 million private placement. As part of this financing, we were able to welcome Teck Resources as a significant shareholder, following their investment of $8 million for a 9.9% shareholding. Further results included hole MPD-20-005 which -like our fourth hole- returned a high-grade centre, in this case 192 metres of 0.74% copper, 0.48 g/t gold and 2.75 g/t silver (1.21% copper equivalent). Importantly, both holes show a broader mineralized envelope of significant size with overall mineralized intercepts of 535 metres for hole four and 515 metres for hole five. Figure 2 To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3803/71402_eb45349eb46d79fe_003full.jpg By the time our drill program wrapped up in December our team had completed a total of 6,698 metres of drilling in nine holes at the Gate Zone. We expect more assay results in the next few weeks from the remaining five holes of the 2020 program. Exploration by Kodiak and historic work show all the hallmarks of a large, well-developed, multi-centered alkalic porphyry system at MPD, with a footprint of over 10 square kilometres. The newly discovered high-grade zone at Gate is part of a wider, significantly enriched copper-gold envelope which has already been intersected by Kodiak over substantial drill widths and to a depth of over 800 metres. Figure 3 To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3803/71402_eb45349eb46d79fe_004full.jpg 2021 will be an eventful and news-rich year with a significantly larger exploration program planned at MPD. Kodiak is fully funded for up to 30,000 metres of drilling as well as further geophysical and geochemical surveying, prospecting and geotechnical studies. The drill program will commence early in the year with one drill rig, with plans to add further rigs as work progresses. To date only 125 metres of the approximately one-kilometre-long copper-in-soil anomaly at the Gate Zone has been drilled, which in turn is part of a larger regional magnetic low with three kilometres of strike length that extends to the Man Zone in the south. 2021 will see systematic step-out drilling along this trend at Gate, aiming to expand both the central high-grade zone and larger copper-gold mineralized envelope. Other high-priority target areas slated for drilling include the Dillard and Dillard East Zones which, like Gate, are characterised by large regional magnetic lows, extensive copper-in-soil anomalies and encouraging historical drilling. Figure 4 To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3803/71402_eb45349eb46d79fe_005full.jpg While the drills were turning at MPD in 2020 we monetized our non-core Trapper project in northern BC and sold it to Brixton Metals. Our Mohave copper porphyry project in Arizona is still a key part of our portfolio and we plan to explore it in 2021. In addition, we always review opportunities to add quality copper porphyry projects in good jurisdictions to our portfolio as we grow Kodiak and create value for our shareholders. The copper price has rallied from lows of just over US$2 per pound in March 2020 to more than US$3.50 by year end. With strong economic growth from China, massive global infrastructure stimulus packages and mega trends like electrification and green energy, the fundamentals for copper demand have never looked stronger. Paired with supply disruptions, record-low inventory levels and a lack of new mines and development projects, this creates a perfect scenario for strong copper prices. Analysts are already calling for US$4 copper and beyond. With Kodiak having $14 million in the treasury, a tight share structure with less than 45 million shares outstanding, and the backing from a world-class mining company in Teck Resources, 2021 looks bright indeed. We invite you to join us on the journey ahead. With the best wishes for a happy and prosperous year 2021! Sincerely, Claudia Tornquist, President & CEO Jeff Ward, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. For further information please contact Mr. Knox Henderson, Investor Relations, at 604-551-2360 or khenderson@kodiakcoppercorp.com. About Kodiak Copper Corp. Kodiak is focused on its 100% owned copper porphyry projects in Canada and the USA. The Company's most advanced asset is the MPD copper-gold porphyry project in the prolific Quesnel Trough in south-central British Columbia, Canada, where the Company made a discovery of high-grade mineralization within a wide mineralized envelope in 2020. Kodiak also holds the Mohave copper-molybdenum-silver porphyry project in Arizona, USA, near the world-class Bagdad mine. Kodiak's porphyry projects have both been historically drilled and present known mineral discoveries with the potential to hold large-scale deposits. The Company also holds the advanced-stage Kahuna diamond project in Nunavut, Canada. Kahuna hosts a high-grade, near surface inferred diamond resource and numerous kimberlite pipe targets. Kodiak's founder and Chairman is Chris Taylor who is well-known for his gold discovery success with Great Bear Resources. Kodiak is also part of Discovery Group led by John Robins, one of the most successful mining entrepreneurs in Canada. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement (Safe Harbor Statement): This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "expect", "estimate", "objective", "may", "will", "project", "should", "predict", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward looking statements concerning the Company's exploration plans. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward looking statements because the Company cannot give any assurance that they will prove correct. Since forward looking statements address future events and conditions, they involve inherent assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of assumptions, factors and risks. These assumptions and risks include, but are not limited to, assumptions and risks associated with conditions in the equity financing markets, and assumptions and risks regarding receipt of regulatory and shareholder approvals. Management has provided the above summary of risks and assumptions related to forward looking statements in this press release in order to provide readers with a more comprehensive perspective on the Company's future operations. The Company's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive from them. These forward looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and, other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71402 You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLFI)-Monday was the first day of the Legislative session for the Indiana General assembly, where COVID-19 safety protocols were in full effect. "I was very impressed both by the senators on both sides of the aisle on how serious they are taking COVID and how serious their responsibility is to respect others," said Republican state Senator Ron Alting who represents District 22. The Senate is convening in its normal area of the statehouse but will be spread out on the chamber's floor with two-fifths of the body seated in the upstairs gallery. As for members of the house, they are meeting in a different area. "We are in a very large conference room in the government center south. And we are at individual tables giving us about 6 feet of social distancing space," said Democratic Representative Chris Campbell who serves district 26. Other changes include how often lawmakers will meet. "We are only going to be meeting in session 1 time a week versus three times a week which would be in a normal session and then the committees will meet," added Representative Campbell. While that change may cause delays, one issue lawmakers were quick to address was business protections for COVID-19. However, Senator Ron Alting says that the bill will do more than help businesses. "It's also for school corporations in Indiana and Universities," added Senator Alting. "It's something that is needed to protect our school corporations and so forth it's a long laundry list of entities that this protects." While Democrats are focusing on fully funding schools and making sure COVID relief dollars are going to businesses that need it, safety at the statehouse does remain a priority. Especially since some say not all lawmakers are following proper protocol. "Throughout the statehouse, there are several people that are not wearing masks even though the governor's mandate would be covering that area it's definitely not being enforced," said representative Campbell. If a lawmaker tests positive for COVID-19, they must let the speaker of the house know and they are advised to quarantine.. but their positive case will not be made public. However, lawmakers will have to cast their votes in person. If they have COVID-19 or are quarantined during the time of a vote they will not be able to take part in the decision. The only way a vote would be postponed is if either the house or senate didnt have a quorum. Both the house and the senate must have at least 2/3 of its members present to vote. To read a list of bills that have been filed click here. SPRINGFIELD The states most recent data on COVID-19 vaccination efforts shows much of Massachusetts lagging behind Boston and its suburbs in terms of doses received compared to the local population. But Gov. Charlie Baker, speaking Tuesday at a vaccine-focused press conference at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, said the discrepancy stems from an early focus on getting doses into the arms of hospital workers. Bostons Suffolk County has five major hospitals, Baker said, and four have workers in COVID-facing roles. At the end of last week, the state reported that Suffolk County had received enough doses for 15.6% of its population. Every other county in the state was in the single digits with Hampden County which includes Springfield at 3.5%, Hampshire County at 1.3% and rural Franklin County at 1.1%, the lowest percentage in the state. Berkshire County was at 5.5% As we move the distribution to emergency responders, we would expect that number to look more like a normal distribution by population, Baker said Tuesday. Baker also said the numbers dont count doses provided to nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Distribution at those facilities is being done by the federal government and its pharmacy partners, including Walgreens and CVS in Western Massachusetts. On Monday Baker and his team outlined plans to start immunizing first responders starting Jan. 11. Across Massachusetts there are 45,000 first responders, a diverse group that includes firefighters, police and EMTs. Some 287,000 vaccine doses have already been shipped to Massachusetts with 117,000 administered. Baystate Health has administered 6,162 doses as of this morning, said Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of the health system. Keroack said some Baystate employees have declined to get the vaccine, but he said in may cases individuals wanted to consult with their own doctor first. Keroack said Baystate has been working with pastors and community leaders to get the message out. One of our most effective tools, weve found, is our selfie station, Keroack said. Thats a spot that allows Baystate employees to take a photo or a video and post on social media that theyve gotten the vaccine with no ill effects. He said staff members who got the vaccine have experienced some swelling, which he characterized as normal. There were about 10 allergic reactions, which were treated. Related Content: The only positive thing about being homeless in London during World War II? At least the Germans couldn't bomb your house. But between air raids and rationing, London's least fortunate were under constant threat of starvation, with not nearly enough pies on windowsills left for an enterprising '40s hobo to swipe. National Archives (UK) Or windowsills, for that matter. Continue Reading Below Advertisement This was the story of Glyndwr Michael. Born in the small coal-mining town of Aberbargoed, Wales, Michael had lost his mentally-ill father to suicide at the age of 15. After the death of his mother in 1940, he wandered off to seek his fortune elsewhere. But in 1943, after years of hardship in wartime London, the tragic alcoholic vagrant was given the opportunity of a lifetime when the British government selected him to become a secret agent and help win the war. It's just a shame that he wasn't alive to see it. World War II Database He was like a realistic James Bond, a drunk who's already dead within the first five minutes of the mission. Continue Reading Below Advertisement By the end of 1942, the tide of World War II was finally turning in favor of the Allies. Churchill wished to use that tide to paddle North African troops across the Mediterranean and invade the South of Europe. It was agreed that the island of Sicily was the perfect first foothold. A bit too perfect. The Nazis would see the move coming from a nautical mile away, giving them time to deploy their considerable navy and reinforce the island with the waves of Panzer dorks parked in the south of France. But what Churchill needed wasn't a new plan of attack. He needed the Nazis to have a new plan of defense. Continue Reading Below Advertisement For the invasion to work, the Allies needed to find a way to avert the ever-twitching eye of Hitler away from Sicily. The best way to do so was to make him believe that they were going to attack another Mediterranean locale. This would force the Nazis to divert troops and leave the Italian island vulnerable. For such a ruse, Churchill turned to MI5's counterintelligence division, the Twenty Committee or XX Committee (as in "double-cross," because all British spies are a bunch of Latin-speaking private school nerds). From the Committee, Prime Minister selected two of his favorite "corkscrew thinkers," Charles Cholmondeley and Ewen Montagu. They were tasked with devising a way to fool Hitler into thinking an attack on Greece was imminent. And the duo knew exactly how to do it: by using the oldest trick in the book. Specifically, the book on trout fishing. For the first time in months, Manitobans got some encouraging news on the pandemic's disproportionate and deadly toll on personal care homes. For the first time in months, Manitobans got some encouraging news on the pandemic's disproportionate and deadly toll on personal care homes. Nearly half of the 688 Manitobans who have died of COVID-19 324, or about 47 per cent were residents of long-term care homes. At least 1,805 cases of COVID-19 have been logged inside such facility walls. However, the numbers are starting to come down, Shared Health chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said Monday, during public health officials' first news conference of the new year. Currently, 43 personal care homes in Manitoba are classified as having outbreaks, but 25 of those represented two or fewer cases. Sixteen of the outbreak sites had no active cases as of Monday, but staff and residents were still being monitored within the incubation period. "There still is lots of work to do on this front. We are definitely not out of the woods yet," Siragusa said. "But I did want to thank everyone who's been involved in stabilizing the personal care home situation, just through the cleaning and all the work that's been done to minimize the spread of the virus, as well as all the health-care workers who have stepped up." The pandemic has required bringing in additional nurses and aides to work with residents who need a higher level of care, she noted. "It's looking like it's working, so thank you so much," Siragusa said, directing her comments at health-care workers. Meanwhile, new outbreaks are being declared almost every day, and front-line workers are still feeling the effects of understaffing as they try to keep themselves and residents safe, advocates say. Debbie Boissonneault, president of CUPE Local 204, which represents employees at 22 public-sector personal care homes in the province, said she has heard from workers who contracted COVID-19 on the job, and others who are scrambling to keep up with high workloads. "They still feel overwhelmed with COVID. They're still working with many patients and there's always a fear of new patients becoming COVID-positive," Boissonneault said. As of Monday morning, there were 399 active cases within Manitoba personal care homes. Two of the five deaths announced Monday were linked to facility outbreaks. Vaccines are set to start rolling-out to personal care homes next week, but how many and who will be first in line remains unclear. A pilot project for personal care home staff who aren't showing any symptoms of COVID-19 has so far tested 511 employees at three facilities, yielding just one confirmed positive result. One other positive result was deemed invalid. Siragusa said a team is working on expanding asymptomatic testing at other personal care homes. With one week left in the pilot, 296 staff at Deer Lodge and one at Donwood Manor (both in Winnipeg), and 86 at Country Meadows (Neepawa) have been tested. To fill urgent gaps in staffing, nearly 1,200 health-care workers who normally work elsewhere within the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority were redeployed to care homes over the past several weeks. It is being done under a "hub" model that allows staff to be transferred wherever they are most needed, according to information released Dec. 30 by the WRHA. Currently, provincial public health orders prohibit workers from going back-and-forth between different personal care homes, but sometimes workers have to be redeployed to ensure the facilities remain staffed, Siragusa said. Asked Monday what's being done to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in this hub model, Siragusa said staff is expected to wear personal protective gear. katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay We start with a quick peek of hottie Lindsey on the move after dark as we check pop culture, community news and top headlines. Locals Endure Dark Days Kansas City-area small businesses fear a rough first quarter of 2021 KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A new year doesn't mean things are getting easier for struggling small businesses in the Kansas City metro. Kim Moffitt, owner of Twin City Tavern, said the worst still may be yet to come. "Truly without another PPP round I don't know how much longer we'll make it," Moffitt said. Doxx Consequences Await Proposed Missouri law would make it a felony to publish police officer's home address KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Missouri State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville) is pushing new legislation to criminalize the so-called "doxing" of law enforcement officers. "What my legislation does, very simply, is it will make somebody who intends to intimidate or harass a police officer, by disclosing their private information, it will make that conduct a felony offense," Luetkemeyer told FOX4. Col. Sanders Disputes Data Is Kansas last in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine? The state says the data is misleading Concern and criticism have increased in recent days after data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other sources, has pegged Kansas as last in the nation for COVID-19 vaccination rates. But state officials say the reporting system is merely experiencing a lag in getting out up-to-date numbers, saying that training for providers on using the reporting system was lacking. Living Space Fight Landmark Realty addresses allegations of mismanagement at KC apartment complex APARTMENTS. HALEY: WATER DRAINED DOWN. IS COMING OUT OF THE ELECTRICAL OUTLETS. HALEY: THIS WAS HIS UNIT. THE SAME PLACE HE HAS LIVED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. I GRABBED WHAT I COULD. HALEY: THE FLOOD CAME GUSHING FROM A BROKEN WATER HEATER UPSTAIRS. Start Vaxx Life Lessons Black Health Care Coalition Wants To Teach 45,000 In Kansas City About The Coronavirus Vaccine Some health care experts in Kansas City consider the new coronavirus vaccines a light at the end of the tunnel, but many in the African American community may need more convincing. That includes family members of medical professionals like Dr. Nevada Lee, who was surprised and scared by the skepticism some of her loved ones expressed about getting the vaccine. Hottie Vs. Haters Lindsey Pelas Has A Surprising Way Of Dealing With Trolls - Exclusive When you've amassed an Instagram following of more than 8 million people and a Twitter following of more than 1 million people, you're probably pretty talented when it comes to using social media. Georgia On My Mind Georgia Senate: 'I've never seen this energy before' By Nomia Iqbal BBC News, Georgia The US is facing another huge election - one that could define how much new president Joe Biden can get done in his first term. More than 100 people are gathered in the grey and damp cold in Stone Mountain. Prez Trump Talks Showdown 'Definitely A Civil War': Trump's Demands Splinter GOP Ahead Of Georgia Vote In his ongoing quest to overturn the November election, President Trump has demanded total loyalty of his fellow Republicans around the country, but nowhere more dramatically than Georgia where the last thing Republicans needed was an intra-party fight heading into its competitive U.S. Senate runoffs on Tuesday. Proud Boys Put On Notice Trump protesters warned not to carry guns as Washington DC calls up National Guard The US capital has mobilised the National Guard ahead of planned protests by Donald Trump supporters in the lead-up to the congressional vote affirming Joe Biden's election victory. Trump's supporters are planning to rally on Tuesday and Wednesday, seeking to bolster the president's unproven claims of widespread voter fraud. LARRY FIGHTS FOR LIFE!!! Larry King, 87, is OUT of ICU after being hospitalized with COVID The broadcast legend, 87, is understood to have been moved from the intensive care unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Sunday He is thought to have caught the virus from a health worker visiting his home One of his sons has also tested positive, a family source Cowtown Foodie List Worth Another Look Kansas City restaurants offering curbside pickup, carryout and delivery As COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, continues to spread throughout the U.S., few industries are being hit quite like the restaurant industry. One of the ways many restaurants are trying to adapt is by offering expanded options for delivery, takeout and curbside pickup. Tuesday Warmup Awaits Clouds clear out by the afternoon leaving lots of sunshine in Kansas City Increasing sunshine after lunch today with much warmer temperatures through midweek Rain and/or snow is possible Wednesday to Thursday Cold and cloudy through next weekend KANSAS CITY'S MOST ACCURATE FORECAST Monday: The clouds will gradually clear by the afternoon. Temperatures warm up and the wind picks up. Wind: SW to NW 10-20 mph. Justin Bieber - Anyone is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. He's the comedian and TV personality known for his sharp sense of humour, but Andy Lee's jokes don't always hit the mark. His girlfriend Rebecca Harding was left unimpressed when he bombarded her with cringeworthy puns on a road trip on Tuesday. Andy, 39, surprised the model, 30, with a string of dad jokes after they stopped by a McDonald's restaurant in Yass, New South Wales. Scroll down for video Road trip shenanigans: Rebecca Harding (right) was unimpressed by her boyfriend Andy Lee's (left) cringeworthy dad jokes as they stopped by Yass, NSW, on a road trip on Tuesday Andy explained on Instagram the couple had been driving for hours before deciding to take a rest stop at McDonald's. 'We're in Yass getting McDonald's and while Bec's in there I'm just contemplating whether I go with "Yass queen" when she comes back out, or "kiss my Yass",' he said. As Rebecca returned to the car with coffee and food, an excited Andy blurted out: 'Yass queen!' A clearly unimpressed Rebecca scoffed at her partner's pun and said: 'Oh, no...' Falling flat: As Rebecca returned to the car with coffee and food, an excited Andy blurted out: 'Yass queen!' She wasn't impressed In another attempt to make her laugh, Andy said: 'Okay... Kiss my Yass!' After this was met with silence, he told fans: 'Neither of them worked.' Despite looking unamused by her boyfriend's jokes, Rebecca reposted his shenanigans on her Instagram Stories. The couple, who are driving from Melbourne to Sydney, have been documenting their long journey on social media. Road trip: The couple, who are driving from Melbourne to Sydney, have been documenting their long journey on social media They spent Christmas with family in the Victorian capital, before deciding to hit the road after celebrating New Year's Eve. Rebecca paid tribute to Andy on Instagram last week after they rang in 2021 together. 'Despite not being able to have all our loved ones together, I couldn't be happier entering another year alongside you,' she wrote. Baby panda Fu Bao, right, sits next to her mother Ai Bao in this undated photo. Courtesy of Samsung Everland By Park Ji-won Korea-born baby panda Fubao welcomes visitors from Monday Jan. 4. Samsung Everland, the operator of Everland an amusement park, zoo and waterpark said visitors can see Fu Bao at the zoo between 10:20 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. from Jan. 4 through 17. The baby panda born on July 20, 2020, to seven-year-old mother Ai Bao and eight-year-old father Le Bao, has been receiving care since its birth due to health concerns. It is the first time Fu Bao has been outside for visitors to see. Chinese President Xi Jinping gave the parent pandas to Korea in 2016 upon the agreement made during a summit between Korea and China in July 2014. Fu Bao's birth made headlines as she was the first panda to be born in Korea and it is rare for a panda to be born without an accompanying visitation of Chinese officials, who were unable to attend due to the COVID-19 spread. Everland has been releasing photos and videos of Fu Bao since her birth through its official social media channels including YouTube which have had more than 50 million views in total. The name Fu Bao, meaning "a treasure that brings happiness," was picked among some 50,000 recommendations from the public. Fu Bao weighed 197 grams at birth but is growing every day and is now 10 kilograms. WASHINGTON Citing what they call an impeachable offense, Democrats in Congress plan to censure President Donald Trump after he asked Georgias top election official to find enough votes to win the state, days before Congress is set to certify the results of the 2020 election. On Monday, Connecticuts entire House delegation, along with over 90 House Democrats, signed onto a resolution to censure Trump for his call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over the weekend. Trump asked Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes enough for him to overturn President-elect Joe Bidens win in the state. He also insisted, without evidence, that he won the state, contrary to the findings of multiple recounts that uncovered no significant fraud or errors. Raffensperger, a Republican, rebutted Trumps allegations and declined to change Georgias election results. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, called Trumps call impeachable conduct and said he supports efforts to censure the president, the highest form of rebuke Congress can give short of adopting articles of impeachment. Given the fact that were 16 days away from a new inauguration, given the fact that impeachment is a terribly serious thing, were just, as a logistical matter, not going to be able to impeach, he said Monday. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, accused Trump of trying to get state election officials to try to commit fraud. It would appear that the president doesnt know any bounds when it comes to overturning the results of the election, DeLauro said. U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-1, called Trumps actions shameful, criminal, and un-American. Trump continued his allegations of election fraud on Twitter Monday, again without citing any evidence. He did not address the call for a censure nor did the White House make any statements. Trump was scheduled to speak at a rally in Georgia Monday night. U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, is leading the House effort to censure Trump and planned to formally introduce a resolution Monday afternoon. Its unclear if or when the House might vote on the resolution. Only four presidents have been officially censured. Democrats also held a call Monday morning to craft their strategy to oppose the efforts of some Republicans to prevent certification of the 2020 election results by Congress on Wednesday. Individual lawmakers can object to Congress's approval of the vote. The decision by some GOP members to do so has divided the Republican party on the eve of two Georgia run-off elections Tuesday that will decide control of the U.S. Senate. Over 140 House Republicans and at least 13 GOP senators have said they plan to object Wednesday to certifying the Nov. 3 election results. A vocal Trump ally, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said she would object because she believes there are serious questions about how the 2020 election was conducted. Tens of millions of Americans are rightly concerned that the 2020 election featured unprecedented voting irregularities, unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws, and a fundamental lack of ballot integrity and security, she said. In a joint statement, 11 senators said they want to establish a commission to conduct an audit of election results in disputed states and will object to certification unless an audit is conducted beforehand. Vice President Mike Pence has also supported the objecting lawmakers. But other Republicans rebuked their colleagues saying they were undermining faith in American elections. U.S. Rep. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called it bad for the country and bad for the party. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said, The courts and state legislatures have all honored their duty to hear legal allegations and have found nothing to warrant overturning the results. GOP objections are not expected to alter Trumps impending exit from the White House this month. The Democratic-majority House plans to vote down the GOP objections and Democratic lawmakers from the states in question plan to make speeches in defense of their states election integrity, Himes said. In the Saturday call, Trump indirectly threatened Raffensperger with criminal consequences if he did not comply. He also continued unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud. There is no question that the presidents call with the Georgia officials is impeachable conduct. Its like the Ukraine phone call, but much worse because its not aid to Ukraine thats at stake, its our very democracy thats at stake, Himes said. Trump was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of justice by the House, but the Senate voted to acquit him of those charges. The charges stemmed from a phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine in which Trump appeared to threaten to withhold military aid to the country in order to secure an investigation into the family of President-elect Joe Biden, among other actions. Joe Lieberman, Connecticuts former U.S. senator whom Trump once considered appointing as his FBI director, called Trumps call to Georgia reckless, irresponsible and possibly illegal on CNN. If President Trump was in the middle of his term, I have no doubt that this call and a tape of it would be the basis of another attempt to impeach him, for conducting, carrying out behavior that is not worthy of our American presidency, he said. Trump sounded exactly like a mob boss and potentially committing crimes, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said on Twitter. Gov. Ned Lamont said the call was shocking and Unlike anything Im a student of history Ive seen in 200 plus years of presidential history. Some legal experts have concluded that Trump may have broken federal and Georgia election laws, which prohibit solicitation of election fraud and depriving residents of a fair election. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Scores of celebrities risk having their holiday homecomings delayed under plans requiring international arrivals to have proof of a negative Covid test. Stars from Love Island, TOWIE and Geordie Shore descended on holiday spots such as Dubai to escape Britain's lockdown and see in 2021 under the sun. Boris Johnson banned holidays last night as he announced a third lockdown, although Britons still overseas were told there was no need to rush back. But the Government is widely expected to introduce tighter restrictions at airports to stop the spread of the disease. Measures mandating passengers to have proof of a negative coronavirus result are the subject of live discussions in Whitehall and an announcement is expected soon. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'Protecting public health in the UK is of the utmost importance and we are looking at what additional measures could be taken with regards to international travel.' Such action threatens to derail flight plans for stars who plan on returning from their sun-kissed New Year boltholes. Love Island's Malin Andersson, who has been flaunting her holiday to Dubai on social media, revealed on Instagram she was planning to return home tomorrow Geordie Shore's Chloe Ferry (middle right) and co-star Sophie Kasaei (top, right) enjoy dinner in Dubai Love Island's Malin Andersson, who has been flaunting her holiday to Dubai on social media, revealed on Instagram she was planning to return home tomorrow. Today, she defended her trip to Dubai in the face of online criticism, saying she had been in Dubai for a month and would be 'in lockdown like the rest of you' on her return. Many stars have come under fire from fans for travelling to far-flung tourist spots for New Year despite Government guidance advising against foreign travel. Geordie Shore's Sophie Kasaei, who is also in Dubai, today also said she had been branded insensitive for plastering her holiday on Instagram. At least 20 reality stars have posted about spending New Year in Dubai, including Georgia Steel, Amber Gill, Molly-Mae Hague, Tommy Fury and Chloe Ferry. The UK currently has a travel corridor with Dubai, meaning arrivals do not have to self-isolate on their return. But they could have to scramble to prove their are Covid-free under plans hinted at by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove this morning. A legion of reality personalities jetted to Dubai and the Caribbean amid the ongoing pandemic (pictured: Amber Turner, Malin Andersson, Chloe Ferry L-R) Amber Turner and boyfriend Dan Edgar shared multiple updates from their trip as they flew out of London's Heathrow Airport for an 'exciting business venture' He told Good Morning Britain: 'We will be making announcements later today and in the days ahead about how we will make sure that our ports and airports are safe. 'It is already the case that there are significant restrictions on people coming into this country and of course we're stressing that nobody should be travelling abroad. 'But I don't want to pre-empt the specific advice that is going to be given.' It comes amid a public backlash that Britons are being ordered to stick to strict 'stay at home' instructions while stars from Dubai can pour in unchecked. This morning, planes from Dubai, South Africa and Pakistan were due to land at Heathrow. One person joked: 'The biggest question of all... does this lockdown include the London Borough of Dubai.' Currently arrivals into England from nations that are not exempted under the travel corridor programme have to isolate for 10 days. But under the test and release scheme introduced in December, this can be shortened if they have a private test five days after their departure and it comes back negative. During the first lockdown, the Government argued against introducing border restrictions while the prevalence was so high in the UK, with experts arguing it would do little to bring down infection rates. A quarantine period, however, was introduced in June after the first peak and when cases were more under control. Direct flights to the UK from South Africa have been suspended and many new arrivals who have been there in the previous 10 days will not be permitted entry because of concerns over a particularly contagious new variant. Conservative former health secretary Jeremy Hunt on Monday called for the closure of the borders, with an 'off-the-scale' winter crisis brewing within the NHS. Ahead of the Prime Minister's statement, the chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee wrote on Twitter: 'Time to act: thread on why we need to close schools, borders, and ban all household mixing RIGHT AWAY.' The SNP's home affairs spokeswoman Joanna Cherry accused the Government of 'repeating the same mistakes' by not introducing 'effective' restrictions at the border. 'The UK Government must stop all but essential travel, and introduce a far more rigorous system of health checks and quarantining at the border,' she said. After last night's televised address, overseas travel will now only be allowed for a handful of 'legally permitted' reasons such as work, putting paid to scores of vacations that have already been booked. TUI confirmed this morning it has cancelled all holidays until mid-February, while British Airways and easyJet said they were also reviewing their scheduled flights. Ethos is a nationally recognized, award-winning independent student publication. Our mission is to elevate the voices of marginalized people who are underrepresented in the media landscape, and to write in-depth, human-focused stories about the issues affecting them. We also strive to support our diverse student staff and to help them find future success. Ethos produces a quarterly free print magazine full of well-reported and powerful feature stories, innovative photography, creative illustrations and eye-catching design. On our website, we also produce compelling written and multimedia stories. Ethos is part of Emerald Media Group, a non-profit organization thats fully independent of the University of Oregon. Students maintain complete editorial control over Ethos, and work tirelessly to produce the magazine. Since our inception as Korean Ducks Magazine in 2005, weve worked hard to share a multicultural spirit with our readership. We embrace diversity in our stories, in our student staff and in our readers. We want every part of the magazine to reflect the diversity of our world. Residents at a Waterford nursing home, who will be among the first to get a Covid-19 vaccine, say it is a 'step towards normality.' Director of nursing at Maypark House nursing home Laura Sheridan said every resident accepted the vaccine, with some light-hearted teasing among them already as to who will get the first jab on Thursday morning. A fridge has been installed, the delivery of vaccines is expected on Wednesday, and the vaccine team will be on-site all day Thursday. Ms Sheridan said: I thought the residents would be a bit nervous about receiving the vaccine, but theyre not, none of them expressed any kind of fears." They are mostly just relieved, they feel this is the first step towards normality and to getting closer to their families again. Maypark House has so far escaped the Covid-19 scourge, with no cases among the 22 residents or 36 staff. We have been very lucky here. I have an amazing team. And especially over Christmas, they have stayed away from their own families and own friends, to keep the residents safe, Ms Sheridan said. A three-page consent form must be signed by each resident, it stipulates as do all vaccine consent forms. In order to give valid, informed consent, an individual must be provided with written information, the HSE Vaccine Information Leaflet, about the vaccination in advance of vaccination, otherwise consent will not be valid," it reads. A list of everyone who consents is then sent to the HSE for vaccine-delivery numbers. Ms Sheridan said the last year has been tough for everyone in the home, but she praised the older people for adapting to the online world so quickly and said families have been very supportive. The nurse who has worked there for 11 years said: To see a 99-year old lady using an iPad was probably a first, an 80-year-old man using a Chromecast was a first for me as well." They are incredibly resilient, they pick us up and we pick them up, we really have become more of a family than we ever were here. Every resident got a holiday visit just before the latest round of restrictions. Staff turned an on-site chapel and a veranda which runs around the building into visiting areas, with strict hand hygiene and mask rules. She is hopeful the vaccine jabs this week are the start of a return to normal visiting later this year. Ms Sheridan nervously joked: Every time I say something positive (to you) I am touching my desk for luck. Maypark House. We are almost afraid to say anything positive because we have done so well so far. We feel this is the last major hurdle for us especially as the community figures are so high. This week staff and residents at 25 of the 580 nursing homes in Ireland receive their first jab. Head of Nursing Homes Ireland Tadhg Daly welcomed news that 35,000 people will get their first shot this week across nursing homes and hospitals. He said: We especially welcome that vaccination rollout will be across seven days and this will encompass all healthcare settings." The split within the congressional GOP over President Trump's push to overturn the election results is playing out among the White House staff where trade advisor Peter Navarro produced a new volume claiming a 'stolen' election as a top Mike Pence advisor knocked his credentials. Navarro, whose day job is driving trade strategy with China and other powers, produced Volume II of his report titled 'Art of the Steal.' It contains charts claiming 'significant irregularities' in six states, and follows a Volume I report that cited affidavits from lawsuits tossed out of courts. Trade advisor Peter Navarro penned a second volume claiming voter fraud, but a top aide to Mike Pence noted he is 'not a constitutional scholar' Marc Short, the chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, who will preside over a joint meeting of Congress Wednesday, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal speaking to Navarro's credentials which include a Ph.D in economics but nothing to do with election administration beyond his own failed bids for public office. Navarro previously claimed on Fox News that Pence, in his role presiding over the Joint Session, had the authority to delay proceedings for up to 10 days, as Trump tries to overturn the results in states that he lost. 'Peter Navarro is many things,' Short said. 'He is not a constitutional scholar.' The pushback came as Trump himself publicly leaned on Pence. 'I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. He's a great guy,' Trump told a campaign rally Monday night in Georgia. 'Of course if he doesn't come through I won't like him quite as much.' President Donald Trump wants Congress to overturn the election results when lawmakers meet Wednesday CHECK PLEASE: Navarro claims fraud in six states that Trump lost OFF THE CHARTS: Navarro claims a Democratic strategy to 'stuff the ballot box' SHORT-TIMER: Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence said Navarro is 'not a constitutional scholar' IN THE HOT SEAT: Vice President Mike Pence will preside over the electoral vote count, but his role is mostly ceremonial Under the Electoral Count Act, Pence's role is to open envelopes submitted by states and announce the totals, but it is not a substantive role. Trump tweeted Tuesday that the vice president 'has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors.' 'That is completely false. That is not how the rules work,' countered Rebecca Green, who co-runs the Election Law Program at William & Mary Law School, speaking on a call by the National Task Force on Election Crises. Navarro on a press call Tuesday attacked Georgia Republican officials who have refused to go along with Trump's claims of widespread fraud. He singled out Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. He said all were playing the role of 'useful idiots' a phrase he connected explicitly to Russia's Vladimir Lenin. He also singled out billionaire George Soros, who is the subject of numerous anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, while also blasting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, who has ridiculed 'Kraken' lawsuits on his Twitter account. 'There's only one degree of separation between Soros and Zuckerberg because Zuckerberg's 501 c(3) is staffed by a lot of former Soros people,' Navarro said. Navarro said of Elias: 'He was behind foreign intervention in all six battleground states,' in an effort he said was 'designed to initiate the Democratic Party grand stuff-the-ballot-box strategy.' He also alluded to Elias' role as a top lawyer for Democrats in commissioning research that became the Steele Dossier in 2016, terming it the 'Russia hoax scam.' He claimed a project by Soros was designed to 'install puppet secretaries of state in key battleground areas so that they inside the machinery of government could advance the Soros globalist far left agenda.' Navarro also blasted two Democratic secretaries of state, Kathy Bookvar in Pennsylvania and Joclyn Benson in Michigan. He called them the 'poster' child for the effort, saying the 'often behave like children.' Raffensperger on a leaked call with Trump repeatedly pushed back on the president's unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, even as the president asked him to 'find' 11,780 votes that would make him the winner in Georgia. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro installed a National Assembly filled with regime loyalists, consolidating his power over key institutions in the crisis-torn nation despite mounting U.S. sanctions. Carrying pictures of the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, lawmakers on Tuesday elected former Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez as the new president of the legislative body. Maduro's son Nicolas Maduro Guerra and his wife, Cilia Flores, were among the 277 representatives who took their seats -- in their vast majority supporters of the ruling socialist party, following December elections the opposition has denounced as fraudulent. "Sanctions are useless, because the people have shown that not even the worst sanctions will be able to break them," Rodriguez said after being sworn in, assuring that the Assembly will promote dialogue with all political groups, including those that boycotted the election. Since taking over for Chavez in 2013, Maduro has resisted efforts to force him out, presiding over a precipitous deterioration of the oil-rich country. The U.S. and more than 50 countries recognized the opposition's Juan Guaido as interim leader in early 2019, when he took the helm of the previous National Assembly controlled by Maduro opponents. His claim was based on alleged vacancy in the presidency due to elections deemed fraudulent in 2018. While Guaido retains international support publicly, his stance has gradually weakened as the showdown with Maduro drags on and as more opposition politicians are forced into exile, jailed or legally sidelined. In a sign of just how limited his powers are, Paraguay said on Tuesday that President Mario Abdo Benitez has rejected an offer made by a Guaido envoy to settle debt with oil producer PDVSA at a deep discount because the country can't be sure it would be paying the "legitimate creditor." After boycotting the National Assembly election in December, Guaido insists that he is the democratic leader of Venezuela and installed a competing legislative body on Tuesday during a small ceremony, in an unknown place to avoid repression by police or Maduro supporters. It's unknown how many lawmakers participated in the session that ratified him as head of Parliament and "interim president" of the country. Most of them attended virtually. "We are standing here because we are not going to succumb to the threats and terror of the dictatorship," Guaido said during the webcast ceremony. "Here is Parliament defending Venezuelans, the constitution and the right to be free. The dictatorship intends to destroy the democratic alternative." Yet Guaido is facing a wave of high-profile defections from his group of allies, including the Assembly's former Vice President Stalin Gonzalez, who characterized his strategy as "foreign to the country's reality." In a televised speech last month, Maduro promised to respond "fiercely" and "according to justice" to the opposition's decision to continue meeting. On Monday, the U.S. Treasury granted a license that recognized Guaido's assembly and its decisions as legitimate. With the new assembly, Maduro will try to attract foreign investment, something the government has tried to do via its anti-blockade law, Eurasia Group analysts Risa Grais-Targow and Laura Duarte wrote in a note. "However, such proposals are unlikely to have meaningful impact given aggressive sanctions and a limited universe of firms willing to deepen ties with the government." Attention now turns to whether Guaido's international backers, from U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to European Union leaders, will continue to recognize him as Venezuela's interim president. For more on todays top stories and the spread of the novel coronavirus across the country, please refer to our live updates below throughout the day, as well as our COVID-19 news hub. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is disappointed that a number of politicians have decided to travel outside Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, going against government advice. It is unfortunate to see a number of politicians not take their own advice, Trudeau said. I understand and share the frustration that many Canadians are feeling who would have loved to have a little break from all this, but who know that it is not the time to do that. The prime ministers comments come as several federal and provincial officials have been called out for travelling, including for tropical vacations. Trudeau said it is really important for Canadians to get the sense that we are all in this together. The actions of any one person can have a positive or a negative benefit on the health situation of your neighbour, the prime minister said. Thats why I was disappointed to find of two of our caucus members who travelled and...there were consequences in them resigning from their committee roles. Thats why all Canadians were so disappointed to see so many examples of folks who should have known better doing things that put us all at risk. The prime minister also had a simple message for any Canadian who wants to travel for non-essential purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve been very clear, no one should be vacationing abroad right now, Trudeau said. But if you still decide to travel at your own risk, you will need to show a negative COVID-19 test before you return and you must self-isolate for two weeks when you get back. You need to take this seriously. Not following the rules could mean real consequences, including fines and prison time. Beginning on Thursday, all international travellers who are five years of age or older will require a negative COVID-19 test before arriving to Canada. This is in addition to the 14-day quarantine rule currently in place for travellers. Story continues Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, echoed the prime ministers comments, advising against non-essential foreign travel, and added that the federal government is always looking at other measures to better protect Canadians. LeBlanc added that there is a misnomer circulating that the Canadian government can legislate against travel outside of Canada. It is a global pandemic, which means if you decide to go on holidays in the Caribbean or in Mexico or somewhere else,...youre acting in a way thats irresponsible, the intergovernmental affairs minister said. If you look around the world at countries that have requirements for exit visas, Im not sure we want to be on the list of those countries, but any measure that tells Canadians that non-essential travel internationally should not be undertaken is something that were prepared to look at. Check out our COVID-19 in Canada topic page for latest news, tips, health updates, cases and more. Heritage outdoor outfitter Filson has tapped Paolo Corinaldesi as chief executive officer. The sixth ceo in the Seattle-based companys 124-year history, Corinaldesi joins as part of his role with WP Lavori, the international apparel brand licensee, distributor and retail group, where he served as global strategist. WP Lavoli made a multimillion-dollar investment in Filson in 2020, acquiring 10 percent of the company, to partner with Bedrock Manufacturing Company, the parent company of Filson. More from WWD WP Lavori identified Filson as a brand with universal appeal. Even in a year like 2020, Filson proved its resiliency, with double-digit e-commerce growth amid a global pandemic and economic crisis, Corinaldesi said. Heading into 2021, the ceo said the brand is in a great position, thanks to the leadership of Tom Kartsotis and Alex Carleton [founder of Bedrock and chief creative officer of Filson, respectively], who have built a phenomenal foundation for our business. In the immediate future, he said the brand plans to invest in e-commerce and retail locations, with new customer acquisition earmarked as a priority. We also see a huge opportunity with international expansion, he said. WP Lavoris investment in Filson brings us the ability to tap into the European market, as they have successfully done with Vans and Woolrich. I believe there is the potential for Filsons worldwide growth, as its a brand with a unique heritage and story that is recognized globally. Due to COVID-19, the ceos retail opening plan in 2021 will largely depend on how the pandemic unfolds and if and how lockdown orders impact the cities and countries where we plan openings. He continued, There will always be a need for high touch experiences that engage, inform and entertain guests. That said, we do have new locations in North America, Europe and Asia in mind when the time is right. Story continues Filson started as a clothing and blanket manufacturer that outfitted men who were seeking their fortune during the Alaska Gold Rush selling hard-wearing, durable gear that was guaranteed to perform in the most demanding conditions. Its a legacy the brand continues to evolve, even dabbling in a fashion-forward lane, once briefly tapping designer Richard Chai as creative director. Most recently the brand partnered with Ford on a concept car and capsule collection. With partners and collaborators, we work with makers and brands that share a similar ethos and who might complement our existing assortment, explained Carleton. We approach design and product development more as problem solvers and less about look. Therein, the look of Filson becomes defined: understated and purposeful. While consistency and function characterize our handwriting our development teams regularly mine our rich heritage and brand culture to conjure up unexpected surprises, Carleton said. For over a century, Filson has shown discipline in maintaining its roots and spirit, and we wont be departing from that, the new ceo added, when asked about the brands aesthetic moving forward. According to Corinaldesi, the brands sales are up 15 percent from a year ago, and certain categories, like our outerwear sales, are up 16 percent, so its quite remarkable to experience double-digit growth in a tumultuous year. He attributed this to people spending more time outdoors, adding that weve seen returning and new customers alike purchasing our apparel and gear because it is designed and tested in harsh conditions. Filson continues to make waves more than 120 years after it was founded, so the potential for growth will allow WP Lavori to make a return on the investment in a matter of a few years, Corinaldesi said. Filson Teams With Ford on Concept Car, Capsule Collection Filson Opening Flagship in Union Square Filson Remodels NoHo Store, Sets East Coast Expansion Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Paris, TX (75460) Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. SPRINGFIELD A suspect in a trio of fires set at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church last month also went on a seemingly random tire-slashing spree in the city around the same time, according to police reports. The blazes at the primarily Black church at 14 Concord Terrace drew an intense law enforcement response after a fourth fire on Dec. 28 caused extensive damage. The burns were fueled by wood pallets and cardboard, court records show. The collective destruction was condemned by city and church officials as suspected hate crimes. Federal agencies joined the investigation as the Springfield Police Detective Bureau and state police probed the fires in what remains a racially charged cultural climate. Police have not identified a motive. Federal investigators are still involved in the investigation, according to a spokeswoman for the FBIs Boston office. Dushko Vulchev, 44, of Maine, was arrested and charged in connection with three fires that broke out behind the small church Dec. 13 and 15. Authorities have not charged Vulchev with the most damaging blaze at the end of the month. Vulchev was set to be arraigned first in Pittsfield District Court, then Springfield District Court Monday. The proceeding was delayed until Tuesday after the court could not immediately secure an appointed attorney. Upon firefighters arrival (Dec. 15) they discovered a trail of burning wood pallets leading up to and against the rear of the church. At the end furthest away from the building, a torn rubber automobile tire was found burned, read a report by Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Michael Mazza. All the fires were deemed incendiary in nature, his report says. Two set on Dec. 15 were roughly five hours apart. Police reports identify a person matching his likeness and images matching his car near the fires on more than one occasion, and he was allegedly caught on camera damaging cars in the downtown. Court records made public Monday say Vulchev stole tires and rims from a 2020 Tesla in a State Street parking lot on Dec. 14, slashed the tires of a brand new BMW X7 parked at Main and Union streets the same day, then flattened the tires of a womans rented Dodge Charger behind the Indian Motorcycle building at State Street and Wilbraham Avenue on Dec. 27. The alleged victims all said they were strangers to Vulchev. Witness accounts coupled with surveillance footage around the city offered visuals of Vulchev and his car that linked to sightings of the defendant near the church around the time of the fires, according to police reports. It was determined that the same gray vehicle relating to the malicious damage to the Charger was also seen near the fire on Concord Terrace, a police report says, adding that an FBI agent interviewed Vulchev in person in Pittsfield on Dec. 30, when Vulchev was wearing exactly the same clothes as the suspect in surveillance videos, minus a knit cap. He also was allegedly caught on video dragging a piece of a car tire toward the church on Dec. 15, Mazzas report says. A puzzling picture of Vulchev has emerged through police and court records, social media profiles and interviews with law enforcement officials. A Bulgarian native with American citizenship, Vulchev hails from a small town just short of the Canadian border in Houlton, Maine. Officials are not quite sure how he landed there, but Houltons police chief says he is a person of interest based on criminal behavior in the past from minor motor vehicle infractions to a violent domestic assault and threatening a Bulgarian government official. We all understand what weve heard, and hes got some ideology thats not acceptable in our country ... certainly not in our region, Chief Timothy B. DeLuca said in an interview Monday. He is a person of interest here in our community. This guy ... hes got some bias going on, and I think he has an agenda. Weve been concerned about some of his habitual behaviors. We dont profile, but its our job to be aware and keep our community safe, DeLuca said. DeLuca said Vulchev is on the radar of multiple law enforcement units in the Northeast, but declined to be more specific, citing confidential dialogue among the agencies. Vulchev was convicted of assault in connection with a domestic incident in 2016 that left the victim naked, bruised and emotionally shaken, according to accounts from DeLucas predecessor. A year before that, Vulchev was charged with sending threatening emails to a Bulgarian government official, threatening to kill them like chickens. He served 258 days behind bars for both offenses, court records show. A spokeswoman for Boston University confirmed Vulchevs assertion that he earned a masters degree in business and finance there in 2011. Social media profiles indicate he is fan of President Donald Trump and allege he was interviewed by the FBI as a candidate for translation services, and the CIA for a vaguer role. The Republican has a request for information pending with the FBI Boston office. His social media accounts also put Vulchev in Springfield around the times of the fires, including short clips of him in front of the future site of the Wahlbergers restaurant at the MGM casino. Equally puzzling is how Vulchev arrived in Springfield, six hours south of his hometown. An ex-girlfriend who has a lifetime restraining order lives in Pittsfield, police said. Court records show Vulchev was subject to competency hearings in court and was treated at a mental health facility after he was charged with prior criminal offenses. Meanwhile, a fundraising movement to rebuild the church was announced on Monday. We are a blessed congregation, parishioner Lisa Baker told media members. Our building has been damaged, but our church is still strong. We have a leader who is here for us and stands in front of us and besides us and within us, and so we know we cant fail. Editors note: CTs previous coverage of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be found here. The saying is clear: To the victor go the spoils. And morally, with them comes the burden of peace. In November, Christian-heritage Armenia surrendered to Muslim-majority Azerbaijani forces besieging the Caucasus mountain area of Nagorno-Karabakh. The ceasefire agreement ended a six-week war that cost each side roughly 3,000 soldiers and left unsettled the final status of the Armenian-populated enclave they call Artsakh. Azerbaijan, however, recovered the rest of its internationally recognized territory, including the historic city of Shushi. The first Karabakh war ended in 1994 and displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes on both sides. Archbishop Alexander, head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan, reached out to CT to promote a process of reconciliation. It will not be easy. Azerbaijanis returning to Adgam, left in ruins by Armenian occupation for 25 years, will see for the first time the damage to their city once inhabited by 30,000 people. Its mosque was relabeled Persian, while 63 of Nagorno-Karabakhs 67 mosques are said to be razed to the ground. Meanwhile, Catholicos Karekin II, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, issued a plea to save the ancient heritage of Armenian church properties lost in the war. In 2005, a gravesite containing sixth-century khatchkar crosses was destroyed in the Azerbaijani enclave of Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan has pledged to preserve them. But the United Nations cultural arm UNESCO stated that its authorities have failed to respond to several requests to deploy an independent fact-finding mission. Meanwhile, members of Azerbaijans Christian Udi minority were dispatched to hold services in the ninth-century Dadivank Monastery. The Udi are related to the Caucasian Albanian Christians, assimilated into other ethnic groups a thousand years ago. But Azerbaijan maintains the churches of the region are actually Albanian, and not Armenian in origin. International academics find it difficult to examine all the historical sources. But one nonaligned expert stated the theory has little currency outside of Azerbaijan, calling it bizarre. Efforts at reconciliation must also overcome the trauma of war. Azerbaijan stated that 100 civilians were killed in the shelling of populated areas, while Armenia stated at least 55 civilians were killed. Human Rights Watch condemned the use of cluster munitions on both sides. Amnesty International has similarly documented video footage showing mistreatment of captured soldiersincluding decapitations. Alexander, elevated to archbishop in 2012, is not a neutral peacemaker. Early in the war, he signed an Azerbaijani interfaith letter congratulating President Ilham Aliyev on his military victories. A later letter pledged that Azerbaijan was not seeking the displacement of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh and offered them autonomy. But after the war, amid claims of Azerbaijan erasing Armenian cultural heritage, a third letter endorsed the Albanian origin of churches and defended the nations multireligious character. Aliyev has since retracted the offer of autonomy. Of Azerbaijans population of 10 million, 96 percent are Muslimroughly two-thirds Shiite and one-third Sunni. Alexanders Russian Orthodox represent two-thirds of Christians, while over 15,000 Jews date back to the Old Testament era. A peacemaker, however, does not need to be neutral, only committed. Speaking through a translator, Alexander described his experience of past good relations between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, his hope for future economic cooperation, and his present willingness to meet with Catholicos Karekin II: What is your vision for reconciliation? We are both eastern Christian communities, and we have much in common. At the same time, 1,500 years of separation between the Eastern Orthodox church and the Armenian Apostolic church has complicated relations. We have holy books and traditions in common, but we are not in fellowship. Both of us have been living among Muslims since Islam was introduced in our region. But the manner of living has been very different. The Orthodox church in Azerbaijan found a way to live together with Muslims, but Armenians did not. Relations were not always like this. Thirty years ago, many Armenians lived here in Azerbaijan, and they had their own churches where they could pray. The proof of these good relations are mixed marriages between them. Peoples in the same geographical areas have to find ways to live together, and not focus on their differences. This is the main principle for how future relations between these two nations can be built. France, Germany, and Poland are an example. They endured many wars, but now they are all in one European Union. What is Azerbaijan prepared to do to heal the wounds of this conflict? Peace between the countries is a way to avoid the isolation Armenia suffers, with Azerbaijan, and perhaps with Turkey. Transportation networks can be built, helping Armenian development. Political, economic, and cultural areas of cooperation exist with the south Caucasus nation of Georgia. Azerbaijan has repeatedly invited Armenia into this network, with the one condition of returning the occupied territories. Azerbaijan has a high level of multicultural acceptance and preserves its religious monuments. The Armenian churches and libraries in Baku are kept safe. In the case of a peace agreement, these can be used again, as they should. This will also help the spiritual and religious reconciliation. In Matthew, Jesus says if your brother has something against you, then you must go to him to be reconciled. Armenians have issues against Azerbaijanis. Even if they are wrong, how can Azerbaijani Christians reconcile in Christ after this conflict? Unfortunately, Armenians have lied to themselves. Baku had a whole Armenian quarter in the Soviet era, living in better condition than other citizens. I travel to Russia, Georgia, Belarus, and other nations, and I see that Armenians raised in Baku communicate with Azerbaijanis as friends. They are very sorry they had to leave. In the modern Christian world, unfortunately, there is no unity. We have a lot in common, but we cannot pray together. It is a great sorrow and pain of modern Christianity. When I meet Armenians, we discuss many things, but we cannot pray together. Are you able to make a phone call to Catholicos Karekin II? I know him, and we have had many discussions. But I dont have his phone number [smiling]. What would you want to say to him now, in order to help make peace? I would tell him he has respect in Azerbaijan as a religious leader. He can do a lot to reduce the tensions and hate that Armenians have toward Azerbaijan. So much depends on him. What would you want the Catholicos to say or do in this time of conflict? It is a time to stop discussions about negative issues, and to discuss common ground togetherwhat unites us, not divides. Our common ground can be a common future: cooperation in economy, culture, and human rights. In order to have peace with God, we must confess our sins. In times of war, both sides have sinned against each other. If you agree, what is it that Azerbaijan can apologize for, and seek forgiveness? It is complicated. Islam as a religion has no confession. Of course, both sides did many negative actions. As for confession, there is the example of Poland and Germany. They needed 50 years to understand that they were wrong during World War II. This is why we need peace, the building of new life. Only after this can we gain such a realization. We need years, maybe a dozen years. That is why it is difficult to speak of confession right now. Many Armenians are fearful of a new genocide. It does take many years to create peace, but God is greater than politics. Spiritual peace can come before political peace. Perhaps neither Islam nor the government have the capacity for confession. But it might help Armenians if you were able to confess some of the sins of your nation. I carefully listened to your question. But when the word genocide is used, we should be very careful. We have very sad facts about the actions of Armenian forces on the territory of Azerbaijan. We have thousands of Azerbaijanis killed from the Armenian side, so to whom should we address the word genocide? Azerbaijanis still remember its ethnic character. That is why I think it is impossible to use the term in this situation. We will have accusations from both sides. If there is to be peace and reconciliation, especially between Christians, then Armenians must apologize for their role. But what can be said from the Azerbaijan side, as the victorious party in this current conflict? It is an interesting question. We remember that in the first Karabakh war, Azerbaijan lost. The victory of Armenia was due to the several problems going on in the Soviet Union. When it collapsed, countries appeared without military forces. Armenia won because the Soviet military forces left, and we did not have our own. But Armenia had prepared their own military forces. That is why they won the first war, without resistance from the Azerbaijani side. But these bloody events did not happen according to the will of Azerbaijani people; it was the will of ex-Soviet leadership. In the first Karabakh war, we cannot say that Azerbaijan bears responsibility for these events. It was the Soviet leadership that created the negative situation in the south Caucasus. In 1990, our cathedral church was totally destroyed by a missile. That has nothing to do with Azerbaijanis or Armenians. It is the responsibility of the Soviet military that entered Baku. People from those times must confess. Both Azerbaijan and Armenia are their victims. So it is ridiculous to say that Azerbaijanis and Armenians cannot live together. Azerbaijanis do not have hate in their heart. But as for the lands and the territory, the rule is strict. What is mine is mine, and yours is yours. That is why we had this recent war. Jesus also said that when your brother sins against you, you must go to him privately. Armenians have sinned against Azerbaijanis. Will you be willing to go to Armenia and speak with the Catholicos? I could speak to him face to face, in private. If the conditions are right, I will go. The Bible also says: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Our holy mission is always to keep peace. But it is better to do it on neutral ground. Beside the Catholicos, there is also a nation. Citizens of Armenia are very tense at this moment. They have made many negative statements against the Catholicos, their prime minister, President Putin, and of course against Azerbaijan. But a meeting in a neutral place is possible. Bill Montgomery, HC staff / Houston Chronicle NRG Energy, one of the biggest electricity sellers in Texas, said Tuesday that it completed its $3.6 billion deal to buy British-owned Direct Energy, a move that further consolidates the Texas retail electricity market under the banner of NRG. Direct Energy, which is owned by U.K.-based Centrica, was the third-largest seller of electricity in Texas and controlled about 10 percent of the market. The deal adds 3 million retail customers to NRG in the United States and Canada, nearly doubling its footprint, and would open a new market for retail natural gas sales in the East. MPPEB Jail Prahari answer key 2020: The Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) has released the answer key for Jail Prahari (Karyapalik) or Jail Warden examination on its official website. Candidates who have appeared in the MPPEB Jail Prahari recruitment exam 2020 can check the answer key online at peb.mp.gov.in. The board is conducting the recruitment drive to fill 287 Jail Prahari vacancies. The MPPEB Jail Prahari recruitment exam 2020 was conducted from December 11 to 24, 2020. Direct link to check MPPEB Jail Prahari answer key 2020. How to check MPPEB Jail Prahari answer key 2020: Visit the official website at peb.mp.gov.in On the homepage, click on the link that reads, Online Question Objection - Jail Department - Prahari Recruitment Test - 2020 A new page will appear on the display screen Key in your credentials and login The MPPEB Jail Prahari answer key 2020 will be displayed on the screen. Flight crews entering Australia pose such a high risk that Victoria wants all states to follow its lead and make COVID-19 testing mandatory for airline staff in quarantine. Over the past fortnight, 1096 airline crew members have gone into mandatory hotel quarantine in Victoria, with eight testing positive for coronavirus almost twice the rate of positive tests for others in quarantine. A Qatar Airways staff member is one of eight airline crew who have tested positive to coronavirus in Melbourne over the past fortnight. Credit:Bloomberg Victoria's Police Minister, Lisa Neville, said the results showed the importance of making sure flight crews were tested, as well as quarantined. "I would be today saying to the other states this is such a high risk for all of us, for the country. Everyone needs to follow the lead around quarantining and testing of flight crews," she said. "We're fine in Victoria but flight crews are coming in right across the country [and pose] a significant risk to all of Australia." Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presides over a meeting with ministers of relevant government departments on child abuse prevention at the Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap By Jung Da-min Heavier sentencing for abusers of children is being discussed following the death of a 16-month-old baby girl at the hands of abusive parents. Public anger has been mounting over the case, after an investigative journalism program on local broadcaster SBS last weekend covered the story, which showed that the girl named Jung-in died last October after being habitually assaulted and abused by her adoptive mother for at least five months. It was found that a worker at the child's daycare center and others reported suspicions of child abuse to the police three times but the police did not take proper action as the parents denied the allegations. The adoptive mother has since been arrested. President Moon Jae-in also expressed his regret of the incident, saying the follow-up management system for adopted children needs an overall reexamination to prevent child abuse. "We need to strengthen management and supervision of the entire adoption process," Moon was cited as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok, Monday. "Related ministries including the Ministry of Health and Welfare are urged to make sure that children's interests should come first during the entire adoption process." On Tuesday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun presided over an emergency meeting with the heads of relevant ministries to discuss the matter. With the possibility of sanctions hanging over Indias $5.4-billion deal with Russia for the S-400 air defence systems, outgoing US envoy Kenneth Juster said on Tuesday that New Delhi may need to make hard decisions regarding the acquisition of military hardware. The US recently imposed secondary sanctions on Turkey under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for a $2.5-billion deal with Russia for S-400 systems, and experts have warned that India could face similar strictures. Also Read: China flies choppers over Lhasa in military drill to tame Tibet Participating in a question and answer session after delivering a farewell address at an event organised by the Observer Research Foundation, Juster said sanctions under CAATSA werent aimed against friends of the US. However, he cautioned that India might soon need to make choices between trade-offs and acquiring hi-tech US military hardware. The CAATSA sanctions were never designed to harm friends and allies. They were aimed at a particular country. And there are many variables involved in it and I think...I would put that issue to the side because I see other issues that potentially affect the future of the defence relationship, he said. India has sought to keep its options open on the issue of arms purchases and the countrys leadership has signalled its intent to continue with the acquisition of military hardware from Russia, which accounts for more than 60% of the weapons systems of the three services. Russia too has said the S-400 deal is on track despite the threat of US sanctions and the five systems ordered by India will be delivered over a five-year period. Also Read: Ladakh was the starting point. India-China ties are getting complicated However, Juster said Indias approach had its limitations and choices that might ultimately need to be made. As systems get more technologically advanced, country A that does not get along with country B will be less willing to sell technology that could potentially be compromised to country B, he said, in an oblique reference to concerns that the S-400 could gather the electronic signatures of US-origin aircraft operated by India. We havent hit that point yet but that could come down in the future and that will be an issue that there are trade-offs. India has to decide how much it matters to get the most sophisticated technology, how much it matters to be as inter-operable as it can be, within its technology and potentially with other friendly forces, and how much it matters to diversify its sources of procurement, he added. Only the Indian government can decide on the trade-offs but this issue could be a constraint to the transfer of advanced technology and the broader defence relationship, he said. The Indian governments choices will set the ceiling for defence cooperation. From the US perspective, wed like to do more, and in a sense, I think youre pushing on an open door, Juster said. A former zoning officer for Elmwood Park in Bergen County claims he was terminated from his job for refusing to look the other way when it came to code violations, according to a lawsuit. Richard Bolan served as certified floodplain manager for the borough from August 2015 until he was fired in December 2019 in retaliation for his whistleblowing actions, claims the suit, filed last month in Superior Court of Bergen County. Bolan, who also serves as mayor of nearby Maywood, claims there was corruption from the highest levels of Elmwood Parks administrators. Plaintiff frequently faced pressure and intimidation by members of the governing body (elected and appointed) to look the other way and ignore certain administrative code guidelines in his capacity as zoning officer, the suit states. The lawsuit claims Bolan received no support from the boroughs attorney, Salvatore A. Ingraffia, who allegedly was fined for a code violation. Bolan had previously cited Mr. Ingraffia and his family for a home construction project which was completed without a certificate of occupancy, resulting in a fine of $2,000, the lawsuit states. Ingraffia did not immediately respond Monday to an email seeking comment on the lawsuit. Bolan claims in the suit that Mayor Frank Caramagna in 2018 attempted to have several of his own family members exempted from various zoning ordinances. Carmagna later resigned from office after he was charged with interfering in an election. The lawsuit also claims that Borough Administrator Michael Foligno sought to override the process and ignore administrative code guidelines when it came to certain projects. Foligno, who also serves as police chief, allegedly referred to Bolan as not part of the solution (but) part of the problem, the lawsuit states. Bolan claims he was terminated at the end of 2019 in violation of New Jersey laws meant to protect employees who bring improper and illegal activities to the attention of supervisors. The suit alleges violations of the states conscientious employee protection act, a hostile work environment and retaliatory conduct. Foligno said Monday that during Bolans employment, the boroughs governing body kept receiving complaints of poor responsiveness to residents issues. Due to constant complaints and lack of responsiveness, the borough decided not to renew a shared service agreement with a nearby community, which ended Mr. Bolans tenure with Elmwood Park, Foligno said in an email. No one ever asked him to overlook any permits or cut any corners, ever, Foligno said. He would often not respond to emails and messages and certain jobs were being held up due to his unresponsiveness. We are prepared to go on offense through appropriate legal channels and are in the process of preparing a response (to the lawsuit) along with our attorneys, Foligno added. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Nasa has released a series of satellite pictures which capture the impact of extreme weather events around the world in 2020. The new pictures, part of a wider project called Images of Change, were released by Nasa's Global Climate Change group and are mostly composed of before-and-after shots which demonstrate the damage left in the wake of climate related events such as severe floods and wildfires. Also included are pictures showing more prolonged measures of climate change, such as receding glaciers and desertification. One pair of pictures shows the Mekong River, an important lifeline to nearly 60 million people across southeast Asia, changing colour. While the water normally appears brown due to floating sediments, a section of the river in Thailand turned a bright blue in 2020. Mekong River in Thailand is seen before and after changing colour in 2020 (Nasa) Scientists said the change was due to shallow, slower moving waters not carrying as much sediment after a lengthy drought. Record large pools of meltwater on Antarcticas second-biggest glacier in 2020 are seen below a picture of the same location two years earlier (Nasa) Nasa also captured pictures of Antarctica's second largest ice shelf showing record amounts of meltwater. Scientists were concerned by the level of water, which was the highest in nearly 50 years of observation. Eastern Bangladesh seen before and after unusually severe flooding in the 2020 monsoon season (Nasa) Particularly striking are pictures of flooding, such as in last years monsoon season in Bangladesh, where large areas of land are shown dry (before) then submerged (after). Pictures taken before and during the Kincade wildfire in California, which burned nearly 78,000 acres (US Geological Survey/Nasa) Nasa said the 2020 monsoon season was unusually severe and a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found more than 500 people were killed and more than 167,000 families were displaced across Bangladesh. Lonar Lake in India is seen before and after turning red. How the change took place remains a mystery (Nasa) Not all of the pictures show climate change disasters. There is one pair showing India's Lonar Lake changing colour from green to pink, an as yet unexplained phenomenon. Alaskas Mount Shishaldin before and during volcanic eruptions in January 2020 (US Geological Survey/Nasaa) There are also plenty of pictures of volcanic eruptions. On the Philippine island of Luzon, the Taal volcano erupted on 12 January 2020 depositing wet, heavy ash over the lush green landscape. Ash from the Taal Volcano eruption coats the Philippine island of Luzon (Nasa) As the ash dried, it hardened from a mud-like consistency to that of cement, damaging most of the island's crops and other vegetation. Hundreds more before and after pictures from Nasas Images of Change project can be viewed on the agencies climate change website. [January 05, 2021] Harris Williams Advises LYNX Franchising on Its Sale to MidOcean Partners Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it advised LYNX Franchising, a portfolio company of Incline Equity Partners (Incline), on its sale to MidOcean Partners (MidOcean). LYNX Franchising is a multi-brand franchise platform with a complementary collection of B2B essential services. The transaction was led by Brent Spiller, Beau Pierce and Trey Shehan of the Harris Williams Consumer Group. "LYNX Franchising is a best-in-class franchising platform with a long track record of organic and acquisition driven growth, and this transaction marks the continuation of strong investor demand for premier franchise services platforms," said Brent Spiller, a managing director at Harris Williams. "It was a pleasure working with the teams at LYNX Franchising and Incline, and we look forward to watching LYNX Franchising's next chapter unfold under its new ownership." LYNX Franchising has a portfolio of brand offerings that provide commercial customerswith cleaning services (Jan-Pro), virtual and office space services ( Intelligent Office (News - Alert) ), and restoration services (FRSTeam). LYNX Franchising offers a strong value proposition to franchisees through branding, lead generation and corporate infrastructure support services. Incline, headquartered in Pittsburgh, is a private equity firm investing in manufacturing, distribution and business services companies. Incline is generally seeking growing companies with enterprise values of $25 million to $450 million. Incline's typical investment types are ownership transitions for privately held businesses, buyouts and corporate divestitures within the U.S. and Canada. MidOcean is a premier New York-based alternative asset manager that specializes in middle market private equity and alternative credit investments. Since its inception in 2003, MidOcean Private Equity has managed approximately $4.8 billion of committed capital and has targeted investments in high-quality middle market companies in the consumer and business services sectors. MidOcean Credit Partners was launched in 2009 and currently manages approximately $8 billion across a series of alternative credit strategies, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and customized separately managed accounts. Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across industry groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC (News - Alert) Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). The Harris Williams Consumer Group has completed more than 60 transactions in recent years across a variety of verticals, including branded consumer products; consumer services; food, beverage and agribusiness; and restaurant and retail. For more information on the Harris Williams Consumer Group and other recent transactions, visit the Consumer Group's section of the Harris Williams website. Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: hwgermany@harriswilliams.com). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005654/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] As many as three million patients have missed out on cancer screening checks (Getty Images/iStockphoto) An Arkansas oncologist realised how hard his patients had been hit financially by the pandemic after enlisting a debt collection firm, and decided to erase $650,000 worth of medical debts for around 200 of his patients. After working with a billing company for months, Dr Omar Atiq , who is originally from Pakistan, realised that many of his patients were never going to be able to pay back what they owed for their treatments. "My wife and I, as a family, we thought about it and looked at forgiving all the debt. We saw that we could do it and then just went ahead and did it," he told Good Morning America. Over Christmas, around 200 of Dr Atiq's former patients with debts ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars were sent a note that said: "Although various health insurances pay most of the bills for a majority of patients, even the deductibles and co-pays can be burdensome. "Unfortunately, that is the way our health care system currently works. Arkansas Cancer Clinic is closing its practice after over 29 years of dedicated service to the community. The clinic has decided to forego all balances owed to the clinic by its patients. Happy Holidays. Dr Atiq started the Arkansas Cancer Clinic in Pine Bluff in 1991. He's now teaching at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock after shutting down his clinic last year because of a shortage of staff, after almost 30 years. Dr Atiq said that the financial burden of his patients made him "uncomfortable" and always "tugged" at him. "You add to it the absolute devastation that the pandemic has wrought, and you think 'thank God' that were fairly comfortable and this was something we could at least do to help the community," he added. The clinic also worked with a billing company to cancel the debt to make sure that the patients' financial standing was not negatively impacted by not having paid their bills. Story continues The president of the debt collection company said that Dr Atiq was a very caring individual, BBC News reported. After finishing a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Dr Atiq moved to Pine Bluff after getting a job offer from an administrator at Jefferson Regional Medical Center, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. After becoming the first non-white president of the Arkansas Medical Society in 2013, Dr Atiq was named chairman-elect of the board of governors of the American College of Physicians in 2018. "I believe the opportunities that have come my way are, in part, because of where I am," Dr Atiq told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Before forgiving the debt, Dr Atiq called David Wroten, executive vice president of the Arkansas Medical Society, a physician advocacy group, for advice, wondering if there could be anything inappropriate about forgiving the debts. Mr Wroten couldn't imagine a possibility where it would be improper. Mr Wroten said that Dr Atiq was "one of the smartest doctors I have ever known, but he is also one of the most compassionate doctors I have ever known". He went on to say that many don't have the means to pay for their care. "There are people who will pay on their bills for 20 years, maybe $10 a month," he said. Dr Atiq said that the amount of outstanding debt was so high because they had never turned a patient away because of lack of money or insurance. I've always considered it a high honour and privilege to be someone's physician. Dr Atiq said he considered it to be more important than anything else. Read More Jeff Bridges shares picture of shaved head in cancer update Linda Nolan says she is scared to death of dying as cancer spreads Today Show host Craig Melvins brother dies from colon cancer at 43 Cancer charity cuts research funding by 45m due to Covid-19 Stokes pays tribute after fathers death from brain cancer Nykaa E-Retail Pvt. (PC- Nykaa Website) The Indian online cosmetic retailer Nykaa E-Retail Pvt is planning an initial public offering at a minimum value of $3 billion this year, Bloomberg reported. Founded by former investment banker Falguni Nayar in 2012, the startup is currently working with its advisors to prepare for the sale of shares in Mumbai. The firm is looking forward towards a domestic listing, though an overseas share sale is also under consideration, the business website quoted. Nykaa adopts 360-degree marketing strategy to promote products; but influencers play a vital role However, there is no confirmation on the details of the offering including the size and timeline as deliberations are going on. Nykaa's website which logs 55 million monthly visits, lists over 1,200 brands ranging from makeup, skincare to health supplements, and hair dryers. In India, Nykaa has six warehouses across India, which receives over 13 million orders each month. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Earlier in 2018, Falguni Nayar has disclosed her plans and stated that her firm is preparing for an IPO. Fidelity Management and Research Co. invested an undisclosed amount in Nykaas latest funding round in November 2020. The cosmetic firm TPG and Indian tycoon Sunil Munjals family office Hero Enterprise among its backers. It is one of those firms which earned profits amid COVID-19 pandemic as Indian shoppers switched online. The routes around Delhis borders remained restricted on Tuesday as farmers continued to protest against the three new farm laws. The Ghazipur and Chilla borders connecting Delhi to Ghaziabad and Noida remain partially blocked with only one carriageway open for those leaving Delhi. At both the borders, traffic going towards Delhi has been diverted, with farmers blocking one carriageway. Also Read: Farmers were adamant on demand for repeal of farm laws, says Union minister Narendra Tomar on what happened in talks The Singhu and Tikri borders, however, continue to remain completely blocked since November. A senior Delhi traffic police official said that the rains in the city on Monday and Tuesday, along with the traffic restriction, worsened snarls in other parts of the city. There was water logging in many places and arterial stretches around Ashram, Kalindi Kunj, Sarita Vihar, Noida Link Road, Akshardham flyover were jammed in the morning hours, said the officer. The Nizamuddin railway bridge, ITO, Teen Murti Marg, Sardar Patel Marg and Dhaula Kuan also saw traffic snarls on Tuesday. Photo: (Photo : Unsplash/@hcalmeida) Across the globe, it is estimated that 371,504 babies will be welcomed into the world on New Year's Day 2021. UNICEF celebrates new lives entering the world on January 1, as always. According to the organization, babies born this year would have a different world than those who were born one year before. The year 2021's first baby will come from Fiji in the Pacific; on the other hand, the US will welcome its last. Half of the estimated live births will come from the ten countries: 59,995 from India, 35,615 from China, 21,439 from Nigeria, 14,161 from Pakistan, 12,336 from Indonesia, 12,006 from Ethiopia, 10,312 from the US, 9,455 from Egypt, 9,236 from Bangladesh, and 8,640 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Roughly, it is estimated that 140 million babies will be born in 2021, with an average life expectancy of 84 years old. See also: New Year's Baby Delivered by On-Duty Police Officer A different world for the babies born this year Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, explained that children born this year would have a different world than those born a year ago. She said that a new year is an opportunity to reimagine a new world from before. Fore said that it would help build a fairer, safer, and healthier world for the children because they would inherit what we build for them. Celebration of its 75th anniversary UNICEF celebrates its 75th anniversary this year too. The organization and its partners will celebrate by holding events and announcements for the year. They want to commemorate three-quarters of a century of protecting children. See also: Sisters Give Birth on Same Day Only 90 Minutes Apart UNICEF has been there to help children from conflict, disease, and exclusion. The organization also defends children with their right to education, health, and survival. Fore explained that UNICEF's work is greatly needed because the world experiences a global pandemic. Many people are suffering not only from an economic slowdown but also from rising poverty and deepening inequality. The executive director also stated that UNICEF had been there to protect children of the world for the last 75 years. She noted that the organization has been helping with displacements, conflicts, natural disasters, and crises. See also: Positive Things to Appreciate in 2020 as Taught by Children to Parents Helps children speak up for themselves UNICEF wants to make sure that the children's voices are heard, and they could speak up for their rights, so they are renewing their commitment to protecting them as a new year starts. It has launched the "Reimagine" campaign to help children cope with the global pandemic. UNICEF's goal is to prevent COVID-19 from leaving a lasting crisis in children. It will use the campaign to issue an urgent appeal to the government. Besides that, UNICEF would ask the help of the public, donors, and the private sector to join them to reimagine a better, post-pandemic world for the children of the world. CHEVY CHASE, Md., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Roumell Asset Management, LLC ("Roumell"), which owns 5.78% of the outstanding shares of common stock (the "Common Stock") of Enzo Biochem, Inc. (NYSE: ENZ) ("Enzo" or "the Company"), today announced the preliminary results at the Company's annual meeting of shareholders held on January 4, 2021 (the "Annual Meeting") based on the tally by Roumell's proxy solicitor. During the past few weeks, Roumell had the privilege to engage with many of Enzo's shareholders. Roumell appreciates the overwhelming feedback in support of its campaign received from shareholders leading up to the Annual Meeting. The will of Enzo's shareholders was clearly displayed at the Annual Meeting. Based on a preliminary tally, at a minimum, Dr. Rabbani received approximately 44% of the shares voted for his re-election, and approximately 56% of the shares voted, against his re-election. Less than 22% of outstanding shareholders of Common Stock voted to re-elect Dr. Rabbani. As a result and as required by Article I, Section 9 of the Company's Amended and Restated By-Laws (as amended, the "Bylaws"), Dr. Rabbani, who did not receive a majority of votes cast at the Annual Meeting, must promptly tender his resignation to the Board. Had the Company honored Roumell's valid nominations and proposals, and accepted the proxies received by Roumell the votes against Dr. Rabbani's re-election would have been even more overwhelming. It is very likely that at least one of the candidates nominated by Roumell would have been elected to the Board. Further, Harbert Discovery Fund, LP and Harbert Discovery Co-Investment Fund I, LP (together, "Harbert"), which currently own 11.74% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, yesterday announced that, though they voted on the Company's proxy card in connection with the Annual Meeting to ensure their votes were counted, they would have submitted their votes on Roumell's GREEN proxy card had the Company not disenfranchised shareholders by refusing to accept Roumell's nominations, proposals and proxies.1 Harbert also announced that the Company failed to disclose and answer nine questions that Harbert posed during the Annual Meeting. Similarly, the questions submitted by Roumell through the online portal at the Annual Meeting were neither disclosed by the Company nor answered during the Annual Meeting, despite the Company's promise to shareholders in its Annual Meeting materials to answer such shareholder questions. Here are Roumell's questions that the Board refused to answer: Will the Board accept Dr. Rabbani's resignation, or will it act undemocratically and not accept the clear desire of the Company's shareholders to remove Dr. Rabbani from the Board? Is each Board member aware of each's reputational risk in not honoring the clear intentions of the Company's owners? On behalf of all shareholders, Roumell demands prompt answers to these questions. Roumell also demands a meeting with the Company's non-executive, independent directors to discuss the results of the Annual Meeting, as well as Roumell's director candidates and other business proposals. Roumell further demands that the Board pay heed to its shareholders' clear mandate and, consistent with Article I, Section 9 of the Bylaws, immediately accept Dr. Rabbani's resignation. Roumell believes that, with their votes, shareholders were effectively weighing in on Dr. Rabbani's service as both a member of the Board and the Company's CEO, and the Board should recognize this fact. Roumell hopes that Dr. Rabbani will have the common decency to not force the Company's non-executive, independent directors into a situation that jeopardizes their reputations and careers for the sole purpose of protecting his own self-interest. Roumell reminds the non-executive, independent directors that they have a duty to all shareholders of the Company, and if they do not abide by the will of the Company's shareholders, they potentially face serious professional and legal repercussions. Roumell intends to continue advocating for the Company's shareholders and reserves all rights with respect to its nominations and shareholder proposals. Contacts Saratoga Proxy Consulting LLC John Ferguson / Joe Mills, 212-257-1311 [email protected] / [email protected] 1 See Press Release filed by Harbert Discovery Fund, LP and Harbert Discovery Co-Investment Fund I, LP on January 4, 2021, available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/01/04/2152879/0/en/Harbert-Discovery-Fund-Issues-Letter-to-the-Independent-Directors-of-Enzo-Biochem-Inc.html. SOURCE Roumell Asset Management, LLC Gov. Gavin Newsom said to brace for a surge on top of a surge of post-holiday coronavirus cases, and on Monday that grim prediction appeared to take shape: California reported more than 70,000 cases, the most in any one day since the pandemic began. The sober tally arrived after a brief lull in the wave that has swept over the state for the past two months. Average daily cases had tapered off for a week or two, but public health officials warned that the respite likely was temporary, and they anticipated a fresh swell of cases from Christmas and New Years. This week is critical in terms of a bigger understanding of where we are, Newsom said in a news briefing on Monday. We are entering into what we anticipate the surge on top of a surge is going to put a lot of pressure on (intensive care units) coming out of the holidays. The record case count 74,135 cases on Monday came even as California continued to fumble its coronavirus vaccination efforts, reporting that only about a third of all doses sent to the state have been administered. About 450,000 people have been vaccinated so far. Meanwhile, the state over the weekend identified five more patients infected with a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus, for a total of six cases, all in Southern California. Though infectious disease experts say the vaccine should work against the new strain, officials are worried that its already circulating in the state and could intensify the ongoing surge and make it more difficult to get under control. Newsom said parts of the state ramped up enforcement of stay-at-home orders over Christmas and, in particular, New Years Eve to prevent superspreader events and parties. State authorities visited more than 2,500 bars and restaurants, particularly in Los Angeles County, over Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, he said. In the Bay Area, a large hospital outbreak reported over the weekend underscored how easily the virus can be spread, even among people who are well informed of the threat. At least 44 cases, including one death, have been reported at Kaiser Permanente San Jose, after an employee who was infected but had no symptoms showed up in the emergency department on Christmas Day wearing an inflatable costume. Kaiser is investigating the outbreak and whether the costume contributed to the virus spreading to so many people at once. Hospitals and intensive care Intensive care capacity on Monday remained maxed out in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, where hospitals have been bringing in health care workers from outside the region and adding makeshift ICU wards to care for COVID-19 patients. ICU availability in the Bay Area climbed to 7.9% on Monday, after dipping to a low of 5.1% over the weekend. The regional availability has remained under 10% for nearly a week, which does not bode well for the Bay Area being released from the states stay-at-home order. The Bay Area order could expire as early as Friday but unless ICU availability increases to at least 15% by then, the mandate likely will be extended. San Francisco officials announced last week that the city will remain under a shelter-in-place order for at least two more weeks. We are anticipating another surge in post-holiday cases and hospitalizations, Dr. Sundari Mase, the Sonoma County health officer, said in a news briefing Monday. We dont anticipate to come out of the state stay-at-home order for a few more weeks. Were still seeing widespread transmission of the virus. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are growing both for the state and the region, but the number of patients in intensive care has held fairly steady over the past week. As of Sunday, 21,128 COVID-19 patients were in the hospital in California, including 4,584 in intensive care. The Bay Area had 2,106 hospitalized patients and 506 in intensive care, down from a high of 520 ICU patients on New Years Eve and New Years Day. Ninety patients in California were being treated in alternative care sites run by the state, which have been opened to ease pressure on inundated hospitals in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. Five such sites are currently open. State and federal authorities also have deployed nearly 1,300 workers to provide backup at stressed hospitals. Weve seen a seven-fold increase (in COVID-19 hospitalizations) in just two months. On ICU admissions, a six-fold increase in just two months. It shows what can happen in a very short, short period of time, Newsom said. Cases and deaths Mondays large case count was tied mostly to Christmas-related disease spread, but it also was artificially high due to reporting lags over the end-of-year holidays, public health officials said. Many counties skipped several days of reporting over the past week and started to catch up on Monday. And the state took down its reporting database for scheduled maintenance on Saturday. For example, Riverside County alone recorded 17,683 cases on Monday after three days of no reports, according to The Chronicle data tracker. The Bay Area reported 3,872 cases on Monday far from a record total and roughly in line with the daily average over the past couple of weeks. Aside from the states alarming report, daily average cases had been roughly flat for California and the Bay Area. California averaged about 36,000 cases a day last week and the Bay Area about 3,800. Public health officials said that wasnt simply under-reporting, but evidence that the state was starting to slow down its fall and winter surge. We believe the regional stay-at-home order did make an important difference over the last few weeks to reduce that curve, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California Health and Human Services. That very steep uptick, it was flattened just a little bit. I believe we did buy ourselves a little bit of room to deal with what we have ahead of us. Deaths from COVID-19 continue to climb, however. Dec. 31 was the deadliest day of the year for both the state and the Bay Area, with 575 COVID-19 deaths reported in California, including 91 in the Bay Area, according to a Chronicle data analysis. The state reported an average of 336 deaths a day last week. The Bay Area reported 29 deaths a day. The state reported 379 deaths on Monday. Vaccinations Newsom said Monday that he would propose an infusion of at least $300 million to bolster Californias coronavirus vaccine distribution efforts in his forthcoming budget plan the governor will announce later this week. The money would be used to build out the vaccine management system, bulk up transportation and storage supplies and expand a public education campaign, Newsom said. California ranks among the bottom 10 states in percentage of available doses used, according to a vaccine shot tracker managed by Bloomberg News. Newsom said complicated logistics have slowed the distribution. The state is assigning vaccine amounts to local health departments, which are subsequently dividing those up among facilities in their communities. The facilities must then order the doses through the state, but they are delivered by the manufacturers. Weve got work to do on this, Newsom said, acknowledging that the states immunization campaign so far has not gone smoothly. As we move into January we want to see things accelerated, we want to see things go much faster. San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Alexei Koseff and Catherine Ho contributed to this report. Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com BEIRUT - The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is en route to Saudi Arabia where he will participate on Tuesday in the Gulf Cooperation Council summit and where he is expected to sign an accord with Saudi authorities to formally put an end to the crisis between the two countries, which started in May 2017. Qatari media reported Sheikh Tamim's trip to al Ula, the city in western Saudi Arabia where the summit is taking place. On Monday evening, the announcement came that the two countries wished to put an end to the political and diplomatic crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies. Just call it the lame-duck shrug. State representatives return to Springfield on Friday, but if you ask any of them what they expect to consider, youre more than likely going to get a shrug. No one knows. Its a mystery, wrapped in a conundrum and bound up in a riddle. House Speaker Mike Madigan is keeping things pretty close to the vest. We are just a few days out and we just dont know, said state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield. I had members of the majority party, Democrats, calling me to see what I had heard about session. They thought I might know, because I represent Springfield. Thats pretty telling when members of the party in control dont have a clue. Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he anticipates lawmakers will consider legislation being pushed by the House Democratic Black Caucus. But, as of Monday, no bills had been filed with the House clerk pertaining to that caucus agenda. Among the issues said to possibly be a part of that agenda is a measure that would eliminate qualified immunity for police officers. This would allow victims of police misconduct to personally sue the officers as well as the governmental body that employs them. Leaders of the Black Caucus also are pushing measures pertaining to job training, education funding equity and Medicaid financing. Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, declined to discuss specifics of the Black Caucus agenda. But he and other members of that caucus have expressed dismay that there are not more minority owners in the states marijuana dispensaries. But state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said it is not enough to know the broad issues to be discussed, legislation needs to be reviewed carefully. So far, we havent seen any bills, she said. And we really cant weigh in until we have seen specific legislation. Unfortunately, lawmakers are often kept in the dark until shortly before they are about to vote on a bill. This minimizes the opportunity for voters and interest groups to lobby against a bill before it comes up for a vote. Children are taught civics, but there are some who dont like to see it practiced, said Ari DeWolf, a government affairs specialist for the Illinois Policy Institute. Lame duck is the colloquial term for the period between an election and an inauguration. Some of those serving have either lost the election or have chosen not to seek re-election. These members are thought to be less inhibited in voting against their constituents wishes. Indeed, during past lame duck sessions Illinois lawmakers have approved such controversial measures as abolishing the death penalty, creating same-sex civil unions and increasing the state income tax by 66 percent. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said in a virtual news conference that he fears Madigan will again push for a lame duck tax hike after voters rejected a constitutional amendment to create a graduated income tax. They refused to listen to our warnings over and over again, he said. And now, after voters just sent the Democrats a message, Madigan and his cohorts will be trying to sneak a tax increase yes, sneak a tax increase into the lame-duck session. Brown pooh-poohed the notion that lawmakers may consider an income tax hike during the waning days of the legislative session saying he hadnt heard the matter discussed. The session is scheduled to begin Friday and could run until Jan. 13, when the new General Assembly will convene to inaugurate its members. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, lawmakers havent met since late May when they held a brief session to pass a budget and a few other items deemed essential. That budget is out of whack by $5 billion. It was passed on the hope that Congress would pass a stimulus package that would include aid to struggling state and local governments and that voters in November would approve a constitutional amendment to allow the state to levy a graduated income tax. Neither happened. Rep. Ford said, Lame duck session is the time to ramp up taxes if we are to avoid cutting needed programs. On the other hand, when tax decisions are left to lame ducks taxpayers should expect to be goosed. Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a freelance reporter; contact him at ScottReeder1965@gmail.com. Internet shutdowns cost India $2.8 billion, putting the South Asian nation at the top of a list of 21 countries that curbed citizens web access in 2020. India -- the second-worst-hit nation by the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of overall confirmed infections -- accounted for about three-quarters of the $4 billion lost worldwide to internet curbs. Its losses more than doubled compared to 2019, a report from a U.K.-based digital privacy and security research group showed. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Some countries known to limit Internet access or censor material like China and North Korea were not included in the report because researchers relied on publicly available open source information and documented internet and social media shutdowns. With 8,927 hours of blacked out or curbed bandwidth access, India restricted internet use more than any other nation, as restrictions originally imposed in 2019 continued throughout 2020, according to the Global Cost of Internet Shutdowns report released by Top10VPN. Blackout Costs Bandwidth restrictions in Kashmir -- where the government in 2019 revoked the special autonomous status of the countrys only Muslim majority state -- affected access for medicines, businesses and schools despite the easing of a seven-months-long closure in March, it said. Indias ministry of information and technology didnt respond to an email seeking a response to the reports findings. The cost of internet blackouts were calculated using indicators from groups including the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union, and the Delhi-based Software Freedom Law Center. It includes social media shutdowns in its calculations. Belarus suffered the most economically after India, with $336.4 million lost to 218 hours of blackouts and curbs affecting 7.9 million people, amid protests following a controversial presidential election. During the period of restrictions, the report documented a 650% spike in demand for virtual private networks in Belarus, the report said. Myanmar imposed blackouts and throttled bandwidth for 5,160 hours in 2020 amid continuing restrictions in the Chin and Rakhine regions, it said. Yemen lost $237 million to 912 hours of internet disruptions. At 27,165 hours, major internet disruptions recorded worldwide in 2020 were higher by 49% compared to the previous year and affected 268 million people, according to the report. About 42% of the shutdowns were associated with additional human rights abuses including restrictions on freedom of assembly, election interference and infringements on freedom of the press, it said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics David Dahlen, 24, who is facing an attempted murder charge for allegedly trying to kill a police officer, escaped from police custody on Saturday and remained at large on Tuesday A massive manhunt is under way in Oregon after a suspect accused of trying to kill a cop escaped a secure room in a Portland police precinct that was mistakenly left unlocked by a COVID-19 cleaning crew. Police arrested David Dahlen, 24, on Saturday on suspicion of ramming a stolen pickup into an officer on December 24, leaving her with serious injuries. The Portland Police Bureau said on Monday that while Dahlen was in a holding cell in the detectives' division at the city's Justice Center waiting to be interviewed ahead of his booking into the county jail, two contracted workers doing COVID-19 disinfection opened the door and then closed it when they saw him. Preliminary investigation shows the door didn't fully latch and investigators believe Dahlen pushed it open and exited the building through a stairwell, which was unlocked for fire safety reasons, police said in a news release. A few minutes later, at 5.30pm, detectives went to check on Dahlen and discovered that he was gone. The building was locked down and a search began. Scroll down for video Police say Dahlen was in a holding cell at Portland's Central Precinct (pictured) when a COVID cleaning crew opened the door, realized the room was occupied and closed, but did not lock, it Dahlen was arrested in connection to a December 24 incident at this gas station Video captured Dahlen driving a stolen truck ramming it into Portland police officer Jennifer Pierce (left and right). The 15-year veteran suffered a broken pelvis Surveillance video showed him running away from the building. Police scoured downtown and monitored public transit, but were unable to locate the fugitive. Police had not found Dahlen as of Tuesday morning and are asking the public to call 911 if he is seen. The Portland Police Bureau said it will be conducting an internal review of the agency's procedures regarding holding cells. It will contain recommendations for improving those procedures to prevent anything like this from happening again. Dahlen is suspected of driving into Portland police Officer Jennifer Pierce, a 15-year veteran who was hospitalized with a fractured pelvis. When officers tried to box in the stolen truck at the 76 gas station at the corner of Southeast Powell and Cesar Chavez boulevards before 9pm on Christmas Eve, the driver rammed into Pierce as she stood outside of her car, according to witnesses. The stolen pickup truck (pictured in the distance) was later found abandoned Pierce was pinned between the truck and her patrol car. The pickup driver then backed up and struck her again, as seen in bystander video that was obtained by KOIN. Pierce then fired her gun at the truck. The pickup, which had been stolen from a Portland auto shop, was found abandoned shortly afterward. Dahlen faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, attempt of assault on a public safety officer, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and second-degree escape. Dahlen is described as a white male, 5-foot-8 tall and weighing 170lbs. He was last seen wearing a green long sleeve shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. Police say he has mud on his clothing. By Lee Seong-hyon South Korea and China recently agreed to form the so-called "Korea-China Relations Future Development Committee." The duo are one year away from earmarking the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. The committee is intended to shape the next 30 years of bilateral ties. To look at the future, it's first warranted to review the past. Seoul and Beijing used to be ideological adversaries during the Cold War when South Korea was a staunch anti-Communist nation. After the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two in 1992, the relationship has developed mainly in terms of economic cooperation. Bilateral cooperation in the economic sector unfolded robustly until the THAAD dispute caused a rift in relations. Looking back, active management of the conflicting elements between the two sides was seen as not enough for instance on North Korea. A former diplomat who had been involved in Korea-China relations from their early diplomatic inception, observed: "Except for the North Korean nuclear issue, there were no problems with Korea-China relations." So maybe now they are facing turbulence ahead. To be more precise, there have been foue major enduring problems with existing relations between Seoul and Beijing, and they can be summarized as North Korea, the Korea-U.S. alliance, asymmetric relations between Korea and China, and the anti-China and anti-Korea sentiment. There have been times when the two have coordinated well on how to approach the North Korean nuclear issue, but there have been also many disagreements. Regarding Seoul's relationship with Washington, China has constantly taken issue with the ROK-U.S. alliance. In particular, the characterization of whether the alliance is part of the U.S. Asia-Pacific strategy (now, the Indo-Pacific Strategy) to curb the "rise of China," rather than solely dealing with North Korea. Regarding this matter, Beijing constantly tried to confirm it whenever a new South Korean administration was elected. The "asymmetrical relationship" and "anti-China and anti-Korean sentiment" have only received sporadic media attention, like a wound left to fester. There has not been enough recognition and response to the seriousness of the matter. According to the Pew Research Center, 75 percent of the South Korean public have unfavorable views toward China, and 83 percent of them have no confidence that Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will do the right thing regarding world affairs. There is a quip that South Korea's ruling liberal camp which President Moon Jae-in belongs to, is prone to Chinese manipulation as they believe China's role is essential to resolving the North Korean issue and eventual unification of the two Koreas. The two Koreas have been divided essentially since WWII. The anti-China sentiment among the South Korean public is at a record-high level, as far as this author remembers. South Korea hosted a THAAD missile defense system as an ally of the United States. Some Koreans therefore believe Beijing's retaliation against South Korea over THAAD would not have transpired if China had been a democracy. There is a growing cynicism about the Chinese political system among the Korean public, who have witnessed China's socialist uniformity and totalitarian information control during the COVID-19 crisis. South Korea, the biggest victim of the Korean War, felt gravely hurt by Xi Jinping's recent remarks on the war that disregards history, as well as the Chinese netizens' unbridled nationalism, as seen in the BTS fiasco. The reason that the relationship between Korea and China has gradually changed to asymmetric relations with "the playground tilting toward China" lies in the change in economic power disparity. In 2019, the size of China's economy was nine times that of Korea. Over the years, while China's trade dependence on Korea has been similar or diminished, Korea's trade dependence on China has deepened. As seen in the THAAD retaliation, China has already begun to use Korea's dependence on trade as a means of political pressure on Seoul. Seoul and Beijing have not had a chance to thaw the stalled bilateral relations for four years since the THAAD crisis, as President Xi Jinping's expected visit to South Korea didn't transpire in 2020 due to COVID-19. In 2021, while the global coronavirus pandemic still continues, the recovery of Korea-China relations may still be difficult due to the domestic political schedule here including the mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan, and the presidential election campaign that will ensue immediately afterwards. Lee Seong-hyon (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), Ph.D., is director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute. COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Traditions Health, LLC ("Traditions"), a national hospice and home health provider, announced that it has acquired two home health agencies in Oklahoma and two hospice agencies in Louisiana. The home health agencies Traditions Home Care ("Traditions (OK)") and Secure Home Care ("Secure") will add to a growing footprint and introduce home health capabilities in Oklahoma. The hospice agencies Grace Hospice & Palliative Care ("Grace") and Heritage Hospice ("Heritage") represent Traditions' entrance into the state of Louisiana. Traditions (OK) and Secure, alongside the recent acquisitions of three hospice agencies in the state, will enable Traditions to provide high quality clinical care to a significant and growing portion of the Oklahoma market. The seven acquired locations will extend Traditions' reach into Eastern Oklahoma, adding offices in and around McAlester and Eufaula. Traditions (OK) was founded in 2002 and combined with Secure in 2015. Grace and Heritage are leading hospice providers in their respective markets of Lafayette and Hammond, Louisiana. Traditions will enter Louisiana through the acquisition of Grace and Heritage and extend its service provision to a 14th state. As a leading provider of hospice and home health services, Traditions offers skilled nursing, therapy services, and both physical and spiritual end of life care. The announcement was made by Bryan Wolfe, the President and CEO of Traditions. "I am delighted to grow the Traditions family in Louisiana and to deepen our capabilities in Oklahoma through the addition of Eastern Oklahoma's premier home health agencies. This announcement is a fitting way to cap off what's been an exciting year for Traditions Health. We look forward to working with the employees and patients of Traditions (OK), Secure, Grace, and Heritage, in the new year and beyond," said Mr. Wolfe. Stoneridge Partners acted as the sell-side advisor to Traditions (OK) and Secure. Triavo Health acted as the sell-side advisor to Grace and Heritage. About Traditions Health Headquartered in College Station, TX, Traditions Health is a leading provider of hospice care, home health care, consulting services and online policy manuals. The company provides care to 5,000 patients across fourteen states. The company has recently been named to the 2020 Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing businesses. Traditions Health is a portfolio company of Dorilton Capital. For more information, visit our website at www.traditionshealth.com. About Dorilton Capital Dorilton Capital is a private investment firm seeking to acquire, recapitalize and support the growth of middle market businesses across a range of industry sectors. Dorilton seeks control situations and prefers to partner with incumbent management to create value over the long term. Please visit www.doriltoncapital.com. For media inquiries or relevant opportunities, please contact [email protected] SOURCE Traditions Health, LLC Related Links https://www.traditionshealth.com This is not easy work. If it was easy, we would have done it already, Lightfoot said at a news conference to talk about COVID-19 vaccinations. But Im personally involved, and Im confident we will get to the right place and be able to present something to the City Council for a vote as soon as we are able. (ANSA) - CAMPOBASSO, JAN 5 - A southern Italian pasta maker said Tuesday it was sorry for marketing a new kind of rigatoni under the name 'Abissine rigate', recalling Italy's colonial Abyssinian campaigns in northeast Africa in the 1930s. La Molisana, based in Campobasso, apologised for "recalling in an unacceptable way a dramatic page of history". It said that while it could not cancel the mistake, it would give the pasta a new name based on its shape. The Second Italo-Abyssinian War, fought between Italy and Ethiopia from October 1935 to February 1937, is seen as an example of the expansionist policy that characterized the Axis powers and the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations before the outbreak of World War II. War crimes were committed by both sides in this conflict. Italian troops used mustard gas in aerial bombardments (in violation of the Geneva Conventions) against combatants and civilians in an attempt to discourage the Ethiopian people from supporting the resistance. By all estimates, hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian civilians died as a result of the Italian invasion, including during the reprisal Yekatit 12 massacre in Addis Ababa, in which as many as 30,000 civilians were killed. Crimes by Ethiopian troops included the use of Dum-Dum bullets (in violation of the Hague Conventions), the killing of civilian workmen (including during the Gondrand massacre) and the mutilation of captured Eritrean Ascari and Italians (often with castration), beginning in the first weeks of war. During the war, Italian troops seized Aksum, and the obelisk adorning the city was torn from its site and sent to Rome to be placed symbolically in front of the building of the Ministry of Colonies created by the Fascist regime. Later standing outside the new site of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), it was given back to Ethiopia in 2005. (ANSA). Advertisement Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday an inevitable claim that Dominion voting machines are malfunctioning in Georgia's runoff elections, indicating he and other Republicans are preparing for Democrats to win as in-person Election Day turn out is coming up short. 'Reports are coming out of the 12th Congressional District of Georgia that Dominion Machines are not working in certain Republican Strongholds for over an hour,' Trump posted to his Twitter Tuesday afternoon. 'Ballots are being left in lock boxes, hopefully they count them. Thank you Congressman @RickAllen!' he continued, directing his gratitude to Georgia's 12th district Representative Rick Allen. The claim from Trump of voter fraud appears to have come from Georgia Senator David Perdue, who is running for reelection in the runoff, and John Fredericks, who appeared on former Trump White House strategist Steven Bannon's podcast Tuesday. 'We've got another problem with Dominion machines,' Fredericks told Bannon on his podcast War Room. 'I know this is going to shock your viewers today. But Dominion machines in several get this, not one or two I heard, three of the largest Republican precincts at 10:00 a.m. are down.' 'People have been told that they cannot scan their ballots... because the machines don't work,' he continued. 'In the meantime, they have to make their ballot out and put it in an envelope and the pole workers are saying 'When it's fixed we'll scan it for you.' 'So there's all kinds of red flags right there,' Fredericks said. 'Of course, these are happening in Republican areas. You can extrapolate that, it could be happenstance.' Also on Tuesday, Perdue told the Todd Starnes Show there were voting 'anomalies' involving Dominion machines in three different counties in Georgia. The president's tweet about the claims of irregularities and malfunctions comes as reports emerge of small lines at polling places and low in-person Election Day turnout a bad sign for Republican incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Karl Rove, who served as George W. Bush's deputy chief of staff and now is financial chair of the Georgia Battleground Fund, said in a private conference call Monday that the two campaigns' models show at least 1 million Georgians need to show up on Election Day for Republicans to win. Lines in Georgia have been much shorter than expected all day Tuesday as voters turn out on Election Day to cast their ballots in the two Senate runoff elections Incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler (left) waves at supporters going to vote in Sandy Springs, Georgia as her Democratic opponent Reverend Raphael Warnock (right) speaks at a canvassing kick off event in Marietta, Georgia on Election Day Immediately after news of smaller-than-expected Election Day turnout emerged, Trump sent an inevitable claim via tweet that Dominion voting machines were malfunctioning the same claim he uses to assert he actually won Georgia in the presidential contest in November Republican Georgia Senator David Perdue who is running for reelection is still quarantining after being diagnosed with coroanvirus. His Democratic opponent Jon Ossoff (pictured) visited Dunbar Neighborhood Center on Election Day in Acworth, Georgia Voters started lining up at the crack of dawn to cast their ballots in the two consequential runoff races. The lines, however, are quite short, with some claiming it took them a total of 5 minutes between showing up and leaving their polling places Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is urging Democrats to start turning out more on Tuesday, as well despite a larger Election Day turnout usually favoring Republicans. 'I know @ReverendWarnock and @Ossoff,' the California senator said of the two Democratic candidates. 'We've talked about the promise of our country. How we must help Americans with $2,000 stimulus checks, ensure our children have clean air to breathe, and our small businesses can thrive. That's who they areand who they'll be as U.S. Senators.' On the other hand, Donald Trump Jr. was pushing for more Republicans to turn out. 'Get out and vote Georgia you have 2 1/2 hours to get in line to save America as you know it from the communists,' the president's eldest son and one of his closest campaign advisers said. 'She's worth fighting for!' All eyes turned to the Peach State on Tuesday as thousands across Georgia headed to the polls to cast their ballots in the two consequential runoff races that will decide Senate control. A record-shattering 3 million Georgians cast their votes early, whether in-person or by mail. That early voting figure alone is more than the previous record in overall turnout in a Georgia runoff. Loeffler and Perdue are vying to keep their Senate seats against Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. Voters began lining up in the Peach State at the crack of dawn Tuesday and voting ends at 7:00 p.m. setting up Washington for a day of speculation and nail biting as the two races will not only determine which party controls the Senate, but also the trajectory of Joe Biden's presidency. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is urging Democrats in Georgia to start turning out more on Tuesday despite a larger Election Day turnout usually favoring Republicans Donald Trump Jr., the president eldest son and closest campaign adviser, is also pushing for Republicans to turn out with just a few hours left to cast their votes So far, lines have not been as bad as expected leading to speculation that Warnock and Ossoff could both emerge victorious. 'I am hearing of virtually no lines across the state,' Georgia's Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs said Tuesday. Former Georgia House of Representatives minority leader and failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams tweeted Tuesday that voters are getting in and out of polling places in minutes thanks to early voting. 'MSNBC is reporting that voters at many Atlanta Metro polling places are in and out in 5 minutes today because so many Georgians voted early!' Abrams posted. 'So if you haven't voted, get out and vote by 7PM today. I'm counting on you.' This is nothing compared to the very long lines seen for in-person early voting in Georgia this year or those lines experienced in the pre-pandemic era in the 2018 runoff. Similar issues that delayed results of the presidential election in Georgia could unfold after Tuesday's runoff contests if the race turnouts are as close as they are expected to be. Mail-in ballots will continue filtering in throughout the day Tuesday and with that on top of calculating in-person voters, election officials might not know the results for a few more days. Voters in Georgia started casting their ballots Tuesday morning in the two runoff elections in the state, which will determine which party controls the Senate Georgians began arriving to vote before polling places even opened. Here a line forms at Cobb County Community Center in Atlanta, Georgia Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are expected to vote on Tuesday before the polls close at 7:00 p.m. after a record-shattering 3 million already voted in the runoff elections early by mail or in-person Republicans expect to win both Senate races. But there are concerns the GOP senators will only win if at least 1 million more voters show up on Election Day to the 3 million who voted early Masked-up and Socially Distanced: Georgia voters stood feet away from each other and donned face masks as they waited outside to be let into their respective polling places to vote Trump pleaded with Georgians to vote for Loeffler and Perdue in a tweet Tuesday morning: 'So important to do so!' he urged Volunteers at a voting center in Austell, Georgia hand out food and drinks to voters lined up waiting to cast their ballots The southern state swung blue for Joe Biden by less than 12,000 votes on November 3, neither Senate race was decided because no candidate earned the 50 per cent needed to avoid a runoff Georgia voters alone will decided the fate of the Senate in the two runoffs A sign outside a voting center reminds candidates and their surrogates, as well as anyone else, that campaigning within 150 feet of a polling place is prohibited by law Georgia runoff winners might not be know for days Similar issues that delayed results of the presidential election in Georgia could unfold after Tuesday's runoff contests if the races are close. Walter Jones, a spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, said: 'We may be looking at several days.' He claimed the delay would mostly likely come from mail ballots received on Tuesday. Election officials are not able to start counting ballots until 7 p.m. on Tuesday after the polling places close. While the more than 3 million ballots cast in early voting will be processed by then, hundreds of thousands of votes will be flooding in throughout the day Tuesday. The ballots already being processed will likely be counted quickly Tuesday when the polls close, but the others could take some time. Election officials will need to open envelopes, check signatures and load ballots into counting machines for all votes received by mail on Election Day and they will need to process the hundreds of thousands of votes cast in person that day, too. Slow counting held up the results of the presidential election results in Georgia, with President Donald Trump holding a solid lead before mail-in ballots received on November 3 were fully processed and counted. Joe Biden ended up pulling ahead by less than 12,000 votes once all were counted. The tiny margin of victory led to two separate recounts in the Peach State, further delaying the final results. The election Tuesday will decide control of the Senate as incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue face off against Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. Advertisement If either Loeffler or Perdue hold onto their seat, Republican will maintain a majority in the upper chamber and more than likely block all legislative actions pushed by Biden. But if both Warnock and Ossoff emerge victorious after Tuesday's election, Democrats will have successfully split the Senate 50-50 with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris holding the tie-breaking vote. 'Georgia, get out and VOTE for two great Senators, @KLoeffler and @sendavidperdue. So important to do so!' President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. The runoffs were triggered after none of the four candidates were able to reach the 50 per cent threshold needed in Georgia to outright win their Senate race on November 3. The state does not hold primary elections, but rather has all candidates on the primary ballot with a requirement that they earn at least half the vote to win. Trump and President-elect Joe Biden held dueling events in Georgia Monday to try and use their coattails to increase enthusiasm for their respective parties' candidates. The rallies, however, could be too little, too late. Before Monday, more than 3 million Georgians already voted early in the Senate races whether by mail or in person. This early voting figure far surpasses the previous record of 2.137 million votes cast overall in a runoff election before this year. With around 5.5 million registered voters in Georgia, more than half of those who can vote have already done so before runoff election day on Tuesday. Data from Georgia Secretary of State's office indicates much more people showed up to vote early in person rather than absentee by mail even in the midst of the pandemic. Walter Jones, a spokesman for Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the highest ranking Georgia election official, said: 'We may be looking at several days' before results are known. He claimed the delay would most likely come from mail ballots received on Tuesday. Election officials are not able to start counting ballots until 7 p.m. on Tuesday after the polling places close. Hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots will continue flooding in throughout the day Tuesday, and that, combined with tabulating in-person voting could delay the counting process. Slow counting held up the results of the presidential election results in Georgia, with Trump holding a solid lead before mail-in ballots received on November 3 were fully processed and counted in the days after. Joe Biden won by less than 12,000 votes in the days after Election Day and the minuscule margin of victory led to two separate recounts in the Peach State, further delaying the final results. Historically, Democrats do better in mail-in and early voting and Republicans perform better on Election Day. But in a year plagued with coronavirus restrictions and accommodations, it's hard to say if that rule will still apply here. As it stands, Republicans expect to win both races even though a Sunday poll shows Warnock and Ossoff ahead in their races by less than 2 per cent with Perdue standing a slightly better chance than colleague Loeffler. The GOP is relying on earning at least 62 per cent of Election Day turnout, which is what Perdue got in November. Trump, while pushing for Loeffler and Perdue's reelections, also used his Monday night rally in Dalton County, Georgia to complain of his claimed widespread voter fraud and push his repeated and largely unproven allegations that the presidency was 'stolen' by Democrats. President Donald Trump held a rally Monday night in Dalton County, Georgia for Republican incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler (pictured) and David Perdue Perdue joined the rally remotely to address the crowd at one point. He is still quarantining at his home after contracting coroanvirus Earlier in the day, President-elect Joe Biden held an event campaigning for Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff (left) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (center) Loeffler told Fox News on Monday night that she would join a dozen other Republican senators in a plot to challenge at least one state's Electoral College results when Congress moves to certify the election for Joe Biden on Wednesday. Trump announced on his Twitter Tuesday morning that Perdue was also joining the effort to challenge the results. 'Pleased to announce that @KLoeffler & @sendavidperdue have just joined our great #StopTheSteal group of Senators,' the president posted. 'They will fight the ridiculous Electoral College Certification of Biden. How do you certify numbers that have now proven to be wrong and, in many cases, fraudulent!' Biden won 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232. A group of House Republicans, led by Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama, started pushing the plan last month and have gained a lot of traction since then after the group of senators joined the effort. Loeffler attended the rally Monday night, but Perdue is still quarantining after contracting COVID-19. He joined the rally by video for a short time to address the crowd gathered on the tarmac for one of Trump's last rallies of his presidency. Trump lauded Loeffler and Perdue on Tuesday for joining a GOP effort in the Senate to challenge the Electoral College results in the joint session certifying the election for Joe Biden on January 6 During the rally, Trump demanded that Vice President Mike Pence 'come through' as he presides over Congress certifying the election on January 6 and Republicans carry out their plan to challenge the results. 'I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. He's a great guy,' Trump told an audience Monday night. 'Of course if he doesn't come through I won't like him quite as much.' While the president's biggest Capitol Hill allies challenge some of the states' Electoral College counts, which could elongate the Congressional session for hours or even days, Pence will arrive just to announce the results. Even though there is little to nothing Pence can do to change the outcome, Trump is suggesting he has the power to do so. Thousands of the president's most staunch supporters are descending on Washington D.C. on Wednesday to protest the election results, demanding Democrats 'stop the steal' and Trump be declared the true winner. The GOP has been tearing itself apart from the inside out in the midst of the Georgia runoff as Republicans pick sides on standing with the president on his claims of widespread voter fraud or not. Specifically, Georgia Republicans are publicly split on the matter. In a call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Saturday, Trump pressured him to find 11,780 votes for him in the Peach State to overturn Biden's win there. Audio of the call was leaked by Raffensperger himself on Sunday, and revealed a desperate Trump who, at times, begged, flattered and threatened the Georgia official, who is a Republican. Trump has also attacked Georgia's Republican Governor Brian Kemp for not doing enough to try and overturn the results after the state went blue in the presidential elections. Loeffler and Perdue, however, have stayed on the president's side not wanting to upset him and his supporters before their runoff elections. Senator Kelly Loeffler Republican Kelly Loeffler was appointed to her seat over the objections of President Trump, and spent her tenure trying to put as little daylight as possible between her and the president. The richest senator, Loeffler, 50, was never Trump's favorite. The president preferred conservative loyalist Rep. Doug Collins for the vacancy that came up with the retirement of Sen. Johnny Isaakson in 2019. She opposed Trump's impeachment, and bragged about her '100 percent Trump voting record' on the campaign trail. But the former exec who co-owns the Atlanta Dream WNBA team made political stumbles throughout her tenure, which made her an endangered incumbent heading into November and then again in January even in a Republican-leaning state. On Monday night, at a rally where Trump campaigned for her, she announced that she would back the challenge to the election that Trump is demanding when Congress meets Wednesday to count the Electoral College votes. When she appeared with Trump Monday at the nighttime rally, she pointed awkwardly in the air and spoke for just seconds. Two weeks ago, at another rally with Ivanka Trump, crowd members chanted over her while she was trying to tout the case for her own reeelction. 'Fight for Trump! ... Stop the steal!' audience members chanted. After the killing of George Floyd, she clashed with the WNBA after teams promoted a Black Lives Matter message. Players responded on her own team responded by wearing matching 'Vote Warnock' t-shirts. She was appointed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in December 2019 after then-Senator Johnny Isakson announced he was resigning for health reasons. Kemp was a Trump ally, although the president has of late blasted him as a RINO for failing to support his effort to overturn the election results in his state. Loeffler considers herself the most conservative Republican in the Senate and has aligned herself fully with Trump touting her '100 per cent Trump voting record' while campaigning. Before ascending to Congress, Loeffler served as CEO of Bakkt, a digital asset conversion company, a subsidiary of her husband Jeffrey Sprecher's financial service provider Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange. She also co-owns WNBA team the Atlanta Dream. She faced a bitter primary against Collins, a Trump loyalist and defender in the House. She also had to stand for her first election on the ballot at a time when Georgia became a presidential battleground. Democrat Joe Biden would end up defeating Trump by 11,779 votes. She also had to contend with accusations of insider trading even as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the nation. She and her husband traded millions worth of stocks between January and mid-February. This included stocks where the pandemic had an effect. The Daily Beast reported on the trade, which took place after Loeffler attended a closed Jan. 24 Senate briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, in March. Under growing pressure, she announced that she and her husband were liquidating stocks they held in individual companies. The Justice Department closed an investigation into her stock trades, and the Senate Ethics Committee determined she did not break rules or laws. Senate rules allow members to trade stocks, but require their disclosure. After she was forced into a runoff against Warnock, Loeffler's path was complicated by Trump's efforts to overturn the results certified in her state -including after a hand recount. She would call for the resignation of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who pushed back on Trump's unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. But she dodged questions on whether she would back Trump's election challenges when Congress meets to count the Electoral College votes. It was only on Monday that she announced she would back Trump's effort. Loeffler and Sprecher, 65, were married in 2004 and have no children. Their net worth is $800 million, making Loeffler the richest member of Congress, by far. The two reside in Tuxedo Park a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia in a $10.5 million estate. Advertisement Reverend Raphael Warnock Baptist pastor Raphael Warnock, 51, is looking to take Senator Kelly Loeffler's Senate seat in his first run for public office. The reverend rose to prominence in Georgia politics in 2014 when he emerged a leader in the effort to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Warnock chaired the New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan organization focused on voter registration, from June 2017 to January 2020. He has also served as senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia since 2005 the same church where Marin Luther King Jr. preached alongside his father from 1959 until his death in 1968. In 2013, Warnock delivered the benediction at the public prayer service for Barack Obama's second inauguration. As Warnock geared up for his 2020 Senate run, he hosted in March 2019 an interfaith meeting on climate change at his church, featuring Al Gore. The reverend grew up in public housing in Savannah, Georgia as the eleventh of twelve children of two Pentecostal pastors. From 2016 to 2020, Warnock was married to Ouleye Ndoye, with whom he shares two children. His now-ex-wife accused Warnock of running over her foot with a car while trying to get out of an argument. Body camera footage of Warnock's interview with police during the incident was made public before the runoff election. Advertisement Senator David Perdue David Perdue, 71, first became a U.S. senator for Georgia in 2015, replacing retiring Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss. This year is his first reelection campaign, and he didn't earn the 50 per cent needed to avoid a runoff. Perdue is a cousin of President Donald Trump's Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Before seeking public office, Perdue served as senior vice president for Reebok and later joined PillowTex, a North Carolina textile company. Following that, he was CEO of Dollar General. In the list of most rich members of Congress, Perdue falls at No. 21 with a net worth of 15.8 million. Perdue, like his Georgia colleague Kelly Loeffler, was linked to a congressional insider trading scandal in 2020 for selling stocks before the market crashed in a fallout from the coroanvirus pandemic. They both allegedly used knowledge from a closed Senate meeting to make stock decision. Perdue resides in Sea Island, Georgia with his wife Bonnie Dunn, who he married in 1972. The couple has two sons and three grandchildren. They had a daughter who died in infancy. Advertisement Having the Election Conform to the Constitution Commentary Forget the Krakens, Dominion voting machines, harvested, absentee, and mail-in ballots, early voting, and all the other squid ink thats been expelled into the atmosphere since the highly contested presidential election of Nov. 3, 2020. The only thing that matters this weekindeed, the only thing that has ever matteredis whether the 50 separate state elections for president of the United States were conducted in accordance with the Constitution and other applicable federal customs and statutes. Thats the point that Sens. Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, and others are making in their last-ditch effort to at least raise the issue. They write: America is a republic whose leaders are chosen in democratic elections. Those elections, in turn, must comply with the Constitution and with federal and state law. The election of 2020, like the election of 2016, was hard fought and, in many swing states, narrowly decided. The 2020 election, however, featured unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities. As it happens the most-contested results happen by sheerest coincidence to be the very swing states that everybody knew were going to decide the election months before it actually occurred, chiefly among them Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, and Georgia. Under the all-purpose excuse of the COVID-19 panicand sometimes in the name of racial justicemany states liberalized their voting requirements, including Wisconsin, Georgia, and, notoriously, Pennsylvania. The problem is, in many cases, they did so by court order or gubernatorial fiatand not, as the Constitution explicitly states, by legislative action. Indeed, in some states, such as Wisconsin, courts actually struck down legislative attempts to tighten requirements and shorten the periods for early voting. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the epicenter of the alleged fraud, the U.S. Supreme Court quashed a Republican request to overturn a state court order that allowed mail-in ballots to be counted if they were received as late as Nov. 6, 2020. The Oct. 21, 2020, vote was tied at 44, with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett not yet seated. Even after the election, the Supreme Court under John Roberts has steadfastlyand inexplicablyrefused to get involved, rejecting a Texas lawsuit brought directly to it under Article III, which gives the high court primary jurisdiction in squabbles between and among states. What the Constitution Says It may come as a surprise to the vast majority of Americans that there is no constitutional right to vote for president. Indeed, the founders explicitly didnt want that, fearing mob rule. The Constitution, Article II, Section 1, is clear: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress. The idea was to channel the votes for the highest office in the land through the state legislatures. This was in keeping with another foundational notion that has unfortunately gone by the wayside: the election of U.S. senators by the legislatures, and not by statewide popular vote. This eminently sensible way of ensuring that senators would be representative of their statesand not the preening wannabe presidents they mostly are nowwas upended by the misguided 17th Amendment of 1913, one of the so-called progressive amendments from that period that also gave us the income tax, prohibition, and womens suffrage. Electoral law has been modified several times, first by the 12th Amendment of 1803, which, in the aftermath of the disputed 1800 election between incumbent President John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, essentially established the two-party system we have today; later by the 20th Amendment of 1933, which set Jan. 20 as Inauguration Day. In between, however, came the Electoral Count Act of 1887, later becoming part of the federal code in 1948. This law followed the highly contentious election of 1876 between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden. And this is where Cruzs motion comes in. In 1876, with Reconstruction at its height, President Ulysses S. Grant decided not to run for a third term. In his place, the GOP nominated another Civil War general, Hayes, who had been governor of Ohio; his opponent was the governor of New York state. Although Tilden won the popular vote andat first countthe Electoral College vote as well, questions were raised in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina about their validity. Their combined electoral votes would swing the election to Hayes. There were many good reasons to be suspicious. All three states were in the Reconstructed South, and recently readmitted to the Union. There were credible allegations of fraud and open violence against black voters. In South Carolina, more than 100 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. There was even a wrangle over a single elector in Oregon. In response, in January 1877, Congress created an electoral commission to sort things out, consisting of 10 members of Congress, evenly split between the parties, and five members of the Supreme Court. The commission heard the evidence, and then voted 87 to give the disputed votes to Hayes, handing him the presidency by a 185184 vote electoral margin. In exchange for not making a fuss, the Democrats won the rollback of Reconstruction, including the withdrawal of federal troops in South Carolina and Louisianasomething that Grant had long opposed. Cruzs Proposal Cruz et al. cite the work of the commission as a possible model to resolve the current dispute. We should follow that precedent. To wit, Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commissions findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed. Accordingly, we intend to vote on January 6 to reject the electors from disputed states as not regularly given and lawfully certified (the statutory requisite), unless and until that emergency 10-day audit is completed. Its highly unlikely to work, of course. Even though Speaker Nancy Pelosis margin in the House is now very small, no Democrat will vote for it. And Sen. Mitch McConnells Senate? Forget about it. No matter what happens in the Georgia runoff elections for both Senate seats on Jan. 5, McConnell has already made his peace with a Biden presidency, and squishy moderates such as Sens. Ben Sasse and Mitt Romney will be sure to put the boot in. Still, its the principle of the thingsomething thats always in short supply in Washington and desperately needed now. If the courts wont discharge their duty, then its up to Congress. And for Cruz, Trumps last rival in 2016, its a way to thrill the presidents base and position himself smartly for 2024. Because one way or another, the White House will still be up for grabs four years from now. Michael Walsh is the editor of The-Pipeline.org and the author of The Devils Pleasure Palace and The Fiery Angel, both published by Encounter Books. His latest book, Last Stands, a cultural study of military history from the Greeks to the Korean War, was recently published. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Washington: US President Donald Trump has urged Vice-President Mike Pence to intervene to help him secure a second term when the US Congress meets this week to certify the election results. At a campaign rally that was ostensibly held to boost Republican turnout in two crucial Senate contests in Georgia on Wednesday (AEDT), Trump spent much of his time repeating false claims of voter fraud in the November election and misleadingly telling supporters he has a realistic shot of remaining president after January 20. Donald Trump's campaign rally in Georgia may be the last he holds before leaving the White House on January 20. Credit:AP "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you," Trump told the crowd in Dalton, Georgia, on Tuesday (AEDT). "I hope that our great Vice-President comes through for us ... Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much." We dont know when the next flight will be, and we have been waiting for months to return home to our families. Our spouses in Sri Lanka are without jobs and incomes as well by Amalini De Sayrah On April 28th 2020, shaky footage taken on a smartphone showed hundreds of migrant workers in a country in the Middle East, crowded into an empty public park and asked to wait for answers for their inquiries on being repatriated back to Sri Lanka. The woman recording the video said when they approached the embassy they had been turned away, and told to go back to their housing. However, having lost jobs and without an income, this was no longer an option for them. The woman says that she and others like her are suffering through this hardship to be able to provide for their children. Our country has forgotten us, she says. On June 8th, a series of videos showed Sri Lankan women migrant workers who were pregnant and afraid to leave their housing in the Middle East due to the widespread nature of COVID-19 in the country. They were unable to access medicine or healthcare as they were without an income, and were not entitled to government aid in the countries to which they had migrated for work. We dont know when the next flight will be, and we have been waiting for months to return home to our families. Our spouses in Sri Lanka are without jobs and incomes as well, one of the pregnant women says. On July 28th, several media outlets, including EconomyNext and NewsFirst, reported that Jordanian police fired tear gas on a group of Sri Lankan migrant workers who were engaging in talks with embassy officials to secure their repatriation back to their home country. Having been without work and wages for five months, and having been promised repatriation at a much earlier date, the workers didnt allow the officials to leave as they expressed their grievances, upon which police were called in. About 20 workers were hospitalised due to respiratory difficulties caused by the tear gas. Take us back to Sri Lanka quickly, otherwise we will die in this country, a woman says. The repatriation of Sri Lankan migrant workers from the Middle East has been a weary and inadequate process for the thousands now without work and an income, often without a place to live too. Several have resorted to sleeping in parks as they await the news of another repatriation flight, and been provided with some assistance from the Sri Lankan embassies in the respective countries, welfare organisations or private donors. These flights were delayed on two occasions, firstly when the Government of Sri Lanka claimed it no longer had quarantine facilities to accommodate returning workers, and secondly when flights were halted due to the widespread Minuwangoda and Peliyagoda clusters in October. Over the months of November and December, Sri Lankan Airlines has operated four such flights from Dubai to Colombo, and one from Abu Dhabi to Colombo. Of the full capacity on these flights, an average of 60 migrant workers have been able to return home on each flight, with the flight from Abu Dhabi carrying 25 workers. It is essential to note that this return home was made possible not because the Government of Sri Lanka paid for their passage, but because private donors came forward to sponsor tickets for these workers to come home. This has been made possible by a network of relief organisations in Dubai and volunteers in both countries, and donors across the globe. Donors purchased tickets directly from Sri Lankan Airlines for individual workers, based on the list of those registered for repatriation with the Sri Lankan embassy in their country of employment. Calculating at an average ticket value of 1,200 United Arab Emirates dirhams, which is equivalent to 62,000 Sri Lankan rupees, over 15 million LKR has been spent by private donors and well-wishers to facilitate the return of Sri Lankan migrant workers from Dubai. On return, these migrant workers are allocated to free government quarantine facilities. Photos that circulate from these locations show that the sleeping areas themselves house upto about 30 persons, making it almost impossible to practice safe social distancing to ensure the virus doesnt spread. In October this year, the Presidents Office reported that following corporate, individual donations and direct deposits, the Itukama COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund balance stood at Rs. 1,659,015,132 (one billion six hundred fifty-nine million fifteen thousand one hundred thirty-two). A month later, a release from the Presidents Media division noted that only Rs. 400 million of the fund had been spent up to that point. It is essential to question why this fund was not used to repatriate the many stranded Sri Lankan workers, and house them in adequate quarantine facilities. Former Minister MahindanandaAluthgamage told the media that the Kuwaiti government had struck us with a bomb, as they have sent their COVID 19 patients here. This dehumanising language ignores the fact that these workers are Sri Lankan citizens deserving of support from their government. Many of the men and women migrating to find work do so due to extreme poverty and indebtedness that stem from the lack of gainful employment opportunities available to them in their rural hometowns. According to welfare organisations coming to their aid, several of them have also been misled by the agencies through which they arranged their foreign employment. They are encouraged to travel to the Middle East or Gulf on visit visas, noting that a job is guaranteed on arrival, and charged exorbitant arrangement fees. This was true even in mid-2020, in the context of the pandemic when there was less demand for jobs in those countries. As they return home with limited earnings, most exhausted after having to survive the last few months, they will no doubt find themselves in bigger debt, and without sustainable employment in Sri Lanka either. Despite being lauded by politicians and business leaders for the remittances their work overseas contributes to Sri Lankas GDP, these migrant workers have been forgotten in more ways than one. As of November, 90 deaths were reported from countries across the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar accounting for the largest amounts. These deaths of Sri Lankan citizens are not accounted for in the countrys local death toll. Termed rataviruwo or the countrys heroes for their contribution to the Sri Lankan economy, it is unacceptable that they are treated as expendable labour reduced to a few numbers in annual calculations, and are left without support in an hour of dire need. Migrant workers have had to rely on the generosity of private donors due to the fact that the Sri Lankan government did not adequately provide for them a standard of care it owes its citizens. Still, for workers returning home, the generosity of those contributing to their tickets is more than they can express. I dont have words to thank you, said a young woman whose return was made possible by private donations this month. In late December, the government announced plans to resume the arrival of tourists in the country, who will visit Sri Lanka in controlled travel bubbles to select destinations under strict guidelines. The first such flight of tourists from Ukraine landed at the Mattala International Airport on December 29th. Researchers at the Institute for Health Policy Sri Lanka pointed out that Ukraine has 13 times as many COVID-19 cases and 50 times as many deaths among the population than Sri Lanka. Shortly after the flight landed, photos circulated in the media showing a grand welcome for them, and also showed the tourists not wearing masks properly. Stranded Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Gulf took to Facebook to express their feelings at being deeply let down by their country. They say they dont have enough money to buy tickets to return, and ask why efforts couldnt be made to bring our own people back home. Those who are nourished by the money sent by Sri Lankans working overseas are bringing foreigners into the country. Shame, Mr. Gotabaya, I am speaking as someone who voted for you, one such post said. It it a shame indeed that leaders are barely able to meet the needs of the people who voted for them, when those people are in complete desperation. Year on year, it is overwhelming how Sri Lankan generosity via private donors constantly comes through in the face of a disaster. At the same time, it is frustrating that state relief is failing so many people - like these workers, especially at a time like this - that they have to depend on private donors to be able to return home. The writer is a member of the Liberation Movement. Views expressed in this article are the authors own The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the conception that housewives do not work or do not add economic value to the household is problematic and needs to be overcome. The Court was dealing with grant of compensation in a motor accident case, where the Delhi High Court had reduced the earning of the deceased wife as she was a homemaker. A three-judge bench headed by Justice NV Ramana felt that fixing an economic value to the hard work and labour by homemakers is difficult but nevertheless significant. Citing the 2011 Census, Justice Ramana, in a concurring but separate order found that nearly 159.85 million women in India are engaged in household work as compared to 5.79 million men. A recent report released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation showed that on an average, women spend 299 minutes a day on unpaid domestic services for household members versus 97 minutes spent by men on an average. She prepares food, manages procurement of groceries and shopping needs, cleans and manages the house and surroundings, undertakes decoration, repairs and maintenance work and tends to children and aged members of the household. Also read: Dry run blooper in Varanasi leads to vaccine boxes transported on bicycle Despite all of the above, the conception that housemakers do not work or that they do not add economic value to the household is a problematic idea that has persisted for many years and must be overcome, Justice Ramana added. The bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Surya Kant unanimously agreed to raise the compensation awarded to the motor accident victims Poonam, a housewife and her husband Vinod - to Rs 33.2 lakh instead of Rs 22 lakh awarded by the High Court. The Court said that a homemakers notional income must be determined by Courts keeping in mind the number of women engaged in this activity, and the value of their labour, service and sacrifices. Their activities contribute in a real way to the economic condition of the family and the economy of the nation and ought to be recognized in reflection of our changing attitudes and mindsets as well as towards achieving the constitutional vision of social equality and dignity of all individuals. The motor accidents claim in the present case was instituted by the two daughters of the couple who died in April 2014. The Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal awarded the daughters Rs 40.7 lakh compensation but on an appeal by the insurance company, the same was reduced to Rs 22 lakh by High Court Colorado Springs School District 11 added to the number of schools pivoting to remote learning amid the increase in coronavirus cases in El Paso County. Photo: (Photo : Facebook/101Biography) A mom said her final words to her daughter as they both battle COVID-19 beside each other. The doctor had to relay her message because they wore hoods to keep their oxygen levels from getting too low. In mid-October, Maria Rico and her daughter, Anabel Sharma, were admitted to the same hospital after they contracted COVID-19. They were placed a few beds away in the ICU. Medics moved Sharma's bed next to her mom's around two weeks later. Moved beside one another days before the mom's death However, the 49-year-old was devastated upon hearing about the sad news that her mom had just days to live. She and her mom were at the Leicester Royal Infirmary ICU holding hands in the photo one day before her mom died on November 1. According to "Metro.co.uk," Sharma said that the photo was the first time she saw her mom since they have entered the hospital. Because her mom had a mask on while she had her helmet, she could not hear what Rico said. See also: Toddler Suffers Stroke After Contracting COVID-19 [First Case] She could not hear what her mom was saying Sharma said that the doctor had to relay what her mom says because she could not hear her. She only heard the words "cremation" and "funeral" and that her mom signed a Do Not Resuscitate order. Three people assessed Sharma's mom, saying that they were satisfied that Rico knew what she was doing. For five weeks, Sharma had to watch her mom's funeral through a screen as she lay on the hospital bed. She needs oxygen to breathe because she has suffered permanent lung damage since then. A heartbroken woman named 'Anabel Sharma' describes the pain of losing her mother to Covid as they both lay in ICU. Full Details: https://bit.ly/357Ttvs Photo Credit: Anabel Sharma #AnabelSharma #COVID19 Posted by 101Biography on Sunday, January 3, 2021 See also: Man Writes Final Love Letter for Wife Before He Dies Due to COVID-19 [Heartbreaking Story] Raise awareness about the coronavirus London doctor Benji Rozen started a Facebook page, "Humans of COVID-19," where Sharma shared her story. He created the page to raise awareness of the reality of the effects of the coronavirus. The mom-of-three became the main carer of the house after her son, Isaac, contracted COVID-19. Her mom, her husband, Bharat, and two other sons, Jacob, and Noah, caught the deadly disease within days. Sharma became seriously unwell and started fainting because she had shortness of breath. Her oxygen levels reached 65 percent, and she had a fever of 40 degrees when the medics arrived. She asked the medics to check on her mother, and they confirmed Rico needed to be hospitalized. See also: Grandmother Delivers 800 Tamales to Frontliners After Recovering from COVID-19 Now, Sharma is at home but was diagnosed with PTSD and suffers night terrors. She sent gifts to the ICU staff that saved her life because she wanted to let them see her as a sick person. She felt bad that the medics worked hard every day to save people and how demoralized they felt. Sharma wanted to let other people think about how hard it is for other people, especially for the frontliners. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on January 5 imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 2.50 crore on Bajaj Finance Limited for violation of rules pertaining to recovery and collection methods. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 58 G read with clause (aa) of sub-section (5) of section 58B of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, taking into account the failure of the company to ensure that its recovery agents did not resort to harassment or intimidation of customers as part of its debt collection efforts and thereby failing to adhere to the aforesaid directions issued by RBI. There were also persistent/repeat complaints about recovery and collection methods adopted by the company, the RBI said. A notice was issued to the company by the RBI, advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed for such non-compliance. After considering the companys reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, the RBI concluded that the charge of non-compliance with the aforesaid RBI directions was substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty, the RBI said. This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers, the RBI said. The US welcomed Indias emergence as a leading power, Juster said, adding the 'close coordination' between the two sides has been important as New Delhi confronts, perhaps on a sustained basis, 'aggressive' Chinese activity on its border New Delhi: Noting that the US and India are laying the foundation for a stronger Indo-Pacific architecture, outgoing American envoy Ken Juster on Tuesday said the two countries should focus on giving further "substance" to it by developing guidelines and if necessary, even "redlines" as he outlined various security threats including from those choosing "suicide vests or military incursions". In a farewell address days before he relinquishes his position, Juster extensively talked about key bilateral issues, including "frictions and frustrations" on the trade and investment front as also growing bilateral defence and security cooperation. The US welcomed India's emergence as a leading power, Juster said, adding the "close coordination" between the two sides has been important as New Delhi confronts, perhaps on a sustained basis, "aggressive" Chinese activity on its border. "We are now building out the foundation of a stronger Indo-Pacific architecture that will enable us to tackle challenges that lie ahead. Our mission over the next five years and beyond should be to give this endeavor further form and substance to develop guidelines and, if necessary, even redlines," he said. This should enable all countries to prosper from a region that respects sovereignty, a rules-based order, and the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law, he said, adding that the US and India both recognise that much of the Indo-Pacific region if not the world is depending on our efforts. The American envoy said the two countries "purposefully" deepened the defence and security cooperation to keep the two nations safe from a growing array of threats and to provide security beyond our own borders, and suggested that the evolving international environment may require New Delhi to adjust how it expresses its "strategic autonomy". He said practical security needs may necessitate building closer operating relationships with a "smaller circle of trusted, like-minded partners to best preserve India's independence of action while protecting it from coercion." Juster said that Washington considers New Delhi as a critical partner in preserving and expanding the peace and prosperity in Indo-Pacific region. "We have both been influenced by the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. But we know that not everyone thinks as we do, and some choose suicide vests or military incursions. That is why the United States and India are committed to strengthening our defense and security cooperation in the words of Sardar Patel, 'cultivating strength to challenge oppression'," he said. The reference to suicide vests and incursions are seen as an indirect reference towards Pakistan-backed terrorism and China's expansionist behaviour. Referring to trade ties, Juster said though there was a lot of good news for the economic and commercial relationship, but he would be less than candid if he did not note that there were also "frictions and frustrations" on the trade and investment front. "Despite persistent efforts, we were unable to conclude even a small trade package. Moreover, there are growing restrictions in India on market access for certain US goods and services, increasing tariffs, new limitations on the free flow of data, and a less-than predictable regulatory environment for investors," he said. He said as global firms are finding it difficult to continue operation in China, India has the opportunity to become an alternative destination, adding New Delhi may have to take certain steps to seize the opportunity. The Ambassador also mentioned the 'Make in India' initiative and New Delhi's efforts to participate in global value chains, and be an exporter to the world. "It remains to be seen whether all of these policies are compatible and mutually reinforcing, or whether they will lead to higher tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. The latter would limit India's capacity to truly integrate into global value chains and, in the process, raise prices for Indian consumers," he said. Juster said given the size of the respective markets, there is plenty of room to expand the flow of goods and services in both directions in order for us to reach the full potential of our economic relationship. Asserting that no country has as strong and robust a defence and counterterrorism relationship with India as does the United States, he said simply put, no other country does as much to contribute to the security of Indians and India. "Our close coordination has been important as India confronts, perhaps on a sustained basis, aggressive Chinese activity on its border". Asked about the possibility of the US imposing sanctions on India under the provisions of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for procuring military platforms from Russia, Juster said the law was not for Washington's friends and allies. However, he said there has been a growing concern about the interoperability of weapons systems, suggesting that New Delhi should keep in mind sensitivities of military suppliers. Juster said the US recognises that India desires to produce more of its military equipment within the country, noting that the US looks forward to its growing partnership in this effort. "As this process unfolds, India will likely need to develop certain key capabilities with the careful use of outside procurements. This is expected to include fighter aircraft, which have the potential to transform our defence industrial cooperation," he said. "In our view, defense procurement should not be solely about selecting the lowest bidder, but also about recognizing quality and value over the entire lifecycle, and ensuring strategic interoperability across services - and perhaps even with other friendly forces," he said. In this security environment, it is worth considering how effectively one piece of equipment will integrate into a broader system and strategy, and whether a particular purchase today will pave the way for or preclude future acquisitions of more sophisticated technology, he asserted. "While we appreciate that India has its own historical and geographical perspective, in today's strategic landscape it may not be optimal to source equipment across a range of suppliers from different countries," he added. Talking about India's inherent strength, the envoy said the country's embrace of diversity will always be what makes it exceptional and that it has been a source of strength for "all of us". "It is also something to which we Americans can relate. Just as Indians have long referred to 'unity in diversity', Americans have long used the Latin phrase e pluribus unum out of many, one. Both the United States and India have benefited from our diverse populations, with individuals from many backgrounds contributing to all aspects of our societies. That is the promise guaranteed by our Constitutions," he said. "While neither of us is or has been perfect, we understand that preserving our commitment to diversity and tolerance is important to maintaining our status in the world and the strength of our bilateral relationship," he added. About bilateral cooperation in dealing with coronavirus pandemic, Juster said public health scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention known as the CDC have supported India's COVID-19 field response . Hundreds of Indian graduates of CDC training programs have been at the forefront of India's efforts, providing expertise to prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 virus across the country, he added. Juster said the US and Indian scientists are collaborating to jointly develop and test vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for COVID-19 . "Institutions and companies from both countries are partnering to utilize India's large manufacturing capacity for the production of approved COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, Juster said the US Food and Drug Administration and the government of India have worked together to ensure the safety and efficacy of medical products and to prevent the marketing of unapproved products that fraudulently claim to fight or cure COVID19. As countries around the world have started rolling out their vaccination program to provide immunity against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Republic of Palau is poised to become one of the first countries to vaccinate the majority of its population. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the pacific nation, an archipelago home to about 18,000 people, is yet to report its first case of coronavirus, Palau is a sovereign nation in free association with the United States and, under an agreement signed in 1982, the latter remains responsible for Palaus defence until 2044. The archipelago has also access to Washingtons social services, making it a part of US mass Covid-19 vaccination program - Operation Warp Speed. The Pacific Islands country on Saturday received its first shipment of 2,800 doses of Modernas Covid-19 vaccine, which has been authorised by the US Food and Drug Association (FDA) for emergency use. The vaccination commenced on Sunday at the Belau National Hospital, starting with healthcare providers and first responders. Palau has requested another 30,000 Covid vaccine doses from the United States. Also Read | US pharmacist who destroyed Moderna Covid-19 vaccines was conspiracy theorist: police Incident Commander of the Ministry of Health, Ritter Udui, reportedly said that small population puts Palau in prime position to become one of the first countries in the world to be inoculated against the virus. According to a CNN report, Palaus goal is to vaccinate 80 per cent of its population and achieve herd immunity. Its not compulsory to receive the vaccine, so our goal is to vaccinate about 80% of the population. We hope to achieve herd immunity (through the vaccination program), the Palau official was quoted as saying by the US media network. Notably, Palau had hailed India at the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly for its invaluable support to fight the ongoing pandemic. In September, Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr told a largely virtual gathering of world leaders that the Indian government helped the country improve its healthcare system through India-UN Development Partnership Fund. "Government of India, through India-UN Fund, in partnership with UNOSSC&UNOPS, has provided invaluable support to improve our healthcare system, & rapid response to pandemic preparations" H.E. Tommy Remengesau Jr, President of Palau #UNGA @IndiaUNNewYork @UNOSSC @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/zHkgvm3d19 India-UN Development Partnership Fund (@IndiaUNFund) September 23, 2020 The sister of "disappeared" Chinese rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has taken her own life out of despair at her family's treatment at the hands of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), RFA has learned. "We have had bad news at the beginning of the New Year," Geng said via her Twitter account. "I was shocked to learn that Gao Zhisheng's sister [died] in May 2020." Gao's sister had suffered greatly following her brother's most recent "disappearance" three years ago, and had suffered from insomnia and depression, Geng wrote. Geng told RFA in a later interview that Gao's sister's problems could be traced back to a violent police raid on the family home in 2006, as Gao was visiting the family during her husband's terminal illness. State security police used force to take Gao away, while his sister and her children were placed under house arrest in a nearby hotel, Geng told RFA. "[After that], she became depressed and unwell, and couldn't sleep at nights," Geng said. Gao's sister's home in Shandong had been under close surveillance during Gao's most recent "disappearance," which has lasted more than three years, Geng said. "The last time I spoke to his sister was in 2012," she said. "I had two phone calls with my sister during Lunar New Year that year." "Then, the family indicated that I shouldn't call any more, saying that that the child wouldn't be allowed back home if I did," Geng said. "So the whole family was being persecuted, and the atmosphere was very depressing [for them]." Incommunicado over three years Geng said Gao has now been incommunicado, believed detained, for more than three years, with no notification of his status and no known criminal procedures against him. The family has hired lawyers to make repeated freedom-of-information requests to the ministry of justice and the prison authorities in a bid to find him, she said. "People usually send cards to prisoners of conscience at this time of year, or save up food vouchers for them, but we wouldn't know where to send them," Geng said. "This rogue government is so frightened of everything; it can't even tell Gao Zhisheng's family where he is." Zhou Fengsuo, a former democracy activist who founded the U.S.-based rights group Humanitarian China, said persecution has indirectly led to deaths of many activists during the past 30 years. "It makes me very sad," Zhou told RFA. "This is more blood on the hands of the CCP. This death is a stain on this evil regime." "These tragedies will only come to an end when this evil regime falls," he said. U.S.-based rights lawyer Chen Jiangang said the treatment meted out to Gao and his family wasn't unusual. "You could even say it was inevitable, because the CCP is anti-human-rights," Chen said. "This is a direct result." "It cares nothing for consequences, because it wants to stay in power, to rule the Chinese people," he said. He called on the international community to impose tougher sanctions on China to force the Chinese government to make concessions. "There is a saying that the only language dictators understand is the sound of gunfire," Chen said. "The entire civilized world needs to toughen up in its attitude to China, and start imposing even tougher sanctions." Defending China's most vulnerable people Gao, once a prominent lawyer feted by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, began to be targeted by the authorities after he defended some of Chinas most vulnerable people, including Christians, coal miners, and followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. Gao was arrested and sentenced for "inciting subversion of state power," and was subsequently "disappeared" several times before finally being sent to serve his sentence. Rights groups including Amnesty International have repeatedly called on the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release Gao. In a published memoir in 2016, Gao details the torture he later endured at the hands of the authorities during his time in prison, as well as three years of solitary confinement, during which he said he was sustained by his Christian faith and his hopes for China. Activists say his continuing house arrest even after being "released" from jail mirrors the treatment meted out to fellow rights lawyers and activists under CCP leader Xi Jinping. Reported by Xiao Yibing for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close For now, at least, Democratic State Sen. Jim Brewster, of Allegheny County, will not be allowed to take the oath of office, as Republicans believe litigation over the outcome in his race must first play out in federal court. GOP leaders have said the state constitution gives senators the authority to refuse to seat a member if they believe the person does not meet the qualifications to hold office. New Delhi: A special operation carried out by Sri Lanka Navy in the sea area of Negombo busted stock of Crystal Methamphetamine (ICE) and Hashish worth over Rs 600 million. The Sri Lanka Navy also apprehended four suspects with over 100kg of Crystal Methamphetamine (ICE) and about 80kg of Hashish and seizure of multiday fishing trawler used to transfer the narcotic substances. The coordinated operation was carried out with the assistance of intelligence services and the Police Narcotic Bureau. The operation was also assisted by Sri Lanka Air Force. The suspects held during the operation were identified as residents of the Thoduwawa area in Chilaw. The increasing role of Chinese nationals along with ISI backed Pak cartels has been witnessed in drug smuggling. The Chinese control over Gwadar and ports on the African coast and Humbantota facilitate drug smuggling. All the drug boats originate from Gwadar. This is possible only with Pakistan's ISI support otherwise such large-scale smuggling to many countries is impossible. As the drugs are exchanged far away from the coastline in mid-sea, the Pak origin boats are rarely caught. Only when the receiving boats come to the shore they are caught. As a result of continues to crack down on drug trafficking and other illegal activities operated via sea routes, the Sri Lanka Navy was able to seize a multiday fishing trawler with drugs off Dodanduwa, Galle a couple of days ago. Washington: US President-elect Joe Biden has urged voters in Georgia to "break the gridlock that has gripped Washington" by sending two Democrats to the US Senate and ending Republican control of that chamber. The crucial Senate run-off elections in Georgia on Wednesday (AEDT) will determine how much of Biden's agenda he can pass in the early years of his presidency. Democrat supporters at a Biden rally in Atlanta for the Georgia run-offs. Credit:AP In recent days the Senate contests have been overshadowed by revelations that President Donald Trump urged Georgia's top election official to "find" him the votes required to claim victory in the state's presidential contest. The audio recording of Trump's conversation with Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, prompted outrage from many Democrats and a smaller number of elected Republicans. Senate Republicans plan to refuse to seat Allegheny County Democratic Sen. Jim Brewster on Swearing-in Day Tuesday due to a challenge filed by his GOP opponent. Brewster, who has represented the 45th senatorial district seat since 2010, was certified by the Department of State as the winner in the race for a four-year term, capturing 69 more votes than Republican challenger Nicole Ziccarelli. However, Ziccarelli has a pending federal lawsuit challenging the validity of 2,349 ballots received in Allegheny County from voters who failed to write a date on them, including 311 in the senatorial district. Including those ballots in the vote count gives Brewster the majority of votes; if those ballots are excluded, Ziccarelli would have more votes than Brewster. Republican challenge Nicole Ziccarelli has filed a challenge with the Pennsylvania Senate contesting the election results that led to Democratic incumbent Sen. Jim Brewster being declared the winner of the 45th state senatorial district seat. On Friday, Ziccarelli filed a 500-page document with the Senate contesting the election results. It was followed up on Monday with a response from Brewster. Interim Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre County, said Ziccarelli asked the Senate to determine the winner of the race, citing a provision in the state constitution that grants the chamber the authority to judge of the election and qualifications of its members. Corman said that authority gives the 49 members of the Senate to determine the winner. He said theres a lot of unique factors for the Senate to consider in that race, such as the fact that Westmoreland County, which also is part of the 45th senatorial district, like 61 other counties in Pennsylvania, followed Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvars Sept. 28 guidance, saying returned ballots without a date must be set aside and not counted. Given those circumstances and the lengthy documents received just days ago, Corman said he decided the fairest thing to do is to give the senators time to digest the information and hold off on swearing in a senator for the 45th district on Tuesday. Its only right to give them a little time to review it before asking them to make a decision on this case, Corman said. He declined to say specifically how much time he would allow that Senate seat to remain vacant other than to say it will be resolved promptly. In the meantime, he said Senate staff will continue to serve district residents with their state-related issues. In the meantime, Ziccarelli has a pending federal lawsuit over the ballot dispute. Corman said it will be up to senators to decide whether to let the outcome of the case influence their decision as to whether Brewster or Ziccarelli is the winner. Senate Democrats were fuming over Cormans decision in a Zoom call with reporters late Monday afternoon. Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa of Allegheny County called the decision inappropriate, unlawful and all part and parcel of the playing out of the Trump playbook. He pointed to a situation in Washington, D.C., where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed to seat Iowa Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who narrowly won her race while Miller-Meeks Democratic opponent challenges the results in court. He and others pointed to a litany of state and federal court decisions over Pennsylvanias election laws and Boockvars guidance that support their contention that Brewster is the rightful winner. Clifford Levine, Brewsters attorney, said, Theres no fraud, no illegality. The Supreme Court ruled those [undated] votes should count and that is the crux of the matter that Ms. Ziccarelli is upset with that decision and using that as the basis to hold up installing Senator Brewster as the senator for the district. He further picked apart the interpretation of the constitutional provision that Corman cited for allowing the Senate to decide the race. He maintains that provision was intended to allow the chamber to judge such things as whether a senator meets residency and age qualifications to be a senator. Brewster is the most senior member of the Democratic caucus and has been in the Senate for a decade, he said. What is going on now is way beyond anything envisioned, anything envisioned in the constitution or in the constitutional history, Levine said. Brewster said the issue this situation raises is not just about him or Ziccarellis race. He sees it as an attack on the democratic process, election process and how future elections could be handled where some ambiguity arises. He said disenfranchising those 311 voters in his district who cast ballots that the courts have said could be counted disrespects that process and is not part of the process that has made America great. Other Senate Democrats were stronger in their description of the Republicans handling of the situation. Sen. Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia, called it a robbery in which just 26 senators could overturn the will of the more than 66,000 voters who supported Brewster. There was no way that the Pennsylvania State Senate should be able to complete this robbery in process, Haywood said. Sen. Vince Hughes, D-Philadelphia, described it as an abuse of powers by the Republican majority. This is wrong. This is robbery. It needs to stop right now, Hughes said. As it stands, 24 senators will be sworn in Tuesday, while the Brewster-Ziccarelli contest still must be resolved. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. A British judge has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the US to face charges of violating the Espionage Act, because he is at extreme risk of suicide and might not be protected from harming himself in a US prison. Many experts had expected District Judge Vanessa Baraitser to allow extradition in the high-profile case, but she said the defence had provided compelling evidence that Mr Assange (49) suffers from severe depression. The court had heard Mr Assange has written a will, sought absolution from a priest and that a razor blade was found hidden in his cell at Belmarsh prison in London. Judge Baraitser said she relied on testimony from psychiatrists called by the defence, who stressed that Mr Assange was planning to kill himself if ordered to face trial in the US. "The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future," Judge Baraitser said. Mr Assange was at the rear of the courtroom, sitting in a glass booth, wearing a dark blue suit and a green surgical mask. He closed his eyes as he listened to the judge block his extradition. His partner and mother of their two children, Stella Moris, wept as WikiLeaks editor in chief Kristinn Hrafnsson put an arm around her shoulders. In her ruling, the judge said she had no doubt Mr Assange could have a fair trial with an impartial jury in the US. Instead, she focused on the harsh conditions he could face if convicted. She described America's supermax prison, the Administrative Maximum Facility or AMX, in Florence, Colorado, as a facility where inmates are kept in lockdown 23 hours a day with almost no human contact. Mr Assange is charged with 18 federal crimes, including conspiring to obtain and disclose secret government documents, including sensitive military reports from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were released through the WikiLeaks website, as well as to journalists. Prosecutors want Mr Assange flown by US marshals to Northern Virginia to face the charges, which expose him to 175 years in a maximum-security prison. The US government will appeal to the British High Court to reverse the judge's ruling, a process that could take several months, perhaps even longer because of Mr Assange's poor health and the soaring outbreak of coronavirus in Britain. Complex As the extradition case has been long and complex, the High Court will probably agree to hear the appeal, said Nick Vamos, former head of the extradition unit at the Crown Prosecution Service and partner at Peters & Peters law firm. Mr Assange was returned to Belmarsh prison yesterday. He will seek release on bail. His lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, said the defence will submit new evidence tomorrow to counter a previous ruling that Mr Assange is a flight risk. Mr Vamos said that if the US government loses its appeal in the High Court, it can pursue a final appeal to Britain's Supreme Court. In a series of hearings over the past year, Mr Assange's lawyers argued that the Trump administration is targeting him for "purely political" reasons. Herald Was it a signal from intelligent life in another solar system? Or was the radio signal picked up in April 2019, and reported in December by several publications, just human-made interference, like all others have turned out to be so far? Researchers at Penn State are among the scientists examining the signal detected by a radio telescope pointed at Proxima Centauri, our solar systems nearest neighbor. Its some sort of technological signal. The question is whether its Earth technology or technology from somewhere out yonder, Sofia Sheikh, a graduate student at Penn State, who is leading a team studying the signal and trying to decipher its origin, told the New York Times. She is part of Breakthrough Listen, a $100 million effort funded by Yuri Milner, a Russian billionaire investor, to find alien radio waves. Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, invisible to the naked eye from Earth, and part of the three-star system of Alpha Centauri. Its about 4.24 light years away from us. The star is orbited by two known planets, one of which resides in the habitable zone that could support the Earth-like conditions that would allow for life as we know it, according to Scientific American. Its exciting, but researchers are cautiously optimistic. If you see such a signal and its not coming from the surface of Earth, you know you have detected extraterrestrial technology, Jason Wright, a Penn State University associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics, told Scientific American. Unfortunately, humans have launched a lot of extraterrestrial technology. The narrow-band 982.02 MHz signal does fall in a transmission range of our satellites and spacecraft, reports indicate. But Astronomy.com reports the signal showed up during five 30-minute periods over several days, all while the telescope was pointing directly at Proxima Centauri. When the telescope was turned away from the star, the signal vanished. Wright spoke to PennLive in 2019, soon after the formation of the Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center (PSETI), a global leader and worldwide hub for research aimed at answering the big question. And that big question Are we alone in the universe? This signal may or may not hold the answer. The signal was first detected in April 2019, recorded at the Parkes Observatory in Australia, according to reports. It wasnt until October 2020, though, when researchers sifted through the data and found the curious signal. Its the most exciting signal that weve found in the Breakthrough Listen project, because we havent had a signal jump through this many of our filters before, Sheikh told Scientific American. She is helming subsequent analysis of the signal. The signal appears to only show up in our data when were looking in the direction of Proxima Centauri, which is exciting, Sheikh told the New York Times. Thats a threshold thats never been passed by any signal that weve seen previously, but there are a lot of caveats. While hopeful, researchers still point out that the chance of this being anything other than terrestrial interference is remote. Our experiment exists in a sea of interfering signals, Andrew Siemion of the Berkeley SETI Research Center and investigator for Breakthrough Listen told the New York Times. My instinct in the end is that it will be anthropogenic in origin. But the signal cant be explained yet, he added. Scientists first started listening to the stars in 1959, searching for a radio signal that could have been sent our way from a civilization in a distant solar system. To date, no evidence has been conclusively found, and most signals with potential have been ruled out as interference from Earth. But in all of those decades, only a tiny fraction of the universe has been searched. Its like trying to scour the ocean for evidence of fish, but only looking at enough water to fill a bathtub, Wright told PennLive in 2019. The phrase its never aliens, is one that Wright does not like to hear. I hate that phrase, because if you say that, then why even look? Wright told Scientific American. What we mean by that is that its never been aliens before. A LIMERICK man will be sentenced in February after he pleaded guilty to a number of firearms offences. When arraigned at Limerick Circuit Court just before Christmas, Daniel Philips, 30, who has an address at Crecora Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston pleaded guilty to suspicious possession of an improvised firearm and 88 rounds of ammunition. The ,22 callibre firearm and ammunition were located at Shelbourne Park, Ennis Road in the early hours of March 26, 2020 after gardai retrieved a package which was thrown from a car during a managed pursuit. Mr Philips has also pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving, at Hassetts Cross, Limerick arising from the pursuit. The vehicle was first encountered by gardai in the Ballynanty area of the city at around midnight and it was eventually stopped in the Parteen area. After the guilty pleas were formally entered, John OSullivan BL, instructed by state solicitor Padraig Mawe confirmed they were acceptable to the State and that other related charges will be withdrawn at the conclusion of the sentencing process. Barrister Antoinette Simon requested an adjournment of the case to February to facilitate the preparation of a probation report in relation to her client. Judge Tom ODonnell granted the application. (SupChina) A 22-year-old worker surnamed Zhang, who joined thriving ecommerce firm Pinduoduo in 2019, died on December 29, roughly six hours after she fell to the ground on her way home. She had received first aid at a nearby hospital, according to a statement (in Chinese) released by Pinduoduo on January 4. We miss you. We miss you deeply, the company said, noting that it waited to reveal the news publicly until the employees family gave permission. While Pinduoduo did not disclose the cause of Zhangs death, there was widespread speculation that the woman was forced to pull late-nighters frequently at work, and that the physical exhaustion caused by overwork might have played a role in her demise. Prior to todays statement from the company, speculation had intensified when Pinduoduos official account on Zhihu, Chinas Quora-like Q&A site, aggressively hit back at critics who accused it of requiring employees to work punishingly long hours and causing them serious health issues. In a response to a question regarding the news, the company defended its practices, writing, Look at people from the underclass. Who isnt trading life for money? Ive always considered this a problem of this society, rather than a problem caused by capital. Pinduoduos statement continued, This is an era where you have to put your life on the line to fight for a better future. If you choose to live comfortably, you have to deal with the consequences entailed by your decision. People have full control over how much effort they want to make. The statement was swiftly removed. Nonetheless, a screenshot of it circulated widely online, leading a spokesperson for Pinduoduo to call the post fake. However, after Zhihu verified (in Chinese) that the initial comments indeed came from the companys account, Pinduoduo backtracked in todays statement and said that an employee at a third-party marketing firm had mistakenly used the companys account to post his own opinions. His remarks are by no means to be taken as an indication of how Pinduoduo thinks of the case. We are strongly opposed to what he said, the company stated while apologizing for the misstep. The explanation, however, was met with skepticism on social media sites, where many people believed that the external agency employee was a scapegoat for Pinduoduos handling of the matter. That sounds like a flatout lie to me. Theres no way a high-profile company like Pinduoduo would let an individual outside the firm post things on social media without its authorization, a Weibo user wrote (in Chinese). Others voiced indignation at Pinduoduos unwillingness to change its stressful working environment, excoriating it as a greedy and brainwashing exploiter whose relentless pursuit of growth was pushing its workers to the brink of fatigue, pain, and in Zhangs case death. It seems like Pinduoduo would rather lie and stoke anger rather than take action to make it an easier place to work. This really speaks volumes about how little it cares about employees well-being, a Weibo user commented (in Chinese). The news has also attracted attention from the labor supervision department in Shanghais Changning District, where Pinduoduos headquarters was registered, which said today that it had launched an investigation into the case. Employee burnout and stress is a serious problem in the average Chinese workplace, but its especially acute among some of the countrys biggest tech companies, many of which have famously rigorous workplace cultures that often encourage extreme workaholism, favor young people, and expect employees to give up their benefits like vacation time for the sake of productivity. The working conditions of Chinese tech workers have come under increasing scrutiny in the past few years, with an online campaign protesting against the infamous 996 culture working 12 hours a day (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and six days a week creating an awakening among Chinese tech employees in 2019 and leading to calls to end the industrys overwork problem. Although the movement faced vehement opposition from several Chinese tech moguls Alibabas Jack Ma ( Ma Yun) defended overwork culture by calling it a huge blessing for young employees some local governments are starting to roll out policies that demand better conditions and a limit on hours for workers. Last year, Shenzhen, home to Tencent, DJI, and other major Chinese tech firms, became the first Chinese city to introduce a regulation requiring local businesses to mandate paid annual leave for employees. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The reduction in the number of Covid-19 infections in Jammu and Kashmir and a few spells of snowfall in late December and January have led to tourists arriving in the Valley in large numbers after 16 months. From Christmas, the arrivals of tourists has increased considerably. Despite the pandemic, people are confident about travelling. And since the vaccine is coming, we expect the numbers to increase further, said director of tourism, Kashmir, Nisar Wani. He said 20-30 tourists would arrive per day in July, 2020, and there have been over 1,000 visitors every day since December 25, 2020. The inflow of tourists, however, was disrupted after surface and air traffic was suspended from Sunday following heavy snowfall. Also Read: Continuous snowfall disrupts Kashmirs air, road connectivity for 3rd consecutive day Although we have zero arrival during these three days, we expect the fresh snowfall will give further impetus to tourism. We are hopeful of a good season this year, Wani said. Mostly, tourists in winter rush to Gulmarg, located in the Pir Panjal mountain range in the western Himalayas, about 50km from Srinagar in north Kashmir. The place is home to one of Asias largest and highest cable cars. Assistant manager, Gondola Project, Fayaz Ahmad said that Gulmarg was packed on Christmas and New Year s Eve. Snowfall was on time this year, and Kashmir is almost Covid-19-free. We follow proper protocol right from the airport. So domestic tourists prefer to come here than go abroad, Ahmad said. All incoming passengers at Srinagar airport have to go through a mandatory Covid-19 test and anybody testing positive is immediately isolated. The daily number of Covid-19 infections in Kashmir Valley has dropped to below 100. Ahmad said that the hotels in Gulmarg are full and they hope the fresh snowfall will push the number up further. Tourism in Kashmir has taken a hit since August 5, 2019, when the special status of the erstwhile state was revoked and restrictions imposed on the movement of people and communication for months. Two days before the revocation of Article 370, around 20,000-25,000 tourists in Kashmir were asked to leave the Valley along with the Amarnath pilgrims. The situation was then further aggravated by the Covid-19 lockdown since March 2020. From August 4, 2019 till December 23,2020, the business has been down and tourism suffered a lot of losses. Now there is hope for some revival as there have been enquiries from outside tour operators, said Mukhtar Shah, president, Gulmarg Hotels Association. MIDDLETOWN The COVID vaccination of the mayor, chief of staff and several others over the past several days, which officials said was done to avoid throwing away 12 doses has elicited questions from those wondering why Phase 1B individuals got inoculated early. The citys vaccine distribution began when the shipment of 500 arrived Wednesday. Mayor Ben Florsheim was inoculated Thursday. Phase 1A includes health care workers, medical first responders and nursing home residents, according to Acting Health Director Kevin Elak. Moderna vaccinations, which must be used within six hours once opened, come in a vial of 10 doses, Elak said. By the time the first clinic began, there was no plan in place in case there was an excess. That has changed, he said. We learned very quickly we needed to have a plan to prioritize Phase 1A, he said. If we ended up with only six people, that would leave us with four doses we had to use, he said. That happened only during the first two days, Elak said. Were not talking about a whole lot. We had to think quickly on our feet. We knew we didnt want to have a dose go to waste, Elak said. He approached the mayor, asking if hed like to be inoculated. Florsheim agreed. Both thought the mayor and chief of staff being vaccinated would send a message to residents that it was safe to do so, they said. The citys unused doses were the result of several factors, including personnel who canceled their appointments because they were sick, no-shows, and other reasons, the mayor said. However, retired Middletown police officer and Common Councilman Anthony Gennaro said he believes officials should have followed CDC protocols. He understands the pressing issue about doses going bad, but would have liked to see a call made to the police, fire and dispatchers: anyone who was on [duty]. A lot of people are angry about it, said Gennaro, who noted he has gotten a number of calls from those expressing their opinion. A lot of people have contacted me about it, but its up to [members of the citys administration] to answer that. But Florsheim said that all across the country, there are reports of extra doses being disposed of when they expire. Everybody is of the opinion that not one dose goes to waste, he said. When that situation arises, my view is [we shouldnt] get too precious about whos eligible and whos not. Theres a reason why the prioritization is there, but its better in any arm than in the trash. That has been our operating principle from the beginning, the mayor said. City workers who qualify for 1A are being vaccinated in small groups to be sure of any adverse reactions to the shot, the mayor said. We dont want to vaccinate everybody in a certain department or shift in one fell swoop. You want to stagger it out over the course of a couple days, he said. Officials have said the city is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Public Health. Phasing guidelines from the state are guidance, and not set in stone, Elak said. Whats done is done, former planning and zoning Commissioner Molly Salafia said. If theyre learning from the trial run, lets do it better in the future. I dont begrudge [the mayor] or the other [11]. Im glad it didnt go to waste. Firefighters in Middletown are first responders because all are also EMTs, Elak said. Those at the Main Street and Cross Street firehouses, as well as South Fire District, were inoculated in groups of 10. There will be a clinic Thursday for Westfield Fire Department members, and all other firefighters will be vaccinated by Wednesday, he said. There has been some criticism on social media about the doses going to those who most need it. I understand why people are angry or frustrated by that. I see both sides, Elak said. Its not true that people are not being prioritized, Florsheim said about some comments hes gotten. The feedback is overwhelmingly positive. I was grateful for that. However, the mayor has since deleted his Facebook and Twitter posts that had a photo of him being inoculated, and the mention of doses being unused. After the mayor consulted with state and local health authorities, the choice was made to remove the posts to avoid confusion, he said. I wanted to make sure, as the health department does, as DPH does, there is clarity around how distribution is going to happen. The message I was trying to convey I thought was clear. Were not going to let these go to waste. We want to lead by example in Middletown, Florsheim said. After speaking to officials, we didnt want to muddy the waters of where our focus right now is on medical personnel, medical first responders, and coming up with a plan for distribution that makes sure that no doses are being wasted. City Hall was closed Dec. 23 for two weeks due to a number of workers at three facilities tested positive for COVID. Municipal offices reopened Monday. A total of 18 employees tested positive, Elak said. Most are done with their quarantines and have returned to work, he said. Elaks Dec. 31 report on coronavirus cases shows Middletowns rate per 100,000 over the two prior weeks averaged 52.5. It is now 56. As of that date, a total of 2,385 residents tested positive for COVID-19, and there were 108 deaths. The case rate per day for the prior two weeks was 5.6 percent per 100,000. It is now 6.7 percent, according to Elaks data. Middletown public and private school nurses will be receiving the vaccine this week, the mayor said. A plan is being developed to do a large-scale clinic for all teachers and staff as part of Phase 1B. It is likely to begin in late January/early February, Elak said. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. In the early evening of 18 June 1178, five monks from Canterbury in southern England, reported having witnessed an unusual phenomenon in the sky. According to the monk Gervase, chronicler of the Abbey of Christ Church, the men were looking at a new crescent moon when they saw the upper part split in two. Gervase wrote: From the midpoint of the division a flaming torch sprang up, spewing out, over a considerable distance, fire, hot coals and sparks. Meanwhile the body of the Moon which was below writhed, as it were in anxiety, and to put it in the words of those who reported it to me and saw it with their own eyes, the Moon throbbed like a wounded snake. Afterwards it resumed its proper state. This phenomenon was repeated a dozen times or more, the flame assuming various twisting shapes at random and then returning to normal. Then, after these transformations, the Moon from horn to horn, that is along its whole length, took on a blackish appearance. Gervases narrative remained forgotten for centuries until Jack Hartung, a geophysicist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, rediscovered it in the 1970s. Since then it has been the source of much interest among astronomers. Hartung suggested that the men witnessed a meteor or an asteroid impact on the Moon, most likely the one that created the 22-kilometer crater Giordano Bruno, since the time period of its formation corresponds to the date of the observed phenomenon. But there are problems with this theory. For one, the Giordano Bruno crater could not have formed only 800 years ago. According to the astronomer Tomokatsu Morota, Giordano Bruno crater is between one and ten million years old. The cosmogeologist Jorg Fritz also estimated the age of the crater at more than one million years, and adds that a crater as young as 800 years old would still show signs of its youth, such as an elevated temperature from the impact, none of which was observed in the Giordano Bruno crater. Related: The Mysterious Sky Battle Over Nuremberg in 1561 Besides, an impact of such intensity would have kicked up an amount of debris that would have triggered a blizzard of meteor storm on earth up to a week long. If the men of 1178 had witnessed the formation of the Giordano Bruno crater, they should have also witnessed an intense meteor shower the following nights. The fact that no one recorded what should have been a spectacular fireworks display in any annals of astronomy from around the world, including European, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese and Korean, indicates that the monks did not witness an asteroid impact. Giordano Bruno crater. Photo: NASA So what did the monks saw? Paul Withers of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory believes the men simply saw a meteorite explode in the earths atmosphere before the moons shadowed disc. I think they happened to be at the right place at the right time to look up in the sky and see a meteor that was directly in front of the moon, coming straight towards them, Withers said. And, it was a pretty spectacular meteor that burst into flames in the Earth's atmosphere - fizzling, bubbling, and spluttering. If you were in the right one-to-two kilometer patch on Earth's surface, you'd get the perfect geometry. That would explain why only five people are recorded to have seen it. But Withers goes further. He suggests that the men had seen nothing at all, because the moon was not yet visible from Canterbury on 18 June 1178. Perhaps the date was incorrect? Or perhaps the entire episode was made up? Astronomy historian Peter Nockolds believes that Gervases story was complete fantasy. The supposed event took place during the time of the Crusades, Nockolds explains. The Moon is a well-known symbol of Islam. (The crescent Moon currently appears on the flags of certain Islamic countries.) The Qu'ran contains a reference to the splitting of the Moon (Surah 54:1). The phenomenon described by Gervase could be interpreted as portending the defeat of Islam. Monks had the habit of associating celestial apparitions to Christian victories in the Crusades. Gervase himself had related atmospheric phenomena of the previous year to the defeat of Islamic armies. The lunar phenomenon described for 1178 June 18 could then be a piece of propaganda, holding the prospect of the defeat of Islam if Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, would intervene. The truth will probably never be known. References: # The Mysterious Case of Crater Giordano Bruno, NASA Science # Javier Yanes, The Mystery of the Moon that was Split in Two, BBVA # Peter Nockolds, Comment on "Meteor storm evidence against the recent formation of lunar crater Giordano Bruno" by Paul Withers The Subject Expert Committee, tasked with vetting the vaccine proposals, had recommended Oxford-Astra Zeneca's 'Covishield' and Bharat Biotech's indigenous 'Covaxin' for emergency use approval on January 1 and 2, respectively. The final call was to be taken by the DCGI.The expert panel recommended granting permission for restricted emergency use of 'Covaxin' in "public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, specially in the context of infection by mutant strains.Pune-based Serum Institute of India has partnered with Oxford-AstraZeneca for conducting clinical trials and manufacturing 'Covishield', while Bharat Biotech has collaborated with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for 'Covaxin'.Serum and Bharat Biotech Pfizer had applied for the accelerated approval on December 6 and 7, respectively.The UK and Argentina have already approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. More than five crore doses of the vaccine have already been stockpiled by its manufacturer, Serum Institute of India.Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will play a major role in India's plan to vaccinate its population against Covid-19 due to several factors -- low-cost, ease of storage and transport.Serum Institute of India this week said it has a stockpiled 40-50 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine. India is likely to receive a majority of these 50 million doses.As far as Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is concerned, it is India's first indigenous vaccine for coronavirus. The inactivated virus vaccine is being developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).Source: IANS Gurugram, Jan 5 : Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) general secretary Abhay Singh Chautala, who is also a sitting MLA from Ellenabad said on Tuesday that in support of the protest against the agricultural laws enacted by the Union government, he will not hesitate to resign from the Haryana Legislative Assembly if the farmers' outfits demand so. Chautala met the farmers sitting on protest at a ground near Rajiv Chowk here and express solidarity with them. Addressing the protesters, he said that the INLD will support the farmers' demonstration in Haryana as well as across the country. Attacking the BJP, he said that the government should leave its stubborn attitude and accept the demands of the farmers. The Ellenabad MLA said that he will go to the Singhu border along with the party workers on tractors on January 7 and sit on a dharna in support of the demands of the farmers. Chautala also directed all the party workers of district Gurugram to come every day to the protest site to provide support to the United Kisan Morcha Gurugram. Chautala said that his party is ready to join any front of political parties supporting farmers and will provide full support till the roll back of the farm laws. Swearing in: Three Republican members of the US House of Represent- atives take their oath of office After The Washington Post on Sunday published an extraordinary telephone call between President Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, many observers shared one question: Did he break the law? During that hour-long call, Mr Trump urged Mr Raffensperger to find enough votes to overturn his defeat and threatened him with vague legal consequences, seemingly encouraging his fellow Republican to fix the election results. As the sole Democrat on Georgias state election board on Sunday urged Mr Raffensperger to investigate the president over the call, some lawyers and legal scholars say Mr Trumps actions indeed appeared to violate both state and federal criminal statutes. On social media, much of the conversation among legal observers and Trump critics revolved around a federal statute, 52 US Code 20511. That statute makes it a crime to knowingly and wilfully deprive or defraud a states residents of a free or fair election or to attempt to do so. Eric Holder, the former attorney general under President Barack Obama, shared the text of that statute on Twitter on Sunday. Read More As you listen to the tape consider this federal criminal statute, Mr Holder wrote. The question, according to Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University, is whether Mr Trump was knowingly and wilfully pressuring Mr Raffensperger to count non-existent votes when he told the GOP official, I just want to find 11,780 votes. In other words: Does Trump actually believe that 11,780 ballots in his favour were cast but not counted? Considering that two recounts, an audit and several judges have upheld President-elect Joe Bidens win in Georgia, M Levitt said it is clear Mr Trump was not actually pushing for an honest tally of the votes. Either the president was engaged in the commission of a felony, he said, or he has lost his hold on reality such that he can no longer distinguish fact from the fictions he has been fed. Michael R Bromwich, a former Justice Department inspector general, put it more bluntly on Twitter: His best defense would be insanity. Since 52 US Code 20511 was adopted as part of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, it has been used sparingly by federal prosecutors. It was used in 2005 to go after Milwaukee grandmother Kimberly Prude, who voted illegally in the city while still on probation. But Mr Levitt said there is no precedent to use it against someone of Mr Trumps stature. Other legal scholars said that Mr Trump possibly violated 18 US Code 241, which makes it illegal to participate in a conspiracy against people exercising their civil rights. That long-standing statute has been used frequently to prosecute acts of voter intimidation, especially those committed by the Ku Klux Klan against black voters. But charging Mr Trump under that code would require prosecutors to show that someone else on the phone call was also aiding and abetting a scheme, Mr Levitt said. Additionally, Mr Trumps apparent threat of criminal consequences if Mr Raffensperger failed to act could be seen as an attempt at extortion, The Post reported. On the state level, Mr Trumps call could also have violated a Georgia statute. Leigh Ann Webster, a criminal defence attorney in Atlanta, said in Georgia, Mr Trump could run afoul of a state law that makes it illegal to cause someone else to partake in election fraud by soliciting, requesting, or commanding it. Thats the same statute cited on Sunday by David J Worley, the Georgia election board member who asked Mr Raffensperger to investigate Mr Trump. In his email to the GOP official, Mr Worley said that probable cause may exist to find violations of that law. Its a crime to solicit election fraud, and asking the secretary to change the votes is a textbook definition of election fraud, Mr Worley said in an interview with The Post. The argument may be more straightforward compared to a potential federal case. Under the Georgia statute, Ms Webster said the crime would be merely asking someone else to partake in one of several forms of election fraud, including interfering with the secretary of states handling of an election. But because such matters at the state level have rarely been interpreted in court, none of this is bulletproof, she said. And whether Trump broke federal state law, its a different question of whether any prosecutor would try to charge him. Until Mr Biden is sworn in on January 20, legal scholars say there is virtually no chance of federal charges being filed. Besides the short time frame, Mr Levitt said, the Justice Department maintains a long-standing principle that a federal prosecutor may not prosecute a sitting president. No such principle exists once a commander in chief is out of office. Yet under a Biden administration juggling a bevy of competing priorities, going after Mr Trump in the courts could be a politically fraught choice. Trevor Potter, a Republican and former Federal Election Commission chairman who was appointed by President George HW Bush, told the New York Times there is a good argument that Mr Trump had been pushing for a fraudulent vote count during the call. But even if the Biden Justice Department thinks they have a good case, is that how they want to start off the Biden presidency? Mr Potter said. That is a policy decision. Read More Mumbai, Jan 5 : The Reserve Bank of India has created a 'Payments Infrastructure Development Fund' to encourage acquirers to deploy 'Points of Sale' infrastructure in tier-3 to tier-6 centres and northeastern states. A PoS infrastructure can have physical or digital features to allow online payments for goods or services. "Over the years, payments ecosystem in the country has evolved with a wide range of options such as bank accounts, mobile phones, cards, etc," the RBI said in a statement. "To provide further fillip to digitisation of payment systems, it is necessary to give impetus to acceptance infrastructure across the country, more so in underserved areas." Accordingly, the Reserve Bank will make an initial contribution of Rs 250 crore to the PIDF, covering half the fund and remaining contribution will be from card issuing banks and card networks operating in the country. "The PIDF will also receive recurring contributions to cover operational expenses from card issuing banks and card networks. The Reserve Bank will also contribute to yearly shortfalls, if necessary," the statement said. "The PIDF will be governed through an 'Advisory Council' and managed and administered by the Reserve Bank." Prince Albert II of Monaco stood side by side with Princess Charlene for his New Year's message, amidst claims he is facing a paternity suit over a third love child. The royal, 62, used his traditional annual speech, which was shared on Facebook, to talk about his hope for the future and his determination to lead the principality towards better times. Speaking in French, Prince Albert said: 'These New Year wishes are, for me, a very special tradition but today they are made even more important by the circumstances which call for a message of hope and optimism. I have every confidence that 2021 will see us overcome this ordeal thanks to our solid economic and social model and the talented people in our public and private sectors.' He was joined by his wife Princess Charlene, who showcased her new punk hairstyle in the video, to wish the country a 'happy New Year.' Prince Albert II of Monaco, 62, stood side by side with Princess Charlene, 42, for his New Year's message, amidst claims he is facing a paternity suit over a third love child During the clip, Prince Albert reflected on the year he feels will 'remain etched in our memories, marked by doubt, fear and pain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread across our planet.' He continued: 'The damage wrought by this epidemic goes further than the health situation. Every sector has been weakened, and the effects will last several years. 'This health crisis has turned our routines and everything we know upside down. It has forced us to draw on all our intelligence, to think carefully about every aspect of our existence. We must not stifle that process. 'On the contrary, we must amplify it. The vitality and resilience of our minds and spirits are crucial at the moment when we are most in need of light, warmth and diversion, to ensure we are not overwhelmed by discouragement.' Days ago, Princess Charlene posted a series of festive snaps of her family Christmas, which were interpreted as a show of unity He ended the speech by saying: 'I assure you of my unwavering commitment to leading the Principality out of this health crisis and towards a more stable, more prosperous and more just future.' The message was shared online just days after Princess Charlene posted a series of festive snaps of her family Christmas. The photos were interpreted as a show of unity amid reports Prince Albert faces a paternity suit over a third love child. Sources in the Mediterranean principality say Charlene has had a 'terrible' year as lawyers for the billionaire couple brace themselves for the court case that opens in Milan in February. Last month, Princess Charlene unveiled a striking new punk style haircut at a Christmas market Albert, who already supports two illegitimate children, is alleged to have had a relationship with a 34-year-old Brazilian woman which resulted in a daughter in on July 4, 2005. The claim, which his lawyers dismissed as a 'hoax', is particularly painful as he was dating Charlene at the time, having met the former Olympic swimmer in 2000. Albert received a handwritten letter from the child, who is now 15, in September this year reading: I don't understand why I grew up without a father, and now that I have found you, you don't want to see me. Legal papers were also filed, as lawyers for the claimant called on Albert to undergo a DNA test just as he did before finally being identified as the father of two illegitimate children born in the 1990s and early 2000s. A second picture showed Albert II, sporting red Christmas pyjamas and matching crocs, as well a a 'Joyeux Noel' Santa hat while hugging his six-year-old twins Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella A third - a solo shot of Charlene - showed her kissing the family's pet dog, while she donned pearl earrings and gave fans a close up of her new hair style. This was before Charlene and Albert were an item, but the latest case covers a time when she was already in love with him, said a source who works closely with the Monaco Royal household. Charlene has had a terrible year, with one family crisis after another including Albert going down with Coronavirus, and now shes gearing herself up for this hell. The princess, whose maiden name was Charlene Wittstock, was an Olympic swimmer for South Africa when she first met Albert at a Monaco aquatic competition in 2000. They began dating soon afterwards, before Charlene married into the House of Grimaldi at a star-studded wedding in July 2011. The royal, who usually wears her hair in a chic blonde bob, shocked fans around the world when she unveiled her drastic new haircut earlier this month (pictured, before the haircut in September) Their twins daughter Gabriella and son Jacques were born three years later and are the family's official heirs. By this time, Charlene had come to terms with Alberts hard fought legal battles with women who eventually won financial settlements over children they had with Albert even though he originally denied their claims. Princess Charlene's life in the Monaco royal family 1987 - Bea Fiedler, a German topless model, claims her son Daniel was the prince's son. 1992 - An American national files a paternity lawsuit against the Prince, claiming that he was the father of her daughter, Jazmin Grace. 2000 - Princess Charlene meets Prince Albert at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition in Monte Carlo 2005 - In May, a former flight attendant claims that her youngest son, whom she named Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, was Prince Albert's child. She states that his parentage had been proven by DNA tests requested by the Monegasque government. On 6 July, a few days before he was enthroned on 12 July, the Prince officially confirms via his lawyer Lacoste that Alexandre was his biological son. 2006 - After a DNA test confirmed the child's parentage, Albert admitted, via statement from his lawyer, that he is Jazmin Grace's father. 2010 - Princess Charlene and Prince Albert announce their engagement 2011 - Princess Charlene was said to have bolted two days before the royal wedding after hearing Prince Albert had a third love child during their relationship. It was alleged that Charlene tried to flee home to South Africa three times before her 'arranged marriage', at one point taking refuge inside her country's embassy in Paris. Monaco officials were said to have coaxed her back by brokering a deal between the Prince and his reluctant bride that she provide him with a legitimate heir. After that she would be free to leave of her own free will. During the wedding, Charlene was in floods of tears, while her husband looked on impassively. Later in the year, Princess Charlene confessed she felt 'very lonely' in Monaco 2012 - Princess Charlene was reported to be 'depressed' at her failure to provide her husband with a legitimate heir. 2014 - Pregnancy was announced in May. In December Charlene gave birth to twins Princess Gabriella and heir to the throne Prince Jacques. 2017 - Princess Charlene visits Africa, tells media: 'I am African and this is my heritage. It will always be. Its in my heart and in my veins.' 2019 - In a rare interview, Princess Charlene confessed it is 'sometimes hard to smile' and said the year had been 'very painful' In another interview, she said she found motherhood 'exhausting' Advertisement In May 2005, just before he was enthroned as Prince of Monaco, Albert confirmed he was the biological father of Alexandre, whose mother was Nicole Coste, a former Air France flight attendant from Togo. A DNA test in May 2006 also confirmed Albert was the father of Jazmine Grace, the result of an affair with Tamara Rotolo, an American estate agent he met while she was on holiday in the South of France. Jazmine was born in the 1990s and Alexandre in 2003. The Brazilian woman says she travelled around the world with the Prince in the 2000s. Her Italian lawyer is, by coincidence, called Erich Grimaldi the name of the Grimaldi Royal Household of which Albert and Charlene are a part. Mr Grimaldi said he had filed papers with specific details of his clients love affair with Albert, including trips to Brazil, the USA, France and Russia. While in Moscow, the lovers are even said to have had a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who gave the Brazilian a warm hug, according to court papers. Now Albert is said to be ignoring all correspondence from his alleged third daughter, instead leaving the matter to his legal team. Alberts lawyer, Thierry Lacoste, has described the allegations as a a hoax, saying: There are no intimate photos, no tangible facts surrounding a possible relationship. Mr Lacoste said he was also considering filing a counter claim for attempted fraud and blackmail because the claimant threatened to publicise her story if no cash was forthcoming, Mr Lacoste told Frances Le Point magazine. Neither Alberts daughter Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, now 28, nor his son, Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, 17, can claim the throne of Monaco, according to negotiated financial agreements. The line of succession instead favours Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, who have just turned six, and who frequently appear in their parents social media posts. Charlene is known for being exceptionally quiet and soft-spoken, leading another Monte Carlo resident who has known the couple since before their marriage to speculate that her new hairstyle may be a sign of distress. She pointed to a series of unsettling incidents in Charlenes career as a royal, which included the princess being in floods of tears throughout her wedding to Albert. They were saying she was very home sick, and was desperate to get back to Africa, said the friend. This was a time when there were already rumours that Albert had yet another love child conceived during his time with Charlene. It was said that Charlene got news of the child when she was being fitted for a bridal gown in Paris. The rumours subsided for a while, but now they have exploded again. In an interview with the South African magazine Huisgenoot a year ago, Charlene confirmed that her fairytale lifestyle came with deep problems. Charlene said: People are very quick to say, Oh, why isn't she smiling in the photos?. Well, sometimes it's hard to smile. They don't know what's going on in the background. She added: I have the privilege of having this life, but I miss my family and my friends in South Africa and I'm often sad because I cannot always be there for them. Athens, Jan 5 : Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has reshuffled his cabinet, new government spokesperson Christos Tarantilis announced in a televised statement. Key portfolios in the economic team, the Foreign Ministry, and other ministries remained unchanged, Xinhua news agency quoted Tarantilis as saying on Monday. Presenting the new line-up, Tarantilis said the reshuffle was due to "new challenges and needs" as Greece is trying to address the ongoing pandemic and pave the way for economic recovery. Makis Voridis is the new Minister of the Interior, whereas Spilios Livanos is now at the helm of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food. Stelios Petsas, the outgoing government spokesperson, has been appointed as Alternate Minister of the Interior. Kostis Hatzidakis takes over as new Minister of Labor and Social Affairs while Kostas Skrekas becomes new Minister Environment and Energy. The new cabinet will be sworn in on Tuesday. The current government's term will end in July 2023. Muslims for Humanity (MfH) got a distress call from Ahmed Al Kadi Hospital (AAKH) to assist in setting up a Covid Reception and Receiving Facility (CRRF) at AAKH. The Covid Reception and Receiving Facility as set up by NMJ at Ahmed Al Kadi Hospital. Immediately the Natal Memon Jamaat (NMJ) was contacted by MfH to assist in setting up the CRRF at AAKH and they (NMJ) literally took over this task with open arms.This project was completed within eight hours from conception and has been operational from Friday, 1 January 2021 at AAKH. This first of a kind facility will allow Covid positive patients to be assessed and made comfortable before admission to AAKH. In fact, during the past 48 hours, critically ill patients were waiting outside AAKH in cars without medical assistance awaiting spare beds at this state of the art facility.Project coordinator, Imraan Jooma of the NMJ, welcomed the opportunity to work with other humanitarian associations and thanked Ebrahim Asmal, of AAKH for being a pillar of strength during the few hours it took to set up this 20-bed facility. This facility, besides being manned by professional medical interns, is equipped with oxygenators and oxymetres amongst other medical equipment, some of which was supplied by Caring Sisters Network (CSN).An MfH executive member, who coincidentally is a director of AAKH, also applauded the success of working together with other stakeholders and was extremely complementary to the commitment shown by the NMJ and AAKH in this project.Dr Ayoob Bux, appreciative chairman of AAKH, thanked both MfH and especially the NMJ, together with the team at AAKH for all their efforts in completing this CRRF in record-breaking time. Stated Bux: This pandemic is posing a severe challenge on both physical and human resources and unfortunately most hospitals, besides having a shortage of space at the moment, are also short of suitable equipment to treat Covid patients. Bux also commented that besides following basic safety rules, the spirit of Ubuntu in our community is the primary factor that will allow South Africans to jointly overcome the impact of Covid on society.The day facility tent at AAKH has proven to be a success, filling the gap for those patients requiring care but not overnight hospitalisation. Patients are able to access the care and treatment required in a hospital setting with the relevant specialist available and onsite to properly assess and manage them. We pray this will free up beds for the more sick patients, concluded Ebrahim Asmal, hospital manager. ATLANTA (AP) Voters across Georgia cast their ballots Tuesday to decide which party will control the U.S. Senate. The election has dominated the airwaves in the state for weeks and both sides have launched intense operations to turn out the vote. What some Georgia voters are saying: KARI CALLAGHAN, 37 Callaghan said she voted all Democrat, an experience that was new for her. Ive always been Republican but Ive been pretty disgusted by Trump and just the way the Republicans are working and especially the news this weekend, she said, referring to the president's recently recorded efforts to find enough votes to overturn President-elect Joe Bidens win in Georgia. I feel like for the Republican candidates to still stand there with Trump and campaign with Trump feels pretty rotten. This isnt the conservative values that I grew up with. This is more cronyism." The stay-at-home Atlanta mother, who voted for Biden in November, said she wasnt bothered with the allegations from Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler that her Democratic opponent, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, does not adequately support the military and police. But she said she became concerned when her 8-year-old daughter started parroting the claims. We were teaching her about all the attack ads were getting and one day she said, Raphael Warnock is evil, then the ad came on and she was speaking it word for word, Callaghan said. Shes our oldest one so (we're) helping her learn what it means when people say things that it doesnt necessarily mean things are true." ___ JOHN BABISH, 50 Babish voted for the Republican candidates because he said he is eager to maintain a balance of power in Washington. I really hope the Republicans win at least one seat so theres a split, said Babish, who cast his ballot in Cobb County, just north of Atlanta. I think its better when neither party controls all three branches and can do whatever they want without any kind of check from the other side. Politics have become far more partisan and divided in recent years, he said. I was a kid in the Reagan years, and the story back then was that (Republican President Ronald) Reagan and (then-Democratic House Speaker Tip ONeill) could fight politically about stuff, but still go out and have a beer at the end of the day and be friends. I think were far from that now with the leadership on both sides, and I think thats a loss a real loss for the country. ___ CORLISS BONNER, 57 Bonner, a chef, got up at the crack of dawn Tuesday and stood in line at an Atlanta church to cast a ballot for her pastor, the Rev. Raphael Warnock. Bonner's been a longtime member of the church he leads, Ebenezer Baptist Church. Hes always trying to do the right thing, Bonner said. Hes not radical crazy like theyre saying. Loeffler has run attack ads against Warnock that use clips of his sermons to back up her allegation that he is not supportive of police or the military. Bonner said those clips of Warnock have been taken out of context. We need somebody in there thats going to care for the people and not for themselves, she said. And I know for a fact that Pastor Warnock does that. ___ WILL JAMES, 56 James voted straight GOP Tuesday morning in northwest Fulton County. Still, he added that he was concerned by Republican David Perdue's and Sen. Kelly Loefflers recent support of President Donald Trumps challenges of the presidential election results in Georgia. I thought it was a bad tack, said James, who works in real estate. But it didnt really change the reasons I voted. It was as much a vote against universal power as it was for either of the candidates. James said he was worried about losing a balance of power in Washington if Democrats win control of the Senate. Basically a lock on power is my concern, lock on Supreme Court, ending filibuster. I think everyone is more power-hungry than they are concerned about the country at this point. ___ CHRIS QUIGG, 45 I just want a Congress thats going to able to get something done, said Quigg, who voted at a church in Marietta, one of Atlantas northwest suburbs. I would prefer to have a balance of power, but I think the last decade has showed that having a Congress that is overwhelmingly opposite of the president is counterproductive, said Quigg, who declined to say how he voted. Quigg is a paramedic, and said he thinks more could be done to fight the coronavirus. I think we need a much better plan than what weve got right now because frankly, its a disaster," he said. ___ ANGELA TRAN, 27 Tran voted for Warnock and Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff at a church in downtown Atlanta. The two candidates represented the lesser of the two evils, the progressive art director said. Tran said the attack ads against Warnock actually swayed her to vote for him and Ossoff. The ads are "making them seem more radical than they actually are by saying that they actually want to defund the white supremacist police system, Tran said. Neither Ossoff nor Warnock proposes defunding the police. Now that Tran has cast her vote, she is excited to put the contentious election behind her. Im done with these commercials, she said. ___ Associated Press journalists Haleluya Hadero, Jeff Martin and Sophia Tulp contributed to this report. Photo: Government of British Columbia B.C. officials plan to vaccinate 70,000 residents and staff at long-term care facilities by the end of January nearly half of all British Columbians who are expected to receive their first dose against COVID-19 by months end. Those are the people we know need our protection most, B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a Monday (January 4) briefing in Victoria. Henry also revealed that the province intends to vaccinate 30,000 frontline health-care workers specifically, paramedics, and those who work in intensive care units and emergency departments at hospitals by the end of the month. Another 13,000 people in assisted living are expected to receive at least their first dose in January. Both the Moderna Inc. vaccine and Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine require two doses. Henry also reiterated the province was committed to delivering vaccines to residents in remote and isolated First Nations communities this month. The numbers provided by the B.C. provincial health officer were the most detailed offered since manufacturers and couriers began delivering the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to the province last month. So far, 24,139 people have been vaccinated in B.C. Thats up from the 17,510 who received their first dose as of December 31, the last time Henry and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix provided data. Within the Interior Health region, there has been 1,973 doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered nearly all that have been allocated to the region so far. IH has also been allocated 1,900 doses of Modena, but most have not been used yet. A total of 54,625 doses have been delivered to B.C. to date 34,125 from Pfizer and the remaining 20,000 from Moderna. But of the inoculations administered so far, just 1,449 came from Moderna. So it has been a slower rollover than we were hoping, but we will be using up the additional doses over the coming week, Henry said, adding that Pfizer deliveries are coming in on a weekly basis while the Moderna deliveries are expected every two to three weeks. The next Moderna shipment is not expected on the West Coast until the third week of January, while an additional 16,575 Pfizer doses are expected this week. B.C. does not have any guaranteed shipments set for February but Henry emphasized that those will be pinned down shortly. After the top-priority groups receive their vaccines in January, health officials plan to administer vaccines to elderly British Columbians above the age of 80. Once vaccinated, the province will administer the doses in descending five-year age brackets. The province expects to have 792,000 doses delivered by the end of March. Of those, 542,000 will come from Pfizer and 250,000 from Moderna. Because the Moderna doses are easier to transport than the competing Pfizer vaccine, its seen as critical in ensuring remote regions in B.C. and Canada have access to vaccinations. Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which must be maintained at temperatures as low as -80C, the Moderna needs to be maintained at just -20C. Delivery of the Pfizer vaccine is currently the responsibility of the manufacturer due to the vaccines sensitivity, while FedEx Express Canada Corp. and Innomar Strategies Inc. are handling Modernas deliveries. These are not the usually fridge-stable vaccines we are used to handling. They are very delicate, Henry said, adding shes optimistic that more vaccines will be approved in the coming weeks and months. On Monday, the U.K. became the first country to begin administering the AstraZeneca plc vaccine. The vaccine, which has not yet been approved in Canada, does not require the same low levels of cooling as the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. PANIC has gripped the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) staff after one of them reportedly succumbed to COVID-19-related complications last week while five others, including a police officer stationed at tollgates, tested positive. Workers told NewsDay yesterday that the most affected were Bindura, Shamva and Mupfurudzi tollgates, where the now-deceased and the other five were stationed. Zinara spokesperson Tendai Mugabe confirmed the five positive cases, adding they had since been quarantined. From the 20 employees who were tested recently, five tested positive and are now in quarantine receiving necessary care, Mugabe said. As Zinara, we always follow all the recommended World Health Organisation guidelines to minimise the spread of COVID-19. These include the provision of adequate personal protective equipment and enforcing social distancing, temperature testing and sanitisation at all our offices. Zimbabwe Revenue and Allied Workers Trade Union general-secretary Lovemore Ngwarati said Zinara workers were edgy and accused their employer of exposing them to the virulent disease. There is a challenge at Zinara. There was a COVID-19 issue at Zinara where one of their workers died at the Bindura tollgate. The worker died three days ago and up to today, no fumigation took place, Ngwarati said. He said there was risk to not only the workers, but the travellers who pass through tollgates.I followed up with their human resources manager and he said they were doing everything in their power to try and address the issue and to me that means nothing. Ngwarati said the deceaseds wife also worked at the Shamva tollgate, hence the need to urgently fumigate the workstation. Workers continue to go to work, no fumigation, nothing. On Wednesday at the Umfurudzi tollgate, we had a case of a police officer stationed there who tested positive for COVID-19. Workers there developed symptoms related to COVID-19, but nothing has been done, he said. Workers complained and said Zinara should act immediately but nothing has been done to date. We are demanding Zinara to fumigate the places, test workers and those who test positive should be quarantined. We have to fight this COVID-19 pandemic. We cant allow people to expose each other and we would want Zinara to act on this. Newsday A member of the Navy's elite SEAL Team 6 has accepted a plea agreement in connection with an Army Green Beret's 2017 death, his lawyer said. Chief Special Warfare Operator Anthony DeDolph, one of four special operators charged in the death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, will plead guilty Jan. 14 to involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of justice and hazing, The Daily Beast reported Monday. Phil Stackhouse, DeDolph's lawyer, declined to confirm the charges to which DeDolph may plead guilty, but said the SEAL entered an agreement "to resolve his pending charges." Read Next: SpecOps Colonel Arrested in Police Standoff Was Subject of Toxic Command Climate Investigation "This agreement will end the contested charges, allowing ... DeDolph to accept responsibility for those offenses he can, and mitigate most of the concerns over classified material present in the case," Stackhouse said. DeDolph faces a general court-martial on Jan. 14, officials with Navy Region Mid-Atlantic announced Tuesday. The SEAL faces charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice of felony murder; involuntary manslaughter; hazing; conspiracy to commit assault; conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice; burglary; and obstruction of justice, according to a news release. If found guilty of felony murder, DeDolph could face life in federal prison without parole, reduction in rank to E-1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and either a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge. "The military justice system, like the civilian justice system, follows the principle of innocent until proven guilty," Navy officials said in the release. Melgar, a 34-year-old Green Beret, died June 4, 2017, in Mali, where he lived with DeDolph and another SEAL, Chief Special Warfare Operator Adam Matthews. The SEALs and two Marine Raiders who lived nearby, Staff Sgt. Kevin Maxwell and Gunnery Sgt. Mario Madero-Rodriguez, were all charged in connection with Melgar's death. DeDolph pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in January 2020. Matthews and Maxwell both pleaded guilty to their roles in 2019. Matthews was sentenced to a year in prison and Maxwell to four years. Madera-Rodriguez's general court-martial is scheduled for Feb. 1. He faces charges of felony murder; involuntary manslaughter; hazing; conspiracy to commit assault; conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice; burglary; and making false official statements. Like DeDolph, if Madera-Rodriguez is found guilty of felony murder, he could face life in federal prison without parole, reduction in rank to E-1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and either a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge. Melgar died after the SEALs and Raiders allegedly burst into his room with a sledgehammer and put him in a chokehold. One Marine said they planned to restrain Melgar while a Malian security guard sexually assaulted him, The Washington Post reported in 2019. Stackhouse previously denied those claims. Maxwell's civilian defense attorney called the incident a prank gone bad. Stackhouse said DeDolph's agreement recognizes that the SEAL never intended to injure Melgar, "but also recognizes the fact that [Staff Sgt.] Melgar died as a result of actions that went tragically wrong on June 4, 2017." "The fact that ... Melgar's death was not intentional may not lessen the righteous feelings of grief by family and friends, but perhaps the resolution of this case will further help them find closure and peace," Stackhouse added. The agreement also includes language that says DeDolph won't profit from any publication or dissemination of information during confinement, if any confinement is handed down or served, the attorney said. "Not that he intended to or intends to," Stackhouse said, "but it was part of the offer." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Marine Raider Gets 4 Years in Hazing Case That Left Green Beret Dead iStock/TrekAndShoot(LOS ANGELES) -- While Hollywood studios had started to ramp up production following the spring's COVID-19 shutdowns, Los Angeles-based productions have again screeched to a halt, following a surge in infections there. Deadline reports Netflix has become the latest studio to hit pause in its shooting in the LA County area, even though such productions had technically been exempt from stay-at-home orders that affect other industries. Production on the Netflix sitcom Happy Family -- which had been shooting without a studio audience to comply with COVID-19 protocols -- has now gone dark, as have "several unscripted shows and additional photography for Netflix movies," according to the trade. The streaming giant is following the lead of other studios, which are either delaying new shooting starts or pausing their in-person productions for at least two weeks. Shows that had returned to an altered studio setting, like The Late Late Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, are headed back to work-at-home status, Deadline says. Additionally, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris agreed with health officials in Los Angeles who called for a pause, issuing a press release co-signed by the Producers Guild of America and the The Joint Policy Committee, which represents commercial production. The Beverly Hills, 90210 vet said in the statement, "Southern California hospitals are facing a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before. Patients are dying in ambulances waiting for treatment because hospital emergency rooms are overwhelmed. This is not a safe environment for in-person production right now. Los Angeles County currently has more reported COVID-19 infections than any other county in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. Copyright 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Actor Charu Asopa has shared several pictures from the birthday celebrations of model Rohman Shawl. Rohman is dating Charus sister-in-law, actor Sushmita Sen. Sharing pictures from the birthday bash, she addressed Rohman as jiju (brother-in-law). Happy birthday Rohman Jiju #birthdaybash #yatchparty. It was super fun. Didi you are awesome, I love the way you plan everything. Its always so much fun to do party with you, she wrote in her post, which had several pictures from a yacht party. The pictures showed Rohman and Sushmita cuddling, surrounded by her daughters and other family members. Charu also posted pictures with her husband, actor Rajeev Sen. Some more fun with the family. Just love you all. Blessed to have a family like this, she captioned a second post, which had even more pictures from the party. The family was in Dubai for Christmas and New Year. Both Rajeev and Charu had shared pictures from their Christmas celebrations as well. In one of the videos, Charu had again referred to Rohman as jiju. Also read: Charu Asopa addresses sis-in-law Sushmita Sens boyfriend Rohman Shawl as jiju at Christmas party in Dubai. Watch Sushmita had also narrated the beautiful story of how she met Rohman in an interview to journalist Rajeev Masand last year. He sent me a direct message on Instagram and I didnt check direct messages because I wasnt sure if you check it, you may be allowing that person to start communicating with you. So, I had too many of these direct messages and I had not opened any and there it was, she had said, adding, I was scrolling through and this boy broke something in the room and I went talking to him and when I came back I had obviously opened one of the DMs and it was a message from him and I was like Oh my god, how did I do that, god I should never be talking when I am near a phone. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10 A top surgeon today raised fears cancer surgeries may be axed in the coming days, unless the national lockdown swiftly curbs the spread of coronavirus. Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, warned the situation in hospitals is getting 'much worse', and escalating faster than the 'slow-motion car crash' he previously predicted. He said other non-Covid treatments such as knee replacements may also be put on hold like they were in the spring because of escalating Covid admissions. Dr Claudia Paoloni, head of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, echoed his warning today, saying the risk of hospitals becoming overwhelmed in the next few weeks is 'very, very high'. King's College hospital in south London has already called off all 'priority 2' cancer operations, procedures which specialists have judged to be urgent and need to be done within 28 days of a decision to undertake them. It is feared other hospitals in the country may face the same difficult decision in the coming days if admissions don't start to fall. Macmillan Cancer Support today called on hospitals to ensure cancer does not become 'the forgotten c' of the pandemic, and said it was 'imperative' cancer patients awaiting tests and treatment face minimal disruption. 'It's vital that all decisions are based on patients' individual circumstances and are communicated directly by clinical teams,' said head of policy Sara Bainbridge. 'Cancer patients need to be reassured that everything possible is being done to ensure that they will receive the necessary treatment as soon as possible.' It is feared other hospitals in the country may face the same difficult decision in the coming days if admissions don't start to fall. Healthcare services are already 40 per cent busier than during the first wave in April, Boris Johnson has said. NHS doctors have described hospitals as resembling war zones. It comes after Britain's chief medical officers yesterday warned there was a 'material risk' of the NHS being overwhelmed within the next 21 days. A top surgeon has warned those waiting for operations to treat cancer could have their surgery axed due to spiralling admissions. Above are ambulance workers outside the Royal London Hospital on January 3 RECORD NUMBER OF SICK PATIENTS ARE WAITING MORE THAN 12-HOURS ON A STRETCHER By Eleanor Hayward Health Correspondent for the Daily Mail NHS figures yesterday revealed a record number of very sick patients waited on trolleys in A&E during December. The data, seen by the Health Service Journal, shows that more than 2,930 people spent at least 12 hours in A&E departments. Nearly half of these were in London. The previous highest number of 12-hour trolley waits - the time between arriving at A&E and receiving a bed - was 2,847 in January 2020. The provisional figures - which will probably increase -are set to be published officially by NHS England next week. Vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Adrian Boyle told The Times: 'No one needs to spend 12 hours in an emergency department. 'Not only is it undignified for patients, but studies have found that the longer a patient waits for admission to a hospital bed, the greater the risk of death.' He added: 'These waits usually result from a lack of inpatient beds and staff, and as well as putting the patient at risk lead to further dangerous crowding and corridor care within the emergency department. He said the more patients there are on stretchers, the more difficult it is to administer care in an already-strained A&E. Advertisement Professor Mortensen told Times Radio: 'My colleagues in London doing ward rounds, for example, report that there are problems with staff numbers on the wards, staff numbers in theatres. 'And then of course if you need to go to the intensive care unit, if the intensive care unit is full of Covid patients theres no room for you. 'So its a really serious situation and, obviously, the less-priority operations have already stopped in many places - hips, knees, ENT (ear nose and throat) procedures. 'Were now concerned about operations like cancer surgeries being cancelled or postponed because there just isnt the capacity to be able to manage them.' He added: 'I think if you have a delayed operation for cancer that may have an effect. 'If you come in from a road traffic accident and youre seriously ill, and you need to go to an intensive care unit afterwards and there is no intensive care unit, thats going to have serious consequences. 'And thats why everybody is so concerned right now that we are properly locked down, that were as far as we possibly can reducing the transmission of the virus, and making it possible for what facilities we do have to carry on working effectively to keep people alive.' King's College Hospital's decision to postpone cancer operations has led to fears among staff that some of the affected patients may see their cancers spread of become inoperable, reports The Guardian. 'It's important to do these cancer cases within four weeks because they're urgent,' one member of staff told the newspaper. 'If you put cancer surgery off for more than four weeks, that cancer can spread. (The delay can mean that) surgery may become inappropriate, because surgery can no longer get rid of the cancer, and thus the patient's outcome may be worse.' Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the royal college of surgeons A spokesman for King's confirmed it had cancelled priority 2 cancer operations, saying: 'Due to the large increase in patients being admitted with Covid-19, including those requiring intensive care, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone all elective procedures, with the exception of cases where a delay would cause immediate harm.' Ms Bainbridge, from Macmillan cancer support, told MailOnline they appreciated the NHS is under 'immense strain', and that cutting transmission of Covid-19 is 'vital' to allowing cancer care to continue. 'We still must make sure that cancer doesnt become the forgotten c during this time and it is imperative that people expecting tests and treatment face minimal disruption,' she said. 'However, if disruption is unavoidable to keep people safe, then cancer patients expecting to undergo surgery this week will be understandably concerned. 'This decision would represent one of the toughest choices that clinicians will ever make and is a grim indication of how overwhelmed many hospitals are becoming with Covid admissions.' Warning that those waiting for treatments for other illnesses also faced seeing their procedures cut, Professor Mortensen added: 'There needs to be space in our hospitals for us to deal with all the other things - the heart attacks or strokes, the cancer surgeries and emergency surgery. 'We have to be able to keep capacity to do those. And if we dont reduce the transmission of the virus, there wont be that capacity.' Boris Johnson pictured visiting the Chase Farm Hospital in London yesterday When asked whether the NHS will be able to return to normal business by late spring, he added: 'Im afraid Im one of the pessimists I think this is going to drag on a bit. 'I think that were really not going to be any bit in any better shape (until) summer Im afraid. 'I think its going to take a long time. This is a very, very, very serious situation. 'Therell be an enormous backlog of elective surgeries, and we may have backlogs of some more urgent surgeries to get through as well so its going to be a long tough, hard winter and spring.' Dr Paoloni warned on BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Were now in a situation where the risk of overwhelming the NHS at this point, over the next few weeks, is very, very high. 'We are very much hoping that this (lockdown) will avert an overwhelming.' Asked what hospitals being overwhelmed could look like, she said: 'What you see in London, on the news or in the papers, with ambulances lined up, unable to load their patients into Accident and Emergencies, could happen in every hospital throughout this country, which means that anyone with any condition may not be able to access the care that they need.' Britain's chief medical officers have warned parts of the NHS are already under 'immense pressure', as Covid-19 cases continue to spiral. They have raised the alert level to five - its highest - for the first time since the pandemic began, meaning 'transmission is rising exponentially' and healthcare services may be overwhelmed. In a letter written by the UK's four CMOs and NHS England's national medical director Professor Stephen Powis - ahead of Mr Johnson's address - said: 'Following advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and in the light of the most recent data, the four UK chief medical officers and NHS England medical director recommend that the UK alert level should move from Level 4 to Level 5. 'Many parts of the health systems in the four nations are already under immense pressure. There are currently very high rates of community transmission, with substantial numbers of Covid patients in hospitals and in intensive care. 'Cases are rising almost everywhere, in much of the country driven by the new more transmissible variant. We are not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases and without further action there is a material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days. 'Although the NHS is under immense pressure, significant changes have been made so people can still receive lifesaving treatment. 'It is absolutely critical that people still come forward for emergency care. If you require non-urgent medical attention, please contact your GP or call NHS 111.' The Prime Minister sent England into its third lockdown yesterday, with shutdowns also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As many as 80,000 positive cases were recorded on December 29 alone, thought to have been key in the Prime Minister's decision to once again draw the curtains on society. Vietnam could have earned US$300 billion from exports this year but the export revenue stood at just US$281 billion due to Covid-19, said Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh. Workers process shrimp for export at the Minh Phu Seafood Corporation in Ca Mau Province. Vietnam earned US$281 billion in export revenue this year, lower than expected, due to Covid-19 - Photo: VNA Minister Anh said the export revenue was lower than the target although the country had adjusted itself in line with the developments of the pandemic and worked out response plans, Thanh Nien Online newspaper reported. Without the pandemic, the country would have been able to meet the export target. For example, the Ministries of Agriculture-Rural Development and Industry-Trade had taken the initiative in the deployment of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Multiple solutions had been employed to exploit the European market, so the growth in the trade value with this market in the last quarter of the year reached a new record. As for plans for next year, the minister said it is important to continue developing both the domestic and international markets by conducting programs launched by the Government, propagating regulations for firms and restructuring sectors and the local service market. In addition, he suggested improving the legal corridor and enforcement, which would help make use of free trade agreements effectively, Anh added. Meanwhile, Le Tien Truong, general director of the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group, said that among the top five largest export countries, only Vietnam did not see the suspension of its textile and garment production, helping the sector report the smallest reduction in exports among sectors. For the first time, Vietnams market share of apparel products in the United States reached 20% in 2020. However, in general, the textile and garment export revenue fell over 10% and profit declined 15%. In 2021, the sector set an export turnover target of US$39 billion, equal to the target in 2020. SGT The European Union is negotiating with Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE on a deal that could double their supply of Covid-19 vaccine to the region, according to people familiar with the talks. The new contract would include 100 million doses, as well as an option for as many as 200 million more, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Governments across the EU face growing questions over the slow pace of their vaccine rollouts, and shots from other drugmakers such as AstraZeneca Plc wont be available for weeks at the earliest. The attempt to secure more of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine comes less than a week after the 27-member bloc boosted its original 200 million-dose order to 300 million. If the option in the new agreement were exercised, it would lift the total doses to 600 million, enough to vaccinate two-thirds of the blocs population based on a two-dose regimen. In premarket trading, BioNTech American depositary receipts rose 3%, with Pfizer little changed. Vaccine Rollout Member countries have pressured the EU to secure more doses as the pandemics death toll rises, lockdowns lengthen and leaders worry about containing a new, more contagious strain of the virus that has emerged in the U.K. While the EU has signed deals with a range of companies for access to almost 2 billion doses, only the Pfizer-BioNTech shot has thus far won approval from its regulator. We are in talks about whether and how we can provide further vaccine doses from Europe for Europe this year," BioNTech Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said in an e-mailed statement. No agreement has been reached and the numbers could still change. A Pfizer spokesman declined to comment. A BioNTech spokeswoman declined to comment on the number of doses involved. The European Commission is examining with BioNTech and Pfizer whether there is a way to increase supply beyond the initially contracted 300 million doses, Stefan De Keersmaecker, a health-policy spokesman, said Monday. He declined to comment Tuesday about the details of the extra shots being sought from Pfizer and BioNTech. Pfizer and BioNTech are pursuing all their options to boost production capacity for the vaccine beyond the 1.3 billion doses originally planned for this year, Sahin said in an interview last month. The CEO said he was confident that would be possible, saying the partners would probably know by January or February whether and how many additional doses they would be able to offer. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Egypts net international reserves (NIRs) rose to $40.06 billion by the end of December 2020, up from $39.2 billion recorded in October and November, the Central Bank of Egypt announced on Tuesday. This is the first time the NIRs have increased since October. In the beginning of November, the CBE announced that Egypts NIRs witnessed a slight increase in October reaching $39.2 billion, up from $38.4 billion recorded in September. In September 2019, Egypts NIRs recorded an all-time high of $45.1 billion, before witnessing a significant drop in March 2020, reaching $40 billion, driven by the unprecedented blow to global financial markets arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has caused the sharpest portfolio flow reversal on record for emerging markets, including the Egyptian market, according to the CBE. As of the end of June 2020, Egypts NIRs started to bounce back for the first time since March, increasing to $38.2 billion, up from $36 billion in May. CBE Governor Tarek Amer said in previous statements that mid-June witnessed a strong return of foreign investors to the Egyptian financial market, in light of the global market recovery and the successful efforts by the Egyptian government to contain the pandemic and its repercussions. He also said that treasury bill auctions have managed to attract 10 percent of foreign investments since June, adding that the Egyptian pound's performance against the US dollar has improved since the beginning of 2020 by 0.66 percent, unlike other currencies in the emerging markets. Around $10 billion, out of $20 billion, returned to the Egyptian market after exiting it, from March through June, amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Goldman Sachs said in a recent report. The report predicted Egyptian expat remittances would see an improvement that will enhance the countrys NIRs. Egypts foreign exchange reserves are expected to reach $40.5 billion by the end of this quarter, ending in March, according to Trading Economics (TE) macro models and analysts expectations. Egypts foreign exchange reserves are expected to stand at $44 billion in 12 months time and to jump to around $45.2 billion in 2022, according to TE. Short link: [January 05, 2021] Digihost Announces Fully Subscribed Private Placement of Common Shares and Debt Settlement NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digihost Technology Inc. (Digihost or the Company) (TSXV: DGHI; OTCPK: HSSHF) is pleased to announce a fully subscribed private placement of common shares (the Shares) sold at $0.79 per share for gross proceeds of $283,400 (the Offering). Completion of the Offering is expected within five business days and is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and closing. The Offering has been placed with investors based in the United States and Europe. The Shares issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day in accordance with applicable securities laws. Proceeds of the Offering will be used for the acquisition of miners and for general working capital purposes. This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements. Debt Settlement The Company is also pleased to announce that it has entered into a debt settlement agreement with two of its third-party creditors (the Creditors) and pursuant to the debt settlement agreement will, subject to recipt of approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, issue an aggregate of 96,815 common shares in the capital of the Company, at a deemed price of $1.05 per common share, in consideration for the settlement of a total of US$80,000 in accrued liabilities owing to the Creditors in respect of consulting fees (the Debt Settlement). The Company expects that the proposed Debt Settlement will assist the Company in preserving its cash for working capital. All securities to be issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period from the closing date. The Debt Settlement is subject to all necessary regulatory approvals including from the TSX Venture Exchange. Stock Option Grant The Company also announces that it has granted to the directors of the Company an aggregate of 1,325,000 incentive stock options (the Stock Options) to purchase common shares under the Companys incentive stock option plan (the Plan). Each Stock Option is exercisable into a common share of the Company at a price of $1.25 for a period of five years from the date of grant. The Stock Options will vest fully on the six-month anniversary of the date of grant and be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Digihost Technology Inc. Digihost Technology Inc. is a growth-oriented blockchain company primarily focused on Bitcoin mining. The Company's mining facility is located in Buffalo, N.Y., and is equipped with an 18.7MVA 115,000-kilovolt-ampere outdoor substation with an option to increase the power output to 42MVA. For further information, please contact: Digihost Technology Inc. Michel Amar, Chief Executive Officer Email: michelamar@me.com Cautionary Statement Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of Digihost and its investee companies to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although Digihost believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Digihost does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] January 5, 2021, SEOUL, Korea - Cellid and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) have exchanged a collaborative research agreement to analyze the immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccine "AdCLD-CoV19". Cellid and IVI announced on January 4 that they have signed a research service contract to cooperate in the clinical development of the "AdCLD-CoV19", a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Cellid. Under this contract, IVI will analyze samples from Phase 1/2a clinical trials of Cellid's COVID-19 vaccine "AdCLD-CoV19" to determine whether the AdCLD-CoV19 induced the right protective, or immune, responses. As a bio-venture, Cellid is developing the COVID-19 vaccine "AdCLD-CoV19" based on an adenovirus vector. The company received an approval for a Phase 1/2a clinical trial plan (IND) from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on December 4 last year. Following the approval, Cellid signed a contract with Korea University Guro Hospital, and is currently conducting clinical trials with the hospital. In a challenge trial in a monkey infection model with Cellid's adenovirus vector-based COVID-19 vaccine, coronavirus was not detected at all in the upper respiratory and lung tissue two and three days after a single dose, which demonstrates the vaccine's excellent protective efficacy against the virus. "Through cooperation in clinical development with IVI, which has extensive experience in collaboration with both domestic and international institutions in clinical trials and related activities, we redouble our efforts to confirm the safety and immunogenicity of AdCLD-CoV19 and to help ensure vaccine sovereignty based on reliable results," said Kang Chang-yul, CEO of Cellid. "In collaboration with IVI and other partners, we will expedite clinical trials with the aim of commercializing a COVID-19 vaccine as early as this summer." IVI Director General Dr. Jerome Kim said, "IVI is pleased to partner with Cellid, a biotech specializing in development of cell-based immunotherapeutic vaccines. We will make the most of our experience and expertise in laboratory analysis and clinical evaluation of vaccines to support and accelerate the development of their COVID-19 vaccine." ### About IVI's COVID-19 Program IVI has partnered with vaccine developers around the world to accelerate multiple safe and effective vaccines as efficiently as possible. IVI is currently conducting early-stage clinical trials in South Korea with INOVIO's COVID-19 DNA vaccine candidate; establishing vaccine evaluation systems in partnership with Korean vaccine developers, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the UK's National Institute for Biological Standards and Control; developing COVID-19 vaccine adjuvants in the IVI lab; and conducting epidemiological studies in Burkina Faso and Madagascar to increase global understanding of the disease and promote equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more here. About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a nonprofit inter-governmental organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, IVI was the first international organization hosted by Korea. IVI has 36 signatory countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) on its treaty, including Korea, Sweden, India, and Finland as state funders. Our mandate is to make vaccines available and accessible for the world's most vulnerable people. We focus on infectious diseases of global health importance such as cholera, typhoid, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, chikungunya, group A strep, Hepatitis A, HPV, TB, HIV, MERS, COVID-19, as well as antimicrobial resistance. For more information, please visit https:/ / www. ivi. int CONTACT Aerie Em, Global Media & Communications Specialist +82 2 881 1386 | aerie.em@ivi.int Here are todays leading news stories: Society -- Vietnams Ministry of Health recorded three imported COVID-19 cases from Japan and Germany on Monday evening, bringing the countrys tally to 1,497, with 1,339 recoveries and 35 deaths. -- A new cold front has started affecting northern and north-central provinces, causing temperature in the regions to decrease from January 4 to 6, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting reported, adding that the cold snap will intensify from January 7. -- The Can Gio-Vung Tau ferry route, which connects Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, welcomed its first passengers after being officially put into operation on Monday. -- Officers under the Ministry of Public Security confirmed on Monday they had apprehended a 22-year-old woman in Hanoi for prostitution brokerage. The sex workers were offered at VND5-20 million (US$216-864) per service. -- The body of a 27-year-old man was found on Monday after going missing while swimming at a beach in Ke Ga Village, located in the south-central province of Binh Thuan, on Saturday morning. Another victim remains nowhere to be found. -- The Department of Natural Resources and Environment in the central city of Da Nang has proposed that cash rewards be given to residents who report to local authorities about violations of environmental protection regulations. -- A fisherman was killed and another missing after their boat hit a reef and sank off the south-central province of Khanh Hoa on Sunday, local authorities confirmed on Monday. -- The monitoring systems of the Vietnam Environment Administration and Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment showed that air quality in the capital was at a harmful level on Tuesday morning. Business -- The first trading session of Vietnams stock market in 2021 opened on Monday, following a ceremony held by the State Securities Commission and the Hanoi Stock Exchange. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Ophir Gold Corp. (TSXV: OPHR) (FSE: 80M) ("Ophir" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has expanded the Breccia Gold Property through the staking of 18 additional claims, located in Lemhi County, Idaho, USA. The newly acquired mineral claims are contiguous and to the south of the Breccia Gold Property and has increased the land package by approximately 20%. The Breccia Gold Property now consists of 98 mining claims covering approximately 1,973 acres (798 hectares) of prospective land parcels. "As a result of the recent fall exploration program and more recent data compilation, the Company identified these claims as being an important addition to the existing Breccia Gold Property," commented Shawn Westcott, CEO of Ophir. "Geophysical interpretation of the recently completed ground magnetic survey is forthcoming, and the Company plans to expand the survey to cover the new ground." Corporate Update Upon comprehensive review of the Company's corporate affairs, management has made the decision to relocate the Company's corporate office from Toronto to Vancouver on the basis that the Company has more connection in the jurisdiction of British Columbia as a result of new management of the Company principally residing and operating in Vancouver. In conjunction with this move, the Company announces the resignation of Marco Guidi as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The Company would like to thank Mr. Guidi for his valuable contributions to the Company and wishes him the best in his future endeavours. Paul Robertson has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of the Company in Mr. Guidi's stead. Mr. Robertson is the founding partner of Quantum Advisory Partners, LLP and has over 20 years of accounting, auditing, and tax experience. Mr. Robertson is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Western University. He has developed extensive experience in the mining sector and provides financial reporting, regulatory compliance, internal controls, and taxation advisory services to several junior mineral resource companies, including serving as CFO for several TSX and TSX Venture Exchange listed resource companies with multinational operations. Paul currently serves as CFO of GoldQuest Mining Corp. and as CEO of Eco Oro Minerals Corp. Paul has helped lead several gold companies that were eventually acquired, including Grayd Resource Corp., Extorre Gold Mines Ltd., and Sunward Resources Ltd. In addition, Paul was CFO of Orla Mining during its formative years that saw the acquisition of Pershimco Resources, purchase of the Camino Rojo gold project from GoldCorp, and numerous bought-deal financings. In addition, the Company announces the appointment of Jessica Whitton as Corporate Secretary of the Company. Ms. Whitton practices general corporate and securities law for both public and private issuers and advises on a variety of transactions including private placements, public offerings, M&A and continuous disclosure obligations. Ms. Whitton holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Southampton, a Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen's University. Ms. Whitton currently serves as Corporate Secretary of QcX Gold Corp., Corporate Secretary of Mindset Pharma Inc., and Corporate Secretary of Generic Gold Corp. Ophir also announces that, pursuant to its stock option plan, it has granted an aggregate of 500,000 options to purchase common shares in the capital of the Company to certain officers and consultants of the Company, exercisable at a price of C$0.28 per share for a period of five (5) years from the date of grant. NI 43-101 Disclosure Garry Clark, P. Geo., Vice-President of Exploration and a Director of the Company, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release and prepared or supervised its preparation. About Ophir Gold Corp. Ophir is a gold exploration Company focused on the exploration and development of its flagship property, the past producing Breccia Gold Property located in Lemhi County, Idaho. The Company has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Breccia Gold Property over a three-year period from Canarc Resource Corp. and DG Resource Management Ltd. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Shawn Westcott" Ophir Gold Corp. For further information, please contact: Shawn Westcott, CEO Phone 1 (604) 365 6681 swestcott@ophirgoldcorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risk related to the failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71357 LONDON - Britain is facing a long, bleak winter as cold, wet weather and a more contagious variant of the coronavirus put unprecedented strain on the nation's hospitals and force record numbers of patients to wait 12 hours or more, sometimes on ambulance gurneys, before receiving treatment. Nearly empty pavements on the normally busy Quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne, northern England, early Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021, the morning after new stay home coronavirus restrictions were imposed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out further measures including closure of schools as part of a seven week lockdown period in England in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.(Owen Humphreys/PA via AP) LONDON - Britain is facing a long, bleak winter as cold, wet weather and a more contagious variant of the coronavirus put unprecedented strain on the nation's hospitals and force record numbers of patients to wait 12 hours or more, sometimes on ambulance gurneys, before receiving treatment. That picture made Prime Minister Boris Johnson order a third national lockdown that started Tuesday and requires everyone in England to stay at home for at least the next six weeks except for exercise, medical appointments, essential shopping and a few other limited exceptions. Its not hyperbole to say that the (National Health Service) is going through probably the toughest time in living memory,? said Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst of the Kings Fund, a U.K. think-tank that focuses on health and social care. I was speaking to an emergency care physician from London last week, and she was saying that half of her shift was spent delivering care in ambulances because they couldnt get the patients into the emergency department.? England's previous nationwide lockdown ran from Nov. 5 to Dec. 5. In announcing the new stay-at-home order, Johnson said it wont be reviewed for lifting until at least mid-February. By that time, the government hopes to have given one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to about 13 million people who are most at risk, potentially allowing some relaxation of the restrictions. Under the latest lockdown, schools and outdoor sports facilities are closed along with bars, restaurants, hair salons, gyms, theatres and most shops. A person walks with an umbrella in light rain in the City of London financial district in London, Jan. 5, 2021, on the first morning of England entering a third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced a tough new stay-at-home order, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet, but I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle, Johnson told the nation Monday night. Because with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against COVID and in favour of the British people. Scotland's leader, Nicola Sturgeon, also imposed a lockdown that began Tuesday. Northern Ireland and Wales had already imposed tough measures, though rules vary. Each nation in the United Kingdom controls its own health policy under the country's system of devolved government. Johnson and Sturgeon said the restrictions were needed to protect the hard-pressed National Health Service as a new, more contagious variant of coronavirus sweeps across Britain. On Monday, hospitals in England were treating 26,626 COVID-19 patients, 40% more than during the first peak in mid-April. Many U.K. hospitals have already been forced to cancel elective surgeries and the strain of responding to the pandemic may soon delay cancer surgery and limit intensive care services for patients without COVID-19. In December, a record 2,930 people were forced to wait 12 hours or more before hospitals could find beds for them, the Health Service Journal reported Monday, citing leaked figures from the National Health Service. The previous high of 2,847 waits of at least 12 hours for a hospital bed was reported in January 2020. Public health officials hope the new lockdown will reduce the strains on the NHS while they roll out a national vaccination program that targets older people, health care workers and those particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Britain has approved two vaccine shots so far one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Oxford University and AstraZeneca. A man wearing a British union flag face mask walks past a coronavirus advice sign outside a bank in Glasgow the morning after stricter lockdown measures came into force for Scotland, Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021. Further measures were put in place Tuesday as part of lockdown restrictions in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.(Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) As of Monday, the NHS had vaccinated 1.3 million people across the U.K. The government plans to have almost 1,000 vaccination centres operating across the country by the end of this week, Johnson said. While rollout of the vaccination program is complicated, Anandaciva of the King's Fund said the structure of the NHS will help it deliver the shots. In addition to a nationwide network of hospitals, doctors and nurses, it can rely on other allied health care professionals, such as pharmacists, to deliver the vaccine. Thats one area where you can really maximize the benefits of having a nationalized service because you can establish hubs, you can pool staff, and youve got a very strong brand to attract people,? he said. I think the NHS is doing quite a good job of setting up the logistics of how you will get the vaccine into the right places." In the meantime, grants are being given to help businesses further strained by the new rules. Grants of up to 9,000 pounds ($12,200) will be offered to businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge - and, whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further,'' Treasury chief Rishi Sunak said. "Throughout the pandemic weve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today were announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the spring.'' Johnson announced the lockdown after the chief medical officers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales raised the U.K.-wide COVID-19 threat assessment to the highest level. The health system is already under immense pressure, they said. The new measures are similar to those imposed last spring, with people being told to work from home unless its impossible to do so, and to leave home only for exercise or essential trips such as grocery shopping. Schools across England were ordered to close their doors except for the children of critical workers and most vulnerable children, and shift to online instruction beginning Tuesday. University students wont return to campus until at least mid-February. All nonessential shops and personal care services like hairdressers will stay closed. Restaurants will be allowed to offer takeout services only. New COVID-19 infections have soared in recent weeks as public health officials struggled to contain the new variant, which the government says is 50% to 70% more contagious. The number of confirmed new daily infections in the past seven days jumped 50% from the previous week, and coronavirus-related deaths rose 21% in the same period. Britain reported 830 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday. The death toll from the pandemic is now 76,423, one of the world's highest tallies. Follow APs pandemic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak The United States on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi by Pakistani authorities on charges of terror financing but also called for his prosecution for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. We welcome Pakistans arrest of terrorist leader Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi as an important step in holding him responsible for his role in supporting terrorism and its financing, the US state departments bureau of South and Central Asian affairs said on Twitter. We will follow his prosecution & sentencing closely & urge that he be held accountable for his involvement in the Mumbai attacks, it said. Lakhvi, one of the alleged masterminds of the Mumbai attacks, was arrested by Pakistani authorities on January 2 on charges of involvement in terror financing, almost five years after he was freed on bail. His whereabouts had not been known since he was released on bail from a jail in Rawalpindi in April 2015. However, it was widely believed he had continued playing a key role in directing the activities of LeT even while he was in prison after being arrested in the aftermath of the Mumbai carnage. Six US citizens were among the 166 people killed when a 10-member LeT team attacked Mumbai in November 2008. A spokesperson for the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Pakistans Punjab province said in a statement that Lakhvi was arrested on charges of terrorism financing during an intelligence-based operation. He is accused of running a dispensary [and] using funds collected for terrorism financing. He [and] others also collected funds from this dispensary and used these funds for further terrorism financing. He also used these funds for personal expenses, the spokesman said. Lakhvi, who is also a UN-designated terrorist, will face trial in an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, the spokesperson said. Last year, LeT founder Hafiz Saeed was convicted in five separate cases of terror financing and given a jail term ranging from five years to fifteen-and-half years. These sentences will run concurrently. Lakhvis arrest came weeks ahead of the Financial Action Task Forces (FATF) planned reassessment of Pakistans efforts to counter terror financing. In October last year, the multilateral watchdog retained Pakistan in its grey list for failing to fully deliver on an action plan to fight terror financing, and gave the country time till February to address what it said were very serious deficiencies. NEW DELHI: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA) said on Tuesday it will invest $250 million to grow its presence in India with the launch of four new sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) under its Jeep brand over the next two years. The investment will be made to locally manufacture a mid-size, three-row SUV, assemble the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Cherokee vehicles in the country and launch a new version of its Jeep Compass SUV, FCA said in a statement. FCA currently has less than a 1% share of Indias passenger vehicle market. Adding new vehicles to its portfolio is expected to help the automaker increase local sourcing of components, achieve better economies of scale, reduce costs and boost sales. Our new investment of $250 million will give us a competitive edge in multiple segments," Partha Datta, managing director for FCA India said in the statement, adding that it is determined to increase locally-made components in its vehicles. The investment comes at a time when automakers globally have been battered by the pandemic, and automakers in India have been further stung with the domestic market slowing down even ahead of this in 2019. Japans Honda Motor Co has been forced to shutter one of its two plants in the country, and General Motors last month stopped producing cars in India for export after ceasing domestic sales in 2017. India has also seen the entry of new automakers over the last couple of years including South Koreas Kia Motors and Chinas SAIC Motor Corp. FCA will produce and assemble the new SUVs at its car plant in western India, which it jointly owns with domestic automaker Tata Motors. FCAs three-row SUV is expected to compete with Ford Motors Endeavour and Toyota Motors Fortuner SUVs. The latest round takes FCAs total investment in India to over $700 million, including $150 million in a new global tech centre. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor JERSEYVILLE A Jerseyville man was charged with aggravated battery after allegedly assaulting a Jerseyville police officer last week. Brendan M. Stamper, 23, was charged Dec. 29 with aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony; criminal damage to state supported property, a Class 3 felony; and resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor. According to court documents, on Dec. 24 Stamper kicked a Jerseyville Police officer in the leg and damaged a Jerseyville Police Department vehicle. He also allegedly resisted arrest by another Jerseyville officer. Bail was set a $100,000. Other recently-filed felony cases by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include: Bradley D. Hendrix, 39, of Elsah, was charged Dec. 29 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony, and unlawful possession of controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, on Dec. 24 Hendrix was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine, and less than 15 grams of fentanyl. Bail was set at $10,000. Cory M. Hudson, 41, of Alton, was charged Dec. 29 with two counts of unlawful possession of controlled substance, both Class 4 felonies. According to court documents, on Dec. 29 Hudson was found to be in possession of less than 15 grams of heroin/fentanyl, and less than 15 grams of Alprazolam. Bail was set at $20,000. Brandon L. Cathers, 27, of Roodhouse, was charged Dec. 29 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 4 felony; and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. According to court documents, on Dec. 29 Cathers was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine and a glass pipe. Bail was set at $20,000. Austin K. Williams, 22, of Jerseyville, was charged Dec. 28 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony; and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. According to court documents in Dec. 28 Williams was n possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine and a glass pipe. Bail was set at $25,000. New Delhi, Jan 5 : Teachers prefer in-class teaching over online classes as an effective method to teach students, according to a survey. Conducted digitally by Sampark Foundation, the survey included teachers in rural government schools across six states and aimed at better understanding the needs of government school teachers who are using remote learning tools to teach students during the coronavirus pandemic. The survey covered over 4,000 teachers from government schools in sub-urban and rural areas of Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The key highlights of the findings are: - 68 per cent requested videos on the curriculum that can be easily shared with children - 60 per cent responded with the need for reading material and notes to be designed specifically for each class Image Source: IANS News - 51 per cent marked 'social platform' as a vital feature in learning apps to connect with other teachers and exchange ideas- 46 per cent responded with 'question bank' as a key feature to prepare tests/worksheets- 39 per cent are in favour of sending online assessments to students- 31 per cent emphasised the need for a performance tracking dashboard, built in the learning app to monitor each student in a careful manner- 68 per cent teachers voted for in-classroom teaching as an effective education method for children studying in primary government schools in rural areas- 46 per cent respondents were in favour of live online classes via WhatsApp, video call or any other app- 21 per cent were keen to record their own lectures and share with students via mobile phoneThe survey also highlighted that majority of teachers have access to broadcasting medium such as television (50 per cent) followed with other infrastructure such as smartphones (40 per cent), feature phones (32 per cent) and radio (24 per cent). 44 per cent teachers emphasised the need for textbooks and notes to be handed over directly to students for effective learning. The survey also reported that 33 per cent teachers leverage videos shared on YouTube, Baithak, Diksha and other apps, to teach students. Teachers also agreed that broadcasting educational programs on television or radio might be an effective education method, provided the content is simple, interesting and impactful for students. Over 28 per cent teachers also stressed upon the importance of weekly visits to children's homes and teaching in a group of 3-5 students in one session. The survey found that children in government schools in rural areas find directly calling teachers over phone, an effective medium to solve doubts and queries, which in turn improves learning outcomes. However, 59 per cent respondents also considered students discussing their queries and doubts with elder siblings, relatives, other educated people in their neighborhood. Image Source: IANS News Close to 60 per cent of the teachers surveyed, are in favour of live video classes conducted by them on WhatsApp and over 40 per cent prefer to resolving student's queries once a week in person. The survey also highlighted peer-to-peer doubt resolution on a digital discussion forum, as an effective medium to solve student queries. Addressing impactful methods of learning assessment, 54 per cent teachers voted for online quiz while 52 per cent were in favour of questions asked during live online classes. 48 per cent found printed assessments as effective means of learning assessment and 25 per cent requested for an assessment app or an online platform for students. (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) -- Syndicated from IANS BALTIMORE, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, FIDSA, the Myron M. Levine, MD, DTPH, Professor in Vaccinology and Director of the University of Maryland School of Medicine's (UMSOM)'s Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD), has been named this year's "Marylander of the Year" by the Baltimore Sun. In a historic and challenging year dominated by COVID-19, the Sun editors also named front-line health care and service workers as co-recipients along with Dr. Neuzil, for their essential roles in the battle against the novel coronavirus. Dr. Neuzil, who is among the world's foremost vaccine researchers, was recognized along with the entire team at CVD, for her unprecedented leadership and achievement in vaccine testing and treatment for COVID-19. The CVD team has devoted most of 2020 to studying vaccine candidates. The team has worked tirelessly to researching and testing potential vaccine candidates and treatments that could help end the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a notable year for the UMSOM and its expansive COVID-19 response, involving each of its major research institutes - CVD, as well as the UMSOM's Institute for Genome Science (IGS) and the Institute of Human Virology (IHV). IGS has collaborated with the University of Maryland Pathology Associates to launch a large-scale state-wide COVID-19 testing program for the State of Maryland. IHV has conducted major COVID-19 related studies and basic science research on related viruses. These include innovative studies on the impact of climate on COVID-19, as well as research showing that stimulation of innate immunity by live attenuated vaccines could provide temporary protection against coronavirus. CVD's National and International Response At the forefront, Dr. Neuzil and the CVD team's contributions to the pandemic has been broad, and included clinical research, national and international leadership in COVID response, and policy and educational leadership roles. She and others at CVD have shared their expertise broadly and generously through work with local and national media outlets, and through education programs for their peers and the public. Likewise, Dr. Neuzil and CVD have made major contributions to the design and execution of studies on prevention and treatment of COVID-19, and on local and national policy through innovative design concepts and transmission modeling activities. "This has been a historic year with monumental achievements for the UMSOM," said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We could not be more proud of Dr. Neuzil and the CVD team for their expertise and their laser focus on the pandemic as the nation faced these uncharted challenges. Our successes were due to a collaborative effort with so many other UMSOM faculty and laboratory researchers and other staff members. It has truly been extraordinary." Cynthia Egan, Chair of the UMSOM Board of Visitors, who initially nominated Dr. Neuzil for the award, said: "On behalf of the Board of Visitors, I want to recognize Dr. Neuzil and the scientists at the UMSOM for leading the charge in vaccine development, treatment and testing. It has been an honor to witness the extraordinary efforts that will help to get our lives back to normal and to recognize the absolute tireless leadership of Dr. Kathy Neuzil." CVD's Legacy of Leadership The COVID-19 vaccines are just the latest in a long series of milestones by the CVD over more than four decades. The CVD, which was founded in 1974 by Myron M. ("Mike") Levine, MD, DTPH, the Simon and Bessie Grollman Distinguished Professor, and Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics. Under Dr. Levine's leadership, the CVD grew into one the most recognized entities for developing, testing and implementing vaccines in the world. For more than 40 years, the CVD has conducted a wide range of research relating to the development of vaccines for a variety of diseases, including cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, non-typhoidal Salmonella disease, shigellosis, Escherichia coli diarrhea, malaria, and other infectious diseases, including influenza. The CVD also developed new delivery systems, as well as public health and vaccine policy around the world, including Africa, Asia and Latin America. Dr. Levine, who is now the UMSOM Associate Dean For Global Health, Vaccinology And Infectious Diseases, received worldwide attention for leading the CVD's direct involvement in the World Health Organization's global consortium for accelerated testing of a new Ebola vaccine candidate both at CVD-Mali in West Africa and CVD-Baltimore. He is currently serving on the overall Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) for the Operation Warp Speed coronavirus vaccine trials. He also serves as an expert consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO) on committees related to challenge studies. Leading the Charge Against COVID-19 In May, Dr. Neuzil and the CVD team initiated the first study on the Pfizer vaccine - a vaccine that would later achieve the first Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the United States. In June, Dr. Neuzil took the reins as a co-principal investigator for the national COVID-19 Prevention Network, which was formed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to bring together the experience and expertise of clinical research sites. The goal was to address the pressing need for vaccines and monoclonal antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Dr. Neuzil co-led this major effort--now comprising vaccines from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Novavax--to develop, test, and launch an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Neuzil's team has been at the forefront of nearly every major prevention and treatment initiative aimed at saving lives from COVID-19. She and her CVD colleagues were instrumental in a definitive trial of hydroxychloroquine that showed no benefit of the drug for postexposure prophylaxis. CVD tested the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that have received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. CVD Senior Scientist Karen Kotloff, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at UMSOM and Division Head of Ped-Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, is the Global Principal Investigator for the Phase 3 clinical trial, testing the safety and effectiveness of NVX-CoV2373, developed by U.S. biotechnology company, Novavax, Inc. This vaccine candidate will soon enter phase 3 trials and will study special populations, including children. "The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines represent groundbreaking collaborations between Dr. Neuzil, her UMSOM CVD team, and scientists worldwide involved in doing the investigational work that ultimately led to the FDA's emergency authorization of both vaccine candidates," said Vice Dean for Academic Affairs James Kaper, PhD, who is also the James and Carolyn Frenkil Distinguished Dean's Professor, and Chair, Department of Microbiology & Immunology. "As they now turn to testing the Novavax vaccine candidate, I am confident that the team's vast scientific expertise and eye toward diversity in recruitment will bode well for evaluating this additional possibility for helping to address the COVID-19 pandemic." Dr. Neuzil's professional background made her ideally suited for confronting COVID-19. She has conducted clinical and epidemiologic studies on vaccine-preventable diseases, yielding high-profile publications that inform policy decisions and public health actions. At the global non-profit, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), Dr. Neuzil was instrumental in the introductions of rotavirus, HPV, and Japanese encephalitis vaccines. At CVD, she leads a large Gates-funded consortium (TyVac) to accelerate the introduction of typhoid vaccines into low-resource countries, and she has a robust influenza research program. Dr. Neuzil's research capabilities are complemented by nearly 20 years of involvement in domestic and international policy. She currently serves as a member of the coronavirus vaccine working group for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and as the only U.S. member of the World Health Organization Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. She has contributed to the literature more than 230 scientific publications on vaccines and infectious diseases, with original research articles on SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and policy and perspective pieces on SARS-CoV-2 challenge models and innovative trial design. Front-Line Workers Also Honored The Sun recognized all front-line workers - including those who work in health care, grocery stores, mail and package delivery, daycares, schools, and people who provide other essential needs - as "Marylanders of the Year." "I join University of Maryland Medical System President Dr. Mohan Suntha, and University of Maryland Medical Center President and CEO Dr. Bert O'Malley, in recognizing our front-line health employees and clinicians, as well as other essential service workers, who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic," Dean Reece added. "They have been an inspiration and blessing to all of us, and I congratulate our front line workers for being deservedly named 'Marylanders of the Year'." About the University of Maryland School of Medicine Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $563 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 student trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise. For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com. SOURCE University of Maryland Medical Center By Keith Burbank Bay City News Service A man is in critical condition after he was shot Monday night in San Jose, police said. Around 8:10 p.m. officers were on the scene of the shooting on East Rosemary Street, between North First and North Fourth streets. Officers had responded to a crash in a parking garage at 60 E. Rosemary St. and located a man there with at least one gunshot wound. Police said the man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officers have not identified any suspects or a motive for the shooting. Copyright 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The more infectious super-covid variant from the UK is in at least seven states, a CDC official told DailyMail.com Tuesday, but refused to reveal which remaining two states beyond Colorado, California, Florida New York and Georgia have cases. Dr Greg Armstrong, director of the Office of Advanced Molecular Detection at the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases said that the new variant accounts for fewer than one in 200 samples run by US labs. Its up to the states to disclose when they have discovered a case of the new variant, Dr Armstrong said. Almost all regulatory authority is at the state level. Georgia on Tuesday announced its first case of the 'mutant' COVID-19 strain. The virus is said to have been found in an 18-year-old boy with no travel history. Georgia joins New York, California, Colorado and Florida in all reporting cases. The new variant is between 50% and 70% more transmissible, scientists say. Georgians cast high-stakes final votes Tuesday in elections to determine the balance of power in the new Congress, deciding Senate runoff elections sure to shape President-elect Joe Bidens ability to enact what could be the most progressive governing agenda in generations. The first US case of the strand was reported in a remote nursing home in Colorado last week. It has since also been discovered elsewhere in the state, as well as in New York, Florida and California. San Diego on Tuesday was reporting 32 cases of the variant, bringing to the total cases across the US to 37. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer, said: 'The fact that these cases have been identified in multiple parts of the region shows that this strain of the virus could be rapidly spreading.' The 'mutant' variant of the virus that began ravaging across the UK towards the end of last year, causing cases to surge and forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce a third nationwide lockdown Monday. The first US case of the strand was reported in a remote nursing home in Colorado last week. It has since also been discovered elsewhere in the state, as well as in New York, Georgia, Florida and California, with at least 37 people now infected The mutant strain was picked up on the same day voters went to the polls in Georgia. Voters are pictured at Sara Smith Elementary polling station, in the Buckhead district, on January 5, 2021 in Atlanta during the Georgia runoff elections Georgia DPH Commissioner Kathleen E. Toomey said: 'The emergence of this variant in our state should be a wake-up call for all Georgians.' Dr Armstrong told DailyMail.com that a hallmark of the variant thats sent the UK into lockdown is seen in about half of a percent of all samples seen in the US, according to testing data from Helix. THE US IS CATCHING ON TO BETTER WAYS TO LOOK FOR NEW CORONAVIRUS VARIANTS - BUT IT STILL LAGS BEHIND THE UK Helix uses a kind of test that just happens to detect an certain gene deletion that is found in the UK variant, B117, as well as others. The UK has been using this trait to monitor trends in the more infectious variant more efficiently because sequencing viruss whole genome can take 48 hours for large batches but could be run in six hours in smaller batches. The CDC is testing in large batches and says they have several hundred samples suspected to be the B117 to run. Yet the agency is running the lengthy type of genome sequencing because it considers this less urgent sequencing, because since learning of the new variant last month, officials assumed it was already here in the US, given the strong economic ties [between the UK and the US], Dr Armstrong said. Regular coronavirus testing can't detect which particular variant someone has been infected by. These diagnostics aren't designed to. Standard diagnostic tests search samples of human saliva or mucus for bits of virus genome that are are distinctive to coronavirus, but would be shared across many variants. Some diagnostic tests can detect the presence of the 'S dropout' mutation in a coronavirus sample. B117 has this mutation, and although other strains do too, monitoring how often this comes up helps the UK monitor likely upticks in the more infectious variant, geneticist Theo Sanderson of the Francis Crick Institute explained on Twitter It's important that they detect these relatively general traits of SARS-CoV-2 because it and all viruses change fairly frequently, but usually in small meaningless ways. The new UK variant has more significant changes that make it more infectious. In order to know for sure that a sample contains the new variant, the whole genome needs to be sequenced. The genome is a very long chain, in molecular terms, consisting of nearly 30,000 nucleotides - chemical letters. Sequencing an entire coronavirus genome takes at least a couple hours. And as the central health authority for a country of nearly 331 million people, the CDC receives massive numbers of samples to sequence. The UK's new variant of the virus is not more deadly but is around 50 percent more infectious. This chart from different regions from the UK shows how much more infectious the new super-COVID strain is in comparison to other virus variants So the agency tends to run large batches of hundreds of samples at a time. Running such large quantities stretches out the process even longer. Getting the full sequence of the genomes of hundreds of virus samples might take four up to four days to run end-to-end. In the lab, that includes two time-consuming stages. 'It takes about 3 days to make the library' - of all the bases in a strand of viral genetic material, called RNA - 'and the sequencer takes about a day at a time,' Dr Jasmine Plummer, a research scientist at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com. Dr Howard Zucker, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, said the department's Wadsworth Lab has that process down to about 44 hours. That's about as fast as the process can go, Dr Plummer said. Meanwhile, Dr Zucker said he had 'heard reports it can take several weeks to get results back [from the CDC].' Although CDC's Dr Armstrong said this is largely due to the volume of samples the CDC runs at a time, Dr Plummer said there are more mundane reasons. 'We're in a hospital, we get samples directly and sequence them in-house,' she said of the Cedars-Sinai lab. 'There are transport issues getting to the CDC, quality control issues - they're hindered by delivery.' Samples also get contaminated by the people providing them, collecting them and transporting. Dr Plummer says cleaning those up sufficiently for a diagnostic test to work is easy enough, but getting them in shape for accurate sequencing is a much taller order. Still, the US an the CDC have not been sequencing the same volume of viral genomes per capita that other nations have. Dr Armstrong says that the CDC is ramping up the number of samples that get the full work up from 3,500 a week in December to some 6,500 a week. THE NEW UK STRAIN HAS TRIGGERED A CALIFORNIA CLUSTER AND IS IN 'SEVERAL STATES' Already the variant is 'present in low numbers but present in several states, with at least seven confirmed to the CDC, but not to the American public. He explained that state health departments have only confirmed the presence of cases to the CDC, but have not revealed any further details to the agency. CDC does not yet know which county in each of the remaining two mystery states has a case, nor any identifying details of the infected individuals. States need to investigate and contact these cases and confirm as many details as possible before publicly reporting them, Dr Armstrong said. For the time being, this is a variant with a low prevalence and it its not going to impact what non-pharmacological interventions [states implement], he said. But in the UK, a handful of cases, first announced on December 14, have exploded. The new variant now accounts for an estimated 62 percent of cases in London and is all over England. In San Diego 24 newly confirmed people with virus are said have no travel history and to have come from 19 different homes. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday identified the New York patient Monday as a male jewelry store worker in Saratoga Springs, who is in his 60s. The man did have COVID-19 symptoms but is 'on the mend.' He said the state is testing three more possible cases of the strain in Saratoga with it taking up to 44 hours to do the genome sequencing to detect the variant. Much like the first US case of the variant in Colorado, the man had no recent travel history, suggesting a community spread. The CDC believes the strain first emerged in Britain in September and said last week it suspects it has been circulating in the US for some time. The strain is thought to be 50 to 70 percent more transmissible but not more deadly. The Empire State had earlier become the fourth in the nation to detect the 'mutant' variant of the virus. Cuomo on Tuesday appeared to push back against NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's calls to ban all flights from the UK to the US. The governor called on the federal government to begin enforcing mandatory testing on all international passengers arriving in the US, like they are already doing with travelers from the UK. De-Blasio had urged the Trump administration to 'stop the madness' and block all travel to and from the Britain to help stop any further spread of the new super-infectious UK variant of the virus. It's now reported in the UK that around one of every 50 residents - or roughly one million people - now has the coronavirus. In light of the surge, as of December 28, the CDC began requiring all airline passengers arriving from Britain - including U.S. citizens - to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure. Unless a dual-citizen or travelling for essential purposes, the majority of Brits are currently banned from entering the US. The UK is also currently grappling with a second mutant strain of the virus, said to originate from South Africa, which experts fear may be resistant to vaccines and potentially more deadly. That strain has not yet been detected in the US. The biggest wedding organised by Weddingz.in was worth Rs 32 lakh with a guest list of 300 people at Radisson Blu in Udaipur. For the wedding industry, 2020 was an unusual year as couples tied the knot virtually, number of guests saw a sharp drop, and destination weddings got a new definition in times of COVID-19. Sharing more interesting trends and data, OYO's Weddingz.in in a recently released report titled 'Wedding Wows' revealed that Delhi saw most number of weddings last year, followed by Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, and Kolkata. However, when it comes to virtual weddings, it was Mumbai that was the top city followed by Delhi, and Ahmedabad. Biggest virtual wedding happened in Mumbai with 50 guests joining the wedding virtually and 50 guests attending the wedding in person in August last year. Due to smaller weddings, the average wedding spend came down to approximately Rs 1.7 lakh in August from Rs 2.8 lakh in 2019 during the same period. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show But in December, the average spend reached pre-COVID levels with couples spending close to Rs 2.4 lakh on a wedding and this is despite the drop in number of guests. The biggest wedding organised by Weddingz.in was worth Rs 32 lakh with a guest list of 300 people at Radisson Blu in Udaipur. The average guest list at a wedding in 2020 was 150, depending on government guidelines across states, compared to more than 250 guests in 2019. Plus, over 60 percent of total weddings held between the months of June and September saw less than 50 people and 8 percent of weddings had 25 people or less. The report further shared that weddings in 2020 were concentrated on hot dates with nearly 53 percent weddings taking place across the country on the top 10 dates in November and December, compared to 30 percent last year during the same period. In the post-unlock world, November 30 was the most popular day with 383 couples tying the knot on that day. Recovering from a complete standstill due to the lockdown to reaching 75-80 percent of pre-COVID level demand towards the end of 2020, the wedding industry has learnt and adapted to newer ways to sustain operations," said Sandeep Lodha, CEO, OYOs Weddingz.in. Weddingz.in last year organised 15.5 thousand weddings across India as compared to 27,000 weddings in 2019. The company saw first prominent green shoots across the country during the festive period. Now, December 2020 accounts for 40 percent of weddings since unlocking in June 2020. "We expect the wedding industry to reach 35 percent of pre-COVID levels in 2021 if there are further relaxations on guest list limitations which will increase the scale of weddings and number of events per wedding," added Lodha. Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked the military to strengthen training to hone its combat skills and remain on high alert as the new revised defence law expanding the powers of the armed forces came into force from this year. The 67-year-old leader, who also heads the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) besides the Central Military Commission (CMC) -- the overall high command of the two million strong military -- signed the commission's first order for 2021, which listed priorities in the training of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force (PLAF), official media here reported on Tuesday. The order instructed the armed forces to stick to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their guiding principle and uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military as well as military strategies in the new era. It said the CCP will enhance its guidance over the military's training, urging the armed forces to focus on improving their combat readiness and continuing to reform their training system, state-run China Daily reported. The first such order was issued in January 2018, when Xi addressed a massive training and commencement ceremony at a shooting range in northern China. According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Xi said the PLA must be ready to "act at any second" as the armed forces kicked off the year's military training and exercises on Monday. "(The PLA must) increase the integration of new equipment, new forces and new combat realms into training and combat systems," the report said, quoting the Chinese president. Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of combat readiness training and joint operations to the armed forces since he became commander-in-chief in late 2012. In his order this year, he said the military must train their officers and soldiers in realistic combat scenarios, place more attention on research about war and military operations, increase the intensity of exercises, conduct more emergency-response drills, and remain on high alert to ensure the troops are always ready for any possible military engagement. Training and exercises for joint operations must be priorities, it said, adding that the military must intensify inter service training to foster integrated joint combat capability. Commanders are required to introduce more scientific and technological factors into training and boost their units' ability to use high-tech hardware and methods. The order also stipulated that military authorities must conduct strict evaluation and supervision of training and also improve their management and planning. All members of the armed forces must strengthen their fighting spirit and hone their skills and capabilities to fulfil the missions given them by the Party and the people and produce new achievements to celebrate the coming 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), according to the order. The year 2021 is the fourth consecutive year that Xi has issued a training order to the military as the year's first directive from the Central Military Commission. The revised National Defence Law, expanding the power of its armed forces headed by Xi to mobilise military and civilian resources to defend its national interests both at home and abroad, has come into effect from January 1 this year. The revised law specifically stresses the need to build a nationwide coordination mechanism for the mobilisation of state-owned and private enterprises to take part in research into new defence technologies covering conventional weapons, as well as the non-traditional domains of cybersecurity, space and electromagnetics. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Abigail Spencer is not letting the global pandemic keep her from seeing an old friend. On Sunday, the actress was spotted going for a walk with her former How I Met Your Mother castmate Josh Radnor in Montecito, California, the same town Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry now live. The 39-year-old actress and the series lead appeared to be enjoying each other's company as they took Radnor's dog Nelson for a walk in a park. Hanging out: Abigail Spencer and her How I Met Your Mother castmate Josh Radnor were spotted spending time together in Montecito on Sunday The actress was pictured wearing a pink turtleneck sweater to stay comfortable in the breezy coastal California weather; she also wore a floral print sweater and fur-lined Ugg boots for the hangout. Spencer allowed her gorgeous brunette hair to fall down onto her shoulders. Radnor kept it casual in a graphic print t-shirt underneath a blue flannel button-up, which he wore on top of a pair of cuffed blue jeans and burgundy sneakers; the actor donned a thick plaid sweater later in the day. The two both wore face masks as they ventured out into public with each other. Quality time: The friends took Radnor's dog Nelson for a walk in a local park before meeting up with some friends for a shared meal Safety first: Both of the actors wore face masks before removing them to eat with their pals After dropping Radnor's pup off, the two met up with some other friends at a local restaurant for a shared lunch before parting ways. Although she is best known for her roles on shows such as Rectify and Suits, Spencer featured as Blah Blah on two episodes of How I Met Your Mother in seasons three and nine, respectively. While Radnor never was nominated for an award specifically for his portrayal of Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom, the show was nominated for multiple critical accolades during its run on the air. The series ultimately picked up nine Primetime Emmy Awards, including the 2013 and 2014 award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series. Twice is nice: Spencer featured in two episodes of How I Met Your Mother, appearing in seasons three and nine respectively Guest role: The actress portrayed a character named Blah Blah, who revealed that she had met Radnor's character while playing World Of Warcraft Following her initial appearance on the sitcom, Spencer starred as Amantha Holden on the legal drama series Rectify, which ran from 2013 until 2016; she was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for her work on the show. In more recent years, the actress was cast in the main role in the Hulu action-drama series Reprisal, which was cancelled after a single season. Radnor has also been active in television since the end of How I Met Your Mother, and took on a main role in the period medical drama Mercy Street, which followed a set of nurses and doctors at a Civil War-era hospital. After the program was cancelled, the actor began portraying actor and vigilante Lonny Flash on the Amazon Prime Video show Hunters, which also starred Logan Lerman and Al Pacino. Despite garnering controversy during its run for its portrayal of violence and historical inaccuracies, the series was renewed for a second season in August. How I Met Your Mother is available on Stan in Australia In this May 5, 2018 photo, a giant image of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, adorns a tower in Doha, Qatar. Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar in the first step toward ending a years-long diplomatic crisis that deeply divided US defense partners. (AP/Kamran Jebreili) Dubai: Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar in the first step toward ending a years-long diplomatic crisis that deeply divided US defense partners, frayed societal ties and tore apart a traditionally clubby alliance of Gulf states, officials said late Monday. Qatar's only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a blockade against the tiny Gulf state, accusing it of supporting Islamist extremist groups and of having warm ties with Iran. The Saudi border, which Qatar relied on for the import of dairy products, construction materials and other goods, opened briefly during the past three years to allow Qataris into Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic hajj pilgrimage. It was unclear what concessions Qatar had made or is promising to make regarding a shift in its policies. Kuwait, which had been mediating throughout the dispute, was first to announce the diplomatic breakthrough through its foreign minister. Earlier on Monday, the foreign minister had reportedly traveled to Doha to deliver a message to Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. While the Saudi decision marks a major milestone toward resolving the Gulf spat, the path toward full reconciliation is far from guaranteed. The rift between Abu Dhabi and Doha has been deepest, with the UAE and Qatar at sharp ideological odds. Following Kuwait's announcement, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, tweeted that his country was keen to restore Gulf unity. However, he cautioned: We have more work to do and we are in the right direction. The lifting of the embargo by Saudi Arabia paves the way for Qatar's ruler to attend an annual summit of Gulf leaders Tuesday that will be held in the kingdom's ancient desert site of Al-Ula. The summit would traditionally be chaired by Saudi King Salman, though his son and heir, the crown prince, may instead lead the meeting. Qatar confirmed late Monday that Sheikh Tamim would be attending the summit, a move that analysts say would have been domestically sensitive for him had the Saudi blockade still been in place. This year, Egypt's president has also been invited to attend the summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Kuwait's foreign minister said in a statement carried on state TV that Kuwait's ruler had spoken with Qatar's emir and Saudi Arabia's crown prince. The conversations "emphasized that everyone was keen on reunification, and would gather in Al-Ula to sign a statement that promises to usher in a bright page of brotherly relations. The summit will be inclusive, leading the states toward reunification and solidarity in facing the challenges of our region, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying in remarks carried by the Saudi state-run news agency. The decision to end the Saudi embargo comes just weeks after President Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited the kingdom and Qatar in a final push by the administration to secure a diplomatic breakthrough. It also comes just ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's swearing in. Saudi Arabia may be seeking to both grant the Trump administration a final diplomatic win and remove stumbling blocs to building warm ties with the Biden administration, which is expected to take a firmer stance toward the kingdom. Normalisation with Qatar could buy Saudi Arabia time to strike compromises with the Biden administration on other issues, like its war in Yemen and potential U.S. re-engagement with Iran, said Samuel Ramani, a non-resident fellow at the Gulf International Forum. Saudi Arabia could frame a partial detente, which allows Qatari civilian planes to fly over Saudi airspace and de-escalates the information war, as proof of 'new thinking' in Riyadh, Ramani said ahead of the announcement. In a recent column for the UAE's The National newspaper, Beirut Institute founder Raghida Dergham questioned whether Gulf states would be able to finalize a strategy on how to approach the Iran issue, which they would then put forward to the Biden administration as it comes to power on Jan. 20. At heart are concerns that Qatar's close relations with Turkey and Iran have undermined regional security. Egypt and the UAE view Qatar and Turkey's support of the Muslim Brotherhood as a security threat and have deemed the group a terrorist organization. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are primarily concerned with Qatar's close ties with regional foe Iran. Those simmering tensions came to a boil in the summer of 2017, when the four countries announced their stunning blockade on Qatar and cut all transport and diplomatic links with it. The move frayed social ties, separating families who'd intermarried with Qataris. It also pushed Qatar diplomatically closer to Turkey and Iran, which both rushed to Doha's aid with food and medical supplies that had been in short supply in the first days of the embargo. Patriotic fervor swept through Qatar in support of Sheikh Tamim's resolve. The Irish Food Board (Bord Bia) looks for a New York PR firm to handle a webinar with food & beverage journalists to help position Ireland as a leader in sustainability from farm to fork. Election officials across the country, including the Republican governors in Arizona and Georgia, as well as Trumps former attorney general, William Barr, have confirmed that there was no widespread fraud in the November election. Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, where three Trump-nominated justices preside. A small number of freight exporters have been turned back from ferries to the UK from Dublin Port due to Brexit customs changes since the turn of the new year. The cases were used by officials from across State agencies at Dublin Port to highlight the need for those moving freight to and from the UK to have their customs documentation in order. The head of Revenue's operations at Dublin Port, Tom Talbot said that six of the vehicles had been turned back by Stena Lines at Holyhead on Friday, with a further four on Sunday at Dublin Port. In each instance, he said, Revenue agents were able to assist the drivers. However, he said that in some cases, ferries may have been missed. Mr Talbot said that since the UK's exit from the customs union at the end of 2020, there had been no major disruption at the capital's port, but said that traffic volumes had been low due to the time of year, which he said was "beneficial" in terms of traffic flows around the port. He stressed that hauliers using the port should expect delays. He said that 92% of freight coming into Ireland had been given an on-board green status which meant it would be able to leave the port as quickly as possible. He said that in the "early days, things at the Port are very much bedding down" but that it would take time to build familiarity with the new systems. "That familiarity will depend on the driver, but we expect it will bed in very, very quickly on that side. But this is new to everybody this week, so it will take time." He said that that small number of stopped freight movements was made up by a number of vans and the drivers were "walked through" the process by Revenue. "Those numbers are really small. They're small because of the time of year and because people know that if you don't have the right documentation, you will be turned back. When it's right, you can come back and get on board the ferry." No freight vehicles have been turned back on arrival at a port, Mr Talbot said. Hazel Sheridan of the Department of Agriculture said that hauliers should contact the Department if it is unsure on how to fill out forms. A employee who oversaw transportation at the Marine Forces Reserves support facility in Algiers has pleaded guilty to a scheme to accept $250,000 in bribes in exchange for awarding $1.9 million in transportation contracts to a business based in Atlanta, prosecutors said. U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser's office announced Monday that Erik Martin, 48, had entered a guilty plea on Dec. 28 to a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery. Martin admitted receiving a series of payments from Darrel Fitzpatrick, a senior account manager for a national transportation company referred to only as "Company A" in the news release from Strasser's office. Martin's duties at the support facility, located at 2000 Opelousas Ave., included overseeing transportation management for about 100,000 Marine reserves across the country. In addition to working for a bus company, Fitzpatrick owned National Charter Express, a firm that served as a "broker" for bus service that Martin would use to line up transportation for Marine reserve units. The two first met in 2016. When Fitzpatrick in 2019 learned Martin was in financial distress, he proposed paying Martin bribes in exchange for Martin's help steering the Marines' transportation contracts to Fitzpatrick's company. The money Martin received totaled around $110,000 and was put into an account by Fitzgerald between late May and mid-June. Prosecutors said the money was a kickback for the 72 payments, totaling $1.9 million, that the support facility had by then sent to Fitzgerald's company. On June 20, 2019, the bank raised questions about a payment of $140,000 from Fitzgerald to Martin. The duo initially claimed the payments to Martin were loans, according to prosecutors. Fitzpatrick has also been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery in the scheme. On Dec. 21, prosecutors charged him in a bill of information, generally a sign that a defendant intends to plead guilty. Martin faces up to five years in prison with three years of supervised release and at least $250,000 in fines. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 27 by U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 India's leading smartphone maker Xiaomi on Tuesday (January 5) launched the company's first phone of the year 2021-- Mi 10i-- in India. The new Mi 10i is said to be an India exclusive variant developed and designed including the software features by the company's local team, Manu Kumar Jain, vice president (global) and managing director (India), Xiaomi. It comes packed with the latest hardware, supports 5G, fast charging capability, and costs much less than rival brands. Also, it should be noted that the recently launched Moto G, the most affordable 5G phone costs the same as the Mi 10i, but has inferior hardware in terms of processor, camera, and other aspects. Xiaomi Mi 10i comes in three variants-- 6GB RAM +64GB storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB Storage and 8GB RAM + 128GB storage--for Rs 20,999, Rs 21,999 and Rs 23,999, respectively. The company is offering special Rs 2,000 cashback offer for consumers who use ICICI bank credit/debit cards and up to 12 months of no-cost EMI. It will go on sale on January 7 on Mi.com, Mi Homes, Amazon.in, Mi Homes and Mi Studios, and later in authorized retail stores. Prior to the launch, DH received the Mi 10i review unit, and here are my initial thoughts on the new 5G phone from the house of Xiaomi. Design and display The new Xiaomi Mi 10i, particularly the Pacific Sunrise model flaunts a multi-tone colourway. I have to say, it's unique and currently, the most eye-pleasing phone in the market. Also, there two more -- Midnight Black & Atlantic Blue-- and they too are good. On the front, it features a 6.67-inch full HD+ LCD screen with 1080 2400p resolution, peak brightness of 450nits, and supports up to 120Hz display refresh rate, HDR10+. It is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass 5 shield and comes with an IP53 rating, meaning the device can sustain accidental water splashes or light rains. Xiaomi Mi 10i. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit It also has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which doubles up as a power button. It is very tactile and works fast in terms of recognising the finger impression. Camera Besides the design language, another notable aspect of the Mi 10i is the photography hardware. It boasts quad-camera module-- main 108MP (1/1.52-inch Samsung HM2 sensor with 7P lens, 0.7m pixel size, f/1.75 aperture, LED Flash) + 8MP 120-degree ultra-wide sensor + 2MP depth + 2MP macro sensor. Xiaomi Mi 10i camera sample. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit On the front, it features 16MP front-facing camera with f/2.45 aperture. Xiaomi Mi 10i camera sample. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit As you can see in the sample photos, the Mi 10i takes good and sharp photos with details of the subject clearing captured when taken from close range and with good light. But, it has to be put to test in low-light, which I will reveal in the full review coming soon. Xiaomi Mi 10i camera sample. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit Processor, RAM, and storage It runs Android 10-based MIUI 12 OS and is powered by Qualcomm's 8nm class Snapdragon 750G octa-core backed by Adreno 619 GPU. It also supports 5G and unfortunately, India has no infrastructure just yet. That's alright, as whenever it comes available, Mi 10i owners will be able to experience super-fast internet up to 1Gbps Xiaomi's new phone comes packed with a 4,820mAh battery with up to 33W fast charging support. In the brief time, I have spent with the device, it has worked smoothly without any issues. But, need more time to fully assess the Mi 10i. Stay tuned for the detailed review coming soon. Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech. [January 05, 2021] Broadridge Collaborates with SLIB to Deliver Shareholder Rights Directive II Solution for French Market LONDON and PARIS, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR), a global Fintech leader, has announced its collaboration with SLIB, a leading-edge software vendor in electronic voting and security services based in France, to offer a joint, cross-border proxy voting solution for Shareholder Rights Directive II (SRD II) compliance, covering European shareholder meetings. Designed specifically for French intermediaries, including the retail sector, the fully automated, end-to-end solution will leverage Broadridge's industry-leading Global Proxy solution and includes an STP connection to SLIB's Votaccess, the leading electronic voting platform in France, which manages in excess of 80% of CAC 40 companies' General Meetings. This Broadridge-SLIB alliance will enable the distribution of meeting agendas for European shareholder meetings, as well as process and count votes from French shareholders in a seamless service, unique to the French market. "We are delighted to partner with SLIB to help French intermediaries meet their regulatory obligations at such a vital time," said Demi Derem, general manager of Broadridge's International Investor Communication Solutions. "In an investor communications environment that has been dominated by heavily manual processes, this collaboration will help the French market realise significant efficiencies when it comes to vote processing across European shareholder meetings, and take the lead when it comes to compliance with SRD II." The Broadridge and SLIB solution will for the first time allow French retail intermediaries to offer proactive proxy voting services to shareholders where they can be notified of shareholder meetings for European companies and exercise voting rights seamlessly. The solution is fully integrated into client workflows and will be available ahead of the 2021 proxy season, the firstproxy season where SRD II compliance is compulsory. "This is a landmark initiative and brings together the leading provider of global proxy solutions in Broadridge, with our unique Votaccess platform, the electronic voting solution leader in the French market," said Philippe Cognet, CEO, SLIB. "With deep expertise and robust investor communications governance models with the main banking actors, Broadridge represents an ideal partner to bring this innovative solution to market." SRD II went live on 4th September 2020 and is global in its scope, impacting any financial intermediary that holds or services European equities, irrespective of where the intermediary firm is located. It applies to all types of financial intermediaries, including banks and brokers, wealth managers and central securities depositaries (CSDs). Broadridge has received unprecedented international demand for its multi-segment, award-winning SRD II solution and has already carried out over 100 live client implementations, with a further 100-plus now underway. These clients, which are based both within and outside of Europe, include both retail- and institutional-focused firms, encompassing multiple tier-one banks, brokers and wealth managers. About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a $4.5 billion global Fintech leader, is a leading provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and corporate issuers. Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 50 percent of public companies and mutual funds globally, and processes on average more than U.S. $10 trillion in fixed income and equity securities trades per day. Broadridge is part of the S&P 500 Index and employs over 12,000 associates in 17 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com About SLIB SLIB is the leading software solutions provider for register & electronic voting, risk and post-trade markets. SLIB supports the evolution of the security business in France and abroad, by publishing innovative software solutions enabling investment service providers to streamline their process, while mastering the risks associated to their activities. SLIB is also Votaccess Operator, an essential platform for the digitalisation of General Meeting and electronic vote collection during the pre-General Meeting phase. To offer even more innovative solutions, SLIB relies on TheLab, its research and development department dedicated to Blockchain and artificial intelligence solutions. Investors: W. Edings Thibault Investor Relations + 1 516-472-5129 Edings.thibault@broadridge.com Media: Gregg Rosenberg Corporate Communications +1 212-918-6966 Gregg.rosenberg@broadridge.com SLIB Aurelie Dettwyler Marketing & Communication Director + 33 6 27 56 65 06 aurelie.dettwyler@slib.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/broadridge-collaborates-with-slib-to-deliver-shareholder-rights-directive-ii-solution-for-french-market-301198120.html SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A rural Laois primary school has been approved to get three new classrooms. Raheen National School, also known as Tobar an Leinn is near Mountrath and has just over 100 pupils. Sean Fleming TD Minister of State at the Department of Finance has today announced the good news for it. "The school has now been given approval and funding for the building of three new classrooms at the school in Raheen. Two of these new classrooms will be for special education purposes and the third room will be a mainstream classroom. "This is good news at the start of 2021 for the Raheen National School. The Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD has confirmed this information directly to me. "The existing school building in Raheen is approximately 20 years old and is now in need of this new extension. "I want to particularly thank the Principal, teaching and all staff in the school, the Board of Management and parents for their ongoing support for this project and the school. This school extension will be of tremendous benefit to the children who attend the school in the years to come," Deputy Fleming said. Ms Sangalli said community members have been donating food and camping supplies to the site. "Locals around the area have really started to show up for this, we get new faces that come through every day asking how they can help," she said. "There's a constant growth, every day we're being asked for tents [by rough sleepers]. "We're trying to take the lead from the people we're providing for, so as long as they want us to be here we're going to try and be here." The site is a no drug and no alcohol zone and differs from 'tent city' near the Lord Street overpass in Perth as it has ready access to portable toilets, sleeping bags, sanitary products, clothing and shoes. Dr Pettitt said government authorities and services would be engaging with people at the camp on Tuesday to try and match them up with organisations and accommodation. "We all know there is probably not enough accommodation to go around at the moment and that's the big challenge for us," he said. "The intent is this doesn't go on, that we do find a way of wrapping up the tents. "We want to do that in a compassionate and a fair way." John 'Ox' Kent is homeless and has been at the camp since the day it started and said it was a safe place. "There's a pretty good vibe most of the time if we're all working together," he said. "We've got water and toilet facilities." About 50 tents have been pitched in Pioneer Park in Fremantle for homeless people. Credit:Erin Guy Mr Kent said he was not concerned if state or local governments wanted to move on the camp because at the end of the day the authorities needed to find somewhere for rough sleepers to live. "Why don't they come and sleep with us for a week, I bet there's lots of politicians who wouldn't even get through day two," he said. Vanessa Culbong, who is a homeless advocate and sleeps rough herself, said the site had been good for Aboriginal people whose extended families could come to Fremantle and check in on them. She said more state government resources needed to be put into addressing the homelessness crisis. "We had two deaths in the north side, where all the homeless fellas camp in Mirrabooka this week," she said. "Some of the people out there ... they want to set tents up out there now. There's too much homelessness, 15,000 people and 13 year [public housing] waiting lists, it's ridiculous. "All the resources they're pulling out of the ground, all the taxes they've got, where's all that money going, because it's not going back into society where I can see it effectively contributing." Loading Noongar elder and social advocate Uncle Ben Cuimara Taylor has been down to the camp and spoken with police and the Fremantle council. He said the people at the camp needed social housing and the state government needed to provide rehabilitation options and night shelters. Department of Communities service delivery executive director Lindsay Hale said the safety of the community is the primary factor when considering the current location of the camp. "The Department of Communities is committed to working with individuals so they can move out of homelessness into safe and stable accommodation," he said. "The state government has invested significant new money to address homelessness, in addition to its almost $100 million in existing annual funding commitments. "Much of the additional funding committed to these services is available to people experiencing homelessness in the Fremantle area. "The most constructive way the community can get vulnerable people the help they need is to direct them to state government-funded homelessness services that have the necessary relationships and expertise." Dr Pettitt said the camp had fulfilled an important gap during the holiday season. "This was set up at a time in that Christmas-New Year period where normal services available to people who are sleeping rough arent available to the same extent," he said. MAGA figureheads and pro-Trump activists are vowing to excommunicate Republicans who vigorously oppose the doomed effort to keep President Donald Trump in power. The threats have played out in recent days with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was once seen as a possible ally in Trumps efforts to overturn President-elect Joe Bidens win in the swing state. But Raffensperger has consistently refused to validate Trumps baseless voter fraud claims, and on Saturday, he bluntly told the president the rigged-election theories were simply wrong. After a recording of the Saturday call leaked to the press, the MAGA world erupted with incandescent rage. A national security threat, proclaimed Charlie Kirk, MAGA youth leader and Turning Point USA co-founder. Brad Raffensperger should immediately be investigated. In the coming days, that MAGA revenge complex could target everyone from low-level members of Congress to Vice President Mike Pence, as Congress meets on Jan. 6 to formally certify Bidens victory. Republicans, Trump warned on Twitter, NEVER FORGET! speaking to lawmakers who have said they will not oppose Bidens certification. And Trump allies are plotting to fund potential pro-MAGA primary challengers to oust those disloyal Republicans. Well put some money behind trying to oust these Republicans, said Alex Bruesewitz, one of the organizers of Stop the Steal, an organization linked to high-profile MAGA personalities that is helping organize a major Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally in Washington. The swift move to vengeance offers a preview of how Trump and his MAGA community plan to reshape the GOP in the coming months creating Trump loyalty tests for Republicans, then working to evict anyone who doesnt fall in line. The goal is to identify those who are most worthy of inheriting the MAGA base with Trump out of office. But the result may be that no one except Trump can rally the MAGA coalition. I think that Trump and his supporters in the base, or his supporters in the Republican Party, are going to continue to be a big part of the party for the foreseeable future, including in 2022, said Alex Conant, a GOP political consultant and the former communications director for Sen. Marco Rubios 2016 presidential campaign. Most congressmen don't wake up in the morning worried about their general election. They worry about their primary. Story continues At the moment, Trump is focused on eviscerating Raffensperger, who has rebuffed Trumps attempts to subvert the Georgia election results and so, too, is his base. While Trumps allies launched a normal fusillade of personal attacks against Raffensperger former House Speaker and Trump ally Newt Gingrich called him anti-Republican they also called for criminal charges. Some suggested it had been illegal for the call to be recorded, even though Georgia law only requires one party in a conversation to consent to an audio recording. Others went further. Traitors in our midst, tweeted Chanel Rion, White House correspondent at the pro-Trump outlet OAN, along with the hashtag #InvestigateRaffensperger. Next, MAGA attention will focus on Capitol Hill, where Congress will meet on Jan. 6 in a joint session to formally certify Novembers presidential election. Pence will oversee the proceedings as vice president. Historically, the gathering is an afterthought, a noncontroversial rubber stamp on an already settled outcome. But in the Trump era, the president, scores of Republicans and throngs of his supporters are insisting that lawmakers should refuse to sign off on the results, incorrectly arguing that the election was rigged. Trump-supporting entities are trying to concoct novel constitutional powers that Pence could wield at the last minute from his largely ministerial perch, which mostly involves opening the envelopes with each states Electoral College votes, and then handing them to a secretary for recording. Alexander Macris, a video game writer who became known for his role in Gamergate, the online harassment campaign targeting women, suggested in a viral essay that Pence could re-interpret the 1877 Electoral Count Act in a way that would allow him to simply not count the votes. Edward Foley, the director of the Election Law Project at Ohio State University, flatly rejected the interpretation. I mean, it was raised in the 19th century, but its never been accepted in the sense that the Supreme Court's never adopted it. It's never even prevailed at Congress, he said. That hasnt stopped pro-Trump outlets like The Gateway Pundit from making tantalizing offers directed at Pence.Pence can place himself in the history books alongside Thomas Jefferson or he can sign off on the destruction of the United States as we know it, read an op-ed on the site. Others have traded carrots for sticks: Prominent conspiratorial-minded figures, such as pro-Trump Georgia lawyer Lin Wood, claimed that Pence could be arrested, tried for treason and executed by firing squad if he did not act on Trumps behalf. And out in the wilds of the QAnon conspiracy community, the process might not even matter: Pence, some argued, might be a body double, put in place by a Satanic cabal to further its plots. Lawmakers in Congress, meanwhile, have different concerns on their hands: Many will soon seek reelection. And for a certain brand of politician, going MAGA is the safest bet. Most of these people that won during the [2020] primaries, they said, I'm the most like Trump. And that's why most of them won their primaries, said Breusewitz, the Stop the Steal organizer. And so if they go back, the voters will hold them accountable. Perhaps conscious of this, several newly-minted representatives have vowed to keep resisting even after Biden is sworn in. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) pledged to push for a commission to investigate the election. Others are planning to be among those protesting in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, who both gained notoriety for promoting QAnon conspiracies earlier in their political careers, are scheduled to speak at the rally. As for those who dont sufficiently fight against Bidens inauguration, Bruesewitz has promised they will be punished. When we say every Republican that does not stand strong with the president will get a primary challenger, that does not mean we believe that we can beat every single one of them, he said. But what it means is we will make them spend their money. And we will urge their donors to not support them. Even with at least 140 House Republicans and 12 Senate Republicans vowing to oppose certification on Wednesday, Congress will still sign off on Bidens win. Only a simple congressional majority is needed to formalize the results, which is all but guaranteed given the current makeup of Congress. And Pence himself has remained chilly on the topic, with a spokesperson saying that while the vice president backed the lawmakers right to object, it was up to them to actually prove fraud. For the majority of Republicans, Conant argued, This effort to undermine the integrity of the election will only help Joe Biden. And I say that because it'll leave Biden's opposition in Congress divided and many Republicans defending a very unpopular position. Still, for the right type of Republican, a vast MAGA empire is within reach: Trumps fundraising numbers skyrocketed after the election, as his campaign solicited donations to fight nebulous voter-fraud allegations. Tapping into that energy could give the most fervent MAGA Republicans a boost in the coming years. But, as Conant noted, that only works if Trump stays involved in Republican races around the country far from a certainty once he leaves the White House. I suppose if Trump made his life mission to defeat everyone that wasn't loyal with him until the very end, maybe it could have an impact, Conant said. Just count me skeptical that he's going to spend the next two years playing in Republican primary politics, when he never showed that much of an interest in doing that when he was president. Still, Breusewitz, the Stop the Steal organizer, argued Republican voters are now solidly aligned with Trump. Republican voters want to see the party grow in a direction towards the presidents, and continue with the America First and the MAGA movement, he said. CORRECTION: This report has been updated to correctly identify the speaker who called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger anti-Republican. It is Trump ally Newt Gingrich. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Many educators are understandably hesitant to address controversial civic and political issues in an era of increased political polarization and misinformation. They need our support. Districts can provide professional development on how to structure respectful classroom discussions grounded in evidence and analysis. Schools can engage students in service learning opportunities where they learn about and address community problems, thereby building social trust and understanding. Elected officials and civic leaders also can play a critically important role by talking about the role of our public schools in enhancing democracy. If we ignore our problems, they will not go away. We must reclaim the democratic purposes of education so that students learn to investigate pressing issues, seek out trustworthy information, engage productively across differences, and take action so that both our communities and our state can reach their full potential. The current moment has created both an opportunity and an obligation to act. WATCH NOW: EXPERTS SAY VACCINES SHOULD WORK AGAINST NEW COVID STRAIN CHECK OUT THE CARTOONS OF THE YEAR, 2020 Joseph Kahne is the Ted and Jo Dutton Presidential Professor for Education Policy and the Civic Engagement Research Group at UC Riverside. Erica Hodgin is the co-director of the Civic Engagement Research Group at UC Riverside. John Rogers is a professor of education and the director of the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at UCLA. They wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias Capitol works and why it matters. To the Right Honorable Governor of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant: You have been pleased to send unto us a certain prohibition or command that we should not receive or entertain any of those people called Quakers because they are supposed to be, by some, seducers of the people. For our part we cannot condemn them in this case, neither can we stretch out our hands against themWe desire therefore in this case not to judge lest we be judged, neither to condemn lest we be condemned, but rather let every man stand or fall to his own Master. We are bound by the law to do good unto all men, especially to those of the household of faith. With those words, Edward Hart, the town clerk of what is now the Queens neighborhood of Flushing, New York, began a powerful 650-word document known as the Flushing Remonstrance. It was December 27, 1657. Hart wrote on behalf of the 30 inhabitants of the village who also boldly signed their name below his. This was a defiant shot across the bow of the state, personified by Governor Stuyvesant. It was an act of resistance and an early declaration in favor of the freedom of peaceful worship. Moreover, it was not a self-serving stand for the freedom of those who signed it (none of them were Quakers), but rather a defense of the freedom of others. A depiction of the harbor at New Amsterdam, circa 1660, where the Dutch sent colonists to settle from 1624. (MPI/Getty Images) Think of it in these terms: In contravention of the practice of tolerance back in the mother country of the Netherlands, Governor Stuyvesant promulgated a policy of intolerance in the Dutch settlements of New York. He aimed to persecute those who did not adhere to the Dutch Reformed Church, and the nonconformist Quakers were his prime target. In this response, the citizens of Flushing essentially stated, You are commanding us to persecute Quakers. We will not. So take your intolerance and stick it where the sun doesnt shine. If you are inclined to stop reading because freedom of peaceful worship is not important to youperhaps you are not of any faith or you believe your faith is not threatenedthink again. Freedom in one sense is indivisible; a successful attack on one of its elements invites assaults on the others. Allow the state to breach one wall of freedoms fortress and you have invited it inside, where its agents will work to bring down the remaining walls. A government that can tell you what to think and say and punish you for thinking and saying what it disapproves, will not self-limit its despotism there. This is likely what Voltaire had in mind when he reputedly asserted, I disagree with what you say but will contend to the death for your right to say it. The timid multitudes stand idly by as freedom is crushed, doing nothing unless the danger appears on their own doorstep. The uncommonly courageous few will rise far sooner, and it is to them that all of us who love freedom owe a special gratitude. A U.S. postage stamp commemorates religious freedom and the Flushing Remonstrance. (Public domain) Governor Stuyvesants policy of persecution had begun in 1656 with an ordinance banning unauthorized religious meetings. Quaker preachers were harassed, arrested, jailed, and fined. In Flushing itself, a Baptist pastor was imprisoned and then exiled for the crime of baptizing without a license from the Dutch Reformed officialdom. The Flushing Remonstrance stirs my blood with an abiding appreciation for principled courage. How fitting for such an enlightened document to appear two days after Christmas! Inspired by Jesuss teachings, the brave souls of Flushing were likely full of hope for the good that peace and tolerance could bring in the New Year. They concluded their statement thusly: The law of love, peace and liberty condemns hatred, war and bondage desiring to do unto all men as we desire all men should do unto us.Therefore if any of these said persons come in love unto us, we cannot in conscience lay violent hands upon them, but give them free egress and regress unto our Town, and houses, as God shall persuade our consciences. Stuyvesant reacted in anger. Determined to quash the spirit of the Remonstrance, he dissolved Flushings town government and put his own cronies in charge. He arrested four of the signers of the Remonstrance, including Edward Hart. To his credit, the elderly Hart went to jail but never recanted. Relief from Stuyvesants harsh rule finally arrived in 1663, but not by the hand of any government. The Dutch West India Company, sponsor and investor in the Dutch colonies of North America, dispatched a letter to Stuyvesant ordering him to stop religious persecution. So much did Thomas Jefferson later revel in the spirit of the Flushing-inspired motto, Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God, he inserted it on his personal seal. Today, the Flushing Remonstrance is known as the religious Magna Carta of the New World. It proved to be a major influence on Americas Founders to enshrine freedom of worship in the Bill of Rights, more than a century after the citizens of Flushing defied a Governor. God bless America. For Additional Information, See: Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, and his deputies have made clear to colleagues that they strongly oppose the effort to reverse the election results, but Mr. Hawley has said he will force a vote and at least 12 other Republican senators plan to back him. The party fissures have extended to the House, where the top Republican, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, has not revealed how he plans to vote on Jan. 6 but has said he is supportive of those who want to have a debate, while Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 Republican, has argued vociferously against the move. That has created something of a free-for-all in the House. Lawmakers have been left to weigh on their own whether to vote to protect the sanctity of the election and risk incurring the wrath of their constituents, or move to overturn the results in a doomed loyalty test that could badly damage their party. Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, said in an interview that he and the other conservatives who came out on Monday against the challenge were hoping to put forward a constitutionally grounded argument from a pro-Trump perspective that their colleagues could adopt. I think there are a lot of people of the same mind as us, but they were looking for some kind of grounding or maybe some kind of cover, Mr. Massie said. I feel like there are people getting sucked into the other vortex as the hours go by. Other Republicans, including some of the presidents most ardent defenders, were plainly uneasy about the coming vote, prompting a series of tortured statements seeking to justify the most basic of democratic positions: a vote to respect the outcome of an election. The easiest vote for me politically would be to object to everything and vote for every objection, Senator Kevin Cramer, Republican of North Dakota, said on Sunday. On Monday, Mr. Cramer issued a statement saying he would not object, adding objecting to the Electoral College votes is not an appropriate or effective way to change the results. Senator Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican who is up for re-election in 2022, said in a lengthy statement that he voted for Mr. Trump but could not object to certifying the election results, citing his opposition to a similar, Democratic-led effort in 2005. NEW HAVEN (AP) A Connecticut man was charged with manslaughter Monday in connection with the 2019 death of a four-month-old baby who suffered head and neck injuries, New Haven States Attorney Patrick Griffin said. Angel Rodriguez, 35, of Bridgeport, was arrested on a warrant and arraigned in New Haven Superior Court, where a judge ordered him detained on $500,000 bail. He is due back in court on Jan. 19. A message seeking comment was left for Rodriguezs public defender Monday. Rodriguez, who police say denied injuring the baby, was caring for the girl in New Haven when she became unresponsive on Nov. 8, 2019, and he called 911. The child died two days later at a hospital. The chief medical examiners office determined the cause of death to be homicide by blunt impact injuries to her head and neck. The childs mother told police she fed the baby on the morning of Nov. 8 and left her in the care of Rodriguez while she went to work. Rodriguez told investigators the baby was laughing and behaving normally that morning, but in the afternoon he discovered her face down on her belly and she was blue and cold to the touch. Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months STOCKHOLM, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumber Markets - Europe Lumber trade fell slightly in Europe in 2020. During the first eight months, shipments from the major exporting countries were down 1.2% - the first y-o-y decline in eight years, reports the WRQ. Countries that have reduced exports the most so far this year include Finland, Latvia, and Austria.There have been mixed developments in the Nordic countries, with Finland shipping substantially less lumber this year, while Sweden actually increased shipments. Sweden is on track to reach an all-time high in export sales this year. The markets where Swedish exporters have expanded the most since 2019 include the US, China, Germany, Denmark, and Egypt. Lumber prices in Finland and Sweden have moved up during much of 2020, as reported in the WRQ. The increases followed a low point in late 2019 when prices were at their lowest in over ten years (in US dollar terms). Lumber Markets - North America The US lumber market was red hot in the 3Q/20, with prices surging to levels never seen before. Southern pine prices increased by 160% from the year's low in April, to September. In Western US, Douglas-fir lumber prices almost doubled during the same period. High domestic demand for lumber in the US and a trade dispute with China reduced US softwood exports in 2019 and 2020, with y-o-y reductions of 17% recorded in the first nine months of 2020. Total shipments for 2020 are on track to be their lowest in over ten years. Canadian lumber exports have also declined in 2020. During the first nine months of the year, shipments were 10% lower than in the same period in 2019, with most of the decline occurring from January to June. In the 3Q/20, total export sales picked up from the previous two quarters, equaling the 3Q/19 shipment volume. The price surge in the US domestic market directly impacted Canadian export prices in 2020. Average prices for US-bound lumber in September 2020 were 94% higher than in September 2019. Lumber Markets - the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is the largest importer and the second-largest consumer of softwood lumber in Europe. In 2019, the country imported 6.7 million m3, which was a y-o-y decline for the second consecutive year. Although lumber imports showed a substantial increase in the 3Q this year, the first nine months' total volume was still 22% below the same period in 2019. Shipments from Sweden, the largest lumber supplier to the UK, have fallen less than imports from other countries, including Latvia, Finland, Russia, and Germany. Import prices were generally higher in the fall than earlier in the year. Lumber Markets - China Lumber imports to China slowed in the 3Q/20, with total volumes falling 2% from the previous quarter and 4% from the 3Q/19. Total imports for the first nine months were 10% below the same period in 2019, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. China's two largest supplying countries, Russia and Canada, collectively account for roughly two-thirds of total imported softwood lumber. They both lost market share in 2020. Predominantly European suppliers, including Ukraine, Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Belarus, have been increasing their presence in China to fill the need for wood in the world's second-largest market this year.Despite the reduced demand for lumber, import prices have moved up this year and in the third quarter were the highest they have been in two years. Russian prices were close to a record high. Russian lumber is also the supply source that has increased the most in price the past year. Lumber Markets - Japan Lumber imports to Japan fell by almost 10% during the first nine months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The y-o-y changes were mixed for the four leading suppliers, with Canada, Finland, and Russia reducing shipments to Japan, while Sweden increased export volumes by 19% this year. Importation from smaller suppliers such as Austria, Chile, the United States, the Czech Republic, and Germany have fallen by 10-35% in 2020.Import prices have slowly trended downward the past two years, with the average price in the 3Q/20 being 13% lower than in the 3Q/18. According to the Japan Lumber Journal, the most significant changes from September 2019 to September 2020 were an increase of Canadian hemlock prices by 15% (in Yen terms) and the decrease in European whitewood prices by about 13%. Are you interested in worldwide wood products market? The Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ) is a 70-page report established in 1988 and has subscribers in over 30 countries. The publication tracks prices for sawlog, pulpwood, lumber, and pellets and reports on trade and wood market developments in most key regions worldwide. For more insights on the latest international forest product market trends, please go to www.WoodPrices.com CONTACT: Wood Resources International LLC Hakan Ekstrom info@woodprices.com www.woodprices.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/wood-resources-international-llc/r/lumber-prices-have-increased-worldwide-in-the-second-half-of-2020-with-us-prices-almost-doubling,c3262831 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Tuesday reserved order on the application of Indrani Mukerjea seeking exemption from wearing a green saree - a uniform for prisoners across Maharashtra. Mukerjea is lodged at Byculla jail since her arrest in August 2015, in connection with Sheena Bora murder case. On Tuesday, the prison authority of Byculla jail submitted a reply on Mukerjeas plea stating, that as per rule undertrial prisoners booked in a murder case, fall under the category of prisoners, who have to wear a jail uniform. Mukerjeas lawyer Gunjan Mangla opposed this and argued that there is no specified rule as to what uniform should be worn. Indrani suffers from mental health issues since her arrest. If she is asked to wear the prison uniform, it would affect her further. Besides, the undertrial prisoners are allowed to wear their regular clothes, Mangla argued. It was also pointed out that why after almost five years prison authority is insisting her to wear the prison uniform. On December 22, Mangla had approached the special CBI court with a plea that Mukerjea be permitted to wear regular clothes. Mangala pointed out that she was an under-trial prisoner and not a convict. Sheena Bora, 24, was allegedly strangled in a car by Indrani Mukerjea, her then driver Shyamvar Rai and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, on April 2012. Her body was later burnt in a forest in neighbouring Raigad district. An experienced digital marketer and strategist, Shelley Kanther is Griswold Home Care's new Director of Marketing. Our goal to elevate the Griswold Home Care brand requires a digital-first mindset. Shelleys familiarity in online strategy for local small businesses provides experience similar to working with a franchise network, while bringing innovative ideas, said Griswold Home Care CEO Michael Slupecki. Shelley Kanther has joined Griswold Home Care as Director of Marketing, a newly created position. Kanthers addition to Griswolds executive leadership team demonstrates the growing home care companys commitment to strategic expansion. She is an experienced marketer with a depth of digital experience. Michael Slupecki, Griswold Home Care CEO said, Our goal to elevate and modernize the Griswold Home Care brand requires fresh eyes and a digital-first mindset. Shelleys familiarity in online strategy for local small businesses provides experience similar to working with a franchise network, while bringing innovative ideas and the shift in perspective weve been looking for. Most recently Kanther was Marketing & Digital Strategy Consultant at the New England Appliance & Electronics Groups (NEAEG) where she led the companys strategic digital marketing direction at the corporate level and on behalf of 105 local independent retailers. Prior to joining the NEAEG, Kanther was Marketing Development Manager for Electrolux Major Appliances North America and a partner at Hoopla Marketing & Public Relations. Kanther is a Conshohocken, Pennsylvania native who earned a BA in Communications with a Journalism focus at Penn State University. She was Valedictorian of the prestigious College of Communications in 1997. About Griswold Home Care With 200 locations in 30 states, Griswold Home Care is one of the countrys top home care companies, delivering compassionate care 24/7 to its clients. Its purpose is to give people the help they need to live in the place they love. Through this purpose, Griswold Home Care helps adults maintain quality of life despite advanced age or onset of illness through services including companion care, home services, personal care, and respite care. Founded by the late Jean Griswold in 1982, the company has maintained its founders profound sense of empathy for older and disabled adults and those living with chronic conditions. For more information, visit http://www.griswoldhomecare.com or call 215.402.0200. Chinas stock benchmark is set to close above its 2015 bubble high for the first time, marking a recovery from one of the countrys worst equity crashes. The CSI 300 Index rose as much as 1.7% on Tuesday, surpassing the 5,353.75-point close from June 8, 2015. That would be its highest close since 2008. The gauge has surged more than 50% since a low in March last year, a rally that accelerated after Beijing made it easier to buy stocks using borrowed money. That advance helped push the value of Chinas domestic to a record $11 trillion. Chinas stock benchmark outpaced MSCI Inc.s global benchmark by the most in six years in 2020, with savers funneling cash into thousands of new stock funds after some popular wealth products suffered their first-ever losses. The bullishness was reinforced by a strong currency, as well as data showing Chinas economy was rebounding faster than other major economies from the virus pandemic. After Chinese stocks peaked in 2015, a tumble over the next three months erased more than $5.2 trillion in value as sellers scrambled to liquidate margin trades. Policy makers took some steps to slow the rally in July last year, after a sudden rally and a surge in turnover invited comparisons to the start of Chinas last stock bubble. This time the gains will be more sustainable, according to analysts. Citigroup Inc. analysts including Pierre Lau raised their target for the CSI 300 Index to 5,525 points, while Morgan Stanley analysts including Laura Wang set a year-end target of 5,570 for the gauge. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Day 2 of the PokerStars Blowout Series: $215 NLHE [8-Max, The Big Blowout!] has come to an end after more than eight hours of play with 23 players making it through to the final day. They have all secured at least $10,887 out of the $6,371,000 prize pool but are all looking to grab that first-place prize of $632,426. There were 29,463 entries on Day 1 and with the late registration and reentry period open until the delayed start of Day 2, another 2,392 were collected. The 23,994 unique players reentered 7,861 times to get to 31,855 entries in total and 4,463 of them got paid. No hand-for-hand play was needed for the bubble to burst in this big field. Coming back for the final day with the chip lead is Romania's "UnHuman3" with a whopping 122,991,718 in chips, worth 154 big blinds when play resumes. They aren't the only Romanian players left in the field as "Sergiu "seserman01" Cornea" (55,211,856) and "Eduardnho11" (44,417,889) join them in the top five. The players preventing them from forming a top three are "Olegent" (77,440,795) and "DoEasyMoney" (62,808,998). "UnHuman3" claimed the chip lead in the latter stages of the tournament after taking out Guilherme "gui2x" Oliveira and Rafael "RafaCorreaBR" Correa in quick succession but "plov2" and Gustavo "gremistaAK" Pinto are still left in the running for Brazil. Tom Middleton finished in 31st place for $8,131 Day 1 chip leader "Magdebob1993" had a bit of a swingy day but managed to survive with 31,311,886 chips in the end to end in the middle of the pack. Not everyone was that lucky though, Tom "hitthehole" Middleton, Ryan "HITTHEPANDA" Franklin, Teun "tinnoemulder" Mulder, Lucas "YRWTHMELTHR" Greenwood, Antonio "Biodelic420" Henrique, and Tsolmon "tsoomoo89" Ochir all made the top 100 but not Day 3. When play resumes at 6:05 p.m. GMT on Tuesday, January 5 for Day 3, the remaining players will finish Level 53 which features a small blind of 400,000, a big blind of 800,000, and a running ante of 100,000. Once 16 players are left, the level duration will increase to 20 minutes each and play will continue until a champion can be crowned. PokerNews will be there from the first raise until the final river card so make sure to return for all the live updates right here. A GoFundMe page set up to raise funds to cover the funeral costs for George Nkencho has surpassed its 20,000 target, just five days after it was launched. A total of 20,209 has been raised as of lunchtime today. The page states that "Katie B is organising this fundraising appeal on behalf of Gloria Nkencho" and that it was created five days ago. George Nkencho was fatally shot on Wednesday 30th December 2020, it states. This fundraiser is to try and help the Nkencho family worry about one less thing right now & help raise some funds for the cost of Georges funeral & any other costs that may arise. It adds: The Nkencho family - we are thinking of you all and we are all so sorry for your loss. Rest In Peace George. Expand Close Friends of George Nkencho protest outside Blanchardstown Garda station, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Friends of George Nkencho protest outside Blanchardstown Garda station, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) Read More The page states that all funds will be transferred immediately to Gloria Nkencho once the fundraiser has reached its target. This fundraiser is organized by a family friend, it adds. The family are aware of the fundraiser. The page detail reveal that there were 179 donors, and 1.1k shares. Meanwhile, an autopsy by the State Pathologists office has confirmed Mr Nkencho died as a result of two shots to the chest. According to The Irish Times: It is understood solicitors for the Nkencho family plan to have an independent autopsy conducted on Mr Nkenchos remains and to have independent experts analyse footage of the shooting. GSOC is investigating the incident that involved the discharge of an official firearm in Clonee" after Gardai had been called following reports of a man armed with a knife at a Eurospar shop in Hartstown. George Nkencho had reportedly threatened staff at the shop at around 12.15pm. Mr Nkencho then fled from the shop, threatening uniformed gardai with a knife as he made his way home a short distance away at Manorfields Drive. His family have said he suffered from mental health issues in recent years. Expand Close George Nkenchos mother, Blessing, arrives at the scene of the shooting / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp George Nkenchos mother, Blessing, arrives at the scene of the shooting Read More Around a dozen gardai were present at the scene, including members of the Armed Support Unit, and gardai say they were also threatened with a knife. They implemented what gardai call a graduated policing response. This is where the use of less-than-lethal force options are initially administered in an effort to resolve an incident. Gardai say the less-than-lethal use of force options were unsuccessful, and a number of shots were fired from an official garda firearm at around 12.35pm. Senior sources said the decision to fire shots was because the gardai believed there was an "imminent threat to life". "He had been pepper sprayed and tasered but when this did not work the use of lethal force became necessary. There were concerns that he could kill someone," a source said. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors (TNS) More than 200 employees at Google parent company Alphabet announced plans to form a union Monday, joining with the Communications Workers of America to organize full-time and contract workers alike.The move comes after public walkouts and controversies over employee dismissals at Google in recent years.Members and union founders pointed to recent high-profile firings at Google as well as its handling of pay equity and harassment at work, creating a need for the union. Disputes over government contracts, particularly work on drone technology with military applications, also created cause for pushing back, they said."This union builds upon years of courageous organizing by Google workers," said Nicki Anselmo, a program manager at Google and union member, in a statement.Thousands of Google employees staged a walkout in 2018 over the company's handling of sexual harassment in the workplace. More recently, a raft of workers signed a statement castigating the company for how it handled a dispute with a now-former researcher, Timnit Gebru, that accused the company of treating her unfairly.Last month, the National Labor Relations Board gave a group of engineers fired by the company permission to bring a retaliation case against the company."We've always worked hard to create a supportive and rewarding workplace for our workforce." Kara Silverstein, Google's director of people operations, said in an emailed statement. "Of course our employees have protected labor rights that we support. But as we've always done, we'll continue engaging directly with all our employees," she added.Internal activism at Silicon Valley companies, particularly among the white-collar, full-time workforce, over culture and compensation is not uncommon. But unions are historically rare. Many tech companies got their start in the South Bay to avoid San Francisco's perceived friendliness to unions, and in recent decades, they have lavished elite technical workers with high pay and benefits.That Google is one of the largest and most powerful companies, responsible for a large portion of the world's internet traffic and online advertising revenue, makes the union that much more notable.Including contract workers in a union framework is even rarer.In an opinion piece published in the New York Times, two Google workers and founding members of the union, Parul Koul and Chewy Shaw, sought to frame the unionization effort as a continuation of Google's early "Don't be evil" principle.While only a small fraction of the more than 130,000 Alphabet employees worldwide are involved in it presently, the union drive is less focused on obtaining recognition and striking a contract and more on creating a center of gravity for ongoing activism at the company.Organizers pointed to successful efforts in the past to win concessions from the company.Increasing benefits and pay for contract workers and ending forced arbitration at the company as well as stopping Pentagon projects workers felt violated the company's ethical principles were some of those successes."From the start, Alphabet has had a culture of workers speaking up when the company made mistakes," organizers wrote on their website. Gov. Charlie Baker is set to provide an update Tuesday on COVID-19 vaccination and economic recovery efforts in Massachusetts. Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will join Baystate Health President & CEO Mark Keroack at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield Tuesday morning for a press conference, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. From there, the governor and lieutenant governor will join Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rosalin Acosta at the Springfield Innovation Center, located downtown on Bridge Street. An announcement will be made regarding internet connectivity and economic recovery efforts tied to the pandemic. Unlike the governors press conferences held at the State House, neither will not be streamed live via YouTube. MassLive will provide full coverage. The updates comes following a shift in the states vaccination timeline. Massachusetts residents older than 75, and residents of all ages with two or more pre-existing conditions that put them at higher risk for COVID have been moved up in the states vaccine priority timeline, state health officials announced on Monday. Massachusetts oldest residents and those with serious pre-existing conditions were moved up to the front of the line during Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout plan. The vaccine will be offered in three phases. The first to receive the vaccine are healthcare workers offering direct care to COVID patients. This includes not only doctors and nurses in hospitals but other support staff within the health care system who come into direct contact with COVID patients. Those living and working in long-term care facilities, rest homes and assisted living facilities were next on the list. The vaccine is being provided to these residents and workers through a partnership between federal health officials and CVS. The state will begin vaccinating police officers and emergency personnel next week, officials said. The latest update on vaccine distribution shows about 40% of COVID doses delivered to Massachusetts have been injected. Several neighboring states report higher vaccination rates. Connecticut, Maine and Vermont have administered the vaccine to more than 2% of their state populations, among the first states in the nation to reach that marker, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday. Massachusetts health officials confirmed another 4,358 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the number of active statewide cases to 81,449. Officials also announced another 60 COVID-related fatalities, for a total now of 12,401 confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic. There are currently 2,339 patients hospitalized with the respiratory infection, or with COVID-like symptoms, including 423 in intensive care. Of those, 258 are currently intubated, data shows. The seven-day average of positive tests is currently 8.50%. Farmers and those involved in food production are again included on a list of 'key workers' whose children will still be able to go to school. The government announced the news on Monday (4 January) as schools closed again to most children following the introduction of the UK's third lockdown. Being a key worker ensures that children of those workers will still be able to go to school as the country continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. It includes professions such as doctors, nurses, midwives, teachers, nursery staff, police and transport workers. Farmers are included on the list, as they are involved in food production. Those involved in food processing, distribution, sale and delivery as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (for example hygienic and veterinary medicines) are included. Regarding the third lockdown, government guidance reads: You may only leave your home for work if you cannot reasonably work from home. Where people cannot work from home - including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing - they should continue to travel to their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers. Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work." Doggie Diner Location: Sloat Boulevard at 45th Avenue (Plaque inscription for the Doggie Diner Head, San Francisco city landmark #254): WELCOME TO OCEAN BEACH This sign stood outside the last operating Doggie Diner restaurant (later, 'Carousel') on the N.E. corner of 46th Ave. and Sloat Blvd. Designed in 1966 by graphic artist Harold Bachman (1921-2005) for the popular unionized Bay Area drive-in chain, the Doggie's whimsical style (shades of swing and early auto age cartoons) has delighted generations of visitors to Ocean Beach. A massive grassroots preservation effort, chronicled nationally in the "Zippy the Pinhead" comic strip, led to its acquisition by the City of San Francisco (Dec. 2000). Toppled by wind April 1, 2001, it was restored by the Department of Public Works, returned to its post by Independence Day, and relocated to this median in January, 2005. The last Doggie Diner head (on a pole) makes its home in the outer Sunset District, and since being designated as a landmark it has transcended its origin as a whimsical advertising icon. Started by Al Ross in 1949, the chain of Doggie Diner restaurants were everywhere by the 1960s. The Richmond District alone had three of them, and a three-dimensional (and once rotating) dog head with chef hat glared down gleefully at each of them. Ross sold the chain in 1979, and the last diner to go by the name Doggie Diner closed in 1986. (The name was revived for certain concession stands in the San Francisco Giants new ballpark in 2000.) Designed in the 1960s by illustrator Harold Bachman (who, surprised at all the hubbub, said in early 2005 he just thought the darned thing would help sell hamburgers), this San Francisco institution has found a new location a block from its old home. The Doggie Diner head now welcomes visitors to Ocean Beach from 45th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard, giving his sardonic grin to all who come west. (Probably a nice change of view, after looking south at the San Francisco Zoo for over 40 years.) On February 14, 2005, under threatening skies, a small, happy crowd welcomed the Doggie to its new home. Ed Lee, the head of San Francisco's Department of Public Works, presided and welcomed third-graders from Ulloa Elementary School, some real canines (and their guardians), a couple of jugglers, elected officials, and a passel of media. Doggie saviors Diana Scott and Joel Schechter of the Ocean Beach Historical Society attended and Diana gave a few words of thanks along with the exclamation of the day: "Long Live the Doggie!" No sign of Zippy the Pinhead, but likely the Doggie will re-enter Zippy's world soon enough Doggie Diner founder Al Ross died in Palm Springs, California on March 31, 2010. More Doggie: SF West History Minute - the Doggie Diner heads The 2001 Doggie Dedicationa recap and photos from Arnold Woods. See Zippy the Pinhead and the Doggie! Anna Conti: Doggie Artist! Read more about the Doggie Diner head toppling at the San Francisco Chronicle site. Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places! Case Western Reserve and local, global partners work to better predict which patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas will need chemotherapy, radiation or surgery CLEVELAND--Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and partners in the United States and India are applying the investigative and predictive capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) to help physicians customize treatments for patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas. Research shows that oral squamous cell carcinomas is already the 8th most common cancer type worldwide and numbers are steadily increasing in the United States, India and other parts of Asia. The National Cancer Institute awarded a five-year, $3.3 million grant to a group led by Anant Madabhushi, the Donnell Institute Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve and head of the Center for Computational Imaging and Personalized Diagnostics (CCIPD), and James Lewis Jr., a Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The CCIPD has become a global leader in AI-driven precision medicine research. Madabhushi and his research team at the CCIPD hold more than 60 patents, many tied to their work in various cancers. In this work, researchers will use advanced computer vision and machine learning techniques to identify cancer and immune cells on digitized images of oral squamous cell carcinoma tissue slides and then recognize spatial patterns among those cells. This technology allows computerized vision to recognize patterns and quantify features that simply are beyond the human visual system but are powerful indicators of tumor biology. These algorithms will help oncologists and pathologists to then better determine which cancers are more versus less aggressive. This, in turn, will then enable them to identify which patients with early stage disease could safely receive surgery alone, versus who might need postoperative radiation. In addition, it could help identify which patients with advanced stage disease might need chemotherapy with radiation after initial treatment versus who may be adequately treated with radiation alone. Madabhushi and Lewis will work with a number of partners--Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals in Cleveland, the San Francisco VA Health System, and Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, India--in a national and global endeavor to improve oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma patient care with advanced technology and data sharing. The clinical partners will provide glass slides to be digitized or will directly provide digitally scanned whole slide images which will be used to train the AI algorithms for predicting outcomes as well as treatment benefit. The team will also have access unique datasets from completed prospective, randomized, clinical trials of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients at the Tata Memorial Center as well as from the cancer clinical cooperative group NRG Oncology. The datasets that will allow for validation of the AI tools. Seeking precise, personal predictions Currently, physicians place oral carcinoma patients into one of three categories: those who require just surgery; those who should have surgery plus radiation therapy; or those who will need surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. "That's the gold standard right now: a system that puts patients in those very broad categories," Madabhushi said. "For clinicians and pathologists, this is limiting because it relies on a limited number of parameters. But our machines are looking at the appearance of cells, their spatial architecture and interplay between different cell types, to parse out those patients who should actually be in another category." For example, Madabhushi said, their AI research has already shown that there is a subset of early stage patients now placed in the first category--surgery alone--who are actually at a much higher risk and would do poorly with surgery alone. "Instead, they should be offered radiation therapy as well, but under the current parameters, that is not called for," Madabhushi said. The group will also look at anticipated differences in the appearance of oral cancer among patients of different races, a fast-developing aspect of Madabhushi's AI-based investigations. Previous research by the lab used AI to reveal apparent tissue level cellular distinctions between Black and white men with prostate cancer, enabling the development of population-specific risk prediction models. Oral cancers rising Oral carcinomas include cancers of the mouth, tongue, gums, and lips. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these cancers can develop on the mobile tongue, the tissue lining the gums and hard palate, and on the underside of the tongue and floor of the mouth, Oral carcinoma accounts for roughly 3% of all cancers diagnosed annually in the United States, with nearly 400,000 new cases being diagnosed annually worldwide. Oral carcinoma most often occurs in people over age 40 and affects more than twice as many men as women. Most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, alcohol use, or both. Infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is very common in oropharyngeal carcinomas, is a less common cause of oral carcinomas. ### Other members of the research team include: Drs. Shlomo Koyfman, David Adelstein, and Deborah Chute at the Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic; Dr. Ted Teknos, president of Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals; Dr. Stephen Connelly, San Francisco VA Health System; and Drs Sarbani Ghosh-Laskar and Swapnil Rane, Tata Cancer Center. Case Western Reserve University is one of the country's leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, we offer a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Our leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Our nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 5,100 undergraduate and 6,200 graduate students comprise our student body. Visit case.edu to see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 [January 05, 2021] Vibrent Health Partners with Universities and Healthcare Organizations to Create COVIDsmart Research Study to Help Public Health Policy Makers Respond to Current and Long-Term Impacts of Health Crises Vibrent Health, a health technology company powering the future of precision health research, in partnership with the Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) -Sentara Healthcare Analytics and Delivery Science Institute (HADSI) and George Mason University (GMU), announced today the formation of an academic-industry partnership that will launch a national study, COVIDsmart, examining the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on individuals and their communities. The digital study, which will begin recruiting participants this month, seeks to help researchers and public health policy makers to collect broad longitudinal data sets to better understand current and future effects of the pandemic on individuals, their families and communities. The study aims to enroll volunteers from all walks of life across America. "The need for more research on how COVID-19 is affecting us all is urgent, and we are fortunate to have the means to gather crucial data for COVIDsmart virtually using technology, so that anyone and everyone can participate in this invaluable health study, without having to leave their homes," said Praduman "PJ" Jain, CEO of Vibrent Health, and co-principal investigator of the COVIDsmart study. This research study differs from other COVID-19 studies because it includes a focus on diverse populations that are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, provides public health policy makers with the ability for data-driven decision making and new protocols for future health crises, considers current and long-term effects of COVID-19 through longitudinal data collection, and enables study teams and researchers to adjust research strategies and tactics as needed for high impact. The study also aims to give back aggregate de-identified study data to participants so they can see how their community has been impacted by the pandemic and provide resources and information to participants to help them undestand impacts of the pandemic and inform themselves and their communities. The longitudinal study will follow participants to gather information about their experiences through the course of the pandemic. The study seeks to recruit a diverse cohort of ethnic, racial and cultural minorities to reflect the U.S. population's diversity and to include groups that have historically been underrepresented in biomedical research. "Diversity is essential to the relevance and validity of health research, and our goal is to recruit a diverse cohort to provide comprehensive data about how COVID-19 impacts people of all walks of life," said Sunita Dodani, MBBS, PhD, professor of internal medicine at EVMS, director of HADSI and the lead principal investigator of COVIDsmart study. Dodani, whose experience in public health and COVID-19 includes service on the Federation of American Scientists' COVID-19 Rapid Response Task Force, provides oversight of the study's survey methodology and content, developed by HADSI and Mason researchers. George Mason University and HADSI will work together to recruit diverse participants. Efforts include community outreach and social media campaigns. "The level of commitment and expertise that the partner organizations bring to COVIDsmart is a model of academic-industry collaboration in the interest of advancing science and health," said Amira Roess, an epidemiologist and professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at Mason. Vibrent Health will contribute its Digital Health Solutions Platform to COVIDsmart. Vibrent's platform is used by National Institutes of Health as the consumer-facing technology foundation for the All of Us Research Program, one of history's largest longitudinal research programs, with an aim of partnering with one million or more diverse people living in the United States. Vibrent's privacy protecting digital research platform collects data from broad sources, including environmental data, electronic health records, genomics, wearables and body sensors. The study will help researchers understand how individuals and communities have been impacted emotionally, socially, economically, and other ways. The anonymized results of the research will be made available to researchers and public health policy officials to guide them in identifying at-risk communities that are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. These insights can help direct resources and services where they are most needed during the coronavirus pandemic and any future health crisis. "In order to encourage participation and maintain the interest of the enrollees, we designed the user experience of the study to be engaging," said Jain. "Our goal is to keep participants invested and active in this research, so they can help their communities while they also derive the benefit of knowledge about COVID-19 that can help them cope with the pandemic, until we can all return to a semblance of normalcy." To learn more about how Vibrent Health can accelerate your digital health research, visit: www.vibrenthealth.com About Vibrent Health Vibrent Health's mission is to accelerate health research to optimize human health through precision technology and digital tools that empower participant engagement, research analytics and research management for researchers, research organizations and research participants. Through its Digital Health Solutions Platform, the company provides a large-scale versatile global platform for health research. The platform provides an infrastructure for data collection from broad sources including genomics, environment, lifestyle, behaviors and electronic health records. Since February 2017 Vibrent Health has served as the Participant Technology Systems Center for the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program, which aims to collect health data from one million or more people to support a wide variety of research studies. To learn more, visit vibrenthealth.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005223/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Ask about our new Total Equity Program with NO closing costs! Turn your house into a dream home. A New Jersey appeals court on Monday tossed the attempted murder conviction of a Monmouth County man, ruling that statements he gave to police should not have been allowed at his 2017 trial. Anthony Sims Jr., 32, of Long Branch, is serving 50 years in Trenton State Prison for allegedly shooting another man 12 times in Red Bank on April 9, 2014. In a ruling that is likely to change the way police interrogate criminal suspects, the three-judge panel found that detectives lied to Sims about why they wanted to question him: for an assault rather than the actual charge of attempted murder. The judges also determined that a person cannot knowingly waive their Miranda rights if the police do not explain why they are being arrested. It was erroneous for the trial court to admit (Sims) statement at trial, the judges wrote. The judges found that Sims right to confront his accuser was violated when the victim refused to testify at trial and prosecutors instead introduced statements the victim made to police and at a hearing. (Sims) was deprived of a meaningful opportunity to challenge the victims statement, the judges wrote. In addition, the court found that the sentence of 42 and to 50 years for attempted murder, along with 5 to 10 years for two weapons offenses was manifestly excessive. All evidence police obtained from Sims during questioning is considered unconstitutional and must be excluded from trial, the appeals court judges wrote. The decision vacates the conviction and paves the way for a new trial. The victim, who was not identified in court documents, was shot as he sat in a car in his grandmothers driveway. He later told police he saw a man he knew to be Sims crouching nearby and firing a gun at him. Red Bank police, based on the victims identification of the shooter, arrested Sims the next day. (Sims) asked why he was under arrest and (a detective) told him they would get into the details when they got to the Asbury Park office, court documents state. When they got to the satellite office in Asbury Park, detectives had Sims fill out a Miranda form stating he understood his rights but did not tell him he was arrested for attempted murder, the judges found. Instead, a detective told Sims he was under arrest for assault. Im sure you have a ton of questions. Ill be happy to get into all that, okay, in just a few minutes, a detective said, according to court documents. Lets just finish this (Miranda) form. Okay? During his interview, Sims denied knowing anything about an incident in Red Bank, but then said that he had read a newspaper article about the shooting. Sims at first denied knowing the victim, but then admitted that he knew him by his first name, according to court records. Statements illegally obtained from Sims during the interview, along with security video from the scene and other evidence, were enough to convince a grand jury to indict Sims, the judges said. The Monmouth County Prosecutors Office, which tried the case, is reviewing the courts decision. However, we believe there are factual inaccuracies underlying the courts decision, said spokesman Charles Webster. We welcome the opportunity to clarify the record in our forthcoming appeal. Charlie Webster, a prosecutors spokesman, told the Asbury Park Press that the prosecutors office plans to appeal the decision of the appeals court. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. She has been enjoying a sunnier climate in Dubai with boyfriend Chris Taylor and their reality star pals in recent weeks. And Maura Higgins was in for a shock on Tuesday as she stepped out in a midriff baring crop top, despite the freezing temperatures after returning to the UK. The Love Island star, 30, flaunted her toned abs in a cropped cream polo neck jumper, which she teamed with a pair of form-fitting checked trousers. All smiles! Maura Higgins was in for a shock on Tuesday as she stepped out in a midriff baring crop top, despite the freezing temperatures after returning to the UK Maura layered her look with a beige padded jacket, but left it open as she posed for the series of stylish snaps, while also carrying a Louis Vuitton backpack in her hand. The reality personality wore her brunette locks sleeked back into a chic bun, while sporting a bronze pallet of make-up on her pretty visage. She captioned the snaps: 'Freezing walks are the highlight of my day.' Sizzling: The Love Island star, 30, flaunted her toned abs in a cropped cream polo neck jumper, which she teamed with a pair of form-fitting checked trousers Maura's photos were well-received by her boyfriend Chris, 28, and her best pal Molly-Mae Hague, 21, who commented beneath the post. Chris wrote: 'Slaaaaaaaaaaaay.' While Molly-Mae penned: 'My pretty one.' Support network: Maura's photos were well-received by her boyfriend Chris, 28, and her best pal Molly-Mae Hague, 21, who commented beneath the post It comes after Chris joked about getting married to Maura one day, but they can't make up their minds on when it will be. The couple took part in a fun Q&A with Maura's followers when they were asked if they had any plans to tie the knot. Although they only confirmed their romance in November after months of speculation, it appears the couple have already thought about getting hitched. Wedding bells? Chris joked about getting married to girlfriend Maura one day, but they can't make up their minds on when it will be Reading the fan question, Maura said to her boyfriend: 'When are we getting married, Chris?' 'Oh God, erm.... next year?' he replied awkwardly. 'Like, as in this year?' Maura clarified, as they were recording the video on New Year's Day. 'No, next year,' Chris answered to which Maura said: 'That's ages!' Future: The Love Island stars took part in a fun Q&A with Maura's followers when they were asked if they had any plans to tie the knot 'Alright, this year,' he said quickly as Maura giggled. Maura and Chris both appeared on last year's series of Love Island but were never paired with each other. The Irish beauty was partnered with dancer Curtis Pritchard who she dated for several months after the show until their split. Chris, who was a late arrival, left the show with Harley Brash, however they were never an official couple. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. [January 05, 2021] Atlas One Granted Digital Securities License VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 4, 2021 /CNW/ - Atlas One Digital Securities Inc. (Atlas One) is pleased to announce that it has been granted registration as an Exempt Market Dealer (EMD) under the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) Regulatory Sandbox in conjunction with the British Columbia Securities Commission's (BCSC) Fintech & Innovation Team, with permission to issue digital securities using blockchain technology. "We are excited to establish Atlas One as a leading digital securities firm in Canada" says Atlas One's CEO George Nast. "We have a vision to disrupt the private capital markets, and our EMD registration is an integral piece of that." Atlas One's registration is an important milestone for the evolution of digital securities in Canada. Atlas One plans to launch its platform shortly, which will allow the firm and its clients to better leverage the benefits of technology in private capital markets. "With the planned launch of our business in the coming month, we will demonstrate the value we can bring to issuers and investors in raising capital and providing unique investment opportunities in digital securities" says Atlas One's COO Dean Sutton. The CSA Sandbox is an initiative of the CSA to support fintech businesses seeking to offer innovative products, services and applications in Canada, and allows firms to pioneer innovative ideas while tailoring unique regulatory requirements. Atlas One's investment platform is available to certain eligible investors at www.atlasone.ca. Atlas One LinkedIn SOURCE Atlas One Digital Securities Inc. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Two Kalamazoo schools previously using a year-round calendar will return to a traditional school year in 2021. The balanced calendar model at Washington Writers Academy and Woodward School of Technology and Research will come to an end this upcoming school year, Kalamazoo Public Schools said in a post to Facebook on Monday, Jan. 4. This decision was not made lightly, Superintendent Rita Raichoudhuri said. The senior leadership team and I met with the principals of WWA and WSTAR to discuss pros and cons, read research papers about balanced calendars, reviewed financial, logistical and scalability implications, and studied the schools data. Based on our findings, this decision is in the best interest of Kalamazoo Public Schools as a whole and the two schools. The balanced calendar model was implemented in May 2018 when the schools entered into a partnership with the state of Michigan, which was initially implemented to prevent the schools from being closed for poor performance. Woodward and Washington were among 38 schools across the state slated for closure by Michigans School Reform Office in 2017. The schools were released from the partnership in June 2020 after academic improvements. Related: 2 Kalamazoo schools released from state oversight after academic improvements The balanced calendar at the two elementary schools was put on pause during the coronavirus pandemic as all schools in the district are in virtual mode, the district said. When school resumes in the fall of 2021 all elementary schools will begin and end on the same date and have the same breaks. Also on MLive: I dont know normal, Kalamazoo superintendent says amid unusual school year Portage street mural says thank you to Pfizer workers producing COVID-19 vaccine Portage restaurant struggling through pandemic thankful for Christmas miracle Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended former President John Mahama for finally choosing 'the legal path' Mr. Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have filed a petition at the Supreme Court seeking some reliefs including asking the Court for an order to restrain Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Second Respondent, from holding himself as president-elect. According to the NDC, the Petition was filed pursuant to the partys audit of the 2020 Presidential results and extensive consultations with the National Executive Committee and Council of Elders of the party". Presenting his end of term State of the Nation Address in Parliament, President Akufo-Addo said: "I recognize that my main opponent in the election former President John Mahama has gone to the Supreme Court to seek its interventionit is good for the nation that in the end, he chose the legal path instead of the pockets of violence that have attended the rejection of the results by his party in the period after the election. We all have to make a deliberate decision to invest in the rule of law and uphold the integrity of the institutions of our state so that no person or group of persons take the law into their own hands with impunity" He further thanked "the Ghanaian people and to the almighty that Ive been given a clear mandate to govern the people for four more years and thereby given the opportunity to complete task, consolidate some of the far-reaching measures that we have introduced and initiate further changes and adjustment to policies and practices. The constitution demands that we go to the people after four years to ask for a mandate and we must listen to the voice of the people" Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Silhouettes of mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of YouTube's logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) YouTube Terminates Account of TalkRadio Station in UK YouTube has terminated the account of UK TalkRadio, leaving fans, presenters, and free-speech advocates speculating it was due to the stations coverage of views critical of lockdown measures and other COVID-19 analysis. The YouTube channel had around 250,000 subscribers. Links to previous videos now bring up the following, This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated. Google, which owns the video platform, has not responded to a request for comment. The termination came shortly after the government announced a third national lockdown and the closure of schools. TalkRadio has included interviews with various well-known critics of lockdown measures, including with Oxford epidemiologist Dr. Sunetra Gupta, one of the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration. Some TalkRadio presenters have been openly skeptical of the value of lockdown measures, and have questioned government virus-related policy and the rationale and interpretation of the data underpinning it. The station, which is licensed by the national broadcast regulator, has featured more questioning of the handling of the pandemic than many other broadcasters. Ban on Content YouTube guidelines state, YouTube doesnt allow content that spreads medical misinformation that contradicts local health authorities or the World Health Organizations (WHO) medical information about COVID-19. This is limited to contradicting guidance on treatment, prevention, diagnosis, and transmission. No one on TalkRadio has said ANY of those things, said presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer on Twitter in response to a piece by Guido Fawkes. We simply challenge the evidence that lockdowns are a proportionate response to the COVID virus. Its called free speech. Julia Hartley-Brewer attends the Audio Radio Industry Awards 2020 at London Palladium in London on March 4, 2020. (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images) A spokesperson for TalkRadio said, We urgently await a detailed response from Google/YouTube about the nature of the breach that has led to our channel being removed from its platform. In a statement, the station noted that they are licensed and regulated by Ofcom, the national broadcast regulator, and have in place robust editorial controls. Free speech organisation Big Brother Watch described the removal of the entire channel as a bold censorship move. Were meeting Google to ask why they buried the Great Barrington Declaration, they wrote on Twitter. Well be asking about this appalling censorship too. Hartley-Brewer asked Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove about whether the government should take action with regard to censorship by so-called Big Tech. I dont believe in censorship, said Gove. We have a free and fair press and we have commentators and interviewers of distinction who do criticise the governments position: from Lord Sumption, a former supreme court judge, to Peter Hitchens, a distinguished Mail on Sunday columnist. I respectfully disagree with them, but I think its important that their voices are heard and that debate takes place. I think its absolutely right that people should ask questions, he added. However, Radomir Tylecote of think tank Civitas, says that legislation currently in the pipeline suggests the government approves of YouTube acting as a gatekeeper. Tylecote highlighted a passage from the governments Online Harms plans, which says, YouTube continues to remove content which denies the existence of COVID-19 or contradicts the World Health Organisation or NHS medical information. Writing on Twitter, he said, Here is the YouTube policy the government links to approvingly in its own legislative plans: YouTube doesnt allow content that spreads medical misinformation that contradicts local health authorities medical information about COVID-19.' Federal Judge Suggests Sanctioning Lawyer Seeking to Block Counting of Electoral College Votes A federal judge on Monday suggested sanctioning a lawyer who represented a group seeking to block Congress from counting electoral college votes on Jan. 6. U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg issued the opinion in response to a lawsuit brought by the Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society, which argued that state legislatures of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona were prevented from exercising their power under the U.S. Constitution to certify the presidential electors votes cast on Dec. 14. The group claims that a number of federal and state laws had unconstitutionally delegated the authority of state legislatures to certify these votes to state executive branches. It asked the court to invalidate and declare those laws unconstitutional and prevent Vice President Mike Pence, who will be counting the Electoral College votes, and Congress from counting votes from the contested states until their state legislatures are able to meet to certify the votes. Boasberg rejected the request to block the certification of presidential elector votes for the five states and the counting of those votes on Jan. 6. In his opinion, the judge from Washington D.C. rebuked the plaintiffs and their lawyer for what he believes was a lack of good faith in bringing the suit. In addition to being filed on behalf of Plaintiffs without standing and (at least as to the state Defendants) in the wrong court and with no effort to even serve their adversaries, the suit rests on a fundamental and obvious misreading of the Constitution, Boasberg wrote (pdf). It would be risible were its target not so grave: the undermining of a democratic election for President of the United States. The Court will deny the Motion. He said the plaintiffs were unable to show that they have a legal standingor legal rightto bring the case and did not explain how his court was able to disregard U.S. Supreme Court precedent on the issues. Nor do they ever mention why they have waited until seven weeks after the election to bring this action and seek a preliminary injunction based on purportedly unconstitutional statutes that have existed for decadessince 1948 in the case of the federal ones. It is not a stretch to find a serious lack of good faith here, he wrote. The judge also took issue over the plaintiffs lawyer failure to formally serve or notify any of the defendants. Courts are not instruments through which parties engage in such gamesmanship or symbolic political gestures, he said. As a result, at the conclusion of this litigation, the Court will determine whether to issue an order to show cause why this matter should not be referred to its Committee on Grievances for potential discipline of Plaintiffs counsel, Boasberg added. The lawyer listed in the case did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. The group argued that Article II of the U.S. Constitution prevents state legislatures from delegating their power to state executive branch officials as a ministerial duty. There are textual and structural arguments for these state statutes being unconstitutional, the group wrote in their lawsuit. They argue that the state laws are an unconstitutional delegation of the state legislative prerogatives of post-election certifications of Presidential votes and of Presidential electors. The lawsuit also argues that state legislatures, many of which were adjourned over Christmas and New Years, are also being prevented from meeting to perform their post-election certification duty. In order to conduct a special legislative session, a supermajority or a governor must agree that legislators should meet. However, the group said the governors from these states are preventing the state legislatures from doing so. The case is cited as Wisconsin Voters Alliance v. Pence (1:20-cv-03791). COVID-19 test results: All you need to know Shiv Sena says BJP's focus is UP polls instead of tackling COVID-19 India's tally for UK strain of coronavirus touches 71 India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: As many as 71 people in India have been identified as carrying the UK variant of coronavirus strain in India so far. All these persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated Health Care facilities by respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on, the ministry said. The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs. Ready to roll out Covid vaccine within 10 days from authorisation date: Govt The new UK variant has already been reported by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. The Government of India took cognizance of the reports of virus reported from theUKand put in place a proactive and preventive strategy to detect and contain the mutant variant, it said. This strategy includes temporary suspension of all flights coming from the UK with effect from the midnight of December 23 till January 7 and mandatory testing of all UK-returned air passengers through RT-PCR test. The samples of all returnees found positive in RT-PCR test will be genome sequenced by a consortium of 10 government labs i.e. INSACOG. Further, all the international passengers who have arrived in India between December 9 and 22, if symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19 will be subjected to genome sequencing as part of the Centre's strategyto detect the mutated UK variant in them. UP: 50-year-old brutally gangraped and killed by priest and two others in Badaun | Oneindia News Others will be followed up by the respective state and district surveillance officers and will be tested as per the ICMR guidelines (even if asymptomatic)between 5th and 10th day, according to the Union Health Ministry's guidance document on genomic sequencing. Further, epidemiological surveillance of the passengers, who have arrived in India since November 23 will be conducted in the community through active follow up. Besides, standard operating protocol for states and UTs to tackle the mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2 was issued on December 22. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 18:08 [IST] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 6) Hong Kong health officials bared on Tuesday they detected the new United Kingdom COVID-19 variant in a passenger who arrived from Manila last month. Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Hong Kong Health Departments communicable disease branch, said in a virtual briefing that they found the new variant in a 30-year-old female resident who arrived from Manila on Dec. 22 via a Philippine Airlines flight. Hong Kong's health authorities said the woman is a Filipino domestic worker, according to the reports at least two local newspapers, Hong Kong News and The SUN Hong Kong. The health officials tagged the Manila-outbound Hong Kong resident as case 9003. "(Case) 9003 took PR 300 and arrived in Hong Kong on the 22nd of December from (the) Philippines," said Chuang. The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Wednesday the passenger is a 30-year-old woman from Cagayan Valley. Citing a report from the Hong Kong International Health Regulations National Focal Point and local Centers for Health Development, Philippine health authorities stated the passenger left the province on Dec. 17. The woman arrived in Metro Manila on Dec. 18 and underwent quarantine as mandated by government protocols, they added. DOH officials said the passenger took the swab test on Dec. 19, which yielded a negative result. Philippine Airlines said the passenger presented a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding the flight. She left the country on Dec. 22 and was subjected to another quarantine procedures upon arrival in Hong Kong. The Filipina passenger then took another swab test on Jan. 2, where she tested positive for the UK COVID-19 variant. She remains in isolation and in stable condition, authorities said. The DOH assured contact tracing efforts are underway to identify other passengers who boarded the same flight with the woman, including her close contacts in Cagayan Valley and Metro Manila. The airline has also shared passenger manifest information with the Philippines' Bureau of Quarantine so they could conduct contact tracing. "They have been instructed to ensure strict quarantine of identified close contacts and for samples collected from said contacts to be sent for confirmatory testing and, if samples test positive, subsequent whole genome sequencing," the DOH said in a statement. Aside from the passenger who returned from Manila, Hong Kong health authorities also detected three additional cases of the new COVID-19 variant in their country. Two of them arrived from London and the other one came from France. The new COVID-19 variant was first reported in UK on Dec. 14 and believed to be more contagious, according to initial scientific studies. Based on 305 samples collected in November and December, the UK variant is not yet in the Philippines. Spiking homicides. Deep distrust between police and civilians. Outrage and riots filling the city after a high-profile police killing. The late 1970s were fraught times in Houston. Many homicides in the citys Latino community went unsolved casualties to the departments mostly white corps of detectives, few of whom spoke Spanish. In an effort to build trust, the Houston Police Department plucked a few young Latino officers from patrol cars in 1979 and told them to spend 90 days solving as many murders as they could. The officers who had no experience solving murders cracked so many cases that the department formalized the unit, which would work for 30 years before it was finally disbanded. Now, the squad is the subject of a new 11-episode podcast, Chicano Squad, by the Vox Media Podcast Network. The show debuts Tuesday. For 30 years, this squad was working in Houston, and had no recognition, said Eva Ruth Moravec, one of the podcasts writers. Moravec, a former Hearst reporter, covered policing for the San Antonio Express-News. Dark time in Houston policing The Houston Police Department became enmeshed in scandal after several officers in 1977 killed Jose Campos Torres, a young Latino Vietnam War veteran. Torres had been arrested at a Houston bar for disorderly conduct on May 5. Six police officers took Torres to a spot called The Hole next to Buffalo Bayou and beat him. They then took Torres to the city jail, which refused to process him due to his injuries. They were ordered to take him to the hospital, but instead the officers brought him back to the banks of Buffalo Bayou and pushed him into the water. Torress body was found two days later. UNSOLVED: Houston's rate of unsolved murders is soaring. Experts blame changes at HPD. It was not Houston Polices only scandal at the time. Two other killings by officers had stained the departments reputation, and in 1979 the former chief, Carroll Lynn, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for bribery. At the same time, the city was weathering a wave of homicides: 1979 saw 664, with 163 Latino victims. Nobody cared about those homicides, recalled Jaime Escalante, one investigator on the squad who retired last year. They used to call them misdemeanor homicides. After a bloody weekend that year that ended with 17 killings, homicide Capt. Bobby Adams created the unit, which was led by Detective Sgt. Jim Montero and the late homicide Lt. Chuck Lofland. The results were immediate and astounding, one former commander told the Chronicle in a 2004 story noting the squads 25th anniversary. The divisions clearance rates soared, and by the end of the year, the Chicano Squad helped solve 40 homicides. The unit is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the nation, though many others followed. They were outstanding, recalled now-retired police chief Charles A. McClelland, then a rookie with the force. Their language and cultural skills put them in position to be successful. They would work day and night. Whatever hours they felt were necessary to be successful in solving those cases. BEEFING UP HOMICIDE: After Chronicle investigation into lower clearance rates, HPD homicide division to get more investigators, resources At the same time, their work showed HPD leadership the benefit of having a more diverse workforce and more officers who spoke Spanish or other languages, McClelland said. It motivated HPD to go out and recruit minorities with language skills and cultural diversity, he said. And it worked. The department now has more officers of color than Anglo officers, McClelland said, but thats what started it. For the creators of the Chicano Squad podcast, the units track record was a chance to tell a type of story frequently overlooked in the past. Podcast host Cristela Alonzo said the story particularly resonated given her experiences as a first-generation Mexican-American woman from the Rio Grande Valley, where she saw problems with police and rarely saw examples of Latino-focused stories in school. I loved that I can explain it in a simple way in my own personal experience, she said. They inspired guys like me The squads caseload was intense, and investigators frequently battled hostility from white peers, former homicide investigators recalled. They were thrown everything that had anything that sounded like a Spanish surname, more in resentment of their existence, more than the legitimacy of the case existing, said Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, a former HPD officer before leaving the force to enter politics. But these guys worked them all They just became a trusted resource in the community. They had another impact, he said. They inspired guys like me to know one day I could be a homicide investigator as well. By the mid-1980s, the squad grew to more than a dozen investigators and sergeants, and generally solved more than 70 percent of cases assigned to it, and was nationally recognized in 1997 by the National Latino Peace Officers Association, after posting a clearance rate of 91 percent. The squads greatest triumphs include the rescue of a kidnapped newborn in 1991 after his mother was locked in the trunk of a car; arrests of two East End men accused of being serial killers, who were both later sentenced to death; and the rescue of a 14-month-old girl kidnapped from Houston in 1987 by a baby sitter. It weathered its own scandal, as well, after one sergeant, Robert Martinez Gatewood, was investigated and later convicted of participating in a drug conspiracy and sentenced to 24 years in prison. In 2010, the department disbanded the squad. By that time, the department had evolved from mostly white to one where officers of color outnumbered Anglo officers. It wasnt as critical, McClelland said. Homicide was more diverse, we had more folks who were bilingual, and over time and attrition, every squad had investigators in it. Alonzo, the podcasts host, said the squads story remains relevant today, particularly given recent tensions across America between law enforcement and civilians. This is something that could be told in the news now, she said. This podcast is about evolution of the Houston Police Department, and how it happened because of racial disparity. But this is also the first Latino homicide squad in the U.S. And they are figuring it out, while they were doing it they were building a house, while designing the blueprints. st.john.smith@chron.com A recent Manitoba study documented the shocking use of restraints and seclusion of children with disabilities in schools. Credit: Shutterstock Across Canada, children with disabilities are disadvantagedwhen it comes to the support they receive in schools. While Canada espouses a commitment to inclusive education, the right to it remains elusive for some students. Our research team at the University of Manitoba revealed another grave problem that needs redress: The shocking use of physical restraint and seclusion spaces, which contributes to the further marginalization of children with disabilities in schools. We conducted an anonymous survey online of parents of children with disabilities in Manitoba in the summer of 2019. Our team sought to document parental perspectives, because little is known about the scope and nature of physical restraint and seclusion in schools in Manitoba, and there is a need for regulation and accountability. The survey consisted of 48 questions and asked parents/guardians about their child's experiences with physical restraint and seclusion at school, as well as the nature and impact of such practices. The survey had a sample size of 62 respondents. While the survey sample size was small, the results are worrisome and paint a bleak picture about the treatment of students with disabilities in Manitoba. Previous surveys conducted in British Columbia , Alberta and the United States have shown similar results. Human rights problem The reported experiences of students with disabilities in Manitoba's schools, along with the findings from other surveys, contravene several human rights conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Both these conventions provide protections from cruel and inhumane treatment. Parents should not have to advocate for their children's basic rights. The absence of policies further exacerbates this human rights problem. In Manitoba, there are no provincial educational policies to regulate the use of physical restraint and seclusion in schools. There are also no accountability structures to track their use. The absence of regulation has contributed to the misuse of these practices and students with disabilities are most at risk. Our findings and recommendations for policy and practice are detailed in a report, Behind Closed Doors. The report provides a framework to make schools more inclusive for students with disabilities and to ensure their rights are not violated under international conventions. Unsafe In our study, parents reported the use of unsafe restraints that are banned in most correctional and health care facilities. The restraints included prone and supine holds that are known to have a high risk of death. Parents also described the use of mechanical restraints. One parent indicated that "posey cuffs"a kind of wrist restraint sometimes used in mental health settings had been used to strap their child to a chair. The dangerous misuse of seclusion spaces was also described. For example, a parent reported that a closet had been used to seclude their child. Parents also shared that doorknobs on seclusion spaces had been modified so their child could not get out. Not surprisingly, 90 percent of the parents surveyed indicated that their child had suffered emotional trauma due to these practices. While restraint and seclusion are intended to be crisis responses, some parents reported their frequent and prolonged use. The accounts included children being restrained or secluded on a daily basis, with instances of seclusion lasting up to three hours. The students who were identified as being restrained and secluded most often were between the ages of five and 10, and were on the autism spectrum. Mandated documentation and reporting must be established to ensure accountability. Credit: Shutterstock Under-reported Reporting practices about the use of restraint and seclusion were highly variable. Approximately half of the parents indicated that they were rarely or never informed by the school that their child had been restrained or secluded. When parents were asked how they learned about the use of restraints, they said the most frequent informants were the children themselves. Some parents that were informed by the school indicated that it often happened much after the fact in an informal manner. Written documentation was reported as almost non-existent, with 90 percent of parents sharing that they never received a written report. Based on these shocking findings, the research team has proposed several recommendations. 1. Provincial standards In Manitoba, there is an urgent need for the province to set provincial standards that clearly define restraint and seclusion as crisis responses. Standards should spell out that restraint and seclusion may only be used when there is an immediate threat to physical safety, and should regulate their use. The province must also mandate school divisions to follow standards. The provinces of Alberta and Prince Edward Island already regulate these procedures and may serve as models for Manitoba. 2. Documentation, reporting and accountability Mandated documentation and reporting practices at the school, district and provincial level must also be established to ensure transparency and accountability. Reporting to parents should occur within 24 hours and include a written followup and debriefing meeting. The opportunity to reflect on the events leading up to and including the restraint and seclusion are critical to changing practice and preventing future occurrences. Establishing data collection at the school, division and provincial level will also help to monitor prevalence and create accountability. In the United States, the Department of Education has developed reporting requirements that have been incorporated into many state policies. Ensuring that restraint and seclusion are not strategies in students' individualized plans may also prevent their normalization. 3. Provincial audit of seclusion spaces A provincial audit of seclusion spaces and the development of standards are clearly warranted to ensure they are safe, humane and comply with health, safety and fire codes. If not banned completely, as has been proposed in Alberta, seclusion spaces at a minimum must be highly regulated. 4. Training Along with regulation and comprehensive training of educators, including teachers, administrators and educational assistants, evidence-based, positive, proactive alternatives to restraint and seclusion must be prioritized. Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and training in de-escalation strategies have been found to reduce the use of restraint and seclusion and should be required for all educators. Looking ahead When contacted by CBC News about this study in June, a representative of the minister of education in Manitoba said the ministry would immediately initiate a review of the report and issue recommendations related to seclusion. While this may indicate a step in the right direction, notably absent from the ministry's response was any mention of restraint. Unfortunately, the response also highlights the ongoing need to defend the rights of children with disabilities across Canada. Explore further Coercive measures are still frequently used in psychiatric care This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A Portuguese woman who works as a pediatric assistant died two days after getting her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and results of the autopsy on her is still unknown. The woman, identified as Sonia Acevedo, 41, suffered a "sudden death" roughly 48 hours since she received her Pfizer vaccine. Acevedo died on New Year's Day and did not suffer adverse effects after getting her vaccine shot, reported Euro Weekly News. Her body was discovered by her partner who had just returned from a trip to the stores. The boyfriend then called for emergency help, and efforts to resuscitate Acevedo was delivered "without success. Acevedo was one of the 538 health workers in Porto's IPO cancer hospital who were given a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine last Wednesday. The employers confirmed in a report from Daily Mail that Acevedo did get vaccinated against the coronavirus on that day. They added that they were not notified about any "undesirable effect" the vaccine may have had in the hours afterwards. An autopsy was expected to take place by Monday but results were not publicized yet, noted Portugal Resident. The IPO Porto also said the explanation for a cause of death will "follow the usual procedures in these circumstances." Acevedo Did Not Suffer from Health Problems Acevedo's father, Abilio Acevedo told Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said her daughter was "okay" and did not have any health problems following the vaccine. She dined with her family on New Year's Eve and appeared to have been in "perfect health" before leaving to spend time with her boyfriend. He also said the mother-of-two didn't have any symptoms of COVID-19. She also didn't have vices that could have compromised her health drastically like drinking alcohol or eating anything special or out of the ordinary. "I don't know what happened. I just want answers...I want to know what led to my daughter's death," he said. Health Worker Proudly Shared About Getting Vaccinated Acevedo had been working at the IPO Porto, a cancer treatment institution in Portugal, for more than 10 years. When she received her first dose of the vaccine, she proudly shared about the experience, the father recalled. She even shared a photo of the fact on her Facebook account by sharing a selfie with a face mask and a caption "Covid-19 vaccinated." The father told Portuguese press that he received a call informing him about the death around 11 a.m. on Friday, just hours after their last meal together. He expressed frustrations on the incident and noted that when she left their holiday meal, "I never saw her alive again." Acevedo's daughter Vania Figueredo also recalled that her mother just complained about the "normal" discomfort in the injected area, but she didn't notice anything different. Portugal is home to more than 10 million people. The country has so far reported some 7,100 death from the coronavirus and more than 427,000 cases. Daily Mail noted that Portugal's first wave of the virus was "mild" but rose sharply into the second wave and again during the Christmas season. TipRanks Lets talk about risk, reward, and pennies. The three are related, of course. Theres no reward in the stock market without taking on some risk and penny stocks offer investors an optimum combination of both. The pennies are the lowest cost stocks on the public markets, typically priced below $5 per share. At such a low share price, even a small gain a share price increase of mere pennies can quickly translate into a high-percentage return. However, there is a but here. The critics point out that there could be a reason for the bargain price tag, whether it be poor fundamentals or overpowering headwinds. So, how are investors supposed to determine which penny stocks are poised to make it big? Following the activity of the investing titans is one strategy. Enter Israel Izzy Englander, who is widely known for his impressive stock picking abilities. Englander expressed interest in the stock market since he was young, and in 1989, co-founded hedge fund Millennium Management with Ronald Shear. Using a broad range of strategies involving a variety of predominantly liquid asset classes, Englander was able to take the $35 million the fund was started with and turn it into a $45+ billion Wall Street behemoth. With an estimated net worth of $9.6 billion in 2021, its no wonder Wall Street focus locks in on the guru when he makes a move. Taking all of this into consideration, we used TipRanks database to take a closer look at two penny stocks Englander snapped up recently. The platform revealed that both Buy-rated tickers have earned the support of some members of the analyst community as well. T2 Biosystems (TTOO) Well start in the healthcare industry, where T2 Biosystems is working to revolutionize diagnostics. The company offers diagnosticians and medical labs a range of devices based on its T2 Magnetic Resonance (T2MR) tech to quickly and accurately diagnosis a variety of septic illnesses. As the company notes, sepsis claims more lives annually than AIDS, breast cancer, and prostate cancer combined. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is the key for patient survival, and this is the niche that T2 aims to fill. The companys technology enables diagnostic blood tests with results available in a matter of hours, compared to the 1 to 5 days currently taken by most medical lab tests. Available testing products include the T2Bacteria Panel and the T2Candida panel, which are the only FDA-approved blood tests for septic agents that do not need to wait for a blood culture. A T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel is also available, using upper respiratory samples. T2 has an active product pipeline, with rapid diagnostic tests on the drawing board for a variety of illnesses. Upcoming products include the T2Cauris panel and the T2Resistance panel. These testing products are currently designated for research use only (ROU) in the US. The T2Lyme panel, which will allow for faster diagnosis of the difficult-to-determine Lyme disease, is at an earlier stage of the development. All of T2s products operate on the same T2Dx instrument, allowing for interchangeability in the lab environment. The device offers a simple user interface, and operates with just 4ml of whole blood. T2 boasts that its device is in use in more than 200 hospitals worldwide. In the first quarter of 2021, T2 saw top-line revenue grow by 173% year-over-year, to $7 million. This was driven by a 345% yoy increase in product revenue, to $4.7 million. Sepsis test utilization in the US rose by 85% yoy in the quarter, showing increasing acceptance of the device and technology. Izzy Englander is among those that have high hopes for this healthcare name. In Q1, Englander's Millennium picked up over 1.36 million shares of TTOO stock, now valued at $1.5 million. This increased Englanders stake in the company to 2.68 million shares, with a market value of $2.9 million. 5-star analyst Charles Duncan, of Canaccord, also counts himself as a fan. Duncan gives TTOO shares a Buy rating along with a $3.50 price target. This target conveys his confidence in TTOO's ability to soar 212% higher in the next twelve months. (To watch Duncan's track record, click here) T2s +345% Y/Y product revenue growth is a positive datapoint for the company's post-pandemic commercial strategy, which is being supported by a scaling to just under 10 direct sales reps in Q1. We view the acquisitions of Cepheid, BioFire, GenMark, and Luminex as validation that the hospital lab is an attractive industry segment, given clinicians (and patients) desire to shift away from centralized testing strategies to a more decentralized approach. With these four companies off the table, T2 should benefit from scarcity value. Separately, a more aggressive approach towards commercial execution should marry well with rising awareness around antimicrobial resistance and sepsis, in a post-pandemic environment that prioritizes infectious disease diagnostics," Duncan noted. It turns out that other analysts also have high hopes. With 4 Buys and a single Hold, the word on the Street is that this stock, which currently going for $1.10 apiece, is a Strong Buy. In addition, the $2.83 average price target puts the upside potential at 156%. (See TTOO stock analysis on TipRanks) Sesen Bio (SESN) The second stock were looking at, Sesen Bio, is a pharmaceutical company. Sesen works in the cancer treatment segment, developing antibody-drug conjugate therapies. The program takes a fusion protein approach, tethering tumor-targeting antibodies to cytotoxic proteins. The result is a single protein molecule that kills cancer cells with minimal toxic effects on the body and that generates a complementary response from the patients natural immune system. Sesens pipeline currently includes one drug candidate, vicineum, which is under investigation on several tracks concurrently. The main track, which has completed clinical trials and initiated the submission process of the biologic license application (BLA), is for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The BLA was accepted for filing by the FDA this past February, and the company is on track for potential approval on August 18, 2021. European approval of vicineum for bladder cancer treatment is expected early in 2022. The companys other pipeline projects are at earlier stages. Vicineum is under investigation as a treatment for head and neck cancers, and is in Phase 2 trials. Other investigative tracks remain at pre-clinical stages. Clinical-stage biopharma companies are always highly speculative, and in this case, Englander did not mind speculating. In Q1, his firm bought 987,926 shares of SESN, increasing its stake in the company by 156%. Englanders holding in Sesen is now valued at $2.9 million. Weighing in on SESN for H.C. Wainwright, 5-star analyst Swayampakula Ramakanth sees an opportunity as well. "Given the favorable risk/benefit profile of Vicineum demonstrated in the Phase 3 VISTA study, we believe the drug has a high likelihood to receive regulatory approvals from the FDA and EMA. Sesen is actively preparing for the potential launch of Vicineum. The company has selected Syneos, a leading contract sales organization, as a partnerto build and manage a 35-people sales force to target approximately 2,000 high prescribers of BCG. We expect the drug to be commercially available immediately upon approval. We project Vicineum to achieve risk-adjusted sales of $516M by 2030E, growing from $9M in 2021E," Ramakanth opined. Ramakanths comments support his Buy rating on the stock, as does his $8 price target. At current valuations, that target implies an upside potential of 170% for the next 12 months. (To watch Ramakanths track record, click here) Sometimes, the penny stocks can slide under the radar; this one has attracted only two recent analyst reviews. Both agree, however, that this is a stock to buy, making the Moderate Buy consensus unanimous. The shares are priced at $2.94 with a $7.50 average price target that suggests an upside of 155% in the coming year. (See SESN stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for penny stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. JACKSON COUNTY, MI -- A stretch of highway in Spring Arbor Township now honors a Jackson County soldier who died while serving in Iraq. About two miles of M-60 in Jackson County, from Fairway Drive to Emerson Road, now will be known as the Sergeant Matthew R. Soper Memorial Highway after a bill sponsored by State Rep. Julie Alexander, R-Hanover, was signed by the governor on Dec. 29. Soper, 25, died when an improvised explosive device hit his patrol vehicle in Baiji, Iraq on June 6, 2007, while he was serving his second tour in Iraq for the Jackson-based Michigan Army National Guard 1461st Transportation Company. His funeral service brought thousands to Jackson who came to honor a local man who died while serving his country. Soper received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service. He was the light of his family and a part of a chain that will forever be changed but never broken, his obituary reads. He was brave, he was strong, and lent to us for too short of a time. Our nation has benefited from his bravery and heroism and his family will be forever blessed for being a part of his life. In a statement, Alexander said the tribute represents recognition for the sacrifice Soper made while fighting for the country. Our military heroes put their lives on the line to keep our country safe while protecting American freedoms and ideals, Alexander said in a statement. This memorial is the least we can do to show our gratitude for the bravery and service of Sgt. Soper. MORE JACKSON NEWS: Ive got a freaking hole in my business. Driver crashes into Jackson flower shop 600,000 Michiganders shut out of unemployment for past 2 weeks as federal aid lags Man stabbed by girlfriend during fight in Jackson County, police say According to Title 52, Section 20511 of the United States Code, anyone who knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a state of a fair and impartially conducted election process for federal office can be punished by up to five years in prison. Donald Trump certainly seems to have violated this law. He is on tape alternately cajoling and threatening Georgias secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to find 11,780 votes, enough to give him a winning margin in a state that he lost. He may have also broken federal conspiracy law and Georgia election law. This is probably the most serious political crime Ive ever heard of, Michael Bromwich, a former inspector general for the Department of Justice, told me. And yet there is the high likelihood that there will be no accountability for it. At this point, demanding such accountability feels like smashing ones head into a brick wall, but our democracy might not be able to stagger along much longer without it. Republicans already often treat victories by Democrats as illegitimate. Their justification for impeaching Bill Clinton was flimsy at the time and looks even more ludicrous in light of their defenses of Trump. Trumps political career was built on the racist lie that Barack Obama was a foreigner ineligible for the presidency. WASHINGTON - The U.S. government's top infectious-disease doctor, a leading drug regulator and the Health and Human Services secretary are dismissing suggestions that the second shot of authorized coronavirus vaccines could be delayed to make more doses available faster to more people. In recent days, some public health experts have debated whether it is worth taking a scientific gamble by altering the two-dose regimen that proved highly effective in trials to maximize the number of people partially protected with at least one shot as the pandemic surges. The debate is playing out as the United States struggles with administering the doses it already has. Nearly 18 million doses of vaccine have been distributed, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data updated Monday morning; about 5 million have been administered. Last week, the United Kingdom decided to prioritize giving a first dose of its authorized vaccines - even if it meant there was not enough to give people a booster shot within the recommended three to four weeks. U.K. authorities have said people could wait as long as 12 weeks for a second shot. Limited data suggests that a single shot affords some protection against the coronavirus-caused disease covid-19, but it is not known how complete or long the protection lasts. The first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 52% effective in the three-week interval before people received the booster shot. U.S. officials have said repeatedly that while it is worth evaluating whether different dosing regimens make sense, such a strategy is not supported by scientific evidence. "There really are no data on what happens if you delay the second dose by three months or four months or two months," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday. "We don't have any idea what the level of protection is and what the durability of protection is. It's fraught with some danger when you're making a decision about the regimen you're going to use when you don't really have a considerable amount of data." "We're holding in reserve that second dose, because we believe we need to go according to what the FDA said is the safe and effective way to use these vaccines," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told "Good Morning America." On CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Moncef Slaoui - chief science adviser of Operation Warp Speed, the federal initiative to speed vaccine and therapeutics development and distribution - said the second dose gives people an immune response 10 times stronger than the first dose. "We always said that these vaccines will be developed on the basis of science and all decisions will be made transparently on the basis of data," Slaoui said. "Changing the decisions made . . . without any data I think would not be responsible." Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration, warned in a statement that use of a single dose of vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna could give people a false sense of security. "If people do not truly know how protective a vaccine is, there is the potential for harm because they may assume that they are fully protected when they are not and alter their behavior to take unnecessary risks," Marks said. Others argued that because of the severity and persistence of the pandemic, the strategy of holding in reserve a second dose to ensure that people get their booster shot on time is too conservative. The first shot trains the immune system to recognize the novel coronavirus, but the second is necessary to muster a full response, solidifying the immunologic memory that was more than 90% effective at preventing illness in clinical trials. "My feeling is that we're better off giving people one dose and hoping we'll get a second dose than holding back a second dose," said Walter Orenstein, professor of medicine at Emory University and scientific advisory board member of Moderna. "It's one of those things where it's much nicer to be a historian and look backward." Jennifer Beam Dowd, associate professor of demography and population health at the University of Oxford, said she was initially surprised by the British decision to allow people to defer shots, but she likened the policy positions to wartime decisions. "To me, it's very compelling, giving the first doses to more people as soon as possible, given this exponential growth we're seeing in a lot of places," Dowd said. "Under reasonable assumptions, that would save a lot more lives and hospitalizations and prevent more severe disease than doing the complete course on half the number of people in the next three months or so." Pfizer spokeswoman Jerica Pitts said in a statement that the company's vaccine appears to confer some protection as early as 12 days after the first dose, but that there is not data on whether protection is sustained beyond three weeks with a single dose. "While decisions on alternative dosing regimens reside with health authorities, Pfizer believes it is critical health authorities conduct surveillance efforts on any alternative schedules implemented and to ensure each recipient is afforded the maximum possible protection, which means immunization with two doses of the vaccine," Pitts said. Fauci said there was scientific interest in the possibility that two half-doses of the Moderna vaccine might be effective in adults ages 18 to 55 based on evidence from an early clinical trial in which 150 people in that group received half a dose and had similar immune responses as the group given the full dose. But, he said, regulators would have to decide whether that evidence was compelling, and "right now, I don't think there's a need to do that at this point, because you've got to ask yourself: What is the problem, and our problem is efficiently getting doses we already have into people." Moderna spokesman Ray Jordan declined to comment on the use of the vaccine beyond the conditions in its emergency authorization. "At this point we wouldn't have any further information to share about any potential ongoing regulatory discussions," Jordan said. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the external advisory committee to the FDA, called changes to the dosing regimen without more evidence "terrible ideas." "We did a Phase 3 trial which taught us that two doses of Pfizer's or Moderna's vaccine induced excellent, high-level protection against disease. We don't know whether a half-dose would do that; we don't know if a single dose would do that," Offit said. "When people get on TV and say, 'Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good' - we shouldn't let the unknown be the enemy of the known." Asked their views on the idea of a single dose, the transition team for President-elect Joe Biden did not answer with specifics. However, a transition official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the absence of a solid policy, said the incoming administration will follow the guidance of medical and scientific experts. If experts' recommendations about the number or pace of doses were ever updated, the official said, the Biden team would update the public on such guidance. More vaccines are being manufactured, which will increase the supply - and the pressure to get distribution systems up and running. But the early months of this year could yield developments paralleling those in December, when the first two coronavirus vaccines, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, were granted emergency authorization. The one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial is fully enrolled and expected to report results by the end of the month, with an application for emergency authorization possible next month. The AstraZeneca-Oxford trial is ongoing in the United States. Slaoui recently said the AstraZeneca vaccine could be available in the United States in April. A 30,000-person trial of a shot from Novavax vaccine began last week. - - - The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein and Laurie McGinley contributed to this report. By Matt VanVolkenburg The cover of Thomas Duvernay's "Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea" / Courtesy of Thomas Duvernay In 1871, an American naval force sailed into Korean waters hoping to open diplomatic and trade relations with the Kingdom of Joseon and to negotiate a treaty for shipwrecked sailors. Instead, shots were exchanged and a military clash on Ganghwa Island left three Americans and perhaps 300 Koreans dead. A number of misperceptions about this conflict have developed over the years, including the belief that the Americans sought to avenge the General Sherman, an American-flagged ship that was burned near Pyongyang in 1866. Thomas Duvernay's recent book, "Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea," sets out to separate myth from fact and provide the most detailed account yet of the events of June 1871. He begins by making clear that the U.S. delegation did not have vengeance on their mind in regard to the General Sherman incident, as the case had been closed already, with many Americans who were aware of the facts conceding that the ship's crew had been in the wrong. Thomas Duvernay stands on top of Deokjin Fort on Ganghwa Island in 2015. / Courtesy of Thomas Duvernay. From there he describes how the military conflict between the two countries grew out of a cultural misunderstanding, in which a lack of response by Korean dignitaries to stated American plans to survey the Ganghwa Straits was misinterpreted as permission. Before describing the fighting that ensued as a result, a number of chapters give the background necessary to understand the two-day campaign. In one chapter, Duvernay combines museum images, historical photos and excavated munitions to discuss in detail the weaponry used by both sides, while in another he explains the military organization and ranks of the U.S. Navy and Korean military. Other chapters give information on the Korean fortresses, the American ships involved and what daily routines on these ships were like. The final chapter in this section discusses the research surveys the author carried out between 2000 and 2012 to determine the exact route of the U.S. advance and the positions of the Korean defenders. Aided by contemporary reports, maps and photos, these surveys used metal detectors to uncover spent bullets and shell fragments, which made clear where shots were fired and helped determine the positions of troops. Though these chapters may at first seem overly detailed, their utility becomes clear once the author begins telling the story of how American sailors and marines landed on Ganghwa Island, fought their way to a number of Korean fortresses, which they demolished, and then returned to their ships. Due to the previous chapters, there is no need to pause and explain details and locations because the reader already has this information. The book ends with a number of appendixes which include contemporary American naval reports, a discussion of Felice Beato's photos (the first ever taken in Korea) and the author's involvement in negotiating the return to Korea of the flag of General Eo Jae-yeon, which was taken to the U.S. after the battle. Thomas Duvernay poses with the flag of General Eo Jae-yeon, which the Americans had taken in 1871, after he helped negotiate its return to Korea. / Courtesy of Thomas Duvernay. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/04/2021 -- The report "Road Marking Materials Market by Type (Performance-based Markings & Paint-based Markings), Application (Road & Highway Marking, Parking Lot Marking, Factory Marking, Airport Marking, and Anti-skid Marking), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025" The road marking materials market is projected to grow from USD 6.1 billion in 2020 to USD 7.5 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2020 to 2025. The market is witnessing average growth across the world due to factors such as, increased spending on safer roads, and new infrastructure and roadway projects in emerging economies. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=13285598 By type, the paint-based markings segment is estimated to dominate the global road marking materials market By type, the paint-based markings segment of the road marking materials market is estimated to dominate the global road marking materials market due to their cost-effectiveness and efficient performance. These markings generate high demand due to their retro-reflective glass beads and are generally used to denote travel lanes or mark parking spaces. These factors are expected to drive the road marking materials growth in the type segment. By application, airport markings segment is estimated to be the fastest-growing segment of road marking materials market from 2020 to 2025. By application, the airport markings application segment is projected to growth with the highest CAGR in the global road marking materials market, during the forecast period. The high growth of the airport marking application segment is primarily due to the significance of airport safety. These markings guide airplanes coming into and going out from a runway or taxiway, provide situational awareness, provide an essential visual aid to authorities, and promote overall airfield safety. These factors are estimated to drive the growth of airport markings segment in the road marking materials market during the forecast period. Speak to Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=13285598 Asia Pacific is estimated to register the highest growth in the global road marking materials market during forecast period Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing market for road marking materials during the forecast period. The growing demand for road marking materials is primarily driven by the increasing investments in the civil construction sector, as well as the growing need for safer roads. The various infrastructural activities by emerging economies like China and India is driving the growth of the Asia Pacific road marking materials market during the forecast period. These factors are estimated to lead the road marking materials market in Asia Pacific region. The Sherwin-Williams Company (US), Ennis-Flint, Inc. (US), SWARCO AG (Austria), Geveko Markings (Denmark), SealMaster (US), 3M (US), Aximum (France), Rembrandtin Lack GmbH Nfg. KG (Austria), Crown Technology, LLC (US), Basler Lacke (Switzerland), and Ozark Materials, LLC (US) are the key players in road marking materials market. Recent Developments : - In December 2020, Geveko Markings introduced a ViaTherm LongDot road marking which provides better visibility, noise reduction, and increased road safety. - In July 2019, Basler Lacke acquired HENELIT's HENESPORT ski and snowboard paint business. With its comprehensive experience, its extraordinary commitment and its high level of technical expertise, this acquisition suits very well with the company's ambition to venture into niche markets. Get 10% Customization on this Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=13285598 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA : 1-888-600-6441 sales@marketsandmarkets.com Mumbai, Jan. Jan 5 : In what is billed as a climbdown, the global e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. has decided to take back all cases it has filed against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray, other party leaders and activists, officials said here on Tuesday. At an ongoing hearing in the cases before the Dindoshi Sessions Court, the Amazon Transportation Service Ltd.'s lawyers submitted an affidavit seeking a withdrawal of its Suit (No. 1119/2020), against the party leaders. Simultaneously, the company has also agreed to incorporate the Marathi language option for Maharashtrian customers on its app - which was the prime demand of the party, said MNS Spokesperson Sandip Deshpande. In view of the latest developments, Thackeray - who had been directed to appear before the Dindoshi Court on Jan. 5, was not required to go there, he added. MNS Youth leader Akhil Chitre said that the Amazon's legal team has held several discussions with them after which they agreed to withdraw the suit and other cases against various leaders. "This is a very positive step for all concerned. After the company assured that it would do the needful for the cause of Marathi language, we had withdrawn our agitation against Amazon.com one week ago," Deshpande told IANS. He made it clear that the MNS was not asking to drop other languages but merely sought the inclusion of Marathi for the Marathi-speaking customers' convenience while shopping online. It may be recalled that since Oct. 2020, the MNS had been agitating for incorporating Marathi on Amazon's apps, and started a campaign - 'No Marathi, No Amazon'. After several meetings with MNS leaders and even assuring to do the needful, the MNC had hit back by filing several cases against the party and its office-bearers. In late-December, the Dindoshi Court directed Thackeray to appear in connection with a suit filed against him by the company. Apparently furious over this, a group of angry MNS activists retaliated by vandalising at least three warehouses of Amazon in Mumbai and Pune on Dec. 25 - at the height of the festival delivery season. Though MNS leaders declined to disclose details of the understanding they had reached with the e-commerce giant, it is learnt that it would include a written undertaking on providing the Marathi option on its app, and local officials are likely to tender an apology to Thackeray. With this, the MNS ended one chapter on its three-month long war with Amazon and launched another front - this time propounding the case for Mumbai vis-a-vis Bombay - the latter which is still used by certain organisations or institutions. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) "We have more than 3 decades of experience in the warranty and extended service contract financing business. In launching WALCO, our latest enterprise in this space, we knew that we had to be better than the rest. We have to make the funding process for our dealers and administrators simple and fast. We need to deliver responsive service with great attention to detail. It was also a requirement that we provide a technology platform that was established, safe, and secure. With Input 1, a trusted solutions provider of ours for many years, we have a scalable platform that solidifies our ability to grow substantially with our customers," said Paul Walder, President of WALCO. "We are very pleased to have been selected by the WALCO team to once again be a trusted provider of technology and services for their warranty financing business. Paul and his team have a demonstrated great success in this industry, yielding rapid and significant growth. With that growth curve comes the need for stable and secure technology-enabled services. We are excited to once again to help them reach the pinnacle of their industry by delivering that essential technology coupled with disciplined operational services," said Todd Greenbaum, Chief Executive Officer of Input 1. About WALCO Funding WALCO Funding is the trusted source of payment plans for experienced marketers, dealers, and administrators in the automotive and home industries. We strive to create successful partnerships by providing payment plans and strategic funding, which allow our partners to focus on selling service contracts to their customers. About Input 1 Since 1984, Input 1 has provided digital billing and payment solutions to insurance carriers, MGAs, banks, agencies, and specialty finance companies located throughout North America. The company's insurance software and cloud billing and payment solutions provide online access to more than one million agents, brokers, and policyholders annually. Media Contact Input 1, LLC Marketing Department 888-882-2554 ext.2135 [email protected] SOURCE Input 1 The Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), India's leading 'Navaratna' PSU under the Ministry of Defence, has called for applications in a prescribed format from qualified and experienced individuals for filling Forty-One (41) vacancies to the post of Senior Assistant Engineers (E - I Grade) and Project Engineers - I through direct recruitment to be posted at BEL's SBU unit in Bengaluru, India on a fulltime basis. The offline application process towards the same started on January 1, 2021 and closes on January 16, 2021. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Senior Assistant Engineers (E - I Grade) and Project Engineers - I Organisation Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Educational Qualification B.E/B.Tech/Diploma in relevant engineering disciplines and meet the other required academic qualifications Experience Refer to the advertisement Job Responsibilities null Skills Required Desirable Job Location Bengaluru Salary Scale Remuneration as per the BEL norms Industry Electronics Application Start Date January 1, 2021 Application End Date January 16, 2021 BEL Recruitment 2021: Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for BEL Assistant Engineer Jobs 2021 through BEL Recruitment 2021 must not have exceeded 50 years of age as on December 1, 2020 with relaxation (upper age limit) for SC/ST/OBC/PWD categories as applicable as specified in the BEL Recruitment 2021 Notification. For details regarding application fee for BEL Assistant Engineer Jobs 2021 through BEL Recruitment 2021, refer to the BEL Recruitment 2021 Notification given at the end of the article. Also Read: BEL Recruitment 2021 For 305 Diploma/Technician Apprentices In BEL Bengaluru, Apply Online Before January 19 BEL Recruitment 2021: BEL Jobs 2021 Vacancy Details Post Name No. Of Vacancies Senior Assistant Engineer 35 Project Engineer 06 Total 41 BEL Recruitment 2021: Education And Experience Desirous candidates applying for BEL Assistant Engineer Jobs 2021 through BEL Recruitment 2021 must possess a B.E/B.Tech/Diploma in relevant engineering disciplines and meet the other required academic qualifications from a recognised University/Institute with relevant years of work experience in the concerned area as detailed in the BEL Recruitment Notification 2021. BEL Recruitment 2021: Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates to BEL Engineer Jobs 2021 through BEL Recruitment 2021 will be done through Shortlisting, Academic Qualification, Work Experience and Merit as notified in the BEL Recruitment Notification 2021. Candidates selected to BEL Engineer Jobs 2021 through BEL Recruitment 2021 will be paid remuneration as per the BEL norms. Also Read: BHEL Recruitment 2021 For 120 Trade Apprentices Post, Register Online On NAPS Portal Before January 16 BEL Recruitment 2021: How To Apply Candidates applying for BEL Jobs 2021 through BEL Recruitment 2021 must fill the application forms in a prescribed format post-download from the BEL Website and send the same along with relevant supporting documents to the "Sr. DGM (HR), Naval Systems SBU, Bharat Electronics Ltd, Jalahalli post, Bangalore - 560 013" on or before January 16, 2021 through a proper channel. Download BEL Recruitment 2021 Notification PDFs for Senior Assistant Engineers (E - I Grade) and Project Engineers - I posts 216 Shares Share Recently, I started suspecting that RT-PCR testing was not foolproof at ruling out COVID disease after seeing a fair number of patients with typical signs and symptoms but a negative PCR. I have encountered some patients hospitalized with typical COVID pattern pneumonia, thromboembolism with multiple negative PCR tests. Some of these folks even had exposure history and the signature hallmarks unique to this virus, like multiple peripheral opacities on CT scan and loss of sense of taste and smell. This raised the question about the tests validity. Contrary to common belief, tests of all kinds have some degree of false positives and false negatives. With influenza almost nonexistent in the U.S. this season because of all the COVID precautions, it is hard to ascribe another cause to justify these patients typical symptoms and presentations. Multiple companies are doing these tests, and some without much experience under the FDAs emergency use authorization. Most folks believe that a positive test means they are sick and negative means that they got a green signal to be free, but the truth is far from it, and the answer is somewhat complicated. It was only recently that I uncovered the extent of this issue after some research. According to a Johns Hopkins study, this so-called gold standard RT-PCR test can have a false negative up to 20 to 66 percent of the time in even symptomatic patients depending upon the tests timing. False negatives can be up to 100 percent on day one of exposure (asymptomatic) and down to 20 percent on day 8 of exposure (day 3 of symptoms) and then starts going up again. Statistics tell us that the false-negative rate goes up even higher as the prevalence of disease goes up, as is the case with COVID right now. A meta-analysis from Europe actually found an average false negative of 54 percent. These numbers are actually from monitored and regulated studies where things are done more meticulously than real-world scenarios. Performing many of these tests quickly in the clinical setting because of soaring demand, with each test resulting in sampling error, pressure on labs to provide quick turnaround, and rationing of scarce reagents in labs increase this percentage even higher. Some mutations could be potentially affecting the accuracy as well. With false-negative tests, people get a false sense of security, bring their guard down, and stop isolating. The resulting higher prevalence in the community leads to an even higher false-negative rate. This leads to even more COVID patients with false-negative tests getting roomed with other non-COVID patients. Unprecedented pressures on hospitals, physicians, nurses, case managers, and hospital administrators contribute to this. Medicare rules are black and white, and it does not consider a patient having COVID even with typical symptoms if the test is negative. We need to look at pretest and posttest probability of each positive and negative test based on each patients symptoms, exposure history if any, sensitivity and specificity of each test, and prevalence of the disease in a community at that time. This may seem very complicated at first, but if we can understand the basic variables that may affect a test result, we can get a rough estimate of the post-test probability of a positive or negative test without any complicated calculations. Postmarketing surveillance and research show that most RT-PCR tests have a high specificity of 90 to 95 percent, but their sensitivity is low at 60 to 70 percent. False-positives are not that much an issue (unlike antigen testing) and mostly because of lab contamination, but false negatives are. The best time to do the test is between 1 to 7 days from the start of symptoms, with day 3 being the best. On the other hand, a case can be made that all patients with almost typical symptoms be assumed to be positive and should isolate without any testing. Testing can be limited to patients with atypical symptoms or high-risk patients who could benefit from monoclonal antibodies if diagnosed earlier within 10 days. The population can also be educated about the limitation of this testing, especially false-negatives, and also focus on the red flag symptoms of confusion, shortness of breath, persistent chest pain, cyanosis, etc. which are critical and should prompt them or their loved ones into calling 911/going to ER for possible hospitalization. This will also relieve a tremendous burden on testing sites and the need by family members to drive these patients around town and, in the process, exposing themselves and other health care workers. This will also free up some critical health care workers and valuable resources, including testing kits and reagents for higher risk and hospitalized patients. I wish the FDA, CDC, epidemiologists, experts, and media put more time and effort into public education on this serious pitfall of testing. Even most doctors dont understand or know the extent of this serious limitation for RT-PCR testing, which could play a significant role in spreading this disease. Balram Khehra is an internal medicine physician. Image credit: Shutterstock.com According to the United Nations, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is the worst in the world. Yemen was already a poor country before conflict there escalated in 2015, but the ongoing fight between the Houthis, aided and abetted by Iran, and the forces of the internationally recognized government has caused wide-spread devastation. As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a recent statement, Irans support for the Houthis fuels the conflict in Yemen and exacerbates the countrys instability. That support is spearheaded by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods-Force, the IRGC-QF, which is the Iranian regimes primary arm for executing its policy of supporting terrorist and insurgent groups. On December 8, the United States designated Hasan Irlu, an IRGC-QF officer, whom Iran recently sent to Sanaa as the regimes envoy to the Houthi rebels. As the U.S. Department of the Treasury pointed out in a statement, Iran is the only nation to officially recognize, and appoint, formal so-called representation to the Houthis. For years, Irlu supported IRGC-QF efforts to provide advanced weapons and training to the HouthisIrlu maintained a relationship with former IRGC-QF Commander Qasem Soleimani. He has also provided training to Hezbollah members in Iran. Secretary of State Pompeo declared that by dispatching Irlu to Yemen, the IRGC-QF is signaling its intent to increase support to the Houthis and further complicate international efforts to reach a negotiated settlement. The United States, he said, continues to support efforts... to facilitate a ceasefire and political settlement. On December 8, the United States also designated Iran-based Al-Mustafa International University for facilitating IRGC-QF recruitment efforts at its many international branches. Pakistani national Yousef Ali Mufaj, who has been involved in the IRGC-QF efforts to plan and execute operations in the Middle East and the United States, was sanctioned as well. The IRGC-QF takes advantage of every opportunity to advance its violent and destructive agenda, including by exploiting conflicts across the Middle East and coercing vulnerable individuals to fight on behalf of the Iranian regime, said Secretary of State Pompeo. The United States will continue to use all available tools to expose and counter this malign behavior. Those arent my words in the previous paragraph. They are the words of conservative Republican Nikki Haley, who was the governor of South Carolina in February 2016 when she made that withering, oddly phrased observation about Trump. She added for emphasis, I taught my two little ones you dont lie and make things up. I taught my two little ones that you dont push people around and just tell them what you think should happen. EDMONTON - Premier Jason Kenney has cracked down on members of his government's caucus and on staff who travelled out of the country during the holidays after he told Albertans to stay home. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney updates media on measures taken to help with COVID-19 on Friday, March 20, 2020, in Edmonton. The premier has changed course and sanctioned caucus members and staff for travelling out of country during the holidays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson EDMONTON - Premier Jason Kenney has cracked down on members of his government's caucus and on staff who travelled out of the country during the holidays after he told Albertans to stay home. Political analysts say Kenneys credibility and moral authority as a leader during the COVID-19 crisis remains profoundly damaged despite the move. In a Facebook post Monday, Kenney said he had accepted the resignation of Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and had asked his chief of staff, Jamie Huckabay, to step down. Other backbench members of his United Conservative caucus who travelled to sunnier climes despite government guidelines to avoid non-essential foreign travel were also stripped of responsibilities. Jeremy Nixon is no longer parliamentary secretary for civil society and Jason Stephan is out at Treasury Board. Tanya Fir, Pat Rehn and Tany Yao lost their legislature committee responsibilities. Kenney said he had listened to an angry public in recent days and acted. By travelling abroad over the holidays, these individuals demonstrated extremely poor judgment, Kenney wrote. Albertans have every right to expect that people in positions of public trust be held to a higher standard of conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kenney had said at a news conference on New Year's Day that he would not sanction the travellers because what they were doing was within the rules, albeit unseemly given the government was asking Albertans to avoid travel and social gatherings. Allard was part of Kenneys COVID-19 pandemic steering committee. She had been promoted to cabinet from the backbenches four months ago. She said last week that she went with her husband and daughter to Hawaii over Christmas as part of an annual family tradition that has spanned 17 years. She said in hindsight it was insensitive and that she regretted it. The drumbeats of anger from the public through letters, calls and social media posts rose through the weekend. Allard was nicknamed Aloha Allard. Angry constituents redecorated the outside of her Grande Prairie constituency office with leis and other Hawaiian accents. All politicians sanctioned have since expressed varying degrees of penitence on social media posts. In the coming days, Kenneys government has promised to revisit lockdown rules imposed in early December to try to stem the spread of COVID-19, including a ban on social gatherings. Alberta was a national leader in the first wave, but cases surged to dangerous levels in the fall. The numbers forced the government to double-bunk intensive care patients and to begin assembling a field tent hospital on the University of Alberta campus. Add to that the rollout of vaccinations in Alberta has been slower than promised. Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Kenney owes Albertans a better explanation than a social media post. She said the multiple vacations reflect a carefree ethos that starts with the premier. "They really don't get how serious (COVID-19) is. They really don't get how significant the (health) measures need to be. And they don't get how it impacts real people," said Notley. "If this premier thinks this written statement is all there is to it, then he's sorely misinformed." Political scientists Duane Bratt and Jared Wesley, and Calgary-based pollster Janet Brown said Kenneys challenge now is whether he has the moral authority and credibility to lead the health crisis. It (the announcement) is a bit of too little too late, said Bratt, who is with Mount Royal University in Calgary. It illustrates the power of public opinion, because this isn't something (Kenney)wanted to do, and, in fact, argued against doing three days ago. Wesley, with the University of Alberta, said Kenney applied the bandage, but is it actually going to stop the bleeding? My greater worry is his ability to handle the pandemic. Hes lost a lot of credibility in the eyes of people across the political spectrum when it comes to speaking to public health orders. Brown added: So many of (Kenneys) own staff and his own government decided the directives from the chief medical officer of health didnt apply to them, so in a strong sense he has lost the moral authority to lead on this file. And this is why its so concerning, because were in a critical stage when it comes to hospitalizations and ICUs. Transportation Minister Ric McIver will handle Allards portfolio on an interim basis. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. Photo: The Canadian Press Workers at the headquarters of Pinduoduo, an e-commerce platform, in Shanghai. Chinas official Xinhua News Agency is calling for shorter work hours in the countrys tech sector following the sudden death last week of a young employee at a leading e-commerce platform. Last month's tragedy refocused attention on the pain of an abnormal culture of overtime," Xinhua said in a brief editorial posted Tuesday on its Twitter-like Weibo account. Dreams should be pursued through striving, but workers legitimate rights and interests should not be sacrificed and employers may be breaking the law in encouraging health-sapping overwork, Xinhua said. Strengthening the protection of legal rights and interests for workers, letting those chasing their dreams run along in a healthy manner and introducing more warmth into the development of enterprises that's the form striving should take," the news agency said. The editorial follows the Dec. 29 death of a 22-year-old employee of Pinduoduo as she was walking home with a colleague at 1:30 a.m. Few details have been released, other than that the woman apparently suffered stomach pains before collapsing, but internet users have seized on the case as an example of the health impacts of long working days. Grueling hours have long been a hallmark of Chinas tech industry, heralded by business luminaries such as Alibabas Jack Ma, one of Chinas richest and most prominent entrepreneurs. Ma drew controversy in 2019 by endorsing the 996" week, entailing working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with many arguing that would further discourage young people from marrying and having children. The ruling Communist Party's flagship People's Daily newspaper even weighed in at the time, saying it was unfair of dictatorial managers to demand excessive overtime. Worldwide, the tech sector is known for demanding long hours spent designing, coding and processing customer requests. While Chinese labour law limits the work week to five days and no more than 44 hours, increasing numbers of people work outside the state sector or in the informal economy where such regulations tend not to be adhered to as closely. China also outlaws independent labour organizing, allowing only one union, the tightly party-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. If they support a challenge of the electors for Georgia, theyre wrong, dead wrong, Raffensperger said. Members of Congress will have to make a decision about the results in the other states, he added, but in Georgia, we did get it right. Im not happy with the result, as a Republican, but it is the right result based on the numbers that we saw cast. NEW DELHI: In a major development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 5) gave a go ahead to the new parliament complex and government officies near Delhi's India Gate. The court, while giving its nod, upheld the environmental clearance and notification for change in land use for the Central Vista Project. The Central Vista revamp, announced in September, 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. A three-judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, by 2:1 majority, held that the grant of the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for the Central Vista Project was valid. Justice Khanwilkar, writing the judgement for himself and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, also directed that the project proponent set up smog tower and use anti-smog guns at the construction site for the Central Vista project. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the third judge on the bench, also agreed on the issue of award of project. He, however, disagreed with the judgment on change of land use and on grant of environmental clearance for the project. The top court's verdict came on several pleas on the issue, including the one filed by activist Rajeev Suri, against various permissions given to the project by authorities including the grant of environmental clearance and the nod to change of land use. We are excited about the growth in Wisconsin, and this partnership will allow us to continue to deliver the highest level of service with the best solutions, stated AssuredPartners CEO, Tom Riley. Marking the 30th acquisition in 2020 for AssuredPartners, Stafford Financial Consulting Group, LLC (Stafford Financial) of Madison, WI will join the national broker. The team of seven will remain under the leadership of Stafford Financial CEO and President, Daniel G. Stafford. Stafford Financial has established one of the largest multidisciplinary fee-based insurance and investment advisory groups in Wisconsin. Our professional and experienced team is excited about the partnership and growth opportunities, as an AssuredPartners member. AssuredPartners will provide expanded resources, additional expertise, a strong national presence and a clear path to future growth, stated Daniel and Grant Stafford. Stafford Financial operates in 23 states and has national expertise in government contracting, employee benefits, retirement plan services and benefit administration services. AssuredPartners Regional President Greg LaMair said, Stafford Financial is a great fit into AssuredPartners existing operations. We will continue to operate towards the same goals and client focus. We are pleased to have the talented team of Stafford Financial join AssuredPartners. We are excited about the growth in Wisconsin, and this partnership will allow us to continue to deliver the highest level of service with the best solutions, stated AssuredPartners CEO, Tom Riley. We welcome all clients and employees to AssuredPartners. For more information on Stafford, please visit: https://sfcgus.com/ ABOUT ASSUREDPARTNERS, INC Headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida and led by Jim Henderson and Tom Riley, AssuredPartners, Inc. acquires and invests in insurance brokerage businesses (property and casualty, employee benefits, surety and MGUs) across the United States and in England. From its founding in March of 2011, AssuredPartners has grown to over $1.6 billion in annualized revenue and continues to be one of the fastest growing insurance brokerage firms in the United States with over 190 offices in 34 states in addition to London and Belgium. For more information, please contact Jamie Reinert, Director of Marketing and Communications, at 513-624-1779 or jamie.reinert@assuredpartners.com, or visit http://www.assuredpartners.com. Amongst the 90 countries included in the report, 16 had a double-digit percentage declines in their construction volumes in 2020; with Panama (-30%), Singapore (-25%) and the Philippines (-22%) suffering the largest falls. Only Saudi Arabia (+15%) had a double-digit percentage increase. Construction is likely to underperform the global economy in future years, particularly as it's more impacted by stretched public finances, despite many countries announcing increased infrastructure investment. During the next two years, as the world recovers from COVID, we expect construction volumes globally to increase by an average of 3.2% a year, with double-digit percentage increases in seven countries and declines in only three countries, all of which are in Europe. Over the longer term (2023 to 2030) we forecast that the volume of construction output will increase by an average of 2.3% a year globally, with annual growth rates varying between a decline in Japan (-0.5% p.a.) to increases exceeding 8% a year in Tanzania (+8.4% p.a.), Ethiopia (+8.4% p.a.) and Bangladesh (+8.0% p.a.). We estimate that the value of global construction output in US$ at constant exchange rates and in 2020 prices will increase from $11.6 trillion in 2020 to around $14.8 trillion in 2030, a growth rate averaging 2.5% a year. We expect China to remain the largest construction market globally, but to decline in importance from 32.0% of the global total in 2020 to 29.2% in 2030. We also expect Japan's contribution to the total to decline from 7.0% in 2020 to 5.4% in 2030, when we forecast that it will be overtaken by India as it becomes the third largest construction market globally. We expect Indonesia to surpass France and Australia to become the sixth largest construction market in 2030, with France dropping from the sixth largest in 2020 to the eighth largest in 2030. Around 43 million new homes will be required each year globally between 2020 and 2030, with 11 million of these being in India, 7 million in China, 2m in Nigeria and 1.5 million in the US. Brazil, Pakistan and Indonesia are also each expected to require more than a million new homes every year. 1. www.globalconstruction2030.com for report. Separate forecasts are published for housing, non-housing and infrastructure work for 63 of the 90 countries. Contact: Dr Mike Betts, Global Construction Perspectives, Mobile +447833431682. E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Global Construction Perspectives Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 10:17:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Security forces in western Ethiopian have arrested 17 Ethiopians suspected of involvement in deadly communal violence, state media outlet Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) reported on Monday. The 17 suspects are accused of attacking civilians in the Metekel zone of the western regional state of Benishangul-Gumuz in recent weeks that left scores dead, the ENA reported. According to the report, 290 arrows were confiscated from the 17 suspects. In December 2020, an armed attack by suspected ethnic Gumuz militants in the village of Bekoji, Metekel zone, left at least 207 people dead. Among the victims were 133 adult men, 35 adult women, some 20 elderly persons as well as 17 children, one of them a six-month-old baby, according to a statement published by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, a rights group established by the Ethiopian parliament. Ethnic violence between various ethnic groups in Benishangul-Gumuz regional state in recent months has left hundreds dead and thousands of others displaced. The clashes were mainly over access to power and land resources. Enditem Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Loyalist Jamie Bryson is calling on the DUP to make Stormont "ungovernable" until the Irish Sea border is removed. In a new book on Brexit he claims that the sea border must be challenged, not through street protests, but by disrupting the workings of government. "The DUP and the Ulster Unionists are part of the Executive. Ironically, the DUP have responsibility for the department charged with implementing the sea border," he said. "The first protest against the Northern Ireland protocol should be a deliberate DUP campaign to frustrate and impede the implementation of checks and infrastructure. They must use every lever available to them within the structures of the Assembly and their ministerial offices. "The real route to triggering Article 16 is not via protests or civil disobedience, but rather by making the system of government unworkable from within." But the loyalist, whose book Brexit Betrayed is published by Amazon, said he suspected that the DUP would meekly implement the protocol. "Their recent musings about 'opportunities' in the protocol leads to the inevitable conclusion that the DUP fully intend to eschew any real effort to resist the Irish Sea border in favour of becoming its chief implementers," he said. Mr Bryson said his book was a series of articles penned from the 2016 referendum to the end of the transition period. "It's the first published book from a unionist/loyalist perspective on Brexit," he added. He insisted that he did not regret voting for Brexit, and he claimed that the problem for loyalists lay in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. "It was sold to unionism as a settlement and thus it depoliticised a generation. It was simultaneously portrayed as a process to nationalists which energised and politicised a whole new generation of post-98 nationalist activists. I believe the Irish Sea border will energise and politicise a new generation of unionists and loyalists," he said. "I am urging them to engage in a strategic offensive of 'lawfare' - using the legal process to wage war on the protocol and frustrate all-Ireland harmonisation efforts. "It is wholly understandable that a bubbling resentment boils within the unionist and loyalist psyche, flowing from the imposition of an Irish Sea border to appease the implied threats to peace, which emanated from nationalism and the Irish Government." The loyalist accused London of appeasing nationalism over Brexit and "cutting unionism adrift and abandoning it into an economic united Ireland that doesn't make for long-term stability". PUP councillor Dr John Kyle is on Belfast City Council's Brexit committee and called for cooperation on Brexit. "I think that Brexit is an evolving situation, I think that there are very negative consequences from the Irish Sea border," he said. But he added: "I also think it's a time for cool heads and for business and politicians to work together to ensure the most efficient transport of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain in both directions." SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said: "I'm trying to see the point of a book on Brexit by Jamie Bryson and quite frankly I can't." Asked about Mr Bryson's call for the DUP to frustrate processes at Stormont, he said: "I've think we've had enough of a mess of Brexit without going there." Auburn, IN (46706) Today Showers and a possible thunderstorm in the morning will give way to cloudy skies late. High 78F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 49F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. MIAMI, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In October, RER was awarded a grant for the COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellness Program to assist Miami-Dade County residents to navigate the myriad of mental health challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. This test market program provided a scorecard based on four key indicators of mental health and wellness after completing a brief, evidence-informed questionnaire. Participants were then given access to additional mental health and environmental supports to address the wide spectrum of mental health-related issues associated with the pandemic. Program Founder and CEO of RER, Ruban Roberts, developed the program after questioning the disproportionalities in mental health care, medical care, and environmental factors magnified by the pandemic. "Because you can still find high and disproportionate numbers of Black and Brown folks dealing with diabetes, hypertension, and sickle cell; this creates an intolerable foundation for COVID-19 to fester. These issues are also related to social determinants and have always existed in these sectors," Roberts continues, "How do we create a system where we can help people holistically? We need to fix the system instead of continuing to research the same issues yielding the same results. The goal should be to create solutions that will reverse these disparities." To administer to this broad need, RER partnered with New Horizons Community Mental Health Center, Barry University, and other Community Based Organizations to deliver this trusted program. This collaborative approach proved essential in addressing the holistic needs of participants. The program was free to Miami-Dade County residents and offered a wide range of direct and referral services. Miami-Dade County served as a test market to launch the program nationally. It is the objective of Roberts to raise awareness of the correlation between Mental Health and pandemics, like COVID-19, and natural disasters and their effect on Black, Brown, and disadvantaged communities and provide them with access to services. "Our Mental Health Program resonates with Black, Brown, and marginalized populations. From the program's utilization of social media and direct communication to initiate contact through receiving referrals for services, participants feel heard, seen, and respected. This is a distinction that this program makes which is not usually the case for this population. This program addresses the whole person with a focus on emotional, social, and environmental needs. We base this practice on the concept that 'You can't treat a person that is hungry without feeding them first,'" said Roberts. The program features: A Mental Health & Wellness Assessment Scorecard (MHWAS) Access to the CMHWP Care Coordination Team for mental health services and referrals All of our services are offered in English, Spanish, and Creole Access to speaker seminar series featuring leading experts in mental health discussing topics that matter in your life "When we started the program in October, we actually saw a correlation between high anxiety, depression, and stress levels that mirrored the November COVID-19 surge. We saw those levels rise from being low to moderate pre-surge, to moderate to high in direct correlation since the start of the holiday season" continued Roberts. This program targets how we think about mental wellness and coping as a whole. "In Black, Brown, and marginalized communities stress, anxiety, and depression is normalized. In these communities, food and housing insecurities, underemployment and unemployment are not uncommon. This is further exacerbated by the pandemic." RER seeks to expand this program nationally in an effort to provide holistic mental health services Black, Brown, and marginalized populations. Contact: Jessica Garrett Modkins at [email protected] SOURCE RER Consulting ATLANTA: Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration. It marks the first time the couple, 96 and 93, will have missed the ceremonies since Carter was sworn in as the 39th president in 1977. A spokeswoman at The Carter Center in Atlanta said the Carters have sent Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their best wishes and look forward to a successful administration. Biden was a young Delaware senator and Carter ally during the Georgians term in the White House. The Carters have spent the coronavirus pandemic mostly at their home in Plains, Georgia, where both were raised and where they returned after leaving the White House in 1981. Carter, a Democrat, became the longest-lived American president in March 2019, surpassing former President George H.W. Bush, who died the previous November. Carter survived a melanoma diagnosis that spread to his brain in 2015. He has since had several falls and hip replacement surgery. He no longer teaches Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, as he had for decades, but still participates in church activities via video amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Carter was the first former president to confirm his plans to attend President Donald Trumps inauguration in 2017. The Carters were seated on the aisle, next to former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush. The elder Bush was the lone former president at the time who did not attend Trumps inauguration. The Carters did travel to Washington for the elder Bushs funeral. yep Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor A female was shot and killed, and a Shelby County sheriffs deputy injured during an incident near Columbiana Monday night. The incident began shortly before 6 p.m. when deputies were dispatched to a domestic disturbance in the 1400 block of Mooney Road, which is a rural area just outside of the Columbiana city limits. Few details had been released as to what happened next, but authorities say the suspect ran over a deputy and thats when a deputy shot the suspect. The slain female, whose identity has not yet been released, was pronounced dead on the scene inside a vehicle. The deputy was seriously injured. A statement from the sheriffs office said his injuries are potentially life-threatening. He was airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham. Authorities said initial reports that the deputy had been shot are not true. The investigation is ongoing and the Shelby County Major Crimes Task Force is leading the probe. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. AL.com journalist Howard Koplowitz contributed to this report. Nigerias Christians trapped between COVID-19 and terrorism, human rights leader says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The combination of COVID-19 and the rise in terrorist activity in Nigeria has left Christians in that country in peril, said Nigerian human rights group leader Dalyop Solomon. Life became very, very brutish. You will wish you had not been born in this part of the world. There was no way out. There was no way out, the CEO of the Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria told The Christian Post. Behind us are the Egyptians, in front of us is the Red Sea. Nigerias government has advised Christians to stay in their homes to avoid COVID-19, said Solomon. But if they remain locked down at home, they cannot escape when groups of terrorists attack them. The government fails to respond to these attacks, which have increased in frequency across Nigeria. In 2020, human rights groups estimated that over 2,200 Christians were murdered by radical Islamist militants. Prior to this time, the attacks were only concentrated in a few communities, but we can see now it has become very pervasive. Only a few states were not touched by terror attacks. They have expanded the attacks to become land grabs, he said. The attacks during the pandemic are also having long-term consequences. Many Nigerians rely on farming to survive. Since radical Fulani militants often destroy or plunder crops when they attack, farmers' livelihoods are destroyed, said Solomon. COVID-19 restrictions prevent them from leaving their homes to plant new crops. Both two seasonal farmings we have in Nigeria have been aggravated by the actions of Fulani hitmen grazing [cattle] into farm crops that are about to be harvested, he said. Having expended the little an individual has for harvest for the family, just overnight all those dreams are shattered by the barbaric activities of the herders. There wont be food for the families, and government is not providing food security. Between COVID-19 and Fulani raids on crops, its likely only one in five Nigerian farms harvested what it planted this year, Solomon explained. The nation has never seen such widespread destruction of crops, and Nigerians will likely face famine in 2021. Other news outlets have also reported about the concerns over the potential for famine. When Islamists kill farmers, people fear to go out and plant their fields. Starvation drives people to despair, Solomon said. People turn to robbery, prostitution and selling children into slavery to survive. A single pandemic ought to have made us united to see how we can survive this tragic development. But its rather turned out to be that COVID-19 has unleashed terror attacks, he said. The United States added Nigeria to its list of countries that have engaged in or tolerated ongoing egregious religious persecution. Government inaction suggests that Nigerias pandemic response has hidden motives, Solomon believes. It appears to be politically framed, he said of the pandemic in Nigeria, which has affected around 90,000 people and led to 1,311 deaths. People affected began to wonder whether it is true that COVID-19 is as real as the way it has been globally reported, or if it is a ploy to instill fears in the minds of the people so militias will have a soft target to unleash hideous crimes on unsuspecting individuals. Farmers who report attacks by Islamists dont receive justice from the government, Solomon said. Instead, they single themselves out for attacks by the terrorists. Unless the Nigerian government is purposeful in its approach and its action to tread the path of justice so every individual is treated equally as a member of the human family, I have not seen the prospect of having a secure nation. I have not seen the prospect of having a nation run right. I have not seen the prospect of having a country that will thrive economically, he said. After receiving death threats from Islamist terrorists for his human rights work, Solomon spent most of the Christmas season in hiding. He said the threats make him feel more sad than afraid. That one has to go hide out simply because of telling the truth, its quite a sad experience, he said. This is not the intention of God for man. The truth is God Himself, and one cannot speak God in a situation because some individuals fear that their hideous activities will be exposed. Solomon asked for Christians around the world to put pressure on the Nigerian government to do justice. Please, as a matter of conscience, faith and love for people under persecution I ask for an intervention and provision of relief materials. Christians in Nigeria need humanitarian aid to cushion the impact of alarming destruction that has been meted out on Christendom as a whole, he said. Representative Image After seven years and 35 rounds of negotiations, the European Union (EU) and China have agreed for a Comprehensive Agreement in Investments (CAI). The deal was announced by the EU leadership in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Merkel played a key role in finalising the deal before handing over the rotating EU presidency to Portugal. Days before a new administration takes charge in Washington, this is a significant diplomatic achievement for Beijing. As both the EU and China are economic heavyweights, the economic and strategic significance of the deal cannot be underestimated. The EU-China bilateral trade in 2019 was more than $630 billion. Similarly, the bilateral investments in the last 20 years are about 260 billion EU companies have invested more than 140 billion in China, and Chinese FDI in the EU is about 120 billion. The CAI is not an FTA. But it will serve an important tool to open Chinese market for EU companies. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen rightly asserts that the deal will provide unprecedented access to the Chinese market for European investors. The Global Times editorial calls it a New Year gift from China and the EU to the whole world and a portrayal of the two sides common strategic courage. Despite all the talk of geopolitical EU and a common transatlantic front against assertive China, the deal has once again shown that what matters the most to its member states is economics. Some EU countries may also like to project it as a sign of their strategic autonomy from the United States. Moreover, the CAI, linked with recently-signed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), is an opportunity the EU could not ignore easily. In the last one year, Beijing has been under pressure from the Donald Trump administration and evolving geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific. Brussels had also agreed to launch an EU-US dialogue on China. But before the new US administrations China strategy is formulated, Beijing has agreed to most long-standing European demands concerning market openings, forced transfer of technologies, information about state enterprises, subsidies and commitments to sustainable development. Europe took full advantage of geopolitical situation in the Indo-Pacific and grabbed the deal. After the Lisbon Treaty, the EU gained competence in FDI. The CAI will put in place a single EU-China investment framework replacing 25 bilateral investment treaties. Under the CAI, China has offered comprehensive commitments in manufacturing, particularly in transport, chemicals, as well as telecommunication and health equipment. It has eliminated or phased out joint venture requirements or equity caps in the automotive sector, banking, insurance, securities and asset management. The real estate services, rental and leasing services, advertising, market research, management consulting and translation services, cloud services are all opened. European companies can now open private hospitals in major Chinese cities and invest in cargo-handling, container depots and stations, maritime agencies, etc. European specialists will be able to work for three years without labour market restrictions. Although Portuguese presidency has put relations with India on priority, and will stage a major India summit, New Delhi will have to reformulate its EU strategy. The FTA negotiations are frozen since 2013. With prospects of liberal investment opportunities in a lucrative Chinese market, decoupling from China narrative will become weaker in Europe. A large part European investments in China are in the automotive and chemicals, and German companies will be happy to invest more in China. So beyond geopolitical talk, New Delhi will have to make India attractive to European companies, including a serious intent of signing FTA. It seems the final CAI text will be signed in early 2022 under the French EU presidency. Till then, the European parliament and some member states may raise issues concerning human rights and lack of transparency in China. But practically it will mean little as deal is already agreed by all 27 and strongly backed by Germany and France. Both China and the EU have played this game before. At one point of time, France and Germany were even willing to lift arms embargo against China. Under Trump, the US signed its own phase one trade deal with China. So instead of finding faults with European behaviour, India should make economy attractive to outsiders, including Europeans. The EU not naive about timing and the political significance of the deal. However, despite labelling China as a systemic rival and economic competitor, Brussels does not want to be on the wrong side of a rising power. The CAI deal rather shows that it is ready to take advantage from an emerging geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. Unless New Delhi is ready for a comprehensive FTA with the EU, Europes primary focus in Asia will continue to be on the RCEP-integrated China. Iran has again asked Interpol to issue a red notice for President Donald Trump and 47 other US officials the country blames for the assassination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani last year. "The culprits have been identified," Irans Mehrs News Agency quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as saying in his weekly press conference. Esmaili described Trump as the main culprit in Soleimanis death, along with officials at the Pentagon and US forces in the region. When the France-based international police organization circulates a red notice, law enforcement agencies around the world are asked to locate and provisionally arrest suspects who are wanted for extradition. Iran's request to Interpol is the second such ask it has made of the France-based international police organization this year. In June, Tehran requested Interpols help arresting Trump for murder and terrorism charges in connection with Soleimanis killing. Interpol responded with a statement saying its constitution and rules prevent the agency from carrying out any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. Soleimani, who died in a US drone strike near the Baghdad airport in January 2020, led the clandestine foreign wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, known as the Quds Force. Trump said he ordered the operation against Irans most powerful military commander to prevent planned attacks on Americans. The assassination brought Tehran and Washington to the brink of war. Iran responded with a ballistic missile attack on the Ain Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq that left at least 34 American troops with traumatic brain injuries. Tensions between the two countries grew with the Trump administrations exit from the landmark Iranian nuclear agreement in 2018. The White House has since carried out a maximum pressure campaign of sanctions designed to isolate Iran economically so that its forced to strike a tougher nuclear deal. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to reenter the nuclear pact if Iran returns to strict compliance under the agreement. Those efforts will be complicated by Irans announcement Monday that its Fordow nuclear facility has resumed enriching uranium to 20%, a major breach of the original agreement. Men and women have revealed the worst advice they have been given for their anxiety - including to 'go on a juice cleanse', 'breathe' and not to stress outside of you allocated 'worry time. They said they had been given bad advice from most people in their lives, including their parents, partners, doctors and psychologists. One woman complained that people often tell her to let them know if she needs something, but then walk away before she can answer. One woman said she was told to 'go on a juice cleanse' to help her mental health '"Just don't let it worry you". "Why don't you just relax". "Why are you worried? Everything's ok, isn't it?'",' she said, giving examples of the awkward thing people say to her when she is having an anxiety attack. Another woman complained about her well-meaning brother's attitude to her mental health: 'He likes to helpfully suggest that he just doesn't worry about it,' she said. Others complained about people pushing mindfulness, meditation and exercise to 'get their mind off problems'. Another woman said she is always told to practice mindfulness - which makes her anxiety worse What are the five signs someone is struggling? 1. If someone says they are 'tired' the whole time. 2. If they are going through a difficult life event like divorce or unemployment. 3. If they say they are always 'busy' or express being 'overwhelmed' by things. 4. If they always brush things off or seem emotionally distant. 5. If they are disengaged in conversation, especially on something they are usually passionate about. Advertisement 'A tasting set of responses for depression/anxiety: you have so much to be happy for; think of all the people that have it worse; is it something that I did; just be happy; what is the worst that could happen; it is all in your head; you couldn't possibly be, you are so positive,' one man said. Another person claims their GP told them to watch a funny movie or to 'go see the sunset'. While an overweight woman said her doctor told her losing weight would help with her anxiety. 'That is always the answer when you're fat. But also not super helpful when your anxiety strongly correlates with an eating disorder,' another said. Another woman who suffers from anxiety in public situations mentioned a very awkward encounter with her personal trainer. 'She (loudly) called out my anxiety (which is exacerbated by social / public situations/ attention). Then told me she would 'cure' it. She preceded to count backwards from three then clicked her fingers in my face and said 'don't be anxious!' Another woman said her friend tells her not to worry so much because the things she worries about are not the things that will get her. While others said they were told all they needed to do to get on top of their anxiety was to lose weight 'That's because I work hard to protect myself from those things. Also me: worries about what I'm not working about.' One man said doctors didn't believe he had panic attacks because he was manly. 'The doctor looked at me at disbelief because I was a tall, fairly big, bearded man. Like that made any difference at all. He said, 'A big guy like you, really? Panic attacks? Could be something else'. One man admitted to saying some of these things to his partner, out of love and not knowing the right things to say. He was told the best things to say are: 'I'm here, this will pass and you are safe.' 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A small internet start-up is on a mission to revolutionize the internet with its new launch of CommentTalk, a public town square social media platform. The aim of CommentTalk is to bring back free speech by offering a Section 230 based platform that allows users to attach comments to any webpage. Users simply copy/paste the URL into a category to start a conversation about a specific web pages content. The CommentTalk BETA release launched on 12/3/2020. Watch the video at https://youtu.be/FYaTDTwVR8U to see how CommentTalk works. CommentTalk has three innovative characteristics that differentiate it from other social media platforms: It allows for commentary on any website, even websites that dont have comments enabled. Users can add donation or payment links to their profiles and earn fan money from their commentary. CommentTalk has a free Chrome Browser extension which allows users to see conversations as they browse the web and visit different web pages Getting started with CommentTalk is simple. Create a user profile. Select a category of interest. Paste a URL in the Start A New Conversation: Enter the Link Here -> field. Hit the Comment Button to post a comment appended to the article. CommentTalks quest to save Section 230 Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 at 47 U.S.C. 230 was passed in 1996 and identifies social media websites as platforms for 3rd parties to post their content instead of being categorized as publishers of their users content. Section 230 gives social media websites protection from various forms of civil liability as the users on the website are responsible for their own published content. President Trump advocates the repeal of Section 230 which would force social media platforms to impose massive censorship on their users and destroy the concept of digital town squares. Should Section 230 successfully be repealed, start-ups such as CommentTalk will be hard pressed to compete against social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter. About CommentTalk: CommentTalk is a start-up company based near Sedona, Arizona. Founded in 2020, the company targets customers within the United States, hoping to end censorship and bring about fair, non-biased and healthy debate. The platform is set up to allow for free exchange on any topic and incentivizes passionate commentators by offering users the ability to add donation buttons. CommentTalk is part of Grey Hat Media, LLC and in the process of becoming a formal corporation for investment purposes. DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Big Data Analytics, AI, and Collaborative Combat Driving the Evolution of Land-based EO/IR CONOPS, 2019-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This study will benefit those who are interested in learning about the current state of electro-optic /infrared (EO/IR) operating concepts and how they will evolve with the emergence of new technologies and threats. This study identifies emerging trends that will have an impact on the EO/IR industry and highlights areas of opportunities in the land segments and also the technology adoption that will potentially add value in terms of helping the security objectives. All security industry participants and other industry verticals will benefit from this research as this is a growth insight study investigating the potential impact that future technologies will have on the market and how it will evolve during the forecast period. Technology companies who are looking at new avenues to add capabilities to their portfolio will also benefit from this study. Research Scope Product Scope: Industry megatrends and defense megatrends Geographic Scope: Global End-user Scope: All industries interested in Land EO/IR Key Issues Addressed What are the products currently in use and what are their capabilities? What are the overarching current themes that will influence future buying behavior? How will CONOPS evolve in Land EO/IR? What new technologies, services, and capabilities will operators require as a result of the evolution of CONOPS? What should defense OEMs do to ensure their products and positioning remain competitive as CONOPS evolves? Key Topics Covered: 1. Strategic Imperatives 2. Executive Summary Market Overview Trends Impacting Demand: 2020-2029 Disruptive Forces Key Predictions Capability Impact: Evolving Technologies State of Digitalization Spending and Operational Priorities 3. Research Scope & Methodology Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Objectives and Questions 4. General Market Trends Geopolitical Snapshot Geopolitical Analysis Economic Situation/COVID-19 COVID-19 Impact on Key Regions COVID-19 Trend Analysis: Impact on Demand 5. Growth Opportunity Analysis, 2020 Growth Drivers for Land EO/IR Market Drivers Explained Growth Restraints in Land EO/IR Market Restraints Explained Evolving CONOPS EO/IR CONOPS Evolution Current State of Land EO/IR Concepts Current Land EO/IR Concepts Future Concepts of Land EO/IR - Autonomous Functionality Future Concepts of Land EO/IR - Sensor Fusion Future Concepts of Land EO/IR - Collaborative Combat Future Concepts of Land EO/IR - Soldier Modernization Future Concepts of Land EO/IR - Spectrum-Constrained Environment Future Concepts of Land EO/IR - Transparent Cockpit 6. Technology Technologies Impacting Capabilities and Demand Technology Analysis Strategic Conclusions: Global 7. Growth Opportunity Universe Growth Opportunity 1: Data Processing to Enable Faster Sensor to Shooter Loop, 2020 Growth Opportunity 2: Low-cost and Medium-capability EO/IR Solutions, 2020 Growth Opportunity 3: Extended Support to Cater to Operators With Limited Budgets, 2020 Growth Opportunity 4: Modular and Multi-mission Solutions, 2020 Growth Opportunity 5: Image Processing to Enable Information Extraction in Degraded Environments, 2020 Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth 8. The Last Word The Last Word - 3 Big Predictions For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cgk24u About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. 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Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. A year after George Floyd's death, Pennsylvanians are still fighting for change The past year has been difficult as the pandemic has disturbed daily life. During these dark times, heartwarming tales of human compassion are like are a shining piercing light. And, what could be more heartwarming than one of the biggest industrialists in the country showing that he cares about his employees, both current and former. India Inc leader Ratan Tata showed his compassionate side again on Tuesday as he visited an ailing former employee at his home. The 83-year-old is known for his acts of kindness. According to a post on LinkedIn, Ratan Tata undertook a journey from his house in Mumbai all the way to Friends Society in Pune just to meet a former employee. The person who Tata visited has been suffering from ill-health over the past two years. The visit was not publicised as no media personnel were present to report on it. Earlier, Tata had personally visited the families of all 80 of his employees who were affected by the 26/11 terror attack of 2008. Tata had agreed to fully sponsor the education of the employees' children. Tata had also stated that he'll cover all medical expenses of their families and other dependents for the rest of their lives, counselling sessions expenses included. The families were also given a full waiver on all loans and advances they had held. Tata's latest act of kindness has inspired Twitterati. Here are a few reactions: Respected @RNTata2000 sir Namaskar . V r really admired by a news that become viral in SM @telangana #RatanTata visited @TataCompanies employe in #Pune . Even in #coronavirus #Corona pandemic. Salute 2 the #LivingLigend A Role model 4 All. pic.twitter.com/LbTs3TRMjF - RAGHUNANDAN MAACHANA (@RMaachana) January 4, 2021 #RatanTata Travelled all the way form Mumbai to pune to meet and Ex Tata Employees who was unwell for 2 year's During 26/11 he personally visited the Families of all the 80 employees Affected and pledged to cover all their Expenses for lifetime He does it Again pic.twitter.com/Jm0eyOEMki - Anand / (@Anand_kr_7654) January 5, 2021 Sir Ratan Tata, (83 Years old), greatest businessman alive in India visited employee in Pune all the way from Mumbai who is ailing for last 2 years. No media, no bouncers only commitment towards loyal employees.This is how legends are made of. #RatanTatapic.twitter.com/FwOsWaaFxw - vinay patil (@meengineervinay) January 5, 2021 Also Read: Healthcare worker dies 48 hours after getting Pfizer coronavirus vaccine Also Read: Jack Ma arrested? Chinese media says Alibaba founder 'embracing supervision' Conjoined twins who were expected to die after birth have defied the odds by starting primary school four years later. Ibrahima Ndiaye, 50, brought his daughters Marieme and Ndeye from Senegal to the UK when they were seven months old in 2017 to seek help from Great Ormond Street Hospital. The twins have separate brains, hearts and lungs but share a liver, bladder, digestive system, and three kidneys, and Ibrahima was told by doctors they wouldn't survive long after their birth. However the pair have been progressing well and settling into their Cardiff primary school, which their father says is a 'Herculean achievement' and an unfathomable thought when his daughter's were born. Conjoined twins Marieme and Ndeye Ndiaye (pictured) were expected to die after their birth, but have defied the odds by starting primary school four years later Speaking to BBC News, he said: 'When you look in the rear view mirror, it was an unachievable dream.' 'From now, everything ahead will be a bonus to me. My heart and soul is shouting out loud, 'Come on! Go on girls! Surprise me more!' The twins have had to fit schooling in between hospital visits, but are said to have made plenty of friends, and have been enjoying their lessons. At Ty Hafan Children's Hospice the sisters have been learning what it feels like to stand with a special frame gives which helps them be upright and build leg strength. The pair have been progressing well and settling into their Cardiff primary school, which their father says is a 'Herculean achievement' Ibrahima Ndiaye, 50, (pictured) brought his daughter's from Senegal to the UK when they were seven months old in 2017 to seek help from Great Ormond Street Hospital Despite the pair continuing to surprise doctors, Marieme's heart is weak and her life expectancy is poor, meaning if she dies her conjoined sister will also pass away What are conjoined twins? Conjoined twins occur when siblings have their skin or internal organs fused together. It affects around one in 200,000 live births. Conjoined twins are caused by a fertilised egg beginning to split into two embryos a few weeks after conception, but the process stops before it is complete. The most common type is twins joined at the chest or abdomen. Separation surgery success depends on where the twins are joined. Doctors can only tell which organs the siblings share, and therefore plan surgery, after they are born. Omphalopagus twins are joined near the bellybutton and often share a liver but generally do not share a heart. Craniopagus twins are joined at the back, top or side of the head, but not the face. Earlier this year Safa and Marwa Ullah, from Pakistan, who were joined at the head were separated at Great Ormond Street in London. More than 100 staff members treated the girls in a series of operations over four months which took 55 hours. At least one twin survives 75 per cent of the time when they are separated. Sources: Mayo Clinic and University of Maryland Medical Center Advertisement Last year, Great Ormond Street surgeons considered attempting separation however Ibrahima eventually decided against it, as the procedure meant one of his daughters would not live. In BBC documentary, The Conjoined Twins: An Impossible Decision, which aired last year, father-of-six Ibrahima faced the dilemma of saving one of his daughters but letting the other die. During one of the meetings with surgeon Dr Brierley explains to Ibrahima what will happen if he doesn't separate his daughters. He said: 'Marieme's dying process will be Ndeye's dying process it isn't possible to stop that or change it [And] it won't be an option to separate them once Marieme starts to die.' Speaking of his daughter's bravery in the documentary, Ibrahima said: 'When it comes to what you might call bravery, I cannot describe myself as brave. 'All the credit is for the girls. I'm not the one who is experiencing the condition.' Ultimately, Ibrahima decided he could not separate the girls and know he caused the death of Marieme. In the documentary Ibrahima revealed that he had contacted medical professionals all over the world looking for a solution after the birth of his daughters before Great Ormond Street Hospital were able to help him. He said: 'When I was trying to find a solution for the girls from Senegal it wasn't easy because the contacts I had all over the world, it was just there is nothing we can do. '[They said] don't put too much hope in the girls it is just a matter of weeks. They have no hope of surviving with their condition. 'But when I got in touch with Great Ormond Street Hospital, it was the first time in a hospital I heard you can come so that we can see what we can do.' Ibrahima and his daughters have been given discretionary leave to remain in the UK so that they could continue to receive treatment at Great Ormond Street. The family now live in a flat close to Cardiff City Centre. Ibrahima has since set up a foundation in his daughter's name called 'Conjoined Destiny' to help raise awareness of their condition and to help others who may be suffering with similar complications. The family wish to help other children with complex health problems in the UK and in Africa, to get the practical help they need to live 'independent and dignified lives'. They also wish to offer financial support to both Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity and Ty Hafan, which provides Ibrahima with short periods of respite, and an around the clock practitioner for the family. Charities are facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Ibrahima has urged the public to help in any way they can. In an interview with the Mirror, he said: 'Ty Hafan is a second family for me and I know that they are relying on people's generosity and funding.' 'Without Ty Hafan I don't think we would make it through the pandemic. It's not only care and support for the girls, there's psychological support for myself because I'm in a difficult situation as a single dad.' Former Democratic Congresswoman Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has spoken out about new rules in Congress that came into force on Monday banning certain gender-related language. Among the new rules, members of Congress are required to use 'gender-inclusive language'. Democrats claim the changes will promote diversity and inclusion in the 117th Congress. The House approved the package Monday in a 217-206 vote on party lines. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced a new set of rules to govern Congress Tulsi Gabbard blasts the new House rules that get rid of "gendered language" on Tucker: "Its the height of hypocrisy for people who claim to be the champions of rights for women to deny the biological existence of women." pic.twitter.com/eoQEl1QNWR Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 5, 2021 The change comes as a record number of LGBTQ lawmakers are joining Congress. Although the rules do not prevent the use of gendered language, it does rename 'official' language. It sees 'all gender identities honored by changing pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender neutral.' Tulsi Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman, says that the rules essentially ignore the very existence of women. 'It's the height of hypocrisy for people who claim to be the champions of rights for women to deny the biological existence of women,' Gabbard said to Tucker Carlson on Monday night. Former Democratic Congresswoman Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has spoken out about new rules in Congress that came into force on Monday banning certain gender-related language Gabbard blasted the new rules as 'mind blowing' adding they 'lacked common sense' WHAT WORDS ARE CHANGING? The term seamen will be replaced with seafarers. Chairman will become chair. Terms for familial relationships such as mother, father, daughter, son, sister and brother will be swapped with terms such as parent, child and sibling. The phrase 'submit his or her resignation' will be replaced with 'resign.' The phrases 'he or she serves' and 'he or she holds' will be replaced with 'such Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner' serves or holds, respectively. The words himself and herself will be replaced with themself. Advertisement 'This recent rule change at the House voted and passed on today removes references to mothers and fathers, bothers and sisters and sons and daughters from congressional rules and administration, it's mind blowing,' she said. The new rules change 'seamen' to 'seafarers,' 'chairman' to 'chair' and 'submit his or her resignation' to 'resigns.' References to fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and in-laws are to be be changed to 'parent, child, sibling, spouse, or parent-in-law,' according to the resolution. Extended family members would be referred to as 'child's parent' instead of aunt or uncle, stepparents, and siblings-in-law. 'It shows how out of touch with reality and the struggles of every day Americans people in Congress are. Also as their first act, this new Congress could have been to make sure that elderly Americans are able to get the COVID vaccine now along side front line healthcare workers. Instead of doing something that could help save people's lives, they are choosing instead to say you can't say mother and father in this congressional language. It's astounding,' Gabbard continued. Evidence of the new rules could already be heard during the opening prayer which saw the words 'Amen and A-woman' uttered by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Evidence of the new rules could already be heard during the opening prayer which saw the words 'Amen and A-woman' uttered by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy decried the new rules as 'stupid' In the past, Congress operated under a binary rule that 'words importing one gender include the other as well.' 'Through months of consultation across our caucus and Congress, we have developed a rules package that makes the People's House more accountable and responsive to all Americans,' Pelosi wrote in the statement. The latest rules see a spectrum of gender identities being acknowledged as well as same-sex relationships. 'I don't know how to explain what they think. It defies common sense. There is a biological distinction between men and women and boys and girls. It defies basic science,' Gabbard said. Several GOP lawmakers previously denounced the proposed change, including Rep. Kevin McCarthy from California, who called it 'stupid.' McCarthy previously supported the Defense of Marriage Act in 2011, which outlawed same-sex marriage. The Founder who doubles as the Leader of Alive Chapel International, Archbishop Elisha Salifu Amoako has expressed his disappointment in some bloggers for twisting his prophecy about the Finance Minister Hon Ken Ofori Atta on December 31, 2020 night. According to him, it is erroneous for some bloggers to peddle a falsehood on social media that he [Elisha Salifu Amoako] has made a definite prophecy that the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta will die this year 2021 in March. Addressing the media on Sunday, January 3, 2021, at his office, Archbishop Elisha Salifu Amoako debunked the allegation and went on to give a detailed account of the December 31, 2020 prophecy that God rather revealed a sickness which has been targeted at the Finance Minister. He added that the prophecy was such that without prayer being offered on behalf of the Finance Minister, the sickness can lead to his death from the December 31 night to March 2021; thus, there was no definite prophecy that the Finance Minister would die this year. He indicated that per the directive of the prophecy, prayer has been offered to God on behalf of the Minister of Finance, noting that he [Archbishop Salifu Amoako] fasted and prayed for the Minister of Finance and God has stopped the evil attack on him. God revealed detailed prophecies to me and the spirit of God took me to the Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance. I saw a picture at the Ministry of Finance and when I got closer, it turned into the image of the Minister of Finance. God told me that we should pray for him because there are people who have plotted evil death against him. So, if we dont pray for him from December 31 to March, he can fall ill and the sickness can lead to death. And so, we prayed for him and the next day on January 1, I fasted the whole day and I saw that God has touched the man and cancelled the death from him. Whenever God reveals something, it means that He wants to work on it and those that He does not reveal, nothing can be done about them. So, I didnt say that the Minister of Finance will die at all cost. I mentioned what God has revealed to me, however, we prayed for him and God has restored him again, he debunked. Therefore, I want to correct the erroneous statement being peddled by some bloggers that I made a definite prophecy that the Finance Minister will die. The bloggers have twisted my prophecy about the Finance Minister, he reiterated. Touching on the revelation about the First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Archbishop Elisha Salifu Amoako said that his prayer team has prayed for her over a spiritual breast cancer thrown at her to break her down. He again mentioned that President Akufo-Addo is also saved from some people who are planning to end his life in order that he will not be able to cover his 4-year term. God has saved everyone that the devil wanted to touch and destroy. There is nobody here on earth who is above prayer; God revealed something about the Ministry of Finance to us and we have worked on itwe dont want any blogger to twist my prophecies, he cautioned. He said that his over 35 years in the prophetic ministry have not been doubted as his predictions have come to pass from the 90s till date; thus, he has integrity in the prophetic ministry which is known by all the prophets who are being attacked. I will plead with the bloggers to write as I have said without twisting my words; dont give a wrong caption for people to insult me. I never said that the Finance Minister will die and so I want to correct this erroneous statement being circulated on social media by some bloggers, he pleaded. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Dr. Tedros Adhanom, director general of the World Health Organization, speaks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China on Jan. 28, 2020. (Naohiko Hatta/Pool via Reuters) WHO Criticizes Chinese Communist Party for Delaying Allowing Experts Into Wuhan The World Health Organization (WHO) criticized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for not allowing international experts to enter the country to examine the origins of COVID-19. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, said in a statement that he was very disappointed that the Chinese regime has not yet provided permits to health experts to enter the country. Today we learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalized the necessary permissions for the teams arrival in China, he said. I am very disappointed with this news given that two members had already begun their journeys [and] others were not able to travel at the last minute. Tedros noted that there were arrangements developed between the WHO, China, and an international team to travel to Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus, also known as the CCP virus, is believed to have originated in 2019. Those officials, the WHO official said, have started traveling from their home countries to China. Ive been in contact with senior Chinese officials [and] I have once again made clear that the mission is a priority for WHO [and] the international team, he said, adding: We are eager to get the mission underway as soon as possible. The rare public rebuke comes in the midst of criticism that the WHO and Tedros improperly defended the CCPs handling of the outbreak in early 2020. President Donald Trump was perhaps the most prominent critic and canceled millions of dollars in U.S. funding to the WHO. Throughout this crisis, the World Health Organization has been curiously insistent on praising China for its alleged transparency. You have consistently joined in these tributes, notwithstanding that China has been anything but transparent, Trump wrote in a letter to the WHO last year. That is why it is my duty, as President of the United States, to inform you that, if the World Health Organization does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent. Residents wearing masks wait in line for nucleic acid testing at a residential community in Wuhan, the capital of Chinas Hubei Province, on May 15, 2020. (Getty Images) Residents, journalists, and doctors in Wuhan have said the regime lied about the pandemic. Internal government data has shown that the number of COVID-19 cases is much higher than what was publicly reported in Wuhan, Beijing, and several provinces. During the time period of combating the virus, all types of urgent documents, urgent notices, urgent events internally shared sensitive information, and any information that the [government] leaders havent approved to disclose to the public should be considered state secrets, a CCP government document said. The first virus case seemed to appear last November [in 2019]. But Wuhan hadnt declared a lockdown until Jan. 23 [2020], one resident who requested anonymity told The Epoch Times. They (Chinese authorities) are lying through their teeth, the person added. Meanwhile, aside from the WHOs criticism, The Associated Press and BBC reported that the CCP prevented their journalists from visiting mineshafts and bat caves in Chinas Yunnan Province, where Chinese scientists carried out research on the source of the virus. The bat caves are located in an abandoned copper mine deep in the mountains of Tongguan, a town in Mojiang county of Yunnan Province, in southwestern China. The BBC pointed out that many samples taken from the caves have been transferred to the Wuhan Institute of Virologya lab located near the Huanan food market that authorities initially hypothesized as the source of the outbreak. According to the BBC, when its team tried to visit the caves, they were followed by plainclothes police officers and other officials in unmarked cars. The AP also reported that its journalists were tailed by Chinese security personnel and denied entry into one of the caves in late November. The report pointed out that samples taken from the caves by a bat research team were confiscated. Alex Wu contributed to this report. ADVERTISEMENT Kano State has recorded 40 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of active cases in the state to 318. The State Ministry of Health announced this on Tuesday via its verified Twitter handle @KNSMOH. It said 48 patients who recovered from the disease were also discharged in the last 24 hours in the state. Forty new cases were recorded from 286 results received on Monday from laboratories, 48 additional COVID-19 patients were also discharged, it said. The ministry disclosed that 58,765 samples were tested; out of which 2,364 were confirmed positive with 1,978 discharged. It added that the state has so far recorded 68 COVID-19 related deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in the state. The ministry urged residents of the state to observe all COVID-19 protocols to curb spread of the disease. The state has witnessed upsurge in COVID-19 infections from 30 to 318 following the second wave of the disease in the country. (NAN) Researchers in Malaysia have found a way to turn fiber from pineapple leaves into material sturdy enough to make drone frames. Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan of Putra University told Reuters that drones built with the material had a higher strength-to-weight ratio than frames made with synthetic fibers. They're cheaper and lighter, too. A damaged frame can be buried and the bio-composite material will degrade within two weeks, according to the researchers. They say prototypes made from the material have flown to around 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) and, like many other drones, they can stay aloft for about 20 minutes. The researchers aim to make larger drones that can carry bigger payloads, such as imaging sensors for agricultural use. The project, which started in 2017, is geared towards finding sustainable uses for pineapple waste. Farmers often burn or discard of the leaves after harvest, which can cause air pollution. Selling the waste instead would increase their income and may benefit the environment. The Punjab and Haryana high court has asked the Punjab government to replace the head of special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 sacrilege cases. In a detailed judgment released on Tuesday, the bench of justice Amol Rattan Singh observed that even though it is not discarding the probe conducted by the SIT led by deputy inspector general (DIG) RS Khatra, the team should be headed by a different officer so as to ensure that no element of prejudice, whatsoever, remains in the mind of the petitioner. The judgment has come on the plea of one Sukhjinder Singh, a dera Sacha Sauda follower, who had challenged a summoning order by a trial court, passed after the chargesheet was filed against him by SIT into an registered on June 2, 2015, at Baja Khana police station in Faridkot. The bench further clarified that the petitioner cannot chose an investigating agency of his own choice and the court directing such change would not in any manner reflect on the conduct of the officer. The court also questioned how the petitioner levelled allegations of mala fide against Khatra, but did not make him a party in the case. Khatra, though associated with the probe almost since beginning, was made the SIT head on April 22, 2020. The second SIT, being headed by Bureau of Investigation head Arpit Shukla with Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh as member, is looking into violence case reported after the sacrilege incidents of 2015. On Monday, the high court had asked the CBI to hand over case files pertaining to sacrilege cases within one month. It had quashed the summons issued by Faridkot court to the petitioner issued on the basis of challan presented by SIT in July 2020. The high court has also termed proceedings before special CBI court, Mohali, in this case as unsustainable and further directed that all material presented before it would be handed over to Punjab Police. The Punjab Police would take into account evidence collected by the CBI and file a supplementary challan in the FIR, the court has said. First Shots Likely by January 13, No Ban on Vaccine Exports, Says Health Secy The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said that it is prepared to roll out the coronavirus vaccine within next few days, paving way for mass vaccination drive in the country. "We are prepared to roll out Covid-19 vaccines within 10 days of granting emergency use authorisation date, based on dry run feedback," said Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan at a press conference. Approval to two vaccines was given on January 3. Read More Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech Call Truce After Vaccine War, Say Both Committed to Smooth Rollout Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said they will work together to develop, manufacture and supply the Covid-19 vaccines in India and globally. In a joint statement on behalf of the two companies, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla and Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella announced their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply the Covid-19 vaccines for India and the world. Read More Bird Flu Declared as State Disaster in Kerala, High Alert Sounded After Cases in 2 Districts The Kerala government on Tuesday classified an outbreak of bird flu as a state-specific disaster after cases were reported from some parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts. The authorities have issued a high alert in the state considering the potential of the virus to infect humans, official sources said, and had on Monday ordered culling of ducks, hens and other domestic birds in and around a one km radius of the affected areas. Tests conducted at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal have confirmed the bird flu outbreak, officials said. Read More Union Budget to be Presented on Feb 1, Parliament to Hold Budget Session from Jan 29 to Feb 15 Parliament will hold the first part of Budget Session from January 29 to February 15, during which the Union Budget 2021 will be presented on February 1. The second part of the Budget Session will begin March 8. Both Houses of Parliament will function for four hours each day during the session, sources told News18. Read More 'Why No Dalit Actors?': Richa Chadha's 'Madam Chief Minister' Faces Backlash for 'Caste Appropriation' Actor Richa Chadha has come under intense backlash on social media after the poster of her upcoming film Madam Chief Minister was released on Monday. The political drama starring Richa Chadha is all set to have a theatrical release on January 22, the makers announced Monday. The film has been accused of caste appropriation and not having an actor from the Dalit community to play the lead role. Read More An Interfaith Couple Tied the Knot in Kerala Last Year. The Church Has Now Invalidated Their Marriage An interfaith marriage held between a Muslim man and a Catholic woman was declared invalid by a three-member inquiry commission of the Syro-Malabar church body in Kerala's Kochi and recommended action against the priests who solemnized the marriage. The wedding, which was conducted last year on November 9, was held at the St Josephs Church in Kadavanthara between a Muslim man from Kochi and a Catholic woman from Irinjalakuda. Read More [January 05, 2021] Legacy Capital and Trent Capital Complete Merger LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Legacy Capital Wealth Partners and Trent Capital Management, two independent, Arkansas-based wealth management firms, announced today that they have merged to form one of the largest independent Registered Investment Advisory firms in the state. The merged firm, which will have over $525,000,000 in assets under management and advisement and in-force life insurance of over $2.5 billion, will be known as Legacy Capital. Headquarters will remain in Little Rock. The merger became official on Dec. 31, 2020. Legacy Capital, an SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm, has since 1977 provided comprehensive wealth management services to individuals and families, including financial planning, asset management, legacy and estate planning as well as insurance solutions. Trent Capital Management, Inc. (TCM), is an SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm founded by David Trent in 1996. "This is a significant positive event for all of our clients and advisors as well as for all of the dedicated people who make up our Legacy Capital team," said President Matt Jones, JD, CFP. "With this merger and the integration of David Trent and the great team that he has built, I believe we have created an organization that will provide the highest level of service and advice to the affluent and ultra-affluent in our state and region." "This merger has energized me and convinced me more than ever that we are poised to continue to grow and add even greater value to our loyal clients," said David Trent. "TCM and Legacy both have long histories of outstanding service to our clients. I have known Legacy's President, Matt Jones, personally and professionally for over 20 years and have tremendous respect for the organization and clientele that he and Jason Prather have built. We are all incredibl excited about the integration of our teams and the synergies this merger has created." "With the merger, we have increased our focus on building the region's most sophisticated wealth management firm - one that will also attract other client-focused advisors who are looking for a better alternative to how they serve their clients," added Jones. "We believe we have built a unique organization for high-end advisors who desire a truly independent and locally managed wealth management firm with a culture focused on putting the clients' interests first. We will remain a client-focused firm run by advisors and for advisors and their clients." Legacy Capital clients and advisors have access to: One of the largest and most sophisticated money manager platforms in the country as well as several in-house managed portfolios and strategies An in-house financial and estate planning team including: Two non-practicing CPAs Two non-practicing attorneys (one with a Master's in tax law) Two CFPs and several professionals with investment and insurance expertise Access to institutional quality alternative investments including private equity, hedge funds, private lending, and others A Chief Operating Officer who spent 10 years as CFO of an organization with a $1billion budget and 10,000+ employees budget and 10,000+ employees The combined resources with a team of 19 professionals and support staff that will have combined assets under management and advisement of over $525 million and in-force life insurance of over $2.5 billion and in-force life insurance of over State-of-the-art technology including portfolio management software, online reporting as well financial planning resources and software An in-house life insurance and disability division including a full-time medical underwriter with an FALU designation A commitment to continue adding resources and services to enhance the client value proposition and experience "Combining resources positions us to thrive and grow beyond the careers of the founders and current owners/leaders to serve our clients and families for generations to come," said Trent. "We have spent many hours over the last few months with Legacy's team and truly feel this is a BIG win for both of our firms' clients as well as our existing and future advisors." ABOUT LEGACY CAPITAL WEALTH PARTNERS Legacy Capital Wealth Partners, originally part of the Legacy Capital Group, has been providing wealth management, legacy planning, and risk management services to individuals and families since 1977, helping them address the unique needs of clients with significant wealth. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas and led by partners Matt Jones and Jason Prather, the firm offers the personal attention of a locally-owned firm with national resources. They focus on helping people build their legacies and manage the complexities of wealth. Legacy Capital is an SEC Registered Investment Advisory firm. For more information visit www.LegacyCapitalWP.com. Contact: Leesy Palmer or Grace Vogelzang Impact Communications, Inc. 913-649-5009 ImpactMediaManager@ImpactCommunications.org Related Images legacy-capital-and-trent-capital.jpg Legacy Capital and Trent Capital Complete Merger Little Rock companies join forces to create one of Arkansas' largest independent wealth management firms View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/legacy-capital-and-trent-capital-complete-merger-301200673.html SOURCE Legacy Capital [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] If you ask me what is a well-off life, I think you can just see the changes in the life of my family and youll know, Morigendaoriji, a local herdsman who lives in the hinterland of Kubuqi Desert in north Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, told Peoples Daily Online jauntily in front of his familys white yurt, while pointing to a cowshed, a large flock of sheep, and a car. Now my family has more than 500 sheep and over 40 head of cattle. The rose willows we planted in the early years for desertification control can bring us an annual income of up to 60,000 yuan ($9,204), said Morigendaoriji. In fact, just two decades ago Morigendaorijis family was struggling to make ends meet. Morigendaorijis family has lived in Aolengwusu village, Duguitala township, Hangjin banner, Erdos city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, for generations. Located deep in the Kubuqi Desert, known as the sea of death, Aolengwusu village had long been suffering from a harsh natural environment and poor traffic condition. For most of his life, Morigendaoriji has been fighting against desertification in the Kubuqi Desert. His grandfather told him that there were once good spots with grass and water in his hometown, but those were only stories to Morigendaoriji when he was young, as he had never seen such places for himself. When I was young, there was hardly any grass in the place. Our doors and sheepfold were often buried in sand during windy weather, Morigendaoriji recalled, adding that the only things his grandfather left when he passed away were several sheep and rose willows, as well as a wish to make plants and sheep thrive in the desert. Keeping the last words of his grandfather in mind, Morigendaoriji was determined that he would not move away no matter how hard life could be. In the meantime, he swore that he would try his best to bring the sand under control. There was no road at that time. Our only transportation tool was a cart pulled by a donkey. Since the wheels frequently sank into the sand, we would often get into the situation where we had to push the cart and drive the donkey rather than sit on the cart. During windy days, when sand was blown up by strong winds, the path would disappear and we would often get lost in the desert, Morigendaoriji told Peoples Daily Online. The most difficult part for him was to get seedlings of salix mongolica and rose willows from Duguitala township, located 40 kilometers away, according to Morigendaoriji, who said a round trip to the township took him four to six days. Day after day, Morigendaoriji would spend all of his time looking for willows, planting trees, finding roads and selling sheep. Until one day, he heard that a highway was about to be built in his hometown, and he knew good changes would happen. On June 16, 1997, dozens of thousands of people came to the Kubuqi Desert and started to build a highway in the sea of death. Because there was neither road nor water or electricity in the desert, all of the builders had to take food with them and live in the desert. In the scorching weather and frequent sandstorms, they didnt have modern machinery, so everything they needed to build had to be completed with their own hands. One time, we woke up to find that our tents were blown away by strong winds in the night, and even a section of roadbed we just finished was gone, recalled Guo Shudong, director of the planning department of the transport bureau of Hangjin banner. To make the villages and pastures no longer isolated from the outside world and bring their life on track was both our goal and responsibility, Guo said, adding that the highway through the desert not only bore the hope of herdsmen, but was also an important approach to economic development, social progress, and ecological improvement of Hangjin banner. Finally in October 1998, the 115-km-long third-level highway S215 with sand-gravel surface, the first road that passed through the hinterland of Kubuqi Desert, opened to traffic. In May 1999, the phase two project to lay asphalt concrete on the sand-gravel surface of the road kicked off. By October 1999, the project was successfully completed. A total of more than 60,000 people took part in the construction of this important road, which is now surrounded by endless green grass. After the road opened to traffic, sheep dealers could get to my home much easier, so the sheep I raised could be sold at good prices. I have paid off more than 100,000 yuan of bank loans and all of the money I borrowed from others, Morigendaoriji said with a big smile. As greater changes have continued to happen in Morigendaorijis hometown, three brand new highways through the Kubuqi Desert, including the newly renovated section of S215 between the townships of Duguitala and Xini, opened to traffic on Sept. 18, 2019, when the old highway through the desert became the county-level highway X651. The new S215 was built according to the standards of first-level highways. Broader and more convenient, now herdsmen can bring their sheep and cows to the fair and send their children to schools faster. The new highway also linked resources of the locality such as cashmere, liquorice, mirabilite, argil, and natural gas, forming an important economic belt, Guo said excitedly. In a joint collaboration, Danish and German researchers have characterized a cellular activity that protects our cells from potentially toxic by-products of gene expression. This activity is central for the ability of multicellular organisms to uphold a robust evolutionary 'reservoir' of gene products. Manufacturing processes need quality control systems in order to ensure proper assembly of functional products. Moreover, space-consuming, and perhaps even toxic, by-products of such processes need to be properly discarded or recycled by efficient waste handling systems. By analogy, transcription of our genome is an imperfect process that produces large quantities of non-functional and potentially harmful transcripts both from within and outside of conventional genes. The RNA polymerase II enzyme transcribes the majority of our genes, and it also generates pervasive transcripts from multiple non-genic regions. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly clear that the enzyme is relatively promiscuous when it comes to where it starts, and there are transcription initiation sites scattered everywhere in the genome. However, not all these sites are associated with a 'proper' gene, and this requires the presence of specific gene-defining elements. Discovery of new activity of the protein complex 'Integrator' In a new article published in the international journal Molecular Cell, a Danish-German research team has now demonstrated that the multi-protein complex 'Integrator' - which was previously described as the transcription termination factor for a specific class of genes encoding small nuclear (sn)RNAs - is in fact a default 'early' termination factor for most, if not all RNA polymerase II initiation events (Figure, top panel). The resulting short transcripts are in most cases rapidly degraded by the ribonucleolytic RNA exosome. This mechanism is also at play to varying degrees inside conventional genes, but these have evolved elements, counteracting such early termination, to facilitate productive transcription elongation, which eventually produces functional transcripts such as protein-coding 'messenger' (m)RNA (Figure, bottom panel). Through this newly discovered mechanism of action, Integrator ensures that production of wasteful transcripts remains limited, while at the same time allowing maintenance of thousands of transcription start sites under neutral selection in the human genome. These provide a reservoir of transcription units that may turn into functional genes over time, exemplified by the evolution of the currently known functional RNAs of our genome. As a curious example, snRNA genes appear to be a special case, taking advantage of the general early termination activity of Integrator and fend off the ensuing RNA exosome activity to allow production of stable functional RNAs (Figure, top panel). Inactivating mutations in Integrator subunits lead to severe neurodevelopmental disorders, and elevated expression of some integrator subunits is associated with increased epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition - a key step in tumor metastasis. This duality highlights the need for a tight control of the Integrator activity. Moreover, the realization that Integrator is a general attenuator of nonproductive transcription may inform the molecular characterization and potential treatment of such ailments. ### The work was carried out in a collaboration between researchers from Max Planck Institute in Gottingen and Aarhus University. The scientific article was published in the international journal Molecular Cell: Sren Lykke-Andersen, Kristina ?umer, Ewa Smidova Molska, Jerome O. Rouviere, Guifen Wu, Carina Demel, Bjorn Schwalb, Manfred Schmid, Patrick Cramer and Torben Heick Jensen "Integrator is a genome-wide attenuator of nonproductive transcription" DOI: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. molcel. 2020. 12. 014 For further information, please contact Sren Lykke-Andersen, PhD - sla@mbg.au.dk - mobile: +45 50510996 Professor Torben Heick Jensen - thj@mbg.au.dk - mobile: +45 60202705 Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark Hospitals face the new year with new requirements to post price information they have long sought to obscure: the actual prices negotiated with insurers and the discounts they offer their cash-paying customers. The move is part of a larger push by the Trump administration to use price transparency to curtail prices and create better-informed consumers. Yet there is disagreement on whether it will do so. As of Jan. 1, facilities must publicly post on their websites prices for every service, drug and supply they provide. Next year, under a separate rule, health insurers must take similar steps. A related effort to force drugmakers to list their prices in advertisements was struck down by the courts. With the new hospital rule, consumers should be able to see the tremendous variation in prices for the exact same care among hospitals and get an estimate of what they will be charged for care before they seek it. The new data requirements go well beyond the previous rule of requiring hospitals to post their "chargemasters," hospital-generated list prices that bear little relation to what it costs a hospital to provide care and that few consumers or insurers actually pay. Instead, under the new rule put forward by the Trump administration, "these are the real prices in health care," said Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of Patient Rights Advocate, a group that promotes price transparency. Here's what consumers should know: What's the scope of the intel? Each hospital must post publicly online and in a machine-readable format easy to process by computers several prices for every item and service they provide: gross charges; the actual, and most likely far lower, prices they've negotiated with insurers, including de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated charges; and the cash price they offer patients who are uninsured or not using their insurance. In addition, each hospital must make available, in a "consumer-friendly format," the specific costs for 300 common and "shoppable" services, such as having a baby, getting a joint replacement, having a hernia repair or undergoing a diagnostic brain scan. Those 300 bundles of procedures and services must total all costs involved from the hardware used to the operating room time, to drugs given and the fees of hospital-employed physicians so patients won't have to attempt the nearly impossible job of figuring it out themselves. Hospitals can mostly select which services fall into this category, although the federal government has dictated 70 that must be listed including certain surgeries, diagnostic tests, imaging scans, new patient visits and psychotherapy sessions. Will prices be exact? No. At best, these are ballpark figures. Other factors influence consumers' costs, like the type of insurance plan a patient has, the size and remaining amount of the annual deductible, and the complexity of the medical problem. An estimate on a surgery, for example, might prove inexact. If all goes as expected, the price quoted likely will be close. But unexpected complications could arise, adding to the cost. "You'll get the average price, but you are not average," said Gerard Anderson, a professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who studies hospital pricing. Tools to help consumers determine in advance the amount of deductible they'll owe are already available from many insurers. And experts expect the additional information being made available this month will prompt entrepreneurs to create their own apps or services to help consumers analyze the price data. For now, though, the hospital requirements are a worthy start, say experts. "It's very good news for consumers," said George Nation, a professor of law and business at Lehigh University who studies hospital pricing. "Individuals will be able to get price information, although how much they are going to use it will remain to be seen." Will consumers use this info? Who else might? Zack Cooper, an associate professor of public health and economics at Yale, doubts that the data alone will make much of a difference for most consumers. "It's not likely that my neighbor or me, for that matter will go on and look at prices and, therefore, dramatically change decisions about where to get care," he said. Some cost information is already made available by insurers to their enrollees, particularly out-of-pocket costs for elective services, "but most people don't consult it," he added. That could be because many consumers carry types of insurance in which they pay flat-dollar copayments for such things as doctor visits, drugs or hospital stays that have no correlation to the underlying charges. Still, the information may be of great interest to the uninsured and to the increasing number of Americans with high-deductible plans, in which they are responsible for hundreds or even thousands of dollars in costs annually before the insurer begins picking up the bulk of the cost. For them, the negotiated rate and cash discount information may prove more useful, said Nation at Lehigh. "If I have a $10,000 deductible plan and it's December and I'm not close to meeting that, I may go to a hospital and try to get the cash price," said Nation. Employers, however, may have a keen interest in the new data, said James Gelfand, senior vice president at the ERISA Industry Committee, which lobbies on behalf of large employers that offer health insurance to their workers. They'll want to know how much they are paying each hospital compared with others in the area and how well their insurers stack up in negotiating rates, he said. For some employers, he said, it could be eye-opening to see how hospitals cross-subsidize by charging exorbitant amounts for some things and minimal amounts for others. "The rule puts that all into the light," said Gelfand. "When an employer sees these ridiculous prices, for the first time they will have the ability to say no." That could mean rejecting specific prices or the hospital entirely, cutting it out of the employer plan's insurance network. But, typically, employers can't or won't limit workers' choices by outright cutting a hospital from an insurance network. More likely, they may use the information to create financial incentives to use the lowest-cost facilities, said Anderson at Johns Hopkins. "If I'm an employer, I'll look at three hospitals in my area and say, 'I'll pay the price for the lowest one. If you want to go to one of the other two, you can pay the difference,'" said Anderson. Will price transparency reduce overall health spending? Revealing actual negotiated prices, as this rule requires, may push the more expensive hospitals in an area to reduce prices in future bargaining talks with insurers or employers, potentially lowering health spending in those regions. It could also go the other way, with lower-cost hospitals demanding a raise, driving up spending. Bottom line: Price transparency can help, but the market power of the various players might matter more. In some places, where there may be one dominant hospital, even employers "who know they are getting ripped off" may not feel they can cut out a big, brand-name facility from their networks, no matter the price, said Anderson. Is the rule change a done deal? The hospital industry went to court, arguing that parts of the rule go too far, violating their First Amendment rights and also unfairly forcing hospitals to disclose trade secrets. That information, the industry said, can then be used against them in negotiations with insurers and employers. But the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia disagreed with the hospitals and upheld the rule, prompting an appeal by the industry. On Dec. 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia affirmed that lower-court decision and did not block the rule. In a written statement last week, the American Hospital Associations general counsel cited disappointment with the ruling and said the organization is reviewing the decision carefully to determine next steps. Apart from the litigation, the American Hospital Association plans to talk with the incoming Biden administration "to try to persuade them there are some elements to this rule and the insurer rule that are tricky," said Tom Nickels, an executive vice president of the trade group. "We want to be of help to consumers, but is it really in people's best interest to provide privately negotiated rates?" Fisher thinks so: "Hospitals are fighting this because they want to keep their negotiated deals with insurers secret," she said. "What these rules do is give the American consumer the power of being informed." Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Denton, TX (76205) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 72F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. A 'lost' postcard from 1955 has finally been delivered to its recipient 66 years later. Chris Hermon, 75, was sent it from an American pen pal when he was a young boy living in East Sussex but it never reached its destination. However, the correspondence was recently discovered at a charity shop in Dorchester, Dorset. It had been handed in there as part of Weldmar Hospicecare's stamp collection fundraising appeal. Chris Hermon, 75, from East Sussex, has finally received his postcard from pen pal Fred Kendall that was sent to him in the 1950s, but it never reached its destination. A diligent volunteer saw the postcard was addressed to a 'Chris Hermon' on it and did a Facebook search of the name. He messaged Chris, from Pershore, Worcestershire, on the off-chance it was him and struck lucky. Chris, who spent his childhood in Peacehaven, East Sussex, was thrilled to at last receive the correspondence from Fred Kendall, who he called 'uncle Fred'. Chris began corresponding with Fred Kendall, a distant relative of his late father, after he came over to visit them in East Sussex in the mid-1950s. Mr Kendall, a publisher from Short Hills, New Jersey, was already aged in his 60s at the time and over the next two decades the men wrote hundreds of letters to each other. The postcard has a picture of the RCA Building, a New York skyscraper, and was sent from Grand Central Station on October 13, 1955. In it, Mr Kendall thanks pen-pal Chris for gifting him some Dutch clogs and says he will look out for Indian artefacts to send him When Chris was a boy he was fascinated by native Indians, so Mr Kendall would send him arrowheads and other artefacts he found on land which used to be reservations. The letters stopped in the 1970s after Mr Kendall, who by then would have been in his 80s, passed away. Chris tried unsuccessfully to track Fred down on a visit to the US in 2007 when he learnt that had Fred died a number of years ago. The postcard has a picture of the RCA Building, a New York skyscraper, and was sent from Grand Central Station on October 13, 1955, and sent with a six cent Air Mail stamp on it. In it, Mr Kendall thanks his English pen-pal for gifting him some Dutch clogs and says he will look out for Indian artefacts to send him. He writes: 'I will try and find you some Indian curios for your 10th birthday. It's a big event.' Chris added that he planned to frame the 'truly treasured' card that took 66 years to arrive Mr Hermon said: 'Fred was a distant relative of my father and he came over three or four times to see me. 'As a boy it was so exciting to have a visitor from afar and he lived on a reservation which was a big interest to me so he would send native Indian arrowheads and other artefacts. 'We would write every fortnight so there must have been hundreds of letters. 'Back then it was rare for people to have a phone, and especially to phone America, so that was the way to communicate. 'Over time, the letters became less frequent and they stopped in the 1970s which is when I suspect he died. 'I was amazed when the young lady at the charity shop got in touch to say she had the postcard addressed to me. 'It brought back a lot of happy memories and was quite emotional. 'I'm just so grateful to have received the postcard and that it came back to roost.' Chris is married to wife Sue, former admin worker. They have two daughters, Anna and Abi, and three grandchildren. He thanked the hospice, which provides end of life care in Dorset, for tracking him down and passing on the postcard. Chris, a retired salesman, said: 'I was absolutely elated when I got the message telling me about the postcard - I could not believe what I was reading, it was just so out of the blue. 'The card was addressed to Barclays Bank House in Peacehaven, Sussex, which is where I lived as a child. 'I have no idea how it ended up in a hospice charity in Dorset and I would love to find out more about it. It really is quite bizarre. 'I am very grateful to the team at Weldmar for tracking me down and sending me the postcard. They are wholly responsible for giving me the best Christmas present ever.' He added that he planned to frame the 'truly treasured' card. In San Bernardino County, a clinical director at a large hospital told reporters that cots have been placed in conference rooms, with plans to put overflow patients in the cafeteria and lobby. In San Diego County, Mr. Newsom said, the new, highly transmissible variant of the virus has now been pinpointed in at least four cases, for a total of at least a half-dozen statewide. Whats being done If Californias terrifying pandemic numbers seem to have leveled off, Mr. Newsom said, it is only because more Californians are getting the message and because the inevitable deaths and infections generated by those who couldnt or wouldnt stay home or wear masks will take a few days. Mr. Newsom, who will open state budget negotiations this week, said he planned to ask the Legislature for $300 million to help pay for vaccine distribution and outreach. He also has deployed members of the California National Guard and authorized dentists and pharmacy technicians to help give shots. Additional nursing reinforcements have been dispatched to help care for the flood of patients and to help deliver and refill oxygen tanks. Talk of recall The governor delivered his report in a voice so gravelly after a year of daily pandemic reports that his livestream hecklers commented on it between their usual demands that he be drummed out of office. Let my salon open! they digitally jeered. Lies lies lies lies lies! Lets talk about your recall! Full ties have been restored between Qatar and the four nations that severed relations with Doha in a rift that began in 2017, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister said Tuesday. "What happened today is... the closure of the folder of all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations," Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a press conference at the conclusion of a landmark regional summit. Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration, named after the Saudi city where the summit was held, and a final communique. Their contents were not immediately released but hopes for a deal to end the bitter impasse were raised overnight when Saudi announced it would open its borders to Doha despite lingering enmity between the neighbours. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Tuesday that the Gulf states had signed an agreement on regional "solidarity and stability" at a summit aimed at resolving a three-year embargo against Qatar. "These efforts helped us reach the agreement of the Al-Ula statement that will be signed at this summit, where we affirm our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," he told the meeting, thanking the United States and Kuwait for their mediation. "There is a desperate need today to unite our efforts to promote our region and to confront challenges that surround us, especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction." The summit was also attended by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain cut ties and transport links with Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of backing radical Islamist groups and cooperating with Iran. Qatar has always denied these allegations. Short link: Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. She stars as Erin Croft in the Sky comedy-drama, Brassic. And Michelle Keegan appeared to have resumed shooting for the third series of the show on Tuesday afternoon, as she filmed scenes in Manchester city centre. The 33-year-old actress' character was sporting a thigh-grazing leopard print mini-dress with a pair of thigh-high boots as she exited a venue. Back to work! Michelle Keegan appeared to have resumed shooting for the third series of the show on Tuesday afternoon, as she filmed scenes in Manchester city centre Michelle was last pictured filming Brassic before Christmas, however it appears the show has now resumed shooting following the festive break. The former Coronation Street star kept warm in a padded cream jacket with a fur-trim hood, while layering with another coat in between scenes. Michelle wore her glossy brunette locks in loose waves, while sweeping some strands into a half up half down style. Leggy: The 33-year-old actress' character was sporting a thigh-grazing leopard print mini-dress with a pair of thigh-high boots as she exited a venue Work hard, play hard: Michelle was last pictured filming Brassic before Christmas, however it appears the show has now resumed shooting following the festive break Michelle was carrying a drink in one hand and her phone in the other, while ensuring she stayed safe by covering her face with a blue surgical mask. While filming was halted her fellow cast and crew members could also be seen masking up. Last year Michelle was forced to pause Brassic filming when she was exposed to Covid and had to self-isolate for two weeks. Chilly climes! The former Coronation Street star kept warm in a padded cream jacket with a fur-trim hood, while layering with another coat in between scenes Glam: Michelle wore her glossy brunette locks in loose waves, while sweeping some strands into a half up half down style While she had come into contact with the virus, she had not contracted it. A source told MailOnline: 'Michelle had to take time away from the Brassic set once again and has been laying low in Essex with her husband Mark Wright. 'She only missed one day of filming. But she needed to isolate after she came into contact with someone in Manchester who had it. Covering up: Michelle was carrying a drink in one hand and her phone in the other, while ensuring she stayed safe by covering her face with a blue surgical mask 'Luckily it all happened very quickly and Michelle did not return to the Brassic set before isolating. So it didn't affect filming too much. 'She has spent last two weeks in total isolation. She will go back to filming at the end of this week.' MailOnline understands that Brassic worked around this and continued to films scenes Michelle doesn't feature in. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. With mounting desperation, Donald Trump declared Monday night he would fight like hell to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are not gonna take this White House! he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally in Georgia. Trumps announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesdays runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss which he insists he won by a lot. Also Read: Truth matters, says Georgia official resisting Donald Trump pressure Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Bidens victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Bidens nationwide victory Nov. 3. Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trumps attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans faith in democracy. All 10 living former defense secretaries wrote in an op-ed that the time for questioning the results has passed. Its unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesdays joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Also Read| Its not social media, its Trump Media: 5 key points from Donald Trumps phone call Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesdays joint session. I promise you this: On Wednesday, well have our day in Congress, Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesdays runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. Trump said in Georgia: I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Hes a great guy. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much. He added, No, Mike is a great guy. One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesdays runoff Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Bidens win. The other Republican seeking reelection, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials Republican as well as Democratic in state after state and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. The congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with rank-and-file House members, some on the partys fringe. Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump, tweeted newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is aligned with a conspiracy group backing Trump. He wants you to call your Rep & Senators TODAY, ALL DAY! she tweeted Monday. Dont let Republicans be the Surrender Caucus! She later joined the president on Air Force One as he traveled to Georgia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, has declined to say much publicly on it. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trumps base of supporters. Biden, speaking at a drive-in rally in Atlanta, said Trump spends more time whining and complaining than he does working on solving the coronavirus pandemic. He added dismissively, I dont know why he still wants the job he doesnt want to do the work. During the day Monday, more current and former GOP officials rebuked the effort to upend the election. Former three-term Sen. John Danforth of Missouri said in a stinging statement, Lending credence to Trumps false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack. He said, It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators challenge. Portman said in a statement, I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters. At the Dalton rally, Trump noted he was a little angry at Lee, but expressed hope that the senator would change his mind. We need his vote, Trump said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, said the electoral vote challenge undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation. So far, Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Bidens 306-232 Electoral College win. With Biden set to be inaugurated Jan. 20, Trump is intensifying efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. On a call disclosed Sunday, he can be heard pressuring Georgia officials to find him more votes from the Nov. 3 election he lost in that state. The challenge to the presidential election is on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War, though the typically routine process of confirming Electoral College votes has been hit with brief objections before. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trumps win, but Biden, who presided at the time as the vice president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Trumps victory. States run their own elections, and Congress has been loath to interfere. The 2020 election is over, said a statement Sunday from a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah. A range of Republican officials including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. Hawley defended his actions in a lengthy email over the weekend to colleagues, saying his Missouri constituents have been loud and clear in insisting Bidens defeat of Trump was unfair. Cruzs coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Congress is unlikely to agree to that. The group, which presented no new evidence of election problems, includes Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. Rep. Nunes: Bad Actors Should Be Prosecuted Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), whose investigation uncovered FBI misconduct in the Russia collusion probe, told The Epoch Times that bad actors should be prosecuted to bring back trust in judicial institutions. Our Republic really depends on this investigation, and the prosecution of these bad actors, Nunes said during a Jan. 4 interview with American Thought Leaders. If not, youre going to have a continued deterioration of confidence in what is, you know, those important institutions, [such as the] Justice Department. U.S. Attorney John Durham was assigned to investigate the origins of the FBIs counterintelligence operation against President Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign in early 2019. Then-Attorney General William Barr appointed him special counsel on Oct. 19, 2020, before he stepped down. Barr said that Durham was making good progress in the investigation. Last month, the White House announced that Durham has been granted the authority to use classified information as he deems necessary in his investigation. In order for these institutions to survive and for our democratic Republic to be robust, you have to have trust in these institutions, whether its a judicial proceeding or any actions that law enforcement takes or elections for that matter, he said. Nunes said that if those bad actors arent prosecuted, its going to be the same old thing, which is that Republicans, conservatives are treated way differently than Democrats. So far in Durhams probe, only one FBI official has been indicted. Kevin Clinesmith, a former lawyer for the law enforcement agency, was charged with altering an email used in the surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. According to a criminal information document filed on Aug. 14, 2020, in a federal court in Washington, Clinesmith altered the content of an email he forwarded to an FBI special agent to say that Page was not a source for the CIA, even though the CIA had advised Clinesmith that the opposite was true. The special agent then relied on the adulterated email to sign off on a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant application used to spy on Page. And hopefully, he will bring multiple indictments and also explain for those people he cant indict if there was a law broken, said Nunes. He needs to have a full-blown report. So we know exactly what happened with this sprawling fraud that occurred. Nunes started investigating the potential Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election when he was the House Intelligence Committee chairman. He later discovered that the Steele dossier was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. He also found that the Obama-Biden administration had issued the FISA warrants to spy on Trumps 2016 campaign and illegitimately unmasked several innocent spying victims for political gain. Trump on Jan. 4 awarded Nunes the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, praising him by saying that he uncovered the greatest scandal in American history. Devins efforts led to the firing, demotion, or resignation of over a dozen FBI and DOJ employees, said the statement. When asked about the future of the investigation in the event of a Biden administration, Nunes responded that it has to be carried out and it should not be ended. He pointed out that many of the same people are being nominated for positions in the Biden administration, so they will do anything and everything to continue to cover this up. Susan Rice, the former national security adviser who attended the 2017 Oval Office meeting discussing Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who was then the incoming national security adviser, was chosen by Biden last month as his pick to run the White House Domestic Policy Council. We dont have the ability to arrest people. We have to count on the Justice Department to do it, said Nunes. So all we can do is make criminal referrals and continue to expose the truth. Zachary Stieber and Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 21:45:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides in Larnaca, Cyprus, on Jan. 4, 2021, during a stopover in Cyprus on his official trip to Africa. (Xinhua/Zhang Baoping) LARNACA, Cyprus, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides here on Monday during a stopover in Cyprus on his official trip to Africa, with the two sides pledging to strengthen bilateral relations. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Cyprus. Wang said that the two countries have worked together to set an example of equal treatment and mutually beneficial cooperation between big and small countries. This tradition should be inherited and carried forward, Wang said, noting that the two countries have made good cooperation within the framework of Belt and Road Initiative. China is willing to work with Cyprus to build a green, healthy and digital silk road, he added. The Chinese minister also said China supports Cyprus's efforts of safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and backs appropriate settlement of the Cyprus issue in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. "China appreciates that Cyprus upheld fairness and justice and offered valuable support on the issues regarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The mutual support and understanding between the two countries has consolidated the political basis of the bilateral relations and opened up broad prospects for bilateral cooperation," he said. Wand said Cyprus is an important member of the European Union (EU), and China regards the EU as a major force for a multi-polar world. "Consensuses between China and the EU outweigh differences, as the two sides are cooperative partners rather than systemic rivals. China and the EU should understand each other, respect the choice made by the people of the other side, expand common interests and enhance mutual trust," he added. Last year, important progress has been made in China-EU relations, Wang noted. The two sides signed the agreement on geographical indications, agreed to build green and digital partnerships, and declared the completion of the investment agreement negotiations, which has injected new impetus for deepening the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and promoting world economic recovery. He also stressed that China-EU relations should not be affected by external interference, and added that he hoped Cyprus would play an active role in pushing forward China-EU relations. For his part, Christodoulides said the Cypriot government strongly hopes to further advance its relations with China. The Cypriot side strictly adheres to the one-China policy, supports international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and supports the EU in advancing its relations with China, said the minister. Cyprus and China both advocate multilateralism and oppose unilateral acts. The Cypriot side always believes China's participation and support are needed to tackle global challenges, he added. The two ministers also mentioned mutual help in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and planned events during this year to mark 50 years of bilateral diplomatic relations. Enditem Ravi Zacharias' former business partner recounts misconduct; stations drop apologist's broadcasts Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment New details have emerged related to the now-acknowledged sexual misconduct of the late Ravi Zacharias as recordings of a former business partner have surfaced describing Zacharias' misdeeds. According to Anurag Sharma, a man who co-owned two spas with the late apologist, Zacharias repeatedly engaged in exposing himself to massage therapists and masturbating in front of them over the course of several years. In recently recorded audio footage that was shared exclusively with The Roys Report Monday, the website of independent investigative journalist Julie Roys, Sharma told investigators that he confronted Zacharias about his actions, which he discovered sometime between 2007 and 2010. Sharma also maintained that Zacharias told him to erase all information about his appointments at the spa from the company computer system. It was around this time when the two men owned Jivan Wellness, which reportedly offered massage therapy as well as a form of ancient Indian medicine rooted in Hinduism, among other wellness services. It started actually, the lady therapist who had come and who talked about that hed been misbehavingexactly the pattern that was there..., Sharma told an attorney hired by the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination, the denomination that had ordained Zacharias, in December 2020. And this was exactly the pattern, which was, I saw it plenty of time. He described the pattern of sexual misconduct as the apologist saying he was tired after traveling and working, and thinking that he was entitled to misbehave at the spa. In July 2010, after he was informed about another massage therapist who had refused to take an appointment with Zacharias because of his misconduct and Zacharias' request that he delete information from their electronic records, Sharma wanted to get out of the spa business as the experience had devastated him on several fronts, claiming to have invested $300,000 to $400,000 or more in the business with little return. The Jivan Wellness spa was officially dissolved in September of that year, according to Georgia state records. Sharma stated in interviews with multiple investigators that the apologist was his close friend and that he became a Christian through Zacharias. Zacharias died in May 2020 after a battle with cancer. Following reports of sexual misconduct after his death, his ministry subsequently set in motion an independent investigation and confirmed in a Dec. 23 interim report that he had indeed engaged in sexual misconduct, some of which was "serious." A full report is expected in the coming weeks. We are heartbroken at learning this but feel it necessary to be transparent and to inform our staff, donors, and supporters at this time, even while the investigation continues, the ministry said last month. The admission of misconduct came after the leadership of the ministry had previously expressed that it believed the claims were false and that the allegations do not in any way comport with the man we knew for decades." As a result of the scandal, several Christian radio networks that carried Zacharias' teachings have removed him from their affiliate stations. Moody Radio announced over the Christmas holiday weekend that it was immediately canceling Zacharias' broadcasts from its lineups. We are deeply saddened after reading the preliminary report provided to us by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), Doug Hastings, vice president of Moody Radio, said in a statement. The picture that is becoming clear about Ravi Zacharias through the work of an independent investigator is very much inconsistent with his public ministry, he said, adding that the network believes that those they partner with must be above reproach. American Family Radio, which has over 180 radio stations, also dropped Zacharias from its regular programming. It had aired Zacharias' "Let My People Think" broadcasts on its Sunday programming for approximately 20 years. Army Colonel Owen G Ray, 47, was arrested on December 27 for beating his wife in front of his kids and holding them hostage at gunpoint in a stand-off with cops Months earlier he was the subject of an investigation following an inspector general complaint for being abusive to staff He was described as a toxic leader prone to 'emotional outbursts' who swore at subordinates and threatened to end careers But in June the IG dismissed the complaint as 'not substantiated' The anonymous officer who raised the complaint said: 'At the end of the day, this is a failure on the leadership in the Special Forces channels' Ray was released from custody on Monday on $1million bail and has been suspended from his job as chief of staff for I Corps The Green Beret colonel who was arrested after he allegedly threatened to kill his wife in front of his kids and held them hostage during a stand-off with police, had been investigated for being abusive to his staff months before the attack. Army Col. Owen G. Rat was arrested on December 27 for beating his wife, Kristen, and pointing a gun at her when they got into an argument where she accused him of being drunk, in front of his two youngest children in their home on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. ADVERTISEMENT It has been revealed Ray had been investigated by the 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General (IG) following a complaint that described him as a toxic leader who was abusive and had explosive emotional episodes. But in June the IG dismissed the complaint as 'not substantiated'. He was said to be prone to 'emotional outbursts,' swore at subordinates, and threatened to end their careers, an anonymous Special Forces officer who served under Ray at the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) said . Green Beret Army Colonel Owen G Ray, 47, who was arrested on December 27 for beating his wife and holding his family hostage at gunpoint, had been investigated months prior for being abusive to staff at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington In the December domestic incident his wife Kristen said she became frightened during the argument in which she accused him of being drunk. He then beat her in front of his kids and his eldest child called police. Ray (left) with his wife (far right) and their three children 'They always say "see something; say something," but the Army has to do something too. At the end of the day, this is a failure on the leadership in the Special Forces channels,' the now-retired officer who made the complaint said to the Army Times. Ray was known for 'shaming people in public' and expected staff to work 14-hour days, as per the complaint. 'He acknowledged that he is an "a**hole (his word)" to work for, but yet does not seem to learn or try to be different in his approach,' the complaint. Click here to resize this module In one incident Ray missed a teleconference by an hour due to a misunderstanding of the time zones involved. He allegedly became so enraged he started 'swearing, shaking, and throwing papers on the table before telling staff to lace up in running shoes for a roughly seven-mile run.' During the exhausting run two-thirds of his staff fell out of the pace of the run, but Ray 'did not give a second look' back. ADVERTISEMENT The Army confirmed that there was an IG complaint against Ray but did not release the report or a comment about the case. Ray (left) had been investigated by the 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General (IG) following a complaint that described him as a toxic leader who was abusive and had explosive emotional episodes. But in June the IG dismissed the complaint as 'not substantiated' Ray was released from custody on Monday on $1million bail and has been suspended from his job as chief of staff for I Corps. View of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord base in Washington above 'The 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General investigated a complaint against Col. Owen Ray earlier this year. As a matter of Army policy, we do not comment on the details of Inspector General investigations,' Army Spokesman Lt. Col. Gabriel Ramirez said to Military.com. DailyMail.com has reached out for more information. 'My feeling is they kind of just looked the other way, swept it under the rug and focused very narrowly on specific dates and times. I dont think they interviewed all the people on the witness list I gave them,' the officer who made the complaint said. 'Theres not a lot of transparency from Army leadership on senior leader misconduct. You hear rumors, you hear allegations and you see a guy quietly retire but theres never any public accounting of what happened and lessons learned,' the officer added. Ray pictured center in this Facebook photo In the December 27 domestic incident Ray was allegedly drunk and pointed a firearm at his wife and threatened to kill her. He proceeded to 'kick Kristen over and over with his boots in the face and chest.' The two younger children awoke up and screamed, 'Dont kill mom, dont shoot us,' according to the affidavit, and the eldest child rang 911. When officers arrived on the scene shortly after midnight Ray was armed with a shotgun and two pistols. Ray warned that hed kill his family and himself if they tried to arrest him. ADVERTISEMENT Ray eventually allowed his wife and kids to leave the home and she had visible cuts and abrasions on her nose and a big bump on her forehead. About two hours later he surrendered to police, ending the two-hour standoff. Hes slated to stand trial on February 18 on one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of felony harassment and one count of reckless endangerment, as per the probable cause affidavit Ray was released from custody on Monday on $1million bail and has been suspended from his job as chief of staff for I Corps. Hes slated to stand trial on February 18 on one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of felony harassment and one count of reckless endangerment, as per the probable cause affidavit. According to an official Army website, Ray has held a command at every level within the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), which deploys missions throughout the Indo-Pacific. He served as a detachment commander in 2003 and as company commander in Afghanistan in 2011. In 2013, Ray commanded the 4th Battalion of 1st SFG (A) and deployed as part of the Special Operations Joint Task Force before assuming the position of I Corps chief of staff at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Two foreign women have been rescued while getting lost on Lang Biang Mountain in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The two, one 35 and the other 28, from the UK and South Africa respectively visited the mountain in Lac Duong on the New Year occasion. The two women have been rescued from getting lost on Lang Biang Mountain Su Thanh Hoai, chairman of Lac Duong District, said that local authorities were informed on the late afternoon of January 1 by Nguyen Van Giang, 32, from the central city of Danang. Right after that, a rescue force was dispatched to Lac Duong Town. Some hours later, the two women were found at the peak of Langbiang Mountain in the bone-chilling cold weather. They were very exhausted and cold. One of their phones had ran out of battery, while the other was almost in the same situation with just 5% of battery left. Having been taken to Danang safely, the foreigners offered their deep thanks to the rescue force. According to Giang, the women were acquaintances and him and his wife. The four took a visit to Da Lat City in Lam Dong on the New Year Holiday. The two foreigners wanted to climb to the peak of Lang Biang, but Giang refused as his wife had a pain in her leg. At around 7 pm on January 1, the South African woman called Giang to say they were lost. Meanwhile, her phone was about to run out of battery. Giang asked her to send him the location where they were at, but he lost her phone signal. Giang then contacted Lac Duong authorities for help. Dtinews/TTXVN Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. (Natural News) (Article by Natalie Winters republished from TheNationalPulse.com) Project Veritas obtained the clips following a months-long infiltration of the Democrats campaign, videoing interactions with Finance Assistant Derrick Bhole and Director of Small Business Engagement Sasha Williams. Bhole described the campaigns efforts to abstain from using the slogan defund the police to avoid attacks despite him likely pursuing the policy if elected: So he avoids using defund the police because he knows that Republicans are going to try to grab onto it and attack, right? But in reality, his whole platform with police reform is along the lines of the same people who are saying defund the police. Williams, who insists in the clips that most cops are bad, also attacks Georgias white voters. In the areas that are still rural and red, theyre getting hostile. Theres a lot of tension in those areas. Theyre using intimidation. You know all the old school tricks of the 60s and 70s, she notes on a call with an undercover Project Veritas journalist. The journalist adds: We call that white people stuff. In response, Williams readily affirms the journalists remarks, responding Yes. Yes. Yes. One hundred percent. One hundred percent. WATCH: BREAKING: @ReverendWarnock Staff Admit Candidate's Bias Against Police "Police officers are not all goodMost of them are bad, WE know that." "He avoids using defunding the policein reality his whole platform is along the lines of the same people saying defund the police" pic.twitter.com/MwC6xhm5JW James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) January 4, 2021 Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com With those infected with the coronavirus accounting for nearly one-third of all hospital patients, San Antonios health care system is on the cusp of treating a record number of people for COVID-19. COVID hospitalizations swelled to 1,259 on Monday just a handful of patients away from the peak of the last surge in mid-July, when 1,267 people were being treated. Were right at that, and probably in all likelihood well exceed it, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said during the daily coronavirus briefing. Local hospitals have admitted a record number of COVID patients over the past week, including 137 since Sunday. Those receiving treatment included 342 people who were critically ill and 186 who were breathing with the support of a ventilator. Coronavirus hospitalizations have more than doubled since Dec. 4, when fewer than 600 patients were being treated. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio officials report nearly 2,000 new COVID-19 cases a record As admissions continue to outpace discharges, San Antonio hospital leaders have warned that the number of infected patients threatens to exceed the capacity of the local health care system, a situation that San Antonio has so far managed to avoid. On Monday, 12 percent of staffed beds 548 across all health systems were available. Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer of University Health System, said University Hospital began postponing some elective surgeries Monday to help preserve beds. The hospital is still performing procedures for severe and life-threatening conditions, as well as outpatient surgeries that do not require admission. Brooke Army Medical Center made the same decision a few days ago, Alsip added, and the areas other major hospital systems are considering similar plans. Around 1,000 medical personnel from outside the area are assisting San Antonios hospitals with the latest COVID surge, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. An additional 300 are expected to arrive this week. On ExpressNews.com: Burnout. Trauma. Disillusionment: The toll of COVID-19 on San Antonio hospital workers The additional staff have enabled hospitals to expand their capacities, a situation that Wolff said was far preferable to sending patients to places such as Freeman Coliseum, which has been fashioned into a field hospital but has yet to be used. All the health experts have been saying you want to be treated within the four walls of a hospital, Wolff said. We do have a field hospital, but its there by itself, and you dont have all the other services that you need in a hospital. The latest spike is also yielding a new wave of deaths, with reports of 50 residents succumbing to the virus in the past week. Officials reported seven new deaths Monday: two men in their 40s and 70s who died at home, four people in their 60s and another man in his 70s who died in a hospital. All were Hispanic. Since the virus was identified in Bexar County in March, it has killed at least 1,569 residents. The latest surge, which began in late November, still shows no signs of slowing. Even more cases and hospitalizations are expected from Christmas and New Years Eve gatherings. Health officials characterize the virus risk to residents as severe because of the high level of transmission. On ExpressNews.com: For some, rules wearing thin even as pandemic grows more dire Officials reported 1,057 new cases Monday, and the city has averaged 1,259 new cases a day in the past week. The case rate per 100,000 people remained critical, inching from 64.6 to 64.8. A total of 122,648 residents have tested positive since the pandemic began. The positivity rate, which measures the portion of tests that identify active infections, rose sharply Monday to 23.2 percent, up 4 percentage points since last week and nearly 9 points in the past two weeks. During the last surge, the rate reached a high of 24.2 percent. Nirenberg said January will be a very difficult month for our community to get our infections back under control. While he and Wolff acknowledged that some residents have tired of restrictions intended to bring the virus to heel, they encouraged them to imagine the exhaustion of health care workers or the painful experience of having a family member isolated in a hospital with COVID. You cannot be in the room, no matter how close to that person you are, he said. They cant see you, and you cant see them. Imagine that, and then ask yourself: What can I do to prevent that from happening? lcaruba@express-news.net Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Perth is in a staggering rental crisis with more than 800 applicants trying to get their hands on a small unit and vacancy rates at record lows. The flat in Beckenham, in the city's south east, with two bedrooms and one bathroom got 806 email inquiries over four weeks from desperate applicants. Real estate agents report that the huge pool of applicants is the result of an influx of renters both overseas and interstate. A simple property in Beckenham, Perth with two bedrooms and one bathroom has received over 800 applicants Rubina Verma and her husband Avi Verma were the successful applicants and were just relieved to finally have a home Rubina Verma and her husband Avi Verma were the successful applicants and were just relieved to finally have a home. They spent the past two years crashing with family in a tiny room that only had space for a bed and a small table. Real estate agents told The West Australian open houses were becoming increasingly aggressive as competition grew fierce. 'Certainly people are becoming angry and aggressive at home opens because people are becoming quite desperate,' one said. The Real Estate Institute of WA said the situation was likely to worsen as they predict a tightening from the record low 0.8 per cent vacancy rate. Estate agents have reported seeing an increase in aggression at home opens as there is an influx of renters in the market There were just 1,835 homes for rent in the entire city of almost two million people, according to SQM Research figures. By contrast, Sydney was at 3.5 per cent, Melbourne 4.4 per cent, and Brisbane 1.8 per cent. Vacancies in the Sydney CBD peaked at 16.2 per cent in May 2020 but declined to 9.5 per cent by November, and Melbourne CBD was at 9.1 per cent. REIWA president, Damian Collins, said Perth had a 13 per cent rental increase and predicts a 10 to 15 percent increase when the rental moratorium ends in March. Perth house rental prices increased by 10.5 per cent and units by 9.5 per cent over the course of 2020. According to Mr Collin's, the core of this problem was from the shortage of properties being listed. 'We have a shortage, but whether that is 5,000 or 6,000 homes is hard to say,' Mr Collin said. There are 56.6 percent fewer listings from last month in comparison to the same time the year before. Nicheliving, the rental manager of the Beckenham unit said that this was the largest inquiry rate in 19 years for the company Perth's population has surged since the coronavirus pandemic as Sydney and Melbourne residents fled outbreaks for WA and NT. Many fly-in, fly-out workers also settled in Perth after WA premier Mark McGowan demanded in March that they either stay in WA full time or be banned from working in the state. Nicheliving, the rental manager of the Beckenham unit said this was the largest inquiry rate in 19 years for the company, according to managing director Ronnie Michel-Elhaj. Ray White Whiteman & Associates director Diem Whiteman told The West Australian she returned from a few days leave to an inbox overflowing with 1,000 inquiries for 12 properties. A one-bedroom unit in Yokine listed for $245 a week had 150 applications. The way grace and forgiveness can provide a new start Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment According to the Associated Press, actor Bryan Cranston, best known for playing Walter White on the series Breaking Bad, says he hopes that in 2021 Americans will become more forgiving. In a short video posted by the AP on Twitter, Cranston opines there is currently less forgiveness in our world. I think were unfortunately in a courser environment. I think our societies have become hard and less understanding, less tolerant, less forgiving. Cranston asks, Where does forgiveness live in our society? Cranston went on to add that our nations current cancel culture creates permanent fences where some people are in, and others are out and counted as banished, gone. He said that there should be a place for forgiveness when people are contrite and apologetic. Asking forgiveness and receiving forgiveness are not weaknesses, but are human strengths, said Cranston. Our nation is in the throes of the same spirit that characterized the days of the Civil War. Mary Boykin Chestnut, the wife of a United States Senator and Confederate officer, said, We are divorced because we have hated each other so. Americans have yet to legally divorce, but we are suffering what is, nonetheless, an emotional divorce. The country is almost split down the middle. The differences are stark and fundamental, and there is little room for making allowances. One of the most striking scenes in American politics was at the late Hubert Humphreys funeral. Humphrey had served in the U.S. Senate and as the 38th Vice President. Seated next to his wife was former President Richard M. Nixon, a long-time political adversary of Humphrey, and already disgraced by Watergate. Humphrey had personally asked Nixon to take that seat of honor. Three days before the former Vice President passed away, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson visited him in the hospital. Humphrey had just gotten off the telephone with Nixon from his death bed. Jackson asked Humphrey why he had shown Nixon so much kindness and given him such a place of undeserved respectability. Humphrey replied: Jesse, from this vantage point, with the sun setting in my life, all of the speeches, the political conventions, the crowds, and the great fights are behind me now. At a time like this, you are forced to deal with your irreducible essence, forced to grapple with that which is really important to you. And what I have concluded about life, when all is said and done, we must forgive each other, and redeem each other, and move on. Regardless of what one may think of Humphreys politics, his statement on forgiveness and his demonstration of the virtue was nothing less than profound. Moreover, we should draw from Humphreys example of how we need to treat each other today. In a sermon on forgiveness, the late Presbyterian pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, James Montgomery Boice, posed a hypothetical which shows an even greater example of forgiveness: Every so often during the summer, we hear of a lifeguard who has rescued some person from drowning, and once in a while of one who has lost his life trying to save a person. Stop a moment and imagine yourself in his position. You are the handsome lifeguard, and a beautiful girl is drowning. Would you risk your life for hers? You are probably saying, I am not sure, of course, but yes, I think I might. I agree with you. Many persons would do it or attempt to do it. But now picture in your mind the most contemptible person you know the one who has wronged you or cheated you, a pervert, a murderer imagine him drowning. Would you give your life for his? It is not so easy to answer the question this time, for it now begins to show us something of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for us. That is why the Bible says, Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:7,8). It was while we were hideous to God that Christ loved us and died for us. Boices comments are a wonderful reminder of what tremendous lengths a Holy God went to forgive each of us of our offenses against him. To whom much is given, much is required. Being able to forgive others is also dependent on not having a higher view of ourselves than we ought. George Whitfield was one of the greatest evangelists who ever lived. He was exceptionally upright in character. But when he saw a condemned man headed for the gallows, he whispered these famous words: There, but for the grace of God, go I. Oh, please dont misunderstand me. The political wrangling must go on. A healthy mistrust is not unwarranted. The fight for saving our Republic from nefarious forces that would make us something other than what the founders bequeathed is wholly necessary. But in this conflict, there must be a place for grace, forgiveness, and civility, even when our own side is either disadvantaged or defeated. Robert E. Lee, best known for commanding the Confederate Army, is a much-disparaged figure today, which is most unfortunate. Lee was an individual of extraordinary grace. He once said, I have fought against the people of the North because I believed they were seeking to wrest from the South its dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings, and have never seen the day when I did not pray for them. A spirit of charity and forgiveness can free us for a new start in 2021. People who have known Gods forgiveness in Christ should best know how to grant forgiveness to others readily. A hardened society with no place for dissent, no place for the asking or giving of forgiveness, and no room for making allowances, is a culture teetering on the precipice of hell. HOBOKEN, N.J. - January 5, 2021 - John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE:JWA) (NYSE:JWB) today announced the acquisition of Hindawi Limited, an innovator in open access (OA) publishing and one of the world's fastest growing scientific research publishers, for a total purchase price of $298 million. The acquisition of Hindawi significantly increases Wiley's position as a global leader in research by adding quality, scale and growth to the company's open access publishing program. Open access is a rapidly growing scholarly publishing model that allows peer-reviewed articles to be read and shared immediately, making important research broadly available. As a leader in open access publishing, Hindawi has played a critical role in advancing gold open access, an OA model in which validated articles are made immediately available for reading and re-use following the payment of a publication fee. Hindawi, privately held and headquartered in London, has a robust portfolio of over 200 peer-reviewed scientific, technical, and medical journals, a highly efficient publishing platform, and a low-cost infrastructure. Wiley's acquisition of Hindawi unlocks significant and profitable new growth by tapping deeper into the fast-growing OA market and by delivering innovative publishing services to researchers, societies, and institutions around the world. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020, Hindawi is projected to generate approximately $40 million in revenue with year over year growth of 50%. "The acquisition of Hindawi enables Wiley to move farther and faster toward our goal of meeting the world's urgent and escalating need for new knowledge," said Brian Napack, President and CEO, Wiley. "Hindawi is a true pioneer in the industry, empowering researchers with a fully digital, user-friendly publishing process that gets their life-changing, peer-reviewed discoveries out into the world faster and more efficiently." The addition of Hindawi's journals doubles Wiley's gold (pure) OA journal portfolio and will increase author retention by giving researchers more options to publish within Wiley titles. Its cutting-edge technology combined with Wiley's innovative platforms and services will enhance the publishing experience for authors, editors, and reviewers, while expanding the platform and service offerings that Wiley provides to its network of society and publishing partners. Hindawi strengthens Wiley's growing position in the global research industry, particularly in China - the world's fast-growing research market. "Similar to Wiley, we are driven by a mission to advance openness in research, working with researchers, publishers, institutions, and organizations to build a vibrant ecosystem that helps this global community thrive," said Paul Peters, Hindawi's CEO, who will continue to lead Hindawi as part of Wiley's Research business. "With Wiley's commitment to Hindawi and open access, we are excited to accelerate scientific discovery, collaboration, and innovation to maximize the impact of research for future generations." "We have worked hard with our partners to build one of the world's largest fully open access publishing platforms," said Ahmed Hindawi, Hindawi's co-founder. "The combined strengths of Hindawi and Wiley will continue to support the evolving needs of the research community in new and innovative ways." Wiley's acquisition of Hindawi, along with its recent acquisitions of mThree, zyBooks, Madgex, and Knewton Alta, demonstrate the company's continuing strategy to deliver innovative, tech-enabled products and services that unlock human potential by enabling the success of the world's researchers, learners, and professionals. For more information, please visit http://www. wiley. com . ### ABOUT WILEY Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and tech-enabled services, we help researchers, professionals, students, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. And for more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www. wiley. com . ABOUT HINDAWI Hindawi was one of the first publishers to convert its entire journal portfolio to pure Open Access and has spent the last ten years developing its experience in this area. Founded in Cairo, Egypt in 1997 by Ahmed Hindawi and Nagwa Abdelmottaleb, Hindawi now publishes more than 200 peer-reviewed open access (Gold) journals under its own brand plus nine titles under the Wiley Hindawi co-brand. Hindawi's Publishing Partnership program provides systems and expertise to publishers to help them manage their own Open Access journals. Hindawi was advised by Houlihan Lokey in relation to this transaction, with DLA Piper acting as legal counsel. For more information, please visit http://www. hindawi. com . FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company's operations, performance, and financial condition. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements. 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Such factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the level of investment in new technologies and products; (ii) subscriber renewal rates for the Company's journals; (iii) the financial stability and liquidity of journal subscription agents; (iv) the consolidation of book wholesalers and retail accounts; (v) the market position and financial stability of key online retailers; (vi) the seasonal nature of the Company's educational business and the impact of the used book market; (vii) worldwide economic and political conditions; (viii) the Company's ability to protect its copyrights and other intellectual property worldwide (ix) the ability of the Company to successfully integrate acquired operations and realize expected opportunities; (x) the Company's ability to realize operating savings over time and in fiscal year 2021 in connection with our multi-year Business Optimization Program; (xi) the impact of COVID-19 on our operations, performance, and financial condition; and (xii) other factors detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months Hudson, NY (12534) Today Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Showers and a possible thunderstorm in the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. On Sunday, the Washington Post released an hour-long recording of President Trump pressing officials in Georgia to overturn the election results -- and warning them that they risk criminal prosecution if they resist. I only need 11,000 votes, the president pleaded. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Listen to the recording, please. Whats most striking is that Trump seems to really believe that he was robbed. He repeats each of the crazy theories that have been knocked down in 60 courtrooms, and by every federal and state investigator that has examined them. When he is told, over and over, that his facts are wrong, he steamrolls on to the next crackpot theory. Its as if the crazy uncle escaped from the attic. Its just terrifying. But put aside Trump. We know him by now. After a final few weeks in the Oval Office, hell be searching for a new grift, and will be easier to ignore. The compelling question for New Jersey is how our Republicans are responding. It runs the gamut, and its worth remembering. Doug Steinhardt, who recently stepped down as state GOP chair to run for governor, is firmly with Trump. I will always stand with President Trump in his fight for election integrity, he said in a statement Monday. Once again, the media has taken the president out of context to fit their narrative, but the truth is he is democracys greatest champion at the moment. Democracys greatest champion says in the recording that thousands of ballots in Fulton County were destroyed, and warns Georgias Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, that he and his assistant could go to jail if they dont find those fictional ballots and change the final tally. Thats a criminal offense and you cant let that happen, Trump says. Thats a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. The other formidable Republican candidate for governor of New Jersey, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, is also a Trump supporter, but is not as honest about it. In 2016 he called Trump a charlatan but as Trump captured the heart of the Republican base, he flipped. He endorsed Trump this time around, and even spoke last month at a Stop the Steal rally. He wouldnt discuss Trumps call to Georgia. Thats the same soul-less strategy embraced by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, the former Democrat who switched parties last year, hopped onto Trumps lap in the Oval Office, and promised his undying loyalty. On Wednesday, he intends to vote with House Republicans to challenge the election results. State Sen. Tom Kean, R-Union, deserves special mention as well. True to form, he wouldnt discuss any of this, taking refuge instead in his well-worn hiding spot under his desk. But for the record, he endorsed Trump, attended his rally in Wildwood, and did not return calls to discuss the Georgia strong-arm. Should New Jersey voters hold this against them, or move on? Hold it against them, please. They have a choice between protecting their careers or protecting our democracy, and they are choosing their careers. They are standing by in silence, loyal to their leader as he tries to steal the election from the 77 million Americans who voted for Joe Biden. If they need inspiration, they can look to their fellow Republicans, many of whom are risking their careers to do the right thing. Start with Raffensperger, along with countless state and local Republicans who stood up to Trump to protect the integrity of the election. Credit Republican judges, too, even those appointed by Trump, who universally rejected the conspiracy theories and protected Bidens win. And in the Senate, at least, most Republicans will follow the lead of Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and reject Wednesdays attempt to derail Bidens win. In New Jersey, Jon Bramnick, R-Union, the Republican leader in the Assembly, stands out. He gave up tentative plans to run for governor, knowing he would lose against less principled candidates like Steinhardt and Ciattarelli, who were willing to dance for Trump. Former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno wrote an op-ed in the Star-Ledger in November telling Trump to give it up. Even Chris Christie, the first major Republican to endorse Trump in 2016, has consistently called on Trump to accept the vote count, on national TV, and starting the day after the election. Politicians who are unwilling to challenge their own party base rarely accomplish anything of import. This moment demands it. It is a test of character and judgement. Lets remember who passed, and who failed. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gheberyesus has hailed India's coronavirus vaccine efforts, saying India continues to show its resolve to end the COVID-19 pandemic. "#India continues to take decisive action and demonstrate its resolve to end #COVID19 pandemic. As the world's largest vaccine producer it's well placed to do so. If we #ACTogether, we can ensure effective and safe vaccines are used to protect the most vulnerable everywhere," WHO chief tweeted. #India continues to take decisive action & demonstrate its resolve to end #COVID19 pandemic. As the s largest vaccine producer its well placed to do so. If we #ACTogether, we can ensure effective & safe vaccines are used to protect the most vulnerable everywhere @narendramodi Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 4, 2021 Dr Tedros was not the only WHO official to appreciate India's efforts against coronavirus. WHO South-East Asia regional director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh also said the Geneva-headquartered global body welcomes India's decision to provide emergency use authorisation to two coronavirus vaccines. "WHO welcomes the first emergency use authorization given to COVID-19 vaccine in the WHO South-East Asia region. This decision taken today by India will help intensify and strengthen the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the region," WHO South-East Asia tweeted. WHO South-East Asia further added, "The use of vaccine in prioritized populations, along with continued implementation of other public health measures and community participation, will be important in reducing impact of COVID-19." #India continues to take decisive action & demonstrate its resolve to end #COVID19 pandemic. As the s largest vaccine producer its well placed to do so. If we #ACTogether, we can ensure effective & safe vaccines are used to protect the most vulnerable everywhere @narendramodi Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) January 4, 2021 Meanwhile, India has approved two coronavirus vaccines for emergency use - Bharat Biotech-ICMR's Covaxin and Covishield manufactured by Pune's Serum Institute and developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. Bharat Biotech is setting up four manufacturing facilities, which have a combined capacity of 700 million vaccine doses per annum after receiving emergency use authorisation. Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has also approved Zydus Cadila's Zy-CoVD for phase-3 trials. Also read: Covaxin side effects recorded in real time; efficacy data out soon: Krishna Ella Also read: 'Carried out 200% honest clinical trials': Bharat Biotech Chairman hits out at critics Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 21:59:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Indian government Tuesday said the COVID-19 vaccines will be ready for roll-out in 10 days from the emergency use authorization date based on feedback from the dry run. "Based on the feedback of the dry run, the government is ready to introduce COVID-19 vaccine within 10 days from the date of emergency use authorization," federal health ministry secretary Rajesh Bhushan said during a briefing in New Delhi. The announcement came days after India's Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved two COVID-19 vaccines for restricted emergency use. The drugs regulator approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. India's federal health minister Harsh Vardhan recently said in the first phase of the inoculation drive, 30 million frontline workers would be provided with free COVID-19 vaccine. On Saturday, the government conducted a COVID-19 vaccine dry run across the country. India, which has the world's second-highest number of COVID-19 infections, plans to inoculate 300 million people until July this year. Enditem Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Two months after California voters refused to abolish cash bail, the state Supreme Court appeared ready Tuesday to take a step toward abolition by requiring pretrial release without bail unless a defendant was likely to commit violent acts or flee. Justices expressed varying viewpoints hearing the case of a San Francisco man who was held in jail for a year on a robbery charge because he was unable to afford $350,000 bail, but they seemed to agree that any future bail system should not discriminate based on a defendants financial status. Until recently, California law allowed judges to set bail based on the seriousness of the charges and the defendants record, a system that kept hundreds of thousands of low-income defendants in jail awaiting trial while those who could afford bail were released. Proposition 25, a ballot measure to eliminate cash bail and allow judges to decide whether defendants should be freed without bail, was rejected by 55% of the voters on Nov. 3. But in August, the state Supreme Court took the unusual step of requiring judges in all 58 counties to follow standards set by an appellate court in the San Francisco case and set bail only in amounts a defendant could afford to pay, at least while the case is pending before the high court. At Tuesdays hearing, conducted remotely, Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar noted that the Nevada Supreme Court had ruled that a judge could set bail beyond the amount a defendant could afford only if that was the only way to make sure the defendant would show up for trial in contrast to California laws that have set no such limits on bail in felony cases. He said Californias Constitution could be interpreted like Nevadas. Justice Goodwin Liu suggested a similar approach taking each case individually, trying to figure out dangerousness and how much bail must be set to amount to detention, considering a defendants financial status. Justice Joshua Groban said a simpler approach would be to allow judges to deny bail to defendants who were a threat to public safety, similar to the system proposed by Prop. 25. Defense lawyer Daniel Volchok urged the court to preserve some right to bail for defendants who could afford it, while releasing others without bail, as long as they pose no proven danger. Under the current law, the government is locking people up who are presumptively innocent, keeping those people from their homes, their children, other family members, and exposing them to violence and illnesses like COVID-19 in jail, Volchok said. His client, Kenneth Humphrey, now 66, is accused of entering the apartment of a 79-year-old man who lived in the same building in May 2017, threatening to put a pillowcase over his head and stealing $5 and a bottle of cologne. A judge initially set bail at $600,000, based on the charge and Humphreys record, then lowered it to $350,000, but he remained in jail until May 2018, then was freed without bail after the First District Court of Appeal said judges must consider defendants finances in setting bail. His charges are still pending. Critics of the cash bail system include the states chief justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, and Attorney General Xavier Becerra. At Tuesdays hearing, Deputy Attorney General Joshua Klein endorsed the appeals court ruling in Humphreys case and said judges should be able to deny bail when a defendant is dangerous or a flight risk. Monetary bail treats equally dangerous defendants differently based on their wealth, Klein said. Some defenders of the bail system submitted written arguments to the court, though none was invited to take part in the hearing. The Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, a conservative nonprofit, argued that a 2008 ballot measure had confirmed judges authority to set bail in amounts based on the defendants record and the risk posed to the victim, and that the appellate court had invented a defendants ability to pay as a factor to be considered. The court is likely to set statewide standards for bail when it rules in Humphreys case, In re Humphrey, S247278. A ruling is due within 90 days. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk on the south lawn of the White House in Washington on Dec. 23, 2020. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) Nearly 100 Democrats Back Censuring Trump Over Georgia Call Nearly 100 Democratic House members signed onto a resolution to censure President Donald Trump after his phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger where Trump discussed alleged election fraud and put pressure on Raffensberger, although someincluding Trumps campaignhave said the excerpts of the phone call were taken entirely out of context. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) introduced the resolution Monday to censure the president. Now, 91 other Democrats have signed on to the measure, Johnsons office said in a statement. Trumps campaign adviser, Jason Miller, said news outlets took a portion of the call where Trump asked Raffensberger to find 11,780 votes was taken out of context. Outlets published 4 minutes and 31 seconds where is the other 35 minutes? Miller asked on Sunday before the rest of the call was released. The reason we would talk about finding thousands more ballots is because, guess what, in the state of Georgia they have already found thousands of Trump ballots that were never counted before Election Day, Miller told Newsmax a day later. But Democrats, according to the text of their resolution (pdf) to censure, accused the president of abusing his power and threatening an elected official. They further alleged that Trumps call was an attempt to willfully deprive the citizens of Georgia of a fair and impartial election process. Trump should also retract and disavow this unlawful and unconstitutional behavior, they claimed. In the phone call, Trump spoke at length with Raffensberger and other officials, making numerous references to allegations of election fraud and irregularities in the Peach State. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) (L) speaks as Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) listens during a House Judiciary Committee markup hearing on the Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump at the Longworth House Office Building in Washington on Dec. 12, 2019. (Andrew Harrer Pool/Getty Images) Raffensperger said on Monday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis might launch an investigation into whether the president committed a crime. Several Democratic lawmakers also sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray to launch a criminal investigation into the call. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) along with Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), wrote, The evidence of election fraud by Mr. Trump is now in broad daylight. Republican Senate candidate David Perdue alleged that Raffensberger or his office leaked the phone call. To have a statewide elected official, regardless of party, tape without disclosing a conversationprivate conversationwith the president of the United States, and then leaking it to the press is disgusting, Perdue, a former senator whose Senate term ended earlier this week, told Fox News. Perdue is up for reelection on Jan. 5 against Democrat Jon Ossof. I didnt hear anything in that tape that the president hasnt already said for weeks now since the November election, he said. And on Monday, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz accused news outlets of taking the phone call out of context. Hes not saying I want you to create the vote, said Dershowitz in an interview with Just The News. Hes not saying I want you to manufacture or concoct the votes. Hes saying, and hes been saying this for months, on Twitter and his statements and his campaigns, he thinks that people voted for him and those votes werent counted. Hes entitled as a citizen, as a candidate, to say, I want you to find those votes, I want you to find the votes that will pass for me and what werent counted, I want you to find votes that were cast against me that shouldnt have been countedby people who are dead people, who are out of state. The lawyer added that he went through every word of that transcript, there is no crime there, period. Online cancel culture is like a "medieval mob looking for someone to burn", Rowan Atkinson has claimed. The star of Blackadder and Mr Bean has long advocated for free speech and has campaigned against legislation he believes stifles expression. Atkinson, 65, is fearful of the online practice of silencing unpopular opinions by calling out those who hold them and making them pariahs. He has compared the trend to medieval societies rooting out heretics to burn at the stake. Rown Atkinson says online cancel culture is equivalent to medieval societies rooting out heretics to burn at the stake. Credit:Quentin Jones The actor believes this culture of "cancelling" individuals is a threat both to the victims of the online mob and to the future of free speech. The asymptomatic carriage of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a potentially significant source of transmission. Yet, it remains relatively poorly understood. Many past studies have shown that asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic carriers pose threats to those they mingle with within a certain period. Community surveillance determines who are carriers, can assess the prevalence of the pathogen with greater accuracy and ultimately helps to contain its spread. A new study by UK-based researchers at the University of Glasgow, Department of Public Health, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Public Health Scotland, and the Strathclyde University conducted a mass, asymptomatic screening of patients in dental surgeries across Scotland to assess illustrate its potential utility in curbing silent transmission. In doing so, they showed that of the total dental patients a clinic has tested, 22 asymptomatic patients tested positive. The studys findings bolster the notion that this form of asymptomatic mass screening can help detect and prevent transmission chains and curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to vulnerable individuals. Dental services amid the pandemic Due to the risk of transmission tied to receiving dental care, during the lockdown period in Scotland, all dental practices were not able to see patients. Disruption of dental services continues with significantly reduced capacity during the pandemic. Even if many clinics have already reopened in the new normal, ongoing precautions include COVID-19 symptom screening and the use of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE). To contribute to the COVID-19 testing and surveillance of Scotland, dental teams screened patients to ensure they had no COVID-19 symptoms and they could readily be trained to conduct COVID-19 swab testing. COVID-19 infection in dental patients The study, published on the pre-print medRxiv* server, highlights the prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 and its associated transmission risks. Across Scotland, 31 dental care centers invited asymptomatic screened patients who are more than 5 years old to participate. After getting the patients verbal consent, symptom history, and sociodemographic profile, the dental practitioners obtained a combined oropharyngeal and nasal swab sample using standardized VTM-containing test kits. The Lighthouse Lab processed the samples and patients were informed of their results via SMS or e-mail. Over the course of around 13 weeks, of the total 4,032 patients tested, 22 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, with an overall positivity rate of 0.6 percent. All the positive patients were followed up by the national contact tracing program. None of the positive tests, however, had the S-gene drop-out suggestive of the new UK variant also known as the SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01. The positivity rate in this patient group reflects the underlying prevalence in the community at the time, the team explained. The researchers noted the importance of using PPE and infection control measures when community infection levels are rising. This is useful to reduce healthcare team fatigue as the pandemic continues to spread. The surveillance had many advantages. First, trained dental healthcare teams collected high-quality and complete data. They were also able to get samples for testing. Also, there was no need for the clinical teams to use additional PPEs as they were already wearing them to provide dental care. These data are a salient reminder, particularly when community infection levels are rising, of the importance of appropriate ongoing Infection Prevention Control and PPE vigilance, which is relevant as healthcare team fatigue increases as the pandemic continues, the researchers concluded in the study. They added that dental settings are a valuable location for public health surveillance. An accurate picture of asymptomatic cases in the UK may prove particularly crucial in the coming months as the nation grapples with a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 thought by experts to be up to 70% more transmissible than earlier ones. COVID-19 pandemic case toll Providing new avenues for testing and surveillance can help reduce the burden of the healthcare system, which has been impacted as new surges of cases continue. To date, there are more than 85.73 million COVID-19 cases and over 1.85 million deaths. The United States and India report the highest number of cases, with at least 20.82 million and 10.35 million cases, respectively. The U.S. and Brazil report the highest number of deaths related to COVID-19, with over 353,000 and 196,000 deaths. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. Give me a second and then well visit Istanbul and Las Vegas, hear from Billie Eilish and Dionne Warwick, have a few drinks and a good cry. Here goes: I retired from my day job, but Im keeping this column because it brings me joy. Ive written columns for parts of six decades, so heres a moment from each, starting when Jimmy Carter was president. Thats me, passed out in a holding cell. As the three-martini lunch era faded, I tried to raise awareness about drunken driving. I certainly proved one thing: When youre young, passionate and a journalist, youve hit the stupidity trifecta. For a San Francisco Progress story in 1979, I had a drink every 15 minutes at the San Bruno police station, then they measured my dexterity with tests like stacking cups in a pyramid. After an hour and 45 minutes (as in seven drinks), I was doing better than when I was sober. I would have felt confident driving myself home. Half an hour later, I passed out. My body was impaired, and it took my brain a while to catch up. Thats the curse of youth. You might have the best education that overpriced tuition can buy, but that wont stop you from feeling a loss too deeply or falling in love too blindly or blurting the wrong thing too frequently. You teeter between vulnerability and invulnerability, with way too many rough edges for your brain to sort out so quickly. Heres what happens if youre lucky: You find good people who are a few years or decades older, and you learn from them and get inspired by them and strive to be better. Because you deserve it. Associated Press 1969 Name a Federico Fellini movie. I could name plenty of them now, but I failed this job-application question in my 20s, long before Netflix or even Blockbuster. My ignorance didnt keep me from getting hired for a reporting job at the San Mateo Times (later, when I was a few years wiser), but it did make me appreciate how much I had to learn and experience not just through the arts, but by learning about other cultures. Its easy to ignore the world outside your circle, to not bother understanding what halal means or how Diwali is celebrated or why Malcolm Little changed his name. You may know who Bong Joon-ho and Guillermo del Toro are, but learn about Ingmar Bergman and Satyajit Ray, too. Watch a movie from each decade, then do it again. Listen to La Vie Boheme from Rent, then keep Googling until you get it. Understand why fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show might have bemused smiles when they see squirt guns, rubber gloves and toilet paper. If Eilish and Kid Cudi touch your soul, put Pink Floyd or Alice in Chains or even Peggy Lees Is That All There Is? on your Spotify playlist. One of the hardest things about being young is feeling like no one understands. Someone does understand. You just havent found them yet. Cathy Murphy 1993 Need a shine? This kid outside the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul kept asking if he could shine my shoes. Three-year guarantee, he said. One dollar. At age 10 or so, he already realized that being energetic was crucial to his survival. Thats true for retired people, too. When you retire, you can go from 65 to 100 faster than a Tesla. Now is the time when you dont want your brain to catch up with your impaired body. Google best podcast episodes and see if any intrigue you. Take a cue from Warwick, who sang Do You Know the Way to San Jose and many other hits. Shes 80 now and on Twitter, interacting with fans, backing young artists, trying to learn. If you find someone fun on Twitter, see who they follow. You might find another intriguing person. And another. Learn from everyone, including my prepubescent retirement guru in Istanbul. He got his dollar, of course from my wife, Cathy, who asked if she could take his picture. He never did shine my shoes, but thats OK. I was wearing sneakers. Greg Dean / Signature Studios 2005 Were all bluffing. Thats certainly true at this poker fantasy camp in Las Vegas, run by Bay Area pro Phil Hellmuth. Good players often bet in order to learn something, even if it costs them money. How rivals respond to a big raise can give insight into their psyches, which is way more important than one pot. Conversations are like that, too. If you say I love you and hear back thanks, that searing pain might save you from years of delusions. You made a smart bet; you just lost the hand. As the camp taught us how body language can help you recognize if someone is lying er, bluffing a popular book and movie back then provided A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. Every now and then, think about your saints, people who looked after you, even if you were too caught up in the moment to notice. The liars are like smartphone alerts: urgent chatter, nothing more. The saints are the ones who change your life. Matthew Murphy / Curran 2018 They call this a good cry. Ive never heard as much sobbing as I did when Evan Hansens mom sang So Big / So Small to her struggling teenager in Dear Evan Hansen in San Francisco. She recalled how his father left, and how young Evan worried that Mommy would be next. Then she repeated what she told him that night: Your mom isnt going anywhere. Your mom is staying right here. No matter what. We all could use a hug from Evans mom right now. She could probably use one, too. I knew Id come up short a billion different ways, she sang. And I did. And I do. And I will. Those demons taunt us as we age: single or married, parent or not. Am I letting people down? Have I let myself done? Does anybody care? Heres what happens if youre lucky: Life completes its circle and you find good people who are a few years or decades younger, and you learn from them and get inspired by them and strive to be better. Because they deserve it. If the World Was Ending. As two fictional ex-lovers sing this Grammy-nominated song, they ask each other, Youd come over, right? Heres what I hope is in their hearts: I dont want to die alone, but I really dont want you to die alone. Im married, so if Armageddon comes with a 24-hour delivery window, were covered. But we all have friends who dont have the Significant Other at the moment, so this is from us to them: We dont want you to die alone, either. So youd come over, right? Being alone can be great, but if youre lonely, know two things: You have many significant others, and theres a small blessing in this damn virus. I mentioned this question in a column about conversations, but now ask it of yourself: Do you love anyone who you didnt love a year ago? It could be a romance or anything from a grandchild to a puppy to a saint. Maybe its a friend you embraced amid last years horror, or a distant relative who now feels close. Maybe you made peace with someone or yourself after mortality made you blink. If your answer is still no, consider our virus small blessing: Zoom. You might cringe, but its more than a way to stay in touch with far-flung friends and relatives. It can help you get to know people near you, even as the virus eases. As people raise families or get set in their ways, we find reasons (or excuses) not to socialize. Were too busy, its too expensive, Im worn down. But an hour on Zoom isnt exactly a strain. Its a gift we were too spoiled to appreciate a year ago, another way to connect. Yeah, the calls can be as awkward as shining a pair of sneakers, and theyll never take the place of a happy hour or a hug. But even an iPhone window can be a lifeline. So call somebody, or a few somebodies. Because its a start. Because it will make you feel a little more human. And because maybe someone else needs a saint, too. Dave Murphy writes the monthly Generations column. Email: genbbxyz@gmail.com Twitter: @daexmurph Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 23:54:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit welcomed on Tuesday the results of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council Summit held in Saudi Arabia which ended the rift with Qatar. The Gulf states signed a "solidarity and stability" agreement in the summit aimed at ending the embargo against Qatar since 2017. "Any effective move that leads to ease the Arab tensions and promote the joint Arab order is welcome as it will strengthen the power and influence of the pan-Arab organization," Aboul-Gheit said in a statement. "The positive climate that has been generated by the summit should be boosted via enhancing trust," he added. He highly praised the efforts exerted by the concerned Arab countries for ending the Arab disputes in a difficult time when the Arab people encounter crucial challenges. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt severed all diplomatic and economic relations with Qatar in June 2017, citing Qatar's interference in their internal affairs and its support for terrorist organizations. Qatar has repeatedly denied all the charges. Enditem A new high-speed railway linking Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, with Xian, capital of Shaanxi province, both in northwest China, began operation on Dec. 26, 2020. At 9:05 a.m. on that day, the high-speed train D4385 left Yinchuan Railway Station for Xian. The new railway, which has connected Ningxia with the national high-speed railway network of China, could shorten the travel time between the two cities from as long as 15 hours to about 3 hours. We can finally travel outside the autonomous region by high-speed trains, said Dong Fang, chief conductor of the train excitedly. Dong was also chief conductor of the first train running on the first high-speed railway within Ningxia, which links Yinchuan with Zhongwei in the autonomous region and was put into operation on Dec. 29, 2019. Yinchuan-Xian railway shares the route with Yinchuan-Zhongwei railway to Wuzhong city in the autonomous region and stretches southeastward through Gansu province for 543 km to Xian North Railway Station in Xian. The 618-km Yinchuan-Xian railway, which has 18 stations, is an important part of the Baotou (Yinchuan)-Haikou high-speed rail line linking north Chinas Inner Mongolia autonomous region with south Chinas Hainan province. The latter is one of the north-south train lines of the Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal high-speed railway network, linking the north and the south as well as the east and the west, in Chinas medium and long-term railway network plan. There were 13 pairs of bullet trains running on the high-speed railway from Yinchuan to Xian North Railway Station during a transition period that ended on Jan. 20, 2020. After that, there are 27 pairs of trains per day. Lu Wenqing, who works at a department of the Changqing Oilfield, Chinas largest oil-and-gas field, in Huianbao town in Ningxia, is excited about the railways operation. For more than ten years, the woman had to spend about nine hours by bus on the bumpy roads to her hometown in Xian due to poor transportation. Because of the long distance between Yinchuan and some of its surrounding regional central cities, terrain barriers in eastern and southern Ningxia, as well as limited economic output and population, the autonomous region hadn't built high-speed railways or operated bullet trains for a long time. The weak railway infrastructure in Ningxia had severely blocked the flow of personnel and hindered its economic development. The Yinchuan-Xian high-speed railway links the Guanzhong-Tianshui economic zone, the eastern part of Gansu province and city clusters along the Yellow River, said Wang Dalin, chief dispatcher of China Railway Lanzhou Group Co., Ltd. Wang added that the railway largely ensures fast and quality transportation from Yinchuan to its southward regions, and facilitates the flow of personnel, goods and other resources, addressing challenges of connectivity among Ningxia and other provincial-level areas through the traffic hub of Xian. It has become more convenient to do business across the country as the high-speed railway station is closer to home, said Liu Xiaohong, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage Eight Treasures Tea, a famous Chinese herbal tea and local specialty in Ningxia. Liu, who lives in Wuzhong, often carries over 50 kg of items like raw materials and tea sets and advertises the specialty outside the autonomous region. Thanks to the operation of the railway, Liu can arrive in Xian in three hours, greatly saving time and baggage fees. The new railway has not only facilitated the flow of people in northwest China but also brought a good opportunity for the rapid development of logistics, helping accelerate industrial upgrading. Yanchi, which the new railway passes through, was once a national-level impoverished county. By vigorously developing the breeding industry, the county has shaken off poverty and marched toward prosperity. In 2019, the per capita disposable income of local farmers reached 12,127 yuan ($1,870), over half of which came from raising Tan sheep, a breed noted for its tasty meat and the long staple length of its wool. Our sheep will surely sell better with the opening of the high-speed railway, said Jin Jianren, head of the Tan sheep association in Yanchi. The county is actively preparing for the transportation of fresh mutton through fast logistics based on the high-speed railway and planning to upgrade its industry. Fresh mutton with higher add value will boost farmers income and make the signature of the county shine brighter, Jin added. The opening of the railway has relieved the pressure on railway freight transportation and will bring Yanchi mutton and more local specialties in Ningxia faster to the rest of the country. ADVERTISEMENT The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, has given the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) six months within which to assess private primary and secondary schools in the state. This is contained in a statement on Tuesday in Maiduguri by the governors Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy, Isa Gusau. The order, he said, was issued following complaints on capacity and quality of some of the private schools. I have directed the Secretary to the State Government to notify the UBEB board Chairman, Dr Shettima Kullima, to deploy officials to examine the capacity of all private schools. The board is given six months within to examine physical infrastructure, quality and availability of teachers, and other relevant records. The board will make recommendations to the government of Borno. We will do our best to ensure improvement of standards but where necessary, substandard schools to be (closed) immediately. While we are making modest efforts to uplift the standard of education in our public schools, we shall also be very mindful of the operations of private schools in the state, Mr Zulum said. The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that in December 2020, a High-Powered Committee on Verification and Biometric Data Capture of Local Education Authority Staff in Borno disclosed that 60 per cent of primary school teachers in the state lacked the requisite teaching qualifications. The Chairman of the committee, Shettima Kulima, said out of the 26,250 screened only 10,103 possessed the requisite teaching qualifications. (NAN) L'TES instrument in the cleanroom at Arizona State University. Credits: NASA/ASU NASA's Lucy mission is one step closer to launch as L'TES, the Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer, has been successfully integrated on to the spacecraft. "Having two of the three instruments integrated onto the spacecraft is an exciting milestone," said Donya Douglas-Bradshaw, Lucy project manager from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The L'TES team is to be commended for their true dedication and determination." Lucy will be the first space mission to study the Trojan asteroids, leftover building blocks of the Solar System's outer planets orbiting the Sun at the distance of Jupiter. The mission takes its name from the fossilized human ancestor (called "Lucy" by her discoverers) whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanity's evolution. Likewise, the Lucy mission will revolutionize our knowledge of planetary origins and the birth of our solar system more than 4 billion years ago. L'TES, developed by a team at Arizona State University (ASU), is effectively a remote thermometer. It will measure the far infrared energy emitted by the Trojan asteroids as the Lucy spacecraft flies by an unprecedented seven of these objects during this first ever mission to this population. The instrument arrived at Lockheed Martin Space on December 13 and was successfully integrated on to the spacecraft on December 16. By measuring the Trojan asteroids' temperatures, L'TES will provide the team with important information on the material properties of the surfaces. As the spacecraft will not be able to touch down on the asteroids during these high speed encounters, this instrument will allow the team to infer whether the surface material is loose, like sand, or consolidated, like rocks. In addition, L'TES will collect spectral information using thermal infrared observations in the wavelength range from 4 to 50 micrometers. "The L'TES team has used our experienced designing, manufacturing, and operating similar thermal emission spectrometers on other missions such as OSIRIS-REx and the Mars Global Surveyor as we built this instrument," said Instrument Principal Investigator, Phil Christensen. "Each instrument has its own challenges, but based on our experience we expect L'TES to give us excellent data, as well as likely some surprises, about these enigmatic objects." Despite the challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemics, Lucy is on schedule to launch in October 2021 as originally planned. "I am constantly impressed by the agility and flexibility of this team to handle any challenges set before them," said mission Principal Investigator, Hal Levison of Southwest Research Institute. "Just five years ago this mission was an idea on paper, and now we have many major components of the spacecraft and payload assembled, tested, and ready to go." In addition to L'TES, Lucy's High Gain Antenna, which will enable spacecraft communication with the Earth for navigation and data collection, as well as precise measurement of the masses of the Trojan asteroids, was recently installed. It joined L'LORRI, Lucy's highest resolution camera, built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which was installed in early November. Lucy's remaining scientific instrument, L'Ralph, the mission's color imaging camera and infrared spectrometer, is scheduled to be delivered in early 2021. Explore further First-ever mission to the Trojan asteroids passes NASA milestone In context: According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, the company is working as hard as possible to get more next-gen consoles into the market. Both Sony and Microsoft have struggled to meet PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S demanda problem compounded by holiday scalpers. Last week Xbox Live's Director of Programming Lawrence Hryb (aka Major Nelson) invited Phil Spencer to his podcast for an interview. When Nelson brought up shortages, the Xbox head said that all the cogs in the console manufacturing machine are turning at full speed (below). "I get some people [asking] 'Why didn't you build more, why didn't you start earlier, why didn't you ship them earlier?'" Spencer commented. "I mean all of those things, and it's really just down to physics and engineering. We're not holding them back. We're building them as fast as we can. We have all of the assembly lines going." The Xbox top dog also mentioned that he has been in close contact with AMD CEO Lisa Su, trying to work out a way to get more components. He didn't elaborate further, but as most of us are aware, supply is equally tight at AMD. Many factors contribute to the current next-gen gaming shortage. Shortfalls in the supply chain and delays from the pandemic have led to the inevitable. While Sony tried to hide it by denying rumors of production limitations, Spencer saw it coming as early as October and said as much upfront. The Xbox exec predicted that production would not catch up to demand until early 2021. Sony has also reportedly been ramping up production of its PlayStation 5 in the new year. Insiders have said that the company has entered agreements with several PS5 component suppliers to increase production in 2021. If the rumors are true, Sony should be shipping an average of 1.4-1.5 million PS5 units per month throughout the year. Image credit: South China Morning Post 1. What innovation opportunities has COVID-19 brought to Anchorage? 2. Has the crisis changed circumstances for innovation work at all? 3. What are some of the advantages of doing innovation work in a unique city like Anchorage? 4. How have you seen innovation and civic tech work evolve during your tenure with Anchorage? Brendan Babb has been the chief innovation officer in Anchorage, Alaska , for more than four years, coming to the city after being part of a local civic tech group. For the majority of his time there, Anchorage received a Bloomberg Innovation Teams grant, which has given Babb a team of four to work with, as well as access to bleeding-edge civic tech trends.caught up with Babb in November to discuss innovation work during COVID-19, the singular nature of Anchorage and trends hes seen during his time in the role.Early in the pandemic, we were worried about personal protective equipment (PPE) and having enough N95 masks. All cities were worried about that, but Anchorage is farther away so things take longer to get here. Our supply channels are more complicated. Our municipal manager was interested in innovative ways we could come up with PPE. I asked people on Facebook if they had a 3D printer and whether they would be willing to help make medical equipment with it.We had about 50 people sign up. Then a doctor got in contact with me. He had experience with 3D printing and he had experience with N95 masks. We started experimenting with different masks and were able to eventually make 250 for medical professionals. I was just kind of a figurehead in it, but it was amazing to see volunteers quickly iterate on 10 different designs.One thing that has been beneficial is that because of emergency operation centers and everyone just pulling together people from different departments being in the same room collaborating, as well as working with the health department and the state of Alaska weve been able to do things that might have been more challenging or taken longer in the past.Anchorage is about 41 percent of the population of Alaska. Its similar to New York City, which I believe is about 42 percent of New York, but we dont have a borough above us. Were a municipality and then above us is the state. If we make something better than is available at the state level, one out of two people will be in Anchorage, and it will benefit them. Theres a unique capability there.Ive been here a little over four years as the innovation officer, and weve had a Bloomberg Innovation Team since about six months after I got here. Its been interesting. Weve used a lot of human-centered design, and weve worked with behavioral insights. One change is that here in Anchorage people are thinking more about how to use a service. Everyone has good intentions when they get into government. They want to help people, but after theyve been there a while, they know things so well that they dont understand what it would be like to, for example, file for property tax extensions for the first time. We did a behavioral insights project with that.One thing Id like to do a better job with in civic tech and Ive seen other cities do this is list what types of problems were trying to solve with our open data. The early phase was open data for the sake of open data, which was good, but now I see an evolution where hackathons are targeted around data sets and a specific direction, like addressing COVID solutions or achieving equity. Washington: According to Cellphone security experts, President Donald Trump, who blasted Hillary Clinton for using a personal email server, might be a walking magnet for eavesdropping and malware. The condition can emerge if Trump uses an unsecured phone to chat with foreign leaders, say experts. Former and current US officials tell The Associated Press that Trump has been handing out his cellphone number to counterparts around the world. He has urged the leaders of Canada and Mexico to call him on his cellphone and also exchanged numbers with the president of France. When former President Barack Obama wanted to continue using his Blackberry, US security officials gave him a modified one that permitted him to stay in touch with senior White House staffers and a small group of personal friends. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A humanitarian flight from Guam to Taiwan will transport about 50 passengers on Jan. 11. The Taipei Economic Cultural Office on Guam, which is being led by Director-General Paul Chen, and in coordination with the government of Guam, is arranging the humanitarian and medical charter flight to Taiwan through China Airlines. With this chartered flight to Taiwan, assistance will be provided to about 50 passengers. The passengers include Guam residents who are unable to seek off-island medical treatment because of the COVID-19 crisis and canceled direct flights. Additionally, the flight includes Taiwan citizens who were working in Guam and Saipan who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19. The flight is scheduled to depart Guam at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 11. KABUL Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar received a telephone call from Turkmenistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Rasit Meredow to discuss various issues of bilateral relations. In addition to discussing the forthcoming visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan to Kabul during which he will meet H.E. President Ashraf Ghani, H.E. Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar and National Security Advisor Dr. Hamdullah Mohib, the two sides talked about the opening ceremonies of three projects due to be inaugurated on the 14th of January 2021. The above projects include: The Railway line from Akina to Andkhui; Electrical Energy Project from Kerki - Andkhoi - Puli khumri; and and The Fiber Optic Cable line extending internet connection from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan. Moreover, during his trip to Afghanistan, Mr. Meredow is going to ink several Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with the Afghan authorities, including an MoU on Political Consultation, an MoU on Agriculture Quarantine, an MoU on Security and Protocol and an MoU on issues related to Gas and Oil. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Gov. Tim Walz is set to announce loosened restrictions on indoor dining and in other settings. A spokesman said the governor will make the move Wednesday as the state's coronavirus numbers have improved in recent weeks. But it will also come as restaurant and bar owners have increasingly pushed back on coronavirus measures that have pushed some to the edge of survival. Walz has gradually relaxed virus restrictions, moving first to get elementary students back into school, reopen fitness centers and restart youth sports. But he had kept bars and restaurants closed for indoor service, arguing it was necessary to bridge a gap to when vaccinations were widely available. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 There seems to have been a fallout between Shivangi Joshi and Rajan Shahi and they are not on talking terms anymore, according to a report. Rajan had differences with 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' team regarding Shivangi's character's death and this led to a fallout between the ace TV producer and the young actress, the report said. Read more: Shivangi Joshi and 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai' Producer Rajan Shahi Have a Fallout Over Actress' Track in Show? In a scene intended to evoke laughter in the 2019 film Kabir Singh, Shahid Kapoor's character is seen chasing his house help out of his building after she mistakenly breaks a glass. The house help, Pushpa, is shown as a corpulent woman who has a hard time outrunning Kabir. Vanita Kharat, who played the role of Shahid's house help in the film, has now posed for a calendar shoot to promote body positivity. Vanita has posed in the buff for the photo, with a strategically placed kite covering her. Read more: Shahid Kapoor's Kabir Singh Co-star Vanita Kharat Bares it All for Calendar Shoot Promoting Body Positivity Actress Janhvi Kapoor has reportedly invested in a property worth Rs 39 crore in upscale area of Mumbai. The report mentions that the house is located in Juhu Vile Parle Scheme, which is known to be one of the most luxurious and upscale residential localities in the city. Read more: Janhvi Kapoor Buys Property Worth Rs 39 Crore in Amitabh Bachchan's Neighbourhood WWE Hall of Fame Hulk Hogan's biopic is in the works starring Chris Hemsworth in the lead role. The Netflix film is set to be directed by Joker helmer Todd Phillips and Hemsworth had earlier teased that the makers are planning to show a never-seen-before side of the wrestling industry. The film is expected to look into Hogan's rise from the Florida wrestling circuit to becoming the face of the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s where he squared off with villain Andre the Giant. Read more: Hulk Hogan Thinks Chris Hemsworth is in 'Crazy Shape' as Actor Gears up for WWE Star's Biopic Actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday opposed the proposal given by actor-politician Kamal Haasan to recognise household work as a salaried profession. The actress said this will be like reducing a homeowner to an employee and trying to pay God for his creation. Read more: Kangana Ranaut Opposes Kamal Haasan's Idea to Make Household Work a Paid Job We are not seeing equal uptake of vaccine across neighborhoods or across worker types, and although that is at some level to be expected, I really want us to defy those odds, Arwady said. I want to see good, equitable access and uptake of vaccine here thats not going to happen by accident. A man has been admitted to the hospital with traumatic brain injury after being allegedly attacked by a wild elephant in the southern Vietnamese province of Dong Nai. The victim, 56-year-old Nguyen Trung Phuc, was found by local residents at a forest near provincial highway No. 761 in Thanh Son Commune, Dinh Quan District at around 0:00 on Tuesday. Elephant footprints and feces were also discovered at the scene of the incident. Phuc was rushed to a medical center in Phu Ly Commune before being transferred to another facility in Vinh Cuu District. The patient was still conscious when he arrived at the infirmary, but his response was slow, according to an official of the Vinh Cuu medical center. Nguyen Trung Phuc is found at a forest in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam, January 5, 2021. Photo: L.V.D. / Tuoi Tre He had dark circles under his eyes and suffered nausea and ear bleeding, the official continued, adding that the patient was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury due to suspected elephant attack. As his condition worsened, Phuc was transferred to Thong Nhat Hospital in the province's Bien Hoa City for emergency treatment. According to Le Viet Dung, deputy head of the Dong Nai forest protection unit, there was no electric fence at the location where Phuc was found. Local residents have been advised to exit the forest before 5:00 pm every day to avoid elephant attack. Nguyen Trung Phuc is treated at the hospital in Dong Nai Province, Vietnam, January 5, 2021. Photo: L.V.D. / Tuoi Tre In July 2017, a 50-kilometer-long electric fence was built around the Dong Nai Cultural Nature Reserve to deter wild elephants from trespassing on agricultural land, but the elephants quickly found their way to the fences end and continued wreaking havoc on local crops. Local authorities later agreed to extend the electric fence by an additional 20 kilometers in order to increase its effectiveness. However, the project has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dung said. We will try our best to initiate the construction next month, he added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / BTU METALS CORP. ("BTU" or the "Company") (TSXV:BTU)(OTC PINK:BTUMF) today provides a corporate update and lays out its exploration plan including 1st drill program for early 2021 on its 200km2 Dixie Halo property in Red Lake, Ontario. Paul Wood, BTU CEO, said, "2020 has been a year of steady progress for BTU Metals despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been very active on the ground, collecting extensive data through drilling, sampling, and geophysical surveys - consequently, we saw some of our most promising results to date including visible gold in a recent drill hole. We start the year with one of our strongest cash positions in our history and are excited to follow up on a number of high-priority gold targets, as well as getting back to testing the TNT target to take advantage of an expert's geochemical-geophysical 3D interpretation of the polymetallic system." 2020 - a Recap Most recently completed a 2,000 metre drill program over 12 holes targeting high-grade gold Expanded the major SW-NE gold structural trend to 15km with new discovery to the SW. (See PR dated December 7, 2020 - https://www.btumetals.com/?news=99) Identified multiple strong gold in till grain counts (See PR dated November 24, 2020 - https://www.btumetals.com/?news=95) over a broad area in the central part of the property. Visible gold was intersected in one hole in the recently completed group of drill holes in the central part of the property near the interpreted location of where the numerous high "gold in till" counts may have originated. Numerous other targets are slated for drill testing in the area for Q1 drilling Earlier in the year, received intriguing TNT follow up results in drill holes 25 and 41 which require more interpretation. (See PR dated March 18, 2020 - https://www.btumetals.com/?news=74). We anticipate more TNT follow-up this year Welcomed additional strong investors to the BTU share registry, including Lichtenstein-based SSI Asset Management (See PR dated October 8, 2020 - https://www.btumetals.com/?news=90) At New Year, 2021 Five (5) holes logged, cut and at the SGS lab in Red Lake, ON including BTU-20-53 with VG, gold assays expected early in the new year Further results from 2020 till sampling program expected early in the new year Drilling will restart in January and will be focused on various well spread-out gold targets in the central and northeast portions of the property 3D geochemical-geophysical interpretation of TNT expected early new year More than $2 million in cash and many strong early-stage high priority target areas to be evaluated Figure 1: Total # of gold grains from BTU till sampling programs, drill hole locations and showing the surface projection of Visible Gold in drill hole BTU-20-53. Red Lake Active 2020 The Red Lake mining area was extremely busy in 2020 with the highlights being the purchase of the Newmont Mining assets in the camp by Evolution Mining, the progression of several properties toward commercial production as well as the establishment of the Great Bear Resources gold discoveries as significant new areas and styles of gold mineralization that have the potential to rewrite the geology of this high-grade gold camp that has already produced nearly 30 million ounces of gold. The area where Great Bear Resources has been busy outlining strong gold mineralization on the Dixie property is not far from the BTU Dixie Halo property in an area that was historically under-explored and poorly understood largely due to the extensive overburden cover. As exploration by Great Bear and others like BTU progresses in the area, and the geology and controls on gold mineralization are better understood, new gold discoveries will almost certainly be outlined. Great Bear Resources is very well funded, is rapidly defining gold mineralization for upcoming resource evaluation and the area is clearly a focus for gold exploration in Ontario, with BTU being the closest neighbour to the Great Bear discoveries. QA/QC BTU staff collected and processed samples and securely sealed and shipped them to SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS") in Red Lake, Ontario for sample preparation that includes drying (105 C), crushing until 75% passes a 2 mm sieve, then splitting (250 g) and pulverizing to 85% passing 75 m. The resulting pulps are analysed for gold by fire assay in Red Lake, and for geochemistry by a multi-element aqua regia ICP-OES technique in Burnaby, British Columbia. All assay data have undergone internal validation of QAQC; noting there is an established sampling control program with blind insertion of assay blanks, certified industry standards and sample duplicates. A QAQC program is also in place at SGS and includes insertion of blanks, standards, and duplicate reanalysis of selected samples. SGS is a Canadian assay laboratory and is accredited under ISO/IEC 17025. Overlimit protocols are in place for gold, silver, and copper. Intervals in this release are drilled intervals. True widths could not be determined at this early stage of target evaluation. COVID-19 The Company's exploration work at its Red Lake, Ontario projects remains largely on schedule with no major disruption due to the COVID-19 government guidelines. The Company continues to monitor this situation, continues to be careful to conduct all work in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines and will adjust its activities and timelines as deemed appropriate. Bruce Durham, P. Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Paul Wood" Paul Wood, CEO, Director pwood@btumetals.com FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Andreas Curkovic, Investor Relations +1 416-577-9927 BTU Metals Corp. Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 Toll Free: 1-888-945-4770 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and using information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and they are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). SOURCE: BTU Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623096/BTU-Provides-New-Year-Update-Sets-Out-Exploration-Plan-Round-1-Drill-Program-for-2021 remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor With perfect timing, worthy of a virtuoso scriptwriter, Iran announced Jan. 4 that it had resumed enrichment of bomb-grade uranium to a 20% purity level in yet another gross breach of its 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers. The move was carried out on the direct order of Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after Iran announced its intention to do so on Jan. 1. No one in Western intelligence, certainly not Israel, was overly surprised. The Iranians are analyzing the timetable with great precision, an Israeli security source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. They have probably concluded that two weeks before [US President Donald] Trump leaves office, they have acquired immunity against a surprise American attack. Irans violation of the nuclear deal is twofold, according to a senior Israeli diplomatic source. They are both enriching uranium to a 20% level and doing so at an underground facility, which the agreement prohibits them from doing, said the senior diplomatic source on condition of anonymity. Could this Iranian assessment be premature? This week, Acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller reversed the decision to recall the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from the Persian Gulf and ordered it to remain in place. This move, in addition to the dispatch of the US nuclear submarine Georgia to the Strait of Hormuz last month (and the deployment of an Israeli sub to the region as previously reported on this site), and the maneuvers of heavy US bombers over the Middle East in recent weeks are raising tensions to new records ahead of the Jan. 20 end of Trumps term. The US decision regarding the Nimitz appears to have been prompted by threats issued on Twitter by Maj. Gen. Hossein Dehghan, Khameneis top security adviser, who warned that US moves in the Gulf could turn the new year into a mourning for Americans. Trump is a capricious president, unstable, in the twilight of his rule and capable of anything, a former senior Israeli security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Still the Iranians arent suckers and they believe chances of an American attack are nonexistent. They probably know what they are doing. Anyone who thinks the Iranians act hastily and capriciously is wrong, the source noted. They proceed with great caution; they are pragmatists who seriously consider every move. The fact that so far Iran has not launched an aggressive retaliation on the anniversary of the Soleimani assassination illustrates that they are seeking a return to the nuclear agreement, not escalation, he added, referring to the Jan. 3, 2020, American assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak, former deputy head of the Mossad and a veteran of many Israeli operations targeting Irans nuclear infrastructure, told Al-Monitor that the resumption of enrichment was the most egregious violation of the nuclear agreement to date. This is a major event. Moving from 20% to the 90% level required to manufacture a nuclear bomb can be accomplished relatively quickly and therefore this move means Iran is significantly closer to having a bomb. Ben-Barak added that it would have been preferable for Iran to maintain the 3.5% enrichment level to which it adhered until now. What they did this week certainly tests the limits. On the other hand, it is important to remember that the Americans do not honor the nuclear agreement. The question is how the world will react. Will the Europeans and the Chinese, for example, join the Americans in telling Iran, No more, we will not let you violate the deal this way? Unfortunately, that will not happen and that confronts the new US administration with a very significant dilemma. That is actually Irans goal. To present a significant challenge to [President-elect Joe] Biden in his first weeks in office. Asked whether Trump could still launch a military strike against Irans nuclear facilities, Ben-Barak answered, In our crazy world, anything could happen, but I dont think that is the case, I dont think there is anyone out there striving for a military engagement with Iran in the Middle East. The trouble with Irans nuclear project is that it is spread out over many sites, some of them fortified. Its not a nuclear reactor that you can destroy and be done with it. Israel is in a bind. Military and defense agencies have prepared several scenarios for the coming six months and are debating which is the most likely and which is preferable for Israel. The current assessment is that Iran is not planning a nuclear bomb breakout during the Trump-Biden transition, but is instead accumulating assets ahead of negotiations it is expected to resume with the Americans and perhaps with the other powers. The Iranians are playing a game of brinkmanship, a senior Israeli military official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. They have already enriched uranium to 20% purity in the past and for them, its not new. They will gladly give it up if the nuclear agreement is renewed and things return to the way they were. The question is not what the Iranians will do, but what President Biden will do. As far as Israel is concerned, this is nothing short of an existential question. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as always, is expected to play up this situation for all its worth. This time, he can count on the support of Israels new/old allies in the Gulf, the Emirates and Bahrain, and perhaps even by Qatar, which joined the anti-Iran camp this week under an agreement with Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni axis states, mediated by Trumps special envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner. With Biden in mind, Netanyahu will launch a campaign arguing that the Iranians are in gross breach of the agreement, that they are quickly nearing a nuclear threshold and doing whatever they want. The campaign will be accompanied by hints to the effect that Israel still has a feasible option of independent military action against Iran. Armed with these sticks, Netanyahu will try to sway Biden at least half way to his side. Israel has accepted that it cannot prevent renewed US negotiations with Iran, but wants to ensure tough preconditions. That includes keeping in place economic sanctions on Iran and plugging the many holes that made the original agreement anathema. Will Netanyahu succeed with this Democratic president where he failed with his former boss, Barack Obama? That remains to be seen in the coming months, during which we will also know whether Netanyahu is still relevant (given the scheduled March 23 elections), as well as the identity of Irans next president (following June 18 elections). A Missouri prosecutor and new mom has died of COVID-19 before she could hold her newborn son in her arms after giving birth to him three months early. JoEllen Engelbart, 32, tested positive for the virus last month and was admitted to the hospital on December 23. She died on January 2, four days after baby Ross was born. Engelbart, who worked at the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and was married to husband Matt, had been expecting her first child. Her aunt Mary Rupert wrote in The Wyandotte Daily: 'We heard from the family that her asthma and other complications made it a difficult struggle. JoEllen Engelbart, 32, pictured, tested positive for the virus last month and was admitted to the hospital on December 23. She died on January 2, four days after baby Ross was born Friend Kelly Collins told 8NewsNow: 'She gave the ultimate sacrifice. And she did everything she could to make sure he could still be here with us. 'My world crumbled. She's the type of person that can't be replaced.' Collins told the network that her friend did not get to hold her baby son, who is now in NICU but doing well, according to family. She added: 'While his mom can't physically be here to do that, there are other people in his life that will make sure he gets those same feelings. That his mom was able to give to so many other people.' Engelbart, who worked at the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and was married to husband Matt, pictured together, had been expecting her first child Collins told KMBC: 'She could not wait to become a mom, and I know her family especially could not wait for the first grandchild.' Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker added: 'She's just a really tough person. But also kind and caring and went into prosecution for all the right reasons that really wanted to help other people. The virus took a really lovely person.' She had tweeted: 'Amid a cast of emotions I must report that we lost a family member. Jo valiantly fought Covid but lost that battle today. Jo was a lovely person. 'She was joyful, smart, so kind, happy without appearing to try and always volunteering. If you knew her, you would love her like I do.' A GoFundMe to help Engelbart's family with medical bills and raising Ross had reached more than $111,000 in donations Tuesday. The page reads: 'She gave her all during her fight and because of her efforts JoEllen and Matt's son, Ross Matthew, made his grand entrance into the world 3 months early.' Citing a steep increase in coronavirus cases and pressure on the National Health Service, Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced a new lockdown on Monday that will last until at least the end of January. She said the new rules hew closely to the lockdown that was undertaken in March, and were necessary to contain the virus as vaccine distribution plans get underway. People have been ordered to stay home beginning at midnight except for essential reasons, such as for caregiving responsibilities or exercise. Most students will move to remote learning until at least February. Beginning Friday, houses of worship will close, with exceptions for weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and funerals. The new variant of the coronavirus accounts for almost half of new infections in Scotland, Ms. Sturgeon said in Parliament, adding that the country recorded 1,905 new cases on Monday. She said that Scotland was about four weeks behind the rapid acceleration that is being seen in London because of the variant. London, Jan 5 : A UK court has charged a 17-year-old boy with six terrorism offenses. The teenager, from Essex in southeastern England, cannot be named because of his age, reports Xinhua news agency. He appeared via video link before the Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Monday. He is being held on remand to appear at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court on January 22. He was charged with the six terrorism offenses following an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTP), supported by Eastern Region Special Operations Unit and Essex Police. The CTP said the teen was arrested and detained under the Terrorism Act on December 29, 2020, as part of a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation. Two homes in Chelmsford and Brentwood in Essex were searched in connection with the arrest, the police added. He faces one offense of engaging in the preparation of an act of terrorism, another for disseminating a terrorist publication and four for possessing material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. ADVERTISEMENT A magistrate court in Abuja has again adjourned the case filed against publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, and others without granting or denying them bail. The magistrate adjourned the case to January 8. Mr Sowore was arrested alongside four protesters during a #CrossOverProtest held on the eve of new year in Abuja. After spending four days in police detention, the protesters were arraigned before the Wuse Zone 2 court by police on Monday on charges of unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbance. Taye Maibel, in her ruling on Monday, ordered that the accused be transferred to Kuje Correctional Prison detention till Tuesday when the court will hear the bail application. However, Ms Maibel, in a ruling on Tuesday evening, after listening to the counsels of the parties involved, again ordered that Mr Sowore and other protesters be transferred to Force CIID in Area 10, in Abuja. The magistrate adjourned the case on the grounds of technicalities raised by the police legal team on the submission of a joint affidavit for the five accused persons in the case. In a counter argument, Mr Sowores lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, from Femi Falana Chambers, argued that his colleagues point was not relevant as there have been cases where defendants filed joint affidavits. To drive home his argument before the magistrate who nodded in agreement, Mr Abubakar cited Sambo Dasuki and James Ibori among the popular cases where defendants filed joint affidavits without legal backlash from court. However, against the defendants argument, the magistrate ruled that Mr Sowore should be returned to detention to afford parties involved time to study the case. Taking into consideration defendants complaint of unfair treatment and denied access to clothing and medical care by officials of the Kuje Custodian Centre, the court thereby gave Mr Sowore the options of either being taken to the Police Force CIID in Area 10 or to SARS Headquarters in Abbatoir, Abuja. Ms Maibel also ordered that Damilare Adenola, a law student at the University of Abuja, arrested alongside Mr Sowore, be granted access to gadgets and writing materials so as to catch up with other students cleared to receive lectures online. Azizi Developments, a leading private developer in the UAE, said it is gearing up with a continued commitment towards the completion of its ongoing projects, with 46 projects scheduled to be completed in 2021. Moreover, plans are afoot to launch another 40+ new buildings worth around AED7 billion ($1.9 billion), mostly in its existing communities, said the Emirati developer in its statement. Aziz will introduce further ways of reaching international investors with a focus on tapping into markets such Saudi Arabia, China, Nigeria and Israel, it added. Despite the pandemic-induced challenges that the real estate industry faced, Azizi said it had celebrated a high-performance 2020 by casting over 300 storeys, pouring over 239,000 cu m of concrete, constructing over 3.68 million sq ft of built-up area, and recording more than 17.6 million work hours, underlining its construction-driven and customer centric way of operating. The developer now plans to deliver on its promises by handing over homes to more than 10,000 families in 2021. CEO Farhad Azizi said: "This year threw at the world a challenge that we have yet to overcome. However, we count our blessings with the closing of 2020. For the UAE, as well as for us at Azizi, this has been a year of achievements and milestones, proving our resilience during the most challenging of times." "Our construction was mostly unaffected by the pandemic as we continued catalysing the development of this marvellous emirate. We have handed over nearly 3,000 units this year alone residences that will define the lifestyles of thousands of happy families. It gives me immense pleasure to say that as we enter 2021, we will continue to strive for the very best; our spirits remain high and our ambitions clear as ever," he added. In the build-up to Expo 2020, Azizi Developments is developing a large concentration of projects with direct metro and highway access to the site, which will continue to be a vibrant hub of culture and leisure even after the event. "With the UAE real estate sector embarking on a path of growth, with the economy and businesses worldwide beginning to witness a substantial resurgence, we anticipate an even stronger uptick in demand and sales that will become apparent as early as Q1 of 2021; this is when we believe pre-pandemic levels will be reached and then exceeded," noted Azizi. "The current global situation allowed the UAE to show its true merits it grants the leadership and the countrys businesses and people the opportunity to demonstrate how safe, proactive, forward-looking and innovative this international hub is," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Hundreds of people idled in their cars Monday morning outside Coca-Cola Park, to get a free COVID-19 test. Back in early December, Northampton County ran a pop-up testing site. This time, Lehigh County is hosting one in the parking lot at the Allentown stadium thats home to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The testing is first-come-first-serve between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday, Jan 4, through Friday, Jan. 8. Healthcare workers with AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, a Pennsylvania Department of Health contractor, were on-hand administering the COVID-19 nasal swab PCR test to people in their cars. Afterward, they were informed that theyd receive results in two to seven days. Motorists began lining up as early as 7 a.m., two hours before they opened. The wait times got longer the later you got in line. John McCarty, of New Tripoli, only had to wait 46 minutes before he got tested. Mary Allen, of Forks Township, had an hour wait and Evette Lopez, of Allentown, waited two hours. The site has the capacity to perform 450 tests per day. Those thinking about going for a test can take a look through the gallery above to get a glimpse at what the testing site looks like. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Saed Hindash may be reached at shindash@lehighvalleylive.com. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Experts have warned of serious problems developing as England enters its third national lockdown, with one declaring 'The pandemic has created a mental health ticking time bomb'. Draconian measures designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus variant will heavily impact many during the gruelling winter months. Depression, anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are expected as the restrictions create a sense of terrible Deja Vu. The blow comes especially hard due to the proximity of New Year, where many had believed the start of 2021 would signal more optimistic fortunes. Michael Gove said this morning the curbs on freedom would last for months, triggering more gloom among the public. And children - after being told schools would be safe - face difficult home-learning after a U-turn by Boris Johnson and his government. During his coronavirus news briefing today, the Prime Minister said approximately 12billion had been spent on NHS mental health care, with around another 19-20million contributed towards mental health charities. Emma Thomas, Chief Executive at YoungMinds told MailOnline: 'The pandemic is deepening the crisis in young people's mental health and there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the impact could be significant and long-term. Young people tell us that they've struggled to cope with the changes and loss of coping mechanisms brought on by the pandemic, with many experiencing social isolation, anxiety, and fears around their future. 'Many lost access to mental health support during the first lockdown, while others chose not to look for help at a time when the NHS was under so much pressure. With the pandemic continuing through the winter and another lockdown confirmed, it's likely that more young people may struggle to cope. 'If you're struggling to cope, you are not alone and however you are feeling right now is valid. It's important to reach out for help whether that's to friends, family, a doctor, a counsellor, a teacher or a helpline. It's also a good idea to take the pressure off as much as possible, and do things that you enjoy or which help you relax if you can.' Rosie Weatherley, Information Content Manager at Mind, said people should try and focus on creating coping mechanisms. She told MailOnline: ''Its ok to feel overwhelmed or upset about everything happening right now. Many of us hoped 2021 would be better than last year, but things will still be difficult for the first few months at least. 'The vaccination offers hope, but not immediately, so try to accept your feelings, create positive coping mechanisms, and focus on the fact that it wont be like this forever. A survey from Mind revealed young people were more affected by loneliness during lockdown 'Lockdowns are necessary to protect people from this devastating pandemic, but restrictions do present additional challenges to our mental health. 'Not being able to socialise in person affects our ability to stay connected to our support networks and maintain our relationships in the usual ways, and can increase feelings of loneliness. 'Some of us may find that our usual coping techniques for improving our wellbeing are no longer available to us, for example going to the gym. Having choices taken away from us about how we spend our time can affect our mental health. Mind calls for cross-party mental health help as lockdown starts Rosie Weatherley, Information Content Manager at Mind said: 'Its essential that mental health support is available to anyone in need, which means proper investment in mental health services from early intervention and prevention, right through to the crisis care someone receives when theyre at their most unwell. 'The earlier people receive support for their mental health, the more likely they are to benefit from treatment. As we enter another national lockdown similar to the one in March, its that crucial well-resourced, timely mental health treatment is available for those who need it particularly those with serious mental health problems. 'Services must continue to adapt to make sure nobody falls through the gaps, such as offering digital or over the phone support, if face-to-face services close again. The NHS has a responsibility to communicate how people can access help during lockdown, to prevent another unprecedented surge in crisis referrals. But its not just about healthcare, the Government must also recognise the impact that social factors such as debt, employment status and housing quality - can have on our mental health. These must be addressed as part of a cross-Government approach to protecting and improving the mental health of the nation. This is more important than ever as we find ourselves in another economic recession, with many more people facing these types of issues and potentially needing support from the benefits system.' Advertisement 'Feeling stuck or trapped, with few options, can leave us feeling frustrated, bored, and like we dont have control over our lives. 'But there are lots of things you can do to look after yourself, and ways of taking back some control, in some small ways. 'There are lots of self-care techniques that can help improve your wellbeing. 'Regular exercise, ideally outdoors in nature, can make a huge difference to both our physical and mental health. 'Although we might not be able to see loved ones face-to-face, connect with others via text, phone, email or video call as often as you can. 'Most importantly, if you find yourself struggling, know that you are not alone. 'Whatever your particular experience is, remember that support is available, and youre not wasting anyones time asking for help. 'Dont wait until it feels unbearable to ask for some help. 'Contact your GP in the first instance - many are offering virtual or phone check ups. 'If you dont feel willing and able to speak to a doctor, confide in someone else who you trust.' During this evening's press conference, Hannah from Northamptonshire asked Mr Johnson: 'My question is how are you supporting people with severe mental health issues? 'For example, my mum suffers from schizophrenia and doesn't understand the pandemic circumstances. How would you help someone like her?' He replied: 'Thank you very much for your question and obviously I am very sorry for the extra anxiety that the pandemic is causing people such as your mum and people with mental health conditions. 'I totally understand why people are concerned. We've put a huge amount obviously into NHS mental health care, I think it's about another 12billion or so. 'But directly during the pandemic what we're doing now Hannah is trying to support some of the wonderful mental health care charities that reach out and help people like your mum. I think we've put about 19million or 20million into that. 'That's what we're doing at the moment but clearly the best thing for your mother and everybody is that we get through this as fast as possible.' Professor Ellen Townsend, of the Self-Harm Research Group at the University of Nottingham, flagged the impact the lockdown would have on people. She said: 'We know that suicide ideation increased in young people in the first UK lockdown. Mind's CEO Paul Farmer has stressed the importance of greater support over winter, amid fears people will 'fall through the gaps,' when emergency measures wind down or stop 'There was a worrying signal that suicides in young people increased during the first lockdown. 'We know that loneliness, social isolation, mental health issues have soared in young people.' Elizabeth O'Shea, child behaviour expert, warned MailOnline there were struggles ahead for young people and their parents in the third lockdown. She said: 'The pandemic has created a mental health ticking time bomb. 'The biggest issue is the mental health impact, I think what we know in the parenting industry is that we are going to be experiencing three main problems: depression, anxiety and OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Experts have said connecting online with friends during isolation can help mental health 'Those are going to be the three main mental health issues as a result of because the children have been locked down in a such a long time in child's life. 'It can feel overwhelming that it is happening again so for me it's, how do parents cope, how do they deal with the anxieties, how do they deal with schoolwork again? What do they need to do? 'It's very important to build things into family life to help them cope. Exercise is vital, getting outdoors is vital. Getting the children as much involved with their friends as they can, Zoom calls or Skype calls.' It comes just weeks after charities warned two thirds of young people were experiencing a decline in mental health with figures worsening 'across the spectrum,' as calls to a suicide helpline rose by almost a third during the most recent lockdown. A survey of 16,000 locked-down members of the public by Mind discovered half of adults felt their wellbeing had worsened during 2020, with many experiencing mental health problems for the first time. Samaritans had had more than a million conversations with Brits since lockdown began in March, while Papyrus, a suicide helpline for under 35s, recorded a spike in conversations when stricter measures returned in November. Depression, anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are feared for this third lockdown Dead student was stressed about Covid Finn Kitson, 19, was found dead at halls of residence at the University of Manchester The son of a Cambridge academic died at his hall of residence after suffering 'severe anxiety' in lockdown. Finn Kitson, 19, was found dead at Manchester University's Fallowfield campus after a spike in Covid-19 cases among students in the city. Officials said the tragedy on October 8 was not virus related but his father, Michael Kitson, said this was untrue. The Cambridge economist added: 'If you lock down young people with little support, then you should expect that they suffer severe anxiety.' Mr Kitson also expressed his concern 'for all the young people who are suffering so much stress at this time'. Finn's mother, Jane Denney, said: 'Our beautiful, brilliant and lovely son Finn has passed away. We are devastated beyond belief.' Advertisement Mind's CEO Paul Farmer said in December: 'We know from our coronavirus survey of around 16,000 people that over half of adults and two thirds of young people said their mental health got worse during the pandemic, with many developing problems for the first time. 'Evidence indicates that mental health is worsening across the spectrum, from the prevalence of common mental health problems like depression to people ending up in crisis point and requiring hospitalisation. 'The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that rates of depression have doubled from around 1 in 10 (9.7 per cent) before the pandemic (July 2019 to March 2020) to almost one in five adults (19.2 per cent) during the pandemic (June 2020).' Papyrus UK runs a Hopeline for young people aged under 35 who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. The charity says nine out of 10 of its calls have referenced lockdown measures, while there was a 27 per cent rise in the number of contacts within the first week of the November lockdown. Ged Flynn, Chief Executive of PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, said: 'There is concern in the charity that there will be a longer-term problem of emotional distress post-lockdown. 'I fear that a whole generation of young people may feel the impact of the current crisis for a good while yet. 'We are already taking high volumes of calls, texts and emails from young people every day with thoughts of suicide or from those who fear for somebody in their family or place of work who may have. Call rates are now increasing.' At the start of the outbreak, Mind, Samaritans, Shout, Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation created Our Frontline - a dedicated helpline for workers who were out during lockdown. Since then it has held more than 2,200 conversations with health, social care, emergency service and other key workers. A merger of budget airline AirAsia India with full-service carrier Vistara is among options considered by the Tata group as it gears up for a wider play in the aviation business. The salt-to-software conglomerate has set up a strategy team headed by Tata Sons Pvt. Ltds chief financial officer Saurabh Agrawal to explore options, including mergers, consolidation and rebranding of its airline ventures, two people aware of the matter said, requesting anonymity. Also Read: AirAsia to sell 32.67% stake in its Indian operations to Tata Sons Also Read: Domestic air passengers in November 51% lower than last year: DGCA Tata group, which placed an expression of interest for Air India, recently announced its decision to raise its stake in AirAsia India to 84% by buying out a part of its Malaysian partner AirAsia Bhds shares. A decision on the way forward with AirAsia India is expected to be taken by March-end by when there will likely be more clarity on Tatas bid for Air India, the people cited above said. A final decision in this regard depends on whether AirAsia continues as a minority investor in the airline or not, one of the two people cited above said. In the event of AirAsia Bhd continuing to stay invested in AirAsia India, the Tata group may not be required to pay a royalty for the use of the brand name, which is a key factor, the person added. Also Read: The $113 billion Tata empire faces tough decisions over airlines Tata group also owns 51% of Vistara, with the rest held by Singapore Airlines (SIA). Meanwhile, under the share-purchase pact with AirAsia Bhd, Tata Sons has the option to raise its stake to 100% in AirAsia India. The pact, may however, be terminated if Tata Sons doesnt close the deal to first buy the 32.67% additional stake in AirAsia India by March-end. A potential merger of AirAsia India with Vistara to operate a single airline under the Vistara brand would require the consent of SIA, the people cited above said. A merger (of AirAsia India) with Vistara depends on many factors, including improvement in load factor, cash flows, vaccination, global lockdown and travel restrictions, the proposed deal with Air India, consent of Singapore Airlines, completion of pending aircraft orders and competition from other airlines in India, the first person said. If this works, several sectors will open up for flying, thus, improving cash flows for AirAsia India, the person added. The person said Tata group is also examining the option of merging AirAsia India, Vistara and Air India, if it wins the bid for the national carrier, and run them under a new brand provided it is agreeable to SIA. The Air India deal will depend on the government as it may absorb a large part of the airlines debt. If the government keeps conditions, which includes keeping the Air India brand name intact for a time period, a different strategy will be required, the person said. If the airline businesses are not merged, Tata group may either continue to run Air India separately or merge AirAsia India with Air India. It may also run Air India separately and merge Vistara and AirAsia India under one entity, with the consent of SIA, the first person said. The first will depend on the conditionality kept by the government and the price at which the proposed deal is formalised. The second will depend a lot on how the balance sheet of AirAsia India improves, how the Covid-19 situation subsides, air routes open up and whether Singapore Airlines agrees for a merger or not at a future date after March 31, the person said. All the different scenarios are being assessed by a dedicated team, the person added. A spokesperson for Tata Sons declined to comment. Walking into Trader Joes can be a little intimidating. The specialty grocery store isnt afraid to get creative, offering an assortment of items you wont find anywhere else. But what items should definitely make it into your cart? We scavenged through the stores Customer Choice Award winners from 2014 on. We spoke with Trader Joes fans like Natasha Fischer (who runs the popular Trader Joes List social media account) and Jessica Hamke (one of the enthusiasts behind the Trader Joes Addict Instagram). And we went to the store ourselves to find out the best products out there. One thing we have left out, though, is the wine. The Pennsylvania stores dont yet sell alcohol, so we opted to stick with what youd find in stores. READ MORE: Trader Joes is the anti-grocery store so why do fans love it so much? As a heads up, this list should only be a starting point for you. Trader Joes is an adventure, and we must all choose our own path. Grab something that strikes your fancy and give it a whirl. Fischer even recommends going hungry! That way you buy as much as you can and get the full experience, she said. Dont hold back. If its new, just get in there and try it all and see what you like. The good thing about Trader Joes is that youre probably going to like it and if you dont love it, your neighbor or friend will like it. Unexpected Cheddar Cheese from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Unexpected Cheddar Cheese, $3.99 Its cheddar, with a hint of parmesan. This signature cheese has been a crowd pleaser for Trader Joes for years. It earned a spot on its best-of lists in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Mandarin Orane Chicken from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Mandarin Orange Chicken, $4.99 The Trader Joes podcast goes into detail about how the store was so excited about this dish that they featured it on its Fearless Flyer publication -- only to find out the packaging wouldnt be ready in time. So they sold it in clear plastic bags until the proper packaging was ready. It sold like hot cakes regardless. Mandarin Orange Chicken has made it in the top 5 for the stores customer awards for six years running, earning the top spot in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Everything But the Bagel Seasoning from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend, $1.99 People swear by this spice combination. It includes sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, dried garlic and sea salt. Add it to your homemade bagels or even popcorn. This seasoning blend was the most popular item in 2019, and earned spots in the top 5 favorite products in 2017 and 2018. Cookie Butter Spread from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread, $3.69 This spread dominated the best-of lists from Trader Joes in 2014 and 2015, and still made a hearty appearance in the years through 2017. It tastes exactly as it sounds -- like spiced cookies. Cauliflower Gnochi from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Cauliflower Gnocchi, $2.79 One of the favorite items in 2018 and 2019, the Cauliflower Gnocchi is a big hit with both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Pro tip: dont cook the gnocchi using the instructions on the packaging, which makes a rather mushy pasta. Instead head to Google to track down better ways to cook it up. Hamke especially recommends baking it in the oven. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, $4.29 Chances are, if you have a Trader Joes addict in your friend group, they have these sweet treats in their pantry. They were in the stores list of favorite items in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Hamke recommends storing them in the fridge. Triple Ginger Snaps from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Triple Ginger Snaps, $3.99 With flecks of real ginger in these cookies, theyre perfect for the real ginger fans. Theyre bold and addictive, so its good that they come in a giant plastic container. Triple Ginger Snaps were featured on the top product lists in 2014 and 2016. Chili and Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips: Chili and Lime Flavored, $2.49 A snack that often makes an appearance on the Trader Joes favorite snacks category of the Customer Choice Awards, these chips are a little sweet and a little spice -- and a little addictive. The Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches, $4.79 These ice cream sandwiches rolled in chocolate chips are a favorite item of Hamke. Theyre so simple, but so good, she said. Cacio e Pepe from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, $3.99 One of the newer Trader Joes item, Hamke says that its already making waves in the Trader Joes fan world. Its a frozen pasta, but it doesnt taste like frozen food, she said. Avocados from Trader Joe's. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Avocados, $2.99 for 4 Trader Joes produce section can be hit or miss, but fans agree that the avocados are almost always great. They made Business Insiders list of the best items to get at the store. Over the River and Through the Wood Trek Mix wasn't a must-try item, per se, but many fans heartily recommend exploing the store's seasonal selection. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Something Seasonal Trader Joes is always changing out products and bringing new seasonal items in. Dont be afraid to give them a try. We opted for the Over the River and Through the Wood Trek Mix ($4.99), which contains roasted salted almonds, sweetened dried cranberries, pumpkin pie spiced pecans, roasted salted pepitas, roasted salted pistachios and white and dark chocolate covered pretzels. Super Burrito! While this wasn't on the top lists, any Trader Joe's fan knows you should always go with a crew member's recommendation. When we visited, this is what we were told we ought to try. Julia Hatmaker | jhatmaker@pennlive.com Whatever a Crew Member Recommends Look, lets be honest, these are the people who know Trader Joes best. When youre at the store, dont hesitate to ask them what theyve been digging lately. A helpful crew member pointed us in the direction of the microwavable burritos, an item thats underrated in her mind. So we grabbed the Super Burrito! ($3.49). She was not wrong. The former US president made the remarks on the eve of the crucial elections in Georgia where both the seats, and ultimately the control of the Senate, are up for grabs Washington: Former US president Barack Obama has warned of threats to the fundamental principles of America's democracy, a day after the emergence of the leaked audio in which President Donald Trump was heard telling Georgia's top election official to find over 11,000 votes to reverse President-elect Joe Biden's win in the 3 November poll. Obamas remarks came on the eve of the crucial Senate election in Georgia wherein both the seats are up for grab. Tomorrow is Election Day in Georgia and the stakes could not be higher. Were seeing how far some will go to retain power and threaten the fundamental principles of our democracy. But our democracy isnt about any individual, even a presidentits about you, Obama said in a series of tweets on Monday, without naming anyone. President Trump is yet to concede the US election even though the electoral college has confirmed Biden as the winner. Obama's comments come as Trump faces criticism for telling fellow Republican Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state, to "find" enough votes to overturn his defeat. Audio of the call, which lasts about an hour, was published by The Washington Post on Sunday. Voting in Tuesday's Senate runoff will determine which party has control of the Senate once Biden takes office. In the 100-member Senate, the Republican Party has 50 seats and the Democrats have 48 seats. If the Democrats win both the Senate seats, then Kamala Harris in her capacity as the Vice-President and Chairman of the Senate can vote in favour of the Democrats in case of a tie. Republicans winning even a single seat would give them a majority in the Senate, which would make it tough for the Biden administration to get senatorial approvals on key nominations and top foreign policy and national security decisions. If youre a Georgia voter, you can respond tomorrow with the most powerful tool we have as Americansyour vote. Make a plan to vote in person or drop off your mail-in-ballot at a ballot drop box. Check-in with your family and friends to do the same, Obama said. Meanwhile, more than 90 Congressmen on Monday introduced a resolution censuring Trump for abusing the power of his office by threatening Raffensperger with vague criminal prosecution, if he failed to overturn the finalised and verified results of Georgias November 2020 presidential election. Georgia has conducted two recounts and has verified 99.9 percent of signatures on mail-in ballots. DZ BANK AG Frankfurt am Main - Pre Stabilisation RNS Number: residue number system Frankfurt am Main, 5. Januar 2021 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Pre-Stabilisation Notice Volkswagen Leasing GmbH DZ BANK AG (contact: Nicole Zorn or Leonhard Enck; telephone: +49 69 7447 99777) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014). The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Volkswagen Leasing GmbH Guarantor (if any): Volkswagen Financial Services AG Aggregate nominal amount: EUR benchmark Description: fixed rate, due 12 July 2023 Click or tap to enter a date. Offer price: Tbc Other offer terms: Senior, unsecured and unsubordinated, RegS Bearer, Denomination EUR 1.000 Stabilisation: DZ BANK AG Stabilisation Coordinator: Stabilising Managers: BNP Citi DZ BANK Mizuho SEB Stabilisation period expected to start on: 05.01.2021 Click or tap to enter a date. Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg Stock Exchange (Regulated Market) In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, there is no assurance that the Stabilisation Manager(s) will take any stabilisation action and any stabilisation action, if begun, may be ended at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Directive") before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State. Associate Project Officer, Vienna, Austria Organization: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Country: Austria City: Vienna, Austria Office: OSCE Vienna Closing date: Thursday, 28 January 2021 Issued by: OSCE Secretariat Vacancy number: VNSECP01587 Vacancy type: International Contracted Field of expertise: General Staff / Monitoring Functions Duty station: Vienna Date of issue: 24 December 2020 Deadline for application: 28 January 2021 - 23: 59 Central European Time (CET/CEST) Background Please note that this position is funded under an Extra-Budgetary (ExB) Project, which runs until September 2022. Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At present, less than 30 per cent of researchers worldwide are women. Long-standing biases and gender stereotypes are steering girls and women away from science related fields, including ICT and cyber areas. Thus, in order to achieve full and equal access to and participation the OSCE Gender Action Plan is committed to increasing the number of female staff in all areas of the OSCEs work. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this opportunity. The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All 57 participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis. The OSCE Secretariat in Vienna assists the Chairmanship in its activities, and provides operational and administrative support to the field operations, and, as appropriate, to other institutions. The Transnational Threats Department (TNTD), as part of the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna, Austria, plays a key role as the focal point of OSCE-wide programmatic activities aiming at countering transnational threats and ensuring coordination and coherence of action across all three OSCE dimensions, among all executive structures while respecting their mandates. The Strategic Police Matters Unit (SPMU) at the Secretariat responds to requests from participating States for specific expert advice on policing and police-related activities. Good policing has played a vital role in preventing conflict (particularly secondary conflicts), in preserving social stability during political crises, as well as in supporting the rehabilitation period following the end of conflict. Equally apparent is that without effective law enforcement and genuine respect for the rule of law and the institutions responsible for upholding it, there can be little likelihood of social, political or economic stability. Tasks and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Head of SPMU, as an Associate Project Officer, you will contribute to the implementation of the ExB project "Capacity Building on Combating Cybercrime in Central Asia". The main objective of this project is to enhance national training capacities of the five OSCE participating States in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), to sustainably educate and train their police officers and prosecutors on combating cybercrime. The project is a joint endeavour of the TNTD/SPMU, the OSCE FOs in Central Asia, relevant national authorities of the beneficiary countries, and the law enforcement training institutions that are under their authority. More specifically, you will be tasked with the following duties: 1.Implementing and monitoring activities in co-ordination with FOs, governmental agencies in beneficiary countries, international organizations and non-governmental, active in the cybercrime area. In project development, the incumbent focuses in particular on ensuring that project plan and scheduled activities are timely developed and implemented and in this regard, providing administrative and logistical support and drafting invitations, agendas, Key Findings and Outcomes (KFO) documents, press releases and other documents as appropriate. Project monitoring includes drafting financial and narrative reports to donors as required; 2. Providing advice on the roles and responsibilities of national training institutions in beneficiary countries with an understanding of the methods relevant for the priorities of the Department. Following topical cybercrime issues and briefing the supervisor, Head of Unit/Department and Mission leaderships as required. Following the practical implementation of project activities tailored to national legislation, conditions and context in the beneficiary countries and keeping an overview of other internationally supported projects, monitoring the initiatives on changes in the cybercrime policies and reporting periodically to the supervisor; 3. Supporting the review of draft strategies and action plans prepared by the host countrys institutions, and ensuring TNTD/SPMU can provide - through external expertise - proper assistance to guarantee that new government policies comply with international best practices and contributing to strengthening the existing framework to promote human rights standards and principles in investigation and prosecution of cybercrime cases. Reviewing experts reports, memos and analysing on cybercrime issues upon request and recommending adjustment of priorities of the Departments portfolio accordingly; 4. Liaising with the OSCE institutions and FOs to contribute to horizontal co-operation in the context of institutional capacity building to tackle cybercrime, while at the same time upholding the rule of law and ensuring respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in beneficiary countries. Participating in related events organised by the OSCE, representing the Department and contributing to the subject-matter discussions. In that regard, drafting talking points, background papers memos and other documents as appropriate; 5. Performing other duties as required. For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Secretariat, please see: //www.osce.org/secretariat">http: //www.osce.org/secretariat Necessary Qualifications Necessary Qualifications: First-level university degree in law, political/social sciences, or criminology; A minimum four years of professional experience in the field of security or criminal justice preferably in relation to cybercrime; Tags beneficiary countries central asia criminal justice criminology gender perspective human rights law enforcement press releases project monitoring rule of law sustainable development Experience in project development, implementation and evaluation; Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills. Professional fluency in Russian would be an asset; Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications; Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities; Ability and willingness to work as a member of team, with people of different cultural, and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity. Remuneration Package Monthly remuneration is approximately EUR 5,098 depending on post adjustment and family status. OSCE salaries are exempt from taxation in Austria. Social benefits will include possibility of participation in the Cigna medical insurance scheme and the OSCE Provident Fund. Other allowances and benefits are similar to those offered under the United Nations Common System. Please note that appointments are normally made at step 1 of the applicable OSCE salary scale. How To Apply If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCEs online application link found under //jobs.osce.org/">https: //jobs.osce.org/. The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment, to offer an appointment at a lower grade or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration. Only those applicants who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted. Please note that vacancies in the OSCE are open for competition only amongst nationals of participating States, please see //www.osce.org/states">http: //www.osce.org/states. The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization. Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process. Lockton Companies Lockton Dunning Benefits has hired Jason Mahler, Travis Brashear and Don Harrison, expanding its growing presence in the Houston market. All three executives will work closely with the firms clients across the nation to develop data-driven employee benefits strategies, as well as to further enhance Locktons significant presence in Houston. Mahler, Brashear and Harrison have demonstrated success as employee benefits consultants, with deep roots in the Houston market. They have worked with national consulting firms and innovative solution providers, developing close ties with the community in their personal and professional capacity. Mahler joined as vice president and team lead. Mahler, who has a strong health and welfare and actuarial background, developed long-term benefits strategies for some of the largest employers in Houston and elsewhere in the country. At Holmes Murphy, he served as head of consulting strategy and also held positions at Aon, Watson Wyatt Worldwide and Hewitt Associates. The firm appointed Brashear as a senior vice president and consultant. Prior to joining Lockton Dunning Benefits, Brashear led Holmes Murphys Houston team and held senior-level positions at Imagine Healthcare, Willis Tower Watson, and Cigna Healthcare. Appointed as senior vice president and consultant, Harrison has spent his entire career in the Houston area, where he provided human resources and risk guidance to clients. Before joining the firm, Harrison was a vice president of business development at Holmes Murphy. He also was an executive at Willis Towers Watson, Convergys and Hewitt Associates. In 1998 Dunning Benefits Corporation in Dallas merged with Lockton Companies to become Lockton Dunning Benefits. The largest independent employee benefits consulting group in Texas specializes in the design, implementation, communication and year-round service of health and welfare benefits. Source: Lockton Companies Topics Lockton ROME - The Gulf states signed what Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called "an accord for solidarity and stability" in the region, putting an end to three years of embargo against Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The signing took place at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, during which bin Salman thanked the US and Kuwait for their mediation that brought an end to the crisis. The prince highlighted the need to promote development in the region, "to face the challenges surrounding us, in particular the threat posed by the Iranian regime with its nuclear programme and ballistic missiles, aimed at sabotage and destruction". Qatar's alleged closeness to Tehran and radical Islamic groups is what led to the embargo. Bin Salman welcomed the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, for the first time to Saudi Arabia since the start of the crisis, with a hug, in an image published by local media. In another episode of 'this happens only in India', a woman from Madhya Pradeshs Bhopal has agreed to leave her husband in exchange for Rs 1.5 crore. According to a report by India Today, this incident only came to light when the child of the couple filed a case in family court. The daughter said that her father was having an extramarital affair with his colleague and led to many fights at home. The minor also said that this was very disturbing to her and her sisters education. Unsplash Further, it was found that the man had been seeing the woman from his office. He wanted to leave his wife and wanted to live with the other woman. Later, two of them took counseling to sort matters within their marriage as suggested by the court. After multiple rounds, the woman agreed to leave her husband in a very bizarre condition. She said that the woman her husband was having an affair with would have to give her her apartment along with Rs 27 lakh in cash to her. Unsplash She expressed to the counselor that she didnt want to live with someone who did not share a good relationship with. So, she decided to take the amount and look after her daughters. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below! At the beginning of December, a federal judge in Chicago ordered a federal prison in Lompoc, California, to immediately release an inmate who had served approximately twenty-five percent of his ten-year prison sentence. The judge granted the motion, commonly referred to as a "motion for compassionate release," based on the inmate's increased risk of experiencing severe illness if he were to contract COVID-19. The motion was filed in case number 1:16-cr-00717 in the Eastern Division of the Northern District of Illinois, before Judge Sara L. Ellis. The federal prison, Lompoc FCC, had garnered significant media coverage during the course of the pandemic due to the number of infections the facility experienced this past spring. The number of infections and the poor conditions at the facility led the ACLU and other prisoner-rights organizations to file a class-action lawsuit against the Bureau of Prisons in the spring (https://www.aclusocal.org/en/press-releases/lawsuits-filed-behalf-terminal-island-and-lompoc-prisoners). The suit, filed in May in Los Angeles federal court, accused Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal and Lompoc prison warden Louis Milsunic of mishandling the prison's response to the pandemic, and failing to follow United States Attorney General Willam Barr's directive to expand the use of home confinement to reduce the health risk to medically vulnerable inmates. Miami-based criminal defense attorney David Edelstein represented the released prisoner. He was the second inmate Edelstein has convinced a federal judge to release from the prison. In May of last year, Edelstein filed a motion for compassionate release asking a Miami federal judge to release another client who had only begun serving his 48-month sentence in February. In both cases, Edelstein argued that his clients suffered from pre-existing medical conditions, making them more susceptible to the virus. David Edelstein founded his law firm in the year 2000, shortly after leaving the Miami-Dade County Public Defenders Office. Over the past twenty years, he has defended clients facing criminal charges in both state and federal courts throughout Florida. He has also represented clients in other jurisdictions, from New York City to Portland, Oregon. More information about his firm, and his work defending clients can be found on David M. Edelstein, PA's website: https://www.miami-criminal-lawyer.net/. Firm's Physical Address: David M. Edelstein, PA 4770 Biscayne Blvd #1250 Miami, FL 33137 https://g.page/miamiattorney GLASTONBURY State police are seeking witnesses to a deadly crash on Route 2 late Monday afternoon that killed a 58-year-old woman. First responders were dispatched for a reported crash on Route 2 west near the Exit 9 on-ramp around 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to an accident report released by Connecticut State Police on Tuesday. Police said a 62-year-old Hartford man was driving on Route 2 west in the right of two lanes when he rear-ended Colchester resident Marie Mathieu, who was on the shoulder of Route 2 west at the top of the Exit 9 on-ramp. The crash pushed Mathieus car into the metal beam guardrail on the side of the road, police said. Mathieu, a Coco Drive resident, was taken to Hartford Hospital with serious injuries and died shortly afterward, police said. The Hartford man was uninjured and declined medical treatment, police said. State police said both vehicles suffered disabling damage and had to be towed from the scene. The crash remains under investigation. Police asked any witnesses to the crash to come forward, and asked anyone who might have been driving through the area with a camera in their vehicle at the time of the crash to review their footage and send it to investigating officers. Witnesses are asked to reach out to Trooper First Class John Wilson at Troop H at 860-534-1098 or john.wilson@ct.gov. This is the amazing moment a man uses a drone to send doughnuts to hard-working police officers. Alex Beech from Erie in Pennsylvania, decided to end 2020 by sending the tasty snacks to law enforcement. The footage shows the drone, operated by Alex, flying to the police station with a note informing an officer that doughnuts are on their way. This is the amazing moment a man uses a drone to send doughnuts to hard-working police officers An officer steps out of his car to read the note and then waves at the camera as the drone ascends. Beech then puts a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in a bag that he attaches to the drone and flies back to the police station. The officer who originally read the note gives a thumbs-up and accepts the treat. Alex Beech from Erie in Pennsylvania, decided to end 2020 by sending the tasty snacks to law enforcement The footage shows the drone, operated by Alex, flying to the police station with a note informing an officer that doughnuts are on their way Beech then puts a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts in a bag that he attaches to the drone and flies back to the police station Beech said: 'This project took a good bit of planning on my end, and I figured it would be a great way to end 2020.' Alex Beech originally posted his video to YouTube. Social media users were quick to respond to the fun idea with one writing: 'That was very cool Alex. Very nice job. God bless you and have a blessed new year!' will be a voice for the developing world and against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism, India's Ambassador to the UN has said, asserting that the country will use its tenure on the UN Security Council to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of global peace and security. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti, made the remarks while speaking at a special flag installation ceremony organised at the Security Council stakeout here on Monday. Flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members of the Security Council - India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico - were installed at the stakeout during the special ceremony. On January 1, began its tenure as non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation UN organ for the 2021-22 term. Tirumurti installed the Indian tricolour and said that as assumes the membership of the Security Council for the eighth time: "it is an honour for me as the Permanent Representative of India to take part in today's flag installation ceremony." "India comes into the Security Council as the largest democracy representing 1/6th of humanity and with a strong commitment to reformed multilateralism, rule of law, a fair and equitable international system and to peace, security and development. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we stand united as one, bound by our ethos of democracy, pluralism and commitment to fundamental rights," Tirumurti said. He said India will "use our tenure to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of international peace and security. India will be a voice for the developing world." "We will not shy away from raising our voice against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism," he said, adding that India looks forward to "our collective pursuit for an ideal where the World is One Family - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'."The Indian envoy said peace-keeping, peace-building, maritime security, women and youth, especially in conflict situations, and technology with a human face, will receive India's attention while on the 15-nation Council. Noting that even as the world comes together in solidarity to face the COVID-19 pandemic, Tirumurti quoted Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda to say, "Each nation must give, in order to live. When you give life, you will have life; when you receive, you must pay for it by giving to all others." Tirumurti also expressed gratitude to all the Member States of the who have given us an overwhelming mandate to represent them in the Security Council. The ceremony was organised in a restricted format keeping in mind the strict COVID-19 protocols. Ambassadors of the other four countries also installed their flags at the stakeout. Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN Magzhan Ilyassov welcomed the newly elected non-permanent members of the Security Council and expressed confidence that they "will make a sterling contribution" to the Council's work in the two crucial years of modern history. We acknowledge that these five incoming members, because of their prior long-standing experience with the Council, will bring much depth and focus to the issues of peace and security, he said. He paid special tribute to the scientists who have dedicated their efforts to combat the pandemic and develop the COVID-19 vaccines. This new year is the year of hope for all of us no doubt and for our world organisation, global peace, security and further sustainable development in 2021 will largely depend on the decisions of the and the Security Council with its permanent and non-permanent members, he said. Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the UN and President of the Security Council for the month of January, extended a warm welcome to the incoming members. I hope together with the new elected members, we will manage to create positive dynamics in the Council and make concrete steps towards the resolution of conflicts. In his address to the virtual high-level UN General Assembly session in September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that as the world's largest democracy, India will bring its years of rich developmental experience for the benefit of the whole world when the country sits on the horseshoe table of the Council. "India will always speak in support of peace, security and prosperity. India will not hesitate in raising its voice against the enemies of humanity, human race and human values - these include terrorism, smuggling of illegal weapons, drugs and money-laundering," Modi had said. India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico join non-permanent members Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam and the five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US in the Council for 2021. India will be UNSC President in August 2021 and will preside over the Council again for a month in 2022. The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States' names. The tradition of the flag installation ceremony was introduced by Kazakhstan in 2018. The ceremony was unanimously confirmed by all 15 UNSC members to become an annual tradition of the Security Council. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shoppers have raided some supermarket shelves after Boris Johnson's lockdown announcement for England - but chains insist they still have good availability. Video footage filmed at a Tesco branch in South Woodford, North East London, after 9pm last night showed limited stock left of toilet roll and kitchen roll. Other pictures showed empty frozen food shelves, a lack of fresh bread and low supplies of toilet roll at a Tesco in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, this afternoon. And photographs taken at a Sainsbury's branch in the St Philips area of Bristol this morning showed gaps on the shelves in the fresh fruit and vegetables aisles. However, retailers insisted they have enough products in stock along with regular deliveries to their stores and encouraged customers to shop as normal. Supermarkets have seen their websites come under pressure after shoppers raced to book deliveries ahead of the new national lockdown in England. Limited stock of toilet rolls at a Tesco branch in South Woodford, North East London, last night Kitchen roll stock was also running low at the Tesco in South Woodford yesterday evening The major chains experienced huge demand yesterday evening after the Prime Minister announced the third English lockdown would begin. Sainsbury's app came under huge demand, while Tesco also experienced issues and Morrisons and Ocado were forced to place shoppers in virtual queues. Websites appeared to be running largely as normal today, but with little availability left for home delivery slots. Sainsbury's said it had temporarily limited access online to 'manage high demand for slots and updates customers were making to existing orders'. A spokesman also insisted the retailer had good availability and regular deliveries to its stores, so it encouraged customers to shop as normal. Empty frozen food shelves at a Tesco in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, this afternoon Toilet paper stock is also reducing today at this Tesco store in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire Fresh bread stock is also sparse today at this Tesco store in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire Tesco said bosses were holding discussions to review the item limit for online baskets, as well as product restrictions across popular items such as toilet rolls, antibacterial wipes and pasta. A Tesco spokesman said: 'We have good availability in stores and online, with plenty of stock to go round, and we would encourage our customers to shop as normal.' The retailer added that it had increased its online delivery slots to 1.5million per week. The sector has been flooded with demand amid tightening restrictions over the past two months, with industry figures showing a record month for supermarkets in December. Britons spent 11.7billion in supermarkets throughout December in their busiest month ever, with trade boosted by the closure of restaurants, bars and cafes across most of the UK, according to Kantar. The data revealed the record December helped sales jump 11.4 per cent to 32.7billion over the 12 weeks to December 27. Morrisons also reported festive trading figures showing sales soared 9.3 per cent year-on-year in the past three weeks, which included the key Christmas trading period. Empty shelves at a Sainsbury's store in St Philips, Bristol, are pictured this morning Some prepared veg options were unavailable at a Sainsbury's store in St Philips, Bristol, today Some baskets at a Sainsbury's in St Philips, Bristol, were empty when photographed today Like-for-like sales were up 8.5 per cent over the nine weeks to January 3 and were up 8.3 per cent in six months to the same date, helped by strong sales online and increases in its wholesale business. Kantar said supermarket trading was boosted by the 4billion that would normally have been spent on food and drink outside the home over the Christmas season. The report also showed online grocery sales accounted for 12.6 per cent of total spend in December, compared with 7.4 per cent in 2019. Online specialist Ocado ended the year as the country's fastest growing retailer after a 36.5 per cent sales surge over the festive quarter. BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China stands ready to work with Argentina to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China attaches great importance to bilateral ties, Xi said in a recent exchange of letters with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, urging concerted efforts to sustain and deepen the development of the China-Argentina comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi noted that since Fernandez took office, they have talked over phone and had multiple exchanges of letters, and have reached important consensuses on deepening bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation in areas such as battling the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is a severe test for the whole world, Xi said, adding that in the face of the disease, the two nations have stood together and helped each other, and their traditional friendship has been further elevated in the joint battle. China, he said, stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Argentina in research, development and application of COVID-19 vaccines, and will continue to provide as much support and assistance as its capacity allows for Argentina's fight against the pandemic. For his part, Fernandez spoke highly of the development of bilateral relations and China's achievements in containing the pandemic, and thanked China for supporting Argentina's fight against COVID-19. Facing the impact of COVID-19, countries should show solidarity, as well as mutual respect and support, and commit themselves to building a community with a shared future for mankind, a notion put forward by Xi, he said. The Argentine president noted that China has accomplished its poverty alleviation target as scheduled and scored remarkable achievements in science and technology, bringing benefits for the Chinese people and the world at large. He also said that both Argentina and China uphold multilateralism, support inter-state dialogues, and strengthen regional dialogues, so as to achieve harmonious development. The Belt and Road Initiative is conducive to deepening connectivity and mutual understanding between the two countries, Fernandez said, adding that his country stands ready to strengthen cooperation with China in areas including vaccines, and to jointly push for greater development of their comprehensive strategic partnership. (Source: Xinhua) A new documentary about Martin McGuinness will be broadcast on TV tomorrow night. The documentary traces the former Mid Ulster MP's life from his days in the IRA through to his leading role in the peace process. The programme will be broadcast at 9.30pm on TG4 on Wednesday, January 6. The documentary includes interviews with the people who knew and worked alongside McGuinness. People who knew him from youth, Nell McCafferty and Terry Crossan, tell stories of living in Derry during the '60s and '70s. His colleagues from Sinn Fein tell stories of day-to-day encounters with the local man and how he steered the Sinn Fein party in the North towards peace. Julie Hambleton, whose sister Maxine was killed in the Birmingham bombings in 1974, revisits her memories of that time and says she could never forgive McGuinness no matter what path he took to peace. SDLP veteran Brid Rodgers recalls the IRA murder of Patsy Gillespie in Derry in 1990, a killing that followed Martin McGuinness throughout his life. Colin Parry tells the harrowing story of losing his son from a bomb in Warrington town centre and how he came together with McGuinness in the pursuit of peace. Journalist Peter Taylor recounts on McGuinness being pointed out to him in the early 1970s by John Hume as someone he should speak to. Johnathan Powell, the Labour Party negotiator, tells of the Derry man's ability to get people to engage and fight his side. Tony Blair remarks on the strong sense of duty he had towards all the people of Ireland. David Trimble and Ian Paisley Junion tell of the distrust that the Unionist people had towards Martin McGuinness, but that they were able to realise that the road to peace was to walk alongside him. President Bill Clinton remarks on his ability to engage with people and gain their trust through his personality and negotiation skills. He could talk an owl out of the tree, says Clinton. For the first time, Martin McGuinness's eldest brother, Tom, tells of life in a family of six children growing up in the Bogside. Included in the documentary is the last ever interview with Martin McGuinness. A spokesperson for the documentary makers said Martin McGuinness was a 'complicated person, he led a complicated life'. He was in the media spotlight for over 40 years. He started as a revolutionary, then became a politician, and finally held the office of Deputy First Minister. This documentary tells his story, the story of the man, not the fight. It is an insight into how one man went from a terraced house in a rundown part of a disregarded city to being the man who helped bring peace and true government to this troubled corner of Ireland. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Members of the opposition in Somalia warned this week that the countrys federal government is about to sign a secret petroleum exploration and drilling agreement with two foreign companies a month before its term in office expires, which would pose a great danger to the future of Somalia and its natural resources. The opposition has received information that Somalias Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources would sign the secret deal in the coming days, Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, the leader of the opposition Wadajir Party, said in a letter to the top officials in Somalia posted on Twitter. On 5 June 2018, the Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member states signed an agreement on sharing of natural resources in Baidoa, which states that any agreement on the drilling, exploration or search for oil in the country must be transparent, thoroughly debated, evaluated and agreed upon, and finally approved by the House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia, before it is signed, the letter reads. The Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) in Somalia strongly opposes the secret deal between Coastline Exploration Inc and Liberty Petroleum Corporation on oil block deals, Warsame said on Twitter. Any agreement on the drilling for oil must be transparent, thoroughly debated, evaluated, agreed upon & approved by the Parliament, before it is signed, he added. The secret agreement would be signed just a month before the current governments term in office ends, the opposition says in the letter, noting that this timing of an oil deal creates strong suspicions. Somalia launched in August last year its first-ever offshore licensing round. Back then, the country expected to announce the winners of the oil auction in the first quarter of 2021, Ibrahim Ali Hussein, the chief executive of the Somali Petroleum Authority (SPA), told Reuters. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the decks for the construction of the ambitious Central Vista Project. The top court upheld the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for the project, which covers a three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens' Delhi. A three-judge bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar, by 2:1 majority, held that the grant of environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for the project was valid. Justice Khanwilkar, writing the judgement for himself and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, also directed that the project proponent set up smog tower and use anti-smog guns at the construction site for the Central Vista project. Heres a 10-point guide on the revamped Parliament of India the Central Vista: - The Central Vista revamp, announced in September, 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with a seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project. - The top court's verdict came on several pleas on the issue, including the one filed by activist Rajeev Suri, against various permissions given to the project by authorities including the grant of environmental clearance and the nod to change of land use On December 7, last year the top court had allowed the Centre to proceed with the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Central Vista project on December 10 after the government assured it that no construction or demolition work would commence till the apex court decides the pending pleas on the issue. - Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building and the construction is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore. - The apex court had earlier said that any change at the ground level made by authorities for the Central Vista project will be "at their own risk". It had made it clear that the fate of the project, which includes several new government buildings and a new Parliament House, will depend on its decision. - The Centre had argued in the top court that the project would "save money" which is paid as rent for housing central government ministries in the national capital. It had submitted that the decision to have a new Parliament building has not been taken in haste and no law or norms have been violated in any manner for the project. - The Shram Shakti Bhavan and Transport Bhavan in Lutyens' Delhi will be the first two buildings to be razed to pave the way for the construction of chambers of Members of Parliament there as part of Central Vista redevelopment project. - In the new Parliament building, the Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while the Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for members. - The National Emblem will crown the new Parliament building. According to the plan, a tunnel would be constructed to connect the building with chambers of MPs in the Parliament complex. - "The new Parliament will have six committee rooms to conduct business," an official from HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt Ltd, said. The government has identified around four locations -- in Gole Market, K G Marg, near Africa Avenue and near Talkatora Stadium -- in central Delhi for the temporary shifting of offices of various ministries. - Government sources said that the demolition of buildings will be carried out in phases to ensure smooth functioning of various ministry offices. To construct Common Central Secretariat for ministry offices, several buildings like Shastri Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan among others are likely to be demolished. - The redevelopment project of Central Vista -- the nation's power corridor -- envisages a new triangular parliament building, a common central secretariat and revamping of the 3-km-long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. According to the CPWD's latest proposal for the redevelopment of Central Vista, the prime minister's new residential complex will have 10 four-storey buildings with a maximum height of 12 metres. - The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which is executing the project, has revised the estimated cost from Rs 11,794 crore to Rs 13,450 crore. The prime minister's new residence will be built on a 15-acre plot and it will have 10 buildings and they will have ground plus three floors, the CPWD said in its proposal. Sylvan Learning, a leading provider of supplemental and enrichment education for students in grades K-12 with more than 750 points of presence worldwide, is now expanding its footprint to Washington, Missouri with the signing of educator Jacqueline Ward. This new signing brings the leading technology and education franchise statewide count to nine, with an opportunity to add locations in six more territories. Mother of six Jacqueline Ward has worked in education her whole life. Knowing that no single child learns the same way, she did her best as a teacher to help all her students find success. However, while working in the public school system, Ward noticed there were obstacles that were holding some of her students back. Feeling stuck in her career, Ward chose to go into business ownership with Sylvan Learning in order to help students who struggle to learn in a traditional classroom setting. Now, Ward is making changes to help ensure no one falls through the cracks. While I was completing my doctorate, my research showed that standardized testing wasnt the best option for most kids, said Ward. When I was offered a job that was a far journey from home, I was also looking at tutoring options, and I found Sylvan Learning and started working at a nearby center part-time. One of my students at Sylvan was very unreceptive in traditional school, but she came to find success with us. Ive been able to see the Sylvan Learning method work first-hand, and since becoming a franchise owner, the brand has continually supported me and improved my practice. My goal is to be the franchisee and owner of all the Sylvan Learning centers in the area. By partnering with local schools in a meaningful way, we have a much broader reach, so the virtual option is going to help tremendously, especially amid COVID-19. Personalizing the learning programs will support our students strengths and ultimately help them achieve their goals. For more than 40 years, Sylvan Learning has been focused on building academic confidence, igniting intellectual curiosity and inspiring a love for learning all of which make a big impact in school and in life. Since its founding in 1979, Sylvan Learning has become the leading supplemental and enrichment education franchise in North America thanks to its mission-driven philosophy, educational technology, community-oriented approach and strong franchisee support infrastructure. Because of its ongoing investment in technology solutions and breadth of content and delivery options provided in-center, in-home and online, Sylvan has been uniquely positioned to respond to parents needs in these challenging times. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sylvan Learning has worked hard to support parents. First, in March, Sylvan Learning introduced a virtual tutoring option as school districts transitioned to remote learning. The company is also continuing to utilize its proprietary software, SylvanSync, which provides teachers and students with adaptive practice sessions. This summer the brand announced the launch of School Support, a program that provides a variety of services to help children stay on track and parents manage the complexities of this current school year. As a result of its flexible and innovative offering, the industry-leading learning franchise is continuing to grow. Those who are interested in franchising with Sylvan Learning have the option to provide services completely virtually or offer in-person support to students during their regular virtual school days. By offering a much-needed service during COVID-19, Sylvan Learning franchisees have the opportunity to help families across America during this difficult time. Jacqueline Ward will be able to make a difference in her community by bringing Sylvan Learning to the families of Washington, Missouri, said CEO John McAuliffe. The Sylvan Learning system is stronger, more nimble and more united than ever. We have ramped up our already-strong training for instruction, local marketing and technology for our franchise owners and expanded our reach for families and students. There is more demand for our services than ever, and we are excited to continue partnering with qualified franchisees to bring Sylvan Learning to new areas across the country. To learn more about Sylvan franchise opportunities, visit http://www.sylvanfranchise.com. ABOUT SYLVAN LEARNING LLC With more than 40 years of experience and more than 750 points of presence throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvans proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync technology on the iPad for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit http://www.SylvanLearning.com or SylvanLearning.com/blog. The number of Covid patients carrying the UK strain in the national capital has reached seven after three new cases were detected on Monday, whereas the tally of suspected carriers has reached 49, officials told IANS. Satyendar Jain told IANS that all contacts of Covid-19 patients infected with the mutant strain of novel coronavirus had been tested by the government but none was found infected. "We have tested all contacts of the patients with UK strain infection. Noone has been found infected, apart from those 38 admitted in the LNJP," he said. IANS had reported that the number of persons suspected to be infected with the new strain had risen to 38 in Delhi after three more persons, including returnees from the UK and a contact, were found corona positive during a surveillance drive on Wednesday. All 38 patients are kept in isolation at the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash (LNJP) Hospital. Of them, 17 are UK returnees while remaining are their contacts. "All the patients found infected with the new variant have been isolated in different rooms of a special ward designated for suspected patients or those found infected with the new variant," Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director of Delhi government-run hospital had said. Besides, the AAP government has quarantined around 200 people, who either returned from the UK within a month or are in contact with those travellers found positive, at two facilities in Aerocity and Chattarpur. The UT government has found over 14,000 passengers who arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) since November 25. Of them, around 4,000 were found to be residing in Delhi. The Delhi government has designated 2,000-bed LNJP as the nodal centre for isolation of persons suspected to carry the new variant of Covid-19. Ireland is in Level 5 lockdown as countries across Europe implement tough measures in an attempt to slow the rapid spread of Covid-19. As the number of Covid cases in this country hit record levels, we take a look at further restrictions which could be brought in to contain the virus. 1. Schools Government leaders are meeting today to discuss the extended closure of schools which could now remain shut for the rest of January. If they do, Ireland wouldnt be the first to do so. Schools closed early in Germany in mid-December as the situation worsened there. Last night, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a third national lockdown on England and shut schools to most students to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed by surging coronavirus infections. 2. Childcare facilities Germany closed their daycare centres before Christmas in response to the spread of the virus. While creches currently remain open in Ireland for essential workers, child care providers have called for clarity on who should be prioritised. There has also been concern expressed about staff returning to work as cases spiral. As it currently stands, the Governments Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme is not planned to restart until January 11. Read More 3. Exercise Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has already stated that the government is considering decreasing the existing exercise limitation from 5km to 2km. Other countries have gone even further than that though. In the state of South Australia, outdoor exercise and even dog walking was banned due to a Covid-19 outbreak in November. 4. Weddings As it currently stands, weddings are allowed to proceed during Level 5. However, only a maximum of six guests are allowed. These rules could be tightened further though, like they have been in parts of the UK where wedding ceremonies are not allowed at all, except in exceptional circumstances such as one partner being terminally ill. 5. Funerals Funerals may have up to 10 mourners under current Level 5 rules. In comparison to other countries, this is already a tight number, with Tier 4 UK counties allowing up to 30 people. However, during the start of the pandemic some places did take quite a hard line, with the City of York Council in the UK deciding that funeral services would not be available - only direct cremations. 6. Takeaway food and drink Right now, many people remain working in the service industry as restaurants, cafes and pubs that serve food can stay open for takeaway. But should the situation worsen even further, could they close altogether? New Zealand took this approach back in April of last year, completely shutting down the industry. And this was despite the fact that no community cases were even reported in the country at the time. 7. Construction Construction sites have remained open for the duration of level 5, although they were closed when the country first went into lockdown back in March. For the most part, this remains the norm throughout Europe, as construction continues to take place despite Covid-19 outbreaks across the continent. 8. Curfews As Covid cases continue to rise in France, the French government introduced a curfew that varies in different areas. For some regions the curfew begins at 8pm, but in recent days certain parts of the country are under curfew from as early as 6pm. 9. Outdoor exercise with another person Currently, you can meet one other person outdoors for socially-distant exercise. But cutting this entirely is another option for government. 10. Hardware stores Shops such as hardware stores were closed during the first lockdown in March, April and May of last year. However, under Level 5 these stores are allowed to open as an essential retailer. Online Editors This was supposed to be a story about a unique cat named Tig, short for Tigger. Tig is a fitting name for an orange tabby, but it has also become known as an acronym meaning The Island Greeter, because Tig is the most welcoming and best-known cat on Dauphin Island. Tig earned his title honestly. The exceptionally friendly, laid-back cat never meets a stranger. Hes so sociable that his tag reads I live on the island, just in case anyone thinks about taking him home with them. Handsome Tig reclines on a piece of driftwood on Dauphin Island, where he's well known to residents and visitors alike. (Photo courtesy of Jane Walton) But my interest in Tig led me to an even bigger story about his owner, Jane Walton, who moved to the barrier island south of Mobile with her husband Lee in July of 2016. Then last year, Lee was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and that devastating news turned their world upside down. This was supposed to be where wed be forever, walking on the beach holding hands, Jane tells me as we sit in Adirondack chairs on the south-facing deck of their beach house, overlooking a canal. The front of their house faces the Mississippi Sound. Its an idyllic location, quiet, peaceful and beautiful. Their house is named Now and Forever, with a sign Jane made with pieces of driftwood spelling out the letters. The couple, who renewed their wedding vows this past summer on the beach in a joyful ceremony organized by their three adult children, moved to Dauphin Island from Huntsville, where they had spent the previous nine years. Lee is the IT systems manager for Huntsville Hospital, a position he has held remotely and continues to do part-time, though he is now on disability. Wed been working our way to the beach, says Jane. They thought they would end up in the Florida Panhandle until, on a whim, she and Lee visited Dauphin Island with their jet skis in tow. As they drove over the bridge in separate vehicles, they both remember having the same feeling at the same time, an overwhelming sense that this is home. We never took the jet skis off the island, she says. The couple took to island time like fish to water, enjoying jet-ski rides together, watching the famous sunsets and falling in love with the community where everybody knows everything but in a good way. They refer to their friends as their island family, a village that has embraced and held them throughout Lees cancer treatments. The village shows up out of nowhere sometimes to play pool with Lee beneath the house, on the regulation-size table Jane bought for him after his diagnosis. In 2019, the village helped install a lift for Lee. When two strong hurricanes hit in the fall, the village sprang into action to help Jane prepare and then clean up. When their five grandchildren come to visit their daughter in Boston has three girls, and their son in Raleigh, N.C., has two boys, all under six years old they love to catch fish and crabs with the cast net to feed the neighborhood heron, Henry, who comes when they call him. The children are always amazed by the number of stars they can see in the sky above their Nama and Bumpas house. This is our favorite place in the world, and we love it, says Jane. All three of Jane and Lee Walton's children, as well as their five grandchildren, visited the couple on Dauphin Island for Christmas. (Photo courtesy of Jane Walton) A dog in a cats body Not long after they moved to Dauphin Island, Jane started picking up driftwood, bits of glass and other treasures, loading them onto her jet ski on treks to the western end and bringing them back home with her. Though she insists she was never particularly crafty or artistic, she can envision objects that could be made from pieces of wood like the red cedar tree she spotted out past the Katrina Cut, which she knew would make a great table. It now sits beneath her house, topped with a circle of glass. Jane became an expert at turning driftwood into sculptures of mermaids, seahorses, dolphins, sailfish, dragonflies and more, selling them at a friends shop. I dont think you can have too much driftwood, she says. Im always picking it up. She stores it in boxes and bins in a workspace underneath the house, sorting it according to length and shape. During Hurricane Zeta, she lost 75 percent of her driftwood stash, which floated away with the tide. Tig likes to "help" Jane with her driftwood projects in her workspace underneath the house. (Photo courtesy of Jane Walton) The loss of her supply, as well as the fact that she and Lee spent five months of 2020 in Los Angeles for a clinical trial, mean that Jane hasnt worked on her art as much as she used to. She still has custom orders she needs to fill, but her customers have been patient and understanding with her. While they were away, they left Tig at home with some of their island family looking out for him. When they moved to Dauphin Island, they were empty-nesters with no pets, but Tig soon changed that. He adopted us, she says. Hes the most interesting cat Ive ever known. Tig loves to walk on the beach with his owners and digs in the sand like a dog. Hell stick his paws into a bucket full of fish and get them out. When its warm, he likes to ride on the roof of the car. He visits every renter on the Waltons street. Even those who profess not to like cats usually love Tig. The Waltons deck was even built to Tigs specifications, so that he would have a place to rest his chin as he surveys his domain. He lets himself in and out through his own, Tig-sized cat door. Tig lounges beside the canal behind the Waltons' home on Dauphin Island next to his pal, Henry the heron. (Photo courtesy of Jane Walton) Tig is fiercely protective, especially of Jane, and he has been known to go flying off the porch to attack any dog whos not on a leash. Hes loyal like a dog, she says. Anyplace we were last is where hell stay until we come back. Hes an unusual little creature, a dog in a cats body. Those who have met Tig over the years while on vacation can keep up with him through Janes frequent posts on a couple of Dauphin Island-related Facebook pages. In addition to Tig and her artwork, which she sells on her Treasures Found page, shes known for her intrepid post-storm posts where she reports on damages to homes on the island, which she started doing after Hurricane Nate in 2017. I would want somebody to do it for me, she says. Its the right thing to do. One last wish Jane lives by the Golden Rule and always tries to treat others the way she would want to be treated, which is how she happened to meet Erica Ramsey-Epperly. She saw that Erica had posted a question in a Dauphin Island Facebook group. Ericas husband Tommy was on hospice care, dying of pancreatic cancer, and his last wish was to go to a bonfire on the beach. She wanted to know where she might be able to have one. Jane, a self-described Type A personality, was moved by the post and decided Tommy was going to have their bonfire. She took charge right away. I was going to make this happen no matter what, she says. She sent a message to Erica, and the two women, both watching their husbands bravely face the same type of cancer and the same bleak prognosis, really clicked. Soon, Jane had coordinated plans with the mayors office and fire department to hold the bonfire. She found a beach house for Erica, Tommy and their children to spend the weekend. She urged her neighbors to make homemade signs welcoming Tommy to the island. She secured dinner for the family to enjoy on the beach. When Jane and Erica met the week before the bonfire, Erica mentioned that she was behind on her mortgage payment because of Tommys medical expenses. Jane hadnt planned for this to be a fundraiser, but she knew what she had to do. She posted about Erica that Saturday night. By Sunday, we had thousands of dollars enough to get them current on their mortgage, she says. I was so overwhelmed. I cried the whole day. I was so astounded at the generosity of people. Erica was overcome with emotion when Jane presented her a check for more than $8,000 on the day of the bonfire. She hadnt expected to have her financial burden eased at the same time her husbands final wish was coming true. If I were in that place, I hope someone would help make it happen for me, too, says Jane. On a November evening, the five-foot-high bonfire, made with driftwood like the kind Jane finds on the beach, lit up the sky as Tommy lay in a hospital bed in the beach house. Sadly, he didnt feel well enough to make it down to the beach, where his wife and children and other family members had watched a beautiful sunset and made smores in the flames. A professional photographer donated her time to document it all. It was such an honor to be so intimately involved in something so meaningful, says Jane. Im friends with Erica for life, and when we get to that point I know shell be there for me. Jane bonded with Erica Ramsey-Epperly right away when Erica wanted to have a bonfire on Dauphin Island for her husband, Tommy, who was dying of pancreatic cancer. (Photo courtesy of Jane Walton) When Tommy died nine days later, Jane was one of the first people Erica called. Its very challenging because its a glimpse into the future, Jane says, but she was there for Erica. I hugged her and cried with her as she said goodbye to him one last time. By this point in my visit, Jane, Tig and I have come inside the Waltons home, where Lee is resting in his recliner as we talk. That was really cool, he says of what Jane did for Tommy and Erica, and she pulled it together in a heartbeat. Their youngest son Cam walks in. He just finished his last college class and is staying with his parents while he interviews for jobs. Its no big deal when youre Jane Walton, Cam says, winking at his mom. Although Lee looks healthy, he has good days and bad days. He tires easily and feels guilty about the fact that Jane has to do so much around the house. Weve had some teary weekends, Jane admits. When he was diagnosed 19 months ago, he was given three to six months to live. Its now a matter of prolonging his life as long as possible and giving him the best quality of life while hes still here. They are grateful for every moment they have together. Right now, theyre looking at a National Institutes of Health trial in Bethesda, Maryland, as their next step in the new year. Were trying to stay positive and keep fighting as long as we can, says Jane, holding Tig in her lap and stroking his soft fur. Im not going to give him up easily. KOTA IBUSHI VS. JAY WHITE, COBB VS. TAKAGI & MORE: COMPLETE NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING WRESTLE KINGDOM 15 NIGHT TWO COVERAGE Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom Night 2! Kevin Kelly, Chris Carlton and Rocky Romero are handling the English language commentary. King of Pro Wrestling 2021 Four-Way: Toru Yano vs. Bad Luck Fale vs. BUSHI vs. Chase Owens. Fale did the finger poke of doom on Owens and covered him but Yano broke it up. OOF. He was dispatched. BUSHI battled with the Bullet Club mates but Yano rolled him up. Yano removed the turnbuckle pad but Owens grabbed it before he could use it. Owens nailed Yano with it. Fale and Owens snapped Yano's legs apart rudely. They continued to work over Yano. Owens went for the pin but BUSHI broke up the pinfall. BUSHI pulled down the ropes and sent Fale over the top to the floor. BUSHI nailed a tope suicida on Owens. He snapped him in the ring and went for the pin but Yano broke it up. Yano went for a slam on Fale but collapsed under his weight and was almost pinned. Owens went for a kick on BUSHI and nailed Fale by accident. BUSHI missed a kick on Owens but nailed the Rewind kick for a two count. Owens clapped his ears and wernt for the package piledriver. BUSHI escaped and used a forward roll for a two count. Fale returned to lariat BUSHI as Owens held him for a back suplex. Fale went for the pin, which Owens objected to and they argued. They grabbed the referee and lifted him in the air. Yano low blowed them both and pinned BUSHI for the pin. Your winner and King of Pro Wrestling 2021, Toru Yano! This was OK. Yano is extremely likable and was so here. Everyone played their role well. They showed Jushin Liger at ringside doing commentary. It's been a year since he retired and he is missed. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi Wato went right after Desperado and stomped away at him. He nailed several rights and whipped him into the ropes but was hit with a big boot. Desperado chopped away at him but Wato kicked him out of the ring to the floor. Wato hit a great looking twisting dive to the floor on Desperado. Taguchi tagged in and began kicking away at Desperado. Taguchi ran the ropes mocking Desperado but Kanemaru tripped him and pulled him to the floor, whipping him into the barricade. The Champions worked over Taguchi for a long time, even drilling his leg into a chair while the referee was predisposed. Kanemaru nailed a low dropkick to the leg and continued working him over. Taguchi fired back and went for a hip attack but Kanemaru avoided it and there was no water in the pool. The attack on Taguchi continued. Wato finally made a tag and nailed a clothesline on Kanemura. He nailed a springboard uppercut for another two count. Kanemaru shoved the referee into the path of Wato and used that to attack and cut off his momentum. Desperado went for a suplex but Wato escaped and laid him out with a kick to the mid-section. Taguchi tagged in and used a head scissor to drive Desperado into well, his butt. Taguchi nailed the Three Amigos, scoring another two count. They battled back and forth until Desperado was nailed with a reverse powerslam. Taguchi set up for a knee strike but was attacked from behind. Desperado nailed a knee buster. Kanemura dropkicked the knee. Desperado locked in a stretch muffler, trying to force a submission but Wato broke up the attempt. Taguchi went for an anklelock. He elevated and drilled Desperado down over his knees. Wato tagged in and ascended to the top but Kanemaru interfered Everyone batted. Desperado nailed a big right hand on Taguchi and scored the pin with a Jay-Driller. Your winners and still IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru! A solid, well worked and competitive match. Wato really shined here. NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi vs. Jeff Cobb They began slugging it out at the bell Shingo ducked a clothesline and tackled Cobb for a two count. Cobb leapfrogged Shingo and nailed an insanely scary dropkick. Shingo went to the floor, where Cobb whipped him into the barricade and chopped him hard. Cobb sent him into the barricade again, then hit a monstrous overhead belly to belly suplex. Cobb brought Shingo back into the ring and kicked away at him. Cobb nailed a forearm to the back. Takagi was worked over but finally came back with a big lariat. He pulled Cobb up on the apron and went for a DVDR but Cobb shoved him away and nailed a clothesline from behind Cobb set up for a Razor's Edge off the apron to the floor but Shingo slipped over the ropes back into the ring, smashed Cobb to the floor and hit a big flip dive to the floor. This has been damn entertaining thus far. Shingo nailed a flying elbow off the top for a two count. Cobb nailed a spin cycle to cut him off. Cobb nailed a charge in the corner and muscled Shingo with a pair of Gutwrench suplexes. He went for a third but it was turned into a rana. Cobb nailed a Black Tiger Bomb out of a Razor's Edge position for a two count. They battled and Shingo caught Cobb with a DVDR out of nowhere. Both men were down with the referee counting them out. They each forced themselves back to their feet. Takagi got the crowd clapping and rallying him. Takagi nailed a superplex and then hit an impressive as hell wheelbarrow suplex. Takagi was selling the back from the beating he endured over the course of the bout. Cobb caught him and suplexed him across the ring and then followed up with another throw. They met on the mat and began headbutting and slapping each other. Cobb began peppering him with forearms but Takagi fired back Takagi put together a hell of a lariat and strike combinations, then hit a German suplex but was too spent to make the cover. Takagi went to the floor and was almost counted out but made it back to the ring at the last second. Cobb nailed a powerbomb for another close two count. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands but Shingo slipped out and drilled him with a clubbing blow to the back of the leg. He nailed a Dragon Screw Legwhip. He nailed Made in Japan and scored another close two count. They battled back and forth until Cobb nailed Tour of the Islands, only to see his knee give out. He spent a moment trying to recover then covered Shingo, only to see him get his foot atop the ropes. Both men were spent. They battled to the top. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands but Shingo fought him off and slipped underneath, nailing a powerbomb out of the corner. Cobb clubbed him with a lariats and went for Tour of the Islands. Shingo blocked but was caught with a moonsault/powerslam combination. They charged at each other with lariats. They fired away with headbutts. Shingo went for a slam but they just collapsed in violent fashion down to the mat. The Dome was loving this and with great reason. Takagi wiped out Cobb with a lariat, turning him inside out. He nailed a sit-down bomb and scored the pin. Your winner and still NEVER Openweight Champion, Shingo Takagi! A HELL of a match. They just took it to each other with unbridled physicality and beat the living hell out of each other. This may have been my favorite match across Wrestle Kingdom thus far. Just an amazing bout and it may have been the best bout either has ever had. It was the type of physical war you'd seen in New Japan or All Japan in the 1990s and it was glorious. NJPW Wrestle Kingdom can be ordered via New Japan World and at www.FITE.TV! Coverage continues on Page 2! If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. If you have a subscription, please Log In . Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you believe you've gotten this message in error, please Log In. An employee shows the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in New York City on Dec. 21, 2020. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Pharmacist Who Tried to Destroy COVID Vaccines Believed They Could Change Peoples DNA: Officials A Wisconsin hospital pharmacist told police that he intentionally attempted to destroy hundreds of COVID-19 vaccine doses because he thought the shots would alter or mutate peoples DNA, according to court documents. Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist Steven Brandenburg was arrested last week after about 60 vials of the Moderna CCP virus vaccine were removed from refrigeration, which could have destroyed the doses, said the police department in Grafton, Wisconsin. Hed formed this belief they were unsafe, Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said on Monday, according to reports. Charges against Brandenburg are pending. Brandenburg was later released from custody on a signature bond, police said. Authorities said in a probable cause statement that Brandenburg admitted that he thought the COVID-19 vaccine was not safe for people and could harm them and change their DNA, reported CNN. President of Aurora Health Care Medical Group, Dr. Jeff Bahr, told reporters last week that the 57 vials were found outside a cold storage container. A pharmacy tech worker discovered them on Dec. 26 and placed them back in a refrigerator, Bahr said. The vials were used to administer doses to about 570 people, Bahr added. Grafton Police Department Detective Sgt. Eric Sutherland stated that Brandenburg recklessly endangered the lives of those people by possibly compromising the vaccine. Gerol said that testing still needs to be done about whether Brandenburgs actions reduced their efficacy. Its unknown how much time it will take, Gerol said. Fortunately, we have them such that theysome of them or all of themcan be returned to Moderna for the testing. In the news release, Grafton Police said the discarded doses were worth between $8,000 and $11,000. Officials said that an investigation into the matter is ongoing, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FBI, and other agencies are involved. The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine as well as the Moderna vaccine rely on messenger RNA or mRNA, which is a fairly new technology used in vaccines that experts have been working on for years. Experts have said the vaccines cannot genetically modify humans, according to The Associated Press. Johns Hopkins University, in a December news release, stated that some people may have to deal with side effects from the vaccine. Side effects may vary with the type of COVID-19 vaccine. We know the most about side effects following vaccination with the Pfizer and Moderna messenger RNAor mRNAvaccines, the university said, adding: Side effects include fatigue, headache, muscle aches, chills, joint pain, and possibly some fever. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 01:32:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday strongly condemned Sunday's terrorist attack and killing of 11 coal miners in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, said his deputy spokesman. Guterres extended his sincere condolences to the families of the miners and the people and government of Pakistan. He believed the Pakistani authorities will do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of this terrorist act to justice, said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman, in a statement. Militants in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province attacked the camp of the coal miners and killed 11 of them. The victims were of the Hazara community, an ethnic minority, said a spokesman of the provincial government on Sunday. Enditem Credit: Universitat Paderborn Researchers at Paderborn University have developed a new method of distance measurement for systems such as GPS, which achieves more precise results than ever before. Using quantum physics, the team led by Leibniz Prize winner Professor Christine Silberhorn has successfully overcome the so-called resolution limit, which causes the 'noise' we may see in photos, for example. Their findings have just been published in the academic journal Physical Review X Quantum (PRX Quantum). Physicist Dr. Benjamin Brecht explains the problem of the resolution limit: "In laser distance measurements a detector registers two light pulses of different intensities with a time difference. The more precise the time measurement is, the more accurately the distance can be determined. Providing the time separation between the pulses is greater than the length of the pulses, this works well." Problems arise, however, as Brecht explains, if the pulses overlap: "Then you can no longer measure the time difference using conventional methods. This is known as the 'resolution limit' and is a well-known effect in photos. Very small structures or textures can no longer be resolved. That's the same problemjust with position rather than time." A further challenge, according to Brecht, is to determine the different intensities of two light pulses, simultaneously with their time difference and the arrival time. But this is exactly what the researchers have managed to do"with quantum-limited precision," adds Brecht. Working with partners from the Czech Republic and Spain, the Paderborn physicists were even able to measure these values when the pulses overlapped by 90 per cent. Brecht says: "This is far beyond the resolution limit. The precision of the measurement is 10,000 times better. Using methods from quantum information theory, we can find new forms of measurement which overcome the limitations of established methods." These findings could allow significant improvements in the future to the precision of applications such as LIDAR, a method of optical distance and speed measurement, and GPS. It will take some time, however, before this is ready for the market, points out Brecht. Explore further Temporal control of light echoes More information: Vahid Ansari et al. Achieving the Ultimate Quantum Timing Resolution, PRX Quantum (2021). Vahid Ansari et al. Achieving the Ultimate Quantum Timing Resolution,(2021). DOI: 10.1103/PRXQuantum.2.010301 Provided by Universitat Paderborn Wall Street began the year with a tumble on Monday, with the S&P 500 suffering its steepest decline in more than two months as it retreated from record territory. Analysts traced the sell-off to a number of factors, including political jitters stemming from Tuesdays runoff election in Georgia which will determine control of the U.S. Senate concerns about a resurgent coronavirus, and the simple need for investors to take a breather after a stretch of sizzling gains. It wasnt clear that the slump would continue into Tuesday. Stocks in Asian markets were steady early on Tuesday, while futures markets suggested that Wall Street would stabilize when it opens. The index fell 1.5 percent, its sharpest drop since late October. Stocks that have been most sensitive to investor sentiment about the coronavirus pandemic led the decline. Shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Wynn Resorts, Marriott International and Carnival were all down by 5 percent or more. Major benchmarks in Europe also gave up most of their early gains on Monday, though they managed to stay in positive territory for the day. The Stoxx Europe 600 index rose 0.7 percent, and the FTSE 100 index in Britain gained 1.7 percent. The Detroit Tigers are looking at free-agent catchers and 32-year-old Curt Casali seemed like an intriguing discount option. There was also an interesting back story: Casali was drafted by the Detroit Tigers out of Vanderbilt University in 2011, but he never played in a game for his original team. It wont happen in 2021, either. Casali signed a Major League deal this week with the San Francisco Giants for a reported $1.5 million. That means no reunion with the Tigers, who traded Casali to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013 in order to retain the rights to pitcher Kyle Lobstein, who they had selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Casali has spent parts of seven seasons in the big leagues as a backup catcher. He plays solid defense and has actually hit very well for a catcher (103 OPS+ in 485 plate appearances) over the last three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. With the Giants, hes expected to back up Buster Posey, who will return in 2021 after opting out of the 2020 season. As for the Tigers, their catching situation is no more clear than it was six months ago. Jake Rogers and Grayson Greiner remain on the 40-man roster. The Tigers also signed veteran Dustin Garneau to a minor-league deal. Eric Haase, designated for assignment before Christmas, could remain in the organization. Its possible the Tigers could stand pat with what they have. But if they plan to dip into the free-agent market, there are other possible reunions available: Alex Avila, who played for the Tigers from 2009-15 and part of 2017; and Austin Romine, who played here in 2020. Both players would probably be seeking low-cost Major League deals, although they will probably get less and less picky as spring training approaches. Bryan Holaday, who played for the Tigers in 2012-2015 and 2017, could be an option if the Tigers want another veteran on a minor-league deal. As for catchers who havent played for the Tigers, Yadier Molina is widely expected to return to the St. Louis Cardinals, while J.T. Realmuto will be out of the clubs price range. But veterans like Robinson Chirinos, Wilson Ramos, Matt Wieters, Kurt Suzuki and Jason Castro remain available and should be relatively affordable. Channel Seven's Weekend Sunrise host Matt Doran popped the question to Kendall Bora, executive producer of Nine's rival show Weekend Today, on New Year's Eve. And on Tuesday, the happy couple flaunted Kendall's dazzling diamond engagement ring for the very first time. The loved-up duo revealed they snapped up the stunning 'Trilogy' ring from Sydney-based luxury jeweller House of K'dor, which is popular among stars such as Erin Moland and Roxy Jacenko. Scroll down for video She said yes! Matt Doran, the host of Channel Seven's Weekend Sunrise, popped the question to Kendall Bora, the executive producer of Nine's rival breakfast show Weekend Today, on New Year's Eve Matt, 37, shared a picture of his 30-year-old fiancee's diamond cluster on Instagram, captioned: 'She said yes!' The jewel features a stunning square-cut diamond in the centre, with two solitaire diamonds placed either side on a beautiful gold band. The three rocks are said to represent a couple's past, present and future. While the exact price of the bespoke ring has not been confirmed, similar designs can rack up to thousands of dollars. When policeman Sean Ogilvy proposed to Erin Molan back in 2017, he presented her with a 'rare 2.2 carat oval cut' diamond ring reportedly worth 'six figures' by the brand. What a rock! Matt, 37, shared a picture of his 30-year-old fiancee's whopping diamond cluster on Instagram, captioned: 'She said yes!' What a whopper: When policeman Sean Ogilvy proposed to Erin Molan back in 2017, he presented her with a 'rare 2.2 carat oval cut' diamond ring reportedly worth 'six figures' by the brand Cute: Matt announced the happy engagement news on Instagram on Friday, sharing a gallery of photos of the couple in the moments after Kendall said 'yes' Matt announced the couple's happy engagement news on Instagram on Friday, sharing a gallery of photos of the couple in the moments after Kendall said 'yes'. Matt explained in the caption that he'd made a few unsuccessful attempts to surprise Kendall with a proposal before everything came together on Thursday. 'Despite it all, she still said yes, and I'm now the luckiest man in the cosmos... and officially sleeping with the enemy,' he wrote, referencing the fact the pair work for rival TV networks. Television rivals: Matt (right, with Weekend Sunrise co-host Monique Wright), has been dating Kendall, a senior producer at Channel Nine, for more than a year The couple began dating in 2019 after being introduced by mutual friends, but it was a 'slow burn' before things between them developed further. Kendall was previously in a relationship with I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! host Dr Chris Brown, 42, for about two years, before splitting sometime in 2018. Matt dated celebrity chef and former MasterChef star Justine Schofield from 2014 to 2017. Justine is now dating retired AFL player Brent Staker. Twelve (12) heads of state and governments in Africa have so far confirmed their participation in the investiture of President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Vice-President-elect, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Thursday, January 7,2021. They included the heads of Senegal, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Chad and Niger. Other countries to be represented by their Foreign Ministers are Nigeria, The Gambia, India, France and Rwanda. Other foreign dignitaries that have confirmed their participation include; the United Kingdom's Minister for Africa, the United States of America's Special Envoy responsible for the Sahel, President of ECOWAS Commission, Chairperson of the African Union Commission and representatives of the CDU and Allied Parties from Germany. All foreign delegations attending the ceremony are required to present negative PCR test results conducted 72 hours from country of origin before arriving in Ghana. Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, and Chairperson of the Inauguration Subcommittee, Presidential Transition Team, announced this at a media briefing in Accra on Tuesday. This is to update the public on the preparedness of the Committee towards the swearing-in of the President-elect on Thursday, January 7, 2021. She said the Committee, operating in consonance with the Presidential Transition Act 2012, (Act 845), had been working collaboratively with the leadership of Parliament to ensure a successful ceremony. Madam Botchway said the President-elect and Vice President-elect would take their Oaths before and within the precincts of Parliament in keeping with the 1992 Constitution. In that regard, all invited guests are supposed to be seated by 0945 hours for the ceremony to start at exactly 1100 hours. Ms Botchway stated that all the necessary security and safety arrangements were being made in accordance with the COVID-19 protocols to safeguard the health and safety of all participants. Arrangements for courtesy calls and bilateral meetings, she said, had been cratered for and communicated to the respective diplomatic missions in Accra. Additionally, a Welcome Desk would be set up at the Terminal Three, Kotoka International Airport, which would be manned by a protocol liaison security coordinator. After the Swearing-in Ceremony all the visiting heads of state and governments would be hosted to a luncheon at the Accra International Conference Centre. "The arrangements we're making is aimed at ensuring elegance and at the same time a cost-effective ceremony. "If you don't have an invitation to the ceremony, you can watch it from the comfort of your homes as it will be broadcast live on the state television, GTV, and all major TV and radio stations," Ms Botchway advised. Meanwhile, Mr Pius Enam Hadzide, a Deputy Minister of information, said Thursday, January 7, National Constitution Day, had been declared a public holiday. He said about 200 media houses would be accredited to provide coverage, however, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation would provide the main feed from the Chamber of Parliament and all other media outlets were supposed to tap from it. Mr Hadzide announced that all vehicles were supposed to park at the Black Star Square but a shuttle service would be available to transport guests to the enclave of Parliament. "No vehicle without an accredited sticker would be allowed to enter the enclave of Parliament on the day of the ceremony," he said. About 6,000 security personnel have been detailed to provide security and maintain law and order during the President's investiture. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ghanaians began the new year 2021 with optimism, hope of recovery and restoration after a challenging 2020 year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Christians ended the year with various watchnight services, the messages delivered from leaders centred on the need to strive for peace and unity, as well as restoration. As a highly anticipated event on the Christian calendar lately, the watchnight and first Sunday of the new year services became the catalysts to resume church service fully, albeit strictly adhering to the safety protocols. Many churches with the compound to accommodate large numbers held their watchnight services outdoor to allow for social distancing, while strictly enforcing handwashing and face mask wearing throughout the services. As it were, the usual business of hugging, hand shakes, and waving of handkerchief, especially during the signing of praises and songs of adorations, were missing. Embrace peace In a special message, the Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rev. Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, encouraged Ghanaians, regardless of their political, religious and ethnic differences, to embrace peace, to keep the country united in its quest for development. He warned that the country would disintegrate if the citizens failed to protect the peace they had. Rev. Dr Odonkor stressed the need for people to be at peace with themselves and one another to ensure that the promise of Jesus Christ on peace did not become a facade. As a nation, it is important that we dearly embrace peace, regardless of our political, religious and ethnic differences, he said. The District Minister of the Kaneshie District of the PCG, Rev. Enoch Adjei Pobee, in his sermon at the Kaneshie Congregation, said 2021 would be a year of recovery and restoration. Dont give up At the Hope Congregation of the PCG at the Sakumono Estates in the Tema metropolitan area, the service was streamed online to enable members who could not participate in the in-person event, reports Benjamin Xornam Glover. The Sakumono District Minister, Rev. Emmanuel Obeng Ntow, encouraged Ghanaians in general and Christians in particular not to give up in spite of the impact of COVID-19 accompanied by untold hardship on all aspects of human life. Do not let your hands be weak. Do not give up when the fire of sickness, death, joblessness, marriage crisis, disappointment, is crouching at your door all these months or years, he said. At Christ the King Anglican Church, also in Sakumono, the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Roland Kpoanu, in his New Year sermon on the theme: "Trust in God", admonished the congregants to be undismayed in their trust in God in 2021. He said in times of hopelessness, fear, anxiety and suffering amidst Covid-19, God has not disappointed us, hence Christians must learn to completely entrust themselves to him. Significance of 21 The Apostle General of the Royalhouse Chapel, Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah, gave an insight into the number 21, and said the number had some hidden numbers. He said when one falls within 21, that person was carved for a life of success, explaining that Ghanas first President, Kwame Nkrumah, born on September 21, was a typical example of the success associated with such personalities. When Jesus Christ was mentioning angels, he unconsciously mentioned it 21 times throughout His ministry. It was not coincidental. 21 means angels. Angels are coming, coming to do something in the world, he said. The Apostle General, therefore, called on Christians to pray, and to know that God would send an angel to bring them answers, adding that This year, expect angelic visitations. Being thankful From Bolgatanga, Vincent Amenuveve reports that a Catholic Priest at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, Rev. Father Joseph Atabase, called on Ghanaians and people around the world to always be thankful to God for the many blessings and mercies bestowed on them in the year 2020 although the year was fraught with the COVID-19 pandemic. He said people, especially Christians, needed to cultivate the habit of thanksgiving to God instead of asking God to fulfil their respective desires all the time, describing such acts as unfair treatment meted out to God. Rev. Fr Atabase observed that the country had also undergone the presidential and parliamentary elections successfully and peacefully. Meanwhile many other churches in the Bolgatanga Municipality, a predominantly Christian community, held vigils to usher in the New Year, with the event accompanied by the firing of fire crackers as 2021 broke. God in control From the St Peter's Catholic Church at Asuoyeboa in the Kumasi Archdiocese, Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor reports that parishioners thronged the church and danced away their potential worries of the previous year, as they welcomed the New Year with joy. Both young and old could not hide their joy for making it to the new year despite the challenges. Just when the clock struck midnight, the entire church, including the parish priest, Rev. Fr Michael Kwaku Boahene, shouted with joy as they sang praises to God and danced away the old year. Earlier in his homily, Rev. Fr Boahene asked the parishioners not to worry about anything, but to commit every endeavour into God's hands. He said if for nothing at all, 2020 had taught the world that God was in control of the world, and that tomorrow was never promised, and urged all to give thanks to God in everything. At the Calvary Charismatic Centre at Ayigya, the situation was not any different as members, dressed in white clothing, waited for the clock to strike midnight to celebrate God's grace. The residence pastor of the church, Rev. Joshua Obeng, asked religious leaders and all Ghanaians to pray for the judges who would be empanelled to hear the election petition. 31st Night Some churches, including the Perez Chapel and the Loyalty House of the Lighthouse Group of Churches, joined their headquarters for the New Year messages, reports Shirley Asiedu Addo from Cape Coast. A pastor of the Loyalty House, Rev. Paschal Godwyll, admonished Christians to have a renewed commitment to serve God, and not only on the last day of the year. At the Wesley Methodist Cathedral and the Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, worshippers prayed to thank God for the year 2020, and welcomed 2021 with praises to God. Palmer Buckle Giving his New year message, the Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast, Most Rev. Gabriel Palmer Buckle, urged all to thank God for 2020, and to pray for Gods guidance and his will for 2021. He encouraged all to appreciate their Africanness work to build better communities for themselves and for posterity. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Disadvantaged pupils face falling behind their peers this month as many are still without laptops and internet access for remote learning during school closures, headteachers, local councils and charities have warned. Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, all mainstream schools and and colleges are now closed, other than to vulnerable children and those with parents who are key workers. The Department for Education (DfE) says schools are well-prepared to deliver remote education, with 560,000 laptops and tablets given to schools already last year, and a further 100,000 this week. However, concerns remain that children are being forced to start the school term without access to these devices or any proper strategy for them to engage with online learning, and that even with more devices being distributed, they will not reach many of those who need them. Linda Heiden, founder and chair of Lambeth TechAid, a voluntary group working to bridge the digital divide in the borough, said the demand for laptops and wi-fi access was overwhelming, with many families owning one mobile phone or a tablet between two or three children. She described a case of one family with three young children who have been unable to attend school since the pandemic hit because their mother is isolating due to underlying health conditions, and who didnt have digital devices until the charity was recently able to provide them. Asked about the governments provision of laptops, Ms Hedien said: Its a joke. Theyve only delivered a fraction of what they promised to schools, and what they promised to schools was for a tiny cohort of children in one or two year groups. This needs to be a priority now. Theres going to be an increasing gap a gulf between children who have access and those who dont, in terms of educational achievement and all the development that comes with that." She added: I totally support schools closing for all the reasons we know about, but there has to be provision for children. Michael Tidd, headteacher at East Preston Junior School in West Sussex which is yet to receive any laptops from the government said a lack of clear decision-making by ministers had led to ad-hoc closures which he said would presumably leave some of those students most in need of the technical devices without them. Disadvantaged children who are most likely to have lost out on learning opportunities through the previous lockdowns will once again find themselves reliant on whatever resource and support their schools can muster. We've been talking about a second wave since last April, but the DfE doesn't seem to have kept up," he added. Local authorities also raised alarm, with councillor Edward Davie, Lambeth Councils cabinet member for children and young people, describing the situation in his area as critical, with too many young people still unable to get online. Councillor Angela Mason, who focuses on children and families for Camden Council, said there was a huge gap in laptop provision in the borough and around the country that only government [could] address. She added: "Government have had nine months to fix this, and that [the fact that] we are facing another disrupted term of school where we cannot be confident of the ability of children to access learning at home is shameful. Andrew ONeill, headteacher at All Saints Catholic College in North Kensington which is among the top 5 per cent of most deprived schools in the country said it had received just two laptops from central government both of which were delivered four days before the end of the summer term. He said the secondary school was yet to receive any devices from the government for the spring term, adding: Time and time again they make promises that you just know arent going to be deliverable. I wish theyd just be realistic so they dont get peoples hopes up. We get caught in the middle: they make these announcements about laptops, and then you get parents phoning up demanding their laptops. The government needs to be a little bit more realistic about what is deliverable. Mr ONeill said that while the school had managed to source a few dozen laptops from local charities and the local council, there were still many pupils who were having to work from their smartphones. But he said that instead of expecting to be able to provide a laptop to every pupil, the school had been exploring new ways of working with the resources available and said the government should support schools in doing this. There should have been a more coordinated effort to finding other ways of working. When the other lockdown ended, they knew winter was coming. They knew it could happen again. They should have looked at best practice for online learning, but they didnt do that, he added. Lucy Thomson, director at Edde, a charity supporting UK schools with digital learning, echoed Mr ONeills remarks, saying ministers should be focusing more on ensuring schools have an effective strategy for teaching pupils at home, rather than over-promising on laptop provision. The government should have given schools funding to invest in the infrastructure and the training of staff. Its all very well sending the child home with a device, but if the staff dont know how to teach with it, its just going to sit there, she said. The investment into an IT strategy is the first port of call, and then you have to get the parents and the staff involved. Their engagement is key to all of this. It comes after a letter to the prime minister from a group of MPs, unions and charities on Monday warned that online learning was still inaccessible to pupils who are "on the wrong side of the digital divide, and urged ministers to ensure that every child has the data and device needed to log in and learn from home. These pupils were likely to be behind their peers even before the pandemic. After five months of missed education, they returned to school further behind and now start the new year facing weeks of even more missed education, it states. Wes Streeting MP, shadow schools minister, said the governments last-minute approach to providing digital devices to pupils was seriously damaging childrens education. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters UK news in pictures 19 April 2021 Women enjoy sunny weather in Greenwich, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, Reuters UK news in pictures 18 April 2021 Stephen Maguire (right) of Scotland interacts with Jamie Jones of Wales during day 2 of the Betfred World Snooker Championships 2021 at The Crucible, Sheffield PA UK news in pictures 17 April 2021 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburghs coffin, covered with His Royal Highnesss Personal Standard arrives by Landrover Defender at St Georges Chapel carried by a bearer party found by the Royal Marines during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle Getty Images UK news in pictures 16 April 2021 Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, checks the teeth of "Dentosaurus" during a visit to the Thornliebank Dental Care centre in Glasgow, as she campaigns ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 April 2021 Myanmar's former ambassador to the UK, Kyaw Zwar Minn, outside his residence in north west London. The ambassador has been barred from entering the Myanmar embassy in Mayfair after he was removed from office PA UK news in pictures 14 April 2021 People take part in coronavirus surge testing on Clapham Common, south London. Thousands of residents have queued up to take coronavirus tests at additional facilities set up after new cases of the South African variant were found in two south London boroughs. 44 confirmed cases of the variant have been found in Lambeth and Wandsworth, with a further 30 probable cases identified PA UK news in pictures 13 April 2021 The core of the Milky Way becomes visible in the early hours of Tuesday morning as it moves over Bamburgh Lighthouse at stag Rock in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 12 April 2021 Rebecca Richardson (left) and Genevieve Florence, members of the Aquabatix synchronised swimming team, during a practice session in the swimming pool at Clissold Leisure Centre in north London, which has reopened to the public. Many facilities have reopened in the latest easing of lockdown include pubs and restaurants who can serve outside, non-essential shops, indoor gyms and swimming pools, nail salons and hairdressers, outdoor amusements and zoos PA UK news in pictures 11 April 2021 A pub staff pins up a sign announcing the reopening of the Fox on the Hill pub on Denmark Hill in London EPA UK news in pictures 10 April 2021 The Death Gun Salute is fired by the Honourable Artillery Company to mark the passing of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the The Tower of London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 9 April 2021 A man arrives to lay a bunch of flowers outside Buckingham Palace in central London after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. - Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, who recently spent more than a month in hospital and underwent a heart procedure, died on April 9, Buckingham Palace announced. He was 99. AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 8 April 2021 Cousin Pascal ridden by James King clears the chair on their way to winning the 4:05 Pool via REUTERS UK news in pictures 7 April 2021 Deliveroo riders from the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain outside Deliveroo headquarters in London, as they go on strike in a dispute for fair pay, safety protections and basic workers rights PA UK news in pictures 6 April 2021 Waves crash over the walls next to Seaham Lighthouse in Durham PA UK news in pictures 5 April 2021 Lusamba Katalay (third from left), the husband of Belly Mujinga joins activists at a vigil at Victoria station in London to mark the first anniversary of the death of railway worker Belly Mujinga who died with Covid-19 following reports she had been coughed on by a customer at London's Victoria station PA UK news in pictures 4 April 2021 People spend Easter Sunday at Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth Jake McPherson/SWNS UK news in pictures 3 April 2021 A woman looks into the camera as she attends a 'Kill the Bill' protest in London EPA UK news in pictures 2 April 2021 Members of the Bamburgh Croquet club play a game following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Northumberland, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 1 April 2021 A family walks in St Nicholas' Park in Warwick, the hot weather which baked much of the UK this week is set to give way to a chilly Easter weekend. PA UK news in pictures 31 March 2021 A woman adds a heart to the National Covid Memorial Wall in London EPA UK news in pictures 30 March 2021 Jamie Klingler from Reclaim These Streets speaks to the media in Clapham Common, south London, after a review by the Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Thomas Winsor concluded that Metropolitan Police officers did not act inappropriately or in a heavy-handed manner at the vigil PA UK news in pictures 29 March 2021 An aerial photo shows people playing tennis at the Mersey Bowman Lawn Tennis Club in Liverpool northwest England on March 29, 2021, as England's third Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ease, allowing groups of up to six people to meet outside. - People in England rushed outside Monday to enjoy sports, picnics and other previously prohibited activities, as the nation entered the second phase of its coronavirus lockdown easing thanks in large part to a successful vaccination drive AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 28 March 2021 A walrus sleeps on the slipway of Tenby Lifeboat station at Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 27 March 2021 Demonstrators attend a protest against a new proposed policing bill in Manchester Reuters UK news in pictures 26 March 2021 Gallery technicians display Andy Warhol screenprints Queen Elizabeth II, from: Reigning Queens screenprint in colours, 1985, left, and Queen Elizabeth II, from: Reigning Queens (Royal Edition) screenprint in colours with diamond dust, 1985, right, at Christies auction rooms in London AP UK news in pictures 25 March 2021 A member of staff, in the pool, cleans the bottom of the pool during pre-opening preparation and cleaning of Charlton Lido, south London, following its closure due to lockdown PA UK news in pictures 24 March 2021 Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater on the local election campaign trail in Edinburgh. PA UK news in pictures 23 March 2021 Care home staff at Westbourne House care home in Sheffield hold a minute's silence during the National Reflection day, The first anniversary of the first UK lockdown Tom Maddick / SWNS UK news in pictures 22 March 2021 The sun rises over "The Couple" by artist Sean Henry, which sits off the coast at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 21 March 2021 A man driving with his family in Jersey captured the moment a meteor streaked across the sky on his cars dash cam SWNS UK news in pictures 20 March 2021 Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest against the lockdown in London Reuters UK news in pictures 19 March 2021 A parakeet eats a cherry blossom in St. James's Park, London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 18 March 2021 Highland cattle lock horns at the National Trusts Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire PA UK news in pictures 17 March 2021 A cleaner uses a fogging machine to clean a train carriage early in the morning PA UK news in pictures 16 March 2021 A giant 60-metre wide sand portrait of 12-year-old Ansha from Ethiopia created by WaterAid on Whitby Beach in Yorkshire. The image of the young girl, who spends hours each day collecting dirty water from a river, was created to illustrate how climate change threatens water access for world's poorest PA UK news in pictures 15 March 2021 Five kayaks, each reflecting the shape of a human bone, form Osteoclast (I do not know how I came to be on board this ship, this navel of my ark) (2021), a sculpture by Teresa Solar, positioned outside Exchange Flags, it's one of the outdoor exhibits in the 11th edition of Liverpool Biennial which opens March 20, 2021, and features a series of outdoor sculpture, sonic and digital commissions by nine different artists. PA Photo. Picture date: Monday March 15, 2021. PA Photo. To align with government guidelines, the second 'inside' chapter will launch the full festival of exhibitions and events hosted by key venues throughout the city in late Spring PA UK news in pictures 14 March 2021 Protesters calling for greater public safety for women after the death of Sarah Everard, against the police handling of a gathering on Clapham Common in Sarah Everard's honour and against a proposed law that would give police more powers to intervene on protests hold up their mobile phones with their torches illuminated in Parliament Square in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 13 March 2021 A well-wisher places flowers at a band-stand where a planned vigil in honour of murder victim Sarah Everard was cancelled after police outlawed it due to Covid-19 restrictions, on Clapham Common, south London AFP via Getty Images They should have rolled out laptops and digital resources when Labour was calling for them back in the summer, and they should be listening to Labour now and setting out a clear national plan to keep children learning during the pandemic," he added. A Department for Education spokesperson said: As the prime minister has said, childrens education has consistently been a national priority, which is why we want classrooms to reopen wherever possible in the new term. It is also vital that where public health advice means they cant be, we have measures in place to prevent them from falling behind. We have scaled up our devices scheme, alongside our tutoring offer to reach as many children and young people as possible. More than one million laptops and tablets have been purchased for disadvantaged young people through this pandemic, supporting schools and students to ensure remote education is as strong as it can be. WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Juicy Seafood, a restaurant chain based in Indianapolis, is set to open a new location in Warrensville Heights this winter. The Northeast Ohio outlet will be run by business partners Lindsey Bacon and Jason Wu. They aim to get the restaurant open in January or February. The restaurant, located at 26100 Harvard Road, will serve seafood boils: a Cajun culinary tradition that mixes spicy sauces with platters of seafood, sausage, corn and potatoes. Juicy Seafoods menu also features fried fish, chicken tenders, salads and more. Items on the menu range from $15 to $30, Wu said. The seafood boils are customizable and customers can pick from different sauces, including non-spicy options like garlic butter seasoning. We have a no-spicy seasoning. A lot of seniors or kids can enjoy our restaurant, Wu said. A lot of Cajun restaurants dont offer no-spicy versions. Wu said that the restaurant will carry fresh seafood, with deliveries arriving three times per week. Initially, Juicy Seafood will open at 50% capacity due to coronavirus regulations, and will focus on its to-go orders, Bacon said. Were still a busy restaurant regardless, Bacon said. We did a tremendous amount of sales on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day. Even with COVID, were still meeting our quotas and meeting our sales. The interior of the restaurant will be ocean-themed, with paintings of sharks and blue-tinted windows. A bar will serve tropical cocktails; one of the drinks listed on Juicy Seafoods website menu, the Bloody Mary, is even topped with a crawfish. You can find more information about Juicy Seafood at its website, juicyseafoodcleveland.com. In Sydney the fireworks soared into the sky above the Opera House, but the harbour below was empty. In New York, Times Square was mostly deserted. No light show illuminated Beijing from the top of the TV tower. With revelry around the world curtailed by lockdowns and curfews imposed to stem the spread of Covid-19, the lions of Londons Trafalgar Square were barricaded off, and there were no crowds in St Peters Square and no one diving into the Tiber in Rome. This New Years Eve is being celebrated like no other as many people bid farewell to a year they would much prefer to forget one that has seen more than 1.7 million people killed and 82 million infected by the coronavirus since January, The Guardian writes in the article World takes in muted New Years Eve under Covid shadow. Sydney, whose pyrotechnic display has in the past drawn crowds of a million people to the citys harbour area, rang in 2021 with a shortened display, with most popular observation spots fenced off and a heavy police presence deterring visitors. Only people who had restaurant reservations or were one of five guests of an inner-city resident were allowed in. What a hell of a year its been, said Gladys Berejiklian, premier of New South Wales state. Hopefully 2021 will be easier on all of us. In the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic originated a year ago, thousands gathered at popular spots across the city centre for the countdown to 2021. Some said they were being cautious, but were not particularly worried. In New Zealand, too, which has managed to eliminate coronavirus after a strict seven-week lockdown, New Years Eve plans proceeded as usual. In Germany, however, where the sale of fireworks has been banned to discourage crowds and authorities in Berlin said police would punish violators consistently, Angela Merkel said in her 16th and final new years address as chancellor that she had never found the old year so heavy. And never have we, despite all the worries and some scepticism, looked forward to the new one with so much hope, said Merkel, a trained physicist who won praise for taming the first virus wave but has drawn criticism for soaring infection and death numbers in the second. She condemned anti-lockdown protesters and vaccine conspiracy theorists. I can only imagine how bitter it must feel for those mourning loved ones lost to corona, or having to fight against the repercussions of an illness, when the virus is disputed and denied by some hopeless individuals, Merkel said. The health minister, Jens Spahn, said he expected the country to have the quietest New Years Eve in living memory. No more than six adults will be allowed to gather around the dinner table in France, where 100,000 police and gendarmes will clamp down on any public celebrations. Alcohol sales were banned in some areas and the interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, ordered officers to strictly enforce a national 8pm to 6am curfew as part of a fight against unauthorised public gatherings and the phenomenon of urban violence. In Britain, which reported 964 deaths on Thursday amid a surge related to a new Covid variant, people planning to celebrate New Years Eve were warned they must leave the parties for later in 2021 as Covid loves a crowd. Prof Stephen Powis, NHS Englands national medical director, said staying at home and seeing in 2021 within the rules would reduce infections and relieve pressure on hospitals. Its absolutely vital that this year, everybody continues to follow the guidance by staying at home and not mixing, he said. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, also urged people to follow the rules and see in the new year safely at home. Barriers were erected in public places such as Londons Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square. In Italy, the European country which has recorded the most Covid-19 deaths, bars, restaurants and most shops were closed, and a 10am to 7pm curfew was in place for New Years Eve. Pope Francis cancelled plans to lead New Years Eve and New Years Day services because of a flare-up of his sciatica condition, the Vatican said. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said in his New Years speech on Thursday that he hoped Russians would unite in the face of the countrys battle with the virus, acknowledging a second wave of infections was still battering the country. Unfortunately the epidemic has not yet been completely stopped, Putin said in an address to to be broadcast just before midnight in each of Russias 11 time zones. The fight against it does not stop for a minute, he said, adding that many medical workers would be on duty this festive night and calling for responsibility. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The office of the Peoples Committee of Yen Bai province held a conference to announce a new decision on personnel and organisation work on January 4. In accordance with Decisions of the Chairman of the Peoples Committee, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs Bui Ngoc Hung, and head of the Planning and Finance office at the Department of Transport Le Ngoc Minh have been named deputy Chiefs of Staff of the provincial Peoples Committee. Their term of office will be five years starting from January 1, 2021. At the event, the provincial Peoples Committee also publicised the dispatch of some staff members at the Department of Foreign Affairs to work at the committee./. Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina said hospitals and health workers have until Jan. 15 to get a shot or they will have to move to the back of the line. As of Monday, the state had given out less than half its initial allotment of the Pfizer vaccine to about 43,000 people. A faster-spreading strain of coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom has hit West Australian shores. WA Premier Mark McGowan confirmed three returned overseas travellers had tested positive to the more contagious new variant, which has ravaged Britains already strained health system and forced the country into a third strict national lockdown until February. WA Premier Mark McGowan. Credit:Peter de Kruijff [The cases are] are people who have come out of Britain, come to Western Australia, identified for the virus and further genomic testing has shown they are part of the UK variant, he said. On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnston said UK scientists had confirmed the new variant was between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible, but Mr McGowan played down concerns it could break containment lines in WA. Enrique Tarrio, head of the Proud Boys, is escorted out of the area after arguing with counter-protestors at a 'Stop the Steal' protest outside of the Georgia State Capital building in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 21, 2020. (Megan Varner/Getty Images) Proud Boys Leader Arrested in DC After Admitting to Burning BLM Banner Last Month Washington police on Monday arrested the head of the Proud Boys on suspicion of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from Asbury United Methodist Church in the nations capital last month. Enrique Tarrio, 36, of Miami, Florida, was charged with destruction of property related to an incident that took place on Dec. 12 in the 900 block of 11th Street, Northwest. He was arrested by Metropolitan Police Department after arriving in Washington ahead of the Jan. 6 planned protests organized by a number of groups, as members of Congress are expected to convene in a joint session to count electoral votes. Tarrio was found in possession of two high-capacity firearm magazines at the time of his arrest, and is also facing weapons charges, a police spokesman told news outlets. Last months pro-Trump rally saw individuals tear down a Black Lives Matter banner and sign from two historically black churches in downtown Washington and set the banner ablaze. Tarrio told The Washington Post he had participated in the incident and said he would plead guilty to destruction of property and reimburse the cost of the banner to the church. The Proud Boys core values, according to the groups website, include supporting free speech and gun rights, being against the war on drugs and racism, supporting minimal government, and strong borders. The group was founded by libertarian and Vice media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who has since left Vice and Proud Boys. Authorities in Washington have warned against bringing guns to this weeks planned protests, saying that individuals who provoke violence would be arrested. We have received some information that there are individuals intent on bringing firearms into our city and that just will not be tolerated, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said during a press briefing. The D.C. National Guard said Monday that an additional 300 troops will be assisting in keeping order alongside the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Park Police, and U.S. Secret Service. The District has some of the strictest gun laws in the United States. Individuals are prohibited from openly carrying weapons or possessing handguns without a local license. Trump on Dec. 27 urged supporters to join protests to call for investigations into allegations of election fraud, saying See you in Washington, DC, on January 6th. Dont miss it, in a Twitter post. Ivan Pentchoukov and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Diresa Cusco Deputy Director Javier Ramirez on Tuesday explained that the rates will be reflected between January 7 and 15. In this sense, the official argued that although the number of daily contagion remained between 50 to 100 people in recent days there is the probability that a sector of the population has contracted the virus. Thus, the alert is in force throughout the city, which relies on 21 health establishments and 201 beds. "If there are mild cases, they can be controlled so that they do not become moderate or critical and reach hospitals," he expressed. Ramirez went on to add that for severe cases the regional hospital has 12 equipped beds in the intensive care unit. "It is a modern room, one of the top in Latin America," he stressed. Furthermore, the official said that another six beds are equipped at Antonio Lorena Hospital 's ICU located in Santiago district. "The provision of oxygen is also ready for eventual consumption; let's remember that it is the only authorized medicine, which does have a positive effect on people's recovery," he added, stressing that there should be no self-medication. Finally, Ramirez explained that out of the registered COVID-19 cases about 30% are active, which means that these citizens can infect others. According to the most recent COVID-19 Situation Room Report in Cusco , 77,947 people have been infected since the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) to date of whom 3,549 received hospital and other 76,905 epidemiological discharges. Meanwhile, there are currently 114 hospitalized people, of whom 18 are in the ICU. For its part, the death toll has reached 1,326 since the start of the pandemic. In fact, three citizens passed away in the last 24 hours. (END) PHS/LZD/MVB In a big development on Tuesday, the NIA filed a chargesheet against 20 accused persons in connection with the Kerala gold smuggling scam in a special court. This was based on the agency's FIR dated July 10, 2020, under Sections 16, 17, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Until now, 21 accused persons have been arrested in the case while 8 others are still absconding. Meanwhile, former Principal Secretary to Kerala CM M Sivasankar who is currently in judicial custody has not been named in the chargesheet despite being questioned by the NIA. Sarith PS, Swapna Suresh, Ramees KT, Jalal AM, Mohammad Shafi P, Saidalavi E, Abdu PT, Rabins Hameed, Muhammedali Ebrahim, Muhammedali, Sharafuddeen KT, Mohammed Shafeeq A, Hamzath Abdulsalam, Samju TM, Hamjad Ali K, Jifsal CV, Aboobacker P, Muhammed Abdu Shameem KV, Abdul Hameed and Shamshudeen have named as accused in the chargesheet. Claiming that the conspiracy started in June 2019, the NIA alleged that the aforesaid persons raised funds and smuggled 167 kg of gold between November 2019 and June 2020 through the import cargo addressed to diplomats at the Consulate General of UAE in Thiruvananthapuram. Moreover, it added that the main accused had planned to smuggle more gold from countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Holding them responsible for threatening the "economic security of India", the agency revealed that the probe against absconding persons and others who facilitated the crime is underway. NIA chargesheets 20 accused persons in Trivandrum Gold Smuggling Case pic.twitter.com/C5OhpaURWV NIA India (@NIA_India) January 5, 2021 Read: In Kerala Gold Smuggling Case, Customs Alleges Sivasankar, Swapna Travelled To UAE 7 Times What is the gold smuggling scam? On July 5, Customs officials seized 30 kg of gold worth Rs.15 crore at the Thiruvananthapuram Airport from a diplomatic cargo addressed to a person in the UAE Consulate. Sarith PS who worked at the UAE Consulate was arrested in this regard. Reportedly, he told the Customs about the role of Swapna Suresh, an ex-Consulate employee now working as the manager of the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Limited. Following the backlash over her appointment, she was sacked by the state government. On July 16, Vijayan announced that the suspension of his former Principal Secretary M Sivasankar pending the departmental inquiry. It was reportedly found that he had violated the All-India Services Conduct rules due to his connections with the gold smuggling accused. Read: Kerala Gold Smuggling: Customs Summons Speaker's Addl Pvt Secretary For Questioning Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. NEW DELHI: Zee News reporter Pooja Makkar, who became the first Indian woman journalist to receive the indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine 'Covaxin', said on Tuesday that she is completely fine and normal. Speaking to Zee News in live interaction, Pooja Makkar said, It has been 20 hours since I took the coronavirus vaccine Covaxin. I am completely fine. I am completely normal. Seeking to dispel rumours about the indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine, she urged people not to believe in those rumours. It (vaccine) is completely safe. There is nothing to worry about it. I urge people to have faith in the government. This vaccine has been developed to keep the people of Indian safe, Pooja Makkar said. When asked about any physical or internal impact post-vaccination, she bravely stated in front of the camera that she is not having any problem so far. Pooja Makkar became the first female journalist to get coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, in India on Monday. Covaxin is the indigenous vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech against COVID-19 in collaboration with ICMR. Pooja Makkar got vaccinated at AIIMS, Delhi in the afternoon at 2 PM after the requisite tests. She remained under observation and shared her experience later. The Zee News reporter, who is a health reporter, has extensively reported about the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout besides keeping a tab on the vaccines being developed in the country to tackle this deadly virus. Earlier talking about her experience, Pooja said that after 5.30 hours she has not felt any complication, adding that she decided to undergo the vaccination as "it was necessary to instil confidence among common people that the vaccine is fully safe." Pooja has been provided a sheet to fulfill the points asked about her experience. She has also been provided with a helpline number to contact AIIMS in case she confronted any problem in the coming days. After 28 days, she will get another shot of Covaxin as this is needed twice to remain safe against the deadly pandemic. Pooja remained on the frontline while covering all aspects related to the deadly virus. Notably, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has recently provided emergency use approval of the two coronavirus vaccines. Covaxin, the indigenous vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech against COVID-19 in collaboration with ICMR, is 200 percent safe, the company`s Chairman and Managing Director Dr Krishna Ella had said. He further said that it has shown less than 10 percent adverse reaction in trials so far. Dr Ella's remarks came a day after DGCI granted permission for the restricted emergency use of Covaxin. The indigenous vaccine has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV). In a release earlier, Bharat Biotech had earlier said that Covaxin is a highly purified and inactivated two-dose SARS-CoV2 vaccine, manufactured in a vero cell manufacturing platform with an excellent safety track record of more than 300 million doses. Earlier on Sunday, COVID-19 vaccines of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech were granted permission for restricted use in an emergency situation by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A New Jersey man who works as vice president of facilities for Columbia University has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 in Bergen County, officials said. Marcelo Velez, 56, of Woodcliff Lake, was arrested Monday and faces charges of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said in a statement Tuesday. Woodcliff Lake police were notified Sunday that Velez allegedly engaged in sexual acts with a girl less than 13 years old at a home on Saturday morning, the prosecutors office said. The girl later told her mother, who reported the incident to police, authorities said. The prosecutors office identified Velezs employment only as Vice President of University Facilities, without naming the university. Velez lists Woodcliff Lake as his hometown on his LinkedIn page. Columbia Universitys website says Velez has worked for the university in various roles since 1995. Most recently, he has been overseeing the development, design and construction of the Universitys 6.8 million sq. foot Manhattanville in West Harlem campus expansion, according to the universitys website. We have placed Mr. Velez on administrative leave and will cooperate fully with law enforcement officials investigating this matter, a spokesperson for Columbia University said in an emailed statement. Calls to a number listed for Velez at the university were not immediately returned. Velez is being held at the Bergen County jail pending his first appearance in court. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Northern Ireland will retain its 18 MP constituencies, but their boundaries could change, it has been announced. On Tuesday it was confirmed that the number of parliamentary constituencies across the UK will remain at 650. There will be 543 in England in place of the current 533, in Scotland 57 in place of the current 59, in Wales 32 in place of the current 40 and in Northern Ireland 18 constituencies will be retained. Although the number of constituencies in Northern Ireland will remain at 18, the boundaries of existing constituencies will have to be amended due to the rules set out in the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986. Sinn Fein MP Francie Molloy said the boundary review must be conducted with "impartiality and independence". The Mid-Ulster MP said: The Boundary Commission must act with impartiality and independence when reviewing constituency boundaries in the North. The nationalist people have had significant reservations about previous Boundary Reviews due to concerns over apparent political interference and nationalist views not being adequately reflected. The Belfast High Court ultimately quashed previous proposals due to procedural unfairness". Any future proposed changes to the electoral boundaries by the Boundary Commission must be fair and transparent. Sinn Fein will continue to closely monitor the Boundary Review. A review by the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland (BCNI) in 2018 had previously recommended reducing the number of parliamentary constituencies from 18 to 17, as part of a wider move to reduce UK MPs from 650 to 600. However, this was later quashed by the Court of Appeal, with senior judges identifying a legal failure by the body to properly consider all responses to a consultation. The commission's findings were challenged in court by west Belfast man Patrick Lynch, with Sinn Fein also claiming it would see some constituencies left without nationalist representation. In his ruling, Mr Justice McCloskey said: "It's (BCNI) decision making process was vitiated by procedural unfairness, as the common law right of all consultees to have their views considered fully and conscientiously and on the basis on a level playing field was frustrated." It was later reported that review had cost 798,000. Earlier proposals would have reduced the amount of MPs in Belfast to three, but the final recommendations from the BCNI in 2018 kept the existing four seats. The BCNI, which is responsible for reviewing Northern Irelands parliamentary constituency boundaries, will put its final recommendations to the Speaker of the House of Commons by July 1 2023. The commission has said the 2018 review was voided in its entirety when the Parliamentary Constituencies Amendment Act 2020 was enacted. The recommendation from the 2018 review will have no status for the 2023 review and the BCNI will not be taking any of them into account. The BCNI will shortly begin its work on developing initial proposals. These will be published for public consultation in the latter part of 2021. This will be the first of a number of public consultations, which will also include public hearings. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Belfast Telegraph There Will Be No Sacred Games Season 3 Reveals Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Whatever Had To Be Has Already Been Said Fans who were expecting news on Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Sacred Games season 3 are in for some disappointment. The crime drama web series that gained international recognition come to an end with season 2 said Nawazuddin who played the antagonist Ganesh Gaitonde in the Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap show. Sacred Games which was based on Vikram Chandras novel of the same name originally arrived in 2018 on Netflix become an instant sensation. The series catapulted Nawazuddin and Saif and other stars in the show to stardom in the digital space turning a new leaf in their careers as entertainers. Nawazuddin who is always being asked about the series and his role when quizzed about season 3 in a recent interview, put a rest to all speculations and told Spotboye, Whatever had to be said from the original novel has already been said. There is nothing left in Vikram Chandras novel to be put in Season 3. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@nawazuddin._siddiqui) Talking about his experience of working on the series, Nawazuddin credited his amazing dialogues to the writers and on working with Anurag and Vikramaditya he said, Sacred Games got the kind of worldwide acclaim that none of us associated with the series had seen before. I remember shooting in Rome for Tannishta Chatterjees film and over there too there were so many people talking to me about Sacred Games. So we all felt it was right to do it again, and we did a second season, said Nawaz. Season 2 ended on a huge cliffhanger but alas fans will never know if Saif Ali Khans Sartaj was able to defuse the bomb to save Mumbai. Iran today issued Donald Trump with a second arrest warrant for the drone strike that killed top general Qasem Soleimani. Trump along with 47 other US officials were the subject of an Interpol 'red notice' request for their involvement in the drone strike in Baghdad last year. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is very seriously following up on pursuing and punishing those who ordered and executed this crime,' judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili told reporters. It is the latest provocation by Iran which brazenly announced it had resumed enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels yesterday as it seized a South Korean tanker in the Persian Gulf. The aggression coincides with the first anniversary of the assassination of Soleimani, the architect of Iran's foreign policy in the Middle East who saturated the battlefields of Iraq with high-tech IEDs to mutilate US soldiers. General Qasem Soleimani the architect of Iran's foreign policy in the Middle East who saturated the battlefields of Iraq with high-tech IEDs to mutilate US soldiers, at a meeting in Tehran in September 2016 President Donald Trump (pictured in Georgia last night) ordered a drone strike to assassinate Soleimani in January last year Soleimani was slaughtered by a missile fired from a USAF MQ-9 Reaper aircraft along with Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as their motorcade pulled out of Baghdad airport. Terrorist general Qasem Soleimani with the blood of THOUSANDS on his hands Qasem Soleimani was one of the most popular figures in Iran and seen as a deadly adversary by America and its allies. The 62-year-old head of the Quds, or Jerusalem, Force of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Soleimani shaped Tehran's foreign policy throughout the Middle East. The Guard under Soleimani taught Iraqi militants how to manufacture and use especially deadly roadside bombs against US troops after the invasion of Iraq. Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution swept the shah from power and Soleimani joined the Revolutionary Guard in its wake. He deployed to Iran's northwest with forces that put down Kurdish unrest following the revolution. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran and began the two countries long, bloody eight-year war. Soleimani became known for his opposition to 'meaningless deaths' on the battlefield, while still weeping at times with fervor when exhorting his men into combat, embracing each individually. Soleimani's charisma propelled him to the senior officer ranks. In 1998, he was named commander of the Quds Force. His profile rose suddenly when he was pushed forward as the public face of Iran's intervention in the Syrian conflict from 2013, appearing in battlefield photos, documentaries - and even being featured in a music video and animated film. Western leaders saw him as central to Iran's ties with militia groups including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas. Advertisement The killing of the second-most powerful man in Iran came at the height of tensions in the region, with numerous assaults on US personnel and on the embassy in the Iraqi capital, as well as the shooting down of a US drone over the Persian Gulf and the impounding of oil tankers. In June, a prosecutor in Tehran issued an arrest warrant for Trump and dozens of other Washington officials, saying that they were responsible for 'murder and terrorism.' Interpol, based in Lyon, France, rejected that request on the basis that it does not intervene in 'activities of a political, military, religious or racial character .' It will almost certainly dismiss Tehran's latest effort on the same basis. South Korea today demanded the release of the Hankuk Chemi oil tanker and its 20 crew who were captured on Monday near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the ship was seized for 'repeated infringement of maritime environmental laws', but it comes amid Iranian demands for South Korea to release $7billion in assets that were frozen because of US sanctions. The US last night called the seizure 'part of a clear attempt to extort the international community' and joined South Korea's demand for the tanker to be released. To add to the tensions, Iran said on Monday it had started the process to enrich uranium to 20 percent purity, a short technical step away from making bombs. Iran is hoping that Joe Biden will ease sanctions on Iran after he takes office on January 20, but there are fears that tensions could still boil over before then. Vipin Narang, an expert on nuclear strategy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, warned that Donald Trump was sending signals of 'total chaos'. 'If I were Iran right now, I would actually be thinking that it's possible that Trump is so unhinged and so angry about the election that he may overreact to any slight provocation,' Narang said. Trump had warned that he would hold Iran accountable for the killings of any Americans after the US embassy in Baghdad was hit by rockets a week ago. But Sunday's anniversary of the Soleimani drone strike passed without violence, despite angry demonstrations and Tehran's calls for vengeance. The seizure of the South Korean vessel came days before Seoul's deputy foreign minister was due to visit the Islamic republic. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the ship carrying 7,200 tonnes of chemical products was manned by a crew from South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar. The Guards did not specify where the tanker was seized but said it was transferred to Bandar Abbas port in Hormozgan with the 'case handed to judicial authorities'. Pictures released by the Guards appeared to show three speedboats and a patrol boat approaching the tanker. The tanker was seized near the sensitive Strait of Hormuz (as shown on the map), as Iran announced that it was resuming uranium enrichment to 20 per cent Under escort: The South Korean-flagged tanker Hankuk Chemi is escorted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps boats in the Gulf on Monday View from the bridge: A Revolutionary Guards boat, circled right, is seen in CCTV footage taken from the Hankuk Chemi, as watched from South Korea by owner DM Shipping Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh claimed that the tanker's seizure was over a 'purely technical issue and due to polluting the sea'. 'Just like other countries, Iran is sensitive towards such infractions, especially polluting the maritime environment,' he said. But the tanker's operator DM Shipping denied that the vessel had polluted waters, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Shortly before news of the ship's seizure, Khatibzadeh had complained at a press conference about the 'slow' process of unfreezing funds from Iranian oil sales, blocked by Seoul over fears of violating US sanctions. Trump re-imposed tough sanctions on Iran after abandoning the nuclear deal that Barack Obama had struck with Tehran and other world powers in 2015. Last night the foreign ministry in Seoul said it had confirmed the safety of the crew and was now demanding that the vessel be released. The country's defence ministry said it had dispatched its anti-piracy Cheonghae unit to waters near the Strait of Hormuz. In Washington, a State Department spokesperson called the seizure of the ship 'part of a clear attempt to extort the international community into relieving the pressure of sanctions'. 'We join the Republic of Korea's call for Iran to immediately release the tanker,' said the spokesperson. The incident was the first seizure of a major vessel by the Iranian navy in more than a year. In July 2019, the Guards seized the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the sensitive Strait of Hormuz for allegedly ramming a fishing boat and released it two months later. The latest tensions in the Gulf come after the January 3 anniversary of the US drone strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani (pictured, demonstrators in Baghdad where he died) It was widely seen as a tit-for-tat move after Gibraltar detained an Iranian tanker which was suspected of violating EU sanctions against Syria. Tehran denied the two cases were related. The Guards seized at least six other ships in 2019 over alleged fuel smuggling, while other tankers were hit by mysterious explosions that were blamed on Iran. The US said it had found fragments of a limpet mine on one vessel attacked in the Gulf of Oman which were 'strikingly' similar to those seen in Iranian military parades. Last week, sailors discovered a limpet mine stuck on a tanker off the coast of Iraq, near the Iranian border, as it prepared to transfer fuel to another vessel. The incidents have raised fears over the safety of oil supplies in the Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint through which a fifth of world oil output passes. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Low near 50F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday ordered England into a new national lockdown to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases that threatens to overwhelm parts of the health system before a vaccine programme reaches a critical mass. The announcement came just hours after the government hailed Britain's success in becoming the first country to begin rolling out the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca against COVID-19. Johnson said a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom and now present in many other countries was spreading at great speed and immediate action was needed to slow it down. "As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from COVID than any time since the start of the pandemic," Johnson said in a televised address to the country. "With most of the country already under extreme measures, it's clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control," he said. "We must therefore go into a national lockdown, which is tough enough to contain this variant. That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home." Non-essential shops and hospitality would have to remain closed, while primary and secondary schools would close from Tuesday for all pupils except vulnerable children and those whose parents are key workers. Johnson said the disruption meant it would not be possible for all exams to go ahead this summer -- the second academic year in a row in which the pandemic has played havoc with pupils' education and future plans. Johnson said that if the vaccine rollout went as planned and the number of deaths responded to the lockdown measures as expected, it should be possible to start moving out of lockdown by the middle of February. However, he urged caution about the timetable and appealed to everyone to comply with the rules. Britain's economy suffered a historic crash of nearly 20% in the April-June period of 2020 as swathes of business were shuttered by the first lockdown. The new measures, which allow companies such as construction firms to remain open, could cost about 10% of economic output for as long as they last, said Julian Jessop, a fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think-tank. NEW VACCINE LAUNCHED As Britain grapples with the world's sixth highest death toll and cases hit a new high, the country's chief medical officers said the spread of COVID-19 risked overwhelming parts of the health system within 21 days. The surge in cases has been driven by the new variant of COVID-19, officials say, and while they acknowledge that the pandemic is spreading more quickly than expected, they say there is also light at the end of the tunnel - vaccinations. Johnson's government earlier touted a scientific "triumph" as Britain became the first country in the world to start inoculating people with shots of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, received the first vaccination outside of a trial. "I am so pleased to be getting the COVID vaccine today and really proud that it is one that was invented in Oxford," said the retired maintenance manager, just a few hundred metres from where the vaccine was developed. But even with the vaccines being rolled out, the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths keep rising. More than 75,000 people in the United Kingdom have died from COVID-19 within 28 days of a positive test since the start of the pandemic. A record 58,784 new cases of the coronavirus were reported on Monday. Moving a few hours ahead of Johnson, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon imposed the most stringent lockdown for Scotland since last spring. The devolved administration in Wales said all schools and colleges there should move to online learning until Jan. 18. Also read: Tougher lockdown restrictions likely in UK: PM Johnson A former FDA head is urging the US to start vaccinating more groups of Americans against COVID-19 immediately and stop holding back millions of doses to give as booster shots for those who have had the first jab. 'Right now, every shot in an arm is a win,' former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Monday. 'If we have a group of Americans that we know wants the vaccine very badly and would take it quickly and also happens to be at the highest risk of a bad covid outcome - and Im thinking in particular about senior citizens in this country - I would just give it to them,' Dr Gottlieb said. Americans are furious and frustrated over the agonizingly slow roll-out of coronavirus vaccines in the US, where fewer than 4.3 million people have had their first shots, while someone has died of COVID-19 every 33 seconds. The US is holding back about half the total available supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses to ensure that a second dose is available, on-time, for each person who has received their first shot. But Dr Gottlieb says this policy is holding up distribution, and that a first dose could offer at least some protection to more people, immediately. In the three weeks since the US began administering coronavirus vaccines, just 4.5 million people have gotten their first dose - less than a quarter of the 20 million vaccinations that Operation Warp Speed promised to complete by the end of 2020. Former FDA chief Dr Scott Gottlieb told Squawk Box he thinks the US should change its vaccine strategy by not withholding second doses and by expanding access to seniors Most states have vaccinated less than one percent of their populations and the the US has only vaccinated about a quarter as many Americans as of Monday as the 20 million it promised would get shots by the end of 2020 More than half a million doses of vaccines have gone unused thus far in states like California, Texas and Florida The rollout has sputtered, tripping over mundane logistical issues at the state and local levels, and poor coordination between the federal government, health departments, hospitals and other providers. Vaccines have also been met with far greater hesitancy in the two groups bumped to the front of the line than US officials expected. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said last week that about 60 percent of nursing home staff in his state were refusing to get the vaccine. Rates were similarly high in parts of California and many health care workers said they felt like 'guinea pigs.' Meanwhile, senior citizens eager to get the shot have lined up for hours on end - in some cases overnight - in states like Florida, only to be turned away, in some cases. He says that just anyone that wants a vaccine right now should get one, but when there are other at-risk groups who want vaccines, spare doses shouldn't sitting idle and unwanted by the specific top-priority recipients designated by the CDC or states. Those who need a vaccine and want one should be able to get it, he argues. 'I would make it generally available to them, to the extent possible, while we focus on these prioritized groups. Im not saying ignore that mission,' he said. As many as 60% of health care workers - judging by nursing home staff in Ohio - don't want coronavirus vaccines right now (left, file). Vaccines are currently only being given to nursing home residents (right, file) and health workers, so some doses allocated to them are unused 'Thats a very important public health mission, but we shouldnt be spending three weeks trying to push the vaccines into arms where you have some reluctance when we know those vaccines are sitting on the shelf and building on the shelf and building on the shelf.' He also clarified that he still considers getting a second dose on time important, just perhaps not more important than getting more people first shots. 'I think people should be getting the second dose. They should be getting the second dose largely on time, but we can be pushing out more first doses now and using the future supply that's going to come onto the market in January to administer some of those second dose,' Dr Gottlieb said. Both Moderna and Pfizer have promised they will be able to make hundreds of millions of doses or more this year. Moderna even raised its 2021 production goal from 500 to 600 million doses, and even hopes to make one billion doses. But their manufacturing capacities were naturally more limited at the start of the vaccine rollout. In fact, Pfizer had to cut back the number of doses of vaccine it delivered globally by the end of the 2020 as it scrambled to scale up its production. Each vaccine is more than 94 percent effective when people get two doses, three weeks apart in Pfizer's case, and a month apart in Moderna's. That's far more reliable - and probably longer-lasting - protection than a single dose, so the US held back the booster shots. But an FDA analysis of data on Pfizer's shot found it was about 52 percent effective at blocking infection within 10 days after the first dose. 'We know getting vaccines in arms can be a partial backstop against continued spread,' said Dr Gottlieb. Distributing the withheld doses could mean at least a 50/50 shot at protection for twice as many people - if the states could sort out their distribution plans. Kamala Harris denounced remarks that Donald Trump made during a phone call with Georgias Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, in which he pressures him to find votes that will overturn the results of the presidential election in the state. The Washington Post obtained a recording of the call, in which the president repeatedly states that there is no way I lost Georgia. He makes threats about vague criminal consequences and tells the secretary of state that hes taking a big risk. Speaking in Georgia on Sunday, Ms Harris called Mr Trumps conversation a bald-faced, bold abuse of power by the president of the United States. It was certainly the voice of desperation, most certainly that, she said. Ms Harris was there to campaign for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock ahead of Senate runoff elections on Tuesday in the state. Read More During the call, Trump urged Georgias election officials to act quickly, and suggested that not doing so could endanger the political fate of Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, both Georgia Republicans. You would be respected, really respected, if this thing could be straightened out before the election, Mr Trump said during the call. You have a big election coming up on Tuesday. The two Democratic Senate candidates were among those who quickly condemned Trump for the call. When the president of the United States calls up Georgias election officials and tries to intimidate them to change the results of the election, to disenfranchise Georgia voters, Mr Ossoff said, speaking to supporters, that is a direct attack on our democracy. He added: If David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler had one piece of steel in their spine, one piece of integrity, they would be out defending Georgia voters from that assault. In a statement, Mr Warnock called on Ms Loeffler to speak out against the unsubstantiated claims of fraud, to defend Georgias elections, and to put Georgia ahead of herself. She has not and never will. Mr Trump was joined on the call by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, as well as longtime conservative lawyer Cleta Mitchell and Georgia-based lawyer Kurt Hilbert. Ryan Germany, who is general counsel for Mr Raffenspergers office, and Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs were also on the call. Senatpr Dick Durbin of Illinois, who will be the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee if his party does not take the chamber, said the call was more than a pathetic, rambling, delusional rant. Mr Trump vaguely threatened Mr Raffensperger and Mr Germany, suggesting that they would be subject to criminal liability if they do not find that thousands of ballots in Fulton County were illegally destroyed to block investigators, a baseless allegation. You are going to find that they are - which is totally illegal - it is more illegal for you than it is for them, because, you know, what they did and youre not reporting it, he said. Thats a criminal, thats a criminal offense. And you cant let that happen. Thats a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said it is prepared to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine within about a week, but a final decision on the launch date is yet to be taken. At a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said healthcare and frontline workers need not register themselves for the vaccination drive as their database has been uploaded on the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk. The provision of registration and editing of data would arise while immunising the population priority group, he said. "Based on the feedback from the dry-run of vaccination drive, the health ministry is ready to introduce COVID-19 vaccine within 10 days from the date of emergency use authorisation," Bhushan said. However, while responding to a question on the rollout of vaccines, Bhushan said the final decision will be taken by the government. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had on Sunday approved Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country. NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said an optimistic scenario is emerging with the pandemic situation in India consistently improving in terms of active cases and new deaths declining. "Let's hope this trend will continue. In terms of the new UK mutant issue, this variant has entered this country and 71 people have been isolated. This shows our capacity to mount that kind of a scientific investigation. "Also, we have not seen emergence of any untoward cluster in the country as of now which is reassuring," he said. On the two vaccines that have been granted approval for restricted emergency use by the DCGI, Paul reiterated that all scientific and statutory requirements have been met and regulatory norms followed while granting permission and authorisation. "No vaccine today in any country has got regular authorisation. The world is exercising this option using scientific criteria and thinking to take decision in larger interest of public health and humanity," he said. In the context of Covaxin, he said, "We are happy that none of the mutations have challenged the existing vaccines, including the two which got approval in India." In the face of potential mutations, as it is a whole virion vaccine and forms antibodies at multiple targets it will be more sturdy. Also, this vaccine is to be used in clinical trial mode, Paul said. "The aim is to have enough vaccines by July to cover at least 30 crore prioritised people," he said. As to why Pfizer has not been given a license, Bhushan said the company has been given three opportunities by the subject expert committee of the CDSCO but they have not appeared before it. "The SEC, to the best of our knowledge, is willing to listen to their presentation. Explaining the existing logistics management involved and to be adopted in the vaccination chain, Bhushan mentioned that the vaccine will be transported under the refrigerated condition and digitally tracked during transit. Manufacturers transport the vaccines to four primary vaccine stores, Karnal, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. From there, it is transported in bulk to the 37 state vaccine stores for further dissemination. Department of Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup said the vaccines will have to be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius as the logistics have been worked out while considering temperature as a factor. "There is no need for beneficiary registration of healthcare and frontline workers as their information will be taken from a bulk database that has been populated onto the CO-WIN Vaccine Delivery Management System," Union health secretary Bhushan said. "Co-WIN will also give permission to create a Unique Health ID. After administration of both doses, a QR code certificate will also be generated which can be stored on government's DigiLocker app," he said. In case of any adverse effect following immunisation, there is a provision for real-time reporting. Other features include SMS in 12 languages, 24X7 helpline, Chat Bot assistance and others. As of now, more than 90,000 users have been trained in more than 700 districts, the health secretary said. "CO-WIN Vaccination Management System, which is made in India for the world, is a public health good. The Government of India will proactively help the countries who may want to use it," Bhushan said. Giving COVID-19 figures, Bhushan said the average recovered cases exceeded the average daily new cases for the last five weeks. "Daily COVID-19 positivity rate is continuously declining and has been less than 3 per cent from December 23 to January 5," he said, adding of the total active COVID-19 cases, 43.96 per cent are in healthcare facilities, while 56.04 per cent are very mild or asymptomatic and are in home isolation. "This indicates that the overall burden on the healthcare structure in the country on account of COVID-19 has declined appreciably". India's cumulative COVID-19 positivity rate has declined to 5.87 per cent. Last week, the positivity rate was recorded at 1.97 per cent. The overall burden on healthcare infrastructure in the country on account of COVID-19 has declined appreciably," Bhushan added. Were working to find the right balance on this so the legislature has the opportunity to weigh in, but that it weighs in appropriately, Huston said. Weve been blessed with really strong leadership throughout this, its just making sure we have legislative input. Australian research has identified a new mechanism in which prostate cancer cells can 'switch' character and become resistant to therapy. These findings, just published in Cell Reports, are an important development in unravelling how an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer, neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), develops after hormonal therapies. It is well established that some tumours show increased cellular 'plasticity' in response to new or stressful conditions, such as cancer therapy, says lead researcher Associate Professor Luke Selth, from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute. This plasticity allows the cancer cells to adapt and continue to grow by evolving into different cell types that no longer respond to the therapy. "Increased cellular plasticity is increasingly recognised as a key feature by which prostate cancers become resistant to therapy and progress to a lethal stage," he says. "Our new study reveals that a particular molecule, the microRNA 'miR-194', can enhance this plasticity in prostate cancer, leading to the emergence of NEPC. "By targeting miR-194, we were able to slow down and inhibit the growth of prostate cancer models with neuroendocrine features." Associate Professor Selth says while this study is a long way from clinical application, it "nevertheless provides us with important new insights into how prostate cancers 'evolve' in response to therapy". There are currently no effective treatments for NEPC, with estimates up to 15% of men may develop this aggressive subtype of prostate cancer after hormonal treatment - a major problem because these men face "very poor outcomes". "By revealing another regulator of prostate cancer cell plasticity that can promote evolution of tumours, our study highlights why prostate cancer is so difficult to cure. "While this reality is sobering, we hope that our study and lots of other research going on around the world will eventually lead to smarter, more targeted ways to treat NEPC or even prevent its emergence," Associate Professor Selth says. ### The new paper, 'Post-transcriptional gene regulation by microRNA-194 promotes neuroendocrine transdifferentiation in prostate cancer' (2021) by RC Fernandes, J Toubia, S Townley, AR Hanson, BK Dredge, KA Pillman, AG Bert, JM Winter, R Iggo, R Das, D Obinata, MURAL investigators, S Sandhu, GP Risbridger, RA Taylor, MG Lawrence, LM Butler, A Zoubeidi, PA Gregory, WD Tilley, TE Hickey, GJ Goodall and LA Selth has been published in Cell Reports (Elsevier) DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108585 Acknowledgement: This research was funded by the NHMRC, Cancer Council of South Australia, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Victorian Cancer Agency, the Movember Foundation and Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Flinders University Associate Professor Selth is supported by a Principal Cancer Research Fellowship awarded by Cancer Council's Beat Cancer project on behalf of its donors, the South Australian Government through the Department of Health, and the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund. Co-authors include experts from The University of Adelaide, ACRF Cancer Genomics Facility (SA Pathology and UniSA), Centre for Cancer Biology, Institut Bergonie Unicancer (France), Northwestern University (US), Nihon University School of Medicine (Japan), Monash University, University of Melbourne, SAHMRI and University of British Columbia (Canada). God, not Christians, establishes His Kingdom: Kevin DeYoung Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Life in obedience to Gods Kingdom doesnt mean attempting to set it up on Earth, Pastor Kevin DeYoung recently told young adult Christians. DeYoung, who pastors Christ Covenant Church in North Carolina and writes about theology and faith, spoke at the Cross conference last week about the meaning of the phrases your kingdom come, your will be done in the Lords Prayer. We cannot bring about the Kingdom by elections, or education, or humanitarian good works, or environmental stewardship or by the cultivation of the arts, he said. Listen very carefully, we must not be confused on this point. Kingdom values should infiltrate our politics. Kingdom living should make a difference in our communities, but the Kingdom does not advance when trees are planted or when unemployment is lowered or even when injustices are addressed. Gods Kingdom comes from Gods work, not the efforts of believers, he said. When God acts to change the world, the Kingdom appears and Christians can participate in it. The Kingdom comes when and where the King is known, said DeYoung. Gods Kingdom differs from earthly kingdoms because it simultaneously impacts the world now and has not yet arrived, he noted. The Kingdom will arrive completely one day, but it exists now in only some places. Just as a cloudy sky changes to sunlight one opening at a time, Gods Kingdom breaks into the world a little at a time. [The Kingdom is] coming and it has come, he said. Jesus cast out demons and it was one indication that the Kingdom had already come. Its present and future. It is like the sun in the sky, breaking through the clouds, but the rain has not fully passed, the brightness of the sun is not yet experienced as it will be. Christians should commit their lives to the advancement of Gods Kingdom, he said. They can draw a valuable example from the ways that leaders like Winston Churchill selflessly worked to uphold the ideals of earthly empires. If Winston Churchill and so many other men and women like him of that age could make that sort of commitment to the British Empire with all of its imperfections, how much more should we as Christians be committed to a vastly more gracious, more significant, more eternal kingdom? he said. The Lords Prayer focuses on what Christians should pray even as it focuses on how they should pray, DeYoung said. The extension of Jesus rule as the Messiah and obedience to Gods commandments should be the desire of Christians. In the Lords Prayer, Gods will means what God desires to happen, he explained. Although everything happens because God decrees it, God wants people to do right and for His Kingdom to advance. Christians should want these things too. The will of God can be shorthand for obedience to Gods commands. This is the will that we are praying about in the Lords Prayer, he said. The Cross conference is aimed at 18- to 25-year-olds who want to help make Jesus' name known around the world, particularly in unreached places. Other speakers this year included John Piper, David Platt and Trip Lee. Historically, Camper Special F-Series trucks are the more capable versions of themselves. The specification allows people to access more heavy-duty equipment for their pickups, including stuff such as more powerful cooling, camper pre-wiring, or a larger alternator. That made them (and still does) quite desirable as new. For some people, Camper Specials are special even in pre-owned form.The F-250 we have here, a Ranger XLT by birth, has at least two things going for it. First, it is part of a generation of F-Series models still held in high regard by fans. Secondly, the truck seems to have been very well taken care of during its life. It was even the subject of repair work to get it back in tip-top shape. No major and fancy custom work were involved, though.Sporting a two-tone blue and white exterior over a black interior, the pickup gets its mojo from a 360ci (5.9-liter) V8 linked to a three-speed automatic transmission. Were told the engine was serviced as well (allegedly as recently as 2018), and a number of parts have been replaced, ranging from the spark plugs to the accelerator pump.The odometer on the thing shows just 7,000 miles (11,265 km), but its more than obvious thats not the real mileage.As said, the truck is for sale, and it can be had on Bring a Trailer . It is offered with a clean Oregon title and it rides on white steel wheels with polished hubcaps, shod in Milestar Steelpro tires that we're informed were just fitted on at the end of last year. Enrique Tarrio, head of the Proud Boys, is escorted out of the area after arguing with counter-protestors at a 'Stop the Steal' protest outside of the Georgia State Capital building in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 21, 2020. (Megan Varner/Getty Images) Proud Boys Leader Released and Ordered to Stay Away From DC Henry (Enrique) Tarrio, leader and co-founder of the Proud Boys was released but ordered by a judge to remain outside Washington D.C. until his next court hearing. Tarrio is facing charges for destruction of property and two felony weapons charges. According to officers, he was in possession of two high-capacity magazines at the time of his arrest on Monday, reported WTOP. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond released Tarrio on his own recognizance, but he has to stay outside of Washington until June. Attendees listen to speakers during a Proud Boy rally in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 26, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Tarrio pleaded not guilty to the charges and his lawyer asked the judge to instead order Tarrio to stay away from Black Lives Matter Plaza and its surroundings, however, the judge asserted that Tarrio could vandalize other signs appertaining to Black Lives Matter, citing Tarrios social media posts. There are Black Lives Matter banners, posters, placards, signs in front of peoples homes and the like throughout Washington, D.C., said the judge. So, Im denying your request. Tarrio was accused on Monday of burning a Black Lives Matter banner, allegedly torn down from Asbury United Methodist Church in downtown Washington. The church community is in some ways of course feeling some relief following the arrest, said Rev. Dr. Ianther Mills, in an interview on Monday. She said that regardless, We still remain concerned about the high number of expected protesters in the area. Mills said another Black Lives Matter sign was taken from the church over the Christmas holiday, prompting her to formally request extra protection for the church during Wednesdays planned protests. Local police already have begun conducting extra surveillance in the area, she said. A Black Lives Matter protester seen at a riot in Portland, Oregon, on Aug. 1, 2020. (Noah Berger/AP Photo) According to the Proud Boys website, the group focuses on protecting free speech and the Second Amendment. Their other core values, as stated on their website, are the fight against drugs and racism, support for small government, and strong borders. The hotel where the Proud Boys often stayed in the past few months, Hotel Harrington in Washington, D.C, announced it would be closed for the next few days amid the protests arranged in the area. Washington, D.C., has been our home for 106 years and we join with all of our guests, visitors, staff, and neighbors in our concern and desire for everyones health and safety, the hotel said in a Facebook statement. Tarrio responded to the decision of the Hotel management on Twitter: They have fallen victim to the fake news. With @TheProudBoys you can see in real time the media machine do the globalists dirty work. The media is the ENEMY of the people, he wrote. Ali Alexander, organizer of Stop the Steal wrote on Twitter that they should sue the hotel. Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE plan to offer volunteers who received a placebo in their COVID-19 vaccine trial an option to receive a first dose of the jab. The study's Vaccine Transition Option allows all participants aged 16 or older the choice to discover whether they were given the placebo or the shot. '[F]or participants who learn they received the placebo, to have the option to receive the investigational vaccine while staying in the study,' the companies said on their website in a statement on New Year's Eve. Volunteers will now be able to get their first dose of the vaccine by March 1, months earlier than originally anticipated. Pfizer Inc and BioNTechSE will offer clinical trial participants who received a placebo an option to receive a first dose of COVID-19 jab by March 1. Pictured: The first patient enrolled in Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, receives an injection, May 4 The FDA was against Pfizer 'unblinding' its trial and argued that it would be harder to continue collecting data on safety and effectiveness. Pictured: Pfizer headquarters in New York City The decision comes after months of debate with members of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a panel of outside advisers. Both groups expressed concerns over Pfizer's 'unblinding' plan, saying it could make it harder to continue collecting data on safety and effectiveness needed to win full FDA approval of the vaccine. However, participants said that they were putting their health on the line and should be able to choose whether or not they can receive the shot like members of the general public. Even Dr Moncef Slaoui, head of the federal government's Operation Warp Speed, said he believed volunteers should receive vaccine doses immediately. 'I think it's very important that we unblind the trial at once and offer the placebo group to receive vaccines, regardless of their risk level,' he told reporters on December 23. 'These men and women [who] volunteered have been instrumental and critical in helping us developing these vaccines and they should be rewarded for it.' Upon the news, Michael Tovar, a volunteers who had been advocating for participants to be given vaccines, thanked the firm and CEO Albert Bourla on Twitter. 'Thank you...for listening and for changing your study protocol to allow for speedy vaccination of your placebo arm,' he wrote. 'You have made this New Year so much brighter for the 22,000 placebo volunteers that stepped up for this vaccine.' According to a tweet from a Pfizer scientist, more than 2,500 volunteers who received placebos have been given their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine candidate from Pfizer and BioNTech uses part of the pathogen's genetic code called messenger RNA, or mRNA, to get the body to recognize the coronavirus and attack it if a person becomes infected. In the jab, known as BNT162b2, the mRNA encodes for all of the spike protein found on the outside of the virus that it uses to enter and infect cells. For the trial of 44,000 participants, half were given the vaccine and the other half was group was given the placebo. Researchers then waited until several participants become infected with the virus. If the number of people infected was significantly higher in the placebo group, then the jab was considered effective. Clinical trial data showed that the vaccine was 95 percent effective at preventing participants from contracting COVID-19. Trial participants who received the placebo will have two doses of the investigational vaccine reserved for them within the study, the companies said on the website. 'The study doctor will follow the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their local health authorities to offer the Vaccine Transition Option to participants in a prioritized manner,' the companies said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. (Newser) British Columbia's pandemic restrictions are tough enough to understand, a judge says, before you throw in an alternative lifestyle. "The messaging accompanying these orders, and indeed the language of the orders themselves, is fraught with inconsistency and ambiguity," Justice Nigel Kent said in ruling that a divorced man's two young children can visit him in his home during the pandemic, despite the fact that the father lives with his new partner and her husband. The children's mother had argued that the Vancouver man's living arrangement could put the children at risk of contracting the coronavirus, the CBC reports. "She has a husband who she lives with," the mother wrote in an email. "I am not okay with that exposure." The health orders prohibit visits to a home unless the host lives alone; then one or two people with whom the host regularly interacts can come over or stay there. story continues below But the rules don't specify what "living on their own" or "regular interaction" mean, Kent said. Other questions he considered include whether a polyamorous woman with a husband at a primary residence become an "occupant" of another residence with her lover. In reviewing the rules, Kent said, "It is not surprising that reasonable people can disagree about their interpretation and application in any given circumstance." In deciding to allow the visits, the judge said there was no reason to think the adults were being reckless concerning coronavirus issues. British Columbia's Center for Disease Control urges people to avoid close contact and sex with anyone who doesn't live with them during the pandemic, per the CBC. "This has left a big gap for people who don't have typical nuclear families," said one polyamorous woman. (Read more Vancouver stories.) A Wisconsin pharmacist accused of intentionally destroying hundreds of doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was a conspiracy theorist who feared the world was 'crashing down', court documents claim. Steven Brandenburg was arrested last week after the 57 spoiled Moderna vials were discovered at Advocate Aurora Health in Grafton, 20 miles north of Milwaukee, last week. The 46-year-old allegedly took them out of the fridge and intentionally left them overnight. Officials say the vials contained enough doses to inoculate more than 500 people. 'He'd formed this belief they were unsafe,' Ozaukee County district attorney Adam Gerol said during a virtual hearing. He added that Mr Brandenburg was upset because he and his wife are divorcing, and an Aurora employee said Mr Brandenburg had taken a gun to work twice. A detective wrote in a probable cause statement that Brandenburg, 46, is an admitted conspiracy theorist and that he told investigators he intentionally tried to ruin the vaccine because it could hurt people by changing their DNA. Steven Brandenburg, 46, is accused of spoiling 57 vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which officials say contained enough doses to inoculate more than 500 people Experts have said there is no truth to the claims that the vaccines can genetically modify humans. Mr Brandenburg's wife of eight years filed for divorce in June. The couple has two small children. According to an affidavit his wife filed on December 30, the same day Mr Brandenburg was arrested in the vaccine tampering, he stopped off at her house on December 6 and dropped off a water purifier and two 30-day supplies of food, telling her that the world was 'crashing down' and she was in denial. He said the government was planning cyberattacks and was going to shut down the power grid. She added that he was storing food in bulk along with guns in rental units and she no longer felt safe around him. The Moderna vaccine is viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest Advocate Aurora Health Care chief medical group officer Jeff Bahr has said Mr Brandenburg admitted that he deliberately removed the vials from refrigeration at the Grafton medical centre overnight on December 24 into December 25, returned them, then left them out again on the night of December 25 into Saturday. A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on December 26. Mr Bahr said Mr Brandenburg initially said he had removed the vials to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to put them back. He was arrested last week following an investigation into the 57 spoiled vials at Advocate Aurora Health in Grafton, Wisconsin The Moderna vaccine is viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Mr Bahr said the doses people received on December 26 are all but useless. But Mr Gerol said during the hearing that the vials were actually retained and Moderna would need to test the doses to make sure they were ineffective before he can file charges. Mr Brandenburg's attorney, Jason Baltz, did not speak on the merits of the case during the hearing. Mr Gerol held off on filing any charges, saying he still needs to determine whether Mr Brandenburg actually destroyed the doses. Judge Paul Malloy ordered Mr Brandenburg to be released on a 10,000 dollar (7,400) signature bond, surrender his firearms, not work in health care and have no contact with Aurora employees. A court commissioner on Monday found that Mr Brandenburg's children were in imminent danger and temporarily prohibited them from staying with him. He was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment, altering a prescription drug and criminal damage to property. Charges are still pending and the FBI and FDA are also investigating. Advocate Aurora Health Care Chief Medical Group Officer Jeff Bahr has said the pharmacist admitted that he deliberately removed the vials from refrigeration at the Grafton medical center overnight on Christmas Eve. He then returned them on Christmas Day before leaving them out again that night, Bahr said. A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on December 26. Bahr said the pharmacist initially said that he had removed the vials to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to put them back. The pharmacist has since been fired. The Moderna vaccine is viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Police said the discarded doses were worth between $8,000 and $11,000. Brandenburg has since been fired from Advocate Aurora Health in Grafton, 20 miles north of Milwaukee, after the spoiled vials were discovered last week Bahr said the doses people received December 26 are all but useless. Those who received the vaccine from the tampered vials have been notified and the company is working with Moderna and the FDA on a strategy to properly vaccinate those individuals. Officials have said there should be no negative effects from receiving the vaccines that were rendered ineffective. 'Moderna reassured us there are no safety concerns with administering a vaccine that has been out of the fridge too long. We will partner with them and the FDA to figure out a strategy on the future vaccination of the affected 57 individuals,' Bahr said. There is also 'no evidence' Brandenburg tampered with the vaccine in any other way other han removing it from the fridge, Bahr said. Prosecutors said during the hearing that Moderna will need to test the doses to make sure they're ineffective before he can proceed with any charges beyond destruction of property. Brandenburg's bond was set at $10,000 on Monday and his next court appearance is scheduled for January 19. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 5:08 pm The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its Environmental Impact Statement this fall evaluating the proposed flood retention facility on the Chehalis River above Pe Ell. The Corps looked at 61 different alternatives for protecting families and communities in the basin from future catastrophic flood damage and found that not one of the other alternatives, without the proposed dam, merited further evaluation. The federal review included proposals to buy-out and remove thousands of families from their current homes, returning the river to its natural condition, floodproofing, changing land use practices, creating emergency bypass for I-5 or building dams in other locations. The proposed facility is unique in design and proposed operation. It would only function as a dam for a few weeks every seven to 10 years when huge winter tropical storms will create major flood events. During regular operation, fish will be able to pass unimpeded both up and downstream through the open base of the structure. The Corps found that the proposed facility, when combined with raising of the Chehalis-Centralia Airport levee, would protect Interstate 5 in floods as large as the forecasted 100-year flood event. Interstate 5 has been closed through the Twin Cities in flood events of 1990, 1996 and 2007, when the freeway was overtopped for five days. The Office of the Chehalis Basin is directed by a seven-member board, including two members from Lewis County and representatives from both the Quinault Nation and Chehalis Tribe. Under state law, the boards responsibility is to find solutions to both catastrophic flood damage and aquatic species decline. "Both of these problems are getting worse. Since 1986, the floods have gotten larger, and the fishery has been in decline for decades" said Dr. John Henricksen, of Chehalis, who chairs the citizens group One Voice. "After 90 years of pointless government studies followed by no action on both of these problems, the Chehalis Basin process is making real progress with more than 100 local fish and flood projects completed on time and on budget. This proposed facility above Pe Ell is critical to protecting more than 1,300 homes, schools and small businesses, but it is only one piece of a basinwide flood protection and fish restoration strategy." The Army Corps EIS also evaluated the potential impacts of the proposed flood structure on aquatic species. The Corps basinwide look showed that the proportional impact on Coho and fall Chinook salmon and steelhead would be 0 percent, with a 2 percent potential loss of spring Chinook if no mitigation measures were taken. "The environmental impacts outlined in this federal EIS and the earlier state EIS will have to be avoided, minimized or mitigated, if we proceed to seek a permit," said Lewis County Manager Erik Martin, director of the Flood Zone District, which is the project applicant. "Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted an extensive search for upper Chehalis river salmon and steelhead between 2013-19. Their published findings show that in 2019, there were three Chinook salmon spawning fish found in the main stem above the city of Chehalis. Only one of those three spawned above the site of our proposed facility. We will need to mitigate or avoid impacts to the fishery. We think we can and then make that a condition of our federal and state permits." The Office of the Chehalis Basin is also developing an aquatic species restoration plan to restore lost fish habitat along hundreds of miles of the Chehalis river system. We see an opportunity to turn a decline in the fishery here to an enhancement, said former Lewis County Commissioner Edna Fund, a Chehalis Basin Board member. The modeling forecast near extinction for some of the runs in the coming decades unless dramatic action is taken. We are working to see if we can combine dramatic action to restore a fishery as well as protect families and communities in the basin. We are all seeking a win-win when it comes to flood and fish. All the science shows that we can do both at the same time. SOUTH Africas Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has expressed concern about corruption on the Zimbabwe side of the Beitbridge Border Post regarding the issuing of COVID 19 certificates. Motsoaledi is in Limpopo observing operations at the Beitbridge Border Post. He has also observed a roadblock close to the border. More than 500 foreign nationals have been arrested so far this weekend, while others have been deported back to their countries of origin for failing to produce COVID-19 certificates and trying to enter the country illegally. Motsoaledi says corruption from the Zimbabwean side makes it difficult to deal with illegal immigrants. We are worried. We have said this before that we heard rumours that there are people who will come with fraudulent certificates and we have found them and we are returning them. We are arresting people with no documents; either COVID-19 or passport. Even yesterday, they arrested 500; thats happening every day from what I told you. They showed me a video where Zimbabwean soldiers and police were helping people to come I asked whats that? Motsoaledi says from Monday, operations will be stepped up along the border with Zimbabwe to stem illegal crossings into South Africa. He says the army will patrol the rivers and a helicopter and drones will be used to monitor the border. Tomorrow the army is getting a helicopter, SARS has provided rubber dinghies for them which are moving in the water up and down and chasing those who are trying to cross with dinghies. We have heard that there is a business here selling rubber dinghies which are used illegally for R3000. Im going to visit that business when I leave here if its pen today but they told me about it. The border management authority is being enacted the acting commissioner has just started work on new years day. Tomorrow the army gets their helicopter and we will also be using drones around the border. Sabc news She became a mother for the second time after her youngest child was born in September. And Tamara Ecclestone was clearly loving life as a mother-of-two as she shared adorable snaps of her two daughters during their sun-soaked festive getaway to Dubai on Tuesday. Taking to Instagram, the Formula One heiress, 36, struck a pose with eldest girl Sophia, six, before sharing an adorable snap of the youngster with baby sister Serena, three months. Strike a pose: Tamara Ecclestone was clearly loving life as a mother-of-two as she shared adorable snaps of her two daughters during their sun-soaked festive getaway to Dubai on Tuesday Tamara and Sophia appeared to be having bundles of fun as they liked around in front of the camera as Tamara shot a selfie. Making the most of the fine weather in their sunny location, the brunette beauty slipped into a white vest top and grey shorts, while she shielded her eyes with dark sunglasses. While little Sophia was the picture of cuteness in a pretty coral dress as she flashed peace signs while posing for the picture. Tamara also shared a snap of her girls relaxing on a sun lounger as Sophia held her sibling close. Sisters: Taking to Instagram, the Formula One heiress, 36, struck a pose with eldest girl Sophia, six, before sharing an adorable snap of the youngster with baby sister Serena, three months Mummy's girls: Captioning the image, the proud mum penned: 'Loves of my life' The sweet image saw Sophia clad in a red and green swimming costume, while baby Serena was adorable in a frilly white top with a colourful pattern. Captioning the image, the proud mum penned: 'Loves of my life'. In addition, Tamara also shared an image of a sleeping Serena on her stories, with the tot donning a watermelon two-piece. While she also uploaded an image of her family posing alongside pals, who no doubt took the trip alongside them. Sleepy time: In addition, Tamara also shared an image of a sleeping Serena on her stories, with the tot donning a watermelon two-piece 'Dubai Crew': While she also uploaded an image of her family posing alongside pals, who no doubt took the trip alongside them It comes after Tamara looked happier than ever as she posed in a rust coloured swimsuit and oversized sunglasses for a cute snap with daughter Serena on Monday. Tamara looked effortlessly glamorous in the 140 Hunza G Solitaire swimsuit, which showed off her slim post-partum physique. The mother-of-two went make-up free for her day in the sunshine and shielded her eyes with a pair of cat-eye sunglasses. Cute: It comes after Tamara looked happier than ever as she posed in a rust coloured swimsuit and oversized sunglasses for a cute snap with daughter Serena on Monday Doting mother: While on Friday, Tamara was every inch the doting mother, when she took to Instagram to share snaps of herself posing with her three-month-old daughter Serena While on Friday, Tamara was every inch the doting mother when she took to Instagram to share snaps of herself posing with her newest bundle of joy. The reality star looked sensational as she stepped out in a flattering black bikini while enjoying a stroll in the sunshine during her family's vacation. Complementing her swimwear with a pair of flip-flops, Tamara shielded her eyes with a pair of stylish shades, while she wore her brunette locks in a sleek ponytail. We are family: 'Happy 2021,' Tamara captioned the snap, which was followed up with one of her in a stylish black minidress as she posed to Serena and eldest daughter Sophia, six Adorable little Serena was strapped to her mother's chest on a baby carrier, gazing curiously at the camera as she donned a large strawberry-patterned sun hat. 'Happy 2021,' Tamara captioned the snap, which was followed up with one of her in a stylish black minidress as she posed to Serena and eldest daughter Sophia, six. On Wednesday, Tamara shared a snap of herself posing in a black-and-white patterned bikini with oversized black sunglasses and a collection of gold jewellery. Radiant: On Wednesday, Tamara looked radiant as she shared sweet snaps of her two daughters from their sun-drenched festive getaway Adorable: Taking to Instagram, the Formula One heiress also posted a sweet photo of sisters Sophia and Serena asleep next to each other in bed Serena looked adorable in a pink frilled baby grow as she sat on her mother's knee for the sweet photo. Tamara also shared another similar picture where she wore black-and-white striped bikini, to which she captioned it with: 'Same spot.' The mother-of-two also posted a sweet photo of sisters Sophia and Serena asleep next to each other in bed. While later in the day, Tamara commented on what a 'proud big sister' Sophia is as she pushed baby Serena in her pram. So cute: Tamara posed for an adorable selfie with baby Serena, three months, which she captioned, 'Baby love' followed by a heart emoji Big sister duties: later in the day, Tamara commented on what a 'proud big sister' Sophia is as she pushed baby Serena in her pram Holiday: The family initially kept their location a mystery but they soon revealed they were in Dubai after they jetted off on their sun-drenched festive getaway last week So sweet: Tamara and husband Jay Rutland took to Instagram to share sweet snaps of their two daughters as the family jetted off on a sun-drenched festive getaway earlier this week The family initially kept their location a mystery but they soon revealed they were in Dubai after they jetted off on their sun-drenched festive getaway last week. Last Monday, Tamara posted an adorable photo of baby Serena, three months, in a pink floral outfit on a private jet, which she captioned: 'And we are off.' Her husband Jay Rutland, 39, also shared the same snap to his Instagram last Sunday although he also added a sweet photo of himself holding Serena and a hilarious picture of Sophia with a napkin over her face. In one photo, Sophia sweetly cuddled her baby sister Serena as they sat by a swimming pool, which Tamara captioned: 'Besties .' While in a different fun snap, her six-year-old daughter hilariously posed with two ice lollies with Tamara joking: 'When you just can't decide.' Doting father: Taking to social media on Sunday, Jay, 39, shared a sweet photo of himself holding Serena, three months, on a private jet Lovely: The father-of-two also posted an adorable photo of baby Serena in a pink floral outfit and a hilarious picture of Sophia with a napkin over her face Sisters: Jay also commented on how similar his two daughters look as he posted a picture of a then baby Sophia next to a recent photo of Serena Jay also commented on how similar his two daughters look as he posted a picture of a then baby Sophia next to a recent photo of Serena. It comes after Jay shared an adorable picture of Sophia cuddling her baby sister Serena over the previous weekend. Sophia was pictured sat in bed with Serena sitting on her lap as the six-year-old wrapped her arms around her, closing her eyes and smiling sweetly. The pair were both dressed in similar red pyjamas, with Serena wearing a plain red all-in-one and Sophia sporting a top printed with reindeer. Jay captioned the post: 'All she wanted for Christmas was you '. He also posted a series of snaps he said were his 'faves' from Christmas Day, including one of Tamara cuddling up to her two young children. In another snap, Serena was lying on the bed dressed in a Santa costume while Sophia wore festive pyjamas. They have certainly settled into life as a family-of-four as Tamara posted a sweet festive image from a Christmas shoot to Instagram. Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours. Thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 90F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. WASHINGTON - One day before Congress votes to certify that Joe Biden won the presidential election, Donald Trump supporters who refuse to accept the reality of his defeat demonstrated in Washington again. The city is bracing for potentially violent protests, egged on by President Trump himself. All Tuesday afternoon, people bundled against the cold but free of masks arrived in downtown Washington for what they see as a last stand for Trump, who has continued to falsely assert that the election was stolen from him. Though many Republican lawmakers, all 10 living former defense secretaries and election officials across the country have said Trump should stop attempting to overturn the results of the election, his refusal to do so has only energized his followers. One Wednesday demonstration has a National Park Service permit for up to 30,000 people. Trump said on Twitter that he will speak at 11 a.m. Wednesday and praised those who were echoing his inaccurate version of events in the streets. "They won't stand for a landslide election victory to be stolen," he tweeted Tuesday evening. For nearly eight hours, speakers repeated election conspiracy theories, closed their eyes to pray and shared discount codes for MyPillow, a company owned by a Trump ally. Shortly before 8 p.m., they danced to a part-country, part-rap song, "Roger Stone did nothing wrong." Stone, who was pardoned by Trump for lying to Congress and obstructing justice, appeared onstage in a pinstripe suit and feathered fedora, swinging his hips to the tune. "I have two words to say," Stone began. "Thank you, Jesus." 5 1 of 5 Washington Post photo by Matt McClain. Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Photo by Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post. Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Photo by Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post. Show More Show Less 5 of 5 He then launched into a speech comparing the investigation into his wrongdoing to centuries of abuses and terror inflicted on Black people. He claimed he was the subject of a "legal lynching." He said Trump "freed this slave" referring to himself. The mostly White crowd howled their support, chanting his name. "I'm glad to be with you, but these days I'm glad to be anywhere other than the federal penitentiary," Stone said. All day, the crowd ranted against the need for masks, vaccines and precautions against the virus that has killed more than 355,000 Americans. "I'm going to give everyone three action steps . . . turn to the person next to you and give them a hug," one speaker exhorted the crowd. "Someone you don't know . . . it's a mass-spreader event! It's a mass-spreader event!" District of Columbia police are not enforcing the District's mask mandate, despite the worsening coronavirus surge. The District is averaging 233 new coronavirus cases daily, and hospitalizations are up 12 percent compared with last week. The Washington region set a daily record for new coronavirus infections Friday. Local law enforcement will instead focus on arresting anyone who is unlawfully armed, while the National Guard works to manage crowds and block streets. District police said that shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, officers pulled over a North Carolina bus for a traffic violation at Ninth Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Police said one person inside, who has not yet been identified, possessed two firearms - a rifle and a semiautomatic handgun - along with a drum magazine. Such magazines can hold additional bullets. U.S. Park Police, with the assistance of D.C. police, later arrested another man at Freedom Plaza who was seen "with a handgun under his jacket." In recent weeks, right-wing groups have used the conservative social media site Parler and the encrypted messaging app Telegram to plot how to sneak guns into the District, where there are laws banning open carry and prohibiting firearms on federal lands and near protests. Recent pro-Trump protests have already ended in violent skirmishes. In December, members of the Proud Boys, a male-chauvinist organization with ties to white nationalism, spent hours attempting to reach activists in Black Lives Matter Plaza, being repeatedly blocked by police. Later in the evening, four people were stabbed amid a crowd of Proud Boys and Trump supporters near Harry's Bar, which has become a Proud Boys gathering spot. When the leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, returned to the District for this week's events, he was arrested. District police took him into custody Monday afternoon on a warrant charging him with burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from Asbury United Methodist Church during the December demonstration. He faces a misdemeanor charge of destruction of property and two felony counts of possessing extended gun magazines at the time of his arrest. On Tuesday afternoon, Tarrio appeared in District Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty. A judge released him but banned him from the District, pointing to his social media posts in which he threatens to set fire to more signs. Tarrio could be arrested if he is seen anywhere in the District. Later, the crowds in Freedom Plaza would turn his name into a chant: "En-ri-que!" They cheered for a Michigan lawmaker, a pastor who told them it was "time for war," and a man wearing a patch representing the far-right armed group Three Percenters, who told them to "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Arielle Early, 17, flew from Northern California after she saw Trump's tweets calling for demonstrators to descend on the nation's capital. "What I love about Trump is that he rallies people to come here and fight," she said. Early said she dropped out of school in 2017 after being bullied for supporting Trump. But on Instagram, she found a community of like-minded young Trump die-hards. She plans to meet up with those virtual friends this week in Washington. Diane Marney, a 62-year-old real estate agent who lives in Wyoming, said she sees this week's demonstrations as the single most important event in her lifetime. She worries about what a Biden administration will mean for her son, who works in a coal mine. She compared her decision to come to the District to her grandson's decision to serve in the military. "I want to do the same as him," she said. "Just not with a gun." An afternoon rainstorm sent some demonstrators scurrying toward their hotels, but hundreds remained as streetlights flicked on over a sea of Trump flags, yellow "Don't Tread on Me" banners and signs that read "Mask Free Zone." One man held a wood carving that resembled a can of Twisted Tea. Chris Bouland, 43, said it represented the viral video of a Black man at a gas station who hit a White man in the face with a can after the man would not stop calling him the n-word. The beverage then exploded, sending tea flying. The video has been shared countless times, set to music and remixed. Bouland, who traveled from Arkansas, said the video reminded him of his fellow Trump supporters. "You know, if you mess with us, you don't want to open that can of ass whooping," he said. He and his wife, Jo, are planning to wake up early Wednesday to be there for Trump's expected 11 a.m. speech at the Ellipse. "This is not about Democrats versus Republicans, or Trump versus Biden," she said. "This is about good versus evil. This is about saving our country." Behind them, the crowd of hundreds at Freedom Plaza began to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. "With liberty," they concluded, "And justice for all." - - - The Washington Post's Keith L. Alexander contributed to this report. KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Schweiger Dermatology Group has announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Montgomery Dermatology, with three office locations in King of Prussia and Audubon, Pennsylvania. Schweiger Dermatology Group also expanded its footprint in the Southern Tier area with the recent acquisition of Dr. Joseph Newmark's practice in Vestal, New York. Founded over a decade ago by Dr. Erum Ilyas, Montgomery Dermatology has enjoyed rapid growth by providing thoughtful and comprehensive dermatologic services to patients in the suburban Philadelphia region. "To support our growth and provide the latest resources and services to our patients we began to seek a partner that shared this vision," says Dr. Ilyas. "We are thrilled to partner with Schweiger Dermatology as they have a proven model that allows their providers to focus their time and expertise on their patients, while providing the support they need to optimize the patient experience." Dr. Ilyas graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts and Science. She earned her medical degree from the MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society and completed her dermatology training at the Cooper University Hospital of UMDNJ, where she also served as Chief Resident of Dermatology. Dr. Ilyas is the founder of AmberNoon, a contemporary clothing line that protects skin from UV rays. Two additional providers from Montgomery Dermatology will be joining Schweiger Dermatology along with Dr. Ilyas: Rina Mary Allawh, M.D. and Christina Lee Chung, M.D. Dr. Joseph Newmark started his practice in the Binghamton, New York area over 25 years ago and is a leader in both cosmetic and medical dermatology. "Excellence and compassionate patient care have always been the foremost concern at our practice and joining Schweiger Dermatology affords us the opportunity to continue this standard," says Dr. Newmark. "Without the administrative burden of managing the practice, we can focus on what is most importantdelivering top notch care to our patients." Dr. Newmark graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a medical degree from Albany Medical College. Dr. Newmark completed a dermatology residency at the University of Chicago, where he also served as chief resident. He has been in private practice in the Binghamton area for more than thirty years. Chloe Pusey, FNP-C and Carri Ross, PA-C have joined Schweiger Dermatology along with Dr. Newmark. "It is an honor to welcome Drs. Ilyas, Allawh, Chung as well as Dr. Newmark and his team to Schweiger Dermatology Group as we carefully and thoughtfully expand our practice," says Dr. Eric Schweiger, founder and C.E.O. of Schweiger Dermatology Group. "With the shared vision of offering excellent dermatology care throughout the Northeast, we are excited to partner with this impressive group of providers," adds Kevin Schirf, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Schweiger Dermatology Group. The new Schweiger Dermatology Group locations are: 860 1st Ave #8b, King of Prussia, PA 19406 19406 120 Valley Green Lane, King of Prussia, PA 19406 19406 10000 Shannondell Drive, Audubon, PA 19403 19403 4104 Vestal Rd. #203, Vestal, New York 13850 About Schweiger Dermatology Group Schweiger Dermatology Group is the largest group dermatology practice in the Northeast with over 65 offices and 200 healthcare providers. SDG provides both medical and cosmetic dermatology services to over 600,000 patients annually. Schweiger Dermatology Group was named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America for 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and to the Crain's New York Fast 50, honoring the fastest growing companies in New York for 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. To learn more, visit schweigerderm.com . Contacts: Business Development Kevin Schirf [email protected] Media Inquiries Melissa Schweiger Kleinman [email protected] SOURCE Schweiger Dermatology Group Related Links http://www.schweigerderm.com Published on 2021/01/04 | Source Actress Kim Go-eun is starring in the drama "Yumi's Cells" as Yumi, the leading actress. Studio Dragon announced on the 31st of December that Kim Go-eun confirmed her role as Yumi in the webtoon original drama m "Yumi's Cells". The character of Yumi is an ordinary office worker in her 30s who shows growth through love and work and finds happiness in the little things. Kim Go-eun said, "I think it was the power of empathy that Yumi had to make people laugh and cry. I'm looking forward to the journey ahead". Author Lee Dong-geon's webtoon "Yumi's Cells" is a work that expresses the story of Yumi, an ordinary office worker in her 30s, from the perspective of Yumi's brain cells. It finished its five-year series in November with 3.2 billion views. The drama will be produced by combining animation to embody the images of the cells in Yumi's head. The screenplay is written by writer Song Jae-jeong and Kim Kyung-ran-I while it is helmed by Lee Sang-yeob-I. The drama will begin filming in early 2021. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. (Newser) Good news: Your fiance snagged an appointment to get the coronavirus vaccine. Better news: You're the nurse who has the honor of administering it to him. Best news of all: He proposes to you right before you stick the needle in his arm. That's the sweet story out of Sanford Canton-Inwood Medical Center in Canton, S.D., where on Dec. 23, paramedic Robby Vargas-Cortes showed up to receive his COVID shot, knowing his boyfriend of five years, registered nurse Eric Vander Lee, would be one of the people handling inoculations, per CNN. But Vargas-Cortes had plans for more than vaccination on his mind and up his sleevewhich is where he hid an engagement ring. "It kind of popped in my head that maybe I would just tape [the ring] to my arm," he tells KELO. "That way, when [Vander Lee] rolled up the sleeve, then he would see it right there." story continues below A video uploaded to social media shows the encounter, with Vargas-Cortes helping Vander Lee roll up the sleeve on his left arm so his boyfriend could administer the shot. "It's been kind of a crazy year and ... it's been a fun ride to have you in my life," Vargas-Cortes says to Vander Lee when he spots the ring. Vargas-Cortes then launches into his official proposal, as Vander Lee's co-workers applaud and squeal in delight, Vargas-Cortes puts the ring on Vander Lee's finger, and they embrace. The two men had talked in the past about getting engaged, and when Vargas-Cortes found out Vander Lee would be helping administer the vaccines, he thought, "What better opportunity?" per the New York Times. Sanford Health offered best wishes to its two employees on Facebook. "Congratulations, Eric and Robby!" the hospital's post reads. No date has been set. (Read more uplifting news stories.) WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is effectively sabotaging the Republican Party on his way out of office, obsessed with overturning his election loss and nursing pangs of betrayal from allies whom he had expected to bend the instruments of democracy to his will. Trump has created a divide in his party as fundamental and impassioned as any during his four years as president, with lawmakers forced to choose between certifying the results of an election decided by their constituents or appeasing the president in an all-but-certain-to-fail crusade to keep him in power by subverting the vote. As Republican lawmakers took sides before Wednesday's joint session of Congress to certify the electoral college results, some on Monday voiced rare criticism of Trump for his attempt to pressure Georgia elections officials to change vote totals there on a Saturday phone call, a recording of which was published by The Washington Post. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 House Republican, said the call was "deeply troubling" and urged all Americans to listen to the hour-long conversation, while Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., condemned it as "a new low in this whole futile and sorry episode." One of Trump's most loyal defenders, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said it was "not a helpful call." Trump signaled that he had little patience for defections by members of what he dubbed the "Surrender Caucus." After Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., announced that he was not joining the band of GOP lawmakers objecting to the electoral college results, Trump criticized Cotton on Twitter and warned that voters would "NEVER FORGET!" Trump is trying to mobilize a show of strength that could intimidate lawmakers who certify the result, exhorting his supporters to travel to Washington for mass protests Wednesday. He is planning to speak to the crowd on the White House Ellipse about midday Wednesday, two officials familiar with the planning said. Trump in recent days has criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for having "NO FIGHT," publicly recruited a primary challenger to the Senate's No. 2 Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, and called on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, to resign. Thirteen senators and more than 100 House members are planning to object to the electoral college results in Wednesday's proceedings, but Trump is befuddled as to why many more Republicans are not falling in line with him, advisers said. Fueling the president's indignation is his belief that he is the true victor, because that is what the advisers in his ear continue to tell him, according to one of Trump's closest advisers, who like some others interviewed for this report spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. "He incontrovertibly thinks he won - and he thinks he won big - and the people around him don't disabuse him of that because they don't want to get crosswise, and because they told him he was going to win, so they can have it both ways," this adviser said. "It's not about his inability to move on. It's about his inability to even diagnose what happened. He won't yet conduct the autopsy, if you will." Still, Trump is not entirely blind to reality. He has asked several advisers in recent weeks for advice on what he should do instead of attending President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20, according to two people who have spoken to him. After days of watching Trump toss hand grenades at fellow Republicans, party officials said they were deeply concerned that he might veer off script and continue his destructive antics onstage Monday night in Georgia, at a rally on the eve of runoff elections that will decide which party controls the Senate. Aides had encouraged the president to deliver a simple message to Georgia voters that they must turn out to protect his legacy. But Trump had something else in mind. The first words out of his mouth at the rally in Dalton were: "There's no way we lost Georgia. That was a rigged election." Trump went on to bash Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, claim they were not real Republicans and vow to campaign against both men when they stand for reelection in 2022. The president also falsely claimed that he had won reelection "in a landslide" and suggested that he expects Vice President Mike Pence to make it so when he fulfills his constitutional duty to preside over Wednesday's joint session of Congress, even though the vice president does not actually have the power to overturn the results. "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you," Trump told the applauding Georgia crowd. "Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him quite as much." GOP strategists say Trump's infatuation with personal grievances and false claims of a "rigged" and "stolen" election in November could depress their party's turnout Tuesday, dooming Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Georgia's voting systems manager, Gabriel Sterling, refuted Trump's voter fraud claims point by point at a news conference Monday in Atlanta. "This is all easily, provably false, yet the president persists," Sterling said. "We have claim after claim after claim, with zero proof. Zero." Trump has been uninterested in governing or managing the pandemic - or even burnishing his legacy - and is almost entirely focused on the election, spending considerable time talking about it with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Johnny McEntee, the presidential personnel director, officials said. Trump has complained that he does not think he will get credit if Perdue and Loeffler win but will be blamed if they lose, according to the close adviser. Trump's focus on Georgia has been less about the marquee Senate contests than about rewriting his own history. Although he has been preoccupied by trying to reverse the national outcome, advisers said Trump has been singularly fixated on Georgia - a once-solidly red state he had assumed he would easily carry. Instead, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to lose Georgia in three decades - a fact he cannot fathom and a historical distinction he loathes, according to people familiar with his thinking. Trump campaign officials were so convinced that they'd win in Georgia that they rejected calls to direct more money and staffers to the state, a former senior campaign official said. "Honestly, I think that he cannot handle being the sitting Republican president that lost Georgia," said a GOP official in frequent touch with the White House. Several Republicans in Georgia said they're not sure Trump really wants Loeffler or Perdue to win, because if they do it undermines his central complaint that the state's elections are rigged. It would also pour salt into the wound of his defeat in Georgia, something he has struggled to understand, stating repeatedly on the weekend call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, that it's not possible for him to have lost there. Trump advisers said he is especially bothered that a Democratic politician he has long disdained, former state House minority leader Stacey Abrams, is credited with orchestrating the winning ground game in Georgia and that two Republican politicians he thought would do his bidding, Kemp and Raffensperger, refuse to try to rig the result in his favor. The president's animus toward Kemp is especially pronounced. As one Republican familiar with his transactional thinking explained it, Trump believes that he made Kemp governor by endorsing him in a competitive primary in 2018, and therefore Kemp is his lackey and should do precisely what Trump instructs him to do. Still, reversing the Georgia result would not be enough for Trump to retain the presidency. "Let's say you get Raffensperger to commit fraud and get you the 11,000 votes - what does that even get you?" said the Republican official in frequent touch with the White House. "You still need three other states. I don't understand what the 'win' is here. There's no strategy." Trump has been focused on reversing the outcomes in other states, too - including Arizona and Pennsylvania. But of the states where Biden notched narrow wins, only Georgia has a Republican governor and secretary of state, a fact Trump has falsely assumed could work to his advantage. Elections officials in several other battlegrounds where he contested his defeat said the president has not reached out to them as he did to Raffensperger. In private conversations with advisers and associates, Trump has been fixated on several states and ticking through various ways he believed he was robbed in each of them, according to one adviser who spoke to the president about the issue last week. "Most everyone doesn't want to talk to him about it anymore," this adviser said. "He's a broken record." The president's comments to Raffensperger on their hour-long phone call echoed the comments he has made privately to aides and advisers recently. Trump had tried to reach Raffensperger at least 18 times before Saturday's call, according to Raffensperger's deputy, Jordan Fuchs, but the calls were patched to interns in the press office who thought it was a prank and did not realize it was actually the president on the line. Meadows arranged Saturday's call after collecting all the participants' cellphone numbers and connecting with them directly. Trump's intensifying drive to overturn the election has deepened a Republican divide on Capitol Hill. McConnell last month urged Republican senators not to object to the electoral college vote certification in Wednesday's joint session. But now that 13 have said they would, the leader has stepped back from any significant effort to tamp down the brewing rebellion. He is not whipping votes and has not spoken to the president in weeks. In conversations with other Senate Republicans, McConnell has stressed that their decision now will be a matter of conscience and that each senator should vote the way he or she has to vote, according to two senior GOP officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay the majority leader's private posture. Some Republican senators have expressed concerns that voting to certify - and against Trump - would open them up to a primary challenge from the right, while others worry that voting to object would make them vulnerable in a general election, a person familiar with the deliberations said. "I think it is revealing that there is not a single senator who is arguing that the election was stolen from President Trump," said Josh Holmes, an outside adviser to McConnell. "The divide in the party is whether it's appropriate to pull the pin on an electoral college grenade, hoping that there are enough responsible people standing around who can shove it back in before they detonate American democracy." Sen. Loeffler, R-Ga., on Monday said she would object to certification, as Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.) and a separate coalition of 11 senators led by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have pledged to do. Michael Steele, a former Republican National Committee chairman who is a Trump critic, warned of the long-term peril for those who object. "They are sealing themselves inside the very tomb that Donald Trump built for them," Steele said. "When they commit this act on Wednesday, where do they go from there? . . . These people are wholly owned subsidiaries of Trump Inc. They are functionaries like the men and women who manage his properties and mop his bathrooms and clean his hotels." At least two more GOP senators said Monday that they would vote to affirm the electoral college results, joining Toomey and others. In a statement, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who is up for reelection in 2022, said he would vote to affirm the duly chosen electors from any contested state. He said he "cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters." And Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said it would be a "grave step" for lawmakers to reject votes that were certified by the states. "I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," she said. "Recognizing the individual chosen by the American people to be our president is in keeping with this oath." Trump sought Monday to try to scare Republican lawmakers from breaking with him on certification. He tweeted, "The 'Surrender Caucus' within the Republican Party will go down in infamy as weak and ineffective 'guardians' of our Nation, who were willing to accept the certification of fraudulent presidential numbers!" Senate GOP leaders have remained in the dark about the extent of the rogue senators' objections, largely because the rebels have yet to finalize their strategy with less than 48 hours before the joint session. Hawley has said he will object to the counting of electors from Pennsylvania but has not ruled out other states. Members of the faction led by Cruz have yet to identify a single state they plan to contest, saying only that they plan to reject electors from unspecified disputed states unless they secure a 10-day audit of election returns. GOP officials said Monday that the extent of the Cruz group's objections was still being discussed, though the lack of a clear endgame has privately worried even some aides involved in the effort. In the House, the top two Republican leaders have largely remained silent on efforts to object, but the No. 3 official, Cheney, circulated a detailed memo warning that questioning the state-certified results would "set an exceptionally dangerous precedent" that essentially usurps the responsibility of individual states. Objecting to the electors, Cheney argued, was "directly at odds with the Constitution's clear text and our core beliefs as Republicans." - - - The Washington Post's Amy Gardner and Paulina Firozi contributed to this report. CAIRO Egypts Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly recently issued a decision to revoke the nationality of Ghada Naguib, an opposition political activist and the wife of well-known artist Hisham Abdallah, both of whom have lived in Turkey for several years. The decision, published in the official gazette Dec. 24, reads that Naguibs Egyptian nationality was withdrawn based on the grounds that she was convicted of a felony to harm the Egyptian states security while residing abroad. The decision also stated that Naguib is a Syrian national. Naguib left the country in January 2016 along with her husband, who works as a TV host at the Egyptian opposition al-Sharq channel in Turkey, after Abdallah was accused of a number of political issues. They have been residing in Istanbul since then. Speaking to Al-Monitor virtually, Naguib rejected the decision to revoke her nationality, saying it is a mere political decision that will not make her a non-Egyptian citizen, adding that she will continue to oppose the regime of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Commenting on the claims of being a Syrian national, Naguib said, It is not true that I hold Syrian citizenship. It is true, however, that I have Syrian origins. But the only citizenship I hold is the Egyptian one. Naguib added that the decision to strip her of her nationality, which rendered her stateless, took her by surprise, saying it is designed to terrify her and any other Egyptian opposition activist. Meanwhile, other Egyptian opposition activists fear their nationality will be revoked in light of a lawsuit brought before the State Council, which is Egypts highest judicial authority that rules on administrative matters. On June 20, the Administrative Judicial Court of the State Council decided to delay the lawsuit filed by Samir Sabry, a lawyer known for his support of Sisi's regime. The lawsuit calls for the withdrawal of the nationality of 11 Muslim Brotherhood officials and journalists residing in Turkey over terrorism charges. A date for a court session to decide on whether to move forward with the lawsuit will be decided after the court's expert committee gives its opinion on the case. If accepted, the lawsuit would entail the withdrawal of the nationality of all those involved in the case. The lawsuit involves journalists, former ministers and senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders. These are, namely, Moataz Matar, Mohammad Nasser, Hussam Shorbaji, Hamza Zawbaa, Medhat al-Haddad, Ayman Nour, Mahmoud Ezzat, Mohammad Abdel Azim al-Bashlawi, Ayman Ahmed Abdel Ghani and Abdel Aziz Mohamed Abdel Aziz, as well as Yehia Hamid, the former investment minister in the Brotherhood government. In September 2017, Egypts government approved new amendments to the Egyptian nationality law, expanding the government's ability to issue decisions stripping citizenship. One of the amended articles allows the government to revoke the citizenship of those convicted of belonging to a group seeking to harm the public order, or undermine the states social, economic or political regime by force, or any other illegal means. And that also includes any association, party, organization, gang, or any other entity regardless of its legal status, form or nature, and regardless of whether or not it is based in Egypt, with the same goal. A human rights lawyer residing in Egypt told Al-Monitor that amendments to the Egyptian nationality law point to the Egyptian regimes desire to terrify the opposition whether inside or outside Egypt, and to threaten them of stripping them from citizenship if they oppose the regime. The source added, These amendments are authoritarian. They could result in tens of thousands of Egyptians in prisons or at risk of losing their citizenship. It only requires a court ruling convicting a person of being affiliated with any political group. Thus, it would be easy to issue a decision to withdraw citizenship from that person without even having to wait for the appeal against the court ruling, although the appeal could acquit that person. The source believes the regimes goal in revoking Naguibs citizenship is to test the waters before similar decisions are issued against other opposition activists living abroad. If no reactions are observed, it will be possible to see similar decisions against tens of thousands without any deterrent, he added. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Bangur Nagar police officers who are probing the Malad murder-suicide case said the 27-year-old man who shot his female friend before killing himself on Monday night had multiple cases of robberies, chain snatchings and extortion registered against him in Bangur Nagar, Malad, Malwani and Kandivli police stations. The womans 53-year-old father told the police that his daughter had an affair with the man. However, when he found out that the was a criminal, he got his 22-year-old daughter engaged to another man. Police believe the two had met to discuss the arrangement between them at the back road of Infiniti Mall. We are recording more statements to find out whether the couple had a suicide pact or if the man was angry about the woman getting engaged to someone else, said an officer from Bangur Nagar police station. Eyewitnesses told the police that they saw the duo at a stall near Link Road around 8.45pm on Monday. It was not clear if they were arguing , said eyewitnesses. The man then pulled a country-made revolver from his pocket and shot his friend in her head. He then shot himself. The stall workers and commuters alerted the police who reached the spot within minutes and rushed the couple to a nearby hospital, where both of them were declared dead on arrival. Instagram star Ruby Tuesday Matthews has hit back at Triple M host Lawrence Mooney after he roasted her in a brutal radio segment about influencers. The Byron Bay model, 27, was left fuming on Wednesday after she came across a video of Lawrence, 55, referring to social media influencers as 'low-hanging fruit' who 'prostitute themselves online for free products'. Lawrence also made special mention of Ruby, who was infamously branded 'entitled' for holding up a Jetstar flight to eat oysters in October last year. The claws are out! Byron Bay influencer Ruby Tuesday Matthews (left) blasted radio host Lawrence Mooney (right) on Tuesday after he accused Instagram models of 'prostituting themselves online for freebies' in a brutal Triple M segment 'This bird can go and get shucked!' Lawrence joked, referring to Ruby's 'oystergate' scandal. A seething Ruby lashed out at Lawrence on Instagram Stories, uploading a photo of the comedian with a pig emoji covering his face. 'Someone just sent me this and I'm utterly gobsmacked. It really does go to show how low the human race is,' she wrote. Not happy: A seething Ruby lashed out at Lawrence on Instagram Stories, uploading a photo of the comedian with a pig emoji covering his face 'If all you can do is completely right [sic] off a single mum to make a segment, what do you really have going for yourself and your D grade radio show.' Ruby then insisted she doesn't promote brands in exchange for freebies. 'To say I prostitute myself out for products, it's a complete lie. I actually get paid lol! To call me low hanging fruit and say I "w**re myself out" is a disgusting comment to make about anyone, let alone a mother of two small boys,' she raged. 'To say I prostitute myself out for products, it's a complete lie': Ruby insisted that she doesn't promote brands in exchange for freebies The mother of two concluded by calling Lawrence an 'a**hole', and encouraged her fans to retaliate by leaving negative comments on his Instagram account. 'You picked the wrong b***h,' she signed off. Ruby made headlines in October when she delayed a Jetstar flight because she was busy eating oysters at a restaurant outside the terminal. 'You picked the wrong b***h': The mother of two concluded by calling Lawrence an 'a**hole', and encouraged her fans to retaliate by leaving negative comments on his Instagram account Ruby was due to fly from Byron Bay to Sydney on a 5pm flight, but a technical issue caused the plane, flight JQ461, to be delayed. The budget airline asked travellers to stay put while waiting for an engineer, and told passengers the new departure time would likely be about 7.30pm. But Ruby and her travel companion left the airport to grab a bite to eat at a beachside restaurant, leaving passengers waiting on the tarmac for 30 minutes for the pair to return. Fine dining: Ruby made headlines in October when she delayed a Jetstar flight because she was busy eating oysters at a restaurant outside the terminal Ruby was heckled by passengers when she eventually boarded the plane. She later slammed the airline upon her arrival in Sydney for allowing her to be 'bullied'. Jetstar released a statement saying they had 'kept customers informed' throughout the delay, and asked them 'not to leave the airport should the flight be able to get away ahead of the revised time'. But Ruby claimed there were a number of other passengers who left the airport and arrived after the rescheduled departure time. What went down: Ruby was heckled by passengers when she eventually boarded the plane. She later slammed the airline upon her arrival in Sydney for allowing her to be 'bullied' 'It's just crazy now,' she said following the airline's response. 'This is so minor this s**t. I actually think its a joke and it's annoying that it has to waste so much of my time. 'Jetstar made a complete joke of themselves. They let that harassment happen.' Julian Assanges extradition from the UK to the United States has been blocked by a carefully crafted court ruling that upholds the grotesque frame-up case of the US Department of Justice. The WikiLeaks founder faced extradition to the US under the Espionage Act and a possible 175-year sentence for publishing information exposing war crimes, coup plots, state surveillance, corruption, torture and human rights abuses throughout the world. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange [Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham] District Judge Vanessa Baraitser refused the US extradition request on the grounds that it would be oppressive by reason of Assanges compromised mental health and the risk of suicide if he is detained and imprisoned in the US. Prosecution lawyers said they would appeal the decision, which they must do within 14 days. The defence will submit an application for bail Wednesday morning. At least until then, Assange remains detained in Londons Belmarsh maximum security prison in the midst of an escalating COVID-19 pandemic. Baraitsers decision was highly unexpected. WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson told AFP Sunday that he was almost certain the court would rule against Assange. Assanges fiance Stella Moris began her comments outside the court after the hearing by noting, Ive had to rewrite my speech. The forces and considerations motivating the judgment will become clearer over the coming days and weeks. What is already apparent is that a highly political decision has been reached that upholds the threat to democratic rights represented by the prosecutions case, leaves Assange in danger of continued persecution, and demands the intensification of the campaign to secure his freedom. Ruling against the extradition purely on mental health grounds, Baraitser endorsed in its entirety the prosecutions denial of free speech and freedom of the press, and its justifications of flagrant abuse of Assanges legal due process and human rights. The US Department of Justice responded with the ominous comment: While we are extremely disappointed in the courts ultimate decision, we are gratified that the United States prevailed on every point of law raised. In particular, the court rejected all of Mr. Assanges arguments regarding political motivation, political offense, fair trial, and freedom of speech. We will continue to seek Mr. Assanges extradition to the United States. A full account by the World Socialist Web Site of the reactionary arguments endorsed by Baraitser will follow in the coming days. Her key findings were that Assange could not claim the protection of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rightsguaranteeing freedom of speech, opinion and the pressand that the US has proceeded entirely legally in pursuing him. Baraitser even justified the US states surveillance of Assange and his lawyers in the Ecuadorian embassy on national security grounds. She portrayed Assange as a reckless computer hacker outside any role of investigative journalism. The Guardian and the New York Times' scurrilous condemnation[s] of Assange and WikiLeaks were favourably cited. In justification of American surveillance of the Ecuadorian embassy, Baraitser referred to a CNN report outrageously claiming, Assange turned an embassy into a command post for election meddling. Baraitser sought to retain in her decision as much of the anti-democratic precedent established by this case as possible, vindictively portraying Assange as a damaged individual whose WikiLeaks publications were a threat to US national security. Jennifer Robinson, Assanges lawyer, gave an interview after the hearing, warning that Baraitser had ruled against extradition on the narrow grounds that his extradition is oppressive, not on press freedom grounds, but because of the specific medical condition and declining mental health and the specific prison conditions he would face while detained in the United States This is still very concerning and free speech groups should still be concerned. We will be looking very closely at the judgment in the coming days. She agreed with the US prosecution in all other matters, including in respect of the free speech arguments which we had raised about the application of the First Amendment, the unprecedented nature of this case, and the fact that Julian wouldnt get a fair trial once returned to the United States. Hrafnsson summarised the outcome as a win for Julian Assange, but not necessarily a win for journalism. Assanges personal victory is not guaranteed. His continued detention in a maximum security prison has been rendered still more outrageous and indefensible by the refusal to extradite. He faces no charges anywhere except in the US, where the UK court has now ruled that he cannot be justly tried. There are not the slightest grounds for his incarceration. Baraitsers ruling is also a de facto admission of the criminality of the British government and its legal system. The fact that Assange is, in her words, a depressed and sometimes despairing man, who is genuinely fearful about his future and at substantial risk of suicide is not solely due to a fear of what awaits him in the US, but the product of his sadistic treatment at the hands of the British state. In May 2019, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer visited Assange with a medical doctor and a psychologist. He announced that month that Assange had suffered nine years of persistent and progressively severe abuse by the US, its allies and the media, resulting in medically verifiable symptoms of psychological torture. The UK government rejected his concerns. In November 2019, an international group of doctors signed an open letter warning that Assange could die in prison due to the conditions of his incarceration and insisting that he be assessed and treated in a properly equipped and expertly staffed university teaching hospital. The group founded the Doctors for Assange campaign, which has condemned Assanges torture and medical neglect. Baraitser now refers to evidence of severe psychological symptoms, such as hallucinations and suicidal ideas and planning, in justifying her refusal to extradite. The only just conclusion to draw from her decision is that the WikiLeaks founder must be immediately set free and accorded proper medical care and support, with full compensation for the monstrous persecution he has suffered at the hands of the US, UK, Australian and Swedish states. Baraitsers finding that conditions in the US prison system would lead Assange to suicide is a damning indictment of American imperialism and the barbaric security apparatus established under the banner of the War on Terror. In her decision, she explained, Mr. Assange faces the bleak prospect of severely restrictive detention conditions designed to remove physical contact and reduce social interaction and contact with the outside world to a bare minimum. She cited the evidence of defence witness Maureen Baird, a US Bureau of Prisons official for 27 years, who testified in Septembers hearing that the prison Assange would be held in was not built for humanity. The fight to defend Assange must continue until the threat of this brutal and vindictive punishment is wholly withdrawn. Stella Moris, speaking outside the court, cautioned, As long as Julian has to endure suffering and isolation as an un-convicted prisoner in Belmarsh Prison and as long as our children continue to be bereft of their fathers love and affection, we cannot celebrate Today is the first step towards justice in this case. We are pleased that the court has recognised the seriousness and inhumanity of what he has endured and what he faces. But lets not forget, the indictment in the US has not been dropped. We are extremely concerned that the US government has decided to appeal this decision. It continues to want to punish Julian and make him disappear into the deepest darkest hole of the US prison system for the rest of his life. Assanges legal team and supporters all over the world deserve to be congratulated. Mondays decision is a victory for everyone who took a stand on this most significant legal case of the twenty-first century, and a necessary step towards ending Assanges persecution. But there is no room for complacency. Assanges freedom must be fought for and the assault on democratic rights of which his case is the spearhead must be defeated. These outcomes are assured only through the mobilisation of ever wider layers of the international working class and all defenders of democratic rights. The immediate and urgent demand must be: Release Julian Assange now! A statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar installed on government land without permission was removed by the administration and 24 people, including the district unit head and the general secretary of the Bhim Army, were arrested in this connection, police said on Tuesday. Tension had prevailed in Umra village under the Aurai police station area after a statue of Ambedkar, one of the principal architects of the Indian Constitution and Dalit icon, was installed on the gram samaj land identified by the village head for building a public toilet, they said. On Sunday night, a large number of people belonging to the Dalit community had gathered during a programme and installed a four-feet-tall statue of Ambedkar on the land, police said. Ashish Mishra, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Aurai, said the statue was removed late on Monday night and four people were arrested from the spot. Twenty others were arrested Tuesday morning when they tried to stage a protest, he added. Police said mild force was used to disperse the people guarding the statue Monday night. Srikant Rai, Station House Officer of Kotwali police station, said on information about the removal of the statue, district unit head of Bhim Army Saheb Saurabh and general secretary Vinod Gautam with hundreds of supporters tried to disrupt traffic near the Tehsil campus but were chased away by policemen. As many as 20 people, including the two Bhim Army office bearers, were arrested, Rai said, adding additional police and Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed in the village to maintain law and order. The lekhpal (a land revenue official) of the area has filed a case against 25 people for raising a structure on government land without permission, officials had said. All people involved in installing the statue are being identified, they had said. Mumbai (Maharashtra)/New Delhi [India], January 5 (ANI/NewsVoir): Arjun Goswami has joined Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas as Director - Public Policy Practice. He will be heading the Firm's public policy practice across offices and will be based at Mumbai and New Delhi. Before joining the Firm, he was with Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila, Philippines as a Chief, Regional Cooperation and Integration Thematic Group (RCI) from 2009 and with ADB since 1996. As a Chief of RCI he was responsible for operational planning, RCI corporate reporting, RCI quality and skills enhancement, innovative RCI pipeline development through operationally relevant knowledge products, key seminars and RCI resource mobilization; joint initiatives with Sector and Thematic Groups; Chair/Member of Integrity Oversight Committee; Chair, Appeals Committee. He has also worked with Standard Chartered Bank, Mumbai as Head of Legal and Compliance from 1992 to 1996 and as an Attorney with Swidler & Berlin, Washington DC, USA from 1987 to 1992. "I am extremely delighted to have Arjun Goswami join us to lead the public policy practice. The Firm has been in the forefront working with several regulatory bodies and developing feasible strategies for its clients. His vast experience in this space will help us build the practice," said Cyril Shroff, Managing Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, while welcoming Goswami on board. Goswami has MSc in Financial Management from School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, UK, He has a degree in BA, MA, from Oxford University, LLM in Public International Law from Cambridge University, UK and JD (Juris Doctor) from American University, USA "I am delighted to be joining India's leading law firm, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. At no time has the public policy reform space in India been more vibrant and urgent. So, I am especially excited to be drawing on my experience to help spearhead the firm's public policy practice in partnership with the outstanding members of the firm," said Goswami, Director - Public Policy, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, on his appointment. India's Leading Law Firm, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas was founded on May 11 2015 and takes forward the values going back 103 years, of the erstwhile Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co. Tracing its professional lineage to 1917, the Firm has 750 lawyers, including over 130 partners, and offices in India's key business centres at Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. The Firm advises a large, and varied client base that includes domestic and foreign commercial enterprises, financial institutions, private equity funds, venture capital funds, start-ups and governmental and regulatory bodies. The firm was recently named in '25 Most Innovative Companies of the Year' by CII. Also, received "Law Firm of the Year" award at the Asian Legal Business (ALB) India Law Awards 2020 and "Law Firm of the Year, India" at the Asialaw Regional Awards 2020. The firm was recognised as the "Most Innovative National Law Firm of the Year - India for 2020" at the IFLR Asia Awards and voted as the "Employer of Choice for 2020" from India, by the Asian Legal Business. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In what is billed as a climbdown, the global e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. has decided to take back all cases it has filed against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray, other party leaders and activists, officials said here on Tuesday. At an ongoing hearing in the cases before the Dindoshi Sessions Court, the Amazon Transportation Service Ltd.'s lawyers submitted an affidavit seeking a withdrawal of its Suit (No. 1119/2020), against the party leaders. Simultaneously, the company has also agreed to incorporate the Marathi language option for Maharashtrian customers on its app - which was the prime demand of the party, said MNS Spokesperson Sandip Deshpande. In view of the latest developments, Thackeray - who had been directed to appear before the Dindoshi Court on Jan. 5, was not required to go there, he added. MNS Youth leader Akhil Chitre said that the Amazon's legal team has held several discussions with them after which they agreed to withdraw the suit and other cases against various leaders. "This is a very positive step for all concerned. After the company assured that it would do the needful for the cause of Marathi language, we had withdrawn our agitation against Amazon.com one week ago," Deshpande told IANS. He made it clear that the MNS was not asking to drop other languages but merely sought the inclusion of Marathi for the Marathi-speaking customers' convenience while shopping online. It may be recalled that since Oct. 2020, the MNS had been agitating for incorporating Marathi on Amazon's apps, and started a campaign - 'No Marathi, No Amazon'. After several meetings with MNS leaders and even assuring to do the needful, the MNC had hit back by filing several cases against the party and its office-bearers. In late-December, the Dindoshi Court directed Thackeray to appear in connection with a suit filed against him by the company. Apparently furious over this, a group of angry MNS activists retaliated by vandalising at least three warehouses of Amazon in Mumbai and Pune on Dec. 25 - at the height of the festival delivery season. Though MNS leaders declined to disclose details of the understanding they had reached with the e-commerce giant, it is learnt that it would include a written undertaking on providing the Marathi option on its app, and local officials are likely to tender an apology to Thackeray. With this, the MNS ended one chapter on its three-month long war with Amazon and launched another front - this time propounding the case for Mumbai vis-a-vis Bombay - the latter which is still used by certain organisations or institutions. REHOVOT, Israel, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aleph Farms, Ltd. , and Mitsubishi Corporation's Food Industry Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring cultivated meat to the Japanese table. Aleph Farms will provide its proven, scalable manufacturing platform (BioFarm) for cultivation of whole-muscle steaks. Mitsubishi Corporation will provide its expertise in biotechnology processes, branded food manufacturing, and local distribution channels in Japan. Aleph Farms and Mitsubishi Bring Cultivated Meat to Japan. "The MoU with Mitsubishi Corporation's Food Industry Group marks an important milestone for us, as we methodically build the foundations of our global go-to-market activities with selected partners," notes Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms. Mitsubishi Corporation is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates a global network of 1,700 group companies in 90 countries. With yearly revenue of US$140B, Mitsubishi Corporation is comprised of 10 Business Groups covering virtually every industry. The Food Industry Group covers food resources, fresh foods, consumer products, and food ingredients, and is active in every link of the food supply chain, from the production and sourcing of raw materials to the manufacturing of finished food products. "The cooperation demonstrates Aleph Farms' strategy of working together with the food and meat industries to ensure a successful integration of cultivated meat within the ecosystem, while maximizing the positive impact we make," adds Toubia. "We are excited to bring cultivated meat production closer to the Japanese market." This cooperation takes a lead role in the fight against climate change, especially now that the Japanese government stipulated a goal of achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions. In April 2020, Aleph Farms committed to eliminating emissions associated with its meat production by 2025 and reach the same net-zero emissions across its entire supply chain by 2030. As the demand for meat continues to rise with evolving lifestyles, the cooperation will also provide actionable solutions to overcome the societal challenges to the local population surrounding the domestic meat supply. This includes implementing stable food channels of quality nutrition. "This is part of a network of 'BioFarm to Fork' strategic partnerships being developed by Aleph Farms in APAC, LATAM, and Europe, following the successful 2019 Round-A strategic investment by Cargill and the Migros Group in Switzerland," reports Gary Brenner, VP of Market Development at Aleph Farms. Aleph Farms and Mitsubishi Corporation are members of the "Cellular Agriculture Study Group", a consortium implementing policy proposals under the Japanese Center for Rule-Making Strategy. The consortium brings together a range of experts on the definition and construction of cellular agricultural foods. It also adds clarification of conditions for Japanese products and technologies to have international competitiveness and establishes mechanisms for coexistence and division of roles with existing industries. About Aleph Farms: Aleph Farms is a food company that is paving a new way forward as a leader of the global sustainable food ecosystem, working passionately to grow delicious beef steaks from non-genetically engineered cells, isolated from a cow, using a fraction of the resources required for raising an entire animal for meat, and without antibiotics. Aleph Farms was co-founded with The Kitchen Hub of the Strauss Group and with Professor Shulamit Levenberg, Dean of the Biomedical Engineering faculty of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Aleph Farms is backed by some of the world's most innovative food producers, such as Cargill, Migros, and the Strauss Group. The company has recently received top accolades for its contribution to the global sustainability movement from the World Economic Forum, UNESCO, Netexplo Forum and EIT Food. For further information, please contact: Company Contact: Press Contact Aleph Farms NutriPR Mr. Yoav Reisler External Relations Manager at Aleph Farms Tel: +972-52-4559924 [email protected] Ms. Liat Simha Tel: +972-9-974-2893 [email protected] www.nutripr.com Twitter: @LiatSimha SOURCE Aleph Farms Related Links https://aleph-farms.com City, volunteers to line Highway 81 with flowers The City of Watertown Parks and Recreation Department and volunteers will be planting flowers along Highway 81 starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 26. On-demand pay shifted from a "nice to have" benefit to an essential one in 2020. Over one-third of employed Americans (36%) are currently relying on their employer for financial assistance programs ( Harris Poll ). As such, on-demand pay has exploded in adoption, rapidly becoming the way Americans prefer to get paid. In fact, a recent study showed one in six job seekers are looking for an employer that offers on-demand pay. As the on-demand pay industry continues to evolve and expand, federal regulatory guidance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has emerged. And this is great news for DailyPay, whose approach to the market, an employer-based, low-cost, non-recourse platform, has been validated by the CFPB. It's bad news for those in the industry whose model includes employee account debiting, and it includes a variety of considerations, concerns and restrictions impacting vendors of wage deduction programs and their employer clients. On December 30, 2020, the CFPB issued a follow-up order in response to its November 30, 2020 advisory opinion , which provides guidance on certain EWA programs. Three important takeaways from the December CFPB EWA order include the following: Utilizing debiting as a form of EWA payback may be considered an extension of credit and is excluded from the CFPB order's safe harbor. Debiting consumer bank accounts continues to be a dangerous and strongly disfavored practice, both by the CFPB and other state authorities, and debiting is a common practice in "credit transactions." Wage deductions continue to be illegal in many states and employers using a wage-deduction model have to contend with additional compliance obligations and restrictions, including employer auditing, reporting, manual payroll deduction processes, and other obligations for deduction programs in the opinion and order. Safe harbor determinations do not protect vendors and employers equally. For example, the safe harbor in the December 30 order gives a vendor credit safe harbor coverage, but does not provide employers any safe harbor against state wage and hour wage deduction restrictions, and may specifically burden employers working with certain vendors. "From day one, DailyPay has intentionally never required any form of employee payback, debiting or payroll deduction that would implicate the extension of credit," said Jason Lee, CEO and co-founder, DailyPay. "The primary aim of an on-demand pay program should be to enhance the financial stability of employees. Debiting puts employees at risk for surprise overdraft fees or insufficient funds charges, which runs counter to this mission. Further, wage deductions for EWA continue to be prohibited at the state level in many states. We are pleased to see that the CFPB has not endorsed these practices as a means of repayment, and look forward to continuing to provide hard-working Americans with their already earned pay in a consistent, compliant manner." DailyPay has never required any form of employee payback, debiting or wage deduction that would implicate the extension of credit. The November CFPB opinion and the December CFPB EWA Approval Order were narrow issuances of guidance, to provide clarity around which practices of other providers are problematic. Particularly, the December order indicates that wage deduction programs still face restrictions and prohibitions under state wage and hour laws. The safe harbor under the December order does not resolve this key risk. Providers with wage deduction methods can expose their partner employers to this and other legal risks, and are not covered for these risks under the November opinion or the December order. Furthermore, employers relying on wage deduction-based programs must now contend with additional restrictions and concerns regarding this practice. DailyPay has created an ecosystem with the most advanced, modern technology stack in the industry, and delivers the most secure, compliant, seamless and employer and employee-friendly, on-demand pay benefit in the rapidly growing marketplace. "Companies and organizations who choose a non-compliant vendor risk violating state wage and hour and Department of Labor rules, tax law, other regulatory violations and expose themselves to potential danger for employee-led legal action, including class actions," said Matthew Kopko, Vice President, Public Policy, DailyPay. "As we continue to watch regulation in this industry unfold, we expect only the highest quality standards to be upheld." About DailyPay: DailyPay is the award-winning , recognized gold standard on-demand pay platform offering comprehensive pay experience solutions to world-class companies and their millions of employees, including Adecco and Berkshire Hathaway. DailyPay has created an ecosystem with the most advanced, modern technology stack in the industry and delivers the most secure, compliant and seamless on-demand pay benefit in the rapidly growing marketplace. DailyPay is headquartered in New York City with operations based in Minneapolis. For more information, visit www.dailypay.com/press . Contact: Sehrish Sayani Email: [email protected] Website: dailypay.com SOURCE DailyPay Related Links https://www.dailypay.com The Greening Of Streaming: Akamai Achieves Renewable Energy Goals Despite Pandemic Surge Mike Mattera, Akamai's director of corporate sustainability, today published a fascinating blog post focused on what we here at Streaming Media call the Greening of Streaming. It details how the streaming behemoth stuck to its goal of using renewable energy for its east coast data center, despite the unprecedented surge in streaming media delivery demands during mid 2020. "When you sit down to catch a movie or binge watch that latest series, do you consider the effect that streamed content has on the rest of the world?" writes Mattera. "We will continue to see an uptick in carbon emissions from the power required to serve online content: servers, network hardware, and the energy needed to keep it all cool." Mattera notes that, even with the continued demand on Akamai Intelligent Edge throughout the pandemic, Akamai stuck to its commitment to renewable energy. "Akamai was able to keep our emissions in check and our reduction goals on track," writes Mattera. "In just a few short days at the start of the pandemic, the world took to the internet at once, creating demand for content the likes of which we had never seen before. We saw what's normally a year's worth of traffic growth over the course of just one month." In a 2018 press release, Akamai noted that a group of companies including Etsy and Swiss Re Group were attempting to bring online a wind-to-electricity energy farm in Illinois and a solar-panel-to-electricity energy farm in northern Virginia. "The group, with technical assistance from 3Degrees, will collectively purchase 125 megawatts from a wind farm near Chicago and 165 megawatts from a solar PV project outside Fredericksburg, Virginia," the 2018 press release notes. "The solar and wind projects will be developed by sPower (an AES and AIMCo company) and Geronimo Energy, respectively." The solar farm in Virginia is close to the "data alley" section of northern Virginia's Loudon County, which serves as a major interconnect point for domestic data traffic for U.S. states that touch the Atlantic Ocean, as well as for international IP traffic coming from Europe and the UK. Today's blog post notes that both projects have been completed. Since I live close to the southern tip of Virginia, where we have a limited amount of sunlightat least compared to Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, which have significant solar panel energy farmsI was curious about how Akamai and its partners accomplished their goal of 100% renewable energy in northern Virginia. "We worked with the developer to procure enough renewable energy during the daylight hours to cover our loads in Virginia," says Mattera, noting that the amount was equivalent to four times their standard load to help offset other areas. "The power generated during the daylight hours produces the credits we need to run our whole operation on renewable power," he says. When it comes to streaming during the pandemic, I also asked about the Intelligent Edge, changing demands that Akamai has faced, and what impact that had on planning for continued increases in both live and VOD across the winter months. "We did see increases in both live and VOD traffic and expect that to be the case during the winter months since people are confined to their homes still," says Mattera, noting that live traffic continues to be driven by sporting or major news events. "The U.S. election drove a significant amount of traffic during the [ballot] count," said Mattera. "Globally most traffic increases are stemming from VOD, simply because we are continuing to see a huge transition to on-demand." Mattera also notes that, in addition to VOD and live streaming, two other areas have contributed to traffic spikes: online gaming and software downloads. "In November, on top of our typical holiday traffic we saw a great increase in traffic due to new COVID-19 lockdown across the world," says Mattera. "Both [March and November] platform surges were mainly related to VOD traffic and software downloads. We also expect to see a big increase right after Christmas and well into the new year as new devices (i.e., gifts) start to come online." Part of the catalyst for the renewables push in Virginia came as part of Akamai's support of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) which was signed into law in March 2020, just as the pandemic lockdowns began. "VCEA puts the commonwealth and its Data Center Alley on a clear path to 100 percent zero-carbon electricity by 2045," Mattera wrote in today's blog post. He also notes that Akamai isn't stopping at just using solar energy for the northern Virginia location. "We are looking at options to get to 24/7 continuous generation renewable using other renewable sources," he says. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Related Articles Monica Moon, Iva Hendon, Rachel Williams and Susan Stephens rode together for a 780-mile trip from Jasper to Washington, D.C., in mid-November in a show of support for President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the November 3 presidential election. Inside a van that was all Trumped up with MAGA flags whipping in the air, the women were honked at by truckers and given thumbs up by strangers encountered at gas stations and restaurants. The journey took the Jasper women to the massive Stop the Steal rally commonly referred to as the Million MAGA March. I wasnt sure about it, said Williams, 49. Four ladies driving across the country from the South to the North. I was hoping we would not get cussed out when we stopped for gas or something to eat. I wasnt sure how wed be received. But driving across the country, everywhere we stopped, people were excited. The energy was amazing. The trip inspired efforts to coordinate a return journey from Jasper to Washington, D.C., that kicks off at 5 p.m. Tuesday and will coincide with the last-ditch effort by Republicans in Congress to overturn the election results. Everyone is so excited and so pumped, and its definitely worth it, said Moon, 55. Were looking at a celebration. Buses from Alabama picking up folks along the way to DC #MarchForTrump #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/0tGX6qQWxs Terry Lathan (@ChairmanLathan) January 5, 2021 Busloads to D.C. More than 100 people will be on board two chartered buses that will leave from Jasper High School. The overnight drive will take the two buses to Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning for what could be a final pro-Trump rally ahead of President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on January 20. We went to that first rally it was a throw-together type of thing, said Moon. I said, wouldnt it be cool to get a bus to go so we didnt have to worry about driving. We didnt think wed get enough people to do it. Congress is expected to certify the Electoral College votes despite widespread opposition by Republicans in the House and from a dozen GOP senators who are backing baseless claims about stolen votes and voter fraud by Trump and his re-election campaign. Most of Alabamas GOP congressional lawmakers are planning to join the effort to toss Electoral College votes in battleground states, such as next-door Georgia, that narrowly backed Biden. But the doomed effort in Congress isnt dampening enthusiasm among the Alabama MAGA faithful. Travelers will arrive to Jasper from Florence, Muscle Shoals, and Mobile, who will then take the bus to Washington, D.C. One woman is flying from California to Birmingham and then to Jasper. Attendees will spend $125 to help defray the costs of the trip, which includes the bus rental. An extra $5 will go toward purchasing a hotel room for the bus driver who will rest while the passengers rally in Washington, D.C. We asked for a deposit of at least $100 to secure a seat and they did that through Venmo, Pay Pal or they brought us cash, said Stephens, 74, who might be the only woman who was part of the November trip not to attend this weeks journey. She said she will stay behind and spend time with her husband who is slated to receive radiation treatments soon for prostate cancer. Stephens and Moon said the trip has been in the planning stages for about a week. Other bus trips and caravans leaving from Alabama to Washington, D.C., are also in the works including one being planned by the Common Sense Campaign tea party in Baldwin County. The closer it gets, the more intense people are, said Stephens. its call after call after call and text messages. Said Williams, who is Stephens daughter, Were all going to be spending 36 hours together (on the same bus) so well get to know each other very well in close quarters. One thing well have in common is our political beliefs and standing up for our freedoms and our country and fighting back. Lose our country Pictured from left to right: Rachel Williams, Iva Hendon, Monica Moon and Susan Stephens. The women, all from Jasper, attended the "Stop the Steal" rally on November 14, 2020, in Washington, D.C. They will return to DC for another rally that will held on the day Congress votes to certify the Electoral College votes on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. (photo submitted by Rachel Williams). Indeed, the women have all cited concerns about Trumps loss in the presidential contest. But they are also concerned about the overall direction of the country under a Biden presidency. I feel like for the first time in my life, weve encountered a situation that if we dont stand up and fight for our country, well lose our country, said Williams. Im not in a position to do anything big or grand, but I feel like this is a way to stand up and make a sacrifice in my small little way. Its a tiresome trip. The bus will arrive to the Capitol on Wednesday morning for the rally and will leave Washington, D.C., at 6 p.m. for an overnight return to Jasper. The bus will return to Jasper High School parking lot sometime Thursday morning. Our younger generation needs to see that sometimes it takes sacrifice, said Williams, a mother of four children ages 22, 20, 18 and 16. If we dont put ourselves out there, our freedoms and our country can get stripped away from us. She added, My children are looking at me with a puzzled look Have you lost your mind? They are saying, Mom, its over. Williams said she has been blown away at the level of fraud that she believes occurred during the election. Trump, for weeks, has claimed the election was stolen from him even if the allegations are baseless and do not include any evidence, proven during a rash of court challenges since November 3, about widespread voter fraud that could alter the elections outcome. You have to have faith and you stand on your beliefs and everything that is thrown your way, said Williams. Stephens said her concerns are two-fold: She hopes Congress takes action to allow Trump to serve a second four-year term, and she is concerned about election security. To me, its bigger than Trump, said Stephens. Its our nation. If we dont have confidence in our elections going forward, we are not America anymore. Right now, I dont have confidence in future elections, period. Moon said the purpose for traveling to Washington, D.C., boils down to a simple contest of good versus evil. Its more about America and our constitutional rights and were all just very hopeful and faithful that this will be taken care of, said Moon. Columbia, MO (65201) Today Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms later during the night. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The government also said that thus far the UK strain of the coronavirus has been detected in 71 people, but that there is no untoward cluster of the new strain The Union health ministry, in a press briefing on Tuesday, stated that it is ready to roll out the coronavirus vaccine by 13 January, and added that the Central Government will make a final decision on the launch date soon. The ministry, also releasing latest COVID-19 data in India, asserted that there were no 'untoward clusters' of the new virus strain, which was first detected in Britain. Here are the key takeaways from the presser: 1) The health ministry is ready to roll out the coronavirus vaccine in India as early as 13 January, which is just 10 days from the day the government granted Emergency Use Approval to two vaccine candidates, the indigenously produced Oxford Astrazenca vaccine and the locally developed Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. 2) Professor Balrama Bhargava, director general, Indian Council of Medical Research has said that there is no ban on the export of vaccine. Earlier, there were some concerns raised after initial indication by vaccine manufacturer that they will supply vaccine to India's vulnerable population before exporting it overseas. India is a leading drugs and vaccine supplier for many South Asian and developing countries across the globe. 3) The ministry also said that thus far, the new strain of the virus found in the UK has been detected in 71 people. However, there is no untoward cluster of the new strain, the ministry added. "In terms of the new UK mutant issue, this mutation has entered this country and 71 have been isolated which shows our capacity to mount that kind of a scientific investigation. But at the same time we have not seen the emergence of any untoward cluster in the country as of now which is reassuring so far," NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr VK Paul said. 4) On the two vaccines that have been granted approval for restricted emergency use by the DCGI, Paul reiterated that in granting this permission and authorisation all scientific and statutory requirements have been met and regulatory norms followed. 5) The vaccine roll-out will be facilitated by the indigenously developed Co-Win app which will be a compiled database for the inoculation programme and a way to track recipient's health and progress. 6) For Phase 1 of vaccine roll-out, healthcare workers and frontline workers won't have to register themselves as their database has been populated on to the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk manner. However, when the inoculation programme reaches the stage where the population priority group is receiving the shot, then the provision of registration and editing of data would be made available. 7) Co-WIN will have a provision that one can create a unique health ID and to store the acknowledgement receipt in digi locker which is free to use. "In case of an adverse event, to ensure its real time reporting there is a provision in Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system," health secretary Bhushan said. 8) Bhushan further said that Co-WIN has the facility of automated session allocation, Aadhaar authentication to prevent malpractice, creation of Unique Health ID for willing beneficiaries, reporting and tracking of adverse events following immunization, if any, SMSes in 12 languages to guide beneficiaries and vaccinators, QR code-based vaccination certificate issued after all doses, DigiLocker integrated for data retrieval and storing QR code-based certificate, 24x7 Helpline including IT professionals. 9) Bhushan said of the total active COVID-19 cases presently, 43.96 percent patients are at healthcare facilities, while 56.04 percent are in home isolation. "India's cumulative COVID-19 positivity rate has declined to 5.87 percent; last week positivity rate was recorded at 1.97 percent. Overall burden on healthcare infrastructure in country on account of COVID-19 has declined appreciably," he said. 10) The average COVID-19 recovered cases have been exceeding the average daily new cases for last five weeks, the health ministry said, adding that daily positivity rate of COVID-19 is continuously declining and has been less than 3 percent from 23 December, 2020, to 5 January 2021. 11) Of the total active COVID-19 cases presently, 43.96 percent patients are in healthcare facilities, while 56.04 percent are in home isolation. 12) India's cumulative COVID-19 positivity rate has declined to 5.87 percent; last week positivity rate was recorded at 1.97 percent. Overall burden on healthcare infrastructure in country on account of COVID-19 has declined appreciably, the health ministry said. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 4, 2021 / GlobeX Data Ltd. (OTCQB:SWISF)(CSE:SWIS) ("GlobeX" or the "Company"), the leader in Swiss hosted secure data management and secure communications, is pleased to announce that it has received interest for an oversubscribed private placement offering for a total of 9,000,000 Units (as defined below) at a price of CA$0.12 per Unit for total gross proceeds of CA$1,080,000. Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") and one share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase an additional share at a price of $0.15 per share for a two-year term (the "Warrant Term"). The private placement was oversubscribed, since there was a limit of 9,000,000 units available under a previous filing with the CSE for a price reservation expiring January 16 2021. The Company is now processing all the administrative work in order to close the financing and file all regulatory papers and notices by January 15 2021. A separate press release will be issued with full details of the financing gross and net proceeds and any fees associated with this financing. The Company CEO and CFO are participating in the placement as well with subscriptions of 1.65 million units, or almost 19% of the total offering. The Company plans to use the proceeds of this financing primarily or the marketing of its Sekur security solution offering secure email, instant messaging and file sharing, as well as any other marketing related activity for sales in North America, Latin America and South Asia. About GlobeX Data Ltd. GlobeX Data Ltd. is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure data management and secure communications. The Company distributes a suite of secure cloud-based storage, disaster recovery, document management, encrypted e-mails, and secure communication tools. GlobeX Data Ltd. sells its products through its approved wholesalers and distributors, and telecommunications companies worldwide. GlobeX Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide. On behalf of Management GLOBEX DATA LTD. Alain Ghiai President and Chief Executive Officer +1.416.644.8690 corporate@globexdatagroup.com For more information please contact GlobeX Data at corporate@globexdatagroup.com or visit us at https://globexdatagroup.com. Forward-Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. GlobeX cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond GlobeX's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in GlobeX's prospectus dated May 8, 2019 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, GlobeX undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. SOURCE: GlobeX Data Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623084/GlobeX-Data-Ltd-Announces-Oversubscribed-Private-Placement Iran launched exercises featuring a wide array of domestically produced drones on Tuesday, Iranian media reported, days after the anniversary of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general by a drone strike in Iraq. Iran and the regional forces it backs have increasingly relied in recent years on drones in Yemen, Syria, Iraq and the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf. Iran's armed forces are to test combat drones used as bombers, interceptors and in reconnaissance missions in the two-day exercises in central Semnan province, the semi-official Fars news agency said. "The fingers of our heroic armed forces are on the trigger, and if enemies commit the slightest mistake, the armed forces will surely respond fiercely," said Mohammad Baqeri, chief of staff of the armed forces, quoted by state media. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said U.S. President Donald Trump may be trying to find an excuse to attack Iran in his last days in office, or Israel might try to provoke a war. Israel rejected the allegation. The exercises coincided with increased tensions between Iran and the United States, two days after the first anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad airport, and two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Biden aims to revive a nuclear agreement with Iran abandoned by Trump, though diplomacy is expected to be tricky. Beyond surveillance, Iranian drones can drop munitions and also carry out a "kamikaze" flight when loaded with explosives and flown into a target, according to a U.S. official who spoke to Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-iran-drones-idUSKCN1UC1X4. Iran has developed a large domestic arms industry in the face of international sanctions and embargoes barring it from importing many weapons. Western military analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its weapons capabilities, though concerns about its ballistic missiles contributed to Washington leaving the nuclear pact. Short link: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said that while she is taking a thoughtful approach to Congress certification of the Electoral College scheduled for Wednesday, she does expect to join objections planned by a number of Republicans. Under the Constitution, Congress needs to certify the Electoral College results from December that officially elected former Vice President Joe Biden as the next president by a margin of 306-232. Malliotakis said during a radio interview Monday that she intends to join dozens of Republican members of the House of Representatives in objecting to some of the states results. I dont see a situation where I dont object to some of these states, the recently elected congresswoman said during a Monday interview with Kevin McCullough on AM 570. On Tuesday, Malliotakis office did not answer a request for comment on which states she intends to object to. Nor did her emailed response answer direct questions on whether she believes Joe Biden won the election or if a Democrat will take office on Jan. 20 the constitutionally-mandated inauguration day ratified in the 20th Amendment. There are a handful of states, not including New York, in which there are witnesses, affidavits, and other evidence of significant voting irregularities, she said. Ive joined colleagues in writing to Speaker Pelosi requesting that these irregularities be investigated in a transparent manner. To date, we have not heard that any action will be taken. I dont see a situation where I dont object to some of the states electors, however, I want to approach this in a mindful, thoughtful manner and look forward to tomorrows debate. It doesnt matter if its 100 votes, 1,000 votes, or enough votes to change the outcome of the election. This is about rooting out fraud, holding those who commit it accountable and ensuring the integrity of our election system which I believe is the foundation of our democracy. She weighed in on Tuesdays U.S. Senate runoff election in Georgia during a morning interview with Fox Business, saying it was important to elect the two Republican candidates for the seats. While not referencing Biden directly, one of her answers implied that shed accepted his victory in the Nov. 3 election against President Trump. She compared what is at stake in Georgia with the current power structure in New York where Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is joined by Democratic control of the states Assembly and Senate. Looking at my state, you can get a sense of what would happen if the Senate were to go in Democratic hands, she said. Now with Democrats controlling everything in New York we have seen far-left, radical policies. During Wednesdays hearing scheduled for 1 p.m., election tellers, members of the Senate and House appointed from both parties, will read the Electoral College results from each state. Any member of Congress can object to a states electoral certification during the hearing, but the presiding officer normally the president of the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence will not hear the objection unless it is in writing and signed by a member of both chambers. If the vice president is unable to serve as presiding officer, the responsibility falls to the Senate pro-tempore, which has typically been the most senior Senator of the majority party, currently Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). Pences office has expressed support for Republican attempts to delay the certification. On Saturday, his chief of staff, Marc Short said Pence shares the concerns of millions of Americans about voter fraud and irregularities in the last election. The Vice President welcomes the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use the authority they have under the law to raise objections and bring forward evidence before the Congress and the American people on January 6th, the statement reads, according to an NPR report. That statement followed a joint announcement from 11 Republican senators, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), saying they planned to object to results from unidentified states if Congress doesnt launch a committee to investigate voter fraud claims. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) has also expressed his intention to sign objections to the results from unidentified states. Objections from individual members of Congress arent uncommon. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) objected to the results of the 2016 presidential election, but that did not go forward because no member of the Senate joined in the objection. The last time the presiding officer heard an objection was in 2005 when two Democrats former Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) and former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California) objected to Ohios results in favor of former President George W. Bush. As is their responsibility with all heard objections, the Senate and House debated that objection in 2005. They decided to strike it down. John Kerry, the losing candidate in that election, did not publicly support the effort, and had already conceded, which President Trump has not done. For an objection to be sustained, both chambers need to agree to do so by simple majority votes. Since Democrats have control of the House, that outcome is considered unlikely. Therefore, the electoral votes will be certified, and Biden will be sworn in Jan. 20. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has also expressed opposition to efforts from members of his own party to object to election results. After the Electoral College voted for President-elect Biden on Dec. 14, McConnell congratulated the former vice president on his election as 46th president of the United States. As cause for her intended objections, Mallitoakis has pointed to the need for an investigation into election integrity despite the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud, as confirmed by Trumps former Attorney General William Barr. In December, Malliotakis signed onto a letter with 25 of her fellow newly elected Republican members of Congress to congressional investigation into the 2020 election. During her Monday radio interview, the congresswoman said there were states that changed their laws via governors executive orders, and that would be unconstitutional. Cuomo issued a number of executive orders ahead of the 2020 primary and general elections that expanded access to absentee ballots, because of concerns about the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On Tuesday, Malliotakis emailed statement specified that New York is not one of the states where she believes voting irregularities occurred, and she did not answer a question as to whether she considered any of Cuomos orders to be unconstitutional. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 19:17:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed lower Tuesday on selling prompted by a month-long coronavirus state of emergency likely to be declared in the capital and neighboring areas later this week. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 99.75 points, or 0.37 percent, from Monday to close the day at 27,158.63. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, lost 3.37 points, or 0.19 percent, to finish at 1,791.22. Trading got off to a lackluster start following U.S. shares dropping overnight, local brokers said. They added that uncertainty about Senate runoffs in the U.S. state of Georgia contributed to a risk-off mood. The elections will determine who will control the Senate. A win for the Democrats will be a boon for U.S. President-elect Joe Biden who will be able to bolster stimulus among other measures, whereas a loss would mean that passing the Democrats' agenda will become a harder process. "There is little reason to buy hastily today ahead of the runoff in Georgia," Yuya Fukue, a trader at Rheos Capital Works, was quoted as saying. A broad range of issues, however, were sold ahead of a possible state of emergency over the coronavirus being declared by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga later this week, applicable to the Greater Tokyo area that has seen COVID-19 cases rise exponentially since mid-November. The steady rise in positive virus cases has led to the health care system being increasingly strained with medical professionals warning it could buckle if the COVID-19 situation continues unabated. Suga said on Tuesday that a decision to declare another state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures owing to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in these areas will be made on Thursday. "What the people want from the government and the ruling party is a sense of security and hope. We will put the coronavirus response first and work hard at it," Suga told an executive meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Tuesday. Government officials said the emergency declaration is expected to take place from Thursday or Friday and is likely to be kept in place for roughly one month for Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures. Tokyo accounts for the most infections among all of Japan's 47 prefectures and the greater Tokyo area and its three surrounding prefectures comprise around 50 percent of the about 3,000 new daily cases reported on average of late. "While a broad range of issues were sold, those hit hard by the pandemic such as airlines and department stores met heavy selling," Kazuo Kamitani, a strategist in the Investment Content Department of Nomura Securities Co., was quoted as saying. By the close of play, land transportation, pharmaceutical and transportation equipment-linked issues comprised those that declined the most. Issues set to be hurt by a month's worth of restrictions in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa when the state of emergency is declared later this week including transportation, duly lost ground. Among railway operators, Keisei Electric Railway lost 2.7 percent, while Tokyu reversed 2.2 percent. Having rolled out a near complete blanket ban on entries to Japan in late December, with new visa applications being halted, the government may also suspend the entry of business people and students from some countries that have been given eased restrictions. This is in a bid to ensure more cases of the new, highly transmissible virus variant do not enter the country, sources familiar with the matter said. As a result, airlines lost ground, with ANA Holdings dropping 1.2 percent, while Japan Airlines dipped 1.0 percent. Tokyo Disney Resort operator Oriental Land dropped 2 percent ahead of new potential restrictions associated with the virus emergency declarations to be issued later this week. Issues that fell outpaced those that rose by 1,184 to 897 on the First Section, while 106 ended the day unchanged. On the main section on Tuesday, 989.53 million shares changed hands, rising from Monday's volume of 956.48 million shares. The turnover on the second trading day of the week came to 2,133.6 billion yen (20.74 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem "Fevicol ka mazboot jod hai Tootega nahi!" The adhesive brand has time and again impressed its loyalists with its grandiose humour and inimitable style, thanks to their brilliant advertising on television over the years. And with a social media boom everywhere, it is only natural that our favourite adhesive brand will also join in with their impeccable sense of 'mazbooti'. The official Twitter handle of the brand has been posting a series of hilarious tweets that has evoked equally funny responses from netizens. The latest online meme trend of how Indians and Americans respond to different socio-cultural scenario is what caught up with Fevicol too. The brand highlighted the culture difference through the use of songs. : Till death do us part : Chipka le saiyan Fevicol se Fevicol (@StuckByFevicol) January 4, 2021 Netizens also chipped in with their own memes on the same while a few praised the brand for their ingenuity. Vaada Raha Sanam , fevicol sa hoon , jod tootega na kabhi . samir kumar (@samir2305) January 4, 2021 Emphasizing on the 'mazboot jod' of the adhesive, another tweet was a humorous take on a stuck page on printer. For New Years, celebratory champagne is not unheard of. But what happens when the bottle has a mazboot cork on it? Fevicol explained through this tweet. Two days prior to the year ending eve, awaiting December 31, the brand was stuck on the weekend, it said. The week is here but we are still stuck on the weekend #mondaythoughts Fevicol (@StuckByFevicol) December 28, 2020 The curious case of missing monoliths was also tapped into by the adhesive brand. Replying to a post by a handle, Fevicol believed that the structure cannot disappear anymore, since the adhesive's holding it down on its feed. Another tweet played up on the popular 'FLAMES' scribble and came up with this. This one was for Christmas...especially Santa Claus. Emotional movies cannot 'move' them...because, its them. They posed a question to the singles on Singles Day. Check out the tweet: Are you stuck on someone or have you moved on? #HappySinglesday Fevicol (@StuckByFevicol) November 11, 2020 Teams are also united by the adhesive's mazboot jod. Back in 2018, the brand had stormed their way on to the micro-blogging platform. Our TV ads have stuck with you for years. Now, for some more hilarious ads on Twitter follow @StuckByFevicol Fevicol (@StuckByFevicol) March 23, 2018 Owned by Pidilite Industries, the brand has been in existence since 1959 and has established itself as perhaps the most popular adhesive brand in the country. In popular culture, the brand has always been used to indicate strong sense of bonding. Woody, Bobbie J. The Steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end they are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22-23. Bobbie J. Woody made her transition from her residence to her heavenly home Friday, January 1, 2021 at 10:04 p.m. She was born the daughter of Johnnie Woody and the late Ellis R. Woody in Union City, TN. Bobbie was a member of the Lords Sanctuary Church where she assisted the praise and worship leader in finding music for Sunday worship. She loved praise and worship. Bobbie served in the United States Army after high school and afterwards attended Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Memphis, where she received an Associate Degree in electronics. She retired in Petersburg, Virginia. Bobbie leaves many friends and family to cherish her memory; One surviving parent, Johnnie Woody; two sisters, Teresa Woody and Sylvia Woody all of Paducah; two brothers, Ellis Woody of Dallas, TX and Johnny Woody of Metropolis, IL; Two aunts, one uncle, several nieces, nephews and cousins. There will be no services. Pettus Rowland Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Arrested by Ghatkopar Police in a loan fraud case, here on Tuesday while a group of victim Dabbawalas protested. Image Source: IANS News Arrested by Ghatkopar Police in a loan fraud case, here on Tuesday while a group of victim Dabbawalas protested. Image Source: IANS News Arrested by Ghatkopar Police in a loan fraud case, here on Tuesday while a group of victim Dabbawalas protested. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Jan 5 : The Mumbai Police has nabbed a self-styled spokesperson of Mumbai's 'dabbawalas' for an alleged loan fraud in the name of 61 dabbawalas by promising to give them free scooters, an official said here on Tuesday. "A team of our officials picked up the accused, Subhash Talekar, from his village in Pune district and brought him to Mumbai early on Tuesday. He will be produced before a Magistrate Court shortly," Ghatkopar Police Station's Senior Police Inspector Nitin Alaknure told IANS. Besides Talekar, another accomplice in the alleged loan fraud, Vitthal Sawant is absconding and the police are on the lookout for him. Alaknure said that the fraud - amounting to around Rs 7,00,000 - was being perpetrated since 2014, and a complaint was lodged against Talekar in 2019. "Thereafter, investigations were carried out in the matter, but there were hurdles during Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. He had also moved the Bombay High Court for anticipatory bail which was rejected after which we took the action," Alaknure added. The official body of dabbawalas, Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charitable Trust (NMTBSCT) Chairman Ulhas Muke welcomed the development and said the accused has been "ruining the good image" of dabbawalas with such fraudulent practices. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. BEIJING - The former head of state-owned China Huarong Asset Management Co. Ltd. was sentenced to death Tuesday for bribe taking in one of the harshest punishments for economic crimes in recent years. In this image taken from Jan. 5, 2021, video footage run by China's CCTV via AP Video, Lai Xiaomin, the former head of the state-owned China Huarong Asset Management Co.Ltd., attends court at the Second Intermediate People's Court of Tianjin in China. Lai has been sentenced to death for bribe taking in one of the harshest punishments for economic crimes in recent years. (CCTV via AP Video) BEIJING - The former head of state-owned China Huarong Asset Management Co. Ltd. was sentenced to death Tuesday for bribe taking in one of the harshest punishments for economic crimes in recent years. Lai Xiaomin, 58, was also found guilty by the Second Intermediate Peoples Court of Tianjin of lesser charges including corruption and bigamy. Life sentences and suspended death sentences commuted to life after two years are frequently handed down in corruption cases, but death sentences without the chance of reprieve have become rare in recent years. Such sentences are automatically appealed to China's highest court. Lai was placed under investigation by the ruling Communist Party's corruption watchdog in 2018 and expelled from the party later the same year. In its ruling, the Tianjin court cited the especially enormous size of the bribes Lai accepted, saying they exceeded 600 million yuan ($93 million) in one instance. In total, it said Lai collected or sought to collect 1.79 billion yuan (US$260 million) over a decade in exchange for abusing his position to make investments, offer construction contracts, help with promotions and provide other favours. He was also convicted of embezzling more than 25 million yuan (almost $4 million) in state assets and starting a second family while still married to his first wife. Although Lai provided useful details about malfeasance by his subordinates, the seriousness of his bribetaking and degree of harm caused to society" were not enough to win him leniency, the court said in its ruling. Lai Xiaomin is lawless and greedy in the extreme," the ruling said. His crimes are extremely serious and must be punished severely under law." Huarong is one of four entities created in the 1990s to buy nonperforming loans from banks, helping to revive the state-owned finance industry. Such asset management companies expanded into banking, insurance, real estate finance and other fields. Lai was accused of squandering public money, illegally organizing banquets, engaging in sexual dealings with multiple women and taking bribes, the anti-corruption agency said in 2018. Investigators seized hundreds of millions of yuan (tens of millions of dollars) in cash from Lais properties, the Chinese business news magazine Caixin reported in 2018. Lai was one of hundreds of officials at government agencies, state companies and the military who have been detained in an anti-corruption crackdown launched in 2012. Other senior officials snared in the crackdown include a former head of Chinas insurance regulator. Actor Nishant Singh Malkani of Bigg Boss 14 fame met with a car accident on New Years Eve. The actor was driving from Mumbai on his way to Jaisalmer and was accompanied by his friends on a work-cum-pleasure trip. As per reports, a car was approaching Nishants vehicle from the wrong side and rammed into the actors vehicle. As a result of the collision, Nishants SUV suffered damage which was later lifted by a crane. The incident took place on Thursday at around 11 pm. Confirming the incident to The Times of India, Nishant said that he and his friends, fortunately, escaped with no serious injuries. The ex-Bigg Boss 14 contestant said he is absolutely fine and there is nothing to worry about. He said that his car was badly mangled. Recalling the events from the unfortunate accident, Nishant said that the road was rather steep and that he went off the road, to save himself and others, but in vain. He shifted to the left but the car ran into his vehicle. However, thankfully, everyone was saved without any scratch. Nishant revealed that the person responsible for the collision immediately fled from the scene. Nishant mentioned that his first road trip turned out to be an unforgettable one. He and his friends planned to extend their trip and celebrate New Year in the deserts of Rajasthan. He further revealed his family residing in Delhi were extremely worried when they learned about the mishap. Meanwhile, last month, while Nishant was shooting for his upcoming film LAC- Live The Battle in Kargil, his co-star Rahul Roy suffered a brain stroke on the sets. ADVERTISEMENT Nigerias ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has again condemned the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), for criticising the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The party in a statement, on Tuesday, highlighted some of the irregularities peculiar to the PDPs 16 years rule in the country. The PDP dominated Nigerias political space between 1999 and 2015 before the APC took over the presidency and control of the National Assembly. While many Nigerians have argued that the two dominant parties are not different from each other, the APC National Caretaker Committee Secretary, John Udoedehe, argued otherwise. Where lies the moral authority of PDP to even contemplate comparing themselves to APC after its wasteful years in governance, Mr Udoedehe said. Instead of burying its heads in shame, and allow sleeping dogs lie, its rantings keep reminding us of the ignominious era where: crude oil was sold at an average of $100 per barrel for a consecutive period of 4 years, which gave an excess of at least $30 per barrel above the budget benchmark and MTEF, and raking in surplus revenues windfall if you like for the country; yet what did Nigeria and Nigerians have to show for that period. Nothing at all. He further highlighted the missing funds in the countrys Central Bank, the mismanagement of the funds earmarked to fight insurgents and other varieties of corrupt practices widely reported during the reign of the PDP. Mr Udoedehe further alleged that billions of dollars reportedly budgeted for the importation of arms to fight terrorism, particularly the Boko Haram, ended up in private accounts of politicians in the PDP and their cronies. PDP wasted billions of dollars on marabouts, clergies and traditional rulers to purchase clout and support for its ill-fated political aspirations, he said. He also said projects to the tune of billions of naira were completely abandoned after funds were budgeted accordingly, yet diverted to chase private ambitions, saying might become right in all elections during the PDP era even in the Governors Forum elections; 16 became greater than 19. Salaries of public servants were being owed serially and in most cases as was evident from the series of loans taken to pay salaries in the midst of the oil boom. How Sad, the party further noted, isolating the reports of similar trademarks in President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, Mr Udoedehe said. Just as there have been records of achievements in the APC-led administration, there have been many cases of corruption and impunity levelled against officials in the current administration, as well. However, contrary to the claim by some persons in the current government, Mr Udoedehe did not list progress in the fight against insurgents among his identified achievements of the Mr Buhari-led administration. Although the PDP has been losing some of its chieftains to the APC in recent times, the party nonetheless has continued to tackle the Buhari-led administration on issues of governance, insecurity, corruption, among others. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Kuwaiti Foreign Minister on January 4 announced that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed to reopen their airspace and maritime borders after a years-long freeze on relations. On state television, Ahmad Nasser Mohammed al Sabah announced that based on the recommendation of his highness Sheikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, it was agreed to open the air and maritime borders starting Monday between the two nations. He added that the final agreement was the fruit of a call brokered by the Kuwaiti Emir with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE had broken off relations with Qatar in 2017 and accused it of supporting terrorism and destabilising the region. Qatar, on the other hand, had rejected the accusations and called them unjustified and baseless. Now, the lifting of the embargo by Saudi Arabia paves the way for the Qatari ruler to attend a summit of Gulf leaders on Tuesday that will be held in the kingdoms desert city of Al-Ula and chaired by the Saudi monarch, King Salman. READ: Saudi Arabia To Lift Entry Ban Related To New Coronavirus Variant On Sunday READ: Trump Administration Rushes Sale Of $290m Bombs To Saudi Arabia Ahead Of White House Exit GCC summit to focus on unity and cohesion According to CNN, Mohammed bin Salman said the summit would focus on regional unity and cohesion. He added that through the summit the hopes of the Saudi King and his brothers, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for unity and cohesion, will be translated into facing the challenges of the region. Moreover, the foreign minister for the UAE, Anwar Gargash, also said that he welcomed a return to GCC unity at tomorrows summit. According to reports, a senior US administration official said that President Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner helped negotiate the reopening between the two countries and was also expected at the upcoming summit. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have recently also worked to close the rift. Back in December, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud had also said that he was optimistic about repairing relations. In recent months, the two countries had also taken a significant step toward reconciliation. Prince Faisal had credited both Kuwait and the US for making progress and for continuing efforts. At the same conference, he had also acknowledged that there were movements to finally "put an end to the Gulf crisis". READ: Saudi Women's Rights Activist Loujain Al Hathloul Jailed Despite International Criticism READ: Human Rights Watch On Saudi Activist's Sentencing New Delhi, Jan 5 : In a show of solidarity after some bitter comments, Adar Poonawala and Krishna Ella, jointly on behalf of Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech, on Tuesday communicated their combined intent to develop manufacture and supply the Covid-19 vaccines for India and globally. "Both companies respect the great work being carried out by each other and put behind us the miscommunication and misunderstanding caused during the past week. We are fully aware of the importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our Covid-19 vaccines," they said in a joint statement. There had been some allegations by Bharat Biotech on Monday blaming Serum Institute and the quality of trials. They said, the more important task in front of them is saving the lives and livelihoods of populations in India and the world. Vaccines are a global public health good and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest. Now that two Covid-19 vaccines have been issued EUA (emergency use authorisation) in India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines. "Both our companies are fully engaged in this activity and consider it our duty to the nation and the world at large to ensure a smooth rollout of vaccines. Each of our companies continue their Covid-19 vaccines development activities as planned", they said in a joint statement. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Nowata Fire Department and EMS community in Nowata, Oklahoma, is mourning the death of a paramedic who died Monday morning after battling COVID-19. According to the fire departments Facebook page, Cole Brooks began working for the Nowata EMS in August 2012. He spent the last eight and half years dedicated to the community and the patients who needed him. One of the first Korean Americans elected to Congress paid homage to her heritage during her swearing-in ceremony Sunday. Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash. who became one of the first three Korean American women elected to Congress last year, as well as the first Black representative from Washington wore a traditional Korean hanbok as she took the oath of office. IMAGE: Marilyn Strickland (Ted S. Warren / AP file) Strickland, who was born in South Korea, said that through her clothing, she aimed, in part, to pay tribute to her mother, Inmin Kim, as she stood on the "largest stage I've ever been on." "It is something that you wear for a very special occasion. It is very traditional and historic," Strickland said. "I wanted to honor my mother. And because of her age and Covid, she was not able to travel out here. I knew that she'd be watching, and so I wanted her to see me wearing that, to honor my history and to honor her." Strickland, who made history along with Republicans Young Kim and Michelle Steel of California as the first Korean American women in the House, prompted an emotional response from many of Asian descent across social media, who were moved by her conspicuous display of pride in her heritage. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Strickland, whose father, Willie Strickland, a Black man who met her mother while stationed in Korea, grew up in Tacoma, Washington. She said that while she has been on a complicated journey with her Asian identity like so many other Asian Americans she gained a deeper appreciation for her background as she got older, but it was her mother who ensured that she'd never erase her roots. Strickland, who described Kim as "resilient" and "young at heart," said her mother has had a particularly strong influence on her life. She said that Kim grew up in Korea when it was under Japanese occupation in the 1900s and that she was forced to learn Japanese in grade school while Japan tried to impose its culture on the country. Story continues "And then she married my father, an African American soldier, and came to a country where she didn't know anyone, didn't speak the language," Strickland said. "And through it all, she's had to deal with prejudice, being 'otherized,' because America has had this habit of treating people of color as the 'other,' especially when your language and your accent doesn't match what they think is the American accent." She added: "I think her ability just to stay focused and maintain a sense of humor and just what she has endured is very, very inspirational to me." Strickland said that in addition to honoring her mother, she wore the hanbok to send a message about the racial climate in the U.S. as hate incidents have targeted those in the Asian American community during the pandemic. In the span of five months last year, the reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate received 2,583 reports of anti-Asian incidents nationwide. She said the stories of those who have been harassed or had their property vandalized because of their Asian descent have struck a chord with her. "You know, we live in a place where bigotry and prejudice just has come to the surface," she said. "I just wanted to send a message that the United States House of Representatives is the people's house, and that means all people." Strickland is one of 20 Asian American members of Congress, a record, but the group still remains underrepresented in the political sphere. Given her historic place in government, she said she doesn't feel "pressure" to represent Asian Americans but rather a responsibility, and she acknowledged the diversity of communities she hopes to support. "When you belong to a community, when that community is your base of support and you've been doing the work, I would say that pressure is a responsibility, and it's a responsibility that I take very gladly," she said. "Part of my base at home includes people who are Samoan, who are Japanese American, Chinese American, Filipino, I mean, you name it. And so I definitely wouldn't call it pressure. I would call it an expectation to represent, because that is what you're supposed to do." On Monday night, January 4, Ananya Panday stepped out in the city with her parents Chunky Panday, Bhavana Pandey and sister, Rysa after she returned from her vacation in the Maldives. The family of four spent some quality time at the Gateway of India and also enjoyed dinner at Wasabi By Morimoto, Mumbai. Ananya, Chunky and Bhavana shared glimpses from their family outing on their respective social media handles. While Ananya could be seen donning an animal print skirt with a white tee, her sister sported a casual outfit. Sharing the family portrait, she wrote, "twentytwentyfun". Bhavana Pandey shared the same photo on Instagram and dropped hearts as a part of her caption. Soon, Ananya's Fighter movie producer Charmme Kaur replied to the post with hearts and awestruck emoticons. More so, Madhoo Shah, Neelam Kothari Soni, Deanne Panday, among others also dropped endearing comments. Meanwhile, Chunky Panday gave a peek into their family dinner. "All my Girls," he wrote in his caption. In no time, Kanika Kapoor and Sikandar Kher commented on the post. Take a look at all the photos shared by Ananya and her family. Ananya's day out with family in Mumbai Also Read | Farah Khan's Twitter Account Gets Restored, Filmmaker Tells Fans To Be 'vigilant' Also Read |Kanika Dhillon Ties Knot With Himanshu Sharma, Screenwriter Shares Pictures Ananya Panday jetted off for a week-long vacation in the Maldives with Ishaan Khatter. She took to Instagram to share many pictures of herself from the trip. In another post, the Pati Patni Aur Woh star was seen posing in the pool. She opted for a sunflower-themed bikini and complimented her look with flashy sunglasses. When she bid adieu to the place, she shared another photo and Alia Bhatt was quick to notice her tan. "Progressively becoming the real me," Panday wrote in one of her captions. Ananya Panday's photos from her holiday went viral in no time. Also Read |Rashmika Mandanna Shares Her 'Girls And Tan' Moments On Her Recent Trip To Goa On the work front, Ananya was last seen in Khaali Peeli, alongside Ishaan Khatter. The film released digitally and is helmed by Maqbool Khan. She is now gearing up for her upcoming Pan-India, movie, Fighter, which marks the Bollywood debut of Vijay Deverakonda. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, Fighter is said to be based on the life of a boxer. More so, she is also roped in for Shakun Batra's yet-to-be-titled film, alongside Siddhant Chaturvedi. Also Read |Ayushmann Khurrana Gives A Peek Into His 2021's First Monday Workout; Watch Video Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Just imagine being able to walk into a dealership of your choice, buy your old-school dream car with zero miles on it, and drive it around today. Being able to experience a car that you might have dreamt about in your childhood, but which was impossible to attain at the time, must be fantastic.The Dodge Viper was introduced in the early '90s, 1991 to be more specific, and it became an instant classic. Its poster version could be found hanging on the walls of car-loving kids across the world. I've had multiple Vipers as wallpapers for my computers for years and years, back when Windows 95 was still a thing!So you can't help but get excited when you see one of these cars going up for sale with almost no miles on it. After all, 17 miles (27 kilometers) is what you'd expect when you take delivery of a brand new car, as that's how much it gets to travel around parking lots and factory floors.We're happy to know that the owner didn't miss out on the Viper experience, though, as he had already purchased a GTS Coupe in addition to this particular car, which ended up staying at the dealership in Crawfordsville, Indiana, for several years before it was moved into storage somewhere else in the state.The selling dealer acquired the car from its original owner just a few months ago. Now, with six days left to bid for it , the current offer stands at $70,000, which is exactly the price tag it had back when it was purchased in 1997. As you may already know, the 8.0-liter V10 engine under the hood was rated at 450 horsepower when it was brand new, which is still decent even by today's standards.Considering the car hasn't really moved since, all that power might still be there, although the engine could do with a tune-up after you get your hands on it. The owner has been keeping thorough records on the car, and judging by the looks and sound of it, this one might just be a real steal! Kuwaits foreign ministry on Monday announced that will open its air and land borders with in the first steps toward ending a diplomatic crisis that has deeply divided regional allies since 2017. The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported the announcement, saying that would open its borders with starting Monday evening. Qatar's only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a blockade against the tiny Gulf state, accusing it of supporting Islamist groups in the region and of having warm ties with Iran. Kuwait has been mediating between and the four Arab states. The lifting of the embargo by paves the way for Qatar's ruler to attend a summit of Gulf leaders on Tuesday that will be held in the kingdom's desert city of Al-Ula and chaired by the Saudi monarch, King Salman. The Gulf Cooperation Council summit will be inclusive, leading the states toward reunification and solidarity in facing the challenges of our region, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying in remarks carried by the Saudi state-run news agency. The decision by the close U.S. allies comes in the final days of the Trump administration's time in office, and just ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's swearing in. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Highway workers repair a hole that opened in the road as a result of the July 5, 2019 earthquake, in Ridgecrest, California, about 150 miles (241km) north of Los Angeles, early in the morning on July 6, 2019. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Los Angeles County Is Riskiest Area in the US: FEMA Los Angeles County has been named as the riskiest county in the United States, according to a new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) index that examines 18 types of natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes, floods, volcanoes and tsunamis. Of the more than 3,000 U.S. counties surveyed, Los Angeles County ranked highest in FEMAs National Risk Index, which looks at how often natural disasters strike, how many people and how much property are in harms way, how socially vulnerable the population is, and how well the region is able to recover. The index also lists three counties in the New York City areaBronx, New York County (Manhattan), and Kings County (Brooklyn)in the top 10 riskiest U.S. counties, as well as Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas, St. Louis, and Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California. In contrast, FEMA has named Loudoun County, a Washington, D.C. outer suburb, as having the lowest risk of any county. Three other Washington suburban counties rank among the lowest risks for larger counties, along with suburban Boston, Long Island, suburban Detroit and Pittsburgh. FEMAs Mike Grimm said that although the ranking may seem counterintuitive, the degree of risk isnt based solely on the frequency of natural disasters but it also considers how devastating the toll would be on a region. Therefore, two New York City counties, Philadelphia, St Louis, and Hudson county in New Jersey have been named among FEMAs top five most dangerous counties for tornadoes. Meanwhile, Oklahoma county in Oklahoma, which has been struck by more than 120 tornadoes in the past seven decades, has been placed in 120th place on the list. A tornado in the top five would be a low frequency, potentially high-consequence event because theres a lot of property exposure in that area, University of South Carolina Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institutes director, Susan Cutter, told The Associated Press. Therefore, a small tornado can create a large dollar loss. While Oklahoma is twice as likely to be struck by tornadoes than New York City, New York has higher damage potential due to the higher population and property value. Its that risk perception that it wont happen to me, Grimm said. Just because I havent seen it in my lifetime doesnt mean it wont happen. A list of tips published on FEMAs website urges Americans to take steps to prepare for potential natural disasters. It includes creating an emergency plan, an emergency kit, keeping pantries stocked, learning about disaster planning within the community, signing up for emergency alerts, checking insurance policies, taking personal inventories, protecting valuables, planning for pets, and growing emergency funds to budget for possible natural disasters. The Associated Press contributed to this report. UN leaders and member States welcomed India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway to the UN Security Council and said they look forward to working with the five new non-permanent members to help advance peace and security globally during their 2021-22 term in the powerful world body. Flags of the five new UNSC members were installed at the Security Council stakeout on Monday during a solemn ceremony organised by the Kazakhstan Mission to the UN. Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti installed the Indian tricolor at the ceremony and said that as India assumes the membership of the Security Council for the eighth time, "it is an honour for me as the Permanent Representative of India to take part in todays flag installation ceremony." UN member States and top leaders posted congratulatory messages for the five incoming members, welcoming them to the Council for the 2021-22 term. "Welcome to the Security Council," the UN tweeted. President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir tweeted, "I congratulate the new members of the @UN Security Council I wish them success in their important work during the 2 years term, in support of global peace and prosperity". United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said she was looking forward to working with the new Security Council members "to help advance peace and security globally." US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft tweeted, "A warm welcome to the new members of the @UN Security Council, @IndiaUNNewYork, @irishmissionun, @UnKenya, @MexOnu and @NorwayUN. I look forward to working with you in support of global peace and prosperity!" A warm welcome to the new members of the @UN Security Council, @IndiaUNNewYork, @irishmissionun, @UnKenya, @MexOnu and @NorwayUN. I look forward to working with you in support of global peace and prosperity! Ambassador Kelly Craft (@USAmbUN) January 4, 2021 The US State Departments Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs tweeted, "A new year brings new opportunities to strengthen relationships with old friends and partners. We welcome India to the @UN Security Council and look forward to working with @IndiaUNNewYork to advance our shared interests in a more peaceful, secure Indo-Pacific and world". A new year brings new opportunities to strengthen relationships with old friends and partners. We welcome India to the @UN Security Council and look forward to working with @IndiaUNNewYork to advance our shared interests in a more peaceful, secure Indo-Pacific and world. State_SCA (@State_SCA) January 4, 2021 The Permanent Mission of United Kingdom said in a tweet, "Welcome India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway to UNSC for the 2021-2022 term. We can't wait to see half your faces". "As of January 1st, 2021, the @UN Security Council welcomes 5 new members! Welcome to India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, the French Mission to the United Nations tweeted. The Chinese Mission to the UN expressed "a warm welcome" to the incoming UNSC members in a tweet and said, "New year brings new hope. Multilateralism matters even more. China is ready to work with you and other members for a peaceful and prosperous world. Senior Bureau Official for International Organization Affairs at the State Department Pamela Pryor tweeted, "Its a new year filled with opportunities to build international peace and security. We look forward to working closely with newly-elected @UN Security Council members India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway for the 2021-2022 term! Ambassador Tirumurti will participate in the Security Council virtual meeting on Syria on Tuesday which will be the first open UNSC meeting of Indias tenure that began on January 1. US President Donald Trump doubled down on his efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in a speech in Georgia Tuesday, pledging, They are not taking this White House, we are going to fight like hell. He explicitly rejected conceding to Joe Biden, who won the election, declaring that the presidential veto is the last line of defense against the left-wing socialists, communists, Marxists. Donald Trump and Joe Biden He demanded that Vice President Pence intervene to stop the certification of the vote, saying, I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Trump supporters, many of them armed, will descend on Washington D.C. in a series of protests against the certification of the election results. Muriel Bowser, Washingtons Democratic mayor, has requested the deployment of the National Guard this week. Commenting on these developments, the Financial Times noted: Some figures in the defense establishment fear Mr. Trump will use violence at protests this week as a pretext to invoke the Insurrection Act, as he has proposed in the past, which would allow him to order the military to quell any unrest. Those concerns prompted all 10 living former US secretaries of defenseincluding Republicans Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeldto caution against invoking the military to resolve electoral conflicts. In response to the revelation of President Donald Trumps hour-long phone call Saturday with Georgia election officials, in which he sought to bully and threaten them into overturning Joe Bidens election victory in the state, President-elect Biden and leaders of the Democratic Party in Congress have adopted a posture of cowardly and duplicitous silence. They have maintained a similar silence on warnings of possible military intervention in the US political crisis. Biden campaigned in the state of Georgia Monday, addressing a rally on behalf of the two Democratic candidates for US Senate seats in Tuesdays runoff election. He did not mention Trumps threats of political reprisals, criminal prosecution and outright violence unless Georgia officials found the necessary votes from November 3 to make him the election victor. The Democratic president-elect made only an oblique reference to the political crisis triggered by Trumps refusal to concede defeat in the presidential election, which he lost by 7 million votes and by a margin of 306-232 in the Electoral College. In America, Biden claimed, Politicians cannot assert, take or seize power. Power is given, granted by the American people alone. And we can never give that up. He softened even this weak-kneed comment by referring to our opposition friends. This was under conditions where a majority of Republicans in Congress plan to support a completely illegal and unconstitutional challenge to the Democratic victory in the Electoral College when Congress convenes in joint session Wednesday to count the electoral votes. Biden said nothing at all about the extraordinary public statement published Sunday by the Washington Post, in which all 10 living secretaries of defense, Republicans and Democrats alike, declared that Pentagon officials, both civilian and military, had no role to play in determining the outcome of the US presidential election. The 10 included two of Trumps own Pentagon chiefs, among them Mark Esper, whom Trump fired after the election because of his opposition to using US military forces for the purposes of domestic political repression. The obvious question posed by this remarkable document is what is going on behind the scenes in Washington that would make figures as reactionary as Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld sign an appeal in favor of keeping the military out of American politics. Biden and the congressional Democratic leadership are well aware of the implications of the letter from the defense secretaries (six of whom worked in Democratic administrations). Their silence is simply another manifestation of the ongoing struggle within the US ruling elite, whose ground rules include keeping the American population, and particularly the working class, completely in the dark about the coup plots and counterplots that are raging within official Washington. Trump is backing demonstrations by armed fascist gangs set for Washington D.C. during the January 6 Electoral College certification, a transparent effort to intimidate his political opponents. He has denounced as the surrender caucus those Republican congressmen and senators who have acknowledged the results of the 2020 election and are not supporting efforts to challenge the counting of the electoral votes. The revelations published in the press, to say nothing of Trumps own tweets, provide ample evidence to charge the president of the United States with the brazen violation of his oath of office to defend and uphold the Constitution. But the Democrats, who impeached Trump for withholding military aid from Ukraineand thus undermining the anti-Russian foreign policy of American imperialismare completely unwilling to impeach Trump for threatening to overthrow American democracy. For the next two weeks, the full powers of the American presidency remain in the hands of a political gangster who has made it clear a thousand times over that he is concerned only with maintaining his own grip on power, no matter what laws and democratic principles have to be trampled on in the process. Never before in American history has an incumbent president denied his electoral defeat, condemned as treasonous anyone in his own party who accepted the democratic will of the American voters, and openly plotted to overthrow his duly elected successor. On Sunday, Trump addressed a Zoom call of more than 300 state legislators from Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, brought together by the ultra-right Got Freedom? organization, and urged them to use the Republican majority in their state legislatures to overrule the decision of the voters. Joining the Democratic Party in the coverup of this enormous threat to democratic rights is the corporate-controlled mass media. While the Washington Post first made public the tape of Trumps phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and this particular revelation has been widely publicized in the press and on television, the most sinister details of this call have been largely suppressed. As the WSWS reported yesterday, at one point during the call, Trump railed against a female election worker in Fulton County (Atlanta) who has become a target for social media death threats because of completely false allegations that she ran a batch of ballots through a counting machine several times, tripling the vote total in the heavily Democratic area. Trump mentioned this worker by name several dozen times in the course of the hour-long call, but it has been blipped out for her own safety. At one point he said: So what are we going to do here folks? I only need 11,000 votes. Fellas, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break. You know, we have that in spades already. Or we can keep it going but thats not fair to the voters of Georgia because theyre going to see what happened and theyre going to see what happened. I mean, Ill, Ill take on to anybody you want with regard to [name of election worker] and her lovely daughter, a very lovely young lady, Im sure. The last sentence, uttered in the style of a mob boss, was nothing less than a death threat against the election worker and her child. While reproduced in the transcripts published in newspapers, no other attention has been drawn to this particularly thuggish declaration. Nor has any Georgia Democratic leader, or Biden himself, taken up her defense, or condemned Trumps open incitement of violence. Instead, the message from the Democratic leadership is one of utter complacency. A top deputy to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Caucus leader Hakeem Jeffries, told a press conference Monday morning that he had not even read the transcript of Trumps phone call with the Georgia election officials. Asked whether Trump had committed a crime for which he should be held accountable, Jeffries replied, We are not looking backward. We are looking forward to the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer maintained, On January 20, Joe Biden will be president and Kamala Harris will be vice president no matter what they try to do. He and other top congressional Democrats, as well as Biden, continue to profess their desire to make policy and enact legislation in collaboration with their Republican colleagues. While the Democrats systematically downplay the seriousness of the threat to democratic rights represented by Trumps continuing coup efforts and his incitement of fascist forces, a number of anti-Trump Republicans have been blunter about the political trajectory of the Republican Party. Steve Schmidt, a former campaign adviser to John McCain, described the Trump-controlled party Sunday as an American autocratic movement with fascistic markers. Republican Representative Chip Roy of Texas moved to challenge the seating of all representatives from the six states whose electoral votes are being threatened, pointing to the hypocrisy of Republican congressmen claiming their own election from Arizona or Pennsylvania was legitimate, while Bidens victory in the same state was due to fraud. Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer immediately objected to Roys challenge, and it was quickly voted down. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has imposed a lockdown with schools closed to most pupils until February. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Government ministers are set to discuss plans to keep schools closed until the end of the month at a Covid-19 Cabinet sub-committee meeting this afternoon, so a formal decision is yet to be made. Yesterday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved schools to remote teaching for the majority until February. His move followed Nicola Sturgeon imposing a lockdown on Scotland for the rest of January, with a legal requirement to stay at home and schools closed to most pupils until February. Northern Ireland, which is already under a six-week lockdown, will also see its period of remote learning for school children extended. But what is happening in other European countries? Italy The Italian government has also decided to postpone the Thursday reopening of high schools to 50pc of their capacity until Monday. Some regions, including northern Veneto around Venice, have decided to delay the reopening until January 31. Read More Germany Germany imposed a second hard lockdown on December 16, closing schools, shops and restaurants after a partial lockdown introduced in early November did not bring the hoped-for reduction in new infections. The education ministers agreed on Monday that each federal state will take the decision on when and how schools will reopen. The Netherlands The Netherlands closed its schools in mid-December as part of its toughest lockdown measures yet. Schools closed for five weeks until January 19. However, the NL Times is reporting that additional restrictions in education could be announced next week and that schools will not reopen as previously planned. The Outbreak Management Team now also wants children under the age of 12 with symptoms of Covid-19 to be tested for the virus, following reports that the UK variant sees more cases in children. France French schools have reopened after the holidays on January 4, as the government considers tighter restrictions. The Education Minister has said the government does not want to deprive their children of school. Austria Austria will extend its lockdown until at least January 24, it was confirmed yesterday. Schools will also remain closed until the end of the month, adding an additional week to its planned lockdown, which includes a mandatory stay-at-home order. The rest of the world? In Japan, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to announce a second state of emergency in parts of the country after data showed that restrictions failed to stop the virus spreading during the festive season. However, the central government is not considering expansive school closures even if a state of emergency is declared, Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Cabinet minister leading the countrys coronavirus response, said on Monday. Kenya fully reopened its schools yesterday for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, being the last country in East Africa to do so, despite concerns from parents. Thailands Ministry of Education is closing all schools until at least January 31. Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland Read More Online Editors Oil prices shot higher Tuesday following Saudi Arabia's surprise announcement that it would trim production, while global equities had a mixed session as governments contend with coronavirus outbreaks and difficulties with vaccinations. The price of the main US oil contract, WTI, jumped more than five percent higher at one point to hit $50 a barrel for the first time since February. Members of the oil cartel OPEC and their partners agreed Tuesday to raise output slightly in February and March, but only in Russia and Kazakhstan, while Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced that the country would cut its own production by one million barrels per-day in both months. "Saudi Arabia put the cherry on the cake and if there is one way to describe what its voluntary cut means for the market, 'happy hour' is a pretty fitting term," Rystad Energy's Bjornar Tonhaugen said of the surprise Saudi announcement. "They say there is no such thing as a free meal, but it's difficult to see how a beast of a one million bpd cut is justified behind closed Saudi strategist doors." The news lifted petroleum-linked stocks on Wall Street, including Hallburton, Occidental Petroleum and Apache, all of which gained at least eight percent. - Covid-19 headwinds - Major US indices also advanced following better-than-expected US manufacturing data and car sales as markets monitored Georgia elections that will determine control of the US Senate. The gains on Wall Street came after stocks pulled back Monday on worries that a Democratic sweep of the two Georgia Senate runoffs would clear the way for tax increases and other major legislative changes. But news of fresh lockdowns and slow vaccination campaigns kept European stocks mostly on the back foot. London stocks managed to end the day with a gain of 0.6 percent, helped by the strong performance of oil stocks on the FTSE 100. But the UK on Tuesday began implementing new national restrictions set to last weeks, as the country is beset by a new variant of the coronavirus that apparently spreads faster. Story continues For the markets, the news was counterbalanced in part by the announcement of an extra 4.6-billion package for virus-battered businesses. Frankfurt fell 0.6 percent as Germany was set to extend a shutdown in Europe's top economy and Paris gave up 0.4 percent as the French government scrambled to speed up a slow rollout of Covid-19 vaccines. "The mood has soured somewhat as a result of the national lockdowns which are once again coming into force or being extended," OANDA analyst Craig Erlam told AFP. "This was maybe inevitable anyway as a result of the (Christmas) festivities taking place in the midst of an already severe wave of Covid-19 but the new variant has thrown another spanner in the works." Asian equities mostly rebounded Tuesday on hopes that ongoing vaccine rollouts would help beat the coronavirus crisis, dealers said. - Key figures around 2150 GMT - West Texas Intermediate: UP 4.9 percent at $49.93 per barrel Brent North Sea crude: UP 4.9 percent at $53.60 per barrel New York - Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 30,391.60 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.7 percent at 3,726.86 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 1.0 percent at 12,818.96 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 6,612.25 (close) Frankfurt - DAX 30: DOWN 0.6 percent at 13,651.22 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.4 percent at 5,564.60 (close) EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.5 percent at 3,547.85 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.4 percent at 27,158.63 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.6 percent at 27,649.86 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.7 percent at 3,528.68 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.2294 from $1.2248 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 102.72 yen from 103.13 yen Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3622 from $1.3571 at 2200 GMT Euro/pound: DOWN at 90.23 pence from 90.25 pence burs-jmb/cs A company which sets post-primary transfer tests has been criticised by the Deputy First Minister for announcing a new test date. The Association for Quality Education (AQE) earlier announced the three tests scheduled to take place in January would be cancelled amid a fresh lockdown in Northern Ireland. Hours later, however, AQE said following consultation with schools it would hold a single test on February 27, public health conditions permitting. Shame on AQE for proceeding with this transfer test. They told children this morning there would be no test and then this evening they say there will be a test. A private company putting its needs before the needs of the children. Education minister must act now. https://t.co/K0hi9IciTD Michelle OaNeill (@moneillsf) January 5, 2021 Michelle ONeill reacted by tweeting Shame on AQE and urged Education Minister Peter Weir to act now. The tests are set by two private companies, AQE and the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), the latter which earlier announced it will not provide an entrance assessment for 2020-21. AQE said transfer tests planned for January 16 and January 23 would not take place. Later it issued a fresh statement announcing a single test would be held on Saturday February 27. Following a meeting with the schools which use the common entrance assessment (CEA), produced by AQE Limited, it has been agreed that to enable the assessment to take place in the current circumstances, the assessment will be reduced to a single paper to be held on Saturday February 27, provided it can take place in public health circumstances then prevailing, AQE said. Earlier, parents of P7 children who had been due to sit tests gave mixed reactions. Dominic Bryan, from north Belfast, whose daughter had been preparing to sit both sets of tests, said it had been a day of mixed emotions for their family. Expand Close Dominic Bryan, the father of a child who had been preparing to sit the transfer tests. (Dominic Bryan/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dominic Bryan, the father of a child who had been preparing to sit the transfer tests. (Dominic Bryan/PA) It was not a easy choice for my wife and I to make, but we wanted give our daughter the most chances, he told the PA news agency. Were disappointed that we got this far without a decision being made but also somewhat relieved because my wife and I were struggling with the idea of our daughter going into those tests. He said he was amazed that the decision to cancel the tests had taken so long. He said: Leaving that decision to parents until now was outrageous. I dont think I have ever felt so angry about anything as we appeared to be being left with this decision (and) that they could not come up with a plan B up until this point. I am still amazed. Co Down mother Nicola McIlhagger voiced her disappointment. Were extremely disappointed. My daughter has been working so hard all over Christmas, doing her practice papers, and we thought we were on the final countdown at last, she said. All the hard work my daughter has been doing since the start of last year for this test is wasted Phil Meredith, parent Now she is upset, wondering how she will get into a school. For the schools in Belfast where she had wanted to go, our postcode is not particularly close, and then because she is an only child, there is no brother or sister in the school to help if that criteria is used. Phil Meredith, from South Belfast, said: All the hard work my daughter has been doing since the start of last year for this test is wasted. My daughter has a better chance of getting in to grammar school through the AQE rather than the sub-criteria. Naomi McBurney, who runs the campaign Bring It Back To Primary, said parents are very divided on the matter. Expand Close Naomi McBurney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Naomi McBurney There are parents who are very concerned that if their child doesnt get the opportunity to sit the test, then they are going to be disadvantaged; for example, if they have an eldest child or only child, the main thing for them would be that the test was a more fair way for them to get access to a school that they want to go to, she said. Its quite frustrating for those opposed to the test because they are saying the country has had to sacrifice so much. The problem is the alternative criteria for schools isnt transparent as yet. The 12 schools that said they would cancel the test back in June have indicated that it would be sub-criteria so if you had a child already at the school or if you have a parent that had previously attended the school or a member of the family on the board of governors similar to that of nurseries, not based on academic criteria. Ms McBurney has been running a campaign which urges that children be allowed to sit the transfer test in their own school, instead of having to travel to a large testing centre. She has also called for reform of the system, with testing regulated by the Department of Education and reduced from children potentially sitting up to five papers if they take both the AQE and PPTC tests to one. The department-set transfer test was previously abolished, with the last 11-plus paper sat in 2008. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. PA People wait for a train on the platform of a station in Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 1, 2020. Singapore spent about U.S. $204 million on a now-cancelled high-speed rail project with Malaysia, the Singaporean transport minister said Monday, while Malaysian officials said they could not reveal how much Kuala Lumpur would have to pay the city-state in compensation. After the $25 billion Singapore-to-Kuala Lumpur railway line was terminated by both sides on Dec. 31, Malaysia said it would study the option of a domestic high-speed rail as a replacement. However, such an effort would be redundant and therefore unviable, a transportation expert told BenarNews on Monday. Singapore has incurred 270 million Singapore dollars [U.S. $204.5 million] on the Kuala LumpurSingapore High Speed Rail or HSR project, Singapores Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament on Monday, according to a video of the legislatures proceedings. Singapore was fully committed to carry out our obligations under the HSR BA [bilateral agreement] but Malaysia felt that circumstances have changed, including due to COVID-19, and proposed several changes to the HSR project, Ong said, referring to an agreement his country had signed with Malaysia in 2016. Under the agreement, Malaysia would have to compensate Singapore for costs that the city-state had incurred for the project, but neither side could disclose the compensatory amount, Mustapa Mohamed, minister in Malaysias Prime Ministers Department, said in a statement posted on Facebook. [M]e and the team will discuss with Singapore to get agreement to share information about the total compensation once it is finalized. Thus, any number of compensation mentioned by either party is merely speculation, Mustapa said, adding that the compensation was not punitive. [I]t is to pay back the specific cost of the project Singapore has spent, he said. Ong, too, said that the compensation which Singapore would receive could not be made public. Construction on the 217-mile (349.2-kilometer) line was originally slated to start in late 2018. The high-speed line was expected to reduce travel time to 99 minutes, from 7 hours by conventional rail services. In 2018, the year Malaysias short-lived Pakatan Harapan government came to power, it signed an agreement to pay Singapore U.S. $10.9 million to postpone the project for two years, as Malaysia grappled with a national debt of 1 trillion ringgit (U.S. $249.6 billion). The project was again postponed in June 2020 this time under the Perikatan Nasional government as both countries had been discussing Malaysias proposed changes to the project. This postponement period then lapsed on New Years Eve, and was terminated after the two sides failed to mutually agree on these changes. Domestic alternative After announcing the projects termination, Malaysia said the government planned to study other options, including a high-speed railway linking Kuala Lumpur to Johor, the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia that borders Singapore. However, Malaysia would be better off studying other alternatives because the Kuala Lumpur-Johor route already has a rail system, which is set to be upgraded to allow higher speeds, transportation expert S.M. Sabri S.M. Ismail told BenarNews. There is not much merit in a high-speed rail just from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, the analyst said. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose government signed the high-speed rail agreement with Singapore, said that a high-speed rail line without Singapore would not be sustainable. Najib said that he had received information that a Kuala Lumpur-Johor line had already been planned and was projected to cost as much as the cancelled project. The government also planned to pay the operator of this planned line annual compensation because a truncated line would see significantly fewer passengers, he claimed. Millions of potential jobs as well as potential tourism revenue have also been squandered due to the termination of the KL-Singapore high-speed project, Najib said. What Malaysia wanted Meanwhile, Malaysias Mustapa said on Monday that the cancellation of the high-speed rail project was the best solution for Malaysia, even though the country would have liked to emulate similar successful projects in Taiwan and Japan. The emergence of COVID-19 has forced the Government to find ways to reduce the cost of several mega projects as well as identify strategies to restore the countrys economy post COVID-19, Mustapa said on Facebook. Malaysia, he said, had proposed changes to the project which would have cut costs but the two countries couldnt come to an agreement on those changes. Singapores transport minister said the key point of disagreement between the two countries was a Malaysian proposal to remove the projects assets company, that is, a firm that would essentially run the project. Because neither country has the expertise and experience in operating a HSR, we agreed under the HSR BA to appoint a best in class industry player through an open and transparent international tender to assume the role as the assets company, Minister Ong said. Singapore informed Malaysia that the removal of the assets company constituted a fundamental departure from the HSR BA and could not be accepted. BEIJING, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 was undoubtedly a year of challenges, but it was also a year of triumphs. Whilst the pandemic caused global chaos and uncertainty, it also saw courage, determination and resilience. It forced us all to think outside of the box, identify growth opportunities and adopt new digitalization trends. Since the start of the pandemic, leading business school Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) has been actively contributing to the solution, and helping the world define a new normal. CKGSB's thought leadership on China insights, its social impact and global learning platform have been providing leaders and policy-makers worldwide with key knowledge on growth opportunities and business trends, such as economic disruptions, digitalization and social innovation. With the school's leading and independent research and surveys serving as international indicators to China's economic conditions, it has been offering invaluable data and insights into combatting COVID-19 and formulating effective response strategies. Immediately after the outbreak, to further aid the global response, CKGSB utilized its interdisciplinary learning platform to host and partner on events and webinars, which addressed key issues relating to the pandemic, totaling 35 English-language events and 10 Chinese-language events over the past year. For more on CKGSB's global efforts and impact in contributing to and shaping 2020, visit: https://english.ckgsb.edu.cn/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-highlights_with-links-291220-2-expanded.pdf About Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business Established in Beijing in November 2002, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) aims to cultivate transformative business leaders with a global vision, a humanistic spirit, a strong sense of social responsibility and an innovative mind-set. Funded with generous support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, CKGSB is China's first faculty-governed, independent and private business school. CKGSB is the preeminent choice for management education among influential business leaders and a new generation of disruptors in China. It is also the preferred choice for academics returning to China from leading global business schools. As a globally oriented business school, CKGSB has been positioning itself for East Asia (China, Korea and Japan) and ASEAN countries. For more information, visit: https://english.ckgsb.edu.cn SOURCE Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) Related Links https://english.ckgsb.edu.cn/ Federal Funding will Provide Optional Reading Resources and Supports for Districts, Teachers, Families Nashville, TNToday, the Tennessee Department of Education released details on a new $100 million statewide initiative, Reading 360, to ensure Tennessee districts, teachers, and families are equipped with tools and resources to help students read on grade level by third grade. To help support literacy development in Tennessee, the state will leverage approximately $60 million of one-time federal COVID-19 relief funding and $40 million in federal grant funding to immediately launch Reading 360 and invest in optional reading resources and supports at no cost to the state or districts. Reading 360 will provide optional grants and resources to help more Tennessee students develop strong phonics-based reading skills by supporting districts, teachers, and families. When our students succeed our entire state prospers, and we know that reading on grade level is foundational to the success of every student, both in and out of the classroom, said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. Reading 360 will give critical supports to districts and educators so we can address this challenge urgently and put Tennessees students on the right track to grow and thrive. In the last decade, Tennessee has done remarkable work to increase expectations for student learning and to improve outcomes for our kids. Now, we are uniquely positioned to tackle literacy with urgency and can do so from all sides, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. Our state has a golden opportunity to lead the nation in literacy, and most importantly, accelerate progress for our students. Reading is the foundation to all learning and reading proficiently by third grade is a critical milestone for every student. Before the pandemic, only one third of third graders in Tennessee had met expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), the best standardized proxy for reading achievement. Our state has not yet comprehensively and effectively addressed this challenge, and after a year disrupted by COVID-19, school building closures and virtual learning, the stakes are higher than ever for our students. Through optional grants to districts, students and families will have access to tutoring and online supports to help develop foundational skills in literacy. Tennessee educators will have access to free training and professional development, phonics kits and materials to use in their classrooms, and stipends for training. Districts will have access to a suite of tools and resources to support their teachers and schools in implementing strong reading instruction for all students. Tennessee has led the nation in academic gains for students over the past decade, and most recently in the K-12 crisis response to COVID-19. Tennessee is now poised not just to protect students, teachers, and schools in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic, but to accelerate student learning further and faster than ever before. Throughout Tennessee and across the country, directors of school, elected officials, and community partners are encouraged by this bold approach to support literacy in Tennessee, including: We know that literacy is essential to the success of all students and our state. With the disruption our schools have experienced over the past year, it is crucial that we offer our local school districts support in addressing reading as soon as possible and Reading 360 is one way we can get started now. Our students are counting on us, and everyone has a role to play. -Representative Mark White, House Education Chairman, Tennessee General Assembly I commend the governor for creating a bold plan to address the literacy crisis facing our students, schools, and districts. Literacy is the key to success for our children in Tennessee." -Senator Brian Kelsey, Tennessee General Assembly "I believe Reading 360 is the bold solution we need to increase reading proficiency for Tennessee students. We have been challenged to improve reading scores over the past seven years and now we need to invest our resources in this comprehensive program to change the trajectory for every child. The program design includes all the right stakeholders at the appropriate level to ensure students are on the path to life-long learning. This is an exciting moment for Tennessee education." -Lillian Hartgrove, Chairman, State Board of Education It is imperative, that we, as a state, focus our educational efforts on a comprehensive vision for literacy. With the strong emphasis on literacy laid out in the Reading 360 Program, I am confident that we will see significant advancement in childrens reading, which is the most critical component for assuring post-secondary success.-Robert Eby, Vice Chairman, State Board of Education Tennessee needs the kind of comprehensive approach that Reading 360 represents if we are going to make significant progress towards ensuring all students are able to read proficiently by grade 3. I am excited to work with Commissioner Schwinn and the department on developing and implementing an approach that brings together educators, families and communities to make this happen. - Sara Morrison, Executive Director, State Board of Education The department of educations vision and support plan for early literacy improvement capitalizes on what works. Our students need a strong foundation in language comprehension and word recognition, and our teachers need the background and support to make it work. Haywood County Schools are aligned to this vision and look forward to engaging in the learning and support. -Joey Hassell, Superintendent, Haywood County Schools I am pleased to learn more about the comprehensive literacy plan introduced by the Tennessee Department of Education. A comprehensive literacy plan that positively affects our students, teachers, and families makes Tennessee a stronger state. Cleveland City Schools has made a big investment recently in our literacy curriculum and we are happy to see our state leadership following through on this commitment as well. -Russell Dyer, Superintendent, Cleveland City Schools Reading is fundamental to student success. This comprehensive vision for literacy comes at a critical time for our students and will go a long way in ensuring that the children of Memphis and TN have the tools and resources to achieve their maximum potential. Its the most important investment we can make. Special thanks to our state leadership for this bold action on behalf of TN kids. -Teresa Sloyan, President, Hyde Foundation Foundation is that the greatest wins come from working in partnership. Our best hope is in uniting the efforts of our educators, teacher education programs, school districts, families and communities in a comprehensive focus on literacy. Together, we will change lives! I am thrilled with the promise this plan brings for the future of Tennessee's children." -Dr. Nancy Dishner, President and CEO, Niswonger Foundation "As a foundation dedicated to helping more Tennessee students prepare for college and gain the skills needed to be workforce-ready, we strongly support the state's laser-like focus on early literacy," said Janet Ayers, president of The Ayers Foundation. "Children who are not reading on grade level by the end of the 3rd grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school and run the risk of being underemployed for the rest of their lives. We believe Reading 360 has incredible potential to give every child the opportunity for success." - Janet Ayers, President, Ayers Foundation Students who read well by the end of the third grade are positioned for success across the rest of their lives. However, only one in three third-graders in our state are reading on grade level. Tennessee has a literacy crisis. The Reading 360 proposal from Governor Lee and Commissioner Schwinn will help school districts and educator preparation programs adopt literacy instruction that is proven to work: developing foundational phonics skills, building knowledge with high-quality reading materials, and supporting current and future teachers to implement these practices. -Sharon Roberts, Chief K-12 Impact Officer, State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) "Tennessee's literacy rates are at crisis-level lows with only 34.9% of students reading on grade level. The life-long challenges created through reading gaps disproportionately impact Tennessee's most marginalized students. We need a bold and urgent response to these issues if we are to chart a new path to success for hundreds of thousands of students. We need a bold and urgent response to these issues if we are to chart a new path to success for hundreds of thousands of students. We must seize every opportunity to build a better future for all students across the state." -Adam Lister, President, Tennesseans for Student Success When less one third of our children cannot read on grade level, Tennessee is in a literacy crisis. We have an enormous opportunity to set high expectations for every student and educator in our state now is the time to get this right. This year, Tennessee needs to leverage all we can to get our students back on track so they can thrive. -Tara Scarlett, President and CEO, Scarlett Family Foundation The partnership between families and teachers is critical in determining what's best for students. Tennessee is wisely encouraging innovative approaches at the district level to empower parents and educators to quickly identify and address early literacy needs. Each student is unique, and one-size-fits-all approaches to develop reading foundational skills will leave too many students behind. Tennessee is poised to become a national leader in early literacy with researched and proven approaches to ensure every child is prepared for success in the classroom and in life. -Kymyona Burk, Ed.D., Policy Director for Early Literacy at ExcelinEd "I have always contended that workforce development starts in K-12 and not post-secondary, so this literacy initiative and investment will have a vital impact in Tennessee's cradle to career continuum." -Jared Bigham, Senior Advisor on Workforce and Rural Initiatives, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce To access additional resources on Reading 360, click here. For additional information on the departments COVID-19 and school reopening related resources, please visit https://www.tn.gov/education/health-and-safety/update-on-coronavirus/reopening-guidance.html. For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov. ### Scammers are offering fake COVID-19 vaccines online, in e-mails and on messaging apps, luring victims by claiming they can deliver shots within days for as little as $150 up to $1,000. US government and European officials say coronavirus vaccine scams are on the rise and are warning the public against fraudsters who swindle customers out of money and personal data. Some of these scams have emerged on dark web forums such as Agartha and on messaging app Telegram, where seven different offers for alleged vaccines were found. These schemes also appeared in e-mails promising entry to supposed secret lists for early vaccine access and robocallers impersonating government agencies. Now the US, FBI and Interpol are warning of pandemic-related fraud schemes, exploiting concerns over the slower-than-promised rollout of the vaccines. Most Americans will have to wait well into the spring and summer to get their shot. Scammers are offering fake COVID-19 vaccines on the dark web, in e-mails, messaging apps, and through robocalls impersonating goverment agencies amid the slow rollout. A view of an ad for supposed COVID-19 vaccines on the dark web above Screenshot of ads for alleged COVID-19 vaccines in the US charging $250 for the shot above Just 4.66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the US in the last three weeks despite federal officials having distributed 15.4 million doses to the states. That is a fraction of the 20 million who were supposed to have been vaccinated by the end of 2020, according to earlier government forecasts Just 4.66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the US in the last three weeks despite federal officials having distributed 15.4 million doses to the states. It means more than two-thirds of the vaccines shipped within the US have gone unused and just 1.4 percent of the population has been vaccinated as cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to surge across the US. That is a fraction of the 20 million who were supposed to have been vaccinated by the end of 2020, according to earlier government forecasts. One in 930 Americans have now died from COVID-19 with the death toll surging past 353,000 and the seven-day rolling average for fatalities at just over 2,600 per day. On the dark web, COVID-19 vaccines are being advertised next to traditional illicit goods for sale. On dark web forum Agartha, fake COVID-19 vaccines were offered next to cocaine, opioid medication, 'super high quality fake money,' hand guns and gift cards. Posts showed stock photos of vaccines and offered vials for $500 and $1,000, or the equivalent in Bitcoin. On another dark web site, a seller claiming to be from the 'Wuhan Institute of Science' offered COVID-19 vaccines in exchange for a donation, and asked buyers to provide their medical history. On Telegram, several channels claimed to offer COVID-19 vaccines, accompanied by stock images. One user offered supposed Moderna Inc vaccines for $180, and claimed the vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE could be had for $150 and AstraZenecas for $110 per vial. Asked how the vaccines would be shipped, the account creator said they were transported in 'regulated temperature packs' and ice packs within a few days, or overnight for an additional charge. The United States has so far authorized two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use - the ones from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Dr. Melisha Cumberland is given the the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine twenty-one days after receiving the first shot from RN Valerie Massaro of Hartford HealthCare, at the Hartford Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut on January 4 Website domains containing the word vaccine in combination with COVID-19 or coronavirus more than doubled since October to roughly 2,500 in November, when the first legitimate vaccines were nearing regulatory approval, according to cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, which is tracking COVID-19 fraud online. 'So far a lot of these domains just appear to be opportunistic registrations, but some are going to be used for phishing attempts to have people click on (malicious) links,' said Lindsay Kaye, director of operational outcomes at Recorded Future. She said her team, which also scours the dark web, has not come across any legitimate vaccine that was diverted from healthcare facilities or national stockpiles. The real COVID-19 vaccines, particularly the Pfizer/BioNTech offering, must be temperature controlled to remain effective. Drugmakers have equipped shipments with temperature trackers to ensure they remain cold and distribution is tightly controlled by officials and will be administered at no cost. The United States has so far authorized two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use - the ones from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The European Union to date has authorized the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and is expected to clear the Moderna vaccine this week. The UK has already authorized those two and just added the vaccine developed by Oxford University with AstraZeneca. Asked about vaccine scams, Pfizer said it had taken meticulous steps to reduce the risk of counterfeiting and tracked trends very carefully. 'Patients should never try to secure a vaccine online - no legitimate vaccine is sold online - and only get vaccinated at certified vaccination centers or by certified healthcare providers,' a Pfizer spokesman said in a statement. Moderna referred a request for comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which did not respond. AstraZeneca did not respond to a request for comment. According to a state-by-state breakdown, Kansas and Georgia have only administered 17 percent of the doses distributed to them. Hard-hit California has so far used 24 percent of its vaccine shots, while Florida has used 23 percent Those who encounter COVID-19 vaccines are urged to report them, including people asking for out-of-pocket payments or online vaccine ads. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Tuesday admitted that the largest vaccination campaign in US history, which has been in the works for months amid the pandemic, has been a 'little bit messy'. He blamed, in part, the states for the slower than expected rollout despite the federal government falling short of its initial promise to have 20 million vaccinated by the end of 2020. The race to vaccinate American quickly comes as a super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Ten people, who are spread across New York, California, Colorado and Florida, have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus. So far California has only vaccinated 1 percent of its 40 million population and the Governors of New York and Florida have vowed to penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly. OnePlus finally launched its most affordable budget offerings yet, the Nord N10 5G and N100, in the US. The starting price of the N10 5G asks for $299 while the N100 is just $179. That's not only way lower than the European prices (349 and 199, respectively), but also the duo will face much less competition on US soil. The Chinese brands, which usually offer value products at competitive pricing are absent in the US market. Since a good chunk of the smartphone sales in the US go through carriers, OnePlus has also struck a deal with T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile, which will offer the phones, starting in three days. The duo is also made available in Canada where the N10 5G asks CAD 389 and the N100 costs CAD 239. Source Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Reports on Saudi Arabia Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Saudi Arabia Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Outlook to 2025 under Energy c ategory. The Saudi Arabia Midstream Oil and Gas Industry is projected to exhibit highest growth rate over report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, and competitive intelligence and industry reports. Summary Saudi Arabia Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Outlook to 2025 - Market Outlook for Liquids Storage, Pipelines and Gas Processing is a comprehensive report on midstream oil and gas industry in Saudi Arabia. The report provides details such as name, type, operational status and operator for all active and planned (new build) liquids storage terminals major trunk pipelines and gas processing plants in Saudi Arabia till 2025. Further, the report also offers recent developmets and latest contracts awarded in the countrys midstream sector, wherever available. *Note: This is an on-demand report and will be delivered in 3 working days (excluding weekends) from the date of the purchase. However, delivery timeline might vary for some of the reports and the same will be confirmed by us upon order confirmation. Request a free sample copy of Saudi Arabia Midstream Oil & Gas Industry Report @ http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2252863 Scope - Updated information related to all active, planned and announced oil storage terminals, trunk pipelines and gas processing plants in the country, including operator and equity details - Key mergers and acquisitions and asset transactions in the countrys midstream oil and gas industry, where available - Latest developments, financial deals and awarded contracts related to midstream oil and gas industry in the country, wherever available Reasons to Buy - Gain strong understanding of the countrys midstream oil and gas industry - Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historical and outlook of capacity/length data - Assess your competitors major oil storage terminals, trunk pipelines, and gas processing plants in the country - Analyze the latest developments, financial deals landscape and awarded contracts related to the countrys midstream oil and gas industry Table of Contents 1. Table of Contents 1.1. List of Tables 1.2. List of Figures 2. Introduction 2.1. What is This Report About? 2.2. Market Definition 3. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry 3.1. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Key Data 3.2. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Overview 3.3. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Storage Operations 3.3.1. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Total Storage Capacity 3.4. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Storage Capacity Share by Area 3.5. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Storage Capacity by Major Companies 3.6. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Storage Capacity by Terminal 3.7. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Asset Details 3.7.1. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Active Asset Details 3.7.1. Saudi Arabia Oil Storage Industry, Planned Asset Details 4. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry 4.1. Saudi Arabia Oil Pipelines 4.1.1. Saudi Arabia Oil Pipelines, Key Data 4.1.2. Saudi Arabia Oil Pipelines, Overview 4.2. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Crude Oil Pipeline Length by Company 4.3. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Crude Oil Pipelines 4.4. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Petroleum Products Pipeline Length by Company 4.5. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Petroleum Products Pipelines 4.6. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, NGL Pipeline Length by Company 4.7. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, NGL Pipelines 4.8. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Oil Pipelines Asset Details 4.8.1. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Oil Pipelines Active Asset Details 4.8.2. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Oil Pipelines Planned Asset Details 4.9. Saudi Arabia Gas Pipelines 4.9.1. Saudi Arabia Gas Pipelines, Key Data 4.9.2. Saudi Arabia Gas Pipelines, Overview 4.10. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Natural Gas Pipeline Length by Company 4.11. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Natural Gas Pipelines 4.12. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Gas Pipelines Asset Details 4.12.1. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Gas Pipelines Active Asset Details 4.12.2. Saudi Arabia Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Gas Pipelines Planned Asset Details 5. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry 5.1. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Key Data 5.2. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Overview 5.3. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Gas Processing Capacity by Company 5.4. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Processing Plant Number by Facility Type 5.5. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Capacity Contribution of Various Provinces 5.6. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Active Gas Processing Capacity 5.7. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Planned Gas Processing Capacity 5.8. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Asset Details 5.8.1. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Active Asset Details 5.8.2. Saudi Arabia Gas Processing Industry, Planned Asset Details 6. Recent Contracts 6.1. Detailed Contract Summary 6.1.1. Awarded Contracts 7. Recent Developments 7.1. Other Significant Developments 7.2. New Contracts Announcements 8. Appendix 8.1. Abbreviations 8.2. Methodology 8.2.1. Coverage 8.2.2. Secondary Research 8.3. Contact Us 8.4. Disclaimer Browse our full report with Table of Contents: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com/marketreports/saudi-arabia-midstream-oil-and-gas-industry-outlook-to-2025/2252863 About Us Market Reports on Saudi Arabia provides you with an in-depth industry reports focusing on various economic, political and operational risk environment, complemented by detailed sector analysis. We have an exhaustive coverage on variety of industries - ranging from energy and chemicals to transportation, communications, constructions and mining to Food and Beverage and education. Our collection includes over 2000 up-to-date reports all researched, analyzed and published by top-notch international research firms. Contact us at: Market Reports On Saudi Arabia Tel: +91 22 27810772/27810773 Email: info@marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com Website: http://www.marketreportsonsaudiarabia.com Follow us on: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 05:07:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja, Nigeria, on Jan. 5, 2021. (Photo by Jiang Xuan/Xinhua) ABUJA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama on Tuesday during an official visit to Nigeria. Wang said that for 30 years in a row, Chinese foreign ministers choose Africa as their first New Year visit destination, which demonstrates the unbreakable traditional friendship between China and Africa. This year's visit shows that the COVID-19 epidemic cannot stop China-Africa friendship and cooperation, he said. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, China and Nigeria have always treated each other with mutual understanding, trust and support, according to Wang. Both sides cherish friendship and cooperation, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, adhere to the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and support multilateralism and democratization in international relations, Wang said. China is ready to work with Nigeria to review the useful experience of the past 50 years and draw up a blueprint for the next 50 years, he said. China highly appreciates Nigeria's consistent understanding and support on issues concerning China's core interests and major concerns, and will continue to support Nigeria in playing a more important role on the international and regional stage, and support Nigeria in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests. Wang said that this year is an important year for China-Nigeria relations. It is the right time for the two countries to set up an intergovernmental committee and make overall plans for bilateral cooperation. China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Nigeria in infrastructure, agriculture, investment, free trade zone, education and other fields, and import more Nigerian products. China welcomes Nigeria to actively participate in the China International Import Expo and share China's development opportunities, he said. Wang stressed that since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) 20 years ago, China-Africa cooperation has made important progress in all fields. China appreciates Nigeria's support for the development of the FOCAC and is ready to work with Nigeria and other African members to hold a successful new session of the FOCAC and make plans for the next step of China-Africa cooperation, Wang said. China congratulates Africa on the commencement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on January 1 this year. It is an important step taken by Africa in solidarity and self-improvement, and also important progress made in Africa's economic integration, Wang said, adding that China is ready to explore free trade cooperation with Africa. Wang said that China-Nigeria relations go beyond the bilateral scope. China is ready to work with Nigeria to uphold multilateralism and oppose unilateral actions; to uphold free trade and oppose protectionism; to uphold fairness and justice and oppose power bullying, and to safeguard the common rights and interests of developing countries. On his part, Onyeama said that the Chinese foreign minister made Nigeria the first stop of his first foreign visit in the New Year, which reflects the high level of Nigeria-China relations. Nigeria attaches great importance to develop close cooperation with China and regards China as a special strategic partner of cooperation. Nigeria firmly supports the one-China principle and appreciates China's adherence to the "one country, two systems", said Onyeama. He thanked China for always standing with Nigeria and providing strong support for its fight against the epidemic. Nigeria will make every effort to ensure the efficient operation of the intergovernmental committee of the two countries, push for further enhancement of bilateral cooperation and look forward to jointly hosting celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with China. Nigeria hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in infrastructure, education, information and communications technology, vaccines and other fields, and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in Nigeria to ease the trade imbalance. FOCAC has become a model of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Nigeria, as well as between China and Africa, Onyeama said, adding that Nigeria is ready to work with China to make the new session of FOCAC a success. Nigeria and China have conducted fruitful cooperation in multilateral institutions and international affairs. Nigeria is ready to further strengthen coordination and cooperation with China to safeguard the common interests of developing countries. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. After the talks, the two foreign ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the China-Nigeria intergovernmental committee. Enditem (@ChaudhryMAli88) Sydney, Jan 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jan, 2021 ) :Under mounting pressure to speed up coronavirus vaccinations, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said he would not take "unnecessary risks" and emulate Britain's emergency drug approval. While vaccinations are already well underway in many countries, Australia's pharmaceutical authority is not expected to rule on candidate drugs for around another month, and is aiming to administer the first doses by the end of March. Pressed about that seemingly sluggish timetable, Morrison -- who early in the pandemic boasted Australia would be "at the front of the queue" for any vaccine -- suggested virus-ravaged countries like Britain had been forced to take risks with emergency approvals. "Australia is not in an emergency situation like the United Kingdom. So we don't have to cut corners. We don't have to take unnecessary risks," the conservative leader told local radio 3AW. Australia had largely eliminated community transmission but is currently battling to contain small clusters of the disease in the country's biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. Around 26 people are currently in hospital nationwide with the disease. He said Britain, with almost 60,000 cases of Covid-19 a day was "in the very early phases" of the vaccine rollout and "they've had quite a few problems, and they're doing it on an emergency basis". "They're not testing batches of vaccines before they're disseminated across the population, is my understanding," Morrison said, insisting Australia would carry out such testing. The Australian premier has for weeks said that mass-vaccination efforts in Britain, the United States and elsewhere would provide Australia with more data about the safety of the vaccines than clinical trails could. Australia -- with a population of around 25 million -- has agreed to buy almost 54 million doses of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with 3.8 million to be delivered early this year. It also reached an agreement for 51 million doses of Novavax this year, 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine early this year, and had invested in a domestic University of Queensland vaccine that was scrapped while still in trials. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Related UK prime minister orders new virus lockdown for England France has seen about a dozen cases of the more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday. Veran also told RTL radio that the high level of coronavirus infections in France made easing current COVID-19 related restrictions unlikely. Search Keywords: Short link: You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced another national lockdown from early Wednesday following continuing spike in the number of new Covid-19 cases the country registered over 50,000 daily infections for seven consecutive days as the race between vaccine and the virus entered a new phase. Johnson said in an address to the nation that the variant has been spreading at an alarming rate, which makes another lockdown imperative. The restrictions with the main message to stay at home will last from early Wednesday for six weeks, he said, adding that they include closure of schools, not venturing out of homes unless for essential reasons and working from home. A grim-faced Johnson said: (We) now have a new variant of the virus. It has been both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading. Our scientists have confirmed this new variant is between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible. As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic. In England alone, the number of Covid patients in hospitals has increased by nearly a third in the last week, to almost 27,000. That number is 40 per cent higher than the first peak in April. On 29 December, more than 80,000 people tested positive for Covid across the UK a new record. The number of deaths is up by 20 per cent over the last week and will sadly rise further. With most of the country already under extreme measures, it is clear that we need to do more, together, to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. In England, we must therefore go into a national lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant. That means the Government is once again instructing you to stay at home, he added. This is the third nation-wide lockdown since March 2020. It was re-imposed in November, when cases rose after a dip over the summer months. The overall number of deaths in the UK is expected to reach the grim figure of 100,000 by the end of January or early February. Two vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca have been deployed, with over 1.5 million people so far vaccinated; the UK has ordered 40 million of the former and 100 million of the latter vaccine. The chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales said that based on the latest data, the UKs alert level moved from level 4 to level 5, which means hospitals and the health infrastructure is under immense pressure. They said in a statement: There are currently very high rates of community transmission, with substantial numbers of Covid patients in hospitals and in intensive care. Cases are rising almost everywhere, in much of the country driven by the new more transmissible variant. We are not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases and without further action there is a material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days, they added. BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The pound weakened against its major counterparts in the European session on Tuesday, as a continued surge in coronavirus cases in several parts of the world and the imposition of further restrictions raised concerns about global economic recovery. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced a new national lockdown in England to contain a new variant of Covid-19. The restrictions include the closure of schools and colleges and the requirement to stay at home except for essential purposes. Germany is likely to extend a national lockdown until the end of the month. The current restrictions will expire on January 10. Investors focus on the Senate runoff elections in Georgia that will determine control of the chamber. The races are between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff, as well as Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock. The opinion polls show a narrow race and the outcome could have a major impact on incoming U.S. President Joe Biden's economic policies. The pound depreciated to 6-day lows of 0.9054 against the euro and 1.1921 against the franc, down from its early highs of 0.9015 and 1.1982, respectively. Next key support for the pound is possibly seen around 0.92 against the euro and 1.16 against the franc. After a rise to 140.15 at 10:00 pm ET, the pound slid to a 1-week low of 139.51 against the yen. The pound is likely to challenge support around the 135.00 region, if it drops again. The pound reached as low as 1.3554 against the greenback, after climbing to 1.3613 at 1:45 am ET. Should the pound falls further, 1.31 is likely seen as its next possible support level. Looking ahead, Canada industrial product price index for November and U.S. ISM manufacturing index for December are due in the New York session. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo warned in a Tuesday briefing that the U.K. coronavirus variant discovered for the first time in New York yesterday in a Saratoga County jeweler constitutes a new, serious danger and that there might be additional cases yet to be identified. Cuomo and state Department of Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said that others exposed in the jewelry store have tested positive for COVID-19, but they're not yet sure if it's the more transmissible strain. It takes about two days to get results back for that test, and Zucker said those other test results are pending. Anyone who was exposed, anyone who was exposed to someone who was exposed, please contact us," Cuomo said, speaking directly to people who live in the Capital Region. "Theres nothing to be ashamed of, this is a virus. It travels, but we have to know. Containment is vitally important here. In other countries, spread of the new variant has overtaken the original COVID-19 virus within weeks, the governor said, and although the new strain does not appear to be more deadly than the standard, its increased ability to transmit from person-to-person is "a very real problem." It has been found in more than 30 countries around the globe, and it has led quickly to mass shutdowns in the U.K. "The numbers are frightening on the increase of the transmittal of the virus," Cuomo said. "This is something we have to watch and we have to pay careful attention to." The new strain upsets the dynamic between vaccinations versus infection rate that Cuomo has compared to a "footrace," and "the light at the end of the tunnel," meaning it could lead to extra deaths as New Yorkers await their turn to receive the inoculations that will bring an end to this pandemic. Critics have charged that the vaccine rollout in New York has been too slow, and Cuomo acknowledged that as a problem in his Monday press conference, when he said that some hospitals are not moving quickly enough to get through their supplied doses and he instituted a new "use it or lose it" policy. If a hospital is not competent and cant do this, well use another hospital," Cuomo said. "Its literally a matter of life and death. Cuomo emphasized that his policy goal is to identify hospitals that don't distribute vaccines quickly enough so that they won't be given vaccines in the future, focusing the supplies instead on those that move more expeditiously. But he also continued to stress that the current scale vaccinations are taking place at 300,000 doses supplied per week bears little resemblance to how the whole vaccination operation will need to look to do 40 million shots as quickly as possible, two doses for each New Yorker. While his briefings this week have focused on the less than 200 hospitals currently delivering vaccines, he announced Tuesday that the state has identified 3,762 sites statewide that will be activated to deliver vaccines, of which 636 are currently "activated." Those sites include medical practice, pharmacies, long term and congregate living facilities, health centers, hospitals, and urgent cares, and later "special efforts" will begin to use drive-ins, churches, community centers and other pop-up facilities. Cuomo also announced that the state is asking certain unions, police departments, fire departments and essential workers in other sectors to put plans in place to vaccinate their own employees, to avoid placing additional strain on the public-facing vaccination network. There's no fallout if they are unable to do so. Cuomo reported 149 new coronavirus deaths Tuesday. The statewide positivity rate was 8.31 percent on about 150,000 tests. Cuomo has often touted that the state's test positivity rate is among the lowest of states, but COVID-19 actually is spreading in New York above the national average according to the average number of daily new cases per 100,000 people, a more direct measure, with the 16th highest rate at 69 per 100,000. NJ Transit inched closer to that magic number of 390 to 400 locomotive engineers needed in the ranks to keep the trains rolling Tuesday, when 17 engineer trainees graduated from their two-year training period. For engineers to be such as Patrick Boylan, he recalled riding the Main-Bergen Port Jervis Line train line to school that his neighbors dad took to work and quizzing the crew about what it took to work on the railroad. Boylan was selected to address his class and Gov. Phil Murphy and state transportation officials during a ceremony at Metropark Station in Woodbridge. I knew I wanted to be a locomotive engineer from a young age. Later in life, I started taking that train to high school and Id ask the crew how everything worked and how to become a locomotive engineer. While not a rocket scientist, Boylan was the next closest thing a missile security technician for the U.S. Air Force for six years after enlisting at age 19 When I entered the training program, I was surprised to see how many similarities there were between being a locomotive engineer and missile security, Boylan said. These two are similar because they work 24/7 through all kinds of weather and environmental challenges to complete the mission in a safe manner. Boylan paid tribute to his 16 classmates and to the instructors and trainers that kept the class moving forward and learning through the coronavirus pandemic. Theyre some of the brightest people Ive ever had the pleasure of working with, they come from diverse backgrounds, she said, naming their former professions including physical therapy, the military, Emergency Medical Technicians, a forestry firefighter and a postal service worker, to help keep us moving through snow or rain or gloom of night. Boylan and his classmates are the sixth graduating class that Murphy has presided over since taking office, when he called NJ Transit a national disgrace that needed to be torn down and rebuilt. Murphy used the graduation to take a little victory lap, not by declaring NJ Transit fixed, but by name-checking accomplishments, starting with rebuilding the depleted ranks of engineers. Once they complete their on-the-railroad check rides, this class will bring the total number of new engineers to 94 that have joined the railroad since 2018. They bring the total active roster to 385 engineers, Murphy said. Over the past three years, NJ Transit started 11 locomotive engineer training classes, more than the ten training classes in the previous seven years combined before the administration took over, he said. A lack of engineers to cover for employees who were on vacation, sick or off the job for other reasons was blamed for a spike of canceled trains in 2018 into 2019. That was compounded when engineers had to be used to test Positive Train Control equipment on trains and tracks. A new class of 24 engineers will start the two-year classroom training period in February to replace engineers who are retiring, said Kevin Corbett, NJ Transit CEO. Murphy also came with news about new locomotives and moving the stalled Gateway Tunnel project forward. Murphy said hes met with U.S. Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg to talk about NJ Transit and moving the Gateway Project to build two new Hudson River rail tunnels between New Jersey and New York and allied rail improvements. The conversation centered on specific actions needed to move Gateway, Murphy said, including getting a final decision on an Environmental Impact statement for the tunnels that has been waiting for close to three years after federal officials blew a self-imposed March 30, 2018 deadline for a decision. Apparently, it is sitting on the (outgoing) transportation secretarys desk, we spoke about that, Murphy said. Buttigieg also talked about an invitation from U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY to tour the current 110-year old Hudson River tunnels, which would be gutted and rebuilt under Gateway. Id love to co-host that where he can see the reality of the current tunnels, Murphy said. Funding of the $9.5 billion project also was discussed including the fate of a 2015 50/50 preliminary agreement between the two states and the federal government that the Trump administration backed away from. We did discuss where the Gateway project had been left by the Obama Administration and (Transportation) Secretary Anthony Foxx, that it was teed up and ready to go, including the 50/50 split, Murphy said. He (Buttigieg) was completely aware that is a model wed like to get back to ASAP. The first of 25 new dual-powered locomotives that are powered by a diesel engine or overhead electric power will be delivered later this month. That prototype will undergo testing before being put in service, Corbett said. Its an exciting time to be at NJ Transit, he told the graduates. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Loading The day of Ms Boyce's mother's burial has now come and gone, but she has still not had any contact from the department and has had multiple attempts at reaching out to them go unanswered. "I was told that they would get in touch as soon as they could," she said. "I've heard nothing at all from DHHS [since]." The department has said applications for border exemptions are being triaged, with medical emergencies and those with compassionate cases given priority. Ms Boyce said she understood that there was large demand for the permits, but described the lack of any follow-up to her application as cruel. "Why would my mother's burial not be considered [as a compassionate case]?" she asked. "Even just to say to me, 'sorry you don't cut it'." "So I missed my mums burial that's horrid, I just don't understand why this must have been something that was foreseeable, that things could turn out this way and have the system in place. It's just ridiculous." COVID reponse commander Jeroen Weimar. Credit:Paul Jeffers When asked about Ms Boyce's case on Tuesday, Victoria's COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said her scenario was exactly the type that should be fast-tracked for compassionate purposes but would not be drawn on why her application hadn't been approved. "Absolutely [her case would meet the threshold]. Over the last few days we've seen some very, very difficult situations that people are in and obviously we will do everything we possibly can, we humanly can, to support people in those extreme times of need to get there," he said. "We have to balance that against the [health] measures." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Pakenham man Medon Loupis also found himself on the wrong side of the border. Mr Loupis drove to NSW this week to be with his father, who is in palliative care with late stage-four lung cancer on the Central Coast, but due to a quirk in the bureaucratic system, he is now stuck there until further notice. "Just from talking to dad, it became very apparent I needed to come up here. I was with him this morning in the aged care facility [and] they said he could kind of die at any time," he said. "But before I left Victoria I called the Victoria coronavirus hotline and said 'I need to go up to NSW, can I get an exemption to get back in?' " Despite Health Department staff being "kind and friendly", Mr Loupis was firmly told that they could only process applications from people in NSW who were seeking to return. He was told he would need to apply for an exemption, but was told "there was no category for us to grant you an exemption". While the compassionate category exists for people to enter Victoria to be with people who are dying, Mr Loupis was told there is no category for residents of Victoria to re-enter Victoria after providing end-of-life care in NSW. Loading "So she said it is unlikely your application will be granted," he said. Both Ms Boyce and Mr Loupis said they were offended by the tone of Victorian authorities in public press conferences. "This idea that '60,000' other people came back, why can't you?'" said Mr Loupis. "It feels callous and insensitive." The Victorian government revealed on Tuesday that 57 applications for border exemptions out of a total of 2300 had so far been approved. More than a thousand have been contacted about the progress of their application, while 630 have been asked to provide more evidence. Mr Weimar continued to urge people with distressing cases to get in contact with the Health Department's coronavirus hotline. "I know it's been an upsetting and distressing couple of days to try and understand how the border closure will impact you, [but] I would urge you to get in touch with us through our website or through our contact centre so we can assist you as quickly as possible," he said. On Monday Ms Boyce and her daughter held their own ceremony to honour her mother's life on the banks of the Pambula River. "It's a very, very poetic and very majestic, beautiful place," she said. CHEVROLET DOCUMENTS CORVETTE ENGINEERING TEAMS JOURNEY TO BUILD THE MID-ENGINE SUPERCAR +VIDEO SEE ALSO You Tube Corvette Library DETROIT Jamuary 4, 2021; Today, Chevrolet released the second chapter of its two-part documentary: Revolution: The Mid-Engine Corvette Development Story. This episode follows the Corvette engineering teams journey to build a supercar for every day with superior ride comfort on the highway and well-balanced handling on the track while also chronicling the rigorous performance testing process at the most demanding track in the world. The documentary was released on Corvettes Facebook and Instagram pages and Chevrolets YouTube page. Part one of the documentary, focused on Corvette design, was released Dec. 22, 2020. ABOUT CHEVROLET Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com. [January 05, 2021] CerraCap Ventures Invests in Biopharma AI Company Totient Inc. COSTA MESA, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, CerraCap Ventures announces its third health-tech investment. Totient is an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery platform that identifies and harnesses human-derived antibodies from individuals with exceptional immune responses. Operating at the intersection of traditional biotechnology and AI, Totient's platform has analyzed the immune repertoire of over 50,000 patients to identify high affinity antibodies against known and novel tissue-specific targets. Totient has demonstrated an ability to correctly assemble antibodies from bulk patient RNA sequencing data, without the need for specialized single-cell or antibody sequencing. The company's mission is to build deepest library of disease-derived tissue-specific immunogenic antigens and fully human antibodies. "Totient combines machine learning with the natural learning and evolution happening within the human body in order to do antibody discovery at a massive scale" said Vikas Datt, Partner at CerraCap Ventures. "Under the leadership of CEO Deniz Kural, PhD and CBO James Sietstra who are seasoned entrepreneurs with a track record of life science dels, Totient is well positioned to partner with companies developing cell therapies, ADCs, and bispecific to meet its mission." "Over the last two years our team built and validated a unique population-scale discovery platform to assemble high-affinity antibodies from tissues affected by autoimmunity, infections, and cancer" said Totient CEO, Deniz Kural. "With the support of our investors like CerraCap we intend to advance a subset of our proprietary antibodies into the clinic while pursuing a broad and flexible partnering strategy for other candidates in parallel." Totient Inc. is an AI-driven biotechnology company that leverages tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) to identify novel tissue-specific antigens and develop matching high-affinity antibody therapeutics. Totient uses machine learning and immunoinformatic technology to pull critical insights from large, complex datasets, to assemble the most potent antibody candidates quickly and accurately. The unique applicability of the Totient platform allows the company to remain flexible and develop therapeutics for cancer, autoimmune disease, infections, and viruses. For more information, visit www.totient.bio. CERRACAP VENTURES is a Global fund headquartered in Orange County, California dedicated to early-stage technology investments in enterprise (B2B) solutions focused on the new fundamentals of the digital age - Healthcare, Enterprise AI and Cyber Security. It enables rapid growth of technology startups leveraging its unique Sales & Scale business model, driving revenue from large enterprises into its portfolio companies. For more information, visit www.cerracap.com . For media enquiries, please contact: Name: Nikki Arora Email: na@cerracap.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cerracap-ventures-invests-in-biopharma-ai-company-totient-inc-301200855.html SOURCE CerraCap Ventures [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SOFIA --Russian opposition activist Yevgeny Chupov, who fled Russia in 2019 fearing possible prosecution for his political activities, has received refugee status in Bulgaria. Chupov told RFE/RL on January 5 that Bulgarias State Agency on Refugees had ruled he, his wife, and four children could remain in Bulgaria. According to Chupov, his initial application filed in August 2019 was rejected but the agency changed the ruling before his appeal was considered by the Sofia city administrative court. Chupov and his family came to Bulgaria in 2019, saying that they feared persecution in Russia for Chupov's political activities. The 41-year-old English teacher and blogger created a civil movement in Moscow in 2015 promoting local self-governance. During the municipal elections campaign in 2019, Chupov and his movement supported a candidate for the Moscow city council, Ivan Zhdanov, the director and lawyer of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation. He fled Russia at the time after police detained and questioned him at least twice. Several sanctioned and unsanctioned rallies were held in Moscow over the summer of 2019 in protest of a decision by authorities to ban independent and opposition candidates from running in the municipal elections that were held in September that year. Dozens of protesters have been fined or given jail sentences for organizing and participating in the unsanctioned rallies. The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has declared several activists arrested in the case political prisoners. Russian security forces have been criticized for their heavy-handed tactics during the rallies. SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- vivo recently showcased the spectacular overseas performance of V-Appstore and revealed a variety of upcoming enhancements to the global vivo Developers Platform ecosystem at the vivo Developers Conference, which was held in Shenzhen last November. These announcements reflect the smartphone brand's stellar achievements across international markets and the innovative efforts made to facilitate more effective collaboration with application developers, allowing vivo to provide the ultimate smartphone experience to consumers by being the bridge between users and the digital world. Flourishing in Overseas Markets Having maintained remarkable business growth momentum in overseas markets despite global economic turbulence inflicted by the pandemic, vivo currently ranks among the top-five mobile phone manufacturers worldwide according to the Canalys Global Smartphone Market Q3 2020 Report and also commands leading smartphone market share in Indonesia and Thailand according to IDC and Counterpoint Q2 2020 data. vivo also recently announced its newfound status as the official partner of UEFA EURO 2020 and 2024 in lieu of additional market entries into six more countries in Europe. Owing to the in-depth collaborative relationships formed with a multitude of ecosystem partners at home and abroad, vivo has established distribution channels across South-East Asia and Europe in more than 50 countries, combining for over 130 million overseas vivo device user accounts. Simultaneously, users of the international V-Appstore have exceeded 100 million registered accounts and attained 5.8 billion cumulative online downloads. "As early as 2014, vivo held a brand launch press conference in Thailand to announce our entry into overseas markets. The numbers we have listed can give you all an impression of the scale of our operations. Six years later, vivo has successfully transformed from a Chinese brand into a globalized brand," said Jia Liu, vivo Overseas Managing Director of Internet Business Operations, at the event. The Wide Reach of V-Appstore Since establishing its roots in global markets, vivo has deployed overseas versions of the V-Appstore to be localized and operated in their respective countries to maximize user compatibility. Overseas V-Appstore user demographics mainly revolve around students, professionals, civil servants and other high-value smartphone users. In the years since, vivo has built long-standing cooperation with head developers internationally to optimize their products and services within the vivo ecosystem. Promotional activities through the overseas V-Appstore have been known to reach a record high of 50,000 purchase conversions in a single day; short video creation and sharing platform "Likee" saw a 10x download surge. Extensive Collaborative Developer Ecosystem To complement the steady upward trajectory of ongoing global expansion, vivo is striving to create a more comprehensive, efficient, adaptable and distinct one-stop service platform for all domestic and overseas developers, allowing them to reach millions of high-quality users. At the event, Liangyi Ma, Director of vivo Overseas Internet Product Center, emphasized this approach and expressed that vivo hopes to be a dynamic partner for developers by empowering their accessibility to culminate in a win-win collaborative relationship that will optimize holistic user experience globally. To achieve this, vivo has streamlined many facets of the collaborative developer ecosystem by investing more resources across the board and condensing the entire process. The V-Star program is a free-featuring functionality for developers to receive free exposure in the V-Appstore. Considering new and existing user retention rates can soar due to vivo promotion activities, this program intends to reward developers for their efforts by shortlisting the most relevant or innovative products. Designated V-Appstore specialists are available for one-on-one consultations with developers to ensure their propositions are executed to the highest standard. A new customer service system has been set up to provide application digital data analytics reports to developers regularly, along with a variety of other assessment services. Meanwhile, the time limit to solve developer issues was decreased to a 30-minute feedback rate and the average rate of developer application approval was sped up 70%, allowing the quickest application launch timeframe to last only a minimum of 48 hours. To meet the different marketing needs of developers, a suite of customizable promotional activities such as lucky draws, guessing contests and coupons are also in the pipeline. vivo values consumer-oriented innovation and encourages developers to share any interesting ideas. Going forward, vivo Overseas Application Ecology will explore further enhancements across three dimensions. The functions and experience of overseas distribution services, the enrichment of product lines and operation capabilities, and the increasing empowerment of developers will generate additional growth together with ecosystem partners for a win-win future. At the event, vivo also delivered its latest update and strategy on application services, mobile games, business partnership, open technology development and IoT ecosystem. About vivo vivo is a leading, product-driven, global technology company, with its core business focusing on smart devices and intelligent services. vivo is committed to connecting users around the globe, through design of exciting and innovative smartphones and companion devices, as well as services which integrate technology and design thinking in unique and creative ways. Following the company core values, which include innovation, consumer orientation and benfen*, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy, with the vision of becoming a leading, long-lasting, world-class enterprise. With headquarters in China, supported by a network of 9 R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and San Diego, vivo is focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, photography and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set-up five production hubs (including brand authorized manufacturing center), across China, South- and Southeast Asia, with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 40 countries and regions, and is loved by more than 380 million users worldwide. *"Benfen" is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right - which is the ideal description of vivo's mission to build technology for good. Please stay informed of vivo's news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. (Natural News) Much of the concern about the COVID-19 vaccine is rightfully focused on the side effects that it causes, but there is another aspect that even those who buy Big Pharmas lies about the safety of the vaccine should be concerned about: improper storage. A total of 144,400 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine were recently delayed following the discovery that some vaccines were not kept at a stable temperature during transit. The 421 shipments containing the vaccines were bound for Texas. After five shipments with 4,300 doses were found to have gone outside of their required temperature range, U.S. officials held back the additional deliveries because of concerns about a problem with their temperature sensors. The Moderna vaccines must be kept frozen throughout shipment and storage. The lower temperatures make the vaccines more stable by slowing the chemical reactions that would normally cause enzymes to break down the vaccine. Texas Department of State Health Services Spokeswoman Lara Anton said that the shipment delay contributed to the appearance that Texas had only administered a small portion of the doses of the vaccine that had been allocated to the state, but another hospital association official said that the states numbers did not reflect the delay. Instead, Texas Hospital Association Vice President of Advocacy, Quality and Public Health Carrie Kroll is attributing the problem to issues with hospital data systems used to track immunizations. She said that some shots are not being properly logged into the central system despite being administered, and these discrepancies must be resolved on a case-by-case basis. She added: Itll look like theres vaccine sitting on the shelf when its actually been administered. Problems with vaccine temperature control around the world Last month, U.S. military officials said that several trays of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine had to be replaced for the opposite problem: being stored at temperatures that were excessively cold. Pfizers vaccine must be kept significantly colder than others, posing new logistical challenges to health systems. It must be kept around 50 degrees Celsius colder than any other type of vaccine that is currently in use, whereas Modernas vaccine can be kept in typical pharmacy freezers. General Gustave F. Pernam who is running Operation Warp Speed, said: We had two trays of Pfizer vaccine that arrived in California in two separate places and as we were tracking the temperature, we noted that the temperature actually got colder than minus 80. [It] went to minus 92. The trays were reportedly locked down and returned immediately to Pfizer, who replaced them. However, the same issue occurred in Alabama, where two trays were received in one location at a temperature of -92 degrees. There were also delays of the Pfizer vaccine in Europe on account of temperature control issues. Eight countries experienced delays following logistical problems surrounding the doses temperature, Spanish authorities said. Its a problem that may not go away any time soon as dry ice shortages are already being reported and several dry ice producers have had offers for their full output. The truth is that even if the vaccine were proven fully safe something that clearly cannot be done until significant time has passed big questions would remain over its efficacy as there is no way to be certain each vaccine was kept at the proper temperatures for preservation throughout each step it took from production to the doctors office. The more links in the supply chain, of course, the more chances for the temperature of the vaccines to be compromised. With questions about both its safety and its efficacy, its no wonder that many Americans are completely unwilling to take a chance on this vaccine. Sources for this article include: Bloomberg.com TheHill.com ABC7Chicago.com Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A recent research report added by Decisiondatabases on the 3D Touch Probes Market provides a comprehensive view of this business sector by giving a detailed description of the global market shares, regional & country-level market size, growth, trends, and forecast analysis. This report also focuses on value chain optimization, recent developments, opportunities analysis, and industrial sector expansion. The final report will cover the impact of COVID-19 on this industry. The global 3D Touch Probes market report presents a complete research-based study of the industry including details such as company shares, forecast data, in-depth analysis and an outlook of the market on a worldwide platform. The report further highlights the market drivers, restraints and the top manufacturers at the global and regional levels. For a thorough understanding, the report also offers market segmentation and regional analysis for the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. Click here to get a Sample PDF Copy of the 3D Touch Probes Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-30109 According to this study, over the next five years, the 3D Touch Probes market will register an xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ xx million by 2025, from $ xx million in 2020. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in the 3D Touch Probes business, shared in Chapter 3. This 3D Touch Probes market report also splits the market by regions: Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries). This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of the 3D Touch Probes market by type, application, key manufacturers, key regions, and countries. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3. Hexagon Blum-Novotest ZEISS Hoffmann API Renishaw BIG DAISHOWA SEIKI Werth HAIMER Mahr METROL STEPCRAFT Others To inquire about report customization, feel free to reach out to our team of expert analysts @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/ask-questions-30109 This study considers the 3D Touch Probes value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments: Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.7. Protection Level Less Than IP67 Protection Level IP67 Protection Level More Than IP67 Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.8. Industrial Manufacturing Others In addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, challenges and the risks faced by key manufacturers and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development. Purchase the Complete Global 3D Touch Probes Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-30109 Research Objectives To study and analyze the global 3D Touch Probes consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, type and application, history data from 2015 to 2019, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of the 3D Touch Probes market by identifying its various subsegments. Focuses on the key global 3D Touch Probes manufacturers, to define, describe, and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years. To analyze the 3D Touch Probes with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). To project the consumption of 3D Touch Probes submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 90 28 057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Reference Source: https://www.topnewscorner.com/3d-touch-probes-market-size-growth-emerging-trends-future-investors-and-virtual-analysis-by-2025/ Michigans electoral votes could be among a number of swing states to face objections from Republicans when Congress meets Wednesday to officially count the Electoral College result. President Donald Trump and supporters look to the Jan. 6 ceremony as their final chance to reverse Trumps 2020 election loss after all 50 states certified results and recorded the vote of their electors last month. At least two Michigan Republicans join other GOP representatives in the U.S. House and Senate planning to challenge electoral votes in states won by President-elect Joe Biden and call for an emergency audit to investigate alleged fraud. Biden earned 306 electoral votes when states gathered their electors on Dec. 14 to cast votes, while Trump earned 232. Michigans 16 Democratic electors cast their votes for Biden based on certified results that found Biden ahead by 153,000 votes. There is no evidence of widespread election fraud that would tip the results in Michigan or any other state. Trump has refused to concede, promoting unproven claims about fraudulent votes and rigged election machines. How does Congress count electoral votes? Congress will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday in a joint session presided by Vice President Mike Pence in his role as president of the Senate. Congress will vote on whether to accept the result of each state individually and in alphabetical order. The process of counting electoral votes is traditionally a formality, but the U.S. Constitution does provide lawmakers with an opportunity to challenge results. At least one lawmaker from the House and Senate must formally object to a specific states electoral votes in writing. Each chamber will split up to deliberate an objection for up to two hours before voting on whether to accept the electoral votes of whichever state faces a challenge. Both chambers must agree by a majority vote, otherwise the objection fails. Democrats have a majority in the House, so its unlikely that any challenge will be successful. Most Republicans in the Senate havent said they will support objections, so its not clear whether there are enough votes to pass in the GOP-majority chamber either. It seems certain that even if the Senate were to vote to reject one of these states, the House wouldnt, said Sam Bagenstos, a constitutional law professor at the University of Michigan. And so all of this is just the end of it. Which states could face objections? U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, plans to object to the certification of electors in Arizona, while Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, announced he will object to Pennsylvanias electors. U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Georgia, plans to object to results in her state. Ten other senators issued a joint statement seeking a 10-day audit of election returns in disputed states. Its not clear whether Michigan will be among them, but the state has been the subject of various allegations of irregularities by Trump and his supporters. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, issued a statement Tuesday affirming that the November election was conducted fairly and securely. The statement warned Republicans will parrot previously debunked false claims of election fraud on Wednesday in a partisan attempt to discredit Michigans election. By making false claims that undermine voters faith in our election, these elected officials demonstrate their shameless willingness to prioritize personal and partisan politics over the good of our country, Benson said. They dishonor every citizen who voted and the thousands of public servant election clerks and volunteer election workers who carried out this successful election. Is there a good chance Trump gets four more years? No. As explained above, Republicans face a steep uphill climb to prevent electoral votes in any one state from being counted. Multiple states would have to be overturned. Republican electors from several states, including Michigan, submitted their own documents. Those documents lack necessary signatures from state officials and therefore dont have legal standing, according to experts. Trump also claimed Pence has the ability to reject fraudulently chosen electors regardless of how Congress votes. Richard Friedman, a University of Michigan law professor, said thats a remarkable theory but probably unconstitutional. In fact, federal judges appointed by Trump threw out a lawsuit asking the court to declare Pence has sole authority to decide whether electoral votes are counted. Its pretty well inconceivable to me that the framers of the Constitution meant to set up a system in which the vice president has the unreviewable power to determine what electoral votes are accepted, Friedman said. I mean, its just so fundamentally undemocratic. Its so fundamentally contrary to anything that aspires to be consistent with the rule of law. Theres nothing in the Constitution that gives Pence the power to unilaterally decide which electoral votes shouldnt be counted. The 12th Amendment states: The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted. As a constitutional matter, Donald Trumps term ends at noon on Jan. 20, Bagenstos said. Joe Biden is going to be elected president when the electoral college votes are counted on Wednesday. All of this is just going to be delayed theatre around that. What will Michigans representatives do? Michigans seven Republican representatives are split on whether there is evidence of election issues. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, denounced efforts to overturn the election and said he wont support objections in any state. Upton reportedly told House Republicans Tuesday that there were no cases of fraud in Michigan. Newly sworn-in U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids, said supporting electoral votes certified by states in a letter to House leaders of both political parties. Meijer said Congress role is to count the electors submitted by the states, not to determine which electors the states should have sent. Meijer also said rejecting certified electoral votes undermines the same system which has benefitted Republicans who lost the popular vote in all but one election in the last 32 years. Disregarding electoral votes would delegitimize the system that could provide the only path to victory in 2024, he said. U.S. Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, and Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, said they plan to vote against certifying electors but did not specify which states they will challenge. U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, said told WZZM-13 that he will not challenge the results in Michigan but could vote in favor of objections in other states. U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, said shes open to opposing the Electoral College vote and will base her decision on Wednesdays proceedings. U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, did not respond to a request for comment on their position. Michigans seven Democratic House members and two Senators are all in favor of certifying the states 16 votes for Biden. How do I watch the Electoral College vote? Proceedings will start at 1 p.m. C-SPAN will offer an online livestream, and cable news channels will also offer their own coverage on Wednesday. READ MORE ON MLIVE: Dont trust everything on Facebook, says Michigan native after Trump mistakenly shared phone number Two Michigan Republicans will object to Electoral College vote Misinformation and conspiracies took starring role in Michigans political movements Trump repeats false claims about Michigan election in leaked Georgia phone call Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Kohima/Imphal, Jan 5 : The Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), paramilitary forces, state authorities, along with hundreds of volunteers and locals, continued their battle against the wildfire in the famous Dzukou Valley on the Nagaland and Manipur borders for the eighth day as the blaze raged on, officials said. However, officials said they were hopeful of controlling it soon even it had devastated a considerable part of the pristine area. An Assistant Sub-Inspector of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), deployed to tackle the fire, was found dead in his tent on Tuesday in northern Manipur's Senapati district bordering Nagaland. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, in a tweet, said : "Deeply saddened on hearing the news of the demise of Asst Sub-Inspector N.Binoy Meetei of @NDRFHQ, currently deployed at Dzuko for the ongoing firefighting operation. My heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and pray for peace of the departed soul." According to Kohima District Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Ali Shihab, eight helicopters equipped with Bambi buckets including four from the IAF and two from the Army continued their operation to control the wildfire. "A total of 56 sorties with 75, 000 litres of water have been sprayed by the helicopters on the inferno during the past few days. As per the IAF assessment, the fire was well within control and they might be able to achieve 100 per cent by Wednesday. Within a day or two, the fire situation would be fully under control," the Deputy Commissioner said after a review meeting. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, in a tweet, said: "Made an aerial survey of the latest forest fire situation at Dzukou valley today (Tuesday). Seeing the tremendous joint efforts by all concerned to tackle the situation, I am hopeful that the fire will soon be doused." "The destruction of God-given beauty and resources of the Dzukou valley is sad. I hope we will all strive to support the efforts of preserving and promoting the rich biodiversity of the valley and learn to live in harmony with nature." Forest officials of the two states said that the inferno, which began on December 29, has destroyed much of the forest, seasonal flowers, flora and fauna and harmed the rich biodiversity of the valley, which is a globally famous trekking site too. Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority OSD, Johnny Ruangmei told IANS on Tuesday over phone from Kohima that the wildfire is more than 80 per cent controlled and it was expected to tame the blaze fully in the next two days. The Dzukou valley, 30 km from Kohima, also is a sanctuary for the endangered Blyth's tragopan - Nagaland's State Bird - and other species of birds and animals. The iconic valley, situated at an altitude of 2,452 metres above the sea level, is a popular tourist spot and also famous for its seasonal flowers and biodiversity. Often caught in a boundary dispute between Manipur and Nagaland, it also has been prone to wildfires. Members of the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO), which run an adventure-based conservation programme, tackled such fires in many cases earlier. In 2006, the wildfire affected a 20-km stretch of the southern part of the valley. Hours after announcing the death of Tanya Roberts, the actress known for starring opposite Roger Moore in his final turn as James Bond and for her roles in Charlies Angels and That 70s Show, her publicist said on Monday that he had done so in error. The publicist, Mike Pingel, said in an interview on Monday night that Ms. Roberts, 65, was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and in grave condition for an unspecified illness. Ms. Roberts died overnight there, her longtime partner, Lance OBrien, said on Tuesday morning. The information from Mr. Pingel on Monday contradicted earlier accounts that he had given to several media outlets that had reported that Ms. Roberts had died before then. Mr. Pingel said that he had relied on information from Mr. OBrien. Its a human miscommunication, unfortunately, Mr. Pingel said. People have been writing beautiful amazing stories on her. Its a shame this happened. Surely somebody in RTE knew that the sketch in which God is found guilty of, and imprisoned for, raping and impregnating a young virgin would have caused great offence to a chunk of viewers. Long-bearded and wearing a hospital gown, God is hustled to the garda van outside the court while shouting that it was 2,000 years ago. They must have known that the timing just after Christmas and the content would offend a huge swathe of the population. In 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. This resulted in rioting around the globe and an attempt on the life of the lead cartoonist in 2010. The French magazine Charlie Hebdo did something similar, when it published cartoon sketches of the Prophet Muhammad in 2006, 2011, 2015 and 2020. The magazines headquarters was attacked on January 7, 2015, with 12 people murdered and 11 injured. Further related attacks followed over the next 48 hours, leading to more bloodshed and murder. Four days after the attack on Charlie Hebdo, four million demonstrators took to the streets in France. Je Suis Charlie became a Twitter hashtag as well as a slogan and rallying cry for freedom of expression in the wake of the deaths. The case in RTE on New Years Eve differs from this. Charlie Hebdo was a privately run magazine which had form in being provocative. It even drew criticism, and praise, from French presidents. In the Irish case, the sketch involved a former RTE newsreader and was shown by our national broadcaster at the end of the Christmas season. Clearly it was designed to be stridently provocative and offensive. Read More The message from our nationally-funded broadcaster is that Christians, a sizeable proportion of the population, worship and pray to an old man who rapes minors. And this was supposed to be funny! It is questionable if RTE would broadcast a similar satirical piece about travellers, migrants, Muslims or LGBTQ people. Yet, in one fell swoop, swathes of people saw religious bigotry and intolerance displayed against them by a state entity whose very existence and survival depends on them. RTE has now issued a statement. But it is not an apology, more a hollow gesture. It merely says that some people were offended by the content of the sketch and more than 1,000 complaints had been received. It says that RTE recognises how matters which cause offence differ from person to person, and within comedy and satire in particular. The statement displays no insight into the fact that the publisher of this material was a national organisation and thus had a responsibility, over and above that of a privately-run organisation, to be fair and balanced. It further disrespects its audience by failing to remove the offending piece, which is still available on the RTE Player. Not only was the piece offensive but it was, in my opinion, unfunny, crass, insulting and potentially hate-inducing. This pretentious piece is an insult to God and religion, but also to comedy and satire. RTE is being true to its prejudices. It is hyper-sensitive to woke/left liberal ideology and courts it unapologetically, while it traduces, defames and offends those of religious or non-politically correct leanings. This has led to court hearings and payouts to several individuals or organisations including Kevin Myers, Fr Kevin Reynolds, John Waters and the Iona Institute (of which I am a patron). Does RTE think rape jokes are acceptable? Is this the latest indicator of our social maturity? What does the Womens Council think? Is joking about rape a bit of fun? Should we all just lighten up a bit? What about the national bodies such as Failte Ireland and the Road Safety Authority of Ireland, whose advertisements were run during the programme? What is their response to the blatant prejudice and hatred clearly displayed by RTE? Justice Minister Helen McEntee is proposing to introduce legislation against hate speech. The goal of the new law is to lower the bar for prosecution, which is deemed too high under the current Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act (1989). Under the current law, the victims must be organisations and not individuals. This will change if the new law is enacted. No doubt, some lawyers have viewed the RTE sketch to decide whether it falls within the parameters of the current law. Even if it doesnt and no legal case can be taken, there is still the reality that organisations and individuals should not engage in certain behaviours, even if they are within the law in so doing. A nationally-funded station egregiously offending a large proportion of the population, in an attempt to poke fun at certain revered icons or symbols while trivialising serious crimes, is one such example. What should be done now? Politicians should be contacted. At the time of writing, they have stayed silent. If RTE wishes to exercise its right to freedom of speech by gratuitously offending groups, then so be it, but not at my expense nor at the expense of the others insulted by their latest offering, in the guise of comedy. Patricia Casey is a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Hermitage Medical Clinic and a patron of the Iona Institute After another round of drama and a stalling of the talks on Monday, the Tuesday extension of the OPEC+ meeting concluded at long last with a solution upon which all OPEC+ members agreed. But it didnt end the way anyone thought it would. Tuesdays meeting saw the groups agree to lift oil production by 75,000 barrels per day over January levels, according to OPECs post-meeting press release. But Saudi Arabias late announcement after the meeting sent oil prices soaringthat Saudi Arabia would voluntarily cut an additional 1 million barrels per day in February and March above its current quotaall while OPECs allies get to ramp up production. The OPEC+ agreed not only for the production levels for February but for March as well. Marchs production level will see an additional increase of 120,000 barrels per day over February levels, or 195,000 bpd over January levels. With Marchs production quotas already set, the February meeting, therefore, will set production quotas for April. The previous meeting held in December adjusted the total production cuts to 7.2 million bpd for January, from 7.7 million bpd before. But with Saudi Arabias additional voluntary cuts, Februarys total production cuts will be 8.125 million bpd, and Marchs will total 8.05 million bpd. For Saudi Arabia, there are no changes to its official output quota for either February or March. Neither are there changes to the UAEs quotas or Iraqs. In fact, for OPEC, there are no changes for February to the individual quotas. All the production increases, therefore, go to the non-OPEC members, not surprisingly to Kazakhstan and Russia. Russias February production quota increase from 9.119 million bpd in January to 9.184 million bpd. For March, Russias production quota again increases to 9.249 million bpd. That the non-OPEC group was the only group afforded increases in production over the next two months, with OPEC, therefore, shouldering more of the burden for the markets production cuts highlights OPECs waning influence in the market as a lone player, and Russias growing influence over the oil markets. Regardless of how the deal shook out between the members, the oil market cheered. Oil prices rallied in the afternoon, with WTI rallying more than 5% and Brent rallying just under 5%. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Great Barrington Reduces License Fees GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. The town has acted to reduce by 50 percent the license fees required of certain categories of local businesses that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. Licenses for Restaurants, lodging establishments, entertainment licenses and movie theater license fees are among those for which licensing fees will be reduced for the 2021 fiscal year. "We wanted very much to do something to help these businesses most harshly affected by Covid-19," Selectboard Chair Stephen Bannon said. "As we look around town, we see how very hard these business owners are working to remain in business serving customers, against tough odds." Normally, the town takes in approximately $65,000 in all Selectboard-issued licenses. With these reductions, the town will reduce that take to $42,435, a reduction of $21,218. Not all businesses will receive the benefit: purveyors of retail alcohol, real estate companies requiring licenses for signage, and automobile dealers are not subject to the rebate. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Sorry! This content is not available in your region People rescue a stranded Antillean manatee, Trichechus manatus manatus. Credit: Luna, Beaver, Nourisson et al. Worldwide, marine megafauna are at risk of extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, pollution, overhunting, population fragmentation, and hybridization with related species in areas disturbed by humans. Genetic studies can help determine the conservation status of marine animals, identifying threats to species conservation and informing interventions and policies, such as the protection of diversity hotspots or corridors for gene flow. In a new study in Frontiers in Marine Science, researchers for the first time measured genetic diversity in manatees at a large geographical scalethat is, along the northern coastline of South America. They show that the Antillean subspecies of the West Indian manatee forms a single, non-continuous population along the Brazilian coastline. Manatees from this population occasionally interbreed with the Antillean subspecies population located further North and West, between Guyana and Venezuela. Moreover, there seems to be no natural hybridization between the Antillean Amazonian manatee, even though their habitats overlap in the mouth of the Amazon river. The Antillean subspecies of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) and the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) (order Sirenia) are both classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Antillean manatees occur across most of the Caribbean and along the Atlantic coast of Central and South America. In contrast, the Amazonian manatee is exclusively found in the mouth of the Amazon River. Historically, both were hunted intensively. Though hunting pressure has subsided, both remain at risk due to further anthropogenic threats, especially habitat degradation and collisions with boats. Manatees have strict habitat requirements, mainly places with seagrass and freshwater, such as estuaries. Due to continuous human pressure on their habitats, such as seagrass meadows, populations have decreased, potentially leading to a decrease in genetic variability. ''Genetic diversity is critical for species to be able to adapt to changing environments and avoid inbreeding and needs to be considered to allow for long-term protection of species,'' says coauthor Dr. Margaret Hunter from the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey in Gainesville, Florida. "Here we show that manatee populations of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil have some degree of interrelatedness but overall low genetic diversity.'" To determine whether there is genetic connectivity between the West Indian and Amazonian manatee, the authors took 17 DNA samples from the Amazonian manatee, 78 from the Antillean subspecies in Brazil (southern cluster of populations) and 11 from Guyana and Venezuela (northern cluster), including adults and calves, and measured diversity at nuclear and mitochondrial neutral genetic markers. The researchers found no evidence of natural hybridization between the two species. What they did find was evidence of gene flow between the northern and southern cluster of Antillean manatees. It seems the physical barrier of the Amazon River plume is not enough to block gene flow between the northern and southern cluster. ''These results make it possible for us to understand current genetic diversity of the Brazilian West Indian manatee population,'' says coauthor Dr. Fabia de Oliveira Luna from Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity ConservationNational Center for Research and Aquatic Mammals Conservation, Brazil. ''We call on policymakers to improve the national action plan. An important action is the creation of new protected areas, which help establish biological corridors and promote gene flow. Another is to protect habitats where manatees give birth. Newborn calves have stranded along the Ceara and Rio Grande do Norte coastline of Brazil: upon rescue, these should released into the genetic population of origin, or in gap areas without residing manatees. In contrast, captive breeding should be avoided for now as enough calves are born in the wild." Explore further Manatees are no longer endangered: US officials English Lithuanian The retail turnover (including VAT) of Apranga Group amounted to EUR 13.7 million in December 2020 and has decreased by 46.6% in comparison to December 2019. Based on the Government of the Republic of Lithuania act regarding quarantine declaration, from 16th March 2020 until 18th April 2020 all Apranga Group stores in Lithuania were closed due to epidemic coronavirus (COVID-19) infection (stores in supermarkets were closed until 25th April 2020). Also, according to the resolution of the Government of the Republic of Estonia, all Group stores operating in shopping malls in Estonia were closed from 27th March 2020 until 11th May 2020. From 28th March 2020 until 16th May 2020, stores in Latvia operating in shopping malls could not work on weekends. Also, from 16th December 2020, all the Groups stores in Lithuania are temporarily closed. In Latvia, the stores are temporarily closed from 19th December 2020 (until then, from 14th November 2020, trading on weekends was prohibited in Latvia). These temporary closures had a significant impact on the Group's generated turnover. The retail turnover (including VAT) of Apranga Group totalled EUR 53.7 million in 4th quarter 2020 or by 25.8% less than in 2019. During the 4th quarter 2020 the retail turnover of Apranga Group in Lithuania decreased by 30.7% year-on-year, in Latvia decreased by 20.3% and in Estonia decreased by 14.9%. The unaudited year 2020 retail turnover (including VAT) of Apranga Group reached EUR 204.2 million and has decreased by 17.6% comparing to 2019. In 2020 the retail turnover of Apranga Group in Lithuania was EUR 118.3 million and decreased by 19.8% year-on-year. In 2020 the retail turnover of Apranga Group in Latvia was EUR 52.4 million and decreased by 11.8% year-on-year, in Estonia has made EUR 33.5 million and decreased by 18.5% year-on-year. During the year 2020 Apranga Group opened 5 stores, reconstructed 7 and closed 12 stores. Currently Apranga Group operates the chain of 179 stores (104 in Lithuania, 48 in Latvia and 27 in Estonia) covering the gross area of 92.6 thousand sq. m., or by 1.3% less than a year ago. Rimantas Perveneckas Apranga Group General Manager +370 5 2390801 BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Finance has issued revised performance evaluation rules for commercial banks. Starting from Jan. 1, the revised rules introduced a new performance evaluation mechanism focusing on commercial banks' contribution to national development and the real economy, quality of development, risk prevention and control and operational efficiency. The proportion of the four indicators in the mechanism may be adjusted appropriately according to the macro-economic policy and development of the real economy and financial sectors, according to the rules. The revision aims to incentivize commercial banks to better implement macro-economic policy and serve the real economy, as well as support their steady operation and high-quality development. As part of the country's performance evaluation system for financial companies, the rules for commercial banks were initiated in 2009 and previously revised in 2016. Three young men who took part in a "sustained, persistent and repeated" attack on their teenage friend in a flat in Belfast were sentenced for the assault on Tuesday. The victim - who was 17 at the time of the May 2019 attack - was stripped naked, beaten unconscious and left in a lifeless state in a bath in an incident branded "a grotesque orgy of violence." Footage of a portion of the prolonged attack which took place in Ulidia House was also recorded on a mobile phone, as were images of the bloodied and battered victim, which were then sent to other young people. The teenager was rushed to hospital where he was intubated and remained in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit. He sustained multiple, serious injuries including a bleed on the brain, a fractured nose, broken ribs, a wound to his upper lung and extensive swelling to his head and face. He also sustained slash wounds to an upper arm. Despite the severe nature of his injuries, he regained consciousness a few days later and was discharged. All three attackers - Geordie Brown (20), Dean Clarke (22) and 20-year old Nathan McCrory - appeared at a remote hearing of Belfast Crown Court today, where they were sentenced for a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Brown and McCrory, who are both currently housed in Hydebank YOC, were each handed an eight-year sentence which Judge Stephen Fowler QC said would be divided between four years in custody and four on licence. Clarke, who was transferred from Hydebank to the Shannon secure unit at Knockbracken due to his mental health, was assessed as being a dangerous offender by the Probation Board and the court. As he was assessed as posing a significant risk to the public, he was also handed an eight-year sentence, with an extended period of three year licence imposed. Deemed dangerous, Clarke may not be automatically released on licence after serving half his sentence. Instead, he may serve the full eight years, and when released he will be on licence for a further three years. During this extended period, he will be recalled to prison if he breaches any terms of his licence. As he sentenced all three men, Judge Fowler spoke of the "gratuitous degradation" inflicted on the teenager. The Judge also branded the images and videos of the incident as "trophy photographs." The violent incident occurred on the afternoon of May 3, 2019 after all four had been drinking and taking drugs together. Part of the attack was captured on Ulidia's internal CCTV system, whilst other footage inside the flat was filmed on Clarke's mobile phone, where the teenage was called a 'f***ing tout' whilst being repeatedly kicked and stamped on. This footage, and pictures of the bleeding teen, were distributed to a number of contacts on Clarke's phone. In a series of accompanying messages, Clarke said he 'went nuts' and beat the teen for 'meeting his girl.' A female friend said the teen was a 'child' and told Clarke to wake him up. Clarke said 'he's dead', and when asked if he was being serious, Clarke replied 'yeah.' It was this footage which alerted the teenager's brother about the attack. He had been concerned about his sibling's whereabouts, and when the footage began circulating, he was contacted by an unknown female who sent him the clip, which was accompanied by the message 'is this your brother?' As the trio were sentenced, it emerged that the alarm was raised by a resident at Ulidia House. A security guard at the south Belfast apartment block had seen all four entering the flat with bottles of Buckfast at around 1.30pm. At 4pm a resident on the same floor reporting hearing screaming coming from the flat, and when the security guard attended he saw blood on the tiles outside the flat. He knocked the door, McCrory answered, and when asked about the blood, McCrory told him 'one of my friends fell and bust his nose.' The security guard looked inside the flat and saw more blood in the hallway and on the floor. With his suspicions roused, the security guard contacted the police, who arrived a short time later. When officers entered the flat, they found the badly beaten, naked, unconscious teenager in the bath - and were unsure whether he was alive or dead. He was rushed to hospital, and when he was spoken to by police about what happened 12 days after the incident, the teen said he had little recollection of what happened, but remembered being beaten. In a Victim Impact Statement, the teenager said he considered those who attacked him to be his friends, and feels they have destroyed his life. Whilst he can't remember much, the teenager now has flashbacks, keeps himself to himself, and has turned to alcohol and cannabis to help him cope. Clarke, Brown and McCrory were all arrested and initially gave limited responses to police during interviews. Clarke, who has 57 previous convictions, has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. His barrister Stuart Magee said Clarke's mental health issues began in early childhood and this was coupled with prolonged substance misuse. Mr Magee said Clarke had a "limited memory of the incident" but said it was accepted the messages on his phone were sent by him. Brown, a former heroin addict with 14 previous convictions, claimed he took 150 illegal diazepam in the 24 hours leading to the attack and does not remember what happened in the flat. His barrister Richard McConkey said: "This was a horrific offence. There is no excuse for what happened, it was horrendous and Brown knows it. He is remorseful." McCrory, represented by barrister Michael Boyd, spoke of his client's "very very difficult childhood" which involved drug and alcohol misuse from an early age. Branding what occurred in the flat as a "grotesque orgy of violence", Mr Boyd said McCrory was "ashamed of the way he behaved", adding "without drugs, the incident would never have unfolded." As he sentenced the three young men, Judge Fowler described the group attack as "sustained, persisent and repeated", adding it was clear the trio intended to commit serious harm to their victim. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Belfast Telegraph Oil prices rallied on Tuesday morning, following reports that Russiathe OPEC+ producer that was insisting on a 500,000-bpd production increase in Februaryhas agreed that there would not be another rise in the pact's production next month. Both benchmarks were up by more than 3 percent as of 10 a.m. ET, with WTI Crude surging above $49.50 a barrel and Brent Crude trading at $52.80 after several reports emerged that Russia had accepted a compromise not to push for another increase next month. "An informed source just told me that it appears that #Russia has agreed that there won't be any increase of 500 thousand bpd for the month of February, but, not the cessation of increase for the month of March," oil journalist Reza Zandi tweeted early on Tuesday, ahead of the second day of the online meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC). On the first day of the virtual conference on Monday, the ministers failed to reach a deal and adjourned talks until Tuesday. Reports had it on Monday that Russia and OPEC heavyweight the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were in favor of another 500,000 bpd increase in OPEC+ production in February, while most of the other OPEC+ producers were favoring a delay to that increase, due to the surging COVID-19 cases and the new lockdowns imposed to fight them. Amena Bakr, Deputy Bureau Chief & Chief OPEC Correspondent at Energy Intelligence, tweeted on Tuesday, "According to 2 informed sources: Russia will accept a one month rollover provided there will be an increase in March." The start of the meeting on Tuesday was delayed by half an hour and was expected to start at 4 p.m. Vienna timea sign that delegates and ministers of the OPEC+ group still have negotiating and convincing to do to reach a unanimous decision. Ole Hansen, Head of Commodity Strategy at Saxo Bank, commented that the report of OPEC+ agreeing to roll over the current level of production into February "Makes perfect sense given the renewed demand uncertainty related to the fast-spreading UK virus variant." By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here After tragedy, student finds new beginning at UofSC Honors College Antonia Adams story is filled with tragedy. Its about devastating phone calls, vigils in hospital rooms and more sorrow and gut-wrenching decisions than a college student should ever face. But above all, it is a story of perseverance, about fighting through the uncertainty and sadness with a belief that education can restore confidence and hope. Its a story that starts in Edgefield County, where Adams grew up in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Peach trees and cow pastures, that was my backyard. Literally, she says. She had what she calls a normal, middle-class upbringing, born when her mother was 44 and her father was 47. Her parents instilled in her the value of hard work and the importance of education, with her mother earning her college degree with honors at age 60. Adams thrived in the public schools in her hometown. She was the high school valedictorian and a delegate to Palmetto Girls State. She was involved in band, public speaking competitions and leadership roles. After graduation, she attended a private college, where she considered herself a typical student. That changed with a visit home during Thanksgiving break during her sophomore year. Her mother, looking sick and thin, revealed that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Adams had just turned 20, and her mother convinced her to return to college for the spring semester, wanting nothing to get in the way of her daughters education. But the cancer quickly spread and stopped responding to chemotherapy. A phone call in February told Adams she needed to come home, immediately. Her mother was given only a few months to live; she died a couple weeks later, on March 5, 2017, at age 64. The morning after the funeral, her father became very sick. She drove him to the hospital, where doctors found he was bleeding internally, and discovered a tumor on his colon. He was hospitalized in April, and Adams quickly took responsibility for his care, spending days and nights at the hospital, holding his hand, singing Happy Birthday to him as he turned 68, doing everything to make him comfortable. After consulting with doctors, Adams made the decision to remove her father from life support. He died on May 26, 2017. After that, I was absolutely hopeless, she says. My mom and dad were my best friends. When I was at college, I called them all the time. We were always together. When they passed away, it was the hardest thing I could ever imagine dealing with. I want to use my story; to let someone see if you let people have a chance, if they have access to education and resources, they can recover from anything. Antonia Adams She didnt return to school, and spent the next year managing the estate, figuring out bills and trying to see her way through the chaos. Eventually, she enrolled at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina, and she went to work rebuilding her confidence and dealing with the grief of losing her parents. A lot of people there reminded me, You absolutely have potential. You will get through this. You have to remember what your mom and dad said. They knew they were dying. My mom said, You will go back to school. My father said the same thing, Youre going to be successful. She eased back into her studies and saw she had the strength to continue. She found her path again, finding work at Piedmont Tech as a student employee and a presidential ambassador. She got involved in diversity issues, and eventually was elected president of the student body. She worked at a car dealership to earn money. She started thinking about her next steps, with her eye on the University of South Carolina. After earning a 3.95 GPA at Piedmont Tech she was accepted into the Darla Moore School of Business and the South Carolina Honors College in the fall of 2020. Her experiences handling her parents estate, dealing with probate court and medical bills, inspired her interest in business and law. She jumped right into campus life at South Carolina, becoming a peer leader at the Leadership and Service Center. And while she presented at the regional Student Leadership and Diversity Conference on the Columbia campus while she attended Piedmont Tech, this year she is helping to plan the conference as a UofSC student. She is a Gamecock Guide, helping to tell the universitys story on social media channels. She also is part of the Civic Leadership Education and Action Team, involved in voter registration initiatives and sharing election information on campus and online. She earned a 4.0 GPA for the fall semester. Im doing well in my courses, and I love the business program here and the opportunities for diversity and leadership. Theres so much opportunity for students to have a voice here, she says. Now 24, she expects to earn her degree in economics with a minor in political science in two years. She then hopes to attend law school at Georgetown University, focusing on public policy law. She thinks a run for public office may even be in her future. I want to help people like me, who are dealing with unfortunate circumstances. I know how I felt most of the time, trying to figure out the world. Its hard. And I understand that. All it takes is a little bit of hope. Even if you havent put yourself completely together, you can continue to move and continue to progress, she says. Losing my mom and dad opened my eyes. Something like that, it changes everything. I love the idea of going to Washington and helping make those laws for people who are struggling. I want to use my story; to let someone see if you let people have a chance, if they have access to education and resources, they can recover from anything. I love being involved. I still grieve for my mom and dad. But Im finding my way back again. Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about A two-metre long snake was seen slithering along an iconic Perth beach, startling local dog walkers. A man spotted the dugite snake at the famous Quinns Dog Beach, in the city's north, on Monday. 'Just about stepped on this guy as he made his way in for a dip up the northern end of the dog beach,' Geoff Pape said. A local man spotted the dugite snake at Quinns Dog Beach, in the city's north, last week A two-metre long snake was seen slithering on a beach at an iconic Perth beach, startling passersby Mr Pape posted a video of the shocking encounter, showing the snake slithering through the pristine waters and on to the sand before heading further up the beach. He also issued a warning to other residents who walk their dogs along the stretch of sand. 'It was up the northern end of the dog beach. Be careful if your dog likes sniffing in there,' Mr Pape said. Dugites are one of the most deadly snakes in the world. Just one drop of venom can cause blood clots and lead to death within hours. Despite going for a swim at the beach, dugites tend to shelter beneath logs or rocks or in abandoned burrows. The sighting was just 30 kilometres away from where a two-metre shark circled just metres from an unaware surfer at the iconic Scarborough beach on the same day. On December 28, a three-metre shark was spotted just 20m from the shore at the same beach, prompting beach closures and warnings in WA. Scarborough and Trigg beaches were closed last Monday after a swimmer spotted the shark. Police in Washington, D.C., arrested the leader of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys on Monday afternoon in connection with last months burning of a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church in the city. Authorities apprehended Enrique Tarrio, who lives in Miami, when he entered the city ahead of Wednesdays scheduled rally among fellow far-right advocates of overturning the 2020 election in an effort to keep President Donald Trump in office. While the charge of destruction of property is a misdemeanor, prosecutors are also investigating whether actions of the 36-year-old Tarrio and the Proud Boysa white nationalist, male-chauvinist organizationconstitute a hate crime, which would carry additional penalties. Advertisement The Proud Boys were part of the pro-Trump demonstration on Dec. 12 in the capital. Full of grievance and provocation, ultimately the Proud Boys got what they wanted that night, violence and chaos, as the event spiraled into street skirmishes with counterprotesters, including a stabbing. That night four churches in the district were vandalized, including Asbury United Methodist Church, which sits six blocks from the White House. The historic Black churchs Black Lives Matter banner was taken and burned. The act evoked the disturbing history of Black churches being burned in the U.S. during Reconstruction and the civil rights movement. In the aftermath of the December rally, Tarrio admitted to burning the banner in a series of statements on far-right platforms, daring police to arrest him. On Monday, police did just that as Tarrio was believed to be arriving from the airport for Wednesdays rally. Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Tarrio was also charged with two additional felony counts when police found the far-right leader to be in possession of high-capacity magazines, which allow weapons to hold and load more ammunition, during Mondays arrest. Local authorities are concerned about the potential for violence during Wednesdays pro-Trump, anti-Democracy event, which is coordinated to be held during the certification of the Electoral College tally of President-elect Joe Bidens win. The Bihar police, which is investigating the murder of a retired CRPF jawan, Jitendra Paswan, on Tuesday arrested his colleague, who had allegedly hired contract killers to eliminate Paswan so that he could marry the former jawans wife. According to reports, the police arrested four people including CRPF jawan Dayanand Paswan, currently posted in Latehar (Jharkhand), shootersSantosh Nutt, Dhananjay Nuttbesides Fantush, who was also involved in the crime. One of the shooters, Manoj Sapera of Nawada and the deceaseds cousin Lavkush, who were also part of the plot are still at large. According to the police, both the conspiratorsDayanand and Lavkushgave a contract of Rs 5 lakh to Nalanda goon Dhananjay, who engaged Santosh, Manoj and Fantush to carry out the crime. Dayanand paid Rs 2 lakh and Lavkush paid Rs 1 lakh as an advance to the contract killers. Later, both the conspirators took the three contract killers and showed them his shop. Police said that Jitendra, who used to run a canteen at the Patna-Gaya national highway was gunned down near Lodipur village barely 500 metres from the Jehanabad SPs residence on December 23. A case was lodged against unidentified criminals with the Kadauna police out-post on the basis of the statement of Lavkush. Jehanabad SP Meenu Kumari said that the prime accused Dayanand and the victim worked together for many months during their posting at sector headquarters in Patna and during that time the former developed an intimate relationship with the victims wife. On the other hand, the deceaseds maternal brother Lavkush wanted to grab his canteen. The SP informed that on the day of the crime, three shooters from Patna, Nalanda and Nawada reached Jehanabad on a bike. Two of them entered the canteen and killed Jitendra while another was waiting outside the canteen on his bike. The fourth (Fantush) was stationed at Kako More and kept an eye on the movement of the police patrol car. During questioning, the CRPF jawan claimed that he fell in love with his colleagues wife and wanted to marry her. He also claimed that Jitendras cousin wanted to grab his canteen so he hatched a conspiracy to eliminate the jawan and offered him monetary support, said the SP adding that the police had recovered the used weapon and empty cartridge from a ditch. The Jehanabad SP said that action in Jitendras murder case was taken after scanning CCTV footage. A manhunt has been launched for the third shooter and second conspirator. Jitendras wife has accepted having a relationship with Dayanand. New Delhi, Jan 6 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed its "exasperation" over its ill functioning virtual court system while also noting the system of Delhi High Court had no such problem. "We at the inception must note our exasperation at the inability of the virtual Court system to work satisfactorily in the Supreme Court while there is no such problems in the Delhi High Court next door," said a three-judge bench of the Apex court headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul. The three-judge bench which was hearing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in a criminal case further directed the Secretary General to look into this issue as it was becoming very difficult to continue with proceedings in the virtual courts in an appropriate manner. "We have been since yesterday trying to cope with the problem of disconnections, resonance of voices even when there is single person arguing. It is difficult to understand this despite more licences stated to have been taken. The only voice we hear is the resonance of our own voices," the bench also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy said. The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated a re-imagining of how access to justice, a key pillar in all democracies, can be ensured in the backdrop of an unprecedented health crisis. The virus spread introduced some serious changes in the proceedings of the Supreme Court as it moved online since March 23. Justices began hearing arguments by video conferencing, a momentous step for an institution, which has always been cautious and guarded its secrets. Technology began to serve as a platform for fiery arguments and courtroom's give-and-take by lawyers, and paved the way for a renewed justice delivery system. In this year, largely impacted by the pandemic, the Supreme Court delivered some crucial judgments, which may play a significant role in the judicial history. [January 05, 2021] IconOVir Bio Raises $77 Million in Series A Financing to Develop Next-Generation Oncolytic Viruses to Treat Solid Tumors IconOVir Bio, Inc., a preclinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the next generation of oncolytic virus therapy to improve the treatment of patients with cancer, today announced it has raised $77 million in a Series A financing. The financing was co-led by Nextech and Vida Ventures, with participation from Two River Group, Bellco Capital, Polaris Partners, GV, Wellington Partners Venture Capital and Logos Capital. IconOVir was founded by Two River Group, chaired by Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, the team who founded Kite Pharma, Inc., Allogene Therapeutics, Inc., and Kronos (News - Alert) Bio, Inc. IconOVir also announced the appointment of Mark McCamish, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer. IconOVir has developed a proprietary platform to create next-generation oncolytic viruses based on more than a decade of oncolytic virus research by IconOVir's Scientific Founder Clodagh O'Shea, Ph.D., of the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences. IconOVir's discovery pipeline of multiple differentiated oncolytic virus candidates have the potential to be potent, tumor-selective, administered intravenously and broadly infect tumor cells. "Conquering cancer requires therapeutic agents that are as genetically sophisticated and deadly as the tumor itself," said Dr. O'Shea. "With a team of visionary leaders, IconOVir has the requisite experience to translate transformative science into game changing cancer therapies. As Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, I look forward to providing my insights and expertise towards advancing the IconOVir pipeline into the clinic." IconOVir's lead candidate, IOV-1042 is derived from the common cold virus. Preclinical research has shown that IOV-1042 infects and kills a broad range of tumor cells, including head and neck, bladder, lung and breast, suggesting that it could have potential utility in a wide range of solid tumor indications. IconOVir expects to submit an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for IOV-1042 in the first half of 2022. "IconOVir has a proven management team, led by Dr. Mark McCamish, and its oncolytic viral platform has the ability to transform the clinical landscape for how we treat patients with solid tumors," said David hang, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of IconOVir's Board of Directors. "Given my personal experience in developing oncolytic viruses, I look forward to working with Mark, the management team and other Board members to grow this company and advance innovative oncolytic virotherapy, which has the potential to be disruptive to the current cancer treatment paradigm." Dr. McCamish has extensive experience in drug development in the biopharmaceutical industry. Before joining IconOVir, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Forty Seven, Inc., an immuno-oncology company acquired by Gilead. Dr. McCamish earned an M.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in human nutrition from Penn State University. "We are committed to designing and developing the next generation of high-potency, tumor-selective oncolytic viruses that can be used in a wide variety of solid tumors, including metastatic disease. This can address the major limitations of the only currently marketed oncolytic virus therapy," said Dr. McCamish. "In pursuit of that goal, and in collaboration with Dr. O'Shea, we have created a robust discovery pipeline. With our Series A financing, raised from the support of premier healthcare investors, we believe we have the financial resources to advance our product candidates into clinical development over the next 18 to 24 months." "IconOVir has everything we look for when investing in an oncology company. It has a founding team of academic thought leaders and seasoned company builders, a Board and scientific advisors with deep expertise in oncology, and a differentiated discovery pipeline with next-generational oncolytic viruses based on groundbreaking research," said Jakob Loven, Ph.D., Partner at Nextech. "We invested in IconOVir based on the stellar combination of team experience and the company's high throughput synthetic and systems biology platform. We believe IconOVir's approach to cancer by engineering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing curative virus-based oncology therapies will be a game changer," said Helen Kim, Managing Director, Vida Ventures. IconOVir Board of Directors The company's Board of Directors has deep oncology expertise and decades of experience in oncology innovation. In addition to Dr. McCamish, the Board includes: Arie Belldegrun, M.D., FACS, Executive Chairman, Co-Founder of Allogene Therapeutics and Co-Founder, Sr. Managing Director of Vida Ventures David Chang, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allogene Therapeutics Joshua Kazam, Partner, Two River Group Helen Kim, Managing Director, Vida Ventures Jakob Loven, Ph.D., Partner, Nextech About IconOVir Bio IconOVir Bio is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the next generation of oncolytic virus therapy to improve the treatment of patients with cancer. The Company's proprietary oncolytic virus platform is based on technology developed by scientific founder Clodagh O'Shea, Ph.D., of the Salk Institute. It is designed to address key limitations of first- and second-generation oncolytic viruses and provide a personalized therapy for cancer patients. For more information, please visit www.iconovir.com and follow IconoVir on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005224/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Dalton: With mounting desperation, Donald Trump has declared he would "fight like hell" to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are "not gonna take this White House!" he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally in Georgia on Monday night. Trump's announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday's runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss which he insists he won by a lot." ALSO READ: Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Biden's victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Biden's nationwide victory November 3. Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election is splitting the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans faith in democracy. All 10 living former defense secretaries wrote in an op-ed that "the time for questioning the results has passed." Its unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesdays joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Vice President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesdays joint session. "I promise you this: On Wednesday, well have our day in Congress," Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesdays runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. Trump said in Georgia: I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Hes a great guy. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much." He added, No, Mike is a great guy." One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesday's runoff Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Bidens win. The other Republican seeking reelection, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials Republican as well as Democratic in state after state and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. The congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with rank-and-file House members, some on the party's fringe. Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump," tweeted newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is aligned with a conspiracy group backing Trump. He wants you to call your Rep & Senators TODAY, ALL DAY!" she tweeted Monday. "Dont let Republicans be the Surrender Caucus!" She later joined the president on Air Force One as he traveled to Georgia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, has declined to say much publicly on it. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trump's base of supporters. Biden, speaking at a drive-in rally in Atlanta, said Trump spends more time whining and complaining" than he does working on solving the coronavirus pandemic. He added dismissively, I dont know why he still wants the job he doesnt want to do the work." During the day Monday, more current and former GOP officials rebuked the effort to upend the election. Former three-term Sen. John Danforth of Missouri said in a stinging statement, Lending credence to Trumps false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack." He said, "It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical." Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Portman said in a statement, I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters." At the Dalton rally, Trump noted he was a little angry" at Lee, but expressed hope that the senator would change his mind. We need his vote," Trump said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, said the electoral vote challenge undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation." So far, Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Bidens 306-232 Electoral College win. With Biden set to be inaugurated Jan. 20, Trump is intensifying efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. On a call disclosed Sunday, he can be heard pressuring Georgia officials to find" him more votes from the Nov. 3 election he lost in that state. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Punjab government and the Centre on a plea filed by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, seeking action against "miscreants" damaging its telecom infrastructure and forcibly closing its stores in the state. During the ongoing agitation by farmers against three new farm laws enacted by the Centre, over 1500 mobile towers in Punjab have been damaged. Reliance Industries Limited Reliance Jio, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, on Monday, submitted in its plea that "vested" interests are engaged in spreading "false rumours" against it and that the petitioner, its parent company and its affiliates had no plans to enter corporate or contract farming. In the civil writ petition, Reliance Jio has also sought appropriate directions to respondents for investigation into the well-orchestrated and sustained disinformation campaign being carried out by vested interests and miscreants against it. In the petition, the company has stated that in the past few weeks, its over 1,500 telecom towers were damaged or rendered inoperative by miscreants crippling its mobile network in Punjab. Punjab and Haryana High Court A number of its centres and stores were also forcibly closed by miscreants by using illegal force and intimidation, it submitted. The petitioner submitted that its subscribers were being forced to port to other networks, while its employees were being subjected to grave threat to life and forcibly prevented from serving subscribers in the state. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Western Michigan University is hosting multiple virtual events in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. this year. The series of virtual events, hosted by WMU and other community partners, begins Thursday, Jan. 7, and continues through the entire month, according to a news release from the university. This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 18. The 2021 theme is None of Us is Free Until All of Us Are Free, the university said. The events are free to the public. TRutH Talk: Racial Healing is a virtual discussion about racial healing work that has been transpiring in the Kalamazoo community, what Racial Healing Circles and Virtual Healing Experiences are and how the community can participate in the 5th annual National Day of Racial Healing. Interested attendees can 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7:is a virtual discussion about racial healing work that has been transpiring in the Kalamazoo community, what Racial Healing Circles and Virtual Healing Experiences are and how the community can participate in the 5th annual National Day of Racial Healing. Interested attendees can register online. A discussion on Twitter regarding resistance and healing. To participate, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14:regarding resistance and healing. To participate, follow TRHT Kalamazoo on Twitter, join the chat and use #HealingResistanceKzoo and #KzooHealingChats. MLK Day Convocation includes keynote speaker, scholar and activist D-L Stewart at Colorado State University and his presentation I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free. 11 a.m. to noon Monday, Jan. 18:includes keynote speaker, scholar and activist D-L Stewart at Colorado State University and his presentation I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free. Email Natalia Carvalho-Pinto for a link to join, accommodations and more information. TRHT (Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation) Kalamazoo: Public Virtual Healing Experience provides a time to come together in an intentional space to discuss personal narratives and provide insight, understanding and appreciation of one anothers stories. Space is limited to 50 individuals. 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18:provides a time to come together in an intentional space to discuss personal narratives and provide insight, understanding and appreciation of one anothers stories. Space is limited to 50 individuals. Register here online before Wednesday, Jan. 13, or before capacity is reached. TRHT Kalamazoo: National Day of Racial Healing Opening Reception invites participants to virtually mix and mingle with community members and share stories of resistance healing from the unprecedented year of 2020. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19:invites participants to virtually mix and mingle with community members and share stories of resistance healing from the unprecedented year of 2020. Register here TRHT Kalamazoo: National Day of Racial Healing 2021 Celebration commemorates the 5th annual National Day of Racial Healing with a livestream from the Kalamazoo State Theatre, featuring community voices and local artists. 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19:commemorates the 5th annual National Day of Racial Healing with a livestream from the Kalamazoo State Theatre, featuring community voices and local artists. Register here Community Read of From Here to Equality by William A. Darity and A. Kristen Mullen includes a virtual community discussion led by Jacob Pinney-Johnson. The first 20 participants who 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21:by William A. Darity and A. Kristen Mullen includes a virtual community discussion led by Jacob Pinney-Johnson. The first 20 participants who register online will receive a free copy of the book. Noon, Wednesday, Jan. 27: MLK High School Social Justice Workshops are for Kalamazoo Public Schools students and include an exploration of activism and the fight for social justice from the time of Martin Luther King Jr. to present-day displays of advocacy by members from the community ranging to athletes and musicians. A link will be distributed directly to students through KPS. Key sponsors of this years events include the Bronson Healthcare System, city of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Kalamazoo Public Schools and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Visit the WMU website for more information on this years events. Also on MLive: Western Michigan University students return to campus delayed in January 2021 Commissioners want accountability for city manager who secretly fired police chief Dont trust everything on Facebook, says Michigan native after Trump mistakenly shared phone number Washtenaw prosecutor launches effort to review thousands of past cases for racial bias Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 05:58:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- As the Saudi-led quartet signed at a Gulf Arab summit on Tuesday a reconciliation deal with Qatar after more than three years of rift, Egyptian analysts believe the deal is positive for Arab unity and stability, yet it acts like an "intent test" awaiting for Qatari positive stances to prove earnestness in the coming stage. The quartet comprising Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar in early June 2017, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs, charges that Qatar has always denied. Through the agreement, signed in Al-Ula city northwestern Saudi Arabia during the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, the Arab quartet hopes to win Qatar on their side in a bid to limit the regional expansion of Iran and Turkey and stop Doha's alleged support for extremist groups challenging the four states. INTENT TEST "I believe that the quartet has agreed that it will be semi-reconciliation or an intent test to see if Qatar will implement the conditions previously offered by the four Arab states," said Motaz Salama, head of Arab and Regional Studies Unit at Cairo-based Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS). The Egyptian expert said that it might take months or more to find out whether Qatar will prove earnestness through giving up alleged support for terror groups, interference in Arab countries' domestic affairs and assistance of Iranian and Turkish regional expansion. "The quartet states have offered many concessions with regards to reconciliation with Qatar in favor of the greater interest of the Arab and Gulf regions," Salama told Xinhua. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the GCC summit, where host Saudi Arabia was represented by its crown prince and Bahrain by his counterpart, the UAE by its vice president, Oman by its deputy prime minister and Egypt by its foreign minister. Kuwait, the key mediator that has been working hard on the breakthrough, was represented by its Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. "With regards to formalities, the quartet's level of representation implies rejection of Qatar's former attitudes and that the four states are waiting for positive actions from Qatar not mere words and apparent reconciliation," Salama said. The ACPSS expert also described the Saudi decision to open airspace with Qatar after a three-year blockade as "a very big progress." After Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry signed Al-Ula agreement, his ministry issued a statement stressing the necessity to build on this important step to boost relations among Arab countries "based on good intentions and non-interference in others' internal affairs." Saeed Okasha, a researcher at the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS), echoed Salama's opinion that the current stage is more like a test whose result depends on Qatar's changing attitudes after reconciliation. "It is clearly shown in the statement of Egypt's foreign ministry that based the move on 'good intentions' and considered it a beginning step to build on," Okasha told Xinhua. It is more like a "wait-and-see" test so far, according to Okasha, who is also an ACPSS expert. He said Qatar's Al-Jazeera TV network is accused of having been lashing out at the quartet states and it will be clear in the next few months if this attitude will change. The quartet will be satisfied if Qatar stops its alleged support for extremist groups and its media campaigns against them, which is more important for them than Doha's collaboration with Iran and Turkey, Okasha believes. "I believe the issue of Iranian and Turkish expansion via Qatar is more international than regional," he pointed out. KUWAIT MEDIATION Egypt expressed its appreciation of the mediation efforts made by Kuwait since the beginning of the crisis to reach the current reconciliation, and so did the other members of the quartet. Kuwait's success in bringing both Riyadh and Doha to reconciliation enhances its role as an influential regional player, said Medhat Hammad, a professor of Iranian and Gulf studies at Egypt's Tanta University. "Kuwait helped both Saudi Arabia and Qatar achieve what they have been wishing for," Hammad said. He added that the Kuwaiti role has been highly respected by all parties of the reconciliation, adding that its successful mediation between Qatar and its boycotting quartet will maximize its status in the sight of regional powers including Turkey and Iran, Saudi Arabia's archrival. "I even expect Kuwait to play a direct role in future resumption of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran," the Egyptian professor told Xinhua. Enditem BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Germany's unemployment declined unexpectedly in December, the Federal Labor Agency reported Tuesday. The number of people out of work decreased by 37,000 from November, in contrast to the expected increase of 10,000. Unemployment had decreased by 40,000 in November. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.1 percent in December, as expected. 'The advertisements for short-time working have increased again - but only to a limited extent,' Federal Employment Agency CEO Detlef Scheele said. 'The demand from the companies is stabilizing at a lower level.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 4, 2021) - IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) (NYSE: IAG) ("IAMGOLD" or the "Company") announces that the Company has adopted new governance guidelines with respect to board renewal to reflect evolving governance best practices. The guidelines provide that: the average Board tenure should not exceed ten years, no director should chair a standing committee of the Board for more than ten years and no director should be the Board Chair for more than ten years. The new guidelines are being implemented immediately, thereby ensuring new and diverse perspectives and ideas of its members on an ongoing basis, while also ensuring continuity and orderly and ongoing board succession. In conjunction with these guidelines and in accordance with the Board's previously stated commitment to diversity, two experienced executives (Anne Marie Toutant and Deborah Starkman) were appointed on December 14, 2020. In addition, the Company announces that John Caldwell has voluntarily decided to step down from the Board, effective today, and Mahendra Naik has decided not to stand for re-election at the upcoming meeting of shareholders. John and Mahendra represent a combined tenure on the Board of 46 years. Ron Gagel has been appointed as Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. Don Charter, Board Chair, stated: "On behalf of the entire Board we would like to thank both John and Mahendra for their long standing commitment and contributions to the Company." With these changes, and subsequent to the next meeting of its shareholders, the Board will be in full compliance with its new guidelines, comprising eight members, of which 38% (43% of independent directors) are female, and an average tenure of less than six years (down from approximately 12). About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD is a mid-tier mining company with three gold mines on three continents, including the Essakane mine in Burkina Faso, the Rosebel mine in Suriname, and the Westwood mine in Canada. A solid base of strategic assets is complemented by the Cote Gold development project in Canada, the Boto Gold development project in Senegal, as well as greenfield and brownfield exploration projects in various countries located in West Africa and the Americas. On July 21, 2020, the Company, together with joint venture partner Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd., announced the decision to proceed with the construction of the Cote Gold Project. IAMGOLD is committed to maintaining its culture of accountable mining through high standards of ESG practices and employs approximately 5,000 people. IAMGOLD's commitment is to Zero Harm, in every aspect of its business. IAMGOLD is one of the companies on the JSI index. IAMGOLD is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (trading symbol "IMG") and the New York Stock Exchange (trading symbol "IAG"). For further information please contact : Indi Gopinathan, VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 360-4743 Mobile: (416) 388-6883 Philip Rabenok, Senior Analyst, Investor Relations, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 933-5783 Mobile: (647) 967-9942 Toll-free: 1-888-464-9999 info@iamgold.com Please note: This entire news release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, IAMGOLD's website at www.iamgold.com and through Newsfile's website at www.newsfilecorp.com. All material information on IAMGOLD can be found at www.sedar.com or at www.sec.gov. Si vous desirez obtenir la version francaise de ce communique, veuillez consulter le www.iamgold.com/French/Home/default.aspx. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71325 There are concerns the coronavirus is spreading in our prison system There are concerns the coronavirus is spreading in our prison system after it was confirmed that five inmates tested positive for Covid-19 in an open prison. The outbreak at the Loughan House facility in Co Cavan comes after it emerged that a total of 10 staff and five inmates had tested positive for Covid-19 at Wheatfield Prison, according to the results of the first round of mass testing on Monday at the west Dublin jail. Yesterday the Irish Prison Service confirmed details of the Loughan House outbreak. Read More The Irish Prison Service can confirm that five prisoners have tested positive for Covid-19 in Loughan House Open Centre, a spokesman said. Four of the five prisoners who tested positive were on Temporary Release and were tested and quarantined on their return to Loughan House. There is no reported positive cases among staff to date. The Irish Prison Service is working closely with Public Health and the HSE and contact tracing is ongoing. As a precaution and in line with our National Infection Control Polices, the Irish Prison Service, in conjunction with the HSE, have commenced testing of all prisoners and all staff. An Outbreak Control Team (OCT) has been established to agree and oversee the appropriate actions to be taken to mitigate against further possible spread of the disease within the prison, he explained. The Irish Prison Services response to the health pandemic has been widely praised and led to them submitting a paper to the World Health Organization as a model of best practice for keeping Covid-19 out of prisons. In a recent interview with the Irish Independent, Caron McCaffrey, the Director General of the Irish Prison Service (IPS), paid tribute to the very dedicated jail staff and around 400 Red Cross volunteers who played a huge role in preventing the spread of the deadly virus. From the start we developed our own contract tracing model and this along with a number of other measures has been very successful, she explained. Innovations such as weekly 20 minute family video calls instead of prison visits and the introduction of electronic funds transfers for inmates in which there now has been over 200,000 transactions are also measures that the director general is very pleased with. Read More Online Editors Boris Johnson was today forced to scrap plans to bang the drum for 'Global Britain' on a post-Brexit trip to India. The Prime Minister cancelled plans for a visit to New Delhi later this month after introducing a third lockdown in England that will run until at least the middle of February. He had accepted an invitation to meet Indian prime minister Narendra Modi as his first major trip after Britain completely left the EU, as a signal of intent to boost the UK's wider ties around the world. But today Mr Johnson informed Mr Modi in a call from Downing Street that the trip would not be possible. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: '[He] spoke to prime minister Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned. 'In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus.' The Prime Minister cancelled plans for a visit to New Delhi later this month after introducing a third lockdown in England. He had accepted an invitation to meet Indian prime minister Narendra Modi (p[ctured) as his first major trip after Britain completely left the EU However, Mr Johnson also held out the hope that they would be able to meet in the first half of this year ahead of a planned G7 suummit in Britain. India is seen as a key strategic partner for the UK as it looks to forge a new path after cutting ties with Brussels. Mr Johnson would have been the first PM since John Major to attend its annual Republic Day event as Guest of Honour. It would also have been his first major bilateral visit since entering No10 in July 2019 - although much of that time has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. Announcing the visit in December, Downing Street said Mr Johnson would use the trip to boost cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, and health and climate change. The UK-India trade relationship is worth around 24billion a year, and is said to support around half a million jobs. There are 842 Indian companies in the UK with a combined turnover of 41.2billion. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to the press at the US Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 23, 2020. (Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images) Unclear If Pelosi Will Allow Debate Over Electoral College Vote: Lawmaker One GOP lawmaker said its not yet clear whether House representatives will be allowed to hold a debate or vote on lawmakers objections to the 2020 presidential election results in some states. We have the support of members of the United States Senate, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said in an interview with Fox News. See, in 2000, every single member of the Congressional Black Caucus objected to the electors of the state of Florida when George Bush beat Al Gore. There, the objections were offered. They were not accepted by Al Gore before moving on. Gaetz said the Republicans objection is valid under the Constitution. But Gaetz said there is one question remaining about whether or not [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi will allow the two hours of constitutionally authorized debate on these questions. When you got tens of thousands of people potentially marching in the streets in Washington, D.C. tomorrow, I think it will be a very bad look for the peoples House not to entertain debate if we have a constitutionally acceptable objection signed by a House member and a Senator and we will clear that hurdle, the GOP lawmaker said. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) during a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing with members of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 9, 2020. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Pelosis office has not yet returned a request for comment. At least a dozen senators pledged to object to at least one states electoral votes. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) last week became the first senator to announce he would object, joining a coalition of more than 50 House representatives led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.). Brooks on Monday announced he signed a written objection of six key states. On Jan. 3, Pelosi (D-Calif.) laid out a strategy for Democrats during the joint session. In a statement, Pelosi noted that Vice President Mike Pencewho is the president of the Senatepresides over a Joint Session and calls the roll of states. The tellers announce the results of each state, alphabetically. There is no other discussion in the Joint Session, Pelosi wrote, referring to the process where Pence opens electoral vote envelopes before handing them to the tellers. If a written objection is lodged by a member of the House and Senate, we then meet in our individual chambers for up to two hours of debate. Only then will members be recognized to speak on the floor. Unless both the House and Senate vote to reject the electoral count for the state in question, the objection is rejected. We then reconvene and proceed to the next state in the roll call, she wrote, adding that the process could end in the middle of the night. Her statement made no reference to blocking a debate on the electoral vote. Pelosis statement about the electoral counting suggested that Democrats have been working on how to fend off the Republican effort. Constitutional authorities and our membership have been working on the Democratic presentation of the constitutional, historical, and thematic justification for their defense, according to the statement. Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) were called in to provide guidance. Julian Assange spoke only once, quietly, during the court hearing that was due to decide his long-running battle against being extradited to the US. Protesters shouted for their hero outside, as the global media assembled, and supporters and detractors around the world waited with bated breath for the result. But in the eye of the storm, Assange sat silently in the centre of a strangely intimate Old Bailey court hearing. Because of coronavirus restrictions, only just over a dozen people were present as District Judge Vanessa Baraitser delivered her ruling. Assange, in a navy suit and a dark green face mask, arrived in the dock with a jumper thrown around his shoulders for warmth. The WikiLeaks founder sat in silence for the duration of the hour-long hearing, being asked only to confirm his name and date of birth, as his fiancee looked on. For the Assange camp, the hearing did not start well. For more than 40 minutes, District Judge Baraitser dismissed argument after argument made by the defence team. She threw out claims that his extradition to the US would be unlawful under the terms of a treaty, would violate freedom of speech and other human rights, was politically motivated or would punish mere investigative journalism. Suggestions that a US jury would be biased, or that Chelsea Mannings evidence was a result of torture, and that Assange would not be protected by the US constitution were given short shrift. District Judge Baraitser also rejected suggestions that the length of time since the leaks made the extradition unjust, and told the court that the impact on his partner and children was nothing out of the ordinary. Assanges extradition appeared to be a foregone conclusion as the judge said he had sacrificed the safety of individuals named in leaked documents and caused some to flee their home countries with their families. Julian Assange supporters celebrate outside court But the hearing took an abrupt turn when the judge started to address the 49-year-olds health, which had been a core concern raised not only by his legal team, but also by human-rights groups and United Nations experts. Lengthy extradition proceedings heard how Assange could be held under special administrative measures before trial, and then at the ADX Florence prison in Colorado. The court also heard that Assange had been under a care plan for prisoners at risk of suicide or self-harm since arriving at HMP Belmarsh in April 2019, and had told staff of plans to end his life. Psychologists found that he suffers from a recurrent depressive disorder, which is sometimes accompanied by psychotic features, as well as autism spectrum disorder. The district judge told the court that if sent to the US, Assange would be in conditions of near-total isolation and without the factors needed to mitigate his suicide risk. As she explained that the conditions meant the extradition was legally oppressive and could not be allowed, Assanges fiancee broke down in tears and hugged the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, Kristinn Hrafnsson. Assange barely reacted and did not comment to the three journalists allowed in the court as he was led back down to the cells. He will have known that the judges findings were not the end of his legal battle, and US authorities immediately announced their decision to appeal. Julian Assanges girlfriend Stella Moris speaks to the media outside the Old Bailey on January 4, 2021 (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) It was due to take another two days at least before a court would consider releasing Assange on bail, and the legal saga will continue long after that. For his supporters, Assange remains a campaigner for truth and accountability, an investigative journalist, a hero for freedom of speech. The disclosures by defence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010 and 2011 exposed war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including footage of American soldiers killing unarmed civilians from a helicopter. But to his detractors, Assange remains a criminal, a hacker, a narcissist and a liar, despite District Judge Baraitsers ruling. Speaking outside the court, his fiancee Stella Moris, said the court had recognised the seriousness and inhumanity of what Assange faces in the US. Ms Moris, who has two sons with Assange, appealed for Donald Trump to end the prosecution and let our little boys have their father. She accused the US government of wanting to punish Julian and make him disappear into the deepest, darkest hole of the US prison system for the rest of his life. Ms Moris said the ruling was the first step towards justice in this case, but sounded a note of warning for jubilant supporters. As long as Julian has to endure suffering in isolation as an unconvicted prisoner at Belmarsh prison, as long as our children continue to be robbed of their father's love and affection, we cannot celebrate, she said. We will celebrate the day he comes home. SMS Concierge Enables Instant Customer Service to Ivrnet Central By Luke Bellos , Editor, Business VoIP Emails and phone calls are far from dead technologies. Yet as time goes on, businesses, customers, and even government agencies are beginning to look for quick, simple, and less intrusive ways to get important information out to the public. This is one of the major reasons why corporations around the world are turning to SMS to connect directly with audiences and assist with customer service tasks. Ivrnet, a Canadian software company that specializes in business automation, has recognized the potential of SMS and has recently implemented new features into the management software Ivrnet Central. SMS Concierge, The new texting system developed by Ivrnet, would allow customers to receive instant communication with customer service agents, while also permitting complex dialogue and long form questions if necessary. SMS also allows users to provide visual information to an agent by simply taking and texting a picture from their mobile device. Not only is the service a much quicker and efficient form of communication, SMS is significantly cheaper than most marketing tools used by large businesses. "The new Concierge service is one of the largest leaps forward for Ivrnet Central in the last 2 years", stated Andrew Watts, CEO of Ivrnet. "The service started with the most demanding of applications - the exchange of emergency information between government bodies and large populations of citizens. Integrating this capability into Ivrnet Central allows us to provide new capabilities to our corporate clients and associations The Concierge module for Ivrnet Central has been successfully deployed for multiple clients in 2019, originally created to fulfill an RFP for a mission critical government application that uses SMS to connect citizens to an emergency hotline. Please enable JavaScript to view the Edited by Maurice Nagle Decline in PCR testing for COVID-19 can be explained by launch of antigen tests, this doesn't affect decline in incidence KSE The decrease in the volume of PCR testing for COVID-19 can be explained by the launch of antigen tests, however, the decrease in the number of tests does not affect the incidence rate, experts from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) say. Head of key projects of KSE Yuriy Hanichenko, during the weekly briefing of KSE, in particular, drew attention to the fact that at the end of 2020 there was a decrease in the number of PCR tests. "This decline is partly explained by the fact that a new approach to testing has been adopted since mid-December and persons suspected of COVID-19 have been allowed not to duplicate these results with a PCR test based on the antigen test results," he said. At the same time, Hanichenko emphasized that the decrease in the number of PCR tests can also be explained by the fact that "they began to send less people for testing," but at present there is no evidence of the influence of this factor. At the same time, he noted that since December 9, the number of detected cases has been "on a kind of plateau of 10,000-12,000 cases." "We can say that there has been no significant change in the incidence since December, despite the fact that the number of detected cases has decreased in the official statistics," he said. In turn, head of the KSE Center for Health Economics, former Deputy Minister of Health Pavlo Kovtoniuk noted that at present "the nature of this plateau has not been fully studied." "It is very important to avoid the illusion that some indicators and measures influenced something. From November to January, the measures taken lived their lives, and the statistics - their own. The reason for this is the extremely low detection and the fact that we test extremely low number of people. We see only a small part of reality through our testing system, it only concerns very sick people," he said. Commenting on the advisability of introducing quarantine from January 8, Kovtoniuk noted that "quarantine is an emergency measure, it is very strange to plan an emergency measure, the decision to postpone quarantine looked strange." "It is very difficult to say whether quarantine is needed now, because the logic of such a decision is difficult to understand from the point of view of pandemic control, while there is no increase in the incidence in Ukraine, and we see that there is no growth," he said. As 2020 meant a slowdown in coal production and use, experts and governments were confident that the industry would pick up again as pandemic restrictions eased. However, going into 2021, it seems coal is not set to make a comeback. Pre-2020, South and Southeast Asia looked to become the biggest coal-demand region in the world, with several countries investing heavily in extraction and coal plants. But as the implications of Covid-19 took a toll on the industry around the world, the anticipated bright future of coal in Asia is looking increasingly uncertain. According to a report published by Global Energy Monitor (GEM), large emerging Asian economies Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam cancelled as much as 45GW of coal power during 2020. While coal appeared the obvious answer for short-term energy supply across Asia, the experience of the energy sector in 2020 has made many look towards renewables for the future of energy. In Vietnam, the draft Power Development Plan outlined plans to cancel seven coal plants and postpone six more until the 2030s, which may never be developed. These account for approximately half of the countrys planned coal development. In December in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that no more coal plants would be constructed in the country. The cancellation of coal plants was also announced in The Philippines in November. Related: Should Oil Markets Brace for A U.S. Shale Comeback? Many of these cancellations come in response to a lack of funding in the sector. Public pressure on banks to move away from fossil fuels towards renewables has driven many institutions to withdraw funding from coal production. For example, in December the Malaysian bank CIMB announced its exit strategy to phase out coal financing, having invested $2.6 billion in coal over the last decade. It was the first major bank in an emerging economy to state such plans. CIMB aims to support the objectives of the Paris Agreement by phasing out coal financing by 2040. Tim Buckley from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) explained, This admirable move is expected to be the catalyst for a range of CIMB peers across [South-East Asia] to better align their lending practices with the technology driven energy system disruption that is accelerating as 2020 unfolds. Similarly, the AES Corporation announced the sale of its interest in the 1,242 MW Mong Duong 2 coal-fired power plant in Vietnam last week, expected to take place at the end of 2021. AES CEO Andres Gluski stated, we look forward to contributing to the country's transition to a more sustainable energy future.". He made clear the companys intention to invest in renewables moving forward, continuing to invest in energy in Vietnam and other areas of Asia. While many suggested a renaissance of the coal industry throughout 2020, this is looking evermore doubtful. Several big funds are moving away from coal, including Australias biggest super fund, AustralianSuper, and Norways Government Pension Fund Global; which has a tight cap on its coal investments. In addition to a reduction in financing from major funders, energy companies are themselves hinting at a movement away from coal. Glenmore, the western worlds biggest coal producer, stated plans for a managed decline of its coal business and net-zero emissions by 2050 in its annual investor update. This suggests a gradual but eventual shift away from coal. Generally, despite optimism for a coal comeback throughout 2020, the realities of 2021 suggest otherwise. Pressure to invest more heavily in renewables and the lack of economic incentive to develop the coal industry further means that the coal era may be coming to an end. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Lisbon, Jan 5 : Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that global understanding, economic recovery and social support are the main goals during his country's presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). In terms of global understanding, the EU's investment deal with China, which has been under negotiation for seven years, is "very important", Xinhua news agency quoted Costa as saying in a media interview on Monday. On December 30, 2020, China and the EU announced that they have completed investment agreement negotiations as scheduled. According to the Prime Minister, the agreement between Brussels and Beijing "guarantees reciprocal security of market opening" and "investment relations which ensure and respect all security rules on both sides". "If Europe wants to be a global actor, as it has to be, its strategic autonomy depends on being able to speak with each of the other global actors. It must relate to the US, China, Australia and New Zealand, India, Africa," Costa said. As for Africa, which will be crucial to the Portuguese presidency's external agenda, the Prime Minister hoped that the EU-African Union summit, which was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, would be held "in the spring." "I think it would be important at a time when the African Union has signed a continental free trade agreement. This would have been a fantastic time for a meeting of the European Union and Africa," said Costa. He agreed that it was fair to say that Europe has given "a rapid and assertive response" and "shown great ability to lead" in this crisis, which can be seen in the "joint purchase of vaccines" and the "giant step" of moving towards a joint issuance of debt to finance the recovery. Health services, housing, public administration, major industrial projects and digitalisation are the priorities for the recovery program supported by the European funds, Costa noted. He also said the development of social Europe is "absolutely essential" for "giving confidence" to citizens. "This is a critical issue because, as we have seen, the challenges posed by climate change and the digital transition require major investment in training and retraining," he concluded, adding that solid social protection is needed to ensure nobody is left behind. On January 1, Portugal assumed the Presidency of the the EU Council for a fourth time. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. WASHINGTON - On Nov. 7, the day that major media organizations projected Joe Biden had won the presidency, Republican attorney Cleta Mitchell appeared on Fox News with her own projection: The election was far from over. "We're already double-checking and finding dead people having voted, we're going to be finding people have voted across state lines, voted in two states, illegal voting, noncitizens and that sort of thing. So we are building that case," Mitchell said, referring to the work of the Trump campaign's legal team and foreshadowing many of its claims of fraud. In the following days, Mitchell took particular aim at Biden's win in Georgia, tweeting that the state's recount was a "total sham" and "A FAKE!!!" She wrote that the effort was "cover for the SOS," referring to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican. Responding to criticism of her appearance, she tweeted, "Happy to be considered a nut job because I believe in the rule of law." Mitchell largely stayed out of the spotlight in the following weeks as legions of lawyers for the Trump campaign failed in high-profile court cases across the country to get the election overturned. Behind the scenes, however, her role had escalated to the point that when President Donald Trump on Saturday made a last-ditch phone call to get Raffensperger to "find" thousands of votes for him, it was the Washington-based Mitchell who emerged as a key player. It was not the first time Mitchell alleged election fraud. In a case that foreshadowed her work for Trump, Mitchell worked for the campaign of Sharron Angle, who ran against Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., in 2010. Mitchell wrote a letter soliciting campaign contributions, alleging that "Reid intends to steal this election if he can't win it outright. . . . Understand, EVERYTHING we have worked for in the last year could be destroyed by dirty tricks and criminal acts." As evidence, she said teachers' union representatives were offering Starbucks cards to people who voted for Reid. The secretary of state's office dismissed her complaint, and Reid won reelection. Mitchell's role as a Trump legal adviser, which received widespread attention after The Washington Post on Sunday published audio and a transcript of the call, has surprised some colleagues, particularly because she is a partner at a major law firm, Foley & Lardner, that immediately faced questions about whether it endorsed such work. In a statement Monday, the firm said it was "aware of, and are concerned by, Ms. Mitchell's participation in the January 2 conference call and are working to understand her involvement more thoroughly." The firm noted that as a matter of policy, its attorneys do not represent "any parties seeking to contest the results of the presidential election," although it did allow attorneys to observe recounts voluntarily as private citizens. Throughout the hour-long call, Trump displayed an extraordinary degree of reliance on Mitchell. She is a onetime Democratic member of the Oklahoma legislature who became a Republican and has made a Washington career representing GOP candidates, committees and causes, culminating with her work after the election advising Trump. At the outset of the call, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Mitchell was "not the attorney of record but has been involved" in the campaign's lawsuits seeking to overturn Biden's Georgia victory. The attorney of record, Kurt Hilbert, declined to comment. Stephen Gillers, an ethics expert at New York University's law school, said the issue facing Mitchell probably is one relating to the law firm policy. "I'm sure the firm is dismayed by the appearance of its lawyer on the transcript," he said. Mitchell declined to comment. Mitchell, 70, began her political career as a Democrat, helping win passage of Oklahoma's Equal Rights Amendment for women, making history in the state legislature as the first female in the nation to chair a House budget and appropriations committee. In an oral history, she said she wrote a successful proposal to have Oklahoma become the first state to have universal preschool. "I insisted that it couldn't be means-based," she said. "It had to be universal . . . It wasn't just some other people who were poor kids." Mitchell, then known by her maiden name of Deatherage, married Duane Draper, a fellow Oklahoman, and divorced in 1982. Draper later came out as a gay man, became director of the Massachusetts AIDS policy office and died of the disease in 1991. Mitchell married her second husband, Dale Mitchell, chairman of the board of Fidelity National Bank, in 1984, taking his last name. In exchange, according to a story at the time in the Oklahoman, he agreed to change his Republican registration to Democrat. Two years later, she ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary. In 1992, Dale Mitchell was convicted of bank fraud, an experience that Cleta Mitchell later said was the result of "overreaching government regulation." She became increasingly disenchanted with the social liberal policies she had supported and moved to Washington to become director of the Term Limits Institute. She advocated for allowing states to impose term limits on members of Congress, a measure that the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional. The combination of events led her to switch her registration to independent, then Republican. A glowing 1996 New Yorker profile of her after she arrived in Washington, titled "The Outsider," described her as having given up the pursuit of elected office and setting herself as a leader of "antipolitical action." The story quoted her as saying she used to be a social liberal who would "sit in the state capitol thinking of all the good things I could do with other people's money" but eventually turned against what she called "our entitlement mentality." With her background as a Democrat and her newfound fervor as a Republican, she was courted by Washington's conservative activists, and she became a leading lawyer for GOP candidates and committees. "She came on the scene as a principled conservative Democrat," referring to her fiscal outlook, "and emerged as a leader" among conservatives, said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, who hosts a weekly meeting in Washington for conservative activists and intellectuals. She became associated with legal matters involving the Republican Party, the National Rifle Association and other politically active groups - particularly regarding campaign finance law. "She talked to Republicans about how efforts to promote voter integrity and campaign finance reform were weaponized by Democrats as a way of limiting the political power of conservatives," Norquist said. "She had a working knowledge of the Democratic Party and brought to Republicans an awareness of how Democrats" were advocating for politics that would effectively "shut down political opponents." One of Mitchell's high-profile cases concerned a challenge to the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law brought by the National Rifle Association and others in 2002. Mitchell was co-counsel in that case with Charles Cooper, a conservative constitutional lawyer. The pair argued that the law's ban on soft money and other activities limited the First Amendment rights of the NRA and other groups. The court largely upheld the law in that case, but in subsequent challenges ruled in favor of claims that campaign finance rules undermined First Amendment rights of free speech. "She is a very solid lawyer and very knowledgeable in election and campaign finance law," Cooper said. Cooper said he listened to audio of the Saturday call in which Mitchell advocated for Trump's effort to overturn the election. While Cooper said he does not believe "the Trump challenges to the election in Georgia or any other state have any merit whatsoever," he said that Mitchell, in her role in the call, "was expressing a lawyerly frustration with an inability to obtain data necessary to investigate their concerns and to verify the secretary of state's defenses." In the Saturday call, Trump told Raffensperger that he risked facing criminal consequences if he did not "find" enough votes to declare that the president had won the state. Raffensperger responded that "the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong." Trump then asked Mitchell, "Well, Cleta, how do you respond to that? Maybe you tell me?" Mitchell complained to Raffensperger that "We have asked from your office for records that only you have" but had not received them. Mitchell raised her claim that about 4,500 people voted after having moved out of Georgia. Trump interjected that the number was "in the 20s," apparently meaning in the twenty-thousands, but Raffensperger's general counsel, Ryan Germany, said those numbers were not accurate. "Every one we've been through are people that lived in Georgia, moved to a different state, but then moved back to Georgia legitimately." Mitchell concluded her contribution by saying that she had not even addressed the claim that voting machines were rigged, which Georgia officials denied. Trump interjected that "we don't need" to prove that machines were rigged. Trump said, "All we have to do, Cleta, is find 11,000-plus votes." - - - The Washington Post's Amy Gardner and Alice Crites contributed to this report. Two cold fronts will bring cooler temperatures to San Antonio this week, beginning Wednesday. Wednesday (High 69 and Low 43): A cold front will move in late morning with the possibility of showers and thunderstorms developing as it moves through the area. As of late Tuesday afternoon, there is only a slight risk the storms become severe in San Antonio. High temperatures could possibly be cooler if the cold front moves in earlier. The rain should end by the evening. Thursday (High 66 and Low 41): Despite the front, temperatures will warm up by the afternoon with plenty of sunshine. Friday (High 57 and Low 31): A high pressure system will move into San Antonio, dropping temperatures about 10 degrees from the previous day. Saturday (High 54 and Low 38): A cold front will bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms to the area overnight and into Sunday morning. This system is expected to keep the highs in the 50s in San Antonio for a couple of days. Sunday (High 50 and Low 36): Expect showers to start the day but receding by the evening. Expect breezy conditions with wind gusts near 20 mph. Temperatures will drop once the rain ends, and San Antonians will wake up to temps near freezing on Monday morning. Teresa Velasco is a digital producer for mySA and the San Antonio Express-News. She has a bachelors degree in broadcast meteorology. She uses data provided by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others for her forecasts. After working 12-hour shifts for days on end, looking forward to some free time with their families during the holidays, autoworkers Miguel F. and Fidel A. at the General Motors factory in Silao, Mexico, died of COVID-19 on Christmas Eve. The deaths of Miguel F., a maintenance team leader in the stamping area, and Fidel A., a paint shop worker, took place as the corporation and its puppet union of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) cover up a growing outbreak at the plant. GMs Silao complex Workers have reported 13 deaths the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter since the Mexican government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared the production of new vehicles and their parts as essential and allowed GM to re-open its plants in late May. On social media, relatives and friends described the deceased as great co-workers and great friends and blamed the corporation for their deaths. No one will return my husband, wrote the wife of Miguel F. Its unfortunate that for corporations they are only numbers. According to relatives, his mother succumbed to the disease two weeks earlier, and his father died several hours after him. Moments after Miguel F.s death, a relative wrote: My godfather and grandma were taken from me in less than 15 days. They were such good people It leaves such a huge void to lose two of the people you shared some of the best moments with and seeing my grandpa sick is really tough. One doesnt know why things happen and why they happen so quickly. I was never able to say goodbye to them. I never knew it would be the last time I saw them. Commenting on a publication on Fidel A.s death, his sister-in-law explained: In this case, it was the corporations fault. The worker got sick while working. And what is worse, even though the corporation knew, they never tested him or took any measure, so his condition worsened, and he exposed the other workers that interacted with him. A neighbor and relative wrote: I always said it was negligence by his workplace since he showed symptoms. Even though he went to the medical service of the company, they forced him to show up to work until he left for the holidays, which is when he died due to how bad his condition got. And it cant be said that he got sick elsewhere since he only went out to work and was never in any meetings. Israel Cervantes, spokesman of Generating Movement, a rank-and-file group at the Silao plant, said to the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter: Workers got infected there, but the corporation claims that they had only a general illness. When you wake up at 4 amor 3:30 am for those who live farther away reach the plant at 5:45 am and start your shift at 6 am, you go out at 6 pm, the bus leaves at 6:45 pm and you dont get home until 7:15 or even 7:40 at night, what time is there to go out? A co-worker of Fidel A. explained to Cervantes that she started showing coronavirus symptoms the day after the holiday break began. She took a test and came out positive, going to a private doctor explained Cervantes, so she called Fidel since she was worried about him, but he never answered. Since her condition continued deteriorating, she contacted the company, saying she was not feeling well, but they said that she still needed to show up to work on January 2, and that she should not go to the IMSS [public hospital]. Finally, she decided to go to the IMSS, where she was given a leave permit for a general illness. As others returned to work on Saturday, those at the paint shop reported to the Autoworker Newsletter that at least five had COVID-19 symptoms, while the trade union delegates simply decided not to show up. Most infected are asymptomatic, and we reported numerous infections since the beginning, added Cervantes. The company had the obligation to carry out mass testing to all workers. The Labor Ministry also did nothing despite all our denunciations, with the corporation denying everything. On November 5, General Motors reported that its third quarter (July-September) profits had increased from $2.3 billion to $4 billion compared to the same period in 2019, a 74 percent jump. Amidst the pandemic, their earnings per share (diluted) also increased 74 percent, while revenue remained equal in both periods. CEO Mary Barra claimed during the announcement, Our multilayered approach to COVID-19 safety has proven effective in preventing the spread of disease around all of our facilities. Referring to the two profitable models produced at the Silao Complex, she then boasted, As you know, we have been operating our full-size pickup plants around the clock to meet exceptionally robust demand for the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra in the United States and Canada. The fact is we simply cant build enough. This rebound in production has been experienced across export industries in Mexico. Non-oil exports increased 3.3 percent in November compared to last year, including a 1.1 percent increase in auto exports to the United States. Meanwhile, as late as October, according to the latest poll by the Universidad Iberoamericana and UNICEF, 42 percent of households say that they have lost 30 percent or more of their income during the pandemic. Only 11 percent reported receiving any COVID-19 aid, which has been virtually limited to pantries and loans. While the transnational corporations have quickly surpassed their pre-pandemic production and profit levels, the crisis has entailed mass death and a protracted impoverishment for the working masses. Yet, the Mexican president Lopez Obrador claimed in his last press conference last year, The formula has worked, which is why, regarding the economic-financial issue triggered by the pandemic, Im optimistic...[emphasis added] The pandemic reveals the class character of Lopez Obrador, his Morena party, the trade unions, and their pseudo-left apologists. They all know the reality in the factories but see workers as replaceable. Their formula is that shared by all capitalist governments and institutions: profits come first. All appeals to them that may challenge the workings of the profit system have fallen and will fall on deaf ears. Workers must take matters into their own hands by joining workers across the world in creating an international network of emergency action committees to carry out emergency measures to prevent more unnecessary deaths. These must include the closure of all nonessential production and full income compensation until all workers have been vaccinated. Amid reports of attacks on temples and Hindu religious idols in Andhra Pradesh, TDP national president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday accused the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government of intolerance and demanded that the chief minister step down citing failure to prevent such attacks. Naidu slammed the state government for delay in action over desecration of Lord Ram's idol at Ramateertham temple in Vizianagaram. "Jagan Reddy is a Christian chief minister. I am not finding fault in that. He has his own beliefs. I believe in Venkateswara Swamy. But such attacks should not be allowed on other religions. Jagan has no right to continue as the chief minister even for a minute as he has failed to prevent these attacks," he said. Naidu was addressing the state general body meeting of TDP at NTR Bhavan in Hyderabad. Taking on the Jagan government, Naidu asked, "Why did the ruling YSRCP fail to take immediate action in the Ramatheertham desecration incident?" Alleging over 140 incidents of vandalism, he further questioned the state's inaction and said, "Even now, another incident took place at Singarayakonda in Prakasam district. The Swamivari idol at Varaha Narasimha Swamy Temple was also disfigured. The government and the police were more interested in filing cases against the opposition leaders rather than nabbing the actual culprits. Not a single accused person was arrested when over 140 incidents of desecration and vandalism took place." He further accused the chief minister of misusing his position to promote conversions and said, "This was a blatant violation of the Constitution. Who gave the authority to Jaganmohan Reddy to carry on this and hurt the sentiments of other religions? Everybody is entitled to their own faith and belief under the Constitution." Alleging that devotees were being approached and induced during their visits to temples, Naidu said, "A deputy chief minister extended his Christmas greetings at the Tirumala temple. Christmas celebrations were held at the police station." Hitting out at Jagan Mohan Reddy, the TDP chief said, "The CM has taken an oath while joining the office. He should rise above the considerations of caste and religion. All communities and sections should be treated equally. The TDP has been silent on the omissions of the YSRCP regime but it would not spare the ruling party any longer." Naidu accused the chief minister of resorting to religion-based vote bank politics and alleged that Rs 5,000 honorarium was being paid to the pastors. "This is going on even though they belong to the scheduled castes and are enjoying the benefits of reservation. The government cannot give honorarium to them." "Churches are being used for YSRCP's vote bank politics. A close vigil should be placed on the new churches coming up in villages and who were behind them. The TDP was not against anybody's belief but it was determined to firmly fight back the injustices and atrocities on any religion." Naidu deplored the response of the government and its officials to the desecration of Lord Ram's idol at Ramatheertham and said that prompt action should have been taken. "The CM, the Home Minister, the DGP and even the district SP are all Christians. They should have taken prompt steps to clear doubts among Hindu devotees. But they displayed total negligence. The severed idol head of Rama was traced in the 'koneru' sacred tank only after pressure mounted by the TDP," he said. The former chief minister also decried "murderous" attacks on the party leaders. He suspected a pattern and a standard modus operandi in the attacks as the cell phones of all the victims were getting lost after the murders. "Dalit youth Om Pratap of Punganur was killed just for making some frustrated remarks against the YSRCP liquor mafia. His cell phone was not traceable. Nandam Subbaiah was murdered at Proddatur and Puramsetti Ankulu at Pedagarlapadu. Both their cell phones were missing. Cases were filed against JC Prabhakar Reddy just for expressing his democratic protest," he said. Naidu went on the attack the chief minister asking if he would be happy only about the Vatican City while deriving sadistic pleasure by destroying Amaravati Capital. "Jagan Reddy had proved to be a fake CM as he went back on his promise to bring and use 'Special Category Status' as a panacea to cure all problems of Andhra Pradesh. In just 19 months, Rs 1.36 lakh crore debt was placed on the people. Also, Rs 70,000 crore tax burden was nearly imposed. For making 2 per cent more loans, the atrocious Jagan regime was fixing meters on farm pumpsets and imposing arbitrary taxes on property in urban areas." Meanwhile, the chief minister held discussions with the police officials and district collectors at the Spandana meet at camp office in Tadepalli. He directed the police personnel to stay vigilant and take up an in-depth investigation on the temples that are being targeted by miscreants. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the temple-related incidents are being falsely propagated by certain sections of the political fraternity with a mala fide intention and such political Guerrilla warfare should be confronted. He has also ordered a CID probe into the Ramateertham temple incident. The CM claimed the TDP is trying to tarnish the government's image with such incidents and have now crossed all possible democratic limits. They are spreading caste and religious hatred, he said. He further assured that the police department is closely monitoring the situation and surveillance has been stepped up at small temples across the state. "Miscreants are also focusing on the temples which do not have CCTVs. We have installed around 36,000 CCTV cameras covering all the temples across the state," he said. "These people are targeting small temples, located in isolated places and which does not come under the endowment department," he added. Alleging a pattern in these temple incidents, the chief minister noted that these incidents were occurring around the time when some prestigious welfare programmes were being launched. "They are trying to divert public attention from government programmes by resorting to such incidents." The Chief Minister also alleged that yellow media houses, aligned to opposition parties, are creating an uproar in a bid to communally tarnish the government's image. BJP national secretary Sunil Deodhar on Tuesday threatened protests across Andhra Pradesh by the party until Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy ordered a CID probe into all alleged temple vandalism cases in the state. "The BJP and Jana Sena Party are not going to stop here; we are going ahead with our statewide agitation until and unless you (CM) order a CID probe for all incidents targeting the Hindus in the state," said the Andhra Pradesh BJP co-incharge. With IANS inputs GREENWICH A Greenwich financial executive and investor is facing legal scrutiny by the New York attorney general over the handling of funds in accounts. New York Attorney General Letitia James has obtained an injunction placing restrictions on private equity fund ACP X, run by Greenwich resident Laurence G. Allen, and the various corporate entities he controls. The attorney generals office said it is investigating the fund and whether more than $13 million was misappropriated to enrich Allen and his companies between 2008 and 2018, according to a statement from James. Allens investment company, based over the border from Greenwich in Rye Brook, N.Y., purchases interests in other private equity funds at a discount on the secondary market. According to the complaint from the attorney general, when one of Allens companies, NYPPEX Holdings, started to fail, Allen allegedly funneled ACP investor money into NYPPEX, and in turn, into his own pocket, according to the lawsuit. A state Supreme Court justice in Manhattan held a hearing on the matter in early 2020 and approved the injunction on Allens companies, declaring that there appeared to be evidence of a shocking level of self-dealing, breaches of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of enormous sums of ACP capital, and outright fraud. Make no mistake: There is no safe haven for white collar fraudsters in New York, said Attorney General James in announcing the lawsuit against Allens companies. My office will find and prosecute all who try to illegally profit from illicit activities and line their pockets with stolen funds. A trial date has not been scheduled on the lawsuit, which is a civil matter, not a criminal one. / AP Allen declined comment by email last week. Attorneys with his firm did not respond to requests for comment. Allen and his wife, Michelle, founded a nonprofit research project, the Allen Research Endowment, to look at the ways in which drug addiction can be treated. His son, J. Bradley Allen, died of a drug overdose in 2014 at the age of 19. The Allen Research Endowment has also supported research on life-threatening diseases. The Allens filed a lawsuit against the makers of Suboxone in early 2017 that was dismissed in late 2018 on procedural grounds. The lawsuit against Indivior Inc. was filed in U.S. District Court in the northern district of New York, located in Syracuse. A judge there ruled the lawsuit was not in the proper venue, and said it should have been filed in Connecticut. Bradley Allen was a college student who began taking painkillers after a car accident in 2010, and he became addicted. Allen was prescribed Suboxone, a common treatment protocol for opioid addiction. When the Suboxone prescription ran out, according to court papers, Allen acquired heroin and died of an overdose. At the time of the dismissal, Laurence Allen declined comment. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com The trade agreement European Union (EU) officials reached with Chinese President Xi Jinping on December 30 has vastly intensified EUUS tensions. The deal was reached as Joe Biden is to take office in Washington, calling to build a bloc of democracies to confront Russia and China. After the EUChina deal, however, it is clear that powerful forces in the European bourgeoisie, their faith in the NATO alliance with America undermined after Trumps presidency, intend to pursue a policy conflicting with Washington. Washingtons catastrophic herd immunity policy on the COVID-19 pandemic, the debacle of the US presidential elections, and Trumps refusal to acknowledge his election defeat are setting explosive international conflicts into motionincluding inside NATO itself. Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, French President Emmanuel Macron, left background, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left foreground, at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) The EU and Beijing had discussed this deal since 2012 and, the Swiss Neue Zurcher Zeitung wrote, in autumn it seemed unlikely due to many differences. But after the US elections in November, it emerged on December 18 that the EU had taken a political decision in principle to clinch a deal. By all accounts, this was done in just two weeks thanks to heavy personal involvement by German Chancellor Angela Merkelassisted by her former defense secretary, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Officials of the incoming Biden administration protested and sought to mobilize their supporters in Europe to halt the deal. On December 22, acting US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tweeted: The Biden-Harris administration would welcome early consultations with our European partners on our common concerns about Chinas economic practices. With US influence in the EU undermined by Londons Brexit from the EU, it fell to the far-right Polish regime to criticize the deal. Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said the EU should consult with Washington: Europe should seek a fair, mutually beneficial Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China. We need more consultations and transparency bringing our transatlantic allies on board. EU officials ignored these objections, however, agreeing to the deal just before Germanys EU presidency concluded at the end of 2020. With France now in the rotating EU presidency, its details are to be finalized by 2022. The deal is a bid by European corporations to increase their share of the profits extracted from the Chinese and international working class at the expense of US rivals and of Chinas own Stalinist bureaucracy. It allows European automobile, transport and medical equipment, energy and financial industries unprecedented access to Chinese markets. It also limits Chinas state-owned enterprises ability to compete with European firms. China committed to ratify ILO Fundamental Conventions on Forced Laborapparently in response to allegations over Xinjiang. US officials fumed at the deal to the Financial Times. Jakes tweet was very, very careful in the text but the message was unmistakable. Jake basically said hey slow things down, and thats not happening, a former Obama administration official said. By any measure its a setback. EU officials are bitterly divided over the deal. While EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis called it the most ambitious outcomes that China has ever agreed with a third country, several EU officials denounced it. EU Parliament delegation on China chair Reinhard Butikofera Green Party official and ex-Maoistcalled the deal with Beijing a strategic mistake. He tweeted: Should we really help Xi Jinping, showing Joe Biden the middle finger? French EU parliamentarian Raphael Glucksmann, the son of post-1968 Maoist New Philosopher Andre Glucksmann, also denounced the deal. Echoing US National Security Council spokesman John Ullyots criticism that its measures on Xinjiang are not accompanied by strong enforcement and verification mechanisms, Glucksmann said: No external witness can enter factories exploiting Uighur slaves. So it is all just talk. Glucksmanns outbursts are reactionary propaganda. His moral outrage is inevitably in direct proportion to the size of the profits the NATO powers aim to extract from the region involvedbe it the Caucasus, Syria, and now China. His denunciations of prison camps in Xinjiang, taken straight from CIA talking points, is all the emptier in that it accommodates itself quite well to mass refugee prison camps the EU is building across the Mediterranean and the Balkans. In contrast, as Beijing seeks allies against Washington, the Chinese state press held out hopes that the deal would gradually relieve tensions, restrain US threats against China, and ensure a peaceful future for world capitalism. The Global Times wrote, The reason why many Western media outlets keep a close eye on the deal is the timing, or we can say regarding its influence on the China-US relationship over the next period. If China and the EU reach free trade agreements, that would mean much closer connectivity between Europe and Asia. Thus, in terms of economy, this will be consolidating the foundation of globalization. Once the base of globalization is safeguarded, moves for prevailing confrontation and a new Cold War will lose their motivation. In fact, the pandemic is a trigger event that has massively intensified intractable international and class conflicts of global capitalism. The rising economic weight of Asia and China cannot be accommodated within this outmoded system, whose bankruptcy has been exposed by the failure to contain COVID-19 by the wealthiest countries of Europe and North Americawho then spread lying war propaganda blaming China for deaths from the disease. The only force that can avert catastrophic conflict is the revolutionary mobilization of the international working class. Far from stabilizing world politics, the ChinaEU deal is inflaming historically rooted conflicts between US and European imperialism that erupted in two world wars in the 20th century. The 1991 Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union fatally undermined NATO by depriving it of its common enemy. Inter-imperialist conflicts over the division of the spoils in the neo-colonial wars of the subsequent decades across the Middle East and Africa have now reached a fever pitch. In 2015, the EU countries bucked US opposition and signed up for Chinas Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to fund Beijings massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure projects. This decision testified to the collapse of US economic and geopolitical influence, which continues to this day. Since Merkel reacted to Trumps election in 2016 and his threats to boycott German car exports by declaring in 2017 that Europeans have to fight for our own future ourselves, tensions have kept mounting inside NATO. The EU powers are chafing at sanctions Washington tries to use to lock them out of Iran, Russia and now China, by threatening these countries with trade war or outright military conflict. Now, even as it lets COVID-19 ravage the working class, the EU is diverting billions of euros to re-militarize and prepare a more independent foreign policy. Europe will not let itself be trapped in a hard conflict with China, Le Monde wrote of the latest deal, adding: The chancellor knew the opportunity was unique: Germanys [EU] presidency gave her the necessary energy and authority; the transfer of power in Washington gave a window of opportunity that could close once Joe Biden was inaugurated, on January 20, 2021. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic strengthened the view in Germany that it is urgent to reinforce European sovereignty, especially on health and technology, amid the Beijing-Washington showdown. Writing in Foreign Policy, Noah Barkina fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States think-tankwarned of the EUChina deals implications. He wrote: It is hard not to view it as a geopolitical gift to Beijing and slap in the face to an incoming Biden administration that has vowed to repair trans-Atlantic ties and work more closely with Europe on the strategic challenges posed by China. Significantly, Barkin added that Berlin had concluded from the 2020 US election crisis that it must guard against a collapse of NATO by developing strategic links to powers Washington targets for war and regime change. He wrote, Trump did lose to Biden in November. But the number that truly reverberated in Berlin, I am told, was not the 306 electoral votes that put Biden over the top but the 74.2 million votes that Trump received. Trump may soon be gone, but his followers are here to stay. It is only a matter of time before someone else takes up his nativist battle cry. Against this backdrop, the only responsible path forward, in Merkels view, is to hedge. Those arguing that an EUChina hedge against a disintegration of NATO will prevent catastrophic wars and loss of life are however placing heavy bets against history. The fight against war, like the fight to halt the COVID-19 pandemic, falls to the international working class. No government will be watched as closely as that of United States President-elect Joe Bidens. After four rollercoaster years of Donald Trump, the world will look for proof of the new Democratic Presidents claim, America is back. Despite an emphatic election victory and an administration of Washington veterans, the going will not be easy. The political guerrilla war Trump is still waging against Biden is a warning the Republican Party will remain irascible and irrational. The Right may yet control the Senate and have a good chance of recapturing both houses in the 2022 midterm elections. Biden has indicated he is a one-term president which would confer lame duck status by early 2023. The president-elect wants to resurrect the spirit of bipartisanship of yore. But Trump is working hard and dirty to ensure that doesnt happen. Read more| Biden flexes Georgia muscle alongside GOP in Senate races Bidens foreign policy strategy is to spend as little time on foreign policy as possible. He believes the US needs large-scale social engineering at home if it wants to avoid throwing up another populist like Trump. He wants to cut defence spending and has ambitious plans to rebuild Americas infrastructure, green its energy and transport, and revamp its health care and educational systems. But how will he do all this while also facing off the Death to America bloc of China, Russia, Iran and Turkey? That will be his primary global challenge. The Biden strategy is to revive the USs alliance structure, the most extensive of any country in the world and pooh-poohed by Trump. Which is why he keeps talking up Europe and NATO. He will also be softer on Israel, India and other countries who are strategically close to the US but ideologically distant from the Democrats. Biden will seek to create coalitions of the willing to, say, counter China on 5G technology or Belt and Road infrastructure. But he will downplay military responses, so expect the US to push for the Quad to be more about supply chains and less about aircraft carriers. At the same time, Washington will try to work closely with Beijing and Moscow on multilateral issues. Biden has called for partnering with China on climate change, nonproliferation, and global health security. Read more| Biden has no record of missteps on India All this sounds good on paper. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating and Biden may yet choke. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has already warned that if Washington wants to work, it must look the other way when it comes to Xinjiang and Hong Kong both of which will be the worlds human rights black holes this coming year. And both governments have already begun sparring over Taiwan. The president-elect has said he sees Russia as a greater threat than China. A more positive element is Bidens plans to revive nuclear talks with Iran. Tehran is already readying to expand oil production in expectation of an easing of sanctions. What is good for the Narendra Modi government is that India fits in nicely with a lot of what Biden wants to accomplish on the world stage. And what Bidens team doesnt like about India, largely civil rights issues on the domestic front, will be small fry compared to the unpleasantness of other governments. The incoming US president has said he plans to hold a climate summit here Modi can expect a seat at the high table and another of democracies where he should expect a private lecture on what Biden has called democratic backsliding. Biden has said he wont be doing trade agreements in a hurry just as well as New Delhi doesnt do FTAs well. Read more| Joe Bidens inauguration to include presidential escort, virtual parade Biden takes oath of office on January 20 and will face two immediate tests. One is getting his senior personnel choices approved by the Senate. The other is showing he can handle the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out better than Trump handled any aspect of the pandemic. After that, he needs to push through his domestic agenda despite dogged and exhausting opposition from the Republicans. Then there comes the rest of the world. The Supreme Court, by a 2:1 majority on Tuesday, approved the redevelopment plan for Central Vista that included construction of a new Parliament Building and a common Central Secretariat. The three-judge bench, however, insisted that the clearance of the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) will be mandatory and the same should be obtained by the project consultant before proceeding with the development work. The Bench also directed installation of smog guns at the project site as a measure to curb pollution and asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests to consider having smog guns while carrying out any such development work in future. The majority verdict was given by Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari. The third judge on the bench, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, dissented with regard to change of land use and prior approval of HCC. The dissenting judge even found the environment clearance inadequate. However, his view would be of little avail as the majority bench gave a blanket approval to the Centres decision on change of land use and grant of environment clearance. Even the notice inviting bids and selection of project consultant HCP Designs was held to be fair. The majority view noted that HCC clearance would only be needed when the actual work commences and not at the initial stage. On November 5, the court reserved orders on a batch of ten petitions filed by Rajeev Suri, Anuj Srivastava and others which challenged the manner in which the Central Vista project got various clearances. The petitions claimed that the project has been planned by destroying heritage buildings and giving unified building by-laws a go by. The redevelopment plan includes a new Parliament building, and a common secretariat for Central government offices along with the Prime Minister office and residence, Special Protection Group building and Vice-President Enclave. Apart from a new Parliament building, the Central Vista project involves constructing a common Central Secretariat along with residences of Prime Minister and vice-president, and a revamp of the 3-km-long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. The new triangular complex, often described as the centre-piece of the Central Vista project, will be big enough to house 1,224 MPs lawmakers 888 in the Lok Sabha and 384 in the Upper House. It is targeted to be built by 2024. The 64,500 sq m new building will replace the 93-year-old existing Parliament house. On December 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project after the SC permitted the Centre to go ahead with this function but not undertake any act of construction or demolition at the project site till pronouncement of judgment. Rolling back reopening plans might be a stark reality soon for Houston. The Houston-area region reported its seventh consecutive day with COVID-19 hospitalizations over 15 percent from Dec. 29-Jan. 4, according to Texas Department of Health. As a result, Houston may soon face automatic rollbacks and COVID-19 restrictions, according to Governor Greg Abbott's executive order. There are currently 12,961 COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state of Texas, according to TDHS a new high. Houston-area hospitals have continued to see a significant uptick in hospitalizations. According to Memorial Hermann's Chief Physician Executive James McCarthy, the hospital system is now grappling with the serious impact of the recent COVID-19 surge. "There is no question that the strain that the hospitals will face is significant," McCarthy told Chron. "It is a high likelihood there's an impact to inpatient elective surgeries. They will need to be slowed down a little bit, not canceled, so that we can preserve capacity for COVID-19 patients." When you take a closer look at Governor Abbott's executive order, Houston lies within the Trauma Service Area Q. This area includes Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Colorado, Walker, Waller and Wharton counties. Abbott's order states that if any trauma service center has seven consecutive days in which the COVID-19 hospitalizations surpass 15 percent, bars must close, elective surgeries canceled, and restaurant capacity reduced to 50 percent. McCarthy noted that the recent COVID-19 spike was taking Houston back to July numbers of high positivity rates. "We're back at the peaks we were in July and with higher numbers," McCarthy said. What's critical is that Houston as a community must continue to take necessary COVID-19 precautions, according to McCarthy. "I want to not overload our healthcare system, so that we have unnecessary burdens," McCarthy said. "In order to do that, we need everybody to take this seriously for a few more monthsthat's wearing a mask, social distancing. People need to be much more rigorous about the bubbles that they are creating. We don't want to go virtual for schools again, but we will have to if we don't get a hold of this in our community." Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Google's offices stand in downtown Manhattan in New York City in this 2020 file photo. AFP A group of Google engineers and other workers announced Monday they have formed a union, creating a rare foothold for the labor movement in the tech industry. About 225 employees at Google and its parent company Alphabet are the first dues-paying members of the Alphabet Workers Union. They represent a fraction of Alphabet's workforce, far short of the threshold needed to get formal recognition as a collective bargaining group in the U.S. But the new union, which will be affiliated with the larger Communication Workers of America, says it will serve as a "structure that ensures Google workers can actively push for real changes at the company." Its members say they want more of a voice not just on wages, benefits and protections against discrimination and harassment but also broader ethical questions about how Google pursues its business ventures. The unionization campaign is the latest signal from employees who don't believe the company is living up to its professed ideals, as expressed in its original "Don't be evil" slogan. Google said Monday that it's tried to create a supportive and rewarding workplace but suggested it won't be negotiating directly with the union. "Of course our employees have protected labor rights that we support," said a statement from Kara Silverstein, the company's director of people operations. "But as we've always done, we'll continue engaging directly with all our employees." Unionization campaigns haven't historically been able to gain much traction among elite tech workers, who get hefty salaries and other perks like free food and shuttle rides to work. But workplace activism at Google and other big tech firms has grown in recent years as employees call for better handling of sexual harassment and discrimination and avoiding harmful uses of the products they're helping to build and sell. Many employees began seeing the power of their workplace activism in 2018 when an internal outcry led Google to abandon its work supplying the Pentagon with artificial intelligence services for conflict zones. Later in 2018, thousands of Google employees walked out to protest how the company handled sexual misconduct allegations against executives. Google software engineer Chewy Shaw, who has been elected to the new union's executive council, said he and others decided to form the group after seeing colleagues pushed out of their roles for their activism. "We want to have a counterforce to protect workers who are speaking up," Shaw said. The latest examples came last month, when prominent AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru says she was fired over a research paper that Google wanted to disassociate from; and as a federal labor agency filed a complaint accusing the company of spying on employees and then firing some of them during a 2019 effort to organize a union. Google has denied the allegations in the case, which is scheduled for an April hearing. The union's first members include engineers, as well as sales associates, administrative assistants and the workers who test self-driving vehicles at Alphabet automotive division Waymo. Many work at Google's Silicon Valley headquarters, while others are at offices in Massachusetts, New York and Colorado. "One of the reasons why it's taken a while for workers to get to this point is because the leaders of these companies did a good job of convincing workers they were these benevolent folks who were going to provide for them, kind of a paternalistic model," said Beth Allen, communications director at the CWA. "That got them a long way," Allen said, but workers have increasingly realized they need "to come together and build power for themselves and have a voice in what's going on." (AP) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) President Rodrigo Duterte backed the use of saliva-based coronavirus testing while complaining about painful swab tests. He broached the statement of Philippine Red Cross that saliva tests have an almost perfect accuracy rate. However, the use of this test to detect coronavirus infections has not yet been approved by the Philippine government. "Ako talaga every time na kinukulikot yung ilong ko nagmumura ako kasi masakit. I have to open my mouth wide," the President said in his late-night address on Monday. "Pero may bago daw, sabi naman nito ni Gordon na ang swabbing sa saliva is 99 percent. Eh di iyan na ang gagamitin natin." [Translation: I curse every time they put the swab in my nose because it hurts. I also have to open my mouth wide. But there is this new testing method. PRC Chairman Gordon said saliva tests are 99% accurate. Let's use that.] Testing czar Vince Dizon also supported the use of saliva tests, saying it is less invasive and cost effective with a faster result output. He said Duterte's remark should serve as a nudge to reviewers to hasten the approval of Red Cross' application. "Napakalaki po ng maitutulong ng saliva test so sana bilisan na natin. Sana sa linggong ito o sa susunod na linggo ay lumabas na ito," he said in a media briefing on Tuesday. [Translation: Saliva tests will be of big help so let's fast-track the approval. Hopefully it's out this week or next week.] PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said saliva tests are "99.9% accurate," but they are still awaiting the government's approval for the kits to be used in the country. The Department of Health acknowledged the growing evidence on the potential of saliva tests as alternative to the painful and expensive RT-PCR swab tests. It says Red Cross has yet to act on the recommendations of the DOH and COVID-19 Laboratory Expert Panel before it can be granted approval. Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire on Monday said PRC was asked in November to expand the number of participants in the study and have the saliva test kits reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, saying they did not receive a reply. Saliva tests are less invasive compared to swabbing the nose or throat for the RT-PCR test as patients only need to spit on a vial. A saliva test will range from P1,500 to P2,500 way cheaper than the 3,800 to 5,000 charged for RT-PCR swab tests in laboratories. Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese (left) on Dec. 11, 2020 and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) on Dec. 9, 2020 in Canberra, Australia. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images) PM Dismisses Labor Leaders Vaccine Worries Explaining We Cant Cut Corners Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed criticisms from the leader of the opposition that he has dropped the ball on securing a CCP virus vaccine causing Australia to lag behind the rest of the world in administering vaccinations. Morrison said that Australia was still on track for a vaccine to be rolled out in March, and brushed off the criticism as an attempt to stir up political issues. National Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese wrote on Twitter on Monday: A timely vaccine is crucial in helping us get back to COVID normal. Frankly, the Morrison Government has dropped the ball. Even if the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are approved this month, the government has said Australians wont get access to them until March. Thats clearly not good enough, he wrote. This comes as counties like the United States and the UK roll-out emergency vaccinations against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, the novel coronavirus which emerged from Wuhan, China, a year ago. Vials of coronavirus vaccine and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo on Oct. 31, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) Albanese said this is because Australia did not secure a deal for access to the vaccine until September, whereas other countries secured deals in March and April. Albanese was echoed by Labor MP Andrew Leigh, who wrote on Twitter that the government was tardy, saying that by March over 100 million Americans will likely have been vaccinated. The official Labor Party Twitter account retweeted Leighs comment, adding: Late on vaccines. No National Quarantine. A Covidsafe app that doesnt work. Can Scott Morrison do his job? Late on vaccines. No National Quarantine. A Covidsafe app that doesnt work. Can Scott Morrison do his job? https://t.co/efESTYS9ir Australian Labor (@AustralianLabor) January 4, 2021 Responding to the criticism on 2GB radio on Tuesday, Morrison said Albanese had quite an uninformed view. Morrison said Australia doesnt need an emergency roll-out of the CCP virus vaccine because it does not face the same mind-blowing cases like other countries. We got to get it safe and we got to get it right, Morrison said. Were not in the situation like the UK is. They had 58,000 cases yesterday. He added: That is just mind-blowing. Morrison also added that other countries like Israelwhich he said are in a catastrophic stateand the United States need to do emergency vaccinations. But this is not the case for Australia, he said. So we cant cut corners on the vaccine. It has to be rolled out properly, in an orderly way, and thats what were working hard to achieve. This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round blue objects), also known as novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab which was isolated from a patient in the United States. (NIAID-RML/Handout via Reuters) When asked whether the government is keeping Albanese updated with all the new developments, Morrison also said Labor was offered a briefing in December but didnt take it up, adding that the last time Labors shadow health minister was briefed was in November. I talk to the chief medical officer every day, Morrison said, adding that Albanese hasnt. Whats informing his views is only for him to explain because he certainly hasnt been sitting down with our officials, Morrison said. Morrison said Australia has one of the worlds highest vaccination rates because people have confidence in the system. Im not going to short cut that system. And if people want to focus on trying to stir up political issues, well, that says more about them than me, he said. Once the Therapeutic Goods Administration approves the vaccine, there will be another round of rigorous testing done on each batch sent across the country. Indonesias Muslims have questions about the vaccine With the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is eager to begin inoculations in the coming weeks. But one thing is standing in the way for its hundreds of millions of Muslims: Is the vaccine halal? After waiting months for answers from Sinovac, the Chinese manufacturer whose shot will be distributed there, clerics received a one-sentence response that said: The vaccine was manufactured free of porcine materials. Religious leaders want more details, as even the smallest amount of pork DNA could dissuade some devout Muslims from taking it. President Joko Widodo has dismissed concerns, saying the emergency virus situation was the bigger priority. Its possible that a fatwa could be issued, as has been done in the past. Islamic authorities in other countries with large Muslim populations, like Malaysia and the U.A.E., have already ruled the vaccine to be permissible. The goal: Indonesia hopes to inoculate 181.5 million adults within 15 months. Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic. The Ghana Education Service (GES) has released a new academic calendar for the 2021 academic year. It may be recalled that President Akufo-Addo in his 21st address to the nation on Covid-19, announced the reopening of schools for kindergarten, primary, and junior high students which will be on 15th January 2021 for both private and public schools. "Our children must go to schoolwe are satisfied that in the current circumstances the reopening of our schools is safe...Prior to the reopening, all institutions private and public will be fumigated" he indicated. Below is the Academic Calendar For 2021 Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As of Tuesday morning, some 5,334 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease were recorded in Ukraine, some 13,850 people recovered, some 123 patients died, Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said. "Some 5,334 new cases of COVID-19 disease were recorded in Ukraine as of January 5, 2021. In particular, 164 children and 362 medical workers fell ill. Some 1,280 people were hospitalized, some 202 people died and some 13,850 people recovered over the past day," Stepanov wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning. A day earlier, on January 4, the minister informed about 4,158 new cases; while 4,576 cases were reported on January 3; there were 5,038 new infections in Ukraine on January 2; some 9,432 new cases were recorded on January 1; some 9,699 new cases were recorded on December 31. The number of people infected since the beginning of the pandemic on Tuesday morning was 1.084 people, some 19,129 people died from COVID-19, and some 747,408 people recovered. Over the past day, the largest number of confirmed cases was registered in Kyiv city (846), Odesa (682), Zaporizhia (418), Cherkasy (376) and Poltava (376) regions. Agency bolsters EMEA operations following the appointment of Claudia Stephenson as Managing Director in September 2020 LONDON, UK, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INVNT. The global live brand storytelling agency today announces the appointment of Neil Mason to the role of Executive Creative Director, EMEA. Mason brings more than 20 years' experience to the role, over which he has led the creative output of experiential and integrated campaigns for brands including Nike, McLaren, Samsung, Google and Cisco. Based in London, Mason joins from Identity Group where he was Executive Creative Director, and has held senior creative positions at agencies including George P. Johnson and Jack Morton Worldwide. Throughout the course of his career, he has managed and grown creative departments, elevated existing projects to achieve strategic business goals, and won new business across all sectors. A judge of the internationally recognised D&AD Awards since 2018, guest lecturer at the Royal College of Art in London, and member of the board of governors at Ravensbourne University, Mason is not only passionate about his craft, but about educating and inspiring the next generation of creative talent. Mason will report into Stephenson, and his first day is 5 January 2021. Commenting on the appointment, Kristina McCoobery, CEO, INVNT said: "Our growth strategy has always been aligned with the ever-evolving needs of our clients, and the decision to expand INVNT's EMEA footprint is a direct result of the increased demand for our services here. Being a creative and strategic-led business, we recognised the need to recruit a leading creative for the region, so that we could continue to support clients in not just achieving but exceeding their campaign goals." Stephenson explained: "It was important we find an out-of-the-box thinking individual who embodies INVNT's challenger mentality in both their portfolio of work and ethos, and without a doubt, Neil ticks these boxes. An ideas guy through and through, at INVNT Neil will lean on his proven experience to devise unique concepts for virtual, hybrid and in-person experiences, across all mediums. While EMEA focused and based, he will also collaborate with our wider creative team on global campaigns which are localised in region. We're thrilled to have Neil spearheading the creative team!" Mason added: "INVNT employees describe themselves as 'wicked smart teenagers,' and I can see why. I've been blown away by the agency's ability to challenge themselves and their clients to push the boundaries and deliver great work at a time when in-person experiences haven't been possible. I'm honoured to now call myself a 'wicked smart teenager'! I look forward to collaborating with the team and our clients to create experiences so unique and relevant, they cause brand messages to strike, stick and spread amongst their audiences, even at a time when the world around us is changing so rapidly." ### About INVNT Founded in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT uses the craft of live brand storytelling to create and produce live experiences that excite and unite physical and virtual audiences, globally. The company's 'challenge everything' positioning statement helps clients including General Motors, Grant Thornton, Merck, PepsiCo and Samsung share their stories with every audience that matters. Part of [INVNT GROUP], THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT, INVNT's offices are strategically located in New York, London, Sydney, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Stockholm and Singapore. For more information visit www.invnt.com Attachment Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. 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See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States recommended that Ukrainian citizens avoid crowded places in Washington because of the protests. "In connection with the January 5-6 protests in Washington, DC, the Embassy recommends that Ukrainian citizens avoid crowded places and monitor local government reports on developments. Call the hotline by calling: +1 (202) 322 2616, or at: consul_us@ mfa.gov.ua," the Embassy said on Twitter on Tuesday. Quoting Bible, New York gov. vows not to take COVID-19 vaccine until minorities get it Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment NEW YORK Citing Scriptures from Matthew and Galatians in the Bibles New Testament, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to wary members of one of New York Citys most storied black megachurches that he will not take the coronavirus vaccine until its available to black, Hispanic and poor communities. In a pre-recorded message delivered Sunday at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, led by Rev. Calvin Butts III, Cuomo said even though as a public official he is a priority candidate to receive the vaccine and would love to take it, he wont take his shot until it is also available to black, Hispanic and poor communities as part of his commitment to social and racial justice. I am committed to social and racial justice in the distribution of this vaccine. It will be available as fairly and as quickly as we can make it happen. Race or income will not determine who lives and who dies. And I mean it, he said. And that's why I say to you today that I want to take the vaccine. I move around a lot and come into contact with many people and I would feel much safer if I took the vaccine, but I will not take the vaccine until the vaccine is available for my group in black, Hispanic, and poor communities around the state, he said. Cuomo acknowledged the fallout from the Tuskegee trial as a valid reason for members of the black community to be skeptical about taking the vaccine but said as far as he knows, the vaccine is safe. From 1932 through 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service conducted a study of the effects of untreated syphilis in black men in Macon County, Alabama. The men in the study were offered free medical care and burials, but not penicillin, which became the recommended drug for treatment of syphilis in the 1940s. Now, I understand the cynicism and skepticism; it is not without cause. The Tuskegee Experiment is a terrible stain on the soul of this nation. The system does have biases and injustices. But that is not true in the case of this vaccine, Cuomo said, urging congregants to have faith and trust in the vaccine after pointing out that blacks and Hispanics are being killed by the virus at higher rates than whites. The good book says, the first shall be last and the last shall be first in Matthew 20:16. Until the vaccine is available in the South Bronx, and the East Side of Buffalo, and Wyandanch, and South Jamaica, and Edgerton and East Utica, our health care deserts, our job is not done. I'll do my part, but you have to do your part. We all need to have faith and trust in the vaccine, and we need to have generosity in our souls, where we act for the good of one another, he continued. The Good Book says, in Paul's epistle to the Galatians, carry each other's burdens. That is our mission today. 2021 will be what we make it. We are New York Tough. Cuomo further explained that his appeal on Sunday is part of a massive vaccination program the state is preparing to undertake. He also noted that in order for the program to be effective, at least 70% of the population must be vaccinated. The vaccine works, but it only works if we take it. We are told that we need to vaccinate 70-90% of New Yorkers for it to be effective. That is an enormous number. Think of it 90% of New Yorkers don't agree to do anything, let alone take a vaccine. This is not only an individual responsibility, it is a community obligation. There is a simplicity to the virus: no one is safe unless everyone is safe, he said. To make sure everyone has access to the coronavirus vaccine, Cuomo said the state has formed a special task force headed by Attorney General Letitia James, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial, Secretary of State Rossana Rosado, and Healthfirst President & CEO Pat Wang. Butts will also serve on the task force. We are designing special portable units that can be pop-up vaccination sites and brought to public housing authorities, churches and community centers around the state, Cuomo said. Cuomos appeal to black minority congregants comes just months after Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont came under fire from religious and political leaders in his state for suggesting that black churches should lead support for the coronavirus vaccine. We are not guinea pigs. This will not be another Tuskegee and we are not going to allow it," civil rights attorney Tricia Lindsay said at a press conference in September. "Ned Lamont is being called to the carpet and anyone else, any other legislator that is on this bandwagon, let him and his family take the vaccine first. Let Bill Gates and his family take the vaccine first. Let the legislators take the vaccine first. We dont need it. Were OK. Huawei plans to upgrade its two most important systems, namely Harmony OS and HiAI, which are considered as the key to the successful integration between devices and environmental systems of the device. This was announced by Jason Jiang, General Manager of Huawei Consumer Business Group in Kuwait, during a year-end media interaction in which he talked about talked about Huaweis seamless AI strategy which will become the top competing factor among many companies. The press conference on an online meeting platform was organised to welcome the year 2021 in an exceptional way with the continuous support of the media and to achieve the Huawei Slogan for 2021 Better Together 2021 - Huawei Smart Healthy Life. Jiang also talked about the tremendous success of the Huawei Ability Gallery the dynamic service platform, which many companies and service providers have recently joined, which in turn provides a wide range of products and provides an artificial intelligence experience to meet the consumers different needs. Jiang said: Huawei continues to provide all that is new and better for consumers, starting from smart technology to smart products to provide new communication methods and a deeper understanding of consumers needs. We at Huawei have succeeded in creating an environment that improves the feelings and experiences of consumers by developing a variety of services, and new products. He said: We will continue to provide all that is new and better for consumers, starting from smart technology to smart products to provide new ways of communication, and a deeper understanding of consumers needs. Huawei has demonstrated its pioneering presence in enriching consumer experiences through every product it offers. Huawei has won more than 40 awards for the series Huawei P30 and Mate X phones international tech media and leading industry organisations. the Huawei MateBook X Pro won 13 prestigious awards from leading media outlets in 2019. Huaweis wearables won 21 best annual product awards, and the Huawei WiFi Q2 Pro won the Best Smart Home Product 2019 award at CES Asia, in addition to the larger influence and many international awards for Huaweis non-smart devices, said Mohammed Awais Sheikh, Marketing Director, Huawei Consumer Business Group in Kuwait. Meanwhile, Huawei has launched its 2020 edition of Huaweis Developer competition in the MEA region. The contest invites all partners from Pakistan, UAE, KSA, Iraq, South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar with an existing app on the Huawei AppGallery to join with one or multiple apps for a chance to win rewards and cash prizes. The contest has begun in early September and will end on December 31 for all countries. The Huawei Developer competition has been created to provide awards for high-quality mobile applications built on the Huawei HMS platform. It also inspires regional developers to leverage HMS open capabilities to create innovative apps, bringing smart life services to Huawei device users. With more than 4,900 registrations across all countries, the winners of the Huawei Developer competition for each country will be selected based on a comprehensive set of considerations. The main criteria of selection are based on the apps popularity within the market (number of downloads), the HMS Core integration of the app, and the HMS Special Kit integration. The developers can win multiple rewards: from cash prizes, cloud vouchers to targeted promotions to grow their apps, and each winning app can be selected for one of the award categories (Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards). After rigorous analysis of each submitted apps, Huawei will be announcing the winners for each country in the beginning of 2021. As an integral part of Huaweis talent ecosystem construction, Huawei Developer Competition actively explores innovative talent development modes and plays a critical role in promoting partners technologies with Huawei AppGallery. Huawei is an active driver of a digital, intelligent society, an enabler of the digital transformation of industries and enterprises, and a preferred partner of industry customers. Adhering to the platform + ecosystem strategy and teaming up with partners, Huawei has built an open, flexible, agile, and secure platform, foster a sound ecosystem featuring co-existence, sharing, and mutual benefits, and enjoy the symphony of digital industrial transformation. The collaborative efforts are ultimately to usher in an intelligent era where everything is sensing, everything is connected, and everything is intelligent. Huawei has worked on developing many services and initiatives in the field of artificial intelligence over several years. During the past five years, it has developed a special system for smart cars. Huawei officially established the Intelligent Automotive Solution BU on May 27, 2019, which focused five areas, First, intelligence and connection, Second, smart driving, Third, the smart cockpit, Fourth, mPower, Fifth, cloud services. Huawei, as a leading global provider of information and communication technology infrastructure, recently launched the TECH4ALL initiative to promote digital inclusion and bring the benefits of technology to everyone. Huawei also launched DigiTruck, Training on Wheels, where students can learn how to use internet technology to access information and services, including education, healthcare, and employment, through trucks containers equipped with the latest technology. As part of its concern for children, Huawei launched TrackAI, a portable artificial intelligence device to identify visual impairment in children, and has also partnered with the Spanish Medical Research Institute IIS Aragon to develop a new medical device called DIVE, which is designed to diagnose early signs of visual impairment in children, in addition to another partnership with the British Deaf Association and the European Union for the Deaf to launch StorySign, a free app that translates selected childrens books into sign language and relies on artificial intelligence to ensure the speed and accuracy of the application. -- Tradearabia News Service Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours. Thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 90F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Gordon Stewart, who bought a rundown beachfront hotel in his native Jamaica and built it into a chain of all-inclusive resorts as the founder of Sandals Resorts International, died on Monday. He was 79. His death was confirmed in a statement by his family, who did not give a cause or say where he died, other than to say that he died in the United States. His son Adam Stewart said in an interview on Tuesday that his fathers death was related to a recent medical diagnosis that Mr. Stewart, who was known as Butch, had kept private because he did not want to be anyone elses burden. He didnt even want his closest friends to worry for him, Adam Stewart said. Despite his illness, Mr. Stewart had continued to work long hours until the end of his life, his son said. Adam Stewart became chairman of Sandals Resorts International after his fathers death. Fifth President of Ukraine, leader of the European Solidarity Party Petro Poroshenko congratulated Orthodox Ukrainians on the second anniversary of signing the Tomos of autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). "It was a great honor and joy for me, together with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius, to participate in the ceremony of signing and presenting the Tomos in Istanbul. With great reverence, with bated breath, we watched His Holiness signing this historic document," the press service of European Solidarity quotes Poroshenko on Tuesday. He thanked everyone who made an effort and in every possible way contributed to the achievement of this goal. As reported, on December 15, 2018, a Unification Council was held in Kyiv, at which the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was created, headed by Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine. A local council took place before the Unification Council, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate and the UAOC decided to liquidate. Several hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) also joined the newly formed church. On January 5, 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew signed a Tomos on autocephaly of the OCU, on January 6 he handed the document to Metropolitan Epiphanius. On February 3, he was enthroned. On January 30, 2019, the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) was created. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Alessandra Ambrosio appears to be taking full advantage of the tropical weather in Brazil. On Tuesday, the former Victoria's Secret Angel was spotted going on a jet ski trip in the beach city of Florianopolis, not far from her home state of Rio Grande do Sul. The 39-year-old cover girl was pictured sitting on a personal water craft with a male friend. Looking good! Alessandra Ambrosio appears to be taking full advantage of the tropical weather in Brazil on Tuesday Hanging out: The supermodel posed for the cameras as she made her way down a wooden pathway that cut through dense tropical scenery with a pretty friend After finishing up her fun on the water, the former PINK spokesmodel was seen walking through a lush landscape with a group of her pals. The Brazilian beauty posted a video to her Instagram story to give her fans an inside look into being part of her entourage. Ambrosio was spotted wearing a white bikini top that allowed her to show off her sculpted arms and impressively toned tummy. She contrasted the top with a pair of fringed pink shorts that she left unbuttoned at the waist, drawing attention to her tanned legs. Fun in the sun: Ambrosio showed off her impressive physique as she went for a jet ski trip with a male friend behind her Showing what she's got: The former Victoria's Secret Angel wore a white bikini top and fringed pink shorts for her beach trip The supermodel also wore a flowing white cover up with a patterned purple lining and carried a multicolored bag to carry her belongings. Ambrosio also wore an assortment of necklaces, bracelets, and a silver watch in addition to a pair of sunglasses to keep her eyes shaded from the radiant Brazilian sun. The former Victoria's Secret model allowed her gorgeous brunette hair to hang down past onto her hair for her trip. Later in the day, she posted a few videos to her Instagram story depicting a small party she was attending on a private boat. Ambrosio gave a panorama shot to her 10.2 million followers to show off the beautiful emerald green water and heavy tropical forest greenery around her. An inside look: The model posted a number of videos to her Instagram story during her trip to let her followers know what she and her pals were doing Sharing the fun: The native Brazilian posed a video from the boat she was enjoying herself on to show her followers the beautiful water and greenery she was surrounded by In an interview with Byrdie, Ambrosio spoke about the differences between when she started her career and her current working state where she has to maintain a consistent figure year-round. 'When I first started was I didn't have so much pressure, like, I didn't put pressure on myself. So it was more easygoing. You got to relax and enjoy more. Now there's a lot of pressure, everyone has to be crazy fit. You want to be on top of your game, she said.' The supermodel also elaborated on how she enjoyed the high-energy environment of fashion shows and why she was always excited about participating in them. She stated: 'The minute the lights are on and the music starts, the adrenaline is pumping in your body and it's crazy; that never gets old. It doesn't matter how many times you do it; it feels like the first time'. Sen. Hawley Says Antifa Threatened Wife, Newborn Daughter Says he 'will not be intimidated' Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) declared that he will not be intimidated after he said a group of Antifa members threatened his family in their Virginia home late on Jan. 4. Tonight, while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who cant travel. They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated by leftwing violence, he wrote on Twitter late on Jan. 4. Hawley recently made headlines after he became the first senator to publicly announce that he would object during the Electoral College certification process on Jan. 6. A group called ShutDownDC, which is affiliated with the far-left Antifa network, posted a video on Twitter on Jan. 4 that showed a group of people walking to the front of Hawleys house in the northern suburbs of Virginia bordering the District of Columbia, and for about an hour held signs and carried candles while shouting anti-Hawley slogans through loudspeakers. Surprise! Were at Josh Hawleys house holding a vigil for democracy #SeditionCaucus #VotersDecided #J6, the post reads. The group later issued a statement on its website confirming that the activists went to Hawleys house because he took a stance against the electoral vote process scheduled to take place during a joint session in Congress on Jan. 6. In the statement, ShutDownDC characterized Hawleys intention to object to the Electoral College voteswhich is joined by 12 other Republican senators and an anticipated 140 Republican House membersas a plan to derail Congress acceptance of Joe Bidens election win on January 6. ShutDownDC organizer Patrick Young asserted in a statement that Hawley is trying to silence voices of voters, and claimed that bulk of the votes they would throw out come from Black and brown voters. He further claims that Hawleys stance signifies an attempted coup waged by silencing the voices of people of color. Hawley issued a separate Twitter post in response to ShutDownDCs self-described vigil. Now vigil means screaming threats through bullhorns, vandalizing property, pounding on the doors of homes, and terrorizing innocent people and children. A later statement from Young said, This was not threatening behavior. This is people engaging in democracy and engaging in civil discourse. This was a pretty tame and peaceful visit to his house. Master Police Officer Juan Vazquez, a spokesman for the Town of Vienna Police Department, said in a statement to media outlets that responding officers found that the people were peaceful. They were called to the home after someone reported that there were people protesting in front of the house. According to The Washington Post, Vienna police said they did not see pounding on doors, did not hear threats, nor see any vandalism other than chalk on the sidewalk. There was also no formal complaint from the Hawleys as of Tuesday afternoon. Officers are only allowed to put in the report what they see, Vasquez said, reported the outlet. We cant get warrants on something we didnt see. If someone wants to make a complaint, theyre more than welcome to file a police report. Vasquez added that police found three potential violations upon arriving at the scene and advised those present about them, after which the group left within 10 minutes. He noted that it is a misdemeanor under Virginia to protest outside a private residence. Protesters also violated the Vienna town code for noise and litter. Hawley later criticized The Washington Post for its report on the incident, writing on Twitter, [The Washington Post] this morning printing outright lies from the Antifa group who now describe themselves as sweet angels. BS. You screamed through bullhorns, shouted down my wife when she asked you to leave, vandalized property, pounded on our door, and terrorized neighbors. And didnt have the guts to do it in daylight, but only under cover of darkness so you could hide. Youre scum. And we wont be intimidated, he added. According to a statement from Hawleys office via KMOV, the ShutDownDC group refused to leave before police arrived. The statement said that in fact, when Erin, Joshs wife, asked them to leave they instead screamed threats through blow horns at Erin, a newborn baby and their neighbors., and then they followed up by stepping onto their porch to pound on the front door and peer inside. According to KMOV, Young said, we certainly dont want to do anything to intimidate the senators family and we understand people are concerned about having political activity at their homes. We are in the middle of a pandemic most people are not working from offices. [P]eople are working from home. So if we want to talk to powerful people we need to go to where we think they are going to be. In response to the statements, Hawley wrote on Twitter, Antifa scumbags changing their tune now that everyone has seen the video of them screaming at my wife, pounding on our door, harassing neighbors, and trying to intimidate. Jan. 6 The governors in the contested states had certified electors who cast their electoral votes for former vice president and presidential candidate Biden, a Democrat. But on Dec. 14, 2020, Republican electors in those six states and New Mexico cast alternative slates of Electoral College votes for President Donald Trump, setting up a dueling electors scenario not seen in U.S. elections for decades. Objections during the joint session on Jan. 6 must be made in writing by at least one House member and one senator to sustain a challenge. If the objection for any state meets this requirement, the joint session pauses and each house withdraws to its own chamber to debate the question for a maximum of two hours. The House and the Senate then vote separately to accept or reject the objection, which requires a majority vote from both chambers. Biden has declared victory in the November 2020 election. Trump and other Republicans have since been contesting election results in battleground statesnamely Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevadaalleging that election fraud and irregularities took place on a large scale that swung the results to favor Biden. The Epoch Times isnt calling the presidential race at this time. The Epoch Times has published an investigative documentary on election integrity in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, outlining the allegations of election fraud and observed anomalies that have been reported in the contested states. The ShutDownDC group also said in its statement that it has called on hotels in Washington to close their doors to people who plan to go to the nations capital on Jan. 6 for a protest to call for election integrity. ShutDownDC claims that many of these supporters of the president may bring violence and destruction. Trump has called on Americans to join in the planned protest, which is expected to be attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Car caravans have been forming in preparation for what many have been saying will be a historic protest. Janita Kan contributed to this report. This article has been updated with further details and comments from involved parties. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. (TSXV: WHY) ("West High Yield" or the "Company") announces that, further to its press releases dated October 7, 2020 and November 23, 2020, it has received an extension from the TSX Venture Exchange with respect to the duration of its previously announced private placement (the "Private Placement"). The outside date for the closing and filing of all final documentation in respect of the Private Placement has been extended to February 3, 2021. About West High Yield West High Yield is a publicly traded junior mining exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral resource properties in Canada with a primary objective to locate and develop economic gold, nickel and magnesium properties. For further information please contact: Frank Marasco President and Chief Executive Officer of West High Yield (W.H.Y.) Resources Ltd. Telephone: (403) 660-3488 Facsimile: (403) 206-7159 Email: frank@whyresources.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements.. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; changes in tax laws; and other factors. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date hereof, and to not use such forward-looking information for anything other than its intended purpose. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Not for distribution in the United States.This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States. The securities of the Company will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71424 Every Friday morning wed meet at the City Cafe. 7 a.m. Id get bacon, eggs and a biscuit. Hed alternate between pancakes, biscuit sandwiches, bits of it occasionally flecking in his mustache. I dont remember exactly how the weekly meeting got started. Dr. Bill Stewart had never been a professor of mine. He may have had emeritus status by the time we met. But one day, out of the blue, he reached out to me via Facebook Messenger and mentioned he liked to meet from time to time with interesting students. I was flattered and a little flummoxed. 7 a.m? On a Friday morning? Who is this guy again? Most weeks I wouldve been nursing a hangover but, still, more often than not we met. Discussing Alabamas history, politics and future. Breakfast was always his treat, until I got older and was able to return the favor when we met less frequently. Dr. Stewart, who died Sunday at age 80, literally wrote the book on Alabamas constitution and efforts to reform it. Hes one of those titans of state politics and academia thats been present my entire life. But Ill remember him most as a deeply kind, gregarious man. Sitting in a booth over the laminated tables advertising local West Alabama businesses, Dr. Stewart waved down servers to freshen up his coffee in the midst of stories about Jim Folsom, George Wallace, Albert Brewer and more recent history too. Generously, hed ask my opinion about the changing politics of the state, country and campus. He had accumulated decades of knowledge and research but remained curious and open-minded to the ideas of a 20-year old kid. Hed smile and laugh over his wide rimmed glasses and press me to expand on an idea further and drill down deeper into the heart of Alabama. After I graduated, he continued the same weekly tradition with my brother Mark. Were just two of the scores of students that he shared time, food and wisdom with over 40 years at the University of Alabama. Politicians from both sides of the aisle, including former Gov. Don Siegelman and Secretary of State John Merrill, call Dr. Stewart, and his wife Connie, a friend and mentor. Its no wonder. Despite having written several textbooks on some of the darkest chapters and figures of Alabama history, he remained eternally optimistic about the states potential and the ability for politicians to work for the common good. In conversations with me, hed light up about the possibility of constitutional reform or efforts to make Goat Hill more ethical. And he saw so much potential in politicians from both parties. For most of Dr. Stewarts life, Alabama had been dominated by one-party Democratic control. He saw former students prosecuted for political crimes.He saw the Republican party emerge in the 80s and 90s, pushing reform measures. And he witnessed that party secure a supermajority and begin to neuter the very reforms theyd passed. But when it came to individual leaders, Dr. Stewart had a much stronger belief in peoples better angels than I ever managed. And why not? He was a man of deep faith but hed also lived through an Alabama that had been home to so many important and powerful reform efforts. Living through the death of Jim Crow and the emergence of a more equitable, still imperfect state. Why shouldnt Dr. Stewart have believed that creating a better Alabama was not only possible but, even, inevitable? After forty years of teaching, his spirit and efforts have reached so many people in this state, instilling in them a deeper understanding of Alabamas past and a belief in our potential. We often fail to realize that potential, but Dr. Stewart was right to believe in it and dedicate himself to it. My adult life was shaped over so many breakfasts with Dr. Stewart, but in the face of so much relentless news about political corruption and neglect, Id lost some of that optimism he taught me. I am reminded today that hope requires dedication. May we all honor Dr. Bill Stewarts legacy, not just by believing in a better Alabama, but demanding it. There were no casualties over the period under review. The Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces has reported five violations of the latest ceasefire agreement committed by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Monday, January 4. "In the past day, January 4, five ceasefire violations were recorded in the area the Joint Forces Operation (JFO)," the press center of the Ukrainian JFO Command said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on January 5, 2021. In particular, enemy troops fired grenade launchers of various systems and heavy machine guns near the villages of Vodiane and Lebedynske, as well as grenade launchers and automatic rifles near the village of Hnutove. Also, the invaders used automatic and anti-tank grenade launchers near the village of Luhanske. Read alsoUkraine RPG "The Point of No Return" explains post-war trauma to civiliansThe violations were reported to OSCE representatives through the Joint Center for Ceasefire Control and Coordination (JCCC). There were no casualties over the period under review. Since midnight, enemy forces have not attacked Ukrainian troops. The situation is under full control of the Ukrainian military. Donbas ceasefire: Background Participants in the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE) on the peace settlement in Donbas on July 22 agreed on a full and comprehensive ceasefire along the contact line from 00:01 on Monday, July 27, 2020. On the very first day of the newly-agreed truce, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted three attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has reported more such violations over the latest period. Reporting by UNIAN It is at one time a high and noble charge, but also and quite often a political burden. Will two of our best and brightest in the U.S. Congres Gov. Phil Murphy has vetoed a bill allowing restaurants, bars and breweries struggling amid the pandemic to extend their footprints and serve patrons in parking lots, yards, patios, decks and public sidewalks. The bill (A4525) would have allowed restaurants, bars, breweries and distilleries, which have for months been operating with restricted indoor dining, to operate in outdoor spaces they lease or own, in addition to public sidewalks. In vetoing the legislation on Monday, the governor said it circumvents existing licensing and regulation processes critical to protecting the publics health and safety. That includes shifting enforcement and oversight from state Alcohol Beverage Control fully to local governments while also forcing municipalities to approve any applicant that submits proper documentation and overriding their ability to limit hours of operation, he said. I applaud the sponsors ... for their efforts to assist New Jersey businesses that are struggling during this critical time, he said in the veto message. However, because aspects of the bill encroach on the authority of both the ABC and municipal governments to protect the publics health and safety, and because many of the bills goals have already been achieved, I am unable to support it. Murphy noted the state already has taken steps to allow these businesses to bring their operations outdoors through the end of March without compromising the publics health and safety, and has approved more than 2,300 permits since June=. " Under the bill, businesses wanting to expand outdoor operations would have had to apply for free to a local zoning office, which would have had 15 days to approve an application that complied with the bills requirements. Murphy argued this would significantly limit a municipalitys review by requiring approval of all applications that contain the requisite information. As a result, municipalities would have almost no ability to reject an application based on public health or safety concerns, such as a proposed expanded areas proximity to a school or church, or a licensees previous violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, he said. He argued also the bill limits municipalities ability to restrict businesses hours of operation based on public health concerns. This would have immediate consequences, as the city of Newark currently limits outdoor dining after 9:00 p.m., pursuant to an executive order by Mayor Ras Baraka, he said. Signing this bill into law would immediately overturn these restrictions and disrupt Newarks plan to combat COVID-19. The New Jersey Business and Industry Association said Murphy should have worked with the Legislature to make adjustments to the bill rather than vetoing it outright. Instead, with the rejection of this legislation, which was passed unanimously by the Senate and Assembly, operations like restaurants, bars and breweries lose opportunities to expand and innovate, NJBIA President Michele Sierkerka said in a statement. Its critical that businesses have these flexibilities for as long as it is needed to maintain their operations during this time. The bill passed 39-0 in the Senate and 74-0 in the Assembly. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. The manufacturer Shenzhen Luosi Ge Trading Co. recalled about 6,000 Homfa cabinets in December 2020 because they pose a serious tip-over risk that could lead to death or injuries in children, according to an announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission late last month. The recall is for the Homfa HPB-087 (sold in walnut brown) and HPB-106 cabinets (sold in wood grain), which measure about 29.75 inches tall, 31.5 inches wide, and 15.4 inches deep, and weigh about 59 pounds. The products, which have three drawers and one cabinet door, don't comply with the industry's voluntary stability standard for dressers and other clothing storage units. The products may tip-over if not anchored to a wall. There have been no reported incidents or injuries linked to the products, which were sold on Amazon from July 2019 through September 2020. But the Homfa website states that "consumers should immediately stop using any recalled cabinet that is not properly anchored to the wall and keep it away from children." Consumers should then contact Homfa to receive a full refund. This is particularly urgent now because many Americans are home more than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the threat of a tip-over is real. One person is injured about every 20 minutesand one child dies about every two weekswhen a piece of furniture, an appliance, or a television falls onto them, according to the CPSC. This cabinet recall follows a series of dresser recalls over the past several months that were prompted in part by increased scrutiny of dresser stability, including dresser tip-over tests done by Consumer Reports. The CPSC, the agency that regulates household product safety, conducted its own independent testing in 2019 and found that many products didn't comply with the industry's voluntary stability standard, which is meant to prevent dangerous tip-over incidents. Story continues Though federal legislation called the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act didn't pass before the end of the last session of Congress, consumer safety advocates are working to reintroduce the bill in the coming months. The legislation would require the CPSC to create a new rule that includes more stringent stability requirements and is mandatory, as opposed to the voluntary stability standard, which safety advocates don't consider strong enough to protect consumers from harm. Recall Details Products recalled: The Homfa HPB-087 (sold in walnut brown) and the HPB-106 cabinets (sold in wood grain). The cabinets measure about 29.75 inches tall, 31.5 inches wide, and 15.4 inches deep, and weigh about 59 pounds. Sold at: Amazon from July 2019 through September 2020 from $90 to $130. The problem: The cabinets, which don't comply with the industry's voluntary stability standard, pose a serious tip-over and entrapment risk that can result in death or injuries to children. The fix: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cabinets and keep children away from them. Then contact Homfa for a full refund. The company will provide prepaid shipping labels so that consumers can remove the cabinet's drawer slides and return them to the firm in exchange for the refund. Then discard the rest of the dresser. The company states that it will also send email directly to all known customers who purchased the recalled product. How to contact the manufacturer: Email the company at service@myhomfa.com. The more infectious super-covid variant from the UK is in at least seven states, a CDC official told DailyMail.com Tuesday, but refused to reveal which remaining two states beyond Colorado, California, Florida New York and Georgia have cases. Dr Greg Armstrong, director of the Office of Advanced Molecular Detection at the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases said that the new variant accounts for fewer than one in 200 samples run by US labs. Its up to the states to disclose when they have discovered a case of the new variant, Dr Armstrong said. Almost all regulatory authority is at the state level. Georgia on Tuesday announced its first case of the 'mutant' COVID-19 strain. The virus is said to have been found in an 18-year-old boy with no travel history. Georgia joins New York, California, Colorado and Florida in all reporting cases. The new variant is between 50% and 70% more transmissible, scientists say. Georgians cast high-stakes final votes Tuesday in elections to determine the balance of power in the new Congress, deciding Senate runoff elections sure to shape President-elect Joe Bidens ability to enact what could be the most progressive governing agenda in generations. The first US case of the strand was reported in a remote nursing home in Colorado last week. It has since also been discovered elsewhere in the state, as well as in New York, Florida and California. San Diego on Tuesday was reporting 32 cases of the variant, bringing to the total cases across the US to 37. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer, said: 'The fact that these cases have been identified in multiple parts of the region shows that this strain of the virus could be rapidly spreading.' The 'mutant' variant of the virus that began ravaging across the UK towards the end of last year, causing cases to surge and forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce a third nationwide lockdown Monday. The first US case of the strand was reported in a remote nursing home in Colorado last week. It has since also been discovered elsewhere in the state, as well as in New York, Georgia, Florida and California, with at least 37 people now infected The mutant strain was picked up on the same day voters went to the polls in Georgia. Voters are pictured at Sara Smith Elementary polling station, in the Buckhead district, on January 5, 2021 in Atlanta during the Georgia runoff elections Georgia DPH Commissioner Kathleen E. Toomey said: 'The emergence of this variant in our state should be a wake-up call for all Georgians.' Dr Armstrong told DailyMail.com that a hallmark of the variant thats sent the UK into lockdown is seen in about half of a percent of all samples seen in the US, according to testing data from Helix. THE US IS CATCHING ON TO BETTER WAYS TO LOOK FOR NEW CORONAVIRUS VARIANTS - BUT IT STILL LAGS BEHIND THE UK Helix uses a kind of test that just happens to detect an certain gene deletion that is found in the UK variant, B117, as well as others. The UK has been using this trait to monitor trends in the more infectious variant more efficiently because sequencing viruss whole genome can take 48 hours for large batches but could be run in six hours in smaller batches. The CDC is testing in large batches and says they have several hundred samples suspected to be the B117 to run. Yet the agency is running the lengthy type of genome sequencing because it considers this less urgent sequencing, because since learning of the new variant last month, officials assumed it was already here in the US, given the strong economic ties [between the UK and the US], Dr Armstrong said. Regular coronavirus testing can't detect which particular variant someone has been infected by. These diagnostics aren't designed to. Standard diagnostic tests search samples of human saliva or mucus for bits of virus genome that are are distinctive to coronavirus, but would be shared across many variants. Some diagnostic tests can detect the presence of the 'S dropout' mutation in a coronavirus sample. B117 has this mutation, and although other strains do too, monitoring how often this comes up helps the UK monitor likely upticks in the more infectious variant, geneticist Theo Sanderson of the Francis Crick Institute explained on Twitter It's important that they detect these relatively general traits of SARS-CoV-2 because it and all viruses change fairly frequently, but usually in small meaningless ways. The new UK variant has more significant changes that make it more infectious. In order to know for sure that a sample contains the new variant, the whole genome needs to be sequenced. The genome is a very long chain, in molecular terms, consisting of nearly 30,000 nucleotides - chemical letters. Sequencing an entire coronavirus genome takes at least a couple hours. And as the central health authority for a country of nearly 331 million people, the CDC receives massive numbers of samples to sequence. The UK's new variant of the virus is not more deadly but is around 50 percent more infectious. This chart from different regions from the UK shows how much more infectious the new super-COVID strain is in comparison to other virus variants So the agency tends to run large batches of hundreds of samples at a time. Running such large quantities stretches out the process even longer. Getting the full sequence of the genomes of hundreds of virus samples might take four up to four days to run end-to-end. In the lab, that includes two time-consuming stages. 'It takes about 3 days to make the library' - of all the bases in a strand of viral genetic material, called RNA - 'and the sequencer takes about a day at a time,' Dr Jasmine Plummer, a research scientist at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics in Los Angeles told DailyMail.com. Dr Howard Zucker, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, said the department's Wadsworth Lab has that process down to about 44 hours. That's about as fast as the process can go, Dr Plummer said. Meanwhile, Dr Zucker said he had 'heard reports it can take several weeks to get results back [from the CDC].' Although CDC's Dr Armstrong said this is largely due to the volume of samples the CDC runs at a time, Dr Plummer said there are more mundane reasons. 'We're in a hospital, we get samples directly and sequence them in-house,' she said of the Cedars-Sinai lab. 'There are transport issues getting to the CDC, quality control issues - they're hindered by delivery.' Samples also get contaminated by the people providing them, collecting them and transporting. Dr Plummer says cleaning those up sufficiently for a diagnostic test to work is easy enough, but getting them in shape for accurate sequencing is a much taller order. Still, the US an the CDC have not been sequencing the same volume of viral genomes per capita that other nations have. Dr Armstrong says that the CDC is ramping up the number of samples that get the full work up from 3,500 a week in December to some 6,500 a week. THE NEW UK STRAIN HAS TRIGGERED A CALIFORNIA CLUSTER AND IS IN 'SEVERAL STATES' Already the variant is 'present in low numbers but present in several states, with at least seven confirmed to the CDC, but not to the American public. He explained that state health departments have only confirmed the presence of cases to the CDC, but have not revealed any further details to the agency. CDC does not yet know which county in each of the remaining two mystery states has a case, nor any identifying details of the infected individuals. States need to investigate and contact these cases and confirm as many details as possible before publicly reporting them, Dr Armstrong said. For the time being, this is a variant with a low prevalence and it its not going to impact what non-pharmacological interventions [states implement], he said. But in the UK, a handful of cases, first announced on December 14, have exploded. The new variant now accounts for an estimated 62 percent of cases in London and is all over England. In San Diego 24 newly confirmed people with virus are said have no travel history and to have come from 19 different homes. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday identified the New York patient Monday as a male jewelry store worker in Saratoga Springs, who is in his 60s. The man did have COVID-19 symptoms but is 'on the mend.' He said the state is testing three more possible cases of the strain in Saratoga with it taking up to 44 hours to do the genome sequencing to detect the variant. Much like the first US case of the variant in Colorado, the man had no recent travel history, suggesting a community spread. The CDC believes the strain first emerged in Britain in September and said last week it suspects it has been circulating in the US for some time. The strain is thought to be 50 to 70 percent more transmissible but not more deadly. The Empire State had earlier become the fourth in the nation to detect the 'mutant' variant of the virus. Cuomo on Tuesday appeared to push back against NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's calls to ban all flights from the UK to the US. The governor called on the federal government to begin enforcing mandatory testing on all international passengers arriving in the US, like they are already doing with travelers from the UK. De-Blasio had urged the Trump administration to 'stop the madness' and block all travel to and from the Britain to help stop any further spread of the new super-infectious UK variant of the virus. It's now reported in the UK that around one of every 50 residents - or roughly one million people - now has the coronavirus. In light of the surge, as of December 28, the CDC began requiring all airline passengers arriving from Britain - including U.S. citizens - to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure. Unless a dual-citizen or travelling for essential purposes, the majority of Brits are currently banned from entering the US. The UK is also currently grappling with a second mutant strain of the virus, said to originate from South Africa, which experts fear may be resistant to vaccines and potentially more deadly. That strain has not yet been detected in the US. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. More than 513 doctors including 103 from Delhi succumb to COVID-19 in second wave: IMA Covaxin efficacy: What some experts think India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 05: Some healthcare experts questioned the government's assertion that Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin can target mutated coronavirus strains and maybe used us a "backup", as they asked for the scientific basis for the claim and for the vaccine's safety and efficacy. The country's drugs regulator Sunday granted emergency use approval to Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield and also to indigenously developed Covaxin even though not enough data on the latter's efficacy and safety was available, which triggered a debate. Noted virologist Shahid Jameel said he does not believe that eventually Covaxin would turn out to be safe and show more than 70 per cent efficacy. 'Carried out 200% honest trials': Bharat Biotech defends Covaxin after backlash over lack of data "I say this based on the platform, which is widely used and Bharat Biotech's own track record of successfully making inactivated viral vaccines," he said. He also said his concerns are based on the processes adopted for approving the vaccine and also on the utterances of people in responsible positions. "If approval requires both safety and efficacy data for a representative population, phase 2 safety and immunogenicity do not fulfill that criteria," he said. "That is why we conduct a phase 3. It is the closest you get to a population. Where is that data? Vaccines are not drugs. They are given to healthy people. They are prevention not a treatment. Both safety and efficacy is required," he said. He also questioned what is an approval for a "backup"? "Does this mean that if needed, a vaccine of unproven efficacy would be used?" He said the biggest concern is that "sidestepping" processes and poor/complex communication will fuel vaccine hesitancy in India. "There is already evidence of that on account of fast tracked development timescales. Our country has one of the finest immunisation programmes. It will also undermine the global value of India's vaccine industry, which is first rate by any measure," he said. Covaxin: Meet Tamil farmers son who kickstarted Bharat Biotech, developed vaccines against Zika, Chikunguya Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Dr Balram Bhargava had Sunday said Covaxin is based on an inactivated whole virus, having potential to target mutated coronavirus strains including the UK-variant, and it was a major reason for giving it a conditional nod. He, however, had also said no clear data regarding the efficacy of the vaccine is available so far. "The data generated so far demonstrates a strong immune response (both antibody as well as T cell) and in-vitro viral neutralisation. The ongoing clinical trial is the largest trial on 25,800 subjects, in which 23,000 volunteers have already been enrolled including subjects with comorbid conditions, and the vaccine has demonstrated safety till date," Bhargava has said. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria Monday said Bharat Biotech's vaccine has been given approval only in emergency situations as a backup. "If there is a surge in cases then we may need larger doses of vaccine then we may go with Bharat Biotech's vaccine. The Bharat Biotech vaccine is more of a backup," he said. He also rejected claims of fast-tracking the process. "None of the clinical trials was fast tracked in terms of safety and efficacy. Fast tracking was done in taking regulatory approval which generally takes a long time while going from one phase to the other," he said. All India Drugs Action Network (AIDAN) also questioned the claim that Covaxin can work better against the UK strain of the virus which is more transmissible. Fact check: Should we be worried over 'rushed' approval of Bharat Biotechs Covaxin? "It is not clear if there is any scientific basis to claim that Covaxin will be effective in the context of infection by mutant strains when its efficacy has not been established and is currently unknown against any strain of the virus," the AIDAN said. "The claim being propagated that the whole virion inactivated vaccine is likely to be effective against mutations of the virus is not being supported by any efficacy from the trial because no data has been generated as yet in the Phase 3 trial," AIDAN said in a statement. A political battle has also ensued over approval to Covaxin. Some Congress leaders, including Anand Sharma, Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh, on Sunday raised serious concerns over the green signal to the, saying it is "premature" and can prove dangerous. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News The BJP, in response, hit out at the Congress with party president J P Nadda alleging that whenever India achieves something commendable the opposition party comes up with "wild theories" to "ridicule" the accomplishments. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 9:12 [IST] The asteroid impact 66 million years ago that ushered in a mass extinction and ended the dinosaurs also killed off many of the plants that they relied on for food. Fossil leaf assemblages from Patagonia, Argentina, suggest that vegetation in South America suffered great losses but rebounded quickly, according to an international team of researchers. "Every mass extinction event is like a reset button, and what happens after that reset depends on which organisms survive and how they shape the biosphere," said Elena Stiles, a doctoral student at the University of Washington who completed the research as part of her master's thesis at Penn State. "All the biodiversity that we observe today is related to the organisms that made it past the last big reset 66 million years ago." Stiles and her colleagues examined more than 3,500 leaf fossils collected at two sites in Patagonia to identify how many species from the geologic period known as the Cretaceous survived the mass extinction event into the Paleogene period. Although plant families in the region fared well, the scientists found a surprising species-level extinction rate that may have reached as high as 92% in Patagonia, higher than previous studies have estimated for the region. "There's this idea that the Southern Hemisphere got off easier from the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction than the Northern Hemisphere because we keep finding plant and animal groups that no one thought survived," said Peter Wilf, professor of geosciences at Penn State and associate in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. "We went into this study expecting that Patagonia was a refuge, and instead we found a complex story of extinction and rebound." Researchers from Penn State; the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio (MEF), Chubut, Argentina; Universidad Nacional del Comahue INIBIOMA, Rio Negro, Argentina; and Cornell University had been collecting the fossils for years from the two sites, in what is now Chubut province. Unlike North America, where the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary is well known from many sites in the western United States, the fossil record from this period is fragmented across the Southern Hemisphere, a result of rapidly changing ancient environments. "Most of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary interval known from the Southern Hemisphere is marine," said Ari Iglesias, a researcher at Universidad Nacional del Comahue INIBIOMA. "We were interested in obtaining the continental record, what happened on land. So, in this study we tried to get as close to the K-Pg boundary as possible, and we reached it in a small area in Chubut province. There we found floras right before the K-Pg boundary, or Maastrichtian floras, and right after the K-Pg boundary, so Danian age floras." The assemblages that the team obtained constitute the most complete collection of late Cretaceous and early Paleogene fossil floras in the Southern Hemisphere, added Iglesias. The researchers studied the assemblages for survivor pairs -- plants that grew in both the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods -- and found few species-level matches. They then compared their findings to previous pollen and insect herbivory studies from the same area and to North American fossil records. Their study, which is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, appears in the journal Paleobiology. "The 92% extinction estimate we get when we consider fossil leaf species across the K-Pg boundary should be taken as a maximum" Stiles said. "We were surprised to find such high extinction levels compared with the 60% extinction rate seen in North America. Nonetheless, we observed a sharp drop in plant species diversity and a high species-level extinction." Ecosystem recovery likely took millions of years, added Stiles, which is a small fraction of Earth's nearly 4.5-billion-year history. Stiles also led a novel morphospace analysis to identify changes in leaf shape from the Cretaceous to the Paleogene, as such changes could provide clues to the kinds of environmental and climatic occurrences that took place across the boundary interval. She studied each leaf fossil for nearly 50 features, including shape, size and venation patterns. The analysis showed a higher diversity of leaf forms in the Paleogene, which surprised the researchers given the high species-level extinction and drop in number of species at the end of the Cretaceous. They also found an increase in the proportion of leaf shapes typically found in cooler environments, which suggests that climatic cooling occurred after the end-Cretaceous extinction event. The researchers' findings, combined with those of previous studies, suggest that despite the high species-level extinction at the end of the Cretaceous, South American plant families largely survived and grew more diverse during the Paleogene. Among the survivors were the laurel family, which today includes plants such as bay leaves and avocados, and the rose family, which includes fruit like raspberries and strawberries. "Plants are often overlooked in these big events in geologic history," Stiles said. "But really, because plants are the primary producers on terrestrial landscapes and sustain all other life forms on Earth, we should be paying closer attention to the plant fossil record. It can tell us how the landscape changed and how those changes affected different groups of organisms." ### Other contributors included Maria Gandolfo, Cornell University; and Ruben Cuneo, MEF. The Geological Society of America, Mid-American Paleontological Society, National Science Foundation and Penn State, through a Charles E. Knopf, Sr. Memorial Scholarship and the Paul D. Krynine Memorial Fund, supported this research. Organisers at some of Britain's biggest festivals have warned the multi-billion-pound industry faces 'absolutely dire straits' if 2021 brings more cancellations due to Covid-19. Organisers behind Manchester's Parklife festival and Boomtown Fair which takes place near Winchester today issued stark warnings to MPs about the future of live music events. Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchester's Parklife, told the Digital Culture, Media and Sport Committee that coronavirus had 'absolutely decimated' his festival, its suppliers and freelance staff. Yesterday Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis assured fans that this year's festival had not yet been called off. Glastonbury Festival organisers say this year's event has not been cancelled - as industry bosses warn MPs that the impact of another summer of cancellations will leave it in 'absolutely dire straits' Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchester's Parklife, warned: 'If we have got another year like 2020, we have got serious problems' One if four adults went to a music festival in 2019 as industry's value soared to 2.6billion Research published in the summer of 2019 - the last season not to be disrupted by Covid - showed 26 per cent of UK adults attended a music festival in that year alone. The figure represented a rise of four per cent on the previous year, when Glastonbury took a year off. Figures shared by Mintel showed half of 16-19-year-olds attended a festival, 43% of 20 to 39-year-olds and 19% of those aged between 40 and 54. Research estimated the industry to be worth just over 2.6bn in 2019, up from 2.46bn in 2018. Advertisement Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair, said both large and grassroots music events would be in 'absolutely dire straits' financially if restrictions remained by summer. The Covid-19 pandemic led to widespread cancellations during last year's festival season. With England entering a third national lockdown, there are concerns more cancellations could cripple the industry. Tweeting about this year's Glastonbury Festival, Ms Eavis said: 'Theres no news this end yet, we haven't cancelled. Will let you know right here as soon as we have an update.' Parklife has been delayed until September 2021 and more than 250 artists and suppliers have already been booked. 'If we have got another year like 2020, we have got serious problems,' Mr Lord said. Ms Wade, whose festival had some 40 full-time employees before Covid-19, told MPs: 'In terms of Boomtown, it is a very similar story as it is for all festivals and events up and down the country. 'We were absolutely decimated as well. We were first to really shut down and will probably be one of the last to reopen as well.' Research published in 2019 estimated a quarter of UK adults attended a festival that year, with the industry was worth around 2.6billion. And industry bodies including UK Music and the Help Musicians charity have touted festivals as an essential stepping stone for future stars in developing an audience. Boomtown Festival said it was 'absolutely decimated,' by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, as it looked to bolster support for returning this year Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said she will update followers when there is more news on the future of this year's event Wade said there was 'no silver bullet' that would guarantee a 2021 festival season but called on the Government to set a date for its return and provide financial support including extended VAT holidays. Lord said the UK risked falling behind Europe if action was not taken. 'Absolutely, and I think that was happening pre-Covid anyway,' he said. 'The likes of Portugal, Germany, Malta, Croatia - they were all coming on board.' Some 4.9 million people attended a festival in the UK in 2018, with festivals estimated to have generated 1.76 billion in gross value added last year Lord also warned that mass testing and vaccination was the only way forward. He told MPs 'Social distancing does not work at any of these events. It's a festival. You just cannot put social distancing in place, so we are anticipating that we will be operating at 100%.' The inquiry will also consider the potential impact of festivals collapsing on local communities, ticket holders and suppliers, as well as the freelance workforce. Myron Scott Stringer of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, went home to be with the Lord on January 4, 2021. Born in Florence, Al., the son of Dr. Myron Stringer and Virginia Killian Stringer, he graduated from Auburn University, earning a degree in Industrial Management. He married Carolyn Griffin, also of Florence. He bought Overhead Door Company of Chattanooga in 1988 and retired in 2001. Scott loved his church Signal Mountain Presbyterian - being actively involved as a Stephen Minister, Grief Share Leader, Sunday School teacher and in Mens Bible Study Group. For 20 years, he worked with Contact Ministry (telephone crisis helpline), serving as chairman of the board. For many years, he emailed daily devotionals to 100+, including Uganda and others. His favorite travel was to Switzerland, Alaska and the Panama Canal. Scott was preceded in death by his parents, Myron and Virginia Stringer, daughter Sharon Stringer Consoli. Survivors include his loving wife of 62 years, Carolyn Stringer, son Myron Stringer, III, son-in-law, Robert (Amy) Consoli, grandchildren, Lauren (Brian) Hickman, David (Suzie) Consoli, and Jonathan Consoli, two great-granddaughters, Myles and Savannah Hickman. Our deepest gratitude goes to Hospice of Chattanooga, Dr. Guy Fain and Comprehensive Care. We are very grateful for Kimberly Powell, Sitters on Site, for her loving help in the final hours. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Advertisement One in 930 Americans have now died from COVID-19 as the US death toll continues to surge and hospitalizations hit record highs nationwide. More than 18,400 Americans died of COVID-19 in the last week, which marks the deadliest of the pandemic so far, and the seven-day rolling average for fatalities is now at just over 2,600 per day. There were 1,903 COVID-19 deaths and 180,477 new infections across the country on Monday. A record 128,210 patients are also currently being treated for coronavirus in hospitals across the country, which is up 25 percent compared to last month, according to COVID Tracking Project data. The rise in hospitalizations, which have hit new records almost every day in recent weeks, is the main reason health experts predict further increases in deaths in coming weeks. The situation in hard-hit Los Angeles County has grown even more critical in recent days, as hospitals ramp up efforts to ration care amid a more than 1,000 percent spike in admissions since early November. Ambulance crews in the county are now being advised to conserve oxygen and not to transport patients who have virtually no chance of survival to the hospital because resources need to be reserved for those with better prognoses. Hospitals in California and across the US are now bracing for an expected surge in patients due to a potential spike in cases fueled by holiday travel and gatherings. It comes as a super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Dozens of people spread across New York, California, Colorado, Georgia and Florida have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has revealed that one in 50 in England - around a million people - are now infected with coronavirus. The death toll, which currently stands at about 353,483, could be closer to half a million, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hospitals around the US are expected to become increasingly overwhelmed in the coming weeks as infection surges fueled by holiday travel and gatherings come to fruition More than 18,400 Americans have died of COVID-19 in the last week and the seven-day rolling average for fatalities is now at just over 2,600 per day. Pictured is staff at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas zipping up a body bag December has been the deadliest month of the pandemic in the US so far with nearly 78,000 deaths. Health officials have warned that even more people will likely die in January despite the roll out of vaccines. In the week ended January 3, more than 18,400 people died from COVID-19, bringing the pandemics total to over 351,000 deaths, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports. The US has recorded more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases on 19 days since Thanksgiving. In the same period, there have been more than 2,000 deaths on 23 days and 10 days with more than 3,000. The death toll, which currently stands at about 353,480, could be closer to half a million, according to the latest figures from the CDC. While the dire situation in California continues to unfold, Arizona is now currently the worst affected state for cases per capita with an average of 121 cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days, according to the latest CDC data. California follows just behind with an average of 97 cases per 100,000 residents. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Arizona have been surging since last month. In the last week alone, all three metrics have hit single-day highs amid the pandemic. Meanwhile, deaths per capita are currently the worst in Kansas where an average of 1.8 deaths per 100,000 residents have been recorded, the CDC data shows. Wyoming follows with 1.6 deaths and then New Mexico and Pennsylvania with 1.4 deaths. CASES PER CAPITA: While the dire situation in California continues to unfold, Arizona is now currently the worst affected state for cases per capita with an average of 121 cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days, according to the latest CDC data The super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Ten people spread across New York, California, Colorado and Florida have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus California, the most populous US state, reported 29,633 cases, 97 deaths and 22,003 hospitalizations on Monday. Nearly 80 percent of the state's latest deaths came from Los Angeles County, where 77 were reported on Monday, bringing the total to date to 10,850. The county, the nation's most populous with a quarter of California's 40 million residents, has seen a 700 percent increase in COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of November, public health director Barbara Ferrer said Monday. 'Another way to look at this is, we're losing, on average, a person every 15 minutes here in LA County,' Ferrer said. 'We may very well be on our way to weekly death tolls of a thousand people or more.' The spike in deaths is directly linked to a spike in hospitalizations, which have grown by more than 1,000 percent in the last two months to 7,697 as of Monday, with one fifth of patients in the ICU. In light of the ongoing surge hospitals in the county have been rapidly discharging sick patients who under normal circumstances would be allowed to stay longer for observation. Officials fear the situation will worsen significantly in the coming days, with the flood of new patients threatening to outpace hospitals' ability to discharge less critical patients. Resources are also wearing thin, prompting the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency to issue a directive on Monday stating that ambulance crews should ration oxygen by only administering it to patients with levels below 90 percent. The county's ambulance crews have been advised to only transport patients to hospital that are likely to survive in a bid to provide additional space and to allow staff to focus on those who are the sickest. The situation in hard-hit Los Angeles County has grown even more critical in recent days, as hospitals ramp up efforts to ration care amid a more than 1,000 percent spike in admissions since early November. Pictured: Thousands of cars wait in line for coronavirus tests at Dodger Stadium on Monday Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous with a quarter of California's 40 million residents, has seen a 700 percent increase in COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of November, public health director Barbara Ferrer said Monday The spike in deaths is directly linked to a spike in hospitalizations, which have grown by more than 1,000 percent in the last two months to 7,697 as of Monday, with one fifth of patients in the ICU Resources are also wearing thin, prompting the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency to issue a directive on Monday stating that ambulance crews should ration oxygen by only administering it to patients with levels below 90 percent COVID-19 patient Efrain Molina, center, gets a fist bump from nurse leader Edgar Ramirez at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles Other parts of California are expected to take similar measures soon as the entire Southern California region grapples with zero percent available ICU capacity. One of the largest hospitals in San Bernardino County, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, reached capacity two weeks ago and is now housing patients in a field hospital. 'We knew there was [another] wave coming in the wintertime,' Dr Louis Tran told the LA Times this week. 'But I did not expect to have as many sick people who required ICU care like we've been having.' With its field hospital nearly full, Arrowhead is now setting up 12 more rooms inside trailers, and is prepared to convert conference rooms inside the main building if those trailers fill up as well. 'If worse comes to worst with our planning, then we'll use the cafeteria,' clinical director Ravneet Mann told the Times. 'We can go to the lobby also.' In Arrowhead's ICU units, patient demographics have shifted with the surge, Mann said. 'They're coming in younger and coming in sicker,' she said. Adding to California's concerns is the emergence of a new mutant strain of coronavirus that is said to be 70 percent more transmissible than the original. Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that the state has now detected six cases of the strain, four in San Diego and two in San Bernardino. The news came as New York reported its first case of the strain, which was first detected in the United Kingdom and has now been found in four states, including Colorado and Florida. The health crisis continues to be especially dire in California, which reported 29,633 cases, 97 deaths and 22,003 hospitalizations on Monday Gov Newsom also raised alarm about the pace of coronavirus immunizations in his state on Monday. Only about one percent of residents - 454,000 - had been vaccinated thus far. He said distribution hiccups and logistical challenges have slowed the initial vaccine rollout in California, setting a pace that he said is 'not good enough'. The 454,000 doses of vaccine that have been administered in California represent just a third of the more than nearly 1.3 million received in the state so far, according to the California Department of Public Health. Even as he acknowledged the state must do better, Newsom sought to shift some responsibility for the slow rollout, noting 'the vaccines don't arrive magically in some state facility.' California is not alone in experiencing hiccups with the vaccine rollout. Just 4.66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the US in the last three weeks despite federal officials having distributed 15.4 million doses to the states. It means more than two-thirds of the vaccines shipped within the US have gone unused and just 1.4 percent of the population has been vaccinated as cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to surge across the US. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Tuesday admitted that the largest vaccination campaign in US history, which has been in the works for months amid the pandemic, has been a 'little bit messy'. He blamed, in part, the states for the slower than expected rollout despite federal officials earlier vowing to have 20 million vaccinated by the end of 2020. Based on guidelines issued by the federal government, most states are currently prioritizing frontline healthworkers and nursing home residents in the first phase, before moving on to the elderly and other essential workers. Adams told NBC's Today that governors across the country could speed up the process by moving to the next priority groups if demand wasn't being met. 'In many cases, (the vaccines) are sitting in freezers. We've been telling these states since September, we need to prioritize getting everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible while trying to adhere to the guidelines,' Adams said. 'If healthcare workers don't want to get these vaccines in some places... we need to move on to the (next groups). 'If the demand isn't there in 1A, go to 1B and continue on down. If the demand isn't there in one location, move those vaccines to another location.' Just 4.66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the US in the last three weeks despite federal officials having distributed 15.4 million doses to the states According to a state-by-state breakdown, Kansas and Georgia have only administered 17 percent of the doses distributed to them. Hard-hit California has so far used 24 percent of its vaccine shots, while Florida has used 23 percent He said the US needed to do a better job of matching up supply and demand in states like Florida where hundreds of seniors lined up overnight on Monday in Daytona in order to get their first dose of the vaccine. 'The problem is we need to do a better job of matching up supply and demand at the local level,' he said. 'Some states are doing a really good job. You have red states like North and South Dakota and blue places like DC and Connecticut who have distributed 75 plus percent of their vaccines. But you have some states that still haven't distributed 25 percent of their vaccines.' The governors of New York and Florida have already vowed to penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly. In New York, hospitals must administer vaccines within a week of receiving them or face a fine and a reduction in future supplies, Gov Andrew Cuomo said, just hours before announcing the state's first known case of a new, more infectious coronavirus variant originally detected in Britain. 'I don't want the vaccine in a fridge or a freezer, I want it in somebody's arm,' Cuomo said. 'If you're not performing this function, it does raise questions about the operating efficiency of the hospital.' New York hospitals on the whole have dispensed fewer than half of their allocated doses to date, but performance varied from one group of hospitals to another. The NYC Health + Hospitals system, the city's main public hospital network, has only administered 31 percent of its allotment, compared with 99 percent for a few private hospitals in the state. The CDC reported an even lower vaccine uptake for New York overall, saying fewer than one in five of the 896,000 doses shipped to the state since mid-December have been given. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed on Monday that the city's hospitals vaccinated just 148 people across the five boroughs on January 1 - delivering just 13 doses per hospital. It came as he promised to vaccinate 100,000 people every week going forward. In Florida, where officials have put senior citizens ahead of many essential workers for getting the vaccine, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a policy under which the state would allocate more doses to hospitals that dispense them most quickly, 'Hospitals that do not do a good job of getting the vaccine out will have their allocations transferred to hospitals that are doing a good job at getting the vaccine out,' DeSantis said. 'We do not want vaccine to just be idle at some hospital system,' he added, although he did not say they would face fines. Florida, which has dispensed less than a quarter of the 1.14 million doses it has received, according to the CDC, will also deploy an additional 1,000 nurses to administer vaccines and will keep state-run vaccination sites open seven days a week, DeSantis said. Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results Secretly recorded audio from 2012 is believed to have captured Vadim Zaitsev, a KGB chairman at the time, planning to kill Lukashenko's political enemies He told officers he wanted to 'take down' Belarusian journalist Pavel Sheremet Sheremet, who was living in Russia at the time of the recording, was later killed in a car bomb in Kiev, Ukraine in 2016. The case has not yet been solved. Zaitsev is heard 'plotting assassination' of three men living in exile in Germany The Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko plotted to assassinate his critics in Europe with the help of his intelligence service the KGB, a leaked tape suggests. A secretly recorded audio from 2012 is believed to have captured Vadim Zaitsev, a Belarusian KGB chairman at the time, planning to kill Lukashenko's political enemies. ADVERTISEMENT He told officers from the KBG's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorism unit, that he wanted them to 'take down' Belarusian investigative journalist Pavel Sheremet, who he described as a 'f***ing rat'. The Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko plotted to assassinate his critics in Europe with the help of his intelligence service the KGB, a leaked tape suggests A secretly recorded audio from 2012 is believed to have captured Vadim Zaitsev (pictured), a KGB chairman at the time, planning to kill Lukashenko's political enemies Click here to resize this module In the 2012 recording, obtained by EUObserver, Zaitsev said: 'We should be working Sheremet, who is a massive pain in the arse. 'We'll plant [a bomb] and so on and this f***ing rat will be taken down in f***ing pieces - legs in one direction, arms in the other direction.' 'If everything [looks like] natural causes, it won't get into people's minds the same way,' he added, indicating Zaitsev wanted to scare Lukashenko's critics abroad. Sheremet, who was living in Russia at the time of the recording, was later killed in a car bomb in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2016. Zaitsev told officers from the KBG's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorism unit, that he wanted them to 'take down' Belarusian investigative journalist Pavel Sheremet, (pictured) who he described as a 'f***ing rat'. Forensic experts examine the wreckage of the car Pavel Sheremet was killed in on July 20 2016 The car exploded soon after Sheremet left his home in the Ukranian capital and the vehicle was burned out completely Belarus had put Sheremet under observation in Moscow, according to a leaked surveillance report. The case has not yet been solved. The spy chief also told the agents he had put 'over $1.5 million in a dedicated account' to finance the assassinations and he 'wanted to see some results'. Zaitsev is also believed to have said he wanted to assassinate three of Lukashenko's critics who had fled to Germany and lived in exile, according to the 24 minute audio file. The targeted trio included Oleg Alkaev, a Belarusian former prison director, Vladimir Borodach, an ex-colonel and Vyacheslav Dudkin, a former anti-corruption chief. But Zaitsev was adamant that the assassins would leave no trace during the murders. 'It's important to me that no one even thinks about the KGB,' he said during the meeting. ADVERTISEMENT 'It's clear how we could drown or shoot someone. It's clear. But how to initiate a chance explosion, how to start arson and not leave traces, murder, and stuff like that - this is unclear.' Zaitsev apparently posed the idea of acquiring 'a professional or a car mechanic who will do it in such a way that no fucking expert [in Germany] will figure out that the car was intentionally broken in advance and why it went off the fucking road.' The audio file was secretly recorded during a meeting held by Zaitsev at his office in Minsk in April 2012. Belarusian opposition activist Igor Makor leaked the audio recording and the surveillance report to the Brussels-based newspaper. Makor, a former special forces officer for the Belarus interior ministry, said he was willing to testify in court that the recording was authentic and Zaitsev is the speaker in the leaked audio file. He said he wanted to protect Alkaev, a friend of his, and the others named in the tape. 'I'm ready to risk my life so that [Belarusian] people can be free, to help demolish this Lukashenko regime,' he told EUObserver. Alkaev said he was warned by German authorities that his life was in danger and gave him special protection. 'The [German] police told me they could guarantee my safety in Germany, but advised me not to leave the country,' he said. A source within a Western intelligence service familiar with Zaitsev said that the recording appeared to be genuine. ADVERTISEMENT Catalin Grigoras, the director of the National Centre for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado said there was no indication that there was no 'trace of audio-manipulation' of the file, deeming it to be real. Although a forensic examination of the file was inconclusive, Grigoras, the director of the National Centre for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado said that there was no 'trace of obvious audio-manipulation' of the file, deeming it to be authentic. It is not believed the plots against the three men in Germany were carried out. Zaitsev, who left the KGB in November 2012, is now the director of Belarusian broadcaster Cosmos TV. Lukashenko faced six weeks of mass protests against his disputed election victory last year. He was sworn in for a new presidential term in September during an unannounced inauguration. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko (pictured) was sworn in for a new term in an unannounced inauguration in September last year after six weeks of mass protests against his election victory Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and is now in his sixth term, claimed a landslide victory with the opposition accusing him of massive vote-rigging. The disputed election was followed by a crackdown by Lukashenko's security forces against opposition protests demanding his resignation. The main opposition leader in Belarus, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, fled to Lithuania 'for the sake of her children' in August amid the deadly clashes after losing a disputed election to Lukashenko. A line of police block a road while tear gas wafts in the background during mass protests in Minsk which saw thousands of people turn out to demonstrate Belarus police club a protester during a protest in Minsk last night where thousands raged at president Alexander Lukashenko in the wake of a disputed electoin Protesters had fought police with stones and fireworks and were hit with rubber bullets and tear gas on the streets of Minsk as they accused Lukashenko of stealing 80 per cent of the election vote. United Nations human rights investigator Anais Marin said in September that more than 10,000 people had been 'abusively arrested' since the election with more than 500 reports of torture and thousands 'savagely beaten'. ADVERTISEMENT Belarus authorities have previously said the police are humane and professional but have declined to comment on specific allegations of abuses. This recipe originally appeared on Food52. 2020 was the year the peanut peaked. Each American consumed, on average, 7.6 pounds of peanutsan all-time high. This per the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. census, and, delightfully, the National Peanut Board. Of that 7.6 pounds per person, roughly 56 percent was ingested as peanut butter. I am willing to believe this part, as I once attempted to scoop out the Skippy from the inside of a dogs bone. While they may be Miss Popular in Americas Top Snack to Eat on a Domestic Flight, peanuts got their start far afield. The legumes are thought to have originated in South America some 10,000 years ago. After Spanish colonizers hefted peanuts back across the Atlantic by the bushel, they brought them to the Philippinesand meanwhile, the Portuguese brought them to Goaspurring their proliferation to China and Indonesia. Peanuts traveled to Africa as a commodity exchanged by the Portuguese for spices and ivory, and from Africa to the United States through the slave trade. Up until the Civil War, peanuts were largely a regional staple in the American South. Circus peanuts and peanut butter both emerged commercially in the late 19th century, and the groundnuts have since been a staple in the culinary realm and beyond, with significant credit due to George Washington Carver, who invented hundreds of products made from the little guys. Corporations like Conagra and Procter & Gamble joined the commercial butter fray soon after. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Which brings ussort of, kind ofto 2020, the year of the peanut. There was, accordingly, no more obvious contender for my last Absolute Best Test of the year than PB, which was convenient given our SEO strategist basically insisted upon it. Behold, the results of my day spent with so many peanuts that the grocery store employee who checked me out asked if everything was going OK. Controls and Fine Print For each test, I used 2 cups of unsalted roasted peanuts, 2 scant tablespoons of peanut oil, 1 tablespoon of honey, and a heaping teaspoon of kosher salt. A highly biased taste tester who also identifies as my dad described this ratio as delicious and just like candy. Advertisement If you prefer to buy peanuts raw and roast them at home, simply pat yourself on the back because youve got your life together in a big way, then proceed to roast on a rimmed baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, until theyre fragrant and golden with oil beginning to brim on their surface. Methods and Findings High-Powered Blender Method 1. Add the peanuts and blend, covered, on medium-high for about a minute, until theyre broken into pieces the size of coarse grains of salt. 2. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, cover, and continue to blend until the peanuts look damp and matted. 3. Scrape down the sides; add the oil, honey, and salt; and blend on high until the desired texture is achieved, another minute or two. If needed, pause to scrape down the sides intermittently. 4. Store covered at room temperature for up to a week. (Note: I suspect standard blender butter would be a bit chunkier naturallyI plan to test and report back for a round two.) Advertisement Advertisement Findings Every time I use a borrowed VitamixI refuse to shell outI am floored by its sheer power. Theres always a moment about 30 seconds into blending during which the motor kicks into high gear and it sounds like my kitchen might explode. It was at this precise juncture that my peanuts began to turn from plain old roasted nuts into nut pieces closer in texture to Parmesan dismantled by the finest side of the box grater. A few minutes and side-scrapings later, they morphed into something wetter, more matted, almost like crumbly biscuit dough. At that point, I added the oil, honey, and salt and let her rip, as they say in the Vitamix community. Advertisement The result was a peanut butter so creamy, so smooth, so glossy, it couldve graced the cover of any magazine (or slice of toast). While it had a touch more texture than store-bought PB, it lacked the coagulated stickiness, in the best possible way. I would be pleased to drizzle blender peanut butter over any yogurt or granola bowl, turn it into sauce and pour it over rice, or incorporate it into my next round of baked tofu. Chunky butter lovers may want to reserve half of the peanuts to add along with the oil and honey, for more texture. Food Processor Method 1. Add the peanuts to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Process for a few minutes, until the peanuts are broken into pieces the size of coarse grains of salt. 2. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, cover, and continue to process until the peanuts look damp and matted. 3. Scrape down the sides; add the oil, honey, and salt; and process until the desired texture is achieved, another few minutes. If needed, pause to scrape down the sides intermittently. 4. Store covered at room temperature for up to a week. Advertisement Advertisement Findings As Ive mentioned before in Absolute Best Tests, the food processor is the most-used appliance in my kitchen. That said, it can be hit or miss in the realm of plant-based butters and milks. (This is a passive-aggressive reference to my old Cuisinart specifically, which shuddered to a full stop the last time I attempted coconut butter within its mighty plastic bowels.) So I was surprised when the process of alchemizing roasted peanuts into silky butter with a food processor turned out to be extremely simple. The method mimicked that of the Vitamix, except with only one blend setting in the case of the processor, and the resultant PB was nearly indistinguishable. If pressed in, say, a Court of Peanut Butter, one might admit that food processor peanut butter is a hair grittier than blender butter, but its otherwise nearly identical. As with the blender method, consider adding half of your peanuts midway through if you prefer a spread with more texture. Mortar and Pestle and Mixer Advertisement Method 1. Grind the peanuts in a mortar with a pestle until youve achieved a homogeneous paste. (Note: If youre going for something chunkier, stop while youve still got plenty of small, visible peanut shards.) For me, this took about 25 minutes for 2 cups of peanuts. 2. Transfer the paste to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the oil, honey, and salt. Mix for roughly 10 minutes on medium-high until youve achieved a creamy emulsion that doesnt settle into separate layers when you stop for a few minutes. 3. Store covered at room temperature for up to a week. Advertisement Findings Oh, my good God. This peanut butter made my mouth feel how I imagine feet feel when slipped into silk slippers. (No wonder when I realized that the method was adapted for Bon Appetit by my former Food52 colleague Joanna Sciarrino, one of my nut butter and general sauce/spread idols.) Perhaps due to my subpar pestle skills, my peanut butter retained more texture than either the blender or processor butters. This was a feature and not a bug. This method also affords more control over the exact crunchiness level of your final product, both because you can stop pounding whenever and because you can toss in more peanuts at various points for lots of textural variety, if you please. The mortar and pestle PB was also stickier and thicker than either of the motorized batches. TL;DR Make peanut butter any way you please, and itll be delicious. For a crunchy-silky texture, call upon your mortar and pestle plus hand mixer. For the smoothest, least gritty stuff, break out a high-powered blender. If you dont have one, use a food processor for nearly identical PB. More From Food52: 4 Unforgettable Cooking Lessons We Learned in 2020 29 of Our Most Popular Chocolate Desserts A Love Letter to Scallops, the Worlds Most Perfect Food How to Store Mushrooms so They Stay Fresh and Slime-Free My Famous Instant Pot French Garlic Chicken Is the Creamiest, Dreamiest Dinner Your Top 10 Genius Recipes of 2020 Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said the government welcomes the Supreme Court judgement giving green signal to the Central Vista redevelopment project. He asserted that the government has always been sensitive to environmental concerns. The apex court on Tuesday gave its nod to the Central Vista project by a 2:1 majority. The three-judge bench, however, insisted that the clearance of the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) will be mandatory and the same should be obtained by the project consultant before proceeding with the development work. We welcome the Judgement of the Honble Supreme Court giving the go ahead for the ambitious Central Vista Project. Central Govt has always been sensitive to environmental concerns & will continue to adhere to the highest standards during the period of construction, Puri tweeted. Delhi is on course to becoming a World Class capital city and in the first step by the time nation completes 75 years of its Independence in 2022 a new Parliament building will be ready reflecting the aspirations of new India, his tweet read. Also read: Karnataka to vaccinate 6.3 lakh healthcare workers in first phase The plan, being handled by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, involves a new Parliament by Indias 75th Independence Day in 2022. The entire project is slated to be finished by 2024. According to the project implementing agency the Central Public Works Department, the construction of the new Parliament is required to be completed strictly within the prescribed time limit of 21 months with the highest standards of quality and workmanship. Last month, the environment ministrys expert appraisal committee (EAC) conditionally approved new terms of reference for the development or redevelopment of common central secretariat buildings, a central conference centre, the Prime Ministers Residence, Vice Presidents Enclave and a building for the Special Protection Group (SPG) as part of the Central Vista project. Also read: Andhra ex-intelligence chief accuses Jagan govt of witch hunt, fears arrest The EAC had specified as many as 18 conditions, asking the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to list the environmental, social and economic benefits of the project and the cumulative impact of all developments undertaken in the Central Vista avenue including its effect on baseline environmental quality, according to the minutes of a December 17 meeting. The total built-up area has been reduced from 18,37,057 sq.m to 17,21, 500 sq.m, but the cost of the redevelopment project has increased by Rs 1,656 crore, from Rs 11,794 crore to Rs 13,450 crore. The minutes suggest that around 4,58,820.0 sq m of built-up area will need to be demolished as part of the project. According to the tender for the next phase of the Central Vista redevelopment project the redevelopment and restructuring of the Central Vista Avenue, which includes most of the Rajpath stretch and the row of government offices that run parallel to it - the contractors will have to install air purifiers and keep construction noise under preset thresholds, HT had reported on November 9. The second phase of the project will include the demolition of dozens of office buildings. Broadly, the plan includes razing buildings such as Shastri Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan and Krishi Bhawan that house important government ministries to build a common secretariat for roughly 70,000 central government employees who are spread over 30 buildings now. [Heres what you need to know about President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.s Inauguration Day.] ATLANTA On the eve of Georgias high-stakes Senate runoffs, a top state election official on Monday delivered a stinging condemnation of President Trump over his false claims of voter fraud, and issued an emotional appeal to Georgians to ignore the presidents disinformation and cast their ballots on Tuesday in a race that will determine control of the Senate. The official, Gabriel Sterling, ticked off a point-by-point rebuttal of Mr. Trumps grievances about his loss in Georgia to Joseph R. Biden Jr., which the president aired most recently over the weekend in a phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican. Mr. Trump pressured Mr. Raffensperger during the conversation to find votes to overturn his general election loss. I wanted to scream, Mr. Sterling said at an afternoon news conference, referring to his reaction to the call between Mr. Trump and Mr. Raffensperger. Mr. Sterling, the states voting system implementation manager, said the presidents allegations of fraud had been thoroughly debunked. DALLAS, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Comerica Bank's Michigan Economic Activity Index increased in October to a level of 106.2. October's reading was 22 percent higher than the historical low. The index averaged 117.9 points for all of 2019, 0.6 points below the index average for 2018. September's index reading was 105.6. Our Michigan economic activity index increased for the fourth consecutive month in October, reflecting improving economic conditions prior to the current surge in coronavirus cases. Ominously, the rate of improvement in the Michigan Index has declined for each of the last three months. We expect to see our state indexes cooling more in late 2020 and early 2021 as states and cities respond to critically limited hospital capacity by tightening and extending social mitigation policies. In October, we saw mixed results for Michigan. Four out of nine index components were positive including nonfarm employment, unemployment insurance claims (inverted), housing starts and house prices. The five negative components were industrial electricity demand, light vehicle production, total state trade, hotel occupancy, and sales tax revenue. While overall manufacturing conditions are improving globally, in the U.S. and in Michigan, the critical auto industry looks vulnerable to weaker sales this winter. Light vehicle production increased in November to an 11.0 million unit annual rate as sales slipped to a 15.9 million unit rate nationwide, down from 16.3 million in September and October. Surging coronavirus cases, combined with declining consumer confidence in December, may result in weaker auto sales and production this winter. Further drag may come from weaker U.S. personal income in December. The Michigan Economic Activity Index consists of nine variables, as follows: nonfarm payroll employment, continuing claims for unemployment insurance, housing starts, house price index, industrial electricity sales, auto assemblies, total trade, hotel occupancy and sales tax revenue. All data are seasonally adjusted. Nominal values have been converted to constant dollar values. Index levels are expressed in terms of three-month moving averages. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $83.6 billion at September 30, 2020. To subscribe to our publications or for questions, contact us at [email protected]. Archives are available at http://www.comerica.com/insights. Follow us on Twitter: @Comerica_Econ. SOURCE Comerica Bank Related Links http://www.comerica.com Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The UKs music festival landscape faces a grave future if the 2021 season is cancelled, organisers have warned. Sacha Lord, co-founder of Manchesters Parklife, said workers would permanently transition to other industries and smaller festivals would disappear in the wake of more cancellations amid Covid-19. Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair held on the Matterley Estate near Winchester said large and grassroots music events would be in absolutely dire straits financially if restrictions remained by summer. Steve @BrineMP: What will happen to festival sector if events don't go ahead in 2021?@Sacha_Lord: Freelancers/supply chains will be wiped out and sector won't be able to rebuild. Plus wider impact: @Parklifefest puts A60m in local economy & A100k to good causes. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (@CommonsDCMS) January 5, 2021 They were speaking to MPs examining the plight of music festivals in the UK after Covid-19 restrictions led to widespread cancellations in 2020, including Glastonbury and TRNSMT. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee was looking at how Government policy could support festivals due to take place this coming summer. Lord, who is also a night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said coronavirus had absolutely decimated his festival, its suppliers and freelance staff. Parklife festival, which attracts some 75,000 attendees annually, has been delayed until September 2021 and more than 250 artists and suppliers have already been booked. If we have got another year like 2020, we have got serious problems, Lord said of the risk involved in making those commitments. Expand Close Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair (Parliament TV/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anna Wade, communications and strategy director of Boomtown Fair (Parliament TV/PA) Wade, whose festival had some 40 full-time employee before Covid-19, told MPs: In terms of Boomtown, it is a very similar story as it is for all festivals and events up and down the country. We were absolutely decimated as well. We were first to really shut down and will probably be one of the last to reopen as well. Some 4.9 million people attended a festival in the UK in 2018, with festivals estimated to have generated 1.76 billion in gross value added last year. And industry bodies including UK Music and the Help Musicians charity have touted festivals as an essential stepping stone for future stars in developing an audience. Wade said there was no silver bullet that would guarantee a 2021 festival season but called on the Government to set a date for its return and provide financial support including extended VAT holidays. Expand Close Parklife festival in Manchester (Katja Ogrin/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Parklife festival in Manchester (Katja Ogrin/PA) Lord, who is also co-founder of the Warehouse Project superclub in Manchester, said the UK risked falling behind Europe if action was not taken. Absolutely, and I think that was happening pre-Covid anyway, he said. The likes of Portugal, Germany, Malta, Croatia they were all coming on board. He also warned that mass testing and vaccination was the only way forward. He told MPs Social distancing does not work at any of these events. Its a festival. You just cannot put social distancing in place, so we are anticipating that we will be operating at 100%. In a second session, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, chief executive of the trade body UK Music, called on the Government to help boost confidence in festivals and encourage punters back. He also warned there could be a talent transfer as musicians and crew look to Europe for work in 2021. Last month, Germany announced a 2.3 billion event cancellation fund and other countries have introduced measures to encourage festivals. Steve @BrineMP: What will happen to festival sector if events don't go ahead in 2021?@Sacha_Lord: Freelancers/supply chains will be wiped out and sector won't be able to rebuild. Plus wider impact: @Parklifefest puts A60m in local economy & A100k to good causes. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (@CommonsDCMS) January 5, 2021 Steve Heap, general secretary of the Association of Festival Organisers, said April was the latest festivals could decide to cancel. If we get as far as Easter and we still dont know that crowds can gather at festivals, however large or small, then we are in a catastrophic situation with this years season, he said. Paul Reed, the chief executive of the Association Of Independent Festivals, told the committee of MPs that festivals were rapidly approaching the determination point and some larger events would have to make a decision by the end of January. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis previously told fans to expect the Somerset event to make an announcement in the coming weeks. The inquiry will also consider the potential impact of festivals collapsing, on local communities, ticket-holders and suppliers, as well as the freelance workforce. PA Media Schools may remain closed until the end of the month under plans being considered by Government to stop the rapid spread of Covid-19. Primary and secondary schools were due to reopen next Monday but the Cabinet is set to consider keeping them closed for another two or three weeks. The moves comes as 6,110 new Covid cases were recorded along with six deaths. Meanwhile, 776 patients remained in hospital last night after testing positive for Covid-19 while 70 people were in intensive care units. A Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 will meet to discuss the escalating public health crisis, and a key focus of the meeting will be on schools. Read More Education Minister Norma Foley will update the Cabinet sub-committee on the latest situation regarding schools. Party leaders and ministers will consider asking schools to remain closed to stop the spread of the virus among students, teachers and their parents. Plans are also being discussed to keep some schools open for the children of frontline workers and those with disabilities or who are from disadvantaged areas. A Government source said schools would be closed not because they are unsafe but to stop the movement of around a million people. Three organisations representing people with disabilities and children with additional educational needs have said that complete removal of support services in education and at home if schools close would be intolerable. Down Syndrome Ireland, AsIAm, and Inclusion Ireland have written to the Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD seeking an urgent meeting over the potential further closure of schools. We are extremely concerned at the increasing speculation that schools will be closed further past the 11th of January, said Barry Sheridan, CEO of Down Syndrome Ireland. He said that for young people with special needs, supports in educational settings are tangible resources. For many young people with additional needs, the supports provided in educational settings such as special school or classes, access to additional teaching time and SNA support are the only tangible resources which they or their family receive from the State. It is absolutely vital they are retained, if at all possible. CEO of AsIAm Adam Harris said that these supports were lost last March. In an AsIAm survey, 68pc of respondents said that prior to school re-opening, their child had experienced increased meltdowns or overloads at home during the period. 89pc of families surveyed by Inclusion Ireland found that their child missed school quite a lot. Enda Egan, CEO of Inclusion Ireland said that it is not-sustainable to repeat no-school support. Our organisations have asked the Department, on numerous occasions, to prepare appropriate provision were such a scenario to re-occur. There are numerous models, implemented across EU member states, including providing hubs for students with the greatest level of need, protecting special schools and classes or providing alternative provision, he added. It comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced all schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from today in England. Schools in Scotland will shut for the rest of January. Last night, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said we are going to see a significant impact on the provision of education due to the escalating spread of Covid-19. He said there are decisions to be taken by Government on the schools issue and they will meet this week. He spoke to Taoiseach Micheal Martin yesterday about schools. While the transmission of the virus in school-going children is still below average it is increasing at a very fast rate. He said they were looking at the contribution schools would make in ongoing transmission. We have made clear that high levels of transmission pose a risk to all sort of activities, Dr Holohan said. We have successfully managed to protect children and education but you can see the position we are in now with very high levels of transmission. Those high rates now represent a risk to all of those objectives. Professor Philip Nolan, chair of Nphets Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said the issue was not just what happens in schools but what happens around the service. Meanwhile, ministers across all three Government parties anticipate that schools will not fully reopen next week due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases. A Fine Gael minister told the Irish Independent: Schools will not fully reopen next week. Meanwhile, a Fianna Fail minister said they would be very surprised if the Government did not to keep schools closed for longer after delaying their reopening until January 11. A Government spokesperson said: Schools will be discussed at Cabinet committee and then Cabinet. The Taoiseach had discussions with the opposition leaders today to update them on the situation, he added. Meanwhile, Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin is understood to be cautious about the reopening of schools. Ms Martin, a former schoolteacher, believes that even if Nphet recommend opening schools it will have to be done very differently to ensure teachers, pupils and their parents are kept safe. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan yesterday said he would wait to hear from Nphet. However, Minister of State in the Department of Education Josepha Madigan insisted yesterday that there is no advice against reopening schools next week. If schools do reopen the primary teachers union INTO wants them to have the flexibility to shut and switch to remote learning if Covid makes it too difficult for them to stay open. That was part of a back-up plan presented by the union to Education Minister Norma Foley yesterday. The union is concerned that some principals may find themselves facing high levels of Covid-related staff absence and will not be able to secure a substitute to allow them to open the school safely. Up to now, schools had no authority to close to deal with the fallout from a Covid outbreak unless public health officials made such a recommendation. In the first term, some schools here took a unilateral decision to shut but were forced into a U-turn by the Department of Education. In the North, First Minister Arlene Foster announced an extended period of remote learning for schools. It came after ministers there met to discuss their response to the deepening coronavirus crisis. Ms Foster said the situation there was dire. The advice coming to us is that we will need to take action and that well need to take action very quickly, she said speaking ahead of the meeting. I was very clear that I would like to keep schools open for as long as possible but if it is the case that we do need to close schools, as we did in March of last year, I will deeply regret that, but we will of course take whatever action is needed based on the medical evidence in front of us. Read More Irish Independent Fishermen and women along China's longest river the Yangtze are having to reinvent themselves after a 10-year fishing ban came into effect at the end of 2020 to protect the iconic waterway's natural resources and life. In Yangzhou, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province in the Yangtze River Basin, some 2,500 former fishermen and women have left their old life behind. Gaobaoshaobo, a 936-square-kilometer lake where they used to fish, has set up five natural aquatic resource conservation areas and banned all fishing in the region. But for many, fishing ceased to be a viable option a while ago. Huang Chengjuan from Yanhu, a fishing village by the lake, told CGTN that her family quit fishing long before the ban was implemented as overfishing over the past decade made natural aquatic resources scarcer. "My parents were used to a life of fishing on the lake. They are somewhat reluctant to leave. But I think banning fishing for a period of time is quite necessary," Huang said. With financial support and compensation from the government, her family moved onshore, built a new home, started new businesses and found new jobs. "Some people like me have turned to making tea, desserts and local delicacies, which attract a lot of customers. We earn more than before," Huang said. Ma Mingbin, a former fisherman in his 40s, now earns a living by running a homestay by the lake. He told CGTN that many people of his age changed their job before the ban. Some run homestays like him, some have gone to work at local factories, and some others found jobs on their own. Fishing year after year reduced the fish population in the lake, which gravely impacted their income. Already before the ban, his family could not count on fishing alone to make ends meet, and it only made up a very small part of their total income, he said. For younger generations of the fishing community, it's been easier to adapt to the ban and begin a new life. But for older generations, the changes have been hard. Ma's father, in his 60s, has found it difficult to find another job, but luckily, he can get a pension from the government, Ma said. In the village, there are a lot of older fishermen like Ma's father. Unable to fish anymore, they do voluntary work. Shen Guifu, 70, now works as a cleaner in the community. But he still sometimes casts his fishing net for visitors and also teaches young people his skills so they can fish in the future. "In recent years, it's not been easy to catch fish as we did before. The fishing ban is to let the waters recover. And we also need to keep the lake away from pollution. It's a good thing," he said. Fishing, as a traditional way of life in the region, will be restored in the future, but it will be "in a more organized way," according to the local government. "To develop and protect a sustainable way of life, for now, changes have to be made," said a local official. (Newser) Larry King was moved out of the ICU as he continues to battle COVID-19 at a Los Angeles hospital, his rep said Monday. King, who was on oxygen when he was moved into the ICU on New Year's Eve, is now breathing on his own, the AP reports. The 87-year-old was even able to have a video call with his three sons. People reports King has been ill with the coronavirus for nearly two weeks. (Read more Larry King stories.) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Alphabet Inc.s YouTube suspended the channel of a News Corp.-owned radio station in the U.K., saying it breached the platforms content standards. Links that previously led to TalkRadios YouTube page on Tuesday contained a message that the account had been terminated for violating YouTubes Community Guidelines. We urgently await a detailed response from Google/YouTube about the nature of the breach, TalkRadio said in a statement, adding that its content is regulated by U.K. media watchdog Ofcom. Representatives for YouTube didnt respond to requests for comment, and its not yet clear what triggered the suspension. Blocking a news brand run by billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch marks one of YouTubes highest profile suspensions. Its previously taken down swathes of content including the account of the Trump-supporting One America News Network, citing breaches of rules. Murdochs News Corp. bought TalkRadios owner Wireless Group in 2016, and has recently expanded its digital broadcast media offering further. Hes been an outspoken critic of Silicon Valley technology firms as he pushes for what he deems a fairer share of their advertising revenue. TalkRadio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer complained about the move on Twitter. Without naming YouTube specifically, she asked government Minister Michael Gove about big tech censorship on her Tuesday morning show. TalkRadio calls itself the home of free speech in its Twitter biography and its presenters have questioned the wisdom of government lockdown measures aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. We regularly interrogate government data and we have controls in place, TalkRadio said. We use verifiable sources and give space to a careful selection of voices and opinions. Like almost every other sector, the coronavirus pandemic had a huge impact on the energy market in 2020. Among the many other financial fallouts, many households used more energy as they were told to stay home and more fell behind on their energy bills, leading to a 40 per cent rise in arrears after the pandemic hit. As a new lockdown arrives over the darker and colder winter weeks, until at least mid February, energy usage will continue to climb at the same time as households are being warned of gas and electricity prices rising. Yet our energy is also getting steaadily greener and the companies that supply our power also had to deal with some big changes, which could ultimately affect the cost of energy from the top down. Change: It is hoped the energy market will become more environmentally friendly in 2021 Energy market analyst Cornwall Insight has said that as a result of Covid-19, overall demand for energy in the UK fell by 20 per during the spring lockdown. But that wasn't down to people saving on their household bills - it was due to lower business use. Although people stuck at home used more energy, overall demand took a plunge as businesses and organisations across many sectors of the economy reduced activity, or shut down intermittently or completely. In addition, the UK experienced very low and sometimes negative electricity prices at times, as periods of sunny or windy weather created excess generation on the system. This resulted in higher costs for the National Grid Electricity System Operator - the organisation that makes sure that there is always enough supply to meet demand. James Brabben, wholesale manager at Cornwall Insight, said: 'We saw the use of emergency measures to manage the system including turning off small-scale generators when power wasn't needed. 'On top of this the day-ahead baseload power price [the price of electricity on the wholesale market] dropped to its lowest level in over 10 years at around 10 per MWh, and hourly and half-hourly prices consistently turned negative. 'Great Britain was also influenced by global commodity trends gas and oil prices have only recently returned close to levels last year after a year of low prices.' So what does all of this mean for your energy bills and what other changes could be on the horizon this year? Energy prices set to increase in 2021 It may be the case that households will see energy prices increase this year, as wholesale costs continue to rise. Tom Lyon, director of energy at comparison service Energy Helpline, said: 'Wholesale energy prices, which make up around half of energy bills, have continued to increase since the spring as markets recover from the height of the global pandemic. It may be the case that energy prices increase in 2021 as a result of rising wholesale costs 'This, in turn, has helped raise the cost of the cheapest fixed tariff by 8 per cent or 63 a year since April 2020 - so now is a good time to fix if you're looking to switch.' Due to this, it is thought that standard variable tariffs - energy suppliers' default and usually most expensive plans, which are capped by the regulator Ofgem - will go up from their current level of 1,042 a year. The energy price cap was launched in January 2019 as a way of keeping down the cost for households across the UK. It is reviewed twice a year, and the next change is due in March. Lyon added: 'Ofgem has floated plans to raise the cap to cover bad debts, adding further to the risk of more expensive variable deals in 2021. 'Unfortunately, we expect to see energy debt - already high as a result of increased energy use at home - rising even further among consumers into next year, as higher prices and a worsening economic outlook put additional pressure on household finances.' One change that companies are hoping to continue to see is the continuation of support for those in debt. Peter Earl, head of energy at Compare the Market, said: 'Even with an expected vaccine rollout to large numbers of the population next year, the economic toll of the pandemic will continue to be felt, particularly amongst low-income and vulnerable households. 'We hope to see continued support for people struggling to pay their energy bills. As lockdown restrictions are eased, we may see switching volumes return to or exceed the levels seen before Covid-19, as households look to save money on bills.' Stricter checks for power suppliers There are a series of new regulations on the horizon for suppliers, which could affect how many new providers come to the market and how quickly existing ones can grow. Ofgem, the industry watchdog, has a programme of work under way called the supplier licensing review, which assesses new suppliers that want to enter the energy market. In summer 2019, it changed the entry requirements to reduce the risk of under-prepared, under-resourced and unfit entrants to the market. Another proposed new rule will allow Ofgem to request independent audits of existing suppliers' customer service operations and financial status. New checks will also be introduced for growing suppliers prior to them hitting certain thresholds of customer numbers, requiring them to make sure they have the operational capability to serve their customers. James Brabben, head of wholesale at Cornwall Insight, said: 'Ofgem introduced new tests for new entrant suppliers in 2019 following a spate of exits from the market, including on demonstrating sufficient funding, a customer service plan and passing a fit and proper test. Further consultations are ongoing from Ofgem too. 'The White Paper focus for the energy retail and supply sectors is more around protecting customers from undue contract price rises and trying to facilitate a move to smarter tariffs and billing practices.' The changes come on the back of the failure of small suppliers including Tonik, Breeze, Economy Energy, Solarplicity, and Spark Energy. Government plans could make switching easier One of the biggest developments to affect the industry in 2021 will be the consultation in response to the Government's recent Energy White Paper. The Energy White Paper maps out the biggest change to the energy markets since the Electricity Act of 1989. It lays out plans to clean up the UK's energy system and keep bills affordable, with Government officials saying plans to transition to a net zero economy would support up to 220,000 jobs in the next 10 years, including in major infrastructure projects for power generation. One of the proposals is to save consumers money by offering a simple method of switching to a cheaper energy tariff. As part of this the Government also plans to test how reliable it would be to automatically switch consumers to fairer deals, in a bid to tackle the issue of loyalty penalties. Lyon added: 'Energy Helpline helped Ofgem with its successful opt-in trials in 2018 and 2019, where we saved over 40,000 customers a total of 11million, and so we are pleased to see these measures being progressed. The Government's Energy White Paper has laid out a number of changes to the sector 'We look forward to working with Government and the regulator to make sure the proposals are implemented in the right way, so that it helps increase market competition and reduces bills for consumers.' The White Paper also plans to extend the Warm Homes Discount to help more of the most vulnerable, as well as making the green credentials of renewable tariffs even more transparent to help customers make more informed decisions. A new nuclear power station Cornwall Insight believes the biggest change in the White Paper is the proposed introduction of a new nuclear power station. Gareth Miller, CEO at Cornwall Insight, said: 'The most high-profile addition is the commitment to reach financial close on at least one more large nuclear project during this Parliament, and the announcement surrounding a UK emissions trading scheme. 'The White Paper signals a readiness to change the underlying architecture of the sector, including the relationship between the sector and consumers. This really distinguishes it from what has come before. Unfortunately many households were plunged into debt this year due to the pandemic 'There is a lot of detail to be assimilated before we can really judge if the White Paper has the makings of a coherent strategy. [But] by firing the starting gun today, at the end of 2021 once the music of consultations ends, it is possible that we could see a range of new proposals that will really shake-up the traditional structures of the market. 'One thing is very clear: anyone who thought that a shift to net zero would be by incremental change may have to redefine their perspective.' To find out more about the White Paper, read our guide to everything you need to know. More options for going green with your energy There has also been a significant shift in the proportion of our electricity that is generated by renewable energy, such as wind and solar. Earl said: 'One of the untold stories of 2020 was the acceleration of switching from coal and gas to renewable energy sources.' Only three years ago in April 2017, the UK experienced its first coal-free day since the Industrial Revolution. This year, the total coal-free period lasted 67 days between April and June. The amount of renewable capacity connected to the grid also increased by 500 per cent between 2009 and 2020. There are now lots of initiatives aimed at getting households to opt for more sustainable sources of energy. By 2030, the Government hopes that all newly-installed heating systems will be low-carbon The introduction of the Green Homes Grant was one of the major changes to the energy market in 2020. Under the scheme, the Government has made available 600,000 vouchers for energy efficiency improvements to homes, and has set aside a budget of 2billion that households can apply for. This will now continue until March 2022. Other plans for greener energy in the future include generating emission-free electricity by 2050 that will see the UK have 'overwhelmingly' de-carbonised power in the 2030s. The Government is also hoping that by the mid-2030s, all newly-installed heating systems will be low-carbon or able to be converted to a clean fuel supply. Earl said: 'The green energy revolution hasn't just been confined to people's homes, with the volume of ultra-low emission vehicles registered in the UK more than doubling since 2017. 'As we look to 2021, we expect to see an even greater focus on renewable power generation and availability of renewable tariffs for households to switch to. 'Households need more clarity on how green their tariff actually is, with clearer information about where and how the power is generated.' Canadas Brookfield Asset Management Inc. and New York-based Blackstone Group Lp have both reached the $20-billion investment milestone in India, as they continue to take long-term bets on real estate and other sectors. Of the $20 billion that Brookfield has invested in India over the past decade, around $7 billion went into real estate, as the firm placed large bets on acquiring assets of property developers. In 2020 alone, the Canadian investor pumped in nearly $11.5 billion. This included the Reliance Jio Infratel Pvt. Ltd acquisition along with its partners and Singapores GIC Pte Ltd for an investment value of $7.6 billion. View Full Image Sarvesh Kumar Sharma/Mint Separately, in the largest real estate transaction in India, Brookfield bought 12.8 million sq. ft of Bengaluru-based RMZ Corps 128 million sq. ft of office and co-working portfolio for $2 billion. The alternative asset manager is now gearing up to launch its flagship real estate investment trust or Reit to raise around 4,500 crore as soon it gets regulatory approvals. Blackstone, which has been investing in the country longer than Brookfield, last year bought Piramal Glass Pvt. Ltd at a billion-dollar valuation, and signed a $1.5 billion deal with Prestige Group to buy the latters office and retail assets for $1.5 billion. It is also in the process of buying out the mutual fund business of L&T Asset Management Co. in another billion-dollar deal, as it looks to bolster its investments in the financial services space. Deal activity in commercial real estate, namely office, in 2020 has not only been the highest but transaction sizes have also changed, and become bigger," said Shobhit Agarwal, managing director and chief executive officer, Anarock Capital. The impact of the first Reit listing in 2019 was truly felt last year, as it indicated the opening up of a new investment cycle. Reits are a reality now and we expect retail participation to further go up in the upcoming listings," he added. Brookfield and Blackstone didnt respond to queries. From buying out commercial office and retail assets, the focus is also gradually shifting to consolidating their assets into Reits. Blackstone along with Embassy Group launched Indias first Reit in 2019, and then, the former partnered K Raheja Corp to list the Mindspace Reit last year. Blackstone has so far worked in partnership with various developers and co-owns several assets, unlike Brookfield which fully owns and manages its properties. But that is changing. Blackstone is now scaling up Nucleus Office Parks, an entity that will house its fully-owned rental properties under a single platform," said a person familiar with the development, on condition of anonymity. Agarwal said that large global investors will also be looking to invest in data centre companies in the country. Data centres have emerged as an alternative real estate asset class with the focus shifting to large hyperscale developments. Around $9.5 billion of capital is in various stages of being announced, committed or waiting to be committed into Indian data centres, according to a recent Anarock-Mace report. India will see at least 28 large hyperscale data centres constructed over the next three years, it said. The growth in data centres will be led not just by developers but large corporates, and investors will be attracted to this asset class," Agarwal added. Data centres house computing infrastructure like servers, routers, switches, and firewalls, apart from supporting paraphernalia. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Malaysian palm oil stockpiles are expected to remain low in 2021 because of strong demand from China and a lower Indian import duty amid sluggish output gains, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) said on Tuesday. The market outlook for Malaysian palm oil in 2021 looks bright despite the pandemic, Kalyana Sundram, MPOC chief executive told a virtual conference. Global palm oil supply is expected to be tight this year because of heavy rains caused by the La Nina weather pattern. MPOC projected 2021 output in Malaysia, the worlds second-largest producer, to rise to 19.6 million tonnes from 19.4 million tonnes in 2020. Rival and top producer Indonesia is expected to produce 45 million tonnes of crude palm oil in 2021, rising from 43 million tonnes last year, Sundram said. However, Indonesian exports will fall by 500,000 tonnes as its higher export levies and duties make Malaysian palm oil more attractive, Sundram said. Malaysian exports in 2021 will rise to 4.5 million tonnes from 3.7 million tonnes last year. The effect of the lower stockpiles and higher demand will support prices in 2021, the MPOC said. It forecast Malaysias benchmark crude palm oil price will average 3,217 ringgit ($802.44) a tonne for 2021, compared to 2,700 ringgit ($673.48) in 2020. However, the industry group warned that palm oil exports to the European Union, Malaysias third-largest buyer will face even more challenges because of intensified anti-palm oil lobbying and increasing regulations. The EU is enacting rules to curtail palm oil consumption, such as the phase out of palm-based transport fuels from its consumption of renewables by 2030 and Malaysian Biodiesel Association Deputy President Long Tian Ching said at the conference that he fears a whole generation of citizen is refusing to use palm oil. Consumer minds (on palm oil) are now so negative that it would be a difficult battle to win over their hearts and wallets, Long said. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Interior Minister of the Government of National Accord, Fathi Bachagha, met Tuesday with members of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee to discuss the opening of the coastal road linking Sirte to Misrata, as part of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement South Africa began to break down Sri Lankas resistance late on the second day of the second and final test on Monday to leave the tourists an uphill battle to save the match and the series. Sri Lanka was 150/4 in its second innings at stumps for a lead of only five runs with only one more recognized batsman to come. Its hopes of setting South Africa a competitive target and having a chance of a series-levelling win at the Wanderers probably lay with captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who was 91 not out in a gritty last stand for his team. Only one other batsman managed to hold off South Africas pace bowlers on a Wanderers pitch that has been playing typically tough for batsmen. In just two days, 24 wickets have fallen. Lahiru Thirimanne, called into the team amid Sri Lankas injury emergency, made 31 and fought alongside his captain in a partnership of 82. But Thirimannes dismissal to an edge down the legside off fast bowler Lungi Ngidi heralded a burst of Sri Lankan wickets. Kusal Mendis went for his second duck of the test in Ngidis next over, also to a catch down the legside to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, although this one saw de Kock dive full stretch and clutch the chance with both gloves. Debutant Minod Bhanuka came and went for 1 and Sri Lankas renewed positivity following Vishwa Fernandos stellar bowling performance earlier in the day was cut short. South Africa already leads the series 1-0 and is desperate for its own revival having not won a test series in two years. Sri Lanka does have the advantage of the Johannesburg pitch, which will likely be especially difficult for South Africa to bat on last. Sri Lanka does need plenty more runs, though, to make it a game. The Sri Lankans also have good memories to call on, having won their last series in South Africa in 2019 against all expectations, and against all odds when facing a seemingly desperate situation in the last game. On that occasion, Kusal Perera hit a 153 not out to snatch victory. This time, Perera was the first wicket to fall for Sri Lanka in its second innings. Ngidi bowled him for 1 to spark joyous celebrations from the South African fielders at the exit of the Sri Lankan player that has frustrated them the most this series. South Africa also began the day in a strong position, 148-1 in its first innings and already closing in on Sri Lankas tame 157 all out batting first. Dean Elgar made 127 for his 13th test century and put on a stand of 184 with Rassie van der Dussen (67) to take South Africa into the lead, and seemingly in position to make the advantage a big one at 218-1. Sri Lanka found its fight in the hour before lunch and Dushmantha Chameeras success in getting Elgar to edge to first slip straight after a mid-session drinks break sparked another of those clutches of wickets. Van der Dussen followed the very next over and from 218-1, South Africa lost nine wickets for 84 runs to be all out for 302. Fernando was instrumental in reining in South Africa, using the pitch to good effect to run through the middle and lower order and give Sri Lanka hope with his 5/101. Fernandos career-best figures were magnified by Sri Lankas personnel problems. It was already missing two experienced bowlers through injury before the series, and lost two quick bowlers to injury in the first test. Fernando, playing in just his 10th test, is the most experienced in Sri Lankas attack at the Wanderers and rose to the occasion. So did skipper Karunaratne, who battled to the close unbeaten and in sight of a century. Karunaratnes 91 had come off 116 with 17 fours. He had Niroshan Dickwella with him on 18 not out. LIKE MANY voters I had heard about the 800+-page For the People Act (HR 1/SB 1) and a companion voting bill, The John Lewis Act (HR 4). I knew that these bills had been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and that they will soon be considered by the U.S. Senate. The sponsors believ The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. The Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service in its new calendar for Junior High School academic year, has proposed November 2021 for the Basic Education Certificate Examinations. Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, the Director General, GES, who briefed the media in Accra on Monday, said the 2021 calendar for JHS would be run on a semester basis two semesters for the academic year. He said form three JHS pupils would begin their first semester from January to May and vacate in June, 2021 while the second semester would start from July to October. Prof Opoku-Amankwa said the form two and form one JHS students would also begin their first semesters from January to May, 2021, vacate in June and begin the second semester from July to November, 2021 to end the academic year. He said there would be midterms in March for the first term and September for the second semester. Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said kindergarten and primary schools would run three terms for the 2021 academic year. He said the first terms would start from January to May, and end in April, with the second term beginning from May to July, and ending in August while the third terms starts from September to November, 2021 and vacation in December. Prof Opoku-Amankwa said government would use the first and second weeks in January to disinfect all schools and put in place the necessary safety protocols for school activities to begin. President Akufo-Addo on March 16, 2021 ordered the closure of schools in the country due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening of the schools followed progress made by the country in containing the spread of the virus. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently questioned on WhatsApp an Indian woman from a Chennai business family who converted to Islam to marry the son of a Bangladeshi politician after meeting him in London, where they studied together, to find out if their marital union was a case of what some Hindu groups describe as love jihad. The agency did not find any evidence that the interfaith marriage was love jihad, a term groups use to describe some relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women, but one that the courts and the Union government do not officially recognise. The woman said she was happy with her husband and had willingly converted to Islam, people familiar with the development said on condition of anonymity. States cant interfere: Owaisi slams BJP over religious conversion laws Her father, a Chennai-based businessman, complained in May last year that she was abducted in London by the son of a leader of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and a former member of Parliament. He alleged that she had been forcibly taken to Bangladesh after she was radicalised and converted to Islam. The woman studied in London with the Bangladesh politicians son. Also Read: Eliminate State and social interference in matters of conscience Tamil Nadu Police asked the NIA to investigate the matter because it had international ramifications. After recording her parents statement, the central anti-terror agency contacted her on WhatsApp. During the questioning (over WhatsApp), she told us that she married him willingly after converting to Islam and has not been forced at all in the marriage. She said she is happy, said an NIA officer who didnt want to be named. Officials cited above said their probe in the case was more or less over and a closure report will be filed in court after other verifications are completed. This is not the first time that an NIA probe of a love jihad angle has not yielded any evidence of a conspiracy. An NIA spokesperson said the case is under investigation. Also Read: 3 men framed in false love jihad case: Cops A complaint of kidnapping was filed last year and we had registered a case, said Chennai commissioner of police, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, unable to recall the sections under which the case was registered. Since we transferred the case to the NIA, we arent aware of further details or the present status of the investigation. Another senior official of Tamil Nadu police who did not wish to be named said, When we get a complaint of such a nature which has international and religious ramifications, we dont investigate. Our stand is to transfer it to the appropriate agency and in a case like this it is the NIA. The official, however, could not recall the complaint made last year. Also Read: The Number Theory| A decade of rightward shift in Indian politics NIAs probe of interfaith marriages in Kerala, including that of Hadiyas marriage to Shafin Jehan that became a cause celebre, revealed that there had been no coercion to marry the brides and convert them to Islam. It examined several cases in Kerala where it was alleged that the woman had been forced to convert to Islam. The Supreme Court too, in 2018, overruled a Kerala high court order that annulled the marriage of Hadiya to Jehan, saying the right to marry a person of ones choice was integral to Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution. The Central government has said in Parliament that there was no term such as love jihad in the law. Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy said in the Lok Sabha in February 2020: Article 25 of the Constitution provides for the freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion subject to public order, morality and health. Various courts have upheld this view including the Kerala high court. The term love jihad is not defined under the extant laws. However, two stringent recent laws in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh appear to want to crack down on interfaith relationships that allegedly use marriage as a lure to force Hindu women to convert to Islam. The stringent laws do not use the words love jihad, and the UP law has already been challenged in the Supreme Court. Key Highlights At least six COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out in less than a year. Vaccine approval process usually takes over a decade Companies halted other ongoing projects, advance contracts were signed, governments poured in billions of dollars to speed up COVID-19 research In India, SII, Zydus Cadila, Dr Reddy's and Bharat Biotech -- all got the DCGI nod to combine clinical trials The US-based Pfizer and Moderna worked on next-gen mRNA technique. It's expensive but faster, and comes with fewer side-effects All vaccines that have been approved took "emergency approval" route. They presented interim clinical data of few participants for regulatory approval The pace at which pharma companies developed coronavirus vaccines is unprecedented as most vaccines take up t0 10 years to be ready for mass use. Yet, at least six COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out in less than a year -- the best record in history. No other vaccine for any diseases had been deployed so rapidly. It took 20 years to develop a vaccine against chickenpox and 40 years before it received necessary regulatory approval. The vaccine against shingles or herpes zoster took 53 years before it was finally licensed. The vaccine against Hepatitis B was developed in 12 years. The vaccine against measles took nearly 60 years of science and millions of vaccinations to prove its efficacy. So how did scientists create COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year? Funding worth billions of dollars For a change, it was lucrative to produce the vaccine. There was immense pressure on governments to develop a vaccine at the earliest due to the destruction COVID-19 pandemic was unleashing. This led to a race among pharma companies to be the first to develop a vaccine. Companies halted their other ongoing projects to fully divert resources to COVID-19 vaccine development. Also Read: COVID-19: The Danger of Vaccine Nationalism Governments poured in billions of dollars to speed up COVID-19 research. Advance contracts were signed with companies for billions of vaccine doses. The World Bank approved $12 billion for developing countries to produce vaccines and ensure equal distributions. The US federal government made a $1.95 billion deal with Pfizer to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and delivery of 100 million doses. Although Pfizer didn't take the funding, the government's promise provided it a necessary safety net to work with full force. Similarly, Moderna received $955 million public money for COVID-19 vaccine poduction. Vaccine developer Novavax was awarded $1.6 billion to become part of the Operation Warp Speed. AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, and Sanofi-GSK -- all received US government funding that helped them prioritise the vaccine. Many countries, including India (Rs 900 crore), pumped in millions to speed up vaccine research. COVAX, led by organisations like Gavi and the World Health Organisation, was also formed to accelerate development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines. Reduced timelines Before COVID-19 struck the world, vaccines were developed one step at a time. The WHO data says pre-clinical trials alone took around 1-2 years. Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials were conducted in a span of three years and Phase 3 generally took another three years. Add to that the time that's taken in scaling up infrastructure, manufacturing, approval, and distribution. All this took around 4-5 years. Most vaccines received approval after about 10 years. However, all these steps were completed in less than a year, allowing speedy clinical trials and fast approval for the coronavirus vaccine. Regulators even permitted trials to be clubbed. For example, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) allowed Serum Institute to club phase 2 and 3 in August. Dr Reddy's was also allowed to conduct phase 2/3 of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V. Pharma majors Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech also got the DCGI nod to conduct phase 1/2 clinical trials in July. Newer and safer techniques New and emerging techniques also helped speed up vaccine development. Companies used different approaches to develop vaccines that could prepare the immune system to recognise and protect against coronavirus. Many are going the modern way of developing virus vectors (like Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine) -- in which a weakened virus delivers antigen in the body -- while others are using tried and tested methods like inactivated vaccines like Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. Among all, there are also those that have chosen a less travelled path like the next-gen mRNA technique. Vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are based on the new messenger RNA or mRNA technique, which is being used for the first time. The mRNA technique works differently. In mRNA, coronavirus or SARS Cov2 is covered with 'spike proteins', with which it grabs human cells. When someone is given the vaccine, the mRNA genetic material present in it instructs the human cell to make the 'spike protein'. Seeing these spike proteins, our immune system develops antibodies without being exposed to the virus. This new technique is believed to be safer but more expensive than the traditional ones and there are little chances of spike proteins infecting a person from COVID-19. It's also faster to develop. Emergency Use Authorisation The companies presented interim trial data to deliver their vaccine in the market in record time. They took the "emergency approval" route for this purpose. But the pressure to produce vaccines in record time also led to implausible claims by companies. Top vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna claimed efficacy of over 90 and 94.1 per cent. A few days later, Pfizer revised its efficacy claims to 95 per cent. Moderna also revised its efficacy to 90 per cent. AstraZeneca made it worse by releasing multiple data points for the efficacy of its vaccine. Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine is the same vaccine that the Serum Institute is producing in India. New vaccines are rarely certified above 90 per cent for efficacy. In fact, most vaccines get certified in the 40-60 per cent efficacy band. Even a 70 per cent efficacy is considered excellent in the world of vaccines. In most cases, trials were also clubbed to deliver vaccines in record time. The interim COVID-19 trial data was then presented to regulators, which also faced pressure from governments and public at large to grant speedy approval. Dangers of speedy approvals There are voices who believe that fast-tracked vaccines may carry a few risks. Elissa Prichep, Precision Medicine Lead, World Economic Forum, said that creating a vaccine expeditiously, without appropriate testing, could put healthy people at risk. "One area of risk is vaccine enhancement, meaning the disease is more harmful to a vaccinated person," Prichep said. Also, chances of the vaccine not being effective are high. "Vaccine development is characterised by a high failure rate - often 93% between animal studies and registration of a product," Dr Jerome Kim, Director-General of the International Vaccine Institute, said at the World Economic Forum in June. Also Watch: WHO chief, Bill Gates hail India for its COVID-19 vaccine efforts Also Read: First coronavirus vaccine shots likely on January 13: Health Ministry Also Read: Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech pledge "smooth" vaccine rollout Cyber specialists of the Security Service of Ukraine blocked the activities of the local resident in Zakarpattia region, who called for the separation of some territories of the state. "According to preliminary data from the SBU investigation, a resident of Berehovo created a number of accounts on social networks through which he disseminated campaign calls to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In particular, he called on citizens to support the separation of Zakarpattia region from our state," the SBU press center reported on Monday. The linguistic expertise initiated by the Security Service of Ukraine confirmed that the distributed texts contained calls for the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Now the defendant in the proceedings was reported by the SBU investigators about the suspicion under Part 1 of Article 110 (infringement on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. OBESITY WEAKENS HEART MUSCLE IN PATIENTS WITH A COMMON TYPE OF HEART FAILURE Media Contact: Vanessa McMains, Ph.D., vmcmain1@jhmi.edu For decades, physicians have known that about half of all patients with heart failure appear to have hearts that contract normally -- a syndrome now known as heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (or HFpEF, pronounced hef-pef). This type of heart failure was first seen primarily in slim, elderly women with high blood pressures and thicker heart muscle. But as the incidence of obesity and diabetes has increased, many patients with HFpEF are now found to be severely obese with blood pressures not as high and heart muscle not as thick as seen in previous patients. New research from Johns Hopkins Medicine has uncovered that greater obesity seems to make muscle contraction much weaker in this very common form of heart failure. In their study, published Dec. 2, 2020, in Circulation, the researchers say "the surprising findings upends the field," as it challenges the view that the disease is all about having a stiff heart that cannot relax. "Obesity would seem to have changed the heart muscle," says senior study author David Kass, M.D., the Abraham and Virginia Weiss Professor of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "The "p" in HFpEF stands for preserved, and that's what contraction was supposed to be, and what HFpEF used to be. But, as more patients are obese and our results show this reduces contraction strength, we will need to rethink our concepts and along with it, our treatments." Traditionally, this form of heart failure has been treated with medicines that often reduce contraction strength while improving the heart's relaxation. Further research, Kass says, will need to determine if this approach needs to be modified. Johns Hopkins Medicine has one of the few dedicated HFpEF clinics in the country, run by study co-author Kavita Sharma, M.D., associate professor of medicine and director of the heart failure transplant program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As part of the evaluation of patients with HFpEF, a tiny piece of heart muscle is collected using a standard heart biopsy procedure. The biopsy samples taken from patients who were less obese (a body mass index, or BMI, averaging 30) but had high blood pressure and thick heart muscle were compared with those with severe obesity (BMI averaging 40) but lower blood pressure and less thick heart muscle. The investigators teased out single muscle cells from these samples and studied their function. When the researchers added calcium to stimulate the cells to contract, those from the less-obese group responded normally. However, the force response to high calcium was reduced by 40% in cells from patients with obesity. In a third group of patients who had both high blood pressure and thicker hearts, as well as severe obesity, the force response in the cells given calcium was similarly reduced as in the mostly obese group. Kass and his colleagues believe this points to obesity as the key factor. HFpEF was previously called diastolic heart failure, emphasizing the idea that although the heart could contract normally, it didn't properly fill with blood when the heart relaxed in preparation for the next beat (called diastole). While preserved contraction appears still true for less obese patients with high blood pressure and thick heart muscle, it doesn't appear to hold true when they also have severe obesity. Severe obesity alters underlying human biology -- most recently brought in focus with the COVID-19 pandemic as obesity has been shown to be an independent risk factor for more severe disease and worse outcome. Many of COVID-19's effects on artery function, the immune system and inflammation, and metabolism and heart stress may also be relevant to HFpEF, the researchers say. "We do not yet know why this reduced force happens," says Kass. "But, we are trying to figure it out with the goal of testing new and different drugs to improve contraction and personalize treatment for our patients with HFpEF and obesity." Kass is available for interviews. ARTIFICIAL ENZYME MAY BE FIRST STEP TOWARD TREATMENT FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE Media Contact: Ayanna Tucker, atucke25@jhmi.edu A growing body of research has shown that misshapen and misfolded alpha-synuclein, the protein culprit behind Parkinson's disease and its characteristics, travels from the gut to the brain, where it spreads and sticks together in lethal clumps known as Lewy bodies. As these clumps accumulate, they cause brain cell death. Now, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have created an artificial enzyme that stops misfolded alpha-synuclein from spreading and could become the basis for a new treatment for Parkinson's disease. The results were announced in a study published online Nov. 20, 2020, in the journal Nano Today. The artificial enzymes, nanosized (a nanometer is a billionth of a meter) combinations of platinum and copper called PtCu bimetallic nanoalloys, were created by the research team for their strong antioxidant properties. The antioxidant capability is dependent largely on the alloy composition. "Oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species is inescapable, and increases with age due to mechanistic slowdowns in processes such as protein degradation," says senior study researcher Xiaobo Mao, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "This indicates the importance of antioxidants, because in Parkinson's disease, roaming reactive oxygen species promote the spread of misfolded alpha-synuclein, leading to worse symptoms." When injected into the brain, the nanozymes scavenge for reactive oxygen species, gobbling them up and preventing them from causing damage to neurons in the brain. The nanozymes mimic catalase and superoxide dismutase, two enzymes found in our bodies that break down reactive oxygen species. Adding the nanozymes strengthens our body's response to them. The study used a research method known as the alpha-synuclein preformed fibril model, which replicates the pathology, spreading and neurodegeneration resulting from Lewy bodies. The nanozyme was found to decrease alpha-synuclein induced pathology and inhibit neurotoxicity, in addition to decreasing reactive oxygen species. The nanozyme also prevented alpha-synuclein from passing from cell to cell, and from the substantia nigra to the dorsal striatum, two areas in the midbrain that influence movement and cognition. Mao has long collaborated with fellow Parkinson's disease expert Ted Dawson, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Cell Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dawson recently added to evidence that misfolded alpha-synuclein travels along the vagus nerve from the gut to the brain. Mao hopes that further research can connect the two findings and lead to a Parkinson's disease treatment that targets the gut. "We know that the nanoenzymes work when injected directly into the brain," says Mao. "Now, we'd like to see if the nanoenzymes can block the disease progression induced by pathogenic alpha-synuclein traveling from the gut, across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain." Mao is available for interviews. GENETIC MARKER FOR PROSTATE CANCER FOUND TO BE COMMON AMONG BLACK MALES Media Contact: Brian Waters, bwaters3@jhmi.edu Johns Hopkins Medicine and University of Southern California researchers have announced that a genetic marker tied to prostate cancer -- previously seen in a significant number of Ugandan men with the disease -- also could be found in larger populations of Black males with prostate cancer, including African Americans. The finding was reported in the Sept. 2020 issue of the journal European Urology. The collaborative study was led by Christopher Haiman, Sc.D., professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The biological marker that the researchers studied is a single variation in the DNA of chromosome 8 of the human genome. Known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), such variants can help scientists identify the connections between genes and specific diseases. Carrying the chromosome 8 SNP marker has been linked to a twofold increase in a man's risk for prostate cancer, going to threefold or higher in men with a family history of the disease. The research team examined the DNA of prostate cancer patients of African descent across the United States and found results similar to those observed in previous studies in Ugandan men. As this SNP is not found in Americans of European descent, the researchers say this finding may partly explain why African American men are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and die from the disease. This information opens an important door for future genetic testing. Study co-author William Isaacs, Ph.D., professor of urology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says that a set of these SNP markers is being developed as a diagnostic tool for determining an individual's prostate cancer risk level. "We have to get these tests into the general practitioner's office," he says. Having an SNP diagnostic test for prostate cancer, Isaacs explains, would enable clinicians to screen patients who they believe may be at highest risk for developing the disease, so they can be monitored for it and treated at an early stage if diagnosed. Isaacs is available for interviews. SCIENTISTS FIND HINTS FOR HOW A FATTY COMPOUND FUNCTIONS IN THE CELL'S POWERHOUSE Media Contact: Rachel Butch, rbutch1@jhmi.edu In a study of yeast, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found how a fatty compound called cardiolipin helps create cellular energy. The researchers say their findings will help shed light on conditions that impact human metabolism, such as heart disease, diabetes and Barth syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that weakens the heart. Cardiolipin is found in almost every one of the body's cells and resides within the labyrinth of membranes that make up mitochondria. It's thought to help mitochondria create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that fuels cell metabolism. Cardiolipin has been implicated in a number of metabolic and immune diseases, including blood clotting disorders caused by an abnormal immune reaction to the fatty molecule. In its study published Aug. 28, 2020, in Science Advances, the Johns Hopkins Medicine team found how cardiolipin helps stabilize other structures within mitochondrial membranes. "Mitochondrial membranes are some of the busiest structures in the body, packed with fats and proteins that give our cells the energy they need to keep us alive," says Steven Claypool, Ph.D., professor of physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Within this membrane matrix is an important transport protein called Aac2 that ships the building blocks of ATP into the mitochondria and then moves activated ATP out into the cell. Previous studies hinted that cardiolipin was important in helping Aac2 transport proteins do their job. However, not much was known about this process. Claypool and his colleagues found that three areas on Aac2 where cardiolipin binds help Aac2 stay in the right shape to transport ATP. They found that yeast cells engineered to lack cardiolipin did not produce cellular energy as efficiently as yeast cells with abundant cardiolipin levels. In further experiments analyzing how proteins interacted in the membrane, the researchers found that links between Aac2 and the rest of the ATP production line -- known as respiratory supercomplexes -- also are dependent on the presence of cardiolipin. The researchers speculate that cardiolipin-protein interactions in mitochondrial membranes evolved as a way to streamline energy production. They believe this occurs by connecting Aac2 with the respiratory supercomplexes that supply ATP materials or by using cardiolipin to protect the membrane proteins from being jostled out of place. Overall, these results suggest that changes in cardiolipin structure or production could be linked with diseases, say the researchers. "We may need to look closer at cardiolipin structure or production in diseases or conditions in which cardiolipin metabolism has been implicated," says Claypool. Claypool and his colleagues are developing new tools to analyze the fats in mitochondrial membranes to study protein-cardiolipin interactions. Claypool is available for interviews. MINOR STROKES LEAD TO GLOBAL DISRUPTIONS IN BRAIN SIGNALING AND COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION Media Contact: Vanessa McMains, Ph.D.; vmcmain1@jhmi.edu When most people think about stroke, they picture someone who can't move an entire side of their body or speak. Minor strokes on the surface appear far less disabling, and often people are able to walk and talk normally. However, people who've had minor strokes anecdotally report difficulty in thinking, focusing their attention on more than one task or following conversations. Now, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers and colleagues at the University of Maryland have found what is believed to be the first measurable physical evidence of diminished brain processing after a minor stroke. Minor strokes occur when a small blood clot lodges in one of the tiny blood vessels deep in the brain. They are typically less devastating than a major stroke that blocks a major artery, but still damage tissue needed for the brain to properly function. In their study published in the Dec. 29, 2020, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), the researchers say that their findings are not only the first step toward better understanding the cause of post-stroke cognitive dysfunction, but they will ultimately enable clinicians to design more effective treatments. Additionally, they say, these therapies may be useful for other neurologic conditions that result in small regions of damaged brain tissue with similar symptoms, such as multiple sclerosis. "We tend to think that certain parts of the brain are responsible for specific functions but in reality, you need your entire brain to think clearly and complete tasks," says Elisabeth Marsh, M.D., associate professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "In this study, we show how minor damage anywhere in the brain can disrupt the entire cognitive network and result in a global dysfunction." As the medical director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Marsh implemented the Bayview Stroke Intervention Clinic, a program designed to promote patient follow-up, reduce hospital readmission rates and enhance post-stroke recovery. For their recent study, the researchers used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to compare the brain function of nine patients who had experienced minor strokes with the mental processing of age-matched healthy controls. MEG is a noninvasive neuroimaging technique that, like an electroencephalogram (EEG), measures electrical activity within the brain in real time. Once inside the scanner, the study participants had their brain function recorded as they completed word- and picture-matching tasks. Brain signal strength for the patients with minor stroke was noticeably smaller than the controls, appearing more like rolling hills than the normal sharp mountain peaks. The researchers say this indicates that information isn't effectively traveling through the network and the brain is processing information less efficiently. Stroke patients took nearly twice as long (about a second) as the control group (about half a second) to complete the tasks, which the researchers say leads to a noticeable difference when trying to participate in a three-way conversation or follow complicated instructions. After six months, six patients who had experienced minor strokes returned for reevaluation. They not only performed better on each task, but also anecdotally reported that their symptoms of impairment were much improved. However, their MEG scans showed only minimal improvement. "Right now, we don't know the neural mechanisms that allowed the patients to improve," says study co-author Jonathan Simon, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering at University of Maryland, College Park. "It could be that new neural communication routes have formed to bypass the sluggish pathways. Or it could be that older, less used communication pathways have been repurposed." He adds, "We hope by looking at the details of which neural connections are disrupted -- and how -- that it will not only be a next step in understanding this particular effect of a minor stroke, but also give us a new window into understanding how information is processed across the brain." The team plans to bring participants back in early 2021 for further analysis and to begin treatment trials aimed at improving recovery from these minor strokes. Marsh and Simon are available for interviews. ### LANSING, MI Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has formally objected to new federal standards for shipping industry ballast water, saying in a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that proposed regulations, which are in the process of being finalized this month, do not adequately protect the Great Lakes from the spread of invasive species. Whitmer, in a detailed and highly technical Dec. 24 letter to EPA leadership, accused the agency of undermining the Clean Water Act through its re-write of rules for how ships navigating U.S. waters must handle on-board water that is used for vessel stabilization, but which can spread invasive species around ports and water bodies when discharged. The 10-page letter, likely drafted by state departmental staff, outlines multiple objections to draft rules released in October under a regulatory overhaul sparked by the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, or VIDA. Congress passed the law in 2018 over the objection of conservation groups and some states because it pre-empts states from developing more stringent rules. The draft rules are arbitrary and capricious and violate the intent of Congress, the letter states, because the rules ignore new research on treatment technology, carve out exemptions for lake freighters that only move cargo around within the Great Lakes and are weaker than what ships must already adhere to under a 2013 general permit. The letter says EPA watered down standards by deleting requirements which limit ballast water discharge or uptake in places known to have toxic algae infestations, or other problematic locations such as in close proximity to near sewer outfalls and dredging operations. The letter quotes EPA rationale for dropping those requirements as being not practical to implement and usually beyond the control of the vessel operator; justifications the letter says ignore a ships ability to adjust operations to avoid environmental impacts. Whitmers letter also criticized exemptions for lakers, or ships that only operate on the Great Lakes. While such vessels do not introduce species from foreign ports, they do move ballast water in between ports and can enable their spread. Technology such as an ultraviolet radiation system installed on the VanEnkevort companys Michigan Trader barge indicate new ballast water treatment systems for lake freighters is possible and within reasonable requirements, the letter argues. EPA spokesperson Angela Hackel said only that the agency would respond through the appropriate channels and did not provide any explanation of the rule finalization process in response to an MLive request. Whitmers letter follows criticism of the proposed rules by a coalition of 40 environmental and conservation groups around the basin, who said EPAs draft rules ignore new treatment technologies, use misguided reasoning for exempting lake freighters and improperly constrain American standard in the interest of global shipping standard uniformity. Whitmers letter covers similar ground as concerns raised by groups like the Alliance for the Great Lakes and National Wildlife Federation, which have taken the EPA to court before to strengthen rules around ballast water. The groups argue that Congress intended all ships to be covered by regulations and that EPA shouldnt exempt lakers. I think EPA was heavily-influenced by the shipping industry, said Marc Smith, policy director for the National Wildlife Federation. The language EPA uses in their proposal is almost verbatim what the shipping industry would say. Molly Flanagan, chief operating officer at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, called Whitmers objection further evidence that the U.S. EPA needs to go back to the drawing board and start again. The groups, and several states, including Michigan, asked EPA in November to extend the 30-day comment period beyond the holidays, which the agency did not. The EPA and other U.S. departments have been rushing to finalize and cement numerous Trump era regulatory changes before the incoming Job Biden administration takes control on Jan. 21. Under the VIDA overhaul, EPA is developing standards that will be enforced by the U.S. Coast Guard once a related rule-making process is completed in the next couple years. Michigan and other states have state-level ballast water rules that will remain in place until the Coast Guard finalizes new federal requirements. Although Michigan requires oceangoing vessels treat ballast water before passing through state waters, Wisconsin is the only Great Lakes state with an enforcement program that includes inspections. Eric Peace, spokesperson for the Lake Carriers Association, a trade-group that represents U.S. flagged vessels that operate on the Great Lakes, emailed comments critical of a 2018 study on ballast water monitoring among lake freighters by the Great Waters Research Collaborative (GWRC), which critics of the EPA rules have relied upon to argue against their exemption. The association argues that there have been no known successful introductions of aquatic non-native species by ballast water since 2006, when the U.S. began requiring mid-ocean flushing and exchange of ballast water inspection of ballast takes on ships entering the St. Lawrence Seaway. In the past decade, there have been discoveries of non-native aquatic species in the Great Lakes. Several exotic zooplankton species have been found in Lake Erie, although their origins havent been traced directly to ballast water. Although experts say upwards of 50 non-native species have been introduced to the Great Lakes over the years through shipping, the economic and environmental harm potential of aquatic invaders is most readily associated with quagga and zebra mussels, which have upended many aspects of the lakes ecosystem since their 1988 discovery in Lake St. Clair. Peace said lake vessel operators are open to installing treatment systems on ships, but he argued that there is no technology right now that works. Regarding the new system on the Michigan Trader, Peace said that we do not believe it has been successfully operated yet. In her letter, Whitmer also criticized the EPA for not prohibiting fire suppression systems that use foam made with toxic PFAS chemicals that do not break down in the environment, calling the omission is negligent given the use of Great Lakes water as drinking supply for millions. Additionally, an allowance for states to seek an emergency EPA order to prevent ballast water discharges in certain situations gives the agency six months to review a petition, an untenable window because imminent threats calling for emergency orders in nearly real time do not align with a 180-day timeframe, Whitmers letter states. Related stories: More exotic zooplankton found in Lake Erie Great Lakes groups upset with new ballast water rules Michigan-made pesticide adds muscle to war on mussels Great Lakes offer the best shipwreck diving in the world Why Lake Superior is mostly free of invasive mussels Sleeping Bear project shows promise in mussel fight SHENANDOAH The cause of a fire that destroyed a borough home leaving a family of six homeless Saturday night has been ruled accidental. Flames broke out around 6:30 p.m. at 332 W. Oak St., with fire shooting out of the first-floor front windows when firefighters arrived. State police fire marshal Trooper Joseph Hall of the Frackville station was at the scene Sunday morning to assist with the investigation into the cause of the blaze. He said he determined the fire was electrical in nature and started in the basement of the home. Fire quickly spread up a stairwell and eventually burned through the roof at the southwest corner of the building, lighting the sky with an orange glow. Shenandoah fire marshal Rick Examitas said a second alarm was requested quickly as incoming fire units found a large amount of fire inside the property. He said the fire was brought under control in about an hour and that no injuries were reported. Examitas said the occupants of the home were Maria Reyes, 35; Alfredo Robert, 35; and their children ages 18, 4, 2 and 6 months. Examitas said the family was not home when the fire started and are being assisted with food, clothing and shelter by the American Red Cross Tri-County Chapter. He said the family was renting the property and that the home owner did have insurance. In addition to the 332 W. Oak St. home, an adjoining, unoccupied house at 330 W. Oak St. sustained smoke, water and some fire damage while a third home at 328 W. Oak St. sustained minor smoke damage. Examitas said the property at 328 W. Oak St. was also insured while the home at 330 W. Oak St. was not. Firefighters from Shenandoah and surrounding communities responded to the fire along with EMS units from Mahanoy City, Frackville and Ashland. Shenandoah fire police blocked traffic while firefighters battled the blaze. President Duterte has vowed to protect his security team from a vaccine probe - Dondi Tawatao/Reuters Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has blocked attempts by the countrys Senate to probe how his security team was inoculated with an unauthorised Covid-19 vaccine, warning legislators of a crisis if they dig deeper into the matter. On Monday, Mr Duterte ordered Brigadier General Jesus Durante, the head of the presidential security group (PSG), to ignore a legislative summons by parliamentarians demanding an explanation over the covert vaccination operation. I am prepared to defend my soldiers. I wont allow them to be brutalised in hearings, the president said in a televised briefing late on Monday evening. On Tuesday, the armed forces said they would call off their own fact-finding mission over the issue. According to local media reports, Mr Duterte had already confirmed over the weekend that people in the Philippines had received vaccines from Chinas Sinopharm. The Senate plans to conduct an inquiry into the governments vaccination plan next week amid accusations that unapproved vaccines have been used illegally. The Philippines Food and Drug Administration has not approved a Covid-19 vaccine - making the importation, distribution and sale of a Covid-19 vaccine illegal - and it has warned of potential dangers from using vaccines it has not cleared. However, Harry Roque, Mr Dutertes spokesman, said the military detail broke no laws. Last week General Durante said a handful of unit members used the vaccine in good faith because they could not afford to wait for regulatory approval, adding the president was only informed afterwards. He did not name the vaccine used or say how it was obtained. But the controversy was fuelled earlier on Monday when Francisco Duque, the health secretary, said his agency would not only investigate how unauthorised vaccines were given to the security team but reportedly also to thousands of Chinese workers in the Southeast Asian country. The Food and Drug Administration was working with government investigators and customs officials to probe the illegal entry and use of the unregistered vaccines, Mr Duque said at a televised briefing. Story continues His announcement came after the revelation by Teresita Ang-See, a prominent Chinese-Filipino civic leader, that some 100,000 Chinese workers based in the Philippines mostly offshore gaming operators - were inoculated with a Covid-19 vaccine in December. We brought it to the attention of authorities because, for me, its OK that they get vaccinated, because we do not have much control with them, Ms Ang-See said during an online forum, reported the Philippine Inquirer. The vaccines given to them were legitimate, legitimate sources. It came from an official channel so I think its good, Ms Ang See argued. This should not have been blown out of proportion if this were not kept secret, because we all understand why it is needed. The unauthorised use of vaccines has added to global fears of emerging black markets for the drugs. Philippine critics have raised concerns that the clandestine rollout could hamper oversight of possible side effects. Vaccination programmes are particularly sensitive in the Philippines after a recent controversy over a hasty immunisation scheme to administer a new dengue drug led to its withdrawal and the undermining of public trust. Officially, the Philippines, which has the second-highest number of Covid-19 infections in Southeast Asia, aims to secure at least 80 million vaccines from pharmaceuticals including AstraZeneca Plc., Novavax Inc. and Pfizer Inc., with deals expected this month and shipments by the second quarter. SPRINGFIELD The states final report on the feasibility of enhanced east-west passenger rail, issued Monday, doesnt have all the answers, but it does provide boosters a path forward. U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, said he expects President-elect Joe Biden, a longtime backer of passenger rail, to propose a job-creating infrastructure bill with rail as well as road, bridge, airport and green energy projects. Biden takes office Jan. 20. You are going to have to, thats the reality of it, said Neal, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Weve talked about (infrastructure) and weve talked about it. Now we have to do it. The proposal for enhanced east-west passenger rail envisions a link from Boston through Worcester and Springfield to Pittsfield. Mondays report calls for additional stops in Chester and Palmer, among other places. Advocates in those towns feared being left out. The rail line would solve economic problems on both sides of the state, advocates argue. It would give Boston-area workers access to affordable homes in Western Massachusetts, while giving existing residents of this region access to lucrative jobs in the east. It also could encourage housing development along the route. Backers of east-west rail include the Boston City Council and Springfields MassMutal CEO Roger Crandall, as well as U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-Worcester, and the states two U.S. senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. In a preliminary report that came out in October, state Department of Transportation researchers said passenger rail service could attract 278,000 to 469,000 riders per year. But the cost for necessary track upgrades would range from $2.4 billion and $4.6 billion. At that ridership and cost, the project doesnt meet guidelines for federal funding. The report issued Monday sticks with those conclusions, but adds a new chapter outlining next steps. MassDOT promises to research topics boosters like state Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, have long said need to be addressed. That includes discussions with CSX, the freight railroad that owns much of the route, and figuring out who would run the trains, whether Amtrak or some other operator. Supporters also seek a more detailed study of economic and community benefits, as well as a discussion of how the coronavirus pandemic will impact possible use. They acknowledge the potential benefit of the undertaking, Neal said Monday by phone from Washington. I remain convinced that this sort of frequent, advanced service would be a great incentive for central and Western Massachusetts. Neal said he discussed the project in general Monday with Amtrak CEO William J. Flynn. They also talked about the success of CTrails Hartford Line from Springfield to New Haven, Connecticut. Neal championed the now-completed $103 million rehab of Springfield Union Station over more than 40 years in Congress and before that as Springfield mayor and city councilor. 2/6/2020 Springfield- Trains in The Valley co-founder Ben Hecksher listens during the East-West Passenger Rail Study Adivsory Committee meeting at the Springfield Sheraton. (Don Treeger / The Republican) Ben Heckscher, co-founder of the advocacy group Trains in the Valley, said that while there is no timetable for the further research, at least the report isnt MassDOT throwing up red flags. The new chapter about steps forward also shows that MassDOT listened to the comments it received following the October preliminary report, he said. MassDOT will be evaluating how travel patterns have changed and may continue to change and apply this evaluation in a variety of contexts, not only to the demand for passenger rail but also to issues such as its effects on congestion in greater Boston and potential increases in off-peak travel demand, the report said. These analyses may also be useful in determining whether phasing development of the corridor could provide a more viable path forward. Lesser thanked not only those who worked on the study which he championed on the campaign trail and as a bill in the state Senate but also the community groups that commented on the draft report and helped shape a document he says is helpful to the cause. Thats a great moment, Lesser, D-Longmeadow, said from Boston, where lawmakers were busy voting on a slate of end-of-session bills. We see now what the path is and we see now how to make it happen. 11/23/2020 - Springfield - State senator Eric Lesser on the train platforms at Union Station in Springfield. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican) Lesser said MassDOT continues to underestimate ridership. The state uses passenger traffic on the Hartford Line to build its estimates. Hed like to see MassDOT instead use bigger cities in the comparison, like Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, or Californias service from the Bay Area to Stockton. Of particular interest is the success of commuter rail from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana. Bidens pick to head the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, was mayor of South Bend. He and Lesser know each other, having served together on former President Barack Obamas campaigns and administration. Neal said hes spoken frequently with Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, giving examples of how commuter rail from Boston has helped Worcester County communities like Grafton. Hes said east-west rail funding would restore regional balance given all the funding that goes to Greater Bostons passenger trains, and said hed be reluctant to push for MBTA funding without east-west rail. I think therell be a time when we get to a more refined proposal, Neal said. Neal said Baker is keeping his powder dry on the discussion. Critics have accused the governor of dragging his feet. Lesser said Monday that there is a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the administration. Whatever happens will need to be a federal and state partnership, said Richard Sullivan, president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts. He warned that there are as of yet no appropriations of money or purchases of property to make east-west rail a reality. Neal said the federal government has worked hard to keep public transportation running during the pandemic, and one of the lessons of COVID-19 has been the importance of transit links. Lesser said COVID-19s impact on the workplace more remote work and fewer trips to the office makes rail commuting more attractive. Related Content: Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling, diagnosed Friday with COVID-19, has held weekly news conferences with public health experts on the virus since March, and now as some of his family members have also tested positive for the virus he regrets failing to follow those experts advice. We really did our best to practice what we preach and mask and social distance, except with our family. Maybe now theres a price to pay that well regret, Bowling, 62, said Monday as he quarantined at his home. Its Russian roulette. We enjoyed being with our children and our grandchildren and our son-in-law, but it came with a price. Bowling, whose wife Sherry also tested positive, received a monoclonal antibody infusion Sunday, and his wife was scheduled to receive one today. He figures the onset of his mild symptoms mainly a slight tightness in the chest, a headache and some joint and muscular pain was about Dec. 29. He had not been at City Hall since Dec. 23, so he does not believe he infected anyone there. He said hes feeling guilt about the holiday family gatherings with his adult children and their families. I made a mistake and spent time with our family. We had Christmas together. We had meals together and sat around the table and we were not practicing the guidelines, he said. With that, now we have sickness. I believe that (family members outside our household) were the last to get it, so quite likely they received it from us. I certainly hope theyll be OK. Bowling said his symptoms eased immediately after he began receiving conventional medications prescribed by his family physician, Dr. Rodney Harney. Among the medications were a Z-Pak, a nebulizer solution, zinc, vitamin D-3, aspirin to prevent clotting, vitamin C, and the steroidal medication dexamethasone. Bowling said he has asthma, which he associates with having been a smoker from the age of 15 to 45, which places him at a higher risk for complications. While his symptoms were mild Monday, he said his doctor is most concerned about the coming days. They say its a 14-day virus, Bowling said. The first week to 10 days its a flu-like virus. The second phase, days 7-14, thats where they worry most about their patients. Its when the body begins to react. Thats when you can get a cytokine storm. The whole point of the monoclonal infusions is to try to avoid that. A cykotine storm is a condition in which the bodys immune system starts to attack its own cells and tissues rather than just fighting off the virus. The monoclonal antibody infusion Bowling received was granted emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in November. It is designed to prevent hospitalizations and is not indicated for people who are already on supplemental oxygen or who are hospitalized. Decatur Morgan Hospital CEO Kelli Powers on Monday said an increasing number of local physicians have been prescribing the monoclonal therapy. It is a limited supply. Its on a first come, first-served basis, she said. We are not getting near enough; we get maybe 50 or so doses a week. ... I really believe its a good thing and has kept some people out of the hospital. Bowling said the intravenous medication, which he received at the Parkway campus of Decatur Morgan Hospital, caused him no problems. He said the infusion itself took about an hour but, including preparation time and a mandatory one-hour observation period, the entire process took closer to three hours. The mayor said he hopes to return to City Hall on Jan. 12, 14 days after the onset of symptoms. Morgan numbers Morgan County is in the midst of a COVID-19 spike. On the same day that Bowling tested positive, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported a record high 190 new cases of the virus among Morgan County residents. Were thankful that the holidays are over, said ADPH assistant administrator for the Northern District Michael Glenn. Weve gotten our teeth kicked in over the holiday season. Statewide, he said, on Halloween there were 959 people hospitalized with the virus. On Thanksgiving, 1,450 were hospitalized. On Christmas Day, that number increased to 2,403. On Monday, 3,064 Alabamians were hospitalized with COVID-19. That is a tremendous amount of strain on our health care system, Glenn said. ADPH reported 10 residents of Morgan County died of COVID-19 in the week ending Monday, bringing the cumulative death toll to 97, and three in every five residents who have tested for the virus over the last two weeks have tested positive for it. ADPH has reported a total of 11,017 Morgan County cases, and 1,562 were diagnosed in the last 14 days. Decatur Morgan Hospital president Kelli Powers said the hospital has fewer COVID-19 patients than it had last week. Im happy to announce our numbers are down some. Im not happy that its due to a lot of deaths, she said at a Monday news conference. Decatur Morgan had 79 confirmed and 14 presumptive COVID-19 inpatients as of Monday, which is a decrease from the hospitals all-time high of 96 confirmed COVID-19 inpatients, which it reached last week. The hospital had 12 COVID-19 patients in intensive care Monday, including nine on ventilators. Both Glenn and Powers said they expected the next spike in local hospitalizations to begin in about two weeks as infections from Christmas and New Years gatherings force people to go to the hospital. Thats my biggest fear, is that we have patients that need ventilators or medication and we just dont have any, Powers said. I am worried about that. Glenn said Morgan Countys positivity rate is the fifth highest in the state. Glenn said anyone who receives a COVID-19 test should assume they have the virus and quarantine until they receive test results. Go home and quarantine so that the spread is reduced, he said. Vaccine rollout Glenn said front-line health care workers, including physicians and school nurses, are able to receive COVID-19 vaccines by appointment at health departments. All health departments in north Alabama started vaccinating last week. We will continue to do that on a weekly basis as long as we have available staffing. Thats going to be a big chore. You hear that the hospitals are having staffing issues; public health is the same way. We have employees that have either tested positive or been a close contact, Glenn said. Glenn said the health department will receive another vaccine allotment this week. Powers said the hospital received 1,800 doses of the vaccine last week. Half of that is slated for the health care workers. We did give out 159 of those doses last week, she said. Powers said the hospitals goal is to vaccinate all health care workers by the end of January. One impediment to that goal is staffing. She said 92 Decatur Morgan Hospital staff members were in quarantine Monday. I dont have enough staff to take away from patient care to focus on vaccinating everyone, Powers said, so its great that the pharmacies and health department and other people are helping us give the vaccine. eric@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2435. Twitter @DD_Fleischauer. Staff Writer Cassie Kuhn contributed to this article. ___ (c)2021 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) Visit The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.) at www.decaturdaily.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. The health ministry on Tuesday released a few new features of the Co-WIN application, which will be a game-changer for Indias vaccination drive, as the health ministry has said. Addressing a press conference, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan explained how vaccination drive will take place and said healthcare workers wont have to register themselves of the application as their data are being pre-populated on the application. Frontline workers, who will be vaccinated in the second phase, also do not need registration, the secretary said. Also Read| Prepared to roll out vaccine within 10 days of emergency-use approval: Health ministry Though this is an Indian product, it is for the world. If any country wants to use this product, we will take that up proactively, Bhushan added. The application has already been tested during dry run and professionals have been trained to run the application. New features of Co-WIN app 1. Aadhar cards would be used as a mode of authentication on the Co-WIN app to prevent any sort of malpractices. 2. Vaccination sessions would be automatically allocated to the beneficiary and further details will be given on when the beneficiary has to visit the vaccination centre for the next dose. 3. Details with regard to reporting and tracking of adverse events following immunisation, if any would be given. 4. SMSs in 12 languages will be sent to guide beneficiaries and vaccinators. Also Read| Will take that vaccine...: What Niti Aayog member says about his preference between Covishield and Covaxin 5. A QR code-based vaccination certificate will be issued after all doses administered to the beneficiaries. 6. A Digilocker has been integrated for data retrieval and storing the OR code-based certificate. 7. Willing beneficiaries will be allowed to create a unique health ID and can keep the acknowledgement in the Digilocker. 8. A 24X7 helpline will be available including Information Technology (IT) professionals. 9. The app will have a chatbot with pattern recognition to help users navigate the portal. 10. Natural Language Processing in the vaccinator module for a hands-free implementation. Burma Myanmars NLD, Mon Unity Party Fail to Meet Due to Venue Dispute Dr. Aung Moe Nyo speaks to journalists in Mawlamyine, Mon State on Jan. 4, 2020. / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAWA planned meeting between delegations of the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the Mon Unity Party (MUP) to discuss building a democratic federal union fell through on Monday due to a disagreement over the meeting venue. The proposed meeting was due to follow the NLD delegations talks last Friday with lawmakers-elect from three Kachin State-based ethnic political parties at the ruling partys Kachin State office. The incoming lawmakers at that meeting were from the Kachin State Peoples Party (KSPP), Lisu National Development Party and New Democracy Party-Kachin. The talks focused on peace building and the formation of a national unity government, according to party representatives. The meeting with the Mon State-based party was scheduled to be held at the NLDs Mon State office in Mawlamyine on Monday. They [the MUP] wanted to meet us at our guesthouse, but we said we could not do that. Therefore we waited at the [NLD-Mawlamyine] office from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. but the representatives of the MUP did not show up, said Dr. Aung Moe Nyo, a party secretary and the Magwe Region chief minister, who leads the NLD delegation. He told reporters in Mawlamyine that the delegation acted according to the partys instructions and would follow the NLD Central Executive Committees decisions relating to the issue. MUP General Secretary 2 Nai San Tin told The Irrawaddy the party proposed meeting somewhere else because it felt the NLD office was an insufficiently neutral venue. When the NLD refused, the MUP decided not to attend the meeting. They said they would hold the meeting at their office due to security concerns. But we decided [it would be better to meet] somewhere neutral. So we asked them if it was not possible to meet in the hall at the Mon State ministers residential complex if they were concerned for their security. But they didnt accept that, either. So, according to our partys decision, we didnt meet them, he said. The Mon party has also refused to accept the NLDs policy of only holding talks with MUP lawmakers-elect, insisting that it should be able to choose the members of its delegation to hold talks with the NLD. Addressing criticism of the MUPs decision not to meet the NLD at the latters office, Nai San Tin said, We are not holding out to maintain our prestige. Our partys view is that it is best for two parties to meet somewhere neutral. It is not appropriate to meet at either their office or our office. He added, however, that the MUP is ready to attend a meeting if the NLD agrees to meet somewhere else. KSPP chairman Dr. Manan Tuja, who attended the talks with the NLD delegation in the Kachin State capital, Myitkyina, on Friday, said the meeting itself is more important than the venue in politics. I want the two sides to negotiate again and meet on another day, he said. The venue is not important. What is important is to find solutions through meaningful meetings. It appears they think their prestige will be undermined if they compromise with the other side. But both sides must be prepared to compromise. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: AA Frees Three Abducted NLD Members, Three Soldiers in Myanmars Rakhine State NLD Files Fraud Cases Against 17 Successful Candidates in Myanmars Election NLD Sends First Delegation to Discuss Federal Union with Myanmars Ethnic Parties SALEM, Ore. Following criticism of Oregon's rate for COVID-19 vaccinations, Governor Kate Brown issued a statement on Monday directing health officials to ramp up efforts. Oregon trails 40 other states in vaccinations for coronavirus, the Oregonian/OregonLive reported over the weekend. That news has prompted blow-back from other public figures. It is unfathomable that Oregon is in the bottom ten amongst states across the nation in COVID-19 vaccination distribution," said Representative David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford. . . . Lives are being lost, many hang in the balance and Oregonians deserve a state government that has a clear and reliable plan for a systematic vaccine rollout. As of Monday, the Oregon Health Authority reported that just over 51,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, including the first handful of second doses. But Oregon has received roughly 190,500 doses in total, and OHA says that those doses have already been distributed to sites across the state. In her statement, Governor Brown underlined that Oregonians must be vaccinated as quickly as possible, but defended the state's roll-out. By percentage of our population, Oregon has administered about the same number of vaccinations as other states, and distribution will continue to ramp up quickly," Brown said. "We have increased vaccinations from about 3,700 given in our first week to over 29,000 in the last week. But Oregon, like most of the country, is not moving fast enough. All states are grappling with the same logistical challenges, and while we are making steady progress, we must move even more quickly when every vaccination has the potential to save someones life." Brown said that she has directed OHA to reach a benchmark of 12,000 vaccinations in the state per day, to be achieved by the end of the next two weeks. "That will put us on track to deploy every vaccine we have in our hands each week," Brown said. However, OHA is not directly involved with most vaccinations which are currently being administered by hospitals, local public health agencies, and corporate partners like CVS and Walgreens that have taken on long-term care facilities. Brown said that OHA will be working with these providers to "streamline the distribution process" and reach her goal. This is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I have directed OHA to partner as widely as possible to ensure we are using all available resources to ramp up Oregon's vaccinations rapidly, Brown concluded. Chewy Shaw, an engineer at Google, attends a video meeting with other workers in the union from his home in Fremont, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 1, 2020. He says a union is a necessary tool to sustain pressure on management so that workers can force changes on workplace issues. (Damien Maloney/The New York Times) Kate Conger More than 225 Google engineers and other workers have formed a union, the group revealed Monday, capping years of growing activism at one of the worlds largest companies and presenting a rare beachhead for labor organizers in staunchly anti-union Silicon Valley. The unions creation is highly unusual for the tech industry, which has long resisted efforts to organize its largely white-collar workforce. It follows increasing demands by employees at Google for policy overhauls on pay, harassment and ethics, and is likely to escalate tensions with top leadership. The new union, called the Alphabet Workers Union after Googles parent company, Alphabet, was organized in secret for the better part of a year and elected its leadership last month. The group is affiliated with the Communications Workers of America, a union that represents workers in telecommunications and media in the United States and Canada. But unlike a traditional union, which demands that an employer come to the bargaining table to agree on a contract, the Alphabet Workers Union is a so-called minority union that represents a fraction of the companys more than 260,000 full-time employees and contractors. Workers said it was primarily an effort to give structure and longevity to activism at Google, rather than to negotiate for a contract. Chewy Shaw, an engineer at Google in the San Francisco Bay Area and the vice chair of the unions leadership council, said the union was a necessary tool to sustain pressure on management so that workers could force changes on workplace issues. Our goals go beyond the workplace questions of, Are people getting paid enough? Our issues are going much broader, he said. It is a time where a union is an answer to these problems. In response, Kara Silverstein, Googles director of people operations, said: Weve always worked hard to create a supportive and rewarding workplace for our workforce. Of course, our employees have protected labor rights that we support. But as weve always done, well continue engaging directly with all our employees. The new union is the clearest sign of how thoroughly employee activism has swept through Silicon Valley over the past few years. While software engineers and other tech workers largely kept quiet in the past on societal and political issues, employees at Amazon, Salesforce, Pinterest and others have become more vocal on matters like diversity, pay discrimination and sexual harassment. Nowhere have those voices been louder than at Google. In 2018, more than 20,000 employees staged a walkout to protest how the company handled sexual harassment. Others have opposed business decisions that they deemed unethical, such as developing artificial intelligence for the Defense Department and providing technology to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Even so, unions have not previously gained traction in Silicon Valley. Many tech workers shunned them, arguing that labor groups were focused on issues like wages not a top concern in the high-earning industry and were not equipped to address their concerns about ethics and the role of technology in society. Labor organizers also found it difficult to corral the tech companies huge workforces, which are scattered around the globe. Only a few small union drives have succeeded in tech. Workers at the crowdfunding site Kickstarter and at the app development platform Glitch won union campaigns last year, and a small group of contractors at a Google office in Pittsburgh unionized in 2019. Thousands of employees at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama are also set to vote on a union in the coming months. There are those who would want you to believe that organizing in the tech industry is completely impossible, Sara Steffens, CWAs secretary-treasurer, said of the new Google union. If you dont have unions in the tech industry, what does that mean for our country? Thats one reason, from CWAs point of view, that we see this as a priority. Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, said the Google union was a powerful experiment because it brought unionization into a major tech company and skirted barriers that have prevented such organizing. If it grows which Google will do everything they can to prevent it could have huge impacts not just for the workers, but for the broader issues that we are all thinking about in terms of tech power in society, she said. The union is likely to ratchet up tensions between Google engineers, who work on autonomous cars, artificial intelligence and internet search, and the companys management. Sundar Pichai, Googles chief executive, and other executives have tried to come to grips with an increasingly activist workforce but have made missteps. Last month, federal officials said Google had wrongly fired two employees who protested its work with immigration authorities in 2019. Timnit Gebru, a Black woman who is a respected artificial intelligence researcher, also said last month that Google fired her after she criticized the companys approach to minority hiring and the biases built into AI systems. Her departure set off a storm of criticism about Googles treatment of minority employees. These companies find it a bone in their throat to even have a small group of people who say, We work at Google and have another point of view, said Nelson Lichtenstein, the director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Google might well succeed in decimating any organization that comes to the floor. The Alphabet Workers Union, which represents employees in Silicon Valley and cities like Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Seattle, gives protection and resources to workers who join. Those who opt to become members will contribute 1% of their total compensation to the union to fund its efforts. Over the past year, the CWA has pushed to unionize white-collar tech workers. (The NewsGuild, a union that represents New York Times employees, is part of CWA.) The drive focused initially on employees at video game companies, who often work grueling hours and face layoffs. In late 2019, CWA organizers began meeting with Google employees to discuss a union drive, workers who attended the meetings said. Some employees were receptive and signed cards to officially join the union last summer. In December, the Alphabet Workers Union held elections to select a seven-person executive council. But several Google employees who had previously organized petitions and protests at the company objected to the CWAs overtures. They said they declined to join because they worried that the effort had sidelined experienced organizers and played down the risks of organizing as it recruited members. Amr Gaber, a Google software engineer who helped organize the 2018 walkout, said that CWA officials were dismissive of other labor groups that had supported Google workers during a December 2019 phone call with him and others. They are more concerned about claiming turf than the needs of the workers who were on the phone call, Gaber said. As a long-term labor organizer and brown man, thats not the type of union I want to build. The CWA said it was selected by Google workers to help organize the union and had not elbowed their way in. Its really the workers who chose, Steffens of CWA said. Traditional unions typically enroll a majority of a workforce and petition a state or federal labor board like the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election. If they win the vote, they can bargain with their employer on a contract. A minority union allows employees to organize without first winning a formal vote before the NLRB. The CWA has used this model to organize groups in states where it said labor laws are unfavorable, like the Texas State Employees Union and the United Campus Workers in Tennessee. The structure also gives the union the latitude to include Google contractors, who outnumber full-time workers and who would be excluded from a traditional union. Some Google employees have considered establishing a minority or solidarity union for several years, and ride-hailing drivers have formed similar groups. Although they will not be able to negotiate a contract, the Alphabet Workers Union can use other tactics to pressure Google into changing its policies, labor experts said. Minority unions often turn to public pressure campaigns and lobby legislative or regulatory bodies to influence employers. Were going to use every tool that we can to use our collective action to protect people who we think are being discriminated against or retaliated against, Shaw said. Members cited the recent NLRB finding on the firing of two employees and the exit of Gebru, the prominent researcher, as reasons to broaden its membership and publicly step up its efforts. 2021 The New York Times Company Google is making it all the more clear why we need this now, said Auni Ahsan, a software engineer at Google and an at-large member of the unions executive council. Sometimes the boss is the best organizer. There can be no doubt about Chinas growing clout in South Asia. When governments are being made and unmade by a not-so-invisible hand in Beijing, it should be clear that Chinas footprint is at an all-time high. It has been evident for some time now that states in South Asia and the wider Indian Ocean region cannot remain immune from the lure of Chinese political and economic muscle, much like the rest of the world. If, despite bilateral challenges, India can try to get the best bargain out of China by engaging in trade and other sorts of cooperation, so can its neighbours. Its infantile to cry hoarse about smaller states trying to make the best of their regional environment. Yet, strategic evolution is a constant and as 2020 came to end, China seemed to be facing an interesting scrutiny about its role in South Asia from various quarters. In an embarrassing expose last month, the National Directorate of Security of Afghanistan arrested Chinese intelligence agents engaged with Pakistani agents and members of the Taliban as well as the Haqqani network in order to promote Beijings geopolitical influence in the region. They were later allowed to leave Kabul but only after China was reportedly asked to apologise for sending in these agents. That China and Pakistan would collude in Afghanistan is not news, but what is important is the new reality confronting China today that as it becomes more proactive in shaping its regional environment, the facade of promoting peace and prosperity will quickly wear off. And then there is Nepal where after Prime Minister KP Oli dissolved Parliament and called for fresh elections, China was caught by surprise. It was at Beijings behest that the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) was formed in 2018 with the merger of Olis Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist) and Prachandas Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre. Chinas footprint in Nepal has been growing in recent years with billions of dollars of investments under its multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network. Chinas meddling became so intrusive that even Oli is reported to have told the Chinese ambassador Hou Yanqi that he was capable of handling challenges within his party without any assistance from other countries. And last weeks high-profile visit by Guo Yezhou, vice-minister of the international department of the Chinese Communist Partys central committee, also failed in its attempts at bringing together the two rival factions of the NCP led by Oli and former prime ministers Prachanda and Madhav Nepal. China will, of course, continue to work behind the scenes to preserve its equities in Nepal. But in a nation where citizens are highly sensitive about perceived political interference, the blowback from this high voltage diplomacy aimed at shaping domestic politics is likely to be rather strong. Given Chinas widening interests across South Asia, it was inevitable that it would like to be more involved in shaping the domestic politics and preferences of the regional states. And as China has become more involved in the domestic politics of its neighbours, it is finding out that it is easy to preach to other nations from the sidelines and rather difficult to practise what you preach when you are the focal point of attention. Chinas political, economic and military engagement in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region will continue to grow as regional states will want to leverage Beijings growing heft to their advantage. But the constant lament in New Delhi that China is winning in South Asia neither does justice to Indias own regional profile nor does it give its due to the agency of smaller states in the region to pursue their vital national interests in a pragmatic manner. It is easy to forget that even till the first decade of this century, the main narrative about South Asia was one of India-Pakistan dyad. New Delhis growing capabilities and an aspirational foreign policy outlook has ensured that as we enter the third decade of the 21st century, South Asia is being today seen as the pivotal theatre of the wider Indo-Pacific where the key faultlines of this phase of global politics will be played out. The central story of our times is an ever more dynamic interaction between the two major powers of the Indo-Pacific: India and China. Despite being the weaker of the two players, it is India that is not only challenging China when it comes to the major ideas of our times, but is also standing up and confronting China to preserve its vital interests. Whether it is the narrative surrounding Xi Jinpings vanity project, BRI, or the discourse on the Indo-Pacific, which China tried its best to discredit, it is Indias leadership that was key to making them possible. By standing up militarily to China on the Himalayan borders, India also made it possible for smaller nations at the receiving end of Chinese aggression to envision the possibility that subservience to China is not the only option. And as the competition for influence intensifies in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region, New Delhi is making it clear that not only will it fight hard to push against the Chinese Communist Partys malevolent agenda in its neighbourhood but will also ensure that its preferred model of working in partnership with its neighbours to develop a sustainable political and economic agenda continues to retain its centrality. The constant lament in India about Chinas rising profile in its vicinity should give place to a new awareness that this is just a beginning of a long-drawn-out struggle between two regional players which is yet to acquire its full potency. And New Delhi should be fully prepared for it. Harsh V Pant is professor, Kings College London, and director of studies, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi The views expressed are personal New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be conducting the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) on Sunday (31 January) 2021 at various examination centres across the country. The admit cards for CTET 2021 will be released on the official website https://ctet.nic.in. The exam dates were postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The dates for the admit cards have not been shared yet. CBSE is expected to release the call letters by the second week of January. All the candidates appearing for the CTET 2021 examination are advised to regularly check the official website, so that no important information is missed. Steps to download the admit card: 1. Candidates should first visit the official website to download the CBSE CTET 2021 exam Admit card. 2. Check for the admit card thread on the website and click on it. 3. Please submit your information and submit it. 4. The Admit card will appear on your screen. Save it and take a print out of the copy. Exam Pattern: The CTET test is conducted in two phases. The first paper is organized for the primary stage and the second paper for the elementary stage. If the candidate wants to teach till class 1- 8, then the candidate has to appear for both the papers. The number of questions for both papers will be 150. Paper-1 - For the candidates who want to teach classes 1 to 5. Paper-2 - For the candidates who want to teach from class 6 to 8. The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is a mandatory examination for those who want to work as a teacher in Central government schools. No candidate can apply for the vacancies in the Kendriya Vidyalaya without passing the CTET examination. The CTET certificate has a validity of 9 years. Live TV AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sante Ventures (Sante), an early-stage healthcare and life sciences investment firm, today announced a series of end-of-year senior appointments and promotions, including naming two new Partners, to strengthen the firm's senior leadership team across venture investing, capital formation, and data & analytics. James Eadie, MD, a current Partner at Sante, has been promoted to Managing Director. He first joined the firm in 2010 following two tours of active duty service in Iraq as a Major and Military Physician in the U.S. Air Force. Dennis McWilliams, who founded SparkMed Advisors, Apollo Endosurgery, and Chrysalis BioTechnology before joining Sante as Venture Partner 18 months ago, has been named a Partner. Omar Khalil, a Sante alumnus, returns to the firm as a Partner to lead its new Boston office, having spent the last nine years in executive roles at Kaleo and Baxter International Inc. Sante has also formed a Senior Advisory Board to provide the firm with original, expert insights into economic, technology and geopolitical trends at the intersection of health and technology. This Board will be chaired by Dennis Lockhart, formerly the fourteenth President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He is joined on the Board by fellow Senior Strategic Advisor Michael Hoffman, who previously Co-Founded Palamon Capital Partners and served as a Partner of Warburg Pincus. The Board's remaining positions will be filled by professionals from a variety of relevant areas including artificial intelligence, biotechnology & bioinformatics, behavioral economics, public policy & government regulation, and global capital markets. The members' collective acumen will help ensure Sante continues to prioritize its strategic vision, while maintaining a broad search for investment and acquisition opportunities over the next 10 years that will deliver attractive returns for investors. Sante has also announced two new senior hires. Victoria Nguyen, who previously served as Chief Innovation Officer at Whitespace Solutions and as an Intelligence Officer for nearly a decade with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, has joined the firm as Head of Data & Analytics. Brooke Jones, previously Director at Brooklands Capital Strategies and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, has also been appointed Head of Capital Formation. "Venture is a team sport and as Sante continues to nurture complex, innovative technologies that improve lives and generate returns we must surround ourselves with the brightest minds and a healthy mix of outside and internally-developed talent," said Kevin Lalande, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Sante. "We extend our sincere congratulations to Sante's newest leaders, many of whom are talented, enthusiastic entrepreneurs. Together, we will continue to build companies of consequence and a diverse portfolio across biotech, healthtech and medtech for many years to come." About Sante's New and Promoted Executives Mr. Eadie joined Sante in 2010 and is an Emergency Medicine Physician. He was previously Vice-Chair of Emergency Medicine at Wilford Hall Medical Center, an academic level-one trauma center. Mr. Eadie is an Oversight Committee member for the University of Michigan's Michigan Translational Research & Commercialization program, an early-stage granting body for life science companies. He is also a Mentor in the Coulter Program at Michigan and a Board Member of the Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care. Board-certified in emergency medicine, Mr. Eadie earned his MD at Harvard Medical School and completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Ms. Jones joined Sante in April from Brooklands Capital Strategies, a leading boutique global capital raising and strategic advisory partner for alternative asset managers and companies. She established the firm's presence on the East Coast, advanced the firm's institutional investor relationships in North America, and helped launch several new investment products. Ms. Jones previously served as Co-Head of Capital Strategy at Bank of America, where she advised hedge funds and asset management firms on capital raising and product development. She was also a Director on the Capital Introductions team at Citi and held a similar role at Credit Suisse. Mr. Khalil rejoined Sante in 2020, where he concentrates on the biotechnology space, and manages the firm's Boston office. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles with Baxter International, Baxalta (now part of Takeda) and Kaleo, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel drug delivery platform primarily focused in Allergy & Immunology. Mr. Khalil has managed and led businesses from early clinical development through commercial launch, scaling them, to more than $3 billion in annual sales. Earlier in his career, Mr. Khalil spent four years at Sante as a Principal and also worked at McKinsey & Company in the healthcare practice, where he served leading medical device and pharmaceutical companies. Mr. Lockhart joined Sante as a Senior Strategic Advisor in 2020, having embarked on a career across the private sector, academia, and government. He recently stepped down from the position of President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, where he was responsible for all the Bank's activities including monetary policy, bank supervision and regulation, and payment services. In addition, he served on the Federal Reserve's chief monetary policy body, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). Mr. Lockhart was also a Faculty Member of Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service where he chaired the Master's program's concentrations in global commerce and finance and international business-government relations. He also was an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, Chairman of the Small Enterprise Assistance Funds, President of Heller International Group, and Chair of the U.S. Export-Import Bank's Advisory Committee. Mr. McWilliams is a serial life science entrepreneur and innovator dedicated to globally commercializing medical technologies. Prior to joining Sante, Dennis founded SparkMed Advisors, a boutique advisory to the medical device space, Apollo Endosurgery, a medical device company developing novel flexible surgical devices for less invasive surgery, and co-founded Chrysalis BioTechnology a development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on novel drug therapies for tissue regeneration. He started his career as an Analyst for the IC2 Institute, a global think tank focused on applied entrepreneurship and commercialization research. Dennis also serves as Co-Course Director for the B.E.S.T. Innovation Course, has taught at the IHU Institute in Strasbourg France, is a Member of the Center for BioDesign's Advisory Counsel at Johns Hopkins University and is a frequent Lecturer in the Stanford BioDesign Fellowship program. Ms. Nguyen first began working with Sante in 2016 and currently coordinates data and human intelligence to improve the firm's competitive advantage through better insight. A recognized authority in spatiotemporal analytic tradecraft and Big Data analysis, Ms. Nguyen served as the Senior Intelligence Officer for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's Counterterrorism Division prior to joining Sante, where she pioneered new data methodologies and drove novel application of technologies against no-fail global operations. A change agent and trusted advisor to senior leadership, she led and implemented Agency-wide tradecraft and technology transformation. Ms. Nguyen completed 13 deployments in direct support of the United States Special Operations Command and interagency partners. Ms. Nguyen is a recipient of the Presidential Unit Citation and Joint Civilian Service Commendation for notable service and contributions to U.S. National Security. About Sante Ventures Founded in 2006, Sante Ventures is a specialized healthcare and life sciences investment firm with over a half-billion dollars in capital under management. The firm invests in early-stage companies developing innovative new medical technologies, biotechnologies, and digitally enabled healthcare services. Recent Sante successes include Claret Medical (Boston Scientific), TVA Medical (Becton Dickinson), Millipede Medical (Boston Scientific), Molecular Templates (MTEM), AbVitro (Celgene), and Explorys (IBM Corp). Sante invests nationally and has offices in Austin, TX, and Boston, MA. For more information, please visit www.sante.com . Media Contacts Sante Ventures Press and Community Relations [email protected] 512.721.1200 Trevor Gibbons, Prosek Partners [email protected] 646.818.9238 SOURCE Sante Ventures Related Links http://www.sante.com With the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic and the journey to find a cure, the question of vaccines has again risen to the forefront. In regards to the pandemic many people see the vaccine as a viable solution to help move forward towards ending the pandemic and bringing things back to normal. However, everyone does not have the same viewpoint or opinion about vaccines. Some even wonder should Christians get vaccines? You might be wondering the same thing. Some will say take it and others will say dont take it. That does not help you if you are trying to make a sound and biblical decision. I want to be clear I am not a medical professional, so I am not trying to give medical advice. I am in no position to do that. I am simply trying to answer this question from a faith perspective and nothing else. Should We Get Vaccinated? While many people see vaccines as a normal part of life, there are many who dont hold this view. The real issue of vaccination is not one of right or wrong, it is one of personal choice and preference. When asking should Christians get vaccines, we cannot make this a question of sin, judgment, or condemnation. In other words, you are not sinning if you get vaccinated and you are not sinning if you dont. Let me give you a biblical reference that you can use as a guideline to help you as you think about this topic. Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One persons faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone elses servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand (Romans 14:1-4). Here are 3 ways this can be applied in relation to vaccines. 1. It Is a Disputable Matter Whether you believe Christians should get vaccines or you are on the other side, this is an issue that can be disputed. I would encourage you to follow Pauls advice and dont make it an issue you quarrel about. Dont turn a decision of personal choice into an issue of right and wrong. 2. Accept the One Whose Faith Is Weak In this scenario, the one who gets it could be the one with weak faith. The other side is true as well meaning the one who doesnt get the vaccine could be the one whose faith is weak. Regardless of how you feel about vaccines, if someone feels differently you should not judge them or treat them with contempt. This word contempt means not to despise a person or show disdain towards them. In this matter you should accept the one whose opinion is different than yours. I think you would agree showing contempt or judgment helps no one and is not a display of Godly character. 3. God Has Accepted Them The most important thing to remember is that the ones making this vaccination decision are not your servants, they are Gods. Whether you agree with their decision or not God will accept them regardless of how they choose. You should do the same. Photo credit: Getty Images/Seb_ra What Does the Bible Say about Our Health? As far as our health is concerned, one thing to remember about our bodies is they are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We have a responsibility to take care of our bodies as best we can and not abuse them. In this chapter Paul was referring to sexual immorality, but this principle can apply to anything that can be abusive to your body. Let me be clear: I am not saying vaccines are abusive. What I am saying is that God wants us to be mindful of how we treat these temples he has given us. Does the Bible Support Religious Exemption? The idea of religious exemption is choosing to not take a vaccine for religious purposes. When some people think about whether Christians should get vaccines, they claim a religious exemption. The truth is you could probably use the Bible to support taking a vaccine. You could also probably use it to support not taking one. Even though people can claim a religious exemption, the decision is still a personal one. Even if you use the scriptures to defend your position it will still come down to personal conviction. Remember it is not sinful to get a vaccine or to not get one. Should Christians Get Vaccinated, or Not? Part of the debate with vaccines is balancing the good of the person with the good of the community. I believe this is the one of the arguments that medical professionals use as to why you should get a vaccine. They have been proven to stop the spread of disease. If you think back one hundred years ago, many of the diseases that killed people then have been eradicated with science and medicine and the use of vaccines. If you are arguing for the good of the community then you could argue that Christians should take vaccines because that could fall under the command of loving your neighbor as yourself. However there is a large and growing segment of the Christian world who feel opposite of this opinion. For this reason there is no way to say definitively that Christians should or should not get vaccinated. I think its important for everyone to do their due diligence and be convinced what they think is the right thing to do. I know this may be an anti-climactic response, but I dont see how you can come to any other conclusion that is not based in your own subjectivity. As Paul said in Romans allow people to make up their mind, accept them, and dont treat them with contempt if their conclusion in different than yours. Photo credit: Getty Images/Matthew. Horwood/Stringer Why Do We Need Vaccines if God Protects Us? In some circles there can be a tendency to despise the use of medicine. Does God protect us? The answer is yes. Yet there are ways and means that God uses to protect us. For example, God put it into the hearts of men to create seatbelts which protects us in the event of a car accident. I think it is not only fair but safe to say that God does not despise medicine he uses it and works through it. There are times when God will heal you miraculously without any medical intervention at all. However God will also use medical intervention to bring healing. The same truth we considered earlier applies here as well. If you are sick and go to the doctor, there is nothing wrong with that. Also you must acknowledge that God gives us faith and wisdom. Faith is necessary to believe God can heal and wisdom is necessary to understand that he often uses medicine to do it. Whether God uses the power of medicine or his own power, they are both ways God protects you. How Should Christians Respond to Anti-Vaxxers? As I have mentioned earlier, there are some who are very much against vaccines. They are given a label as anti-vaxxers. To be an anti-vaxxer may cause a problem in certain scenarios such as school and education. Some school districts and colleges require vaccinations for kids to attend school. The one word of caution I would offer is to be careful about where you gather your facts. You have a responsibility to test the information about vaccines that is out there. With the rise of information available, you have to sort through it to find what is legitimate and true. You want to make sure that you are making your decision based on the most reliable and credible information possible. The question of should Christians get vaccines should be approached like so many other issues that are not black and white issues. Always err on the side of grace. Granted, there may be some who feel very strongly about this topic and that is their right. Just make sure you approach others who may be on the other side of your opinion with grace and accept them as the Bible calls us to do. Photo credit: Getty Images/Sittithat Tangwitthayaphum Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a speaker, Bible teacher, author and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He has spent more than 30 years serving the body of Christ in various capacities and has just released his first book, The Pursuit of Purpose. If you have ever struggled trying to find Gods will, this book will help you discover the different ways God leads you into his perfect will. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com. A multi-millionaire British tech entrepreneur has been charged with rape and multiple counts of sexual assault. Lawrence Jones, 52, who is worth 700million, is the founder and former chief executive of UKFast, a cloud computing firm. The business has previously featured in Sunday Times' lists for 'Best Companies to Work For' and Jones was once branded 'Britain's nicest boss' and has written of his joy at being in Windsor for Prince Harry and Meghan Markles wedding in 2018. Jones took a leave of absence in November 2019 after it was claimed two female employees had accused him of sexual assault and unwanted sexual advances. Lawrence Jones, 52, of Brooks Drive in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, has been charged with one count of rape and four sexual assaults In Jones' absence his wife Gail will take over, the company said. Jones, of Brooks Drive in Hale Barns, Greater Manchester, has been charged with one count of rape and four sexual assaults. The alleged offences are said to have occurred in 2010 and 2013. Greater Manchester Police began an investigation in 2019 and Jones stood down as CEO of the company in November that year. GMP said in a statement: 'A man has been charged with rape and sexual assault following an investigation by detectives. Jones, 52, is worth 700million and attended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's wedding, is the founder and former chief executive of UKFast, a cloud computing firm 'Lawrence Jones, of Brooks Drive, Hale Barns, has been charged with one count of rape and four counts of sexual assault following reports in 2019. 'The offences are alleged to have taken place in 2010 and 2013 respectively.' Jones is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on 26 January 2021. In 2015, Jones was awarded an MBE by the Queen for services to the digital economy and Princes Anne has visited his office after granting it a Princess Royal Training Award in 2018. Jones has donated 100,000 to the Conservative party since 2017 and was pictured with Boris Johnson at Tory party conference two years later. The alleged offences are said to have occurred in 2010 and 2013. Greater Manchester Police began an investigation in 2019 and Jones stood down as CEO of the company in November that year Following the allegations against Jones in 2019, The Press Association revealed that the firm had removed a major family business and an ambulance service from its advertising. North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and key cutter Timpson both told PA they would ask under-pressure UKFast to take their names off the company's online marketing following the allegations being published in the Financial Times. Both organisations have since disappeared from the website, as has a third, Space 48, which did not respond to requests for comment from PA. Jones said in a statement: 'Approximately eighteen months ago, I contacted the police and was interviewed voluntarily because I became aware of rumours circulating about me that although false were extremely damaging. 'I have fully co-operated with the police throughout, and am determined to ensure that my name is cleared. 'In the circumstances, at this time it would not be appropriate to say any more, other than to state clearly that I did not do what is being alleged.' While following up on reports of vandalism, police officers discovered and arrested a suspected drug dealer in a flat on 31 December 2020. According to the police bulletin, the officers went to the building in Rue de Bonnevoie after they had received a call from someone complaining about acts of vandalism. During their investigation, the policemen discovered a person in the middle of consuming illegal substances with three other individuals inside one of the flats. When the officers asked the four individuals to accompany them to the police station, one of them tried to flee the scene but was stopped by the police in the staircase. While searching the flat with a sniffer dog, the police did not find any drugs besides those the individuals had been consuming. The suspected dealer was hostile and unwilling to cooperate with the police officers. The man was arrested on the orders of the public prosecutor's office and was brought to the prison in Schrassig. On Friday, he was presented to the examining magistrate on the suspicion of drug trafficking. In total, police seized 20 grams of cocaine, a small amount of cannabis, some cash, and a mobile phone. Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran has revealed that he has acquired the Kerala distribution rights for upcoming Kannada action-drama KGF: Chapter 2, which will hit the screens this summer. The film will be released via Prithvirajs home banner, Prithviraj Productions. Prithviraj took to Twitter to make the announcement. Sharing a poster, he wrote, Im a huge fan of the KGF franchise and pretty much everything associated with it. Hombale Films were among the first to reach out to me after Lucifer and discuss the possibility of an association. I definitely look forward to that but no better way to start the journey than to have the privilege of presenting one of the most anticipated films in the country. Prithviraj Productions is proud to present KGF 2. Like millions of you... I too am waiting to see Rockys take unfold (sic). Directed by Prashanth Neel, the second part in the KGF franchise is gearing up for release this summer. The makers are all set to unveil the teaser of the second part on January 8 on the occasion of actor Yashs birthday. The team recently completed filming the final schedule which included a major action sequence. The next few months will be spent on the post-production as the film will be heavy on VFX. The shoot of KGF: Chapter 2 resumed after many months this August. It was the second Kannada film after Phantom to resume shooting amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Bigg Boss 14 is worst season ever: Devoleena, Shefali, Kamya express opinion after Salman Khan scolds Jasmin, Rubina The project marks the southern debut of actor Sanjay Dutt, who plays the antagonist. The film also stars Raveena Tandon in a crucial role. The film is being directed by Prashanth Neel. The makers recently revealed the first glimpse of Sanjay Dutts character from the film. The Khalnayak star will be seen playing the primary antagonist which was only teased in the first part. He will be seen playing a character called Adheera. Follow @htshowbiz on Twitter ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Chinese jets made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan's defence zone last year, a defence official said Tuesday, as a military-linked think-tank warned tensions were now at their highest since the mid-1990s. Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it one day, by force if necessary. Beijing's animosity has increased dramatically since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen won election in 2016, as she rejects the idea that the island is part of "one China". But the sabre-rattling reached new peaks last year as Beijing sent jets, bombers and surveillance planes into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) at an unprecedented rate. "The 380 incursions into our southwest ADIZ in 2020 are a lot more frequent than the past," said defence ministry spokesman Shih Shun-wen. "This... poses a threat to regional and our national security." Chinese aircraft targeted the area "to test our military's response, to exert pressure on our aerial defence and to squeeze the aerial space for our activities", he added. The figures came as the military-affiliated Institute for National Defence and Security Research warned in an annual report on the People's Liberation Army that "the Chinese military threat was the highest since the 1996 missile crisis in Taiwan Strait". That year Beijing fired missiles into the strait in a bid to deter voters in the island's first democratic presidential election, prompting Washington to send warships to the area. Jeremy Hung, a co-author of the report, said Chinese jets flew closer to Taiwan and frequently into its defence zone on at least 110 days last year. Beijing's increased military actions were meant as "a warning to Taiwan not to cross the red line" amid warming relations with the United States, Hung said. Chinese jets also crossed over the so-called "median line" of the Taiwan Strait during two high-level visits by US officials. The median line is unofficial but, until now, largely adhered to border running down the narrow strait separating Taiwan from the mainland. Last year a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman declared the line did not exist. Beijing has also been angered by the increasingly warm ties Taiwan built with Washington during outgoing President Donald Trump's tenure. On top of the high-level visits, his administration approved some $18 billion worth of arms sales to Taipei, while US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait 13 times last year, according to local media. Schools in the Republic of Ireland may remain closed until the end of the month under plans being considered by Government to stop the rapid spread of Covid-19. Primary and secondary schools were due to reopen next Monday but the Irish Cabinet is set to consider keeping them closed for another two or three weeks. The moves comes as 6,110 new Covid cases were recorded along with six deaths. Meanwhile, 776 patients remained in hospital last night after testing positive for Covid-19 while 70 people were in intensive care units. A Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 will meet to discuss the escalating public health crisis, and a key focus of the meeting will be on schools. Education Minister Norma Foley will update the Cabinet sub-committee on the latest situation regarding schools. Party leaders and ministers will consider asking schools to remain closed to stop the spread of the virus among students, teachers and their parents. Plans are also being discussed to keep some schools open for the children of frontline workers and those with disabilities or who are from disadvantaged areas. A Government source said schools would be closed not because they are unsafe but to stop the movement of around a million people. It comes as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced all schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from today in England. Schools in Scotland will shut for the rest of January. On Monday night, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said we are going to see a significant impact on the provision of education due to the escalating spread of Covid-19. He said there are decisions to be taken by Government on the schools issue and they will meet this week. He spoke to Taoiseach Micheal Martin on Monday about schools. While the transmission of the virus in school-going children is still below average it is increasing at a very fast rate. He said they were looking at the contribution schools would make in ongoing transmission. We have made clear that high levels of transmission pose a risk to all sort of activities, Dr Holohan said. We have successfully managed to protect children and education but you can see the position we are in now with very high levels of transmission. Those high rates now represent a risk to all of those objectives. Expand Close Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group (Brian Lawless/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group (Brian Lawless/PA) Professor Philip Nolan, chair of Nphets Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said the issue was not just what happens in schools but what happens around the service. Meanwhile, ministers across all three Government parties anticipate that schools will not fully reopen next week due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases. A Fine Gael minister told the Irish Independent: Schools will not fully reopen next week. Meanwhile, a Fianna Fail minister said they would be very surprised if the Government did not to keep schools closed for longer after delaying their reopening until January 11. A Government spokesperson said: Schools will be discussed at Cabinet committee and then Cabinet. The Taoiseach had discussions with the opposition leaders today (Monday)to update them on the situation, he added. Meanwhile, Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin is understood to be cautious about the reopening of schools. Ms Martin, a former schoolteacher, believes that even if Nphet recommend opening schools it will have to be done very differently to ensure teachers, pupils and their parents are kept safe. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan yesterday said he would wait to hear from Nphet. Expand Close Josepha Madigan (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Josepha Madigan (Brian Lawless/PA) However, Minister of State in the Department of Education Josepha Madigan insisted on Monday that there is no advice against reopening schools next week. If schools do reopen the primary teachers union INTO wants them to have the flexibility to shut and switch to remote learning if Covid makes it too difficult for them to stay open. That was part of a back-up plan presented by the union to Education Minister Norma Foley yesterday. The union is concerned that some principals may find themselves facing high levels of Covid-related staff absence and will not be able to secure a substitute to allow them to open the school safely. Up to now, schools had no authority to close to deal with the fallout from a Covid outbreak unless public health officials made such a recommendation. In the first term, some schools here took a unilateral decision to shut but were forced into a U-turn by the Department of Education. In Northern Ireland, First Minister Arlene Foster announced an extended period of remote learning for schools. It came after ministers there met to discuss their response to the deepening coronavirus crisis. Ms Foster said the situation there was dire. The advice coming to us is that we will need to take action and that well need to take action very quickly, she said speaking ahead of the meeting. I was very clear that I would like to keep schools open for as long as possible but if it is the case that we do need to close schools, as we did in March of last year, I will deeply regret that, but we will of course take whatever action is needed based on the medical evidence in front of us. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Irish Independent Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor The U.N. nuclear watchdog has confirmed in a report to member states that Iran has begun the process of enriching uranium to a higher level than it has done since its 2015 deal with major powers took effect, Irans envoy to the agency said on Monday. "The IAEA DG reported today that ... the Agency ... confirmed that a cylinder containing 137.2 kg of uranium (enriched) up to 4.1% has been connected to the feeding line and production of UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) enriched up to 20% started," Irans ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Kazem Gharibabadi said on Twitter. He was referring to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and to activity at Irans Fordow site dug inside a mountain. Iran has recently been enriching up to 4.5%, higher than the 3.67% allowed by the deal, and said it plans to enrich up to the 20% it achieved before the deal, Reuters reported. Earlier on Monday, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told media the process of enriching uranium to 20% had started at Fordo. Liles wife later told police that she and her husband invited her best friend and Thomas over to meet Thomas, who the best friend had been dating about a month, records said. Everyone appeared to be having a good time, Liles wife said, and though she did hear Lile and Thomas arguing about their military experiences, she believed the arguing to be good-natured and didnt see them get physical with each other, nor did she see who shot who until she saw Nicholas Lile on the ground, according to the affidavit. New Jersey Democrats in Washington and Trenton took aim at President Donald Trump Monday over his weekend phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger about overturning the states presidential election results. Trump, who lost Georgia to Joe Biden by 11,779 votes, told the Republican secretary of state, I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state, according to a transcript of the phone call provided by the Washington Post. Im not a lawyer, but I know his berating and pressure tactics are inappropriate, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist., said on Twitter. His threats certainly appear to me to be criminal. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-9th Dist., who in November called for prosecuting Trump for crimes against our nation and Constitution, tweeted that the president on the Georgia call committed a felony on tape trying to rig the election. And at his coronavirus press briefing, Gov. Phil Murphy mentioned the Georgia phone call while condemning as unpatriotic efforts by Republican senators and representatives to challenge the certified results in battleground states that Biden won over allegations of voter fraud rejected by dozens of judges and state officials. An American president is sitting in the Oval Office, working the phones to subvert American democracy for his personal benefit, Murphy said. Let that sink in for a minute. Watson Coleman and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist., on Monday co-sponsored a resolution by a Georgia Democrat, Hank Johnson, that censures and condemns Trump for the conversation and calls on him to retract and disavow this unlawful and unconstitutional behavior and recognize Bidens win. On the phone call, the president made several allegations of fraud, including dead voters, out-of-state voters and people voting in the names of others, all of which had been debunked by state officials who counted the ballots three times before certifying Bidens win. I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ballots under table scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021 It was pretty obvious very early on that we debunked every one of those theories that had been out there, but President Trump continues to believe them, Raffensperger said Monday on ABCs Good Morning America. Raffensperger told Trump the same thing on the phone call, according to the transcript. Weve had several lawsuits, and weve had to respond in court to the lawsuits and the contentions, he said. We dont agree that you have won. But Trump warned that Raffensperger and others could face criminal penalties if they allowed the vote count to stand. Youve taken a state thats a Republican state, and youve made it almost impossible for a Republican to win because of cheating, Trump said. It is more illegal for you than it is for them because you know what they did and youre not reporting it. Thats a criminal, thats a criminal offense. And you cant let that happen. Thats a big risk to you. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. The judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CC) have adopted a statement on the situation in connection with the issuance of the decree of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on the dismissal of head of the Constitutional Court Oleksandr Tupytsky in which they declare the possibility of blocking the work of the Constitutional Court in connection with non-compliance by the authorities and officials with the requirements of the Constitution of Ukraine. "The judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine are concerned over the situation in connection with the issuance by the President of Ukraine of the decree 'On the dismissal of a judge of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine' dated December 29, 2020 No. 607/2020," the statement published on the Constitutional Court website on Tuesday reads. The statement emphasizes that in Ukraine, as in a state governed by the rule of law, state power is exercised on the principles of its division into legislative, executive and judicial. State authorities and officials, in turn, must strictly follow the requirements of the Constitution, "including those that guarantee the independence of the Constitutional Court." At the same time, the Constitution establishes the grounds and procedure for dismissing a judge of the Constitutional Court from office and terminating his powers, the judges note. "The meeting of judges of the Constitutional Court draws attention to the inadmissibility of non-compliance by state authorities and officials with the requirements of the Constitution of Ukraine, which may lead to blocking the Constitutional Court's work, which will make it impossible to exercise constitutional control in order to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution of Ukraine, assertion of human rights and freedoms," the statement reads. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Cloud on Tuesday announced the elevation of as its new leader for Asia Pacific. He currently leads Cloud in India. Bajwa will lead all regional revenue and go-to-market operations for Cloud, including on Platform (GCP) and Google Workspace from January 5, 2021, a statement said. He succeeds Rick Harshman who leaves the organization for a new opportunity, it added. Bajwa is currently based in Gurgaon, but will relocate to Singapore in 2021. He will continue to lead in India until a new senior leader for the business is appointed. He will report to Rob Enslin, President of Sales, Since Karan joined us in March 2020, Google Cloud in India has grown from strength to strength. He's advanced the digital transformation journeys of many large Indian organisations across industries and successfully expanded our partner community," Enslin said. Bajwa brings management and sales experience with him to this regional role, and the organisation is thrilled to have him at the helm of the APAC business, Enslin added. With the disruptions of 2020 behind us, a true test of 2021 will be how replatform and build on the cloud not only for resilience but agility and innovation, and I'm excited for the opportunity to lead Google Cloud's business in APAC to maximise this next phase of growth, Bajwa said. Google Cloud is on a strong growth trajectory within Asia Pacific and counts ANZ Bank, Lendlease, Optus, Sharechat, Tech Mahindra, L&T Finance, Wipro, Samsung Electronics, Foxconn, Kia Motors, Go-JEK, Tokopedia, and XL Axiata among its customers. The company also continues to invest in technical infrastructure in the region having launched its GCP regions in Jakarta and Seoul last year, with planned expansion to Delhi and Melbourne in 2021. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! The FD eye mask, one of the products launched, has been nominated for the Cosmoprof Asia Awards due to its innovation. The product takes the form of an eye mask with solid serum, developed through the use of the Freeze-drying (FD) and Flash Release Technology that is exclusive to Weibo Hi-Tech. The technology preserves the eye serum in a solid state, thereby greatly boosting the activity of its ingredients. The eye mask instantly blends with water to promote transdermal absorption, and helps firm and rejuvenate the skin. Derived from the pharmaceutical industry, the Freeze-drying and Flash Release Technology rapidly sublimates the water in the liquid serum to produce a dehydrated product, maximising the activity of the product's beneficial ingredients without adding preservatives and maintaining its efficacy and safety. About Weibo Hi-Tech Based in Beijing, China, Weibo Hi-Tech is a biotechnology group with strong research and production capabilities focusing on the manufacturing of FD serums, FD masks and FD eye masks. The company has a professional R&D team and holds more than 200 patents. Its ISO22716 and GMPC-certified facility consists of a number of production lines and high-tech equipment which enable a fully automatic operation from production to intelligent packaging. The company is a leading OEM in the beauty industry widely recognised for its technical capabilities. It has cooperated with top-tier beauty brands such as L'Oreal, Unilever, Shanghai Jahwa, and Inoherb. Its FD beauty products are well received in China and are best-selling items on major e-commerce platforms with daily sales of 10 million. Any inquiries about Weibo Hi-Tech, please contact: Wenhu Wang Executive Vice President Hotline: 4000-999-361 Email: [email protected] Website: www.i-solu.com About Cosmoprof Asia Digital Week The first-ever edition of Cosmoprof Asia Digital Week has concluded successfully, creating copious business opportunities for the world's companies and operators looking for new business solutions in the Asia-Pacific region. 652 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions took part in the event. 8,953 visitors from 115 countries and regions registered on the platform in order to virtually network, learn about current and upcoming trends. Cosmoprof Asia Digital Week offered a vital virtual business arena for the whole beauty industry while we are all waiting to meet again in Hong Kong in November 2021 for Cosmoprof Asia. Stay tuned for updates! SOURCE Cosmoprof Asia Fire crews had to move 160 cows to safety after one hundred tonnes of hay caught fire on a Cumbria farm. Emergency services were called to a barn blaze in Temple Sowerby on Monday (4 January). The incident caused 'significant damage' to the barn, but no injuries were recorded. The fire was eventually extinguished and brought under control by crews. (Photo: Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service) Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service has issued advice and guidance to farmers to avoid future incidents. Figures show that every year in the UK, 1,700 farm buildings and 66,000 areas of grassland are destroyed by fire. Half of these fires are started deliberately, either as an act of mindless vandalism or a fraudulent insurance claim. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. A Communist spy once try to infiltrate the Royal Family by targeting Princess Margaret's husband, it has been claimed. Czech secret agent Captain Bohumil Karkan - who used the code-name Krupsky - is said to have twice met Lord Snowdon in the 1970s during the Cold War. The revelation comes from previously unseen documents recently released from the then-Czechoslovakian StB secret police. Czech secret agent Captain Bohumil Karkan - who used the code-name Krupsky - is said to have twice met Lord Snowdon in the 1970s during the Cold War According to The Sun, the file says the spy posed as a Czech embassy official to get a meeting with Lord Snowdon. The Queen's brother-in-law is then said to have agreed to meet the agent at his home in Kensington Palace and gave him his phone number. During the meeting it is believed they discussed an upcoming royal tour of the Soviet Union by Prince Philip and Princess Anne in 1973, where they would attend the European Horse Trials. Princess Margaret's husband is said to have agreed to meet the agent at his home in Kensington Palace and gave him his phone number. Describing one meeting, Krupsky described it as a 'friendly atmosphere, which created conditions for further social contact'. Lord Snowdon, a keen photographer who had previously visited the Soviet bloc, is said to have asked the agent about getting his photography exhibition into Czechoslovakia. It is not suggested Lord Snowdon realised the man was a spy or that he colluded with communist spies. Buckingham Palace declined to comment. The Queen's brother-in-law is then said to have agreed to meet the agent at his home in Kensington Palace and gave him his phone number The Royals have been exposed to Communist spies in the past, most notably Anthony Blunt, a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring. Having been recruited by the NKVD, Blunt returned to Britain where he joined MI5 at the start of the war, from where he passed intelligence on to the Soviets. Having avoided detection, he refocused on his career as an art historian, becoming Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures which gave him access to Buckingham Palace. He was given a knighthood for his work in the expansion of the Queen's Gallery, and even continued in his post after admitting to having been a spy in 1964. He retired from his role in 1973, and was later stripped of his knighthood when it was publicly revealed he was a spy in 1979. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Hong Kong: Day patient screening to be enhanced (To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.) The Hospital Authority will enhance the COVID-19 testing arrangements for patients attending day care centres and receiving day services as well as healthcare staff. The authoritys Chief Manager (Clinical Effectiveness & Technology Management) Dr Linda Yu made the remarks at a press briefing this afternoon, adding that day patients will have to undergo virus testing before they receive the services. The Hospital Authority will further strengthen the infection control measures in hospitals by performing screening for day patients. When day patients need to receive service in the day wards, they will be arranged to have COVID-19 testing before they have the service." Regular day admissions will be recommended to repeat the COVID-19 test on a weekly basis, Dr Yu added. We will also minimise patients need of having meals in hospitals and if needed, we will provide light meals instead of full meals to decrease patients time for not wearing a mask. The authority plans to arrange regular tests for targeted staff providing care for vulnerable patients in the coming two weeks. The initial target staff groups include those working in day centres providing chemotherapy for cancer patients, outreach teams visiting institutions such as Community Geriatric Assessment Teams and Psycho-geriatric Outreach Teams, Palliative Care Outreach Teams and staff of oncology wards and haemodialysis centres. This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. According to his boss, Scott MacNaughton has a full plate. But it hasnt stopped him from pursuing a seat at the table for criminal justice reform. MacNaughton is a sergeant investigator in the Public Integrity and Cyber Crime Division of the Bexar County District Attorneys Office. He recently applied for and accepted an appointment by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Advisory Committee of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice on Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments. The board oversees an office under the governor and the panel contains various experts to advise it. Abbott announced MacNaughtons appointment to it Dec. 1. On ExpressNews.com: Jurists have big plans for Bexar County courts coalition MacNaughton said he believes his law enforcement experience, coupled with his passion for public policy and drive to help improve the criminal justice system, is a good fit for the panel, and the appointment comes at the right time. This is an opportunity to do something really important with a vulnerable population, he said. Making sure they are are taken care of is really important, whether incarcerated or not. He previously served on the Texas Crime Victims Institute Advisory Council, which conducts research on the impact of crime. MacNaughton said he resigned from that duty to take this new appointment. His boss, Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales, said he encourages his staff to be active in the community, and champions this type of participation. He praised MacNaughton for pursuing his interest in a panel dealing with mental health, whose intersection with the criminal justice system has become a hot topic. He praised Abbott, a Republican, for choosing someone from a DAs office run by a Democrat who champions criminal justice reform. On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County takes step to improve responses to 911 mental health calls, seeks to prevent tragedy He (Abbott) recognizes, just like we recognize, that mental health is a concern that affects everyone, whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, whether you are rich or poor, Gonzales said. And it is certainly encouraging to see that we can cross the aisle and work together on issues that affect the mentally ill, even when it comes to issues of incarceration. Both he and MacNaughton said the appointment was an unexpected chance to collaborate with others across the state on an important topic. Anybody that has anything to do with this area realizes we can always do a little bit better, MacNaughton said. I think people who can commit themselves to looking at where we are now, and where we should be, and kinda filling in that gap of how we get there, (have) a unique opportunity. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox MacNaughton, originally from the small Hill Country town of Medina, began his law enforcement career at the Bandera County Sheriffs Office. Since becoming an investigator at the Bexar County DAs Office six years ago, some of his work has involved investigating in-custody deaths at the jail here, he said. His patrol experience gave him a first-hand look at what people with mental disabilities encounter when on the street, MacNaughton said, and working with prosecutors gave him another vantage point, where you get exposed to the incarceration issues. Sean McCleskey, chief investigator for the DAs Offices Criminal Investigations Division, complimented MacNaughton on his law enforcement knowledge, passion for public policy, and especially his willingness to take on additional duties beyond his day job, which includes helping prosecutors assemble their criminal case files. McCleskey also tapped MacNaughton to be his director of law enforcement affairs for the CID, in charge of outreach to some 40 policing agencies and small municipalities in and around San Antonio and Bexar County. He goes out and talks to chiefs of police, and he can open up a dialog, McCleskey said, adding that MacNaughton does not shy away from shouldering an extra burden or adding to his already full plate. Hes very passionate about this job, McCleskey said. And I am proud of him. MacNaughtons term on the state mental health advisory panel will expire Feb. 1, 2023. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Members of the National Council on Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement reached the consensus during a meeting to review Vietnams SDGs implementation over the past five years and propose measures to boost the work in the time ahead. At the meeting, presided over by the councils chairman - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, participants heard a report on the five-year progress of Vietnams SDGs implementation and assess the possibility of completion until 2030. According to analysis results, by 2030, Vietnam will achieve five out of 17 groups of SDGs, including SDG 1 (poverty elimination), SDG 2 (hunger eradication), SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 13 (climate protection actions), and SDG 17 (global partnership). Participants also pointed out some groups of SDGs which will be difficult to finalise by 2030, including clean water and hygiene, clean energy and reasonable prices, economic growth and sustainable employment, and social inequality reduction. On that basis, the Ministry of Planning and Investment emphasised that from now until 2025, the national action programme on sustainable development should focus on further improving the system of institutions and policies and their enforcement efficiency, enhancing coordination between stakeholders to create pervasiveness in the realisation of SDGs, and mobilising and effectively utilising financial resources. General view of the meeting. (Photo: VNA) Together with improving the quality of human resources, promoting innovation, and strongly applying and developing science and technology, Vietnam will strengthen its resilience to uncertain risks caused by climate change, natural disasters and epidemics, while raising awareness to create social consensus in striving to complete the SDGs by 2030, as well as stepping up international cooperation and enhancing the countrys role and position. At the meeting, council members assessed that the sustainable development programme launched by the United Nations in 2015 has received strong response from all member states, including Vietnam. The national action plan for the implementation of the UNs programme outlines 17 groups of SDGs of Vietnam until 2030, including 158 specific goals, corresponding to the global SDGs. In his address, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Van Trung said that Vietnam has actively responded to the UNs sustainable development programme right from the initial days as its sustainable development criteria are in line with the Party and States policies and guidelines. From ranking 88th in 2015, Vietnam climbed to 49th place in the UNs SDG Index in 2020. Vietnams sustainable development results in recent years have been highly appreciated by the UN, making it among the countries most expected to realise SDGs. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is hurt and bitter about how things have panned out in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 17 months. She has called the Centre's move to repeal Article 370 clauses as illegal, unconstitutional and unilateral. The PDP chief believes the speedy and systematic change of ground rules is aimed to disempower and dispossess residents of the erstwhile state. Released from confinement after 14 months, Mufti has been instrumental in pushing the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration - a group of Kashmiri parties - to fight for reinstating the special constitutional position of J&K. The PDP chief believes the PAGD verdict in the DDC polls should serve as an eye-opener for Centre to see which way the wind is blowing. Mufti says in a democratic setup, any decision taken has to be accepted by the people most affected by it and their rights taken away forcibly and illegally have to be reversed. Here are excerpts of her interview with News 18. The PAGD got a decent mandate in the DDC polls recently. Are you going to use the verdict to convey to New Delhi that it needs to listen to the voices on the ground and reverse the August 5, 2019 decision? The peoples message has been abundantly clear. The verdict of the DDC elections has only reinforced it. It's going to take more than an election result to make Delhi roll back these disempowering and illegal changes. By contesting, we did not want to cede a single inch of democratic space to the BJP and its sidekicks. Many top BJP ministers have said Article 370 is dead and buried, and non negotiable, yet you are hopeful it will be returned? What gives you hope? In a democratic setup, any decision taken has to be accepted by the people most affected by it. Even CAA and the recent farmers' bills passed by the same Parliament have been rejected by the masses. It's quite likely that this government with its brute majority will pass many anti-constitutional and anti-people laws. But it certainly doesn't mean people will endorse and accept them. It will be a long haul but ultimately something taken away illegally has to be reversed. Apart from the Supreme Court and the political fight that the PAGD has launched, what are the options with you to bring back the special constitutional position on Kashmir? Is there a roadmap, a blueprint? When is PAGD unveiling that strategy? It is not about PAGD vs GoI. It has to be a movement by and for the masses. PAGD can only do so much and articulate aspirations of the people of J&K. But eventually it has to be a combination of all stakeholders coming together and only that will stir Delhi. As far as strategy is concerned, it is certainly not something which any of us will go public with. Would you agree whatever little was achieved in terms of CBMs like cross-LoC trade and travel - in the last two decades - has been squandered? Is any resolution of Kashmir getting tougher now? Absolutely. Gains made through CBMs which were agreed upon with great difficulty, whether it was the border ceasefire or cross-LoC trade, have been frittered away. The issue of J&K can be resolved with dignity only by someone who has a long- term vision and political will. So far, GoI's policies towards J&K have been short-sighted and driven by petty electoral gain. How do you see the frequent changes of ground rules post scrapping of Article 370? People are extremely fearful. What is PAGD doing to allay those apprehensions? New domicile and other laws brought in have confirmed our fears of being reduced to second-class citizens in our own state as well as sweeping demographic changes. The people in J&K have been stupefied into silence. The entire purpose of detaining three former CMs was to send a message to the masses that nobody would be spared. I have tried to break this silence by being vocal about the illegal abrogation of Article 370. Will the PAGD parties fight assembly elections together as and when they are held? Are the parties willing to give up their identities and merge? We will cross that bridge when we come to it. In the history of J&K no election has been a solution to the Kashmir problem. At the cost of repeating myself, PAGD was created for a larger purpose. The PAGD is a Kashmir-specific group with no or little representation from Jammu or Ladakh regions. The Jammu leaders are apprehensive of having a truck with you because they say Valley leaders often cross lines on nationalism. Are you introspecting to be more 'inclusive'? You are partially right. In my last trip to Jammu, PAGD met various delegations who were equally apprehensive of the new laws and changes but are scared to join PAGD formally owing to political retribution. But we are still trying to get people from Jammu, Ladakh and other communities into PAGD. It's not about nationalism anymore. You are a patriot only if you agree and are with the BJP. Any dissent is seen as anti-nationalism. What were the reasons for the PDP breaking into pieces? Were there more power centres in the party after the demise of your father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the struggle within? Or were there some other reasons? The Government of India started orchestrating a split in PDP immediately after Mufti Sahabs untimely demise because I was hesitant to form the government. After the government fell in 2018, they made concerted efforts to blackmail, tempt and intimidate my party leaders and succeeded in breaking the PDP after I was detained. But PDP exists because of its workers and their faith in the party vision and agenda. You have talked about pressures you and your family are facing through central agencies. Can you elaborate which of your family members is being hounded? Is this being done to silence you? We all are under tremendous pressure. The NIA detained PDP's Waheed Para and their main target was I. To somehow link me and the PDP to a terror case. The Enforcement Directorate has been burrowing through my personal bank accounts and that of my brother, mother and sisters. Since they failed to find any scam, they are now running an audit on Mufti Sahab's mausoleum. Even our staff and friends have not been spared. My former secretary and telephone operator have all been grilled by ED. Both my younger daughter Iltija and I are on the no-fly list as well. Today, I was amused to find an RTI response, clearly a hit job, detailing how much protocol spent on cutlery, pots and pans during my tenure as CM. It is laughable because there are no corruption scams or scandals they can blackmail me about. The purpose of all these tactics is obvious. How did you spend your time during your 14-month detention period? For a change I read a lot of books. I particularly enjoyed Dalai Lamas Book of Joy, Nelson Mandelas autobiography and Amitav Ghoshs The Glass Palace. I also drew strength from reading the Quran. I did also watch a lot of Al Jazeera and BBC. Ironically it was only through these channels that I knew of the grim and worrying situation in Kashmir. Do you hold yourself responsible for the break-up of the PDP-BJP government by not yielding on some critical issues? Your father was managing a difficult partner but would you agree you took it to an entirely opposite level? What were the issues that led to the BJP pulling the plug? Yes, there were differences on dealing with the situation that erupted post-Burhan Wani's death. GoI wanted me to impose a repressive crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami and others. Their solution to prevent stone-pelting was to book more people under the Public Safety Act. I was personally asked not to hand over bodies of militants to their families as the funerals were seen as a rallying point for pro-freedom slogans. The Kathua case where I forced BJP to drop two ministers added to an already fraught and tense situation. My decision to withdraw FIRs against thousands of youngsters was not taken well by them either. I was all the time advocating dialogue with separatists and Pakistan and also in favour of extending the ceasefire. All this was not going well with them. Unfortunately the mainstream in J&K will spend their political lives fighting accusations of being anti-India and anti-national from Delhi and pro-India from Kashmiris. In hindsight, do you think staying in the coalition would have stopped BJP from ending the special status? Definitely, because our agenda of alliance which was agreed upon by the BJP had guaranteed that status quo on Article 370 would be maintained. Neither the state assembly nor the cabinet would have given their consent to scrapping Article 370 which was later done illegally by the-then governors consent. Is PAGD or any one of you in touch with New Delhi through interlocutors or common friends? During incarceration, did the government try to tell you to give up your stand on Article 370 and fall in line? Yes, I was sent various messages that Article 370 is a thing of the past so I should reconcile to the new reality and think of my political future. I cannot speak for other people but it's obvious that they dont want a debate on Article 370 and J&K's special status. The government in Parliament said it will return statehood to J&K. Will PAGD agree to it and give up its fight? Firstly, this government lies through its teeth about public issues. Secondly, PAGD wasn't formed to restore J&K's statehood. Why should we toe their narrative and agenda and forget our fight for special status? Article 370 is very touchy for BJP to go back on. Why doesn't PAGD ask for land, job and scholarship safeguards for residents of J&K? The sense is even Jammu will support you on this. Will you bargain on that? Why should we keep their sensitivities in mind when they have trampled all over our dignity? Article 370 is a matter of right and was given to us by the Constitution. So no party including BJP had any right or business to take it away. GoI wants us to grovel for statehood which is why J&K was demoted to a UT. They want people to forget about the larger Kashmir issue and change the narrative to statehood. I will not be a part of it in anyway. As far as people of Jammu are concerned, they too have realised that Article 370 protected their special identity and rights as well. Do you want J&K to remain with the Union of India or in your opinion should it be a kind of a buffer state that is approachable to whole of South Asian region? Our vision for J&K is within the realm of the Indian constitution where it serves as a bridge of friendship between India and Pakistan. This is possibly only by granting J&K more powers, making borders irrelevant and opening old traditional trade routes. Kashmiris should be the masters of their own resources like water not NHPC. It has to be on the basis of partnership not slavery. But the first step has to be restoration of J&K's special status. Would you concede that unionist parties in Kashmir are not liked by people since they see them as an extension of GoI? It is a fact that mainstream parties in J&K will be seen as stooges of Delhi by Kashmiris and anti-India by Delhi. This is bound to happen since traditionally we have served as a buffer between the two. It is sad that successive governments in Delhi refuse to see the writing on the wall and we become convenient scapegoats. Would you agree, mainstream leadership is a reason for defeat and humiliation of people since they failed to address their human and political rights? There are so many stakeholders as far as J&K is concerned. I fail to understand why the mainstream is singled out when it comes to being the fall guy. What about the efforts we have put in to restore the dignity of our people? What about the sacrifices that thousands of our workers have made with their lives for J&K? Police departments in Onondaga County are joining together to host Zoom forums throughout January as part of New Yorks police reform laws, signed into law last year. Central New Yorkers are invited to join any of the six forums, which are being held virtually due to Covid-19. The first one kicks off this Thursday. Each event is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7, moderated by Nodesia Hernandez, director of community outreach for New York State Sen. Rachel Mays Office Jan. 12, moderated by Rev. H. Bernard Alex of Victory Temple Fellowship Church in Syracuse Jan. 13, moderated by Alex Jan. 14, moderated by Hernandez Jan. 19, moderated by Alex Jan. 20, moderated by Hernandez Attendees can join using a Zoom link provided by county officials. Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, County Executive Ryan McMahon and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh joined together to lead the reform efforts locally that are mandated by the state, according to a news release. The idea is to collaborate among law enforcement agencies, and assist the towns and villages. Other regions are taking a similar approach, the news release said. The city and county hope to create a baseline that local governments and law enforcement departments can work from, officials said. Each department will then develop its own reinvention plan, as required by the state. The reform plan mandate was enacted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo through executive order in June 2020. Cuomos order, No. 203, requires the 500 police agencies that seek state funding to develop reform plans. The plans must be written and approved by each municipalitys governing body by April of this year. Cuomo has said he would withhold funding from agencies that do not comply. He said police reform in New York is long overdue. There is a breach of trust and that has to be repaired, he said. The law requires departments to address issues including use of force by police officers, crowd management, implicit bias awareness training, de-escalation training and practices and citizen complaint procedures. Cuomo has said each municipality will need to customize its plan to respond to the particular issues of the community. The April 1 deadline is the start of the states fiscal calendar. Reporter Julie McMahon can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were broadly lower on Tuesday as concerns about a new variant coronavirus and new lockdowns cast a shadow on the economic outlook. Schools have closed to most pupils in England, Scotland and Wales, while Northern Ireland will have an 'extended period of remote learning'. British PM Boris Johnson warned the coming weeks would be the 'hardest yet'. Germany is considering extending lockdown measures beyond January 10. The pan European Stoxx 600 slid 0.1 percent to 401.21 after rising 0.7 percent in the previous session. The German DAX dropped 0.2 percent and France's CAC 40 index eased 0.3 percent, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was up half a percent. Chipmaker Dialog Semiconductor surged 4.2 percent after giving an upbeat fourth-quarter revenue forecast due to stronger-than-expected consumer demand for 5G phones and tablets. Saint-Gobain shares rose about 1 percent. The company has entered into exclusive negotiations with Building Materials Europe in preparation for the sale of Saint-Gobain Building Distribution the Netherlands. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV rose 0.7 percent after announcing it will invest $250 million to grow its presence in India. Oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and BP jumped 2-3 percent in London ahead of OPEC+ output decision. Fashion retailer Next surged 8.5 percent after announcing better-than-expected Christmas revenues. Ryanair Holdings shares fell 1.3 percent. The low-cost airline announced that Group traffic declined 83 percent year-on-year to 1.9 million guests for the month of December. In economic releases, German unemployment declined unexpectedly in December, the Federal Labor Agency reported. The number of people out of work decreased by 37,000 from November, in contrast to the expected increase of 10,000. Unemployment had decreased by 40,000 in November. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.1 percent in December, as expected. German retail sales grew more than expected in November driven by non-food retailing, data from Destatis revealed. In November, retail turnover climbed by a real 5.6 percent from the previous year, which was faster than the expected growth of 3.9 percent but slower than the 8.6 percent increase logged in October. On a monthly basis, retail sales grew unexpectedly by 1.9 percent. Economists had forecast a month-on-month fall of 2 percent after a 2.6 percent rise in October. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de U-Haul, the national rental truck company, provided yet more evidence Monday that California is dropping in popularity as a place to live, even as Sacramento is gaining ground as a COVID-19 era landing spot. The company's annual migration analysis ranks California last among states in net migration to and from other states. Put another way, California lost more residents to other states than any other state, as measured by "one-way" U-Haul trucks crossing state lines. Tennessee saw the biggest net influx nationally, followed by Texas and Florida. At the same time, though, the Sacramento region ranked as the 11th most popular area in the country for U-Haul moving truck arrivals, ranking behind only Surprise, Ariz. and St. George, Utah among "go-to" areas in the western United States. Redding was the only other California city to make the list, in 16th place. The U-Haul data represent do-it-yourself movers, not all people who moved. The data show that people are moving into California from others states as well, just not as many as are leaving. Over the past day, Russian-occupation forces have opened fire five times on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, using small arms, machine guns and grenade launchers, the press center of the Joint Force Operation (JFO) has said. "Over the past day, on January 4, five ceasefire violations were recorded in the area of the Joint Force Operation [...]. There are no combat casualties or injuries among the Ukrainian military," the headquarters said on its Facebook page in the morning. In particular, in the area of responsibility of the Skhid (East) task force, near Vodiane and Lebedynske, the enemy fired towards the Ukrainian positions from grenade launchers of various systems and heavy machine guns. Near the settlement of Hnutove, the opening of fire was recorded twice not only from grenade launchers, but also from small arms. In the area of responsibility of the Pivnich (North) task force near Luhanske, the enemy fired several indirect shots from automatic heavy and heavy anti-tank grenade launchers. It is noted that all the facts of violations of the ceasefire regime through the Ukrainian side of the JCCC were reported to the OSCE representatives. "Since the beginning of this day, January 5, no ceasefire violations have been recorded. Silence is observed along the entire contact line," the JFO said. The two U.S. Senate runoff elections today in Georgia mean more to Alabama than Alabama may suspect. It means, quite simply, a lot. If both Democrat candidates win, the Democrats will take control of the Senate. Perhaps the biggest loser in all of that would be the state of Alabama, said Angi Stalnaker, a Montgomery-based Republican political consultant. But this isnt a partisan Democrat vs. Republican issue. Stalnaker said its an Alabama issue. If Democrats win control of the Senate, Alabamas Richard Shelby a Republican from Tuscaloosa -- will lose his position as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. That committee essentially decides how Congress will spend taxpayer money. What Alabamians need to understand is, as much as who the president is is important, when it comes to the state of Alabama, having Richard Shelby in his position is far more important in terms of appropriations, military bases, in terms of everything, Stalnaker said. Alabama gets a lot more than what some people in other states would consider to be our fair share because of the power of Sen. Shelby. So if you need a rooting interest in the two Georgia races, protecting Shelbys influential position might be a reason. Richard Shelby is one of the most powerful senators in government, Stalnaker said. Hes one of the most powerful people in government. That is largely because of committee assignments. If Georgia Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win the Senate races, each party will have 50 elected members. The balance of power, however, will shift to the Democrats because of Joe Bidens presidential victory. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris could cast tiebreaking votes as president of the Senate. The party in power establishes committee chair assignments, which means Shelby would be removed as appropriations chair if Democrats come to power. No other member of Alabamas congressional delegation heads a committee. And if they did, it still would pale next to chair of Senate appropriations. Stalnaker said she believed appropriations chair is the third most powerful position in the Senate behind only the majority leader and minority leader. And Shelby has excelled in bringing government projects to Alabama and, in particular, the north Alabama hub of Huntsville the home of Redstone Arsenal. Shelby is widely praised for his work that has led to more than $1 billion for a new FBI campus on the arsenal. In the latest spending bill, signed into law last month by President Donald Trump, more than $560 million was included for the FBI campus construction. Nine buildings are currently in the process of being built inside the Army bases gates. Another $3.45 billion was secured for NASA programs managed at Marshall Space Flight Center also located at Redstone. But Shelbys influence is felt throughout the state from $2.7 billion in the latest spending budget for Army vehicles overhauled and maintained at Anniston Army Depot to $1.2 billion for flight training at Fort Rucker to $50 million for the National Water Center located at the University of Alabama. Of course, even if Democrats win and Shelby is no longer head of the appropriations committee, he will still be in a position to help fund federal efforts in Alabama if for no other reason than his seniority and experience, Stalnaker said. Still, given the choice, chair of appropriations is immensely valuable position for the state of the senator who holds that position. Money is power, Stalnaker said, and appropriations is money. NORWALK While the city has increased COVID-19 testing opportunities throughout the area, some residents said they are running into trouble when it comes to getting their results. At least three people who spoke with Hearst Connecticut Media said they had to contact Sema4, the company running Norwalks COVID-19 testing events, in order to get their results after being tested at Brien McMahon High School. Results are supposed to be accessible through an online portal. Patients who get tested receive a text afterward with a link to the portal and instructions on how to set up an account. Results should be available within 48 hours of being tested. All were able to get their test results only after contacting Sema4s customer service. One resident said when they called, they found out their name had been misspelled when their information was being entered into the system. Another said their results were simply never posted. Sema4 issued a statement in response to these complaints, saying they were unaware of anyone in Norwalk still waiting on test results beyond those tested last week. They said only about 5 percent of patients have been impacted by these issues ,which are a result of personal information being entered incorrectly or customers not providing all the information needed to get results. A spokesperson for the company said the lab is currently processing 30,000 COVID-19 tests a week, a number they said is two times the amount of what they were doing in November and quadruple the amount from October. In response, the company added staff and increased their hours of operation. Since April, we have performed hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 viral tests in our state-of-the-art lab in Branford, the company said in a statement Monday. The vast majority is for the State of Connecticut, including the pop-up testing that they asked us to perform in Norwalk and other parts of the state over the last few months. Like so many companies across the country offering COVID testing, weve faced some challenges as the demand for testing has massively surged. ... Things do not always go perfectly but we have been able to meet our turnaround commitment the vast majority of the time for tests conducted at pop-up sites in Connecticut (and elsewhere). The company added that delays are more often due to poor quality samples or low-level positives, which are on the rise as the positivity rate increases. They said there have also been minor technical issues from a small number of people registering after being tested at multiple Sema4 sites. Although we have encountered some QC issues with our pop-up testing in Connecticut, including in Norwalk, 95% of patients have not been impacted, the company said. ... We are doing our absolute best to get as many people through the pop-ups as we can and to make sure we get their information correct, including asking the patient to verify all details before leaving the testing site. Josh Morgan, spokesperson for the city, said Norwalk has been directing people to Sema4 when there are complaints about getting results, as the city is not responsible for testing itself. We are simply providing the space for them, Morgan said. Sema4 also does COVID testing in Kent, Killingly, Milford, Stamford, Storrs, Tolland, Vernon, Watertown, and Woodbridge. Stamford is using Sema4 for testing at Stamford High School on Tuesdays and Sundays, as well as for pop-up testing, according to Arthur Augustyn, spokesperson for the mayors office. The feedback weve received is requesting information about how to get their test results, not necessarily about their information being incorrect, Augustyn said Monday. Enough residents have lost the portals information that we now published the How do I get my results on the testing page. Since publishing that information, we have not received as many inquiries about how to receive test results. erin.kayata@hearstmediact.com Therell soon be another vacancy in the Illinois Senate after state Sen. Andy Manar takes on the role of senior adviser to Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Pritzker announced Monday that Manar, D-Bunker Hill, will join his team. Andy has been one of the most thoughtful and successful lawmakers of his generation, and he will be a trusted adviser, Pritzker said in a statement. I value his insights and look forward to him joining my administration as we overcome this pandemic and rebuild Illinois together. Pritzker detailed Manars legislative accomplishments, such as reforming the states antiquated education funding formula and making insulin cheaper. The Pritzker administration didnt immediately respond to questions of how much Manar will be paid, if it will be contractual or a state salary with benefits, or if his compensation will be enhanced with private dollars as other senior Pritzker administration officials have received. Before taking office, Pritzker announced that he would supplement the taxpayer-funded salaries of key employees with his own money. For instance, the Center for Illinois Politics reported that half of Pritzkers chief of staffs nearly $300,000 salary would come from taxpayers and the other half from Pritzkers East Jackson Street LLC. Manar will step down from his Senate seat to begin the adviser role on Jan. 19, less than a week after he joins the next General Assembly. Because of the breadth of Manars policy background, he will advise the governor on a range of issues, including downstate economic revitalization, appropriations, and COVID-19 recovery efforts, Pritzkers office said. Governor Pritzker has shown tremendous leadership in the most grave crisis this state has experienced in our lifetime, and Im honored to share what Ive learned to advance his agenda to rebuild our state and stand up for working families, Manar said in a statement. Its hard to imagine the Illinois Senate without Andy Manar, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said. The governor is very lucky to have him. I wish Andy all the very best in his new role. The vacancy created by Manars departure is the second one revealed in the past week. Last week, state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, who served as the Senate Minority Leader, announced his resignation. I will miss working with Leader Brady, Harmon said Dec. 31. He has proven time and again to be a results-driven lawmaker and leader. Leader Brady has provided many successes for our caucus, specifically on infrastructure, education and business issues, said state Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods. McConchie was selected to lead Senate Republicans as the minority leader. Seats in the General Assembly vacated before a term is up and before the next election are filled by leaders from the same political party from the jurisdiction the seat represents. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 12:44:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- A UN representative on Monday held a virtual meeting with the newly established Advisory Committee of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) to discuss the latter's tasks and other agendas, the UN Support Mission in Libyan (UNSMIL) said in a statement. Stephanie Williams, acting special representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya, talked with the committee's officials over its mandate, tasks, expected outcomes, and the timeframe for its work, said the UN mission. "In her opening remarks, Williams reiterated that the committee will play an advisory role and will work for a period of two weeks to produce concrete recommendations to address differences that have emerged over the selection mechanism and the nomination procedures of the executive authority, and to build consensus among the LPDF members," UNSMIL said. Williams urged the participants to seize this opportunity to expedite the establishment of a unified executive authority, and to work together in order to fulfill the aspirations of the Libyan people. UNSMIL requested the members of the Advisory Committee to submit written proposals to be discussed in the next meeting scheduled to be held virtually on Wednesday. UNSMIL on Saturday announced the establishment of the Advisory Committee, whose mandate "will be strictly time-bound and its main mission shall be to discuss outstanding issues related to the selection of a unified executive and to put forward concrete and practical recommendations upon which the plenary shall decide." Moreover, the LPDF's Legal Committee (LC) held its third virtual session on Sunday, where the members shared proposals for constitutional arrangements for elections, the UN mission said. The proposals presented a range of options to facilitate the implementation of the Roadmap agreed upon by the LPDF in November 2020. "UNSMIL's Electoral Team provided a briefing highlighting the necessary sequencing and time-bound milestones related to constitutional arrangements for holding the national elections on the agreed-upon date of 24 December 2021. The LC agreed to resume its discussions at the end of this week," it added. The Legal Committee is tasked with following up on the work of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State in relation to constitutional arrangements, and to provide the two institutions with recommendations in an effort to reach an agreement on a constitutional basis leading to holding the national elections on Dec. 24, 2021. During the convocation of the dialogue forum held on Nov. 7-15, 2020 in Tunisia's capital Tunis, 75 Libyans representing the social and political spectrum of the Libyan society discussed a political roadmap to achieve lasting peace in the war-torn Libya. The participants agreed to hold general elections in Libya on Dec. 24, 2021. They also voted on a mechanism to select a unified executive authority of the country. Enditem * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Lumen, a health technology company at the forefront of metabolic tracking and the creators of the world's first metabolism measurement device, is officially announcing a partnership with Anytime Fitness UK, the UK's leading fitness franchise. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005146/en/ Lumen Anytime UK Banner (Photo: Business Wire) Anytime Fitness' 170,000+ UK members will now have access to the innovative Lumen device to support their healthy lifestyles through real-time metabolic data to make smarter health and nutrition decisions on a daily basis. Lumen is a device and app that measures your metabolism through the CO2 concentration in a single breath, giving you insight into what fuel your body is using, fats or carbs. Through your Lumen metabolic measurements, you can now see how your fitness and food choices impact your body in real time. Lumen takes the guesswork out of nutrition by leveraging these insights along with crucial data points that enable you to take actionable steps for your fitness, nutrition and health. Anytime Fitness UK supports its members beyond just exercising within their four walls of their clubs and recently launched its new online member platform, AF Connect Online. Encompassing on-demand workouts and wellbeing content from a range of experts, members can also access an exclusive discount on Lumen devices, supporting them with their nutrition goals and complementing their healthy lifestyles. "We're looking forward to partnering with Lumen and offering more support for our members' nutrition goals," said Neil Randall, Anytime Fitness UK CEO. "We recently launched our 'Hand of Wellbeing' which shows that overall health goes beyond just fitness, with nutrition being an integral part of that. This partnership provides our members with access to a product that can support their healthy lifestyles." With the ongoing challenges of COVID-19, Lumen and Anytime Fitness UK are committed to keep UK adults healthy and moving. Remote health and fitness have become a crucial way to maintain a healthy fitness and nutrition routine. Lumen is the solution for at-home nutrition so that Anytime Fitness UK members can have readily available data on how their food and workouts are impacting their metabolism without leaving home. "Anytime Fitness UK is at the forefront of accessible fitness and our partnership is launched at a crucial time where we can positively impact the lives of its members in a health-focused framework. People in the UK have been given a wake-up call in regards to their health and we're looking forward to supporting the ongoing efforts of the government in keeping UK adults healthy. Good physical health is an effective way to increase resilience and people are more aware than ever of the importance of a healthy lifestyle," said Daniel Tal, CEO of Lumen. About Lumen Lumen is a device and app that measures your metabolism in a single breath through a complex algorithm and provides daily personalized nutrition based on your metabolic data. At Lumen, we believe that a healthy metabolism is the key to better health, and that everyone can attain it with a little help from Lumen. Founded in 2014 by scientists and experienced entrepreneurs, Lumen is the biggest metabolic measurement platform in the world, with over 1,000,000 measurements per month. Lumen's vision is to improve the world's metabolic health and quality of life by empowering individuals to make smarter decisions about their nutrition and lifestyle. Our technology provides individuals with new metrics on metabolism and a system to keep them accountable so they can achieve their health and wellness goals and prevent long-term chronic illness by improving their metabolic health. Availability The Lumen device is available at lumen.me, currently priced at 299. The device comes equipped with a travel case, charging dock, USB-C Cable, and Premium Customer Support. Users can download the app for free on the Apple App Store and on Google Play. About Anytime Fitness UK Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing gym franchise in the world, averaging 300 new gyms per year while serving 4 million members at 5,000 gyms and is the only franchise of any kind to have locations on all seven continents. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with friendly, personal service in well-maintained facilities that feature top-quality exercise equipment. With over 170 gyms across the UK and Ireland, Anytime Fitness operates a join one, join all policy. All franchised clubs are individually owned and operated with state-of-the-art equipment, private bathrooms and welcoming environments, giving a health club feel at an affordable price. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005146/en/ Contacts: Press Kyla Blumenfeld, +972548161939 press@lumen.me Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicated in a new interview that he knows there won't be a 'second Trump administration' after all, as he talked about where he planned to live after leaving office and about President Donald Trump's foreign policy legacy. Pompeo spoke with billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein in an interview for Bloomberg News, where he boasted, 'After four years, I think we're leaving the world safer than when we came in.' 'I'm not sure precisely where we'll live,' Pompeo said when Rubenstein asked if he would return to Kansas or stay in Washington, D.C. 'Home is Kansas. I am confident that we will spend a whole lot more time in Kansas in the time after I'm Secretary of State than I have while I was Secretary of State.' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicated in a new interview that he knows there won't be a 'second Trump administration' as he talked about where he planned to live after leaving office and about President Donald Trump's foreign policy legacy President Donald Trump, photographed at a rally in Georgia Monday night, has refused to concede the election to President-elect Joe Biden. Pompeo, however, said that 'after four years, I think we're leaving the world safer than when we came in' Pompeo was interviewed by billionaire philanthropist David Rubenstein (pictured) for Bloomberg News Pompeo was one of the highest-ranking government officials to question, early on, the legitimacy of President-elect Joe Biden's win. Three days after the networks called the race for Biden on November 7, Pompeo was asked if he would cooperate with the transition. 'There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,' he answered on November 10. And while a significant number of Republicans have come around since, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who congratulated Biden once the Electoral College certified the count, Trump continues to refuse to concede. Pompeo, however, suggested he was heading to the exit. 'We love it,' he said of Kansas. 'It's where our friends and family and our church is. I don't know. I don't know precisely where we'll live. I am confident, however, that my wife will have a big say in that.' Rubenstein never directly asked Pompeo a question about President-elect Joe Biden nor his Secretary of State pick Tony Blinken. He did ask him to reveal his 'most important lesson' to his successor. Pompeo answered that a Secretary of State needed a good team around him to be successful. 'The second, the relationship between a president and secretary of state is absolutely central to your success,' he added. 'When you travel around the world and meet with leaders or when you speak to them on the phone, they need to know that you have a relationship with the president that means that you are in fact speaking on behalf of him, that you have a clear understanding of the commanders intent.' Pompeo also talked about how he had supported Sen. Marco Rubio during the 2016 GOP primary but helped Trump from the Republican National Convention on, because he realized the president was 'better for the United States of America' than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. His original position in the administration was CIA director and the face time with the president he received when giving intelligence briefings helped him get the top job at Foggy Bottom. Pompeo also continued to break from the president when discussing the recent cyberattack on the United States. Trump has tried to blame China, while experts say it's the work of the Russians. 'Well, the United States Government is constantly under threat from cyber attacks. The particular incident that I think youre referring to was in fact a Russian operation,' Pompeo said. Georgia election officials on Monday stood firm against ongoing pressure from President Donald Trump, whom they accused of relying on wild claims of corruption and fraud when he pressured Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find just enough votes to top Joe Biden. There are no more votes to find, Gabriel Sterling, Georgias top election official, said in a news conference a day after The Washington Post released audio and a transcript of Trumps Saturday phone call with Raffenspserger. The president threatened that Raffensperger and his general counsel could face consequences for being complicit in an unspecified criminal offense. Lawmakers and election law experts say the presidents brazen attempt to flip the crucial state just weeks before Bidens inauguration potentially violated state and federal election law. Sterling, who said multiple hand tallies of the Georgia vote prove the certified results are accurate, noted he would leave it to others to determine if Trumps latest pressure campaign amounted to an attack on democracy which is how Massachusetts lawmakers, including Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, described the presidents behavior. Id call it not normal, out of place, Sterling told reporters. Nobody I know who would be president would do something like that to a secretary of state. Whether claims that 10,000 dead people voted (it was potentially two), that 66,000 minors cast ballots (the actual number is zero), or that 2,000 felons voted (it was, at most, 74), Sterling knocked down a barrage of debunked conspiracy theories that have spread over social media and right-wing outlets only to be amplified from the Oval Office. Sterling echoed comments from Raffensperger and his offices general counsel, Ryan Germany, who told the president, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and an attorney Saturday that their data was simply wrong. Weve seen nothing in our investigations that show there are nearly enough ballots to change the outcome, Sterling said, referencing a host of inquiries into reported irregularities. He encouraged all the states registered voters, even those who truly believe the presidential election was fraudulent, to head to the polls Tuesday. Not showing up to vote, he argued, was a self-destructive act that resolved nothing. Trump, who continued to claim the election was stolen on Twitter Sunday and Monday, said Sunday morning that Raffensperger was unable and unwilling to answer questions about allegations of irregularities. Raffensperger responded that the president wasnt telling the truth. The public rebuke of the presidents claims comes a day before Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue seek to fend off challenges from Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. The runoff races will determine whether Republicans retain a thin majority in the Senate. More than 100 Republicans in Congress, aligning themselves with Trump and his supporters, plan to object to the certification of Bidens decisive 306-232 Electoral College victory on Wednesday. Sterling argued that multiple hand tallies show that one of Trumps and his allies key allegations that Dominion Voting Systems machines could alter votes are easily, provably false. Claims that Dominion has moved machines out of state, or removed machine parts, or had been hacked, were also not a real thing, he said. Yet the president persists, and in doing so, undermines Georgians faith in elections, he added. Sterling noted that state and local officials calls for an investigation into the presidents phone call will be taken under advisement. Related Content: Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Brinkmanship is a form of negotiation in which two parties present excessive demands from which they refuse to back down, bringing each to a situation of potential disaster. It is often triggered when an entity is faced with the prospect of a sizable loss of economic well-being or political power. In response, that party tries to propel the situation to the other extreme in order to reclaim its original situation or even better it. For instance, recently US President Donald Trump threatened not to sign a covid relief bill in response to waning support from Republican Congressmen. This move threatened long-term damage to the prospects of the Republican Party in response to a fatal blow to Trumps desperate attempts to continue in office. The current farmers movement in India is a response to three farm bills that aim to usher in an era of agricultural efficiency through consolidation of landholdings, investments in supply chain infrastructure, and disintermediation of the supply chain. However, there is no guarantee that existing agricultural landowners, especially in affluent states like Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat, will be better off under the new regime. Their prospects cannot be examined merely through the lens of commerce. A key provision of the new laws is that agricultural land can be used as loan collateral and seized in the event of a default. The potential loss of land is a big factor in the insecurities of farmers and their demand for a repeal of the laws. A situation of brinkmanship is usually defused by face-saving compromises, which allow each party to claim it won. A famous example is the standoff between the US and the Soviet Union when the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba by the Soviets brought the world to the brink of a nuclear holocaust. The Soviet move was triggered by Moscows relatively weak traditional and nuclear strength. The situation was resolved with the Soviets moving out of Cuba and the US withdrawing missiles from Turkey. However, the recent episode between the US and North Korea stemming from a series of missile tests by Kim Jong-un does not seem to be amenable to any such resolution. Why? When both entities in an episode of brinkmanship are large, a large set of mutually acceptable concessions is available. This is because the side for which a concession is being contemplated has far-flung interests and, therefore, can be accommodated in a number of ways. Further, the side making the concession has several alternative ways of achieving its strategic goals, and can afford to give up one of the alternatives without significant cost. However, when one entity is relatively small, the space for face-saving compromises that it can offer the larger entity is restricted. Hence, extreme positions are not amenable to any easy resolution. I call this the paradox of asymmetric standoffs. While the farm protests seem to be finding resonance across states, they are facing off against an entity no less than the Government of India, apparently backed by global corporate interests. Therefore, space for viable solutions is more limited than it would have been if both the entities were of similar size and each held a multiplicity of strategic interests. The tactical way out then seems to be for the government to attempt propping up the size of the agitation in order to make a compromise possible. For instance, there are large farmer groups in the country whose land may not be in the immediate crosshairs of the corporate sector on account of a lack of complementary infrastructure. They may be mollified with a promise of minimum support prices. However, even after all such attempts to divide the farmers movement have run their course, there will remain a core group that wields significant power and is unlikely to offer any face-saving compromise to the government. Most commentators have made the size of the farm protest a metier for the appropriate government response, with larger size protests meriting more conciliatory responses. In contrast, game theory suggests that the government needs to be conciliatory not because the farmer movement is large, but because it is small. And so there appear to be two possible end games. First, a repeal of laws, with the resultant loss of face being somewhat reduced by the fig leaf of Supreme Court intervention. The other is increasing frustration of the movement, resulting in pockets of armed resistance. Once this resistance breaks out, it could mean a sustained human tragedy, as seen in Punjab during the 1980s and early 1990s. It is useful to remember that the record of corporate entry to mineral-rich areas or agricultural zones has generally not been encouraging for those living in these regions. When the concerned communities are politically weak, companies ride roughshod over them. But the protesting farmers are strong, financially and politically, and will need prior assurance that their interests will be protected. Hence, development before corporatization is the only approach that can work. Companies should be allowed to enter only after there is some evidence, in the form of producer companies and cooperatives, that local communities will be able to stand up to them. Even if examined in the heartless crucible of realpolitik alone, the content, timing and manner of the farm laws enactment was a provocation we could have done without. Professor Sajal Ghosh and Rajnish Wadhera contributed to this article. Rohit Prasad is professor at MDI Gurgaon Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 05:47:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government has approved a program to help self-employed and small and medium-sized business owners deal with the COVID-19 crisis, the Ministry of Finance and the Prime Minister's Office said in a joint statement on Monday. The new program, which will cost more than 2 billion new shekels (620 million U.S. dollars), follows similar previous ones launched by the government since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis in the country in late February 2020. Dubbed From Blocking to Growth, the program includes grants for businesses affected by the crisis, especially during the ongoing third nationwide lockdown, up to 50,000 shekels, depending on the percentage of losses in the business turnover. It also includes a refund of property taxes paid by businesses to local authorities. "The money will immediately make it easier for businesses and within a short time we will open the entire economy and we will emerge from the crisis once and for all," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Enditem The Ghatkopar police have arrested a former spokesperson of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association for allegedly duping his 61 colleagues of Rs7 lakh in an alleged loan fraud case. The accused, Subhash Talekar, was arrested near his native home in Pune on Monday night and produced before a court on Tuesday. He has been remanded to police custody till January 9. Apart from Talekar, a co-operative bank official and two of Talekars associates have also been booked in the case, and the police are on the lookout for the trio. The complainant in the case, 38-year-old Sachin Gavade, along with other members of the association, approached Ghatkopar police station in February 2019 and registered a case against Talekar and his two associates, Vitthal Sawant and Dashrath Kedari. As per the complaint, the accused took a meeting with the 61 dabbawalas in September 2015 and allegedly promised to give each of them a free moped to make their commute easier while delivering lunch boxes. The accused told the dabbawalas that there is a cooperative bank which was ready to provide them with the mopeds. The accused then took the signatures of the 61 people on papers and also collected their documents, said a police officer. After a year, the dabbawalas started receiving notices from the cooperative bank stating that the loan they had taken to buy the mopeds were sanctioned. The loan amount was transferred to the vehicle company to provide the mopeds. Thirty-eight of the 61 dabbawalas received the two-wheelers, but their documents were not cleared by the regional transport office (RTO) not did they did not got proper documents for the mopeds. The remaining 23 dabbawalas did not receive the two-wheelers, deputy commissioner of police Prashant Kadam of zone 7 (covering Mulund, Bhandup, Kanjurmarg, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar areas) said. However, all of the 61 dabbawalas had to repay the amount for the loan taken on their names, since 2015, which has incurred to around Rs7 lakh. We conducted an inquiry into the matter and booked three members of the association, including Talekar, for cheating, criminal breach of trust and common intention said senior inspector Nitin Alakhnoore from Ghatkopar police station. The inquiry against the cooperative bank involved in the matter also ongoing and the official who connived with the Talekar and his associates will be arrested once the role is verified, added Alakhnoore. There is an allegation that Talekar had taken the money on the name of the association, but we are verifying it, added another officer. Alakhnoore said the investigations in the case had begun in 2019 after the case against Talekar was lodged, but last year, investigations faced some roadblocks owing to the lockdown. He had also moved the Bombay high court for anticipatory bail. After the court rejected the bail, we arrested him, Alakhnoore added. Ulhas Muke, the chairman of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charitable Trust (NMTBSCT), which is the official body of dabbawalas, welcomed the development and said the accused has been ruining the good image of dabbawalas with such fraudulent practices. The former bodyguard to Petra Ecclestone's ex-husband James Stunt was jailed for two years and nine months today after he was found with blank cheques belonging to the tycoon. Justinas Ivaskevicius, 34, was cleared by a jury of stealing a 515,000 yellow diamond from Stunt's 10million Belgravia home, after the gold dealer's safe was emptied in a robbery on December 2017. Mr Stunt, whose life had descended into cocaine-addled chaos, claimed he did not know where his safe was at his mews property in South Eaton Place, or who had access to it. It was thought staff would be too wary of his godfather the notorious crime family boss Terry Adams' fearsome reputation to take anything from the property, the court heard. Tycoon James Stunt arriving at Southwark Crown Court in November to give evidence in the trial But jurors heard one of the keys to the safe had been kept in the glovebox of Stunt's Rolls Royce, where it could have been accessed by staff. Stunt said as soon as he was informed of the theft the morning after it had happened, he looked inside the safe for the first time and found it had been emptied, apart from a single wood screw. He thought it had been left deliberately to deliver the message 'You're screwed.' The safe was missing the 515,000 yellow diamond, six 1kg gold bars, a yellow diamond ring and a two blue diamonds, a pink diamond, a large white diamond. Petra Ecclestone's Cartier engagement ring, which Stunt said his ex-wife had thrown at him, had also vanished. Mr Stunt is pictured with his ex-wife Petra Ecclestone in July 2010 before their split After arresting Ivaskevicious at his home in Fallowfield, Cambridge in May, Flying Squad detectives found up to 80,000 in cash, said to be the proceeds of his criminal activities. He was also accused of running a cannabis farm and possessing a number of false identities. Prosecutor Martin Bowyer said that while the court could not be sure of the source of the cash it is clear it was the result of 'sustained criminal activity'. He told Southwark Crown Court today: 'As far as the cheques are concerned, the evidence suggest they must have been stolen at some point prior to December 2017. 'There is evidence that a number of cheques, particularly the Lloyds account were presented with Mr Stunt's full signature on them,' said Mr Bowyer. Judge Deborah Taylor told Vaskevicious: 'I take account of the fact that that the cheques must have been taken in 2017 and 2020 and had not been used. 'It is suggested this was a high level of culpability and in my judgement it falls within the medium category. 'It is not a breach of trust because between 2017 and 2020 you were no longer employed by Mr Stunt.' Giving evidence earlier in the trial Mr Stunt, the ex-husband of Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone, said he did not know where the safe was kept before the theft. Pictured: The Belgravia house In his closing speech defence barrister Michael Lavers had said the charges were 'more akin to a diamond heist movie' but that it 'simply didn't add up'. 'There was clearly a degree of drugs and prostitution, I know there was a reluctance to say that word from the witnesses but let's call a spade a spade that's exactly what it was. 'It was an involvement that led to Mr Stunt having 323,000 creamed off his credit card. 'That might not be a theft more akin to exploitation or exploitative behaviour, but people had seen this situation developing.' Mr Lavers told the jury that they may think Stunt's use of cocaine and prostitution made him 'ripe for exploitation'. Stunt did not co-operate fully with the police investigation because the cocaine had made him so paranoid that he believed police were selling details of his divorce to the newspapers. He had only been living at the property for a few weeks at the time of the theft and was using just the top floor, with many rooms occupied by staff and hangers-on. Mr Stunt is pictured outside Southwark Crown Court in November when he gave evidence to the trial of Justinas Ivaskevicius Stunt did not know the names of his dozen security guards but if he wanted anything from the safe one would be summoned to bring it to him. 'If I needed the contents, not to be cavalier, but they were brought to me,' said the 38-year-old. Stunt could tell the court he bought the diamond in November 2017, what he paid for it and 'that's about it.' He was seeing up to five women a week and the court heard one was paid with a gold bar - one of several he had in the safe because he 'didn't trust banks.' His cheque books were kept in a bedside drawer because, Stunt told the court: 'I went through them like ladies do conditioner.' Six months after the raid, on 10 May 2018, the diamond 'bearing the price tag of 550,000' turned up at the Gemological Institute of America in New York. The 16.18-carat gemstone is currently being held by the Flying Squad for safe keeping and has yet to be returned to Stunt. Stunt, who was married to Ms Ecclestone, 31, from 2011 to 2017, made his fortune as a gold dealer and art collector. The socialite couple had three children together before divorcing in a 5..5 billion settlement in October 2017. Stunt, who once bragged about having 200 luxury cars, was declared bankrupt at the High Court in June 2019. His 11m luxury cottage in Belgravia was repossessed in March along with two 5m apartments overlooking Chelsea Harbour. Stunt was once worth an estimated 3billion, but had his assets frozen in 2018. British-Lithuanian Ivaskevicius denied and was cleared of theft of the diamond and producing a controlled drug, namely cannabis. But the jury convicted him of two counts of possessing criminal property and four counts of handling stolen goods, namely blank cheques from Artbuthnot Latham Private Bank and a Lloyds cheque book all belonging to Stunt. Ivaskevicius was jailed for two years and nine months. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. CISA seeks comments on TIC 3.0 remote user use case The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is looking for comments on a draft of the Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) 3.0 Remote User Use Case. The Remote User Use Case applies to remote agency users accessing government resources in either agency-hosted or cloud environments. It provides configuration guidance for remote user data flows and applying relevant TIC security capabilities. The draft use case extends the definition of remote users to mobile devices, including personal or bring your own devices used by employees teleworking from home or connecting from a hotel while traveling. In April 2020, CISA issued interim TIC guidance to address the explosion of remote connections taking place during the COVID-19 crisis. This document provides security capabilities for remote federal employees securely connecting to private agency networks and cloud environments. CISA said it recognized that the short-term guidance was not comprehensive; the scope was limited to scenarios in which teleworkers accessed sanctioned cloud services. The December draft use case considers three network security patterns: secure remote user access to the agency campus, secure remote user access to agency-sanctioned cloud service providers and secure remote user access to the web. The draft use case is designed to help agencies preserve security as they move away from traditional network scenarios in support of the maximized telework environment, said Matt Hartman, acting assistant director of CISAs Cybersecurity Division. CISA expects the security guidance will help agencies improve application performance, reduce costs through reduction of private links and improve user experience by facilitating remote user connections to agency-sanctioned cloud services and internal agency services. CISA also released a draft of the National Cybersecurity Protection System (NCPS) Cloud Interface Reference Architecture (NCIRA): Volume 2, which provides an index of common cloud telemetry reporting patterns and characteristics for how agencies can send cloud-specific data to the NCPS cloud-based architecture. An official request for comments period runs until Jan. 29. Comments and feedback for both documents should be submitted to [email protected]. A 34-year-old woman fell asleep behind the wheel of a Tesla and crashed into a utility pole in South Brunswick on Monday, police said. The Hillsborough resident was traveling west along Dey Road around 9 a.m. when the 2021 vehicle crossed into the eastbound lane as the car approached a curve, according to police. The car struck a pole in the eastbound shoulder of the two-lane country road, ripping off the right front tire before it came to a rest in a corn field. She was not hurt, but the vehicle was destroyed. Please always remember to stay awake when driving a @Tesla. This driver fell asleep and struck a utility pole on Dey Road. No injuries but the car was destroyed. #StayAlert pic.twitter.com/l0My9PnIEq So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) January 5, 2021 The officer who responded was not sure if the Tesla was in auto-pilot mode when the crash took place about a half-mile from Route 130, officials said. Driver fatigue is a significant issues, no matter what type of vehicle you have, Chief Raymond Hayducka said in a statement. Statistics show that you are three times more likely to be in a crash if you are fatigued. Dont let the type of vehicle you are driving lull you into a belief it is OK to drive while exhausted. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. The dawn of the current century was a time of optimism, and there was hope that humanity was about to wage its final battle against hunger and misery. Twenty years on, these dreams have been replaced by various fears. Globalization has turned into Slowbalization and the ideals which raised such hopes are struggling to survive. The coming decade will be crucial for the future of democracy and capitalism. A scrutiny of the period from 1900 to 2020 shows that every second decade, there is a change in established values. Lets look back to January 2001. The Cold War that prevailed since the end of the Second World War was over in the 1990s, paving the way for democracy and capitalism worldwide. ALSO READ: Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Asian and African countries set to work on reducing poverty, lifting the largest number of people above poverty in the history of mankind. Globalization and democracy ensured that basic amenities became nearly universal. Hopes and dreams rose, naturally. However, two events in 2001 changed everything. That year, China joined the World Trade Organization, and Al-Qaeda terrorists brought down the World Trade Center in New York. While China quietly increased its strength, the US got caught up in protracted wars. The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008 slowed globalization to a crawl. The flames they fanned became a full-blown fire after covid-19. Renewed unemployment and misery welcome us into the New Year. Take for instance the textiles industry of India and Bangladesh. At the beginning of 2019, the industry was worth 2.5 trillion dollars worldwide, employing 43 million people in India alone. This industry was truly multinationalraw clothes would be made in one country, buttons and zips in another, and finally, the clothes would be cut and stitched into garments somewhere else. India and Bangladesh led this industry. When the coronavirus snapped supply chains, neither Chinese buttons nor threads could reach Bangladesh, nor could garments made there be exported. As a result, orders worth 3.2 billion dollars, were revoked globally. From ordinary workers to professionals, millions of people lost jobs across industries, while many more faced pay cuts. Some also lost a place to live. Many people who had emerged from poverty in the last 30 years returned to penury. No one knows when these conditions will become normal again. The emergence of a new, more infectious strain of the coronavirus has brought back many restrictions, accelerating the ongoing Slowbalization. Economic nationalism has taken root, with countries insisting on local manufacturing to create employment opportunities for their citizens. No wonder our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also seen advocating Vocal for Local. For over a month, farmers seeking repeal of three farm laws are camped around Delhi under the open sky, in the first year since 1961 which has witnessed a cold wave over eight days in a row. But the temperature that dropped to one degree on the first day of the New Year could not cool their enthusiasm. This is a unique protest in the history of independent India. Such anger is not unique to our country, though. Pakistan and Nepal are also struggling for other reasons. China, which is creating turmoil on our borders, is struggling to maintain peace in Hong Kong. The anger has surfaced in the West as well. A few months ago, some protests under the banner of Black Lives Matter took the form of violence in the US. In 2019, there was a Delhi-like farmers protest in Berlin, the capital and biggest city of Germany, Europes richest country. Farmers blocked the roads of the city with more than 20,000 tractors. They returned at the outbreak of the pandemic, but their resistance remains alive. There are many reasons to be afraid. During testing times, rulers have historically applied immediate measures with adverse impact. In the past year, 91 countries imposed various restrictions on the mainstream or social media. Published in September 2020, a Freedom House survey showed the state of human rights violations by the State. If the trend picks up this decade, the values established after the Second World War may come under risk, putting democracy in danger. There is another fact that needs attention. Human civilization has always discovered new light in the darkest days of crisis. With this hope, I would like to welcome this decade. Hopefully, we will be able to stop stumbling and forge ahead. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. His Twitter handle is @shekarkahin Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Because of that, it is vital that you continue to maintain safe practices while out and about. William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine says: Just because you roll up your sleeve and get the shot doesnt mean you can throw away your mask and disregard other prevention efforts such as social distancing and handwashing. Those will be crucial for quite some time, in order to get control over the virus. NUR-SULTAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th January, 2021) SULTAN, January 5 (Sputnik) - Kazakhstan is exploring the opportunity to acquire King Air B300ER Scorpion aircraft produced by US-based Textron corporation, which are equipped with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, the Kazakh Defense Ministry told Sputnik on Tuesday. On December 23, the US Department of State approved a sale of two King Air B300ER Scorpion aircraft and related equipment to Kazakhstan for an estimated cost of $128.1 million. "The defense ministry is considering the possibility of acquiring reconnaissance aircraft of various manufacturers, including from the US. The Department of State has in principle approved the possibility of selling King Air B300ER Scorpion aircraft to the Republic of Kazakhstan. A corresponding notification has been sent to Congress for approval. This has provided an opportunity to conduct negotiations, but has not imposed commitments on the Kazakh side," the ministry said. The ministry added that the project was discussed by the sides, and "the final decision will be made in compliance with the procedure for the acquisition of weapons and military equipment that is established in Kazakhstan." According to the ministry, King Air B300ER Scorpion aircraft will allow the Kazakh armed forces to increase the monitoring of the country's territory to detect possible security threats. "There is a need for reconnaissance aircraft in the armed forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is justified by the interests of ensuring the country's defense capacity," the ministry said. King Air B300ER Scorpion is a jet aircraft designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft's maximum speed is 830 kilometers per hour (520 miles per hour), with its flying range reaching 4,100 kilometers. Besides the reconnaissance equipment, the aircraft can carry various types of rockets, missiles, bombs and guns. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the State Senate GOP announced its refusal to seat Jim Brewster, the elected state senator from the 45th district. The officers of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, President Rick Bloomingdale, and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder issued the following joint statement: "Today, 66,261 voters of the 45th District have been silenced by 26 GOP members in the Commonwealth's State Senate. Senator Brewster is the state-certified victor in the 2020 election. Whether the Republican party likes it or not, they must abide by the decision of the working women and men of the 45th district and respect our democracy. Those who have been elected to represent Pennsylvanians must respect Pennsylvania voters. Today's decision subverts democracy and tarnishes the legitimacy of our General Assembly. The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO calls on the State Senate to seat Senator Brewster immediately." SOURCE PA AFL-CIO Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 15:50:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Stargazers will be left dazzled by more than 30 meteor showers set to light up the sky this year, said the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Tuesday. Apart from the Quadrantid, the first meteor shower of 2021 that reached its peak on Sunday, the observatory recommended watching another four major meteor showers, including the Perseids anticipated to peak on Aug. 11 and 12 and Geminids on Dec. 13 and 14. The latter will produce about 150 meteors per hour at its peak. The Eta Aquarid and Orionids, two annual showers caused by the return of Halley's Comet to the inner atmosphere, will likely be visible overnight from May 4 to 5 and Oct. 19 to 20, respectively, said the observatory, citing the International Meteor Organization. These meteor showers are visible with naked eyes and special equipment like telescopes and binoculars are not necessary, said Hu Fanghao, a researcher at the observatory. Enditem More than 100,000 total vaccinations have been administered in health agency's region local Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Jaime Rhodes APRN Joins Murray Hospital Staff By West Kentucky Star Staff MURRAY - Murray-Calloway County Hospital welcomes Jaime Rhodes, APRN to Murray Medical Associates.Rhodes completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and her Master of Science in Nursing from Murray State University where she obtained her Advanced Practice Nursing degree. She has most recently worked as an APRN in Benton where she cared for hospitalized patients in a critical care setting and performed hospital rounds as well as patient visits and management of medications.She also has experience in Gastroenterology, Cardiothoracic Surgery and was a RN in various roles at MCCH for about ten years. She has a combined 20 years of clinical experience in various medical settings.Rhodes joins Murray-Calloway County Hospital and the practice of Murray Medical Associates and will work in a hospitalist role.For more information, visit www.murrayhospital.org. The Associated Press (AP) has found that the Chinese government is controlling all research into how the coronavirus started. The government is limiting some research while putting forward unlikely ideas that it could have come from outside China. Secrecy and control The APs investigation found that government secrecy and high-level control have been at work throughout the pandemic. This culture of secrecy and control delayed warnings about the pandemic. It blocked the sharing of information with the World Health Organization (WHO) and hurt early testing. Scientists who study Chinas public health system say some research has been limited, including studies of how the virus that causes COVID-19 began. They only select people they can trust, those that they can control, said a public health expert who works regularly with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The expert did not want to be identified out of fear of punishment. But some Chinese scientists say little has been shared simply because nothing of importance has been found. Zhang Yongzhen, a Chinese virus expert, said Weve been looking, but we havent found it. Research, cooperation, and origins A World Health Organization international team plans to visit China in early January to investigate what started the pandemic. Its members and agenda, or plan, had to be approved by China. Some public health experts warn that Chinas refusal to help international scientists has hurt the spirit of cooperation that found the source of the SARS outbreak nearly 20 years ago. In April, President Donald Trump ended a U.S.-financed project to identify dangerous animal diseases in China and Southeast Asia. Trump also has accused China of releasing the virus through an accident at a Wuhan laboratory. That idea, some experts say, cannot be ruled out. But, as of now, it has no evidence behind it. Jonna Mazet is an executive director of the University of California, Davis One Health Institute. She said the lack of cooperation between Chinese and U.S. scientists was a disappointment. Mazet added that the inability of American scientists to work in China is devastating. Theres so much speculation around the origins of this virus, Mazet said. We need to step back...and let scientists get the real answer. Most scientists believe the COVID-19 virus had its origins in nature, perhaps in bats. But some say the virus - or something very close to it - could have been taken to Wuhan and released by mistake. Wuhan Institute of Virology bat expert Shi Zhengli has disputed this idea. But Chinese officials have not let foreign scientists in to investigate. Reputation cost The pandemic has hurt Chinas reputation around the world. Chinas leaders are concerned about any findings that could suggest they failed to take steps to prevent the virus spread. The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health Commission, which are leading research into the coronavirus origins, did not answer APs requests for comment. Im John Russell. Dake Kang, Maria Cheng and Sam McNeil reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story disappointment n. the state or feeling of being sad, unhappy, or displeased because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen devastating adj. causing great damage or harm speculation n. ideas or guesses about what is not known origin n. the point where something begins or is created, the source reputation n. the common opinion that people have about someone or something : the way in which people think of someone or something scale n. the size or level of something especially in comparison to something else HCL Technologies rose 0.55% to Rs 984.95, extending gains for seventh day in a row. The stock has added 7.09% in seven sessions from its recent closing low of Rs 919.75 recorded on 24 December 2020. In the past six months, the stock has zoomed 70.12% while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex has added 33.78% during the same period. In a BSE filing made before market hours today, HCL Tech said that the proposed acquisition of DWS in Australia has completed. In September 2020, HCL Technologies announced its plans to acquire DWS, a leading Australian IT, business and management consulting group. "The acquisition of DWS will strongly enhance HCL's contribution to Digital initiatives in Australia and New Zealand while strengthening HCL's client portfolio across key industries, HCL Tech said. The DWS Group, with FY20 revenue at A$ 167.9 million, provides a wide range of IT services including digital transformation, application development & support, program & project management and consulting. The acquisition was done by HCL Australia Services, a wholly owned step-down subsidiary of HCL Technologies at A$1.20 per share for total equity value pay-out at A$158.2 million. HCL Technologies offers its services and products through three business units - IT and Business Services (ITBS), Engineering and R&D Services (ERS) and Products & Platforms (P&P). The IT firm's consolidated net profit rose 7.23% to Rs 3,143 crore on 4.21% increase in revenue to Rs 18,594 crore in Q2 September 2020 over Q1 June 2020. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She is one of a slew of reality stars enjoying the sunshine of Dubai via a 'work' loophole, while the rest of the UK have endured a tiered Christmas and a New Year lockdown. Yet Laura Anderson was still able to find something to complain about to her Instagram followers on Tuesday, as she recorded a rambling message ahead of another day sunning herself and lying around in a bikini. Taking to her stories, the 31-year-old declared that the new lockdown announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night was 'a s****y situation', despite being unaffected by it abroad. What lockdown? Laura Anderson was still able to find something to complain about to her Instagram followers on Tuesday, as she recorded a rambling message ahead of another day sunning herself and lying around in a bikini She was later seen by the pool, clearly over the shock of the announcememt already, posing in a skimpy baby blue two-piece. Grinning for the camera, the Scot showed off her taut waist, a bandanna tied around her head, dark square shades covering her eyes. Despite complaining in her video earlier in the day that she didn't have a tan, she looked bronzed in the snap, her chocolate locks tumbling down her shoulders. She was sure to post several more videos from her day at a beach club, allowed free entry with fellow ex-Love Islander Kaz Crossley. Bored, hun? Taking to her stories, the 31-year-old declared that the new lockdown announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night was 'a s****y situation', despite being unaffected by it abroad The pair were seen singing, dancing and drinking in the sunshine, clearly unfazed by the pandemic. In her earlier video, Laura acknowledged the UK's lockdown, before changing the subject and talking about opening a salon in Dubai and flying her dog over to stay with her. 'I just wanted to send you some love from the lovely news. What a s****y, s****y, s****y situation,' she said, before adding: 'I'm coming home on Sunday morning.' Having fun? She was sure to post several more videos from her day at a beach club, allowed free entry with fellow ex-Love Islander Kaz Crossley Despite her plans to return home after weeks abroad, Laura appeared to be already planning her return to the UEA and proceeded to verbosely talk of her 'pure anxiety' about transporting her pet dog abroad should she return to Dubai and open a beauty salon. This comes after fellow Love Island star Jack Fincham fueled romance rumours with Laura. It seems that Jack, 29, may have joined Laura on her sun-soaked Dubai holiday as he tagged the city alongside a snap of the duo, which he shared to Instagram on Sunday. Dating? This comes after fellow Love Island star Jack Fincham fueled romance rumours with Laura Alongside his post, the father-of-one simply posted a party popper emoji, as he hinted at his plans to to join Laura in the United Arab Emirates. The socially distanced snap was taken when the pair filmed the Love Island reunion show earlier this year, alongside Dr Alex George. Laura was quick to jokingly comment on the post: 'Omg who's that?' While Love Island alum Alex, 30, seemed unamused that he had been cropped out of the picture, penning: 'Wait. Did you crop me out.' Alex has tirelessly spent the last few months battling COVID-19 on the front line back home. Holiday: It seems that the Love Islander may have joined Laura on her sun-soaked Dubai trip as he tagged the city as the location alongside the snap of the duo And many of his two million followers couldn't help but excitedly ask whether this meant that him and Laura were dating. One fan wrote: 'Are you and laura a couple?' And another speculated: 'Coincidence they are both in dubai at same time' (sic) While a third commented: 'Get together already man' The close pals first began sparking romance rumours after it was claimed that they had grown closer since appearing on Love Island. Rumours: The friends made a pact to get married on Love Island: What Happened Next? and it was later reported that they have become 'romantic' The friends made a pact to get married on Love Island: What Happened Next? and it was later reported that they have become 'romantic'. Speaking to The Sun, a source said: 'They have always been close, but lately they've grown more romantic with each other. 'Laura is based up in Scotland but sees Jack when she's in London. They really like each other and have even locked lips.' Appearing on ITV2, Jack even promised to marry his former co-star if they're both single by the time they reach 40. Feldman is a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 corporations, well-known venture-backed companies, and high-profile individuals in their most complex disputes. He has significant experience prevailing in jury trials and arbitrations, as well as arguing and winning notable dispositive motions for clients in state and federal courts across the country. Feldman litigates a range of complex commercial disputes, intellectual property matters, and class actions in state and federal courts across the U.S. "Steve brings a fantastic set of skills to our market-leading Litigation & Trial Department," said Michele Johnson, Global Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department. "Complementing his phenomenal and varied litigation talents, he brings a strong entrepreneurial sensibility and the ability to develop deep relationships with clients." Sean Berkowitz, Global Chair of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice said, "Steve is a fantastic addition to our practice. He's one of the most impressive next generation litigators in the field, who has masterfully handled a whole range of disputes, from art fraud and false advertising to patent and trademark infringement, and breach of contract." "Latham's top-notch global platform combined with its team-based approach is a tremendous draw for me," said Feldman. "I look forward to connecting with litigation and corporate colleagues across the firm to deliver sophisticated, business-oriented legal solutions to my clients." Feldman joins Latham from Hueston Hennigan in Los Angeles. He received his JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and his BS from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Feldman clerked for Judge Jacqueline H. Nguyen at both the US District Court for the Central District of California and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Feldman currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Harvard Law School Alumni Association of Los Angeles and the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers. About Latham & Watkins (lw.com) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Michele Johnson, Global Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department, +1.714.540.1235 Sean Berkowitz, Global Chair of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice, +1.312.777.7016 SOURCE Latham & Watkins Related Links http://www.lw.com Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. By Li Yang At the moment, some American politicians are going to great lengths to produce new versions of the 'China threat' fallacy with various attempts to portray China as a strategic threat to their country. Yet it is not difficult to find the true answer to the title question. Does China threaten the territorial integrity and homeland security of the US? No! The Chinese territory is large enough and China has neither interest in nor inordinate ambition for American territory. It is American warships and military aircrafts that swagger on the Chinese doorstep every day and some American politicians that rattle sabres on China from time to time! The US has also stepped up its support and use of separatist forces in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet to split and dismember China. To this end, it has recently moved to elevate relations with Taiwan, wantonly sold advanced weapons to the island and encouraged pro-independence elements to reject reunification by force. Aren't these actions a threat to China's territorial integrity and national unification? Does China threaten America's political system and ideology? Any claim to this effect is totally groundless! Undoubtedly, the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics has been successful. But China has never wanted to impose its own political system or development path on any other country. Socialism with Chinese characteristics belongs only to China. Even if the US wishes to go down that road, it might not work for it. It is the US that has not given up the desire to westernize China and that has been seeking regime change in China through ideological infiltrations and color revolutions by all means! Aren't these actions a threat to China's political security? Does China threaten the American way of life and values? Isn't the allegation absurd? People's ways of life are rooted in their respective cultural traditions and circumstances, not a product of subjective choice. Moreover, China has no need to change the way Americans live. Peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom are pursued by all mankind across races, systems and faiths. They are the intersection of Chinese and American values. The two countries have more in common than differences in values and do not need to force changes on each other through threats. The problem is: the US does not recognize the shared values with an obstinate moral arrogance and repeated vain attempts to attack and put China on trial in values! Aren't these actions a threat to the values that both Chinese and other peoples in the world hold dear? Does China threaten America's national image and international influence? It is just a 'narrow-minded' world view of the US! The 2020 has been witnessing superb performances by China in pandemic response, economic recovery, people's livelihood and provision of public goods to the international community. China has done what it deems good for the world, not out of a desire to tarnish American image or standing in the world. In comparison, the world has seen in the US failed pandemic control, extensive incompetence and poor governance. Instead of focusing on and addressing its own problems, the country can't tolerate that the others do better than itself, has desperately scapegoated China and thrown dirt on China with wild rumors, leading to wrong, negative opinions on China. Aren't these actions a threat to China's international image? Does China threaten America's position as the world's strongest power and hegemon? Well, a classic hegemonic logic is so visible in such a claim! The Chinese people have a strong determination and work hard to build their own country and pursue a better life. No one can stop them from doing so! And no matter how strong China will become in the future, it will never become another hegemon and it will resolutely oppose any other country's hegemonic policies. The US may well remain strong while giving up hegemonism, but unfortunately it has sought to consolidate its international position with increased hegemony. Obviously, it cannot accept the development and increased strength of China. And its attempts to bully, suppress, block and contain China have been more extensive than ever before. Aren't these actions a threat to China's peaceful development and national rejuvenation? Obviously, some people in the US have again hyped the China threat fallacy to create excuses and pave the way for enhanced containment. It is not China threatening the US but rather the US openly threatening China's security and development. The real threat to America lies nowhere other than in itself. The country has lost its ability to adjust itself and correct its own mistakes or to provide and drive solutions for human survival and development through solidarity and cooperation. It has become increasingly corrupt, selfish and barbaric. And this, is the greatest threat to the US! (The author Li Yang is Consul General of China in Rio de Janeiro. And this article is originally published on the website of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Rio de Janeiro.) Egypt Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry signed the al-Ula agreement for Arab reconciliation with Qatar, which was signed by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states during the 41st GCC summit held on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. This comes within the framework of Egypts constant keenness to [achieve] solidarity among the Arab quartet states and in their orientation towards consolidating ranks, and removing any disagreements among brotherly Arab nations, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Saudi Arabia led a coalition of an Arab quartet including the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt that cut ties and transport links with Qatar in June 2017, charging that it was too close to Iran and backed terrorist groups -- allegations Doha has always denied. Egypt signed the agreement also to enhance Arab joint work in the face of the significant challenges the region is witnessing, the ministry said. The statement affirmed the need to build on this step to enhance joint Arab work and enhance relations between Arab nations, based on goodwill and non-interference in the Arab countries domestic affairs. Egypt values all honest efforts made over the past years, especially by Kuwait, to achieve reconciliation between the countries of the Arab Quartet and Qatar. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Tuesday at the GCC summit that the Gulf states had signed an agreement on regional "solidarity and stability" aimed at resolving a three-year embargo against Qatar. Leaders of the six-member GCC signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration, named after the Saudi city where the summit was held, and a final communique. The contents of the declaration and the communique were expected to be released to the press later. "An agreement has been reached to open airspace and land and sea borders between Saudi Arabia and Qatar as of this evening," Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser al-Sabah said Monday on Kuwait TV ahead of the summit. Short link: You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 But nearly six months after its unveiling, the test remains largely confined to the schools campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. With an emergency use request submitted, other parties will be able to use the test while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviews the application. Its unclear how long that will take, but the emergency authorization is desirable because it provides liability protection among other regulatory benefits. Seoul, Jan 5 : The South Korean government on Tuesday called for the early release of an oil tanker which was seized by Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Gulf over what Tehran claimed to be "repeated violations" of environmental protocols. Following the seizure on Monday, the IRGC said: "The tanker (Hankuk Chemi), departing from the Saudi port of Al-Jubail, was seized when sailing in the Gulf by the Zulfiqar fleet in the first Naval District of the IRGC for repeated violations of marine environmental laws," Xinhua news agency reported. It was en route to the United Arab Emirates. The ship was carrying 7,200 tonnes of chemicals derived from petroleum and 20 crewmembers -- five South Koreans, 11 Myanmarese, two Indonesians and two Vietnamese, according to the statement. After being seized, the vessel was docked at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, and the case will be handed over to local judicial authorities for legal process, the IRGC further said. In a statement on Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that Seoul is making diplomatic efforts for the swift release of the ship and crewmembers, Yonhap News Agency reported. "We have been trying to figure out what happened through the Iranian Embassy in South Korea and the South Korean Embassy in Iran and continuing to make efforts to address this situation," Kang told reporters at a briefing. Meanwhile, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said the country's anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit began operations in waters near the Strait of Hormuz "to ensure the safety of our nationals", Yonhap News Agency reported. "The issue should be resolved through diplomacy. The unit is focused on the safety of our people who use the waterway after the seizure incident," another official said. The 33rd contingent of the 300-strong Cheonghae Unit on the 4,400-tonne destroyer Choi Young has been in the Middle Eastern region since late last year to conduct anti-piracy missions. on Monday, the US State Department called on Iran to immediately release the tanker, saying that the seizure is part of Teheran's attempt to press the international community into lifting sanctions on the country. As the world's most important oil passageway and a choke point between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the strait is the route to the open ocean for more than one-sixth of global oil production and 70 per cent of South Korea's oil imports. In a similar incident in 2019, Iran had seized the UK-flagged tanker Stena Impero, two weeks after a British warship had intercepted an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar, leading to an escalation of tensions. An alert has been sounded after six UK returnees to the state after December 14 tested positive for the new strain, including two each in Kozhikode and Alappuzha and one each in Kottayam and Kannur, officials said on Tuesday. Health Minister KK Shailaja called upon the people to opt for self-imposed lockdown. "More people are coming out after the lockdown restrictions were relaxed. We will now have to adopt self-imposed lockdown and show more self-discipline. People must go out only of their houses for emergency purposes. The next few weeks are crucial." The Minister said: "The infected UK returnees were quarantined ever since they had returned and tested positive. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology at Pune, which has now confirmed that they are infected with the new strain." Shailaja said that these people have since been shifted to hospitals and lists of people they came in contact with were prepared. These contacts have also been put in quarantine, she said. Meanwhile, the state has requested the Union government for 5 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccines for healthcare professionals in the first phase. The state informed the Centre that the test positivity rates and the number of corona cases in Kerala are expected to touch 9,000 cases per day. The state had given more relaxations during the festive season and the recent local body elections, which may have led to the projections on the number of cases. Around 3.13 lakh people have already registered for the vaccine in the state, which include frontline health workers, medical students from all streams, and aanganwadi workers. The state is also planning to include police personnel in the list if the state receives 5 lakh doses of vaccines in the first phase. In a related development, BJP state President K Surendran told IANS: "Kerala's Covid-19 cases are mounting and I have requested the Prime Minister to constitute a special team of doctors to be sent to the state to assess the ground situation." Earlier in the day, the central government said that 20 more cases of mutant strain of reported from UK have been detected in India, taking the total such cases in the country to 58. --IANS aal/tsb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Porterville, CA (93257) Today A mainly sunny sky. High 91F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low near 55F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701) Today Partly cloudy skies during the morning hours. Thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 90F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 17:26:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and another 17 were wounded on Tuesday in a bus-truck crash on a desert road of Aswan province in southern Egypt, official medical source said. "The accident took place when a bus, carrying 30 people, attempted to slow down in a broken road in front of Binban village, then a truck hit it from behind," chairman of Aswan Ambulance Authority Mohamed al-Diekhily told Xinhua. Ten ambulances were rushed to the scene and the road was closed, he added, noting that the injured ones were transferred to Aswan Public Hospital. This is the third big accident that occurred on the same road in two weeks. On Thursday, 12 people were killed in two lorries crash while another 12 were killed in a microbus-lorry crash on Dec. 27. The governor of Aswan ordered to fix some light guidance placards and add some speed bumps to prevent the repetition of accidents. The Ministry of Social Solidarity ordered urgent aid to the families of the victims. Daily road accidents are common in Egypt because of poorly maintained road infrastructure and loosely applied traffic regulations. Over the past few years, Egypt has been upgrading its road network, building new roads and bridges, and repairing existing ones in an effort to reduce traffic accidents. Enditem Alibaba and AliExpress founder Jack Ma has lost about $ 11 billion, dropping his net worth to $ 50.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Last year the fortune of the Chinese millionaire reached 61.7 billion dollars, so Ma was on the verge of becoming the richest man in the Asian country again. However, scrutiny by antitrust authorities against the mogul's companies has caused his assets to plummet. In November 2020, an Alibaba affiliate would become the largest public offering for sale in history. Ant Group expected to raise more than $ 34 billion jointly on its listing on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges. To learn more: An Alibaba affiliate would become the largest public offering for sale in history, according to Jack Ma Image: Depositphotos.com However, these plans fell through after Chinese regulators launched a last-minute investigation and suspended the transaction. This caused the shares of Alibaba, a company that owns 33% of Ant Group, to fall and with them the fortune of the businessman. According to the BBC , when the fintech company's IPO was suspended, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange commented that Ant Group "may not meet standards for listing and transparency requirements." He also suggested that "recent changes" in the regulation of digital finance could have become an obstacle. This is how the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced in a statement that it is investigating Alibaba Group for "suspicion of monopolistic conduct." Jack Ma / Image: Depositphotos.com So far it is only known that the investigation is related to the exclusivity policy of Jack Ma's group, which forces merchants to sell only on Alibaba and prevents them from doing so on other rival platforms. The Central Bank of China ordered a reorganization of operations for Ant Group to rectify its insurance, loan and wealth management services. And he suggested that Ma's company go back to its electronic payments beginnings. Related: Jack Ma Continues to Lose Money While His Company Is Investigated by the Chinese Authorities Jack Ma sigue perdiendo dinero mientras su empresa es investigada por las autoridades chinas Alibaba and Ant Group Founder Jack Ma Hasn't Been Seen for 2 Months Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. SACRAMENTO Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would seek to create a multibillion-dollar economic aid and recovery package for California businesses struggling through the coronavirus pandemic. The plan, part of a state budget proposal that Newsom will formally unveil later this week, would include more than $4 billion in grants for small businesses, corporate tax credits, funding to expand housing and green infrastructure, and fee waivers for industries that have been hit particularly hard by lockdown measures. Californias economy is known the world over for our innovation, inclusion and resilience. That spirit will carry us through this pandemic and beyond, Newsom said in a statement Tuesday. These budget proposals reflect our commitment to an equitable, broad-based recovery that ensures California remains the best place to start and grow a business and where all Californians have an opportunity to reach their dreams. A quicker economic rebound than anticipated has eased Californias budget woes, bringing the state a one-time windfall that legislative analysts estimate could grow to about $26 billion by the next fiscal year. That will provide Newsom and policymakers with more resources to chart an economic recovery for the state, which has been battered by the pandemic, though analysts also project California will face an operating deficit in the coming years. At the center of Newsoms economic aid proposal is an additional $575 million to help small businesses adapt their operations for the coronavirus. The state set aside $500 million in November to provide businesses with grants of between $5,000 and $25,000. The second round of funding would include $25 million dedicated for small cultural institutions, such as museums and art galleries, that have been unable to operate or are otherwise financially challenged by the pandemic. The plan would also provide $765 million for job creation and economic development efforts, including $430 million to increase a tax credit for businesses that relocate to or grow in California, $100 million to extend a hiring tax credit for small businesses and $100 million to defray sales taxes on manufacturing equipment. Bars, restaurants, barbershops, manicurists and other industries that have been required to close down or limit their capacity during the pandemic would receive about $71 million in fee waivers under Newsoms proposal. The governor also proposes supporting job growth through a $353 million funding increase for worker training and apprenticeship programs; $300 million in one-time money to tackle deferred maintenance and greening projects, such as the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at state buildings; and $500 million in grants to bring down the cost of housing developments. In the single biggest item of the package, Newsom is proposing an additional $1.5 billion to boost the states transition to clean cars by funding construction of more charging stations and rebates for vehicle purchases. The governor signed an executive order in September requiring that all new passenger vehicles sold in California be zero-emission by 2035. Newsoms plan would need approval from the Legislature, which must pass a state budget by June. The governors office said it would ask lawmakers to act immediately to appropriate the $575 million in small-business grants and $71 million in fee waivers. Californians are hurting and need immediate assistance to weather the current crisis, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood (Los Angeles County), said in a statement. A unified effort is critical to success and we look forward to working with the governor on the specifics of his, and legislative proposals to take early action in providing meaningful additional relief. On Monday, Newsom said he would also seek an immediate $300 million infusion to bolster the states coronavirus vaccine distribution. The governors announcement of his full budget plan is expected Friday. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE), Ajmer has released the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) 2021. The application process for REET 2021 will begin 11 January and go on till midnight of 8 February. According to Indian Express, there are two exams that are held for REET. Those who clear paper 1 will be eligible to teach Classes 1 to 5, while those who clear paper 2, will be eligible to teach from Classes 6 to 8. The report further adds that applicants will have to pay a fee of Rs 550 if they wish to appear for only one exam. Those who wish to appear for both papers, will have to pay Rs 750. According to The Times of India, this year, the Rajasthan government has announced major changes in the REET exam for teachers' recruitment. As per new rules, only Basic School Teaching Certificate (BSTC) holders are allowed to appear in REET Level-1 exams. In an interaction with the publication, state education minister Govind Singh Dostara said that in a bid to give preference to state students, there will be more questions related to Rajasthan. The state education minister has further stated that REET score will constitute 90 percent of the weightage against 70 percent in the old scheme. The remaining 10 percent will be evaluated on the basis of scores at graduate and board scores. According to a report in Jagran Josh, a candidate must have Graduation and BEd Degree with 50 percent marks or equivalent from a recognised university. As per the official notification, here are the important dates. 11 January: Commencement of submission of online application. 8 February: Last date for submission of online application. 11 January to 4 February: Application Fee submission date. 14 April: Admit Card Download Date. 25 April: Exam Date. Gardai in Carrick-on-Shannon are investigating an incident close to the Shannon roundabout on the Dublin road out of the county town on December 28. A local female was hit by a vehicle just a few meters from the Shannon roundabout at 6.45pm on Monday, December 28. She was injured and was taken to Sligo University Hospital by ambulance. No one has been arrested and Gardai would like to speak to anyone who travelled the road around that time and who might have dash cam footage to help with the investigation. Call Carrick-on-Shannon Gardai on (071) 965 0510. Also read: Local man dies after entering Ballyconnell-Ballinamore Waterway The New York Stock Exchange says it will no longer go ahead with plans to remove three Chinese telecommunication companies from the index in compliance with an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump. The exchange said Monday on its website that it reversed its previous decision after further consultation with regulators. The NYSE said last Thursday it was removing state-owned China Telecom Corp Limited, China Mobile Limited and China Unicom Hong Kong Limited under Trumps order issued in November that bars American companies and individuals from investing in at least 31 firms believed to be linked to the Chinese military. Chinas commerce ministry warned Saturday that Beijing would take necessary countermeasures to protect its companies. Shares in all three companies gained well over 5% on Hong Kongs benchmark Hang Seng index Monday. [January 05, 2021] CriticalPoint Capital Completes Sale of Arlon Electronic Materials Division to Elite Material Co. MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Affiliates of CriticalPoint Capital, LLC ("CriticalPoint Capital" or "CPC") announced today the completion of the sale of Arlon Electronic Materials Division (the "Company" or "Arlon EMD" or "Arlon") to Elite Material Co. Ltd. ("EMC"). Headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Arlon is a leading manufacturer of specialty, high performance laminate and prepreg materials for use in a wide variety of printed circuit board applications, primarily serving the aerospace and military end markets. EMC is Taiwanese-based, and the fifth largest copper clad laminate (CCL) and prepreg manufacturer, globally. EMC acquired Arlon in order to establish a North American manufacturing base to meet long-term market demand in the United States. For over 50 years, Arlon EMD has earned a reputation as a specialty materials manufacturer, providing high quality products with reliable performance and quick-turn production capability. The Company focuses on developing and manufacturing niche products designed to address specific problems that OEMs and fabricators encounter in their design and manufacturing activities. The Company delivers a superior value proposition supporting high value, high risk applications where product failures have potentially extreme consequences. Under CPC's ownership since 2015, Arlon has undergone a significant facility expansion and equipment upgrade at its production site in Rancho Cucamonga. The upgrades and expansion of the 82,000 square foot facility resulted in an increase in manufacturing floor space of 35% and a 20% improvement in manufacturing efficiency. These upgrades enabled the Company to conduct additional quick-turn services and specialty product manufacturing. Further, Arlon expanded its product portfolio with the addition of four new products, demonstrating its commitment to constantly evolve to serve its cutomers' needs. As a result, Arlon's revenue and EBITDA grew during each year of CPC's ownership. "Our time together with Arlon and the management team led by Brad Foster has been incredibly fruitful," said Brad Holtmeier, Partner at CPC. "During our partnership, the Company introduced new products, improved its manufacturing capabilities, and invested in significant capital improvement projects. We are proud of our investment into the organization and believe Arlon is well-positioned for growth with EMC's leadership and substantial manufacturing and technical expertise." "We are grateful for CriticalPoint Capital's financial and strategic support over the past five years," said Brad Foster, President of Arlon. "Not only has CPC been instrumental in helping us attain our growth objectives, but they truly understand the key value drivers and overall investment strategy allowing me and my team to run the day-to-day business. The collaborative approach with CPC has enabled us to expand our market leadership and build tremendous positive momentum that will continue to drive the business forward." The sale represents CPC's second exit in the last three months. In September, CPC announced the sale of the assets of Organized SportsWear to Spiritwear.com. CPC has also been active in adding to its portfolio having completed three acquisitions in the last quarter including Walmart's Shoes.com, AECOM's Power Construction division (rebranded as "United E&C") and Southern States Cooperative's Farm Supply Distribution division (rebranded as "Agway Farm & Home"). ABOUT CRITICALPOINT CAPITAL Founded in 2012, CriticalPoint Capital is a private investment firm based in Manhattan Beach, CA. The firm is focused on acquiring companies with long-term value creation opportunities and partnering with management teams that can benefit from patient capital and a thoughtful approach to growth. CPC's portfolio is composed of investments across a wide variety of industries and the firm looks to grow through additional platform and add-on acquisitions. www.criticalpointcapital.com ABOUT ARLON EMD Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Arlon is a leading manufacturer of specialty high performance, laminate and prepreg materials for use in a wide variety of printed circuit board ("PCB") applications. The Company provides various thermoset resin technology products for a variety of substrates including woven glass and non-woven aramid. The company offers specialty laminates for high temperature environment, high layer count PCBs, enhanced electrical properties and high-density interconnections. www.arlonEMD.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/criticalpoint-capital-completes-sale-of-arlon-electronic-materials-division-to-elite-material-co-301199888.html SOURCE CriticalPoint Capital [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Romanian economy is expected to grow 3.5 percent this year, after a contraction of 5 percent in 2020, and is next seen picking up to 4.1 percent in 2022, according to the World Bank's January 2021 Global Economic Prospects, the financial organization's latest report on the outlooks for the world economy. In October last year, the World Bank forecast that the Romanian economy will shrink 5.7 percent in 2020, but will bounce back 4.9 percent in 2021. As concerns the region of Europe and Central Asia (ECA), which includes Romania, the pace of recovery is projected at a moderate 3.3 percent this year. The WB stresses that this outlook is predicated on the distribution of effective vaccines gathering pace in early 2021 in advanced economies and major EMDEs, including Russia, then later in the year for others, and also assumes that geopolitical tensions will not re-escalate in the region. The WB also revised downwards its forecasts for the 2021 global economic growth to 4 percent from 4.2 percent as previously estimated, after a 4.3 percent contraction in 2020, and warned that an increase in COVID-19 infections and delays in the rollout of vaccines could limit this year's economic expansion to just 1.6 percent. "To overcome the impacts of the pandemic and counter the investment headwind, there needs to be a major push to improve business environments, increase labor and product market flexibility, and strengthen transparency and governance," said World Bank Group President David Malpass. The World Bank warns that the short-term outlook is very uncertain and different scenarios are possible. "A downside scenario in which infections continue to rise and the rollout of a vaccine is delayed could limit the global expansion to 1.6 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, in an upside scenario with successful pandemic control and a faster vaccination process, global growth could accelerate to nearly 5 percent," the report of the international financial institution also shows. Carlos Gil/Getty As always, the coronavirus is more complicated than we thought. This time, that might be good news. Britains health minister, Matt Hancock, created what one expert called the Panic du Jour on Monday when he told the BBC he was incredibly worried about the South African variant of the novel coronavirus. The British government moved on Christmas Eve to restrict all flights into the United Kingdom from the country, the latest in a series of travel embargoes aimed at warding off the hot new thing in pandemic terror. This is a very, very significant problem, Hancock said, adding, that its even more of a problem than the U.K. new variant of the virus. But even as Hancock sounded alarm bells that could be heard across the globe, infectious disease experts from Britain to South Africa to Nebraska told The Daily Beast theres no scientific evidence to support any panic. Even if the prospect of an already-brutal virus mutating remains inherently terrifying. The Mutant U.K. Virus Strain Is Probably Here Already We dont have data on this, said Andrew Preston, a researcher in microbial pathogenesis at the University of Bath in the U.K. Both variants were publicly announced in December after detection earlier in the fallone in southeast England and one in the Nelson Mandela Bay region of South Africa. They look similar in many respects, including an overlapping mutation both have that make them more transmissibleor contagiousthan previously established strains. Still, there are some concerning mutations in the South African variant, according to James Lawler, an infectious disease expert at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the National Strategic Research Institute. There is no evidence that either variant is deadlier than the established strain of the coronavirus that has already killed more than 350,000 Americans. But the South African variants mutations are located at the business end of the spike protein and can affect infectivity and the ability of protective antibodies to recognize and bind to it, said Lawler. Story continues In other words, the fearas everis that the latest scary mutation might reduce vaccine efficacy. The most dire scenario: The mutations could lead to some escape from immune protection, as Lawrence Young, a virologist and professor of molecular oncology at University of Warwick, told the U.K.s Science Media Centre. Theres still a long way to go to prove that theory. While the mutations suggest that this variant has an evolutionary advantage over other variants, it is difficult for us at the moment to quantify this, said Dr. Richard Lessells, an infectious disease researcher who is working on South Africas genomic studies of the variant. Most experts agree that the new variants appear to be more infectious, but theres a lot we dont know. For example, counter to Hancocks claim on Monday morning, Lawler told The Daily Beast, of the South African strain versus the U.K. variant, I dont think we know enough to say one is worse than the other. Another concern about both new mutations: that unlike previous iterations of the virus, which were relatively unlikely to produce serious cases in young people, these might somehow hit younger people harderor at least with more frequency. Most COVID-19 cases identified as the new U.K. variant have occurred in people under 60 years of age, according to the World Health Organization. But this may just be a product of greater mixing of younger people in the run-up to the holiday season, said Dr. Adrian Hyzler, the UK-based chief medical officer for Healix Internationala sentiment echoed by many other experts interviewed on Monday. (Age differences in disease occurrence are much more likely related to behavior, noted Lawler.) The U.K. variant has been identified in Australia; Denmark; the Netherlands; the United States, in Colorado, California, and New York; Italy; Iceland; and elsewhere, according to the WHO. It is between more than 40 percent to 70 percent more transmissible than previous circulating viruses, the organization has said. The South African variant, meanwhile, has been identified in Austria, Norway, the U.K., and Japan. Ultimately, these new variants are here to stay. And while they are not harbingers of the apocalypse, they could make everything from supermarket visits to superspreader events more dangerous, while Americans wait for a vaccine to be circulated. What weve seen is that this [U.K.] variant is really now displacing other variants in the United Kingdom, said Preston. The other thing that is really key is that were still seeing case numbers increasing, even under restrictions that previously did appear to plateau cases. That suggests it is [easier] for this variant to pass from person to person. If someones breathing out more virus, you might need to space people out more. Time to Sprint: De Blasio Announces Round-the-Clock COVID-19 Vaccine Hubs Amid New Surge in Cases In other words, the current restrictions are less effective at preventing transmission of the virus as it evolves, and tougher rulesor tougher enforcementmay be necessary. Still, the fundamentals of how this disease kills are not going to change. The virus still spreads from person to person in exactly the same wayvia droplets, aerosols, and contactso it is not that the specific prevention guidance needs to be changed but that these prevention measures need to be more strictly adhered to, said Lessells. And while one of the key alarm bells rung by Hancock on Monday was a concern that vaccines may not be effective against the South African variant, theres hope on that score. According to Lawler, theres no evidence that the vaccines will not protect against these variants. And, Preston noted, Even if they do affect the vaccine, theres nothing we know about the way the immune system works that would indicate vaccine failure [in a new variant]. This is another reason for optimism: The vaccines were not solely tested on the strain that first emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019. Some amount of mutation is already baked into the immunization pie. Most of the vaccine trials would have already been testing the vaccine across a range of variants that were circulating, said Preston. Itd be very, very unlikely it goes from 90 percent [efficacy] to zero. What the variants emergence does mean is that avoiding unnecessary social contact is all the more essentialeven if the pace of the vaccine rollout in the United States can make that maddening. As Lessells put it, If we continue to allow the virus to spread, it will evolve, and we just dont know how further mutations in the virus might change its behavior. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. CHICAGO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Republic International Corporation (NYSE: ORI) announces the alignment of Old Republic Contractors Insurance Group, Inc. (ORCIG), previously a stand-alone underwriting affiliate of Old Republic, into BITCO Corporation (BITCO), another wholly-owned subsidiary of Old Republic. As a result of this change, ORCIG's name will be changed to BITCO Construction Group, Inc. reflecting this new affiliation, and its operations will report to Vince Lamb, President and Chief Executive Officer of BITCO. Craig Smiddy, Old Republic International's President and CEO noted, "Old Republic has participated in the construction insurance marketplace for many years. More recently, the construction classes have been a focus of both BITCO and ORCIG, each targeting similar types of risks in different geographies and through different distribution systems. ORCIG has historically concentrated on larger construction risks while BITCO's focus has been more directed towards middle market risks. Both entities have developed significant levels of expertise in the operational disciplines required to be successful in this important sector of the U.S. insurance market. Bringing the businesses together creates significant opportunities for our collective agent and broker partners, our insured customers, as well as our associates." "We are bringing together two deep and talented organizations that can now approach the U.S. construction marketplace on a united front, with coast to coast capabilities to accommodate virtually all sizes of construction accounts. Combining these specialty units allows us to provide our comprehensive insurance solutions to a broader part of the U.S. construction marketplace. We look forward to aligning our construction business in the coming months. Working together with a continued focus on our customers and distribution partners as our chief priority, we believe this combination creates a top-tier construction insurer in the United States", Smiddy added. About Old Republic Chicago-based Old Republic International Corporation is one of the nation's 50 largest shareholder-owned insurance businesses. It is a member of the Fortune 500 listing of America's largest companies. The Company is organized as an insurance holding company whose subsidiaries actively market, underwrite, and provide risk management services for a wide variety of coverages mostly in the general and title insurance fields. A long-term interest in mortgage guaranty and consumer credit indemnity coverages has devolved to a run-off operating mode in recent years. Old Republic's general insurance business ranks among the nation's 50 largest, while its title insurance operations are the third largest in its industry. The nature of Old Republic's business requires that it be managed for the long run, and its cash dividend policy reflects this long-term orientation. Here's a summary of recent years' total book and market returns, which includes the addition and reinvestment of cash dividend payments, in comparison with the financial performance of three selected indices similarly developed. ORI Selected Indices' Compounded Annual Book Value Compounded Total Return Annual Market Value Compounded Total Return Total Annual Returns Nominal Gross Domestic Product S & P 500 Index S & P P&C Insurance Index Ten Years 2000 - 2009 9.5% 7.4% 4.1% -1.0% 4.7% Ten Years 2010 - 2019 7.7% 14.8% 4.0% 13.6% 14.5% Twenty Years 2000 - 2019 8.6% 11.0% 4.1% 6.1% 9.5% According to the most recent edition of Mergent's Dividend Achievers, Old Republic is listed in 58th place among just 113 qualifying publicly held companies, out of thousands considered, that have posted at least 25 consecutive years of annual dividend growth. For Old Republic's latest news releases and other corporate documents: Please visit us at www.oldrepublic.com Alternatively, please write or call: Investor Relations Old Republic International Corporation 307 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 346-8100 At Old Republic: At Financial Relations Board: Craig R. Smiddy: President and Chief Executive Officer Analysts/Investors: Joe Calabrese 212/827-3772 SOURCE Old Republic International Corporation Related Links https://www.oldrepublic.com Page Content Japan's Ordinance for Enforcement of the Act on Child Care Leave, Caregiver Leave and Other Measures for the Welfare of Workers Caring for Children or Other Family Members has been amended to allow employees to take child care and family care leave on an hourly basis. These changes took effect Jan. 1. Existing Entitlements Employees in Japan are entitled to the following leave entitlements, among others: Child nursing leave: An employee with a child under elementary school age who is sick or injured may apply for unpaid child nursing leave for up to five days per year. If an employee has two or more of such children, the worker may apply for up to 10 days of unpaid child nursing leave per year. An employee with a child under elementary school age who is sick or injured may apply for unpaid child nursing leave for up to five days per year. If an employee has two or more of such children, the worker may apply for up to 10 days of unpaid child nursing leave per year. Family nursing leave: An employee may apply for up to five days of unpaid leave per year to care for a family member requiring constant care for two weeks or more. If an employee has two or more family members requiring such constant care, the worker may apply for up to 10 days of unpaid family nursing leave per year. Prior to the amendments, the entitlements could be taken only on either a full-day or a half-day basis. Employees who worked for four hours or less per day could not use such entitlements on a half-day basis. Amendments to the Child and Family Nursing Leave Entitlements Pursuant to the revised ordinance, employees may take time off for child or family nursing leave on an hourly basis from Jan. 1. The entitlement to hourly child and family nursing leave also applies to employees who work for four hours or less per day. Where the nature of the business or the employees' role makes it difficult for employees to take time off on an hourly basis, employers may enter into a labor management agreement with employees to agree that the employer may refuse a request for such time off. Such roles include, for instance: Cabin attendants in aircraft flying international routes. Employees working at a remote location requiring a long travel time. Employees working on an assembly-line system or a shift system where taking time off on an hourly basis creates issues to the system. Key Takeaways Employers should ensure that their work rules, handbook and internal policies are updated to remain compliant. Where necessary by virtue of the nature of the business or the employees' role, employers should also enter into labor management agreements to exclude the relevant employees from the hourly child and family nursing leave entitlement. 2021 Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission of Lexology. In the digital world, its very to pin-point people sitting behind your laptop screens and Twitter is surely one of the meanest platforms where people have no limits when it comes to trolling. A doctor dragged R Madhavan into the NCB controversy and said she was once a fan but the actor is ruining himself as he is now addicted to drugs and alcohol. She commented on a picture shared by Amit Sadh with the actor. BROTHER ... MADDY SIR ... you have inspired me with those ( THIRTY MINUTES) yet again ... love you bro ... more when we meet next pic.twitter.com/ecyk9szr1r Amit Sadh (@TheAmitSadh) January 3, 2021 She wrote, Maddy was once my heartthrob, But, Now It's so disheartening to see Madhavan ruining his brilliant career, health & life behind alcohol and narco drugs... While he entered b-wood in RHTDM, he was fresh as a blossoming bud Now look at him, his face & eyes They speak it all..! Maddy was once my hearthrob But Now It's so disheartening to see Madhavan ruining his brilliant career, health & life behind alcohol and narco drugs.. While he entered b-wood in RHTDM, he was fresh as a blossoming bud Now look at him, his face & eyes They speak it all..! Anoosha Bhandarkar (@AnooshaBhandar1) January 4, 2021 R Madhvan noticed the tweet today and gave it back in the wittiest manner. He replied, Oh... So thats your diagnosis? I am worried for YOUR patients. . Maybe you need a Docs appointment. Oh .. So thats your diagnoses ? I am worried for YOUR patients. . May be you need a Docs appointment. . https://t.co/YV7dNxxtew Ranganathan Madhavan (@ActorMadhavan) January 5, 2021 Soon after his response, people came in support of the actor and slammed the doctor who made such a statement. @ActorMadhavan I think NCB won't need a hair sample of this "doctor" to tell that she's stoned af. pic.twitter.com/0vZehOWDM8 Abhi (@TheAbhiSpace) January 5, 2021 What a great doctor...she can detect if a person is alcoholic just by looking the face..rare gift karthi (@karthi151) January 5, 2021 Lol from which angle is SHE looking at that pic anyway? virtual diagnosis at a whole new level, this! Ramya Ramkumar (@ramyamusic) January 5, 2021 May be this is one of her techniques to get noticed. Maddyholic (@Blossoms301) January 5, 2021 She must have seen her husband for once whom she married thinking he resembles maddy. #GoneCase Anon (@nikbhojal) January 5, 2021 On the personal front, Madhavan and his brother Subayogan started their eco-friendly project earlier this year when they came across a barren land in a Tamil Nadu village. The land has now rejuvenated and the greenery is back. Madhavan told Mumbai Mirror, It was wonderful to see the land rejuvenated and yield what it was meant to in the first place. From preparing the land with the right mulch to putting the right kind of fish in the well every bit of learning has been priceless and so worth it. Meanwhile, on the work front, Madhavan has completed shooting a biopic on scientist and aerospace engineer Nambi Narayan, The Nambi Effect. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Enduring the hardest-ever period, international investors in Vietnam have been heading to technology-driven new business models during 2020 in a bid to weather the storm of COVID-19, expecting brighter prospects in the new year on the back of new motivations and plans. National strategies on digital advancement are providing the motivation for tech-related development across the country,. Rather than manufacturing or real estate, technology-backed models have become the kings of interest among businesses and investors in different sectors over the year, ranging from e-commerce and education to healthcare and banking. Gomi, a South Korean-run technology startup founded in Vietnam in recent months, is becoming popular in a country home to thousands of South Korean fashion lovers, and where spending on fashion is still high despite the global health crisis. That is the analysis of Hong Sun, vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam, which represents about 7,000 South Korean enterprises here. Sun added that COVID-19 has been preventing businesses from direct meetings, so instead they have been hosting online conferences and discussions, with the trend prompting new online-based business approaches. Investing in technology startups has become a new business model among South Korean investors in Vietnam. In the past, no South Korean investors could find such a business in this country, he told VIR. Together with Gomi, other South Korean-founded technology startups in Vietnam are making moves such as Ok Xe and Go to Joy. Businesses like these have been gaining good initial results are expected to create a fresh and promising atmosphere among South Korean investors in Vietnam, Sun noted. Technology drive As the coronavirus tore through industries this year, a number of companies came to a screeching halt, with the rest having to think about new changes to survive and technology-based business has become the most-sought after solution. South Korea is not alone as many others from Europe, Japan, Singapore, and elsewhere have been anticipating new opportunities from the countrys acceleration of digital transformation, with ICT now playing an increasing role in the countrys economic development. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, the countrys total ICT revenue reached over $112 billion in 2019. Evidently, Japanese companies are wasting no time in Vietnam. According to the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Hanoi, digital transformation is a keyword for the whole region, and there are many players in the space from multinational corporations and domestic small- and medium-size enterprises to international startups. The next significant trend is that such enterprises with superior technology could invest in the country, elaborated Takeo Nakajima, chief representative of JETRO Hanoi. We help companies in Japan and Vietnam meet and collaborate through different channels, including business matching, seminars, and one-on-one introduction. Vietnam has a unique potential with both a manufacturing base and ICT capability, he said. Meanwhile, European companies seem to be focusing on embracing new-found chances for trade and investment. According to Nicolas Audier, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), Europe contains some of the worlds leading digital companies, and EuroCham members have been active in the fields of digital infrastructure, ICT solutions, and smart cities during the year. Ericsson and ABB are some of the outstanding examples of how EuroCham member businesses have made huge steps in these fields. Specifically, Ericsson is moving with its ambitious 5G-backed plans in Vietnam. Other European companies are preparing to increasingly benefit in 2021 and beyond on the back of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The landmark agreement now entering into force can be considered a roadmap to recovery since falling tariffs and growing market access are expected to boost trade and increase the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into 2021 and throughout the next decade. Outwith the prospects for EU groups, businesses closer to home are also dipping their toes into this countrys markets. Singapores ShopBack website and mobile app in August made its official debut in Vietnam, bringing about a smarter way for local online shoppers. The following month travel startup TASTECH, also from the city-state, officially launched an online booking platform featuring a curated collection of luxury hotels across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. In the banking and financial sector, meanwhile, fintech is rising with the United Kingdom in particular recognising the advantages here. As a leading global fintech hub, British companies are keen on plans to expand investment into the sector in Vietnam. With growing interest, sci-tech and ICT have continued to be among the most attractive sectors to international investors and businesses in Vietnam during the year, despite the pandemic. As shown in statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnams total registered FDI in sci-tech and ICT hit about $1.25 billion in the first 11 months of 2020. Policies make impact Vietnam has made huge strides in accelerating its national digital transformation this year by issuing a number of policies in this field. In fact, the countrys tech market has been a magnet for international businesses and venture funds even before 2020. According to Singaporean-based VC firm Cento Ventures, for the first time, investment in Vietnamese startups has even exceeded Singapore. Funding for Vietnamese-based startups accounted for 18 per cent of the total investment in the region, or $741 million, in 2019 a huge jump from a year earlier when it only accounted for 4 per cent, or $287 million. This trend has now been further reinforced with the approval of the National Digital Transformation Programme by 2025 with vision towards 2030, and other targets. Under this programme, the country has set the target to be named among the 50 leading countries in e-government by 2030; for the digital economy to make up 30 per cent of GDP; and for people to be able to enjoy and experience smart services in healthcare, education, banking and finance, transport, environmental protection, and energy supply. In line with approval, ministries, agencies, and provinces have been deploying digital transformation by building new policies and developing infrastructure to tap into their own advantages and specific characteristics. In addition, this is also backed by the countrys new FDI attraction strategy with high-tech as a focus to offer incentives and supporting policies, as well as the Politburos Resolution No.52-NQ/TW issued in 2019 on guidelines and policies to proactively participate in Industry 4.0. This includes the establishment of the Vietnam National Innovation Centre, which will offer special incentives for investment projects at the facility. Industry insiders said that all of these together become new motivations for companies, prompting the business community to venture further into the technology market. This transformation is expected to continue at a faster speed, creating the biggest-ever impacts along the three pillars of digital government, digital economy, and digital society. These new motivations, such as the National Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution with a focus on investing in selected tech for Industry 4.0, developing infrastructure and e-government, and building on the performance of tech-related commitments in free trade agreements are expected to continue drive a new business and investment wave in the months to come. VIR Bich Thuy The issue of selling agricultural land to foreigners will be decided during a nationwide referendum within three years. So far, only natural persons who are citizens of Ukraine will be able to purchase agricultural land. A referendum will be held within the next three years to decide whether foreigners will be granted a right to purchase it. Therefore, foreign investors so far can only lease land for a long-term period as before, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Roman Leshchenko said in an interview with the Rzeczpospolita Polish newspaper. He noted that few Polish investors work in Ukrainian agriculture now. According to the minister, there are slightly more investors from Germany and the Netherlands in this sector. "However, this is not the number of investors we dream of," Leshchenko said. The minister stressed that foreign investors are in no hurry to invest in Ukraine as they do not see stable land market legislation. "Investors are afraid because they want stability so that the legal system protects their investments. While the struggle for the land market reform continues, investors are very cautious about [entering] Ukraine. We understand them because this process in our country is difficult and painful, Leshchenko said. ol VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pretium Resources Inc. (TSX/NYSE: PVG) ("Pretivm" or the "Company") announces the resignation of Robin Bienenstock from the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") effective immediately. Ms. Bienenstock joined the Company's Board in 2018 and was a key member of the Compensation Committee, acting as its Chair since February 2019, as well as the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. "On behalf of Pretivm's Board of Directors, I would like to thank Ms. Bienenstock for her invaluable insight during her tenure and acknowledge her contributions, including towards improving the Company's compensation policies and practices, and corporate governance," stated Richard O'Brien, Chair of the Board. "We wish Ms. Bienenstock all the best in her future endeavours." About Pretivm Pretivm is an intermediate gold producer with the high-grade gold underground Brucejack Mine. For further information contact: Troy Shultz Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Pretium Resources Inc. Suite 2300, Four Bentall Centre, 1055 Dunsmuir Street PO Box 49334 Vancouver, BC V7X 1L4 (604) 558-1784 invest@pretivm.com (mailto:invest@pretivm.com) (SEDAR filings: Pretium Resources Inc.) Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively herein referred to as "forward-looking information"), including the "safe harbour" provisions of Canadian provincial securities legislation and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Wherever possible, words such as "plans", "expects", "guidance", "projects", "assumes", "budget", "strategy", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "modeled", "targets" and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative forms of any of these terms and similar expressions, have been used to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information may include but is not limited to the Company's leadership and Board changes and transition plans. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, actions, events, conditions, performance or achievements to materially differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information including, without limitation, those risks identified in our final short form base shelf prospectus and Form F-10, each dated June 16, 2020 and the documents incorporated, or deemed to be incorporated, by reference therein, and our other disclosure documents as filed in Canada on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and in the United States through EDGAR at the Security and Exchange Commission's (the "SEC") website at www.sec.gov (collectively, the "Pretivm Disclosure Documents"). Our forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, including, without limitation, those set out in the Pretivm Disclosure Documents. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Forward-looking information involves statements about the future and is inherently uncertain, and our actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the TSX nor the NYSE has approved or disapproved of the information contained herein. A timeless classic in spiritual literature....If you really want to understand the infinite possibilities inherent in the field of consciousness, then read this book. Deepak Chopra, world-renowned author and expert in the field of mind-body healing The book that helped pave the way for yogas proliferation in the West turns 75 this yearAUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI by Paramahansa Yogananda, widely regarded as the father of yoga in the West. In continuous print since 1946, this critically acclaimed spiritual classic remains the go-to book for millions of seekers and yoga enthusiasts around the world. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI has captured the hearts and minds of people from fields as diverse as academia, business and popular culturefrom Harvard's Diana Eck to the Beatles' George Harrison to Apple founder Steve Jobs, who gave instructions for the book to be gifted to all those attending his memorial service. Recognized around the world as a literary masterpiece, it has been translated into more than 50 languages, ranging from Icelandic to Kazakh. Paramahansa Yogananda made an indelible impression on the spiritual landscape of the United States. Arriving in America in 1920 from his native India, he established Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) that same year. Throughout his ministry, he taught the underlying unity of all the great faith traditionsdevoting himself to fostering greater harmony and cooperation among all religions, races and nationalities. He brought the knowledge of yoga and meditation to millions through his public lectures and writings, as well as through the many SRF meditation centers he established throughout the world. In 2014, an award-winning documentary about his life and work, AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda, was released in theaters. In the preface to the book, W. Y. Evans-Wentz, author and translator of many classic works on yoga and the wisdom traditions of the East, writes: As an eyewitness recountal of the extraordinary lives and powers of modern Hindu saints, the book has an importance both timely and timeless.His unusual life document is certainly one of the most revealingof the spiritual wealth of India, ever to be published in the West. Author Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, whose own personal journey began by reading AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI, says, You would be hard-pressed to find anyone on the spiritual path whose life has not been influenced by this profound work of literature. In the 300-plus interviews conducted for the book American Veda, author Philip Goldberg found that AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI prompted more Americans to explore Indian spirituality than any other text. The book is both a vivid account of an exceptional life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation. Yogananda devoted himself to writing the book following a 10-year period of lecturing in major cities in the United States and Europe (1925-1935) and a return trip to India in 1935-1936. He did most of his writing at the coastal hermitage of SRF in Encinitas, CA, as well as at his retreat in the California desert, and at the Los Angeles international headquarters of SRF, drawing from the 25 years he had spent gathering facts and verifying stories about the many saints he met during his early years in India. With engaging candor, warmth and wit, Yogananda chronicles his profound encounters with Indias myriad saints and sages on his youthful search for an illumined teacher, 10 years of training in the hermitage of the revered yoga master Swami Sri Yukteswar, and the 30 years he lived and taught in America. He also recounts his meetings with Mahatma Gandhi, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, the Catholic stigmatic Therese Neumann, and many others. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI is published by Self-Realization Fellowship, and is available in mass-market paperback, quality paperback, hardcover, and eBook, as well as in an unabridged audio edition read by Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley. For more information about Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi, and other books and recordings published by Self-Realization Fellowship, please visit: https://www.yogananda.org Finalists for police chief make their case The two finalists to become Hendersonville's next police chief made their case for the job during a live event from City Hall today. The finalists are Gerald Childress, an officer and former deputy chief of the Mooresville police department, and Blair Myhand, police chief for the city of Clayton. A broad search for the city's next top cop recommended two administrators with less than pristine personnel records. Childress was demoted in October 2019 from deputy chief to patrol officer at Mooresville and Myhand is currently on nondisciplinary leave from the Clayton police department. Childress started his law enforcement career in Huntersville and moved to the Mooresville agency in 2005. He answered questions from the press about his demotion in October 2019 from deputy chief to patrol officer. He was interviewed during an independent investigation of the department triggered by complaints from the rank and file of a "hostile work environment," he said. "I had no complaints against me, I was told I was not under investigation. I was there voluntarily. I was told at that time that I was collateral damage in this investigation." He lost his appeal of the disciplinary action. "I feel this demotion was extremely harsh, unwarranted and politically driven," he said. "I have discussed this incident in detail with Mr. Connet and I'm still considered a valid candidate for this position." Childress has a bachelor's degree from Lenoir Rhyne in Hickory and a master's degree in justice administration from Meredith University in Raleigh. His wife, Marsha, is a registered nurse with Blue Cross Blue Shield. They have a daughter, Bailey, who is a student at Lenoir Rhyne University. A city of 47,000, Mooresville has crime that reflects its proximity to Charlotte, Childress said. He has experience as a detective and as a supervisor of criminal investigations. He was asked if he favors a Citizens Advisory Board. "I have not been an advocate of the Citizens Advisory Board," he said. "I think our policies and procedures, we have enough that we can police ourselves." Instead, "I would be willing to sit down and talk with folks" and address their concerns. He said a department under his leadership would be open with the community. "I am an advocate of making sure our Police Department does reflect our community," he said. "We don't discriminate against anyone. Everyone will have the opportunity to come into this department, be a part of this department and be a part of this community." A police officer for 26 years, Myhand started with the Metro Washington, DC, and moved to Apex. In May 2017, he became police chief of Clayton. "If you were to ask me why I'm on leave, honestly I can't tell you because the town has not been forthcoming," he said. "The winds have shifted there and we're not blowing in the same direction. ... This is a much bigger picture going on and I would encourage people to step back and get a bigger picture of what's going on." "I think the city has done a very extensive search," he said. "I can tell you at the end of day that everybody is going to defend themselves, right? But I have done nothing improper, illegal, immoral or uneththical in my time as police chief. When all of this is over, I know that my integrity is intact." "The direction of the leadership has changed," he added when asked to elaborate on the conflict between him and his bosses. "The focus has changed." He was hired three years ago to improve morale in the police department and that's what he focused on. "I probably should have spent more time building relationships with some of the officials in town and maybe I wouldn't be sitting in this situation. I did what I was hired to do and I don't deviate from that or compromise the integrity of my office. Maybe that leads me to be somewhat flexible, maybe I'm guilty as charged there." He was asked what led him to direct Clayton officers to guard his house after riots broke out in Raleigh and Clayton and other cities. A "high level" gang leader had made it known he was seeking someone "to find my residence and set my house on fire," he said. "It was a very specific directed threat. I took it very seriously, so much so that I sent my wife out of town for four days, which she said she would never do again." Hendersonville has not had a white police chief, aside from interim chiefs, since 1987. Myhand said his experience, including his service in majority black Washinton, D.C., had prepared him well to interact in a positive way with the African American community. "I learned a lot from that experience," he said. "That really informed my approach to people. What I've done particularly with the African American community in Clayton is I've built some really strong friendships from folks in the religious community. ... I take a very upfront approach. I'm open and honest with folks. There's no way for me to understand systemitc rasicm ... because I'm not subject to that. We're not going to target individuals just because of what they look like. That's unethical." Sri Lanka has allowed tourists to enter the country as the risk of COVID-19 recedes in the island nation. Under a new program to allow the gradual reopening to welcome back tourists, visitors will be allowed to visit designated tourist spots. The island nation had closed its borders in March to avoid the spread of infections. According to Sri Lankas online newspaper ColomboPage on Tuesday, SkyUp Airlines brought the first international tourists from Ukraine on Monday. It is the first time in eight months that international tourists have entered the country. The flight landed at Mattala International Airport in Hambantota, and the airline plans to run its services until next March. Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga told reporters: We will run this pilot project till Jan. 19. They [tourists] will be allowed to visit identified tourist spots while being in a bio-bubble. The country closed its two international airports in mid-March after the government decided to impose a lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. By mid-May, the lockdown was lifted. However, normal international flights could not be resumed by the end of August as planned due to rising COVID-19 cases overseas. Later, the island nation itself faced a second wave of infections in October but authorities announced earlier this month international flight operations would restart. According to Press Trust of India news agency, the new strain of coronavirus first reported in the UK also deferred the reopening until Monday. A Russian Aeroflot flight carrying over 100 Russian tourists was supposed to arrive on Sunday but was put on hold. The second batch of Ukrainian tourists is set to arrive in the country this week. Sri Lanka has reported 41,603 COVID-19 cases, including 194 deaths. Around 32,221 patients have recovered. A Chinese tourist was the first COVID-19 case detected in the country in January. He has also fully recovered and been discharged from hospital. The island nation has done 1.2 million tests since Feb. 18. Image Credit: AA WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is effectively sabotaging the Republican Party on his way out of office, obsessed with overturning his election loss and nursing pangs of betrayal from allies whom he had expected to bend the instruments of democracy to his will. Trump has created a divide in his party as fundamental and impassioned as any during his four years as president, with lawmakers forced to choose between certifying the results of an election decided by their constituents or appeasing the president in an all-but-certain-to-fail crusade to keep him in power by subverting the vote. As Republican lawmakers took sides before Wednesday's joint session of Congress to certify the electoral college results, some on Monday voiced rare criticism of Trump for his attempt to pressure Georgia elections officials to change vote totals there on a Saturday phone call, a recording of which was published by The Washington Post. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No. 3 House Republican, said the call was "deeply troubling" and urged all Americans to listen to the hour-long conversation, while Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., condemned it as "a new low in this whole futile and sorry episode." One of Trump's most loyal defenders, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said it was "not a helpful call." Trump signaled that he had little patience for defections by members of what he dubbed the "Surrender Caucus." After Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., announced that he was not joining the band of GOP lawmakers objecting to the electoral college results, Trump criticized Cotton on Twitter and warned that voters would "NEVER FORGET!" Trump is trying to mobilize a show of strength that could intimidate lawmakers who certify the result, exhorting his supporters to travel to Washington for mass protests Wednesday. He is planning to speak to the crowd on the White House Ellipse about midday Wednesday, two officials familiar with the planning said. Trump in recent days has criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for having "NO FIGHT," publicly recruited a primary challenger to the Senate's No. 2 Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, and called on Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, to resign. Thirteen senators and more than 100 House members are planning to object to the electoral college results in Wednesday's proceedings, but Trump is befuddled as to why many more Republicans are not falling in line with him, advisers said. Fueling the president's indignation is his belief that he is the true victor, because that is what the advisers in his ear continue to tell him, according to one of Trump's closest advisers, who like some others interviewed for this report spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. "He incontrovertibly thinks he won - and he thinks he won big - and the people around him don't disabuse him of that because they don't want to get crosswise, and because they told him he was going to win, so they can have it both ways," this adviser said. "It's not about his inability to move on. It's about his inability to even diagnose what happened. He won't yet conduct the autopsy, if you will." Still, Trump is not entirely blind to reality. He has asked several advisers in recent weeks for advice on what he should do instead of attending President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20, according to two people who have spoken to him. After days of watching Trump toss hand grenades at fellow Republicans, party officials said they were deeply concerned that he might veer off script and continue his destructive antics onstage Monday night in Georgia, at a rally on the eve of runoff elections that will decide which party controls the Senate. Aides had encouraged the president to deliver a simple message to Georgia voters that they must turn out to protect his legacy. But Trump had something else in mind. The first words out of his mouth at the rally in Dalton were: "There's no way we lost Georgia. That was a rigged election." Trump went on to bash Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, claim they were not real Republicans and vow to campaign against both men when they stand for reelection in 2022. The president also falsely claimed that he had won reelection "in a landslide" and suggested that he expects Vice President Mike Pence to make it so when he fulfills his constitutional duty to preside over Wednesday's joint session of Congress, even though the vice president does not actually have the power to overturn the results. "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you," Trump told the applauding Georgia crowd. "Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him quite as much." GOP strategists say Trump's infatuation with personal grievances and false claims of a "rigged" and "stolen" election in November could depress their party's turnout Tuesday, dooming Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Georgia's voting systems manager, Gabriel Sterling, refuted Trump's voter fraud claims point by point at a news conference Monday in Atlanta. "This is all easily, provably false, yet the president persists," Sterling said. "We have claim after claim after claim, with zero proof. Zero." Trump has been uninterested in governing or managing the pandemic - or even burnishing his legacy - and is almost entirely focused on the election, spending considerable time talking about it with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Johnny McEntee, the presidential personnel director, officials said. Trump has complained that he does not think he will get credit if Perdue and Loeffler win but will be blamed if they lose, according to the close adviser. Trump's focus on Georgia has been less about the marquee Senate contests than about rewriting his own history. Although he has been preoccupied by trying to reverse the national outcome, advisers said Trump has been singularly fixated on Georgia - a once-solidly red state he had assumed he would easily carry. Instead, Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to lose Georgia in three decades - a fact he cannot fathom and a historical distinction he loathes, according to people familiar with his thinking. Trump campaign officials were so convinced that they'd win in Georgia that they rejected calls to direct more money and staffers to the state, a former senior campaign official said. "Honestly, I think that he cannot handle being the sitting Republican president that lost Georgia," said a GOP official in frequent touch with the White House. Several Republicans in Georgia said they're not sure Trump really wants Loeffler or Perdue to win, because if they do it undermines his central complaint that the state's elections are rigged. It would also pour salt into the wound of his defeat in Georgia, something he has struggled to understand, stating repeatedly on the weekend call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, that it's not possible for him to have lost there. Trump advisers said he is especially bothered that a Democratic politician he has long disdained, former state House minority leader Stacey Abrams, is credited with orchestrating the winning ground game in Georgia and that two Republican politicians he thought would do his bidding, Kemp and Raffensperger, refuse to try to rig the result in his favor. The president's animus toward Kemp is especially pronounced. As one Republican familiar with his transactional thinking explained it, Trump believes that he made Kemp governor by endorsing him in a competitive primary in 2018, and therefore Kemp is his lackey and should do precisely what Trump instructs him to do. Still, reversing the Georgia result would not be enough for Trump to retain the presidency. "Let's say you get Raffensperger to commit fraud and get you the 11,000 votes - what does that even get you?" said the Republican official in frequent touch with the White House. "You still need three other states. I don't understand what the 'win' is here. There's no strategy." Trump has been focused on reversing the outcomes in other states, too - including Arizona and Pennsylvania. But of the states where Biden notched narrow wins, only Georgia has a Republican governor and secretary of state, a fact Trump has falsely assumed could work to his advantage. Elections officials in several other battlegrounds where he contested his defeat said the president has not reached out to them as he did to Raffensperger. In private conversations with advisers and associates, Trump has been fixated on several states and ticking through various ways he believed he was robbed in each of them, according to one adviser who spoke to the president about the issue last week. "Most everyone doesn't want to talk to him about it anymore," this adviser said. "He's a broken record." The president's comments to Raffensperger on their hour-long phone call echoed the comments he has made privately to aides and advisers recently. Trump had tried to reach Raffensperger at least 18 times before Saturday's call, according to Raffensperger's deputy, Jordan Fuchs, but the calls were patched to interns in the press office who thought it was a prank and did not realize it was actually the president on the line. Meadows arranged Saturday's call after collecting all the participants' cellphone numbers and connecting with them directly. Trump's intensifying drive to overturn the election has deepened a Republican divide on Capitol Hill. McConnell last month urged Republican senators not to object to the electoral college vote certification in Wednesday's joint session. But now that 13 have said they would, the leader has stepped back from any significant effort to tamp down the brewing rebellion. He is not whipping votes and has not spoken to the president in weeks. In conversations with other Senate Republicans, McConnell has stressed that their decision now will be a matter of conscience and that each senator should vote the way he or she has to vote, according to two senior GOP officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay the majority leader's private posture. Some Republican senators have expressed concerns that voting to certify - and against Trump - would open them up to a primary challenge from the right, while others worry that voting to object would make them vulnerable in a general election, a person familiar with the deliberations said. "I think it is revealing that there is not a single senator who is arguing that the election was stolen from President Trump," said Josh Holmes, an outside adviser to McConnell. "The divide in the party is whether it's appropriate to pull the pin on an electoral college grenade, hoping that there are enough responsible people standing around who can shove it back in before they detonate American democracy." Sen. Loeffler, R-Ga., on Monday said she would object to certification, as Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.) and a separate coalition of 11 senators led by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have pledged to do. Michael Steele, a former Republican National Committee chairman who is a Trump critic, warned of the long-term peril for those who object. "They are sealing themselves inside the very tomb that Donald Trump built for them," Steele said. "When they commit this act on Wednesday, where do they go from there? . . . These people are wholly owned subsidiaries of Trump Inc. They are functionaries like the men and women who manage his properties and mop his bathrooms and clean his hotels." At least two more GOP senators said Monday that they would vote to affirm the electoral college results, joining Toomey and others. In a statement, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who is up for reelection in 2022, said he would vote to affirm the duly chosen electors from any contested state. He said he "cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters." And Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said it would be a "grave step" for lawmakers to reject votes that were certified by the states. "I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," she said. "Recognizing the individual chosen by the American people to be our president is in keeping with this oath." Trump sought Monday to try to scare Republican lawmakers from breaking with him on certification. He tweeted, "The 'Surrender Caucus' within the Republican Party will go down in infamy as weak and ineffective 'guardians' of our Nation, who were willing to accept the certification of fraudulent presidential numbers!" Senate GOP leaders have remained in the dark about the extent of the rogue senators' objections, largely because the rebels have yet to finalize their strategy with less than 48 hours before the joint session. Hawley has said he will object to the counting of electors from Pennsylvania but has not ruled out other states. Members of the faction led by Cruz have yet to identify a single state they plan to contest, saying only that they plan to reject electors from unspecified disputed states unless they secure a 10-day audit of election returns. GOP officials said Monday that the extent of the Cruz group's objections was still being discussed, though the lack of a clear endgame has privately worried even some aides involved in the effort. In the House, the top two Republican leaders have largely remained silent on efforts to object, but the No. 3 official, Cheney, circulated a detailed memo warning that questioning the state-certified results would "set an exceptionally dangerous precedent" that essentially usurps the responsibility of individual states. Objecting to the electors, Cheney argued, was "directly at odds with the Constitution's clear text and our core beliefs as Republicans." - - - The Washington Post's Amy Gardner and Paulina Firozi contributed to this report. New Delhi: It could be a pleasant surprise for the people of Arunachal Pradesh who have been waiting since 55 years as the Indian Army and the central government are working together to offer compensation against land which was acquired by the army following the 1962 war with China. The central and Arunachal Pradesh governments are working out for the compensation, which may be to the tune Rs 3,000 crore. Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, Chief Minister Pema Khandu and senior officials of the central and state governments discussed the issue at an hour-long meeting held on Tuesday. Rijiju, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said the meeting was to settle the issue of land acquired for various defence establishments in the frontier state following the 1962 war with China. Although the people of Arunachal Pradesh can be branded as ultra patriotic Indians but of late a sense of resentment has been brewing among them due to non-payment of compensation for huge areas of land occupied by the army, Rijiju told PTI. Bhamre is said to have asked officials in his ministry and the army to fast-track all the pending issues by properly coordinating with each other and the state government. Rijiju has called for resolving all issues and clear pending cases in a time-bound manner. He sought from the officials the time they will take in clearing all the issues that came up for discussion during the meeting. Also Read | South China Sea row: Beijing fumes as US sends navy warship near disputed region Khandu conveyed that issues of lease rate, grant of ownership rights, payment of dual compensation and fixation of land rates will be resolved soon. The chief minister said the Arunachal Pradesh cabinet has already constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of state land management minister to examine all pending issues. The pending cases of land acquisition related to the districts of Tawang, West Kameng, Upper Subansiri, Dibang Valley, West Siang besides others. Also Read | China: Paying 'close attention' to issue of missing Indian Air Force fighter jet For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. JOB OPPORTUNITY DRC MECC/21.001 Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a U.S. based international development consulting company established in 1987, has worked in over one hundred countries and implemented over three hundred projects. IBTCI serves government agencies, private sector companies and several donor agencies. IBTCI specializes in Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) across many sectors including, but not limited to, conflict and crisis, democracy and governance, economic growth, education, environment, and global health. Job Title: M & E Specialist Department/Location: Kinshasa/DRC Reports To: Deputy Chief of Party Type: Regular Full-Time Classification: Managerial. Not eligible for overtime. Overview: The Monitoring, Evaluation and Coordination Contract (MECC) at IBTCI is a five-year project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. MECC provides monitoring, evaluation, analytic and research services to the USAID/DRC Mission, especially in support of its Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). MECC also has a Learning Team that assists the Mission with its CLA workshops, trainings, and events. MECC is looking for a skilled M&E Specialist with USAID experience to assist the project in its support of USAID/DRC Mission objectives and activities. Responsibilities Essential Duties/Tasks and Responsibilities: Lead technical assistance related to monitoring and evaluation systems, performance management, theories of change and M&E Plans. Support the development of M&E Plans for IPs through on-going and hands-on technical assistance to IP M&E and management teams, in close coordination with the donor. This support will be in program areas such as democracy and governance, stabilization, agriculture and economic growth, education/human capacity development/youth. Coordinate and lead ongoing and user-friendly analysis and presentations of IP results. Provide oversight of all verification activities in the field, conducted through DRC Third Party Monitoring agents, to ensure their timely and professional deployment of verifications, as well as the analysis of findings. Support the technical development of a web-enabled clearinghouse for donor data collection, integration and reporting activities. Supervise and provide technical support to program evaluations and assessment throughout the life of the program. Occasionally represent IBTCI in meetings with senior Mission, Embassy and Government officials. Other duties as assigned. Qualifications Minimum Requirements: Minimum of 7 years of demonstrated technical expertise in the development of Monitoring and Evaluation systems and/or performance-based management. Proven experience with USAID-funded monitoring and evaluation projects and requirements. Demonstrated technical expertise in the implementation of complex M&E Performance Management Plans, including definition and determination of metrics and methods to best measure results and impact. Oral and written fluency in English and French. Education: Bachelor's degree in relevant field; Masters preferred. Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Experience providing technical leadership or support to the development of qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments; field-based, hands-on and long-term M&E implementation experience is preferred. Experience on USAID-funded projects and other donor projects is preferred. Education experience in an international development context; preferably with USAID or USAID-funded projects. Superior development analysis and communications skills are Experience facilitating and coordinating workshops is desirable. Significant experience in similar positions in the DRC strongly preferred. Working Environment: Work is typically performed in an office environment. Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs. Supervisory Responsibility: This position may have supervisory responsibilities. Travel: International travel may be required and may include travel to fragile or conflict prone zones. Travel to additional provinces in the DRC is possible. How to Apply Please apply for this job online at https://careers-ibtci.icims.com/jobs/2793/job?mobile=false&width=960&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=60&jun1offset=120 and please send a copy of updated CV along with 3 contact persons in pdf or Word format to meccrecruitment@gmail.com by the deadline of January 19th, 2021 Kinshasa Time. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. COVID-19 hospitalizations are at an all time high across north Alabama with the Huntsville Hospital Health System surpassing 500 inpatients for the very first time. We spoke with Dr. Ali Hassoun today he said he's not surprised that there are over 500 inpatients in the Huntsville Hospital Health System. He actually expected an increase. "The holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas and New Year and unfortunately there's significant number of people still did not follow the guidelines and the rules," said Dr. Hassoun. Holiday gatherings over the past month have caused COVID cases to rise. And Dr. Hassoun is confident the increase in cases will continue over the next several weeks. "After this major last holiday of New Year it's probably another two to three weeks. We're going to see a continuous increase in the number of cases," said Dr. Hassoun. He hopes that after the next several weeks the number of cases will start to trend back down. "We always keep hoping the community will try to come back and follow the guideline and do as much as they can," said Dr. Hassoun. But there is another big concern for doctors that could keep the numbers high into spring: the mutant virus that has appeared in multiple countries. "Much more easily transmissible between patients. So, we might continue to see that increase rise until February or March unfortunately," said Dr. Hassoun. Dr. Hassoun says it's important that people get the vaccine when they have the opportunity to do so. "Because that's how we're going to be able to control," said Dr. Hassoun. Now the most common way of transmitting the virus is through close contact, closed spaces, and people not wearing their masks. Health officials tell us these are things we should keep doing to stop the spread of the virus. Ukraine has received from Iran a draft technical report on the circumstances of the crash of the Boeing 737 of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), which occurred near Tehran on January 8, 2020, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "We received the draft report on December 31, as the saying goes, under the Christmas tree. Now we have two months for comments and remarks. This is an important stage for further movement forward, without which it would be impossible to achieve compensation and overall justice. Now the word is confirmed by deed," the minister said in an interview with the Obozrevatel Internet publication. According to him, as for the amount of compensation, which recently got into the information space, now it is made public only through the media. Ukraine has not received any official messages on this matter from Iran. "The experience of the last year has taught us that we should be extremely careful with the information of the Iranian media and filter every message. Until I receive an official offer from the Iranian government, we will not take into account any news reports about numbers. I urge Ukrainians to do so. There is a lot of information noise around this issue," Kuleba said. As reported, a UIA Boeing 737-800 passenger plane, which was supposed to operate flight PS752 on the Tehran-Kyiv route, was shot down near the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran immediately after takeoff early in the morning on January 8, 2020. U.S. lawmakers are receiving urgent security instructions in advance of potential violence in Washington tied to protests as Congress meets to certify Joe Biden as the next U.S. president. The precautions distributed Monday to members of the House and Senate include guidance to use underground tunnels while traveling between chambers in the Capitol and to nearby office buildings during the day. "Members and staff should expect demonstration activity and street closures" to affect access to the Capitol, the House sergeant-at-arms said in a memo. President Donald Trump has urged public protests to help pressure lawmakers to reject the electoral college vote sealing Joe Biden's victory, and ABC News said he plans to speak at a rally near the White House on Wednesday. Washington's mayor, Muriel Bowser, urged residents not to engage with any protesters "seeking confrontation," and requested National Guard help, according to the Associated Press, while some businesses downtown have boarded up windows to shield against violence. One lawmaker leading the objections to certified state electoral college results in favor of Biden, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said Monday night on Twitter that there was a protest at his Washington-area home that "threatened my wife and newborn daughter" while he was in Missouri. Protest organizers, who identified themselves as ShutDownDC, disputed Hawley's account, saying in a tweet that they "sang songs, chanted and shared our stories. A small group of people delivered a copy of the constitution to his door." Pro-Trump protests in Washington and other cities in November and December ended in violence and property damage. Some far-right groups, such as the Proud Boys, have said they will show up for the demonstrations this week. The leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, 36, was arrested Monday by Washington police and charged with destruction of property "related to an offense" that occurred on Dec. 12, according to Sean Hickman, a police spokesman. He faces additional charges after "he was found to be in possession of two high-capacity firearm magazines," Hickman added. Earlier Monday, lawyers representing the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington said they sued the Proud Boys over the destruction of a Black Lives Matter sign outside the church on Dec. 12. So-called First-Amendment demonstrations are permitted by the National Park Service, but officials are preparing for potential unrest. Bowser has asked for District of Columbia National Guard members to help with traffic control and other assistance, the AP reported, citing a U.S. Defense official. The arrest of Tarrio is in line with a tactic used by law enforcement officials to arrest key organizers of large protests just before they occur in an effort to gain intelligence about what might be coming. Such an arrest can trigger sudden movements by other group members, as well as communications that can be monitored via court-authorized electronic surveillance. Individuals associated with a group like the Proud Boys could be a target of federal surveillance. Local officials in Washington have said they're coordinating in real time with federal agencies, and the FBI has warned that right-wing groups are a source of domestic terrorism. The instructions to lawmakers provided emergency telephone numbers for Capitol police and House and Senate sergeants-at-arms. Lawmakers are encouraged to arrive at the Capitol early on Wednesday, and were told they should make use of garages with barricades and security access points. Lawmakers were also receiving a rundown of extensive road closures around the Capitol and elsewhere in Washington. Bowser advised city residents not to come downtown on Tuesday and Wednesday. Under her direction, the city's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency on Monday activated the district's Emergency Operations Center, to coordinate federal and local responses to the demonstrations. "We will do what we must to ensure all who attend remain peaceful," Bowser said in a Sunday statement. On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police Department begins its full activation for responses through Wednesday. Washington, starting on Tuesday, will ban parking along some avenues. Trump, apparently hoping for a big turnout by protesters to support his unproven claims that voter fraud was behind his defeat by Biden, promoted the event in several tweets, saying it would be a "Historic day." The Manipur government has assured job to a man who was released after being acquitted by a court in 2013 rape and murder case of a research fellow. "He will be given a government job. I got to know that in spite of being innocent he was jailed for eight years and his house was burnt down by a mob," Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh assured. Represenatational Image On Monday, the Chief Minister met Thoudam Jibal Singh who was released after being acquitted by the Sessions Court. Wrongly confined for 8 years He was wrongly confined for eight years in Sajiwa Central Jail on the charge of rape and murder of one N Satyabhama, a Junior Research Fellow of Pathology department, RIMS who was found murdered (with bruise marks on her neck and body) in a canal at Wangkhei Loumanbi Loukol, under Irilbung police station on April 5, 2013, a couple of days after she left her Kakwa residence. #Manipur Manipur CM has assured job to a man who was released after being acquitted by a Manipur court in 2013 rape& murder case of a research fellow "He'll be given a govt job. I got to know that in spite of being innocent he was jailed for 8yrs," said @NBirenSingh pic.twitter.com/CnmGDgVZ12 North-East India (@NEIndia_ANI) January 5, 2021 Chief Minister assured justice to Jibal and his family and promised to construct a house for him and provide a government job at the Forest Department, where his father had served as a forest guard. The Session Judge Imphal East M. Manoj Kumar acquitted Jibal, from the charges levelled against him and directed to release him from jail in the infamous rape and murder of Ningombam Seityabhama Devi in 2013. The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs in Nigeria has called for a thorough investigation into the death of 27-year-old Nigerian, George Nkencho, in Dublin. The committees Chairman, Rep Yusuf Buba, issued a statement on Monday in Abuja, condemning the killing. I call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama and the Nigeria High Commission in Ireland not to leave any stone unturned in the investigation, he said. Buba said the unfortunate incident occurred on Wednesday, December 30, just before the New Year celebrations According to Buba Nkenchos family insists that the deceased had a history of depression. Buba sympathised with the Nigerian community and the family of the deceased, especially the brother of the victim, it was reported in Nigerian media. Buba, who represents Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency of Adamawa, enjoined Nigerians in Ireland and, indeed in all countries across the world, to remain peaceful and law- abiding in the New Year. It takes only a generation of Nigerians that choose to live right to change the sad narrative of our country in the global community, he said. Expand Close Friends of George Nkencho protest outside Blanchardstown Garda station, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Friends of George Nkencho protest outside Blanchardstown Garda station, Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) Read More Last week SundayWorld.com reported how a Nigerian government agency had called for a "full, thorough and fair investigation" into the fatal shooting of George Nkencho. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) issued a statement calling on its citizens in Ireland to exercise patience and await the outcome of a probe into the shooting. In the statement, a spokesman for NIDCOM chairman Abike Dabiri-Erewa said she was calling for a "full, thorough and fair investigation into the matter. She appealed to the obviously enraged Nigerian community in Ireland to exercise patience and await the outcome of investigation into the unfortunate incident, the statement reads. At approximately 12.15pm on Wednesday, December 30, gardai responded to reports of a public order incident involving what was described a male, in his late twenties, armed with a knife at Hartstown Shopping Centre. Expand Close Demonstrators outside Blanchardstown Garda Station following the fatal shooting / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Demonstrators outside Blanchardstown Garda Station following the fatal shooting Read More Gardai said that during an incident a male staff member received facial injuries. He later received medical attention in Connolly Memorial Hospital. Subsequently, a second public order incident was reported at the adjacent Post Office in the Shopping Centre. Uniformed, unarmed Gardai responded to the scene and observed the male (George Nkencho) in possession of a knife. According to gardai, Mr Nkencho continued to threaten members of the public and unarmed officers with the knife. Gardai said they then followed the male on foot and in vehicles from the Hartstown Shopping Centre towards Manorfields Drive. During this period gardai said they engaged with Mr Nkencho and encouraged him to drop the weapon. Members of the Armed Support Unit then arrived at a scene in Manorfields Drive. Gardai said the Armed Support Unit were also threatened with a knife and implemented a graduated response where the use of less-lethal force options, Taser and OC (pepper) spray, were used in an effort to resolve the incident. At approximately 12.35pm a member of the Armed Support Unit fired a number of shots from his official weapon, hitting Mr Nkencho. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors Postmortem reports have revealed that the deaths of inmates, during a protest on November 29 and 30 at Sri Lankas Mahara Prison, were caused by gunshot injuries. The government deployed heavily-armed prison guards and special task force police officers to suppress a protest by thousands of prisoners, who were demanding PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, as hundreds of inmates had already tested positive. Relatives of Mahara prison victims demanding information about their family members from STF soldiers (Credit: Shehan Gunasekara) Eleven prisoners died during this incident and more than 100 were injured. So far, two postmortem reports have been submitted, which revealed that 8 out of 11 had gunshot wounds. Reports on three others are due to be submitted on January 8 before a local magistrate. However, a leaked report of the committee appointed by the justice minister to investigate the incident, quoted in last weekends Sunday Times, has noted that all 11 inmates died from gunshot injuries. This report is to be submitted to the cabinet today. Athula Kumara, a young remand prisoner, whose release had been authorized by the courts, was among the dead. He was caught in the gunfire because prison and police officers had delayed his release. The authorities sought to cremate the bodies immediately, declaring that they had been infected by the coronavirus and, if kept, would constitute a health threat. Lawyers appearing for the victims accused the authorities of seeking to destroy evidence. Amid public outrage, the government was compelled to appoint a five-member committee to oversee the autopsies. The relatives of the Mahara prisoners have expressed fears that more deaths could have occurred. Some of them have lodged complaints with the Sri Lanka Human Right Commission (SLHRC)a toothless government bodyconcerning inmates that have been missing since the incident. Relatives of victims outside Ragama hospital (Credit: WSWS Media) A mother of a prisoner told the media that her son had disappeared and the prison officers refused to reveal where he was. I have come every second day and made calls daily concerning the whereabouts of my son, but they have declared he is not there. The government and the police have blamed the casualties on rival inmates attacking each other. State Minister of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte told the parliament that no one has been killed by shootings carried out by prison officers, insisting that this has been confirmed by the postmortems. Ratwatte made this statement before any proper postmortems had been carried out. Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa told parliament that the incidents in Mahara prison were an attempt to discredit the rule of President Gotabhaya Rajapakse. The clashes, he claimed, were a result of prisoners consuming a drug called reverse that was being circulated by an organised group of inmates. A Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists statement refuted this, pointing out that the drugs were circulated to create a calm environment, including drowsiness among the inmates. The Rajapakse governments lies, backed by the media, have been punctured by the postmortem reports. The justice minister appointed a committee, headed by a retired high court judge. In the past, such committees have produced reports that suppress the truth and justify the governments actions. In this case, however, the overwhelming evidence could not be swept under the carpet. The committees interim report admitted that the inmates campaign advanced reasonable demands, including the immediate release of all those inmates who had been granted bail, PCR tests for all inmates, the removal of COVID-19 patients from Mahara Prison and the provision of edible food. According to the report, inmates were angered and fearful of becoming infected once it became known that there were 186 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, including six prison officers. The prison officers used tear gas along with rubber bullets and live ammunition in order to disperse the rebellious inmates. The report claimed that there were quarrels among the several groups of inmates, who used wood clubs, iron rods, large knives and swords. However, it would not say how the weapons got into the prison. During the protest, prison officers disconnected the water supply. The report pointed out that, when the prisoners began protesting and demanding water, the officers fired shots to control the aggressive group. The Mahara killing is the third such incident this year. Two prisoners were killed and several others injured in Anuradhapura prison in North Central Province, following a protest related to COVID-19 in March. Another prisoner was shot dead on November 18 at Bogambara Prison in Central Province, supposedly trying to escape after more than 100 inmates had tested positive. When the Mahara incident took place, there were 2,782 inmates in the prison, nearly three times its capacity. According to information supplied by the prison department, Sri Lankas prison capacity is 11,762, despite the fact that there were 33,472 prisoners by December last year, an overcapacity of 184.6 percent. Due to the governments disregard for the difficult and unsafe conditions inmates face, more than 3,000 have so far tested positive. The majority of these prisoners are young people addicted to drugsone of the terrible social products of the worsening crisis of capitalism. Research compiled by the SLHRC following the Mahara massacre referred to the tragic conditions created by overcrowding, insufficient water and sanitary facilities, and inedible food. According to this study, the lack of space in the prison has forced inmates to organize shifts to stand and sleep, and to excrete into buckets and polythene bags at night due to the lack of enough toilets. One inmate told the researchers: We need to change this place, which smells like death; it smells like a graveyard. We must change this. After the incident, President Rajapakse took measures to tighten the repressive conditions in the countrys prisons. He appointed a presidential task force in order to modernise the prison system, using the experiences and technologies of foreign countries like China. The government has also decided to establish a special riot control unit in the prisons. Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya told newsfir st .lk that 500 Sri Lankan army personnel who have completed 12 years service and left the military will be recruited for this unit, as per the directive issued by the President. The special unit will be used for the protection of high-profile prisoners and to combat riots inside prisons, and the special unit will be linked to Prison Intelligence. These measures are part of Rajapakses moves to militarise his administration as he moves towards the establishment of a presidential dictatorship. The capitalist class is ruthlessly imposing the burden of the economic collapse and the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic onto the masses, resulting in rising anger among Sri Lankan workers and the poor. Nervous about the eruption of a social explosion, the Rajapakse regime is preparing for class war. After the challenging year that was 2020, Thomas' hopes to kick off 2021 on an uplifting note by joining together with their "dough-voted" fans to make the "hole-iest" food holiday about more than just bagels. On January 15, Thomas' will hand over their social media channels and all media advertising on Hulu to Operation Warm for a National Bagel Day takeover where fans can learn more about the organization's efforts and how they too can donate to join in Thomas' efforts to create a toasty celebration for children in need. "While we always enjoy kicking off the year with our National Bagel Day celebration every January, this year, we're honored to once again join forces with Operation Warm to bring some warmth to those in need," said Eduardo Zarate, Senior Director of Marketing for Thomas'. "Our hope is that Thomas' fans from all across the country will help us to bake up a wave of support for Operation Warm and 'toast' to a month-long celebration of supporting the organization's meaningful work." All throughout January, consumers can donate to Operation Warm via their website. For every consumer donation, Thomas' will be able to amplify their efforts and bring even more coats to children as the winter season blows into full force. Thomas' dates back to 1880 when Samuel Bath Thomas created his original English Muffin in New York City using a secret process that included griddle baking to create a Nooks and Crannies English Muffin. The company has since added bagels and breakfast breads, including a line of swirl breads, to its breakfast offerings. Today, Thomas' sells the #1 English Muffin and #1 grocery bagel in the U.S. For a full list of Thomas' products and where to buy them, please visit www.ThomasBreads.com. About Bimbo Bakeries USA Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) is a leader in the baking industry, known for its category leading brands, innovative products, freshness and quality. Our team of 20,000+ U.S. associates operates more than 50 manufacturing locations in the United States. Over 11,000 distribution routes deliver our leading brands such as Arnold, Artesano, Ball Park, Bimbo, Boboli, Brownberry, Entenmann's, Little Bites, Marinela, Mrs Baird's, Oroweat, Sara Lee, Stroehmann and Thomas'. BBU is owned by Mexico's Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B de C.V., the world's largest baking company with operations in 33 countries. About Operation Warm Operation Warm is a national nonprofit that manufactures brand-new, high-quality coats for children in need. We partner with compassionate individuals, community organizations, and corporations across North America to provide emotional warmth, confidence to socialize and succeed, and hope of a brighter future through the gift of a brand-new coat. Over the last 20 years, Operation Warm and our partners have used the coat as a bridge for families in need to access everything from flu shots to new books. To make a lasting impact on the lives of children, visit www.operationwarm.org SOURCE Bimbo Bakeries USA She recently starred in the Hulu miniseries A Teacher, which was based on the 2013 film of the same name. On Monday, 37-year-old Kate Mara looked happy to be having some time off as she was spotted taking a brisk walk with her mother, 60-year-old Kathleen McNulty Rooney. The mother and daughter duo strolled through the streets of Studio City in Los Angeles. Quality time: Kate Mara was seen taking a stroll with her 60-year-old mother Kathleen McNulty Rooney on Monday morning The star kept it casual in a white t-shirt underneath a green hoodie jacket to stay cozy in the chilly winter weather. She wore a pair of grey joggers to keep her legs warm throughout the walk; Mara also could be seen wearing a pair of Adidas sneakers. The actress wore a pair of tinted sunglasses to keep the shining California sun out of her eyes during her outing, and wore a large white face mask to stay safe in the midst of the global pandemic. Mara's mother kept her wardrobe consistent as she wore a pink t-shirt with a matching set of sweatpants and a sweater that was wrapped around her waist; she was also wearing Adidas running shoes. Staying cozy: The actress stayed warm in a hoodie and a pair of grey sweatpants as she enjoyed her mother-daughter time The Brokeback Mountain actress became a mother herself in May of 2019 when she had her first daughter with Jamie Bell. Mara and her husband first met on the set of Fantastic Four, which they both starred in, and became engaged and married in 2017. Through her marriage to Bell, she also became a stepmother to his son, aged seven, from his previous marriage to Evan Rachel Wood. In an interview with Us Weekly, the My Days of Mercy actress said that the difficulties of navigating between the demands of her career and the responsibilities of being a parent became quickly apparent for her. 'As a new mom when you have a baby on your boob screaming in the trailer, and then youve got to go pretend to be sexy, its kind of a complete nightmare,' the actress stated. Mara did note that she had found a balance between the two that worked for her, as she opined that 'I find it quite easy to switch it on and off.' Superhero couple: Mara married actor Jamie Bell in 2017 after the two first met on the set of Fantastic Four, which they both starred in; they are spotted together in 2019 Starting a family: The couple share a daughter, and Mara became a stepmother to Bell's son from a previous marriage; the parents are pictured together in 2019 The Chappaquiddick actress then spoke about how she was hopeful that she could begin working on projects that her daughter would be inspired by. 'Eventually shes going to be able to look at the work Ive done...And now more than ever, I want it to mean something and for there to be a point to it,' she stated. In the meantime, Mara seems to be enjoying her new role as a mother and commented on how her stepson is adjusting well to having a new sibling in the mix. The actress described Jack's relationship to his baby sister as: 'protective, incredibly protective.' US drugmaker Moderna Inc said on Monday that Israel's health ministry had authorized its COVID-19 vaccine, marking the vaccine's third regulatory authorization and the first outside North America. "Ministry of Health of Israel has secured 6 million doses and first deliveries (are) expected to begin in January," Moderna said in a statement. Moderna has received authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine in the United States and Canada and additional authorizations are currently under review in the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Israel has begun to vaccinate its population at one of the quickest rates in the world, and it aims to reach all vulnerable citizens by late January. Authorities started vaccinations on Dec. 19 using the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. The Bank of Israel said on Monday it expects the economy to rebound quickly in 2021 if the country's fast start to vaccinating people against COVID-19 is maintained. Moderna said separately on Monday it would produce at least 600 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, up by 100 million doses from its previous forecast. The company was working to invest and hire in order to deliver up to 1 billion doses this year. Moderna has so far supplied about 18 million doses to the US government as part of a deal for 200 million doses. It has also signed a deal with the Canadian government for 40 million doses. Also read: WHO chief hails India's COVID-19 vaccine efforts Also read: 'Why is nobody questioning UK'; Bharat Biotech's Krishna Ella responds to Covaxin backlash BINGHAMTON, NY--The State University of New York has awarded grants of up to $10,000 to three teams at Binghamton University to pursue research projects related to COVID-19. "It is a great privilege for our students and faculty to have the opportunity to pursue these projects, which could help protect the people of New York state and beyond," said Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger. "That three of our projects were selected shows how innovative and big-thinking our students and faculty are, and we are excited to see what our teams can accomplish." While COVID-19 vaccines are now being given to medical personnel fighting at the frontlines of the pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other healthcare protocols will continue to be necessary to contain the virus in the coming months and other infectious diseases in the future. As a way to develop state-of-the-art PPE and improve effective safety interventions, State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras announced awards from the SUNY Prepare Innovation and Internship Program. A total of 12 teams of SUNY students and faculty across seven campuses received up to $10,000 each in seed funding to conduct further research on their proposals. The program is designed to provide real-life, hands-on applied learning experiences for students, and actively involve them in the creation of pandemic-related solutions. The winning proposals range from developing new antiviral surface sanitizers for college campuses and other facilities to creating a low-cost surgical mask that has the filtration efficiency of an N95 respirator while maintaining airflow for individuals with respiratory issues. "From day one, SUNY has been leading the effort to combat COVID-19 with providing frontline healthcare workers PPE, like face shields using innovative 3D printing technology, developing world-leading testing and conducting vaccine trials -- in other words, SUNY has helped save lives," said Malatras. "We want to continue to harness the intellectual firepower of SUNY faculty, researchers, and students to develop the latest breakthroughs in the fight against COVID-19 or the next infectious disease. I applaud today's 12 award winners for their innovations because they will help slow the spread and make a difference. This is just another example of how the largest system of public higher education is making an important impact." The three winnings projects at Binghamton University are: Telemental Health for Marginalized Families Lead Researcher Youjung Lee, associate professor of social work: The telemental health intervention project will develop, implement and assess the effectiveness of an innovative telemental health service for New York state's marginalized and vulnerable children and families during COVID-19, and train social work students to use this evidence-based intervention model to immediately serve high-needs children and families during the pandemic.> Lead Researcher Youjung Lee, associate professor of social work: The telemental health intervention project will develop, implement and assess the effectiveness of an innovative telemental health service for New York state's marginalized and vulnerable children and families during COVID-19, and train social work students to use this evidence-based intervention model to immediately serve high-needs children and families during the pandemic.> LED UVC Disinfection Technology for Indoor Spaces Lead Researcher Kaiming Ye, professor and chair of biomedical engineering: The LED disinfection technology team will develop an LED UVC lighting system for disinfecting airborne SARS-CoV-2 in a closed space. This system will be designed for installation in indoor spaces such as an office, subway, restaurant or gym to eradicate SARS-CoV-2 from the surface, air or circulating air with minimal health concerns for people and thereby help restore indoor activities. Lead Researcher Kaiming Ye, professor and chair of biomedical engineering: The LED disinfection technology team will develop an LED UVC lighting system for disinfecting airborne SARS-CoV-2 in a closed space. This system will be designed for installation in indoor spaces such as an office, subway, restaurant or gym to eradicate SARS-CoV-2 from the surface, air or circulating air with minimal health concerns for people and thereby help restore indoor activities. Low-cost SARS-CoV-2 Sensor for Surfaces Lead Researcher Huiyuan Guo, assistant professor of chemistry: The final team from Binghamton University selected for this award will focus on the development of a rapid, low-cost and versatile sensor to monitor SARS-CoV-2 on high-contact surfaces. The sensor will be made of a soft, nanofibrous material with an embedded indicator that will undergo colorimetric change upon contact with the virus, and will be attachable to masks, ventilation filters, door handles and other high-contact surfaces. ### (CNN) -- After receiving her second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, New York nurse Sandra Lindsay felt "like I've completed the marathon, closed the loop." Lindsay, who works at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, knows the US remains far from the end of the pandemic. But for her, "the burden feels definitely much lighter today," she told reporters Monday. Health care workers have been among the first recipients of the roughly 4.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccine administered so far in the US. As hospital capacity strains under recent case surges, those who are treating patients say they feel relief after being inoculated. "You wouldn't send a police officer into a gun fight without a vest, and as a health care worker, this is my vest. This is my shield now. I am very happy. We need this. We need this to fight back," New Jersey nurse Maritza Beniquez, who is the first fully vaccinated health care worker in the state outside trials, said after receiving the second Pfizer vaccine shot. By the end of the month, she will be 95% immune, she said, which is "the greatest gift I could have ever started the year off with." Beniquez, a Latina who's among her family's first generation born in the US, says she can't wait until the wider public is inoculated "so things can go back to normal." "A healing is coming," she told CNN. "It's coming to this nation, and it's coming in the form of a vaccine." Helen Cordova, an intensive care unit nurse at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, said she has "a little more hope and that extra assurance" that her family will be protected as she continues to treat coronavirus patients. "There's always that fear of 'Will I bring something home from work?' even if I take all the precautions," she said. Cordova had been hesitant about her first dose of the vaccine but changed her mind after engaging credible sources, she told CNN at the time. "I sought out information, I spoke to fellow coworkers, physicians, anyone that was an expert in the field within my access and tried to really get more information on the vaccine to make that decision," she said. Lindsay experienced only minor symptoms from her first shot, averaging a normal body temperature and rating the soreness at the vaccination site as "level 1" pain, she said. She is not concerned about potential symptoms following her second dose. "I don't discount anyone's fears because everyone has their own fears," Beniquez said, "but this vaccine is safe." This story was first published on CNN.com, "Nurses describe their hope and assurance after being fully vaccinated against coronavirus" Bengaluru, Jan 5 : Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala gave his formal approval to the ordinance Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act - 2020 on Tuesday. With this anti-cow slaughter with stringent measures became a reality in the state. The ordinance proposes a maximum of seven years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh for the offenders. It seeks a total ban on the slaughter of cows in the state and provisions for stringent punishment to those who indulge in smuggling, illegal transportation, atrocities on cows and slaughtering them. Besides this, some of the other important provisions of the Act include setting up of special courts for the speedy trial of the accused, setting up gaushala or cattle sheds for the livestock, imparting more power to local police for conducting random checks, to name a few. Jubilant over the Governor's approval, Karnataka state BJP unit has shared this information on its official Twitter handle. "Honourable Chief Minister Yediyurappa has implemented the anti-cow slaughter act through an ordinance. In the next assembly session, we will implement the law against Love Jihad," BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said. It may be recalled that the ruling BJP, had hurriedly passed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill - 2020 in Assembly amidst pandemonium and the Opposition parties - the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) - on December 9 boycotted the remaining session over the BJP's decision to move the Bill without mentioning it in the agenda of the Assembly. However, lack of majority in the Upper House, prevented the ruling BJP to move this Bill there and decided to opt for the Ordinance route to give effect to this Act. As per their own plans, the Karnataka cabinet decided to promulgate the Ordinance on December 28 and sent for the approval of the Governor. The new Act replaces the less-stringent 1964 cow protection legislation that prohibited slaughter of cows in the state, bans the slaughter of cattle, whose definition it has expanded to include "cow, calf of a cow, he or she buffalo, ox, bull and bullock". Though, this Act was touted to be a blanket ban on beef in the Karnataka, but for the first time in the last week, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J. C. Madhuswamy had stated that there was no blanket ban on beef consumption as the Act allows the slaughter of he-buffalo above 13 years of age. He had also asserted that beef slaughter houses will continue to function. "When the new law comes into effect, there will be a blanket prohibition of slaughter of cows, bullocks and calves in the state. Besides the earlier Act had confusing provisions on the age of the cattle for allowing it to be slaughtered. We have eliminated that confusion forever, making it amply clear that he-buffalos above 13 can be slaughtered," he had explained. Animal Husbandry, Haj and Wakf Minister Prabhu Chauhan had been maintaining that from the day one and reiterated that cow is the root of India's culture, faith and farmers' livelihood. "All of us must rise above politics to help the growth of the state's cattle assets. But, opposing this Act for political reasons and misleading the public is intolerable," he said. Citing the 2019 cattle census, Chauhan said 2.38 lakh cows are slaughtered every year. "Even a day's delay would lead to slaughter of 662 cows. If it continues at this pace, we aren't far away from a time when cows will only be read about in books. Stopping illegal transportation and slaughtering is our priority," he claimed. The 2020 Act is a harsher version of a law passed by the BJP in 2010 with B. S. Yediyurappa as Chief Minister. It aimed at banning all forms of cattle slaughter by recommending stringent penalties for violators. The Act was shelved in 2013 by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government as the Congress had then reverted to the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Preservation of Animals Act, 1964, which banned the killing of any cow or calf of she-buffalo. It, however, had certain relaxations like it allowed the slaughter of bullock, buffalo-male or female if it was certified by a competent authority to be above the age of 12 years, incapacitated for breeding or deemed sick. DULUTH, Ga., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move to focus more resources to support its cybersecurity customers, DataPath, Inc. has partnered with Five/I Enterprises LLC to spin-out DataPath's cybersecurity business unit into a stand-alone company MaxDefense LLC. David McDonald, CEO of DataPath, commented, "This transition into a separate entity allows MaxDefense to grow, while also building on its 6+ years past performance providing exceptional support for customers' critical networks." David Ingram, CEO of MaxDefense LLC, added, "With the additional resources and more focused approach, we are able to bring our customers comprehensive cybersecurity managed services that incorporate a multi-layered security approach. Cybersecurity is an arms race. MaxDefense helps our customers protect their valuable data and business net worth by training employees and hardening the security of their networks." The current cybersecurity threat landscape is increasingly complex and sophisticated. Attack strategies and scenarios are continuously changing so organizations face an enormous challenge to maintain adequate resources and solutions to detect and eliminate threats. Even very large organizations find operating an around-the-clock cybersecurity team redirects resources from their core business. MaxDefense LLC enables its customers to stay focused on their core business and maintain the resources to address any cybersecurity threat. About MaxDefense LLC Based in Atlanta, GA, MaxDefense LLC provides Security Assessment Services (Vulnerability, Penetration, Compliance, Network Planning) and Managed Security Services (full Cybersecurity Operations Center (CSOC) 24x7, Device Management, End-Point Protection, Incident Response) to law firms, private equity firms, national ISPs, state and local governments, restaurant groups, medical providers and government contractors. Visit www.maxdefense.io. About DataPath, Inc. DataPath excels in advanced and secure communications solutions tailored to the unique requirements of defense, aerospace, broadcast, government and critical infrastructure clients. Our solutions include a wide range of field communications and information technology products, including satellite communication systems, network management software and cybersecurity services. All offerings are backed by 247 customer care and global field support. At DataPath we are passionate about helping our clients achieve mission success. For more information, visit www.datapath.com. SOURCE DataPath, Inc. Related Links http://www.datapath.com About one in seven Americans may already have antibodies against the novel coronavirus and could safely wait months to get a vaccine, a new study of antibody tests finds. Researchers from Pfizer Vaccines determined that nearly 47 million Americans had been infected with COVID-19 by November 15 - which is 4.3 times higher than the 10.8 million cases recorded at the time. That figure is also more than double the 20.8 million cases reported to date by Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, the team estimated that one million people had been hospitalized and just about 305,000 had died from the virus by November 15. As the federal government rolls out millions of vaccine doses this week, the results suggest that the immunization effort can focus on those who have never been exposed so that the U.S. population can achieve herd immunity more quickly. It also comes as several researchers suggest such as Johns Hopkins professor Dr Marty Makary suggest that only 20 percent need to be vaccinated immediately to curb the pandemic. Researchers looked at five CDC surveys testing coronavirus antibody levels between April and August, and found antibodies in as many as 23% of participants They determined 46,910,006 people had been infected with coronavirus by November 15 - or more than 14% of Americans. Pictured: Shayleen Ojeda uses a nasal swab for a COVID-19 test in Ontario, California, December 2020 This figure means 14% of Americans are likely protected against the virus and could safely wait months to get a vaccine. Pictured: The first patient enrolled in Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, receives an injection, May 4 Previous research has concluded that the official number of reported cases of the virus, known as SARS-CoV-2, is an underestimation. Because of that, scientists say the entire population needs to be vaccinated. On Monday, Makary, a professor of surgery and health policy, told Fox News that herd immunity could be achieved with just 20 percent of people vaccinated. 'There is a false construct out there, there's a recommendation that we need to get every American immunized in order to get a handle on the pandemic,' he said. 'The reality is that about 25 to 50 percent of Americans have already had the infection and have some natural immunity. 'Now, we don't know if that's a little better, a little worse, or the same as vaccinated immunity, but...we may only need to get an additional 20 percent of the population immunized by February or March to really hit those 70 percent herd immunity levels.' For the study, published in JAMA Network Open, the team at four regional and one nationwide seroprevalence surveys from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Seroprevalence surveys use antibody tests to estimate the percentage of the population who has been infected with, and developed antibodies against, COVID-19. The surveys were conducted from April to August and include responses from more than 95,000 participants. The regional surveys took place in 10 specific states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington) Researchers multiplied the percent of samples that had antibodies by the population to estimate the number of infections. The number of hospitalizations was calculated by multiplying the estimated number of symptomatic infections with the estimated symptomatic case-to-hospitalization ratio of 3.4 percent. Death figures were also measured by multiplying the infection-to-fatality ratio by 0.65 percent. Results showed that many surveys showed a proportion of patients with antibodies compared to the general population. For example, in one New York survey of eight counties including New York City, 23.2 percent of 1,116 samples tested had coronavirus antibodies. At the time, in May, just 281,670 cases had been reported. But, based on the size of the population, they estimated that this meant the true number of infections was actually 2.83 million - 10 times higher. After calculating the median of all the surveys, researchers estimated that 46,910,006 people had been infected with COVID-19 by November 15 - or more than 14 percent of Americans. This is more than double the current estimated toll of 20.8 million and xx times higher than the total of 10.8 million reported on that date. Of those cases, they estimated that 28.1 million, about 60 percent, were symptomatic infections. By multiplying the number of symptomatic cases by 3.4 percent, they determined that about 956,174 people required hospitalization. Calculations also reveal that about 304,915 deaths occurred in the U.S. through November 15, which is 1.2 times higher the roughly 245,000 deaths recorded at the time. It could mean the true death toll is as high as 424,000. However, the authors warn that a sizable percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated before achieving herd immunity 'The SARS-CoV-2 disease burden may be much larger than reported COVID-19 cases owing to underreporting,' they wrote. 'Even after adjusting for underreporting, a substantial gap remains between the estimated proportion of the population infected and the proportion infected required to reach herd immunity. 'Additional seroprevalence surveys are needed to monitor the pandemic, including after the introduction of safe and efficacious vaccines.' 01/05/2021 Photo (c) eclipse_images - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 20,843,556 (20,649,941) Total U.S. deaths: 354,263 (351,774) Total global cases: 85,860,416 (85,327,849) Total global deaths: 1,858,412 (1,846,764) FDA not ready to change vaccine dosing instructions The rollout of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines is not meeting demand, so its been suggested that younger people get half the required dose to start. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is throwing cold water on that idea, calling it premature. Without appropriate data supporting such changes in vaccine administration, we run a significant risk of placing public health at risk, the FDA said in a statement. The clinical trials for both vaccines were conducted using the full dose. The FDA said it would need to see data supporting a reduced dose before approving such a move. Human disaster in Los Angeles With the surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, hospitals in Los Angeles are nearing full capacity. According to CNN, ambulance crews in Los Angeles County have been told not to transport patients with little chance of survival, and the patients who are transported often have to wait hours before a bed is available. "Hospitals are declaring internal disasters and having to open church gyms to serve as hospital units," Supervisor Hilda Solis told the network, calling it a "human disaster." According to Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer, someone in LA County is drying of the virus every 15 minutes. Mutant strain found in New York The mutant strain of the virus causing COVID-19 is apparently widespread, and it has been since first identified last month in the U.K. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that the variant strain has been detected for the first time in his state. Cuomo said the strain infected a man in his 60s who worked in a jewelry store in Saratoga Springs. According to health officials, the patient had symptoms of the coronavirus and sought treatment. The strain has also been detected in a patient in California. According to the New York Times, the strain, which spreads more easily than the original virus, has been detected in 32 countries. Americas deadliest week Amid the rapidly rising number of cases of COVID-19, America suffered its deadliest week of the pandemic so far. A Reuters analysis of state and local data shows that the week ending on Jan. 3 saw a record death toll of 18,400 people. Health officials worry that the record may not stand for long. They note that the large number of Americans traveling to visit family and friends at the end of the year will likely lead to even more cases of the virus. Deaths normally trail infections by about four weeks. Some areas of the country suffered more than others. Arizona, Tennessee, and South Carolina saw the largest number of new cases per capita last week, according to the Reuters analysis. Kansas, Wyoming, and New Mexico led the nation in per capita deaths. More stimulus? Do you have your $600 stimulus payment yet? The money has just begun to go out to Americans, but in Washington, theres already talk of another round of payments. Congressional Democrats and even President Trump thought the payments should have been $2,000. Todays two runoff Senate elections in Georgia could well determine if there will be a third round of payments in the near future. Should Democrats win both seats, they will control Congress and the White House and have an easier time passing a third stimulus bill. Democrats have backing from some economists who have said the recently passed second stimulus bill, spending $900 billion, wont be enough to get the economy back on track as the pandemic finally comes to an end. Around the nation Bobby L. Christine has been named Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. U.S. Attorney Christine is currently the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, and will remain in that position while assuming the additional role in the Northern District. Two years before he allegedly plowed a stolen car through a red light in downtown San Francisco, killing two pedestrians while intoxicated on New Years Eve, Troy Ramon McAlister faced a possible life sentence under Californias three strikes law for repeat offenders. McAlister, who was charged Monday with manslaughter, had been headed toward trial in late 2018 on two counts of second-degree robbery in connection with a 2015 holdup in a San Francisco store. The District Attorneys Office, then led by George Gascon, alleged three prior strikes for violent crimes. But the office dismissed the strikes last March in a plea deal prosecutors negotiated two months after Chesa Boudin became district attorney, records show. McAlister, who had been eligible for a sentence of up to 40 years to life in prison, was given credit for serving five years and released on parole. The shift in McAlisters robbery case which put him back on the streets to allegedly commit a crime spree that ended with the Dec. 31 car crash is detailed in court documents obtained by The Chronicle. It raises more questions about whether the pedestrians deaths could have been avoided. At issue is how authorities should deal with an offender like McAlister, a 45-year-old methamphetamine addict who has been in trouble with the law throughout his adult life. His prior strikes were for a robbery in 1995, an attempted carjacking in 2005 and another robbery in 2010. His record shows additional serious convictions in 2006 and 2007. The episode also offers a look at the turn in some counties away from strict laws like three strikes that filled prisons and sometimes enabled abuses. Prosecutors, lawmakers and advocates have been debating which of these laws have value, which need to be altered, and which need to end. Known as a progressive standard-bearer, Boudin enacted a policy to not charge prior strikes, with the exception of extraordinary circumstances that present unusual risks of harm. Boudin said in a memo that the law was a legacy of Californias tough on crime era, an era that fueled mass incarceration and disparately impacted communities of color. Gascon, who left his San Francisco post in the fall of 2019 and recently became district attorney in Los Angeles, has also shifted his thinking. He issued a directive Dec. 7 to eliminate strikes from sentencing decisions. Many other California counties have limited the use of strikes to the most serious cases. Californias 1994 3 Strikes Law has been a disaster, Gascon wrote in a tweet announcing the directive. Three Strikes ends in my office beginning today. Boudin did not respond to requests for comment on McAlisters plea deal. In a statement, McAlisters attorney in the 2015 robbery case said he had opposed last years plea deal, and said it was not emblematic of lax prosecution. Mr. McAlister would have likely prevailed at trial, said Deputy Public Defender Max Breecker. However, because of COVID, which suspended all jury trials at the time, he opted to accept a relatively harsh plea deal. Tony Montoya, president of the city police union, said officers oppose mass incarceration but believe Boudin has a penchant for dismissing charges and vastly reducing sentences that threatens public safety. Theres just some people that cannot be rehabilitated, Montoya said. He said McAlister had been given numerous chances to go straight before last years sweetheart deal. Montoya spoke as the District Attorneys Office on Monday charged McAlister with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in the deaths of 60-year-old Elizabeth Platt and 27-year-old Hanako Abe. They were walking in a crosswalk at Second and Mission streets when McAlister allegedly crashed into them, before trying to flee on foot. Other felony charges include gun possession, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, transportation of a controlled substance and burglary. Boudin also alleged one strike, apparently finding the exceptional circumstances described in his policy. McAlister is expected to be arraigned Tuesday. The charges came as Boudin confronted mounting scrutiny over his offices handling of McAlisters cases prior to the wreck. Police arrested McAlister several times in the city following his release last March, on suspicion of crimes including car theft and car burglary. Rather than charge McAlister with new crimes, though, Boudin referred the incidents to state parole officers. The steps they took in recent months remain unclear. But under California law, parole officers can give people accused of violating the terms of their release added restrictions, treatment or punishment. In a statement on Monday, Boudin vowed to enact systemic policy changes in his office, including strengthening communication between his office and parole officials. He promised a comprehensive review of the case. He also sought to spread responsibility to other agencies McAlister came into contact with, claiming without specifics that they each failed to intervene effectively. Although of course no one predicted this tragedy, it is true that the Daly City police, the San Francisco police, parole and my office all could have done things differently, which might have avoided this terrible outcome, Boudin said. McAlister had allegedly stolen the car he used in the crash from a woman in Daly City two days earlier. Daly City police officials said Monday that investigators had tried without success to find McAlister and the vehicle, and had contacted parole as well. In response to Boudins assertion about San Francisco police, spokesman Matt Dorsey said, We believe in making improvements wherever improvements can be made, and we share the district attorneys commitment to work with all of our law enforcement partners. Montoya blasted the district attorney for blaming other agencies and called for an independent panel to review Boudins charging decisions. Two people were killed on New Years Eve because Chesa Boudin refused to do his job, Montoya said. Parole officials said after the crash that the state agency followed all procedures after these incidents, including conducting investigations and making appropriate referrals for the individual. Officials in the District Attorneys Office said Boudin was scheduled to meet with members of Abes family on Monday and with Platts family later this week. Let me speak directly to those families: I am so sorry for your loss, Boudin said in a statement. We are focused on three things as we move forward: holding Mr. McAlister accountable for the harm he caused; supporting the victims families; and working internally in our own office and along with our justice partners to make changes to prevent this kind of tragedy. The incidents of the past several days have caused an uproar in San Francisco, where Boudin has alternately been embraced for his belief in second chances and holding police accountable, and criticized for what some residents perceive as his indifference to public safety. A petition to recall the district attorney had more than 3,500 signatures as of Monday evening. Gascon, the former district attorney, had allowed some discretion in trying three strikes cases. He formed a committee of senior attorneys to analyze the facts and the strength of the evidence in such cases, with input from both the prosecution and the defense. If the committee recommended seeking a life sentence, Gascon had sole authority to approve it, according to four people familiar with the process who were not authorized to speak publicly. Gascon told The Chronicle through a spokesperson that he could not remember the details of McAlisters case, or whether he directed his staff to offer a life sentence. Enacted in 1994, three strikes intended to get societys most violent criminals off the streets. Over the years, though, it fell out of favor among many criminal justice leaders and advocates, who saw it as unfair. Violent crime also declined throughout the state, which may have led residents to embrace a less punitive approach, said Jack Glaser, a professor at UC Berkeleys Goldman School of Public Policy. Voters amended the law in 2012 by passing Proposition 36, which imposed life sentences only if new convictions were for serious or violent felonies. It also allowed offenders convicted of a third strike to petition the court to reduce their term to a second-strike sentence. On Dec. 30, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County, a union representing about 900 prosecutors, filed a lawsuit aimed at four of Gascons new policies, including the one eliminating strikes. The union argued that Gascon was forcing his employees to violate state law. Glaser said rising crime during the pandemic may have rebuilt support for a tougher approach. At the same time, he said, the over-incarceration story has faded, some, from the public consciousness. Note: This story was updated online with a comment from Troy McAlisters defense attorney. Rachel Swan and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan, @meganrcassidy GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Dr. Pamela Hackert has taken the helm of the county Health Department during a hailstorm of COVID-19 developments, vowing to work with the community to drive down the spread of the virus and help coordinate distribution of vaccines as they become more available. An attorney and medical doctor, Hackert was hired by the county Board of Commissioners to replace both former Health Officer John McKellar and Medical Director Dr. Gary Johnson, both of whom retired late last year. She started in her new position Monday, Jan. 4, charged with coordinating coronavirus response in the short term and building up public health efforts generally throughout the county in the long term. Im really super excited about things, Hackert said Tuesday, Jan. 5. I think you have an amazing community with amazing involvement that I did not necessarily see elsewhere. Hackert has previously worked as the medical director of the health departments in Oakland and Wayne counties and is a former interim medical director of Washtenaw County. She led Oakland Countys monitoring and response to the 2014-16 Ebola epidemic and managed the 2016-2018 Hepatitis A outbreak there. In Jackson County, shes been directly involved in that countys coronavirus response. Once we get Covid under control, which we will, (I want to) start to open the lines of communication... and be responsive to what the community wants and needs, Hackert said. I know within relatively recent history, theres a lot of community concerns about trust in the area, I personally like to get out and talk to people. Thats one of the things I would like to do is create more of an open communication between different community groups and the Health Department, and I am happy to be that connection to it. The Genesee County Health Department is charged under state law with endeavoring to prevent disease, prolong life and promote public health and provides services including immunizations, licensing and inspection of restaurants and other food establishments, Healthy Start, and the Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Food Program. Hackert was recommended as the new medical health officer by a subcommittee of the county commissioners that interviewed two candidates for the position. Commissioner Bryant Nolden, D-Flint, was part of that effort, and is a booster of the new director. She comes with tremendous experience and knowledge, said Nolden, who also serves as chairman of the countys Board of Health. She has a passion toward community and getting the community involved... With her resume and background... Im excited for the new direction. McKellars departure from the county came in November, and Johnsons retirement came later last year. During his tenure, some school districts questioned McKellars initial back-to-school tool kit that required them to quarantine any student and their close contacts if the student showed a primary symptom associated with COVID-19, like a fever or shortness of breath. McKellar also received pushback before ordering the cancellation of the Genesee County Fair after organizers made plans to stage the event last year despite the coronavirus pandemic. Related: Health officials intend to cancel Genesee County Fair with emergency COVID-19 order Hackert said the health department is in a great position to help advise people on how to handle large events safely and to serve as both an advisor as well as (an organization that can) insure things are being run correctly. The county is very fortunate to have three health care systems, Hackert said, and is prepared to handle vaccines for health care workers. She expects the Health Department will have greater involvement in providing vaccines to the general public in coming months. In Jackson County, she said COVID cases were relatively high but very isolated to the prison system and corrections officers... a much more narrow exposure than in Genesee County, which has reported more than 19,000 cases and 578 deaths due to the virus. The Michigan Department of Corrections has four correctional facilities in Jackson County. Read more: Jackson County official would be first woman to lead Genesee County Health Department Genesee County health chief retiring, prompting national search for successor Genesee County wants to stop potential super-spreader wedding before bride and groom say, I do Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. We trust the non-partisanship and competence of the Australian Electoral Commission and venerate the so-called democracy sausage as a symbol of our peaceful federation. The blatant gerrymandering, queues of voters waiting up to 10 hours and exhausting court battles in the US political process seem to contrast with Australias convivial and largely uncontested elections. This year Aussies are paying closer attention than ever to politics across the Pacific as the Trump era shudders to a halt and Georgians return to the polls to decide their senators. Who among us has not felt grateful for the Australian electoral system when watching US politics? Or even a little smug? However, we should not be complacent. There is a push to make it harder to vote in Australia too. The truth is that voter suppression, not voter fraud, is the big scandal in US politics and this has been true for many years. It is arguably what decided the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, since thousands of voters were purged from the Florida rolls before polling day and then George W. Bush ultimately won the state and the presidency by only 537 votes of nearly 6 million cast. There is often a shortage of polling booths in areas where non-white voters are the majority, resulting in people in rural areas driving hours to vote and those in urban areas waiting in long queues. A study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology proved black voters had to wait longer than white voters on average in the 2016 election. Dont forget, too, that citizens are not necessarily guaranteed time off work to vote. Once you do make it to the front of the line, a number of states require you to show identification to prove who you are before casting your ballot. A handful of states including Georgia dont even allow you to make a statutory declaration or written affidavit attesting to your identity if you dont have ID with you. Despite there being no evidence of voter fraud in Australia, there are people pushing for voter ID requirements here too. More than 513 doctors including 103 from Delhi succumb to COVID-19 in second wave: IMA Centre has not banned export of any COVID-19 vaccine India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: The Union government has not banned the export of any COVID-19 vaccine that has been granted restricted emergency use approval by the drug regulator, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, while urging the media to guard against the spread of such misinformation. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had on Sunday approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. Responding to a question during a press briefing on Tuesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bushan said, "The Union government has not banned the export of any one of the COVID-19 vaccines and this should be absolutely clear." Ready to roll out Covid vaccine within 10 days from authorisation date: Govt "When I say Union government, it means there are three ministries --- Ministry of Health, Ministry of Commerce, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade with the Ministry of Commerce and Directorate General of Foreign Trade -- which can initiate, in a hypothetical scenario, such an action." "But none of them have taken any such action. Therefore, our request to our media friends would be that we should be on guard when such misinformation is sought to be spread," Bhushan said. The Union Health Secretary also highlighted two important points from a joint statement issued by the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech. "The statement mentions two important elements. It says that vaccines are a global public health good. They also say that we communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our COVID-19 vaccines. That means neither the Union government nor the vaccine manufacturers are talking of any ban on the export of vaccines," he said. Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said they will work together to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines in India and globally. In a joint statement on behalf of the two companies, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla and Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella announced their combined intent to develop, manufacture and supply the COVID-19 vaccines for India and the world. They noted that the most important task in front of them was saving lives and livelihoods in India and globally. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 20:05 [IST] [January 04, 2021] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, a Leading Securities Fraud Law Firm, Announces Investigation of QuantumScape Corporation (QS) on Behalf of Investors Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM"), a leading national shareholder rights law firm, today announced that it has commenced an investigation on behalf of QuantumScape Corporation ("QuantumScape" or the "Company") (NYSE: QS) investors concerning the Company's possible violations of the federal securities laws. If you suffered a loss on your QuantumScape investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information at https://www.glancylaw.com/cases/quantumscape-corporation/. You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at shareholders@glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights. On January 4, 2021, Seeking Alpha published an article pointing to several risks with QuantumScape's solid-state batteries that make it "completely unacceptable for real world field electric vehicles." Specifically, it stated that the battery's power means it "will only last for 260 ycles or about 75,000 miles of aggressive driving." As solid-state batteries are temperature sensitive, "the power and cycle tests at 30 and 45 degrees above would have been significantly worse if run even a few degrees lower." On this news, the Company's stock price fell $34.49, or approximately 40.84%, to close at $49.96 per share on January 4, 2021, thereby injuring investors. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Whistleblower Notice: Persons with non-public information regarding QuantumScape should consider their options to aid the investigation or take advantage of the SEC (News - Alert) Whistleblower Program. Under the program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Charles H. Linehan at 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224 or email shareholders@glancylaw.com. About GPM Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP is a premier law firm representing investors and consumers in securities litigation and other complex class action litigation. ISS Securities Class Action Services has consistently ranked GPM in its annual SCAS Top 50 Report. In 2018, GPM was ranked a top five law firm in number of securities class action settlements, and a top six law firm for total dollar size of settlements. With four offices across the country, GPM's nearly 40 attorneys have won groundbreaking rulings and recovered billions of dollars for investors and consumers in securities, antitrust, consumer, and employment class actions. GPM's lawyers have handled cases covering a wide spectrum of corporate misconduct including cases involving financial restatements, internal control weaknesses, earnings management, fraudulent earnings guidance and forward looking statements, auditor misconduct, insider trading, violations of FDA regulations, actions resulting in FDA and DOJ investigations, and many other forms of corporate misconduct. GPM's attorneys have worked on securities cases relating to nearly all industries and sectors in the financial markets, including, energy, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, real estate and REITs, financial, insurance, information technology, health care, biotech, cryptocurrency, medical devices, and many more. GPM's past successes have been widely covered by leading news and industry publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Reuters (News - Alert), the Associated Press, Barron's, Investor's Business Daily, Forbes, and Money. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005847/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Attorney Kasia Naugle I am honored to be named Partner at Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC. Personally, I find being an attorney is such a rewarding career. As a parent myself, seeing the positive impact I can have on families makes all the difference, especially during these challenging times, Naugle commented. A native of Poland, Kasia moved to the United States when she was 10 years old. She began her career as a legal assistant (what we called a secretary back then) in the States Attorneys office. Kasia earned her Bachelors degree from DePaul University in Chicago. In 2008, she received her Juris Doctorate degree from the John Marshall Law School. Kasia joined Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC in 2018 as a Senior Associate Attorney and was promoted to Partner in December 2020. Kasia worked as an Assistant States Attorney with the DuPage County States Attorneys office for over five years. In this role, she handled general misdemeanors, domestic violence cases, and orders of protection violations, conducting over 100 trials, including jury trials. After her promotion to the Felony Division, Kasia prosecuted highly complex child abuse and neglect cases involving DCFS, parental rights, child removal, and juvenile delinquency cases. Kasia turned to the private sector, concentrating in Family Law, in 2014. Kasia has earned a reputation within the legal community as a skilled and tenacious negotiator. As a former prosecutor, her extensive trial experience distinctly sets her apart from her peers in the courtroom. Her strong work ethic and experience allows Kasia to provide in-depth analysis for all of her cases, resulting in successful outcomes for her clients. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the DuPage County Bar Association, and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Kasia was also named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2016-2019. I am honored to be named Partner at Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC. The firm cares about our clients and cares about positive results for our clients. Personally, I find being an attorney is such a rewarding career. As a parent myself, seeing the positive impact I can have on families makes all the difference, especially during these challenging times, Naugle commented. About Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC The experienced attorneys at Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC have worked for and against some of the top family law firms in Chicago. They offer high-quality legal skills to all of their clients, while providing them with personal attention. With extensive litigation, mediation, and collaborative law experience, their accomplished legal team understands that alternative dispute resolution is often better for the family. However, they also possess the skills and knowledge to successfully litigate when circumstances call for it. To learn more about Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, visit https://www.wkofamilylaw.com/ or call 312-605-4041 to schedule a consultation. "Colleen comes to this leadership role with deep and proven experience in creating powerful, mission-driven journalism that is essential to readers," said Kristin Roberts, Senior Vice President for News. "From her work as a political reporter at The Wall Street Journal to her Pulitzer Prize-winning opinion journalism at The Dallas Morning News and her innovative leadership in Kansas City, Colleen has consistently pursued ambitious projects with accountability at their core." As McClatchy Opinion Editor, McCain Nelson has transformed its newsrooms' approach to opinion, ensuring that its writers across the country are steadfastly focused on local issues that have clear and immediate impact on local audiences and that their writing is grounded in original reporting. She has diversified opinion teams and elevated voices across the 30 communities served by McClatchy, both through hiring and the creation of Community Advisory Boards. Under her leadership and aligned with her vision that opinion should "move at the speed of news," McClatchy opinion is now among the top five content categories in driving subscriptions. "I'm honored to be joining one of McClatchy's premier newsrooms at a moment when local news is more essential than ever," commented McCain Nelson on the promotion. "The Sacramento Bee has a well-earned reputation as an ambitious and innovative news organization, and I am eager to work with the talented journalists in Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto, San Luis Obispo and Merced on high-impact journalism that makes a difference in our communities." McCain Nelson began her professional career as a local journalist for McClatchy covering the Kansas Legislature for The Wichita Eagle, followed by a stint at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on the local and state government beat. From there she moved to The Dallas Morning News and over the course of more than a decade, climbed the ranks from local reporter covering local politics and national reporter covering a presidential election to editorial board member and columnist. She was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing in 2010 focused on economic and social inequalities in Dallas. She joined The Wall Street Journal in 2012 as a political reporter and covered Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. She also covered President Obama's administration as White House correspondent as well as the 2016 presidential election. McCain Nelson grew up in Salina, Kansas, and holds a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Kansas. She is a Fellow at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas and a member of the steering committee of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. She will start in her new role on Jan. 19 and will work remotely for a few weeks before moving to California in the first quarter of 2021. About McClatchy We help people and communities thrive. Through our deeply-rooted commitment to the role of local journalism, McClatchy is a catalyst for informed engagement, greater understanding, and deeper community connections. We ensure delivery of news and information essential to enhancing individual lives and improving the 30 distinct communities that are home to our journalists and iconic brands, including the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News and Observer, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. We extend our unique local and regional reach, relevance and resources to our advertising partners through fully-integrated marketing solutions. #ReadLocal Contact: Jeanne Segal [email protected] 202-271-8880 SOURCE McClatchy Related Links http://www.mcclatchy.com FCW Insider: Jan. 5 A nationwide injunction blocks sections of the order that apply to contractors and grant recipients, including a hotline created for employees to report training materials. Lisa Hershman, the Defense Department's outgoing chief management officer, said the office succeeded -- finding a proclaimed $37 billion in savings -- despite inadequate funding. SolarWinds is facing a class-action lawsuit in a Texas court from an investor who says the company misled the public and its customers by not disclosing a known vulnerability to its update server. Quick Hits *** The General Services Administration released a request for proposals for its planned small business IT contracting vehicle Polaris, the replacement for the cancelled $15 billion Alliant2 SB contract. Polaris consists of three multiple-award, indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery contracts aimed at qualified small businesses, women-owned small business and HUBZone vendors. *** An inspector general report found that the U.S. Postal Service did not effectively manage an IT operations contract with Accenture, and increased the contract ceiling from $750 million to $1.95 billion "without evaluating competitive pricing for these services." The contract was initially awarded in 2009 with a base period of three years and four two-year options. The USPS OIG report pegged the monetary impact of the mismanagement of the contract at $165 million. UPDATE: 3:41 p.m. Jan. 4, 2021 The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a Tornado Warning for east central Tehama County and North Central Butte County in Northern California. The warning is issued until 4 p.m. PST. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Submit your weather photos to Action News Now, Click Here. Tornado Warning including Butte Meadows CA until 4:00 PM PST pic.twitter.com/dsKpZwnMt7 NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) January 4, 2021 --- UPDATE: 3:07 p.m. Jan. 4, 2021 - The Tornado Warning for south central Tehama County has been cancelled as the storm has weakened, according to the National Weather Service. The Tornado Warning has been cancelled as the storm has weakened. #CAwx NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) January 4, 2021 --- TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. The National Weather Service in Sacramento has issued a Tornado Warning for South central Tehama County in northern California until 3:15 PM PST. At 2:38 PM PST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Vina, or 11 miles east of Corning, moving northeast at 30 mph. Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely. This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of south central Tehama County. Republican Senator Josh Hawley has decried efforts to study Watergate after former White House counsel John Dean, who worked under Richard Nixon, was invited to provide public testimony this week before the House Judiciary Committee. (AP) Donald Trumps chief election challenger in the Senate, Josh Hawley, was left red-faced after being fact-checked about the electoral college during an appearance on Fox News. Fox News host Brett Baier fact-checked the Missouri senator after asking him whether he believed President Donald Trump would still be president come January 20. Mr Hawley claimed it would depend on what happens on Wednesday, when Congress gathers to certify the electoral college results. "No, it doesn't," Mr Baier said flatly. "The states by the constitution say they certify the election. They did certify it. By the constitution, Congress doesn't have the right to overturn the certification, at least as most experts read it." But Mr Hawley shot back: Well, Congress is directed under the 12th amendment to count the electoral votes. There's a statute that dates back to the 19th century that says that there's a right to object, there's a right to be heard, and there's also a certification process." This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Mr Baier explained to the Stanford and Yale Law graduate: "That's from 1876 Senator, the Tilden-Hayes race, in which there were three states that did not certify their electors, so Congress was left to come up with this system, this commission that eventually got to a negotiated grand bargain. But now, all of the states have certified their elections as of December 14th, so it doesn't by constitutional ways open a door to Congress to overturn that does it?" Mr Hawley stuck to his guns. "There's a statute that governs what Congress does on January 6th, and it says that we have a vote of certification and that we have the opportunity to debate the results, to certify the results, we count them and then we certify," he said. Mr Hawley admitted that he doesn't have any other legal avenues to challenge the election results. "My point is this is my only opportunity to raise an objection and be heard. I don't have standing to file lawsuits." Story continues Mr Hawley said that this was his opportunity to speak for his constituents. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Former Republican Missouri Senator John Danforth slammed Mr Hawley, whom he supported during his 2018 race, saying: Lending credence to Trump's false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack on our constitutional government. It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical. "At a time of extreme polarization the populist strategy is to drive America even farther apart by promoting conspiracy theories and stoking grievances. We must reject this strategy and reclaim America's historic purpose of holding our diverse nation together as one people," Mr Danforth said. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Mr Hawley was the first of what is now 13 Republican senators to announce he would reject the certification of the results. At least 140 Republicans in the House intend to do the same. If objections are put forward by both a House member and a senator, then a two-hour debate will be held, followed by a vote. For an objection to go through, a majority in both chambers must vote for it. This is highly unlikely to happen in either chamber, since Democrats control the House and only about a quarter of Senate Republicans actually support a rejection. Fox News has felt President Trump's ire ever since it called Arizona for President-elect Joe Biden during the election. Fox News has been Mr Trump's biggest supporter among the larger American media outlets but since the election, viewers have been leaving the network for smaller channels like Newsmax and One America News Network, where baseless conspiracy theories about voter fraud have been flowing more freely than at Fox. Read More The Latest: Hawley defends rationale for contesting election Walmart apologizes for tweet calling Sen. Hawley sore loser Sen. Josh Hawley writing book: 'The Tyranny of Big Tech.' Trump not allowed into Scotland to escape Biden inauguration Trump brings election conspiracies to Georgia on eve of Senate runoff Algiers, Dec 28, 2020 (SPS) Frente POLISARIO's representative to France, Mohamed Sidati, said the Saharwi people embarked, since November 13, in a second war of liberation, following Morocco's aggression against Saharawi civilians, stressing UN Security Council's recent strong message to the United States and the Moroccan occupier which attempt to derail the decolonization process. Speaking Monday to the International Radio of Algeria, Sidati said the Saharawi people "return to the path of armed struggle and remain so determined to sacrifice themselves for the recovery of their rights." The Sahrawi diplomat deplored the worsening situation in the occupied territories in the light of the withdrawal of MINURSO (UN Mission for the Referendum on Self-Determination) and Moroccos attempts to muzzle the UN mission and empty the UN resolutions of their contents. He strongly denounced "France's constant support to Morocco, which crosses the line, escapes sanctions and is protected against any bold UN position and works to impose occupation, by strengthening the wall and silencing the mouths." The Moroccan occupation has completely ignored the will of the Saharawi people and tried to exploit the patience of Western Sahara people, persisting in its tyranny, before being surprised by the strong response of the Saharawi people, he added. On outgoing US President Donald Trump's decision to acknowledge Moroccos alleged "sovereignty" over Western Sahara, the representative of the Frente POLISARIO in France said that "to exchange the right of a people for such sovereignty is an injustice and a tyranny." "This will not succeed," Sidati stressed, explaining that it will only tarnish Moroccos reputation as wanting to sell the Palestinian cause in order to confiscate a territory that is not its own. This recognition, he said, is a "kind of international brigandage" of peoples' rights, which is, he added, especially harmful to the United Stat 125/090/700 ALBANY Amid signs that the state's coronavirus vaccination roll-out is sputtering, county leaders across New York on Tuesday urged Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to allow them to activate their mass-vaccination plans that have been in preparation for years but were recently set aside in favor of a regional approach run by hospitals. The unrest came a day after Cuomo criticized the pace at which many of the regional hospitals have vaccinated the first round of recipients; he threatened to impose hefty fines and revoke their vaccination privileges if the situation doesn't improve. If a hospital is not competent and cant do this, well use another hospital," Cuomo said. "Its literally a matter of life and death. Some counties have received small batches of vaccines in order to administer doses to front-line health workers and first responders, while other counties are still waiting. Officials say there is also growing frustration among the general population, which has not been given a clear picture of when they will be vaccinated. "The reason we were doing regional hubs, based on the states argument, was that we didnt want 63 separate plans," said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. "Instead, what we have is no plan." During a news conference Monday, Cuomo used a slide in his presentation to highlight the hospitals that have distributed the highest and lowest number of doses. It included a photograph of Westchester County Executive George Latimer that noted Westchester Medical Center, and two other hospitals, had distributed only about 30 percent of the vaccines provided to them. "As if George Latimer runs Westchester Medical Center," Molinaro said. "The shame is unnecessary." The New York State Association of Counties conducted a news conference Tuesday afternoon during which multiple county leaders said that if the counties were more engaged with the vaccination planning including receiving more detailed data and holding leadership position in the regional hubs the vaccinations could be delivered quickly and more efficiently. FAQ: What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine in New York "Were wasting resources by duplicating efforts," Chemung County Executive Chris Moss said. "Weve got to have better coordination and communication efforts if were going to make it work." The tumult is occurring after Cuomo announced in a second Monday briefing that a highly contagious variant strain of COVID-19 was detected in a Saratoga County man an indication that the dangerous strain that first surfaced in the United Kingdom has arrived in New York and may be triggering the recent surge in cases. State and local officials agree the arrival of that variant strain, which is more contagious but not more lethal, makes it extremely critical to speed up the pace of vaccinations. Cornell University issued a statement on behalf of one of its professors Tuesday criticizing the state's vaccination roll-out as too slow to be effective. Cynthia Leifer, an associate professor of immunology at Cornell University, said the state should not be disqualifying vaccination sites but expanding the number of dispensing locations. "It is great news that New York is rolling out the COVID vaccine, but we need to move much faster," Leifer said. "The FDA approved Pfizers emergency use authorization request on Dec. 11, and New York received the first shipment on Dec. 14. Since then, roughly 274,000 New Yorkers have received the vaccine. That is about 13,047 per day. The bad news is that at this rate, it will take nearly four years to immunize nearly 19 million New Yorkers. Cuomo is right that we need to make sure the vaccines are being given as quickly as possible and that sites are not allowed to stockpile," Leifer continued. "However, I agree with those who are critical of Cuomos plan for rigid rules and disqualifying sites, especially hospitals, from getting future distributions." A spokeswoman clarified that Leifer's position was distributed by the university's media relations office but is not an official statement by Cornell University. The governor's office on Tuesday afternoon did not acknowledge any faults with its vaccination strategy. The administration contends that the local mass-vaccination plans that have been developed over the course of years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks are not the right approach and that the state needs to control distribution. Like we said, the virus doesnt respect county lines and we needed to coordinate all the county plans with the state response to avoid 63 different counties going 63 different direction with no one talking to each other," said Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi. "As we move through vaccinating the front-line health care workers and nursing home staff and residents in our first tranche of New Yorkers, we have 46 counties ready to join our efforts in the next two weeks." Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said another important aspect of vaccinating people assuring them that the vaccines are safe was hampered last year when Cuomo repeatedly questioned the safety and efficacy of the vaccines that were being fast-tracked by the administration of President Donald J. Trump. "I think that played a role here in some peoples reluctance, but we do think thats going to dissipate," McLaughlin said. McLaughlin, a former state assemblyman and frequent Cuomo critic, echoed Molinaro in saying that counties have for decades been tasked in New York with developing health programs on a local level that protect people from diseases, including administering vaccinations. "The chaos, confusion and delay created by the governor hurts counties to be able to carry out this mission, and endangers lives," McLaughlin said. Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell's small county with a population of roughly 100,000, according to the 201o Census has just nine public health nurses but also a largely volunteer reserve medical corps, which most counties have as an element of their mass-vaccination plans. Odell said they are set to administer about 600 vaccines on Wednesday at a senior center. But she said the state needs to listen more to the county leaders. "County government is the closest government to the people, and Id like to send that message back up to New York state when theyre making decisions that affect us," Odell said. Molinaro likened the governor's plan to "building the plane while it's flying." "When it came to vaccine distribution, we had a perfectly healthy plane on the runway ready to take off," he said. Molinaro said some of the caregiver facilities that are supposed to be administering vaccinations under the regional hub plan also have still not received authorization to do so. "Our message today is there is an existing infrastructure, we need to flip the switch, we need to use it and stop the counterproductive efforts," he said. LONDON - Britain is facing a long, bleak winter as cold, wet weather and a more contagious variant of the coronavirus put unprecedented strain on the nation's hospitals and force record numbers of patients to wait 12 hours or more, sometimes on ambulance gurneys, before receiving treatment. Nearly empty pavements on the normally busy Quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne, northern England, early Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021, the morning after new stay home coronavirus restrictions were imposed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out further measures including closure of schools as part of a seven week lockdown period in England in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.(Owen Humphreys/PA via AP) LONDON - Britain is facing a long, bleak winter as cold, wet weather and a more contagious variant of the coronavirus put unprecedented strain on the nation's hospitals and force record numbers of patients to wait 12 hours or more, sometimes on ambulance gurneys, before receiving treatment. That picture made Prime Minister Boris Johnson order a third national lockdown that started Tuesday and requires everyone in England to stay at home for at least the next six weeks except for exercise, medical appointments, essential shopping and a few other limited exceptions. Its not hyperbole to say that the (National Health Service) is going through probably the toughest time in living memory,? said Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst of the Kings Fund, a U.K. think-tank that focuses on health and social care. I was speaking to an emergency care physician from London last week, and she was saying that half of her shift was spent delivering care in ambulances because they couldnt get the patients into the emergency department.? England's previous nationwide lockdown ran from Nov. 5 to Dec. 5. In announcing the new stay-at-home order, Johnson said it wont be reviewed for lifting until at least mid-February. By that time, the government hopes to have given one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to about 13 million people who are most at risk, potentially allowing some relaxation of the restrictions. Under the latest lockdown, schools and outdoor sports facilities are closed along with bars, restaurants, hair salons, gyms, theatres and most shops. A person walks with an umbrella in light rain in the City of London financial district in London, Jan. 5, 2021, on the first morning of England entering a third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced a tough new stay-at-home order, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet, but I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle, Johnson told the nation Monday night. Because with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against COVID and in favour of the British people. Scotland's leader, Nicola Sturgeon, also imposed a lockdown that began Tuesday. Northern Ireland and Wales had already imposed tough measures, though rules vary. Each nation in the United Kingdom controls its own health policy under the country's system of devolved government. Johnson and Sturgeon said the restrictions were needed to protect the hard-pressed National Health Service as a new, more contagious variant of coronavirus sweeps across Britain. On Monday, hospitals in England were treating 26,626 COVID-19 patients, 40% more than during the first peak in mid-April. Many U.K. hospitals have already been forced to cancel elective surgeries and the strain of responding to the pandemic may soon delay cancer surgery and limit intensive care services for patients without COVID-19. In December, a record 2,930 people were forced to wait 12 hours or more before hospitals could find beds for them, the Health Service Journal reported Monday, citing leaked figures from the National Health Service. The previous high of 2,847 waits of at least 12 hours for a hospital bed was reported in January 2020. Public health officials hope the new lockdown will reduce the strains on the NHS while they roll out a national vaccination program that targets older people, health care workers and those particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Britain has approved two vaccine shots so far one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Oxford University and AstraZeneca. A man wearing a British union flag face mask walks past a coronavirus advice sign outside a bank in Glasgow the morning after stricter lockdown measures came into force for Scotland, Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021. Further measures were put in place Tuesday as part of lockdown restrictions in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.(Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) As of Monday, the NHS had vaccinated 1.3 million people across the U.K. The government plans to have almost 1,000 vaccination centres operating across the country by the end of this week, Johnson said. While rollout of the vaccination program is complicated, Anandaciva of the King's Fund said the structure of the NHS will help it deliver the shots. In addition to a nationwide network of hospitals, doctors and nurses, it can rely on other allied health care professionals, such as pharmacists, to deliver the vaccine. Thats one area where you can really maximize the benefits of having a nationalized service because you can establish hubs, you can pool staff, and youve got a very strong brand to attract people,? he said. I think the NHS is doing quite a good job of setting up the logistics of how you will get the vaccine into the right places." In the meantime, grants are being given to help businesses further strained by the new rules. Grants of up to 9,000 pounds ($12,200) will be offered to businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge - and, whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further,'' Treasury chief Rishi Sunak said. "Throughout the pandemic weve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today were announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the spring.'' Johnson announced the lockdown after the chief medical officers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales raised the U.K.-wide COVID-19 threat assessment to the highest level. The health system is already under immense pressure, they said. The new measures are similar to those imposed last spring, with people being told to work from home unless its impossible to do so, and to leave home only for exercise or essential trips such as grocery shopping. Schools across England were ordered to close their doors except for the children of critical workers and most vulnerable children, and shift to online instruction beginning Tuesday. University students wont return to campus until at least mid-February. All nonessential shops and personal care services like hairdressers will stay closed. Restaurants will be allowed to offer takeout services only. New COVID-19 infections have soared in recent weeks as public health officials struggled to contain the new variant, which the government says is 50% to 70% more contagious. The number of confirmed new daily infections in the past seven days jumped 50% from the previous week, and coronavirus-related deaths rose 21% in the same period. Britain reported 830 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday. The death toll from the pandemic is now 76,423, one of the world's highest tallies. Follow APs pandemic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak FLINT, MI -- Two of four suspects believed to have conspired to shoot a Flint home which led to the killing of a 3-year-old boy have now been arraigned. Cameron Latrell Burnett, 21, was arraigned Dec. 30 on 13 felony charges related to the shooting death of Messiah Williams. Burnett was extradited from Atlanta, Georgia where he was arrested in mid-December. He was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, conspiracy to discharge a firearm in or at a building causing death, five counts of felony firearm, two counts of malicious destruction of a building $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, malicious destruction of personal property $1,000 or more but less than $20,000 and carrying a concealed weapon. Two additional suspects face the same charges. A 20-year-old suspect is expected to arrive in Genesee County Monday, Jan 4, said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. The other suspect is still at large and is still believed to be in Georgia. Desean Montez Davis, 25, of Flint, was arraigned Dec. 12 in Genesee District Court on single counts of charges of conspiracy to commit first degree murder and conspiracy to discharge a firearm in or at a building causing death. Read more: Family of slain Flint 3-year-old calls for Messiahs Law to strengthen penalties for those who shoot into homes and kill kids The fatal shooting occurred about 11:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at a home in the 1600 block of Oklahoma Avenue. Flint police previously said three suspects shot from outside the home, with at least one of the bullets striking 3-year-old Messiah Williams, who was inside the living room. Messiah died from injuries he suffered during the incident. Leyton previously said police believe the four suspects conspired to shoot the house but intended to shoot an adult inside the home, not the child. Months on and with the new year dawning, Messiahs family is hoping the state will adopt a new law in the slain boys name that will make it mandatory for anyone who shoots into a populated area and kills a child to be imprisoned for life without parole. With Messiahs Law, itll basically be a childs law that if you shoot into a house, a car, or a crowd and a child dies, youll get natural life without parole, Henry Williams, Messiahs father, previously said. That does not exist at this point. Currently in Michigan, first-degree murder and placing explosives with personal injury resulting are the only convictions that come with a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Those convicted of lesser offenses since October 1992 that result in life sentences are eligible for parole hearings after serving 15 years. The proposed law would have the following three tiers: Tier I: Firing into a car, building, or crowd with children results in a 10-year minimum sentence. Tier II: Injuring a child while shooting into a car, building, or crowd results in a 20-year minimum sentence. Tier III: Killing a child while shooting into a car, building, or crowd results in term of life without parole. Williams said his family is working with state Rep. Cynthia Neeley, D-Flint, on the proposed law. As a legislator and a mother, to lose a 3-year-old in a drive-by shooting is senseless, Neeley previously said. As a community, I think this is something we need to really look at and do what we can to deter bad criminals from doing these shootings. We have laws on the books, but I want to toughen the penalties for shooting into a house or a vehicle a minor is inside of. Neeley said she plans to introduce the bill to the Michigan House of Representatives around mid-January. In the meantime, she is working on getting co-sponsors and writing a draft. Read more: Man arraigned on 20 felony charges in shooting deaths of grandmother and baby in Flint Its got to stop, Flint community calls for end to gun violence after 4 killed over holiday weekend Four suspects charged in shooting death of Flint 3-year-old Slain Flint 3-year-old was excited to be Baby Yoda for Halloween, grieving dad says San Franciscos Public Health Department wants to cancel this years crucial, one-night count of people living on the streets, amid concerns that it cannot be done safely amid the pandemic. The Point in Time Count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and takes place every two years in nearly every major community in the country. San Franciscos count is a massive operation, which requires hundreds of volunteers to fan out across the city one night to count every homeless person they see on the streets, in parks and in cars. That tally which also includes homeless people in shelters and in jails is a vital benchmark for federal and city policymakers who decide how much money and what kind of resources are needed to address the crisis. The count also provides detailed demographic data, including age, race, sexuality and health, as well as whether the person struggles with substance use, the cause of their homelessness and where they came from. The last time the count was conducted in 2019, more than 700 volunteers tallied 8,000 homeless people in its shelters, streets and jails. It was a staggering, 17% rise from the count two years prior. Advocates expect that the population of unhoused people has only grown during the pandemic. The Point in Time Count does not capture all of a communitys homeless. It only reflects people living on the streets, in shelters and jails on one night a year. Still, data from the count frequently appears in legislation and budget decisions related to homelessness and housing. Based on the public health departments concerns, the Local Homeless Coordinating Board which helps coordinate the count voted unanimously Monday to request an exemption from HUD. The federal agency gave cities the option to request an exemption this year as the entire country grapples with a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases. The (point-in-time) count has a lot of moving pieces and requires a large number of frontline workers as well as volunteers, said Kelley Cutler, a member of the board. Its simply too big of a risk to be taking during a surge. San Francisco is not alone in asking HUD to opt out of the count. At least 19 other California communities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Alameda County and Sacramento have either requested an exception or plan to ask for one. Seattle has also been granted an exception. Canceling the count this year comes at an extremely precarious time, as the pandemic has pushed more people toward poverty and likely increased the number of people living on the streets. It also comes as San Francisco grapples with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, which likely will lead to layoffs and service cuts. If HUD allows San Francisco to cancel its count this year, the city would just tally people living inside shelters or hotels that the city leased for the pandemic. While capacity for people living in traditional shelters has been greatly reduced during the pandemic, more than 2,000 people have been moved off the streets and into hotels. Abigail Stewart-Kahn, interim director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, said the count is critical for effective policy-making and for people experiencing homelessness to be seen and understood. But, given the limitations and risks of the pandemic, she said it is unclear whether they would have been able to recruit enough volunteers and get an accurate count of people on the streets. If we had been able to do a safe and effective count. ... It would have been very critical data, she said. It would have helped us understand, thus far, the impact of COVID-19 and which communities are being most impacted. The Department of Public Health said canceling the count this year will likely not affect how much money the city gets from the state and federal government for homelessness. Tomiquia Moss, founder and CEO of All Home, an organization that works on a regional approach to housing and homelessness, said she isnt concerned about canceling the count this year, which she said is an imperfect and sometimes skewed measure of the homeless population. While she said the counts give cities a baseline, there are other ways regions can count people struggling with homelessness. Some examples include counting people in shelter-in-place hotels, as well as in San Franciscos coordinated entry system, which connects people with social services. There is real-time data being captured with folks experiencing homelessness that is more timely to what people actually need, as opposed to a cumulative count, she said. I dont think we will lose anything, and it doesnt mean that jurisdictions are pulling their foot off the gas in responding to our most vulnerable. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani Pompeo: The True Face of the CCP Has Been Exposed In an interview with The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders program, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo elucidated on the Trump administrations efforts to reconnect modern America to its founding origins based on God-given rights and described the present administrations foreign policy of keeping America safe from the worldwide threat of communism. At the outset of the interview, host Jan Jekielek asked Pompeo why it took so long for the United States to sanction the Chinese Communist Party for gross human rights violations against practitioners of the meditation group Falun Gong. You go back all the way to Tiananmen Square. Weve known the nature of this regime, and frankly, freedom-loving people across the world who have known the nature of authoritarian regimes throughout history. And yet we ignored it, Pompeo answered. Pompeo explained that the reason for the disregard of the CCPs (Chinese Communist Party) grave human rights violations was a great extent due to the existence of a belief that if the United States engaged in fair and reciprocal trade and engagement, the situation would ameliorate. However, reality showed that the idea was clearly false all the way through. He continued to answer by saying that President Donald Trump understood the failure of that engagement policy from the outset and changed the American stance fundamentally, adding that it was not just the United States that has changed its view of China, but the whole West. Even when you look at Europe and Australia and Southeast Asia, they know to, they know that the Chinese Communist Party is up to no good. Pompeo added that while dissidents were warning about CCP wrongdoing, the United States was involved in very serious counterterrorism operations and the focus was taken off the CCP. We took our eye off this enormous threat and now its now upon us. Its now inside the gates, the Chinese Communist Party is here in America, and the Trump administration has begun in every dimension to turn the ship in the right direction, to get America to once again do the right thing and protect itself from this communist threat in China. Pompeo was then asked why he has been more focused on religious freedom than any other secretary of state. Its at the center of every civilization, this idea that human beings have inherent dignity because of their humanness. And if you get that piece wrong, bad things flow from that. Pompeo said that under Trumps leadership, they have focused on religious freedom not just in China but particularly with the CCP. Weve seen what theyre doing to the Uyghurs in the western part of the country. Weve seen what theyve done to Tibetans. We now see them doing the same thing to other ethnic minorities, including the people in Mongolia and the north part of China. And then Christians throughout the entire country, Pompeo said. These things that are fundamental affronts to human dignity are something that is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes and General Secretary Xi Jinping is no different. He knows that he has to extend ever-increasing power and control in order to maintain his capacity to rule. And that shuts out the important space that religious freedom should have for every human being in the world, he continued. Screens that read 5G Clean Path with a map of the United States are visible behind Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, accompanied by State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus (L), as he speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, on April 29, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AFP via Getty Images) Pompeo said the administration has done their best to shine a light on these violations and is confident that: The world will keep up this drumbeat, demanding simply that the Chinese Communist Party permit people to exercise their God-given rights to practice, and not practice their faith in the way that they so choose. He explained why he has emphasized a clear difference between the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people, explaining that the people who live there are good but are sadly under the jackboot of an authoritarian regime. Chinese people who live all across the world, including here in the United States of America, we want to honor them, and we admire them. And we hope that they too will join the call to change the nature of how this regime behaves in its international activities, Pompeo said. Im confident that this pressure that is now on the Chinese Communist Party is real. And not just because leaders are demanding it, because people all across the world can see it, the true face of the Chinese Communist Party has been exposed. Trading with China fairly or having Chinese students in the United States isnt a problem, he said, as long as they dont break rules that would compromise American security or freedom. Every experience Ive had, in my six years as a member of Congress, and now four years serving in the Trump administration, would suggest that anything but distrusting anything that comes from the Chinese Communist Party is folly, Pompeo stated. Theyve broken promise after promise after promise. At the last section of the interview, he was asked about the importance of the Commission on Unalienable Rights (pdf). He explained that it is about reconnecting to the idea upon which the United States was foundedthe intrinsic and natural God-given rights that were provided to humans and recognized by the Founding Fathers, not created by them. It reminds us of the greatness of America and how smart and capable our founders were and why that is so central to the successes that our nation has had, Pompeo said, I wanted to get us back to that tradition. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. STAMFORD Stamford Police Chief Tim Shaw on Monday said city police officers used no undue force during a clash with protesters in the aftermath of an August demonstration. Shaw spoke before the Stamford Police Commission, formally endorsing the conclusions reached by the departments Internal Affairs Division, which investigated the August 8 incident. The demonstration had been organized by local activist group Justice for Steven Barrier, which formed as demonstrations against police brutality were held across the nation following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. The group rallied around 23-year-old Barrier, a Black man who died in Stamford police custody on Oct. 23, 2019 following a foot chase with officers. The chief on Monday said per the IA investigation no further action or discipline was warranted on his part. Shaw also emphasized that officers used only the force that was necessary during the confrontation with protesters outside the Target on Broad Street. He did not elaborate on the findings and conclusions in the internal affairs investigation. Police Commission Chairman Timothy Abbazia said a document of the investigation itself has not been made public because of the possibility of a lawsuit by protesters involved, several of whom were arrested. Theyre disputing that arrest, and they have a lawyer. And so, this type of information is typically not disclosed until the case is settled, Abbazia said in a post-meeting interview. Abbazia said that he expects the city Office of Legal Affairs to decide whether the internal investigation will be made public on Tuesday. The Police Commission meeting was aired live via zoom, but was difficult for members of the public to follow. Community members remarked that the audio was off on the call or that the microphone was too far from speakers for them to be heard. On various occasions, the audio cut in and out, and provided an incomplete account of the hearing happening at Police Headquarters. After Abbazia announced that the commission would break for an executive session to discuss how it would address the internal affairs report, some members of the virtual crowd broke into chants. Justice for Steven Barrier, called an anonymous member of the Zoom gallery. Others said Shaw was furthering a false narrative about the August 8 protest. The altercations following the protest resulted in claims of injuries to officers and demonstrators alike. Nine officers sought care at Stamford Hospital because of protest-related injuries and one required surgery. The internal affairs division announced that it had concluded its internal investigation on December 18, the same day it released more than 70 videos from body cameras worn by officers at the event. While the videos span hours of footage, they culminate in the Target confrontation where people were injured. The Broad Street videos are disjointed and chaotic, but show several physical confrontations between demonstrators and officers. In several instances, officers can be seen shoving protesters or pushing them to the ground. Protesters can sometimes be seen attempting to grab officers while they maneuver through the crowd. Greenwich attorney Philip Russell represents four of the six protesters who were arrested during the chaos. All are peaceful people leading ordinary lives. They came out to protest with the best of intentions, said Russell prior to the Police Commission meeting. The PD released approximately 70 hours of video which we have not had sufficient opportunity to review. From our initial perusal, the police have worked diligently since August 8, 2020 to curate, edit and organize the video presentation. When the police commission returned from its executive session, Abbazia announced that the commission would release its comments on the internal affairs report in the next month. Jan. 5, 1926 Lord Thomson speaks at Century Club Brig. Gen. Christopher Thomson, Lord Thomson, was the speaker at the Century Club on Jan. 4. Thomson, who was the former secretary of state for air for the British government, spoke on Present Day Leaders of Men. He focused his remarks on Vladimir Lenin, Benito Mussolini and Ramsay MacDonald. He called Lenin and Mussolini two triumphant dictators and autocrats. MacDonald, former British prime minister and leader of the Labor Party, was described by Thomson as working for ideals, not for show or headlines in the papers. Thomsons appearance was planned by the clubs current events department. The current events department was chaired by Mrs. W.J. Chamberlin. Vagrants given 6 months Scranton police Magistrate James Arigoni started his first day on the job dealing with nine vagrants. He gave the nine the same sentence six months in county jail. In his sentencing he told the group, I dont intend to see you here more than once. We are not going to have you running around the streets drunk and every time you come here you will get six months. Arigoni said he will still hold police court in the morning but he will be making changes to the traffic court schedule. Sale at Scranton Dry Goods Womens and misses spring dresses for $15, mens dress shirts were $1.39 each, mens flannelette pajamas were $1.29, a yard of wool jersey was $1.49, a yard of velvet corduroy was 72 cents, a yard of dress flannel was $2.49 and carbon steel shears were 48 cents. Brian Fulton, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribunes expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamrock.com or 570-348-9140. George Whitmore, the respected conservationist, often remembered for his famous first ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 1958, died on New Years Day at a Fresno rehabilitation facility from damage caused by the contagious coronavirus. The day before he was diagnosed Dec. 13, Whitmore, 89, walked several blocks to check on a cat at one of his rental properties in the Fresno High area. He had remained active, doing repairs on the properties himself, as usual, until a few weeks ago. Throughout his life, Whitmore survived many daring mountain climbs, being chased by grizzly bears, and cancer that he continued to battle into remission 15 years after his diagnosis. But in the span of a few weeks, COVID-19 would take his life. His family doesnt know where he got it. Had it not been for COVID, we probably would have had this alert, amazing person with us for 10 more years or more, said Betty Fisher, who is married to Whitmores nephew. So people need to take it seriously. They need to social distance and wear masks and wash hands and follow the guidance until we get past it ... because we are losing a generation that we dont have to lose quite yet. First ascent of Nose route on El Capitan in Yosemite Whitmores nephew Randy Fisher asked Whitmore a few years ago if he would put his El Cap climb on the top of his list of accomplishments. Whitmore told him he wasnt sure hed even put it on the list. Whitmore considered his conservation work to be the most important. He spent his life tirelessly working to protect huge swaths of California wilderness as a Sierra Club and grassroots leader while continuing to enjoy the mountains he loved. But for many, he is best remembered for his first ascent of El Capitan on the morning of Nov. 12, 1958, with Warren Harding and Wayne Merry. Whitmore was the last surviving member of that three-man team. The difficult Nose route they pioneered, blazed in the early days of rock climbing, is the stuff of legend. Enormous El Capitan, rising more than 3,000 majestic feet above Yosemite Valley, has since been a mecca for the worlds best rock climbers. One of those climbers, Hans Florine, who broke speed climb records on El Cap in the years to follow, described Whitmores 1958 ascent as like a journey to the center of the Earth. It was 100 times the adventure than when we go to do it, Florine said. Ive gone down in the books as having been the Sherpa who hauled loads while the heroes did the climbing, Whitmore said with a laugh during a 2016 interview with The Fresno Bee, but actually I was on the climbing rope part of the time pushing the high point, and in fact, I would have been up there pushing the high point more except Wayne couldnt handle the hauling. Whitmore was formerly an aeromedical evacuation officer in the Air Force, and then off on a climbing trip in the Andes of Peru. He was working as a pharmacist in Fresno when he joined the El Cap climb in September 1958 after others dropped out. Whitmore and a friend helped the team move past troubling cracks in the rock by designing and manufacturing new, larger pitons anchor points climbers clip ropes into for protection in case of a fall. Since Harding launched the expedition on Independence Day 1957, the men juggled climbing with work and school in an era before professional climbing, and had to work around an edict forbidding climbing in Yosemite from Memorial to Labor Day. Time was also lost going up and down ropes to sections of rock not climbed yet. In November of 1958, a final epic all-night push to the summit was made possible after Whitmore brought up a fresh supply of anchoring bolts. Atop El Cap, a Fresno Bee reporter asked them why they risked their lives for climbing. Whitmore, then 27, said, I was talking it over the other day. The key word seemed to be adventure. At 85, he described his lifelong passion for mountain climbing humbly, and with a laugh: I didnt have Albert Einsteins brain. I couldnt invent a new system of mathematics. He did what he was good at and I did what I was good at. I think thats what people tend to do. They tend to enjoy the things they are good at. Conservation work protecting Sierra Nevada wilderness He might not have had Einsteins brain, but his was still sharp. He pored over environmental documents and plans, and was a regular at public meetings about proposed projects. Whitmore served in leadership positions for the Sierra Club in local, state and national capacities, including as chairman of the Tehipite Chapter based in Fresno. It was his intelligence that attracted his wife of 41 years, Nancy Whitmore, during a Sierra Club outing in the 1970s, where Whitmore was fast at work imparting his vast knowledge of the Sierra to the group. He wanted them to be interested in helping advocate for converting some forest lands into wilderness. That would happen, in no small part because of Whitmore. A detailed, 20-page statement advocating for the Kaiser Wilderness that he presented in 1975 before a Senate committee in Washington, D.C., is one preserved example of the workings of his astute mind and dogged determination. His stubbornness and tenacity were legendary, Nancy Whitmore said. Thats how he got up things. His lobbying helped establish the Kaiser Wilderness in 1976, and the California Wilderness Act of 1984, which added 1.8 million acres into the National Wilderness Preservation System. That legislation created new wilderness lands in present-day Ansel Adams, John Muir, Dinkey Lakes and Monarch wildernesses, and helped protect Mono Lake, among many other additions. It also prevented a proposed highway over the Sierra in the San Joaquin River corridor. What means most is that protection is now complete from Tioga Pass Road in the north to Sherman Pass Road on the Kern Plateau in the south, Whitmore told The Bee in September 1984. It is the longest stretch of de facto wilderness in the lower 48 states. Former U.S. Rep. Richard Lehman of Fresno in 2016 said Whitmore knew the Sierra better than anybody and described him as a go-to person for information about the mountain range. Theres really two kinds of environmentalists or conservationists, Lehman said. There are those that are intellectual about it ... and then there are people that actually go out and experience it and know the land. Thats George. Whitmore was also very involved in protecting Mineral King, and helped prevent a proposed ski resort there by The Walt Disney Company in the 1960s and 70s. The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit and launched a letter writing campaign to protect its outstanding beauty and stop the commercialized perversion of public land to private profit. He fought to defend the boundaries in a way that would be in perpetuity, said his niece Caroline Fisher, so that basically 40-acre lot parcels couldnt be sold off for housing tracts. He was just really aware of what could happen. Whitmore was quoted in scores of Bee stories over the years as a leading voice concerning the environment. Reporter Gene Rose started a 1982 Bee story this way: When George Whitmore talks conservation, the timber industry listens. So do the National Park Service and the U.S Forest Service. ... After nearly 20 years of fighting such major battles as the Yosemite master plan and Mineral King ski development, Whitmore is a respected member of Fresnos conservation community. Friend and fellow conservationist Bridget Kerr said Whitmore was also a good ally to Friends of Yosemite Valley and helped the grassroots group win a decisive court victory in the 2000s against the Park Service that halted some development near the Merced River, protected by the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. Nature doesnt clear cut trees for parking lots and neat road corridors, Whitmore said in a 2004 Bee story about that. They dont need to log an area near a river to make a road that shouldnt be moved in the first place. He was quoted as opposing a number of other proposals for Yosemite over the years, including asphalt walking paths, using cinders to melt snow on Tioga Road, and an aerial tramway from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point. Kerr said Whitmore is an inspiring example of what one person can do with bravery and honesty. She said of his legacy, Its OK to be against the mainstream. Its OK to speak up when you think something is ethically wrong. He did, and that was something I really valued about him. Friend Laura Clark, who described Kerr and herself like the Whitmores adopted daughters, said something similar about lessons she learned during their hikes together. You dont always have to stay on the path, Clark said. Sometimes its a good idea to get off the path. ... He taught me to not always follow the rules. Whitmore used his enterprising spirit to improve his own organization, too. In a 1992 Bee story about the 100th anniversary of the Sierra Club, Whitmore talked about how club membership should better reflect Californias ethnic diversity, and said the club had failed to adequately address a number of quality-of-life issues, including air and water, along with the preservation of farmland, and the unregulated pumping of groundwater. Whitmore also helped stop a proposed dam on the Kings River above Pine Flat Reservoir, and worked to protect land along the San Joaquin River. All of his hard work was rooted in a deep understanding and love of the natural world. In a 1970 Bee story about the Sierra Club pushing for a wilderness designation around the San Joaquin River, Whitmore described the land almost poetically, talking about rugged gorges and small wooded vales formed by glaciers, surrounded by awe-inspiring sweeps of granite. Living off the beaten track, the wilderness of the San Joaquin offers a greater measure of solitude than do many other backcountry areas, Whitmore said. Solitude is becoming increasingly hard to find even in our wildernesses and many visitors to the San Joaquin value it for this quality. Whitmore, the adventurer, wanted to die with his boots on Whitmore was a lifelong resident of the central San Joaquin Valley, apart from summer trips he took to a small, beloved cabin he built in the remote wilderness of British Columbia. Whitmores father, a Marine during WWII who later became a stock broker, moved the family to the Valley during the Great Depression. While Whitmores great passion was mountains, he also previously worked part-time as a pharmacist in the Valley for about 20 years, and as a landlord and repairer of Fresno rental properties since the early 1980s. He talked approvingly of that work. Fixing sinks keeps me young, Whitmore said a few years ago, trying to figure out solutions to problems. He climbed many other mountains before and after his El Capitan feat, usually preferring mountaineering treks he could complete with little or no gear, not sheer-vertical ascents like his 1958 Yosemite adventure. Whitmore liked to say he wanted to die with his boots on, perhaps falling from a mountain ledge, or from a brush with a grizzly bear his favorite animal. He was sure-footed and fearless during a Yosemite hike to Taft Point at age 85, where he mused about an obituary recounting the life of a decorated British pilot in World War II who loved to fly. He was truly free because he went beyond the fear of death, Whitmore said. Whitmores family and friends had every expectation the active man would live to become a centenarian like his mother, who survived the Spanish flu in the early 1900s, now often compared to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was really hoping COVID would be the bear he could outrun ... this one last bear, but he didnt, Kerr said. His wife was allowed to be at his side when he died Jan. 1 at Sierra Vista Healthcare Center. The state reported that Fresno facility had 88 coronavirus patients since the pandemic began, a total of 67 health care workers with the virus this year, and less than 11 COVID-19 patient deaths. Those totals are similar to many nursing homes in Fresno County and across California as COVID-19 cases continue to sharply rise in communities across the state. Whitmore was transferred from Saint Agnes Medical Center to Sierra Vista on Christmas Day. A few days later, on Dec. 29, the skilled nursing facility reported having no active cases. Whitmores case was not counted, presumably, because he had tested negative for the virus before being transferred there. Whitmore never had to be on a ventilator or in a hospital intensive care unit, family said. It seemed he had beaten the virus in the hospital, but couldnt overcome the damage it had done to his lungs. He still had mountains left to climb, niece Caroline said, and rental home roofs to repair. ... Its the worlds loss really. This spring, he texted a friend about being the last surviving member of the first team to climb El Capitan: I am now the last man standing, and the wolves are circling, Whitmore wrote. Probably dont have that much time left. Another 20 years and I may be gone. In the meantime, I get satisfaction from repairing unrepairable doors. Questing after the unreachable stars. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Whitmore; niece Caroline Fisher and her husband, Bob Knous; and nephew Randy Fisher and his wife, Betty Fisher. A memorial service is pending, possibly outdoors in the summer, depending on COVID-19 conditions. The sales of OLED panels from Display is expected to cross $5 billion in the first quarter of 2021. According to a new report from market research firm Omdia, Samsung's sales for OLED panels will exceed $5.18 billion in Q1 2021, thanks to an increase in the adaptation of OLED screens. This marks a 30 per cent increase compared to Q1 last year when the company made $3.9 billion in revenue out of OLED panels and the new rise is backed by the rise in the use of OLED panels in 5G smartphones. An OLED display comes with improved image quality - better contrast, higher brightness, fuller viewing angle, a wider color range and much faster refresh rates. In addition, Display's OLED panels are also expected to see a surge in sales due to the Apple iPhone 12 series launch. Currently, it supplies around 8 per cent of all displays for the 2020 iPhone lineup Samsung's sales are expected to flourish even more in 2021 as Omdia predicts that around 62.8 per cent of all smartphones will ship with OLED panels this year. --IANS wh/na (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Buc-ee's still plans on opening a location in Boerne but not anytime soon, company officials told mySA.com on Monday. The popular convenience store chain hopes to have a store in place near Interstate 10 and U.S. Business 87 by 2023, according to Jeff Nadaldo, a spokesperson for Buc-ee's. Buc-ee's announced its proposed $40 million project in 2016 and expected to open its 53,000-square-foot Family Travel Center by 2020, bringing more than 175 jobs to the area. Not all residents wanted to see Buc-ee's set up in Boerne. A petition titled "10+ Reasons Buc-ee's Is Wrong For Boerne" received 400 signatures. READ ALSO: San Antonio staple Burger Boy is expanding again, this time near Hill Country Village Despite the petition, the project is still moving forward and is currently in the planting and infrastructure design phase, said Christopher Shadrock, the communications manager for the City of Boerne. Both the city and Buc'ees are bound by the Texas Department of Transportation and its timelines to make improvements in the area. TxDOT is building a new South Main St./Bus. 87 bridge to replace the one built decades ago. The agency is also converting the access roads to a one way and redesigning the interchange at I-10 and S. Main, Shadrock said. The projects have proven to be more time-consuming than initially budgeted by the state agency, Shadrock said. The expected completion of the project has not been determined but Boerne said 2023 is a good timeframe for the store to open. The chain famous for its clean restrooms and beef jerky bar started in Lake Jackson and now has more than 39 stores in Texas, including in New Braunfels off of Interstate 35. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre Indian oil sardine stocks show signs of revival after 5-year-long decline by K A Shaji January 05,2021 | Source: DTE The stocks of the Indian oil sardine, the cheap, tasty and nutritious variety of marine fish most consumed in Kerala, could be in for a revival in the state after a five-year-long decline, according to scientists. There are favourable conditions now in the marine ecosystem of Keralas southern coast that will facilitate the growth of the sardines, according to scientists from the Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI). Researchers have found scattered batches of immature sardines on the coast. If these are kept safe, it would help Kerala bridge the decline in the last five years, the scientists said. CMFRI Principal Scientist EM Abdussamad, however, warned fish workers and local consumers against catching the newly found immature sardines instantly. We have urged Kerala Fisheries Minister J Mercy Kutty Amma to regulate fishing of the immature sardines at present. Allowing them to grow at least for the next three months will help augment the revival of the fish along the Kerala coast, he said. Known locally as mathi and chala, this is Keralas staple fish variety. If regulated at least for the time being, the revival of oil sardine along the southern coasts will be quicker, he added. The decline in the number of oil sardines has been attributed to the warming of seawater due to the El Nino Southern Oscillation. Extensive catching of the available stock would adversely affect the possible revival. The newly found sardines, with the size of 14-16 centimetres, need three more months to reach the reproductive stage, CMFRI Director A Gopalakrishnan, said. The fresh stock of small sardines is above the minimum legal size of 10 cm and there is no legal hurdle in their hatching. However, we are soliciting the help and cooperation of the state fisheries department and fish workers to avoid indiscriminate catching. We have to consider the unusual and unfavourable status of the stock, Abdussamad said. During 2019, the Kerala coast had witnessed the lowest catch of sardines in the last two decades at 44,320 tonnes. Marine fish landings in Kerala dropped 15.4 per cent in 2020 according to CMFRI data. The total landing of marine products was 5.44 lakh tonnes. Among fish varieties, Indian oil sardines and mackerel are favourites of Keralas fish lovers. The decline in catch has resulted in the absence of sardines from the menu of restaurants and other eateries. In the face of steady demand from households, fish vendors had imported sardines from Oman. But locals feel there is a huge difference in taste between the Indian oil sardine and Oman sardine. Oman sardines are big in appearance as well. Once considered a poor mans fish, its price per kg is now more than Rs 400 per kg. Till five years ago, the price was less than Rs 100 per kg. According to Abdussamad, the Indian oil sardine is an enigmatic fish: There were occasions in which an alarming depletion in their number happened in the last 100 years. In the 1940s, there was a massive disappearance of sardines from the southern coasts and the British even banned sardine fishing. Sardines that survived the El Nino effect had been stunted and laid fewer eggs according to the findings of the CMFRIs Fish Ageing Laboratory. Normally, a sardine lays up to one lakh eggs at a time. But during El Nino, the numbers were very low, Abdussamad said. Sardine forms one-third of the total catch in Kerala. Other than its rich taste, the sardine is known for its health benefits. Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins such as D, A and B12 and low on mercury levels, it is regarded widely as being good for skin and hair. Down To Earth 2020 Theme(s): Fisheries Resources. Uttarakhands tableau featuring the Kedarnath temple has been selected by the defence ministry for the upcoming Republic Day parade in New Delhi, informed state government officials on Tuesday in Dehradun. Uttarakhands tableau was among the tableaus of 32 other states and Union Territories which participated in the process out of which the Centre selected only 17. The Centre had passed an order for the same on December 31 after which 32 states and UTs sent their tableau samples for the selection process. In that the one from Uttarakhand has been selected today in an intense process carried out by the defence ministry, Meharban Singh Bisht, Director General, state information directorate said. Explaining the states tableau Bisht said, The frontal part of the tableau will feature the state animal- musk deer, state bird- Monal and state flower-Brahmakamal. The rear part will feature the Kedarnath temple. Uttarakhands tableau has been selected for the 12th time for the Republic Day parade since the formation of the state in 2020. Before this, the states tableau was selected for the Republic Day parade in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Hamilton County Clerk Bill Knowles announced Hamilton County motorists donated $34,045.25 to the Tennessee County Clerks Organ Donor Awareness Foundation in 2020. Statewide almost $319,000 in donations were received in Clerk offices last year. Mr. Knowles is one of the founding board members of the Foundation that was established in 1996 by County Clerks. Mr. Knowles said, The Donate a Dollar program sponsored by the Clerk offices has been critical to the development of the Donate Life Tennessee online registry, the creation and distribution of educational materials, school based programs and recognition programs for organ and tissue donors. The board, comprised of physicians, donor service professionals and county clerk representatives, is conscientious in administering the donated funds. Over the years, our office consistently ranks in the top three Tennessee counties in receiving dollar donations from motorists titling or registering a vehicle. I appreciate the generosity of our local citizens for their continued interest in helping spread the word of organ and tissue needs. "Hamilton County citizens can join with other Tennesseans and register to be an organ donor. It can be done by simply checking 'yes' when applying for or renewing a drivers license, or by going online at www.donatelifetn.org. The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) has reviewed means of enhancing economic, investment, and commercial relations and expanding the prospects of cooperation with the Indian State of Karnataka. This came during the meeting which was held recently at the SCCI premises between Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and Perikal M Sundar, President of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FKCCI). Senior officials from both sides were also present during the meeting, including Mohammed Rashid Al-Dimas, SCCI board member, His Excellency Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al-Awadi, SCCI Director-General, and Dr. Kiran Kumar, Director, FKCCI. The meeting touched on some topics of mutual interest, including strengthening commercial, investment, and industrial relations between Sharjah and Karnataka and expanding the prospects of cooperation between the Sharjah Chamber and the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry to help the private sector in both countries take better advantage of the available investment opportunities. The bilateral relations between the UAE and India are a deeply-rooted one and are based on mutual respect and common interests in several fields, especially the economic field, said Al Owais. He pointed out that the UAE is one of Indias largest trade partners in the Middle East, while India is the UAEs first trade partner, stressing the Chambers eagerness to explore opportunities for investment in Karnatakas emerging export sectors. In turn, Sundar lauded the solid and long-standing relations between India and the UAE, and Sharjah and Karnataka in particular, explaining that the meeting seeks to boost bilateral cooperation and to take the commercial and business ties to new heights through investment inflows and partnerships between both sides.-- Tradearabia News Service NEW DELHI: Expressing serious concerns over the rising levels of dust and air pollution due to manual sweeping across the city, the Environment Committee of the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Monday summoned the Commissioners of the three MCDs. Kalkaji MLA Atishi who heads the House Panel said that it was very shocking that the MCD commissioners of Delhi have no clue regarding the length of roads under their jurisdiction; they could not present any substantial idea. Atishi, Chairperson of the committee also said that there is no mechanism for fines or penalties in case the contractor running the machine does not clean the prescribed area. MLA Ajay Dutt who is a member of the panel said that all the 3 MCDs have been asked to submit an action plan for reducing dust pollution. He said that the DPCC has been asked to take strict action against individual officers responsible for rising dust levels in Delhi. Atishi tweeted, "Environment Committee summoned the 3 MCDs today regarding rising dust levels and air pollution in Delhi, and sought an explanation as to why mechanical sweeping was not being done Negligence of all 3 MCDs was shocking." She further tweeted, "None of the MCDs even knew the total length of roads in their Corporation area they are meant to sweep mechanically. There is no mechanism for fines or penalties in case the contractor running the machine does not clean the prescribed area." Adding to this MLA Ajay Dutt said, "All the 3 MCDs have been asked to submit an action plan for reducing dust pollution. The DPCC has been asked to take strict action against individual officers responsible for rising dust levels in Delhi." Delhi Assemblys environment committee pulled up MCD officials for Mechanized Sweeping. In the meeting, it was found that officials were not fully aware of NGT orders. The meeting that was held in view of the rising air pollution highlighted that road dust has been a major component of air pollution in Delhi. According to the NGT orders, all MCDs were directed to use MRS machines to decrease the SPM caused by manual sweeping. However, it was found that the machines were being under-utilized by the MCDs as highlighted by the TERI report. When questioned about the total area/length of road swept, criteria for employing the total number of machines and basis of contract, the officials from MCDs seemed unaware. In this regards the committee has requested the Corporations to submit a detailed plan in 7 days. The meeting of the Environment Committee chaired by Ms Atishi discussed the issue of rising air pollution due to non-compliance of NGT order for using MRS machines by MCDS. During the meeting, the committee enquired about the criteria for the contract of MRS machines. The corporations highlighted that the contracts were based on shifts basis rather than the total area covered by them daily. The Committee in this regard was surprised and showed displeasure for not adding length/areas covered as a clause for the contact. It further questioned the lack of a mechanism for checks and balances to achieve efficient output levels. Therefore, the committee has requested the three MCDs to submit reasons in this respect. Environment Committee of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha, headed by Atishi, rakes up MCDs for not having any concrete plan for utilizing/enhancing their fleet of MRS operations. In view of the NGT order to control the dust pollution MCDs were directed to switch to MRS machines as one of the measures to control the Suspended Particulate matter which poses a grave challenge to the people of Delhi, the Committee inquired about the status of these machines and MCDs plan of action to comply by the NGT orders. However, in due course of the meeting, it was found that MCDs have no clear action plans- medium or long term to expand their operation in their jurisdiction. Furthermore, the Committee expressed its displeasure against certain officers for not even being aware of the total lengths of roads to be swept using MRS. The MCDs have been asked to submit a detailed plan of action in this regard. Environment Committee of Delhi Legislative Assembly expressed its displeasure against the MCDs for not being aware of the total length of roads in their jurisdiction. The committee was discussing the recommendations by TERI and NGT order to curb dust pollution arising out of manual sweeping. Discussing MRS as a means to curb dust arising out of manual sweeping, the Committee headed by Ms Atishi probed the MCDs on the preparedness and plans to engage MRS. However, while enquiring about the details about the MRS operations and what mechanisms were put in to increase efficiency, the Committee was appalled by the lack of preparedness and awareness on part of the officers present in the meeting. The MCDs were directed to submit to the committee a detailed report highlighting the Length of roads under Mechanized sweeping, running shifts, measures for checks and balances and penal provisions on part of the contractors for no compliance. This should be submitted to the Committee in 7 days' time. WASHINGTON, D.C. Protesters who support President Donald Trumps unfounded claims of election fraud will be greeted today and Wednesday by the National Guard and a strong police presence as the city braces for possible violence. The Washington Post reports Mayor Muriel E. Bowser says every active police officer will be on duty during the two days and is warning residents to stay away from downtown during the protest. The demonstrations are expected to attract militia groups, conspiracy theorists and members of the far-right Proud Boys, USA Today reports. The city also is warning protesters that carrying any sort of firearm is illegal and the police department has put up signs reiterating the law. There are people intent on coming to our city armed, D.C. Acting Police Chief Robert Contee said Monday, according to the Associated Press. The Guard members will not be armed and mainly will assist with traffic and crowd control, according to reports. The protests coincide with the certification of the votes from the electoral college by the U.S. Congress on Wednesday. Democrat Joe Biden won the November presidential election with 306 electoral votes, while Trump received 232. Trump lost the popular election by more than 7 million votes. However, Trump has refused to accept the result, claiming election fraud despite having no evidence. Dozens of lawsuits filed by Trump lawyers challenging the election have been dismissed by federal judges, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite this, thousands of protesters are expected in Washington to support Trumps claims. Fears of violence have resulted in downtown businesses boarding up windows. The National Park Service is estimating about 30,000 people will attend, the Post reports, and Trump has indicated he will make an appearance. People are allowed to come into our city to participate in First Amendment activities, Bowser said Monday, according to the Post. We will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents, or cause destruction in our city. Violence erupted during pro-Trump protests in Washington in November and December, according to the Post, with several people being stabbed and churches being vandalized. Henry Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, was arrested Monday in Washington for allegedly burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a Black church during a protest last month, CNN reports. Police say Tarrio was in possession of two high-capacity firearm magazines, USA Today reports. He was additionally charged with possession of high-capacity feeding device. GAITHERSBURG, Md., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet Green Holdings Corp. (the "Company") (NYSE American: PLAG) announced today that on January 4, 2021, the Company has entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Jingshan Sanhe Luckysky New Energy Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Target") and each shareholder of the Target (collectively "Sellers"). Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, the Company will acquire 85% of outstanding equity interests of the Target. The Company closed the acquisition transaction on January 4, 2021. The Target is engaged in researching, developing, manufacturing and selling ethanol fuel and fuel additive products in China. At the closing, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,200,000 shares of common stock of the Company to the original shareholders of Target in exchange for the transfer of 85% of the equity interests of the Target to the Company. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "estimate", "plan", "outlook", and "project" and other similar expressions that indicate future events or trends or are not statements of historical matters. These statements are based on our management's current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside of our control and all of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements can be found in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available, free of charge, on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . For more information please contact: Ms. Lili Hu Chief Financial Officer Phone: 202 891 8907 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Planet Green Holdings Corp. Related Links www.usalr.cn Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies late. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Nick Wagner, MBR / TNS Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which was summarily denied by the U.S. Supreme Court, will cost state taxpayers at least $12,000 for printing charges, but Paxtons office is refusing to provide a full accounting, saying that information is exempt from disclosure. The suit, which 17 states with Republican attorneys general had joined and 126 Republican members of Congress supported, had sought to throw out election results in four battleground states. It claimed that pandemic-related election rule changes that were adopted by governors or other officials without the approval of state legislatures were unconstitutional. Paxtons suit also made unsupported allegations of voter fraud. The case was promptly dismissed by the high court, which said Texas lacked standing to bring the suit. The phones are busy at Baton Rouge-area pharmacies selected to be among the first in the state to administer the coronavirus vaccine to members of the public. Following Gov. John Bel Edwards announcement last week that Louisianas limited vaccination program would expand to 107 pharmacies statewide 23 of them in the Baton Rouge area the list of those in line to receive the vaccine at Bertrands Pharmacy in Gonzales quickly ballooned to more than 300 people. People have been walking in, the phones been off the hook, a lot of our regular customers and customers who may have been here at one time and dont come any more are asking, said Jeanne Bertrand, who owns the pharmacy with her husband. But Im ready to roll. When we go home tonight, Ill be starting on my list and setting up appointments for the next couple of days. Bertrands received 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine Monday morning and plans to begin vaccinations Tuesday, then space them out over several days, Bertrand said. The initial wave of vaccinations at the pharmacies are only available for people over the age of 70, end stage renal disease facility personnel and patients, ambulatory and outpatient health care workers, home agency patients and workers, and schools of allied health students, residents and staff. While the initial shipment of the vaccine is limited in supply, Edwards said he expects the number of doses to increase dramatically in the coming weeks, allowing Bertrand, 54, to make a dent in her long list of interested patients. "I think everybody is excited, Bertran said. Everybody is ready to travel, and there still is so much unknown about it. Down the road from Bertrands in St. Amant, the St. Amant Pharmacy has had a similar experience since the state announced it would be one of the few pharmacies receiving doses of the vaccine to administer to patients. Christie Klingman, one of the owners of the pharmacy, said the list of patients in line for a shot stood at roughly 360 people as of Monday afternoon. Everybodys really excited about it and we are, too, said Klingman, 38. But its a learning curve for everybody. Are you 70 or older and looking for a coronavirus vaccine in Louisiana? Here are the steps Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Health said Monday 107 pharmacies across the state would began receiving coronavirus vac Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Klingmans pharmacy has taken a similar strategy to Bertrands, writing down the names of interested patients on a list so they can be scheduled later for an appointment. Shots are expected to begin Tuesday morning. Neither pharmacy takes walk-in appointments for the vaccine in order to allow for social distancing and an organized distribution of the shots. Phone lines were jammed Monday at Klingmans pharmacy, and she said several patients have walked in to add themselves on the list because theyve been unable to get a call through to the pharmacy due to the high volume of calls. The workers are probably a little more stressed out, but thats about it, Klingman said. Were all running a little crazy back here. I think everybody is just really excited to hopefully this be the start of going back to normal. The Moderna vaccine expires 6 hours after it's removed from the freezer to be administered, so both owners said they want to keep a large list in case patients dont show up for their scheduled appointments and no doses are wasted. We have to overshoot as far as were not going to stop taking names because of that, Klingman said. We dont want them to expire and waste. The frantic nature of the vaccine rollout at the pharmacies, who both said they learned they would be receiving the doses shortly before Edwards announced the expansion of the program last week, is coupled with a traditionally hectic time for pharmacies at the start of the New Year as patients deal with changes in insurance. How will Louisiana convince people to get the coronavirus vaccine? Here's the $475K plan Now that Louisiana is receiving COVID-19 vaccines each week, the state Health Department is turning its focus to a crucial part of reaching he It probably couldnt have come at a worse time, but its OK, Klingman said. Its a good reason to be busy. Thats what we do. Bertrand echoed Klingmans sentiment and said she was hopeful her pharmacy could contribute to the end of the pandemic. Were going to do whatever we can to get people vaccinated and get us back to the way we used to be, Bertrand said. Vietnam will be supplied with 30 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine within this year, a Vietnamese health official confirmed on Monday. Illustrative image. File photo With a double-dose regime given about a month apart, the delivery from the UK-based university and pharmaceutical firm will be used to inoculate some 15 million people in the country. Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong said at a Government press briefing in Hanoi that the delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be done in phases through all four quarters of 2021. The health ministry is in negotiations for the procurement of the four most notable COVID-19 vaccines, the Oxford-AstraZeneca, the US Pfizer-BioNTech, Russias Sputnik V, and Chinas Sinovac, Cuong said, adding that details regarding the deals with the four vaccine makers cannot be disclosed due to non-disclosure agreements. The US-based Pfizer has also tentatively agreed to a fourth-quarter delivery, Cuong stated. Meanwhile, the Russian maker of the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, is asking to manufacture the vaccine in Vietnam under a technology transfer agreement with a company under the management of the Vietnamese health ministry. The price of the vaccines does not differ significantly, Cuong stated, noting that the requirements of the vaccines storage and delivery and rollout, as well as payment issues, matter a great deal and need co-ordination from different ministries and agencies as well as the Politburo. The other thing to consider is that these vaccines have varying levels of effectiveness in clinical trials, some reaching 65 per cent at the lowest while another could be as 94.5 per cent, Cuong said. We are doing our best so that Vietnamese people could get access to COVID-19 vaccines, he added. In addition to the commercial route, Vietnam is also eligible for support from the WHO-led COVID-19 vaccine Global Access Facility which aims to provide equitable access to vaccines. Cuong said the initiative promised inoculation for 16 per cent of Vietnamese population at the cheapest cost possible, but at the moment, the countries that are making COVID-19 vaccines are still struggling to fulfil the huge demand globally. A clearer picture would emerge within the first three months of this year and by then, a detailed plan for procurement and rollout among the population could be developed, he said. Mai Tien Dung, Chairman of the Government Office, emphasised that even with COVID-19 vaccine, efforts to prevent and control the disease would still need to be strictly observed Vietnam is also pursuing homegrown vaccines, with one called Nano Covax already in first-phase human trial since December, and another set for human trials in late January. The full data for assessment will be available at the end 2021 as per their projected timeline. As of Monday morning, Vietnam had logged a total of 1,494 COVID-19 patients, 1,339 of which have already recovered. The country has gone 33 days without community transmission. VNS New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has blasted Governor Andrew Cuomo for threatening to slap hospitals with $100,000 fines if they fail to administer their all their remaining COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the week. The mayor criticized Cuomo's tough call on Monday which came after the governor revealed only 46 per cent of the state's allotted doses had been distributed in the last three weeks. 'That's just arrogance,' de Blasio said of the controversial governor's plan, in an interview with NY1 on Monday. 'Does he think that our health care professionals are uninterested in vaccinating people? How about trusting the people that have been our heroes?' he added. It comes as healthcare systems across the country are struggling to meet the federal government's targets to inoculate the majority of the population, nearly a month after the first doses of vaccines were distributed to the states. Nationwide, just 4.56million of the country's total distributed doses of 15.4million - or 33 percent - have been administered as of Monday. The latest figures mean only 330,000 more people were vaccinated across the US in the 48 hours since Saturday, according to CDC data. Scroll down for video Mayor Bill de Blasio said Cuomo should 'support' and 'respect' healthcare workers, rather than threaten them after the governor said he would fine hospitals $100,000 if they failed to administer all of the state's vaccine doses by the end of the week "That's just arrogance," @NYCMayor on @NYGovCuomo's threat to fine hospitals that don't administer their remaining doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the week. The mayor tells @InsideCityHall that hospitals want to vaccinate more people but are constrained. #NY1Politics pic.twitter.com/ByUgLftw7c Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) January 5, 2021 During the interview, De Blasio went on to deliver a message to Cuomo, urging him to 'help' and 'support' healthcare workers who are already overburdened with a surge in coronavirus patients. 'I respect the governor, I've spoken to him a lot of times in the last few weeks, and this is what I'd say to him: Respect and trust our health care professionals,' the mayor said. 'They are the people that do the work. They are the people that know best. They want to get people vaccinated, no one's more motivated than them. 'Help them, support them. Don't fine them, don't threaten them,' he added. Just over 110,000 vaccine doses have been administered in NYC as of Monday, according to the city's health department data Cuomo highlighted the three worst performing hospitals in terms of vaccine distribution: Samaritan Hospital (15%), A.O. Fox Hospital (18%) and Nassau University Medical Center (19%) Nationwide, just 4.66million - or 30 percent - of the 15.4million vaccine doses distributed to the states, have been administered so far Cuomo said on Monday that his state has administered almost 300,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses - or about 46 percent of its allocation - in the last three weeks. CDC data, which may lag due to delays in reporting, showed that New York state has administered 236,941 of its 774,075 distributed doses. In New York City, 118,304 vaccine doses have been administered since vaccinations started three weeks ago, the city's latest vaccine data shows. The city currently has 480,550 vaccine doses available, according to data as of Tuesday morning. Cuomo on Monday addressed the slow rate of vaccine distribution across the state, saying hospitals would be fined up to $100,000 if they fail to use up their dose allocations by the end of the week. Those facilities now also must use up their vaccine allocations within seven days or risk being allowed to receive any future doses. 'I want needles in arms and I want it done as quickly as possible,' Cuomo said. 'We need (hospitals) to administer the vaccines faster. Healthcare systems across the country are struggling to meet the federal government's targets to inoculate the majority of the population, nearly a month after the first doses of vaccines were distributed to the states Only 4.66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the US almost a month into the agonizingly slow vaccination campaign, according to the CDC 'I don't want the vaccine in a fridge or a freezer, I want it in somebody's arm. 'If you're not performing this function, it does raise questions about the operating efficiency of the hospital.' The state is currently prioritizing healthcare workers, first responders and nursing home residents in the first phase of the vaccine roll out. As of Monday, all healthcare workers who come into contact with the public can be eligible for the vaccine. Cuomo highlighted the three worst performing hospitals in terms of vaccine distribution: Samaritan Hospital (15%), A.O. Fox Hospital (18%) and Nassau University Medical Center (19%). New York City Health + Hospitals has currently used up 31 percent of its allocated vaccine doses. The best performing was the private New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, which has already used 99 percent of its allocated doses. 'The hospitals have been given the vaccines for expedited purposes. If you have been given the allocation but you're not using them... you shouldn't have the allocation,' Cuomo said. 'I'd rather have the faster hospitals administering it. If your hospital doesn't have the capacity, just say that. You will be fined for accepting an allocation that you can't or won't administer.' Cuomo said he would be holding the public officials in charge of the state's public hospitals responsible for distributing the vaccine in those facilities. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 06:46:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The main indicators tied to the coronavirus outbreak in Italy so far in 2021 remained below peaks recorded in late November and early December, as the country's national holiday lockdown drew to a close. But health experts warned it was still too early to know how effective the restrictions put in place for the holidays would prove to be. According to data from the Ministry of Health, in the 24-hour period ending Monday, Italy saw 10,800 new infections and 348 new deaths. The infection figure is down from 14,243 a day earlier while the death number is up by one. But both figures reflect a gradual downward trend that started in late November. The one-day infection rate is the fourth-lowest since mid-October, with all of the numbers below 11,000 recorded in the last ten days. Similarly, the 24-hour death toll is among the five lowest recorded since the start of November, with all five of those days coming in the last ten days. The number of patients in intensive-care units saw little change compared to recent days: there were 2,579 recorded Monday, down by just four compared to the day before and 14 more than ten days ago. The number of daily recoveries continued to outpace new infections: there were 16,206 new recoveries recorded Monday, bringing the total to 1,520,106, but the recovery rate has remained mostly flat over the last two weeks. Italy's national holiday coronavirus lockdown, which went into effect last Dec. 24, will be lifted starting Thursday. As of late Monday, political and health officials were still debating what should happen afterward. But there was a consensus that the new rules would err on the side of caution, with many national and regional officials warning that if rules are eased too quickly it could result in a new surge in infections. Minister of Health Roberto Speranza told the Italian news agency ANSA that the new plan would "correctly balance" health needs with the reopening of some parts of the economy. Walter Ricciardi, a senior Ministry of Health official, predicted a new third wave of the virus could hit the country in the second half of this month. "A third wave is building and could hit us within two weeks," he said in an interview with the news program TG 24. Ricciardi predicted the country would see a "non-trivial increase in the contagion" and called for a prolonged lockdown to slow the virus' spread. Virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco echoed Ricciardi's remarks, saying he feared Italy was "under-estimating the pandemic" and predicting that infections would soon start to climb. One potential challenge is that most schools are set to reopen on Thursday, though some regional governors called for the reopening to be delayed until the impact of the holiday period was clearer. Some analysts said that the reopening of most Italian schools starting in September contributed to the dramatic rise in infections starting in October after a lull during the warmer summer months. Minister of Education Lucia Azzolina defended the government's decision to reopen schools: "School is an essential public service," the minister told local media Adnkronos. "We cannot continue to sacrifice our children's learning or pretend that distance learning can replace face-to-face teaching." Worries over a new wave of infections did not stop Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini from suggesting gyms, cinemas, theaters and museums reopen in the second half of January, with health rules in place. Franceschini said such a move would "give new hope" to residents without increasing health risks. Italy is now in its second week of vaccinations. According to the Ministry of Health data, Italy will have to administer 51,000 vaccinations a day in order to have everyone in the country vaccinated by the end of the year, and that the country is already behind pace. Domenico Arcuri, the country's commissioner for coronavirus emergency, said the problem is due to uneven responses from different regions. Enditem Oregon Restaurant to Appeal Fine for Staying Open During Lockdown A family-owned restaurant in Oregon is appealing a fine the state levied against it after it remained open for business contrary to the executive order of Gov. Kate Brown, who has banned dine-in eating. Caseys Restaurant in Klamath Falls was fined $8,900 by a state agency, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration, known as Oregon OSHA, which says it received 18 complaints about Caseys. The restaurant claims to have lost about $30,000 because of restrictions on businesses in spring 2020. Co-owners Annie Patzke, Patty Barney, Michael Patzke, and Dolores Patzke wrote to OSHA stating the restaurant couldnt afford to downgrade its business to take-out only. We cannot operate our business under the restrictive guidelines of Executive Order 20-65, they stated in a letter. We believe these guidelines are not applied equitably or in a way that allows businesses in our industry to survive. It seems to be under the guise of doing something that the state is once again engaged in irreparably harming certain groups while protecting others. The owners say they plan to remain open for business despite the current pandemic-related restrictions. Further fines could follow from OSHA. OSHA has reportedly looked into two complaints against the restaurant. One involved allowing sit-down dining while it was forbidden in a so-called freeze, and the second concerned an alleged failure to enforce the wearing of protective face masks. OSHA wrote up a ticket for the sit-down dining but not regarding the masks. After inspecting the facility at the end of November and interviewing a co-owner and several employees, OSHA gave the eatery a so-called red-warning notice on Nov. 29, 2020, to cease serving food and drinks on-site during a two-week freeze to slow the spread of the CCP virus that causes the disease COVID-19, local newspaper The Herald and News reported. The governor, a Democrat, has threatened to shut businesses that fail to comply with her pandemic-mitigation orders. Red-warning notices are issued under the Oregon Safe Employment Act and apply until the condition has been made safe and healthful. They are given to businesses said to be deliberately violating the governors executive orders or who decline to take required corrective measures. Such businesses are closed until the supposedly hazardous condition is alleviated. Many small-business owners in the state are vowing to remain open, claiming they have been treated unfairly, while large businesses are allowed to continue operating. The owners are represented by the Freedom Foundation. Formerly known as the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, the Freedom Foundation describes itself as a non-profit think and action tank with offices in Washington, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. Jason Dudash, Oregon director for the Freedom Foundation, said in a statement that they agree that steps need to be taken to take COVID seriously and protect the most vulnerable in our communities. The Patzke family at Caseys has and is taking those steps while remaining open. The Patzke family has owned Caseys Restaurant in Klamath for 31 years, according to the Freedom Foundation. The Patzkes realized they couldnt afford to shut down a second time, so they said they have stayed open. We still have to pay taxes while the bureaucrats, they never miss a paycheck and they dont have to worry about their jobs, said Mike Patzke. OSHA has fined us, and theyre going to fine us even more. And were going to stay open, said Annie Patzke. We have some of our family that we lost in World War II, and they were fighting for freedom, so I feel like we should fight for freedom, also. Browns office didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. The United Nations on Monday announced it would join its humanitarian partners in deploying emergency aid to the people affected by the deadly attacks on two villages in Niger. More than 100 civilians were killed in the West African nation over the weekend by extremists who attacked the western villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye. According to the UN Refugee Agency, at least 1,000 were forced to flee, many by foot, in a region already hosting 60,000 Malian refugees, 4,000 people who have fled Burkina Faso and more than 138,000 internally displaced Nigeriens. The villages in the insecure Tillaberi region were attacked Saturday after residents killed two rebel fighters, local officials said. The attacks were among the deadliest in Niger and came on the heels of several others, including one by the Islamic State West Africa Province in the Diffa region a few weeks ago in which dozens of people were killed. Niger and neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali are battling the spread of deadly extremist violence which is displacing large numbers of people, despite the presence of thousands of regional and international troops. While no group has claimed responsibility for Saturdays killings, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara has been mounting attacks there for some time. Niger is pressed on all sides by extremist groups and must deal with spillover instability from both Mali and Nigeria. The cross-border conflict has become more deadly as it mixes with local Niger dynamics, according to regional experts. Extremist groups Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and the al-Qaida linked JNIM have been successful at strategically wiping out local traditional leaders and then inciting attacks between rival ethnic groups or communities. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Vietnam put its name on the worlds map in 2020 with its achievements in healthcare, from its world-recognized success in staving off COVID-19 to the nations first ever limb transplant from a living donor and other special organ transplants. On June 4, 1992, Vietnams history of organ transplantation was changed with the nations first kidney transplant for Vu Manh Doan, a 40-year-old end-stage renal disease patient at Hanoi-based Military Hospital 103, with Doans 28-year-old younger brother acting as the donor. Twenty-eight years later, Vietnams techniques of organ transplant have kept up with the worlds medical advances. The countrys organ transplant sector achieves new highs every year, making swift progress in the field. 2020 alone witnessed memorable records including the first bowel transplant from a living donor in Vietnam one of the most complicated procedures in the field; 23 organ transplants performed in 13 days at the Viet Duc University Hospital; and five liver transplants conducted in a week by doctors of Hanoi-based Military Hospital 108. New opportunities for people losing limbs Professor Hoang and patient Pham Van Vuong. Vuong said he wholeheartedly appreciated the donor. I will strictly follow rehabilitation therapy in order to pursue my own dreams, he said. On January 21, patient Pham Van Vuong had his arm and hand transplanted from a living donor. The donor was caught in an accident on January 3, 2020, having his arm and forearm crushed. After 18 days of treatment, the patient had to have his arm amputated due to severe injury and risk of infection. The transplant surgery was later performed by Professor Nguyen The Hoang, deputy director of Military Hospital 108, and a medical crew from the Department of Upper Limbs and Microsurgery under the Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology. After eight hours of surgery, the transplant was successful. All anatomical structures were restored and the hand was fully transfused. It adapted to the new body and was able to move and hold objects after just one month following the transplant. Prof. Hoang said in order to perform this surgery, the hospital spent three years preparing the necessary legal and scientific basis and procedures related to medical ethics and post-transplant treatment. Professor Pham Gia Khanh, head of the Vietnam Organ Transplant Association, applauded the case, saying it was a wonderful success. Limb transplants are complicated," Prof. Khanh said. "Even developed countries, which have led Vietnam for years, have never had a limb transplant from a living donor as there is a rare chance of limb cut injury that is still eligible for transplantation. "It is not about willingness but technical preparation and an opportunity that comes once in a blue moon." According to Professor Mai Hong Bang, director of Military Hospital 108, there have been about 89 recorded limb transplants in the entire world since 1998. In all of these cases, the donors were brain dead. Southeast Asian countries have not yet reported any case of a successful limb transplant. Therefore, it was the region's first limb transplant from a living donor ever, performed right at Military Hospital 108. Following the achievement, on September 16, the hospitals doctor set another milestone when they simultaneously transplanted two arms for an 18-year-old patient. His wounds have now closed and the limbs have performed well. The 18-year-old patient and his newly transplanted forearms. It will take one to 1.5 years for full recovery with a success rate of 80 to 90 percent. Great 'battles' In 2020, other organ transplantation centers in Vietnam, Viet Duc University Hospital, Military Hospital 108, Military Medical University, and Hue Central Hospital for instance, also witnessed their own milestones. During 13 consecutive days, from August 30 to September 12, doctors of the Viet Duc University Hospital transplanted 23 organs including three hearts, four livers and 16 kidneys eight of them from living donors. A patient is in intensive care after undergoing organ transplant surgery at Viet-Duc University Hospital in this photo supplied by the hospital. On September 11 and 12, for the first time, the hospitals cardiovascular and chest center performed heart transplants for two patients. It hit the record of 1,000 kidney transplants on September 28. The 1,000th patient, a 49-year-old man from Hanoi, was discharged ten days after the surgery. A patient in treatment after a lung transplant at Viet Duc University Hospital in this photo supplied by the hospital. At Military Hospital 108, on September 16, the fourth multi-organ transplant was performed. Doctors transplanted two lungs for a patient diagnosed with primary pulmonary fibrosis, livers for a patient having acute liver failure due to hepatitis B, and two kidneys for two patients suffering end-stage chronic renal failure. A patient who lost his limbs in an explosion also received a transplant for two new forearms while another enduring end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy had a new heart transplanted by doctors of Military Hospital 108 at Viet Duc University Hospital in cooperation with the Vietnam National Coordination Center for Organ Transplantation. Professor Bang, the director of Military Hospital 108, said it was a big battle, as 150 doctors and medical staff spent a day preparing and continuously performing operations in ten hours. On October 27 and 28, Vietnam Military Medical University implemented two intestine transplants one of the most difficult cases. A photo collage of surgeons undertaking the Truc Nhi - Dieu Nhi seperation surgery in Ho Chi Minh City A miracle called Truc Nhi - Dieu Nhi At Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital, conjoined twins Truc Nhi and Dieu Nhi were separated on July 17, 2020 after a historic 12-hour surgery with the participation of nearly 100 doctors and medical workers from top-tier hospitals, 32 years after the first successful separation operation in Vietnam of the Viet-Duc twins. It was a miracle, Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh said about the surgery, adding she felt very emotional and thanked medical crews for showing Vietnamese people and the world over Vietnams medical advances. Doctors look relieved after plaster-casting for Truc Nhi. Truc Nhi and Dieu Nhi were detected to be conjoined in the 16th week of pregnancy. They were surgically taken out at 33 weeks, weighing 3.2kg and suffering from respiratory failure and other premature-related diseases. The conjoined twins were classified as ischiopagus tetrapus (quadripus), a rare case in which they have a symmetrical continuous longitudinal axis with their area of union not broken anteriorly. According to doctors, a pair of conjoined siblings are born for every 200,000 births and only six percent of them are ischiopagus tetrapus. The conjoined twins are given anesthesia at Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital. Vietnam now has 19 organ transplantation centers and achieves great progress in both tissue and organ transplantation techniques. The success of organ transplantation opens up treatment possibilities for patients with end-stage impaired organs, brings hope and great opportunities to overcome serious diseases and improve quality of life for patients. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Technologies in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and on Tuesday announced they have developed a mobile application for the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the government primary health centres (PHCs) across the country. The mobile app will strengthen the existing NCD IT system's suite of six applications for accredited social health activists (ASHAs), auxiliary nurse midwifes (ANMs), doctors, programme managers and health officials in the government. "We believe in transforming lives with technology and aim to impact 1 billion lives globally by 2030. Our ongoing association with MoHFW and is to work towards advancing healthcare conditions and supporting our communities with the right infrastructure," Alok Ohrie, President and Managing Director, Technologies India, said in a statement. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes and heart disease account for 63 per cent mortality in India. One in four people in India is at risk of dying from an NCD before reaching the age of 70, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). "We look forward to creating more awareness about NCDs, support our healthcare workers with the right tools and help them in the fight against NCDs," Ohrie said. The NCD IT system supports the Government of India's ambitious population-based screening (PBS) and management of NCDs under the Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS). --IANS vc/na (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Firstpost spoke to the police, Hind Rakshak Sangathan convenor and the complainant Eklavya Gaur, Munawars family and friends and members of the audience to piece together the events that transpired that evening Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui and four associates were arrested on Friday (1 January, 2021) by the Indore Police following a complaint from Eklavya Singh Gaur, son of Indore BJP MLA Malini Gaur. Gaur complained that they had allegedly insulted Hindu deities during a comedy show and also cracked jokes about Home Minister Amit Shah. A local court rejected their bail pleas and sent them to judicial custody on Saturday. The event was held at Cafe Monroe in Indores 56 Dukan area on Friday. "A case was filed late on Friday night against Munawar Faruqui, a resident of Junagadh in Gujarat and four Indore-based persons based on a written complaint filed by Gaur," Tukoganj police station in-charge Kamlesh Sharma told Firstpost. All of them were booked under IPC sections 295-A (outraging religious feelings), 269 (unlawful or negligent act likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) and other relevant provisions. Section 269 was invoked for allegedly ignoring COVID-19 safety protocols, the official said. Gaur told reporters that he and his friends went to watch the show where Faruqui was performing as the main comedian. "The show mocked Hindu deities by passing indecent comments. The Godhra incident and Shah were also mentioned inappropriately. We shot a video and stopped the show by taking the audience out of the cafe, Gaur has been quoted as saying in several media reports. Firstpost reached out to several members of the audience who were present at Cafe Monroe on 1 January when the incident happened, who said that Munawar was not even allowed to start his show. Munawar got to the stage, but the show never began. Munawar had barely spoken for seven minutes, when we were told that the show will not happen and we were told to leave, one of the audience members, requesting anonymity, told Firstpost. Firstpost spoke to the police, Hind Rakshak Sangathan convenor and the complainant Eklavya Gaur, Munawars family and friends and members of the audience to piece together the events that transpired that evening. All audience members and Munawars friends requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the article. Here is what we found: *** Early on Friday evening, a group of 70-odd fans of Munawar a majority of them college students landed up at Cafe Monroe to see their bhai perform. It was a very small room and it was packed. Tickets werent cheap, so those who came were dedicated Munawar fans, said one of the audience members, It was surprising, yet heartening to see young artistes getting such recognition in small towns. And it was a houseful show. Cafe Monroe, the venue of the show as listed on bookmyshow.com, had arranged for seating outside the main cafe area. It was a small hall-like space. Imagine a small living room. Chairs were set up very tightly and it was a planned event. Everything was in its place when we arrived, another audience member said. Several local media reports have quoted the owners of the cafe denying any knowledge of the event happening there. Firstpost tried contacting the owners of the cafe for their comment, but they refused to speak to the media. The piece will be updated as details become available. The show was scheduled to start at 4 pm. By 4.15 pm, according to eye-witness accounts, two associates of Munawar Nalin Yadav and Prakhar Vyas opened the show with their act. Nalin and Prakhar, both budding comedians, were arrested along with Munawar on 1 January. The three audience members to whom this reporter spoke to described their set as very harmless and non-religious in nature. After 10-15 minutes, Munawar walked in but as soon as he took the mic, another guy came up on the stage, took the mic from Munawars hands and put an arm authoritatively around his shoulders. We thought this was part of the act. He was Eklavya Singh Gaur, the audience member confirmed. Thirty-six-year-old Gaur, is the son of local BJP MLA and the mayor of Indore Malini Laxman Singh Gaur. Gaur is also the convenor of the local outfit Hind Rakshak Sangathan. Malini has been the mayor of Indore for 15 years. The local body polls were scheduled to be held recently, but were deferred in December, due to the ongoing pandemic. According to eyewitness accounts, a group of six or seven people had accompanied Gaur. While others remained amid the audience, Gaur took to the stage, took the mic of Munawars hands and addressed the audience: Ye Munawar Faruqui hai, ye shows karta hai, humare devi devtaon ka mazaaq udata hai aur tum log (pointing to the audience) paise deke iska show dekhne aate ho, tumhe sharam nahi aati? At this point several members of the audience pointed out that Gaur was referring to an old video that Munawar had released four months ago, during the lockdown. The original video has been taken down after right-wing groups threatened Munawar. Check out the video here. The audience responded strongly to Gaur. We told him that we came to listen to Munawar and not him. We didnt pay money to listen to you, said another member of the audience. Firstpost also accessed several clips of video footage shot by the audience at the event which corroborated eyewitness accounts. In the video, Gaur is heard saying, Ye humesha bolta hai. Aaj main bolunga. When a scuffle was imminent between the audience and Gaur, Munawar stepped in, said one of the audience members. He was polite. He calmed the audience down first. He promised us a good show and told us 'Baith jaiye. Unko bolne dijiye. We will have a good show. Aap beech mein mat bolo. But aap log bhi baat karenge toh time waste hoga'. And the audience abided, one of the audience members confirmed. What followed was a dialogue between Munawar and Gaur. Here is a short transcript of it based on videos accessed by Firstpost: Munawar: Main kisi ko target nahi karta hoon, sir. Mere jokes hain islam pe bhi, mere jokes hain triple talaq pe. Main lekin ye nahi keh raha ki main kisi bhi dharm ka mazaaq uda sakta hoon Gaur interrupts and says: Aapne apne Mohammad par kuch bola hai? Munawar: Aap meri baat sun lijiye poori.. Audience: Sir.. let him finish first. Unko kehne dijiye. Aapne apni baat kahi. Ab unki suniye Gaur: Aapne banaya bhi toh mujhe nahi fark padta hai.. Aap bhagwan ke naam pe nahi bana sakte Commotion among the audience continues Gaur continues to speak but inaudibly Munawar: Mujhe regret hua us video ke baad kyuki aath roz tak meri ma ko, meri behenon ko death aur rape threats ayen. Main ghar se bahar nahi nikla. Outrage chal raha tha. Mujhe laga main arrest ho jaunga Gaur interrupts but its inaudible. Munawar says, "Sun lijiye meri baat. Mujhe 10 min de dijiye." Munawar: Ten days after the video, I released a clarification video. Aur main bahut socha aur fir samjha ki har ki threshold alag hoti hai. Video ke end mein main bola hai that the intention was not to hurt sentiments, the intention was to make everyone laugh. Maine maafi maangi hai, apne shayad dekhi na ho video. Jahan tak Godhra ke joke ki baat hai, Sir mera ghar jala tha 2002 mein. Main Junagarh mein tha. (Audience claps. Munawar silences them) Main aapko vo joke fir se sunata hoon... Aapko agar bura lagta hai toh main maafi mangunga... Gaur interrupts: Suno suno.. Yahan audience mein kisiko fark padta hai ki nahi mujhe pata nahi, mujhe fark padta hai. Aap yahan ye wada kariye, ki devi devtaon ko leke koi bhi mazaq kisi bhi religion ka ho nahi karenge. Audience interrupts and there is a mild commotion. Munawar tries to quieten the audience and says Guys, we will have a good show. Turns to Gaur and says, "Aap baitheyi. Aap yahan se hans ke jayenge. Aapko thens nahi pahuchegi. Sabka faith alag hota hai. Sab alag se react karte hain." Gaur: Mera faith alag hai, aap mere faith ka mazaq nahi uda sakte. Hum yahan show cancel karne ya jhagra karne nahi aye hain Audience continues to interrupt Gaur, while Munawar tells them to sit down and be patient. Munawar: Sir, aap bahut izzat aur abroo ke saath aye hain. Internet pe toh ma, behen ki gaali milti hai Gaur: Comedy ke naam pe kuch bhi karoge hum bardasht nahi karenge. (Takes the mic) Aap freedom of expression ka bahana deke kuch bhi aap bolenge, but humara freedom of expression nahi hai ki humein pasand nahi hai ye joke? *** The audio in the video after this point is not very clear, but Gaur is seen leaving the stage and on his way out. We thought everything was fine and that the show would resume. Munawar started his set with the joke about how he would refund our money and a friends wedding in Delhi. There was no religion even mentioned. It was barely five or seven minutes into the show that we heard a loud commotion outside, said a member of the audience. Eyewitnesses recounted that a group of men, at least 10 or 12, had gathered outside the cafe and raised slogans against Munawar and the show organisers. Gaur and his associates had left the venue and they were too waiting outside. One of the people from backstage came, quite shaken, and told us that the show will not be happening and that we have to leave, the audience member confirmed. But the audience would not leave without Munawar. We know what happens in such situations. We wanted Munawar bhai to be safe, said the 18-year-old who was present at the event. We decided to leave with Munawar in the middle, so that no one could harm him. According to the audience, they flanked Munawar from all sides and started walking out of the one exit gate that went through the cafe. What followed was atrocious. We had barely reached the doors, when goons and gundas started yelling at us and started pushing us back inside the cafe. The entrance is quite narrow, there was a stampede-like situation and what was worse was they started beating everyone, said the audience member. Young college students, who had come for an evening of fun and laughter, got slapped, thrashed and some had their glasses and phones broken. Firstpost accessed videos that showed men attacking members of the audience and pushing them out of the cafe. I saw it with my own eyes. There was no need for it. We were leaving. There were 70 people. How do you get out so fast? But there was utter commotion. People were thrashed and bruised and we realised we should run because they might not stop at anything, an audience member confirmed. Eyewitnesses said Munawar and his associates, along with Gaur and his aides, remained inside the cafe while the members from the audience were told to leave. We waited outside when we saw the cops come in. Thats when we left. We were appalled at the misinformation. There were no religious jokes. Gaur and Munawar had a brief discussion in front of the audience. Munawar was polite and handled the situation very nicely. Me and my friend left as soon as the organisers told us to leave, because we were scared, said another member of the audience. He is a serial offender. He has done this before and he is still doing it. We have said that in the FIR but the complaint is against the 1st Jan show, Eklavya Singh Gaur told Firstpost. According to Gaur, when he got to know that Munawar is holding a show in Indore, he and his associates bought tickets and went to the event as members of the audience. Some of our people were outside also. And as expected, they were mocking our gods and goddesses. There were jokes on Ganesh and Karthik, a mockery of Indian culture. So, we stopped the show and we told the audience to leave. And then filed the FIR. According to Gaur, even art has its limitations. I was a theatre artist too. I know the importance of art. Par humour ke naam pe aap maryada langhte jayenge aur ye expect karenge ki sab pach jayega, vo nahi chalega. Har cheez ki ek limit hoti hai, vo limit ko koi cross karega toh, hum action toh karenge. When told that the videos from the event presented a different picture, Gaur said, Mazaq uda tha. Humne apni videos police ko diye hain. However, town inspector of Tukaganj Police Station Kamlesh Sharma was quoted as saying by The Indian Express, Theres no evidence against him for insulting Hindu deities or Union Minister Amit Shah, he said. He said the two videos submitted by the complainant are of another comedian with him allegedly cracking jokes on Lord Ganesh. Speaking to Firstpost, Sharma said, All the accused are still in judicial custody. We are investigating the case. We have seized pen drives and hard drives and we are looking into the matter. The inspector did not specify when the police seized the items and from where. Initially, the complaint was made on one video. Now, we have found a lot of material that we are looking into to see if the allegations are true. Denying the Express report, Sharma asked, Agar proof nahi hota toh court judicial custody mein kyu bhejti? And the case is under investigation. Sharma confirms that the FIR is against the 1st January event held at the Cafe Munroe, where according to eyewitness accounts and videos from the venue, no religious jokes were cracked. Munawar hails from Gujarat, but lives in Mumbai. Munawars distant relative in Indore is our only contact in the city apart from the lawyer. Another friend who went to surprise Munawar at the show also got arrested and beaten by the police, alleged Munawars friend and budding comedian Saad Sheikh. According to Munawars family, the police didnt even inform them about the arrest. We got to know when a neighbour saw a video, Munawars aunt, who has raised him since his parents passed away, told Firstpost. Due to COVID-19 , we arent allowed to schedule more than 100 shows a year. And the shows are small. Munawar had events in Indore, Bhopal, Raipur, Patna, Guwahati and Kolkata. I got calls from these venues who are too scared to host the show. Some said they have been threatened too. We incurred a loss of at least Rs 3-4 lakh. All the shows are cancelled, one of the tour members told Firstpost. As of publication date, Munawar is still in judicial custody in Indore and the bail plea hearing is at 3 pm tomorrow (5th January). According to Saad, Munawar would like to put all of this behind him and go back to his family. On Saturday, police were patrolling around Patten Chapel Road when they noticed a red Buick with a Georgia temp tag on it. When police went over to it, they could not find a VIN on the vehicle. Because of the heavily-tinted windows, police said they could not initially see if there were people inside the Buick. Police said they noticed a man later identified as Alexander OKelly, 29, and woman (Brittney Rutledge) in the front of the car. Police asked the man to roll down the window, and they said OKelly put his hand up to the window so they couldnt see inside. When police tried to open the door, they said he locked the door, and then OKelly started the vehicle. Police said their patrol vehicle was parked next to OKellys Buick, and said they stepped back and pulled out their pistol and told OKelly to turn off the vehicle. OKelly did not turn off the vehicle, and instead began to drive away. Police said OKelly got onto I-24 westbound toward Georgia, and police began a pursuit. OKellys vehicle was swerving in and out of traffic, and then they saw him crash into a rock wall on Wildwood, exit 169. Police said they saw Ms. Rutledge getting out of the drivers side, and OKelly running up the exit ramp. Police said they chased him, and caught the suspect when he tripped and fell. When police got back to the patrol vehicle, they could not locate Ms. Rutledge. When Dade County Sheriffs Office arrived, they took custody of OKelly. He went to Erlanger to be treated for injuries and was arrested there. After being evaluated he was taken to the Hamilton County jail. When there, police saw that all 28 of his $20 bills were counterfeit bills. The vehicle was also confirmed to be stolen, said police. OKelly is facing reckless endangerment, evading arrest, theft of property, and criminal simulation charges. New Delhi, Jan 5 : The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the state machinery is not going after people having a different political ideology. The response from the state government came in an affidavit ahead of the Assembly elections, scheduled for early this year, in a case where advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha has sought a CBI/NIA probe into the mysterious death of a BJP MLA Debendra Nath Roy. On July 13, last year, Roy was found hanging from a tree. The incident had happened in the Raiganj police station area. The affidavit by Atreyi Sen, Deputy SP CID Malda Zone, maintained that Roy had committed suicide. "It is denied that the death of Roy was a political murder or that the state machinery was used or was an accomplice or involved in any manner causing such death", said the affidavit. The state government denied that there was involvement of the state machinery against people having a different political ideology or that it has made it impossible to trust the investigation carried out by the police officials of the same administration as falsely alleged. The response from the state government assumes significance in the backdrop of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks, during a recent visit to the state, alleging that more than 300 BJP workers have been killed in the state. Citing Roy's death, the government denied that this incident has put fear in millions of people who wish to join a political party. The government submitted that the investigating officer in the case had seized a paper from Roy's shirt pocket, which contained a handwritten note with names and details of two persons: Niloy Sinha and Mahmud Ali. "It is submitted that the petitioners have relied on tweets by high-ranking public officials to wrongly assume that the incident was pre-planned or that the state machinery was involved or that it was a political murder", said the government. In the affidavit, the government stressed that allegations and speculations that Roy was first killed and then hanged is false, and also allegations of foul play in the investigation. Seeking dismissal of Jha's petition, the government said the petitioner has demanded a CBI/ NIA investigation by relying on unverified statements purportedly given by Chandima Roy, wife of the deceased, and his relatives Khitish Chandra Ray and Poppy Barman. "These statements do not allege foul play by any state personnel or the police and do not impugn the state police in any manner", added the affidavit. The top court on Tuesday granted two weeks to Jha and others to bring on record their response to the West Bengal government's affidavit. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing in February. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed It's one of the most renowned sentences in modern Irish literature and has been translated into many languages since it was written more than 70 years ago by Irish language author Mairtin O Cadhain. Now the first and only known recording of O Cadhain reading in Irish from his classic novel Cre na Cille has been unearthed in Munich, Germany. Described as "enormously significant" by Irish language scholars, the recording was made by a German student who was receiving Irish tuition from the writer back in 1964. It was recently discovered during research for a new book on O Cadhain's unconventional but highly successful methods of teaching the Irish language. Cre na Cille, which is regarded as comparable to James Joyce's Ulysses or the work of Samuel Beckett, is set in a graveyard where the corpses gossip endlessly about each other and life above ground and has the famous opening line: "I wonder am I buried in the Pound Plot or the Fifteen Shilling Plot?" The work, completed by O Cadhain in 1949, was published by Sairseal agus Dill, and serialised over seven months by The Irish Press. Unesco recommended it be translated into other European languages, and one recent version is in Tamil. It has also been translated into Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, Turkish, Hungarian, Czech and Italian, while the first of several English language versions was published in 2015 by Alan Titley. The recording of O Cadhain reading from the book is part of a tape made by Egon Felder, a student at Trinity College, Dublin (TCD). "O Cadhain had been appointed professor of modern Irish at TCD at the time, and was on a visit to Germany in the summer of 1964," Irish language scholar Dr Feargal O Bearra said. "When he was there he met up with Felder, and agreed to be taped by him." Writer and republican O Cadhain - who taught himself many languages, including Russian when he was interned in the Curragh Camp during World War II - had been very popular with the TCD students for his use of wit and humour. He once asked his students to translate Mao Tse-tung for an exam, and on another occasion asked them to write a dialogue between the statue of British admiral Horatio Nelson in Dublin's O'Connell Street and the person who blew the monument up in 1966. Felder passed his tapes on to Professor Barbara Wehr, who kept a copy for many years and digitised them. She offered them to Dr Arndt Wigger, a colleague of Dr O Bearra's at the SKSK, a Celtic language institute associated with the University of Bonn. "When we played them, what we thought was a recording of Irish tuition took on another dimension when we heard O Cadhain's voice reading his own text," O Bearra said. The writer's nephew, also Mairtin O Cadhain, of Iontaobhas Ui Chadhain, the O Cadhain Trust, said it was the only recording he knew of his uncle reading from his classic. The recording has been included in a CD with a new book on the writer's methods of teaching Irish, compiled by O Bearra and Wigger. Entitled Mairtin O Cadhain: Rogha Teacsanna Teagaisc don Ghaeilge, it has been produced by the German publishing house Curach Bhan Publications to mark the 50th anniversary of O Cadhain's death in October 1970. The writer - who was a language advocate, but critical of some aspects of language revival - is due to be honoured with a statue in his native An Spideal, Co Galway. Iontaobhas Ui Chadhain also plans to develop the house he was born in, in Cnocan Glas, into a centre dedicated to him and his writings. Current publishers of Cre na Cille, Clo Iar-Chonnacht, plan to have the work translated and published in 20 languages in all. Sunday Independent October Actress Banita Sandhu Tests Positive For Covid-19, Refuses To Get Quarantined At A Government Hospital British actress Banita Sandhu, who is in Kolkata to shoot for a movie, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and was admitted to a private hospital after she refused to be treated in a government facility, health department sources said. Sandhu, who was shooting for 'Kavita & Teresa', reached the city on December 20 and she travelled in the same flight with the youth who tested positive for the mutant coronavirus strain on his return from the United Kingdom. She was detected with the COVID-19 on Monday afternoon and steps were initiated to ascertain whether she has been infected with the new strain, an official said. After Sandhu was taken to the Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital where a separate unit has been set up to keep those returned from the UK, the 23-year-old actress refused to come out of the ambulance alleging that the hospital lacked proper infrastructure. "We had to inform the state secretariat and the health department as she was unwilling to come out of the ambulance and at one point of time, she wanted to leave. "The British High Commission was informed as we cannot let her go like this which is against the protocol. We had to inform the police also. They (police personnel) came and surrounded the ambulance so that she cannot leave," the official said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Banita Sandhu (@banitasandhu) Sandhu, who co-starred with Varun Dhawan in 'October', was counselled several times by senior doctors of the hospital but their efforts went in vain. "Eventually, with the permission of the health department, she was admitted to a private hospital," the official said adding that Sandhu has been kept in an isolated cabin there. Before leaving Beliaghata ID hospital, the actress was made to sign a declaration that she was unwilling to get admitted there as "she felt the medical establishment lacked infrastructure". Steps have been taken to get the genetic analysis of her samples to ascertain whether she has been infected with the mutant coronavirus strain, Variant of Concern 202012/01 (VOC-202012/01), another official of the health department told PTI. "We will be sending her samples for genetic analysis to Kalyani's National Institute of Biomedical Genomics to ensure whether the actress is infected with the new strain of the coronavirus or not. After that we will follow the necessary protocol once the result is out," the official said. 'Kavita & Teresa' by Swiss-Indian filmmaker Kamal Musale is about love and compassion inspired by the life of Mother Teresa, according to the website of the movie. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-04 23:26:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A staff member (L) passes reservation code to a woman at Xiangyue West sampling site in Shunyi District of Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has further laid out requirements for COVID-19 prevention and control in the public transport services, including taxis and road passenger transportation. Taxis and ride-hailing cars in Beijing are not allowed to leave the city for regions classified as medium- and high-risk areas for COVID-19, said Wang Zhaorong, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, at a press conference on Monday. Road passenger lines and chartered bus transport services to medium- and high-risk areas have been suspended. Authorities have also asked taxi companies in Beijing to strengthen anti-epidemic measures, including vehicle disinfection, ventilation and personnel protection. Newly employed drivers should have a negative nucleic acid test certificate issued within three days. Meanwhile, 423,800 people in key business areas of Beijing's Shunyi District and their surrounding communities had been tested for COVID-19 as of 2 p.m. Monday. So far, 415,000 have received their nucleic acid test results with all testing negative, according to the press conference. PHILIPSBURG:--- Is it possible for a foundation to represent the people of St. Maarten in court to obtain their decolonization? A good way of answering this question is by looking at the activities of the Dutch Foundation Urgenda. On December 12, 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court (Hoge Raad) handed down a landmark sentence that drew international attention. In that verdict, the Dutch Supreme Court sided with Urgenda Foundation and ordered the Dutch State to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands. This verdict inspired activists from around the world to take legal action to force governments to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. (It is worth bearing in mind that The Dutch Supreme Court's verdict regarding Urgenda Foundation's legal action was subsequently published in the Harvard Law Review.) The Dutch State had argued that Urgenda is declared inadmissible (niet ontvankelijk) which is a standard defense deployed by lawyers around the world. (US President Trump has repeatedly run into this legal roadblock in his attempts to have the courts reverse the results of the 2020 elections.) However, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled that the Urgenda Foundation was admissible and does represent the interests of the inhabitants of the Netherlands who are being threatened by climate change. A lower court had earlier ruled that even if certain groups were against the position of Urgenda Foundation that could not prevent the foundation from filing a collective action. It would appear therefore that a foundation can indeed, even in the face of opposition from certain elements, file legal action to obtain the decolonization of the people of St. Maarten. Pro Soualiga Foundation Only one in 10 stroke patients in Northern Ireland received a potentially lifesaving treatment in June this year, it can be revealed. (Lynne Cameron/PA) Only one in 10 stroke patients in Northern Ireland received a potentially lifesaving treatment in June this year, it can be revealed. According to Health & Social Care Board figures, 10% of patients suffering from ischaemic stroke in June received thrombolysis when it was deemed clinically appropriate. On average, only one in eight such patients received the clot-busting drug between April and June this year. The figures have also highlighted variations in the number of people who received thrombolysis depending on the hospital they attended. In June, 5% of suitable stroke patients received the treatment in the Belfast Trust, compared to 15% in the Northern Trust. Meanwhile, in April, 8% of patients in the Northern Trust received thrombolysis compared to 15% in the Southern Trust. Around 85% of all strokes are due to a blockage cutting off the blood supply to the brain, known as an ischaemic stroke. The blockage can be caused by a blood clot forming in the brain or by a blood clot moving through the blood stream from another part of the body. Some people with ischaemic stroke are eligible for a clot-busting treatment - thrombolysis - which can break down and disperse a clot, reducing the damage to the brain and even save the life of a critically ill patient. However, for it to have best effect, it needs to be given within four and a half hours of stroke symptoms beginning. According to the Department of Health targets, health trusts must ensure that at least 15% of patients with confirmed ischaemic stroke receive thrombolysis treatment, where clinically appropriate, by March next year. Barry Macaulay, Director at the Stroke Association in Northern Ireland, said: "It is encouraging that, overall, people affected by stroke in Northern Ireland have continued to receive the clot-busting drug thrombolysis at a similar rate despite the immense pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic on our health service. "This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our stroke care professionals. "However, even before the pandemic, we knew that there is unacceptable variation in the numbers of patients who receive this treatment in Northern Ireland - from 9% in some hospitals to 27% in others. "That's why it's vital that the Department of Health urgently progress with the long-awaited reform of stroke services to ensure all stroke patients across Northern Ireland have equal access to this treatment, as well as the recommended levels of stroke rehabilitation and support. "Reforming Northern Ireland's stroke services will save lives, reduce disability and help more people to get the treatment and support they need to rebuild their lives after stroke." A spokeswoman from the Health and Social Care Board said performance was affected by the pandemic. She added: "There was a dip in performance in some Trust areas in the period April to June 2020 which was predominantly a result of delays by those experiencing a stroke presenting with symptoms during the pandemic." She said a publicity campaign was launched as a result to encourage anyone with stroke symptoms to attend hospital. Belfast Telegraph OPEC, Russia and other oil major producers reached an unusual agreement on production quotas on Tuesday, with Saudi Arabia committing to reducing its oil production by one million barrels a day and Russia and Kazakhstan winning relatively modest production increases. The effect will be an overall reduction in oil production. The news pushed prices up more than 4 percent, reaching levels not seen since February. Brent crude rose past $53 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate exceeded $50 as traders welcomed the Saudi willingness to give up some barrels in an effort to stabilize the market. The difficulty in reaching consensus at the meeting of the OPEC Plus group appeared to show that cooperation between Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and Russia is once again under considerable strain. That tension could be a harbinger of difficulties in restraining production in the coming months. Finding that they were unable to head off Russias demand for a production increase, Saudi Arabia appears to have largely given in to preserve at least a semblance of unity. MADISON, Wis. (AP) An Illinois teenager who fatally shot two people and wounded a third amidst sometimes violent summer protests on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges including intentional homicide. Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, entered his plea in a brief hearing conducted by teleconference. Prosecutors say Rittenhouse, who is white, left his home in Antioch, Illinois, and traveled to Kenosha after learning of a call to protect businesses in the wake of the Aug. 23 shooting by police of Jacob Blake. Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times in the back and left paralyzed. Rittenhouse opened fire with an assault-style rifle during protests two nights later, killing Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz. Rittenhouse has argued he fired in self-defense. Conservatives have rallied around Rittenhouse, describing him as a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property, and raised enough money to make his $2 million cash bail. Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited protesters. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shootings. The Blake shooting happened three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis, which also was captured on bystander video and which sparked outrage and protests that spread across the United States and beyond. The galvanized Black Lives Matter movement put a spotlight on inequitable policing and became a fault line in politics, with President Donald Trump criticizing protesters and aggressively pressing a law-and-order message that he sought to capitalize on in Wisconsin and other swing states. In Kenosha, as the protests that followed damaged businesses in the city of 100,000 near the Wisconsin-Illinois border authorities ultimately estimated some $50 million in damage some people answered a call on social media to travel to Kenosha. That included Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, who is charged with shooting three people, killing two of them, with an assault-style weapon during one of the demonstrations. Conservatives have rallied to Rittenhouses legal defense, arguing that he was a patriot who took up arms to protect people and property. Others see him as a domestic terrorist whose presence with a rifle incited protesters. Rittenhouse, who is white, was 17 at the time of the shootings, and charges include illegal possession of a dangerous weapon by someone under age 18. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley hasnt publicly announced the timing of a decision on whether to charge Sheskey. But the city began moving in recent days to prepare for the event, with some businesses boarding their windows and concrete barricades and oversized metal fencing surrounding the Kenosha County Courthouse. Fearing a repeat of the August protests, the Kenosha Common Council on Monday night unanimously approved an emergency resolution that goes into effect with the announcement and allows the mayor to set curfews. Meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to help Kenosha authorities when the decision is announced. Our members of the National Guard will be on hand to support local first responders, ensure Kenoshans are able to assemble safely, and to protect critical infrastructure as necessary, Evers said in a statement. Blakes father led a march through the city Monday evening, calling on people to make noise and be heard around the world. (Sheskey) tried to kill my son and could have killed my grandchildren, Jacob Blake Sr. said during a news conference before the march. He shot him seven times in his back unjustifiably. The family said its taken too long for a charging decision, and the precautions suggest that Sheskey wont be charged. What is the National Guard for? Jacob Blake Sr. said. They going to deliver mail? Deliver ice cream? What do you think theyre here for? Tanya McLean, executive director of the community organization Leaders of Kenosha and a friend of the Blake family, said as Monday evenings march was kicking off that violence isnt acceptable. No matter what the decision is, we are seeking nonviolence, she said. We want everybody to come out, make as much noise as you want, but we dont want any destruction of property or businesses. We are for nonviolence. Anything else is not acceptable for this community. The spectral characteristics of white fluorescence excited by a laser for white light and the short-wavelength laser. LCI expands and reduces color information simultaneously to intensify shades of red and white. Right. LCI enhances the contrast of red and white colors compared with a white light image. Credit: Tokyo Medical and Dental University Recently there have been significant advances on several fronts in the ongoing war against cancer of the alimentary tract. Now, Japanese researchers report the development of another weapon: Linked Color Imaging (LCI), a novel endoscopic technique that improves detection of cancer by viewing the upper digestive tract mucosa under illumination that combines specific wavelengths of light to intensify subtle color variations indicative of neoplastic change. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is routinely performed to detect tumorous changes or neoplasia in the pharynx, esophagus, and stomach and is conventionally done under White Light Imaging (WLI). Using the innovative LASEREO system developed by the Fujifilm Corporation, LCI technology balances white light with narrow-band short wavelength light in a specific ratio that deepens and enhances the contrast of red and white hues, thus intensifying nuances of mucosal transformation. Though earlier studies have described the role of LCI in histological diagnosis of upper GI tract tumors, the research team felt the need for a large-scale, broad-based comparative study to assess its efficacy in neoplasm detection. "Our research was conducted in 19 hospitals across Japan involving 1502 patients with known past or current gastrointestinal cancer, representing a high-risk population" explains Dr. Shoko Ono, lead author. "Patients underwent upper GI endoscopy under both WLI and LCI protocols wherein they were grouped according to which modality was performed first. Ingeniously, our study design ensured diagnostic accuracy; not only did each modality serve as a backup and crosscheck on the other, this was further followed by histopathological confirmation." Dr. Kenro Kawada, co-lead author, describes the results. "With LCI, lesions were detected in 8% of the patients but the detection rate was only 4.8% with WLI. Conversely, with WLI 3.5% of patients had a lesion overlooked but this rate was only 0.67% with LCI. This shows a clear superiority of LCI over conventionally illuminated endoscopic screening for discerning mucosal changes related to upper GIT neoplasia as it detected neoplasia 1.67 times more frequently." Professor Mototsugu Kato, senior and corresponding author, explains the implications of their research. "Combined with previous studies that show the efficacy of LCI in detecting large intestinal neoplasia, our findings make a strong case for wider adoption of this modality in surveillance of the entire endoscopically accessible digestive tract. However, we need further research to confirm its efficacy in the hands of general clinicians for upper GI screening of an average population." Explore further Enhanced-image endoscopy more effective than conventional imaging for detecting upper GI cancers More information: Shoko Ono et al, Linked Color Imaging Focused on Neoplasm Detection in the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract, Annals of Internal Medicine (2020). Journal information: Annals of Internal Medicine Shoko Ono et al, Linked Color Imaging Focused on Neoplasm Detection in the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract,(2020). DOI: 10.7326/M19-2561 Provided by Tokyo Medical and Dental University Qantas has warned customers to keep their personal banking details secure after a complex scam was uncovered on Tuesday. Australia's longest serving airline urgently tweeted an update telling customers scammers were illegally posing as members of the Qantas Refund Team. 'If you receive a call appearing to be from the Qantas Refund Team asking for your credit card details, please be aware this is a scam,' the tweet read. 'Do not provide any personal or financial details & do not respond to these calls.' Thousands of passengers have had travel plans disrupted thanks to the international border closures, not to mention endless state border closures, because of the Covid pandemic. It has left holidaymakers eagerly awaiting refunds on cancelled or changed flights, meaning the scam has plenty of potential victims. The tweet (pictured above) from Qantas warning its customers about an online scam involving credit card details Qantas also tweeted a warning about a number of fake websites offering cancellation refunds to customers (pictured above) Qantas then sent out a second tweet to its customers after being made aware of a another scam involving fraudulent websites. 'We are also aware of fake websites (claiming to be Qantas), listing TOLL FREE 1800 numbers to call for your flight cancellation refunds,' Qantas tweeted. 'Do not call these numbers. These are not authentic Qantas websites or numbers.' The scammers pretend to offer customers refunds on their disrupted flights, asking for credit card details so they can send the money back. Qantas is now selling seats for international flights from July onwards this year, indicating that long-haul travel could be an option for Australians sooner than expected The iconic Australian airline has opened up bookings to the coronavirus-riddled United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. American and UK routes were previously off the cards until at least October. The country has been shut off the from the rest of the world since March 20, when Scott Morrison closed the border to all but essential arrivals. A Qantas spokesperson earlier told Executive Traveller that the airline hopes international travel to most destinations will resume by July 1. 'We continue to review and update our international schedule in response to the developing COVID-19 situation,' the spokesman said. Qantas has warned its customers about two sophisticated scams involving credit card details and fake websites (stock image) Qantas' only regular international route currently is between New Zealand and Australia. Long standing CEO Alan Joyce said long haul international flights would likely only be an option for people who had chosen to take the Covid vaccine. 'But we are getting more and more confident about the opportunities and the potential for a vaccine in helping getting those operations up by potentially by the end of 2021,' he said. [January 05, 2021] Alliant Acquires BridgePoint Risk Management Alliant has acquired BridgePoint Risk Management, a national provider of personal and commercial risk management solutions. BridgePoint joins Alliant with a long-standing legacy of providing customized commercial and personal risk management solutions to individuals, families, and business owners nationwide. "BridgePoint and its talented team of advisors have built an ironclad reputation for excellence based on their ability to listen to each of their clients and adjust to their rapidly evolving needs," said Tom Corbett, Chairman and CEO of Alliant. "Their diversity of expertise and unwavering commitment to service will provde an additional layer of strength to both our property and casualty and private client service teams." BridgePoint provides a full range of personal and commercial risk services. With offices in Ohio, Connecticut, Arizona, and Florida, the firm has a national client base and a broad range of products and services that it customizes to each client's unique needs. The BridgePoint team has extensive experience managing the complex needs of business owners, high-profile executives, athletes, entertainers, and collectors of fine art, jewelry, wine, and automobiles. "BridgePoint Risk Management is grateful for our partnership with Alliant; specifically, their interest in not only our business but in the people who make our business run," said Cleves Delp, Board Member and Owner of BridgePoint Risk Management. "Alliant's national platform, deep well of resources, and talented team of professionals will only enhance our ability to provide competitive, customized insurance solutions that protect successful families and businesses and generate long-term results." BridgePoint and its service teams will continue to service its growing client base from their offices in Maumee, OH; Greenwich, CT; Phoenix, AZ; Palm Beach, FL; and Naples, FL. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. About Alliant Insurance Services Headquartered in Newport Beach, CA (News - Alert) , Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., provides property and casualty, workers' compensation, employee benefits, underwriting, surety, and financial products and services to clients nationwide, including public entities, tribal nations, healthcare, energy and marine, law firms, real estate, construction, financial institutions, agriculture, aviation, and environmental. More information is available on the company's website at alliant.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005109/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pritzker has inched toward pressuring Madigan to step aside as speaker. But inches dont add up to much. He has not been willing to lead his party in a new direction in a more forceful way. As far as we know, he is not getting behind another candidate for speaker, phoning lawmakers or using his own hefty wallet to assure skittish House members he can help them with resources come election time. President Donald Trump's lawyer slammed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for allegedly making a "secret" recording of the "confidential call" regarding the election outcome. A Sunday confidential call to Raffensperger caught Trump telling the Georgia official to "find" him over 11,000 votes that could overturn the Peach State's election results. Trump insisted with Raffensperger and his general counsel Ryan Germany in the said confidential call that he won the state, so they have to "find" the votes he needed to win. Talking to Fox News, lawyer Kurt Hilbert said: "We are disappointed that the secretary of state and his staff secretly recorded and released a confidential settlement discussion to settle the two pending lawsuits." Related article: Trump Urges Georgia Election Official To 'Find' Over 11,000 Ballots, Review Results He noted that even though the Georgia official thought that action was appropriate, the Trump team begs to differ. He said he wouldn't be commenting on settlement discussions. Georgia already certified Trump's Democratic opponent Joe Biden as the winner of the state's November 3 election last month. Trump Says Raffensperger 'Has No Clue' The president confirmed Sunday morning that he did talk to the secretary of state on Saturday. He said they were discussing "voter fraud in Georgia" at the time of the call, reported Breitbart. He also alleged that Raffensperger was "unwilling, or unable, to answer questions" about election fraud. Trump identified "'ballots under table" scam, ballot destruction, out of state "voters," dead voters, and more as points of discussion. Exasperated, he also said Raffensperfer has no clue about any of the things he listed. A source also told Fox that Trump tried to contact Raffensperger at least 18 times before the controversial phone call. Amid the allegations, Raffensperger replied to Trump's tweet, saying that what was told by the president was "not true" and that "the truth will come out." Georgia Republican Claims Call Recording Was Edited Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer said in a tweet that the president was bracing two lawsuits - federal and state - against Raffensperger, reported NBC affiliate 11 Alive. Shafer said the phone call with the secretary of state was "secretly recorded" and was a "confidential settlement discussion' of that litigation, which is still pending." He also claimed that the audio published by The Washington Post was heavily edited and "omits the stipulation that all discussions were for the purpose of settling litigation and confidential under federal and state law." Raffensperger Claims White House Pushed Him to Take Call So far, no agency has released where the recording came from or who was the first to release it. In a Reuters report, the Georgia top election official said the White House pushed him to take Trump's call. He said he didn't find it appropriate to talk to Trump, "but he pushed out." He believes that Trump's staff was ordered to push him into having the conversation. Read also: President Trump Considered as Frontrunner for 2024 Election, But Some Contenders Remain Raffensperger also recalled that when they had the "secret conversation," Trump did most of the talking, and he and Germany mostly listened to what the president said. He then added that Trump's data points on dead voters were "just plain wrong" because, as the president claimed hundreds, the state only found two. Lawyers for Lisa Montgomery, a convicted murderer and the only woman on federal death row, asked U.S. President Donald Trump to halt her execution scheduled for next week, saying she committed her crime after a lifetime of being abused and raped. Montgomery, due to be killed by lethal injections of a barbiturate on January 12, was convicted in 2007 in Missouri for kidnapping and strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett, then eight months pregnant. Montgomery then cut Stinnett's fetus from the womb. The child survived. Montgomery suffered sexual abuse and torture at the hands of her stepfather and mother that Montgomery's lawyers and her sister, who was also raped in their childhood home, compared to a horror movie. In a nearly 7,000-page clemency petition filed on Tuesday, they asked Trump to commute Montgomery's sentence to life in prison. Lisa Montgomery, due to be killed by lethal injections on Jan. 12, was convicted in 2007 in Missouri for kidnapping and strangling Bobbie Jo Stinnett Montgomery suffered sexual abuse and torture at the hands of her stepfather and mother that Montgomery's lawyers and her sister, who was also raped in their childhood home, compared to a horror movie. In a nearly 7,000-page clemency petition filed on Tuesday, they asked Trump to commute Montgomery's sentence to life in prison 'Broken before she was born, Lisa Montgomery's life was filled with torture, terror, failure, and betrayal,' the lawyers wrote, saying Montgomery was born brain-damaged because of her mother's alcoholism. Montgomery is held at the Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Texas, a prison for inmates with mental illness. Trump is a long-time exponent of the death penalty, and has allowed more executions in a year than any other U.S. president has done since the 19th century. His administration revived the punishment in the federal system in 2020 after a 17-year hiatus even as the novel coronavirus spread to infect prison employees, inmates' lawyers and two other inmates facing execution. President-elect Joe Biden has said he will seek to abolish the death penalty. He takes office on January 20. Biden spokesman TJ Ducklo has said the president-elect 'opposes the death penalty now and in the future' and would work as president to end its use. But Ducklo did not say whether executions would be paused immediately once Biden takes office. Montgomery is held at the Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Texas, a prison for inmates with mental illness Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in December 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife, authorities said. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own, prosecutors said Montgomery was convicted of killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in December 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife, authorities said. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own, prosecutors said. The lawyers have said it is wrong to execute Montgomery because of her mental illness and because other women who have committed similar crimes did not face the death penalty. Montgomery, now 52, was abused by her stepfather, who built a room in the back of a trailer where they lived in which he and his friends raped her from about the age of 11 on and where her mother pimped her for sex, Montgomery's lawyers said. Diane Mattingly, Montgomery's older sister, told reporters at a briefing that she was also repeatedly raped, sometimes with Montgomery in the same room, until authorities removed her to foster care. 'So many people let her down,' Mattingly said. 'Yes, I started out the same way, but I went into a place where I was loved and cared for and shown self worth. I had a good foundation. Lisa did not and she broke. She literally broke.' One particular animal rescue story is winning netizens hearts after being shared on the California Department of Fish and Wildlifes Facebook page. The tremendous tale involves a handsome buck, a hammock, and a happy ending - all thanks to the officials who spent a lot of time tracking the animal and untangling the hammock from its antlers. Heres exactly what happened. This handsome buck was lured too close to a hammock and other life-threatening human hazards by Fair Oaks residents who were feeding it illegally. It took weeks to capture the skittish buck to free it from the entanglement, reads the text shared alongside a picture of the animal. The buck can be seen sitting, staring right at the camera. The animals usually awe-inspiring antlers are almost hidden under the stuff entangled on them. Take a look at the post here: Since being shared on Facebook, wildlife officials fruitful efforts have met with a lot of praise. The post accumulated almost 100 reactions and many shares. Here are some comments that people left under the post. One person said, Nicely done. Another individual wrote, Good job... it kind of looks like he just got back from Burning Man. Good job! read another comment under the share. David Mollel, an environmental scientist with the department, said that they had to tranquillise the animal to remove the hammock, reports UPI.com. After the buck was free, they also removed the antlers to protect it from poachers. But not to worry, the antlers will grow back in spring. The officials released the animal into the wild. What are your thoughts on this? Also Read | Llama drama: Rescue llama named Gizmo lassoed back to hooman safely after 17 days on the run You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Bolivian pilots sentenced to 9 years after landing cocaine-filled plane near Mahahual Mahahual, Q.R. A federal court has sentenced two Bolivian pilots to nine years in prison for their part in the landing of a drug plane near Mahahual last year. The sentencing was handed down to Aldo L and Miguel B, both of whom were arrested January 28, 2020 after the plane they were flying was forced to land near the southern town of Mahahual. The Gulfstream plane, when seized by local authorities, was found carrying 1,230 packages of cocaine. It had originated from Argentina. On December 11, an abbreviated proceeding was held in which the judge decided to issue a conviction against both men, imposing a 9 year and 2 month prison sentence. Government officials reported the plane, which was identified as a Gulfstream jet, left Argentina, made a stopover in Bolivia, flew over Venezuela and then landed in Mahahual, however, their final destination was Cozumel. The drug, which was estimated at just over a ton of cocaine, was found distributed in 32 bags between the seats of the plane. The day before, another jet was successful in landing on a section of the Chetumal-Merida short road. From that plane, approximately 700 kilos of cocaine was seized after a confrontation between soldiers and drug traffickers in which a corporal died and the commander of the XXXIV Military Zone, Brigadier General Jose Luis Vazquez Araiza, was injured. In that incident, the planes original destination was Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas and not in Quintana Roo, where they were forced to land after an air detection. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2021 8:55 am PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center officials clarified details around a recent COVID-19 outbreak at a media briefing Monday afternoon. PeaceHealth Southwest Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lawrence Neville said a report released by the hospital on New Year's Day had the incorrect number of infected patients. PeaceHealth confirmed Monday afternoon that 19 patients were infected in the coronavirus cluster, which broke out on or around Dec. 27 in a medical surgery ward at the hospital. Another 11 hospital staff were infected, Neville said. The hospital initially asked 85 staff to self-quarantine because of potential COVID-19 exposure. That number has now dropped to 59 staff, but Neville said the hospital postponed some elective surgeries to shift staff around and boost workforce. All inpatients are tested upon admittance to the hospital, Neville said, and none of the affected patients tested positive for the virus upon admission. It's likely the outbreak started because a patient tested negative upon admittance, with the virus still incubating and undetectable in them, and later became contagious enough to spread the virus in the hospital, Neville said. PeaceHealth Southwest has not found evidence of staff not wearing personal protective equipment. Neville said everything in the hospital's investigation has shown that staff were being vigilant and safe. He said patients are asked to wear masks when others are in the room with them. The hospital has collected samples from the cluster for genomic testing to see if this outbreak has any connection to the more transmissible variant of the virus, B.1.1.7., that was first spotted in the United Kingdom and has since been discovered in at least three states. Neville said it will take 10 to 15 days to get those results back. The hospital still doesn't know how the virus was able to spread from the first sick patient to other patients and staff. No staff has been exposed to this cluster since Dec. 28 and no patient has been exposed since Jan. 2, Neville said. The unit where the outbreak occurred has been closed for new admissions since Dec. 29, and is undergoing deep cleaning. "The investigation for the underlying cause continues. It remains unknown," Neville said. While Clark County saw a decrease in coronavirus cases the last two weeks, the county could still see surges tied to Christmas and New Year's gatherings. Monday's coronavirus report from Clark County Public Health suggested that might manifest this week. Typically, people will get tested for the virus at least five to seven days after exposure, once symptoms have appeared and testing can be lined up. The test results reported Monday fall at the tail end of that timeline. Clark County averaged 195 cases per day over Thursday through Sunday, which is up from 83 cases per day during the last week of December. PeaceHealth has avoided large outbreaks like this one while treating hundreds of COVID-19 patients for the last 10 months, which Neville said is proof that the hospital has been safe and cautious. But he also noted that increased virus activity in the community will be a problem for everyone. "The chances of it entering our homes, our places of work and other hospitals is unfortunately higher," Neville said. Second dose Monday also marked the first day PeaceHealth Southwest began administering the second and final dose of the vaccine to its staff. The first dose of the vaccine confers about 50 percent effectiveness against coronavirus, Neville said, but the second dose, which must be received at least three weeks after the first one, boosts that effectiveness rate close to 95 percent. PeaceHealth Southwest held its first vaccine clinic on Dec. 16. Neville said less than 5 percent of PeaceHealth Southwest's staff had declined to get vaccinated. Overall, the Vancouver hospital has vaccinated 50 percent of its staff so far, and PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview has vaccinated about 49 percent of its staff. ___ (c)2021 The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) Visit The Columbian (Vancouver, Wash.) at www.columbian.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. HOUMA, La., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, like many jurisdictions around the country, needs billions of dollars to repair decaying infrastructure. Of urgent concern are structurally endangered pilings the columns that hold up highways, bridges, piers, pipes, even buildings. One contractor in Houma charged with repairing a vulnerable water pumping station turned to a new paradigm-changing approach that is effective, economical, and much faster than any existing technology and was surprised at the results. Repairs are made on aging pillars at pumping station in a few days without stopping operations. Workers in Louisiana wrap decaying pilings with Form-A-Tube forms for fast and money-saving pillar repairs at a water pumping station. It's called Form-A-Tube, a patented new invention developed by Centennial Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Arizona, Mo Ehsani, PhD, PE, SE. Form-A-Tube allows contractors to instantly construct forms for shoring up pilings with cement. The system builds forms of any size on site, making it easy to use even in remote locations. "This stuff is so modular you can take it down into 6-inch strips, and put it together on site," said Harvey Sharp, whose company BCG Services is handling the water pumping station in Houma, LA. "It's second to none." According to Sharp, using Form-A-Tube stands in sharp contrast to current methods for building forms for concrete, which he described as bulky, heavy, and full of fiberglass. In addition, with the Form-A-Tube system, the pumping station continued operating throughout the repairs. "It takes a quarter of the time that it would take to do a regular bridge repair," said Sharp, who added that his clients love it. "If you had to remove the pilings, it would take months. Not only did Form-A-Tube save time, but saved the client's money. It's a no-brainer, and I think that's the future." Sharp plans on using this product on other projects in 2021. Dr. Ehsani had set out to find a more efficient way to strengthen bridge pilings, but also wanted to develop an approach that was friendly to the environment. In contrast with standard cardboard and fiberglass forms that have to be shipped in on 18-wheeler trucks and can only be used once, Form-A-Tubes are reusable. "One of the problems with cardboard tubes is that they are pre-made to specific sizes and heights, which is a challenge for contractors and difficult to transport," said Prof. Mo Ehsani. "Each Form-A-Tube piece has unique ribbing that can be placed inside the form and left in place, creating an attractive and almost impermeable outer shell. Or the tube can be placed on the outside so once the concrete filling has hardened, the pieces can be removed and reused." In a region with unprecedented hurricane destruction and economic challenges and an era of decaying infrastructure across the nation, Form-A-Tube brings new hope for affordable and fast solutions. For information, visit www.Form-A-Tube.com. Media Contact: Nina Trasoff 520-349-0676 [email protected] SOURCE Form-A-Tube Related Links http://www.Form-A-Tube.com California is driving on fumes and living off the residual investments and innovations of past generations. Is it any wonder so many Californians are heading to Texas or Arizona? As a proud Republican, I want to speak to my fellow Republicans about whats unfolding in the wake of this election. Lets call a spade a spade: what President Donald Trump and his allies are attempting to do, both here and in other states, is un-American. As a Republican, I treasure our federalist system I believe in states rights, and I get wary when our federal government oversteps its boundaries and tries to tell a state what to do. Why then are so many Republicans in our federal government and other states telling us that our election was mismanaged and there was widespread fraud without providing evidence? Pennsylvania Republican leaders only repeat the line that all legal votes need to be counted. Sad they lack the courage to express trust in the system they have instituted. Please join me in supporting the honest election officials from both parties in Pennsylvania. William Boyle, Valley Forge, Pa. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Armenian President Armen Sarkisian has become the latest world leader with coronavirus, testing positive during a visit to London. The 67-year-old traveled for leg surgery to the British capital, where he experienced symptoms associated with the coronavirus, Armenian news agencies reported on January 5. Sarkisian, who has largely ceremonial powers, is self-isolating and continues to work, media reported. RFE/RL's Coronavirus Crisis Archive Features and analysis, videos, and infographics explore how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the countries in our region. London is experiencing a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases as a new, more contagious strain spreads through the capital and southern regions of England. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on January 4 announced another lockdown for England to contain the spread. Sarkisian joins a long list of world leaders and officials who have contracted coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic, including Johnson and U.S. President Donald Trump. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian tested positive for coronavirus last year. Armenia has reported more than 160,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,800 deaths from the disease. Based on reporting by Armenpress Union minister for civil aviation Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday lashed out at Congress for attacking the government over the emergency use approval given to the two coronavirus vaccines last week. He also attacked Congress over its comments on the Central Vista redevelopment plan. Puri quoted a tweet posted by Congress leader Shama Mohammed to criticise Congress on both the issues simultaneously and said, Glad at least someone in INC understands the importance of vaccines. Now it will be better if you also educated your party colleagues M/s Jairam & Tharoor on why vaccination is indeed important for the country rather than passing your judgment on a Honble SC judgement. Glad atleast someone in INC understands the importance of vaccines. Now it will be better if you also educated your party colleagues M/s Jairam & Tharoor on why vaccination is indeed important for the country rather than passing your judgment on a Hon'ble SC judgement. pic.twitter.com/TTqUoqPqFi Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 5, 2021 Congress leader Shama Mohammed on Tuesday had tweeted, SC gives go ahead for Central Vista Project. It is a travesty that when the govts priority should have been to vaccinate every Indian as soon as possible, it prefers to splurge taxpayer money on a Rs 20,000 cr vanity project which wont benefit the common man in the slightest! Also Read: Who will opt for a vaccine with question marks on its reliability: Manish Tewari SC gives go ahead for #CentralVista Project. It is a travesty that when the govt's priority should have been to vaccinate every Indian as soon as possible, it prefers to splurge taxpayer money on a Rs 20,000 cr vanity project which won't benefit the common man in the slightest! Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) January 5, 2021 Congress had targeted the government over the approval of vaccines as well as after the Supreme Court okayed the redevelopment plan for Central Vista. Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh attacked the government over the approval of Bharat Biotechs coronavirus vaccine COVAXIN. Also Read: Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech pledge smooth Covid-19 vaccine roll-out On December 3, Ramesh in a tweet pointed out that protocols related to Bharat Biotechs Covid-19 vaccine were modified asking the health ministry to give reasons for clarification. He said, Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, but it is puzzling that internationally-accepted protocols relating to phase 3 trials are being modified for Covaxin. Health Minister @drharshvardhan should clarify. Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, but it is puzzling that internationally-accepted protocols relating to phase 3 trials are being modified for Covaxin. Health Minister @drharshvardhan should clarify. pic.twitter.com/5HAWZtmW9s Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 3, 2021 Tharoor also said that the government was not transparent regarding the side effects of the vaccine. He shared a news clip from news agency NDTV in a tweet and said, This certainly requires investigation & explanation by the government. Minor side effects should not put people off needed vaccinations; but transparency is essential to retain public confidence. Sunlight, it is said, is the best disinfectant! This certainly requires investigation & explanation by the government. Minor side effects should not put people off needed vaccinations; but transparency is essential to retain public confidence. Sunlight, it is said, is the best disinfectant! https://t.co/yKN6yvfgIS Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 5, 2021 Bharat Biotech CEO Dr Ramesh Ella defended the COVAXIN vaccine on Monday and said, We do 200 percent honest clinical trials and yet we receive backlash. Ella also said the results of the Phase III trial will be released soon. Earlier on Tuesday, Dr Ella and Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla issued a joint statement saying that both companies will work together to ensure unhindered supply of vaccines all over India as well as across the world. Also Read: Central Vista project case of misplaced priorities, says Congress after Supreme Court nod On Tuesday, the Supreme Court cleared the Central Vista project, which Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala termed as an exercise of implementing misplaced priorities by whimsical autocrats. The Rs 13,450 CR Central Vista Project is not a legalistic issue but a case of misplaced priorities of a whimsical autocrat seeking to etch his name in the annals of history with cement & mortar, he said. He also accused the government of not taking adequate care of defence personnel braving freezing cold in the Northern regions. 2/3 14,000 CR 8,000 CR 113 37,530 CR https://t.co/8FGND9KMFP Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 5, 2021 3/3 PM 15 26 11,000 ' ' ?#CentralVista https://t.co/PQf4JlTcbt Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 5, 2021 Puri highlighted that it was unnecessary of Congress to protest against a project that has been given the go-ahead by the apex court. Fort Lauderdale, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Splash Beverage Group, Inc. (OTCQB: SBEV) (https://www.SplashBeverageGroup.com), a holding company of leading portfolio of beverage brands, announces today that its CEO Robert Nistico will be Interviewed live on the Emmy Award winning "The Big Biz Show," a nationally syndicated TV and radio show this Tuesday, January 5th, 2021 at 11am PST/2pm EST. The Big Biz Show To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7319/71387_b42724e144a4e977_002full.jpg The Big Biz Show covers current business events, internet-related issues and other hot topics in the business world. The Big Biz Show is seen and heard in over 100 million broadcast TV homes, 150 radio stations in the U.S. and in 175 countries. The Emmy Award winning show was named by TALKERS Magazine as one of the "Top 10 Most Influential Financial Shows." The Big Biz Show can be seen and heard every weeknight on YouTOO America Television Network at 8 p.m. ET, the following morning at 7 a.m. ET, and every weekday on BizTalk Radio at 2 p.m. ET. Additionally, the show can be accessed digitally by visiting BizTVClub.com, where you can watch the Big Biz Show every weeknight at 9 p.m. ET. Nistico will discuss key factors of success and growth initiatives for Splash Beverage Group including: The powerhouse executive team of Industry mavens at Splash Beverage Group, including successes, industry presence and extensive distribution and retail relationships The Company's portfolio of beverage brands on trend with consumer desires and cutting-edge formulas and proprietary packaging technologies Execution of business: Splash prides itself on delivering on time and in line with stated objectives toward exponential growth Acquisitions: Including its recent inaugural acquisition of Copa Di Vino last week. Acquisitions and rollup strategies are a key component to Splash's growth strategy alongside organic, in-house development of brands and products About Robert Nistico, CEO: Robert Nistico To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7319/71387_b42724e144a4e977_003full.jpg Robert Nistico is CEO of Splash Beverages Group. A 28-year beverage industry veteran, Robert was the fifth employee and VP/General Manager for Red Bull North America, where he led the start-up from zero sales to $1.45 billion. Robert is the founder and CEO of Marley Beverages and was responsible for framing out the long-term vision for the company. Earlier in his career, Nistico held executive positions with Diageo and Gallo. A highly motivated, results-driven, creative, and passionate leader with an entrepreneurial spirit and the highest of standards, he has delivered outstanding results in small private start-ups as well as global public environments. His experience has included direct and indirect sales management, strategic brand marketing, production, co-packing, packaging, budgeting, forecasting, profit and loss management, financial modeling, operations, and logistics. Robert serves on the Board of Apollo Brands in Dallas, Texas, and holds an Advisory Board position with Transition Capital Partners, LLC (a private equity firm), also in Dallas. Shareholders- tune in LIVE tomorrow at 11am PST/2pm EST - http://www.biztalkradio.com/Schedule Follow Splash Beverage Group on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SplashBev Learn more about COPA DI VINO on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/CopaDiVino/ Splash Beverage Group, Inc. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7319/71387_b42724e144a4e977_004full.jpg About Splash Beverage Group, Inc.: Splash Beverage Group specializes in manufacturing, distribution, sales & marketing of various beverages across multiple channels. SBEV operates in both the non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverage segments which they believe leverages efficiencies and dilutes risk. SBEV believes its business model is unique as it ONLY develops/accelerates brands it perceives to have highly visible pre-existing brand awareness or pure category innovation. About Copa Di Vino: Copa Di Vino is the leading producer of premium wine by the glass in the United States. Founder and owner, James Martin discovered the concept on a bullet train adventure through the south of France. A year later he brought the technology to his hometown of The Dalles, Oregon located in the majestic Columbia River Gorge. His passion for wine led to Copa Di Vino - wine in a glass - a ready to drink wine glass that could go anywhere without the need for a bottle, corkscrew or glass. Just open and enjoy! Wine is no longer trapped in the bottle! Forward-Looking Statement This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements and factors that may cause such differences include, without limitation inability to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to the proposed transaction or to complete the transactions contemplated by the non-binding term sheet, matters discovered by the parties as they complete their respective due diligence investigation of the other. Other factors include the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close, including due to the failure to receive required security holder approvals, or the failure of other closing conditions. The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Contact Information: Splashbeveragegroup.com info@splashbeveragegroup.com 954-745-5815 SOURCE: Splash Beverage Group, Inc. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71387 BOSTON, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Now, more than ever, employers are looking to revitalize the culture of their companies. This year has been challenging on everyone and corporations are trying to find creative ways to keep their employees engaged for the start of the new year. That's where Boston-based company, Host Events Inc comes in. Aside from their multiple virtual event experiences, Host Events is now offering 2021 Company Culture Plans. Their plans have been curated to promote health, wellness and connectivity. Employers can choose between quarterly and monthly programs that offer two weekly fitness classes, two game night experiences, and monthly educational sessions. All experiences are virtual to accommodate those who are still working from home. All activities are focused to boost everyone's mental and physical health, as well as professional growth. There is also the option for companies to customize their own plans that better align with their company goals. These programs are designed to enhance morale and promote team building in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Allowing people to still feel connected to their co-workers even though they are not physically with them every day. As an added benefit, teams are receiving 15% off additional virtual experiences when they sign up. Culture is a dynamic part of every corporation. It is what sets organizations apart from one another and is one of the leading factors in employee retention. There are several components that contribute to a strong work culture. Many companies choose to focus on employee engagement and social connection as ways to boost workplace morale. An article in Harvard Business Review highlights why it's so important for employers to foster social connections among employees. A positive work environment results in employees getting sick less often, learning faster, and performing better on the job. With these benefits, it's obvious why businesses are starting to invest more in culture initiatives. Host Events is committed to getting everyone to move, think, and grow together. It's time for your business community to reach its full potential with Host Events Culture Plans. SOURCE Host She has been suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder which has similar symptoms to Parkinson's disease Kathmandu: Nepal's former prime minister and chairman of a rival faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is travelling to Mumbai for the treatment of his ailing wife. Prachanda, his wife Sita Dahal and two daughters took a flight to Mumbai via New Delhi from Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday morning. Prachanda's wife has been suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder which has similar symptoms as Parkinson's disease. She is expected to undergo treatment at NeuroGen Brain and Spine Institute in Mumbai, according to party sources. Dr Alok Sharma will head the team of doctors for the treatment of Prachanda's wife, according to Prachanda's aides. Earlier, his wife, who is in 60s, was taken to the United States and Singapore for medical treatment. Last week, she had been admitted to Mediciti Hospital in Kathmandu following a complication in her health. The visit comes amid a political crisis in Nepal after Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, known for his pro-Beijing leanings, in a surprise move, recommended dissolving the 275-member House on December 20, amidst a tussle for power with former premier Prachanda. Acting on Oli's recommendation, President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House the same day and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10, sparking protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 03:18:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steven Terner Mnuchin discussed on Tuesday mutual cooperation and regional issues. During a meeting in Cairo, Sisi affirmed Egypt's keenness to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries within the framework of the strategic partnership, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. Sisi also highlighted the vital role this partnership played in achieving stability in the Middle East region. Meanwhile, Sisi and Mnuchin discussed the recent developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue, adding that Sisi appreciated the U.S. efforts to solve this issue, the statement said. The two sides also reviewed developments in the Palestinian cause and ways to revive the Middle East peace process, Rady said, adding that Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's position which supports reaching a just and comprehensive solution that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people. Enditem It was an interesting day in the world of technology today. On one hand, Xiaomi launched the Mi 10i smartphone in India. On the other hand, Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 480 SoC. In addition to that, Realme announced its Winter sale in India. So, here's what happened in technology today: Xiaomi Mi 10i launched Xiaomi today launched the Mi 10i smartphone in India. It starts at 20,999 for the base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage and it goes all the way to 23,999 for 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 launched Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 480 5G mobile platform. It will power several budget and mid-range smartphones in 2021. Here are all the details. Realme announces Winter sale Realme today announced the special winter sale. This sale started today and it will go on until January 9 on realme.com and its partner platforms including Amazon India, Flipkart and Myntra. You can check all the details here. Google releases January update on Pixel smartphones Google today rolled out Android January security update for Pixel smartphones. This update is available for Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. Qualcomm names Cristiano Amon as CEO Qualcomm Cristiano Amon as its new chief executive officer. He will replace Steven Mollenkopf who retired from the company. SPRINGFIELD An infectious disease specialist at Baystate Medical Center says the states positive test rate for the virus that causes COVID-19 is worrisome as the first vaccinations are underway across the country. The states seven-day average positive test rate rose above 8% in late December and has hovered there for nearly a week. The last time the rate was above 8% was in early June. While this is a lower rate when compared to many other states, it is well above the 5% rate recommended by the World Health Organization for populations not in lockdown. The rate reflects the percentage of tests positive for the virus during a time of expanded testing in the state and underscores other data that shows the virus widespread in many Massachusetts cities and towns and thus the risk for infection as well. Dr. Daniel Skiest, an infectious disease specialist at Baystate Medical Center, called the situation both worrisome and unfortunate. It is definitely concerning as we had it under pretty good control here a few months ago, he said. It is concerning because it means a lot of people are infected or getting infected in the community and more people are going to be infected from them. It really increases exponentially. Skiest said the percent positive rate for the virus which continues to hospital hundreds daily in the state could be eased by people observing public health guidelines. He said the holidays, with some people not following the guidelines and congregating, contributed to higher transmission rates. This is worrisome because, as a result, the hospitals are now pretty much at full capacity, Skiest said. He added, This is unfortunate because we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine and we just need people to buckle down for a few more months to get through this. He also was critical of the federal response to the virus, which spread globally after emerging in China, and the fact that basic precautions such as wearing masks became politicized. Experts recommended steps based on science and what we learned as we went along, he said. Some of that advice was not heeded and we lost ground and time. The crisis has left the countrys health care system incredibly stressed, he said. Still, Skiest said he feels that locally, including Baystate, and the health care system statewide and nationally has held up pretty well and stepped up in the spirit of what can I do to help. Health care workers want to help people even when it means putting ourselves at risk, Skiest said. Hopefully we can get through this sooner than later. Asked what can be done to bring the positive test rate down, Skiest said, As all the health care professionals like Dr. Anthony Fauci keep saying, wear a mask, social distance, dont socialize and go to large gatherings and stay home when you are sick. And now I would add get vaccinated as soon as you can. Skiest said that even with his long career as an infectious disease specialist the complications the disease can cause have surprised him. It started as a respiratory virus but we found out that it is much broader than that and affects every organ system of the body and has a myriad of manifestations, Skiest said. Some that have not been described yet and the effects can be long-lasting. We did not see this early on. The World Health Organization advised governments in the spring that positive test rates should remain at 5% or lower for at least 14 days before they lift emergency public health measures. Nationally, the positive test rate decreased slightly from 12.4% during the week ending Dec. 19 to 12.3% during the week ending Dec. 26, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC looks at a number of factors, including the number of new cases per 100,000 people within the last 14 days, when evaluating risks for transmission in a community. The states average daily case rate of 67.1 cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days is higher than the national rate of 64.7, according to the CDC, and puts it 17th among the states for daily cases of COVID-19 as of Jan. 4. Since the pandemic surged here in March, the state has recorded more then 375,000 COVID-19 cases and nearly 12,400 deaths from complications associated with the respiratory virus. According to the most recent DPH figures, more than 2,300 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized in Massachusetts, with more than 400 in intensive care units. While the vaccination effort is underway, preventive measures such as wearing masks, social distancing and testing are said to remain key to contain the virus, which spreads both by airborne droplets and smaller exhaled particles from an infected individual. Related content: Studies show antigen tests miss many asymptomatic infections. They work best when you're having COVID-19 symptoms, Wroblewski said. Common signs of COVID include cough, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, congestion, runny nose, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Cue and Lucira tests use a newer molecular technology called isothermal amplification that is similar to PCR. Like PCR, it works by copying the virus's genetic material until there are detectable levels. David Pride, M.D., director of the clinical molecular microbiology laboratory at the University of California, San Diego, says that while molecular tests are generally more accurate than antigen tests because they can detect the virus at lower levels, they are still less sensitive and less specific than a PCR test done in a lab. For any at-home test, if you have symptoms and you test positive, it's very, very likely you have the virus, Pride said, and you should go into isolation and get in touch with your health care provider. How confident can you be of a negative result? A negative test can give you more confidence about going into work or visiting a family member, but experts emphasized that it's not a free pass to stop wearing a mask, practicing social distancing or taking other precautions. "The danger is that you'll have people use these tests to say I can safely go see grandma, when they may be brewing an infection that is below the limit of detection, said Gary Procop, M.D., medical director in clinical virology at the Cleveland Clinic. People really need to understand these subtleties, and they're not all on the package insert, he added. Antigen tests, in particular, are likely to miss the virus if you're early in the infection or if you dont have symptoms. A study published by the CDC on Jan. 22 found that Abbott's antigen test identified only 34 percent of COVID-19 infections in people without symptoms. A large-scale review of 68 studies published March 24 found that rapid antigen tests identify about 72 percent of people with symptoms and only 58 percent of those without symptoms. Antigen tests are most accurate when used within the first week after symptoms develop, the review found. The FDA-authorized instructions for use for antigen tests stress that negative results do not rule out COVID-19 and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or patient management decisions, including infection control decisions. If you test negative but have symptoms, reach out to your health care provider, because there's a high risk it's a false negative, Procop said. Your doctor may order a PCR test to confirm your result. How difficult is it to give yourself a test? The authorized at-home tests all require you to collect a sample by swabbing your nostrils, either just inside or a little deeper, depending on the test. The good news: You don't have to insert a swab into the deepest part of your nose like some of the tests performed by health care providers. As a general rule of thumb, make sure you're really swirling it around and hitting skin, Wroblewski advised. Also, avoid blowing your nose right before you take the test. All of the tests include detailed instructions with pictures. When is it better to get the test from a health care provider? If your symptoms are severe or if you are in a group at high risk of complications from COVID-19, some experts recommend getting tested by a health care provider rather than doing an at-home test. "With COVID, your oxygen saturation counts can decrease pretty quickly, particularly if you are in a high-risk group, so you want to make sure someone is monitoring your condition, Wroblewski said. Voters in Georgia will head to the polls today to decide a pair of closely watched races that could dictate the future of the U.S. Senate. The Georgia U.S. Senate runoff pits two Republican incumbents Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler against Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock. None of the candidates reached the 50% needed to win the Nov. 3 election outright, forcing a runoff that has prompted campaign stops from both President Donald Trump and president-elect Joe Biden. Perdue has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015. Loeffler was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve out the term of Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson, who resigned due to health reasons in 2019. Polls open at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. As many as 3 million ballots have already been cast, according to estimates with 957,544 via absentee by mail and 2.07 million from in-person early voting. Counting for all ballots cannot start until polls close on Jan. 5. The outcome of the Georgia races will help decide control of the Senate. The GOP has had the Senate majority since 2014 and wins by Perdue and Loeffler would give Republicans a 52-seat majority. An Ossoff and Warnock win would tie the Senate at 50-50 independent Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine typically vote with Democrats - leaving the deciding vote to Vice President Kamala Harris, also a Democrat. If Republicans win at least one of the races, they will maintain control of the Senate. Late polling shows the races are extremely close. FiveThirtyEight.com shows Ossoff with a 1.4 percentage point lead over Perdue 49.3% to 47.9%. According to the latest polls, Warnock has a 2 percentage point advantage over Loeffler, 49.6% to 47.6%. Achelous Partners, LLC is pleased to announce that Dr. Stephan Wnendt and Dr. Katja Neuer have been appointed as European Representatives. Dr. Wnendt and Dr. Neuer are both based in Germany, which is one of Achelous Partners fastest growing markets in Europe. "Both Dr. Wnendt and Dr. Neuer have significant expertise in the life science sector and have developed client relationships built on over 25 years in the industry. Achelous Partners has completed a number of transactions throughout Germany over the past several years, including for our clients MLM MedicalLabs GmbH, NovaTech Immundiagnostica, LifeCodexx, and IBL International. Germany is a core growth area for Achelous Partners and we have spent many years building relationships with leading life science companies throughout the region. Dr. Wnendt and Dr. Neuer will significantly bolster our ability to assist our clients in Germany, as well as locate new opportunities globally, said Mark Saunders, President of Achelous Partners. Dr. Wnendt and Dr. Neuer join Achelous Partners from MLM Medical Labs GmbH, where Dr. Wnendt served as CEO and Dr. Neuer served as Director of Business Development. MLM is a central laboratory dedicated exclusively to clinical trials. During their tenure, MLM grew organically into a highly profitable central lab with double digit revenue and a highly diversified global client base. Achelous Partners advised MLM on its sale to the US based life science focused private equity fund, Great Point Partners, during 2019. "Achelous has a reputation for best-in-class M&A services throughout the global life science and healthcare sectors and they did a tremendous job completing a very successful transaction for MLM, said Dr. Wnendt. We have developed relationships with many independent life science companies and private equity funds that could benefit from Achelous M&A expertise, and we are excited to work with Achelous to help those companies achieve their strategic and financial goals, added Dr. Neuer. Achelous Partners, LLC is an independent investment bank known internationally for advising on global mergers and acquisitions for life science and healthcare companies, with a focus on sell-side mandates, buy-side mandates, valuations, fairness opinions, restructurings, divestures, and strategic advisory. Based in New York, Achelous specializes in serving a substantial global client base of life science and healthcare companies. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Quang Nam province sets up national park The central province of Quang Nam has announced a decision to establish the Song Thanh National Park based on the Song Thanh Nature Reserve. Fokienia hodginsii tree, a precious wood, is preserved in a primary forest in Quang Nam province. The central province promoted the Song Thanh nature reserve as a national park in protection of endangered flora and fauna (Photo courtesy A Lang Nguoc). The move aims to conserve the provinces rich biodiversity covering nearly 77,000 hectares, of which more than 58,000 was tropical, evergreen primary forest in Nam Giang and Phuoc Son districts. The park area, which will be preserved as one of the biggest carbon stores in central Vietnam, is home to 831 species of flora and fauna, including 38 listed in the Red Book of Vietnam, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)s critically endangered grey-shanked douc langurs (pygathrix cinerea) and the endangered red-shanked douc langur (Pygathryx nemaeus), as well as precious ancient trees. The province said the promotion of the reserve into a national park was a strong commitment to the conservation of endangered fauna and flora and boosting biodiversity research. It agreed to develop the population of the gray-shanked douc langurs the primate species is only seen in five central provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai and Kon Tum. Quang Nam has preserved two nature reserves Song Thanh and Ngoc Linh a UNESCO-recognised world biosphere reserve Cham Islands-Hoi An, and the reserve of sao la, Vu Quang ox, or Asian bicorn (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) (one of the worlds rarest large mammals) in Tay Giang district. The province also warned that illegal logging, hunting and mining in the two districts have polluted and damaged the reserve in recent decades. Eight precious and endangered flora including Ngoc Linh ginseng, condonopsis in Tay Giang, pepper in Tien Phuoc, cinnamon in Tra My, large-size rattan and white corn in Hoi An were included on the list of conservation in the province. An area of 15,000ha of Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis or Vietnamese ginseng) was planted in Nam Tra My district. Up to 19,000ha of critical habitat in Nong Son district was planned as a protection area for groups of the endangered Asian elephant with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Green Annamites Project. The province plans to allocate funds of 4.4 million USD to restore a 100ha forest as a safe habitat for a herd of grey-shanked douc langurs (pygathrix cinerea) living in Dong Co village, Tam My Tay commune of Nui Thanh district in 2019-28./. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. SPRINGFIELD A lawyer for the man accused of trying to burn a Black Springfield church told a judge Tuesday that police arrested the wrong man in connection with a series of fires last month. Dushko Vulchev, 44, of Houlton, Maine, was arraigned on six criminal charges in Springfield District Court including three counts of vandalism and three counts of attempted arson. Police said a series of fires at the Martin Luther King Jr. Presbyterian church were intentionally set using cardboard and wood pallets on three dates in December. Vulchev is charged with setting three smaller fires in mid-December. He is not charged in connection with a blaze on Dec. 28, which did the most significant damage. City officials and religious leaders characterized the last fire as highly suspicious and a potential hate crime. Arguing for $25,000 cash bail, Assistant Hampden District Attorney James Forsyth said a man matching Vulchevs likeness was captured on surveillance cameras throughout the city randomly vandalizing cars and stealing the tires from a Tesla parked at a CVS on State Street. Cameras in the neighborhood of the Concord Terrace church also captured a man who looks like Vulchev driving a grey car with Maine license plates around the time the fires broke out. One set of images shows Vulchev dragging a tire, the prosecutor told Judge Kevin Maltby, and firefighters found a charred tire at one of the fires. But defense attorney Nicholas Raring argued police lacked evidence and the camera footage captured a man who is not his client. He asserted to me that he thought it was very important to tell the court that he is a devout Christian Orthodox, that he would never do something like this. That this is simply a case of mistaken identity, Raring told the judge, arguing for his client to be released without posting bail and allowed return to Maine to await trial. Maltby granted the prosecutions bail request, which Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno railed against as too low a common refrain for the citys leader. A message needs to be sent for the demented actions taken by this individual and any others contemplating these types of hideous and hateful crimes. $25,000 he should be held without bail! Sarno said in a statement. Ask Sherriff Nick Cocchi, weve had a number of very questionable repeat violent offenders being bailed out by advocate groups. What type of message does this send to our Martin Luther King, Jr. Presbyterian Church family? Our African American community? And our brave and dedicated fire, police, and criminal justice professionals? Ill tell you the wrong one! he added. Vulchev has a criminal history that includes a federal conviction for threatening Bulgarian government officials and a state conviction for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Forsyth told the judge the womans parents, who live in Pittsfield, have a restraining order against Vulchev. Rev. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery, pastor of the church, said she hopes the bail is high enough to ensure Vulchev honors his court dates, and that police get to the bottom of the incidents. I really just pray they will continue to investigate and I want to encourage them to investigate so justice will be brought, Curry Avery said. My hope is just to find the answers weve been looking for in this investigation. The church announced it was in the midst of creating a rebuilding fund shortly after Vulchevs arrest. Vulchevs next court date is set for Feb. 5. Related Content: Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Coquitlam, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Greenbriar Capital Corp. (TSXV: GRB) (OTC Pink: GEBRF) ("Greenbriar") is pleased to announce that it has appointed Paul M. Morris, as CEO of Sage Ranch and to be the main principal executive officer representing Sage Ranch in the community and beyond including communicating with the City of Tehachapi, collaborating with local vendors, and leading marketing efforts. Stuart Nacht will be the construction advisor to the Greenbriar team. Paul is a significant Keller Williams' Regional Owner and Regional Director for 3 California Regions (Central & Southern California), where he has oversight of 36 offices and more than 7,000 realtors who close more than $18 billion in sales volume per year. In addition, as CEO of Forward Living, Paul has grown his own offices to become Keller Williams' #1 Franchisee outside of Texas with ownership in 9 offices and with more than 3,000 realtors and $7 billion in annual closed volume. Paul and his team have led Keller Williams Realty to the #1 spot for Market Share in Los Angeles. Real Trends 500 ranks Paul's group as the 24th largest real estate brokerage firm by volume in the U.S. and the 2020 Swanepoel 200 ranked Paul as the 64th most powerful person in residential real estate in the U.S. Keller Williams awarded Paul the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award, he is quoted in Gary Keller's Millionaire Real Estate Investor book, and is a part of the Keller Williams Master Faculty. Paul is the author of the New York Times Bestselling book Wealth Can't Wait (www.wealth.org). Paul embodies servant leadership and we are proud to be in business with him. Paul is a prolific entrepreneur, real estate investor, author, trainer, and business consultant. As an active and consistent investor, he has grown his real estate portfolio to more than 700 rental units and 150,000 square feet of retail commercial space. Prior to working full-time in real estate, Paul had a successful legal career - highlights which include his work at the international law firm Proskauer Rose, and as Senior Counsel at the US Department of Justice consistently reporting to the US Attorney General and Counsel to the President. Paul has a degree in economics from University of Pittsburgh, a Masters in Management from Oxford University, and a JD from Cornell Law School. Paul Morris states, "I am extremely excited to be appointed CEO of Sage Ranch, and I am looking forward to working collaboratively with this amazing community. Over the last ten years that Keller Williams has had a presence in Tahachapi, I have come to know and respect the uniqueness of this wonderful city. At a time when many businesses are scaling back, Sage Ranch offers a boost of economic magnitude for the city of Tehachapi. Sage Ranch will bring the city over $350 Million of construction expenditures, $18 Million of new City fees upon completion, $20 Million of new annual consumer business to the famous historic downtown, and over $3.5 Million of new annual property taxes when completed. This is all in addition to providing the most carbon neutral footprint of any new subdivision in California. The Engineering and Aerospace Communities in need of housing will benefit from this lifestyle choice currently not available in the Antelope Valley or the Greater Bakersfield area. I am proud to be part of this team because we respect the City's desire to have not just any development, but the right developments and I know we will deliver for the City of Tehachapi and all of its current residents." About Greenbriar Capital Corp: Greenbriar is a leading developer of sustainable real estate and renewable energy. With long-term, high impact, contracted sales agreements in key project locations and led by a successful, industry-recognized operating and development team, Greenbriar targets deep valued assets directed at accretive shareholder value. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Jeff Ciachurski" Jeffrey J. Ciachurski Chief Executive Officer and Director 949.903.5906 The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71436 Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Actress Tanya Roberts poses with Roger Moore during filming of A View to a Kill. Photo: AP Photo/Alexis Duclos, File Widespread media reports that James Bond actress Tanya Roberts had died were last night contradicted by her publicist. However, Mike Pingel, the actresss representative who was earlier quoted as saying she had died indicated that she was still fighting for her life in hospital. Pingel had earlier been quoted by US website TMZ saying Roberts had died at the age of 65. The outlet had quotes from her husband and tributes were paid on social media to Ms Roberts, who starred as Stacey Sutton opposite Roger Moore in his final Bond film, A View To A Kill. But Mr Pingel last night told news agencies that Ms Roberts was still alive at 10am local time yesterday and the family was waiting for further news from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. But he added: It does not look good. TMZ first reported Ms Robertss death, saying she had collapsed while walking her dogs on December 24 and was admitted to hospital. The New York actress moved to Hollywood in 1977 in search of fame. Her break came came when she replaced Shelley Hack in TV series Charlies Angels, becoming the third Angel alongside Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd. Online Editors Chinese Businessman Deemed a National Security Risk Fights Australian Deportation Order A Melbourne-based Chinese businessman is fighting deportation after allegedly being assessed as a national security risk by Australian intelligence services. Liu Haha Huifeng, an ex-soldier of the Peoples Liberation ArmyChinas militarywas denied permanent residency on character grounds in September after concerns were allegedly raised by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the acting immigration minister. The Federal Court of Australia has granted Liu a stay on his deportation, allowing him to challenge the decision. Ive done nothing wrong or against Australian law, Liu told the ABC at his Melbourne home. The decision to revoke my visa was extremely unfair, he said. Liu was applying for residency via the Significant Investor Visa scheme, dubbed the Golden Ticket, which streamlines migration for applicants willing to invest AU$5 million into an approved fund or scheme. The attempt to oust Liu from the country follows moves last year by ASIO denying two Chinese academics re-entry into Australia over fears they were engaged in foreign interference. Liu himself has been an active member of the local business community, donating $100,000 of disinfectant to Latrobe Regional Hospital in April, and has lived in Australia since 2014. According to an ABC investigation, sources close to Liu allege ASIO began investigating him in 2016. In the same year, he became president of the Australian Emergency Assistance Association Incorporated (AEAAI), a non-profit organisation that aids multicultural community members in emergencies. In a move that split the AEAAI, Liu entered the group into an agreement with the Chinese consulate in Melbourne in 2017, agreeing to take instruction, report incidents, and provide security risk information to the mission. The signed Letter of Intent also stipulated that the Chinese consulate fund AEAAIs activities. The AEAAI set up a separate entity to receive the funds, according to internal documents. One committee member of the group accused Liu of acting against his own instructions: Hes saying white, but he is doing black. Haha has been telling everyone, especially the committee members, never take a political line, never choose your side, stay away from politics, the member said. But it seems like hes maintaining a very good relationship with the Chinese Embassy and some local politicians. Liu maintained close ties and collaborated with federal Liberal politicians Gladys Liu (no relation) and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar. Gladys Liu worked with Liu to address street crime and even helped him with translation at political events. Outside of this we have no relationship, I have never received any financial support from Mr Liu, the member of Parliament said in a statement released in response to the revelations. I will never support a person or organisation that does not have Australias best interests at heart, she added. Liu was an avid networker seen photographed with former prime ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott, and Malcolm Turnbull, as well as current federal leaders Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. In 2015-16, Liu donated $20,000 to the Victorian Liberal branch. Albanese said the prime minister needed to take the allegations seriously and accused Assistant Treasurer Sukkar of being a rolling problem for the government. Last year Sukkar was alleged to have benefited from branch stacking in his electorate. Scott Morrison has done nothing about itabsolutely nothing, and he remains as the assistant treasurer, and these allegations should be investigated properly, Albanese told reporters on Monday. Last year, ASIO and AFP began a series of high-profile investigations into individuals accused of perpetrating foreign interference. In June, New South Wales (NSW) state politician Shaoquett Moselmanes home and office were subjected to a dramatic morning raid by both agencies. Moselmane later claimed he was cleared during the investigation and was reinstated into the NSW Labor Party. His political adviser John Zhang, who was also subject to the same investigation, has yet to be cleared. Government security officials allegedly found evidence during the investigation that Zhang had meetings with Beijings United Front Work Department, the communist regimes leading foreign influence and infiltration body, and also uncovered $60,000 of cash at his residence. These investigations have occurred under the authority of the 2018 foreign interference laws, which were rushed through Parliament by then-Prime Minister Turnbull in response to continuing reports of Chinese Communist Party-connected foreign interference activities in Australia. In November, 65-year-old Melbourne man Duong Di Sanh became the first person officially charged under the laws. The verbal duel between the chiefs of Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India took place after the DCGI announced the approval of the Covaxin and Covishield vaccines The year 2021 has begun with an unseemly verbal duel between vaccine makers in India, with the heads of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech making public allegations against each other. On 3 January, SII chief Adar Poonawalla said in an interview to NDTV that only vaccines of Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca have proven efficacy, and that other vaccine candidates, including Bharat Biotechs Covaxin, are safe, just like water. (In India, Serum Institute is manufacturing vaccines developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca.) In response, Bharat Biotech chairman Krishna Ella alleged that AstraZeneca was giving paracetamol to volunteers to suppress adverse reactions. This war of words took place after the Drug Controller General of India announced the approval of the Covaxin and Covishield vaccines for restricted use in an emergency situation in a media interaction. DCGI chief VG Somani, however, did not answer questions from the media. Controversies surrounding vaccines Shortly after the DCGI's announcement, some Congress leaders and activists questioned why Bharat Biotech's vaccine was approved without it having completed Phase 3 trials. Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, but it is puzzling that internationally-accepted protocols relating to phase 3 trials are being modified for Covaxin. Health Minister @drharshvardhan should clarify. pic.twitter.com/5HAWZtmW9s Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 3, 2021 The Vaccine has not gone through phase 3 trials, has not been tested for long term side effects, yet Drug controller says it is 110% safe. Let all of Modi's Cabinet & all personnel of Vaccine company & Drug controllers office take it before subjecting our people to it https://t.co/cesbyqlbW1 Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) January 3, 2021 Interestingly, an official government statement has said that permission has been granted to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin "for restricted use in emergency situation in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode..." This would suggest that people who receive the Covaxin shot will be treated as being part of the clinical train. Such a scenario would lead to a number of ethical questions. As noted by an article in The Wire, "If so, will the consent forms specify this? Will there be a control group? What will the data from this trial be used for? Will the rights normally afforded to clinical-trial participants also be afforded to those who consent to receive Covaxin or Covishield?" Further, it is also not clear why the phrase " in public interest as an abundant precaution" is mentioned only for Bharat Biotech and not for Oxford-AstraZeneca. One possibility is, as AIIMS director Randeep Guleria noted, that Bharat Biotech's vaccine is a "backup for emergency situation, which may happen if there is a sudden surge in cases or reinfection." On Monday, Bharat Biotech's chairman Krishna Ella sought to address some of these concerns in a press conference. "It hurts us as scientists. we work 24 hours. Do we deserve this bashing?" he told media persons. Ella further said that Bharat Biotech has published details from its trials in five peer-reviewed journals, according to Business Standard. He also claimed that Covaxin has only 15 percent side effects, the lowest among its global peers. Further, taking a dig at Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine, he said, "The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has 60 percent side effects despite them giving 4 grams of paracetamol to their subjects to suppress these side effects. We have not given any paracetamol to our volunteers. We wanted the adverse effects (fever, pain, etc) to be reported and even then our side effects are around 15 percent only." There have also been other troubling questions surrounding the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being marketed as Covishield in India. In November, a volunteer from Chennai reported neurological problems after receiving the vaccine and sued SII for Rs 5 crore. In response, SII filed a defamation suit against him for Rs 100 crore and claimed that the volunteer's illness had nothing to do with the trial. Several experts have opined that engaging with the volunteer instead of filing a defamation suit against him would have been a better course of action. AstraZeneca and Oxford faced questions in November about their analysis which looks at data from a total of 23,000 people in separate trials with differing protocols after releasing an overview of the results. These centred on the smaller group who were given an initial half dose because of a mistake. The study showed the vaccine had an efficacy of 62 percent for those given two full doses, and of 90 percent in those given a half than a full dose. However, an AFP report quoted Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology at the University of Reading, as saying that the smaller group did not contain any older participants (age 55 or over). "It remains possible that if the regulators allowed the vaccine to be used in this manner, the most at risk group may not be protected," he noted. The Republic of Palau could be among the first countries in the world to have its entire population vaccinated against Covid-19, despite not recording a single case of the virus. According to data from the World Health Organisation, the island nation in the western Pacific Ocean with a population of 18,000 people has not recorded a single coronavirus case or virus-related death. On Saturday, the country received its first shipment of 2,800 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by US pharmaceutical company Moderna. The Republic of Palau could be among the first countries in the world to have its entire population vaccinated against Covid-19 Vaccines were rolled out from the next day. The vaccine must be administered in two separate doses, 28 days apart. Doctor of geriatric medicine Sylvia Osarch, 60, was the first person in Palau to receive the vaccine on Sunday and said she felt 'excited' to lead the way for the rest of her country. On Saturday, the country received its first shipment of 2,800 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine by US pharmaceutical company Moderna 'I felt excited to set an example for my community,' she said, as quoted by CNN. 'I want to tell the community that I took the vaccine to protect them. So when it is their turn to take it, please take it to protect us, the health care providers.' Palau, which contains approximately 340 islands, acted quickly to prevent the virus from reaching its shores and had completely shut its borders by March. The country had begun testing its citizens for the virus by April. The Republic stretches for just 180 sq mi, with Koror being its most populated island with a population of 11,444. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday ordered his close-in security detail to ignore lawmakers if they are called to testify on their covert vaccination activity using unregistered drugs. In his address to the nation, he told Presidential Security Group Chief Jesus Durante to disobey possible summons from the Congress to testify on the much-criticized inoculation as part of "self preservation." Should they decide to attend any legislative investigation, he told them not to disclose any information. "I would ask the PSG to just shut up. Do not answer. Invoke the right against self-incrimination at wala kayong makukuha[ You won't get any information]. And do not force my soldiers to testify against their will," he said in his taped late-night address. He warned members of the Congress to keep their hands off the PSG, saying there will be a "little crisis" if they cite his men in contempt for failing to attend hearings. "I would like to call on Congress na hindi naman ako nakikiusap. Ang ano ko lang diretso na salita na do not tinker with the PSG. Im telling you as President," he warned. Pag ginawa ninyo yan, there will be a little crisis. Nasa inyo." [Translation: I am not asking for a favor. I am telling you not to tinker with the PSG. I am telling you as the President. If you do that, there will be a little crisis. It's up to you.] The Senate is scheduled to look into the government's COVID-19 vaccination plan on Jan. 11, but not specifically on the PSG's covert vaccination. The Makabayan bloc on Tuesday filed a House resolution to probe the "VIP vaccination." Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday said that it is within the President's power to invoke executive privilege by barring his personnel from attending legislative hearings. He said Congress can tap other sources to get to the bottom of the issue. As PSG faces more heat, Duterte defends his personnel, saying they are just doing their job to protect him as mandated by law. "I am prepared to defend my soldiers. I will not allow them, for all of their good intentions, to be brutalized in hearings," he said. The President denied knowledge of the underground inoculation and the brand of smuggled vaccines used by the PSG. This comes weeks after he admitted on national television that "almost all soldiers" have received China-made vaccine Sinopharm even without approval from the Food and Drug Administration. "I dont know really if they were injected with the vaccine, what brand, hindi ko alam. Do not presume na sabi kino-cover up," he said. PSG Chief Durante himself admitted that his team received vaccines, but refused to disclose the source of the unregistered drugs. India Economy India will be a voice for the developing world and against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism, India's Ambassador to the UN has said, asserting that the country will use its tenure on the UN Security Council to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of global peace and security. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti, made the remarks while speaking at a special flag installation ceremony organised at the Security Council stakeout here on Monday. Flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members of the Security Council - India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico - were installed at the stakeout during the special ceremony. On January 1, India began its tenure as non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation UN organ for the 2021-22 term. Tirumurti installed the Indian tricolour and said that as India assumes the membership of the Security Council for the eighth time: "it is an honour for me as the Permanent Representative of India to take part in todays flag installation ceremony." "India comes into the Security Council as the largest democracy representing 1/6th of humanity and with a strong commitment to reformed multilateralism, rule of law, a fair and equitable international system and to peace, security and development. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we stand united as one, bound by our ethos of democracy, pluralism and commitment to fundamental rights," Tirumurti said. He said India will "use our tenure to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of international peace and security. India will be a voice for the developing world." "We will not shy away from raising our voice against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism," he said, adding that India looks forward to "our collective pursuit for an ideal where the World is One Family - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam." The Indian envoy said peace-keeping, peace-building, maritime security, women and youth, especially in conflict situations, and technology with a human face, will receive Indias attention while on the 15-nation Council. Noting that even as the world comes together in solidarity to face the COVID-19 pandemic, Tirumurti quoted Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda to say, "Each nation must give, in order to live. When you give life, you will have life; when you receive, you must pay for it by giving to all others." Tirumurti also expressed gratitude to all the Member States of the United Nations who have given us an overwhelming mandate to represent them in the Security Council. The ceremony was organised in a restricted format keeping in mind the strict COVID-19 protocols. Ambassadors of the other four countries also installed their national flags at the stakeout. Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN Magzhan Ilyassov welcomed the newly elected non-permanent members of the Security Council and expressed confidence that they "will make a sterling contribution" to the Councils work in the two crucial years of modern history. We acknowledge that these five incoming members, because of their prior long-standing experience with the Council, will bring much depth and focus to the issues of peace and security, he said. He paid special tribute to the scientists who have dedicated their efforts to combat the pandemic and develop the COVID-19 vaccines. This new year is the year of hope for all of us no doubt and for our world organisation, global peace, security and further sustainable development in 2021 will largely depend on the decisions of the United Nations and the Security Council with its permanent and non-permanent members, he said. Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the UN and President of the Security Council for the month of January, extended a warm welcome to the incoming members. I hope together with the new elected members, we will manage to create positive dynamics in the Council and make concrete steps towards the resolution of conflicts. In his address to the virtual high-level UN General Assembly session in September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that as the worlds largest democracy, India will bring its years of rich developmental experience for the benefit of the whole world when the country sits on the horseshoe table of the Council. "India will always speak in support of peace, security and prosperity. India will not hesitate in raising its voice against the enemies of humanity, human race and human values - these include terrorism, smuggling of illegal weapons, drugs and money-laundering," Modi had said. India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico join non-permanent members Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam and the five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US in the Council for 2021. India will be UNSC President in August 2021 and will preside over the Council again for a month in 2022. The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States'' names. The tradition of the flag installation ceremony was introduced by Kazakhstan in 2018. The ceremony was unanimously confirmed by all 15 UNSC members to become an annual tradition of the Security Council. TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OPSWAT, a leader in critical infrastructure protection (CIP) and trusted by more than 1,000 global organizations for providing comprehensive and scalable cybersecurity solutions to protect against malware and zero-day attacks, today announced they have moved their corporate headquarters and operations from San Francisco, California to Tampa, Florida. "Relocating our headquarters to Tampa is an incredible milestone that not only signals rapid growth but also our commitment to providing the best-in-class infrastructure protection to our global customers," said Benny Czarny, CEO and Founder of OPSWAT. "While San Francisco will continue to be a strategic office location given its proximity to Silicon Valley and our West Coast partners and customers, we are excited to strengthen our East Coast presence and join Tampa's emerging technology and cybersecurity ecosystem." The Tampa-based headquarters will serve as OPSWAT's 10th global office and its East Coast hub in the United States. The new headquarters location will position the company to better support its growing customer base. Over the next three years, the company plans to hire 100 employees in Tampa to add to its current 350-person global workforce and support its rapid growth. "We are thrilled OPSWAT has decided to relocate its headquarters to Hillsborough County with the addition of new high-quality jobs for our residents," said Pat Kemp, chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. "We look forward to a strong partnership with OPSWAT and are committed to supporting the company's growth in Hillsborough County." "OPSWAT's news is proof that Tampa's momentum for attracting exciting new companies remains strong," said Mayor Jane Castor, City of Tampa. "Tampa is home to a highly skilled and talented workforce and our hope is that other cybersecurity and technology organizations continue to recognize Tampa as an up-and-coming hub for innovation and opportunity." The Tampa expansion comes one year after OPSWAT acquired Tampa-based Impulse, a cybersecurity company with market-leading Software Defined Perimeter (SDP) and Network Access Control (NAC) solutions. The new offerings have significantly enhanced the company's Secure Access offerings and MetaAccess Platform. "We're excited to kick off the New Year with such a big win," said Jim Weiss, chair of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council and Credit Risk Executive with Fifth Third Bank. "Cybersecurity is one of our strategic growth areas and OPSWAT joins a growing list of cybersecurity companies that are thriving in Tampa due to our low costs, highly-skilled talent, and supportive technology ecosystem." About OPSWAT OPSWAT is a global leader in critical infrastructure cybersecurity that helps protect the world's mission-critical organizations from malware and zero-day attacks. To minimize the risk of compromise, OPSWAT Critical Infrastructure Protection solutions enable both public and private organizations to implement processes that ensure the secure transfer of files and devices to and from critical networks. More than 1,000 organizations worldwide spanning Financial Services, Defense, Manufacturing, Energy, Aerospace, and Transportation Systems trust OPSWAT to secure their files and devices; ensure compliance with industry and government-driven policies and regulations, and protect their reputation, finances, employees and relationships from cyber-driven disruption. For more information on OPSWAT, visit www.opswat.com. SOURCE OPSWAT Related Links https://www.opswat.com/ Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Democrat Representative Emanuel Cleaver led the prayer to open the 117th US Congress, and he ended it with "amen and a woman." A prayer session video was posted online, and closing a congressional prayer with those words has provoked ferocity. Many netizens pointed out to Cleaver that "Amen" means "so be it" in Latin, and it has no gender preference. Representative Cleaver is from the 5th District of Missouri and is an ordained Methodist pastor. On Sunday, the Congress requested him to deliver the opening prayer to the 117th Congress, which he decided to make a gender-neutral address. But after the office posted the prayer video online, many pointed out his woke and way of ending the prayer. Many on Twitter jagged out Cleaver's Salmo flaw, all reacting to the "woke" address, including Rep. Guy Reschenthaler. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler wrote on Twitter, "It's not a gendered word. Unfortunately, facts are irrelevant to progressives. Unbelievable." Gregg T. Johnson, a Twitter too, replied to Reschenthaler's tweet, defining Amen as an old English word from Ecclesial Latin from Greek amen, used as an expression of agreement, belief, or affirmation. He also wrote that it has nothing to do with gender. He further tweeted that typical woke, change word definitions to promote narratives & make everything political. As Cleaver gave his prayer to Congress, he also mentioned the Hindu god Brahma before ending it with "Amen and a woman." He said, "We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and "god" known by many names by many different faiths." Matt Walsh, a Conservative blogger, also wrote on his Twitter account, 'Dems open congress with a prayer that ends "amen and a woman." "Amen is a Latin word that means "truly" or "so be it." "A woman" is a nonsense word that means nothing." He continued, "Dems find a way to make everything stupid and nonsensical. Utter clowns, all of them." Another twitter, Erica Heitke, wrote on her wall that she got confused because Representative Cleaver is an ordained United Methodist pastor and has an MDiv from St.Paul School of Theology. She is asking, how did Rep. Cleaver not learn the meaning of the word Amen? She continues that she is very pro-female and that she's never thought of the phrase as male, finally ending her twit that Amen means so be it in many languages. "I was honored to deliver the opening prayer for the 117th Congress, Cleaver said of his prayer." He continues, "May God bless each and every Representative with the courage and wisdom to defend our democracy and the liberties we all hold so dearly." Cleaver's "woke" prayer comes after a committee proposed changes in house rules to "honor all gender identities" and eliminate words with inherent genders such as "father" or "mother." Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi, announced the proposal, saying the action would make the lower chamber the "most inclusive in history" for transgender and nonbinary people. The new house rules would remove gender-specific references such as "man," "woman," "husband" or "wife" in the 45-page text that governs the House. READ MORE: Hong Kong Activists Face Up to Three Years Jail Time in China Following Attempt to Flee to Taiwan via Boat @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Indonesia's Ministry of Health will carry out the distribution in parallel with testing the vaccines made by China's Sinovac (Photo: AFP) Jakarta Indonesia on January 3 started nationwide distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine that was developed by Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech and mass inoculations are scheduled to begin later this month. Indonesian state vaccine producer Bio Farma received 1.2 million doses of the vaccine on December 6 and 1.8 million doses on December 31. During a press briefing, the companys COVID-19 vaccination spokesman Bambang Heriyanto said that all vaccine cold chain facilities at between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius are ready, voicing a hope that it will help ensure the quality of the vaccines. Bambang added that Indonesia has carried out a number of national vaccination programmes in the past so infrastructure would not be an issue. Indonesia plans to inoculate 181.5 million people aged 18 and above, or around 67 percent of its nearly 270 million people, within 15 months. The shots will first be given to its 1.3 million health workers. Another 17.4 million front-line workers will get vaccinated after and then 21.5 million people aged 60 and older will get the jab between January and April. In the second phase, scheduled to run from April this year to March 2022, 63.9 million people in high-risk areas will get vaccinated, followed by the remaining 77.4 million of the targeted population. Indonesia has so far secured nearly 330 million doses from five different suppliers, including Sinovac, AstraZeneca and Novavax. The worlds fourth most populous nation has reported 758,473 COVID-19 infections and 22,555 deaths as of January 3. The Chief Executive of the HSE Paul Reid has this afternoon said the health service is under real threat as swabbing centres are now seeing positivity rates of up to 55pc. Mr Reid took to Twitter to urge people to stay at home unless for essential reasons as he insisted hospitalisations are heading towards their peak, as they did in the first wave. The HSE boss also said the primary and GP services are under relentless strain. Read More Mr Reid said: Our Health Service is under real threat now. We're heading to the peak of hospitalisations as in the first wave. Primary & GP services are under relentless strain. Swabbing centres have positivity rates from 40 to 55pc. Please reduce transmission, stay home and stay safe. There are currently 817 people hospitalised with Covid-19 in Irish hospitals according to the latest HSE data, with 76 of those in ICUs. There have been 79 people admitted to hospital with the virus in the last 24 hours, with these figures expected to deteriorate further. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan yesterday said that the health service simply cannot cope with the level of infection Ireland is currently experiencing, adding that the wave of coronavirus will put too many people in funeral homes. The testing and tracing system employed by the health service has come under increasing strain in recent days with many close contacts of confirmed cases now not receiving tests unless they have symptoms. Instead, close contacts of cases are being asked to isolate for 14 days and contact their GP if they develop symptoms of Covid-19 to be referred for a test. In recent days, GPs received a letter from Dr Nuala OConnor of the Irish College of General Practitioners in which she said targeted testing of people with symptoms may need to be employed as the testing infrastructure comes under further pressure. Dr OConnor said GPs may revert to targeted testing of symptomatic groups rather than testing everyone with symptoms as we did in the first phase of the pandemic. The maximum capacity for testing in Ireland is currently 25,000 daily tests. Read More Online Editors Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Tel Aviv, Jan 5 : Israel has urged the international community to take "a determined response" against Iran after the latter announced that it will increase its uranium enrichment level. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday that Iran's announcement on the resumption of 20 per cent uranium enrichment "should serve as a wake-up call for advocates of a peaceful approach to Iran", reports Xinhua news agency. In the statement, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi called on the international community "not to put up with Iran's defiant moves." He said that Iran's announcement "requires a determined and immediate response". Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a separate statement that Tehran's announcement could be only explained as an "intention to develop a military nuclear program". "Israel will not allow Iran to manufacture nuclear weapons," he said. On Monday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced that the 20 per cent enriched uranium has started to be available at its Fordow facility. The enrichment started at the Fordow facility and has reached the stability level, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman of AEOI, announced on state TV. The uranium is being obtained in two enrichment cascades, he added. While the 20 per cent enrichment used to take 24 hours, new methods adopted by Iranian technicians enable the process to be completed in 12 hours, Kamalvandi noted. Iran already developed the ability to produce 20 per cent enriched uranium after it was denied the supply of uranium fuel in 2010, the spokesman said. The enrichment process was launched as part of Iran's Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions which was approved by Parliament in December 2020, according to Kamalvandi. The Cold Brew Kicker pairs perfectly Iced with Soft Top or Toasted. Yes, you read that right! At Dutch Bros, each drink is completely customizable, which means you can "Toast" your Cold Brew Kicker (& we actually recommend it!) to keep extra warm this winter season. Looking for a milk alternative? Dutch Bros has the drink for you. The Oat Milk Kicker Latte features creamy oat milk and espresso that provides an extra pick me up when you need it most! The Sugar-Free Peach Rebel is the newest Blue Rebel Energy Drink flavor that Dutch Bros customers can enjoy. The subtle sweetness of peach with the rocking zing of a Blue Rebel energy drink makes for a tantalizing experience for your tastebuds! The Cold Brew Kicker, Oat Milk Kicker Latte and Sugar-Free Peach Rebel will be featured through the end of February but are permanent additions to the menu. About Dutch Bros Dutch Bros Coffee is the country's largest privately held drive-thru coffee company, with more than 400 locations and 12,000 employees in nine states. The company is headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon, where it was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas, a private-label Dutch Bros Blue Rebel energy drink and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee. Its rich, proprietary coffee blend is handcrafted from start to finish. In addition to its mission of speed, quality and service, Dutch Bros is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Through its Dutch Bros Foundation and local franchisees, the company donates several million dollars to causes across the country each year. To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit www.dutchbros.com, like Dutch Bros Coffee on Facebook or follow @DutchBros on Twitter. SOURCE Dutch Bros Coffee Related Links https://www.dutchbros.com A senior BJP Member of Parliament, PC Mohan, has stirred up a controversy by demanding that work from home (WFH) regulations for technology workers should be cancelled as it is negatively impacting the business of other sectors. Mohan, a three-time MP from Bengaluru Central, has said that the state which accounts for nearly a third of the IT exports from the country should cancel the WFH option for tech workers. Several other sectors whether it is transportation like cabs, rickshaws, or even the hotel and hospitality sector and real estate maintenance workers are severely impacted because of the WFH option being provided to tech workers. While all other sectors have resumed normal work, why dont tech workers also contribute their bit in normalising economic recovery? The spending done by tech workers in cities like Bengaluru is what sustains and enables other sectors and it is unfair that they are doing WFH, the parliamentarian said while speaking to the media. Pointing out that a large chunk of the economy especially in a city like Bengaluru had been impacted due to the services not being used by tech workers; Mohan has said that he would request CM BS Yediyurappa to talk to the industry, so that they withdraw WFH. If flights, trains and buses are running at almost full capacity what prevents IT and BT workers from going back to work? Let them take whatever precaution is required but they should resume normal working Most technology companies have enabled the WFH option for their employees till the end of June at least. A senior IT industry consultant, Lakshmi Vishwanath, however slammed the MPs demand, The MPs demand is ludicrous. What the pandemic did was made companies realise that several functions can be permanently done outside the office with even greater efficiency. It is like demanding that we should not use mechanized tools in construction industry because it will affect the livelihood of some workers. Even now companies will be careful of bringing back their entire workforce to office premises. That model I think is permanently broken. However, Mohan has said that he would raise the issue with state government so that it could talk to leading technology companies so that they cancel the WFH option for their employees. A man wearing a British union flag face mask walks past a coronavirus advice sign outside a bank in Glasgow the morning after stricter lockdown measures came into force for Scotland, Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021. Further measures were put in place Tuesday as part of lockdown restrictions in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.(Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) England's National Health Service is accustomed to tough wintersand caring for people on overcrowded wards sometimes means moving patients into the corridor. But this is different. Now some are lucky just to get medical help as they wait in an ambulance in the parking lot. Pressure on the nation's hospitals forced the hand of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has plunged the country into its third national lockdown and ordered everyone to stay at home as much as possible for at least the next six weeks. The situation is worsening, said Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst of the King's Fund think tank. "It's not hyperbole to say that the (National Health Service) is going through probably the toughest time in living memory, he told The Associated Press. Anandaciva said some emergency rooms have waits of 12 hours. "I was speaking to an emergency care physician from London last week, and she was saying that half of her shift was spent delivering care in ambulances because they couldn't get the patients into the emergency department, he said. "So you put that all together and you paint a picture of the health service that's under incredible pressure." Johnson announced the tough new stay-at-home order for England that takes effect at midnight Tuesday and won't be reviewed until at least mid-February. Few in England expect any relief until after the traditional late February school break. A woman runs past some graffiti in Edinburgh, the morning after stricter COVID-19 lockdown measures came into force for mainland Scotland, Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) "The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet, but I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle," Johnson told the nation Monday night. "Because with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against COVID and in favor of the British people." Scotland's leader, Nicola Sturgeon, also imposed a lockdown that began Tuesday. Northern Ireland and Wales had already imposed tough measures, though rules vary. Johnson and Sturgeon said the restrictions were needed to protect the hard-pressed National Health Service as a new, more contagious variant of coronavirus sweeps across Britain. On Monday, hospitals in England were treating 26,626 COVID-19 patients, 40% more than during the first peak in mid-April. Many U.K. hospitals have already been forced to cancel elective surgeries and the strain of responding to the pandemic may soon delay cancer surgery and limit intensive care services for patients without COVID-19. Intensive care units are full and spilling over. 14-year old student Isla Stanton, begins her home school lesson via a video link, in Ashford, south England, Tuesday Jan 5, 2021, following new lockdown measures to limit the coronavirus including the closure of schools. The lockdown and home schooling has become a major issue, highlighting the wealth divide with provision of internet connectivity, equipment issues and the impact on upcoming school exams. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out further measures including closure of schools as part of a seven week lockdown period in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.(Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) Public health officials hope the new lockdown will reduce the strains on the NHS while they roll out a national vaccination program that targets older people, health care workers and those particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Britain has approved vaccine shots from two different manufacturers so farone from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Oxford University and AstraZeneca. The government hopes to give a first dose of vaccine to everyone in its top four priority groups, or 13 million people, by the middle of February, Johnson said. While the rollout is complicated, Anandaciva said the structure of the NHS will help it deliver the vaccinations. Besides hospitals, doctors and nurses, it can rely on other allied health care professionals, such as pharmacists, to give vaccine shots. "That's one area where you can really maximize the benefits of having a nationalized service because you can establish hubs, you can pool staff, and you've got a very strong brand to attract people, he said. "I think the NHS is doing quite a good job of setting up the logistics of how you will get the vaccine into the right places." Nearly empty pavements on the normally busy Quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne, northern England, early Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021, the morning after new stay home coronavirus restrictions were imposed. Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out further measures including closure of schools as part of a seven week lockdown period in England in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus.(Owen Humphreys/PA via AP) In the meantime, grants are being given to help businesses further strained by the new rules. Grants of up to 9,000 pounds ($12,200) will be offered to businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. "The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challengeand, whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further,'' Treasury chief Rishi Sunak said. "Throughout the pandemic we've taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we're announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the spring.'' Johnson announced the lockdown after the chief medical officers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales raised the U.K.-wide COVID-19 threat assessment to the highest level. The health system is already under "immense pressure," they said. A man crosses the street backdropped by the Royal Exchange in the City of London financial district in London, Jan. 5, 2021, on the first morning of England entering a third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced a tough new stay-at-home order that will last at least six weeks, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference in response to the ongoing situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, inside 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. England is entering a third national lockdown that will last at least six weeks, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (Hannah McKay/Pool photo via AP) People walk across London Bridge, in London, backdropped by the Shard, the tallest skyscraper in Britain, Jan. 5, 2021, on the first morning of England entering a third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced a tough new stay-at-home order, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) A person walks with an umbrella in light rain in the City of London financial district in London, Jan. 5, 2021, on the first morning of England entering a third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced a tough new stay-at-home order, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) A woman crosses an empty road in Glasgow city centre, Scotland the morning after stricter COVID-19 lockdown measures came into force for mainland Scotland Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) Quiet streets near Edinburgh Castle, the morning after stricter COVID-19 lockdown measures came into force for mainland Scotland, Tuesday Jan. 5, 2021. (Andrew Milligan/PA via AP) A man wearing a face mask to curb the spread of coronavirus walks past traditional red phone boxes in the City of London financial district in London, Jan. 5, 2021, on the first morning of England entering a third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced a tough new stay-at-home order that will last at least six weeks, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) Mounted police officers ride horses as they patrol the City of London financial district in London, Jan. 5, 2021, on the first morning of England entering a third national lockdown since the coronavirus outbreak began. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday night announced a tough new stay-at-home order that will last at least six weeks, as authorities struggle to stem a surge in COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals around the U.K. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) The new measures are similar to those imposed last spring, with people being told to work from home unless it's impossible to do so, and to leave home only for exercise or essential trips such as grocery shopping. Schools across England were ordered to close their doors except for the children of critical workers and most vulnerable children, and shift to online instruction beginning Tuesday. University students won't return to campus until at least mid-February. All nonessential shops and personal care services like hairdressers will stay closed. Restaurants will be allowed to offer takeout services only. New COVID-19 infections have soared in recent weeks as public health officials struggled to contain the new variant, which the government says is 50% to 70% more contagious. The number of confirmed new daily infections in the past seven days jumped 50% from the previous week, and coronavirus-related deaths rose 21% in the same period. Britain has been seeing over 50,000 new infections a day for a week and has reported 75,500 virus-related deaths overall, one of the highest tallies in Europe. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse University will delay the beginning of its spring semester by two weeks in order to minimize the impact of an expected post-holiday surge in Covid-19 cases. In-person classes at SU will resume on Monday, Feb. 8, Chancellor Kent Syverud said today. The semester will end May 21, which is about two weeks later than usual. Starting our semester two weeks later best positions us to resume residential instruction in a manner that safeguards the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and the Central New York community, he said in an email to the SU community. Syverud added the decision was made after consulting with Onondaga County health officials. SU moved to all online classes in early November and initially planned to resume in-person learning on Jan. 25. Syverud said it became clear during the holidays that the coming weeks will be among the most difficult our country and Central New York will experience since the onset of the pandemic. Students who live in university housing can begin moving in on Feb. 1. The delay will give some of the universitys front-line workers a chance to get vaccinated, Syverud wrote. Other prior restrictions will remain in place on campus when students return, like mask mandates, social distancing rules and reduced capacity for gathering spaces. Like last semester, it is on all of us to keep ourselves and those around us safe, healthy and together, Syverud wrote. CHICAGO Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday announced 492,129 thousand non-felony cannabis related arrest records have been expunged at the state level by the Illinois State Police. The announcement comes four years in advance of the deadline set in the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA) signed into law by Pritzker in 2019. Additionally, Pritzker on Thursday issued pardons for 9,219 low-level cannabis conviction records, for a total of mopre than 20,000 cannabis convictions pardoned since the signing of the legislation. Statewide, Illinoisans hold hundreds of thousands low-level cannabis-related records, a burden disproportionately shouldered by communities of color, said Pritzker. We will never be able to fully remedy the depth of that damage. But we can govern with the courage to admit the mistakes of our pastand the decency to set a better path forward. The CRTA required cannabis-related arrest records created between 2013 and 2019 be expunged by Jan. 1, 2021, a total of 47,000 records. With the expungement of all 492,129 cannabis arrest records, ISP is four years ahead of the Jan. 1, 2025 statutory deadline for completing automatic expungements. Pritzker said his administration remains committed to upholding the intention of the law and ensuring the cannabis industry is equitable for all Illinois residents. Under the law, 25% of revenues collected from recreational cannabis sales will be directed to communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the justice system through the Restore, Reinvest and Renew (R3) Program. In the coming weeks, the innovative R3 program will grant over $25 million in funding to organizations working in historically underserved communities across Illinois. The public servants of the Illinois State Police Division of Justice Services have worked diligently on the expungement process for thousands of eligible records across the state, said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. We will continue to work closely with the Governor in the years ahead to implement this new law. For more information on the adult-use legal cannabis industry, go to https://www2.illinois.gov/cannabis/Pages/default.aspx. HOMEL, Belarus -- A man in Belarus, where longtime leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka is under popular pressure to step down, is facing charges over a snowman in his backyard. The man in the Homel district had scrawled across his creation: "Long live Belarus," a popular slogan of the country's protest movement. Photos of the white figure also show him decked out with a red scarf, the two colors of the opposition -- adopted from the flag of Belarus's short-lived bid for democratic independence more than a century ago. A local rights activist told RFE/RL that police on December 29 cited the man for holding an unsanctioned picket. According to Leanid Sudalenka, the man told the officer he should have charged the snowman, who had melted away by that time. "The man suggested the officer charge the snowman, since he was picketing. And although there was no snow, nor snowman, the man will face trial," Sudalenka said. Lukashenka, in power since 1994, has faced months of protests demanding he step down following a disputed presidential election in August 2020. Nearly 30,000 people have been detained, and hundreds beaten in detention and on the streets, in the postelection crackdown by the government. Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusians continue to demand the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. The West refuses to recognize him as the country's legitimate leader after an August 9 election considered fraudulent. The EU and United States refuse to recognize Lukashenka as Belarus's legitimate leader and slapped him and senior officials with sanctions. The vote, which handed the 66-year-old Lukashenka a sixth term, was widely dismissed as having been rigged, with the real winner being opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced to flee to Lithuania shortly after the election. Atlanta: Voters in Georgia cast their ballots on Tuesday in a pair of runoff elections to determine control of the US Senate and potentially the fate of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's ambitious legislative agenda. Republican senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler faced Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker, and the Reverend Raphael Warnock, a pastor at a Black church in Atlanta. Democrats must win both contests in Georgia, which Biden narrowly carried against Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 presidential election, to take control of ... People on the streets of Portstewart at the weekend We were warned well in advance that last month's easing of the Covid-19 regulations would result in a "banquet of consequences" - now it seems like it is going to be served up. Dr Tom Black, chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, made the statement on December 4, following the Executive's decision to loosen restrictions in the run up to the festive season. That same day the Department of Health announced six Covid-19-related deaths, while 449 positive cases were reported. Yesterday - exactly one month later - a further 12 people died after contracting Covid-19 and another 1,801 people tested positive. The country was given a much-anticipated break from lockdown last month as the retail and hospitality sectors were allowed to reopen their doors. Families and loved ones were also permitted to mix indoors for just one day over Christmas. As a result, public transport was packed with commuters heading to Belfast and beyond, shoppers flocked to the high street, and friends and families met at restaurants to take advantage of the temporary restrictions. It's clear that we are now facing the dire consequences of December - daily positive cases have reached record levels and our hospitals are overrun. Health Minister Robin Swann has continually said that it can take at least 10 days before the daily figures reflect the true transmission of the virus in the community so expect figures to rise. Despite all of the warnings by the Executive and medical experts, day trippers still flock to some of Northern Ireland's beauty spots in their droves and New Year's Eve street parties served as super-spreader events. Meanwhile, there are those who have stayed in their homes, haven't ventured out to see their family or friends and isolated themselves from the world - all in an effort protect the ones they love from a deadly virus. On December 4, Dr Black said a "humourless doctor" would - from a purely healthcare point of view - cancel Christmas and the New Year. No one is laughing now. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. My friend buried her husband today. He didn't die from COVID, but he died all alone, a few days after Christmas. Here in the wasteland of fear that California has become, if you enter a hospital, you may never be seen again. Nobody can visit. If you're too unwell to have the strength to communicate via FaceTime or Zoom, you will miss any possible comfort from, or communication with, those who care about you in your last moments. The same is true for those in nursing homes who have suffered for so long. California is shut down tight, the populace barely clinging to sanity, with many people practically too scared to breathe, much less interact with one another in a meaningful way. Masks are worn in cars, on bikes, walking around the neighborhood, as if they are a magic talisman against the COVID virus. Obviously, they are not, given the currently reported state of our state. Hospitals are full of COVID patients, and funeral homes are overflowing with the many who didn't survive it. What the heck is going on? Why is nobody in our dumb, read-the-prompter cadre of local media asking questions and demanding answers? Even the national cable news shows report the never-ending litany of death and fear (seemingly finding only the worst stories to share), but they never ask questions. I have questions simple, pertinent ones I don't seem able to find answers to. How are we treating our infected patients? Are we intervening early with proven treatments, or are we simply allowing them to die? Why? Is it for political and monetary gain? After all, we know there are effective therapies for COVID. Take the case of President Trump. He got the virus and then got treatment with Regeneron's experimental antibody cocktail along with Remsdevir and a steroid called dexamethasone. He was hospitalized for a few days, went home. Trump seems perfectly healthy. Obviously, the treatment worked and worked miraculously well, and it has emergency use authorization from the government. Yet that treatment has barely been mentioned since. Nor, frankly, has any other been mentioned in recent times, much less touted as being used to save lives. All we hear about are the deaths, the fear, and our society being ratcheted shut to quell the spread. Then there are the statistics on hydroxychloroquine. In countries where it's used, we read, there are far fewer hospitalizations and next to no deaths from COVID. These countries have long used the drug to curb malaria. Nigeria, for instance, to quote a Fox News report, has a population of 191 million, zero COVID deaths, and only 254 cases. Peer-reviewed studies indicate that it works when given early enough. When we tested the drug here, however, we did not test it on patients who were recently diagnosed and not that ill yet. Instead, we tested the dying. The funny thing about hydroxychloroquine is that it doesn't work on end-stage disease. Still, based on that "doomed to fail" study, last June, the FDA revoked its emergency use. Most states followed suit. In a handful of places, public pressure put hydroxychloroquine back on the menu of available treatments (see, e.g., Ohio, Minnesota, and Nevada). Additionally, many states still allow its use for non-COVID-related illnesses. But is it being used for COVID in any of these places? Oddly, as reported here, the factory making the precursors to the drug mysteriously burned down in mid-December. I try not to be a conspiracy theorist, but I have heard nothing since about the incident, so I wonder. We supposedly had a huge number of doses stockpiled at the time of the ban, but are they being made available? Are they being used? Right now, the media are still reveling in a body count. They announce that the vaccine will not alleviate masks or lockdowns. It seems clear that they're not asking the questions because they don't want the answers. For our Democrat-run media, the status quo is what they want. Image: Spanish influenza hospital ward, Camp Funston, 1918. Public Domain. Airlines flying to UK to bar passengers who haven't got a negative test within 72 hours To cover all countries including travel corridors If self-isolating, a second test could see traveller leave quarantine after 5 days New policy finalised Tuesday, full details in next 48 hours UK set to tighten border restrictions, UK arrivals likely to need negative coronavirus test to gain entry, non-essential UK departures banned The UK government is set to tighten restrictions on international arrivals to the UK as part of the new lockdown measures to combat escalating cases. All non-essential travel from the UK is also prohibited under the new lockdown restrictions. Tougher restrictions set to be introduced on UK arrivals The UK government banned inbound travel from South Africa from December 24th following fears over the new variant of coronavirus which originated in South Africa. On Tuesday, Cabinet Office Minister Gove stated that the UK was due to make an announcement on closing its borders in the days ahead. The government is considering introducing a requirement for international arrivals to have a negative coronavirus test before travelling to the UK. There are expectations that hauliers would be exempt from the move. During the day, there were further discussions between the Westminster government and the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is not clear whether the requirement for a negative test would also apply to UK citizens returning to the UK. It is also not known whether there will also be changes to the current quarantine demands for UK arrivals. Non-essential travel banned under new lockdown measures Under the new rules announced for England, it is not possible to leave home to travel abroad unless there is a legally permitted reason to do so such as for essential work purposes. Travel companies have started to cancel holidays given the new restriction of overseas departures. Companies such as Tui and Thomas Cook have cancelled all departures up to January 31st. Tui also commented that; customers currently overseas can continue to enjoy their holidays as planned and we will update them directly if there are any changes to their holidays. New EU rules increase restrictions on UK travel Following the UK formally ending the EU transition period on December 31st, the country is classified as a third country for the purposes of the EU and this has increased restrictions. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that the UK infection rate was below that of the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden in the final week of 2020, but the latest data indicates that the UK rate is only below that of the Czech Republic and Slovenia. Travel to Spain is currently banned unless it is essential or you are a Spanish national. The situation is the same in France, Italy and Germany and most European countries. Indeed, the only countries which would accept UK non-essential arrivals are Greece, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia, although these countries require a negative covid test. Given that travel from the UK is banned this is academic at present. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Scientist and broadcaster Liz Bonnin has said she is broken after her losing her mother to coronavirus. In a hard-hitting social media post, the wildlife expert and environmentalist praised medical staff for their care and compassion during her mums final days over Christmas. But she expressed her despair at the mishandling of the pandemic and her frustration that policymakers did not act on scientific advice. She also pleaded for an end to the fear and division caused by misinformation and conspiracy theories. And she urged wealthy nations to wake up to the futility of prioritising economic growth over environmental and human health. Ms Bonnin, who was born in France but raised in Ireland, is now based in the UK and her mother was in the care of the National Health Service there. She said staff had show her how beautiful we humans can be - compassionate, dedicated, strong, selfless, brave, honest, empathetic - traits that as a society we seem to have forgotten we are all capable of as we continue to deepen the divides between us out of fear. She continued: I dont know how to start healing from the way mum had to die but what I do know is that she was a victim of the ongoing mishandling of the pandemic, and the blatant misunderstanding of what it takes to contain the virus and therefore protect the economy. We didnt listen to and act on the science. My world crumbled as I watched her suffer the consequences of what we continue to prioritise in much of the global north at the cost of environmental and human health, in an age of blind partisanship, rampant misinformation and absurd conspiracy theories. Ms Bonnin, who has a degree in biochemistry from Trinity College Dublin and a masters in wild animal biology, first came into the public spotlight here as a member of the girlband Chill and then moved to childrens television. But she swopped celebrity for science and has gone on to become one of the best known faces in science, wildlife and environmental programming, working for the BBC and other UK channels, RTE and international broadcasters such as Discovery Channel. She recently joined forces with Sir David Attenborough in programmes on the climate and biodiversity crises, and was made president of the UKs Wildlife Trusts. But despite her globetrotting career, she has retained close ties with Ireland and teamed up with Professor Luke ONeill for a series of Science Week broadcasts on RTE last November. She is normally protective of her private life but felt driven to address the issues raised by Covid and her personal loss. She said: I dearly hope that in my lifetime we will collectively wake up and reject our addiction to monetary gain and short term political goals, and recognise the true value of connectedness, community, wellbeing, kindness and caring for our planet and each other. She added she would continue to get unbiased, science-based information about Covid-19 from trusted sources. Online Editors Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Italy on Tuesday postponed the return of high schools as part of new coronavirus restrictions, as a charity warned thousands of students were dropping out after months of distance learning. Teenagers will return to class on January 11 instead of January 7, when younger children go back to schoolbut then still only for half their time, under a new government order. Many face further delays as several regions had already decided to postpone the return of high schools until the end of January, judging them too risky. Italian teens have only been in face-to-face classes for a few months in the past year due to the spring lockdown and further restrictions imposed at the start of a second wave in the autumn. Italy has been one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 75,000 deaths so far. The charity Save the Children warned Tuesday that the pandemic had "severely affected" the lives of millions of youngsters and said distance learning had caused "perhaps irreparable damage". It published a survey of 14 to 18-year-olds in which 28 percent said they had at least one classmate who stopped attending lessons, warning tens of thousands of school students may be dropping out. The 1,000 teens surveyed cited the difficulty in connecting online and lack of concentration, while 37 percent said their own ability to study had been negatively affected. Save the Children also warned of the risks to children who do not have the technology or the space at home needed to work online. "We run the risk that long absences from school will turn into permanent abandonment and that many girls and boys in this serious economic crisis will end up swelling the ranks of exploited labour," said Raffaela Milano, director for Italy-Europe. The government also extended a ban on moving between regions until January 15 and confirmed bars and restaurants would stay shut over the weekend of January 9 and 10. The whole of Italy was put into a high-risk "red zone" for most of Christmas and New Year, up to January 6. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Luo Jiamang, former general accountant of China's biggest food trader COFCO, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office over serious violations of Party discipline and laws, the country's top anti-graft body announced on Monday. The announcement came on the heels of an investigation into Luo by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. Luo, also a former member of COFCO's leading Party members' group, has lost his aspirations and convictions and attempted to obstruct the investigation into his case, according to an official statement. Flouting the eight-point code on Party and government conduct, he accepted gifts, reimbursed his personal expenditures, and attended banquets that could have affected the fair execution of his official duties, the statement read. The investigation also found that Luo was responsible for disposing of state-owned assets at low prices and illegally intervening in engineering projects. Additionally, Luo took undue advantage of his position to defraud huge public funds and seek benefits for others in terms of enterprise listing, issuing additional stock and contracting business, it added. Luo's acts constituted serious violations of Party discipline and serious duty-related malfeasance, and he is suspected of the crimes of embezzlement and accepting bribes, read the statement. His illicit gains will be confiscated and suspected crimes will be transferred to the procuratorate for examination and prosecution. ATLANTA: President Donald Trumps ongoing efforts to overturn the 2020 election results laid out in stark detail in an hourlong weekend phone call with a Georgia election official are demonstrating his unrestrained determination to maintain a grip on power no matter the consequences for the nations democratic traditions. Trump, in a Saturday phone call, pressed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to overturn Joe Bidens win in the states presidential election. The president repeatedly cited disproven claims of fraud and raised the prospect of a criminal offense if officials did not change the vote count, according to a recording of the conversation. Trump has ventured into uncharted and dangerous territory since his Nov. 3 defeat, becoming the first president who lost an election to try to hang onto his office by rejecting the will of the voters and casting aside results of the Electoral College enshrined in the Constitution. Trumps refusal to concede, undermining the democratic tradition of a peaceful transfer of power and hindering the transition to a Biden administration, is particularly risky for the nation when it is grappling with a surging pandemic that has killed more than 350,000 Americans. Paying little heed to the virus in recent weeks, the president has largely abdicated day-to-day governing to instead focus on his efforts to cling to power. On the phone call, Trump peddled anew conspiracy theories, disinformation and outright lies, insisting that he won Georgia despite multiple recounts that show the contrary. He repeatedly argued that Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, could change the certified results. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, Trump said. Because we won the state. Biden won Georgia by 11,779 votes. The call showcased Trumps evolution since Nov. 3. At first, he privately accepted that he had been beaten even as he publicly protested, hoping to show his loyal supporters that he was still fighting while eyeing his own future, politically and financially. But as the weeks have gone on, Trump has embraced the narrative that his victory was stolen. His shrinking inner circle is now largely populated by those peddling conspiracy theories. The president lives in a media echo chamber made up of conservative television and social media voices amplifying his claims of fraud. Asked if he felt like the president was pressuring him to do something illegal, Raffensperger told The Associated Press on Monday: I think he was looking for any kind of advantage he could get, and I just dont see how hes going to get it. Raffensperger added that Georgias presidential votes were counted three times first right after the election, then in an audit that hand tallied the results and finally in a machine recount at Trumps request. If they support a challenge of the electors for Georgia, theyre wrong, dead wrong, Raffensperger said. Members of Congress will have to make a decision about the results in the other states, he added, but in Georgia, we did get it right. Im not happy with the result, as a Republican, but it is the right result based on the numbers that we saw cast. Trumps renewed intervention and his persistent and unfounded claims of fraud come nearly two weeks before he leaves office and in the leadup to twin runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday that will determine political control of the U.S. Senate. It also added intrigue to plans for Trumps rally in Georgia on Monday night likely the last of his term in which he was supposed to boost the two Republican candidates. In a rage after the Raffensperger call, Trump floated the idea of pulling out of the rally, which could been devastating to GOP chances in what are expected to be a pair of razor-thin races. But Trump was persuaded to go ahead with the rally as a stage from which to reiterate his claims of election fraud and to present, as he tweeted Monday, the real numbers from the race. Republicans, though, worried that Trump might focus on himself and depress turnout by undermining faith in the runoff elections and not promoting the two GOP candidates. Raffensperger reiterated his frustration with disinformation that has proliferated since the election, much of it emanating from the Oval Office. He expressed fears that Trumps baseless claims would not only undermine the democratic process but could hurt Republicans chances. People wonder about the best way to vote after false information has caused them to distrust both absentee ballots and the states voting machines, he said. That is not a good message for you to ever get out to your base, he said. Egged on by Trump, a dozen Republican senators have announced that they would support up to 100 House colleagues in challenging the Electoral College certification process on Wednesday. Wary of Trumps Twitter account and hold over their partys base, many other Republicans were slow to speak out, allowing the president to sow doubt for weeks and undermine Bidens legitimacy with much of the population. Among those who spoke out Monday, Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a member of the GOP House leadership team, deemed the presidents call deeply troubling. GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said the call was a new low in this whole futile and sorry episode. He commended election officials who have discharged their duties with integrity over the past two months while weathering relentless pressure, disinformation, and attacks from the president and his campaign. Audio snippets of the conversation were first posted online by The Washington Post. The AP obtained the full audio of Trumps conversation with Georgia officials from a person on the call. The AP has a policy of not amplifying disinformation and unproven allegations. It annotated a transcript of the call with fact check material. Various election officials across the country and Trumps former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud in the election. Republican governors in Arizona and Georgia, battlegrounds crucial to Bidens victory, have also vouched for the integrity of their state elections. Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, which has three Trump-nominated justices. ___ EDITORS NOTE Jonathan Lemire has covered the White House and politics for The Associated Press since 2013. Kate Brumback has reported from Atlanta for the AP since 2008. ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Atlanta and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berger Montague is investigating potential securities fraud claims against Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") on behalf of investors who purchased Northern Dynasty securities (NYSE: NAK) between December 21, 2017 and November 25, 2020 (the "Class Period"). If you purchased Northern Dynasty securities during the Class Period, have questions concerning your rights or interests, or would like to discuss Berger Montague's investigation, please contact attorneys Andrew Abramowitz at [email protected] or (215) 875-3015, or Donnell Much at [email protected] or (215) 875-4667, or contact us at www.bergermontague.com/northern-dynasty. A recently filed lawsuit accuses Northern Dynasty and its senior management of misleading investors about the Company's proposed Pebble Project, a large mining project in Alaska, and its prospects for securing a permit from federal and state regulators. Northern Dynasty repeatedly touted its progress in obtaining the necessary permits for the Pebble Project and assured investors that its design entailed a substantially reduced development footprint and new environmental safeguards for the mine. Investors first began to learn the truth on August 24, 2020, when the U.S. Army announced that the Pebble Project "cannot be permitted" as currently proposed, as it would significantly degrade the environment and result in significant adverse effects on the aquatic system or human environment. Then, on September 21, 2020, the Environmental Investigation Agency released recordings in which Northern Dynasty executives secretly revealed that the Company intended the Pebble Project to be far bigger than publicly represented. Finally, on November 25, 2020, Northern Dynasty announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had rejected its Pebble Project permit application. On this news, shares of Northern Dynasty fell 50%, from a closing price of $0.80 per share on November 24, 2020 to $0.40 per share on November 25, 2020. If you purchased Northern Dynasty securities during the Class Period, you may seek Court appointment as lead plaintiff to represent other injured investors in a class action. The lead plaintiff appointment deadline is February 2, 2021. You do not need to be a lead plaintiff to share in any potential Class recovery. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. are encouraged to confidentially assist Berger Montague's investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under this program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to thirty percent (30%) of recoveries obtained by the SEC. For more information, contact us. Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., and San Diego, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States. Contacts Andrew Abramowitz, Senior Counsel Berger Montague (215) 875-3015 [email protected] Donnell Much, Associate Berger Montague (215) 875-4667 [email protected] SOURCE Berger Montague Related Links https://bergermontague.com Governments successes, challenges and pipeline initiatives in the previous year is being brought to the fore as President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in keeping with the time-honoured constitutional tradition, delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament The nature of the address does not only reflect on past initiatives President Akufo-Addo is expected to touch on critical issues that may set the tone for his second term in office after being declared the winner of the presidential election on December 7, 2020. SONA is highly significant for a participatory democracy such as Ghanas that is characterised by an open and transparent relationship between the government and the people. The President addresses the nation and informs Ghanaians of the governments work. President Akufo-Addo will, as per constitutional practice, appear before Parliament to give his address for the fourth time since becoming President of the country. According to Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution, the President shall, at the beginning of each session of Parliament and before a dissolution of Parliament, deliver to Parliament a message on the state of the nation. The President, who is gearing up for his inauguration on Thursday to continue with his stewardship for another four-year term, is therefore expected to announce some new initiatives and programmes as well as do an assessment of ongoing projects and policies which would ultimately chart a path on which his administration would be steering the development of the country. Economy Highly expected on the roll of priorities is the state of the countrys economy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first case of which was recorded in the country in March last year. Much of 2020 has been consumed by the coronavirus pandemic and the global economic crisis it sparked. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Ghanas economy had been forecast to grow by 6.8 per cent this year, near its seven per cent average growth rate in 20172019. The governments spending in response to the pandemic, estimated at GH11.7 billion in 2020, mainly funded the public-health interventions and the economic relief package. In all, the estimated net fiscal cost of the coronavirus crisis is GH25.3 billion in 2020, equivalent to 6.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mostly, the government paid for this by taking emergency loans, including from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Bank of Ghana, thus widening the 2020 projected fiscal deficit to GH44.1 billion or 11.4 per cent of domestic productivity (GDP) one of the highest deficits in history. After signing off from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), President Akufo-Addo in his last February State of the Nation Address gave a provisional data for the first three quarters in 2018, which according to the President also indicated a strong real GDP growth of 6.0 per cent and which was higher than the annual target of 5.6 per cent while the real GDP growth for 2019 was projected at 7.6 per cent. Currently, the GDP growth target for 2020 had been readjusted to 1.9 per cent due to the pandemic. True, COVID-19 has highlighted the nations development deficits, such as inadequate health infrastructure and mostly primitive housing conditions, and the government is right to make bridging these deficits a priority. It is, therefore, the expectation of many Ghanaians to hear a lot more from President Akufo-Addo on the next line of action to the people. Revenue Revenue mobilisation, which has a lot to do with the health of the countrys economy, also comes to mind and it is one of the subjects which could not escape the attention of the President Akufo-Addo in his last address to parliament to end his first four-year term. It posed the biggest challenge in the management of the countrys economy, with the tax exemption policy said to be proving to be a major obstacle to fiscal stability. It is, therefore, the expectation of many Ghanaians that the government would do a lot more to change and improve the trend with the introduction of pragmatic measures. New regions The ongoing development of the six new regions, which were created last year, is also one of the major highlights to be on the radar of President Akufo-Addo as he mounts the dais in the Chamber of Parliament to address the House and the nation. After the handing over of the constitutional instruments to the six new regions and the three development authorities, the government decided to provide each of them with GH20 million to cater for the running of the regions. The government also provided each constituency with a million dollars for development and so it is the anticipation of all that President Akufo-Addo would tell the house about works that are ongoing in each of the 275 constituencies around the country and in particular the new regions in terms of its administration and the entire development process. The President has maintained that he would ensure an equitable distribution of the countrys resources and how that had panned out would feature prominently in his address as well as the impact on lives. Education In his last address, President Akufo-Addo assured of the construction of 10 state-of-the-art Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Centres as well as 16 model senior high schools (SHSs) in Zongo communities. A ceremony was performed at the Tema Technical Institute last year to cut the sod for work to start on the project. And as part of measures to demystifying science, mathematics and technology, 10 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) centres was also on the bill to be built around the country to provide support for the introduction of STEM into basic education. The Free SHS policy is the governments flagship programme, receiving much of the education funding as well as annual budget funding amount from the oil revenue. The President will, therefore, tell the nation the preparations in place to absorb the first batch of Free SHS students and the development of infrastructure in SHSs as well as the universities to completely phase out the track system for school attendance. The reopening of schools on January 15, 2020 as announced by the President in his last nationwide broadcast has also become topical and the President is expected to touch on it today. There is also the tertiary education policy bill which continue to raise lots of concerns within the academia and among the university communities. Housing Housing, which is so dear to many Ghanaian workers, is also expected to be given a higher priority considering the construction and commission of some significant housing unit prior to the December 2020 elections. Already, President Akufo-Addo in his February address told the House that the 2019 budget had made provision for the construction of 200,000 housing units, and a database of local and foreign developers has been created to help make this policy a reality. It is, therefore, the expectation of many that he would touch on the subject to give Ghanaians something to cheer about today. Stimulus package The woes of the banking sector as well as the support in terms of stimulus packages for small and medium scale enterprises which were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for customers of banking and financial institutions whose money were locked up, is also to be a major highlight in todays address. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. ANN ARBOR, MI After nearly 18 years leading Ann Arbors legal department, City Attorney Stephen Postema has announced plans to retire. Speaking publicly at a City Council meeting Monday night, Jan. 4, Postema gave notice he will step down next year so he can spend more time with family. More specifically, my wife was diagnosed recently with cancer and has been fighting this battle with the excellent care team of the U of M Hospital, he told council. We have had to address shorter- and longer-term implications of her condition and it is clear that I will need to cut back my work commitments in the longer term to address this situation. They received some positive news for the near term about her response to treatment very recently, Postema said, adding he waited to make his decision about when to retire until receiving that information. Council Member Ali Ramlawi, D-5th Ward, acknowledged Postemas commitment and service to the city, saying its obvious he does it for more than just the paycheck. Its going to be difficult to find someone who does the work for the reasons that make it such a great position, Ramlawi said, adding its a job with a lot of responsibility. Mayor Christopher Taylor said he has been grateful for Postemas service to the city and legal advice to council. Hes been indispensable and will continue to be so until he chooses to wander away, Taylor said. City Attorney Stephen Postema speaks at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting Jan. 4, 2021.CTN Postema, an Ann Arbor native who started on the job in city hall in April 2003, recalled he wrote in his application for the position 18 years ago he would be proud to represent Ann Arbor as city attorney. That remains true and its been an honor, he said. Postema makes $190,035 as city attorney. He is the longest-serving city attorney since the 1956 city charter made the position an employee of the city. Bruce Laidlaw, who served as city attorney from 1978 to 1992, previously held the record. Postema doesnt have a specific retirement date in mind, but it will be sometime in calendar year 2022, he said. In the meantime, he wants to work with council members on a succession plan to fill his shoes. In 2016, Postema assured council he would stay in his position until at least July 2020 and provide at least one years notice before retiring. That was to assure council he would complete a succession planning process for several positions in his office. Since 2017, Postema has replaced five attorneys in his office who retired or left the city with an average of 37 years of legal experience and an average of over 16 years with the city, he said. Most recently, Senior Assistant City Attorney Kristen Larcom retired after 30 years with the city. Postema has hired John Reiser, a longtime Washtenaw County assistant prosecutor, to replace Larcom. In addition to Reiser, attorneys working under Postema now include Arianne Slay, who ran for county prosecutor last year, Kevin McDonald, Margaret Radabaugh, Tim Wilhelm, Christopher Frost and Betsy Blake. Feeling he has assembled a strong team, Postema said its time to carefully plan filling his own position. Ann Arbor councilwoman accuses city attorney of being loyal to the mayor The city attorney and city administrator are the only two city employees who report directly to City Council and it will be up to council to hire Postemas replacement. Having at least a year to do that gives the new council time to work with the new city administrator, Tom Crawford, as they chart a course for the city, Postema said. As the council moves into 2021, which will have many challenges, Postema said he hopes council moves forward in a manner that will frame city governance in a positive way and encourage many attorneys to step forward and consider the position and opportunity for public service. He looks forward to continuing to work with council on the important task of taking care of the city in the year ahead, he said. The city is currently involved in multiple court cases, including litigation against polluter Gelman Sciences and an ongoing lawsuit over the citys water rates. In nearly 18 years, Postema has worked with four city administrators, two mayors, over 40 council members and several police chiefs, fire chiefs and department heads. He is past president of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys and received an Outstanding Service Award from the Michigan Municipal League in 2012. He also was named a Leader in the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly in 2013. Prior to becoming city attorney, Postema was a partner at the Bodman LLP law firm, specializing in commercial and employment litigation. A 1977 graduate of Pioneer High School, Postema earned a bachelors degree in history and science from Harvard University in 1981 and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1985. Postema has been writing reflections about his life in Ann Arbor and sharing them on the Ann Arbor Townies! Facebook page. In November, he shared a humorous, Thanksgiving-themed tale about being trapped inside Dicken school on open gym night in 1972. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Washtenaw County prosecutor rolls out new policy to end use of cash bail 24 Ann Arbor developments to watch in 2021 Savit sworn in as Washtenaw County prosecutor, begins work to reshape justice system Ann Arbor transit system to restore Ypsilanti services, update routes University of Michigan students spring semester is all online, so shes headed to Hawaii The card, which is designed to be encrypted, will store facial recognition features, fingerprints, and anthropometry. Hanoi police has set up mobile teams to issue chip-based identity cards for local residents throughout the city. The citizens eligible to be granted chip-based identity cards are those who are 14 years of age or older and have never been issued an identification card, or people whose identity card is damaged, lost, or expired. Hanoi police encourage these cases to replace their identity documents with a chip card. First people apply for chip-based identity cards at the Department for Administrative Management of Social Order under Hanoi police on December 31 morning. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn It is estimated that by July 1, 2021, some 2.5 million people will be issued chip-based identity cards. Old ID cards without chip are still valid until expiration or anyone wishing to replace their ID cards with chip-based one will be able to do so after June 30, 2021. Colonel Nguyen Hong Ky, deputy director of Hanoi police, said that the introduction of more secure chip-based ID cards which are able to store more information would accelerate the administrative reform and the application of e-government. The chip-based identity card is a smart card thatmeet international standards and requirements with the latest encryption technology. Information of 20 different fields like insurance, driving license, tax, health insurance, among others would be incorporated into the card in a project that is now available for feedback from relevant agencies. The card, which is encrypted, will store facial recognition features, fingerprints, and anthropometry. Notably, it would be highly secure and shielded against counterfeiting. It can store much more information than identity (ID) card with barcode that has been issued since 2016. Currently, Vietnamese citizens are using either nine-digit ID cards, 12-digit ID cards or ID cards with barcode. Over the past 63 years, the ID card in Vietnam has undergone five changes. The first nine-digit ID card made debut in 1957. It was renovated in 1964 and 1999. The 12-digit ID card was introduced in 2012 and ID with barcode in 2016 and now available in 16 cities and provinces. The Law on Citizen Identification in 2014 stipulates that people from 14 years old are eligible to be granted an ID card and it will be renewed when they turn to 25, 40, and 60 years old. Chip-based or electronic identity cards promise to supply a universal, nation-wide mechanism for user authentication. Hanoi police will increase the time of receiving ID card applications (seven days per week) at police offices at districts and towns. Hanoitimes Anh Kiet-Tuan Dat At least six people including two civilian volunteers who back up anti-jihadist security forces in Burkina Faso were killed in an attack in the north of the country, a local elected official said Tuesday. "Armed individuals attacked the village of Loumbila yesterday (Monday) evening," the official told AFP, requesting anonymity. He said six people had been killed "including two volunteers" and three wounded including one seriously. Short link: Drugs Controller General of India has given a nod to Covishield and Covaxin for emergency use. In the preparation of actual vaccination, dry run is currently underway in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. India has remained in a constant battle against covid. On January 3 the DCGI gave a nod to the use of two covid-19 vaccines, namely, Oxford-AstraZenecas Covishield and Bharat Biotechs Covaxin for emergency use. PM Modi also hailed the move, stating it as a step towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat due to the manufacturing of both vaccines taking place in India. Meanwhile Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have released a joint statement pledging to provide global access to their covid-19 vaccines. However, it is to be noted that Covaxin as of yet has only been approved as a backup if required to inoculate a larger number of people in the light of the new variant. In contrast to SIIs Covishield, it will be used in clinical trial mode with consent taken and side effects monitored. Hitting out at critics who are questioning the efficacy of the vaccine, Bharat Biotechs MD Krishna Ella has stayed firm on the vaccines credibility, stating that they dont deserve this backlash and will be ready with Phase III data in some days. While the dates for vaccine roll out have not yet been confirmed, 50 million doses of Covishield and 20 million doses of Covaxin are ready for use in India. The country has also been in constant preparation for the actual rollout, conducting dry runs all over the country to chart the procedure beginning from storage to the administration of the vaccine. Also read: Balochistan horror: Gunmen kill 11 Hazara Shia coal miners, ISIS claims responsibility Also read: India gets Covaxin & Covishield vaccines; 50 mn doses ready Dry run for Covid-19 vaccine rollout is currently underway in 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Additional Chief Secretary (Health), Amit Mohan has stated that the dry run exercise will help them identify gaps in preparation & take corrective steps so that everything is conducted smoothly when actual vaccination is done. Meanwhile, Bihars CM Nitish Kumar has stated that Bihar will be following central guidelines for vaccination procedure, wherein the vaccine priority will be given to healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people above 50 years. Also read: China revises defence law to bolster Xi Jinpings military powers In the cool afternoon shade, volunteer Amber Clark snipped gnat-infested fur from Gizmo, the small dog fitted with a plastic cone to keep him from nipping back during the grooming process. Gizmos owner, James Finney, stood by patiently. After the pooch was neatly shorn, volunteer Rob Martin stretched a purple sweater over the pups head and and fastened a red collar around his neck. Finney, 43, wearing a ball cap with Marines embroidered above the bill, clipped a light blue leash lined with a pattern of white bones to Gizmos red collar. He scooped up the dog in his arms and thanked the group for their time. I was thrilled, said Finney, who was homeless until recently. A lot of us dont have the money to take care of our animals. Clark and Martin are volunteers for Hope 4 Hounds, a nonprofit that offers free veterinary care at Communities Under the Bridge, formerly known as Church Under the Bridge, for pets of San Antonios unsheltered population. On ExpressNews.com: Homeless get 3-star treatment at hotel to help stop spread of virus On this particular afternoon, the new nonprofit attended to a pit bull and two chihuahuas, among others, at the church on the East Side. Ross and Jill Powell, who founded the nonprofit, said services include health checks, vaccinations, spay/neuter surgeries and implanting microchips. They hold clinics every six weeks. Microchipping the animals has had positive results. A missing dog was found because of the chip, and the owner chose to surrender it. The Powells found the dog a home within 24 hours. The chip also enabled the nonprofit to reunite an owner with his dog who had been stolen and taken away from San Antonio on a train. The thieves jumped off the rails in Central Texas near Bryan-College Station where they left the dog. Clark, the Powells daughter, drove to Bryan, retrieved the dog and reunited happy pet and owner. The team, made up of 10 to 12 volunteers, has cared for 43 dogs to date. Most of the breeds, the couple said, have been chihuahuas. The small dogs are easily carried and dont require a lot of food. During the pandemic they have provided more than 1,500 pounds of donated dog food to clients at the clinics. The nonprofit team includes their personal veterinarian Lisa Montoya-Espina and Paul ONeil, a veterinary tech from Irving. Espina, 33, and her husband, Mark, 38, lent a hand at the recent clinic. The veterinarian said aside from the medical aspect, its nice to offer a service thats beneficial for not only the pets, but their owners, too. As a Christian outreach program were here to show Gods love to our four-legged friends, Mark Espina said. ONeil, 49, said the nonprofits mission aligns with his work for mobile vaccination clinics in Dallas and San Antonio. Wanting to volunteer, he found the nonprofit after a google search. His company has donated anti-tick and flea medications to keep their clients dogs healthy. Their pets mean everything to them, ONeil said. When youre homeless you have to do what you have to do. Im glad there was something like this taking place. Hopefully we can do more in the future. Dianne Talbert, executive director of Communities Under the Bridge, said partnering with the nonprofit has benefited many of the people they serve. Just because their mommy and daddy are homeless doesnt mean they shouldnt have shots and everything, Talbert, 64, said. Well continue to do these to make sure their pets are taken care of out on the street. The groups other partners include Canines for Christ along with PetShotz and the Callaghan Road Animal Hospital that both provide spay/neuter services. The Powells are on the Canines for Christ national board and local chapter leaders. For the past 18 months, Ross Powell has been the lead cook on the fourth Sunday of the month for Communities Under the Bridge. The churchs volunteers serve an average 220 people who are homeless each Sunday. Among those who come for dinner, the couple met people who would feed their dogs before themselves. Jill Powell recalled the story of one pet owner who moved off the street to live in a long-term hotel. Their dog, Elsa, wasnt allowed in the room. The Powells put the dog in a foster home for three months. Now, the woman and her husband live in their truck so they can have their dog by their side. Thats the power of the animals influence, Powell, 51, said. We have a heart for the homeless. So in November 2019, the couple, both self-employed, came up with the idea of Hope 4 Hounds. Thirty days later, the 501 (c) 3 was born. The Powells, avid canine lovers, have five dogs of their own: Haley, Halo, Hollie, Mollie and Rocco. Four of the pets are rescues and one is a gift from their daughter. According to Pets of the Homeless, 5 to 10 percent of Americans who are homeless have cats or dogs. The Powells estimated that 10 percent of the people living on San Antonio streets have pet dogs. It keeps people alive, Ross Powell said. The recent clinic wasnt the first time that the nonprofit had tended to Finneys dog. In March, they had to cancel their inaugural clinic because of COVID safety protocols. A month later, Gizmo and Artemis, a small shepherd mix, and four puppies were the first clients at the nonprofits first mobile clinic. The exams took place from the back of the Powells Suburban, near the San Antonio Zoo. The nonprofits founders knew Finney from a Christian assistance ministry event, downtown near Travis Park. That spring day, sunlight reflected off the empty blacktop lot as the group, wearing masks and gloves, provided free vaccines and health checks along a wall of green foliage. Ross Powell acted as a scribe and filled out intake forms, documented the shots and results of heart worm tests. Jill Powell helped with the paperwork and held each canine after the veterinarian finished the exams. They provided masks to Finney and a companion. It was very rewarding, Ross Powell, 61, said. We were able to help these folks and their pets stay safe. Ross Powell said they are hoping to expand their services in the future, including offering foster care for pets of men and women who are escaping domestic violence. They hope to work with confidential fosters to care for pets temporarily with the goal of reuniting them with their owners when its safe. The couple said only 3 percent of domestic violence shelters allow pets. Ross Powell said the only people who would know of the boarding would be the foster volunteer and the victim so the abuser couldnt locate them. Theres a need to reach out to different pockets around the city, Jill Powell adding, noting there are encampments of homeless across San Antonio. We need to go to them rather than them coming to us. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Vincent, become a subscriber. vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis Addis Ababa, Jan 5 : Conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray regional state has displaced 2.2 million people, a government official said. "There are 2.2 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Tigray, half of them are whose houses were burnt and lost all their properties, the other half fled by foot to regional cities including Axum, Shire, Adigrat and Mekelle," Gebremeskel Kassa, head of the region's Interim Administration Office, told the media on Monday. "The IDPs are under great risk, and we're undertaking widespread mobilisation in collaboration with the federal government to provide aid to them," he said. At least 4.5 million people need emergency aid, Kassa said, warning the final figure is likely to be much greater as his office has been unable to make a comprehensive study across the region, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, majority of the health facilities in the region have been destroyed or were looted during the conflict, he added. Ethiopia's federal government has been undertaking military operations in the conflict-ridden regional since November 2020 against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPLF, which used to rule the region, reportedly attacked a command base of the Ethiopian Defenve Forces. The clash followed rising tensions between Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party and the TPLF, as each side accused the other of trying to destabilise the country. Mounting differences between the two sides exacerbated in September 2020, when the Tigray regional government decided to go alone with its planned regional elections, which the country's Parliament had previously postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. On December 22, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and 30 other partners had appealed for $156 million to meet "the critical humanitarian needs" of Ethiopian refugees fleeing the conflict through the first half of 2021. The urgent financial appeal is also expected to strengthen the preparedness to receive refugees in other countries in the region in case of further refugee movements, according to the UNHCR. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Russia-occupation forces have not violated the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine since early Tuesday, there have been no combat losses, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reports. "Since the beginning of this day, as of 12:00, no violations of the ceasefire by the armed formations of the Russian Federation have been recorded," Defense Ministry spokesperson Yulia Shevchenko said in a daily report on the situation in the JFO area. Also, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the command of the Russian Armed Forces limited the intensity of combat training activities for the units in the temporarily occupied territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions during the New Year and Christmas holidays. "At the same time, during this period, in separate divisions of the first and second army corps, training sessions on driving combat vehicles, fire training, including launching missiles from anti-tank missile systems, training in fire control of regular artillery and mortar crews are held. At the same time, the advanced units of the occupiers are in an enhanced mode of service," the Main Intelligence Directorate reported. At least 19 persons, who arrived from the United Kingdom recently, are missing in Patna, officials said on Monday. Patna Civil Surgeon, Dr Vibha Kumari, said that the matter has been handed over to the police. "The Patna airport has given the list of passengers who came from the UK from November 23 to December 31 and their addresses. When health officials went to their houses to put them under quarantine, they found they were missing. Since their mobile numbers are untraceable, it is extremely difficult to trace them out and put under quarantine," Vibha Kumari told IANS. The UK is witnessing surge in corona cases after detection of a new variation which causes a higher infection rate. Hence, India's Health Ministry had issued fresh guidelines for passengers returning from the UK these days. "New versions of coronavirus are considered as more transmissible. Hence we have to find them to prevent transmission of the deadly virus to others. The acts of these passengers are extremely irresponsible and are a threat to other persons. "They could face legal action under the Disaster Management and Epidemic Acts. We will also recommend authorities for cancellation of their passports as well," she said. Kelsey Stratford's father has revealed that her sister eight-year-old Kennedy almost died from coronavirus after it 'impacted her whole body'. Kennedy, who has genetic condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy, was released from hospital in November after battling the virus as well as sepsis. And speaking over a month after his daughter's arrival home, Kelsey's father Paul opened up about the youngster's horrifying ordeal, admitting they family 'didn't know if she was going to make it.' Battle: Kelsey Stratford's father has revealed that her sister eight-year-old Kennedy almost died from coronavirus after it 'impacted her whole body' 20-year-old TV star Kelsey's sister was admitted to Great Ormond Street hospital in November, with the family fearing the worst as Kennedy fought Covid-19 and sepsis in intensive care. It's said that Kennedy, who spent thee weeks in hospital, was one the first SMA type 1 patients to fall ill with the virus. Paul told The Mirror: 'We didn't know if she was going to make it. She went through a torrid time, it literally impacted her whole body. It was awful to watch. 'The doctors told us they were changing the antibiotics they were giving her, and that it needed to work because there was nothing else they could do.' Tough time: Speaking over a month after his daughter's arrival home, Kelsey's father Paul opened up about the youngster's horrifying ordeal, admitting they family 'didn't know if she was going to make it' The doting father went on to add that the family are desperate for the government to make clear when high-risk children will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccines currently being rolled out, as no timetable has yet been outlined. He added: 'There are a large group of vulnerable children who will lose their lives if they catch the virus. We're not asking to jump the queue, we just need to know what's going on.' He went on to say that there are many 'extremely vulnerable' children who would greatly 'benefit' from having the vaccine. Despite her release from hospital, Kennedy still suffers from swollen kidneys and will have a scan next month to determine if there is any damage from the virus. Little fighter: Kennedy, who has genetic condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy, was released from hospital in November after battling the virus as well as sepsis In November, Kelsey opened up about her family's fears for Kennedy as she battled for her life in hospital. In an interview with MailOnline, Kelsey spoke of her longing for Kennedy to make a full recovery, as living at her family home without her sibling was unbearable. Kelsey explained that Kennedy's condition weakens her immune system and she's spent every winter in intensive care after catching colds and on worse occasions, pneumonia. She said: 'I am positive she will beat it but it's never happened before to an SMA type 1 patient, they have never caught something like this so we all don't know what's going to happen. Difficult: 'The doctors told us they were changing the antibiotics they were giving her, and that it needed to work because there was nothing else they could do' 'Kennedy has been in intensive care every winter, her entire life. But she is really struggling with Covid. We're heartbroken. 'She is in the best place, she is in Great Ormond Street intensive care and my stepdad is doing a really good job helping her with her treatment and I know how strong Kennedy is. 'Now she has sepsis, it makes it a lot more serious because she has that on top of Covid, which was terrible anyway. It's really not good at the moment but the doctors are doing everything they can.' Kelsey, who found fame on TOWIE in 2019, was forced to move out of her family home so she could continue working this year, while sister Kennedy shielded from the virus. Sacrifices: Kelsey, who found fame on TOWIE in 2019, was forced to move out of her family home so she could continue working this year, while sister Kennedy shielded from the virus Despite the family's careful efforts in protecting vulnerable Kennedy from the disease, she was hospitalised with Covid last week. 'We did try so hard,' Kelsey continued. 'She hasn't left the house since the first lockdown. I moved out for three months because we were shielding her, no one was coming in or out of the house. 'For my mum and stepdad, not leaving the house for such a long time has been hard. It drives you crazy. For Kennedy as well, she must have been so bored. 'But when lockdown was over, we started going to shops, so it she could have caught it from anyone. She has such a low immune system she catches everything.' Struggle: The TOWIE star revealed Kennedy's hospital admission on Instagram in November, revealing she was 'heartbroken' as her disabled sibling was rushed into intensive care after contracting coronavirus Kelsey was just 12-years-old when her sister was born and diagnosed with SMA, which is a disease that affects the central nervous system and skeletal muscle movement. Kennedy had a twin brother Karter, who sadly passed away within a year of being born, when Kelsey was a child. Kelsey explained: 'When I was a kid I didn't really understand what was going on and it became normal to me. 'Kennedy would be rushed to hospital and stop breathing, as a kid I look back and I'm so upset as I was so young going through all that. 'It has completely changed my home life because the focus is on Kennedy 24/7 whereas when I was younger, it was on me and we were always going out together as a family. It is hard.' Emotional: Kelsey shared a close up photo of her sister in hospital, as she said: 'Im so sorry my little baby. You can do this' The TOWIE star revealed Kennedy's hospital admission on Instagram in November, revealing she was 'heartbroken' as her disabled sibling was rushed into intensive care after contracting coronavirus. Sharing a picture of Kennedy in her hospital bed, she wrote: 'So as you can imagine me and my family are all heartbroken because yesterday Kennedy got rushed into hospital and got tested positive for covid19. 'She is really fighting but she has severe breathing problems as it is so I can only imagine how hard it is for her now. she is in intesive care (sic).' Kelsey went on to explain in another post: 'My little sister kennedy got rushed into hospital yesterday and tested positive for COVID19, we are all so heartbroken as kennedy has severe breathing problems from her terminal illness SMA as it is. 'She doesn't deserve this': Alongside pictures of her sister over the years, Kelsey claimed 'life is so cruel' after her sister was diagnosed with COVID-19 and asked fans to send their prayers 'So this is very dangerous for her. Kennedy was high risk to covid & we tried our best to shield her from this terrible virus but unfortunately because of her low immune system she caught it. 'She is in intensive care but really fighting like she always does, so i just need everyone to keep her in your prayers and hopefully she gets through this my strong little girl she doesnt deserve any of this (sic).' On the latest series of TOWIE, Kelsey opened up about the difficulties of being Kennedy's sister and hosted a Ping-Pong event to raise awareness for SMA. Doting sister: On the latest series of TOWIE, Kelsey opened up about the difficulties of being Kennedy's sister and hosted a Ping-Pong event to raise awareness for SMA Kennedy even cameoed on an episode, as Kelsey proudly showed co-stars Chloe, Demi and Frankie Sims a video of her sibling. She said: 'Before I spoke about my sister on the show, everyone thought I was normal and lived a good life that's why you can't judge a book by its cover. 'I loved it and she loved it too, she's a big fan of the show, she watches it every week. She was really happy to be on it. She thinks she's more famous than me now though!' Bracing for possible violence, businesses in the nation's capital are being boarded up as the National Guard is mobilized ahead of planned protests by President Donald Trump's supporters as Congress meets Wednesday to accept the Electoral College votes. Trump's supporters are planning to rally Tuesday and Wednesday, seeking to bolster the president's unproven claims of widespread voter fraud. ' 'There are people intent on coming to our city armed,' D.C. Acting Police Chief Robert Contee said on Monday. Trump supporters on the National Mall hang flags ahead of anticipated pro-Trump protests this week, in Washington, DC Workers place wood panels to reinforce window panes on a commercial building ahead of anticipated pro-Trump protests Workers board up buildings near Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington in preparation for a rally on January 6, the day when Congress is scheduled to meet to formally finalize the presidential election results Mayor Muriel Bowser has called in the National Guard to help manage potentially violent pro Donald Trump protests this week Mike Davis, a former Law Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said that Trump supporters were not the ones to riot and loot 'We have received some information that there are individuals intent on bringing firearms into our city and that just will not be tolerated,' he said adding that anyone found doing so or provoking violence would be arrested. Thousands of Trump supporters, including some far-right nationalist groups that openly carry arms at protests elsewhere, are expected to converge on the U.S. capital starting on Tuesday to oppose Congress' certification the next day of the Republican president's November 3rd election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Contee said the protests could be bigger than November and December rallies marred by stabbings and brawls as hundreds of Proud Boys, a group of self-described 'Western chauvinists,' and other Trump loyalists clashed with counter-protesters, and sought fights with antifa, or anti-fascists, and Black Lives Matter activists. A pro-Trump rally in December ended in violence as hundreds of Trump supporters, wearing the signature black and yellow of the Proud Boys faction, sought out confrontations with a collective of local activists attempting to bar them from Black Lives Matter Plaza, an area near the White House. Right-wing conservative groups plan to protest against the US Congress on 6th January counting the electoral college votes and stores are boarding up in preparation for the rallys Workers place wood panels to reinforce window panes on a commercial building ahead of anticipated pro-Trump protests, in Washington The protesters are attempting to overturn the presidential election that US President-elect Joe Biden won. Trump continues to share tweets about the event, writing Sunday: 'I will be there. Historic day!' On Monday, Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, Henry 'Enrique' Tarrio, 36, after he arrived in Washington ahead of this week's protests. Tarrio was accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington during the December protests. A warrant had been issued for Tarrio's arrest for destruction of property, police said. He was also facing a weapons charges after officers found him with two high-capacity firearm magazines when he was arrested, a police spokesman said. The president announced last month that he would be attending the 'wild' protest tweetin: 'Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!' Trump has repeatedly encouraged this week's protests and hinted that he may get personally involved. Over the weekend, he retweeted a promotion for the rally with the message, 'I will be there. Historic Day!' At a November rally, which drew about 15,000 people, Trump staged a limousine drive-by past cheering crowds in Freedom Plaza, on the city's iconic Pennsylvania Avenue. And at the December rally, which drew smaller numbers but a larger contingent of Proud Boys, Trump's helicopter flew low over cheering crowds on the National Mall. Congress is meeting this week to certify the Electoral College results, and President Donald Trump has refused to concede while whipping up support for protests Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested National Guard troops and urged residents to avoid downtown Bowser's office told media outlets on Monday that she had asked the National Guard to send about 340 unarmed troops to help District of Columbia police and firefighters manage demos The mayor advised Washington residents to stay out of the downtown area and refrain from engaging with protesters who 'come to our city seeking confrontation.' A stage is set up on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, Monday in preparation for a rally on January 6, the day when Congress is scheduled to meet to formally finalize the presidential election results Various road closures have been announced in D.C. to allow the demonstrations to take place The protests coincide with Wednesday's congressional vote expected to certify the Electoral College results, which Trump continues to dispute, falsely claiming that Biden won the election through massive vote-rigging. Election officials from both political parties, governors in key battleground states and Trump's former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud in the election. Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two rejected by the Supreme Court. Congress is constitutionally mandated to certify the presidential election results on Wednesday, in what would normally be a formality overseen by Vice President Mike Pence. But at least 12 Republican senators and some 140 Republican House of Representatives members pledged to vote against certification of Biden's win, citing Trump's election fraud allegations. On Wednesday, a joint session of Congress will count the certified electoral votes to confirm Joe Biden as the new President A sign is posted near the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, in preparation for a rally on Wednesday Mayor Bowser said hat guns won't be permitted at this week's protests, and she may yet impose a curfew Jose Lopez, left, and Marvin Ramirez, right, both from Washington, install boards on the windows of the St. Regis Hotel near Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington Their move will not change the outcome, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, told the news conference. 'Our Constitution will endure. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the president and the vice president of the United States' when they are inaugurated on January 20. Now with downtown D.C. businesses boarding up their windows, Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested a limited National Guard deployment to help bolster the Metropolitan Police Department. Bowser urged residents to stay out of the city center, where boards hung during racial justice rallies last summer still cover office, restaurant and hotel windows. During a press conference on Monday, Bowser asked that local area residents stay away from downtown D.C., and avoid confrontations with anyone who is 'looking for a fight.' But, she warned, 'we will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents or cause destruction in our city.' According to a U.S. defense official, Bowser put in a request on New Year's Eve to have Guard members on the streets from Tuesday to Thursday to help with the protests. Mike Davis, a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, said that Trump supporters were not the ones to riot and loot. '@realDonaldTrump supporters werent the ones rioting, looting big-screen TVs from Best Buy, tearing down Lincoln statues, torching churches, throwing rocks at police, and beating up innocent bystanders. Those were #BLM, #antifa, & other @JoeBiden supporters', Davis tweeted. A stage is set up in front of the White House. Around 15,000 Trump supporters are expected Portable toilets are set up on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington Her request was approved by Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller it was reported Monday. The official said the additional forces will be used for traffic control and other assistance but they will not be armed or wearing body armor. Congress is meeting this week to certify the Electoral College results, and Trump has refused to concede while whipping up support for protests. Some 340 D.C. National Guard members will be activated, with about 115 on duty in the streets at any given time, said the defense official, who provided details on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The official said Guard members will be used to set up traffic control points around the city and to stand with district police officers at all the city's Metro stops. Contee said Guard troops will also be used for some crowd management. 'Some of our intelligence certainly suggests there will be increased crowd sizes,' said Contee. D.C. police have posted signs throughout downtown warning that carrying any sort of firearm is illegal and Contee asked area residents to warn authorities of anyone who might be armed. A member of the Proud Boys is stabbed during street fights in Washington DC after a Stop the Steal rally protesting the United States presidential election results on December 12 At least four protesters have been stabbed after violence erupted between the Proud Boys and Black Lives Matter counter-protesters following the second Million MAGA March in Washington D.C. last month Because D.C. does not have a governor, the designated commander of the city's National Guard is Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. Any D.C. requests for Guard deployments have to be approved by him. The defense official said that there will be no active duty military troops in the city, and the U.S. military will not be providing any aircraft or intelligence. The D.C. Guard will provide specialized teams that will be prepared to respond to any chemical or biological incident. But the official said there will be no D.C. Guard members on the National Mall or at the U.S. Capitol. At previous pro-Trump protests, police have sealed off Black Lives Matter Plaza itself, but the confrontations merely spilled out to the surrounding streets. Contee on Monday said sealing the area again was 'a very real possibility' but said that decision would depend on the circumstances. 'We know that historically over the last few demonstrations that BLM plaza has been a focal point,' Contee said. 'We want to make sure that that is not an issue.' The National Park Service has received three separate applications for pro-Trump protests on Tuesday or Wednesday, with estimated maximum attendance at around 15,000 people, said Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst. On Monday, a stage was being assembled for one of the protests on The Ellipse, just south of the White House. Members of the far right group the Proud Boys and BLM activists have running street fights in Washington DC after a Stop the Steal rally protesting the presidential election results Thousands of the president's loyal followers gathered outside the Supreme Court to protest on December 11 Organizers plan to rally on Tuesday evening at Freedom Plaza and again all day Wednesday on the Ellipse, including a 1pm Wednesday march to the Capitol. Expected attendees include high-level Trump supporters like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican strategist Roger Stone, a longtime Trump devotee whose three-year prison sentence was commuted by Trump. Stone was convicted of repeatedly lying to Congress during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. During the December 12 pro-Trump protests, at least two local Black churches had Black Lives Matter banners torn down and set ablaze. Contee said the hate-crimes investigation into those incidents was still ongoing and that his officers would be out in force around area churches to prevent similar incidents. 'We will be increasing our visibility around the churches in the area,' he said. On Monday the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against the Proud Boys and Tarrio on behalf on one of the vandalized churches, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. 'We will not allow white supremacist violence to go unchecked by the laws of the land,' Rev. William H Lamar IV, pastor of Metropolitan AME, said in a statement. ERBIL, Iraq Reports that Iraq has issued an arrest warrant for a member of a powerful armed group and arrested another have led to tentative hopes for the future of holding outlaws to account in the country, despite claims that some leaked documents were false. A planned protest on the first anniversary of the Jan. 3 assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani by US drone strike and the Iran-linked Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis just outside the Baghdad airport failed to attract as many participants as had been expected. Concerns over threats about a major attack on US forces or interests as revenge for the assassination also did not materialize. One of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi pledges when sworn in on May 6 following months of a government void and massive protests across southern and central Iraq was to bring all arms under state control. The extent toward which progress has been made on this front almost eight months later has been the subject of heated debate but has taken on greater urgency as the drawdown of US troops continues. Fewer foreign troops in the country is seen by some as a risk to Iraqi security, while others feel it is a positive step toward less interference in the country. Following an attack on Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone on Dec. 20 in which at least eight rockets were fired according to Iraqi military sources and 21 according to a US Central Command statement, a member of the well-known armed group Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) was also arrested. He was arrested on criminal charges linked to the Dec. 20 attack on the US Embassy in the Green Zone. Despite being an Iran-linked faction, AAH has at times engaged in significant outreach to local communities in Sunni-majority areas. In the central Salahuddin province, for example, this journalist has in previous years met with members of the largest Sunni-majority tribe who joined the local branch for the sake of a salary. On Dec. 26, a man often referred to as a security official for the Iran-linked armed group Kataib Hezbollah and who goes by the name Abu Ali al-Askari on social media threatened the prime minister that if he continued to test the patience of the resistance factions, he would have his ears cut like a goat. Iran-linked armed groups operating independently of the Iraqi state often use the term resistance factions when referring to themselves. A warrant was reportedly issued for the Kataib Hezbollah security officials arrest in late December shortly after Askaris tweet appeared and the alleged official document was leaked to the media. Some later reported that the document was fake. Requests for comment sent to both an Iraqi Interior Ministry official and a Kataib Hezbollah spokesman had not been answered by the time of publication. Twitter had blocked Askari's account earlier in March after he threatened various Iraqi officials including Kadhimi, in his role as head of the countrys intelligence service. Askari had accused the current prime minister of involvement in the Jan. 3 assassination last year. Some Iraqi armed factions linked to Iran also criticized the tweet and Askaris threats. As prime minister, Kadhimi is commander-in-chief of the armed forces; several of these groups have brigades that are part of the official Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which receive government salaries and pensions. Askari claimed in a tweet that not even Iranian intelligence services would be able to protect Kadhimi, with some observers noting that in so doing he drew a distinction between Irans Intelligence Services Ministry and the parallel service run by the countrys Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Social media, meanwhile, was awash in the final days of December in cryptic, angry vows of revenge by supporters of armed groups close to those killed in the US attack last Jan. 3 and in speculation about what the Iran-linked factions were planning. Kadhimi has made a point of heading to the streets in times of tension since taking office in May to shore up the publics confidence in his government and security services. He paid a visit to Tarmiya long known as the center of Salafi recruiting near the capital after a sniper killed a high-ranking military official in July. He was recently shown in videos walking confidently through the streets of Baghdad after the attack on the Green Zone in December. However, many decry his governments apparent lack of progress in finding and prosecuting the killers of such high-profile targets as renowned Iraqi counterterrorism expert Hisham al-Hashimi, who was assassinated in Baghdad on July 6. Many claim Hashimi was likely to have been killed by armed factions linked to Iran. Kataib Hezbollah spokesman Mohamed Mohi had on Nov. 20 stressed to this journalist that Kataib Hezbollah is a jihadi faction that adopts Islamic law and works to spread it and defend it. In relation to rocket attacks that month, he had said that given the circumstances Iraq is in and the US post-election transition, it is illogical to carry out military actions against US targets. The spokesman for the US-designated terrorist group, which nonetheless has brigades within the official Iraqi PMU forces, went on to say that it is necessary to look for who is benefiting from these attacks since there are US, regional and Iraqi parties that do not want the American forces to withdraw from Iraq and there are some that are working to push the defeated Trump administration to carry out an attack targeting the resistance factions and the PMU. Meanwhile, some less publicized signs of an improvement in law enforcement and state control have been seen. For example, Iraqs customs revenue reportedly rose by approximately 41% between June and November 2020 compared with the previous year. This, as some commentators have pointed out, is likely in large part due to reducing militia control of customs points through bulking up military oversight of them. A Sylvester Turner recommendation holds a lot of weight in Houston, it appears. The Houston mayor tweeted his support for Miller's Cafe on Jan. 3 after anti-mask protesters targeted the restaurant's Shepherd location over the weekend. HOUSTON DINING: A look inside Houston's top-secret sushi paradise Turner said he planned to patronize the local burger joint and suggested other Houstonians join him. Sure enough, hundreds flocked to the restaurant on Monday, the Houston Chronicle's Nicole Hensley reports. City Council District C representative Abbie Kamin also made an appearance, taking a photo with Turner during her lunch. The Shepherd location of Miller's Cafe is located in District C. KHOU 11's Melissa Correa reports that owner Johnathon White said over 400 diners showed up for the lunch rush at Miller's Cafe. Among all the attention, White still supports the use of face masks and just wants to keep the doors open. I want everyone safe inside, White said, Correa reports. I cordially invite the protestors to come and have a burger with us. You know? I have nothing against them. We also gained an important fact about the mayor: He ordered a hamburger with no onions and extra pickles and a side of fries, according to Hensley. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has ordered a Crime Investigation Department (CID) inquiry into the "unfortunate incident" of desecration of idol in Ramateertham of Nellimarla Mandal in Vizianagaram district, State Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivasa Rao announced on Monday. The Minister also said that a new idol will be installed there and the date of installation will be announced within two days. Following the orders of the Chief Minister, Rao held a review meeting with the higher officials of Endowments and police departments. He reviewed the steps taken till date and to be taken regarding attacks on the temple. While speaking to the media after the review meeting, the minister said that "Chief Minister has ordered CID inquiry into the unfortunate incident of idol desecration at Ramateertham. CM Reddy has ordered for modernization of the temple. A new idol will be installed there. We have approved the design which was accepted by the officials. We will announce the date of the installation of the new idol within two days after consulting Agama scholars." "Chief Minister Reddy has also ordered CID inquiry into idol vandalization incident of Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district. We appeal to BJP to withdraw their proposed rally at Ramateertham. The investigation is going on into the incident of damage of Goddess Sita idol in Vijayawada. Attacks are taking place in temples administered by TDP leaders," he added. Meanwhile, Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy continued his tirade on the opposition in connection with recent incidents of attacks on temples in the state. "The earlier government had ordered (the police and collectors) to turn a blind eye on the misdeeds of their party leaders. But our govt clearly told to punish culprits, despite their political affiliations. I once again repeat, not to spare any guilt, even if they belong to our party. Our 18-month rule became an eyesore for the Opposition. We are extending welfare schemes to all eligible, without looking for their caste, religion or political affiliation. People are happy as they are directly getting the benefits. Opposition parties are unable to face the goodwill the govt is getting, so they are conspiring against the govt, spreading lies through social media," he said at an event wherein he virtually inaugurated the Andhra Pradesh police duty meet. Reddy inaugurated the meet from his camp office in virtual mode. This is the first duty meet of Andhra Pradesh police after bifurcation. While speaking on the occasion, Reddy said that some people are intentionally indulging in bad practices so that the police get defamed. He was referring to opposition TDP. "Some people are neither afraid nor have devotion for God. They are playing politics with God, playing foul games with idols. They are vandalizing the idols and slinging mud on us through yellow journalism. They are spreading caste and religious hatred. Who will be benefited if idols at temples are broken? Who will be benefited is people's beliefs are attacked with wrong and malicious words," he said. The idol of was allegedly desecrated at Ramateertham in Vizianagaram district here on December 29 following which a group of BJP workers staged a protest on the temple premises. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Monday said that his party and the Jana Sena will lead the Ramateertham Dham Yatra on January 5 against the alleged attacks on Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gardai in Kilkenny have been busy on paw patrol as they investigate the theft of two French Bulldogs from the OLoughlin Road area of the city. The theft occurred on New Years Eve and the two female dogs were noticed missing at 4 pm. They were last seen at 1 am that morning. Both of the dogs are a fawn or brown in colour and their names are Pippa and Zara. Anyone with information is being asked to contact gardai in Kilkenny on (056) 7775000. Read More Meanwhile, gardai in Carlow last week helped save an abandoned donkey in poor health. "At 6am last Wednesday morning, Carlow Gardai became aware of a donkey in a field on the outskirts of Carlow Town, totally neglected and in very bad shape", the post states. Thankfully, Garda Sharon O' Donnell working together with My Lovely Horse Rescue moved quickly to rescue the poor animal. "Carlow Gardai are continuing their investigation into the neglect of this animal. My Lovely Horse Rescue and Gardai in Carlow and Kilkenny work closely together to ensure animal welfare remains a priority. Together we can all make a huge difference." My lovely Horse Rescue (MLHR) added: "This poor donkey was in a field, totally neglected, wormy, very thin and soaked right through. Donkeys' coats are different to horses, they get wet and cant dry easily, they really arent made for the wet Irish weather. "Once again no chip, left on council land! Laws need to be made so strict and all agencies need to work together to improve the lives of our poor animals. "MLHR work closely with Gardai, they have the authority to help animals, together we can all make a huge difference. "Thank you MLHR Olive and Garda Sharon for moving so quickly to ensure donkey's safety. (Thank you) UCD vet Rodney for coming to see her straight away. We havent stopped all through Christmas and we wont stop! Animals come first at MLHR." Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Snedecor said he first met Barley when he started his own career as a police officer. He was one of those ministers who didnt pull punches. He spoke very direct. You couldnt help but see Christ living through him. The ED has previously questioned Vadra in this case and had, in 2019, attached assets worth Rs 4.62 crore belonging to his firm Ms Sky Light Hospitality (P) Ltd New Delhi: The Income Tax department on Monday questioned Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in connection with its probe against him under the benami assets law, official sources said. Vadra, 52, said the action was aimed to "digress" from the "real issues" concerning the country like the farmers' agitation. Sources said Vadra was asked to join the investigation at the tax authority's office in the national capital but as he cited COVID-19 restrictions, a team of officials visited his official premises in Delhi's Sukhdev Vihar area. He was questioned for about eight hours and his statement was recorded as part of the proceedings related to the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, they said. Sources added that the questioning was linked to the purchase of some land parcels by a firm linked to Vadra in Rajasthan's border town of Bikaner in which another central probe agency, the Enforcement Directorate, had filed a money laundering case in 2015. The ED has questioned Vadra in this case in the past and had attached assets worth Rs 4.62 crore of his firm Ms Sky Light Hospitality (P) Ltd (now LLP) in 2019. Sources said the ED shared case documents of this probe along with that of possession of some alleged undisclosed assets abroad with the tax department for action under the anti-benami law that is enforced in the country by the latter. "Everyone knows it is (political vendetta). Whenever Priyanka (his wife Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) moves out for helping farmers...and other issues then whom will they (probe agencies) come to?" Vadra said to reporters after the tax department team left. "They will come to Robert Vadra. I don't want to go into political issues but they (government) are digressing from real issues...like the farmers issue," he said. Vadra said he had "nothing to hide and worry about" and that the truth will prevail. "Whatever questions or notices they have sent, we have answered those. They (probe agencies) are most welcome and I am ready to answer," he said. When reporters asked him if the latest questioning pertains to proceedings under the anti-benami law, he said "it was general and nothing related to that (benami)." Vadra also told reporters that the latest queries of tax officials revolved around his activities over the last 5-7 years. The I-T department has also been probing Vadra on charges of alleged possession of some undisclosed assets in the UK. The ED too is investigating these charges, under the anti-money laundering law, against the businessman. The ED has accused Vadra of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him and this transaction involves the role of absconding defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari. Bhandari has never joined the I-T or ED probe in this case and is stated to be based abroad. Gov. Kate Brown said Monday that the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations across the state soon will ramp up quickly. In a written statement, Brown addressed widespread public discontent over news that close to 75% of vaccines delivered to the state have yet to make it into the arms of Oregonians. Oregon, like most of the country, is not moving fast enough, Brown said in a news release. All states are grappling with the same logistical challenges, and while we are making steady progress, we must move even more quickly when every vaccination has the potential to save someones life. Today, I directed the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to achieve the benchmark of 12,000 vaccinations administered in Oregon per day by the end of the next two weeks, Brown continued. That will put us on track to deploy every vaccine we have in our hands each week. Brown shared no details about how the state will achieve 12,000 vaccinations per day -- for instance, whether it would offer trained staff to hospitals and health systems that are administering the vaccines or if it will open its own vaccination clinics. Brown said only that public health officials will work with healthcare providers and pharmacies to streamline the distribution process. This is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and I have directed OHA to partner as widely as possible to ensure we are using all available resources to ramp up Oregons vaccinations rapidly, Brown said. For the past week, hospitals and health systems across the state have inoculated about 3,500 Oregonians per a day -- and the pace has only slowed over the past week. Some providers cited the holidays as one reason for a delay in administering vaccinations. But earlier in the month, burgeoning problems were apparent. The state became the 49th in the nation to start vaccinating healthcare workers on Dec. 16 -- a full two days after the first shipments of the vaccines arrived in Oregon. In the weeks since, criticism has only intensified as it has become clear that the bulk of vaccines delivered to hospitals and health systems across the state are still sitting unused in industrial refrigerators and freezers. According to a Bloomberg ranking of states, as of Monday Oregon ranked 37th lowest in the percentage of vaccines -- 25% -- that had made it into the arms of healthcare workers, nursing home residents and some firefighters and prisons staff. Those groups have been designated as the first to receive the two-dose regimens of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. As of Monday, the state said it had inoculated 51,275 residents, even though according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 202,200 doses have been delivered. The state said 190,200 doses have been delivered, but thats the same number the state had been reporting for the past four days. A few states -- including Maine, Connecticut, Tennessee and North Dakota -- have used more than 50% of their doses. South Dakota leads the nation with more than 60% of its vaccine shipments used. Washington stood at 24% of its available vaccines administered. Oregon State Rep. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, issued a scathing statement Monday criticizing Brown and Democratic colleagues for the slow vaccination rollout. It is unfathomable that Oregon is in the bottom ten amongst states across the nation in COVID-19 vaccination distribution, Smith said, citing a ranking from this past weekend. Oregon has since risen in the rankings as a few other states worsened. Smith claimed that lack of resources and funding have been used as excuses. Lives are being lost, many hang in the balance and Oregonians deserve a state government that has a clear and reliable plan for a systematic vaccine rollout, Smith said. These plans exist and I urge Gov. Brown and House Majority Leader (Barbara) Smith Warner (D-Portland) to immediately prioritize the lives of our fellow Oregonians. Coronavirus in Oregon: Latest news | Live map tracker |Text alerts | Newsletter -- Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee In a majority verdict of 2:1, the Supreme Court upheld the environmental clearance and notification for change in land use for the Central Vista project Reacting to the Supreme Court's verdict giving a go-ahead to the Central Vista redevelopment project, the Centre said that it will pave the way for Delhi to become a 'world class capital city'. Several Opposition leaders, on the other hand, have termed the project a 'travesty' and severely criticised the apex court's order. In a majority verdict of 2:1, the Supreme Court upheld the environmental clearance and notification for change in land use for the Central Vista project. Responding to the verdict, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, whose ministry is executing the ambitious project, said, "We welcome the judgement of the Honble Supreme Court giving the go ahead for the ambitious Central Vista Project. Central Govt has always been sensitive to environmental concerns and will continue to adhere to the highest standards during the period of construction. Delhi is on course to becoming a world-class capital city and in the first step by the time nation completes 75 years of its Independence in 2022 a new Parliament building will be ready reflecting the aspirations of new India." In a series of tweets, Puri also said that Congress leaders had expressed the need for a new Parliament building when the UPA was in power. His memory is indeed fickle but his vociferous opposition to the proposed new Parliament building which is part of the Central Vista Project is baffling. This is not surprising since his party leadership has for a long time abandoned peoples hopes & aspirations. Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 5, 2021 Other BJP leaders also welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict. Tough day ahead for Liberals. Supreme Court gave a go-ahead to the redevelopment plan of the Central Vista project. Bill Gates praised Indias 'leadership in scientific innovation, when opposition is busy attacking approval of COVID-19 vaccines. Babulal Marandi (@yourBabulal) January 5, 2021 On the other hand, Congress leaders questioned the need for the project at a time of economic hardship, and at a time when the country is battling the novel coronavirus outbreak. SC gives go ahead for #CentralVista Project. It is a travesty that when the govt's priority should have been to vaccinate every Indian as soon as possible, it prefers to splurge taxpayer money on a Rs 20,000 cr vanity project which won't benefit the common man in the slightest! Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) January 5, 2021 But what about the mighty tents that farmers are using to protect themselves from cold? That's a bigger concern than the petty 20k crore Central Vista !! https://t.co/whTMejoy5M Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) January 5, 2021 Several Twitter users also hailed Justice Sanjiv Khanna for his dissenting judgment in the case. Justice Khanna agreed with the other two judges Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari on the issue of the awarding of the project. He, however, disagreed with the judgment on change of land use and on grant of environmental clearance for the project. Justice Khanna - your uncle would have been proud of you today....#CentralVista pic.twitter.com/wOnJcpnKJI Akash Banerjee (@TheDeshBhakt) January 5, 2021 On a similar note, lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan said, "No surprise, given its recent track record that the SC upholds the 14K Crore Central Vista redevelopment project! Kudos to Justice Sanjiv Khanna for his dissent on change of land use." What is the Central Vista project? The redevelopment project of the Central Vista the nation's power corridor envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a common central secretariat and revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath, from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. According to the government's latest proposal for the redevelopment of the Central Vista, the prime minister's new residential complex will have 10 four-storey buildings with a maximum height of 12 metres. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which is executing the project, has revised the estimated cost from Rs 11,794 crore to Rs 13,450 crore. With inputs from PTI KABUL -- Afghan government representatives arrived in Doha on January 5 for a new round of peace negotiations with the Taliban in the Qatari capital. The sides are scheduled to resume their power-sharing talks following a 20-day hiatus, amid continued violence and chaos across Afghanistan that have threatened efforts to put an end to nearly two decades of war. The direct intra-Afghan talks began in September some seven months after the Taliban reached an agreement with the United States. It took about three months for the sides to agree on key procedural issues for the negotiations, allowing the talks to advance to more substantive issues, including reaching an elusive cease-fire. Before the Afghan negotiating team headed to Doha for the second round of negotiations, the High Council for National Reconciliation provided clear guidelines for the talks, according to Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the council leading the peace process in the country. Abdullah said the team has a "mandate to discuss the peace agenda. We are committed to achieving a lasting peace, and we ask the Taliban to do their part, he said. A spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha told RFE/RL that they are fully prepared to participate in the new round of talks. The international community has urged both sides to reduce hostilities and move quickly toward a negotiated settlement amid ongoing violence and clashes across much of Afghanistan. Afghan government officials and the U.S. military have also accused the Taliban of a string of bomb attacks and targeted killings of government employees, journalists, clerics, politicians, and human rights activists. The militant group has rejected some of the accusations and alleged that recent U.S. air strikes against insurgents violated the U.S.-Taliban deal signed in Doha last February--a charge rejected by the U.S. military. In a January 4 tweet, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to demonstrate they are acting in the best interest of the Afghan people by making real compromises and negotiating an agreement on a political settlement as soon as possible and an immediate significant reduction in violence/ceasefire. "The current levels of violence, including targeted killings, is unacceptable. Those perpetuating the violence seek to undermine the peace process and the country's future. They do not reflect the will of the Afghan people, who yearn for peace, Khalilzad wrote in a separate tweet. Ahead of the resumption of talks, Ahmad Zia Siraj, Afghanistan's spy chief, told parliament on January 4 that he assessed the Taliban are planning to drag the talks out until the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan as early as May. "We do not see the Taliban has any intention or will for peace," he said. The Western-backed government in Kabul has held power in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, though the Taliban controls large swaths of the country. Under the U.S.-Taliban deal, all foreign forces are scheduled to leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for security guarantees from the militant group. NATO has roughly 11,000 troops in Afghanistan from several countries. In November, the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump announced that 2,000 U.S. troops will exit Afghanistan by mid-January, leaving just 2,500 behind. The pace of any further U.S. withdrawal is expected to be determined after President-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20. Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan has met in Artsakh with newly appointed Artsakh FM David Babayan. According to the Armenian MFA, Ara Ayvazyan congratulated David Babayan on his appointment, wishing him productive activities in his new position. The ministers highlighted the importance of strengthening traditional relations between the foreign ministries of Armenia and Artsakh, including through regular mutual visits and meetings to organize effective discussions around key issues of the foreign policy agenda and outline a range of further joint steps. Ara Ayvazyan noted that today Artsakh and Armenia face issues that require urgent solutions, and close cooperation between state structures, primarily the foreign ministries of both countries, as well as their coordination, becomes more important than ever. The foreign ministers thoroughly discussed the situation that has developed as a result of the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Artsakh, as well as a wide range of issues related to the implementation of the provisions of the November 9 statement, the solution of the main issues faced by the Artsakh Armenians. Ayvazyan and Babayan noted the need to involve international expert structures on the spot to ensure comprehensive solutions. The parties noted that the ceasefire, reached in accordance with the trilateral statement of November 9, creates grounds for holding discussions for the resumption of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process within the OSCE Minsk Group format. Recognition of the right to self-determination and the right to security of the people of Artsakh, de-occupation of the territories of Artsakh, which were in the Azerbaijani occupation, restoration, and protection of the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh, were noted as the key issue of the settlement. During the meeting, Ayvazyan and Babayan signed a plan of consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Artsakh. The meeting then continued in an expanded format with the participation of the leadership of the Artsakh MFA. After reports that China's most famous billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has been missing in action for weeks, it has come to light that he is 'embracing supervision'. This has fuelled speculations that one of the world's richest men, Ma is either arrested or placed under house arrest. China has a track record of not revealing information on arrests of big personalities, so 'embracing supervision' could well mean jail. Coinciding with his disappearance is Chinese state-owned media's heated up online vitriol against Ma, which has suddenly increased. After Ma's recent wrangle with China's authoritarian regime over the regulatory issues, Chinese media outlets have desperately tried to change his image from "Uncle Horse" (Ma in Chinese means horse)" to a cruel and money-grabbing "vampire" businessman. He is being posed as the one who loves to exploit the poor in various government-leaning media outlets. Also Read: Alibaba's Jack Ma loses $11 billion in two months amid Chinese crackdown Jack Ma is 'embracing supervision', Hong Kong-based The Asia Times has quoted Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily as saying. He has been ordered not to leave the country. The People's Daily in a November piece also said Ma couldn't take Alibaba to such heights without the Chinese government's policies: "Ma Yun is savvy, but without the support of national policies, Ali will not be able to become a trillion business empire." Ma has not made any public appearance since November 2020, which has raised eyebrows over his whereabouts. He didn't even appear in the final episode of his own talent show, 'Africa's Business Heroes', which gives budding African entrepreneurs an opportunity to compete to win $1.5 million. Also Read: China intensifies crackdown on Jack Ma's fintech firm; reviews Ant Group's equity investments Ma's "horse" fell after Ma criticised China's regulatory system in October 2020, saying it has a "pawnshop mentality" and that the company like AliPay was unsuitable for financial regulatory structure like that of China's. Calling for reform in the country's regulatory system, Jack Ma blamed it for stifling business innovation and likened China's global banking regulations to an "old people's club." Coincidently, it happened just a few days before his company Ant Group was about to launch one of the world's biggest IPOs worth $37 billion in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Also Read: Alibaba's Jack Ma loses $11 billion in two months amid Chinese crackdown It's reported that Chinese authorities, unhappy over his tirade against them, pulled the plug citing Alibaba's enormous growth and launched an 'anti-monopoly' probe against his company. Another Chinese billionaire, JD.com's Liu Qiangdong has also come under Chinese government's "supervision". Chinese regulators have increased scrutiny over the Qiangdong-led company whose digital company JD Digital is eying to go public in future. Meanwhile, the investigation has led to a drop in Alibaba's shares by a quarter since their peak, wiping over $10 billion from his fortune. This resulted in him falling to third place on the list of China's richest people. Ma's current net worth is estimated at $63.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Also read: Jack Ma missing? Here's what we know so far This story was first published by Texas Tribune. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced Tuesday that he isn't planning to object to the certification of the Electoral College vote in Congress, splitting with a growing number of GOP colleagues that most notably includes the states junior senator, Ted Cruz. In a lengthy letter to Texans, Cornyn noted that he has supported President Donald Trumps right to challenge election results in the courts but that Trump's lawsuits have gone nowhere, and recounts in multiple states have also failed to change the outcome. Trump has continued to push baseless claims of widespread fraud in the election, including at a campaign rally Monday night in Georgia. "As a former judge, I view this process with the same impartial, evidence-based decision-making as I did my job on the bench, wrote Cornyn, a former justice on the Texas Supreme Court. So, unless substantial, new evidence is presented during the challenges to each states ballots, I will not object to the certification of that staves election results based on unproven allegations. Cornyns position is not much of a surprise based on comments he has made in recent weeks expressing increasing skepticism about Trumps chances of overturning his loss to the president-elect, Joe Biden. But the letter marks Cornyns most extensive explanation of his position yet, and it comes as Texas other senator digs in on his plan, along with 10 other GOP senators, to object to the Wednesday certification of Biden's win unless they can secure an "emergency audit" of the November results. A source familiar with Cruz's plans, but who was unauthorized to speak on the record, said that Cruz intends to specifically object to the certification of electors from Arizona. The news was first reported Tuesday by the Washington Post. Cruz told conservative radio host Mark Levin on Monday night that he did not want to "set aside the election ... but rather to press for the appointment of an electoral commission." In his letter, Cornyn made clear he was not a fan of Cruz's audit proposal, which Cruz has said can be done in the 10 days before the inauguration. Cornyn suggested he too supports a review of election issues but something less hasty and more deliberate, such as an "independent commission" in the vein of the Commission on Federal Election Reform. That was a private bipartisan panel that looked into problems with the 2000 and 2004 elections. "As to timing and practicality of an emergency audit, I am much more dubious," Cornyn said. "The design of the proposed commission to conduct such an 'audit' will inevitably fail." Cornyn and Cruz are in very different positions politically. Cornyn is coming off a reelection victory in November that secured him another six-year term in the Senate, while Cruz has an eye toward 2024, when any presidential contender will likely need to stay in the good graces of Trump and his supporters. On the House side, multiple Texas Republicans have promised to object to the certification: Reps. Louie Gohmert of Tyler, Lance Gooden of Terrell, August Pfluger of San Angelo, Pete Sessions of Waco, Randy Weber of Friendswood, John Carter of Round Rock, Ron Wright of Arlington and Ronny Jackson, who represents the Panhandle. Wright and Carter both represent districts that national Democrats targeted in November, though both ultimately won reelection by comfortable margins. They both announced their intentions Tuesday. "I believe that its critical for the future of our democracy that a full forensic #audit is done before we certify the electoral college vote," Carter tweeted. "I will defend America." Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. France said Tuesday it had killed dozens of jihadists in a weekend air strike in central Mali, while several villagers and a local group said up to 20 wedding guests were killed by fire from a helicopter. Social media has been buzzing with rumours since Sunday about events in Bounti, and villagers there told AFP that a wedding party was attacked by an unidentified helicopter. Separately, French military headquarters told AFP fighter jets had "neutralised" dozens of jihadists in central Mali after the group had been tracked for several days. "The reports relating to a wedding do not match the observations that were made," an army spokesman told AFP. With no early statements from French or Malian officials, rumours filled the gap. Confirmation of reports is difficult in a remote area where many jihadists are thought to operate. Offensive aerial operations in Mali are mainly conducted by the Malian military or by the French anti-jihadist force Barkhane. Villagers in Bounti said a lone helicopter opened fire in broad daylight, sowing panic among a crowd gathered for a wedding. "It was run for your lives," said Ahmadou Ghana, who said 19 people died, including two of his brothers, and several others were seriously wounded. "We were surprised by the intensity of the strike," said another villager, Mady Dicko, adding: "The helicopter was flying very low." On Sunday, Tabital Pulakuu, an association that promotes the culture of Mali's Fulani ethnic group, reported an "air strike that claimed the lives of at least 20 civilians" during a wedding. A French military source who was familiar with Sunday's operation told AFP: "There can't be any doubts or ambiguity, there was no wedding. "This was a strike that was carried out after a particularly strict, multi-party process on a fully identified armed terrorist group, after collating information, intentions, posture, in a studied area," the source said. It remains unclear, however, whether the French military and the Bounti villagers were referring to the same event. A spokesperson for the 13,000-strong United Nations' peacekeeping force in Mali, known as MINUSMA, said the force was "not involved" in the events in Bounti. - Escalating violence - The village lies in the jihadist-infested Mopti region, about 600 kilometres (370 miles) from the Malian capital Bamako. The region is the epicentre of a deadly Islamist offensive that began in northern Mali in 2012 and then advanced into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, inflaming ethnic tensions along the way. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have died in the conflict to date and hundreds of thousands of people have had to flee their homes. But the Bounti deaths come during an apparent uptick in bloodshed across the Sahel. On Saturday in western Niger, jihadists killed 100 civilians in one of the single largest massacres of non-combattants in the history of the insurgency. France, which has 5,100 troops deployed across the Sahel, also lost five soldiers to roadside bombs in recent weeks. Away from the fighting, the village tragedy will raise pressure on the Mali's interim government, which is dominated by figures with army links. Army officers toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on August 18 after weeks of protests -- sparked in part by his failure to defeat the jihadists -- before handing over to a caretaker government. Short link: .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Rep. Deb Haalands nomination to be President-elect Joe Bidens Interior secretary is a cause for much celebration in the Land of Enchantment. Her trailblazing ascendance to this prospective cabinet-level position should serve as an inspiration to all New Mexicans. And given her work in our state, with its expansive federal land holdings and the diverse uses thereof, there should be no doubt that Rep. Haaland grasps the complexities associated with managing the central mission of the Department of Interior. Perhaps the most intriguing of the policy positions that the future secretary has taken is that contained in the 30 by 30 House Resolution that she introduced last year. Haalands proposal called for conserving and protecting at least 30% of U.S. landmass and 30% of the oceans within U.S. territory by the year 2030. This would be up from the 12% of land area and 26% of ocean territory that are currently permanently protected, a terra firma increase of roughly 500,000,000 acres. While the 30 by 30 policy proposal confronts significant ecological challenges that our country faces with rightfully placed grand ambition, as it stands now, it is certain to encounter implementation problems. The first of these is definitional. Is it conservation or preservation that is being sought? Distinguishing between these two terms is imperative to this policys mission. As the National Park Service, which is under the Department of Interior, teaches, conservation seeks the proper use of nature, and generally relates to the protection of natural resources. Preservation, however, seeks protection of nature from use, (according to the NPS website). When Haalands 30 by 30 resolution speaks of conserving and protecting, it remains unclear if a combination of conservation and preservation is the intended policy, or if it is in fact to protect lands and waters from use altogether. Should the former be meant, then it will be crucial to develop clear criteria that establish which areas will be either conserved or preserved. The second is that of procuring the land and ocean territory required to meet the 30 by 30 goal. Haalands proposal states that meeting the 30% targets will be achieved through working with existing landholders and increasing public incentives to these same groups. Policies are only as efficacious as the instruments that they utilize to attain their stated ends, and in the case of the 30 by 30 proposal, voluntary cooperation and incentives are not sufficient policy instruments for conserving and protecting 30% of U.S. land and ocean territory. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ Given the proposals timeline, any further 30 by 30 policy developments would likely need to enable and fund federal, state, and/or local government acquisitions of land and ocean deemed ripe for conserving and protecting. Such procurements could be done in conjunction with NGOs (non-governmental organizations), like The Nature Conservancy, or with the help of private citizens, as John D. Rockefeller Jr. gifted privately purchased land around Grand Teton to the federal government. The final issue relates to the geographical distribution of the 30% conserved/protected land. Although New Mexico has a long history of public land management where over 34% of the state is already federally managed many states do not. Moreover, as anyone who browses local property listing knows, there is no shortage of never-gonna-sell land in Catron and Socorro counties. Would then the Department of Interior, to meet the 30% objective, be inclined to expand existing conserved and protected areas in those states with both such institutional history and swaths of unused land, as opposed to Iowa or Connecticut where federal holdings are miniscule? At this early stage, policy details remain lacking. Furthering conservation and preservation efforts will be at the core of Haalands tenure as Interior Secretary. Over time, we will all benefit from this. The 30 by 30 proposal provides a worthwhile vision to guide the Department of Interior and its policymakers, but until it is refined, that is all that it can aspire to be. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday signed a mobilization order for the training of the armed forces, the first order of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in 2021. Signed by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CMC, the order stressed strengthening military training in real combat conditions and the ability to win. The order urged the armed forces to enhance training in real combat conditions to ensure combat readiness at all times. It called for efforts to be made for joint operations in combat and training, highlighting training under joint command, as well as training across the fields and services. It also urged efforts to largely improve the use of technology in training and guide the training in accordance with the law. All officers and soldiers of the military should strengthen their willpower to fight, improve their skills, and resolutely accomplish the missions and tasks entrusted by the Party and the people in the new era to welcome the CPC centenary with outstanding achievement, according to the order. Enditem (CNN) A British judge has rejected a US request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to America, ruling that such a move would be "oppressive" by reason of his mental health. The 49-year-old Australian has been charged in the US under the Espionage Act for his role in publishing classified military and diplomatic cables. "I have decided that extradition would be oppressive and I order his discharge," judge Vanessa Baraitser said in her ruling Monday. Despite ruling that Assange would be afforded a "fair trial" in the event of extradition to the United States, the judge considered that the "special administrative measures" Assange would most likely be held in would have a severe, negative impact on his mental health. Baraitser said Assange had "remained either severely or moderately clinically depressed," throughout his stay at London's Belmarsh prison and that he was now considered a suicide risk. She also said that the increased isolation he would face in detention in the US would further increase that risk, adding that Assange had the intellect to circumvent anti-suicidal measures that would be put in place. In her full ruling, published online, Baraitser wrote: "I accept that oppression as a bar to extradition requires a high threshold ... However, I am satisfied that, in these harsh conditions, Mr. Assange's mental health would deteriorate causing him to commit suicide with the 'single minded determination' of his autism spectrum disorder." "I find that the mental condition of Mr. Assange is such that it would be oppressive to extradite him to the United States of America," she added. A tightly-packed crowd of supporters celebrated the news outside the Old Bailey in London on Monday, shouting: "Free, free, free, Assange!" The US said it would appeal against the decision and asked for the WikiLeaks founder to be remanded in custody while that process was ongoing. "While we are extremely disappointed in the court's ultimate decision, we are gratified that the United States prevailed on every point of law raised," Marc Raimondi, acting director of Public Affairs for the US Department of Justice said in a statement. "In particular, the court rejected all of Mr. Assange's arguments regarding political motivation, political offense, fair trial, and freedom of speech." Raimondi added that the department would "continue to seek" Assange's extradition. Nick Vamos, a lawyer and former head of extradition at the UK's Crown Prosecution Service, told CNN that the US government has 10 days to make a formal application to the UK High Court, where all extradition appeals are heard. While there is no automatic right of appeal, Vamos expects that the appeal will be granted, and is likely to be heard in the next two to three months. Vamos explained that because the US government is appealing, Assange's legal team will have the opportunity to cross-appeal on the arguments they lost, while the US government will have the opportunity to "provide additional evidence or assurances to the High Court to address the judge's findings about the likelihood that Assange will commit suicide." "For example, it [the US government] could agree not to detain him in a particular prison or under certain conditions, or to beef up his health care or suicide monitoring," Vamos said. On Wednesday, the judge will consider a bail application from Assange's legal team. In order for that application to be considered, Assange will have to point to a change in circumstances, such as the COVID-19 risk, rather than the extradition judgment, Vamos said, adding that he expects that the bail application will fail. Assange's lawyers and supporters have long argued that the extradition order against him is politically motivated, and that, if carried out, it would have a chilling effect on press freedoms in both the US and the UK. Speaking outside court on Monday, Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, said he was concerned that the decision would be appealed and called on US President Donald Trump to "end this now." "The fight is not over, it would not be over until Julian goes home," Hrafnsson said. Rebecca Vincent, director of international campaigns for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said the group welcomed the judge's decision that Assange would not be extradited because of his serious mental health issues, but that they were very concerned about the "substance of the decision." "We continue to believe that Mr. Assange has been targeted for his contributions to journalism and until the underlying issues here are addressed other journalists, sources and publishers remain at risk," Vincent said. In April 2019, the US charged Assange with "conspiracy to commit computer intrusion," a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years. In May 2019, the federal government charged Assange with a further 17 counts under the Espionage Act for his role in publishing classified military and diplomatic cables. Each of those counts carries a potential sentence of 10 years, meaning that if convicted, Assange could be sentenced to up to 175 years in jail. The 18-count superseding indictment handed down in the Eastern District of Virginia alleged that Assange actively solicited classified information from former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who obtained thousands of pages of classified material and provided Assange with diplomatic State Department cables, Iraq war-related significant activity reports and information related to Guantanamo Bay detainees. 'Tear down these prison walls' At the start of the extradition hearing in February 2020, Assange's legal team argued that Trump was trying to "make an example" of Assange as the trove of classified defense documents relating to Iraq and Afghanistan published by WikiLeaks revealed evidence of war crimes. Lawyers for the US government argued that by publishing the diplomatic cables in an unredacted form, Assange had put the lives of sources and informants in "immediate" danger, and damaged the capabilities of US forces carrying out operations abroad. "Reporting or journalism is not a license for criminality," James Lewis, Counsel for the US government told the court. Stella Moris, Assange's partner and the mother of the couple's two children, said on Monday that she was "pleased that the court has recognized the seriousness and inhumanity of what he has endured, and what he faces," but noted that the charges against Assange had not been dropped. Moris added that she is "extremely concerned" that the US government has decided to appeal the decision, saying that the move "continues to want to punish Julian and make him disappear into the deepest, darkest hole of the US prison system for the rest of his life." Addressing Trump, she said, "Mr. President, tear down these prison walls [so] that our little boys have their father. Free Julian, free the press, free us all." Moris has launched a Twitter campaign asking the US president to pardon Assange before he leaves office. Julia Hall, Amnesty International's expert on human rights in Europe said in a September 2020 statement that the implications of the extradition order could not be overstated. "Silence this one man, and the US and its accomplices will gag others, spreading fear of persecution and prosecution over a global media community already under assault in the US and in many other countries worldwide," she said. Assange has been held in Belmarsh prison one of the most secure facilities in England and Wales since he was arrested by UK authorities in April 2019, after Ecuador revoked his right to political asylum. He had been living at the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge since 2012, to avoid extradition to Sweden for an investigation over allegations of sexual assault and rape. Assange has always denied all of those allegations, which have all since been dropped. During a news conference on Monday, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters that his country planned on offering Assange political asylum. He also welcomed the British court's ruling, "because he is a journalist and deserves a chance." Nils Melzer, the UN's Special Rapporteur on torture, has previously said that Assange displays "extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma" after being subjected to several years' worth of "progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment." Melzer met Assange in Belmarsh Prison in May 2019, and concluded that his health had been "seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years." He added that Assange was subjected to "oppressive isolation, harassment and surveillance inside the embassy," as well as "deliberate collective ridicule, insults and humiliation." Moris said in an editorial published in the UK's Daily Mail newspaper on Saturday that Assange had "been acting in the same way as any other journalist would, in attempting to hold the powerful to account." "Julian embarrassed Washington and this is their revenge," she said. CNN's Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report. This story was first published on CNN.com "UK judge denies US request to extradite Julian Assange" Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 78F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Low near 50F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / Amex Exploration Inc. ("Amex or the Company") (TSXV:AMX)(FRA:MX0)(OTCQX:AMXEF) Amex is pleased to provide a review of the 2020 year. Highlights from the year include: Expanded the drill program from 100,000 m to 300,000 m going from 3 drills on site to 10 drills by mid November, making the Amex drilling campaign one of the largest and most aggressive exploration programs in Canada this year Expanded all three known gold zones along strike and to depth and identified the 3.2 km long Perron Gold Corridor along the 15 km of prospective thrust faults to be explored Identified high grade gold mineralization in the down to 1.1 km vertical depth at High Grade Zone (HGZ) Completed metallurgical testing on the HGZ of the Eastern Gold Zone (EGZ) showing recoveries of greater than 99% for gold and silver and demonstrated a simplified gold processing flow sheet Strengthened and diversified Board of Directors Completed 2 financings bringing more than $24M in cash, adding cornerstone investors, ending the year in a strong financial position Coverage initiated by 4 different well-known mining analysts The Company began the year with three drills on the Perron project and ended 2020 with ten drills turning on the property. Approximately 120,000 m of drilling has been completed on the Perron project with about another 180,000 m to be completed on Perron in 2021. The drill program to date has focused on expanding the three main gold zones on the Perron project starting with the Gratien Gold Zone and the Grey Cat Gold Zone to the West and the Eastern Gold Zone to the East. Drilling has demonstrated that the property hosts at 3.2 km long Perron Gold Corridor. Regional exploration is currently under way on the 45 km2 property which host more than 15 km of major structural faults (Perron and Normetal Faults) which has seen very little drilling outside the Perron Gold Corridor. The Company is planning a significant 15,000 m regional exploration program for 2021 with a goal to identify additional gold zones at Perron. The Company began the year with three drills on the Perron project and ended 2020 with ten drills turning on the property. Approximately 120,000 m of drilling has been completed on the Perron project with about another 180,000 m to be completed on Perron in 2021. The drill program to date has focused on expanding the three main gold zones on the Perron project starting with the Gratien Gold Zone and the Grey Cat Gold Zone to the West and the Eastern Gold Zone to the East. Drilling has demonstrated that the property hosts at 3.2 km long Perron Gold Corridor. Regional exploration is currently under way on the 45 km2 property which host more than 15 km of major structural faults (Perron and Normetal Faults) which has seen very little drilling outside the Perron Gold Corridor. The Company is planning a significant 15,000 m regional exploration program for 2021 with a goal to identify additional gold zones at Perron. Figure 1 shows the significant expansion of the Perron Gold Corridor with an emphasis on the EGZ which consists of the High Grade Zone (HGZ) and the Denise Zone. Figure 1: Drilling Progress on the Perron Project Plan View For enhanced image, click here Figure 2: Drilling Progress on the Perron Project Long Section Looking North For enhanced image, click here Eastern Gold Zone During the 2020 year, Amex expanded the EGZ down to a vertical depth of 1.1 km with Hole PE-20-187 intersecting 3.85 metres of 25.04 g/t Au. Essentially, during 2020, Amex doubled the vertical extension of the HGZ. Interpretation of the HGZ now suggests that gold mineralization has been traced over 350 metres along strike, from near surface to over 1.1 km vertically and averages approximately 7 metres of width (core length). The recent deep drilling on the HGZ is continually strengthening to depth. Of particular interest is that the highest grade core of the system, (i.e. with a metal factor greater than 100 g/t Au by meter as shown in pink on Figure 2) is more than double the vertical distance at depth in comparison to the near-surface portion of the HGZ. Drilling in 2021 on the HGZ will focus on definition drilling down to the 1.0 km level for a resource calculation starting at the end of 2021 as well as continued step out drilling to expand the strike length of the system at depth. Highlight drill results from the HGZ in 2020 include: Hole PE-20-137 intersected 8.50 metres of 29.44 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 570 metres (see Press Release of February 13, 2020) intersected 8.50 metres of 29.44 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 570 metres (see Press Release of February 13, 2020) Hole PE-20-171 intersected 9.10 metres of 44.22 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 775 metres (see Press Release of July 16, 2020) intersected 9.10 metres of 44.22 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 775 metres (see Press Release of July 16, 2020) Hole PEM-20-001 intersected 11.80 metres of 27.70 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 270 metres (see Press Release of August 5, 2020) intersected 11.80 metres of 27.70 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 270 metres (see Press Release of August 5, 2020) Hole PEM-20-005 intersected 15.60 metres of 32.41 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 150 metres (see Press Release of August 18, 2020) intersected 15.60 metres of 32.41 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 150 metres (see Press Release of August 18, 2020) Hole PE-20-217 intersected 10.55 metres of 20.88 g/t Au a vertical depth of approximately 560 metres (See Press Release of December 3, 2020) 2020 also saw excellent progress on our understanding of the nearby Denise Zone which lies parallel and approximately 50 m to the south of the HGZ. Drilling at the latter part of 2020 has begun to demonstrate the potential to add significant near surface gold ounces to the project. Recent drilling has confirmed the presence of a high metal factor core of the Denise Zone within large intervals of gold mineralization as demonstrated in Hole PE-20-199 which intersected 81.50 metres of 1.51 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 190 metres. Drilling has continued to encounter wide near surface gold mineralization at Denise which improves the open pit potential of the entire Eastern Gold Zone. Continuity and consistency of the gold mineralization is improving with more drilling. Highlight drill results from the Denise Gold Zone in 2020 include: Hole PE-20-181 intersected 115.60 metres of 1.39 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 260 metres (see Press Release of September 16, 2020) intersected 115.60 metres of 1.39 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 260 metres (see Press Release of September 16, 2020) Hole PE-20-188 intersected 189.40 metres of 1.07 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 300 metres (see Press Release of September 16, 2020) intersected 189.40 metres of 1.07 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 300 metres (see Press Release of September 16, 2020) Hole PE-20-192 intersected 39.55 metres of 9.36 g/t at a vertical depth of approximately 225 metres (see Press Release of October 21, 2020) intersected 39.55 metres of 9.36 g/t at a vertical depth of approximately 225 metres (see Press Release of October 21, 2020) Hole PE-20-199 intersected 81.50 metres of 1.51 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 190 metres (See Press Release of December 17, 2020) intersected 81.50 metres of 1.51 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 190 metres (See Press Release of December 17, 2020) Hole PE-20-204 intersected 187.00 metres of 0.66 g/t Au at a vertical depth of approximately 180 metres (See Press Release of December 17, 2020) The Company also completed metallurgy testing at the HGZ to illustrate the ease of recovery of the gold at Perron. Results demonstrated exceptional gold and silver recovery (+99%) using a 3-stage processing technique (gravity, flotation, and cyanidation). The Phase 2 metallurgy program determined that very high gold (+99%) and silver (89.5%) recoveries could be achieved using a simplified 2 stage process that eliminates floatation. Additional metallurgy testing is planned for the other gold zones at Perron following such exceptional recovery rates at the HGZ. Gratien and Grey Cat Gold Zones During the year Amex reported near surface gold mineralization on both the Gratien and Grey Cat Gold Zones and confirmed the open pit mining potential of Grey Cat. During 2020 Amex was successful in expanding and defining the near surface mineralization of both zones. Drilling is focused on defining the Gratien to approximately 250 metres vertical depth and while testing the depth of Grey Cat to approximately 500 metres vertically. The Grey Cat appears to have a high-grade core that dips at approximately 60 degrees to the East, similar to the Eastern Gold Zone. Significant intercepts at Grey Cat included 1.22 g/t Au over 39.00 metres in hole PEG-20-143 at a vertical depth of approximately 80 metres as well as 4.54 g/t Au over 10.30 metres in hole PEG-20-150 at a vertical depth of approximately 70 metres. Mineralization is very planar and occurs in a single lens easily identifiable in three dimensions and simple to target. Victor Cantore, CEO commented, "The drill results on the Perron Project for 2020 have exceeded our expectations. Our understanding of the mineralization and geology of the project has improved substantially throughout the year providing for a solid basis to develop the Perron Project to its fullest potential. I look forward to another year of continued drilling success, thanks to the great team we have in place." Corporate Update Amex recognizes the value of diversity in deliberation and took a number of steps to strengthen its Board by welcoming two new Board members in 2020, Mr. Bryan Coates and Ms. Anik Gendron. Both Bryan and Anik have played an active role on the Amex Board offering strategic insight to the management team over the past year. From a financial perspective, Amex has never been stronger, ending the year with approximately $32 million in available cash, making the Company fully funded for its exploration program for 2021. During 2020 Amex also added cornerstone investor along side Mr. Eric Sprott, who increased his position and participated in each financing. Various well respected institutions from Canada, United States, Europe and the United Kingdom all participated in the 2020 financings. The shareholder profile of Amex shifted from primarily retail investors to institutional holders in 2020. Accordingly, the stock reflected the achievements of the Amex team and delivered a very strong performance and outperformed its peers. See Figure 3 below. Figure 3: Stock chart showing Amex performance from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020 relative to high performing peers - AMX shown in bold black below For enhanced image, click here Cantore continued, "I am proud to say that each financing that we have completed since 2018 has been done at successively higher issue prices, thereby limiting the shareholder dilution while converting the capital raised into exponentially higher market cap value. This has been achieved through prudent financings and targeted exploration which has delivered exceptional results. Our management team are all shareholders of Amex and our interest are very much aligned with our shareholder base. As I look to 2021, I am confident in our exploration program, our leadership team and our ability to deliver results in this strong gold market." Looking Forward to 2021 Amex intends to complete the balance of the drilling program which will take the majority of the year until the fall of 2021 at which time the Company will initiate a property wide NI43-101 compliant resource calculation. In addition, the technical team has identified several potential additional gold bearing structures outside the three known gold zones during its regional exploration program. Follow up drilling on these new structures will be part of the drill program in 2021 to determine if they constitute new gold zones. Jacques Trottier, PhD Executive Chairman of Amex said, "I am excited to resume the year with an ambitious 10 drill program that aims to build ounces within the Perron Gold Corridor while discovering new gold zones on the property. With the benefit of having made several gold discoveries using predictive modeling and structural geology as our guide, I believe that Perron has much untapped potential that will be demonstrated in the coming year." Qualified Person Maxime Bouchard P.Geo. M.Sc.A., (OGQ 1752) and Jerome Augustin P.Geo. Ph.D., (OGQ 2134), Independent Qualified Persons as defined by Canadian NI 43-101 standards, have reviewed and approved the geological information reported in this news release. The drilling campaign and the quality control program have been planned and supervised by Maxime Bouchard and Jerome Augustin. Core logging and sampling were completed by Laurentia Exploration. The quality assurance and quality control protocol include insertion of blank or standard every 10 samples on average, in addition to the regular insertion of blank, duplicate, and standard samples accredited by Laboratoire Expert during the analytical process. Gold values are estimated by fire assay with finish by atomic absorption and values over 3 ppm Au are reanalyzed by fire assay with finish by gravimetry by Laboratoire Expert Inc, Rouyn-Noranda. Samples containing visible gold mineralization are analyzed by metallic sieve. For additional quality assurance and quality control, all samples were crushed to 90% less than 2 mm prior to pulverization, in order to homogenize samples which may contain coarse gold. Core logging and sampling were completed by Laurentia Exploration. The Qualified Persons have not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Property, particularly in regards to historical drill results. However, the Qualified Persons believe that drilling and analytical results were completed to industry standard practices. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Property but may not be representative of expected results. About Amex Amex Exploration Inc. is a junior mining exploration company, the primary objective of which is to acquire, explore, and develop viable gold projects in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of Quebec. Amex is focused on its 100% owned Perron gold project located 110 kilometres north of Rouyn Noranda, Quebec, consisting of 116 contiguous claims covering 4,518 hectares. A number of significant gold discoveries have been made at Perron, including the Eastern Gold Zone, the Gratien Gold Zone, the Grey Cat Zone, and the Central Polymetallic Zone. High-grade gold has been identified in each of the zones. A significant portion of the project remains underexplored. In addition to the Perron project, the company holds a portfolio of three other properties focused on gold and base metals in the Abitibi region of Quebec and else where in the province. For further information please contact: Victor Cantore President and Chief Executive Officer Amex Exploration: +1-514-866-8209 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation, the planned exploration program on the HGZ and Denise Zone, the expected positive exploration results, the extension of the mineralized zones, the timing of the exploration results, the ability of the Company to continue with the exploration program, the availability of the required funds to continue with the exploration and the potential mineralization or potential mineral resources are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "to earn", "to have', "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, failure to meet expected, estimated or planned exploration expenditures, failure to establish estimated mineral resources, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, general business and economic conditions, changes in world gold markets, sufficient labour and equipment being available, changes in laws and permitting requirements, unanticipated weather changes, title disputes and claims, environmental risks as well as those risks identified in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law. SOURCE: Amex Exploration Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623021/Amex-Exploration-Reviews-2020-Achievements Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, speaks in front of a graphic at a Covid -19 update press conference at the Department of Health.....Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin There have been another 5,325 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 further deaths of people who contracted the virus confirmed by the Department of Health this evening. This brings the total number of cases in the State to 113,322 while the number of people who have died with the virus in Ireland has risen to 2,282. It comes as a variant of the coronavirus originating in England has been found in 25pc of recent positive cases in Ireland, the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 has been told. Read More The new variant, which emerged in England before Christmas, resulted in the Government banning all flights from Britain. There have been a further 1,931 new cases confirmed in Dublin, 767 in Cork, 323 in Kildare, 322 in Limerick, 238 in Donegal and the remaining 1,744 cases are spread across all other counties. As of 2pm today, there were 840 Covid-19 patients hospitalised, of which 76 are in ICU. 102 people have been hospitalised in the past 24 hours with Covid-19. Of the cases notified today, 2,550 are men and 2,769 are women while 63pc are under 45 years of age and the median age is 36 years old. Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; We are now experiencing a considerable surge in cases and hospitalisations. We can turn this around quickly if we stick to the measures we know worked last spring. Dr Holohan said there has been some early progress in fighting the latest wave as the average number of contacts per case has been dropping in recent days. The CMO warned this progress needed to be continued to limit as much as we can our contact with other people in the days and weeks ahead. If we all stay home and keep to the public health advice, we can bring Covid-19 back under control - which ultimately will protect our essential services such as Health and Education and most importantly save lives. Taoiseach Micheal Martin also said the new variant is one of the reasons the Government was forced re-impose restrictions during the Christmas period. However, the chair of Nphets Expert Advisory Group Dr Cillian de Gascun contradicted the Taoiseachs claim. On Twitter, Dr de Gascun said the variant is not responsible for the recent significant and concerning increase in new Covid cases in Ireland. He said the variant was only in 10pc of samples tested. Dr de Gascun noted his conclusion was from a small sample of 160 cases. However, he was criticised by the President of the Royal College of Physicians Ireland Professor Mary Horgan who said the sample size was too small to make a conclusion. At todays Cabinet committee meeting party leaders and ministers were told the latest figures show 25pc of new cases are a results of the variant. The committee are meeting today to assess the deterioration of the profile of the virus as case numbers, hospitalisations and ICU admissions continue to surge. Dr Tony Holohan yesterday predicted that mortality will also be "significantly impacted" by the continued spread of the virus. It is under consideration by cabinet that schools may be asked to remain closed until the end of January, with the exception of special education schools, to stem the movement of people. The closure of the construction and non-essential manufacturing industries is also under consideration by the Covid-19 sub-committee. The five 5km travel limit is expected to remain in place after Wednesday. An announcement on schools and possible further closures is expected tomorrow. Elsewhere, Northern Ireland's Department of Health confirmed another 18 deaths and 1,378 cases today. Read More Online Editors WASHINGTON - The leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested by D.C. police Monday afternoon on a warrant charging him with burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during a demonstration last month, officials said. Police stopped a vehicle Tarrio had been in shortly after it entered the District, said Dustin Sternbeck, a D.C. police spokesman. He said it is believed that Tarrio, who lives in Miami, was coming into the District from the airport. Sternbeck said Tarrio is charged with one misdemeanor count of destruction of property in connection with the Dec. 12 burning of a banner stolen from Asbury United Methodist Church. Tarrio had told The Washington Post last month that he was among those who burned the banner. Police said Tarrio, who was in custody Monday evening, also was charged with two felony counts of possession of high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, which is a legal term for a firearms magazine that allows guns to hold additional bullets. The devices were found during the arrest, police said. Members of the Proud Boys, a male-chauvinist organization with ties to white nationalism, are planning a rally in the District on Wednesday in support of President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the election he lost to Joe Biden. The church banner was ripped down after a similar rally last month. Tarrio could appear Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court. Prosecutors with the U.S. attorney's office in the District could modify the charges brought by police. Authorities had described the burning of the banner as a potential hate crime. Sternbeck said it would be up to prosecutors to determine whether to file hate crime charges, which could increase the penalty. Tarrio last month told The Post that he would plead guilty to destruction of property, pay the church the cost of the banner and surrender to authorities if a criminal charge was filed. However, Tarrio said he would not admit to committing a hate crime. He said he was not motivated by race, religion or political ideology, but because he believes the Black Lives Matter movement "has terrorized the citizens of this country." Police have said four churches were vandalized the night of Dec. 12 as the Proud Boys and other groups marched through downtown. More than three dozen people were arrested during the day's events. In one incident, four people were stabbed amid a crowd of Proud Boys and Trump supporters outside Harry's Bar, which has become a Proud Boys gathering spot. After the stabbings, authorities said the Proud Boys and Trump supporters roamed through the city looking to fight people. Tarrio has said his supporters reacted to being attacked. It was during this time that Black Lives Matter signs were taken from Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, both historically Black houses of worship. The banner that Tarrio said he participated in burning was taken from Asbury United Methodist, one of the oldest Black churches in the city, at 11th and K streets NW. D.C. police have classified the burning as a destruction of property, a misdemeanor when damage is under $1,000. It is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Tarrio previously said he does not know who tore down the banner, and that neither he nor his members knew the church is predominantly African American. "We didn't Google the church and go, 'Oh, it's a Black church, let's target it,' " Tarrio said. "The sign was taken down because of what it represents." Asbury replaced its banner after it was taken on Dec. 12, but the church said the second banner was taken during the week of Christmas. Church officials have asked for an increased police presence on Wednesday. Raberta Hans, a 50-year-old teacher from Carbon County in Northeastern Pennsylvania, says she wants to make a stand for election integrity: Its too dangerous to not go back and count every ballot. Jackie Kulback, the local GOP chair in Cambria County, is looking forward to what may be our last chance to get together as a group to show the president how much we support him. And Ben Philips, a 50-year-old computer programmer from Bloomsburg, is eager to see what President Donald Trump will do next: It seems like he called us there for a reason, I think something bigs about to go down that no ones talking about yet. I think he has an ace up his sleeve. Theyre among the busloads of Pennsylvania Trump supporters heading to Washington on Wednesday as the nations capital braces for potentially tens of thousands of people to march in the streets during a chaotic day in Congress. Under normal circumstances, it would be a quiet day in Washington, as Congress convenes to count the Electoral College votes usually a formality. But Trump and his allies have transformed this perfunctory gathering into a national spectacle, as the president continues his push to overturn his loss to President-elect Joe Biden. An unprecedented number of congressional Republicans have said they will object to the results in Pennsylvania and other swing states Biden won despite Bidens decisive 306-232 Electoral College victory and a popular-vote margin of seven million. Elections officials and dozens of state and federal courts across the country have rejected the Trump campaigns lawsuits, and there is no evidence to support Trumps claims of widespread fraud. In Harrisburg on Tuesday, a smaller group of protesters held a Hear Us Roar rally on the steps of the state capitol building. READ MORE: Fact-checking false claims about Pennsylvanias presidential election by Trump and his allies Democrats and even some Republicans, including Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, have called the sure-to-fail gambit an attack on democratic self-governance by attempting to overrule the will of the people and hand Trump a second term. Trump has encouraged supporters to show up to Stop the Steal. Right-wing extremist groups like the Proud Boys are expected to join the protests the groups leader was arrested Monday in Washington on property-destruction and weapons charges prompting fears among local authorities that there could be violence. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has activated hundreds of National Guard troops to help monitor protests. In interviews, Trump supporters said they wanted to show support for the president and were frustrated by what they saw as an unfair election. Some stopped short of saying they believed the election was stolen, but expressed concern over how it was run. Many fervent Trump backers said they considered their trip a pilgrimage, an opportunity to publicly object to the election and show pride in a president who in many cases brought them into politics and whom they desperately want to stay in office. Youre trying to right a wrong, is what youre trying to do. The people going down to D.C., everyone believes Trump won, and not only did he win, he won in a landslide, said Kevin Fischer, a retired mill worker from Yardley. We feel like for the first time in the history of my lifetime Ive got a president who actually cares about what the American people think and feel, he said. READ MORE: With the vote count now over, heres how Pennsylvania broke for Joe Biden There is no evidence of any widespread voter fraud in Pennsylvanias presidential election. Trumps campaign itself hasnt presented any such evidence in its numerous legal challenges contesting the result. Rather, its legal efforts have been aimed at disqualifying votes that all evidence shows were legitimately cast under rules they disagree with. The postelection controversy has been stirred almost entirely by unfounded claims of fraud. But Fischer thinks it is suspicious that Trumps election night lead melted away as mail ballots were counted. (Mail ballots, which overwhelmingly favored Biden, were counted later than in-person votes, because under state law counties werent authorized to start processing them until Election Day.) He rejects the mainstream media as covering up for Democrats and refers to posts on far-right websites like Project Veritas. Philips, the programmer from Bloomsburg, organized a 55-seat charter van stopping in Harrisburg and York en route to Washington. He started a pro-Trump website, Trumparoo (named for a stuffed kangaroo he sells that looks like the president). There was a time when he thought a fighting kangaroo would be a fun mascot for the election. But people arent really in the stuffed-animal spirit anymore, Philips said. Philips had voted only once in a presidential election before Trump. He now feels as if he has a family of Trump supporters that extends nationwide. Well just find other ways to fight, Philips said. Get other people elected, try to help more patriotic Republicans get elected as opposed to the Mitch McConnells and the Chris Christies. ... It seems like theres going to be a whole other movement that will overtake the Republican Party as being the Trump party. That GOP divide will also be on display Wednesday as eight of Pennsylvanias nine Republican House members have said they will object to the states electors, effectively moving to invalidate millions of votes. Val Biancaniello, a respiratory therapist from Delaware County who plans to rally in Washington, said shes mainly focused on pushing state lawmakers to change election rules. Republican leaders in Harrisburg have said election reform will be a priority this year. But on Jan. 20, when Biden is inaugurated, Biancaniello said, shell consider him her president. I will hardly agree with his policies for certain, but if he can strive for a more prosperous and peaceful America, thats the hope, she said. Kulback, the GOP chair from Cambria County in Southwestern Pennsylvania, said shed be making the trip with about 100 people on two buses. Trump supporters in nearby Bedford, Somerset, and Blair Counties have also chartered two buses a piece, she said. It was ridiculous, the assaults that the president went through since 2016, Kulback said. And I think what were seeing now is just a lot of pent-up frustration because of that. She said that going forward, Republican voters are clamoring for elected officials to tighten voting laws. I hope all of our elected officials look at everything that went wrong with this election, and really step up to the plate to fix it, Kulback said. And that means, buttoning down the mail-in ballots, validating whos voting. READ MORE: Everybody wants to change Pennsylvania election law, but mistrust is high Democrats are confident theres little chance of Wednesday changing anything, though they are perturbed by the historic challenge to a free and fair election. Electoral votes will be received, there will be some very unfortunate speeches made, and it will be another step toward us moving this country back to sanity, said State Sen. Sharif Street, who is vice chair of the state Democratic Party. But some Trump voters are holding out hope and watching Vice President Mike Pence, who as president of the Senate presides over the joint session of Congress. The Constitution prescribes him a ceremonial role of counting the Electoral College votes, despite Trumps false claim Tuesday that Pence has the power to reject electors. Kim Smetanka, 41, of Uniontown, in Fayette County, started organizing a trip a couple of days ago. As word spread on social media, she decided to book a second bus to meet demand. Some people who live in Ohio and West Virginia are driving to her town in Southwestern Pennsylvania to meet up, she said, because all the buses in their hometowns were full. Our president, No. 1, he called for us to be there, said Smetanka, who owns a pizza business with her husband. I expect for this election to be overturned. I expect for Mike Pence to do what he can do, according to the Constitution. And I expect for a celebration on the ride home. Beijing: China on Wednesday welcomed India's reported decision to reject Australia's request to join this year's Malabar naval exercises saying the security concerns of the different parties should be taken into account while holding such drills. "I have seen the relevant reports on the refusal made by India for the invitation. I think India is also clear about the consideration behind this behaviour," Hua Chunying told media briefing reacting to a report that India has rejected Australia's request to join as observer to avoid backlash from China. She, however, did not elaborate on India's "consideration" in rejecting Australia's request to join the naval exercises scheduled to be held in July in the Bay of Bengal. "But I think we are happy to see normal dialogue and communications on security issues. But we also hope that when conducting such operations, the parties can fully consider the security concerns of the different parties and also play a positive and constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability," Hua said. ALSO READ: Govt extends last date of Indo-China trade via Lipulekh pass to October 31 The Malabar exercise started in 1992 with the US and India in the Indian Ocean. Since Japan joined in 2007, it has alternated between the West Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Media reports said India has rejected Australia's request to send naval ships to join as observer. The three countries held their largest ever joint exercise off Japanese coast, which involved 11 vessels and 8,000 personnel. Last year Chinese media sharply criticised the Malabar exercises saying that they are designed to target China. "Such a large-scale military exercise was obviously designed to target China's submarine activities in the East and South China Seas in recent years, promote the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific and cement the US presence in the region," an article in the state-run Global said last year. "Washington brought New Delhi and Tokyo into the exercise to relieve its pressure due to overstretched military presence around the globe and tighten its grip on the Asia-Pacific region," it had said. ALSO READ: Arunachal people may get compensation of Rs 3,000 crore for land acquired during 1962 China war For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud claims on behalf of shareholders of QuantumScape Corporation. ("QuantumScape" or the "Company") (NYSE: QS) resulting from allegations that QuantumScape might have issued misleading information to the investing public. If you purchased QuantumScape securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit QS Shareholder Investigation or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected]. On January 4, 2021, an article was published on Seeking Alpha. That article pointed to a number of risks associated with QuantumScape's solid state batteries. These risk make QuantumScape's batteries "completely unacceptable for real world field electric vehicles." The article specifically stated that QuantumScape's battery's power meant it would "only last for 260 cycles or about 75,000 miles of aggressive driving." On this news, the price of QuantumScape's shares fell $34.49 or approximately 40.84% to close at $49.96 per share on January 4, 2021. If you purchased QuantumScape securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/quantumscapecorporation-qs-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-stock-fraud-352/apply/ or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected]. Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years. ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. 2021 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. Contact Information Matthew E. Guarnero Bernstein Liebhard LLP https://www.bernlieb.com (877) 779-1414 [email protected] SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP Related Links http://www.bernlieb.com More than 30 police officers have swarmed a Melbourne home as paramedics remain on standby. Specialist police and plain clothes officers were called to the Cooper Street home in Brunswick about 4pm on Tuesday. Meanwhile just minutes down the road, another man was arrested after assaulting an officer who was performing a welfare check at his address. 'A man inside the address allegedly punched a police officer in the face before retreating into the home,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. Specialist police and plain clothes officers stormed the Cooper Street home in Brunswick about 4pm on Tuesday More than 30 police officers in explosive vests have swarmed a Melbourne home as paramedics remain on standby 'Critical Incident Response Team members negotiated with the man and he was arrested without further incident. 'The officer sustained minor facial injuries.' Under Victorian law, anybody found guilty of assaulting an emergency services worker must spend at least six months in jail. It is not yet clear if the two incidents are linked. Video taken at the scene shows the street entirely blocked off by multiple police cars as officers move toward the house on the footpath. Video taken at the scene shows the street entirely blocked off by multiple police cars as officers move toward the house on the footpath. It is a common belief that the most significant result of the Sunshine Policy under President Kim Dae-jung was the improvement of inter-Korean relations, manifest in projects like the Kaesong Industrial Complex and tours to Mt. Kumgang. This is not true. The most important change was to open political space for conservatives and progressives to debate North Korea policy. The recent legislation passed by the National Assembly banning the sending of propaganda leaflets to North Korea has closed this space in a way that is anathema to the spirit of the Sunshine Policy. The most important change, in my opinion, wrought by Kim's policies was the "democratization" of domestic views on North Korea. Prior to the Sunshine policy, Koreans were not permitted to have anything other than a uniform, hardline posture imposed by authoritarian, anti-communist governments. Indeed, the draconian National Security Law deemed it an act of sedition to voice any other opinion. The Sunshine Policy was important because it widened the spectrum of opinion to make engagement a politically legitimate viewpoint. It "democratized" the North Korea narrative in the South -- anyone could say positive or negative things about the regime without fear of retribution. But the legislation passed by the National Assembly this month has taken things full circle. South Koreans must once again watch what they say about North Korea, especially if they are critical of the way the regime treats its own people. The law imposes fines of up to W30 million and up to three-year jail sentences for sending leaflets, USB sticks, Bibles and money across the 38th Parallel into North Korea. Ruling-party politicians like Song Young-gil and Unification Minister Lee In-young have defended the law with two arguments. First, that it is meant to protect residents of villages near the border from North Korean retaliation, and second, that the balloons need to be stopped because they are a form of "psychological warfare," which violates inter-Korean accords dating back to 1990. Both are specious arguments. It is true that the North Korean leadership does not like the leaflets. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong last summer targeted the activity in a diatribe against the South Korean government and demanded that the practice be banned. But the North did not threaten to retaliate against the border villages from where activists carried out their work. Indeed, is it not a tactic of North Koreas to target South Korean citizens as this would create popular resentment. Instead, retaliation (to the extent it happens at all) will be carried out against military or official targets. That is why the regime blew up the inter-Korean liaison office after Kim Yo-jong's complaints about the balloons. The shootings that have occurred along the border recently have been of the North Korean military firing at their own soldiers who tried to defect to the South, or shooting a South Korean official who was found adrift in North Korean waters. Referring to human rights activities as "psychological warfare" is a misnomer. "Psy ops" are military and intelligence activities carried out by a government against an enemy target. For example, broadcasting from loudspeaker walls across the DMZ, an operation conducted by the government, is a psy op. Non-governmental protests, demonstrations, or balloon launches undertaken by regular citizens are a form of free expression. To claim otherwise would be tantamount to saying that the Black Lives Matter protests, burning effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump in front of the White House, are a form a psy op. The Unification Ministry has also claimed that the balloons that have drifted back into the border villages on the southern side place the burden of cleanup on the inhabitants, but this is not a psy op, nor a pretext for North Korean retaliation. It is a littering problem. The reality is that the balloon launch ban is part of a broader effort by the government to roll back human rights activities. Previous progressive South Korean governments practiced a sort of benign neglect of these organizations. They did not particularly like the way these organizations criticized Pyongyang because it might negatively impact inter-Korean relations, but they did not actively seek to persecute them. This is of a different order. Many organizations tell me that there is a determined effort to stifle any criticism in South Korea of the ways the North Korean regime abuses its people. The Unification Ministry has conducted widespread audits of at least 25 human rights and resettlement civic organizations, and has required over 60 NGOs to submit documentation to the ministry as a pretext for possibly revoking their registrations. The South Korean government has also cut off access for North Korean human rights NGOs to the government-run resettlement center for defectors, Hanawon, which is an important way to collect oral and eyewitness testimony of abuses inside the North. The budget put forward by the South Korean government, moreover, has reduced funding for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation by over 90 percent. Legal bans, defunding, de-licensing, and cutting off access -- these are not policies of benign neglect, they are an aggressive campaign to stifle speech. Of course, I understand that the South Korean government is looking to remove obstacles to inter-Korean cooperation as they try to regenerate the momentum created by the summit diplomacy in 2018 and 2019. But trying to silence South Korean civilian support for a better life for their brethren in the North is a self-defeating policy. True inter-Korean reconciliation will be best served by people in the North knowing that there are those in the South and around the world who understand their plight and want to help. It will not be served by North Koreans knowing that the definition of human rights improvement is being restricted to only activities seen as promoting the South Korean government's policies. That is neither the definition of human rights, nor is it the definition of democratic free expression. The public silence of American friends should not be taken as a sign of indifference, or an indicator that the South Korean government's talking points on the leaflet law are working or that the response in Washington is being well managed. Out of respect for the alliance, many Americans have been speaking privately, not publicly, about their concerns, but for how long they will keep mum remains unclear. Many in Washington are perturbed at the extent of the actions and have voiced their concerns to the incoming Biden administration. (@ChaudhryMAli88) An Al-Qaeda-linked militants' group has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed two French soldiers in Mali Paris (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jan, 2021 ) :An Al-Qaeda-linked militants' group has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed two French soldiers in Mali. They died on Saturday when their vehicle hit an explosive device in the northeast, just days after three others were killed in similar fashion. The deaths brought to 50 the number of French soldiers killed in the West African nation since France first intervened in 2013 to help drive back militants. The Group to Support islam and Muslims (GSIM) said it "detonated an explosive device" as the vehicle was passing, "bringing the toll to five in less than a week", in a statement released by its propaganda platform Al-Zallaqa late on Monday. The attack killed corporal Loic Risser, 24, and sergeant Yvonne Huynh, 33, the mother of a young child and the first female soldier killed since the French operation began in the Sahel region. The GSIM also denied responsibility for an attack on two villages in western Niger on Saturday which killed 100 people, the biggest single massacre of civilians in the Sahel's eight-year-old insurgency. "This attack, whoever carried it out, is not different from the massacres of the French occupiers and criminal militias, the GSIM said, adding that it has not turned against the people, and vowed reprisals. The group appeared to be referring to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), its great rival in the region and with whom it has clashed violently in recent months. One year ago, French President Emmanuel Macron designated the EIGS as the number one enemy in the Sahel region. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (File Photo) Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off from L&T's Hazira plant in Surat district critical components bound for Indian Oil's MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) plant coming up at the refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Paradip in Odisha. During his visit to Surat in Gujarat, the minister flagged off the equipment from the engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro''s Hazira plant. "Flagged-off indigenously manufactured critical components from L&Ts Hazira manufacturing facility to @IndianOilcls MEG (mono-ethylene glycol) plant coming up at the refinery-cum- petrochemical complex at Paradip in Odisha," Pradhan tweeted after the visit. In a series of tweets, the Union Minister said the delivery of three super critical equipment -- Ethylene Oxide Reactor, Wash Tower and De-ethyleniser -- "will be a significant stride in the commissioning of the MEG project at Paradip refinery" and will help reduce MEG imports and also enhance the competitiveness of the refinery. "It will also act as a driver for the growing textiles industry in Odisha, fuel several downstream textile and polymer industries in the region, strengthen #MakeInIndia and also meet the entire MEG requirement for the proposed Textile Park at Bhadrak and Dhamra," he said. "The MEG project being setup with an investment of Rs 5,654 crore is expected to be commissioned in October, 2021. It will boost large-scale employment generation in the textile sector, including creation of 14,000 job opportunities in the downstream units at Bhadrak and Dhamra alone," he said further. He said this will help establish Paradip as a hub of petroleum, textiles and petrochemical-based industries and usher in unprecedented opportunities for the development of Odisha. Pradhan also visited steel-making facilities at Arcellor-Mittal Nippon Steel at Hazira. In another tweet, he said the company is planning a capacity addition of 8 million tonne per annum to its 12-MTPA capacity iron ore pelletization facility in Paradip. "Happy that AMNS India has evinced interest in expanding its investment footprints to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore in Odisha, especially in the areas of value added and special steels," he said. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Kent Porter/Associated Press The search continued Monday for two children missing off the coast of Sonoma County after they were swept into the ocean with their father Sunday evening. The father, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was identified as Petaluma resident Michael Wyman, 40, officials with the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office said Monday. Pet owners were furious on Tuesday after American Airlines became the latest US domestic carrier to require anyone seeking to fly with an emotional support animal to pay a fee in a move that could generate as much as $60million a year. The ban was announced a month after the federal government reversed a policy that allowed travelers to bring chickens, peacocks, snakes, and other exotic creatures aboard flights while claiming they were there for emotional support. The airline said on Tuesday that it will allow animals in the cabin free of charge only if they are trained service dogs. Angry pet owners blasted the company, accusing it of being greedy. Breanna Morello tweeted: 'WE BAILED OUT THESE AIRLINES.' 'Now they want to charge dog owners $250 to bring their dogs onboard. 'If your dog doesnt fit in a bag under the seat, they want to put your dog under the plane. 'These airlines are greedy. Let them ALL fail next time.' The airline industry received $25billion in coronavirus relief money from the federal government that expired in late September. The latest relief package gave the battered industry an additional $15billion to rehire furloughed workers. Breanna Morello blasted the airline as 'greedy.' She wrote: 'WE BAILED OUT THESE AIRLINES. Now they want to charge dog owners $250 to bring their dogs onboard' 'Ugh,' tweeted Chris Jahn. 'Why not limit it to just support dogs and cats and not allow other wild animals onboard that people have tried to get onboard. My dog is so well behaved and loves visiting family. Theres no reason he cant sleep in my lap for 4 hours.' Another Twitter user wrote that American Airlines was 'trash' 'Considering Ive seen at least one dog on every flight (many) Ive taken for years I imagine this wont last long,' the Twitter user predicted One Twitter user vowed to fly on Delta Airlines, tweeting a photo of herself with her dog The latest coronavirus relief package signed into law last week will grant US airlines $15billion in new payroll assistance that will allow them to return more than 32,000 furloughed workers to payrolls through March 31. US airlines furloughed more than 32,000 workers in October, after a six-month $25 billion bailout measure expired on September 30. American Airlines alone furloughed 19,000 employees, while United Airlines furloughed more than 13,000. The change in the emotional support animal policy takes effect on Monday, although passengers who already bought tickets can fly with a companion animal until February 1. 'We're confident this approach will enable us to better serve our customers, particularly those with disabilities who travel with service animals, and better protect our team members at the airport and on the aircraft,' the airline said in a statement. The move follows a similar decision by Alaska Airlines and is likely to be copied by other carriers. Alaska Airlines, the Seattle-based air carrier, last week announced changes to its service animal policy, stating that beginning on January 11, the airline will no longer allow any emotional support animals on its flights. American Airlines is the latest US domestic carrier that will require anyone seeking to fly with an emotional support animal to pay a fee. An American Airlines plane is seen above at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Dallas on December 2 The above image is a file photo of a therapy assistance poodle being petted by people. The airline said Tuesday that it will allow animals in the cabin free of charge only if they are trained service dogs 'Alaska will only transport service dogs, which are specially trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability,' the airline said in a press release. BIZARRE PETS PASSENGERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BRING ON PLANES - Emotional Support Pig In 2014, a woman was booted off a from Connecticut to Washington state because her large pet pig was being 'disruptive'. A fellow passenger told CNN the pig weighed between 70 and 80 pounds, and began dropping things in the aisle and squealing - Emotional Support Squirrel In October 2018, Cindy Torok was left livid after Frontier Airlines barred her pet squirrel, Daisy, from accompanying her on a flight from Orlando to Cleveland. Torok appeared on numerous TV programs blasting the company, claiming she had a letter from her doctor saying that the squirrel helped with her anxiety disorder - Emotional Support Hamster In 2018, Belen Aldecosea, 21, admitted to flushing her emotional support hamster down an airport toilet after Spirit Airlines stopped her from bringing the rodent with her on the plane Advertisement Under the revised policy, Alaska will accept no more than two service dogs per guest in the cabin. Passengers will be required to complete a form on the airline's website, confirming that their animal is a legitimate service dog, is specially trained and vaccinated and will behave appropriately during the flight. The US Transportation Department cleared the way for the crackdown against companion animals last month. American said passengers with a service dog will need to complete a government form vouching for the dogs health, training and temperament. Other animals, including dogs not trained as service dogs, will only be able to fly in the cargo hold or a kennel that fits under a seat in the cabin. Either way, American will collect a pet fee ranging from $125 to several hundred dollars. United Airlines also requires its passengers to pay a $125 fee each way if they plan on bringing an emotional support animal. Southwest Airlines' fee is a bit lower - $95 each way. On December 18, Delta Air Lines updated its policy. Delta won't allow any emotional support pets on flights longer than eight hours. Any animals under the age of four months also will not be permitted regardless of the length of flight. 'Safety is our core value and we applaud the Department of Transportation (DOT) for acknowledging the concerns that Delta and many other stakeholders have repeatedly raised and for finalizing the new service animal rule,' the airline said in a statement. 'This rule will allow airlines to put safety first for all of our customers and employees, while protecting the rights of customers who have disabilities and need to travel with trained service animals. 'We are currently reviewing the new rule and will continue to work with Deltas Advisory Board on Disability to implement it in a manner that improves the experience for all our customers. 'At this time, there are no changes to Deltas current service and support animal policies.' The airline said it will allow a grace period for passengers who purchased tickets up to February 1. After that date, however, no emotional support pets will be permitted. Jessica Tyler, American's president of cargo, said the rules will help passengers with service animals and protect employees on planes and in airports. The number of animals on planes took off several years ago, and a cottage industry grew around providing papers, doctors notes and even dog vests for support animals. Pigs won't fly: Alaska Airlines last week announced that beginning on January 11, it will no longer allow any emotional support animals, such as this jet-setting pig In early December, the US Department of Transportation said that it will no longer require airlines to make the same accommodations for emotional support animals as for service dogs Alaska will only transport service dogs, which are specially trained to perform tasks for a person with Frequent fliers: Airlines argued that passengers abused the situation to bring a menagerie of animals on board including cats and ducks The DOT said it was rewriting the rules partly because passengers carrying unusual animals, such as this panda, on board 'eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals' Among the most bizarre service animals in recent years has been Dexter the Peacock Under the DOT's final rule, which takes effect in early January, a service animal is a dog trained to help a person with a physical or psychiatric disability. Advocates for veterans and others had pushed for inclusion of psychiatric service dogs. Airlines for America, a trade group for the biggest US carriers, said the new rule will protect passengers and airline employees while helping people travel with trained service dogs. SERVICE ANIMALS VS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS The US Department of Transportation's Final Rule issued on December 2 defines a service animal as a dog of any breed or type that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. The policy calls for airlines to treat psychiatric service dogs the same as other service dogs and no longer allows airlines to require a letter from a licensed psychiatrist attesting to the traveler's need of the animal as a condition of transport. The Final Rule permits airlines to treat emotional support animals, including non-service dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, birds and other creatures, as pets and no longer requires air carriers to accommodate them on board fliht. The policy does not prohibit the transport of emotional support animals. An airline may choose to transport them as pets for an additional fee. Advertisement 'The days of Noahs Ark in the air are hopefully coming to an end,' Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants told USA Today. Proponents of emotional support animals have been up in arms about DOT's new rule, arguing that the animals help them with anxiety, post-traumatic or other issues that would prevent them from traveling. Passengers only needed a note from a health professional, and a cottage industry sprang up to provide those notes along with vests and other accoutrements for their animals. Airlines and particularly flight attendants took a more critical view, saying passengers were exploiting a loophole in federal regulations to avoid pet fees. In a few cases, including some involving serious injuries, companion animals bit other passengers. In December 2017, an Alaska Airlines passenger was at a terminal in Portland International Airport in Oregon while she and her children waited to board a flight Texas just before Christmas. As Mirna Gonzalez was buying coffee, she heard her daughter scream after a pit bull that was flying with its owner as an emotional support dog bit her. The mauling led Gonzalez to file a $1.1million lawsuit against the airline as well as the Port of Portland, which operates the airport. In June 2017, a Delta passenger, Marlin Jackson, was mauled by an emotional support dog before takeoff on a flight from Atlanta to San Diego. The attack left Jackson with a series of punctures and cuts to his face requiring 28 stitches, as well as permanent nerve damage and pain, according to a lawsuit filed by Jackson against both the airline and the pet's owner. Jackson, who lives in Alabama, 'bled so profusely that the entire row of seats had to be removed from the airplane,' according to the complaint. Last month, the Transportation Department settled the matter, siding mostly with the airlines. It said carriers were free to ban any animal other than dogs formally trained to help people with physical or psychological disabilities. The department estimated that under the new rules airlines will scoop up $59.6million a year in pet fees. On Twitter, would-be travelers reacted angrily to the new policy while others defended the airline and accused those with emotional support pets of taking advantage of the situation at the expense of those who are more reliant on service dogs, like those who are visually impaired. 'Ugh,' tweeted Chris Jahn. 'Why not limit it to just support dogs and cats and not allow other wild animals onboard that people have tried to get onboard. In December 2017, Gabriella Gonzalez (left), an Alaska Airlines passenger, was mauled by a pit bull that was flying as an emotional support animal at Portland International Airport in Oregon. In June 2017, a Delta passenger, Marlin Jackson (right), was mauled by an emotional support dog before takeoff on a Delta flight from Atlanta to San Diego. Both Gonzalez's mother and Jackson filed lawsuits against the respective airlines 'My dog is so well behaved and loves visiting family. Theres no reason he cant sleep in my lap for 4 hours.' 'So they're punishing the people who have legitimate needs because a bunch of a******s abused the system? That's wrong and sad,' tweeted another Twitter user. Another Twitter user predicted that the airlines that continue to allow emotional support animals will benefit. 'Considering Ive seen at least one dog on every flight (many) Ive taken for years I imagine this wont last long,' the Twitter user predicted. 'Itll add up. The airline that remains pet friendly will prosper.' Another Twitter user commented: 'AA is trash and been trash.' One Twitter user vowed to fly on Delta Airlines, tweeting a photo of herself with her dog. Others, however, were not as sympathetic toward those who bring emotional support pets on board. 'Whatever did we do before emotional support animals were allowed?' one Twitter user said sarcastically. Others, however, were not as sympathetic toward those who bring emotional support pets on board Another Twitter user wrote: 'Yep, Americans love to abuse systems and push the boundaries and try and get away with anything and everything. Thus, ruining it for all. It's the American way' Another Twitter commenter wrote: 'Dont blame American Airlines, blame inconsiderate people who register their pets as emotional support animals, just to have them in cabin on planes' One Twitter user commented: 'Whatever did we do before emotional support animals were allowed?' One Twitter user wrote: 'My support elephant flies wherever I fly!' Another Twitter user joked: 'Horrible airline! If I cant bring Timber, my emotional support rattlesnake, then Im boycotting!' Wrote another Twitter user: 'They are not saying no pets, they are saying if you bring your pet you cant call it an ES animal & not pay the fee. 'Pay the fee, follow the rules & you can still bring your pet.' Another Twitter commenter wrote: 'Dont blame American Airlines, blame inconsiderate people who register their pets as emotional support animals, just to have them in cabin on planes. 'Now its ruined for people in actual need of that service. Reforms with the registration process instead!' Another Twitter user wrote: 'Yep, Americans love to abuse systems and push the boundaries and try and get away with anything and everything. Thus, ruining it for all. It's the American way.' One Twitter user wrote: 'My support elephant flies wherever I fly!' Another Twitter user joked: 'Horrible airline! If I cant bring Timber, my emotional support rattlesnake, then Im boycotting!' Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has called on China to let a team from the World Health Organisation into the country to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, after Beijing appeared to block the officials from entering the country. The WHO says China is refusing to grant its officials access to Wuhan as part of the inquiry into the global pandemic. Xi Jinping at an event last September to honour those involved in the battle against COVID-19. Credit:AP Australia led calls for the independent inquiry that was eventually backed by a global coalition of 137 countries, including China, at a meeting of the World Health Assembly in May. Senator Payne said Australia had "consistently sought transparency in relation to the origins of, and responses to the coronavirus, as have other countries". In dealing with the COVID crisis, the public health experts have failed the nation, betrayed their mission, and spread confusion. So many outrages have been committed in the name of science that people are rightfully distrustful. Science should be a voice of certainty, not chaos. Such an evaluation may seem harsh, but it corresponds to reality. People are bewildered by the contradictory reports, warnings, and directives that come from public health experts. The public is left grasping for survival. Spreading Confusion The health experts come from those prestigious institutions and government bodies that are part of the nations massive research and treatment infrastructure. They are best represented in this crisis by Dr. Anthony Fauci and the World Health Organization bureaucrats. These experts are influenced by the political debate on health issues, which leans leftward. They should not be confused with the healthcare professionals found on the frontlines treating the virus. Public health officials should apply the scientific method to crises to deliver certainty in the face of the unknown. The scientific method calls for raising several hypotheses and arriving at likely conclusions. Science can then provide society with the elements to deal with reality, danger, and risk. It should do everything possible to reinforce what is known and explore new and promising possibilities. In addressing the coronavirus crisis, the public health experts, supported by the media, have shamelessly abandoned the scientific method and retreated into preconceived liberal ideas that often reinforce failure. They seem more dedicated to telling people what they dont know about the virus than what they do. A Set Narrative that Does Not Change From the beginning, public health experts have followed a narrative that has changed little. In the name of science, government authorities mandated arbitrary measures, recommending limits and business shutdowns. Places of worship were needlessly shuttered. These measures did more harm than good. Countless experts have spoken out that the radical lockdowns are not solutions to the spread of the virus. They do more harm than good in the fields of health, mental well-being, and economy. Moreover, locked-down areas often suffer the same if not more cases of COVID than non-locked down regions. Instead of lives being saved, death rates increased, yet officials double down on their mistakes by implementing the same failed policies during the second round of lockdowns. What Is Known About the Virus It does not take a scientist to understand what is now known about the virus. Everyone knows that COVID is highly contagious. It does not affect children. Those with serious conditions and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. Most healthy people can navigate carefully inside the risks that COVID presents without the danger of death. Such observations should form the framework for commonsense policies that would mitigate the effects of COVID upon the general population, allowing the economy and society to function normally. Instead, public health experts implement measures that border on the absurd and unscientific. There is no reason why huge churches that can hold thousands should be limited to dozens of people or that all services should be limited to outdoor locations. No scientific explanation or study has justified the closing of all dining or gatherings. There is no demonstrable benefit from masking between bites during a meal. Schools are closed despite all evidence that the children are the least endangered. Nursing homes were deemed places of treatment of COVID sufferers despite their residents extreme vulnerability. There was no need to cancel Thanksgiving or Christmas. Indeed, the so-called Thanksgiving surge of COVID cases did not materialize despite constant reports that said it would. Moreover, some public health experts insist that their policies will be in effect for many more months and even years -- despite the dismal results and the vaccine. A Refusal to Innovate Public health experts have failed America further by not being open to new or innovative solutions. Throughout the crisis, isolated voices have proposed solutions that proved successful in their practices. However, the public health experts immediately condemned any dissenters from the official position even when these opinions came from highly qualified individuals or peer-reviewed studies. They insisted that everyone follow the same diktat measures without allowing for other solutions. Everyone must be on the same page, which was often tied to leftist political agendas. A characteristic of the scientific method is an openness to daring new hypotheses that challenge preconceived notions. The bolder the propositions, the more dazzling can be the success. However, in COVID treatment, public health experts display serious cowardice. They refuse to dare. Their only reaction to increased cases seems to be, reverting to their default positions of more masking, quarantines, mass testing and locking down. There is no will to try new things. A Refreshing Proposal A refreshing change from the same old thing is the Great Barrington Declaration, written by three of the worlds preeminent epidemiologists and signed by 13,000 public health scientists and nearly 40,000 general practitioners. The public health establishment looked upon this statement with scorn and disdain. The group dared to propose focusing on societys most vulnerable elements while opening all schools and churches and allowing the majority of the population to return with care to full normality. Such a proposition corresponds precisely to what is now known about the virus. It would target each group with the level of care needed rather than the one-size-fits-all lockdown procedures that destroy society and economies. The time has come to discard socialistic, inflexible preconceived policies. The public health experts must admit their colossal mistakes, abandon their agendas and re-establish public trust. As things stand, there is no scientific method to their madness. Image: Wellcome Trust President Donald Trump put forth a dizzying array of fuzzy accounting and outright false claims in an extraordinary phone call to Georgia's secretary of state seeking a reversal of his election defeat, fabricating a slew of votes that he said should've been counted in his favor. In the hourlong conversation Saturday with Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, Trump suggested that the Republican "find" enough votes to hand Trump the victory. The Associated Press obtained the full audio of Trump's conversation with Georgia officials from a person on the call. The AP has a policy of not amplifying disinformation and unproven allegations. The AP plans to post the full audio as it annotates a transcript with fact check material. A look at Trump's claims on the call and how they compare with reality: Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Mark Sherman contributed to this report. The Associated Press has been fact-checking politicians since 1996, when Bill Clinton was president. These are not opinion pieces but instead are straight-news items that adhere to AP's Statement of News Values. The AP encourages readers to reach out with comments, fact-checking suggestions and corrections at FactCheck@ap.org. Learn more about the team and how this content is produced at apnews.com. The Mamata Banerjee administration would be launching on Tuesday a project to provide free eye-care to millions of people across West Bengal over the next five years. The project, Choker Alo (Light of the Eye), is to provide free eye-care, including cataract surgery, spectacles and eye check-up, to all. The name and logo of the project was decided by Banerjee herself. We are launching a project from January 5 under which at least 2 million poor and elderly people can undergo free cataract surgery. We would also provide free spectacles to around 825,000 people, the chief minister said while speaking to media persons from the state secretariat. Free eye check-up would be provided to all students in government schools across the state and around four lakh students would be provided with free glasses. Children visiting anganwadi centres can also get free eye check-up, so that eye problems could be detected at an early stage. More than 300 eye surgeons and around 400 optometrists would be working on this project. In the first phase starting Tuesday, camps would be held in around 1,200 villages and around 120 primary health centres in cities and towns in the state. Later all villages, towns and cities would be brought under the project, she added. A red-hot trend in the car industry is for new entrants such as Fisker Inc. to hand over the complicated and capital-intensive work of engineering and building vehicles to a contract manufacturer. Increasingly, cars are judged on their software and electronics so why bother wasting time and money on metal bashing? If Apple Inc. is indeed seriously considering launching its own vehicle, as press reports suggest, then it will almost certainly decide to outsource, as it does with the iPhone. Apple designs the phone and its operating system but employs Foxconn to assemble components into a handset. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Theres at least one big contract manufacturer ready to take advantage of these seismic industry changes: Canadas Magna International Inc. If Apple is serious about building a car Magna Steyr should build it," says Evercore ISI analyst Chris McNally. Even if Apple doesnt come knocking, the manufacturer is already advising tech groups and start-ups looking to enter the automotive business, and investors have taken notice. Magnas shares have almost trebled since March, giving it a $21 billion market value. Magna is one of the worlds biggest car-parts suppliers, having generated nearly $40 billion of revenue in 2019 from products such as transmissions, vehicle cameras, mirrors and seating. The contract manufacturing subsidiary, Magna Steyr, is the really interesting piece. It builds niche premium vehicles at a factory in Graz, Austria, including the Mercedes G-Class 4x4, the electric Jaguar I-Pace and the BMW Z4 sportscar. Typically those companies choose to outsource the work, rather than retool or build a new production line, because the sales volumes are relatively small. In 2019 Magna assembled almost 160,000 vehicles more than many carmakers produce and generated $6.7 billion of revenue from these activities. Together with joint venture partner Beijing Automotive Group Co. (BAIC) it recently added another facility in China, which is capable of producing 180,000 vehicles yearly. A north American plant might be next. Magnas client roster already extends well beyond the traditional automakers. Henrik Fiskers eponymous car venture, for one, went public in October after merging with a special purpose acquisition company. A manufacturing and vehicle engineering partnership with Magna is key to Fiskers asset-light approach. The latter often compares this to the Apple-Foxconn relationship and hopes that will avoid the production nightmares that bedeviled Tesla Inc. The Austrian Magna subsidiary is reportedly in talks about producing vehicles for Canoo Inc., another SPAC-backed car start-up, while in China its started producing the Arcfox for BAICs electric vehicle offshoot. Other projects include helping Alphabet Inc.s Waymo subsidiary integrate self-driving technology into vehicles and working with Sony Corp. to produce the futuristic Vision S prototype car. Its not a secret that almost every non-OEM interested in realizing its own complete vehicles is contacting us," Frank Klein, Magna Steyrs boss, told investors last year. You can see why new entrants may chose to work with a neutral party like Magna rather than partnering and sharing plans with an existing carmaker that might be a potential rival. As well as providing production capacity, Magna says it can handle the entire vehicle development process. The company was hired to turn chemicals billionaire Jim Ratcliffes Grenadier 4x4 into reality. The vehicles Magna builds in its factories usually include more of its own components and systems than is the case for cars it doesnt make. It can also take a financial interest in the companies with which it works. If it does what it promises, Magna could end up owning 6% of Fisker. Last year, it invested $100 million in Waymo . These are welcome sweeteners because contract manufacturings economics are tough. The vehicle-building subsidiary produced a 2% operating return on sales last year much lower than the average in other parts of Magnas business. And there are risks in adding manufacturing capacity for start-ups who may fail or decide to insource the work themselves. If Apple were to become a Magna customer it would drive the same hard bargain as it does with Foxconn, whose operating margins have shrunk to about 2%. Apples is 24%. Still, Magnas shares look less dauntingly overvalued than many companies with one foot in the electric-vehicle future. Even after its blistering recent run, the stock is priced at less than 12 times forward earnings. The Canadian manufacturer has its attractions even without a Tim Cook order. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics A scientific exploration tour called ExploraScience Quy Nhon has just been unveiled in the south-central province of Binh Dinh, marking the first of its kind in Vietnam. The experimental tour began its pilot operation in early 2019 which is expected to be completed in 2021, according to Nguyen Van Dung, director of the Binh Dinh Department of Tourism. The scientific exploration tour has seven showcase rooms with different themes including exploration, learning about the universe, the solar system, the earth and natural resources, and laws of nature. There are 94 scientific models, most of which were created by the experts of ExploraScience Quy Nhon following an exact ratio with real objects. Among tools of scientific dissemination is a 1.5m-diameter globe simulating the planet that is worth nearly VND3 billion [US$129,690] and imported from Germany," said Hoang Thi Hang, a staff member from the Center for Scientific Discovery in Binh Dinh Province. Many phenomena are simulated on the globes surface like climate change, volcanoes, earthquakes, and seasons. "Visitors can interact directly with the globe through its touch screen." Most of the tourists, especially students, showed their joy while listening to the scientific knowledge delivered by the staff at the center. I find it interesting here," Nguyen Van Thong, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City, said. "This is a useful space to discover, especially for children and students, who are both able to play and learn new things. Currently, ExploraScience Quy Nhon offers a scientific exploration tour with three sections: paying visits to showcase space, taking part in a scientific show, and playing games indoors and outdoors. Two children look through a telescope in the Center for Scientific Discovery in Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam. Photo: Dung Nhan / Tuoi Tre Children sit around to see a robot performance at the Center for Scientific Discovery in Binh Dinh Province. Photo: Dung Nhan / Tuoi Tre A student learns about a hydraulic system while playing a game called hydraulic arm. Photo: Dung Nhan / Tuoi Tre A student learns about a hydraulic system while playing a game called hydraulic arm. Photo: Dung Nhan / Tuoi Tre Students play a game with a water pump outside at the Center for Scientific Discovery in Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam. Photo: Dung Nhan / Tuoi Tre A staff member from the Center for Scientific Discovery introduces a globe model containing planets in the solar system to a group of children. Photo: Dung Nhan / Tuoi Tre A female visitor enjoys an experience with electronic science. Her hairs stand vertically after she touches a globe. Photo: Dung Nhan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OSIbeyond has announced that it is now an approved Registered Provider Organization (RPO) with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB). As an RPO in the CMMC ecosystem, OSIbeyond is authorized to provide consulting services to defense contractors seeking to become audit ready for the CMMC certification. CMMC compliance services include Risk Assessment, GAP analysis, technical solutions, and documentation development. OSIbeyond will help government contractors working with the Department of Defense determine the required CMMC maturity level, become audit ready, and maintain compliance post certification. OSIbeyond "We are thrilled to be one of the pioneer organizations to receive the Registered Provider Organization status from the CMMC-AB and to be listed on the CMMC Marketplace. Our team of cyber security experts including CMMC Registered Practitioners (RP) are ready to guide defense contractors through their CMMC certification journey." - Payam Pourkhomami, President & CEO, OSIbeyond About OSIbeyond: Since 2004, OSIbeyond has been providing comprehensive Managed IT Services and enterprise-grade Cybersecurity solutions to small and medium-sized organizations. This includes: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance solutions IT Support Cloud Solutions Cybersecurity Technology Strategy Our Managed Security Services which includes Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance solutions help defense contractors become CMMC audit ready by implementing technical solutions and developing documentation and policies required by CMMC. In addition, we provide ongoing services to maintain compliance after certification. For more information contact: Josh Carroll (301) 312-8908 [email protected] www.osibeyond.com Related Images image1.png Related Links Website CMMC-AB Marketplace Listing SOURCE OSIbeyond Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. PORT HURON, MI -- A Port Huron man serving life in prison for a murder committed more than 30 years ago has been denied clemency by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer recently denied the clemency request for Temujin Kensu and the governors staff notified Kensus attorney last week, according to an Associated Press report. Kensu, a Burton native formerly known as Frederick Freeman before he converted to Buddhism, is serving a life sentence for the 1986 slaying of 20-year-old Scott Macklem in the parking lot of St. Clair Community College in Port Huron. He has maintained his innocence, fighting his murder conviction for more than 30 years. Kensu insists he was hundreds of miles away in the Upper Peninsula when Macklem was killed and that there was no evidence at the crime scene that connected him to the murder. He began seeking clemency over the summer after he contracted COVID-19 while at a Macomb County prison. Kensus health records were attached to the appeal for clemency. The records outlined underlying conditions like chronic lung disease, an autoimmune disease and a brain tumor. His case is also being reviewed by the Michigan Attorney Generals office, said David Sanders, vice president of Proving Innocence, a Detroit-area group that works for people who argue they were wrongly convicted, according to the Associated Press. Advocates such as the Michigan Innocence Clinic and other advocates argue Kensu was wrongly convicted of killing the man. Related news: Michigan prisoner with coronavirus deserves clemency, says Innocence Clinic Burton man convicted of Port Huron killing in 1986 asks Gov. Snyder for pardon Convicted killer Temujin Kensu, who proclaims his innocence, will meet with state commutation board on Wednesday After more than 20 years in prison, Temujin Kensu dreams of release CRAWFORD COUNTY, MI Police are seeking information after $15,000 worth of tools and other items were stolen from a construction trailer in Crawford County. Troopers from the Michigan State Police Houghton Lake Post began investigating after they were called to the site on Villas Drive in Crawford Countys Maple Forest Township for a breaking and entering. Police believe the incident occurred sometime between Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 and Monday, Dec. 28. The suspect or suspects pried open a construction trailer located at a home that was being built, according to police. Many of the items stolen had Blackstone Construction LLC written on them. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the MSP Houghton Lake Post at (989) 422-5101. Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and former intelligence chief of Andhra Pradesh A B Venkateshwara Rao on Tuesday accused the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government with hatching a conspiracy to fabricate a criminal case against him and arrest him. Also Read: Andhra administration likely to operate from Visakhapatnam from April 13, hints minister In a letter to the secretary of IPS Officers Association, AP chapter, Rao said he had reliable information that the state government had decided to fabricate a criminal case against him and arrest him without giving him an opportunity to even to get anticipatory bail. The government wants to suspend me again on the basis of being in judicial remand for 48 hours or more, he said in the letter. Rao, who served as state intelligence chief during the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime, was suspended on February 8 last year for his alleged irregularities in procurement of security equipment from an Israeli company during his tenure. The Jagan government, which entrusted the case to Anti-Corruption Bureau, alleged that Rao had wilfully disclosed intelligence protocols and procedures of police to the foreign defence manufacturing firm. Rao challenged his suspension in the Central Administrative Tribunal on February 13, but the CAT dismissed his petition in March. Later, he moved the high court, which revoked his suspension in July. The AP government challenged this order in the Supreme Court, which lifted stay on his suspension in November, pending inquiry. Also Read: Jagan govt extends term of special officers in Andhra local bodies In his letter to the IPS Officers Association, the ex-intelligence chief alleged that he was being harassed, humiliated and victimised by the state government. I was shifted from the post of Director General, ACB and kept without posting or salary for seven months. Later, I was suspended following a case registered by the CID, he said. Rao asked the IPS Officers Association to convene a meeting of general body of the association and intervene in the matter in a way deemed fit. I am not seeking any favours from the association but seeking attention as it is only a case of harassment by the government, he said. He said he would explain his version at the general body meeting of the association and clarify all the doubts of the members. I will leave it to the wisdom of the general body to come to any conclusion and take a decision whether to intervene and if so, in what manner, he said, adding that he only wanted a fair and impartial inquiry into the allegations made against him. ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstans largest city, Almaty, has returned the case against well-known pro-Russian blogger, Ermek Taichibekov, to prosecutors, citing mistakes in the official filing of charges against the 42-year-old defendant. Taichibekov's lawyer, Ghalym Nurpeisov, told RFE/RL that the Auezov district court pronounced the decision on January 5 at the preliminary hearing into the high-profile case. Judge Daniyar Sembaev also extended Taichibekov's pretrial detention to one month, Nurpeisov said. Taichibekov was arrested in September 2020 and charged with using media to incite ethnic hatred. Taichibekov told his brother at the time that he was detained for an interview with Ukraina.ru, a website tied to the state Rossiya Segodnya media group, which mainly focuses on Russian news and official propaganda abroad. In a video published on the YouTube channel of Ukraina.ru in May 2020, Taichibekov talked to the presenter against the background of the black-yellow-white flag of the Russian Empire and claimed that the Kazakh authorities were pursuing a Russophobic policy. Taichibekov was previously sentenced to four years in prison in 2015 on charges of inciting ethnic hatred by placing "inflammatory" materials on Facebook and supporting the idea of Kazakhstan uniting with Russia. He served less than two years of that sentence and was released in October 2017. Several Kazakh citizens have been sentenced to prison since 2014 for inciting separatism and/or ethnic hatred through the Internet amid heightened Kazakh government concern sparked by Russias support for separatists in parts of eastern Ukraine and Moscows illegal annexation of Crimea. Busloads and caravans filled with supporters of President Donald Trump will journey from Alabama to Washington, D.C., to join a rally in opposition of Wednesdays certification of the Electoral College votes that will finalize the presidential election for President-elect Joe Biden. Most Republican leaders agree that there are serious concerns about voting malfeasance. Several of them also say that its probably time to move on. Moving on, of course, isnt easy so long as Trump stands atop the GOP hierarchy. Everyone shares disappointment on how the election went, there is no doubt about that, said Adam Bourne, chairman of the Mobile County Republican Party. But as far as how to proceed from here, there are varying opinions about that. A majority of Alabamas congressional delegation will oppose the certification of Bidens presidential win on Wednesday, when Congress takes up the matter. Trumps barrage of attacks on the election result has reverberated among the Republican faithful nationwide. The Alabama congressional delegation opposing certification will join at least 140 other GOP lawmakers in the House and more than a dozen in the Senate. The move comes around two months after an election in which Trump won Alabama by a whopping 25.4 percentage points but lost the national contest by more than 7 million votes and over 4 percentage points. Bidens Electoral College edge is 306-232. Representing their people Some Alabama-based GOP strategists believe the partys ire in Congress is driven, in part, by a wariness of drawing the ire of both Trump and his loyal rank-and-file followers. Trump continues to enjoy strong favorability ratings among Republicans, and is popular among Alabama voters in a state that is among the most conservative in the U.S. Trump fully controls the Republican Party, especially GOP primary voters, said Brent Buchanan, a Montgomery-based GOP strategist and pollster. Alabamas federal elected officials realize those tentacles will extend through at least the 2022 election cycle. Backing Trump is a surefire way to charm primary voters. Said Jonathan Gray, a Mobile-based GOP strategist, The constituents of these electors are angry, and they want their voices heard. They are standing up and representing their people. Gray said he believes the driving factor behind the opposition to the Electoral College certification includes an element of constituent concern but also there is a level of legitimacy of the issues being raised that involved states altering election rules ahead of November 3 to accommodate for the coronavirus pandemic. Gray said that Republicans, especially if they hold onto the Senate majority, will continue to hammer away at the election results. He compared the Republicans strategy to that of the Democrats following the 2016 presidential election and the allegations of Russian interference. Republican lawmakers such as U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, have already signaled their interest in further investigations. This challenge, while arguably more symbolic and not a big deal, I think is just the beginning of the investigation of what took place, he said. I think the Democrats are saying there is nothing to this election hyperbole and you are all making this stuff up. As a Republican, I would like to tell my Democratic friends that I know how you feel. Welcome to the party. Covering their backsides In this Dec. 17, 2019 file photo, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington. A deepening divide among Republicans over President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election runs prominently through Wyoming, the state that delivered Trump's widest prevailing margin by far. Eleven Republican senators saying they will not be voting Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory include Wyoming's newly sworn in Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Cheyenne-area rancher and former congresswoman. Vocal opponents of any such move include Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, leader of GOP messaging in the House as its third-ranking Republican (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)AP Some GOP strategists and writers are more frustrated with what their partys lawmakers are doing. They say the action by the Republicans in Congress to challenge the Electoral College results are directly contrary to conservative and pro-constitutional governing principles. As numerous constitutional scholars, along with their own Conference Chair Liz Cheney (of Wyoming), have explained in detail, this challenge is counter-constitutional, said Quin Hillyer, a Mobile-based senior commentary writer and editor for the Washington Examiner who ran as a Republican for Congress in 2013. No representative who supports it can claim the high ground on principle. I think, though, they expect Trump to try to catalyze primary battles in 2022 against every Republican who does not join his challenge of the election results. The congressmen joining the challenger are covering their backsides nothing more. Angi Stalnaker, a GOP strategist based in Montgomery, said she believes the opposition to the Electoral College certification is being driven by a vocal minority that doesnt understand the Electoral College pushing against people aka, federal lawmakers in Congress who should know. She also said that opportunities to present evidence of election fraud have come to pass, noting that the president and his lawyers should have done so in courts. Dozens of lawsuits by the Trump team, challenging the election results, have been tossed out by judges due to a lack of evidence. Because they are vocal makes it seem larger than it is, said Stalnaker. We lost this election. We are upset. Was there fraud? Probably. Was there enough fraud to overturn the election? I dont know. But what I know is when Republicans had opportunities to present widespread fraud to (numerous) courts, Trump decided to get Rudy Giuliani (as his personal attorney) and it was a circus. She added that the Trump team did not present evidence, and here we are. Instead of getting attorneys who knew what they were doing, we as a party decided to turn this into a televised circus. We lost. Hearing from people Some county Republican leaders agree with Stalnaker in that the heated rhetoric over the Electoral College certification, which has played out on cable TV stations and on social media for weeks, is not part of their everyday lives. I see people sharing stuff on Facebook, but as far as people calling me and discussing it? We have not met due to the holidays, but Im not hearing from Republicans one way or the other, said Brandon Shoupe, chairman of the Houston County Republican Party. The Southeast Alabama county supported Trump by a 70.6-28 percent margin. Said Linda Ensor, chairwoman of the Walker County GOP, Were following it, of course. People are not really talking about it. Trump won the county by an 83.4-15.5 percent margin. Of course, everyone supports President Trump, no doubt, said Ensor. In fast-growing Baldwin County, which backed Trump by a 76.2-22.4 percent split, county GOP chairman Michael Hoyt said while reaction is a mixed bag over the election results with some questioning whether the high-profile effort will lead to a change in the election outcome -- he doesnt believe most people have moved on from it. He said hes confident that Alabamas congressional delegation is hearing from upset GOP constituents. Im hearing from people and I know elected officials are as well that they should represent the will of the people and represent their constituents in our state who are staunch supporters of the president, Hoyt said. Demand a clear answer Terry Lathan, the Alabama GOP state party chairwoman, is hearing from more of her fellow Republicans who are angry. They want to know one thing: How can votes count that are illegal? Lathan said. Its a question all Americans should ask and maybe more important demand a clear answer. She said that Alabama voters are asking about the election integrity and legality in battleground states like Georgia, Nevada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The questions, she said, center around the inability of poll watchers to observe signature verifications to illegal votes being counted in states that Trump narrowly lost. When is simply finding out the truth and demanding states to follow their law wrong? said Lathan. Thats all citizens are asking for on Wednesday counting only legal and lawful votes. U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, said part of his opposition to the vote certification is have an investigation into what kind of changes occurred ahead of the November 3 election to accommodate the pandemic. This was a very unusual election, with significant changes taking place in states under emergency rules, which of course is not the norm, he said. Changes to this degree in an election process have not happened in any of our lifetimes. This has led me to examine the issue and to conclude that further debate and investigation needs to take place in order for Americans to have confidence in this election and in our elections going forward. I also call on my colleagues in the House to support the plan put forward by @tedcruz , @TTuberville and others in the Senate to create a bicameral commission to examine this election. Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) January 3, 2021 U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, also supports further investigation. This isnt just about President Trump; this is about ensuring our elections are free and fair and restoring Americas faith in our election process. Related content: Mo Brooks embraces controversy as he leads longshot fight for Trump Rep. Mike Rogers latest Alabama congressman to challenge Electoral College results Alabama freshman congressmen, Barry Moore and Jerry Carl, back effort to overturn election results Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. "Expunging Juvenile Records: Misconceptions, Collateral Consequences, and Emerging Practices" | Main | "Back to the Future with Execution Methods" As detiled in this local article, headlined "Progressive prosecutors want Virginia to end the death penalty, cash bail and mandatory minimums," a group of elected prosecutors in the Commonwealth of Virginia are urging their state legislature to enact an array of criminal justice reforms. Here are the basics: A handful of self-described progressive Virginia prosecutors including four from Hampton Roads called Monday for state lawmakers to make dramatic changes to the states criminal justice system, including ending the death penalty, cash bail and mandatory minimum sentences and changing the three strikes law. In a letter Monday to state leaders, the Virginia Progressive Prosecutors for Justice group said the changes would help keep our communities safe while producing more equitable outcomes in our courts. The group of 12 prosecutors includes the elected commonwealths attorneys from Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Portsmouth. The prosecutors come from cities and counties that make up more than 40% of the states population, according to the group. The changes are likely to meet resistance from other prosecutors and from at least some Republicans in the legislature. Though Democrats now control both chambers of the General Assembly for the first time in a generation, some legislation backed by liberals has met resistance from more moderate members of the party. The prosecutors want legislation that would allow certain criminal records to be expunged automatically and for free after people keep a clean record for a certain amount of time.... The prosecutors are also asking for: Supplier News 5 January 2021 RLH Corporation (NYSE: RLH) announced today the decision to re-engage with Duetto, hospitality's innovative software as a service provider of revenue strategy solutions, to roll out real-time revenue optimization across its portfolio. RLH Corporation has started the redeployment of Duetto's pricing application, GameChanger, and its reporting and forecasting tool, ScoreBoard, across its owned and leased hotels. Duetto's GameChanger offers hoteliers a revenue strategy solution with controlled automation, enabling hoteliers to work with efficiency and control while the system's AutoPilot optimizes rates based on pre-set revenue strategy parameters. Duetto's ScoreBoard business intelligence tool enables revenue teams to build forecasts and budgets in minutes, based on real-time data sets, including competitor data, web shopping regrets and denials, booking and reservation data, reviews, and social media comments. The executive team at RLH Corporation was looking for a revenue solution that could help them be more agile and efficient in these challenging times. Duetto's Open Pricing methodology supports flexible and responsive promotional strategies based on demand and segments. Duetto's real-time two-way data flow with Oracle's Opera PMS means that the revenue team at RLH Corporation can optimize demand as many times a day as needed. Usability was also a key factor in the decision to return to Duetto for RLHC's owned and leased portfolio. "Duetto's easy-to-use interface is a huge benefit for our hotels and Revenue Management teams. Duetto is quick to deploy with immediate benefits. Hotel management can produce rate recommendations and pace reporting seamlessly and easily. What's more, the intuitive room type min and max features allow for truly accurate room type pricing," said Mike Penington, VP of Revenue Strategy for RLH Corporation. "At Duetto, we pride ourselves on having an industry-leading customer retention rate, a testament to the innovation and useability of our revenue solutions, and the dedication of our customer success team. The return of RLH Corporation is a huge endorsement in both our product and our people. We are very excited to be working with the RLH Corporation team once again," said David Woolenberg, CEO, Duetto. RLH Corporation first adopted Duetto in 2014 until the end of 2018, which was a period of rapid growth for the company. A change in leadership at the hotel franchising company then saw them experimenting with new pricing tools before deciding to re-engage Duetto's Revenue Strategy Platform for a holistic revenue solution for its owned and leased hotels. ABOUT RLH CORPORATION RLH Corporation is an innovative hotel company focused on the franchising of 8 brands - Hotel RL, Red Lion Hotels, Red Lion Inn & Suites, Signature Inn, GuestHouse Extended Stay, Americas Best Value Inn, Canadas Best Value Inn, and Knights Inn. The Company maximizes return on invested capital for hotel owners across North America through relevant brands, industry-leading technology, and forward-thinking services. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.rlhco.com. It is particularly gratifying to find a partner that shares the same common values and passion for customer satisfaction. Were excited to introduce Marra Forni to our customers and can't wait to continue to build on the great reputation of this innovative company. - Gabriel Puerto Marra Forni, the Beltsville Maryland based manufacturer of Commercial Brick Oven Cooking Solutions, has appointed new representation in the Florida marketplace. Food Equipment Representatives (FER INC.), based in Ft. Lauderdale, will join Marra Forni as the newest member of its national sales representation network. With sales offices and dedicated culinary support and test kitchens located in Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, FER will play a key strategic role in our business development and support in the Florida Marketplace stated Todd Griffith, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. For more than 40-years, FER has been well-known and respected within the commercial foodservice industry. Their team is focused on providing solutions through a wealth of talent and industry experience. Their equipment portfolio is vast, and their business encompasses all aspects of foodservice equipment and development with end-users, operational management, developers, general contractors, chefs, design consultants, installers, and equipment distributors. We are excited about our new partnership with Gabe, Craig, Tom, and the FER team. We look forward to their contributions to our shared future success, and to the additional resources that will be made available to our customers in Florida says Francesco Marra, President, and CEO of Marra Forni. Gabriel Puerto, Managing Partner with FER said It is truly an honor for FER to have been selected to represent Marra Forni for the State of Florida. It is particularly gratifying to find a partner that shares the same common values and passion for customer satisfaction. Were excited to introduce Marra Forni to our customers and can't wait to continue to build on the great reputation of this innovative company. Marra Forni, based in Beltsville, MD, is a leading domestic manufacturer and global supplier to the commercial foodservice Industry. The product line includes a full line of brick-oven cooking solutions, refrigerated prep tables, mixers, slicers and direct venting. Marra Forni currently sells and supports its products in 5 continents and 23 countries worldwide. marraforni.com | 888.239.0575 FOLLOW US LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Ukraine resumed electricity imports from Belarus in January 2021, Ukrenergo National Power Company has reported. "In particular, the import of electricity from Belarus started at 01:00 on January 3 and amounted to 3,450 MWh per day. On Monday, January 4, imports from the same direction lasted all day and amounted to 3,960 MWh. There are no imports from Russia," the report reads. Ukrenergo said that in accordance with the final and transitional provisions of the law of Ukraine "On the Electricity Market," the powers of the energy regulator to cancel the results of auctions for access to interstate power grids with countries, which are not members of the Energy Community, are limited to 2020 alone. "Therefore, the provisions of the resolution of the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Utilities, which canceled the results of auctions for access to interstate power grids with Russia and Belarus in 2020, expired from January 1, 2021," the company said. op ANN ARBOR, MI The first Ann Arbor City Council meeting of the new year included an airing of grievances and debate over whether to allow public speakers to drop F-bombs. The drama started after Zachary Storey, a street musician better known as Ann Arbors Violin Monster, addressed council at the virtual Zoom meeting Monday night, Jan. 4, criticizing Council Member Jeff Hayner, D-1st Ward. Commenting on Hayners past public criticisms of MLive and attempts to suppress a public speaker at a recent council meeting, Storey raised concerns about what he viewed as repeated attacks on First Amendment rights. We have things to be angry about and your job is to sit there and take it and reflect, Storey said. Authoritarian regimes and fascists do exactly what you do attack the press, attack speech, Storey told Hayner, adding he takes the First Amendment very f---ing serious and Hayner has no f---ing business being in office. Hayner called for order, arguing use of the F-word by a public speaker violated council rules, which state the mayor may call to order anyone who engages in personal attacks or uses obscene or grossly indecent language. Its not prohibiting someones speech to ask them to follow the rules for speaking before this body, Hayner said. Violin Monster unmasked: A changing city through the eyes of Ann Arbors most famous street performer Mayor Christopher Taylor argued using the F-word a couple times in the manner Storey did to emphasize his concerns did not fall into the category of obscene or grossly indecent. Hayner and Council Member Ali Ramlawi, D-5th Ward, who both tried to talk over a public speaker who criticized Hayner at a recent meeting, argued Storey swearing twice was obscene. Hayner asked City Attorney Stephen Postema to weigh in on the debate. Postema said its the mayors call to make. There are larger issues than this that I can brief the council on, but ruling on obscenity has a whole different case law, and regarding specifically residents who speak, Postema said, arguing cutting off a public speaker for using one or two phrases would not qualify. There would be issues surrounding that and Ill advise the council further on that, Postema said. Ramlawi asked how he could protect members of the public from hearing such speech at council meetings. There might be kids listening, he said. Council Member Kathy Griswold, D-2nd Ward, said she has a 5-year-old living with her and in the future she will use headphones to listen during virtual council meetings. I dont think its appropriate to have profanity being broadcast on TV at 9 oclock in the evening, she said. Drama, censorship and racial slur punctuate last Ann Arbor council meeting of 2020 Its councils obligation to accept the discomfort that may come with occasional profanity that does not reach the level of obscenity or gross indecency, Taylor said. It is unwelcome for most, uncomfortable for some, but it is also the right of public speakers to express themselves in that manner, he said. There is a natural tension there. Council members can lead by example, demonstrate respect for others and hopefully raise the dialogue to that level, he said. Joe Spaulding, a political activist from California, called in during the debate to share with council a quote from the late comedian Lenny Bruce: Take away the right to say f--- and you take away the right to say f--- the government. That speaks to the core ... of why the First Amendment is so important, Spaulding said. Speaking before this body isnt a right guaranteed under the First Amendment, Hayner argued back. Its a privilege granted by the rules of this body and the rules of the state, and there are rules for the way that you address this body. Council Member Erica Briggs, D-5th Ward, pushed back on Hayners argument. It is not a privilege to speak to us. Its a privilege that we sit in these seats and we need to remember that, she said. As for Storey cursing as he talked about his First Amendment concerns about Hayner, Briggs said all council members dont have to agree with his statements, but to react by suggesting limiting his speech is ironic. Council members need to have thick skin and recognize theyre not always going to love what people say to them or about them, but people have a right to speak, Briggs said. I want everybody to feel welcome to call in, she said. And if they feel like they need to vent against me, theyre welcome to do that. That is our role in this community. Ramlawi said he understands its a privilege to serve on council and hes not trying to censor anybody. But he wants to have meetings that are accessible to everybody, not just those willing to listen to profanity, he said. If we really want to be accessible to all and inviting and make it comfortable for everyone to participate, some of these issues that are being raised have some validity to them, he said. Ramlawi also raised concerns about other council members pushing to keep meetings short and move deliberations along, saying he feels hurried at meetings and its uncomfortable. I find some of these meetings extremely stressful, Griswold agreed. Council Member Travis Radina, D-3rd Ward, said he has pushed for shorter, quicker meetings so decisions arent being made in the early morning hours. My goal is to ensure that the public has access to our meetings and that doesnt happen at 2 or 3 in the morning, he said. Council Member Julie Grand, D-3rd Ward, said shes looking forward to continued conversations about council rules at next weeks Council Administration Committee meeting. Noting theres been tension on council lately, Jaime Magiera, a Ward 3 resident, offered some advice to council members at the end of Monday nights meeting, saying they should study Marshall Rosenbergs Nonviolent Communication. Its a great tool for understanding language and understanding the ways that we communicate, he said. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Ann Arbor officials aim to address City Councils bad reputation in community Ann Arbor officials ponder ways to tone down drama, toxicity of council meetings Stephen Postema, Ann Arbors longest-serving city attorney, to retire 24 Ann Arbor developments to watch in 2021 Washtenaw County prosecutor rolls out new policy to end use of cash bail AL-ULA, Saudi Arabia - Gulf Arab leaders signed a declaration Tuesday to ease a rift with Qatar, following Saudi Arabias decision to end a 3 1/2-year embargo of the tiny energy-rich country that deeply divided regional U.S. security allies and frayed social ties across the Arabian Peninsula. In this May 5, 2018 photo, a giant image of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, adorns a tower in Doha, Qatar. Kuwaits foreign ministry announced Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 that Saudi Arabia will open its air and land borders with Qatar in the first steps toward ending a diplomatic crisis that has deeply divided regional U.S. allies since 2017. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) AL-ULA, Saudi Arabia - Gulf Arab leaders signed a declaration Tuesday to ease a rift with Qatar, following Saudi Arabias decision to end a 3 1/2-year embargo of the tiny energy-rich country that deeply divided regional U.S. security allies and frayed social ties across the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia also said it was restoring full diplomatic relations with Qatar, although it was not clear how soon the step would be followed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, which had joined the kingdom in isolating the country over its regional policies. On Monday night, the eve of the Gulf Arab leaders' summit in the ancient desert city of Al-Ula, the Saudis announced they would open the kingdom's airspace and borders to Qatar, the first major step toward ending the diplomatic crisis that began in 2017, when the Trump administration was starting to raise pressure on Iran. FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2019, file photo, a Qatari flag flies in front of a banner showing Saudi King Salman with Arabic writing that reads, "We pledge you to listen and obey" at a trade center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council "GCC", 40th summit. Kuwait's foreign ministry on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, announced that Saudi Arabia will lift a years-long embargo on Qatar, opening its air and land borders in the first steps toward ending the Gulf crisis.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File) It was unclear what, if any, significant concessions Qatar had made before the summit. Still, an immediate shift in tone was palpable as one of Qatars Al Jazeera Arabic news Twitter accounts shared photos of the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi skylines on Tuesday following years of critical coverage. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters after the summit that diplomatic relations would be restored in full with Qatar, although no time frame was given. We are extremely pleased with having been able to achieve this very important breakthrough that we believe will contribute very much to the stability and security of all our nations in the region," Prince Faisal said. "We are at a place where everybody is satisfied and happy ... the returning of diplomatic relations, flights, etc., all of that will now go back to normal. The diplomatic breakthrough followed a final push by the outgoing Trump administration and Kuwait to mediate the dispute. It also came as Saudi Arabia seeks to unify Arab ranks ahead of the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden, which is expected to take a firmer stand toward the kingdom and re-engage with Iran. An aerial photo taken from airplane shows the mountains of Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, where leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will meet for a summit Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar in the first step toward ending a years-long diplomatic crisis that deeply divided U.S. defense partners, frayed societal ties and tore apart a traditionally clubby alliance of Gulf states, officials said late Monday. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif congratulated Qatar for the success of its brave resistance to pressure & extortion. He also said in a message to other Arab leaders that "Iran is neither an enemy nor threat especially with your reckless patron on his way out, referring to Trump. Dania Thafer, executive director of Gulf International Forum, said Saudi Arabia is concerned about whether Biden will draw down the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf that had expanded under President Donald Trump and enter back into nuclear negotiations with Iran. If that is the case, then the (Arab) states need to respond with a regional solution to security. And I think resolving the Gulf crisis is one step forward towards that direction, she said. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who embraced Qatar's emir upon his arrival at the summit, said the region needed to unite and face challenges posed by Iran's proxies and its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Saudi journalists watch a screen showing the meeting of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) taking place in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Qatar's ruling emir arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend a high-level summit of Arab leaders, following an announcement that the kingdom would end its years long embargo on the tiny Gulf state. The Qatari emir's arrival in the kingdom's ancient desert city of Al-Ula on Tuesday was broadcast live on Saudi TV. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) He said the declaration signed by Gulf leaders and Egypt emphasizes Arab and Gulf solidarity and stability, and reinforces the continuity of friendship and brotherhood between our countries. The four countries that jointly boycotted Qatar were hoping their embargo and media blitz would pressure it to end its close relations with Turkey and Iran. Egypt and the UAE view the support by Qatar and Turkey of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood as a security threat. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are primarily concerned about Qatars ties with Iran. The boycott failed to change Dohas stance, however, instead buoying its young ruler domestically as patriotic fervour swept through Qatar in support of his resolve. It also pushed Qatar closer to Turkey and Iran, which rushed to assist the ultra-wealthy Gulf state as it faced medical and food supply shortages in the first days of the embargo. While the Saudi decision to end its embargo marks a milestone toward resolving the dispute, the path toward full reconciliation is far from guaranteed. The rift between Abu Dhabi and Doha has been deepest, with the UAE and Qatar at sharp ideological odds. Journalists watch a large display screen in a press center, as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, center left, chairs the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting, in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Qatar's ruling emir arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend the high-level summit of Arab leaders, following an announcement that the kingdom would end its years long embargo on the tiny Gulf state. The Qatari emir's arrival in the kingdom's ancient desert city of Al-Ula on Tuesday was broadcast live on Saudi TV. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) The UAEs Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, tweeted late Monday that his country was keen to restore Gulf unity but cautioned: We have more work to do. The conflict in Libya remains a contentious issue, with Egypt and the UAE supporting military commander Khalifa Hifter, who launched a 2019 assault on a Tripoli-based bloc backed by Turkey and Qatar. Thafer said the issues that sparked the row haven't been eliminated. The core tensions are still lingering, and that leaves a major question mark on how will they move forward, she said. The summit and the declaration signed in Al-Ula to support Gulf unity were confidence-building mechanisms more than they were a full reconciliation. Saudis stand at the parking of the media center of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. Kuwait's foreign ministry announced that Saudi Arabia will lift a years-long embargo on Qatar, opening its air and land borders in the first steps toward ending the Gulf crisis. Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar in the first step toward ending a years-long diplomatic crisis that deeply divided U.S. defense partners, frayed societal ties and tore apart a traditionally clubby alliance of Gulf states, officials said late Monday. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) The presence of Qatars Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the summit marked the first time hes attended the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Saudi Arabia since the boycott began. He sent an envoy to the past two summits there. Images later appeared on social media of the Saudi crown prince driving Sheikh Tamim around Al-Ulas historic sites after the summit and before his return to Qatar. Egypts foreign minister also attended the meeting of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The meeting was chaired by the Saudi crown prince rather than his father, King Salman. Qatars finance minister arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for the opening of a luxury hotel on the Nile that was developed by the Qatari real estate company Diar. It is the first visit to Egypt by a senior Qatari official since the crisis began. Egypt's finance minister also attended, as did U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud wears a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus as he speaks at a press conference during the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) Saudi Arabias decision to end the embargo not only underscored the kingdoms assertion of its heavyweight position among Arab states, but also its regional leadership, which has been challenged at times by the UAEs unilateral and politically shrewd moves. This years GCC summit is the first since Washington brokered normalization deals between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in rapid succession, marking a major shift in regional alliances. Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who spearheaded those deals, was at the summit for the signing of the Gulf declaration. The dispute had pitted regional U.S. allies against one another at a time when the Trump administration was working to pressure Iran. It also separated families who had intermarried with Qataris and ended years of visa-free travel for Qataris in parts of the Gulf. Thafer said the dispute was seen as low-hanging fruit that the Trump administration felt it had the leverage to try to resolve quickly. Qatar's only land border with Saudi Arabia, which it relied on for the import of dairy products, construction materials and other goods, has been mostly closed since June 2017. The boycotting countries made a list of demands on Qatar that year, including that it shutter its flagship Al-Jazeera news network and terminate Turkish military presence in Qatar, which is also home to a major U.S. military base. Qatar rejected the demands and has denied support of extremists. - Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Isabel Debre and Malak Harb in Dubai, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed. The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Monday made public its revised regulations on safeguarding Party members' rights, over 15 years after the previous version was released. The revision was made in light of new situations, tasks and requirements, according to a circular issued by the CPC Central Committee along with the new regulations. The regulations consist of five chapters and 52 articles with improvements to the previous version, laying out specific provisions on Party members' rights, exercising the rights, and safeguarding the exercise of their rights. In accordance with the Party Constitution, the regulations listed the rights enjoyed by Party members in 13 aspects, including their rights to know, benefit from Party education and training, participate in discussions, offer suggestions and proposals, oversee Party affairs, call for dismissal or replacement, participate in voting, stand for election, plead their cases, voice disagreements, and submit requests, appeals and accusations. The new regulations have clearly defined the boundaries of exercising of the rights, said an official with the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission. To enjoy their rights, Party members must fulfill their obligations, shoulder responsibilities, and observe the discipline, the regulations said. Party members shall criticize, expose, or report issues through Party organizations, the regulations added, noting that they should refrain from spreading the information at will or distorting the facts. Party members will be held responsible for the wrongful exercise of their rights, according to the regulations. The revised regulations also emphasized measures to safeguard Party members' rights including ensuring transparency in Party affairs and intraparty democracy. In addition to improving the existing measures in the previous version, the new regulations also introduced measures such as improving the system of establishing ties between Party officials and members. The revised regulations clearly stipulated the obligations and tasks of Party committees, the Party's disciplinary inspection commissions, primary-level Party organizations, officials, among other units, in safeguarding Party members' rights. Playing a key role in this regard, Party committees and leading Party members groups should fulfill their responsibilities for ensuring full and strict governance over the Party and strengthen leadership over work related to safeguarding Party members' rights, the regulations noted. The regulations set out in detail the specific cases involving infringements on Party members' rights by Party organizations and officials, as well as inappropriate exercise of rights by Party members. The regulations also defined the accountability of Party organizations, officials, Party members for infringements on Party members' rights and for failing to safeguard Party members' rights, as well as the liability for violating related disciplines and laws. One of five suspects arrested in the armed robbery of a Northeast Portland marijuana dispensary and ensuing high-speed chase jumped over the dispensary counter and pointed a gun at a worker, new court records allege. A Collective Awakenings employee reported a person, identified by authorities as 20-year-old Daniel Mugisha, hopped the dispensary counter Friday and pointed a handgun at him, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Monday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Three other people identified by authorities as Abdi Guhad, 18; Dan Gajhabuka, 19; and a 17-year-old juvenile went behind the counter, pulled out black garbage bags and began taking marijuana products, according to the affidavit. The employee reported the group asked him where the rest of the marijuana was, the court record says. He told them, but they werent able to find the marijuana. A customer who left the store quietly took a photo of the groups Volvo sedan, according to the affidavit. Portland police saw the car with five people inside shortly thereafter. An officer pulled a U-turn, and the driver accelerated away, the affidavit says. Police chased the driver, who traveled onto Interstate 84 westbound and traveled at speeds estimated to be as fast as 100 miles per hour, according to police. The driver exited the highway at Northeast 43rd Avenue, and the suspects jumped out of the vehicle and ran, police said. Officers arrested two suspects, but three initially remained at large. Police established a perimeter in the Hollywood neighborhood and asked neighbors within it to stay where they were and lock their doors. The remaining three suspects were eventually arrested. The suspects car contained jars of marijuana and black garbage bags matching those used in the robbery, according to the affidavit. The fifth suspect Sammy Bulambo, 22 was the driver of the Volvo, the affidavit says. He didnt enter the dispensary, according to the document. Bulambo reportedly didnt have permission to use the car, the affidavit says. Each of the suspects are accused of first- and second-degree robbery and were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center except for the juvenile, who was booked at the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center. -- Jim Ryan jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Rob Davis of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. Blythe Leer, 29, died after her car was struck head-on by a semitractor, according to a release from the Porter County Coroners Office. Leer was the sole occupant of the vehicle, according to the coroners office, which was called to the scene around 1:54 p.m. Enunciating his energy roadmap, Prime Minister on Tuesday said the share of in India's energy basket will be more than doubled, energy sources diversified and the nation will be connected with one gas pipeline grid to help bring affordable fuel to people and industry. Inaugurating a 450-km pipeline between Kochi in Kerala to Mangaluru in Karnataka, he said India under his government is seeing unprecedented work on highways, railway, metro, air, water, digital and gas connectivity which will aid economic development. The government has an "integrated approach to energy planning. Our energy agenda is all-inclusive," he said. While on the one hand, the pipeline network is being doubled to about 32,000 km in 5-6 years, on the other, work on the world's biggest hybrid renewable plant combining wind and solar power has started in Gujarat. Also, the emphasis is being laid on manufacturing biofuels as well as electric mobility, he said. These measures will help India move away from being highly dependent on polluting coal and liquid fuels for meeting its energy needs. As much as 58 per cent of all energy consumed in the country currently comes from coal while petroleum and other liquids make up for 26 per cent of the energy basket. Share of natural gas is just 6 per cent while that of renewables is less than 2 per cent. Modi said the share of natural gas, which is cleaner and can be transported through pipelines thereby cutting vehicular movements needed for other fuels, is targeted to be raised to 15 per cent by 2030. By the same time, petrol will be doped with as much as 20 per cent of ethanol extracted from sugarcane and other agro products, he said. This would help cut reliance on imports for meeting oil needs as well as reduce carbon emissions. Also, the focus on renewable energy by using abundant energy from the sun and wind to generate electricity and promoting the use of battery-operated electric vehicles will help India meet its COP-21 commitments for cutting carbon emissions. The Prime Minister said the government is working with a vision to connect the entire nation with one-pipeline grid that will help improve clean energy access as well as also aid in the development of city gas projects. The new pipeline inaugurated on Tuesday is part of that plan, he said. This new line will help take the fuel to industries such as petrochemical plants and fertiliser units as well as provide fuel for city gas projects for supply of CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to households in cities along the route, he said. It will also help a 5 million tonnes a year liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at Kochi to achieve full capacity. The terminal has been operating at less than 10 per cent of the capacity for last few years as there was no pipeline to take the gas to users. Outlining the work done by his government in the energy sector, Modi said 900 CNG stations were set up till 2014 from the advent of CNG as fuel for automobiles in the country around 1992. In the last six years, the number of CNG stations has gone up to 1,500 and the target is to take them to 10,000, he said. Also, 25 lakh households had piped natural gas connections for using the fuel for cooking purposes till 2014 which has risen to 72 lakh now, he said adding the new pipeline would help add 700 CNG stations and provide 21 lakh piped cooking gas connections in Kerala and Karnataka. He said his government has doubled the LPG user base in six years by issuing 14 crore connections equivalent to the ones that were issued in six decades prior to it. As many as 8 crore free LPG connections were given to poor women under the Ujjwala scheme and 12 crore free LPG refills were provided during lockdown last year, he said. The abundant availability of LPG has ensured that states are no longer fighting for raising the kerosene quota and are instead declaring themselves kerosene-free. "We are working to provide clean, affordable and sustainable energy," he said. Modi said his government's integrated approach to energy planning has bought various reforms across the oil and gas sector, covering exploration and production and natural gas marketing and distribution. "We plan to achieve one nation one grid. We also want to shift to the gas-based economy," he said adding crores of rupees will be invested in the oil and gas sector this decade in raising the share of natural gas in the energy basket. Prime Minister said the effort is to build future energy needs from today itself. "While natural gas is the focus on one hand, and on the other, we want to diversify energy sources," he said referring to the renewable energy plant and biofuels. The 450-km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline from Kochi in Kerala to Mangaluru in Karnataka will supply environment-friendly piped natural gas and CNG to 10 districts along the pipeline. The pipeline has a design capacity of 12 million standard cubic meters per day and costs Rs 3,000 crore to build. He said that the pipeline would improve the ease of living in both the states and reduce the expenses of the poor, middle class and entrepreneurs of both the states, adding that it would become the base of the Gas Distribution System in many cities and would form the base of the CNG based transport system in these cities. He said the pipeline would provide clean energy to Mangalore Refinery and would play a major role in reducing the pollution in both states. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Forty-four new cases of the Covid-19 virus have been confirmed in County Tipperary in the latest figures announced by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre this evening (Monday, January 4) The HPSC was notified of the 44 extra cases in the Premier County as of midnight on Sunday, January 3. There were 460 news cases of Covid-19 confirmed in County Tipperary in the fortnight up to midnight on Sunday, January 3. Nationally, the centre was been notified of 6 additional deaths related to Covid-19 and 6,110 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There has now been a total of 2,265 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland to date and a total of 107,997 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 2,911 are men and 3,195 are women 63% are under 45 years of age the median age is 36 years old 3,655 in Dublin, 323 in Kildare, 291 in Cork, 234 in Limerick, 137 in Louth and the remaining 1,470 cases are spread across all other counties As of 2pm today, 776 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 70 are in ICU. There have been 92 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: "Leaders and organisations in communities across the country now need to support their colleagues, neighbours, family and friends to keep to the spirit of public health advice. We must restrict our movements, we have to limit the people we interact with outside of our households, if we are to suppress the virus and sustain our essential services." Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: "People particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 include older persons and people with pre-existing medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer. The incidence of disease in the community is now at a level where vulnerable people need to stay at home unless absolutely essential." Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said: "Scenario models raise the possibility of 1,500-2,000 people in hospital, and 200-400 people in ICU by mid-January, if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence. It will take all of us, adopting the public health measures of staying home and reducing contacts, to suppress current levels of disease." Mr. Liam Woods, HSE National Director, Acute Operations, said: "We are introducing curtailments in non-essential services in adult hospitals in order to cope with increasing COVID-19 admissions. This will be subject to ongoing review. In the event of emergency attend an Emergency Department as usual and if you have any concerns regarding your health, COVID or non COVID related, always contact your GP in the first instance." Professor Karina Butler, Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, said: "The vaccination programme has commenced for the first priority groups. The roll out has been accelerated this week. As we continue to provide vaccines across the population we urge anyone with concerns or questions to contact their GP, pharmacist or healthcare service provider for factual and reliable information. The HSE.ie website also provides reliable information around vaccine efficacy and safety." She faced backlash when she jetted out to Dubai while Essex was in Tier 4, but insisted the trip was for 'work' purposes. And Yazmin Oukhellou managed to squeeze in a spot of sunbathing on Tuesday as she took to Instagram to share a racy bikini-clad snap. The TOWIE star, 26, sent temperatures soaring as she showed off her gym-honed figure in a tiny black thong two-piece. Sizzling display: Yazmin Oukhellou sent temperatures soaring as she showed off her gym-honed figure in a tiny black thong two-piece in Dubai on Tuesday Yazmin flaunted her surgically-enhanced cleavage and toned abs in the halterneck top while the high-rise thong bottoms highlighted her tanned legs. She teamed the look with a black robe and Dior sliders. Styling her brunette hair in soft waves, Yaz accentuated her bronzed tan with a full face of make-up. Yazmin captioned the shot: 'Its all about ME...' Wow factor: Yazmin flaunted her surgically-enhanced cleavage and toned abs in the halterneck top while the high-rise thong bottoms highlighted her tanned legs Taking time out: The star panned down to show off her stomach after she managed to squeeze in a spot of sunbathing during her busy 'work' trip The reality star's Dubai holiday comes amid an increasing amount of fury over many influencers and reality stars 'bending rules' to jet abroad, which has only been heightened after Boris Johnson announced the nation would be entering lockdown 3.0. Yazmin had previously faced criticism from fans when she had jetted out to the city with boyfriend James for 'business purposes'. She later hit back at the backlash, explaining that she is launching a new business in Dubai in the future. Sizzling: Yazmin Oukhellou looked incredible as she showed off an eye-popping display in a bikini snap posted to Instagram on Saturday 'Just so you know, me and James have come to Dubai because I am launching something very exciting here in the New Year. 'I've had to come now to get everything set up and we will be keeping you posted,' she said in a video shared to her Instagram story. 'So we are here for work purposes, for business. Obviously we'll make the most of it while we're here as well. But we are here for business purposes.' Under the latest national lockdown rules, which is now in effect, holidays are banned as international travel is only permitted for a strict number of reasons such as for work. Cheeky: The TOWIE star, 26, made sure all eyes were on her as she donned a skimpy white bikini, which displayed her toned stomach and legs UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, they should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning. Within the UK, domestic holidays are also banned as you must stay at home at all times except for a limited number of 'reasonable excuses' such as shopping for essentials or work. The Government has said if you need to travel you should stay local meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Auto Finance, a subsidiary of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, received the highest ranking in Dealer Satisfaction among National Non-Captive Lenders with Prime Credit, according to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Dealer Financing Satisfaction StudySM. TD Auto Finance achieved an overall score of 931 in the non-captive national prime credit segment (300,000 or more transactions) from J.D. Power, 57 points ahead of the segment average. In addition, it scored highest in provider offerings, and also scored highest in funding process and e-contracting two new evaluation factors in 2020. "At TD Auto Finance, we are constantly striving to provide products and services that exceed the needs of our dealers and their customers," said Marc Womack, President and Chief Executive Officer. "In a year with unanticipated disruption and abrupt changes to business operations as a result of the pandemic, customer satisfaction remained our priority. As we continue to adapt to a constantly evolving environment, we value the feedback from our dealers and thank them for choosing TD Auto Finance." The 2020 U.S. Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 3,960 auto dealer financial professionals. The study, which was fielded in August-September 2020, measures auto dealer satisfaction in six segments of lenders: captive luxuryprime, captive mass marketprime; lease; non-captive nationalprime; non-captive regionalprime; and non-captive sub-prime. TD Auto Finance previously ranked highest in Dealer Satisfaction with Floor Planning in 2018 and scored highest in Dealer Satisfaction among Non-Captive Lenders with Retail Credit in 2017. Visit jdpower.com/awards for more details about the J.D. Power 2020 US Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study. About TD Auto Finance A subsidiary of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, TD Auto Finance is the 7th largest Bank Auto lender and the 17th largest overall auto lender in the U.S. Market. TD Auto Finance provides financing for over 1.1 million consumers and over 6,500 franchised dealerships across the U.S. Product offerings include indirect retail financing, commercial financing, and remarketing services. TD Auto Finance is headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with locations in Greenville, South Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida. For more information, visit https://www.td.com/us/en/commercial-banking/industry/auto-finance. About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9.5 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,220 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. SOURCE TD Auto Finance Related Links http://www.td.com/us PM Modi did not discuss demonetisation: Pranab Mukherjee in memoir India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: In his memoir The Presidential Years, Former President Pranab Mukherjee has written that he was not consulted by Prime Minister Narendera Modi ahead of demonetisation in November 2016. The Presidential Years is the fourth book authored by Mukherjee, who passed away on August 31, 2020, in New Delhi at the age of 84. On Modi not discussing about demonetisation with him before announcing it, Mukherjee wrote: "I am of the firm opinion that demonetisation could not have been done with prior consultation because the suddenness and surprise, absolutely necessary for such announcements, would have been lost after such a process." "Therefore, I was not surprised when he did not discuss the issue with me prior to making the public announcement. It also fitted in with his style of making dramatic announcements," he said. After controversial excerpt, Pranab Mukherjees family feuds over his memoirs However, after delivering his address to the nation, Modi visited Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan and explained to him the rationale behind the decision. "He desired an explicit support from me as a former finance minister of the country. I pointed out to him that while it was a bold step, it may lead to temporary slowdown of the economy. We would have to be extra careful to alleviate the suffering of the poor in the medium to long term," Mukherjee said. On foreign relations, Mukherjee felt that Modi''s stopover in Lahore was "unnecessary and uncalled for, given the conditions that prevailed" in India-Pakistan relations. "It was evident that one could expect the unexpected from Modi, because he had come with no ideological foreign policy baggage. He was to continue with these surprises: he made a sudden and unscheduled stop at Lahore in December 2015 to greet his then Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, on the latter''s birthday; and he initiated an annual informal summit with the Chinese president - one was held at Wuhan in China in 2018 and the other, more recently, at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu in 2019." "Since the announcement was made in a sudden and dramatic manner, I asked the PM if he had ensured that adequate currency was there for exchange," he added. He wrote he had very cordial relations with Prime Minister Modi during his tenure. "However, I did not hesitate to give my advice on matters of policy during our meetings. There were several occasions when he echoed concerns that I had voiced. I also believe that he has managed to grasp the nuances of foreign policy quickly," the book said. Mukherjee''s approach to maintaining cordial relations with Modi was rooted in the fact that "I believe in the parliamentary form of government and its principle". "Modi had received a decisive mandate from the people to administer the country. Administrative powers are vested in the Council of Ministers, which the PM heads. Therefore, I did not breach my jurisdiction. Whenever tricky occasions arose, the issues were resolved," he wrote. "At an event in which PM Modi released a book and I was present, I remarked that it was not that I did not have any differences with him, but that both of us knew how to manage those differences, without bringing them out in public," he added. However, Mukherjee lamented that the NDA government, during its first term of 2014-19, failed in its primary responsibility to ensure the smooth and proper functioning of Parliament. "I attribute the acrimonious exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches to the arrogance and inept handling by the government. But the Opposition is not without blame either. It had also behaved irresponsibly," he wrote. According to Mukherjee, the mere physical presence of the prime minister in Parliament makes a tremendous difference to the functioning of this institution. "Whether it was Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Manmohan Singh, each of these former PMs made their presence felt on the floor of the House. "PM Modi, now in his second term, must take inspiration from his predecessors and provide visible leadership, through his enhanced presence in Parliament to avoid situations that had precipitated the parliamentary crisis we witnessed in the first term," the book said. Modi, Mukherjee said, must listen to the dissenting voices and speak more often in Parliament, adding he must use it as a forum to disseminate his views to convince the Opposition and inform the nation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 20:36 [IST] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Murray Burglary Investigation Nets Three Arrests By West Kentucky Star Staff MURRAY - Three Murray residents are facing charges after an investigation into a burglary.On December 30, the Murray Police Department was contacted regarding a burglary at a business on Chestnut Street.Officers say 19-year-old Robert Bramley had entered the business and stolen money while 29-year-old Kyle Corbin and 18-year-old Dylan Sturgill helped to burglarize the business.Bramley and Corbin were arrested and taken to the Calloway County Jail.Bramley faces a charge of third degree burglary, Sturgill is charged with third degree complicity to burglary, and Corbin is charged with third degree facilitation to burglary. The police in Bauchi State have arrested a 22-year-old man, one Musa Hamza for alleged gruesome killing of a teenager in Alkaleri Local Gove... The police in Bauchi State have arrested a 22-year-old man, one Musa Hamza for alleged gruesome killing of a teenager in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state for money making ritual. The suspect, according to the state police command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, lured the victim, one Adamu Ibrahim, to the outskirt of their village, where he allegedly killed the deceased, beheaded him and removed his two eyes for rituals to get rich. Wakil informed in a statement that the suspect burnt the remains of his victim and buried them separately in shallow graves in the bush. On the 21/12/2020 at about 0930hrs, detectives of Alkaleri Divisional Police Headquarters arrested one Musa Hamza 22yrs of Unguwar Wake village, Alkaleri L.G.A, who lured one Adamu Ibrahim 17yrs of same address, into the outskirt of the village forest and killed him with a stick, beheaded him and forcefully gouge out the two eyes, burnt the body/head and buried them separately in a shallow grave located in the nearby bush, the police spokesman stated Wakil informed that during investigation, the remains of the victim buried were exhumed and taken to the General Hospital, Alkaleri, for medical examination and a medical doctor certified the corpse dead. He added that the suspect confessed to the crime on interrogation, adding that the two eyes removed from the remains of the victim were recovered alongside one knife; one Mp3 player; one pair of rubber shoe and one lighter from him. Upon interrogation, the two eyes were recovered from the principal suspect, who voluntarily confessed to have committed the crime and was asked by a ritualist to bring the eyes for ritual to enable him to be rich, DSP Wakil stated. According to him, investigation was ongoing, adding that the suspect would be charged to court for prosecution on completion of investigation. BANGUI, Central African Republic - Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera has won a second term in office, according to provisional results announced by the electoral commission Monday. President Faustin-Archange Touadera, center, speaks to the media after casting his vote at the LycAe Boganda polling station in the capital Bangui, Central African Republic Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. Voting has begun in Central African Republic's presidential and legislative elections after a campaign period marked by violence between rebels and government forces. (AP Photo) BANGUI, Central African Republic - Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera has won a second term in office, according to provisional results announced by the electoral commission Monday. Touadera was reelected in the first round of the Dec. 27 presidential vote with 53.9% of the votes, the National Election Authority said. In second place was Anicet-Georges Dologuele with 21.1% of the vote, and Martin Ziguele came in third with 7.4%, according to the results announced. The vote, and its aftermath, have been marked by violence and the formation of a rebel coalition, amid calls from the opposition to delay the vote. International observers noted the vote in the capital went well, but violence prevented many from going to vote in other parts of the country, despite the presence of peacekeeping soldiers and reinforcements sent in by Russia and Rwanda after a pre-election attack. The results must now be officially validated by the constitutional Court, which will field appeals. The announcement of provisional results comes as armed violence mounts outside the capital, including an attack by rebels Saturday on Touaderas second home in Damara, a locality more than 75 kilometres (47 miles) from Bangui. The attack was repulsed by the Central African Armed Forces with the support of Russians, Rwandans and Congolese soldiers who came to the Central African Republic as part of military co-operation with the nation. Touadera has blamed former president Francois Bozize for the electoral unrest. At the head of this association of criminals is former President Francois Bozize supported by his political allies, he said. The attacks were aimed at overthrowing the institutions of the Republic and putting an end to the democratic process and finally to establish a first transition. Abacar Sabone, who runs military operations for the rebel coalition known as the CPC, said the operation was a warning to the government that the rebel coalition is capable of attacking Bangui, if Touadera doesnt open up consultation and dialogue with the coalition. Sabone has said if Touadera insists on favouring the path of war we will put ourselves on all our fronts and concentrate our forces on Bangui to free him from power to set up a transitional regime managed by a neutral personality so that a sovereign national conference can be organized. After the announcement of the results, he said: There is no difference in clinging to power as Touadera does and taking power by arms. The rebel coalition has taken control of another front in Bangassou, about 750 kilometres from Bangui forcing civilians to flee to neighbouring Congo. The civilian population fled hostilities, many drowned in the river, said Pierrette Benguere, the prefect of Mbomou. The U.N. mission in Central African Republic, known as MINUSCA, has spoken out against the attacks. Mankeur Ndiaye, the head of the mission, said there is no doubt that these attacks are taking place in a context of disruption of the elections - before, during and after the polls. On Monday, the Attorney General at the Bangui Court of Appeal said it has opened a judicial investigation into Bozize, who has said he is working with the rebel coalition. The mineral-rich Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power from Bozize after long claiming marginalization. Resistance to Seleka rule eventually led to Muslims being targeted en masse, with some beaten to death, mosques destroyed and tens of thousands forced from the capital in 2014. Despite a 2019 peace agreement between the government and 14 rebel groups, intermittent violence and human rights abuses have continued. The most recent insecurity began after the constitutional Court rejected the candidacy of Bozize, on the grounds that he did not satisfy the good morality requirement. Bozize, who took power in a coup in 2003 and ruled until 2013, faces an international arrest warrant for crimes against humanity and incitement of genocide. He also faces U.N. sanctions for his alleged role in supporting the anti-Balaka groups that resisted the Seleka in 2013. AP writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Carley Petesch in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report. A lot of people who are planning events, maybe in the summer, fall and winter, are kind of looking at it with the perspective if things get better we still want to be able to make plans, she said. Some events that were canceled last year are back on the books for 2021 with the hopes things will get better. IQALUIT - A Nunavut woman's family gathered on Facetime, nearly 1,400 kilometres away, as a ventilator that kept her alive for over a month was removed. IQALUIT - A Nunavut woman's family gathered on Facetime, nearly 1,400 kilometres away, as a ventilator that kept her alive for over a month was removed. Silatik Qavvik, who died shortly after she was taken off the machine on Saturday, was diagnosed with COVID-19 after giving birth in a Winnipeg hospital in November. Silatik Qavvik poses in this undated handout photo. Qavvik, 34, died from complications caused by COVID-19 on Jan. 2, 2021, after spending one month on a ventilator in a Winnipeg hospital. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO Johnnie Cookie Her family said she contracted the virus while in Winnipeg, and was separated from her newborn daughter, Lisi, shortly after she was born. Qavvik was 35. Johnnie Cookie, Qavvik's father and mayor of Sanikiluaq, an island community in Hudson Bay, says the baby was delivered via caesarian section. With only one hospital in Iqaluit to serve Nunavut's 25 communities, residents in the territory routinely travel south for medical care. Both the baby and Qavvik's husband also tested positive for COVID-19 while in Winnipeg, Cookie said, but they have since recovered. Qavvik also has four other children. On Nov. 26, after she was diagnosed with COVID-19, Qavvik posted on Facebook asking for prayers. "People are not taking this seriously. They think COVID is funny. Look where I am now. I am at NICU. This isn't funny at all. I am so scared," she wrote. "Listen carefully if you need to do a lockdown, do not visit, wash your hands, social distance. I beg you to do this. I am trying to save lives." In early December, she was put on a ventilator and moved to the intensive care unit at Saint Boniface Hospital. After conversations with doctors, Cookie said a family member travelled to Winnipeg and gave instructions for them to remove the ventilator. "It was very difficult, being very far from Winnipeg," he said. A doctor told him that although his daughter didn't have COVID-19 when she died, the virus had weakened her liver and kidneys, he added. Nunavut's first case of COVID-19 was reported in Sanikiluaq on Nov. 6 and a second person in the community was diagnosed shortly after. As mayor, Cookie said it was difficult to hear of his daughter's diagnosis, especially in the middle of an outbreak in his community. "This really hurt me. It was very difficult, being a mayor, and having one of my family members being affected by COVID," he said. Cookie said his daughter "always wanted to help people." "Right to the end of her life, she has always been supporting us. She would always ask if we wanted help," Cookie said. "She would kiss our cheeks. That's how she was." He described her as a kind person who cared about her community. And as a little girl, she liked to travel by ATV out to the family's cabin. "She was always happy. She enjoyed being out on the land," Cookie said. He said the trail he and his family take to that cabin is now named after her. "We're going to miss her. Like any parent who loses their child, it's really difficult. Me and my wife, when we're alone, thinking about her, we get really emotional," Cookie said through tears. He urged Nunavummiut to follow public-health orders and to be careful when it comes to COVID-19. "I don't want anyone to experience what we've been experiencing." As of Monday afternoon, a GoFundMe page had raised just over $2,000 for Qavvik's husband and children. After nearly a month in Winnipeg, Qavvik's baby girl arrived home in Sanikiluaq on Sunday. Cookie said she's doing well. "We were at the airport terminal and we were the first ones to handle the baby," Cookie said. "She was so beautiful, like her mother." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Bang Kyung-ja, right, poses with Pusan National University President Cha Jeong-in, at the latter's office on the university campus in Busan, in this Dec. 21 photo. Courtesy of Pusan National University By Bahk Eun-ji Bang Kyung-ja, 71, a graduate student of economics and international trade at Pusan National University (PNU), recently donated 10 million won ($9,206) in scholarships for students in need. "I have always wanted to be a proud grandmother showing my grandchildren how to share even small things with people around us. I hope the money will be used for students who are outstanding but struggling financially," Bang was quoted as saying by the school. Although she was forced to quit her studies due to financial difficulties after graduating from middle school, her strong desire to continue her studies led her to graduate from high school when she was 60. She then entered Silla University in Busan and studied social welfare. She obtained licenses for childcare, child counseling and caring for the elderly as well as some computer skills certificates. "After graduating from college, I entered the graduate school of PNU, as studying at a graduate school was a lifelong dream of mine," she said. "Before graduation, I wanted to do something meaningful, so I decided to donate the scholarship money after discussing it with my husband, because it was the money that he saved by running a small business." Bang also said it was not her fault that she could not study because of her financial difficulty, but believed it was her responsibility to pursue her studies when she became able to afford it later in her life. "Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. If you do your best in life, you can create something out of nothing," she said. "There is no end to learning, so I want to go on another academic path after I finish my graduate school studies." PNU President Cha Jeong-in said, "Bang's endless passion for learning will serve as a model for our students, and we will use the scholarship for students who are in difficult situations." Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 2021 marks the second consecutive year CSS has been awarded for its innovative regulatory compliance technology and services NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Compliance Solutions Strategies ("CSS"), a leading RegTech platform providing technology-driven solutions which enable financial services firms to meet their regulatory compliance requirements, today announced its inclusion in the REGTECH100. Compiled by specialist research firm RegTech Analyst, the annual list recognizes the world's 100 most innovative RegTech companies with winners selected by a panel of industry experts and analysts. The list was updated for 2021 to identify the next generation of solution providers shaping the future of the compliance, risk management and cybersecurity industries. The RegTech industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years as banks and other financial institutions continue to grapple with the unrelenting pace of regulatory change across many jurisdictions. With its selection to the REGTECH100 for the second consecutive year, CSS caps off a productive year in which the company continued to build momentum and deliver market-leading solutions with highlights including: The acquisition of AMFINE, a leading provider of regulatory reporting solutions in Europe , to create the first fully end-to-end global platform for investment fund reporting , to create the first fully end-to-end global platform for investment fund reporting The release of a central data management solution that powers the CSS platform - the Regulatory Book of Record (RBOR) The launch of a new Transaction Reporting module to enable our buy-side clients to comply with the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation ("SFTR") The addition of a new module of CSS's Investment Monitoring solution which allows foreign institutional investors to manage restrictions related to Sensitive Industries in over 90 jurisdictions The development of the first solution automating the production of Form CRS to meet new SEC requirements for investment advisers servicing retail investors "We're delighted to once again be included among the world's most innovative RegTech companies," said Doug Morgan, CEO of CSS. "CSS continues to demonstrate its business resilience by helping asset managers, asset servicers and insurers adopt more strategic approaches to managing compliance by leveraging our distinct combination of market-leading regulatory technology, managed services and regulatory expertise." About CSS: CSS is a trusted global RegTech partner that uniquely brings together innovative technology-driven solutions to support financial services firms in navigating a clear and strategic path through the complex and fragmented global regulatory space. Our solutions and services help firms meet regulatory deadlines while optimizing compliance data, operations and technology. CSS covers a full range of global compliance disciplines spanning fund reporting, transaction reporting, investment monitoring, compliance management, compliance services and managed services with a complementary, centralized approach to the strategic management of regulatory data called RBOR (Regulatory Book of Record). The company currently serves over 600 software clients in the financial services vertical comprising of hedge funds, traditional asset managers and fund administrators, including Tier 1 buy-side and sell-side institutions. CSS maintains a global footprint across both North America and Europe with customer-facing offices in New York, London, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and Stockholm. For more information on CSS, please visit: www.cssregtech.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748098/CSS_Logo.jpg Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Joe Biden has an Iran problem. And, its getting more complicated by the day. Thanks to provocative moves by Iran and less-than-coherent actions by the outgoing Trump administration, the president-elect is facing an increasingly uncertain situation when it comes to Iran, a decades-long American nemesis that has been a target of blame for much of the Middle Easts instability. In the past week alone, President Donald Trumps team has dispatched B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf in response to alleged Iranian attack planning and reversed an order to bring home the USS Nimitz, the only US aircraft carrier in the region. On Monday, Iran not only announced it had resumed advanced uranium enrichment in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal but also seized a South Korean-flagged oil tanker and its crew. This combustible combination coming just two weeks before the president-elects inauguration threatens to derail or at least delay Bidens hopes to return the U.S. to the nuclear accord that Trump withdrew from in 2018. A look at the latest developments: Does this amount to a dangerous escalation of tensions? Concerns have run high for some weeks about Iran stoking tensions, particularly around the Jan. 3 one-year anniversary of the US killing of a top Iranian general in Iraq. US officials have been on heightened alert for possible retaliation from Iran, including from allied militia in Iraq that have previously launched rockets at US facilities in the country. Although neither the enrichment announcement nor the seizure of the South Korean-flagged ship appeared linked to the death of the general, the two moves did raise tensions in the region, which has long been unpredictable. Does military action seem likely? Part of the worry is that a single wrong move or intentional provocation has the potential to trigger war. There is no sign the US is planning an attack on Iran, although Trump has said he would respond to any attack by Iran or its affiliated militias in Iraq that resulted in the death of an American. The US military has long had a wide variety of weapons and troops in the Middle East that could be called on if hostilities broke out. But Trump himself has derided the idea of getting further mired in Middle East wars. The scenario that worries US military officials is Iran conducting an attack, either inside Iraq or elsewhere in the Gulf region, that would prompt Trump to retaliate, leading to escalation that could spark a wider war. That is part of the reason the US has kept an aircraft carrier in the region on a near-continuous basis since May 2019, when the White House first asserted that Iran was planning attacks on US personnel. Why would the Nimitz be ordered home, then sent back? The highly unusual Nimitz flip-flop by the acting secretary of defense, Christopher Miller, seemed to undercut US Central Commands efforts to convince Iran that it would not pay to launch an attack on US forces. The huge vessel, with a complement of attack and support aircraft, was literally leaving the region when it received word to turn around and head back. Sending the Nimitz home had been on the table for weeks, since the carrier was on a lengthy deployment and was scheduled to be home by the end of 2020. Its tour was extended by a few weeks to provide backup for US troop withdrawals in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. But as tensions with Iran rose in mid-December, Central Command wanted to keep the Nimitz nearby. Instead, on Dec. 31, Miller announced that he had ordered it to return home. Three days later, he reversed himself and said it would stay. Cancelling the go-home order for the Nimitz took some defense officials by surprise, suggesting that the decision may have been made at the White House rather than as a result of new arguments from military officers. Whats the point of flying B-52 bombers in the Gulf? These long-range bomber flights arent commonplace, but theyve become a bit more routine in recent weeks as a show of military might. There have been three B-52 bomber missions to the region in less than two months, most recently on Dec. 30. The roundtrip flights from the United States are meant to show how quickly bombers can get to the area. They can be equipped with either conventional or nuclear missiles. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top US commander for the Middle East, made the message clear this week, saying, We do not seek conflict, but no one should underestimate our ability to defend our forces or to act decisively in response to any attack. What does all this mean for Bidens Iran policy? Bidens transition team has declined to comment in detail about the latest developments and what they may mean for their plans. But, Biden and his top national security aides have laid out their approach to Iran in broad strokes. Top of that list is bringing Iran back into compliance with the nuclear deal and then expanding that pact to take into account non-nuclear behavior that wasnt covered by the initial agreement. Iran, however, has said it will only return to compliance if the US rejoins the deal and rescinds sanctions that Trump reimposed over the past two years. At the same time, Biden aides have said Iran cannot win sanctions relief unless and until it respects the deal. Irans latest actions, coupled with the Trump administrations movement of forces, complicate diplomacy and raise the risk of miscalculation, particularly as tensions continue to run high between Iran and its neighbors. The increased tensions, which have triggered the highest alert levels for US personnel in Iraq, may make it difficult for the incoming Biden administration to pivot the military more aggressively toward Russia and China. Bengaluru, Jan 5 : Dell Technologies in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Tata Trusts on Tuesday announced they have developed a mobile application for the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the government primary health centres (PHCs) across the country. The mobile app will strengthen the existing NCD IT system's suite of six applications for accredited social health activists (ASHAs), auxiliary nurse midwifes (ANMs), doctors, programme managers and health officials in the government. "We believe in transforming lives with technology and aim to impact 1 billion lives globally by 2030. Our ongoing association with MoHFW and Tata Trusts is to work towards advancing healthcare conditions and supporting our communities with the right infrastructure," Alok Ohrie, President and Managing Director, Dell Technologies India, said in a statement. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes and heart disease account for 63 per cent mortality in India. One in four people in India is at risk of dying from an NCD before reaching the age of 70, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). "We look forward to creating more awareness about NCDs, support our healthcare workers with the right tools and help them in the fight against NCDs," Ohrie said. The NCD IT system supports the Government of India's ambitious population-based screening (PBS) and management of NCDs under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS). Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) inspects a military base in the Natuna Islands, bordering the South China Sea, Jan. 8, 2020. The Indonesian Navy said on Monday it was investigating the discovery of an unmarked underwater surveillance drone, which is capable of collecting military data, to determine its country of origin. As chatter about potential espionage swirled on social media, a defense ministry spokesman urged Indonesians not to jump to conclusions about where the drone came from after it was found in Indonesias territorial waters off South Sulawesi province last month. Adm. Yudo Margono, the Navy chief of staff, said the military branchs Hydrographic and Oceanographic Center (Pushidrosal ) and the Ministry of Defense were investigating the mysterious unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), which is also known here as a sea glider. I have given Pushidrosal one month to investigate and reveal the results, Yudo told a news conference. Theres no marking indicating where it came from. The device is equipped with a GPS. Hopefully it can be traced to where it came from. Fishermen found the drone on Dec. 20 and handed it to the police six days later. It is two meters (6.5 feet) long, and has two 50-cm (19.6-inch) wings and an 18-cm (7-inch) propeller, Yudo said. This type of underwater vehicle is usually used for surveillance in the fishing and oil industries because of its ability to collect hydro-oceanographic data such as temperature and depth, the Indonesian navy chief said. It can also be used for military purposes, because it can help route submarines in a manner that makes them undetectable to sonar, he noted. In essence, this tool can be used to collect military and industrial data, Yudo said. No regulation Since the underwater drone was discovered, social media in Indonesia has been abuzz with theories about its country of origin. Jatosint, a Twitter account that says it provides open-source information on Indonesian security and defense, said the drone sounded similar to a Chinese UUV called Sea Wing. If the drone is proven to be Chinese, it [r]aises many questions, especially how it managed to be found deep inside our territory, Jatosint tweeted. A Chinese Sea Wing was found in 2019 off Indonesias Riau Islands, and a similar device was found in waters off East Java in January last year. Malcolm Davis, with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told the website of Australias ABC News that the latest discovery was noteworthy because the UUV was found in a crucial maritime route linking the contested South China Sea to Darwin, the northernmost Australian city. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesias exclusive economic zone. In Indonesia, military analyst Connie Rahakundini Bakrie urged the public not to speculate about the drones origin. Be careful about accusing a country. It could be made in China or Britain, but was the user from that country? she told the Metro TV news broadcaster. Still, Sukamta, a member of House of Representatives defense committee, said Indonesia needed to be vigilant about any potential threat to its sovereignty. Because [the drone] went deep into Indonesian territory, it is a sign that our maritime territory can be easily penetrated by foreigners, Sukamta said in a statement. Meanwhile, Indonesia has no regulations on unmanned underwater vehicles, said Yudo, the naval chief. It would be better if there is a presidential decree that regulates the use of sea gliders in Indonesia, he said. Susaningtyas Nefo Handayani, a military observer and a former member of parliament, also called on the government to draw up regulations on the operation of UUVs. UUVs have been used by many developed countries at sea. So, we must be vigilant and be prepared, Susaningtyas told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The government must also install underwater detection devices throughout the Indonesian archipelago to monitor underwater traffic. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Michelle Obama blasted President Trump's effort to overturn the election results as 'unconscionable' in a series of tweets on the day thousands of Georgians went to the polls in key Senate runoff races. The former First Lady took on Trump's plot to overturn the vote in states that Joe Biden won days after a leaked tape revealed Trump asking a Georgia election official to 'find' 11,780 votes, tying the effort to the explosive growth in coronavirus cases and deaths. 'Your vote is your voice. Its your power. And right now, from the President of the United States on down, were seeing and hearing just how desperate some are to take that power away,' she tweeted in advance of Tuesday's elections. 'They want us to believe that their pride is more important than our democracy,' she continued, in a dig a Trump's ego. Former first lady Michelle Obama bashed President Trump's effort to overturn the election results, calling it 'unconscionable' and pointing to the coronavirus crisis 'And this is just unconscionable at a time when a staggering number of Americans are dying every day from a virus that was downplayed for far too long. Its unconscionable to focus on overturning an election rather than helping struggling families or distributing a vaccine,' she said. Then she made her pitch for people to come out and vote for Democrats in two runoff elections in Georgia. The results will decide control of the Senate and whether Joe Biden can get legislation, judges and even his own cabinet choices through the Senate. 'This is why we cant just vote for President and think that our job is done,' she wrote. 'Tomorrows runoffs in Georgia will decide whether the U.S. Senate is run by those whove shown their willingness to tear down our democracyor whether itll be run by those who will actually get to work on the monumental challenges before us.' President Donald Trump speaks at a Republican National Committee Victory Rally in support of incumbent Republican Senate candidates Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) at the Dalton Regional Airport. He called the presidential race rigged and claimed he won A woman votes on the only machine working shortly after polls opened in Georgia's Senate runoff elections at a senior center, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Acworth, Ga. She called for people to vote for Democrats in Georgia runoffs Tuesday Obama said a Democratic win would 'send a message' 'These runoffs will decide whether President-Elect Biden has a Senate that will work with him rather than just obstruct him at every turn,' she said. When Michelle Obama was in the White House, her husband had to contend with government shutdowns and congressional Republicans resisting Obamacare tooth-and-nail, fighting him on stimulus and climate change, and holding up Supreme Court and judicial nominations. A similar fate could face Biden in a GOP Senate. She pitched Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff a day after Trump and President-elect Biden each campaigned in Georiga. 'So if Georgians elect @ReverendWarnock and @Ossoff, well take another step toward cleaning up the mess of the past four years. And well send a message to any politician who puts themselves and their ambition above our system of self-government,' she wrote. She connected Trump fight to overturn the results to the coronavirus crisis The Chicago native who maintains a home in Washington concluded: 'If you live in Georgia, make sure you vote for @ReverendWarnock and @Ossoff in tomorrows U.S. Senate runoffsand make sure everybody you know does the same. If youve already received a mail-in ballot, take it to a drop-box or vote in person at your polling place tomorrow. Because in America, everyones voice matters. And thats still the truth, no matter what some folks want you to believe.' Trump lunched with Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday after tweeting that 'the Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors' and raising new conspiracy claims about Dominion voting machines in Georgia. The central province of Quang Nam has announced a decision to establish the Song Thanh National Park based on the Song Thanh Nature Reserve. Fokienia hodginsii tree, a precious wood, is preserved in a primary forest in Quang Nam province. The central province promoted the Song Thanh nature reserve as a national park in protection of endangered flora and fauna (Photo courtesy A Lang Nguoc) The move aims to conserve the provinces rich biodiversity covering nearly 77,000 hectares, of which more than 58,000 was tropical, evergreen primary forest in Nam Giang and Phuoc Son districts. The park area, which will be preserved as one of the biggest carbon stores in central Vietnam, is home to 831 species of flora and fauna, including 38 listed in the Red Book of Vietnam, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)s critically endangered grey-shanked douc langurs (pygathrix cinerea) and the endangered red-shanked douc langur (Pygathryx nemaeus), as well as precious ancient trees. The province said the promotion of the reserve into a national park was a strong commitment to the conservation of endangered fauna and flora and boosting biodiversity research. It agreed to develop the population of the gray-shanked douc langurs the primate species is only seen in five central provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Gia Lai and Kon Tum. Quang Nam has preserved two nature reserves Song Thanh and Ngoc Linh a UNESCO-recognised world biosphere reserve Cham Islands-Hoi An, and the reserve of sao la, Vu Quang ox, or Asian bicorn (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) (one of the worlds rarest large mammals) in Tay Giang district. The province also warned that illegal logging, hunting and mining in the two districts have polluted and damaged the reserve in recent decades. Eight precious and endangered flora including Ngoc Linh ginseng, condonopsis in Tay Giang, pepper in Tien Phuoc, cinnamon in Tra My, large-size rattan and white corn in Hoi An were included on the list of conservation in the province. An area of 15,000ha of Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis or Vietnamese ginseng) was planted in Nam Tra My district. Up to 19,000ha of critical habitat in Nong Son district was planned as a protection area for groups of the endangered Asian elephant with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Green Annamites Project. The province plans to allocate funds of 4.4 million USD to restore a 100ha forest as a safe habitat for a herd of grey-shanked douc langurs (pygathrix cinerea) living in Dong Co village, Tam My Tay commune of Nui Thanh district in 2019-28./.VNA Cat Ba National Park offers the best trekking options If you are looking for a trekking place in Hai Phong City, Cat Ba National Park, part of a biosphere reserve in the city, offers a number of fun ecotourism options including mountain treks. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / Tracker Ventures Corp. ("Tracker" or the "Company") (CSE:TKR)(OTC PINK:TLOOF)(FRA:B2I) announced that Contakt LLC ("Contakt World"), a technology company modernizing public health and safety, has released the second episode of the "Contakt World: Truth in Health" podcast. The podcast is available on iHeartRadio and other popular streaming sites for podcasts. Listen Now Here "For our second thought-provoking episode, we're honored to have Daniel help us grapple with the deep-seated, underlying issues in our health care system that have become more apparent due to the coronavirus pandemic," said Justin Beck, CEO of Contakt World and host of the podcast. "We hope this episode and the podcast as a whole helps shed light on the many compounding factors that led to this crisis so that it never happens again." A description of the second episode can be found below. "Contakt World: Truth in Health" Podcast Episode 2: COVID: The Great Revealer "Who's affected most by COVID and why? Who deserves to receive care? And how can we treat everyone equally - both in society and in the hospital? This week's episode of Contakt World dives into the hot-button issues of race, equal access to healthcare, and the political determinants of health - specifically, how historic inequities in our health system have never been more apparent. As COVID disproportionately affects communities of color, we talk with national health equity leader Daniel E. Dawes, executive director of Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. A co-founder of the Health Equity Leadership and Exchange Network (HELEN), he shares unique insights from the frontlines of the healthcare reform movement, and provides a thorough overview of how we, as a country, even got here." "Contakt World: Truth in Health" is distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network. For video previews, highlights and full-length episodes, please visit Contakt World on YouTube. * This statement, and all content within or related to this podcast, has not been evaluated by the FDA. Any information presented by Contakt World or its guests is not intended to treat or cure any disease, and no claims are made as to the accuracy or sufficiency thereof. Contakt World - Tracker Transaction Tracker and Contakt World are parties to a definitive amalgamation agreement pursuant to which Tracker will indirectly acquire (the "Acquisition") a 100% interest in Contakt World. For further information respecting the Acquisition, please refer to the Company's news release dated December 8, 2020. Trading of Tracker's shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") has been halted in connection with the announcement of the Acquisition and is not expected to resume until the CSE has approved a Form 2A Listing Statement for the resulting issuer from the Acquisition. There can be no assurance that the Acquisition will be completed on the terms proposed in the amalgamation agreement or at all. About Contakt World Contakt World is a technology company innovating public health agency connections with their community, with the goal of becoming the most trustworthy, accessible and scalable digital public health and safety platform globally - addressing the needs of a post-pandemic world. Contakt World combines aggressive research and development, human-centered design, next-gen data integrations, and strategic health partnerships to empower and build mutual trust within communities, contributing towards health equity for users around the world. Contakt World's first suite of tools emerge from the urgency surrounding coronavirus to manage the pandemic through innovative contact tracing and case management spanning multiple modes of communication. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.contakt.world. Tracker Ventures Contact Geoff Balderson CEO and Director Direct: 604-602-0001 Media Contact Kevin Harrington Account Director - 5WPR contakt@5wpr.com Investor Contact Lucas A. Zimmerman Senior Vice President - MZ North America Direct: 949-259-4987 contakt@mzgroup.us www.mzgroup.us The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. Forward Looking Statements Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"), including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the future prospects of Tracker and Contakt World. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "projects", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including statements respecting the Partnership, the anticipated success thereof, the effect of the Partnership, podcast and future initiatives on trust and adoption of Contakt World's solutions and performance of the material terms of the Partnership. Although forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of Tracker and Contakt World believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include those risks listed above as well as additional risks like regulatory changes, general economic, market, political, or business conditions, actual or perceived implications of COVID-19 immunization or treatments and the timing and delivery thereof, meeting or maintaining various conditions of HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA compliance, protection of the Company's and Contakt World's intellectual property, and adoption of the Contakt World platform or apps by government, B2B, B2I customers and consumer end-users. Tracker and Contakt World undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Tracker Ventures Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623046/Contakt-World-Truth-in-Health-Podcast-Unveils-Second-Episode--Features-In-Depth-Interview-with-Health-Equity-Leader-and-Satcher-Health-Leadership-Institute-Director-Daniel-Dawes-Entitled-COVID-The-Great-Revealer The effort by congressional Republicans to deny the presidential results found an echo in the Pennsylvania legislature on Tuesday, when Republicans voted not to seat a Democratic lawmaker who was elected in November and to remove the lieutenant governor, also a Democrat, as the presiding officer of the State Senate. On a typically ceremonial day of swearing in members, Pennsylvanias Senate majority refused to seat Senator Jim Brewster, whose narrow victory was officially certified but is being challenged in court. In a contentious, chaotic session, Republicans also voted to remove Lt. Gov. John Fetterman as the Senate president and to replace him with the top Republican in the chamber. The lieutenant governor refused at first to leave the rostrum, and for several minutes both he and the Republican voted into his place tried to recognize motions from the floor. Eventually, Mr. Fetterman stepped away. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. "Tumhe kya lagta hai musibat calendar dekh ke aati hai. Happy New Year (What do you think, troubles come with a calendar)." The last tweet wishing people a happy new year on standup comedian Munawar Faruqui's Twitter timeline reads like his prediction for himself now. This tweet came hours before he was arrested in Indore following a complaint which alleged that Faruqui made 'indecent remarks' about Hindu gods and godesses. Tumhe kya lagta hai musibat Calendar dekh ke aati hai??? Happy new year... munawar faruqui (@munawar0018) December 31, 2020 It has been three days since his arrest and this tweet. Faruqui was arrested in Indore on Friday after the complaint of BJP MLA Malini Gaur's son Eklavya Gaur. He termed Faruqui as a 'serial offender' who 'often cracks defamatory jokes on Hindu gods and goddesses.' A court in Madhya Pradesh's Indore has now rejected bail of Faruqui and another accused who were arrested last week on a complaint that "indecent" remarks were made against Hindu deities during a show held in Indore. Gaur said that he had gone to watch the show with his associates when Faruqui made 'indecent remarks', after which he forced the organisers to stop the show. In the video clip, which has now gone viral, Faruqui can be seen trying to pacify those who were offended by the joke. However, he was allegedly beaten up and later arrested. Faruqui is a young standup comedian based out of Mumbai. While he originally belongs to Gujarat's Junagadh, a small sleepy town, as he defines it. "Junagadh is a such a lazy city that people sleep from 1 pm to 4pm and apologise if they have to call anyone during this time," he says in one of his standup acts. His content is often hinged around Muslim stereotypes, growing up in Gujarat during riots and of course his sleepy hometown. In one of his acts, he satirically and humourously recalled how the riots had unfolded in Gujarat, the curfew that had been imposed in the area and the communal harmony that ensured everyone remained safe in their locality during those times. During the lockdown last year, his sketches as Razzaq bhai went popular. Razzaq bhai spoke in Mumbai-style hindi and kept Faruqui-fans waiting for new episodes during the initial days of lockdown. Days after Faruqui's arrest, the police said that there was no video evidence showing him making such remarks. Theres no evidence against him for insulting Hindu deities or Union Minister Amit Shah, Indore Town Inspector (Tukaganj Police Station) Kamlesh Sharma told The Indian Express, adding that Faruqui has been booked as an organiser. Faruqui and his associates Edvin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas, Priyam Vyas and Nalin Yadav have been booked under IPC Sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 298 (uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 269 (Whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Standup comedians and artistes like Varun Grover and Vir Das have rallied behind Faruqui and termed his arrest an attack on free speech and art. A video of the incident has been going viral where Faruqui is being interrupted in the middle of his performance in Indore as he tries to explain his content to those offended with his jokes. In the footage, he can be seen referring to his old videos where he cracked jokes on Islam and that his content had never had the intention to provoke Hindu sentiments. Gaur too can be seen on the stage, even though he later stormed off. Most people in Zimbabwes largest cities and towns stayed at home today in compliance with a 30-day national lockdown meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the southern African nation. Police have mounted many roadblocks along major national and city highways in an attempt to enforce the lockdown. Some people have already started complaining about being victimized by state security agents, who are demanding COVID-19 letters authorizing them to visit various places. People who were interviewed by VOA Studio 7 in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo and Chinhoyi said they heeded the call even if they are facing serious problems such as lack of income, food and other basic necessities. Shop owners, vendors and other businesspeople, who expressed fear that they wont survive under the Level Four lockdown, say the government should craft a stimulus package for entrepreneurs that are expected to lose millions of dollars in potential revenue. Chinhoyi resident, Edmore Sangano, cried foul over the lockdown saying the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe ran out of cash before he withdrew money for purchasing basic foods. Sangano said, I dont know how my family will survive because the bank ran out of money. How are were expected to survive? We don't have money. Another Chinhoyi resident, Rita Kanhukamwe, said police are blocking vendors selling various wares in the town. Here its a cat and mouse game. I spent the whole day hiding and running away from the police. This hurts a lot as my family survives of vending. Tendayi Munyanduri of the New Patriotic Front praised the government for imposing the lockdown, saying COVID-19 cases are almost getting out of hand in Zimbabwe. This is a very critical moment to contain the spread of this disease which is killing a lot of local people. As stated by the government, the number of COVID-19 cases is shocking and therefore the lockdown is important in containing its spread. Members of the Zimbabwe National Army have been integrated into the COVID-19 monitoring units designed to stop people from engaging in street vending and attending gatherings. Thirty-four people have died in the lat 24 hours in Zimbabwe and 1,365 tested positive for COVID-19. Nunurai Jena contributed to this article. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 With coronavirus infections and deaths rising to astronomical heights over the past two months, frontline health care workers are increasingly experiencing acute mental and emotional distress. Research studies have shed light on the dangerous mental health toll that is being exacted on health care workers, who are facing extreme physical demands as a result of the growth of the pandemic. In a new study by Mental Health America (MHA), health care workers were found to exhibit elevated levels of anxiety, stress and emotional exhaustion. The study was carried out in November, a month that saw the initial resurgence of the pandemic, overwhelming hospitals. A nurse looking out a hospital window (Credit: pexels.com/EVG Photos) According to the MHA survey, 93 percent of health care workers were experiencing stress, while around 86 percent reported anxiety produced by the sudden overflow of sick patients. Some 77 percent reported feeling frustrated with their working conditions, and a similar percentage experienced physical exhaustion and burnout. Paralleling the extreme strain on hospitals all across the country, 75 percent of workers said they were overwhelmed. The survey revealed widespread worry about contracting and spreading the deadly virus. Among health care workers, 76 percent reported that they were worried about exposing their children to COVID-19, and nearly half were worried about exposing their spouse or partner. Another 47 percent were concerned about exposing their older adult relatives. Many health care workers said the pandemic left them feeling emotionally isolated and alienated in their workplaces, as well as having to cope with severe consequences in their home life. A significant 38 percent of health care workers said they did not feel that they had adequate emotional support. Among nurses, the number was 45 percent. Among workers with children, half reported that they were lacking quality time with their children or were unable to be a consistently present parent. In the introduction to the survey, MHA wrote that workplace conditions are getting worse by the day and health care workers arent getting a reprieve. Health care workers are feeling frustrated, anxious... and worried about exposing their loved ones. Given the extraordinary amount of stress placed on health care workers, many are at risk of developing even more severe mental health conditions such as depression and even thoughts of suicide or self- harm. This phenomenon is mirrored in the general population, with alarming increases in reports of depression and anxiety nationwide. Psychological screenings showed a 634 percent jump in anxiety for the nation from January, and depression soared 873 percent. For health care workers, however, the deterioration of mental wellness due to the pandemic has been accompanied by greater risks. Countless research studies have shown, even before the pandemic, that physicians were at increased risk of suicide compared to the broader population. While research has not revealed a causal link between worsening conditions due to the pandemic and cases of suicide, there is a high correlation between health care workers suicide risk and an exacerbation of job-related stressors from the virus. According to the Psychology Health Center of Excellence, a clinical resource center, these job-related stressors include significant workload changes as a result of the growth of the pandemic, and the inability of hospitals to manage rapidly increasing nurse-to-patient ratios. Many health care workers have also found it extremely difficult to obtain and maintain effective personal protective equipment. Amid the massive scale of death from the pandemic, now close to 360,000, many health care workers have also been traumatized by their experiences in intensive care wards, often witnessing scores of patients falling victim to the virus with little ability to save them. Because of the tremendous influx of COVID-19 patients and the dilapidated state of health care infrastructure, workers have been forced to confront the terrifying issue of rationing care, choosing which patients should be left to die. This is similar to the crisis in New York last spring, when it was the main hotspot of the pandemic. Adding to the mental health crisis has been the staggering increase in positive tests for health care workers. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been at least 287,000 COVID-19 infections among health care workers in the US. Hospitals and medical facilities nationwide are being inundated with COVID-19 patients, countless ICU wards have filled beyond capacity, and states have been forced to build impromptu and makeshift facilities to deal with the extreme demand. Moreover, staffing shortages and burnout conditions are leading to severe strains on what was an already devastated health care infrastructure and severely overworked staff. More than 3,000 health care workers have died from COVID-19. In most cases, these deaths are the result of shortages of PPE and the cover-up by hospital management of the spread of the virus. Central responsibility for the spread of the virus in hospitals and clinics lies with the inability of capitalism and the profit-driven health care system. Both big business parties failed to enact the most elementary scientific measures to contain the transmission of COVID-19. Since March, the main priority of the Democratic and Republican parties has been to pump unlimited cash into the financial markets and increase the wealth of the super-rich. Instead of devoting more resources to cash-strapped hospitals for more PPE, nursing staff and testing and contract tracing for health care workers, the capitalist class and its political flunkies have aggressively promoted the homicidal herd immunity policy, which in practice means resuming non-essential production and in-person school learning, while ensuring that nothing impinges on the fortunes of the ruling class. To cut costs, hospitals are implementing the bare minimum in safety protocols, even if it means endangering the health of health care workers. At St. Marys Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota, health care workers who treat COVID-19 patients are required to reuse their respirator masks up to six times before discarding them. Although N95 masks are typically sterilized daily, they invariably begin to sag after two or three shifts and leave gaps through which the virus can enter. One cardiac nurse at the hospital described the situation to the New York Times as driving a car without seatbelts. In Chicago, nurses have complained of not receiving N95 masks that properly fit their faces. Speaking to the Times, one nurse at Community First Medical Center blamed the shortage of appropriate gear for the deaths of at least three nurses who contracted the virus at the hospital this past spring and summer. A recent survey by the volunteer organization Get Us PPE noted that 90 percent of frontline workers said they are repeatedly reusing masks designed for single use. Even though the need for necessary medical equipment has become more dire than it was in early spring, President-elect Joe Biden has provided no indication of how the large distribution campaign that has been promised will actually be implemented, nor has he addressed the monopolized health care distribution system, which allows wealthy hospital chains to hoard medical supplies. Instead, he has proposed creating financial incentives and buy American policies for major companies. This translates into providing subsidies, cheap loans and other hand-outs to large corporations to drive profits even higher. In contrast to the social suffering and death hitting the broad mass of the population, the health care industry and its wealthy executives have seen their profits increase to record-breaking levels. Billionaires in the health care industry had their wealth increase by 36 percent between early April and late July, from $402 billion to $548 billion in less than four months, according to a report by UBS and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Biden and the Democratic Party, loyal representatives of Wall Street and the financial aristocracy, will continue the policy of placing profits above social need and human life. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Hours after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced another six-week lockdown, chancellor Rishi Sunak on Tuesday announced 4.6 billion ($6.25 billion) in grants for companies that will be closed at least until mid-February, as new Covid-19 cases continued to spike. Calling the recent spike driven by the new variant alarming, Johnson clamped the third lockdown in England, effective from early Wednesday. Scotland went into a lockdown on Monday night while Wales and Northern Ireland have similar tough restrictions. Sunak said, The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge - and while the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further. Throughout the pandemic, weve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today were announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until spring. This will help businesses to get through the months ahead and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen. The UK government has already borrowed nearly 250 billion since early 2020 and offered help to companies to furlough employees and to the self-employed, besides concessions and grants to companies. Michael Gove, cabinet minister, admitted on Tuesday morning that the lockdown may last until March. Parliament has been recalled on Wednesday to pass related legislation for the third lockdown since March 2020. A grim-faced Johnson said on Monday night, (We) now have a new variant of the virus. It has been both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading. Our scientists have confirmed this new variant is between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible. As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic. In England alone, the number of Covid patients in hospitals has increased by nearly a third in the last week, to almost 27,000. He added, That number is 40% higher than the first peak in April. On December 29, more than 80,000 people tested positive for Covid across the UK a new record. The number of deaths is up by 20% over the last week and will sadly rise further. With most of the country already under extreme measures, it is clear that we need to do more, together, to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. In England, we must therefore go into a national lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant. That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home. After two months of failed efforts to pressure local election officials, state legislatures, and even his own attorney general to help overturn Novembers presidential election, President Donald Trump on Tuesday set up a new scapegoat for his defeat: Mike Pence. In a late-morning tweet, Trump claimed that Pence has the unilateral authority during Wednesdays joint session of Congress to overturn the results of the entire presidential election on the basis of fraud claims that have been universally rejected in court. Advertisement The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors, the president wrote. Whether or not Pence actually does have that authority is an open constitutional question. Either way, its a long shot. If he shows up on Wednesday to preside over the joint session, Pence is almost certain to declare the accurate count of Joe Bidens 306232 electoral vote victory. Obeying Trumps wishes would amount to an attempted American coup, and Pence has not indicated any willingness to take such bold action. Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. That doesnt mean Wednesdays certification will go smoothly. In light of Trumps increasingly desperate plays to overturn the election results, its worth considering how the joint session could actually play out. Advertisement First, its important to understand the process of Wednesdays joint session and what it is Trump is actually suggesting. Every four years, Congress meets to count the Electoral College vote with the president of the Senatethe vice president, unless he or she abstainspresiding per the 12th Amendment of the Constitution. This is ordinarily a pro forma session with the vice president serving a ministerial role of simply reading the votes that are presented to him. In the past, members of Congress from both parties have raised objections to particular state electoral counts in accordance with the Electoral Count Act of 1887, but this has always been a symbolic gesture with no prospect of actually changing vote tallies. In order to raise an objection, one senator and one member of the House of Representatives must submit a signed statement objecting to a states electors when that states count is read by the president of the Senate. At that point, the two chambers are meant to separate and hold up to two hours of debate followed by votes on the challenge. If majorities of each chamber agree on a disputed slate of electors, that should be the end of the matter, and the votes should be counted in accordance with Congress wishes. If there is a split vote, the Electoral Count Act says that the Electoral College slate presented by the states governor is by default viewed as the correct one. Advertisement Advertisement More than a dozen Republican senators have said they will sign on to various objections, promising to make this years electoral count a spectacle of kayfabe sedition. More than enough Republican senators have pledged to join their Democratic colleagues and the Democratic-controlled House to vote down any such objections. Even if the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-controlled House do split the vote, the Electoral College slate sent by the governor in each state would be counted, confirming Bidens victory. So no matter what Pence does on Wednesday, Joe Bidens victory will be counted in Congress. But that outcome hinges on the assumption that the Electoral Count Actwhich has governed the process for more than 130 yearsis followed. Some constitutional scholars believe that the act may be unconstitutional, or that the 12th Amendment overrides the act and gives the presiding officer of the Senate the power to rule unilaterally on disputed votes. That theory, presumably, is what informed Trumps tweet on Tuesday. Advertisement Ned Foley, the director of the election law program at the Ohio State University and one of the leading constitutional scholars on the Electoral Count Act, told me thatwhile he views the act as constitutionalthe literature has conflicting views in it. Advertisement I think it would really be an abuse of authority on the part of the Senate president to basically embargo anything that was submitted, Foley told me when we discussed the possibility of a vice presidential override back in September. But the law does not offer much to prevent a vice president from going rogue. The statute is structured to let the two bodies, the Senate and the House, deliberate on anything that gets submitted that purports to be a states electoral votes, Foley said. But the vice president is the presiding officer, and if he were to say, This is frivolous, or This is too late, or This is preposterous, Im not going to bother the chambers, Im not going to dignify this thing, he would have to be overruled. And there isnt really a mechanism to overrule him. Advertisement In other words: The loopholes in the Electoral Count Act and the 12th Amendment leave the system open to the exact sort of abuse that Trump is pushing. The better reading of [the statute] is that if both chambers wanted to overrule [the vice president], they could insist on the receipt of the piece of the paper, but even that is a little unclear, Foley said. Advertisement Yale Law professor and leading constitutional scholar Bruce Ackerman, for one, has pushed the notion that the president of the Senate has the authority under the 12th Amendment to ignore the Electoral Count Act and unilaterally decide the outcome of the Electoral College count. In September, Ackerman and progressive Rep. Ro Khanna wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times arguing that Pence could basically do whatever he wants, thanks to a precedent established by Thomas Jefferson in 1800. Advertisement On Monday, Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani espoused this notion during a conversation with fellow sedition advocate Charlie Kirk. Like Ackerman and Khanna, Giuliani and Kirk cited the 1800 precedent in which then-Vice President Jefferson made a ruling during the electoral count that ended in his presidential victory. Giuliani suggested that sixand as many as 10states would be challenged by congressional Republicans. Those would be the six states Biden won by less than 3 percentArizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsinplus some of the states he won by about 10 percent, such as New Mexico and Virginia. Under the Electoral Count Act, the Senate and House would debate any such objections and ultimately vote to make Biden the next president. But under Giulianis theory, Pence could just say no. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Giulianis vision can only be described as an utter fantasy. He could say, In these states, the election was conducted illegally in these six states. Therefore, Im throwing their votes out, theyre not certified, Giuliani suggested. That would leave Trump at 233, and that would put Biden at 230, nobody has a majority. If Pence threw out those electoral votes, according to the presidents attorney, the House of Representatives would then automatically vote to overturn the election and make Trump president, because the vote is conducted by state delegation and Republicans hold the current advantage in that tally. Giulianis vision can only be described as an utter fantasy. Pence, through Department of Justice attorneys, has suggested in a separate lawsuit he does not want any part in such a scheme. Even if he did, there is virtually no way such an American coup would play out as Giuliani describes. Aside from mass street protests, a general strike, and a stock market collapse that would be prompted by any such attempt to overturn the election, Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi still controls one body of Congress and theres no way she would simply let Mike Pence steal an election. Advertisement As Foley explained in September, its hard to accurately predict how such a tug of war between Pelosi and Pence might actually unfold. The only thing he could say for certain is that it would be utter chaos. Advertisement Vice President Pence could insist on saying hes in charge in some formal sense of maintaining order, Foley said. On the other hand, Speaker Pelosi could say, Wait a second, youre all guests in my chamber here. Im kicking you out, Foley told me. At that point, Foley is not even sure whose orders the sergeant-at-arms of the U.S. House of Representatives, Paul D. Irving, would be constitutionally obliged to obey. Irvings office did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, but a senior House Democratic aide involved in planning efforts for Wednesday told me cryptically, We are prepared for everything, when asked about such a scenario. Advertisement The closest analogue to this possible chaos, Foley said, is the 1876 election dispute between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden that eventually led to a compromise resulting in Hayes elevation to the presidency and the tragic demise of Reconstruction in the South. The speaker of the House, Samuel Randall, had to call out the sergeant-at-arms against his own members of his Democratic Party, he said. The New York Times and the London Times talk about revolvers being pulled out by members, and they had to clear the gallery of spectators because they were afraid of shots being fired. That 1876 dispute resulted in the passage of the guidelines of the Electoral Count Act, which Trump is now asking Pence to disregard. Ultimately, itll be on the vice president to decide if he wants to test the constitutional limits of his office while picking a fight with millions of voters, both chambers of Congress, and the sergeant-at-arms. At this point, Trump can only sit back and watch. I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you, Trump told a crowd of rallygoers in Georgia on Monday evening. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him as much. PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Police accountability has a new face for the new year thanks to the dramatic facelift Cop Blaster Police Misconduct Monitoring received just in time for New Year's. The upgrade makes people feel like they are using a modern website to browse the latest police misconduct news, dive deep into data dumps, and tell their own stories. A police officer is arrested in the United States almost every day. Did you know that police officers get arrested in the United States almost every day? CopBlaster.com knows because they have been doing their best to stay on top of the news when it comes to law enforcement officers making headlines by being arrested, fired, or suspended. Cop Blaster has been updating their site almost every day since September with a different story about an officer getting into trouble with the law. They start their daily research with a Google search for "officer arrested" and almost always find a new result from the previous 24 hours. If they do not, they can almost always fall back to "officer fired," "officer terminated," or "officer suspended" for which they will they never fail to find a new result from recent days. Then they do their own background checks on the officers. The result is often an article that aggregates the best bits and pieces from news outlets combined with pieces of officers' pasts that the mainstream media misses. Cop Blaster has been on the prowl for large dumps of data documenting law enforcement activities since 2019 when they acquired a data set from USA Today containing names of over 33,000 law enforcement employees that have lost their certifications in the United States. Cop Blaster took that data set and parsed it into individual profiles of each officer where users can post comments and edit descriptions in a wiki-like format. In May of 2020, Cop Blaster acquired data on over 10,000 individuals that had provided information to the state of Washington alleging that others had violated stay at home orders. The data came from the We the Governed activist group who were protesting the edicts of Governor Jay Inslee. That data was filtered for duplicate content and parsed into posts. In November of 2020, Cop Blaster acquired data on over 8,000 people killed by law enforcement in the United States since 2013 from Mapping Police Violence. Cop Blaster took steps to preserve images of over 3,000 victims and parsed the data into posts so that people can comment on each incident. Cop Blaster was launched in 2017 primarily to empower victims with an online publishing platform to tell their stories safely, anonymously, and without unreasonable censorship. Cop Blaster continues to provide users with that platform, but plans to spend more time during the new year transitioning to breaking news, in-depth investigations, and large data. Media Contact: Cyrus Sullivan Phone: 503.908.9656 Email: [email protected] Related Images officer-arrested.jpg Officer Arrested! A police officer is arrested in the United States almost every day. Related Links Cop Blaster SOURCE CopBlaster.com MASON CITY, Iowa A man who assaulted a nurse after being arrested for drugs is sentenced. Raymond Hayes, 48 of Mason City, pleaded guilty to 3rd degree drug possession and assault on person in certain occupations. He was arrested on July 23, 2020, after authorities say he was found with methamphetamine. Hayes was accused of punching an emergency room nurse in the arm the next day. Hes been ordered to spend 14 days in jail and served five years of supervised probation. SFGATE staffers, like other Bay Area residents, spent a whole bunch of 2020 and early 2021 hiking anywhere and everywhere, for sights and sounds and exercise and all the rest. The good news for both readers with zero hiking experience and readers looking for a new, hidden trail is we now have lots of recommendations. Recommendations that you might be able to employ, for instance, on Mother's Day. Or any day, really. These hikes are timeless and work just fine solo, with your mom or as part of a big group. Below, our 13 favorites from recent expeditions, many of which link out to a larger feature story, so you can assess for yourself which locales might be right for you (or just learn more about a trail's history). They're listed alphabetically; we refuse to rank them, because they're each perfect in their own way. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Albany Bulb Location: 1 Buchanan St. in Albany "Offering both sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline and human-made sculptures crafted from found materials, these days, the Bulb evokes more of a sense of whimsy than it does the desolation of a landfill. Wet dogs pitter-patter gleefully down dirt trails, and children exclaim with wonder as they discover life-size dinosaurs made of driftwood and rebar. "Despite the city of Albanys vow to preserve the art of its treasured trash island, its hard to imagine the Bulb looking quite the same after a park-creating facelift. Enjoy it while you can, with all its jagged bits and bobs surely, the most weirdly beautiful a former landfill has ever looked." Read more about the history of the Albany Bulb from SFGATE reporter Madeline Wells. Shoshi Parks Almaden Quicksilver Location: 21785 Almaden Road, San Jose "If it werent for the ruins, you might never know that Almaden Quicksilver Park was once the largest mercury mine in North America," writes Shoshi Parks. "In a word, its beautiful. The ridges of the Sierra Azul ripple blue and green into the distance and, along the second half of the Historical Trail, the entire Silicon Valley comes into view. "But Almaden Quicksilver is as much a ghost town as it is a park. As the trail curves towards the hulking rotary furnace and on to the powderhouse and April tunnel trestle, its not hard to imagine what this hillside looked like denuded, scarred and swarming in workers." Read more about the site of California's other gold rush here. Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve Location: 5175 Somersville Road, near Antioch "A great spot to find a hike for all ability levels and interests, Black Diamond Mines is a hidden gem in Contra Costa County," says SFGATE managing editor Katie Dowd. "Once the home of five coal mining towns now all abandoned its a history lovers dream. The highlight is a pioneer cemetery on the hill, but if youre not interested in a steep climb, there are plenty of flat and even paved routes through the park for a casual stroll." Christopher Partin/ Special to SFGATE Foothills Park Location: Santa Cruz Mountains in Palo Alto After decades of being shut down to non-Palo Alto residents, Foothills Park is finally open to everyone. SFGATE editorial director Grant Marek hiked the whole thing and calls it "majestic," adding, "The hike is hard, but not too hard, with just under 1,000 feet of elevation I could hike that every day of my life and be 100% satisfied." Read his review here. Ashley Harrell Lost Coast Trail Location: King Range National Conservation Area This 24.6-mile journey isn't for casual campers, writes SFGATE's California parks editor Ashley Harrell. "On the Lost Coast, bears and rattlesnakes are common. Storms and fog can move in without warning. The ocean is sometimes violent, with 'sneaker waves' claiming more than a few unlucky backpackers. Intimidatingly, the trail weaves in and out of the tidal zone, where wrong timing can leave hikers trapped between sheer cliffs and an encroaching sea." Still interested? Read about Harrell's trek. Montara Mountain Trail Location: San Pedro Valley County Park, near Pacifica "One of the best returns on uphill-hiking investment in the Bay Area has to be the Montara Mountain Trail," says SFGATE senior homepage editor Greg Keraghosian. "The reward for completing this 6.7-mile loop is a stunning panoramic view that includes Montara State Beach to the west, the Golden Gate Bridge to the north and the Port of Oakland to the east. Theres an odd bonus at the peak should you wander off the fire trail: abandoned, rusted cars that seem to have been enjoying their ocean views for decades." Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Mount Davidson Location: San Francisco Have you visited the Mount Davidson Cross? "Starting from the Miraloma Park neighborhood, if you trek halfway up the steep path on the eastern side of Mount Davidson, you'll catch a glimpse between the trees of a concrete crucifix," writes SFGATE local editor Andrew Chamings. "Only when you get to the top can its magnitude be fully realized. The giant concrete cross is in its fifth iteration, with all previous wooden versions burned into the soil through protest and arson." Liz Celeste / Special to SFGATE The Pogonip Location: Santa Cruz Marek has some high praise for this "magical rock garden," which he calls "the most amazing place Ive been in 37 years of living in California." The sights are worth a visit on their own. So are the little notes people leave behind. Here's Marek's full experience. Grant Marek/SFGate Resolution Trail Location: El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve Resolution Trail is "part of a commemorative loop that winds through the Kings Mountain canyon and past the crash site of an ill-fated DC-6 commercial airplane bearing the same name," writes Marek. "... The aura of a 67-year-old plane crash is gripping enough that it's very clearly more than just a 'thing,' which is maybe why I cant stop going back." Read about Marek's full experience here, including his step-by-step directions to arrive at your destination. David Curran Rifle Range Road Trail Location: Wildcat Canyon, right off Arlington Boulevard on the El Cerrito-Richmond border If you can put up with a hill steep enough to make you regret forgetting your inhaler again, SFGATE hompage editor David Curran says you'll be rewarded with some delightful views. "Just focus on the grassy hills of Wildcat Canyon out in the distance," he writes. "Or enjoy the trail lined with oaks and laurels, and, in the understory, the bare buckeye, the toyon with their red berries and bracken mixed in with other vegetation. And the wildlife can surprise you as well." Best of all: The trail usually isn't crowded. Here's Curran's breakdown. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate Sweeney Ridge Trail Location: Between San Bruno and Pacifica, about a 25-minute drive south from San Francisco "Sweeney Ridge is an absurdly beautiful Bay Area hike one side slopes down to the bay, the other to the Pacific Ocean from a 1,200-foot-high summit that offers views of the Farallon Islands, Mount Tam, Point Reyes, Mount Diablo, the Montara Mountains and San Pedro Point on a clear day," writes Marek. "But what makes it particularly special is how steeped in history it is." Want to learn more? Click here. Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE Sweeny Observatory Location: Strawberry Hill in Golden Gate Park "[The Sweeny Observatory] will stand unimpaired, I hope, long after those who now look upon it shall have passed away, San Francisco Mayor Frank McCoppin said in 1891. And henceforth, through the ages it will attract the attention of people entering the Golden Gate." McCoppin was one-for-two on those predictions. The observatory collapsed during the 1906 earthquake, but people can still hike to it and see for themselves what once was. Keraghosian researched the complete history of the supposedly earthquake-proof, horseshoe-shaped building. Chris Preovolos/Hearst Newspapers Wolf House Location: 2400 London Ranch Road, Glen Ellen The Wolf House, owned by author Jack London, burnt down in 1913, shortly before the London family was supposed to move in. "The grandiose building was never rebuilt, and Jack died just three years later," writes Wells. "But its charred bones remain today, you can hike to the ruins of the once-beautiful Wolf House in Glen Ellens Jack London State Historic Park." Wells gave the hike a shot, and reported her findings here. Whatever your views about the man, the United Kingdom is likely to be stuck with Julian Assange for the rest of his life. Or at least as long as the United States maintains its desire to prosecute him for espionage. Which might amount to the same length of time. Having defied the British justice system by jumping bail to avoid sex charges, the WikiLeaks founder now owes it his protection from Washingtons retribution for placing hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic documents in the public domain. MPs from across the political divide, lawyers and journalists including myself have welcomed the decision by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser to block Americas extradition attempt. But many of us have done so while holding our noses. Assange helped expose some of the dirty secrets of Americas 21st Century foreign wars. In a democracy, investigative journalists and whistle blowers Assange was more a technical facilitator should be protected from politically motivated punishment. But his is a complex story and a far from noble character, for all the unquestioning hero worship he has received from some quarters. Ousted: Julian Assange is hauled from Ecuadors embassy in 2019 (pictured). Assange has won his legal battle against US officials who wanted to put him on trial for helping hack government computers and violating an espionage law by releasing confidential cables A reckless narcissist and sexual predator, the Australian-born Assange, 49, was disdainful of the collateral human cost of his un-redacted leaks. WikiLeaks collusion with hackers working for the Russian state to undermine Hillary Clintons 2016 Presidential Election campaign won by her Putin-friendly opponent Donald Trump saw his support wither among liberals who had cheered his initial exposes. It wasnt about the justice of the cause, they thought. It was about Julian Assange. Yesterday, Judge Baraitser ruled that while US prosecutors met the tests for Assange to be extradited for trial, she discharged him on the grounds that she found the US was incapable of preventing him from attempting suicide. She had heard evidence of him being a depressed and sometimes despairing man who had thought of killing himself. The example of another recent very high profile case that of the paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein who managed to kill himself while on remand in custody in New York in 2019 was not far from her mind. An astounding blunder by the American authorities. Still, there will be those who wonder at the true extent of Assanges extradition-preventing mental health problems. And it should be noted that the judge did not reach her decision on the grounds that Assange was a campaigning journalist. One issue is clear: Assange would be foolish in the extreme now to leave these shores of his own volition, save perhaps on an Aeroflot flight to Russia, where his fellow whistle blower Edward Snowden has been living as a guest of Mr Putin to similarly avoid American prosecution. Planes can be diverted, companies or individuals punished for complicity. The CIA has a recent history of extraordinary renditions of those America cannot reach through official channels. They would not dare move against him in London. Who could have foreseen this tortuous saga back in 2010, at the height of Assange-mania? Fiancee: A jubilant Stella Moris, Julian Assange's partner, speaks to the media outside the Old Bailey in London yesterday That spring WikiLeaks had released a devastating tranche of cables that had been given to the organisation by a disaffected US Army intelligence analyst called Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning. Some of the material showed what appeared to be war crimes. Others exposed what was happening in the back channels. It wasnt pretty. Manning was arrested and sentenced to 35 years in jail (she would be pardoned after serving seven years behind bars). Based in the UK, Assange remained at large; a rock star for the internet age. That summer he took himself to Sweden to meet his fans and explore the possibility of moving the WikiLeaks operation to Scandinavia. But while he was there two female WikiLeaks supporters went to the police and made allegations against Assange of sexual assault. Against their wishes, they said, he had deliberately not used a condom during what had started as consensual sexual encounters. Having returned to the UK, Assange denied any wrongdoing. He claimed the allegations were part of an American plot to see him extradited to Washington. The sexual encounters had been a honey trap, many in liberal Sweden agreed. One of the alleged victims hit back: The accusations were not set up by the Pentagon or anybody else. The responsibility for what happened to me and the other girl lies with a man with a twisted view of women, who has a problem accepting the word no. The Swedish prosecutor concurred. Interpol issued an arrest warrant for sex crimes. And the stage was set for the drama to take an extraordinary turn. In September 2011 Assange dumped WikiLeaks entire library of 250,000 secret US cables on to the internet. These communiques reportedly contained the identities of informants, sources and agents who had been assisting the US in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries. As they were un-redacted, the cables presented a de facto hit list of vulnerable targets to Al Qaeda and the Taliban. But Assange was unrepentant, apparently. He was reported to have told his media partners: Well, theyre informants so, if they get killed, theyve got it coming to them. They deserve it. In May 2012, the British Supreme Court ruled that he should be extradited to Sweden. He wasnt willing to get what was coming to him in Stockholm so he jumped bail. Friends and supporters, who knew nothing of his plans to abscond, lost a total of 93,000 they had put up for surety. He swapped the stately home which had been his bail address for asylum in the embassy of a sympathetic Ecuador, situated behind Harrods. There began a long, long stand-off. Longer than anyone could have anticipated. While the police mounted a surveillance operation that in the end cost more than 12million, Assange played host to a series of famous and glamorous visitors, such as Pamela Anderson and Lady Gaga. The Wikileaks founder helped expose some of the dirty secrets of Americas 21st Century foreign wars. In a democracy, investigative journalists and whistle blowers Assange was more a technical facilitator should be protected from politically motivated punishment. But his is a complex story. Pictured: Assange sketched at the Old Bailey yesterday But his existence inside the embassy was constrained and by all accounts squalid Assange was not particular about hygiene. Gradually his relations with his hosts soured and his access to the internet was restricted. The Ecuadorian leadership changed and by April 2019 theyd had enough of their troublesome guest. The police were allowed inside the embassy and Assange was arrested, charged with jumping bail and sentenced to a years imprisonment, which he spent in Bellmarsh high security prison. By then the Swedes had dropped their cases against him, having run out of time to proceed with them. But the Americans had shown their hand. Shortly after his arrest at the embassy, the US charged Assange with a single count of conspiring to hack into a Pentagon computer. He would face a possible five-year jail term. A further 17 offences against the Espionage Act were then added. Assanges friends claimed he faced up to 175 years in prison. The US authorities suggested no more than six. The extradition hearing began last September. Perhaps the most sensational revelation during the case was that Assange had fathered two sons, Gabriel and Max, by a junior member of his legal team while inside the embassy. The couple are now engaged to be married. Stella Moris is a 37-year-old lawyer of Spanish-Swedish nationality. She recently gave a couple of well-timed interviews to bemoan her fiances plight. If extradited, she claimed, Assange might kill himself and I will lose the man I love for ever. Even now I dont know whether my children will ever be held in their fathers arms again. That could happen as early as tomorrow when his formal bail application is heard. Barring a successful US appeal against the decision there might even be a Wiki-wedding. A new chapter in the always remarkable and often unsavoury life of Julian Assange has begun. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Glastonbury and other summer music festivals could be cancelled unless the Government steps in to provide Covid insurance, a report warns today. The study by the industry body UK Music warns that without state support, Britains 1.3billion live music industry is heading for another summer washout. Most live music events, including Glastonbury, were wiped out last summer by the pandemic. Todays report urges ministers to indicate a start date when live music can resume with full audiences so that organisers can plan ahead and book events. Glastonbury and other summer music festivals could be cancelled unless the Government steps in to provide Covid insurance, a report warns today. Pictured: Kylie Minogue performing at Glastonbury on June 30, 2019 Most live music events, including Glastonbury, were wiped out last summer by the pandemic. Pictured: Festival-goers enjoy Glastonbury on June 28, 2013 It says projects to pilot socially distanced gigs were not financially viable for the vast majority of venues. And it warns that, with commercial Covid insurance not available, summer festivals that take a long time to organise face cancellation in weeks unless the Government steps in. UK Music chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin said: With the right support, live music can be at the forefront of the post-pandemic recovery and play a key role in our countrys economic and cultural revival. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis denied a suggestion yesterday by ex-Spice Girl Mel B that it had been axed, tweeting: No news this end. Will let you know as soon as there is news. Rotimi Seriki, the counsel to the Lekki Consession Company (LCC), the company in charge of the Lekki Toll plaza, has prayed the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry to give LCC access to the plaza. Mr Seriki, who made the application on Tuesday at the panel sitting, said the company should be permitted to have access to the toll plazas for the purpose of insurance companies evaluating the site and carrying out repair. The Lekki Toll plaza where the October 20, 2020, shooting incident occurred, had been closed for business but open to vehicular movement. The opening of the plaza ,which was under investigation, had been resisted by the panel upon several applications by Mr Seriki. Dorris Okuwobi, a retired Judge heading the panel, gave permission to all parties who had a matter in the Lekki Shooting incident to carry out investigation of the site as they dim fit. On December 11, the last adjourned date, the panel turned down the prayer of Mr Seriki for its reopening. Mrs Okuwobi gave additional two weeks for interested parties to investigate and do forensic analysis of the scene. Reapplying for the opening of the toll plaza for insurance claims and repair, Mr Seriki told the panel that a lot of damage was done to the plaza, the latest being an attempted looting and vandalising of the plaza on December 14. On the 11th of December when we last appeared before the panel, I made application on behalf of LCC, but the panel obliged to the #EndSARS protesters counsel to carry out investigation of the Lekki Toll gate, and gave them two weeks. Mr Seriki said since the timeline of two weeks had elapsed, he was reapplying for the opening of the plaza for repair and insurance claims. My application is made more imperative by developments after the last sitting. Specifically on 14th of December, which was three days after the last sitting, more individuals were arrested at the toll plaza in the process of stealing and vandalizing cables, iron rods and solar batteries utilized by the advertising board. The individuals have been charged to court, Mr Seriki Mr Seriki told the panel that he possesses a police report and photographs of the vandalisation and looting which he sought to tender as exhibit before the panel. Adeshina Ogunlana, the counsel to #EndSARS protesters, raised an objection to the admission of the police report as exhibit by the panel, saying there should be a connect. The letter of the Nigerian Police was to Promomedia Limited, not be any way the LCC that Mr Seriki represents. I would have wished that this document, since it is just in aid of an application for their company to have access, it can either be tendered by the police or the media people, advertising body and not the LCC, Mr Ogunlana said. He added that there is no nexus between the police report tendered before the. panel and the LCC. Reacting to the objection raised, Mr Seriki said the documents were not being tendered for the purpose of the investigation of the panel but tendered for the purpose of the application which has been made on not less than three previous occasions. He added that the advertising company is being managed by the LCC because the LCC owns the Lekki Toll plaza and there is a connect between the two. ADVERTISEMENT Olukayode Enitan, the counsel to the Lagos state government, said the LCC is fully owned by the state government and it is important to ensure that the infrastructure is not further degraded. Mr Enitan said there was a present damage that th LCC wishes to access and the Panel should not close its eyes to the further damage of infrastructure. After much arguments from the counsels on the relevance of the document to the matter, Cyril Ejiafor, the counsel to the police, said nobody can just present a police document. This is not about evidence act, nobody can just come that this is a security document and is presenting it on behalf of the police, no, no, no, no. There is no nexus between the Nigerian police and the LCC in terms of security matters. You made a complaint, if you say you need a report, we will give you. But for you to come on behalf of the police to present this document is really not it, Mr Ejiafor said. Mrs Okuwobi, the chairperson of the panel,stood down the matter to allow the police counsel verify the document sought to be tendered by the counsel to the LCC. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Sorry! This content is not available in your region DALLAS, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a year where health and wellness remained a top priority among many, Smoothie King's support of such lifestyles was extraordinary. As a result, the global smoothie franchise's inspired efforts translated into a tremendous year unlike any other. Smoothie King, the world's largest smoothie brand, opened a record 263 new stores globally in 2020. This includes 71 in the United States which allowed the franchise to surpass 1,000 stores domestically and more than 1,300 worldwide despite the challenges that came globally during the pandemic. The U.S. stores grew comp sales for the ninth-consecutive year and closed out the second half of 2020 posting an unprecedented 12.2% sales growth year-over-year. In addition, Smoothie King hit record-setting new store annualized average sales of $627,922 for 2020 new-store openings. "What sets Smoothie King apart is how our franchisees and team members live our mission: to inspire people to live healthy and active lifestyles," said CEO Wan Kim. "It guides everything we do operations, menu items, partnerships and more. Without our team's execution, results like this would not have been possible." "When you have a year like 2020 where health and wellness come to the forefront unlike ever before, our franchise opportunity becomes even more attractive. Not just because we're constantly improving and effectively answering today's guest trends with innovations like curbside pickup, online ordering and delivery; there's also an incomparable emotional attachment to a brand that genuinely cares and supports guests' healthy lifestyles." As Kim mentioned, a few key innovations from this year have and will continue to fuel the franchise's growth, including online ordering. After tapping into its connections in Korea early in the year to get a forecast on how the pandemic might affect its U.S. stores, Smoothie King quickly rolled out a strategy that included fast tracking its website and mobile ordering platforms. This was done at the onset of the pandemic to provide guests with another convenient ordering option while also creating an additional revenue stream for its franchise owners. This aided the implementation of a safe, contactless curbside pickup service systemwide followed by a major delivery partnership with DoorDash. In addition to operational innovations, Smoothie King showed tremendous support to franchisees in other ways, too. This included: launching weekly franchisee webinars to communicate best practices for managing COVID-19 challenges in stores; waiving some fees and deferring some royalties during the worst financial months of the pandemic; and lowering the cost of goods versus 2019. Because of these efforts, the company also closed out the year accepting 91 franchise agreements domestically topping last year's total number of accepted agreements. Those 91 deals are projected to produce 111 future stores in markets like Chicago, Northern Virginia and Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Additionally, the 2020 agreements are a result of 26 new franchisees joining the system and 65 current owners reinvesting in Smoothie King which speaks to the unparalleled strength, success and support of the business and brand. Looking ahead, Smoothie King is targeting 125 signed franchise agreements by the end of 2021. "As a franchisor, our owners drive our success, and we are constantly focused on what we can do to best support them," Kim added. "In a time when many other companies and businesses had to shut their doors, we are proud to say we helped our owners stay open and get through the pandemic. Now, their businesses are thriving, and we are very excited for what next year has in store. We believe it's going to be another record-setting year for us, and we look forward to welcoming new owners to help continue our growth at Smoothie King." To learn more about the Smoothie King franchise opportunity and become a part of the brand inspiring people to live healthy and active lifestyles, visit www.smoothiekingfranchise.com. ABOUT SMOOTHIE KING FRANCHISES, INC. Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately-held, Dallas-based franchise company. Founded in 1973, Smoothie King has evolved into a lifestyle brand inspiring people to live healthy and active lifestyles via nutritious, great-tasting smoothies. The franchise earned the No. 1 ranking in the smoothie/juice bar category, and No. 14 overall, on Entrepreneur's prestigious Franchise 500 list in 2020. The company also debuted on the "Inc. 5000" list in 2018. Media Contact: Brian Campbell Jr., Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] SOURCE Smoothie King Related Links http://www.smoothiekingfranchise.com Two new charges being imposed by An Posts AddressPal mean an additional cost of 10. CUSTOMERS who use An Posts virtual address service to buy goods from the UK are to be hit with a new charge. Brexit means there will be an administration fee of 3.50 applied to all items, in addition to a service fee of 6.50 for using An Posts AddressPal. The service provides customers with a virtual UK address to allow them to avail of reduced or free delivery charges that many UK retailers offer to British residents. Rivals ParcelMotel and Parcel Wizard have already suspended their virtual address services from the UK to Ireland. Read More The new charge being imposed by AddressPal means a cost of 10 for having an item delivered to your home using the service. And online shoppers who buy from websites outside of the EU, which now includes the UK, will see their purchases subject to VAT (value added tax) and other customs changes if they cost more than 22. These charges are likely to be collected by the online retailer when buying the goods, if they have not been paid. Asked why it was imposing the new charge, An Post said the Brexit and associated customs changes meant far more handling and administration on every item. Were trying to keep the service going where other providers have ceased their UK address facilities, a spokesperson said. The post office company said existing AddressPal UK customers must register a home delivery address on their paying any charges due. Some customers currently only have a local post office listed as their delivery address. A post office delivery address can no longer be used as the customers registered address, An Post said. The impact of new changes on the postal service will be monitored over the coming months. DPD said it was closing its Parcel Wizard virtual address service. Due to Brexit constraints from January 1, 2021, all items coming from the UK will be subject to customs rules which may incur duty and possible VAT charges and this will lead to additional administrations costs. Therefore, it will be no longer viable to offer this service post-Brexit. Parcel Motel suspended its UK virtual address service on December 28 due to the impact of Brexit. Parcel Motel had offered online shoppers in the Republic a way to circumvent international shipping restrictions and added costs by allowing them to pay for the use of its virtual address. This saw packages first shipped to the companys depot in Newtownabbey in Co Antrim, before being distributed around the country. Read More Irish Independent Some Baton Rouge restaurateurs are so confident 2021 will be a comeback year for their businesses, they're moving forward with plans to open new establishments. These decisions aren't taken lightly after months of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, and uncertainty continues as virus numbers fluctuate. "Why would a restaurateur be interested in opening a new place during these times?" asked chef Peter Sclafani, who will open his sixth restaurant in February. "I have to be, we need to be hopeful for the future. We have to believe there's going to be an end to this, and I'm banking on the vaccine to help consumer confidence. We need consumers feeling safe going into restaurants." Stephen Hightower, whose City Group Hospitality owns City Pork Brasserie & Bar, City Pork LSU, City Pork Catering, City Slice Pints & Pizza, Beausoleil Coastal Cuisine and Rouj Creole, agreed. "We're definitely looking at opportunity in 2021," he said. "We feel great about our Congress doing what they need to do to help people. They helped us in the beginning, allowing us to get through the first and second quarters with the restrictions." Hightower, who reopened Beausoleil with a new concept earlier in the fall, added: "We feel like if things get back to some kind of normal, we'll be there for the customers, ready to serve. We are optimistic." Sclafani said he believes the latest relief bill from Congress will help provide short-term economic relief with several items benefiting restaurants, including a second round of access to the Paycheck Protection Program. New restaurant in former Rum House In early February, Sclafani, in partnership with Kiva Guidroz and Michael Boudreaux, will open a new restaurant in the former Rum House. The restaurant, yet to be named, will specialize in Louisiana-inspired comfort foods and have a large outdoor dining space. +2 In former Rum House spot, Portobello's Grill partners are developing a brand new restaurant Chef Peter Sclafani and Kiva Guidroz have signed a lease for the former Rum House building on Perkins Road and plan to open a new restaurant i "I think outdoor dining is something that's here to stay," he said. "Now more than ever, customers appreciate outdoor spaces." Sclafani also is a partner in three Portobello's Grill locations, P-Beau's in Denham Springs and Phil's Oyster Bar. As chairman of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, Sclafani also is in-the-know about other area restaurants openings and reopenings, including T.J. Ribs in Prairieville, which he said will be up and running in February. Walk-On's "Walk-On's is opening new locations throughout the country at a rapid pace," Sclafani said. "Still, we're all scared because we don't know what the future holds. We all get nervous when we see the virus numbers go up, but we're seeing hospitalizations go down and ventilator use go down, because we know more about how to treat it." Walk-On's is expanding its locations by taking on Atlanta-based private equity firm 10 Point Capital as a strategic partner to help the chain reach its goal of opening 150 locations over the next 5 years. Rio Tacos & Tequila Downtown Baton Rouge also will see more restaurants open in 2021, said Casey Tate, development project director for the Downtown Development District. "Rio Tacos & Tequila will be opening on Third Street in January," he said, noting the restaurant at 333 Third St. originally was set to open in early December. "They had to push back their grand opening," Tate said. "The group that is opening it also owns and manages Jolie Pearl and the Bengal Taproom. They're doing multiple things downtown." Tate added that there are still vacant buildings downtown, including the former Lava Cantina at 151 Third St. "We're hoping a restaurant moves in there," Tate said. "A few restaurants have been thriving, including Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar, which offers live music. Stroube's has brought back its lunch menu, and Cocha on Sixth Street has a built-in crowd." Tate said the absence of state workers, many of whom are working from home instead of their downtown offices, has affected restaurants, causing such downtown establishments as Batch 13 to temporarily close its doors. "The City-Parish workers returned in May, and as state workers return, business should be picking up," he said. "And Congress' first round of stimulus money was helpful to restaurants in keeping employees. Most of our restaurants have been resilient and have stuck around. A few have taken hiatus, but most plan to reopen." Other eateries expected to open in the new year (and a few that opened in the closing days of 2020) are: Reve Coffee Lab , formerly located in the now-closed White Star Market, plans to open in the Settlement in Willow Grove on Perkins Road near Bistro Byronz with a menu that will include lunch and a full bar. , formerly located in the now-closed White Star Market, plans to open in the Settlement in Willow Grove on Perkins Road near Bistro Byronz with a menu that will include lunch and a full bar. Cheba Hut , a marijuana-themed sub and sandwich shop, is expected to open in March at 411 Ben Hur Road near LSU. , a marijuana-themed sub and sandwich shop, is expected to open in March at 411 Ben Hur Road near LSU. Social Coffee , a mobile specialty coffee bar, has opened a shop within Asian street food restaurant Chow Yum Phat at 2326 Hollydale Ave. Though the shop opened in November, the partnership is a key move by the coffee bar, primarily known for its pop-ups, as it enters the new year. , a mobile specialty coffee bar, has opened a shop within Asian street food restaurant Chow Yum Phat at 2326 Hollydale Ave. Though the shop opened in November, the partnership is a key move by the coffee bar, primarily known for its pop-ups, as it enters the new year. Finbomb Sushi opened in Arlington Marketplace, 472 W. Lee Drive, on Dec. 9. This is the first Louisiana location for the Reno, Nevada-based restaurant, which plans to open two additional Baton Rouge locations along with five more throughout the region. opened in Arlington Marketplace, 472 W. Lee Drive, on Dec. 9. This is the first Louisiana location for the Reno, Nevada-based restaurant, which plans to open two additional Baton Rouge locations along with five more throughout the region. Leolas Cafe and Coffee House plans a soft opening Jan. 9 at The Market at 1857 Government St., in the space formerly occupied by Yvette's Cafe. It will offer breakfast, brunch and lunch. plans a soft opening Jan. 9 at The Market at 1857 Government St., in the space formerly occupied by Yvette's Cafe. It will offer breakfast, brunch and lunch. Makers Greek & Mediterranean Cuisine, 216 Lee Drive, hosted its soft opening on Dec. 17. The restaurant is now open seven days a week for dine-in or take-out. Even though new places are coming along, many others will never again hang an "open for business" sign. "Unfortunately, we've lost a lot of restaurants," said Sclafani. "A lot of them are closing and are not going to be able to make it because of what's happened with COVID. The news makes the rest of us sound like bad guys, but I know that's not true. I don't trust South Korean data, I trust what I see with my own eyes I trust what I already know. And I know the virus is not spreading in restaurants." Sclafani said restaurants were observing sanitation protocols long before the Centers for Disease Control issued its safety recommendations. "We've always sanitized our surfaces; we've always done these things voluntarily," he said. "We continue to do them, and we've enhanced them even more. We've brought in doctors to test our whole teams, and they told us from the beginning that we were not going to see an outbreak in restaurants." Bistro Byronz moving in to former White Star Market space Bistro Byronz plans to move into the former White Star Market space on the first floor of the Square 46 development. Sclafani said all of his restaurant employees wear masks and wash their hands, and the eateries have placed hand sanitizer everywhere for both employees and customers. "We've had a couple of employees who have contracted COVID, but not in the restaurants," he said. "Generally, they contracted it from their homes. Our restaurants are forever diligent about safety. It's our No. 1 expectation for our guests that we'll be safe, and we will serve safe food in a safe environment. We need more guests to understand this." Customers, however, lose confidence when they hear that states such as Illinois, California and Washington are shutting down restaurant dining when the virus spikes in their areas. "And when the governor rolls Louisiana's restrictions back to Phase 2, guests think it's not safe to eat at restaurants," Sclafani said. "I take my family out to restaurants, and it's safe. And I'm looking forward to seeing more guests in the future as the vaccine comes available." Abu Bakar Bashir, the radical Muslim cleric who co-founded a militant group blamed for Indonesias deadliest terrorist attack, will be released from prison on Jan. 8 after his 15-year sentence was cut for good behavior, officials announced Monday. Bashir is the 82-year-old former spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian affiliate of the al-Qaeda global terror network that was blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, as well as a string of other deadly attacks across Indonesia during the 2000s. He will be released on January 8, 2020 as he has served out his term, Rika Aprianti, spokeswoman for the Directorate General of Corrections, which comes under the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said in a statement. Authorities never proved a link between Bashir and the Bali attacks of October 2002, but he was arrested in 2010 and sentenced the next year to 15 years in prison on other terror-related charges. A court found him guilty of helping fund a training camp for Islamic militants in Aceh province and inciting extremists to carry out attacks. Bashir spent his first five years in prison at the Nusakambangan penal island complex off Central Java before being transferred to a prison in Bogor, just south of Jakarta. Rika said correctional authorities had prepared special safeguards for Bashirs release and would be working the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and Densus 88, an elite police anti-terror unit, to keep an eye on the cleric. Two years ago, an adviser to the government of President Joko Jokowi Widodo announced that Bashir would be released unconditionally on humanitarian grounds, citing his poor health and age. News that he could be released caused outrage in neighboring Australia, which lost 88 of its citizens to the 2002 Bali bombings. The Indonesian government later backtracked on the proposal and said Bashir could be paroled if he signed a pledge of allegiance to the state a condition which the cleric refused to abide by. The governments apparent about-face came after Indonesians, including supporters of Jokowi, took to social media to express opposition to Bashirs release. In addition, Scott Morrison, Australias prime minister, urged Jokowi at the time to show respect for the scores of citizens from that country who were killed in the Bali blasts. Bashir was arrested after those bombings 18 years ago but prosecutors could not establish a link between him and the twin attack. A Jakarta court, however, found him guilty of falsifying documents and sentenced him then to 18 months in prison. On Monday, the head of the law ministrys West Java provincial office, said Bashir had a total of 55 months cut from his 15-year sentence because of good behavior. He has served the sentence well and followed all the security guidance at the Gunung Sindur maximum-security prison, Imam Suyudi told reporters. He said Bashir was in good health, despite a history of illness. He is well and in good spirits. I hope he will be healthy after returning to his family, he said. The National Police said it would monitor Bashirs movements after his scheduled release on Friday. We have intelligence officers who will keep an eye on people who have committed crimes, police spokesman Ahmad Ramadhan told reporters. No homecoming party Bashirs family, meanwhile, said there would be no party to welcome home the elderly cleric. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time, this is an unconditional release because the prison term has been served. There should be no reason to delay any longer, his son, Abdul Rohim, told BenarNews. He said the family would take Bashir to his home town in Sukoharjo, near the city of Solo where he had founded an Islamic boarding school called Al-Mukmin. He is old, so when he comes home, we will not hold a special reception, Abdul Rohim said. The family will not allow many people to meet Bashir, he said. This is a COVID-19 pandemic situation, so only few people will be allowed to meet, he said. We dont want to be a COVID-19 cluster and our fathers condition means he is at high risk. We hope that anyone who really loves our father can just pray from home, he said. Analyst: No more ties with JI According to the head of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, a Jakarta think-tank, Bashir no longer has a relationship with Jemaah Islamiyah. Hes completely severed ties with JI, IPAC Director Sidney Jones told BenarNews. In 2020, Indonesian police arrested dozens of JI suspects, including its alleged military chief at the time of the 2002 Bali bombings, Zulkarnaen, and Upik Lawanga, whom investigators said was the groups expert bomb-maker. However, the issue of whether Bashir remains a supporter of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group is open to question, according to Jones. Indonesian authorities had said that Bashir pledged allegiance to IS in 2014 when he was incarcerated on Nusakambangan Island. Whether he is still pro-ISIS or not, he will still be seen as the elder of the extremist movement, and not only by one organization but also all of them, because he is seen as a person who has contributed a lot to the movement, Jones said, using another acronym for IS. Kusumasari Ayuningtyas contributed to this report from Ngruki, Central Java, Indonesia. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city is 114,369. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said 846 new active COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in the city in the past 24 hours as of January 5, 2021. "In the past day, another 846 residents of Kyiv tested positive for the coronavirus, including 33 healthcare workers. There were 26 fatalities," Klitschko reported via Telegram on Tuesday. "As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city is 114,369." According to the city mayor, 483 women aged 18 to 89 and 339 men aged 18 to 88 are among those infected. The new cases include 10 girls aged one to 15 years and 14 boys aged two to 15 years. Read alsoKyiv sets three temperature records on Jan 1Klitschko said 70 new patients had been hospitalized, while the rest were self-isolating, undergoing treatment at home under medical supervision. He added that 567 people had recovered in the past day. In total, 40,921 Kyiv residents have already tackled the coronavirus. The highest number of the new cases in Kyiv was registered in Darnytsky district (154), Dniprovsky district (125), and Solomyansky district (104). The death toll in the city stands at 2,003. Coronavirus in Ukraine: Latest developments Ukraine said 5,334 new active COVID-19 cases had been confirmed across the country in the past 24 hours as of January 5, 2021. The total number of confirmed cases grew to 1,083,585. Reporting by UNIAN Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. EDAs Steering Board recently approved the launch of a specific EDA ad hoc project which will contribute to the implementation of a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project aimed at developing a European Patrol Corvette. Italy, which leads a group of four PESCO participating countries involved in EPC (together with France, Spain and Greece), had requested the Agencys support for moving this ambitious project forward. EDAs Steering Board recently approved the launch of a specific EDA ad hoc project which will contribute to the implementation of a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project aimed at developing a European Patrol Corvette. Italy, which leads a group of four PESCO participating countries involved in EPC (together with France, Spain and Greece), had requested the Agencys support for moving this ambitious project forward. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link EDAs Steering Board recently approved the launch of a specific EDA ad hoc project which will contribute to the implementation of a Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) project aimed at developing a European Patrol Corvette (Picture source: EDA) Part of the third batch of PESCO projects approved in November 2019, the project aims at designing and developing a new class of military ship, named European Patrol Corvette (EPC), which will host several systems and payloads able to accomplish a large number of tasks and missions in a modular and flexible way. The EPC will provide valuable capabilities in the areas of maritime situational awareness, surface superiority and power projection. The participating Member States aim to produce their first corvette prototype in 2026-2027. The EPC is envisaged as a common platform, a shared baseline, which can be customised as needed by participating Member States according to their national needs and specifications. The overall displacement is expected to be no more than 3,000 tonnes, which will allow the ship to operate from minor harbours (draft less than 5.5 meters). The length of the ship, to be equipped with diesel and/or electrical engines, should not exceed 110 meters. The ship will be based on an open plug-and-play architecture which will facilitate the versatility of response in the framework of EU CSDP operations and will provide a quick reaction capability, applicable to a broad range of scenarios. EDA tasks The Agencys new project will support the EPC PESCO project implementation through the development and adoption of Common Staff Target (CST), Common Staff Requirements (CSR) and a Business Case (BC). The objective of these documents, which are an indispensable step for a follow-on phase of the EPC PESCO project, is to shape the common core part and identify specifications and requirements that would be compatible with the modularity concept of the military ship. The Agency will also support the governance body of the EPC project. With its expertise in project management and harmonisation of capability requirements, EDA will be able to provide valuable assistance in these domains. Industry is not participating directly in this EDA project, but may be consulted, if deemed necessary by the contributing Member States. EDAs Chief Executive Jiri Sedivy said: EDA is delighted to support this ambitious and innovative PESCO project. As the European hub for collaborative capability development, the Agency has the expertise to help Member States in the implementation of their PESCO projects. The European Patrol Corvette project responds directly to an existing gap in Europes capability landscape acknowledged by Member States during the revision of the Capability Development Plan (CDP) in 2018, namely that of naval manoeuvrability and the need for improved maritime situational awareness, surface superiority and power projection. The future EPC will provide participating Member States with those missing capabilities, thereby further strengthening the Europe of Defence. Italys Capability Director, Gen. Giovanni Iannucci said: The project of the European Patrol Corvette is aimed at developing a new Class of military ships in order to accomplish, with a flexible approach, a large number of tasks and missions aimed to Homeland Security and protection of European waters. More in details, the EPC will carry out Maritime Security Operations and Police of the High Seas functions, playing a key role in preserving Freedom of Navigation (FoN) and fighting against terrorism and illegal trafficking at sea. The EPC will be characterized by a multi-purpose and modular approach by design that will also allow to perform dual-use missions, such as anti-pollution activities, humanitarian assistance operations and interventions in support of populations in case of natural disasters. Italy is very proud of the coordinating role and will continue to conduct all necessary activities for the EPCs success. Furthermore I believe that this project constitutes an excellent opportunity for the whole European Defence and in particular the military shipyards sector to work together in order to foster industrial synergies, operational interoperability and maintain a technological advantage. [January 04, 2021] Mitsubishi Electric Revises Corporate Philosophy System as it Celebrates 100th Anniversary Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that on the occasion of its 100th anniversary this February 1, it has revised its corporate philosophy system to update the Group's reason for existence as well as the core values and attitude that all employees are asked to embrace and cherish in serving customers and society as a whole. Mitsubishi Electric (News - Alert) , which is profoundly grateful to many stakeholders who have supported the Group over the decades, including employees as well customers and bsiness partners, is resolved to become a group company that responds to the demands of the new era and earns the trust of stakeholders. Based on the new corporate philosophy system, the Group aims to contribute to the realization of a vibrant and sustainable society by addressing diversifying social challenges through continuous innovation over the next 100 years. A Century of Mitsubishi Electric Mitsubishi Electric was established in 1921 as a spinoff of the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company's electric factory. For the past 100 years, the Mitsubishi Electric Group has contributed to a vibrant and sustainable society by providing a wide range of products and services infused with high technology and creativity in fields ranging from homes to outer space. For the full text, please visit: www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005211/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) has acquired the Staffing Insurance Business offered by World Wide Specialty Programs Inc., based in Melville, N.Y. World Wide will operate as a division of PHLY and assume responsibility for its book of staffing business with support from PHLYs staff. The deal closed on December 31, 2020, and terms will not be disclosed. The insurance products comprising the business PHLY will acquire are designed and produced by World Wide to address the staffing industrys unique needs and will continue to do so in the future as part of PHLYs insurance offerings. Both PHLY and World Wide Specialty have been doing business for more than 50 years. By adding World Wides insurance products, PHLY will enhance its staffing insurance offerings and round-out its portfolio of more than 120 niche insurance products. World Wide offers industry-specific coverage including employment practices liability, auto liability (hired and non-owned) and workers compensation to staffing firm clients and brokers. PHLY designs, markets and underwrites commercial property/casualty and professional liability insurance products incorporating value added coverages and services for select industries. Source: Philadelphia Insurance Companies Topics Mergers Excess Surplus First Minister Arlene Foster has been informed by the PSNI of a threat against her from the South East Antrim UDA. Mrs Foster said that she believed the threat had been issued against her because of her support for the family of Glenn Quinn. The 47-year-old was murdered one year ago at his home in Carrickfergus. He was terminally ill at the time. Read More Responding to the threat the DUP leader said her "thoughts and support remains with the Quinn family who have so bravely stood up to continued intimidation". "This threat is simply reflection of what an innocent family have faced for so long now," Mrs Foster said. "There must be no place for such behaviour in any free society and we all must stand against those criminal gangs which continue to operate within our community." Her party colleague Gavin Robinson said that the DUP would continue to stand with the Quinn family in the face of any threats. "I first engaged with the Quinn family last year and continue to support them against the threats they have faced," the East Belfast MP said. "Everyone will stand with the First Minister and particularly with the Quinn family in the face of such threats. It is important that we all continue to shine a light on such groups who exist for nothing more than their own criminal purposes." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the UDA are a "reckless criminal gang with no place in our society". "The threats made against Arlene Foster by the UDA are a despicable attack on democracy" the Sinn Fein MLA said. "The PSNI must do all in its power to put these gangs out of business once and for all." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the threat issued against Mrs Foster was "reprehensible". "No one should have to live under the threat of violence, regardless of who you are," the Foyle MP said. The Quinn family have had to endure similar attempts to intimidate them over the course of the past year as they seek justice. Those responsible have no support." Expand Close Glenn Quinn / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Glenn Quinn Mr Quinn was found dead at his home in Ashleigh Park last January 4. It is believed that he was attacked by a gang of men as he returned home the previous evening. The gang are thought to have set upon him in the communal hallway of his apartment block, before forcing their way into his flat and launching a "sustained and violent attack" on the innocent man. This attack left Mr Quinn with serious injuries, including multiple fractures to his ribs, which eventually lead to his death. It is believed individuals with links to the South East Antrim UDA carried out the vicious assault. His family have been subjected to an intimidation campaign following his death. A PSNI spokesperson said "we do not discuss the security of individuals and no inference should be drawn from this". "However, if we receive information that a person's life may be at risk we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk," the spokesperson said. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Belfast Telegraph Vuong Trinh Quoc, the towns chairman, said Monday that local authorities have not been able to address a long standing issue of local children being pressed to pester tourists, begging or selling trinkets and other items. He said the phenomenon has cast a shadow on Sa Pas tourism industry. "Recently, amid the weather of three degrees Celsius, children have been pushed to go out and sell things. Adults are taking advantage of tourists compassion for small children, which is pitiful. We have requested parents not to let their children do it, but it has not worked so far," he said. Trying a different tack, authorities are now using loudspeakers mounted on vehicles to ask tourists in the vicinity not to purchase things from children, he added. The content announced on the loudspeakers was prepared by the towns culture and communication department. Urban order inspection team of the local ward visited several popular tourist spots in the town throughout the New Year holiday to propagate the message. Tran Van Tho, a member of the inspection team, used the loudspeaker to inform tourists about how children on the streets were being manipulated and forced to sell things in the cold weather. "It is an exploitative, illegal act that violates childrens rights," he said, adding that tourists should help the kids in more practical ways, not by giving them money and buying their wares. However, Quoc said that several tourists still bought goods from the kids out of sympathy, reinforcing such behavior. Parents will keep sending their children out to the streets if they see the money coming in, he added. "Education is a childs right and pushing them to sell goods on the street is a violation of that right. We hope that tourists will support and cooperate with us to put an end to this practice," Quoc said. Sa Pa, a major tourist destination in Vietnam, receives around three million visitors every year. About 65,000 people visited the town during the latest New Year holiday. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. The historic town of Al Ula in Saudi Arabia is hosting the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit today (January 5) as the group begins its fifth decade. With Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud leading the summit, GCC leaders are expected to focus on the economic recovery of member states and the unity of the organisation and its future. As the leaders begin to gather the region received the encouraging news of Saudi Arabia and Qatar agreeing to reopen their borders. The countries are expected to sign a declaration at the summit. GCC Secretary General Dr Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf earlier affirmed the GCCs ability to face challenges through collective work and support of the leaders of the member states. He added that the decisions of the forthcoming summit, aiming to support the GCC march, are set to lay the foundation for launching the GCC towards its 5th decade. Dr Al-Hajraf pointed to Saudi Arabia's keenness and endeavour to overcome all kinds of obstructions that have faced the efforts to hold this summit. He referred to the event as confirming the high level of the Saudi diplomacy, the backbone and main pillar of the GCC within its regional and international arena. Al-Hajraf cited that Saudi Arabias hosting of nine summits is a proof that the GCC march would proceed towards the desired horizons. In a televised interview with Al-Ekhbariya channel, Dr Al-Hajraf reminded that the GCC countries together own four sovereign funds, which are among the 10 largest funds in the world, adding that these sovereign funds make a great effort in strengthening the global economy through their large and diversified investments. Qatar said Monday that its ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani would attend the GCC summit. The announcement came after Kuwait said there had been a breakthrough in the boycott of Qatar by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf and Arab countries since 2017. A woman has been caught climbing a fence to escape a quarantine camp just two days after arriving in Australia. The 33-year-old had returned from overseas and was in mandatory 14-day quarantine at Howard Springs in the Northern Territory when she fled on Tuesday. CCTV footage from the facility shows the woman throwing her luggage over a fence before climbing over and casually walking off with her bag. The returned traveller climbed a fence and casually walked off with her bag two days after arriving in Australia Witness Josiah Bosch, who is also in quarantine, said he had warned the woman she would get caught before she fled. When she ignored him and continued her escape, he grabbed his phone and started recording. 'It happened quite quickly and we thought ''is she doing this?'',' he told NT News. 'And as soon as she did I went to grab my phone and film it as it was out of the ordinary.' Incident Controller, Acting Commander Sachin Sharma, said the woman was spotted by other quarantining overseas arrivals and security guards who alerted police. 'She was located nearby within 15 minutes and returned to the facility,' he said. He said police are investigating the incident and charges are yet to be laid. Incident Controller, Acting Commander Sachin Sharma, said the woman was spotted by other quarantining overseas arrivals and security guards who alerted police As of Wednesday, there are 53 positive COVID-19 cases in the Northern Territory. All returning Australians on repatriation flights into the Northern Territory are required to undertake 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine at the Centre of National Resilience at Howards Springs. Since October last year, a total of 2,384 people have underwent quarantine in Darwin after returning to Australia on Qantas repatriation flights from England, India, France and Germany. There have been no reports of community transmission. BATON ROUGE, La. On Dec. 23, two parishes were added to the disaster declaration for Hurricane Delta. Survivors in Allen and Iberia parishes are now eligible for federal disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage and losses resulting from Hurricane Delta. To be eligible for federal disaster aid, storm damage and losses from the hurricane and flooding must have occurred as a result of Hurricane Delta from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10. Registration for Hurricane Delta for Allen and Iberia parishes has been approved for 60 days beginning Dec. 23 under FEMAs late registration process. Survivors will not have to provide additional documentation and will not receive a late-application letter. Those who previously registered for Hurricane Delta (not Hurricane Laura) assistance from those two parishes do not have to reregister. Their registrations, which were held, will now be processed. Allen Parish residents who previously registered for Hurricane Laura must register again to qualify for damage caused by Hurricane Delta. When there are two or more disasters declared for the same parish, FEMA works to ensure applicants receive all eligible help while preventing duplication of federal benefits. Those with cell phones or Internet access may register with FEMA by: Going online at DisasterAssistance.gov Downloading the FEMA app Calling 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585 Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should alert FEMA as to the specific number assigned to that service. The following parishes were approved for Direct Temporary Housing assistance under Hurricane Delta: Acadia, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, St. Landry, St. Martin and Vermilion. Beauregard, Calcasieu, Learn more at fema.gov Cameron, Jefferson Davis and Rapides were previously approved for Direct Temporary Housing assistance under Hurricane Laura. The following parishes are approved by FEMA for Public Assistance: Caldwell, Beauregard, East Baton Rouge, Point Coupee, St. Mary, West Baton Rouge and Winn parishes are approved for debris removal. Beauregard, East Baton Rouge, Point Coupee, St Mary, West Baton Rouge, Winn, Calcasieu, Lafayette, Rapides, St. Landry, St Martin, Vermilion, Allen, Iberia and Grant parishes are approved for permanent work assistance to repair damages to public facilities, such as roads, bridges and public buildings. For the latest information on information on Hurricane Delta, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4570. Follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at www.twitter.com/FEMARegion6. U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loans are available for Louisiana disaster survivors. Businesses of any size and certain nonprofits can apply for loans as well. Apply online at www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance. For questions and assistance completing an application, call 800-659-2955 or email FOCWAssistance@sba.gov [January 05, 2021] New Research from Paycor Finds 86% of Business Leaders are Concerned About Mental Health in the Workplace CINCINNATI, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Human Capital Management (HCM) company Paycor today released How HR Can Promote Mental Health at Work. Employees have faced extenuating circumstances over the last nine months that have exacerbated mental health challenges in the workplace. Frontline workers are concerned about their health risks, other employees had to adjust to working from their kitchen tables, and others are navigating remote work while attempting to support remote learning for their children. Paycor found that 86% of business leaders are concerned about mental health in the workplace as a result of the pandemic. Mental health in the workplace has always been a concern among many, but now its reaching an inflection point. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in five American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year an Gallup reports 67% of US workers say theyre burned out. HR leaders are on the frontlines, but mental health can still be taboo or a topic that is reluctantly talked about. Paycors latest report breaks down four strategies on how HR leaders can help their employees thrive. Key findings include: Part 1: Embrace Empathetic Leadership A culture of self-care starts from the top. Effective HR teams proactively create a company culture that encourages psychological wellbeing. Part 2: Engage Employees Wherever They Are Often, the problem isnt too much work, its a lack of control. Employees need engaging work to give purpose and fulfillment. Colleagues are also importanttight bonds can offer an important sense of community in tough times. Part 3: End the Stigma of Mental Illness Taking mental illness seriously means knowing that, as an HR leader, you cant magically solve any problem, much less a mental illness. But HR leaders do have the power to end the stigma by creating an open, inclusive and safe work environment and hosting conversations that dont cross boundaries. Part 4: Leverage Benefits to Make a Difference Benefits arent one size fits all, and traditional offerings may not address todays reality. In fact, 45% of HR leaders arent sure what, if any, benefits they could offer that might help. Talking to the right healthcare broker can help HR leaders think about wellbeing more holistically, including physical, emotional and financial health. To access the full report, please click here. Supporting Quotes Everyone has been impacted differently by COVID-19. Employees are adjusting to new work-life situations while balancing concern for their loved ones and supporting their families, said Karen Crone, Chief Human Resources Officer at Paycor. HR leaders are in a unique position when we help our employees find new ways to work and interact while also acknowledging and supporting their mental health and well-being. Supporting Resources About Paycor Paycor creates HR software for leaders who want to make a difference. Our Human Capital Management (HCM) platform modernizes every aspect of people management, from the way you recruit, onboard and develop people, to the way you pay and retain them. But what really sets us apart is our focus on business leaders. For 30 years, weve been listening to and partnering with leaders, so we know what they need: HR technology that saves time, powerful analytics that provide actionable insights and dedicated support from HR experts. Thats why more than 40,000 medium & small businesses trust Paycor to help them solve problems and achieve their goals. FOR MORE INFORMATION Katy Bunn (513) 307-6392 Kbunn@paycor.com MEDIA CONTACT Marta Debski Offleash for Paycor (810) 956-4501 paycor@offleashpr.com Moldovan President Maia Sandu hopes to discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the security issues in the region and reforms on the path of Moldova and Ukraine to the EU during an official visit to Kyiv on January 12. "We want to restore relations, because some work was done at the government level, but at the presidential level there were no meetings at all over these four years, and it is important for us to restore relations. We have many specific questions to which we must find answers. These are the issues of security in the region, and the issue of our way to the European Union, the reforms that we must introduce in order to bring our countries closer to the EU. And, of course, the issue of border delimitation, and the issue of hydroelectric power plants. That is, specific issues," said Sandu in an interview with DW. She stressed that it is important for Moldova to have good relations with both Romania and Ukraine. "In January I will go to Kyiv to meet with Mr. Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, and this is just the beginning," Sandu said. As reported, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Diplomatic Advisor to President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva said that the newly elected President of Moldova Maia Sandu plans to pay an official visit to Ukraine on January 12, 2021. An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) who was deployed to fight the Dzukou Valley wildfire was found dead inside a base camp in the hills near the valley in Manipur on Tuesday morning, police said. The ASI has been identified as Nongthombam Binoy Meetei,a resident of Luwangshangbam Maning Leikai in Manipurs Imphal East District, a police official of Mao Police station in Senapati district said. The cause of the death is not yet known, police said. The body has been sent to JNIMS mortuary in Imphal for necessary procedure. Chief Minister N Biren Singh expressed shock and sorrow over the death of Binoy Meetei. NDRF teams from Guwahati along with state disaster response force, fire and police personnel besides volunteers from Mao area have been engaged in firefighting operations after the blaze that broke out in the Dzukou Range in Nagaland on December 29 spread across the border to Manipur on the morning of December 31. Indian Air Force helicopters were also pressed into service to fight the fire. Dzukou valley straddles Nagaland and Manipur and is a popular trekking destination for its picturesque biodiversity. China has carried out an aerial drill over the Tibets capital of Lhasa, a preemptive move designed to remind Buddhists scattered across the vast Himalayan plateau about the communist partys military might that last crushed an uprising by young Tibetans ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The aerial drill comes days after the United States enacted the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 that reaffirmed the right of Tibetans to choose a successor to their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan government-in-exile based in Himachal Pradeshs Dharamshala had described the US legislation as historic. A China watcher in New Delhi said the drill could be only one part of the continuing effort by President Xi Jinping to sinicise Tibet that would pick up pace in view of the new US law. Also Read: China cautions against use of Tibet card, says it will damage bilateral ties China wouldnt want anything to happen in Tibet that reflects support for the US law The military drill was a preemptive move and would be followed by other steps to stem any potential dissent, he said. Sinicisation is an attempt to wipe out religious and ethnic identities by increasing the influence of Chinese, or the culture of the majority Han community, on non-Chinese ideas and entities within China. According to photos that have emerged from Tibet, at least a dozen military choppers were deployed in the military drills that were carried out over the Potola Palace. (Sourced) President Xi Jinping has talked about sinicising religions in China since taking over the Communist Party of China leadership in 2012. Three years later, Xi spoke about sinicising the five major religions practised in China: Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism and Daoism. For the last few years, China has been working on a plan to redefine the practise of Islam and align the beliefs of Muslims with the communist party. Xinjiang has been a focus area where the communist regime has implemented tactics that it has practised in Tibet for years. Also Read: China violates border agreements with India, swears by 2003 pact on Tibet | Analysis President Xi sees the sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism as part of a four-point programme that he unveiled at an August meeting last year to build, what he called, an impregnable fortress to maintain stability in Tibet that is so important to Beijing because of its long border with India. That Buddhist Tibetans, despite decades of Chinese rule, still worship the Dalai Lama as a living god, has long been considered a threat by the communist party. Chinas communist party wants to shape the succession of the Dalai Lama and insists that the Buddhist reincarnations must comply with Chinese law (Sourced) This is why China views the US law that supports letting Tibetans decide the Dalai Lama such a risk and wants to shape his succession, and claims that the Buddhist reincarnations must comply with Chinese law. This compliance, however, is not unique to Buddhist Tibetans. A new rule that kicked in on 1 February last year requires all religions in China to look up to the ruling communist party for leadership and promote its policies. Analysts believe that China could order a fresh crackdown in Tibet if the communist party assesses that there is even the slightest possibility of unrest in Lhasa. Rights activists who tracked Beijings response to the 2008 uprising said dozens of Tibetans were killed by the military to stop the protests against China. ADVERTISEMENT A resident identified as Monsuru Aderoju has reportedly been abducted by suspected herdsmen in Igangan axis of Ibarapa area, Oyo State. Mr Aderojus abduction was confirmed on Tuesday by Oladokun Oladiran, the convener of an advocacy group called Igangan Development Advocates. The victim, a popular cassava dealer in the community, who resides in Oke Agbede, Igangan, was whisked away on Monday evening. Confirming the abduction, Mr Oladiran said the victim was kidnapped after the 8:00 p.m. Islamic prayer. Two of the suspected kidnappers attended the same prayer session with the victim but they were not thought to be threats until the incident unfolded because they had strange faces, he said. The recent development brings the total number of kidnap cases in the axis to five in the last three weeks. When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, asked to be given more time to have updates on the incident. ALSO READ: Police announce killing of three people in Oyo PREMIUM TIMES last year reported how armed herdsmen are killing and kidnapping the residents of Ibarapa in Oyo State for ransom. After the report, the police promised to strengthen the security of lives and property in the area but nothing seems to have changed. Following insecurity in the state, the state government inaugurated Oyo State Security Network also known as Amotekun. During upcoming meeting with Ukraine's top leadership in Kyiv, President of Moldova Maia Sandu will discuss the region's security, reforms on the path towards the EU and boundary delimitation. "In January, I will fly to Kyiv to meet with Mr. Zelensky. And this is just the beginning," Sandu said in an interview with DW. According to her, the purpose of this visit is to restore relations between Moldova and Ukraine. "We want to restore relations, because some work has been carried out at the level of governments, but at the level of presidents there have been no meetings at all over the past four years. It is important for us to restore relations," she said. The Moldovan leader stressed that there are many specific issues that need to be addressed. "We have the issue of security in the region and the issue of our path towards the European Union, the reforms that we must implement to bring our countries closer to the EU. And, of course, the issue of boundary delimitation and the issue of hydropower plants, i.e. specific issues," Sandu said. As reported, the administration of President of Moldova Maia Sandu confirmed that the head of state will pay her first official visit to Kyiv on January 12 to meet with Ukraines top leadership. ol NEW DELHI : US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster on Tuesday expressed doubts whether the Atmanirbhar Bharat " flagship programme of self reliance of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government was compatible with New Delhis stated intention to be part of the global value chains and carve out a reputation as an exporter to the world. If Indias self-reliance programme led to higher tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, this would limit Indias capacity to truly integrate into global value chains and, in the process, raise prices for Indian consumers", Juster said at an event organized by the Observer Research Foundation think tank in New Delhi. India had unveiled the Atmanirbhar Bharat" programme in May to kick-start the economy, which was subjected to a hard lockdown in the preceding weeks to stem the transmission of coronavirus in a country of more than a billion people. The Indian government says that the programme will help India manufacture for the world and improve its position in global supply chains. Juster also listed growing restrictions in India on market access for certain US goods and services, increasing tariffs, new limitations on the free flow of data, and a less-than predictable regulatory environment for investors as some of the factors contributing to frictions and frustrations" in India-US trade ties. The US has a strong stake in Indias growth and prosperity, both because of our longstanding friendship with the people of India and because a strong economy will underpin Indias growing role on the global stage", he said. Countries were looking at diversifying from Chinese-led supply chains after the sudden stoppage of goods from factories in China following the coronavirus outbreak, Juster said. As such, India has a strategic opportunity to become an alternative destination for manufacturing investments in the Indo-Pacific region. However, to fully seize this opportunity, the Indian government may well need to take further action", he said. Ultimately, these will be choices for the government of India. Our experience is that excessively managed markets tend to create inefficiencies, leading to slower growth. On the other hand, trade openness historically has produced positive results for the Indian economy, its job market, and its consumers." Juster also expressed concern that despite persistent efforts the two countries were unable to seal a trade deal, talks for which have been going on for several years. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. DALTON, Ga. - With mounting desperation, Donald Trump declared Monday night he would fight like hell to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2020, file photo President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) DALTON, Ga. - With mounting desperation, Donald Trump declared Monday night he would fight like hell to hold on to the presidency and appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss to Joe Biden when they convene this week to confirm the Electoral College vote. Electoral voters won by President-elect Biden are "not gonna take this White House! he shouted as supporters cheered at an outdoor rally in Georgia. Trump's announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday's runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss which he insists he won by a lot. Earlier, in Washington, he pressed Republican lawmakers to formally object Wednesday at a joint session of Congress that is to confirm Biden's victory in the Electoral College, itself a confirmation of Biden's nationwide victory Nov. 3. Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans faith in democracy. All 10 living former defence secretaries wrote in an op-ed that "the time for questioning the results has passed." Its unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesdays joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Followed by a staffer holding a bag, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., right, leaves the Capitol for the day, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Vice-President Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesdays joint session. I promise you this: On Wednesday, well have our day in Congress, Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesdays runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. Trump said in Georgia: I hope that our great vice-president comes through for us. Hes a great guy. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much. He added, No, Mike is a great guy. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, greets a crowd before he speaks at a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Cumming, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesday's runoff Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Bidens win. The other Republican seeking reelection, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials Republican as well as Democratic in state after state and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. The congressional effort to keep Trump in office is being led by Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with rank-and-file House members, some on the party's fringe. President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Just got off the phone with @realDonaldTrump, tweeted newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who is aligned with a conspiracy group backing Trump. He wants you to call your Rep & Senators TODAY, ALL DAY!" she tweeted Monday. "Dont let Republicans be the Surrender Caucus! She later joined the president on Air Force One as he travelled to Georgia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, has declined to say much publicly on it. FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2020, file photo Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Hawley, says he will raise objections next week when the Congress meets to affirm President-elect Joe BidenAos victory in the election, forcing House and Senate votes that are likely to delay Ai but in no way alter Ai the final certification of Biden's win.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool, File) Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trump's base of supporters. Biden, speaking at a drive-in rally in Atlanta, said Trump spends more time whining and complaining than he does working on solving the coronavirus pandemic. He added dismissively, I dont know why he still wants the job he doesnt want to do the work. During the day Monday, more current and former GOP officials rebuked the effort to upend the election. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Cumming, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Former three-term Sen. John Danforth of Missouri said in a stinging statement, Lending credence to Trumps false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack." He said, "It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical." Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Portman said in a statement, I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters. A supporter of President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally featuring Trump in support of Senate candidates Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., in Dalton, Ga., Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) At the Dalton rally, Trump noted he was a little angry at Lee, but expressed hope that the senator would change his mind. We need his vote, Trump said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, said the electoral vote challenge undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation. So far, Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Bidens 306-232 Electoral College win. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue, at Dalton Regional Airport, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, in Dalton, Ga. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) With Biden set to be inaugurated Jan. 20, Trump is intensifying efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. On a call disclosed Sunday, he can be heard pressuring Georgia officials to find him more votes from the Nov. 3 election he lost in that state. The challenge to the presidential election is on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War, though the typically routine process of confirming Electoral College votes has been hit with brief objections before. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Trumps win, but Biden, who presided at the time as the vice-president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Trumps victory. States run their own elections, and Congress has been loath to interfere. The 2020 election is over, said a statement Sunday from a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah. A range of Republican officials including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. Hawley defended his actions in a lengthy email over the weekend to colleagues, saying his Missouri constituents have been loud and clear in insisting Biden's defeat of Trump was unfair. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Congress is unlikely to agree to that. The group, which presented no new evidence of election problems, includes Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Steve Daines of Montana, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. __ Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Steve LeBlanc in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Jim Salter in OFallon, Missouri, Alan Fram in Washington and Tali Arbel of the Technology Team contributed. A TV journalist was killed in a missile attack on Aden Airport on 30 December. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS) condemn the attack and demand the opening of an investigation into the killing and all other deaths and rights violations affecting journalists and the media sector. Smoke billows at the Aden Airport on December 30, 2020, after explosions rocked the Yemeni airport shortly after the arrival of a plane carrying members of a new unity government. Credit: Saleh Al-Obeidi / AFP Journalist and BelqeesTV correspondent, Adeeb Al-Janani, was reporting on live TV the arrival of the Yemeni government plane, when the airport was hit by 4 missiles, leaving 25 casualties and 110 wounded. Among the wounded were the correspondent of the Yemeni channel Al Fadhayia, Sadok El Ritibi, who was also reporting the governments arrival. It is still unclear who is behind the attack and nobody claimed responsibility for it. The strike took place at the moment when the plane carrying Yemens newly-formed Cabinet was landing after returning from Riyadh, the capital of Saudi-Arabia. In the last ten years, 44 journalists have been killed in Yemen, but none of the perpetrators has been brought to justice to date, according to the YJS. Yemen was one of the five countries targeted by the IFJ as part of its 2020 campaign to end impunity for crimes against journalists. In a letter addressed to the internationally recognized government of president Hadi and the de facto government in Sana controlled by the Houthis, the IFJ had called both warring parties to end impunity for crimes against journalists. Press freedom continues to be severely compromised in Yemen. Between July and September 2020, YJS reported 22 violations ranging from arrests and threats to assaults and banned coverage, pointing at Yemens government and the Houthis as mainly responsible for the attacks against media workers. In a statement published on 30th December, the YJS said: The union expresses its sorrow following this criminal explosion which is the result of the constant targeting of the press sector since the beginning of the war which has already claimed more than 38 victims - journalists and photographers - since 2015. The union renews its demand for the opening of an investigation into every death or violation affecting journalists and the press sector. IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: We send our deep condolences to the family of Adeeb Al-Janini, his friends and colleagues. He was the last colleague to pay the ultimate price for doing his job during a merciless 2020. The different authorities in Yemen are responsible for taking steps to end the ongoing killings and attacks on journalists and media. They must take immediate actions against the perpetrators to show that they are not complicit in these crimes." Getty Preceded by the likes of Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, to name a few, Chris Harrison is the latest A-list celebrity to make the move to Texas in the past year. AUSTIN GAINS ANOTHER STAR: If Elon Musk wants to be a Texan, it's time he embrace our ways Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - An awareness campaign on preventive measures against the coronavirus pandemic continued for the second day in Tripoli on Tuesday as Libya's capital leads other cities in infection rates in the country What is happening as I am perceiving it is that far too many are blind to the truth! It's really two current situations that exist right now in our country that is on the minds of most that is having a dire affect on far too many: (1) Folks are choosing to be blind to the truth about COVID-19, and (2) Americans are not seeing the truth about what President Trump is doing! The fact that so many are not choosing to wake up to the seriousness of the virus and why the "wearing a mask" that's being stressed (repeatedly) by the medical and scientific experts is being ignored ... then I say to those folks: Why do you think doctors and nurses wear 'masks' in the hospital especially around 'COVID-19' patients? (The answer should be an obvious one!) The second is a little known fact that we seldom hear about but certainly needs to be brought to the public's attention ... a fact that most in the field of science are well aware of! Today's air is polluted everywhere ... sometimes much worse in some places than others! (Even wearing a mask to minimize ingesting those pollutants is worth doing!) The second issue that's on the minds of most is the $2,000 stimulus payment which President Trump is asking Congress to approve. (That gesture alone will surely win him many thousands more votes when he runs again!) EDMONTON - An Alberta mother says she's outraged by various politicians and staff who decided to travel abroad over the holidays, while a dream trip to Hawaii for her terminally ill son had to be postponed. EDMONTON - An Alberta mother says she's outraged by various politicians and staff who decided to travel abroad over the holidays, while a dream trip to Hawaii for her terminally ill son had to be postponed. Lia Lousier of Airdrie, a bedroom community just north of Calgary, says nine-year-old Braeden is one of 100 people in the world to be diagnosed with a rare inherited connective tissue disease called Hajdu-Cheney syndrome. Braeden Lousier is shown in this undated handout photo. His mother, Lia Lousier, says a dream trip to Hawaii for the terminally ill boy was postponed because of COVID-19. And she's outraged by various politicians and staff who decided to travel abroad over the holidays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Lia Lousier "He has something going on with every major organ in his body," the mother of three boys explained Monday, while seated next to Braeden at Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary as the boy received a blood transfusion. "He's been through heart surgeries. He's been through abdominal surgeries, many other minor surgeries. And on top of that, he's gone through meningitis. He's gone through sepsis. He's gone through strokes, seizures. You name it. This kid has fought it." But after years of consistent hospital stays, he was beginning to show enough improvement for a trip to Hawaii "2020 was going to be our year," Lousier said. The Make-A-wish-Foundation, which grants wishes of children who are battling a critical illness, was arranging the trip for the family in the fall. Next to his love for riding elevators, it was Braeden's dream to be on a tropical beach, said his mother. "When Braeden was small, I had taken him out to the West Coast to see family and he was non-verbal at that point and he wasn't even moving at that point. So I lay him on the sand and he laughed and he laughed. He was so at peace through that, so it was a no-brainer the wish to go to Hawaii." But Lousier said when she saw the second-wave of COVID-19 coming, the family postponed the trip. Days ago, it was revealed that Alberta's municipal affairs minister had travelled to Hawaii with her husband and daughter to continue a 17-year family Christmas tradition, despite recommendations against non-essential travel. "Seeing Tracy Allard going to Hawaii was just that final, last break for me, just unbelievable anger that she felt she had the right to do that and then for her to excuse it," said Lousier. Allard apologized and on Monday she resigned her cabinet position. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney also stripped five other legislature members of their duties and asked his chief of staff to step down for their out-of-country vacations. Lousier said she also wants to see the premier take responsibility. "I 100 per cent support Kenny resigning," Lousier said. "I think of the sheer number of people that I know that have elderly parents or aging parents, or have family out of province did they want to spend Christmas alone? They sure didn't." Lousier said what was most shocking were videos and tweets posted on some of the politicians' social media accounts while they were away that gave the impression they were still in Alberta. "It's deviant, dishonest behaviour. Are those the people that we want running our province? No, thank you." In the meantime, the Make-A-Wish Foundation said it is working on an alternative wish for Braeden. Foundation spokeswoman April Stallings said the charity has had to postpone 435 wishes for sick children because of the pandemic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Note to readers: This is a corrected story; a previous version had Alberta Children's Hospital in Edmonton and the number of other MLAs stripped of duties as four. A simulated attack run of U.S. F-35 destroys Russian anti-aircraft missile done in a virtual world. This mission investigates how successful an actual strike will fare in a real-world situation. Will the Lightning II survive a strike into a deep soviet territory to deliver a surgical strike. Can its stealth defeat the S-400s radar? US F-35 Destroys Russian Anti-Aircraft Missiles The answer came in a computer simulation created by Lockheed Martin that simulated a deep strike mission to destroy the S-400 air defense systems. Based on the parameters of the program that ended with the Russian missiles getting destroyed. Most approximations have a high degree of success for long-range strikes, reported Defense News. These systems are touted as stealth jet killers have yet to acquire actual F-35s stealth Lightning II data to verify if it can detect them. America's premier stealth jet is one of the most feared today that can defeat missile defenses. Made by Russia, the S-400 surface-to-air missile (SAM) is at par with American technology. Advance SAM launchers that are mobile are threats to non-stealth aircraft. American Lightning IIs and F-22 Raptors are the only stealth capable planes in full operation; Russia's SU-57 has been recently introduced. The S-400 is made to kill stealth jets that are nearly invisible to conventional radar. More emphasis on systems to take out American stealth jet due to the extreme danger they pose. The simulation A scenario was devised by the US F-35 that destroys Russian anti-aircraft missiles to show how the mission would progress in stages. In the mission are two lighting IIs that are carrying out a deep strike mission in Russian territory. Also read: U.S. Navy's Weapons: F-35 Lightning and Super Hornet Adds Tactical Layers to Win During the flight to the SAM sites, which are detected by the stealth jets systems, the location is sent back to the base. Next in the chain is the information given to the base that passed to a US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is another weapon system similar to the U.S. Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) family. The launcher system (M142 HIMARS) is used to fire missiles on enemy cannons and anti-aircraft missiles. Fired from it is the Patriot and THAAD used as anti-missile or anti-air defenses to kill enemy installations. When the HIMARS has received the location and GPS of the S-400s, they are moved into position but in range of the missiles. The missiles are advanced and next-generation that are fired to take out the Russian SAMS. The Lightning IIs are used to get target data for the HIMARS to fire accurately. The Russian SAM defense is not welcome and forces changes in tactics to reduce American stealth jets' danger. Turkey, one of its sanctioned allies, bought the S-400 from Russian. It used to be part of the lightning IIs development program. Pentagon officials distrust the purchase of Turkey in regards to the advanced Russian SAM system. One danger is a leak on NATO's defense systems that might endanger the Stealth lightning IIs unnecessarily. F-35s are essential components in the U.S. offensive in war. Other nations are opting for the S-400 like India, but New Delhi is autonomous in foreign policy. The U.S. F-35 destroys Russian anti-aircraft missiles in a particular scenario, but the jet is still very capable when linked in a network. Related article: Turkey Tests Russian-made S-400 Missiles, Violates NATO Treaty @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. More than 513 doctors including 103 from Delhi succumb to COVID-19 in second wave: IMA Ready to roll out Covid vaccine within 10 days from authorisation date: Govt India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Jan 05: Based on feedback of dry-run, the government said on Tuesday that coronavirus vaccination can be rolled out within 10 days from the emergency use authorisation date, ending speculation about the time frame that started since the drug regulator's announcement on Sunday. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the government was ready to roll out the vaccine drive within 10 days from approval. "Now since the approval has been granted, the vaccine drive will be rolled out within 10 days from that day Sunday, January 3," he said. "Healthcare workers and frontline workers would not need to register themselves as a beneficiary as their data is bulk database that has been populated on the Co-WIN vaccine delivery management system in a bulk manner," he said. Ready to roll out Covid vaccine within 10 days from authorisation date: Govt The health secretary said that the manufacturers will send the vaccine to the Government Medical Store Department depots at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Karnal in Haryana by air. India currently has 29,000 cold chain points where the approved vaccines Covishield and Covaxin can be stored safely. "Total 71 people have been detected with the new mutant virus found in UK. There is no ban on export of the Covid-19 vaccine," said Director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Balram Bhargava. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News India's drugs regulator had on Sunday approved Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield' being manufactured by the Serum Institute, and the indigenously developed 'Covaxin' manufactured by Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. Priyanka Chopra Jonas recently had a release on an OTT platform titled We Can Be Heroes, where the actress performance yet again stole the thunder. This film which is known for its light-hearted humour and all things crazy, has won audiences hearts over the festive season and looks like the reception it has got, has convinced the makers for a sequel. Priyanka Chopra Jonas took to her Instagram story recently and shared the big news. She posted a click of herself from the film and captioned the picture saying, And...BREAKING NEWS: The Heroics are coming back for round two. Sequel is in development with @rodriguez and @netflix. Looks like the actress has yet another winner in her hands. Heroics Headquarters projection: 44 MILLION FAMILIES will have suited up for WE CAN BE HEROES in its first 4 weeks!! And.BREAKING NEWS: The Heroics are coming back for round two. Sequel is in development with @rodriguez and @Netflix! #WeCanBeHeroes pic.twitter.com/vF1RJY1Aaq PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) January 5, 2021 According to a report in a leading international magazine, We Can Be Heroes had a record-breaking viewership in the US during the Christmas season. Priyanka Chopra Jonas has two other Hollywood releases Text For You and Matrix 4. The actress also has The White Tiger awaiting its release on an OTT platform this month. A recently retired Rhode Island Supreme Court justice has tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting a change in at least two swearing-in ceremonies. Francis X. Flaherty, who retired on Dec. 31, was supposed to swear in new House speaker, K. Joseph Shekarchi and Warwick Mayor-elect Frank Picozzi on Tuesday. News of the positive test came in a news release about Picozzis ceremony. RI Supreme Court Justice and former Warwick Mayor Francis X. Flaherty was to administer the oath of office to Mayor-Elect Picozzi on Tuesday, January 5th, but has tested positive for Covid-19, the statement said. Picozzi on his Facebook page said he has spoken with Flaherty and hes as disappointed as I am. District Court Judge Stephen Isherwood will take Flahertys place. House spokesman Larry Berman told The Providence Journal on Monday that Flaherty called Shekarchi on Saturday to advise him that he would not be able to administer the oath of office to him. Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg will step in for Flaherty. The number of coronavirus-related fatalities in Rhode Island during the pandemic has surged past 1,800, according to statistics released Monday by the state Department of Health. There were 78 more deaths and almost 3,200 more confirmed cases of the disease in the past five days, according to the department, which updated its numbers for the first time since Dec. 30. There have now been 1,855 deaths and almost 93,000 cases. The latest seven-day average positivity rate in Rhode Island is more than 8.7%. State health departments are calculating positivity rate differently across the country, but for Rhode Island the AP calculates the rate by dividing new cases by test encounters using data from The COVID Tracking Project. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Rhode Island decreased over the past two weeks, going from 899 on Dec. 20 to 430 on Sunday. The state has now also administered more than 24,000 of first vaccine doses. AN associate of gang figure Barry Young met to sanction the murder of Robbie Lawlor in a Sligo hotel as Ireland reeled amidst the first Covid-19 lockdown, the PSNI believe. The man is believed to have commissioned the murder on behalf of a major gangland alliance of Mr Big, paedophile drug lord Christy Griffin, paralysed Traveller gang boss Owen Maguire and kidnap accused Cornelius Price Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland believe that the man met with accused Aidan Holland in the hotel on March 16 and arranged the murder plot which was carried out 19 days later in Belfast. Expand Close Convicted drug dealer Barry Young / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Convicted drug dealer Barry Young Read More Hitman Lawlor was unaware that the underworld pact against him had spread countrywide and right into the north west, where Young is suspected of being a major supplier of drugs to the north and into the heart of Ardoyne, where Lawlor was shot dead. Young, a convicted drug dealer, is regarded as one of the most significant players on the drug scene outside Dublin and has close ties with both Maguire and Mr Big in Dublin. Officers from the PSNI who have pieced together a complex jigsaw of events leading up to the April 4 murder and the connections of some of the key players believe that a gangland alliance was formed against Lawlor and found a common connection to him through Holland and a Sligo drug supplier. They believe that Lawlor was owed money by Holland and was due to collect a stolen Mercedes car on the day he was shot dead outside his home but that he had no idea that the Belfast man was connected to his arch rivals through a Sligo supplier. Expand Close Kidnap accused Cornelius Price / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kidnap accused Cornelius Price During a bail hearing this week a court heard that evidence against Holland and his co-accused Patrick Teer, centres on telephone cell site analysis, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and CCTV. Crown lawyer Natalie Pinkerton told the court that Teer, charged along with Holland as part of a joint enterprise based on their involvements in events around the killing, had paid for Hollands accommodation at the Sligo Park Hotel on March 16 when he met with an unnamed drug dealer connected to the Drogheda feud. While the murder occurred on April 4, it is thought that the plan to kill Mr Lawlor was commissioned on March 16, she said. The court heard it is also the prosecution case that on the day of the shooting Teer drove Holland back to Sligo and during the journey his phone looked at videos posted on You Tube celebrating the murder of Lawlor. Details of the alleged meeting in Sligo have not been shared with officers policing the Drogheda feud but it is understood that PSNI officers believe that Young is a major supplier of drugs to Northern Ireland and had connections with Holland. It occurred as chaos ensued across the country, schools were closed and pubs were warned they would have to shut up for a fortnight to control the growing number of Covid-19 cases. It also happened on the day that UK prime minister Boris Johnson conducted a dramatic U Turn and put the UK into lockdown. Lawlor, 36, was shot dead outside Adrian Hollands house on Etna Drive in Ardoyne on the morning of April 4 when a gunman emerged from the property and opened fire. He was shot in the head and body and died at the scene. In the initial aftermath of the killing Limerick criminal Ger Dundon, who was with him at the time, was arrested but he protested his innocence and said he was a friend rather than foe of Lawlor. When his brothers later arranged the collection of a 50,000 bounty from the Maguire faction, gardai intervened and seized the cash. During the bail hearing this week, Ms Pinkerton said more than 20 suspects have been identified as part of the ongoing police investigation most of whom are living outside Northern Ireland. Defence barrister Sean Devine said Lawlors nickname was Robbie Ruthless and his client, Teer, was only being charged on an association with his co-accused. He was the only actor in this whole production who didnt have a burner phone. Read More This is a tenuous case that is wholly dependent upon my clients awareness of what was going on. Expand Close The murder scene of Robbie Lawlor in Ardoyne / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The murder scene of Robbie Lawlor in Ardoyne It does seem obvious from the way in which this matter was outlined that Mr Teer did not knowingly play any part in these events. He was denied bail. The murder of Lawlor is one of the most complex in gangland history and threw up evidence of a dangerous alliance of some of the most powerful drug dealers in the State. Officers from the Garda Siochana have been closely monitoring the links between Mr Big and Griffin and their connections with gangs across the country as concerns grow of the emergence of a new cartel. Mr Big is one of the most important figures in Irish gangland. He runs a major drug outfit and is seen as a highly intelligent criminal. He was behind the murder of Real IRA boss Alan Ryan and his brother Vinnie Ryan, who had both attempted to extort money from him. While he is ruthless if he is crossed he has not got involved in unnecessary feuding as he believes it is bad for business. Lawlor came on his radar when he shot dead Ken Finn in 2018 in Coolock. Finn was a gunman who worked for Mr Big but was also his friend. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors Jessica McGowan/Getty ATLANTAIt has not been an easy two months to be a Georgia election official: Everyone from the Secretary of State down to county-level officials and poll workers have received death threats, harassment, and an avalanche of angry emails from legions of Donald Trump supporters who cling to the erroneous belief that they presided over a rigged election on Nov. 3. All the while, these officials have been preparing for another hugely consequential election, Tuesdays Senate runoff. If the reaction to Trumps defeatnamely, the sprouting of dozens of conspiracy theories about Georgias electionsis any indication, a close race, or a win by Democratic candidates, could land like a match in a powder keg. Obviously, were on edge, said Baoky Vu, a Republican member of the elections board in DeKalb County, a swath of suburban Atlanta with 700,000 residents. But thats not because of the runoff todayits because of what Trump has done over the last six weeks. Vus priority, he told The Daily Beast on Tuesday, is ensuring the safety of DeKalb Countys election workers. His secondlike that of many Georgia elections workersis debunking the myriad election-related conspiracy theories in the conservative media ecosystem and preparing for those that will inevitably come if the Senate-deciding runoffs dont go the way that Republicans want. Theres no throwing away Dominion machines, no shredding of ballotsit is sad and pathetic to hear these baseless accusations leveled at poll workers, poll officials, elected officials, from the party, said Vu. Its just sad to hear these baseless lies from the president on down. President Trump brought these baseless conspiracy theories right to Georgia during a Monday rally where he repeated many of the same falsehoods he uttered during a now-infamous phone call with the Georgia secretary of state and others on Saturday. During that call, first reported by The Washington Post, Trump tried to persuade officials to help him steal the already-concluded election. And after delivering smear after smear against members of his own party and Georgia officials, even as those insults have inspired a wave of abusive threats, there has been little remorse. But there has been a mounting desire for retribution. Story continues For weeks, the president has talked openly and begun plotting behind closed doors about campaigning against Georgias Republican, pro-Trump governor Brian Kemp, should a primary challenge emerge, all because Kemp didnt overturn democracy in his own state to Trumps satisfaction. When Trump has been informed of or privately discussed reports of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and others in the state receiving death threats due to false claims that Trump and his followers have aggressively promoted, the president has reacted dismissively and callously, according to two people familiar with the matter. Trump even suggested that these grim situations are all the fault of officials such as Raffensperger. Georgia Election Officials Wanted Boring and Simple Vote. Now Theyre Getting Death Threats Instead. One source said Trump brushed off concerns regarding threats of violence, adding that (in this sources paraphrase), [Brad] shouldnt be worried about that, he should be worried about being part of one of the biggest crimes in American history. The other source recounted the president saying in recent weeks that though nobody likes death threats, these threats would stop immediately if Raffensberger just did the right thing. (In Trumps assessment, the right course of action here would be to help him rig an election that the outgoing president decisively lost to his Democratic opponent in November.) Last month, the Georgia secretary of state told ABC News that his family had been getting death threats, and his wife sent sexualized text messages. Raffensperger added that threats were also being aimed at staffers at his office, as well as at election workers. Some of those workers, like Gabriel Sterling, the states election systems implementation manager, have had to get extra police protection at their homes due to the threats. Matt Mashburn, a Republican member of Georgias statewide Board of Elections, told The Daily Beast in December that he got so much hate mail that he needed a special box at the Post Office. Reached by The Daily Beast on Election Day, Mashburn said the vitriol has subsidedto a degree. I did get accused of treason this week, said Mashburn. And I didnt know Georgia was at war. But what bothers most election officials, more than personal threats, is the alarming rate at which election conspiracy theories have taken root among voters, undermining trust in the states election system. On Monday, Sterling illustrated the scale of the challenge in fighting back: During a nationally-televised press conference, he coolly dispatched various lies step-by-step, from explaining that Trump ballots didnt disappear to noting that Raffensperger does not have a brother named Ron. It took him the better part of an hour. Officials like Mashburn frequently do the same sort of work privately, one-on-one with angry callers or emailers. He said that he has regulars who send him new theories or rumors almost dailyand when he takes them apart, that person will come back the next day with something new from another fringe media outlet. The people who can actually prevent the fraud, the real fraudall of our time is being used up responding to silliness and foolishness and debunked conspiracy theories, rather than real offenses we know are going on, said Mashburn, who also noted that the scope of real offenses is not nearly large enough to swing an election. We have the tools in Georgia to run the cleanest, most transparent, most auditable election in the history of the state, he said, and nobody believes it. David Worley, a Democratic member of the state board of elections who recently found a homemade sign near his home telling him he was bound for jail because of treason, has mostly shrugged at the steady stream of conspiracy theories directed toward Georgia officials. Not that it hasnt been utterly wacky: He forwarded to The Daily Beast an email from a Florida woman, sent to every statewide elected official in Georgia, every lawmaker, every county chair, and every election official. Are you going to continue to expose yourself to possible prison time because of the lawlessness of your secretary of state? the woman asked. What are you going to do? Some of you need to come out from among them and come clean I'm going to give you a few numbers you can call and if you get a hold of me I can get you in touch with someone from the Trump family directly. Linked at the bottom was an article from the far-right Gateway Pundit blog. Such views are widely-held among Georgia Republican voters. At rallies to support Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) in the final stretch of the campaign, various speakers have been met with applause for declaring that Joe Biden couldnt have possibly won the state in November. (He won it.) Subsequently, many GOP voters do not believe that Ossoff and Warnock can win Tuesdays race fair and square. There is no way I can believe that Biden was as far ahead as Trump was, said Linda Stabler, a retired resident of Carroll County who went to cast her vote early last Wednesday. If theyre going to cheat, they should make it look realistic. Because theres no way. Still, Worley believes that Georgia will move forward no matter what happens in the runoff that might inflame the conspiracies sphere. So the same kind of stuff happens againwhat does it mean? he asked. Unless theyre willing to engage in armed insurrection, who cares? President Trump lost, hes not gonna be president... if Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win, they're gonna be the senators. Thats just what it is. As for Republicans, party leaders and Trump-aligned operatives have feared that the president and his lieutenants constant stream of messaging against the integrity of Georgias election system and the GOP officials overseeing it risked dampening the enthusiasm or turnout of their much-needed voters in the critical Senate races. This week, the party is set to find out if their own leader, consumed by his own anti-democratic grievances and determination for revenge, can be blamed for blowing those very races. I dont like the situation weve been in for the past couple of months, [and] I think there are ways to solve this stuff without whipping the crowd into a frenzy, said former Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), who for years has served as one of Trumps most loyal media surrogates. But unfortunately, this seems to be the way things have gone. It is regrettable that what started out as a family argument [between the president and top Georgia Republicans] was not resolved at the kitchen table and instead spilled out in the streets and has continued all along. And we cannot fool ourselves, as Republicans, into thinking that does not hurt. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 7:09 am The Clark County Law Library is giving residents the opportunity to access a free self-help legal database through Sunday, Jan. 31. The database, known as NOLO, is available through the county website and gives Clark County residents access to more than 200 self-help legal books. Topics include business, family, immigration, real estate and more. Residents can access the database on the countys website atclark.wa.gov/law-library. We are pleased to be able to offer this trial self-help legal tool to the Clark County community, Law Librarian Maria Sosnowski said in a news release. Law Library staff will track the analytics of the web page to see if there is enough interest to possibly add this to its self-help materials. Maneuvering the legal system can be a daunting task, and not everyone can afford an attorney, Sosnowski said. Our job at the Law Library is to provide resources that help people with these legal needs. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Appalachian Railcar Services ("ARS") has acquired the Amarillo railcar repair facility ("Amarillo") from Progress Rail, a "Caterpillar company." ARS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathcart Rail ("Cathcart"), is one of the largest railcar repair companies in the U.S., and this facility complements the existing tank car network comprised of Lynchburg, Virginia; Elk Mills, Maryland; Hinton, West Virginia, and Kingsport, Tennessee. Financing for the transaction was provided by Star America Infrastructure Partners, LLC (together with its related persons, "Star America"). "The Amarillo location aligns perfectly with ARS's strategy of offering a broad array of services, for all railcar types, with a national footprint and the opportunity to serve its loyal tank car customers on the UP/BNSF," said Michael Obertop, Chief Commercial Officer of Cathcart. "ARS's 12 repair facilities and 600 employees make it the leading network in the industry." "ARS will be ready to deliver unparalleled quality, value, and service to its customers, with a continued focus on safety," said Cathcart Chief Executive Officer Scott Driggers. "We have been investing in our assets and people and will continue to invest in the ARS network to match our customers' expectations. Our greatest assets are our team members and our customers and, as such, Cathcart is excited to continue its strategy for growth in an effort to provide additional opportunities for both." "The Amarillo location reinforces Cathcart and ARS's national footprint and is a further statement of Cathcart's overall strategy of becoming a national player to better serve its clients," said Christophe Petit, President of Star America. "We thank Progress Rail for working with us on this transaction and are looking forward to our future," added Driggers. "With Progress Rail's support, we are taking steps to ensure a smooth transition of the Amarillo location." About Appalachian Railcar Services ARS is one of the largest railcar repair companies in the U.S., providing a range of services including certified tank and freight car repair, railcar cleaning, coating and lining services, mobile repair, on-site customer repair operations, switching operations, and railcar storage. Founded in 2000, ARS operates under a management team with over 150 years of industry experience. For more about ARS, visit www.apprailcar.com. About Cathcart Rail Cathcart Rail is a diversified freight rail platform operating across both the services and transportation sectors. Cathcart Rail is currently in growth mode and actively seeking mechanical partnerships with short-line railroads and acquisitions of rail and rail-related businesses. Cathcart Rail was founded in 2015 by the father-and-son team of Thomas Cathcart and Casey Cathcart and currently employs 800 people across 60 locations in 22 states. For more information about Cathcart, visit www.tcrailholdings.com. About Star America Infrastructure Partners Star America, a subsidiary of Tikehau Capital, a European-listed asset management and investment group with 27.2 billion of assets under management (as of Sept. 30, 2020) and shareholder equity of 2.8 billion (as of June 30, 2020), is a U.S. headquartered developer and manager of infrastructure assets in North America. With an investor base that includes large institutional investors such as insurance companies and pension funds, among others, Star America focuses on delivering infrastructure projects primarily across the transportation, social, environmental, and telecommunications sectors. As of Sept. 30, 2020, Star America had approximately $700+ million Assets Under Management and our track record includes investments in 15 infrastructure assets, which have a total project cost valued at greater than $5 billion. Star America's mission is to become the preferred partner in rebuilding America's infrastructure. For more information about Star America, visit www.starinfrapartners.com. Contact Information: Cathcart Rail, LLC Casey Cathcart Executive Chairman +1 (314) 605-8988 [email protected] www.tcrailholdings.com Star America Infrastructure Partners, LLC Christophe Petit President +1 (917) 617-3797 [email protected] www.starinfrapartners.com Disclaimer This document is not an offer of securities for sale or investment advisory services. This document contains general information only and is not intended to represent general or specific investment advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results and targets are not guaranteed. Certain statements and forecasted data are based on current expectations, current market and economic conditions, estimates, projections, opinions, and beliefs of Tikehau Capital and/or its affiliates. Due to various risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements or in any of the case studies or forecasts. All references to Tikehau Capital's advisory activities in the U.S. or with respect to U.S. persons relate to Tikehau Capital North America. Related Files Appalachian Railcar Services Acquires Progress Rail-Amarillo FINAL 1_4_2021.pdf SOURCE Appalachian Railcar Services TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Therapix Biosciences Ltd. (OTCQB: TRPXY), a specialty, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of cannabinoid-based treatments, today announced it has entered a non-binding letter of intent with Cyntar Ventures Inc., an innovative company dedicated to the development and commercialization of advanced products and therapies in the psychoactive pharmaceutical sphere. Any transaction between the parties remains subject to entry into a definitive agreement(s) and such agreement(s) may be subject to closing conditions, including regulatory approval. Subject to the negotiation of definitive agreement(s), Cyntar will be granted a distribution license, exclusive to Canada only, to distribute all of the proprietary product varieties relating to TheraPEA, subject to payment to Therapix of those amounts to be stipulated in the definitive agreement(s), including royalties from the gross profit of TheraPEA. Therapix has a proprietary product called "TheraPEA" (CannAmide) which has been issued a product license from Health Canada's Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD) for the recommended use as an anti-inflammatory and to help relieve chronic pain. Chronic pain is estimated to affect one-third to fifty percent of the world population, and according to an analysis by the World Health Organization, half of the most prevalent conditions responsible for those living with a disability can be characterized by the presence of different kinds of pain. With the NNHPD license, Therapix has the ability to offer crucial and improved access to safe and beneficial non-opiate pain management products to patients in Canada. CannAmide is a cannabimimetic compound that regulates endocannabinoid levels by enhancing receptor sensitivity and inhibiting their metabolism, and is particularly attractive therapeutically, with external research and studies indicating that the compound may have a high safety profile with low or no abuse liability. Although numerous clinical trials have shown the favorable effect of PEA, as an analgesic agent it has low solubility. Using its proprietary TheraPEA, Therapix offers an immediate release formulation to improve bioavailability. About Therapix Biosciences (OTCQB: TRPXY): Therapix Biosciences Ltd. is a specialty clinical-stage pharmaceutical company led by an experienced team of senior executives and scientists. Our focus is creating and enhancing a portfolio of technologies and assets based on cannabinoid pharmaceuticals. With this focus, the company is currently engaged in the following drug development programs based on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD): THX-110 for the treatment of Tourette syndrome and for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea; THX-160 for the treatment of pain; and THX-210 for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy. Please visit our website for more information at www.therapixbio.com , the content of which is not a part of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other Federal securities laws. For example, Therapix is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the signing of definitive agreement(s), its ability to offer crucial and improved access to safe and beneficial non-opiate pain management products to patients in Canada and the high safety profile and abuse liability of CannAmide. The transaction described here may never be consummated and definitive agreement(s) may not be executed, and, if executed, such agreement(s) may be subject to conditions before it can be completed. In addition, the market for products contemplated by the letter of intent is in a period of regulatory and business uncertainty and financial and business results from such businesses are uncertain. Historic results of scientific research and clinical and preclinical trials do not guarantee that the conclusions of future research or trials will suggest identical or even similar conclusions. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Therapix's current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of Therapix could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. The forward-looking statements contained or implied in this press release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Therapix's Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on June 15, 2020, and in subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as otherwise required by law, Therapix disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. Investor Contact: [email protected] Tel: +972-3-6167055 [email protected] SOURCE Therapix Biosciences Ltd. Related Links http://www.therapixbio.com The Government recently issued Decree No 152/2020/ND-CP featuring regulations on foreigners working in Vietnam and the recruitment and management of Vietnamese working for foreign organisations and individuals in the country. browser not support iframe. This degree stipulates that foreigners working in Vietnam are those under labour contracts; moving within a business; carrying out contracts or agreements on economy, trade, finance, banking, insurance, science - technique, culture, sports, education, vocational training, or health care; providing services under contract; offering services; working for foreign non-governmental organisations or international organisations permitted to operate under Vietnams law; working as volunteers; being in charge of setting up trade representative offices; being managers, managing directors, experts, or technical personnel; taking part in the implementation of bidding packages or projects in Vietnam; or being relatives of members of foreign representative agencies in Vietnam who are allowed to work in the country under regulations in the international treaties to which Vietnam is a party. At least 30 days prior to the day planned to start using foreign labourers, employers, except for contractors, are responsible for identifying the demand for foreign employees for each position that Vietnamese workers have yet to satisfy and explaining the issue to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) or the provincial-level Peoples Committees in the localities where foreigners are set to work in. If they want to change the demand for foreign labourers, employers have to report to the MoLISA or provincial-level Peoples Committees at least 30 days prior to the day planned to start using foreign labourers, according to the decree. The decree also stated that in case foreigners are subject to Clauses 3, 4, and 5 of Article 154 in the Labour Code and Clauses 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of Article 7 in this decree, employers do not have to identify the foreign labourer demand. Meanwhile, the MoLISA or the provincial-level Peoples Committees have to issue documents accepting or rejecting the use of foreign workers for each job position within 10 working days since the reception of explanation about or report on the change in foreign labourer demand. In addition, before recruiting foreigners, contractors has responsibility for detailing the number, professional capacity, and experience of foreign workers they want to employ to implement bidding packages in Vietnam, while proposing the recruitment of Vietnamese workers for the positions for which they plan to employ foreigners to the chairpersons of provincial-level Peoples Committees in the localities where bidding packages are carried out. The chairpersons of provincial-level Peoples Committees will order local agencies and organisations to introduce and supply Vietnamese workers for the contractors or coordinate with agencies and organisations in other localities to introduce and supply Vietnamese workers. If local parties are unable to provide Vietnamese workers for contractors within two months since they receive the request for at least 500 Vietnamese labourers, one month in terms of the request for 100 to less than 500 Vietnamese labourers, or 15 days in terms of the request for under 100 Vietnamese labourers, the chairpersons of provincial-level Peoples Committees have to make decisions on contractors recruitment of foreigners for the jobs for which no qualified Vietnamese workers are found. Contractors have to report on the use of foreign employees during the first half of a year and the whole year before July 5 and January 5 of the following year, respectively, the decree said./.VNA HCMC receives nearly 3,000 foreign employees Relevant agencies have jointly issued visas for nearly 3,000 foreigners comprising experts, investors, managers and highly-skilled employees to enter HCMC for work since July this year, Back in early December Apple was granted a major patent relating to a Future Apple Watch that could monitor blood pressure. Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple their second patent regarding this invention. As a quick review of the base invention, Apple's patent generally relates to the measuring and monitoring of blood pressure. More specifically, embodiments may determine and apply one or more correction factors for calculating or adjusting a measured blood pressure to provide for a more accurate blood pressure measurement. This may be particularly beneficial with blood pressure measurement devices that may be worn by a user that non-invasively measure and monitor blood pressure of a user. Further, Apple's invention provides non-invasive devices and methods for determining an pressure of blood within a cardiovascular system of a user. It may be desirable to reduce a bulkiness of current blood pressure measurement devices to make blood pressure measurements more convenient. While reducing the bulkiness of current blood pressure measurement devices may be desirable, doing so may come with additional challenges. Apple's patent FIG. 4 below illustrates an exemplary device #10a that may measure blood pressure using applanation tonometry; FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary device #10b that may measure blood pressure using oscillometry; FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary device 1100 for detecting a band configuration/estimating a wrist circumference, and/or estimating a target artery depth. Apple's patent FIG. 12 above illustrates an Apple Watch that includes an ultrasound transducer #1210 coupled with a band #1202. The ultrasound transducer may be configured to direct ultrasound energy toward the target artery #1201. The ultrasound transducer may be further configured to receive reflected ultrasound energy from the target artery to determine a depth of the target artery. Apple's patent FIG. 14 above illustrates an exemplary device for estimating target artery depth. The band may support an actuator #1406 proximate the target artery #1407. One or more sensors #1408 may be provided that are configured to measure a parameter associated with an actuation amount of the actuator to determine a distance. Apple further notes that band #1404 may include an actuator may be a fluid bladder in some embodiments. While illustrated as a fluid bladder, it should be understood that actuator may be a linear actuator in other embodiments. Apple's second granted patent regarding blood pressure measurements introduces a series of 18 new patent claims that will better protect this invention. A Few of the new patent claims are presented below: Patent Claim #1: "A wrist-worn device comprising: a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure signal from a target artery; an actuator coupled with the pressure sensor, wherein the actuator is configured to apply an applanation force to a wrist of a user during pressure measurement by the pressure sensor, and wherein the actuator comprises an actuator sensor for monitoring a displacement distance of a contact end of the actuator as it moves against the wrist of the user over a reconfiguration of the actuator, between a first configuration and a second configuration, that induces a variation in the applanation force applied to the wrist via the contact end of the actuator; and a processor coupled with the pressure sensor and the actuator, wherein the processor is configured to: monitor the pressure signal and the actuator sensor during an actuation of the actuator to identify an amount of the displacement distance of the contact end of the actuator as it moves against the wrist of the user that reconfigures the actuator from the first configuration to the second configuration or from the second configuration to the first configuration, wherein the second configuration of the actuator results in a desired variation in the pressure signal, and wherein the applanation force in the second configuration is greater than the applanation force in the first configuration; determine a correction factor based on the identified amount of the displacement distance of the contact end of the actuator as it moves against the wrist of the user; and calculate a blood pressure value based on the pressure signal from the pressure sensor and the correction factor." Patent Claim #2: "The wrist-worn device of claim 1, wherein the processor monitors the pressure sensor during the actuation of the actuator to: identify initial contact or discontinuation of contact of the contact end of the actuator or the pressure sensor with the wrist of the user during the actuation of the actuator; and identify a mean arterial pressure of the target artery based on the pressure signal measured by the pressure sensor when the actuator is in the second configuration; and wherein the identified amount of the displacement distance of the contact end of the actuator as it moves against the wrist of the user corresponds to one of: actuation of the actuator from the initial contact of the contact end of the actuator or the pressure sensor with the wrist of the user to the second configuration of the actuator; or actuation of the actuator from the second configuration to the discontinuation of contact of the contact end of the actuator or the pressure sensor with the wrist of the user." Patent Claim #13: "A method comprising: measuring a pressure signal from a target artery using a pressure sensor; using an actuator coupled with the pressure sensor to apply an applanation force against a wrist of a user during pressure measurement by the pressure sensor; monitoring, via an actuator sensor, a displacement distance of a contact end of the actuator as it moves against a wrist of the user over a reconfiguration of the actuator, between a first configuration and a second configuration, that induces a variation in the applanation force applied to the wrist via the contact end of the actuator; monitoring the pressure signal during an actuation of the actuator to identify the displacement distance of the contact end of the actuator as it moves against a wrist of the user that reconfigures the actuator from the first configuration to the second configuration or from the second configuration to the first configuration, wherein the second configuration results in a desired variation in the pressure signal, and wherein the applanation force in the second configuration is greater than the applanation force in the first configuration; determining a correction factor based on the identified amount of the displacement distance of the contact end of the actuator as it moves against a wrist of the user; calculating a blood pressure value using the pressure signal from the pressure sensor and the correction factor; and outputting the blood pressure value. Patent Claim #14: "The method of claim 13, wherein the identification of the amount of the displacement distance of the contact end of the actuator as it moves against a wrist of the user comprises: identifying an initial contact or discontinuation of contact of the pressure sensor or the contact end of the actuator with the wrist of the user during the actuation of the actuator using pressure signals from the pressure sensor; and identifying a mean arterial pressure based on the pressure signal measured by the pressure sensor when the actuator is in the second configuration; and wherein the identified amount of the displacement distance of the contact end of the actuator as it moves against the wrist of the user corresponds to one of: actuation of the actuator from the initial contact of the pressure sensor or the contact end of the actuator with the wrist of the user to the second configuration of the actuator; or actuation of the actuator from the second configuration to the discontinuation of contact of the contact end of the actuator or the pressure sensor with the wrist of the user." You could review our first granted report on this invention here. Apple's patent was never published as a patent application to keep this project secret. The record shows that Apple only filed a provisional patent, that wasn't made public, so as to secure the patent's future granting and to keep competitors in the dark. Review Apple's current granted patent 10,881,307 to review the full list of new patent claims here. Apple's second granted patent regarding blood pressure monitoring is part of a larger project on this subject. Back on December 10, 2020, Patently Apple posted a patent application report titled "Apple Reveals an all-new Wearable Blood Pressure Device with an Inflatable Cuff and Controller Interface." The patent figures presented below are from that patent. With the Apple Watch now being considered a "health" device with heart monitoring, fall detection, ECG and Blood Oxygen features, measuring blood pressure is definitely one of the major health features that Apple wants to one day introduce. Samsung is trying to mirror what Apple is offering on their Watch for the Android world. Last week Samsung was granted a patent for an all-new wearable device having an exchangeable sensor that could detect a biomarker, such as lactic acid, body temperature, or blood pressure, as well as blood sugar level. We'll post a brief report on this later today. Patent FIG. 1 from that patent is presented below. Police Shooting Wisconsin FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 4. 2020 image from Kenosha County Court video, Jacob Blake answers questions during a hearing in Kenosha, Wis. On Sunday, Jan. 3, 2020, Kenosha city officials said they are preparing for possible protests when a charging decision comes in the police shooting of Blake. A decision is expected within the next two weeks. (Kenosha County Court via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) A Wisconsin prosecutor announced Tuesday that he will not file criminal charges against a white police officer who shot a Black man in the back in Kenosha last summer, leaving him paralyzed and setting off sometimes violent protests in the city. Officer Rusten Sheskeys shooting of Jacob Blake on Aug. 23, captured on bystander video, turned the nations spotlight on Wisconsin during a summer marked by protests over police brutality and racism. More than 250 people were arrested in the days that followed, including 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, a self-styled medic with an assault rifle who is charged in the fatal shootings of two men and the wounding of a third. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said Tuesday that he had informed Blake of the news before holding a news conference to announce his decision. The Blake shooting happened three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis, a death that was captured on bystander video and sparked outrage and protests that spread across the United States and beyond. The galvanized Black Lives Matter movement put a spotlight on inequitable policing and became a fault line in politics, with President Donald Trump criticizing protesters and aggressively pressing a law-and-order message that he sought to capitalize on in Wisconsin and other swing states. Kenosha, a city of 100,000 on the Wisconsin-Illinois border about 60 miles north of Chicago, was braced for renewed protests ahead of the charges, with concrete barricades and metal fencing surrounded the Kenosha County Courthouse and plywood protecting many businesses. The Common Council on Monday night unanimously approved an emergency resolution giving the mayor the power to impose curfews, among other things, and Gov. Tony Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to assist. Sheskey was among officers responding to a woman who had reported her boyfriend was not supposed to be around. Cellphone video shows Blake walking to the driver-side door of an SUV as officers follow him with guns drawn, shouting. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, Sheskey grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire. The Kenosha police union said Blake was armed with a knife, and Sheskey ordered him several times to drop it but he would not. Sheskeys attorney, Brendan Matthews, said Sheskey fired because Blake started turning toward the officer while holding a knife. State investigators had said only that officers saw a knife on the floor of the SUV and hadnt said whether Blake threatened anyone with it. The officers were not equipped with body cameras. Sheskey, 31, has been the subject of five internal investigations since he joined the Kenosha department in 2013, including three reprimands for crashing his squad car three times over three years. He has also earned 16 awards, letters or formal commendations, his personnel file shows. The state Department of Justice investigated the shooting under a state law that requires outside agencies to investigate all officer-involved incidents. The department asked former Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, who is Black, to review its findings after Graveley asked for an outside expert to review the investigation. Rittenhouse, who was among armed people who took to Kenosha streets during the violence and said he was there to help protect businesses, faces multiple charges including intentional homicide. Bystander video showed Rittenhouse shooting Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding a third man. Rittenhouse, who is white, has claimed the three men attacked him and he fired in self-defense. Conservatives across the country have been raising money for his legal team. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shooting. Rittenhouse pleaded guilty to all charges at a hearing Tuesday. Prosecutors dropped a sexual assault charge against Blake in November as part of deal in which he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to two years probation. An order for people in Northern Ireland to stay at home will become legally enforceable on Friday, it has been confirmed. The advice is to be put into legislation from midnight on Thursday, with additional powers being given to the PSNI to enforce the measures. The move was agreed by the Executive after it met on Tuesday, along with the tightening of other measures. Amongst the additional restrictions agreed are: Private garden gatherings - maximum of six people from one household or support bubble only, with children under 12 counting towards the permitted total. Gatherings reduced to maximum of six people from two households. Children under 12 are now counted towards the permitted total. Outdoor exercise permitted with one person from another household - to allow, for example, those living alone to go for a walk with a friend. People will only be allowed to leave home for medical needs, to buy food or to exercise. Those who cannot work from home will also be allowed leave. It was agreed the measures will last until February 6 with a review expected on January 21. Schools in Northern Ireland are also set to undertake remote learning until the mid-term break, it was also confirmed. First Minister Arlene Foster said discussions on exams are ongoing with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, with a decision to be made by Thursday. Mrs Foster said the rising coronavirus cases and hospital admissions were causing "grave concern". She added: "We confirm that all educational establishments will move to remote learning until the half-term break in the middle of February. "It will be reviewed up the end of January. But we want to give those educational establishments the vision ahead into February. So, that is what is happening. "That applies to primary schools, post primary schools and indeed to nursery schools as well. "Childcare, however, will continue, even if that is in an educational setting. Childminders will be able to operate as well." Mrs Foster denied the Executive had failed to agree on a way forward for exams. She said: "Our educational grading and our GCSEs and A-levels are very integrated into the wider UK system. "There's ongoing discussions with Gavin Williamson, secretary state for education in Westminster, actually the Executive have mandated our education minister to get clarity for these issues. "By the end of the executive on Thursday, we will have complete clarity in relation to GCSEs and A-levels." Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the decision to close schools was a reflection "on how serious the situation is" with the pandemic. She said an Executive meeting could be held on Wednesday to discuss the issue in relation to exams and called on the Education Minister to bring forward proposals. Childcare and special education schools are to remain open, the Deputy First Minister said. Speaking after the Executive meeting, Ms O'Neill said: "The message will be stay at home. "This will provide additional powers to the PSNI, for example to be able to return people to their homes when they actually come out for reasons that are not allowed under the reasons that you can actually leave your home. "There are also additional restrictions to household mixing. So, in private homes and gardens, both indoor and outdoor gatherings will be restricted to members of one household, or a member of your support bubble. "There are obviously some exemptions that are for people who live in homes so those things will carry on. "Outdoor and indoor gatherings will be restricted. The current position is that 15 people can meet outside that will be reduced to six people. Again, that's a necessary intervention at this time." There is still little clarity on transfer tests for entry into grammar schools, which were initially cancelled only for the Association for Quality Education to announce they will hold a single exam in February. On Tuesday, it was confirmed a further 18 people in Northern Ireland had died after testing positive for Covid-19. 1,378 new cases of the virus have been reported. It brings the death toll to 1,384 and the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak to 81,251. Some 12,487 people have tested positive in the past seven days. Of the 18 fatalities, 11 happened within the current reporting period, from 10am on Monday to 10am on Tuesday, while the remaining seven deaths happened previously. There are currently 577 Covid patients in hospitals across Northern Ireland, with 45 in intensive care and 34 requiring ventilation. Hospitals are operating at 101% capacity. A total of 131 care homes are dealing with outbreaks of the virus. Read More Executive discussions are ongoing on new measures set to be imposed in Northern Ireland and a sitting of the Assembly has been scheduled for Wednesday to brief MLAs on decisions taken. Here's how Tuesday unfolded: Belfast Telegraph STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Four-year-old Yoshi Balaban was a cherished member of the Staten Island community and a super cute kid, said Rabbi Shloma Eidelman outside of the childs funeral Monday night. Hes not my grandkid, but he was a cute kid, said Eidelman. Every parent would wish to have a child like that. Balaban, a Pleasant Plains resident, was identified by police as the victim of Monday mornings crash in Brooklyn. Balaban and another 6-year-old Staten Island boy were struck by a van while being dropped off for school at Yeshiva Ketana on 67th Street, near 20th Avenue, in Bensonhurst, sources told the Advance/SILive.com. The 6-year-old boy remains in critical condition, police said. Balaban was pronounced dead at the scene. When a kid leaves to go to school and the next thing you hear is that hes run over and no longer with us, its a tragedy for the parents, its a tragedy for the community, said Eidelman. Police respond to 67th Street after a fatal crash in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Kyle Lawson) The two children who are not thought to be related had been taken by a transport van from Staten Island to the yeshiva. Investigators believe the 15-seat passenger van that dropped them off was the vehicle that hit them, sources said. The male driver left the scene after the crash, but later returned, sources said. The victims family, according to Eidelman, is originally from Denver, Colorado but has since become embedded within the Staten Island community. Theyre very nice people, said Eidelman. They get along with everybody, he said. While police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, some published reports indicate the driver may not have known he struck the children. No charges have yet been filed, and the NYPDs Collision Investigation Squad is continuing to investigate the incident. After Monday nights service, Eidelman said the 4-year-old boy is slated to be buried in New Jersey. A loss like that is a loss not just for the parents, its a loss for the entire community and I would say not only the Jewish community, the community at large, he said. TOKYO and CAMBRIDGE, England, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sosei Group Corporation ("the Company") (TSE: 4565) announces it is to regain the worldwide rights to its muscarinic agonist programs. The program was licensed to Allergan in April 2016, and Allergan was acquired by AbbVie in May 2020. This decision to return worldwide rights was based on business decisions regarding AbbVie's pipeline strategy and not on any efficacy, safety or other data related to the collaboration programs. As a result of this process, AbbVie has notified Sosei Heptares that it will be returning to Sosei Heptares all assets in development under the program, together with all associated intellectual property licensed by Sosei Heptares to Allergan, and all clinical and preclinical data generated under the partnership. Sosei Heptares will now conduct a full internal review to determine a strategy for the further development and re-partnering of the program. The outcome of this review is expected to be reported around the time of the Company's full year results presentation in February 2021. The event reported today has no immediate impact on the consolidated financial results for the accounting period ending December 2021. Should any impacts or other matters that require an announcement be identified, the Company will announce such matters promptly. Shinichi Tamura, Chairman, President and CEO of Sosei Heptares, commented: "We are delighted to regain rights to this portfolio of novel subtype-selective muscarinic receptor agonists (M 4 , M 1 and dual M 1 /M 4 agonists), including several clinical and preclinical candidates with substantial data associated. We enjoyed a productive relationship with Allergan over the course of our muscarinic agonist collaboration and continue to work positively with AbbVie on a new program in inflammatory diseases that we announced in June last year. "The considerable progress that we made together with Allergan has reinforced our view in the potential of this approach to create important new products that treat severe and debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and other neurological diseases. We are also encouraged by the growing industry interest and validation of this novel approach to treating these diseases. "In addition, the R&D collaboration has generated a diverse pipeline of next-generation, selective muscarinic agonists with novel chemistry that have benefitted from insights gained in clinical trials and from advanced drug design technologies. These new and differentiated candidates exhibit highly attractive properties for further development. "The value of the selective M 1 agonists was enhanced with a signal observed in early clinical trials of HTL0018318, and in addition we have been advancing the development of such agonists with novel chemistry. We will decide which selective M 1 agonist program to prioritise after further study. "We are excited by this opportunity and look forward to disclosing our strategy for the further development and re-partnering of this program at around the time of our full year results in February 2021." About the License Agreement Sosei Heptares and Allergan entered a global R&D and commercialization partnership in April 2016 under which Allergan licensed exclusive global rights to a broad portfolio of novel subtype-selective muscarinic receptor agonists (M 4 , M 1 and dual M 1 /M 4 agonists) in development for the treatment of major neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Effective 4 January 2021, the License Agreement is terminated. All intellectual property rights pertaining to the muscarinic program licensed to Allergan and subsequently added to through the collaboration, and all preclinical and clinical data, will be regained by Sosei Heptares. About Muscarinic Receptors Muscarinic receptors are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) found in multiple tissues including the brain, cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. Selective activation of M 4 and M 1 receptors in the brain is a clinically validated approach to treating cognitive and neuropsychological symptoms of neurological diseases, including Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and others. Until now, attempts to develop medicines that selectively target M 4 and M 1 receptors have been unsuccessful because of side effects caused by the activation of M 2 and M 3 receptors. Highly selective M 4 or M 1 agonists that do not activate M 2 or M 3 therefore are highly sought after and expected to have the potential to address major unmet medical needs with blockbuster potential. About Sosei Heptares We are an international biopharmaceutical group focused on the discovery and early development of new medicines originating from our proprietary GPCR-targeted StaR technology and structure-based drug design platform capabilities. We are advancing a broad and deep pipeline of novel medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, including neurology, immunology, gastroenterology and inflammatory diseases. We have established partnerships with some of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Biohaven, Genentech (Roche), GSK, Novartis, Pfizer and Takeda and additionally with multiple emerging technology companies. Sosei Heptares is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with corporate and R&D facilities in Cambridge, UK. "Sosei Heptares" is the corporate brand and trademark of Sosei Group Corporation, which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565). Sosei, Heptares, the logo and StaR are trademarks of Sosei Group companies. For more information, please visit https://www.soseiheptares.com. LinkedIn: @soseiheptaresco | Twitter: @soseiheptaresco | YouTube: @soseiheptaresco Enquiries: Sosei Heptares Media and Investor Relations Hironoshin Nomura, SVP Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy +81 (0)3 6679 2178 | [email protected] Shinichiro Nishishita, VP Investor Relations, Head of Regulatory Disclosures +81 (0)3 5210 3399 | [email protected].com Citigate Dewe Rogerson Yas Fukuda Japanese Media +81 (0)3 4360 9234 | [email protected] Mark Swallow, David Dible International Media +44 (0)20 7638 9571 | [email protected] Forward-looking statements This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Sosei Group Corporation's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Sosei Heptares Related Links https://soseiheptares.com Canning said that as a diabetic, he was reluctant to knock on doors and ask neighbors to sign his petitions. Other board members who are not up for reelection gathered many signatures for him, he said. South Africa: Motshekga pays tribute to late NATU President Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has paid tribute to the late National Teachers Union (NATU) President, Allen Thompson, who succumbed to COVID-19 related complications on Monday. In a statement, Motshekga described Thompson as more than just a president of a teacher union. Expressing shock and sadness, the Minister conveyed her condolences to Thompsons family, friends and colleagues. Thompson, Motshekga said, had impacted many people through the work he was doing. Mr Thompson was a fearless leader, who made a huge contribution to the sector. In October, I shared a stage with him in Newcastle at a NATU ceremony. That event will remain forever etched in my mind. Thompson gave of his time, talent and soul. I shared a lot of ideas with him on different matters, with the matric rewrite being the latest matter. In Thompson, we had a scholar and a patriot, said the Minister. She said the sector will miss him dearly as a leader who truly put the interests of learners and teachers first when engaging on matters affecting basic education. Basic Education Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, said Thompsons passing is a great loss, especially because he was young. I believe he had a long life ahead of him. He still had a lot to contribute. Mhaule has, on behalf of the department and the sector, conveyed her sincere and heartfelt condolences to Thompsons family, friends, the leadership and colleagues of NATU, and other structures in which he served. Mhaule has urged South Africans to continue to strictly adhere to the health and safety protocols in order to prevent and manage the spread of COVID-19, especially in social settings such as funerals, and to avoid mass gatherings. She reminded everybody to always wear a mask, sanitise, wash hands and observe social distancing at all times. Compliance is the cheapest way to stay safe. So please play your part and save your life and those around you, she said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In the early hey-days of the Range Rover, following its introduction in the 1970s, it was the vehicle of choice for the British rangers. The... Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. On Wednesday, when numerous Trump loyalists object to the certification of the legitimate Electoral College count and fellow Republicans join Democrats to vote against them, a civil war within the GOP will manifest on an unfortunate battlefield: the floor of the U.S. Congress. Even if they have managed to hold the Senate majority after two elections the day before in Georgia, the division within the party will reverberate for years. All of it is the inevitable result of Donald Trump weaponizing disinformation and lies. In what will be the final episode of the Trump show, a made-for-television day in which the president will delight in watching his defenders attempt to subvert millions of votes cast legally in a free and fair election, these officeholders will stoke more outrage in voters who believe Trumps fraudulent claims of systemic voter fraud. Like the leader of the free world, his enablers too will fail to provide evidence of this. The sick spectacle will bring historic shame upon the nation as the whole world watches on cable news. Republicans who stand to defend the Constitution and the oath they took again on Sunday when sworn in to the 117th Congress will be doing the right and honorable thing, and though it should be perfunctory and ceremonial, it will put them at great risk with voters who believe the election was stolen. But just because the system will have worked by weeks end, and the outcome was never in doubt, doesnt mean that the long-term damage of Trumps fake election fraud will be diminished. Millions of Americans believe him, and thus far there are only two Republicans in Congress expressly telling them not to -- Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Sen. Ben Sasse. Senate leaders are urging Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and others leading the objection stunt to abandon their plot. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has told colleagues privately only that this is the most important vote of his career, and has left colleagues free to vote as they wish. The closest thing to a dramatic public statement came from Sen. John Thune, the second-highest-ranking Senate Republican. This is an issue thats incredibly consequential, incredibly rare historically and very precedent-setting, Thune said. This is a big vote. While this quote was likely to enrage Trump, it is not an effort to fix the problem by telling voters that the pollution theyre inhaling on Facebook -- and through Trumps Stop the Steal texts -- is fake news, to put it nicely. Remarkably, House GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney will break with Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy and vote to certify the count Wednesday. She circulated a letter providing a brief lesson on the Constitution, with specific Article II and 12th Amendment references so voters are clear that nothing in the Constitution remotely says that Congress is the court of last resort, with the authority to second guess and invalidate state and federal court judicial rulings in election challenges. The statement, of course, does not address that Trump has deceived millions and millions of Americans into believing something no Congress could ever let stand. Sen. Pat Toomey, who is notably retiring, came out first against what Hawley announced and on which Cruz then piggy-backed. Toomey called out his colleagues by name, said their efforts undermine the right of people living in a democracy to choose their own leaders, and quoted former Attorney General Bill Barr stating: we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election. Trumps voters now believe Barr is a member of a Deep State cabal that includes dead Venezuelans, the Democrats and the media, so that wont change their minds. Sen. Rob Portman proposed a blue ribbon commission to examine election integrity, as he too plans to certify the vote Wednesday. Unfortunately thats also not telling voters the truth. Sen. Mitt Romney -- the boldest truth teller in the GOP -- warned the egregious stunt dangerously threatens our Democratic Republic. He called out the ambition of the plotters, and the danger of Trump calling for his supporters to surround the Capitol on Wednesday, which he said has the predictable potential to lead to disruption, and worse. But not once did Romney speak to the consequences of millions believing the garbage Trump has sold them for two months ahead of what will happen Wednesday. Nor did Sens. Tom Cotton or Lisa Murkowski or Roger Wicker or Mike Lee or even former House Speaker Paul Ryan. It seems they cannot come out with a simple declaration about the root of the problem, as Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan did when he said, It concerns me that folks continue to fan the flames of misinformation for the sole purpose of wanting to flip an election. Or as Geraldo Rivera, a Trump friend, did when he said on Fox News Monday night that Trump voters were being fed propaganda about election fraud. No one knows more about the lack of evidence of systemic fraud that would have changed the outcome of the election than Hawley and Cruz. Expertly trained in the law, having served as attorney general of Missouri and solicitor general of Texas, respectively, the two 2024 hopefuls are only presenting allegations of fraud, knowing the mere theater itself will allow the BS brigade to raise money from, and curry favor with, Trump voters feeling aggrieved over fraud they are told was hatched by a wide-reaching conspiracy. And perhaps making America great again now means charging people with crimes, without evidence, because of something we read on Facebook. When pressed about a lack of evidence, as Sen. Ron Johnson was on Meet the Press Sunday, many Trump enablers will say they have to do this for voters who dont believe the election results because, well, the media lacks credibility and the Democrats never accepted Trumps 2016 election. Sure, Democrats who called Trump an illegitimate president from the get-go most certainly damaged faith in our electoral system these last four years. But Hillary Clinton didnt question one states counts or sovereignty, and the undeniable influence of Russia in helping Trumps campaign was confirmed by every intelligence agency in our government. The most cynical statement of all came from Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, who, when he was considering joining Hawley, told Politico: Its a protest vote only. Because in my opinion theres zero chance that anything will come from it. The House is not going to overturn and I dont think youll even get close in the Senate. Turns out Brauns decided now hes all in, because duping people over election results cant be that damaging if it cant succeed, right? If Trump is leaving, and Republicans will break with him on Wednesday to protect the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic -- which now includes their colleagues -- its stunning that Kinzinger and Sasse are the only Republicans in Congress to address the fact that voters have been lied to on a massive scale. All this talk from @realDonaldTrump and congressional grifters is simply explained: they will raise money and gain followers by blaming everyone else knowing full well they cant do anything. Its sad, and an utter scam. #restoreourgop, Kinzinger tweeted on Dec. 26. Sasses Facebook post explaining, in exhausting detail, what happened in six swing state elections, emphasized that what Trump and his allies tell people on television and online wasnt presented in court because there are no penalties for misleading the public. But there are serious penalties for misleading a judge, and the president's lawyers know that -- and thus they have repeated almost none of the claims of grand voter fraud that the campaign spokespeople are screaming at their most zealous supporters. So, heres the heart of this whole thing: this isnt really a legal strategy its a fundraising strategy. Since Election Day, the president and his allied organizations have raised well over half a billion (billion!) dollars from supporters who have been led to believe that theyre contributing to a ferocious legal defense. But in reality, theyre mostly just giving the president and his allies a blank check that can go to their super-PACs, their next plane trip, their next campaign or project. Thats not serious governing. Its swampy politics and it shows very little respect for the sincere people in my state who are writing these checks. Sasse and Kinzinger arent enjoying this -- they have plenty of Republican constituents telling them to Stop the Steal -- but they are gently trying to Stop the Scam. Every public official has the responsibility to tell the truth, Sasse wrote in his Facebook post. But Republicans dont get a pass because their party leader lies all the time and they secretly dont like it. They have consistently refused to call out Trumps falsehoods knowing full well that compulsive lying is not compatible with governance, let alone self-governance and democracy. But by letting each lie go, day after week after month after year, they have led us to this moment. They can think that certifying Joe Bidens election gets them past the immediate crisis and cleanses them of the sins of Hawley, Cruz, McCarthy, et al. -- but without speaking truthfully to their voters about Trump's lies they remain complicit in hijacking self-government. UPDATE (1/5): 8,818 new cases, 185 deaths statewide; Lehigh Valley nears 40K total cases The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported on Monday an increase of 3,226 new cases of coronavirus, the lowest increase since Nov. 8. There were also only 66 deaths reported. However, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in a press briefing Monday that both Sundays and Mondays new numbers are relatively low due to maintenance on the departments website. With the new, albeit limited, numbers factored in, Pennsylvanias total case count increases to 665,097 cases of COVID-19 since March. The death toll is up to 16,361. Your coronavirus update: (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Coronavirus in Pa. Thanks to some website maintenance, some of the first case numbers of 2021 show extremely limited increases. While Mondays increase was only 3,226, Sunday also had an abbreviated increase of reported cases, with 4,579. Death increases were affected as well, with only 56 reported on Sunday and 66 reported on Monday. Saturday actually reported even fewer deaths, only 28, but given that it had a case increase of 9,253, that appears unrelated to numbers on Sunday and Monday. Levine said the totals would be artificially low in both cases and deaths. However, its not expected to stay that way, as Levine also forewarned that Tuesdays report would include the backlog of cases from Sunday and Monday, and itll likely have an inflated total. The abbreviated cases on Monday came on a mere 7,100 reported tests, and Sundays were from only 12,383. Those are low due to the maintenance, but Pennsylvania has generally had lower testing numbers since Christmas. On Dec. 25, the seven-day test average was 20,987 that figure itself a significant drop from the December peak of 27,536 tests per day set on Dec. 8 and Monday, while the last couple days have obviously gone a long way towards tanking the total, the seven-day test average is currently 16,341 test reported per day. Amid reporting new numbers and having maintenance done, the Department of Health has also been monitoring the vaccine rollout across Pennsylvania. In the Monday briefing, Levine said she was pleased with how the states vaccination plan has gone so far. Fewer than half of Pennsylvanias allotted vaccine doses had been distributed according to the states data, 149,974 frontline healthcare workers have received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTec or Moderna vaccines as of Monday (though the figures don't include the vaccinations distributed by CVS and Walgreens at 115 nursing facilities across the state). That said, Levine is pleased with how Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, which is receiving its own allotment of vaccination units, have handled the rollout. She expects it to speed up this month. We know it is hard to ask people to be patient as we take on this unprecedented task, but patience is exactly what we need, Levine said. Coronavirus in the Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley reported an increase of 211 new cases on Monday. Lehigh County reported 139 of them, while Northampton County had 72 new cases. That brings the Lehigh Valleys total case count to 38,800, while Lehigh and Northampton counties counts are at 21,370 and 17,430, respectively. There was also one reported death in Northampton County, bringing its death toll to 439. Lehigh Countys remained at 513, giving the Lehigh Valley a total death count of 952. Heres how the Lehigh Valleys surrounding counties stack up: Berks County has 24,318 total cases and 574 deaths, with 86 new cases and one death in the last day. Bucks County has 31,562 total cases and 909 deaths, with 94 new cases and no deaths in the last day. Carbon County has 2,961 total cases and 91 deaths, with 22 new cases and no deaths in the last day. Monroe County has 6,414 total cases and 205 deaths, with 35 new cases and no deaths in the last day. Montgomery County has 37,560 total cases and 1,163 deaths, with 133 cases and two deaths in the last day. Schuylkill County has 8,491 total cases and 252 deaths, with 70 cases and two deaths in the last day. (Cant see the chart? Click here.) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Over 180 of 300 airlines around the world achieved a 90% or higher on-time arrival since February 2020. Atlanta was the busiest airport globally based on flights operated in 2020, taking the top spot from Chicago OHare; Three Chinese airports vaulted into the top 10 global airports by flights operated. 76% of Chinese passenger flights operated despite the pandemic. The US (58%), India (50%) and UK (33%) saw major reductions in flight volume. Southwest Airlines operated the most flights in 2020; China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China climbed in the top 10 airlines. Over 180 of the major global airlines were on time in 2020, according to a new report by Cirium, the global aviation data company.The Cirium Airline Insights Review 2020 reveals that only 30 major airlines achieved this standard pre-pandemic. But over 60%or 180 of 300 airlines globallyachieved a 90% or higher on-time arrival percentage since February 2020. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005632/en/ Ciriums new report The Cirium Airline Insights Review 2020 reveals the worlds top 10 busiest airports of 2020. (Graphic: Business Wire) On-time performance of the top 300 global airlines significantly improved as COVID-19 reduced the number of flights in the air. In 2020, airlines only flew half of the flights flown the previous year. The pandemic caused a significant reduction in flight volume with airlines operating 49% fewer flights in 2020. The factors that normally cause flight delays didnt exist, such as congestion at the airport. Overall global passenger traffic was down in 2020 by 67% from the previous year, said Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium. Ciriums top 10 league table for flights operated by country shows that the majority of flights were operated in the US, despite a 42% year-over-year drop in the market. China maintained its position, with only 24% of that markets flights down versus 2019. Japan overtook India, moving up to 3rd place as Indias flights were down 50% versus 2019. The UK was hit heavily with 67% of flights down compared to last year, moving it to 8th place from 5th. Russia moved from 10th place in 2019 to 5th in 2020 and Indonesia moved into the top 10. Top 10 countries by passenger flights flown 2020 Rank Country Total flights flown 2020 Rank in 2019 % YoY diff 1 United States 5.1M #1 -42% 2 China 3.4M #2 -24% 3 Japan 638K #4 -43% 4 India 592K #3 -50% 5 Russia 486K #10 -34% 6 Brazil 382K #9 -53% 7 Spain 352K #7 -61% 8 United Kingdom 340K #5 -67% 9 Indonesia 333K #12 -53% 10 Mexico 332K #15 -44% Source: Cirium Core, flights tracked data (passenger flights - narrowbody, widebody and regional) for Jan 1 to Dec 31, date filed Jan 1, 2021 Asia-Pacific carriers recovered much quicker in 2020 than their global peers and rose in the rankings in flights operated. Out of the top 10 global airlines, China Southern Airlines passenger flights only dropped 28% versus 2019. United Airlines was the most impacted of the top 10, with a 54% drop in flights flown versus 2019. No European carriers feature in the 2020 list. Ryanair moved to 13th place (from 6th) as the airlines flights flown were down 72% versus the year before. Lufthansa was 11th in 2019 but missed out on the 2020 top 10, finishing at 29th place as flights flown dropped by 69% in 2020. Top 10 airlines by passenger flights flown 2020 Rank Airline code Airline Total flights flown 2020 Rank in 2019 % YoY diff 1 WN Southwest Airlines 896K #1 -34% 2 AA American Airlines 622K #3 -44% 3 DL Delta Air Lines 619K #2 -46% 4 OO SkyWest Airlines 597K #4 -30% 5 CZ China Southern Airlines 521K #7 -28% 6 UA United Airlines 372K #5 -54% 7 MU China Eastern Airlines 321K #9 -33% 8 CA Air China 312K #10 -30% 9 6E IndiGo 281K #8 -45% 10 YX Republic Airways 217K #15 -37% Source: Cirium Core, flights tracked data (passenger flights - narrowbody, widebody and regional) for Jan 1 to Dec 31, date filed Jan 1, 2021 Domestic travel has recovered faster and airlines with a dominant domestic market come back quicker, Bowen said. That is especially the case in Asia-Pacific where recovery is more positive. The US and Europe have experienced setbacks with government-enforced restrictions and additional waves of COVID-19 affecting travel. Travel restrictions and the shift to more leisure travel versus business travel changed the top 10 league table for flights flown by airport extensively. Chicago OHare is usually the busiest airport globally for passenger flights, however the pandemic caused a 46% reduction in flights for the airport in 2020. Three Chinese airportsGuangzhou Baiyun, Chengdu Shuangliu, and Shenzhen Baoanmoved into the global top 10 busiest airports by arriving passenger flights. Top 10 airports by passenger flights flown 2020 Rank Airport code Airport Total flights flown 2020 Rank in 2019 % YoY diff 1 ATL Atlanta US 260K #2 -40% 2 DFW Dallas US 235K #3 -30% 3 ORD Chicago US 234K #1 -46% 4 DEN Denver US 202K #5 -32% 5 CLT Charlotte US 182K #7 -32% 6 CAN Guangzhou CN 165K #13 -28% 7 LAX Los Angeles US 156K #4 -50% 8 CTU Chengdu CN 148K #37 -16% 9 SZX Shenzhen CN 139K #42 -16% 10 SEA Seattle US 137K #18 -36% Source: Cirium Core, flights tracked data (passenger flights - narrowbody, widebody and regional) for Jan 1 to Dec 31, date filed Jan 1, 2021 In 2019, London Heathrow was the 9th busiest airport for flights flown. In 2020, it ranked 31st and flights operating there were down 61% versus 2019. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was the busiest airport in Europe. Flight operations there dropped 57% in 2020 and as a result the airport sits at 27th globally. The Cirium Airline Insights Review 2020 provides additional insights on 2020 air travel industry and includes The On-Time Performance Review 2020 by Cirium. To read the full Cirium Airline Insights Review 2020 click here. Ends Note to editors: Data for the passenger flights flown is based on set criteria, which includes passenger flights only (including combination flights passenger and cargo) that are scheduled and aircraft market classes of narrowbody, widebody, and regional jets. It excludes other types, such as cargo and business jet flights, as well as unscheduled flights. For further information please visit www.cirium.com and follow Cirium updates via LinkedIn and Twitter. About Cirium Cirium brings together powerful data and analytics to keep the world moving. Delivering insight, built from decades of experience in the sector, enabling travel companies, aircraft manufacturers, airports, airlines and financial institutions, among others, to make logical and informed decisions which shape the future of travel, growing revenues and enhancing customer experiences. Cirium is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005632/en/ Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 06:46:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices climbed noticeably on Tuesday after major oil producers reached an agreement on output. The West Texas Intermediate for February delivery added 2.31 U.S. dollars to settle at 49.93 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for March delivery increased 2.51 dollars to close at 53.60 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, widely known as OPEC+, agreed Tuesday to raise output slightly in February and March. Most OPEC+ producers will hold production steady in the face of new coronavirus lockdowns and two members, Russia and Kazakhstan, will be allowed to boost their output by a modest combined 75,000 barrels per day (bpd) in February and a further 75,000 bpd in March, according to a statement issued by the group at the end of its first ministerial meeting of the year. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia pledged a voluntary oil production cut of 1 million bpd beyond the required OPEC+ quotas in February and March. In the December meeting, OPEC+ agreed to increase oil production by 500,000 barrels per day from January, putting its current cuts at 7.2 million bpd. Enditem At least 100 civilians were killed and around 20 others wounded on Saturday by attackers in two villages in western Tillabery region in Niger, close to the border with Mali, Nigerien Prime Minister, Brigi Rafini announced. "We lost 70 people in Tchombangou, while around 30 people were murdered in the village Zaroumdareye," said Brigi Rafini, who travelled to the two villages a day after the attack. "The attackers has not yet been identified," he said, "investigations will be carried out so that these crimes are not left unpunished." Brigi Rafini announced precautionary measures adopted by the government, including the installation of a military company to secure the population of this area, and reassuring the survivors of this double attack who are in the process of leaving. The attackers, who came in large numbers on motorcycles, carried out this massacre in retaliation after two members of their group were killed by villagers while committing an attack earlier in the day. According to an official statement published on Sunday morning by Nigerien Ministry of Interior, at least 70 civilians were killed and 20 others wounded. This part of Niger has in recent years been suffering from deadly attacks. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Scientists at a Health Ministry institute has made the best of available techniques and personal experiences to create Vietnams second Covid-19 vaccine. Nguyen Sy Tuan, deputy head of the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) under the Ministry of Health, puts on a pair of medical gloves as he prepares to present a small bottle containing Covivac. The second made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine successfully tested on animals is scheduled to commence human trials within the month. Nguyen Sy Tuan, deputy head of the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), holds a vial of Covivac vaccine, January 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc. Covivac was developed using IVAC derived from the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) LaSota strain handed over by the U.S. back in May last year, routinely used as a live vaccine globally. The NDV in general is a virus that causes a deadly infection in many kinds of birds and flu-like symptoms in humans. As targeted, the institute had to study, produce and complete a three-phase clinical trial for a Covid-19 vaccine from the strain in 18 months. Duong Huu Thai, head of IVAC, said the process of producing the vaccine,"which is complicated, long-lasting and costly," could be divided into three phases in line with their scales: laboratory research, small-scale trial production and large-scale production. If divided by research phase, the procedure includes creating a product, quality assessment, safety and effectiveness evaluation on animals, clinical human trial (which includes three smaller stages), registration for commercial circulation and post-licensing review. "Yet regardless of phases etc., it normally takes around 10 years to successfully develop a vaccine," Thai said. Producing the vaccine IVAC decided to develop a vaccine using primary French chicken embryo cultures, a technique the institute had used in the past to successfully produce seasonal flu and H5N1 bird flu vaccines. The NDV-Lasota vaccine strain was injected into the egg for the virus to grow before the fluid was drained for further refining and filtering. Inactivation of the virus, though with all characteristics in situ, finally produced Covivac. The institute subsequently requested the Health Ministry's permission to commence human trials at the end of this month after completing tests on mice, rabbits and monkeys. As planned, Covivac would enter its first phase of human trials with 125 candidates in January before the second phase starts in April, with 300 volunteers. The third phase is currently planned for July or August but in reality, relies on results gathered from the first two phases. Vials and boxes of Covivac, Vietnam's second Covid-19 vaccine, January 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc. Commenting on the institute's results, Thai said: "If we don't take the first steps, we would never arrive where we want to be. What we see now is just the beginning, there are still many challenges ahead. We are both confident and determined, based on our existing capacities." Trials for Vietnams first Covid-19 vaccine, Nanocovax, began on Dec. 17 with 60 volunteers signing up for the first phase. So far, 50-75 percent of volunteers have shown only small side effects like light fevers or pain at the time of injection, which are of no medical concern, according to experts. The vaccine has so far been deemed safe, but whether it would be effective in preventing Covid-19 has yet to be confirmed. Produced by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, Nanocovax would need to undergo three human trial phases before it could be distributed. Vietnam currently has two other Covid-19 vaccines under development by the Vaccine and Biological Production Company No. 1 (Vabiotech) and the Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals (Polyvac). The Health Ministry is in talks with British Covid-19 vaccine developers AstraZeneca and Oxford University to buy 30 million doses for 15 million people. The ministry is also seeking to purchase vaccines from the U.S. (Pfizer), Russia (Sputnik V) and China. With a population of more than 95 million, Vietnam has recorded less than 1,500 infections and 35 deaths to date. Tens of thousands of protesting farmers will take out a tractor march on January 7, deferring it by a day because of wintry and wet weather conditions, to converge on the KundliManesarPalwal Expressway, leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a platform of farm unions, said on Tuesday. At a press conference, leaders of farm unions said they would be coordinating the month-long protests spelt out in a fresh agitation agenda spanning 15 days from January 7, which includes picketing Raj Bhavans, onward marches from six blockade sites on Delhis borders and a tractor march rehearsal for Republic Day. The change in the schedule, deferred by a day, is only because of weather conditions. After January 9, farmers will campaign in every village to ready themselves to drive their tractors into Delhi on January 26, Yogendra Yadav, a senior leader of the agitation, said. Joginder Singh Nain, who leads the Nain faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, said the contingent from Haryana would be led by women farmers. Farm unions have launched one of the largest strikes in decades to demand that the Centre revoke the three contentious laws approved by Parliament in September. The laws essentially change the way Indias farmers do business by creating free markets, as opposed to a network of decades-old, government marketplaces, allowing traders to stockpile essential commodities for future sales and laying down a national framework for contract farming. These laws are the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. Together, the laws will allow big corporations and global supermarket chains to buy directly from farmers, bypassing decades-old regulations. Farmers say the reforms will make them vulnerable to exploitation by big corporations, erode their bargaining power and weaken the governments procurement system, whereby the government buys staples, such as wheat and rice, at guaranteed prices. Tractors from all neighbouring states will begin rolling into Delhi. We will continue with our blockade of goods and services of {Mukesh} Ambani (Reliance Industries Limited ) and {Gautam} Adani (Adani Enterprises Limited), including their products, malls and petrol pumps owned by them, Darshan Pal, a senior farm union leader said. The leaders slammed what they called the governments propaganda. The government doesnt want to withdraw the laws because it has become an ego issue for them. They have tried tarnish our agitation in countless ways, sometimes calling us Maoists and Khalistani {a reference to Sikh separatists}, Balbir Singh Rajewal of the Bharatiya Kisan Union said In a widely anticipated sixth round of talks between the Union government and protesting farm unions on December 30, the Modi administration agreed to spare farmers from heavy fines for crop-residue burning, as provided for in an anti-pollution ordinance, and continue the current mechanism of giving subsidised power for agricultural use, as demanded by farmers. The seventh round of talks on January 4, however, ended in a stalemate as the government did not accede to the farmers demand to repeal the three agricultural laws. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2021 The Fight for Truth in the American Elections Is for the World Jan. 4 , 2021 (EIRNS)Not many media outside imperial London would be arrogant enougheven after what they believe to be their successful coup against President Donald Trumpto publish a lengthy editorial entitled, An Overhaul of U.S. Democracy; with a kicker that the United States cannot be allowed a 2024 presidential election under the present Constitutional system of the republic. Abolition of all the inconvenient American Constitutional practices was published as orders to be carried out through a high-level commission, to be created by low-level Joe Biden in one of his first acts. This was done by the Washington Post Sunday on Jan. 3 with a follow-up editorial the next day on the same subject. The Post for decades has been a newspaper voice and leak sheet of the U.S. and British intelligence services; now, under increasingly interventionist ownership of worlds richest man Jeffrey Bezos, it is also speaking for the intersection of giant IT companies like Amazon with the military-industrial complex in the post-9/11 surveillance state. It demanded: Eliminate Article II, Sections 1 and 2 of the Constitution, where the role of state legislatures and electors is specified. Eliminate Article I, Section 4 and the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, to abolish the role of the Congress in the election of the President. Change the 1887 Electoral Count Act to further ensure that Congress has no role in certifying electoral votes. Dont allow the House of Representatives to decide a tied or multi-candidate electoral result for President. In fact, eliminate the threat of third-party spoilers to the two-party duopoly entirely. Eliminate partisan state elected officials from administering elections; again, Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution must go. And more: Eliminate the role of states and counties in registering voters and keeping registration rolls, by mandating universal registration and possibly mandatory voting. Keep better organized polling places open more often, and longer than others; thus eliminate equal due-process under law in elections. Above all, expand mail-in voting to make it as near universal as possible. Republicans must not be allowed from here on, to scale back the huge mail-in voting of 2020. All this, and there is much that a democracy commission could consider. With these editorials the Post directly attacked those organizing through and beyond Jan. 21 for the restoration of truth and Constitutional practice in elections. But this warning is to the world as a whole. The City of London and Wall Street, with their interlinked intelligence services, will not again allow any nationalist republican leader to become a head of state, as in 2016. Not another FDR or JFK in America, nor another Jaures or de Gaulle in France; nor a Moro or Salvini in Italy; for that matter, with Dominion Systems counting the votes, not another Duterte in the Philippines. National election commissions will make sure elections are conducted in such corrupt and colonialist ways that only candidates selected for backing by the City and Wall Street can win. Above all, no other Lyndon LaRouche, nor one of the real LaRouches supporters, is to be allowed so much as a few delegates or electors, or to become spoilers as they did around the United States in the 1980s. The real issue is Alexander Hamiltons American System of economics, its adoption in many nations in Europe and Asia. LaRouches fundamentally advanced Hamiltons core idea that human creative discovery is the driver of economies, and more progress requires more people, better skilled and more creative human beings, great development projects across continents. That is available to any and all nations, whose citizens wake up in sufficient numbers in this crisis and take responsibility for a better future. It is what those who just spoke their demands through the Washington Post, are determined never to allow a President like Donald Trump even to consider. Only the Great Reset to economic austerity and zero-carbon primitivism can be allowed, or so they believe. But in fact, citizens openness to LaRouches ideas and movement are growing as they havent since his very public persecution and imprisonment in the 1980s. We fight for his exoneration now to unleash that process like a Renaissance. We call for Presidential pardons for Julian Assange and Edward Snowden now, to throw over the surveillance state game for which the Washington Post thinks it is appointed a judge and referee. And we organize for a summit of great powers where Hamiltons and LaRouches American System becomes a new international system of credit for development. STORY LINK Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) Exchange Rate Soars Despite Another UK Lockdown South African Lockdown Fears Drag on ZAR Pound (GBP) Heads Higher as Covid-19 Vaccine Notes Buoy UK Economic Confidence GBP/ZAR Forecast: Could a South Africa Lockdown Further Weaken ZAR This Week? Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate soared by 2% today, with the pairing currently trading around R20.404.The South African Rand (ZAR) fell today as speculation grows over South Africas new lockdown.South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation on Wednesday evening, in which is he predicted to announce more stringent lockdown measures.Additionally, concerns are continuing to grow over South Africas new, more infectious, variant of the Coronavirus.Annabel Bishop, chief economist at Investec, commented:While the [Covid-19 vaccine] rollout plan is a very positive move, concerns will centre on governments ability to deliver, particularly in the logistics chain given the low temperature the vaccines need to be kept at, and so Eskoms ability to deliver consistent electricity supply a key worry too.As a result, ZAR investors are becoming increasingly concerned for South Africas economy, which could suffer a severe setback if the virus proves resistant to the Covid-19 vaccines.Bishop also added:[South Africas] [l]ockdowns continue in attempts to control the spread of Covid-19 but damage economic activity, business and consumer confidence.The Pound (GBP) rose against the South African Rand (ZAR) despite the UK being due to enter another nationwide lockdown to help curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus.Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday that rising Covid-19 infections had forced Downing Street to intensify lockdown measures until at least mid-February.However, Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove warned that the lockdown could last until March.Mr Gove commented:We cant predict with certainty that well be able to lift restrictions the week commencing the 15 to 22 [February], what we will be doing is everything we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated so that we can begin progressively to lift restrictions.Despite the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, investors are concerned that the new variants of the virus could increase the rate of infections.As a result, GBP investors are remaining cautious as the outlook for the UK economy appears increasingly uncertain.Pound (GBP) traders will be awaiting tomorrows speech from the Bank of Englands (BoE) Governor, Andrew Bailey.Any downbeat comments about the state of the British economy would be GBP-negative.However, Sterling could sink lower as the UK officially enters another lockdown this week.Meanwhile, South African Rand (ZAR) investors will be paying close attention to the South African government tomorrow.If South Africa (ZAR) announces a nationwide lockdown, which is highly likely, we could see the GBP/ZAR exchange rate continue to soar. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Rand Forecasts South African Rand Forecasts She is an extremely detail-oriented, patient and meticulous judge, who makes sure to cross every t and dot every i in each case that comes before her. She has presided over major cases including, most recently, that of Shomari Legghette, who was convicted in March of killing Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer in the Loop. ADVERTISEMENT The Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, said the state government did not pay any ransom to rescue the abducted 344 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara. Mr Inuwa said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina on Tuesday that although rescuing the boys from their abductors was difficult, no ransom was given. He said the state government deployed a multi-facet approach in effecting the release of the boys saying, in doing this, we ensured that no casualty was recorded. The SSG said, Contrary to speculations in some quarters that the government paid N1million to rescue each student, the government did not pay any money. Although, the process was difficult and hectic, we ensured that no casualty was recorded during the operations, we are happy that they returned safely and were reunited with their families. He commended the efforts of the Federal Government through the police and other security agencies towards ensuring the release of the school boys. 344 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State were abducted from their hostel by bandits on Dec. 11, 2020. Although the pupils regained their freedom after one week in captivity, there have been controversies over whether ransom was paid to the abductors or not. (NAN) Advertisement The mastermind behind the luxurious decor of some of London's most exclusive venues has launched his own range of furniture and accessories. Swedish designer and interiors architect Martin Brudnizki, 55, who established his London studio in 1990 before opening a New York branch in 2012, has conceived a 14-piece debut collection. The pieces boast eye-watering price tags, with a bookcase costing 25,000, a three metre sofa 22,000, an occasional table 10,000 and a decorative stool listed at 3,500. Cushions start at 200 each, and lamps from 2,500. Dubbed 'one of the best restaurant and hotel designers of his generation' by Wallpaper magazine, over the past two decades Brudnizki has created a swathe of illustrious interiors. Swedish designer and interiors architect Martin Brudnizki, 55, who established his London studio in 1990 before opening a New York branch in 2012, has conceived a 14-piece debut collection. Pictured: the Hambledon Bookcase priced at 25,000. Limed solid oak shelves complete with decorative grosgrain ribbon sit between high gloss lacquered columns and finished off with cast brass finials Brudnizki is the mastermind behind the luxurious decor of some of London's most exclusive venues. Pictured: the Candover Daybed in Green Boucle, priced at 10,000, crafted from a solid beech timber frame with an elevated cushion seat Dubbed 'one of the best restaurant and hotel designers of his generation' by Wallpaper magazine, over the past two decades Brudnizki has created a swathe of illustrious interiors. Pictured left: The Den Mead stool, from 4,000, and right: The Wickham armchair, 5,000 He worked with restaurateur Richard Caring on The Ivy, and decked out Scott's restaurant, Sexy Fish, opulent private member's club Annabel's, J Sheekey Oyster Bar and Le Caprice, to name but a few. He also collaborated with Nick Jones and Soho House on Soho Beach House Miami, Little House and Dean Street Townhouse, and worked with Fortnum & Mason on its glamorous 45 Jermyn St restaurant. While this is Brudnizki's first foray into home-decor, he conceived the line in partnership with design director Nicholas Jeanes. It's the latest collection from And Objects, the furniture and lighting company they set up in 2015. Billed 'the anti-collection', the range includes tables, sofas, consoles, bookcases, lamps, wall-lights and stools, and was more than 18 months in the making. Brudnizki worked with restaurateur Richard Caring on The Ivy, and decked out Scott's restaurant, Sexy Fish, opulent private member's club Annabel's, J Sheekey Oyster Bar and Le Caprice, to name but a few. Pictured in 2015 Brudnizki said he's always wanted to create his own furniture brand, but wanted to establish his design studio first. Pictured: a Wickham armchair, from 5,000; a Wickham ottoman, 2,000; Marden coffee tables, 6,000 each Speaking to the Financial Times, Brudnizki said he's always wanted to create his own furniture brand, but wanted to establish his design studio first. He added that he wants his home-decor designs to make people happy, claiming 'feelgood furniture' has the power to boost our mental health and wellbeing. 'There's nothing nicer than walking into a room that makes you smile. We need to surround ourselves with beauty now more than ever. We can't just stop living,' Brudnizki told the publication, acknowledging it's been a 'difficult, difficult, difficult' year. He told how he too has battled with the concept of remote working and Zoom meetings. 'You really need to be in the room with people... to feel the fabrics and run your hand over the materials and the marble,' he told the FT. The 'anti-collection' range includes tables, sofas, consoles, bookcases, lamps, wall-lights and stools, and was more than 18 months in the making. Pictured left: Bighton side table, 3,500; right: Headbourne wall light, 3,000 Pictured: the Binderton Sofa, 22,000. It's crafted by hand from a solid beech timber frame and features turned oak feet and elegantly wrapped upholstery, finished in bold Pierre Frey fabric, featuring a rainbow palette and geometric chevron pattern The designs evolved from moodboards and sketched floorplans of imaginary drawing rooms, and while none of the individual pieces match, Brudnizki said they all 'harmonise'. Pictured left: Fresco Cushion Olive, 200, and right: Ropley Occasional table, 10,000 While his debut range embraces English crafts and materials - each piece is named after an English village - the new collection also pays homage to Brudnizki's Scandinavian heritage, in particular the Swedish Grace movement which influenced the Stockholm architectural landscape, where he grew up. The romantic design movement emerged in the early 20th century, and its name was coined by British journalist Philip Morton Shand - Camilla Parker Bowles' grandfather - in The Architectural Review in 1925. Brudnizki said: 'It's an incredibly elegant style that's infused with the patterns and motifs of Swedish folklore. These designers took the idea of modernism and applied it to neo-classicism.' The women's powder rooms at top London private members' club Annabel's - which has hosted everyone from Frank Sinatra to Leonardo DiCaprio - could keep you entertained for quite some time. The bathrooms, designed by Martin Brudnizki, the man behind the breathtaking innards of Sexy Fish and The Ivy, feature a ceiling carpeted with fake roses, gold bird-shaped faucets, natural stone wash basins and a marble floor The mirrored marble bathrooms at the Brasserie of Light restaurant in London. The interior design was completed by Martin Brudnizki The designs evolved from moodboards and sketched floorplans of imaginary drawing rooms, and while none of the individual pieces match, Brudnizki said they all 'harmonise'. Brudnizki utilised last year's lockdowns to complete work on his new home, an apartment in a 17th-century house near the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, which was a former bolthole of the late Tory PM Anthony Eden. He is continuing to expand his New York operation and is currently overseeing numerous projects including a French nightclub for the Costes, the clan behind many of Paris' most striking dining venues and hotels, and a swathe of private homes including one for his top client Richard Caring. To shop the whole range visit andobjects.com Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 91F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. [January 05, 2021] Emergex Vaccines signs Collaboration Agreement with Brazil's Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz for the Development of a COVID-19 Vaccine PRESS RELEASE Emergex Vaccines signs Collaboration Agreement with Brazils Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz for the Development of a COVID-19 Vaccine Agreement provides a framework for future clinical trials, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and distribution within the National Health Service of Brazil Bio-Manguinhos, is a world leader in vaccine development and manufacturing and one of the productive units of Fiocruz, one of the world's most respected public health research institutions Abingdon, Oxon, UK, 5 January 2021 Emergex Vaccines Holding Limited (Emergex, or the Company), a company tackling major global infectious disease threats through the development of synthetic set point vaccines which prime the T-Cell immune response, today announces that it has signed a collaboration and development agreement with the Institute of Technology on Immunobiologicals (Bio-Manguinhos) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) in Brazil to develop a COVID-19 vaccine using Emergexs next generation synthetic T-Cell vaccine technology. The agreement provides a framework under which both parties will work together to progress certain immunotherapeutic programmes, including a vaccine candidate for COVID-19, through a regulatory pathway for the Brazilian National Health Service. Emergex will also support the performance of studies, including clinical trials, and to manufacture, market, promote and distribute certain infectious diseases vaccines within the National Health Service of Brazil. Emergex has already completed preclinical development work including toxicology and immunoproteomic research into the MHC Class I peptide expression library for cell surface expressed peptides on SARS-Cov-2 infected cells, which define the repertoire of an effective T-Cell immune response to the COVID-19 disease. In August 2020, a previous research collaboration between Emergex and Bio-Manguinhos / Fiocruz resulted in the determination of the MHC CD8 T-Cell epitope expression library for Fiocruzs commercial yellow fever vaccine. Bio-Manguinhos / Fiocruz and Emergex will share initial set up and development costs. Further financial details have not been disclosed. Storme Moore-Thornicroft, COO and co-founder of Emergex, commented: Bio-Manguinhos Institute of the Oswald Cruz Foundation, is a world leader in the development and manufacturing of vaccines. This agreement, which will enable us to work alongside Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz to develop our COVID-19 vaccine candidate, is an important validation of the potential of our technology. Access to a COVID-19 vaccine which is both easy to manufacture and deploy is critical, particularly in a country as large as Brazil and where there have been more than 6 million cases of COVID-19 reported to date. Sotiris Missailidis, Deputy Director of Technological Development of Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, commented: Given the geographical scale and logistical difficulties that underlie distributing a vaccine across Brazil, Emergexs expertise and technology could play a vital role in overcoming such challenges, including the potential to allow for mass rollout of a vaccine for COVID-19. Emergex vaccines are 100% synthetic, requiring no biology for manufacturing, making rapid scale-up and production possible. Furthermore, delivery through a microneedle system on a single patch, make them easy to administer, requiring less clinical intervention, and allowing for wider public adoption. We look forward to working with Emergex on this and other co-development projects to bring safe and affrdable vaccines to the Brazilian public market. - Ends - For further information, please contact: At the Company Emergex Consilium Strategic Communications Storme Moore-Thornicroft, Executive Director Phone: +44 (0) 1235 527589 Email: smt@emergexvaccines.com Chris Gardner / Sue Stuart / Ashley Tapp/ Carina Jurs Phone: +44 (0)20 3709 5700 Email: Emergex@consilium-comms.com About Emergex Emergex, a biotechnology company headquartered in Abingdon, UK, with an operating subsidiary in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA, is pioneering the development of synthetic set point vaccines which prime the T-cell immune response to address some of the worlds most immediate health threats such as COVID-19, Dengue Fever, Zika, Ebola, pandemic flu and serious intra-cellular bacterial infections. These set-point vaccines modify the initial immune status of recipients in a way that primes their immune systems to recognise subsequent infectious agents much like a natural infection would do, preventing an acute or severe manifestation of the disease. Emergex combines validated technologies together with the very latest scientific insights in immunology and virology to develop its vaccines, including the use of synthetic peptide codes determined on actual infected cells and using a proprietary gold nanoparticle carrier system for programming. The Company has a growing pipeline of vaccine candidates. The most advanced development programme is a vaccine for Dengue Fever, which may also be disease modifying for other Flaviviruses such as the Zika and Yellow Fever viruses. Emergex also has programmes in development for a universal Influenza vaccine and a universal Filovirus vaccine (including viruses such as Ebola and Marburg) and discovery programmes for a Yellow Fever Booster vaccine and a Chikungunya vaccine. Emergex has partnered with the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) of Singapore to develop a vaccine for the emerging threat of Hand, Foot and Mouth (HFM) disease. The Company also has a collaboration in place with Brazil-based Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz for the development of several vaccine candidates, including a potential vaccine for COVID-19. Find out more online at www.emergexvaccines.com . Background to Emergex Vaccine Approach: Both naive T-Cells and memory T-Cells are activated in an acute viral infection via trogocytosis (or cross-dressing). This is a process in which a donor antigen presenting cell (APC) has acquired MHC Class I peptide complexes from an infected cell by membrane capture. This critical pathway ensures that the immune system is only activated by viral peptides that are present in infected cells and the resulting T-Cell repertoire accurately reflects only those targets expressed on infected cells. The other mechanisms of APC processing, such as direct priming (requires APC to be infected by the virus) or cross-presentation (requires APC to process protein fragments of the virus after the virus has successfully replicated and is producing virions) can lead to off-target T-Cell responses and a delay in response. Trogocytosis is the main mechanism of alloantigen recognition in acute allograft rejection. Emergex vaccines incorporate only peptides shown to be physically presented on class I molecules (independent of length or predicted affinity) in infected cells (pMHC target expression library) which can lead to cross-dressing of APCs - in contrast to peptides predicted hypothetically by computer or predicted from T-Cell reactivity to peptide pools in convalescent blood many of which will be off-target. By the use of microneedle injection from a small patch, Emergex unique TAP-responsive peptide delivery system mimics the trogocytosis process by directly cross-dressing skin reactive dendritic cells which are actively transported by rapidly migrating dendritic cells to multiple lymphoid organs. In vivo murine experiments on Dengue, Zika, SARS-2 and influenza have shown that doses as low as several femtomoles can generate robust T-Cell immune response resulting in Cytotoxic T lymphocytes that kill viral infected cells. About Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz As part of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, for 44 years the Institute of Technology on Immunobiologicals of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz) has expanded access to health care for the population through the research, development and supply of products that prevent, diagnose and treat diseases. To establish itself as the largest public laboratory in Latin America, Bio-Manguinhos wrote parts of the History of Public Health in Brazil. It has played a decisive role in the eradication of poliomyelitis in the country and in the Americas; was instrumental in the control of measles and yellow fever, becoming one of the main producers of this vaccine in the world, having already exported to more than 70 countries. Partnerships with public and private institutions through technology transfer agreements, Partnerships for Productive Development (PDPs) and autochthonous development projects contribute to the expansion of its portfolio, which has more than 40 products among vaccines, in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and biopharmaceuticals. Each year, millions of units are provided to the Brazilian Ministry of Health programs. Find out more online at https://www.bio.fiocruz.br/ About the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) was founded by Dr. Oswaldo Cruz, a noted physician and epidemiologist and is considered one of the world's main public health research institutions. Fiocruz is a scientific research foundation focussed on biological sciences, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and part of the Brazilian government's Ministry of Health. It has one of Brazils largest public laboratories for vaccine production - the Immunobiological Technology Institute (Bio-Manguinhos). Bio-Manguinhos is the worlds largest manufacturer of the yellow fever vaccine, and the only Latin American laboratory certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for this purpose. Find out more online at https://portal.fiocruz.br/en . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Churches can stay open during England's third lockdown in a move welcomed by leaders as maintaining an 'essential source of energy for the common good'. All places of worship can remain open for individual prayer and communal worship, in a rare example of gatherings involving multiple households which are still allowed. But religious leaders have urged people to take 'tremendous care' and advised those shielding to stay at home as the coronavirus pandemic intensifies. And some vicars have criticised the Church of England for not taking a harder stance on closures, saying that it 'doesn't make sense' for churches to stay open. It comes after churches were closed during the first two lockdowns last year - but there has since been significant pressure on the Government to allow them to stay open, including from former prime minister Theresa May. People wearing face masks attend Christmas Day mass last month at St Mary's Church, Dublin A hand sanitiser is pictured at the entrance to St Mary's Church in Dublin last month Members of the congregation wear face masks at Christmas Day mass in Dublin last month Bryony Taylor, the rector of Barlborough and Clowne in Derbyshire, said: 'I made the decision to close my buildings yesterday. Everyone was relieved. I had people on rotas feeling they 'ought' to come because we were open but who didn't feel safe.' Charlotte Gompertz, the vicar at Christ Church, Shelton and Oxon in Shropshire, tweeted: 'Please Bishop Sarah (Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally). Once a nurse, always a nurse. Surely this doesn't make sense?' Full statement from Church of England on churches staying open Bishop of London Sarah Mullally, who chairs the Church of England's Covid Recovery Group, said: 'The Prime Minister's words tonight underline the severity of the situation for the country, as the virus continues to spread rapidly. 'At a time like this, the Church is here to offer comfort and spiritual support to everyone. We have a duty to care for each other, but particularly those who are vulnerable or who may be most at risk. 'The Government has chosen not to suspend public worship in England at this time and we will continue to follow the guidance and ensure that churches remain as safe as possible. 'The Government guidance on the safe use of places of worship makes clear that those attending a place of worship must not mingle with anyone outside their household or support bubble. 'However, some may feel that it is currently better not to attend in person, and there will be parishes which decide to offer only digital services for the time-being. Clergy who have concerns, and others who are shielding, should take particular care and stay at home. 'I would urge everyone in our churches to pray for those on the front line in our public services - the NHS and those working in social care, for schools and many others on whom we depend; and for parents and carers of children at this anxious and stressful time. 'There is hope. The vaccination programme is underway and, as Christians, we have a deeper hope in God that comforts us beyond fear itself. As we have been remembering this Christmas Season, even in the midst of our darkest fears, that hope brings light.' Advertisement And Katie Thomas, a vicar at St James Malden in South London and the Bishop of Kingston's advisor on women's ministry, said: 'Those who stay open at the climax of a pandemic - without any evidence on safety requirements for the new strain - are putting their parishioners, their cleaner, public transport employees and the NHS at risk.' Reverend Carole Marsden, the minister of Shrewsbury United Reformed Church, added: 'Please, please close buildings and let your clergy continue their wonderful and creative ministry safely. God is big enough, vast enough and compassionate enough to cope surely.' According to Government guidance issued last night, places of worship can remain open for individual prayer and communal worship. But rules say people should only meet their household or support bubble and not mingle with others outside these groups. Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted only in exceptional circumstances, such as where one partner is seriously ill, and with strict limits on attendance - up to six people. A maximum of 30 people can attend a funeral while wakes and other ceremonial events can continue in a group of up to six. The Bishop of London, the Right Rev Dame Sarah Mullally, a former nurse who chairs the Church of England's Covid Recovery Group, said the new measures 'underline the severity of the situation for the country'. She said: 'The Government has chosen not to suspend public worship in England at this time and we will continue to follow the guidance and ensure that churches remain as safe as possible. 'The Government guidance on the safe use of places of worship makes clear that those attending a place of worship must not mingle with anyone outside their household or support bubble. 'However, some may feel that it is currently better not to attend in person, and there will be parishes which decide to offer only digital services for the time being. 'Clergy who have concerns, and others who are shielding, should take particular care and stay at home.' Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), said the new restrictions would be 'a devastating blow to everybody' and urged the Government to 'provide more support to mitigate the social and economic impacts across society'. Reverend Carole Marsden is the minister of Shrewsbury United Reformed Church, Shropshire Bryony Taylor is the rector of Barlborough and Clowne in Derbyshire Charlotte Gompertz is the vicar at Christ Church, Shelton and Oxon in Shropshire Reverend Michael Smith is the rector of Winton, Moordown and Charminster in Bournemouth Katie Thomas is a vicar at St James Malden in South London and the Bishop of Kingston's advisor on women's ministry He said some mosques in England had already 'voluntarily suspended communal activities in recent weeks out of precaution' and 'many individuals are reassessing whether they will go to their mosque to pray'. Rector asks vulnerable parishioners to stay at home after postitive tests for worshippers Mark Hart, rector of St Mary's Church in Nantwich, Cheshire The rector of a church in Cheshire has asked vulnerable parishioners to stay home after some Christmas service worshippers tested positive for coronavirus. Mark Hart, rector of St Mary's Church in Nantwich, said the church is still open for public worship at the moment. Government guidance states communal worship and funerals can continue, subject to limits on attendance during the national lockdown. But Reverend Hart wrote to parishioners last weekend, before lockdown came into force, strongly advising those who are 'extremely' or 'moderately' vulnerable not to attend Sunday services. He said: 'I hope there will not be many people attending the services tomorrow. That's something I never expected to say.' Reverend Hart added: 'If you are in the 'clinically extremely vulnerable' category, you really should not attend. 'Many who are moderately vulnerable would also be wise not to attend. No one will be turned away, of course, but the risk is serious. 'We should act as if we, and those we meet, are carriers of the virus. There are people who attended our Christmas services who tested positive a few days later.' Advertisement A few hours before the lockdown was announced on Monday, Folkestone Mosque in Kent said it was suspending prayers until further notice. Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre in London are also closed for all prayers until further notice. Mr Khan said the MCB called for 'tremendous care for mosques choosing to remain open to public worship given the Alert Level 5 (highest level)'. He added: 'We urge mosques to reassess their safety measures given the new strain and higher risk, and further restrict age limits to protect elderly attendees, open windows to ensure good ventilation, and increase to two-metre social distancing. 'If these or other additional safety measures are not deemed by mosque trustees as sufficient, our recommendation is for the mosque to suspend communal worship.' Bhai Amrik Singh, chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), said: 'Most people will follow the advice and stay at home. However, we are pleased the Government recognises that people of faith are able to leave home to attend a place of worship for communal worship. 'Gurdwaras play an important role in the spiritual well-being of the community but those managing gurdwaras must strike the right balance to ensure they remain safe for all those choosing to attend.' Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said: 'The regular practice of our faith in God is a well-established source of both personal resilience and dedicated service to those in need. Such resilience and enduring service are vital in these difficult circumstances. 'I am glad that no measures have been introduced that would obstruct or curtail this essential source of energy for the common good. 'Catholic parishes will continue to serve the needs of their local community. In one parish, for example, the provision of food for the needy has increased by 400% since March last year.' But Stephen Evans, chief executive of the National Secular Society, tweeted last night: 'Anyone else struggling to understand the rationale for this communal worship exemption? 'It really smacks of exceptionalism and religious privilege, particularly when compared to the other harsh restrictions introduced this evening. It also risks undermining the lockdown effort.' In Scotland, from Friday, places of worship must close but can open to broadcast a service or conduct a funeral, wedding or civil partnership. Lucy Watson has a new tattoo, taking to Instagram to show it off on Tuesday. Fresh from her festive trip to Barbados, the former Made In Chelsea star, 29, posed in a white bikini in front of a mirror, showcasing the inking on her side. She captioned this: 'New baby tat courtesy of @terrie_titouutattoo (& the ink is vegan)!' [sic] Fresh ink: Lucy Watson has a new tattoo, taking to Instagram to show it off on Tuesday Being that the snap was taken from afar, fans couldn't make out quite what it was, or what it stands for. ADVERTISEMENT It appeared to be tribal writing, but this is yet to be revealed. Click here to resize this module Lucy is known for her vegan activism, so was sure to insist that the ink was plant-based and cruelty-free. She was sure to showcase her phenomenal frame in the two-piece, displaying her toned waist. Meaning? It appeared to be tribal writing, but this is yet to be revealed This follows Lucy hitting out at trolls earlier in the day after she received a barrage of abuse for enjoying her trip abroad during the coronavirus pandemic. She insisted she has followed 'all necessary precautions' and flew out with fiance James Dunmore before Boris Johnson plunged London into Tier 4. Lucy said she would not accept people 'taking out their frustration on me' in the message. In a lengthy post uploaded to her stories, Lucy wrote: 'I understand people are angry, upset and frustrated at the moment. These are unpredictable and unfortunate times, with disappointment around every corner. 'However, I will not accept anyone taking out their frustration on me, be it during a pandemic or not. 'Hateful comments will be deleted and always have been, regardless of their relation to Covid. I want my feed to be a positive place, and although some people feel like I've broken the rules, I have not. Her say: Lucy hit out at trolls on Instagram on Tuesday after she received a barrage of abuse for enjoying a trip to Barbados during the coronavirus pandemic Hitting back: She insisted she has followed 'all necessary precautions' and flew out before Boris Johnson plunged London into Tier 4 'I left London pre tier 4 and followed all necessary precautions in Barbados. I was and am still negative for Covid. I've 3 tests in the last 3 weeks. 'This was not a last minute trip booked just to escape the U.K. This was a trip that had been booked for nearly a year, James's family spend half their time in Barbados and we go there every other Christmas. ADVERTISEMENT 'Regardless of the above, I truly hope I have not offended anyone, that is never my intention. Please take care of yourself and your mental health. We will get through this.' Holiday: Lucy is pictured with fiance James Dunmore Lucy flew out with fiance James, her sister Tiffany and dad Clive just before Tier 4 restrictions were imposed. At the time London was in Tier 3, with residents advised not to take holidays abroad. It comes after Lucy took to Instagram on Thursday to hit back at a social media user who asked if she was pregnant as she coined a cutting response. After a fan simply penned: 'Pregnant?' she swiftly responded: 'Seriously?' Festive break: Lucy flew out with fiance James, her sister Tiffany and dad Clive just before Tier 4 restrictions were imposed 'Pregnant'?: Last week, in an Instagram post, Lucy displayed her slim figure in a white bikini top and shorts while tying a striped, loose cover up around her stomach Fellow critics quickly swarmed upon the commentator and lashed out at the comment given Lucy's tiny frame in the picture of her taut stomach. The reality star took to her Instagram Stories, explaining that being asked if she's pregnant is 'socially unacceptable'. She said: 'It is not and will never be socially acceptable to ask someone if they are pregnant, whether you know them or not. You are basically telling that person they look bigger. Please stop.' Lucy became engaged to her boyfriend of five years James in September last year after he popped the question during a romantic getaway in Greece. ADVERTISEMENT The couple have been going strong ever since meeting on the E4 series back in 2015, following her ill-fated flings with Andy Jordan, Jamie Laing, Spencer Matthews and Oliver Proudlock. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated the 450 km long Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline to the country. He stated that the pipeline will help in reducing pollution. Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline via video conferencing. Addressing the crowd, PM Modi said, "It is an honour to dedicate the 450-km pipeline to the nation. This is an important day for India, especially for people of Karnataka and Kerala". Chief Ministers and Governors of both Karnataka and Kerala were present for the inauguration ceremony of the Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline along with the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan. Earlier on Sunday, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had said in a statement that the inauguration of the pipeline will mark an important milestone towards the establishment of "one nation, one gas grid". The newly built pipeline has a transportation capacity of 12 million metric standard cubic metres per day. It will carry natural gas from the liquefied natural gas regasification terminal in Kochi all the way to Mangaluru. The pipeline will pass through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, the PMO had noted in a statement. The 450 km long pipeline has been constructed by Gail (India) Limited. The total cost of the project was around Rs 3,000 crore. The construction of the pipeline created over 12 lakh man-days of employment, reports PTI. The pipeline is expected to supply environment-friendly, affordable Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to households. It will provide Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to the transportation sector. The pipeline will also supply natural gas to industrial and commercial plants in the districts which are situated along the line. Also Read: Healthcare worker dies 48 hours after getting Pfizer coronavirus vaccine Also Read: Jack Ma arrested? Chinese media says Alibaba founder 'embracing supervision' PUNE A week after at least 20 tax payers inquired about a loan facility to clear pending property tax dues, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is still holding out on its offer of a loan scheme to clear the dues. In the second phase of the civic bodys tax amnesty plan, the PMC offered to facilitate loan options for citizens who want to clear property tax dues. The corporation had called a meeting with cooperative banks to provide loan facilities to citizens who are not able to pay property tax dues, due to the Covid-19 situation. While on one hand the Pune civic body got a good response to its amnesty scheme and increased its property tax collection, no one, so far, has availed of the loan facility. The PMC has extended its amnesty on property tax up to January 26, 2021 and is offering a 70 per cent rebate on the penalty amount. Standing committee chairman Hemant Rasane called on banks to help the corporation by providing bank facilities to taxpayers. After his appeal, five co-operative banks came forward to provide loans to taxpayers to pay their dues. The civic body has also formed a special cell to coordinate between banks and taxpayers. Vilas Kanade joint municipal commissioner, property tax department, said, PMC is getting a response slowly. People are coming to enquire about loan facilities. Our officials are providing the information. At present, Suvarna Sahakari bank, Janata Sahakari bank, Suvarnayug Sahakari bank, Janata Sahakari Bank and Saraswat co-operative bank are offering loans to tax payers. Baban Kasbe, an official of the Property tax department, who is part of the loan cell of PMC said, Thirty people came to enquire about the loan facility. However, only one tax holder has put in a proposal to Saraswat bank to pay Rs 12 lakh in dues. He is residing in Hadapsar and his dues are for a commercial property. The proposal has reached the final stage. People who have a due amount more than one lakh rupees are coming to inquire about the scheme. We are providing logistical support to taxpayers who are keen to pay dues to PMC. Muzaffarnagar: A case has been registered against two youth after a 16 year old girl who was allegedly raped repeatedly, became pregnant. The girl was also warned aginst making complaint. According to the police, the incident came to light after the parents of the teenager came to know that she was three months pregnant. Following a complaint by the girl's father, a case has been registered at the Kotwali police station. According to circle officer Tejvir Singh, the case was registered under IPC sections dealing with rape, criminal intimidation and also the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against two youths named Bilal and Meherban. The two accused are absconding, Singh said. In the complaint, the girl's father has alleged that his daughter was gang-raped by the accused persons for five months. The complaint also said that the girl was threatened with dire consequences if she disclosed the crime to anyone, police officials said. Meanwhile, security has been tightened and extra police personnel have been deployed in the village as a precautionary measure. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. While the nation waits to see whether the holidays will lead to a new surge in coronavirus cases, the region was focused Monday on who will get the vaccine and when. More than 100,000 doses have been administered since late last month in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with thousands more health-care workers and nursing home residents set to get shots this week. But more questions than answers remained as the two states and Philadelphia continued preparing for expanding access to inoculations. Facing a massive logistical challenge and amid national concern about the pace of the process officials in all three spots said Monday they were still working on plans to determine how to distribute the vaccine in the next phase. How quickly the states can act and how soon the general public gets to line up for shots depends largely on how many doses can be produced by manufacturers and then distributed by the federal government. Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine predicted on Monday that with the holidays over, the effort will ramp up nationwide. READ MORE: Vaccinations are ramping up in a glimmer of hope, Dr. Anthony Fauci says Only frontline health workers and nursing home residents and staff are currently eligible to be vaccinated in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In the next round of inoculations, the shots will likely go to people 75 and older and various types of essential workers. Pennsylvania and Philadelphia officials said it was too soon to say exactly how that will roll out. In New Jersey, some residents could be able to make online appointments for the vaccine within a couple of weeks, state health officials said, though officials are still assessing who will be in that group. Primary care doctors and specialists are getting multiple calls a day from patients who want to know when they can be vaccinated, said Temple University Health System chief medical officer Tony Reed. States are receiving a different number of doses each week, and the delivery schedules also fluctuate, another challenge that slows distribution, Levine said. She also said funding from the federal government will be key: Pennsylvania needs money allocated to states in the latest stimulus bill to staff the mass vaccination clinics it plans to open. Public health officials have estimated it will take months before the general public is vaccinated. Levine advised people to be patient; follow public health guidance; stay in contact with their doctor, if they have one; and follow the news and updates from the health department. A few indicators Monday suggested the spread of the virus had slowed slightly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but lags and irregularities in reporting cases and deaths are expected over the next several days as a result of the holidays. Pennsylvania officials did not have an accurate picture of the number of people newly infected over the weekend because of database maintenance. An incomplete picture At least 162,000 Pennsylvania health workers have received first doses, though that represents fewer than half of the vaccines allocated to the state so far. Shots have also been given out at more than 100 nursing homes, but the state does not know how many people in those facilities have been vaccinated because the data go to the federal government, which has not yet shared the numbers. The state is in line to receive more doses this week: 166,725 of the Pfizer vaccine and 80,000 of the Moderna vaccine. Just over half of the Pfizer shipment will be second doses for health-care workers who received their first shots last month, Levine said. The state is also working on vaccinating nonaffiliated health-care workers who cant get the shot through an employer. The state is working on plans for mass vaccination sites and an appointment sign-up system, but officials did not have details Monday. Levine said officials did not yet know when the frontline workers and older adults who will be eligible next would begin getting shots. I wouldnt say were far behind, Levine said of the states pace. She said the state was working to ramp up distribution to the first priority group, designated 1A. When we come to when 1B will start, I promise you we will be ready. READ MORE: These are the current Pennsylvania coronavirus guidelines Of New Jerseys approximately 400,000 doses, about 101,000 were reported to have been administered, but the actual number may be higher due to a lag in reporting, Gov. Phil Murphy said. An additional 120,000 doses were set aside for long-term care facilities. On Monday, the state started giving second shots to health-care workers who got the first doses last month. Two vaccination megasites will open Friday, one in Gloucester County, Murphy said; for the time being, only health-care workers will be able to receive shots there. Shots will also eventually be administered at about 200 locations, including hospitals, pharmacies, primary care offices, and urgent-care centers. Philadelphia officials said it was too early to say how the distribution process in the city will work. Because it has to apportion limited doses, the city like states and other jurisdictions across the country is grappling with questions including which essential workers should be vaccinated first, when there will be enough doses for all of them, and how to identify and contact people with high-risk health conditions, said James Garrow, a spokesperson for the city health department. READ MORE: COVID-19 is making ER physician burnout worse than ever. Jefferson, UArts researchers seek ways to help. Meanwhile, shots are going into the arms of the regions hospital workers. More than 18,000 Penn Medicine faculty, staff, and other health-care workers have received their first dose and an additional 4,000 are scheduled to receive shots in the coming days, said Penn Medicine chief medical officer P.J. Brennan. At Temple University, Reed said the hospital system will likely finish scheduling first doses for most of its 18,000 employees, affiliated physicians, and medical students by the end of the month. Meanwhile, he said, doctors are preparing to start inoculating older patients, with priority for those with serious illnesses. When the time comes, those high-risk patients will likely be contacted by their doctors and given shots in their doctors offices, though Reed anticipated that most healthy patients over 75 will likely schedule their shots through a call center. As different groups of people qualify for immunization, they will likely be able to sign up for appointments in a doctors office or community vaccination site, Reed said. And Temple is expecting to partner with churches and community centers to bring vaccination sites into Philadelphias neighborhoods once more doses are available, Reed said. Brennan of Penn Medicine also said hospitals may set up off-site community testing facilities. In the end, he said, were ready as soon as government says we should do it. Waiting on a holiday surge As Pennsylvanias restrictions on indoor dining, gyms, and other businesses were lifted Monday, officials said they would be watching the case numbers in the coming two weeks to determine whether holiday travel and gatherings led to a spike. Pennsylvania reported 4,579 newly confirmed cases on Sunday and 3,226 on Monday. The numbers were abnormally low, Levine said, because of maintenance on the state reporting system over the weekend. On Sunday, 56 deaths were reported, and an additional 66 were reported on Monday. Levine said the death numbers were likely low because reporting slowed during the holidays. Philadelphia, which wont allow indoor dining until Jan. 15, announced 1,576 new cases, representing test results reported since Thursday, but Garrow also said the batch of test results received by the city was smaller than usual. Though the three-week restrictions were lifted, the state remains under a stay-at-home advisory. New Jersey reported 2,292 new cases and 38 deaths. Persichilli, the health commissioner, said the Department of Health was in touch with hospitals and discussing preparations for a potential mid-January surge. If Im anxious about anything, its the 14-day incubation period postholiday, post-New Years Eve, Persichilli said. We will be as prepared as we can be. Staff writers Jason Laughlin, Tom Avril, Marie McCullough, Laura McCrystal, and Rob Tornoe contributed to this article. Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed over the phone the settlement in Ukraine from the perspective of the implementation of the Minsk accords and the "Normandy format" agreements, the Kremlin press service said on Tuesday. "[They] discussed issues related to cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic with an emphasis on the possible prospects for the joint production of vaccines. An agreement was reached on continuing contacts on the issue between the two countries health ministries and other specialized agencies," TASS cited the report as saying. Putin and Merkel wished each other a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ATLANTA, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF), Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and Morgan Stanley announced the launch of the $100 million Greater Atlanta Transit Oriented Affordable Housing Preservation Fund (the Fund). The Fund will provide financing to multi-family property owners to help low-income families and individuals stay in their homes, and not be displaced as rents increase in transit-rich neighborhoods throughout the Greater Atlanta metropolitan area. "We are proud to support the partnership between NEF and Morgan Stanley in the formation of this fund that will protect and preserve affordable housing within a mile radius of MARTA's heavy rail stations," said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker. "The ground-up development of new affordable units takes time, and we wanted to do more in the short term to help. Supporting this effort to preserve affordable units right now makes sense." The Fund will provide acquisition capital for multi-family affordable housing developments near or beyond the end of their initial tax credit compliance period; affordable housing properties that operate under the HUD Section 8 or other federal programs; as well as projects with no current rent restrictions that will become restricted upon acquisition. The Fund will provide high-LTV non-recourse first mortgage debt to finance the acquisition or repositioning of projects in targeted MARTA transit-oriented districts. "We are excited to work with NEF and MARTA on this important initiative to deploy capital to help preserve affordable homes throughout the Greater Atlanta region," said Mike Mantle, Managing Director, Head of Community Development Finance at Morgan Stanley. NEF is the Fund manager, with Morgan Stanley as the sole investor in the Fund. Loans made by the Fund to finance the acquisition and recapitalization of affordable housing projects for up to a 7-year holding period that is expected to terminate upon the refinancing or tax credit re-syndication of the project. Potential uses are as follows: Acquire real estate Pay off an existing first mortgage Restructure existing gap financing General partner acquisition of limited partner interests Invest in minor capital improvements "Affordable housing is critical to the well-being of families and communities," said Matt Reilein, NEF President and CEO. "We're proud to be part of this important effort to make sure Atlantans can afford to live near public transportation and connect to jobs they might otherwise not be able to access. This fund is about investing in the city's future." To learn more about the Fund, please contact Scott Zeigler from National Equity Fund at [email protected]. About NEF National Equity Fund, Inc., based in Chicago, is a leading nonprofit investor and lender in affordable housing and one of the nation's largest syndicators of federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Since 1987, NEF has invested $17 billion in 2,800 developments, supporting more than 187,000 affordable homes and fueling more than 228,400 jobs nationwide. NEF is an affiliate of the nonprofit Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and has made more than $180 million in grants to support LISC's broad-based community investment efforts throughout the country. For more information, visit www.nefinc.org Media Contacts: Colleen Mulcahy, for NEF 312-342-8244 [email protected] SOURCE National Equity Fund Related Links http://www.nefinc.org JACKSON COUNTY, MI A portion of a lawsuit filed nearly three years ago against now-former Jackson County Sheriff Steven Rand and Jackson County has been dismissed by a federal judge. Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis, for the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, issued an opinion Dec. 23, dismissing the case against Rand while allowing the lawsuit against the county to continue. Tommy Schuette, a former sheriffs office lieutenant, filed the lawsuit against Rand and the county in February 2018, alleging that Rand persistently mocked him for his hearing loss while he was actively working for the sheriffs office and created a hostile work environment with bigoted, disparaging, racist or sexist remarks. Requests to dismiss the February 2018 lawsuit were filed by Rand and the county in November 2019. Schuette no longer works at the sheriffs office after long-term medical leave benefits ran out, attorney Jim Fett said. Rand did not seek reelection in 2020. Schuette is happy that part of the suit is allowed to continue, Fett said. He was ecstatic to get the news, Fett said. The longer it goes, youre wondering, What is she doing? and youre thinking all kinds of things. It was a heck of a Christmas present for him. The portion of the lawsuit against Rand personally was dismissed because the federal American with Disabilities Act and Michigans Person with Disabilities Civil Rights Act do not allow individuals to be held liable only organizations, Davis opinion states. Attorneys for Rand did not respond to requests for comment. There was not going to be any more money in this for Tommy Schuette if Sheriff Rand stayed in (the suit), Fett said. I thought it would be just to have him as a defendant. Because he was a defendant, the Jackson County community was more attuned to this. I think it was just that he should personally be called to account and he was. Colleagues go on record about Jackson County Sheriff Rands alleged inappropriate behavior The county, however, can be held responsible for the hostile work environment under the ADA, but not the PWDCRA, Davis opinion states. Rand was a supervisor under county employment, which means the county can be held liable for alleged harassment by the ADA, per the opinion. The sheriff is elected by the people, and the U.S. Constitution and state laws give sheriffs power, according to the countys argument that it be dismissed from the case. Sheriffs have the power to hire and fire deputies, not counties, which means the county should not be held responsible, the county argued. However, Rand is an agent of the county and worked as a supervisor, which means the county can be held responsible, Davis opinion states. While the question of the sheriffs status as an agent may appear straight-forward at first blush, it is not, the opinion reads. Although a close question, the court finds that these limitations on the countys authority over the sheriff do not undermine a finding of an agency relationship. While Rand exercises autonomy greater than that of a deputy sheriff, many of the same factors that led the court to conclude that Schuette is an employee of the county lead the court to conclude that Rand is an agent of the county. The county plans to file for Davis to reconsider her opinion, County Administrator Mike Overton said. We believe the judge either shes been misinformed, or she doesnt understand how counties work, he said. You elect your sheriff. He doesnt answer to the county administrator or the county commissioners. He answers to the voters. There is no law or statute that allows the county to tell the sheriff how to run the department, and the county cannot remove the sheriff, which it knows from experience, Overton said. Because Rand is elected, only an order from the governor or a successful recall election would have forced him out of office. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declined three times to remove Rand and a recall effort failed. Its a cop-out, attorney says of Gov. Whitmers 3rd refusal to fire Jackson County sheriff Were very disappointed in the courts decision there, Overton said. Obviously we felt there was grounds for dismissal. One, we didnt create this situation, Sheriff Rand did and his was dismissed on a technicality of the law. Were working on behalf of all our residents to resolve this as best we can, as always. We are very hopeful. We have a new sheriff and a new day is turned. Were looking forward to the future. Retaliation allegations Schuette said he met with county officials prior to filing his lawsuit to show them secret recordings he made of Rands demeaning statements about women and Blacks, gays, Hispanics, disabled and overweight people. Lawyer releases obscene audio he claims proves Jackson sheriff is bigot County officials said Schuette demanded three years wages and three years credit for his pension or else he would go public with the tapes. Schuette claims the county completely fabricated that information, saying instead that he asked to be placed on paid leave pending an investigation into Rand. Schuette alleges the county failed to investigate Rand and retaliated against him by filing a report with Michigan State Police alleging Schuette tried to extort money from the county. If a jury believes Schuette, it can be decided the county caused him harm by filing the police report, Davis opinion states, However, the county argues it has a constitutional right to file police reports. The question of the constitutionality of the countys conduct is bound up in the resolution of the competing stories in any event, the judges opinion states. The county cites two cases that the court finds inapt. Neither case addresses whether a police report -- here, allegedly a false one -- can be the basis for retaliation. As a result, the court finds that Schuette has created a genuine dispute as to whether the countys police report was a materially adverse action. The countys decision to not investigate Rand did not harm Schuette because when the context is examined, the county did more than an investigation would have done, Davis opinion reads. The county attempted to remove Rand. It asked him to resign, rescinded his benefits, and petitioned the governor to remove him, the opinion states. In other words, the county went beyond an investigation and presumably believed Schuettes accusations and took actions to remove Rand as sheriff. Embattled sheriff losing vehicle, nearly $11,000 a year in benefits Schuette provided enough evidence to proceed toward a jury trial against Jackson County for a hostile work environment and retaliation, Davis opinion states. If the motion for Davis to reconsider her opinion is not granted, the lawsuit will proceed to a settlement conference Feb. 11. If no settlement is reached, the lawsuit will proceed to a jury trial, which is scheduled for March 16. To read full coverage, click here. Read more from MLive: Man stabbed by girlfriend during fight in Jackson County, police say Man accused of stabbing son in Jackson County, police say $40K donation from Kiwanis Club boosts Jackson YMCA capital campaign Special meeting will address ethics investigation involving Jackson councilwoman Texas District 11 Rep. August Pfluger said he will join about 140 U.S. House members in challenging the presidential election results at a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. In a statement released Saturday, Pfluger said he will be supporting an election challenge and called for a full debate on all matters related to the election. For our democracy to function everyone must trust in it, and millions of Americans right now do not, he said. Thirty-four percent of Americans said they do not trust the results of the presidential election, according to a poll from Quinnipiac University. A majority of Republicans, however, do believe there was widespread voter fraud 77 percent, according to the poll. The poll found 97 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of independents believe President-elect Joe Bidens victory was legitimate. Pfluger joins 140 U.S. representatives and 12 senators who have said they will vote to reject the results of the Electoral College in swing states when Congress meets Wednesday to certify the election. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) are leading the efforts to challenge the Electoral College results. In a joint statement from the 12 senators, they called for an emergency 10-day investigation into allegations of voter fraud. A fair and credible audit -- conducted expeditiously and completed well before January 20 -- would dramatically improve Americans' faith in our electoral process and would significantly enhance the legitimacy of whoever becomes our next President, they said in the statement. A 10-day audit into the results would leave just four days between when the investigation is completed and Biden is set to be sworn in. The senators are also calling for individual states to convene special legislative sessions to certify a change in their vote, if needed. Democrats in Congress have criticized the move as a last-ditch attempt to hand reelection to President Donald Trump, and former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called Republicans efforts anti-democratic and anti-conservative. It is unlikely House Republicans will succeed in blocking the certification of Bidens win, as they are still hundreds of votes short of having a majority. Sen. John Cornyn has not said if he will be voting in favor of an investigation. In a post on Twitter, he said he would welcome the debate but questioned if any new evidence of election fraud would be presented. Pfluger was sworn into Congress on Sunday. He won the Republican nomination for District 11 against a dozen other candidates in March after receiving an endorsement from Trump. Election officials have denied there is any evidence of widespread voter fraud, and a statement from the Department of Homeland Security in November said the election was the most secure in American history. The GOP representatives and senators challenging Bidens win have not indicated that they will object to their own wins during the same election and with the same ballots. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. [January 05, 2021] INTERalliance Offers Paid Tech Internships for Local High School Students CINCINNATI, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati has officially kicked off the 2020 Intern Program! This program, open to current High School Junior and Seniors, places students into meaningful, paid Technology internships in some of the regions most influential companies. Since the programs creation in 2008, nearly 500 interns have been placed into roles varying between software development, cybersecurity, and business analytics. The Summer internships last 8-10 weeks and allow students to earn between $3,000 and $5,000. INTERalliance is offering two Intern Open House Sessions for students and parents to learn more about the program. These sessions held on January 26th and 28th are both virtual and will review the requirements of the Internships as well as provide students the opportunity to meet with representatives from companies such as Kroger Technology, Great American InsuranceGroup, P&G, Western & Southern Financial Group, and Vora Ventures. New student requirements will also be discussed during these sessions. For companies who are interested in getting engaged or learning more, a separate session is being offered on January 19th. To find additional information and to register, visit https://interalliance.org/programs/online-programs/ About the INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati: The mission of the INTERalliance is to inspire and assist young talent to pursue an IT career in Greater Cincinnati. More information can be found at www.interalliance.org. Member companies of the INTERalliance include The Kroger Co., Procter & Gamble, Great American Insurance, FIS, GE, Vora Technologies, Fifth Third Bank, Western & Southern Financial Group, among many others. For more information, visit https://interalliance.org Heather Ackels (513) 415-7707 Heather.Ackels@INTERalliance.org [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Kuwaits foreign ministry announced Monday that Saudi Arabia will open its air and land borders with Qatar in the first steps toward ending a diplomatic crisis that has deeply divided regional U.S. allies since 2017. The state-run Kuwait News Agency reported the announcement, saying that Saudi Arabia would open its borders with Qatar starting Monday evening. Qatars only land border has been mostly closed since mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a blockade against the tiny Gulf state, accusing it of supporting Islamist groups in the region and of having warm ties with Iran. The border has opened just briefly during the past three years to allow Qataris into Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic hajj pilgrimage. Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar and the four Arab states. On Monday, Kuwaits Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser al-Mohammad Al Sabah reportedly traveled to Qatar to deliver a message to Qatars ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The lifting of the embargo by Saudi Arabia paves the way for Qatars ruler to attend a summit of Gulf leaders Tuesday that will be held in the kingdoms desert city of Al-Ula. The summit would traditionally be chaired by the Saudi monarch, King Salman, though his son and heir, the crown prince, may instead lead the meeting. Kuwaits foreign minister said in a statement carried on state TV that the Kuwaiti emir had spoken with Qatars emir and Saudi Arabias crown prince. The conversations emphasized that everyone was keen on reunification, and would gather in Al-Ula to sign a statement that promises to usher in a bright page of brotherly relations. The Gulf Cooperation Council summit will be inclusive, leading the states toward reunification and solidarity in facing the challenges of our region, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted as saying in remarks carried by the Saudi state-run news agency. The decision by the close U.S. allies comes in the final days of the Trump administrations time in office. Trumps advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar in early December in a final attempt to secure a diplomatic breakthrough. The decision to end the Saudi blockade of Qatar also comes just ahead of U.S. President-elect Joe Bidens swearing in. Saudi Arabia may be seeking to clear contentious files that could prove stumbling blocs to building warm ties with the Biden administration, which is expected to take a firmer stance toward the kingdoms policies than Trumps four years in office. There was no immediate comment by the UAE, Egypt or Bahrain on the announcement. However, in recent days Emirati and Egyptian statements have been made welcoming Saudi efforts to resolving the dispute. SOURCE: AP A 43-year-old homeless woman benefitted from spending the Christmas holidays in prison and now she has been sentenced to four months in jail for a catalogue of offences committed over the past six months. Frank Buttimer solicitor said at Cork District Court that Anne Marie Ward was pleading guilty to all the charges against her, mainly for being drunk and a danger, failing to appear in court, and shoplifting. Mr Buttimer said that because she had no intoxicants for more than a fortnight and had been put on stabilising medication she had benefitted significantly from being in custody. The solicitor said that on her release from prison Ward wants to continue under the direction of the probation service and go for rehabilitation. She pleaded guilty today to 13 counts of being drunk and a danger on various dates in the past six months, four counts of failing to show up in court, one of theft and two of engaging in threatening behaviour. Judge Olann Kelleher commented on Wards recent remand in custody and said, Things have improved slightly. Hopefully, that improvement will continue. It emerged before Christmas that because of serious personal challenges and a huge number of public order convictions she had been admitted to the accident and emergency unit of Mercy University Hospital at least 650 times. Garda Lorraine ODonovan arrested Ann Marie Ward just before Christmas and said hospital records noted 650 admissions by Ann Marie Ward to the Mercy University Hospital. Garda ODonovan said of Wards hospital visits, They have stopped recording them. By Jay Busbee January 04, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Vice President Mike Pence said Monday that the case for widespread election fraud would be made to the American people when Congress meets this week to certify President-elect Joe Bidens victory over President Trump. Weve all got our doubts about the last election. I share the concerns of millions of Americans about voting irregularities, Pence said at an indoor congregation at Rock Springs Church in Milner, Ga., in support of Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in runoff elections there. Pence, who by law will be tasked with declaring a winner of the Electoral College vote, seemed to leave open the possibility that Trump could still remain in power for a second term. Come this Wednesday, he said, referring to the impending certification of election results, well have our day in Congress. Well hear the evidence. Biden won the state of Georgia by 12,000 votes, and three separate recounts have confirmed that victory. But with Trump contesting the election results, and pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes and declare him the winner, Pences job of turning out the vote in the two Senate runoff elections has been made more precarious. No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter If both Loeffler and Perdue lose to Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, the Senate will be split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris a tie-breaking vote and vastly easing the path for Bidens agenda. I hear some people saying, Just dont vote, Pence said, referring to multiple Trump loyalists who have suggested voters boycott the election. If you dont vote, they win. From the moment that Rock Springs senior pastor Benny Tate introduced him with Hes a Christian, hes conservative, hes Republican, in that order, it was clear Pences faith would play a significant role in his remarks. He praised the role of prayer in American life; he contended that the Trump administration had protected religious freedom; and, in one particularly applause-heavy line, he thundered, Were going to keep Georgia, and were going to save America! Pence also touted the Trump administrations response to COVID-19, praising the jobs regained and the vaccines rolled out and contending that America is nearing the end stage of the pandemic. We know what we need to do to stop the spread and flatten the curve, he said before the indoor crowd, many of whom were unmasked. Perhaps it was the fact that he was behind a pulpit, or perhaps he was rising to the gravity of the moment, but Pence was more animated and engaged than hed been in most past public appearances. He spoke with the cadence of a preacher, he modulated his voice to project both sincerity and resolve, and he made absolutely sure to tie himself directly to Trump, which brought the loudest cheers of the rally. Were looking to you, Georgia, were looking to you to hold the line, he said, and I believe in all my heart that you will. Election Day is Tuesday, with early voting already complete. FiveThirtyEights current average of all polls of the races has Ossoff ahead by 1.4 percentage points and Warnock ahead by 2 percentage points, though those margins have narrowed slightly since the weekend. Pences rally was the second of several major visits to Georgia in the days leading up to the election. Harris spoke at a rally in Savannah on Sunday, Biden is slated to speak Monday afternoon in Atlanta, and Trump will be hosting a rally in Dalton on Monday night. Credit: CC0 Public Domain DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have always been fairly flexible, so I have never felt compelled to include yoga in my fitness routine. Typically, I just walk and maybe do some weights for strength training. I was talking to a friend who said her physical therapist recommended yoga as part of a well-rounded workout routine. What is the benefit of yoga? Should I add it to my routine or stick with what I'm doing? ANSWER: Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise that provides benefits that walking or strength training don't provide. In Eastern cultures, yoga is not seen as exercise, but rather "a moving meditation." In the Western world, many people know power yoga or vinyasa yoga, which are classified as exercise. Regardless of the type of yoga, when practiced mindfully, there are many advantages for the body, mind and soul. Yoga can provide three primary benefits that a typical gym routine may not provide. Benefit 1: Yoga improves the function of the nervous system. Since yoga is based on breathing, parts of the nervous system are affected when exhales are lengthened and breath is controlled. This is cued throughout particular yoga sequences. Specifically, yoga can help lower the fight-or-flight response and improve the body's "rest-and-digest" response. Practicing slow, controlled breathing stimulates the body's vagus nerve, which takes information about the current state of relaxation and relays it to the rest of the body, including the brain. One area affected when the vagal nerve is stimulated is the parasympathic nervous system, which controls the body's rest and digestion functions. The mindful breathing practiced in yoga increases the activity of the parasympathic nervous system. As a result, yoga lowers the heart rate, improves digestion and quality of sleep, and strengthens the immune system. Another benefit is an improved stress level. Benefit 2: Yoga can improve joint range of motion. The difference between flexibility and active range of motion is important. Think of flexibility as how much a muscle can be passively stretched. In contrast, range of motion is how much muscles can be used to control a joint's movement. It is not uncommon these days for people to report neck and back pain, and poor range of motion in their thoracic spine due to constant sitting, typing on computers and looking down at cellphones. Yoga is excellent in improving thoracic range of motion because many poses involve extending the body through the rib cage and using strength to hold these postures. Yoga incorporates all four motions of the spine: flexion, extension, rotation and side-bending. Therefore, yoga can prevent stiffness and disuse that also can occur with age. Being able to control the available range of motion in joints is crucial to good posture and decreasing the risk of injury. Benefit 3: Yoga improves dynamic balance, decreasing the risk of falling. Think of balance like a muscle. By working hard at different exercises, balance can improve. This is similar to improved strength by lifting weights. Balance is a complex system, requiring three parts: the sensation of the foot on the ground, or proprioception; vision; and the inner ear, or vestibular system. These three parts tell the brain where the head is in space. These three components work together to control both static and dynamic balance. Yoga trains the proprioception and visual systems to improve balance. Depending on the pose, cues are sent to focus, for instance, on the foot rooted to the ground. By concentrating in an attempt to maintain contact, the big toe, little toe and heel form a tripod of sorts, which in turn helps focus the proprioception portion of balance. In yoga, you may hear the term "drishti," which refers to obtaining a focused gaze or focus in the mind. The concept comes into play as people aim to hold a pose with their eyes closed. Certain poses become more challenging with eyes closed, which improves the visual part of balance. Also, moving back and forth between poses without fully touching a limb to the ground can increase the ability to dynamically move and not lose balance. Over time, this will reduce the risk of falling while walking on uneven ground or turning quickly. While it may be hard to add one more thing to your busy life routine, incorporating yoga into your workout routine can benefit your stress level, mobility and balance in ways that may not be achieved from a regular gym routine. Explore further Take a new view of yoga 2020 Mayo Clinic News Network Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Kolkata: BCCI president and former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly, who underwent angioplasty after suffering a mild heart attack, is in a stable condition and most likely to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, the Kolkata hospital treating him said on Tuesday (January 5, 2021). BCCI President Sourav Ganguly will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. He will be monitored at home on a daily basis, Dr Rupali Basu, MD & CEO Woodlands Hospital, Kolkata, said according to ANI. Sharing more information, Dr Rupali Basu said that Sourav Gangulys vital health parameters are normal. Sourav Ganguly will be ready for the next course of procedures or medical intervention after about 2-3 weeks, Dr Rupali Basu added. Sourav Ganguly will be ready for the next course of procedures or medical intervention after about 2-3 weeks: Dr Rupali Basu MD & CEO Woodlands Hospital, Kolkata https://t.co/BomM5kDGIG ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 Meanwhile, noted cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty, Cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty also met the medical team of nine doctors attending to Ganguly and then a further course of action was decided by the hospital. On Monday, Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur visited Woodlands Hospital. Further, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, Rajya Sabha Member Swapan Dasgupta, and senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan also visited the hospital on Monday. Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ganguly and enquired about his health and wished him a speedy recovery. He also spoke to Ganguly`s wife Dona Ganguly. Ganguly was hospitalised at 1 pm on January 2 with "chest discomfort, the heaviness of head, vomiting and a spell of dizziness" while performing physical exercise in the home gymnasium at around 11 am. Following this, doctors had conducted angioplasty on him. On January 2, 48-year-old Ganguly was tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which turned out to be negative. The family members were present during the board meeting and were explained about the disease process and further therapeutic plan. Now Ukraine has two months to deliver comments and remarks. Ukraine has received from Iran a draft technical report on the circumstances of the crash of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) flight PS752 near Tehran on January 8, 2020. That's according to the Ukrainian online news outlet Obozrevatel referring to a statement by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. According to the minister, the papers were received on December 31, and now Ukraine has two months to deliver comments to the report. "We've received the draft report on December 31, on New Year's Eve. There are two months for comments and remarks. This is a rather important stage for further progress, without which it would be impossible to achieve compensation and justice in general. Now the word is confirmed by deed," the minister said. According to Kuleba, as for the amount of compensation, which has recently appeared in the information space, now it's only media reports. Ukraine has not heard any official statements on this matter from Iran. "The experience of the last year has taught us to be extremely careful about the information in the Iranian media and, as they say, to filter every message. Until I receive an official offer from the Iranian government, we will not reckon with any news reports regarding the figures. I urge Ukrainians to do the same. There is too much information noise around the issue," Kuleba said. When asked why the negotiation process between Ukraine and Iran, which admitted its guilt in the plane crash, has been going on for a year already, the minister pointed to the country's internal political problems. "The delay can be explained by the purely internal political alignments in Iran. Not everyone there positively assessed the fact that the government had taken responsibility. We do not meddle in the internal affairs of Iran, we are committed to resolving the issue. Because this is not about politics, law or finance. This is a moral question before the families of the victims," Kuleba added. PS752 downing in Iran: Background On January 8, 2020, Kyiv-bound Boeing 737 passenger jet flight PS752, operated by Ukraine International Airlines, crashed in Iran shortly after takeoff from Tehran Airport. Read alsoPS752 downing: Ukraine takes tough stance in talks with Iran FM KulebaAll 176 people on board, including 11 Ukrainian nationals nine crew and two passengers were killed. Among victims are also citizens of Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani admitted that the Ukrainian liner had been shot down as a result of an unintentional "human error," and promised to bring those responsible to justice. On June 9, media reports said Iran had accused six persons in the PS752 downing case. On July 20, the flight recorders were delivered to Paris and decrypted on July 21. On July 24, it was reported that data from the black boxes had confirmed external interference with the aircraft's operation. On October 23, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Yenin said Iran would pay compensation to the relatives of victims of the UIA flight PS752 crash, but the process might last up to two years. On December 9, however, Yenin said that Iran had withdrawn the offer to handle the payments to the families of those killed in the UIA plane crash. In the middle of December, Canada expressed its position on the Iranian investigation into the downing of the Ukrainian plane, saying it is not credible. On December 22, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported that Iranian investigators, during a video conference, had provided representatives of other countries whose citizens were victims of the crash with a technical report on the UIA downing. On December 23, Yenin said that Ukraine had not received the report. On December 24, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed concern that Iran was delaying the negotiation process on the case of the downed Ukraine International Airlines plane. He noted that Ukraine had not received a technical report from Iran on the plane downed almost a year ago. On December 30, Iranian cabinet members reportedly agreed at a session to allocate US$150,000 or its equivalent in euros to each family of the victims of the Ukrainian plane crash in January 2020. Reporting by UNIAN Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. DecisionDatabases added the latest report with a global perspective on the LED String Lights Market studied under different segments, including type, application, and regions. The report is treated with size, trends, growth, share, and forecast till 2025. Besides, the research report studied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overall growth at the global level. This report also offers a lucrative area of the industry at the regional and country level. The final report will cover the impact of COVID-19 on this industry. The global LED String Lights market report presents a complete research-based study of the industry including details such as company shares, forecast data, in-depth analysis and an outlook of the market on a worldwide platform. The report further highlights the market drivers, restraints and the top manufacturers at the global and regional levels. For a thorough understanding, the report also offers market segmentation and regional analysis for the forecast period from 2020 to 2025. Click here to get a Sample PDF Copy of the LED String Lights Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-30111 According to this study, over the next five years, the LED String Lights market will register an xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach $ xx million by 2025, from $ xx million in 2020. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in the LED String Lights business, shared in Chapter 3. This LED String Lights market report also splits the market by regions: Americas (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil), APAC (China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Australia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Italy, Russia, Spain), Middle East & Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Turkey, GCC Countries). This report presents a comprehensive overview, market shares, and growth opportunities of the LED String Lights market by type, application, key manufacturers, key regions, and countries. The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3. MK Illumination OSRAM Sylvania Inc. Lights4fun Inc BLACHERE ILLUMINATION Jiangmen Great Optoelectronics Technology Corp. TASCO Industries Inc Feit Electric JASCO (Enbrighten) Balsam Hill QIANKEYING NOMA Crystal Valley Festive Productions Ltd Others To inquire about report customization, feel free to reach out to our team of expert analysts @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/ask-questions-30111 This study considers the LED String Lights value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments: Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.7. Below 10 Lights 10-20 Lights Over 20 Lights Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2025 in section 11.8. Outdoor Use Indoor Use In addition, this report discusses the key drivers influencing market growth, opportunities, challenges, and the risks faced by key manufacturers and the market as a whole. It also analyzes key emerging trends and their impact on present and future development. Purchase the Complete Global LED String Lights Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-30111 Research Objectives To study and analyze the global LED String Lights consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, type and application, history data from 2015 to 2019, and forecast to 2025. To understand the structure of the LED String Lights market by identifying its various subsegments. Focuses on the key global LED String Lights manufacturers, to define, describe, and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in the next few years. To analyze the LED String Lights with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market. To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks). To project the consumption of LED String Lights submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries). To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies. About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research report provider, enriching decision-makers, and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research reports, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For more details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91 90 28 057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Reference Source: https://www.topnewscorner.com/led-string-lights-market-size-share-growth-outlook-forecast-research-report-till-2025/ .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE One of the people charged in connection with the uprising at an Indigenous Peoples Day rally during which a 152-year-old monument was toppled is off the hook. Sean Sunderland, 24, who was facing charges of criminal trespass and resisting an officer, had his case dismissed last week due to a Santa Fe police officers failure to attend a court hearing. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning his charges cannot be refiled. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ A spokesman for the city of Santa Fe said late Monday that the officer hadnt been served with the subpoena. There is an inquiry into the circumstances and whether the judge can be petitioned to reconsider the dismissal, spokesman David Herndon said. Sunderland was one of two people charged Oct. 12 after protesters clashed with police officers on hand to protect the 33-foot obelisk. The obelisk, which stood at the center of Santa Fes historic Plaza, was originally dedicated as a Soldiers Monument honoring Union troops who fought Civil War battles in New Mexico. It once bore an inscription honoring those who fought battles against savage Indians and has been viewed by many as a symbol of oppression of Native Americans. Sunderlands charges were dismissed Dec. 28 because Santa Fe police officer Jesse Campbell failed to show up to a court hearing, according to the court order. SFPD Deputy Chief Paul Joye said Monday afternoon that the department is looking into the matter to see what happened. If its our error, then were going to own it, he said. First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said SFPD was prosecuting the case because Sunderland was facing only misdemeanor charges. She said the DAs Office offered to help with the prosecution, but SFPD didnt accept. Sunderlands attorney, Kitren Fischer, moved to dismiss the case after SFPD failed to show up for the hearing and Santa Fe Magistrate Donita Sena agreed to do so. Fischer said he was fully prepared to fight the charge. Mr. Sunderland was engaged in constitutionally protected acts when he was arrested by Santa Fe Police on Indigenous Peoples Day. Mr. Sunderland was arrested prior to the toppling of the obelisk he was never charged with conspiracy or destruction of property, Fischer said in an emailed statement. He was charged with misdemeanor trespassing while standing in the plaza with hundreds of other people. Sunderland was accused of knocking officers off another demonstrator, Dylan Wrobel, after protesters breached a police barricade intended to protect the monument. Wrobel was charged with battery on a peace officer and resisting arrest. Four other people were later charged with criminal damage to property and conspiracy for their alleged part in tearing down the obelisk, using ropes and chains. Their cases are still pending. Logitech Ireland has announced more than 50 new jobs in Cork. The company plans to expand the staffing of several of its teams in the Cork office, where it currently employs around 200 people. The opportunities, which will come on stream over the next three years, will cover a wide range of roles including design, engineering, IT and supply chain functions. Logitech first established themselves in Cork in 1988 and moved to its current location at the airport business park in 2013. Elaine Laird, Logitechs head of global supply chain and site lead at Cork, said the company is pleased to announce this expansion. She said: "This is a reflection not only of Logitechs long-term performance, but also the wonderful culture and spirit our employees have developed, here and across the world. "At Logitech, talent working out of Ireland is shaping the future, and enjoying it." Tanaiste & Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Leo Varadkar TD echoed Ms Laird's comments, adding: Ireland is a really attractive destination for technology companies, due in large part to our strong pool of talent. "I wish Logitech the very best as they continue to develop and grow its operations in Ireland. The NSW government has been accused of outsourcing tax reform by paying millions of dollars to a private consultant to help phase out stamp duty in the state's biggest reform in decades. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in November revealed the plan to replace stamp duty with an annual land tax on new property transactions in his fourth budget, which recorded a historic $16 billion deficit. Stamp duty is set to be replaced with an annual land tax on new property transactions. Credit:Chris Hopkins The government has said the stimulus measure will inject as much as $11 billion into the states economy over four years, with the potential to lift living standards by around $3300 for the average household. However, the NSW opposition says public servants are angered by a decision to award a $5.5 million contract to consultancy firm KPMG to design the tax plan, in a move they say outsources expertise. Two South Texas men have admitted they organized the smuggling of approximately 170 kilograms of marijuana from El Cenizo to Laredo, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick Monday. Roberto Chavarria, 38, pleaded guilty Monday, while his brother, Daniel Chavarria, 35, entered his plea Friday. The El Cenizo men admitted to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. On May 25, 2017, both helped load large bundles of marijuana into the back of a black pickup truck at Roberto Chavarrias residence in El Cenizo. The drugs had been previously gathered from the banks of the Rio Grande River. Daniel Chavarria then attempted to escort the drug-laden truck to a stash house in Laredo. After conducting surveillance, law enforcement attempted to stop the pickup truck for a traffic violation while in route. However, the driver led authorities on a chase and quickly fled the scene. Authorities found the abandoned vehicle shortly thereafter in the middle of the road with the lights on and still running. They conducted a search and removed five large bundles of marijuana weighing 169.5 kilograms with an estimated street value of $299,200. Law enforcement were eventually able to identify and locate the brothers and took them into custody. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a date still to be determined. At that time, both men face a minimum of five years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance of the Webb County Sheriffs Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Makens is prosecuting the case. Subscriber content preview Photo by Broderick Group [enlarge] The seller, Graymark, realized an 80% gain on the property during two years of ownership. Building C at Willows Commerce Park, at 9805 Willows Road in Redmond, has sold for just under $35.5 million, according to King County records. The buyer was 9805 Willows Office LLC, which is associated with Invesco of Dallas, the large institutional investor. . . . WASHINGTON: Wednesdays congressional joint session to count electoral votes has taken on added importance this year as Republicans allied with President Donald Trump say they will try to undo Democrat Joe Bidens victory and subvert the will of the American people in at least six states. The Republicans at least 13 senators and many more House members are citing Trumps repeated, baseless charges of widespread fraud. They say they will officially object to the results, forcing votes in the Republican-run Senate and the Democratic-controlled House that will almost certainly fail. Several GOP senators have said they wont support the challenges and plan to vote against them. There was not widespread fraud in the election, as has been confirmed by a range of election officials and by William Barr, who stepped down as attorney general last month. Neither Trump nor any of the lawmakers promising to object to the count have presented credible evidence that would change the outcome. Nearly all of the legal challenges put forth by Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges. The Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-nominated justices, has also denied requests to hear a pair of cases aimed at invalidating the outcome of the election in key battleground states. The congressional meeting on Wednesday is the final step in reaffirming Bidens win, after the Electoral College officially elected him in December. The meeting is required by the Constitution and includes several distinct steps. A look at the joint session: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CONGRESS MEETS WEDNESDAY? Under federal law, Congress must meet Jan. 6 to open sealed certificates from each state that contain a record of their electoral votes. The votes are brought into the chamber in special mahogany boxes used for the occasion. Representatives of both parties in both chambers read the results out loud and do an official count. The president of the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence, presides over the session and declares the winner. The session begins at 1 p.m. EST. WHAT DOES THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRE? The Constitution requires Congress to meet and count the electoral votes. If there is a tie, then the House decides the presidency, with each congressional delegation having one vote. That hasnt happened since the 1800s, and Bidens electoral win over Trump was decisive, 306-232. HOW DOES THE SESSION UNFOLD? The two chambers meet together midday to count the votes . Pence is expected to preside, but if the vice president cannot be there, there is precedent for the Senate pro-tempore, or the longest-serving senator in the majority party, to lead the session. Thats currently Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. The presiding officer opens and presents the certificates of the electoral votes in alphabetical order of the states. The appointed tellers" from the House and Senate, members of both parties, then read each certificate out loud and record and count the votes. At the end, the presiding officer announces who has won the majority of votes for both president and vice president. WHAT IF THERES AN OBJECTION? After a teller reads the certificate from a state, any member can stand up and object to that states vote on any grounds. But the presiding officer will not hear the objection unless it is in writing and signed by both a member of the House and a member of the Senate. If there is such a request, then the joint session suspends and the House and Senate go into separate sessions to consider it for up to two hours. For the objection to be sustained, both chambers must agree to it by a simple majority vote. If they do not both agree, the original electoral votes are counted with no changes. This process repeats each time there is an objection. The last time such an objection was considered was 2005, when Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio and Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, both Democrats, objected to Ohios electoral votes, claiming there were voting irregularities. Both the House and Senate debated the objection and easily rejected it. It was only the second time such a vote had occurred. WHO IS EXPECTED TO OBJECT? Dozens of House Republicans and a smaller group of GOP senators are expected to object to the count from at least six swing states where Trump has alleged fraud, despite the consensus of nonpartisan election officials and even Trumps former attorney general that there was none. None of the members have presented detailed evidence and few of them have called into question the elections of congressional lawmakers who won election on the same ballots. More than 100 House Republicans, led by Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan and Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, have said they plan to object to the results from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In the Senate, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley was the first to say he would join with the House Republicans to object to the Pennsylvania results. On Saturday, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas announced a coalition of 11 additional senators who vowed to vote against state electors on Wednesday unless Congress appoints an electoral commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Hawley and Cruz are both among potential 2024 presidential contenders. Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who is up for election in Georgias Tuesday runoff, said at a rally with Trump on Monday that she will also join in on the challenges. It is unclear if senators will join with the House Republicans on all six states. Cruz is expected to object to Arizona, which comes early in the count, and Loeffler may object to her home state of Georgia, according to people familiar with the planning who requested anonymity to discuss it. The challenges have split the party. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has urged his colleagues not to object, saying last month on a private call that the vote would be terrible. Several other Senate Republicans have criticized the effort as well, including Texas Sen. John Cornyn and South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican. Thune said last month that any objections will go down like a shot dog in the Senate. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said the challenge is bad for the country and bad for the party." South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said no justice, judge or fact finder has found evidence indicating the election results in those states should be overturned. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, another possible contender in 2024, said challenging the results would take away the power to choose the president from the people, which would essentially end presidential elections and place that power in the hands of whichever party controls Congress. WHAT IS PENCES ROLE? Pences role is largely ceremonial and he has no power to affect the outcome, despite Trumps wishes to the contrary. The role of the vice president as presiding officer is often an awkward one, as it will be for Pence, who will be charged with announcing Bidens victory and his own defeat once the electoral votes are counted. Pence wont be the first vice president put in an uncomfortable situation. In 2001, Vice President Al Gore presided over the counting of the 2000 presidential election he narrowly lost to Republican George W. Bush. Gore had to gavel several Democrats objections out of order. In 2017, Biden presided over the count that declared Trump the winner. Biden also shot down objections from House Democrats that did not have any Senate support. ONCE CONGRESS COUNTS THE VOTES, WHATS NEXT? The joint session is the last official chance for objections, beyond court cases that have so far proven ineffective for Trump and his team. I think there comes a time when you have to realize that despite your best efforts youve been unsuccessful, Cornyn said last month. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Its payback time for a jewelry wholesaler who, prosecutors said, bilked dozens of investors on Staten Island and elsewhere in a $200-million Ponzi scheme. Gregory Altieri faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced in March after recently pleading guilty to wire fraud to resolve the case, said authorities. Retired or current cops and firefighters were among the victims he fleeced in the two-year scheme, prosecutors allege. All told, Altieri, 53, ripped off more than 80 investors, authorities said. The defendant launched the scam in August 2017, said an indictment filed in Brooklyn federal court. Altieri, who ran LNA Associates in his hometown of Melville, L.I., solicited between $75 million and $85 million from scores of investors from Staten Island, Queens, Long Island and elsewhere, said the indictment. A breakdown was not immediately available. Altieri told clients he would buy jewelry in bulk at closeout prices and resell it at a higher cost, alleges the indictment. The defendant pledged returns on investments ranging from 30% to 70% in a matter of months, the indictment said. Altieri initially purchased some jewelry. Around May 2018, he began paying earlier investors with new investors money, prosecutors allege. Altieri told members of the first group that they were receiving returns on their investments, said prosecutors. He then convinced those investors to roll over their original investments into new investments, pledging to use that cash to buy more jewelry, said the indictment. However, he didnt purchase any merchandise, the indictment said. Altieri communicated with investors in person and on the phone, among other ways, said the indictment. To further the scheme, he sent clients jewelry lot sheets, which contained bogus information about purchases LNA purportedly made and returns investors could expect, the indictment said. By January of last year, Altieri stopped paying investors, said authorities. At that time, he owed clients around $200 million based on his inflated claims about their investments value, the indictment said. Last May, some of the investors filed a petition forcing Altieri and LNA into an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding, said the indictment. As part of his plea, Altieri admitted to committing securities fraud in connection with the scam, said prosecutors. The defendants lies have caught up to him, and he will now face the consequences of his fraudulent scheme, said Seth D. DuCharme, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a statement. Sentencing is scheduled for March 31. Thankfully, our justice system has come a long way from Salem, Massachusetts, said defense lawyer Edward V. Sapone. Our system recognizes remorse and rehabilitation. From the moment Mr. Altieri hired me, his goal was to accept full responsibility and to try to help make the victims as close to whole as possible. At sentencing, I will lay out his extraordinary steps in that regard. DuCharme thanked the FBIs New York Field Office and the Securities and Exchange Commissions New York Regional Office for their work on the case. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds appears to be prepared to push schools to return students to classrooms this month, reinforcing her plans to prioritize in-person learning even when a local school board believes its too risky. The Des Moines school districts request on Dec. 28 was the first to be rejected since August. Des Moines Superintendent Tom Aharts says the school board is concerned about the safety and well-being of its students and employees based on local virus conditions. Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo rejected the request on Dec. 30. Lebo echoed Reynolds' recent statements that students engaged in remote learning are falling behind academically and that schools are not primary drivers of spread of the virus. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Spread across 11,500 sq ft, it will also be the one of the first IVF lab with class 100 OT & laminar air flow to provide superior clean air for embryos Apollo fertility, a part of the Apollo Health & Lifestyle and Apollo Hospitals group, has launched one of the biggest standalone, state-of-the-art fertility centre in Mumbai, bringing a ray of hope to couples who are unable to conceive naturally. Spread across 11,500 sq ft, it will also be the one of the first IVF lab with class 100 OT and laminar air flow to provide superior clean air for embryos. Located at Borivali, this is Apollo Fertility's 13th unit of the brand. A trained team of clinicians and embryologists, having a combined experience of more than 6000 IVF cases, will be offering world-class services here. Apollo Fertility centres, following the mission of Apollo Hospitals, aim to bring fertility treatment of international standards within the reach of every individual. Like other centres, this centre will have facilities that cater to all sorts of infertility related issues ranging from IUI, ICSI, laparoscopic surgeries including PGS and PGD, to offer all gamut of services under one roof. The highly trained and experienced team of doctors, who are experts on reproductive medicine, are equipped to address both male and female infertility issues. Speaking on the launch, Chandrasekhar C, CEO, Apollo Health & Lifestyle Limited, said, "We are extremely happy and proud to launch one of the biggest state-of-the art standalone fertility centre in Mumbai. India has become the most sought after destination for all the infertility-related treatments, for the affordable and qualitative treatment that the country is able to provide. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Rackspace Technology Inc. has settled a lawsuit against an ex-employee who it alleged threatened to go to the media with concerns about its business practices unless it paid him severance. Under a permanent injunction and judgment reached last month, former employee James Barcelona must refrain from disclosing any of Rackspaces confidential business information to the media or through social media. Barcelona also is barred from contacting Rackspaces customers and interfering with those relationships. On ExpressNews.com: Rackspace alleges ex-employee threatened to go to media with concerns over its business practices Barcelona had worked as a storage and backup engineer at the San Antonio cloud-computing company. Edward Pina, Barcelonas attorney, said there were other, confidential terms to the settlement agreement that werent part of the final judgment. There is a confidential settlement agreement between the parties that was mutually satisfactory, Pina said. That limits how much we can say about that, but Mr. Barcelona was pleased with the outcome. Both sides viewed this as a learning experience, I think, Pina added. A Rackspace spokeswoman declined to comment Tuesday. The company had sued Barcelona for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, violation of the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act and interference with business relationships. It had sought damages ranging from $200,000 to $1 million. All of Rackspaces claims were dismissed, while Barcelonas claims were resolved, Pina said. Barcelona was fired June 15, the same day Rackspace filed its lawsuit in state District Court in San Antonio. The company obtained a temporary restraining order preventing him from disclosing any of its confidential business information. In his Aug. 13 response to Rackspaces lawsuit, Barcelona said he had been treated in a very demeaning and unprofessional manner by his immediate supervisor. The mistreatment included insults, slurs and other offensive comments, he said. Barcelona had filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission, but it will be withdrawn as part of the settlement agreement, Pina said. SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox After complaining about how he was being treated, Rackspaces human resources department sent Barcelona a corrective action that was later withdrawn, Barcelona said in his response. On May 30, Sarah Miller, a Rackspace human resources representative, said Barcelona had sent her an email demanding a severance package equal to at least 12 months pay. In that email, for the very first time, Barcelona also raised business concerns about Rackspaces business practices and protocols concerns that he had never before raised to me or anyone else on my team, Miller said in a declaration filed with the companys lawsuit. Barcelona countered that Rackspace had gone out of its way to pervert months of internal discussions intended by Barcelona as an impetus for Rackspace management to improve its core business and core values into a paranoid tirade against him. In an earlier interview, Pina said Rackspace panicked over Barcelonas workplace complaints because of a planned initial public offering. Rackspace returned to the public markets Aug. 5, raising $703.5 million in the process. It sold 33.5 million shares at $21 each. The shares fell 5 cents to close at $19.04 Tuesday. The injunction and final judgment was signed by state District Judge Norma Gonzales. pdanner@express-news.net (CNN) -- What do you need for a meaningful life? Even as 2020 strained communities around the world, it offered some object lessons in living well. In the widespread nostalgia for pre-pandemic gatherings and rituals, we saw just how much we depend on other people. When medical and other frontline workers risked their own health to support entire communities, the world watched the everyday impact of lives dedicated to service. "There are so many things that we are going to learn from 2020," said Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas, science director of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. "We've really had a coming to terms with how important our collective experiences are to health and well-being." And even as they, like the rest of us, coped with an ongoing pandemic, researchers studying the science of well-being uncovered key insights into what makes life meaningful. The findings include the benefits of empathy, gratitude and cooperation, with ideas for increasing happiness in your own life or even in your country. Simon-Thomas joined a team from the GGSC in December to select the 10 research findings from 2020 that shed light on the good life, and offer a positive road map for weathering the months and years to come. Here's what the team found. 1. Choose empathy for a kinder, more compassionate year Scientists already know that empathy is both a personality trait and a learned behavior. That's great, because it means that you can increase your empathy no matter your disposition. In turn, that can help forge stronger, more supportive relationships. Being empathetic is about more than skill building, though. Your motivation to be empathetic matters, too, according to two studies published this year, one by Harvard University researchers and another from the University of Toronto. Participants in the Harvard University study wrote letters describing the importance of empathy. Researchers speculated that it might boost the participants' motivation to be empathetic, and the strategy worked: A few months later, those same participants demonstrated more empathetic behavior. Do it: Try the study on yourself. Write down the benefits of empathy in a journal entry, detailing why you think it's a valuable trait. It's a solid way to recharge your empathy after a difficult year. 2. Promote social justice to forge a happier society Fair societies are happier, found a 2020 analysis of European Union countries using the EU Social Justice Index and reports of life satisfaction. It's a strong correlation. Social justice was second only to social capital that's how researchers refer to our complex networks of relationships when it came to predicting each country's happiness. Why? One of the study's authors, Isaac Prilleltensky, dean of education and human development at the Unviersity of Miami, has argued that a society's commitment to social justice shows individual citizens that they are valued by their broader community. That, in turn, leads to greater happiness. Do it: Want a happier community? Advocate for poverty reduction, education, health equity, labor market access and intergenerational justice where you live. Those are the metrics used for the EU Social Justice Index that researchers linked to each country's life satisfaction. 3. Pick up the phone and call Researchers studying the science of well-being agree that human connection is key. But in a pandemic, what really works? Your voice, it turns out. Phone calls and video calls create stronger social bonds than email or text, found researcher Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing at University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business, in a recent study published by the Journal of Experimental Psychology. Worried that calling will be awkward? You're not the only one to think so. Many study participants overestimated the awkwardness of voice calls, while underestimating the benefits. That may be one reason some avoid calling altogether, a misunderstanding with real consequences for well-being. Do it: Instead of tapping out a text or email, choose a video or voice call instead. 4. Reap the benefits of cooperation Are kids naturally cooperative? Children showed more self-control when working toward a collective goal than an individual one, according to a 2020 study published by the journal Psychological Science. For the study, hundreds of small children tested their will by trying not to eat a cookie. If they could wait it out for long enough, they'd get a second cookie as a reward. Here's the twist: In some versions of the test, the kids worked in teams. Together, they did better, earning more cookies for all. Do it: This study targets kids, but adults can benefit from cooperation, too. If you have a 2021 goal or resolution, consider asking a friend to join you; as a team, you might find even greater success. 5. Variety might really be the spice of life There is more than one way to live well. Typically, researchers focus on two important metrics for evaluating the good life. One is pleasure; the other is all about deeper meaning. In a 2020 paper, however, Shigehiro Oishi, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, proposed a new dimension for understanding a life well lived: psychological richness. That term underscores the value of variety, interest and novelty. A life of psychological richness is full of diverse experiences and discovery, offering challenges that stimulate your mind. It might not always be easy but it will be interesting. Do it: Seek out experiences likely to shift your perspective. Try taking up a new hobby, for example, or exposing yourself to a foreign culture. 6. Kindness and gratitude create a ripple effect Saying "thank you" can make the world a better place. How? It's what researchers call the witnessing effect, where seeing a behavior can change the actions of onlookers. After watching expressions of gratitude, participants in one study were more likely to be helpful, open and friendly. Kindness can create a similar outcome, found another study. Do it: If you need some motivation to be kind or to say "thank you" more remember that the benefits don't stop with you. You have the power to change your community's behavior, too. 7. Live like an extrovert for a happiness boost Research shows that extroverts have it pretty good. The personality trait, which tends to go along with highly social behavior, is correlated with increased happiness. But that doesn't mean the benefits of extroversion are off-limits for introverts. Just acting like an extrovert for a week correlated with increased well-being for participants in a study published by neuropsychologist Seth Margolis, an assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University. Do it: Stage your own experiment. Even if you're a lifelong introvert, spend one week channeling extroverted behavior by seeking out (pandemic-safe) social situations and increasing interaction with others. 8. Emphasize altruism to help mitigate the pandemic How can you convince people to wear a mask, practice social distancing and take other measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19? It's not public shaming. In fact, people are more likely to comply with messages emphasizing the importance of caring for others, found Jillian Jordan, assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Univeristy. That finding echoes another study from the University of Zurich, which argued that "a large majority of people are very reluctant to put others at risk for their personal benefit." That's great news as the world continues to cope with the ongoing pandemic. Do it: If someone in your life isn't doing their part to reduce the spread of Covid-19, don't attempt to shame them into changing their ways. Try to appeal to their altruism. 9. Create a more equal world by examining your beliefs What's the root of inequality? How you answer the question might influence your behavior. If you believe that widespread poverty is the result of life circumstances rather than laziness or personality you're more likely to support egalitarian policies, found one 2020 study. Not only that, both beliefs and behavior can change. The same researchers went on to show that inviting study participants to reflect on the root causes of poverty made them more likely to donate money to a campaign supporting a higher minimum wage. Do it: Take a pause next time you find yourself judging someone facing difficult circumstances. You might be making some incorrect assumptions about the underlying reasons for the situation they're facing. 10. Surround yourself with diversity and watch stereotypes fade Nothings banishes stereotypes like real-world experience, found a 2020 study that compared regions' ethnic diversity with the prevalence of stereotypes. The authors call it a "diversity paradox." It turns out that when we cross racial, cultural and ethnic lines more often, we notice how similar we are to those around us, instead of focusing on the small differences. Do it: You could move to an ethnically diverse place the study authors used South Africa and Hawaii as prime examples. Short of that? Seek out situations where you'll rub shoulders with people who are different from you, with a focus on reducing your own tendency to use stereotypes. This story was first published on CNN.com, "10 things we learned in 2020 about living the good life" Banita Sandhu, who tested positive for COVID-19, was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata after she refused to be treated at a government facility. British actor Banita Sandhu, who is in Kolkata to shoot for a movie, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and was admitted to a private hospital after she refused to be treated in a government facility, health department sources said. Sandhu, who was shooting for Kavita & Teresa, reached the city on 20 December and she travelled in the same flight with a youth who tested positive for the mutant coronavirus strain on his return from the United Kingdom. She was detected with the COVID-19 on Monday afternoon and steps were initiated to ascertain whether she has been infected with the new strain, an official said. After Sandhu was taken to the Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital where a separate unit has been set up to keep those returned from the UK, the 23-year-old actor refused to come out of the ambulance alleging that the hospital lacked proper infrastructure. We had to inform the state secretariat and the health department as she was unwilling to come out of the ambulance and at one point of time, she wanted to leave. The British High Commission was informed as we cannot let her go like this which is against the protocol. We had to inform the police also. They (police personnel) came and surrounded the ambulance so that she cannot leave, the official said. Sandhu, who co-starred with Varun Dhawan in October, was counselled several times by senior doctors of the hospital but their efforts went in vain. Eventually, with the permission of the health department, she was admitted to a private hospital, the official said adding that Sandhu has been kept in an isolated cabin there. Before leaving Beliaghata ID hospital, the actor was made to sign a declaration that she was unwilling to get admitted there as she felt the medical establishment lacked infrastructure. Steps have been taken to get the genetic analysis of her samples to ascertain whether she has been infected with the mutant coronavirus strain, Variant of Concern 202012/01 (VOC-202012/01), another official of the health department told PTI. We will be sending her samples for genetic analysis to Kalyanis National Institute of Biomedical Genomics to ensure whether the actress is infected with the new strain of the coronavirus or not. After that we will follow the necessary protocol once the result is out, the official said. Kavita & Teresa by Swiss-Indian filmmaker Kamal Musale is about love and compassion inspired by the life of Mother Teresa, according to the website of the movie. EXCLUSIVE Video: Sec. Mike Pompeo: Chinas Communist Party Is Inside the Gates When it came to the Soviet Union, President Ronald Reagan said America should trust, but verify. Now, as the Chinese Communist Party has broken promise after promise, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls for a policy of distrust and verify. In this episode, we sit down with Sec. Pompeo to discuss why it is important to distinguish between the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese nation, why religious freedom is at the core of U.S. foreign policy, and what it will take to protect the American republic from the Chinese communist regime. This is American Thought Leaders , and Im Jan Jekielek. Jan Jekielek: Secretary Mike Pompeo, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders. Sec. Mike Pompeo: Its great to be with you. Thanks for the invitation to be here and have this great conversation today. Mr. Jekielek: When you were out speaking at the Nixon Library in this speech that kind of capped off this series of four about the approach to China, you mentioned that Chinese dissidents had been warning for decades about the nature of the Chinese Communist Party, but were largely ignored. Youve changed this to some extent. Youve welcomed a range of dissidents to basically speak with you and then learn about these things. And on International Human Rights Day, you actually sanctioned a Chinese official for gross human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners, which marks the first in the 21 years of persecution of this group in China. We wrote an editorial about it; weve been covering this issue extensively. So why do you think it took so long? Sec. Pompeo: Goodness, thats a complicated question. You go back all the way to Tiananmen Square. Weve known the nature of this regime, and frankly, freedom-loving people across the world have known the nature of authoritarian regimes throughout history. And yet we ignored it. We ignored it in part because we had a foreign policy establishment that believed deeply that if we traded enough stuff with them, if we engage with them, that some of the Chinese Communist Party would engage, at least externally in the world on a fair and reciprocal basis. And that was patently false all the way through, and yet the resistance from lots of quarters was enormous for a host of reasons, some of them economic, some of them just truly are people who thought they could get to a better place. Its clearly not true. President Trump recognized that when he began his campaign and then when he took office. Weve now changed fundamentally how I think the West looks at China, not just the United States. Even when you look at Europe and Australia and Southeast Asia, they know, too. They know that the Chinese Communist Party is up to no good. And so while these dissidents were ringing the bell and telling us of these problems, we looked past them. We had other challenges. We were involved in a very serious counterterrorism campaignappropriately soand we took our eye off this enormous threat, and its now upon us. Its now inside the gates. The Chinese Communist Party is here in America, and the Trump administration has begun in every dimension to turn the ship in the right direction to get America to once again do the right thing and protect itself from this communist threat in China. Mr. Jekielek: Youve focused more than any Secretary of State that I can remember on religious freedom. Of course, this dimension fits into the Chinese question dramatically. Again, why is that? Why is that important? Sec. Pompeo: Its at the center of every civilization, this idea that human beings have inherent dignity because of their humaneness. And if you get that piece wrong, bad things flow from that, lots of diplomatic things, some military, lots of bad things flow from that. So we, under President Trumps leadership, have focused on religious freedom not just in China, but elsewhere. But particularly with the Chinese Communist Party, weve seen what theyre doing to the Uyghurs in the western part of the country. Weve seen what theyve done to Tibetans. We now see them doing the same thing to other ethnic minorities, including the people in Mongolia and the north part of China. And then Christians throughout the entire country, right, the sinicization of the Bible, these things that are fundamental affronts to human dignity and something that is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes, and General Secretary Xi Jinping is no different. He knows that he has to extend ever-increasing power and control in order to maintain his capacity to rule. And that shuts out the important space that religious freedom should have for every human being in the world. And weve done our best to try and shine a light on that, whether it was speaking to the leadership in the Vatican or speaking to religious leaders in other parts of the world and to, for me personally, get a chance to meet with some of these people who have been persecuted or had their families persecuted, has been a wonderful personal experience as well to see these noble, amazing people who simply want the capacity to exercise their own conscience rights. Im proud of the work that the State Departments done. Im proud of what President Trump and our administration has done. And I am confident that the world will keep up this drumbeat, demanding simply that the Chinese Communist Party permit people to exercise their God-given rights to practice and not practice their faith in the way that they so choose. Mr. Jekielek: Youve gone to great pains, it seems to me anyway, to separate the concept of the Chinese nation and the Chinese Communist Party in peoples minds, and presumably here at the State Department. Why is that so important to you? Sec. Pompeo: Well, theres a lot of history. The dynasties in China, the history of this place is long and storied. And the people who occupy this place are good people. Sadly, they live under the jackboot of an authoritarian regime that denies them the capacity to grow their families. For the longest time, they were denied the capacity even to have children in the way that they wanted to. There was selective abortion taking place. Some of the greatest tragedies of civilization of the last 50 years have taken place inside of China. But its not the people driving that. Its these leaders who are stealing money, driving state-owned enterprises to do things that are disconnected from the way the world ought to operate and denyingwhile lifting some folks out of poverty, to be suredenying the basic political freedoms that every human being is entitled to. And so I admire the Chinese people. I am confident that the Chinese people want a different path forward. They want their freedoms. And it is the Chinese Communist Party denying them. It is important to keep them separate. There are great Chinese people who live all across the world, including here in the United States of America. We want to honor them, and we admire them. And we hope that they, too, will join the call to change the nature of how this regime behaves in its international activities. Mr. Jekielek: So youve said that, at this point, we can never really go back to the status quo with respect to China, which is essentially what was the status quo for four or five years ago. The question is, I think youre the 70th Secretary of State, theres a larger turnover than presidents. Sec. Pompeo: Yes, I joke about that all the time, yes. Mr. Jekielek: So, what can ensure that this type of approach to the Chinese Communist Party is maintained whenever it is that the next rotation happens? Sec. Pompeo: I think people all across the world arent going to let this happen. I certainly think Americans are now more attuned to this threat. For a long time, Americas leaders denied that this was taking place. I think people couldnt see it or feel it or their leaders were telling them, No, its okay if they steal millions of jobs from people in Kansas or Iowa who invented something or they steal some technology invented in the Silicon Valley or in the Boston corridor. American leaders said, Thats okay. Were going to go make a pretty penny, dont worry. Those days are gone. And I think people saw, too, with this Wuhan virus. I think they saw the nature of the regime up close all across the world. And Ive seen in polling data, but more importantly, as Ive traveled the world and spoken with people, I think they understand the nature of this regime in ways that they didnt three, four, or five years ago. I think we are in part responsible for that. But no ones going back. No human being who can see, whether theyre in Indonesia or Vietnam or in Singapore, no ones going to ever acknowledge again that the Chinese Communist Party isnt up to no good. They see it. They see it plainly, and so Im confident that this pressure that is now on the Chinese Communist Party is real. And not just because leaders are demanding it. Because people all across the world can see it. The true face of the Chinese Communist Party has been exposed. Mr. Jekielek: Im inclined to believe that. Ive certainly seen a lot of shifts in thinking, but then Im scratching my head here at this agreement on an EU-China treaty that, of course, Im sure youre extremely aware of. I think youve even said that people in Brussels told you, Were not going to go back to the status quo. This treaty, if it actually goes through, seems to me like the opposite, like, exceeding the status quo in the other direction. Sec. Pompeo: Remember, trading with China is okay. If theyre selling us widgets and were purchasing widgets, and its fair and equitable and on a reciprocal basis, if an American company or European company can invest in China with the same rules that they can invest here, and it doesnt impact American national security, thats fine. What we cant do is what wewe the world, cant dois what weve done for 50 years, which is every time the Chinese demand an exception, whether thats an exception to national security policy, or a set of trade rules at the WTO, or [when they say,] You know, the World Health Organization is interesting, but frankly, were just simply not going to do what they asked us to do. Well co-opt them and politicize them. Those are the things we have to stop. We cannot permit, we cant continue to bend a knee to the Chinese Communist Party in the way that we have for 50 years. They will take advantage of that. They will do what General Secretary Xi Jinping says he wants to do. So they will create a hegemonic capacity to have vassal states all across the world. Thats not tolerable. The ideas of freedom and liberty that we hold dear, that our Founders held dear here in the United States, ought to be the rules, basis for how the world interacts for the next 50 years. And if we dont stand up, if the West doesnt stand upand the West is an idea, not a locationif the West doesnt stand up for the things that we know to be important, then in fact, the Chinese Communist Party will prevail, and our kids and our grandkids will live in a very different world. None of us want that. Mr. Jekielek: Heres a challenging question, at least to me, its challenging. Were still giving here in America tens of thousands of visas to Chinese students. We already know that some of them are definitely expected by the Chinese Communist Party to basically work for them at different levels of intensity. How do we deal with that? Were still doing this, right? Sec. Pompeo: So thats right. There are some 300,000-plus Chinese students on an average year that will be studying here in the United States. To the extent those students want to come here and learn and be exposed to the West, thats fine. Thats frankly a good thing. Theyll go back to their home country and theyll see freedom and liberty and the capacity to raise your family in the way that you want to, theyll get a taste of that. Thats good. What, sadly, we have experienced is the Chinese Communist Party and the MSS [Ministry of State Security] and PLA [Peoples Liberation Army], the security apparatuses inside of China, have co-opted too many of these. We kicked a couple thousand of them out that we could readily identify. That hasnt happened before. Weve now done a lot more work in the schools to make them aware of the risks associated with grants and research projects that the Chinese Communist Party had infiltrated or at least had access to. So weve put our research institutions in a better place. Weve shut down a whole bunch of Confucius Institutes just by calling them out for what they are. And Ive traveled the United States, sometimes been critiqued for this, but traveled the United States to tell the story. I spoke at Georgia Tech, I spoke in Wisconsin about the Chinese Communist Party inside our gates, inside our government, inside our institutions of higher learning, inside our research institutions. If we get that right, if we control and ensure that our security elements are protected in a way that is appropriate, then having Chinese students study here is perfectly fine. But the whole world needs to do that. Its not just U.S. institutions. Theyre studying in institutions in Australia and in Europe and places around the world. This isnt just a U.S. challenge. The whole world must take this on. Mr. Jekielek: Of course, there have been very significant shifts exactly as you describe. At the same time, were seeing Wall Street or investment, as far as I can tell, full steam ahead into China as much as they can. Sec. Pompeo: I think that has shifted a bit too, partly as a result of President Trump and the policies that hes adopted. But I think many of them, too, saw the true face of the Chinese Communist Party during the coronavirus. They saw their institutions corrupted. Theyve now seen state-owned enterprises compete in ways even just the last couple years I think they hadnt fully recognized. So you have begun to see supply chains shift to other places. I think theres a deeper recognition amongst the business community today of the political risks of operating inside of China in ways that werent there two or three years ago. Its true, theres still significant investment taking place there. Im reminded that President Trump has said, Great. If we do this in a fair and reciprocal way, its what the trade deals were designed to do. If we do this in a fair and reciprocal way, thats fine. We have to protect our security issues. But I think what the investment and business communities have taken on board the challenges from the Chinese Communist Party, and while change is often slow, and sometimes one step forward and a couple steps sidewaysI think they, too, have acknowledged this and will begin to move in a direction that performs the central function, which is protecting Americans and our security here at home. Thats a military component and a deep economic component. We want to make sure that people have good high paying jobs here in the United States and that the Chinese Communist Party doesnt steal them from us by doing things that are just completely unacceptable. Mr. Jekielek: So youve identified this approach of distrust and verify, I suppose modeled on or based on Reagans approach. Some people think this is too antagonistic a language to speak to another nation, especially a large one like China. Sec. Pompeo: Every experience Ive had in my six years as a member of Congress and now four years serving in the Trump administration would suggest that anything but distrusting anything that comes from the Chinese Communist Party is folly. Theyve broken promise after promise after promise, not just promises to the United States, promises to the world, promises to the people of Hong Kong, promises to their own people in mainland China, a promise to President Obama that says they wouldnt militarize the South China Sea. Time after time after time, the Chinese Communist Party promises that if they have a virus problem, that theyll disclose it. The list is endless. They still, to this day, havent allowed the World Health Organization to begin its investigation of where this virus emanated from. And yet they promised they would. No, I dont think describing distrust but verify as the core model by which the United States should interact with the Chinese Communist Party in any way misses the mark in ways that you suggest that others have said. Mr. Jekielek: You mention Chinas activities around the virus, so to speak. This is an interesting question. Theres all this talk about foreign interference in the election and so forth. We know theres a delayed report now thats being put together about this. From what I understand, we know the Chinese Communist Party is involved. At the very least, the way they dealt with the virus obviously had a profound impact on the election. I dont think anyone would dispute that. Any thoughts about this? Sec. Pompeo: I cant say much. Ill let the intelligence community complete their work and issue their report as appropriate, but the American people should knowI spoke about this in Wisconsinthe Chinese Communist Party is all around us. They are working in our schools. They are working in our clubs and organizations. Theyve put a face thats called a civic organization, when in fact, its an element of the Chinese Communist Party information gathering efforts. This is the kind of threat that is different, different in kind than one we have seen in an awfully long time, and the responses [that] will be required will have to be different as well. And that certainly holds true for elections. The Chinese Communist Party clearly lobbies hard, works hard. They have consulates across America where their diplomats are engaged in behavior thats inconsistent with what were supposed to do as diplomats. We shut down one of them because it was very clear that they were out running a spy operation out of the consulate in Houston. But the American people just need to be on guard, in the sense of we need to be aware that the Chinese Communist Party is not acting in a way that is in Americas interest. And the leadership of the United States has to be very clear with the American people about that. Mr. Jekielek: Were going to have to finish up in a little bit. But one thing I did want to ask you about is something I think a lot of people might not be aware of. Its this Commission on Unalienable Rights, if I have the name correctly, that youve commissioned. And just very briefly, why is this so important to you, and whats its purpose? Sec. Pompeo: We kind of began here; this set of rights that our Founders recognizeddidnt createthey recognized that [what] God had provided to each of us is central to the American story, and the exceptional nation that we are relies on our fundamental understanding of America in the same way that our Founders did, this Judeo-Christian tradition of rights, natural rights, that to each of us are granted by God. I watched around the world, I watched the human rights efforts that had begun in the 20th century and now into this one, and I saw it coming unglued, at least here in America, from our founding principles. And I wanted to go back and ask some experts on human rights to take a look at this, so I had impanelled a commission led by a woman named Mary Ann Glendon. We had people from many different faiths and many different political backgrounds go back to the Founding, and say, Tell me how our foreign policy could effectively be grounded in the American tradition. And I asked them to do that. It was fascinating to see because they also took a look at other traditions around the world, human rights traditions, and weve now launched a global effort to talk about these things that matter, these intrinsic rights that matter to each of us so much. I hope your viewership will all go take a lookits a short report, its some 50 pages longtheyll go take a look at it. It goes back, it reminds us of the greatness of America and how smart and capable our Founders were and why that is so central to the successes that our nation has had. These rights matter. If all rights, if everything becomes a right, our foreign policy can be delivered in a way that is principled. And I wanted to get us back to that tradition. Mr. Jekielek: Secretary Mike Pompeo, such a pleasure to have you on. Sec. Pompeo: Thank you. Very nice to see you, too. Thank you. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. American Thought Leaders is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube, Facebook, and The Epoch Times website. It airs on Verizon Fios TV and Frontier Fios on NTD America (Channel 158). Protesters who gathered outside the Virginia home of Republican Sen Josh Hawley Monday evening were peaceful and they left when police explained they were violating local picketing laws, police said Tuesday, despite the Missouri senator claiming on Twitter that the group had been engaged in 'leftwing violence'. Officers were called to Hawley's home in Vienna around 7.45pm after someone reported that there were 'people protesting in front of the house'. Responding officers found that the 'people were peaceful,' said Master Police Officer Juan Vazquez, a spokesman for the Town of Vienna Police Department. The demonstrators said they went to Hawley's home because he said he would object when Congress convenes Wednesday to affirm Joe Biden's election victory. Vazquez said the protesters had been violating several laws, including a Virginia code about picketing in front of a house, a town ordinance about making noise in front of a home and a littering code. But he said the officers explained the violations and 'everyone just left'. Vazquez added: 'There were no issues, no arrests. We didn't think it was that big of a deal.' Scroll down for video Protesters who gathered outside the Virginia home of Sen Josh Hawley on Monday were peaceful, police said Tuesday, despite the Missouri senator claiming on Twitter that the group had been engaged in 'leftwing violence' and threatened his wife (pictured together) 'Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who can't travel,' Hawley tweeted Nevertheless, Hawley accused the group of vandalism and threats against his family. 'Tonight while I was in Missouri, Antifa scumbags came to our place in DC and threatened my wife and newborn daughter, who cant travel,' Hawley wrote on Twitter. 'They screamed threats, vandalized, and tried to pound open our door. Let me be clear: My family & I will not be intimidated,' he added. But the group, ShutdownDC, posted a nearly hour-long video that showed about a dozen protesters arriving at Hawley's home, chanting and shouting through a megaphone, walking up to his doorstep, waving signs and writing on the sidewalk with chalk. The video shows the group meeting in a nearby parking lot, discussing how they plan to protest and chant in front of his home and then shows them walking about two blocks to his home. Outside the home, they lit candles, chanted through megaphones and held signs that read, 'Respect the votes. Trump lost!' and 'You don't have the votes!' The protest came just days after Hawley announced that he would join the GOP and object to Electoral College vote counts when Congress meets on Wednesday to finalize Biden's win. President Donald Trump has been pressuring GOP senators to join the effort, which could delay announcing the final result for hours. Hawley said in a statement that he believed states, pointing a finger at Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own election laws and companies, like Twitter and Facebook, 'interfere[d]' in the election, by supporting Biden. A nearly 51-minute video of ShutDownDC's protest was shared on YouTube and shows them gather in a strip mall parking lot before walking to the residence (pictured) While at the home, the group mostly stayed on the sidewalk and lawn as they chanted 'Biden-Harris have won' and held up placards that read, 'Fight for our Lives' Around the 29-minute mark, three protesters were seen taking a copy of the Constitution and placing it on the front door (pictured) of the home He also blasted Congress for refusing to investigate 'allegations of voter fraud'. 'For these reasons, I will follow the same Democrat members of Congress have in years past and object during the certification process on January 6 to raise these critical issues,' Hawley explained. During the video of the protesters, a woman holding a child is seen opening the door of the home to observe the group for a short time before going back inside. Around the 29-minute mark, three protesters were seen taking a copy of the Constitution and placing it on the front door of the home. A short time later, an officer of the Vienna Police Department was seen speaking with one of the protesters. About 10 minutes later, other officers arrived to the scene. Shortly after the arrival of police, the group placed signs and candles in front of the home and left. The protest came just days after Hawley announced that he would join the GOP and object to Electoral College vote counts when Congress meets on Wednesday to finalize Biden's win Shortly after the arrival of police, the group placed signs and candles (pictured) in front of the home before leaving The group also released a statement in response to Hawley's claims: 'We are absolutely and unapologetically anti-fascists' After Hawley's accusations, ShutDownDC slammed him on Twitter, saying: 'It was a candlelight vigil, snowflake. And your house isn't in DC, it's in a suburb 30 mins outside of the District. 'You're supposed to be representing Missouri in the senate. Why did you move your primary residence to the Virginia suburbs.' The group then released a statement saying: 'We are absolutely and unapologetically anti-fascists. 'We are perplexed that someone would use that in the pejorative and we certainly would hope that Senator Hawley also opposes fascism. 'We visited Senator Hawley's house for around 30 minutes. We sang songs, chanted and shared our stories. A small group of people delivered a copy of the constitution to his door (with Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution dog eared for easy reference). 'It's disappointing that Senator Hawley, an [sic] member of what presents itself as the greatest deliberative body in the world, would resort to calling us 'scumbags'. But if he must. We're happy to call him a snowflake,' the group added. Hawley is one of 13 senators who plan to object to Biden's victory. Congress is set to count and certify the Electoral College vote on Wednesday, another benchmark on the path towards Biden's inauguration. Senators Hawley and Ted Cruz however, are leading the charge in objecting to certification, with at least a dozen senators now involved. Hawley was the first to confirm he would object to the certification of the election results. Cruz followed suit and brought a number of senators with him, further dividing the Republican Party. Cruz was joined by Senators Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, along with Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall. Georgia Sen Kelly Loeffler became the 13th senator to join the group Monday night New Jersey officials are investigating whether the states largest police agency discriminates when hiring and promoting officers, according to documents obtained by NJ Advance Media through a public records request. The state attorney generals office hired outside lawyers in August to review allegations of discrimination in the employment practices of the New Jersey State Police, records show, and the Hackensack-based firm Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck has already been paid thousands of dollars for its work. Like any organization, the State Police is constantly working to ensure that it employs best practices and adheres to the highest standards, attorney general spokesman Steven Barnes wrote in an email. The firm is examining hiring and promotional policies and practices and will offer recommendations for improvement, he said. Barnes declined to comment on the specific allegations that prompted the ongoing review. A State Police spokesman directed questions back to the attorney generals office. The outside investigation is led by firm partner Karol Walker. Calls to Walkers office and cell phone were not returned. The firm submitted its first invoice in September for $5,920, according to the records. A second invoice a month later for more than $56,451 was pending as of Christmas Eve. Partners at the firm are being paid $200 an hour, associates can earn $150 every hour and paralegals may charge $90, according to the retention agreement. The State Police has faced lawsuits alleging flawed promotions in the past. Leaders of the states three trooper unions said the process was fair, especially after recent changes. This is a waste of taxpayer money, said Pete Stilianessis, head of the State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association. Existing safeguards helped prevent nepotism, said Wayne Blanchard, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association, which represents rank-and-file troopers. The State Police were constantly improving, he added, including recently making in-person interviews part of the promotion process for some high-level positions. Promotions and hiring were reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice a decade ago. In a 2008 report, some Black and Latino troopers said the process at the time could be subjective and at risk of cronyism. At its worst, promotion, like discipline, can be used to discourage and deter Troopers from reporting and resisting racially-based practices, the report said. A judge ended federal oversight in 2009 after officials implemented sweeping reforms, and lawmakers later created an office under the attorney general to monitor the State Police. The Hackensack firms lawyers are reporting to Thomas Eicher, director of the states Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, and Jennifer Davenport, the attorney generals principal law enforcement advisor, according to the Aug. 12 retention agreement. NJ Advance Media staff writer S.P. Sullivan contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Leader of the Congress legislature party in Assam assembly Debabrata Saikia has lost his position as leader of opposition (LoP) after two MLAs of his party quit and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to a notification on January 1 issued by AN Deka, secretary, Assam legislative assembly, Saikia, who represents the Nazira constituency, would lose the salary and other perks associated with the position. With two MLAs - Ajanta Neog and Rajdeep Goala - quitting the party, Congresss strength in the 126-member assembly had been reduced to 20 members. The present strength of the Indian National Congress legislature party in Assam legislative assembly is not equal to the quorum fixed to constitute a sitting of the House, that is one-sixth of the total number of members of the House, said the notification. Therefore, the honourable Speaker, Assam legislative assembly has been pleased to withdraw the recognition of Debabrata Saikia, MLA, as Leader of the Opposition, Assam legislative assembly with effect from January 1, 2021, it added. The Congress had won 26 seats in the 2016 assembly polls. The same year, its MLA from Baithalangso Mansing Rongpi resigned and later won as a BJP candidate from the same seat. The partys MLA from Jania, Abdul Khaleque won from the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat in 2019. The seat was later bagged by All India United Democratic Front in the bye-election. The Congresss strength came down further last year with the deaths of two MLAs, Pranab Gogoi of Sivasagar and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who represented Titabar seat. Last month Neog and Goala, who represented the Golaghat and Lakhipur seats respectively, quit the party and joined BJP, bringing Congress strength down to 20 members - one less than the 21 members needed to have one-sixth of the total members of the assembly. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. A legendary sergeant first class who gave his life to pull fellow soldiers out of a burning vehicle in Iraq 15 years ago has been approved by the Defense Department to receive the military's highest combat award, a close family member said. Kasinal White told Military.com that she'd gotten a call from the Pentagon saying a formal request had been made by the DoD to award the Medal of Honor to her brother, Alwyn Cashe. "We've heard that the official request has been made," White said Tuesday. "We've also heard that everyone feels it will be signed [by President Donald Trump] rather quickly. After 15 years, 'rather quickly' works for me." Read Next: SEAL Team 6 Operator to Plead Guilty in Green Beret's Death Breitbart first reported Tuesday that Cashe's medal package had been approved by the Pentagon, citing a senior defense official. Cashe, 35, was in Samara, Iraq, on Oct. 17, 2005, when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle hit an improvised explosive device, puncturing a fuel tank. Drenched in fuel, Cashe nonetheless returned to the burning vehicle again and again, pulling out six soldiers. He would die Nov. 8 from the burns he sustained in that rescue effort. The Army posthumously awarded Cashe the Silver Star for his bravery, but obstacles surrounding witness accounts and the circumstances of the rescue stymied momentum to give him the Medal of Honor. But his family and a determined group of supporters continued pushing for Cashe to receive the medal. Last August, the effort received a significant shot in the arm when then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper wrote to a small group of lawmakers, saying he'd support the Medal of Honor for Cashe. Since then, the lawmakers, including Reps. Stephanie Murphy, D-Florida; Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas; and Michael Waltz, R-Florida, have successfully passed legislation to waive a statutory five-year time limit from the time of the events for Cashe, clearing the way for his award. "It's not every day you read an extraordinary story like Alwyn Cashe's," Waltz said in a statement when the Senate passed the waiver in November. "His bravery in the face of danger has inspired so many already -- and this is a significant step forward to properly recognize him for his heroism. I'm incredibly proud to see both sides of the aisle, in the House and the Senate, come together to honor Cashe's legacy and award him the Medal of Honor." With the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden weeks away on Jan. 20, there are indicators the process could move unusually quickly, both with Trump's approval of the medal and the actual award ceremony. "Christmas just came, I guess," White said. "I'm beyond ecstatic right now." -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Related: Trump Signs Bill Authorizing Alwyn Cashe to Receive Medal of Honor Council on Aging Framingham Council on Aging Council on Aging Council on Aging Audrey Hall Council on Aging Grace O'Donnell Parks and Recreation Council on Aging Department Council on Aging Council on Aging Council on Aging Framingham Council on Aging Council on Aging Department Yvonne Spicer Framingham Council on Aging Beaver Street Framingham's Council on Aging The Council on Aging Framingham's Sam Wong The Council on Aging's Framingham The Council on Aging Framingham's (TNS) After collecting input from older residents and two dozen senior care organizations, therecommended last month thatenhance and streamline services for older residents to more effectively support them during the pandemic and in the future.Lack of easy access to information and technology among some seniors has compounded the isolation people are experiencing as they limit in-person contact with others to avoid contracting COVID-19, an illness that has more serious consequences for older people, thereport found.To improve access, thesubcommittee that produced the report recommends the city revamp itswebpage to make it a "one-stop-shop" for information relevant to seniors, and expand efforts like the Callahan Center's program to loan low-income seniors ChromeBooks preloaded with internet plans and platforms including Zoom."There are always some people who don't want to use technology, but for those who do, we need to help them get and stay connected and overcome some of the adverse effects of isolation," said, who chaired the volunteersubcommittee convened to study the pandemic's impacts on seniors.Some of that work has already started.Callahan Center Directoris currently working with thedepartment, which oversees the, to plan a rework of thewebpage.Some of the changes will accomplish elements of whatboard members recommended after hearing from seniors, including more cross-linking information available on other city webpages, such as the COVID-19 information page."It's a great idea to update the website," O'Donnell said, adding that the Callahan Center is considering hiring someone who has web design skills that could help make the site more robust and current.Hall said thesubcommittee also suggests changing the title of the webpage to show the Callahan Center's name, instead of the department that runs it, to make searching for senior-related programs and information easier."The logical thing to do inif you want information about seniors is to Google the Callahan Center," Hall said. "But if you Google the Callahan Center, you end up at a place that talks about the."O'Donnell said the Callahan Center is run by the, and if the webpage name were to change, she'd like to get more feedback from seniors and ensure the new branding is well-publicized and consistent.When it comes to internet access, Mayorsaid the city is working to deploy more wi-fi hotspots throughout one recommendation included in thereport. Most of the hotspots will be installed in neighborhoods that have less internet access, she said, citingas one example.Those hotspots would essentially mean anyone within range would be able to log onto the internet for free, though they would need to have a smart device and know how to use it.With the recent extension of the CARES Act, Spicer said, the city now has ongoing funding that could be used to get devices like ChromeBooks into the hands of more seniors who don't already have them.The Callahan Center's ChromeBook program, which includes over-the-phone training opportunities for all seniors, not just those who qualify as low-income, was paid for in part usingCARES Act funds, Spicer said.RCN, an internet provider, has discounted internet plans that seniors can take advantage of, she added. People interested in learning more about those plans should call RCN.O'Donnell said any programs that equip more seniors to use the web would benefit them socially, and help them participate in activities ranging from ordering food from local restaurants to telehealth visits."We're not trying to connect them just to the senior center. We're trying to connect them with their grandkids, their doctors," O'Donnell said.But some people aren't interested in learning how to connect online, she said.In prioritizing the improvement of senior services, thealso suggested city departments work more collaboratively, funneling all projects that would help older residents through the Callahan Center and O'Donnell, according to Hall.Currently, different programs for seniors are offered by different city departments, including the city's library system, making it difficult for seniors to find relevant information in one location, Hall said."Independent department initiatives for seniors don't work as well as collaborative citywide initiatives for seniors with all of the stakeholders working together," Hall said. "We see it as a tremendous opportunity if all of these efforts come together under the umbrella of elder affairs to deliver the best outcomes for the seniors."O'Donnell said she agrees that better communication among city departments about programs that impact shared constituencies in her case, seniors would benefit residents.She gave one example. The city recently expanded its tax deferral program for seniors, and when O'Donnell learned of the expansion, she reached out to the Assessor's Office to learn more so she could advertise the information to older residents who could be eligible."That's the kind of conversations we should all be having," O'Donnell said. "That conversation might prompt the assessor to know to get in touch with me in the future (about programs that help seniors)."But O'Donnell thinks inter-departmental communication can improve without formally placing all programs that touch seniors under her purview. She said there are benefits to having programs for seniors at places like the library.Spicer said that while there is room for improvement, the pandemic has necessitated more collaboration among city departments to help seniors than happened before, and that certain departments have been better suited for different programs that benefit older people during this crisis.She used the city's emergency food program as an example. Seniors can use that program, driven by the health department and nonprofit community partners, to get free food delivered to their homes, an important need while the coronavirus remains a risk."There is so much that is happening that didn't happen before as a result of COVID," Spicer said.was recently scheduled to meet with members oflegislative delegation to discuss issues identified in the report, including the lack of state funding for surveillance coronavirus testing at assisted living facilities, which now-former Framingham Health Directorrecently called an "urgent" issue.main goal in producing the report was to elevate the issues facing seniors and make solving those issues a priority forMost of the report's recommendations are aimed at mitigating the harmful effects of pandemic-induced isolation among seniors."What we started to see was a trend in how people felt that their health was being affected by isolation and fear of infection, and that people who had been physically active and involved were feeling like that lack of involvement, that lack of activity, that lack of participation with others was starting to take a toll on their health, both mentally and physically," Hall said."Someone said, 'I was very active and now I'm not, and I miss all of my activities and I feel unmotivated just sitting at home and it makes me sad,'" Hall remembered.subcommittee is now considering producing a follow-up report, one that captures the needs of more of14,000 seniors. In the future, the subcommittee wants to make surveys available in multiple languages. The last survey was only available in English.The survey also missed many seniors who aren't tapped into city government, senior organizations or the Callahan Center, Hall said. Those who haven't weighed in on how the pandemic has affected them should call the Callahan Center at 508-532-5980, Hall said."The more visibility that our efforts get, the more we can bring people in to share what their needs are and their experiences and hopefully then use that information to address those needs and experiences," she said.Future reports could also break the 55-plus population down into more specific age groups, which often have different needs, Hall said.Going forward, Hall said, the city should incorporate lessons learned during the pandemic into its senior services even after vaccinations place the virus in the rearview mirror."We may be looking for some quick wins that are short term, but there's also going to be kind of a new normal going forward and we need to transition into some long term solutions," Hall said. "This pandemic has brought many systemic issues to the surface, and we need to strengthen our weaknesses going forward in this new norm and build a new way of streamlining and reaching people and dealing with some of these systemic issues." Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Embattled war hero Ben Roberts-Smith's new girlfriend is a young blonde marketing executive who until recently was his junior employee at Channel Seven. Mr Roberts-Smith, 42, took Sarah Matulin, 28, home to Perth with him for Christmas, having first struck up a relationship after she joined Channel Seven in mid-2020. The Victoria Cross recipient is general manager of the company's Queensland office. Daily Mail Australia understands that Mr Roberts-Smith's bosses - including his close friend and Channel Seven's CEO Kerry Stokes - were informed about the burgeoning relationship last year. Ms Matulin has since chosen to leave her role to avoid any workplace conflict so the romance can continue. War hero Ben Roberts-Smith (right) is dating young blonde marketing expert Sarah Matulin (left). The pair are seen arriving on the same flight into Brisbane from Perth after visiting his family for Christmas Mr Roberts-Smith took his new girlfriend back to his hometown of Perth for Christmas to meet his parents (pictured, the Victoria Cross recipient returning to Brisbane on the weekend) Ms Matulin, 28, left her role at Channel Seven last month so their romance could continue (pictured, returning to Brisbane on the weekend after their Christmas trip to Perth) Despite being based in Brisbane, Ms Matulin did not report to Mr Roberts-Smith but rather to the company's head office in Sydney. Sources close to the couple say that over recent months they have spent increasing amounts of time together. Together they flew to Mr Roberts-Smith's hometown of Perth in late December and it is understood Ms Matulin joined him at his parents' home for Christmas. Ms Matulin is understood to have left Channel Seven in mid-December to return to a Brisbane-based PR firm. Mr Roberts-Smith finalised his split from wife Emma in recent days, just weeks after the couple sold their sprawling country mansion. The four-bedroom home where they raised their two daughters sold for more than $2million in a pre-auction deal in December. Mr Roberts-Smith's marriage had faced numerous hurdles through the years, among them allegations of a tumultuous affair with a married woman. In documents filed in the Federal Court she accused the 2.2 metres tall solider of assaulting her, and leaving her with a black eye. Ms Matulin joined Channel Seven in mid-2020 as a marketing and partnerships executive, but has since returned to her old role with a communications and PR firm One of Australia's greatest modern war heroes, Mr Roberts-Smith is fighting war crimes allegations levelled against him by Nine Newspapers. He denies all claims made about his tours of Afghanistan Mr Roberts-Smith split from wife Emma last year after a tumultuous relationship that included claims he had cheated Daily Mail Australia understands that as the relationship intensified Mr Roberts-Smith made all the necessary disclosures to his bosses, including close friend and Channel Seven CEO Kerry Stokes (pictured). Mr Stokes is also financially backing Mr Roberts-Smith's defamation action The court heard claims last year that Mr Roberts-Smith asked his wife to lie after she found out about the affair. One of Australia's greatest modern war heroes, Mr Roberts-Smith is fighting war crimes allegations levelled against him by Nine Newspapers. Mr Roberts-Smith has denied any wrongdoing during his time in Afghanistan or Iraq. He has launched defamation action against Nine and is being financially backed in part by Mr Stokes. Mr Stokes' private investment company Australian Capital Equity has reportedly extended a $1.9million line of credit to Mr Roberts-Smith. The former soldier has provided his Victoria Cross and other battlefield decorations including a Medal for Gallantry as security for the loan. 'The funding of his legal action is a private matter, however he has put his medals up as collateral on a loan and will relinquish them if required,' Mr Stokes said. 'If this eventuates, I will donate his medals with Ben's approval to the Australian War Memorial, as I have done so with other VCs and medals in the past.' A report by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence released last year found credible information of an alleged 39 unlawful killings by special forces soldiers in Afghanistan, mostly by the SAS. Mr Roberts-Smith has been linked to some of these alleged killings but denies any wrongdoing. Victoria Cross recipient Mr Roberts-Smith and his ex-wife bought the property for $1.45 million in 2015, before making several extensions to the home, including adding a pool and poolhouse Despite those condemning him, Mr Roberts-Smith has his powerful supporters in the form of not only Mr Stokes, but also broadcasting legend Alan Jones Justice Paul Brereton recommended 36 matters involving 23 incidents and 19 individuals be referred to the Australian Federal Police for criminal investigation. Despite those condemning him, Mr Roberts-Smith has his powerful supporters in the form of not only Mr Stokes, but also broadcasting legend Alan Jones. Mr Jones recently told Daily Mail Australia he believed that despite the allegations made against the war hero would not be convicted. 'We've got an eminent VC who has been virtually persecuted,' Mr Jones said. 'They will never, ever find anything against him, Ben Roberts-Smith. '(It's) appalling. But that matter's before the court. I can't say much more about that. 'Ben Roberts-Smith (is) an outstanding Australian. And Kerry Stokes I know has been very supportive of Ben Roberts-Smith and Kerry Stokes is an outstanding Australian as well.' Mr Roberts-Smith and Ms Matulin have both been contacted for comment. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. City Editor Tom Roeder is the Gazette's City Editor. In Colorado Springs since 2003, Tom has covered the military at home and overseas and has cover statehouses in Denver and Olympia, Wash. His main job, though, is being dad to two great kids. "Colleges and universities were clear that they needed support with digital materials and training for teaching in online and hybrid formats, and partnerships have been key in these challenging times," said Fernando Bleichmar, EVP and General Manager for U.S. Higher Education at Cengage. "We've been able to help schools bridge the online learning gap with quality digital materials, services, and faculty and administrator training from leading online learning experts to build a better learning experience." As the pandemic closed campuses, higher ed leaders turned to Cengage Unlimited for Institutions for affordable access to quality, digital learning materials at scale, as well as academic services to move courses online and professional development resources to help faculty teach online. Partnering with Online Learning Consortium, Cengage offers bootcamps, office hours and customized trainings for Institutional customers. Partnerships have grown by 50 percent since April, and more than 125 institutions now partner directly with Cengage to offer Cengage Unlimited at scale. One of those institutions is Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, one of the largest community college systems in the country with 90,000 students. Ivy Tech used funding allocated to the institution under the CARES Act to provide students with Cengage materials, and access academic services and professional development support for instructors. "Even prior to the pandemic, students struggled with the cost of course materials. The CARES Act funding provided a special opportunity to help students who have plenty of barriers in their way already. They've been the most impacted by COVID. Many of them have lost jobs, are single parents and they have a lot to deal with. Being able to provide them with free access to learning materials is a tremendous opportunity," said Sue Ellspermann, President at Ivy Tech. Since it launched two years ago, Cengage Unlimited has helped nearly 3 million students save more than $270 million on course materials, and nearly $70 million of that saving comes directly from institutional partnerships. Cengage Unlimited gives students access to more than 22,000 digital resources including eTextbooks, online homework platforms, study guides, and college success and career support. Cengage Unlimited for Institutions provides affordable course materials at scale through a content license model. The license model delivers value based on an institution's unique implementation and enrollment needs. In addition to affordable materials, Cengage Unlimited for Institutions offers scalable academic services and professional development to help faculty and administrators with hybrid and online learning. For more information about Cengage Unlimited for Institutions, please visit: https://www.cengage.com/institutions/. About Cengage Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. As the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher ed, we offer valuable options at affordable price points. Our industry-leading initiatives include Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service. We embrace innovation to create learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. Headquartered in Boston, Cengage also serves K-12, library and workforce training markets around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. Media Contact: Kristina Massari, Cengage 203-965-8694, [email protected] SOURCE Cengage Related Links http://www.cengage.com FRANKFORT, Ind. (WLFI) -- A family in Frankfort is happy to be alive after being poisoned by carbon monoxide. The deadly substance started leaking into their home on Christmas Eve. Carbon Monoxide is orderless, colorless, tasteless, and almost impossible to detect on your own. The Martinez-Campos family is happy to be alive but they say it's unfortunate carbon monoxide detectors were not in their home at the time. "I start feeling sick around two o'clock and I told my husband I'm feeling sick and he told me what's wrong and I prescribe myself, I say probably because I got up so early, I'm too tired," said Alexandra Campos, mother poisoned with carbon monoxide. Campos said she started cooking earlier that day and every hour she became weaker. She later learned her stove, water heater and furnace were all leaking carbon monoxide. Her 6-year-old daughter Bella was the first to faint. "I scream Gabriel, Gabriel, my girl, something is wrong with the baby, something is wrong with the baby," said Campos. The family called 911 when they saw Bella stopped breathing and started turning blue. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital and Campos and her husband Gabriel Martinez-Campos followed, leaving their other two daughters Kazzandra and Gabi at home. "Me and my sister were just hanging out in the living room and then a couple of minutes later she was sleeping on the couch, at least I thought, but supposedly what they told me that she was actually passing out," said Kazzandra Escareno, Alexandra's oldest daughter. Kazzandra called her mother to tell her, her middle sister fainted and that she was also starting to feel sick and dizzy. Campos relayed that to the doctor working with Bella and he called for another team of paramedics to go back to their home. Frankfort firefighters were also called to investigate and that's when they discovered carbon monoxide was the cause. They said levels were up to 400 parts per million which can kill a person within hours according to Frankfort Fire Chief John Kirby. "If those alarms were working the way it was supposed to be working, this couldn't be happening," said Campos. Campos claims she had two-in-one smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in her home prior to the incident. She said some time ago she allowed Frankfort firefighters to replace the alarms after they told her the ones they provide are the same. Campos said this carbon monoxide incident is when she learned the detectors in their home were only smoke alarms. "I thought that they had the same ones, that's what we thought, they have the same ones that we bought but no, they just gave me a smoke alarm," said Campos. "They took them because they have to prove that they did come to my house and switch those alarms." Chief Kirby said he's investigating these claims. He said the fire department has never given out two-in-one smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. He also said they are not required to take the uninstalled alarms as proof of visiting a home, instead, they require homeowners to sign off on a document saying they're giving firefighters permission to install new alarms. Then the fire department puts those documents into a book of records. "Our people were trained on how we're going to enter the homes and the talks we were going to have with them and that's definitely not something our firefighters was supposed to say but that's under investigation at this time," said Frankfort Fire Chief John Kirby. The Frankfort Fire Department started hosting a smoke detector blitz in partnership with the American Red Cross in 2015. The program continued until 2019 and was postponed in 2020 due to Covid-19 safety measures. It allows firefighters to go door-to-door to replace smoke alarms and provide fire safety and awareness tips to residents for free. Campos was not able to pinpoint when the firefighters first came to their home, but Chief Kirby believes firefighters may have stopped by at some point during this blitz. Chief Kirby said this was a dangerous accident and is grateful the family made it out alive. He hopes residents can learn from this so it doesn't happen to any more families. "You definitely need to have a carbon monoxide detector present," said Kirby. "This time of year is when you want to get your furnace inspected and you want to make sure that you're fireplaces are cleaned out." He suggests homeowners purchase carbon monoxide detectors that plug into the wall rather than two-in-one smoke and carbon monoxide detectors because CO rises from the ground up and a plug-in detector being closer to the ground could alarm people sooner than a detector higher up on the wall or ceiling. "We're more than happy to come to your home to make you have peace of mind and be at ease when you go to bed if you ever want us to come in a checkout your furnace, any type of gas line, your stove and things of that nature," said Kirby. "Get those alarms," said Campos. "You're never going to find out that your whole family is getting poisoned unless you have a carbon monoxide alarm." The family is now back in the home and those appliances leaking carbon monoxide are turned off. A family friend donated a water heater but the family is still in need of a furnace and stove top oven. If you'd like to support the family you can do so by donating here. PUNE A man found at least six dogs, including his own pet, dead in the Pimple Gurav area of Pimpri- Chinchwad, early on Monday morning. The corpses, one of them allegedly partially charred, were found on the banks of the Pavana river in Pimple Gurav. The corpses were allegedly frothing from the mouth. A complaint in the matter was lodged by Vinod Rajan Murar (50), a resident of Shivneri Colony in Pimple Gurav. My dog came home yesterday (Monday) morning and looked completely drained. We gave him water and took him upstairs, and he stopped breathing within minutes. We then discovered one female who was barely a year old near the river and four other dogs who were lying dead in the vicinity. I suspect that someone has given them something poisonous to eat, said Murar. The dogs were all Indian local breeds. While the 5-year-old male was a pet in the care of Murar, the others were street dogs, he said. One of them was the mother was frothing from the mouth, so were the other dogs. One other female, black in colour, was found in a white sack with her body partially burnt, added Murar. The activists blamed the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation for the spread of dogs. I blame this entirely on the corporation; it is their very bad implementation of the animal birth control programme. The corporation bodies keep on flouting the rules even after the sterilisation programme is conducted on one street, some people from corporations will relocate female dogs on the same street. Till such illegal activity does not stop such incidence will keep on happening. Neither PMC or PCMC have an animal birth control community which is a must for all the corporations according to the Animal Welfare Board of India, said Vineeta Tandon, co- founder and trustee, Animal Rescue Trust. It was unexpected, the reason is still not known, but generally people who are frustrated due to dog activities in their area they take such steps. People should consult NGOs who can help to solve their problems, but in haste they end up poisoning dogs which is not a right solution, said Sumit Tarte, animal rights activist, Animal Adoption and Rescue Team. A case under Sections 427, 429 of Indian Penal Code along with Section 11(1)(L) of Animal Cruelty Prevention Act has been registered at Sangvi police station on Monday. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Saudi Arabia opens today. After three years, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim ben Hamad al-Thani will also be present. Signs that would confirm the end of Doha's isolation in the region. US mediation to strengthen the anti-Iranian blockade. Riyadh (AsiaNews / Agencies) - As of January 11, Saudi Arabia will reopen its airspace and land and sea borders with Qatar, after three years of frozen f diplomatic relations between the two Sunni monarchies in the Gulf. Riyadh and Doha would have accepted a proposal advanced by the Emir of Kuwait, one of the most active nations in the attempt to mend relations between the two regional powers. The announcement came on the eve of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, which opens today in Saudi Arabia. An expected event that, according to some sources, could mark a definitive reconciliation between the landlord, Riyadh, and Doha. In the wake of the Wahhabi kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt also broke off relations with Qatar in June 2017. Experts and analysts point to mutual economic and diplomatic ties between Doha and Tehran as the cause of the tensions. But in reality, behind the controversy - which isolated a small emirate in the Gulf area, bringing it even closer to Turkey and Morocco - lies the fracture within Sunni Islam between Doha and Abu Dhabi and the support that Doha offers to the Islam of the Muslim Brotherhood. Kuwait's foreign minister reported on a series of phone calls in recent days between the emir and the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, in an attempt to mediate in the crisis. Behind the attempts at reconciliation there would also be the mediation of the United States, committed to mending the rift to strengthen the common axis between the Gulf countries, in the face of what the outgoing Trump administration calls the "Iranian threat ". In the past, Riyadh had set 13 conditions for the resumption of relations with Doha, among which the end of the transmissions of the satellite information channel al-Jazeera, opposed by many Arab regimes, the promise to stop funding for extremist groups (read Muslim Brotherhood ) and the closure of a Turkish military base on its territory. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Farage Suggests Tony Blair as Vaccine Rollout Tsar Nigel Farage, who recently repurposed his Brexit Party to challenge the UKs handling of the pandemic, says that the rollout of vaccines needs fresh thinking from outside the government. Leading the vaccine rollout, Farage suggested, could be none other than a long-standing political nemesis: former prime minister Tony Blair. Much as I dont like Tony Blair, he does get things done, he does command respect, he is seriously bright, said Farage in a Jan. 4 video posted to Twitter. Farage noted that the former prime minister had pushed for a change in approach to the rollout of first and second vaccine jabs, which was later adopted by the government. In November, Farage and the Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice announced they were repurposing the party to challenge government policy on pandemics, including the use of lockdown measures. After the announcement of a third national lockdown in England yesterday, however, Farage said he was resigned to it happening. It does seem to me that lockdown doesnt really work, because it isnt stopping the virus, he said. But the fact is, theres nothing any of us can say or do about this lockdown that is going to make any difference. Their minds are made up. They believe this is the right strategy. Britains former prime minister Tony Blair speaks during the Stop The Brexit Landslide, in London on Dec. 6, 2019. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images) When it comes to the challenge of rolling out 2 million vaccines a week, Farage suggested that placing the responsibility in the hands of the NHS and quangos wasnt the best approach. Were in a national crisis, no one can deny that, this is a very serious national crisis. And that means youve got to think differently. Its not 1941, its not a war, but it is a time to have a government whove got genuine talent, even if they disagree on many other policy matters. Farage suggested that Blair would be an ideal person for such a role. Why not get people like Tony Blair involved to help us solve a national crisis. We have got, absolutely got, to up the pace of vaccinations, he said. I do not agree with so much of what Tony Blair stood for: not just Iraq, Europe, many other things. But you know something, it was Tony Blair that made those arguments about the vaccine. It was Tony Blair that said, Give one jab to each person, not two, and we can then get a bigger part of the population dealt with quickly. It was Tony Blair advocating not hundreds but thousands of centres where we can get people to get the vaccine. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. 2 1 of 2 Paul Stephen / Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Paul Stephen / Staff Show More Show Less With the passing of 2020, so too ends the year of anything goes. Ive resolved to get my helter-skelter snacking habits under control, and a new line of plant-based and protein-rich energy bars is taking the place of potato chips and Snickers for me. Hungry Buddha Keto Bars pack an impressive 9 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber into each roughly 1-ounce bar with only 2 grams of sugar; most energy bars contain closer to 10 grams or more of sugar. Theyre vegan, and peanut-, soy- and gluten-free, with most of their 170 calories coming from sunflower butter and coconut oil. The only added sweetness comes from monk fruit, a zero-calorie sweetener thats become a popular sugar alternative in recent years. Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm, will be retiring after some 26 years with the company Qualcomm said Tuesday that Steve Mollenkopf would step down as chief executive this year after guiding the dominant mobile chipmaker through the rapidly expanding smartphone era. The California tech firm said Cristiano Amon, 50, currently president, would succeed Mollenkopf as CEO, effective June 30. Mollenkopf, 52, became CEO in March of 2014 and will be retiring after some 26 years with the company. Qualcomm's fortunes rose as a key supplier for iPhones and other smart devices, but Apple has recently begun making its own microprocessors. During Mollenkopf's tenure, Qualcomm was found guilty of antitrust violations in a case brought by US officials, and later overturned on appeal. The company also became embroiled in a patent court battle with Apple. Mollenkopf led Qualcomm's efforts as the wireless sector moved from 3G to 4G and is now transitioning for superfast 5G systems. "I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished at Qualcomm and the position the company currently enjoys as the world's leader in wireless technologies," Mollenkopf said in a statement. "With our business model clearly validated and our leadership in 5G, this is the right time for Cristiano to assume leadership of the company and preside over what I see as the single largest opportunity in the company's history." Explore further Qualcomm CEO sees settlement with Apple 2021 AFP The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) has started paying unemployment benefits that are part of the CARES Act Extension HR 133 which President Donald Trump signed into law one week ago. TDLWD is paying benefits to eligible claimants from four separate unemployment programs: Tennessee Unemployment Compensation (TUC) (TUC) Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) (PUA) Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) (PEUC) Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) TDLWD began issuing FPUC payments to eligible claimants on Monday. FPUC provides an additional $300 to a claimants weekly benefit payment from another unemployment program. FPUC can provide up to 11 weeks of benefits between Dec. 27, and March 13, 2021. Claimants should see the new benefit in this weeks payment. FPUC provides an additional $300 to a claimants weekly benefit payment from another unemployment program. FPUC can provide up to 11 weeks of benefits between Dec. 27, and March 13, 2021. Claimants should see the new benefit in this weeks payment. Claimants receiving benefits from both state and federal programs, who did not exhaust their benefit amount, can complete their weekly certifications for the week ending Jan. 2. If a claimant exhausted benefits before Dec. 26, they must wait for additional information regarding the continuation of benefits through provisions listed in HR 133. The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has not issued its final guidance for the implementation of every aspect of HR 133. Tennessee will take part in the new federal Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program the federal government offered states the opportunity to opt into through HR 133. MEUC will benefit Tennesseans who are mixed earners. A mixed earner is someone who has 1099 wages as an independent contractor but also earned wages from a covered Tennessee employer. Previously, USDOL would only allow states to determine a mixed earners benefit amount based on wages from an employer. MEUC will allow states to use both sources of income to calculate a weekly benefit amount. This is a new program and USDOL has not issued any guidance on the implementation of MEUC. Once states receive program rules, Tennessee and its vendor will build this latest federal program into the states unemployment computer system. There is no timeline as to when TDLWD will begin paying benefits from the new program. Another provision within HR 133 requires states to have methods in place for employers to report claimants who refuse offers of suitable work. Tennessee law requires unemployment claimants to accept suitable work when offered by an employer or risk disqualification from the unemployment benefits program. If an employer contacts the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) and notifies the agency an applicant who is receiving unemployment did not accept a job offer, the agency will investigate the allegation. TDLWD requires the employer to provide the name of the claimant, the job title refused, the jobs pay rate, and the required job duties. Employers can submit that information through . If the agency finds a claimant did refuse suitable work, the individual will lose unemployment benefits and they could potentially be liable to pay back any benefits received after the employer notified TDLWD of the refusal. Employers may also report any employee who refuses a request they return to work by submitting information through . Kabul, Jan 5 : The negotiating team of the Afghan government left for Qatar on Tuesday where they will resume the second round of the peace talks with the Taliban. The second round, which will begin after a three-week break, will focus on a ceasefire and reduction in violence in the war-torn country, TOLO News reported. Taking to Twitter on Monday night, Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said: "The Republic's Negotiation Team will depart tomorrow as it was planed, to Doha to begin the second round of peace talks with Taliban. The team enjoys the full support of the republic and has the mandate to discuss the peace agenda. "I thank the international community for its continued support for the peace process and the state of Qatar for hosting the second round of the peace talks. "We are committed to achieving a lasting peace and ask the Taliban to do so. We are looking for a successful second round." The second round is set to begin on Tuesday and the Afghan negotiating team said that their consultations on the agenda of the negotiations have ended and they were ready to enter the new phase of the process. In a tweet on Tuesday, NATO said they wish the Peace Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan the very best for the second round of negotiations in Doha. NATO said it supports a political settlement that preserves the gains made since 2001 for the benefit of all Afghans. The peace negotiations, which formally kick-off in September 2020, witnessed a breakthrough last month after the two sides agreed on procedural rules for the talks. They also confirmed to have exchanged their lists about the agenda of the peace talks. According to TOLO News, in its draft of demands, the Afghan government's team has added ceasefire, preservation of national sovereignty, media freedom and the prohibition of activity by foreign fighters in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, the Taliban's demands include an Islamic government structure, establishment of an Islamic council, and ensuring women's rights and the rights of all citizens based on Islamic principles. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. A Republican senator from Clackamas County will resign two years before his term expires. In an email addressed to colleagues, Sen. Alan Olsen of Canby said he will step down Jan. 10, citing a need to put family first. Olsen represents Senate District 20, which covers much of Clackamas County, including Boring, Canby, Damascus, Estacada, Eagle Creek, Gladstone, parts of Happy Valley and Oregon City. He has represented the area since 2011. Olsen, whose resignation was first reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting, did not respond to several messages requesting comment. In his resignation email, provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive by Oregon House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, Olsen appeared to warn fellow lawmakers about his concerns for the states future, but did not provide any specifics. The state and country are in very dire times, and I am sorry I will not be there to help, he said. Be careful in your decisions, as the path you set upon could be very destructive to Oregonians. Olsens email did not describe his future plans, but property records show he and his wife bought land in central Indiana in September 2018. Drazan, also from Canby, said she learned a lot from Olsen, and that she would miss working with him. According to state law, Clackamas County commissioners will appoint someone to fill Olsens role until the 2022 election, when voters will elect someone to a full four-year term. They must appoint someone within 30 days of Olsen vacating the seat. -Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR WASHINGTON, D.C. The battle for control of Capitol Hill came down to the wire Tuesday as a late surge of votes from Atlanta's suburban outskirts put Democrats within shouting distance of the two remaining seats in the U.S. Senate. A voter casts his ballot in Georgia's Senate run-off election on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Atlanta. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Brynn Anderson WASHINGTON, D.C. The battle for control of Capitol Hill came down to the wire Tuesday as a late surge of votes from Atlanta's suburban outskirts put Democrats within shouting distance of the two remaining seats in the U.S. Senate. Early voting in Georgia's two runoff elections shattered records, thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic curtailing public appetites for voting in person and the unprecedented fever that marks U.S. politics in the age of Donald Trump. Those advance votes, which tend to favour Democrats, were counted first, giving Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock modest early leads over their incumbent Republican rivals, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. But as the night progressed, those margins disappeared entirely, with Perdue gradually edging ahead of Ossoff by only a few percentage points and Loeffler and Warnock quarrelling over the lead by a margin of fewer than 20,000 votes. It wasn't until laggard counties in the vote-rich Democratic strongholds surrounding Atlanta finally began reporting the bulk of their returns that Warnock pulled ahead and Ossoff narrowed Perdue's lead to a relative handful of ballots. Before the networks had a chance to call Warnock's race, however, the Baptist preacher from Atlanta appeared on a video stream on Twitter to claim victory as Georgia's first Black senator. "I am going to the Senate to work for all of Georgia," Warnock said. "Whether you voted for me or not, know this: I hear you. I see you. Every day I'm in the United States Senate, I will fight for you, I will fight for your family." Loeffler, for her part, did not immediately concede the race, insisting she could still see a path to victory. The sudden surge of Democrat votes echoed November's protracted presidential drama, prompting a conspiratorial tweet late Tuesday from Trump, who has continued to make unfounded claims that his second term was stolen. "Looks like they are setting up a big 'voter dump' against the Republican candidates," the president wrote. "Waiting to see how many votes they need?" Nearly 3.1 million people cast early ballots 40 per cent of the state's registered voters and three-quarters of the total turnout from November in a pair of races that lived up to their billing as long, drawn-out affairs. But the week's drama was far from over. The election took place on the eve of a historic day in Washington, where Congress was to gather Wednesday to certify Joe Biden as president-elect, with legions of Trump supporters flooding D.C. streets in protest. A Democrat sweep would provide a key prize: control of the legislative branch, and with it a smoother path for a presidential agenda that includes health-care reforms, a higher minimum wage and buttressing stimulus efforts in the face of the pandemic. Georgia, once a reliable Republican stronghold, is not the same place it was even a generation ago, said Charles Bullock, a political-science professor at the University of Georgia in Athens. "Growing up here in Georgia, you would not have found a Mexican restaurant, you would not have found a Chinese restaurant any place in the state. Those are two groups that have grown tremendously," Bullock said. "The Black population in Georgia has also increased gradually. And what is taking place even more recently is that there have been increased numbers of each of these minority groups that are registering and are voting." Though it was by fewer than 12,000 votes, Biden carried the state in November's presidential vote the first Democratic nominee to do so since Bill Clinton in 1992 and the state's former governor Jimmy Carter in 1980. Twin Democratic victories in Georgia could add to the tension Wednesday in downtown Washington, where Trump supporters were already gathering in anticipation of a day of protest in the national capital. They plan to flood the downtown streets surrounding Capitol Hill as U.S. lawmakers meet to certify the results of the presidential election a process a number of Republican members of Congress have already vowed to oppose. Emotions briefly boiled over late Tuesday as one flag-waving faction clashed with police outside Black Lives Matter Plaza, the street outside the White House that bore witness to last year's long, hot summer of social unrest. The 33-year-old Ossoff, a former congressional aide turned media executive and investigative journalist, has spent the last seven years as CEO of Insight TWI, a U.K.-based documentary film company. Perdue, the Republican incumbent whose first cousin Sonny is a former Georgia governor and Trump's secretary of agriculture, is an ardent Trump backer who was bumped from the campaign trail last week after being exposed to COVID-19. Loeffler, a former financial-services CEO and co-owner of Atlanta's WNBA franchise, was appointed to the seat in 2019 to succeed Sen. Johnny Isakson, who retired at the end of the year for health reasons. As an outspoken champion of progressive values like access to abortion, gay rights, Black Lives Matter and denouncing white privilege, Warnock has been a logical target for Republicans hoping to portray him as a poster boy for the "radical left." "It's a choice," Loeffler said on Fox News Sunday about the decision voters faced. "It's a stark contrast between the freedoms, our way of life here in Georgia, or socialism government control." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2021. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Outgoing Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala filed a notice of intent to not pursue death penalty in case of Anthony Todt Todt, a physical therapist, is accused of drugging, stabbing and suffocating his wife Megan, 42; their children, Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4; and dog Breezy Victims' decomposing bodies were found inside their Celebration, Florida, home in mid-January 2020, two weeks after the killings Todt claimed in phone calls and letter to family that his wife was the one who killed their children and then herself In her decision to no seek death penalty, Ayala cited 'serious concerns' regarding Todt's mental health Ayala, Floridas first African American state attorney, repeatedly clashed with current and former governors over her opposition to the death penalty Outgoing State Attorney for Orange and Osceola counties Aramis Ayala will not seek the death penalty against a man accused of murdering his wife, their three children and the family dog inside their Disney town home last year. On Monday, Ayala, a Democrat who was elected to office in 2016 but did no seek re-election last year, filed a notice of intent to not pursue the death penalty in three high-profile criminal cases, including that of 45-year-old Antony Todt. ADVERTISEMENT Ayala, Floridas first African American state attorney, has repeatedly clashed with local law enforcement and the state's current and former governors over her staunch opposition to the death penalty. Scroll down for video Outgoing Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala Anthony Todt Todt, a physical therapist, is accused of drugging, stabbing and suffocating his wife Megan, 42; their children, Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4; and Breezy the dog (pictured) Click here to resize this module Todt, a physical therapist who shared his time between Connecticut and Florida, was arrested in January 2020 for allegedly drugging, suffocating and stabbing to death his wife Megan, 42; their children, Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4; and the dog, Breezy. The decomposing bodies of the victims were discovered inside the family's Celebration, Florida, home two weeks after the killings. During phone conversations with his sister from jail last spring, Todt claimed that his wife was the one who murdered their three children and then herself after prior unsuccessful attempts, and that he could not stop her because he was not in the home at the time. He also made similar claims in a letter to his father in June. Investigators with the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said Todt confessed to the murders of his family at the time of his arrest in January 2020 but has since pleaded not guilty. Investigators said Todt, 45, confessed to killing his wife and children (left) after his arrest in January. Ayala cited 'serious concerns' about Todt's mental health The victims' decomposing bodies were found inside their Celebration, Florida, home two weeks after their killings Defense attorneys have not spoken publicly about Todt's claim that his wife was the real killer. In reversing prosecutors' earlier decision to seek the death penalty against Todt, Ayala cited 'serious concerns regarding the mental health of the defendant' and concluded that it was 'not in the best interest of the people of the State of Florida to pursue the Death Penalty as a potential sentence,' reported WFTV. ADVERTISEMENT Ayala also issued death penalty waivers in the case of Ishnar Marie Lopez and Alexis Ramos-Rivera, who have been charged with murder for the kidnapping and killing of Janice Zengotita-Torres, reported Orlando Sentinel. The state attorney's office said in a statement that the relatives of all the victims were notified in advance of Ayala's decision. 'The pursuit of real justice has always been a priority for me, right up until my last day in office,' the statement from Ayala's office read. 'Difficult decisions like these are made with the utmost concern for all involved.' The father had allegedly drugged his family members with Benadryl before stabbing them. This image shows boxes of Benadryl that were seized by police in January A knife stained with what appears to be blood is seen after being seized by deputies A T-shirt belonging to Tyler Todt, 11, is seen stained with what appears to be blood after officials said the boy had been stabbed in the stomach Boxer shorts belonging to Tyler Todt, 11, are seen stained with what appears to be blood after officials said the boy had been stabbed in the stomach Ayala, intentionally or not, thrust herself into the forefront of the anti-death penalty movement when she announced in early 2017 that her office would no longer seek the death penalty because of its cost and failure to deter crime. The decision came as somewhat of a surprise since she hadnt mentioned it during the campaign. Then-Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, responded by reassigning more than a dozen capital murder cases from Ayala's office to a prosecutor in a neighboring district, and top Republican lawmakers in Tallahassee announced budget cuts to Ayalas office. Ayala took the fight all the way to Floridas highest court, which sided with the governor. In jailhouse phone conversations and letters to family, Todt claimed his wife was the true killer Todt accused Megan of killing their children and then herself while he was not in the home The top prosecutor for Orange and Osceola counties in metro Orlando said the courts definition of justice didnt comport with the oath she had taken to administer her office in a just manner. Last January, new Governor Ron DeSantis reassigned the case of Nicole Montalvos slaying from Ayala to State Attorney Brad King, who ADVERTISEMENT Incoming state attorney Monique Worrell, who will be the second black woman to hold that office in Florida, is scheduled to be sworn in next week. First Minister Arlene Foster speaking to the media in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings, Stormont (Photo: David Young/PA Wire) Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster has been informed by the PSNI of a threat against her from the South East Antrim UDA. Mrs Foster said she believed the threat had been issued against her because of her support for the family of Glenn Quinn. The 47-year-old was murdered by the group one year ago at his home in Carrickfergus. He was terminally ill at the time. Responding to the threat the DUP leader said her "thoughts and support remains with the Quinn family who have so bravely stood up to continued intimidation". Read More "This threat is simply reflection of what an innocent family have faced for so long now," Mrs Foster said. "There must be no place for such behaviour in any free society and we all must stand against those criminal gangs which continue to operate within our community." Her party colleague Gavin Robinson said that the DUP would continue to stand with the Quinn family in the face of any threats. "I first engaged with the Quinn family last year and continue to support them against the threats they have faced," the East Belfast MP said. "Everyone will stand with the First Minister and particularly with the Quinn family in the face of such threats. It is important that we all continue to shine a light on such groups who exist for nothing more than their own criminal purposes." Mr Quinn was found dead at his home in Ashleigh Park last January 4. It is believed that he was attacked by a gang of men as he returned home the previous evening. The gang are thought to have set upon him in the communal hallway of his apartment block, before forcing their way into his flat and launching a "sustained and violent attack" on the innocent man. This attack left Mr Quinn with serious injuries, including multiple fractures to his ribs, which eventually lead to his death. It is believed individuals with links to the South East Antrim UDA carried out the vicious assault. His family have been subjected to an intimidation campaign following his death. Read More Belfast Telegraph The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. A community of ethnic Mongolian herders in China's northern region of Inner Mongolia have called on ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping to crack down on corruption by local officials. In a letter, the herders from Inner Mongolia's Horqin Right Middle Banner said they have lodged official complaints against the banner party committee, the banner government, police department, prosecutor's office, and other departments over corruption surrounding Xi's nationwide "poverty alleviation" effort. The CCP has announced that there would be an end to "absolute poverty" nationwide by the end of 2020. Absolute poverty in China is defined as the level below which people's income and food production aren't able to meet subsistence needs for food, shelter, and clothing. But China's nationwide poverty allevation campaign has been linked to forced labor, political "re-education" camps in Xinjiang and Tibet, and the mass relocation of traditional communities to take up low-status industrial jobs in cities, where they lose the safety net of subsistence farming. The ethnic Mongolians' open letter includes allegations of fraud, cronyism, corruption, and refusal to engage with complaints filed by local people, according to herder Gao Wulong, who signed it. "We gathered [signatures from] more than 30 Mongolian herders in more than a dozen towns and villages," Gao told RFA. "The main problem is that the poverty alleviation project is fraudulent, and they have taken over the grasslands. Murders have been committed." "The herders petitioned, but special police from Horqin Right Middle Banner intercepted them and detained them all," Gao said. "So filing joint petitions hasn't really worked." Many detained several times Gao, who has been petitioning for many years, said that most of the herders who have stood up against the takeover of their traditional grazing lands have been detained many times over. "Most of them have been detained, once, twice, and three times. I was detained three times in 2019," he said. Herder Wu Babaoshan said that one of the casualties of recent development of the grasslands under the guise of poverty alleviation has been fragile local ecosystems. He said his son was set upon by masked men who beat him until they fractured his bones after he contacted a journalist from state broadcaster CCTV to complain about the ecological impact of the "poverty alleviation" program, including the impact on a protected species, the Mongolian yellow elm. "I asked a CCTV reporter to come and report on the matter," he said. "The same night the reporter left, some thugs broke into a private home and broke my son's bones." "There has been no progress on the case so far [because] they were in cahoots with the police." Officials helping themselves to funds Nashnurida, a herder from Haoyao village in the same banner, said local officials have been helping themselves to funds intended for poverty alleviation and subsidies, as well as to traditional grasslands needed to support the herders' livestock. "The village secretary here -- his name is Jin Wanxi -- he has so many possessions, and yet so many people here have never received a penny of poverty alleviation funds," Nashnurida said. "In 2014, we were supposed to receive subsidies for 40 households out of 83 [but] we never saw the money; it was all diverted by the [local leaders]," Nashnurida said. The villagers are also taking issue with the razing of 460 mu (30 hectares) of ripe corn crops by a demolition gang led by Baiyinduur party secretary Wang Shuanglin on Sept. 19, 2020. Wang had also taken over grassland and wooded areas previously used by local communities. Herder Tong Desheng said Wang had been removed from his post following the incident. "He was removed from his post within half a month and he is being investigated," Tong said. "Wang Shuanglin ... has the backing of people higher up [in the party]." Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Washington, Jan 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jan, 2021 ) :WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dodged a bullet Monday when a British judge refused to extradite him to the United States to face charges under an espionage law, but experts say his case remains an ominous threat to press freedom. Judge Vanessa Baraitser said the US charges were justified against the 49-year-old transparency advocate, who stunned the world in 2010 with the publication of hundreds of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents. But Baraitser ruled that his mental health problems raise the risk of suicide in a US jail. Her decision, and the US Justice Department's determination to appeal it, left in place the first-ever use of the US Espionage Act to prosecute someone for publishing state secrets, long held as allowed under the US Constitution. That leaves his case, and the department's view of his activities, an ongoing threat against journalists who cover national security and defense issues, where leaked classified information is crucial. Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, called Baraitser's agreement with the US indictment of Assange "deeply troubling," even if she would not extradite him. "The mere act of publishing secrets that the US government doesn't want the public to see is not akin to spying," he said in an emailed statement. "The government's legal theories in this case remain dangerous to core tenets of freedom of the press."The British court "endorses the US prosecution even as it rejects the US extradition request," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. "The result is that the indictment of Assange will continue to cast a shadow over investigative journalism," he said on Twitter. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called PM Modi on Tuesday to express regret that he had to call off his India visit for Republic Day celebrations on January 26 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic situation of the United Kingdom, which is under the grip of a new variant. As per the British prime ministers office, Johnson expressed his regret for not being able to visit India and asserted that in order to focus on the domestic response of the virus it is crucial that he stays in the country. The press release from the UKs prime ministers office said that He hopes to be able to visit India in the first half of 2021, and ahead of the UKs G7 Summit that Prime Minister Modi is due to attend as a guest. During the call, the leaders also talked about their shared commitment to the bilateral relationship and will continue to develop the close association between the countries including the response to the coronavirus pandemic. The UK prime ministers post-Brexit visit to India was scheduled for January 26, as the chief guest at the annual Republic Day celebrations. US Vice-president-elect Kamala Harris has denounced remarks Donald Trump made during a phone call with Georgia's Republican secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, in which he pressured him to "find" votes that would overturn the results of the state's presidential election. The Washington Post obtained a recording of the call, in which the US president repeatedly stated that there was "no way I lost Georgia". During the call, Mr Trump made threats about criminal consequences and told the secretary of state he would be taking a "big risk" if the votes were not found. Speaking in Georgia, Ms Harris called Mr Trump's conversation a "bald-faced, bold abuse of power by the president of the United States". "It was certainly the voice of desperation, most certainly that," she said. Ms Harris was in Georgia to campaign for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock ahead of today's Senate run-off elections. During the call, Mr Trump urged Georgia's election officials to act quickly, and suggested that not doing so could endanger the political fate of senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, both Georgia Republicans. Condemned "You would be respected, really respected, if this thing could be straightened out before the election," Mr Trump said. "You have a big election coming up on Tuesday." The two Democratic Senate candidates were among those who quickly condemned Mr Trump for the call. "When the president of the United States calls up Georgia's election officials and tries to intimidate them to change the results of the election, to disenfranchise Georgia voters, that is a direct attack on our democracy," ," Mr Ossoff said. "If David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler had one piece of steel in their spine, one piece of integrity, they would be out defending Georgia voters from that assault." In a statement, Mr Warnock called on Ms Loeffler to "speak out against the unsubstantiated claims of fraud, to defend Georgia's elections and to put Georgia ahead of herself". "She has not and never will," he said. Pathetic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois said the call was "more than a pathetic, rambling, delusional rant". Mr Trump vaguely threatened Mr Raffensperger and Ryan Germany, who is general counsel for Mr Raffensperger's office, suggesting that they would be subject to criminal liability if they did not find that thousands of ballots in Fulton County were illegally destroyed to block investigators, a baseless allegation. "You are going to find that they are - which is totally illegal - it is more illegal for you than it is for them, because, you know, what they did and you're not reporting it," he said. "That's a criminal, that's a criminal offence. And you can't let that happen. "That's a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer." Herald STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York Citys teacher union president is calling for officials to close public schools if the coronavirus (COVID-19) infection rate in the city hits 9%, even if the in-school rate is lower. Using that state measure, if the community infection rate in the city hits 9%, the safe thing to do is to close the schools, even if the in-school rate is lower, said Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), in a statement Monday. Safety comes first as shown by the fact that hundreds of our elementary schools and classrooms are closed temporarily every day because the virus has been detected. That is how we have stopped the spread of the virus inside our schools. He is urging officials to shut down school buildings if the citys positivity rate reaches 9% under the states numbers as the state and city use different measures to determine the rate of coronavirus infections. State data puts New York Citys positivity rate over a seven-day average at 6.24% while city data shows the number at 7%. Its a real problem when the state and city use different measures to determine the rate of coronavirus infection. Given the fact that all the other communities in the state use the state methodology, New York City should adopt it also, Mulgrew said in the statement. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** The statement comes shortly after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that schools in New York State will no longer need to close if the regional coronavirus infection rate rose above 9% using a seven-day average a policy put in place by the governor in August last year. School buildings can now stay open if coronavirus testing shows the positivity rate is lower in schools than the surrounding community, Cuomo said during his press briefing on Monday. If their schools are below the level of positivity in the community, then they can keep the schools open, Cuomo said during the briefing. It is up to the local school districts to make that decision. My position has always been if the children are safer in the school than they are in the streets of that community, then children should be in the schools... If the schools are safer, my opinion is, leave the schools open. But that would be up to the school districts across the state. New York City opened school buildings to students in September, before they eventually shuttered in mid-November after the city hit a 3% positivity rate, the former threshold Mayor Bill de Blasio said would close all schools. A new plan was later created to reopen schools under a phased approach and stricter testing, starting with the youngest and most in-need students. In order for students to attend class, parents are required to submit a consent form for weekly testing for students in first grade and higher a stricter protocol from the previous monthly testing. When asked to respond to Mulgrews statement during an appearance on NY1s Inside City Hall, de Blasio said Monday that the city put a lot of effort to make sure schools are safe, including the creation of the gold standard of health and safety measures. And if the school is not safe, we shut it down. If theres cases in the school and that hits those criteria, we shut it down. But the vast majority of schools of course have stayed open, have been really safe. We want to keep them open. We want to serve our kids and our families. And theres no place safer to be in New York City than in our public schools. Thats been proven now for months, de Blasio said. Mulgrew suggested a solution would be making the vaccine immediately available to all school personnel. We cant let bureaucratic snarls and procedural delays endanger the safety of students, school staff and their families, he said in a statement. New York City is currently in Phase 1a of the vaccination plan, as outlined by the Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), and is vaccinating health-care workers and nursing home residents. De Blasio said on Monday that he wants to start vaccinating educators and school staff in the next few weeks. However, it is ultimately the states decision regarding which groups are eligible for the vaccine. Currently, the state plans to administer the vaccine to educators, school staff and child-care providers in Phase 2. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Photo: (Photo : Photo: Andy Falconer / Unsplash) COVID-19 came, schools closed, and so began the transition to online learning. Students missed important occasions, from birthdays and playdates to graduation and prom. But, more than that, they needed to develop new routines and adjust to online learning schedules-sometimes from a different time zone. But, how do these changes affect kids these days? Physical Activity Decreased Due to Online Learning The time kids spend on online learning varies with each school, age group, among other factors. Online learning can take anywhere between an hour or two to 8 hours. During this time, there is less physical activity for kids. Even the walks to and from classes are something kids may miss. Student Jaiswal said, sitting in front of the laptop all day makes her feel extremely sluggish and lazy, Jhu Newsletter reported. ALSO READ: How Technology Affects Youth in Adulthood: Real Reason Not What You Think Online Learning Causes Eye Problems for Kids For years, doctors and parents advocated for lesser screen time for kids. But the transition to online learning has kids' screen time going up 6-8 hours, sometimes even more if you add leisure screen time. Dr. Dan Thuente of Grand Traverse Opthamology Clinic talked about the effects of increased screen time on kids: Eye fatigue Eye strain Headaches Eye pressure These adverse effects of online learning revealed the eye specialist, is something that became more frequent. In light of this, The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommended the 20-20-20 rule. What is this? For every 20 minutes, look away from your screen for at least 20 seconds. Be sure to look at a distance of at least 20 feet away to relax your eyes. Dr. Thuente also reminds parents to make sure their kids are not sitting too close to the screen. The general rule of thumb is, stay at least 24 inches or an arms-length away from your screen. Do Kids Need Blue Light Glasses? With the rise of online learning and working from home, so did the market of blue light glasses become more popular. However, eye specialists do not necessarily advise but do not go against blue light glasses. Dr. Thuente said there is no evidence to back up blue light glasses' claim that these actually help. Dr. Thuente advised that kids limit their screen time when possible. Sleep is also something doctors advise parents to ensure their kids are getting their recommended 8-10 hours. Sometimes, eye strain and headaches can be caused by a lack of sleep alone. Furthermore, the eye specialist reminded parents to encourage their kids to blink. When using the computer, especially with online learning, kids become too focused that they forget to blink. The average blink rate is said to decrease by as much as 50% when using an electronic device, 9and10news reported. Routine eye exams are a must as kids transition to online learning. Small astigmatism is best treated early on to ensure whether or not kids will need glasses. ALSO READ: Substance in Bright Colored Fruits and Vegetables found to Give Teens Greater Ability to Tackle Complex Tests Chiropractors Reveal Common Problems Due to Online Learning Chiropractors have also seen a rise in complaints with back issues and sore necks since online learning started. Dr. Lea Piche' of the Piche' Family Chiropratic revealed an increase in students needing chiropractic services soon after starting online learning in the spring. She observed problems like: Lower back pain Upper back pain Neck pain Headaches Pain under the shoulder blades Pain across the shoulders At home and on the computer, kids are more likely to forget about posture. "The kids hunch over their sofa and do not sit right in front of their laptops. "Bad posture results in all sorts of issues that show up rather quickly," the chiropractor revealed. Dr. Piche added that back and neck problems increased among students about eight weeks into online learning. High schoolers experienced pain more in late fall, so they needed a chiropractor. The chiropractor shared tips for students, including routinely checking on their posture, especially when sitting in front of a laptop. Dr. Piche' also recommended the use of a yoga ball for kids. "If parents do not wait too long, the damage can still be undone. If not, online learning is really affecting the biomechanics of kids' necks. Remote Learning Affects Kids Sleep Dr. Laura Sterni, the Director of the Hopkins Pediatric Sleep Center, also revealed her concern about sleep disruption caused by online learning. The sleep doctor said that the increased screen time could have a potential negative impact on sleep. Apart from altered sleep cycles, Jennifer Katzenstein, director of psychology and neuropsychology at Hopkins All Children's Hospital, said, "increased screen time including non-academic screen time is linked to a surge in depression, attention problems, and anxiety." The medieval Holstentor is reflected in water in Luebeck, Germany, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. The German government will decide about further restrictions to avoid the outspread of coronavirus on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) The German government said Tuesday it is extending the country's lockdown by three weeks until Jan. 31, tightening curbs on social contacts and planning limits on people's movements in the worst-affected regions as it tries to reduce stubbornly high infection figures and worrying numbers of coronavirus-related deaths. Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was "absolutely necessary" to maintain restrictions, particularly in light of a more infectious variant of the virus that emerged in England. "We must reach a point where we can once again follow the chains of infection," Merkel said after a lengthy videoconference with Germany's 16 state governors. "Otherwise, we will just go keep going back into a lockdown after a short relaxation." The chancellor said that restrictions on social contacts will be tightened. People will be allowed to meet only one person outside their own household. In a new move, authorities across Germany will allow people in areas with more than 200 new infections per 100,000 residents over seven days to travel only 15 kilometers (just over nine miles) from their hometown unless they have a good reason to go further. "In particular, day trips are not a good reason," Merkel said. She pointed to a string of recent incidents in which day-trippers hoping to ski or sled have overrun winter resorts even though lifts and other facilities are closed. Streets are empty near the medieval Holstentor in Luebeck, Germany, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. The German government will decide about further restrictions to avoid the outspread of coronavirus on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) Merkel and the governors plan to confer again Jan. 25 on what happens after the end of the month. Germany launched a nationwide partial shutdown on Nov. 2, closing restaurants, bars, leisure and sports facilities. That failed to reduce infections, and the current lockdownwhich also closed nonessential shops and schoolstook effect Dec. 16. It was initially due to run through Jan. 10. Authorities say Germany's reported numbers for COVID-19 cases are distorted by lower testing and delayed reporting over the Christmas and New Year's period. The country's disease control center says it expects to have a reliable picture of what is going on only from Jan. 17, Merkel said. But even according to the current figures, Germany is far from its declared aim of getting new confirmed cases below 50 per 100,000 residents over seven daysthe maximum level at which officials say contact-tracing can work properly. Few lights burn in old warehouses in Luebeck, Germany, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. The German government will decide about further restrictions to avoid the outspread of coronavirus on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) On Tuesday, the infection rate stood at 134.7 per 100,000 nationwide, and 944 more deaths were reported to authorities in 24 hours, one of the highest daily death tolls yet in a country that had a relatively low COVID-19 mortality rate during the pandemic's first phase. Merkel said the emergence of the new variant in England is "one reason more" to keep up restrictions. A few cases of the variant have been detected in Germany. The chancellor defended Germany's approach to vaccinations following criticism fueled by perceptions that Europe has made a slow start and that the European Union was too hesitant in ordering the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, the only one so far cleared for use in the 27-nation bloc. Germany had vaccinated nearly 317,000 people by Tuesday, just over a week into the campaign. That's a better showing than in several other EU countries, but critics have pointed to faster progress in the U.K., the United States and Israel. A staff member holds an injection vial with the Corona vaccine in the vaccination center for employees at the municipal hospital in Dresden, Germany, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. On Monday, Corona vaccinations with the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine started at the Municipal Hospital for medical staff in the high-risk areas and the Covid 19 wards. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP) 81-year-old Ursula Claassen receives a new coronavirus vaccination in Kiel, Germany, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. On Monday vaccinations against the coronavirus have started in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. (Frank Molter/dpa via AP) A staff member holds an injection vial with the Corona vaccine in the vaccination center for employees at the municipal hospital in Dresden, Germany, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. On Monday, Corona vaccinations with the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine started at the Municipal Hospital for medical staff in the high-risk areas and the Covid 19 wards. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP) An employee of a vaccination centre draws the vaccine from a glass ampoule in Kiel, Germany, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. On Monday vaccinations against the coronavirus have started in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. (Frank Molter/dpa via AP) German Chancellor Angela Merkel poses for photographs after the television recording of her annual New Year's speech at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, pool) Merkel said it was "right and important" for the EU rather than individual countries to order vaccines for the whole bloc. She said that it "is in Germany's interests" since the country is surrounded by other EU member nations and in the middle of the EU trade zone that relies on open borders. "A high number of vaccinated people in Germany combined with many who aren't vaccinated in our neighborhood won't be good for Germany," she said. "So we don't want national solo efforts. We think the most effective health protection for us can be attained through a common European procedure." Health Minister Jens Spahn, who has faced criticism from inside Germany's governing coalition, has repeatedly said that vaccinations are progressing as expected and that the slow start is because teams are first going to nursing homes to vaccinate the most vulnerable. Merkel said she thinks Spahn is doing "a great job." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. CLEVELAND, Ohio When investigators searched the home of convicted bookmaker Ryan Driscoll, they found bundles of cash. Today, much of that, or $628,950, is in federal coffers, the result of a forfeiture. Driscoll also paid more than $200,000 in restitution as part of his sentencing on tax charges in July. His forfeiture case highlighted more than $40 million collected by federal prosecutors in northern Ohio through civil and criminal cases during fiscal year 2020, which ended Sept. 30. Prosecutors said Tuesday that the office took in $28.6 million in criminal and civil cases. They also seized $11.4 million in asset forfeiture cases, such as Driscolls case. The governments civil asset forfeiture process allows authorities to seize assets when they suspect a person obtained money or property illegally. Civil liberties groups have said the process can be abused, as it allows officials to seek items from people who were never convicted or even charged with a crime. The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to have an impact on the amount of money the office collected. Last year, the U.S. Attorneys office for northern Ohio took in nearly $54 million. This year, when many of our processes and procedures were forced to change because of the pandemic, the Northern District was nonetheless able to recover a substantial number of funds from numerous civil and criminal judgments, said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. When we represent the United States of America and secure a collection judgment, we will seek to recover every dollar possible. Herdman, who was appointed in 2017 by President Trump, has said he will leave office Friday. President-elect Joseph Biden will select a successor after his inauguration later this month. One of the largest collections involved CannonDesign, the Buffalo-based architecture firm that did work at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. Prosecutors collected $9 million from the business. In 2016, the company agreed to pay a $12 million penalty to resolve its criminal liability involving bribery and kickback allegations involving the work here. Mark Farmer, a former company executive, was sentenced to nearly three years in prison in 2016 after a jury convicted him of bribery-related charges involving payments to William Montague, the former director of the VA Medical Center here. He was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in 2016. The $9 million paid off the companys penalty. Driscolls case was one of the largest criminal forfeitures of the year. Records show he and others provided their clients access to offshore gambling websites. The sites allowed customers to bet on sporting events, as well as track their wins and losses and money they owed. He concealed the fact that most of his income came from illegal gambling and hid large amounts of cash in his home, where much of it was bundled in $10,000 increments. He had pleaded guilty to the charges, and a judge ordered him to serve three years of probation. Issues with paperwork and consent forms have been blamed for the delayed rollout of the first vaccines in care homes. It had been expected that vaccinations in two Dublin nursing homes would begin yesterday however, this did not go ahead. HSE national director for acute operations Liam Woods said the delays were linked to the consent system and not to vaccine supplies. Paper consent forms must be read to the residents along with the HSE information leaflet. Either a resident or a qualified health professional must sign the forms if getting this vaccine is in the best interests of the resident. Speaking at a Nphet briefing, Mr Woods insisted the vaccine rollout is a good-news story for the health services and said that the HSE will update on vaccine numbers every week at their own briefings. Head of Nursing Home Ireland Tadhg Daly said many nursing homes are using Excel spreadsheets to track and report consent. He previously told the Irish Examiner that the computer systems are a bit behind. This is despite the HSEs Paul Reid saying last week that the first module of the new IT system is already running and ready for use. Stephen Donnelly said he could not 'speak to the individual nursing homes', but said the vaccination programme is being accelerated. Pressed on the delay, health minister Stephen Donnelly said he could not "speak to the individual nursing homes", but said the vaccination programme is being accelerated. Public health expert Professor Anthony Staines said standard forms could have been created, with an add-on for the Covid-19 vaccine. He said this might have made the process more efficient, but added: "The HSE wanted to wait until the full details of the EMA approval were known before creating the forms." The HSE said vaccinations will take place this week in 23 residential care facilities, as planned, with 35,000 vaccines administered by the end of the week. "We will be holding some stock until our next delivery, and then we plan to continue the process the following week," said a spokesperson. "This will be done, aligned with further and ongoing deliveries of the vaccine, over a six-week rolling programme throughout all 582 nursing homes, public and private, across the State." Head of Nursing Home Ireland Tadhg Daly welcomed the commitment to rollout the vaccine seven days a week. Mr Daly welcomed the commitment to rollout the vaccine seven days a week to speed up the process. There is an overwhelming desire within the private and voluntary nursing home sector to accommodate, and indeed, assist to administer vaccination of residents and staff, so the commitment to move to seven days is very positive. Meanwhile, the approval of a second vaccine has been delayed by the European Medicines Agency. The EU's medicines regulator said discussions on the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine had not concluded, and will now continue on Wednesday. DALTON, Ga. - President Donald Trump's first words at a slick, theoretically scripted get-out-the-vote political rally on behalf of Georgia's Republican Senate candidates were neither scripted nor on behalf of the candidates. They were about President Trump. "I want to thank you very much. Hello, Georgia. By the way, there's no way we lost Georgia," Trump began Monday night, after the treacly Lee Greenwood anthem "God Bless the U.S.A." faded out. "There's no way." Then it was on to familiar themes of grievance and defiance and familiar falsehoods, though with notes of melancholy, and perhaps resignation, some two months after President-elect Joe Biden's victory was sealed. What may be Trump's final signature political rally as president felt like a grasping, wistful last hurrah. If this was the last stop on the Trump roadshow, it ended not with a bang but a whine. "We won everything, and we won it now a second time," Trump said, after a long digression about his 2016 victory. "I hate to bore you with that expression." He still gave the mostly maskless crowd at a rural airstrip a show - with a Marine One flyover, a booming sound system playing the Trump campaign playlist, warm-up red meat from Donald Trump Jr. and campaign surrogate Kimberly Guilfoyle, and a closing appearance from daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump. In between, the hour-plus was filled with all the Trump iconoclasm, now no longer shocking. Baseless conspiracies! Dozens of easily disproved false claims! Internecine grudges! Casting out enemies! Threatening loyalists! Inviting an adherent of the QAnon conspiracy theory onstage! And throughout, Trump's song to himself - the only theme music that has ever mattered. "So somebody came up to me today, Kelly, and they said, 'Sir, you're way up in four years! Nobody can come close to me!' " Trump said, as the only current candidate onstage, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, stood by. "I said, ' I'm not interested in four years, I'm interested in, like, eight weeks ago,' " Trump said to laughter. Over and over, Trump returned to his own election and a multistate list of grievances and debunked claims of fraud. A steady stream of rallygoers made their way to the buses as Trump gave a blow-by-blow riff about alleged ballot counting irregularities in Pennsylvania, which is of course a long way from northwest Georgia. Seemingly aware that he was straying from the purpose of his appearance, Trump more than once observed that he was only trying to warn against election fraud during the Georgia runoff elections Tuesday, which will determine whether Republicans hold the Senate. "That's why I'm here," Trump said. "I don't want to do rallies for other people." Most in the crowd appeared to share Trump's view about the real star of the show. Three hours before Trump's scheduled remarks alongside Loeffler, thousands of people sat side by side in folding chairs or stood close together on the tarmac, despite public health advice to avoid close contact with others, even outdoors. The other Republican Senate candidate, David Perdue, appeared by video after a close contact with a staffer who had tested positive for the potentially deadly viral disease. The venue was decked as for a Trump rally, with giant red, white and blue electronic signs that flashed the name "Trump" in large letters in between exhortations to vote in the runoff the following day. Smaller signs bore the Republican Senate candidates' names. Many in the crowd wore red "Make America Great Again" ball caps. A few were wrapped in capes or blankets printed with Trump's face. One guy had a giant red foam MAGA hat with a thatch of fake orange hair. The president issued what once would have been a remarkable threat to his running mate, Vice President Mike Pence, who will preside over the congressional certification of the election results on Wednesday, saying he hopes Pence "comes through" with unspecified (and impossible) action that overturns the results. "Of course if he doesn't come through, I won't like him so much," Trump said as the crowd laughed. He also raised the stakes in his feud with former ally Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia's top election official, Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger. He blames the fellow Republicans for allowing his loss in the state. "I'm going to be here in a year and a half and I'm going to be campaigning against your governor and your crazy secretary of state," he said to cheers. Although he remained defiant and insisted that nothing he said should be considered a concession to defeat, Trump also appeared slightly at a loss. He marveled that Biden, who was also campaigning in the state Monday, could be president when "he can't talk"; Biden has struggled with a lifelong stutter. Trump also mocked Biden's small motorcade and small traveling footprint, which is by design as a pandemic precaution. Trump also called the Georgia candidates the "last line of defense," and said that without Loeffler and Purdue, no one could stop the Democrats' agenda. That was a tacit nod to the reality that since he has lost and Pence will no longer be a deciding vote in the Senate, victories by Democrats in both Georgia Senate elections would put Republicans out of power entirely. He promised to help Republicans regain control of the House in 2022 and to return to the state to campaign for Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, the newly elected Republican who has espoused baseless QAnon theories about a sprawling government conspiracy. "Of course, if I didn't win, you probably wouldn't want me," Trump said, his playful tone tinged with rue - and bile. "You know, an awful big difference between losing and winning and having it stolen." Jeff Mitchell, 58, of Canton, Ga., and some friends from Florida were at the rally to see Trump. His buddies, who cannot vote in the runoff election, had stopped en route to pro-Trump demonstrations in Washington on Wednesday. Mitchell said before the event that he can "accept defeat" if Trump lost fair and square, but he said he believes Trump has been treated unfairly. Mitchell, sounding resigned, also suggested Trump is a victim of circumstance. "You had a perfect storm. The covid, the mail-in ballots and the hatred for Trump," he said. Trump's speech included his standard gibes at the media, which he claimed does not report on election fraud or on his accomplishments. The crowd cheered, but without the thunder that used to accompany the president's populist attacks. The crowd appeared underwhelmed when, near the close of the event, Trump mused about what he considers one of those accomplishments. Although he did not seal a disarmament deal with North Korea's dictator, Trump cast the gambit in his usual, highly personalized, terms. "I got along very well with Kim Jong Un," Trump mused, the past tense not lost on anyone. "I don't think that Joe's going to, based on what I've heard." By the end, with the music booming and Trump's armored limousine idling to drive him the short distance to his presidential helicopter, Trump wandered the stage for a few awkward moments. He tacked one way, pumping his fist, then the other, a sort of grimace on his face. The Indian national flag on January 4 was installed at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) stakeout as the country started its tenure at the UN body for the eighth time as a non-permanent member. While speaking at a news briefing, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, called the flag installation ceremony a "proud moment" for the nation. He further thanked PM Narendra Modi for the trust that he has reposed in him to represent the nation. Tirumurti said, "As India assumes the membership of the Security Council for the eight-time, it is an honour for me as the Permanent Representative of India to take part in todays flag installation ceremony. This is a proud moment for my country and my delegation. I thank Prime Minister for the trust he has reposed in me to represent my country in the Security Council." Watch: PR @ambtstirumurti speaks at the flag installation ceremony for incoming #UNSC Members. India has formally started its 8th tenure in the Security Council today. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @harshvshringla @DrSJaishankar pic.twitter.com/RoughFZe4y India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) January 4, 2021 READ: India Begins Its Two-year Tenure As Non-permanent Member Of UNSC During the ceremony, the Indian delegation also extended its appreciation to the outgoing members, i.e., Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, India, and South Africa. Tirumurti said that the nation is "inspired by their contribution" to the councils work over the last two years. He added that India welcomes the delegations of Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Norway as the nation begins its two-year journey together. READ: French Ambassador Welcomes India's Return To UNSC, Supports 'permanent Membership' India to be UNSC Prez in Aug 2021 India will be the UNSC President in August 2021 and will preside over the council again for a month in 2022. The presidency of the council is held by each of the members in turn for one month. The tradition of the flag installation ceremony was introduced by Kazakhstan in 2018. Meanwhile, on December 31, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain welcomed Indias eighth tenure at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for two years starting from January 1, 2021. In a statement on Twitter, Lenain not only said that France welcomes India but also vouched for India to get a permanent seat at the UNSC. French Ambassador to India also expressed eagerness to work alongside India to counter the challenges including terrorism. READ: India Will Promote Fundamental Values, Reinforce Multilateralism At UNSC: Amb Tirumurti READ: As India Returns To UNSC For 8th Tenure, MEA Shares 'glimpses From Past 7 Innings' Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 18:28:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese health experts emphasized the need to adopt a series of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 amid a recent surge in cases in the country. Lebanon witnessed last week the highest daily increase in COVID-19 infections of over 3,500 cases, prompting the country to impose a 25-day lockdown from Jan. 7 to Feb. 1. Firas Abiad, director general of the Rafic Hariri University Hospital, told Xinhua that the authorities should adopt a strategy for the post lockdown period. "If the government does not adopt a clear strategy, people will not commit properly to lockdown because they do not know what will come next and whether the cabinet's steps will yield positive results," Abiad said. Head of the Health Parliamentary Committee Issam Araji said that the authorities need to impose fines on people who violate the lockdown to better enforce precautionary measures. Amid an increase in the COVID-19 cases, the lack of sufficient beds at private hospitals posed a great challenge to the pandemic situation in the country. Araji suggest authorities take advantage of the lockdown period to add more beds to the Intensive Care Units at hospitals. He also emphasized the lack of a sufficient number of nurses. Among the steps that must be adopted by authorities, according to Abiad, is the promotion of the necessity to take the vaccine among the public once it arrives in Lebanon. "We should also prepare our infrastructure to allow the vaccine to reach the biggest number of people," Abiad said. Enditem With one voice, and without compromise, the world must demand that Israel cease its deadly aggression against Palestine and its people. In urging this, we note the far more diplomatically nuanced statement issued by Caricom yesterday which steered clear of reference t... The objection was filed by former Village Board member Gerald Wolin, who submitted that Nagle should not be allowed to be on the ballot because the Drake Hotel has a liquor license. Wolins contention was that as a liquor license holder in the village, Nagle is not legally qualified to be on the Village Board. Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has assured members of a united front of IT employees associations to look into their problems, including layoffs. Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge has informed All India IT Employees Association he will meet them soon to discuss the issues. We are here to listen to them and will do all possible to help them, he said, answering to PTI query on the matter. The minister had earlier asked the affected IT employees to lodge a complaint with the labour department. In an interview with PTI recently, he had also said the government will look into the matter and provide legal assistance if the affected or laid off employees approach it like their counterparts in Tamil Nadu. AIITEA President Syed Muqueemuddin had shot off an email to Kharge on Tuesday seeking an urgent meeting to urge the government to take appropriate corrective actions and brief him on the current situation, including layoffs. We seek your earliest availability for a meeting to brief you on the current situation so that the government can take appropriate corrective actions as may be required, Muqueemuddin said. Muqueemuddin has been in touch with various associations to organise a united front to hold talks with the government to resolve their problems. After petitioning Telagana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu governments, FITE is in the process of approaching the labour commission in Bengaluru to submit a petition to stop the alleged illegal terminations happening at Cognizant. Muqueemuddin said the united front will urge the government to hold an open house discussion by inviting all the stakeholders, including IT captains and employees. This will give government a sense about the problems faced by IT companies and employees in the presence of IT captains and management of companies, he added. He sought intervention to correct the way performance appraisal terminations are used to disguise large scale layoffs thereby scarring an employee morale forever. He also said, while not everything is bad with this industry, the absence of appropriate regulations and watchdogs in the form of unions or associations has led to a situation that unscrupulous elements continue to cause severe and unrepairable damage to the very same industry that contributes significantly to the GDP of our country. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Monday that his office, along with 40 other plaintiffs, have filed a lawsuit to stop the sale of the National Archive building in Seattle, which could be on the market in a matter of weeks if not blocked. "To be blunt, these federal agencies don't give a damn about their legal obligations or what these documents mean to our region," Ferguson stated. "Consequently, this lawsuit is our only recourse to compel the government to follow the law and respect the fact that these irreplaceable records contain the DNA of our region." Twenty-nine federally recognized tribes signed onto the lawsuit, including tribes in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Many of the tribal leaders involved in the lawsuit said that the federal government failed to engage in any consultation regarding the sale, calling it an affront to tribal sovereignty. "Sovereign tribal nations have an absolute right to weigh in and make a decision on critical things that affect our lands, territories and resources," said Fawn Sharp, President of the Quinault Indian Nation. Located in the quiet Windermere neighborhood, the 73-year-old building holds the historical records of 272 federally recognized Native American tribes and over 50,000 files from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, making it a vital source of historical information in the region. It also includes Alaskan documents and records sent to the facility after the National Archives building closed in Anchorage back in 2016. Very little of the data has been digitized. Back in January 2020, the facility was closed and authorized for sale by the government along with 12 other "high value" federal properties. At the time, the government estimated that the sale could take 18 months and "requested to stay in the building for an additional three years following the sale," according to a news release. However, the Public Buildings Reform Board decided to accelerate the sale of the properties during an Oct. 1 meeting. The board justified that an expedited sale of all 12 properties was necessary due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the commercial real estate market and discussed hiring a broker. Despite those meetings, the federal government never alerted any local or tribal entity about the impending sale. "If any consultation would happen, the [federal government] would have found out that the tribes really desire to have these materials close to us, so we can verify the things we've been told over the years, that we've learned through oral histories," said Jeromy Sullivan, chairman of the Port Gamble SKlallam Tribe. Ferguson's office has filed multiple federal Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to access documents regarding the sale, but remarked that the documents they received were highly redacted. If sold, the content is expected to be split up between archive centers in Riverside, California and Kansas City, Missouri, meaning researchers and citizens would have to travel to access the documents. Leaders in the Asian and Pacific Islander American communities also spoke how the archives are crucial to preserving their history. "Most Chinese Americans left few records of their lives and history prior to 1950, making the Archives treasure trove of files related to the Chinese Exclusion Act all the more precious," said Connie So, president of OCA Asian Pacific Advocates Greater Seattle Chapter. The lawsuit is expected to go before a judge in a matter of weeks. MIAMI(BUSINESS WIRE)Global Risk Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of diverse solutions for property and casualty claims, environmental risk management and complex claims, is pleased to announce it has acquired Tailored Adjustment Services Inc. Tailored, based in Colleyville, Texas, specializes in property and casualty claims as well as litigation management. The acquisition of Tailored and its experienced team are part of an ongoing strategy to expand GRS product offerings, business lines and market presence throughout the United States. Tailored Adjustment Services was founded in 1996 as an independent adjusting firm. Its operations span the Southern United States and offer claims services across many lines, including casualty, commercial and residential property, general liability, automobile, heavy equipment and marine. With Tailored joining our Property & Casualty Solutions business unit, we have a much greater presence in the market, a brand name in that space, and deep expertise, said Kip Radigan, Group CEO of GRS. We are continuing to enhance our ability to handle daily desk, field, catastrophe and GRS On-DemandSM claims here in the US. Both GRS and Tailored have similar business cultures and are focused on building long-lasting business relationships, he said. Our companies believe in always doing the right thing, putting clients first, doing what we say we will do, and being innovative. Tailoreds President and CEO, James Buchanan, Vice President Mike Myers and the entire Tailored organization have been successful in the independent claims adjustment sector for decades, said Scott Grenville, CEO of GRS Property & Casualty Solutions division. Tailoreds reputation and complementary services will further GRS strategy of expanding our claims solutions for our clients. This acquisition is good news for clients of Tailored and GRS, explained James Buchanan. As part of GRS, our combined growth initiative is to expand our property and casualty claim service offerings regionally and nationally. Weve always admired the capabilities of GRS, and we see this acquisition as highly positive for serving our clients together. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Waller Helms Advisors, LLC served as Global Risk Solutions exclusive financial advisor in the transaction with Tailored Adjustment Services. About Global Risk Solutions: Founded in 2002, Global Risk Solutions is a leading provider of a diverse range of claims adjusting, environmental risk management and litigation management services. With headquarters in Miami and offices in London and the United States, GRS has a global reach that enables corporate and insurance industry clients to quickly and effectively respond to property and casualty claims, complex claims, natural catastrophes and environmental events by delivering people, process and technology to manage risk and contain costs. GRS leadership comprises claims professionals with extensive international experience. For more information, please visit www.globalrisksolutions.com. About Tailored Adjustment Services: Tailored Adjustment Services, Inc., was founded in 1996 by James Buchanan and Mike Myers as an independent adjusting firm. The operation began in Dallas and has grown to cover the majority of Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina and South Carolina, Arkansas, and Florida. Tailored handles claims for casualty, commercial and residential property, general liability, automobile, heavy equipment and marine losses. For more information, please visit www.tailoredadjustment.com. About Waller Helms Advisors, LLC: Waller Helms Advisors is a specialist investment bank focused on the crossroads of the Insurance, Healthcare, Investment Services, and Financial Technology sectors. Advising Global Risk Solutions, Inc. on this transaction builds on our strong momentum in the Insurance Services sector. For more information, please visit www.wallerhelms.com. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Severe weather events such as flooding can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - with women more likely to suffer with the condition than men, new research shows. The researcha collaboration between the University of York and the Centre for Mental Healthlooked at more than 17 studies examining the impacts of flooding on UK populations It also found: The risk of long-term mental health problems was reported to be up to nine times more likely for flood victims compared to those who had never experienced flooding Absence of flood warnings and water depth during floods were key factors that affected mental ill health People reported a loss of sense of place and security and the grief of losing objects that make a home Evacuation and temporary rehousing increased the rate of psychological distress, anxiety, depression and PTSD. PTSD affected more people than other mental health conditions with reported prevalence rates of between 5.9% and 27.9% for anxiety, 7.1% and 34.6% for depression and 7.06% and 43.7% for PTSD. Mental health Dr. Joana Cruz from the Department of Environment and Geography, University of York said: "In the context of flooded populations, there is a need to consider how best to provide appropriate and effective psychological care at scale for people with a broader range of mental health symptoms." The research highlights how secondary stressors affecting mental illnesses differed between men and women. For women, those with concerns about pets and being separated from their family were at a high risk of self-diagnosing with anxiety and PTSD. For men, those who reported relationship problems were most likely to experience depression and anxiety. Researchers concluded that even years after a flooding incident, respondents affected by flooding experienced anxiety during heavy rain. Anxiety was associated with increased levels of stress, sleep problems, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating on everyday tasks, lethargy, nightmares, anger, mood swings and increased use of alcohol or prescription drugs or antidepressants. The absence of flood warnings also contributed to a significantly higher score for anxiety and PTSD than if people were given a warning of 12 hours or more. Physical illnesses Alongside mental health problems, study participants also reported that they were affected by physical illnesses such as earache, rash, gastroenteritis. Water quality and possible contamination of flood water with pollutants and water-borne pathogens were identified as factors that exacerbated existing psychological distress The study also showed displacement and loss of a sense of place and home were major themes that underscored reports of common mental health problems among flooded populations. This was true even one year after flooding, which suggests that displacement is an important secondary stressor that drives longer term mental health outcomes after flooding. A combination of changes in land use and increasingly severe rainstorms are contributing to increased surface and river flooding, with one in six properties now at risk in England. The report concludes that climate change has significantly increased the prospect of more frequent extreme weather events and there is an urgency to develop solutions to support people's short- and long-term mental health following events such as floods. Environment Dr. Cruz said: "The findings have implications for local authorities and national governments alike. They imply that steps to reduce the risk of climate-related disasters will have long-term benefits to the public purse and society more widely by reducing the risk of long-term mental ill health in communities. Mental ill health carries a heavy cost for individuals, families and communities." Andy Bell from the Centre for Mental Health added: "Our mental health is determined from the day we're born by our environment and our experiences in life. We need to see extreme weather as a major risk factor for poor mental health. That means taking steps to prevent climate change and protect communities from flooding. But it also means boosting mental health in communities at risk from flooding, and providing timely emotional support to people who have been affected by this life-changing experience." Researchers examined studies from across the UK documenting flooding events from 1968 to 2016. More information: Joana Cruz et al. Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis for the UK, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020). Joana Cruz et al. Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis for the UK,(2020). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228581 New Year, new you? No problemo - just look at Hilaria Baldwin. In a fittingly berserk farewell to 2020, Alec Baldwin's wife this week denied pretending to be Spanish for the past decade. Born Hillary Hayward-Thomas in Boston, the 36-year-old had claimed to have moved to the States at 19, with her husband - with whom she has "five Baldwinitos" - affirming in an interview "my wife is from Spain". And colour me convinced, since as well as speaking with a Spanish twang, the yoga guru wore a traditional mantilla veil while tying the knot in 2012, even later forgetting the English word for 'coo-cumber' on a television cookery slot. Read More Now it transpires that Hilaria - who also Spanglified her name - could be about as Spanish as the 'Juan Sheet does Plenty' guy, after an anonymous Twitter user accused the wellness influencer of faking her heritage. "You have to admire Hilaria Baldwin's commitment to her decade-long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person," wrote user @lenibrisco, whose account is now locked, before posting seeming examples. Replying to claims of cultural appropriation in a seven-minute video on Instagram, the mum-of-five only fanned the flames (with an abanico, of course): "Ethnically, I am a mix of many, many, many things. "Yes, I am a white girl," she explained, adding "but as you get older, you just kind of embrace who you are". All of which brings me neatly back to the notion of transforming your life this New Year - and why it may actually be a 'muy bueno' idea to bin the vision board and start working on a delusion board instead. Read More A new survey this week showed how 44 per cent of people still made a New Year's resolution, bless their cotton socks, with losing weight and finding love topping the olden-but-golden goals set for 2021. Determined A third even told how the pandemic had made them more determined to turn their lives around in lockdown. Three days in, with gyms closed and 'Netflix and chill' being taken literally, I'm making no such promises. Ever since The Secret hit bookshelves around the world in 2007, we've been manifesting like mad, sending positive vibes out into the universe in the hope of getting everything from a new car to a new fella back. After the events of the past year, I reckon it's time to cut the universe some slack, and dream small this January. Although perhaps not quite as small as the Twitter users who resolved to "get dressed every day" or "yell at people who don't wear their mask properly" in the coming 12 months. Like Hilaria, I plan to "identify" as filthy rich, super fit and madly desirable for 2021. Since research suggests that people are more likely to put the law of attraction into action on days that feel like a fresh start, such as Mondays or the first of the month, obviously I won't be starting until Monday, February 1. In the meantime, I suppose I should use the power of positive thinking to change out of my pyjamas. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Sunday World The government announced on Monday that public and private sector workers will be granted a paid holiday for the Coptic Orthodox celebration of Christmas on Thursday, 7 January. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that the paid holiday for public employees includes employees at ministries, governmental agencies, public authorities, local administration units, public sector companies, and public business sector companies. Meanwhile, Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan announced that private sector workers will also have a paid holiday for the occasion. Saafan affirmed employers can still require workers to work on the Christmas Day, but with double-wage compensation, per the law. Coptic Orthodox Egyptians, and other Eastern Orthodox countries, celebrate Christmas on 7 January on the Gregorian calendar. The 7th of January is a national holiday in Egypt. Short link: Prof. Khalifa Dikwa, Dean, Borno Elders Forum said contrary to the narrative by the military and the Federal Government, no where is safe ... Prof. Khalifa Dikwa, Dean, Borno Elders Forum said contrary to the narrative by the military and the Federal Government, no where is safe outside of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State. He said so bad is the security situation that not even 5km outside of Maiduguri is safe. Even if they (Boko Haram) are not physically there, they are psychologically there, disturbing the people, Dikwa told Channels Televisions Newsnight on Monday. From time to time, they ride their motorcycles, come and harass them to pay levies and so on. Outside Maiduguri, no even five kilometres, nobody is safe. And they can strike at any time. Dikwa told Channels TV that the military did not heed the advice of the Private Military Contractor (PMC), to man the countrys land borders after they had decimated Boko Haram in 2014. Dikwa was referring to the South Africans who were hired by Jonathan in 2014. By early 2015, they had flushed Boko Haram out of Nigerias territory, allowing for the holding of the elections in all the local councils. The military turned round to claim the credit. Few years after, one of the South Africans expressed anger that the military frittered away the gains they recorded between 2014 and 2015. When President Buhari ascended the throne in May 2015, he dispensed with the services of the contractors, by putting all his trust in the army, believing that they would safeguard the territorial integrity of Nigeria. Dikwa recalled: At that time, they (PMC) said, okay, we have done our bit, the rest, it has to be political. Have dialogue at a position of strength, the university don, added. And that you should allow the other paramilitary, particularly the police, to take over the terrain that you have recaptured. You (military) move to the borders. Unfortunately, the military has continued to usurp the role of the police which is not supposed to be so, Dikwa said. Prof Dikwa who called for more collaboration among security agencies in the fight against insurgency noted that the military alone cannot fight the terrorism in Borno State. If you put all the military inside Borno, it will contain it, he said, claiming that It looks like there is no synergy between the security and defence agencies as if it is rivalry when they are actually working for this country and they signed to defend the people of this country and the territory. As a President, he should be able to stamp his feet to say do the work, I am giving you one, two months maximum. If you dont finish up this thing, submit your resignation letter. Dikwa also advised Buhari to decentralise the command structure in the army. If I were to have the ears of President Muhammadu Buhari and Commander-in-Chief, I will insist that the command system of the military be decentralised so that junior commanders could also give a command in case of threats Even the police have their own way of neutralising the enemy rather than waiting. As long as the command is from top-down, it will not work, he said. Nigeria has been waging a war against the Boko Haram insurgents since 2009. Claims that the insurgents have been technically defeated, have been proven to be hollow, as the terrorists still kill people and stage kidnappings, at will. Over 35,000 people have been killed in the war. Recently, chief of army staff, Lt. General Buratai said the war could last another 20 years. He however promised in the New Year that the military will disgrace Boko Haram and ISWAP this year. CONNECTICUT U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro promised to quickly work with President-elect Joe Biden on more coronavirus aid when he becomes president. DeLauro was named as chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations, which is responsible for funding the federal government. One of Bidens first moves will be to ask Congress for more coronavirus aid for vaccine production and distribution. It will be my goal, I have every intention of ensuring that funding will be there for that effort, she said. She will also push for aid to states and municipal governments. "We need to have a strong, a robust funding for state and local government so that we are not losing police, fire, teachers and others because our communities cannot lose essential services," she said. States around the country will get coronavirus-related aid through the recently-passed congressional relief bill. Some aid includes $36 million for vaccine distribution costs and $205 million for coronavirus testing and contact tracing. Connecticut should receive around $494 million for K-12 schools and $225 million for higher education from the relief bill. Around $2 billion will go to help with Connecticut unemployment costs, including an extra $300 per week payment. Connecticut will also get a portion of the $284 billion allocated for Paycheck Protection Program loans, DeLauro said. The program was retooled to focus on the smallest businesses, struggling nonprofits and independent restaurants. Biden has already outlined transportation and other infrastructure improvements as a goal of his administration and DeLauro said she would join him in that venture. She also suspects there is opportunity for bipartisan support of infrastructure funding. On Trump and new Congress DeLauro and other members of Connecticuts House delegation signed on to an effort to censure President Donald Trump for comments made during his phone call with the Georgia Secretary of State. DeLauro said she believes Trumps comments were in effect trying to get Georgia election officials to commit fraud. It would appear that the president doesnt know any bounds when it comes to overturning the results of the election, she said. This article originally appeared on the Across Connecticut Patch Gucci gangster Caolan Smyth took a lie detector test in order to prove he had nothing to do with the shooting of his pal Sean Little as he ran scared that hed be killed in revenge for the roadside shooting. But associates of Little remain convinced that Smyth set up his friend as a 200,000 debt to the Kinahan Cartel. Little's murder turned Coolock into a warzone and resulted in a number of killings over a murderous period. Expand Close James Mago Gately / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp James Mago Gately In 2019, Smyth went to the UK to take the polygraph and posted the results along with a photograph of himself back to associates of Little (22), who was found dead beside a burning car in Balbriggan that summer. He insisted that he was innocent and had nothing to do with the gangland double cross that saw Little lured to a meeting on the isolated roadway before he was killed. Days later Iranian Hamid Sanambar was shot dead as he went to the family home to pay his respects and officers believe he was wrongly blamed for setting up the young drug dealer. Littles father Stephen Little, 46, was subsequently arrested with a firearm and told gardai: "Had you given me another hour, I would have killed that bastard that killed him." He pleaded guilty to the gun charge and has been sentenced to six years in prison. Smyth was never arrested or charged in connection to Little's murder. Gately was shot just weeks after another Kinahan plot to kill him was foiled when international hitman Imre Arakas was arrested in Dublin with his address in Newry in his possession. However, today, Smyth was found guilty of the attempted murder of James Mago Gately, a key Kinahan target, who was injured at a Topaz Garage in north Dublin in May 2017. Would-be hitman Smyth shot Gately five times but didnt kill him. The Special Criminal Court heard that he put him under surveillance the day before and the morning of the shooting. Expand Close Caolan Smyth / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Caolan Smyth Smyth is a close associate of the Finglas-based drug dealer Mr Flashy and was central to the shocking events in the Finglas and Coolock area in 2019 which first saw Zach Parker, 21, gunned down, then his pal Little and finally Iranian Sanambar, 42 in a wave of violence. He was friends with Little and even attended the scene of his murder in Walshestown along with the victims distraught father and the Iranian. Sanambar had been the subject of much controversy in the underworld and Gucci gang associates had claimed he had been sent by Daniel Kinahan to Ireland to finish off the Hutch gang. They claimed that he had fought in Iran and Syria and that he was an expert in beheadings and other methods of torture which have sickened the West. He wore two tear drop tattoos on his face suggesting he had either been involved in murders or that he was seeking the revenge for two murders. Instead, he was an asylum seeker who has been involved in low level criminality in Ireland for years. He had arrived in the country more than five years previous and was once arrested in a brothel and charged with robbing a laptop and cash. He had lived initially in Cork where he had been involved in petty crime, but Gardai had established that Sanambar had started to be collated with the Gucci gang a year before his death. Read More It was all part of an attempt by the Gucci Gang to strike fear in rivals that they were Cartel and they had even worn the Kinahan colours to the funeral of Parker when he was shot the previous January, despite the fact that no senior members of the mob attended. Instead of having protection from the Kinahan group, it is understood that a drug debt to them lay at the heart of the tensions. Gardai believe that the debt which was held by murdered Sean Little kicked off a bloodbath. Little, 22, owed the money for drugs but didnt have it to pay back until he collected money owed to him from the so called Gucci gang. Little had acted as a middle man between the Gucci Gang and the Cartel due to his relationship with a key member of Liam Byrnes mob. Read More Parker had initially tried to collect the funds but when he was shot in outside a gym in Swords, Little was left to put the pressure on for the money so he could pay off his own overlords. Senior officers believe that he was shot dead to cancel the debt owed to him by his former associates in the Gucci gang. They didnt want to pay up. It is as simple as that. Sean Little needed the money to pay up the ranks to the Kinahans but he couldnt get paid. They decided to take him out rather than pay him, a senior source said. Officers believe that Sanambar, who had worked as a driver for Little, was chosen as a pawn to blame because he had nobody to avenge his death and nobody to attempt to clear his name. Complex double crosses and allegations surrounded the events and Smyths declarations of innocence but he was facing jail anyway after he was linked to the attempted shooting of Gately. It is understood that he will need to be kept apart from a number of individuals within the prison system and is likely to be housed within the Kinahan population where up to 70 former mob members and hired hands are serving lengthy sentences. Download the Sunday World app Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices Online Editors IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TRI Pointe Group (NYSE: TPH), one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., announced the promotion of Mark Sherman to national vice president of land development and construction. Sherman brings more than 30 years of proven homebuilding operations experience to the newly created position, which has been established to further optimize operations and support companywide growth. In his new role, Sherman will focus initially on land development schedule execution, construction cycle times and overall margin enhancement. He will work closely with Kevin Wilson, TRI Pointe Groups national vice president of strategic sourcing and sustainability, whose teams will continue to maintain diligent focus on the companys supply chain, strategic sourcing, and overall purchasing efforts as well as its company-wide sustainability initiatives. We are very excited about promoting Mark, who has been a valued team player since the inception of TRI Pointe and has been instrumental in our success for more than a decade, said TRI Pointe Group President and COO Tom Mitchell. Marks level of experience as well as his intimate knowledge of the company and leadership expertise will provide tremendous value as a resource to our operational teams across the company as we continue to pursue our growth and operational excellence initiatives. Shermans more than three decades of homebuilding operations experience include the past 11 years at TRI Pointe Homes in a vice president of operations role, most recently as senior vice president of operations for TRI Pointe Homes Southern California Division. Prior to joining TRI Pointe, he served 10 years as vice president of operations and South Bay area manager for William Lyon Homes after holding a similar position at Presley Homes for five years. About TRI Pointe Group Headquartered in Irvine, California, TRI Pointe Group, Inc. (NYSE: TPH) is a family of premium, regional homebuilders that designs, builds, and sells homes in major U.S. markets. As one of the top 10 largest public homebuilding companies based on revenue in the United States, TRI Pointe Group combines the resources, operational sophistication, and leadership of a national organization with the regional insights, community ties, and agility of local homebuilders. The TRI Pointe Group family includes Maracay in Arizona, Pardee Homes in California and Nevada, Quadrant Homes in Washington, Trendmaker Homes in Texas, TRI Pointe Homes in California, Colorado and the Carolinas, and Winchester Homes* in Maryland and Virginia. TRI Pointe Group was named 2019 Builder of the Year by Builder and Developer magazine, recognized in Fortune magazines 2017 100 Fastest-Growing Companies list, and garnered the 2015 Builder of the Year Award by Builder magazine. The company was also named one of the Best Places to Work in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. For more information, please visit www.TriPointeGroup.com. *Winchester is a registered trademark and is used with permission. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/34321023-f4b4-4172-af88-c42834fb1124 View of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at Wall Street in New York City on Nov. 16, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) NYSE Says It No Longer Plans to Delist Chinese Telecom Giants The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced late Monday that it is scrapping its plan to delist three Chinese telecom companies with ties to the Chinese military. It marks an abrupt reversal after NYSE said on Dec. 31 that it was in the process of delisting the three state-owned companiesChina Mobile Ltd., China Telecom Corporation Ltd., and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd., in compliance with President Donald Trumps executive order (E.O.) 13959. The NYSE said in a statement published on its website that it scrapped the plans after further consultation with relevant regulatory authorities in connection with Office of Foreign Assets Control. Trump issued his executive order (pdf) on Nov. 12, 2020, banning U.S. investments in Chinese companies designated by the Pentagon as having ties to the Chinese military, citing threats to U.S. national security. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), through its aggressive national strategy called Military-Civil Fusion, uses Chinese companies to strengthen the Chinese military, formally known as the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), Trumps executive order states. The Trump administration in late December 2020 extended the investment ban to apply to any subsidiary of a communist Chinese military company. The Treasury Department said that it planned to publicly list subsidiaries that were 50 percent or more owned or determined to be controlled by Chinese military companies. The three Chinese telecom companies were among 35 Chinese companies identified by the Pentagon in 2020 as having links to the PLA. The designations were made under a requirement under section 1237(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual defense spending bill. Other Chinese companies identified by the Pentagon include telecom giant Huawei, semiconductor chipmaker SMIC, defense contractor AVIC, railcar-maker CRRC, and surveillance camera maker Hikvision. Many of the companies on the list are publicly traded on stock exchanges around the world, and millions of U.S. investors, through their pension funds, are unwittingly transferring wealth from the United States to these entities. Before Monday nights announcement, the NYSE had said the companies shares would be delisted as soon as Thursday. It had, however, maintained that the three companies had a right to a review the delisting decision. Trumps executive order has been praised by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who said in a Nov. 12 statement that the CCPs exploitation of U.S. capital markets is a clear and ongoing risk to U.S. economic and national security. Todays action by the Trump Administration is a welcome start to protecting our markets and investors, he said on Nov. 12. Importantly, todays action also lays down a clear marker for U.S. policy going forwardwe can never put the interests of the Chinese Communist Party and Wall Street above American workers and mom and pop investors. Frank Fang and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. An apparent murder-suicide has left two officers dead in a tragic love triangle in Mwea, Kirinyaga County. A statement recorded Monday morning at Wanguru police station indicates that a prison warder shot dead a policeman and then turned the gun on himself at Mwea GK Prison staff quarters. According to witnesses, the police officer based in Kianyaga had gone to visit his estranged wife, sergeant Esther Muthoni, at around 9.30 pm on Sunday when he found the prison officer having dinner with her. The cop, identified as Bonface Mithamo, reportedly picked a quarrel with Mr Kering Kipkosgei. They proceeded to exchange blows, with Muthoni trying in vain to separate the love rivals. As they were having supper together with her children, CPL Bonface Mithamo Ngaragari, who was her former husband, opened the door and entered into the house. He immediately started quarreling with Kering Kipkosgei demanding to know what he was doing in the house, the police statement read. After Mithamo had overpowered Kipkosgei, the warder went to the kitchen where he withdrew his Ceska pistol and fatally shot the cop. Kipkosgei is said to have shot Mithamo twice in the head; the cop sustained severe injuries from the neck up, as the bullet entered through the right side of his neck and exited through the left side of the head. After realizing that he had fatally shot the officer, the suspect ran outside and shot himself in the head. The officers were pronounced dead on arrival at the Karira Mission Hospital in Mwea. Their bodies were taken to Mwea Mission Hospital mortuary awaiting autopsy. Detectives investigating the incident recovered one Ceska pistol, 11 rounds of 9MM, four spent cartridges, and one bullet head of 9MM. Mwea East police boss Daniel Kavita said investigations are ongoing. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Locally heavy thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies late. High 87F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Two Air India flights one from Delhi and one from Mumbai will fly for London on January 6, as the Indian government is reopening India-UK flights which were closed in the last week of December amid concerns over the new mutant strain first spotted in the United Kingdom. Flights from the UK will be allowed to come to India from January 8, the civil aviation ministry has clarified. According to UK governments Covid-19 restrictions, people arriving in the UK need to complete a passenger locator form which requires passport details, travel details (times and dates), the address where you will stay in the UK (if applicable), a booking reference number and the name of the test provider, if you are using Test to Release to find out if you can end self-isolation early. Test to Release is a travel scheme for international travellers who need to self-isolate. They can take a Covid-19 test with a private test provider to see if they can their self-isolation early. In the wake of the new mutant strain of Coronavirus, which is believed to be more contagious, India put an embargo on flight operations between the two countries on December 21, which became effective from December 23. Initially, the ban was till December 31, but was later extended to January 7. The ministry has clarified that while flights from the UK will be able to enter India from January 8, flights from India will start from January 6. As of now, only 30 flights will be operational between the countries instead of 70, the number with which India and the UK resumed flight services after lockdown. For passengers travelling to India from the UK, the health ministry has issued a detailed guideline where they will have to upload their RT-PCR test report on a portal. Department of Biotechnology secretary Renu Swarup on Tuesday said the number of people tested positive for the new mutant strain of Coronavirus has reached 71. November's election was a mixed bag for both parties, meaning there wasn't necessarily a clear, overarching takeaway for either side. But the entire national political apparatus got another chance to test their hypotheses in Georgia. There, Democrats have forced Republican senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler into dual runoff elections that end Tuesday, in races that could will decide control of the U.S. Senate and whether Democrats have governing control of Washington next year under President Joe Biden. When we know results (it could be a few days), here are four questions that the outcome can help us better understand. 1. Are Republicans as strong without President Donald Trump on the ticket? For the second presidential election in a row, Republicans were pleasantly surprised to beat expectations. Trump didn't win reelection, but Republicans who were on the ballot with him in November did remarkably well. House Republican leaders made clear they attributed their success to Trump: "The Republican coalition is bigger, more diverse, and more energetic than ever before. That is because of President Trump," House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., wrote in a memo to reporters. But Republicans did not get the same results in the 2018 midterm elections, when Trump wasn't up for election but was in the White House. Republicans lost the majority in the House of Representatives. Trump has been an active participant in these Georgia Senate runoffs, holding two rallies there for the candidates. But that's different from voters actually turning out to vote for him. Not to mention, more voters in Georgia chose Biden than Trump in November. We'll have one more big data point on what Trump means for downballot Republicans with these races. 2. Does declaring Democrats radical fire up GOP voters? Defund the police. Pack the Supreme Court. Socialism. Marxism. The end of freedom as we know it. These are just some of the attacks - many of them misleading - that Loeffler and Perdue have launched nonstop at their Democratic opponents. It's a page from Trump's election playbook to demonize his opponents at all costs. Centrist Democrats who lost or nearly lost their congressional elections this November have said the party didn't do enough to push back on these characterizations of Democrats. Georgia Senate Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have tried to defend themselves from the onslaught. (Warnock, the only Black candidate in the race and the focus of much of the Republican attacks, has aired not one but two ads with him and a puppy. He joked Republicans would go after him for eating pizza with a fork and a knife. Black church leaders told Loeffler to knock off her broadest swipes at Warnock, saying it was an attack on the Black church.) If these Democrats lose, the takeaway for a number of others in their party will likely be that Republicans' attacks are working, even when candidates directly respond. 3. Do allegations of election fraud depress turnout? In the November election, Trump falsely claimed that mail voting was fraudulent, and it shaped how Republicans cast ballots. They voted in person during a pandemic in larger numbers than Democrats. We have a similar but entirely different dynamic for these Georgia Senate runoffs. Trump is falsely claiming he won the state of Georgia and attacking Republican election officials there. Those attacks have animated Georgia Republican voters against their own state, who chant "Stop the steal" and give Loeffler and Perdue their biggest applause lines when they talk about fraud. Reporters on the ground in Georgia say it's easy to find Republican voters who say they think the election was rigged. Trump went to the state on Monday and said as much. "There's no way we lost Georgia," he said. "This was a rigged election." There isn't as much anecdotal evidence that these same Republican voters will stay home in protest, as some Trump allies in Georgia have encouraged them to do. (Trump himself tells people to go vote.) But this is a dangerous game for Republicans in an election that will be won and lost on turnout. This "election-was-rigged" drama may not be as pronounced in future elections as it has been in these runoffs, in a state Trump is still in shock that he lost. But it could continue to be an issue in elections if the Republican Party continues to remain divided on whether to indulge Trump's election fraud claims, even after he's gone. How much are Republicans shooting themselves in the feet by promoting baseless fraud claims? 4. Have Democrats figured out how to turn out their voters - particularly Black voters? It was their recipe for success in the November election, when Biden - a presidential candidate with particular standing among Black voters - was on the ballot. Democrats in Georgia, led by 2018 gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, focused heavily on voter registration, especially in the increasingly diverse suburbs. (In 2016, 22 percent of Georgia's eligible voters were not registered. This year, that figure stood at just 2 percent, and turnout in November's election broke a record, analyzed The Washington Post). Democrats also never stopped an equally aggressive get-out-the vote operation. Turnout is set to break a Georgia record for a statewide runoff as well. Democrats have struggled in recent Georgia runoff history. But this time they're cautiously optimistic about their chances, especially when combined with Republican concerns that fraud talk will dampen turnout for GOP voters. "Over the course of this campaign, it is clear that the structural advantages that we had, the sweat equity on the ground, has paid off," said Bradley Beychok, the president of American Bridge PAC to The Washington Post. "A day out, it is clear that this race is a toss-up and we maybe have a slight advantage." If this works or comes close to working, expect it to be a model for the Democratic Party in other swing states, where voter enthusiasm pre-election has often faded when it was time to vote. The first group of refugees from Ethiopia's Tigray region are welcomed by UNHCR staff at the Tunaydbah refugee camp, Sudan. UNHCR/Taylan Dagci UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to register new refugee arrivals at the Sudanese-Ethiopian border. Some 800 people crossed from Ethiopias Tigray region into eastern Sudan in just the first few days of the new year. Since early November, more than 56,000 Ethiopian refugees have fled to neighbouring Sudan. Latest arrivals tell of being caught in the conflict and being victims of various armed groups, facing perilous situations including looting of their houses, forceful recruitment of men and boys, sexual violence against women and girls. Refugees are arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, fatigued and in weak conditions after sometimes days of travel. More than 30 per cent of them are estimated to be under 18 and 5 per cent over 60 years old. In support of the government-led response in Sudan, UNHCR and Sudans Commission for Refugees (COR) continue to relocate the refugees from the arrival locations at the border to the designated refugee camps, further inland in Sudans Gedaref State. With the Um Rakuba refugee camp approaching its full capacity, UNHCR and its partners are striving to swiftly relocate refugees from reception sites at the border to a second, newly opened refugee camp, Tunaydbah, in order to keep refugees safe and offer them better living conditions. The new site is located some 136 kilometres from Gedaref town. Since this Sunday, 580 refugees were relocated to Tunaydbah from Village 8 reception site, with relocations from Hamdayet reception site set to start also this week. Both reception sites are overcrowded, and their close location to the border putting the safety and security of refugees increasingly at risk. Upon arrival to Tunaydbah, hot meals are being provided and 1,000 tents, aimed at sheltering up to 5,000 people, have so far been set up by partners. More tents are being pitched as the relocation is set to progress in the coming days and weeks. UNHCR, COR, and partners are scaling up their response to meet the needs of the increasing refugee population in all locations. Currently, more than 20 humanitarian partners are on the ground in Um Rakuba and another six are starting their activities in Tunaydbah to assist and engage the refugee and host community with shelter, health, food and nutrition services. Once more, the government of Sudan is generously keeping its border open to refugees, but additional support is needed to complement the authorities response. In particular, it is critical to further improve water and sanitation conditions in the refugee camps and reception areas, as well as to ramp up COVID-19 prevention measures, including isolation facilities. Additional funding is also required to sustain shelter projects and improve the living conditions of refugees in the camps, especially in anticipation of the next rainy season expected to start in May. As at the end of 2020, US$40 million has been pledged to UNHCR for the regional response to the emergency in Ethiopia's Tigray region, which covers only 37 per cent of the financial requirements in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. For more information on this topic, please contact: Agartala, Jan 5 : Despite cold weather, the indefinite sit-in protest by thousands of Tripura government school teachers, who had lost their jobs following court verdicts, continued for the 30th day on Tuesday even as the BJP-led state government is yet to hold any talk with them during the ongoing stir. The agitating teachers had rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government's offer to apply for the vacant posts of different departments afresh for which the state government recently issued notifications. Accompanied by their children and family elders, members of the Joint Movement Committee (JMC), which is spearheading the agitations, continued their sit-in demonstrations and vowed to continue their agitation until the government reinstated their jobs. Meanwhile, a five-member delegation of the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist led by former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar met Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and requested him to resolve the issue at the earliest even as the BJP and Left leaders continued to attack each other over the issue. Both the Chief Minister and state Education and Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath have urged the agitated teachers to compete for around 9,000 vacant posts in various departments, including the Education Department, for which the state government recently issued recruitment notifications. Accusing the previous Left Front government, Nath said due to its mistakes and wrong decisions, 10,323 government teachers had lost their jobs due to the court orders. Sarkar, who is now the opposition leader, told the media that after the Tripura HC and the Supreme Court had terminated the jobs of 10,323 government teachers in 2011, 2014 and 2017, the then Left Front government had created 13,000 posts to accommodate these teachers alternatively. However, he alleged that the BJP leaders, before the 2018 Assembly polls, promised to regularise their jobs if they come to power. "But nothing has been done by the BJP government for these hapless teachers," said Sarkar, who was the Chief Minister for 20 years till the BJP-led government came to power in Tripura in March 2018. The BJP-led Tripura government had earlier given a lump-sum financial aid of Rs 35,000 to the residual numbers of 8,882 government school teachers, who lost their jobs from March 31 this year, following SC and Tripura HC verdicts which had cited "discrepancies in recruitments". Of the 10,323 former government teachers, 1,365 people got alternative jobs and availed different income avenues while 78 people died with many of them committing suicide. JMC's Joint Convener Dalia Das said the teachers already completed their government service for many years and several of them crossed their stipulated age limit while the state government's offer is "impractical" and against the interest of the teachers. "We had called off our agitation after CM Biplab Deb on October 3 assured to take steps to solve our problems permanently within two months. The two months have already lapsed but Deb and his government are yet to take any step when the teachers are suffering a lot after losing their jobs in March this year," Das told the media. Another JMC's Joint Convener Bimal Saha said thousands of teachers, including their family members, are facing hardships for the past nine months while 76 retrenched teachers have already died with some committing suicide. The teachers were inducted into the state government schools in different phases from 2010 when the CPI-M-led Left government was in power. The Tripura HC in 2011 and 2014 in separate judgements terminated the services of all 10,323 teachers, saying the selection criteria had "discrepancies" and subsequently, the apex court upheld the HC's decision. After separate appeals by the previous Left and the incumbent BJP governments, the Supreme Court, however, extended their services up to March 2020. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger holds a press conference on the status of ballot counting in Atlanta, Georgia, Nov. 6, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images) Raffensperger Suggests His Office Leaked Call With Trump to Media Georgias top election official suggested on Monday that his office leaked a phone call hed had with President Donald Trump to the media. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, was asked whether the public would have heard the conversation if Trump had not posted a tweet about the call, alleging Raffensperger was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions about election and voter fraud allegations and evidence. No, it was a private conversation. He broke privacy when he put out a tweet, but then his tweet was false, Raffensperger told WXIA. If President Trump hadnt have tweeted out anything and wouldve stayed silent, we wouldve stayed silent as well. And that wouldve just been a conversation between him and I, man to man, and that wouldve been just fine with us. But hes the one that had to put it out on Twitter, he added. In a different television appearance, Raffensperger was asked directly if he authorized the release of the call. The information is out there, the election official responded. It is what it is. Fox News host Martha MacCallum pressed him, noting that he failed to answer directly. I think we had to respond to the presidents Twitter, and we responded with the facts that were in the call, Raffensperger said. So thats how it got out there. The world can make up their own decisions, listen to the both sides. Both sides of the aisle, down the middle. Make their own decisions. A spokesman for Raffenspergers office declined to comment. Before the call was released, Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to post the tweet, prompting a response from the secretary of state. Respectfully, President Trump: What youre saying is not true. The truth will come out, Raffensperger wrote. About two-and-a-half hours later, the first story about the call, which included snippets of audio, was published. Kurt Hilbert, a lawyer for Trump, said Monday that we are disappointed that the secretary of state and his staff secretly recorded and released a confidential settlement discussion. The conversation took place as Trumps team looks to settle two lawsuits theyve filed, Hilbert said. While they may think that behavior is appropriate, we do not, Hilbert added. Consequently, we will not be commenting on settlement discussions. The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) escalated the situation in the sensitive Ladakh theatre by using unorthodox weapons against Indian soldiers and amassing a large number of troops during the ongoing border standoff along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC), the defence ministry said in a year-end review of major developments. While the ministry did not elaborate on the unorthodox weapons used, the PLA troops attacked Indian soldiers with stones, iron rods and nail-studded clubs during skirmishes in Pangong Tso and the Galwan Valley last year. The PLA attempted to alter the status quo in the sector by force but the Indian Army was well-entrenched to counter any misadventure by the adversary, it said. Also Read: Ladakh was the starting point. India-China ties are getting complicated In its review, published on January 1, the ministry said the Indian Armyassisted by the Indian Air Force (IAF)mobilised troops, accretionary forces, artillery guns, tanks and ammunition at a swift pace to deal with the emerging situation. Roads, habitat and bridges were constructed quickly to support the enhanced troop deployment, it said. Unilateral and provocative actions by the Chinese to change the status quo by force in more than one area on the LAC were responded to in a firm and non-escalatory way, ensuring the sanctity of our claims in Eastern Ladakh, the ministry said, adding that the Indian Army stuck to the protocols and agreements between the two countries even as the PLA took escalatory actions. The review reiterated that Chinese suffered significant casualties in the Galwan Valley skirmish on June 15 in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action. The ministry elaborated on the steps taken by the Indian Army to occupy strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, thwarting Chinas expansionist aims. The ministry said that Indian troops, in a precautionary deployment on August 28-19, pre-empted Chinese expansionist designs and occupied heights along southern bank of Pangong Tso. Braving inclement weather, own troops continue to be deployed on these heights. Advance winter stocking (AWS) and winter preparations for the enhanced strength has been completed and troops are well entrenched to counter any misadventure by Chinese forces, the review said. The review added that IAFs heavy-lift planes altered the dynamics of force posturing in the Ladakh sector by mobilising huge quantum of war-waging machinery along with battle ready troops in quick time-frames. The Indian Army swiftly moved and occupied a series of key heights to prevent the PLA from grabbing Indian territory on the southern bank in a stealthy midnight move on August 29. The Indian Army now controls ridgeline positions on the southern bank of Pangong Tso that allow it to completely dominate the sector and keep an eye on Chinese military activity. The Indian Army has also taken control of key heights overlooking the PLAs deployments on the Finger 4 ridgeline on the northern bank of Pangong Tso where rival soldiers are deployed barely a few hundred metres from each other. The review added that while the Indian Army was prepared for any eventuality, talks were in progress to resolve the issue in an amicable manner. Last week, defence minister Rajnath Singh said that talks with China on disengagement and de-escalation in the Ladakh sectorwhere the two countries have been locked in a border row for eight monthshad not yielded any meaningful solution. Both sides are expected to hold the ninth round of military talks to reduce border but there is no indication of when India and China will hold the dialogue. The health facility will provide differentiated triage services for people with mild respiratory symptoms. Nueva Gales is the fifth health facility in Cieneguilla after the maternal and child health center "Tambo Viejo," health posts "Huaycan de Cieneguilla" and "Colca," as well as the Community Mental Health Center, the health sector said in a press release. Hard work The new health center will offer medical specialties like general medicine, growth and development, immunizations, obstetrics, dentistry, laboratory, and pharmacy. "It has been hard work, but we have made it. Now, there are five health centers in Cieneguilla district, and we continue to decentralize primary care with this recently inaugurated facility," DIRIS Lima Este Director Antonieta Alarcon stated. Nueva Gales Health Center has a team of health professionals and technical staff. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Cooperation "DIRIS Lima Este purchased equipment and furniture for this new primary care center, the land area donated by the community is 547 square meters, and the Municipality of Cieneguilla executed the infrastructure and physical facilities at this property," Minsa explained. ?? El centro de salud Nueva Gales contara con triaje diferenciado para pacientes con sintomas respiratorios, fortaleciendo la atencion primaria en salud. https://t.co/17j13yHap3 Chennai, Jan 5 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Tuesday declared government holiday on January 28 on account of Thaipoosam festival celebrated in the honour of Lord Murugan. In a statement issued here, Palaniswami said Thaipoosam is an important festival that is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and also in Kerala and foreign countries like Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Singapore and Malaysia. He said people had requested declaration of public holiday for Thaipoosam as it is being done in Sri Lanka and Mauritius. He said the government after considering the request has decided to declare January 28 as a public holiday and Thaipoosam will be included in the list of public holidays in the coming years. State BJP leader L. Murugan hit the streets with his Vetri Vel Yatra recently in protest against the Karuppar Koottam that insulted Kanda Shasti Kavacham -- the prayer for Lord Murugan. The BJP alleged that DMK and its allies are behind the Karuppar Koottam. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 ROSEBURG, Ore. Students in Douglas County made their way back to the classroom Monday, now that school districts have more freedom under Gov. Kate Browns latest guidance. According to their Facebook pages, Glide, Oakland, South Umpqua and Camas Valley school districts are among the few that reopened for in person learning. Some of those districts welcomed all grades back, while others are doing it one by one. KEZI 9 News reached out to district staff at those schools for further comment, but they did not get back to us. Yoncalla School District was one of the few who chose not to reopen for in-person learning Monday. Superintendent Brian Berry said they will reopen, but they chose to start with distance learning. We wanted to make sure before we left for break that everyone, especially parents, were in the loop because I didnt want them to worry about setting up child care, he said. However, Berry said he is happy for the schools that reopened. He said he looks forward to joining them. Obviously our numbers are still a little higher than Id like, but they're trending in the right direction. We have an incredible local heath leader. Dr. Dannenhoffer really keeps us school districts informed, he said. Berry says they plan to open next Monday, starting with elementary students first. In a volatile trading session, market indices turned positive by the afternoon session and closed at record highs for the tenth straight session on Tuesday, amid mixed global equities. Sensex ended 260 points higher at 48,437 and Nifty gained by 66 points to 14,199. During today's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,486 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,215. Axis Bank, Titan, Asian Paints, HCL Tech, Infosys, IndusInd Bank, HDFC, TCS and HUL were among the gainers. On the other hand, L&T, Maruti, ONGC, M&M, Airtel, Bajaj twins, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries were among the top losers on Sensex pack Shares of India's largest amusement park chain, Wonderla Holidays rose 8% on Wednesday morning after the company announced that its theme park and resort in Hyderabad will reopen for the public from 9 January 2021 onwards. Wonderla Holidays stock opened at Rs 209.30, also its intraday low and later gained 2.58% to hit the day's high of Rs 214.90 against the last close of Rs 209.50. The Wonderla Holidays stock has risen 3.42% in the last 2 days. Wonderla Holidays share has risen 2.5% in the last one week and 2% year to date. Wonderla Holidays stock is trading higher than 5, 20, 50, 100 and 200 day moving averages. Wonderla Holidays share price has hit a 52 week high of Rs 260.15 and 52 week low of Rs 104.95. Ashis Biswas, Head of Technical Research at CapitalVia Global Research Ltd- Investment Advisor said,"The market continues to witness resilience and recovered after an opening with a gap down to stay above the immediate support level of the Nifty 50 Index level of 13950. While sustaining above 13950 is the key factor from a short-term perspective. We suggest maintaining above this level market to gain momentum and open the possibility for a movement until 14250-14270. The momentum indicators like RSI, MACD to recover, and market breadth to improve, further strengthening a short-term bullish outlook." Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has promised a "never before" like Union Budget as the government looks to steer the pandemic-battered economy and push growth. While investment in health, medical Research & Development (R&D) and developing greater skills to handle telemedicine is going to be critical, livelihood challenges would have to be seen in a newer canvas with newer perspective on vocational training and skill development. "Send me your inputs so that we can see a Budget which is a Budget like never before, in a way. 100 years of India wouldn't have seen a Budget being made post-pandemic like this. "And that is not going to be possible unless I get your inputs and wish list, clear observation of what has put you through the challenge... Without that, it is impossible for me to draft something which is going to be that Budget like never before, a Budget which is being made after a pandemic," Sitharaman said while addressing the CII Partnership Summit 2020. FM Sitharaman promises 'never before' like Union Budget Total market capitalisation of all listed companies on the BSE has zoomed to a record high of over Rs 191 lakh crore. Till Monday's trade, markets recorded their ninth straight session of gain. During this time, the BSE Sensex jumped 2,622.84 points or 5.75 per cent and closed above the 48,000-mark for the first time on Monday. In the past nine trading sessions, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed firms have jumped a whopping Rs 12,89,863.39 crore to a record Rs 1,91,69,186.44 crore ($ 2.6 trillon). Approval of two COVID-19 vaccines has brought cheers to the domestic market. M-cap of BSE-listed firms sprints past Rs 191 lakh crore; RIL, TCS top gainers HDFC share rose 2% in early trade today after country's largest mortgage lender said its loan disbursements in the individual loan category grew 26 per cent in Q3. Share of HDFC climbed 2.40% to Rs 2,641 against previous close of Rs 2,579.35 on BSE. The stock has gained 4.08% in the last four days. HDFC share is trading higher than 5 day, 20 day, 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages. In last one year, the share has risen 7.59%. The stock has gained 17.58% in one month. HDFC share hits all-time high as disbursements climb 26% in Q3 Shares of infrastructure development company KNR Constructions rose over 5% to hit a new 52 week high of Rs 352.9 on Tuesday, after the company announced that it was awarded by Project Director, Highways (FAC), Chennai Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor Project, Chennai an order worth of Rs 604 crore. The stock opened with a gain at Rs 337.20, also its intraday low and later touched an intraday as well new 52-week high of Rs 352.90, rising 5.79%% on BSE as against the last closing value of Rs 333.60. KNR stock has risen 5.86% in the last 3 days. KNR stock is trading higher than 5, 20, 50, 100 and 200 day moving averages KNR shares have risen 4% in one week, 9% in one month, The KNR share price has given 5% returns since the beginning of the year and 31% in one year. Market cap of KNR stock stood at Rs 4,818.25 crore as of today. The stock has touched a 52 week high and low of Rs 352.90 and Rs 171.65, respectively. Manish Hathiramani, proprietary index trader and technical analyst, Deen Dayal Investments said," We are top-heavy at this point in time. 14150 is the current resistance level and if we can get past that 14200-14250 is a possibility. However, it is recommended that we maintain a cautious stance and trade with lighter quantities on the buy side with strict stops. The risk reward is currently skewed and we should wait for dips or corrections and then evaluate the markets. Accumulation of long positions should ideally happen on corrections" LKP Securities said in its note," Company's first mover advantage on the Lithium ion battery JV and investments in it shall enable them to ride the EV wave. Reduced capex and restriction of investments in insurance arm will lead to strong FCF over the coming years. In line with these drivers, we estimate revenue CAGR of 13% and bottom-line CAGR of 27% from FY21E-23E. Higher replacement volumes, efforts on margin expansion, limited capex (?3bn in FY 21E) and investments in Lithium ion shall yield rich dividends. We maintain BUY on Exide with SOTP target price of Rs 233 (17x times FY 23E EPS standalone business @Rs 203 + Rs 30 of insurance arm valued at 1x embedded value). National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has achieved ever highest production of 9.99 Lakh MT Urea in the third quarter of FY21. National Fertilizer stock has risen 7.42% in the last 2 days. The stock opened with a gain of 11.73% today at Rs 42.40 and later touched an intraday high of Rs 42.7, rising 12.52% on BSE as against the last closing value of Rs 37.95. The NFL stock also touched the day's low at Rs 40.10. National Fertilizer stock is trading higher than 5 day, 20 day, 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages NFL shares have risen 4.3% in one week, 9.5% in one month, The NFL share price has given 7% returns since the beginning of the year and 50% in one year. Market cap of the stock stood at Rs 1,984.39 crore as of today. The stock has touched a 52 week high and low of Rs 45 and Rs 15, respectively. 13:50 IST: National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has achieved ever highest production of 9.99 Lakh MT Urea in the third quarter of FY21. National Fertilizer stock has risen 7.42% in the last 2 days. The stock opened with a gain of 11.73% today at Rs 42.40 and later touched an intraday high of Rs 42.7, rising 12.52% on BSE as against the last closing value of Rs 37.95. The NFL stock also touched the day's low at Rs 40.10. National Fertilizer stock is trading higher than 5 day, 20 day, 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages NFL shares have risen 4.3% in one week, 9.5% in one month, The NFL share price has given 7% returns since the beginning of the year and 50% in one year. Market cap of the stock stood at Rs 1,984.39 crore as of today. The stock has touched a 52 week high and low of Rs 45 and Rs 15, respectively. Jan 05, 2021 13:37 (IST) Outlook 2021 for Real Estate Sector Ankit Kansal, Founder & MD, 360 Realtors, As healthy moderation in the economy sets in, the real estate industry has started to revive. Sales numbers have significantly jumped in most of the major cities in India in the last quarter, painting a positive picture for the coming year. Most of the rating agencies and banks have also estimated that the Indian economy is set to grow in the range of 8-10% in 2021, following a contraction in 2020. In 21, organic growth will be the way forward, as the crisis has reinforced the need to own home amongst Indians. Lowered home loan rates, attractive payment plans, and the depreciated value of the rupee will also feed into demand. In commercial real estate, markets will continue to recover as leasing activities will gain momentum. Apart from office leasing, Co-working spaces, warehouses, and data centers are expected to register remarkable growth. The government is also expected to implement Model Tenancy Act, which will bring a balance between tenant-landlord relationships and boost the rental markets. 13:37 IST: Ankit Kansal, Founder & MD, 360 Realtors, As healthy moderation in the economy sets in, the real estate industry has started to revive. Sales numbers have significantly jumped in most of the major cities in India in the last quarter, painting a positive picture for the coming year. Most of the rating agencies and banks have also estimated that the Indian economy is set to grow in the range of 8-10% in 2021, following a contraction in 2020. In 21, organic growth will be the way forward, as the crisis has reinforced the need to own home amongst Indians. Lowered home loan rates, attractive payment plans, and the depreciated value of the rupee will also feed into demand. In commercial real estate, markets will continue to recover as leasing activities will gain momentum. Apart from office leasing, Co-working spaces, warehouses, and data centers are expected to register remarkable growth. The government is also expected to implement Model Tenancy Act, which will bring a balance between tenant-landlord relationships and boost the rental markets. Jan 05, 2021 13:30 (IST) Gold outlook Angel Broking in its daily metals & energy report said," A weaker U.S. currency made the Dollar-denominated Gold cheaper for other currency holders. The gains were further extended as Gold, the non-yielding metal is considered as a hedge against Inflation and currency debasement. Moreover, worsening of the global economic scenario and mounting worries over the new virus strain which was detected in UK also boosted demand for the safe haven, Gold. The expectation of new restrictions in UK, Japan and South Africa amid uncertainties over the global growth prospects pushed Gold prices higher. Revival in the U.S. Dollar might weigh on the yellow metal prices. However, mounting worries over the impact of the never-ending pandemic is expected to levy some support for the safe haven, Gold. On the MCX, gold prices are expected to trade higher in todays session." 13:30 IST: Angel Broking in its daily metals & energy report said," A weaker U.S. currency made the Dollar-denominated Gold cheaper for other currency holders. The gains were further extended as Gold, the non-yielding metal is considered as a hedge against Inflation and currency debasement. Moreover, worsening of the global economic scenario and mounting worries over the new virus strain which was detected in UK also boosted demand for the safe haven, Gold. The expectation of new restrictions in UK, Japan and South Africa amid uncertainties over the global growth prospects pushed Gold prices higher. Revival in the U.S. Dollar might weigh on the yellow metal prices. However, mounting worries over the impact of the never-ending pandemic is expected to levy some support for the safe haven, Gold. On the MCX, gold prices are expected to trade higher in todays session." Jan 05, 2021 13:25 (IST) Nifty technical outlook Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst-Technical and Derivatives - Angel Broking said," The bulls are reluctant to give up and the intraday dip again witnessed good buying interest from market participants. Nifty continued to make new milestones and all the sectors, except banking, participated in the up move yesterday. So the trend continues to be positive with no signs of reversal. However, at all-time highs, usually retracement and extensions of the previous moves works well to determine the resistances. When applied certain retracement to the recent correction and an extension to first the price upmove from the March low, the resistance for Nifty comes in the range of 14170-14200 which is not very far from yesterdays close. Hence, it would be crucial to see how the index behaves around this resistance and thus market participants should be vigilant of the same. It is definitely not advisable to take any contra calls in anticipation of any reversal as we are trading in a strong uptrend, but traders should prefer to book timely profits on existing positions and tighten the risk management part of the trade. The immediate support for the Nifty is placed at 13950 and now becomes a sacrosanct for this leg of upmove." 13:25 IST: Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst-Technical and Derivatives - Angel Broking said," The bulls are reluctant to give up and the intraday dip again witnessed good buying interest from market participants. Nifty continued to make new milestones and all the sectors, except banking, participated in the up move yesterday. So the trend continues to be positive with no signs of reversal. However, at all-time highs, usually retracement and extensions of the previous moves works well to determine the resistances. When applied certain retracement to the recent correction and an extension to first the price upmove from the March low, the resistance for Nifty comes in the range of 14170-14200 which is not very far from yesterdays close. Hence, it would be crucial to see how the index behaves around this resistance and thus market participants should be vigilant of the same. It is definitely not advisable to take any contra calls in anticipation of any reversal as we are trading in a strong uptrend, but traders should prefer to book timely profits on existing positions and tighten the risk management part of the trade. The immediate support for the Nifty is placed at 13950 and now becomes a sacrosanct for this leg of upmove." Jan 05, 2021 13:06 (IST) Market outlook Anuj Gupta , Deputy Vice President Research - (Commodities and Currencies), Angel Broking said,"Yesterday gold prices on MCX increased by 2.35% and closed at 51424 levels and silver increased by 2.81% and closed at 70036 levels. This was due to increasing corona virus cases, and cause of rising hospitalizations and deaths, which impact negatively on US Dollar. The U.S. saw at least 201,476 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, and at least 1,353 people died. US Dollar is trading at 89.50 levels which is the lowest level since year 2018. The trend of gold and silver are positive so traders can buy gold and silver for trading perspective. As for today traders can go for BUY in gold at Rs 51300 levels with the stop loss of Rs 51000 levels for the target of 51700 levels. They can also go for BUY in Silver at Rs 70000 levels, with the stop loss of 69000 levels and for the target of 71500 levels. We expect gold may test $1950 levels and silver may test $28 levels soon." 13:06 IST: Anuj Gupta , Deputy Vice President Research - (Commodities and Currencies), Angel Broking said,"Yesterday gold prices on MCX increased by 2.35% and closed at 51424 levels and silver increased by 2.81% and closed at 70036 levels. This was due to increasing corona virus cases, and cause of rising hospitalizations and deaths, which impact negatively on US Dollar. The U.S. saw at least 201,476 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, and at least 1,353 people died. US Dollar is trading at 89.50 levels which is the lowest level since year 2018. The trend of gold and silver are positive so traders can buy gold and silver for trading perspective. As for today traders can go for BUY in gold at Rs 51300 levels with the stop loss of Rs 51000 levels for the target of 51700 levels. They can also go for BUY in Silver at Rs 70000 levels, with the stop loss of 69000 levels and for the target of 71500 levels. We expect gold may test $1950 levels and silver may test $28 levels soon." Jan 05, 2021 12:55 (IST) Market hits new high In a volatile trading session, market indices turned positive by the afternoon session, on Tuesday, amid mixed global equities. Extending gains for the tenth straight session, Sensex was trading 90 points higher at 48,226 and Nifty gained by 18 points higher at 14,151. During today's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,283 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,151. 12:55 IST: In a volatile trading session, market indices turned positive by the afternoon session, on Tuesday, amid mixed global equities. Extending gains for the tenth straight session, Sensex was trading 90 points higher at 48,226 and Nifty gained by 18 points higher at 14,151. During today's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,283 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,151. Jan 05, 2021 12:40 (IST) Nifty Outlook Geojit Financial said in its note," Having come inside our target region of 14091-14200, volatility is favoured to step up, as indicated by standard deviation studies. An outright fall is less favoured, and a dip into 14000-13740 region will be in line with the volatility expectations, while also keeping upside hopes alive." 12:40 IST: Geojit Financial said in its note," Having come inside our target region of 14091-14200, volatility is favoured to step up, as indicated by standard deviation studies. An outright fall is less favoured, and a dip into 14000-13740 region will be in line with the volatility expectations, while also keeping upside hopes alive." Jan 05, 2021 12:32 (IST) Global markets turn volatile Asian markets are trading mixed with a negative bias tracking overnight fall in US markets as pandemic fear grew with UK PM announcing national lockdown on England. US markets were closed lower on the first trading day of the near year after opening at new highs. Markets retreat pandemic fears and outcome of runoff elections in Georgia added nervousness European markets moved up on the first day of trading in 2021 despite fear over rising COVID-19 cases. UK PM announced a national lockdown on England. 12:32 IST: Asian markets are trading mixed with a negative bias tracking overnight fall in US markets as pandemic fear grew with UK PM announcing national lockdown on England. US markets were closed lower on the first trading day of the near year after opening at new highs. Markets retreat pandemic fears and outcome of runoff elections in Georgia added nervousness European markets moved up on the first day of trading in 2021 despite fear over rising COVID-19 cases. UK PM announced a national lockdown on England. 12:15 IST: Indian rupee depreciated by 13 paise to 73.15 per US dollar on Tuesday's opening trade, tracking the muted opening in domestic equities. The domestic unit was trading in a narrow range. It opened at 73.02 against the US dollar at the interbank forex market and later fell to 73.15 against the greenback, registering a fall of 13 paise over its previous close. Rupee slips 13 paise to 73.15 per dollar amid weak equities, flat Asian currencies Jan 05, 2021 12:02 (IST) Market outlook Binod Modi Head-Strategy at Reliance Securities said," Domestic equities are not looking inspiring at the moment with Asian bourses trading lower taking cues from US markets. US equities fell sharply mainly led by mounting concerns over potential rise in borrowing costs after the 10-Year Treasury break-even rate rose over 2 per cent yesterday and rise in COVID-19 cases along with resultant lockdowns. Fresh lockdown announced in Britain until at least mid-February weighed on investors' sentiment. All eyes would be on Georgia's run-off elections, in which two Senate seats have the potential to create fresh volatility in the markets". 12:02 IST: Binod Modi Head-Strategy at Reliance Securities said," Domestic equities are not looking inspiring at the moment with Asian bourses trading lower taking cues from US markets. US equities fell sharply mainly led by mounting concerns over potential rise in borrowing costs after the 10-Year Treasury break-even rate rose over 2 per cent yesterday and rise in COVID-19 cases along with resultant lockdowns. Fresh lockdown announced in Britain until at least mid-February weighed on investors' sentiment. All eyes would be on Georgia's run-off elections, in which two Senate seats have the potential to create fresh volatility in the markets". Jan 05, 2021 11:56 (IST) Rupee outlook Kshitij Purohit, Lead Currency & Commodities at CapitalVia Global Research Lt.- Investment Advisor said,"The Indian Rupee closed higher against the US Dollar, Due to broad decline in the dollar index. The minutes of the December Fed meeting due this week could reinforce that dovish stance which could continue to weigh on the greenback. FPI bought $168 million in local equity to help domestic pair to be on the higher side. However rising Covid-19 cases push investors towards safe haven, Technically USDINR Spot took the support of 72.80 and is facing the resistance of 73.20 levels. Closing above 73.20 will indicate that bullish trade will continue towards 73.50 73.60 level. Support for the pair is 72.80 levels below it can go 72.50 levels." 11:56 IST: Kshitij Purohit, Lead Currency & Commodities at CapitalVia Global Research Lt.- Investment Advisor said,"The Indian Rupee closed higher against the US Dollar, Due to broad decline in the dollar index. The minutes of the December Fed meeting due this week could reinforce that dovish stance which could continue to weigh on the greenback. FPI bought $168 million in local equity to help domestic pair to be on the higher side. However rising Covid-19 cases push investors towards safe haven, Technically USDINR Spot took the support of 72.80 and is facing the resistance of 73.20 levels. Closing above 73.20 will indicate that bullish trade will continue towards 73.50 73.60 level. Support for the pair is 72.80 levels below it can go 72.50 levels." Jan 05, 2021 11:43 (IST) YES Bank share falls 2% today YES Bank share was trading 2% lower in early trade of Tuesday, in line with other private and public banking indices and major indices Sensex and Nifty. Extending losses for the second session, the stock price of YES Bank opened lower at Rs 17.95 today and fell to day's low of Rs 17.70, down 1.9% against the last close of Rs 18.05. Later, the stock to rose to a high of Rs 18.25 on BSE. In today's update, YES Bank announced that it has registered 1.3% growth on a sequential basis in loans and advances to Rs 1.69 lakh crore during the December quarter. Lender's deposits grew 7.7% to Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the quarter, compared to Rs 1.36 lakh crore in the September quarter. The gross retail disbursements during the December quarter stood at Rs 7,563 crore, up 109% compared with Rs 3,764 crore in the September quarter. 11:43 IST: YES Bank share was trading 2% lower in early trade of Tuesday, in line with other private and public banking indices and major indices Sensex and Nifty. Extending losses for the second session, the stock price of YES Bank opened lower at Rs 17.95 today and fell to day's low of Rs 17.70, down 1.9% against the last close of Rs 18.05. Later, the stock to rose to a high of Rs 18.25 on BSE. In today's update, YES Bank announced that it has registered 1.3% growth on a sequential basis in loans and advances to Rs 1.69 lakh crore during the December quarter. Lender's deposits grew 7.7% to Rs 1.46 lakh crore in the quarter, compared to Rs 1.36 lakh crore in the September quarter. The gross retail disbursements during the December quarter stood at Rs 7,563 crore, up 109% compared with Rs 3,764 crore in the September quarter. Jan 05, 2021 11:37 (IST) This Tata Group stock gave 180% returns in 9 months Shares of Tata Steel rallied nearly 9 per cent in intraday trade to Rs 699.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday after the steel major said it transferred its stake in two companies to Tata Steel Downstream Products Ltd (TSDPL), a wholly- owned subsidiary of the firm, as part of reorganising its India footprint. The shares of Tata Group company have soared 180 per cent from its 52-week low of Rs 250.90 as on March 30, 2020, while it gained 14 per cent over the last one month. Earlier today, Tata Steel share price opened marginally higher at Rs 646.55 against the previous closing price of Rs 643.10 on the BSE. During the day's trade, the stock hit 52-week high of Rs 699.45, before settling at Rs 692.75, up 7.72 per cent. The market cap of the large cap stock increased to Rs 79,382.18 crore. Meanwhile, the BSE benchmark SENSEX ended at 48,176, up 307 points or 0.64 per cent. This Tata Group stock gave 180% returns in 9 months; should you subscribe? 11:37 IST: Shares of Tata Steel rallied nearly 9 per cent in intraday trade to Rs 699.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Monday after the steel major said it transferred its stake in two companies to Tata Steel Downstream Products Ltd (TSDPL), a wholly- owned subsidiary of the firm, as part of reorganising its India footprint. The shares of Tata Group company have soared 180 per cent from its 52-week low of Rs 250.90 as on March 30, 2020, while it gained 14 per cent over the last one month. Earlier today, Tata Steel share price opened marginally higher at Rs 646.55 against the previous closing price of Rs 643.10 on the BSE. During the day's trade, the stock hit 52-week high of Rs 699.45, before settling at Rs 692.75, up 7.72 per cent. The market cap of the large cap stock increased to Rs 79,382.18 crore. Meanwhile, the BSE benchmark SENSEX ended at 48,176, up 307 points or 0.64 per cent. This Tata Group stock gave 180% returns in 9 months; should you subscribe? Jan 05, 2021 11:25 (IST) Top losers and gainers ONGC, M&M, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries were among the top gainers on Sensex pack. On the other hand, Axis Bank, HDFC, TCS and HUL were among the gainers. 11:25 IST: ONGC, M&M, NTPC, Bajaj Auto, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank and Reliance Industries were among the top gainers on Sensex pack. On the other hand, Axis Bank, HDFC, TCS and HUL were among the gainers. Jan 05, 2021 11:23 (IST) Multiplex stocks rally on approval of vaccine Keshav Lahoti-Associate Equity Analyst, Angel Broking said,"The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) last Sunday approved the Oxford coronavirus vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, making it India's first vaccines against the pandemic. India is set to begin the world's biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme. Due to optimism around vaccines, revenue visibility of sectors such as multiplex is improving. Due to this, multiplex stocks such as Inox Leisure & PVR closed up by 5.9% and 4.4% respectively. Secondly, due to Covid-19 entire theatre industry has suffered heavy losses, this has led to closure of many single screens. In the long run, Covid-19 will lead to consolidation in the industry benefitting multiplex players like Inox Leisure & PVR. From an investment point of view, we are bullish on PVR and Inox Leisure as due to Covid-19 these stocks have corrected ~40% and long term fundamentals are still intact. We prefer Inox Leisure over PVR as Inox has better financial condition than PVR and it is available at lower valuation than PVR." 11:23 IST: Keshav Lahoti-Associate Equity Analyst, Angel Broking said,"The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) last Sunday approved the Oxford coronavirus vaccine and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, making it India's first vaccines against the pandemic. India is set to begin the world's biggest Covid-19 vaccination programme. Due to optimism around vaccines, revenue visibility of sectors such as multiplex is improving. Due to this, multiplex stocks such as Inox Leisure & PVR closed up by 5.9% and 4.4% respectively. Secondly, due to Covid-19 entire theatre industry has suffered heavy losses, this has led to closure of many single screens. In the long run, Covid-19 will lead to consolidation in the industry benefitting multiplex players like Inox Leisure & PVR. From an investment point of view, we are bullish on PVR and Inox Leisure as due to Covid-19 these stocks have corrected ~40% and long term fundamentals are still intact. We prefer Inox Leisure over PVR as Inox has better financial condition than PVR and it is available at lower valuation than PVR." Jan 05, 2021 11:07 (IST) PMI manufacturing for Dec Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said,"Indian manufacturing PMI for December came in at 56.4 as compared to 56.3 in November and marks the fifth continuous month of expansion. The expansion for the month of December was driven by improvement in factory orders which led to firms increasing production. The PMI numbers reflect solid expansion in the manufacturing sector which has led the economic recovery since the Covid lows. The services PMI too has now been above 50 for two months in a row since October. Markets will be keenly awaiting the services PMI numbers for December which is also expected to point to another month of solid expansion for December." 11:07 IST: Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said,"Indian manufacturing PMI for December came in at 56.4 as compared to 56.3 in November and marks the fifth continuous month of expansion. The expansion for the month of December was driven by improvement in factory orders which led to firms increasing production. The PMI numbers reflect solid expansion in the manufacturing sector which has led the economic recovery since the Covid lows. The services PMI too has now been above 50 for two months in a row since October. Markets will be keenly awaiting the services PMI numbers for December which is also expected to point to another month of solid expansion for December." Jan 05, 2021 10:50 (IST) Bajaj Auto sales for Dec Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said: "Bajaj Auto total sales for December 2020 were up 11% YoY to 372,532 units. Domestic sales were down by 9.0% YoY to 139,606 units while exports registered strong growth of 27% YoY to 232,926 units. Two wheeler sales were up by 19.0% YoY at 338,584 units with domestic and exports registering growth of 4% and 31% YoY respectively. Commercial vehicles sales continue to remain under pressure, down by 34% YoY at 33,948 units. Domestic commercial vehicles sales were down by 62% YoY to 10,964 units while exports grew by 3.0% YoY to 22,984 units. Bajaj Autos numbers reflect the slowdown in the domestic two wheeler industry post the festive season. However exports continue to register strong growth driven by two wheeler exports. Domestic CV segment continues to remain under pressure and is expected to recover only in FY22." 10:50 IST: Jyoti Roy - DVP- Equity Strategist, Angel Broking said: "Bajaj Auto total sales for December 2020 were up 11% YoY to 372,532 units. Domestic sales were down by 9.0% YoY to 139,606 units while exports registered strong growth of 27% YoY to 232,926 units. Two wheeler sales were up by 19.0% YoY at 338,584 units with domestic and exports registering growth of 4% and 31% YoY respectively. Commercial vehicles sales continue to remain under pressure, down by 34% YoY at 33,948 units. Domestic commercial vehicles sales were down by 62% YoY to 10,964 units while exports grew by 3.0% YoY to 22,984 units. Bajaj Autos numbers reflect the slowdown in the domestic two wheeler industry post the festive season. However exports continue to register strong growth driven by two wheeler exports. Domestic CV segment continues to remain under pressure and is expected to recover only in FY22." Jan 05, 2021 10:44 (IST) Tesla shares open 2021 at record high Tesla Inc shares rose to a record high in the first trading session of 2021, extending last year's more than eight-fold surge that helped it become the world's most valuable carmaker. The company on Saturday beat Wall Street targets for annual vehicle deliveries, but missed by 450 units Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's target of half a million cars in 2020. The stock's meteoric rise was supported by five straight quarters of profit, which helped the electric-car maker stand out in the global auto industry that has been witnessing a slump in sales, quarterly losses and supply chain disruptions. Tesla shares open 2021 at record high 10:44 IST: Tesla Inc shares rose to a record high in the first trading session of 2021, extending last year's more than eight-fold surge that helped it become the world's most valuable carmaker. The company on Saturday beat Wall Street targets for annual vehicle deliveries, but missed by 450 units Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's target of half a million cars in 2020. The stock's meteoric rise was supported by five straight quarters of profit, which helped the electric-car maker stand out in the global auto industry that has been witnessing a slump in sales, quarterly losses and supply chain disruptions. Tesla shares open 2021 at record high Jan 05, 2021 10:40 (IST) Bitcoin rally wavers, falls over 17% from record high of $34,800 Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, plunged sharply on Monday, after soaring to record high of $34,800 (roughly Rs 25.4 lakh) on Sunday, as traders resorted to selling on grounds of volatility in highly leveraged futures markets. The digital currency declined as much as 17 per cent in intra-day to slip below $30,000 levels, the biggest slump since March, before recovering to $31,227, down 7 per cent, as of 12:59 PM in London. The fall in the cryptocurrency, however, was much smaller as compared to a 50 per cent rally in the month of December alone, when it breached $20,000 for the first time. Bitcoin rally wavers, falls over 17% from record high of $34,800 10:40 IST: Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency, plunged sharply on Monday, after soaring to record high of $34,800 (roughly Rs 25.4 lakh) on Sunday, as traders resorted to selling on grounds of volatility in highly leveraged futures markets. The digital currency declined as much as 17 per cent in intra-day to slip below $30,000 levels, the biggest slump since March, before recovering to $31,227, down 7 per cent, as of 12:59 PM in London. The fall in the cryptocurrency, however, was much smaller as compared to a 50 per cent rally in the month of December alone, when it breached $20,000 for the first time. Bitcoin rally wavers, falls over 17% from record high of $34,800 Jan 05, 2021 10:39 (IST) Bharat Electronics outlook Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to Bharat Electronics (BEL) and said," The company is well-placed to leverage its expertise in growing defence capex led by strong execution track record with large manufacturing base, preferred vendor of the GoI (being a PSU), innovative products, collaboration with foreign partners and R&D focus. BEL is amongst few defence PSUs having a debt-free balance sheet, efficient working capital management, adequate R&D spend, technology absorption, track record of executing large projects, strong cash flow and prudent capital allocation. We initiate coverage on BEL with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs170, valuing the stock at 15x of FY23E earnings (discount to its long-term average of 16x). 10:39 IST: Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to Bharat Electronics (BEL) and said," The company is well-placed to leverage its expertise in growing defence capex led by strong execution track record with large manufacturing base, preferred vendor of the GoI (being a PSU), innovative products, collaboration with foreign partners and R&D focus. BEL is amongst few defence PSUs having a debt-free balance sheet, efficient working capital management, adequate R&D spend, technology absorption, track record of executing large projects, strong cash flow and prudent capital allocation. We initiate coverage on BEL with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs170, valuing the stock at 15x of FY23E earnings (discount to its long-term average of 16x). Jan 05, 2021 10:33 (IST) BEML outlook Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to BEML and said,"We believe BEML is well-placed to capitalize on the imminent opportunities in mining, defence and Railway & Metro space. The mining sector, which is now open for private sector participation, is likely to boost domestic production and reduce imports. Further, initiatives i.e. Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, import ban on 101 items and hike in FDI limit in defence to 74% along with strong ordering activities in railways and metro rail augur well for BEML. As BEML is a potential divestment candidate, we believe higher multiple is likely to sustain given improving earnings profile. We initiate coverage on BEML with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs1,335, valuing the stock at 40x of FY23E EPS (discount to its long-term average of ~60x)." 10:33 IST: Reliance Research gave a Buy rating to BEML and said,"We believe BEML is well-placed to capitalize on the imminent opportunities in mining, defence and Railway & Metro space. The mining sector, which is now open for private sector participation, is likely to boost domestic production and reduce imports. Further, initiatives i.e. Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India, import ban on 101 items and hike in FDI limit in defence to 74% along with strong ordering activities in railways and metro rail augur well for BEML. As BEML is a potential divestment candidate, we believe higher multiple is likely to sustain given improving earnings profile. We initiate coverage on BEML with BUY and a 2-Year Target Price of Rs1,335, valuing the stock at 40x of FY23E EPS (discount to its long-term average of ~60x)." Jan 05, 2021 10:01 (IST) Gold market overview Kshitij Purohit, Lead Commodity & Currency at CapitalVia Global Research Ltd. - Investment Advisor said: Gold futures closed around 25 percent higher last year, with most of the gains between March 16 and August 7 arising as aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus plans were still being announced and enforced by central banks and governments. The Fed gave dollars to anyone that wanted them, and gold prices rose according since at that time, investors were still operating under weak dollar, strong gold cruise control. So, starting out 2021, trader reaction to 50% to 61.8% of last years range at $1780.50 to $1705.20 will set the tone for the year, at least technically. Strategy For the upcoming week, traders should go for buy-on-dips strategy for Comex Gold. The ideal range for buy position is lies around the previous weeks support level around $1870 by maintaining strict stoploss level at $1855 - $1850. In MCX gold, traders should go for buying at a level of 49900, by keeping a target level of 51260 and parallelly set a stop loss level of 49675. 10:01 IST: Kshitij Purohit, Lead Commodity & Currency at CapitalVia Global Research Ltd. - Investment Advisor said: Gold futures closed around 25 percent higher last year, with most of the gains between March 16 and August 7 arising as aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus plans were still being announced and enforced by central banks and governments. The Fed gave dollars to anyone that wanted them, and gold prices rose according since at that time, investors were still operating under weak dollar, strong gold cruise control. So, starting out 2021, trader reaction to 50% to 61.8% of last years range at $1780.50 to $1705.20 will set the tone for the year, at least technically. Strategy For the upcoming week, traders should go for buy-on-dips strategy for Comex Gold. The ideal range for buy position is lies around the previous weeks support level around $1870 by maintaining strict stoploss level at $1855 - $1850. In MCX gold, traders should go for buying at a level of 49900, by keeping a target level of 51260 and parallelly set a stop loss level of 49675. Jan 05, 2021 09:51 (IST) Disinvestment in BEML Yash Gupta Equity Research Associate, Angel Broking said," BEML promoter of the company has decided to disinvest 26% of total equity share capital. BEML Limited is a Mini Ratna company of the Government of India, government of India holds a controlling stake of 54.03% of total equity share capital of the company. Government of India has decided to disinvest 26% of paid up share capital of the company through strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control of the company. The Company operates under 3 major business verticals - viz. Mining & Construction, Defence, and Rail & Metro. Gol has appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAP) as its Transaction Advisor to advise and manage the strategic disinvestment process. The disinvestment process will be implemented through an open competitive bidding route and any global or domestic company can place their bid for the control stake in the company. BEML has fixed 1st of march 2021 as the last date for submitting EOI. We expect this process to take a long time to implement and as the government of India has not chosen the route of Offer for Sales so the price will not be offered by the promoter. We expect BEML will get some good investors or Company as GOI of India has decided to transfer management control also." 09:51 IST: Yash Gupta Equity Research Associate, Angel Broking said," BEML promoter of the company has decided to disinvest 26% of total equity share capital. BEML Limited is a Mini Ratna company of the Government of India, government of India holds a controlling stake of 54.03% of total equity share capital of the company. Government of India has decided to disinvest 26% of paid up share capital of the company through strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control of the company. The Company operates under 3 major business verticals - viz. Mining & Construction, Defence, and Rail & Metro. Gol has appointed SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAP) as its Transaction Advisor to advise and manage the strategic disinvestment process. The disinvestment process will be implemented through an open competitive bidding route and any global or domestic company can place their bid for the control stake in the company. BEML has fixed 1st of march 2021 as the last date for submitting EOI. We expect this process to take a long time to implement and as the government of India has not chosen the route of Offer for Sales so the price will not be offered by the promoter. We expect BEML will get some good investors or Company as GOI of India has decided to transfer management control also." Jan 05, 2021 09:37 (IST) Opening session Market indices reversed trend today and turned bearish after nine sessions of straight gains on Tuesday, in line with weak global equities. Sensex traded 100 points lower at 48,037 and Nifty fell by 57 points to 14,032. 09:37 IST: Market indices reversed trend today and turned bearish after nine sessions of straight gains on Tuesday, in line with weak global equities. Sensex traded 100 points lower at 48,037 and Nifty fell by 57 points to 14,032. Jan 05, 2021 09:36 (IST) Nifty F&O outlook Sneha Seth (Derivatives Analyst, Angel Broking) said: In F&O space, we saw addition of fresh long positions in Nifty and mixed positions were formed in case of banking index. Long positions formed in last series have been rolled over to January series and are still intact. Stronger hand too preferred rolling over longs and now their index futures Long Short Ratio stands at 75%. Today, despite sharp profit booking in the early morning trade put writers of 14000 and 14100 strikes preferred holding their positions strongly and this resulting V-shaped recovery. On the flip side, decent open interest addition was visible in 14100, 14200 and 14400 call options and we believe these are longs. Maximum open interest concentration remains intact in 14000 put and 14200 call options. Considering the above data points, we expect further upside towards 14200-14250 in the coming session. On the downside, 13900-14000 is a very strong demand zone. 09:36 IST: Sneha Seth (Derivatives Analyst, Angel Broking) said: In F&O space, we saw addition of fresh long positions in Nifty and mixed positions were formed in case of banking index. Long positions formed in last series have been rolled over to January series and are still intact. Stronger hand too preferred rolling over longs and now their index futures Long Short Ratio stands at 75%. Today, despite sharp profit booking in the early morning trade put writers of 14000 and 14100 strikes preferred holding their positions strongly and this resulting V-shaped recovery. On the flip side, decent open interest addition was visible in 14100, 14200 and 14400 call options and we believe these are longs. Maximum open interest concentration remains intact in 14000 put and 14200 call options. Considering the above data points, we expect further upside towards 14200-14250 in the coming session. On the downside, 13900-14000 is a very strong demand zone. 09:34 IST: Stocks to watch today on January 5: HDFC, Bajaj Finance, Edelweiss Financial, Sun Pharma, NBCC, L&T among others are the top stocks to watch out for in Tuesday's trading session Stocks in news: HDFC, Bajaj Finance, Edelweiss Financial, Sun Pharma, NBCC, L&T Jan 05, 2021 09:19 (IST) FII action Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,843.22 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 715.21 crore in the Indian equity market on 4 January, provisional data showed. 09:19 IST: Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 1,843.22 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net sellers to the tune of Rs 715.21 crore in the Indian equity market on 4 January, provisional data showed. Jan 05, 2021 09:18 (IST) Weak global equities Overseas, Asian stocks are trading mixed in Tuesday trade following an overnight drop on Wall Street amid concerns about global coronavirus cases and the Georgia runoff elections. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a national lockdown on England to curb the spread of the new coronavirus variant. 09:18 IST: Overseas, Asian stocks are trading mixed in Tuesday trade following an overnight drop on Wall Street amid concerns about global coronavirus cases and the Georgia runoff elections. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a national lockdown on England to curb the spread of the new coronavirus variant. Jan 05, 2021 09:17 (IST) Rupee closing On the currency front, the Indian rupee opened 21 paise higher at 72.90 and later closed 9 paise higher at 73.02 against the US dollar on Monday, supported by sustained foreign fund inflows and weakness of the American currency in the overseas market. Positive domestic equities and news on COVID-19 vaccine also improved sentiments. On Friday, the rupee had settled at 73.11 against the American currency. 09:17 IST: On the currency front, the Indian rupee opened 21 paise higher at 72.90 and later closed 9 paise higher at 73.02 against the US dollar on Monday, supported by sustained foreign fund inflows and weakness of the American currency in the overseas market. Positive domestic equities and news on COVID-19 vaccine also improved sentiments. On Friday, the rupee had settled at 73.11 against the American currency. Jan 05, 2021 09:12 (IST) Market outlook Reliance Research in its report said," NSE-NIFTY begun week on a strong note, wherein the index witnessed V-shape recovery after a sharp decline and closed on a record high. Yesterday, buying across the board, especially IT, Metal and frontline majors supported the up-move. Overall market remained positive and FII continued their buying trend. This could lead the index towards 14,300-14,500 level. In case of decline, the index will find support at 13,950 level initially and 13,800 mark subsequently. As for the day, support is placed at around 13,937 and then at 13,893 levels, while resistance is observed at 14,026 and then at 14,069 levels." 09:12 IST: Reliance Research in its report said," NSE-NIFTY begun week on a strong note, wherein the index witnessed V-shape recovery after a sharp decline and closed on a record high. Yesterday, buying across the board, especially IT, Metal and frontline majors supported the up-move. Overall market remained positive and FII continued their buying trend. This could lead the index towards 14,300-14,500 level. In case of decline, the index will find support at 13,950 level initially and 13,800 mark subsequently. As for the day, support is placed at around 13,937 and then at 13,893 levels, while resistance is observed at 14,026 and then at 14,069 levels." Jan 05, 2021 09:11 (IST) Closing on Monday On Monday, market indices continued to surge to new record highs on Monday for the ninth straight session, after Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted restricted emergency use authorisation for the Serum Institute of India (SII)'s 'Covishield' and Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin' vaccines against COVID-19 in India. Sensex ended 307 points higher at 48,176 and Nifty gained by 114 points higher at 14,132. During yesterday's session, Sensex hit a lifetime high of 48,220 and Nifty rose to a new high of 14,147 DUSHANBE -- An 87-year-old man in Tajikistan has been handed a five-year prison sentence for supporting families of jailed opposition politicians. Relatives of Doniyor Nabiev told RFE/RL on January 4 that the man was sentenced on December 28 after a court in Dushanbe had found him guilty of "providing relatives of jailed members of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) with material support." A source in the Ismoili Somoni district court in Dushanbe confirmed to RFE/RL that Nabiev was convicted and sentenced in late December, but refused to give any details, saying that case materials were classified. A former member of the IRPT, Mahmadi Teshaev, told RFE/RL that Nabiev, who also used to be a party member in the past, had been arrested in September. Nabiev "has provided families of jailed IRPT members with food, such as meat and fruit during holidays. That is why he was detained and sent to prison," Teshaev said. The IRPT, long an influential party with representatives in the Tajik government and parliament, was labeled an extremist and terrorist group and banned in 2015 -- moves the party and human rights groups say were unjustified and politically motivated. Dozens of IRPT officials and supporters have been prosecuted and many of them imprisoned, drawing further criticism of President Emomali Rahmon's government from rights groups. Activists say Rahmon, who has ruled Tajikistan since 1992, has used the security forces and other levers of power to sideline opponents and suppress dissent. (Natural News) Kelli Ward, chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, said in an interview that her states branch of the GOP is going to push for a very thorough investigation regarding the widespread allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities. We are going to turn over every rock looking for slime that is infecting our election integrity, said Ward during an interview with Newsmax. There are so many irregularities that we are seeing on the ground here in Arizona that must be investigated. We have questions whether ballots that were pushed through the machine by the poll worker pushing the green button to override protections have actually been counted We have evidence and complaints of people that do not live in Arizona, but theyre being notified by the elections department Thank you for voting, and actually even getting surveys to comment how the election process went for them. We have evidence of people who have passed away casting ballots. Ward further stated that the election is far from over, and that her goal in pushing for an investigation is not necessarily to overturn the election results and give all of Arizonas electoral college votes to President Donald Trump. Rather, Ward wants to assure the people of her state that they can put their faith in the electoral process once more, and the only way this can be done is by making sure all of the alleged irregularities are investigated and dealt with. Ward and Arizona GOP to call for statewide investigations Ward has called for an enhanced audit to be conducted in Maricopa County, the states most populated county. Her push to investigate Maricopa echoes similar calls made by three of the states Republican members of Congress, Reps. Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar and David Schweikert. They have urged the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to manually audit every single ballot that was cast in the county. These Republican representatives are concerned over allegations that the integrity of the countys election systems may be compromised. Maricopa County election officials have already conducted a mandatory hand count audit. But this audit only covered two percent of vote centers and one percent of early ballots. After this audit, they confidently said that there was no evidence of system malfunctions, voter fraud or misconduct from election workers. This is not enough for the Republican Party, as they have alleged that the countys hand count audit is a violation of state law because the audit was done on vote centers, which are open to any voter in the country, rather than on assigned voter precincts. The GOP said that a precinct-based hand count audit would produce more precise election results. Unfortunately, the Arizona Republican Party is unlikely to get this kind of thorough election investigation because a Maricopa County Superior Court judge threw out the GOPs lawsuit seeking this new audit. (Related: Arizona unlikely to see accurate vote count since secretary of state thinks Trump supporters are neo-Nazis) The judge, John Hannah, even said that the Secretary of States Office can seek payment for attorneys fees from the Arizona GOP. Hannah cited a state law that allows such actions to be undertaken when a plaintiff tries to bring a claim that is without substance or solely to delay or harass the other party. Ward denounced this ruling as a failure on the part of the state to address the concerns of Arizonas voters, stating that they deserve to have complete trust in their election procedures. She has since stated that she will continue to do everything she can to call for a full hand count audit. Learn more about how the Republican Party is attempting to have allegations of voter and election fraud investigated in Arizona and in other battleground states by reading the latest articles at VoteFraud.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Newsmax.com Biggs.House.gov AZCentral.com HUNTINGTON, W.Va., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy Services of America Corporation (the "Company" or "Energy Services") (OTC QB: ESOA), parent company of C.J. Hughes Construction Company and Nitro Construction Services, announced the filing of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K. Energy Services earned revenues of $119.2 million with an income before tax of $3.6 million for fiscal year 2020. The Company had a net income available to common shareholders of $2.1 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $8.1 million for fiscal year ended September 30, 2020. On December 11, 2020, the Company issued an earnings release in which the Company reported an income tax expense of $3.8 million due to Internal Revenue Service guidelines on the deductibility of Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") expenditures. At that time, PPP expenses were not tax deductible in the tax year spent for loan recipients that believe forgiveness is "reasonably certain", but not yet received. This resulted in a net loss available to common shareholders of ($533,000) for fiscal year 2020. On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (the "Act") was signed into law. Included in the Act was additional COVID-19 aid for PPP loan recipients that allowed the tax deductibility of PPP expenditures. This resulted in $2.7 million in less income tax expense than the Company previously reported on December 11, 2020. As a result, the Company's net income available to common shareholders was $2.1 million for fiscal year 2020. Below is a comparison of the Company's audited operating results for fiscal year 2020 compared to fiscal year 2019: 2020 2019 Revenue $ 119,194,440 $ 174,541,155 Cost of revenues 105,693,209 161,861,357 Gross profit 13,501,231 12,679,798 Selling and administrative expenses 9,831,578 8,857,386 Income from operations 3,669,653 3,822,412 Other income (expense) Interest income 53,332 58,023 Other nonoperating expense (239,862) (112,814) Interest expense (486,246) (1,064,222) Gain on sale of equipment 579,326 258,082 (93,450) (860,931) Income before income taxes 3,576,203 2,961,481 Income tax expense 1,143,186 968,571 Net income 2,433,017 1,992,910 Dividends on preferred stock 309,000 309,000 Net income available to common shareholders $ 2,124,017 $ 1,683,910 Weighted average shares outstanding-basic 13,804,835 14,064,871 Weighted average shares-diluted 17,238,168 17,498,204 Earnings per share available to common shareholders $ 0.154 $ 0.120 Earnings per share-diluted available to common shareholders $ 0.123 $ 0.096 Please refer to the table below that reconciles adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA per common share with net income available to common shareholders: 2020 2019 Net income available to common shareholders $ 2,124,017 $ 1,683,910 Add: Income tax expense 1,143,186 968,571 Add: Dividends on preferred stock 309,000 309,000 Add: Interest expense 486,246 1,064,222 Less: Non-operating income (392,796) (203,291) Add: Depreciation expense 4,395,362 4,157,849 Adjusted EBITDA $ 8,065,015 $ 7,980,261 Weighted average shares outstanding-basic 13,804,835 14,064,871 Adjusted EBITDA per common share $ 0.58 $ 0.57 Certain statements contained in the release, including without limitation statements including the words "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "expects" or words of similar import, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements of the Company expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, general economic and business conditions, changes in business strategy or development plans and other factors referenced in this release. Given these uncertainties, prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events or developments. SOURCE Energy Services of America Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 7:23 am Restrictions on social gatherings and business operations put in place will continue for a week longer than previously scheduled, as Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed an extension of the Stay Safe, Stay Healthy order. On Dec. 30, Inslee announced the proclamation, which extends current restrictions in place until Jan. 11. The extension regards a proclamation made back in March that most recently saw modification in November ahead of the holiday season, which the governor has previously said was due to a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations at that time. "Our consistent mission has been keeping Washingtonians safe and ensuring health care system and hospital capacity," Inslee said in a news release announcing the proclamation. "We understand the profound impact COVID is having on our healthcare system, families, and businesses, but I am heartened by the number of Washingtonians who continue to do the right thing. If we continue distancing from others, wearing facial coverings and avoiding social gatherings, we will make it to the other side of this pandemic together. The most recent set of restrictions imposed in November prohibit all indoor social gatherings for people outside of their households, restrict indoor dining for bars and restaurants alongside restrictions on many other businesses, and limit outdoor gatherings to five people from outside their households. No changes aside from the expiration date were made, according to Inslees office. Following Inslees proclamation, House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, and Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, on Wednesday voiced disappointment and frustration with the governors decision. State government continues to focus on how it can shut employers down instead of how it can help them survive, said Wilcox, a 2nd Legislative District lawmaker, in a statement. These extended statewide restrictions will take us up to the beginning of the legislative session. That day cant come soon enough. Wilcox added Republicans will have solutions ready at the helm, and said he hopes lawmakers form across the aisle can share our sense of urgency and understand immediate actions need to be taken. Braun, who represents the 20th Legislative District, was critical in his examination of Inslees extension, saying Why wait another week? Why punish small businesses that have gone to great expense, at a time when they can least afford it, to comply with safety measures by crushing any hope they have of saving their livelihoods? The governor should work with, rather than against, these businesses, many of which are family owned. He should trust them to do the right thing none of them want their customers to get sick, Braun later said. Since March, when COVID-19 first hit Washington state and subsequently spread across the rest of the United States House and Senate Republicans have voiced criticism of Inslees unilateral proclamations to curb the spread of the virus and have pushed for a special legislative session, both of which have received little acknowledgement from the states executive. Washington state Republicans have also voiced criticism of the data Inslee has presented. I've said before that Washingtonians can work through hard challenges, but the goal posts keep getting moved further and further away, Braun said. Many people feel that the targets needed to reduce isolation are arbitrary and unachievable and that the governor will just let them languis indefinitely. But the clash between the governor and Republicans leaders also comes at a critical point in the pandemic. As vaccines are being distributed to Washingtons health care workers and most vulnerable, hospitals statewide and intensive care units remain under stress as the pandemic enters its 10th month. While cases have waned, likely due to a testing slowdown around the holiday season, hospitalizations remain at an all-time high over the last month and deaths remain steady. On Tuesday, the state Department of Health reported 2,201 new COVID-19 cases and 174 new deaths. The number of confirmed cases of the virus now stands at 232,993, hospitalizations stand at 14,571 and cumulative deaths are at 3,420. According to Inslees office, a reopening plan is currently being developed to provide a pathway for businesses to reopen. Its expected sometime in the first week of the new year. Our consistent mission has been keeping Washingtonians safe and ensuring health care system and hospital capacity, Inslee said in a statement. We understand the profound impact COVID is having on our health care system, families, and businesses, but I am heartened by the number of Washingtonians who continue to do the right thing. If we continue distancing from others, wearing facial coverings and avoiding social gatherings, we will make it to the other side of this pandemic together, he continued. The U.S. could soon be giving at least a million COVID-19 vaccinations a day despite the sluggish start, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, even as he warned of a dangerous next few weeks as the coronavirus surges. FILE - In this Dec. 22, 2020, file photo Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool, File) The U.S. could soon be giving at least a million COVID-19 vaccinations a day despite the sluggish start, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday, even as he warned of a dangerous next few weeks as the coronavirus surges. The slow pace is frustrating health officials and a desperate public alike, with only about a third of the first supplies shipped to states used as of Tuesday morning, just over three weeks into the vaccination campaign. Any time you start a big program, theres always glitches. I think the glitches have been worked out, the nation's top infectious disease expert told The Associated Press. Vaccinations have already begun speeding up, reaching roughly half a million injections a day, he pointed out. Now, with the holidays over, once you get rolling and get some momentum, I think we can achieve 1 million a day or even more, Fauci said. He called President-elect Joe Bidens goal of 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days a very realistic, important, achievable goal. FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 file photo, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. The U.S. could soon be giving at least a million COVID-19 vaccinations a day despite the sluggish start, said Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2020, even as he warned of a dangerous next few weeks as the coronavirus surges. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool) Its an optimistic prediction considering the logistical hurdles facing states and counties as they struggle to administer rationed vaccine supplies amid rising COVID-19 hospitalizations. Fauci pointed to Californias swamped hospitals and exhausted workers even before holiday travel and family gatherings added fuel to the outbreak. Fauci estimated that between 70% and 85% of the U.S. population will need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, meaning enough people are protected that its difficult for the virus to continue spreading. That translates to as many as 280 million people. He said he is hoping to achieve that by the start of next fall. The coronavirus has killed more than 356,000 Americans, and the next few weeks could bring another jump in infections nationally that could make matters even worse, Fauci said. The Trump administration had promised to provide states enough vaccine for 20 million people in December, and fell short even as states struggled with their role getting shots into peoples arms, starting mostly with health care workers and nursing home residents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 4.8 million doses of more than 17 million delivered had been used by Tuesday morning. That is probably an undercount because of delays in reporting, but it is far fewer than experts had hoped. People line up at Nassau County's first COVID-19 vaccination distribution site, set up by Northwell Health and Nassau County, at Nassau County Community College, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, in Garden City, N.Y. Eligible health care and front line workers were the first people in the county able to get the vaccine. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) Still, Fauci pointed to a celebrated moment in history to back up his projection of ramped-up inoculations: In 1947, New York City vaccinated more than 6 million people against a smallpox outbreak in less than a month and one of them was me as a 6-year-old boy." If a single city could do such mass vaccinations in weeks, this is not something that is far-fetched for an entire country, he said. You can use school auditoriums, you can use stadiums. You can really ramp up the contribution of pharmacies. At that stepped-up pace, the country could see an impact on infections as early as spring and hopefully by early fall, you could start thinking about returning to some degree of normality, Fauci said. Amid mounting frustration over the slow vaccine rollout, governors and other politicians are talking tough and in some cases proposing to bend the rules to get people vaccinated more quickly. Health care workers and nursing home patients are still getting priority in most places. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo threatened to fine hospitals that dont use their vaccine allotments fast enough, saying: Move it quickly. Were serious. Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina said hospitals and health workers have until Jan. 15 to get a shot or they will have to move to the back of the line. As of Monday, the state had given out less than half its initial allotment of the Pfizer vaccine to about 43,000 people. In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper called in the National Guard to help speed things up. In California, where just 1% of the population has been vaccinated, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wants to give providers the flexibility to dispense shots to people not on the priority list if doses are in danger of going to waste. New Yorks mayor suggested vaccine eligibility be widened to get things moving. Theres no sign yet that a more contagious variant of the coronavirus first found in Britain which forced England into another national lockdown on Tuesday will outwit the vaccines. Faucis colleagues at the National Institutes of Health are doing their own testing to be sure, just as vaccine manufacturers are. While the variant has been found in several states it is certainly not dominant, Fauci said. We dont know where its going. Were going to follow it very carefully. The more contagious virus makes it even more important that people follow the public health precautions Fauci has preached for months, including wearing a mask, keeping your distance and avoiding crowds. In addition, scientists are warily watching a different variant found in South Africa but not yet reported in the U.S. There have been reports that the mutation might make treatments called monoclonal antibodies less likely to work. Fauci said he couldnt confirm that, but U.S. scientists will investigate. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickel Rock Resources Inc. ("the Company") (TSXV: NICL) (OTCQB: NIKLF) is pleased to announce that planning for our 2021 exploration programs is underway for both our primary nickel exploration project 65 km east of Smithers BC as well as our lithium claystone exploration program at Clayton Valley, Nevada. Having recently completed two financings totalling $1,520,000 the Company is well funded to carry out the initial programs. Details of the exploration programs at our BC nickel project next to FPX Minerals Decar Project will be outlined in a NI 43-101 report currently being prepared. Clayton Valley Project Exploration The Company has 100% title to 77 lithium placer claims covering over 640 hectares in Clayton Valley, Nevada, which until recently has been home to North America's only producing lithium mine. The Company's Clayton Valley Project is both an early-stage lithium brine and a lithium claystone prospect in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Plans are currently being drawn up for an exploration program beginning early in 2021 with drilling being proposed. This is a well-located property contiguous and adjacent to the west side of the formerly producing Silver Peak Lithium Brine Mine and Processing Facility. Albemarle Corporation purchased the mine as part of its acquisition of Rockwood Lithium that closed in early 2015. The United States Geological Survey estimates that over 300 million pounds of lithium carbonate have been produced at this facility since 1966. Exploration Potential The general structure of the producing area in the north part of the Clayton Valley basin is known from geophysical surveys and drilling to be a graben structure with its most down-dropped portion the east-northeast side of the valley (Zampirro, 2004). A similar graben structure has been identified on the property of Nickel Rock Minerals in the north west part of the Clayton Valley basin where the Goat Island graben is inferred from gravity inversion (Quantec, 2008; Petrick, 2008). The valley is segmented into a northerly-trending, 1-2 km-wide sub-basin with a distinct escarpment on each side caused by the displacement of a block of land downward. Recent work by other operators indicates that important deposits of lithium bearing claystone are being found in Clayton Valley and this will be the primary target for the proposed program currently being arranged. The Clayton Valley BFF-1 NI 43-101 Technical Report by Alan Morris, CPG, QP, states "The property has strong potential to host lithium brine deposits in favorable geologic horizons within the basin fill. Another possible target is lithium enriched clay within the fill package and potentially in previous high stands of the playa." (April 2016). A short distance to the east, Cypress Development owns 100% of the Clayton Valley Lithium Projects located immediately east of Albemarle's mine. Exploration and development by Cypress has discovered a large world-class resource of lithium-bearing claystone adjacent to the brine field. Here, lithium mineralization occurs within montmorillonite clays throughout the sediments to a depth of at least 150 meters. Metallurgical testing indicates low-cost processing can be achieved by leaching with low acid consumption (125 kg/t) and high lithium recovery over 85% Li. These high extractions prove that the dominant lithium-bearing minerals present are not hectorite, a refractory clay mineral which requires roasting and/or high acid consumption to liberate the lithium. Testing by other companies on their lithium clay properties, including Lithium Americas (Thacker Pass Project, Nevada), Bacanora Minerals (Sonora Project, Mexico), Ioneer (Rhyolite Ridge Project, Nevada) and Cypress Development (Clayton Valley Project) have all indicated that economic extraction of the lithium may well be possible in the not-too-distant future. Qualified Person Alan Morris is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved the technical information contained within this news release. About Nickel Rock Resources Inc.www.nickelrockresources.com Nickel Rock Resources Inc is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company with a highly focused effort on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market. The Company recently announced several acquisitions resulting in a significant property package prospective for awaruite, a naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy important in the manufacture of environmentally efficient batteries for the electric vehicle markets globally. Nickel Projects The Mount Sidney Williams Group consists of five claim blocks in four groups with a total area of 6,125.32 hectares in the area surrounding Mount Sidney Williams, both adjoining and in close proximity to the Decar project of FPX Nickel Corp., located 100 kilometres northwest of Fort St. James, B.C., in the Omineca Mining Division. Metallic mineralization includes nickel, cobalt, and chromium. At least some of the nickel mineralization occurs as awaruite. The Mitchell Range Group area claim consist of two contiguous claim blocks covering 3,134.70 hectares with demonstrated metallic mineralization including nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Nickel-cobalt mineralization has not been well explored, but the presence of awaruite has been documented. The Company is planning detailed exploration for the upcoming exploration season. The acquisition of the Hard Nickel Group and the Nickel 100 claims are subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Lithium Projects The Clayton Valley Project is an early-stage lithium brine prospect in Esmeralda County, Nevada. A total of 77 placer claims covering about 640 ha (1,500 acres) were staked over the western side of the Clayton Valley playa. The property position covers an inferred graben bounded by the Silver Peak range front on the west and Goat Island on the east. The exploration concept is the graben is a sub-basin of the larger Clayton Valley basin and may represent a secondary trap for lithium brines within the greater system. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Robert Setter" Robert Setter, President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guaranteeing future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. A New York Democrat's bill will allow authorities to arrest and detain anybody deemed dangerous to public health, if passed. Nick Perry, New York State Assemblyman, proposed Bill A416, a bill that will allow authorities to arrest and detain anybody that could pose a danger to public health. The proposal aims to protect every individual in the community and keep everyone safe during the epidemic of any communicable disease by isolating and forcibly detaining anyone deemed dangerous to public health safety. The bill which will be referred to the Assembly's Health Committee on Wednesday earned a lot of criticism even from the early stage of its revelation, Fox News reported. Some see it as a risk to public freedom and a license for the government to impose detention on whomever they desire to arrest. "This is straight-up detention camp stuff in NY! A Bill giving [New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo], Health Commissioner or any 'designated' official full 'power' to remove any person/group of people from their home if deemed contagious," said Liz Joy, who ran for the New York Congress in 2020. "It's horrifying. Wake up NY [and] Fight!" This is straight up detention camp stuff in NY! A Bill giving @NYGovCuomo, Health Commissioner or any "designated" official full "power" to remove any person/group of people from their home if deemed contagious. It's horrifying. Wake up NY & Fight! A416 https://t.co/mU2cWDm1oD Liz Joy (@LizLemeryJoy) January 2, 2021 In their Twitter post, several New Yorkers expressed concern about where the bill will lead the citizens of the entire state. Some see it as an avenue for the government to remove anyone from their houses for reasons the state itself can decide upon. "So disturbing. NY bill allows for the *removal and detention* of anyone who 'may be a danger to public health.' Yes, that's purposely undefined," Allie Beth Stuckey, a conservative podcast host, said on Twitter. "Yes, it will be used, at least one day, to forcibly remove you or your children from your home for whatever reason the state sees fit," the host added. The bill is not new to the public as earlier versions of the rule were introduced during the 2015-2016 legislative sessions at the time when the Ebola virus scare broke out. Critics now see the bill as part of the tightened health safety measures that the government imposes to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus. In a statement, Perry responded to the criticisms explaining to the public how he understands the sacredness of the Constitution being an American. He added that he understands that the Constitution provides citizens the right to agree or disagree, hold different positions on issues relating to civil or constitutional rights. A part of the bill declares that a part of the section will be implemented once the state governor declares a health emergency state due to the spread of a communicable disease. In a Twitter update, Prostate Cancer expert and Newsmax contributor Dr. David Samadi, MD asked his followers to express what they understood about the bill. This is a bill up for consideration in New York State in regards to COVID-19. Read every word of this and tell me what you think of it: pic.twitter.com/mCkwgwPemJ Dr. David Samadi, MD (@drdavidsamadi) January 2, 2021 Dr. Samadi's tweet earned the attention of many followers expressing their concern on where the order will lead the people. Some rightly call it "unconstitutional." Some even indicated that it reminds them of concentration camps in Germany under Nazi rule, Marxism, and Communist China. One particular netizen said this kind of legislation is the reason why "we never should've given them an inch." Met Eireann is warning of a Sudden Stratospheric Warming event in January, the same weather event that led to the infamous 'Beast from the East' in 2018. Climatologist Paul Moore explained what is happening and what could result in a commentary on the conditions which have formed. "The stratospheric polar vortex (SPV) is a rotating vortex of cold air high up in the stratosphere over polar regions. It forms every winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the strength of the Northern Hemisphere SPV has a significant influence on the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude weather patterns. When the SPV is in a strong symmetrical state, it helps to maintain westerly momentum in the troposphere over polar regions and in the mid-latitudes, leading to our typical winter pattern of a strong west to east North Atlantic jetstream, bringing storms and weather fronts over Ireland from the west or southwest and keeping it mild and wet. "When the SPV is in a weakened or non-symmetrical state, it can lead to the weakened jetstream behaving more like a meandering river with blocking high pressure forming in our region, bringing the possibility of colder, drier weather," said the climate expert. Mr Moore points out that the conditions which caused the Beast from the East and Storm Emma exist again but may not have the same outcome. "When a weakened SPV goes through further disruption, it can lead to what is know as a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event, which refers to the reversal of the zonal winds in the Stratosphere from westerly to easterly, along with a rapid jump in temperatures in the winter polar stratosphere that leads to a complete breakdown of the SPV. "A SSW is now defined to have happened when the mean zonal wind (ZW) at 60N and 10hPa (approx. 30km high) reverses to easterly. A SSW event usually has a significant impact on the tropospheric weather patterns in the mid-latitudes. Following an SSW, there can be an equatorward shift of the tropospheric jetstream with associated cold conditions over northern Europe and these impacts can be long lasting. "Every SSW is different and less than half of them lead to colder conditions in Ireland. For example, the SSW in February 2018 led to the beast from the east and storm Emma, whereas the SSW in January 2019 had no significant impact here, due to the easterly winds not propagating down into the troposphere from the stratosphere," he said. Met Eireann's climatologist does add that the Sudden Stratospheric Warming could kick-start the westerly momentum around Ireland, at least temporarily, as the stratospheric polar vortex is pushed over Scandinavia, leading to a strengthening of the North Atlantic jetstream, resulting in a more typical winter weather pattern for Ireland. "It could also prolong and intensify the high latitude blocked setup leading to cold polar air masses flooding south into northern Europe or elsewhere in the mid-latitudes," cautions Mr Moore. For more, read the full Meteorologist's Commentary here Chief Minister on Tuesday said he has ordered public holiday for 'Thai Poosam,' a festival dedicated to worship of Lord Muruga. Palaniswami said during his tour of several districts, people made representations, urging him to declare Thai Poosam a public holiday and they said in Sri Lanka and Mauritius the day was a holiday. "Considering their representations, I have ordered declaration of Thai Poosam festival on January 28 (in 2021) a public holiday and for including it in the list of public holidays for the years to come," he said in an official release. It may be recalled that devotees had for a long time requested the government to declare 'Thai Poosam' a public holiday. Among the in dedicated for the worship of 'Tamil God Lord Muruga,' Thai Poosam is very important, the Chief Minister said. Besides Tamil Nadu, Thai Poosam is celebrated in neighbouring Kerala and in foreign countries like Srilanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius and Indonesia, he said in an official release. Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius is home to a big chunk of Tamil speaking people. Thai Poosam is celebrated in Tamil month of 'Thai' (between Jan 14 and Feb 12) when the star 'Poosam' falls on full moon day. According to Shaivite tradition, Thai Poosam festival commemorates the presentation of a spear, 'Vel' (in Tamil) to Lord Muruga by his mother Godess Parvathi with which he destroyed evil forces and the festival symbolised victory of good over evil. The festival, considered auspicious is important in the Tamil, Shaivite calendar. Devotees celebrate the festival also to offer thanksgiving and like Tamil Nadu, it is hugely popular among the Tamil diaspora. The declaration follows outrage among devotees over denigration of 'Kanda Sashti Kavacham' in praise of Lord Muruga by a group last year and a 'Vel' Yatra by the BJP, which claimed its campaign was to 'expose' those behind belittling the Kavacham. The saffron party's unit chief L Murugan had time and again alleged that main opposition DMK had supported, the fringe group 'Karuppar Kootam,' which denigrated the hymn in praise of Lord Muruga, also hailed as Karthikeya and Subramanya. Kootam also ran a YouTube Channel which was blocked subsequently following police action and its functionaries were arrested following complaints from BJP and other right wing groups over disparaging remarks on Kavacham. Though the state wide BJP yatra was not allowed (Nov- Dec 2020) by the government due to coronavirus pandemic, the party held public meetings at multiple locations and courted arrest. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Japan plans to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures this week, possibly on Thursday at the earliest, and lasting for about one month to curb its largest-yet surge of coronavirus cases, government officials said Monday. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the government is considering the measure without specifying a start date or duration. It would be the second state of emergency in the country since the global pandemic broke out. Government sources said the government plans to decide on the declaration possibly on Thursday, and put it into effect on the same day or Friday. The initial start date was being planned for Saturday. Tokyo Gov Yuriko Koike and the leaders of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures agreed to jointly ask residents to refrain from nonessential trips outside the house and call on dining and drinking establishments to close by 8 p.m., further cutting their operating hours from the 10 p.m. currently requested. It was not immediately clear what another state of emergency would look like, with schools and some businesses closing during the previous one last spring. Suga indicated in a New Year's press conference that social and economic activities are unlikely to be halted across the board this time, saying the measure should be implemented "in a limited and focused manner." The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control confirmed another 46 COVID-19 cases in schools statewide Tuesday afternoon. Of the 46 cases added since DHEC's Friday report, 28 are students and 18 are school employees. This brings the cumulative total to 5,258 students and 2,154 employees as of Jan. 3. That's 7,412 coronavirus cases overall. DHEC's numbers only include students and employees who physically attended school with the virus in its infectious period. The school report is updated biweekly on Tuesdays and Fridays. These are the COVID-19 numbers from the last 30 days at Aiken County public, private and charter schools, according to DHEC: Aiken Elementary (<5 employees). Aiken High (five students, <5 employees). Belvedere Elementary (<5 students, <5 employees). Clearwater Elementary (<5 employees). Cyril B. Busbee Elementary (<5 students). First Baptist Weekday, located in North Augusta (<5 students). Fox Creek High (<5 students, <5 employees). East Aiken School of the Arts (<5 students). Hammond Hill Elementary (<5 students, <5 employees). Horse Creek Academy (<5 students). J.D. Lever Elementary (<5 students). Jackson Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). Jefferson Elementary (<5 students, <5 employees). Langley-Bath-Clearwater Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). M.B. Kennedy Middle (<5 students). Mead Hall Episcopal School (<5 students). Midland Valley High (<5 employees). Millbrook Elementary (<5 students). Mossy Creek Elementary (<5 students). New Ellenton STEAM Magnet Middle (<5 students). North Augusta High (<5 students, <5 employees). North Augusta Middle (<5 students). Paul Knox Middle (<5 students). Redcliffe Elementary (<5 employees). Ridge Spring-Monetta High (<5 employees). Ridge Spring-Monetta Middle (<5 students). Schofield Middle (<5 students, <5 employees). Silver Bluff High (<5 students, <5 employees). South Aiken Baptist Christian School (<5 students, <5 employees). South Aiken High (<5 students). St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School (<5 students). Town Creek Christian Academy (<5 students). Warrenville Elementary (<5 employees). Victory Christian School (<5 students). In Edgefield County, three public schools, one charter school and one private school have reported cases in the last 30 days, according to DHEC. Merriwether Elementary has reported five student cases and fewer than five employee cases. Bettis Prep Leadership Academy, Wardlaw Academy, Merriwether Middle and Johnston-Trenton-Edgefield Middle have all reported fewer than five student cases. In Barnwell County, six public schools and two private schools have reported cases in the last 30 days, according to S.C. DHEC. Private schools Jefferson Davis Academy and Moriah Christian Academy, as well as public schools Williston-Elko Middle and Kelly Edwards Elementary, have reported fewer than five student cases. Guinyard-Butler Middle reported fewer than five employee cases. Barnwell Elementary, Barnwell Primary and Barnwell High all reported fewer than five student and employee cases. For more COVID-19 information on individual schools, visit scdhec.gov/covid19, click on Schools & Childcare Centers and then Cases by Schools. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Zaki's family express thanks for solidarity -Activists After presentation at event to support Egyptian student (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, JANUARY 5 - Activists working for the release of Patrick Zaki, an Egyptian student at the University of Bologna who has been held in pre-trial custody in Cairo for nearly a year on charges of subversive propaganda, posted a message on their Facebook page "Patrick Libero" (Free Patrick), thanking organisations who held an event in support of Zaki. "Patrick Zaki's family and friends are extremely grateful to Poster For Tomorrow, Conversazioni sul Futuro, Amnesty Italia, Articolo 21, Festival of Human Rights-Milan and Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna for having organised an event to tell Patrick's story and call for justice and his unconditional release," they said. "Gestures such as this assure Patrick that we can all hear him and we haven't forgotten him even after nearly a year of inexplicable detention," the post said, referring to an online event that took place Monday at http://www.posterfortomorrow.org/en/projects/free-patrick-zaki(A NSAmed). (ANSA). ADVERTISEMENT Relationship in workplace is common. Workplace romance has remained a hot bed, for employees and even the company, in regards to liabilities. The issue of whether or not such employees job can be terminated and how it can be terminated to minimize liability has been a legal issue. The risks faced by companies can range from sexual harassment suit to unfair termination suit. Employers can be held strictly liable for sexual harassment of an employee in the firm as seen in the locus classicus case of Ejike Maduka v. Microsoft & Ors, where the court, in respect of workplace sexual harassment, held liable both the sexual harasser and also the employer and the company liable for vicarious liability for sexual harassment perpetrated against its employee. Can a company regulate work place romance? Businesses and companies are looking for ingenious ways to limit work place romance, especially where such relationship muddies the water of professionalism and fetters the discretion of employees; most especially where it opens the company to sexual harassment lawsuit or any other form of discrimination lawsuit. As ironic as it seems that an employer company who is not even directly involved or partook in a sexual harassment can be held vicariously liable for the acts of its employee. There are numerous ways in which a company can regulate workplace relationship/ employee dating policy, such as creating a work place dating/relationship policy. Where a company has a written Policy on Employee dating, then an employees job can be rightly terminated by the company for the violation of the policy. Does your company need an employee dating policy? Lets face it; work place romance can be dirty if not handled properly. The drama, the emotions, bickering, drop in productivity and bad publicity makes it not always succeed and it is sometimes bad for company image and business, especially when it gets messy. Work place romance policy is guidelines for employees to follow when they are romantically or sexually involved with a colleague. The policy does not mean that employees cannot date each other that will be futile. It sets a company standard for acceptable behavior and company culture when colleagues in a company date each other. The purpose of this policy is not to create unnecessary clog for colleagues to date each other but to limit problems and liability of the company. The policy provides for acceptable behaviours when dating an employee and after they stop dating. Work place Romance Policy makes it easier for the company to lay off a staff, when it can prove that such employee engaged in such romance in contravention of the policy. Legal Conflict: Employees Right to Privacy and Employers interest In Nigeria, right to Privacy is constitutionally backed. The legal position on Company dating policy can sometimes clash with employees constitutional right to privacy if not properly drafted. The provision of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution can be a wide net. Employers are caught by the provision of this section and they are to respect the right of privacy of employee to his personal life. The argument is that employees dating and romance life is his/her private business and that the company has no power to regulate it in any way. That if an employee has a right to engage in private sexual activity, then a relationship with a co-worker is a private activity and is protect under his right. The employers argument is that truly, the employee has right to his personal life only to the extent that it does not interfere with the companys business or cause liability for the company; and the companys dating policy does not ban workplace dating or romance,. It only regulates it as to how it should not affect the business of the company. The solution lies in the skillful drafting of such company dating policy to ensure that it doesnt encroach of the right of the employee to privacy. Opatola Victor sent above article to PREMIUM TIMES via adeopatola@gmail.com Thousands of farmers, who are have been protesting at the borders of Delhi, on Tuesday continued their agitation on Tuesday as they remained firm on their demands for the repeal of the three farm laws and legal backing for minimum support price (MSP). The seventh round of talks held on Monday to resolve the deadlock over the farm laws remained inconclusive. The farmers unions stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of the new farm laws, which they say are pro-corporate, even as the government wanted to discuss only problematic clauses or other alternatives. Both the sides will meet again on January 8. Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that he is hopeful that a conclusion will be found in the next round of talks. We wanted farmer unions to discuss three laws clause-wise. We could not reach any solution as farmer unions remained adamant on the repeal of the laws, the minister told reporters after the meeting. Also read | Supreme Court will take up an open letter on farmers as PIL The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been at the border points of the national capital since November 26, braving the bone-chilling cold weather in the region. Sporadic rains have also lashed the national capital in the last couple of days. Delhi Traffic Police have been posting alerts on its official Twitter handle to inform commuters about road closures across the city. On Tuesday, Delhi Traffic Police said in a series of tweets that the Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Saboli and Mangesh borders are closed for traffic movement. Please take alternate route via Lampur Safiabad, Palla & Singhu school toll tax borders. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba & GTK road. Please avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road & NH-44, they said. The Chilla and Ghazipur borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida & Ghaziabad to Delhi because of farmer protests. Please take alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Bhopra & Loni Borders, it added. Traffic Alert Available Open Borders to Haryana are following- Jharoda (Only Single Carriageway/Road), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera Borders. COVID PRECAUTIONS : WEAR MASK, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING, KEEP HAND HYGIENE. Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 5, 2021 The traffic police said Tikri and Dhansa borders are also closed for traffic movement. Jhatikara Border is open only for LMV (Cars/Light Motor Vehicles), two wheelers and pedestrian movement, they said in another tweet. Also read | TMC to bring resolution against farm bills in West Bengal assembly People travelling to Haryana can take the routes via Jharoda (only single carriageway), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders, they added. Farmers fear the government will stop buying grain at minimum guaranteed prices under the laws and that corporations will then push prices down. The government said it is willing to pledge that guaranteed prices will continue. They also say the three farm laws will lead to the cartelisation and commercialisation of agriculture and make farmers vulnerable to corporate greed. The farmers have also threatened to hold a rally on January 26 on Republic Day if their demands are not met. (With agency inputs) Award winning journalist Ashleigh Banfield announced Tuesday that she will be turning her talents towards a brand new prime time talk show for WGN America. Ashleigh exclusively tells DailyMail.com that she is 'super excited' about her new program, Banfield, which she dubbed 'a reboot of The Larry King Show.' The veteran television host says she hopes to erase the negative stigma of 'fake news' through unbiased long-form interviews with news makers, celebrities and other types of fascinating people. News maker: Ashleigh Banfield announced her new long-form WGN America talk show, 'Banfield', on Tuesday and exclusively spoke with DailyMail.com 'It's really a reboot of The Larry King Show,' she gushed about the program. 'There is no outlet for people to go to get an in-depth interview or coverage. I think it is sorely missing.' Banfield will see the journalist call on her over 30 years of experience for coverage of the day's news without spin or bias - which Ashleigh says is 'critical in the national conversation.' 'There is a cacophony of lectures, a cacophony of opinion, a cacophony of anger ... but we're not listening,' reflected Banfield. For Ashleigh, there has never been a more important time in her career to deliver facts without punditry and she hopes her show can rise above the types of slanted news coverage on other networks. 'There has been a huge bias of omission in a lot of news broadcasting and that is leaving people angry and unfairly so,' the Emmy winner said, adding: 'People are exhausted by the rhetoric and the anger.' 'It's really a reboot of The Larry King Show,' she gushed about the program. 'There is no outlet for people to go to get an in-depth interview or coverage. I think it is sorely missing.' 'We are just not acting as one, we're not listening as one, we're not speaking with respect as one,' Ashleigh said. She went on to observe that people have 'retreated to our echo chambers for a little too long' and it's time for a change. The longtime anchor is ready to take up that challenge with her new series and is looking forward to not only getting to the news of the day but also getting to the heart of an issue by spending some quality time with her guests. 'For 33 years I have been a broadcast journalist and in the last half decade there has been an attack on our profession and its devastating,' Ashleigh explained. 'To hear people yell "fake news" is a gut punch.' To someone like Ashleigh, who has interviewed Taliban prisoners in worn-torn countries, the current attack on journalism is one she feels personally. The intrepid reporter went on to reveal that even her children have been 'bullied by people who say 'your mom is part of the fake news.'' 'There has been a huge bias of omission in a lot of news broadcasting and that is leaving people angry and unfairly so,' the Emmy winner said, adding: 'People are exhausted by the rhetoric and the anger.' 'I am thrilled that WGN and NewsNation have said "enough",' Ashleigh said, adding that she's excited to provide a place for viewers to 'get the facts, not the spin.' 'No one is happy with the way things are and it's going to take some hard work to get back to the way we used to be - which was a very united, proud country,' she continued. Banfield had floated the idea of a Larry King-esque series at MSNBC when she returned from filming in the Middle East in the early 2000s, but the idea was shot down by executives. 'Honestly, this has been a passion of mine for a long time,' she said. 'When I returned from Afghanistan I asked if I could tweak this war correspondent show into more of a Larry King format and the answer was no.' Banfield went on to have a flourishing career in her combined 33 years on television. She's served as a prime time and morning news anchor for HLN, CNN and MSNBC, a correspondent for ABC News and NBC News, and the host of several programs for networks like TruTV and A+E. Most recently she worked as a legal analyst and host for Court TV and contributor to Investigation Discovery's ID Murder Mystery series. Throughout her storied career, Ashleigh said she was always grateful to simply have a job, but that her dream of spearheading her own in-depth show was always in the back of her mind. Now it has finally come to fruition. 'For 33 years I have been a broadcast journalist and in the last half decade there has been an attack on our profession and its devastating,' Ashleigh explained. 'To hear people yell "fake news" is a gut punch.' Due to the pandemic, the hour-long chats on Banfield will begin as virtual conversations with Ashleigh in studio and the guests appearing remotely. When things are safe enough, Banfield will pivot to a more traditional in-person format. 'As WGN America begins expanding its programming and distribution in 2021, Ashleigh's national appeal and network experience will help us reach new viewers seeking balance, not bias in news reporting, and talk programming that offers several points of view,' said Sean Compton, President, Networks, Nexstar Media Group said in a press release. Adding: 'Ashleigh is one of the most acclaimed, award-winning anchors in television news, reporting from across the country and around the globe, with a reputation for fairness and integrity. We are excited to add 'Banfield' to our growing lineup of news programming.' WGN America is a subscription television network whose ethos is to take a straight approach to delivering news - what Banfield called the network's 'unbiased approach to fact.' Nexstar Media Group, Inc.'s WGN America currently reaches 75 million households in the U.S. and will be expanding later in January to another 8.5 million homes through a new partnership with streaming platforms Sling TV, Hulu, YouTubeTV and fuboTV. Banfield will air weeknights at 10pm ET starting March 1, 2021. Dukaan a Made in India app is a brainchild of a young man named Suumit Shah from the village situated in Satara district in Maharashtra that has led the way and helped small businesses find some semblance of normalcy. Such has been the impact of this app that it has witnessed 4.3 million downloads in just six months. Dukaan has enabled local stores to become digital and use social media channels to sell their products or services using their smartphone. All a dukandaar needs to do is download the app and then register their business. This process takes less than 30 seconds literally. Each seller gets a custom store link where they can showcase all their products or services and the link of the store can be shared with customers using WhatsApp or any other social media platforms for direct orders. Dukaan has stepped in to fill the vacuum that has always been felt by India's small and medium entrepreneurs. The app has understood the shortcomings and the inhibitions that people have faced with technology and hence, this solution has benefitted them, says, Suumit, CEO Dukaan. The app allows offline stores to sell their products and services online through WhatsApp. Not only this, the shopkeepers can make catalogues of the products on your phone and then share it with the potential customer. It caters to a wide range of businesses - ranging from grocery shops to restaurants, from fruits and vegetable stores to electronics shops and jewelry and furniture stores. This ease of doing business has yielded dividends. Dukaan has over 3 million stores created online, there are over 5 million products that have been listed across 40 different categories of businesses. Not only this, it has managed to branch to over 1200 cities that are covered by the app. So far, more than 9 lakh orders have been received. At a time, when small businesses needed any support to stay afloat, this app has created a massive impact. The app has seen 4.3 million downloads in these six months. The USP of Dukaan is simplicity and ease of getting listed and offering products or services. Unlike most digital initiatives, Dukaan provides an alternative and a very familiar avenue to people to not only be visible but also sell their products online. Battling a resurgence in violence including a campaign of targeted killings of journalists, Afghanistans government is set to resume peace talks with the Taliban Tuesday, with efforts expected to be focused on securing a cease-fire agreement in the dying days of Donald Trumps presidency. Since the intra-Afghan talks began in September in the Qatari capital of Doha, where the Taliban have a political office, violence has increased nationwide, including an attack on Kabul University which killed dozens of students and Taliban attempts to capture Lashkar Gah and Kandahar cities in the southern region. The current levels of violence, including targeted killings, is unacceptable, Zalmay Khalilzad, US special envoy for Afghan reconciliation, said in a series of tweets after he arrived in Doha overnight, two weeks before Trump is due to leave office. Both sides must demonstrate they are acting in the best interest of the Afghan people by making real compromises and negotiating an agreement on a political settlement as soon as possible and an immediate significant reduction in violence/ceasefire. Trump has long been determined to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. Under a deal signed with Taliban in February, the U.S. is seeking to leave the country by May 2021 in exchange for counter-terrorism assurances from the Taliban. The country is planning to reduce its military presence this month by about 2,000 from 4,500 troops, who are providing air support for Afghan forces. Future Government After a break of almost a month, the second round of the talks will be lengthier and more important, said Ahmad Saeedi, a former Afghan diplomat in Pakistan who is now an independent political analyst in Kabul. In addition to the cease-fire, the two sides will also negotiate the structure of a future Afghan government. Well discuss the most important agenda -- the violence reduction or a comprehensive cease-fire, according to Ghulam Farooq Majrooh, a member of Afghanistans negotiating team. The targeted killings of journalists, civilian activists and others will also be on the agenda, he added. The Taliban are interested in establishing an interim government, Abdul Hafiz Mansour, another member of the Afghan negotiating team, told reporters on Sunday. However President Ashraf Ghani has repeatedly denied the idea, saying it would reverse the hard-won achievements, including in human rights, made in the past two decades. Reporters Slain Since November, journalists across the country have been targeted by unknown armed militants. The fifth reporter killed, Bismillah Adil Aimaq, was shot dead in Ghor province on Jan. 1, according to Afghanistan Journalists Center. Elyas Daee from the Afghan branch of U.S.-sponsored Radio Free Europe -- or Radio Azadi -- Rahmatullah Nikzad from Associated Press and Al-Jazeera, and Malala Maiwand, who worked as an anchor for a local TV channel are among the dead. A further two journalists have also died in Kabul of unknown causes. In an address to the countrys parliament on Monday, Interior Minister Masoud Andarabi, who had been summoned over security failures to thwart the killings, blamed the Taliban for the journalists deaths, citing accurate intelligence evidence and confessions from arrested perpetrators. Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed, denied the group was responsible for the attacks in emailed statements and a series of tweets. The head of National Directorate of Security, the countrys intelligence agency, Ahmad Zia Saraj -- who was also summoned to parliament over the violence -- told lawmakers that Taliban insurgents carried out about 18,500 attacks in one year and have no pure intentions for peace. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a rare move in the Silicon Valley for a tech giant, over 225 Google engineers and other workers have formed an employee union that aims to give "structure and longevity" to activism at Google. The move is said to be rather unusual for the largely white-collar workforce of Google Inc, which has so far stayed away from forming employee unions to press their demands. The union, named the Alphabet Workers Union, has been formed in the wake of increasing demands from the tech giant employees to overhaul its policies on issues like salary, harassment and work ethics, The New York Times said. The formation of the union could spark tension between the top leadership and the employees. The union even held several meetings in 2020 and elected its first leadership last month. The group is affiliated with a telecommunications and media union called Communications Workers of America. But the union is unlike any other employee union and does not demand the employer to agree on any specific contract or demand. Cheway Shaw, a Google engineer and union employee, says the minority union will try to put pressure on the company management to force changes that are necessary to address all kinds of workplace issues. Meanwhile, Kara Silverstein, Google's director of people operations, said the company will continue to engage directly with its employees who have protected labour rights that the company supports. Most of the employees of the Alphabet Workers Union are from cities like Cambridge, Massachusetts and Seattle. The union will welcome anyone who wants to become its member and provides protection and resources to them. The members will need to contribute 1 per cent of their total compensation to the employee union. Also read: Facebook-Google ad deal: Illegal pacts, perks, collusion to rig online ad market, allege US states Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. The Butt family, which owns the San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B, is among the wealthiest in the U.S., according to a ranking by Forbes. On Dec. 17, the business magazine listed the family at No. 15 out of 50 families in its 2020 ranking of the richest families in America. The last time Forbes complied this ranking was in June 2016. At that time, the Butt family was the 23rd wealthiest family in the U.S. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has shown real star quality throughout 2020, thanks to his temperate handling of the Wuhan virus. He refused to put his state into lockdown but still managed to keep Florida from turning into a Wuhan virus nightmare. On Monday, he also proved that he knows how to handle the hostile media. Other Republican politicians would do well to follow his lead. California and Florida have been perfect examples of the two ways in which American states can handle the Wuhan virus because they're relatively close in size. California, which had around 39,512,223 people before they started fleeing the state this year, is America's most populous state. Florida, with approximately 21,477,737 people, is America's third most populous state. (Texas sits between the two with around 28,995,881 people.) When the Wuhan virus hit, California embarked on a series of rolling lockouts. These varied from making most people prisoners of their own homes to regulations that destroyed small businesses and isolated people when they weren't making their permitted runs to Walmart or other huge retailers. The lockdowns devastated the California economy. They also devastated Californians. After only a couple of months of lockdowns, suicides increased in the state. In San Francisco alone, drug overdoses outpace Wuhan virus deaths. It turns out that the devastation the lockdowns have brought to California was all for nothing. California is now the sickest state in America: California became the first state to record 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases, reaching the milestone on Christmas Eve as nearly the entire state was under a strict stay-at-home order and hospitals were flooded with the largest crush of cases since the pandemic began. A tally by Johns Hopkins University showed the nation's most populous state has recorded 2,010,157 infections since January. At least 23,635 people have died from the virus. The first COVID-19 case in California was confirmed Jan. 25. It took 292 days to get to 1 million infections on Nov. 11. Just 44 days later, the number topped 2 million. The state is responding by doubling down on the same lockdowns that didn't work to protect people in the first place (but that did destroy them economically). My gut instinct (no science or data involved) is that depriving people of sunlight and exercise, and casting them into deep depression, ultimately made them more vulnerable to the virus than they might otherwise have been. Meanwhile, in Florida, Gov. DeSantis refused to go the lockdown route and he made this choice despite Florida having more elderly people than any other state. Instead, DeSantis opted for protecting the vulnerable elderly population and allowing the rest of the state to function more or less as normal. As the data from Statista shows, Florida's Wuhan virus rate is comparable to California's, given their relative population: The same relative ratio shows up in the number of deaths from the virus. (This assumes that the deaths actually came about from the Wuhan virus, not from the flu or other causes.) California has had 26,638 deaths while Florida has had 22,414 deaths. Again, the states are running neck and neck, but California took extraordinary precautions and destroyed itself, while Florida is still functioning. Indeed, when you think about Florida's elderly population, the fact that its death rate is consistent with its population overall says DeSantis did as good a job protecting his older citizens as the lockdown states did with their elderly populations. What we're really seeing here is that the virus did what it was going to do, regardless of lockdowns. The point of this discussion is that California's governor panicked, and Florida's governor did not. The latter shows leadership, the former immaturity. That quality of leadership showed up again on Monday when a CNN "reporter" named Rosa Flores decided to use a press conference to give a speech. As most CNN reporters do, instead of just asking DeSantis a leading question about where he went wrong with his approach to the Wuhan virus, Flores wanted to attach to her question a long statement of the things she thinks he did wrong. DeSantis completely cut her off. Then, when he finally allowed her to give her speech, he humiliated her chops as a reporter. Flores whined to the CNN audience about it, but anyone who respects leadership and despises the media is going to side with the governor: Anyone who humiliates and embarrasses reporters like this has my vote. DeSantis rocks pic.twitter.com/56EUuvdPt0 Eduardo Neret (@eduneret) January 5, 2021 Don't you love how Flores keeps saying "with all due respect?" You and I know what that means: "I have no respect for you at all." It's also great that DeSantis explains that the government is not efficient and that he will never impose one-size-fits-all approaches when local or private institutions will do better. And that's how you do it. Image: Governor Ron DeSantis schools a CNN reporter. Twitter screen grab. President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Davao, Philippines, Jan. 5, 2021. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has quashed attempts to investigate how members of his bodyguard received shots of a Chinese-developed coronavirus vaccine in September and October, when no vaccine had been approved or officially procured in the country to date. An angry Duterte this week ordered Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III, head of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), and members of the elite bodyguard to stay put in the barracks and ignore a summons to appear before a planned Senate inquiry into the matter. To Congress, do not tinker with the PSG. Dont force my hand. I am not keen to have Durante testify, Duterte said in a nationally televised cabinet meeting that went late into the evening on Monday. They did this to protect me and themselves. As a president, how could they guard me if they have to maintain a four-meter [13.1-feet] distance from me? the Philippine leader said of the inoculations among members of his security corps, who are drawn from military ranks. Durante and his men had the right against self-incrimination, the president said, as he warned the legislature against forcing the soldiers to testify. I do not think it will be good for you and for me. It would not be healthy for everybody, he said. We will have, not really a crisis, but there will be a nasty thing that will transpire. After Dutertes late-night comments, the military said Tuesday that it had cancelled its own inquiry into the matter. The controversy erupted last week after the president said he knew of several soldiers who, a few months ago, were given doses of a vaccine developed by Sinopharm, the Chinese state-owned drug maker. Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, spokesman for the armed forces, said in a statement that a scheduled fact-finding investigation had been called off. This comes in the light of the recent pronouncement of the Commander-in-Chief and President Rodrigo Duterte, Arevalo said. Durante, the head of presidential security, confirmed Dutertes earlier statement about soldiers receiving the vaccine, but refused to give details about the drug makers name and how they obtained the doses. Durante had said he was willing to be investigated for allegedly violating the countrys laws. Last week, the Army chief, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, said the approval to use Sinopharms vaccine came from Duterte himself. In late December, the president also stated that nearly all soldiers have been injected an assertion which he appeared to deny on Monday night. I dont know really if they were really injected with the vaccine, Duterte said on Jan. 4. What brand? I dont know. Do not presume to say there was a cover up. At present, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet green-lighted any drug for inoculating people here against the coronavirus disease. The FDA, the defense and health departments had all expressed surprise in learning about the immunizations of the presidential guards. For his part, FDA chief Erick Domingo said that the distribution of black-market vaccines could pose health risks and potentially undermine a national vaccination program. Next to Indonesia, the Philippines is the second country in East Asia hardest hit by the global pandemic. As of Tuesday, nearly 479,700 coronavirus cases had been detected nationwide with a death toll of 9,321, according to data from disease experts at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Senator presses for inquiry The Philippine legislature enjoys a separation of powers with the executive and judiciary. As an independent body of government, Congress can also launch investigations or summon officials. Sen. Franklin Drilon, a senior lawmaker with the opposition, said Tuesday that Duterte did have executive privilege to stop the Presidential Security Group from testifying before the Senate. However, this should not stop the Senate from investigating the unauthorized China-made COVID-19 vaccines in the country, he said. There is no preventing Congress from eliciting information in aid of legislation from other resource persons. Congress can exact information on matters that can help it craft better legislation, Drilon told reporters. This was not the first time that executive privilege was invoked, Drilon said, noting that former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had blocked all her officials from senate inquiries when she was in office in 2005. The senator said there also were unconfirmed reports that nearly 100,000 Chinese workers employed by online casinos in the Philippines had been injected with vaccines illegally imported into the country. The Senate must exercise its mandate to look deeply into the issue in order to plug the loopholes in the law granting authority to the Food and Drugs Administration, Drilon said. The Senate should continue with the hearing, especially in the light of the revelation that 100,000 POGO workers were inoculated in the country. That is illegal, the lawmaker said, referring to employees of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. That claim was made on Monday by Teresita Ang See, a prominent anti-crime advocate here, who told an online forum about the rampant inoculation, which, she said, began in November. She said the source of these vaccines was likely the same one from which members of the presidential bodyguard received their shots. The vaccines were legitimate, she said, adding that the issue was being blown out of proportion. When asked about the purported Chinese vaccines, presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Monday said he did not have information on the claims. But if it were true, there will be 100,000 less possible carriers of the coronavirus, Roque said. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. The scientists examined more than 3,500 fossils to identify survivor pairs - plants that grew in both the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. The two fossils on the left are from the Cretaceous, and the two on the right are from the Paleogene. Credit: Elena Stiles The asteroid impact 66 million years ago that ushered in a mass extinction and ended the dinosaurs also killed off many of the plants that they relied on for food. Fossil leaf assemblages from Patagonia, Argentina, suggest that vegetation in South America suffered great losses but rebounded quickly, according to an international team of researchers. "Every mass extinction event is like a reset button, and what happens after that reset depends on which organisms survive and how they shape the biosphere," said Elena Stiles, a doctoral student at the University of Washington who completed the research as part of her master's thesis at Penn State. "All the biodiversity that we observe today is related to the organisms that made it past the last big reset 66 million years ago." Stiles and her colleagues examined more than 3,500 leaf fossils collected at two sites in Patagonia to identify how many species from the geologic period known as the Cretaceous survived the mass extinction event into the Paleogene period. Although plant families in the region fared well, the scientists found a surprising species-level extinction rate that may have reached as high as 92% in Patagonia, higher than previous studies have estimated for the region. "There's this idea that the Southern Hemisphere got off easier from the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction than the Northern Hemisphere because we keep finding plant and animal groups that no one thought survived," said Peter Wilf, professor of geosciences at Penn State and associate in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute. "We went into this study expecting that Patagonia was a refuge, and instead we found a complex story of extinction and rebound." Researchers from Penn State; the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio (MEF), Chubut, Argentina; Universidad Nacional del Comahue INIBIOMA, Rio Negro, Argentina; and Cornell University had been collecting the fossils for years from the two sites, in what is now Chubut province. Unlike North America, where the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary is well known from many sites in the western United States, the fossil record from this period is fragmented across the Southern Hemisphere, a result of rapidly changing ancient environments. "Most of the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary interval known from the Southern Hemisphere is marine," said Ari Iglesias, a researcher at Universidad Nacional del Comahue INIBIOMA. "We were interested in obtaining the continental record, what happened on land. So, in this study we tried to get as close to the K-Pg boundary as possible, and we reached it in a small area in Chubut province. There we found floras right before the K-Pg boundary, or Maastrichtian floras, and right after the K-Pg boundary, so Danian age floras." The assemblages that the team obtained constitute the most complete collection of late Cretaceous and early Paleogene fossil floras in the Southern Hemisphere, added Iglesias. Researchers collect fossils cliffside in the Lefipan formation in southern Argentina. The scientists pictured mid-cliff are searching a layer of the late Cretaceous period, while the sandstone ledge above them marks the beginning of the Paleogene period. Credit: Peter Wilf, Penn State The researchers studied the assemblages for survivor pairsplants that grew in both the Cretaceous and Paleogene periodsand found few species-level matches. They then compared their findings to previous pollen and insect herbivory studies from the same area and to North American fossil records. Their study, which is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, appears in the journal Paleobiology. "The 92% extinction estimate we get when we consider fossil leaf species across the K-Pg boundary should be taken as a maximum" Stiles said. "We were surprised to find such high extinction levels compared with the 60% extinction rate seen in North America. Nonetheless, we observed a sharp drop in plant species diversity and a high species-level extinction." Ecosystem recovery likely took millions of years, added Stiles, which is a small fraction of Earth's nearly 4.5-billion-year history. Stiles also led a novel morphospace analysis to identify changes in leaf shape from the Cretaceous to the Paleogene, as such changes could provide clues to the kinds of environmental and climatic occurrences that took place across the boundary interval. She studied each leaf fossil for nearly 50 features, including shape, size and venation patterns. The analysis showed a higher diversity of leaf forms in the Paleogene, which surprised the researchers given the high species-level extinction and drop in number of species at the end of the Cretaceous. They also found an increase in the proportion of leaf shapes typically found in cooler environments, which suggests that climatic cooling occurred after the end-Cretaceous extinction event. The researchers' findings, combined with those of previous studies, suggest that despite the high species-level extinction at the end of the Cretaceous, South American plant families largely survived and grew more diverse during the Paleogene. Among the survivors were the laurel family, which today includes plants such as bay leaves and avocados, and the rose family, which includes fruit like raspberries and strawberries. "Plants are often overlooked in these big events in geologic history," Stiles said. "But really, because plants are the primary producers on terrestrial landscapes and sustain all other life forms on Earth, we should be paying closer attention to the plant fossil record. It can tell us how the landscape changed and how those changes affected different groups of organisms." Explore further When dinosaurs disappeared, forests thrived More information: Elena Stiles et al, CretaceousPaleogene plant extinction and recovery in Patagonia, Paleobiology (2020). Journal information: Paleobiology Elena Stiles et al, CretaceousPaleogene plant extinction and recovery in Patagonia,(2020). DOI: 10.1017/pab.2020.45 Covid: Hungary will allow flights from UK Announcement from the Secretary of State Kovacs (ANSA) - BELGRADE, JAN 5 - "Beginning at midnight tonight, zero hour on January 6, Hungarian airports will be reopened for flights arriving from Great Britain and Northern Ireland," said on Twitter Zoltan Kovacs, the Hungarian Secretary of State for International Communication and Relations. Hungary stopped flights from the UK on December 22, 2020, after the discovery of a new variant of the virus. The local authorities previously announced that the ban would last until February 8. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved DENVER, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Little India Restaurant & Bar ( littleindiadenver.com ) announced its newest location in the Denver, Colorado neighborhood known as Highland. Highland is a bustling residential neighborhood overlooking downtown Denver, featuring avenues lined with elegant old homes, chic cocktail bars, and trendsetting restaurants, like Little India. Little India Highland Location "Serving the Denver Metro Area since 1998, we are excited to be expanding. The Highland neighborhood is a perfect match for Little India. Bringing true Indian cuisine to the area is a joy, and I am excited to be a part of the Little India family. And excited to be moving into the Highland neighborhood," states Robert Yoakum, General Manager The Indian-based restaurant has juggled the COVID-19 impact, adjusting its menu, adding specials, and switching business hours, all to keep the popular eatery relevant with customers during closures, lockdowns, and business slowdowns. This effort has included keeping all staff on board no layoffs during the COVID shutdowns. In fact, Little India's now widely popular special: anyone that comes in that is a frontline worker for takeout receives 20% off their entire bill, which launched in the spring and is a customer favorite, might be here to stay. Little India has also been reaching out to the senior community and delivering meals to local nursing homes. For a list of Little India Restaurant & Bar hours and locations visit, https://www.littleindiaofdenver.com/locations About Little India Restaurant & Bar The Little India Restaurant & Bar was established in 1998 and since that time has been voted 'Best Indian Restaurant' and 'Best Lunch Buffet' for 16 consecutive years! This unparalleled success led to the opening of an additional restaurant and the birth of a Denver legend. The Baidwan family has been in Colorado for more than 20 years, and in 1998 decided to open Little India because of their love of cooking. Since then, they have been serving Denver the most authentic fine Indian cuisine and have quickly become an area favorite. The chefs began their careers in Northern India and used only the freshest meats and ingredients. A friendly, charming staff rounds out the dining experience at Little India an experience that combines exotic and simple tastes for an unforgettable effect. The sense of authenticity is undeniably evident in Little India's atmosphere, where Indian art and music accent the casual dining rooms. There's a reason Little India has been named "Best Indian Restaurant" and "Best Lunch Buffet" by local critics and Denver patrons for the past sixteen years. If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Robert Yoakum at 720-589-0963 or email at [email protected]. SOURCE Little India Restaurant & Bar The man is supposed to arrive in Kyiv with no exact date set so far. Former officer with the Belarusian spec-ops forces Igor Makar who has recently made public audio recordings alleging the involvement of the Belarusian top security leadership in the elimination of political dissidents, including the assassination in a car blast in Kyiv of journalist Pavel Sheremet, says he is ready to testify at the Office of Ukraine's Prosecutor General. "We did everything to make it public, and most importantly, to complete the investigation of this crime and prove that the Belarus special services were complicit. I handed over the recordings around December. There was no official questioning, but today Ukrainian special services contacted me. I spoke with them and gave my consent to cooperate. I will be ready to testify at the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine," he told the Suspilne public broadcaster. Makar said he was supposed to fly to Kyiv, while no exact date has been set so far since it depends on Ukraine's security services. Read alsoSheremet murder trial: Court leaves Antonenko behind bars"The situation with the COVID-19 is very bad now, so everything depends on them and, apparently, on the investigation. When there is such a need or there are some facts, of course, I will notify them, and when the Ukrainian side is ready for me to arrive and provide evidence, I'm ready," Makar said. According to him, a person who made the recording of those conversations and with whom ex-KGB head in Belarus in 2008-2012 Vadim Zaitsev was speaking is also ready to testify in the case. Now that anonymous ex-KGB officer, as Makar referred to him, is staying in one of the EU countries. Makar got hold of the leaked audio back in 2012 from what he calls "anonymous sources" in the Belarusian KGB. Makar says he heard on tape the name of his friend Oleg Alkaev, former head of the Minsk detention center. After leaving Belarus in 2001, the latter started to criticize President Alexander Lukashenko's regime where he himself had previously been the head of a "firing squad" that dealt with executions. It was Pavel Sheremet who published Alkaev's book in 2007. Makar said that due to his friend's name being mentioned in leaked communications, he had first handed the recordings to the U.S. intelligence to secure his own life. According to him, ex-commander of the special forces brigade Vladimir Borodach and head of the anti-corruption department at the Belarusian Interior Ministry Vyacheslav Dudkin, whose names also appeared on tape are still alive. According to the tapes, Russian political scientist Andrei Suzdaltsev also had to be eliminated. "Now I made the recording public, submitted it for publication on EUobserver. All possible examinations have been made. A phonoscopic examination has been carried out, which confirmed [authenticity]. If necessary, a biometric examination will also be done," he said. Read alsoSheremet murder: Police probing into recent reports of Belarus KGB plotHe also explained why he hadn't come out with his revelations earlier. Makar believes in this case his life would be under threat, but didn't say why he had not let the recordings see light in the immediate aftermath of Sheremet's murder. "If I tried to publish it earlier, in 2012, the political situation was totally different. I would sacrifice my life 100%, and we would not hear this recording today. We would not open our eyes to all these crimes that were being plotted, that have been committed, in particular, the murder of Pavel Sheremet." "Had I published this data in 2016, when Pavel Sheremet was blown up, I think I might have helped people understand the nature of the crime, but today I wouldn't be able to help my Belarusian people to tackle this dictatorial regime that's now in place," he said. Sheremet murder case: Background The journalist was assassinated in a car blast in the center of Kyiv on the morning of July 20, 2016. On December 12, 2019, police said they suspected five persons of complicity in the crime: former Donbas war volunteer and musician Andrii Antonenko, army volunteer and pediatric surgeon Yulia Kuzmenko (nom de guerre "Lysa," or "Fox"), a paratrooper unit's nurse Yana Duhar, and a family couple of army volunteers Inna Hryshchenko ("Puma"), and Vladyslav Hryshchenko ("Bucha"). Law enforcers claim that the culprits aimed to destabilize the social and political situation in Ukraine. Antonenko, Kuzmenko and Duhar were notified of their charges on December 12, 2019. Ukrainian investigative journalists with the Slidstvo.info project said they had found the forensic analysis report used in the probe into the murder of Sheremet far from being unambiguous, while evidence presented by the police not convincing. What is more, many Ukrainian activists consider the evidence collected by the investigation to be insufficient. Leaked audio recordings alleging the involvement of Belarus top security leadership in the elimination of political opponents, including the assassination in a car blast of journalist Pavel Sheremet, were released on Monday, January 4. The National Police of Ukraine said they had received documents and audio recordings exposing what could be possible masterminds behind Sheremet's murder. Reporting by UNIAN The officer had been driving south of Euclid Avenue when a black SUV pulled in front of her about 7:20 p.m. and forced her to stop, police said. Three people got out and one of them tapped a handgun on the driver side window and yelled, Get out of the car. Fern Britton asked her fans if COVID-19 was a 'con to control the population' in a Twitter debate on Sunday. The presenter, 64, said she believes that 'COVID is a real and dangerous virus' as she encouraged her followers to share pandemic conspiracy theories, days before England went into a third national lockdown amid spiralling infection rates. She wrote: 'I believe Covid is a real and dangerous virus running amok amongst the world's population and ruining the world's economy. 'However, if this is all a con to control us, what is the end game? This is an authentic question.' Twitter wrangle: Fern Britton asked her fans if COVID-19 was a 'con to control the population' in a Twitter debate on Sunday The majority of Fern's followers were quick to slam speculation the pandemic was a 'con' with one fan writing: 'This is exactly what I keep saying! What is the benefit to the whole world pretending there's a virus, people losing their livelihoods, etc. 'Funny they can never answer that when I ask. Its totally bonkers!' However, one fan wrote: 'Oh god don't say that. I'm not coping as it is' to which Fern replied: 'Oh Grant. Me neither x' Another follower joked: 'I think we've been locked up so long even the sane are developing conspiracy theories' with Fern playfully responding: 'Yes! Thats why I had to ask to make sure that I know its real!' One fan praised Fern's Twitter tactic for showcasing opinions and conspiracy theories. around the pandemic in an 'intelligent' manner. Debate: The presenter, 64, believes that 'COVID is a dangerous virus' as she encouraged her followers to share conspiracy theories around coronavirus, days before England went into a third national lockdown a Tweet: The star ignited a wave of social media reaction where she admitted she 'wasn't coping' amid the ongoing pandemic They wrote: 'There isnt is there, this is a virus not a global conspiracy. We both know that and as painful as it is we have to keep chasing down anyone says otherwise, your question there is an intelligent way of doing it, thanks! (Shamelessly steals idea) Fern retorted: 'You made me feel sane again tho xx.' Fern was also quick to call out followers who questioned whether COVID had been 'man-made in China' or declared that the country would 'never know' if the virus was a con, replying: 'So why do people believe its fake?' and 'But what would be the purpose?' China -- where the coronavirus first emerged late in 2019 -- has broadly stamped out the virus inside its borders, introducing swift local lockdowns and mass testing when cases emerge. On Tuesday, Boris Johnson plunged England into a national lockdown in some ways even more brutal than last March in a desperate bid to keep the mutant coronavirus at bay while vaccines are rolled out. Comment: The majority of Fern's followers were quick to slam speculation the pandemic was a 'con' with one fan writing: 'This is exactly what I keep saying!' Why? Fern was quick to call out followers who questioned whether COVID had been 'man-made in China' or declared that the country would 'never know' if the virus was a con Just a day after he urged parents to send their children back, the PM declared in a sombre address from No10 that primary and secondary schools will be shut from today until at least February half-term, with only the vulnerable and offspring of key workers allowed to go in. University students are being told to stay at home and study remotely, while exams will not go ahead as planned. Nurseries can stay open. Under the the new guidance, published overnight, non-essential retail, all hospitality, gyms and swimming pools will be ordered to close across the country. Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaway - but in a tightening from the draconian measures last spring, they will not be allowed to serve any alcohol. Vulnerable people are being told to shield where possible. Communal worship can continue with social distancing in place. Twitter: Another follower joked: 'I think we've been locked up so long even the sane are developing conspiracy theories' Reactions: Fans were quick to share their experiences of the virus and comment on the debate The public will once again only be allowed to leave home for one of five reasons: to go to work if essential, shop for necessities, exercise - allowed with one other person from another household, care for someone, or to seek medical help. Those who break the rules face a 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. The extraordinary third national squeeze will come into effect in the early hours of Wednesday after the regulations are laid today, but Mr Johnson urged the public to adopt the new rules now. MPs will get a vote on them on Wednesday when Parliament is recalled, although there is no prospect of them being defeated. Mr Johnson made clear there is no chance of them being lifted for at least seven weeks - and possibly longer if the vaccine rollout does not go well. 'Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any time since the start of the pandemic. It's clear we need to do more.. while our vaccines are rolled out,' he said. Mr Johnson said he was left with no option after being confronted with catastrophic figures about the burden on the NHS by science chiefs today. Hospital patients with coronavirus had risen by 40 per cent over a week, and are now higher than at the peak of the first wave. The scale of the problem was underlined as the latest grim daily tally was released, with 58,784 new cases - a 42 per cent rise on last Monday. It means the UK has passed the milestone of 50,000 infections every day for a week, suggesting that the easing of restrictions at Christmas helped fuel the outbreak. Department of Health chiefs also posted 407 more deaths, up just 14 per cent on the figure recorded last week. But it can take infected patients several weeks to fall severely ill and succumb to the illness, meaning fatalities have yet to reach their peak and will continue to rise. The UK recorded almost 1,000 deaths twice last week, in grisly tolls not seen since the darkest days of the spring. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. A TOTAL of 322 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 - the second highest daily number since the pandemic began - have been reported in Limerick this Tuesday evening. The county's 14-day Covid incidence rate per 100,000 has risen from 979 yesterday to 1113.4 today. Only Monaghan and Louth's rates are higher. The national average is 674.4 There has been 2,170 new Covid cases during the last 14 days in Limerick. As of midnight, Monday, January 4, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has been notified of 5,325 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There is now a total of 113,322 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 1,931 are in Dublin, 767 in Cork, 323 in Kildare, 322 in Limerick, 238 in Donegal and the remaining 1,744 cases are spread across all other counties. 2,550 are men / 2,769 are women; 63% are under 45 years of age; the median age is 36-years-old The HPSC has today been notified of 17 additional deaths related to Covid-19. 16 of todays reported deaths occurred in January. There has been a total of 2,282 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of 2pm today, 840 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 76 are in ICU. 102 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: "We are now experiencing a considerable surge in cases and hospitalisations. We can turn this around quickly if we stick to the measures we know worked last spring. "We have seen some early progress in that the average number of contacts per case has been dropping in recent days but we need to continue this effort to limit as much as we can our contact with other people in the days and weeks ahead. "If we all stay home and keep to the public health advice, we can bring Covid-19 back under control - which ultimately will protect our essential services such as Health and Education and most importantly save lives." The Covid-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of Covid-19 in the community. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) Local government units have earmarked varying amounts to fund the COVID-19 vaccination of their constituents. Some of the cities will administer the vaccines for free to all residents, while others will prioritize sectors according to the recommendation of the World Health Organization. Here are the LGUs and their allocated vaccine funds as of Saturday: Antipolo City, Rizal - 300 million Biliran Province - 100 million The Biliran provincial government is eyeing to give free vaccines to at least 20,000 of its residents. Borongan City, Eastern Samar - 35 million Bacolod City - 300 million Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia told CNN Philippines The Final Word on Thursday they signed a confidential agreement with British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca for the citys COVID-19 vaccination program. He said the agreement will ensure Bacolod City receives a fair share of the vaccine once it becomes available in the country. Cainta, Rizal - 150 million Caloocan City - 125 million Caloocan City Mayor Oscar Malapitan said the city government will cover all constituents free vaccination. Cebu City - 400 million Eastern Samar - 500 million Governor Ben Evardone said that they are targeting to vaccinate all residents under the said budget. Iloilo City - 200 million Legazpi City, Albay - 200 million Mayor Noel Rosal said they are targeting to vaccinate 1/3 of Legazpi's population of more than 250,000. Leyte province - 20 million Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said that the provincial government is hoping to vaccinate about 20,000 to 30,000 residents. Makati City - 1 billion Mayor Abby Binay announced the city will give free vaccination for all residents. She said that if the 1 billion budget is not enough, the city still has another billion prepared. Malabon City - 200 million The local government will allocate 200 million to inoculate 20% to 30% of the citys population. Mandaluyong City - 200 million Manila City - 250 million Marikina City - 82.7 million Muntinlupa City - 170 million Navotas City - 20 million Northern Samar - 10 million The local government is hoping to give free vaccines to 80% of its population. Ormoc City, Leyte - 200 million The vaccines will be given to at least 80% of the citys population. Paranaque City - 250 million The city will cover the free vaccination of 300,000 residents under its fund. This will prioritize health workers and senior citizens. Mayor Edwin Olivarez said another 1 billion will be on "standby" for the city's own procurement of vaccines, which must first be regulated by authorities. Pasay City - 250 million Pasig City - 300 million Pasig City will prioritize health workers and senior citizens. Puerto Princesa, Palawan - 500 million Quezon City - 1 billion The Quezon City government will prioritize health workers, senior citizens, and other sectors recommended by WHO. To date, it has secured 750,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. Samar province - 50 million The provincial government will give priority to healthcare workers. San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan Mayor Arthur Robes and Representative Florida Robes said the local government will shoulder the vaccination of all San Jose Del Monte residents. However, they did not mention the budget that will be allocated for the vaccines. San Juan - 50 million Sta. Rosa, Laguna - 300 million Tacloban City - 30 million Taguig City - 1 billion Taguig City government said it will cover the free vaccination of all residents. Valenzuela City - 150 million Zamboanga City - 200 million The first mention of censuses is familiar to many of the Christmas stories. Caesars census will not help many modern family historians, but more recent ones will. Those for 19th century Britain can provide ages and place of birth, essential information for seeking births and so identifying earlier generations. Census returns used to be regarded as the Second Port-Of-Call after General Registration Records. Now, with the 1881 and 1901 censuses fully indexed on the Internet and 1891 following close behind, and much of the 1851 census available in different published indexes and others soon to be indexed as well, they can often represent the first and easiest way of tracing a family tree back into the 19th century. From 1851 to 1901, census returns provide ancestors names, relationships to others in the same household, ages and places of birth, With good fortune, you may be able to find your grandparent or great-grandparent with their parents in the 1901 census, then seek the same family 20 years earlier in the 1881 census, followed by a hop back to the preceding generation in the 1851 census. At that point (and with good fortune still attending), you will find the names of your forebears who were born in the early 19th or even late 18th centuries, whose baptisms can be sought in parish registers. In practice, you are unlikely to be able to perform these genealogical gymnastics using censuses in isolation. To be sure you have traced the right line, you will need General Registration records as well. Both categories of records complement each other to help you build up details of your ancestors lives. Used together, they can enable you to trace a fully proven family tree back to the early 19th century. THE RECORDS Each enumeration book starts with a brief description of the area covered, usually street by street, and includes details of the parish, town or borough. Censuses provide a splendid snap-shot of your family on a specific evening in the past showing your ancestors in the context of their family, extended family and neighbourhood. But do remember that the records are just that. If someone was away from the household, even for just that one night, they were supposed to be enumerated where they actually were, not where they normally lived. 1821 CENSUS A few returns include more than mere head-counts. The 1821 Hackney returns were found in a cupboard in St John's church, Hackney and have been published by the East of London FHS as Parish Returns Series no. 2 part 1, Hackney 1821. The returns list heads of households only, even if several households were in one house 1831 CENSUS The 1831 returns for Hackney survive as well and have been indexed J. Chaudhuri's Hackney Street Directory 1831 (East of London FHS, 2001), listing head of household by name, with their occupation and the occupations but not names of the other inhabitants. Originals for both are in the Hackney Borough Archives. For details of other surviving early censuses. 1841 CENSUS Most of these returns survive. They give: Address. This may be precise, or simply a street name or even just the name of the village, with each house numbered sequentially as the enumerator walked around. Name of each person in the household. Middle names or initials were not to be recorded. Age. The ages of those under 16 were recorded precisely, and the ages of those over 16 were rounded down to the nearest round five years. Thus, people aged 50 to 54 were all to be recorded as 50. Luckily, some enumerators failed to heed this and wrote down the exact ages. Occupation. Whether the person was born in the same county. Usually Y for yes and N for no, or NK for not known. If the birth was outside England and Wales, the abbreviations were S for Scotland, T for Ireland or F for foreign parts the rest of the world! Relationships were not stated, and should not be assumed: two 50 year-olds of the opposite sex and a 20-year-old could be husband, wife and child, or brother, sister and a child of one of their cousins or one of many other possible permutations. 1851-1901 CENSUSES These are broadly similar in their detail and survive almost complete. They give: Address. As of 1841. In 1891 and 1901, the number of rooms occupied, if less than five, was recorded. Double dashes indicate the break between buildings; single dashes indicate the break between different households in the same building. Name of each person in the household. Initials of middle names could be and often were recorded. Relationship to the head of the household. Usually wife, son or daughter, but also step-child, in-laws, servants and, if you are very lucky, parents or grandparents. Sometimes the terms in-law and step-' were used differently to nowadays: a son-in-law today means the daughter's husband, but then it was sometimes used for the wife's son by a previous marriage, what we would now term a step-son, and vice versa. Marital condition. Married, single or widowed. Age. Ages were recorded precisely. Occupation. In 1891 and 1901, the census notes whether the person was an employee or employer and, if the latter, how many people if any, they employed. The acreage of farms was also noted. If working at home. This was a new column added in 1901. Place of birth. Recorded by parish and county. If the person was born outside England and Wales, usually only the country would be given, although sometimes you may be lucky and find the parish or nearby town stated too. If luck does not strike with the first census return you examine, try another. Physical and mental condition. This was a column for those who were blind, deaf and dumb. Further categories, imbecile or an idiot; lunatic were added in 1871, subsequently changed to lunatic, imbecile, feeble-minded in 1901. 1911 CENSUS This census should be released at the NA and FRC in 2012 and cannot be searched in advance under any circumstances. HOW TO SEARCH Where possible, use indexes, either online or published. The census best covered by published census indexes is the 1851 census. This is mostly covered piecemeal by locally produced indexes. It is also being re-indexed by county in the same manner as the 1881 census. To find out what published census indexes exist for your area, and where and how they can be accessed, see J. Gibson and E. Hampsons Marriage and Census Indexes for Family Historians (FFHS, 2000). In some cases, the indexes give a list of surnames and reference numbers for the original returns. In others, besides the essential reference numbers, the indexes reproduce so much information that you may be tempted not to bother checking the original returns. But by not doing so, you will almost certainly miss out on the extra details that may be vital clues and the interest of seeing the original returns for the place where your family lived and, of course, there is always the possibility that the index contains errors. Always check the originals! Although the 1881 census is available online (www.familysearch.org) its earlier, microfiche counterpart is in some ways easier to use for problem-solving. The index covers the whole of Great Britain including the Channel Islands and crews on all Royal Naval vessels, but not including Northern Ireland (whose returns do not survive). It is available county by county, complete with full indexes by name, place of birth and census place. You can, therefore: Lookup a surname to seek your ancestors and perhaps spot new relatives. Look up a place to see an alphabetical listing of those who lived there (useful if you are dealing with a very popular name). Lookup a birthplace to see who, in the county, was born there. This is very useful when looking for an ancestor's siblings who have moved away from their place of birth. Having found the relevant references, you can then look up the relevant pages of the transcript as enumerated section. There are also indexes to boats and ships, and to institutions. Furthermore, there is also an immensely useful index, by surname and then forename, to each county. Such indexes can save hours of precious time or help solve previously unsolvable problems. Using the 1881 and 1901 censuses especially, I have been able to find children who were away from home at boarding schools or working as servants, men who were away on census night on business (or so they presumably claimed) or in hospital or prison, and many other strays, not to mention families who were simply staying somewhere completely unexpected, including the workhouse. In many cases, you will be able to use an index to obtain the exact reference to where your ancestors were. However, this may not be the case and you will have to search the originals. If the family lived in a small village, you can simply look through the village records and, besides finding your ancestors, you will probably see (and be able to note down) others of the same name who will probably be members of your extended family. If the family lived in a town, you could be faced with a very lengthy search. However, as the NA provides street indexes for all towns of over 40,000 inhabitants (and many held locally for smaller towns), you can save much time by finding an address where your ancestors lived from another source (see left), and then using the street index to go straight to the night place. SIMPLIFYING MATTERS Finding a village on microfilm or fiche and searching through it is quite easy. Showever, searching through a large town, which may span several piece numbers (and possibly several whole microfilms), can be extremely time-consuming, running the risk that you may become so exhausted by the work that you may quite simply miss the entry for your ancestors. Fortunately, the NA generally provides street indexes for places with populations of over 40,000. Having found an ancestors address, look it up in the street index to learn the folio numbers covering the street. Each page of the Enumeration Books has a folio number, printed in the top right-hand corner of each right-hand page (not to be confused with the page numbers). Once you find the entry you want, obtain a photocopy or write down everything, including the reference numbers, details of the parish, sub-district and so on at the top of the page, and all the information about the household. It is also worth noting the immediate neighbours: even if they have different surnames, they might turn out to be close relatives, equally, if your search fails, write down exactly what you searched so that the work can be continued another time and, of course, a negative search will at least tell you where your ancestors did not live. OVERCOMING PROBLEMS IN THE INDEXES If you do not find that you are looking for, consider variant spellings. In the Mormons 1881 and 1851 indexes, names are recorded and indexed exactly as they appeared. Thus, after hosts of William Smithscome the William A. Smiths, William Anthony Smiths, and so on, followed by the Will Smiths and then the Wm Smiths. So too are birthplaces: Kent, Canterbury is indexed in the birthplace index under K, a long way away from plain Canterbury. There are no magic answers here: just think of as many permutations to look up as you can, and if you do not find the direct ancestors you are seeking, look up other family members and see if their entries lead you to your forebears. All indexes are subject to mistakes. One reason for not being able to find an ancestor in an index is that the index might be wrong. If you are sure an ancestor should have been at a certain address, and they do not appear in a census index, check the original returns for that address anyway. The 1881 census index was compiled fairly rigorously and is usually accurate. The 1901 census appears to have been less carefully compiled and many omissions or mistakes have been discovered. It is only indexed online and is not always straightforward to use. The index gives names, age, county and parish where born, county and parish of residence and occupation. Once you have spotted the right person, you can download a transcription or digitised image of the relevant page. The trouble is that certain information has been deliberately left out (such as middle names and middle initials, precise address and names of other people in the household) so it is seldom entirely clear which of several possible entries may be correct. This may necessitate having to download several pages, which will immediately turn out to be irrelevant. If you know where the family lives but cannot find them in the index, you can still search the original returns at the FRC, where limited place and street indexes are now available. Surnames are also indexed as they appear. If you cannot find your ancestor under the spelling you thought, make a search using forename, age or place of birth and see if the right person comes up under a variant spelling of the surname. For example, if James Dinnie age 24, born in Kirkintilloch does not appear, type in James, 24, Kirkintilloch and possibilities may appear including (say) James Dinny, who would probably be your man. Equally, beware variants in place names. If the county of birth was transcribed as Cambridge, it will not appear if you type in Cambridgeshire, nor will Leighton appear if you type Leyton, or Oxon for Oxfordshire: be prepared to try as many possible variants as you can think of. IN THE ORIGINAL RETURNS There will be times when you do not know the exact address, although you will know or suspect roughly where in a town an ancestor lived, This can be especially true when working without the aid of indexes, If this happens to you, use a contemporary map to find the names of the Streets, locate each one using street indexes, and search them thoroughly. Once you have found the entry you want, you may still experience some problems. Almost all records used in family history are likely to be inaccurate, but censuses are among the worst. The reason for this is simple: if you ask people a number of fairly intrusive questions, they are unlikely to be desperately concerned about giving correct answers People were and continue to be highly suspicious of the governments reasons for wanting to know anything about them at all and, in the 19th century, many poorer people were (not always unjustly) afraid that, if they owned up to have come from somewhere else, they would be ordered to return thence. Therefore, the most common answer enumerators received to the question Where were you born? would have been a blunt Here!. Places of birth could be wrong for other reasons too. Someone who was born in Oxford but grew up from an early age in Cambridge might very well think that the latter was their birthplace. People also tended to generalise. If someone was born in the tiny village of Sturry near Canterbury and then moved away, they would probably tell everyone they were from Canterbury, and this is what might then be recorded on a census form (and, incidentally, in the birthplace index of the 1881 and similar 185] census indexes). The enumeration of people at sea was very complicated, but fortunately there is an index to the 1861 maritime returns produced by the Mormons, available at the FRC. For 1851, 1871 and 1891 censuses there is a NA index to the ships, so if you know the name of the ship your ancestor was on, you should be able to find the appropriate census entry. For 188] and 1901, sailors are included in the main name index, making searching relatively easy. Incorrect details given in the first place. Information about the family was usually supplied by only one person, but not necessarily the head of the household, a child might supply information about their parents and siblings, and there are cases when the task seems to have been delegated to servants or even the lodger. No wonder details were sometimes inaccurate. Ages could also be wrong when people did not want to admit to being as old or as young as they really were. In 1876 it comes compulsory for children under 13 to go to school. However, many hard-up parents still sent their children out to work and lied to the enumerators, saying their children were scholars, the standard term for a child at school when they were, in fact, out at work every day and receiving no education at all. Greater inaccuracies arose when institutions were enumerated. In some cases, prison governors simply noted down the inmates initials. Relationships to the head of the household were sometimes given inaccurately or falsely. The illegitimate son of the head of the household's daughter might end up being enumerated as the head's youngest son. Addresses can cause problems, not least because streets could be renamed. House numbering was virtually unknown in rural areas and, when they were used in towns, they would change as extra houses were built in streets. Therefore, if your ancestors are not at the house number you expected, check the rest of the street, and if they are not there, look around the area or examine maps and contemporary street directories. Related problems arise when houses had doors on two different streets, thus giving the house two potential addresses. This is another area in which studying a map can suggest different solutions to the problem of hot finding your ancestors where you expected them to be. When using the censuses to ascertain where someone was born before 1837, bear in mind that their place of birth might not be the same as their place of baptism. Wives often went home to their mothers to give birth to their first child, but the child's baptism would usually be in the wife's new parish of residence. By: Navin Kumar Jaggi & Gurmeet Singh Jaggi As tensions between Washington and Beijing continue to spiral downwards, President-elect aims to end the US' trade war with European allies and work with them to deal with China's trade practices, said a key official in the Biden administration. Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, told CNN on Sunday that the new administration recognise China as a serious strategic competitor to the US. According to South China Morning Post citing CNN, Sullivan also said president-elect Biden would work out the economic differences between the US and its European allies to improve their relations and jointly counter China on multiple fronts, from trade and technology to the military and human rights. "Our goal is to go out right away and sit down not just on the question of China, but to work out the economic differences that we have so that we can end the multifront trade war that the Trump administration started," Sullivan said on CNN on Sunday. Sullivan's remarks came after China and the wrapped up negotiations on a comprehensive investment agreement last week. Sullivan said the US would not reverse tariffs with China but would consult partners in Europe and Asia to "bring leverage to bear on China to change its most problematic trade abuses". Referring to the US and "like-minded economies", Sullivan said: "We are confident that we can develop a common agenda on issues where we share deep concerns about China. And it's not just on trade. It's on technology. It's on human rights. It's on military aggression." He added, "That will put us in a stronger position to be able to deal with China effectively, in a clear-eyed way and in a way that will ultimately deliver the kind of results that have entirely escaped the Trump administration of the last four years." Biden in December said that Washington needs to build a coalition of like-minded nations to confront Beijing. "As we compete with China to hold China's government accountable for its trade abuses, technology, human rights and other fronts, our position would be much stronger when we build coalitions of like-minded partners and allies that make common cause with us in defence of our shared interests and our shared values," Biden said following his briefing with national security and foreign policy agency review team members. Under the Donald Trump administration, ties between the two countries had deteriorated over issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang, encroachment on the special status of Hong Kong, accusations of unfair trade practices by Beijing, lack of transparency concerning the pandemic and China's military aggression in various parts of the (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Morrison Brushes Off Albanese Criticisms Over JobKeeper Prime Minister Scott Morrison has brushed off criticisms by the leader of the opposition over the reduction in JobKeeper support payments which came into effect on Jan. 4. Morrison said the country needs to be weaned off the emergency support measure which was put in place when the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus (novel coronavirus) pandemic first struck Australia. The prime minister said JobKeeperwhich has so far cost $77 billionwas always a temporary measure and had fulfilled its purpose of helping get Australians through the worst of this crisis. The economy is building up again, and we have to wean it off these emergency supports, Morrison told 2GB on Tuesday. He likened it to a hospital patient moving from ICU to a recovery ward before becoming an outpatient. Morrison said the economy was finding its own feet again after 450,000 businesses and 2 million Australians graduated off the payments because they didnt need them anymore. Weve got to be careful that the important support that we put in place during the worst of the pandemic then dont hold back the business-led recovery on the other side, he said. People enjoy outdoor eating on Lygon Street in Carlton in Melbourne, Australia after lockdown on Oct. 28, 2020. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) The JobKeeper scheme was legislated to help businesses keep workers on the books by offering a wage subsidy, at first to the tune of $1500 per fortnight, per employee. Read More Labor Concerned Over JobKeeper Reduction, But Treasurer Says Fewer Need Support From September 2020, it was reduced to $1200 per fortnight for tier 1, and from January, it was reduced to $1000 per fortnight for tier 1. But National Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said reducing the JobKeeper payment rate before a vaccine is available will hurt the economy. Anthony Albanese speaks to media at Henson Park Oval in Sydney, Australia, on May 21, 2019. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) The JobKeeper payment should not be reduced. These reductions are unwise, Albanese said in a video statement released on Twitter on Jan. 4. Theyll hurt individuals. Theyll hurt families. But importantly as well, theyll hurt businesses by reducing economic activity at a time when we know theres still a major handbrake on the economy, he said. The JobKeeper wage subsidy, now in its final phase, is scheduled to end on March 28. US to set up India's second American Hub in AP's Vizag Image Source: IANS News US to set up India's second American Hub in AP's Vizag Image Source: IANS News US to set up India's second American Hub in AP's Vizag Image Source: IANS News Amaravati, Jan 5 : The US has chosen the port city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh to set up India's second American Hub. US Consul General, Hyderabad, Joel Reifman met Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday and informed him about the American interest. "He (Reifman) said the US government is interested in setting up an American hub in Visakhapatnam. Ahmedabad is the only other city in the country to have an American hub so far and Vishakapatnam will be the first location in south India," an official statement said. Reifman said he was satisfied with the facilities in Vizag. Welcoming the decision, Reddy has also requested the Consul General to set up an incubation centre in the port city, popularly known as Vizag, on the similar lines of one established in Delhi. Reifman responded to this request positively. "The CM assured to provide all facilities required to set up an incubator centre in Vishakapatnam. He welcomed the decision to set up American Hub in Vishakapatnam and asked for US cooperation in developing Vishakapatnam as a smart city," said the statement. Reddy also requested Reifman to take initiative to further enhance mutual cooperation between the US and AP. He also informed Reifman that English has been introduced as the primary language of instruction in government schools, recognising the language's international standing and importance. The Chief Minister marketed the southern state as an ideal investment destination with a vast coast. "There will be great economic development with the construction of ports and the government is laying special attention on manufacturing electronic goods. The consul general should take the initiative to invest in the state and the government will provide full assistance," observed Reddy. Reifman lauded the state government's welfare programmes and called them revolutionary, including the decentralised ward and village secretariat governance system. He also appreciated the multiple direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes which obviate room for corruption and praised the state for containing the spread of coronavirus. Porterville, CA (93257) Today A mainly sunny sky. High 91F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low near 55F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Damascus, Jan 5 : The Syrian government has condemned recent attacks targeting civilians and military personnel in the country's desert region. In a statement on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said that "the terrorist attacks on Syrian soil coupled with Israeli strikes show the link between Israel and the terrorist groups and their backers in the US and Western countries", reports Xinhua news agency. On Sunday, nine Syrians were killed and four others injured when armed men attacked three fuel tankers and three passenger buses in central Syria. The attack came a few days after military buses were attacked in the desert in eastern Syria, resulting in the killing of 39 soldiers. Late last month, at least 25 people were killed when "terrorists" ambushed a passenger bus on the Palmyra-Deir al-Zour road in the area of Kabajeb The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacks were carried out by the Islamic State (IS) terror group. After losing key areas across Syria, the IS militants moved to the desert areas in eastern Syria, where they frequently carry out attacks against military personnel and bases. The Green Beret colonel who was arrested after he allegedly threatened to kill his wife in front of his kids and held them hostage during a stand-off with police, had been investigated for being abusive to his staff months before the attack. Army Col. Owen G. Rat was arrested on December 27 for beating his wife, Kristen, and pointing a gun at her when they got into an argument where she accused him of being drunk, in front of his two youngest children in their home on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. It has been revealed Ray had been investigated by the 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General (IG) following a complaint that described him as a toxic leader who was abusive and had explosive emotional episodes. But in June the IG dismissed the complaint as 'not substantiated'. He was said to be prone to 'emotional outbursts,' swore at subordinates, and threatened to end their careers, an anonymous Special Forces officer who served under Ray at the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) said . Green Beret Army Colonel Owen G Ray, 47, who was arrested on December 27 for beating his wife and holding his family hostage at gunpoint, had been investigated months prior for being abusive to staff at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington In the December domestic incident his wife Kristen said she became frightened during the argument in which she accused him of being drunk. He then beat her in front of his kids and his eldest child called police. Ray (left) with his wife (far right) and their three children 'They always say "see something; say something," but the Army has to do something too. At the end of the day, this is a failure on the leadership in the Special Forces channels,' the now-retired officer who made the complaint said to the Army Times. Ray was known for 'shaming people in public' and expected staff to work 14-hour days, as per the complaint. 'He acknowledged that he is an "a**hole (his word)" to work for, but yet does not seem to learn or try to be different in his approach,' the complaint. In one incident Ray missed a teleconference by an hour due to a misunderstanding of the time zones involved. He allegedly became so enraged he started 'swearing, shaking, and throwing papers on the table before telling staff to lace up in running shoes for a roughly seven-mile run.' During the exhausting run two-thirds of his staff fell out of the pace of the run, but Ray 'did not give a second look' back. The Army confirmed that there was an IG complaint against Ray but did not release the report or a comment about the case. Ray (left) had been investigated by the 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General (IG) following a complaint that described him as a toxic leader who was abusive and had explosive emotional episodes. But in June the IG dismissed the complaint as 'not substantiated' Ray was released from custody on Monday on $1million bail and has been suspended from his job as chief of staff for I Corps. View of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord base in Washington above 'The 1st Special Forces Command Inspector General investigated a complaint against Col. Owen Ray earlier this year. As a matter of Army policy, we do not comment on the details of Inspector General investigations,' Army Spokesman Lt. Col. Gabriel Ramirez said to Military.com. DailyMail.com has reached out for more information. 'My feeling is they kind of just looked the other way, swept it under the rug and focused very narrowly on specific dates and times. I dont think they interviewed all the people on the witness list I gave them,' the officer who made the complaint said. 'Theres not a lot of transparency from Army leadership on senior leader misconduct. You hear rumors, you hear allegations and you see a guy quietly retire but theres never any public accounting of what happened and lessons learned,' the officer added. Ray pictured center in this Facebook photo In the December 27 domestic incident Ray was allegedly drunk and pointed a firearm at his wife and threatened to kill her. He proceeded to 'kick Kristen over and over with his boots in the face and chest.' The two younger children awoke up and screamed, 'Dont kill mom, dont shoot us,' according to the affidavit, and the eldest child rang 911. When officers arrived on the scene shortly after midnight Ray was armed with a shotgun and two pistols. Ray warned that hed kill his family and himself if they tried to arrest him. Ray eventually allowed his wife and kids to leave the home and she had visible cuts and abrasions on her nose and a big bump on her forehead. About two hours later he surrendered to police, ending the two-hour standoff. Hes slated to stand trial on February 18 on one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of felony harassment and one count of reckless endangerment, as per the probable cause affidavit Ray was released from custody on Monday on $1million bail and has been suspended from his job as chief of staff for I Corps. Hes slated to stand trial on February 18 on one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of felony harassment and one count of reckless endangerment, as per the probable cause affidavit. According to an official Army website, Ray has held a command at every level within the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), which deploys missions throughout the Indo-Pacific. He served as a detachment commander in 2003 and as company commander in Afghanistan in 2011. In 2013, Ray commanded the 4th Battalion of 1st SFG (A) and deployed as part of the Special Operations Joint Task Force before assuming the position of I Corps chief of staff at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Lockdown: Restrictions have affected revenue at all of the Eddie Rockets restaurant locations The company behind the Eddie Rockets burger chain is in the process of agreeing a deal with its lender aimed at supporting the business as it emerges from the pandemic. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant decline in revenues for all of the Eddie Rockets restaurant locations. That is according to new accounts for Eddie Rockets (Ireland) Ltd which reveal that the group has secured credit approval for a refinancing proposal with its lender as it deals with the Covid-19 pandemic. The companys refinancing discussions are ongoing and the directors stated that the approval for the refinancing of the companys banking facilities will provide essential capital to support the business". The group operates at 40 sites including 22 in Dublin and the business is currently battling the third Covid-enforced shutdown of the hospitality industry. The business is operating a call-and-collect service while food can also be ordered online. The directors said that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business "has resulted in a significant decline in revenues for all of the companys restaurant locations. The directors cautioned that the significant restrictions placed on restaurants and the resultant sharp decline in revenues may also result in the impairment of the capitalised value of our restaurant investments. They also said that during the period of Government restrictions on the operation of restaurants the company has sought to reduce costs where possible, particularly in relation to the rent costs of leased outlets, and has availed of relevant Government supports provided to business during this time. The directors said the company is well positioned to return to full trading capacity once the current period of uncertainty and restriction passes. The new accounts show that pre-tax losses declined by more than 70pc to 508,905 in 2019. This followed revenues declining marginally from 19.49m to 19.04m. Staff numbers at the Niall Fortune-led company decreased from 345 to 337 in 2019 as staff costs reduced from 7.66m to 7.26m. Pay to directors reduced from 279,069 to 27,808. The company paid 975,000 in dividends to shareholders. The loss for 2019 takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of 1.25m. Lease costs totalled 1.32m. The loss also takes account of a 379,490 loan provision. The company recorded post tax profits of 574,418 after paying corporation tax of 65,513. Shareholder funds declined from 4.87m to 3.3m. Online Editors A man walks along an empty Buchanan Street in Glasgow city centre the morning after stricter lockdown measures came into force for mainland Scotland (Andrew Milligan/PA) Mainland Scotland has returned to lockdown until at least the end of January in a bid to combat further spread of the new coronavirus strain. The latest restrictions came into effect from midnight in all Level 4 areas of the Scottish Governments five-tier system and will continue throughout the month. Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the new rules on Monday afternoon, just hours before Prime Minister Boris Johnson also imposed a third national lockdown on England. She tweeted: Being back in lockdown is really hard to take for everyone, but it is necessary to slow down this new strain of the virus while we get people vaccinated. Please for you own safety, that of your loved ones and of the whole country: Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives. Being back in lockdown is really hard to take for everyone, but it is necessary to slow down this new strain of the virus while we get people vaccinated. Please - for you own safety, that of your loved ones and of the whole country: Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives. Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) January 4, 2021 Speaking to the BBCs Good Morning Scotland radio programme on Tuesday, the First Minister said it may be possible to lift the latest restrictions if the vaccination programme manages to push ahead of the virus in the race over the coming months. She said: Lockdown is about trying to slow down the virus and push rates of it back down. Now, if we manage to do that, then hopefully we will be able to start lifting some of these restrictions while the vaccination programme is ongoing, even in that first phase of it. But I cant be certain about that yet, because its dependent on us managing to get the levels of infection down. I think we're all struggling with this Nicola Sturgeon The First Minister also appeared on BBC Breakfast, where she said she appreciated how difficult the restrictions are. She said: Generally I think were all struggling with this, I had a situation myself before Christmas, at a funeral, a momentary lapse of concentration which meant I was speaking to somebody without my face coverimg on. I understand that its really, really difficult but this is a moment when its more important than at any time since March last year for us all to stick rigidly to all of these restrictions because not only is the virus still out there, its out there and spreading faster. A legally-enforceable stay-at-home order will apply across mainland Scotland and Skye with people only permitted to leave their home for an essential purpose. This includes essential shopping, exercise, caring for someone, or if you are part of an extended household. Anyone able to work from home must do so however those shielding to protect themselves from Covid-19 should not go into work even if they cannot work from home. Schools will be closed to most pupils until February 1 at the earliest, meaning an additional two weeks of home learning for youngsters, in a move welcomed by teaching unions on Monday. Our message to Scotland is to #StayAtHome. You should now only leave the house for essential reasons like: a Getting food or medicines a Any medical need a Exercise By following these rules youare saving lives. Read more ai https://t.co/0B5ImGaYOU pic.twitter.com/NuVJv8roe2 Scottish Government (@scotgov) January 4, 2021 Ms Sturgeon also revised the numbers of those allowed to gather outside to just two people from two different households, instead of the previous limit of six people from two households. However children aged 11 and under are not included in this limit and can still play outdoors in larger groups, including in organised gatherings. From Friday, places of worship must close but can open to broadcast a service or conduct a funeral, wedding or civil partnership. A maximum of 20 people can attend a funeral service but wakes are banned, while up to five people can attend weddings and civil partnership services. Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone also confirmed there will be increased patrols in Scotlands communities and said and officers will continue to act against anyone making wilful breaches of the law. Shetland, Orkney, Western Isles and several other islands currently remain at Level 3 restrictions. PA Medspa pioneer Francis X. Acunzo, founder and owner of Acara Partners in Branford, CT is working to raise awareness in aesthetic industry about regulatory changes to products containing hydroquinone. Although these changes were buried in the CARES Act and have just recently been brought to our attention, they still have a large impact on our industry. Medical spa pioneer Francis X. Acunzo, founder and CEO of Acara Partners, is working to inform owners and physicians in the aesthetic medical industry about new regulations and limitations to the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs containing hydroquinone, and how this will impact their businesses. Acunzo is owner and founder of Acara Partners, a full-service consultancy and marketing agency dedicated to the aesthetic medical industry. As part of the passage of the CARES ACT on March 27, 2020, Congress made significant changes to how OTC products containing hydroquinone are regulated and dispensed. These changes became effective on Sept. 23, 2020, when all OTC products containing hydroquinone had to be removed from the market. Currently, products containing hydroquinone can only be distributed if they are approved by the FDA through the new drug application process or if the compounds are patient-specific prescriptions. Physicians must comply with FDA regulations as well as state and local pharmacy regulations before dispensing products and prescriptions containing hydroquinone. Acunzo is eager for physicians at aesthetic medical practices and medspas to become aware of these new regulations, as it may limit their ability to sell certain aesthetic medical skincare products. Although these changes were buried in the CARES Act and have just recently been brought to our attention, they still have a large impact on our industry. Aesthetic medical practices and medspas should be aware of any and all regulatory changes proactively so as to avoid any potential punishment for simply not being aware, he says. Because hydroquinone is a compound commonly found in aesthetic medical skincare products, Acunzo reached out to Allyson Avila, a partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP and one of the countrys leading attorneys in the aesthetic medical industry, to better understand the impact these changes will have on aesthetic medical practices and medspas that use hydroquinone regularly in their practices. Avila explained that although OTC hydroquinone products are no longer allowed to be sold or dispensed in the office, physicians can still prescribe compounded hydroquinone products that are patient-specific. She warned that misbranding drugs, such as changing labels to brand it as their own product, can create potential civil and criminal liability and is against FDA regulations. Regulations regarding the dispensing of products containing hydroquinone are rapidly changing. For more details regarding the recent changes to the dispensing of hydroquinone, read the guest blog from Allyson Avila. In the current difficult-to-maneuver landscape, Acara Partners is dedicated to supporting the aesthetic medical industry with regular updates. For industry updates from Acara Partners, including those on the Payment Protection Program, visit The Blog at Acara Partners. About Francis X. Acunzo Francis is a 25-year veteran of the spa, retail, corporate healthcare, hospitality, beauty, wellness and fitness industries. With his wife and business partner, Colleen, the couple is recognized as the founders of the medical spa movement in the United States. Francis is known for his firsts in many industries. In 2010, he launched the digital division of Acara Partners, becoming the first full-service business consulting, marketing and digital agency focused on the cosmetic medical world. In 2005, he took the first corporate-owned chain of medical spas out of bankruptcy and sold it within 18 months. In 1999, Francis had the vision to create the industrys first consolidation of day spas, aggregating almost $50M in annual revenue through the acquisition of 24 of the best spas in top U.S. markets. In 1996, he launched the countrys first medical spa. Francis holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Providence College and resides on the Connecticut shoreline with his wife, Colleen, and their two sons. Outside of work, his passions are healthy cooking, running, boating and traveling. About Acara Partners Acara Partners is a full-service consultancy and marketing agency dedicated to the aesthetic medical industry. Their team of expert consultants and communications professionals make Acara the industrys comprehensive business advisory, marketing, advertising and digital agency. Founded by husband-and-wife team Francis X. Acunzo and Colleen Acunzo in 2003, Acara has decades of experience in launching and developing aesthetic medical practices across the country. For further information about Acara Partners, go to https://acarapartners.com/. Tanya Roberts has died just 24 hours after her partner and rep prematurely said she passed away. She is pictured in 2017 Bond girl Tanya Roberts' partner and her agent were pictured together Tuesday - just 24 hours after they made a premature statement that she was dead when she was still in ICU. The 65-year-old former Charlie's Angels star died Monday, it was confirmed Tuesday by her partner Lance O'Brien. He had earlier been at the center of a mix up over her death after her agent Mike Pingel informed the media that she had died at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on Sunday. The two men were pictured Tuesday after news of her death was confirmed. Obituaries for the star had been published across the world on Monday. But in an emotional interview the following afternoon O'Brien broke down in tears as he received a phone call from the hospital. 'Now, you are telling me she's alive?' O'Brien said, his face torn in anguish. Sobbing, he told Inside Edition: 'The hospital is telling me she is alive. They are calling me from the ICU team.' Roberts had been suffering from an unspecified illness which caused liver and kidney failure. Roberts, who had spent the day walking her dogs, complained of feeling unwell on Christmas Eve and collapsed in the night on the way to the bathroom. She was rushed to hospital, where she tested negative for coronavirus, and was placed on a ventilator before her condition rapidly deteriorated. O'Brien, who was pictured Tuesday using the help of a walking stick, said he went to hospital on Sunday after doctors said the actress was fading fast and that she was going to die, TMZ reported. He said she opened her eyes and tried to grab him but that her eyes then closed again and she 'faded'. Having said what he believed was his final words to her, he was left devastated and walked out of the hospital without speaking to medical staff. On the same day, he appeared to claim that he had watched Roberts' 'last moments' and hours later news of her 'death' was being reported around the world. He has since attempted to explain the confusion over how the death announcement came about and says he 'doesn't know' who to blame for the mix-up. The hospital has refused to comment on the case because of patient confidentiality. 'I turn around and she's completely passed out cold,' he told The Sun in a description of his harrowing visit to her bedside. 'I thought that was that, she wasn't going to recover. 'So when I came down the elevator I was distraught, I was lost, I was completely discombobulated. There was nobody there to guide me. I called her publicist Mike Pingel and I said I just said goodbye to Tanya.' Scroll down for video Lance O'Brien, left, is pictured outside the star's home with her rep Mike Pingel on Tuesday Video shows a look of shock washing over O'Brien's face as he cries into the phone: 'Now, you are telling me she's alive?' He then breaks down in tears and tells the interviewer: 'The hospital is telling me she is alive. They are calling me from the ICU team' TMZ reports O'Brien, pictured Tuesday, has now confirmed Roberts died Monday night. She had been suffering from an unspecified illness which caused liver and kidney failure. Pingel, right Tuesday with O Brien, issued a press release prematurely saying that Roberts - best known for appearing opposite Roger Moore in the 1985 Bond film A View To Kill - had died Roberts' rep, Mike Pingel (left with her), issued a press release on Sunday saying that the actress had died aged 65 on Saturday. But in a bizarre twist on Monday, Pingel announced that Roberts' husband informed him that she was still alive Roberts is best known for appearing opposite Roger Moore as Stacey Sutton in the 1985 Bond film A View To Kill. She is pictured in a promotional photo for the film in 1984 Pingel later issued a press release saying that Roberts - best known for appearing opposite Roger Moore in the 1985 Bond film A View To Kill - had died. TIMELINE OF ROBERTS' DEATH CONFUSION CHRISTMAS EVE: Roberts goes out to walk the dogs and returns home, complaining that she's feeling unwell and says she wants O'Brien to take her for a covid test the next day. CHRISTMAS DAY: At around 4am Roberts collapses on the way to the bathroom and O'Brien rushes to her aid. She is unable to control her limbs and he phones an ambulance. She tests negative for covid but is rushed into ICU for kidney and liver failure. Doctors say she has a blood infection with an ITU suspected as the cause. O'Brien says he is unable to visit her because of the hospital's covid rules. In the next few days, he receives a call from Roberts who tells him she has been placed on 50 percent oxygen. Down from 90 percent. He is later informed by medics that they should be able to discharge her soon but that she will need a colostomy bag for several weeks. But confusion ensues, he is later informed that she is going to die and is invited to say goodbye to her. SUNDAY, JAN. 3: O'Brien visits her and holds her in his arms as he says goodbye. Roberts is unable to speak but O'Brien claims he sees her eyes open. Doctors tell him it's a muscle spasm. He leaves her distraught and calls her agent Mike Pingel to say: 'I just said goodbye to Tanya.' On the same day, he appeared to claim that he had watched Roberts' 'last moments' and hours later news of her 'death' was being reported around the world. MONDAY, JAN. 4: The next afternoon, while giving an interview, O'Brien receives a phone call from the hospital informing him that Roberts is alive. He breaks down in tears of joy but later informs the media that Roberts' condition is still believed to be fatal. TUESDAY, JAN 5: O'Brien confirms Roberts died Monday night at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Hospital Advertisement He explained: 'Lance truly believed Tanya had died.' The rep said he'd learned the news of Roberts' 'death' from O'Brien, who told TMZ that he visited her at the hospital before she passed. 'As I held her in her last moments, she opened her eyes. I was able to see her beautiful eyes one last time. Tanya had the most beautiful eyes,' O'Brien said Sunday. 'When she saw me and I was there, I saw her eyes open up. I felt good. I said: "Hey, her eyes are opening. Her eyes are opening." They told me that's just a reflex.' Then on Monday Pingel announced that the hospital had called O'Brien and informed him that Roberts was alive - as seen in the Inside Edition video. By Tuesday it was confirmed Roberts had died in the hospital. Asked about the mix-up, a spokesperson for Cedars Sinai would only say: 'Due to patient confidentiality we cannot confirm or deny that anyone is a patient at Cedars Sinai.' Speaking prior to her death Pingel said that Roberts' condition was 'dire'. O'Brien told The Sun: 'Her kidneys are so far gone, her liver is so far gone, her gall bladder is so far gone. She also has a terrible blood infection. The doctors say it started out with a urinary tract infection. 'The doctors say theres no way shes going to be the same. She always told me she didn't want to be an invalid. She said if it got to this stage, end it for me.' He said that he was unable to return to the hospital because he would need special permission due to the pandemic. O'Brien said he had told doctors not to keep her on life support just so that he could see her: 'I have seen her already, I got to hold her.' He explained how sudden her illness had been, that Roberts was incredibly fit and would go hiking in the hills for up to four miles each day. Roberts complained of feeling unwell on Christmas Eve and told O'Brien she wanted him to take her for a covid test the following day. But early in the morning at around 4am she collapsed on her way to the bathroom and as Lance tried to pick her up she was unable to control her legs or her arms. An ambulance was called and she was admitted but O'Brien was not allowed to visit. Her coronavirus test was negative and he was later able to speak to Roberts on the phone. She told him that she was on 50 percent oxygen, which was an improvement to the 90 percent air she was breathing earlier. 'So Im figuring shes going to be home in a day or two,' O'Brien told The Sun. Pingel (left with Roberts) did not explain what sparked the confusion over her health status The next day things improved further, with O'Brien informed that Roberts might need a colostomy bag for her kidneys for four to six weeks but that she could return home. But he added: 'Then they tell me shes not going to get out of this, its end of life and if you are gong to come see her, come see her.' O'Brien remains confused about how he came to believe she was dead, saying that he was often speaking to different medics and, not being able to visit, it was hard to understand the time-frame when her prognosis was being relayed to him. TMZ said it heard from several sources close to the family who claimed O'Brien called them with news of Roberts' death on Sunday. The outlet had originally reported that Roberts collapsed after she returned home from walking her dog on December 24. Roberts appeared to be looking healthy and in good spirits late last year. She is pictured with Pingel in a recent photo Roberts frequently uploaded photos to Instagram, including a snap that showed her wearing a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic as she signed fan photographs Before her collapse, insiders said Roberts seemed 'perfectly healthy' and was participating in video chats with her fans. It's unclear if and when O'Brien and Roberts tied the knot but reports indicated that the pair lived together at her home in Hollywood Hills. Public records indicate that it was the same home Robert's shared with her first husband, screenwriter Barry Roberts, who died in 2006. Tanya and Barry had been married for 32 years and had no children. In addition to being a Bond Girl, Roberts starred in the fifth and final season of Charlie's Angels between 1980 and 1981. She is also famous for playing Midge Pinciotti in the hit sitcom, That 70s Show, appearing alongside Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. Roberts was born Victoria Leigh Blum in October 1955 in New York City, before starting her career as a fashion model in her late teens. She married Barry Roberts when she was just 19 in 1974, and started studying to become an actress at The Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen. The leggy blonde made her film debut in 1975's Forced Entry. Roberts tied the knot with screenwriter Barry Roberts in 1974. She was just 19 years old at the time. The pair are pictured together in 1981 Roberts played geologist Stacey Sutton alongside Roger Moore (above together) in his seventh and final James Bond movie in 1985 Roberts was chosen above 2,000 other actresses to replace Shelley Hack in the fifth and final season of Charlie's Angels, which aired between 1980 and 1981. She is pictured left In 1998, Roberts returned to the small screen to play Midge in That 70s Show. She is pictured front row second from left. The show also starred Ashton Kutcher (back row second from left) and Mila Kunis (front row third from left) Roberts and her husband relocated permanently to Los Angeles in 1977, which paid off in a big way three years later. The beauty was chosen above 2,000 other actresses to replace Shelley Hack in the fifth and final season of Charlie's Angels, which aired between 1980 and 1981. However, she became a global sensation several years later, when she was elevated to 'Bond girl' status in 1985's A View To A Kill. In that film, she starred as sultry geologist Stacey Sutton alongside Roger Moore in his seventh and final James Bond movie. Afterward, Roberts continued to work regularly with roles in films such as Body Slam, Twisted Justice, Purgatory and Legal Tender, which was written by her husband. Roberts is is best known for appearing opposite Roger Moore in the 1985 Bond film A View To Kill (pictured) Roberts and her husband, Barry, are pictured in 1985. Barry tragically passed away in 2006, leaving Roberts a widow after 32 years of marriage In 1998, she returned to the small screen to play Midge in That 70s Show. The hit Fox sitcom also starred Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama and Topher Grace. She left the show in 2004 to take care of her husband who was terminally ill at the time. He tragically passed away two years later. Roberts did not appear in any more films or television shows following her first husband's death. However, the beauty appeared to be looking healthy and in good spirits late last year. She frequently uploaded photos to Instagram, including a snap that showed her wearing a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic as she signed fan photographs. Roberts is pictured with her dogs in a photo shared on her Instagram page last year. She had taken one of her canines out for a walk before she returned to her Hollywood Hills home and collapsed OTTAWA - A new survey suggests nearly half of Canadians visited with family or friends over the winter holiday period. OTTAWA - A new survey suggests nearly half of Canadians visited with family or friends over the winter holiday period. The Leger/Association for Canadian Studies poll found 48 per cent of those surveyed visited with people outside their households, compared to 52 per cent who said they did not. Public health officials had pleaded with Canadians to sharply limit their contacts during the holidays to avoid massive spikes in COVID-19 cases. But it appears something gave for Canadians, said Leger vice-president Christian Bourque. "Usually we Canadians are sort of much more, I would say, disciplined when it comes to going by what governments are recommending in terms of our behaviour, but over the holidays, apparently, it was sort of tougher on Canadians," he said. Christmas decorations are seen in front of an office building in Montreal, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. A new survey suggests nearly half of Canadians visited with family or friends over the winter holiday period. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson Of those who did visit with friends or family outside their homes, 34 per cent did once, 12 per cent did two or three times, and two per cent did it often. COVID-19 case numbers are rising, and the poll suggests 62 per cent surveyed have little to no confidence in Canada's ability to limit the spread of COVID-19 over the next few weeks. That pessimism is notable, considering that before the holidays, polls suggested Canadians were feeling optimistic about 2021, Bourque said. But stories in the waning days of 2020 about delays in vaccine rollouts, climbing case counts and news that many politicians left the country over the holidays despite limits on travel, seem to be turning Canadians' moods, he said. "I think it's gotten people to be more skeptical about how much we can do in the short term," he said. Throughout the pandemic, Leger has asked Canadians about their mental health, and Bourque said the latest round of responses reflect a downturn: in the most recent survey, only 33 per cent rated their mental health as good, the lowest figure yet, he said. "January is set up to be a bit gloomy," he said. Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies carried out the survey of 1,506 Canadians between Dec. 30, 2020 and Jan. 3, 2021. The poll was conducted online, and cannot be assigned a margin of error as online surveys aren't considered truly random. As pollsters were asking the questions, news reports surfaced of politicians, including Ontario's finance minister, several federal MPs and provincial politicians in Alberta, among others, taking trips outside the country in recent months. That's in spite of repeated warnings from local and national governments, as well as public health officials, that travel should be limited only to essential trips. In the survey, 87 per cent of those asked said they would support a total ban on international travel until there are several consecutive days of reduced numbers of COVID-19 cases Bourque said that number is consistent with similar questions asked throughout the pandemic, but also reflects a growing desire by Canadians for governments to take concrete action to try to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The federal government has said only a small fraction of the active cases in Canada can be directly linked to recent travel, though it did ban incoming flights from the United Kingdom after a new variant of COVID-19 that is believed to be more contagious surfaced there late last year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2021. Printer Robert F. Wallcut played an integral role in Bostons abolition movement and Underground Railroad network. Born in 1797, Wallcut grew up in Nantucket, Massachusetts with parents Benjamin and Elizabeth. Little is known about his early life, however, newspaper articles and his obituary provide some information. In 1817 he graduated from Harvard College with other well known Bostonians such as Reverend Samuel J. May and Samuel E. Sewall.1 Wallcut also served as a Unitarian minister throughout Massachusetts, and in 1832 he married Mary Ann Powers.2 Embracing a life of activism in the 1840s, Wallcut supported anti-slavery and social justice causes. He participated in the Massachusetts Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment and the New England Non-Resistance Society, while also acting as the Recording Secretary of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society for over a decade.3 Most notably, Wallcut held the position of General Agent for The Liberator from 1846 to its final edition in 1865.4 In this role, Wallcut facilitated aid to freedom seekers and anti-slavery causes by frequently directing his readers to send thier contributions to him at The Liberator office at 21 Cornhill. For example, following the passage of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law, Wallcut issued a call to action in The Liberator. In To the Friends of the Fugitive, he wrote: Alarmed at the operation of the new Fugitive Slave Law, the Fugitives from slavery are pressing NorthwardThey are coming to us in increasing numbers, and they look to us for aid. Oppressed by the tyranny of a heartless and God-defying government, who will help them? Their first and most earnest desire is for employmentHelp us, then, all you who are friends of the fugitive, to extend to them this charity, this simple justice. Let all, who know, or can learn of places which may be filled by these men, women and youths, information by letter or otherwise, to Robert F. Wallcut, or Samuel May, Jr., 21 Cornhill, Bostonthis appeal is made to you. Cannot you find, or procure, one or more places where the hunted slaver may abide securely, and work through the winter? Many of the fugitives come very poorly provided with clothing; and those who have garments of any kind to spare, will be sure to confer them on the suffering and needy by sending them, marked For fugitives, at 21 Cornhill, as above.5 His publishing work extended beyond The Liberator. Wallcut also published several works by prominent Boston abolitionists. These included William Cooper Nells Colored Patriots of the American Revolution, one of the first published African American history books, and William I. Bowditchs The Rendition of Anthony Burns. In addition to his work as a printer and agent for The Liberator, Wallcut also served in the Boston Vigilance Committee, a group dedicated to fugitive assistance. According to the records of the Vigilance Committee, Wallcut assisted 44 named freedom seekers and an untold number of fugitives and children with board, clothing, and fares to Canada. For example, in June 1854, the Vigilance Committee reimbursed Wallcut for Alfred Perkins. Mrs Wilson & child & Mr Foster & John Jones fares to Canada & sundries.6 He also provided furniture and financial assistance to the famed freedom seeker Jane Johnson. Along with Austin Bearse, Wallcut helped reunite father and daughter freedom seekers George and Lizzie Lewis at Henry Thackers House on Southac Street.7 He also escorted abolitionist author Harriet Beecher Stowe to the safe house run by Lewis and Harriet Hayden where she met thirteen freedom seekers living there in 1853.8 At this time and throughout the 1850s, Walcutt lived at 9 Columbia Street. The final edition of The Liberator, published after the Civil War, records what may be his final public statement, as no newspaper records, except his obituary, have been located beyond 1865 regarding Wallcut. In this publication, Robert F. Wallcut, the honored and faithful General Agent who put his heart in his work,9 wrote to editor William Lloyd Garrison reflecting on the work of The Liberator: The Liberator has ministered spiritual food and moral strength to all of us. Its record is now to be sealed up. Who of us will not sorely miss it? How few more than I!10 Footnotes Scientists are not fully confident that Covid-19 vaccines will work on a new variant of the coronavirus found in South Africa, ITVs political editor said on Monday, citing an unidentified scientific adviser to the British government. Both Britain and South Africa have discovered new, more infectious variants in the coronavirus in recent weeks that have driven a surge in cases. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday he was now very worried about the strand found in South Africa. Scientists including BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin and John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, have said they are testing the vaccines on the new variants and say they could make any required tweaks in around six weeks. According to one of the governments scientific advisers, the reason for Matt Hancocks incredible worry about the South African Covid-19 variant is that they are not as confident the vaccines will be as effective against it as they are for the UKs variant, ITV political editor Robert Peston said. Public Health England said there was currently no evidence to suggest that vaccines will not be effective against the new strain. The health ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report. The worlds richest countries have started vaccinating their populations to safeguard against a virus that has killed 1.8 million people and crushed the global economy. There are currently 60 vaccine candidates in trials, including those that are already being rolled out from AstraZeneca and Oxford, Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna, Russias Sputnik V and Chinas Sinopharm. That has helped to lift global financial markets, but the discovery of the new variants has raised fresh alarm. Scientists say the new South African variant has multiple mutations in the important spike protein that the virus uses to infect human cells. It has also been associated with a higher viral load, meaning a higher concentration of virus particles in patients bodies, possibly contributing to higher levels of transmission. Oxfords Bell, who advises the governments vaccine task force, said on Sunday he thought vaccines would work on the British variant but said there was a big question mark as to whether they would work on the South African variant. He told Times Radio that the shots could be adapted and it might take a month or six weeks to get a new vaccine. BioNTechs Sahin told Spiegel in an interview published on Friday that their vaccine, which uses messenger RNA to instruct the human immune system to fight the coronavirus, should be able to cope with the variant first detected in Britain. We are testing whether our vaccine can also neutralise this variant and will soon know more, he said. Asked about coping with a strong mutation, he said it would be possible to tweak the vaccine as required within six weeks - though it might require additional regulatory approvals. Washington: President Donald Trumps cryptic tweet of a non-existent wordcovfefesparked a flood of humour and ridicule on the internet, but it also highlighted the inability of his communications team to control White House messaging. It may have been a simple keyboard slip but it shows that four months into his administration, the US presidents unfiltered use of the medium remains unchecked. The consequence is deep turmoil in his communications staff: the White House is rife with rumours that the boss is preparing mass firings, and this week, communications director Mike Dubke resigned just four months into the job. Trumps tweetscomplete with spelling errors, rants about fake news and even a mistweet at a British woman instead of his own daughteroften result in a collective sigh from both critics and backers, who wonder, What next? Thats what happened after his nonsensical tweet in the early hours of Wednesday: Despite the constant negative press covfefe. The word doesnt exist in English, or apparently any human language. Mock interpretations said it was Russian for I resign, ancient Egyptian for media witch hunt, or more unprintable things. Read | US likely to pull out of Paris climate deal, Trump says decision to be announced tonight The Regents English Language Center in London wrote: We can confirm that covfefe is not an English word. Yet. Newsweek declared it the word of the yearor century. Trumpwho declared during the election campaign last year that Im very highly educated. I know words; I have the best wordseven jumped into the fun. After deleting the original tweet, he put out a new one: Who can figure out the true meaning of covfefe ??? Enjoy! Who can figure out the true meaning of "covfefe" ??? Enjoy! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017 Pressed later on the issue, White House spokesman Sean Spicer held tight to the secret, quipping: The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant. But coming amid reports Trump will pull the United States out of a global climate deal, the covfefe phenomenon illustrated how his Twitter habit can divert attention from his policy agenda. His off-the-cuff tweets can have real impact, influencing relations with key allies like Germany, sending a major companys stock plummeting, or riling Washington on issues like the FBI probe into Russian meddling in US politics. The White House team has repeatedly fallen prey to embarrassing errorsa list of global attacks released in February included Denmakr (Denmark) and San Bernadino (San Bernardino). When British Prime Minister Theresa May visited Washington, the presidential and vice-presidential agenda both spoke about Teresa, and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was referred to as the president of his country. For reporters as well as observers, these mistakes are symptomatic of the collective lack of experience and discipline in the White House. Trump himself appears frustrated that he cant get out the message he wants, privately and publicly expressing fury over a litany of bad headlines that he blames on his staff. The communications team appears to have given up. Rather than try to spin Trumps sometimes contradictory views, they have turned to just praising the president and repeating what he says. In early May, Spicerwhose job is believed to be in the balancebegan responding to journalists questions by saying things like The tweet speaks for itself. Im moving on. And rather than try to interpret Trumps controversial remarks in Riyadh, Jerusalem, Brussels and Sicily last week, White House aides took to simply lauding his first trip abroad as extraordinary and historic. It shows how quickly and decisively the president is acting to strengthen alliances, to form new partnerships, and to rebuild Americas standing in the world, Spicer said. The list is available on the UPSC official website upsc.gov.in Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Monday released the list of last recommended candidates for the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2019. As per a report by The Times of India, 89 candidates have been selected in the last list. The list is available on the UPSC official website upsc.gov.in. As per the report, the result of the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2019 was declared on 4 August 2020. At that time, the UPSC had recommended 829 candidates in order of merit for appointment to various posts in IAS, IFS, IPS and Central Services Group 'A' and Group 'B' against 927 vacancies. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the list, as sought by the Department of Personnel & Training has now recommended 89 candidates which include 73 General, 14 OBC, 01 EWS, and 01 SC to fill up the remaining posts based on the Civil Services Examination 2019. Of these, the candidature of four candidates bearing Roll No. 0404736, 0835241, 2100323 and 6603686 are provisional and the result of one candidate has been withheld. Here's how to download the UPSC Civil Services Main Exam Result 2019: Step 1: Candidates need to visit the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in. Step 2: Candidates need to click on UPSC Civil Services Reserve List 2019 flashing on the homepage. Step 3: A PDF will open from where candidates can download UPSC Civil Services Result 2019 Recommended/ Reserve List PDF and save it for future reference. Here's the direct link for UPSC Civil Services Main Exam Result 2019 Researchers at Paderborn University have developed a new method of distance measurement for systems such as GPS, which achieves more precise results than ever before. Using quantum physics, the team led by Leibniz Prize winner Professor Christine Silberhorn has successfully overcome the so-called resolution limit, which causes the "noise" we may see in photos, for example. Their findings have just been published in the academic journal "Physical Review X Quantum" (PRX Quantum). In "Physics", the publisher's online magazine, the paper has also been highlighted with an expert Viewpoint - an honour which is given to only certain selected publications. Physicist Dr Benjamin Brecht explains the problem of the resolution limit: "In laser distance measurements a detector registers two light pulses of different intensities with a time difference. The more precise the time measurement is, the more accurately the distance can be determined. Providing the time separation between the pulses is greater than the length of the pulses, this works well." Problems arise, however, as Brecht explains, if the pulses overlap: "Then you can no longer measure the time difference using conventional methods. This is known as the "resolution limit" and is a well-known effect in photos. Very small structures or textures can no longer be resolved. That's the same problem - just with position rather than time." A further challenge, according to Brecht, is to determine the different intensities of two light pulses, simultaneously with their time difference and the arrival time. But this is exactly what the researchers have managed to do - "with quantum-limited precision", adds Brecht. Working with partners from the Czech Republic and Spain, the Paderborn physicists were even able to measure these values when the pulses overlapped by 90 per cent. Brecht says: "This is far beyond the resolution limit. The precision of the measurement is 10,000 times better. Using methods from quantum information theory, we can find new forms of measurement which overcome the limitations of established methods." These findings could allow significant improvements in the future to the precision of applications such as LIDAR, a method of optical distance and speed measurement, and GPS. It will take some time, however, before this is ready for the market, points out Brecht. ### Source: Reuters Indian rice exporters have started the New Year on a bright note, bagging orders to ship to Vietnam, the worlds third-largest exporter, after decades and expecting to cash in on the Bangladesh government order to lower Customs duty on rice imports. We have got orders to export rice to Vietnam between 50,000 tonnes and one lakh tonnes. It may not buy consistently from India, said Rice Exporters Association (REA) president BV Krishna Rao. Vietnam is buying white rice, including 100 percent broken. The 100 percent broken rice is priced lower than other grades by over $50 (Rs 3,650) a tonne and India, the worlds second-largest rice producer, is the most competitive destination for rice of such a grade. Vietnam has bought at least 70,000 tonnes of 100 percent broken at $310 a tonne (Rs 22,700), Reuters reported quoting unnamed industry officials. In the global market, Vietnam is quoting its five percent broken white rice at a nine-year high of $500-505 a tonne (Rs 36,600-37,000), while Thailand, the second-largest exporters, is quoting at $510-516 (Rs 37,325-37,750). India is quoting its five percent broken par-boiled rice at $381-387 a tonne (Rs 27,900-Rs 28,300). The International Grains Council said Indias 25 percent broken rice was ruling at $377 a tonne (Rs 27,600). The other development that augurs well for Indian rice exports is Bangladesh cutting its Customs duty on rice to 25 percent from 62.5 percent to augment supplies of the cereal. Bangladesh, the world's third-biggest rice producer, has emerged as a big importer of the cereal since last year as its stocks have got depleted after floods ravaged its crop and the cereals prices rose to a record. A multinational firms export-import official said Vietnams current purchase could be a one-off one since its new rice crop is scheduled to arrive in February. Rao indicated that the export window to Vietnam could be open until February only when the new crop comes. Exporters say that Vietnam could be buying the 100 percent broken either for producing other products such as noodles or for diversion to China. We dont know if it is happening, said Rao, when asked if Vietnam would be diverting Indian rice to China as is being rumoured in some trade circles. The multinational firm official said that the cheaper rice imported from India would go into the production of noodles. Vietnam has turned to India, the worlds largest rice exporter, as it has run shortage of supplies after having met demand from the Philippines. Though Vietnam has 2.7 lakh tonnes of rice stocks with it, its quality is reported to be poor. It can be used only as an animal feed or for producing alcohol-based beverage. In 2019, Vietnam exported 6.37 million tonnes of rice but last year they are estimated to have dropped by 3.5 per cent. Exports dropped mainly since Hanoi halted signing of new contracts in March last year for some time to review its stocks. Vietnam is projected to have produced 21.35 million tonnes of rice last year. India, on the other hand, has record rice stocks with it, besides procurement for buffer stocks to be maintained by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) topping a record 50 million tonnes from October 1 till January 3. As on January 1, the FCI had 14.5 million tonnes of rice in its warehouses and 33.9 million tonnes of paddy that can yield 22.71 million tonnes of rice. India also produced a record of 118.43 million tonnes of rice last season (July 2019-June 2020). This season, Kharif rice production has been estimated at 102.36 million tonnes against 101.98 million tonnes last season, as per the Ministry of Agricultures first advance estimate of foodgrain production for 2020-21. REAs Rao said that Bangladesh will announce details of importers and the quantity allocated to them for rice imports on January 10. Bangladesh Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Mazumdar told the media last week that Bangladesh importers would have to apply to the Food Ministry for permission to import before January 10. The neighbouring country could import as much as five lakh tonnes until June and India would stand to benefit immensely. Exporters said Bengal could gain from this since most exports could take place from the State but Rao said the Howrah and Hooghly may have problems in handling bigger vessels. The multinational firm official said another problem Indian exports could face is offloading rice in Bangladesh. Chittagong is the main port for Bangladesh and shippers say that they face problems of a backlog of containers caused by slow delivery, congestion of ships in the outer anchorage and evacuation of jetties due to the threat of cyclones. The other port is Mongla which is a river-based one and congested. It could force exporters to pay demurrages for the delay in clearances of shipments, the official said. Despite this, Bangladesh would buy more Indian rice, including imports of at least 1.5 lakh tonnes through global tenders over the next couple of weeks. Dhaka finalised tenders for 1.5 lakh tonnes till last week. Of this, one lakh tonnes of the rice will arrive in Bangladesh ports by the end of this month. (Subramani Ra Mancombu is a journalist based in Chennai, who writes on topics in commodities and agriculture) Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) (the "Company") today announced that all holders of Management Shares have converted their shares to Public Shares as of 31 December 2020. As a result of the Management Share conversions, the total number of Public Shares outstanding has increased from 192,944,999 to 199,120,882, and the market capitalization of the Company's Public Shares has increased from $6,753.1M to $6,969.2M as of 31 December 2020. Prior to the conversions, the Company had 192,944,999 Public Shares outstanding. To satisfy the conversions, 6,175,883 Public Shares, which had been held in treasury, have been reissued. Following the conversions, there are 199,120,882 Public Shares, 0 Management Shares and 1 Special Voting Share outstanding. In addition, the Company currently holds 11,835,868 Public Shares in Treasury. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American domiciled companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005946/en/ Contacts: Media Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Centre to consider issuing directions to ensure adequate use of anti-smog guns and make setting up of smog towers a "mandatory requirement" during construction of development projects involving government buildings, townships or other major private projects. The apex court said that time has come to advance the intent behind improving air quality a mandatory feature for modern buildings and more particularly during the phase of construction of major projects in the cities most affected by air pollution. The top court said this in its 2:1 majority verdict by which it paved way for the ambitious Central Vista Project, covering a three-km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens' Delhi. "We deem it fit to call upon the respondent MoHUA (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) to consider issuing appropriate general directions so as to ensure that adequate use of smog guns during the construction of development projects and setting up smog towers is made a mandatory requirement, particularly involving government buildings, townships or other major private projects," said Justice A M Khanwilkar, writing the 432-page majority judgement for himself and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari. "Time has come to advance the intent behind improving air quality a mandatory feature for modern buildings and more particularly during the phase of construction of such major projects in the cities most affected by air pollution. In other words, directions be issued for the areas with deteriorating air quality index. We call upon the respondents (MoEF) to finalise the nuances in this regard and issue appropriate directions," he said. The verdict was delivered on a batch of petitions, which questioned several aspects of the project, including the environmental clearance (EC) granted to it. The majority verdict, while declining to interfere in the grant of EC in the matter, said that mitigating measures must be observed by the project proponent in letter and spirit during the construction and operational phase. "Waste management methods, inclusive of hazardous wastes, must be subject to regular monitoring. The construction debris must be subjected to immediate removal as per the Construction & Development Plan. The project proponent may also install permanent high-capacity smog tower as part of the project and use adequate number of smog guns to minimise pollution levels during the construction activity is in progress on the site," it said. The top court held that grant of EC and the notification for change in land use for construction of new parliament building under the project was valid It found "no infirmity" in grant of EC and other permissions, saying it cannot "jump to put a full stop on execution of policy matters" and the courts cannot be called upon to "govern". The Central Vista revamp, announced in September, 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with a seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the third judge on the bench, wrote a dissenting 179-page judgement on aspects relating to public participation in the decision-making process and on alleged failure on the part of the authorities in taking prior approval of the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) for the project. Justice Khanna, in his minority view which will not be operational, set aside and quashed the final notification of modification or change of the land use in respect of the six plots in the Central Vista project. He, however, concurred with the majority verdict on the aspects of "notice inviting Bid, award of consultancy and the order of the Urban Arts Commission, as a standalone and independent order". Also Read: Healthcare worker dies 48 hours after getting Pfizer coronavirus vaccine Also Read: Jack Ma arrested? Chinese media says Alibaba founder 'embracing supervision' "Bob joins the Inari board at a very exciting time and his experience in the technology sector will be very helpful to us," said Michael Mack, Inari executive chairman. "Furthermore, he is considered a subject matter expert on orchestrating transformational change, which will be a feature of the global seeds landscape over the coming years, driven by the exciting technologies which will be introduced. On behalf of the entire board, we welcome and look forward to working with Bob." Across his 32 years at Bain & Company, Bechek has held many other leadership and governance roles, including co-head of the firm's Global Telecom, Media & Technology practice. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "I look forward to joining such a mission-driven company," said Bechek. "In addition to the opportunity to build a strong business, Inari's promising technology has significant scope to address important global issues of sustainability that are so urgently needed." About Inari Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2016, Inari is embracing diversity to build a new, more sustainable food system using unsurpassed technology to unlock the full potential of seed. Through its SEEDesignTM platform, Inari unlocks new possibilities using predictive design and advanced multiplex gene editing to bring step-change products to market. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with development sites in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Ghent, Belgium, Inari is a growing team of more than 160 employees. To learn more, visit Inari.com SOURCE Inari Related Links https://www.inari.com/ State of Tamaulipas files complaint against CFE for falsifying documents regarding recent blackout State of Tamaulipas For preparing and disseminating apocryphal documents, the General Secretariat of the Government of the State of Tamaulipas has filed a formal complaint against the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). The complaint was filed after a December 29 joint press conference by heads of the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) and National Center for Energy Control, who together, made a statement with documents that the December 28 mass blackout was due to a grass fire. The following day, Civil Protection officials from the state of Tamaulipas called them on their press conference, focusing on the documents they claim were falsified. According to their complaint, on December 29, at a joint press conference with the National Center for Energy Control, the CFE justified the lack of electricity supply to more than 10 million people, which occurred a day before, due to the alleged effects of a fire in pastures to two transmission lines located in the area of the municipality of Padilla, Tamaulipas. For this, they claim the CFE exhibited an apocryphal document to the media with the purpose of attributing to the State Coordination of Civil Protection, a communication that never existed. The Tamaulipas Governments complaint indicates that the falsification of documents is evident for a host of reasons, some of which include the signature of the Director of Coordination with municipalities is different from that of the state official, the format and arrangement of the logos incorporated in the document are different from those used by the State Coordination for Civil Protection and the description of facts is false. They say Civil Protection had no participation in the aforementioned grassland fire and the logs do not show any calls from CFE on the 911 emergency number. Given the evident lack of honesty and the commission of crimes in the preparation and dissemination of apocryphal documents, which was manifested in the press conference led by the CFE, these behaviors must be investigated and the corresponding responsibilities should be defined with the aim that the those responsible are punished, the states compaint says. Manuel Bartlett, CFE General Director In order to clarify the causes that generated a blackout on December 28 in numerous states of Mexico, the parliamentary group of the Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) in the Senate of the Republic requested the appearance of the Director General of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), Manuel Bartlett. Through an official statement, the PAN bench said that the official must explain why the CFE obtains and makes use of apocryphal documents, as reported to Mexican society in the press conference led together with the National Center for Energy Control a day after the blackout, which left more than ten million Mexicans without electricity. They indicated that the evidence is clear regarding the dishonesty and illegality with which the CFE is conducted, highlighting the official complaint filed by the Tamaulipas government against the CFE, looking to investigate the real causes that caused the failure of the electricity supply. Manuel Bartlett, head of the CFE, said that on December 28, they intervened due to the imbalance caused by the oscillation of the system and the high percentage of intermittent energies in the network. Noe Pena Silva, CFE Transmission Director, explained that the failure was caused by a 30-hectare grassland fire registered in the municipality of Padilla, Tamaulipas, which took two transmission lines located between Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas and Linares, Nuevo Leon. The incident caused the imbalance in the National Electric System that left 10.3 million users across more than a dozen states in the country without electricity. This is an opinion column. Georgia is blue, which makes soon-to-be-former-and-evicted President Trump insanely blue. Last November, a majority of Georgia voters selected Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to be the next President and Vice President of the United States of America. It marked the first time in almost three decades the Southern state awarded its 16 electoral votes to a Democrat. The last time was in 1992 when Bill Clinton bested George H. W. Bush by 13,714 votes. The margin this time was closer. Thisclose. A scant 11,779 votesscant but recounted, ratified, and reaffirmed more times than Trump has huffed and puffed and tried to blow our Democracy down. Georgia, on Tuesday, will conclude voting in a runoff election that will determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock are pitted against, respectively, incumbent Sens. David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler. Just like in the general election, Democrats appear to have been parading to the polls in early balloting. Republicans? Some are emulating the petulant pouter-in-Chief and threatening not to votewhich serves the party Im-not-exactly-sure how. No matter Tuesdays outcome, no matter the insipid protests of a handful of sycophant Republicans who threaten to fruitlessly challenge Congresss validation of the vote - already validated multiple times - of the Electoral College, Georgia will be blue. Will it happen in Alabama? Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, a long-time voting activist, believes so. It absolutely can, she told me. Georgia going blue gives Alabama hope, says state Rep Merika Coleman. Were right next doorclose enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. To most here, the notion may seem as far-fetched as Trump congratulating Biden on Inauguration Dayor even showing up. Save for Sen. Doug Jones narrow upset of Roy Moore in 2017 (fueled by Black voters, especially Black women), its been 13 years since Alabamians elected a Democrat statewide: the late Lucy Baxley, the former Lt. Governor who was elected president of the Public Service Commission in 2008. With straight-ticket balloting (I know both parties here love it, but its still lazy) and no-qualifications thinking, we send a Republican to the U.S. Senate who is clueless on the important John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, cant get the three branches of government straight and wouldnt (like our Republican Governor) stand next to an opponent and actually debate the issues. Yet there are significant efforts and trends that could begin altering which crayon we pull out of the box. No one flipped a blue-light switch in Georgia. As has been widely chronicled what happened there was, in part, the result of decades of grass-roots efforts by Black women to register and educate votersparticularly Black voters living in and around urban core areas, as well as demographic shifts that made once all-but-lily-white suburban areas more diverse and younger. In Georgia, the grass-roots efforts were led by a network of Black women, many of whom were on the ground throughout the state years before Democrat Stacy Abrams narrowly lost a 2018 bid for governor and became the beacon for galvanizing voters and fund-raising. It was grass-roots organizations that got Stacy Abrams where she could run for governor, and she made sure grass-roots organizations had the funding to keep them mobilized, says Tyson, who participated in phone-banking in support of Warnock and Ossoff. Their work wasnt just over one or two years. It took 15 to 20 years of educating voters to get where we are now. Alabama isnt there yet and may not be for a bit. Jones was considered a long-shot to hold onto his U.S. Senate seat and was drubbed by Republican Tuberville by more than 500,000 votesmirroring Trumps margin over Biden in the state. Tyson, Coleman, and others are heartened, though, that change is coming. Grass-roots efforts similar to those in Georgia have been happening in Alabama for yearsefforts led by Black women throughout the state to register, educate, and galvanize voters. Activism has been part of my life, says Tyson. Coleman began her political training at the grass-roots level years before she was elected to the state legislature 18 years ago, with organizations like Alabama Democratic Caucus and New South Coalitions, two of the earliest groups that focused on Black voter registration, education, and mobilization. Thats where the training came from, Coleman says. The most important part of that is education. The real work happens prior to voting day, educating voters about issues that are important to them. The reward comes after youve built those relationships and they come out and vote for candidates that share their values. You dont hear a lot about the sweat-equity that goes into building that trust. In November, Tyson says, Alabama saw more than 183,000 new voters with about a third of them due to the work of Black women like Coleman, Rep. Rolanda Hollis, long-time activist Catrena Norris Carter, and many others. The women, and others, were largely responsible for keeping the heat on Secretary of State John Merrill and Jefferson County Commission chair Jimmy Stephens to ensure no-excuse absentee and in-person were available and convenientprimarily as a way to combat the potential spread of the Covid-19 virus. In the past, when it came to providing people the opportunity to vote, Alabama failed, Coleman says. COVID gave those of us whove fought for years for more accessibility a snapshot of what [early voting] looks like. Republicans and Democrats worked to open the flood gates so people had more opportunity to vote so they didnt have to expose themselves to COVID and long lines on election day. That wasnt just for Democrats. That was for everyone. People all over the state of Alabama came out. Those of us in the trenches all these years are excited because all kinds of folks now understand the value of opening opportunities for people to vote. Tyson is an unabashed cheerleader for organizations like the National African American Clergy Network, led by Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner; and the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, led by Melanie L. Campbell. The latter group organizes the Black Womens Roundtable, a series of events nationwide that frequently feature Tyson and other Alabama grass-roots leaders. Those organizations, and others, are financially supporting organizations here, in part, because of Georgias success. Its not big funding, Tyson says, but enough to mobilize people. Alabama also appears to be evolving as a new generation of voters marks its ballots. Prior to Novembers election, SurveyMonkey, Tableau, and news site Axios conducted a poll that should make state Republicans nervous. It revealed the percentage of 18-to-24-year-old Alabama voters who identified as Democrats (40%) was almost on par with those who see themselves more closely aligned with the GOP (46%). Thats a huge contrast to the 28% Democrat/63% Republican split among seniors in the state, said Jon Cohen, SurveyMonkeys chief research officer. For Alabama to become blue, Tyson believes two things must happen: Ensure fair and equitable lines are drawn when congressional districts are realigned as a result of the 2020 U.S. census data (Making sure theres no stacking and packing, the commissioner says), and continued voter education, particularly regarding local and statewide races. Weve got to show them how voting affects their lives, she says. Dont want prisons in your city, your nearest hospital to close, or want more money for your schools or fix the criminal justice system? All of them come from the people you vote for; it all comes from lobbying. Weve got to make them see local government controls their life. Tyson and colleagues are targeting citywide elections later this year in Birmingham, Mobile, Dothan, and Huntsville. Were not pushing particular candidates but increasing turnout. Im encouraged by what we saw in Georgia, Arizona and especially what women of color are doing across the country to engage voters, Coleman adds. Well continue the work. Theres a lot to do. Work that may certainly give some folks in the state the downright blues. Unafraid to start uncomfortable conversations, Roy is a voice for whats right and wrong in Birmingham, Alabama (and beyond). His column and profiles of intriguing Alabamians, appear in The Birmingham News and AL.com, as well as in the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register. Reach him at rjohnson@al.com and follow him at twitter.com/roysj January 05 : Actor Anil Kapoor, who was last seen onscreen in AK vs AK, has said that he is happy that the audience has liked the black comedy film and his performance in it. He also hoped that 2021 will be a good year for the film industry. Anil Kapoor was interacting with News Helpline at the special screening of Kaagaz on Tuesday in Mumbai. AK vs AK which is streaming on Netflix, stars Anurag Kashyap as a brash film director who kidnaps popular movie star Anil Kapoors daughter Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and films his search for her in real-time to present it as his next blockbuster. The director and actor constantly mock and criticise each other throughout the movie. They had also had a fake showdown when they presented the films trailer at a press conference last month. The film has been getting positive feedback from the audience, critics, and members of the film industry. Talking about audience response to AK vs AK, Kapoor said, When people like your film and your performance in it then obviously you feel good, so I am glad that people liked the film. There are few films which are made for the big screen only. There are few films of mine which are going to be released this year, so I hope audiences watch those films in theatres. I am pretty sure about that because people are very eager to watch films in theatres. There are few films which give you the same joy on big screen and on OTT platforms and I feel that AK vs AK is one of those films. Anil Kapoor has acted with Satish Kaushik in several films and Kapoor has also worked under Kaushiks direction on several occasions, talking about Kaushiks latest release Kaagaz, Kapoor said, Today, I have come here to come to wish my friend Satish Kaushik for the release of his new film. I have heard a lot of good things about the film from people who have watched it. It is releasing on 7th January, so I would urge the audience to watch this film if they like consuming good content. We all know that Satish ji is not only a good actor but also a really good director. I have worked with him on several projects and out of them Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hai and Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai did well at the box-office, so after watching this films (Kaagaz) few rushes, I think this film will also get good feedback from the audience. On film front, Anil Kapoor will next be seen in Karan Johars historical drama film Takht along with an ensemble cast. He is also a part of another Dharma Productions comedy-drama film Jug Jugg Jeeyo along with Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani and Neetu Kapoor. Kapoor will also feature in Sandeep Vanga Reddys crime-drama film Animal along with Ranbir Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. When Patricia Butler saw the long lines and large crowds in her coffee shop last weekend, she didn't jump for joy for the business. Instead, she grew concerned and felt uneasy. Butler, owner of Coffeecionado, said she had to tell a few people to put their face masks on while visiting her South Side establishment at 502 W. Mitchell St. She added some people downright told her the coronavirus is "just the common flu," which was one of the many reasons Butler decided to temporarily close her Colombian-style coffee shop Monday until the COVID-19 spike in Bexar County slows down. READ ALSO: Comfort Cafe has a message for anti-maskers: 'Go somewhere else' "Unfortunately, some people just don't care," the Colombia native said with a sigh. "We have to think about everybody and not just ourselves. It's not about the money. It's about being safe and keeping the community safe, even if some don't believe in the virus." With the decision to suspend the operation, Butler said she had to furlough five employees for the first time since the pandemic started in Bexar County. She noted her shop, which opened in February 2018, did well last year and ended successfully. Butler said they even had a chance to give back to the community by donating 1,500 boxes of roasted coffee to the San Antonio Food Bank during the summer. However, she said she is giving back to the city in a different now. "We are a very resilient city but we are in the red and have so many COVID cases," the 46-year-old said. "We have to keep our community safe if we want to sell in the future." Coffeecionado will continue to offer its roasted bags of beans online, along with its private roasting classes. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net Coffeecionado| @CillaAguirre Chinese President Xi Jinping Much speculation is being attached to the decision of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to move out his top military commander in charge of the People's Liberation Armys (PLA) powerful Western Theatre Command and reshuffling his influential political commissars there. The PLAs Western Theatre Command is wholly India-centric and virtually covers the entire Sino-Indian border, which is 4,056 km long and traverses Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. President Xi removed Gen Zhao Zongqi, the PLAs top military commander amidst the military stand-off in eastern Ladakh, replacing him with Gen Zhang Xudong, who has no experience of the Indian border. Gen Zhao, reportedly the architect of the 2017 Doklam conflict, was perceived as a hardliner on India and his removal suggests that the PLA has not exactly achieved its overambitions plans in Ladakh last year. "Whether the Chinese General was moved out because of poor performance or his relatively advanced age, 65, is a matter of speculation. The fact is that the PLA has not covered itself with glory. In Doklam, the Chinese Army was stopped from constructing a road by us. The Ladakh trespass during the pandemic is a wilful act of intrusion and in both the cases, China has been thwarted. Sure, they may be obstructing our patrols in the Depsang Area, but Indian occupation of heights on the Kailash Range, effectively blocking their ingress to the west, is a massive setback to the Chinese. This has frustrated their designs, points out Lt Gen Satish Dua (retd), former Corps Commander in Srinagar, who has also served as Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Several changes in command What has further heightened postulation is the scale of changes in the Western Theatre Command: Xi has promoted four senior Chinese military and armed police officers. Among them was Gen Zhang, now commander of the PLAs Western Theatre Command. The other officers who were promoted include Guo Puxiao, Political Commissar of the Logistic Support Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), Li Wei, Political Commissar of the PLA Strategic Support Force and Wang Chunning, Commander. Political Commissars in the PLA are usually a uniformed military officer and Communist Party cadre, although this position has been used to give civilian party officials some experience with the military. Observers believe changes on such a scale are rare in China, where information coming out is next to negligible. In this case, the announcements were made by official Chinese news agency Xinhua last month. Gen Zhao, who took over the Western Theatre Command in 2016, was already on an extended term. He had reached the retirement age of 65 this summer, but had been allowed to continue in the post by President Xi. The new commander New Delhis assessment is that Gen Zhao had the approval of the Xi-led CMC when the PLA troops carried out the initial incursion in the Finger area near Pangong Tso in late April and early May 2020. Subsequently, there was some discomfort over the misadventure after the bloody Galwan Valley skirmish in June last year, the deadliest clash between soldiers of the two countries since 1975, in which 20 Indian troops and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers were killed. Over the next few weeks and months, the initial tactical success met with stiff Indian response, including consolidation of the heights on the south bank of the salt-water Pangong Lake resulting in strategic loss to China. Not much is known about Gen Zhang, especially his association with Western Theatre Command, as he has reportedly served mostly in other theatre commands of the PLA. Born in the coastal province of Liaoning, he is a Han and has served in the erstwhile Shenyang Military Region in northeast China. He was the Chief of Staff of the PLAs 39th Army. From March 2017 to January 2018, Zhang was the deputy commander of the Central Theatre Command (CTC) which is responsible for the security of capital Beijing. At the military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China in 2019, he acted as deputy commander of the Joint Military Parade, which gained wide appreciation within the CMC. India and China have held several rounds of talks at the diplomatic and military-level to resolve the prolonged stand-off. At the latest round of foreign ministry-level talks on December 18, 2020, the two sides said they had agreed to continue work towards ensuring complete disengagement of troops at all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The meeting also decided to hold the next round of military dialogue at an early date. Top Indian observers like former diplomat, G Parthasarathy, believe that the changes in Chinas all-powerful Western Theatre "are more in the manner of routine, but he goes on to add that from Beijings standpoint, "I will not be too pleased with Indians seizing the heights in the Galwan Valley and not respond the way we were expected to. According to Parthasarathy, China expected that as in the past, this would be another moment where talks would meander on but that has not happened. "We should have never agreed to the LAC without clearly demarcating what the line was, he told this writer. The term 'LAC' gained legal recognition in Sino-Indian agreements signed in 1993 and 1996. Just before the latest reshuffle, Indian officials said there has been no confirmation if General Zhao was still resisting possible directions from the Communist Party leadership to soften his position, disengage and de-escalate. But Indian officials have confirmed that there have been gaps in the line adopted by China during the diplomatic talks and the military negotiations. A Powerful, Strategic Division The Western Theatre Command is one of the five theatre commands of the PLA created since 2016 at the specific behest of President Xi. Its jurisdiction includes Sichuan, Tibet, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Yunnan and Chongqing. In May 2016, China raised the rank and status of its Western Tibet Military Command to widen its scope for missions and combat preparedness, in a move, analysts in Beijing believe, is aimed at fortifying the border with India. The Xinjiang Military Command may also be elevated in the future. Both commands are under the Western Theatre Command. The Communist Party-run Global Times had said at the time of the restructuring that the change would allow the command to shoulder more combat assignments. The Sino-Indian border is a 'live' one despite the several rounds of diplomatic and military talks. In early December last year, China's military voiced strong opposition to the intrusion of an Indian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) into China's airspace. "The Indian UAV intruded into China's airspace and crashed recently, and China's border troops have conducted identification and verification over the vehicle, Zhang Shuili, deputy head of the combat bureau of the Western Theatre Command's joint staff department, told Xinhua, adding that "India's move has infringed upon China's territorial sovereignty, and we are strongly dissatisfied with and opposed to this." Subscriber content preview French energy firm Total has cut back operations to a bare minimum, evacuating staff and contractors by air. By ANDREW MELDRUM Associated Press JOHANNESBURG Mozambique's jihadist violence has forced the French energy firm Total to suspend work at its multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas project in the country's northern Cabo Delgado province. After the rebels' Jan. 1 attack on Quitunda village, just outside the fence of the gas project, the company removed most of its workforce, estimated at 3,000, from the Afungi peninsula. . . . ADVERTISEMENT A magistrate court in Abuja has again adjourned the case filed against publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, and others without granting or denying them bail. The magistrate adjourned the case to January 8. Mr Sowore was arrested alongside four protesters during a #CrossOverProtest held on the eve of new year in Abuja. After spending four days in police detention, the protesters were arraigned before the Wuse Zone 2 court by police on Monday on charges of unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy and inciting public disturbance. Taye Maibel, in her ruling on Monday, ordered that the accused be transferred to Kuje Correctional Prison detention till Tuesday when the court will hear the bail application. However, Ms Maibel, in a ruling on Tuesday evening, after listening to the counsels of the parties involved, again ordered that Mr Sowore and other protesters be transferred to Force CIID in Area 10, in Abuja. The magistrate adjourned the case on the grounds of technicalities raised by the police legal team on the submission of a joint affidavit for the five accused persons in the case. In a counter argument, Mr Sowores lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, from Femi Falana Chambers, argued that his colleagues point was not relevant as there have been cases where defendants filed joint affidavits. To drive home his argument before the magistrate who nodded in agreement, Mr Abubakar cited Sambo Dasuki and James Ibori among the popular cases where defendants filed joint affidavits without legal backlash from court. However, against the defendants argument, the magistrate ruled that Mr Sowore should be returned to detention to afford parties involved time to study the case. Taking into consideration defendants complaint of unfair treatment and denied access to clothing and medical care by officials of the Kuje Custodian Centre, the court thereby gave Mr Sowore the options of either being taken to the Police Force CIID in Area 10 or to SARS Headquarters in Abbatoir, Abuja. Ms Maibel also ordered that Damilare Adenola, a law student at the University of Abuja, arrested alongside Mr Sowore, be granted access to gadgets and writing materials so as to catch up with other students cleared to receive lectures online. Madrid: India and Spain signed seven agreements on Wednesday, including on cyber security and technical cooperation in civil aviation, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with Spanish President Mariano Rajoy at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid. The two sides agreements on transfer of sentenced persons and visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports. Five MoUs were signed between the two countries on cooperation in organ transplantation, cyber security, renewable energy, civil aviation and one between India's Foreign Service Institute and Diplomatic Academy of Spain. Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit Spain since 1988, praised the Spanish President saying under Rajoy's leadership the country has undergone economic reforms "which is also the biggest priority of my government." Spain is India's seventh largest trading partner in the European Union. Two-way trade totalled 5.27 billion dollar in 2016. Modi encouraged Spanish infrastructure, tourism, energy and defense companies to invest in priority sectors in India, saying "It's a great time for Spanish companies to invest in India." Read | PM Modi in Spain: Terrorism is a challenge for all of our societies, we get to hear a lot about terror attacks these days For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The identity of the donor who gave $500,000 to the efforts to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom two weeks ago has finally been revealed. The donation was made by mysterious Orange County consulting firm Prov 3:9 LLC, and the firm announced in a statement to multiple news outlets Tuesday its chief financial backer is John Kruger, an individual who opposes the governor's COVID-19 church restrictions. "Prov 3:9 has funded charitable works in the past, using the proceeds of its single member John Kruger," the firm's manager, Thomas Liu, wrote in the statement. "Prov 3:9's mission is Faith-based. Both Mr. Kruger and I believe that the Governor's Executive actions prohibiting religious assembly and worship violated the constitutional rights of Californians to congregate and worship." Campaign finance reports on the California Secretary of State's website indicate that a John Kruger from California has made large donations to both Republicans and Democrats in the state in the past, but it is unclear whether this is the same person. In several of the donations, a John Kruger is listed as being employed by Orange County-based JB Properties Inc., including one $7,300 donation to Marshall Tuck for State Superintendent of Public Instruction 2018, where Kruger is listed as "Chairman of the Board" for JB Properties. The Prov 3:9 backer reveal comes a day after Ann Ravel, the former chair of the Federal Election Commission, filed a complaint with the California Attorney Generals Office alleging Prov 3:9 was acting as a shell company working to conceal the identity of its donors. "The people of California are entitled to know who is trying to force a costly special recall election that could cost $80 [million] to $100 million just months before the primary elections for the same office," she writes in the complaint. "Such a dark money scheme is antithetical to a functioning democracy and in violation of the States comprehensive campaign finance laws. Staff of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations will initially start de-mining and disposing the unexploded ordnance on 100 hectares of land in Azerbaijans Aghdam district that had been liberated from Armenian occupation, Deputy Minister of Azerbaijans Ministry of Emergency Situations Rahim Latifov said. The Russian side has already delivered special equipment to Azerbaijan. Russian experts will be accommodated on the territory of the Karabakh regional center of Azerbaijans Ministry of Emergency Situations in Aghdams Guzanly village," he said. "Major General Anatoly Savvin, Head of the Leader special risk rescue center of the Russian MES, said that the special group arrived in Azerbaijan to carry out the de-mining work," Latifov said. "The group consists of 20 personnel - these are pyrotechnics, sappers, dog handlers, instructors for training personnel. The detachment of the composite group has all the necessary equipment," the deputy minister added. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 91F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. A jockey has died after falling from his horse and being trampled during a race in India. Apprentice jockey Jitendra Singh, 24, had been competing at Hyderabad Race Club on Sunday when he fell from his horse 10 seconds into the race. Singh was trampled by other horses which caused him fatal injury, officials say. He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Apprentice jockey Jitendra Singh, 24, had been competing at Hyderabad Race Club on Sunday when he fell from his horse 10 seconds into the race Singh was trampled by other horses which caused him fatal injury, officials say Video taken at the start of the race shows Singh wearing yellow silks as he finds himself in the middle of the pack of racers. He appears to fall from his horse, Gold Label, during the jostling for position. 'About ten seconds into the race Jitendra fell from the horse, Gold Label,' Chaderghat inspecter of police P Sateesh said. 'He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead on arrival. 'We suspect that he was trampled by horses and suffered internal injuries.' Many took to social media to express their grief at the news of the young jockey's death. 'Sorry sorry news from Hyderabad as apprentice jockey Jitendra Singh has passed away following an incident in the 4th race at the track. Really puts things in perspective. RIP,' one person wrote. 'Unfortunate accident in the 4th race today @ HRC has taken the life of an apprentice jockey Jitendra Singh,' said another. One person wrote: 'Tragic news coming in from Hyderabad, jockey Jitendra Singh who was on Gold Label who went down in the 4th race has passed away! RIP.' Nigeria on Monday recorded its highest daily COVID-19 cases as the world continues to battle the virus. On Monday, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 1,204 new coronavirus infections. Before Monday, the last highest figure was the 1,145 cases recorded on December 12, 2020. With the latest figure, the total number of cases across the country rose from 90,080 to 91,351. Nigeria in the last 24 hours also reported seven additional deaths from COVID-19 complications as the spike in new cases continues to feed through into fatalities. The Monday figures brought the total death tally from COVID-19 in Nigeria to 1,318. In the past 17 days, there have been 106 recorded deaths from the coronavirus. Since early December 2020, there has been a spike in coronavirus cases in Nigeria as the country continues to record relatively high daily infections. Until the resurgence of the infections in December, Nigeria never had a higher number of daily infections than the 745 reported on June 19. In about a month, daily cases in the country averaged 600 for the first time since the pandemic reached Nigeria in late February with the spread concentrated in the countrys two major entry points and hardest-hit cities Lagos and Abuja. Health experts believe the lowering of guard on safety and the weak enforcement of protocols especially in the countrys major airports in Abuja and Lagos could be responsible for the development, warning that the situation could get worse if citizens keep violating safety protocols. Active cases in the country rose sharply from about 3,000 some weeks ago to over 11,000 due to a rise in new infections. Of the over 91,000 cases so far, 75,699 patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment. Specifics The 1,204 new cases were reported from 21 states Lagos (654), FCT (200), Plateau (60), Kaduna (54), Kano (40), Rivers (30), Edo (28), Nasarawa (25), Kebbi (19), Bauchi (18), Oyo (13), Akwa Ibom (12), Bayelsa(11), Ogun (11), Delta (9), Abia (8), Benue(5), Imo (3), Borno (2), Sokoto (1) and Osun (1). Lagos led with 604 new cases, more than half of Mondays tally. The commercial city is Nigerias coronavirus epicentre with a total of nearly 32,000 cases and about 250 deaths. Abuja with the second highest number of infections and deaths also came second on Monday with 200 new cases. With the country into the second wave of the pandemic, federal authorities have ordered the reopening of all isolation and treatment centres in the country. According to the NCDC, the failure of Nigerians to comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols during the festive period could lead to more spread of the disease. ADVERTISEMENT So far, Nigeria has conducted over 950,000 COVID-19 tests. Wolters Kluwer Health Announces Integration of its Clinical Interface Terminology Solutions with Henry Schein MicroMD's EMR Platform Wolters Kluwer Health announced today that Henry Schein MicroMD, a practice management and electronic medical record (EMR) solution, will be using Health Language Clinical Interface Terminology (CIT) to quickly map over a million medical abbreviations, typos, incomplete terms, and acronyms to standardized terminology. As a result, clinicians using MicroMD can easily search for diagnoses and procedure codes using their own day-to-day jargon with Wolters Kluwer Health Language Provider-Friendly Terminology (PFT). "Unspecified diagnosis codes can have a significant financial impact for a medical practice. To avoid revenue loss, it's critical that patient encounters be documented correctly at the point of care," said Kristen Heffernan, General Manager at MicroMD, a Henry Schein company. "The integration of Wolters Kluwer's provider-friendly terminology solutions can help enable clinicians to document more quickly and accurately, help reduce rejected claims, and help increase patient time with their providers." Health Language PFT is built upon tools that deliver a computer-processable collection of medical terms providing codes, terms, synonyms and definitions used in clinical documentation and reporting, such as ICD-10-CM, ICD-9-CM, and SNOMED CT. Sophisticated search algorithms convert a clinician's problem or diagnosis search into a standard, compliant code using a continually updated array of related terms, including synonyms, misspellings, word order variants and partial words. For example, clinicians using MicroMD can search familiar clinical shorthand or jargon such as AFib, A-Fib, atrial fib, or AF and PFT will consistently provide the corresponding ICD or SNOMED CT codes for atrial fibrillation. "Our technology solution uses more than 300,000 attributes to help clinicans navigate the complexities of ICD-10 and pinpoint appropriate codes," said Karen Kobelski, Vice President and General Manager, Clinical Surveillance, Compliance & Data Solutions at Wolters Kluwer Health. "With just a few clicks, clinicians are able to narrow 1,000 ICD-10 codes down to the one they need using their own terms. This significantly improves the physician documentation experience and the accuracy of the revenue cycle." For medical practices, PFT can improve clinical documentation, increase clinicians' satisfaction with their EHR, support clinician productivity and reduce revenue losses associated with inaccurate or incomplete clinical documentation. To learn more about how Wolters Kluwer Clinical Interface Terminology solutions can help improve your medical practice, please click here. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2019 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) @WKHealth. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005226/en/ Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Despite the progress made in managing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), poorly controlled symptoms for both respiratory diseases can lead to severe shortness of breath, hospitalizations or even death. "Only about 50 percent of asthmatics, and an even lower percentage of people with COPD, achieve adequate control of lung inflammation and airway constriction with currently available medications," said Stephen Liggett, MD, vice dean for research at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and a USF Health professor of medicine, molecular pharmacology and physiology, and biomedical engineering. "So, we're clearly missing something from our drug armamentarium to help all these patients." Dr. Liggett's laboratory has discovered several subtypes of bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) -- G protein-coupled receptors expressed on human smooth airway muscle cells deep inside the lungs. In asthma and COPD, tightening of smooth muscles surrounding bronchial tubes narrows the airway and reduces air flow, and Dr Liggett's lab found that these taste receptors open the airway when activated. They are now looking for new drugs to treat asthma and other obstructive lung diseases by targeting smooth muscle TAS2Rs to open constricted airways. A promising bronchodilator agonist rises to the top In a preclinical study published Nov. 5 in ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, Dr. Liggett and colleagues identified and characterized 18 new compounds (agonists) that activate bitter taste receptor subtype TAS2R5 to promote relaxation (dilation) of human airway smooth muscle cells. The cross-disciplinary team found 1,10 phenanthroline-5,6-dione (T5-8 for short) to be the most promising of several lead compounds (drug candidates). T5-8 was 1,000 times more potent than some of the other compounds tested, and it demonstrated marked effectiveness in human airway smooth muscle cells grown in the laboratory. For this drug discovery project, Dr. Liggett's laboratory collaborated with Jim Leahy, PhD, professor and chair of chemistry at the USF College of Arts and Sciences, and Steven An, PhD, professor of pharmacology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. In an extensive screening conducted previously, another research group identified only one compound that would bind to and specifically activate the TASR5 bitter taste receptor - although apparently with limited effectiveness. Using this particular agonist (called T5-1 in the paper) as a starting point, the team relied on their collective disciplines to devise new activators, aiming for a much better drug profile for administration to humans. The two key questions we asked were: 'Is it possible to find a more potent agonist that activates this receptor?' and 'Is it feasible to deliver by inhalation given the potencies that we find?'. T5-8 was the bronchodilator agonist that worked best. There were a few others that were very good as well, so we now have multiple potential new drugs to carry out the next steps." Dr. Stephen Liggett, Paper's Senior Author The researchers developed screening techniques to determine just how potent and effective the 18 compounds were. A biochemical test assessed how well these new agonists activated TAS2R5 in airway smooth muscle cells isolated from non-asthmatic human donor lungs. Then, the researchers validated the effect on airway smooth muscle relaxation using a technique known as magnetic twisting cytometry, pioneered by Dr An. "Team science" solves a structural problem "The biggest challenge we faced was not having a 3-D crystal structure of TAS2R5, so we had no idea exactly how agonist T5-1 fit into this mysterious bitter taste receptor," Dr. Liggett said. "By merging our strength in receptors, pharmacology, physiology, and drug development, our team was able to make the breakthrough." T5-8 was superior to all the other bronchodilator agonists screened, exhibiting a maximum relaxation response (50%) substantially greater than that of albuterol (27%). Albuterol belongs to the only class of direct bronchodilators (beta-2 agonists) available to treat wheezing and shortness of breath caused by asthma and COPD. However, this drug or its derivatives, often prescribed as a rescue inhaler, does not work for all patients and overuse has been linked to increased hospitalizations, Dr. Liggett said. "Having two distinct classes of drugs that work in different ways to open the airways would be an important step to help patients optimally control their symptoms." The ACS Pharmacology paper highlights the importance of translational research in bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and new therapies to improve human health, he added. "This study yielded a drug discovery that successfully meets most of the criteria needed to advance the compound toward its first trial as a potential first-in-class bronchodilator targeting airway receptor TAS2R5." Official Whte House Photo by Joyce N. BoghosianBy BEATRICE PETERSON, ABC News (WASHINGTON) -- The NAACP is calling on the Fulton County District Attorney to investigate President Donald Trump's weekend call to Brad Raffensperger, when he asked the top election official in Georgia to "find 11,780 votes" for him to overturn the state's election results. In Georgia, Black voters were critical to the success of the Biden campaign, and NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said that the president's calling on election officials to "find" votes is the latest stunt, along with a series of lawsuits filed by the Trump Administration, targeting African American voters. "This is a racist attack on Black voters. President Trump's desperate and futile attempts to invalidate and falsify votes cast by Georgia voters add to a growing list of criminal acts that must be addressed. His blatant disregard of the election's accurate results is harmful to the American people and democracy itself," Johnson said. In the call, Trump, citing debunked and dismissed conspiracy theories about election fraud in Georgia, repeatedly demanded that Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger, a Republican, "find" enough votes to deliver the president a win in the Peach State, wrongly claiming it is "not possible" for him to have lost the election there. President-elect Joe Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Georgia since 1992, but his narrow victory came after years of demographic shifts and efforts among party activists to get out the Democratic vote. The NAACP president told ABC News that he sees this as the latest effort in "challenging the legitimacy of African American votes whether it was in Milwaukee or Wayne County Michigan, Philadelphia or in this case Atlanta." The Trump campaign, along with a Trump elector, had also filed a lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court requesting a new presidential election or for the court to prohibit the appointment of presidential electors. "We're only asking for the law to apply equally," Johnson said. "And we have an individual that appears to have violated -- yet again -- laws to protect our democracy. But most importantly, violating laws to undermine the ability of African Americans to fully participate." During the call, Trump accused Raffensperger of engaging in criminal acts, claiming that election workers were shredding ballots, which the secretarys general counsel, Ryan Germany, said was not true. The president alleged Raffensperger was covering it up. Audio of the phone call was first obtained by The Washington Post but then also obtained by ABC News. Raffensperger, during an exclusive interview with ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America, noted that the president, "did most of the talking. We did most of the listening, but I did want to make my points that the data that he has is just plain wrong." Trump "had hundreds and hundreds of people he said that were dead that voted. We found two, that's an example of just -- he has bad data," Raffensperger said Monday. Johnson said he feels that for Trump this latest effort has nothing to do with the integrity of the process and "it has everything to do with the outcome." "He is a loser," Johnson added. "Please put that in all caps, HE IS A LOSER, and cannot accept the fact that he lost." Tuesday is Georgia's runoff for both U.S. Senate seats. The outcome will determine the balance of power in the Senate, prompting Trump, Biden, Vice President Mike Pence and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to campaign there. Hours ahead of Trump's appearance at a campaign rally Monday night, Johnson asked, "If this outgoing president who lost had no confidence with the election why is he in Georgia?" Copyright 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. More than 50 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at Hudson County jail have resumed a hunger strike, an anti-ICE advocacy group announced Monday. Fifty-five detainees at the Kearny facility and another 86 at the Essex County jail are demanding immediate release, advocacy group Abolish ICE New York-New Jersey said in a press release. Their primary demand is that they be released from ICE custody so that they can reunite with their families and community, and fight their immigration cases from outside ICE custody where they have the resources to do so, the group said. Roughly 25 ICE detainees at the facility went on a hunger strike last week, but that strike was paused after detainees demanded a meeting with ICE representatives, detainee advocates said last week. By Thursday it was clear that no meeting would take place, so the protest resumed, Abolish ICE NY-NJ said Monday. But county spokesman Jim Kennelly said he had not been informed of any strike currently taking place at the Hudson County jail. As a matter of inside the facility, the leadership says that they are not aware of an ongoing organized hunger strike being conducted by members of the detainee population, Kennelly said. An ICE spokesman also said there is no hunger strike currently taking place at Hudson County jail. ICE officials only record a hunger strike after a 72-hour period when detainees refuse nine consecutive meals, and a spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about whether detainees had skipped any meals. An ICE spokesman also did not immediately reply to an email asking about the meeting that detainees were reportedly seeking. The facility has also been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks. There were 42 cases as of last week, although 33 inmates have since tested negative, Kennelly said. Nine inmates are still in isolation, and no ICE detainees at the jail have tested positive. A joint venture involving two Hawaii-based construction stalwarts has landed a nearly $98 million contract for wharf repairs and upgrades on Naval Base Guam. The joint venture between Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. and Healy Tibbitts Builders Inc. was awarded the $97.99 million Navy contract on Monday. The project is for Lima Wharf at Apra Harbor. Hawaiian Dredging has been in business in Hawaii since 1902 and is a member of the Kajima family of businesses, a publicly traded Japanese company. Healy Tibbitts Builders Inc. has a longer track record than its joint venture partner, having been founded in 1886 by two waterfront workers in San Francisco, California. It expanded to the Hawaiian islands in 1963, according to the company's profile. Healy Tibbitts is familiar with waterfront construction work at Apra Harbor for the Navy. In 2014, Healy Tibbitts, along with joint venture partners Watts Constructors LLC and Obayashi Corp., completed the Navys $89 million P-204 Apra Harbor Wharf Improvements Phase 1. The phase one project restored and upgraded a large wharf complex that was badly damaged by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake in 1989, according to Healy Tibbitts. Information was provided in a press release. For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. Revenues of Ukraine's state budget in 2020 exceeded the annual target plan by UAH 19 billion, according to a report released by the Finance Ministry. The latest data provided by the State Treasury Service shows that the general fund of the state budget received UAH 877.6 billion in 2020, which is 102.2% of the target plan. General funds expenditures amounted to UAH 1,098.3 billion, or 96.7% of the target plan. At the same time, social, defense expenditures, debt service, subventions and subsidies to local budgets are fully funded in accordance with the budget plan and payment orders. Actual government borrowings to the general fund of the 2020 state budget amounted to UAH 621.5 billion, or 93.8% of those planned for this period. Of these, government domestic borrowing in 2020 amounted to UAH 389.2 billion (94.6% of the target plan). The ministry also reported that UAH 232.3 billion (92.4% of the target plan) was attracted from external sources during this period. However, payments on repayment of public debt in 2020 amounted to UAH 385.5 billion (99.7% of the target plan), payments on its servicing - UAH 119.6 billion (88.0% of the target plan). In addition, the Finance Ministry hailed the work of the State Tax Service, which exceeded its annual target plan by 10.7%. Thus, the state budget received additional UAH 49.2 billion of tax revenues. In total, in 2020, the state received UAH 507.5 billion from payments controlled by the State Tax Service, which is UAH 49.2 billion more than the annual target plan. At the same time, the State Customs Service failed to fulfill its target plan for 2020: last year the customs brought UAH 297 billion to the state budget, which is 8.8% less than the target plan. However, in December, the State Customs Service exceeded its monthly plan by 23.5%, or UAH 6.2 billion. As reported by Ukrinform, the state budget of Ukraine for 2021 was published in the official parliamentary newspaper Holos Ukrainy on December 30. iy Windows 10 has begun pushing notifications to users desktops that warn them to uninstall Adobe Flash Player as soon as possible. According to a report by GHacks, if you have a recent version of Flash Player installed on your machine, you will be presented with a message stating that support has officially ended for the product and that it should be removed from your system. Thank you for using Adobe Flash Player. Adobe will stop supporting Flash Player after December 31, 2020, the message states. To help secure your system, Adobe will block Flash content from running in Flash Player beginning January 12, 2021. Adobe strongly recommends immediately removing Flash Player from your system by clicking the Uninstall button below, it adds. Each time the Flash Player attempts to run its update process, which occurs every seven days, it will display this pop-up message. Final scheduled update The final schedule update for Flash Player was published by Adobe last year, with support officially ending for the product on 31 December 2020 except in mainland China. In the announcement of its last patch, Adobe advised users to immediately uninstall Flash Player from their computers to protect their systems. Uninstalling Flash Player will help secure your system since Adobe does not intend to issue Flash Player updates or security patches after the EOL date, it said. It added that some users will continue to be shown reminders from Adobe that they should uninstall Flash Player. These are the reminders that are now appearing on Windows 10 devices which have recent versions of Flash Player installed. Adobe said that the decision to kill Flash Player is based on the fact that other open standards including HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly have continually matured and are now viable alternatives for Flash content. Also, major browser vendors are integrating these open standards into their browsers and deprecating most other plug-ins (like Flash Player), said Adobe. It said that the retirement of Adobe Flash was coordinated with several top browser vendors and it provided three years notice regarding the retirement of the tool. Now read: Best ISP in South Africa revealed DALTON, Ga. President Trump campaigned Monday night on behalf of two incumbent Republican senators whose defeat in runoff elections on Tuesday could cost the party its majority in the U.S. Senate and deliver a symbolic capstone to his own time in office. Clinging to his claims that widespread election fraud had cost him victory in the presidential election in states like Georgia, Trump continued to set his sights on Jan. 6, when he hopes that Congress and his own vice president will refuse to certify the Electoral College confirming Joe Bidens victory. I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. I have to tell you. I hope that our great vice president, our great vice president, comes through for us. Hes a great guy, Trump said on a frigid night at a mass rally held at a regional airport, before joking, Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much. No, Mike is a great guy. Before arriving in Georgia, Trump met in the Oval Office with Pence and members of his legal team to map out the strategy for Wednesdays certification, which more than 100 members of the House of Representatives and 13 U.S. senators have said they will contest. One of those senators is Kelly Loeffler, for whom Trump had traveled to Dalton to campaign. I have an announcement, Georgia, Loeffler said when Trump invited her to speak. On Jan. 6, I will object to the Electoral College vote. Sen. David Perdue, the other candidate whom Trump traveled to promote on Monday, did not attend the rally. Instead, he was in quarantine after being exposed last week to a person who tested positive for COVID-19. While Perdue said he supported the move by those in Congress who would challenge the certification of the Electoral College tally, he also said this week that he would not be able to be in the Senate to do so himself. President Trump speaks on Monday during a rally in support of Republican incumbent senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue before Wednesday's runoff elections. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Still, for all of Trumps assurances Monday that there is no way we lost Georgia, that he had defeated Biden nationwide and that evidence of voter fraud was going to be revealed in Congress on Wednesday, the president also seemed to understand that his time in office was coming to a close. If the liberal Democrats take the Senate or the White House, Trump said, and were not taking this White House ... were going to fight like hell, Ill tell you what. I was telling Kelly before, Trump continued, you can lose and thats acceptable. If you lose, you lose. You go wherever youre going and say, Maybe Ill do it again sometime, or maybe I wont and Ill get back to life. But when you win in a landslide and they steal it and its rigged, thats not acceptable. For a president who has spent the past four years reliving his 2016 election night triumph, Mondays speech, while combative, continually referenced the near certainty that he would not serve a second term. If these two dont win and we dont take the presidency, you have a country that would be run by Schumer, Pelosi and Biden, Trump said. Throughout his rally, Trump repeated many of the debunked and unverified claims he made in a tape-recorded call published Sunday by the Washington Post during which he pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find 11,780 votes and declare him the winner of the presidential election in the state. Machines owned by Dominion Voting Systems had been tampered with, Trump claimed, and ballots for him had been summarily tossed. This pattern had been carried out not only in Georgia, but also in numerous other states, the sum total of which would be enough to overturn Bidens sizable victory in the Electoral College. Many of the roughly 2,000 supporters in attendance didnt need any convincing. I cant believe whats been said about Trump and its all been taken out of context anyway, Joey Moats, 65, from Rome, Ga., told Yahoo News. He will stay in the White House later this month. Something fishy happened on election night. I just want accountability and a peaceful transition to Trumps second term. For Anita Master, 62, from Dalton, Trumps recorded phone call with Raffensperger wasnt bothersome. The recording was nonsense, she said. Trump was aware the entire time and he will be in office again. Master also seemed to agree with Trump that while the presidential election had been rife with fraud, the runoff elections would not be. Its been a fraudulent election the whole time. Im not confident in the vote, but now that people are more aware of election cheating I think my vote will count this time, she said. Jim Earnhardt, 76, from Canton, agreed, but his skepticism about election integrity has many Republicans in Georgia worried about turnout in Tuesdays runoffs. I hope for another term, but I dont believe in the election integrity at all, Earnhardt said. Democrats stole it. Theyre not smart enough to pull it off and the numbers dont add up. The machines stole it before [in November] and they will try and steal it again [tomorrow]. President-elect Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally with Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock on Monday in Atlanta. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Polls of the Senate runoffs show two close races. At a campaign rally for Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock held hours earlier in Atlanta, President-elect Joe Biden joked that, thanks to recounts insisted on in Georgia by the Trump campaign, he and Kamala Harris had already won three times here. But he also made sure to keep the focus on Tuesdays runoff elections that could give Democrats Senate control. Georgia, the whole nation is looking to you, Biden said, adding, The power is literally in your hands, unlike any time in my career. One state one state can chart the course not just for the next four years but for the next generation. Biden also framed the runoffs in terms of the ability of Congress to pass stimulus aid that would send $2,000 to every American. While Trump has also pushed for that amount, a House bill passed to deliver it was killed by Senate Republicans. By electing Jon and the reverend, you can make an immediate difference in your own lives, the lives of the people all across this country, because their election will put an end to the block in Washington to that $2,000 stimulus check, Biden said. Ossoff, who spoke before Biden, took more direct shots at the president. Weve had four years of hatred and racism and bigotry and lies and incompetence, but Donald Trump is leaving, Ossoff said. And Georgia voters sent Donald Trump packing you did that. Trumps message on Monday was less focused. He took aim at fellow Republicans, including Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who said earlier in the day that he would not challenge the certification of the Electoral College tally, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who has insisted that his states election was fair. "I'll be here in about a year and a half campaigning against your governor, I guarantee you, Trump said of Kemp. While Trump detailed how his election night lead evaporated once more mail-in ballots were tallied, he also seemed to suggest that his party might not muster enough votes to prevail in the runoffs. I guess we have to get over a million votes tomorrow, Trump said in an uncharacteristically frank public assessment. More than 3 million ballots have already been cast in the state, a record for a runoff election. Again and again, Trumps speech was peppered with lines that seemed to warn of the consequences that could await both him and the Republican Party in the coming days. It could be your last chance to save the America we love, Trump said at one point, a proposition that implied the loss of both the White House and the Senate. Notably, the very issue that had fueled Trumps political rise the construction of a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico had also undergone a notable revision. And thats right, Mexico is paying for the wall or if I were here they would be. Because we were going to charge them a nice fee right at the entry points. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. NASA on January 4 shared a captivating image of a special, lonely neutron star spotted outside of the Milky Way galaxy for the first tie ever on NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. Taking to its official handle on Instagram, NASAs Chandra X-ray Observatory shared the breathtaking photograph of the newly identified neutron star 200,000 light-years away from Earth. Oxygen-rich supernova remnants like E0102 are important for understanding how massive stars fuse lighter elements into heavier ones before they explode, the space agency informed. It added that the remnants from the original explosion are seen in space for several thousand years and contain the debris ejected from the stars interior. According to NASAs blogpost, the neutron star located within the remains of a supernova known as 1E 0102.2-7219 (E0102) is a rare variety of the stellar body detected by NASA that has both a low magnetic field and no companion. The solitary star was found embedded in a Small Magellanic Cloud. Neutron stars are the ultra-dense cores of massive stars that collapse and undergo a supernova explosion, the space administration explained. NASA informed that the new composite image of E0102 that was discovered more than three decades ago allowed the astronomers and the scientists to decode new details about the star inside it. The Oxygen-rich supernova remnants, created after the massive stars fused lighter elements into heavier ones, ejected from the stars interior at millions of miles per hour. Read: NASA's New Project Can Help To Estimate What A Supernova Sounds Like; Read More Read: NASA Astronauts Recreate Times Square's Ball Drop In Zero Gravity | Watch Chandra observations of E0102 show that the supernova remnant is dominated by a large ring-shaped structure in X-rays, associated with the blast wave of the supernova, NASA explained. The new MUSE data revealed a smaller ring of gas (in bright red) that is expanding more slowly than the blast wave. At the center of this ring is a blue point-like source of X-rays. Together, the small ring and point source act like a celestial bulls eye, it added. Neutron star similar to CAS A, Puppis A stars According to NASA the source of the supernova explosion about two millennia ago was the newly discovered neutron star. It is also found to be similar to the neutron stars of Cassiopeia A (Cas A) and Puppis A supernova which do not have companions. However, the astronomers were unsure how did this neutron star end up in its current position, guessing that it seemingly offset from the center of the circular shell of X-ray emission produced by the blast wave of the supernova. Read: NASA Shares Stunning Images From 2020 That Unfold Complexities Of Earth From Space Read: Butterfly Nebula Voted Favourite 2020 Hubble Image, NASA Says 'excellent Choice' Votes are counted by staff at the Maricopa County Elections Department office in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2020. (Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images) Senator Poised to Join in Objection to Arizonas Electoral Votes: Biggs Arizonas electoral votes will be challenged on Wednesday. The group of House of Representatives members planning to challenge the votes believes it has a senator who will back them, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said Monday. We believe we do have a senator, Biggs said during an appearance on Newsmax. Im not free to say who it is. Congress is scheduled to convene in a joint session to tally electoral votes from the 50 states and Washington. During the session, objections can be filed and will trigger a withdrawal if they have support from at least one senator and representative. Fifty-nine representatives and 13 senators plan on objecting, according to an Epoch Times tally. All are Republicans. At question is which states senators plan on objecting to, as the House of Representatives group plans on challenging votes from at least six swing statesPennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the first senator to commit to objecting on Jan. 6, has said he isnt sure how many states electoral votes he will challenge. The group of 11 senators who announced over the weekend their intention to object said they would challenge votes from disputed states, but didnt name them. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) said Monday she would object to electoral votes. Shell likely object to Georgias votes, and possibly those from some other states. Both of Arizonas senators are Democrats. President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in file photographs. (Getty Images) Biggs told Newsmax that Arizona Republicans plan to object because a federal court allowed an extension of the deadline to register to vote. What happened in Arizona, is the opponents, very left-wing organizations, felt like they werent able to get all the registered voters done by the deadline, which was set by legislature, which is part of the manner of the election, Biggs said. So they went up and they filed a lawsuit, and the federal court basically said, You know that deadline is appropriate, its Constitutional, but were going to go ahead and extend for 18 days the ability to register to vote.' He also cited an inability to find out what happened with regard to alleged election irregularities. Officials in Arizonas largest county are fighting against subpoenas issued by the state Senate, which had sought an audit of voting machines and software and scanned ballots. Maricopa Countys Board of Supervisors filed a lawsuit asking a judge to weigh in. The case is ongoing. While Biggs and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) are among the members representing Arizona who plan to object, at least one other Arizona Republican has signaled they wont. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) noted that an objection triggers a separate debate and vote in each chamber. The U.S. House currently has more Democrat members than Republican members. This means that the probability that a states electors will be overturned is virtually zero, she wrote in a tweet on Monday. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) added in a separate post that the election between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was conducted smoothly. The only people trying to steal the election are Trump and his allies, he alleged. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Washington: Top national security agencies in a rare joint statement have confirmed that Russia was likely responsible for a massive hack of US government departments and corporations, rejecting President Donald Trump's claim that China might be to blame. The statement represented the government's first formal attempt to assign responsibility for the breaches at several agencies and to assign a possible motive for the operation. It said the hacks appeared to be part of an intelligence-gathering," suggesting the evidence so far pointed to a Russian spying effort rather than an attempt to damage or disrupt US government operations. This is a serious compromise that will require a sustained and dedicated effort to remediate, said the statement, distributed by a cyber working group comprised of the FBI and other investigative agencies. Former Attorney-General William Barr always said the likely hacker was Russia. Credit:Bloomberg US officials, including Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and cybersecurity experts have previously said Russia was to blame. But Trump, in a series of tweets late last month, sought to downplay the severity of the hack and raised the unsubstantiated idea that China could be responsible. Members of the All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) have expressed disbelief over the approval of Bharat Biotech's vaccine COVAXIN After the latest decision of DCGI to approve the vaccine jointly produced by UK-Swedish biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University as well as by Bharat Biotech for emergency use in India to immunise people against the COVID-19 virus; many experts are questioning the foundation of these approvals. There has been ambiguity over AstraZeneca vaccine, ever since the data was published in the Lancet journal in the month of November last year proving that two full shots were 62.1% effective. AstraZeneca later announced plans to collaborate with Sputnik V whose efficacy showed to be 91.4% based on analysis of the data of the final control point of clinical trials. Should not there be more consideration and time given here? "According to The Lancet- In participants who received two standard doses, vaccine efficacy was 62.1% and in participants who received a low dose followed by a standard dose, efficacy was 90.0%. Overall vaccine efficacy across both groups was 70.4%. As India will possibly go by 2 full doses regimen, efficacy should have been quoted at 62.1%. The mention of the overall efficacy at 70% in this case is misleading. Moreover, AstraZeneca uses one and the same component for both inoculations, the Russian vaccine uses two different ones in two separate inoculations. Using the latter approach could prove more efficient in achieving a longer-lasting immune response, said Dr. Debkishore Gupta, Consultant Clinical Microbiologist and Head of Infection Control, CK Birla Hospitals, Kolkata. "India has approved a full two-dose regimen with no dosing schedule specified. However, when the UK approved the same vaccine last week it was recommended that people get one dose followed by a second four to 12 weeks later in a bid to speed up the vaccination programme with officials claiming efficacy could be as high as 80 percent with three months between doses", he added. On the other hand, members of the All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN) have expressed disbelief over the approval of Bharat Biotech's vaccine COVAXIN. "It appears that no efficacy data for the vaccine candidate were submitted from the Phase 3 trials that are ongoing and being conducted by Bharat Biotech and ICMR.The only data for humans, available through publication pre-prints, are for safety and immunoogenicity from Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials, across a total of 755 participants. In the interest of transparency it will be in the fitness of things that the trial data on the basis of which decisions have been taken by the SEC are immediately made public", as stated by AIDAN. In particular, the member of AIDAN have urged the DCGI to reconsider the recommendations of the SEC in granting the restricted emergency use (REU) approval to COVAXIN. Adding to this debate is an observation by Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor of Microbiology, at the Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences at the Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, that there is not much awareness of any data on efficacy of the Bharat Biotech vaccine. She has openly expressed her confusion on this recent development by the government. In response to these uncertainities, Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Biotech stated in a press conference that people should have the patience to read on the internet the published articles by the company. "Many people say that I am not transparent in my data. Our articles have been published in various international journals. Many people are gossiping, it's just a backlash against Indian companies", he added. These recent approvals have also brought the focus on other vaccine candidates such as Sputnik V and Pfizer that might have been currently neglected by the regulatory body. The approval of the Bharat Biotech and AstraZeneca vaccines on the primary basis will kickstart the vaccination campaign. However, in the longer run keeping in mind the demand of the largely populated country like India and Indias promises to other countries, approval of other vaccines such as Pfizer and Sputnik V which are in the queue, would also be very critical. Other players are equally important and in order to cater to the domestic and global demand, mass vaccination is the key, says Dr. Gajendra Singh, Public Health Expert. It is interesting to note that what may have pushed AstraZeneca virologists to start work on combining their vaccines vector with that from Russias Sputnik V to see if that could help boost its vaccines efficacy. Unlike AstraZeneca, which uses one and the same component for both shots, the Russian vaccine uses two different ones for two separate inoculations and has much higher efficacy shown in Phase III clinical trials 91.4 percent", he added. With these questions and recommendations by the experts, we hope that the government takes an informed decision for the benefit of the entire population. Actress Tanya Roberts poses with Roger Moore during filming of A View to a Kill. Photo: AP Photo/Alexis Duclos, File Widespread media reports that James Bond actress Tanya Roberts had died were last night contradicted by her publicist. However, Mike Pingel, the actresss representative who was earlier quoted as saying she had died indicated that she was still fighting for her life in hospital. Pingel had earlier been quoted by US website TMZ saying Roberts had died at the age of 65. The outlet had quotes from her husband and tributes were paid on social media to Ms Roberts, who starred as Stacey Sutton opposite Roger Moore in his final Bond film, A View To A Kill. But Mr Pingel last night told news agencies that Ms Roberts was still alive at 10am local time yesterday and the family was waiting for further news from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. But he added: It does not look good. TMZ first reported Ms Robertss death, saying she had collapsed while walking her dogs on December 24 and was admitted to hospital. The New York actress moved to Hollywood in 1977 in search of fame. Her break came came when she replaced Shelley Hack in TV series Charlies Angels, becoming the third Angel alongside Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd. Online Editors [January 05, 2021] AsiaPay partners with Zip for buy-now-pay-later payment SYDNEY, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AsiaPay, the leading digital payment service and technology player in Asia, is pleased to offer merchants in Australia the ability to accept digital mobile wallet payment via Zip, with a simple, secure, and private way to pay that's fast and convenient. Zip is a leading player in the digital retail finance and payments industry, offering point-of-sales credit and digital payment solutions. Zip is focused on offering transparent, responsible and fairly priced solutions to consumer's and SME's. This relationship allows AsiaPay to provide a holistic integrated digital payment processing service for eCommerce and digital merchants across Australia. Zip users will experience increased acceptance at these merchants in the local markets, providing consumers with a "buy now and pay later" installment service for their ePurchases by offering Zip as an alternative payment option. "This strategic agreement will bring more flexible payment methods and excellent consumerexperience to customers," said Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay. "In this new era of digital globalization, digital innovation and disruption change the way we live and do business. There is continued merchant demand for a complete integrated payment acceptance solution across prevailing payment methods to optimize sales conversion and better serve the customers globally especially in digital channel payments. We are honored to work with Zip to provide its users with greater payment convenience and acceptance at digital merchants of AsiaPay throughout Asia.'' About AsiaPay Founded in 2000, AsiaPay, a premier electronic payment service, and technology player strive to bring advanced, secure, integrated, and cost-effective electronic payment processing solutions and services to banks, corporate and e-Businesses in the worldwide market, covering an array of international credit card, debit card, prepaid card, netbanking, eWallet, and QR, as well as cash collection. AsiaPay is an accredited payment processor and payment gateway solution vendor for banks certified ISO and PF for serving merchants, certified international 3-D Secure vendors for Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB. AsiaPay offers its variety of award-winning payment solutions that are multi-currency, multi-lingual, multi-card, and multi-channel, together with its advanced fraud detection, payment analytic, and management solutions. Headquartered in Hong Kong, AsiaPay offers its professional ePayment solution consultancy and quality local service support across its other 15 offices in Asia including Australia, New Zeland, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia and India. For more information, please visit www.asiapay.com.au and www.paydollar.com.au About Zip Zip is a safe, simple and interest-free account, offering you the ability to buy now and pay later, on your terms. Zip is ASX listed under Zip Co Limited (ASX: Z1P), with head office operations based in Sydney, Australia. Our mission is to make finance fairer for everyone. For more information, please visit https://zip.co/ SOURCE AsiaPay [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. While the current code red public health orders related to COVID-19 are set to expire Friday at 11:59 p.m., its too soon to to say what, if any, changes will arrive for Manitobans this week. Advertisement Advertise With Us While the current code red public health orders related to COVID-19 are set to expire Friday at 11:59 p.m., its too soon to to say what, if any, changes will arrive for Manitobans this week. Those public health orders were first put into effect in mid-November, amped up two weeks later, then extended into January in anticipation of holiday gatherings. "While our restrictions are due for review, we need to ensure this is not the time we relax our efforts against this virus," Dr. Brent Roussin, the provinces chief public officer, said Monday. Test positivity rates are still quite high, he said. Those numbers 10.7 per cent for the province and 11.8 per cent in Winnipeg have plateaued there for several weeks. New case numbers of COVID-19 118 as of Monday morning also seem to have plateaued. Additionally, hospitalization and intensive care unit numbers are still quite high. "Its also too early to know what the effects of gathering over the holidays may have had on our numbers," Roussin said. "Its premature to, right now, determine any changes to our restrictions. Were going to continue to monitor the impact of those holiday gatherings throughout this week. We havent yet landed on the new restrictions." Last week, both Premier Brian Pallister and acting deputy chief provincial public health officer Dr. Jazz Atwal said restrictions would likely ease in the first few months of 2021, nevertheless noting Manitobans would still need to exercise diligence and some restrictions were likely to remain. Roussin also said that while the COVID-19 variant has been found in Canada, it has not been found in Manitoba. Roussin advised that all international travellers need to be tested for COVID-19, even if they are not demonstrating symptoms. In fact, travellers should be tested on arrival and again on the seventh day after their arrival. "Were just wanting to ensure travellers are testing and this testing is in addition to other requirements through the federal quarantine act. International travellers are still required to quarantine for 14 days," Roussin said. Roussin took the opportunity Monday to remind Manitobans that donating blood remains essential. "Please consider booking an appointment through Canadian Blood Services to donate blood to save a life. Lanette Siragusa, provincial lead for health system integration and quality and chief nursing officer for Shared Health, said hospitalization numbers appear to be stabilizing with the decrease in new daily cases. "But they still are higher than what we would normally be without COVID and it continues to place a strain on our staffing situation, and the health-care system as a whole, especially in the critical care areas," she said. What that means, if numbers keep going down in all areas, is surgical procedures can be gradually increased. "We are still are doing emergent and urgent cases, but its our goal to start doing those elective and non-urgent cases as soon as possible. Because we know people are relying and waiting for that and quality of life is impacted without having those procedures," Siragusa said. Siragusa also described the situation at personal care homes, which saw alarming outbreaks in recent months. She described "some stabilization," with 25 of the 43 outbreaks currently identified in personal care homes throughout the province having two or less active cases. "So the numbers are starting to come down," she said. "There are 16 outbreaks that have been identified that actually have zero active cases, and that reflects the incubation period that we are continuing to watch. So we identify them as outbreaks, but they dont actually have active cases at this time." Siragusa said there have been 399 COVID-19 cases at personal care homes in the province thats 1.58 per cent of total lab confirmed cases in the province. "There still is lots of work to do on this front. We are definitely not out of the woods, yet," she said. Vaccinations continue to roll out as doses arrive to the province 7,000 this week and the plan for care homes will soon be unveiled publicly. The goal is to move through the high-risk populations health-care workers in direct contact who work in critical care, acute care, long-term care immunization and testing clinics then on to those at higher rate in the general population. As the vaccine becomes more available, the eligibility criteria will be expanded. Asked whether public health would track refusal rates for the vaccine, Roussin said those are hard to track. "Were offering it to cohorts of people, so we certainly record the amount of people who take us up on the vaccine. Right now, its very early to comment on any of that. We have still strict eligibility criteria. Weve only been doing this for a number of weeks now," Roussin said. "Over time well be able to get a better sense of the uptake in various cohorts, such as health-care providers, and even in specific areas. But its really early to comment on that right now." Meanwhile, the VCOP (Virtual Outpatient COVID Monitoring) pilot program has seen 14 lower acuity patients with COVID-19 supported in their homes with a specialized virtual team. "It is able to support people who are on oxygen, as well, as that is sometimes one of the lingering effects of COVID. A physician will monitor on a regular basis the severity of the patients symptoms at regular intervals. And if the symptoms seem to be worsening, a paramedic may be dispatched to the patients home, or wherever theyre staying, if its an isolation centre, and they can monitor vital signs find and they can do blood work," Siragusa said. "If the symptoms are severe, then we can co-ordinate transfer directly to the hospital or the emergency department and meet those escalating needs." The pilot was launched three weeks ago, and the goal is to expand the program eventually to the whole province. "There was a request for proposals issued a few weeks ago to support this work, and we anticipate news on who has been awarded the work to be announced in the future," Siragusa said. mletourneau@brandonsun.com Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism. A Chinese man and his parents have agreed to move out of a Beijing hospital after living there continuously for six years, because of a financial dispute with the medical institution. No one really likes spending more time than they have to in hospitals, which is why most people cant wait to get discharged. But thats not always the case. In 2014, a man surnamed Tian was admitted to a top Beijing hospital with symptoms that included nausea, vomiting and unsteady gait. He was supposed to spend a few days there after a medical procedure, but following a dispute regarding his medical bill, he ended up living there for six years, along with his parents. This weird saga finally came to an end last week, when the hospital squatters finally agreed to move out. In 2014, Tian showed up at the hospital complaining of having experienced nausea and vomiting for two months, and of being on shaky legs for nine days. His parents accompanied him and stayed with him for the entire period that he received treatment for his health problems. But when the time came for him to be discharged, Tian learned that he had to pay for his stay, so he accused the hospital of administering him an inappropriate treatment and refused to leave. Tian and his parents turned his hospital room into their own home, bringing in pots and pans and filling the place with groceries and other personal belongings. Despite several attempts from the hospital to get them to leave, the three stayed put, even spending the Lunar New Year, a holiday traditionally associated with families gathering at their homes, in the hospital. The hospital took the family to court on several occasions, and in 2019 even waived demands for 1.26 million yuan ($195,000) in medical costs just to get them to leave. They provided proof that Tian didnt need any medical attention and could be discharged, arguing that he was occupying hospital resources that could be used to treat real patients. However, last year Tian countersued the hospital alleging medical negligence, and the saga continued. Last week, Judge Luo Shengli of the Beijing Xicheng District Peoples Court ruled that Tian and his parents were to finally leave the hospital ward they had been squatting in for the past six years, but also that they were entitled to compensation from the hospital. The family accepted the 480,000 yuan ($73,000) and agreed to finally move out of the ward. They were transported home in a hospital ambulance. Mumbai, Jan 5 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 2.50 crore on Bajaj Finance for violation of codes governing the methods employed to recover dues amongst others. Accordingly, the company was found to be in violation of directions issued "on Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services by NBFCs and Fair Practices Code (FPC) for applicable NBFCs... and a specific direction to the company to ensure full compliance with FPC in letter and spirit", said an RBI statement. "This penalty has been imposed... taking into account the failure of the company to ensure that its recovery agents did not resort to harassment or intimidation of customers as part of its debt collection efforts and thereby failing to adhere to the aforesaid directions issued by RBI," it said. The central bank noted that there were persistent or repeat complaints about recovery and collection methods adopted by the company. "This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers." Mass. high court to decide if evangelical college discriminated against pro-LGBT professor Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The highest court in Massachusetts heard oral arguments on Monday regarding whether an evangelical Christian higher education institution can lawfully refuse to promote a former professor who held pro-LGBT views. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments virtually over a lawsuit filed against Gordon College by former associate professor Margaret DeWeese-Boyd. At issue is whether Gordon, founded in 1889, could lawfully deny a promotion to DeWeese-Boyd by citing the ministerial exception, a legal principle that allows religious bodies to choose their own ministerial staff with exemption from employment discrimination law. Eric Baxter, an attorney with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty who is representing the school, argued in his opening remarks that the exception applied to the employment of DeWeese-Boyd since she was expected to undertake certain religious obligations. The Court need look no further than her own actions, said Baxter. She admits that Gordon expected her to participate actively in the spiritual formation of its students and to help them apply biblical principles to their vocations. When she applied at Gordon, she touted her seminary training and mission work as of particular benefit to students and promised to provide a distinctly Christian education. Baxter added that DeWeese-Boyd consistently described her work as integrally Christian, as furthering the Kingdom of God, and as participation in the ministry of Christian reconciliation. Hillary Schwab, an attorney representing DeWeese-Boyd, argued that the U.S. Supreme Court precedent on ministerial exception was that what matters is what an employee does. And what did Professor DeWeese-Boyd do? Schwab asked. She was a social work professor. She taught social work topics. She researched and wrote on social work. Her interests included community development, poverty, social issues, grassroots movements. Schwab pointed out that these were all secular social work topics that did not fit the standard of vital religious duties laid out in the 2020 Supreme Court decisionOur Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru. In that decision, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that two California Catholic schools can classify their religion teachers as ministers and not be held to the standards of state antidiscrimination laws. According to Schwab, the secular nature of DeWeese-Boyds employment was evident in the fact that she never led sermons and she never led chapel services or religious teaching. Schwab also argued that Gordon was not a religious school, per se, since the college provides a liberal arts education and does not solely focus on spiritual instruction. The school [does] not incorporate evangelical teachings; it incorporates an evangelical perspective within the framework of academic freedom, she continued. The professors at Gordon College are expected to be experts in their field and the field for Professor DeWeese-Boyd was social work. They are not expected to be experts in any sort of religious duties. Schwab disputed the claim that the former professor emphasized her seminary background when first applying for her position at Gordon, saying that was not part of her promotional package when she applied for the promotion. In 2017, DeWeese-Boyd filed a complaint against Gordon after being denied a promotion despite the professor getting the recommendation of the faculty senate. DeWeese-Boyd claimed that she was discriminated against due to her advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community against school policies that adhered to traditional biblical sexual ethics. Specifically, she argued that Gordon's leadership committed associational and gender discrimination, breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and aided and abetted interference with her civil rights. For their part, Gordon College argued for the ministerial exception and also claimed that Deweese-Boyd lacked sufficient scholarly accomplishments. It was because she had not performed any scholarship, she had not published anything since 2008, and she was cited as not adequate performing within providing internal institutional service, noted Baxter during the Monday arguments. In April, Judge Jeffrey T. Karp of the Massachusetts Superior Court ruled in favor of DeWeese-Boyd. The judge argued that she was not a ministerial employee and so the exception did not apply. The College is not a church. The College's faculty and staff do not function as ministers. The faculty members are not intermediaries between a church and its congregation, wrote Karp. That faculty members are expected to serve as exemplars of practicing Christians does not serve to make the terms and conditions of their employment matters of church administration and thus purely of ecclesiastical concern. In 2017, the entire seven-member faculty senate at Gordon College resigned in the wake of DeWeese-Boyd being denied the promotion. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston submitted an amicus brief in the case, warning that the lower court's decision in favor of the professor conflicted with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. "The Archdiocese submits this brief in support of neither party because it does not take a position on other issues addressed in the parties briefing," lawyers for the Archdiocese wrote, according to the Gloucester Daily Times. "But with respect to the application of the ministerial exception to teachers in religious schools, the trial courts decision adopts a framework that is in conflict with the First Amendment and Supreme Court precedent. The Archdioceses interest in clarifying the proper framework reflects the centrality of education and educators in the Catholic faith." President Akufo-Addo has reacted to the structure of the eighth parliament of the Fourth Republic. Unlike the seventh parliament where there was a clear majority and minority sides of Parliament, the eighth has a slim majority since a lot of the sitting NPP Members lost their seats after the December 7 election. Currently, the NDC side has 137 seats, the NPP also has 137 and an Independent candidate. Some consider this to be a "hung" Parliament. A hung parliament occurs when no party holds a majority of seats in the House of Commons. This means that any government formed is either a coalition or a minority government. A hung parliament most commonly follows a general election in which no party wins a majority. Reacting to this while delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament, President Akufo-Addo said it's the decision of Ghanaians and they "have no choice but to work with the consequences". "The next parliament is not going to be like this one that ends today. I do not suggest that the House might not be as busy but the sitting arrangementwould certainly be different. The good people have spoken and given parliament almost an equal strength on both sides of the house. We have no choice but to work with the consequences of the desires of the people the house would have to be more accommodating of each others views and probably device new ways of conducting its affairs in the interest of the good governance of our people," he stated. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Huntington, WV (25701) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Sri Lanka is all set to finalise an agreement to secure COVID-19 vaccine via the United Nations-backed COVAX facility, which subsidises the shots for 92 low and middle income countries. The COVAX or COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access programme is run by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers. Sri Lanka joined the COVAX facility last year and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) has accredited the nation, making it eligible to receive the vaccines through the programme. The Lanka Cabinet will sign part two of the COVAX agreement with the WHO this week, enabling the country to obtain a limited quantity of the COVID-19 vaccine in the first quarter of this year, according to an official statement. The signing of the second part has to be done by January 8, it said. Eligible countries are required to submit request applications under two phases to receive the vaccine facility. The first part -- which include information regarding the target group, storage capacity and technical information -- was required to be submitted before December 7 and Lanka has done it on time, the statement said. The Lankan government had earlier said that it would also opt for the coronavirus vaccine developed by Russia. There has been a surge in COVID-19 infections in Lanka since early October. The number of deaths which stood at just 13 till October has now passed the 200-mark. The total cases exceed 45,240. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain This story corrects a previous version that said three guardsmen from Connecticut were going to Washington D.C. on Wednesday for expected protests as Congress certifies the Electoral College vote. Three members of Connecticuts National Guard, experts on weapons of mass destruction, will head to Washington D.C. as part of a multistate force preparing for possible civil unrest during Joe Bidens inauguration. The U.S. Senate and House are set Wednesday to certify the Electoral College votes that gave the former vice president a clear win over President Donald Trump. Trump is expected to attend protests, and has encouraged his supporters to attend. Authorities are also preparing for possible clashes at the inauguration in part because Trump has not conceded the election. Several groups are expected to protest in the nations capital on Wednesday, including the far-right Proud Boys, as well as Permits Women For America First, the Eighty Percent Coalition and The Silent Majority. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th, the president said on Twitter. Be there, will be wild! The three Connecticut residents are part of a much larger force intended to be there for the inauguration, National Guard Capt. David Pytlik said. A lot of different states are sending people down, he said. This just happens to be what were providing. The mayor of Washington D.C. requested the forces to augment local National Guard troops. That request was approved by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. Pitnick declined to identify the three service members being sent down before their deployment due to operational security concerns, but said they would be aiding the local civil support team. Their unit is there for weapons of mass destruction surveillance and advising, he said. Sen. Chris Murphy Tuesday issued a reminder to McCarthy, Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller that a law passed last week requires any federal officers and members of the armed forces to identify themselves while doing any crowd control. Last June, Americans watched as President Trump and former Attorney General Bill Barr deployed unidentifiable federal officers in riot gear to crack down on peaceful demonstrators exercising their constitutional rights in cities across the country, he said. This lack of identification made it impossible for citizens to distinguish between legitimate law enforcement and dangerous private vigilantes, or hold accountable enforcement personnel who engaged in abusive conduct. Pytlik, though, said the three National Guard members heading to Washington from Connecticut would not be acting as civilian police. Theyre not there in any sort of law enforcement capacity, he said. There are currently 3,600 guardsmen in Connecticuts Army National Guard and 1,400 airmen who are members of the Air National Guard. Late Late Toy Show sensation Adam King has received an extra special present from a real-life astronaut. The Cork native stole the hearts of the nation when he appeared on the show and stole the hearts of the nation after telling host Ryan Tubridy about his brittle bones, dreams of working for NASA and virtual hugging machine. His dreams are becoming closer to reality as he has received a very special message from Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield for Christmas. Little Adam met Mr Hadfield virtually on the Late Late Show after the astronaut tweeted his support after seeing the Toy Show. Read More Mr Hadfield sent Adam and his siblings autographed copies of his astronaut portrait, wearing his space suit and standing next to the Canadian flag. On Adams copy, the autographed message reads: For my friend Adam, pursue your dreams. Adam, his brothers Danny and Robert, and sister Katie, were absolutely delighted to receive the special gift. Thank you so much @Cmdr_Hadfield for the lovely present you sent Adam and his siblings - they were absolutely delighted! Such inspiring messages from an amazing human being. Our children are blessed to have met you a Sending you the biggest #adamsvirtualhug pic.twitter.com/4xQlHBNzxh Adam King - Adventures With a Difference (@AdventuresWAD) January 4, 2021 Thank you so much @Cmdr_Hadfield for the lovely present you sent Adam and his siblings - they were absolutely delighted, reads a caption on the photos of the children with the portraits, posted on Adventures With Adam social media. Such inspiring messages from an amazing human being. Our children are blessed to have met you. The King siblings met the astronaut on the Late Late show virtually the week after the Toy Show. The Canadian astronaut explained how important the role is of Capcom, the position little Adam dreams of working in NASA one day - which is when a person on earth communicates with the astronaut in space. Mr Hadfield said that he can see Adam taking up this role if he set out to achieve his dreams. Read More Online Editors Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Sydney mostly dodged a second day of storms, with the worst of the instability buffeting regions to the city's south and areas further up the coast. The Bureau of Meteorology cancelled its warning for damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall for Sydney late of Tuesday afternoon but risks remain for a large region of north-east NSW. Clouds begin to mass over Newtown in Sydney's inner west on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Chris Pearce Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours," the Bureau said. Locations that may be affected include Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Armidale, Tamworth, Moree and Narrabri. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 05:17:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja, Nigeria, on Jan. 5, 2021. (Photo by Jiang Xuan/Xinhua) ABUJA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Tuesday that China and Nigeria have reached seven important consensuses on deepening bilateral cooperation. During a press conference jointly attended by Wang and Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, Wang said that after his talks and in-depth exchange of views with Onyeama, the two countries agreed to continue to strengthen cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and firmly support each other until the pandemic is completely overcome. Wang said the two sides will establish an intergovernmental committee to be led by the two countries' foreign ministers that will coordinate and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. Meanwhile, the two countries will also advance cooperation in jointly promoting the construction of the Belt and Road by closely aligning China's new development pattern with Nigeria's new national development plan, Wang said. China will vigorously promote the construction of key projects in Nigeria so as to help Nigeria accelerate industrialization and improve its independent development capabilities, he said. Wang said the two countries will continue to expand cooperation into areas including digital economy and green economy so as to achieve diversified development; the two sides will deepen military and security cooperation in efforts to enhance Nigeria's capacity in safeguarding national security. Further, China and Nigeria will also closely coordinate international and regional affairs, practice multilateralism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Nigeria is the largest economy and the most populous country in Africa. It has important international and regional influences, and it has always been a major strategic partner that China attaches great importance to in Africa, Wang said, adding that the two countries this year will usher in the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Over the past 50 years, no matter how the international situation changes, China and Nigeria have persisted in mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual support, and have embarked on a path of unity and rejuvenation, Wang said. The Chinese official said that in 2019, bilateral trade volume reached 1,900 times that of when the two countries established diplomatic relations. The two sides have also achieved fruitful cooperation in railway construction, free trade parks, local currency swaps, satellite launches and other fields, and they are at the forefront of regional and international cooperation. Wang said that facts have proven that China-Nigeria cooperation serves the common interests of the two countries and their peoples, and has become an important part of China-Africa cooperation and South-South cooperation. In a new historical period, the two sides should inherit and carry forward the tradition of China-Nigeria friendship and welcome more glorious cooperation between the two countries in the next 50 years, Wang said. Enditem The two countries were unable to reach an agreement on the project after Malaysia sought changes because of the pandemics economic impact, according to a joint statement Friday. Malaysia will have to compensate Singapore for costs already incurred, the city-states transport ministry said in a separate statement. The announcement came just after a Dec. 31 deadline for the second and final extension of the suspension of the project, which was first mooted a decade ago and given the green light in 2013. In June, the Southeast Asian neighbors had agreed to put the development, which has already incurred multiple suspensions, on hold again amid a discussion around costs. The on-again, off-again 350 kilometer (218 mile) high-speed rail link would have cut travel time between the centers down to about 90 minutes versus more than four hours by car. Although flying between the two only takes about an hour, thats a lot longer once airport check-in and security is taken into account. The service was due to start in 2026. In light of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the Malaysian economy, the Government of Malaysia had proposed several changes to the HSR project," according to the joint statement by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Both Governments had conducted several discussions with regard to these changes and had not been able to reach an agreement." Malaysia had proposed changes in the project structure, alignment and station design as well as advancing the start of construction by two years to give a boost to the economy battered by the pandemic, Malaysian Economy Minister Mustapa Mohamed said in a separate statement. It also wanted to allow for more flexible financing options, including deferred payments and public-private partnerships. The administration of former Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who resigned in February, sought to cancel the project as the country grappled with debt and liabilities amounting to more than 1 trillion ringgit ($249 billion), before settling for a deferment and a S$15 million ($11.4 million) compensation fee to Singapore. Mahathir had at one stage estimated the project would cost around 110 billion ringgit for Malaysia. Both countries will abide by their respective obligations, and will now proceed with the necessary actions, resulting from this termination of the HSR Agreement," said the joint statement. Malaysia will explore all possible options for the project, including keeping it within the country, Mohamed said. Local media in Malaysia reported in November that Malaysia was considering ending the line in its southern city of Johor Bahru rather than in Singapore. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. HONG KONG, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX): SGQ, Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX): 1878) (the "Company" or SouthGobi) today announces its financial and operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. All figures are in U.S. dollars (USD) unless otherwise stated. Significant Events and Highlights The Companys significant events and highlights for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and the subsequent period up to January 4, 2021 are as follows: Operating Results The Company increased sales volume to 1.0 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2020 from 0.8 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2019. The average selling price of coal decreased from $35.0 per tonne in the third quarter of 2019 to $31.6 per tonne in the third quarter of 2020 as a result of a higher portion of sales made at the mine gate instead of transporting the coal to the Companys Inner Mongolia subsidiary and selling to third party customers within China. The Company increased sales volume to 1.0 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2020 from 0.8 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2019. The average selling price of coal decreased from $35.0 per tonne in the third quarter of 2019 to $31.6 per tonne in the third quarter of 2020 as a result of a higher portion of sales made at the mine gate instead of transporting the coal to the Companys Inner Mongolia subsidiary and selling to third party customers within China. Financial Results The Company recorded a gross profit of $10.9 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $12.8 million in the third quarter of 2019 while a $1.1 million net profit was recorded in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $2.1 million in the third quarter of 2019. The financial results were impacted by the reduced gross profit as a result of a lower average selling price achieved during the quarter. The Company recorded a gross profit of $10.9 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $12.8 million in the third quarter of 2019 while a $1.1 million net profit was recorded in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $2.1 million in the third quarter of 2019. The financial results were impacted by the reduced gross profit as a result of a lower average selling price achieved during the quarter. Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic The Company was informed that effective as of February 11, 2020, the Mongolian State Emergency Commission closed Mongolias southern border with China in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Accordingly, the Company suspended coal exports to China beginning as of February 11, 2020 as a result of the border closure. On March 28, 2020, the Mongolian-Chinese border was re-opened for coal export on a trial basis, with a limit imposed on the total volume of coal that was permitted to be exported during this trial period. The Company has experienced a continuous improvement in the volume of coal exported to China since March 28, 2020. During the period between April to December 2020, an aggregate of 2.4 million tonnes of coal was exported by the Company from Mongolia to China, as compared to an aggregate of 2.6 million tonnes of coal during the same period in the 2019 calendar year. The border closure had an adverse impact on the Companys sales and cash flows in the first and second quarter of 2020. In order to mitigate the financial impact of the border closures and preserve its working capital, the Company temporarily ceased major mining operations (including coal mining), reduced production to only coal-blending activities and placed approximately half of its workforce on furlough from February 2020. Since August 2, 2020, the Company has resumed its mining operations, which includes mining, blending and washing of coal. As at December 31, 2020, SGS employed 237 employees at the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine site (December 31, 2019: 383 employees). The Company produced 1.5 million tonnes from August to December 2020, as compared to 2.3 million tonnes from August to December 2019. There were a few COVID-19 cases reported in Ulaanbaatar (being the capital city of Mongolia) on November 11, 2020. As a result, the Mongolian local authorities have taken certain precautionary steps to minimize further transmission and announced a lockdown of Ulaanbaatar effective as of November 12, 2020. Although the Companys mining operations and the export of coal from Mongolia to China continues as of the date hereof, there can be no guarantee that the Company will be able to continue exporting coal to China, or the border crossings would not be the subject of additional closures as a result of COVID-19 in the future. The Company will continue to closely monitor the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has on coal exports to China and will react promptly to preserve the working capital of the Company. In the event that the Companys ability to export coal into the Chinese market becomes restricted or limited again as a result of any future restrictions which may be implemented at the Mongolian-Chinese border crossing, this is expected to have a material adverse effect on the business and operations of the Company and may negatively affect the price and volatility of the Common Shares and any investment in such shares could suffer a significant decline or total loss in value. The Company was informed that effective as of February 11, 2020, the Mongolian State Emergency Commission closed Mongolias southern border with China in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Accordingly, the Company suspended coal exports to China beginning as of February 11, 2020 as a result of the border closure. On March 28, 2020, the Mongolian-Chinese border was re-opened for coal export on a trial basis, with a limit imposed on the total volume of coal that was permitted to be exported during this trial period. The Company has experienced a continuous improvement in the volume of coal exported to China since March 28, 2020. During the period between April to December 2020, an aggregate of 2.4 million tonnes of coal was exported by the Company from Mongolia to China, as compared to an aggregate of 2.6 million tonnes of coal during the same period in the 2019 calendar year. The border closure had an adverse impact on the Companys sales and cash flows in the first and second quarter of 2020. In order to mitigate the financial impact of the border closures and preserve its working capital, the Company temporarily ceased major mining operations (including coal mining), reduced production to only coal-blending activities and placed approximately half of its workforce on furlough from February 2020. Since August 2, 2020, the Company has resumed its mining operations, which includes mining, blending and washing of coal. As at December 31, 2020, SGS employed 237 employees at the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine site (December 31, 2019: 383 employees). The Company produced 1.5 million tonnes from August to December 2020, as compared to 2.3 million tonnes from August to December 2019. There were a few COVID-19 cases reported in Ulaanbaatar (being the capital city of Mongolia) on November 11, 2020. As a result, the Mongolian local authorities have taken certain precautionary steps to minimize further transmission and announced a lockdown of Ulaanbaatar effective as of November 12, 2020. Although the Companys mining operations and the export of coal from Mongolia to China continues as of the date hereof, there can be no guarantee that the Company will be able to continue exporting coal to China, or the border crossings would not be the subject of additional closures as a result of COVID-19 in the future. The Company will continue to closely monitor the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has on coal exports to China and will react promptly to preserve the working capital of the Company. In the event that the Companys ability to export coal into the Chinese market becomes restricted or limited again as a result of any future restrictions which may be implemented at the Mongolian-Chinese border crossing, this is expected to have a material adverse effect on the business and operations of the Company and may negatively affect the price and volatility of the Common Shares and any investment in such shares could suffer a significant decline or total loss in value. China Investment Corporation (CIC) Convertible Debenture (CIC Convertible Debenture) On April 23, 2019, the Company executed a deferral agreement (the 2019 Deferral Agreement) with CIC in relation to a deferral and revised repayment schedule in respect of (i) $41.8 million of outstanding cash and payment in kind interest (PIK Interest) and associated costs due and payable to CIC on November 19, 2018 (the Outstanding Interest Payable) under the CIC Convertible Debenture and a deferral agreement executed with CIC on June 12, 2017 (the June 2017 Deferral Agreement); and (ii) $27.9 million of cash and PIK Interest payments payable to CIC under the CIC Convertible Debenture from April 23, 2019 to and including May 19, 2020 (the Deferral). Pursuant to Section 501(c) of the TSX Company Manual, the 2019 Deferral Agreement was approved at the Companys adjourned annual and special meeting of shareholders on June 13, 2019. The key repayment terms of the 2019 Deferral Agreement are: (i) the Company agreed to pay a total of $14.3 million over eight instalments from November 2019 to June 2020; (ii) the Company agreed to pay the PIK Interest covered by the Deferral by way of cash payments, rather than the issuance of Common Shares; and (iii) the Company agreed to pay the remaining balance of $62.6 million on June 20, 2020. The Company agreed to pay a deferral fee at a rate of 6.4% per annum in consideration of the deferred amounts. As a condition to agreeing to the Deferral, CIC required that the mutual co-operation agreement (the Cooperation Agreement) dated November 19, 2009 between SGS and CIC, be amended and restated (the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement) to clarify the manner in which the service fee (the Management Fee) payable to CIC under the Cooperation Agreement is calculated, with effect as of January 1, 2017. Specifically, the Management Fee under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement is determined based on the net revenues realized by the Company and all of its subsidiaries derived from sales into China (rather than the net revenues realized by the Company and its Mongolian subsidiaries as currently contemplated under the Cooperation Agreement). As consideration for deferring payment of the additional Management Fee payable to CIC as a result of the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay to CIC a deferral fee at the rate of 2.5% on the outstanding Management Fee. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay CIC the total outstanding Management Fee and related accrued deferral fee of $4.2 million over six instalments from June 2019 to November 2019. The Company executed the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement with CIC on April 23, 2019. Pursuant to their terms, both the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement became effective on June 13, 2019, being the date on which the 2019 Deferral Agreement was approved by shareholders at the Companys adjourned annual and special meeting of shareholders. In connection with the 2019 Deferral Agreement, the Company also announced that it intends to discuss a potential debt restructuring plan with respect to amounts owing to CIC which is mutually beneficial to the Company and CIC; and to form a special committee comprised of independent directors to ensure that the interests of its minority shareholders are fairly considered in the negotiation and review of any such restructuring; however, there can be no assurance that a favorable outcome will be reached. As of the date hereof, there has not been any significant progress in relations to the restructuring plan. On February 19, 2020, the Company and CIC entered into an agreement (the 2020 February Deferral Agreement) pursuant to which CIC agreed to grant the Company a deferral of: (i) deferred cash interest and deferral fees of $1.3 million and $2.0 million (collectively, the 2020 February Deferral Amounts) which were due and payable to CIC on January 19, 2020 and February 19, 2020, respectively, under the 2019 Deferral Agreement; and (ii) approximately $0.7 million of the Management Fee which was due and payable on February 14, 2020 to CIC under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. The 2020 February Deferral Agreement became effective on March 10, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. The principal terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement are as follows: On April 23, 2019, the Company executed a deferral agreement (the 2019 Deferral Agreement) with CIC in relation to a deferral and revised repayment schedule in respect of (i) $41.8 million of outstanding cash and payment in kind interest (PIK Interest) and associated costs due and payable to CIC on November 19, 2018 (the Outstanding Interest Payable) under the CIC Convertible Debenture and a deferral agreement executed with CIC on June 12, 2017 (the June 2017 Deferral Agreement); and (ii) $27.9 million of cash and PIK Interest payments payable to CIC under the CIC Convertible Debenture from April 23, 2019 to and including May 19, 2020 (the Deferral). Pursuant to Section 501(c) of the TSX Company Manual, the 2019 Deferral Agreement was approved at the Companys adjourned annual and special meeting of shareholders on June 13, 2019. The key repayment terms of the 2019 Deferral Agreement are: (i) the Company agreed to pay a total of $14.3 million over eight instalments from November 2019 to June 2020; (ii) the Company agreed to pay the PIK Interest covered by the Deferral by way of cash payments, rather than the issuance of Common Shares; and (iii) the Company agreed to pay the remaining balance of $62.6 million on June 20, 2020. The Company agreed to pay a deferral fee at a rate of 6.4% per annum in consideration of the deferred amounts. As a condition to agreeing to the Deferral, CIC required that the mutual co-operation agreement (the Cooperation Agreement) dated November 19, 2009 between SGS and CIC, be amended and restated (the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement) to clarify the manner in which the service fee (the Management Fee) payable to CIC under the Cooperation Agreement is calculated, with effect as of January 1, 2017. Specifically, the Management Fee under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement is determined based on the net revenues realized by the Company and all of its subsidiaries derived from sales into China (rather than the net revenues realized by the Company and its Mongolian subsidiaries as currently contemplated under the Cooperation Agreement). As consideration for deferring payment of the additional Management Fee payable to CIC as a result of the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay to CIC a deferral fee at the rate of 2.5% on the outstanding Management Fee. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay CIC the total outstanding Management Fee and related accrued deferral fee of $4.2 million over six instalments from June 2019 to November 2019. The Company executed the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement with CIC on April 23, 2019. Pursuant to their terms, both the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement became effective on June 13, 2019, being the date on which the 2019 Deferral Agreement was approved by shareholders at the Companys adjourned annual and special meeting of shareholders. In connection with the 2019 Deferral Agreement, the Company also announced that it intends to discuss a potential debt restructuring plan with respect to amounts owing to CIC which is mutually beneficial to the Company and CIC; and to form a special committee comprised of independent directors to ensure that the interests of its minority shareholders are fairly considered in the negotiation and review of any such restructuring; however, there can be no assurance that a favorable outcome will be reached. As of the date hereof, there has not been any significant progress in relations to the restructuring plan. On February 19, 2020, the Company and CIC entered into an agreement (the 2020 February Deferral Agreement) pursuant to which CIC agreed to grant the Company a deferral of: (i) deferred cash interest and deferral fees of $1.3 million and $2.0 million (collectively, the 2020 February Deferral Amounts) which were due and payable to CIC on January 19, 2020 and February 19, 2020, respectively, under the 2019 Deferral Agreement; and (ii) approximately $0.7 million of the Management Fee which was due and payable on February 14, 2020 to CIC under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. The 2020 February Deferral Agreement became effective on March 10, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. The principal terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement are as follows: Payment of the 2020 February Deferral Amounts will be deferred until June 20, 2020, while the Management Fee will be deferred until they are repaid by the Company. As consideration for the deferral of these amounts, the Company agreed to pay CIC: (i) a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 February Deferral Amounts, commencing on the date on which each such 2020 February Deferral Amounts would otherwise have been due and payable under the 2019 Deferral Agreement; and (ii) a deferral fee equal to 2.5% per annum on the Management Fee, commencing on the date on which the Management Fee would otherwise have been due and payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. The Company agreed to provide CIC with monthly updates regarding its operational and financial affairs. As the Company anticipated prior to agreeing to the 2020 February Deferral Agreement that a deferral was likely required in respect of the monthly payments due and payable in the period between April 2020 and June 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company and CIC agreed to discuss in good faith a deferral of these payments on a monthly basis as they become due. The Company agreed to comply with all of its obligations under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, as amended by the 2020 February Deferral Agreement. The Company and CIC agreed that nothing in the 2020 February Deferral Agreement prejudices CICs rights to pursue any of its remedies at any time pursuant to the 2019 Deferral Agreement and Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, respectively. On March 10, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 March Deferral Agreement) that the $2.0 million of deferred cash interest and deferral fees which were due and payable to CIC on March 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement (the 2020 March Deferral Amount) will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 March Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 March Deferral Amount, commencing on March 19, 2020. The 2020 March Deferral Agreement became effective on March 25, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 March Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On April 10, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 April Deferral Agreement) that the $2.0 million of deferred cash interest and deferral fees which were due and payable to CIC on April 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement (the 2020 April Deferral Amount) will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 April Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 April Deferral Amount, commencing on April 19, 2020. The 2020 April Deferral Agreement became effective on April 29, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 April Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On May 8, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 May Deferral Agreement) that the deferred cash interest and deferral fees of $2.0 million which were due and payable to CIC on May 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement; and approximately $0.2 million of Management Fees which were due and payable on May 15, 2020 to CIC under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement (collectively, the 2020 May Deferral Amount) will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 May Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the deferred cash interest and deferral fees commencing on May 19, 2020 and a deferral fee equal to 2.5% per annum on the deferred Management Fees commencing on May 15, 2020. The 2020 May Deferral Agreement became effective on June 8, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 May Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On June 19, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 June Deferral Agreement) that the deferred cash interest and deferral fees in the aggregate amount of approximately $74.0 million (the 2020 June Deferral Amount) which were due and payable to CIC on June 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the prior deferral agreements entered into during the period between February to May 2020 will be deferred until September 14, 2020. The terms of the 2020 June Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 June Deferral Amount commencing on June 19, 2020. The 2020 June Deferral Agreement became effective on July 17, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 June Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On November 19, 2020, the Company and CIC entered into an agreement (the 2020 November Deferral Agreement) pursuant to which CIC agreed to grant the Company a deferral of: (i) deferred cash interest and deferral fees of approximately $75.2 million which were due and payable to CIC on or before September 14, 2020, under the 2020 June Deferral Agreement; (ii) semi-annual cash interest payments in the aggregate amount of $16.0 million payable to CIC on November 19, 2020 and May 19, 2021; (iii) $4.0 million worth of PIK Interest shares (2020 November PIK Interest) issuable to CIC on November 19, 2020 under the CIC Convertible Debenture; and (iv) the Management Fee which payable to CIC on November 14, 2020, February 14, 2021, May 15, 2021, August 14, 2021 and November 14, 2021 under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement (collectively, the 2020 November Deferral Amounts). The effectiveness of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement and the respective covenants, agreements and obligations of each party under the 2020 November Deferral Agreement are subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement from the Companys shareholders in accordance with applicable TSX rules. On October 29, 2020, the Company obtained an order from the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC), the Companys principal securities regulator in Canada, which partially revoked the CTO (as defined below) to, amongst other things, permit the Company to execute the 2020 November Deferral Agreement. The principal terms of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement are as follows: On March 10, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 March Deferral Agreement) that the $2.0 million of deferred cash interest and deferral fees which were due and payable to CIC on March 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement (the 2020 March Deferral Amount) will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 March Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 March Deferral Amount, commencing on March 19, 2020. The 2020 March Deferral Agreement became effective on March 25, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 March Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On April 10, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 April Deferral Agreement) that the $2.0 million of deferred cash interest and deferral fees which were due and payable to CIC on April 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement (the 2020 April Deferral Amount) will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 April Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 April Deferral Amount, commencing on April 19, 2020. The 2020 April Deferral Agreement became effective on April 29, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 April Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On May 8, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 May Deferral Agreement) that the deferred cash interest and deferral fees of $2.0 million which were due and payable to CIC on May 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement; and approximately $0.2 million of Management Fees which were due and payable on May 15, 2020 to CIC under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement (collectively, the 2020 May Deferral Amount) will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 May Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the deferred cash interest and deferral fees commencing on May 19, 2020 and a deferral fee equal to 2.5% per annum on the deferred Management Fees commencing on May 15, 2020. The 2020 May Deferral Agreement became effective on June 8, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 May Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On June 19, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC (the 2020 June Deferral Agreement) that the deferred cash interest and deferral fees in the aggregate amount of approximately $74.0 million (the 2020 June Deferral Amount) which were due and payable to CIC on June 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the prior deferral agreements entered into during the period between February to May 2020 will be deferred until September 14, 2020. The terms of the 2020 June Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 June Deferral Amount commencing on June 19, 2020. The 2020 June Deferral Agreement became effective on July 17, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 June Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On November 19, 2020, the Company and CIC entered into an agreement (the 2020 November Deferral Agreement) pursuant to which CIC agreed to grant the Company a deferral of: (i) deferred cash interest and deferral fees of approximately $75.2 million which were due and payable to CIC on or before September 14, 2020, under the 2020 June Deferral Agreement; (ii) semi-annual cash interest payments in the aggregate amount of $16.0 million payable to CIC on November 19, 2020 and May 19, 2021; (iii) $4.0 million worth of PIK Interest shares (2020 November PIK Interest) issuable to CIC on November 19, 2020 under the CIC Convertible Debenture; and (iv) the Management Fee which payable to CIC on November 14, 2020, February 14, 2021, May 15, 2021, August 14, 2021 and November 14, 2021 under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement (collectively, the 2020 November Deferral Amounts). The effectiveness of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement and the respective covenants, agreements and obligations of each party under the 2020 November Deferral Agreement are subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement from the Companys shareholders in accordance with applicable TSX rules. On October 29, 2020, the Company obtained an order from the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC), the Companys principal securities regulator in Canada, which partially revoked the CTO (as defined below) to, amongst other things, permit the Company to execute the 2020 November Deferral Agreement. The principal terms of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement are as follows: Payment of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts will be deferred until August 31, 2023. CIC agreed to waive its rights arising from any default or event of default under the CIC Convertible Debenture as a result of trading in the Common Shares being halted on the TSX beginning as of June 19, 2020 and suspended on the HKEX beginning as of August 17, 2020, in each case for a period of more than five trading days. As consideration for the deferral of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts, the Company agreed to pay CIC: (i) a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 November Deferral Amounts payable under the CIC Convertible Debenture and the 2020 June Deferral Agreement, commencing on the date on which each such 2020 November Deferral Amount would otherwise have been due and payable under the CIC Convertible Debenture or the 2020 June Deferral Agreement, as applicable; and (ii) a deferral fee equal to 2.5% per annum on the 2020 November Deferral Amounts payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, commencing on the date on which the Management Fee would otherwise have been due and payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. The 2020 November Deferral Agreement does not contemplate a fixed repayment schedule for the 2020 November Deferral Amounts and related deferral fees. Instead, the Company and CIC would agree to assess in good faith the Companys financial condition and working capital position on a monthly basis and determine the amount, if any, of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts and related deferral fees that the Company is able to repay under the CIC Convertible Debenture, the 2020 June Deferral Agreement or the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, having regard to the working capital requirements of the Companys operations and business at such time and with the view of ensuring that the Companys operations and business would not be materially prejudiced as a result of any repayment. Commencing as of November 19, 2020 and until such time as the November 2020 PIK Interest is fully repaid, CIC reserves the right to require the Company to pay and satisfy the amount of the November 2020 PIK Interest, either in full or in part, by way of issuing and delivering PIK interest shares in accordance with the CIC Convertible Debenture provided that, on the date of issuance of such shares, the Common Shares are listed and trading on at least one stock exchange. If at any time before the 2020 November Deferral Amounts and related deferral fees are fully repaid, the Company proposes to appoint, replace or terminate one or more of its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer or any other senior executive(s) in charge of its principal business function or its principal subsidiary, then the Company must first consult with, and obtain written consent from CIC prior to effecting such appointment, replacement or termination. Until such time as the 2020 November Deferral Agreement is approved by the Companys shareholders and the deferral and waiver thereunder in favour of the Company become effective, the Company remains in default under the CIC Convertible Debenture and 2020 June Deferral Agreement and CIC may declare the amounts owing thereunder immediately due and payable, and may take steps to enforce payment thereof, which would have a material adverse effect on the business and operations of the Company and could negatively affect the price and volatility of the Common Shares and any investment in such shares could suffer a significant decline or total loss in value. Cease Trade Order and Halt Trading on TSX On June 19, 2020, the BCSC issued a general failure to file cease trade order (CTO), to prohibit the trading by any person of any securities of the Company in Canada. Trading in the Common Shares on the TSX was halted as a result of the CTO. The CTO was issued as of result of the Companys failure to file: (i) its annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the accompanying Managements Discussion & Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A); (ii) its Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2019; and (iii) its condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 and accompanying Managements Discussion & Analysis, in each case prior to the filing deadline of June 15, 2020. The CTO will remain in effect until such time as the Company makes a successful application to the BCSC to have the CTO revoked. While the Company is taking such actions as it considers necessary in order to remedy its filing defaults as soon as possible, there can be no assurance that the Company will have the CTO lifted in a timely manner or at all. For so long as the CTO remains in effect, it will have a significant adverse impact on the liquidity of the Common Shares and shareholders may suffer a significant decline or total loss in value of its investment in the Common Shares as a result. Suspension of Trading on HKEX At the request of the Company, trading in the shares of the Company on the HKEX was suspended with effect as of August 17, 2020 pending the publication of the audited annual results of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2019. On September 2, 2020, the Company received a letter from the HKEX setting out the following resumption guidance for the resumption of trading in the Common Shares on the HKEX (the Resumption Guidance): (i) publish all outstanding financial results and address any audit modifications; (ii) inform the market of all material information for the Companys shareholders and investors to appraise its position; and (iii) announce quarterly updates on the Companys developments under Rules 13.24A of the HKEXs Listing Rules, including, amongst other relevant matters, its business operations, its resumption plan and the progress of implementation. On September 30, 2020, the Company was notified by the HKEX of the following additional condition which must be satisfied in order for trading in the Common Shares on the HKEX to resume: resolve issues arising from the CTO and/or the TSX Delisting Review (as defined below), or take steps to the satisfaction of the HKEX that the Company will be eligible for a primary listing on the HKEX. On December 8, 2020, the Company was notified by the HKEX of the following additional condition which must be satisfied in order for trading in the Common Shares on the HKEX to resume: demonstrate compliance with Rule 13.24 of the HKEX listing rules which requires that an issuer carry out a business with a sufficient level of operations and assets of sufficient value to support its operations to warrant the continued listing of the issuer's securities. If the Company fails to remedy the issues causing its trading suspension, fully comply with the Listing Rules to the HKEXs satisfaction and resume trading in its shares on the HKEX by February 16, 2022, the HKEXs Listing Division will recommend to the HKEXs Listing Committee that it proceed with the cancellation of the Companys HKEX listing. Under Rules 6.01 and 6.10 of the Listing Rules, the HKEX also has the right to impose a shorter specific remedial period, where appropriate. TSX Delisting Review On September 11, 2020, the TSX notified the Company that it is reviewing the eligibility for continued listing of the Common Shares on the TSX pursuant to the TSXs Remedial Review Process (TSX Delisting Review). On December 16, 2020, the TSX accepted the Companys request for a 60 day extension of the TSX Delisting Review process and the Company has been granted until February 16, 2021 to remedy the following delisting criteria, as well as any other delisting criteria that become applicable during the Remedial Review Process: (i) financial condition and/or operating results; (ii) adequate working capital and appropriate capital structure; and (iii) disclosure issues (collectively, the Delisting Criteria). The TSX Continued Listing Committee has scheduled a meeting to be held on February 11, 2021 to consider whether or not to suspend trading in and delist the Common Shares on the TSX. If the Company fails to demonstrate to the TSX that it has remedied the Delisting Criteria on or before February 16, 2021, the Common Shares will be delisted from the TSX 30 days from such date. Changes in Directors Mr. Xiaoxiao Li: Mr. Li resigned as a non-executive director on November 13, 2020. Ms. Ka Lee Ku: Ms. Ku was appointed as a non-executive director on December 9, 2020. Going Concern Several adverse conditions and material uncertainties relating to the Company cast significant doubt upon the going concern assumption which includes the deficiencies in assets and working capital. See section Liquidity and Capital Resources of this press release for details. OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONAL DATA AND FINANCIAL RESULTS Summary of Operational Data Three months ended Nine months ended September 30, September 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Sales Volumes, Prices and Costs Premium semi-soft coking coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.35 0.05 0.63 0.28 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 30.17 $ 31.49 $ 29.48 $ 38.27 Standard semi-soft coking coal/ premium thermal coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.54 0.51 0.93 1.95 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 30.80 $ 31.67 $ 31.71 $ 33.87 Standard thermal coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) - - - 0.09 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ - $ - $ - $ 29.43 Washed coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.10 0.25 0.12 0.43 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 41.30 $ 42.37 $ 41.64 $ 43.10 Total Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.99 0.81 1.68 2.75 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 31.63 $ 34.98 $ 31.58 $ 35.54 Raw coal production (millions of tonnes) 0.52 1.21 0.53 3.57 Cost of sales of product sold (per tonne) $ 20.23 $ 19.16 $ 21.70 $ 22.17 Direct cash costs of product sold (per tonne) (i) $ 12.38 $ 18.03 $ 11.57 $ 15.03 Mine administration cash costs of product sold (per tonne) (i) $ 1.15 $ 1.09 $ 1.47 $ 1.26 Total cash costs of product sold (per tonne) (i) $ 13.53 $ 19.12 $ 13.04 $ 16.29 Other Operational Data Production waste material moved (millions of bank cubic meters) 1.67 4.36 2.24 14.61 Strip ratio (bank cubic meters of waste material per tonne of coal produced) 3.20 3.61 4.24 4.09 Lost time injury frequency rate (ii) - 0.08 0.04 0.05 (i) A Non-International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) financial measure, which does not have a standardized meaning according to IFRS. See Non-IFRS Financial Measures section. Cash costs of product sold exclude idled mine asset cash costs. (ii) Per 200,000 man hours and calculated based on a rolling 12 month average. Overview of Operational Data For the three months ended September 30, 2020 The Company ended the third quarter of 2020 without a lost time injury. For the three months ended September 30, 2019, the Company had a lost time injury frequency rate of 0.08 per 200,000 man hours. The average selling price of coal decreased from $35.0 per tonne in the third quarter of 2019 to $31.6 per tonne in the third quarter of 2020 as a result of a higher portion of sales made at the mine gate instead of transporting the coal to the Companys Inner Mongolia subsidiary and selling to third party customers within China. The product mix for the third quarter of 2020 consisted of approximately 35% of premium semi-soft coking coal, 55% of standard semi-soft coking coal/premium thermal coal and 10% of washed coal compared to approximately 6% of premium semi-soft coking coal, 63% of standard semi-soft coking coal/premium thermal coal and 31% of washed coal in the third quarter of 2019. The Company sold 1.0 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2020 as compared to 0.8 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2019. The Companys production in the third quarter of 2020 was lower than the third quarter of 2019 as a result of the temporary cessation of the Companys major mining operations (including coal mining) which took effect in February 2020 for the purpose of mitigating the financial impact of the border closures and preserving the Companys working capital, yielding 0.5 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2020 as compared to 1.2 million tonnes for the third quarter of 2019. The Companys unit cost of sales of product sold for the third quarter of 2020 was $20.2 per tonne, which is similar to $ 19.2 per tonne for the third quarter of 2019. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 The Company sold 1.7 million tonnes for the first nine months of 2020 as compared to 2.8 million tonnes for the first nine months of 2019 due to suspension of coal exports to China beginning as of February 11, 2020 as a result of the closure of Mongolias southern border with China in order to prevent of the spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent export volume limitation imposed following the reopening of the Mongolian-Chinese border on a trial basis on March 28, 2020. The average selling price decreased from $35.5 per tonne for the first nine months of 2019 to $31.6 per tonne for the first nine months of 2020. The decrease was mainly driven by a higher portion of sales made at the mine gate instead of transporting the coal to the Companys Inner Mongolia subsidiary and selling to third party customers within China during the first nine months of 2020. The Companys production in the first nine months of 2020 was much lower than the first nine months of 2019 as a result of the temporary cessation of the Companys major mining operations (including coal mining) which took effect in February 2020 for the purpose of mitigating the financial impact of the border closures and preserving the Companys working capital. The Companys unit cost of sales of product sold for the first nine months of 2020 was $21.7 per tonne, which is similar to the first nine months of 2019. Summary of Financial Results Three months ended Nine months ended September 30, September 30, $ in thousands, except per share information 2020 2019 2020 2019 Revenue (i) $ 30,960 $ 28,309 $ 52,072 $ 97,599 Cost of sales (i) (20,027 ) (15,518 ) (36,464 ) (60,954 ) Gross profit excluding idled mine asset costs (ii) 11,789 13,664 19,537 39,339 Gross profit 10,933 12,791 15,608 36,645 Other operating expenses (575 ) (1,245 ) (5,255 ) (3,992 ) Administration expenses (1,789 ) (2,074 ) (4,851 ) (8,061 ) Evaluation and exploration expenses (63 ) (22 ) (171 ) (70 ) Profit from operations 8,506 9,450 5,331 24,522 Finance costs (9,885 ) (7,184 ) (24,250 ) (20,915 ) Finance income 2,583 68 2,600 4,381 Share of earnings of a joint venture 660 277 882 1,104 Income tax expense (793 ) (468 ) (2,425 ) (2,708 ) Net profit/(loss) attributable to equity holders of the Company 1,071 2,143 (17,862 ) 6,384 Basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share $ - $ 0.01 $ (0.07 ) $ 0.02 (i) Revenue and cost of sales relate to the Companys Ovoot Tolgoi Mine within the Coal Division operating segment. Refer to note 3 of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for further analysis regarding the Companys reportable operating segments. Royalties have been reclassified from revenue to cost of sales. (ii) A non-IFRS financial measure, idled mine asset costs represents the depreciation expense relates to the Companys idled plant and equipment. Overview of Financial Results For the three months ended September 30, 2020 The Company recorded a gross profit of $10.9 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $12.8 million in the third quarter of 2019 while a $1.1 million net profit was recorded in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $2.1 million in the third quarter of 2019. The financial results were impacted by the reduced gross profit as a result of a lower average selling price achieved during the quarter. Revenue was $31.0 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $28.3 million in the third quarter of 2019. The Companys effective royalty rate for the third quarter of 2020, based on the Companys average realized selling price of $31.6 per tonne, was 11.1% or $3.5 per tonne, compared to 8.2% or $2.9 per tonne in the third quarter of 2019 (based on the average realized selling price of $35.0 per tonne in the third quarter of 2019). Royalty regime in Mongolia The royalty regime in Mongolia is evolving and has been subject to change since 2012. On February 1, 2016, the Government of Mongolia issued a resolution in connection with the royalty regime. From February 1, 2016 onwards, royalties are to be calculated based on the actual contract price including transportation costs to the Mongolia border. If such transportation costs have not been included in the contract, the relevant transportation costs, customs documentation fees, insurance and loading costs should be estimated for the calculation of royalties. In the event that the calculated sales price as described above differs from the contract sales price of other entities in Mongolia (same quality of coal and same border crossing) by more than 10%, the calculated sales price will be deemed to be non-market under Mongolian tax law and the royalty will then be calculated based on a reference price as determined by the Government of Mongolia. On September 4, 2019, the Government of Mongolia issued a further resolution in connection with the royalty regime. From September 1, 2019 onwards, in the event that the contract sales price is less than the reference price as determined by the Government of Mongolia by more than 30%, then the royalty payable will be calculated based on the Mongolian governments reference price instead of the contract sales price. See the section entitled Risk Factors Risk Relating to the Companys Projects in Mongolia in the Companys MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2019, a copy of which is available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Cost of sales was $20.0 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $15.5 million in the third quarter of 2019. The increase in cost of sales was mainly due to the increased sales during the quarter as well as the reversal of impairment of coal stockpile inventories of $5.3 million for the third quarter of 2019. Cost of sales consists of operating expenses, share-based compensation expense, equipment depreciation, depletion of mineral properties, royalties, coal stockpile inventory impairment and idled mine asset costs. Operating expenses in cost of sales reflect the total cash costs of product sold (a Non-IFRS financial measure, see section Non-IFRS financial measure for further analysis) during the quarter. Three months ended September 30, $ in thousands 2020 2019 Operating expenses $ 13,390 $ 15,485 Share-based compensation expense 4 2 Depreciation and depletion 2,297 2,121 Royalties 3,480 2,326 Reversal of impairment of coal stockpile inventories - (5,289) Cost of sales from mine operations 19,171 14,645 Cost of sales related to idled mine assets 856 873 Cost of sales $ 20,027 $ 15,518 Operating expenses in cost of sales were $13.4 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $15.5 million in the third quarter of 2019. The overall decrease in operating expenses was primarily due to the net effect of: (i) increased sales volume from 0.8 million tonnes in the third quarter of 2019 to 1.0 million tonnes in the third quarter of 2020; (ii) lower inventory carrying costs given less deferred stripping cost was capitalized for the third quarter of 2020; and (iii) the Companys product mix changing in the third quarter of 2020 (as compared to the third quarter of 2019) to be comprised of inventory with lower carrying cost. Cost of sales in the third quarter of 2019 included a reversal of impairment of coal stockpile inventories of $5.3 million, to increase the carrying value of the Companys coal stockpiles to the lower of the cost and the net realizable value. The reversal of impairment of coal stockpile inventories recorded in the third quarter of 2019 reflected the enhancement in the wash plant capacity and its continuous operation at the expected level. Cost of sales related to idled mine assets in the third quarter of 2020 included $0.9 million related to depreciation expenses for idled equipment (third quarter of 2019: $0.9 million). Other operating expenses was $0.6 million in the third quarter of 2020 (third quarter of 2019: $1.2 million). Other operating expenses in the third quarter of 2020 included a reversal of a provision for doubtful trade and other receivables of $0.5 million, which represents subsequent collection of the trade receivables which has been provided for in previous quarters. Three months ended September 30, $ in thousands 2020 2019 CIC management fee $ (864) $ (1,175) Reversal of provision/(provision) for doubtful trade and other receivables 482 (344) Foreign exchange gain/(loss) (113) 477 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment (80) - Provision for commercial arbitration - (180) Loss on disposal of properties for resale - (23) Other operating expenses $ (575) $ (1,245) Administration expenses were $1.8 million in the third quarter of 2020 as compared to $2.1 million in the third quarter of 2019, as follows: $ in thousands Three months ended September 30, 2020 2019 Corporate administration $ 394 $ 457 Professional fees 395 365 Salaries and benefits 781 1,084 Share-based compensation expense 15 7 Depreciation 204 161 Administration expenses $ 1,789 $ 2,074 The decrease was mainly due to the decrease in salaries and benefits incurred during the third quarter of 2020. The Company continued to minimize evaluation and exploration expenditures in the third quarter of 2020 in order to preserve the Companys financial resources. Evaluation and exploration activities and expenditures in the third quarter of 2020 were limited to ensuring that the Company met the Mongolian Minerals Law requirements in respect of its mining licenses. Finance costs were $9.9 million and $7.2 million in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019 respectively, which primarily consisted of interest expense on the $250.0 million CIC Convertible Debenture. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 The Company recorded a $5.3 million profit from operations in the first nine months of 2020 compared to $24.5 million in the first nine months of 2019. The financial results were impacted by (i) the decreased sales resulting from the suspension of coal exports to China beginning as of February 11, 2020 as a result of the closure of Mongolias southern border with China in order to prevent of the spread of COVID-19 and the subsequent export volume limitation imposed following the re-opening of the Mongolian-Chinese border on a trial basis on March 28, 2020.; and (ii) the provision for commercial arbitration of $4.6 million recorded in connection with the Company the entering into a settlement agreement with First Concept Industrial Group Limited (First Concept) on June 7, 2020. Revenue was $52.1 million in the first nine months of 2020 compared to $97.6 million in the first nine months of 2019. The Companys effective royalty rate for the first nine months of 2020, based on the Companys average realized selling price of $31.6 per tonne, was 12.2% or $3.9 per tonne, compared to 7.1% or $2.5 per tonne in the first nine months of 2019 (based on the average realized selling price of $35.5 per tonne for the first nine months of 2019). Cost of sales was $36.5 million in the first nine months of 2020 compared to $61.0 million in the first nine months of 2019 as follows: Nine months ended September 30, $ in thousands 2020 2019 Operating expenses $ 21,912 $ 44,794 Share-based compensation expense 23 7 Depreciation and depletion 4,163 8,379 Royalties 6,437 6,903 Reversal of impairment of coal stockpile inventories - (1,823) Cost of sales from mine operations 32,535 58,260 Cost of sales related to idled mine assets 3,929 2,694 Cost of sales $ 36,464 $ 60,954 Operating expenses in cost of sales were $21.9 million in the first nine months of 2020 compared to $44.8 million in the first nine months of 2019. The overall decrease in operating expenses was primarily due to the decreased sales volume from 2.8 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2019 to 1.7 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2020. Cost of sales related to idled mine assets in the first nine months of 2020 included $3.9 million related to depreciation expenses for idled equipment (first nine months of 2019: $2.7 million). Cost of sales in the first nine months of 2019 included a reversal of impairment of coal stockpile inventories of $1.8 million. The reversal of impairment of coal stockpile inventories reflected the enhancement in the wash plant capacity and its continuous operation at the expected level. Other operating expenses was $5.3 million in the first nine months of 2020 (first nine months of 2019: $4.0 million). The increase was mainly due to the net effect of (i) provision for commercial arbitration of $4.6 million upon the entering of settlement agreement with First Concept; and (ii) decrease in CIC management fee as a result of reduced sales volume. Nine months ended September 30, $ in thousands 2020 2019 Provision for commercial arbitration $ (4,634) $ (406) CIC management fee (1,399) (3,355) Reversal of provision/(provision) for doubtful trade and other receivables 200 (441) Foreign exchange gain 639 478 Gain/(loss) on disposal of property, plant and equipment (61) 29 Provision for prepaid expenses and deposits - (260) Loss on disposal of properties for resale - (37) Other operating expenses $ (5,255) $ (3,992) Administration expenses were $4.9 million in the first nine months of 2020 compared to $8.1 million in the first nine months of 2019 as follows: Nine months ended September 30, $ in thousands 2020 2019 Corporate administration $ 842 $ 1,555 Professional fees 944 2,668 Salaries and benefits 2,448 3,315 Share-based compensation expense 84 30 Depreciation 533 493 Administration expenses $ 4,851 $ 8,061 Administration expenses were lower for the first nine months of 2020 compared to the first nine months of 2019 primarily due to decrease in professional fees incurred. The Company continued to minimize evaluation and exploration expenditures in the first nine months of 2020 in order to preserve the Companys financial resources. Evaluation and exploration activities and expenditures in the first nine months of 2020 were limited to ensuring that the Company met the Mongolian Minerals Law requirements in respect of its mining licenses. Finance costs were $24.3 million and $20.9 million in the first nine months of 2020 and 2019 respectively, which primarily consisted of interest expense on the $250.0 million CIC Convertible Debenture. Summary of Quarterly Operational Data 2020 2019 2018 Quarter Ended 30-Sep 30-Jun 31-Mar 31-Dec 30-Sep 30-Jun 31-Mar 31-Dec Sales Volumes, Prices and Costs Premium semi-soft coking coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.35 0.21 0.07 0.39 0.05 0.12 0.11 0.24 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 30.17 $ 28.69 $ 28.46 $ 29.18 $ 31.49 $ 32.72 $ 47.34 $ 47.37 Standard semi-soft coking coal/ premium thermal coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.54 0.26 0.13 0.40 0.51 0.59 0.85 0.40 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 30.80 $ 33.12 $ 32.71 $ 31.88 $ 31.67 $ 35.67 $ 33.34 $ 32.60 Standard thermal coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) - - - - - - 0.09 0.12 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 34.88 $ 24.26 Washed coal Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.10 0.02 - 0.20 0.25 0.17 0.01 0.15 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 41.30 $ 43.26 $ - $ 42.95 $ 42.37 $ 44.20 $ 45.07 $ 44.02 Total Coal sales (millions of tonnes) 0.99 0.49 0.20 0.99 0.81 0.88 1.06 0.91 Average realized selling price (per tonne) $ 31.63 $ 31.66 $ 31.18 $ 33.04 $ 34.98 $ 36.80 $ 34.91 $ 37.32 Raw coal production (millions of tonnes) 0.52 - 0.01 1.48 1.21 1.33 1.03 1.87 Cost of sales of product sold (per tonne) $ 20.23 $ 21.16 $ 30.36 $ 23.68 $ 19.16 $ 25.04 $ 22.08 $ 30.80 Direct cash costs of product sold (per tonne) (i) $ 12.38 $ 9.90 $ 11.69 $ 13.61 $ 18.03 $ 17.18 $ 10.82 $ 14.41 Mine administration cash costs of product sold (per tonne) (i) $ 1.15 $ 1.70 $ 2.50 $ 1.29 $ 1.09 $ 1.39 $ 1.41 $ 2.19 Total cash costs of product sold (per tonne) (i) $ 13.53 $ 11.60 $ 14.19 $ 14.90 $ 19.12 $ 18.57 $ 12.23 $ 16.60 Other Operational Data Production waste material moved (millions of bank cubic meters) 1.67 - 0.57 3.61 4.36 5.34 4.91 5.54 Strip ratio (bank cubic meters of waste material per tonne of coal produced) 3.20 - 85.08 2.44 3.61 4.01 4.76 2.97 Lost time injury frequency rate (ii) - 0.04 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.06 0.00 0.00 (i) A Non-IFRS financial measure. See Non-IFRS Financial Measures section. Cash costs of product sold exclude idled mine asset cash costs. (ii) Per 200,000 man hours and calculated based on a rolling 12 month average. Summary of Quarterly Financial Results The Companys consolidated financial statements are reported under IFRS issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (the IASB). The following table provides highlights, extracted from the Companys annual and interim consolidated financial statements, of quarterly results for the past eight quarters: $ in thousands, except per share information 2020 2019 2018 Quarter Ended 30-Sep 30-Jun 31-Mar 31-Dec 30-Sep 30-Jun 31-Mar 31-Dec Financial Results Revenue (i) $ 30,960 $ 14,975 $ 6,137 $ 32,113 $ 28,309 $ 32,479 $ 36,811 $ 33,814 Cost of sales (i) (20,027 ) (10,366 ) (6,071 ) (23,446 ) (15,518 ) (22,031 ) (23,405 ) (28,027 ) Gross profit excluding idled mine asset costs 11,789 6,286 1,462 9,971 13,664 11,318 14,357 7,305 Gross profit including idled mine asset costs 10,933 4,609 66 8,667 12,791 10,448 13,406 5,787 Other operating income/(expenses) (575 ) (5,150 ) 470 (1,589 ) (1,245 ) (2,333 ) (414 ) (2,921 ) Administration expenses (1,789 ) (1,291 ) (1,771 ) (1,386 ) (2,074 ) (2,878 ) (3,109 ) (1,583 ) Evaluation and exploration expenses (63 ) (52 ) (56 ) (382 ) (22 ) (23 ) (25 ) (36 ) Profit/(loss) from operations 8,506 (1,884 ) (1,291 ) 5,310 9,450 5,214 9,858 1,247 Finance costs (9,885 ) (7,258 ) (7,135 ) (7,095 ) (7,184 ) (7,001 ) (6,739 ) (10,899 ) Finance income 2,583 2 43 36 68 4,305 17 13 Share of earnings/(loss) of a joint venture 660 268 (46 ) 225 277 375 452 416 Income tax expense (793 ) (900 ) (732 ) (659 ) (468 ) (801 ) (1,439 ) (1,023 ) Net profit/(loss) 1,071 (9,772 ) (9,161 ) (2,183 ) 2,143 2,092 2,149 (10,246 ) Basic and diluted earnings/(loss) per share $ - $ (0.04 ) $ (0.03 ) $ (0.01 ) $ 0.01 $ 0.01 $ 0.01 $ (0.04 ) (i) Revenue and cost of sales relate to the Companys Ovoot Tolgoi Mine within the Coal Division operating segment. Refer to note 3 of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for further analysis regarding the Companys reportable operating segments. Royalties have been reclassified from revenue to cost of sales. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES Liquidity and Capital Management The Company has in place a planning, budgeting and forecasting process to help determine the funds required to support the Companys normal operations on an ongoing basis and its expansionary plans. Bank Loan On May 15, 2018, SGS obtained a bank loan (the 2018 Bank Loan) in the principal amount of $2.8 million from a Mongolian bank (the Bank) with the key commercial terms as follows: Maturity date set at 24 months from drawdown (subsequently extended for 12 months on May 18, 2020); Interest rate of 15% per annum and interest is payable monthly; and Certain items of property, plant and equipment were pledged as security for the 2018 Bank Loan. As at September 30, 2020, the net carrying amount of the pledged items of property, plant and equipment was $0.1 million (December 31, 2019: $0.4 million). As at September 30, 2020, the outstanding principal balance of the 2018 Bank Loan was $2.8 million (December 31, 2019: $2.8 million) and the accrued interest owed by the Company was negligible (December 31, 2019: negligible). Costs reimbursable to Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd (Turquoise Hill) Prior to the completion of a private placement with Novel Sunrise Investments Limited (Novel Sunrise) on April 23, 2015, Rio Tinto plc (Rio Tinto) was the Companys ultimate parent company. In the past, Rio Tinto sought reimbursement from the Company for the salaries and benefits of certain Rio Tinto employees who were assigned by Rio Tinto to work for the Company, as well as certain legal and professional fees incurred by Rio Tinto in relation to the Companys prior internal investigation and Rio Tintos participation in the tripartite committee. Subsequently Rio Tinto transferred and assigned to Turquoise Hill its right to seek reimbursement for these costs and fees from the Company. As at September 30, 2020, the amount of reimbursable costs and fees claimed by Turquoise Hill (the TRQ Reimbursable Amount) amounted to $8.1 million (such amount is included in the trade and other payables). On October 12, 2016, the Company received a letter from Turquoise Hill, which proposed an arrangement for regular payments of the outstanding TRQ Reimbursable Amount. On November 12, 2020, the Company received communication from Turquoise Hill advising that Turquoise Hill wishes to re-engage in discussions with the Company regarding a repayment plan for the outstanding TRQ Reimbursable Amount. No agreement on repayment has been reached between the Company and Turquoise Hill as of the date of this press release. Going concern considerations The Companys condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which assumes that the Company will continue operating until at least September 30, 2021 and will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of operations as they come due. However, in order to continue as a going concern, the Company must generate sufficient operating cash flow, secure additional capital or otherwise pursue a strategic restructuring, refinancing or other transactions to provide it with additional liquidity. Several adverse conditions and material uncertainties cast significant doubt upon the Companys ability to continue as a going concern and the going concern assumption used in the preparation of the Companys condensed consolidated interim financial statements. The Company had a deficiency in assets of $73.3 million as at September 30, 2020 compared to a deficiency in assets of $49.2 million as at December 31, 2019 while the working capital deficiency (excess current liabilities over current assets) reached $217.0 million as at September 30, 2020 compared to a working capital deficiency of $114.7 million as at December 31, 2019. Included in the working capital deficiency as at September 30, 2020 are significant obligations, which include the interest amounting to $84.8 million in relation to the 2019 Deferral Agreement, the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, the 2020 March Deferral Agreement, the 2020 April Deferral Agreement, the 2020 May Deferral Agreement, the 2020 June Deferral Agreement and the 2020 November Deferral Agreement. In addition, the Common Shares have been suspended from trading since June 19, 2020 on the TSX and August 17, 2020 on the HKEX. As of the date hereof, certain conditions of the Resumption Guidance, including but not limited to the issuance of the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2019, have been fulfilled. However, if the Common Shares become delisted from either the TSX or the HKEX, this would be an event of default under the CIC Convertible Debenture, which could result in the automatic termination of the deferral periods under the 2020 November Deferral Agreement and the acceleration of all principal, interest and other amounts owing under the CIC Convertible Debenture and the 2020 November Deferral Agreement becoming immediately due and payable, in each case without the necessity of any demand upon or notice to the Company by CIC. The Company also has other current liabilities, including trade and other payables of $77.6 million and interest payable under the CIC Convertible Debenture of $84.8 million as at September 30, 2020. Out of trade and other payables, which require settlement in the short-term, are unpaid taxes of $32.7 million that are repayable on demand by SGS to the Mongolian Tax Authority (MTA). The Company may not be able to settle all trade and other payables on a timely basis, and as a result any continuing postponement in settling certain trade payables owed to suppliers and creditors may impact the mining operations of the Company and result in potential lawsuits and/or bankruptcy proceedings being filed against the Company. Except as disclosed elsewhere in this press release, no such lawsuits or proceedings are pending as at January 4, 2021. Further, the Company was informed that effective as of February 11, 2020, the Mongolian State Emergency Commission closed Mongolias southern border with China in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Accordingly, the Company had suspended coal exports to China since February 11, 2020 as a result of the border closure and the closure remained in effect until March 27, 2020. On March 28, 2020, the Mongolian-Chinese border was re-opened for coal export on a trial basis, with a limit imposed on the total volume of coal that was permitted to be exported during this trial period. The Company has experienced a continuous improvement in the volume of coal exported to China since March 28, 2020. During the period between April to December 2020, an aggregate of 2.4 million tonnes of coal was exported by the Company from Mongolia to China, as compared to an aggregate of 2.6 million tonnes of coal during the same period in the 2019 calendar year. The border closure had an adverse impact on the Companys sales and cash flows in the first and second quarter of 2020. In order to mitigate the financial impact of the border closures and preserve its working capital, the Company temporarily ceased major mining operations (including coal mining), reduced production to only coal-blending activities and placed approximately half of its workforce on furlough from February 2020. Since August 2, 2020, the Company has resumed its mining operations, which includes mining, blending and washing of coal. As at December 31, 2020, SGS employed 237 employees at the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine site (December 31, 2019: 383 employees). The Company produced 1.5 million tonnes from August to December 2020, as compared to 2.3 million tonnes from August to December 2019. There were a few COVID-19 cases reported in Ulaanbaatar (being the capital city of Mongolia) on November 11, 2020. As a result, the Mongolian local authorities have taken certain precautionary steps to minimize further transmissions and announced a lockdown of Ulaanbaatar effective as of November 12, 2020. Although the Companys mining operations and the export of coal from Mongolia to China continues as of the date hereof, there can be no guarantee that the Company will be able to continue exporting coal to China, or the border crossings would not be the subject of additional closures as a result of COVID-19 in the future. The Company will continue to closely monitor the development of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has on coal exports to China and will react promptly to preserve the working capital of the Company. There are significant uncertainties as to the outcomes of the above events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Companys ability to continue as a going concern and, therefore, the Company may be unable to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business. Should the use of the going concern basis in preparation of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements be determined to be not appropriate, adjustments would have to be made to write down the carrying amounts of the Companys assets to their realizable values, to provide for any further liabilities which might arise and to reclassify non-current assets and non-current liabilities as current assets and current liabilities, respectively. The effects of these adjustments have not been reflected in the condensed consolidated interim financial statements. If the Company is unable to continue as a going concern, it may be forced to seek relief under applicable bankruptcy and insolvency legislation. Management of the Company has prepared a cash flow projection covering a period of 12 months from September 30, 2020. The cash flow projection has taken into account the anticipated cash flow to be generated from the Companys business during the period under projection including cost saving measures. In particular, the Company has taken into account the following measures for improvement of the Companys liquidity and financial position, which include: (i) entering into the 2020 November Deferral Agreement with CIC for a deferral of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts until August 31, 2023, subject to conditions precedent therein; (ii) agreeing to deferral arrangements and improved payment terms with certain vendors; (iii) SGS planned to reduce the outstanding tax payable by monthly payments to MTA starting from June 2020; (iv) reducing the inventory of low quality coal by wet washing and coal blending; and (v) resuming coal mining activities beginning as of August 2020 to enhance coal supply. In addition, management of the Company assessed that the Company would be able to issue all outstanding financial results, being one of the conditions of the Resumption Guidance which must be satisfied in order to avoid a delisting of the Common Shares from the HKEX, which is in turn an event of default under the CIC Convertible Debenture. After considering the above measures, and given the re-opening of the Mongolian-Chinese border since March 28, 2020, the Directors believe that there will be sufficient financial resources to continue its operations and to meet its financial obligations as and when they fall due in the next 12 months from September 30, 2020 and therefore are satisfied that it is appropriate to prepare the condensed consolidated interim financial statements on a going concern basis. Factors that impact the Companys liquidity are being closely monitored and include, but are not limited to, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese economic growth, market prices of coal, production levels, operating cash costs, capital costs, exchange rates of currencies of countries where the Company operates and exploration and discretionary expenditures. As at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company was not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements. CIC Convertible Debenture In November 2009, the Company entered into a financing agreement with CIC for $500 million in the form of a secured, convertible debenture bearing interest at 8.0% (6.4% payable semi-annually in cash and 1.6% payable annually in the Companys shares) with a maximum term of 30 years. The CIC Convertible Debenture is secured by a first ranking charge over the Companys assets and certain subsidiaries. The financing was used primarily to support the accelerated investment program in Mongolia and for working capital, repayment of debt, general and administrative expenses and other general corporate purposes. On March 29, 2010, the Company exercised its right to call for the conversion of up to $250.0 million of the CIC Convertible Debenture into approximately 21.5 million shares at a conversion price of $11.64 (CAD$11.88). As at June 30, 2020, CIC owned approximately 23.8% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Company. On June 12, 2017, the Company executed the June 2017 Deferral Agreement with CIC for a revised repayment schedule on the $22.3 million of cash interest and associated costs originally due under the CIC Convertible Debenture on May 19, 2017. The key repayment terms of the June 2017 Deferral Agreement are: (i) the Company was required to repay on average $2.2 million of the cash interest and associated costs monthly during the period from May 2017 to October 2017; and (ii) the Company was required to repay $9.7 million of cash interest and associated costs on November 19, 2017. On April 23, 2019, the Company executed the 2019 Deferral Agreement with CIC in relation to a deferral and revised repayment schedule in respect of (i) $41.8 million of outstanding cash and PIK Interest and associated costs due and payable to CIC on November 19, 2018 under the CIC Convertible Debenture and the June 2017 Deferral Agreement; and (ii) $27.9 million of cash and PIK Interest payments payable to CIC under the CIC Convertible Debenture from April 23, 2019 to and including May 19, 2020. Pursuant to Section 501(c) of the TSX Company Manual, the 2019 Deferral Agreement was approved at the Companys adjourned annual and special meeting of shareholders on June 13, 2019. The key repayment terms of the 2019 Deferral Agreement are: (i) the Company agreed to pay a total of $14.3 million over eight instalments from November 2019 to June 2020; (ii) the Company agreed to pay the PIK Interest covered by the Deferral by way of cash payments, rather than the issuance of Common Shares; and (iii) the Company agreed to pay the remaining balance of $62.6 million on June 20, 2020. The Company agreed to pay a deferral fee at a rate of 6.4% per annum in consideration of the Deferral. At any time before the payment under the terms of the 2019 Deferral Agreement is fully repaid, the Company is required to consult with and obtain written consent from CIC prior to effecting a replacement or termination of either or both of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, otherwise this will constitute an event of default under the CIC Convertible Debenture, but CIC shall not withhold its consent if the Board of Directors (the Board) proposes to replace either or both such officers with nominees selected by the Board, provided that the Board acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Company in the selection of the applicable replacements. As a condition to agreeing to the Deferral, CIC required that the Cooperation Agreement dated November 19, 2009 between SGS and CIC, be amended and restated to clarify the manner in which the service fee payable to CIC under the Cooperation Agreement is calculated, with effect as of January 1, 2017. Specifically, the Management Fee under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement is determined based on the net revenues realized by the Company and all of its subsidiaries derived from sales into China (rather than the net revenues realized by the Company and its Mongolian subsidiaries as currently contemplated under the Cooperation Agreement). As consideration for deferring payment of the additional Management Fee payable to CIC as a result of the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay to CIC a deferral fee at the rate of 2.5% on the outstanding Management Fee. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company agreed to pay CIC the total outstanding Management Fee and related accrued deferral fee of $4.2 million over six instalments from June 2019 to November 2019. The Company executed the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement with CIC on April 23, 2019. Pursuant to their terms, both the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement became effective on June 13, 2019, being the date on which the 2019 Deferral Agreement was approved by shareholders at the Companys adjourned annual and special meeting of shareholders. In connection with the 2019 Deferral Agreement, the Company also announced that it intends to discuss a potential debt restructuring plan with respect to amounts owing to CIC which is mutually beneficial to the Company and CIC; and to form a special committee comprised of independent directors to ensure that the interests of its minority shareholders are fairly considered in the negotiation and review of any such restructuring; however, there can be no assurance that a favorable outcome will be reached. As of the date hereof, there has not been any significant progress in relations to the restructuring plan. On February 19, 2020, the Company and CIC entered into the 2020 February Deferral Agreement pursuant to which CIC agreed to grant the Company a deferral of: (i) the 2020 February Deferral Amounts; and (ii) approximately $0.7 million of the Management Fee which was due and payable on February 14, 2020 to CIC under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. The 2020 February Deferral Agreement became effective on March 10, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. The principal terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement are as follows: Payment of the 2020 February Deferral Amounts will be deferred until June 20, 2020, while the Management Fee will be deferred until they are repaid by the Company. As consideration for the deferral of these amounts, the Company agreed to pay CIC: (i) a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 February Deferral Amounts, commencing on the date on which each such 2020 February Deferral Amount would otherwise have been due and payable under the 2019 Deferral Agreement; and (ii) a deferral fee equal to 2.5% per annum on the Management Fee, commencing on the date on which the Management Fee would otherwise have been due and payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. The Company agreed to provide CIC with monthly updates regarding its operational and financial affairs. As the Company anticipated prior to agreeing to the 2020 February Deferral Agreement that a deferral was likely required in respect of the monthly payments due and payable in the period between April 2020 and June 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, the Company and CIC have agreed to discuss in good faith a deferral of these payments on a monthly basis as they become due. There can be no assurance, however, that a favorable outcome will be reached either at all or on favorable terms. The Company agreed to comply with all of its obligations under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, as amended by the 2020 February Deferral Agreement. The Company and CIC agreed that nothing in the 2020 February Deferral Agreement prejudices CICs rights to pursue any of its remedies at any time pursuant to the 2019 Deferral Agreement and Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, respectively. On March 10, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC that the 2020 March Deferral Amount which were due and payable to CIC on March 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 March Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 March Deferral Amount, commencing on March 19, 2020. The 2020 March Deferral Agreement became effective on March 25, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 March Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On April 10, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC that the 2020 April Deferral Amount which was due and payable to CIC on April 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 April Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 April Deferral Amount, commencing on April 19, 2020. The 2020 April Deferral Agreement became effective on April 29, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 April Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On May 8, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC that the 2020 May Deferral Amount which was due and payable to CIC on May 19, 2020 and May 15, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, respectively, will be deferred until June 20, 2020. The terms of the 2020 May Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the deferred cash interest and deferral fees commencing on May 19, 2020 and a deferral fee equal to 2.5% per annum on the deferred Management Fees commencing on May 15, 2020. The 2020 May Deferral Agreement became effective on June 8, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 May Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On June 19, 2020, the Company agreed with CIC that the 2020 June Deferral Amount which was due and payable to CIC on June 19, 2020 under the 2019 Deferral Agreement and the prior deferral agreements entered into during the period between February to May 2020 will be deferred until September 14, 2020. The terms of the 2020 June Deferral Agreement are substantially the same as the terms of the 2020 February Deferral Agreement, including that the Company agreed to pay CIC a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 June Deferral Amount commencing on June 19, 2020. The 2020 June Deferral Agreement became effective on July 17, 2020, being the date on which the Company obtained the requisite acceptance of the 2020 June Deferral Agreement from the TSX as required under applicable TSX rules. On November 19, 2020, the Company and CIC entered into the 2020 November Deferral Agreement pursuant to which CIC agreed to grant the Company a deferral of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts. The effectiveness of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement and the respective covenants, agreements and obligations of each party under the 2020 November Deferral Agreement are subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement from the Companys shareholders in accordance with applicable TSX rules. On October 29, 2020, the Company obtained an order from the BCSC which partially revoked the CTO to, amongst other things, permit the Company to execute the 2020 November Deferral Agreement. The principal terms of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement are as follows: Payment of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts will be deferred until August 31, 2023. CIC agreed to waive its rights arising from any default or event of default under the CIC Convertible Debenture as a result of trading in the Common Shares being halted on the TSX beginning as of June 19, 2020 and suspended on the HKEX beginning as of August 17, 2020, in each case for a period of more than five trading days. As consideration for the deferral of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts, the Company agreed to pay CIC: (i) a deferral fee equal to 6.4% per annum on the 2020 November Deferral Amounts payable under the CIC Convertible Debenture and the 2020 June Deferral Agreement, commencing on the date on which each such 2020 November Deferral Amount would otherwise have been due and payable under the CIC Convertible Debenture or the 2020 June Deferral Agreement, as applicable; and (ii) a deferral fee equal to 2.5% per annum on the 2020 November Deferral Amounts payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, commencing on the date on which the Management Fee would otherwise have been due and payable under the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. The 2020 November Deferral Agreement does not contemplate a fixed repayment schedule for the 2020 November Deferral Amounts and related deferral fees. Instead, the Company and CIC would agree to assess in good faith the Companys financial condition and working capital position on a monthly basis and determine the amount, if any, of the 2020 November Deferral Amounts and related deferral fees that the Company is able to repay under the CIC Convertible Debenture, the 2020 June Deferral Agreement or the Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement, having regard to the working capital requirements of the Companys operations and business at such time and with the view of ensuring that the Companys operations and business would not be materially prejudiced as a result of any repayment. Commencing as of November 19, 2020 and until such time as the November 2020 PIK Interest is fully repaid, CIC reserves the right to require the Company to pay and satisfy the amount of the November 2020 PIK Interest, either in full or in part, by way of issuing and delivering PIK interest shares in accordance with the CIC Convertible Debenture provided that, on the date of issuance of such shares, the Common Shares are listed and trading on at least one stock exchange. If at any time before the 2020 November Deferral Amounts and related deferral fees are fully repaid, the Company proposes to appoint, replace or terminate one or more of its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer or any other senior executive(s) in charge of its principal business function or its principal subsidiary, then the Company must first consult with, and obtain written consent from CIC prior to effecting such appointment, replacement or termination. Until such time as the 2020 November Deferral Agreement is approved by the Companys shareholders and the deferral and waiver thereunder in favour of the Company become effective, the Company remains in default under the CIC Convertible Debenture and 2020 June Deferral Agreement and CIC may declare the amounts owing thereunder immediately due and payable, and may take steps to enforce payment thereof, which would have a material adverse effect on the business and operations of the Company and could negatively affect the price and volatility of the Common Shares and any investment in such shares could suffer a significant decline or total loss in value. A deferral of the 2020 June Deferral Amount was not in effect as at September 30, 2020. Furthermore, the trading in the Common Shares on the TSX was halted for a period of more than five trading days since June 19, 2020, which represents another event of default under the CIC Convertible Debenture. Subsequently, pursuant to the 2020 November Deferral Agreement, CIC agreed to (i) a deferral of the 2020 June Deferral Amount; and (ii) waive its rights arising from any default or event of default under the CIC Convertible Debenture as a result of trading in the Common Shares being halted on the TSX beginning as of June 19, 2020 and suspended on the HKEX beginning as of August 17, 2020, in each case for a period of more than five trading days. However, the effectiveness of the deferral and waiver under the 2020 November Deferral Agreement is subject to the Company obtaining the requisite approval of the 2020 November Deferral Agreement from the Companys shareholders in accordance with applicable TSX rules. Accordingly, the Company remains default under the CIC Convertible Debenture and 2020 June Deferral Agreement as of the date hereof. IAS 1 requires the Company to classify the entire balance of the CIC Convertible Debenture as a current liability as at September 30, 2020. Commercial Arbitration in Hong Kong On June 24, 2015, First Concept served a notice of arbitration (the Notice) on SGS in respect of a coal supply agreement dated May 19, 2014 as amended on June 27, 2014 (the "Coal Supply Agreement") for a total consideration of $11.5 million. On January 10, 2018, the Company received a confidential partial ruling (final except as to costs) with respect to the commercial arbitration (the Arbitration Award). Pursuant to the Arbitration Award, SGS was ordered to repay the sum of $11.5 million (which SGS had received as a prepayment for the purchase of coal) to First Concept, together with accrued interest at a simple interest rate of 6% per annum from the date which the prepayment was made until the date of the Arbitration Award, and then at a simple interest rate of 8% per annum until full payment. The Arbitration Award is final, except as to costs which were reserved for a future award. On November 14, 2018, the Company executed the Settlement Deed with First Concept in respect of the Arbitration Award. The Settlement Deed provides for the full and final satisfaction of the Arbitration Award as well as the settlement of the issue of costs relating to the Arbitration and any other disputes arising out of the Coal Supply Agreement. Pursuant to the Settlement Deed, which provides for the full and final satisfaction of the Arbitration Award as well as the settlement of the issue of costs relating to the Arbitration and any other disputes arising out of the Coal Supply Agreement, SGS agreed to pay to First Concept the sum of $13.9 million, together with simple interest thereon at the rate of 6% per annum from November 1, 2018 until full payment, in 12 monthly instalments commencing in November 2018. Provided that SGS complies with the terms of the Settlement Deed, First Concept agreed to waive its costs in connection with the Arbitration and Arbitration Award and interest for the period from January 4, 2018 to October 31, 2018 (the Waived Costs). On October 16, 2019, SGS received a notice from First Concept claiming that the Company is default under the Settlement Deed and demanding payment of the full amount of the Outstanding Settlement Deed Payments due under the Settlement Deed, otherwise First Concept intends to commence legal action against SGS pursuant to the Settlement Deed. On February 7, 2020, SGS was informed by its Mongolian banks that they received a request from the Court Decision Implementing Agency of Mongolia (the CDIA) to freeze the respective bank accounts of SGS in Mongolia in relation to the enforcement of the Arbitration Award. Approximately $0.8 million in cash has been frozen by the banks as at February 7, 2020 and such amount was subsequently transferred to the CDIA on March 6, 2020. On June 7, 2020, SGS entered into a settlement agreement with First Concept, pursuant to which SGS agreed to pay to First Concept the Full Settlement Sum of $8.0 million in full. The Full Settlement Sum was fully satisfied by the Company in June 2020 and the outstanding payable to First Concept as of the date hereof is $nil. REGULATORY ISSUES AND CONTINGENCIES Class Action Lawsuit In January 2014, Siskinds LLP, a Canadian law firm, filed a class action (the Class Action) against the Company, certain of its former senior officers and directors, and its former auditors (the Former Auditors), in the Ontario Court in relation to the Companys restatement of certain financial statements previously disclosed in the Companys public fillings (the Restatement). To commence and proceed with the Class Action, the plaintiff was required to seek leave of the Court under the Ontario Securities Act (Leave Motion) and certify the action as a class proceeding under the Ontario Class Proceedings Act (Certification Motion). The Ontario Court rendered its decision on the Leave Motion on November 5, 2015, dismissing the action against the former senior officers and directors and allowing the action to proceed against the Company in respect of alleged misrepresentation affecting trades in the secondary market for the Companys securities arising from the Restatement. The action against the Former Auditors was settled by the plaintiff on the eve of the Leave Motion. Both the plaintiffs and the Company appealed the Leave Motion decision to the Ontario Court of Appeal. On September 18, 2017, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the Companys appeal of the Leave Motion to permit the plaintiff to commence and proceed with the Class Action. Concurrently, the Ontario Court of Appeal granted leave for the plaintiff to proceed with their action against the former senior officers and directors in relation to the Restatement. The Company filed an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in November 2017, but the leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada was dismissed in June 2018. In December 2018, the parties agreed to a consent Certification Order, whereby the action against the former senior officers and directors was withdrawn and the Class Action would only proceed against the Company. Since December 2018, counsels for the parties have proceeded with the action as follows: (1) two case conferences before the motions judge; (2) production of certain documents by the Company to the plaintiffs; (3) review of those documents by plaintiffs counsel from May 2020 to November 2020; and (4) setting down examinations for discovery for February and March 2021. The Company is urging an early trial. The Company firmly believes that it has a strong defense on the merits and will continue to vigorously defend itself against the Class Action through independent Canadian litigation counsel retained by the Company for this purpose. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, it is not possible to predict the final outcome of the Class Action or determine the amount of potential losses, if any. However, the Company has judged a provision for this matter as at September 30, 2020 was not required. Toll Wash Plant Agreement with Ejin Jinda In 2011, the Company entered into an agreement with Ejin Jinda, a subsidiary of China Mongolia Coal Co. Ltd., to toll-wash coal from the Ovoot Tolgoi Mine. The agreement had a duration of five years from commencement of the contract and provided for an annual wet washing capacity of approximately 3.5 million tonnes of input coal. Under the original agreement with Ejin Jinda, which required the commercial operation of the wet washing facility to commence on October 1, 2011, the additional fees payable by the Company under the wet washing contract would have been $18.5 million. At each reporting date, the Company assesses the agreement with Ejin Jinda and has determined it is not probable that this $18.5 million will be required to be paid. Accordingly, the Company has determined a provision for this matter at September 30, 2020 is not required. Special Needs Territory in Umnugobi On February 13, 2015, the entire Soumber mining license and a portion of SGS exploration license 9443X (9443X was converted to mining license MV-020436 in January 2016) (the License Areas) were included into a special protected area (to be further referred as Special Needs Territory, the SNT) newly set up by the Umnugobi Aimags Civil Representatives Khural (the CRKh) to establish a strict regime on the protection of natural environment and prohibit mining activities in the territory of the SNT. On July 8, 2015, SGS and the Chairman of the CRKh, in his capacity as the respondents representative, reached an agreement (the Amicable Resolution Agreement) to exclude the License Areas from the territory of the SNT in full, subject to confirmation of the Amicable Resolution Agreement by the session of the CRKh. The parties formally submitted the Amicable Resolution Agreement to the appointed judge of the Administrative Court for her approval and requested a dismissal of the case in accordance with the Law of Mongolia on Administrative Court Procedure. On July 10, 2015, the judge issued her order approving the Amicable Resolution Agreement and dismissing the case, while reaffirming the obligation of CRKh to take necessary actions at its next session to exclude the License Areas from the SNT and register the new map of the SNT with the relevant authorities. Mining activities at the Soumber property cannot proceed unless and until the Company obtains a court order restoring the Soumber Licenses (as defined below) and until the License Areas are removed from the SNT. On June 29, 2016, the Mongolian Parliament and CRKh election was held. As a result, the Company was aware that additional action may be taken in respect of the SNT; however, the Company has not yet received any indication on the timing of the next session of the CRKh. Termination of Soumber Deposit Mining Licenses On August 26, 2019, SGS received the Notice Letter from Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia (MRAM) notifying that the Companys three mining licenses (MV-016869, MV-020436 and MV-020451) (the Soumber Licenses) for the Soumber Deposit have been terminated by the Head of Cadastre Division of MRAM effective as of August 21, 2019. According to the Notice Letter, the Soumber Licenses have been terminated pursuant to Clause 56.1.5 of Article 56 of the Minerals Law, Clauses 4.2.1 and 4.2.5 of Article 4 and Clause 28.1.1 of Article 28 of the General Administrative Law and a decision order of a working group established under an order of the Minister of Environment and Tourism (Mongolia). According to this decision order, the working group determined that SGS had violated its environmental reclamation obligations with respect to the Soumber Deposit. The Soumber Deposit is an undeveloped coal deposit covering approximately 22,263 hectares located approximately 20 kilometers east of the Companys Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. The Company owned a 100% interest in the Soumber Deposit. The Comp Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Haiti - Obituary : Death of journalist Ernest Laventure Edouard In a note, Pradel Henriquez, the Minister of Communication said he was deeply saddened to learn the news of the death of the well-known journalist and columnist Ernest Laventure Edouard, on Saturday January 2, 2021, in West Palm Beach (Florida) after several weeks of hospitalization, following cardiac complications. Ernest Laventure Edouard aka "Konpe Moloskot", or "Moloskot" belonged to the old school of journalists "who firmly believe that the journalistic investigation is fundamental for the success of any media information and any editorial analysis" underlines the Minister As an analyst, he was passionate about both the social and geopolitical situation of Haiti, as well as major national and international issues. Moloskot had a long career as a journalist. We first find him on Radio Cacique, where he was very active in the 1980s and where he did in his regular broadcasts, portraits of dictators from around the world, whether from Latin America, the Caribbean, 'Africa or Asia. He then found at Caribbean radio station, then at RFM, with his "Major files" (Grands dossiers) before emigrating to the United States in 2013. It was on HPM, from Florida with his major files that he would rebound with his burning desire to tell his life story, to make revelations and to restore the truth... Minister Henriquez underlines "[...] Moloskot knew he was going to die given his doctor's forecasts. Knowing that you are going to die, there is nothing more painful. But then he had no choice but to live his last moments, as a philosopher. Life is nothing. Death is everything. Faced with this disappearance, Minister Pradel Henriquez offers his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, to his relatives and to the entire journalistic corporation from here and elsewhere. Farewell Moloskot !" HL/ HaitiLibre Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now. Los Angeles is not having a pizza renaissance. There has been no revolution in local tap water, no magic-fingered transplant bringing new knowledge. We haven't crossed some imaginary rubicon beyond which we are now, finally, worthy of a clap on the back from a flour-dusted, thick-calloused hand. The "Not bad, kiddo" ain't coming. Here's the thing, it's not worth a damn, anyway. Regardless of what you may have heard, Los Angeles has had good pizza for a very long time. What has happened, however, is a broadening of our collective pizza consciousness. Round or square, thick or thin, hot or cold, old school or futuristic, subtle or flamboyant, emerging from a restaurant, truck, car, house, wagon or damn near anywhere else, the full spectrum of pizza permutations has opened our minds. Whether you've just awakened to The Way Of The Pizza or you're a long-suffering seeker, it doesn't hurt to have a spirit guide. Or, in this case, a Pizzapedia. That is, a detailed senso-historical enumeration of the most popular pizza styles, and where to find them in L.A. A pizza from Prime Pizza. (Ben Mesirow for LAist) New York - Prime Pizza In the beginning, every SoCal pizza joint wanted to claim New York roots. They flaunted Statue of Liberty logos, tiled their walls with subway-style motifs and made grandiose claims about 500-year-old starters. We have, thankfully, outgrown our Big Apple fetishism but there's still something magical about a great NY slice -- crisp but not hard, doughy but not soft, greasy but not indulgent. Right now, Prime Pizza, another exercise in simplicity from the folks behind Golden State (RIP) and Cofax, is the best place to find a supremely foldable slice, little pepperoni grease cups and all. 446 N Fairfax Ave., Fairfax District. 323-852-1188. 603 N Hollywood Way, Burbank. 818-736-5120. 141 S Central Ave., Little Tokyo. 213-256-0011. A pizza slice from Pizza Wagon. (Ben Mesirow for LAist) Sicilian - Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn Although they have legitimate roots in Sicily, the slices known as Sicilian have taken on a life of their own in New York and the Northeast United States. Instead of a round focaccia loaf with toppings, modern Sicilian slices are thick rectangles, crisp on the edges with a tender center. They're not as well known as other styles but Sicilian slices have cachet. Ask the nerdiest pizza nerd and it'll likely be their favorite pizza. Although acclaimed NYC import Prince Street recently opened a WeHo location, our heart belongs to San Fernando Valley staple Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn. Their Sicilian slices are balanced and consistent, always the right weight, less greasy than Pizza Wagon's thin-crust pies but no worse off for it. Toppings are generous and good quality, and their slice setup is on point for a quick pandemic pickup. 14522 1/2 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. 818-616-1492. Chicago - Masa Of Echo Park, Dough Box Chicago-style pizza is called deep dish for a reason. It's baked in a tall, round pan and with a buttery crust that runs up the sides and looks almost like a jumbo savory crisp. Unlike Sicilian and Detroit styles, the crust leaves room for an avalanche of cheese and ingredients to fill its cavernous midsection, then a wash of tomato sauce laid over the top to keep it moist. Between the sturdiness of the dough and that pile of stuff in the middle, deep dish is among the heartiest pizzas. It's also one of the most time-consuming to bake, often requiring 40 minutes in the oven, instead of 90 Neapolitan seconds. Masa of Echo Park, owned and operated by a pizza-crazy Chicagoan, has been cranking out excellent deep dish for more than 15 years, and it remains a stalwart of the genre. When El Sereno's Dough Box re-opens after a winter kitchen upgrade, it will retake its place among the city's finest deep dish purveyors, with a bright and chunky tomato sauce and a butter-kissed, never soggy, supremely sturdy crust. Masa of Echo Park: 1800 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park. 213-989-1558 . Dough Box: 2734 N Eastern Ave., El Sereno. 323-346-6811. Pizza slices from Dough Daddy. (Ben Mesirow for LAist) Detroit - Dough Daddy This year, Detroit-style pizza, baked in deep rectangular pans so the crust grows tall and thick with crisp edges, has crescendoed in popularity. Maybe in times of hardship, we want something to stick to our ribs. The Detroit pizza, one of the heaviest possible assemblages of dough, sauce and cheese, has an appropriately blue-collar backstory. It was supposedly inspired by focaccia but baked in surplus steel drip trays from the auto industry. The cheese runs down the edge of the pan to burn and crisp, and the order of operations is inverted so the toppings are pressed into the hefty crust, then hit with cheese and dashed with parallel racing stripes of tomato sauce. You now have a wealth of Detroit options in L.A. but it's hard to beat Dough Daddy, a pop-up serving a limited number of pies each week. The pizzas are absurdly good and absurdly filling, made with Wisconsin brick cheese, sauce artfully sliding down the middle and hefty enough that carrying it to your car should count as the first leg of the strongman's Atlas Stone event. Undisclosed Location, Downtown. @doughdaddyla. Carneval Pizza from DeSano Pizza in East Hollywood. (Chava Sanchez/LAist) Naples - DeSano Pizza For many pizza connoisseurs, the pies coming from century-old ovens in Naples are the purest expressions of the form. True Neapolitan pizza is governed by strict regulations set forth by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. You must use a wood-burning oven, 00 flour, fresh basil, tomatoes from the San Marzano or Vesuvius regions and mozzarella from the states of Campania or Lazio. Neapolitan pies are thin and delicate, with a bready, risen cornicione and a slightly droopy center. There are only two official styles -- margherita and marinara -- and even pizzerias that branch out tend to keep toppings simple and clean. There are only a few AVPN-certified pizzerias in the area -- Settebello in Pasadena, Ugo in Culver City and Angelina's in Orange County. But certification be damned. The pies from DeSano Pizza in East Hollywood hit all of the technical and spiritual notes. There's also offer the truly special Carnevale pizza, a miracle of dough-shaping with eight ricotta-filled crust points ringing the classic Neapolitan center. It was taught to the DeSano folks by master pizzaiolo Attilio Bachetti of Naples' Pizzeria da Attilio on a 2016 visit to Los Angeles and it remains a striking achievement. 4959 Santa Monica Blvd., East Hollywood. 323-913-7000. A Montanara fried pizza (basically a margherita pizza with a fried crust) from L'antica Pizzeria da Michele. (Rossella Pisano) Bonus Neapolitan: Pizza Fritta at L'antica Pizzeria da Michele There is another Neapolitan specialty pizza that is sadly uncommon in Southern California -- Pizza Fritta, or deep-fried pizza, which is typically street food in in Naples. After the crust is deep-fried, toppings are added before it goes in the oven. The result is a crisp crust that manages to eat light despite the frying thanks to internal pockets of air underlined by shots of sharp tomato sauce and mozzarella. The Montanara, a style of Pizza Fritta originating in the mountainous region outside Naples, is on the menu at Neapolitan pizza specialist L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. It's a licensed offshoot of a celebrated 150-year-old shop in Naples, and its Montanara lives up to the Vesuvian original. 1534 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood. 323-366-2408. Pizza slices from Triple Beam Pizza. (Ben Mesirow for LAist) Rome - Triple Beam Pizza For a minute, it seemed like Roman-style pizza al taglio was poised for a takeover. Caput Mundi import Bonci set their sights on the U.S., a Roman Pizza Academy opened in Miami and Triple Beam landed with a star-studded splash in Highland Park. But the Eternal City's favorite pizza style has yet to achieve ubiquity here in L.A. In its purest form, pizza al taglio is defined by medium-thick square slices with a light, bubbly crust, often topped with an assortment of meats and vegetables that are as crucial as the sauce and the cheese. Triple Beam is one of few contenders left but it uses the Roman original as inspiration, not tracing paper. Their pizza is thin, crisp, packed with flavor (and oil and salt) and topped with a killer tomato sauce. They sell square slices and ring them up by weight, with an ever-changing array of vegetable-focused toppings. It scratches the itch. 5918 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park. 323-545-3534 . 1818 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park. 213-281-9753. California Modern / Neo-Nea - Mozza, Hail Mary, Ronan, South End, Gra, Pizzana It started at Chez Panisse or maybe at San Francisco's Prego in the 1970s, migrated down here to Spago in the '80s then evolved into its current form with the help of Mozza, which opened in 2006. Yes, California pizza is a thing. No, it's not like the stuff at California Pizza Kitchen (no shade on them). The modern California pizza -- or, as we call it, the Neo-Nea -- has a puffy, well-risen cornicione often with a sourdough tang and a charred, leopard-print crust that stays thin and a bit droopy in the middle, like a Neapolitan pie. Toppings can be wild but tend to keep seasonality and produce in mind, bouncing between classical Italian simplicity and the chaotic exuberance of a sugar-buzzing toddler strapped to a drum kit. These days, we have a preponderance of options. Aside from Mozza, it's hard to beat the pies coming out of Ronan, South End, Gra, Pizzana and Hail Mary. Pizzana's Amatriciana pizza is an impeccable example of the form, a clever reinterpretation of the classic Roman pasta dish of the same name with guanciale and pecorino-based tomato sauce spread on 48-hour fermented dough instead of tossed with bucatini. Hail Mary works on the other end of the spectrum, toying with seasonal produce (as in a recent special with purple potatoes, crushed olives, house-smoked mozzarella, and lemon zest) to go with their bready, boutique wheat-driven crust. It's a distinctly nontraditional, and delicious, smoky-creamy-salty-sour combination. Pizzana: 11712 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood. 310-481-7108 . Hail Mary: 3219 Glendale Blvd., Atwater. 323-284-8879. Two pizzas from 786 Degrees. (Ben Mesirow for LAist) Fusion - 786 Degrees Few foods on earth have a higher Q Score than pizza, so of course it has been endlessly reimagined and reinterpreted, flipped into breakfast and dessert, bagels and cookies, tacos and burgers. As with any fusion fare, it's easy for it to veer into gimmickry, a hat on a hat on a moose. But when fusion pizzas are built with purpose and technique, they can be revelatory. At 786 Degrees, award-winning pizzaiolo Ali Haider cooks with Italian flour and Neapolitan flair in his imported, wood-burning Vesuvian lava rock ovens. The real reason to visit is the fusion. He blends his Indian and Iraqi heritage with a globe-trotting past and an Italian-American sensibility, yielding pizzas like the Bombay Tikka Masala, topped with Tandoor-baked chicken, saffron Tikka Masala sauce, mango chutney, paneer, roasted peppers, cilantro, and lime; and the Istanbul Doner, which comes with chicken doner bites, housemade Turkish haydari yogurt sauce, fresh cucumber, and mozzarella. The combos are wild, the sauces are squeezed overtop in ostentatious neon zigzags and the flavors tap dance along a cliff of rationality looming over a pit of excess. Because Haider's crust is so good, his timing so exquisite and his skills at their apex, the pizzas at 786 Degrees work. 8879 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Sun Valley. 818-939-6566 . 1709 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena. 626-460-2786. Frozen - La Morra Pizzeria Some days, even ordering delivery is too much effort. For those times, there's one fantastic option: frozen pizza. Grocery stores will offer you dozens of choices, some made specifically for the freezer section by name-brand restaurant chains, some that claim to be decent dinner replacements and some that aim to satisfy 3 a.m. binges. The quality ceiling is low but the floor is high i.e. it's hard to screw up bread, sauce and cheese. In recent months, the newly stationary pizzeria La Morra has transitioned into the frozen pizza game, vacuum-sealing their 11" Neo-Nea discs and freezing them for pickup, delivery or shipping. Results are surprisingly excellent, finally elevating our frozen pizza possibilities. It's the perfect food when you've had one or two or seven lockdown drinks, whether that's at 1 a.m. or 1 p.m. Who's around to judge you, anyway? 8022 W. Third St., Beverly Grove. @lamorrapizzeria. [Editor's Note: The editor of this story has not tried La Morra and thinks their pies sound delicious but she has no shame in saying her favorite frozen pizza is made by First Street and sold at Smart & Final. To specify: She prefers the basic First Street pizzas NOT the fancier "rising crust" line. These pies are cheap as hell -- and that's what helps makes them great. First Street is probably keeping costs down by using the least amount of dough while maintaining the pie's structural integrity. For the hungry consumer, this means you get the thinnest crust possible on a frozen pizza. The sauce is bland, like most frozen pizzas, but at least you're not burdened with too much of it. You'll probably want to add more shredded cheese and maybe some veggies or meat. But the First Street frozen cheese pizza is still better than almost any other mass market frozen pizza. Yeah, we said it. --E.S.] WE LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mix Talent, a biotech and life science talent acquisition and consulting firm, announced that Patty Adams has joined the company as the Head of Human Resources Consulting. "We have known Patty for years as a client and are thrilled she is joining our team. She brings a tremendous depth and breadth of life science HR experience to our organization along with the right mix of values to add to the special culture we have built," said Mickey Shimp, President of Mix Talent. "In her new role, Patty will help clients solve HR challenges at every stage of growth, from the organizational design needs of a startup to the strategic decisions made in large-size commercial organizations." "I have always appreciated the authentic, flexible, and solution-driven approach the team at Mix takes with clients," said Patty. "I'm excited to be part of this team, working with professionals I admire and respect, to bring new services to life science clients. And I look forward to helping more companies navigate critical stages of growth to deliver medicines that can dramatically change the lives of patients." Patty joins Mix Talent with 30 years of experience in Human Resources at leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration at Aptinyx Inc. (previously Naurex Inc.). Prior to her most recent role, Patty held Human Resources leadership positions at Durata Therapeutics, Inc., SagePath Partners, LLC, BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Lundbeck Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Patty received a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia College and Masters of Human Resources from Loyola University. About Mix Talent Mix Talent is a biotech and healthcare-focused talent acquisition and consulting firm that recognizes the power of company culture, and specializes in identifying, assessing, and selecting talent that fits and fortifies the culture. As its name demonstrates, the company believes it's essential to find that right mix of skills, experience, personality, and personal motivation to ensure long-term success. And to do that, it needs to be done differently. Mix Talent's unique mix of knowledge, technology, and instinct have helped clients go beyond just hiring headcount to truly creating dynamic organizations. The secret's in the mix. Learn more at www.mix-talent.com . SOURCE Mix Talent Related Links https://mix-talent.com Bengaluru, Jan 5 : Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Tuesday urged people to refrain from unwarranted criticism of scientists that discredits their hard work. The appeal comes a day after Bharat Biotech Director Krishna Ella lashed out at his critics over allegations that the Hyderabad-based vaccine-maker lacks data on Covaxin. In a series of tweets, Sudhakar came out in defence of Bharat Biotech and said that Covaxin's phase-3 clinical trial involves 24,000 volunteers and its data will be available soon. "I humbly appeal to everyone, not as a Health Minister but as a fellow medical professional, to refrain from unwarranted criticism which discredits the hard work of our scientists," he said. He added that the approval of Bharat Biotech's vaccine marks a significant milestone in India's indigenous novel vaccinology. "India is one of the largest exporters of vaccines, and the world is looking up to us in the common fight against this global pandemic," he said. He contended that Bharat Biotech is a globally reputed company enjoying credibility and experience of developing 16 vaccines, including for influenza, Rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, Chikungunya, Zika and world's first tetanus-toxoid conjugated vaccine for Typhoid. "Hailing from a humble background, Bharat Biotech's founder Krishna Ella is a passionate professional with a credibility of delivering over four billion vaccine doses to underprivileged people in more than 150 developing countries through UNICEF and other channels," he pointed out. Heaping praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inspiring leadership, the Minister said that India is at the forefront of scientific innovation to combat Covid-19 pandemic. "In line with our philosophy of 'Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu' and 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam' India will play a significant role in healing humanity," he tweeted. Hitting out at the critics, Ella had said on Monday that "I think people should have the patience to read on the Internet and look at what our articles are." Lauding the scientists for developing an indigenous vaccine in a record time, Sudhakar said on Monday that licence would be given to Bharat Biotech to roll out its Covaxin after completing the third stage clinical trials. From snow-capped mountains, deserts to wildlife sanctuaries, Indian travellers chose a wide range of holiday destinations to bid adieu to a grim 2020. Hospitality firms across categories, as well as tour operators, have witnessed a jump in bookings during the holiday period between Christmas and New Year. Hotel chain InterContinental Hotels Group Plc (IHG) said its customized packages for both occasions fetched good response. With returning consumer confidence, the chain witnessed increase in enquiries and bookings around Christmas and New Years, especially for hotels in NCR, Goa, Chennai, Agra and Jaipur, and across brands, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, and the Holiday Inn. Also read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 "Some of our hotels including InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram and Crowne Plaza Greater Noida recorded over 90% occupancy for the New Years weekend," said Sudeep Jain, managing director, South West Asia, IHG. Accor Group-owned economy hotel brand ibis said the Christmas/ New Year period saw the highest room nights booked, 50% higher than the last month. "Goa continues to be a hot favourite for domestic travellers ibis Styles Goa saw tremendous last minute demand during Christmas and New Year. Our hotels in Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai also saw strong staycation demand especially for 3031 December night. For guests who prefer private experiences, our teams curated intimate and personalized dining experiences in Kochi, Coimbatore and Hyderabad," said Sylvain Laroche, director of operations- ibis & ibis Styles, India. Budget hotel chain OYO Hotels & Homes, India said between 25 December and 3 January, over 1,380 hotels from their complete portfolio in India witnessed 100% occupancies. OYO also observed a 30% jump in demand during the year-end long weekend in comparison to week three in December. "This is a huge testament to the rising consumer confidence among Indians to travel again safely and a relief for the gravely impacted hospitality sector. Out of all bookings, New Years eve accounted for 53% of all bookings over the weekend. On 31 December, our bookings jumped 2X per minute between 4 pm - 10 pm compared to any other average day," said Abhishek Bansal, chief revenue officer - OYO Hotels & Homes, India & South Asia. Meanwhile, hostel chain Zostel claimed to have clocked over 90% of last year's bookings during the holiday period. "The last week of December is usually when we make twice the business than any other week. We kept the per night prices between 900 and 1,100 to ensure high value and affordability which paid us well," said Dharamveer Singh, chief executive, Zostel. Both online and offline tour operators also reported increased booking numbers for the holiday period. While MakeMyTrip reported 50% month-on-month increase in hotel bookings primarily because of holiday season. Goibibo managed to clock 45% month-on-month jump in bookings. "Within categories, more than 60% of the bookings were made for three star and above rated properties; and independent rentals and homestays that promised utmost safety and hygiene throughout the stay," said Vipul Prakash, chief operating officer, MakeMyTrip. Thomas Cook India, which ran 72-hour Holiday Flash Sale from from 57 December, reported 60% jump in December bookings over last month given the surge in demand for a Christmas and year-end break. "While customers had earlier restricted their bookings to close-to-home staycations, mostly at driveable distance, what is noteworthy is that over 75% of our Holiday Flash Sale bookings were for our flight-inclusive packages -- indicative of growing customer confidence in air travel and to longer haul destinations like Kashmir and the Andamans," said a spokesperson from the company. Travellers also booked international destinations which require air travel, albeit short haul. "Destinations like Dubai and Maldives have seen a 100% growth compared to previous months. We have obtained not just queries, but also encouraging bookings for Egypt and for travel in December," said an SOTC spokesperson. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The OPEC+ talks stalled on Monday after the group failed to reach a consensus on the best path forward for oil production, the body reported on Monday afternoon. OPEC and non-OPECs Ministerial Meeting held on Monday will now resume on Tuesday, January 5, giving the group more time to discuss amongst themselves and come to some sort of agreement on Februarys oil production. The group has been unable toso farreach an agreement, with some countries lobbying hard for a 500,000 barrel per day output increase and others hoping to stay the course given the still-slackened demand and little signs of an uptick as lockdowns and a new extra-virulent Covid-19 strain begins to spread in more countries. The two heavyweights in the group, Russia and Saudi Arabia, are once again at the opposite end of the spectrum, with Saudi Arabia pressuring the group to rollback the additional production rolled out in January of 500,000 bpd, and Russia hoping for a substantial increase of 500,000 bpd. The chasm between them now 1 million bpd. Saudi Arabia did say, however, that it would accept staying the course in February. Backing Saudi Arabias stance are Oman, Iraq, Algeria, Nigeria, and Kuwait. Backing Russias stance is Kazakhstan. These two members hold the most sway in the group, with Saudi Arabia being the swing producer. And it is these two members who also tanked oil prices back in March when they quarreled over this same issue. That quarrel involved both countries ramping up oil production to the point of further saturating an already saturated oil market right before months and months of lockdowns that stripped away more demand for crude. Prior to the Tuesday meeting, groups will hold bilateral talks and will be able to consult with their own governments, delegates have said, according to Reuters. The market should brace for more volatility this year courtesy of OPEC, with meetings scheduled to be held monthly. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A Float Through the Past: CCHRC Founder Revisits His Iglu on the River Cold Climate Housing Innovator Sources His Inspiration Jan. 5, 2021 The paths to clean energy are many. While some National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers were building wind turbines back in fifth grade, others followed a more circuitous route to the laboratorycoming from backgrounds in aerospace engineering, conventional energy, even art. For most, though, clean energy is more than a professionit is a passion, a way of life, an identity. In this story, one senior NREL adviser describes his journey to working in sustainability, which began deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Jack Hebert revisited his old home site in the Brooks Range during a backcountry packrafting trip in 2019. Photo courtesy of Jack Hebert Jack Hebert felt his heart fill as he floated down the river. It was not because of the splashy rapids he had been paddling through all morning, or the grizzly tracks speckling the beaches, but because of what awaited him around the next bend. It had been almost 30 years since he had visited his old home site, and he was not sure how it would feel to see it again. The valley opened up and the familiar contours of mountains and tundra greeted his memories. Then, amid a thick stand of spruce, it came into viewthe sod and log iglu (northwestern Alaskas Indigenous Inupiaq peoples spelling of igloo) where he spent three formative years of his life. Thick vegetation on the roof and weathered logs marked the passage of time. The sod and log iglu Jack built in the Brooks Range in 1973 was nestled into a hillside for warmth. He harvested logs upriver and floated them down to his home site. Photo courtesy of Jack Hebert After pulling his packraft ashore, he walked up to the window and could almost see his younger self peering out: the 23-year-old mountaineer who had moved up from Washingtons Mt. Rainier, hungry for adventure. I realized how young I was then, and how naive, Jack said. When he and his first wife, Beth, were dropped off on a remote gravel bar 300 miles from the nearest road, it felt like they were completely alone. The only settlement around was a small Inupiaq village a days trip away. The country was beautiful and vast. Through the eyes of two young adventurers, it was like discovering someplace for the very first time, someplace that was totally their own. But today, almost half a century later, Jack has a very different perspective. Now I know it was just a place I was visiting, Jack said. It was the home of 500 generations of Indigenous people, where every rock and stream had a name. Thats something Ive deeply realized. They spent three winters exploring the Arctic valleys and mountains. They ran sled dogs, hunted caribou, and hauled water from a nearby spring, taking much of what they needed from the land. In the summer, they climbed back into a bush plane and flew south to work as backcountry rangers in Denali National Park. Jack spent long days hiking steep, brushy terrain to map out wilderness areas, and hauling supplies by dog team for mountaineers who were climbing the continents highest peak, Denali. It was the same thing he grew up doing in the Cascade Range, but the scale of Alaskas wilderness made his childhood experiences seem small. Jack would eventually move to Denali Park and then on to Fairbanks to become an award-winning home builder, later founding the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) to come up with more sustainable ways to build. Today, he is a senior adviser at NREL. But it was his time in the Brooks Range that set the stage for everything that followed. The Arctic served up brutal cold and blinding storms, not to mention weeks on end without sunlight. Opening the door at 40 below zero brought a new sense of clarity to what really mattered: food, water, and shelter. Walking on the river at night, under the cold moonlight, Jack would look back at his home. When I saw that glow from the window, this little nest of security and warmth, it really drove into me the meaning of what shelter is, he said. A young Jack removes his snow boots in his iglu, where much of his belongings came from the land. Photo courtesy of Jack Hebert For starters, there was no such thing as a one-size-fits-all house; a building that worked in the Lower 48 had no place on the Arctic tundra or, for that matter, in a tropical rainforest. Shelter needed to be specifically designed for the wind, the soil, and the climate. The First Alaskans, he knew, had already figured out how to thrive in this climate, learning how to nestle close to the ground and use local resources for warmth, from caribou skin blankets to seal oil lamps. As Jack designed and built more and more homes over the years, from log cabins to custom urban homes, his early respect for this Indigenous perspective informed his design approaches. And yet as he traveled across Alaska, he saw the failures of building techniques that had been imported from southern climatesfoundations sinking in the permafrost, doors that froze shut in the winter, walls that wept with moisture in the spring. And worst of all were the effects on a traditionally healthy people who were now plagued by mold and sickness and crushed by the costs of heating inefficient buildings. That is why, in 1999, he teamed up with a group of Alaska home builders to create the CCHRC, with the mission of promoting and advancing healthy, affordable, durable shelter in Alaska and the Circumpolar North. It was a major collaboration among businesses, financial institutions, and state and federal agencies, all with a stake in housing. Their goal, from the beginning, was applied research: not just studying wall systems in the lab or publishing reports but putting this knowledge into practice out in the real world. If we can show what can be done, were not just talking. Were creating something you can feel and touch, Jack said. Others can build on that success to change the way we construct buildings in a more responsible, healthy, and enduring way. Over the past two decades, this research has transformed housing in Alaska. The average house built today uses 75% less energy than past-generation homes, while a growing attention to ventilation and indoor air quality has improved the health of families living in these houses. This research, in effect, allows Alaskans to continue their traditional way of life. Jack and his first wife Beth take off on a winter ski tour in the Brooks Range in the early 1970s. Photo courtesy of Jack Hebert And in June, CCHRC moved to a bigger stage, joining NREL to tackle energy efficiency and clean energy in extreme climates and rural places around the world. For Jack, it is just the next turn in the trail. Our vision from the beginning was that Alaska solutions could have global application, Jack said. There is a lot of ingenuity in this beautiful land at the top of the world. Returning to his iglu last summer, Jack ran a hand over the logs, which he and Beth had harvested a few miles upriver and floated down to their building site. The house was just as cozy and sheltered as he remembered. The land was timeless, too. But in the 50 years that had passed, he was definitely different. He had created a research center that had advanced building science, pioneered solar and geothermal power in the subarctic, and helped define the future of Northern housing. He had learned how buildings interact with the soil, the water, the winds, and the food. Now, all these years later, he understood something that the Inupiaq people had known for millennia: that in truth, a home was more than just a building. Home is the land. Learn more about CCHRC and NRELs Buildings Research Program. Molly Rettig A session in Congress declared on January 6 that the Electoral College count rules would not be altered but kept the same. It was a resolution both agreed upon by the House and Senate last Sunday. Congress to Convene on Rules to the Disputed Electoral College Count When Congress and the Senate meet to decide the next legitimate president of the United States, it will be decided on the electoral votes. According to Politico, that has been mutually agreed upon in both upper and lower houses. The recent election has been chaotic with allegations of fraud and irregularities on the democrats' side. These rules have been used to right electoral problems, but it is unlike before, reported MSN. Republicans view Joe Biden as having illegitimate votes taken from Trump, many Democrat states have gained evidence of voter fraud proving Biden is not a legitimate winner. These rules are now the only thing that will stop seating Biden in the Oval Office. Not all republicans are sitting well with it. Before these rules were made clear, many of the GOP did not want to risk any House election challenges. Many Republicans made it their cause as Trump did not accept that the controversial ex-VP should be challenged. Many issues have arisen on his fitness to lead and having problems with foreign peddling. Seven GOP congressmen are part of the Freedom Caucus like Ken Buck (Colo.) and Chip Roy (Texas) as well as Rep.-elect Nancy Mace (S.C.) and libertarian Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and other members choose to challenge a flawed election via the Electoral College Count in Congress. Others have joined their cause for a free election. Also read: Audit Reports High Error Rate That Should Be Accounted for Dominion's Adjudication According to them, the constitution chooses electors, not Congress, which another layer to manipulate the electoral results. Many states that the Democrats have upturned and abused the system to get their candidate into the White House. Many lawmakers say that states have the final say said an outlet. Claiming the lawmakers are frustrating a process that will verify the result. One question is whether it will come at the cost of counting fake votes that will cause voters to lose faith in the electoral system. Last Sunday evening, Roy forced a vote to permit Speaker Nancy Pelosi to accommodate the house members of states suspected of fraud. It caused the republicans to allow the House elections, which enabled the ex-VP to win dubiously in November. A vote of a 371-2 vote to seat all members. Some GOP members have chastised the attempt to question the electoral results. Sens. Ben Sasse, Mitt Romney and Pat Toomey, Sens. Susan Collins and Roger Wicker said last Sunday they will vote against it. The Washington Post published an alleged story that Trump pressured Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, to find votes to reverse the electoral result. Some sectors are going all out to color Trump's allies as disregarding the process. But electoral fraud at the county and state level has done that. Already days before the convening attempts to muddy Vice President Mike Pence is happening. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) filed cases against Pence but was ignored in court. The Electoral Count Act, passed in 1887, will be prominent in the Electoral College count in Congress. Pence will be the last line to keep Trump's second term alive. Related article: Data Scientists: Investigate Georgia Election Data Indicating Trump Votes Shifted to Biden @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The first anniversary of the January 3rd, 2020 American missile attack that killed IRGC general Qassem Soleimani passed without the promised Iranian retribution. Thats not unusual for the Iranians, who are not reckless but are determined and persistent. Iran is actually developing several less-explosive ways to retaliate. For example, Iran is accepting a Chinese offer of massive economic investment, some of it more profitable for China than Iran. Overall the Chinese connection is a major plus for Iran because China also helps protect Iran diplomatically and in the UN. For that, the Chinese expect to be compensated and the Iranians are willing to pay. As a result China will be more aggressive in helping Iran skirt the trade sanctions reimposed by the Americans in 2018. Local Threats Subversive activities against the government by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) are again threatening to escalate into a coup and an even more radical Islamic military government. This is nothing new and the threat has been an open secret for nearly two decades. It became a documented secret back in 2014 when leaked documents detailed how the IRGC was defying the religious leadership and planning to stage a coup and replace elected politicians they disagreed with. The government continues to monitor the machinations of their Guards who have always been the most radical members of the religious dictatorship. The IRGC has never tried to carry out these plans, but since 2014 it is known that such plans existed and apparently still exist. This has to be put in context. The Iranian government is basically a religious dictatorship that seized control in the 1980s and has just barely coped with declining popularity. There are many factions, some much more radical than the majority. Eventually the loss of oil income screwed things up enough to trigger an unprecedented number of anti-government protests and calls for rebellion. Massacring nearly 2,000 protestors since 2019 has reduced the number of people protesting openly but increased the number of Iranians who are discussing among themselves the need for another revolution. That could get very nasty as the government has an army of religious fanatics (the IRGC) to deal with such unrest. IRGC is more than just the "royal guard" of the Iranian dictatorship. Originally founded to do the clerics' dirty work, and keep an eye on the Iranian armed forces and population in general, the IRGC has grown to become a state-within-a-state. The IRGC not only has 190,000 active-duty members, it also controls billions of dollars worth of businesses inside Iran, and runs numerous terrorist operations outside the country. The IRGC, or at least large parts of it, can be depended on to follow orders and slaughter rebellious civilians. The ruling clerics are determined to avoid losing power like the East European communist dictatorships did in 1989. The clerics have made sure most Iranians know this and what the price of rebellion would be. But the clerics must now deal with another ancient problem in Iran, disloyalty among the guardians of the rulers. Who guards the guards? In Iran, no one is sure and that is now a very real problem for the general public as well as the unelected senior clerics who rule in the name of God, but only with the support of the IRGC. Since 2014 the senior clerics believed only a small minority of the IRGC were a danger. But that has changed and the size of the IRGC dangerous faction has been growing in numbers and boldness. Attempts to purge the IRGC of these dangerous people have failed. The IRGC protects its own, so far. One of the major criticisms of the IRGC is the large number of Shia rebels they supply, advise and encourage throughout the region. The U.S. and the Sunni Arab Gulf States (particularly Saudi Arabia) see recent Iranian actions in Yemen as an Iranian ploy to gain greater influence, if not control, there and keep it long-term. At the moment the Shia advance is stalled in Yemen. Actually, the Shia rebels are on the defensive. Iran has not actively intervened in Yemen but the Sunni Arab states that border Yemen did, in 2015 and are still there. Its not just Iran and the Shia rebels who are the problem, but all the factions there. The Shia are only a third of the population but they are united while the Sunni majority is split into numerous factions. The IRGC has been at it for so long that their tactics are known and somewhat predictable. For example, Iran continues to blame the West for creating ISIL, thus ignoring the fact that the growing Sunni/Shia conflict that Iran sponsors heavily has more to do with ISIL than anything the West does. What is most disturbing to Iraqi and American officials is the fact that most of the several thousand Iranian advisors and training specialists in Iraq, Syria and Yemen are from the Quds Force. That implies that Iran sees an opportunity to turn Syria into more than an ally and something of an Iranian colony. The Syrian violence is spilling over into Lebanon, which makes most Lebanese nervous about also becoming part of the Iranian empire. This is exactly what most Iraqi Shia have long feared would happen if Iran became too powerful inside Iraq. Israel is open about its belief that Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraq and Yemen if the IRGC has its way. So far, the IRGC has been overruled by the clerics. That has caused more friction between the clerics and the IRGC leadership. The ruling clerics and general population agree on one thing, the IRGC is the greatest threat to Iran and not any of the external foes the IRGC has created and sustained. The Caucasus Crisis Iranian leaders are upset at how Turkey and Russia blocked Iran from playing a major role in ending the recent battles between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Both were formerly part of the Soviet Union and quite different even though they were neighbors. Azerbaijan is majority Moslem while Armenia is Christian. Along with the smaller Georgia, these two are the only two nations in the Caucasus that are majority Christian. For over a thousand years Armenians and Georgians resisted efforts by Moslem neighbors to make them Moslem. Russia played a key role in that and considers itself the protector of Armenia. Despite that Russia has managed to maintain good relations with Azerbaijan as well. In doing so Russia established one of the more successful peacekeeping operations since the Cold War ended in 1991 by getting Armenia and Azerbaijan to agree to a ceasefire in 1994 after another round of heavy fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia became a military ally of Armenia as part of that arrangement. Iran has tried, and not always succeeded, to be on good terms with Azerbaijan, if only because about a quarter of the Iranian population are Azeris. At the same time Iran and Russia, traditional enemies, have become allies and those links are being used to deal with latest round of violence. Iran has long harbored an intense interest in Azerbaijan. This is because most of the Turkic and Moslem Azeris live in Iran. Up until 1813, modern Azerbaijan was part of Iran. Then the Russians showed up. Armenia and Azerbaijan were the last Russian conquests as the tsars soldiers and Cossacks advanced through the Caucasus in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Russians stopped when they ran into the Turkish and Iranian empires, but not before taking a chunk of Azerbaijan from Iran. The Iranians have not forgotten. In effect, most of "Azerbaijan" is in Iran and Iran has long hoped to reunite all Azeris under their rule. Many Iranian Azeris have risen to senior positions in the government. Despite that, most Azeris would like all Azeris united in a single Azerbaijan. This is not a popular idea within Iran. The Russians, on the other hand, have come to accept the 1991 loss of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Iran is less accepting of such losses. Iraq There are several trends in Iraq that are annoying Iran and perhaps the worst of these are the growing commercial relationships between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Such economic links are not unknown but in the past they existed only because Iraq was ruled by its Sunni minority. Then the era of Sunni minority rule ended in 2003. The new Shia government of Iraq initially saw the Saudis as an enemy and the Saudis considered this new Iraqi government a tool of the Iranians. Over the last decade attitudes have changed. The Saudis have come to understand the Shai Arab majority in Iraq is more Arab than Shia and the Saudis were willing to live with that. Iran has never been able to win over the Arab Shia, in large part because inside Iran their own Arab minority is despised and mistreated. Always has been and as far as most Arabs are concerned, that centuries old attitude is not going to change. Despite that Iran and Iraq have a lot of commercial relationships, but even these are being threatened as Iraq does more business with the Gulf Arab states. Even the religious connection has been lost as the most senior Iraqi Shia clerics renounce any loyalty to Iran. Saudi Arabia and Iran are competing to win the most popular support possible in Iraq. The Saudis are offering billions of dollars worth of economic investments, much of it aimed at improving the Shia south and the Shia majority city of Basra. This is the heartland of the Iraqi Shia. While Shia Arabs live throughout Iraq, most are down south where they are very much the majority. Most Iraqi Shia are dissatisfied with Iraqs Shia dominated parliament and government. Lots of government investment has gone to the south and much of it got stolen or pays for sub-standard work. Corrupt Shia politicians were responsible for this and since 2018 there have been anti-corruption demonstrations in the Shia south and Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad. The Saudis point out that they also have a corruption problem but have learned how to control it and have been reducing the corrosive impact of corruption on their economy. They are obviously successful and so are other Arab states in the area. In the latest global corruption survey, those at the top of the list are all more successful because they have the least corruption. Down at the bottom are the more and most corrupt. The Saudis are at 52 out of 180 nations while Iraq is 162. The UAE is at 21, ahead of the U.S. at 23 and Israel at 35. Iran is at 146. The Iraqis have been getting more advice and economic assistance (trade and investment) from the Sunni Arab oil states while all they get from Iran is offers of alliance, more Iranian military advisors and threats of violent retaliation if Iraqi politicians do not comply. Economically, Iran has not got much to offer. Their latest proposal is a military/defense treaty with no Iranian cash attached. These Iranian treaties and aid packages once included generous bribes for key politicians. Since the Americans revived their economic sanctions in 2018 and became the global leader in oil production, Iran had a lot less cash for their foreign subversion efforts. With oil prices down and their exports subject to seizure, there is a lot less cash for terrorism. Iran still has many thousands of loyal and fanatic Iraqi Shia on their side but four years ago they had a lot more. Iran has not been able to improve the lives of Iraqi Shia and those Iraqis have noticed. It has also been noticed that Iran has been trying to enrich Iranian manufacturers by driving Iraqi competitors out of business. No such threat from the Sunni oil states. With the pro-Saddam terrorist threat much diminished, the Iranians feel they have lost a valuable asset in Iraq. Trying to demonize the Americans never worked very well because U.S. troops took the lead in fighting the Sunni Arab terrorists and still do. Since 2014 most of the American military aid has been from the air, with over 13,000 airstrikes and many more surveillance missions. There are only 3,000 U.S. troops in Iraq right now and the American goal is to get them all out. Despite that Iran continues to insist that the Americans are the Great Satan and a dangerous enemy of Islam. Four decades of preaching that has not reflected well on Iran. This assessment is shared by most Iranians as well. The U.S. and Iraq are deadlocked over how to move against Iran-backed Iraqi militias. In late September the U.S. threatened to bomb pro-Iran Iraqi militias unless Iraq eliminated the threat first. The American position was that Iran was at war with Americans in Iraq and said so frequently and publicly. All the major Iraqi Shia religious leaders have called for the disbanding of all PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces) militias, in part because Iran was rapidly turning the entire PMF into an Iraqi version of the Lebanese Hezbollah organization called Kataib Hezbollah. Founded in the 1980s with Iranian help, the original Hezbollah still takes orders from Iran and has dominated Lebanese politics for over three decades. Most Lebanese want Hezbollah gone but a heavily armed militia with enormous economic power in Lebanon is difficult to disband. Iraqis want Kataib Hezbollah gone now and cannot understand why their prime minister does not act. Fear probably has a lot to do with the delay. In Lebanon Iran had several senior Lebanese politicians assassinated for being too openly hostile to Hezbollah. The personal danger for the Iraqi prime minister is based on fact, not just speculation. In response to the American threat against them, the Iran-backed militias, especially Kataib Hezbollah, agreed to a temporary halt to attacks against Americans. Not all the pro-Iran factions agreed, but most did and there have been far fewer attacks lately. The new Iraqi prime minister (Mustafa al Kadhimi) is decidedly hostile to Iran and calls for easing the Iranians out and not giving them any justification to get more violent. Kadhimi had already ordered the removal of many pro-Iran commanders in the security services and disbanded some units that were dangerously pro-Iran. Kadhimi went to the U.S. in late August to meet with the American leader and discuss improving U.S.-Iraq relations. Such a meeting was important because Kadhimi is the first post-Saddam (2003) prime minister that is not heavily influenced/controlled by Iran. Iran still has enough loyal (to Iran) Iraqi militias to be a threat to the Iraqi government. Most Iraqi politicians and voters want less Iranian influence. Iran wants fewer foreign troops in Iraq. That is a point of contention because Iraqis realize the foreign troops offer some assurance that Western and Arab states would actively assist Iraq if Iran sought to take control via a civil war or invasion. Civil war is the more likely option, but only in an emergency, such as Iraq appearing to succeed in disbanding all the pro-Iran militias. At the moment Iran is willing to halt all violence by Kataib Hezbollah if the government agrees to have all foreign troops leave Iraq, except for Iranian advisors. This sort of thing is seen by Iraqis as an expression of Iranian contempt for Iraq and confidence that Iran will turn Iraq into another Lebanon. Afghanistan As American forces continue to withdraw down to 2,500 troops by mid-January, Afghans are seeking replacement allies. Iran is a popular choice, and many Afghans are openly developing relationships with Iran with the Afghan government doing the same. While Iran has a hostile relationship with the United States, such is not the case with Afghanistan. This is nothing new and the two nations have been developing better economic relations for over a decade. Afghanistan backed this to get free from economic dependence on Pakistan, where two border crossings have long carried out most exports and imports for Afghanistan. Since 2001 and the arrival of the Americans, Pakistan often used access to these two crossings as an economic weapon against any hostile moves by the Afghan or American governments. Back in 2015, Afghanistan began discussions with India and Iran over a solution. That led to the recent completion of a railway to Iran giving Afghanistan access to world markets . This is the direct result of a 2017 agreement that had Iran and India finance and build a 1,300-kilometer-long rail line from the Chabahar port near the Pakistan border, to the Afghan border in the north and then inland to Heart city. The last link is actually an earlier (2007) project to build a rail line from the Iranian city of Khaf to the Afghan city of Herat. Most (77 kilometers) of the railroad is in Iran with the other 62 kilometers in Afghanistan. This is all part of a larger Afghan project to build their first national railroad system. The Iran link will eventually be 220 kilometers long with over 90 percent of that in Afghanistan. In 2016 the first direct rail link to northern neighbor Turkmenistan was completed and that connection will eventually become part of a national rail network. India provided over two billion dollars to upgrade the port of Chabahar and build new roads and railroads to Afghanistan and Central Asia. For Iran the Central Asia link is the most valuable one. But for Afghanistan having another way to move most of their imports and exports is a major achievement because Pakistan and Iran will have to complete and that will keep costs down for Afghans and reduce the use of closing the border, which Pakistan has done frequently, to coerce the Afghans. Iran maintains good relations with Pakistan because they both see the Americans and Israel as archenemies. At the same time Pakistan is on good terms with the Gulf Arab oil states while Iran is at war with them. Pakistan is in a delicate situation here and has to tolerate Iran becoming close to Afghanistan economically and in many other ways. Iran does not want Afghanistan becoming a narcostate controlled by Pakistan. While the Pakistani military controls, supports and profits from the Afghan Taliban and drug gangs, Iran despises the drugs and the Taliban. While Pakistan responds to Iranian complaints of Sunni Islamic terrorists killing Pakistani Shia, there is no such cooperation when the Taliban kill Shia, especially before 2001. Since then, the situation has changed. While 15 percent of Afghans are Shia, most reside in central Afghanistan, they also dominate several neighborhoods in Kabul and these are where most of the IISL attacks on Shia occur. Since 2015 the Afghan Taliban have been denouncing attacks like this. Since ISIL showed up in 2015, the Taliban saw an opportunity to repair their relationship with Iran. Since then anti-Shia violence has been monopolized by ISIL, even though in the past the Taliban killed a lot of Shia. Now, however, the Afghan Taliban is receiving support from Iran, a Shia majority nation that is hostile to groups that kill Shia unless those groups make themselves useful to Iran. This puts the Taliban in a difficult situation because Pakistan tolerates the heron trade and Iran never would. The difference is that the military is running things in Pakistan while Iran has a religious dictatorship that keeps its own military in check. Heroin and opium from Afghanistan is unpopular in all three countries because of the millions of addicts that have been created. The Pakistan military and Taliban dont care but everyone else does. With all that in mind, it should be no surprise that Iran and Afghanistan are close to completing negotiations for a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement that will officially give Afghanistan a new economic and military ally against the Taliban and the Pakistani military. The last item being negotiated is the security aspects. Apparently, this item is not a roadblock but is subject to a fair amount of haggling. One item to work out is the need for Afghanistan to continue working with the United States against international terrorist groups, like al Qaeda and ISIL, that still maintain a presence in Afghanistan. Iran has long provided some support to al Qaeda as long as that connection improved the chances of carrying out successful attacks on the Americans. January 4, 2021: Near the entrance to the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Oman, Iranian gunboats seized a South Korean chemical tanker, accusing it of water pollution. The charge was false and the tanker seizure was part of an Iranian effort to force South Korea to release $7 billion in Iranian cash frozen by American sanctions against Iran. South Korea promptly demanded Iran release the tanker and ordered nearby South Korea warships with the Somali anti-piracy patrol to head to where the tanker was seized. South Korea also threatened to cancel a scheduled visit by a senior South Korean official to Iran on January 10th to discuss the $7 billion in Iranian cash. Other nations with an interest in free passage to the Persian Gulf backed the South Korean demands. January 3, 2021: The government executed three Sunni Baluchis from southeastern Iran. The men were arrested in 2014 and charged with carrying out terror attacks against Iran. The arrest and trails became controversial because there was evidence the two of those arrested had nothing to do with the crimes all were accused of. This is not unusual for Iran, which has long treated uncooperative minorities harshly. This includes, Shia Arabs in the southwest, Sunni Kurds in the northwest and the Indo-European Sunni Baluchis in the southeast. January 2, 2021: During the last week the UAE (United Arab Emirates) held secret talks with Iran to assure the Iranians that the UAE had nothing to do with the American missile attack that killed Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani a year ago. Iran and the UAE have an informal agreement to refrain from involvement with military operations within each others territory. Iran suspected that the UAE might have provided information to help the Americans find and kill Soleimani while the Quds Force commander was outside of Iran. Soleimani was killed outside the Baghdad, Iraq airport. Apparently, these discussions were successful. The UAE and Iran have an ancient and complex relationship. For example, since at least 2010 Iran has been trying to persuade the UAE to stop expelling more and more of the half million Iranians living in the UAE. That expatriate community has long been a source of trade, information and all manner of useful connections to the outside world. But the UAE is angry at Iranian support for the Assad dictatorship in Syria, Shia rebels in Yemen and its continuing nuclear weapons program and threats against the Arab states on the west side of the Gulf. Iran periodically tries being nice to the UAE, but that has not been able to undo decades of bad treatment. This ugly past is catching up with Iran and the UAE doesnt want to be collateral damage. Meanwhile in Turkey a demonstration arranged by Iran to commemorate the death of Quds Force commander Soleimani a year ago was cut short, along with the video (via Zoom) feed that was being sent out live on Iranian media. Iran had organized the event with what it believed were pro-Iran Turks. The demonstrators showed up with pro-Iran signs and were given pro-Iran slogans to shout when directed to. The virtual demo began as planned but then most of the demonstrators dropped their pro-Iran signs to reveal anti-Iran messages and began chanting anti-Iran slogans. Iran never had a lot of fans in Turkey but had convinced themselves that they could collect enough pro-Iran Turks for a pro-Iran demonstration. This Zoom demo became more popular than the Iranians expected, but for all the wrong reasons. This was especially the case with Turks, who fondly remember that they have been defeating the Iranians for centuries. December 31, 2020: A Greek oil tanker at anchor off Iraq was found to have an Iranian limpet mine attached. The mine was attached to the hull by a diver dropped off at night from one of the armed Iranian speedboats that move through the area at all hours. Another Iranian speedboat then came along and picked up the diver. Iran has been using these tactics since 2019 when the Iranians were caught using limpet mines and other weapons against tankers entering the Persian Gulf. Iranians were caught on camera placing and removing the limpet mines on tanker hulls. These mines use magnets to remain on the hull and are detonated by timer or remote control. More armed guards are being hired to scan for such mines and to stand watch at night and fire on any small boats that approach a tanker at night. Iran denies they are using these mines but the video and past performance say otherwise. December 29, 2020: In the capital (Tehran) people were openly complaining of problems with the GPS on their cellphones. The cause appeared to be the military working on GPS spoofing technology at a military school compound in Tehran. This has been going on for months but the GPS disruptions this time were more wide-spread and prolonged. December 24, 2020: In northwestern Syria (Hama province) an Iranian missile assembly was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Several structures were destroyed and at least six Iranian mercenaries were killed. This took place near the main Syrian research center for advanced weapons. December 23, 2020: In eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) thirteen members of an Iran-backed Syrian militia deserted and fled to Kurdish (SDF) territory with the assistance of smugglers. The deserters are not fans of Iran and only joined the militia because it paid better and Iran said it would protect them and their families from retaliation by Syria for not being available for conscription into the Syrian military. Iranian promises turned out to be false and the work more dangerous than implied. Russia and Syria backed militias have been ordered to confront Iran-backed militias and threaten to open fire if the Iranian mercenaries dont back down. As a resulting Iran is having a harder time finding recruits in eastern Syria and more problems keeping them on the payroll. December 22, 2020: In Gaza (between Egypt and Israel), the Israeli government seized $4 million Iran was trying to transfer to Hamas via local money changing firms in Gaza. That business is legal but some of the firms also smuggle in cash from Iran and other criminal operations. If Israel detects smuggling and can prove it in an Israeli court, the cash can be seized. Hamas needs this money to pay its security forces and other employees. Most donors, including Arab Gulf states, have stopped financing Hamas and in response Sunni Hamas turned to Shia Iran for support. In eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) an airstrike against an Iranian base killed or wounded over a dozen Afghan mercenaries. The U.S. revealed that recent sanctions on Russian and Chinese companies was in response to their covert support for the Iranian missile programs. December 21, 2020: A U.S. Navy SSGN (non-ballistic missile nuclear subs) was seen on the surface entering the Persian Gulf. This was meant to intimidate the Iranians because this nuclear sub was one of four Ohio class SSBN (ballistic missile nuclear subs submarines) that were converted to SSGNs. Their spacious missile tubes, which formerly carried ballistic missiles, were converted to carry with 154 smaller Tomahawk cruise missiles. In late 2007 the first these SSGNs entered service. The conversion included a scheduled mid-refueling of the nuclear reactors. The four SSGNs also include space (living, working and training) for 66 commandos (usually SEALs) and their equipment. Two of the 24 ballistic missile tubes were devoted to use by special operations via the SEALs or other special operations personnel, plus underwater equipment. This included gear that enabled the SEALs to leave the submerged SSGN and get to shore undetected. The idea of a sub, armed with 154 highly accurate cruise missiles, and capable of rapidly traveling under water, ignoring weather, or observation, at a speed of over 1,200 kilometers a day, to a far-off hot spot, had great appeal in the post-Cold War world. The ability to carry a large force of commandos as well was also appealing. The Ohio SSGNs already carried a wide variety of electronic sensors and other data collecting gear. In one SSGN you have your choice of hammer or scalpel. Tomahawks continued to undergo upgrades. The four SSGNs are due for retirement before the end of the 2020s and no replacement is planned. Instead, the new Virginia class SSNs have more cruise missile tubes added. So far, the Ohio class boats were only used once for a mass launch of missiles. This was off Libya in 2011 when an Ohio launched 93 cruise missiles to suppress the Libyan air defense system so a multi-national air campaign could begin to prevent the Libyan military carrying out to massacre rebels and civilian supporters seeking to over the Kaddafi dictatorship. While the American SSGN was entering the Persian Gulf an Israeli Dolphin class diesel-electric was known to be headed towards the Persian Gulf, but not on the surface. An Israeli Dolphin class submarine was seen passing through the Suez Canal in early December, into the Red Sea and then towards the Persian Gulf. Since 2014 Israel has been obtaining German built Dolphin class submarines that are equipped with fuel cell-based AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) system which enables them to stay under water for over a week at a time. The Dolphins in general are also very quiet, and very difficult to hunt down and destroy. Larger torpedo tubes allow the subs to carry longer range missiles, which include cruise missiles with nuclear warheads. Egypt, until 2012, did not allow Israeli subs to use the Suez Canal. The Dolphins were modified to go around Africa, if they had to. Improved relations with Egypt, which is also threatened by Iran, changed that Suez Canal policy. The Dolphin that recently transited the Suez Canal did it with permission and picked up an Egyptian canal pilot to guide the sub safely through the canal. December 20, 2020: In Iraq (Baghdad) eight rockets were fired into the Green Zone and apparently aimed at the American embassy complex. There was some damage to the embassy and one civilian near the embassy was wounded. One of the rockets was intercepted by the C-RAM anti-missile system and most of the unguided rockets missed the large embassy complex. Iran and pro-Iran Iraqi militias denied responsibility and blamed a rogue faction. It is suspected that this attack was not a rogue faction but an effort by Iran to deceive the Americans. That sort of thing is standard procedure for the Iranians. At the same time anti-corruption efforts led to arrest of dozens of senior officials belonging to Iran-backed PMF militias. These militias had become and more involved in illegal activities and assumed they were immune from prosecution. It was that way for a while but apparently no longer. Iran is not pleased with this development. December 14, 2020: In Saudi Arabia a tanker off the coast near Saudi oil export facility in Jeddah an explosion occurred on a Singaporean tanker. The crew of 22 got off safely and there was some oil leakage. While fighting the fire it was obvious that the cause of the explosion was external, not internal. This is the latest of several successful Shia rebel attacks on Red Sea shipping. These attacks are the result of Iran changing its tactics in Yemen. The Shia rebels are slowly losing territory to more numerous government forces. Saudi air defenses continue neutralizing ballistic and cruise missile attacks. In response Iran has switched to attempting to disrupt Red Sea commercial traffic by damaging tankers and cargo ships using mines and remotely controlled bomb boats. The Iranians shifted to this naval strategy in early 2020 and it is starting to pay off as more and more commercial ships are suffering damage, What the Iranians need is more successful attacks on Red Sea shipping, including a few large ships being sunk. Saudi Arabia and Egypt are very vulnerable to this Iranian strategy. D isrupting Red Sea traffic interferes with the growing percentage of Saudi Arabian imports and exports that move though Red Sea ports. The Saudis want to reduce reliance on Persian Gulf ports. Red Sea security is even more critical for Egypt. Nearly 20,000 ships a year pass through the Red sea headed for the Suez Canal, which earns Egypt nearly $6 billion a year in transit fees. The new Iranian offensive is made possible because Iran successfully shifted its smuggling operations to northern Somalia where the experienced Somali smugglers were looking for work and Iran paid well and on time. The Arab naval blockade has not yet found out how to foil the smuggling boats, which hide among the many fishing boats and coastal cargo ships operating between Somalia and Yemen and north into the Red Sea. December 13, 2020: In Iraq (Baghdad) there were five explosions during the night. Four of them were outside closed liquor store and another was at a civilian residence. Another liquor store bomb was discovered and disabled by police before it could go off. In response pro-Iran policemen closed many other liquor stores for bogus violations. Turkey protested because Turkish manufacturers and wholesalers provided most of the alcoholic beverages for the Iraqi market. Since the campaign against liquor stores began liquor imports from Turkey have fallen 50 percent. This comes at a time when there is peak demand because of New Year and Christmas, which is celebrated by many non-Christians in Iraq. All this was seen as an effort to increase demand for Iranian made methamphetamine pills. Also known as crystal meth or speed this synthetic narcotic is manufactured in Iran and smuggled into Iraq with the help of bribes to Iranian and Iraqi border police and coast guards. Unlike opium and heroin from Afghanistan, meth can be made locally and since 2014 it has become a popular business opportunity for many unemployed but technically adept Iranians. The government initially cracked down, destroying dozens of meth labs each month and executing a growing number of those caught making or distributing the drug. That has not slowed down meth production because meth is cheaper and faster acting than opium and as a stimulant has legitimate uses for people who have to stay alert for long periods at work. The Iranian attitude towards meth changed dramatically in 2018 when the Americans revived economic sanctions because Iran was caught working on nuclear weapons. Soon Iran had a major economic recession and the government has less cash for paying its thousands of pro-Iran Iraqi militiamen. Up to that point not a lot of Iraqis were setting up meth labs and now Iran wanted to keep it that way. Distributing Iranian meth pills in Iraq became a major source of income for Iran-backed militias. Currently about three percent of Iranians are addicted to meth, opium or heroin and Iraq is catching up with that despite, or because of, the growing poverty. December 12, 2020: Israel confirmed what journalists and intel agencies in other countries have been reporting about Iranian forces in Syria. Israel revealed that it had carried out over 500 attacks on Iranian forces and bases in Syria during 2020. Most attacks were from the air but artillery (cannon and missiles) were also used as well as a few ground operations. As a result, Iran has reduced the number of locations where it bases troops or stores equipment. There are fewer Iranian troops, most of them foreign mercenaries. The mercs are expensive and Iran is obliged to pay for medical care or death benefits as part of the compensation offered its mercenaries. Over a thousand mercenaries and at least a hundred Iranians have been killed or wounded by these attacks. Iran has not yet found a way to retaliate but so far has remained in Syria and moved most remaining forces to bases in northern and eastern Syria. These are also attacked but it costs the Israelis more to do so. Israel also revealed that it had also been conducting Cyber War attacks against Iran, both in Syria and in Iran itself. The Iranians have responded with its own Cyber War attacks, but these have done little damage until recently Israel suffered major damage when someone hacked most of the firms that keep the Israeli economy going all the time and the military in wartime. Iran held a public hanging to eliminate Ruhollah Zam, an exiled Iranian who had become a prominent and popular critic of the religious dictatorship. Zam was especially irritating because his father was one of the original clerics that created the religious dictatorship in the 1980s. Zam was born in the late 1970s and his father became the head of propaganda for the new religious government. The younger Zam, like many of the children of senior clerics, lost faith in the religious dictatorship and some have gone public with their opposition. Their fathers cannot always protect them, especially is the children dont agree to shut up. The younger Zam was a more effective critic than most and realized he was subject to arrest because of that and fled the country for France. The government threatened to try him for treason and worse if they caught him. That would mean the death penalty. The elder Zam told his son that the more conservative ruling clerics, backed by the IRGC, made it impossible to get a pardon or call off the Quds Force operatives tasked with bringing Zam back to Iran any way they could. That resulted in Zam being lured to Iraq during 2019 by the promise of some devastating insider information. Zam was led to believe he would be safe. It was all a setup and Zam ignored advice from friends and warnings from his father and made the trip. Quds kidnapped Zam in Iraq, brought him back to Iran, tried, condemned and executed him. His father was allowed to see his son one last time the day before the execution. December 10, 2020: In eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) Russian troops and their local 5th Corps Syrian militia set up a headquarters on the Syrian side near the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq. This is part of an agreement with Iran to reduce the Iranian presence here and give Israel reason to halt its air attacks. The 5th Corps Syrian mercenaries began replacing Iraqi, Lebanese, Syrian and Afghan mercenaries working for Iran. Egyptian negotiators visited Gaza to discuss a long-term peace deal between Hamas and Israel. These negotiations have been underway sporadically for years. Egypt wants peace in Gaza, Hamas is not so sure. Current Hamas patron Iran definitely does not want peace in Gaza. December 8, 2020: The U.S. placed sanctions on Iranian IRGC general Hassan Irloo, the new ambassador to Yemen, or at least the Shia rebels. Irloo replaces the last Iranian ambassador, who left Yemen in 2015 when the civil war escalated. The old ambassador was for the pre-civil war Yemen government. Irloo long served in the IRGC Quds Force and is an ambassador to the rebel government one, not the one recognized by the UN and most of the world. Like another Quds commander who serves as the ambassador to Iraq, Irloo does not report to the Iranian Foreign Ministry but to the IRGC headquarters. Before he got the Yemen assignment little was known about Irloo except that he was a Quds officer who was rising in the ranks for accomplishments that were kept secret. This is common with Quds commanders, mainly because Quds is seen as a terrorist organization and successful Quds commanders tend to be responsible for a lot of death and destruction carried out in the name of Shia Islamic domination of the world. In reaction to that Israel and the United States have been tracking down and killing the more notorious Quds commanders. Irloo had to be smuggled into Yemen and that was accomplished by the end of October. The arrival of Irloo was reassuring for the rebels, who have been on the defensive for more than a year. Despite that the legitimate Yemeni government has internal problems that the rebels may be able to take advantage of. December 7, 2020: Another little publicized but important defeat for Iran is the defection of four PMF militias from the pro-Iran coalition to a new coalition that will concentrate on guarding Shia shrines in Iraq. They do this under the guidance of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the most senior Iraqi Shia cleric. Back in 2019 Sistani announced his support of the demonstrators and their goals of eliminating corruption, especially in the government. In effect Sistani was also supporting the very anti-Iran attitudes of the protestors. There is another senior Shia cleric, Muqtada al Sadr who is almost as influential as Sistani but it more actively a politician. This puts him at odds with Sistani followers but not with Sistani himself. At least not in public. The two clerics realize that they have tremendous influence in what happens in Iraq and that influence would be greatly diminished if they feuded openly. December 6, 2020: In Iran an unidentified group of Iranians added an Israeli flag and a Thank You Mossad sign below it. This was draped from a bridge over larger banners condemning Israel for the recent killing of an Iranian IRGC officer and scientist who played a key role in the Iranian nuclear weapons development program. Owning an Israeli flag is a major crime in Iran. Displaying it and then posting photos on the Internet can get you executed. November 29, 2020: On the Syria/Iraq border an unidentified UAV used a missile to kill an unnamed senior IRGC officer whose car was crossing the border after midnight. Three other IRGC men in the vehicle also died. Iran believed Israel was responsible. This assassination comes a day after a key Iranian nuclear weapons scientist was ambushed and killed outside the Iranian capital. Iranian officials are openly calling for retaliation but so far have not been able to deliver. This makes the Iranian leadership look weak and that just makes those leaders more determined to make the Israelis and Americans pay for the growing list of successful operations to thwart Iranian efforts in Syria and back in Iran where efforts to build a nuclear weapon plod on. December 1, 2020: In Syria (Damascus) an Israeli air strike killed eight Iranian mercenaries guarding an Iranian arms storage site south of the city. November 27, 2020: The army began receiving the first of 800 new Karrar tanks. The first Karrar was built in 2017, followed by several more pre-production prototypes. Karrar is another upgraded T-72, something which Iran admits. The 51-ton Karrar has all the features of other late-model T-72 tanks including a three-man crew, autoloaded 125mm gun modern electronics and composite/ERA armor. Karrar is also the continuation of T-72 upgrades that began in the early 1990s. In Yemen Saudi air strikes took place throughout rebel territory. This was retaliation for a successful cruise missile attack on a Saudi oil facility on the Red Sea coast, about 860 kilometers north of Yemen. The damage to the oil facility was minor but the implications were not. Years of defeating all Iran-supported attacks by Shia rebels in Yemen have been more successful of late. November 26, 2020: In eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) there was another airstrike against Iranian mercenaries guarding weapons stored near the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq. This time there were about twenty Iranians and Iranian mercenaries killed. There were also secondary explosions as missiles of ammunition stored there was hit. November 25, 2020: In the south (Golan Heights) Israeli aircraft dropped thousands of leaflets on Syrian villages near the border warning residents to stay away from Iranian or Hezbollah bases near the border. The civilians know where these bases are and some will do business with those in the bases. These leaflets made it clear that Israeli airstrikes on these Iranian bases and camps would be a regular occurrence. Britain's 3billion air craft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is now ready to set sail at five days notice, ministers revealed today. The Royal Navy's largest ever warship and her carrier support group (CSG) of vessels have achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) ahead of a planned first deployment later this year. The Ministry of Defence said that meant 'all elements of the group from fighter jets to radar systems to anti-ship weapons have been successfully brought together and operated'. Commodore Steve Moorhouse, the commanding officer of the CGS, which includes destroyers and support ships that sail with the carrier to protect and equip her, said: 'In practical terms, my Strike Group is now at Very High Readiness, meaning we are at five days notice to deploy, if required, in response to global events and in defence of British interests.' HMS Queen Elizabeth - named after 16th century monarch Elizabeth I and nicknamed 'Big Lizzie' - is the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-Class of aircraft carriers. Its sister ship is HMS Prince of Wales. The ships, which together cost more than 6billion, are the largest in the history of the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy's largest ever warship and her carrier support group (CSG) of vessels have achieved Initial Operating Capability (IOC) ahead of a planned first deployment later this year The Minister of Defence said 'all elements of the group from fighter jets to radar systems to anti-ship weapons have been successfully brought together and operated'. Commodore Steve Moorhouse (right) said: 'In practical terms, my Strike Group is now at Very High Readiness.' Defence Minister Jeremy Quin (left) said: This is a hugely significant milestone for HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy and the whole country.' At 72,000 tons and 932 feet long, the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier is taller than Nelsons Column and considerably wider than the M25 at its widest point. Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said: This is a hugely significant milestone for HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy and the whole country. 'This achievement is a testament to the determination of our service personnel and industry workforce who have delivered this first-rate military capability, a capability held by only a handful of nations.' Last October the carrier led the largest and most powerful task force assembled by a European navy in almost 20 years. The 930ft long aircraft carrier led a nine-strong flotilla of destroyers and frigates from the UK, US and the Netherlands, together with two Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. It assembled at sea for the first time off the north east coast of Scotland as part of Joint Warrior - NATO's largest annual exercise. However, the MoD said the carrier support group is only expected to reach 'full operating capability' by December 2023. The Carrier Strike Group includes NATO's most sophisticated destroyers the Royal Navy's Type 45s HMS Diamond and HMS Defender and US Navy Arleigh Burke-class USS The Sullivans. It also contains frigates HMS Northumberland and HMS Kent from the UK and the Dutch Navy's HNLMS Evertsen. They will not only protect the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers from enemy ships, submarines, aircraft and missiles, but are also capable of conducting a range of supporting missions, from maritime security to disaster relief. Meanwhile, two Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships, RFA Tideforce and RFA Fort Victoria, will supply fuel, food, spares and ammunition, to enabled sustained operations from the sea without host nation support. The aircraft carrier is expected to set sail on its first deployment in May. Last year it was reported that she would set out on its first operational mission with more US than British warplanes on board. HMS Queen Elizabeth could deploy with as many as 20 US F-35 jets and just 16 UK F-35s under one scenario, defence sources told the Daily Mail. The Ministry of Defence is expected to rely on US jets to fill a gap in numbers because it has been too slow to buy its own F-35s. Thousands of ducks have died in Kerala from the H5N8 virus infection The Kerala government, on January 5, declared the outbreak of avian influenza a state disaster after thousands of ducks were found infected with the H5N8 virus. Officials have informed that tests conducted at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal have confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in Kerala. Bird flu alert in Rajasthan after crow deaths in several districts The Kerala administration has already ordered the culling of ducks, hens, and other domestic poultry found within a one km radius of the affected zones. As of January 4, around 12,000 ducks had already died of the avian flu and 36,000 more will have to be killed to stop the spread of the virus. K Raju, the State Minister for Forest, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy Development has assured that affected farmers will be compensated by the government. Avian flu confirmed in dead migratory birds in Himachal; outbreak reported in four states now The bird flu cases were reported from parts of Kottayam and Alappuzha districts in Kerala and authorities have issued a high alert in these areas. According to a News18 report, four village panchayats -- Pallippad, Thakazhy, Nedumudi, and Karuvatta in Alappuzha district and one duck farm in Neendoor panchayat of Kottayam district reported the H5N8 virus infection cases. The Alappuzha administration has banned the use and trade of poultry meat, eggs, waste etc., in some pockets. Notably, four other states, namely, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana have so far reported bird flu cases in the past week. EAU CLAIRE, Wis., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Precision Pipeline, LLC, (PPL) a MasTec, Inc. (NYSE:MTZ), company, has been awarded a contract from TC Energy Corporation ("TC Energy") for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline in Montana and South Dakota. "We are extremely proud to put PPL employees and more than 1,600 American union members to work on completing this important infrastructure project, which will also provide a boost to local economies along the project route," says Bobby Poteete, President of PPL. "As a Wisconsin business, we're proud to be awarded such a large contract for a significant North American infrastructure project and we look forward to working with TC Energy, local communities and businesses to bring Keystone XL to life." "We are proud to be associated with such a well-thought-out project that has evolved into being inclusive to all its constituents. With a significant equity investment by the Indigenous communities and a commitment to construct the project with an all-union workforce in the U.S., Keystone XL is a critical infrastructure project that has evolved significantly over the last few years. Today, Keystone XL is one of the most diversified infrastructure projects in this country," says Jose R. Mas, Chief Executive Officer of MasTec, Inc. PPL will be responsible for hiring an estimated 1,600 union workers over the two-year construction period. "We are committed to hiring locally and giving priority to qualified local and Indigenous businesses, and strive to be a leader in promoting opportunities," says Michael Hyke, Vice President of Midwest Operations at PPL. According to TC Energy, in addition to job creation, the Keystone XL Pipeline Project is expected to contribute $55 million in annual property tax revenues, with millions in economic benefits going directly to education and essential community services alone. PPL is 100% committed to safety, the communities it works in and to being part of something bigger than the project. "With added focus on improving the health and safety of our environment, our people and overall well-being of the communities we work in, we truly make a difference during the construction of each infrastructure project and beyond," adds Poteete. About Precision Pipeline, LLC Precision Pipeline, LLC was founded in 2004 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, by Steve Rooney and Dan Murphy. Veterans of the industry, Murphy and Rooney maximized their work relationships to build the premier pipeline construction company in just five short years. In 2009, PPL joined the MasTec, Inc. group of infrastructure companies to be its premier union oil and gas service line. Precision Pipeline is not a new contractor; we are the Next Generation Pipeline Contractor. Visit PrecisionPipelineLLC.com. SOURCE Precision Pipeline, LLC Related Links http://PrecisionPipelineLLC.com by Fady Noun Former Minister Sejean Azzi points out that the patriarch is not only trying to see a government formed, but also wants to save Lebanon. Some people really want to eliminate the Patriarch. It is no coincidence that a few days ago four different articles mentioned the Patriarch's departure. Beirut (AsiaNews) Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi is continuing his efforts to bring President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri closer together. in this endeavour, he is supported by former minister Sejean Azzi, who is close to the patriarch. It is no secret that Patriarch al-Rahi said that he will continue his initiative and that he will not limit himself to the formation of a government, but will try to help Lebanon. Forming a government will be only the first step. The former minister insists that the patriarchs move is not a formal mediation. Before he took this step, the patriarch hesitated a lot. He deeply believes in the separation of Church and state and believes that the formation of a government should follow specific rules defined by the Constitution and not require a patriarchal, or papal or Syrian, or Iranian, or international action ... Every day in the world, governments fall and others are formed. Only in Lebanon is the nation itself questioned whenever a new government is formed. As if the fate of Christians depended on one or more minister, or on the third party blocking it, or as if the fate of Sunnis depended on the appointment of one or other minister, or if that of the Shias depended on the Ministry of Finance. This is wrong. What determines our present and our future is not a ministerial portfolio, it is our mutual love, our desire to live together, our solidarity. I do not like to go further into this, but in reality. we do not live in a state, nor in a society, nor in institutions. Everything we experience is lived outside the legality we have set ourselves. Our situation is abnormal. For a foreign observer, Lebanon is not a federal state, nor a decentralised state, not even a divided state. It's a shattered state that's collapsing. That's not what the Lebanese want, even though some leaders find their interest in it. For Azzi, the Patriarch is trying to promote the formation of an impartial, competent government composed of extraordinary people, not affiliated to any political parties. A government as required by the international community. Therefore, the Patriarch is hostile to the existence within the government of the sources of his own bloc, said the former minister, alluding explicitly to the blocking third party. However, the conditions were not accepted. Certain alliances that unite some of political forces present have opposed it. In his view, a decision was taken at the regional level not to allow government formation in Lebanon, but to consider this process as part of an exchange in the struggle between the United States and Iran. US sanctions, the 'thaoura' (the peaceful uprising of 17 October 2019), the government and maybe, some think, the 2022 presidential election are all elements that will play a role in what happens. How will the Patriarch push his initiative? For Azzi, he will do so depending on what he will see, conscious that some groups are trying to undermine relations between the head of state and the head of the Maronite Church. Some people want to eliminate the Patriarch. It is no coincidence that a few days ago four different articles mentioned the patriarch's departure. I'm a former journalist and I know how this information is built up. Some people make a connection between a visit by the Pope this summer and the patriarchs departure. Azzi laughs at this. How would a journalist be informed of the Pope's travels before Bkerke, the patriarchal see. The Pope is afraid for Lebanons existence, and has spoken at length about it with Patriarch al-Rahi, making this clear in his Christmas message to the Lebanese. These fears are justified when we know that some people want to turn Lebanon into a place of confrontation. As we continue to expand globally, it is always with an eye towards how to make doing business with us as simple and convenient as possible. Star Rapid, one of the world's premier rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and low-volume manufacturing service providers, is pleased to introduce a Spanish language version of their website. This new version allows Star Rapid to conveniently offer specialized manufacturing services to Spanish-speaking customers worldwide. As we continue to expand globally, it is always with an eye towards how to make doing business with us as simple and convenient as possible, says Gordon Styles, President and CEO. The new, Spanish language version of our website enables us to better connect with and offer services to individuals and companies in predominantly Spanish-speaking countries throughout Latin America, Southern Europe, and other regions. Currently, Star Rapid has a strong presence in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and Asia-Pacific. All manufacturing facilities are located in Zhongshan, China. To visit the new Spanish language version of Star Rapids website, go to https://www.starrapid.com/es/. To enquire about Star Rapids services, request a quote online or contact the team in English, visit https://www.starrapid.com/contact. About Star Rapid: Star Rapid is one of the world's premier rapid prototyping, rapid tooling and low-volume manufacturing service providers. With international sales representatives in North America, Europe, the UK and Asia-Pacific, Star Rapid provides world-class product development solutions with local service and support. To learn more, please visit https://www.starrapid.com/. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 05:00:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) on Tuesday announced the creation of a cybersecurity headquarters to deal with mounting cyber attacks. The MAI, an umbrella organization of Israeli industrialists, explained that the headquarters was established due to the significant increase in cyber attacks on the Israeli industry. The headquarters will provide information and services on cyber protection to Israel's industry and business sectors, as well as real-time support to deal with cyber attacks. "The advancement of technology and the transition to advanced manufacturing and data-based management have increased cyber threats to the Israeli industry," the MAI said. The headquarters' management, which includes senior members of the Israeli hi-tech and cyber industry, will be headed by Refael Franco, former deputy head of the Israel National Cyber Directorate. The MAI also established a forum of cyber companies, for advising the headquarters and promoting cyber security for the Israeli industry. Enditem In brief: In its "2050 Decarbonization Roadmap," Massachusetts has announced an ambitious plan to boost EV ownership and cut emissions: in 2035, the sale of all new gas-powered vehicles will be banned. Used vehicle sales will be exempt from this policy, however. This upcoming rule is the second such statewide ban we've seen to date, with the first being California's identical rules (which have the same 2035 deadline). It's clear that Massachusetts took inspiration from the west coast state, but in this case, that's hardly a bad thing (at least, if you're in favor of EVs). Naturally, used vehicle sales will be exempt from these rules. In 2035 and beyond, you'll still be able to grab a pre-owned gas-powered vehicle from your dealer of choice, or a private owner. Still, this rule is sure to be troublesome for carmakers that plan to continue doing business in these two states. The full impact the rules will have for the industry at large remains to be seen. If other states follow the lead of California and Massachusetts (say, the majority of the US), that may be enough to force carmakers to stop producing gas-powered vehicles in the country, which would be a tremendous shift for American mobility. If that does happen, we can only hope that EV infrastructure can keep up. After all, what good is an EV revolution if there aren't enough charging stations to support it? Huntington, WV (25701) Today A mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 86F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. MOWER COUNTY, Minn. - What began as a trespass call resulted in a man facing charges for spitting in the face of an officer before threatening to kill the officer. Oman Onyongo, 35, was located on Jan. 1 at the Apollo gas station after a report of him trespassing at an apartment complex. Onyongo had a blood-alcohol level of .284, according to court documents, and was uncooperative before he spit in the officers face. While at the hospital due to the high BAC, Onyongo allegedly threatened to kill the officer with a firearm and attempted to spit on hospital staff. Urs Jordi has the backing of the board and is continuing disposals THE Swiss investor that led last years campaign to unseat Aryztas board of directors and which has opposed efforts to sell the business in recent months has again reduced its stake in the baked goods company. Hedge fund Veraison now owns significantly less than 3pc of Aryzta, having at one stage owned almost 10pc of the company. Veraison said that in the last trading days of December it sold around 4pc of Aryzta in two block trades to two Swiss family offices. The achieved return amounts to more than 100pc, it said. Veraison now holds significantly less than 3pc in Aryzta. While long-term Aryzta shareholders nurse huge losses and a still-uncertain outlook, Veraison has scooped spectacular gains from its investment. Veraisons stake fell below 5pc on December 7 last year. On April 24 last year Veraison first notified regulators that it had a 3.2pc stake in the troubled Swiss-Irish company. By mid-September Veraisons stake had increased to almost 10pc. On December 7, shares in Aryzta traded at 68c each in Dublin following confirmation of a takeover bid from US hedge fund Elliott at CHF0.80 (0.74) a share compared to 30.02 cents on April 24 2020. Verasion - alongside Spain's Cobas - led the campaign last year to unseat Aryzta board members, including Gary McGann and Kevin Toland, and to replace them with directors it backed so as to accelerate a restructuring. Following an EGM in September, Verasion said they were convinced that the renewed board of directors will quickly restore the confidence of investors in Aryzta. The aim is to rebuild shareholder value and to review all strategic alternatives in the best interest of all stakeholders, Veraison said at the time. Veraison has endorsed asset sales, including that of Aryztas US business, as the best route to boost shareholder value, shunning Elliotts bid for the whole company. In October Veraison welcomed the news that the negotiations between Aryzta and Elliott had been terminated. The company has focused on restructuring the business, with plans dispose of its North American and Latin American units and to cut 25pc from the overall cost base. On Monday, Aryzta said it had reached agreement with Lion Capital and Invest Group Zouari to sell its remaining 4.64pc interest in French frozen foods group Picard for around 24m. It initally acquired Picard for 447m and nursed huge losses on the deal when it sold most of its holding in the French company. Since 2014 Aryzta, which traces its roots back to IAWS, has lost over 90pc of its value, leaving thousands of Irish farmers, co-op shareholders and investors with collective losses running well into the millions of euro. The company was once valued at more than 6bn, today remains a far cry from the valuation it hit in its heyday, despite recent improvements in its share price. Urs Jordi, who is chairman and interim CEO of Aryzta, said the company was focused on delivering on its plans. Shares in Aryzta were down more than 3pc at 59c. Online Editors The CPC Luohu Committee celebrated CPC members' "political birthday" in the district's archives center on Dec. 31. The "political birthday" refers to the day one joins the Party. Presided over by Luohu Party chief Luo Yude, the activity had five parallel sessions. Senior Party and government officials, lawmakers and political advisers took part. Luo Yude gifted a political birthday commemorative album to 12 Party members. Luo also led participants to review the oath that is taken before joining the Party, and a short video on the mission of Party members was also shown. Luo said the activitywas significant in the fact that Luohu would normalize the celebration of Party members' "political birthday" as a monthly event in Party organs of various levels in the district. Luo urgeddistrict Party members to remain true to their original mission, and use the "political birthday" to remind themselves always remain loyal to the Party and the people. He said the celebration should serve as a regular wake-up call to membersin undertaking their responsibilities, and try their best to make a bigger contribution to building Luohu into an all-embracing hub of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. A NORTH Kerry farmer who allowed farm waste flow into the Moyvane River for years has been fined 2,500 for breaching EU regulations. Despite several visits from Kerry County Council officials to the farm, no attempt was made to stop the soiled water entering the river, Listowel District Court was told. Thomas Moore of Glanalappa East, Moyvane, was before the court charged with two charges related to allowing livestock manure, organic fertilisers or soiled water, from the farm, into the river in breach of EU regulations. The court heard that Mr Moore had a 2pc penalty on his farm imposed by the Department of Agriculture for the breaches, but failed to rectify the situation. Mark OSullivan from Kerry County Councils Environmental section told the court that he made a number of visits to the farm after receiving a complaint in January 2018. When he visited again in November 2019, no progress had been made. According to Department of Agriculture records Mr Moore, who is a dairy and beef farmer, had 211 cattle in November 2019, the date the charges relate to. He now has 192 cows. Mr OSullivan said that the soiled water from farm manure was going down a drain and from there into the Moyvane river. Mr OSullivan said there has been some improvement from November 2019 to December 2019, but soiled water was continuing to flow into the watercourse. Solicitor for Mr Moore, Brendan Ahern, said that his client has never been in court. He said Mr Moores mother had died and he was under pressure and had failed to carry out improvements but did intend to and does intend to now. It is a wake-up call to be here, said Mr Ahern. Judge David Waters said the situation was not an accident with Mr Moore allowing soiled water flow into the river for a lengthy period of time. The difficulty is that two years after he was first approached he is still letting soiled water into the watercourse. Judge Waters said he would have preferred if Mr Moore used the money he forfeited from the Department of Agriculture or from the fines that he is facing to carry out improvements on the farm to prevent the situation. It is inexcusable to allow soiled water to continue into the river or watercourse continuously, he said. Ben Craig Wins Bally's Main Event Mania $1,500 Main Event January 04, 2021 Mo Nuwwarah Ben Craig went from short stack to victor to take down the 57-entry Bally's Main Event Mania $1,500 Main Event for $25,834. He start the eight-handed final table with less chips than all of his opponents, several of whom had more than 100 big blinds, but it just proved to be a generous head start that Craig made up over the course of the next several hours. With the win, the 32-year-old software engineer from Chicago added to $118K in career cashes, all coming since 2017. "I've tried a couple of times going pro," he said. "I love coming to Vegas for tournaments." Official Final Table Results Place Player Prize 1 Ben Craig $25,834 2 Pete Dailey $15,964 3 Lewis Robledo $10,467 4 Viny Lima $7,195 5 Terry Fleischer $5,196 6 Mike Shin $3,954 7 Daniel Sepiol $3,178 8 Ryan Lenaghan $2,708 Craig hung around with a short stack as a fast pace was set by the other players to get down to the final table and the money over the first few hours of the day. Plenty of late-registering players helped boost the prize pool, with the likes of Mike Shin and Pat Lyons among those showing up to fire. Pete Dailey, Lewis Robledo and Viny Lima had heaps going in, and indeed those three wound up four-handed with Craig while experienced players like Shin and Terry Fleischer went bust. It looked like Craig would be headed to payouts in fourth when he got it in dominated with queen-jack suited against Lima's jacks, but a queen on the turn saved Craig and he then busted Lima in a flip. Robledo and Dailey seemed determined to play huge pots, something Craig was all too happy to do as he caught fire, showing down some huge holdings such as full houses and aces up when he was committing large portions of his stack. A massive flip for more than 60 big blinds went his way to bust Robledo, and he suddenly had a large lead against Dailey heads up. They played a big one on an ace-high board that Craig didn't mean to make large, but he misclicked in a min-raise when he meant to call a turn bet and faced a big three-bet from Dailey. Holding an ace and a weak kicker, Craig stayed sticky. "I just thought he was spazzing versus the misclick," Craig said. "I thought about jamming. He was frustrated. I was making a lot of big hands. "But, I figured if he river wasn't a diamond [to make a three-flush] and he bluffed, I could get the rest." It was a diamond, but Dailey gave up, and Craig had him on the ropes. He then gambled with a flush draw and an overcard and got there versus top pair to seal it. Craig said he plays most of his volume online, but he's been increasing his play as the live scene slowly kicks back up. He said he's on his third trip to Vegas since the summer, and he's $25K richer for his next shot, whenever that comes. Bally's Main Event Mania Winners Andrew Donadedian In other news, Andrew Donadedian was the Player of the Series after cashing 11 times for 320 points and $31,863 in winnings. As a result, he's won a $10,000 seat into the 2021 World Series of Poker Main Event. Date Tournament Buy-in Entries Prize Pool Winner Prize 12/13/20 Event 1: No-Limit Hold'em $1,000 64 $56,640 Tim Mercer $18,461 12/14/20 Event 2: No-Limit Hold'em $800 89 $63,457 Brent Hart $18,836 12/15/20 Event 3: No-Limit hold'em $600 60 $31,200 Mike Shin $10,476 12/15/20 Event 4: Pot-Limit Omaha $400 74 $24,790 Michael Hahn $7,677 12/16/20 Event 5: $400 No-Limit Hold'em $400 24 $8,040 Andrew Donabedian $3,430 12/16/20 Event #6: $1,000 HORSE $1,000 63 $55,755 Gary Kosakowski $18,181 12/17/20 Event #7: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha $600 56 $29,120 Jerod Smith $9,780 12/17/20 Event #8: $250 No-Limit Hold'em $250 51 $10,710 Luis Rosa $3,728 12/18/20 Event #9: $600 No-Limit Hold'em $600 52 $27,040 Dan Gannon $9,406 12/18/20 Event #10: $400 Omaha Hi-Lo $400 62 $20,770 Steven Jones $6,776 12/19/20 Event #11: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em $1,000 30 $26,550 Shohei Miyazaki $10,600 12/20/20 Event #13: $400 No-Limit Hold'em $400 37 $12,395 James Poper $4,678 12/20/20 Event #14: $1,000 9-Game Mix $1,000 26 $23,010 Sean Yu $9,813 12/21/20 Event #15: $250 Triple Stud $250 45 $9,450 James Scott $3,415 12/22/20 Event #16: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha $1,000 24 $21,240 Stephen Foutty $9,058 12/23/20 Event #17: $400 No-Limit Hold'em $400 26 $8,710 Ryan Tosoc $3,715 12/23/20 Event #18: $250 Big O $250 67 $14,070 James Poper $4,472 12/26/20 Event #19: $800 No-Limit Hold'em $800 25 $17,825 Matthew Faust $7,602 12/27/20 Event #21: $600 No-Limit Hold'em $600 25 $13,000 Greg Giannokostas $5,545 12/27/20 Event #22: $400 HORSE $400 77 $25,795 Gary Bolden $7,987 12/28/20 Event #23: $400 No-Limit Hold'em $400 54 $18,090 Ben Moschel $6,077 12/28/20 Event #24: $600 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw $600 41 $21,320 Denis Nesterenko $7,702 12/29/20 Event #25: $600 No-Limit Hold'em $600 8 $4,160 Paul Eidem $2,571 12/30/20 Event #27: $400 No-Limit Hold'em $400 78 $26,130 Gunner Patterson $8,091 12/30/20 Event #28: $2,200 High Roller $2,200 39 $78,000 Gina Stagnitto $29,424 1/2/21 Event #29: $1,500 Main Event $1,500 57 $76,950 Benjamin Craig $25,834 1/2/21 Event #30: $400 Omaha Hi-Lo $400 63 $21,105 Kassab Ama $6,885 1/3/21 Event #31: $400 No-Limit Hold'em $400 25 $8,375 Aurele Harroche $3,572 1/3/21 Event #32: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha $400 42 $14,070 William Wallace $5,083 By Sangmi Cha and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - Iran denied on Tuesday it was using a South Korean ship and its crew as hostages, a day after it seized the tanker in the Gulf while pressing a demand for Seoul to release $7 billion in funds frozen under U.S. sanctions. The seizure of the MT Hankuk Chemi and its 20-member crew near the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been seen as an attempt by Tehran to assert its demands, just two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in the United States. Iran wants Biden to lift sanctions imposed by outgoing President Donald Trump. Tehran's critics have long accused it of capturing ships and foreigners as a method of gaining leverage in negotiations. "We've become used to such allegations," Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told a news conference. "But if there is any hostage-taking, it is Korea's government that is holding $7 billion, which belongs to us, hostage on baseless grounds." South Korea summoned the Iranian ambassador, called for the ship to be released and said it was dispatching a delegation to Iran to discuss it. Iran says the ship was held over environmental violations. Iran's ability to challenge shipping in the Gulf is one of its main points of leverage in what is expected to be a difficult negotiation when the Biden administration takes office on Jan. 20. In 2019, Iran held a British tanker for two months. South Korea, like other countries, is required to limit Iran's access to its financial system under the U.S. sanctions, which were imposed by Trump after he abandoned a nuclear agreement reached with Iran under predecessor Barack Obama. Iran says the sanctions are illegal and have hurt its economy, including its ability to respond to the worst outbreak of COVID-19 in the Middle East. Biden aims to revive the nuclear agreement, but any thaw is likely to pose a diplomatic challenge. Since Trump abandoned the deal, Iran has taken steps that violate it; Biden says Iran must be fully compliant before the deal can be restored, while Iran says Washington must first lift the sanctions. Story continues On Monday, Tehran announced it had stepped up uranium enrichment at an underground facility, its latest move in violation of the nuclear deal's terms. CREW 'SAFE' South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said on Tuesday she was making diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the tanker and had made contact with her counterpart in Tehran. Iran's ambassador in Seoul, Saeed Badamchi Shabestari, asked about the status of the ship's crew before his meeting at the foreign ministry, told reporters "all of them are safe". In addition to a South Korean delegation expected to go to Iran as soon as possible to try to free the ship, South Korea's vice foreign minister, Choi Jong-kun, is scheduled to visit Iran on Sunday. Iranian state TV cited a Tehran government official as saying the visit had been scheduled earlier, to discuss the frozen funds. Iran's foreign ministry also said the visit was not linked to the tanker. "This matter is moving along ... its legal path and does not require a diplomatic trip," the state news agency IRNA quoted ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying. "The Korean government's behaviour in this regard is incomprehensible. ... We urge (them) to approach this technical issue rationally and responsibly," Khatibzadeh said. 'ARMED SOLDIERS' The ship's Busan-based operator, Taikun Shipping Co Ltd, told Reuters there had been nothing to indicate before the vessel was seized that Iranian authorities were probing possible violations of environmental rules. "If it really was marine pollution, as they say, the coastguard was supposed to approach the ship first," Taikun's management director, Lee Chun-hee, said by telephone. "But, instead, armed soldiers approached the crew and said they needed to be investigated." Last Sunday, the Tehran Times newspaper reported Iran was hoping to negotiate an agreement to use the frozen funds to trade for commodities, including coronavirus vaccine doses. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, a foreign ministry official said the Iranian government had tried to secure vaccines through the global COVAX initiative, backed by the World Health Organization. Tehran had been in talks with the ministry and the U.S. Treasury to pay for the doses with South Korean won. (Reporting by Sangmi Cha and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Florence Tan in Singapore and by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Peter Graff, Alex Richardson and Jonathan Oatis) South Korea's anti-piracy unit began operations in waters near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday to respond to heightened tensions after Iran's seizure of a South Korean oil tanker, officials said. On Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps seized the tanker, the MT Hankuk Chemi, due to what Teheran claims to be environmental and chemical pollution by the ship. The vessel, which was traveling from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, was carrying 20 crew members -- five South Koreans, 11 Myanmarese, two Indonesians and two Vietnamese. "The Cheonghae Unit arrived in waters near the Hormuz Strait earlier in the day. It is carrying out missions to ensure the safety of our nationals," ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan told a regular briefing. The ministry refused to give details, but officials stressed that the unit is not taking military actions for the release. "The issue should be resolved through diplomacy. The unit is focused on the safety of our people who use the waterway after the seizure incident," another official said. Around six South Korean vessels are known to sail through the waterway every day. South Korea has also been in close coordination with multinational entities operating in nearby waters, the official added. The 33rd contingent of the 300-strong Cheonghae Unit on the 4,400-ton destroyer Choi Young has been in the Middle Eastern region since late last year to conduct anti-piracy missions. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that South Korea is making diplomatic efforts for the swift release of the ship and crewmembers. "We have been trying to figure out what happened through the Iranian Embassy in South Korea and the South Korean Embassy in Iran and continuing to make efforts to address this situation," Kang told reporters. Asked about speculation that Tehran might have seized the ship out of anger over its assets frozen in Korea due to U.S. sanctions, Kang stressed the first priority is on "verifying the facts and ensuring the safety of the crewmembers." On Monday, the U.S. State Department called on Iran to immediately release the tanker, saying that the seizure is part of Teheran's attempt to press the international community into lifting sanctions on the country. As the world's most important oil passageway and a chokepoint between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the strait is the route to the open ocean for more than one-sixth of global oil production and 70 percent of South Korea's oil imports. The Cheonghae Unit has been in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia since 2009 and broadened its mission areas into the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf last year amid heightening tensions in the region. (Yonhap) The state-owned enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine announces the blocking of its work due to the failure of the Health Ministry to approve a temporary plan for the use of budgetary funds for 2021, which makes it impossible to finance the operational activities of the enterprise. "The Ministry of Health did not approve a temporary plan for the use of budgetary funds for 2021, sent in advance. Without the approval of financial support from the Health Ministry, since the beginning of January 2021, the work of the state-owned enterprise has been blocked," the Medical Procurement of Ukraine wrote on Facebook. The enterprise, in particular, explains: due to the lack of funding, the state-owned enterprise cannot accept and deliver goods, including medicines and medical products purchased under state programs, as well as personal protective equipment and goods purchased to counter coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, in particular protective suits and robes, medical masks, rapid tests for the determination of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus antigen and medicines. The Medical Procurement of Ukraine is also unable to continue collecting information on the balances of medical goods, to collect data to form national statistics on combating COVID-19. "The functioning of our MedData system is under threat, since we need to purchase the capacity of the servers on which the system will be located this year [the preliminary contract was limited to 2020]. We collect data from hundreds of hospitals and laboratories throughout Ukraine. This data is used by the Cabinet of Ministers and NSDC for planning the fight against the spread of the disease. We provide technical support for the system and all key communication for the data formation," the enterprise said. In addition, the Medical Procurement of Ukraine said that the lack of funding does not allow signing and exchanging documents with logistics partners, suppliers, the State Treasury Service, the Ministry of Health and other structures, keeping records of goods, generating reports on the implementation of budget programs, closing prepayments of the State Treasury Service, as well as conducting anti-corruption expertise of counterparts. "This is not an exhaustive list of those processes that are blocked due to the delays of the Ministry of Health with the approval of the financial support of the state-owned enterprise. We appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Health and all government agencies involved in this process. Such documents as the nomenclature of goods for procurement, passports of budget programs and a plan for budget funds use for 2021, which, among other things, ensure the operational activities of the enterprise, must be approved without delay. Daily delay endangers patients, creates inconvenience to suppliers, damages the reputation of the enterprise as a reliable buyer," the enterprise said. SUTAB is a sulfate-based tablet colonoscopy preparation that is taken orally in a split-dose administration starting the evening before a colonoscopy. The tablets offer a safe and effective alternative to liquid colonoscopy preparations, which traditionally require consuming large volumes of poor-tasting solution and can often be a barrier to patients' willingness to undergo colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer. 1 The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend adults undergo screening for colorectal cancer beginning at age 45.2 Colonoscopy is the gold standard detection method for colorectal cancer, a leading cause of cancer-related deaths that can be more effectively treated if caught early through screening.3 Within the last decade, the rate of colonoscopy procedures has increased significantly with approximately 18 million people now screened annually for colorectal cancer. "Alternative colonoscopy preparations, like SUTAB, can play an important role in encouraging more patients to get screened for colorectal cancer," said Alan Cooke, President and CEO of Sebela Pharmaceuticals. "With the introduction of SUTAB tablets, we hope to take yet another important step toward removing some of the burden often associated with the preparation process allowing more patients to feel confident in their choice to undergo a colonoscopy." The FDA approved SUTAB on November 10, 2020. The approval was based on positive Phase 3 clinical trials, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of SUTAB compared to FDA-approved preparations in 941 patients, including a traditional polyethylene glycol and ascorbate preparation (PEG-EA) for bowel cleansing prior to a colonoscopy.4 A high rate of cleaning success was seen with SUTAB (92.4%), which demonstrated non-inferiority to PEG-EA (89.3%).4 Likewise, the percentage of patients rating their overall experience with SUTAB as "excellent" or "good" was higher than those rating PEG-EA (71.6% vs. 59.8%, respectively).4 For a future colonoscopy, 78% of patients said they would request SUTAB again.4 SUTAB is now available by prescription in the U.S. and is competitively priced with other branded colonoscopy preparations. Patients can pay as little as $40 with a Braintree copay card. To learn more, visit www.SUTAB.com. SUTAB was developed by Braintree, the makers of SUPREP Bowel Prep Kit (sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate and magnesium sulfate) Oral Solution for adultsthe market leader in branded colonoscopy preparations.5 Braintree, a leader in gastroenterology, is part of Sebela Pharmaceuticals. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION SUTAB (sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride) tablets for oral use is an osmotic laxative indicated for cleansing of the colon in preparation for colonoscopy in adults. DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: A low residue breakfast may be consumed. After breakfast, only clear liquids may be consumed until after the colonoscopy. Administration of two doses of SUTAB (24 tablets) are required for a complete preparation for colonoscopy. Twelve (12) tablets are equivalent to one dose. Water must be consumed with each dose of SUTAB and additional water must be consumed after each dose. Complete all SUTAB tablets and required water at least 2 hours before colonoscopy. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Use is contraindicated in the following conditions: gastrointestinal obstruction or ileus, bowel perforation, toxic colitis or toxic megacolon, gastric retention. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS: Risk of fluid and electrolyte abnormalities : Encourage adequate hydration, assess concurrent medications and consider laboratory assessments prior to and after each use; Cardiac arrhythmias : Consider pre-dose and post-colonoscopy ECGs in patients at increased risk; Seizures : Use caution in patients with a history of seizures and patients at increased risk of seizures, including medications that lower the seizure threshold; Patients with renal impairment or taking concomitant medications that affect renal function : Use caution, ensure adequate hydration and consider laboratory testing; Suspected GI obstruction or perforation : Rule out the diagnosis before administration. ADVERSE REACTIONS: Most common gastrointestinal adverse reactions are: nausea, abdominal distension, vomiting and upper abdominal pain. DRUG INTERACTIONS: Drugs that increase risk of fluid and electrolyte imbalance.6 See Full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide About SUTAB SUTAB (sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride) tablets for oral use is an osmotic laxative indicated for cleansing of the colon in preparation for colonoscopy in adults. Cleaning the colon helps a healthcare provider see the inside of a colon more clearly during a colonoscopy. Safety and effectiveness of SUTAB in pediatric patients have not been established.6 About Sebela Pharmaceuticals Sebela Pharmaceuticals is a US-focused, growth-oriented specialty pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing gastroenterology, women's health, and dermatology prescription products. Braintree, a part of Sebela Pharmaceuticals, is a pioneer in gastroenterology therapy for bowel cleansing prior to colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer having developed multiple innovative prescription colonoscopy preparation and constipation products including SUTAB, SUPREP Bowel Prep Kit, GoLYTELY and NuLYTELY. Our gastroenterology product line also includes Motofen, Analpram HC and recently approved Pizensy (indicated for chronic idiopathic constipation in adults). Sebela Pharmaceuticals has multiple further advances in colonoscopy preparation therapy in clinical development. Sebela Pharmaceuticals also has two next generation intra-uterine devices (IUDs) for contraception in development that hold the promise of a better patient experience in addition to excellent efficacy. Sebela Pharmaceuticals has offices in Roswell, GA; Braintree, MA; and Dublin, Ireland, has annual net sales of $200-250 million and has grown to over 300 employees through strategic acquisitions and organic growth. Please visit sebelapharma.com for more information or call 800-874-6756. Forward Looking Statements This press release and any statements made for and during any presentation or meeting contain forward-looking statements related to Sebela Pharmaceuticals under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "planned," "believe," "forecast," "estimated," "expected," and "intend," among others. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the development, launch, introduction and commercial potential of SUTAB; growth and opportunity, including peak sales and the potential demand for SUTAB, as well as its potential impact on applicable markets; market size; substantial competition; our ability to continue as a growing concern; our need for additional financing; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; uncertainties of government or third-party payer reimbursement; dependence upon third parties; our financial performance and results, including the risk that we are unable to manage our operating expenses or cash use for operations, or are unable to commercialize our products, within the guided ranges or otherwise as expected; and risks related to failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations. As with any pharmaceutical under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. There are no guarantees that future clinical trials discussed in this press release will be completed or successful or that any product will receive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. While the list of factors presented here is considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof, and Sebela Pharmaceuticals does not undertake any obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances except as required by law. References: 1. Parra-Blanco A, Ruiz A, Alvarez-Lobos M, et al. Achieving the best bowel preparation for colonoscopy. World J Gastroenterol. Published online December 21, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i47.17709 2. U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. Colorectal Cancer: Screening. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening3. October 27, 2020. Accessed December 21, 2020. 3. Doubeni CA, Corley DA, Quinn VP, et al. Effectiveness of screening colonoscopy in reducing the risk of death from right and left colon cancer: a large community-based study. Gut. 2018;67(2):291-298. 4. Di Palma JA, Bhandari R, Cleveland M, et al. A safety and efficacy comparison of a new sulfate-based tablet bowel preparation versus a PEG and ascorbate comparator in adult subjects undergoing colonoscopy. Am J Gastroenterol. Published online November 6, 2020. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001020 5. IQVIA. National Prescription Audit Report. December 2020. 6. SUTAB [package insert]. Braintree Laboratories, Inc., Braintree, MA: 2020. 2020 Braintree Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. December 2020 201-156-v1 SOURCE Sebela Pharmaceuticals Related Links http://www.sebelapharma.com Update at 10 p.m.: Manlius house fire that shut down Route 92 (Highbridge Road) displaces 2 Update at 9 p.m.: Highbridge Road, also known as Route 92 in Manlius, is back open more than three hours after firefighters were called to the area for a structure fire. Manlius, N.Y. Part of Route 92, the main thoroughfare from Syracuse to the village of Manlius, is shut down Monday evening while firefighters battle a house fire, Onondaga County 911 dispatchers said. Someone called 911 at 5:36 p.m. to report a fire in a bedroom at 7253 Highbridge Road, also known as Route 92, in Manlius. Fayetteville, Manlius, East Syracuse, DeWitt and Minoa volunteer firefighters, Manlius police, Onondaga County sheriffs deputies and Fayetteville Ambulance responded to the fire. Emergency crews told 911 dispatchers they were closing part of Route 92 / Highbridge Road, from Woodchuck Hill Road to Mott Road, while firefighters battled the fire. Police reported everyone got out of the house safely. HUGE house fire, now. Rt. 92 between Lyndon Corners & Woodchuck Hill Rd. Flames leaping into the sky, too many emergency vehicles to count. Devastating. Posted by Anne Messenger on Monday, January 4, 2021 Check back for updates. Have a tip or a story idea? Contact Catie OToole: cotoole@syracuse.com | text/call 315-470-2134 | Twitter | Facebook Armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced the ship to change course and travel to Iran, the vessel's owner said Tuesday, the latest maritime seizure by Tehran amid heightened tensions with the West over its nuclear program. The military raid on Monday on the MT Hankuk Chemi was at odds with Iranian explanations that they stopped the vessel for polluting the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, it appeared the Islamic Republic sought to increase its leverage over Seoul ahead of negotiations over billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks amid a U.S. pressure campaign targeting on Monday also began enriching uranium up to 20 per cent, a small technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent, at its underground Fordo facility. That move appeared aimed at pressuring the U.S. in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration, which unilaterally withdrew from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, and ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who has said he'd be willing to re-enter the accord. An official at DM Shipping Co. Ltd. of Busan, South Korea, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorised to talk to journalists, offered details of the Hankuk Chemi's seizure. The vessel had been traveling from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates when Iranian forces reached the ship and said they would board it. Initially, Iranian forces said they wanted to run an unspecified check on the ship, the official said. As the vessel's captain spoke to company security officials back in South Korea, armed Iranian troops stormed the tanker as an Iranian helicopter flew overhead, the official said. The troops demanded the captain sail the tanker into Iranian waters over an unspecified investigation and refused to explain themselves, the official added. The company has since been unable to reach the captain, the official said. Security cameras installed on the ship that initially relayed footage on the scene on the deck to the company are now turned off, the official said. After the company lost contact with the captain, the company received an anti-piracy security alert notice, suggesting the captain activated an onboard warning system, the official said. It remains unclear if the ship tried to call for outside assistance. The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet routinely patrols the area along with an American-led coalition monitoring the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20 per cent of the world's oil passes. A separate European-led effort also operates there as well. The official denied the vessel had been polluting the waters. In past months has sought to escalate pressure on to unlock some USD 7 billion in frozen assets from oil sales earned before the Trump administration tightened sanctions on the country's oil exports. The head of Irans central bank recently announced that the country was seeking to use funds tied up in a South Korean bank to purchase coronavirus vaccines through COVAX, an program designed to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to participating countries. South Koreas Foreign Ministry demanded the ships release, saying in a statement that its crew was safe. The crew included sailors from Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam, according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. South Koreas Defense Ministry said it was sending its anti-piracy unit to near the Strait of Hormuz a 4,400-ton-class destroyer with about 300 troops. The U.S. State Department called for the tankers immediate release, accusing Iran of threatening navigational rights and freedoms in the Persian Gulf in order to extort the community into relieving the pressure of sanctions. Last year, Iran similarly seized a British-flagged oil tanker and held it for months after one of its tankers was held off Gibraltar. The latest incidents coincide with the anniversary of the U.S. drone strike that killed Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last January. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq, injuring dozens of U.S. troops. Tehran also accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet that same night, killing all 176 people on board. As the anniversary approached and fears grew of possible Iranian retaliation, the U.S. dispatched B-52 bombers over the region and ordered a nuclear-powered submarine into the Persian Gulf. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said late Sunday that he changed his mind about sending the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz home from the Middle East and instead will keep the vessel on duty. He cited Iranian threats against Trump and other U.S. government officials as the reason for the redeployment, without elaborating. Last week, sailors discovered a limpet mine stuck on a tanker in the Persian Gulf off Iraq, near the Iranian border, as it prepared to transfer fuel to another tanker owned by a company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. No one has claimed responsibility for placing the mine, though it comes after similar attacks in 2019 near the Strait of Hormuz that the U.S. Navy blamed on Iran. Tehran denied involvement. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor and former Bigg Boss 7 winner Gauahar Khan is in love with the way her in-laws have welcomed her to their home. She posted a picture from an elevator and shared her feelings with fans on Instagram Stories. In the pictures, Gauahar is seen holding a magic wand an is wearing fairy wings as she poses for her own phones camera, wearing a white top and blue tracks. Sharing the image, Gauahar wrote, The best welcome to a dulhan..Thank you Soooo much my sasural.. I love you all. Gauahar married Zaid Darbar on December 25 in a private nikaah ceremony followed by a reception and waleema ceremony. She has been posting happy pictures with Zaid since then. Last week, she posted a snippet as she walked a hotel aisle with Zaid. Earlier this month, Gauahar had shared their digital wedding invite, which chronicled their love story which began with a meeting at a grocery store. Soon, they began exchanging text messages and he told her that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Their dates were all about quarantine drives and parking garages. He proposed to her in July, with a song. Also read: Kapil Sharma struggles to pronounce auspicious as he records video for Netflix. Watch Recently, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Gauahar said that though she was averse to the idea of a relationship when she met Zaid, they instantly clicked. I met him, we hit it off and he didnt think he would propose to someone, marriage was not on his mind. When he asked me, it wasnt planned. It was in a flow and after meeting me, in literally over a month, he proposed to me. There were no second thoughts, she said. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-tv_listing-desktop To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Pherecydes is at the forefront of the fight against bacterial infections in humans and has already enabled the compassionate treatment of 22 French patients suffering from serious infections Pherecydes uses natural bacteria-killing viruses (bacteriophages) for a targeted treatment of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) and/or complicated-to-treat infections Pherecydes is developing a portfolio of products targeting 3 of the most resistant and dangerous bacteria according to the WHO, including Staphylococcus aureus This Press Release Must Not Be Published, Transmitted or Distributed, Directly or Indirectly, in the United States of America, Canada, Australia or Japan Pherecydes Pharma ("Pherecydes" or "company"), a biotechnology company specializing in precision phage therapy to treat resistant and/or complicated bacterial infections, today announced its intention to list on the Euronext Growth market in Paris. Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global public health issue responsible for at least 700,000 deaths per year1 that could, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), cause 10 million deaths per year by 20502. Pherecydes Pharma is developing a portfolio of phages, natural bacteria-killing viruses, targeting 3 of the most resistant and dangerous bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus. The Company has already obtained promising results in humans with its phages as part of compassionate use in France, particularly for bone-joint infections. Guy-Charles Fanneau de la Horie, Chairman of the Executive Board of Pherecydes Pharma, says: "Our innovative approach represents a promising solution in the alarming health context caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The precision phage therapy approach that we have developed has been validated by very encouraging results obtained during compassionate treatments carried out in a medical setting approved by the French health authority (ANSM). These clinical results, which are structuring for Pherecydes, combined with our production capacity in compliance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards, allow us to envisage the initiation of an intense development program in parallel with the availability of our drug candidates in the form of Early Access Program from the 2nd half of 2021. Pherecydes is planning an extensive clinical program that, in the long term, could enable it to treat, on a large scale, 3 of the most resistant and dangerous bacteria according to the WHO. Given these achievements in a rapidly growing therapeutic field, Pherecydes is today in a unique competitive position and our IPO project on Euronext Growth represents a major opportunity to establish our leadership in phage therapy." Antimicrobial resistance, a critical global public health issue With at least 700,000 deaths each year worldwide from resistant bacterial infections1, the fight against antimicrobial resistance is one of the WHO's major priorities. In the absence of an effective therapeutic solution, antimicrobial resistance could be responsible for 10 million deaths per year by 20502 Antimicrobial resistance also represents an extremely heavy and growing societal cost to health systems, estimated at between $20,000 and $80,000 per patient in OECD countries according to the ECDC3. In the United States, infections related to antimicrobial resistance cost approximately $20 billion annually (plus a $35 billion loss in productivity). Given this alarming situation, the development of alternative treatments, such as phage therapy, has become a top priority, especially since no new class of antibiotics has been approved since 19824 Phage therapy: a promising solution to treat resistant infections Phage therapy, the treatment of resistant bacterial infections by phages, is emerging as a promising solution to the problem of antimicrobial resistance. Phages are natural viruses that exclusively target bacteria and are completely harmless to humans. Each phage targets a specific bacterial species to inject its DNA, reproduce itself, then destroy the bacteria and replicate this operation to the last existing bacteria. Pherecydes' precision phage therapy: an innovative approach to personalized healthcare Pherecydes' innovative approach allows the screening and characterization of large quantities of phages to select only the most efficient ones on bacterial strains of interest. The most efficient phages are then isolated, characterized, tested and produced under controlled conditions. When a bacterial strain responsible for a serious resistant and/or complicated infection is sent to Pherecydes, the activity of the phages is evaluated according to a "phagogram", with reference to the antibiogram, to select the most active ones and thus propose an individualized treatment plan. In order to meet the pharmaceutical quality criteria, Pherecydes has set up industrial partnerships to produce its phages according to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards, allowing it to combine efficacy, purity and reproducibility. A diversified product portfolio protected by international patents Pherecydes Pharma has selected as priority targets for its phages three bacteria considered by the WHO as the most dangerous and in particular responsible for serious infections: Staphylococcus aureus , initially targeted by Pherecydes in two indications, bone and joint infections on prostheses and diabetic foot ulcers; , initially targeted by Pherecydes in two indications, bone and joint infections on prostheses and diabetic foot ulcers; Pseudomonas aeruginosa initially in ventilation-associated pneumonia and cystic fibrosis-associated pneumonia; initially in ventilation-associated pneumonia and cystic fibrosis-associated pneumonia; Escherichia coli, primarily in complicated urinary tract infections before other indications. These three bacteria alone are responsible for more than two-thirds of hospital-acquired resistant infections in industrialized countries5 and represent a cost of $5 billion in Europe and the United States6 Pherecydes is currently developing a portfolio of 2 anti-Staphylococcus aureus phages, 4 anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages and 5 anti-Escherichia coli phages, ensuring a very broad coverage of the targeted bacterial species. To protect its discoveries, Pherecydes has a proactive intellectual property policy that covers phages, their variants and all associations including at least one of its phages. Today, the Company owns 4 patents, including some already granted in the United States, Europe and other important countries such as Israel, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan. Pherecydes benefits from excellent results observed in humans in the context of compassionate use Pherecydes has successfully applied its precision phage therapy in compassionate use under the supervision of the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM). To date, 22 patients have received treatments with Pherecydes' phages in prominent French hospitals. More than 7 different indications have been treated with the anti-Staphylococcus aureus and anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages, including a majority of bone and joint infections on hip or knee prostheses. The excellent results observed in patients treated in this context have been the subject of several scientific publications and/or presentations at international congresses, the most recent publication being in the scientific journal Frontiers in Medicine last November7 A highly de-risked development strategy based on the choice of priority indications, the success of compassionate treatments and the Phagogram Pherecydes Pharma is planning to deploy its strategy around three priorities: 1. Clinical development of its phages in the most critical indications Staphylococcus aureus: high global priority according to the WHO (level 2 out of 3)8 Pherecydes is planning to conduct two Phase I/II clinical trials, in bone and joint infections on prostheses and in diabetic foot ulcer infection, respectively. The study protocol in bone and joint infections was conducted according to the recommendations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The main objective is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of phages in association with the DAIR (Debridement, Antibiotics, Implant Retention) procedure. The start of the study is planned for mid-2021 and the first results are expected at the end of 2022. The study in diabetic foot ulcer infection is expected to start at the end of 2022. Two other studies, funded by public programs (PHRC9), will be launched in 2021 in these indications with Pherecydes phages, one at the initiative of the Bordeaux University Hospital (bone and joint infections), the other at the initiative of the Nimes University Hospital (diabetic foot ulcer). Pseudomonas aeruginosa: global critical priority according to the WHO (level 1 out of 3)9 Pherecydes has already conducted several preclinical studies with anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa phages in respiratory tract infection models. The results obtained have been positive, comparable to the efficacy of reference antibiotics with much simpler administration schemes: nebulization or nasal instillations in a few administrations. Pherecydes intends to initiate phase I/II clinical development in these indications in early 2023. Escherichia coli: global critical priority according to the WHO (level 1 out of 3)10 Pherecydes will conduct a Phase I/II study to demonstrate that its anti-Escherichia coli phages have antimicrobial activity in complicated urinary tract infections. It is expected to start early 2023. 2. Availability of phages within the framework of Early Access Programs Early Access Programs are issued by the ANSM to allow certain categories of patients in France to use drugs that have not yet received Marketing Authorizations (MA). Given the substantial medical need and the encouraging results obtained with Pherecydes phages in compassionate treatments, in March 2019 an ANSM Temporary Specialized Scientific Committee (CSST) gave a favorable opinion for the granting of Early Access Programs for the anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa and anti-Staphylococcus aureus phages, if the latter are produced in a GMP environment. In November 2020, Pherecydes began the production of phages according to GMP industrial standards for the needs of its clinical studies and plans to make them available in France within the framework of Early Access Programs starting from the second half of 2021. These Early Access Programs would address an urgent medical need in the very short term, as more than 23,500 patients suffer from resistant infections linked to these two bacteria in France. This availability may be subject to invoicing and therefore generate revenue. 3. Development of Phagogram 2.0 The Company has developed a technique called "Phagogram", which tests the sensitivity of a patient's bacterial strain to several phages. Over the past three years, Pherecydes has performed more than 80 phagograms on clinical strains and hundreds of experiments to refine and standardize the techniques used. The Company is currently working on a new Phagogram methodology to increase the speed, reliability, reproducibility and sensitivity of the tests performed. In the short term, the new version of this test could be CE marked. The long-term objective is to make precision phage therapy easily accessible to all, through a large-scale deployment of the solution to other players closer to patients, such as private analysis laboratories, hospitals, etc. Information on Pherecydes Pharma's IPO on Euronext Growth in Paris Copies of the Document d'Information is available free of charge from Pherecydes Pharma, and on the websites of Pherecydes Pharma (www.pherecydes-pharma.com) and Euronext (www.euronext.com). For a description of the risks and uncertainties that could affect the results, financial position, performance and achievements of Pherecydes Pharma, please see the "Risk Factors" section of the Document d'Information, which is available on the websites of Pherecydes Pharma (pherecydes-pharma.com) and Euronext (www.euronext.com). The subscription price and the terms and conditions of the offer will be announced when the Offering period opens, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks. You can find all relevant information about Pherecydes Pharma's IPO project at www.pherecydes-finance.com About Pherecydes Pharma Founded in 2006, Pherecydes Pharma is a biotechnology company that develops treatments against resistant bacterial infections, responsible for many serious infections. The Company has developed an innovative approach, precision phage therapy, based on the use of phages, natural bacteria-killing viruses. Pherecydes Pharma is developing a portfolio of phages targeting 3 of the most resistant and dangerous bacteria, which alone account for more than two thirds of hospital-acquired resistant infections: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The concept of precision phage therapy has been successfully applied in 22 patients in the context of compassionate use, under the supervision of the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines (ANSM). Headquartered in Nantes, Pherecydes Pharma has a team of 21 experts from the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology sector and academic research. For more information, www.pherecydes-pharma.com. Disclaimer This document does not constitute or should not be considered as a public offering, an offer to subscribe company's securities or a public solicitation in preparation for a public offering of Pherecydes Pharma's securities. Pursuant to the provisions of Article L.411-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and Article 211-2 of the General Regulations of the French Market Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers AMF), any offer for a total amount of less than 8,000,000 shall not give rise to a Prospectus approved by the AMF. This press release does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 (the "Prospectus Regulation"). In the United Kingdom, this document is addressed to and intended solely for those persons who are qualified investors pursuant to Article 2(1)(e) (i), (ii) and (iii) of the Prospectus Directive of the European Union, and who are also considered as (i) investment professionals (persons with professional investing experience) pursuant to Article 19(5) of the 2000 Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the Order), (ii) persons included in the scope of Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.") of the Order, or (iii) persons invited or urged to participate in an investment activity (pursuant to Article 21 of the 2000 Financial Services and Markets Act) in connection with the issuance or the sale of financial securities (all such persons being designated together as the "interested Persons"). In the United Kingdom, this document is addressed solely to the Interested Persons and no person other than an interested person must use or rely on this document. Any investment or investment activity to which this document refers shall be accessible only to the Interested Persons and shall be undertaken only with Interested Persons. This document does not constitute an offer to sell Pherecydes Pharma's securities in the United States of America. Pherecydes Pharma's securities cannot be sold in the United States of America without the registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Pherecydes Pharma is not contemplating registering an offer or any public offering of securities, in the United States of America. The diffusion of this document in other countries may result in violating applicable rules governing securities law. This document does not constitute an offer of Pherecydes Pharma's securities in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Japan or in any other country. This document must not be published, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. Finally, this press release may be drafted in French and English languages. If both versions are interpreted differently, the French language version shall prevail. _________________ 1 https://amr-review.org/ 2 Report by Jim O'Neill, 2016 3 https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/surveillance-antimicrobial-resistance-Europe-2019.pdf 4 Carb-X https://carb-x.org/about/global-threat 5 Opatowski M Hospitalisations with infections related to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from the French nationwide hospital discharge database, 2016 6 Hopital et ville CDC (Centers for disease Control and Prevention) Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the US; https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/surveillance-antimicrobial-resistance-Europe-2019.pdf 7 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.570572/full 8 https://www.who.int/fr/news/item/27-02-2017-who-publishes-list-of-bacteria-for-which-new-antibiotics-are-urgently-needed 9 PHRC: Programme hospitalier de recherche clinique (hospital clinical research program) 10 https://www.who.int/fr/news/item/27-02-2017-who-publishes-list-of-bacteria-for-which-new-antibiotics-are-urgently-needed View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005891/en/ Contacts: Pherecydes Pharma Philippe Rousseau CFO investors@pherecydes-pharma.com NewCap Dusan Oresansky Investor Relations pherecydes@newcap.eu +33 1 44 71 94 92 NewCap Nicolas Merigeau Media Relations pherecydes@newcap.eu +33 1 44 71 94 98 Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 04:19:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Ministry of Health on Monday reported 297 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, as the total number of confirmed cases hit 125,919 in the country. The ministry said the number of COVID-19 related deaths in the country reached 1,950 as of Monday evening, including two new COVID-19 related deaths reported during the last 24-hour period. The ministry said that some 112,610 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had recovered so far, including 243 in the last 24-hour period. It also said that some 11,357 of the total reported COVID-19 cases are active cases, of which 262 of the patients are said to be under severe conditions. According to the ministry, the new cases were discovered out of 4,157 COVID-19 medical tests that were conducted in the east African country during the last 24 hours. Ethiopia had conducted 1,822,122 COVID-19 medical tests so far, the ministry noted. Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation with about 107 million people, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the east African region. Ethiopia is the fifth-most COVID-19 affected country in the African continent, after South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Enditem The San Francisco man accused of killing two women after speeding through a red light in a stolen car on New Years Eve pleaded not guilty Tuesday to an array of charges as a judge ordered him to remain in jail. Troy Ramon McAlister, 45, was on parole when he allegedly plowed into pedestrians Hanako Abe and Elizabeth Platt at Second and Mission streets in downtown San Francisco. Prosecutors believe McAlister had methamphetamine and alcohol in his system and was armed with a pistol at the time of the deadly collision, and say he attempted to flee the scene on foot. District Attorney Chesa Boudin charged McAlister with two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter as well as a score of other felonies including possession of a gun, driving under the influence causing great bodily injury, leaving the scene of a collision and driving a stolen vehicle. McAlister could spend more than three decades in prison if convicted on all charges, prosecutors said. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin ruled to detain McAlister without bail, noting he had serious concerns about releasing the defendant at this time. While Darwin said he would weigh defense arguments for release and pretrial monitoring in the future, the judge suggested it was doubtful he would change his mind. Im not trying to foreshadow that Im seriously considering a release, Darwin said. Addressing reporters after the hearing, McAlisters attorney, Deputy Public Defender Scott Grant, said he was just beginning to receive information needed to argue his case. The issue of criminal responsibility will get sorted out, he said. But that process takes time. Prosecuting attorney Ryan Kao declined to comment after the hearing, referring questions to his office. The case has placed intense scrutiny on Boudin, whose office did not file charges against McAlister after several arrests in the months prior to the crash, including for car theft and auto burglary. Boudin said he referred the incidents to state parole. Under California law, parole officers can give people accused of violating the terms of their release added restrictions, treatment or punishment. It is unclear what, if any, actions parole officers took, though a spokesperson said the office followed procedures and made appropriate referrals. Boudin said his agency, along with others, missed opportunities to intervene in ways that could have prevented the tragedy. In a Tuesday letter to local law enforcement department heads, San Francisco Supervisor Catherine Stefani requested reports she said would clarify the role of parole referrals, and why serious repeat offenders were able to commit more alleged crimes. The public needs to understand exactly what happens when an individual on parole is arrested for new offenses, Stefani said in the letter addressed to Boudin, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Chief Adult Probation Officer Karen Fletcher and Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Katy Miller. I would also like to better understand what policies or recent policy changes have governed these decisions, she said. Echoing Stefanis request, Supervisor Ahsha Safai called for a hearing to analyze potential loopholes related to parole, saying McAlisters case highlighted a glaring error in our system that could have prevented this tragedy. McAlister was released last March after spending five years in jail while awaiting trial on a 2015 robbery case. He took a plea deal and was sentenced to time served, then was released on parole. Prior to the plea agreement, which was brokered by Boudins office, McAlister could have faced life in prison under Californias three strikes law. Court records show McAlister had three prior strikes on his record, two for robbery and one for attempted carjacking. A new felony made him eligible for a three strikes sentence. Boudin, a progressive elected on a platform of criminal justice reform and shrinking jails and prisons, has enacted a policy not to charge prior strikes except in extraordinary circumstances. Boudin said in a memo that the law was a legacy of Californias tough on crime era, an era that fueled mass incarceration and disparately impacted communities of color. However, this week, Boudin charged McAlister with one strike, apparently finding the circumstances described in his policy. Public Defender Mano Raju, whose office represents McAlister, said the case illuminated larger, multi-system, societal failures, and defended efforts to reject decades of failed tough-on-crime policies. We cannot let opponents of a more fair and just criminal legal system exploit this loss of life to convince others that the system weve long relied upon is the best we can do, Raju said in a statement. Boudin on Monday vowed concrete changes to how his office handles referrals to other agencies, calling the case a horrific tragedy. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners including police agencies and parole to make systematic changes effective immediately, he said. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy More than 100,000 total vaccinations have been administered in health agency's region local NEW YORK - A lawyer for Paul Manafort told New York's highest court on Monday that a local prosecutor's mortgage-fraud case against the former Trump campaign chairman is "unsupportable" and that a lower court rightly dismissed it on double-jeopardy grounds. Manhattan's district attorney, Cyrus Vance, has signaled that his 16-count indictment is intended to ensure Manafort is held accountable for his crimes regardless of the presidential pardon he received late last month. A central figure in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and Russian interference in the election that year, Manafort was convicted in federal court of various financial crimes and served well less than his 7 1/2-year prison sentence. Vance brought his case against Manafort in March 2019. New York Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley dismissed it later that year, saying the charges too closely overlapped with the federal conviction. The dismissal was upheld in October by a state appeals court, a decision Vance now hopes the New York Court of Appeals will agree to review. Manafort's lawyer, Todd Blanche, wrote in Monday's letter to New York's top judge that the state court charges dismissed more than a year ago "allege the exact same fraud, causing the exact same harm" and "to the exact same victims as were at issue in the prior federal proceeding." Vance's argument is "unprecedented and unsupportable," Blanche added. "In the context of this closely watched case, the People attempted to overstep the bounds of New York's double jeopardy statute." Vance's office has argued that a built-in exception in New York's double-jeopardy law should apply because the conduct resulted in "different harms" from what transpired in the federal case. Trump has the authority to pardon individuals for federal crimes, but he does not have the power to thwart state prosecutions. Blanche noted in his letter that a law recently enacted in New York to create a double-jeopardy exemption in the event of a presidential pardon does not apply in Manafort's case because it took effect after he was prosecuted in federal court. Manafort's pardon, which the White House announced Dec. 23, marked the fifth time Trump has intervened on behalf of those charged in an investigation he has derided as "the Russian collusion hoax." The president's friend Roger Stone, another target of Mueller's prosecutors, received a full pardon the same day. Manafort was granted compassionate release from custody in May and allowed to enter home confinement due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is unclear if Manafort would have been be expected to return to prison after the threat of covid-19 ceased. After Manafort's pardon was announced, a spokesman for the district attorney's office, Danny Frost, said the president's move "underscores the urgent need to hold Mr. Manafort accountable for his crimes against the People of New York as alleged in our indictment, and we will continue to pursue our appellate remedies." TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Providing an effective virtual gateway to government information, presenting numerous accessible online services, and ultimately making life easier for its citizens and foreign residents. These are among the major goals the Kingdom of Bahrain has fulfilled so far as part of its full commitment to make inroads into ensuring a better and more sustainable future for all. As a result, Bahrain has achieved the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number ten which aims at reducing inequality by adopting the No One is Left Behind motto in providing government services, notably via the Bahraini E-Government National Portal (hereafter, BE-GNP), where English and Arabic are used to offer services to Bahrainis and residents alike. This was the conclusion of a study conducted by Dr Yasser Ahmed Gomaa, the associate professor of linguistics at the University of Bahrain. Dr Gomaa, who is keenly interested in the linguistic landscape of the Gulf region, has published the findings of this study in Cadernos de Linguagem e Sociedade, which is a Scopus indexed journal issued from the Center of Language and Society Advanced Multidisciplinary Studies in the University of Brasilia in the Federative Republic of Brazil. The study demonstrates that, according to the Internet World Stats, the Kingdom of Bahrain is one of the worlds most technically advanced countries for providing Internet access and using digital services, with a high rate of Internet penetration. It has achieved advanced positions in the United Nations report, preserving the top ranks for the fourth consecutive time since 2010. Besides, it was positioned first in the Arab region within the e-Government readiness by presenting numerous online services to its citizens and residents. Recently, the Bahraini government managed to actually have an ideal vision of how the government should be run. It decided that information technology is the one thing that helps the country organise itself. Therefore, it has put nearly all its government services online. Almost 99% of its services are easily accessible online (e.g., visas, licenses, permits, payments). Virtually, everything can be done digitally online. The Bahraini government institutions have expeditiously been moving a substantial part of their contact with the general public to the Internet via the BE-GNP, which is a gateway to its information and services. Making life easier is the main goal of this e-government portal that represents a virtual public sector in which technologically mediated communication between the government and the general public. Allocating space and visibleness to certain languages on the BE-GNP reflects a symbolic structure of this virtual public sector. This seminal research thrusts into focus the systematic means of linguistic communication in Bahraini cyberspace and the significant correlation between the official Bahraini language and the other linguistic practices orbiting in the same space. The research draws upon the theory of Spolsky and Cooper (1991) to investigate the languages used in the BE-GNP. The findings of the research indicate that public sector cyberspace is bilingual, as both Arabic and English are widely used. The English language figures prominently in the Bahraini cyberspace as all Bahraini legislations are displayed in English and Arabic. The confluence of Arabic and English in the BEGNP underscores the importance of both languages as an effective means of communication and the attainment of the tenth goal of the SDGs. To further enhance communication and be a more effective virtual communicator, fostering the implementation of the SDGs and the motto of no one is left behind, the study suggested that the BE-GNP can offer information in nine languages, namely Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tagalog and Tamil. These languages can be indexed with the images of flags coupled with a caption either in the countrys respective language in the following order (e.g., Arabic, English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Tagalog, Chinese), or in English (e.g., Arabic, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Tagalog, and Chinese). The suggested order is based on the results of Gomaas (2017) study which concluded that Bahraini Modern Standard Arabic is the language variety with the highest visibility in the Bahraini linguistic landscape, followed, in order of importance, by English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, A grandmother who married an Egyptian toyboy 45 years her junior has tearfully revealed she is struggling with money and getting him a visa to join her in the UK. Iris Jones, 81, said 'I haven't got time on my side' as she said she had no idea when Mohamed Ahmed Ibriham, 36, would be able to join her in her Somerset home. Ms Jones has made three visits to Egypt to spend time with him at huge personal cost, but cannot go again over conditions in the country. She has urged him to get his law firm to speed the process up before it is too late. The pensioner said: 'I get days when I'm alright and other days when I'm just crying all the time. 'I'm separated from someone I love, it's so hard. I haven't got time on my side, his lawyers know that. The pair got married in a low-key ceremony in Cairo but he has been unable to get a UK visa The age-gap couple posed up for a picture in Egypt as their romance continued to blossom 'I've had to go over there three times and come back without him. 'I keep on at Mohamed to get his law firm to hurry up with the visa, I don't know what the delay is, but it is complicated.' The unlikely couple got together after meeting on Facebook on a group discussing and exploring atheism. They later tied the knot in a small ceremony in the Egyptian city of Cairo. Ms Jones told the Metro: 'There's lots of documents and papers to get; in Cairo people have to queue up men in one line, women in the other, and there's nothing online. 'Mohamed has to get many, many documents to fill in to come to Britain. Iris Jones said 'I haven't got time on my side' as the red tape over her husband's visa mounted Iris Jones with her husband in Egypt during one of her visits to see him after they got together Iris Jones and Mohamed Ahmed Ibriham taking in the Egyptian sites on a visit last year 'I'm suffering from headaches and stress and I'm going to the doctor to get a letter saying I've got so many health issues I need my husband with me in Britain, hoping they'll bend the rules a bit and let him come over and look after me.' Last year she told how before returning to England, Iris met Mohamed's mother, 70, who had given the pair her blessing and said they 'got on like a house on fire'. Ms Jones, who divorced her ex-husband more than 40 years ago, and has spoke candidly about her relationship with her new man. When asked about their first sexual encounter she replied: 'It was incredible. I felt like a virgin again. It wasn't easy but it was very loving and romantic. 'My ex-husband said I was frigid when we divorced 40 years ago but I now know I'm certainly not.' Her sons, Steve, 54 and Darren, 53, have expressed concerns over the relationship, but she insists Mohamed is not after her money or a British passport - and their love for one another is real. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gold Standard Ventures Corp. (NYSE AMERICAN: GSV) (TSX: GSV) (Gold Standard or the Company) today announced the appointment of three seasoned senior executives to help its primary objective of advancing the South Railroad Project (SRP) towards permitting, construction, and ultimately production. The Company concurrently announces the departures of Michael Waldkirch, Chief Financial Officer; Glenn Kumoi, Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary; and William Bill Gehlen, Manager, Corporate Development. Joining the Company are: Lawrence Larry Radford, Chief Operating Officer, effective January 4, 2021. Mr. Radford has held senior operational roles at Hecla Mining, Kinross Gold, and Barrick Gold. He brings a strong background in project construction and commissioning, technical support, and leading safety and productivity improvements at precious metal operations across the world. Mr. Radford most recently held the role of Chief Operating Officer at Hecla, and previously managed the construction of both the Fort Knox heap leach operation in Alaska (Kinross) and the Cowal gold mine in Australia (Barrick). He holds a Bachelor of Science, Mining Engineering, from the University of Idaho and an MBA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Based out of the Companys Nevada office, Mr. Radford will oversee all aspects of the operations in Nevada, as well as share the responsibility of ensuring the Company meets its short-term operational and long-term strategic goals. Jordan Neeser, Chief Financial Officer, which will take effect in March 2021. Mr. Neeser has held senior financial roles at Conifex Timber, the Jim Pattison Group, and First Quantum Minerals. He brings experience in financial reporting, corporate finance, and corporate development from his roles as group controller at First Quantum during a period of significant growth, managing capital markets investments at the Jim Pattison Group, and recently as Chief Financial Officer at Conifex. Mr. Neeser started his career with KPMG, is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting, from the University of British Columbia. Based out of the Companys Vancouver office, Mr. Neeser will be responsible for financial reporting and controls, regulatory compliance, capital management and governance, as well as act as the Companys Corporate Secretary. Mr. Waldkirch and Mr. Kumoi will assist in the transition until Mr. Neeser takes on his role. Michael McDonald, Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations, effective January 4, 2021. Mr. McDonald has held senior corporate roles at SSR Mining and Goldcorp. He was a key member of the corporate development team at SSR Mining during its acquisition of the Marigold mine in Nevada, and most recently oversaw the investor relations program during the merger with Alacer Gold. Mr. McDonald started his career in investment banking and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Finance, from the University of British Columbia. Based out of the Companys Vancouver office, Mr. McDonald will be responsible for managing the investor relations program, progressing key corporate development initiatives, and working with the senior executive team in developing and executing the corporate strategy. I wish to thank Mr. Waldkirch, Mr. Kumoi, and Mr. Gehlen for their significant contributions over the past few years to Gold Standard. Each of them was instrumental to the success of the Company during its formative years, said Jason Attew, President and CEO. As we move forward to achieve our goal of becoming the low-cost producer of choice in Nevada, Larry, Jordan, and Michael will be key to Gold Standards future success. Larrys experience in managing the permitting and construction phases at major gold mines will be invaluable as we advance the South Railroad Project. He will immediately begin overseeing the finalization of the SRP Feasibility Study which we anticipate being released before year end. Jordan and Michael are both well-rounded executives who bring a wealth of experience in corporate roles at major mining companies. I am confident they bring the right financial acumen and capital markets expertise to help deliver long-term value to shareholders. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, advancing permitting, construction, and potential production at SRP; timing of the SRP Feasibility Study; and the goal of becoming a low-cost producer in Nevada, are forward looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risk factors affecting the Company include, among others: the results from our exploration programs, global financial conditions, the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and volatility of capital markets, uncertainty regarding the availability of additional capital, fluctuations in commodity prices, title matters, and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) and with the SEC on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. For further information contact: Michael McDonald Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations Phone: 1-604-687-2766 E-Mail: info@goldstandardv.com Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Over 42.6M abortions conducted in 2020, surpassing world's leading causes of death Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Over 42 million abortions occurred in 2020, far surpassing the totals of people who perished as a result of the worlds leading causes of death. According to data compiled by the Worldometer, a reference website that monitors statistics on health, the global population, the use of resources and deaths in real-time, over 40 million abortions are performed worldwide annually. The website tabulates statistics on abortion made available from the World Health Organization. The last available snapshot of the Worldometer as it appeared on New Years Eve, captured by the internet archive tool The Wayback Machine, reveals that more than 42.6 million abortions were performed worldwide in 2020. By comparison, communicable diseases killed more than 13 million people worldwide in 2020. About 8.2 million people worldwide lost their lives to cancer while nearly 5.1 million people and 2.5 million people succumbed to death as a result of smoking and alcohol, respectively. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 1.8 million people worldwide died of coronavirus in 2020. Other leading causes of death in 2020 included road traffic accident fatalities, of which there were nearly 1.4 million. Additionally, suicides are responsible for nearly 1.1 million deaths across the globe. The total number of deaths worldwide in 2020, excluding abortions, was nearly 59 million. But if abortions were counted as a cause of death rather than just another health statistic, the global death toll in 2020 would increase to more than 100 million. The number of pregnancies terminated worldwide in 2020 is greater than the total number of people that succumbed to all other leading causes of death listed. The year 2020 is not the first where the total number of abortions has surpassed the totals of people who died from the leading causes of death. As previously reported, Worldometer reported that there were about 42.4 million abortions that occurred in 2019. While abortion is the leading cause of death worldwide, it has also been the leading cause of death in the United States in recent years. According to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, 862,320 abortions were performed in the U.S. in 2017. That same year, heart disease which is frequently cited as the leading cause of death in the U.S., took the lives of 647,457 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2017, the total number of deaths in the United States, excluding abortions, was 2,813,503. Already in 2021, Worldometer shows that there have been over 435,000 abortions since the beginning of the new year worldwide as of Monday evening. As abortion remained the leading cause of death worldwide in 2020, countries across the world elected to take drastically different public policy approaches regarding the polarizing issue. Last week, Argentinas legislature passed a bill allowing elective abortions to take place during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Previously, the South American country only allowed abortions if a woman was raped or if her life was in jeopardy as a result of the pregnancy. In October 2020, Polands Constitutional Tribunal, the countrys equivalent of a supreme court, ruled that a law permitting abortions based on fetal defects violated the countrys constitution. The ruling had the effect of making abortions legal in Poland only in cases of rape or incest or if the mothers life or health were at risk. A survey conducted last year by Ipsos found that support for abortion has dropped in most countries worldwide since Ipsos first began tracking the worlds attitudes about abortion in 2014. Worldwide, the support for abortion dropped from 72% in 2014 to 70% in 2020. The strongest decline in support for abortion was recorded in Germany, where support decreased by 9%. Other countries where support for abortion dropped in that time period included Sweden, France, the United Kingdom and Spain. While Belgium, Australia, Canada and Argentina saw support for abortion increase from 2014 to 2020, no country saw as pronounced an increase as South Korea, where support rose by 20%. * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Scott Morrison told the 3AW radio station that Australia 'is not in an emergency situation like the United Kingdom'orrison - Lukas Coch/Shutterstock The UK's drug regulator has dismissed claims by Scott Morrison, the Australian prime minister, that it is not safety-testing each batch of Covid-19 vaccine. Mr Morrison has come under pressure to accelerate Australia's vaccine roll out, which is not set to begin until March. On Tuesday, he told the 3AW radio station that Australia "is not in an emergency situation like the United Kingdom", saying: "So we don't have to cut corners. We don't have to take unnecessary risks. "They're not testing batches of vaccines before they're disseminated across the population, is my understanding." However, the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which has led the world in approving both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, said that it "was not the case" that the UK was not carrying out batch testing. In a statement, it said: "Biological medicines such as vaccines are very complex in nature and independent testing, as done by the National Institute For Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), is vital to ensure quality and safety. "NIBSC has scaled up its capacity to ensure that multiple batches can be tested simultaneously, and that this can be done as quickly as possible, without compromising quality and safety." At the launch of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK on Monday, Boris Johnson suggested that batch testing was holding up supply of the vaccine. We have the capacity the issue is to do with supply of the vaccine," he said. "It's not so much a manufacturing issue, although that's part of it. Each batch needs to be properly approved and quality controlled. "It's not the ability to distribute the vaccine, it's not the shortage of staff. It's getting it properly tested. That will ramp up in the weeks ahead." Mr Morrison said Britain, with almost 60,000 cases of Covid-19 a day, was only "in the very early phases" of the vaccine roll-out and has "had quite a few problems and they're doing it on an emergency basis". Story continues In December, opposition leader Anthony Albanese called on the PM to plan for the distribution of jabs to begin as soon as the Australian Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) made its decision on the Pfizer vaccine in January, rather than waiting until March. Mr Albanese told the ABC that while Labor supported the association doing its work "without interference", it made "no sense" to delay roll-out once approval was granted. "Also, there's only been provision made for 10 million doses [of the Pfizer vaccine] quite clearly we're going to need more than that. And so we need more vaccines, more quickly," he said. Mr Morrison described Mr Albanese's call to fast-track the vaccine as "very dangerous", prompting former Conservative PM Malcolm Turnbull to comment on social media that health expert Professor Raina Macintyre "makes a powerful case for accelerating vaccination and NOT waiting until March". Late on Monday, Allen Cheng, the current chairman of the Advisory Committee for Vaccines, said "we can afford to wait for the TGA to do its job and make sure were getting a safe, effective and quality vaccine". He commented on social media: "It is worth noting that other regulatory agencies have generally given 'temporary' approvals or 'emergency use authorisation', reflecting that not all the data is available yet." However, Rob Hackett from the PatientSafe Network, said: "The only real reason there'd be a delay in Covid-19 Australia vaccination would be we don't have [vaccine to roll out. If we have access to an effective vaccine, to delay is unsound and perhaps unethical." He wrote on social media: "In relation to the Pfizer vaccine, there is no 'job' the TGA would be doing to ensure any additional safety... it has already been administered to millions of people." Perth-based Australian GP Dr George Crisp told The Telegraph that he has been "hearing conflicting views" on the timing of the roll-out, saying there "seems to be push from most medics to get healthcare/high risk groups early but reticence by others on the basis we might want to see more experience from overseas first as we probably have some time". He added: "I think it reflects some anxiety in healthcare workers that delay will leave us and high-risk patients exposed and vulnerable in the not unlikely event of a bigger wave of infections." Australia had 279 active cases across the country on Tuesday, according to Department of Health estimates. Puro Politics is a weekly podcast hosted by columnist Gilbert Garcia, covering the drama and nuance of local government issues. Produced by Luis Vazquez and Joy-Marie Scott. President Donald Trumps one-hour Saturday afternoon phone conversation with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger fell into a special category that is unique to the Trump presidency: shocking, but not surprising. An audio recording released to the Washinton Post exposed Trump relentlessly pressuring Georgias top election official to find 11,780 votes for him, the exact number that Trump would need to flip the election results in that state that is, if Georgias election results hadnt already been certified. Its exactly what weve come to expect from the president, Greg Jefferson, Express-News business editor, said on this weeks episode of the Puro Politics podcast. Borderline criminality. Alternately threatening, cajoling, flattering but mostly threatening the Georgia secretary of state. Few GOP elected officials dared to criticize Trump for the phone call, but a prominent San Antonio Republican, former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, delivered an emphatic statement of moral outrage. On ExpressNews.com: Texans in Congress stick with Trump to final election-defying vote Donald Trump is trying to dismantle our democracy by seeking to invalidate an election he lost, Straus tweeted Sunday. Anyone who supports this effort is demonstrating a disregard for the U.S. Constitution, the will of the American people, the sanctity of the electoral process, and the rule of law. Straus stepped down two years ago after 14 years in the House. His penchant for bipartisan legislative cooperation earned him considerable praise from his colleagues, but also left him vulnerable to criticism from the GOP base. Its funny that a tweet in favor of the rule of law counts as courageous these days, but it does, Jefferson said. Thats what every recognizable Republican leader should be saying right now. The fact that theyre not brings us into sharp relief. Hear this and other issues discussed on the latest edition of Puro Politics. New Look Reflects the Evolution of the Popular BOSS Revolution Service NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a global provider of fintech, cloud communications and traditional communications services, today unveiled a refreshed logo for BOSS Revolution, its flagship consumer service. "The new Boss Revolution logo has been updated to capture the evolution of our brand while reflecting our abiding commitment to provide immigrant communities with innovative services that keep them close to friends and family," said Jessica Poverene, EVP Marketing for BOSS Revolution. "The previous logo was introduced in 2008 when BOSS Revolution was solely an affordable international long-distance service distributed through our Boss Revolution retailer network," Poverene added. "Since then, we've continuously listened to our customers and have developed additional services and features to meet their needs," she said. "Today's BOSS Revolution offers a robust array of services that make it more convenient than ever to 'connect, support and share' with family and friends back home through our popular BOSS Revolution Calling and BOSS Revolution Money apps, our website and kiosks, and our neighborhood BOSS Revolution retailers." The BOSS Revolution service now offers: Ultra-clear international calls to over 200 countries via low per minute rates and affordable unlimited plans. Mobile top-up for prepaid mobile phones of family and friends in 90+ countries with more than 150 carriers around the globe including Tigo, Claro, Cubacel, MTN, Orange, Airtel, Natcom, Flow, Digicel and Glo. Money transfer through the interconnected BOSS Revolution Money app, website and authorized BOSS Revolution Money retailers, allowing customers to send money to friends and family in any one of 59 popular destination countries. Free calls to other BOSS Revolution app users worldwide when both the caller and recipient use data or Wi-Fi connections. Free and fast messaging to any other BOSS Revolution app user. Chat one-on-one or in groups and share pictures, stickers, videos, voice messages and more. Free local news, radio, weather and trending movies, music and trending Twitter from around the world. Free balance sharing in the BOSS Revolution app. Balance sharing makes it easy to let friends and family get in on fun. "Our new logo represents all of these great features backed by our dedication to outstanding customer service and continued innovation," added Poverene. "The one constant over the years has been our dedication to developing new BOSS Revolution services to help our customers stay close with their families and friends no matter where they are." Story continues BOSS Revolution customers can use cash at any one of BOSS Revolution's 35,000+ retailers nationwide. Find the retailer nearest to you here. The highly rated BOSS Revolution Calling and the BOSS Revolution Money apps are available free on Google Play and in the App Store. New BOSS Revolution Calling app customers in the U.S. and Canada get $2 FREE credit. BOSS Revolution Money customers' first money transfer up to $300 is free. Just activate the apps anytime in 2021. About IDT Corporation: IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT) is a global provider of fintech, cloud and traditional communications services. We make it easy for families to communicate and support each other across international borders. We also enable businesses to transact and communicate with their customers with enhanced intelligence and insight. Our BOSS Revolution branded money transfer and international calling services make sending money and speaking with friends and family around the world convenient and reliable. National Retail Solutions ' (NRS) point-of-sale retail network enables independent retailers to operate and process transactions more effectively while providing advertisers and consumer marketers with unprecedented reach into underserved consumer markets. net2phone 's unified communications as a service solution provides businesses with intelligently integrated cloud communications and collaboration tools across channels and devices. Our IDT Carrier Services and IDT Express wholesale offerings enable communications companies to provision and manage international voice and SMS services. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boss-revolution-says-hello-to-a-new-logo-301200564.html SOURCE IDT Corporation With a more contagious variant of the coronavirus forcing England to impose a strict new national lockdown and European nations extending restrictions in the face of rising cases, political leaders have promised that mass vaccinations will bring an end to the suffering. But in the race to beat the virus, the virus is still way out in front. There are shortages of needles in Italy, Greece and other countries. Spain has not trained enough nurses. France has only managed to vaccinate around 7,000 people. Polands program was rocked by scandal after it was revealed that celebrities were given preferential treatment. There are calls in Germany to take control over vaccine purchases from European Union authorities. Nearly every country in Europe has complained about burdensome paperwork. And then there is the Netherlands, which did not even begin its campaign until Wednesday. Around the world, inoculation efforts are rolling out slower than promised, even as new cases soar and record numbers of virus patients flood hospitals, placing a double burden on health care providers tasked with leading vaccination drives. In Europe, where most countries have been under varying degrees of lockdown for months, frustration is building as restrictions have been stepped up or extended while national vaccination efforts are stymied by various problems. Gulf Arab leaders gather in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit that is expected to see formal agreement towards ending a long-running dispute with Qatar that shattered Gulf unity at a time of heightened regional tensions with Iran. Riyadh, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-Gulf Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar in mid-2017 over allegations Doha supports terrorism. Qatar denies that and says the boycott aims to curb its sovereignty. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani headed to al-Ula, where the summit is being held, state media reported, after an announcement that Saudi Arabia would reopen its airspace and sea and land border to Qatar under a deal that a senior US official said would be signed on Tuesday. Bahrain will be represented by its crown prince instead of the king at the annual summit and the UAE delegation is headed by the federation's vice-president, who is also ruler of Dubai. While Saudi Arabia made clear it intended to lift the embargo, the other three countries did not immediate comment in on the issue, but the US official said "it's our expectation" they would also join. Under the emerging deal, Qatar will suspend lawsuits related to the boycott, the official said. All of the countries are US allies. Qatar hosts the regions largest US military base, Bahrain is home to the US Navys Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE host US troops. The development is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington - the others involving Israel and Arab states - aimed at building a united front against Iran. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, assigned to work on the dispute by President Donald Trump, is due to attend the ceremony in the historical city of al-Ula along with Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook, a special State Department adviser Short link: Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The situation as U.S. forces leave Afghanistan looks dire for the thousands of interpreters and their families that helped our troops. Read more An award-winning show presented by the Wexford writer and performer Michelle Dooley Mahon in New York in early 2020 will be available to view on film in the New Year. The Scourge which was directed by Ben Barnes and produced by Elizabeth Whyte of Wexford Arts Centre, was presented at the Origin 1st Irish Theatre Festival in the Off Broadway Irish Repertory Theatre in New York last January. The Arts Centre has partnered with the 2021 virtual festival to create a video of the production, filmed by Ted Moran, with funds raised from the purchase of tickets going to support the Cornmarket centre, Dooley Mahon and the Origin 1st Irish Festival. If you didn't catch the show during show production runs in Wexford or New York, you can purchase a ticket for $10 to view online as part of the Origin 1st Irish Virtual Festival 2021. The Scourge sees Dooley Mahon reliving visits to her mother Siobhan in a nursing home after she has been struck down by Alzheimer's disease or what the author calls 'death by a thousand cuts'. Through humorous and moving memories the audience is introduced to personalities, history, and a nostalgic archive of an ordinary Irish family forced to become extraordinary in their attempt to cope. The production was well-received in New York and was nominated for festival awards for Best Actress, Best Playwright and Best Design. Dooley Mahon won a Jury Special Prize for her work in bringing underexposed issues affecting women in contemporary Ireland to an international audience. Visit www.origintheatre.org or www.wexfordartscentre.ie for booking information. The Origin 1st Irish Virtual Festival celebrating Irish culture runs from January 11 to 31. Wexford People You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Read more about the vote today in Georgia, check out coronavirus updates and see more stories trending online today. Top stories Senate majority in balance as Georgia holds election today (AP) Georgia Senate runoff elections: What to know (Fox News) Trump pushes baseless voter fraud claims at Georgia rally on eve of crucial Senate runoffs (CBS) Biden transition hoping for victory but bracing for defeat in Georgia (Politico) Wisconsin mobilizes National Guard and city approves emergency resolution ahead of charging decision in police shooting of Jacob Blake (CNN) Proud Boys leader held for burning Black Lives Matter flag (BBC) Coronavirus news FDA Warns Health Officials Not To Mess With COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Schedule (NPR) Pharmacist sabotaged vaccines because he thought they were unsafe, police say (ABC) European markets slide as new lockdown measures set to take effect in the U.K. and Germany (Marketwatch) French government vows to speed up vaccinations (BBC) LA Paramedics Told Not To Transport Some Patients With Low Chance Of Survival (NPR) Larry King moved out of ICU amid coronavirus battle (CBS) Other trending headlines Chicken wars heating up with new entries from Shake Shack, McDonalds (CNN Business) Trebeks last new Jeopardy! episodes airing with a tribute (AP) Tanya Roberts Is Still Alive, Says Publicist Who Reported She Had Died (NY Times) Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic has first triple-double of season after slow start (ESPN) Where is Jack Ma, Chinas e-commerce pioneer? (AP) A new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been identified in the United Kingdom. Cases have been reported in two states and are not known to be linked to travel, which could indicate community spread. No cases caused by this new variant have been confirmed in Illinois yet. As more information is learned, IDPH will provide updates and notify the public if/when the variant is detected in Illinois. Illinois is increasing its surveillance for the variant by performing genomic sequence testing on an increased number of specimens that have been collected. Viruses are constantly changing through mutation and variant virus are expected, said Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. At this time, we have no evidence that infections by this variant cause more severe disease or death. However, early study shows the variant may spread more easily and quickly. We will continue to work with academic partners, laboratory researchers, physicians, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor for cases. The contractor wanted in connection with a crematorium roof collapse incident that claimed 24 lives here was arrested from a village near the border of Meerut and Muzaffarnagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Tuesday. Ghaziabad Police had on Monday arrested Muradnagar Nagar Palika Executive Officer Niharika Singh, Junior Engineer Chandra Pal and Supervisor Ashish as they were involved in the tendering process for building the structure. They were sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Twenty-four people, most of them attending a funeral, were killed and 17 others injured when the roof of a shelter at the cremation ground in Muradnagar here collapsed on Sunday. Contractor Ajay Tyagi, who went into hiding after news of the collapse spread, was nabbed near the Ganga canal bridge of Sathedi village by a joint team of Muradnagar and Niwari police, the officials said. Earlier, police were raiding his possible hideouts, and Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to his arrest, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Iraj Raja told PTI. Tyagi was booked under various sections of the law, and he will be produced before a court on Tuesday, the police said. A tender of Rs 55 lakh, and not Rs 55 crore as reported earlier, was awarded to Tyagi for renovation and construction of shelter three months ago, and the shelter was opened to the public 15 days back. The SP said a probe was underway to examine how much substandard material was used in the construction. After the investigation, corruption charges would be added, he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Like the little boy haunted by ghosts in the horror movie The Sixth Sense, President Donald Trump sees dead people everywhere. He thinks at least 5,000 of them voted in Georgia during the presidential election and were part of a broader conspiracy that deprived him of a victory in the state. EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon Medical Group OBGYN Dr. Melanie Konradi has begun receiving questions from health care workers who are pregnant and have been offered the coronavirus vaccine, but she doesn't have many answers. "We're working in an information vacuum," she said. According to Konradi, vaccines and medicines aren't tested on pregnant women during clinical trials, and health care workers rely on experience in the field to guide their recommendations. With vaccine distribution still just getting underway, there isn't much safety data available. "Based on experience with previous vaccinations and what we know about the science of this vaccine, it's probably safe. When it really comes down to it, I'm recommending it," said Konradi. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines, meaning they don't contain live virus or virus particles. According to Konradi, that theoretically means they should not impact the fetus the way live vaccinations like MMR and chickenpox shots can. "Based on the paradigm by which RNA is used to create proteins, this does not get into the nucleus, it does not change the fetal DNA, it cannot cause fetal cancer or fetal defects," she said. Pregnant women may still experience side effects that are normal and expected with the COVID-19 vaccines, like possible fever, soreness or fatigue. The data limitations mean that pregnant women need to weigh the risks of possibly unknown factors to the known risks of potentially getting the virus while pregnant. "Pregnant women have about 1.5 times the risk of needing ICU admission and about 1.7 times the risk of their peers of needing mechanical ventilation," said Konradi. The CDC doesn't recommend against pregnant women getting the vaccine but says that for those who are offered the shot, it's a personal choice. Konradi agrees that pregnant individuals must decide for themselves if the vaccine is right for them, but health care providers can help them weigh the risks. "I can encourage people to get the vaccine. I can talk to them about the pros and cons. Ultimately they need to make that decision and feel comfortable with it," she said. According to the CDC, studies in people who are pregnant are planned, and both vaccine manufacturers are monitoring people in the clinical trials who became pregnant. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a third national lockdown in England yesterday. He said that people must stay at home for at least six weeks, except to go to workplaces, to buy food or medicines or exercise once a day. All schools, colleges and universities are closed from Tuesday. The lockdown is not as stringent as that imposed last March, with Johnson insisting that people should go to work if they cannot work at home to keep profits rolling in for the major corporations. Nurseries and early years providers offering 328,000 school-based nursery places for children will remain open. In addition, there are 120,000 children in special educational needs (SEN) schools and all together 270,000 children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) which qualifies for them to be vulnerable and in school. There are tens of thousands of staff who support SEN children. The least likely to be able to follow social distancing measures because of their age are staying in school thereby increasing the risk to staff. Detailing the horrific consequences of his murderous herd immunity agenda, Johnson said, In England alone, the number of Covid cases in hospitals has increased by almost a third in the last week to almost 27,000. And that number is 40 percent higher than the first peak in April. On December 29, more than 80,000 people tested positive for Covid across the UK, a new record, and the number of deaths is up by 20 percent over the last week and will sadly rise further. Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressing the nation from No10 Downing Street, on the new Covid-19 national lockdown restrictions. (picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street-FlickR account) The National Health Service (NHS) could no longer cope with the spread of the disease. The UKs chief medical officers [of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland] have advised that the country should move to alert level 5, meaning that if action is not taken NHS capacity may be overwhelmed within 21 days, he said. It was previously at 4 across the UK. The Guardian reported that going to level 5 was recommended by the Joint Biosecurity Centre before receiving the agreement of the chief medical officers. The scale of deaths in Britain is staggering, with the record for new cases broken almost on a daily basis. On Monday, another 407 deaths to COVID-19 were announced and a record 58,784 new cases. In the 10 days since December 26, 5,205 people have died of COVID-19, with 490,412 new cases of the disease recorded. This represents 18 percent of the total of 2,713,563 cases since the virus was first detected in the UK just over 11 months ago, on January 31, 2020. Before Johnson spoke, Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a national lockdown beginning at midnight until the end of January. Laws will require people to stay at home and work from home where possible, with outdoor gatherings cut back allowing people to meet only one person from one other household. Schools will operate via online and remote learning. The spread of the virus is rocketing in Scotland, with positive cases reaching a record high 2,464 Sunday. The new variant of the virus, first detected in England in September, is responsible for at least 50 percent of cases. Sturgeon said that there was compelling evidence the new variant was about 70 percent more infectious, meaning it could force up the R (Reproduction) rate of the virus by 0.7. That increased faster spread is undoubtedly driving the very serious situation we now face Todays case numbers1,905 new cases, with 15% of tests being positiveillustrate the severity and urgency of the situation. Wales Health Minister Vaughan Gething said that positive test results in Wales stood at a massive 25 percent. Parliament, which was due to return from an extended Christmas recess next week after voting through the Brexit deal on December 30, is being recalled Wednesday to debate the new measuresmostly online. Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer rushed to back Johnson, continuing his policy of constructive opposition to a hated government he has helped prop up since April. These measures are necessary and we support them, he tweeted. London and the south east of England is the epicentre of the pandemic. The i newspaper reported Sunday, More than one in four people being tested for Covid-19 in London is infected with the virus... The daily average as at 29 December shows a test positivity rate of 26.8 per cent, up from 24.3 per cent on the previous day. This figure has risen sharply in a week, from 22 December when the case positivity rate was 15.7 per cent. Over Christmas, cases rose in two-thirds of Londons 32 boroughs, with the number of Covid patients in the capitals hospitals hitting a peak of 5,524 on December 30. The most ever in hospital in London at the height of the first wave, on April 9, was 5,201. In the greater south east of England (London, South East and East) Covid hospitalisation admissions are 16 percent above the peak in the spring crisis. In the south east of England, there are almost 50 percent more Covid patients in hospitals than during the spring peak. The average of new cases per 100,000 population across England is 400 per 100,000. In London it reached more than double that rate with a record 902.5 per 100,000 recorded to December 30up from 817 a week ago. Londons Evening Standard reported, Hardest hit for its size is [the borough of] Barking & Dagenham, with 2,764 new cases in a week, and the highest rate of new cases in London at 1,298 per 100,000 population. Johnson is once again belatedly taking limited action because of mounting public opposition. Since imposing the full lockdown in March, which it abandoned in June with lies about the virus being on a downward slope to reopen the economy, its partial restrictions and vastly inadequate circuit breaker November lockdown have allowed the rapid spread of the virus and its deadly new variant. Non-essential workplaces have been open for months, and despite warnings by scientistsincluding the governments own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergenciesschools, colleges and universities were opened from September. School are among the main vectors for the spread of the disease, as Johnson acknowledged yesterday. But the government were determined to keep the vast majority of primary schools open nationally this week for the new term so that they could act as holding pens for children while parents go to work. In his speech Johnson was obliged to excuse the fact that he insisted schools opened earlier that day with the claim that every day in school was important. Despite the governments diktats, hundreds of primary schools across the UK did not open Monday because staff refused to attend. The Manchester Evening News reported of an outbreak of Covid at a local primary school: The acting headteacher at Holy Family Catholic Primary School, in Seedley, Salford, and another staff member are both said to be seriously unwell in hospital. A number of other staff also tested positive for the virus, and became very unwell over the Christmas break and are too unwell to return to work. In the county of Norfolk more than 130 primaries did not fully open. In the Greater Manchester region, around 50 primary schools did not and 23 were closed in nearby Merseyside. More than 40 schools did not open in the city of Durham, 21 in North Tyneside, 26 in Newcastle, 10 in Reading, and nine in Northumberland. This was despite the sabotage of the education trade unions, whose main demandup until the weekendwas that Johnson only delay the reopening of secondary schools to allow for the testing of pupils in that age group. On Monday, even with talk of an impending national lockdown being trailed everywhere, the unions stepped up their collaboration with the government. The National Education Union (NEU) NAHT, NASUWT, GMB, Unison and Unite signed a joint statement co-ordinated by the Trades Union Congress, calling on a prime minister whose government is responsible for the deaths of at least 75,000 people and in reality well over 90,000 and edging towards 100,000, to sit down with unions to discuss a joint approach to ensuring safe working arrangements in all schools Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad on Sunday to commemorate the death of Iranian commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Iranian officials vowed revenge against the United States on the one-year anniversary of his death, but the day came and went without any major escalations. Protesters gathered in the center of the Iraqi capital and chanted anti-American slogans. Some of the demonstrators were supporters of Iran-backed militias within Iraqs Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), The Associated Press reported. Soleimani led Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. On Jan. 3, 2020, the US military assassinated Soleimani via drone strike while he was in a vehicle at Baghdad International Airport. PMU leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the strike. Iran struck US military positions in Iraq days later in retaliation. Iranian officials hinted that there would be more revenge on the anniversary of the killing. In September, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that avenging the death is not closed. In December, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there would be definite revenge. In anticipation of a possible Iranian attack, the US military ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to remain in the Middle East on Sunday. Protesters burned American flags and chanted No, no to America, according to The AP. Some also stormed the airport where Soleimani was killed, Iranian state media reported. Tensions between the United States and Iran are at a high as US President Donald Trump completes his final days in office. President-elect Joe Biden has stated a desire to improve relations with the Islamic Republic. Paul Wesch was remembered by Mobile city leaders on Tuesday as a consummate professional with a temperament that was cool under pressure. He was also recalled as a public finance expert whose leadership over the citys budget was filled with fact-based analysis, and was instrumental in moving the city toward a financial boom period. I think we all learned something from his character and form his ability to set the emotions aside to the facts at hand, said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson about Wesch, who served as Chief of Staff since 2016. Well all miss him. The Mobile City Council adopted a resolution honoring Wesch, who died on December 27 following a single-vehicle car crash on Bellingrath Road about seven miles south of Theodore. The 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe he was driving left the roadway, overturned and struck a tree, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys Highway Patrol Division. No further updates were available on Tuesday. Wesch was 66. Council members, during emotional speeches during its first meeting since the tragic crash, praised Wesch for his behind-the-scenes leadership at Government Plaza since he was appointed the citys finance director in 2013. That appointment occurred shortly after Stimpson won Mobiles mayoral election. Prior to the appointment, Wesch served as chairman of the Citizens Budget and Finance Committee after he was appointed by Councilwoman Gina Gregory. Gregory said Weschs arrival to Government Plaza occurred via email correspondence she had with him over a controversial decision the council was mulling at the time over whether to raise the citys sales tax rate by one percentage point. He was a wealth of information, Gregory said. I decided he would be a perfect appointee to that committee and boy was he. I think it was that wealth of knowledge that prompted the mayor to look at Paul as his director of finances. It was a brilliant choice. Wesch had spent nearly 30 years in the private sector working as a real estate developer with The Mitchell Company before his appointment by Stimpson to the full-time role as the citys finance director. Wesch also served as the companys executive vice president, general counsel, and director before joining the city. Councilman Fred Richardson said he had reservations about supporting Weschs appointment over concerns about past development deals at The Mitchell Company that were saddled with financial difficulties during the Recession. Richardson said he wasnt sure, at the time, if Wesch could handle overseeing the citys finances. We had a long discussion and at end the of it, I was convinced Paul would do a good job and I told Paul, do not let us down, said Richardson. I am here to say that Paul did not let us down. He was a man of his word. Richardson and others credited Wesch for being a fact-driven city official, whose analysis on finances was presented in an easy-to-understand format. He would just give you the facts, said Richardson. You could turn the facts any way you wanted to, but he was just sticking to the facts. He would not give you a sermon or preach. He might say, that is not something I think we can do, but he would not get off on a long dissertation about it. He was an outstanding man. I had nothing but respect for Paul. Wesch was also a former chairman of the Mobile County Republican Party, and managed several political campaigns. Council President Levon Manzie said that Wesch kept his political leanings away from city governance. You wouldve never known what political philosophy he would subscribe to, said Manzie. Councilman Joel Daves, who worked with Wesch in the private sector, credited him for helping the city bounce back from a difficult financial position that stemmed from the Great Recession. The Recession left the citys reserves depleted, said Daves. We were spending almost nothing on aging and deteriorating infrastructure. Since then, Daves said, the city has boosted its reserves to around $60 million while it spends tens of millions of dollars a year on its capital improvement program that includes roads and bridges. Paul didnt do it all by himself, said Daves. But Paul was the guiding light for it. Wesch was also credited for having a statewide impact that, according to Councilman John Williams, helped generate credit for the governors office. Weschs work, more recently, included lobbying in Montgomery on behalf of cities in Alabama in an effort to secure more revenues from the states flat 8% tax on online sales commonly called the Simplified Sellers Use Tax or SSUT. Politicians like to take a lot of credit, said Williams. The entire Mobile City Council has taken credit (from) the work Paul did. The governor even got credit from the work Paul did. We are where we are because of Paul Wesch. Said Stimpson, Paul never did want credit for everything. He shunned any kind of limelight. Weschs roles will be filled by James Barber, the citys former police chief and executive director of public safety, who will serve as Interim Chief of Staff. Barber will continue serving in his role as the executive director of public safety. Celia Sapp, the citys deputy director of finance, will replace Wesch as the interim Executive Director of Finance. FARMER: As a doctor, what goes through your mind in early March when you began to size up the magnitude of the novel coronavirus? PRESTON: Back around November, (I started receiving medical literature) about the new virus going around. To put it in perspective, when I was a freshman medical student, it was the beginning of the last great pandemic. It was something called HTLV-3. No one knew what it was or how it happened, but it was very fatal to certain populations. By the time I was senior medical student, it was identified as human immunodeficiency virus HIV. I dont think people were as alarmed then because there was a sense of Its not me, so Im not worried. But when we began to see the development of this new pandemic, it was very concerning. The fact it was transmitted through respiratory droplets makes it incredibly scary. I knew that it would come. Someone on an airplane would fly in with this SARS-CoV-2 and we would have an infection. (In March) my position was much like it is now: Dont panic, but be prudent. Whats prudence? Its to wash your hands, to cover your cough, to social distance Whats panic? Go out and buy every roll of toilet paper you can find We started watching numbers, and the numbers kept going up and they kept going up, which is exactly what you would expect from a highly contagious respiratory pathogen. FARMER: We got prudence, but also panic. And we got some who changed little to nothing. Why do you think that is? PRESTON: There are still a number of people who say Its just a new flu. Its no big deal. But as the numbers started to climb, it became clear this is not just the flu. Its much more serious. Still, (its also true) that the vast majority of people who are young, healthy hosts who become infected (only) will be uncomfortable for a few days to a few weeks. The at-risk population, though, (can be a different story entirely.) There was some mixed messaging from the surgeon general in the beginning when he said everyone should not go get a mask. I think he said that, because if everyone did, there wouldnt be enough PPE for medical workers. Still, a lot of folks just didnt believe it, and they still dont believe it. Theres all sorts of sophisticated science. Anyone who can get into Google can look at extensive laboratory research that shows theres no doubt about it masks stop those infected respiratory particles (from reaching another person). And depending on the mask, it protects the wearer, too. FARMER: When the number of infections started to climb in April, you held a press conference outside Slidell City Hall to urge people to continue social distancing. You had data that showed where COVID deaths were happening in St. Tammany Parish ZIP codes. How serious were things at that point? Was there fear? PRESTON: That data was coming out of the (Louisiana) State Police Fusion Center for purposes of assisting first responders. If they got a medical call at an address with a known COVID positive, they had to be more careful going in. But at the very beginning, I instructed my guys to assume all calls are COVID positive. I did feel like I had a duty to take that information to the people. And Ive been tracking numbers and sharing them with the mayors of the cities, the parish president, all along But at that time, that visual, you could see the clusters. It said We need to pay attention. FARMER: It was serious then and its serious now. But what about coronavirus burnout? Some people are just done with this. PRESTON: I completely understand. We are sick and tired of being sick and tired, but the virus hasnt gotten tired of infecting people. FARMER: What about the vaccine? Some people are touchy about any vaccine, for polio, for measles, mumps, rubella. There are a whole lot of people who are touchy about this shot. Is it because of fear, because people dont know the full effect of the disease or of the vaccine? PRESTON: Unfortunately, it seems to have become a political issue, not about using common sense. You hear people say Its my constitutional right to walk around without a mask. The government cant make me wear a mask. Do you think the forefathers thought about coronavirus? No. But if they did, I bet theyd say youve got to wear a mask. The Second Amendment says you can walk around with a firearm on you, but its not your constitutional right to take it out and randomly shoot at things or at people. People who say its their constitutional right to not wear a mask are just being obstinate and not realizing theyre putting themselves and everybody else at risk, too. The vaccine will help to eliminate that, but I do have this one caveat. The vaccine is the hope of the future. Its not the hope of now . The pandemic is not over Its going to get worse before it gets better. (How soon things get better relies upon) an individual getting a vaccine and wearing a mask. FARMER: Why do you think people are so resistant then? PRESTON: Ive encountered people from high school dropouts to other physicians who adamantly argue this is all overkill. (And I ask) 'Do you really think all these independent sources are getting together to phony up these numbers?' People say Hospitals get paid more money if people die of COVID. Sure, because they require a lot more care. Theres more personnel, nurses, respiratory therapists, housekeepers that know how to not move contamination from room to room. Its some more money, but its not a lot more. Not at all. People are listed as a COVID death if they have a positive test, and theres a reasonable link. We had a case here in St. Tammany of someone who had a history of heart disease. He didnt get a bypass operation because he was COVID positive. Suddenly, three weeks later, he drops dead because he had heart disease. That wasnt counted as a COVID death. That was counted as a myocardial infarction (heart attack.) St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up FARMER: So lets just say that right now to be clear. I have COVID and Im in a car accident and die. My death certificate says auto fatality, not COVID. Right? PRESTON: Right. There was some rattling on social media that coroners were conspiring to run up the numbers. But (COVID deaths) are not coroner cases For the most part, these are natural deaths that occur under the care of a physician who will sign that death certificate. So the coroner would never touch it. FARMER: Is it possible the virus was here sooner than March 2020? PRESTON: Id say its probable. (I have part ownership in a local urgent care facility and physicians there back in November were saying) I would swear this person had the flu, but their flu tests were negative. There was no COVID test at the time. They were probably seeing folks that actually had COVID, but if you dont have the test to prove it We called it an influenzalike illness. That was the early vocabulary. They either had flu, COVID or an ILI (influenzalike illness). FARMER: The combination of misinformation and newness has people scared. And now were back into flu season. How do we balance that with COVID out there now too? PRESTON: When I was in clinical practice and people would say Its just the flu, Id say You mean like just a heart attack or just a little cancer? Flu is a significant illness and can be associated with very serious complications, including death. It used to be mind-blowing that 60,000 people would die of flu a year when we had good flu shots, we understand flu, had good treatments for flu. Like the flu shot, itll take time to build up immunity with this shot. You get two shots. After the first, you have an initial reaction, you taper down, then the second booster shot will build a reaction that will last longer. How long? We dont know. FARMER: So like a flu shot, we might have to get a COVID shot every year? PRESTON: We dont know What is a virus? Its a DNA or RNA strand of amino acids, if you change a couple of strands, its a mutation. Does it mean the vaccine wont work, that antibodies wont work? We dont know. We dont have a five-year experience with this But we can look across the seas and see what happens because they started immunizing a little bit earlier than we did. FARMER: So this really could be just the tip of the iceberg? PRESTON: I dont want people to think theres a vaccine now, so lets get back to hugging and kissing on New Years Eve . Were not there. Just the logistics to get 300 million doses administered takes quite a while. All these are questions we dont have answers to yet. Is there lifelong immunity? Are there mutations? Can we get the number of people immunized to achieve herd immunity? There is misinformation. Theres politics in politics. You have some saying Were going to rocket speed this to production. But the reality is everyone in the scientific community said No, were going to put this through the same scientific process we always do; were just going to do it faster. Big pharma really worked together on this. Theyre usually at each others throats to corner the market, but because of that collaboration, I think thats why were seeing a vaccine rolling out as soon as we have. I think theres good infrastructure to move the vaccine into place where it can be administered. The next thing will be overcoming peoples apprehension that maybe something sneaky was going on here. Like the flu shot. Its not perfect medicine. Do people get the flu shot and sometimes get the flu? Sure, but usually its an attenuated response, and theyre not as sick as they usually would get. Its not going to give 100% protection, but 96% is pretty impressive. And as soon as its available to me, I will be getting the coronavirus vaccine. FARMER: This is unlike anything anyone alive has dealt with, really, and its had a tremendous effect on health in so many other areas, especially mental health. How do we mitigate that while combating COVID? PRESTON: Everything is risk versus benefit, and youre absolutely right. If someone is in a domestic violence situation, they need to get out the door yesterday. If youre in that situation, there's way more likelihood of being killed by your domestic partner than a coronavirus. For the most part, my position hasnt changed since April on what we need to do to combat coronavirus. We need to wash hands frequently, socially distance, cover our cough and wear a mask. Now Im adding a fifth thing and thats to recognize that were all sick and tired of being sick and tired. We need to be nice to one another. Im very serious. If youre at Walmart and someone just has to have that parking space? Let em have it. God bless em. If someone has to get in front of you to get that Powerball ticket? Let em have it. Dont let it eat you up. I try to say to myself (some people) just dont get it. Theyre putting themselves at risk, their families, people they dont know. (I dont believe anyone has) that much evil in their heart to say they want to infect people with this deadly virus. Its that they just dont get it. is headed for a sharper double-dip recession after Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged the nation back into a lockdown with no clear end. Restrictions will be in place in England until at least February 15. Economists said the action, announced Monday to prevent the health service from being overwhelmed by surging infections, all but certainly means the UK economy will shrink in the first quarter. That will delay the recovery from the worst downturn in three centuries, which analysts say already was unlikely before 2023. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced $6.2 billion of emergency support to help UK businesses survive. This will help businesses to get through the months ahead and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen, Sunak said. In a video message on Twitter, he said the budget in early March will set out the next stage in our economic response. Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will be entitled to one-off grants of as much as 9,000 to tide them over until the spring, the UK finance minister said. Thats on top of existing funds of as much as 3,000 per month for those required to shut their doors because of restrictions. Closing schools means this hit will be worse than the restrictions imposed in November, according to Bloomberg Economics. This is bad, Ludovic Subran, chief economist at Allianz SE said in a Bloomberg Television interview. The UK is a service economy, so its all about shutting down services, and its bad because things like schools are a big part of GDP. Also because they play a role in how much parents are able to work. The governments measures add to the 280 billion it has cost the Treasury to tackle the virus and support firms and workers through the pandemic. In her virtual presentation before Congress' Special COVID-19 Commission, the minister pointed out that in recent weeks a greater number of patients has been observed requiring Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and mechanical ventilation in many cases because they were looking for medical help late. "I understand that the population is overwhelmed by everything and that there are economic needs, but there must be an economic reactivation while protecting the health. The new variant is a real danger, and this particular outbreak that we are witnessing in our country may be announcing that we could experience a second wave ," she specified. Significant acceleration in coming weeks of vaccination roll out will give people an even greater confidence about months ahead This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 5th, 2021 The rollout of a second coronavirus vaccine offers real hope for a better future and a brighter year ahead, Wales health minister has said. Yesterday saw the first doses of the Oxford / AstraZenca vaccine being administered to the highest priority groups across Wales. The approval of the COVID-19 vaccine by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) comes just three weeks after the Pfizer BioNTech, was given the go ahead for use across the UK. Two doses will be needed, with an interval of between four and 12 weeks between doses. This is a change from previous advice for both vaccines of a four week gap between doses, as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that as many people as possible in the top priority groups should sequentially be offered a first vaccine dose as the initial priority. Around 35,000 healthcare workers and those aged 80 and over across Wales have so far received their first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, with the rollout of the Oxford / AstraZenca set to increase this figure in the coming weeks. Speaking yesterday Health Minister Vaughan said the rollout of the second vaccine provides real hope for a better future and a brighter year ahead. Last year was one of the most difficult years that any of us will have experienced. The pandemic has felt at times, that it would never end, said Mr Gething. The approval of the first vaccine in early December and the second just five days ago, gives us a real hope for a better future and a brighter year ahead. Weve been using the first vaccine, the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine, for just over three weeks now and have vaccinated more than 35,000 people. As we know its not the easiest vaccine to use because it has to be stored at ultra low temperatures and cant be transported easily. Weve been primarily vaccinating frontline health and care staff at the 14 mass vaccination centres set up by health boards around Wales. Care home residents and over 80s have also had the Pfizer jab over the last few weeks. However, the New Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is a real game changer because it can be stored in a fridge and is much easier to transport. The UK Government invested in the research and has bought 100 million doses for the UK and Wales will receive our population share. Around 22,000 doses of the vaccine have already arrived in Wales to be administered, with a further 20,000 due in the next seven days to start making progress in the 3.2 million population of Wales. Further supplies of the vaccine will begin to arrive within the coming weeks. Mr Gething also outlined how the rollout of the Oxford / AstraZenca vaccine would take place, with plans to work with pharmacists, dental practices and optometrists to provide vaccination clinics with Wrexham.com understanding Plas Madocs leisure centre and a centre on the Glyndwr University campus are pencilled in for use. He said: Over the next couple of weeks, we will increase the number of mass vaccination centers to 22 and more than 60 general practice surgeries will offer the Oxford vaccine. Mobile units will also be set up throughout Wales. Were training a range of health care workers to give the vaccine and we have plans to work with local pharmacies, dentists, and optometrists to provide vaccination clinics. We will continue to use the Pfizer vaccine at the mass vaccination centers across Wales and were working to the priority list agreed by the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation. The rest of the UK is working to the same priority list. The immediate priority is to vaccinate frontline health and care staff care them reference and staff and people over the age of 80. Everyone in these groups will be invited to come to a clinic for an appointment. Health board and local authorities will be writing to everyone in Wales with more information about the vaccine in the coming days. However unlike his counterparts in the UK Government, Mr Gething would not be drawn on setting a date on when this vaccination process will be complete and when a return to some form of normality. Instead the health minister said the Welsh Government will continue to publish weekly updates on how many people in Wales have been vaccinated as well as key milestones in the process, including when all care home residents had received the vaccine. Mr Gething said: I am going to be attending and chairing some of the weekly vaccination program board meetings here in Wales, I expect well be able to provide a series of milestones. So well be able to indicate not just the in numbers of people overall but when we do reach, for example, getting them to all our care home residents or to deal with all of our paramedics so people can see were working through sectors. Each week I want to give a better indication of how were going through all those occupational groups. I think were going to reach at about the same time as every other UK nation, the completion of not just care home residence people, but in the first category that that were currently vaccinating. I appreciate everyone has questions but I think that people at the end of this will see that we have not been behind the pace and actually, the significant acceleration that well see in the coming weeks will give people an even greater measure of confidence about the coming months ahead. (Natural News) Fake News CNN brought on one of their favorite vaccine propagandists, Dr. Paul Offit, to push for mass vaccination events across the United States. These mass vaccination events could be rolled out in every community across the country as soon as possible. Offit is the director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. He sits on the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). He is also the co-inventor of RotaTeq, a rotavirus vaccine that protects against one of the many pathogens that cause diarrhea in infants. The CDC now recommends that infants be vaccinated with three doses of Offits RotaTeq, at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. Now Offit is calling on his friends and colleagues at the CDC to set up mass vaccination events. Millions of Americans are rejecting the shots Distributi-on of coronavirus vaccines has occurred at a historic pace, with nearly twelve million doses delivered in just two weeks thanks to Operation Warp Speed. Most of the doses have been distributed to hospitals and long-term health facilities for use in nursing home patients and front-line healthcare workers. Even though twelve million doses have been distributed to the states in record time, only 2.8 million Americans have elected to receive the first dose. The government initially projected that they would put twenty million doses in American arms by years end, but as millions of people rejected the shots, the original vaccine plan has been disrupted. Public health officials are so desperate to vaccinate a majority of Americans, they are now calling vaccine hesitancy a public health threat. Its as if informed consent no longer matters. Individuals are lumped into a collective category a priority group and told to vaccinate as a herd. As millions of Americans reject the shots, Offit demands for mass vaccination events that would mobilize federal, state and local resources to round people up and get the job done. So it cant be like getting a flu shot, where you walk into CVS when you can, Offit said. There has to be these mass vaccination events. Offit clearly does not want people to make their own decisions with their health. He wants the government to forge partnerships with private industry to coerce people to take the experimental jabs. This coincides with the mobile vaccine units that are planned to deploy across the country under a potential Joe Biden administration. Americans may be forced into medical communism Joe Biden is already calling for mobile units to be brought into the hard-to-reach areas so more people get inoculated. Future stimulus packages will set up the infrastructure to mass vaccinate the population. A Democrat-run Congress would continue to rob American taxpayers at unthinkable levels, passing trillions of dollars in stimulus to employ armies of contact tracers and vaccination squads, while setting up long term infrastructure to ensure that people adhere to all the shots required by the new Medical Police State. This level of force will be done in the name of keeping us all safe even as the country is destroyed from the inside out and converted into a communist dictatorship, where the right to worship, travel and gather is persecuted, where the free economic system is controlled by central economic planners. The new communist dictatorship will ensure that individuals no longer own their own bodies. Parents are also being trained to give up their rights to decide whats best for their children. America is heading down a dark path and people like Dr. Paul Offit are cheering it on, with the full force of the CDC subjecting individuals to coercive mass experiments. Sources include: DailyCaller.com Forbes.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds light and variable. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Strictly Come Dancing star Neil Jones' ex-girlfriend Luisa Eusse furiously hit back at claims she's being 'investigated by immigration' in a bizarre Instagram Live on Monday. The Colombian dancer, 24, was quick to take a swipe at the pro by claiming she 'didn't need to be with famous people' as she downed multiple glasses of wine during the hour-long live stream. Luisa hit back at reports that she's being hunted down by officials by insisting she's living in the UK under a student visa to study a Masters degree, after her so-called 'spouse visa' expired when she and former partner Hanna Wants split. Raging: Neil Jones' ex-girlfriend Luisa Eusse, 24, took a swipe at the Strictly pro before hitting back at claims she's being 'investigated by immigration' in a bizarre Instagram Live on Monday Addressing the camera Luisa said: 'I speak English, they treat me like stupid... believe me I am not just a pretty face. 'It's not hard for me you know, I don't give a f**k what they say because if you know the truth, and if my family know the truth, and my friends know the truth, I don't have to come out every single time. 'I want to remind everyone of that f*****g name. i don't need to be with famous people, TV people or DJ people. I don't need anything from no one because all my dreams are coming from me.' Investigation: The Colombian dancer claimed she 'didn't need to be with famous people after she and Neil split last month, with sources claiming he was 'mortified' by her behaviour Angry: During the expletive-laden live-stream, Luisa addressed claims she was being hunted down by immigration officials by appearing to show evidence she'd applied for a student visa She added that she moved to the UK with her fiancee last year, but she wasn't able to return to Colombia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I come to UK to make my dreams real and I come through all this s**t, in Colombia you don't have all these opportunities, man. 'It's [Colombia] beautiful but we don't have a lot of opportunities there, they don't appreciate your art. 'Me and my sister working really hard, working every day for a lot of videos, dancing all the time. For us it's not enough, so we decide to go to UK. You know. 'I try to be myself all the time, so I come to this country with fiancee, that's true, the only thing that's true, 'cos I fell in love with a girl in the last year... 'Your visa ends from January to August, these are new rules. So basically, my visa end on 13 August... and basically I say OK, I go back to Colombia, Colombia was closed since the pandemic. Claims: She added that after her so-called 'spouse visa' expired she couldn't return to Colombia due to the COVID-19 pandemic 'Border was closed, anyway, they closed the borders since October or November, August I come back to Colombia. 'So what I have to do, if you come back to country [during] coronavirus, all you have to do apply for new visa, change status of your visa, is what they say.' Luisa added she applied for another student visa so she could stay in the UK and study a Master's degree, before showing a letter as evidence. 'So basically government say you have to apply for another visa and change your status, it's what I did, I apply for another visa, change for student visa to study English to perfect my English... I am a f****g bitch. I want to study a master here in UK... so I can start my Master.' 'I am from Colombia, no one f***s with Colombians believe me, no one will f**k with Colombia... for the past six months when they say something stupid about me, yeah forget that s**t, forget that s**t.' Daring: Luisa brazenly added she was heading out to a party after the stream, sparking a wave of backlash from fans watching as England was plunged into another wave of lockdown Luisa added she travelled to the UK so she could give her daughter the 'best things' and declared: 'You're not going to tell me I'm not a good mother, simple as that s**t. She's the most beautiful lil' kid in the world.' Luisa brazenly added she was heading out to a party after the stream, sparking a wave of backlash from fans watching as England was plunged into another wave of lockdown. She said: 'You're just jealous cos I don't say ''yo b***h wanna come party with me'', just jealous, no worries babe... no worries. 'I don't say sorry for anything, no man I am not sorry, going to party with my friends, I don't want to say sorry for that ever. My name is Luisa I do whatever I want! 'I try to do my part, wear a mask, going on the train, go to the school, they make us wear masks, I respect all these things.' Luisa went onto say: 'Maybe my ex girlfriend is watching, you are the most brutal person in the world byeee!!! Babe, I am my own karma b***h, karma is a b***h, karma is coming, I am a b***h, you know what I'm saying.' Hitting back: In an Instagram Stories post on Saturday Luisa declared: 'The eyes, chico. They never lie' Controversy: On Saturday it was reported that Luisa was under investigation by immigration officials with officers contacting friends It was reported that Luisa had been living with friends after splitting from Neil in December, but did not inform the Home Office where she is currently staying. It meant immigration officers visited a friend's home to try and track her down, without success. Luisa tagged her location as London in an Instagram post last week. Friends stated on Saturday she has a student visa - even though it is usually necessary to leave the UK to make the application. It is not known if she got permission to switch visas without leaving the country. London: She tagged her location as London on Instagram last week A friend told The Sun they had received an early morning visit from officers, explaining: 'Immigration wanted to know where Luisa is. They seemed to think she had been staying in a friend's house. 'They produced an official letter, revealing Luisa's full name, before searching any properties. Uniformed staff were going to a lot of time and effort to track her down, and seemed very anxious to find her.' In November it was reported that Neil helped Luisa join a college so she could stay in UK on a student visa. It was previously claimed that the dancer came to the UK on a 'fiancee visa' when she was dating DJ Hannah Wants, 34, whose real name is Hannah Smith. Neil was said to be 'helping her sign up for a course' after the visa is said to have expired in August after Luisa and Hannah split in July - weeks before she and Neil announced their romance, according to The Sun. Helping hand: In November it was reported that Neil helped Luisa join a college so she could stay in UK under a student visa Luisa moved out of the home she shared with Neil in mid-December with insiders revealing that the relationship 'had become complicated and they are both at very different places in their lives.' They went on to add that though the couple had been 'on and off' in the last few weeks, Neil was desperate to 'glue them back together'. They added that Luisa is a 'free spirit' who is ready to 'live the single life'. A source told MailOnline: 'Neil is mortified by her behaviour and has told friends he's relieved that he asked her to move out when he did. 'They never officially had a conversation about splitting, Neil's a nice guy and he just wanted to make sure she was ok since asking her to move out, as he cared for her and worried about how she would look after herself. 'But he's no fool and these latest revelations have only served to confirm that he made the right decision.' MailOnline contacted Neil's representative for comment at the time. Luisa and Neil first confirmed their romance back in August, and it was the dancer's first public relationship since he split from wife and Strictly co-star Katya in 2019. Whirlwind: Luisa and Neil first confirmed their romance back in August, and it was the dancer's first public relationship since he split from wife and Strictly co-star Katya in 2019 Their relationship was marred with controversy, with Neil later revealing they were living apart following claims Luisa had been unfaithful. The choreographer - who asked Luisa to move in with him after just two weeks of dating - admitted he initially brushed off the rumours, before the couple 'turned a corner' following a candid chat. Neil told Hello! magazine: 'If people are not honest with me, then I can't accept them in my life. We've sat down and talked and we've both been really honest with each other and I feel we've turned a corner. 'But I can't stand here and say everything is perfect even now. Luisa is a free spirit and loves life and it's not easy to be in the public eye, but she accepts she has made mistakes that could also have an impact on my life. 'It wasn't the ideal way to form a relationship so quickly... [but] I love being with Luisa and we see a life together. Our relationship is real and she makes me happy. She puts a smile on my face every day.' It's been said that tattooed beauty Luisa cheated with student Daniela Becerra. Luisa is said to have invited Daniela back to Neil's flat where they became intimate, before later telling her lover she was 'married'. After finding out Luisa wasn't single, performance art student Daniela is thought to have been shocked and wanted to leave, leaving the property at around 6am. Doyle joins Nickerson with a 15-year track record of executing successful PR programs and campaigns for local, national, and global clients in technology, real estate, health care, higher education, and public affairs. Highlights of Doyle's experience begin early in his career with Racepoint Global where he was instrumental in the launch of Samsung's digital health initiative. Later, Doyle was managing campaigns for 10Fold Comm's tech clients in San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX. He has also overseen communications for several high-profile mergers and acquisitions. Most recently with Boston-based Denterlein, Doyle helped lead strategic communications for the opening of Encore Boston Harbor, the largest private, single-phase construction project in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. "The Nickerson team was fortunate to have pivoted quickly in 2020 and has continued growth across the country. We are thrilled to be attracting industry veterans such as Paul Doyle," stated Lisa Nickerson, CEO & Founder of Nickerson. "Paul's strategic approach to leading multi-dimensional campaigns, along with his ability to build collaborative and successful teams, will play a significant role in supporting our continued growth." As Director, PR & Communications, Doyle will head up all public relations and communications efforts for Nickerson's client-partners, driving strategy and overseeing media outreach, account management, reporting, and all marketing communications initiatives. Doyle will be managing PR & Communications team growth, identifying and onboarding creative thinkers who bring positive energy and passion to Nickerson, while embracing the company's team-first culture which celebrates individuality and diversity. "Nickerson is in a tremendous period of growth and has offered me an exceptional opportunity to lead strategic campaigns in collaboration with the agency's award-winning Creative Services team," said Paul Doyle. "I immediately connected with the leadership team on their commitment to driving client-partner ROI with a process-driven system for execution. I look forward to guiding and building the PR & Communications team while further fostering Nickerson's inclusive team-first culture." Doyle remains active and involved in numerous industry and philanthropic organizations, and previously served as the Social Media Committee Chair for PRSA Boston's Young Professionals Network. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Marketing along with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University. Doyle resides on the New Hampshire seacoast with his wife and two daughters. In 2020, Nickerson expanded the company by establishing a new presence in Los Angeles and reestablishing a presence in New York City. Capitalizing on Nickerson's reputation as leader in real estate marketing and communications, the agency has organically grown into additional sectors including hospitality, food & beverage, life science, and PropTech/CREtech. New team members with a presence in additional cities reflect Nickerson's continued commitment to expansion in major global cities. As part of Nickerson's continued growth, the company is currently recruiting additional team members across the country , including a Controller, Senior Manager of Social Media, Senior Managers of PR & Communications in Boston, Miami, and NYC, and a Senior Coordinator for Creative Services in LA. About Nickerson Nickerson is a full-service branding, marketing, and communications agency with team members in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami. Utilizing our unique blend of communications, marketing & strategic planning, creative services, and risk & reputation management, we elevate the experiential journey, serving as a trusted, global partner to elite, forward-thinking brands. Nickerson was named PRDaily's 2019 Digital Marketing & Social Media Award winner for Crisis Communications/Reputation Management and was a finalist for PRWeek's 2020 Best in Crisis award. For more info visit nickersoncos.com . SOURCE NickersonPR Related Links www.nickersoncos.com President Uhuru Kenyatta has reportedly added to his large land portfolio, after buying a 1000 acre ranch in Narok. Breaking with tradition of welcoming the new year and addressing the nation in Mombasa, the president ushered in 2021 at his 1,000-acre-plus ranch next to the Maasai Mara game reserve. According to Nation, he acquired the ranch last year from Olerien and Kengani group ranches, for an undisclosed amount. It was one of two large pieces of land he bought, with the other reportedly being the site of a new tourist lodge the head of state is constructing. The ranch is thought to be what Uhuru is planning for his retirement home in 2 years time. On New years eve, the president hosted neighbours and other guests at the property, all of whom were asked to leave their mobile phones outside. He had earlier in the day attended a private function hosted by Narok Governor Samuel Tunai and several MCAs, where he promised them several goodies including creating one more sub-county in Narok. He would later deliver on that promise. The Kenyatta family is thought to be Kenyas largest land owners, and this new piece only cements that position. A.C.E is partnering up with American DJ Steve Aoki for a remix of their latest song! This will be the first collaboration of the South Korean boy group this year. On Jan. 3, A.C.E surprisingly dropped teaser images along with the hashtags "ACE_PROJECT," "ACE_Collaboration," and "2021forChoice," which seem to indicate that the boy band is set to release its first collaboration this 2021. According to the posts, the release date is on Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. KST. The following day, A.C.E shared a new set of teaser photos, then today, Jan. 5, the boy band shared a teaser clip posted by Steve Aoki. It turns out that A.C.E is collaborating with DJ Steve Aoki for a remix of their latest title track "Favorite Boys." The remix version is titled "Fav Boyz (Steve Aoki's Gold Star Remix) and features Thutmose. The 20-second teaser video the American DJ uploaded gives a preview of his "Favorite Boys (Gold Star Remix)." Apart from the teasers, A.C.E has also shared the tracklist of the upcoming release. It will contain "Fav Boyz (Steve Aoki's Gold Star Remix)," Fav Boyz (feat. Thutmose)" [Steve Aoki's Gold Star Remix], and the instrumental rendition of the song. This one's from ur Fav Boyz!! I teamed up with @official_ACE7 for my latest remix. It's Steve Aoki's Gold Star remix comin this Fri #ACE #FavBoyz pic.twitter.com/CGwjYsVfv1 Steve Aoki (@steveaoki) January 5, 2021 Steve Aoki previously worked with world-renowned K-pop boy band BTS to release a remix of the group's 2017 song "Mic Drop" and 2018 track "The Truth Untold." He also launched a single titled "Waste It on Me" in collaboration with BTS members Jungkook, Jimin, and RM. The song was included on Aoki's album, "Neon Future III" which was dropped in October 2018. Considering this, A.C.E becomes the second Korean boy group and second overall to release a remix version of their song with Steve Aoki. But, when it comes to collaboration projects, A.C.E is the third Korean act to team up with Aoki since after BTS, MONSTA X was the second one. In February 2019, MONSTA X released their second studio album titled "Take.2: We Are Here," which contains eight songs including "Play It Cool" that was produced by the American DJ. Steve Aoki is a DJ, entertainer, record producer, and music executive in the United States. He is known for his several Billboard-charting studio albums, including "Wonderland," which was one of the nominees for the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album in 2013. Meanwhile, A.C.E is a five-member boy band based in South Korea that debuted in May 2017 with the single album titled "Cactus," featuring a song of the same name. Last year, A.C.E released its fourth album called "HJZM: The Butterfly Phantasy" in September. It contains five songs including the title track "Goblin (Favorite Boys)." A.C.E's "Goblin (Favorite Boys)" recently ranked first place on DAZED magazine's list of best K-pop songs of 2020. The British publication admired the song's anthem-like chorus and the perfect combination of rock and Korean tradition. Don't miss the release of the track's remix version on Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. KST! In the meantime, watch the music video for A.C.E's "Goblin (Favorite Boys)" below! For more news updates about other K-Pop news, always keep your tabs open here at Kpopstarz. Owned by Kpopstarz Written by Mhaliya Scott By SA Commercial Prop News Artist rendering of Diepkloof Square community shopping centre Image gallery Soweto will enter a new era of convenient, quality retail when Diepkloof Square community shopping centre opens, fully let, on 29 November 2012. The 16,108sqm community centre is anchored by Pick n Pay in a 3,112sqm store and features some 50 shops, including an exciting new 1,720sqm Food Lovers Market. Diepkloof Square is a really exciting project, says Food Lovers Market Group Property and Business Development Manager Graeme Liebenberg. Diepkloof holds a special place in the heart of many South Africans. It was one of the earliest communities in Soweto and many influential South Africans live, have lived or passed through this suburb. In the epicentre of affluent Soweto, Diepkloof Square is positioned in an exciting setting within a growing community. Diepkloof Square is in Diepkloof Extension 3, with excellent visibility and access from the main arterial road serving Diepkloof, Immink Road. It is near the N1 Highway. Diepkloof Square will provide quality retail in a smart, modern setting giving residents easy access to tailor-made convenience shopping. Diepkloof Square gives meticulous attention to top design, apt retailer mix and the daily shopping needs of one of the wealthiest township suburbs in the country, says Jason McCormick, MD of developer McCormick Property Development. Liebenberg echoes this ethos of exceptional shopping: Like Diepkloof Square, we see tremendous opportunities for Food Lovers Market in areas that havent previously experienced the theatre we create. It isnt only what we offer our customers a wide array of produce, groceries, meat, fish, and much more but how we offer it to them. We are unique in that we tailor our retail offering to the customer in each different area. Our new Diepkloof Square store is no exception. Diepkloof Square is developed by McCormick Property Development, which pioneered retail development in South Africas emerging markets since 1983 with 49 completed developments to its name to date. For Diepkloof Squares development, McCormick partnered with leading African black-owned and -managed investment holding company, Shanduka Group. Leasing Diepkloof Square is Retail Network Services - a full-service specialist retail leasing company with successes like Pan Africa Shopping Centre in Alexandra, Protea Glen Shopping Centre in Soweto, Tsakane Mall in Springs and Jabulani Mall in Soweto to its name. Highlighting its thoughtful design, McCormick points to Diepkloof Squares covered food court as a vibrant space for the community. Diepkloof Square is more than a shopping centre, its a town square a place to meet and share a sense of community. Gavin Tagg of Retail Network Services says the concept of quality and community also reflects in Diepkloof Squares retailer mix. The shops and services at Diepkloof Square mirror its upmarket setting. Yet they still offer a large assortment of grocery and food stores to cater across income groups. Diepkloof Square features an array of leading retailers which appeal to everyday needs of this growing local market, explains Tagg. In an area previously underserviced by shopping, retailers have lined up to satisfy Diepkloofs consumer needs. Besides Pick n Pay and Food Lovers Market, its retail mix includes Ellerines, Beares, OK Furniture, JD Group, McDonalds, King Pie, Steers, Debonairs, KFC, Old Mutual, Nedbank, Standard Bank, Cashbuild, Roots, Vodacom, Pep, Modjo Hair, Randcon Paints and Diepkloof Medical Centre. Diepkloof Square shoppers can expect exceptional retail convenience and service all round, says Liebenberg. We believe Food Lovers Market will raise the bar for the retail expectations of Diepkloof residents and add tremendous value to all customers and stakeholders. In whatever we do, we strive to be Best in Brand, and let our customer be the judge of this. After all, it is our customers who determine the success, and therefore sustainability, of the store. With its prime location, modern design, exciting retail mix, and unmatched local shopping experience, Diepkloof Square also offers generous parking and excellent access to public transport with an adjacent existing taxi rank. Diepkloof is a strong community with ample amenities which creates a vibrant node for its residents and, importantly, form a natural retail node. It is attracting an increasing number of middle-class and aspirant residents. Diepkloof Square is set to become the dominant retail node within the Diepkloof area and its surrounding suburbs, explains Tagg. When Diepkloof Square opens at the end of November, these residents and their neighbours will finally enjoy quality community shopping on their own doorstep. CLEVELAND, Ohio Despite Baker Mayfield leading the Browns to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years, the team hasnt shed its biggest detractor. Colin Cowherd, host of FS1s The Herd with Colin Cowherd, has been critical of Mayfield since before he came out of college. On Monday, Cowherd offered his thoughts on who will win the Browns playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. "Cleveland at Pittsburgh has potential to be a tire fire. The Steelers are going to roll." @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/OHjDyXNqm2 Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 4, 2021 Cleveland at Pittsburgh has potential to be a tire fire, Cowherd said. The Steelers are going to roll. Cowherd is sticking to the message hes delivered all season. But he may have had some extra motivation this week. During this past Sundays win against the Steelers, Mayfield ran the ball for a first down to secure the victory and earn the Browns a spot in the playoffs. The name of that play was Maserati, which the website Outkick.com points out may very well be a reference to an insult Cowherd made towards Mayfield back in 2018. When youre a No. 1 pick, I want you to be a Maserati, not a Mazda, Cowherd said of Mayfield. Bakers a Mazda in the NFL. He looked overwhelmed physically. He doesnt have a great arm. Couldnt outrun a lineman. Nothing wrong with a Mazda. Ive driven a Mazda. I like Mazda. But you pay $85,000 for a car, thats a No. 1 pick. You pay $85,000, (are) you bragging about the cup holder? It looks like Baker gets the last laughfor now. A pastor was shot dead inside a Texas church. The suspect was arrested by the police according to reports. A suspect in a killing that claimed the life of a pastor and left two others injured has just been arrested by the police officers. The authorities successfully apprehended the suspect who killed a church leader inside a Texas church on Jan. 3. The suspect Mytrez Deunte Woolen, 21, allegedly entered the Starrville Methodist Church through a broken window on Saturday night. The suspect broke in to escape the cold weather on the night of Jan. 2 after fleeing from police apprehension. At around 9 a.m. the following morning, Pastor Mark Allen McWilliams, 62, or his wife opened the bathroom door and found the suspect hiding inside, CNN reported. Holding his handgun and drawing it towards the suspect, McWilliams commanded Woolen to lie on the floor. However, when the pastor got distracted, the suspect took the gun from his hand "lunged at him" and shot him dead. The suspect also shot an armed church member who did not manage to fire back and got hit while trying to get away from Woolen. Sheriff Larry Smith, the Texas County sheriff, later confirmed that the church member is currently recovering after suffering from non-life-threatening injuries. During the assault, reports say that the suspect tried to shoot the pastor's wife as well. However, McWilliam's wife managed to escape from the gunfire yet acquired a shoulder injury upon fleeing the assailant, the Daily Caller reported. After the shooting incident, Woolen escaped the crime scene and tried to steal a 2018 GMC pick up from the church parking lot. Yet the suspect failed his attempt to run away with the vehicle as it was equipped with OnStar technology. Officials commanded the OnStar to shut the GMC pickup's engine down leaving the suspect with no other way to escape police apprehension, KLTV reported. Woolen was arrested and immediately brought to Smith County Jail where he is currently detained. Investigations revealed that before breaking in through the Starrville Methodist Church broken window, Woolen escaped from two earlier shooting incidents. At around 5:20 pm on Jan. 2, the suspect got involved in a drive-by shooting incident at one location in Marshall and another shooting event in another location. He was later reportedly seen at the FM 849 and Interstate 20 area brandishing a shotgun through a dark-colored Volkswagen Jetta's sunroof. Lindale police officers went out to search for Woolen after receiving the report yet failed to find the suspect. Police spotted Woolen at a convenience store at Chevron station near Lindale. He then took the cops to a high-rate speed chase of 100 mph. The suspect allegedly went out through the I-20 on Highway 271 near Gladewater. He went through FM 757 that led him to Starrville community and unfortunately knocked off the road because the speed of chase wore his small spare tire out. The impact caused Jetta's airbags to deploy making the suspect lose grip on his shotgun. Weaponless, Woolen managed to escape the cops in the cold of the night that made him decide to break into the church where he killed the pastor, according to the Daily Caller. The Ethiopian police and the prosecutors office did not respond to questions from Reuters on the reasons for Mr. Kumerras arrest and subsequent release. Mr. Kumerra, 38, has worked for Reuters for a decade. His family said they were preparing a special meal and looking forward to having him home for Christmas, which many Ethiopian Christians will celebrate on Thursday. We are so relieved that Kumerra has been released and would like to thank everyone who has supported us during this difficult time, the family said in a statement. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, has overseen sweeping reforms since taking office in 2018, including a lift on the ban of more than 250 media outlets and the release of dozens of journalists. However, rights groups say press freedom has eroded as the government faced outbreaks of deadly violence including fighting between the military and leaders in the northern region of Tigray, who have challenged the rule of Mr. Abiy, the prime minister. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Indian aviation industry is expected to continue incurring large losses in 2021-22 and IndiGo airline will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic significantly stronger than its competitors, said aviation consultancy firm CAPA India on Monday. "Airlines will have to carry the costs of a large proportion of their fleet remaining grounded, especially those that were earlier deployed on international routes," said CAPA India in its report about the ''top ten trends to watch in 2021''. While revenue remains under pressure, costs will also increase relative to FY2021, the report mentioned, adding that the Brent Crude is assumed to be at average $50-60 per barrel and the USD/INR exchange rate is expected to remain in the range of 73-75 in the next financial year. Oil prices and exchange rate are two of the major factors that affect costs of running an airline. The report said consolidation is inevitable in the Indian aviation sector and it could result in a "2-3 airline system" in the near to medium term. "The structure of competition may change in the near to medium term, possibly resulting in a two-horse race in both the airline and airport sectors," it mentioned. The demand recovery, especially in international traffic, remains uncertain, it stated. In the absence of a full recovery in higher-yielding segments such as corporate travel, airlines cannot be profitable, it noted. The report said lenders and investors will remain wary of the sector (especially airlines) unless the government intervenes in the form of sector-specific policy measures. It stated the government may be tempted to maintain price floors and caps, at least for the first half of 2021. When India resumed scheduled domestic passenger flights from May 25 amid the COVID-19 lockdown, floors and caps were imposed on fares based on the duration of the flights. The report said IndiGo will emerge from COVID significantly stronger relative to the competition, largely due to its very strong balance sheet. It said international flights are expected to continue operating under bubble arrangements rather than bilateral air services agreements for the foreseeable future. Scheduled international passenger flights were suspended in India on March 23 last year due to the pandemic-induced lockdown. Since July, airlines are operating special international flights under air bubble arrangements formed with around 24 countries. Under a bilateral air bubble arrangement, airlines of the two countries can operate flights between their territories with certain restrictions. Georgia voters are set to decide the balance of power in Congress in a pair of high-stakes Senate runoff elections that will help determine President-elect Joe Bidens capacity to enact what may be the most progressive governing agenda in generations. Republicans are unified against Bidens plans for health care, environmental protection and civil rights, but some fear that outgoing President Donald Trumps brazen attempts to undermine the integrity of the nations voting systems may discourage voters in Georgia. At a rally in northwest Georgia on the eve of Tuesdays runoffs, Trump repeatedly declared that the November elections were plagued by fraud that Republican officials, including his former attorney general and Georgias elections chief, say did not occur. The president called Georgias Republican secretary of state crazy and vowed to help defeat him in two years. At the same time, Trump encouraged his supporters to show up in force for Georgias Tuesday contests. Youve got to swarm it tomorrow, Trump told thousands of cheering supporters, downplaying the threat of fraud. Democrats must win both of the states Senate elections to gain the Senate majority. In that scenario, the Senate would be equally divided 50-50 with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaker for Democrats. Democrats already secured a narrow House majority and the White House during Novembers general election. Even a closely divided Democratic Senate likely wont guarantee Biden everything he wants, given Senate rules that require 60 votes to move most major legislation. But if Democrats lose even one of Tuesdays contests, Biden would have little shot for swift up-or-down votes on his most ambitious plans to expand government-backed health care coverage, strengthen the middle class, address racial inequality and combat climate change. A Republican-controlled Senate also would create a rougher path for Bidens Cabinet picks and judicial nominees. Georgia, the whole nation is looking to you. The power is literally in your hands, Biden charged at his own rally in Atlanta earlier Monday. One state can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation. Georgias January elections, necessary because no Senate candidates received a majority of the general-election votes, have been unique for many reasons, not least because the contenders essentially ran as teams, even campaigning together sometimes. One contest features Democrat Raphael Warnock, who serves as the senior pastor of the Atlanta church where slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. grew up and preached. The 51-year-old Black man was raised in public housing and spent most of his adult life preaching in Baptist churches. Warnock is facing Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a 50-year-old former businesswoman who was appointed to the Senate less than a year ago by the states Republican governor. She is only the second woman to represent Georgia in the Senate, although race has emerged as a campaign focus far more than gender. Loeffler and her allies have seized on some snippets of Warnocks sermons at the historic Black church to cast him as extreme. Dozens of religious and civil rights leaders have pushed back. The other election pits 71-year-old former business executive David Perdue, who held the Senate seat until his term officially expired on Sunday, against Democrat Jon Ossoff, a former congressional aide and journalist. At just 33 years old, Ossoff would be the Senates youngest member if elected. The fresh-faced Democrat first rose to national prominence in 2017 when he launched an unsuccessful House special election bid. Democrats have hammered Perdue and Loeffler, each among the Senates wealthiest members, for conspicuously timed personal stock trades after members of Congress received information about the public health and economic threats of COVID-19 as Trump and Republicans downplayed the pandemic. None of the trades has been found to violate the law or Senate ethics, but Warnock and Ossoff have used the moves to cast the Republicans as self-interested and out of touch. Perdue and Loeffler have answered by lambasting the Democratic slate as certain to to usher in a leftward lunge in national policy. Neither Warnock nor Ossoff is a socialist, as Republicans allege. They do, however, support Bidens agenda. This weeks elections mark the formal finale to the turbulent 2020 election season more than two months after the rest of the nation finished voting. The stakes have drawn nearly $500 million in campaign spending to a once solidly Republican state that now finds itself as the nations premier battleground. Its really about whether an agenda that moves the nation forward can be forged without significant compromise, said Martin Luther King III, the son of the civil rights icon and a Georgia native, who predicted razor thin margins on Tuesday. There are a lot of things that are in the balance. The results also will help demonstrate whether the sweeping political coalition that fueled Bidens victory was an anti-Trump anomaly or part of a new landscape. Biden won Georgias 16 electoral votes by about 12,000 votes out of 5 million cast in November. Democratic success will likely depend on driving a huge turnout of African Americans, young voters, college-educated voters and women, all groups that helped Biden become the first Democratic presidential candidate since 1992 to win Georgia. Republicans, meanwhile, have been focused on energizing their own base of white men and voters beyond the core of metro Atlanta. More than 3 million Georgians voted before Tuesday. The runoff elections come as Trump continues his unprecedented campaign to undermine election results across various states he lost. In a recording of a private phone call made public on Sunday, the president told Georgias secretary of state to find enough votes to give him an outright victory in the state, even after repeated recounts, failed court challenges, and state certification. Campaigning in Georgia on Monday hours before Trumps visit, Vice President Mike Pence said he has concerns about voting irregularities. He has also repeatedly described Georgia Republicans as the last line of defense against a Democratic takeover in Washington, an implicit acknowledgement that the Trump has indeed lost the election. Congress is scheduled to vote to certify Bidens victory on Wednesday. In another affirmation of Trumps hold on his fellow Republicans, Loeffler took the stage at Trumps rally and vowed to join the small but growing number of Republicans protesting the count on the Senate floor. Look, this president fought for us, she said. Were fighting for him. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. 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Digital Editor The chairman of the right-wing Proud Boys group was arrested Monday in Washington over the torching last month of a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a church during violent protests, police said. Enrique Tarrio, 36, was taken into custody as the US capital braces for demonstrations against lawmakers' certification this week of Joe Biden as the next US president. Tarrio, who had just arrived in the city from Florida, was charged with destruction of property at the Asbury United Methodist Church, a mainly African American church where he and others allegedly burned the banner during violent protests on December 12. According to NPR, Tarrio had already admitted to removing and burning the banner from the church. Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, has been arrested for destruction of property Pictured: A group of Proud Boys members burn a BLM flag on December 12, 2020 Tarrio allegedly burned a BLM banner that was property of Asbury United Methodist Church He was hit with additional charges of possessing two illegal high capacity firearm magazines at the time of his arrest, police said. In a parallel court case unveiled Monday, Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys were accused by the historic Metropolitan AME church, also mainly African American, with tearing down and burning its banner during the protests last month. 'The conduct of the Proud Boys in Washington, DC on December 12, 2020, amounted to a new and dangerous chapter in the long and terrible history of white supremacist mob violence targeting Black houses of worship,' the church said in its filing. A week after the violence at the churches, Tarrio made comments about the incidents per NPR. Tarrio was in Washington on December 12 for the Million MAGA March in support of Trump Several Black Lives Matters banners and flags were damaged by the Proud Boys then 'In the burning of the BLM sign, I was the one that lit it on fire,' Tarrio said on the War Boys podcast. 'I was the person that went ahead and put the lighter to it and engulfed it in flames, and I am damn proud that I did.' It remains to be seen whether Tarrio will also be charged with a hate crime in connection with the case, though he has previously dismissed that as his motivation. 'These actions, meant to terrorize Black people, violated DC law and were hate crimes,' D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said in a letter to the U.S. Attorney. 'They harmed people of color, and every person who lives and works in our city who believes in fairness, justice and racial equity.' The arrest came ahead of protests planned on Tuesday and Wednesday by backers of President Donald Trump supporting his unfounded claim that he, and not Biden, won the November 3 presidential election. The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church has filed a lawsuit against the group Washington DC is expecting violence from the Proud Boys in the coming days during protests Washington police said Monday they were worried about potential violence, particularly from groups like the Proud Boys, and warned that people carrying firearms would be arrested. 'We will not allow people to incite violence or intimidate our residents,' said Mayor Muriel Bowser. Women for America First, the Eighty Percent Coalition, and The Silent Majority all applied for permits for protests in the coming couple of days. Proud Boys are expected to dress incognito during protests held by other groups Pictured: A Black Lives Matter banner being set on fire on December 12, 2020 The Proud Boys appear to be coming too, though, with rumors circulating they'll be dressed incognito in protests throughout the city. Trump, meanwhile, has said that he will be attending the protests. He famously told the Proud Boys to 'stand back and standby' during his debate performance, which was seen as a call to action for the right-wing group. Street closures are set to take place in the nation's capital and residents are being urged to either stay away or not engage with the protesters who attempt to incite violence. 'Hate has no home in the District,' Racine said. 'Let's keep the peace, rather than provide this band of agitators any more attention than their divisive and hateful demonstrations will otherwise receive.' New York: Enceladus, the icy moon of Saturn, may have tilted or tipped over in the past, a new data from NASAs Cassini probe has revealed. The slant may have been caused due to a possible collision with some other celestial body such as an asteroid, says NASA. Evidence was found by the researchers that Enceladus spin axis the line through the north and south poles has reoriented. The NASA team examined the features of Saturns icy moon Enceladus and showed that it apparently tipped away from its original axis by about 55 degrees. This amounts for more than halfway toward rolling completely onto its side. We found a chain of low areas, or basins, that trace a belt across the moons surface that we believe are the fossil remnants of an earlier, previous equator and poles, said Radwan Tajeddine, a Cassini imaging team associate at Cornell University in the US. The area surrounding the Enceladus current south pole is a geologically active region. The long and linear fractures called tiger stripes slice across the surface at this region. It is speculated that an asteroid may have collided with the region in the past when it was near the equator. The geological activity in this terrain is unlikely to have been initiated by internal processes, Tajeddine said. We think that, in order to drive such a large reorientation of the moon, its possible that an impact was behind the formation of this anomalous terrain, he said. Cassini found in 2005 that jets of water vapour and icy particles spray from the tiger stripe fractures - evidence that an underground ocean is venting directly into space from beneath the active south polar terrain. Researchers said that whether it was caused by an impact or any other process, some of Enceladus mass redistributed due to the disruption and creation of the tiger-stripe terrain. This led to the moon rotate unsteadily and wobbly. ALSO READ | White clouds cover Saturn's moon Titan, NASA Cassini image reveals mesmerising view The rotation would have eventually stabilised, likely taking more than a million years. By the time the rotation settled down, the north-south axis would have reoriented to pass through different points on the surface - a mechanism called true polar wander. The polar wander idea helps to explain why Enceladus modern-day north and south poles appear quite different. The south is active and geologically young, while the north is covered in craters and appears much older. The moons original poles would have looked more alike before the event that caused Enceladus to tip over and relocate the disrupted tiger-stripe terrain to the moons south polar region. The findings are published in the journal Icarus. ALSO READ | NASA Cassini Saturn probe's last journey: Why is US space agency killing its spacecraft? All you need to know (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Streetwise - Outstanding Monuments by Frank Dunnigan July 2016 San Francisco has countless statues, monuments, and memorials to acknowledge people, places, and events important to our collective history. While many of these public installations are located in the downtown area and other older neighborhoods, a good many exist quietly right under our noses on the western side of the city. While Golden Gate Park is home to many of these piecessomething that long-time Park Superintendent John McLaren positively abhorred, actively planting enough flora and fauna to hide several of thema large number of others are scattered in highly visible locations across the outside lands. AIDS Memorial GroveFrom a conceptual plan in 1987, to the dedication of the main portal in 1995, right up to the present, the National AIDS Memorial Grove commemorates a sad chapter in city history while revitalizing a neglected corner of Golden Gate Park. In an area previously known as the de Laveaga Dell, the grove holds the unique distinction of being a national memorial, yet it receives no federal funds. Supported by private donations, a dedicated group of volunteers maintains the grove as a place for quiet contemplation and renewal. Balboa Street Shopping DistrictAmong the newer neighborhood icons in the Richmond District are a pair of mosaic-accented concrete signs erected in 2014, marking the Balboa Street shopping corridor on the blocks adjacent to the Balboa Theater. Bufano PEACE sculptureFamed sculptor Benny Bufano (1898-1970) created this Madonna and child entitled "PEACE" for the Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) on Treasure Island in 1939, though it was never displayed there. Sculpted of stainless steel and granite, with mosaic tile inlays, it remained in storage for years, and was eventually placed at the entrance to San Francisco International Airport in 1958 (where its rocket-like shape prompted newspaper columnist Herb Caen and others to quip, What time is the blast-off?). Construction of SFOs new International Terminal forced the statues removal, and it was eventually relocated to Brotherhood Way in 1996. Other Bufano works in the western neighborhoods include "Mother Bear and Cubs" (1968) at University of California, San Francisco on Parnassus Avenue and "Penguins Prayer" on Lake Merced Boulevard. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. OPEC+ will gather for a second day, following an unexpected suspension of talks on Monday when a majority of members, including Saudi Arabia, opposed Russias proposal for a February supply hike. Ministers need more time to resolve differences over how much extra oil the market can take as the accelerating coronavirus pandemic leads to tighter lockdowns. The extension of the negotiations casts doubt on the production increase of 500,000 barrels a day the market had been expecting for February. It also calls into question similar supply boosts traders had penciled in for March and April. The split between Saudi Arabia and Russia, the two de-facto leaders of OPEC+, reflected different priorities. Riyadh has shown its worried about undermining the oil-market recovery, while Moscow has said it doesnt want to create space for a rebound in rival production. PREVIOUSLY: Russia pushing for OPEC to increase production next month Russia is currently focusing on market share while a number of other countries value prices, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters on Monday, according to the ministrys news service Shana. While Russia appeared to be outnumbered on this occasion, OPEC+ typically requires a consensus among all members before concluding talks. Failure to reach a compromise is rare but can have damaging consequences, notably last years monthlong price war. Before ministers gather again at 3:30 p.m. Vienna time, they will have the chance to hold bilateral talks and consult with their home governments, delegates said. In Mondays video conference, the initial positions of Moscow and Riyadh were diametrically opposed. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman proposed rolling back the 500,000 barrel-a-day production increase the group made this month, delegates said. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak wanted to maintain that supply hike and add the same again in February. Urging Caution In his opening remarks, Prince Abdulaziz highlighted the risks to the oil market from a more infectious strain of the coronavirus, which has heightened the economic risks even as the roll-out of vaccines has buoyed prices. FUEL FIX: Our energy news. Your inbox. A perfect combination. At the risk of being seen as a killjoy in the proceedings, I want to urge caution, he said. The new variant of the virus is a worrying and unpredictable development. The prince, who has consistently sought to keep a tight rein on supply, also indicated he would accept rolling over current output levels into February, delegates said. Algeria, Nigeria, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates were also in favor of holding supply steady, they said, asking not to be named because the meeting was private. Kazakhstan supported Novaks position. Crude could stabilize above $50 a barrel in the first half of the year if OPEC+ makes the right decision, Algerias Oil Minister Abdelmajid Attar told state news agency APS on Tuesday. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 1.6% to $51.87 a barrel at 11:41 a.m. in London. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies are currently idling 7.2 million barrels a day, or about 7% of world supplies, and had planned to return a further 1.5 million barrels a day in installments over the coming months. The group is already taking a cautious approach, agreeing in December to meet every month -- rather than just a few times a year -- in order to fine-tune production levels more precisely and avoid capsizing the price recovery they spent most of 2020 working to achieve. Other prominent voices from the alliance have echoed Prince Abdulazizs caution. Theres a need to be wary of the repercussions of the second wave of the pandemic, state-run Kuwait News Agency reported on Monday, citing a statement from Oil Minister Mohammed Alfares. OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said at Sundays preparatory meeting that there are still many downside risks to juggle. Tighter Lockdowns The case for another small OPEC+ output increase in February is underpinned by a recovery in the oil prices, which have gained more than a third since the emergence of the first Covid vaccines last year -- though they still fell around 25% during the whole of 2020. Russias Novak said last month that OPEC+ should proceed with its supply increase because prices are in an optimal range of $45 to $55 a barrel. If OPEC+ refrains from bolstering exports, its competitors will simply fill the gap, he said. Yet there are also reasons to think the group will take a more cautious approach. Restrictions on movement are still in place in a number of countries amid a new strain of the virus, Barkindo said. Its too soon to know how key sectors of the economy will be affected, and for the tourism and leisure industries the return to pre-crisis levels could take a couple of years. Demand is strong in Asia, but theres plenty of oil in the market to cater for that, Ole Hansen, head of commodities strategy at Saxo Bank A/S, said on Bloomberg TV. OPEC+ should stay the course and wait until March before boosting output, he said. Oil inventories in developed nations remain 163 million barrels above their five-year average, Barkindo added. Despite the markets rebound, crude prices are far below the levels most OPEC members need to cover government spending. With headlines regarding surging virus cases in the western world being joined by concerns emanating from Asia, including Thailand and Japan, OPEC+ is keen to take a cautious approach, a stance supported by Saudi Arabia, said Amrita Sen, co-founder of consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. in London. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Parents fear making kids sit transfer tests in grammar school halls could put their health in danger. Pic posed by model. The private companies which run post-primary transfer tests in Northern Ireland have announced they will not provide assessments this month. The first AQE test had been due to take place on Saturday. In a statement on its website, AQE said: The board of AQE Limited met on January 5, and in light of the decision to close schools, has decided not to proceed with the tests planned for January 9, 16 and 23. The board will now be consulting with member schools, and a further statement will be issued after that. Tests run by the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) have also been cancelled. They were due to take place on January 30 with a supplementary test on Saturday, February 6. A PPTC spokesperson said they were informed on Monday evening by Executive sources that an imminent decision would be made stating that schools would close until the February mid-term break, at the earliest. This decision, the spokesperson said, triggers a "what if" scenario that was laid out in early December to parents and pupils registered to the PPTC Entrance Assessment. "Namely, if no pupils are able to sit the entrance assessment on January 30, 2021 because of Covid restrictions, and these restrictions would not have ended before February 6, 2021 then PPTC will be unable to provide an assessment for any pupils. The responsibility falls on PPTC schools to ensure that their admissions criteria cover this contingency. The spokesperson added: "PPTC accept that this decision may be disappointing to many children who would have welcomed the opportunity to take the assessment. We wish all children well in their future pathways." Read More It is understood the exam bodies were told it would be "impossible" for them to hold the tests as Covid infections continue to be out of control in Northern Ireland. The BBC Nolan Show reported that Sinn Fein, Alliance and SDLP were briefed by the Attorney General Brenda King that they had the power to stop exam bodies from holding the tests. Read More The Northern Ireland Executive is also to provide further clarity on other measures it agreed during a late-night meeting on Monday in its battle to stem the spread of the coronavirus. After Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a raft of new measures for England, and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a new lockdown on Monday - the Executive agreed to put the stay at home instruction into law and a travel ban. Remote learning in schools is also to be extended - however no details were given. First Minister Arlene Foster said ministers had "reflected on the seriousness of the situation here" before agreeing to extend the measures. Read More She said it was right for the Executive to take its time and work out the correct messaging on what was agreed and in order to provide all the answers people may have. Another 1,801 people tested positive for Covid-19, the Department of Health said on Monday. That makes 12,507 diagnoses over the last seven days. Another 12 deaths were reported. Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said "urgent and decisive" action was required. Belfast Telegraph [January 05, 2021] WasteFuel Names Trevor Neilson Chairman and CEO, Mario De La Ossa Chief Commercial Officer and Kevin Stark Chief Operating Officer WasteFuel, a California based company focused on converting waste into low carbon fuels, announced today that it has named Trevor Neilson as its Chairman and CEO. The company also announced Mario De La Ossa as Chief Commercial Officer and Kevin Stark as the company's Chief Operating Officer. Neilson, an entrepreneur and leader in sustainable finance, was previously Co-founder and CEO of i(x) investments, a leading impact investment firm and early investor in WasteFuel. Neilson now serves as the Chairman of i(x) investments. In addition, Neilson is active philanthropically on issues related to climate change and sustainability as Chairman of Sustainable Future, an initiative he launched with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and as a Co-founder of the Climate Emergency Fund. "The climate emergency represents an existential threat to all life on earth," said Neilson. "A number of proven waste technologies exist that can dramatically reduce carbon emissions and it's our job to brng them to scale. This is the future of transportation where there is no such thing as waste, there is only fuel." De La Ossa joins WasteFuel as Chief Commercial Officer and brings extensive expertise in renewable fuels commercial optimization, private markets and the energy sector. He founded MDO Energy Insight, was a Managing Director at Silverpeak, and was a global oil product manager for Bloomberg (News - Alert) . Stark will focus on the company's growth as it scales to address the global waste crisis and address climate change efficiently. He is a 22-year SEAL with demonstrated expertise in effectively building and leading high-performance teams, managing programs and projects, and applying problem-solving skills to drive organizational success. The world generates 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually and this number is expected to grow to 3.40 billion tons by 2050. About WasteFuel WasteFuel is a next-generation waste to fuels company that uses proven technology to convert municipal waste into aviation grade biofuel that burns at an 80% reduction in carbon to fossil fuel-based aviation fuel. The company is focused on addressing the climate emergency and revolutionizing mobility. For more information visit: www.wastefuel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005309/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 05, 2021] Panini Announces New Leadership and Corporate Headquarters Panini, a global payments technology provider, is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2021, two new highly experienced executives will join the company as Chief Executive Officer and Head of International Operations, to lead its transformation and continued growth. Additionally, the company will move its headquarters in Torino to a new, modern location. Panini just concluded an outstanding year in 2020, reporting solid growth in consolidated revenues, EBITDA and cash flow, allowing the Group to position itself as a leading player in the secure payment and identity solutions industries. This was mostly due to the tremendous success of EverneXt, its flagship intelligent scanner, in bank branch check image capture, confirmed dominant market share in the remote deposit capture (RDC) space, and initiation of the company's first secure identity-related projects. "In 2020, Panini orked through limitations and difficulties related to COVID-19 thanks to the relentless engagement of our entire staff," says Vittorio Levi, Chairman, Panini. "These outstanding results position our now debt-free company to invest and grow further with expansion of secure identity solutions and a renewed effort in international markets." Leading these efforts as the company's new CEO, Richard Kane comes to Panini from Canon (News - Alert) Solutions America where he has spent the last decade successfully managing sales and operations in various executive roles. "Richard is a dynamic, high performing leader with twenty-five years of proven ability to build and manage teams that generate record sales and profits in highly competitive industries," adds Levi. "We're confident he's the right person to lead Panini through our reinvention and beyond." Reporting to Mr. Kane and leading International Operations, another key executive will join Panini on February 1 focusing on strategic marketing, product development, and international sales. This experienced professional has an extensive track record in business development and product reinvention, and comes from a leading vendor of secure access, payments and card issuing systems, where he led global sales related to financial products and solutions. In addition to the promising changes in leadership, Panini is also moving their corporate headquarters to a modern, open building in Torino, Italy which is better aligned with the company's fast-paced, technology-driven culture. Located in a renovated, state-of-the-art facility in a former industrial area, the new office space supports effective collaboration thanks to modern amenities and a fresh design based on glass, bright colors and live plants. The company plans to move in April. "Panini is experiencing significant, exciting changes, but we'd be remiss not to thank the leader who guided us to this point," says Vittorio Levi. "The entire Panini family is beyond grateful for Michael Pratt's unwavering dedication and commitment to our company for nearly two decades." Michael Pratt adds, "I am very proud of the team at Panini for all we have achieved together, and want to express my sincere gratitude to Panini's customers, partners, and shareholders. The decision to retire was a difficult one, especially given my strong connection to the Panini family spanning decades and generations, but I leave knowing the company is poised for continued success in the next chapter of its amazing story." About Panini Founded in Turin, Italy, Panini has enabled clients to capitalize on shifts in the global payments processing market for 75 years. Panini has a rich history of innovation, resulting in market leading solutions based on state-of-the-art engineering and ISO 9001 quality certified production. Panini improves customer efficiency and fraud prevention via trusted and innovative technologies for check truncation and secure identity. The company's scalable check capture systems address the complete range of distributed capture opportunities, resulting in the world's largest deployed base of scanners, and their expanding portfolio of secure identity technologies includes reliable, user-friendly options for identity verification and authentication. Panini operates on a global scale, and has a direct subsidiary in Dayton (OH), USA to cover strategic North American markets. For more information visit: www.panini.com. 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Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbfeb8a71c0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfeb8ac800)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbfeb8a71c0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfeb8ac800)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7fbfeb8ad640)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfeb8ac800)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfeb8ac800)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7fbfeaf959e0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbfeb784c60)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7fbfeb784c60)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SMN) (OTC: SMREF) ("Sun Summit" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the discovery of high-grade gold (Au) and silver (Ag) mineralization on the Buck Property, central British Columbia. The 22,000 hectare property, approximately 12 kilometres south of Houston, British Columbia, has excellent nearby infrastructure and allows for year-round road-accessible exploration. Sun Summit recently completed 4,180 metres of drilling in 10 diamond drill holes. Results from all holes are reported. Highlights A significant high-grade Au discovery has been made in an area previously untested between the Horseshoe and Trench zones: BK20-012 intersected multiple high-grade Au intervals, 17 metres of 5.86 grams per tonne (g/t) Au including 3 metres of 23.05 g/t Au, and 7.5 meters of 10.19 g/t gold Au including 1.5 metres of 49.60 g/t Au. These new zones are open in all directions. Extensive zones of near-surface Au + Ag mineralization characteristic of the Horseshoe Zone confirms the bulk-tonnage potential of the Buck property. BK20-006 intersected 46 metres of 1.12 g/t gold equivalent (AuEQ) including 24.7 metres of 1.69 g/t AuEQ and BK20-012 intersected 40.5 meters of 1.03 g/t AuEQ. All holes drilled to date intersected significant intervals of Au + Ag mineralization and many holes ended in mineralization. BK20-010 cut 8.1 metres of 1.25 g/t AuEQ and 5.6 metres of 1.95 g/t AuEQ near the bottom of the hole. BK20-012 ended in 12.7 metres of 1.05 g/t AuEQ. The drill program will resume this month with three primary objectives, 1) target new high-grade Au mineralization peripheral to BK20-012, 2) drill new geophysical targets interpreted to be associated with Au mineralization, and 3) expand drilling footprint in zones of near-surface bulk-tonnage style mineralization. Further details will be provided in an upcoming release. Note: Gold equivalent (AuEQ) is based on a 75:1 (Ag:Au) ratio. Intervals are downhole core lengths. True widths are unknown. Bob Willis, Sun Summit's CEO, stated: "The discovery of several new zones of high-grade gold mineralization is a complete game changer for our current exploration model at Buck. This is an important milestone for all Sun Summit's shareholders as it demonstrates the existence of previously unrecognised high-grade gold mineralization. Results from BK20-012 and its proximity to untested chargeability anomalies from our recently completed IP survey bode well for additional discoveries. This discovery of high-grade gold mineralization is the result of our technical team's hard work to develop and apply new exploration models at Buck and I commend them on this discovery. Based on new interpretations, changes made during this program included deeper drill holes with different orientations compared to historic drilling. Deeper holes succeeded in intersecting new gold zones below historic drill depths and most of these are wide open for expansion. Better hole orientations have encountered several significant gold intervals at or near surface. We are designing a follow-up drill program to expand on these new zones and to explore for more high-grade mineralization. Sun Summit is financed and permitted for this program that will start as soon as possible. Buck has no seasonality issues for drilling. We are very excited about these new developments and plan to hit this hard." Buck Property Drill Program The primary aim of the recent 2020 drill program was to test the lateral and vertical extent of epithermal-related Au + Ag mineralization outlined by previous drilling and new geological and structural mapping (see SMN's news release dated September 28th, 2020). Ten diamond drill holes totalling 4,180 metres were completed primarily focused on the Horseshoe and the Buck North zones (Figure 1). Figure 1. Buck Property collar locations To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6142/71393_f52daa7994679873_001full.jpg Horseshoe to Trench Zone One drill hole tested a large gap in historic drill data between the Trench Zone (see SMN's news release dated June 23rd, 2020 for historic Trench Zone data) and the Horseshoe Zone (Figure 1). Table 1. Assay results - Horseshoe to Trench zone Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AuEQ* (g/t) Horseshoe to Trench BK20-012 7.5 48.0 40.5 0.89 10.69 1.03 including 26.0 45.5 19.5 1.44 16.22 1.66 and 235.0 252.0 17.0 5.86 2.07 5.89 including 235.0 238.0 3.0 23.05 3.79 23.10 including 250.5 252.0 1.5 19.10 2.93 19.14 and 334.0 341.5 7.5 10.19 7.42 10.29 including 337.0 338.5 1.5 49.60 10.80 49.74 and 364.0 376.7 12.7 0.96 6.70 1.05 including 370.0 371.0 1.0 6.96 43.70 7.54 Notes: *AuEQ (gold equivalent) based on a 75:1 (Ag:Au) ratio. Calculations are uncut and length-weighted using a 0.15 g/t Au cutoff with less than five continuous metres of internal dilution. Intervals are downhole core lengths. True widths are unknown. BK20-012 collared in sphalerite + pyrite + quartz + carbonate cemented dacite clast-bearing breccias with near-consistent Au + Ag mineralization and intersected 19.5 metres of 1.66 g/t AuEQ from near the top of the hole. The hole transitioned into bedded-ash to crystal tuffs cut by quartz-feldspar porphyritic dikes. Peripheral to the dikes and associated with broad zones of pervasive sericite + quartz alteration with disseminated and stringer-controlled pyrite + sphalerite are local zones of high-grade Au mineralization (e.g., 17 metres of 5.86 g/t Au and 7.5 metres of 10.19 g/t Au). The hole ended in 12.7 metres of 1.05 g/t AuEQ hosted in similar sericite + quartz altered lapilli tuffs below a quartz + feldspar porphyritic dike. Additional drilling is clearly warranted to investigate the nature of the structural and/or lithological controls to the high-grade Au mineralization and to further test the near-surface and depth potential for bulk-tonnage Au + Ag mineralization. Assays from BK20-012 are reported in Table 1. Figure 2. Cross-section from the Trench to Horseshoe zones showing selected highlights To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6142/71393_f52daa7994679873_002full.jpg Horseshoe Zone Six holes targeted the extent and potential structural and/or lithological controls on disseminated Au + Ag mineralization in the Horseshoe Zone previously investigated in Phase 1 of the program (BK20-001 and BK20-002; see SMN news release dated May 12th, 2020). Holes BK20-006, BK20-007, and BK20-009 intersected zones of near-surface, sulfide-cemented breccias similar to the top of BK20-012 (e.g., BK20-006, 46 metres of 1.12 g/t AuEQ). These north-west trending breccia bodies are spatially related to the margins of much larger magmatic-hydrothermal polymictic breccias with clast compositions varying from dacite to andesite. Breccia matrix is predominantly composed of quartz + feldspar porphyritic dacite and hydrothermal cement varies from carbonate-dominant to sulfide + quartz + carbonate dominant. All phases of breccias contain Au + Ag mineralization associated with clotted and disseminated sphalerite and pyrite (e.g., BK20-009, 111 metres of 0.52 g/t AuEQ). At depth, all holes intersected thick intervals of dacitic crystal to lapilli tuffs and local intercalations of andesite flows. Hole BK20-010 ended in pervasive sericite altered lapilli tuff with local intrusive clasts with significant Au + Ag mineralization near the bottom of the hole (e.g., 8.1 metres of 1.25 g/t AuEQ and 5.6 metres of 1.95 g/tAuEQ). Mineralization is open in most directions and further drilling is warranted to test the extent of near-surface bulk-tonnage mineralization. Assays from the Horseshoe Zone are reported in Table 2. Table 2. Assay results - Horseshoe Zone Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AuEQ* (g/t) Horseshoe BK20-006 121.0 167.0 46.0 1.04 5.91 1.12 including 139.0 163.7 24.7 1.60 7.30 1.69 including 139.0 144.7 5.7 3.76 13.46 3.94 including 142.7 144.7 2.1 7.17 19.64 7.43 BK20-007 0.0 53.3 53.3 0.41 4.23 0.47 including 19.0 26.0 7.0 0.72 7.09 0.82 including 33.0 42.0 9.0 0.83 5.09 0.90 and 87.5 111.5 24.0 0.41 2.38 0.44 and 140.3 141.5 1.2 1.79 3.78 1.84 BK20-008 60.5 61.5 1.0 2.10 10.95 2.25 and 85.5 88.0 2.5 0.90 3.98 0.95 and 117.5 127.0 9.5 0.64 1.06 0.65 and 169.0 185.0 16.0 0.47 0.39 0.47 and 469.0 476.0 7.0 0.40 1.77 0.42 and 489.5 491.5 2.0 2.06 5.13 2.13 BK20-009 71.0 182.0 111.0 0.49 2.49 0.52 including 97.0 109.1 12.1 0.91 14.44 1.11 including 127.0 144.5 17.5 1.00 2.28 1.03 BK20-010 74.0 99.5 25.5 0.56 3.27 0.61 and 146.5 156.0 9.5 0.80 1.88 0.82 and 168.4 186.0 17.6 0.48 1.36 0.49 and 204.0 244.0 40.0 0.47 1.24 0.49 including 204.0 212.5 8.5 1.20 1.06 1.21 and 426.0 434.1 8.1 1.17 5.40 1.25 including 431.0 434.1 3.1 2.84 11.36 2.99 and 447.9 453.5 5.6 1.71 18.09 1.95 including 449.0 450.1 1.1 7.81 43.71 8.39 BK20-011 127.5 155.0 27.5 0.49 4.65 0.55 including 140.0 155.0 15.0 0.64 5.40 0.71 and 324.5 345.0 20.5 0.42 5.80 0.50 Notes: *AuEQ (gold equivalent) based on a 75:1 (Ag:Au) ratio. Calculations are uncut and length-weighted using a 0.15 g/t Au cutoff with less than five continuous metres of internal dilution. Intervals are downhole core lengths. True widths are unknown. Buck North Zone Three holes targeted the lateral extent of disseminated Au + Ag mineralization north of Bob Creek in the Buck North Zone (Figure 1). Table 3. Assay results - Buck North Zone Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AuEQ* (g/t) Buck North BK20-013 148.2 149.2 1.0 0.74 230.00 3.80 BK20-014 179.0 197.0 18.0 0.49 5.93 0.57 including 195.0 197.0 2.0 2.47 4.75 2.53 and 315.0 321.5 6.5 0.51 3.97 0.56 and 347.0 351.5 4.5 1.40 23.86 1.72 and 400.0 402.0 2.0 4.92 2.82 4.96 and 424.0 432.0 8.0 1.23 21.06 1.51 including 428.6 430.0 1.4 6.01 99.10 7.33 BK20-016 144.0 157.0 13.0 0.46 5.51 0.53 and 261.4 262.5 1.1 0.78 130.00 2.52 and 277.0 298.3 21.3 0.57 9.08 0.69 including 294.0 297.3 3.3 2.05 28.53 2.44 and 353.0 355.0 2.0 1.01 9.24 1.13 Notes: *AuEQ (gold equivalent) based on a 75:1 (Ag:Au) ratio. Calculations are uncut and length-weighted using a 0.15 g/t Au cutoff with less than five continuous metres of internal dilution. Intervals are downhole core lengths. True widths are unknown. Holes BK20-014 and BK20-016, spaced 300 metres apart cut long intervals of disseminated Au + Ag mineralization associated with clotted pyrite + sphalerite hosted in well-sorted dacitic crystal to lapilli tuffs. The tuffs are underlain by andesite flows and andesitic tuffs that host local higher-grade vein-controlled Au + Ag mineralization (e.g., BK20-014, 8 metres of 1.51 g/t AuEQ including 1.4 metres of 7.33 g/t AuEQ). Based on the orientation of these higher-grade veins relative to core-axis additional shallowly dipping drill holes are clearly warranted to test for the presence of near-vertical, parallel vein-arrays. Assays from the Buck North Zone are reported in Table 3. Drill Program to Resume in late January Sun Summit will mobilize drill crews back to the Buck Property in late January to resume the exploration drill program. The Company is currently compiling all the down-hole lithogeochemical data together with the lithology, alteration, and structural data captured during core logging to refine the geological and exploration model for the property. This geological compilation is also being integrated with the 3D induced polarization (IP) chargeability model (see SMN's news release dated November 5th, 2020) to refine new drill targets. Additional information regarding this next phase of drilling will be released once all interpretation is complete and drill holes are planned. Table 4. Drill hole collar information Hole ID UTM E* UTM N* Elevation (m) EOH (m) Azimuth Dip BK20-006 654514 6019681 929.0 334.7 30 -60 BK20-007 654564 6019732 905.6 483.7 210 -60 BK20-008 654625 6019637 910.7 492.9 210 -60 BK20-009 654625 6019637 910.7 377.4 210 -87 BK20-010 654654 6019551 919.7 459.3 30 -60 BK20-011 654726 6019516 908.0 371.0 25 -47 BK20-012 654564 6019732 905.0 376.7 270 -50 BK20-013 654378 6020300 814.4 316.1 210 -60 BK20-014 654614 6020108 870.0 488.0 210 -85 BK20-016 654824 6019867 919.7 482.0 0 -80 * NAD83 / UTM Zone 9N Quality Assurance and Quality Control All sample assay results have been monitored through a quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) program. Drill core was sawn in half at Sun Summit's core logging and processing facility in Houston, BC. Half the core was sampled and shipped in sealed and secure bags to the ALS Global preparation facilities in Terrace, B.C., and Yellowknife, N.T. Samples were prepared using standard preparation procedures. Following sample preparation, the pulps were sent to the ALS Global analytical laboratory in North Vancouver, B.C., for analysis. Core samples were analyzed for 48 elements by ICP-MS on a 0.25 gram sample using a four acid digestion (method ME-MS61L). Gold was analyzed by fire assay on a 30 gram sample with an AAS finish (method Au-AA23). Over limit gold (>10 ppm) was re-analyzed by fire assay using a gravimetric finish on a 30 gram sample. Over limit silver (>100 ppm) was re-analyzed using a four acid digestion and ICP-AES finish. Over limit zinc (> 10,000 ppm) was re-analysed using a four acid digestion and ICP-AES finish. ALS Global is registered to ISO / IEC 17025:2017 accreditations for laboratory procedures. In addition to ALS Global laboratory QA/QC protocols, Sun Summit implements an internal QA/QC program that includes the insertion of duplicates, standards and blanks into the sample stream. National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure This news release has been approved by Sun Summit's CEO, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has also verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data, underlying the technical information in this news release. Some data disclosed in this news release (e.g., Figure 2) relating to sampling and drilling results is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has sufficiently verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. Health and Safety The Company's exploration programs are being carried out in full compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal guidelines established in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Sun Summit has a rigorous infection prevention and control protocol in place to protect the health of employees and contractors, as well as surrounding communities in which the Company works. About Sun Summit Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (formerly San Marco Resources Inc.) is a Canadian mineral exploration company actively pursuing world class gold and silver projects with a focus in mining friendly jurisdictions. The Company's principal focus is the Buck Property in north-central British Columbia that has bulk-tonnage gold and silver potential. The property is located in a mining-friendly region that includes many former and current operating mines. Sun Summit is committed to environmental and social responsibility with a focus on responsible development to generate positive outcomes for all stakeholders. Further details are available at www.sunsummitminerals.com Link to Figures Figure 1: https://sunsummitminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Buck_Fig1_Drilling_Jan6_NR-scaled.jpg Figure 2: https://sunsummitminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Buck_Fig2_Section_Jan6_NR-scaled.jpg For further information, contact: Sharyn Alexander, M.Sc. VP Technical Services Nancy Curry Corporate Communications info@sunsummitminerals.com Tel. 778-588-9606 Forward Looking Information Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences, without limiting the generality of the following, include: risks inherent in exploration activities; volatility and sensitivity to market prices; volatility and sensitivity to capital market fluctuations; the impact of exploration competition; the ability to raise funds through private or public equity financings; environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens; unexpected geological or hydrological conditions; changes in government regulations and policies, including trade laws and policies; failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; weather and other natural phenomena; and other exploration, development, operating, financial market and regulatory risks. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (SMN) disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71393 Subscriber content preview SEATTLE The Buena Vista, at 1631 Boylston Ave., sold for $5.6 million, according to King County records. The seller was the Heath family, which acquired the apartments in 1986 for $470,000. . . . OSWEGO COUNTY, N.Y. ---The legal battle over who is the winner of the 22nd Congressional race continued in Oswego county Supreme Court. The Oneida County Court House serves as one of the designated viewing areas for the proceedings in the 22nd congressional race. A number of issues were brought up in court on Monday. One of the bigger issues that were brought up by Claudia Tenney's campaign was voters casting ballots in the wrong location. Tenney's legal team said those votes should not be counted. Brindisi's lawyers saying those votes should be counted. His lawyer stating as long as they are a registered voter within their community, and eligible to vote for Congress, then the vote should count regardless of where it was cast within that voter's community. We also heard testimony from both the Broome and Madison County election commissioners. Signatures on ballots were also an issue brought up by the Tenney campaign. Tenney's campaign said some of the signatures on the ballots did not match the signatures on the voter's registration documents. Brindisi's campaign said some of those signatures did match. Brindisi's lawyers analyzing the fine details of each signature on each of the ballots. Judge DelConte said he is waiting to hear arguments from lawyers on both sides on each ballot before ruling on whether those ballots will count. As things stand right now, Claudia Tenney leads Anthony Brindisi by 29 votes. As a joke, The Rock, a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson, occasionally calls himself Dwanta on social media. His gift of choice is always a car and, perhaps because of his imposing stature , he seems to prefer trucks and SUVs.This is again one of those times. The recipient is Dwaynes first manager, Brune Lauer a.k.a. Downtown Bruno, who used to go by the name Harvey Wippleman back in the day when Dwayne was just 15 and had flown from Hawaii into Nashville, ready to start his career as a wrestler. Bruno took him in, and they lived in his trailer in Walls, Mississippi.Bruno was also the man who bought Dwayne his first car, as they hilariously recall in the video at the bottom of the page. It was a run-down Thunderbird that they bought off a crackhead for $40, which they drove off right away, to later discover a second crackhead in the back. They still owe that crackhead another $40 since thats what hed asked for the car.To repay Bruno for his kindness and generosity and for playing such an important part in Dwaynes career, the star bought him a Ford F-150 , which literally brought the man to tears. Choking, he even says traveling to meet Dwayne again would have been gift enough.Merry Christmas, Bruno and since you helped me buy my first car I figured I could return the favor and buy you one that 100% does NOT have a crackhead in the back seat, Johnson writes on Instagram, in the caption to the video showing the moment Bruno gets his gift.Here it is. For a guy as big and tough as The Rock, he sure can make (man) tears flow freely. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. President Akufo-Addo says bringing peace to Dagbon has been one of the greatest achievements of his first-term. President Akufo-Addo who was delivering the final State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, said he is happy that people of Dagbon now live their normal lives. For him, governments intervention to bring peace to Dagbon has been successful, saying Our efforts bore fruits. He has, therefore, commended the three eminent chiefs, namely the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa Sulemana Jakpa I and Nayiri, Naa Bohogu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga for their diverse roles in bringing to an end the protracted chieftaincy dispute at Dagbon. For President Akufo-Addo, Peace has been restored to Dagbon and that his government will continue to work to sustain the peace of Dagbon. He also urged the indigenes of the area to refrain from the use of violence to resolve issues, praising the people of Dagbon for their wiliness to allow peace to prevail in the area. Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II who was the King of Dagbon, the traditional kingdom of the Dagomba people in northern Ghana from 1974 was assassinated on March 27, 2002. After his (Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II) death, Dagbon became a centre of chieftaincy dispute and attempts by successive governments to resolve the issue proved unsuccessful until 2019. Background The Committee of Eminent Chiefs, on November 16, 2018, made a declaration to bring finality to the decades-old Dagbon conflict between the Abudu and the Andani Royal families when it presented a road map to peace in the troubled kingdom to President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra. The committee was set up by former President John Kufuor in 2002 to find a lasting solution to the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy dispute after the killing of Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II in Yendi in March 2002. The road map gave the Abudu Royal Family two weeks to perform the funeral of Yaa Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV from December 14 to 28, 2018, after which the final funeral rites of Yaa Naa Yakubu Andani II would take place from January 4 to 18, 2019. The latter's funeral was delayed for a week due to some misunderstanding. With the funerals of the two Yaa Naas over, the four kingmakers of Dagbon, who include Kuga-Naa Abdulai Adam and the Gushie Naa, consulted the oracles to guide them in the choice of the right candidate for the Namship before settling on the Paramount Chief of the Savelugu Traditional Area, Yoo Naa Abubakari Mahama, who was subsequently enskinned. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video SHEBOYGAN, Wisc., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- JFI, the investment office of Mitchell Jacobson and his family, and Rubelmann Capital today announced the acquisition of Priority Inc., a global leader in corporate signage and branded environments. For 20 years, Priority has been the industry leader in working with the best-known corporations to showcase their brands to their employees, customers, communities and the world. Priority is ideally positioned to work with their current and future customers to reimagine immersive branded environments and experiences as workplaces and commercial spaces reopen. JFI and Rubelmann share a focus of acquiring growth businesses backed by long term capital to drive new investment behind their company's core strategies. In addition to JFI, Mitchell Jacobson brings his decades of experience serving as CEO and now Chairman of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. where he has overseen its long history of growth and led many of its innovations in its distribution business. "We are thrilled to have completed this transaction with JFI and Rubelmann. This is the culmination of a comprehensive search process where we as a team wanted to find the right partner to take our business to the next level," said Ron D'Alessandro, Chief Executive Officer of Priority Inc. "JFI and Rubelmann have demonstrated their strong faith in our company and our vision to transform the brand-implementation industry. We look forward to working with them and leveraging their experience in helping companies scale and attract new customers and partners to drive greater growth." "When we began our conversations with Ron and the Priority team, we knew immediately that this was a strong, innovative and forward-looking company with a wonderful culture that has significant growth potential," said Mitchell Jacobson, Founder of JFI. "We look forwarding to working with our leadership team at Priority to enhance our capabilities, grow this company and drive the signage and branded environment business even further." "Ron and the entire Priority family have built a truly remarkable business that has tremendous opportunities for growth," said Peter Rappaport, Founder of Rubelmann Capital. "Priority's best-in-class management team and history of winning and managing Fortune 500 clients will now be backed by a long-term capital partner that believes in the company's customer acquisition and innovation strategy. Priority's core signage business and the innovation behind its transformational branded environments present a significant opportunity to build new partnerships across a wide variety of sectors in the U.S. and around the world." Strategic Rationale Priority is uniquely positioned to continue its strong growth trajectory both within its well-developed corporate signage focused verticals and its emerging branded environments business. Priority has decades-long relationships with its existing large institutional customers as well as a strong pipeline of new customers looking to elevate their brands and signage. Priority has an exclusive and proprietary implementation model that enables the company to meet increased demands with consistency, quality and price consciousness. As companies look to reimagine their exterior and interior branding when their offices and commercial spaces reopen, Priority's Branded Environments integrated offering will allow current and future customers transform their brands into living, breathing experiences through flawlessly executed signage, graphics and environments. With increased investment and reach, Priority is aggressively moving to define and lead the innovation in this sector and become the premier provider in this space. Transitioning from an ESOP to a wholly-owned structure will free up significant capital to invest in innovation and the company's core growth strategies while maintaining the existing corporate culture. The new structure will streamline decision making, enhance efficiency and give Priority a greater ability to take advantage of potential strategic growth opportunities. Governance, Management and Financial Details The transaction was overwhelmingly approved by Priority's employees (Priority had been structured as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)) and closed immediately upon approval by the employees. Upon closing, Priority's ESOP formally ended with the company now wholly owned by JFI, Rubelmann and their partners. Priority will continue to operate under the leadership of CEO Ron D'Alessandro and the current management team. Financial terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. About Priority Inc. Founded in 1997, Priority Inc. is a global turnkey brand implementation company that helps its customers brand their spaces through signage, graphics and branded environments. Priority has worked with global leaders across many business segments including financial services, fitness, telecommunications, restaurant, retail, healthcare and corporate facilities. The company is headquartered in Sheboygan, WI and maintains regional offices across the U.S. including Atlanta, GA; Brookings, SD; Charleston, SC; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Jacksonville, FL; Knoxville, TN; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; Pella, IA; Racine, WI. About JFI JFI was formed in 1997 as the investment office for Mitchell Jacobson and his family members. Mitchell Jacobson is currently Chairman of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. ("MSC"), the company founded by his father Sidney Jacobson in 1941. Mitchell began his career in 1978 and became President of MSC in 1982. During his tenure, Mitchell was responsible for driving its long history of growth and leading many of its innovations in its distribution business. MSC went public in 1995. MSC now does in excess of $3 billion in sales today and employees more than 6,000 employees and 3,000 suppliers. For over the past 20 years, JFI has pursued a diversified investment strategy including many direct investments in operating businesses such as being part of the lead investment consortium that acquired HD Supply from Home Depot. He was an investor and actively engaged with the HD SUpply through due diligence, its turnaround and public offering. Mitchell is an investor and director of Ambrosia Holdings (the owner of TriMark which is the country's largest provider of design services, equipment and supplies to the foodservice industry with over $2 billion in annual revenue and 3,200 employees). About Rubelmann Capital Founded by Peter Rappaport, Rubelmann Capital is an independent sector focused middle market private equity firm. Rubelmann seeks to partner with existing management teams and acquire control positions in growing business in Technology and Media, Industrials, and Financial Services. It's base of LP's allows Rubelmann to provide management teams with investors and board members who are experienced business operators, financial managers, industry professional with global networks and relationships all of which can be leveraged to expand opportunities and drive increased growth for our companies. Working with these types of LP's allows Rubelmann Capital to be comfortable with much longer holding periods than typical private equity funds. Prior to starting Rubelmann, Peter served as a partner at RZ Capital, a NYC based multi-family office, where he helped manage investments in a diversified portfolio across public and private markets. Peter previously led a management buyout of Backstage and served as executive chairman from 2013 through 2018. SOURCE Priority Inc. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. A female lynx is pictured at the animal park of Sainte-Croix, on June 03, 2020, in Rhodes, eastern France. A lynx, one of Europe's rarest mammals, has been found shot dead in eastern France in a suspected killing by poachers, local officials said Tuesday. The only big cat species to live in the wild in France, the lynx carcass was found on December 31 in the Jura mountains and an autopsy showed it was shot, the local environmental protection agency said in a statement. The killing of one of the estimated 150 lynx believed to live in France is a "serious blow for the population" coming after two lynx were also killed at the start of 2020. The lynx is detested by some hunters because of the large amount of prey that it consumes. A criminal investigation has been opened and the culprits risk up to three years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros ($185,000) if caught. Two-thirds of France's lynx population is in the Jura and the rest is concentrated in the Alps, with a sporadic population in the Vosges mountains also in the east. Explore further Wildlife advocates sue US agency to protect Canada lynx 2021 AFP Prince William made three secret visits to a homeless centre in London before Christmas, where he helped pack food and chatted to residents. The Duke of Cambridge, 38, first visited The Passage in 1993 as a young child with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales and has since visited many times both publicly and privately. During his December visits the royal worked alongside a team of volunteers to prepare hot meals for those who had been moved off the streets and into emergency accommodation. The father-of-three, who previously revealed what a 'deep and lasting impression' the charity has had on him over the years, also spoke to those affected by homelessness about their experiences. Prince William is pictured volunteering at The Passage homeless charity in a 'private capacity' in December. The Duke helped out on three separate occasions before Christmas William visited the charity's Resource Centre in Westminster, where he prepared and served meals. He also spent time at two residential projects - Passage House Assessment Centre in Pimlico, and Montfort House in Bethnal Green, which caters to clients with complex needs - where he dished out food and chatted with residents. The pandemic has been a difficult period for the centre; it managed to serve 70,000 meals during both national lockdowns and hopes William's visits will act as a much-needed publicity boost. The Passage Chief Executive Mick Clarke said of the visit: 'This year, more than ever, our army of volunteers have enabled The Passage to keep our vital services running throughout both lockdowns and the time in-between. A touching photo from a visit to the centre in 1993 shows a young Prince William and Prince Harry posing with their mother, Princess Diana, and a resident A second image shared by Kensington Palace shows William's signature next to Princess Diana's in the visitor's book entry from December 1993 'From our emergency food hub to fundraising, outreach to essential office support, our Home for Good programme to our residential projects, we are extremely fortunate to have such a versatile and committed group of supporters.' Speaking at The Passage in 2016, the Duke revealed the profound impact the centre has had on him. 'The visits I made as a child to this place left a deep and lasting impression upon me,' he said. 'About how important it is to ensure that everyone in our society, especially the poorest, are treated with respect, dignity and kindness, and are given the opportunities to fulfil their potential in life.' The Duke of Cambridge in a light-hearted moment at The Passage last year as he prepared carrots in the centre's London kitchen One touching photo from 1993 shows a young Prince William and Prince Harry posing with their mother during a visit to the centre. A second image shared by Kensington Palace shows William's signature next to Princess Diana's in the visitor's book entry from that December. William has become the figurehead of The Passage, an organisation which has helped more than 130,000 people in crisis over almost 40 years through its resource centre, homelessness prevention projects and innovative accommodation services. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last made a public visit to the centre in February, where William rolled up his shirt sleeves to help prepare lunch by chopping vegetables. The Duke and Duchess on a visit to The Passage in December 2018, where they heard from frontline workers about some of the challenges relating to street homelessness, including drug addiction and mental health issues Cardinal Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and patron of The Passage, welcomed the announcement ahead of the Duke's visit . He said: 'I know the duke is deeply committed to working with those most in need, such as the thousands of people The Passage has helped off the streets.' The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also paid a visit to the centre with cookery legend Mary Berry as part of a special BBC Christmas programme in December 2018. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. CHICAGO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Guaranteed Rate, one of America's largest retail mortgage lenders, has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Texas-based Stearns Holdings, LLC from funds managed by Blackstone. A national top 25 lender with more than $20B in origination volume in 2020, Stearns was founded in 1989 and operates in all 50 states through retail, joint venture, partnership and wholesale channels. The acquisition will enable Guaranteed Rate to bolster retail loan origination and further scale its JV platform, while also developing new multichannel capabilities. The pending acquisition comes at a time of significant momentum for Guaranteed Rate, which recorded its best production year ever in 2020. The move builds on Guaranteed Rate's track record of making and integrating successful acquisitions and connects directly to its goal of becoming the country's #1 mortgage lender. Guaranteed Rate's experience and expertise in running joint ventures and partnership platforms is further enhanced by Stearns Holdings' strong presence in these channels. Stearns Holdings has an extensive partnership model that includes real estate agent, builder and relocation joint ventures, private label relationships and independent mortgage bank preferred partnerships. These partnerships include well-known brands such as SoFi and Home Mortgage Alliance. Combining these entities with Guaranteed Rate's existing joint ventures with Realogy and @properties will create one of the largest partnership platforms in the country. The acquisition also allows Guaranteed Rate to enter the wholesale channel to complement the company's multichannel distribution vision. Guaranteed Rate expects the deal to yield material synergies from stronger capital markets execution and shared services capabilities that will drive additional efficiency, growth and profitability. "We're excited about bringing Stearns Holdings into the Guaranteed Rate family," said Guaranteed Rate President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Ciardelli. "Pairing the incredible talent throughout Stearns' organization with that of our existing team exemplifies the best of the best in the mortgage business, yielding an even more powerful platform." Guaranteed Rate is acquiring the company from Blackstone, which will have an interest in Guaranteed Rate and will continue to support the integration and growth of the Guaranteed Rate vision. "We are fully behind Victor Ciardelli and the entire Guaranteed Rate team," said Nadim El Gabbani, Senior Managing Director at Blackstone. "This combination creates a powerful player in the mortgage industry, and one that we believe is exceptionally well positioned for success over the long term." In the future, Guaranteed Rate plans to integrate and rebrand Stearns Holdings' retail operation as Guaranteed Rate. The company's wholesale and partnership businesses will remain as stand-alone operations, with current Stearns CEO David Schneider continuing to lead those operations. "We're thrilled about this transaction," said Schneider. "Guaranteed Rate is a formidable player in the mortgage industry, and this combination will empower our employees and partners to reach more customers, generate more business and guide more people through the homeownership journey." Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal advisor to Guaranteed Rate. Houlihan Lokey acted as financial advisor and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP acted as legal advisor to Blackstone and Stearns Holdings, LLC. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. The description of the transaction contained herein is only a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the definitive merger agreement related to the transaction. About Guaranteed Rate Companies The Guaranteed Rate Companies, which includes Guaranteed Rate, Inc., Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC, has more than 9,000 employees in over 750 offices across the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Companies is one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the United States, funding over $73 billion in 2020. Founded in 2000 and licensed in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate Companies has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. 2017 marked the launch of Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and @properties, one of the nation's largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the Guaranteed Rate Companies have earned honors and awards including: Top Lender for Online Service for 2018 by U.S. News & World Report; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; HousingWire's 2020 Tech100 award for the company's industry-leading FlashClose SM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's Top Retail Mortgage Lenders 2019; Chicago Agent Magazine's Lender of the Year for five consecutive years; Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information. SOURCE Guaranteed Rate Related Links rate.com A former chief of a big Chinese state lender was sentenced to death on Tuesday for bribery, corruption and bigamy, in a rare and dramatic example of Beijings use of capital punishment for economic crimes. Lai Xiaomin, the former chairman of Huarong Asset Management, was found guilty by a court in the coastal city of Tianjin of receiving some $277 million in bribes between 2008 and 2018. The government will confiscate his personal assets, it said. Mr. Lai was lawless and extremely greedy, the Secondary Intermediate Peoples Court of Tianjin said Tuesday in a statement, which added that his actions put national financial security at risk. Mr. Lai, 58, was among the highest-profile figures to fall from grace amid a sweeping crackdown on corruption by Xi Jinping, Chinas top leader. Mr. Lai was kicked out of the Communist Party in 2018 for violating party law and regulations, including abusing his power for sex. He confessed to taking cash bribes last year in a televised show on state media. Source: Reuters E-commerce giant Amazon on Tuesday moved a civil court here seeking to withdraw its suit against moved a civil court here seeking to withdraw its suit against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and its chief Raj Thackeray over the party's agitation for the use of Marathi. Advocate Vijay Thakur, appearing for MNS leader Akhil Chitre, said the court will decide on January 12 whether to Chitre, said the court will decide on January 12 whether to accept the application. Amazon has now included Marathi among preferred Amazon has now included Marathi among preferred languages on its app and website so the issue no longer exists, advocate Thakur said. Totally disillusioned with your lackadaisical attitude: Kishore Biyani to Amazon Amazon's lawyers did not respond to phone calls or messages. After the MNS threatened an agitation against Amazon for not providing the option of Marathi for using its app and for not providing the option of Marathi for using its app and website and also not using the language on its posters, the company had moved the court. Among other reliefs, it had sought an order restraining MNS workers from entering its warehouses or restraining MNS workers from entering its warehouses or offices and threatening or assaulting its employees. Last month, alleged MNS workers had vandalized. Amazon's warehouses at Marol in Mumbai's Andheri suburb and in Pune city. ALBANY With an extended eviction moratorium already in place, New York lawmakers now must turn their attention to closing the multi-billion-dollar deficit the state faces for years to come all while grappling with spiking coronavirus cases and a bumpy vaccination rollout. The Legislature is poised to convene Wednesday for the start of this years session, but political insiders say this weeks business will focus on nominating legislative leaders and other internal business. Spokespeople for legislative leaders said Monday that their focus will remain on the public health crisis and reining in the $63 billion deficit predicted through 2024. "Our members will be working hard to keep people safe, get our economy moving, and help people get back to work," said Michael Whyland, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie. Heastie will be presenting his 2021 priorities to members next week, Whyland said. New York is grappling with a nearly $15 billion budget gap this year alone; Democrats have denounced what they say is an insufficient federal response to aid state and local governments amid the pandemic. State lawmakers and legislative leaders have come out in strong support of raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to help close the gap, while also moving forward with a recreational cannabis program that would bring new revenue to the state. Legislators had eyed approving tax hikes before the New Year, but Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo opted to wait for the 2021 budget process. Cuomo was given sweeping executive authority last year as the Legislature approved the state budget in preparation for responding to the coronavirus pandemic, powers that continues until April of this year unless the Legislature revokes them. How the executive plans to address the historic deficit will be revealed in the proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins April 1. Budget Division spokesman Freeman Klopott said in a statement that "the federal government must follow through on its promise to deliver funding so that the state can continue to support critical services and lead the national recovery. In the absence of federal funding, the state will consider spending reductions, borrowing, and revenue increases to close the deficit. Cuomo, who will deliver his annual State of the State address on Monday, has acknowledged that legalizing recreational marijuana, raising taxes, cutting expenses and even layoffs of public employees could be on the table. Advertisement Two thirds of hospitals currently have more Covid patients than they did on England's worst day in April last year when the pandemic first exploded, official figures show as Number 10 last night shifted back to another national lockdown to 'protect the NHS'. There were a record 26,000 infected patients in hospital beds across England on January 2, the most recent day data is available for, and doctors warn admissions are still accelerating as the second wave rages on. Boris Johnson last night announced the toughest lockdown since spring amid fears the resurgence of the virus, driven by a super-infectious new variant, will cause hospitals to be overwhelmed by the virus within weeks. London yesterday reported 828 new coronavirus patients were admitted to hospital on January 2, in the highest daily toll for nine months and close to the record of 883 back in March. And analysis of official statistics shows some hospitals in hard-hit areas such as Kent and East Sussex are seeing up to three times as many coronavirus patients as they did on April 12, the point of the first wave at which patient numbers were highest. NHS staff from across the country say caring for surging numbers of people is becoming more and more difficult, with one London hospital last week declaring it was in 'disaster' mode. One doctor said medics in some badly hit areas are already having to decide how to ration ventilators for intensive care patients and face 'horrifying' choices at work. Chief of healthcare union NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said the spike in Covid inpatients since Christmas alone was enough to fill 18 hospitals. And the Royal College of Surgeons's president, Professor Neil Mortensen, warned that patient numbers are now so high that cancer operations may have to be sidelined again. There was chaos in spring when non-urgent ops were cancelled and the NHS is now fighting its way through a backlog of thousands. NHS England statistics show that, in the most recent data from December 29, 81 out of 127 major hospital trusts had more Covid patients than on April 12. Many of the worst affected are in the South East and London, where the new fast-spreading variant of the virus has taken hold, with those regions now making up a majority of the daily positive tests being reported. Hospitals in the North West, which endured the full force of the second wave earlier in the autumn, have now seen patient numbers drop to more manageable levels. The new strain of the virus is not yet spreading as widely in the North of the country. Graph shows the NHS hospital trusts that have the highest number of Covid-19 patients now compared to in April, with many hospitals seeing three or even four times as many people with the disease than they did at the height of the first wave Mr Hopson said last night that there has been 'another steep rise in the number of Covid cases, and the number of patients being admitted to hospital is also rising at an alarming rate. 'There are almost 9,000 more Covid patients in hospital beds the equivalent of nearly 18 hospitals than there was on Christmas Day, just 10 days ago. 'We know that number is going to continue to rise over the next few weeks. The lockdown announcement will help, but only if everyone follows the rules.' WHICH HOSPITALS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PATIENTS THAN IN THE SPRING? Almost two thirds of hospitals in England had more Covid-19 patients at the end of December than they did on April 12, which was the worst day for England as a whole during the first wave. The worst-affected hospitals now are mostly in the South of England, but NHS trusts in the North experienced similar spikes in patients at the start of the second wave in the autumn. Hospital trusts listed below had the biggest difference between total patient numbers in April and December, measured in raw numbers not adjusted for hospital size. Hospital trust name Covid patients on April 12, 2020 Covid patients on Dec 29, 2020 Mid/South Essex East Kent Maidstone Portsmouth East Sussex Barking, Havering Frimley Health North Midlands Dartford Hull University 374 143 85 130 68 171 276 134 79 44 785 415 299 342 257 356 453 304 241 191 Advertisement NHS figures show that on the worst day in the first wave, April 12, there were 18,974 people with Covid-19 in England's hospitals. On December 29 this was 21,787. It has since spiralled to 26,626 but hospital-by-hospital data is not yet available for the extra 5,000 patients. December's data shows that London has the greatest number of Covid patients in hospital in part because it has the biggest population but there have been far sharper rises in the South East and the East of England. In the East of the country, inpatient numbers are 74 per cent higher than they were in the spring, with 2,922 patients on December 29 compared to 1,679 on April 12. There were 62 per cent more in the South East 3,796 compared to 2,342. In London, the Midlands and the South West, there were between eight and nine per cent more patients at the end of December than at the country's peak in April. But the North East, North West and Yorkshire all now have fewer inpatients than they did nine months ago. Many hospitals in the North, however, experienced the same spiralling pressures now being seen in the South at the start of the first wave in September, October and November, when cases were still low in other parts of the country. Mid and South Essex NHS trust, which runs hospitals in Southend, Basildon and Chelmsford, is one of the ones to have seen the biggest spike in patients during the second wave. On December 29 it had 785 people on wards with Covid-19, which was 411 more than double the 374 on April 12, England's peak. East Kent Hospitals has seen admissions almost three times as high, with 415 patients compared to 143, while the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells trust had 3.5 times as many patients in December: 299 compared to 85. The UK's chief medical officers warned last night that there is a risk the health service could be overwhelmed within weeks as they upgraded the coronavirus risk level to the maximum level five. In a letter written by the UK's four CMOs who include Professor Chris Whitty and NHS England's national medical director, Professor Stephen Powis said: 'Following advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and in the light of the most recent data, the four UK chief medical officers and NHS England medical director recommend that the UK alert level should move from Level 4 to Level 5. 'Many parts of the health systems in the four nations are already under immense pressure. There are currently very high rates of community transmission, with substantial numbers of Covid patients in hospitals and in intensive care. 'Cases are rising almost everywhere, in much of the country driven by the new more transmissible variant. We are not confident that the NHS can handle a further sustained rise in cases and without further action there is a material risk of the NHS in several areas being overwhelmed over the next 21 days. 'Although the NHS is under immense pressure, significant changes have been made so people can still receive lifesaving treatment. 'It is absolutely critical that people still come forward for emergency care. If you require non-urgent medical attention, please contact your GP or call NHS 111.' Surgeons have warned that the rising numbers of patients being seen across the country could mean that cancer operations fall by the wayside again. Record number of sick patients are waiting 12 hours on a stretcher NHS figures yesterday revealed a record number of very sick patients waited on trolleys in A&E during December. The data, seen by the Health Service Journal, shows that more than 2,930 people spent at least 12 hours in A&E departments. Nearly half of these were in London. The previous highest number of 12-hour trolley waits - the time between arriving at A&E and receiving a bed - was 2,847 in January 2020. The provisional figures - which will probably increase -are set to be published officially by NHS England next week. Vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Adrian Boyle told The Times: 'No one needs to spend 12 hours in an emergency department. 'Not only is it undignified for patients, but studies have found that the longer a patient waits for admission to a hospital bed, the greater the risk of death.' He added: 'These waits usually result from a lack of inpatient beds and staff, and as well as putting the patient at risk lead to further dangerous crowding and corridor care within the emergency department. He said the more patients there are on stretchers, the more difficult it is to administer care in an already-strained A&E. Advertisement Doctors were already trying to make their way through a backlog of millions of non-Covid patients before the second wave struck, and this progress is now threatened again despite officials saying cancelling routine operations again would be unthinkable. The first operations to be postponed are non-urgent ones for conditions that aren't life-threatening, such as joint replacements and cataracts. More serious procedures such as organ surgeries or cancer operations are kept going for longer until health bosses have no choice but to cancel them due to a lack of staff or recovery beds. Professor Neil Mortensen, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, warned the situation in hospitals is getting 'much worse', and escalating faster than the 'slow-motion car crash' he previously predicted. King's College Hospital in south London has already called off all 'priority 2' cancer operations, procedures which specialists have judged to be urgent and need to be done within 28 days of a decision to undertake them. It is feared other hospitals in the country may face the same difficult decision in the coming days if admissions don't start to fall. Professor Mortensen told Times Radio: 'My colleagues in London doing ward rounds, for example, report that there are problems with staff numbers on the wards, staff numbers in theatres. 'And then of course if you need to go to the intensive care unit, if the intensive care unit is full of Covid patients there's no room for you. 'So it's a really serious situation and, obviously, the less-priority operations have already stopped in many places - hips, knees, ENT (ear nose and throat) procedures. 'We're now concerned about operations like cancer surgeries being cancelled or postponed because there just isn't the capacity to be able to manage them.' He added: 'I think if you have a delayed operation for cancer that may have an effect. 'If you come in from a road traffic accident and you're seriously ill, and you need to go to an intensive care unit afterwards and there is no intensive care unit, that's going to have serious consequences. 'And that's why everybody is so concerned right now that we are properly locked down, that we're as far as we possibly can reducing the transmission of the virus, and making it possible for what facilities we do have to carry on working effectively to keep people alive.' 'Critical incident' declared at Lincoln County Hospital as Covid patient numbers rise Health bosses have declared a 'critical incident' at Lincoln County Hospital over rising numbers of Covid-19 patients. There around 200 patients with Covid-19 in the hospital in Greetwell Road and at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston at a time of staff shortages because of infection and self-isolation. The suspension of patient visiting in all but exceptional cases continues. The critical incident - the highest alert level - means most face to face staff training remains cancelled, but vital core learning, study leave and annual leave can continue. The Grantham & District Hospital 'green site' remains fully operational, carrying out urgent and cancer surgery for people from across Lincolnshire. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust deputy chief executive Mark Brassington said: 'We declared a critical incident last night, Monday, January 4 at Lincoln County Hospital due to the large number of patients requiring admission. 'We are sorry for the waits that our patients have faced yesterday and overnight. The incident is being managed internally with support from our partners and patients should continue to attend appointments unless contacted directly.' He added: 'The number of inpatients who have been confirmed as having COVID-19 across our sites remains higher than in wave one and we remain extremely busy across our wards and intensive care units. 'Our position is compounded by challenges with staffing due to a lack of availability of colleagues due to a number of factors. 'We would like to thank all of our colleagues for all they are doing to support each other and for continuing to care for patients during these difficult times. 'The public can help by ensuring they follow government guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and by ensuring they use the most appropriate NHS service for their condition.' The highest level of alert was previously declared at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital, Boston in November when the number of patients with Covid-19 at both hospitals rose from 56 to 175 in a week at a time of staff shortages. Training, study leave, non-clinical time, and, where possible, annual leave, were cancelled. Advertisement Days after India's drugs regulator approved emergency use authorization of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield , locally manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech's indigenously manufactured Covaxin, both the vaccine manufacturers jointly communicated their pledge towards a 'smooth rollout' of COVID-19 vaccines to India and the world. In a joint statement issued by SII CEO Adar Poonawalla and Bharat Biotech's Chairman Dr Krishna Ella, the companies said that "the more important task in front of them is saving the lives and livelihoods of populations in India and the world." Vaccines are a global public health good and they have the power to save lives and accelerate the return to economic normalcy at the earliest, the companies further stated. "Now that two COVID-19 vaccines have been issued EUA (emergency use authorization) In India, the focus is on manufacturing, supply and distribution, such that populations that need it the most receive high quality, safe and efficacious vaccines," the companies said. The also reiterated that they are "fully engaged in this activity and consider It our duty to the nation and the world at large to ensure a smooth rollout of vaccines." Each of our Companies continues their COVI0-19 vaccines development activities as planned. "We are fully aware of the Importance of vaccines for people and countries alike, we hereby communicate our joint pledge to provide global access for our COVID-19 vaccines," they said. On Sunday, Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Serum's Oxford COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield' and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. DCGI granted the approval on the basis of recommendations by a COVID-19 Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). In a PTI interview earlier, Poonawalla said that the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine will cost $3-4 per shot ( 219-292) to the Indian government and will be priced at double that rate in private market ones such sales open up. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has already been approved by the UK government. Last Wednesday, Britain became the first country to approve the shot. Pune-based SII's shot is a Recombinant Chimpanzee Adenovirus vector vaccine (Covishield), encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S) glycoprotein with technology transfer from AstraZeneca/Oxford University. Meanwhile, coming down heavily on critics expressing doubts about Bharat Biotech's Covaxin's, Dr Ella defended the companys locally-developed coronavirus vaccine that was granted emergency authorization by the countrys regulator even though final-stage human trials havent been completed. Bharat Biotech was confident" over the vaccines use, Ella said at a press briefing on Monday, while criticizing media reporting surrounding Covaxin, which should finish final-phase recruitment within two or three" days, he said. No phase-3 efficacy data has been analyzed yet and a full read out should come between March and October, according to a 41-page slide show he presented. Bharat Biotech has already produced about 20 million doses, Ella said, which will be increased to about 150 million before July or August. The firm has previously said its vaccine -- that uses a dead version of the virus -- has efficacy rates of at least 60%, though it has yet to release detailed data. Ella said Covaxin will feature in two peer reviews in international health journals on 10 January. With agency inputs Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Delhi Police on Tuesday said they had completed the registration and updating the personal details of nearly 60,000 personnel of the force so far, with the process for the remaining 20,000 staff likely to be completed in a day or two. The registration and details update drive by the city police for their personnel, who are among the list of front line workers, was started last week following Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals announcement that the Delhi government had identified 5.1 million people who will be the first to get the Covid-19 vaccine shots under the Central governments priority category. On December 28, special commissioner of police (operations) Muktesh Chander, who is the Covid-19 nodal officer for Delhi Police, had issued a notice along with the declaration form, asking all police personnel to update their age, mobile numbers and place of posting, apart from details of one or more comorbidities that they may be suffering from. The updated data of 70-75 % personnel from various departments has been received so far. We are expecting to complete the entire process by Wednesday. The data is now being uploaded on intraDP, the internal network of the Delhi Police, said special CP Chander, adding that the compiled list will further be uploaded on the governments Covid-19 vaccination portal. About the process of vaccination, the special CP said that the personnel would receive SMS on their registered mobile numbers, asking them to be present at the vaccination centre nearest to their place of posting on the day they are called on. At least 32 Delhi Police personnel have lost their lives due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) since May last year, while 7,612 personnel in total so far have been infected, show statistics shared by the police department on January 1. A senior police officer, associated with the drive, said that the registration and update drive was scheduled to be completed by January 3 (Sunday), since the police department already maintains a record of the details of all their staff including their age, mobile numbers and their current place of postings. However, the process got delayed because many personnel had changed their mobile numbers and had not got them updated on the main record book maintained by the establishment branch. Such personnel were directed to get their new contact numbers updated immediately, the officer said. Officials said that although all police personnel are expected to receive the Covid-19 vaccines, the priority would be given to those above the age of 50 or personnel suffering from one or more comorbid conditions. Since the personnel have also been given a declaration form, asking them to mention the comorbidities they are suffering from, the exercise would also help us maintain a database of the health issues of all police staff and decide their nature of job and place of postings accordingly, said another police officer. Police step up security arrangements at vaccine centres Anticipating that people, who are not being included in the first phase of vaccination, may turn up at centres and insist on getting the Covid-19 shots, adequate security arrangements is being put in place. Between 5 and 10 personnel will be deployed at each vaccination centre, depending upon how big the centre is and the number of people arriving there for vaccination, senior officials said. The city police have already started deploying personnel at the 600 plus vaccines storage centres, where arrangements for storage by the Delhi government is on in full swing. The delivery of the vaccines is yet to commence. There are 41 such centres in areas falling under the territorial jurisdiction of south district police, while west police district have 85 such centres. Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital in Delhis Tahirpur is the only centre in Shahdara police district. As of now two-three personnel remain deployed round-the-clock at each storage centre. The number may be increased once the storage of the vaccines starts. The security arrangements at the vaccination centre would start when the vaccination drive is started, said deputy commissioner of police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur. Apart from security personnel from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, the surveillance of vaccine storage and vaccination centres would also be done through CCTV cameras, the officials said. Playland, 1960 Home movie footage by Ron Biagini visiting Playland-at-the-Beach in 1960. Rides shown include the "Wild Mouse/Alpine Racer," "Crazy Dazy" (like Disneyland's teacups ride), the "Roto-jet," the "Flying Coaster," "Rock-O-Plane" (essentially a Ferris wheel), the "Dodge-em" bumper cars, Laffin' Sal, the carousel, "Dark Mystery," the "Diving Bell," and more, including some shots of the beach, Seal Rocks, and the Great Highway. Thanks to Ron Biagini, who shot this footage back in 1960, and kindly made it available to us! Contribute your own stories about western neighborhoods places! Thousands of people reported being unable to access their Slack accounts for several hours Monday, when workers headed back to the virtual office after the holidays. According to the website Downdetector, which monitors service outages, more than 15,000 people complained of connection issues in places from Texas to Ukraine. Down in my home office, wrote one user on the site. About 2:30 p.m. New York time, the company said its service was coming back online. ALSO READ: WhatsApp users made more than 1.4 billion voice, video calls on New Year's Eve 2020 Were seeing improvements with error rates on our side, and we believe affected customers should be able to access Slack, the San Francisco-based company said in a statement on its website, adding that some calendar apps and email notifications were still experiencing trouble. Were truly sorry for the disruption today. Well be back with a summary of this issue. Salesforce.com Inc. agreed to purchase Slack Technologies Inc. late last year for $27.7 billion. Slacks shares have risen about 80% in the past year as the pandemic made people more dependent than ever on internet-based communication while they work from home. By Molly Schuetz Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/04/2021 -- The report "Lubricant Anti-wear Agents Market by Type (ZDDP, Phosphate, Phosphite, Phosphonate) by Application (Engine Oil, Automotive Gear Oil, Automotive Transmission Fluid, Hydraulic oil, Metalworking Fluid, Grease) and Region - Global forecast to 2025", is projected to grow from USD 698 million in 2020 to USD 784 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 2.4% from 2020 to 2025. The growing demand for passenger and commercial vehicles in the automotive industry and the increasing GDP in the Asia Pacific driven by increasing industrial activities are the key factors fueling the growth of the lubricant anti-wear agents market across the globe. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=8724687 The merchant segment of lubricant anti-wear agents market, by sales channel, is expected to be the largest market from 2020 to 2025. Merchant is a non-specific term used for anyone who sells anything, but only refers to the product or service that is being sold for a profit. The merchant sales channel in the lubricant anti-wear agents market refers to companies that produce lubricant anti-wear agents to be sold to package manufacturers to be resold to lubricant blenders. Lubricant anti-wear manufacturers may also sell products directly to lubricant blenders to be used as additives in various types of lubricants such as industrial lubricants and automotive lubricants. In the merchant sales channel, lubricant manufacturers do not require investing significantly on infrastructure such as in additive manufacturing plants and raw material for the production of lubricant anti-wear agents. The engine oil application segment is projected to lead the global lubricant anti-wear agents market during the forecast period. Engine oils anti-wear agent additives are designed to protect passenger car engines, heavy duty diesel engines, marine diesel engines, motorcycle engines, recreational vehicle engines, power tool engines, stationary natural gas engines, and others from mechanical wear and corrosion. They help enhance vehicle performance by improving fuel efficiency. They also offer excellent lubrication at different temperatures and reduce the environmental impact. Speak to Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=8724687 Asia Pacific lubricant anti-wear agents market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR The lubricant anti-wear agents industry in the Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2025. India, China, Indonesia, and Japan are key countries contributing to the increased demand for lubricants and, thus, lubricant anti-wear agents. Factors such as increasing GDP led by the rising industrial activities in the Asia Pacific have increased the demand for lubricant anti-wear agents in this region. Furthermore, the growth of transportation, power generation, mining, and other sectors are responsible for the growth of the lubricant anti-wear agents market in the Asia Pacific. Afton Chemical (US), BASF SE (Germany), Chevron Oronite (US), Solvay (Belgium), LANXESS (Germny) are some of the leading players operating in the lubricant anti-wear agents market. These players have adopted the strategies of agreements, expansions, new product launches, acquisitions, collaborations, contracts, investments, and divestments to enhance their position in the market. Recent Developments : - In August 2020, Afton Chemical Company is investing in Gasoline Performance Additives (GPA) blending capabilities at its Singapore chemical additive manufacturing facility in order to focus on globally lean supply chain solutions that are expected to enable quicker support and effective supply in Asia. This is also expected to provide the additional infrastructure needed to support the company's long-term growth plans globally. - In July 2020, Chevron Oronite entered into an agreement with quantiQ Distribuidora Ltda to be their distributor in Brazil. Under the contract, quantiQ Distribuidora Ltda is expected to distribute Chevron Oronite lubricant additives which is expected to strengthen the supply chain of the company.. - In September 2018, Afton Chemical expanded its chemical additive manufacturing facility in Jurong Island, Singapore to produce core engine oil additives such as advanced ashless dispersants and anti-wear agents required in the Asia Pacific region. Get 10% Customization on this Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=8724687 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA : 1-888-600-6441 sales@marketsandmarkets.com Thank you for reading! This content is only available for Daily Journal subscribers. Select one of the following to read this story and others on djournal.com: One Week - $1.99 One Month - $7.50 One Year - $80.50 Your subscription supports: Investigative reporting In-depth analysis on local news and sports Profiles and features on your neighbors and communities The best tips on places to eat and things to do in Northeast Mississippi On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson levied a stricter new national lockdown. Britain's desperate race to vaccinate its population is risked being outdone by a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus that was on track to beat the nation's careworn hospitals. Virus Variant Rages Sweeping Britain to Re-enter Lockdown In England, Mr. Johnson ordered learning institutions to lockdown and shifted to remote learning after several days of alarmingly high and ever-increasing case numbers. He appealed to Britons to stay at home except for a few necessary reasons, including essential work and buying food and medicine. Officials warned that the nationwide lockdown would remain until at least the middle of February. Mr. Johnson's decision was a fresh setback coming at the arrival of two vaccines, which seemed to provide relief from the nine fraught month crisis and ferocious criticism of his pandemic handling. On the day that the good news of the first doses of AstraZeneca-developed vaccine and the University of Oxford were administered, the sweeping type lockdown's reinstatement was used last spring when the plague was first endangered and ran out of control, drowning it out. Lately, in London and southeast England, the new and highly transmissible virus variant has taken hold, instigating an alarming spike of close to 60,000 a day in case numbers and putting hospitals under an acute burden. On Sunday, Mr. Johnson accepted that the current daily life controls were insufficient. Nevertheless, the first declaration of a full-scale lockdown came from Scotland, not from England, where first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has steadily stirred further and faster to tame the pandemic. Ms. Sturgeon speaking in Edinburgh, said that citizens of mainland Scotland would be obliged to stay at home and work from there if possible. Simultaneously, adoration places would be a lockdown, and schools would mainly operate by remote learning. In a televised address, Mr. Johnson said, "It's clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out." He added that though the weeks forward may be one of the hardest yet, he believed Britain was "entering the last phase of the struggle because, with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against Covid and in favor of the British people." In England, people were being encouraged to conform to the new lockdown rules immediately. Yet, until Wednesday morning, some of the new restrictions will not be given legal force, and there is likely to be a Parliamentary vote, which is being specially recalled. The deployment of the much cheaper and easier to store AstraZeneca vaccine has made all the ministers celebrating. They believe it could help Britain win the battle against the virus aside from the lockdown. Nonetheless, Britain's race to roll out its mass vaccination program involves high-stakes before its overstretched health service is overwhelmed by the new variant. Mr. Johnson's office said on Monday, "The government has raised its Covid alert to its highest level for the first time, warning of a "material risk of health care services being overwhelmed. there were more than 26,000 Covid-19 patients in hospitals, an increase of 30 percent from the previous week, and cases are rapidly rising across the country." READ MORE: Hong Kong Activists Face Up to Three Years Jail Time in China Following Attempt to Flee to Taiwan via Boat @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Startup executive and twenty-year veteran of MIT's famed career success accelerator program, Mark A. Herschberg, today released his inaugural book, The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. Published by Cognosco Media, The Career Toolkit is a practical guide that teaches people how to master vital "power" skills that employers look for most during hiring and promoting. The Career Toolkit is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, and independent bookstores through Indie Bound. In The Career Toolkit, Herschberg offers critical lessons learned from his experience developing corporate training programs and holding leadership positions at startups, Fortune 500 companies, and academia. He also includes insights from his role teaching a New York City Economic Development Council program to help unemployed workers find new careers. Simultaneous to the book launch, Herschberg released a free innovative app to reinforce the skills he teaches in The Career Toolkit. "At a time when unemployment is at record highs, I wanted to offer a practical guide to help people develop a wide-ranging set of skills to get hired and advance their careers," said Herschberg. "For years, corporate America has identified soft skills as important qualifications, but neither colleges nor corporate training provides instruction on how to master them. The Career Toolkit does just that. We teach people how to create a plan to get them where they want to go and to apply the right skills to accelerate their careers." The Career Toolkit is divided into three sections: Career, Leadership & Management, and Interpersonal Dynamics. Lessons and advice on interviewing, communication, networking, negotiation, career planning, and working effectively are among the many topics covered in the book. The app, available for iPhones and Androids , is a reinforcement tool to help put the skills from the book to daily use. "These skills are easy to learn from the book, and the app is a modern reinforcement and reminder to practice your new power skills," added Herschberg. What others are saying about the book: "This is not a book that you read once and put aside. Page after page, there are useful tips. You can open any random page at any time and learn a new skill that you can put into practice immediately." Dr. Ruth Gotian, Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Forbes Contributor "Practical, actionable recommendations from your first internship to your mid-career pivot. Mark's approach to career navigation is refreshing - imminently practical advice for the novice and the mid-career professional. From negotiation to ethics, Mark provides a great how-to guide for navigating career milestones." Jen Pinson, Chief Operations Officer, Business and General Aviation, GE Aviation "For the past 20 years, I have witnessed Mark helping people take control of their careers and finding success and happiness along the way. He speaks the truth using logic, data, and compassion. I am thrilled that Mark finally wrote his wisdom down so that even more people can benefit. Now, more than ever, we need The Career Toolkit." Chris Resto, Co-author of Recruit or Die: How Any Business Can Beat the Big Guys in the War for Young Talent; Founder & CEO, Blueprint Talent Group "A must-read handbook for the twenty-first century professional. Every chapter is packed with pragmatic tools and approaches to accelerate your career." Oliva Fox Cabane, Author of The Charisma Myth About Mark A. Herschberg Mark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You . From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups, Fortune 500s, and academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT's "career success accelerator." At MIT, where he teaches annually, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. For more, please visit: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com. Media Contact: Joe LoBello LoBello Communications [email protected] SOURCE Mark A. Herschberg The Uttar Pradesh have registered against a roadside vendor for selling footwear of Thakur brand in Gulaothi police station area of Bulandshahr district. The vendor Nasirs family has accused the police of keeping him in custody for over 48 hours. He was taken into custody on Monday morning and thereafter a case was registered against him, Nasirs father Saleem told mediapersons. Circle officer of Secundrabad area Namrata Srivastava said that a case under Sections 153A, 323C and 504 of IPC had been registered against Nasir and he had been taken into custody. A team has been sent to the shop from where he bought the shoes for further investigation, said the CO. He said that members of an organisation had gone to buy shoes and thereafter reported the matter to the police. The case was registered on their complaint, said the CO. He did not mention the name of the members of the organization but sources said they belonged to the Bajrang Dal. A video circulated on social media shows Nasir explaining to a group of activists that he was simply selling the shoes and knew nothing about the brand name. The same activists are seen advising him that he should have removed that particular lot of shoes to protect his trade from a bad name. Ironically, Thakur Footwear Company is an Agra-based brand which has been in business for over six decades. The company sells shoes by the name of TFC and has a good customer base. But it is not clear whether Nasir was selling shoes of the original brand or counterfeits. The police have justified the action through a tweet which claimed, Had police not taken action in the case, many people would have reacted critically/ differently. Therefore, police initiated action under the purview of law. The Samajwadi Party has criticised the police action and said the government should instead act against officials who approved Thakur brand name. Samajwadi Party leader and former member of state planning commission Sudhir Panwar said, It seems the police acted in haste to please their political bosses because the shoe vendor did not commit a crime. He was just selling shoes after purchasing them from a wholesaler. Action should be taken against those government officials who approved Thakur brand name. Photo: CTV News The formal procession for a police officer killed in the line of duty during a routine traffic stop on New Year's Eve was held in Calgary on Tuesday. Sgt. Andrew Harnett was killed while attempting to make a traffic stop in the Falconridge neighbourhood on Dec. 31, 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a funeral procession wound its way across the city before stopping at the funeral home. CTV News is reporting the procession included members of the Calgary Police Service honour guard and Calgarians wishing to pay their respects lined the route while observing physical distancing. Harnett was 37-years old and he leaves behind a wife who is expecting the couple's first child. Charges of first-degree murder have been recommended against two teens, 19-year-old Amir Abdulrahman and a 17-year-old who cannot be named. @calgarypolice members and Calgarians lined one of YYCs busiest roadways for the police procession of Sgt. Andrew Harnett. Youll be remembered for your loyalty, dedication, kindness, and zest for life. Your courage and spirit will live on. We will never forget #4601 ? pic.twitter.com/zPgo2lG4oC YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre (@YouthLinkYYC) January 5, 2021 -with files from CTV News New analysis from The Value Builder SystemTM shows entrepreneurs' changing attitudes around exit planning as a result of COVID-19 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / The economic impact of COVID-19 has been swift and unrelenting for small business owners. Now, in the wake of another spike, many businesses continue to face challenges of profitability and solvency, resulting in uncertainty about the future of their life's work and, ultimately, forcing owners to consider shuttering or selling their businesses sooner than anticipated. Researchers at The Value Builder System analyzed 9,765 questionnaires completed by business owners from around the world who use their software. Researchers divided the sample set into two cohorts: Pre-COVID (June 15, 2019 - March 14, 2020) During COVID (March 15 - Sept. 15, 2020) Researchers identified a number of differences when comparing the Pre-COVID cohort to the During COVID group. Among the During COVID group, researchers identified: A 350 percent increase in the proportion of owners expecting their revenue to decrease when compared to owners who completed the questionnaire Pre-COVID. A 17 percent increase in the proportion of owners who plan to sell their business to a third party and a corresponding 42 percent drop in the proportion of owners who plan to pass their business down to their children. A 20 percent decrease in the proportion of owners planning to hang on to their business for 10 or more years. Almost half of the During COVID cohort now say they plan to exit their business within five years. "Small business owners have been punched in the mouth by COVID-19," said John Warrillow, the founder & CEO of The Value Builder System and author of the upcoming book, The Art of Selling Your Business. "Owners have endured a lot since the pandemic started and many are now looking to sell externally instead of passing the stresses of their business to their kids. Hundreds of thousands of businesses have been lost and the ones that survived are now looking to get out at levels we've never seen before." View the full The Value Builder SystemTM questionnaire results here and stay updated on Warrillow's work at www.builttosell.com. More about The Value Builder System The Value Builder System is a simple software used by thousands of businesses worldwide for building the value of a company. Offered by a global network of independent advisors known as Certified Value Builders, The Value Builder System incorporates several diagnostic tools, including the Value Builder Score. Those businesses that achieve a Value Builder Score of 90 or greater are worth double our average-performing business. More about John Warrillow John Warrillow is the founder of The Value Builder System. Prior to founding The Value Builder System, he started and exited four companies, including one acquired by a public company. His best-selling book Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You was recognized by both Fortune and Inc. as one of the best business books of 2011. Following that success, John released the best-selling book The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry. John now completes his business book trilogy with the upcoming release of The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top, available everywhere books are sold January 12, 2021. CONTACT: O'Licia Parker-Smith Work: 512-891-6100 media@greenleafbookgroup.com SOURCE: Greenleaf Book Group View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623032/Recent-Survey-Reveals-Almost-Half-of-All-Business-Owners-Plan-to-Exit-Within-the-Next-Five-Years-Shifting-Their-Exit-Timeline-Up-By-20-Percent The mind games have started early. There are 12 days until Liverpool lock horns with Manchester United but shots have already been fired from Jurgen Klopp. In the aftermath of Liverpool's dreadful 1-0 defeat by Southampton, Klopp was mystified as to how his side weren't awarded a penalty when Sadio Mane went tumbling under pressure from Kyle Walker-Peters in the second half. And as the Liverpool boss launched a defence of Mane, he couldn't help but turn his attention to his team's ultimate rivals who are now breathing down his neck. Jurgen Klopp was dismayed that Liverpool didn't get a penalty in their Southampton defeat Sadio Mane was brought down under a challenge from Kyle Walker-Peters inside the area An angle from the TV cameras show Mane going down under the challenge of Walker-Peters 'I hear now that Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I had in five-and-a-half years,' Klopp said. 'I've no idea if that's my fault, or how that can happen.' Technically, Klopp is incorrect. Liverpool have been awarded 30 penalties in 199 Premier League games overseen by the German since he took over in October 2015. United, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, have been awarded 27 in his 75 matches since he came in first as a caretaker manager in December 2018. So Liverpool have had more - just. But under Klopp, Liverpool average a penalty once in every seven encounters. Solskjaer and United receive a penalty on average once in every three games. It is, of course, worth noting that a lot of those spot-kicks for the Red Devils will have come in the era of VAR, so the incidents that led to them would have been scrutinised further. For Klopp, around three years of his Liverpool reign has been without VAR. The technology was introduced to the Premier League in the 2019-20 season and has generally seen a rise in penalties being awarded. Klopp bemoaned how many penalties rivals Manchester United get compared with Liverpool United could be top of the Premier League by the time they face Liverpool on January 17 Remarkably, Liverpool have overall received fewer penalties than most ever-present Premier League sides since Klopp took over as manager in 2015. Liverpool's 30 spot-kicks are not only less than United's 41, but Crystal Palace (36), Manchester City (43) and Leicester (45). Liverpool fell to a 1-0 defeat by Southampton when former Anfield striker Danny Ings scored with a smart looping effort in just the second minute. Klopp's side never truly clicked into gear and they struggled to dismantle a defiant Southampton defence. It means the Premier League holders are now winless in their last three matches, a run that compounds a miserable Christmas for Liverpool. They could slip to second when United play their game in hand, against Burnley, on January 12. Attention is inevitably turning to Liverpool's showdown with United at Anfield on January 17 as the two title contenders look to enforce an advantage at the summit of the Premier League standings. Between now and then, Liverpool only face Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday while United have a gruelling schedule ahead of them. Klopp and Solskjaer will lock horns once again on January 17 at Anfield in the Premier League They meet Manchester City on Wednesday night in the EFL Cup before hosting Watford in the FA Cup on Saturday. Solskjaer's men then meet Burnley the following Tuesday, where just a draw would take them top, before attention turns to Anfield. Klopp admitted that, despite his belief Liverpool should have had a spot-kick, their overall standard of performance simply has to improve before they meet United. 'You can only solve a problem if you know the problem, and we are not blind to our problems,' Klopp said. 'We have to fight and play through this, it's up to us to change that.' Australian PM Scott Morrison suggested virus-ravaged countries like Britain had been forced to take risks with emergency approvals Under mounting pressure to speed up coronavirus vaccinations, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday said he would not take "unnecessary risks" and emulate Britain's emergency drug approval. While vaccinations are already well underway in many countries, Australia's pharmaceutical authority is not expected to rule on candidate drugs for around another month, and is aiming to administer the first doses by the end of March. Pressed about that seemingly sluggish timetable, Morrisonwho early in the pandemic boasted Australia would be "at the front of the queue" for any vaccinesuggested virus-ravaged countries like Britain had been forced to take risks with emergency approvals. "Australia is not in an emergency situation like the United Kingdom. So we don't have to cut corners. We don't have to take unnecessary risks," the conservative leader told local radio 3AW. Australia had largely eliminated community transmission but is currently battling to contain small clusters of the disease in the country's biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne. Around 26 people are currently in hospital nationwide with the disease. He said Britain, with almost 60,000 cases of COVID-19 a day was "in the very early phases" of the vaccine rollout and "they've had quite a few problems, and they're doing it on an emergency basis". "They're not testing batches of vaccines before they're disseminated across the population, is my understanding," Morrison said, insisting Australia would carry out such testing. The Australian premier has for weeks said that mass-vaccination efforts in Britain, the United States and elsewhere would provide Australia with more data about the safety of the vaccines than clinical trails could. Australiawith a population of around 25 millionhas agreed to buy almost 54 million doses of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with 3.8 million to be delivered early this year. It also reached an agreement for 51 million doses of Novavax this year, 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine early this year, and had invested in a domestic University of Queensland vaccine that was scrapped while still in trials. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP A disgraced Kentucky high school principal who is currently serving a nine-year sentence for a child pornography conviction has been ordered to pay $3.6million in damages to former students whose naked photos he had shared online. A federal judge in Louisville last week recommended the judgment against Stephen Goodlett, 40, as part of a civil lawsuit that six women who previously attended LaRue County High School had filed against their former principal, alleging libel and Fourth Amendment violations. Goodlett was sentenced to federal prison in February 2018 after he admitted to copying nude photos from female students' confiscated cellphones and sending them to a Russia-based pornography-swapping website. A federal judge in Kentucky recommended that former principal Stephen Goodlett, 40, pay $3.6million in damages to former students whose naked photos he had shared online Goodlett was a principal at LaRue County High School (pictured) until a former student discovered her nude photos on a Russia-based pornography site and went to the police Magistrate Judge Regina Edwards recommended that each of the plaintiffs should get $600,000, including $150,000 in compensatory damages and $450,000 in punitive damages, reported Louisville Courier-Journal. 'An examination of the record shows that Plaintiffs have in fact suffered, and will continue to suffer, mental anguish, embarrassment, and damage to their respective reputations as a result of their private photographs being published on the internet,' wrote the judge. 'Many of the plaintiffs endured negative or lewd comments from family, friends, and acquaintances informing them that they had seen Plaintiffs nude or semi-nude images on the internet.' One of the plaintiffs said she has 'an irrational fear of being kidnapped' and does not trust men. Another woman who sued the principal said whenever she meets new people or potential employers, she is concerned they know about her leaked nude photos. As a teacher at Elizabethtown High School south of Louisville and then principal of LaRue County High School for three years until he was fired in 2016, Goodlett was respected in his church and community. But prosecutors said he was covertly searching the confiscated student cellphones of teenage girls for nude photos, and saving them to thumb drives to be viewed, uploaded and traded on the internet. His downfall came after a 20-year-old alumna of LaRue County High learned that naked images she had taken for her boyfriend when she was 15 had been uploaded to a Russian pornography website. The woman contacted the Elizabethtown police, who called in federal authorities. They traced the images to an account registered by Goodlett, and then searched his devices. A federal complaint says the initial police review of Goodlett's devices found 60 examples of child pornography. Records show a more thorough forensic review found 436 images and 11 videos. Goodlett is currently serving nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified images of the Elizabethtown woman, as well as a naked girl between 10 and 14 years old in Goodlett's Dropbox account, according to a federal complaint. As the investigation widened, state police asked students who had cellphones confiscated to get in touch. After signing a waiver of his rights and agreeing to a recorded interview with state investigators, the former high school principal acknowledged finding the images on confiscated phones, transferring them and sharing them online, authorities say. At his sentencing nearly three years ago, Goodlett apologized to the victims and said he deserved to be punished for what he had done while in the throes of his pornography addiction. 'What I've done is morally reprehensible,' he said in court. 'Your honor, I deserve to go to prison. Goodlett is expected to be released in 2025. He must serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender. In November, he was also found guilty of more than 60 child pornography counts in state court, where he is due for a bond hearing next week. Josh Linvill has served in 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as a regimental planner, rifle company commander, and headquarters and headquarters troop commander. He is assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and serves as a planner for Operation Resolute Support in Kabul, Afghanistan. He can be found on Twitter @josh_linvill. Divergent Options content does not contain information of an official nature nor does the content represent the official position of any government, any organization, or any group. National Security Situation: The U.S. Army is transitioning its number one priority from readiness to people. Part of the transition is an attempt to reduce the operational tempo (OPTEMPO) so units can focus on dedicated periods for mission, training, and modernization. Date Originally Written: November 7, 2020. Date Originally Published: January 4, 2021. Author and / or Article Point of View: The author is a graduate of the U.S. Armys School for Advanced Military Studies whose research focused on how the Army can learn from Rotational Training Units (RTU) experiences. The author believes a lower OPTEMPO by focusing the purpose of Combat Training Center (CTC) rotations or reducing the number of CTC rotations will increase learning for the Army and therefore increase readiness. Background: In October 2020, the U.S. Army published its Action Plan to Prioritize People and Teams. The plan describes how the focus on readiness, resulted in an unsustainable OPTEMPO and placed significant demands on units, leaders, and Soldiers and Families and stress on the force[1]. The action plan describes two ways the Army will reduce OPTEMPO; specially designed rotations where the entire brigade will not deploy to a CTC and potentially not requiring CTC rotations for units scheduled for non-combat deployments. Significance: Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) provides a model, figure 1, the Army can use to increase learning while reducing OPTEMPO. Theorist David Kolb explains the dialectic nature of ELT, learning is defined as the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience[2]. The ELT cycle consists of four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. In ideal circumstances the learner grasps and transforms knowledge while progressing through each stage of the cycle. As Kolb writes, immediate or concrete experiences are the basis for observations and reflections. Theses reflections are assimilated and distilled into abstract concepts from which new implications for action are drawn. These implications can be actively tested and serve as guides in creating new experiences[3]. Changing the current design and/or rate of CTC rotations, or concrete experiences for units, enables the Army to give primacy to the other stages of the ELT cycle. By implementing different options for CTC rotations the Army can learn more by harnessing the power of a complete ELT cycle. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The commission being paid to insurance brokers for motor policies has shot up by a third in a year. This has led to claims that brokers are part of the insurance rip-off. Figures extracted from a Central Bank database show that brokers saw their commissions from insurance companies rise by 36pc between 2018 and 2019. The gross commissions rose to 164m in 2019, according to data extracted from the national claims information database report on motor insurance prepared by the Central Bank. Read More This was up from 121m in 2018. The Alliance for Insurance Reform questioned if motorists were getting good value if commissions were so high. Peter Boland of the Alliance said: That is extraordinary. Are policyholders getting good value, or are brokers part of the insurance rip-off? He quoted an American study showing that insurance policies which pay higher commissions to brokers usually have higher premiums. This implies there is an incentive for brokers to keep premiums high. Brokers Ireland, which represents 1,225 broker firms, was asked if policyholders were getting good value, or whether brokers are part of the insurance rip-off. Director of general insurance at Brokers Ireland Cathie Shannon said the figures referred to were gross commissions. She said the annex to the Central Bank report containing the details on broker commissions does not state who was paid the commissions. It could be that entities such as 123.ie, which is owned by insurer RSA, and other entities more akin to the direct channel than the average broker, are included. It is not possible to tell without some more data, she said. She added that there was an increase of more than 88,000 in the number of vehicles on Irish roads between 2018 and 2019, according to the Bulletin of Vehicle and Driver Statistics produced by the Department of Transport. Ms Shannon said the rate of commission paid to a broker is not within the control of brokers, it is set by insurance companies. Commission is always declared to the consumer, who will always have the option of doing business directly with insurance companies or alternatively to use the services of a broker, she said. She added that brokers use their expertise to seek out the optimum premium for the motorist and they negotiate with insurance companies on behalf of clients, Ms Shannon added. The data is part of a recent Central Bank report that showed the profits of insurance companies rising despite a fall in the cost of settling claims. The revelation prompted a demand for immediate reductions in premiums. Motor insurers in this market collectively made profits of 142m in 2019, which was up from 130m in the previous year. Central Bank statisticians say the cost of the average motor premium is now 653, a rise of 35pc over the past 10 years. Over the same period the cost of claims per policy has fallen by 9pc. The report also shows lawyers are reaping millions of euro from the system. New Delhi, Jan 5 : After the massive SolarWinds attack hit several top enterprises and government agencies in the US, cyber-security firm CrowdStrike has emphasised that it is not a customer of SolarWinds and the failed effort to breach the company was through an attack on a Microsoft product. The company has also launched a CrowdStrike Reporting Tool for Azure (CRT), a free community tool that will help organisations quickly and easily review excessive permissions in their Azure AD environments, help determine configuration weaknesses, and provide advice to mitigate risk. "Customer security and transparency are CrowdStrike's top priority. We have conducted an extensive review of our production and internal environments and found no impact," it said in a statement recently. CrowdStrike was contacted by the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center on December 15. Specifically, they identified a reseller's Microsoft Azure account used for managing CrowdStrike's Microsoft Office licenses was observed making abnormal calls to Microsoft cloud APIs during a 17-hour period several months ago. "There was an attempt to read email, which failed as confirmed by Microsoft. As part of our secure IT architecture, CrowdStrike does not use Office 365 email," it added. "We strongly recommend all organizations leverage CRT to review their Azure tenants and understand if they need to take any configuration or mitigation steps, particularly as it relates to third-parties that may be present in your Azure environment". According to a report in The New York Times, as businesses such as Amazon and Microsoft that provide cloud services dig deeper for evidence, "It now appears Russia exploited multiple layers of the supply chain to gain access to as many as 250 networks". US Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) was quoted saying in the report that the hack looked "much, much worse" than he first feared. The suspected Russian hackers installed a malware in the Orion software sold by the IT management company 'SolarWinds', and accessed sensitive data belonging to several US government agencies and businesses. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Investigators were trying to buy a high-capacity pistol from Dolal Idd with help from a confidential informant before the 23-year old was killed in an exchange of gunfire with Minneapolis police last week, according to search warrant documents released Monday. The shootout ensued Wednesday night when police moved in to arrest the Eden Prairie man at a south Minneapolis gas station, the documents said. Idd died at the scene. Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo released a 27-second clip from one officers body-camera video last week and said it showed that Idd shot first before officers opened fire during an attempted felony traffic stop. Authorities had previously said that Idd was being sought in a weapons investigation, but the search warrant documents provided the first detailed account of why police were focused on Idd. He was prohibited from possessing guns because of a 2018 weapons offense for possessing a stolen shotgun. Hundreds of people marched near the gas station Sunday to protest the citys first police-involved death since George Floyd died after being restrained by officers in May. Crime scene personnel from the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension spotted a black and silver handgun between Idd's body and the center console of the car he was driving, the documents said. The documents did not say whether the gun was same type that investigators were trying to buy. A female passenger who owned the vehicle but was not named in the documents told investigators that she was Idd's girlfriend but knew him only as Bird, a nickname that police knew he used. In the search warrant application, BCA Special Agent Brandon Johnson said the informant told police that Idd had firearms at his home. The agent said that due to Idd's history of weapons and narcotics arrests he sought authorization for a nighttime raid of Idd's home, which was owned by Idd's father. He also noted that Idd's brother, who had also lived there, was recently arrested by Bloomington police in a gun homicide. The agent asserted that investigators believed they would find weapons at the residence, and they were concerned that evidence could be moved or destroyed when Idd's family learned of his death, Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the cases of four ex-Minneapolis police officers charged in Floyd's death, approved the search warrant. Johnson later reported back that no firearms, ammunition or other potential evidence related to firearms was found in the early Thursday search. Idd's father, Bayle Gelle, has complained that frightened family members were treated roughly and handcuffed with plastic ties during the search, while children were present. He has said that officers would not initially not tell them the reason for the search and that Idd was dead. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office released body camera video of the search on Saturday. Sheriff David Hutchinson said the video showed that his deputies and other officers involved in the search acted professionally and appropriately. Idd, a Somali American, was killed less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the street corner where a white Minneapolis officer pressed his knee on Floyds neck for several minutes, even as Floyd pleaded that he couldnt breathe. The May 25 death of Floyd, who was Black, sparked days of sometimes violent protests that spread around the country and resonated worldwide. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Iran confirmed Tuesday its first case of a new COVID-19 variant first detected in Britain, as daily deaths dropped below 100 for the first time in over six months. "Sadly, the first instance of the mutated British COVID-19 was detected in one of our compatriots who had arrived from England," Health Minister Saeed Namaki said in a televised address. The patient was admitted to "a private hospital, and our extensive testing showed (the virus) was of the mutated type," he added. Iran is the country worst-hit in the Middle East by the pandemic, with COVID-19 first surfacing in the Islamic republic in February 2020. The new strain, which experts say potentially spreads faster than the original variant, has prompted travel restrictions on the United Kingdom by more than 50 countries, including Iran. Namaki did not elaborate on the patient's identity but said no traces of the virus were detected among their family and acquaintances as the concerned individual had self-isolated upon arrival. The Islamic republic has officially recorded 55,748 deaths and 1,255,620 infections since announcing its first cases in February last year, health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said. But some officialsincluding Namaki himselfadmit the official figures are much lower than the actual numbers, mostly due to testing protocols. In the past 24 hours, the virus caused 98 new deaths, the lowest since June 18 when Iran recorded 87 fatalities. Total infections also grew by 6,113 on Tuesday, remaining relatively stable at that level for the past three weeks, from a high of 14,051 on November 27. The recent drop in virus figures came after tough restrictive measures were imposed as of November 21 for two weeks, some of which are still in place. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Southwest Airlines kicked off a four-day sale Monday with some tantalizingly low fares for travel into spring. Discounts are available for flights to and from the Golden State, but the best deals are for intra-California flights, whether between Oakland and Burbank or San Francisco and Los Angeles. Many fares are just $29 or $39 one-way ($58 to $78 round-trip). The $29 fares are mainly available for flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Among the country's largest domestic air carriers, Southwest is also offering cheap flights between California and other states, such as $54 one-way between Francisco and Portland, Oregon, and $108 one-way between Oakland and New York's LaGuardia Airport. Here are examples of more one-way deals Southwest is touting around the country: -As low as $29 one-way nonstop between Atlanta and Raleigh/Durham -As low as $29 one-way nonstop between Denver and Salt Lake City -As low as $29 one-way nonstop between Phoenix and Palm Springs -As low as $39 one-way nonstop between Dallas and New Orleans -As low as $99 one-way nonstop between San Diego and Honolulu The sale runs through Thursday, Jan. 7, and there are some restrictions such as blackout dates around spring break. You also must book 21 days in advance to score the lowest prices. The best way to find the lowest fares is by using Southwest's low fare calendar. Select your departure and arrival cities and the month you want to fly, and the tool will show you the days with the cheapest tickets. Other airlines are offering similar deals. A search on Google Flights for San Francisco to Los Angeles with a Tuesday, March 9, departure and a Wednesday, March 10, return turned up a $57 round-trip fare on Alaska and $77 on Delta. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Southwest Airlines is requiring passengers and staff to wear face masks on planes. The airline says that it's spending more than six hours cleaning each aircraft every night to curb the spread of the virus. You can learn more about Southwest destinations with entry restrictions at Southwest.com. If you decide you're uncomfortable flying after purchasing a ticket, nonrefundable tickets can be canceled and applied to future travel for up to one year from the original purchase date. SPRINGFIELD Standing outside the boarded-up Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church on Monday afternoon, parishioner Lisa Baker said a fire will not stop the work of the church and its members. We are a blessed congregation, she said. Our building has been damaged, but our church is still strong. We have a leader who is here for us and stands in front of us and besides us and within us, and so we know we cant fail. The predominantly Black church on Concord Terrace was heavily damaged by fire Dec. 28. Investigators have called the fire highly suspicious but have not yet determined its cause. Meanwhile, charges have been filed against Dushko Vulchev of Houlton, Maine, in connection with alleged attempts to burn down the church Dec. 13 and 15. He has not been linked to last weeks fire. Parishioners, as well as religious and political leaders from Springfield, West Springfield and Holyoke, gathered Monday with the Rev. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery to discuss rebuilding the church. Donations are being accepted at psne.org/donate and www.cocwmass.org. This is a congregation that has had its share of struggles, but it has stood tall and has been resilient and has found its way, Baker said. We will continue to do work for this neighborhood and this community and this world as God intended for us to do. Archbishop Timothy Paul, pastor of Christian Cathedral and president of the Council of Churches of Western Massachusetts, called on the religious community to support the Community Presbyterian Church in its time of need. This church has been a longstanding member of the Council of Churches and we just thought it right to help rebuild this church, he said. We are challenging all of the congregations and community folks to give. Avery said community support has been overwhelming for the congregation, which recently celebrated 40 years at that location. A heartfelt thanks to the community for all of the ways you have supported us through this be it through your prayers, your emotional support and monetary support, she said. My priority as the pastor of this church is to shepherd my flock and to make sure they are taken care of and then to rebuild this church. Any funds we receive will go towards the recovery and the rebuilding of this church. The fire, reported around 5 a.m. on Dec. 28, led to about $100,000 in heat, smoke and water damage to the interior, and spread into the attic above the main hall. No one was injured in the two-alarm blaze. Firefighters saved the exterior shell of the building, and retrieved some religious artifacts from the flames, but the interior of the church was described as gutted. We do have insurance, but at this point we are really are just trying to get our footing, Avery said. We are developing a team to assess the situation, but we have no idea in terms of damage whether we have to build from the ground up. We dont have that information yet. Bishop Bruce Shaw, pastor of New Hope Pentecostal Church in Springfield, said he knows what it is like to experience such a major loss. His church on Central Street was destroyed by the tornado of 2011. When the tornado hit, it tore up our church and it was hard, but we recovered. And the same way we recovered and rebuilt, we believe you will, too, he said. Last weeks fire is reminiscent of a November 2008 incident where the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a Black church on Tinkham Road, was destroyed by an intentionally set fire that was racially motivated. Three men were later apprehended, charged with arson, civil rights violations and destruction of religious property. The three men, all white, targeted the predominantly Black church a few hours after the election of President Barack Obama. They were sentenced to between 4 and 14 years in prison. Related content: [January 05, 2021] Bluebird Network Acquires ColoHub Data Center in Quad Cities, Iowa Bluebird Network - a communications infrastructure provider and data center operator - is excited to announce that effective December 31, 2020, it acquired the ColoHub Data Center-previously owned by Geneseo Communications-located in Bettendorf, Iowa. This announcement strengthens Bluebird's capabilities and fiber network footprint in Iowa and Illinois. Purchasing a second data center enhances Bluebird's data center service offerings, creating another option for customers moving applications closer to the edge and establishing a disaster recovery location to Bluebird's underground data center in Springfield, MO. The site also brings new data center options to customers already in the region - further connecting the Midwest for a new era of productivity. A short drive from Cedar Rapids, the Chicago suburbs, Champaign-Urbana, Peoria and other major cities, this centrally located facility offers an alternative site for data center customers. Paired with Bluebird's world-class fiber network and following the recent completion of a 2,500 fiber route mile multi-network integration project, this data center bolsters the company's already robust fiber infrastructure and strengthens their presence in the Illinois and Iowa markets, unlocking the ability to better service the cities of Rockford, Bloomington-Normal and the Quad Cities. "For years Bluebird has been steadily expanding their network in a dedicated and sustainable way," comments Mike McClain, President and CEO of Geneseo. "We know Bluebird and the leadership team will leverage the splendid work accomplished by ColoHub and take its capabilities to new heihts with excellent support for our customers-both current and future-in concert with Bluebird's standards of integrity, accountability and adaptability." Supplementing Bluebird's unique Underground Data Center in Springfield, MO - the acquisition of ColoHub enables the company to readily support their northeast customers with low-latency communications and redundant data center services. "In 2020, we expanded and densified our fiber network infrastructure across several territories throughout the Midwest," adds Michael Morey, President and CEO of Bluebird Network. "Expanding our data center offerings, fortified now with a second facility, is part of our mission to empower businesses and offer a total communications solution." Bluebird believes all businesses and communities deserve the highest quality connectivity and customer care, especially in the ever-evolving digital world. For more than 20 years, the company has held to those beliefs, balancing a robust fiber infrastructure and the operation of the Bluebird Underground Data Center while always making an effort to "WOW" their customers. For more information about Bluebird Network, its Underground Data Center and service capabilities visit: http://www.bluebirdnetwork.com. About Bluebird Network Bluebird Network is a communications infrastructure provider and data center operator. Since 1999, Bluebird Network, headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, has provided internet and transport services, via its fiber infrastructure, to Carriers and Enterprises in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa and the surrounding states. Bluebird owns two data centers: an underground facility in Springfield, MO and a facility in the Quad Cities. Bluebird operates over 9,800 fiber route miles of high-speed broadband and fiber-optic connections with over 60,000 on-net and near-net buildings and 151 Points of Presence (PoP) sites spanning the Midwest, including the major cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield (MO and IL), Tulsa, Peoria, Rockford, Bloomington, Normal and the Quad Cities. To learn more, please visit Bluebirdnetwork.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005027/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Akwa Ibom State Police Command, on Tuesday, began an investigation into the alleged molestation, starvation and sexual abuse of one Do... The Akwa Ibom State Police Command, on Tuesday, began an investigation into the alleged molestation, starvation and sexual abuse of one Don Davies, a JSS1 student of Deeper Life High School, Idoro Road Uyo, by some students and management of the School. The command assured a discreet investigation that would unravel the truth. Recall that the mother of the boy, Deborah Archibong had raised the alarm of his 11-year-old sons abuse, which is now trending on social media. The video on social media caught the attention of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, who ordered the former Commissioner of Education Mrs Enobong Mbobo to investigate the complaints and report to the government for necessary action. Last week, International Human Right Groups waded into the matter while Akwa Ibom State Government withdrew for police to investigate the incident . However, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, SP Odiko Macdon in a statement on Tuesday, said the command received a petition from the victims mother and commenced investigations immediately. According to the statement, The Akwa Ibom State Police Command is in receipt of a petition by one Mrs Deborah Archibong ( 41), mother of one Don-Davis Iniobong Archibong, aged 11yrs, a student of Deeper Life High School, Idoro Road, Uyo, wherein she alleged that her son, Master Don-Davis Iniobong was inhumanly treated, sexually molested and suffered starvation, against one Mrs Ndidi Solomon (45) and three others. The Commissioner of Police, CP Amiengheme Andrew ordered a discreet investigation into the matter and the said investigation has commenced immediately. He added that the CP enjoined all parties involved to exercise restraint pending the outcome of the investigation, stressing that the outcome would be made public. Meanwhile, it was gathered that all parties involved in the matter are currently in a meeting with the CP at the State Police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, at the time of filing the report. A global battle against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) is currently underway as vaccination drives have begun in several countries. While India is expected to shortly begin what will be the worlds largest immunisation drive, having cleared its first two vaccines on Sunday, the United Kingdom on Monday started giving shots of a second Covid-19 vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Last month, the UK also became the first country to begin a vaccination drive, administering shots of the Pfizer Inc-BioNTech SE vaccine. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage With the global Covid-19 caseload at more than 85 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, here are some latest updates on the vaccination front: 1. Brian Pinker, 82-year-old dialysis patient, became the first British citizen, as well as the first in the world, to receive a shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The immunisation drive began with 530,000 doses of the vaccine on a day that ended with prime minister Boris Johnson announcing another national lockdown due to begin early Wednesday. Also Read | Covid-19: Boris Johnson locks down UK again, says variant spreading at an alarming rate 2. Mexico has approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, its government announced on Monday, joining the UK, Argentina and India in giving a nod to the shot. The announcement was made by deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell on Twitter. Mexico is already administering shots of the Pfizer vaccine to its health workers. 3. Moderna Inc, the American drugmaker, on Monday said Israel had approved its vaccine against Covid-19. Israels ministry of health has secured 6 million doses and first deliveries are expected to begin in January, the company said in a statement. This makes Israel the third country overall, after the US and Canada, the first outside North America and the first in Asia to authorise Modernas vaccine. 4. Spain, which is using Pfizers vaccine, has administered 83,000 doses since December 27, health minister Salvador Illa said on Monday. Illa also said that Spain expects to vaccinate around 4.5 million people, of the countrys 47 million population, by the end of March. This, Illa said, depends on Spain receiving nearly 350,000 doses per week during the next few two months. (With agency inputs) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RV Retailer, LLC ("RVR") announced the addition of 14 dealerships with the acquisitions of Family RV Group and Northgate RV. Family RV Group operates 12 dealerships in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. Northgate RV operates two dealerships in Knoxville, Tennessee and North Georgia. The acquisitions are expected to close in February 2021. Jon Ferrando, Chief Executive Officer and President of RVR stated, "We are excited to announce the acquisitions of Family RV Group and Northgate RV. These acquisitions allow us to expand into new Southern and Midwest markets along the I-75 corridor with 14 stores in five new states with strong demographics for RV sales and service. This is an excellent way for us to kick off 2021 with continued exceptional growth to 52 stores in 15 states." Jon Ferrando added, "These stores will be part of Eastern Region of RVR under the leadership of Don Strollo, President of the Eastern Region. We are pleased that Steve and Chuck Jung will continue to manage the Family RV Group stores under Don's direction. The Jung family founded the business in Cincinnati as Colerain RV in 1968 and has been providing exceptional customer service for 52 years. The Yates family founded Northgate RV 26 years ago, and we are pleased that key Yates family members will stay on in key positions with the Northgate RV business." Don Strollo said, "We are excited to add these stores selling over 6,000 RVs per year. Family RV Group and Northgate RV sell an excellent mix of new RV product brands from our key manufacturer partners including Thor industries, Forest River and Grand Design. I look forward to welcoming over 350 new associates to the RV Retailer family of stores and working with them to grow sales and service." Chuck Jung of Family RV said, "This is an exciting next chapter for the Family RV Group. RV Retailer offers us an excellent opportunity to continue growing our business." Steve Jung added, "My brother Chuck and I look forward to joining the RV Retailer team, and I know all of our store associates will be excited for what is ahead." Billy Yates, founder of Northgate RV said, "Our family is pleased that Northgate RV will become part of the RV Retailer family of stores and our key family members in the business look forward to joining the RV Retailer team. We are proud of our ranking as the #1 towable dealer in Georgia, and I look forward to many more years of success for our stores in the future." Stephens Inc. served as exclusive financial advisor to Family RV Group in the Family RV Group acquisition. To learn more about Family RV Group, Northgate RV and RV Retailer, please visit: https://www.familyrvgroup.com/ https://www.northgaterv.com/ or https://www.rvretailer.com/ About RV Retailer, LLC RV Retailer, LLC is a leading recreational vehicle retail company in the United States with a focus on providing an outstanding experience for recreational vehicle customers in new and used sales, service and parts, and customer financial services. Upon completion of the acquisitions, RV Retailer will have 52 RV stores in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. Regional store brands include: RV One Superstores, Motor Home Specialist, ExploreUSA, Sonny's Camp-N-Travel, Cousins RV, Camper Clinic, Lifestyle RVs, Family RV Group, Northgate RV and Tom's Camperland, which sell a wide range of new and used RV brands with thousands of RVs in inventory. RV Retailer is led by co-founders Jon Ferrando, Chief Executive Officer and President, and John Rizzo, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Jon Ferrando and John Rizzo were instrumental in building America's largest automotive retailer from start-up to over $20 billion in revenue. RV Retailer's leadership team has over 250 years of automotive and RV retail industry experience. SOURCE RV Retailer, LLC Christian Pulisic claims Chelsea 'need to show character' and be 'smarter' without the ball in order to revive their form. Chelsea suffered their fourth defeat in their last six games after losing 3-1 to Manchester City - having conceded three times in the opening 34 minutes. Pulisic recognises Chelsea are' in a tough period' but insists the club must 'turn it around quickly' and 'start putting results together'. Christian Pulisic (above) claims Chelsea 'need to show character' to find their best form 'We're in a tough period,' Pulisic told Chelsea TV. 'It's going to happen to everyone at times and we've been in these situations ourselves before. 'We have a game next week where we need to start turning it around because we do need to start getting results quickly. 'We'll watch this game back, look at it as a team and see what we can improve on. It's not going to be easy but we need to show character now. Pulisic believes Chelsea must be 'smarter' without the ball following their loss to Man City Chelsea suffered their fourth defeat in their last six games after losing 3-1 to Manchester City 'We have some games coming up where we need to turn it around quickly and start putting together a run of results.' Chelsea had already slumped down the table following previous defeats to Everton, Wolves, Arsenal. However, the west Londoners are now behind Everton and Aston Villa in the table with both sides having games in hand over Frank Lampard's side. Chelsea's fall from grace has come under scrutiny as the Blues were regarded as genuine title contenders following their first 11 league matches. There is also growing concern over Lampard's new signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz Pulisic says they are' in a tough period' but insists Frank Lampard's side must 'turn it around' There is also a growing concern over Lampard's new signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz as the two have failed to reach the heights expected of them. Former RB Leipzig striker Werner is now without a goal in nine league games despite scoring 28 times in 34 games for the German club last season. Meanwhile, 89m signing Havertz has scored in just two Chelsea matches since his arrival for Bayer Leverkusen. Pulisic is, however, hopeful that Chelsea will be able to change their fortune in their game against Fulham on January 15. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 03:15:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Mona Juul, permanent representative of Norway to the United Nations, speaks during a flag installation ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York, Jan. 4, 2021. India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway on Monday began to assume responsibilities as non-permanent members of the Security Council.(Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway on Monday began to assume responsibilities as non-permanent members of the Security Council. Their two-year term officially started on Jan. 1. But Monday is the first working day of the council for 2021 after the Christmas and New Year break. A flag installation ceremony was held at noon to mark the start of their responsibilities. Kazakh UN ambassador Magzhan Ilyassov, who presided over the ceremony, congratulated the five new council members and wished them success in realizing their priorities in their two-year term, which he described as "two crucial years of modern history." 2021 is a year of hope for all countries and for the United Nations. International peace, security and sustainable development in 2021 will largely depend on the decisions of the United Nations and the Security Council with its permanent and non-permanent members, he said. "Drawing on the hard but valuable lessons learned in 2020, we must analyze and use in our future work the best examples of collaboration, compromise and dedication to causes for further promoting and ensuring global peace, security and sustainable development. We need some real action to translate our current hopes into true benefits and positive changes for people and to implement the (UN) secretary-general's agenda for peace," he said. The permanent representatives of the five countries made short speeches before they installed their respective national flags outside the Security Council Chamber. The five countries replaced Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa. The 15-member Security Council has five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly. Five non-permanent members are replaced every year. Estonia, Niger, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam are in the middle of their two-year term as non-permanent members. Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images Those who enjoyed former first lady of San Francisco Kimberly Guilfoyle's high-volume speech at the Republican National Convention in August were treated to an encore performance at President Donald Trump's Georgia rally Monday night. Guilfoyle had the task of saying a few remarks in support of Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler ahead of Tuesday's runoff elections before introducing her boyfriend Donald Trump Jr. She used the same volume and inflection patterns she used at the RNC and received applause because she, well, had a live audience this time. The government is now in a hurry to start vaccination drive, the schedule for which will be announced soon New Delhi: Nine more cases of the new mutant variant of COVID-19 found in the United Kingdom were detected from the Indians who have returned from that country during genome sequencing by Indian labs. The total number of such cases has now reached 38. With the new mutant version of the virus in the air, the government is now in a hurry to start vaccination drive, the schedule for which will be announced soon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked the Indian scientists and their technical support staff for developing two indigenous vaccines. Indian scientists have developed two Made in India COVID-19 vaccines. The entire country is very grateful to them. We will soon start the world's largest vaccination programme, Prime Minister said during an event. Apart from already approved Covishield and Covaxin, ZyCoV-D by Zydus Cadila being made in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology has got approval for Phase III clinical trials. However, even before the vaccine procurement could begin huge controversy has already started surrounding vaccine licensing and approvals. Several health experts and Opposition leaders have raised concerns over the efficacy of the vaccines claiming there is not sufficient data and clinic trials too are not complete. However, union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and senior government officials rushed on Sunday to deny these allegations and ally the concerns while underlining that vaccine licenses are given only after approval under standard procedure, hence, all licensed vaccines are completely safe. On Monday Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella held a press conference to say that the concerns with regard to their vaccine Covaxin is unfound and that their product is no inferior to other vaccines in the market and is safe, like water". On Sunday, ICMR chief Dr Balram Bhargava said that Covaxin has the potential to fight the new mutated strain of the COVID-19 virus better than other vaccines. Ella said that Bharat Biotech is conducting clinical trials in more than 12 countries apart from with regard to Covaxin. We are not a company without experience in vaccines. We have tremendous experience in vaccines," adding that the vaccine showed 100 per cent protection during animal trials. Covaxin has shown less than 10 per cent adverse reactions, while others have 60-70 per cent adverse reactions. AstraZeneca (that is making the Oxford vaccine) was giving 4g paracetamol to volunteers to suppress such reactions. We have not given paracetamol to any volunteer. I can assure our vaccine is 200 per cent safe, the Bharat Biotech MD said. Ella asserted that backlash against Indian companies is not the right thing. "Many people are just gossiping, it's just a backlash against Indian companies. That is not right for us. We don't deserve that. Merck's Ebola vaccine never completed a human clinical trial at all but WHO gave emergency authorization for Liberia and Guinea," he said. He further said that Bharat Biotech expects to release the efficacy data of Covaxin's ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials by March. He also said that no interim analysis of the efficacy in the Phase 3 clinical trials has been done so far. Ella also underlined that Covaxin is an " inactivated vaccine and safe for 12 years and above age group. DCGI has also allowed Bharat Biotech to conduct its clinical trials on children above the age of 12 years. On a question if Covaxin will be effective on the new mutant UK strain of the virus, Ella said: Give me one weeks time, I will give you confirmed data. Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawala, told news agency Associated Press that the government has imposed a ban on the export of its vaccine Covashield. In addition there is also a prohibition for SII to launch or sell its vaccine in the private market and added the decision was also made to prevent hoarding. He said SII will be selling the first 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to the Indian government at a special price of Rs 200 per dose, after which the price will be hiked. According to the interview, the vaccine will be sold on the private market at Rs 1,000 per dose. India continues its streak of low daily new cases with 16,504 positives recorded in the last 24 hours. At 99.5 lakhs, India on Monday clocked the highest global cumulative recoveries. In view of improving COVID-19 situation, several states have gradually started opening schools and colleges. After reports that China's most famous billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has been missing in action for weeks, it has come to light that he is 'embracing supervision'. This has fuelled speculations that one of the world's richest men, Ma is either arrested or placed under house arrest. China has a track record of not revealing information on arrests of big personalities, so 'embracing supervision' could well mean jail. Coinciding with his disappearance is Chinese state-owned media's heated up online vitriol against Ma, which has suddenly increased. After Ma's recent wrangle with China's authoritarian regime over the regulatory issues, Chinese media outlets have desperately tried to change his image from "Uncle Horse" (Ma in Chinese means horse)" to a cruel and money-grabbing "vampire" businessman. He is being posed as the one who loves to exploit the poor in various government-leaning media outlets. Also Read: Alibaba's Jack Ma loses $11 billion in two months amid Chinese crackdown Jack Ma is 'embracing supervision', Hong Kong-based The Asia Times has quoted Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily as saying. He has been ordered not to leave the country. The People's Daily in a November piece also said Ma couldn't take Alibaba to such heights without the Chinese government's policies: "Ma Yun is savvy, but without the support of national policies, Ali will not be able to become a trillion business empire." Ma has not made any public appearance since November 2020, which has raised eyebrows over his whereabouts. He didn't even appear in the final episode of his own talent show, 'Africa's Business Heroes', which gives budding African entrepreneurs an opportunity to compete to win $1.5 million. Also Read: China intensifies crackdown on Jack Ma's fintech firm; reviews Ant Group's equity investments Ma's "horse" fell after Ma criticised China's regulatory system in October 2020, saying it has a "pawnshop mentality" and that the company like AliPay was unsuitable for financial regulatory structure like that of China's. Calling for reform in the country's regulatory system, Jack Ma blamed it for stifling business innovation and likened China's global banking regulations to an "old people's club." Coincidently, it happened just a few days before his company Ant Group was about to launch one of the world's biggest IPOs worth $37 billion in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Also Read: Alibaba's Jack Ma loses $11 billion in two months amid Chinese crackdown It's reported that Chinese authorities, unhappy over his tirade against them, pulled the plug citing Alibaba's enormous growth and launched an 'anti-monopoly' probe against his company. Another Chinese billionaire, JD.com's Liu Qiangdong has also come under Chinese government's "supervision". Chinese regulators have increased scrutiny over the Qiangdong-led company whose digital company JD Digital is eying to go public in future. Meanwhile, the investigation has led to a drop in Alibaba's shares by a quarter since their peak, wiping over $10 billion from his fortune. This resulted in him falling to third place on the list of China's richest people. Ma's current net worth is estimated at $63.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Also read: Jack Ma missing? Here's what we know so far Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Here are todays top news, analysis, and opinion at 9am. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Cops, Anganwadi workers to help in UPs vaccination dry run today Uttar Pradesh will conduct a dry run or a mock drill on Tuesday at six sites in every district to assess the preparedness for administering the vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The state government has released detailed guidelines for the statewide dry run which will start at 10am. Read more Yogi Adityanath warns action under National Security Act in crematorium case A day after 25 people were killed in the crematorium roof collapse in Ghaziabads Muradnagar area, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said such incidents were the result of poor monitoring of civil projects on the part of supervising officers and warned that the guilty would be punished under the National Security Act (NSA). Read more Congress announces financial assistance to families of deceased farmers Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday announced that the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) would provide a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of farmers who lost their lives during the farmers agitation. Read more Why a heavily depleted Indian pace attack can still make it count I know he has line and lengths to do that, but obviously, back-to-back overs in a Test match? I am not a hundred percent sure. Not exactly a ringing endorsement from his IPL captain, but Thangarasu Natarajan wouldnt expect Australia opener David Warner to boost his credentials at a time when a series is on the line. Read more Kriti Sanon fulfills her dream of riding a bike to this song on sets of Bachchan Pandey, reveals it was day 1 of learning. Watch Kriti Sanon recently got to fulfill one of her dreams and the video shared by her on Instagram is proof how happy the actor was to be able to accomplish her goal. She is seen riding a bike in the video and shared it with the Lucky Ali song Hairat playing in the background. Read more Can you guess what place is shown in these picturesque shots? Are you a nature lover? Do you enjoy travelling? If you answered yes to either or both of the questions asked above, then here is a tweet you must check out. This share, which encompasses two stunning images, shows a travel destination. See if you know where the location is. Read more Watch - Covid update: India blocks vaccine export; how Delhi will guard vaccines From India controlling the export of vaccines manufactured in the country, to details of Delhis security plan for vaccine storage centres - here are the top news updates on the Covid-19 pandemic. CEO of Serum Institute of India, which is producing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in India, said that regulators approved the inoculant for emergency use on the condition that it isnt exported initially. Watch here (CNN) Tons of trash have washed onto Bali's famous Kuta Beach, prompting locals to spend the first day of the new year staging a cleanup. Residents from the Badung area on the Indonesian island cleared 30 tons of marine debris from the beach, according to the state-run Antara news agency. "Some 70% of the marine debris is plastic waste," Colonel Made Mahaparta from the Udayana Regional Military Command told Antara. The trash was reportedly loaded onto trucks and transported to a landfill site. Plastic trash and other marine debris washes onto Kuta Beach every year during the monsoon season, said Badung's head of the Environment Office, Wayan Puja, Antara reported. The official blamed the problem on garbage mismanagement. Plastic pollution is a serious issue in Indonesia. In November 2018, a dead whale was found near Kapota Island in Wakatobi National Park, near Sulawesi, with 13.2 pounds (6 kg) of plastic waste in its stomach. In April, the Indonesian government launched a plan to dramatically reduce plastic waste in the country, Antara reported. It plans to cut ocean plastic waste by 70% by 2025, and go plastic pollution free by 2040. Though Kuta Beach faces the issue annually, unlike past years, far fewer travelers are around to see it at the moment. Like many popular destinations, Bali has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and remains closed to international tourists. During an interview in August 2020, Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, Bali's vice-governor and former chair of the island's hotel and restaurant association, told CNN Travel that reopening is critical to the island's economy. "The Covid-19 pandemic is the most devastating disaster for Bali tourism," he said. "It is much worse than the Bali bombings, both the first and the second, and worse than all the Mount Agung eruptions combined." This story was first published on CNN.com Bali's Kuta Beach cleared of tons of plastic waste Loading There were about 8000 people in zone 5 of the MCG's Great Southern Stand on the day the infected man was there, COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said. The man had not visited any high-risk Victorian exposure sites or travelled to NSW. Professor Allen Cheng, Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer, said the man did have contact with someone from NSW on Christmas Eve. However, that person does not report feeling unwell they are still waiting on test results so Professor Cheng said he believed it was unlikely that person passed on the virus. The decision to list Chadstone and the MCG as possible sites where the man may have contracted the virus was described as precautionary. There are several other locations where he was more likely to have caught it, Professor Cheng said. "To be honest, the household links and the people he visited are more likely to be links, but we're trying to be cautious," he said. "He has had a number of contacts in private houses. I think they would probably be more likely." Contact tracers believe they have a strong handle on everyone the man came into contact with after he fell sick, aided by his decision to self-isolate since December 31. He was tested on January 3 and received his result on January 5. Mr Weimar would not be drawn on whether the man felt compelled to wait four days to get tested because of the long queues at testing centres. Professor Cheng said one of the man's housemates has since developed symptoms and was awaiting his results. Shoppers line up the Culture Kings store in Chadstone shopping centre on Boxing Day. Credit:Getty Images The Boxing Day Test is the first in a long line of high-profile events scheduled over the next few months, including the Australian Open. Professor Cheng said all major events planned over the next few weeks, including Big Bash cricket games at the MCG and Marvel Stadium, will go ahead as planned. COVID-safe plans for the events will be double checked. Loading At Chadstone, possible sites for the source of the man's infection include the following stores, on December 26 between 6am and 2pm: Culture Kings, Huffer, JD Sports, Jay Jays, H&M, Uniqlo, Myer, Superdry, Foot Locker and Dumplings Plus (lower ground food court). Mr Weimar said health authorities did not believe the latest coronavirus case was linked to a person who worked at a Boost Juice kiosk, located outside the Bonds store, between 6pm and 11pm on December 29, and later tested positive for COVID-19. A spokesman for Vicinity Centres, which owns Chadstone, said the shopping centre was working closely with impacted retailers to ensure everyone who was on-site on Boxing Day was tested. "At Chadstone we have an increased cleaning roster in place, which included 140 cleaners on Boxing Day, with additional focus on specific areas including balustrades, retailer door handles, vertical transport, toilets, sinks, change tables and parents rooms, customer entry and touch points, information screens, as well as communal furniture throughout the centre. This will continue for the foreseeable future," he said. However, the spokesman did not say how many shoppers were at Chadstone between 6am and 2pm on Boxing Day. The mystery case is the only new local case of coronavirus in the past day. Two additional cases have been detected in international travellers in hotel quarantine. There are now 41 active cases in the state. The total number of test results received on Tuesday was 37,509. To date, there have been seven public transport services identified as possible exposure sites. To assist with contact tracing, the government is asking everyone using Victoria's buses, trains and trams to register their myki cards through the Public Transport Victoria website. Health Minister Martin Foley said the Black Rock cluster, and the new mystery case, underlined the need for a hard border with NSW. The cluster had already been linked to NSW. Genomic work to determine where the mystery case came from is under way, but Mr Foley said it was likely that case was linked to NSW as well. He said the hard border would remain until Victoria was confident NSW had its outbreak under control. "At the moment, we aren't that confident, so the border remains in place," he said. "It is unlikely the border will be removed before the end of January. But this is a day-to-day, week-to-week proposition. "We see evidence of NSW virus spread in both numbers and geographic distribution. We want to make sure the Victorian community has every protection in place. "We can and should get on top of this cluster. But were not there yet. And we won't be for a little while yet." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video University of Melbourne senior research fellow Jason Thompson said the genomic testing of the new Melbourne mystery case would be of great interest. "If it does link back to the NSW quarantine breach, it is again a demonstration of the importance of mobility and movement in fuelling new outbreaks and making it all the more difficult to manage." Dr Thompson, who was a member of the research team that provided scientific modelling to help inform the Victorian government's road map out of lockdown, said it was interesting that public health officials were tracking the mystery case's movements through his mobile phone. He said this information was "extremely valuable" and it was "fantastic that the option is available for people who are happy to oblige". Meanwhile, Gippsland MP Darren Chester has called on the Victorian government to show greater compassion and common sense towards the thousands of Victorians stranded in NSW by the hard border closure. The state government shut the border to NSW on January 1, as that state deals with its own COVID-19 cases. Mr Chester, a Nationals MP, said many Victorians had travelled to COVID-free "green zones" in NSW, believing they would be safe to return, before the borders were shut. They were now stranded through no fault of their own, he said. Loading "We need to be more compassionate than this. We need to find a pathway back for people who have not done anything wrong," Mr Chester told ABC Radio National. "Large parts of NSW were described as a green zone. People took that to mean 'green means go'. There are a lot of people who have travelled to those parts of NSW who thought they were doing the right thing." Mr Chester suggested Victoria should allow people who had visited only green zones to get tested for COVID-19 in NSW and then quarantine at home. But generally, he said, the states needed to be less trigger-happy about closing borders. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to the Punjab govt and the Centre on a plea filed by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, seeking action against 'miscreants' damaging its telecom infrastructure BJP leaders from Punjab on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day after seventh round of negotiations with farmers to convince them in favour of the three new farm laws drew a blank. On the other hand, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha on Tuesday called for a meeting at the Singhu border to decide on the future course of action for the protests against the farm laws as the govetnment has shown no interest in repealing the laws, one of the key demands of the protesting farmers. Camping at Delhi borders for over a month now, protesting farmers seem undeterred in the face of severe cold, rains and waterlogging, and firm on their demands which include repeal of farm laws and legal backing for Minimum Support Price even as talks with the government remained inconclusive. Protesters at Singhu border (Delhi- Haryana) affected due to continuous rainfall#FarmLawspic.twitter.com/lufaPTNNui ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 The farmer unions have so far stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of the new farm laws they find pro-corporate, while the government has been wanting to discuss only "problematic" clauses or other alternatives. The two sides will meet again on 8 January. Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to the Punjab government and the Centre on a plea filed by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, seeking action against "miscreants" damaging its telecom infrastructure and forcibly closing its stores in the state. BJP leaders from Punjab meet PM Modi BJP leaders from Punjab on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid protests by farmers at Delhi's borders. BJP leaders Surjit Kumar Jyani, who is also a former Punjab minister, and Harjit Singh Grewal met the prime minister at his residence. Jyani was chairing the BJP's Kisan Coordination Committee for interacting with farmers in Punjab last year on the three farm bills which at that time had not been passed by Parliament. Grewal was also a member of the committee. Talking to PTI, Grewal said their meeting with Prime Minister Modi was about Punjab related issues but did not specify further. Farmers defer 6 Jan tractor march to 7 Jan Protesting farmer unions on Tuesday deferred their proposed tractor march from 6 January to 7 January due to a bad weather forecast, even as they asserted they will intensify their stir in the coming days. Addressing a press conference at Singhu Border, union leaders said thousands of farmers will take out the tractor march from all protest sites to the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) on 7 January. Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said the decision to defer the march was taken over the forecast of bad weather conditions on Wednesday. The city has been receiving rains sporadically over the past three days. The unions said the agitation against the three agriculture laws will be intensified in the coming days. Talking about their other proposed tractor march to Delhi on 26 January, farmer leader Joginder Nain said, "We will send 10 tractor trollies from every village in Haryana. We request people to come at least one from a house. and a total of 11 women from a village." HC issues notices to Punjab govt, Centre The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Punjab government and the Centre on a petition filed by Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecom arm of Reliance Industries, seeking action against damage to its infrastructure in the state, PTI reported. During the ongoing agitation by farmers against three new farm laws enacted by the Centre, over 1500 mobile towers in Punjab have been damaged. Reliance Jio, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, on Monday, submitted in its plea that "vested" interests are engaged in spreading "false rumours" against it and that the petitioner, its parent company and its affiliates had no plans to enter corporate or contract farming. Justice Sudhir Mittal has issued a notice of motion for 8 February, according to Aashish Mittal, the counsel for Reliance Jio. The company has made the state of Punjab through its chief secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Telecommunications and the Punjab Director General of Police as respondents in the matter. Opposition accuses Centre of favouring 'wealthy people' over farmers Meanwhile, Opposition parties continued to attack the Centre over the farm laws. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the BJP of favouring wealthy people over farmers. Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of apathy towards the death of "over 60 farmers". The government should shed its arrogance and repeal the agri laws against which farmers are protesting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday. Modi Govts apathy & arrogance have claimed lives of over 60 farmers. Instead of wiping their tears, GOI is busy attacking them with tear gas. Such brutality, just to promote crony capitalists business interests. Repeal the anti-farm laws.#___ Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 5, 2021 Congress leader P Chidambaram in a tweet said: "Who is responsible for the failure of the 7th round of talks with the farmers and what is the reason? The reasons are the stubbornness of the central government and the arrogance of not admitting its mistake." In a Hindi tweet, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The biggest problem with the BJP government is that it does not consider itself as a public representative (jan pratinidhi) but as wealth representative (dhan pratinidhi). Hence, for the wealthy people, it is putting farmers' interest at stake, he said, adding that the BJP has forgotten that those whom it is causing harm constitute the two-third population of the country and never accept defeat. Earlier too, the Samajwadi Party chief had accused the BJP of giving importance to its "capitalist friends" and said the farmers' protest against the new agriculture laws is an example of the government's "failure". Assembly session to be convened to pass resolution against laws: Mamata Continuing her tirade against the Centre over the new farm laws, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said arrangements would soon be made to convene an assembly session to pass a resolution against the contentious legislation. With assembly polls knocking at the door, Banerjee also hinted that she was ready to implement the PM-Kisan scheme in Bengal, and said she had asked the Centre to share details of all those who have registered themselves on the Union government's portal for the programme. Banerjee, however, asserted that said she would never allow the implementation of the three farm laws, which have sparked protests across the country. "We are against those farm laws. We would soon convene an assembly session for a day or two and pass a resolution against the anti-farmer laws," Banerjee said. Bengal, if it passes the resolution, would become the sixth state in the country to do so, after Kerala, Delhi, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. With inputs from PTI The drama film "Minari" has won four prizes, including best picture, from a U.S. film critics association, boosting hopes for an award at the upcoming Academy Awards. The North Carolina Film Critics Association announced Monday (local time) that "Minari," directed and written by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung, was awarded best narrative film, beating "Da 5 Bloods," "Nomadland," "Promising Young Woman" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7." It is the first time that Chung's semi-autobiographical film took a top prize during the ongoing award season in the run-up to the Oscars. Director Chung also earned the best original screenplay title, while South Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung, who took the role of the eccentric grandmother in the movie, won best supporting actress. American actor Will Patton, who also stars in "Minari," was given the Ken Hanke Memorial Tarheel Award, honoring a film or performer with a special connection to North Carolina. "Minari" depicts first-generation immigrants from Korea in pursuit of their own American dream from the point of view of a seven-year-old boy named David (Alan Kim) and his parents, Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica (Han Yeri). The film has emerged as a contender at the Academy Awards, to be held in April, since winning the jury and audience awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival. It has received best screenplay prizes from several film critics circles and festivals, including the North Carolina Film Critics, the Florida Film Critics Circle and the Capri Hollywood International Film Festival. In particular, actress Youn has been leading the race for best supporting actress, grabbing multiple trophies from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, the North Carolina Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and others. (Yonhap) Burlington, Iowa--(Newsfile Corp. - January 4, 2021) - It was announced today that World Insurance Associates (WIA) has finalized a deal to purchase Two Rivers Insurance Company (TRIC) from Two Rivers Financial Group (OTC Pink: TRVR). This includes Two Rivers Insurance Services (TRIS) and Employee Benefits Systems (EBS). "We are pleased that this transaction will allow TRIS and EBS to be in the national network of WIA's regional insurance agencies, allowing our customers to have access to more carriers at competitive prices," said Ned Skinner, chairman of TRIC. TRIC, which will keep its name, will continue to be headquartered in Burlington and offices in Ft. Madison, West Des Moines, and Earlham will remain operational. All current employees have transferred to WIA and Todd Ackerman will continue as President and CEO. "TRIC has been an important part of the Two Rivers Financial Group portfolio since 1999," said Frank Delany, chairman of Two Rivers Financial Group. "We are confident the business will be in good hands with WIA which has been recognized as a Top 100 US Broker, Top 100 US P/C Agency and has been named a Best Place to Work for the past two years." The transaction became final on December 31, 2020. Marsh, Berry & Company, Inc. acted as financial advisor to Two Rivers Financial Group. About Two Rivers Financial Group: Two Rivers Financial Group, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary of Two Rivers Bank & Trust, offers financial solutions encompassing banking and trust and investment management services with locations in Ankeny, Bettendorf, Burlington, Coralville, Keokuk, Des Moines, Iowa City, Mediapolis, Mount Pleasant, West Burlington, and West Des Moines. For more information, please visit www.tworivers.bank. About MarshBerry: Founded in 1981, MarshBerry serves the Insurance Brokerage industry and helps insurance agents & brokers, specialty distributors, private equity firms, banks & credit unions and insurance carries through industry-specific services that include: Merger & Acquisition Advisory, Debt & Equity Capital Raising, Organic Growth Consulting, Intellectual Capital and Connect-Peer Exchange Network. Learn more www.MarshBerry.com. CONTACT: Stacey Meyer 222 North Main Street P.O. Box 728 Burlington, IA 52601 319-753-9145 smeyer@trfgia.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71322 External Affairs Minister Dr will begin his three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday and is expected to discuss the bilateral issues with his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During his visit, the Minister will hold a discussion with his counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena and Sri Lanka's leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations, the MEA said in a statement. "At the invitation of the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunawardena, External Affairs Minister Dr will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from 5-7 January 2021," the statement read. This will be the first foreign visit by the Minister in 2021, and also the first by a foreign dignitary to Sri Lanka in the New Year. "As such, it signifies the priority both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest," the statement read. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said on Tuesday that together with the Sudans Commission for Refugees (COR), it has continued to relocate the refugees arriving from Ethiopia from the arrival locations at the border to the designated refugee camps, further inland in Sudans Gedaref State U.S. oil prices have stayed relatively stable at around $40 a barrel since the start of the summer, having rebounded from the negative price of -$37 per barrel on April 20, EIA data shows. The collapse of oil demand due to the lockdowns in the spring and the building of inventories at the key U.S. hub at Cushing, Oklahoma, contributed to the plunge of the West Texas Intermediate prices in April. On April 20, the price of WTI Crude crashed below zero to close at -$37 a barrelthe first time the WTI Crude futures contract had fallen below zero since trading began in 1983. On April 21, the international benchmark, Brent Crude, crashed to below $10 a barrelat $9.12 per barrel, its lowest daily price in decades. Curtailed refinery operations and inventory builds in the spring of 2020 were some of the reasons for the oil price meltdown in April. According to a recent report by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, unusually high open interest in WTI Crude futures was another cause for the benchmark plunging into negative territory. The high open interest, the report said, coincided with a shortage in storage space and the unprecedented destruction of demand resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The report added that open interest in WTI reached 634,727 contracts on April 2. This compared to a 12-month average peaking at 430,000 contracts. Since the crash in April, U.S. oil prices began to recover by June and reached the $40 a barrel mark on July 1. WTI Crude prices have largely remained around that price level for most of 2020. Prices began to rise from the low $40s in November when encouraging news about vaccines gave market participants hope that economic and oil demand recovery would speed up in 2021 with the rollout of vaccines. At 10:06 a.m. ET on Tuesday, WTI Crude traded at $49.51 a barrel, up by 3.97 percent on the day, as the market was expecting the OPEC+ decision on production for February after talks stalled on Monday and were adjourned until Tuesday. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Police Chief Warns New Congresswoman About Carrying Gun in Washington Washingtons police chief on Monday warned Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) that she is subject to the District of Columbias laws while carrying a weapon, apart from an exception that enables her to carry legally to the U.S. Capitol complex. There are no exceptions in the District of Columbia, as you mentioned, with the exception of being able to carry on U.S. Capitol Police property. For the District of Columbia, we plan to reach out to the congresswomans office to make sure that she is aware of what the laws of the District of Columbia are, what the restrictions are, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee III told reporters during a press conference, when asked about Boeberts plans. And that congresswoman, whoever it is, I guess was from Colorado, you know, would be subjected to the same penalties for anyone else thats caught on a District of Columbia street carrying a firearmunlawfully, I might add, he added. In an emailed statement, Boeberts office told The Epoch Times, Congresswoman Boebert is a fierce advocate for the Second Amendment, as such she will comply with all applicable firearm laws and regulations. Boebert has said for weeks she planned to carry a gun on Capitol grounds, saying a weapon would help her protect herself. In a new video featuring the representative, Boebert is seen holstering her weapon and walking on the street in Washington. Even though I now work in one of the most liberal cities in America, I refuse to give up my rightsespecially my Second Amendment rights, she says. I will carry my firearm in D.C. and in Congress. Then-Rep.-elect Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) in Washington on Dec. 4, 2020. (Tal Atzmon/The Epoch Times) Boebert, who owned a restaurant where servers carried guns before running for office, cited the high crime rate in the city and said shed be walking to work every morning by herself. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, told reporters that this is serious business. We should all take very seriously an Americans ability to exercise his or her First Amendment rights, and we do. But we also have to know that we have a serious threat to our democracy right now, she said, referring to planned protests this week. Officials on Monday revealed the National Guard was activated to help support police during the protests, which will take place as Congress counts electoral votes. Over a dozen Democratic lawmakers last month wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), asking that the exception allowing members of Congress to carry on Capitol grounds be abolished. Ultimately, the current regulations create needless risk for members of Congress, their staff, members of the Capitol Police, and visitors to the Capitol grounds, the lawmakers wrote in their letter. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. ATLANTA Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration. It marks the first time the couple, 96 and 93, will have missed the ceremonies since Carter was sworn in as the 39th president in 1977. A spokeswoman at The Carter Center in Atlanta said the Carters have sent Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their best wishes and look forward to a successful administration. Biden was a young Delaware senator and Carter ally during the Georgians term in the White House. The Carters have spent the coronavirus pandemic mostly at their home in Plains, Georgia, where both were raised and where they returned after leaving the White House in 1981. Carter, a Democrat, became the longest-lived American president in March 2019, surpassing former President George H.W. Bush, who died the previous November. Carter survived a melanoma diagnosis that spread to his brain in 2015. He has since had several falls and hip replacement surgery. He no longer teaches Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, as he had for decades, but still participates in church activities via video amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Carter was the first former president to confirm his plans to attend President Donald Trumps inauguration in 2017. The Carters were seated on the aisle, next to former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush. The elder Bush was the lone former president at the time who did not attend Trumps inauguration. The Carters did travel to Washington for the elder Bushs funeral. [January 05, 2021] New National Partnership Strengthens Talent Within Canada's Life Science Industry BioTalent Canada today announced a new partnership with the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL). Offering multiple applied learning streams and pathways for individuals to kickstart careers in life sciences, CASTL joins more than 60 bio-economy companies, associations and post-secondary institutions as part of the BioTalent Canada national partnership network. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005089/en/ Life sciences continues to be an area of high demand, from COVID-19 vaccines and diagnostics, to understanding climate change and feeding the world sustainably. CASTL is a first-of-its-kind partnership between academia, industry, and government to address the future skills needs of the Canadian life sciences sector. It delivers on the economic and sectoral demand for individuals who are work-ready to enter, thrive and meet the needs of the Canadian bioscience industry, a key pillar of Canada's economy. CASTL aims to fill the talent pipeline with highly skilled and qualified candidates to meet the needs of the growing bioscience industry. Through industry-supported Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL) placements, learners will be prepared to grow a career in the bioscience sector, with a competitive edge. By collaborating on WIL placements, CASTL offers employers an early opportunity to identify potential new hires. CASTL's unique value is its connection to industry and the rigour applied to its WIL placements. BioTalent Canada's recently launched "Essential Skills Fundamentals" and "Technical Skills Fundamentals" courses are best-in-class and designed with extensive input from industry as well as post-secondary academia. These courses will support CASTL's learning streams including post-secondary learners, individuals looking to enter the life sciences industry through reskilling, as well as those currently employed in the sector, by helping them develop fundamental knowledge and skills. "The partnership with BioTalent Canada is a great fit as we share a commitment to ensuring the pipeline of talent for industry remains flush with candidates ready to contribute to the success of the bio-economy," says Christopher Gillis, Executive Director, CASTL. "No matter who you are, CASTL offers learners a place to kickstart or grow a career in life sciences, through specialized training." "BioTalent Canada is always looking for ways to strengthen its relationships with academia, industry, and government stakeholders," says Rob Henderson, President and CEO of BioTalent Canada. "CASTL's entire raison d'etre aligns well with our own. This partnership will be mutually beneficial as we continue our journey towards securing Canada's place as a biotech leader." BioTalent Canada's partnership network brings together bio-economy employers, national and regional associations, municipalities, post-secondary institutions, service providers and immigrant serving agencies. The PetriDish-Canada's only national bilingual biotech job board-connects employers to more than 17,400 skilled job seekers. Visit biotalent.ca/partners to learn more about BioTalent Canada's Partnership Plus Program. About BioTalent Canada BioTalent Canada is the HR partner of and catalyst for growth in Canada's bio-economy. Our engagement with employers, associations, post-secondary institutions, immigrant serving agencies and service providers has built a dynamic network that is strengthening skills, connecting job-ready talent to industry and creating opportunities. Recently awarded a Great Place to Work Certification, BioTalent Canada practices the same industry standards they recommend to their stakeholders. For more information visit biotalent.ca. About the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is a first-of-its-kind partnership between academia, industry, and government to address the future skills needs of the Canadian life sciences sector. Led by the PEI BioAlliance, along with partners Acadia University, Holland College, Universite de Moncton, University of Prince Edward Island, BioTalent Canada, the National Research Council, and numerous industry partners, CASTL offers multiple applied learning streams for individuals to acquire the academic knowledge, and technical and professional skills to have a successful career in life sciences. peibioalliance.com/castl View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005089/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] GCSE and A-level pupils face having grades decided by their teachers again this summer after a furious row erupted last night over the decision to cancel exams for the second year in a row. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson came in for fierce criticism over the move as there is no definite plan in place to replace exams. A former chief inspector of education watchdog Ofsted claimed Mr Williamson had got a lot wrong while top private schools said the cancellation of exams looked premature. Pupils now face limbo as a new system is drawn up, with the exams regulator Ofqual asked to embark on a consultation before a decision is taken. The process will mean pupils are likely to be waiting weeks if not months for a plan although it is strongly suspected grades allotted by teachers will play a crucial role. Ex-Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said of Mr Williamson: He has got a lot wrong up to now, hasnt he? Asked if he should resign, Sir Michael replied: He gets other people to resign permanent secretaries and the head of Ofqual. He has got to take final accountability for what has gone on. Ministers dont tend to resign for mistakes they have made now in the way that they did before. Meanwhile, leading private schools came out strongly against the decision to cancel exams. Dr Simon Hyde, of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference, which represents schools such as Eton and Harrow, said: HMC believes that any decision to cancel all exams in England this summer would be premature. 'With the hope of the vaccine on the horizon and the Government now taking stringent lockdown measures, teachers and students can be more confident that public examinations can go ahead safely in June. He added: Students in Years 11 and 13 must not have the rug pulled from under their learning. They have suffered much. Asked if its position meant all GCSE and A Levels in England were being cancelled, the DfE said it had no further comment. It comes after Boris Johnson failed to guarantee all pupils in England will be back in school classrooms before the summer holidays. Meanwhile MailOnline has been inundated with emails from worried parents and students over the classroom chaos. In other schools news today: Prime Minister Johnson's Cabinet was bitterly divided over the decision to close schools; Mr Johnson defended his screeching coronavirus U-turn that closed schools as part of the new national lockdown in England; The BBC is unveiling its 'biggest education offer in history' as schools across the country lock down; One in 50 of the population of England - around a million people - are infected with coronavirus; Mr Johnson promised to update the nation on Britain's Covid vaccination drive every day starting next week. Charlotte Rose assists one of her children, who is home schooled in Milton Keynes today Year 6 pupils at Manor Park School and Nursery in Knutsford, Cheshire, return after the Christmas break Students return to Perry Court E-Act Academy for a new term in Bristol on Monday morning The education secretary said he recognised it was 'an anxious time for students' working towards their tests In a televised address on Monday announcing England's third lockdown, Mr Johnson acknowledged shutting schools meant 'it's not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer, as normal'. In a statement, Mr Williamson said: 'It is now vital that we support our young people at home, including making sure all students are receiving the best possible remote education, and that those students who were due to take exams can still progress to their next stage of education or training.' The process will mean pupils are likely to be waiting weeks if not months for a plan although it is strongly suspected grades allotted by teachers will play a crucial role. It is believed civil servants are in favour of building on the successful aspects of last year's grading operation, while steering well clear of 'mutant algorithms' or unfairnesses. Q&A: What has happened and what will replace exams? What has happened? All GCSEs and A-levels have been abandoned for the second year in a row, after Boris Johnson instructed schools to shut for a lengthy spell amid the third national lockdown. The fate of technical and vocational qualifications scheduled for this month remains uncertain after ministers said they could still go ahead but met with major opposition from colleges and students. What will replace GCSEs and A-levels? Since pupils are certain to lose out on at least half a term of crucial learning in important exam years following last year's mayhem the Government believes that even watered-down exams would end up being significantly unfair to those pupils living in regions worst-hit by the virus or in families where remote learning is harder. Therefore the emphasis is likely to be on teacher-assessed grades formulated by education staff who know their students best. Is the plan certain? No. Although Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is set to tell MPs about his priorities for exam year groups today, the new system will need to be looked at by the exams regulator, Ofqual, which will have to consult schools and teachers about plans and attempt to root out any potential flaws in the system which could lead to unfairness. This means students are likely to face a significant delay before the plans are set in stone. What happened last year? Wasn't it a disaster? Exams were also cancelled in 2020. Teachers were asked to come up with grades and a ranking order for their pupils. Although not without difficulties, this side of things proceeded relatively smoothly. However chaos struck when Ofqual processed the marks through a programme dubbed a 'mutant algorithm' by Boris Johnson. This led to thousands of students being downgraded unfairly, triggering a U-turn and the abandonment of the entire 'moderation' process. With new leaders in place following the scandal, Ofqual is almost certain to avoid any repeat of a reliance on computerised exam referees, although some system will still need to be thought up to tackle potential abuses. Advertisement This means teachers' judgments will be at the forefront of grading like in summer 2020 and they are likely to be encouraged to give the benefit of the doubt to teenagers robbed of classroom routine. In a statement to MPs on Wednesday, Mr Williamson is only expected to float ideas. Ofqual said: 'We are considering a number of options to ensure the fairest possible outcome in the circumstances. We will update as soon as we can.' Robert Halfon, chairman of the Education Select Committee, said Mr Williamson needed to 'make a policy and stick to it' while guaranteeing a 'level playing field'. He said: 'Everyone has been marched up the hill and down again so they need to come up with a decision that is clear and understandable and does what it says on the tin.' The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, which represents almost 300 leading private schools, said cancelling exams would be 'premature'. General Secretary Dr Simon Hyde said: 'Whilst it is important that the learning loss which some students have experienced is accounted for, and that disadvantaged pupils are not further disadvantaged, HMC believes that any decision to cancel all exams in England this summer would be premature.' He added: 'The best way of ensuring fairness is not by cancelling all examinations but by externally moderating assessment in whatever form it takes. We require decisive leadership and a willingness to compromise to bring about such a system. Our students deserve no less.' Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, said there is no 'perfect solution to assessment arrangements for Year 11 and Year 13 pupils given the current course of the virus'. He acknowledged there is a range of views across the education sector and 'many students will be disappointed to lose the opportunity to put their learning to the test through traditional exams'. He added: 'It is now for the Government and Ofqual to work with education professionals to produce a fair system of assessment that will reward all our young people with the grades they deserve.' Ex-Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said of Mr Williamson: 'He has got a lot wrong up to now, hasn't he?' Asked if he should resign, Sir Michael replied: 'He gets other people to resign permanent secretaries and the head of Ofqual. He has got to take final accountability for what has gone on. Ministers don't tend to resign for mistakes they have made now in the way that they did before.' He told Radio 4's The World At One the Department for Education was not 'being led well', insisting: 'If you talk to headteachers - I talk to them regularly as an ex-head - they lack confidence in leadership that they are receiving.' Despite facing calls to cancel this month's Btec exams in light of the lockdown, the Government has left it to school and college leaders to decide whether they want to go ahead with the vocational exam series. The decision came after ministers faced calls to cancel the January exams. Elsewhere, the issue of whether exams such as GCSEs will go ahead in Northern Ireland has not been resolved. It is understood the Education Minister will bring proposals to the Executive on Wednesday. Earlier the Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference that he is 'optimistic' that 'things really will be very different by the spring'. Boris Johnson tonight failed to guarantee that all pupils across in England will be back in the classroom before the summer holidays But he was unable to give parents, pupils and teachers a firm assurance that face-to-face teaching will be able to resume during the current academic year. It followed him announcing last night all schools and colleges across the country have to remain closed as part of his new coronavirus lockdown. The closure of schools is due to last until the middle of February at the earliest when the lockdown is due to be reviewed. The massive disruption to learning has forced ministers to tear up plans for A-level and GCSE exams to go ahead broadly as normal in May and June. How could A-level and GCSE students be assessed in 2021? Have GCSE and A-level exams been cancelled? Michael Gove confirmed today that they would be axed with no further details given. How will the children be assessed? The Government will announce more details tomorrow after talks with Ofqual. However Mr Gove left the door ajar for some form of new testing or assessments, even if children are off for the next seven weeks. He said: 'One of the things about assessment is it involves students doing particular tasks which are then assessed' What are the alternatives? The most likely outcome is a grade based on coursewor and teacher assessment. But the Telegraph has reported that for GCSEs and A-levels 'one option under consideration is for some core subjects, such as maths and English, to be examined, with other subjects reverting to course assessment'. Many colleges are planning to do mock exams in March after lockdown which can be considered for predicted grades. What happened last year? No exams took place last summer, with GCSE and A-level grades based on teacher assessments. Initially Gavin Williamson insisted on using a computer algorithm that was scrapped at the 11th hour. Advertisement Mr Johnson was told at this evening's briefing parents want 'realism' from the Government on when pupils will be able to move from remote learning back to class. Asked whether he could tell parents all children will definitely be back in schools before the summer holidays, Mr Johnson replied: 'I just go back to the answer really I gave to Robert Peston. 'We think that with the vaccination programme we can do a huge amount to take out of the path of the virus those who are most vulnerable. 'That clearly offers opportunities to our country to do things differently, to approach the whole issue of non-pharmaceutical interventions very differently. 'I am full of the same optimism and fundamental hope about the position that I think that things really will be very different by the spring and that is what I would certainly say to every parent in the land.' Mr Johnson had earlier been asked by Mr Peston from ITV how confident he is that lockdown measures will be lifted by March. The PM said: 'I think it all depends. Our ability to come out of the lockdown measures, our ability to get through this fast, depends on a number things.' Mr Johnson cited the roll-out of vaccinations and people following lockdown rules as two factors which will have a significant impact on when the rules can be eased. The PM decided to announce the closure of schools last night just one day after he had encouraged parents to send their children back to classrooms this week. The closure plans mean schools and colleges are shut to all but vulnerable children and the children of key workers, with everyone else switching to remote learning. Shutting schools has plunged the academic year into chaos, with Mr Johnson telling pupils that 'alternative arrangements' will have to be made for exams this summer. The Department for Education and exam regulator Ofqual are now trying to hammer out exactly how pupils will be assessed. The Government's official lockdown guidance on exams states: 'In the circumstances, we do not think it is possible for all exams in the summer to go ahead as planned. 'We will accordingly be working with Ofqual to consult rapidly to put in place alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly. 'Public exams and vocational assessments scheduled to take place in January will go ahead as planned.' Slides presented at tonight's Downing Street briefing showed that one in 50 people in England are thought to be infected with coronavirus Timeline: PM's path to Lockdown 3 and how Gavin Williamson threatened to sue shutting schools before the Boris closed them October 14 Boris Johnson rules out a two-week circuit breaker after calls from Labour. October 31 The PM announces a four-week lockdown beginning on November 5. December 2 National lockdown ends but a new tier system is brought in, with London and the south-east in Tier 2 and areas of the north in Tier 3. December 14 London and Essex is moved into Tier 3 as Matt Hancock reveals a new mutant strain of Covid has been found. December 15 Boris Johnsons rules out more Christmas restrictions and said: 'I want to be clear, we don't want to ban Christmas' Gavin Williamson threatens councils who shut schools with legal action and forces Greenwich schools to reopen after one day December 19 The Government announces a new Tier 4 - and bans mixing at Christmas for much of the country December 22 SAGE scientists recommend shutting schools as a way to keep the 'R' around or below 1 December 28 Gavin Williams convinces Boris Johnson not to shut primary schools and open most on time on January 4 But secondaries are later closed until January 18 January 3 2021 Boris Johnson says parents in England should send primary school children to school saying they are 'safe. It is very, very important to stress that and the risk to kids, to young people, to staff is very small'. January 4 Boris Johnson announces national lockdown and shuts all schools because they could be acting as 'vectors for transmission'. Advertisement The Government had previously been adamant that exams would be sat in 2021 after the closure of schools meant they had to be scrapped last year and students were instead awarded their predicted grades. Headteachers have urged Mr Johnson to call off the tests again because 'wider public health, pupil and staff safety should be prioritised ahead of examinations.' Furious students and parents claimed it was simply 'not fair' to make teenagers sit exams when in-person contact hours are being so severely curtailed. Kelly Saunders' daughter Jody is taking her BTEC exams this week. She said: 'This year's kids have missed school from March to July and then been hit and miss since September. 'My daughter is 17 and in sixth form and she will have missed pretty much a year of the 18 month course she is doing on science, dance and photography. 'She had no work set at all in the first lockdown for photography and barely anything for the other two subjects. 'She has exams next week as they are Btecs and it seems they are still going ahead. But with no preparation. It's such a mess and she is fuming'. Lyndsey Brand's daughter Isabelle, 18, and son Harry, 15, were both due to take their exams this summer. Mrs Brand said: 'We have yet to hear from either school however I expect this is due to the schools not having formulated a plan in response to last night's news. 'The provision at both schools for online learning has been fantastic but obviously it is not the same as being in a class room with teacher led sessions. 'All I hope is that my daughter achieves the grades she needs to move on to the next stage of her education at university and my son achieves the grades he deserves. 'Hopefully no algorithms or class ranking system. Just a series of tests to establish what level they are working at'. Shannon Harper, 20, did two years of study at the royal academy of music but took a gap year to study science A-levels to get a place on a chemical engineering course. She said: 'This news has come like a wrecking ball to my plans as I am sitting the a levels independently and therefore do not have a school to rely on to accommodate me. 'I am extremely concerned that many other people in my position will be bottom of the government's list of consideration. 'Furthermore, I have paid over 5000 in order to sit these A-levels, a sum that has nearly decimated my savings, notwithstanding all the money I've paid in rent and food.' Jody Saunders (left)and Shannon Harper (right) are among those suffering today after schools were shut and exams cancelled at the 11th hour. Jodi is one of thousands still doing BTEC exams in stressful circumstances Lyndsey Brand's daughter Isabelle, 18, and son Harry, 15, were both due to take their exams this summer after years of hard work A family in Knutsford, Cheshire, watch Prime Minister Boris Johnson making a televised address to the nation from 10 Downing Street as he shut all schools until February 22 Year 9 student Isla Stanton, 14, begins her home learning in Ashford, Kent, following Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordering a new national lockdown BBC unveils 'biggest education offer in its history' The BBC is unveiling its 'biggest education offer in history' as schools across the country lock down. CBBC will broadcast a three-hour block of primary school programming from 9am each weekday, starting on January 11, the corporation has announced. These will include BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily, along with other educational programming such as Our School and Celebrity Supply Teacher, Horrible Histories, Art Ninja and Operation Ouch. It comes as England enters its third lockdown in less than a year, with Boris Johnson cancelling A Level and GCSE exams and closing all primary and secondary schools. Tim Davie, BBC Director General, says: 'Ensuring children across the UK have the opportunity to continue to follow the appropriate core parts of their nation's school curriculum has been a key priority for the BBC throughout this past year. 'Education is absolutely vital - the BBC is here to play its part and I'm delighted that we have been able to bring this to audiences so swiftly.' BBC Two will offer content for secondary students with programming to support the GCSE curriculum, with a least two hours of content each weekday. Advertisement Debbie Powell, from Shropshire, said: 'My concern as a parent of a year 11 pupil is how much cancelling GCSE exams will affect him with future opportunities and employment, will he be seen as one of the coronavirus generation and his grades questioned because he never took the exams? 'I feel so sorry for what will be an educationally damaged generation who may never know what their true potential was'. Julia Raned from London wrote: 'My son is taking his GCSEs this year and he had his mocks planned in early December. The day before his first mock he was told to self isolate for 14 days. 'We knew over Christmas he would come back and sit his mocks on the 5th, then his excellent head teacher sent a revised timetable for the mocks starting on the 6th instead of the 5th. 'We spent all day yesterday together with me helping him revise for his chemistry GCSE mock only for that to be cancelled again last night at 8pm. Aai'sha Mallik told MailOnline: 'My son is in year 11 and expected to sit his GCSE's in a few months. 'Since last year March when the lockdown began he has definitely not progressed as he would have given a normal year. 'Not only that, the government promised a huge fund would go into tutoring children so they are not falling behind, however not one parent that I have spoken to has told me that they have been offered this. 'Our kids in year 11 and those sitting A levels should have been first in line to receive the benefits of those funds. Instead we get links to revision books which in turn costs more money'. One in FIFTY people now have COVID in the UK - but PM Boris Johnson says 1.3million have now been vaccinated and pledges UK CAN get shots to most vulnerable by mid-February The new lockdown in England at a glance England will be put into a full national lockdown that will last until the February half term. According to the new rules: All primary and secondary schools will close with immediate effect Classes will remain only for vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers. The plan is for them to reopen after the February half-term break. A-Level and GCSE exams are unlikely to go ahead as planned in the summer. Universities will also remain closed to students until mid-February. Nurseries will remain fully open. The public should stay at home unless they need to leave for one of just five reasons: If they cannot work from home, shopping for necessities, exercise, to give care and for medical treatment or emergencies. All non-essential retailers, hospitality and 'personal care' like hairdressers must close. Restaurants and other eateries can continue to operate for takeaways and deliveries. But pubs will no longer be allowed to offer take-away alcohol sales. Children's playgrounds will remain open. All indoor and outdoor sports venues, including golf courses, gyms, swimming pools and tennis courts must close, and team sports cannot take place, even outdoors. Elite sports like the Premier League can go on under their own schemes. The guidance is for people who are fit and well. There is additional advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus and households with a possible or confirmed coronavirus infection. They should not attend work, school, college or university, and limit the time you spend outside the home. The guidance says you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. The rules for all people in England also state: You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one). You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason. Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household. Detailed guidance on the national lockdown: You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a 'reasonable excuse'. This will be put in law. The police can take action against you if you leave home without a 'reasonable excuse', and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice). You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. A 'reasonable excuse' includes: Work - you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home Volunteering - you can also leave home to provide voluntary or charitable services Essential activities - you can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services. You may also leave your home to do these things on behalf of a disabled or vulnerable person or someone self-isolating Education and childcare - you can only leave home for education, registered childcare, and supervised activities for children where they are eligible to attend. Meeting others and care - you can leave home to visit people in your support bubble ( if you are legally permitted to form one), to provide informal childcare for children under 14 as part of a childcare bubble (for example, to enable parents to work), to provide care for disabled or vulnerable people Exercise - you can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble, limited to once per day, and not outside your local area Medical reasons - you can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a COVID-19 test, for medical appointments and emergencies Harm and compassionate visits - you can leave home to be with someone who is giving birth, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse). You can also leave home to visit someone who is dying or someone in a care home (if permitted under care home guidance), hospice, or hospital, or to accompany them to a medical appointment Animal welfare reasons you can leave home for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment Communal worship and life events - You can leave home to attend or visit a place of worship for communal worship, a funeral or event related to a death, a burial ground or a remembrance garden, or to attend a wedding ceremony. There are further reasonable excuses. For example, you may leave home to fulfil legal obligations or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum. Advertisement Boris Johnson tonight revealed that one in 50 of the population of England - around a million people - are infected with coronavirus as he defended his U-turn to plunge the country into lockdown. The PM told a Downing Street briefing that the scorching spread of the mutant version of the disease meant there was 'no choice' about imposing lockdown. But he insisted the measures can get the situation under control while vaccines are rolled out - revealing that 1.3million people have now had jabs as he dismissed criticism that he is 'over-promising' about the most vulnerable categories being covered by mid-February. Mr Johnson vowed to give the country 'jab by jab' information about the crucial process. He was flanked at the press conference by medical and science chiefs Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance - whose warnings about the threat of the NHS being overwhelmed sparked the extraordinary U-turn to plunge England into new restrictions. The podiums once again were adorned with the slogan from the March lockdown - 'stay home, protect the NHS, save lives'. Asked if he thought the target of vaccinating more than 13million people over the next seven weeks was possible, Prof Whitty said it was 'realistic but not easy'. But the medic also delivered a grim message that 'some' restrictions could still be needed next winter, as the virus was likely to be in regular circulation like flu. The scale of the problem was underlined tonight as the UK reported a record 60,916 cases - up nearly 15 per cent on last Tuesday. The tally of deaths was 830, double the number from last week. Meanwhile one-in-thirty Londoners - more than 290,000 people - are estimated to have had the virus on January 2, figures from the Office of National Statistics show. Mr Johnson said the total of 1.3million vaccinated so far included 1.1million people in England, and 650,000 people over the age of 80 - 23 per cent of all that age group in England. 'That means nearly one-in-four of the most vulnerable groups will have in two to three weeks a significant degree of immunity,' he said. 'That is why I believe the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was right to draw up a programme saving the most lives the fastest.' Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick confirmed that giving a single dose of the vaccine to more people, rather than the recommended double-dose to half the number, could potentially encourage mutations. But he said the public health benefits of having more people with some resistance were greater. 'It is a real worry but quite a small real worry within the system,' he said. 'The public health arguments are really strongly in favour.' Sir Patrick warned that the virus would change anyway and vaccines will need to be altered. 'The virus probably will mutate... different vaccines will be needed at that point.' Mr Johnson also struck a gloomy note on schools, refusing to state categorically that they will return before the summer holidays - although he stressed they would be the top priority and things would be 'different' by the spring. As ministers battle to prevent the brutal squeeze wiping out the hospitality and leisure sectors, Rishi Sunak has unveiled another 4.6billion bailout, offering one-off grants of up to 9,000 to keep venues afloat for the next seven weeks. The Chancellor also hinted that furlough could be extended beyond April if necessary, even though the government's borrowing is spiralling out of control. But businesses are urging the government to go further by offering VAT and rates relief. And Tory unrest is growing amid fears that Mr Johnson has raised false hopes that the measures can be lifted by mid-February. Michael Gove admitted this morning that there was no 'certainty' on the timeline, as it depends on the government meeting its highly ambitious targets for vaccinating more than 13million of the most vulnerable in society. The Cabinet Office minister also cautioned that even in the best case scenario not 'all' of the curbs will go, as he braced the weary public for a long haul to combat the fast-spreading new variant of coronavirus. Some Conservative MPs are demanding to know why more preparation was not done for the vaccine drive in the autumn, pointing out that Israel has been more successful despite not having a 'functional' government. Labour leader Keir Starmer said the crackdown was 'essential' and his MPs will support them, effectively guaranteeing their approval in the Commons. But he criticised the government for not changing course sooner and expressed serious doubts about the optimism over distributing vaccines. 'I hope he is not over-promising. It's going to be a struggle and we need to make this work.' He insisted the government must set up a 'massive, immediate, and round-the-clock vaccination programme to deliver millions of doses a week by the end of the month in every village and town, every high street and every GP surgery'. Just a day after he urged parents to send their children back, Mr Johnson declared in a sombre address from No10 last night that primary and secondary schools will be shut from today, with only the vulnerable and offspring of key workers allowed to go in. Nurseries can stay open. But university students are being told to stay at home and study remotely, while GCSE and A-level exams will not go ahead as planned. Teenagers might not know for weeks how their exams will be replaced, with Ofsted expected to launch a consultation, although government sources said some 'contingency' plans had already been considered. Under the the new guidance, published overnight, non-essential retail, all hospitality, gyms and swimming pools will be ordered to close - with Rishi Sunak due to lay out another package of support today amid growing fears about the impact on the economy. Cafes, bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeaway - but in a tightening from the draconian measures last spring, they will not be allowed to serve any alcohol. Vulnerable people are being told to shield where possible. The public are once again only allowed to leave home for one of five reasons: to go to work if essential, shop for necessities, exercise - allowed with one other person from another household, care for someone, or to seek medical help or flee threat such as domestic violence. As England gets used to the idea of a third national lockdown and months more coronavirus chaos: Rishi Sunak announced another 4.6billion of bailouts for lockdown-stricken businesses as economists warned of the 'colossal' hit from the surging pandemic; The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in England stood at 26,467 as of 8am on January 5, according to the latest figures - up 21 per cent week on week; Arrivals at UK borders are set to have to show they have tested negative for Covid in the last 72 hours in another major U-turn from government; Police have warned that enforcing the lockdown will be difficult with large numbers of officers already off sick or self-isolating; Scientists have warned that even the new tough measures might not be enough to contain the mutant coronavirus strain; The PM is set to hold a press conference with medical and science chiefs Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance at 5pm; Streets and city centres were quiet as Britons digested the new restrictions being placed on their lives; Hundreds of medical professionals have called for hospital staff to be given higher grade personal protective equipment (PPE) amid growing concern over airborne transmission of coronavirus. Boris Johnson told a Downing Street briefing that the spread of the mutant version of the disease had made lockdown impossible to avoid Boris Johnson was flanked at the press conference tonight by medical and science chiefs Chris Whitty (left) and Patrick Vallance (right) - whose warnings about the threat of the NHS being overwhelmed sparked the extraordinary U-turn to plunge England into new restrictions Slides presented at the briefing showed that one in 50 people in England are thought to be infected with coronavirus Mr Johnson vowed to use 'every second' under the stringent restrictions to put an 'invisible shield' around the elderly and vulnerable through a mass vaccination programme. 'I believe that when everybody looks at the position, people understand overwhelmingly that we have no choice,' he said. 'When the Office of National Statistics (ONS) is telling us that more than 2 per cent of the population is now infected that's over one million people in England. Covid restrictions might still be needed next winter, warns Whitty Coronavirus restrictions could still be needed next winter, the government's chief medical officer warned tonight. In one of the most alarming sections of the No10 briefing, Prof Chris Whitty said that some curbs may have to be brought back into place at the end of the year. He said: 'If we did not do all the things all of us must now do, if people don't take the stay at home seriously, the risk at this point in time, in the middle of winter with this new variant, is extraordinarily high.' He said the risk level will gradually decrease over time with measures being 'lifted by degrees possibly at different rates in different parts of the country, we'll have to see'. 'We'll then get over time to a point where people say this level of risk is something society is prepared to tolerate and lift right down to almost no restrictions at all,' he added. 'We might have to bring in a few in next winter for example, that's possible, because winter will benefit the virus.' Advertisement 'And when today we have reported another 60,000 new cases, and when the number of patients in hospitals in England is now 40 per cent higher than at the first peak in April. 'I think obviously everybody you all want to be sure that we in Government are now using every second of this lockdown to put that invisible shield around the elderly and the vulnerable in the form of vaccination and so to begin to bring this crisis to an end.' Batting away pessimism on his own benches, Mr Johnson said there is a 'prospect' the lockdown can be eased in mid-February. 'When a very considerable proportion of the most vulnerable groups have been vaccinated then there really is the prospect of beginning the relaxation of some of these measures. 'But you will also appreciate there are a lot of caveats, a lot of ifs built into that, the most important of which is that we all now follow the guidance.' But in one of the most alarming sections of the briefing, Prof Whitty said that some restrictions may have to be brought back into place next winter to control the virus. He said: 'If we did not do all the things all of us must now do, if people don't take the stay at home seriously, the risk at this point in time, in the middle of winter with this new variant, is extraordinarily high.' He said the risk level will gradually decrease over time with measures being 'lifted by degrees possibly at different rates in different parts of the country, we'll have to see'. 'We'll then get over time to a point where people say this level of risk is something society is prepared to tolerate and lift right down to almost no restrictions at all,' he added. 'We might have to bring in a few in next winter for example, that's possible, because winter will benefit the virus.' The extraordinary third national squeeze will come into effect in the early hours tomorrow after the regulations are laid today, but Mr Johnson urged the public to adopt the new rules straight away. MPs will get a vote on them on Wednesday when Parliament is recalled. Those who break the rules face a 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. Senior Tory MPs had joined the Opposition in calling for the introduction of another national lockdown. But the idea of hardening the restrictions sparked fury from other Conservatives, who insist the country's experience of the pandemic shows that lockdowns do not work and are crippling the economy. There are claims that at least two MPs have now sent letters of no confidence in the PM to Conservative backbench chief Sir Graham Brady - although the numbers are nowhere near the threshold to put his position in doubt. Evidence of disquiet over the vaccination drive has been growing, with claims ministers have failed to prepare. 'We need that scaling up of vaccination like Israel has managed to achieve,' one backbencher told MailOnline. 'Why aren't we there already? Why hasn't the time been used over the summer and autumn to get the army of vaccinators in place? 'The only limitation should be the speed by which the manufacturers are able to supply it to you. 'The whole future of the economy, the future of saving more lives, the future of a sense of normality is in the hands of the vaccinator. That is where we now are.' Other senior Tory MPs were just as gloomy. 'We are over-promising and under-delivering,' one said. 'It is a big risk. They are not prepared and they are not ready to do it. 'The problem is people don't understand the logistics of administering this vaccine and checking people are OK and doing the paperwork. It is not just a case of putting a jab in someone's arm.' With his hands clasped together and seated behind a desk in Downing Street last night, Mr Johnson made clear there is no chance of them being lifted for at least seven weeks - and possibly longer if the vaccine rollout does not go well. 'Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any time since the start of the pandemic. It's clear we need to do more.. while our vaccines are rolled out,' he said. He said it would not be 'possible or fair' for exams to go ahead this summer as normal. 'The weeks ahead will be the hardest but I really do believe that we are reaching the end of the struggle,' he said, pledging that by mid-February the top four categories on the vaccine distribution list will have had their first jabs. There are 13.2million people in the top four groups on the vaccination list - care home residents and the over-80s, frontline healthcare workers, the over-70s and the clinically vulnerable. But the Prime Minister admitted that he could only give assurance that the situation will improve assuming that 'our understanding of the virus does not change again'. He said: 'By the middle of February, if things go well and with a fair wind in our sails, we expect to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the four top priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. 'That means vaccinating all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, everyone over the age of 70, all frontline health and social care workers, and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable. 'If we succeed in vaccinating all those groups, we will have removed huge numbers of people from the path of the virus. 'And of course, that will eventually enable us to lift many of the restrictions we have endured for so long.' Mr Johnson said he was left with no option after being confronted with catastrophic figures about the burden on the NHS by science chiefs today. Hospital patients with coronavirus had risen by 40 per cent over a week, and are now higher than at the peak of the first wave. Downing Street issued a series of slides showing the problem the country faces due to the new variant of the virus - the evidence that apparently forced Mr Johnson into his latest extraordinary U-turn Hundreds of thousands of non-essential retailers will have to keep their doors closed under England's third nation-wide lockdown The Joint Biosecurity Centre has recommended today that the Covid-19 alert level be reduced ALL YOUR LOCKDOWN QUESTIONS ANSWERED Why is England going into lockdown again? Cases caused by the new, more infectious variant of Covid-19 are surging rapidly in every part of the country. In the past week they have gone up by 30 per cent, and the number is 40 per cent higher than the peak of the first wave in April. Medical experts have warned the NHS could be overwhelmed in 21 days unless action is taken. How long will it last? Until mid-February. It will then be subject to a review. Can I see family and friends? The mixing of households indoors is not allowed outside of support bubbles. You can meet one other person outside your household for outdoor exercise. If I am in a bubble with someone, can I still see them? The support bubble system where a person living alone can pair with another household can continue. Childcare support bubbles are also still allowed. Are schools closing? Yes. All primary and secondary schools and colleges have to close and switch to online learning, except for the children of key workers and the most vulnerable. Universities must also stay closed. Early years providers, such as nurseries, and special schools can stay open. Will GCSEs and A-levels be cancelled? Boris Johnson said it would not be possible, or fair, for all exams to go ahead as normal this summer. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will work to put alternative arrangements in place. Will churches and other places of worship stay open? Yes, they are allowed to open for individual prayer and communal worship. Can I go on holiday in the UK or abroad? No. Only essential travel is allowed. Will playgrounds stay open? Unlike the first lockdown, yes. Can I move home? Yes, you can still view houses and move home. Can I let my cleaner or plumber into my house? Yes, essential visits by tradesmen can continue. Can I still exercise? You can exercise outdoors with your household, your support bubble or alone with one other person from another household. Exercise should be limited to once a day and should be local, meaning you should not drive to a beauty spot. Can I play golf or tennis? No. Courses and courts must shut. Is professional sport affected? No. Elite sports that are Covid-secure and have bubble systems can continue. Will there be extra financial support? The furlough scheme will remain in place until April. Can I leave my house to get a Covid vaccine? Yes, you can leave your home for all medical appointments. Will garden centres be open? Yes. Are restaurants open? Not for eating inside, but cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars can serve takeaway food and non-alcoholic drinks until 11pm. Will non-essential retailers such as clothes shops be open? No. But click-and-collect services will be permitted to continue. What about hairdressers and beauty salons? No, they are among the non-essential shops that must close. Can I go to work? Only if you 'absolutely cannot' work from home. This means the construction industry can continue and key workers can continue to go to work. Can I get married? Only in exceptional circumstances, for example in cases where people are dying or have debilitating conditions. I had to 'shield' last time will I have to do this again? Yes. Those who are clinically vulnerable and who were previously told to shield should stay at home and leave only for medical appointments or exercise. They will receive a letter shortly informing them about this. Can I travel to my second home? Travel is allowed only for essential work, shopping for necessities, exercise, caring for the vulnerable and medical reasons. What shops are open? Food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, building merchants and suppliers of building products and off-licences are allowed to remain open, along with market stalls selling essential retail. Can I go to the bank? Banks, building societies, post offices, short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses can stay open. Can I take my pet to the vet? Vets and retailers of products and food for the upkeep and welfare of animals can stay open, along with animal rescue centres What about public facilities? Car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas, along with outdoor playgrounds, outdoor parts of botanical gardens and heritage sites for exercise can stay open Advertisement Rishi Sunak today announced another 4.6billion of bailouts for lockdown-stricken businesses as economists warned of the 'colossal' hit from the surging pandemic. The Chancellor declared that venues hammered by Boris Johnson's dramatic decision will get one-off grants of up to 9,000 to keep them afloat over the next seven weeks. Some 600,000 premises across the UK are set to receive the cash, while another 594million is being pumped into a 'discretionary fund' to support other firms affected. Mr Sunak also pointedly refused to rule out extending the massive furlough scheme again beyond the end of April, merely saying he would 'take stock' at the Budget in March. However, businesses warned that the package is not enough, amid pressure for VAT and rates relief to be kept in place to stop a wave of bankruptcies. The latest huge intervention came amid fears that the lockdown will slash GDP by up to 10 per cent in every month it is imposed - although the respected IFS think-tank said this morning that the impact might be lower as businesses have adapted since the first squeeze in March. It will also raise alarm at the state of the government's finances, with IFS director Paul Johnson saying the scale of the economic damage was the worst 'in the whole of history'. Public sector borrowing could hit 400billion this year, with Mr Sunak already having warned of a reckoning later to balance the books. In his speech to the nation, the Prime Minister said the previous tiers would have been enough to cope with Covid as it was originally, but the new variant which is 50 per cent to 70 per cent more transmissible was spreading in a 'frustrating and alarming' manner. 'As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic,' he said. Mr Johnson said that in England the number of Covid patients in hospitals has increased by nearly a third in the last week to almost 27,000 some 40 per cent higher than the first peak in April. On December 29 'more than 80,000 people tested positive for Covid across the UK', the number of deaths is up by 20 per cent over the last week 'and will sadly rise further'. 'With most of the country, or maybe under extreme measures, it's clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out,' he said. 'In England we must therefore go into a national lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant.' Mr Johnson said parents 'may reasonably ask why' decisions on schools were not taken 'sooner'. 'The answer is simply that we've been doing everything in our power to keep schools open because we know how important each day in education is to children's life chances,' he said. 'And I want to stress that the problem is not that schools are unsafe for children. Children are still very unlikely to be severely affected by even the new variant of Covid. 'The problem is that schools may nonetheless act as vectors for transmission, causing the virus to spread between households.' Mr Johnson said the move on schools means 'it's not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer, as normal'. The PM added: 'We will provide extra support to ensure that pupils entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them while schools are closed, and we will distribute more devices to support remote education.' The premier suggested England could 'steadily' move out of lockdown from mid-February - but he heavily caveated his optimism, in a sign that the crisis could drag on much longer. 'If our understanding of the virus doesn't change dramatically, once again, if the rollout of the vaccine programme continues to be successful, if deaths start to fall as the vaccine takes effect and critically if everyone plays their part by following the rules, then I hope we can steadily move out of lockdown, reopening schools after the February half-term and starting cautiously to move regions down the tiers,' Mr Johnson said. 'I must stress that even if we achieve this goal, there remains a time lag of two to three weeks from getting a jab to receiving immunity. 'And there will be a further time lag before the pressure on the NHS is lifted. So we should remain cautious about the timetable ahead.' He rounded off his downbeat address by repeating the mantra from the first lockdown, 'stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives'. 'I want to say to everyone right across the UK that I know how tough this is,' he said. 'And I know how frustrated you are and I know that you have had more than enough of Government guidance about defeating this virus. 'But now, more than ever, we must pull together.' He warned that 'the weeks ahead will be the hardest yet' but 'with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against Covid and in favour of the British people'. 'Thanks to the miracle of science not only is the end in sight but we know exactly how we will get there.' Even the Scilly Isles has not escaped, shifting from Tier 1 straight to full lockdown. In a round of interviews, Mr Gove said a review of the situation would happen in the February half-term. 'We hope we will be able to progressively lift restrictions after that but what I can't do is predict nobody can predict with accuracy exactly what we will be able to relax and when,' he told Sky News. 'What we do know is that the more effective our vaccination programme, the more people who are protected in that way, the easier it will be to lift these restrictions.' Despite the ferocity of the new measures, scientists warned they still might not be enough to control the Covid variant. Andrew Hayward, professor of infectious diseases epidemiology at University College London, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the move 'will clearly save tens of thousands of lives'. But he added: 'The threat we're facing is at least as bad as we were back in March. 'I think the virus is different and it may be that the lockdown measures we had are not enough so we need to learn from the new insights and new technologies, we need to learn from the last lockdown and particularly some of the things we saw. 'I think this time round we really need to use this lockdown to bear down on the virus in a way that can protect key workers for example, we could be using the lateral flow (tests) and working with employers to offer regular testing to key workers.' Meanwhile, police warned that enforcing the new national lockdown would put 'a lot of pressure' on officers whose numbers are already reduced by the coronavirus pandemic. Rishi unveils ANOTHER 4.6bn bailout for stricken businesses Rishi Sunak today announced another 4.6billion of bailouts for lockdown-stricken businesses as economists warned of the 'colossal' hit from the surging pandemic. The Chancellor declared that venues hammered by Boris Johnson's dramatic decision will get one-off grants of up to 9,000 to keep them afloat over the next seven weeks. Some 600,000 premises across the UK are set to receive the cash, while another 594million is being pumped into a 'discretionary fund' to support other firms affected. Mr Sunak also pointedly refused to rule out extending the massive furlough scheme again beyond the end of April, merely saying he would 'take stock' at the Budget in March. However, businesses warned that the package is not enough, amid pressure for VAT and rates relief to be kept in place to stop a wave of bankruptcies. The latest huge intervention came amid fears that the lockdown will slash GDP by up to 10 per cent in every month it is imposed - although the respected IFS think-tank said this morning that the impact might be lower as businesses have adapted since the first squeeze in March. It will also raise alarm at the state of the government's finances, with IFS director Paul Johnson saying the scale of the economic damage was the worst 'in the whole of history'. Public sector borrowing could hit 400billion this year, with Mr Sunak already having warned of a reckoning later to balance the books. Advertisement Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation which represents front line officers in London, said some 1,300 were off sick or self-isolating in the capital. His counterpart nationally, John Apter, wrote in the Daily Telegraph some forces were reporting 15 per cent of their staff off sick or self-isolating. Mr Marsh urged the Government to place police officers on a priority list to receive coronavirus vaccines, saying requests to the Government so far were 'falling on deaf ears'. Businesses voiced dismay at the new clampdown that threatens to wreak more havoc on the economy. British Chambers of Commerce director general Adam Marshall said: 'Businesses will understand why the Prime Minister has felt compelled to act on the spiralling threat to public health, but they will be baffled and disappointed by the fact that he did not announce additional support for affected businesses alongside these new restrictions.' Asked about how lockdown enforcement would affect officers, Mr Marsh said: 'It will obviously create a lot of pressure on us because we have a lot more officers off this time than we did back in March. 'Our numbers have rocketed in terms of officers with Covid and officers isolating and we envisage that getting worse. 'So the pressure is on my colleagues who are still out there to maintain the same level that they did before.' Commenting on getting officers access to vaccines, he claimed: 'It would appear that policing has been airbrushed out of any conversation in relation to protecting my colleagues, which I find quite incredible considering they are on the front line. 'They are the one group of people other than the National Health Service that actually have to go to work and have to be out there with the public, every day, 24 hours a day. 'It's just amazing that no consideration whatsoever has been given to vaccinating police.' Mr Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, has called for officers to be prioritised after society's most vulnerable groups and NHS workers have been given the jab. He wrote in the Telegraph: 'Without the vaccine, there is a real danger that more officers will contract the virus. 'As growing numbers self-isolate or report sick with the virus, then the police service begins to struggle to do what the public fully expects of it. 'Some forces are already starting to report up to 15 per cent of their officers off sick or self-isolating. This is getting worse and is simply not sustainable.' Starmer warns PM 'over-promising' on vaccines Sir Keir Starmer sent a warning shot to Boris Johnson today over the Prime Minister's ambitious goal of vaccinating 13million Brits by mid-February, claiming it will be another example of No10 'over-promising and under-delivering' if it fails. Labour's leader said drastically scaling up the vaccination programme which has so far only inoculated a million people, despite launching a month ago would be a 'struggle' and that there was 'no room for error'. His comments came after Michael Gove today warned that lockdown will only start to be lifted gradually in March and that the timeline depends on the Government meeting its inoculation goal. But there are serious doubts about whether the target is achievable, given it has been slow to get off the ground and the NHS will need to juggle running the biggest immunisation programme in British history with battling the greatest crisis it has ever faced as Covid patients continue to pour into hospitals. Record numbers of staff absences and stringent infection control measures are also making the jobs of frontline health workers more difficult. The NHS has refused to commit to the two million target because of potential vaccine supply shortages, staffing concerns and other logistical hurdles. There is also a suggestion that health bosses want to distance themselves from the Government's arbitrary targets, given that it has failed to hit numerous goals throughout the pandemic, including ramping up daily swabbing capacity and expanding NHS Test and Trace. Advertisement Mr Apter, whose organisation represents 130,000 officers, said the 'last thing the public want is to call 999 in their hour of need, only to find we are too short of officers to be able to respond'. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: 'A third lockdown is yet another blow to our sector. Particularly after it has faced an abysmally quiet Christmas and New Year's, which saw many pubs remain closed over what is meant to be their busiest time of the year. 'The announcement today adds to the woes of pubs as it shows they are a long way from reopening properly. The road to recovery for the pub sector just got longer.' London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the Government should have gone further by extending the rules on wearing face masks to cover busy outdoor areas and toughening up controls at the borders. 'This announcement by the Government of a full national lockdown was inevitable,' Mr Khan said. 'It is unclear why it took Boris Johnson so long to reach this conclusion.' The latest infection tally meant the UK has passed the milestone of 50,000 infections every day for a week, suggesting that the easing of restrictions at Christmas helped fuel the outbreak. Department of Health chiefs also posted 407 more deaths, up just 14 per cent on the figure recorded last week. But it can take infected patients several weeks to fall severely ill and succumb to the illness, meaning fatalities have yet to reach their peak and will continue to rise. The UK recorded almost 1,000 deaths twice last week, in grisly tolls not seen since the darkest days of the spring. Nicola Sturgeon announced a drastic crackdown in the Scottish Parliament on Monday afternoon, with a legally-enforced stay at home order from midnight and schools north of the border set to stay closed until February. Mr Johnson confirmed yesterday morning that 'tougher' measures were coming despite the optimism sparked by the first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine doses being administered - although at that point he appeared to hint he would prefer to stick with the Tier system in England. Streets and city centres were quiet as Britons digested the new restrictions being placed on their lives. PIctured, Waterloo station in London Traffic was relatively light in many parts of London this morning, although the new rules have yet to come into force legally. Pictured, the A40 Marylebone flyover heading into central London Lockdown 3: what 'non-essential businesses must close? Non-essential retail, such as clothing and homeware stores, vehicle showrooms (excluding rental), betting shops, tailors, tobacco and vape shops, electronic goods and mobile phone shops, auction houses (except for auctions of livestock or agricultural equipment) and market stalls selling non-essential goods. (These venues can continue to be able to operate click-and-collect off-premises, and delivery services). Hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and social clubs (they can remain open for takeaway and delivery of food and non-alcoholic drinks). Accommodation such as hotels, hostels, guest houses and campsites, Leisure and sports facilities such as leisure centres and gyms, swimming pools, sports courts,fitness and dance studios, riding arenas at riding centres, climbing walls, and golf courses. Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, amusement arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, go-karting venues, indoor play and soft play centres and areas (including inflatable parks and trampolining centres), circuses, fairgrounds, funfairs, water parks and theme parks Animal attractions (such as zoos, safari parks, aquariums, and wildlife reserves) Indoor attractions at venues such as botanical gardens, stately homes and landmarks - though outdoor grounds can stay open for exercise. Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty, tanning and nail salons. Tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services must also close. They can also not be done in private homes. Community centres and halls. Advertisement SAGE had cautioned that it is probably impossible to control the new coronavirus variant while they remain open - although experts say a total shutdown still might not be enough to bring the 'R' reproduction rate below one. Michael Gove held a conference call with the First Ministers from the four nations to coordinate strategies. But in a sign of splits, Wales has said it will push ahead with reopening schools over the next fortnight unless there is new evidence about the variant strain. Earlier, ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt joined demands from Labour and Tory MPs for an immediate national squeeze with schools and borders shut and a ban on all household mixing. Mr Hunt warned that mutant Covid has put the NHS under 'off the scale' pressure compared to normal winters and the government 'cannot afford to wait' even one more day. Mr Hunt posted on Twitter: 'To those arguing winter is always like this in the NHS: you are wrong. I faced four serious winter crises as Health Sec and the situation now is off-the-scale worse than any of those.' Mr Hunt said the 'No1 lesson' from the pandemic is that countries can 'save lives and get their economies back to normal faster' if they 'act early and decisively'. 'We therefore cannot afford to wait: all schools should be closed, international travel stopped, household mixing limited and the tier system reviewed so that the highest tier really does bring down infection levels,' Mr Hunt said. 'The good news is that unlike before these restrictions will be time limited to the 12 weeks or so it will take to get the vaccine out to those most vulnerable to covid - so there is light at the end of the tunnel.' Mr Hunt was among a growing band of Conservative MPs, including ex-No10 adviser Neil O'Brien, urging emergency steps to tackle the coronavirus surge. Labour has also been pushing for a squeeze, with Sadiq Khan saying Mr Hunt was 'spot on'. Earlier Matt Hancock suggested the first step will be to escalate even more of the country into Tier 4, saying Tier 3 did not seem able to hold back the more infectious version of the deadly disease. He insisted the problem was partly down to people failing to obey the rules, amid calls from some MPs for police to be given more powers. But there were questions about how much more impact extending the coverage of Tier 4 could have, given three-quarters of England is already subject to the harshest bracket, where only essential shops such as supermarkets are allowed to open and people are meant to stay at home. Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England (PHE), said the latest daily figures were a 'bitter warning' about the threat. BORIS JOHNSON'S LOCKDOWN ANNOUNCEMENT IN FULL 'Since the pandemic began last year, the whole United Kingdom has been engaged in a great national effort to fight Covid. 'And there is no doubt that in fighting the old variant of the virus, our collective efforts were working and would have continued to work. 'But we now have a new variant of the virus. It has been both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading. 'Our scientists have confirmed this new variant is between 50% and 70% more transmissible - that means you are much, much more likely to catch the virus and to pass it on. 'As I speak to you tonight, our hospitals are under more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic. 'In England alone, the number of Covid patients in hospitals has increased by nearly a third in the last week, to almost 27,000. 'That number is 40% higher than the first peak in April. On 29 December, more than 80,000 people tested positive for Covid across the UK - a new record. 'The number of deaths is up by 20% over the last week and will sadly rise further. My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones. 'With most of the country already under extreme measures, it is clear that we need to do more, together, to bring this new variant under control while our vaccines are rolled out. 'In England, we must therefore go into a national lockdown which is tough enough to contain this variant. 'That means the Government is once again instructing you to stay at home. 'You may only leave home for limited reasons permitted in law, such as to shop for essentials, to work if you absolutely cannot work from home, to exercise, to seek medical assistance such as getting a Covid test, or to escape domestic abuse. 'The full details on what you can and can't do will be available at gov.uk/coronavirus. 'If you are clinically extremely vulnerable, we are advising you to begin shielding again and you will shortly receive a letter about what this means for you. 'And because we now have to do everything we possibly can to stop the spread of the disease, primary schools, secondary schools and colleges across England must move to remote provision from tomorrow, except for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. 'Everyone will still be able to access early years settings such as nurseries. 'We recognise that this will mean it is not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal. The Education Secretary will work with Ofqual to put in place alternative arrangements. 'We will provide extra support to ensure that pupils entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them while schools are closed, and we'll distribute more devices to support remote education. 'I completely understand the inconvenience and distress this late change will cause millions of parents and pupils up and down the country. 'Parents whose children were in school today may reasonably ask why we did not take this decision sooner. 'The answer is simply that we have been doing everything in our power to keep schools open, because we know how important each day in education is to children's life chances. 'And I want to stress that the problem is not that schools are unsafe for children - children are still very unlikely to be severely affected by even the new variant of Covid. 'The problem is that schools may nonetheless act as vectors for transmission, causing the virus to spread between households. 'Today the United Kingdom's chief medical officers have advised that the country should move to alert level 5, meaning that if action is not taken NHS capacity may be overwhelmed within 21 days. 'Of course, there is one huge difference compared to last year. We are now rolling out the biggest vaccination programme in our history. 'So far, we in the UK have vaccinated more people than the rest of Europe combined. 'With the arrival today of the UK's own Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, the pace of vaccination is accelerating. 'I can share with you tonight the NHS's realistic expectations for the vaccination programme in the coming weeks. 'By the middle of February, if things go well and with a fair wind in our sails, we expect to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the four top priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. 'That means vaccinating all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, everyone over the age of 70, all frontline health and social care workers, and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable. 'If we succeed in vaccinating all those groups, we will have removed huge numbers of people from the path of the virus. 'And of course, that will eventually enable us to lift many of the restrictions we have endured for so long. 'I must stress that even if we achieve this goal, there remains a time lag of two to three weeks from getting a jab to receiving immunity. 'And there will be a further time lag before the pressure on the NHS is lifted. So we should remain cautious about the timetable ahead. 'But if our understanding of the virus doesn't change dramatically once again... 'If the rollout of the vaccine programme continues to be successful... 'If deaths start to fall as the vaccine takes effect... 'And, critically, if everyone plays their part by following the rules... 'Then I hope we can steadily move out of lockdown, reopening schools after the February half-term and starting, cautiously, to move regions down the tiers. 'I want to say to everyone right across the United Kingdom that I know how tough this is, I know how frustrated you are, I know that you have had more than enough of government guidance about defeating this virus. 'But now more than ever, we must pull together. 'You should follow the new rules from now, and they will become law in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Parliament will meet - largely remotely - later that day. 'I know that the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland share my conviction this is a pivotal moment and they're taking similar steps. 'The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet but I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle. 'Because with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against Covid and in favour of the British people. 'And, thanks to the miracle of science, not only is the end in sight and we know exactly how we will get there. 'But for now, I am afraid, you must once again stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. 'Thank you all very much.' Advertisement Who has to work from home now and how strictly will it be enforced? Boris Johnson plunged the country into a third national lockdown ordering everyone to work from home if they can. However, the criteria on who can stay out of the office has caused some confusion with the exception applying only to people who 'absolutely cannot work from home'. The Government's official website states this category includes - but is not limited to - 'people who work within critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing that require in-person attendance'. Roles such as these - which include water service and telecoms workers - are 'essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers', guidance states. Those working in childcare or education are deemed to be providing an essential service, meaning they should continue to go into work. People who need to work in others' homes - such as nannies, cleaners or tradespeople - are also able to do so. To facilitate working from home, employees are encouraged to provide both IT equipment and the services to enable remote working. Those who are out of the house without a 'reasonable excuse' - including those who are working outside when it is not essential - can be slapped with a 200 fine. This figure can increase to up to 6,400 for repeat offenders. Advertisement 'The continuous rise in cases and deaths should be a bitter warning for us all. We must not forget the basics the lives of our friends and family depend on it,' she said. Speaking during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London yesterday morning, Mr Johnson warned of 'tough tough' weeks to come. He added: 'If you look at the numbers there's no question we will have to take tougher measures and we will be announcing those in due course.' Mr Johnson tried to strike a positive note, promising there will be a 'massive ramp up' in vaccination numbers. Before Mr Johnson acted, Ms Sturgeon announced yesterday that Scotland will be plunged back into a national coronavirus lockdown from midnight. The SNP leader said the new crackdown, lasting all of January, will include a legally enforceable stay-at-home rule. Exercise and essential journeys will be the only reasons why people will be allowed to leave their homes. The planned reopening of schools on January 18 is also being pushed back to February 1 at the earliest while workers are being instructed to work from home wherever possible. Rules on outdoor gatherings will be tightened to allow a maximum of just two people from two households to meet. Meanwhile, places of worship will be closed from this Friday but weddings and funerals will still be allowed to go ahead. A maximum of 20 people will be allowed to attend funeral services and a maximum of five people will be allowed to attend weddings. Ms Sturgeon said the tough new curbs are necessary because of the 'steeply rising' rate of infections north of the border as she warned the lockdown could be extended beyond January if necessary. The measures effectively mean a return to the restrictions seen during the first UK-wide lockdown which was imposed at the end of March last year. All of mainland Scotland is already placed in the highest tier of Covid-19 rules but case numbers have prompted Ms Sturgeon to take more drastic action after 2,464 new cases were announced yesterday. What you can and cannot do during the national lockdown: The government guidelines in full You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives. You should follow this guidance immediately. The law will be updated to reflect these new rules. Leaving home You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to: shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse) attend education or childcare - for those eligible Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open. Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses. If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work. If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work Meeting others You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one). You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason. Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household. Detailed guidance on the national lockdown Who this guidance is for This guidance is for people who are fit and well. There is additional advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus and households with a possible or confirmed coronavirus infection. If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should not attend work, school, college or university, and limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. Hands. Face. Space. Approximately 1 in 3 people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it. Remember - 'Hands. Face. Space.' hands wash your hands regularly and for at least 20 seconds face wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet space stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings) In all circumstances, you should follow the guidance on meeting others safely. When you can leave home You must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a 'reasonable excuse'. This will be put in law. The police can take action against you if you leave home without a 'reasonable excuse', and issue you with a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice). You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. A 'reasonable excuse' includes: Work - you can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home, including but not limited to people who work within critical national infrastructure, construction or manufacturing that require in-person attendance Volunteering - you can also leave home to provide voluntary or charitable services. Essential activities - you can leave home to buy things at shops or obtain services. You may also leave your home to do these things on behalf of a disabled or vulnerable person or someone self-isolating. Education and childcare - You can only leave home for education, registered childcare, and supervised activities for children where they are eligible to attend. Access to education and children's activities for school-aged pupils is restricted. See further information on education and childcare. People can continue existing arrangements for contact between parents and children where they live apart. This includes childcare bubbles. Meeting others and care - You can leave home to visit people in your support bubble ( if you are legally permitted to form one), to provide informal childcare for children under 14 as part of a childcare bubble (for example, to enable parents to work, and not to enable social contact between adults), to provide care for disabled or vulnerable people, to provide emergency assistance, to attend a support group (of up to 15 people), or for respite care where that care is being provided to a vulnerable person or a person with a disability, or is a short break in respect of a looked-after child. Exercise - You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.You should maintain social distancing. See exercising and meeting other people. Medical reasons - You can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a COVID-19 test, for medical appointments and emergencies. Harm and compassionate visits - you can leave home to be with someone who is giving birth, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse). You can also leave home to visit someone who is dying or someone in a care home (if permitted under care home guidance), hospice, or hospital, or to accompany them to a medical appointment. Animal welfare reasons you can leave home for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment. Communal worship and life events - You can leave home to attend or visit a place of worship for communal worship, a funeral or event related to a death, a burial ground or a remembrance garden, or to attend a wedding ceremony. You should follow the guidance on the safe use of places of worship and must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble when attending a place of worship.Weddings, funerals and religious, belief-based or commemorative events linked to someone's death are all subject to limits on the numbers that can attend, and weddings and civil ceremonies may only take place in exceptional circumstances. There are further reasonable excuses. For example, you may leave home to fulfil legal obligations or to carry out activities related to buying, selling, letting or renting a residential property, or where it is reasonably necessary for voting in an election or referendum. Exercising and meeting other people You should minimise time spent outside your home. It is against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble. You can only leave your home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting). This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. You can exercise in a public outdoor place: by yourself with the people you live with with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one) in a childcare bubble where providing childcare or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household Public outdoor places include: parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them) the grounds of a heritage site playgrounds Outdoor sports venues, including tennis courts, golf courses and swimming pools, must close. When around other people, stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household - meaning the people you live with - or your support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay 1 metre apart with extra precautions (e.g. wearing a face covering). You must wear a face covering in many indoor settings, such as shops or places of worship where these remain open, and on public transport, unless you are exempt. This is the law. Read guidance on face coverings. Support and childcare bubbles You have to meet certain eligibility rules to form a support or childcare bubble. This means not everyone will be able to form a bubble. A support bubble is a support network which links two households. You can form a support bubble with another household of any size only if you meet the eligibility rules. It is against the law to form a support bubble if you do not follow these rules. You are permitted to leave your home to visit your support bubble (and to stay overnight with them). However, if you form a support bubble, it is best if this is with a household who live locally. This will help prevent the virus spreading from an area where more people are infected. If you live in a household with anyone aged under 14, you can form a childcare bubble. This allows friends or family from one other household to provide informal childcare. You must not meet socially with your childcare bubble, and must avoid seeing members of your childcare and support bubbles at the same time. There is separate guidance for support bubbles and childcare bubbles. Where and when you can meet in larger groups There are still circumstances in which you are allowed to meet others from outside your household, childcare or support bubble in larger groups, but this should not be for socialising and only for permitted purposes. A full list of these circumstances will be included in the regulations, and includes: for work, or providing voluntary or charitable services, where it is unreasonable to do so from home. This can include work in other people's homes where necessary - for example, for nannies, cleaners, social care workers providing support to children and families, or tradespeople. See guidance on working safely in other people's homes). Where a work meeting does not need to take place in a private home or garden, it should not - for example, although you can meet a personal trainer, you should do so in a public outdoor place. in a childcare bubble (for the purposes of childcare only) Where eligible to use these services, for education, registered childcare, and supervised activities for children. Access to education and childcare facilities is restricted. See further information on education and childcare. for arrangements where children do not live in the same household as both their parents or guardians to allow contact between birth parents and children in care, as well as between siblings in care for prospective adopting parents to meet a child or children who may be placed with them to place or facilitate the placing of a child or children in the care of another by social services for birth partners to provide emergency assistance, and to avoid injury or illness, or to escape a risk of harm (including domestic abuse) to see someone who is dying to fulfil a legal obligation, such as attending court or jury service for gatherings within criminal justice accommodation or immigration detention centres to provide care or assistance to someone vulnerable, or to provide respite for a carer for a wedding or equivalent ceremony in exceptional circumstances and only for up to 6 people for funerals - up to a maximum of 30 people. Wakes and other linked ceremonial events can continue in a group of up to 6 people. to visit someone at home who is dying, or to visit someone receiving treatment in a hospital, hospice or care home, or to accompany a family member or friend to a medical appointment for elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) - or those on an official elite sports pathway - to compete and train to facilitate a house move Support groups that have to be delivered in person can continue with up to 15 participants where formally organised to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support - but they must take place at a premises other than a private home. Where a group includes someone covered by an exception (for example, someone who is working or volunteering), they are not generally counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means, for example, a tradesperson can go into a household without breaching the limit, if they are there for work, and the officiant at a wedding would not count towards the limit. If you break the rules The police can take action against you if you meet in larger groups. This includes breaking up illegal gatherings and issuing fines (fixed penalty notices). You can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of 200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of 6,400. If you hold, or are involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of 10,000. Protecting people more at risk from coronavirus If you are clinically vulnerable, you could be at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. There is additional advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable should not attend work, school, college or university, and limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. Travel You must not leave your home unless you have a reasonable excuse (for example, for work or education purposes). If you need to travel you should stay local meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall. The list of reasons you can leave your home and area include, but are not limited to: work, where you cannot reasonably work from home accessing education and for caring responsibilities visiting those in your support bubble or your childcare bubble for childcare visiting hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health buying goods or services that you need, but this should be within your local area wherever possible outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space) attending the care and exercise of an animal, or veterinary services If you need to travel, walk or cycle where possible, and plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport. This will allow you to practice social distancing while you travel. Avoid car sharing with anyone from outside your household or your support bubble. See the guidance on car sharing. If you need to use public transport, you should follow the safer travel guidance. International travel You can only travel internationally or within the UK where you first have a legally permitted reason to leave home. In addition, you should consider the public health advice in the country you are visiting. If you do need to travel overseas (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you've visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice. UK residents currently abroad do not need to return home immediately. However, you should check with your airline or travel operator on arrangements for returning. Foreign nationals are subject to the 'Stay at Home' regulations. You should not travel abroad unless it is permitted. This means you must not go on holiday. If you are visiting the UK, you may return home. You should check whether there are any restrictions in place at your destination. Staying away from home overnight You cannot leave your home or the place where you are living for holidays or overnight stays unless you have a reasonable excuse for doing so. This means that holidays in the UK and abroad are not allowed. This includes staying in a second home or caravan, if that is not your primary residence. This also includes staying with anyone who you don't live with unless they're in your support bubble. You are allowed to stay overnight away from your home if you: are visiting your support bubble are unable to return to your main residence need accommodation while moving house need accommodation to attend a funeral or related commemorative event require accommodation for work purposes or to provide voluntary services are a child requiring accommodation for school or care are homeless, seeking asylum, a vulnerable person seeking refuge, or if escaping harm (including domestic abuse) are an elite athlete or their support staff or parent, if the athlete is under 18 and it is necessary to be outside of the home for training or competition If you are already on holiday, you should return to your home as soon as practical. Guest accommodation providers such as hotels, B&Bs and caravan parks may remain open for the specific reasons set out in law, including where guests are unable to return to their main residence, use that guest accommodation as their main residence, need accommodation while moving house, are self-isolating as required by law, or would otherwise be made homeless as a result of the accommodation closing. A full list of reasons can be found in the guidance on closing certain businesses and venues in England. Accommodation providers are also encouraged to work cooperatively with local authorities to provide accommodation to vulnerable groups, including the homeless. Going to work You may only leave your home for work if you cannot reasonably work from home. Where people cannot work from home - including, but not limited to, people who work in critical national infrastructure, construction, or manufacturing - they should continue to travel to their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting sectors and employers. Public sector employees working in essential services, including childcare or education, should continue to go into work. Where it is necessary for you to work in other people's homes - for example, for nannies, cleaners or tradespeople - you can do so. Otherwise, you should avoid meeting for work in a private home or garden, where COVID-19 Secure measures may not be in place. Employers and employees should discuss their working arrangements, and employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote working. The risk of transmission can be substantially reduced if COVID-19 secure guidelines are followed closely. Extra consideration should be given to those people at higher risk. Going to school, college and university Colleges, primary (reception onwards) and secondary schools will remain open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. In the circumstances, we do not think it is possible for all exams in the summer to go ahead as planned. We will accordingly be working with Ofqual to consult rapidly to put in place alternative arrangements that will allow students to progress fairly. Public exams and vocational assessments scheduled to take place in January will go ahead as planned. Universities Those students who are undertaking training and study for the following courses should return to face to face learning as planned and be tested twice, upon arrival or self-isolate for ten days: Medicine & dentistry Subjects allied to medicine/health Veterinary science Education (initial teacher training) Social work Courses which require Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) assessments and or mandatory activity which is scheduled for January and which cannot be rescheduled (your university will notify you if this applies to you). Students who do not study these courses should remain where they are wherever possible, and start their term online, as facilitated by their university until at least Mid-February. This includes students on other practical courses not on the list above. We have previously published guidance to universities and students on how students can return safely to higher education in the spring term. This guidance sets out how we will support higher education providers to enable students that need to return to do so as safely as possible following the winter break. If you live at university, you should not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term time. For those students who are eligible for face to face teaching, you can meet in groups of more than your household as part of your formal education or training, where necessary. Students should expect to follow the guidance and restrictions. You should socially distance from anyone you do not live with wherever possible. Childcare There are several ways that parents and carers can continue to access childcare: Early Years settings (including nurseries and childminders) remain open Vulnerable children and children of critical workers can continue to use registered childcare, childminders and other childcare activities (including wraparound care) parents are able to form a childcare bubble with one other household for the purposes of informal childcare, where the child is under 14. This is mainly to enable parents to work, and must not be used to enable social contact between adults some households will also be able to benefit from being in a support bubble nannies will be able to continue to provide services, including in the home Care home visits Visits to care homes can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed. No visits will be permitted in the event of an outbreak. You should check the guidance on visiting care homes during COVID-19 to find out how visits should be conducted. Residents cannot meet people indoors on a visit out (for example, to visit their relatives in the family home). There is separate guidance for those in supported living. Weddings, civil partnerships, religious services and funerals Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies and funerals are allowed with strict limits on attendance, and must only take place in COVID-19 secure venues or in public outdoor spaces unless in exceptional circumstances. Funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people. Linked religious, belief-based or commemorative events, such as stone settings and ash scatterings can also continue with up to 6 people in attendance. Anyone working is not counted in these limits. Social distancing should be maintained between people who do not live together or share a support bubble. Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies must only take place with up to 6 people. Anyone working is not included. These should only take place in exceptional circumstances, for example, an urgent marriage where one of those getting married is seriously ill and not expected to recover, or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery. Places of worship You can attend places of worship for a service. However, you must not mingle with anyone outside of your household or support bubble. You should maintain strict social distancing at all times. You should follow the national guidance on the safe use of places of worship. Sports and physical activity Indoor gyms and sports facilities will remain closed. Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close. Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue. Moving home You can still move home. People outside your household or support bubble should not help with moving house unles WINCHESTER A new playground is in the process of being built at Monument Park in Winchester in honor of Laura Paslay, an educator who died on June 3 at 34. Laura Paslays father, RJ Paslay, is leading the efforts to build the playground. Paslay is on the zoning committee, Parks and Recreation in Winchester. When his daughter died, he said they asked for donations towards playground equipment for Winchesters Memorial Park in lieu of flowers. Laura Paslay was a pre-school teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee, who loved hiking, rock climbing, and kayaking. RJ Paslay said they used that as a theme and will have pre-school aged equipment that will be put up this year in honor of his daughter, Laura. The equipment is geared toward pre-school aged children just like those who Laura taught, he said. The equipment will include a rock wall for kids to climb up, RJ Paslay said, along with different slides. Mayor Rex McIntire of Winchester said they already have some of the equipment for the park and are going to try and install the equipment this spring, so children will be able to use it this summer. McIntire said he was all for it when he was first approached with the idea of the playground. The city council was in support. Its nice to honor her, he said. I think its a good thing for our community, were in support of it. Volunteers and Winchesters city crew will assist in the installment of the equipment. The original estimate for the first phase of equipment was around $15,000, he said, and RJ Paslay said they have been working toward that. He said he has already purchased some of the equipment. Paslay said he is still in the process of raising funds for the equipment, but its progressing a little bit at a time, he said. At City Hall in Winchester, donations have already been taken for the playground. Paslay said they are asking for contributions through the playground fund. Paslay said he would like to have the equipment available by June 3 which would mark one year since the passing of his daughter. He said he is hoping that they make the installation of the first phase of equipment by May. Paslay said he has other phases in mind after they get the first step done. He said he plans to expand the playground with new additions as they go along like a walking path around the park area because his daughter enjoyed hiking. Right now, the focus is getting the initial equipment installed this spring, Paslay said. I just really appreciate the strong community support that weve had so far and hopefully well continue and be able to provide a nice memorial area there for the kids from generations to come, RJ Paslay said. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 A year after George Floyd's death, Pennsylvanians are still fighting for change City approves first reading of temporary medical marijuana ordinance With state officials still putting together the oversight rules for medical marijuana establishments, local governments need temporary ordinances. When we think of popular female groups in the 90s a few come to mind including TLC, Xscape, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue. The ladies of En Vogue recorded several hits including Hold On, Free Your Mind, and My Lovin (Youre Never Gonna Get It). Even without some of the original members, En Vogue has continued to perform as a group over the years. And after a performance on the national stage for Dick Clarks New Years Rockin Eve with Ryan Seacrest, many have questions about the women and are wondering what theyve been up to. Heres more on that and which En Vogue member has the highest net worth today. Original En Vogue members (l to r) Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, Terry Ellis, and Cindy Herron | VINCE BUCCI/AFP via Getty Images These days the group is comprised of Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Rhona Bennett. But En Vogue began as a quartet and rose to fame with Ellis, Herron as well as members Dawn Robinson and Maxine Jones. So which of the original members is worth the most now? Dawn Robinson Robinson was born on Nov. 28, 1968 in New London, Connecticut. She was a member of En Vogue from 1989 until 1997 when she left the group to concentrate on a solo career. However, she did perform at some reunion and anniversary shows with her former bandmates in the past. During an interview with YouKnowIGotSoul, she stated that another reunion though shouldnt include Bennett. My problem is Rhona being there, Robinson said. I think shes great. She has never done anything to me. Shes not a bad person at all. I do know that she needs to step back if we are going to do a reunion at all [It] just needs to be the four of us. Robinson is currently working on her autobiography and today has a net worth of $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Maxine Jones Jones was born on Jan. 16, 1962 in Paterson, NJ. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Jones left the group four years after Robinson. The duo fought Ellis and Herron over who should retain the rights to the groups name. Eventually, a judge granted Ellis and Herron the rights to it. There have been some differing reports over Jones net worth but most put hers around Robinsons at $5 million. Cindy Herron Herron was born on Sept. 26, 1961, in San Francisco, California. Prior to joining En Vogue, Herron was named Miss San Francisco and Miss Black California then finished 2nd runner up in the 1986 Miss California pageant. She also has some acting credits to her name including appearances in the movies Juice, Batman Forever, and Lexie. Celebrity Net Worth noted that Herron has an estimated net worth of $7 million. Terri Ellis Ellis was born on Sept. 5, 1963, in Houston, Texas. En Vogue was initially meant to be a trio but her vocal abilities impressed producers so much so that they changed the original plan and made the group a quartet. When it was reported that Ellis was performing with Herron and Bennett in 2018, she was asked about their comeback. I wouldnt call it a comeback because we never left. Weve been consistently working, with barely a day off, for 27 years, Ellis explained to Harpers Bazaar. Weve been consistently touring. It may seem like a comeback, but we wouldnt call it that wed call it a great plan and a great execution of a plan. Continuing to work has paid off for Ellis and these days she has an estimated net worth of $7 million via Celebrity Net Worth. Jaipur, Jan 5 : As the bird flu spreads its tentacles in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, experts have raised concerns over why the reasons for bird flu or avian influenza and animal botulism or any other disease infecting the nation's wildlife in recent years have not been deciphered so far. Around 20,000 aquatic birds perished in November 2019 in and around Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan. The Rajasthan High Court at that time took suo-motu cognisance and formed a committee to ensure that such a tragedy does not occur again. "In such a context, the court should ask the central government to set up a panel to decipher the reason behind such cases of bird flu, influenza, botulism or any other disease which is infecting India's wild birds in recent years. Despite mortality happening in states which is a cause of grave concern to state governments, the reasons behind such infections are not yet known which is a worrying factor," said environmentalist Harsh Vardhan. IANS contacted many experts in this regard and all of them summarised that it is high time that such diseases in wildlife species are ascertained and diagnosed and the curative aspect taken up. Many of them also argued that there are few agencies in the country which are capable of diagnosing such diseases. The less said the better about the autopsy which is the only option left to veterinary surgeons. All samples of dead birds from Rajasthan are being sent to Bhopal for further testing as there are no such labs in the desert state. The experts hinted that North-South migration can also be subjected to injecting virus in birds causing embarrassment to southern countries. Most of the migratory birds to India fly North-South in October and go back South-North in March. The mortalities have been noticed on the N-S pathway i.e. reaching India, the experts said. It is being speculated whether a neighbouring hostile country sprayed birds that bred there and were on the way to reach India. Objective -- to cause a virus among other birds and thereby spread it to humans? A tactic of a country to upset another country, not friendly now and its economy being a threat to its neighbour, said a wildlife expert on condition of anonymity. He added that the Ministry of Environment has the jurisdiction to tackle such issues. However, it has no expertise. It rests on the states' work. So Ministry of Animal Husbandry is the lone agency to handle such issues but it mostly deals with domestic livestock not directly supervising the wild species. So who is finally responsible for wild species? The Forest Department, which has no wherewithal to deal with such crises, he asked. A total of 522 birds have died in Rajasthan in the last one week since the outbreak of bird flu, out of which 471 were crows, while others include herons and baya weavers. Mohanlal Meena, Chief Wildlife Warden, Jaipur told IANS, "Animal Husbandry is mostly responsible in dealing with such issues. However, we are working as joint teams with the Veterinary Department, district administration and Forest Department to contain the infection. Our teams are tracking all such cases without delay and disposing off them with caution," he added. Another senior official who monitored the Sambhar crises told IANS, "No lessons have been learnt from the Sambhar tragedy. The reason behind the birds' death was botulism which happens via poisoned food/meat or by injecting poison. Disposing their bodies was a challenge then and it is a challenge now too when bird flu has hit many parts of the state." 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. After being seriously hit by the coronavirus pandemic last year, the heritage-listed Queensland Maritime Museum will reopen to visitors this weekend in a trial run to see if it has a future. The museum was set to close forever on New Year's Eve due to volunteer and revenue shortages, but with January historically being its busiest period, the museum is giving it another go. After announcing its permanent closure last year, Queensland Maritime Museum will reopen this weekend in a trial run. Credit:Aurelie Beeston - Supplied Its online petition to be included in the state-funded Queensland Museum Network attracted more than 10,000 signatures in the past month. QMM chief executive Emma Di Muzio said the museum's board decided to run a weekend reopening trial after being closed to the public since November 1, and March to September before that. [January 05, 2021] The "Gift from Qingdao" program is expected to become an annual campaign in Qingdao in the future QINGDAO, China, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sponsored by the Publicity Department of CPC Qingdao Committee and Qingdao Bureau of Culture and Tourism, organized by Qingdao Daily Group (QDG), and co-organized by Qingdao Shinan District Office of Culture and Tourism and QDG Liangyou Books, the 2021 "Gift from Qingdao" program was launched on January 1, 2021, to distribute 10,000 mystery boxes to citizens and tourists in Qingdao in the hope of helping them know better about the city's scenery, attractions, spirit, and hospitality to visitors from all directions. On the first day of 2021, at 10am, a volunteer team consisting of writers, artists, Communist Youth League members and ordinary citizens walked onto the Trestle Bridge (one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Qingdao) to distribute the mystery boxes to the passersby. The program's launching ceremony was originally scheduled to take place there, but was canceled due to the precautions against COVID-19. However, this made the gift-giving more surprising. "I've received gifts from my family, lover, and friends, but it was the first time that I received a gift from a city. What a special love confession!" said a young tourist from Shanghai "The gift is so exquisite and creative. I've been moved by the city's sincere welcome," said Miss Wang from Shenzhen. Five young people from Shandong province's Tai'an and Liaocheng, Shanxi province's Datong, Sichuan province's Liangshan, and Anhui province's Chaohu, who entered a university in Qingdao after the 2020 national college entrance exam, also expressed their gratitude and blessings for the city. It is learnt that the program attracted 100 Qingdao-native writers, artists, exhibition planners, and movie stars who are living in and outside Qingdao to make short videos as endorsers for the city. In their videos, they hold the "blue gift box" in their hands to introduce the program to the viewers. Different recipients could find different gifts in the mystery boxes they got. It might be a book about the city's culture and folk customs, a ticket for a local museum, or a beautiful postcard designed based on the wood engraving picture titled "My Qingdao" created by Qingdao-born artist Jiang Yongjie for the program. Besides, each of them could get a Red Run apple, a specialty of Qingdao's Baoshan Town. It is reported that the "Gift from Qingdao" program is expected to become an annual campaign in Qingdao in the future. The city in robust development will prepare more gifts to give more surprises to both local citizens and guests from other places. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394895/Gift_From_Qingdao_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1394896/Gift_From_Qingdao_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1245709/Qingdao_Logo.jpg Contact: Ms. Zhu Yiling Tel: +86-532-85911619 Website: http://www.qingdaochina.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qingdaocity Twitter: https://twitter.com/loveqingdao [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The year 2020 proved to be a tough year for Nitish Kumar who had to walk the tightrope after being pushed to the brink following poor performance of the Janata Dal (U) in the state assembly elections. It faced another jolt when six of its seven MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh switched allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - its long-standing ally in Bihar and at the national level. The party is still struggling to wriggle out of the threat of poaching of its legislators by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which has 75 legislators in the 243-member Bihar legislative assembly. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan has altogether 110 MLAs, including 19 of Congress, 11 of CPI-ML, three of CPI-M and two of CPI. It needs the support of at least 12 more legislators to form the government. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has rubbished the claim of RJD leader and former minister Shyam Rajak as baseless and lacking any substance whereas the JD (U) termed it as a futile attempt by the opposition to destabilise the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar. But the party looks forward to a bright future in 2021 and afterwards with a changed strategy as Kumar has quit the post of partys national president and decided to take a plunge into the national politics either way - with or without the NDA. The Bihar chief minister has installed his trusted lieutenant RCP Singh as the party chief in a surprise move. The defeat in the Bihar polls and the Arunachal Pradesh ignominy had its bearing on the party's changed political strategy. The move is definitely aimed at adopting a combative posture if the BJP pushes Kumar to the wall at the state and national level. The JD(U) has decided to find its feet in other states and learn to live without the BJP. It may even sever the umbilical cord with the BJP as and when required in future and go alone in states where state assembly elections are due next year. It will be free to forge an alliance with any other political party which it thought proper to suit its avowed political and social agenda. It will also strengthen the party with its secular image in states where other regional parties are weak or in tatters. Convinced that the Congress and other secular outfits have failed to depolarize the majority votes, the JD(U) is keen on moving ahead with its secular agenda. The first rebellious stance of the JD(U) came when it decided to contest 75 seats in the West Bengal elections this year wherein the BJP is fighting a tough battle to trounce the Mamata Bannerjee government. After its stunning performance in the Lok Sabha elections last year, the BJP is trying to establish itself in West Bengal in the upcoming assembly polls. The JD (U) has assessed its relative strength in different constituencies of the 294-member West Bengal assembly and identified 75 constituencies where it can contest elections on its own. The JD (U) is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) only in Bihar and has been contesting elections in other states in the past. It also plans to contest the Assam election next year either on its own or as part of an alliance with the BJP or any other political party. In Assam, the JD (U) had contested the 2016 assembly election in alliance with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). The JD (U) having units in 28 states has fought assembly polls in states like Karnataka and Gujarat without a tie-up with the BJP. It had contested the Jharkhand assembly polls last year separately but lost. However, the JD (U) fought the Delhi assembly polls earlier this year in alliance with the BJP. In the BJP-ruled Arunachal Pradesh, the seven-member JD (U) legislature party was in opposition before the six rebels joined the BJP. The JD (U) now has just one MLA in the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh assembly. But the recent municipal corporation elections in Itanagar has come as a silver lining for the JD(U) which has won nine out of 20 seats while the BJP won 10 seats and one seat went to the NCP. This is the first time since 2005 that the JD (U) is playing the second fiddle to the BJP in the NDA government in Bihar. It has so far been the senior partner in 2005, 2010 and 2017 when JD (U) and BJP joined hands again. The BJP has drafted two deputy chief ministers of its choice and maintains a big brother attitude in matters of governance. It is an open secret that Kumar has been nourishing the ambition of becoming the Prime Minister since 2014. The JD (U) plans to expand in other states and attempt a unity at the national level on the belief that Kunar is the most acceptable face in the country and the only political personality who can challenge the might and stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But Nitish is well aware of the obstacles posed by the Congress and the RJD as his past experience has been quite bitter. The Congress is still adamant on projecting Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate. The major anxiety for the Congress is not that Narendra Modi returns to power in 2024 but that no other party substitutes Congress as the main pole against the BJP and no other leader like Nitish Kumar replaces Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate. Remarkably, the RJD supremo Lalu Prasad also does not want Kumar to join hands with Sonia Gandhi because the JD (U) leader can replace him in the Sonia camp. The Congress too needs RJD more than the JD (U) because the convicted Lalu Prasad has no prime ministerial ambition and is no threat to Rahul Gandhi. Actually, the Congress wants Kumar to stay in the lap of the BJP and PM Modi as Rahul Gandhi does not want opposition unity at the cost of allowing other national or regional leaders to overshadow his persona. Rahul Gandhi will also not let the national opposition space be occupied by politicians smarter than him. If Kumar is neutralised today, it is only to Congresss long-term advantage. Advertisement She had a busy 2020, starring in two of Netflix's favorite shows of the year. And Kate Walsh, 53, enjoyed some well-deserved down time as she started 2021, seen soaking in the sun while on the beach of her adopted hometown of Perth, Australia on Tuesday. The California-born actress, who was featured in The Umbrella Academy and Emily In Paris, certainly looked like she was enjoying herself, slipping into a slinky black bikini which showed off her toned figure as she tanned and flirted with a handsome companion. Fun in the sun: Kate Walsh, 53, looked like a 10 while enjoying a beach day in Perth, Australia with a handsome male friend on Tuesday All eyes on you: The Grey's Anatomy alum slipped into a slinky black bikini while spending time with a male companion The Grey's Anatomy alum offered up a generous hint of cleavage in her sexy black suit, which featured a classic triangle top that accentuated her flat tummy with an extra tie around the center. Continuing to show some skin, the Private Practice star donned tie-side bottoms with a cheeky Brazilian cut at back. She drew even more attention to her decolletage with her accessories, letting a few delicate chain necklaces sweep into her cleavage. The rest of her additions with more practical, consisting of a white terry cloth bucket hat, square sunglasses and a pair of diamond studs. Seeing as it was high summer Down Under, Walsh was happy to take a dip in the ocean, ditching her accessories to cool off. Toned and tan: As she emerged from the sea, leftover droplets of ocean highlighted the definition of her long legs Very friendly: Kate looked very friendly with a bearded fellow, who she seemed to match towels with Classic: The California-born talent offered up a generous hint of cleavage in her sexy black suit, which featured a classic triangle top that accentuated her flat tummy with an extra tie around the center Making a splash: Seeing as it was high summer Down Under, Walsh was happy to take a dip in the ocean, ditching her accessories to cool off Bottom's up: Continuing to show some skin, the Private Practice star donned tie-side bottoms with a cheeky Brazilian cut at back The star waded into the water and dunked herself under the surface, not worried about wetting her rich, brunette locks. As she emerged from the sea, leftover droplets of ocean highlighted the definition of her long legs. Kate made her way back to the sand where she touched base with a bearded male friend. After a bit of chatting, the duo decided to lay down their towels and soak in the afternoon rays. The pair looked close as she laid back on her towel and leaned on his shoulder. At another point the Umbrella Academy actress placed her hand on his back affectionately. After getting their fill of the sun Kate and company picked up their matching towels, shoes and other beach supplies and called it a day. Close: After hopping out of the water, Kate reconnected with her male friend, putting a tender hand on his back as they walked Lean on me: The pair looked close as she laid back on her towel and leaned on his shoulder Pat on the back: At another point the Umbrella Academy actress placed her hand on his back affectionately Mystery man: Though it was unclear who Kate's pal was, she seemed to be having a great time Heading out: After getting their fill of the sun Kate and company picked up their matching towels, shoes and other beach supplies and called it a day Though it was unclear who Walsh's pal was, she seemed to be having a great time. The star has likely been making new friends since deciding to relocate to Australia after finding herself 'stuck' in the Southern Hemisphere after pandemic lockdowns began take hold while she was vacationing down under back in March. And she's quickly fallen for the country. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph about her new love affair with Australia, the actress explained: 'I didn't really want to go back to New York in the middle of a pandemic when it was pretty gnarly to say the least. New friends: The star has likely been making new friends since deciding to relocate to Australia after finding herself 'stuck' in the Southern Hemisphere after pandemic lockdowns began take hold while she was vacationing down under back in March Happy accident: Speaking to The Daily Telegraph about her new love affair with Australia, the actress explained: 'I didn't really want to go back to New York in the middle of a pandemic when it was pretty gnarly to say the least' 'I couldn't go home initially, and now that I can, I don't really fancy going back. When I have my own mother saying don't come home, my 86-year-old mum we are in a very challenging time!' Claiming to have found a new 'passion project', Kate revealed her plans to help bolster Australia's local film industry after it suffered enormously due to global pandemic. The Grey's Anatomy star recently told 2GB's Jim Wilson she felt 'very grateful' to be in Australia during the COVID-19 crisis. 'Honestly, I feel very lucky,' she said. 'It's kind of a crazy situation: it's like being in an alternate reality compared to the rest of the world.' Grey's Anatomy is available to stream on Stan in Australia Rooted: 'I couldn't go home initially, and now that I can, I don't really fancy going back. When I have my own mother saying don't come home, my 86-year-old mum we are in a very challenging time!' she said A US pharmacist told police he tried to ruin hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine because he believed the shots would mutate peoples DNA, according to court documents. Steven Brandenburg was arrested by police in Grafton, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last week following an investigation into the 57 spoiled vials of the Moderna vaccine, which officials say contained enough doses to inoculate more than 500 people. Charges for the Advocate Aurora Health pharmacist are pending. A detective wrote in a probable cause statement that Mr Brandenburg is an admitted conspiracy theorist and that he told investigators he intentionally tried to ruin the vaccine because he believed it could hurt people by changing their DNA. According to court documents, the 46-year-old pharmacist was convinced the world was crashing down. Hed formed this belief they were unsafe, Ozaukee County district attorney Adam Gerol said during a virtual hearing. He added that Mr Brandenburg was upset because he and his wife are divorcing, and an Aurora employee said Mr Brandenburg had taken a gun to work twice. Experts have said there is no truth to the claims that the vaccines can genetically modify humans. US-led Moderna jab is 94.5% effective Advocate Aurora Health Care chief medical group officer Jeff Bahr said Mr Brandenburg admitted that he deliberately removed the vials from refrigeration at the Grafton medical centre overnight on December 24 into December 25, returned them, then left them out again on the night of December 25 into Saturday. A pharmacy technician discovered the vials outside the refrigerator on December 26. Mr Bahr said Mr Brandenburg initially said he had removed the vials to access other items in the refrigerator and had inadvertently failed to put them back. The Moderna vaccine is viable for 12 hours outside refrigeration, so workers used the vaccine to inoculate 57 people before discarding the rest. Mr Bahr said the doses people received on December 26 are all but useless. But Mr Gerol said during the hearing that the vials were actually retained and Moderna would need to test the doses to make sure they were ineffective before he can file charges. Mr Brandenburgs attorney, Jason Baltz, did not speak on the merits of the case during the hearing. Mr Gerol held off on filing any charges, saying he still needs to determine whether Mr Brandenburg actually destroyed the doses. Judge Paul Malloy ordered Mr Brandenburg to be released on a 10,000 dollar (7,400) signature bond, surrender his firearms, not work in health care and have no contact with Aurora employees. Mr Brandenburgs wife of eight years filed for divorce in June. The couple have two small children. According to an affidavit his wife filed on December 30, the same day Mr Brandenburg was arrested in the vaccine tampering, he stopped off at her house on December 6 and dropped off a water purifier and two 30-day supplies of food, telling her that the world was crashing down and she was in denial. He said the government was planning cyberattacks and was going to shut down the power grid. She added that he was storing food in bulk along with guns in rental units and she no longer felt safe around him. A court commissioner on Monday found that Mr Brandenburgs children were in imminent danger and temporarily prohibited them from staying with him. DETROIT, MI / ACCESSWIRE / January 05, 2021 / International Bancard, an industry-leading technology payment acceptance solutions provider, has partnered with Summit Computer Networks, Inc. to offer POS Pizza point of sale software to restaurants throughout the United States. Through this partnership, International Bancard will leverage its proprietary integrated PassportConnect payment gateway and industry-leading plug-and-play deployment for POS Pizza users. Integrating these powerful technologies enables restaurateurs with a cost-effective and feature rich point of sale system specifically designed for pizza and sandwich shops. POS Pizza software is incredibly easy to use and offers full support for delivery, dine-in, curbside pickup, and carry-out ordering including online ordering and driver dispatch. "International Bancard is thrilled to partner with Summit Computer Networks to offer POS Pizza software. We love to partner with companies who have developed such a loyal following", said John Badovinac, Vice President of Integrated Payments at International Bancard. "We knew POS Pizza delivered great features at an amazing price point, but we were impressed by how loyal POS Pizza users are. It's not often we find a software so well loved that it stays in use even as the restaurant is passed to a new generation of family owners, or after the sale of the business to new ownership." Scott Slater, CEO of Summit Computer Networks, Inc. is also excited to kick off the partnership. "I'm incredibly impressed with International Bancard's dedication to supporting our product launch and the energy they brought to delivering customized marketing support. IB's technology is equally impressive. Integrating to the PassportConnect payment gateway took only a few days and the IB Dev Team was always there whenever I needed them. I know our customers will love the ability to self-install their payment terminals in minutes using International Bancard's plug-and-play deployment." About Us Summit Computer Networks provides the pizza industry with POS software and Information Technology consulting services. We are turn-key solution providers for small business IT needs and help design, setup, and maintain computer network systems, telephone systems, web sites, and other technology services that help businesses grow and run more efficiently. Summit Computer Networks, Inc. was founded in 1996 and has its primary offices located in Western Pennsylvania. International Bancard, is a Detroit-based FINTECH company providing payment acceptance solutions for businesses, financial institutions, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), associations and Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs) throughout North America. We offer seamless, secure, innovative payment solutions, take pride in understanding the needs and challenges of our clients and act with a sense of urgency in everything we do. We build relationships for life. Contacts John Badovinac Vice President of Integrated Payments jbadovinac@intlbancard.com 1505 Woodward Ave Work: (800) 827-4880 www.internationalbancard.com Scott Slater CEO info@summitcn.com Work: (866) 922-9690 www.summitcn.com SOURCE: International Bancard | Summit Computer Networks, Inc View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/622717/International-Bancard-Summit-Computer-Networks-Inc-Strike-Strategic-Partnership Thomas Raskin, left, is seen with his parents, Sarah Bloom Raskin and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) in Washington on May 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Rep. Raskin and His Wife Share Their Late Sons Battle With Depression in New Tribute Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and his wife on Monday shared that their 25-year-old son, who died last week, was struggling with depression. Thomas Bloom Raskin, a student at Harvard Law School, had a perfect heart, a perfect soul, a riotously outrageous and relentless sense of humor, and a dazzling radiant mind, Rep. Raskin and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, wrote in a joint tribute. But their son began to be tortured later in his 20s by a blindingly painful and merciless disease called depression, as Tabitha put it on Facebook over the weekend, a kind of relentless torture in the brain for him, and despite very fine doctors and a loving family and friendship network of hundreds who adored him beyond words and whom he adored too, the pain became overwhelming and unyielding and unbearable at last for our dear boy, this young man of surpassing promise to our broken world. On the last hellish brutal day of that godawful miserable year of 2020, when hundreds of thousands of Americans and millions of people all over the world died alone in bed in the darkness from an invisible killer disease ravaging their bodies and minds, we also lost our dear, dear, beloved son, Hannah and Tabithas beloved irreplaceable brother, a radiant light in this broken world, they added. Rep. Jamie Raskin is seen in Washington on June 10, 2020. (Greg Nash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) The family has not specified a cause of death but noted that the college student left a farewell note, which stated: Please forgive me. My illness won today. Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me. All my love, Tommy. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America and affect 40 million adults every year. The student was survived by his two sisters and dozens of other relatives. The family announced over the weekend the creation of a memorial fund for Tommy Raskin, through the Greater Washington Community Foundation. The fund will distribute money on a semiannual basis to causes and charities championed and advanced by Tommy Raskin, such as Oxfam, Give Directly, the Helen Keller Institute, and Animal Outlook, the family said. It was launched with an initial contribution of $50,000. The family also said it would hold a private funeral service on Tuesday. They said it would follow COVID-19 public health guidelines. A virtual public memorial service will be held late this month. DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cellulose Nanofibers Market in Japan 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Strong government and industry funding has given Japan the world's largest cellulose nanofibers (CNF) "industry" with commercial production facilities operating across the country. Also, ambitious national targets for reducing CO2 emissions make nanocellulose particularly attractive for product development. Japan is by far the largest producer and consumer of CNF products. CNF research and development started in Japan around 2000, and more than 50 companies are seriously developing their manufacturing technologies and applications. Additional companies are also involved in government projects. These companies produce CNF on a pre-commercial and commercial scale and produce numerous products or supply to OEMs. Several CNF-based products have come onto the market in Japan including: Ballpoint pen ink gels. Adult deodorizing products. Audio equipment. Hygiene wipes and other products. Footwear. Cosmetics. Food additives. Packaging additives. Concrete additives. Automotive composites. The report contents include: Demand for CNF in Japan . . In-depth details on CNF production processes, materials development and products. Production capacities for cellulose nanofiber in Japan . . End user markets in Japan . . Trends in cellulose nanofiber in Japan . . In-depth profiles of 54 CNF producers and product developers in Japan . . In-depth analysis of market by applications including estimated market size, penetration and growth. Applications covered include: Polymer composite parts; Biodegradable and renewable nanocomposites; Automotive composites; Packaging films; Aerogels; Construction materials; Packaging fillers/additives; Paint and coatings additives; Deodorant sheets; Pharmaceutical additives; Renewable plastic parts/casings; Transparent films for electronics; Flexible and printed electronics; Batteries; Flexible and paper batteries; Filtration membranes. Key Topics Covered 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Why Cellulose Nanofibers? 1.2 The Market in 2019 1.3 Future Global Market Outlook 1.4 Global Cellulose Nanofibers Production 1.4.1 Total Global Production Capacity 2019 for Cellulose Nanofibers 1.4.2 Market Demand for Cellulose Nanofibers in Japan 2017-2019 1.4.3 Cellulose Nanofibers (CNF) Production Capacities 2019, by Producer 1.4.4 Microfibrillated Cellulose (MFC) Production Capacities 2019 1.5 Market Challenges for Cellulose Nanofibers 1.6 Cellulose Nanofibers Commercial Products 2 Cellulose Nanofibers Supply Chain in Japan 3 Cellulose Nanofibers Pricing 4 Cellulose Nanofibers in Composites 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Market Prospects 4.3 Market Assessment 4.4 Applications Map 4.5 Product Developer Profiles 5 Cellulose Nanofibers in Automotive 6 Cellulose Nanofibers in Construction 7 Cellulose Nanofibers in Paper & Board Packaging 8 Cellulose Nanofibers in Textiles & Apparel 9 Cellulose Nanofibers in Medicine & Healthcare 10 Cellulose Nanofibers in Paints & Coatings 11 Cellulose Nanofibers in Aerogels 12 Cellulose Nanofibers in Oil & Gas 13 Cellulose Nanofibers in Filtration 14 Cellulose Nanofibers in Rheology Modifiers for Cosmetics, Pharma and Food Additives 15 Other Markets for Cellulose Nanofibers in Japan 15.1 Printed, Stretchable and Flexible Electronics 15.1.1 Market Assessment 15.1.2 Product Developer Profiles 16 Japan Cellulose Nanofibers Producer Analysis 16.1 Target Markets, by Nanocellulose Producer 17 Japan Cellulose Nanofiber Company Profiles Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation Chuetsu Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd. DIC DKS Co. Ltd. Daicel Corporation DaikyoNishikawa Corporation Daio Paper Corporation Daishowa Paper Products Denso Corporation Ehime Paper Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Fillerbank Limited Fuji Pigment Co. Ltd. Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. GS Alliance Co. Ltd. Hattori Shoten K.K . . Hokuetsu Corp. Japan Steel Works Ltd. KRI Inc. Kami Shoji Company Kao Corporation Kusano Sakko K.K . . Maniwa Biochemical Marine Nanofiber Co. Ltd. Marusumi Paper Company Limited Masuko Sangyo Co. Ltd. Mitsubishi Paper Mills Limited Mori Machinery Co. Ltd. Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd. Nippon Shizai Co. Ltd. Nissin Kogyo Co. Ltd. Oji Holdings Omura Paint Co. Ltd. Onkyo Corporation Osaka Gas Rengo Co. Ltd. Ripro Corporation Risho Kogyo Co. Ltd. Sanwa Kako Co. Ltd. Seiko PMC Sharp Chemical Ind. Co. Ltd. Shinwa Kako K.K. Starlite Co. Ltd. Sugino Machine Limited TS Tech Co. Ltd. Taiyo Holdings Co Ltd. Tentok Paper Co. Ltd. Tokushu Tokai Paper Co. Ltd. Toppan Printing Co. Ltd. Toray Industries Inc. Toyota Boshoku Corporation Ube Industries Ltd. Unitika Co. Ltd. Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. Yoshikawakuni Plastics Industries Co. Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/u5tk8 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com We have very loyal customers and employees who have been with us for 25-plus years. We have survived 2020 together, and we are looking forward to thriving in 2021! Parmetech, Inc. is proud to celebrate the companys 30th Anniversary this year. Founded in January of 1991, the company has been family-owned and operated since the beginning, and continues to provide a superior level of personalized service to clients, which remains the number one value of the company. "2020 has been a very challenging and unprecedented year for all of us, said Ana Fernandez, Parmetech President and CEO. We are so appreciative of our customers and employees who have made this journey possible. We have very loyal customers and employees who have been with us for 25-plus years. We have survived 2020 together, and we are looking forward to thriving in 2021!" Though 2020 was a tough year, Parmetech was proud to celebrate recognition by Xerox Corporation as one of the top performing channel partners of 2019. Parmetech has been a Xerox Platinum Channel Partner since 2008, a top-tier status recognizing superior performance and excellence in customer satisfaction. In terms of performance, Parmetech finished 12th out of all the channel partners in the country. As an MPS Accredited Partner, a program designed by Xerox to recognize a select group of channel partners that demonstrate MPS expertise and revenue growth, Parmetech became the first Xerox XPPS Advanced Managed Print Services Partner in the U.S. in 2012. Going into 2021, Parmetechs main focus will be on continuing to help clients navigate the transition into hybrid work and learning environments while increasing their productivity, efficiency, and security with its digital transformation capabilities. The company is looking forward to continuing to support its customers and deliver strong results. Various 30th anniversary-themed promotions will be held throughout the year to celebrate the achievement. Headquartered in Havertown, PA, Parmetech, Inc. is a certified woman-owned & minority-owned company focused on advancing the way people and technology work together with a continuum of services to meet the needs of a diverse, ever-evolving workforce. An award-winning reseller, integrator and provider of office equipment technology and services, its core expertise is in providing print management and workplace solutions to increase organizational efficiency, productivity and security. For more information on Parmetech, visit https://www.parmetech.com. Athas Zafiris was tucked up in bed and preparing to go back to work on Tuesday morning when he received a WhatsApp message telling him he would have to isolate for another seven days. Late at night, his friend had noticed a change to information on the Victorian Health Departments website, and got in touch. Athas Zafiris is isolating at home, but only because his friend alerted him to new advice posted late at night. Credit:Chris Hopkins People who had visited the Bodriggy Brewing Company in Abbotsford between 2.50pm and 5.30pm on December 28 were now advised to get tested and remain in isolation for 14 days of the potential exposure. Mr Zafiris had previously read that he would be safe to leave home isolation after returning a negative test, as he had on Monday. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has called on China to let a team from the World Health Organisation into the country to investigate the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, after Beijing appeared to block the officials from entering the country. The WHO says China is refusing to grant its officials access to Wuhan as part of the inquiry into the global pandemic. Xi Jinping at an event last September to honour those involved in the battle against COVID-19. Credit:AP Australia led calls for the independent inquiry that was eventually backed by a global coalition of 137 countries, including China, at a meeting of the World Health Assembly in May. Senator Payne said Australia had "consistently sought transparency in relation to the origins of, and responses to the coronavirus, as have other countries". By Nam Sang-so On a balmy autumn day in 1972, a tall antenna tower collapsed. There were 30-meter-high six-guy-wired communication towers located in the barbed-wired compound near Gimpo International Airport west of Seoul. The owner, one of the U.S. agencies in Korea, had suspected that it may have been an act of terrorism. Gulf Arab leaders arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a summit focused on ending a long-running dispute with Qatar which shattered Gulf unity at a time of heightened regional tensions with Iran. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was met in the historic city of al-Ula by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two men, wearing face masks, embraced on the tarmac. Ahead of the gathering, Kuwait announced that Saudi Arabia, which along with allies boycotted Doha in mid-2017, would reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar under a deal that a senior U.S. official said would be signed in the presence of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner. Other Gulf leaders arrived earlier and Egypt's foreign minister would also attend the annual summit, postponed from its December date as Riyadh worked for a deal. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar over allegations Doha supports terrorism, a charge it denies. The breakthrough is the latest in a series of Middle East deals sought by Washington - the others involving Israel and Arab states - aimed at building a united front against Iran. While Riyadh made clear it intended to lift the embargo, the other three states did not immediately comment on the issue. But the U.S. official said "it's our expectation" they would also join. Under the emerging deal, Qatar will suspend lawsuits related to the boycott, the official said. Short link: TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle") and TMAC Resources Inc. (TSX: TMR) ("TMAC") announced today that they have entered into agreements pursuant to which Agnico Eagle has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of TMAC (the "Transaction") at a price of C$2.20 per share (the "Offer Price") in cash, which represents an increase of C$0.45 per share as compared to the offer price of C$1.75 offered by Shandong under the original Arrangement Agreement, as further described below. The Transaction is being effected by way of assignment to Agnico Eagle of the arrangement agreement dated May 8, 2020 (the "Arrangement Agreement") among TMAC, Shandong Gold Mining (HongKong) Co., Limited and its affiliate Streamers Gold Mining Corporation Limited (collectively, "Shandong") and Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd. (together with Shandong, the "Shandong Parties") in accordance with an assignment, assumption and novation agreement among the Shandong Parties, TMAC and Agnico Eagle dated January 4, 2021 (the "Assignment Agreement") and the amendment of the Arrangement Agreement under an amending agreement between Agnico Eagle and TMAC dated January 4, 2021 (the "Amending Agreement"). The arrangement was approved by 97.08% of the votes of TMAC shareholders that were represented at the special meeting held on June 26, 2020; there will be no further shareholders' meeting in connection with the Transaction. The total equity value under the Transaction is approximately C$286.6 million. In addition, in connection with the closing of the Transaction, Agnico Eagle will retire TMAC's outstanding debt and deferred interest and fees. The Offer Price represents a premium of approximately 26% to the offer price of C$1.75 per TMAC share that was to be paid by Shandong and a premium of approximately 66% to TMAC's 20-day volume-weighted average price as at January 4, 2021. Resource Capital Funds ("RCF"), Newmont Corporation ("Newmont"), Shandong and all directors and officers of TMAC, collectively holding approximately 62.3% of the current outstanding TMAC common shares, have entered into agreements with Agnico Eagle that include obligations to, among other matters, cooperate in seeking the Agnico Final Order (as defined below) and not solicit competing transactions or take actions that would interfere with the completion of the Transaction. Sean Boyd, Agnico Eagle's Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to bring our extensive northern operational and community experience to the Hope Bay Mine and the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. Together with the TMAC team and our Nunavut partners, we look forward to advancing exploration and expansion initiatives to realize the full potential of the Mine and its large unexplored land package." Jason Neal, TMAC's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "I am very excited to welcome Agnico Eagle to Hope Bay. Our company spent almost the entirety of 2020 under the uncertainty of a strategic review process and the Canadian government review of the sale to Shandong, with an impending debt maturity, compounded by the anxiety of the global pandemic. Our employees showed great focus that delivered outstanding results. The Nunavut communities showed great patience. Sprott Lending provided accommodation and support. The acquisition being completed by Agnico Eagle is a great outcome for all stakeholders. Agnico Eagle is one of the strongest gold producers internationally, a Canadian champion and has been operating in Nunavut for more than a decade with a great track record with communities, employees and the environment." Newmont's President and Chief Executive Officer, Tom Palmer said, "The sale of TMAC to Agnico Eagle is an excellent outcome for TMAC's shareholders, employees and local communities. Agnico Eagle's extensive experience in the Arctic, coupled with their clear commitment to the highest environmental, social and governance practices make them uniquely qualified to lead and realize the fullest potential of the Hope Bay gold district." Ross Bhappu, Head of Private Equity Funds for RCF said, "RCF would like to compliment TMAC's current operational management team on the significant mining, milling and safety achievements and establishing the foundation from which Agnico Eagle can continue the team's outstanding track record on ESG matters as well as operating in the Arctic." Transaction Summary The Transaction will be completed by way of a Plan of Arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). The Transaction is subject to approval under the Competition Act (Canada) and to an amendment of the final order issued on June 30, 2020 by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to approve the substitution of Agnico Eagle as purchaser under the Plan of Arrangement (such amended final order, the "Agnico Final Order"). TMAC intends to seek the Agnico Final Order at a hearing before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) to be held by Zoom on January 20, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (Toronto time). TMAC will advise shareholders by way of a further press release regarding details of the court process. The Transaction will also be subject to other closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature. Agnico Eagle and TMAC have agreed to use their commercially reasonable efforts to consummate the Transaction on or before February 8, 2021. The board of directors of TMAC, after consultation with its financial and legal advisors, and on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of independent directors of TMAC (the "TMAC Special Committee"), has unanimously approved the Transaction. In connection with approving the Transaction, Blair Franklin Capital Partners provided an opinion to the TMAC Special Committee and the TMAC board of directors stating that, based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications set forth therein, the consideration offered to the TMAC shareholders pursuant to the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to the TMAC shareholders, and each of BMO Capital Markets and CIBC Capital Markets provided an opinion to the TMAC board of directors stating that, based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications set forth therein, the consideration offered to the TMAC shareholders pursuant to the Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to the TMAC shareholders. TMAC will file a material change report in respect of the Transaction in compliance with Canadian securities laws as well as copies of the Assignment Agreement and Amending Agreement, which will be available on TMAC's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. A copy of the Arrangement Agreement and certain other principal agreements relating to the Arrangement Agreement can be found under TMAC's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Agnico Eagle has engaged Trinity Advisors Corporation and First Asia Group Ltd. as its financial advisors and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP as its legal advisor in connection with the Transaction. TMAC has engaged BMO Capital Markets and CIBC Capital Markets as its financial advisors and Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP as its legal advisor in connection with the Transaction. The TMAC Special Committee has engaged Blair Franklin as its financial advisor and Stikeman Elliott LLP as its legal advisor. About Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Agnico Eagle is a senior Canadian gold mining company that has produced precious metals since 1957. Its operating mines are located in Canada, Finland and Mexico, with exploration and development activities in each of these countries as well as in the United States, Sweden and Colombia. Agnico Eagle and its shareholders have full exposure to gold prices due to its long-standing policy of no forward gold sales. Agnico Eagle has declared a cash dividend every year since 1983. About TMAC Resources Inc. TMAC operates the Hope Bay property located in Nunavut, Canada. The property and operations are remote but not isolated, serviced by both a port and airstrip. Hope Bay is an 80 km by 20 km Archean greenstone belt that has been explored by BHP, Miramar, Newmont and TMAC over a period spanning more than 30 years. TMAC began producing gold in early 2017 from Doris, its first mine at Hope Bay, and processed gold at the Doris processing plant which originally had nameplate capacity of 1,000 tpd and expanded to 2,000 tpd midway through 2018. There is potential to grow TMAC's established deposits considerably at depth, and then grow resources further through the prioritized exploration of the more than 90 other identified regional targets. TMAC is now permitted to produce from both Madrid and Boston. Forward-Looking Statements The information in this news release has been prepared as at January 5, 2021. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to: statements relating to the outcome of the Transaction; the ability of Agnico Eagle and TMAC to complete the Transaction on the terms described herein, or at all; and receipt of the Agnico Final Order and the necessary Competition Act (Canada) approvals. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Agnico Eagle and TMAC as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Other than as required by law, Agnico Eagle and TMAC do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. SOURCE Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Related Links http://www.agnicoeagle.com Blissful Bride Who Towers Over Her Husband Silences Critics: Love Knows No Boundaries A newlywed Kenyan couple with a huge height difference has never let naysayers hold them back. Although Lilian Wawira Gatimu may tower over her husband, Ezekiel Mwangi Maina, at almost twice his height, she insists she loves him just the way he is. Lilian, 28, who stands at over 7 feet tall, and Mwangi, 33, who is 3 feet tall, first met at a mutual friends wedding in April 2017. Lilian was impressed by her suitors courage. As soon as he saw me, he asked for my phone number, she told BBC. I told myself that this was a real man. Not long after, as their love blossomed for each other, the couple was met with opposition from their families and friends. Mwangis family even tried to convince him to leave her and find someone of his stature. The couples friends too criticized them. Some insulted me, saying unkind things to me. Some said I should look for someone as tall as me, Lilian said. Yet despite losing some friends along the way, Lilian and Mwangi were joined by many friends and supportive family members at their wedding at ACK Emmanuel Church in Karatina on Dec. 19, 2020. Even Mwangis family attended, having grown to accept Lilian and the couples union. Beautiful photos documented the day, with Lilian dressed in a flowing white lace dress, Mwangi in a tailored gray suit, and the couples eight bridesmaids dazzling in purple satin. After seeing their wedding photos, some critics took to comment negatively on the couple. In response to criticism of their wedding photos, Lilian hit back in an interview with Othaya Global News, according to Pulse Ghana. Height, she said, is too trivial a matter to concern them. Love knows no boundaries, she said. Some people have claimed that Lilian, an Anglican evangelist, was with Mwangi, a businessman, for his money, according to the BBC. Mwangi countered that if the couple was that wealthy they would either be in Dubai or Maasai Mara for their honeymoon instead of being at home. In their dedication to living together in harmony, the couple has even built a special bed to accommodate Lilians height. As Lilian reflects on her love for her husband, she told BBC that she really respects her husband and considers him as the head of the family. From time to time we [bicker] just like any other couple, Lilian admitted, but he is gentle, and he has taught me to apologize. It is very difficult for Mwangi to get angry, he has a good personality, he is a person I have no problem living with, she said of her husband. And he loves me so much He calls me Baby, even though Im tall. As for what the future holds for these love birds, the couple said they hope to have two or three children together, God willing. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com Rescue workers have uncovered an entire family, including a two-year-old girl, her father and heavily pregnant mother, in the rubble of a Norwegian landslide. The young family are among seven people who died as a result of the natural disaster in Ask, near Norway's capital. Two-year-old Alma and her father Bjorn-Ivar Grymyr Jansen, 40, were found dead over the weekend. Alma's mother Charlot, 31, who was heavily pregnant and expected to give birth next month, was also identified as among the dead by police on Monday, reports Bild. Her body had been discovered on Sunday. Two-year-old Alma (centre), her father Bjorn-Ivar Grymyr Jansen, 40, (left), and mother Charlot, 31, who was heavily pregnant and expected to give birth next month, were all killed in the landslide in Ask, Norway The young family are among seven people who died as a result of the natural disaster in Ask, near Norway's capital Bjorn-Ivar Grymyr Jansen (right) and his wife Charlot (left) were among the dead The rescuers are still working to find survivors six days after homes were buried by the landslide. Three people remain missing The rescuers are still working to find survivors six days after homes were buried by the landslide. Three people remain missing. The tragedy happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning when houses were destroyed and shifted hundreds of metres under a torrent of mud at the village of Ask, 15 miles northeast of Oslo. Rescue workers discovered the seventh body on Sunday, which police say was found near where two others had been recovered earlier in the day. Officers gave no further details. Three further victims recovered from the landslide have have been named as Lisbeth Neraas, 54, and her son Marius Brustad, 29, and Eirik Grnolen, 31. One body found has not yet been named. On Monday, a small dog was found alive in the rubble, raising hopes for rescuers who are still searching for three missing people. But just before midday today, a smaller landslide forced rescuers to evacuate the site in the village of Ask On Monday, a small dog was found alive in the rubble, raising hopes for rescuers who are still searching for three missing people The dog was found late yesterday 'in good condition' in an area where rescuers had been working, said police spokesman Ivar Myrboe. 'It is a joy for us and gives motivation to further work hard,' said rescuer Goeran Syversen. But just before midday on Tuesday, a smaller landslide forced rescuers to evacuate the site in the village of Ask. No one was injured, police said. Rescuer Kenneth Wangen said the landslide was 'not dramatic', adding they were warned by drones and other rescuers. They are waiting for an assessment from geologists before continuing the search. A damaged house is seen at a landslide area in Ask, Gjerdrum county, on January 1, 2021, a few days after a landslide in a small Norwegian town north of Oslo Emergency services near the site of a landslide in Ask, northeast of Oslo, Thursday, December 31. A landslide smashed into a residential area near the Norwegian capital Wednesday Rescue teams are still working following the discovery of a seventh victim of the disaster in the town near Norway's capital, Oslo Police spokesperson Bjorn Christian Willersrud told journalists they hoped to find more survivors in the landslide zone. 'It is still a rescue operation until we decide otherwise,' he said. The discovery of a fourth body had been made Saturday after three were recovered the day before at the bleak, snow-covered scene at Ask, in Gjerdrum municipality. Police on Saturday identified the body of the first person found on Friday as 31-year-old Eirik Grnolen. Earlier police published the names of all ten people, including the two-year-old and a 13-year-old, who went missing on Wednesday. Destroyed houses are seen in a crater left behind by a landslide in the town of Ask, Gjerdrum county, some 40 km northeast of the capital Oslo, on December 31 A rescue helicopter hovers over a landslide area in Ask, Gjerdrum county, on December 31, one day after the landslide A rescue crew are seen near the scene of devastation before they search the area for survivors on Saturday Rescue crews gather inside a building in Ask in Gjerdrum,on January 2, following a landslide in the town some 40 km northeast of the capital Oslo The head of the rescue operation, Goran Syversen, said on Sunday: 'We are working hard in the depression created by the landslide. 'We have five teams working at the same time. They are doing very difficult work which is not without risk. Nevertheless, we are making good progress.' The rescuers received a visit Sunday from the Norwegian royal family, including King Harald, Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon, who lit candles for the victims in a local church. They also visited relatives and evacuees at Olavsgaard hotel in Skjetten. 'I'm having trouble finding something to say, because it's absolutely horrible,' the King said after the visit. 'This terrible event impacts us all. I sympathise with you who are beginning the new year with sadness and uncertainty,' he said in a televised statement. Norwegian King Harald and Queen Sonja have arrived in Ask to visit the scenes of devastation following the landslide and meet survivors King Harald lights a candle in Gjerdrum Church in memory of the victims of the landslide on Sunday Several of 5,000 residents of Ask, Norway, have lit candles in memory of those who lost their lives in the disaster Candles are placed on the snow in Gjerdrum on January 1, in tribute to the victims of a landslide in Ask Residents of the town have lit candles in honour of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The authorities have banned all aircraft from the disaster area until 3pm Monday as they conduct aerial searches. Ten people were also injured in the landslide, including one seriously who was transferred to Oslo for treatment. About a thousand people have been evacuated out of a local population of 5,000, because of fears for the safety of their homes as the land continues to move. 'It is a completely surreal and terrible situation,' one of the evacuees, Olav Gjerdingen, said. A mobile bridge from the Norwegian Armed Forces is seen as it is prepared for use in the rescue works in the crater of a landslide in the town of Ask on January 1 A rescue helicopter files near the site of a landslide in Ask on Thursday. A landslide smashed into a residential area near the Norwegian capital Wednesday Search and rescue teams have been using sniffer dogs, helicopters and drones in a bid to find survivors. The search teams were also digging channels in the ground to evacuate casualties. Experts say the disaster was a 'quick clay slide' of approximately 300 by 800 metres. Quick clay is found in Norway and Sweden and notorious for collapsing after turning to fluid when overstressed. Prime Minister Erna Solberg described it as one of the biggest landslides the country had ever experienced. Day 3 of the PokerStars Blowout Series: $215 NLHE [8-Max, The Big Blowout!] resumes play at 6:05 p.m. GMT with 23 players out of 31,855 entries returning to the battlefield to compete for the first-place prize of $632,426. They have all secured at least $10,887 out of the $6,371,000 prize pool but are all looking to climbing up that pay ladder. Leading the pack today is Romania's "UnHuman3" with 154 big blinds as they bagged 122,991,718 in chips on Day 2. They are followed in the top five by "Olegent" (77,440,795), "DoEasyMoney" (62,808,998), "Sergiu "seserman01" Cornea" (55,211,856), and "Eduardnho11" (44,417,889). Day 1 chip leader "Magdebob1993" also made Day 3 but with 31,311,886 chips, they're coming back with a slight below-average stack. Other familiar names to return for a fight today include Francis "NoHayMiedo*" Cruz and Gustavo "gremistaAK" Pinto. When play resumes, the remaining players will finish Level 53 which features a small blind of 400,000, a big blind of 800,000, and a running ante of 100,000. Once 16 players are left, the level duration will increase to 20 minutes each and play will continue until a champion has been crowned. The PokerStars Twitch channel will be providing cards-up coverage with a security delay with commentary provided by James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton from 6:30 p.m. GMT. But PokerNews will be there from the first elimination until the final table closes so make sure to keep following along right here for all the live updates, Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health gave an official explanation on the Drugs Controller General of India not approving the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine till now. On December 4, 2020, Pfizer India became the first firm in India to seek emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine. In its application to the DCGI, it reportedly sought permission to import the vaccine for sale and distribution besides a waiver of clinical trials on the Indian population. Addressing a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan stated that Pfizer had failed to appear before the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation despite being invited thrice. As per reports, the company had requested more time to submit additional data. At the same time, Bhushan clarified that the SEC was willing to give a fair hearing to Pfizer. The Pfizer vaccine uses a new technology that packs messenger RNA inside tiny fat droplets to instruct cells to make the spike protein. Having shown 95% efficacy in its final trials, it has already been approved by the US, the UK, the European Union and Bahrain. However, questions have been raised about this vaccine's viability in countries such as India as it needs to be stored at -70C. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan remarked, "Pfizer so far has been given three opportunities after their application by the Subject Expert Committee of the CDSCO. But they have not appeared before the Subject Expert Committee. And the Subject Expert Committee, to the best of our knowledge, willing to listen to their presentation." Read: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's Tally At 1,03,56,845; Vaccine Rollout In 10 Days DCGI approves two vaccines In a big breakthrough in India's fight against COVID-19, the DCGI accepted the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee of the CDSCO, paving way for the approval of COVISHIELD and COVAXIN. Manufactured by the Serum Institute of India with technology transfer from Oxford University-AstraZeneca, COVISHIELD is a Recombinant Chimpanzee Adenovirus vector vaccine with its overall efficacy at 70.42%. 50 million doses of this vaccine are ready. On the other hand, COVAXIN is a Whole Virion Inactivated Corona Virus Vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and NIV. As part of its phase 3 trials, 22,500 participants have been vaccinated across the country so far. However, it has been approved in "public interest" in the clinical trial mode so that there can be more options for vaccination in case of infection by mutant strains. Both the vaccines have to be stored between 2-8 degrees celsius. Read: 2-part Budget Session To Start From January 29; COVID Precautions To Be Followed: Sources Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Presbyterian rear admiral becomes first woman to serve as chaplain for US House Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A retired rear admiral who once addressed the general assembly of Presbyterian Church (USA) has become the first female chaplain of the United States House of Representatives. Margaret Grun Kibben, who formerly served as chief of chaplains in the U.S. Navy and chaplain of the U.S. Marine Corps, was named to the position last Thursday, making her the first woman to serve as chaplain for either house of Congress. In a statement released on New Years Eve, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained that Kibben was approved for the position by a bipartisan group of congressmen. Kibben brings decades of decorated experience in the military and the ministry, as a retired Rear Admiral who served as the U.S. Navys Chief Chaplain and the chaplain of the Marine Corps, stated Pelosi. Her integrity, experience and patriotism will serve the Congress and the Country well, as she ministers to the needs of Members. This historic appointment was made possible by the values-based leadership of Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, and I thank him and all Members of the bipartisan group leading the search. Kibben will be replacing a retiring Father Pat Conroy, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church who had served in the position of House chaplain since 2011. Kibben has an extensive military background, entering active duty in 1986 via the Navys Theological Student Program. She has been on five deployments and received multiple honors, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal on three occasions and the Navy Commendation Medal on three occasions. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree from Goucher College of Towson, Maryland, a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Masters in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. In 2018, she gave a speech before the 223rd General Assembly of PC(USA) regarding her experiences as a military chaplain, noting that chaplains were called to care for each soul in our command and our service. Many men and women we deal with have never darkened the door of a church, a mosque or a synagogue, stated Kibben at the time, as reported by Presbyterian News Service. We have access to every space, every place and every office where people serve, and can come alongside them. Kibben previously served as a guest chaplain for the House of Representatives, giving the opening prayer for a House legislative session in December 2015. BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prakas & Co., a premier full-service restaurant brokerage firm, today announced the sale of Fort Lauderdale's award-winning Blue Moon Fish Co. to Ark Restaurants operator of some of the world's finest dining establishments located in New York City, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Atlantic City, and Florida. The culinary dream of chef-owners Baron Skorish and Bryce Statham, Blue Moon Fish Co. has provided the "freshest seafood by the waterway" in Fort Lauderdale for 26 years under Fili Gumbo, Inc. With 5,000-square-feet of indoor space and a 3,000-square-foot patio area, the restaurant has received numerous awards for culinary excellence and was named the 'Best Waterfront Dining in Fort Lauderdale' by Zagat and OpenTable. Guests crave the unique blend of Louisiana flavors and Florida's freshest seafood, as well as the World Famous Sunday Brunch special, all of which will still be available under the restaurant's new owners. Christian Prakas, managing partner, and Athan Prakas II, a sales associate, were the exclusive brokers of the deal. "Ark Restaurants is a seasoned restaurant group that operates a host of successful establishments from the infamous Bryant Park Grill in New York City to Shuckers and Rustic Inn here in South Florida. Blue Moon Fish Co. is the perfect addition to their stellar portfolio," said Christian Prakas. "While the owners are new, locals and tourists can still expect their favorite menu items paired with dreamy sunsets and intercoastal views, and the same five-star service they know and love." A graduate of California Culinary Academy, Skorish has worked for the finest hotels and restaurants in the Western Hemisphere. He's received countless honors for his work, which earned a feature in Bon Appetit Magazine. Additionally, he received a personal invitation to prepare dinner for the Grand Cayman chapter of Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, a global gastronomic organization. Statham, on the other hand, is one of South Florida's most highly regarded executive chefs. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he gained more than 15 years of experience at restaurants from South Carolina to the Virgin Islands. He's also earned a host of accolades, including the People's Choice Award at Art a la Carte. Blue Moon Fish Co. is open daily until 10 p.m., with its Sunday Brunch special ending at 3 p.m., and offers valet parking and boat dockage. For more information or to book a reservation, visit https://www.bluemoonfishco.com/. For more information on Prakas & Co. or for inquiries, visit www.prakascompany.com or call (561) 368-0003. About Prakas & Co.: Prakas & Co. is a full-service premier restaurant brokerage firm headquartered in Boca Raton. Established in 1999, Prakas & Co. has sold or leased more than 450 restaurants and commercial properties in the last 19 years. It covers small cafe sales and leases, all the way up to some of the largest national and global restaurant groups real estate needs. Prakas & Co. provides personalized services including business sales, franchise tenant representation, consulting, sales, and leasing services. South Florida's hottest restaurant corridors, including Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, and Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, have all been enhanced by the Prakas touch. SOURCE Prakas & Company Related Links https://prakascompany.com/ COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) - Police confirmed a teenager, whom investigators sought in connection with a shooting at a McDonalds in Columbus, has been arrested. Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton confirmed the arrest of Jaylin Hodges, 16. Police sought him for the shooting that happened on Christmas Eve at the restaurant on Alabama Street. The shooting slightly injured an employee. Shelton said the shooting stemmed from an argument at the drive-thru. Hodges faces charges of aggravated assault and shooting into an occupied dwelling. Even though Hodges is a minor, police said they charged him as an adult. Hodge's arrest marks the second arrest made in the investigation. The first suspect, 18-year-old Antwan Roland, faces charges of shooting into a dwelling and aggravated assault. Previous Article - One arrested for shooting into Columbus restaurant, two more suspects still sought The third suspect, Tyrei Romelle Johnson, 22, of Columbus, is being sought for traffic violations and questioning in the incident. [January 05, 2021] The Holdsworth Group Appoints M. Christian Mitchell as Managing Partner The Holdsworth Group ("THG"), a trusted capital partner, advisor, and curator of alternative investments for family offices and corporations worldwide, today announced that M. Christian Mitchell has joined as a Managing Partner and will lead the firm's consulting and advisory practice, THG Advisory Services, LLC. This practice area will provide, among other things, sophisticated advice to corporations and family offices in areas such as succession planning, organizational issues, management and board issues, and investment strategy and reporting. "I have known Chris for over 15 years and through our work together on a number of public company boards, have seen firsthand the depth of his counsel and the range of issues he can speak to," said Mark Holdsworth, Founder and Managing Partner of The Holdsworth Group. "I am thrilled to welcome someone of his caliber to our growing team and know that his decades of experience helping companies navigate countless situations will make him an invaluable resource for his clients." Chris Mitchell is a seasoned business leader with over 40 years of expertise with global professional services, corporate, government and non-profit organizations. He is recognized as a strategic advisor on governance, management, finance, capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Mitchell is a former Deloitte (News - Alert) senior partner who served as the National or Regional Managing Partner for various practices including audit, enterprise risk services, and financial services during his 26-year career. He was also a founding member of the Board of Directors of Deloitte Consulting USA. In addition, Mr. Mitchell served as an Accounting Fellow to the Federal Hoe Loan Board in Washington, D.C. Over the last 15 years Chris has served on the boards of six public companies, four private equity-sponsored companies, three private entities, and five not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Mitchell graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama. "I could not be more excited to start this new chapter with Mark and the rest of the talented team he has assembled," stated Mr. Mitchell. "The combination of niche, off-the-run investment opportunities with high-level advisory and consulting services is unlike anything currently available in the market. I look forward to helping Mark continue to build the firm and working closely with our existing and future family office and corporate clients." Mr. Mitchell's appointment follows THG's recent hiring of Zachary Levenick as a Managing Partner. Mr. Levenick will help oversee THG's public securities investment activities. Prior to THG, Mr. Levenick was a Principal of Taconic Capital Partners, LP ("Taconic"), a multi-billion-dollar New York-based private investment firm. Mr. Levenick co-managed the firm's London-based European operations and was Portfolio Manager for European Equities investing, where focus areas included consumer products, retail, and general industries. He also established and oversaw Taconic's public and private investment efforts in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, where focus areas included education and logistics. While at Taconic, Mr. Levenick also developed extensive experience in special situations and cross-asset class investing. Mr. Levenick spent 18 years at Taconic, after joining the firm in 2002 as a research associate. Prior to his career at Taconic, Mr. Levenick worked at J.P. Morgan in investment banking. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College. ?About The Holdsworth Group Founded in 2019, The Holdsworth Group ("THG") is a trusted and sophisticated capital partner, advisor, and curator of alternative investments for family offices and corporations worldwide. The firm makes opportunistic investments with its private capital and trusted partners in several categories: real estate; publicly traded securities; private equity; and specialty (niche) funds. THG advises C-Suite executives in public and private companies of all sizes across a wide range of industries including: business services; technology; manufacturing; retail; consumer; media; automotive; aerospace; engineering and construction; restaurants; hospitality; food; packaging; energy; gaming; real estate; insurance; and, financial services. For more information, please visit, www.holdsworthgroup.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005285/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. SPRINGFIELD A Maine man accused of setting fires at a Black church was arraigned on attempted arson and other charges Tuesday morning. Dushko Vulchev, 44, of Houlton, Maine, appeared by video to answer to the charges, linked to three attempts to burn Martin Luther King Jr. Presbyterian Church on Concord Street in December. Vulchez also is accused in three incidents of vandalizing cars in the same month, according to police records. Vulchev was arrested in Pittsfield on Dec. 31. He pleaded not guilty to six criminal charges. He is charged in connection with fires at the church on Dec. 13 and Dec. 15. He is not accused in a Dec. 28 fire that heavily damaged the church. Springfield District Court Judge Kevin Maltby set Vulchezs bail at $25,000 cash, after Assistant Hampden District Attorney James Forsyth argued the defendant has no ties to Massachusetts and may be apt to jump the Canadian border. He once had a girlfriend in the Pittsfield area, but her parents have a restraining order against him ... he has a history of restraining orders, Forsyth said. Hes been living out of his car. Vulchev was previously convicted of assaulting his estranged girlfriend in Maine and threatening a Bulgarian government official, in separate cases. The next pretrial hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 5. The Dec. 28 fire was denounced as a potential hate crime by city officials, civil rights activists and church leaders. Investigators have not identified a motive in any of the fires. Related Content: Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. NORTHWOOD, Iowa Two Minnesota men are pleading not guilty to a beating at a Worth County party. Xavier Prestin Judge, 20 of Eagan, MN, and Abdulla Abdualhalim Shigidy, 20 of Apple Valley, MN, are both charged with assault causing serious injury. The two are accused of attacking a man in the 2000 block of 340th Street near Plymouth on September 13, 2020. The male victim told law enforcement he was punched by Judge and body slammed on cement by Shigidy. Court documents state the victim suffered a fractured skull and a slight brain bleed and had to return to the hospital several days after the attack because the right side of his face became paralyzed. Judges trial is set to begin on March 31 while Shigidy is scheduled to stand trial beginning April 28. After reopening schools in Maharashtra, 62 teachers test COVID-19 positive in Nashik India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Jan 05: Schools for students studying in Classes 9 to 12 reopened in Nashik district of Maharashtra on Monday. With this development, as many as 62 teachers at the school tested positive for the novel coronavirus before resuming duties, officials said. Out of the 1,324 schools in rural Nashik and city limits, as many as 846 started classes for students of standards 9 to 12, said a release from the district administration. US welcomes India to UN Security Council, says new year brings new opportunities As many as 1,21,579 students attended schools that were shut since March-end last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, it said. Prior to reopening the schools, RT-PCR tests of 7,063 headmasters/teachers and 2,500 non-teaching staff members were conducted, the release said. Out of these, 62 headmasters/teachers and 10 non-teaching staffers tested positive for COVID-19, it said. As per the new norms, 50 per cent of the students will attend the school on one day and the remaining will come the next day, the release said. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News Observing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19such as sanitisation of schools, thermal scanning, use of masks and hand sanitisers and maintaining social distance have been made compulsory for teachers, non-teaching staff and students. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 9:33 [IST] Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Los Angeles, Jan 5 : Bond girl Tanya Roberts not dead but critical, says her representative in a new statement. Hours after declaring her dead, Roberts' publicist Mike Pingel shared that she is still alive and continues to be in hospital, reports hollywoodreporter.com. "I did get confirmation (of her death), but that was from a very distraught person (Roberts' boyfriend, Lance O'Brien). And so yes, this morning at 10 a.m. ... the hospital did call to say that she was still alive but it's not looking good. We will hopefully have information (soon). It's upsetting," Pingel said. During a video interview with Inside Edition, O'Brien got a call telling him that Roberts was not dead. "The hospital is telling me she is alive. They are calling me from the ICU team," he is seen saying. The hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where the actress is being treated has not shared any information about her due to "patient privacy laws". On Sunday, Pingel said that Roberts had collapsed while walking her dogs on Christmas Eve, then was admitted to the hospital. Roberts is best known for playing the Bond girl in the 1985 film "A View To A Kill". She essayed the character of Stacey Sutton in the John Glen directorial that had Roger Moore essaying Agent 007, and also starred Grace Jones. On the small screen, she played an Angel in the popular series "Charlie's Angels". Roberts replaced Shelley Hack, appearing as Julie Rogers in the fifth and final season of the show in 1980. She also appeared in episodes of "Fantasy Island" and "Love Boat". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text During the 1980s, economists and public policy experts started to argue over the size of our government. Those on the Right said it was too big, while those on the Left disagreed. The Right typically pointed to trends in government spending and taxing over time adjusted for inflation. Those on the Left preferred to look at public spending and taxing as a share of the economy, compared over time and to other countries. One lot of numbers showed big government, the other showed it to be relatively small. There's one big lesson from three decades of micro-economic reform. Credit:Rob Homer Each sides figures supported what they previously believed and rarely did they bother to engage. It has become an article of faith among many on the Left that they won the debate but lost the policy war. The Rights dodgy numbers were circulated by generously funded think tanks to bamboozle successive governments into swingeing cutbacks, leading to tax cuts aimed at the rich. From Keating and Hawke to Greiner and Kennett, from Tasmania to the Northern Territory, budgets were grim, assets were sold and the state began to relentlessly shrink. New Delhi: The Jharkhand Academic Council has announced the 10th and 12th examination dates. The JAC 10th and 12th Board Exams will begin in the month of March. JAC Chairman Arvind Singh has announced the exam dates. The Jharkhand Board's 10th-12th examinations (JAC Board 10 12 Exam Date 2021) will start from 9 March 2021 and will run till 26 March 2021. The students will be provided with the date sheet on the Jharkhand Academic Council website. The Jharkhand Board's matriculation and intermediate board examinations will start from 9 March 2021 and will run till 26 March 2021. The students will be provided with the date sheet on the Jharkhand Academic Council's official website. The upcoming board examination will be conducted keeping in mind all the essential safety guidelines regarding Coronavirus. Although no guideline has been released for the examination yet, the guidelines are expected to be released soon. Last year, these examinations started in February but this year the exam has been delayed due to global pandemic of COVID-19. The physical classes have already started for the board students in the state from December 21, 2020. Children who can not attend these lectures can attend online classes. Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) President Arvind Prasad Singh has directed all the chief of the examination centres to get the centres ready as soon as possible. Apart from this, CCTV cameras are getting installed at all the examination centres. Last year, about 3.8 lakh students participated in the 10th and 2.4 lakh students in the 12th. The results were announced in July 2020. It is important to note that this time, examinations will be taken only under 60 per cent syllabus and candidates are also being prepared according to it. Welcome to January, the time when we heartily resolve to make big changes to how we do things in the coming year! Ah, January. Hopeful January. If only you werent followed immediately by Oh, God, So Tired Already February and Screw It, Were Going Back To The Way Weve Always Done Things March. Despite not being much of a believer in making New Years resolutions for himself, you probably wont be surprised to hear that the Macalope has some for pundits. Haha. Some. Frankly, there are too many to list. Stop repeating the same tired stories that never amount to anything. Stop quoting trolls who get paid by Apple competitors. Stop eating paste. Dont lick the flag pole in the middle of winter. So many suggestions. And all free. Its a wonder they wont take them. But if the horny one had to pick onejust onesimple thing he wished pundits would do it would be this: chastise Apple for things that actually matter. Stop scouring the Apple support forums for five people complaining about X and then claiming APPLE HAS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH X. Looking at you, Forbes contributor network and monkey gimbus banana factory. A lot of people seem to think the Macalope thinks Apple is flawless. Far from it. He still suffers with this butterfly keyboard. Its not criticism of Apple he hates, its bad criticism. As a gesture of goodwill, the Macalope will even give you something bad Apple did so you can get off on the right foot in 2021. Thinking about writing a diatribe about a bug thats already been fixed? How a new phone from some company weve never heard of is an iPhone killer? STAHP. There are bad things Apple is actually doing. According to the New York Times back in December, Apple lobbied to weaken or slow a bill banning goods made in China using the forced labor of persecuted minorities. Yes, the company that has all the moneyquite a bit of the Macalopes!is asking to let some human beings be persecuted a bit longer so as not to disrupt the supply of iPhones. Apple isnt trying to kill the bill and has stated it supports the law. But, you know, do we have to do it right now? Couldnt we do it in a few months? That report said that O-Film Technology, a contractor for Apple, Microsoft, Google and other companies, received at least 700 Uighur workers in a program that was expected to gradually alter their ideology. See, Epic just looks dumb having parodied Apples 1984 ad in their tantrum about the App Store when Apple contractors are using people who are actually being subject to reeducation in their factories. (Apple claims to have found no evidence of forced labor on Apple production lines.) Does the Macalope think Apple wants its suppliers to use these laborers? No, of course not. But its efforts to extend deadlines and obfuscate reporting to make correcting this situation convenient for the company are a very bad look in a very ugly situation. Remember that the next time the company devotes its homepage to past human rights victories. Next week: the Macalopes recipes for how to make your own paste at home. A New Jersey priest has acknowledged he had an affair with a woman who recently filed a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted her. The Rev. Robert L. Sinatra, of St. Padre Pio Parish in Vineland, admitted the affair in a Jan. 2 letter to parishioners, but denied that he assaulted the woman. With a deep sense of embarrassment and shame, I write to let you know that in late 2018 I had a two-month affair with an unmarried woman, Sinatra wrote. The letter and the womans lawsuit do not identify her by name. The suit describes her as a parishioner who participated in church activities. Sinatra remains at his post with the parish and the Camden Diocese has no plans to remove him at this time, a spokesman said. Sinatra met with Bishop Dennis Sullivan, head of the Camden Diocese, to report the transgression and ended the affair, according to the letter, which notes that the woman also met with Sullivan in July 2019. Sullivan allowed Sinatra to continue serving as a priest while he agreed to seek spiritual direction and counseling to prevent any future lapses. Sinatra, who was named pastor of the St. Padre Pio Parish in 2015, said he paid for a year of counseling to help the woman deal with the situation and Sullivan agreed that the diocese would pay for additional counseling. Although ending this relationship was difficult for me, it was obviously very difficult for her as well, Sinatra wrote. Though Sinatra said he blocked the womans phone number and severed any known social media connections with her, she still found occasions to be in my presence, he wrote. She filed the civil suit in state Superior Court on Dec. 18. It names the parish as defendant and accuses supervisors of failing to recognize that Sinatra posed a danger to others. Fr. Sinatra exploited his position of authority over Plaintiff as a priest, counselor and spiritual director, the suit states. Defendant and the Diocese knew or should have known that Fr. Sinatra was a danger to parishioners before Fr. Sinatra sexually assaulted Plaintiff. The suit accuses the parish of negligence in training, supervision and retention of Sinatra. The pastor denied he ever assaulted anyone. In this demand for payment, she claims that I sexually assaulted her and sexually abused her, Sinatra told his parishioners in the letter. I want to let you know that as shameful and embarrassing as my transgressions were I have never sexually abused or assaulted her, or anyone else. While he said the relationship was consensual, Sinatra acknowledged that he breached his promise of celibacy and sought forgiveness from his flock. In response to a request for comment, the priest said he had nothing to add beyond what he wrote in his letter and referred questions to the diocese. A spokesman for the diocese, who confirmed that Sullivan met twice with Sinatra to discuss the matter and also met with the woman, said Tuesday that Sinatra remains at his post with the parish. As a result of his meetings with Father Sinatra and the woman; Fr. Sinatras agreement to seek counseling and spiritual direction; and his promise and conviction to remain committed to his priestly vows and his parish, Bishop Sullivan allowed him to remain as pastor of Padre Pio Parish in Vineland, Michael J. Walsh wrote in statement. The Diocese is reviewing the lawsuit, but at this time has no plans to remove Fr. Sinatra as pastor, as he refutes the accusation and there has never been any indication or report in his past of any abusive relationships in any element of his personal or public life. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Longtime Alabama pastor, wife die 2 weeks apart from COVID-19 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A graveside service was held for an Alabama pastor who served his congregation for more than 40 years before he died from COVID-19, and his wife, who had succumbed to the novel coronavirus two weeks earlier. The Coosada Church of Christ posted a video of the service that was held Saturday at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Mathews, Alabama, where John Thomas, who was the pastor of the church for 41 years, and his wife, Joann, had been laid to rest. Pastor Thomas died on Dec. 26, a fortnight after his wife, Joann, died, WSFA12 News reported. They were married for 52 years. We are extremely saddened and regret to have to inform you that Brother John Thomas Senior passed away to join the Lord, the church had earlier said on Facebook. He was a great soldier for God and we are grateful for all he contributed to this world. These times have been overwhelmingly difficult for us all and we thank you for your prayers. Please allow us some time to grieve as we deal with preparations for his home going service. Joann tested positive after Thanksgiving, followed by Pastor Thomas a few days later. Joann had a fall and the family thought it was due to an asthma attack. They took her to the hospital where she tested positive for COVID-19. She died on Dec. 10, when her husbands condition was also getting worse. He was in good spirit, their son, Jerald Thomas, was quoted as saying. He was worried about my mother and all he had was I think a stomach ache and by Tuesday he was throwing up and by the end of that week he wasnt breathing that good, so it was quick, it was a very quick transition. He added, however, There is a time to be born and a time to die; theres a time to be pulled up and a time to be planted, so I knew then that we were ready before he knew us, so he taught us that. On Dec. 26, another Alabama pastor, Michael Mike Stancil of Fulton Bridge Baptist Church in Hamilton, also died of COVID-19. This church is nearly 110 years old. Never in its history have we lost a pastor while still in the pulpit, Gary Mixon, chairman of the churchs deacon board, said in his remarks in a YouTube video. Never has this church faced a pandemic like were facing now. The only way that well get through this is with Gods help. We as the body of believers must fall on our knees in prayer and lift the family up. In Indiana, a pastor, his sister, and his elderly mother all died from the new coronavirus over the course of a week. Pastor Jim Applegate, 54, who led Westview Christian Church in Campbellsburg for 21 years, died from the virus on Dec. 20, WKYC reported. Some 12 hours later on Dec. 21, his 83-year-old mother, Patricia Applegate, died from the virus. His older sister, Mary Jane Applegate, 59, died from the virus on Christmas Eve. The number of cumulative confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States is more than 20.4 million with over 350,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys Coronavirus Resource Center. A Lehigh Valley business is being heralded for using its revolutionary air filtration system to fight the spread of COVID-19. The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development on Tuesday highlighted LifeAire Systems, based in Upper Macungie Township, and its commercial, in-duct filtration systems that are being used to kill the virus. The technology was originally developed for highly sensitive in-vitro fertilization facilities, LifeAire CEO Dr. Kathryn C. Worrilow said. The system was designed to kill anthrax spores and infectious airborne pathogens, and was used in health care facilities. When the coronavirus pandemic began early last year, Worrilow said the company started getting calls from doctors that were already customers, asking if the system killed COVID-19. The answer was a resounding yes, although the system wasnt specifically designed for COVID, she said. The company developed different products and made its flagship technology smaller, so it can be used in places like dental practices, commercial office space and schools. The state DCEDs Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania provided funding, and business and technical support. We pivoted as a company, Worrilow said. And this is where Ben Franklin (Technology Partners) worked with us every step of the way. We had a proven technology, and we pivoted as a company to help in a greater way. Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania is based at Ben Franklin TechVentures on Lehigh Universitys Mountaintop Campus in Bethlehem and supports both startup and established technology companies. LifeAires ability to pivot quickly in applying its technology to address the pandemic is emblematic of early stage technology firms, said Doug Engler, Ben Franklins Lehigh Valley regional manager. The system is installed in 50 health care systems, including Stanford, Northwestern, the Mayo Clinic and University of Connecticut, and senior living facilities, Worrilow said. That also includes St. Lukes Hospital in Allentown. LifeAires system was installed there in 2017 in the hospitals HVAC system for 14 patient rooms on a surgical floor, to remove or neutralize all pathogens in the rooms for patients recovering from surgery. Last year, LifeAire added a second system on the same floor, to purify air to the remaining 16 rooms of the unit. Worrilow said the systems are now being added to other St. Lukes campuses, as well as at Lehigh Valley Health Network locations. The company has proposals out to several large commercial office spaces in the Lehigh Valley, she added. Besides changing its technology for other locations, the company has also pivoted to create portable, rapid decontamination units for N95 masks that kill COVID-19 and other pathogens within all layers of the mask. The countertop unit, currently undergoing FDA review, would allow masks to be reused and could help with shortages of personal protective equipment, officials said. We could not have done that without Ben Franklin, Worrilow said. The company was featured last fall on PBS Newshour program, where Worrilow spoke of increasing staff for the ever-increasing demand for its filtration systems. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Some houses in Ballybrittas village have septic takes that must be emptied up to four times a year even though the village has a waste management system which at present serves just one housing estate. The was the claim made by Cllr Paschal McEvoy in county hall recently where he called on Laois County Council to assist residents from Ballybrittas to connect to the sewerage scheme servicing Graigueavern which was recently taken in charge. He said he and other councillors have been trying to resolve the problem for years. He acknowledged that the council had taken Graigueavern in charge but said the problems have not gone away for people. We need to get the connection as soon as possible. There are houses in that village with septic tanks that have to be cleared three to four times a year...They are living in hope that someday they will be connected, he said at the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting in December. Michael OHora, outgoing Senior Engineer in Water Services replied on behalf of the council in writing. Technically, the connection of existing developments to the Graigueavern Lodge Wastewater Network will require the provision of gravity foul sewers through the village in excess of 500m in length to cater for 80% of all existing developments. In addition, 300 m of foul sewer and a pumping station is required to pick up the remaining 20%. In September 2020, the Council submitted applications to Irish Water under the Small Towns and Villages Growth Programme 2020-24. The provision of wastewater network connecting to the network in Graigueavern Lodge for Ballybrittas was included in this submission, said Mr OHora. He added that the councils Water Services staff would engage further with Irish Water Asset Strategy at a workshop in December and a further update would be provided afterwards. Cllr Aidan Mullins did not expect the cost to be major. He was concerned about the timeframe and funding. Press Release 5 January 2021 The member governments of the Greater Mekong Subregion agreed at the recent 46th GMS Tourism Working Group Meeting on December 3rd, 2020 to postpone the Mekong Tourism Forum in Bagan, Myanmar. The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) has been working closely with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar to plan the annual flagship tourism conference in the Greater Mekong subregion. The forum has been postponed three times so far, originally planned to be hosted on April 28-29, 2020, then August 25-26, 2020, and then February 25-26, 2021. The reasoning is based on current travel restrictions amid the current COVID-19 pandemic, and the low likelihood that conference delegates would be comfortable in a closed meeting venue with over 300 people. There is obviously a possibility that the September 2021 date will also not happen, and the governments will convene again virtually at the 47th GMS Tourism Working Group Meeting to discuss the issue. Advertisements Myanmar will continue to host the forum in Bagan essentially to promote its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site a designation that was awarded in July 2019. The theme will still be "Achieving Balanced Tourism", with a focus on rebuilding tourism in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The MTCO executive director, Jens Thraenhart said: "The theme 'Achieving Balanced Tourism' is more relevant than ever, because we have a big opportunity to reset tourism and become more sustainable by embracing innovative models such as 'Doughnut Economics', and leveraging regional collaboration by creating travel bubbles to accelerate tourism recovery." Bagan is an important and iconic destination in the Greater Mekong Subregion, so we decided to have the first physical post Covid-19 Mekong Tourism Forum to be in the UNESCO World Heritage town. The annual Mekong Tourism Forum is hosted by the GMS member countries via a rotational plan, which will shift forward by one year accordingly. Originally, Viet Nam was scheduled to be the host of the Mekong Tourism Forum 2021, but is now moved back after Myanmar has hosted the annual flagship event. Mr. Hla Myint, Director of the International and Regional Cooperation Department of the Minister of Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar commented: "We are extremely proud to host the first Mekong Tourism Forum post the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be an important tourism event not only for Myanmar, but for the entire Greater Mekong Subregion, and even ASEAN, as the event will set strategies and collaborations for rebuilding tourism in the region in the most sustainable way. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Bagan, located in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar, dates back to the 9th centuries, and its pagodas have survived the changing times. There could be not a more perfect venue to define the future of tourism in the Greater Mekong subregion." More information will be available shortly via www.MekongTourismForum.org and www.MekongTourism.org. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cold Plasma Equipment Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Regime; Application; and Geography" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Cold Plasma Equipment Market is expected to reach US$ 308.87 Mn in 2027 from US$ 96.67 Mn in 2019. The market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 15.6% from 2020-2027. The report highlights the trends prevalent in the global cold plasma equipment market and the factors driving the market along with those that act as deterrents to its growth. The cold plasma equipment market is bifurcated on basis of regime into low-pressure cold plasma, atmospheric cold plasma. Cold plasma (or non-equilibrium plasma) is the plasma in which the temperature of the constituents varies from one another. Cold plasma equipment therapy provides a new way to keep hospital patients safe from infections. In 2019, the atmospheric cold plasma equipment dominated the market by regime type contributing a significant share in the market. This attributes to the advantages offered by atmospheric plasma as it is a dry process, requires little energy and economic advantages offered over traditional processing techniques. Factors such as rising use of cold plasma in medical treatment, increasing hospital acquired infections (HAI), and development of innovative methods for treatment of cancer through cold plasma are expected to augment the growth of the market. In addition, increasing global healthcare investments is likely to have a positive impact on the growth of the market in the coming years. Some of the prominent players operating in cold plasma equipment market are, Nordson Corporation, Plasmatreat GmbH, Adtec Healthcare, Henniker Plasma, Europlasma NV, Tantec GmbH, TheraDep Technologies, Inc. , terraplasma medical GmbH, Apyx Medical and neoplas tools GmbH. The market players are focused towardsgaining significant funding and investment for development of new products in order to sustain their position in the market. For instance, in September 2017, US Medical Innovations (USMI) and George Washington University entered into an agreement to launch a new plasma based cancer therapy. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 1.1 Scope of the Study 1.2 Report Guidance 1.3 Market Segmentation 2. Cold Plasma Equipment Market - Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Coverage 3.2 Secondary Research 3.3 Primary Research 4. Cold Plasma Equipment - Market Landscape 4.1 Overview 4.2 PEST Analysis 4.3 Expert Opinion 5. Cold Plasma Equipment - Key Market Dynamics 5.1 Key Market Drivers 5.1.1 Rising use of cold plasma in medical treatment 5.1.2 Increasing hospital acquired infections (HAI) 5.1.3 Rising application of cold plasma in cancer treatment 5.2 Market Restraints 5.2.1 Adverse effects of cold plasma 5.2.2 Lack of reimbursement 5.3 Key Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Growth in the global healthcare market 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Research activities and product innovations 5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints 6. Cold Plasma Equipment Market - Global Analysis 6.1 Global Cold Plasma Equipment Market Revenue Forecast And Analysis 6.2 Global Cold Plasma Equipment Market, By Geography - Forecast And Analysis 6.3 Market Positioning of Key Players 7. Cold Plasma Equipment Market Analysis - By Regime 7.1 Overview 7.2 Cold Plasma Equipment Market, By Regime (2019 and 2027) 7.3 Low-Pressure Cold Plasma Equipment 7.4 Atmospheric Cold Plasma Equipment 8. Cold Plasma Equipment Market Analysis - By Application 8.1 Overview 8.2 Cold Plasma Equipment Market, By Application (2018 and 2027) 8.3 Wound Healing 8.4 Blood Coagulation 8.5 Cancer Treatment 8.6 Dentistry 9. Cold Plasma Equipment Market - Geographic Analysis 10. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cold Plasma Equipment Market 11. Cold Plasma Equipment Market - Industry Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.1.1 Recent Developments by Players in The Cold PlasmaEquipmentMarket 12. Cold Plasma Equipment Market - Key Company Profiles Nordson Corporation Plasmatreat GmbH Adtec Healthcare Henniker Plasma Europlasma NV Tantec GmbH TheraDep Technologies, Inc. terraplasma medical GmbH Apyx Medical neoplas tools GmbH For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/iqqpqe Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. When Patricia Butler saw the long lines and large crowds in her coffee shop last weekend, she didn't jump for joy for the business. Instead, she grew concerned and felt uneasy. Butler, owner of Coffeecionado, said she had to tell a few people to put their face masks on while visiting her South Side establishment at 502 W. Mitchell St. She added some people downright told her the coronavirus is "just the common flu," which was one of the many reasons Butler decided to temporarily close her Colombian-style coffee shop Monday until the COVID-19 spike in Bexar County slows down. READ ALSO: Comfort Cafe has a message for anti-maskers: 'Go somewhere else' "Unfortunately, some people just don't care," the Colombia native said with a sigh. "We have to think about everybody and not just ourselves. It's not about the money. It's about being safe and keeping the community safe, even if some don't believe in the virus." With the decision to suspend the operation, Butler said she had to furlough five employees for the first time since the pandemic started in Bexar County. She noted her shop, which opened in February 2018, did well last year and ended successfully. Butler said they even had a chance to give back to the community by donating 1,500 boxes of roasted coffee to the San Antonio Food Bank during the summer. However, she said she is giving back to the city in a different now. "We are a very resilient city but we are in the red and have so many COVID cases," the 46-year-old said. "We have to keep our community safe if we want to sell in the future." Coffeecionado will continue to offer its roasted bags of beans online, along with its private roasting classes. Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net Coffeecionado| @CillaAguirre Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) The family of flight attendant Christine Angelica Dacera, who was found dead in a room after a New Year's Eve party, are crying for justice, as they called on suspects and other persons of interests to turn themselves in and cooperate with authorities to resolve the case. Sharon Dacera, Christine's mother, faced reporters on Tuesday, decrying the death of her 23-year-old daughter. She also appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte for help. "Gusto ko lang manawagan kung, lalo na sa mga taong involved na doon sa aksidente na nangyari sa anak ko, kung inosente kayo, lumabas kayo," urged Sharon. "Kung gusto niyo patunayan na wala kayong kasalanan, lumabas kayo." [Translation: I want to call on those who were involved in the accident with my daughter, if you are innocent, come out. If you want to prove that you are not at fault, come out.] Atty. Brick Reyes, spokesperson of the Dacera family, said there are 11 identified suspects in the family's complaint and several other John Does. He mentioned that a certain Rey Englis approached the police for a statement but Reyes said he has yet to confirm this. Reyes added that Christine's case is ongoing and that they are in the middle of inquest proceedings, despite the Philippine National Police declaring the matter "solved." According to the PNP, a case is deemed solved when the offender has been identified and taken to custody, when there is sufficient evidence to charge the offender and when the offender has been charged before the prosecutor's office. The police had only been able to arrest three of the suspects and slap them with rape with homicide charges, while eight remain at large, Makati Police Chief Col. Harold Depositar noted. Reyes also revealed that one of the suspects was allegedly released without proper investigation. "We were fortunate to retain the other two but one was released from the Makati police department and we're trying to get an explanation why," he said during the press briefing. Christine was found unconscious in the bathtub of her hotel room in Makati City on New Years Day following a party with friends the night before, initial investigation revealed. Police said hotel personnel tried to revive the 23-year-old before she was rushed to a hospital, where she was declared dead. Depositar said separately tracker teams have been deployed to locate and contact the other persons of interest in the case, but there have been no responses as of yet. He added officials are awaiting the official autopsy and medical reports, which he said are expected to be released on Tuesday noon. Christines case has sparked a nationwide outrage overnight, as calls for justice shot to the top social media trending topics. The hashtags #StopVictimBlaming and #ProtectDrunkGirls also flooded netizens feeds in relation to the matter. Christine's mother defended her daughter amid rumors questioning Christine's behavior and calling her a "loose person." Atty. Jose Ledda III, legal counsel of Dacera's family, also argued that the victim should never be blamed for having been raped. "Blame a girl if lasing siya at nabasag 'yung baso...But don't ever blame a girl na pagkagising niya, binaboy siya. Don't ever blame a girl kapag namatay siya," he said. [Translation: Blame a girl if she dropped a glass when she was drunk. But don't ever blame a girl for being drunk and waking up having been raped or for dying.] Moving Towards Herd Immunity as Cases in India are Coming Down HEAL Health had recently organised episode-14 of HEAL-Thy Samvaad, in association with The International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) to discuss the new COVID-19 strain and the vaccine conundrum. Less virulent strains spread wide, bringing asymptomatic and mild cases wherein herd immunity can develop faster. Therefore, in India, we need to wait and watch and be selective in terms of vaccination and no need to panic because of the new strain of Covid-19", said Dr (Prof) Amitav Banerjee, Professor & Head of Community Medicine, Dr DY Patil Medical College, Pune, elaborating on the new strain and vaccination, at the Samvaad. While speaking on the nature of the virus and its mutation tendencies, Dr Samiran Panda, Head, Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases Division & Director and Scientist of ICMR-National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) said, High transmissibility does not necessarily go hand in hand with high virulence. A balanced symbiotic relationship thus evolves over a period of time in which a virus goes from an epidemic existence to an endemic one and with less virulence potential. Dr Sanjay Rai, Professor, Dept of Community Medicine, AIIMS, President, (IPHA) said, Over a period of time, our natural infection will also help protect us. Vaccines in India are about to be placed. Perhaps, we are moving towards herd immunity because in India the cases are coming down. Elaborating on the new COVID strain and the vaccine conundrum, Dr JC Suri, Director, Dept of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi said, As the new COVID strain is concerned, it would be more transferable. People should go for institutional quarantine. This variant is not virulent. If it is spreading fast with virulence, it will help India in developing herd immunity. The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to place on record the special incident report filed by CISF on an alleged scuffle between the Trinamool Congress workers and security staff of West Bengal BJP leader Kabir Shankar Bose. The top court also asked the Centre to file in sealed cover the movement logbook of the leader pertaining to the day of incident. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy posted the matter for hearing next week after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that he will be filing a special incident report in the matter during the course of the day. At the outset, the bench told Mehta that as per the last order of the court he was supposed to file a special incident report. A Special Incident Report, or SIR, is a formal report that is filed with the regional center whenever a person served by the regional center is involved in an unusual event, such as a crime or injury. Mehta said that he had received the report in the morning and would be filing it during the course of the day. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Bose, said that timing of the incident is important. He said that the timing of the incident recorded in the FIR and the report of CISF are different and sought placing on record the movement log book. The bench directed Mehta to place on record the movement log book in sealed cover and posted the matter for further hearing next week. Bose has sought direction for transferring investigation in the case to CBI or SIT or any independent agency but not West Bengal Police. He has also sought stay of investigation and further proceedings in FIRs lodged against him by the West Bengal Police pertaining to the alleged scuffle that took place on December 6. Bose, who is spokesperson of BJP, also sought direction for calling of reports of CISF submitted to Ministry of Home Affairs with regard to the incident. The Petitioner is filing the instant Writ Petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India before this Court owing to the wreaking of political vengeance and specific targeting of the Petitioner by the State Government of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress and Kalyan Bannerji, a sitting TMC MP due to the political and personal rivalry and is praying that this Court safeguard the Petitioner from the threats to his life and liberty which he faces from the State Government of West Bengal; Trinamool Congress and Kalyan Bannerji, his plea said. Bose claimed in his plea that on December 6, at Serampore of West Bengal, he along with his CISF detail came under heavy attack and sloganeering under the leadership of one Santosh Kumar Singh alias Pappu Singh just outside his residence around 8pm. As part of protocol, CISF immediately secured the Petitioner in a secured location and removed him from the spot. What ensued thereafter was protocol on part of CISF to secure their protectee's life and the Petitioner was not even present on the spot. Till 2 am the entire building was under siege by over 200 TMC hooligans led by Kalyan Banerji, the sitting member of parliament of the area supported actively by the state police, his plea said. Bose said that on December 7, early morning West Bengal police completely sealed off the building and prevented him from exiting the building on the ground of law and order problems. At the police station, the police officials were repeatedly saying that Kalyan Banerji is giving tremendous pressure for an immediate arrest of the Petitioner. Hence the Petitioner was arrested at the police station. Thereafter, the Petitioner was deliberately and intentionally kept in a Covid isolation ward alongwith other Covid patients for around 4 hrs in utter violation of his right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the constitution of India, he said. On December 18, the top court had granted interim protection from any coercive action to five BJP leaders, including Mukul Roy and MPs Kailash Vijayvargiya and Arjun Singh, in criminal cases lodged against them in West Bengal. The relief was also given to two other BJP leaders Sourav Singh and Pawan Kumar as the apex court directed the state police not to take any coercive action till it hears their pleas next in January. It was alleged by the lawyers, appearing for BJP leaders, that criminal cases are being foisted on party leaders at the instance of ruling All India Trinamool Congress Party. All the leaders have filed separate pleas seeking protection in cases lodged against them in the state and alleged that criminal cases have been foisted against them to deter them from undertaking political activities in the state ahead of assembly polls. The BJP leaders have also sought investigation by an independent agency into the cases registered against them in West Bengal. President Donald Trump campaign senior legal adviser Jenna Ellis speaks to media while flanked by Trump lawyer and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (L) and attorney Sidney Powell, at a press conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington on Nov. 19, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Trump Lawyer: Pence Could Defer Certifying Election, Seek Clarity From State Legislatures Trump campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis on Monday suggested that Vice President Mike Pence could delay the certification of the Electoral College votes and ask the legislatures in six states where the results of the election have been contested which slate of electors should be selected. Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada, are six key battle ground states where President Donald Trumps campaign and other Republicans have contested the results of the presidential election, alleging that election fraud and irregularities took place on a large scale that swung the results to Biden. The governors in these states had certified electors who cast their electoral votes for presidential candidate Joe Biden. But on Dec. 14, Republican electors in these six states and New Mexico cast alternate slates of Electoral College votes for Trump, setting up a dueling electors scenario not seen in U.S. elections for decades. Ellis suggested on the Just the News program The Water Cooler with David Brody that Pence could ask the respective state legislatures of the six contested states which of the two slates of electors was in accordance with state law. [Pence] can ask that question to the states and say, Well, legislators, you know, I have an oath to the Constitution to uphold the Constitution as written in Article II Section 1.2, which says the state legislatures direct the manner in which electoral delegates are selected. So you tell me which of these two slates was selected in the manner that your general assembly has designated,' Ellis said. And thats a fair question. Thats not exercising discretion. Thats not setting up any sort of bad precedent, she added. Thats actually returning the authority to the constitutionally protected entity and just simply directing that question I think would then require a response from these very committed, to put it lightly, state legislators that havent been willing to act, and it would in fact then give a very clean outcome to this election. Article II, Section 1.2 of the U.S. Constitution says, The Constitution provides that each state is to decide, for itself, how its electors will be chosen. Pence is due to preside over a joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 for the formal certification of states electoral votes for the president of the United States. On Monday, he said that Trump and Republicans will have our day in Congress. I know we all got our doubts about the last election. I promise you, come this Wednesday, well have our day in Congress. Well hear the objections. Well hear the evidence, but tomorrow is Georgias day, he told a crowd in Georgia while campaigning for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and David Perdue ahead of the states Senate runoffs on Tuesday. On Jan. 2, Pences chief of staff, Marc Short, said in a statement that the vice president welcomes the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use the authority they have under the law to raise objections and bring forward evidence before the Congress and the American people on January 6th, and that he shares the concerns of millions of Americans about voter fraud and irregularities in the last election. Objections during the joint session must be made in writing by at least one House member and one senator to sustain a challenge. If the objection for any state meets this requirement, the joint session pauses and each house withdraws to its own chamber to debate the question for a maximum of two hours. The House and the Senate then vote separately to accept or reject the objection, which requires a majority vote from both chambers. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said in a court filing (pdf) on Jan. 1 that he and 140 Republicans in the House plan to object. Meanwhile, Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and a group of 11 Republican senators led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have said they would object to the counting of electors that the states governors have certified for Biden. If both Trump and Biden receive less than 270 electoral votes on Jan. 6, then a contingent election is triggered in which each states delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives casts one en bloc vote to determine the president, while the vice president is decided by a vote in the U.S. Senate. There have been calls for Pence to reject electoral votes from the contested states. A judge on Jan. 1 rejected a lawsuit filed by Rep. Gohmert and other Republicans against Pence requesting that the court grant the vice president the exclusive authority and sole discretion in determining which electoral votes to count for a given State on Jan. 6. The power of the vice president to count or reject electoral votes is disputed. Janita Kan contributed to this report. Betsy Nabel, president of Brigham and Womens Hospital, is stepping down after 11 years at the helm of the premier Boston-based medical center, the hospital announced on Tuesday. Nabel will leave her post on March 1 to focus her energies on biotech innovation, the hospital said in a statement. She will start working with her husband Dr. Gary Nabel, who recently began his own biotech company, the Boston Globe reports. Its been an extraordinary honor and privilege to serve as president of Brigham Health, Nabel said in a statement. I am immensely proud of all that we have accomplished together in support of our mission and vision to create a healthier community and a healthier world. Hospital officials lauded out the outgoing president as someone who was committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, noting that Nabel is credited with recruiting the first female and minority department chairs in the hospitals history. Nabel is also credited with her leadership through a number of financial challenges, including those brought on by COVID-19, nearly doubling the hospitals revenue from $2.9 billion in 2010 to $4.3 billion in 2020. Dr. Nabels announcement today caps off more than a decade of exemplary leadership during which she led one of our flagship institutions with vision and compassion, said Dr. Anne Klibanski, president and CEO of Mass General Brigham. Through her leadership at the system level, Betsy has helped shape our vision of a leading integrated academic health system, allowing us to meet the needs of our patients in a much more impactful way. Related Content: After graduating with a masters degree in science from the University of East Anglia, famous for practical research, in London in 2013, Tri is now focusing on location-based messaging, text-speech processing, computer vision, and augmented reality. During his tumultuous years outside Vietnam, blockchain attracted Tris attention. He first approached this technology in 2012, after learning about the core peer-to-peer network of decentralized systems. CEO Pham Minh Tri. Five years later, Tri had the opportunity to delve into and invest in new blockchain projects in London. In 2018, he and Huy Nguyen, currently senior technical manager at Google, Silicon Valley, founded KardiaChain, which rapidly researched blockchain interoperability. This breakthrough technology has helped solve the problem of communication between networks, allowing the transfer of data and assets from one blockchain to another. Important applications of cross-chain blockchain include decentralized exchanges. Today, only a few companies have successfully built cross-chain infrastructures like Polkadot and Cosmos, all worth billions of dollars, according to the KardiaChain CEO. Studying the potential market, Tri considered Vietnam one of the most promising environments for blockchain development due to its legacy system, golden population, and open regulatory environment. Unlike the U.K. or U.S., blockchain in Vietnam enjoys less competition with existing systems according to centralized design. Digital conversion and digitization of data are still in the early stages, so if combined with blockchainization, our country would be able to take a shortcut, said Tri. Besides, its young population, rapid increase in education, and strong development of the middle class are all suitable for newly introduced and well-received technology products. More importantly, the Vietnamese government supports the startup movement, especially industries in the 4.0 revolution like blockchain and AI. Besides, the legal corridor for Fintech that is gradually being improved is also a great driving force for blockchain users. Returning to Vietnam in 2018, he and his partner founded KardiaChain, specializing in developing blockchain platforms. One of its most outstanding inventions is its non-invasive cross-chain technology Dual Node, pending patent. This technology helps blockchains communicate with each other despite algorithmic differences. KardiaChains decentralized platform allows any business to build transparent, secure applications with open functionality. According to business representatives, this makes blockchain infrastructure invisible, like electricity and the Internet, through mobile applications to benefit end-users. Pham Minh Tri (R) at the seminar on technology with the Ministry of Justice. One of the most successful application units of KardiaChain is Youth Union in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. The solution called TuoiTre Q5 helps the unit manage 10,000 youth union members, update daily news, support online assignments, and recognize emulation and rewards. With the above advantages, the app has received nearly 8,000 good reviews in recent surveys. The product initially asserted that the blockchain platform, when properly applied, is a useful tool to transform traditional models to suit contemporary society. From initial research and application, in April this year, KardiaChain raised $19.2 million from 2,500 investors through the Gate.io platform. KardiaChain then successfully signed a strategic cooperation with LG CNS - a subsidiary specializing in providing technology solutions of LG Group to develop blockchain infrastructure in Vietnam. Pham Minh Tri (middle front) at the signing ceremony with LG CNS in Korea. According to Tri, the process of popularizing blockchain in Vietnam is a long journey, requiring a combination of technology, people, law and timing. But with careful preparation, we believe we will achieve this goal, inspiring people with the same passion and understanding of blockchain, he said. Following their withdrawal from a number of observation points, a Turkish military delegation has been searching for new locations to establish observation points writes North Press. A Turkish military delegation scouted regions of the al-Ghab Plain in the western countryside of Hama on Monday, in preparation for establishing a new observation point. The military delegation moved from Jabal al-Zawiya, southern Idleb, towards Qastoun town in the al-Ghab Plain, west of Hama near the Syrian government Jourin camp, field sources told North Press. The visit of the Turkish military delegation came in as part of preparations to establish a new observation post under the de-escalation zone agreement signed between Russian and Turkey, the sources added. The scouting visit of the Turkish delegation was followed by military reinforcements that have been entering the southern countryside of Idleb since Sunday. The reinforcements, including dozens of military vehicles, which entered Turkish bases in Jabal al-Zawiya, according to field sources. Turkey started establishing military posts in northwestern Syria in October 2017, after it agreed with Russia to establish a de-escalation zone. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. To their relief, the samples arrived safely. And LCLS had already been preparing to make remote experiments like this possible. Their challenges? A massive amount of data that streams in real time; controls that normally take a whole array of screens, reminiscent of mission control for a rocket launch; and the critical need to ensure the data transmission is secure, so that only the investigating group can access the experiment. SLACs shelter-in-place began while the facility was already shut down for upgrades to its scientific tools, but a planned next run of experiments was on the horizon. Everyone at LCLS took a moment to get their bearings and to check on their families. And then they started brainstorming, said Alex Wallace, head of the Platform Development Department for LCLS control systems. As quickly as we could, we started figuring out, okay, how are we going to make this work? Drawing on the creativity and technical expertise of their engineers, LCLS used a combination of video-conferencing technology, like Zoom, and video capture cards like those used by professional gamers to stream to sites like Twitch to securely display all the experiments control panels and data acquisition and analysis screens so DeMircis team and their collaborators could participate as if they were in the room. Dozens of young scientists in Turkey took virtual shifts at the beamline, collecting and analyzing data. They were the first LCLS remote users and the first to study room-temperature crystals using a new detector that takes pictures with much higher sensitivity and range than previous models. Everything worked beautifully, DeMirci said. And the ability to work remotely was just an amazing equalizer, he said, because like many scientists around the world, he didnt have funding to send his whole team to California, with or without a pandemic. LCLS is one of a growing number of SLAC facilities that lets scientists do experiments and operators control equipment remotely, which has been a big boon during the pandemic and will likely have long-lasting implications for making science at LCLS and elsewhere at SLAC more accessible. Wallace said he doesnt think the need for more remote access will change even after the pandemic dies down. I think this whole idea of remote operation and remote work and all that stuff is here to stay, he said, with improvements that will make the technology even more available to scientists who otherwise wouldnt be able to use it. New Delhi: New Delhis self-reliance and Make in India initiatives have the potential to lead to higher tariffs and other trade barriers that could hit the countrys capacity to integrate into global value chains, outgoing US ambassador Kenneth Juster cautioned on Tuesday. Juster pointed to frictions and frustrations on trade and investment between India and the US, and said the two sides were unable to finalise even a small trade package despite persistent efforts. There are also growing restrictions on market access for some US goods and services, increasing tariffs, new limitations on free flow of data and a less-than-predictable regulatory environment for investors, he said. On the strategic front, Juster said that the US is dedicated to not just bilateral relations, but to Indias rise on the world stage, and that the time has come for India and the US to develop guidelines and even red lines for a stronger Indo-Pacific architecture to tackle future challenges. Without naming China, he said this framework should enable all countries to prosper from a region that respects sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes. In a farewell address, he also spoke of the need for both countries to preserve their commitment to diversity and tolerance in order to maintain their status in the world and the strength of bilateral ties. Juster, a political appointee of the Trump administration who has overseen key aspects of India-US strategic relations over the years, is set to step down this month. His address, at an event organised by the Observer Research Foundation that was attended by senior diplomats and the media, largely focused on taking forward ties in key areas such as trade, defence and security, energy and health care. Noting that the US is Indias largest trading partner, and India the 12th largest partner of the US, he said bilateral trade was worth $146.1 billion in 2019, up from $18.6 billion in 2001. It is frustrating that bilateral trade isnt near its potential and greater openness on the part of India would boost trade and investment, he added. This is a lot of good news for the economic and commercial relationship. But I would be less than candid if I did not note that there are also frictions and frustrations on the trade and investment front. Despite persistent efforts, we were unable to conclude even a small trade package, Juster said. Moreover, there are growing restrictions in India on market access for certain US goods and services, increasing tariffs, new limitations on the free flow of data, and a less-than-predictable regulatory environment for investors, he said. Juster added: As with the US, India would naturally like to enhance its economic security by increasing domestic production and reducing critical dependencies... The current view in India is that the best way to meet these various objectives is through a policy of self-reliance, emphasising Make in India, while still seeking to be engaged globally, participate in global value chains, and be an exporter to the world. It remains to be seen whether all of these policies are compatible and mutually reinforcing, or whether they will lead to higher tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade. The latter would limit Indias capacity to truly integrate into global value chains and, in the process, raise prices for Indian consumers. Juster said India has a strategic opportunity to become an alternative destination for manufacturing investments as American and other companies find it increasingly difficult to operate in China or seek to diversify away from Chinese-led supply chains, but the Indian government may need to take further action to benefit fully. Without directly referring to Chinas aggressive actions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) or in other parts of the Indo-Pacific, Juster said the US and India are committed to a rules-based order, peace and diplomacy, while there are others who choose suicide vests or military incursions. In response to a question, Juster said the US has been very supportive amid the India-China border standoff. We both share a vision of the Indo-Pacific region...and that is an inclusive vision that provides opportunities for all countries to grow and prosper but also wants to avoid incursions of any type, intimidations and predatory financing, and when theres a situation that is along those lines, we cooperate to try to resist it, he said. The two sides have deepened cooperation on defence and security issues, including efforts to provide security beyond their borders, and convergence on the Indo-Pacific, which has the worlds fastest-growing economies and most populous nations, reflects this cooperation, he said. We are now building out the foundation of a stronger Indo-Pacific architecture that will enable us to tackle challenges that lie ahead. Our mission over the next five years and beyond should be to give this endeavour further form and substance to develop guidelines and, if necessary, even redlines, Juster said. External affairs minister S Jaishankar has repeatedly said in recent months that the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative is not a protectionist measure, but is meant to boost the countrys manufacturing capacity so that it can better participate in global supply and value chains. Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results The average number of recovered cases of Covid-19 in India has exceeded the average daily new infections for the last five weeks, the health ministry said on Tuesday as the country saw 16,375 more people testing positive in the last 24 hours. As many as 29,091 people were declared cured of the disease across the country on Tuesday. A net decline of 12,917 cases has been recorded in the total active cases in the last 24 hours. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Indias cumulative recoveries have inched closer to the 1 crore mark. The total recovered cases have crossed 99.75 lakhs (99,75,958). This also increases the recovery rate to 96.32%. Indias active caseload, which has been decreasing continuously, stands at 2,31,036. The number includes 58 patients infected with the new strain of the novel Coronavirus first reported in the UK. Till yesterday, a total of 38 people were found infected with the new strain of the virus till date in the country. Among them, 11 people have tested positive with the new strain at CSIR's Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), and eight samples tested at NCDC, both in Delhi. The new strain of positive Covid-19 samples are being tested at 10 INSACOG labs (NIBMG Kolkata, ILS Bhubaneswar, NIV Pune, NCCS Pune, CCMB Hyderabad, CDFD Hyderabad, InSTEM Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, IGIB Delhi and NCDC Delhi) for genome sequencing. The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Junior High Schools (JHS) in Ghana will from Monday, January 18, 2021, run a semester system as part of conditions for re-opening schools as a result of the coronavirus disease. Per the new academic calendar, JHS will run the first semester from January 18 to June 11, 2021, while the second semester will start from July 6 to December 7. Pupils in Kindergarten and primary schools will, however, continue with their trimester system. This was disclosed by the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Professor Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa at a press conference in Accra on Monday, January 4, 2021. JHS will be running semester programs this time around. We will make sure that the basic protocols are observed. We will provide reusable face masks. Schools will not be available for outside activities, he said. They will start from January 18 to June 11 and then they will break and then they will come back for the second semester, 6th July and then write their exams. For form one and form two, 18th January to 11th June, they break, they come back for their second semester and they finish on 7th December. The move is to enable the schools meet up with contact hours lost in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But because this will be a long period, we have set up mid-semester breaks. So, we will have March 15 to 19, 2021 for the first-semester mid-semester break and the second-semester mid-semester break will be from September 6 to 10, 2021. He explained further that School will start for Primary and KG from January 18 to April 16. They will then have April 17 to May 3 as their break period. Their second term will begin from May 4 to August 6 and then they will have their break will be from August 7 to September 5. Their third term will begin from September 6 to December 10. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Theres been a boost for the relatively underpenetrated fintech services market in the Middle East with the award to operator Zains subsidiary Tamam of a Saudi microfinance licence. Zain Group, which has operations in seven markets across the Middle East and North Africa, has announced that its Saudi Arabian fintech subsidiary Tamam Financing Company has been officially licensed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) to provide microfinancing services to consumers across the kingdom. Zain says that this makes Tamam the first entity in the kingdom and the region to be licensed by a regulator to offer consumer micro-loans via a fully digital customer experience through a mobile app. Zain explains that the platform allows individuals access to Shari'a-compliant consumer microfinance in as little as five minutes from downloading the app to receiving the financing amount based on the user credit profile. The licensing follows the completion of an eighteen-month testing period during which the app and the service were vetted for functionality, security and compatibility with customer user profiles in Saudi Arabia. The platform displayed high product viability and strong demand throughout testing and obtained PCI-DSS accreditation, which, Zain says, protects the security of the digital infrastructure and data. Established in 2019, Tamam aims to increase financial inclusion in Saudi Arabia in line with the countrys Financial Sector Development Plan, which in turn forms part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a strategic framework designed to reduce the countrys dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism. If you thought your 2020 election season was stressful, spare a thought for Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state who is essentially now a household name. A devoted Republican, Raffensperger has spent the past two months being mercilessly pestered, insulted, and threatened by members of his own partyincluding Donald Trump, the most powerful and possibly most vindictive man on earth. Raffensperger has found himself in the crosshairs of Trump loyalists due to his refusal to overturn Georgias presidential election results. Joe Biden won the state by about 12,000 votes, and though a different outcome in Georgia alone wouldnt give Trump the electoral votes necessary to win the presidency, he and his followers have repeatedly pressured Raffensperger to deliver the state to Trump anyway. In a phone call on Saturday, in a last-ditch effort to get Raffensperger to doctor the vote count before Tuesdays runoff elections, which will determine control of the U.S. Senate, Trump called the secretary of state a child and threatened him with legal action. Thats a criminal offense, Trump said of Raffenspergers refusal to declare massive voter fraud. In an audio recording of the call obtained by the Washington Post, the president raises his voice: Under the law, youre not allowed to give faulty election results, OK? Youre not allowed to do that. And thats what youve done. Trump tells Raffensperger that failing to issue a new election result would be very costly in many ways. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Republicans have been questioning Raffenspergers loyalty and competence ever since Georgia voters rejected Trump and prompted a runoff election to determine the fate of the states two Republican senators. In a November tweet, the president called Raffensperger a so-called Republican (RINO). Shortly after Election Day, Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who are up for reelection in Tuesdays runoffs after failing to get a majority share of the vote in November, came together to demand Raffenspergers resignation. The Secretary of State has failed to deliver honest and transparent elections. He has failed the people of Georgia, they said in a joint statement. Whatever confidence Raffensperger maintained about his upstanding stewardship of the Georgia electionand it should be highits never fun to have to issue a statement explaining why you will not heed demands from once-friendly lawmakers to quit your job. Advertisement Raffensperger probably went into this election season thinking it could be his career-making moment in the spotlight. Gov. Brian Kemp used to be secretary of state, and the voter suppression efforts he enacted while in office undoubtedly helped him win the states governorship. They also made Georgias voting system the embarrassment of the nation in 2018, and they galvanized Democrats against voter suppression. So Raffensperger came into the job ready to aim for just the right amount of suppression in 2020: not so much that the GOPs anti-democratic maneuvering would raise national alarm bells, but enough to make a dent in Democratic votes tallied. He fought to prevent polling places from being required to keep backup paper copies of lists of eligible voters in case of delays or malfunctions in the electronic system. Between the general election and the runoff, he opened investigations into four progressive voter registration organizations. Hes pushed for an end to no-excuse absentee voting. He created an online portal for requesting general-election absentee ballots to make it easier for people to vote during the pandemic but stopped short of sending paper request forms to every active voter. Advertisement Advertisement And yet, instead of being hailed by the GOP as a capable public servant whos done almost every legal thing to help his party retain its political power, Raffensperger has spent these weeks fielding calls from the likes of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who asked him whether it was in the secretary of states power to throw out all mail-in ballots from counties with higher rates of nonmatching signatures (its not). Hes getting letters from the likes of former Rep. Doug Collins and the chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, saying that while your office has publicly committed that transparency was vital during the election process we are troubled that there are multiple reports to the contrary. (Raffensperger has dutifully investigated every dumb rumor of a pro-Biden criminal voting conspiracy, and this is the thanks he gets?) Since Raffensperger announced the presidential election results, he and his wife have received multiple death threats sent to their personal cellphones. And that was before the release of the now-infamous phone call from Trump. Advertisement If Tuesdays runoffs favor the Democrats, and if theyre too close to call for any length of time, Raffenspergers life could get much worse before it gets better. Graham and other high-ranking GOP legislators will probably dial him back up to inquire about the feasibility of tossing votes from Democratic-leaning precincts. Will Trump care, when his names not on the ballot? Maybe not, but the guys been known to hold a grudge. And if the Democrats end up winning, Republicans will most likely blame him for every piece of legislation the Biden administration manages to squeak through the Senate. Advertisement Raffensperger certainly doesnt deserve death threats, but neither does he deserve pity for the partisan backlash to his bare-minimum upholding of fair election standards. Anyone whos paid a moment of attention to Trumps presidency cannot have been surprised that he and his supporters are willing to go to great, extralegal lengths to keep the man in power. You might even say that, as a Trump-supporting Republican, Raffensperger has gotten exactly what he bargained for. He noted in his November nonresignation statement that he was unhappy at the prospect of our President losing an election. Two months and 19 irate phone calls from Trump later, Raffensperger still isnt convinced that a president who attempts to use his influence to subvert democracy and falsify election results is undeserving of the office. When George Stephanopoulos asked him on Monday whether hed vote for Trump again, Raffensperger insinuated that he would. I support Republicans, always have, he said. I probably always will. Building America Back After a Dark Covid Winter In Part One of this article I laid out the case the dark winter narrative and how an experimental vaccine marketed like a tech product by Big Pharma and their cronies are part of a globalist scheme to reset the world and force us into subservience. Now we get to Bidens campaign slogan, which began to be adopted in August 2020, and was beaten like a dead horse just before and after the rigged election. Build back better must have played well among the useless eater, mouth breather demographic, when tested by Bidens handlers. Biden would pop his head out of the basement periodically to stumble through a teleprompter speech where he was instructed to utter build back better three or four times. Then the contemptibly compliant corporate media expounded on the narrative as a brilliant plan by the wise statesman Joe Biden to save America from the murderous machinations of the evil orange man. Again, Google Trends reveals the coordinated effort to use this phrase in their efforts to steal the presidential election. If you think this was just a brilliant strategy by Bidens handlers, you havent been paying attention. This is the globalist slogan to change the world. Build back better has been a globalist slogan for over a decade. The definition per our friends at the UN is a holistic concept using post-disaster reconstruction and recovery as an opportunity to improve a communitys physical, social, environmental and economic conditions to create a more resilient community in an effective and efficient way. Now you get the gist of why this slogan is being flogged to death by not only Biden, but his globalist colleagues around the globe. They need a disaster to build a new world in the image they desire green, global control, de-population, MMT, and ruled by oligarchs like Gates, Soros, Bloomberg, Schwab and the rest of the Davos crowd. They see the deaths of a few million people as an opportunity to lockdown and control the planet. You begin to understand the basis for this catch phrase when you research its origins. It first surfaced in a 2009 UN press release, marking International Mother Earth Day, a made up globalist holiday. The UN used the fake climate crisis to urge governments to build back better by creating a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive societies after the financial crisis. Never let a good crisis go to waste. Bill Clinton and UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-Moon used the phrase in 2009 regarding Haiti. How did that work out for Haitians? BBB also refers to the official Sendai Framework of disaster recovery that was adopted in the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan in 2015. The World Bank also uses the phrase in its Unbreakable report, which details the devastation disasters have on poor communities. It highlights the need to build back better after meeting essential needs in poor communities. This phrase reeks of a globalist agenda. The European Commission used the phrase in May of this year when announcing their 750 billion Euro stimulus fund to build back better through channels that contribute to a greener more sustainable and resilient society. Meaning no fossil fuels, massive tax increases, and obeying those who know whats best for you Im surprised they havent rolled out a new sitcom called Soros Knows Best. Of course, our favorite vacuous black face male model PM, Justin Trudeau, virtue signaled his allegiance to the globalist green agenda in August, saying: We need to reset the approach of this government for a recovery to build back better. Another Soros protege, totalitarian extraordinaire, Jacinda Ardern, NZ PM, has fervently used the assigned phrase when bloviating about her green recovery plans. Next on the agenda are climate lockdowns. Lastly, we have globalist fool/tool Boris Johnson, when he isnt busy cancelling Christmas based on junk science, doing as he is told and uttering his build back better lines, as the UK descends into an Orwellian dystopian nightmare. These billionaire funded ego-maniacal authoritarians must have a disaster in order to build back better from. Essentially this globalist plot to change the world is exploiting this over-hyped coronavirus pandemic to initiate Schwabs Great Reset, where the serfs will own nothing and be happy, while the oligarch lords and their apparatchiks live lives of luxury and plenty, inflicting mandates and regulations upon their subjects. The coronavirus crisis will be replaced with the climate crisis as the creation of perpetual disaster allows the globalists to implement their master new world order plan. Everything happening in the world is inter-connected and part of a sinister plot to control the world. The disaster is not the coronavirus, but the purposeful destruction of the global economic system by these evil men and women. The lockdowns, mandatory masking, debt creation, and destruction of small businesses is necessary for these corporate fascist globalists to destroy our existing way of life, to reset the world in their warped dystopian vision. Google Trends once again exposes their master plan as Klaus Schwabs Great Reset scheme coincided with Bidens dark winter and build back better narrative to psychologically condition the masses for their plan to transform a world of independent nations acting in their best interests, with citizens free to live their lives in a way of their choosing, operating within community standards and agreed upon rules, and able to climb as high as their talents and ambitions take them, to a world ruled by oligarchs, where the people are treated like cattle, freedoms restricted, free thought censored, and all communications electronically surveilled. With the threat of imprisonment and capital punishment for those who do not bend the knee. Schwab published his book COVID-19: The Great Reset in July 2020 in conjunction with the massive increase in purposely flawed PCR testing, guaranteed to generate enough false positives to scare the world into Great Reset submission. They are no longer operating in the shadows but feel emboldened by this fake pandemic disaster to lay out their utopian plans to control our lives, because their hubris knows no bounds. Schwabs rationale for resetting the world, as laid out in his book is as follows: Covid-19 has plunged the world into the most challenging times in generations The world has changed forever creating economic, social, and environmental disruptions. Millions of companies risk falling behind and few will thrive. Life as we know it is unraveling, offering the opportunity for transformation and reimagination. The sudden and violent nature of the shock is overwhelming, as unemployment can cause social unrest and mass migration. The world is systematically connected and must act as one and evolve to address extreme consequences of disasters like Covid-19. The dramatic rise in unemployment, global social unrest caused by BLM, and growing tension between China and the U.S. were exacerbated by the pandemic. We are at a critical juncture where the potential for change is unlimited and only bound by our imagination. Societies need to be more equitable, exhibiting solidarity, looking to the needs of the many, with economies more inclusive, and dismantling the status quo. The success of the Great Reset requires immense change, creating a new social contract, international collaboration, and investment in the environment. Building back better needs to be adopted by leaders around the world and stimulus packages must include climate initiatives to achieve the goals of Agenda 2030. Klaus and his billionaire buddies have big plans, and this faux pandemic crisis was the perfect opportunity to achieve their globalist corporate Marxist dreams. Wealthy powerful oligarchs believe forcing their warped totalitarian ideas upon the world by any means necessary. The ends always justify the means, no matter how deceitful and evil the means, for these arrogant sociopaths. Schwab and his ilk are skilled at using what appears to be sensible language when they are attempting to subvert our Constitutional rights, while imposing draconian tyrannical measures without the consent of the governed. Schwab feigns concern for the millions of small businesses that have been purposefully destroyed by the lockdown mandates he and his allies support wholeheartedly, while being in the pocket of Bezos, Zuckerberg, Dorsey and the rest of the mega-corporations who have reaped obscene profits from this plandemic. The plan has been to destroy small business, so the connected corporations could harvest their customers. Schwab is almost giddy at the prospects of an unraveling world where he and his accomplices, who believe they can control an infinitely complex world because they are the smartest guys in the room, can implement centralized control using their Marxist neo-feudal dogmas. Marxism is based upon the abolition of private property, so their you will own nothing, and be happy slogan tells you all you need to know. They are using the surge in unemployment and the social unrest caused by the black lives matter narrative as the imperative for a coordinated global transformation of the world as they want it to be. We are supposed to trust the people who created the mass unemployment through senseless lockdowns and encouraged the BLM and ANTIFA terrorists to loot, burn and destroy small businesses in cities across America. Their green agenda spokes-morons, AOC and Greta, are perfect representatives for the idiocy of their movement. They are purposely tearing our society apart with their mandatory masking and demanding humans fear other humans as disease carrying parasites, as a fearful, depressed, and unemployed populace is easily manipulated and bribable with their own tax money, distributed to them by the government that has ruined their lives. Chaos, bankruptcy, and dehumanization are an essential ingredient in a successful Great Reset. These are the results purposely initiated by Democrat governors and mayors to achieve their goals. Murder increases in 2020: ATL, 58% CHI, 56% DAL, 24% LA, 31% NYC, 39% MIN, 74% Philly, 39% SF, 32% Their techno-fascist style of green Marxism is being funded by the Wall Street owned Federal Reserve and their central banker collaborators in Europe and Asia, promoted by their corporate media partners; bankrolled by Soros, Gates, Bloomberg and other left wing oligarchs; codified into the political realm by captured corrupt politicians; supported by mega-corporations who have vacuumed up the profits of the 40% of small businesses that have been forced out of business by these traitorous degenerates; and enabled by the Silicon Valley billionaire social media oppressive censorship police. Their goal is to have governments surrender their sovereignty to a small cadre of elites who want to subjugate the world under their sole technocratic domination. They initiated their new normal narrative in May 2020 to condition the masses into believing things could never go back to the way they were. Which qualifies as the Big Lie of our time. In Part Three of this article J.R.R. Tolkien will provide guidance for those of us choosing to fight the Great Reset agenda of the globalist oligarchs. If you feel youve received some value from this article and this blog dedicated to free speech and truth in the face of lies, corruption and fake news, feel free to make a Donation to keep the lights on at The Burning Platform. By James Quinn quinnadvisors@comcast.net James Quinn is a senior director of strategic planning for a major university. James has held financial positions with a retailer, homebuilder and university in his 22-year career. Those positions included treasurer, controller, and head of strategic planning. He is married with three boys and is writing these articles because he cares about their future. He earned a BS in accounting from Drexel University and an MBA from Villanova University. He is a certified public accountant and a certified cash manager. These articles reflect the personal views of James Quinn. They do not necessarily represent the views of his employer, and are not sponsored or endorsed by his employer. 2019 Copyright James Quinn - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. James Quinn Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. A Schism in the Making? The SBC, Whiteness, and an Exodus of Black Pastors By Raymond Chang Pastor Raymond Chang is the president of AACC, a pastor, and writer. He regularly preaches Gods Word and speaks throughout the country on issues pertaining to Christianity and culture, race and faith. He serves as a campus minister at Wheaton College. Prior to entering vocational ministry, Raymond worked in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, and served in the Peace Corps in Panama. He is currently pursuing his PhD. He is married to Jessica Chang, who serves as the chief advancement and partnerships officer of the Field School. You can follow him on Twitter at @tweetraychang and Instagram at @raychang502 In 2017, the Christian hip hop artist, Lecrae, publicly divorced himself from white evangelicalism on a Truths Table podcast due to the lack of empathy and a persistent unwillingness to substantively engage with racial injustice by white evangelicals. To this, many, including John Piper responded: What does this loosening from white evangelicalism mean for multiethnic relations? As I considered the implications of what was occuring, I offered a response to Pipers question.I shared that Lecrae's departure was just the first of a #reverseexodus might take place by people of color from white evangelical churches and organizations unless things improved. This change was one I believed (and continue to believe) to be more consistent with the words of Scripture and a kingdom vision established by the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. This was in 2017. Several months later, the New York Times published a piece about the growing trend of Black Christians leaving white evangelical churches, calling it a #quietexodus. This was confirmed by Michael Emerson who noted that the number of Black Christians attending multi-ethnic/multi-racial congregations dropped from 27% in 2012 to 21% in 2019. He also shared that the majority of diverse congregations are still overwhelmingly led by white pastors (70%), emphasizing that the diversity that exists within American churches are not driven by white congregants going to churches led by non-white pastors, but by Black, Latino American, Native American, and Asian American Christians attending predominantly white ones. Patterns of Whiteness When it comes to navigating and addressing issues shaped by racialization, the great majority of the white evangelical churchs response has been slow and insufficient (if not counterproductive), following the predictable historical patterns where any time issues of race are addressed, there has been much symbolic gesturing without substantive change. Good intentions are often hindered by inaction. Those who have been shaped by whiteness - a force that seeks to maintain dominance by demanding assimilation (often incentivized with access), apartheid (through accepting a segregated status quo where resources are disproportionately distributed), or annihilation (by an erasure of cultural differences and ways of being) - often follow predictable paths as they publicly declare that they stand against racism, yet make very little change in the eyes of those most negatively impacted. Further, if there is an effort to dismantle racism, there is often disproportionately less urgency and resources put towards it than other efforts that maintain the racialized status quo. When those least affected by racialized realities push against calls for change, the question to ask is: who benefits from keeping things as they are and who suffers as a result of things not changing? This resistance to change has led to the departure of many non-white Christians from white evangelical spaces for decades. These departures are often unnoticed by the majority because they often happen quietly. These departures are also often explained away as being a result of something other than race. These departures usually occur in spaces frequently marked by an often-denied commitment to whiteness usually masked by a stated but fractured commitment to the gospel typically lived out in voluntarily segregated communities, churches, and organizations. The more normative, dominant, and pervasive whiteness is, the more these racial tensions seem to emerge. However, in more recent years, several who have looked under the hood of white evangelicalism, an evangelicalism that is stained by a syncretism of Christianity and whiteness, have determined it best to make it known to publicly depart. They do so for three reasons: 1) a heightened awareness of the marriage between evangelicalism and partisan political idolatry, 2) a desire to protect other Christians of color with the realization that the long history of white evangelicalism harming Christians of color is more wide reaching and pervasive than previously understood, and 3) a discovery of greater encouragement offered by the common grace extended by unbelievers, than by many white evangelical believers who call their Scripture-based theological conclusions on race as Marxist, Communist, Socialist, Liberal, or, as we are seeing in more recent times, Critical Race Theorist. As the white evangelical church in the west has not only remained silent but also, by and large, been the among the greatest resisters to faithfulness around Gods call to love neighbor (Mk.12:31) and seek the welfare of society (Jer. 29:7), many Christians of color are taking note that a racialized hermeneutic that leads to a hyper individualistic racialized interpretation of the Bible along with a highly selective reading of Scripture disconcerting. This hermeneutic has led to neglecting the call of the prophets, along with ignoring the significance of public witness and faith as seen in the life of Jesus (seen in the ways he turned over tables at the sight of systemic injustice in the temple), has given those with the most insight into the logics and systems of whiteness in evangelicalism clear enough evidence to also divorce themselves from it and warn others about it as they do. They see that public Christian witness is at stake and that the most damaging voices within the network of white evangelicalism are capturing the public imagination with loud gongs and clashing cymbals (1 Cor. 13:1) - making evangelism and mission all the more difficult - simultaneously seeing that others who share their experiences, but might not have the words to describe them are getting hurt as well. The pandemic and protests of 2020 have pushed many evangelical leaders to weigh in on the topic of race publicly in ways they did not have to before. Some did well. Others fell short, and were quickly asked to course correct. For some, this has led to some cautious encouragement, where Christians of color (namely Black Christians, but Latino, Asian, and Native American Christians as well) in these spaces, found themselves asking, could this finally be the time when things improve? For others, this has been revealing as either the troublesome nature of views shared in private are made public or things often discussed in-house are made known to the watching world. They are asking the age old questions of Am I actually welcome here?, Is this a space that really cares about people like me (or just wants to use me to bolster their diversity numbers and enhance their marketing efforts)?, and Should I stay or should I go? The recent developments in the SBC are a prime example of this. Race and the SBC in the Public Square Upon watching the direction the SBC was heading in the midst of all the racial unrest, there have been a number of significant departures from one of the major bastions of the white evangelical world: the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Despite the efforts of some within the denomination to stand faithful to the call of a true Christian unity and justice laid out in Scripture, it seems like the racialized majority is winning. In July 2020, John Onwuchekwa, an African American pastor in Atlanta wrote about why his church left the SBC. He wrote, Ive come to the conclusion that the Southern Baptist Convention is the wrong vehicle to address these issues our world is so desperately trying to resolve. Then he cited four reasons he left: the destructive nature of a disremembered history, its optional approach to addressing racism, an unhealthy partisanship (and its close alignment with the Republican party), and its shallow approach to dealing with racial issues. In the end, he departed because he came to the conclusion that the SBC was not a place for people like him. Soon after, in November 2020, the six seminary presidents of Southern Baptist Seminaries, made it a point to denounce Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality as they declared it was "incompatible with the Baptist Faith & Message." This is significant because seminaries impact the formation of future pastors, Christian leaders, and priorities the Church looks to address. The challenge with entities like the SBC is that historically, they have failed to navigate race in a sufficient manner. To the statement made by the SBC presidents, Jemar Tisby wrote, At the recent annual meeting of the Council of Seminary Presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, leaders ostensibly met to recommit to their guiding statement: the Baptist Faith and Message. In reality, these seminary presidents reaffirmed and gave themselves over to another historic Southern Baptist commitment: whiteness. Many, including myself, expressed that this was going to create divisions that could have been avoided. Beth Moore sought clarity, asking the presidents on Twitter Is preaching against racism any version of [CRT]? Reflecting on the statement, Dwight McKissic, a Black pastor in the SBC tweeted, The SBC may be on the verge of a split or splintering. Why? Because the powers that be are willing to engage in nuanced understanding of the White Supremacist founders of the SBC, but they refuse to engage in a nuanced understanding of CRT, founded by African American law professor Derrick Bell, who was baptized in an AME Church. Then, on December 15, 2020, J. Alfred Smith, who served as pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, CA, as the 12th president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, and earned a doctor of ministry degree at SBCs Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary stated, They are more afraid of Critical Race Theory than the ugly racism that has our democracy about to be crucified with lies. They are complicit with evil. They dont speak out against conspiracy theories. But they will make a big hullabaloo about Critical Race Theory. The next day, on December 16, 2020, Ralph Douglas West, pastor of The Church Without Walls, made it known that he would no longer affiliate himself with the SBC. He wrote, The statement on critical race theory and intersectionality has soiled that good faith. I cannot maintain my affiliation any longer and therefore am withdrawing from [teaching at] Southwestern Seminary. Nor will I associate with the SBC any longer. He explains, I am uncertain as to why these men found it necessary even to associate their affirmation of the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message with a rejection of critical race theory. One would expect, with their sincere rejection of racism, they would speak to instances of it in our culture. They would stand against our presidents attempts to maintain the names of Confederate generals on monuments and military bases. One would expect they would stand against the rise of anti-Semitism and racism seen in groups like the Proud Boys. They would stand against police violence against Black bodies and stand in solidarity with the Black community. They would call the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. But they have not done that. Their stand against racism rings hollow when in their next breath they reject theories that have been helpful in framing the problem of racism. Then, on December 18, 2020, Charlie Dates, pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, also said he was cutting ties with the SBC, writing, The SBCs power structure wants to maintain white dominance. They are happy to have a Black chapel speaker, the occasional conservative Black professor whose classes are not taken seriously or a Black employee who never bucks against their notions of superiority. On the same day, Fred Luter, the only Black pastor to serve as president of the SBC joined 230 others, including pastors Page Brooks, Stephen Partain, Dwight McKissic, and Alan Cross, in signing a statement entitled, Justice, Repentance, and the SBC where they wrote, we stand firmly in opposition to any movement in the SBC that seeks to distract from racial reconciliation through the gospel. They also called for collective repentance. Seth Martin, pastor of The Brook Community Church, also separated from the SBC writing, This problem with addressing systemic racism and injustice is not isolated to the seminaries and long tenured SBC churches. It also exists in the younger and new churches they are planting as well. In my time within the organization, I have seen the same insensitive attitude and gaslighting in addressing issues of justice from planters or planting leaders. Some will argue that these departures were based on a misunderstanding of the motives behind the statement the SBC presidents made. Others will say that the statement was misconstrued, especially since they condemned racism in any form. However, those who have studied the ways race functions and how it has played out in white evangelical spaces, will know that this statement was consistent with the ways in which racialization operates in the evangelical world (and beyond). Despite intentions to have doctrinal clarity, the statement revealed a lack of awareness around the ways that race functions and how deeply embedded racialization is within the Evangelical imagination. It is worth noting that many Christians of color pursuing racial justice had never heard of or even read Critical Race Theory until people started calling them Critical Race Theorists. The lack of understand around how the sin of racism functions in the world along with the conflation of Christianity to partisan politics (and the many who fail to see their idolatry of partisanship) has led to significant divisions among the precious body of Christ, including what we are seeing today within the SBC. Instead of seeking to understand, the need to draw lines and build walls instead of bridges established upon the resurrection reality of Jesus is leading to painful divides. As a result, we might be witnessing a schism in the making. Moving Forward I love Gods call for justice, reconciliation, and unity. I want to see God glorified among those who bear witness to His name. I want to see Christians live out the Kingdom in ways that compels people towards repentance and faith clearly grasping a vision of Christs Kingdom. And in any situation, I believe we ought to do our best to find ways forward that picture His Kingdom. As someone who believes in the power of the cross and resurrection to overturn death, I believe these worldly divisions can be overcome through the power of the Holy Spirit. The powers and principalities that fuel racialization and white dominance can be rebuked because of the blood-bought freedom of Christ. Evangelicalism no longer needs to be held captive by whiteness, but can be firmly rooted in a full gospel. But this will require a true faith that leads to deep humility and great courage: humility to learn from radically different ways of knowing, doing, and being, and a willingness to steward and give up power in a way that follows the kenotic way of Christ. One of the primary issues in white evangelicalism is the imposition of a white way of knowing, doing, and being. This white way of doing things often leads to Christians of color, who hold the same core theological commitments, as being labeled safe or dangerous. Christians of color often feel a greater pressure to prove their orthodoxy as they address issues surrounding race. Those who are safe, fall in line, dont rock the boat, maintain the racialized status quo, rarely speak up, and are fine with change that is slower than it could be. Dangerous Christians of color, who challenge a racialized status quo are often labeled prophetic, radical, or impatient seeking too much change, too quickly. They love their denomination, church, organization as much as the next person, but are seen as a threat because they challenge a whiteness that has never been fully acknowledged or sufficiently addressed. Those who embody humility in positions of authority and power will actively seek out feedback from those who might be perceived as the greatest challengers, for they will often speak a necessary truth that could save them from avoidable crises. To be humble is also to be able to share or even give up power. It is the ability to step aside when one is incompetent to navigate the waters they find themselves in. It is also the ability to courageously and persistently speak truth to those who might be hindering faithful witness. It requires courage to speak truth to those who are afraid of losing racial dominance (even if they try and mask it with a commitment to right doctrine) and to speak truth to those who hold coffers full of riches and threaten to withhold their contributions (or their approval) in order to maintain the racialized status quo. As Russell Moore shared, The temptation that evangelical Christianity always has is to be as authoritative and as prophetic as the people with money in the room will allow us to be. I do want to make clear that what we are seeing in the SBC is not limited to the SBC. As I have spoken with Christian pastors and leaders throughout the country spanning a variety of entities, it has become evident that this is and has been a pervasive reality among many denominations, organizations, and churches that have (knowingly or unknowingly) married whiteness to the Christian faith. The SBC just happens to be the place where such realities have emerged for the public to observe. The question we must ask is will there be a genuine and true collective repentance which necessitates substantive changes, not relying on the time-tested excuse that change takes time, or mere lip service, empty resolutions, and shallow efforts that might seem significant at first glance, but ultimately reveal themselves to be superficial? Will there be a willingness to seek the interests of others (Phil. 2:4) and to allow righteousness and justice to be the foundation, driven by love and faithfulness (Ps. 89:14)? Time will tell. For now, I pray for our brothers and sisters in the SBC, that they might find ways forward that reflect the glorious beauty of a gospel that leads to true reconciliation and unity. A small group of protesters gathered outside Senator Josh Hawley's Virginia home on Monday night to protest the Republican's decision to reject the results of the presidential election during the congressional certification process on Wednesday. Mr Hawley called the protesters "Antifa thugs" and claimed they threatened his wife and daughter and tried to pound open the door, while he was in Missouri. A 50-minute stream on YouTube shows about 15 protesters spending around half an hour outside the house shouting through megaphones, lighting candles, writing in chalk on the sidewalk, and holding signs with messages like "Trump Lost," and "Senator Hawley. This is not presidential. Cease and desist". The demonstrators chanted phrases like Hawley, Hawley, shame on you and Due diligence has been done, Biden-Harris have won". The video shows police officers asking the protesters to quiet down, but not intervening in their protest, instead standing by and looking on. The protesters leave the house after peacefully speaking to police officers, the video shows. The protest was organised by ShutDownDC, an organisation which "uses strategic direct action to advance justice and hold officials accountable," according to their website. At one point, the video shows four of the protesters walking up to the door and briefly interact with someone inside the house. They appear to walk back to the sidewalk after less than two minutes. The protester leading the group to the house says in the video that he's walking up to the doorstep to leave a copy of the constitution. The video then shows him bending down in front of the door to leave a small item on the ground. The Youtube channel "alchymediatv" has uploaded about 140 videos of various events over the last seven years. Most of the videos have clocked less than a hundred views. The video outside Mr Hawley's house is approaching 150,000 views. Conservative activist and podcast host Charlie Kirk called the protesters "Democrat terrorists" and demanded their immediate arrest. This was not threatening behaviour. This is people engaging in democracy and engaging in civil discourse... This was a pretty tame and peaceful visit to his house, said 37-year-old Patrick Young, a ShutDownDC organizer and research analyst at a nonprofit, according to The Washington Post. Mr Young said that the group went to Mr Hawley's house because congressional offices have been shut down by the pandemic. It has become more common for protesters to gather outside the homes of politicians. In September, protesters lit a fire outside the home of Democratic Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. Protests have also taken place outside the homes of the Democratic mayors of St Louis, Chicago, and Washington DC. In December, armed protesters surrounded the home of the Michigan secretary of state, alleging voter fraud. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the director of ICE Tony Pham have also had crowds gather outside their homes, holding signs and chanting. While Mr Hawley claimed they tried to pound the door open, Mr Young said they used the doorbell when leaving the copy of the constitution on the doorstep. The video from the group shows a woman opening the door of Mr Hawley's house at one point, sternly telling them that she has neighbours and a baby". A man also approached from the other side of the street in the residential area to ask why the group was "disturbing the neighbourhood". Mr Young told The Washington Post that three police vehicles were present for the majority of the demonstration. 13 Republican senators and at least 140 House Republicans intend to reject the results of the election when Congress meets to certify the electoral college votes on Wednesday. Protests by Trump supporters and the far-right group Proud Boys have been planned to try to pressure lawmakers to overturn the election or prevent them from certifying President-elect Joe Biden's win. You can see the entire stream of the protest below. Part of the 151-year-old building was exposed back to the studs and a second-floor bathroom was visible. No one was in the building when the bricks came down about 2 a.m. Opinion Article 5 January 2021 Although fears that technology will wipe out jobs and human relationships in its wake, market trends show that as the world becomes more digitalized, consumers are looking for a real, concrete and personalized service. Advertisements The hospitality industry has always been committed to putting people at the center of its concerns, and this is not about to change. However, it is clear that new technologies can help to further improve the customer experience. Artificial intelligence (AI) at the service of the customer Artificial intelligence (AI) unveils new data that can be analyzed to personalize the experience, predict behavior, and increase customer loyalty. Industry professionals who understand how to use these new technologies wisely will stand out from their competitors in the marketplace. Until now, hoteliers have often made their decisions by examining their environment and market research. Today, hoteliers are beginning to become familiar with artificial intelligence via mobile applications, chatbots and booking platforms such as Booking.com and TripAdvisor. However, with these new technologies, the field of possibilities is constantly expanding: hoteliers now have the possibility to acquire information before their guests even enter their hotel, such as the reason for their choice, their particular interests based on previous trips, comments posted online, etc. The customer experience can then take on a whole new dimension. New technologies and employment From a human resources point of view, organizational charts in hotels are traditionally based on a hierarchy in which one can move up the ladder with age and experience. Today, professional experience is no longer the main criterion for success: it has become just as important to be able to understand new technologies and put them intelligently at the service of the customer. Often, it is young people who best master this exercise, allowing for ascents and cross-functional exchanges within the company. Thus, the intuition of a very experienced marketing director can very quickly become obsolete if the latter does not remain curious and open to change. We see it every day at the Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne: students propose original solutions to business problems using new technologies and new concepts. They are digital natives, and our role as educators is to guide them to make the best use of these new tools. In order to stay afloat in a sea of new technologies, tomorrow's leaders will need to be adaptable, curious and, above all, enthusiastic about engaging young people in their teams. *This article was originally published on HTR. BUNKIE A woman died in a fire in a house so cluttered that firefighters had a hard time finding her, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office said in a news release Monday. Officials said Bunkie firefighters had to work through excessive contents inside of the home, not only to locate the victim, but to extinguish" the fire. Firefighters found the womans body in a bedroom after the fire was put out Saturday afternoon, the release said. The woman has not been officially identified but is believed to be the 66-year-old homeowner. Officials determined the fire originated in the attic. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire and officials said they cannot rule out a possible electrical malfunction. The State Fire Marshals Office would like to remind Louisiana residents how important it is to keep exits clear for quick access in the event of an emergency like fire, the statement said. This is important not only for everyone in your home to get out, but for first responders to get in to conduct rescues and to preserve as much of your property as possible, without being trapped or harmed. The Emir is scheduled to depart from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday morning, Xinhua news agency quoted the state media report as saying. Kuwait City, Jan 5 (IANS) Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will attend the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit on Tuesday in Riyadh, according to a state media report. On January 1, Al-Sabah expressed optimism for the event, saying that the Summit will bring together leaders of the GCC countries and strengthen their brotherhood and solidarity against the challenges in the region. Kuwait's top officials recently announced the success of their country's years of negation to end the Gulf crisis with the support of the US. A Saudi-led Arab quartet including the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 and has since imposed an embargo on the Gulf state, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism. Qatar has repeatedly denied all the charges. --IANS ksk/ Before 2020 ended, Harmony Public Schools of Laredo proudly announced that 16 teachers were recognized as Texas Education Agency: Teacher Incentive Allotment Designation Educators, with two receiving a master distinction. According to Harmony, master is the highest level one can achieve, and it is a title that is the result of exemplary work by the educator. The distinction is tied to the teachers State Board of Educator Certification for five years, which means that all 16 teachers will have the designation available wherever they go, whether they remain at Harmony or move to another district. The teachers who are receiving a distinction include: Harmony School of Innovation Elementary School Master Anissa Aguilar Exemplary Lyanne Alfaro Celina Bernal Vanessa Gallardo Leah Gomez Sandra Lara Melinda Rocha Recognized Angelica Benavides Linda Leal Jazmin Moreno Serena Silva Harmony Science Academy Middle School Exemplary Laura Gonzalez Recognized Carmen Flores Jose Flores Harmony School of Excellence High School Master Itzel Delgado Exemplary Alejandra Ovando Anissa Aguilar, one of the two teachers who received the master distinction, said that after all her hard work and the hard work her students put into their STAAR exams, she is humbled by the recognition. The Harmony third-grade math teacher received the distinction as the result of over 90% of her students passing the STAAR exams. Through patience, dedication and hands-on work, Aguilar focused on keeping her students engaged and on their toes during class. As schools will continue their virtual learning this year, Aguilar said that she will continue to learn new programs and find more engaging content for her student. "On behalf of Harmony Public Schools San Antonio District Superintendent Dr. Bilgehan Yasar, we would like to congratulate all the recipients on their well-deserved designation, said Nicole M. Romanos, the Harmony Public Schools Laredo Public Relations Coordinator. We are so proud of all of you and are happy to showcase all your efforts. We thank you for your innovative ideas, hard work and continued support of our scholars. You are the leaders our scholars aspire to be." Harmony teacher Jose Flores received the recognized distinction, and he said that he is proud, but it does not compare to all the memories he has made as an educator. Recognized teacher is the result of investing many, many, many hours in this awesome, lovely and sometimes difficult profession, Flores said. I remember my first years of teaching staying up to 8 p.m. and sometimes until 9 the night (before) trying to prepare the material for the next day. Those days were a very difficult time because I was learning to be a teacher one day at a time, however, I never give up or complain. While some may believe that teaching is a career full of breaks weekends, spring break, summer break, winter break there is more work than meets the eye. However, people cannot imagine the infinite number of activities teachers need to be in compliance with every day, he said. The teachers do lesson planning, grading papers, respond to parents' emails, make copies, take attendance, teach abstract lessons such as algebra concepts, parent conferences, attending meetings with administration, and attending training during weekends and vacations. Despite the hard work and long hours, the payoff is seeing his students graduate, which Flores said that many are now responsible professionals. And the most beautiful is that they recognize me as a dedicated teacher, and when we meet, nice memories arise, Flores said. cocampo@lmtonline.com WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. John Cornyn took a shot at his fellow Texas senator Tuesday over Ted Cruzs call for an emergency audit of the presidential election results, drawing attacks from President Donald Trump in the process. Without calling out Cruz by name in a lengthy letter sent to Texans, Cornyn wrote that such a vote not to certify the electoral votes of a state based on an emergency audit that is designed to fail is not a vote on the merits. It is not a vote based on evidence, he wrote. NOT GIVING UP: Texas Republicans take center stage in Trump's election-defying fight Cruz has said he plans to object to the results, unless they are audited, pointing to unprecedented allegations of widespread voter fraud. Thats produced a deep, deep distrust of our democratic process across the country, Cruz said in a recent interview on Fox News. I think we in Congress have an obligation to do something about that. Cruz has the backing of 10 Republican senators, along with a slew of Texas GOP congressmen, who plan to object as Congress meets in a joint session to certify the results on Wednesday. Their objections wont change the outcome of the election, as Congress has more than enough votes to certify the results. The move comes as Trump has refused to concede the election after dozens of court losses and multiple recounts in contested states, an unprecedented move for a sitting president. In a tweet Tuesday evening, Trump called Cornyn and the top two Senate Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the weak and ineffective RINO section of the Republican Party. Trump said he hopes the senators are looking at the thousands of people pouring into D.C. They wont stand for a landslide election victory to be stolen. Cornyn, a former Texas Supreme Court justice, noted that Trumps attorneys have failed to prove fraud allegations in dozens of losing court battles since the election. Unless substantial, new evidence is presented to Congress, Cornyn said he wont be joining Cruz in objecting to the results based on unproven allegations. Over these past two months, I have paid close attention to the legal challenges and recounts that have taken place across the country, he wrote. Every lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign has failed to change the outcome. And multiple states have conducted recounts to confirm the results in Georgia, three times. Cruzs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Cornyns letter. $12,000 FOR PRINTING: Paxton refuses to disclose full costs of taxpayer-funded election challenge Cruz, however, responded to criticism he has received from some of his other GOP colleagues during an interview with conservative radio host Mark Levin on Monday, accusing some of them of huffing and puffing and suggesting how dare you. I think there are some conservatives who in good conscience believe that Congress discretion is limited, Cruz said. I think there are conservatives in both houses who genuinely believe that and I dont fault them for coming to that determination. I think there are also some Republicans in both houses who are not conservatives, but who are piously and self righteously preening, who are moralizing, Cruz said. ben.wermund@chron.com We have completed many projects for our Chicago clients who have Dallas-Fort Worth-based offices. Last January, for example, we installed a million-dollar project in that area. Elgin-Illinois based Rieke Office Interiors (ROI) has constructed a sterling reputation designing functional office environments and manufacturing custom office furniture for the past 27 years. Working in different cities around the country, it is finding its greatest success in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Colleen Baader, ROIs senior vice president, explained that the company has done much work in that specific area for the past two years. We have completed many projects for our Chicago clients who have Dallas-Fort Worth based offices, said Baader also creative director of Vertical Interior Design, a full-service commercial interior design firm located inside of ROI. Last January, for example, we installed a million-dollar project in that area. What sets ROI apart from its competitors is how its design teams take a thoughtful approach to projects in a holistic sense. Additionally, ROI offers a lifetime guarantee on its products while creating lifelong partnerships. The company expanded its creative wings with Vertical Interior Design, where the goal is to design office interiors that are healthy work environments. Our company is not about plopping furniture in offices; its about diving into what the clients needs are, she said. We also want to see how they operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mix of working environments might be different, as some employees work from home and some stay at the office. For example, a company might have a brand-new need for a conference room with technological devices that allow for virtual meetings. Kevin Hudson, vice president of shared services for EmployBridge, a staffing company in Farmers Branch, Texas, provides an example of a Dallas-area business having a successful working relationship with ROI. He was very pleased with ROIs professionalism during a very important project. The ROI team was an absolute pleasure to work with to build out our newest and largest service center, Hudson said. Their tremendous experience and expertise were incredibly beneficial from design through delivery. During the process, ROI listened to our needs, wants and wish list items and helped us achieve our vision within our budget our valued colleagues love their new space! About Rieke Office Interiors Rieke Office Interiors (ROI) has an impressive, state-of-the-art, 150,000 square foot, office furniture manufacturing facility in Elgin, Illinois. As a certified WBE business in its 27th year, ROI provides innovative products and services that are fully customizable, a unique capability that isnt found anywhere else in the office interior industry. This flexibility allows ROI to create a big impact for any budget, streamlining the project process to make each vision come to life. For more information, visit Rieke.com. ### CLIFTON, N.J., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Cookies today announced it will acquire Ecce Panis, an artisan bread brand, from Campbell Soup Company along with its bakery operations located in South River, New Jersey. Jimmy's Cookies plans to continue operating the facility, producing the full suite of premium quality Ecce Panis products. The anticipated closing date for this transaction is at the end of January. The addition of this 113,000 square-foot state of the art baking facility will also provide Jimmy's with significant additional capacity for its growing gourmet cookie product business. Howard Hirsch, Jimmy's CEO said, "The addition of the Ecce Panis brand is consistent with our strategy to drive growth through expanding and diversifying our product line. Artisan breads represent a fast-growing segment of the bakery category and will complement our cookie business, providing customers with a full range of premium baked goods from a trusted partner." Michael Pisani, Jimmy's President, added "We are excited about this acquisition, doubling our manufacturing capacity and keeping so many quality jobs in New Jersey." Ecce Panis is a premium brand of hand crafted, stone baked artisan breads and rolls that are sold to consumers through the in-store bakeries of leading retailers and grocery chains across the country. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About Jimmy's Cookies www.jimmyscookies.com Jimmy's Cookies' is a Clifton, New Jersey based bakery and is a category leading producer of premium gourmet cookies and cookie dough serving the nation's top grocery and mass market retailers. Media Contact: Jon Boffa, 12018353150, [email protected] SOURCE Jimmy's Cookies, LLC Related Links http://www.jimmyscookies.com .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Constant gas flares lighting up the sky over New Mexicos oil fields may soon be a scene from the past, under new rules proposed by the states Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department to reduce methane waste in the oil and gas industry. The Oil Conservation Commission began two weeks of remotely held online hearings for the proposed rules on Monday with a full day of public comment. Oil and gas operators would need to meet a 98% gas capture rate by the end of 2026 under the proposed rule. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ But some commenters, including attorney Doug Meiklejohn with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, said nearly six years is too much time. The industry has known about the problem of excess methane emissions in New Mexico for many years, Meiklejohn said. We believe the compliance period should be no more than three years. The rule would ban routine venting and flaring of natural gas, which contains methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Operators flare excess gas to relieve pressure, or because it is not economical to capture and transport the gas. Still too onerous Stephen Robertson, executive vice president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, said rules should reduce emissions without putting the oil and gas industry in New Mexico out of business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though reporting categories have been reduced from the previous draft of the rule to this final proposed rule, they are still too onerous, will lead to inaccuracies and do not prevent waste, he said. Accounting software is not designed for so many additional categories, and if required, upgrades will require 18 to 24 months. Definitions for emergencies and malfunctions as exceptions to the no-flaring rule also are too broad, Robertson said, and likely to result in conflict. Rep. Joanne Ferrary, a Las Cruces Democrat, noted that potential revenue lost from methane waste could make a big difference in funding for state programs. Methane dollars Its costing our schools millions in revenue, ruining our air and harming our climate now and for the future generations, Ferrary said. We need every dollar available for our educational system, and we cant afford to waste methane dollars. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, have skyrocketed in the Permian Basin in the past decade. The oil boom has been producing record revenue for New Mexico before the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, oil and natural gas production and fuel combustion contributed 53% of New Mexicos greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, according to the states latest climate report. We are looking ahead to how we can be more aggressive in tackling difficult sectors oil and gas, transportation and implementing broader market mechanisms, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wrote in the report. Emissions growing Aerial videos and monitoring data collected by the state Environment Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show Permian Basin oil and gas sites are leaking more emissions than last year. Flyovers showed that the overall leak rate increased from 2% in 2019 to 5% in 2020. Emily Wolf with the National Parks Conservation Association said that such unchecked emissions threaten sites such as Carlsbad Caverns and Chaco Canyon. Skyglow (from flaring) adversely impacts nighttime scenic quality, visual resources and wildlife including bats and the insects on which they feed, Wolf said. Under the proposed rules, operators could receive credit for yearly gas capture goals if they find and fix equipment leaks before the state does, although EMNRD may withhold drilling permits or levy fines against non-compliant companies. Wendy Atcitty, whose family lives on the Navajo Nation in the San Juan Basin of northwestern New Mexico, said she recently counted 14 well sites within two miles of her familys land. She said the state should notify communities when methane emissions reach dangerous levels. I wasnt aware as a child while walking outside on my familys land that I was breathing harmful methane, volatile organic compounds and ozone gases into my lungs, Atcitty said. New Mexicos proposed rules would be stricter than any current federal methane regulations. The OCC hearing is scheduled to last until Jan. 15. Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal. BEIJING -- China is always open to international cooperation on COVID-19 vaccine and highly values the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday. Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing that China actively supports domestic enterprises in forging cooperation with foreign counterparts on vaccine research and development as well as production. Currently, multiple vaccines developed by Chinese enterprises are undergoing phase III clinical trials abroad with smooth progress. In response to query about use of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines in countries like Indonesia and Egypt, Hua said China has actively joined in global cooperation initiatives, including COVAX, a global initiative backed by the World Health Organization, noting that countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have also approved the registration of inactivated vaccines developed by China's Sinopharm. "China will fulfill its commitment and make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good that will help ensure vaccine accessibility and affordability in developing countries, once they are developed and put into use," the spokesperson said. Hua said the Chinese government always puts safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in the first place, and Chinese vaccine companies have always strictly followed scientific laws and regulatory requirements in vaccine research and development. "China is willing to promote the equitable distribution of vaccines globally and join hands with other countries to solidify pandemic fight, so as to protect people's lives and health," said the spokesperson. MBABANE While there are calls from some quarters for government to consider imposing a tightened partial lockdown amid the second wave of the coronavirus, some economists have differing views. Normally, during a partial lockdown, only certain industries are allowed to operate while those considered as non-essential are temporarily closed to slow down the movement of people, with the hope that the spread of the virus would be curbed. An economist, who spoke on condition of anoymity, said while it was true that some countries had already implemented lockdowns, it would be a high price to pay for an economy like Eswatini. Effects Already we are grappling with the economic effects brought about by the virus. People are skeptical about spending money, some industries and companies have not recovered from last years partial lockdown and thousands of people are still on layoffs. How then can we consider a lockdown under such circumstances? he asked. He opined that for now, it would be imperative for each individual to take the virus seriously by keeping healthy, staying away from gatherings and adhering to all the precautionary measures as outlined by the Ministry of Health. Let us do things that are sustainable and will not hurt the economy any further. A partial lockdown, at this stage, should not be considered, he advised. Meanwhile, Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze, who also doubles as Chairperson of the Parliament COVID-19 Committee, was one of those who called for government to consider imposing a lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. There are certain steps that need to be taken by government that will ensure that the situation is contained. It is not the virus that moves but people, so the more the movement, the more it spreads, said Sibandze. The legislator mentioned that government should limit the drivers of super spreaders. He said these were mobility, influx and gathering of people, and care-free attitude after consumption of alcohol. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - HanesBrands (HBI) said Tuesday that it has received a favorable judgment from the Nanjing Intermediate People's Court in a trademark infringement case involving its Champion brand in China. The case involved the production and distribution of counterfeit Champion products and the operation of unauthorized Champion retail outlets by six defendants. According to the company, the defendants, Hurricane, Chengda, Rainbow Wing, Fuxun, Yunma and Wu Zhanghao, were ordered to immediately cease all infringement of the Champion brand. The defendants were also ordered to pay fines totaling more than $600,000. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. A Derry journalist has been honoured at the Local Ireland Media Awards for 2019/2020. Catherine McGinty reached the final shortlist of three in the 'Feature Story of the Year' category of the prestigious annual awards, sponsored by the National Lottery, which recognises the best work of the Republic's print and online journalists. Catherine, a senior reporter with the Buncrana-based Inish Times a sister paper of the Derry News - was acknowledged for her four-page feature on the RNLI in Inishowen, which was published in August 2019. At the heart of the feature was a portrayal of the dramatic story of Buncrana friends, Seamus McDaid and Christian McGinley, who were rescued at sea off Dunree Head in 1992 when their speedboat crashed into rocks after its engine failed during a storm. Seamus, who subsequently joined the RNLI and is now a long-serving member, expressed delight that Catherine's article was given the credit it deserved. What started out as an article about myself evolved into an in-depth story on the RNLI itself. The story of mine and Christian's rescue is almost 30 years old, but it had never been told in such detail before a lot of our guys would have been hearing it for the first time. Catherine really captured the essence of the story, and the whole feature was excellent. It really took off on social media, where there was a lot of interest in it. In addition to the nerve-wracking tale of the Dunree Head rescue, Catherine also produced a detailed article on the origins of the RNLI in Inishowen featuring an insightful interview with co-founder Liam McGee. In their citation, the Local Ireland judges stated: Sometimes we don't appreciate the best our community has to offer until a local journalist immerses us in it. Catherine's feature is well-written, informed and the interest transferred to social media where the story continued. Catherine has worked at the Inish Times for the last four years, was told of her achievement by the paper's editor, Rory Mooney. It was a wee bit of unexpected good news for the year that was in it. It was lovely," she said. "But I would not have received this acknowledgment without Seamus McDaid of Lough Swilly RNLI sharing his amazing story with me. I was honoured he did so and I hope I did him, and all of the volunteers involved in his rescue, justice. "Thanks also to Liam McGee and Christian McGinley, for taking the time to chat to me. With the 39th anniversary of the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster just past, in which eight RNLI volunteers and eight sailors perished, we take pause and appreciate the tremendous bravery of all RNLI volunteers and thank this fantastic organisation for all of its good work." Inish Times editor Rory said: One of Catherine's standout skills as a news reporter is her ability to get to the very heart of a story and present its most human side. Her outstanding feature on the RNLI is a prime example of that, and I am delighted that has been recognised at these awards. It's a privilege to work with a journalist of such calibre and integrity. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- A yearlong downturn of China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales terminated with its monthly sales starting grow in July 2020 and the volume has sustained year-on-year rise for five straight months as of November, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). The flourishing NEV sales performance partly stemmed from automakers' greater efforts in rolling out new NEV products, while governmental supportive policies also play an important role in the sales increase. To revive the auto sales badly bruised by the coronavirus pandemic, both central and local governments of China have launched a slew of incentives for NEVs. Model 3' photo credit: Tesla China determined to extend the validity period of the subsidies for buying new vehicles and NEV purchase tax exemption for two years, state media reported on March 31, quoting an executive meeting of the State Council chaired by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The two-year extension of NEV subsidies, which were due to be ended this year, was formally launched in a notice issued in April by four governmental departments including the MIIT and the Ministry of Finance (MOF). Subsidies will be cut from the previous year by 10% in 2020, 20% next year and 30% in 2022, quite a big slowdown compared to the phase-out pace formerly required. Buoyed by the guiding spirit of the central government, local authorities rolled out a number of incentives to spur NEV demand and consumption. For instance, cities like Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou all granted substantial cash handouts, while Beijing increased annual NEV license plate quota by 20,000 for car-free families. The project of bringing automobiles to the countryside remarkably aided NEV sales growth as well. Aiming to expand the NEV presence in China's rural regions, promotional campaign was launched successively in Qingdao, Nanjing, Haikou, Chengdu and Kunming between July and December, with24 automakers offer varying discounts for a total of 61 NEV models. It is roughly estimated that the project contributed to over 180,000 units of NEV sales within four months from its very first initiation, said Luo Junjie, an official from the MIIT. Hongguang MINI EV; photo credit: SAIC-GM-Wuling Models recommended by the go-to-countryside campaign are mainly the entry-level mini-sized and small vehicles. In the mini-sized segment, SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW)'s Hongguang MINI EV has taken the crown of the best-selling homegrown new energy PV (NEPV) model in China for three consecutive months as of November. Another typical model, the ORA R1 (currently named ORA Black Cat) was also ranked pretty high on the NEPV list. Some mid-/high-end model held remarkable sales performance as well. As for the market of upscale NEV models priced around 300,000 yuan ($45,830), the sales of the Tesla Model 3 and the BYD Han were comparatively impressive. Retailing 113,655 units, the made-in-Shanghai Model 3 was honored the hottest-selling NEPV model in China for the first eleven months, according to the CPCA, and in all likelihood will retain the sales crown for the whole year of 2020. The CPCA data show that the monthly retail sales of the BYD Han exceeded 5,000 units in both October and November, closely following the Hongguang MINI EV, the Model 3 and the ORA R1. NIO EC6; photo credit: NIO Some startups eyeing upmarket unit also scored blooming sales volumes. NIO delivered 7,007 vehicles in December 2020, a new monthly record representing a solid 121% year-over-year growth. During the same period, 6,126 consumers took delivery of Li Auto's REEVs, a 529.6% hike over a year ago. China NEV sales for the next year is expected to continue growth as the central government granted a total of 37.585 billion yuan (about $5.742 billion) of subsidies for energy-saving and emission reduction projects for the year of 2021. The one-year subsidy program announced by the MOF in late Nov. will cover 15.689 billion yuan ($2.397 billion) worth of governmental grant for the operation of energy-saving and new energy buses in 2019, and 1.162 billion yuan ($177.527 million), 6.363 billion yuan ($972.118 million) and 14.372 billion yuan ($2.196 billion) of subsidies for the promotion of NEVs in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively. Some industry insiders believe that those subsidies will play a significant role in the pursuit of a stable domestic economy and the efforts to push China's NEV development to a new stage. It is worth mentioning that a substantial portion of subsidies will be used to promote NEVs in public service areas. Those efforts will make NEVs more acceptable to the general public, so as to drive private car consumption. From 2021 onwards, NEVs should be account for not less than 80% of the volume of the new or updated buses, rental, logistics and distribution vehicles in the public sectors of the national ecological civilization pilot zone and air pollution prevention key areas, according to the planning for next 15 years' development of NEV industry issued by the State Council on Nov. 2. It is an irresistible trend that NEVs will further penetrate the overall auto market thanks to the battery price cut, better vehicle performances, longer range, popularization of battery swapping model, greater charging facilities and the solid policy supports. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The Butt family, which owns the San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B, is among the wealthiest in the U.S., according to a ranking by Forbes. On Dec. 17, the business magazine listed the family at No. 15 out of 50 families in its 2020 ranking of the richest families in America. The last time Forbes complied this ranking was in June 2016. At that time, the Butt family was the 23rd wealthiest family in the U.S. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will kickstart his three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. During his visit, Jaishankar will be discussing bilateral issues and both South Asian and foreign policy with his Sri Lankan counterpart. He is scheduled to meet Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena & others External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reached Colombo, Sri Lanka. During his three-day visit, Jaishankar will be discussing bilateral issues and both South Asian and foreign policy with his Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunawardena invited Jaishankar to pay an official visit to Sri Lanka from 5-7 January 2021. This trip will be Jaishankars first foreign visit in the new year 2021. On his recently concluded 2-day visit to Qatar, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar focused on Indians return to Qatar. Amid rising sour ties with China and Pakistan, Jaishankars visit is seen as a crucial one and might boost up India-Sri Lankas economic and diplomatic ties in the coming months. This visit will signify the priorities both countries attach to strengthening their close and cordial relations in all spheres of mutual interest. This will be the first high-level visit by a foreign official to Sri Lanka this year. This visit assumes much significance as it also comes at a time when some in the ruling Rajapaksa administration is seeking ramifications in their system which was a result of the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987. Sources believe that eyes are set on big projects and both countries might announce some crucial joint proposed signing. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to embark on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka today. During his visit, he will hold discussion with his counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena and Sri Lanka's leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral relations, said MEA (file photo) pic.twitter.com/oF61Sm3jOS ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2021 Also Read: China revises defence law to bolster Xi Jinpings military powers Also Read: Balochistan horror: Gunmen kill 11 Hazara Shia coal miners, ISIS claims responsibility During his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to hold discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Big projects announcement and release of Indian fishermen from Lankas ports likely on agenda. There are fears a coronavirus super strain that's forced the United Kingdom back into lockdown could escape Australian hotel quarantine and infect the community. The virus strain, which is an estimated 70 times more contagious than the original, has already reached Australian shores via returned travellers. So far, at least two returned travellers in Sydney, three in Perth, four in Victoria and one in South Australia have been diagnosed with the super strain. And experts are concerned Australian children could fall victim to the highly infectious virus if it does seep into the community. Children were largely considered safe from the virus because of extremely low rates of serious illness, but the new strain appears more dangerous to young people. The findings have increased calls to ban Australian arrivals from the UK entirely until they manage to get the new mutant strain under control. Passengers are tested for Covid-19 at Melbourne Airport on December 20, amid fears the UK's mutant strain could escape hotel quarantine A member of the Australian Defence Force speaks to a Victorian Police officer outside of a hotel quarantine facility. There are fears the mutant Covid strain could leak from quarantine Children were largely considered safe from the virus because of extremely low rates of serious illness, but the new strain appears more dangerous to young people (pictured, a reunited family in Perth) Jeremy Nicholson, from Murdoch University's Australian National Phenome Centre, told The Australian the new mutations are more likely to enter children's lungs than in the past. 'The easier it is to get in, the more infectious it is and therefore the fewer virus particles in the air needed. This variant finds it easier to get into children than previous versions,' he explained. 'With the new variant they get much worse respiratory symptoms because the virus can get into the lung more easily.' The newest strain, which is wreaking havoc on the UK, has 17 unique mutations. If children become even more vulnerable to an Australian outbreak, it could change the way the nation handles future lockdowns, closing down more schools and activities, Professor Nicholson warned. Pictured: A healthcare worker at a drive through Covid-19 testing facility at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds on Monday The quarantine system was brought into place on March 20 when Australia shut its borders, with only Australian citizens, permanent residents or those with special exemptions allowed in Experts are concerned Australian children could fall victim to the highly infectious virus if it does seep into the community Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid also explained how recent examples of Covid escaping hotel quarantine in Australia was cause for concern. 'We've already seen our quarantine systems fail with the virus escaping... But with this highly transmissible variant of COVID, either the UK or South African one, there's going to be more potential for that spread to occur from an infected traveller to a quarantine worker,' he said. Dr Khorshid supports suggestions all travellers should be Covid tested and present a negative result before they're able to board a plane into Australia. He acknowledged that people could test negative but continue developing systems once they arrive, but said it might weed out more cases. The quarantine system was brought into place on March 20 when Australia shut its borders, with only Australian citizens, permanent residents or those with special exemptions allowed in. Contact tracers have linked the Berala cluster, which has 16 known cases, to a quarantine driver who contracted the virus while transporting a family from an international flight to a hotel He acknowledged that people could test negative but continue developing systems once they arrive, but said it might weed out more cases A police officer gestures as health care workers look on prior to passengers arriving in Perth It hoped the stop coronavirus flooding into the country, like was seen across the world in nations without similar measures. Victoria could push for a ban on Australians returning from the UK as a new coronavirus strain runs rampant - infecting 58,784 residents in one day. Police Minister Lisa Neville suggested Australia should consider closing its airports to flights from Britain due to the 'concerning' new variant. 'You cannot look at the UK and not be concerned about it,' she said during Victoria's daily coronavirus update on Tuesday. New South Wales narrowly avoided catastrophe four times in the past month due to Covid breaches in the hotel quarantine system for returned travellers. All current outbreaks in the state, which threaten to derail Australia's envy-inducing handling of the pandemic, are linked to various bungles in the important isolation system. Victoria could push for a ban on Australians returning from the UK as a new coronavirus strain runs rampant - infecting 58,784 residents in one day An image taken from a several hour long time-lapse shows a person sitting in the morning sun during their two-week mandatory quarantine period at a hotel in Sydney Contact tracers have linked the Berala cluster, which has 16 known cases, to a quarantine driver who contracted the virus while transporting a family from an international flight to a hotel. They believe he gave the virus to a colleague who then visited the alcohol store and passed it on to a staff member. Sydney's last significant cluster in Avalon in the Northern Beaches is also believed to be linked to a separate leak from hotel quarantine. Contact tracers said the Avalon cluster strain appeared to be similar to a virus variant detected in a quarantined American traveller who tested positive last month. However, just how the virus spread to Avalon - sparking 148 cases, many contracted at local pubs - remains unknown. 'We may never find a link back,' NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said. A cleaner at Darling Harbour's Novotel quarantine hotel tested positive to the virus on December 2. She has not been linked to any further cases. Another driver, a Sydney Ground Transport employee who ferried around air crew from the airport to their hotel, tested positive on December 16, taking the number of breaches in the last month to four. OMAHA, Neb. and DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boards of Directors of both the Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NEHII) and the Iowa Health Information Network (IHIN) have approved forming a strategic partnership between the two non-profit organizations. In November, the entities announced plans to move forward with the due diligence process which was recently completed by both boards. Under the arrangement, which closed today, NEHII will continue all services of IHIN as IHIN remains the state designated entity for purposes of administering and governing the statewide Iowa health information network. "Strategically aligning these organizations will better serve the healthcare data needs in Iowa and Nebraska," said Ted Boesen, IHIN Board Chair. "NEHII is one of the nation's most advanced and mature HIEs. Iowa's physicians, health care facilities and patients will benefit from becoming part of the Nebraska infrastructure and the additional value-added services they are able to provide clinicians, enabling delivery of better health outcomes." As stewards of data for more than 1,000 healthcare organizations across both states participating in HIE services, joining NEHII and IHIN will form a regional health data utility for the Midwest, providing vital information services for continuity of health care. This is essential, especially during public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, because communities rely on health information just like electricity, water and communication services. "Iowans and Nebraskans often seek care across our respective state lines. Being able to easily transmit clinical information among the care team, no matter where they are located, clearly contributes to better coordination of care and ultimately better outcomes," said NEHII Board Chair Michael White MD. "This alignment and the utilization of NEHII's existing structure will critically enhance the support that healthcare professionals need, especially right now. We look forward to building capacity for the future and finding additional opportunities to ensure our providers have the tools they need for excellent service delivery," said Kelly Garcia, interim director of the Iowa Department of Public Health. "NEHII and IHIN are already successfully collaborating on community information exchanges, known as Unite Nebraska and Unite Iowa, that address social determinants of health issues," Boesen explained. "This partnership is a natural progression of the work we started together earlier this year." NEHII's President and CEO Jaime Bland concluded: "This new Nebraska-Iowa affiliation will strengthen the region's core HIE services and bring needed innovation to help our healthcare communities." About NEHII NEHII's mission is to bring trust and value to health information technology by creating solutions for moving health data forward. NEHII, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a public/private governance model that includes health care providers, payers, and the State of Nebraska. NEHII is the designated statewide Health Information Exchange designed to share clinical and administrative data among providers in Nebraska and neighboring states. NEHII's purpose is to achieve health care transformation through community betterment collaboration while protecting the security and privacy of medical information. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. SOURCE NEHII Related Links www.nehii.org Her name is Wang Bingxiu from the Bai ethnic group. From a low-income family, she started to learn how to paint at the age of 78. She sold her piece for 3,000 yuan for the first time. From then on, she decided to change her life through painting. Wang said she draws based on what she imagines. She integrated oil painting with the traditional culture of the Bai ethnic group, expressing her pure love for life. Now at the age of 86, she has launched her exhibition in Beijing, Shanghai, and Macao. Like Wang, many villagers have come out of poverty by their artistic works. Arts + Tourism has become the way to shake off poverty in Shuanglang County in Dali, Yunnan. The Government's Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 will meet today to discuss whether to close schools for at least the month of January. The meeting will take place today between the leaders of the three coalition party leaders as well as the ministers for Finance, Public Expenditure, Justice, Health, and Education. The subcommittee will discuss the options for education going forward. However, it is understood that many ministers, including education minister Norma Foley, are of the view that children should not be allowed back into the classroom if such a recommendation is made by Nphet. Sources say that any announcement would be made on Wednesday after a full Cabinet meeting. Read More Red tape blamed for Covid-19 vaccine rollout delays It is understood that there may not be a set return date for students, but instead a commitment to return when public health advice deems it safe. Ms Foley yesterday met with opposition education representatives and told them that keeping schools closed would be a "societal response". "The reason for the delay [of reopening] is because there is an acknowledgement that the new restrictions required a societal response to minimise contacts and slow the mobilisation of society," the minister told Opposition representatives. The closure of schools would stop the movement of around one million people, it is believed. It is also understood that proposals to allow some children to attend schools will be discussed. Department of Education secretary-general Sean O Foghlu said they would be "guided by public health advice", and no decision on the reopening of schools had been made as of yet. Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan says that whatever happens, the school meal scheme must continue. The school meals programme is an essential support for thousands of children, and with classes unlikely to reopen next week it is critical that it continues for families. In the first lockdown from last March school meals continued in various formats including as food parcels and vouchers. The Minister for Social Protection should confirm as quickly as possible that alternative arrangements will be put in place if there is an extended closure." ADVERTISEMENT The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, has said its official accused of extortion cannot be prosecuted yet since the agency has not completed its internal investigation of the case. The spokesperson of the commission, Kayode Adegoke, told PREMIUM TIMES an internal examination of the matter was going on currently. Mr Adegoke said the agency has procedures for issues concerning criminal offence allegations. You cannot pass guilty verdict on someone without going through the appropriate channels. Once we are done with the necessary measures we will let you know the outcome, he said. The general manager of operations at the agency, Abdulhamid Umar, confirmed that two officials of the agency were suspended in Bauchi and Kaduna State. The suspension is indefinite and you cannot prosecute them since they have been suspended, he said. Under the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, (ICPC) Act, the two officials who were caught in Bauchi and Kaduna States for the alleged crime face dismissal from service and seven years in prison if convicted. This is according to Section 14, 20 and 21 of the ICPC Act and Section 10 and 12 Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, directed the immediate suspension of the staff members involved in extortion of applicants at the NIMC Bauchi and Kaduna state offices. ALSO READ: NIMC issues new guidelines for NIN enrolment This newspaper also reported officials of the agency extorting Nigerians in Osun State, requesting N100 each from the over 50 people at the centre for the enrolment. Mr Pantami had in announcing the suspension of the officials restated his zero tolerance for extortion, bribery and corruption. He said such unethical practices have the potential of derailing the SIM-NIN Integration project. Enrolment for the National Identification Number (NIN) is free of charge, and on no occasion should anyone pay to obtain an enrolment form or to have their biometrics captured. All personnel involved in the enrolment and NIN issuance exercise must carry out their respective duties professionally, fairly and with integrity, he said. Got a question or tip? Contact us at bizmojoidaho@gmail.com. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal After hearing about multiple city parking fee hikes after the fact from frustrated constituents, an Albuquerque city councilor has ensured that the mayors administration cannot raise any more fees parking or otherwise without advance notice. Councilor Pat Davis resolution requires Albuquerques mayor to alert the council at least 90 days before implementing any fee or rate adjustment made outside of the citys annual, multi-meeting budget process. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ The council approved it with an 8-0 vote Monday. Albuquerques mayor has administrative authority to increase many city rates and fees, and Davis said the bill does not require that the council grant approval of those decisions. However, he said, the resolution means such changes are publicly documented beforehand by going through a council process, including the opportunity for public comment. There were (occasions) where the (city) departments were implementing rules and fees they thought were appropriate that might not have gone through a full public vetting, Davis said in an interview. If were going to change the way we do business, lets put it on the record and give people a chance to participate. A spokesman for Mayor Tim Keller said the administration supports the change. At least twice in 2020, Davis did not know about various city parking division fee changes until his constituents contacted him to complain. Last summer, for example, the city parking division began charging $25 for annual on-street parking permits in neighborhoods where they are required, such as areas around the University of New Mexico and the State Fairgrounds. The city had previously offered the permits for free to the residents on those streets. The change caught many by surprise. After public outcry, the city decided to charge those who applied for the permits through a new online payment system but keep them free for residents who picked them up in person. Davis said such matters warrant transparency, which the resolution will provide. He called it common sense. It gives the public a way to weigh in and ensure no one is surprised, he said before the vote. Keller spokesman Matt Ross said in a statement after the vote, If it improves transparency, were all for it, and we worked with council on a measure that made sense. ALSO: The council on Monday also approved an explicit ban on discrimination based on race-related hairstyles. The ban comes in an amendment to the citys Human Rights Ordinance, which already prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age and physical handicap. Councilor Lan Sena sponsored the amendment to specifically add race-related hairstyles, such as braids and Afros, and cultural headdresses, such as burqas, to the list. Sena said some protections already exist, but that discrimination persists and the city should take a clear stand. Councilor Trudy Jones, who said she supported the intent of the legislation and ultimately voted for it, questioned whether it was necessary for the city to have a policy given the movement at the state and federal level. The U.S. House has passed the CROWN Act which stands for creating a respectful and open world for natural hair and Sena said advocates are also pushing for action at the state level. But Sena responded that the city should be champions for the cause. If we have the authority and ability to do so and address this here in the city and be champions of it, then of course we should do so, she said. The council approved the amendment 9-0. NEW PRESIDENT: The council also voted Monday to make Cynthia Borrego its president for 2021. Borrego got five votes, narrowly defeating Davis, who was nominated to serve a second consecutive term and had four votes. Borrego had votes from herself, Brook Bassan, Don Harris, Klarissa Pena and Lan Sena. Davis votes were from Isaac Benton, Diane Gibson, Trudy Jones and himself. Diane Gibson was elected vice president, a role she also had in 2020, while Klarissa Pena was elected Budget Committee chair. Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger has called for Republican Senate candidate David Perdue to apologise to his wife for alleged death threats she received in the wake of 3 Novembers national election. Following Novembers election, which was won by President-elect Joe Biden in Georgia by around 12,000 votes, Donald Trump and several Republican figures refused to accept the result and made false claims about widespread voter fraud. Mr Perdue and senator Kelly Loeffler, who are both running in Senate runoff elections taking place on Tuesday, called on Mr Raffensperger to resign, according to Business Insider. The candidates claimed that because Mr Raffesnberger would not question the states results, he had mismanaged the election, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They provided no evidence for these claims. Mr Raffensperger refused to resign, saying: Let me start by saying that is not going to happen, and adding: Politics are involved in everything right now. If I was senator Perdue, I'd be irritated I was in a runoff. Speaking to Fox News on Monday, nearly two months after Mr Perdue called for him to resign, Mr Raffensperger asked the Senate candidate to apologise to his wife, who he claims was subject to death threats after his comments. Senator Perdue still owes my wife an apology for all the death threats she got after he asked for my resignation, he told Fox News on Monday. I have not heard one peep from that man since. If he wants to call me, face to face, man to man, I'll talk to him, off the record, but he hasn't done that. During his appearance on Fox News on Monday, Mr Raffensperger referenced a phone call he received from Mr Trump over the weekend, where the president made numerous false claims about the election and demanded he find him enough votes to overturn his defeat. The call was recorded by officials in Mr Raffenspergers office, and was leaked to The Washington Post on Sunday evening. Mr Trumps demands and claims were dismissed by the officials during the hour-long phone call, while politicians called for the president to be impeached for asking for votes to be found to give him the win in Georgia. Mr Raffensperger told NBC News that he does not know how the recording was released, but said that Georgia residents are the better for it. He added: Now everyone can listen to the whole one-hour eight-minute call with the president. But at the end of the day, what he said was not factually correct. And I want to make sure that people understand the facts. Speaking to Fox News, Mr Perdue criticised Mr Raffensperger for the tape and said that he should not have recorded Mr Trump. I guess I was raised differently, Mr Perdue said. To have a statewide elected official, regardless of party, tape without disclosing a conversation private conversation with the president of the United States, and then leaking it to the press is disgusting, he added. Mr Perdue and Ms Loeffler face Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and reverend Raphael Warnock in the Senate runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday. Mr Perdue faces Mr Ossoff, while Ms Loeffler is up against Mr Warnock, after no candidate got more than 50 per cent of the vote in either race in 3 Novembers election. The runoff elections will determine whether the Democrats or Republicans will hold the Senate at the start of Mr Bidens presidency, as the GOP currently has 50 senators, while the Democrats hold 46 seats, but are boosted to 48 by the two independents who caucus with them. The Republicans need to win just one of the two elections to hold the majority, while the Democrats need to win both to give vice-president elect Kamala Harris the deciding vote. Students of classes 7 and 8 of Amity International School, Mohali, took part in an online science festival organised by the Innovation Hub, Pushpa Gujral Science City, in collaboration with Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIAN). The young innovators competed against 218 students from across the state. Navya Tuli and Harishwar Singh Brar of Grade 8 developed a bi-directional sensor. Baani and Natansh of Class 7 created a mechanism to reduce toxic emissions from vehicles. The festival gave children a chance to explore the logical and analytical bent of their minds. Green Land kids welcomed back Green Land Senior Secondary Public School, Jalandhar Bypass, reopened for students of Classes 9 to 12 on Monday. The teachers welcomed the students online and offline by wishing them happy new year and playing a welcome song. Principal Baldeep Pandher wished all the students and teachers a happy and prosperous New Year. Colour recognition activity for DPS kids The tiny tots of Nursery of Delhi Public School,Chandigarh, celebrated Brown Colour Day. They were dressed in different shades of brown and showcased their communication skills by participating in the show and tell activity during the online class. They also enjoyed making teddy bears with wool pasting. KBDAV-7 pupils take integrity pledge Students of classes 9 and 10 of KB DAV Senior Secondary Public School, Sector 7-B, Chandigarh, participated in a slogan writing contest organised on the theme of Unified India. As many as 50 NSS volunteers took a pledge to keep the country united. They also promised themselves and the nation that they would fulfil their duty of maintaining Indias integrity and strength. (Newser) A suspect has been located, charged and jail in the fatal shooting of a Texas church pastor Sunday. Mytrez Deunte Woolen faces two felony assault charges and a capital murder charge, USA Today reports. The pastor, Mark Allen McWilliams, was killed after finding a man hiding in the bathroom of Starrville Methodist Church. The sheriff's office said Woolen was on the run from police when he took refuge in the church. "This is not a church-related, religion-related offense," Sheriff Larry Smith said. Two other people were injured. There were no services in the church at the time. story continues below After the shooting, Smith said, the suspect took a vehicle belonging to one of the victims and drove away. Searchers found the vehicle using its GPS system, per CNN. The suspect had crashed Saturday night while being chased by police and sheriff's deputies and taken off on foot. "What we believe happened this morning is the suspect backtracked his wayafter deputies left the areaand came back and in order to get out of the cold," the sheriff said Sunday, "and entered a broken window and entered the church." The pastor, who was carrying a gun, found the man in the bathroom in the morning. The suspect wrestled the gun from him, Smith said, and fired. Woolen was treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound; its origin wasn't clear. (Read more church shootings stories.) Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The process to rename up to a third of San Franciscos public schools is deeply flawed and should be put on hold, according to a new report by the advocacy group Families for San Francisco. The 21-page report, released Tuesday by the nonprofit community group, scrutinized the proposal by the San Francisco School Names Advisory Committee to change campus names it deemed inappropriate for cultural, racial or historic reasons. The report calls on the Board of Education to halt the project until the pandemic is over, and pause and reflect on the process that has caused extreme division over the past year, with 44 school names including Washington, Lincoln, Feinstein and Lick up for debate. The renaming effort has unfolded during the coronavirus pandemic as the district grapples with equity issues and the nation reckons with a legacy of racism. We fully support the original board resolution from two years ago, but the way this work has been done has created quite a lot of negative reaction, said the reports author, Patrick Wolff, a San Francisco investor and co-founder of Families for San Francisco. It really prompted us, and prompted me, to take a much deeper look. Over the last several months, parents and principals at a third of San Franciscos public schools were juggling distance learning while also being invited to brainstorm new school names for any figures that had connections to slavery, genocide, racism, or oppression. The decision sparked anger and frustration from many parents and alumni. In October, Mayor London Breed called the proposal an offensive waste of time, energy and resources from a district that needed to prioritize the reopening of schools over other pursuits. I dont think there is ever going to be a time when people are ready for this, board President Mark Sanchez told The Chronicle in October. Predictably people are going to be upset no matter when we do this. The renaming process was spurred after a board resolution in May 2018 to create a new blue ribbon panel and engage the larger San Francisco community in a sustained discussion around public school names. The panel, called the San Francisco School Names Advisory committee, was expected to submit final recommendations to the board in late January or February. But so far, no greater community discussion has occurred, the report says. They only engaged themselves in a sustained discussion, Wolff said. In December, he began reviewing all the archived meeting footage and compiled 30 pages of notes that eventually shaped into the organizations report. The report elaborates on what it identifies as four specific flaws in both the committees process and its analysis: Not engaging the community. Not consulting professional historians to weigh in on the process. Using a just one thing test that recommended changing a historical name if the committee could identify a single incident that fit its criteria. Conducting only a cursory review that resulted in numerous factual errors, including that James Russell Lowell did not want Black people to vote, and that James Lick financed the racist Early Pioneers statue (it was financed posthumously by his estate). Paul Chinn / The Chronicle COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. A groupthink took over in the meetings, where there was a desire to simply go along with the consensus, Wolff said, adding that the research process seemed antithetical to the kind of skeptical and critical thinking that is necessary for a healthy democracy. No historians were consulted for the Families for San Francisco report. Calls to board members for comment were not immediately returned on Tuesday. Jeremiah Jeffries, facilitator of the renaming group, did not respond to a request for comment, but told The Chronicle in October that the process was important work. Were in the middle of a reckoning as a country and a nation, he said. We need to do our part. But Wolff, and Families for San Francisco, say the work hasnt been done in the right manner. If the school board could (have) led this process well, this could be San Francisco at its finest, and it could bring us together, Wolff said. But if the school board embraces, imposes this deeply flawed work on the community, it will be San Francisco at its worst. Intolerance, not tolerance. SFUSD spokesperson Gentle Blythe said district leadership had not yet seen the report and could not comment on it. Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain ST. PAUL, Minn. Minnesota has now received enough COVID-19 vaccine for all of the states high priority health care workers. Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcom says the vaccine has arrived at larger hospitals and is in the process of being distributed to smaller medical centers around the state. Malcom says it could take several more weeks for all high priority health care workers to get their coronavirus shots. So far, state health officials say Minnesota has administered 78,402 COVID-19 vaccinations with an additional number of federal agencies and long term care facilities also vaccinating people. Malcolm says coronavirus trends in the state have been improving the last several weeks but those numbers are in flux and the impact of the Christmas/New Years holidays will be seen over the next month. A faster-spreading strain of coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom has hit West Australian shores. WA Premier Mark McGowan confirmed three returned overseas travellers had tested positive to the more contagious new variant, which has ravaged Britains already strained health system and forced the country into a third strict national lockdown until February. WA Premier Mark McGowan. Credit:Peter de Kruijff [The cases are] are people who have come out of Britain, come to Western Australia, identified for the virus and further genomic testing has shown they are part of the UK variant, he said. On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnston said UK scientists had confirmed the new variant was between 50 and 70 per cent more transmissible, but Mr McGowan played down concerns it could break containment lines in WA. The City of Romas Police Chief Jose H. Beto Garcia died on Monday after a battle with COVID-19. Garcia had been serving Roma as a law enforcement officer for the past 36 years after beginning his career in 1984 as a patrol officer. He has led the department for 27 1/2 years. During Garcias last four years as Chief of Police, Roma ranked in the top 10 safest cities in the state, according to the city. Through his strong leadership and commitment, Chief Garcia laid the foundation to build a community-oriented police force committed to serving and protecting life and property, said the City of Roma in a statement. The Laredo Police Department also shared their condolences for the loss of Garcia to his family and colleagues. On behalf of the men and women of the Laredo Police Department and Chief of Police Claudio Trevino Jr., we send our most sincere condolences to the Roma Police Department on the sudden passing of Roma Police Chief Jose H. Garcia, LPD said in a statement. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Chief Jose H. Garcia, and we mourn alongside the Officers of Roma, Texas PD. Other positions Garcia has held during his career are Fire Chief/Fire Marshall, Emergency Management Coordinator, and Director of Public Safety. Chief Garcias selfless leadership, smile and tremendous faith will be dearly missed by all who knew him, said the City of Roma. We extend our deepest condolences to his loving family and will continue to pray for them as we all grieve his passing. (Natural News) In a phone interview conducted while he is in jail, Kyle Rittenhouse said that he feared for his life during that fateful night in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and that he fired his gun in self-defense. No, I dont regret it. I feel I had to protect myself, said Rittenhouse during the interview. I would have died that night if I didnt. The 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois is currently in jail for defending himself against three Antifa and Black Lives Matter militants during a riot in neighboring Kenosha. He shot all three of his attackers, killing two of them. (Related: Defending yourself against a convicted pedophile and sex offender makes you a racist mass shooter, according to Christian group The Gospel Coalition.) He is potentially facing up to life in prison if he is convicted for multiple charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and attempted homicide in the first-degree. His bond was set at $2 million on Nov. 2. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 3. During the interview, Rittenhouse said that he considers himself a patriot, and that he brought a gun to Kenosha because he believed he was going into a city where the Antifa and Black Lives Matter militants were also armed. I was going into a place where people had guns, he said, and God forbid somebody brought a gun to me and tried to shoot me. So, I like wanted to be protected and I ended up having to protect myself. Rittenhouse further explained that he traveled across state lines to protect local businesses from being looted. He claims that was what he was doing all night, along with providing first aid for people who had minor injuries. In an interview with Fox 6 News, Rittenhouses mother, Wendy, defended her son by saying that what was going on in Kenosha was not a peaceful demonstration. Going down there wasnt a protest, she said. It was a mob. If people were rioting, looting, destroying Kenosha, burning it down, that wasnt a peaceful protest. Rittenhouses friend who bought him the firearm also being charged Dominick David Black is Rittenhouses 19-year-old friend who bought the gun that he would eventually use to defend himself against the Antifa and Black Lives Matter mob in Kenosha. Black is also being charged. On Nov. 3, he was slapped with two felony counts of intentionally providing a dangerous weapon to a minor. His attorney attempted to get his charges dismissed, but the motion was denied. Blacks bail was set at $2,500. The court commissioner also ordered him to not contact Rittenhouse. According to Blacks testimony, when he was still 18 he bought a gun at an ACE Hardware store in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Later that day, Rittenhouse fired the weapon at Blacks family property. Rittenhouse planned to have ownership of the firearm transferred to him next year when he turned 18. The firearm was then stored in the home of Blacks stepfather, in a locked safe in his garage, but he took it out of the safe following the violence that erupted in Kenosha after the shooting of Jacob Blake. On the night Rittenhouse was attacked, Black took the rifle with him to Kenosha. He informed his stepfather that he was going there to help clean graffiti and to guard local businesses. Blacks stepfather suggested he not go. Black kept the firearm in the trunk of his car and turned it over to the police after Rittenhouse surrendered himself to law enforcement in Illinois. During Rittenhouses jailhouse interview, he revealed that Black was able to purchase the gun using coronavirus stimulus money. I got my $1,200 from the coronavirus Illinois unemployment because I was on furlough from the YMCA, and I got my first unemployment check so I was like, Oh, Ill use this to buy it. Learn more about how Americans are fighting back against Antifa and Black Lives Matter looters and rioters by reading the latest articles at Violence.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Fox6Now.com JSOnline.com 1 JSOnline.com 2 WashingtonTimes.com Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th January, 2021) Czech company NET4GAS announced that it had launched the 150-kilometer (93-mile) Capacity4Gas gas pipeline to connect the Czech gas pipeline system with Germany's EUGAL, the project cost 540 million Euros ($662.4 million), NET4GAS said in a statement on its website. "NET4GAS is pleased to announce that the company has launched the operation of a new 150-kilometre high-pressure gas pipeline built within the Capacity4Gas project following the issuance of all relevant permits in December 2020," the company said. "With this important milestone achieved, the second and final phase of the Capacity4Gas project has successfully been completed," it said. The Congresss failure to recognise the end of its charismatic leadership was among the many reasons for its 2014 Lok Sabha polls defeat, according to former president Pranab Mukherjee who felt lack of extraordinary leaders reduced the establishment to a government of averages. Mukherjee made these comments in his memoir The Presidential Years, 2012-2017 which he wrote before his death last year. The book released on Tuesday. He also wrote that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not discussed the issue of demonetisation with him prior to his announcement on November 8, 2016 but it did not surprise him as suddenness is absolutely necessary for such announcements. In the book, Mukherjee mentioned that on the day of the results of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he directed his aide-de-camp to keep him informed of the trends every half an hour. When the results were announced in the evening, he was greatly relieved over the decisive mandate but also disappointed at my one-time partys performance. It was difficult to believe that the Congress had managed to win just 44 seats. The Congress is a national institution interlinked with peoples lives. Its future is always a concern of every thinking individual, he wrote in the book, published by Rupa Publications. The former Congress leader and Union minister attributed this defeat to many reasons. I feel the party failed to recognise the end of its charismatic leadership. Tall leaders like Pandit Nehru ensured that India, unlike Pakistan, survived and developed into a strong and stable nation. Sadly, such extraordinary leaders are not there anymore, reducing the establishment to a government of averages, he wrote. According to Mukherjee, when he looked back on his years as president, he derived satisfaction not only from the fact that he followed the rule book in letter and spirit in dealing with governments and issues of the day, but also because he never veered from the constitutional parameters that have been laid down for an Indian head of state. He wrote he had very cordial relations with Prime Minister Modi during his tenure. However, I did not hesitate to give my advice on matters of policy during our meetings. There were several occasions when he echoed concerns that I had voiced. I also believe that he has managed to grasp the nuances of foreign policy quickly, the book said. Mukherjees approach to maintaining cordial relations with Modi was rooted in the fact that I believe in the parliamentary form of government and its principle. Modi had received a decisive mandate from the people to administer the country. Administrative powers are vested in the Council of Ministers, which the PM heads. Therefore, I did not breach my jurisdiction. Whenever tricky occasions arose, the issues were resolved, he wrote. At an event in which PM Modi released a book and I was present, I remarked that it was not that I did not have any differences with him, but that both of us knew how to manage those differences, without bringing them out in public, he added. However, Mukherjee lamented that the NDA government, during its first term of 2014-19, failed in its primary responsibility to ensure the smooth and proper functioning of Parliament. I attribute the acrimonious exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches to the arrogance and inept handling by the government. But the Opposition is not without blame either. It had also behaved irresponsibly, he wrote. According to Mukherjee, the mere physical presence of the prime minister in Parliament makes a tremendous difference to the functioning of this institution. Whether it was Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Manmohan Singh, each of these former PMs made their presence felt on the floor of the House. PM Modi, now in his second term, must take inspiration from his predecessors and provide visible leadership, through his enhanced presence in Parliament to avoid situations that had precipitated the parliamentary crisis we witnessed in the first term, the book said. Modi, Mukherjee said, must listen to the dissenting voices and speak more often in Parliament, adding he must use it as a forum to disseminate his views to convince the Opposition and inform the nation. On foreign relations, Mukherjee felt that Modis stopover in Lahore was unnecessary and uncalled for, given the conditions that prevailed in India-Pakistan relations. It was evident that one could expect the unexpected from Modi, because he had come with no ideological foreign policy baggage. He was to continue with these surprises: he made a sudden and unscheduled stop at Lahore in December 2015 to greet his then Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, on the latters birthday; and he initiated an annual informal summit with the Chinese president - one was held at Wuhan in China in 2018 and the other, more recently, at Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu in 2019. On Modi not discussing about demonetisation with him before announcing it, Mukherjee wrote: I am of the firm opinion that demonetisation could not have been done with prior consultation because the suddenness and surprise, absolutely necessary for such announcements, would have been lost after such a process. Therefore, I was not surprised when he did not discuss the issue with me prior to making the public announcement. It also fitted in with his style of making dramatic announcements, he said. However, after delivering his address to the nation, Modi visited Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan and explained to him the rationale behind the decision. He desired an explicit support from me as a former finance minister of the country. I pointed out to him that while it was a bold step, it may lead to temporary slowdown of the economy. We would have to be extra careful to alleviate the suffering of the poor in the medium to long term, Mukherjee said. Since the announcement was made in a sudden and dramatic manner, I asked the PM if he had ensured that adequate currency was there for exchange, he added. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree declaring 2021 as the Year of Nizami Ganjavi. The 880th anniversary of the great poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi will be celebrated in the country this year. The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to develop and implement an action plan for the Nizami Ganjavi Year. The works of Nizami Ganjavi were translated into many languages. The rare manuscript copies of his works are kept and preserved like precious pearls in famous libraries, museums and literary foundations in cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Baku, Tashkent, Tabriz, Tehran, Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi, London, Paris and others. In Khamsa (Quintet), the poet revealed the living pages of history. The attack of the Russians on Barda city, a fairy tale of the Russian Princess, the beautiful Shirin amazons, battles, described in various poems of Nizami - all this is historically and geographically related to medieval Azerbaijan and the Caucasus. The description of a man's inner world, his feelings, and thoughts along with the dynamic development of the main hero's characters underlies the basic aim and content of Nizamis literary school. The maskless young man stands by a DJ booth, headphones around his neck, smiling and shaking hands as a packed crowd, also without masks, shimmies to the upbeat music. Jack Ducey, the son of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, R, posted the clip to social media in late December, at the same time his father was urging residents to stay home for the holidays and follow public health guidelines like wearing masks, the Arizona Republic reported. Now, the video, which also shows Jack Ducey eating indoors at a restaurant with a group, has gone viral and sparked allegations that the governor's family has failed to lead by example - a criticism Ducey himself faced over the summer when he was photographed at a backyard gathering without a mask and in close proximity to others. A spokesperson for the governor and Jack Ducey did not immediately reply to The Washington Post's request for comment early Tuesday. Jack Ducey, who is in his early 20s, told the Republic that he'd made a mistake, but noted that he's not a politician. The clash comes as the governor has resisted stricter restrictions, like a statewide mask mandate, curfew or shutdown, as the virus surges across the state. While he has advised residents to avoid indoor gatherings, he's also argued that it's not the government's job to monitor what happens inside people's homes. Arizona reported 17,234 new cases on Sunday, the highest number of daily reported cases in the state since the pandemic began, according to data tracked by The Post. At least 561,542 residents have contracted the virus and 9,064 have died of covid-19 complications since late February. The incident is the latest case of authority officials or their family sparking blowback by disregarding safety recommendations. In November, the mayor of Denver ignored his own travel advice and boarded a plane to meet his wife and daughter for Thanksgiving. Days earlier, Austin's mayor traveled to Cabo to vacation after hosting his daughter's wedding despite asking residents to stay home in a video. Both have since apologized. Ducey's oldest son posted the short clip to his public Instagram account on Dec. 30, the Republic reported. He has since made his Instagram account private, but the videos were shared over the weekend by Accountable Arizona, a group that recently led a failed recall effort against Ducey. Unlike cities such as New York and Los Angeles, the state of Arizona has not implemented a ban on private indoor gatherings, so technically, the party would have been legal. The video begins with a maskless Jack Ducey sharing a table with other attendees, also with uncovered faces, at a Benihana restaurant. "The kid is treating himself right," Ducey captioned the video. The video then shows dozens of unmasked young adults swaying to music at what appears to be an indoor party. "Solid birthday to say the least," Ducey captioned the video showing him standing at the DJ booth, greeting other guests. No one, including Ducey, appears to be wearing a mask. It is unclear when and where exactly the videos were taken. It is also not clear whether Ducey was an organizer of the event or a guest. In a tweet Sunday, Accountable Arizona, the organization that later shared the video, argued that Ducey's son's actions are proof that the state needs stricter guidelines that are actually enforced. "If @dougducey's own adult son isn't following Ducey's soft advice how can Ducey expect Arizonans to?" the group tweeted. "We need mitigation measures with enforcement now." Like any other plant, Arabidopsis thaliana or mouse-ear cress, needs nitrogen to survive and thrive. But, like maize, beans and sugar beet, it prefers nitrogen in the form of nitrate, growing better on nitrate rich soil. Whereas, pine and rice for example preferentially grow on ammonium nutrition, another form of the key macronutrient nitrogen. If the concentration or the availability of the different forms of nitrogen fluctuate, plants have to adapt quickly. "One of the most important questions is, what is the role of plant hormones in adaptation to the nitrogen availability? How do the machineries within a plant cope with their changing environment?" asks Eva Benkova, developmental biologist and Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria. Finding the balance In search of answers, Krisztina Otvos, postdoctoral fellow in the research team of Eva Benkova, together with colleagues from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the Austrian Institute of Technology and the University of Montpellier, looked at two extremes: They compared how Arabidopsis seedlings that were grown exclusively on ammonium reacted, once the scientists transferred them to media containing either ammonium or nitrate. If a plant lives in suboptimal soil, it tries to maintain its root growth as long as possible to reach a more suitable form of nitrogen. The major processes, which maintain the root growth, are the cell proliferation in the meristem, a plant tissue consisting of undifferentiated cells, and the cell expansion. The plant has to find a good balance between these two. Provided with ammonium, the form of nitrogen Arabidopsis is not so fond of, the meristematic zone of the cress produced less cells. Instead, they very quickly elongated. "Once we moved the plants to the nitrate, suddenly the meristem became bigger, more cells were produced and there was a different kinetics in cell expansion," says Benkova. "Now Arabidopsis could afford to put more energy into cell division and optimized its root growth differently." Controlling the hormone flow Whether the plant invests in cell proliferation or cell elongation is instructed by the level of auxin. This plant hormone is essential for all developmental processes. It is transported in a very controlled way from one cell to the next by special auxin transporters. The proteins that control the transport of auxin out of the cells, so called efflux carriers, regulate the flow of auxin depending on which side of the cell they are sitting. Benkova and her team were especially interested in the auxin transporter PIN2, which mediates the flow of auxin at the very root tip. The researchers were able to identify PIN2 as the main factor to set up the balance between cell division and cell elongation. "We observed that once we moved plants onto the nitrate, the localization of PIN2 changes. Thereby, it changes the distribution of auxin." The activity of PIN2 on the other hand is affected by its phosphorylation status. "What really surprised us was that one modification, the phosphorylation of such a big protein like an efflux carrier, can have such an important impact on the root behavior," Benkova adds. Furthermore, the amino acid of PIN2 that is the target of the phosphorylation, is present in many different plant species, suggesting that PIN2 might be universally involved in other plant species adaption strategies to changing nitrogen sources. In a next step, the researchers want to understand the machinery that controls the change of the phosphorylation status. A very close look "The present study is the result of the input of many different people from cell biologists and computer scientists to people working in advanced microscopy. It really is a multidisciplinary approach," Eva Benkova emphasizes. In order to take a close look at the processes within Arabidopsis' roots, for example, the biologists used a vertical confocal microscope - a tool especially adapted at the IST Austria to suit the researchers' needs. Instead of a horizontal stage the microscope uses a vertical one, which allows you to observe the plant growth the way it naturally does - along the gravity factor. With its high resolution Benkova and her team were able to observe how the cells within Arabidopsis' roots were dividing and expanding in real time. In a previous project, researchers at the IST Austria won Nikon's Small World in Motion video competition, showing live-tracking of a growing root tip of Arabidopsis thaliana under the microscope. ### San Antonio police are investigating the death of an Army drill sergeant found shot in a stalled vehicle on New Year's Day. Staff Sergeant Jessica Mitchell, assigned to Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, was pronounced dead at 3 a.m. Friday. Officers were called to the eastbound side of Interstate 10 at West Avenue for a stranded vehicle in the left lane that was causing a hazard, police said. They found a white Dodge Charger with multiple gunshots to the driver's side door and window. READ ALSO: Sheriff sends Anaqua Springs shooting deaths case back to investigators for more scrutiny The officers opened the door and checked the victim, later identified as Mitchell, for a pulse, but none was found. The 30-year-old was transported to University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. On Friday, police spokesperson Lt. Jesse Salame told the Express-News it was too early to know a motive. Police are searching for a suspect vehicle, described as possibly red in color with damage to the passenger side. People with information about Mitchell's death are asked to call SAPD's Homicide Unit at 210-207-7635. In a statement, Maj. Gen. Dennis LeMaster, who commands the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, said Mitchell's colleagues were "devastated by the tragic loss." "Our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends," said LeMaster. "We are focused on supporting Drill Sergeant Mitchells family as well as her soldiers during this extremely difficult time." Mitchell was on holiday leave at the time of her death. She leaves behind a 10-year-old son, according to WOAI-TV. Her sister Ashley told the station, "We heard there was no witnesses. But it's a highway. Someone had to see something." 2020 was a disastrous year for the aviation and tourism industries, which were hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Flight output in 2020 decreased by more than half compared with 2019, with only 424,000 flights provided, down by 548,000 flights, serving 66 million passengers, down by 43.5 percent. At Phu Bai International Airport As a result, airlines took a loss of tens of trillions of dong. Vietnam Airlines, the national flag air carrier, incurred a combined loss of VND14.4 trillion and asked for a government bailout. Meanwhile, Pacific Airlines reported a loss of VND1.2 trillion. As for the tourism sector, the pandemic wiped out $19 billion worth of revenue from travelers. Only 3.7 million travelers came to Vietnam, a sharp fall of 80 percent from 2019, while there were 56 million domestic travelers, a decrease of 34.1 percent. Around 90-95 percent of 3,339 travel firms have suspended their operation. Many firms have gone bankrupt and others have shifted to other business. More than 30,000 accommodation facilities reported low room capacity of 20-25 percent. Many hotels were sold cheaply as they could not survive the difficulties. Analysts warn that difficulties are still ahead, as no scientist can say for sure when the pandemic will be contained. Struggling but optimistic While businesses are complaining about difficulties, Trinh Van Quyet, president of FLC, the owner of Bamboo Airways, thinks differently. At this moment, if you still think about the damages caused by the pandemic, you will be out of tune with reality, he said. Many promotion campaigns were launched to stimulate demand, including the Time to discover Vietnamese beauty conference held on May 16 and the forum on The strong rise of Vietnams airlines and the recovery of the national economy on May 30, as well as the Fly to Con Dao to experience new tourism paradise conference on September 12 held by FLC. In Quyets eyes, aviation and tourism are the two business sectors with the best potential for resilience and recovery. The business fields suffered heavily from the three outbreaks, which led to a sharp fall in number of passengers. But they recovered strongly after the outbreaks were controlled. Travel firms again received domestic travelers, while domestic flights were again full. Many promotion campaigns were launched to stimulate demand, including the Time to discover Vietnamese beauty conference held on May 16 and the forum on The strong rise of Vietnams airlines and the recovery of the national economy on May 30, as well as the Fly to Con Dao to experience new tourism paradise conference on September 12 held by FLC. Quang Ninh provincial authorities spent VND100 billion in 2020 to stimulate domestic demand. Phu Quoc Island hired KOL to promote local tourism in a new and attractive way. After outbreaks were controlled, the number of passengers increased. Thousands of flights recovered. After two lockdowns, airlines saw nearly 100 percent recovery on domestic air routes. Some airlines even opened new routes. In late September 2020, Bamboo Airways began three direct routes from Hanoi, Vinh and Hai Phong to Con Dao Island. A representative of Bamboo Airways said after every outbreak, the airline quickly recovered the entire domestic flight network. The number of flights provided by the carrier and the number of passengers were 10 percent higher than the same periods last year. Meanwhile, Vietravel Airlines presented itself before the public on December 26. It decided to take off despite the pandemic. At first, the air carrier will focus on the domestic market with eight major air routes, commencing from January 2021. Its CEO Vu Duc Bien told the local press that the air carrier plans to be profitable after two years. Stepping forward and joining hands An expert from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) said it is difficult to approach clients if businesses act singlehandedly and is even more difficult to do this in the pandemic. Therefore, joining forces to co-develop is the best solution. Quyet said that the cohesion among businesses has never been so strong. In September 2020, in order to persuade HCM City people to travel and to attract people from other localities to HCM City, the Tourism Department decided to cooperate with 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta, five provinces in the eastern part of the southern region, eight provinces in the northwest, eight provinces in the northeast and five provinces in the central reigon. Hanoi and Da Nang signed cooperation programs to stimulate travel demand. Travel firms joined forces with each other to launch thousands of tours with discount rates of 30-50 percent. Ha Duy Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam warns over fraud repatriation flights The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has warned that Vietnamese people who have been stuck in foreign countries due to the pandemic and wish to get back home should watch out for fake advertisements for tickets on repatriation flights. ALBANY Two more letters sent to a federal judge on behalf of a convicted fraudster were fabricated in part or whole including one attributed to a Catholic priest. Michael P. Fish, who was already facing federal prison time after pleading guilty in May to multiple felonies, was arrested Friday after he allegedly sent U.S. District Judge Mae DAgostino a letter falsely attributed to Jonathan Carman, a district director for U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik. All three letters asked the judge to impose a lenient sentence on Fish, who pleaded guilty to identity theft, computer intrusion causing damage and possession of child pornography. Federal authorities said the 25-year-old Albany resident, who had volunteered for Stefanik's 2016 campaign, sent the fake letter from his grandfathers computer. Now, the Times Union has discovered that two other letters supposedly sent on Fishs behalf contained fabrications, including one from the Rev. Michael A. Farano, the former pastor of St. Pius X Chruch in Loudonville. Mary DeTurris Poust, a spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, told the Times Union that "the referenced letter attributed to (Farano) has been altered without his knowledge or consent. Father Farano said the letter you have from court documents includes his original text but has been expanded without his knowledge. The other apparently fraudulent letter was attributed to Dale Annis, a former client of Fish's when he worked at Northwestern Mutual insurance. Annis told the Times Union he was "100 percent positive" he did not send the letter. Annis, who seemed to barely remember Fish, said his entire dealings with the felon were over a span of at most two months before Annis transferred to an agent based in Baltimore, where he now lives. In the letter, the person claiming to be Annis wrote that he was extremely upset to hear about Mike's troubles, I hope this letter can demonstrate his true character outside of the mistakes he made. The letter went into great detail: My relationship with him was not a purely transactional one, as you could imagine with most financial advisors, but rather a friendship. He would call on birthdays, send cards on holidays, and always remember meaningful details about my family. I believe he truly breaks the stigma that can tend to define the industry he was in. I referred him to several friends, colleagues, and even family. They have all received the warmth care and service that Mike provided us. " ... Some of his memorable words were, I could not look you in the eye and tell you I did everything I could for you and your family if something ever happened to you and we didn't address this, the letter stated. Digital fraud was central to the crimes Fish pleaded guilty to on May 19, when he admitted that between 2016 and 2019, while attending the state University at Plattsburgh and later Albany Law School, he accessed the accounts of female students within the Plattsburgh schools computer network. Fish created passwords, gained access to the women's social media accounts and their personal information. Fish downloaded sexually explicit and embarrassing photos stored in other accounts, and traded stolen photos and videos online, the plea agreement said. Fish distributed collages that mixed sexually explicit photos with innocuous photos of graduations. He identified the names of the women whose images he traded, and possessed information from more than 100 students at Plattsburgh and elsewhere, the plea agreement said. JAMES GOOLSBY The letter falsely attributed to Carman, the Stefanik aide, mixed portions of a letter that Carman had written on behalf of Fish years before his legal troubles. The Times Union reached out to Stefanik's office for a response last week after a reporter examined the court filings; Stefanik's senior advisor Alex DeGrasse spoke to Carman and responded that the letter was "a falsified document submitted to court, which is a crime." At a hearing Tuesday, D'Agostino removed Fish's attorney, James Tyner, from the case. It's was not immediately clear who will be representing him going forward. Tyner said on Thursday that the allegations surrounding the first fabricated letter to come to light were a "complete surprise to me. Just like the government is investigating the situation, my office has undertaken a similar investigation to examine the validity of these claims." Fish's sentencing was initially set for Jan. 8, but will be delayed indefinitely. The Income Tax department questioned Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, for the second consecutive day on Tuesday in connection with its probe against him under the benami assets law, official sources said. A team from the Chandigarh investigation unit of the department, that is handling the probe, was seen going inside Vadra's office in the Sukhdev Vihar area of the national capital around 3 PM. Vadra is married to Congress leader and Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. After he was questioned on the first day on Monday, the 52-year-old had said the aim of the tax department's action was to "digress" from the "real issues" concerning the country like the farmers' agitation. On Monday, he was questioned for about eight hours and his statement was recorded as part of the proceedings related to the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, sources had said. Tax department sources had said Vadra was asked to join the investigation at their office but as he cited the prevailing COVID-19 restrictions, I-T officials decided to visit his premises. Officials had said the questioning was linked to the purchase of some land parcels by a firm linked to Vadra in Rajasthan's border town of Bikaner in which another central probe agency, the Enforcement Directorate, had filed a money laundering case in 2015. The ED has questioned Vadra in this case in the past and had attached assets worth Rs 4.62 crore of his firm Ms Sky Light Hospitality (P) Ltd (now LLP) in 2019. Sources said the ED shared case documents of this probe along with that of possession of some alleged undisclosed assets abroad with the tax department for action under the anti-benami law that is enforced in the country by the latter. "Everyone knows it is (political vendetta). Whenever Priyanka (his wife Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) moves out for helping farmers...and other issues then whom will they (probe agencies) come to?" Vadra had said to reporters after the tax department team left. "They will come to Robert Vadra. I don't want to go into political issues but they (government) are digressing from real issues...like the farmers issue," he had said. Vadra had said he had "nothing to hide and worry about" and that the truth will prevail. When reporters asked him if the latest questioning pertains to proceedings under the anti-benami law, he had said "it was general and nothing related to that (benami)." The I-T department has also been probing Vadra on charges of alleged possession of some undisclosed assets in the UK. The ED too is investigating these charges, under the anti-money laundering law, against the businessman. The ED has accused Vadra of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him and this transaction involves the role of absconding defence consultant Sanjay Bhandari. Bhandari has never joined the I-T or ED probe in this case and is stated to be based abroad. Also Read: Healthcare worker dies 48 hours after getting Pfizer coronavirus vaccine Also Read: Jack Ma arrested? Chinese media says Alibaba founder 'embracing supervision' Trump Promises to Campaign Against Georgias Republican Governor President Donald Trump on Monday said he would campaign against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Ill be here in about a year-and-a-half campaigning against your governor, I guarantee you, he said at a rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and Republican Senate candidate David Perdue, drawing cheers. Trump noted how he endorsed Kemp, a fellow Republican, in 2018. He was in last place and I endorsed him. He went to first place very, like, immediately and then he won the primary, and then I gave him a couple of rallies, which I dont like doing for other people, Trump said. Im going to be here in a year-and-a-half and Im going to be campaigning against your governor and your crazy secretary of state, and you have great candidates, he added. Trump has repeatedly criticized Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, for their handling of the 2020 election. Kemps approval ratings have plunged in recent weeks and polling shows former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), who Trump asked to primary Kemp, well above the governor. Raffensperger could face a challenge from state Rep. Vernon Jones, a Democrat who supports Trump. Kemp has defended his actions, saying hes abiding by state law and the U.S. Constitution. He has tried to shift the focus to the Georgia Senate runoffs, telling reporters last week thats what he was focused on. But he also asserted that Trumps lawyer Rudy Giuliani doesnt know the Georgia Bureau of Investigation very well, responding to Giulianis testimony at a recent state Senate committee hearing. Then-Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp (L) walks with President Donald Trump as Trump arrives for a rally in Macon, Ga., on Nov. 4, 2018. (John Bazemore/AP Photo) Raffensperger has pushed back on Trumps allegations and criticism. After a call between him and the president was leaked to the media this week, he told ABCs Good Morning America that Trumps claims are just plain wrong. It was pretty obvious very early on that we debunked every one of those theories that had been out there, but President Trump continues to believe them, he added. In a press conference later in the day, which Raffensperger did not attend, an official from his office said he screamed when he heard the call. Election fraud claims are easily, provably false yet the president persists, Gabriel Sterling told reporters. Trump has asked for signature verification to be done in Fulton County; officials conducted a verification in Cobb County, but have not done so for Fulton. He has also said numerous dead people voted in Georgia, along with double voters, and pointed to how ballots were counted on Election Night for over an hour with no observers present. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was certified the winner of Georgia by about 12,300 votes. Trump says he won the state. Theres no way we lost Georgia, he said Monday. This was a rigged election, but were still fighting it and youll see whats going to happen. Iran denied on Tuesday it was using a South Korean ship and its crew as hostages, a day after it seized the tanker in the Gulf while pressing a demand for Seoul to release $7 billion in funds frozen under US sanctions. The seizure of the MT Hankuk Chemi and its 20-member crew near the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been seen as an attempt by Tehran to assert its demands, just two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in the United States. Iran wants Biden to lift sanctions imposed by outgoing President Donald Trump. Tehrans critics have long accused it of capturing ships and foreign prisoners as a method of gaining leverage in negotiations. Weve become used to such allegations, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told a news conference. But if there is any hostage-taking, it is Koreas government that is holding $7 billion, which belongs to us, hostage on baseless grounds. South Korea summoned the Iranian ambassador, called for the ship to be released and said it was dispatching a delegation to Iran to discuss it. Iran says the ship was held over environmental violations. Irans ability to challenge shipping in the Gulf is one of its main points of leverage in what is expected to be a difficult negotiation when the Biden administration takes office on Jan. 20. In 2019, Iran held a British tanker for two months. South Korea, like other countries, is required to limit Irans access to its financial system under the US sanctions, which were imposed by Trump after he abandoned a nuclear agreement reached with Iran under his predecessor Barack Obama. Iran says the sanctions are illegal and have hurt its economy, including its ability to respond to the worst outbreak of Covid-19 in the Middle East. Biden aims to revive the nuclear agreement, but any thaw is likely to pose a diplomatic challenge. Since Trump abandoned the deal, Iran has taken steps that violate it; Biden says Iran must be fully compliant before the deal can be restored, while Iran says Washington must first lift the sanctions. On Monday, Tehran announced it had stepped up uranium enrichment at an underground facility, its latest move in violation of the nuclear deals terms. Crew safe South Koreas Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha said on Tuesday she was making diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the tanker and had made contact with her counterpart in Tehran. Irans ambassador in Seoul, Saeed Badamchi Shabestari, asked about the status of the ships crew before his meeting at the foreign ministry, told reporters all of them are safe. In addition to a South Korean delegation expected to go to Iran as soon as possible to try to free the ship, South Koreas Vice Foreign Minister, Choi Jong-kun, is scheduled to visit Iran on Sunday. Iranian state TV cited a Tehran government official as saying the visit had been scheduled earlier, to discuss the frozen funds. Armed Soldiers The ships Busan-based operator, Taikun Shipping Co. Ltd., told Reuters there had been nothing to indicate before the vessel was seized that Iranian authorities were probing possible violations of environmental rules. If it really was marine pollution, as they say, the coastguard was supposed to approach the ship first, Taikuns management director, Lee Chun-hee, said by telephone. But instead, armed soldiers approached the crew and said they needed to be investigated. Last Sunday, the Tehran Times newspaper reported Iran was hoping to negotiate an agreement to use the frozen funds to trade for commodities, including coronavirus vaccine doses. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, a foreign ministry official said the Iranian government had tried to secure vaccines through the global COVAX initiative, backed by the World Health Organization. Tehran had been in talks with the ministry and the US Treasury to pay for the doses with South Korean won. Stock Market News UK Economic Data - UK/Brazil sign agreement to accelerate digital transformation in public services 05-01-2021 01:31 Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk ATLANTA - Debate over President Donald Trump's own electoral grievances dominated the final day of campaigning for two U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia on Monday, raising concerns among Republican strategists and local officials that his conspiracy theories would depress GOP turnout and jeopardize continued Senate control. The Republican secretary of state's office on Monday held a news conference with a top election official to denounce Trump's false claims of election fraud over the weekend, urging Georgians to "please turn out and vote tomorrow." At an earlier event in Milner, Ga., Vice President Mike Pence was interrupted by someone who shouted a demand that Pence vote to overturn the presidential election results. President-elect Joe Biden, who also traveled to the state on Monday, turned Trump's efforts to overturn the November election results into a rallying cry to drive Democrats to the polls on Tuesday. Only by winning both seats would Democrats control the Senate, giving Biden far better odds of pushing through his agenda. "In America, as our opposition friends are finding out, all power flows from the people," Biden said at an Atlanta rally, in a reference to Trump's efforts - unsuccessful so far - to force the courts or state officials to overturn the results. "Politicians cannot assert, seize or take power. Power is granted by the American people and we cannot give that up." Little about the first campaign clash of 2021 suggested a fresh political start for the new year. The president's nine-week effort to reverse the November vote, which he hopes will come to a head Wednesday when the House and Senate meet to accept those results, have become the biggest applause lines at Republican events in the state, popping up even when party leaders wanted to focus on issues closer to home. As a result, Republican strategists spent the final hours of the contest focused on pressuring Trump and his aides to script his Monday night appearance in the state in a way that does not further undermine their chances. "If he tells people not to vote," said one Republican involved in the race who requested anonymity to speak frankly, "that is a cataclysmic failure." Another strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for similar reasons, said there was broad concern that Trump would use his rally in the state to spread the same threats that he aired in a weekend phone call with Georgia Republican officials, in which he told them that "because of what you've done to the president, a lot of people aren't going out to vote." "It is a white-knuckle moment for Republicans all over the place," said the second strategist. "He wants attention more than he wants the win, and that could really screw us. So much of these elections are about momentum." Though Republicans had confidence they could shape what went into Trump's teleprompter when he spoke at night in Dalton, Ga., they said they had no idea what he would improvise and were worried about his mood. Democratic strategists, also, expected Trump to play a decisive role in the outcome. "All of the story is about their turnout," said J.B. Poersch, the president of the Senate Majority PAC, the largest outside group supporting Democrats in the state. "If they win it is because they had enough enthusiasm to go to the polls. And if they lose it is because there was a lot of ambivalence." Widely circulated false conspiracy theories have animated Republican crowds on the campaign trail in the closing days. At the final public rallies for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., her loudest applause came not when discussing her background in business, or the "radical liberal" agendas of the Democrats, but when discussing Republican challenges to the Nov. 3 vote. "We have to get to the bottom of these elections," Loeffler said at a Sunday night rally in Cherokee County, one of the Republican strongholds where the party is trying to boost turnout. "The Democrats will never look into this. That's what we're fighting for, integrity in this country." But she also was concerned that the focus on the last election could divide her own voters. She had refused as the runoff date neared to take a clear position on whether she would support Trump's efforts to get the Senate to refuse the electoral college result later this week, although late Monday she said she would support the president. Asked on Saturday about the challenge to the electoral college that Trump has backed, she offered a vague comment: "Everything is on the table," she said, before returning to a familiar line. "This president has fought for us," she said. "I'm fighting for him every day." The party's other candidate, David Perdue, whose Senate term lapsed on Sunday, leaving him on the sidelines for the electoral college fight in that chamber, has said he would support the effort to challenge the election result. "They stole the election. That's the truth. We've got tons of evidence," said Patty Smith, 61, who interrupted Pence during his event by shouting for him to "do the right thing on Jan. 6," when Congress will meet to accept the election results. Republicans have not submitted credible evidence of widespread fraud, but the sentiment was widespread enough that local Republican officials held the news conference to contest, point by point, the case Trump argued in a phone call over the weekend with state officials that the election result was wrong. "This is all easily, provably false," Gabriel Sterling, a Republican official who oversaw the voting systems in the state, said at the news conference. "Yet the president persists and by doing so undermines Georgians' faith in the electoral system, especially Republican Georgians, which is important because we have a big election coming up." When they could, both Perdue and Loeffler focused on a unified message that blanketed the state's airwaves: Only their election would save the nation from the socialist decline they said would result from victory for their rivals, filmmaker Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who both reject the "socialist" label. "The very future of our republic is on the line," Perdue said at the Pence rally, addressing the crowd by telephone because of a coronavirus exposure that has put him in quarantine. He said the result could set the country's course for "at least 50 to 100 years." The Democratic candidates spent the closing days of the race trying to refocus the campaign on more local concerns such as health care and job opportunities, even as they brought in star power from around the country to help seal the deal and continued to jab at Trump. A closing ad for Ossoff featured narration by former president Barack Obama and a musical appearance by John Legend. "When the president of the United States calls up Georgia election officials and tries to intimidate them to change the election results . . . that is a direct attack on our democracy," Ossoff said in Savannah on Sunday, at an event with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. "And if David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler had one piece of steel in their spine, one piece of integrity, they would be out defending Georgia voters from that assault." Warnock, speaking at a Monday afternoon rally in Clayton County, ridiculed Trump for his appeal to state election officials to reverse the presidential results - especially "in the middle of a pandemic" - but told his own supporters to "pay him no mind." "The only way this thing goes in the wrong direction is if we become overly confident and give in to the ghosts of complacency and indifference," Warnock said. "We lose only by the margin of our disengagement." Democrats, who have long considered themselves underdogs in the runoff contests, have been cheered by early vote numbers and clear signs in the state that many core Democratic constituencies, including suburban and urban voters, remained engaged. Public polling, which has been less prominent than during the presidential campaign, has generally shown a close race. Just about every available bit of television and radio airtime has been consumed by the four campaigns and their supporting outside groups, leading to barrage of messaging. But Democrats thought their advantage came via an aggressive voter registration effort, which continued after the presidential campaign, and a large get-out-the-vote operation that did not pause after Biden's victory. "Over the course of this campaign, it is clear that the structural advantages that we had, the sweat equity on the ground, has paid off," said Bradley Beychock, the president of American Bridge, which has spent about $9 million to elect the two Democrats. "A day out it is clear that this race is a toss-up, and we maybe have a slight advantage." The Republican candidates have been bedeviled by Trump's actions, even as the president remains one of their biggest assets. Both Perdue and Loeffler have said they support Trump's late call for $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans, a move that is also backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and opposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. But the debate over whether to approve larger checks for American workers gave their Democratic opponents an opportunity to seize on the issue, arguing that the best way to push through increased payments is by giving Democrats control of both chambers. "The debate over $2,000 isn't about some abstract debate in Washington. It's about real lives, your lives, the lives of good hard-working Americans," Biden said in Atlanta on Monday. "If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door." On other recent Trump maneuvers, the Republican candidates have been less clear, as they try to minimize divides in their own party. Besides brushing aside questions about Trump's efforts to overturn the electoral college results, Loeffler has declined to take a firm position on whether she would have voted to override Trump's veto of the defense authorization bill, after missing the vote in December. Even as Democrats have been bolstered by the high numbers of early voters, particularly in liberal-leaning areas where they have focused their efforts, many note that the gains come against a historical conservative lean of the state. "If you look at these numbers, you will see White and Black voters are voting at slightly higher rates," said Michael Thurmond, the chief executive of Dekalb County and the first African American in modern Georgia history to win a statewide election (labor commissioner) without first being appointed to an office. "But about 70 to 75% of White voters are Republicans, and Republicans vote in higher numbers on Election Day, so it's too early to draw any conclusions." Thurmond also said the historic nature of the pair of Senate runoffs has Democrats not wanting to celebrate too early. The national stakes of the races mean they have seen unprecedented attention and nearly half a billion dollars in campaign cash is expected to flow into Georgia during the two months of the runoffs. Georgia election officials, who have been beating back unfounded claims of fraud and malfeasance since the November election, say they're prepared to be in the spotlight once again after the runoffs. "All the counties in Georgia are in the spotlight right now, so we are all prepared for this as well as we can be," Richard Barron, Fulton County's elections director, said at a news conference Monday afternoon. Trump has attacked Fulton County, the most populous in Georgia, repeatedly since he lost the state two months ago - including in his weekend call to the secretary of state and others. Barron said his staff has had to endure a bomb threat, multiple death threats and racial slurs in the run-up to Tuesday's vote. "We're trying to take each of those things as they happen and just continue to do our jobs," Barron said. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the markets and an announcement of another national lockdown has thrown yet more uncertainty into the mix. The spread of coronavirus early last year wiped trillions of dollars off global stocks and March saw the FTSE plunge more than 10 per cent in its worst day since 1987. And as the virus crisis is still not yet under control, we could be in for another year of uncertainty for stock markets and investors. Here, we address the questions on every investor's mind... More to come? The spread of coronavirus early last year wiped trillions of dollars off global stocks and March saw the FTSE plunge more than 10 per cent in its worst day since 1987 What will a third lockdown mean? In the grand scheme of things, the latest lockdown will probably not mean that much for investments. 'Shares in London have been largely resilient amid fears that the third lockdown will cause another aftershock,' says Susannah Streeter from broker Hargreaves Lansdown. She says tighter restrictions had already been expected, with any change in value already 'priced in' for most companies. While sudden announcements can affect certain sectors - airline stocks dipped more than 5 per cent on news of tougher travel restrictions - the usual advice for investors is to ignore short-term noise. Even if you hold the likes of easyJet or IAG (the owner of British Airways), there's a tendency for these short-term movements to cancel themselves out. Will the FTSE dive again this year? As with all things investing, it's impossible to know for sure. But there are reasonably solid grounds to expect this year to be better than last. With Brexit done and the great vaccination effort under way, the FTSE has been freed from its two biggest uncertainties. The FTSE All Share, for example, has now recovered two-thirds of the losses it made during the big Covid crash of March 2020, suggesting most investors expect a brighter future. But savers should be careful about assuming the FTSE's performance is necessarily representative of the wider economy, or their portfolios. Rather than a measurement of Britain's economic muscle, the FTSE 100 is an index of the biggest companies listed in London - many of whom do much of their business abroad. How it performs will almost certainly have some impact on your portfolio. The FTSE All Share has now recovered two-thirds of the losses it made during the big Covid crash of March 2020, suggesting most investors expect a brighter future Should I invest worldwide? Tom Bailey, from the online platform Interactive Investor, says that British investors sometimes suffer from a 'home bias' - putting too much of their money into UK companies. While it can be tricky to buy foreign shares directly, it's easy for UK investors to opt for dedicated investment funds. The most popular fund bought by Hargreaves Lansdown's clients last year was Baillie Gifford's American Fund, which invests heavily in U.S. tech stocks. Other choices, such as Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund, look to spread investors' money across stock-markets worldwide. A sum of 10,000 invested five years ago would now be worth 23,600 (before fees). Is it time to snap up a bargain? Almost certainly, yes. But, of course, it's spotting them that's the difficult part. First, it's worth noting by some respected measures (which compare a company's profits to its share price), much of the UK stock-market is undervalued. Most investors expect that, if UK stocks do enjoy a Brexit bounce, or a post-Covid spending splurge, it will be the smaller companies of the FTSE 250 that benefit. The best thing is likely to look to a designated 'growth' fund. Franklin Templeton's UK Mid Cap fund picks smaller FTSE firms which it believes have potential. Holdings include housebuilder Redrow and kitchen supplier Howdens Joinery. How can I spot the best bets? Investors often have a tendency to beat themselves up about missing out on the last big thing. The shock of the coronavirus, and the rise of lockdowns, led to all sorts of companies rocketing in value in 2020. Shares in delivery champion Ocado, for example, doubled in value. While gambling company Flutter (owner of Paddy Power) gained 60 per cent. However, shares in video conferencing giant Zoom rocketed last year, but have since fallen sharply on vaccine news. An investment in Zoom at the October peak would now be worth 40 per cent less. A cautionary tale for speculators looking for quick wins. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared to push back against Mayor Bill de Blasio's calls Tuesday to ban all flights from the UK to the US during a Tuesday press conference. The governor called on the federal government to begin enforcing mandatory testing on all international passengers arriving in the US, like they are already doing with travelers from the UK, following the emergence of the 'mutant' strain of COVID-19 on Monday in upstate New York. Insisting the government 'doesn't need' to impose blanket travel bans, the comments came in a seeming rebuttal to a plea made by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier Tuesday, who called for all trans-Atlantic flights to be halted. 'Not a travel ban, just test all international travelers before entry,' Cuomo said. 'Tell the airlines you have to test them before they got on a plane. Or if you land in this country, tell them were not going to allow you in until you take a test.' De-Blasio had urged the Trump administration to 'stop the madness' and block all travel to and from the Britain to help stop any further spread of the new super-infectious UK variant of the virus. The first US case of the strand was reported in a remote nursing home in Colorado last week. It has since also been discovered elsewhere in the state, as well as in Florida and California, with at least 10 people infected. De Blasio said 'we all should be worried about [the new variant],', clarifying that it isn't more deadly, but it is more infectious. 'We need the federal government to step up here and ban all travel from the US to the UK,' he said. 'Its time to stop the half measures.' De Blasio then went on to incorrectly state: 'Right now you can still get on a plane in London and not even have proof you have a negative test, then come to New York City and merrily spread the disease. Why is that going on. Why?' As of December 28, the CDC actually requires all airline passengers arriving from Britain - including US citizens - to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure. Dailymail.com has contacted de Blasio's office for clarification on his comments. Scroll down for video Gov. Cuomo said later Tuesday that a travel ban wasn't needed, only mandatory testing for all international passengers before they arrive in the US De Blasio's plea came during his daily press conference from City Hall on Tuesday The UK's new variant of the virus is not more deadly but is around 50 percent more infectious. This chart from different regions from the UK shows how much more infectious the new super-COVID strain is in comparison to other virus variants De Blasio urged the White House to 'shut down the danger now' and stop all travel to and from the UK (Pictured: British travelers shown waiting to board flights at Heathrow Airport on Jan. 2) During his press conference, de Blasio referred to the lack of a ban on travel to and from the UK as 'madness'. He called on the federal government to implement a ban 'right now', insisting such a measure would 'buy New York City time' to get vaccinations done and properly protect residents. But if we dont have a total ban, then we are literally inviting this horrible variant in the door even more and that makes no sense, de Blasio said. 'The inconvenience [the ban] poses to travelers pales in comparison to the danger this variant poses to all of us.' The Empire State has become the fourth in the nation to detect the 'mutant' variant of the virus that began ravaging across the UK towards the end of last year, causing cases to surge and forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce a third nationwide lockdown Monday. Cuomo identified the New York patient Monday as a male jewelry store worker in Saratoga Springs, who is in his 60s. The man did have COVID-19 symptoms but is 'on the mend.' Three other people linked to the jewelry store have also since tested positive for COVID-19, but Cuomo said its unknown if they have the variant. Much like the first US case of the variant in Colorado, the man had no recent travel history, suggesting a community spread. The CDC believes the strain first emerged in Britain in September and said last week it suspects it has been circulating in the US for some time. The strain is thought to be up to 50 percent more transmissible but not more deadly. It's now reported in the UK that around one of every 50 residents - or roughly one million people - now has the coronavirus. In light of the surge, as of December 28, the CDC began requiring all airline passengers arriving from Britain - including U.S. citizens - to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure. Unless a dual-citizen or travelling for essential purposes, the majority of Brits are currently banned from entering the US. The UK is also currently grappling with a second mutant strain of the virus, said to originate from South Africa, which experts fear may be resistant to vaccines and potentially more deadly. That strain has not yet been detected in the US, and de Blasio made no reference to it during his Monday conference. Cuomo, meanwhile, has called on the White House to require all international passengers arriving in the US to provide negative COVID-19 tests before traveling. Insisting that government leaders are supposed to be 'competent' during his own briefing Tuesday, Cuomo asked: 'Why do we not have mandatory testing of everyone flying into this country. I mean why not?' Cuomo added that the USA doesn't need to introduce a complete travel ban, in an apparent allusion to de Blasio's comments, 'just mandatory testing'. 'Just test all international travelers before entry,' he said. 'Tell the airlines you have to test them before they got on a plane. Or if you land in this country, tell them were not going to allow you in until you take a test.' His comments seemed to mark a significant departure from remarks he made in a December press briefing, in which he stated it was 'reprehensible' that the US hadn't yet enacted a total ban on UK air travel. 'We have about six flights a day coming in from the UK [to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York] and we have done absolutely nothing,' he said at the time. 'Doing nothing is negligent. It's grossly negligent.' The super-contagious mutant strain of COVID-19 that has forced the UK into its third lockdown has already been detected in the US. Ten people spread across New York, California, Colorado and Florida have been confirmed to have the variant of the virus UK health authorities have recorded more than 50,000 new infections daily since passing that milestone for the first time on December 29 WHAT ARE THE CURRENT REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS TO THE US? With specific exceptions for essential travel purposes, foreign nationals who have been residing in China, Iran, the UK, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, and most European countries for the past 14 days are banned from entering the United States. The European countries exempt include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. US citizens or residency holders are permitted to return, though may be required to quarantine for 14 days. As of December 28, travelers to the US from the UK - including US citizens - must provide a negative test 72 before departure. A blanket requirement for negative testing is not yet in place for all international travel. The CDC recommends against traveling internationally during the pandemic. Those who do are urged to get tested 1-3 days both before they leave, and 1-3 days prior to their return. The CDC also advises air passengers to check its website for any specific pre-travel requirements relative to their destination/where they're arriving from. Advertisement Cuomo Tuesday went on to lament the fact that 140 countries either banned travel to and from the UK, or introduced mandatory negative tests prior to departure, 'before the USA acted'. 'New York State acted before the USA,' Cuomo bragged. 'I called the airlines and said I want New York to be added to that list of 140 countries, and they added it.' The Governor continued by saying what he finds 'really infuriating' is that 'this is what happened to us last spring.' 'The virus left China, it went on to Europe, it was in Italy, it went to the UK and people got on a plane and came to New York,' he said. 'That's why New York had an explosion in cases.' 'Now there's a second strain and it came from the UK again,' he continued, raising his voice. 'Again the USA did absolutely nothing. If the USA won't act then New York State will act,' he said. Cuomo added that with the virus being so much more transmissible, here's fearful hospitalizations could skyrocket without immediate action. 'Even if the lethality doesn't go up, the fact that it is so much more transmittable is a very real problem,' he said. 'Apparently the UK strain can actually overtake the original COVID strain in a matter of weeks. That's how quickly it can transmit.' 'It dramatically increases our challenge and we have to be aware of it,' he said. Cuomo continued that he wouldn't let the federal government turn New York into a 'petri dish' for the new variant, by allowing the virus to land in the state's airports unchecked. Yesterday, a group of US airlines penned a letter to the White House also backing calls to implement a global testing program requiring negative tests before most international air passengers return to the US. The letter was authored by Airlines for America (A4A), a trade group that represents most US airlines including international giants American, United and Delta, in which they also called on the officials to reopen borders to Britain, Europe and Brazil 'as soon as possible'. The group said the entry restrictions should be removed concurrently with the testing program, which will provide yet another layer of safety in the travel journey. We believe a well-planned program focused on increasing testing of travelers to the United States will further these objectives in a much more effective way than the blanket travel restrictions currently in place, the airlines wrote. Within hours of the letter's emergence, Boris Johnson announced Britain would be locking until at least mid-February. As a result, British officials have put a halt to all non-essential travel, including international air travel. Within the UK, domestic holidays are also banned. The UK Government stressed that Britons currently abroad do not need to rush back to the UK. But ministers are poised to require a negative COVID-19 test for all UK arrivals to curb the spread of the disease. Insisting that government leaders are supposed to be 'competent' during his own briefing Tuesday, Cuomo asked: 'Why do we not have mandatory testing of everyone flying into this country. I mean why not?' The UK is also currently grappling with a second mutant strain of the virus, said to originate from South Africa, which experts fear may be resistant to vaccines and potentially more deadly The South African strain has not yet been detected in the US, and de Blasio made no reference to it during his Monday conference De Blasio Tuesday also announced that up to 160 vaccination sites will be set up across the five boroughs of New York City by the end of the week. New 24-hour 'mass vaccination' sites will also open across the Big Apple within 'a few days', the mayor pledged. Nationwide, the vaccine roll out has been hampered by a number of logistical hurdles, confusion over who can currently get a shot and a slowdown of jabs over the holiday season. Data published by the CDC on Tuesday indicated that around 4.5 million people have so far received their first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines in the US, which is well short of President Trump's goal of 20 million by December's end. While frustration over the disappointing national roll-out out continues, disputes have emerged on a local level too - not least in New York. During their respective Monday conferences, de Blasio and Cuomo exchanged a war of words regarding vaccine distribution and administration. Come as the first time in sometime that the pair have been at odds over an issue, the feud was ignited when a spokesperson for the mayor accused Cuomo of 'tough guy antics'. De Blasio then called the governor arrogant. The Mayor's comments came in response to Cuomo's threat earlier in the day to fine hospitals up to $100,000 if they fail to use their current vaccine inventories by the end of the week. Cuomo also said hospitals would have to use their inventories within seven days of receipt from now on in, adding they could be disqualified from the program if they fail to do so. The Governor said around 46 percent of hospitals statewide are yet to use their full vaccine allocations, blaming poor hospital management for the disappointing return. De Blasio appeared to take offense at the criticism leveled towards the city's public health system, calling on Cuomo to 'respect and trust our health care professionals'. Hizzoner doubled down on the backlash Tuesday, kicking off his press conference with a lengthy tribute to 'our healthcare heroes'. 'This is a moment for cooperation. This is a moment for trust. This is a moment for partnership. What we need is the freedom to vaccinate,' he said. 'We need to listen to our healthcare leaders and our healthcare workers who are saying, 'Give us the flexibility to vaccinate more and more people. Let us have the ability to do our jobs the right way.' Give them the freedom to vaccinate and they will vaccinate.' De Blasio continued: 'What they don't need is to be shamed, what they don't need is more bureaucracy, what they don't need is the threat of fines. 'If the state of New York says, 'Well, you get $1 million fine if you move too quickly and you get a $100,000 fine if you move too slowly,' that doesn't get anyone anywhere. That just paralyzes people.' Around 110,000 people in New York City have been vaccinated since inoculations began, but de Blasio is tipping immunizations to speed up in the weeks ahead. The mayor called on the federal government to keep the supply chain steady and efficient, and blamed the governor for not expanding the option to more groups earlier. President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Republican senators to join their colleagues in the effort to overturn Joe Biden's election victory He targeted Senator Mike Lee, announcing he's 'angry' at the Utah Republican at a campaign rally in Georgia on Monday night 'Mike Lee is here, but I'm a little angry at him,' Trump said His comments came after Lee announced he didn't support objecting to the election results - a move being pushed by some GOP lawmakers Meanwhile, Senator Kelly Loeffler announced that she will object She addressed the cheering crowd as a beaming Trump stood behind her 'This president fought for us, we're fighting for him,' Loeffler said Congress meets in a joint session at 1 p.m. on Wednesday to certify President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Republican senators to join their colleagues in the effort to overturn Joe Biden's election victory. And he's doing it publicly and bluntly. ADVERTISEMENT Trump targeted Senator Mike Lee on Monday night, announcing he's 'angry' at the Utah Republican at a campaign rally in Georgia for the two Senate candidates in that state. 'Mike Lee is here, but I'm a little angry at him,' Trump said at the event. His comments came after Lee announced he didn't support objecting to the election results when Congress meets on Wednesday to certify them. Lee's Republican colleagues, Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, are leading the objection charge in the upper chamber. President Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Republican senators to over turn the election results, targeting Senator Mike Lee with the announcement he's 'angry' at the Utah Republican at a campaign rally in Georgia on Monday night Senator Mike Lee sent a letter to his Republican colleagues in the Senate explaining why he doesn't support the plan to objection to states' results when Congress meets Wednesday to certify them Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri But Lee sent a letter to his Republican Senate colleagues explaining his lack of support in challenging the election results. President-elect Joe Biden won the electoral college with 306 votes to Trump's 232. 'With respect to presidential elections, there is no authority for Congress to make value judgments in the abstract regarding any state's election laws or the manner in which they have been implemented,' Lee wrote. But other senators are joining the effort, including Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, who is on the ballot in Tuesday's special election in that state. Trump, who held a rally for her and fellow Republican Senator David Perdue, also on the ballot, Monday night, praised the two for supporting the objection effort. 'Pleased to announce that @KLoeffler & @sendavidperdue have just joined our great #StopTheSteal group of Senators. They will fight the ridiculous Electoral College Certification of Biden. How do you certify numbers that have now proven to be wrong and, in many cases, fraudulent!,' the president tweeted on Tuesday morning along with an encouragement for Georgians to vote for them. ADVERTISEMENT There is one problem, however. Perdue is no longer a sitting senator. His term expired January 3 and the winner of Tuesday's contest will be take that Senate seat so he is not eligible to participate in Wednesday's certification process. Loeffler, in contrast, was appointed to fill a vacant seat so she will hold it until the results of the special election are certified. When Congress meets in a joint session at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Trump's allies in the House are looking to object to the results from six states: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada. But senators are looking at only joining in the objections for three or four, Politico reported, primarily Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Both a senator and a congressman must object for it to be considered. It's unclear how long the process to certify the electoral college results will take. Each state's tally is read in alphabetical order and any objection must be raised at the time. Then lawmakers head to their respective chambers for two hours of debate before a final vote on the objection. If multiple states garner objections, the process will go into Thursday. However, the senators werent excited about debating past midnight, Politico reported, in a sign the effort may lose steam if none of the objections are sustained. And the odds of that happening are slim. For a state's results to be dismissed, majorities of both chambers have to vote to sustain the objection. If one chamber votes to toss the state's votes and the other doesn't, the objection is dismissed. ADVERTISEMENT The Democratically-controlled House is unlikely to support sustaining an objection, meaning the states' results will stand and Biden will ultimately be declared the winner. Additionally, the Republican-controlled Senate isn't likely to vote in favor of an objection, either. The GOP has a slim margin in the upper chamber and a number of Republican senators have voiced their objections to the objection process. The low down on how Congress certifies the Electoral College vote At 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Senators and Representatives will gather in the House chamber for a Joint Session of Congress to count and certify the electoral college ballots. Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump by 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232. But the constitution calls for Congress to certify the results, in a process that has become largely procedural. It is very difficult to over turn an election and it has never happened in American history. Republicans, however, have vowed to object to the electoral college results, dragging out the certification process and putting on a grand display of theater that will likely please the president. Here's how the day will play out: The process is presided over by the president of the Senate, which is Vice President Mike Pence. Pence will open the states' sealed certificates in alphabetical order and hand them them to one of four 'tellers' a Republican and a Democrat from each chamber of Congress - who will announce how each state voted. As each state's result is read, Pence will ask whether any member of Congress wishes to raise an objection. At least one member of the House and one member of the Senate must object for the objection to stand. The law also states the objection must be in writing. If the objection is recognized, the lawmakers go to their respective chambers to debate the matter for up to two hours. Then the House and Senate each votes on whether to sustain the objection - which would dismiss the state's votes - or reject the objection. For a state's results to be dismissed, majorities of both chambers have to vote to sustain the objection. If one chamber votes to sustain the objection and the other doesn't, the objection is dismissed and the state's electoral college results stand. The Democratically-controlled House is unlikely to support sustaining an objection, meaning the states' results will stand and Biden will ultimately be declared the winner. Additionally, the Republican-controlled Senate isn't likely to vote in favor of an objection, either. The GOP has a slim margin in the upper chamber and a number of Republican senators have voiced their objections to the objection process. After the objection is voted on by each chamber, the joint session reconvenes and continues with the count. If there's another objection to a different state's vote, the process is repeated. President Trump's allies are looking at challenging three states: Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, which could go into the early morning hours of Thursday. 'At the end of the day, which could be the middle of the night, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be officially declared the next President and Vice President of the United States,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Democratic House members on Monday. After the votes are recorded from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the vice president declares who has received the requisite majority of electoral college votes. That announcement finalizes the election. WHAT IF THE OBJECTIONS ARE SUSTAINED? If, by some remote chance, an objection is sustained, Trump and his allies hope that will result in the electors being thrown out, ultimately bringing Biden's electoral count below the 270 needed to win. If all three state challenges are successful, Biden would have 259 electoral votes, throwing the election to the House of Representatives to select the next president. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, each state congressional delegation gets one vote. While Democrats control the House, Republicans control the majority of state delegations, which is how Trump hopes to be 'elected.' Sources: NBC News, Washington Post, New York Times 'At the end of the day, which could be the middle of the night, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be officially declared the next President and Vice President of the United States,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Democratic House members on Monday. Meanwhile, Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler is the latest Republican vowing to object to Biden's victory, a major political gambit on the eve of her runoff election. She joins at least a dozen Republican senators now involved in the process. Loeffler, who is facing a tight run-off on Tuesday, announced her intentions during a campaign event on Monday night, where she appeared on stage alongside President Trump. 'On January 6 I will object to the Electoral College vote,' the senator said, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the crowd. 'This president fought for us, we're fighting for him. He put America first, he put the American worker first. He stood with our men and women in law enforcement. He restored our military.' Loeffler, who wore a mask during parts of the event but not others, then turned her attention to her 'radical liberal' challenger in tomorrow's election, Democrat Raphael Warnock. 'He attacked our police, our military. He spoke out against Israel, evangelicals, small businesses,' she said of Warnock. 'Georgia, we have to hold the line. You have to get out and vote tomorrow. We are the firewall to socialism. We have to get it done. I love you guys, thank you!' Senator Kelly Loeffler announced that she will object to Joe Biden's victory during a campaign event alongside President Donald Trump on Monday night Loeffler was pictured wearing a mask at some points during the event, but took it off while she was on stage Click here to resize this module Loeffler first signaled her intention to object to the Electoral College results on Fox News on Monday evening, saying: 'The American people deserve a platform in Congress, permitted under the Constitution, to have election issues presented so that they can be addressed. 'That's why, on January 6th, I will vote to give President Trump and the American people the fair hearing they deserve and support the objection to the Electoral College certification process.' Loeffler is set to object to the results of the count in Georgia, though she may also contest the results in other states. 'We must restore trust, confidence and integrity in our election system,' she said. Loeffler had previously refused to say if she would join the rogue senators' efforts to overturn Biden's win. 'I've said from the start, everything is on the table here, and I'm seriously looking at that,' she said Sunday. But she apparently changed her mind ahead of Trump showing his support for her on Monday night. Loeffler will be in a position to contest the presidential election results regardless of whether she defeats Warnock, as they are set to be certified before she would have to depart the Senate if the Democrat should win. Georgia is set to head to the polls in two runoffs on Tuesday, with Loeffler and Warnock competing in one and Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue competing in the others. Control of the Senate rests in the hands of the runoffs, with a 50-50 split of the body a possibility if Ossoff and Warnock are both victorious. Trump's Dirty Dozen Senator Josh Hawley - Missouri - has already said he will object The Cruz faction Senator Ted Cruz - Texas Senator Ron Johnson - Wisconsin Senator James Lankford - Oklahoma Senator Steve Daines - Montana Senator John Kennedy - Louisiana Senator Marsha Blackburn - Tennessee Senator Mike Braun - Indiana Senator-elect Cynthia Lummis - Wyoming Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville - Alabama Senator-elect Bill Hagerty - Tennessee Senator-elect Roger Marshall - Kansas *Senators-elect will be sworn in as senators on Sunday January 3, and will be eligible to vote on January 6 Ties in Senate votes are broken by the Vice President, who will be Kamala Harris so long as the election results are certified. Hawley was the first to confirm he would object to the certification of the election results. Since then, Cruz has jumped on board, bringing a number of senators with him and further dividing the Republican Party. Cruz was joined by Senators Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, along with Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall, all of whom will be sworn in as senators on Sunday in the new Congress. Loeffler is not set to join Cruz's faction of dissenters, instead going out to contest the election on her own grounds. Fox News also reports that at least 100 GOP members of the House of Representatives will be objecting to the results in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada. Loeffler's decision to contest the results in Georgia come on the heels of the latest scandal involving the aftermath of the presidential election in that state. This weekend, the Washington Post released audio revealing President Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to 'find' votes to increase his total by 11,000 in the state. 'All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,' Trump said during the call. 'Because we won the state.' Raffensperger and his lawyer repeatedly pushed back against Trump's claims during the call. Trump reportedly tried to talk to Raffensperger on at least 18 other occasions prior to the call on Saturday. Georgia has certified the presidential election results in the state, drawing Trump's ire against both Raffensperger and Governor Brian Kemp. In addition to Loeffler's stance, her de facto running mate Perdue revealed support of the plan to contest the election results, although his term in the Senate technically ended over the weekend, leaving him without an ability to join the faction. Perdue tweeted on Monday night, 'I urge my colleagues to object. I stand with @realDonaldTrump. #GASen #gapol.' Senatory Hawley of Missouri (above) was the first to defy McConnell by announcing he would join House Republicans in objecting to the state tallies on January 6 Senator Ron Johnson Senator James Lankford Senator Steve Daines Senator John Kennedy Senator Marsha Blackburn Senator Mike Braun Cynthia Lummis Tommy Tuberville Bill Hagerty Roger Marshall Cruz and his faction are asking for an emergency 10-day audit of the election results by a commission. While the list of those planning to object to the results seems to grow by the day, there is very little chance they will affect the outcome of the election. For objections to succeed, they need support from both chambers of Congress, a near-impossibility with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives. According to FiveThirtyEight, Loeffler has aligned with Trump on nearly every piece of legislation during her Senate term, only disagreeing on the National Defense Authorization Act last month. ADVERTISEMENT This week, she also came out in support of Trump's hope of getting $2,000 stimulus payments to the American people according to Politico. Egypt's health minister announced on Monday that non-hospitalised coronavirus patients across the country will be monitored at home starting Wednesday even if they were not initially diagnosed by the ministry's system. In a press conference, Minister of Health Hala Zayed said that while non-hospitalized cases had previously been only contacted via phone, the new initiative aims to guarantee that cases in self-isolation which deteriorate do not reach hospitals in critical condition. Minister Zayed explained that under the countrys coronavirus treatment protocol, patients with mild and moderate COVID-19 symptoms are treated at home to free up beds for critical cases at state-run isolation hospitals. The new strategy will be applied to all cases quarantined at home, even if they are not registered among the health ministrys official tallies, according to Minister Zayed. Zayed said the decision was made since many coronavirus patients who display mild symptoms do not seek PCR testing at the health ministry's laboratories, which is responsible for recording infections, and choose to be monitored by private physicians. The number of home-treated cases, therefore, do not get included in the ministrys official tallies, Zayed explained. She noted that the registered cases of coronavirus do not represent the real numbers on the ground throughout the world. This always happens in pandemics the USA itself said the numbers of coronavirus infections on the ground are six to 24 times higher than the registered numbers, she stressed. The new initiative will be implemented gradually as of Wednesday via the the 100 Million Health Programme, an Egyptian presidential plan that began in 2018 to screen Egyptians for non-communicable and chronic diseases through mobile health units countrywide. According to Zayed, the 100 Million Health Programmes staff will follow up on the condition of all self-isolating coronavirus patients in all neighbourhoods nationwide and measure their oxygen saturation level, which is negatively affected by COVID-19. Patients who are susceptible to deterioration will be given pulse oximeter devices so they can measure the level of oxygen in their blood themselves periodically. If their readings record a rate lower than 90 percent, they will be transferred to the hospital. The initiative will cover 100 percent of non-hospitalised cases within two weeks, the minister said. The minister also explained that the state has an electronic network by which it can easily identify the occupancy and ventilator use rates, as well as oxygen supply at each hospital in every Egyptian governorate. The system allows the ministry to determine whether hospitals have enough beds to receive more critical cases, she explained. Zayed added that the daily coronavirus infections toll recorded in Egypt has continued to decline for the fourth day in a row, with 1,277 new people testing positive for the virus on Monday. The daily infection toll has been on a downward curve since this weekend, with 1,409 infections recorded on Friday, 1,407 on Saturday, and 1,309 on Sunday. Since the last week of December, the country has been facing a second wave of the virus, with daily tolls above the 1,000-case threshold. On Thursday, the country recorded the biggest-one day increase in almost five months, with 1,418 cases. Short link: Republican lawmakers who are orchestrating an unprecedented attempt to overturn Joe Bidens election win over President Donald Trump have not settled on a full strategy ahead of Wednesdays joint session of Congress to confirm the Electoral College vote. With mounting desperation, Trump declared at a campaign rally in Georgia Monday that he would fight like hell to hold on to the presidency and he appealed to Republican lawmakers to reverse his election loss. But those Republicans leading the longshot effort in Congress are still deciding the details of their strategy. A late-night meeting convened by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reached few conclusions, according to two Republicans familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. Cruz will object to electoral results from Arizona, another Republican said. Thats likely to be the first objection considered, in a state Biden won. Trumps attempt to enlist his allies to overturn Bidens 306-232 election win is unlike anything ever attempted in modern times, and it is all but certain to fail. Biden is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20. Still, the days ahead will be defining for his presidency. Trump is whipping up crowds and people are gathering in Washington, where security is on alert. Lawmakers are being told to arrive early at the Capitol and some are considering sleeping overnight in their offices to ensure they can safely access the building. Trump, at the evening rally in Georgia for two GOP senators in runoff elections vowed the electors voting for Biden are not gonna take this White House! Trumps repeated claims of voter fraud have been roundly rejected by Republican and Democratic election officials in state after state and judges, including justices on the Supreme Court. Trumps former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. Vice President Mike Pence will be closely watched as he presides over the session. He is under growing pressure from Trump and others to tip the results in Trumps favor. But Pence has a ceremonial role that does not give him the power to affect the outcome. I promise you this: On Wednesday, well have our day in Congress, Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesdays runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. Trump said in Georgia: I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Hes a great guy. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him quite as much. He added, No, Mike is a great guy. One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesdays runoff Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Bidens win. The other Republican seeking reelection, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. The attempt to overturn the presidential election is splitting the Republican Party. Those leading the congressional effort to keep Trump in office are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans faith in democracy. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Cruz are helming the challenge, along with rank-and-file House members, some on the partys fringe. Under the rules of the joint session, any objection to a states electoral tally needs to be raised by at least one member of the House and one from the Senate to be considered. House Republican lawmakers are signing on to objections to the electoral votes in six states Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a top Trump ally and the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, is among those leading that effort. The day begins with an alphabetical reading of the state results. Cruzs objection to Arizona will likely be the first to be heard. And Hawley has said he will object to the election results from Pennsylvania, almost ensuring a debate over that state. But its unclear if any of the other senators will object to any other states. Cruzs coalition has said it will vote to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. Congress is unlikely to agree to that. That remains his focus, one of the Republicans said, not setting aside the election results. Loeffler may join House Republicans in objecting to Georgia, but has not said so publicly. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tried to prevent his party from engaging in this battle, which could help define the GOP in the post-Trump era. Both Hawley and Cruz are potential 2024 presidential contenders, vying for Trumps base of supporters. More current and former GOP officials rebuked the effort to upend the election. A range of Republican officials including Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the giant lobbying organization and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, said the electoral vote challenge undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation. The 2020 election is over, said a statement Sunday from a bipartisan group of 10 senators, including Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah. All travellers flying into Ireland will soon be required to produce a negative Covid-19 test on arrival. The new rules will require anyone flying into Ireland to produce a negative PCR test result received within three days before arrival. The move comes against a backdrop of increasing coronavirus cases in Ireland. Read More The ban on flights and passenger ferries from Britain and South Africa will also be extended until midnight on Friday. From Saturday anyone travelling to Ireland from Britain or South Africa will be required to produce a negative laboratory test received within three days before travel. They will also be required to restrict their movements for 14 days on arrival. A date has not been yet set for when all travellers flying into Ireland will be required to produce negative test results on arrival. Meanwhile, only essential construction projects and refurbishments are to be permitted until the end of the month under new coronavirus restrictions to be discussed by Cabinet. Around 50,000 construction workers will have to down tools for the month under the Governments new restrictions. The majority of private construction developments are to be halted until the end to the month as part of a plan to stop the rapid spread of Covid-19. However, essential construction developments such as social housing or schools projects will permitted. Shops will also be told to stop offering click and collect services and will instead be asked to offer only click and delivery. The Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 agreed the measure while also signing off on closing secondary and primary schools until the end of the month. However, the Cabinet will discuss ways to ensure students who attend special schools are not disadvantaged by the new lockdown restrictions. Measures are also being examined to ensure Leaving Cert students are not negatively impacted. Education Minister Norma Foley is examining how to allow Leaving Cert students attend classes during the lockdown It comes as another 5,325 new cases of Covid-19 and 17 further deaths of people who contracted the virus confirmed by the Department of Health this evening. This brings the total number of cases in the State to 113,322 while the number of people who have died with the virus in Ireland has risen to 2,282. A variant of the coronavirus originating in England has been found in 25pc of recent positive cases in Ireland, the Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 has been told. The new variant, which emerged in England before Christmas, resulted in the Government banning all flights from Britain. There have been a further 1,931 new cases confirmed in Dublin, 767 in Cork, 323 in Kildare, 322 in Limerick, 238 in Donegal and the remaining 1,744 cases are spread across all other counties. As of 2pm today, there were 840 Covid-19 patients hospitalised, of which 76 are in ICU. 102 people have been hospitalised in the past 24 hours with Covid-19. Of the cases notified today, 2,550 are men and 2,769 are women while 63pc are under 45 years of age and the median age is 36 years old. Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; We are now experiencing a considerable surge in cases and hospitalisations. We can turn this around quickly if we stick to the measures we know worked last spring. Dr Holohan said there has been some early progress in fighting the latest wave as the average number of contacts per case has been dropping in recent days. The CMO warned this progress needed to be continued to limit as much as we can our contact with other people in the days and weeks ahead. If we all stay home and keep to the public health advice, we can bring Covid-19 back under control - which ultimately will protect our essential services such as Health and Education and most importantly save lives. Taoiseach Micheal Martin also said the new variant is one of the reasons the Government was forced re-impose restrictions during the Christmas period. However, the chair of Nphets Expert Advisory Group Dr Cillian de Gascun contradicted the Taoiseachs claim. On Twitter, Dr de Gascun said the variant is not responsible for the recent significant and concerning increase in new Covid cases in Ireland. He said the variant was only in 10pc of samples tested. Dr de Gascun noted his conclusion was from a small sample of 160 cases. However, he was criticised by the President of the Royal College of Physicians Ireland Mary Horgan who said the sample side was too small to make a conclusion. At todays Cabinet committee meeting party leaders and ministers were told the latest figures show 25pc of new cases are a results of the variant. The committee are meeting today to assess the deterioration of the profile of the virus as case numbers, hospitalisations and ICU admissions continue to surge. Dr Tony Holohan yesterday predicted that mortality will also be "significantly impacted" by the continued spread of the virus. It is under consideration by cabinet that schools may be asked to remain closed until the end of January, with the exception of special education schools, to stem the movement of people. The five 5km travel limit is expected to remain in place after Wednesday. An announcement on schools and possible further closures is expected tomorrow. Elsewhere, Northern Ireland's Department of Health confirmed another 18 deaths and 1,378 cases today. Read More Online Editors A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. 2020 was an important milestone in ASEANs development with the prominent role of Vietnam as chair. Once again, Vietnams imprint has been solidified upon the past 50 years in the development of ASEAN, from the very theme Cohesive and Responsive for ASEAN Vietnam 2020, to the way the host proposed priorities, ideas, initiatives, and organised online meetings. The meeting took place alongside several special sessions such as the ASEAN Leaders Special Session on Womens Empowerment in the Digital Age; ASEAN Leaders Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA); and in particular, many important ASEAN documents were also signed online for the first time. Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 was crowned a success, once again affirming the solidarity, strong political will and high determination of Vietnam and ASEAN member countries to overcome difficulties and challenges to move towards a better future. The 36th ASEAN Summit was held online in Hanoi on June 26 under the chairship of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc with international delegates at the opening ceremony After the opening ceremony, the plenary session of the 36th ASEAN Summit; the ASEAN Leader's Special Session on Women's Empowerment in the Digital Age; the ASEAN Leaders' Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) respectively took place. Following the success of the 36th ASEAN Summit, the 37th ASEAN Summit opened online in Hanoi on November 12 with the participation of senior leaders and representatives of international organisations in Hanoi. Speaking at the meeting, Party General Secretary and State President Trong said in 2020, ASEAN member countries have shown their will, resolve and made efforts to overcome a range of difficulties and challenges. As ASEAN 2020 Chair, Vietnam treasured the solidarity and valuable support of other member countries, ASEANs partners and friends to help the grouping firmly overcome challenges, maintain connectivity, build the ASEAN community and consolidate the blocs centrality, thus building a Southeast Asian region of peace, friendship, cooperation, neutrality and stability. This was the last meeting of ASEAN in 2020. At the meeting, the leaders adopted, acknowledged and issued more than 80 documents, the largest number ever. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and senior leaders witnessed the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement. Vietnam concluded its role as ASEAN chair for 2020 and transferred the chairpersonship hammer to Brunei. PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) handed over the ASEAN chairpersonship hammer to Brunei's Ambassador to Vietnam. Vietnam's efforts and leading role in 2020 have been acknowledged and highly appreciated by ASEAN countries and partners, demonstrating Vietnam's increasingly elevated international position. International delegates in Vietnam attended a special session of ASEAN leaders. Tran Hai-Duy Linh (Nhan Dan) Vietnam successfully escorts ASEAN through a tough year Vietnams ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020 has officially concluded, with the country successfully leading the association through a challenging year and continuing to promote its role in the region and seize new opportunities. M ichael Gove has hinted that the third lockdown might not be eased until March. The Cabinet Office minister said he could not give a firm date for when the Government would be able to lift restrictions and that any relaxation would depend on ensuring the most vulnerable were vaccinated. Boris Johnson said on Monday that he hoped England could steadily move out of lockdown - the strictest blanket restrictions imposed since the start of the outbreak in March - from mid-February. Mr Gove told Sky News: Its important to stress that we want to progressively lift restrictions, but what we need to do is to make sure as many people as possible especially the vulnerable first are vaccinated. "We will be able to review the progress weve made on the 15th of February, just before the traditional school half term. And we hope that we will be able to progressively lift restrictions after that. But what I cant do is predict nobody can predict with accuracy exactly what we will be able to relax and when." Mr Gove said that the more effective the vaccination programme is, the easier it will be to lift restrictions, but that ministers cannot predict with certainty whether measures could start to be eased from mid-February. He said: We will keep these constantly under review but you are absolutely right we cant predict with certainty that we will be able to lift restrictions in the week commencing February 15-22. What we will be doing is everything that we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated, so that we can begin to progressively lift restrictions." He added: I think it is right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all. Boris Johnson announces new lockdown: Round Up Asked if the country would be in lockdown conditions until at least March, he replied: Youre quite right to say it takes some time immediately after the vaccination for people to get the benefit of full immunity. We will keep these constantly under review. But you are absolutely right we cant predict with certainty that we will be able to lift restrictions in the week commencing the 15th or 22nd. What we will be doing is everything we can to make sure that as many people as possible are vaccinated so that we can begin progressively to lift restrictions." He said the NHS was working 24/7 to ensure 13 million people are vaccinated by the middle of February. In a televised address on Monday, Mr Johnson told people to stay at home as he warned hospitals are under more pressure from Covid-19 than they have ever been. Cyclists pass through an almost-deserted Bank junction in the heart of the City of London / PA All schools and colleges in England will be closed until after the February half-term, except for children of key workers and the vulnerable. However, early years settings such as nurseries, alternative provision and special schools will remain open. People will be required to stay at home except in specific circumstances, including for food shopping, caregiving, medical care, exercise, and fleeing violence. The Prime Minister also said everyone should work from home unless it is impossible to do so, for example those in construction or key workers. Mr Gove told Sky News that just over a million people have been given a coronavirus vaccine in the UK. He urged people to stay at home and follow the guidance as he warned the UK is facing a race against time. This virus is gathering at speed, its affecting more and more of us, he said. "Our hospitals are facing unprecedented pressure. In Congress, the last stand on January 6 is VP Mike Pence for the Electoral College Count. He will determine the future of a truly free America or twisted socialism without Trump. According to Pence, on January 6, President Donald Trump and the GOP will show that it's their day in Congress. The VP said that the last election is the most fraud-ridden, and no one believes it. On Wednesday, he promises that Congress will hear what people want. The Democrats will double down and reject the truth that Joe Biden did not win fairly. The evidence will be out, and it will be Georgia's day as well. He was at a rally in Rock Springs Church in Milner, Georgia, reported NTD. He is campaigning for Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.); both need to win to be GOP majority. They will figure in the electoral challenge, which is crucial. Another is a GOP majority will give Biden a foil to counter an Oval Office under him. Their victory on January 5 will be a GOP victory too. Not only is Pence the vice president and also the president of the Senate. Democrats will aim and twist facts to prevent him from reversing the electoral vote for the controversial ex-VP. He will read all the votes from 50 states in the Joint Session. Several certified results like Georgia is marred by fraud, which is open to challenge by VP Mike Pence Electoral College Count powers granted by the 1887 Constitution. Related article: Audit Reports High Error Rate That Should Be Accounted for Dominion's Adjudication Even before the joint session, many experts aligned with Biden say that Pence can only count the votes; they are muddling the event. But others have acknowledged he has the exclusive right to choose what elector slate to count. Democrats are going all out to block the victory of Trump's opponent. A bid to keep Pence from changing the outcome is the lawsuit by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) to keep a provision in the 1887 Electoral Count Act from getting exercise; it was rejected. It gives a clear mandate to cancel electors who have illegally won votes for Biden to be struck out. It is an attack on the Constitution's 12th Amendment that has protected the United States from illegitimate presidents from getting elected. A Chief of staff mentioned the vice president accepts the lawmaker's efforts to stop Biden on January 6 in Congress, saying that Americans' concerns that the 2020 election was stolen and full of voter fraud than any election in memory. Trump's VP said to the people in the rally and said there would be more eyes looking at Democrats who may try to do what they did again. He told them that Loeffler and Perdue need their support. Loeffler and Perdue are against Democrats. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff hold a senate majority. On January 6, dozen Republican senators and 50 House Republicans will object to a voting slate that illegitimate and false. The Democrats have twisted the elections to seat Biden. VP Mike Pence Electoral College Count will be crucial on the January 6 Joint Session, but the DEMS will do everything to change the outcome. Related article: January 6: Congress to Convene on Rules in Regards to the Disputed Electoral College Count @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Kenny Smyth, the Portaloo plumber played by Shane Jacobson in the 2006 mockumentary directed and co-written by older brother Clayton, is a perfect role model for these COVID-19 times, according to Stevie Rodgers. In a world where we only reward winners, theres a tendency to overlook essential workers who keep society functioning, says Rodgers, the playwright entrusted with bringing the Jacobsons unlikely hero to a world premiere at the Ensemble Theatre as part of the 2021 Sydney Festival. Ben Wood as Kenny. Credit:Rhett Wyman Characters like Kenny are often presented as defeated, Rodgers explains. Kenny never is. Hes an optimist and, thanks to his colourful turn of phrase, hes able to discuss serious issues. How we reward and value work. Especially those people doing work most of us wouldnt want to do. Like the hospital nurses and all those first responders with a sense of pride in what theyre doing. Patrick Byrne published a Twitter thread on Monday making two really shocking claims. First, he says a legitimate ballot-printing shop in Michigan was printing excess ballots for fraudulent purposes and there's documented evidence proving it. Second, he says there's now evidence that Georgia had faked ballots from China and was busy shredding them. I have no idea if any of these latest assertions are true, but I do have footage of Georgia's voting system implementation manager rebuffing the second claim. Since the truth is still unknowable for all of us, we can call this post "I report and you decide." I'll start with Byrne's claim about the fake ballots from a Michigan print shop, because Byrne claims there's documentary evidence, including affidavits, that prove this assertion. Here's his story: A printing shop in Michigan prints ballots for Delaware County, Pennsylvania and as Lancashire County, Pennsylvania (this is normal). But along with the ballots it prints on contract and delivers to those counties, it prints some ballots that get diverted to Bethpage, New York. Patrick Byrne (@PatrickByrne) January 4, 2021 We have all of that documented. Texts, statements, affidavits, everything. Patrick Byrne (@PatrickByrne) January 4, 2021 We also know that this same ballot printing company (and other firms in the same family) also print for Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia. Patrick Byrne (@PatrickByrne) January 4, 2021 If Byrne's information is accurate, this is "rock your world" evidence of fraudulent votes in all sorts of elections. A national re-do is required. Alternately, a simple admission that Trump won would probably do, too. The operative word is "if." We've had lots of promises so far, but while there've been strong intimations of fraud, we're still looking for that smoking gun. (Although, as noted here, the vanishing votes may be the smoking gun.) I anxiously await solid proof about this Michigan print shop. Byrne's next assertion (which is part of the same Twitter thread) focuses specifically on what those arguing election fraud claim happened in Georgia namely, that fraudulent ballots were lying around and got shredded. I'll give you Byrne's assertion and then the counterclaim from the Georgia election official: Last Wednesday, December 30, the Georgia Senate Judiciary voted to inspect those Fulton County voting operations. Hours later (as I have previously posted) an Enterprise vans pulled up and got filled up with voting materials. Patrick Byrne (@PatrickByrne) January 4, 2021 A handful of papers stuck to the side of the shredding bin. They include some unshredded ballots (which 2 federally certified forensic examiners have affied do not match the legitimate ballots). ALSO, A SHIPPING RECEIPT FROM THE CHINESE FIRM THAT PRINTED THE BALLOTS! IN CHINESE! Patrick Byrne (@PatrickByrne) January 4, 2021 Word is the DOJ and DHS have been told to stand down. That President Trump himself has had to call agents on the ground asking them to continue. If you think they should continue, retweet to let @TheJusticeDept know your feelings. Patrick Byrne (@PatrickByrne) January 4, 2021 Again, I'd like to see the evidence before I get excited. While this narrative matches witness reports about ballot-shredding, Gabriel Sterling, Georgia's voting system implementation manager, says Byrne's contention is hogwash. Note, though, as you listen to Sterling speak, that he does not address the claims from Susan Knox and Sally Grubbs that completed ballots were getting shredded. He also doesn't explain why, in the midst of this election uproar, Georgia decided that now was the right time to shred documents: If you can keep up with Sterling's rapid speech, you heard him say the ballots everyone is getting excited about were paper ballots that the state requires precincts to have on hand in case of emergencies. Moreover, while the requirements are for ballots equal to 10% of the number of registered voters, out of an excess of caution, they had ballots equal to 100%. Again, I've given you the data. I have no idea where the truth lies. I'll round out this post with some bonus tweets from Byrne. One shows the country in which some Dominion products are made (it's not the USA). The other purports to show that the calibration markers from Republican ballots were printed incorrectly, which forced those ballots into adjudication: That is the calibration marker, Democrat area mail in ballot left CORRECT and REPUBLICAN area way out of calibration. WHY? This ballot should of have never been allowed out of the printers shop this far off. Patrick Byrne (@PatrickByrne) January 5, 2021 Make of this what you will! Image: Alleged Georgia ballot misprints. Twitter screen grab. Vaccine Offered to Calloway Health Workers By West Kentucky Star Staff MURRAY - Murray-Calloway County Hospital, in collaboration with the Calloway County Health Department, is administering vaccines to anyone who works in health care in Calloway County. You do not need to be an employee of the hospital to schedule an appointment.Any nurses, therapists, dentistry associates, pharmacists, home health aides, and others in Calloway County who have not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated may call 270-762-1526 to set up an appointment.Any organization that employs at least ten healthcare workers who need the vaccine may arrange to have a hospital vaccination team come to their location.Please email marketing@murrayhospital.org to schedule an onsite clinic.Anyone with questions about the vaccine can use the COVID-19 Hotline by calling 800-722-5725. Hoang Anh Suong One of the greatest fortunes of my life has been to be able to travel to many places that Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has been to around the world. My latest such trip was to his "Sitting Still Hut" in Frances Plum Village, where a simple wooden house spanning just 30 square meters keeps to itself in a corner of a forest in south-western France. As I cast my gaze towards the horizon, nature itself expanded before me, imprinting green mountains and endless fields on my eyes. Like its resident, the Sitting Still Hut was humble and ordinary. A single bed with some clothes on hangers. A small desk, topped with brushes and bottles of Chinese ink, where Thich Nhat Hanh read and wrote. Another table with tea sets to receive guests. Shelves full of books, pictures of the zen monk with his disciples and his own calligraphy works. The only hints of modern conveniences inside the hut were an electric stove and a small fridge for one person. But the one thing that stayed in my mind was an old clock on his table. It was round and made of wood, a bit smaller than your typical rice bowl. What made it special was that it was not only used to tell time, but to pace Thich Nhat Hanhs own breathing. Its tiks and toks, like a metronome, served to guide how the lungs fills and contracts with a soft, consistent rhythm. The clock is at the heart of what makes Thich Nhat Hanh so well-known the world over as a master of mindful breathing, and also explains how, after he suffered from a stroke in 2014 and fell into a deep coma for six months, the Masters breaths remained gentle and steady even without mechanical breathing support, confounding all his doctors in France. We are now only a few days into the new year. While we leave behind 2020, an extraordinary year for all of humanity, we have no idea what lies ahead in 2021. Something no less extraordinary, I presume. However, I know now that it is always possible to be calm amid the storm. As the pandemic rages around the world, I find the practice of mindful breathing more relevant than ever not the kind of breaths we take with our primal instincts, but deep ones, conscious and regulated with every flow. It renews the cells in our body, calms our mind and fuels our spirit. It makes us steadfast and enduring, capable of withstanding lifes toughest challenges. Actor brothers Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and the latter's son Nirvaan Khan, have been booked by the Mumbai Police for allegedly violating the COVID-19 institutional quarantine norms. The BMC had asked the Khan trio to stay at a hotel in suburban Bandra after they returned to Mumbai from the UAE in the penultimate week of December last year as per guidelines, but they went to their homes instead, according to news agency PTI. Khan trio didn't go to institutional quarantine The case was registered against them under section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, a Khar police station official said. As per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), passengers returning from counties in Europe and the Middle East must stay in institutional quarantine for seven days in view of the detection of the new strain of coronavirus in the UK. In his statement submitted in Khar police station in Mumbai, Dr Sanjay Funde, a medical officer of H/West ward, said that he received information on Monday that Arbaaz, Sohail and Nirvaan had returned from Dubai but didn't go to institutional quarantine. READ | India vs Australia: KL Rahul injures his wrist during practice, ruled out of last 2 Tests READ | Bharat Biotech chief assures COVAXIN's safety; promises 'Phase-3 efficacy data by March' Dr Funde and Bandra police officials then reached Sohail Khan's residence on Nargis Dutt Road in Bandra. They were told by Sohail Khan that he and Arbaaz Khan had returned from Dubai on December 25 while Nirvaan Khan flew back on December 30, a police official said quoting Dr Funde's statement. Sohail Khan also told BMC officials that they had booked rooms in a five-star hotel in Bandra for quarantine stay, but decided to go home after their tests at the Mumbai airport confirmed that they were not infected with coronavirus, the official said. According to ANI, the BMC has sent all three of them to institutional quarantine for 14 days at Taj Lands End Hotel in Bandra West. According to media reports, once they complete their stay, an RT PCR test will be done to ensure they are not affected by the novel Coronavirus. The BMC officials will also be doing contact tracing in the case. READ | BJP's Patra unsparing on Congress over vaccine politics, fires salvo at Akhilesh Yadav READ | 'Like souls, research too never dies': PM Modi cites Mendel & Tesla in address on science (With agency inputs) Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Advertisement Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler is the latest Republican vowing to object to President-elect Joe Biden's victory, a major political gambit on the eve of her runoff election. Congress is set to count and certify the Electoral College vote on Wednesday, another benchmark on the path towards Biden's inauguration. Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, however, are leading the charge in objecting to certification, with at least a dozen senators now involved. Loeffler, who is facing a tight run-off on Tuesday, announced that she is joining the rogue group during a campaign event on Monday night, where she appeared on stage alongside President Donald Trump. 'On January 6 I will object to the Electoral College vote,' the senator said, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the crowd. 'This president fought for us, we're fighting for him. He put America first, he put the American worker first. He stood with our men and women in law enforcement. He restored our military.' Loeffler, who wore a mask during parts of the event but not others, then turned her attention to her 'radical liberal' challenger in tomorrow's election, Democrat Raphael Warnock. 'He attacked our police, our military. He spoke out against Israel, evangelicals, small businesses,' she said of Warnock. 'Georgia, we have to hold the line. You have to get out and vote tomorrow. We are the firewall to socialism. We have to get it done. I love you guys, thank you!' Kelly Loeffler announced that she will object to Joe Biden's victory during a campaign event alongside President Donald Trump on Monday night 'On January 6 I will object to the Electoral College vote,' Loeffler said, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the crowd 'This president fought for us, we're fighting for him. He put America first, he put the American worker first. He stood with our men and women in law enforcement. He restored our military,' Loeffler said as Trump smiled behind her Loeffler told the cheering crowd: 'Georgia, we have to hold the line. You have to get out and vote tomorrow. We are the firewall to socialism. We have to get it done. I love you guys, thank you!' Loeffler was pictured wearing a mask at some points during the event, but took it off while she was on stage Loeffler first signaled her intention to object to the Electoral College results on Fox News on Monday evening, saying: 'The American people deserve a platform in Congress, permitted under the Constitution, to have election issues presented so that they can be addressed. 'Thats why, on January 6th, I will vote to give President Trump and the American people the fair hearing they deserve and support the objection to the Electoral College certification process.' Loeffler is set to object to the results of the count in Georgia, though she may also contest the results in other states. 'We must restore trust, confidence and integrity in our election system,' she said. Loeffler had previously refused to say if she would join the rogue senators' efforts to overturn Biden's win. 'I've said from the start, everything is on the table here, and I'm seriously looking at that,' she said Sunday. But she apparently changed her mind ahead of Trump showing his support for her on Monday night. Loeffler is one of 13 senators who have vowed to object to the Electoral College results Ted Cruz (L) is one of the other prominent senators planning on objecting to certification Loeffler will be in a position to contest the presidential election results regardless of whether she defeats Warnock, as they are set to be certified before she would have to depart the Senate if the Democrat should win. Georgia is set to head to the polls in two runoffs on Tuesday, with Loeffler and Warnock competing in one and Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue competing in the others. Control of the Senate rests in the hands of the runoffs, with a 50-50 split of the body a possibility if Ossoff and Warnock are both victorious. Trump's Dirty Dozen Senator Josh Hawley - Missouri - has already said he will object The Cruz faction Senator Ted Cruz - Texas Senator Ron Johnson - Wisconsin Senator James Lankford - Oklahoma Senator Steve Daines - Montana Senator John Kennedy - Louisiana Senator Marsha Blackburn - Tennessee Senator Mike Braun - Indiana Senator-elect Cynthia Lummis - Wyoming Senator-elect Tommy Tuberville - Alabama Senator-elect Bill Hagerty - Tennessee Senator-elect Roger Marshall - Kansas *Senators-elect will be sworn in as senators on Sunday January 3, and will be eligible to vote on January 6 Advertisement Ties in Senate votes are broken by the Vice President, who will be Kamala Harris so long as the election results are certified. Hawley was the first to confirm he would object to the certification of the election results. Since then, Cruz has jumped on board, bringing a number of senators with him and further dividing the Republican Party. Cruz was joined by Senators Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, along with Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall, all of whom will be sworn in as senators on Sunday in the new Congress. Loeffler is not set to join Cruz's faction of dissenters, instead going out to contest the election on her own grounds. Fox News also reports that at least 100 GOP members of the House of Representatives will be objecting to the results in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada. Loeffler's decision to contest the results in Georgia come on the heels of the latest scandal involving the aftermath of the presidential election in that state. This weekend, the Washington Post released audio revealing Donald Trump pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to 'find' votes to increase his total by 11,000 in the state. 'All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,' Trump said during the call. 'Because we won the state.' Raffensperger and his lawyer repeatedly pushed back against Trump's claims during the call. Trump reportedly tried to talk to Raffensperger on at least 18 other occasions prior to the call on Saturday. Georgia has certified the presidential election results in the state, drawing Trump's ire against both Raffensperger and Governor Brian Kemp. In addition to Loeffler's stance, her de facto running mate Perdue revealed support of the plan to contest the election results, although his term in the Senate technically ended over the weekend, leaving him without an ability to join the faction. Perdue tweeted on Monday night, 'I urge my colleagues to object. I stand with @realDonaldTrump. #GASen #gapol.' Senatory Hawley of Missouri (above) was the first to defy McConnell by announcing he would join House Republicans in objecting to the state tallies on January 6 Senators (left to right) Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines signed on with Cruz Senators John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun also joined Cruz's faction Also joining Cruz were incoming Senators (left to right) Cynthia Lummis, Tommy Tuberville, Bill Hagerty, and Roger Marshall, all of whom will be sworn in as senators on Sunday Cruz campaigned with Loeffler earlier this week ahead of the Senate runoff Donald Trump is set to stage a last-minute rally in Georgia on Monday evening Cruz and his faction are asking for an emergency 10-day audit of the election results by a commission. While the list of those planning to object to the results seems to grow by the day, there is very little chance they will affect the outcome of the election. For objections to succeed, they need support from both chambers of Congress, a near-impossibility with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives. According to FiveThirtyEight, Loeffler has aligned with Trump on nearly every piece of legislation during her Senate term, only disagreeing on the National Defense Authorization Act last month. This week, she also came out in support of Trump's hope of getting $2,000 stimulus payments to the American people according to Politico. Donald Trump is set to stage a last-minute rally in Georgia on Monday evening. Advertisement Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration. It marks the first time the couple, 96 and 93, will have missed the ceremonies since Carter was sworn in as the 39th president in 1977. A spokeswoman at The Carter Center in Atlanta said the Carters have sent Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their 'best wishes' and 'look forward to a successful administration.' Biden was a young Delaware senator and Carter ally during the Georgian's term in the White House. Last seen: The Carters were photographed visiting a friend in Georgia on December 31. The couple say they will not be at the Biden inauguration His own moment of history: Jimmy Carter was sworn in by then chief justice Warren Burger on January 20 1977 Successor: Jimmy Carter was there as Ronald Reagan was sworn in on January 20, 1981, with vice president Walter Mondale at his side Hail to the chief: The Carters are welcomed along with Walter Mondale (top right) at Bill Clinton's first inauguration in 1993 Veteran: Colin Powell, then secretary of state designate, shakes hands with Jimmy Carter at the first inauguration of George W. Bush on January 20, 2001 First couples together: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter stood beside Bill and Hillary Clinton at George W. Bush's second inauguration on January 20, 2005 Guests of honor: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter were welcomed at Barack Obama's first inauguration on January 20, 2009 The Carters have spent the coronavirus pandemic mostly at their home in Plains, Georgia, where both were raised and where they returned after leaving the White House in 1981. Carter, a Democrat, became the longest-lived American president in March 2019, surpassing former President George H.W. Bush, who died the previous November. Carter survived a melanoma diagnosis that spread to his brain in 2015. He has since had several falls and hip replacement surgery. He no longer teaches Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, as he had for decades, but still participates in church activities via video amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Carter was the first former president to confirm his plans to attend President Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017. Public mourning: The Carters were seated on the left aisle side of the front row of National Cathedral for George H.W. Bush's funeral on December 5, 2018 The Carters were seated on the aisle, next to former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush. The elder Bush was the lone former president at the time who did not attend Trump's inauguration. The Carters did travel to Washington for the elder Bush's funeral. Deficit of 19 billion expected in 2020: Taxes down 2.1 billion & expenditure up 17.9 billion on 2019 Todays Exchequer figures show that tax revenues in 2020 were down 2.1 billion, or 3.6 per cent on 2019; Income tax receipts were down 224 million, or 1 per cent on 2019, a smaller than expected fall due to strong PAYE and self-employed returns; VAT receipts finished the year 2.7 billion, or 18 per cent less than 2019, as public health restrictions impacted consumer spending; Similarly, excise returns were down 500 million, or 8per cent on 2019; The only major tax head to increase in 2020 was corporation tax, up 945 million or nearly 9 per cent; Total net voted expenditure in 2020 was 67.8 billion. This represents a 25 per cent, or 13.7 billion increase on 2019; The rise in expenditure reflects increased departmental drawdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the areas of health and social protection; An Exchequer deficit of 12.3 billion was recorded in 2020, a 13 billion deterioration on the previous year. The Exchequer deficit is estimated to contribute to an overall general government deficit of 19 billion, or around 5 per cent of GDP. An Exchequer deficit of 12,316 million was recorded to end-December 2020. This compares to a surplus of 647 million in 2019. The 12,963 million year-on-year deterioration in the Exchequer balance is primarily driven by increases in voted expenditure. Cumulative tax receipts of 57,165 million at the end of the year were down by 3.6 per cent or 2,149 million on last year. Receipts in 2020 benefitted from a strong performance in January and February, as well as solid income and corporate tax receipts, which have compensated to an extent for sharp declines in other tax heads, notably VAT and excise receipts. Corporation tax was the only major tax head to record an increase in 2020, ending the year 945 million higher than 2019, as sectors such as pharma, ICT and financial services coped well with economic conditions. Income taxes similarly held up well, ending the year down 224 million, or 1 per cent on 2019. Although a strong start to the year (pre-Covid) is partly responsible, both PAYE and self-employed receipts significantly exceeded initial expectations. The sector specific nature of the majority of job losses combined with the progressivity of the income tax system served to protect income tax receipts in 2020. The combined year-on-year fall in VAT and excise receipts was 3,187 million, as personal consumption particularly of services was heavily impacted by the public health restrictions. Overall, the strength of corporation and income taxes compensated to a degree for the fall in consumption taxes resulting in a year-on-year decline of 2,149 million, or 3.6per cent in aggregate tax receipts. Total net voted expenditure was 67,849 million in 2020. In year-on-year terms, this was up 13,703 million, or 25.3 per cent on 2019. The rise in expenditure reflects increased departmental drawdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in relation to the Department of Health and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Commenting on the figures, the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe T.D. said: The end-year Exchequer returns show the scale of Government intervention during this pandemic. From an expected surplus of around 2 billion before the pandemic struck, to an estimated deficit of 19 billion, the strength and depth of the Governments response is unprecedented in our countrys history. Although we once again enter a difficult period of tough but necessary restrictions, todays figures point to some positive underlying trends in the economy. The Government will continue to use the resources of the State to protect the most vulnerable, support businesses and sustain incomes until our country emerges from this pandemic even stronger than before. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath T.D. said: The figures published today show the full extent of the Government response to Covid-19 in 2020. Gross Voted Expenditure in 2020 reached 85.3 billion, nearly 18 billion higher than 2019. Just under 5 billion was spent on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in 2020 together with 4.1 billion for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and its successor the Employment Wage Subsidy scheme, demonstrating the scale of the governments commitment to protecting household income for people across the State. Gross Voted Expenditure on Health grew by 3.4 billion to nearly 20.9 billion ensuring that the necessary resources were available to procure vital equipment, support vulnerable citizens and build a testing and tracing regime for the virus. Budget 2021 was based on a prudent no vaccine assumption and both the Recovery Fund and the Covid Contingency Reserve are designed to ensure the funding is in place to continue the national fightback against this unprecedented challenge. I welcome the international confidence in the Irish economy and our public finances as indicated by continuing very low Government bond yields which are supported by the actions of the ECB. (Newser) Over nearly 30 years, thousands of patients were treated at the Arkansas Cancer Clinic. No one was turned away for financial reasons, but the bills patients were left with troubled Dr. Omar Atiq. "I've always been rather uncomfortable with sick patients not only having to worry about their own health and quality of life and their longevity and their families and their jobs but also money," he says. The Pine Bluff clinic closed in February because of staffing shortages. For a few months, the oncologist used a billing company to try to collect overdue bills from his former patients, Good Morning America reports. Then he stopped. "I realized that there are people who just are unable to pay," Atiq says. "So my wife and I, as a family, we thought about it and looked at forgiving all the debt." story continues below He decided to wipe $650,000 of medical debt off his books. Atiq sent a note to his former patients saying: "The clinic has decided to forego all balances owed to the clinic by its patients. Happy holidays." Some of his patients owed hundreds of dollars, some thousands. "We thought there was not a better time to do this than during a pandemic that has decimated homes, people's lives and businesses and all sorts of stuff," Atiq said. The billing company helped him cancel the debt in a way that wouldn't hurt anyone's credit, per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I just hope that it made it a little bit easier for them," says Atiq. "That's it." (Read more uplifting news stories.) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Here's how material shortages are hitting home construction "It's not just that prices are going up; it's how quickly they're going up and nothing's coming down," said CEO of the PA Builders Association. This years Grammy Awards ceremony has been postponed to March 14 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to loom over the United States. The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammys, issued an official statement on Tuesday evening, confirming a postponement that previously was reported by Rolling Stone and Variety. After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021, the statement says. The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show. We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors and especially this years nominees for their understanding, patience and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times. The original ceremony was planned for the Staples Center in Los Angeles, with Trevor Noah as host. However, in recent weeks, other ideas have been discussed, according to Variety. While interim Grammy chief Harvey Mason, jr. told Variety last summer that the initial general plan was to hold the event at its longtime home of the 18,000-capacity Staples Center in Los Angeles, with either a limited or no audience, in recent weeks he said the show would be held in and around Downtown Los Angeles, opening the possibility that performances could be staged from multiple venues in that area, Variety said on Tuesday. The Recording Academys statement made no mention of a change in location or host. Four artists with Alabama ties received nominations for awards in 2021: Brittany Howard (five nominations including Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for Stay High), Little Big Town (two nominations in country categories), the Secret Sisters (two nominations in folk and American roots categories) and Chika (nominated for Best New Artist). Also, the late Nat King Cole, a Montgomery native, was lauded in a nomination for Best Historical Album for Hittin the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943). Although Cole was the artist involved in the recordings, the award in this category would go to the compilation producers and engineers: Zev Feldman, Will Friedwald and George Klabin, compilation producers; and Matthew Lutthans, mastering engineer. A retired Connecticut State Police trooper who was among the first to respond to the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School has died of COVID-19, according to multiple police officials. The CSP says retired Trooper First Class Patrick Dragon, of Brooklyn, Connecticut, died Saturday at Hartford Hospital. Dragon, 50, retired from the state police on Feb. 1, 2018, and was working as a deputy chief of the East Brooklyn Fire Department and a police dispatcher in Foster, Rhode Island, before his death. In a Facebook post, Foster police Chief David J. Breit confirmed that Dragon died of COVID-19. "Patrick was a great person: Kind, caring and a friend to all who met him," Breit wrote. "There are not enough words to describe the kind of person that Patrick was. The men and women of the Foster Police Department express our deepest sympathies to Patrick's family." "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," reads a post on the Connecticut State Police Facebook page. Dragon was a member of the 107th Training Troop and entered the State Police Training Academy on Jan. 9, 1998, according to the CSP. After graduating from the academy, he served as a patrol trooper at Troop D in Danielson, as a resident trooper in the town of Sterling, as a detective in the Eastern District Major Crime Squad and as a detective in the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit. Video: Remembering the Sandy Hook victims Three residents of the al-Hol Camp have been killed by unknown assailants, including one who was a 17 year old girl reports Enab Baladi. Over the past two days, local sources in eastern Syria reported that three people were killed inside the al-Hol camp, northeast of Hassakeh, by unknown persons. The last of these operations was on Sunday when a woman was killed in her tent with a silenced pistol, according to the local Euphrates Post page on Facebook, which covers news around the eastern region. The page stated that the victim was killed inside her tent in the fifth sector of the al-Hol displaced persons camp. Her name was Faten, and she works with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). There was no official comment from the SDF on the operation, nor did the media of the Autonomous Administration report any news related to the incident. An SDF member named Thamer al-Iraqi was killed in the same way on Jan. 2, 2021. On the same day, the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) found the body of an Iraqi girl who was killed in the camp by unknown assailants who shot her in the third sector of the camp, according to North Press Agency. At the time, the agency quoted a medical source in the Kurdish Red Crescent at al-Hol who said that the Iraqi refugee, who is 17 years old, had not yet been identified, explaining that she died immediately, after being shot seven times. These operations coincide with the evacuation of Islamic State families, according to a decision issued by the Autonomous Administration, on Oct. 14, 2020. The camp was established in the 90s to accommodate 5,000 Iraqi refugees. Today, it includes 35,000 Syrians, which is about 43 percent, with almost the same number of Iraqis, as well as 10,000 people from 30 to 40 other countries. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The global economy is expected to expand by 4 percent in 2021, after a 4.3 percent contraction in 2020, on the back of the initial COVID-19 vaccine rollout globally in 2021, the World Bank said. In its global economic prospects 2021 report, released on Tuesday, the World Bank expected recovery from pandemic to likely be subdued and may depress economic activity and incomes for a prolonged period, unless policy makers move decisively to control the pandemics spread and implement investment-enhancing reforms. The collapse in global economic activity in 2020 is estimated to have been slightly less severe than previously projected, mainly due to shallower contractions in advanced economies and a more robust recovery in China. In contrast, disruptions to activity in the majority of other emerging market and developing economies were more acute than expected, according to the report. For Egypt, the report predicts economic growth to slow down to 2.7 percent in FY2020/2021, down from 3.6 percent in 2020, and to bounce back to 5.8 percent in 2022. The report attributed the economic growth contraction in FY20202021 to the collapse in tourism, gas extractives and a slowdown in other key sectors such as manufacturing. For the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the report projected economic activity to recover modestly to 2.1 percent in 2021, reflecting the lasting damage from the pandemic and low oil prices. The report said that the recovery is contingent on containment of the pandemic, stabilising oil prices, no further escalation of geopolitical tensions, and the assumption of a vaccine rollout in the second half of the year. By 2022, after two years of expected recovery, output is still expected to be about 8 percent below the output projected prior to the pandemic, with a larger impact on oil importers than exporters, according to the report. Among oil exporters, growth is expected to rebound to 1.8 percent in 2021, driven by normalizing oil demand, the scheduled easing of the OPEC+ oil production cuts, policy support, and the gradual phasing out of domestic pandemic-related restrictions. On the other hand, growth in oil importers is expected to bounce back to 3.2 percent in 2021 as mobility restrictions are gradually eased and exports and domestic demand recover slowly, according to the report. Economic growth in emerging market and developing economies, including China, is also expected to grow by 5 percent in 2021, after a contraction of 2.6 percent in 2020. Excluding China, emerging markets and developing economies are forecast to expand by 3.4 percent in 2021 after a contraction of 5 percent in 2020, according to the report. Among low-income economies, activity is projected to increase by 3.3 percent in 2021, after a decline of 0.9 percent in 2020, according to the report. The report said that the COVID-19 pandemic caused output losses in the region of an estimated 5 percent in 2020, adding that the income shock from the pandemic is expected to increase the number of people below the $5.50 per day poverty line in the region by tens of millions in 2021. Output in MENAs oil exporters is estimated to have contracted by 5.7 percent in 2020 and oil sector output growth continues to be constrained by commitments to the OPEC+ production cut agreement, according to the report. It added that oil importers experienced a milder contraction of 2.2 percent in 2020, reflecting an initially limited COVID-19 outbreak in the first half of the year and lower oil prices, yet, the pace of new infections has risen rapidly and fresh policy uncertainty has compounded the impact of pandemic-related disruptions to activity. Addressing the risks in the region, the report said that they are linked to the trajectory of the pandemic and its social impacts, downward pressure on oil prices, domestic political uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions. The report said that COVID-19 has caused a heavy toll of deaths and illness, plunged millions into poverty, and may depress economic activity and incomes for a prolonged period. Top near-term policy priorities are controlling the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring rapid and widespread vaccine deployment. To support economic recovery, authorities also need to facilitate a re-investment cycle aimed at sustainable growth that is less dependent on government debt. Short link: photo: Jenny Zhang Anna North is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and author of two previous novels, America Pacifica and The Life and Death of Sophie Stark. She's served as writer and editor at Jezebel, Buzzfeed, Salon and the New York Times and is now a senior reporter at Vox. She lives in Brooklyn. North's third novel, Outlawed, is available now from Bloomsbury. How much research do your books require? My first book is a dystopia, so I mostly made a lot of stuff up. For Sophie Stark, I did a fair amount of research about directing and female directors and how people put movies together. For this one, I went to Wyoming for a week, to the Willow Creek Ranch at Hole in the Wall, a working ranch on the site where the real gang lived. We drove through the valley and out to Hole in the Wall, and I took a bunch of photos. There's a little western history museum in Casey, Wyo., [the nearest town] that had a lot of funny stuff, like little mannequins dressed up in period costumes. There's a Fiddleback Ranch in the book, which is inspired by the Fiddleback cattle brand. I researched the history of the real Hole in the Wall Gang, real "outlaws" (a funny and loaded term) and the history of what is now called the American West, but obviously had not been that for millennia before Europeans came there. I read up on the Arapahoe people living in Wyoming, and other Indigenous nations in the area, on Black cowboys and Black Americans in what is now the American West and on the history of the Americas in the 19th century. A book called Lieutenant Nun informed my thinking on Outlawed. It's a memoir by a person who lived as a man, had a lot of adventures and fights and appeared to seduce women--sort of a swashbuckling adventure story--and then, at the end, is revealed to have been assigned female at birth, and enters a convent and becomes a nun. It's from the 15th century. I love this book. It's a window into the forever-long history of gender. For cis-normative American culture, there's this idea that gender has been very fixed and it's just now becoming fluid, but that's just not true. Why reproduction as the central issue? When I had the germ of this idea, I was with a friend, visiting a Shaker dwelling. Part of their religion was not having children. I was interested in writing about a separatist group that would live off in the woods together. The story morphed and changed a lot. When I focused on Ada, I thought of making her mother a midwife. I know a fair number of midwives; it was just in my mind. Early bits of the book went through a bunch of drafts as I was trying to figure out, what's the alternative history element? What's the focus of this society? This group is set off from society; what's set them off? What is that group like, what are its rules, its norms? The idea of a society that's obsessed with reproduction and that ostracizes women who are barren came late in the process. There were a bunch of planets orbiting around that needed a unifying theme: reproducing, not reproducing, different kinds of families, different kinds of groups, different kinds of isolation and togetherness. Ultimately the framework that worked for that was an alternate history. I didn't want this to be a one-to-one stand-in for America today. I wanted to think about the choices that people make, how they are constrained, what our society might look like if things were different. Is this a feminist narrative that found its shape as a western, or a western that became a feminist tale? Sort of both. The story only took off for me when I realized it was a western. I was thinking about the Shakers, writing about this group of people who live together, separate in this particular way, and I had them in New Hampshire, which is where I visited the Shaker dwelling. I've lived in New York for 10 years now, but I'd grown up in California, and I'm just not as good at writing about the East Coast as I am at writing about the West. As soon as I thought, I'm going to put these characters with some red rocks, it felt better. I was reading Lieutenant Nun at the time. She didn't live in North America--she was traveling around Central America, I believe--but it's a colonial story of this "frontier" (obviously a loaded term). I was also reading a lot of Krazy Kat, set I think in Arizona--there's a lot of red rocks, and sheriffs. It's also gender-bending. It plays with sexuality, and you're not sure what gender Krazy Kat is--he switches pronouns a lot; there's a great essay in the New Yorker about this. Same-sex attractions are talked about fairly openly. I started thinking about the West as a space of, sometimes, freedom around gender and sexuality. The western states were some of the first states to give women, mostly white women, the right to vote. This could be a space of freedom--and obviously it's also a space of colonization and genocide and unfreedom. There were interesting interplays there. But I guess the short answer is it just only became a book when it became a western. Then things started to fall into place. What makes a captivating protagonist? I've always been interested in heroes. Traditionally, the hero is a male concept. The Odyssey, the Iliad: the heroes are male. I'm interested in recasting that as a female hero. I don't know if Ada is exactly a hero--in some ways the Kid is more the hero of the book. It's complicated, whether the Kid is likable or unlikable, heroic or unheroic. And maybe in a way I want the Kid to be both. Throughout my writing, I try to put someone in difficult circumstances and watch them rise to that occasion. That's a kind of heroism, I think. We learn and grow with Ada--she's so curious. I wanted to get across her inquisitiveness and desire for knowledge. I wanted to think in the book about knowledge and science as these double-edged swords. Ada puts a lot of stock in knowledge and in science, like this is what's going to convince people to not stigmatize other people, and obviously it doesn't always. I wanted to talk about instances where science has been used to really horrible ends. I wanted to explore that tension with her. But I sympathize with her. I also like to read books and learn things, so that was fun for me. Is there anything new you're working on? The pandemic has changed what I'm interested in working on next. In some ways it's made me crave speculative fiction more again, because I don't know what realism or reality is going to look like day to day. If I want to work on a long-term project, it has to be one that's not grounded in this reality, because I literally don't know what this reality is. We'll see--it's going to depend on what things look like when I can get back to my desk. --Julia Kastner Smog towers and smog guns are likely to be integral features of air pollution mitigation efforts for all major development projects in future, especially in cities with high air pollution. The Supreme Court (SC), in its judgment on the Central Vista redevelopment project, directed on Tuesday that the project proponent may set up smog tower(s) of adequate capacity, as being integral part of the new Parliament building project; and additionally, use smog guns at the construction site throughout the construction phase is in progress on the site. The court also directed the Union environment ministry to consider issuing general directions on installation of smog towers for all upcoming major development projects while granting approval in cities with high pollution levels. Unless there is a solid plan in controlling traffic emissions, short-term strategies for future projects will not help. Also, scientifically, there is no evidence that smog guns and smog towers work. In all, for future development projects, a holistic air pollution control strategy is needed, said Sagnik Dey, professor, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi. Smog towers are structures designed to work as large-scale air purifiers while smog guns are like giant vacuum cleaners of the ambient air. They are usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters, which clean the air in the area as it passes through them. The smog tower sucks the polluted air, which is purified by the multiple layers before recirculating into the atmosphere. Many scientists think smog towers are ineffective because its nearly impossible to filter polluted air outdoors. Emissions are being generated continuously and from many sources. A senior official of the environment ministry, who did not want to be named, said: We will integrate the directions of SC in all future projects. One of the main contentions of a section of environmental and legal experts in the case of Central Vista has been that its cumulative long-term ecological impacts havent been studied and components have been isolated for ease of getting clearances. For example, the Parliament Building was appraised by the environment appraisal committee as a separate project while other components of the Central Vista are being appraised now. On Tuesday, a three-judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, by a 2:1 majority, held that the grant of the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for the project was valid. Justice Sanjiv Khanna dissented with the majority view. Experts stressed that the environment ministry should also consider the cumulative impacts of large buildings and redevelopment projects. The question of whether the Central Vista redevelopment project is an integrated one or not for the purposes of the environment clearance was discussed extensively in court. Clearly, the bench could not come to an agreement on whether the environmental clearance to the Parliament is legal or not. As Justice Khannas dissenting view shows, he is not persuaded by the governments claim that the Parliament should be viewed as a stand-alone project when it is in fact only one component of the tender for Central Vista redevelopment. This certainly still leaves a question mark about the integrated nature of this project. But what is just as important is that this issue of the integrated nature of large building and construction projects has now gained a lot of legal importance with this dissenting judgment on this matter, said Manju Menon, senior fellow, the Centre for Policy Research. Jacob Blake answers questions during a hearing in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 4. 202.0 (Kenosha County Court via AP) No Charges Filed Against Wisconsin Officer Who Shot Jacob Blake: DA Blake was armed with knife, district attorney says A Kenosha police officer will not face charges in the August shooting of Jacob Blake, said the Kenosha County District Attorney on Tuesday. District Attorney Michael Graveley on Tuesday made the announcement at a press conference, saying he would not recommend charges against Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey. After was Blake was shot, the incident drew protests, riots, arson attacks, and looting in Kenosha. The Wisconsin Department of Justice stated that Sheskey and several other Kenosha police officers were attempting to arrest Blake following a domestic incident call on Aug. 23, 2020. Blake walked away from the officers and tried to get into an SUV when he was shot. Officials alleged Blake admitted there was a weapon in his vehicle. Blake had earlier been Tased several times by Sheskey and other officers. Graveley on Tuesday said he would have to disprove the clear expression of these officers that they had to fire a weapon to defend themselves. This undated handout photo provided by the Wisconsin Department of Justice shows Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey. (Courtesy Wisconsin Department of Justice via AP) He added: I do not believe the state would be able to prove that the privilege of self-defense is not available. Graveley said that none of the other officers involved in the incident will be charged. Blake also wont be charged, he said. We are immensely disappointed in Kenosha District Attorney Michael Graveleys decision not to charge the officers involved in this horrific shooting, said Blakes attorneys in a statement in response to the announcement, according to local outlet TMJ4. We feel this decision failed not only Jacob and his family, but the community that protested and demanded justice. The city braced for renewed protests ahead of the announcement, with concrete barricades and metal fencing surrounding the Kenosha County Courthouse and plywood protecting many businesses. The Common Council on Monday night unanimously approved an emergency resolution giving the mayor the power to impose curfews, among other things, and Gov. Tony Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to assist. Evers said that local authorities had requested the deployment. More than 250 people were arrested in the days that followed, including 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, a self-styled medic with an assault rifle who is charged in the fatal shootings of two men and the wounding of a third. Rittenhouse, who was among armed people who took to Kenosha streets during the violence and said he was there to help protect businesses, faces multiple charges including intentional homicide. Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty on Tuesday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BullsEye Telecom, a leading, global provider of multi-location communications solutions, today announced its acquisition of Bandwave Systems, a premier broadband solutions company based in Burlington City, New Jersey. The acquisition significantly expands BullsEye's scale and breadth of broadband expertise and market share, as it continues its expansion of digital services. In addition, Bandwave clients will now have access to a broader range of services and capabilities available from the BullsEye portfolio. The combination of BullsEye and Bandwave brings together the industry's brightest and best team members to achieve heightened growth, while offering one of the most comprehensive telecommunications service offerings in the market. "Today marks a significant step for BullsEye as we continue to accelerate our growth and our continued commitment to our partners and clients by providing the best products, the best people and the best services coupled with our unparalleled commitment to an exceptional client experience," said Tom Tisko, President & CEO at BullsEye. "I'm confident that the synergies we've already realized with BullsEye will ensure the continued success of our employees and clients. We are thrilled to become part of such a dynamic team. I look forward to offering additional exemplary solutions to our clients," commented Tom Azelby, Managing Partner at Bandwave. About BullsEye BullsEye provides secured communications, powerful networks, and advanced technologies to thousands of business locations across the U.S. For over 20 years, BullsEye's industry experts have customized solutions that give our clients the peace of mind to focus on their core business. We offer a full suite of communications solutions, including SD-WAN, VoIP, Security, IoT, Internet, Managed Wi-Fi, and traditional phone service. We are laser-focused, easy to work with and provide our clients with an excellent service delivery experience, evident by our 99 percent client retention rate. www.BullsEyetelecom.com. About Bandwave Systems LLC Bandwave Systems LLC is a global provider of premier broadband aggregation solutions. With its proven, world class team of technicians, Bandwave brings single source WAN (Wide Area Network) Management to multi-site enterprises more efficiently than any other provider. Founded in 2000, Bandwave has perfected a "One contract. One invoice. One support team." approach to its services which include Broadband Aggregation, Wi-Fi, 4G Wireless, and SD-WAN. BullsEye Contact Gina Toney 470.610.1470 [email protected] SOURCE BullsEye Telecom Related Links https://www.bullseyetelecom.com An attempt to have supporters slam Michigan politicians by the Trump campaign has gone south after the team accidentally sent out the wrong number in their Facebook post. On Sunday, account page Team Trump shared a 231 number that they incorrectly identified as belonging to Rep. Lee Chatfield. In addition to the wrong number, the page also shared Senator Mike Shirkey's number in the post which called for the state to decertify election ballots. It also incorrectly identifies Chatfield as Speaker of the House, which he is no longer. As a result, O Rose, a 28-year-old now living in California, has received 'hundreds' of calls and text messages from angry Trump fanatics believing they are Chatfield. 'I can't take any more voicemails, my voicemail (box) has 44 voicemails in it right now,' Rose explained to the Detroit Free Press. 'Endless, endless texts. I deleted a bunch, and now that I'm thinking about it, I probably shouldn't have, because I was just overwhelmed It's just ridiculous.' On Sunday, account page Team Trump shared a 231 number that they incorrectly identified as belonging to Rep. Lee Chatfield. The official Donalf In addition to the wrong number, the page also shared Senator Mike Shirkey's number in the post which called for the state to decertify election ballots. It also incorrectly identifies Chatfield (left) as Speaker of the House, which he is no longer Rose uses non-gendered they/them pronouns and goes by 'O' as a shortened version of their first name in real life. The Team Trump's post was quickly shared by the official Donald Trump Facebook page and retweeted by legions of supporters who rallied at the prospect of voicing their frustrations at unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations. At first, Rose was taking a humorous approach in their response to the texts. But even when they had to be more assertive about not being Chatfield, people still didn't believe them. O Rose, a 28-year-old now living in California, has received 'hundreds' of calls and text messages from angry Trump fanatics believing they are Chatfield 'I told them I was not Lee Chatfield, but they would still not believe me,' Rose added. 'It was just a string of people progressively denying reality.' Rose has shared screenshots of the responses he has sent to people, in hopes irate Trump supporters would get the hint. The post with his number has since been deleted but was up as late as Tuesday morning. 'I'm going to have to change my number eventually, but that takes a minute to do,' Rose said. Rose grew up in Northern Michigan, where the area code is from, but moved to California in a bid to get away from the Midwest. 'But it still follows me, apparently,' they said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th January, 2021) NATO is committed to boosting cooperation with Moldova and assisting it in modernizing its defense, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told newly-elected President Maia Sandu on Tuesday. "Good talk with President @sandumaiamd to congratulate her on her election. #NATO remains committed to enhancing our cooperation & helping to modernise #Moldova's defence & security institutions," Stoltenberg tweeted. Sandu of the pro-EU Action and Solidarity Party took office on December 24 after defeating then-Socialist President Igor Dodon in the November runoff. According to the constitution, Moldova is a neutral country. Since 1994, the republic, however, has been cooperating with NATO via its Partnership for Peace program. Here's what you need to know this morning: Tuesday, Jan. 5 On the cover of his latest album, Chapter 10: Breaking Cover, Latin jazz pioneer Papo Vazquez has most of his face obscured by a face mask. But peering out over the skull-and-crossed-trombones logo of his long-running band, the Mighty Pirates Troubadours, the bandleader still manages to convey much of the musics spirit through his eyes. Fierce determination mixes with an impish joy, capturing the exuberant passions of the 10th album in his remarkable four-decade career. Of course, nothing in the course of that career could make the conditions under which Breaking Cover was recorded feel normal. Vazquez and his bandmates had been scheduled to enter the studio in April, plans that were disrupted by the pandemic. As soon as initial lockdowns lifted, the North Philly native broke cover and reconvened his fellow Pirate Troubadours. You can play music by yourself, but the greatest music is done with other people, Vazquez said recently over the phone from his home in Westchester County, New York. When we all saw each other again at the first rehearsal, I knew there was something very special in the air. It was very spiritual. Philly roots, Philly grooves Coming of age in North Philadelphia in the late 60s and early 70s, Vazquez discovered his spiritual link to music via Latin clubs that peppered the city at the time. There was the Spanish American club and the Exodus. I remember doing dances downtown in one of the hotels, he said. Most of these clubs would bring the famous bands from New York, and they would alternate with Philly bands, Vazquez said. So I got to see Willie Colon, Ray Barretto, Bobby Valentin, and Larry Harlow. Latin music was real popular, and thats how I started my career as a musician. READ MORE: The Philly venues where jazz greats found their sound | Philly History Though he left Philadelphia for New York City in 1975, Vazquez has always maintained close ties to his native city. Once the Philadelphia cheesesteak gets you, it never lets you go, he says with a whiz wit-fueled laugh. He has come back for performances and master classes at the Clef Club and visits with students at Esperanza Academy Charter High School. One of the standout tracks on Breaking Cover is an infectiously funky new tune called Fairmount Park. >> Listen: The new song, Fairmount Park That theme that came to me because a Will Smith song came on the radio and I really liked the groove, he recalled. I wanted to write something like that, but utilizing the rhythmical concept that we use with the Mighty Pirates. It sounds like youre hanging out in the park and the guys are playing their drums. Its a nice, happy kind of vibe. That feeling brought back memories of seeing the likes of Colon and Tito Puente at Robin Hood Dell as well as time spent in the park with Vazquezs family. My father, my grandfather, and my uncles all used to own bodegas. Youre speaking to the kid that used to fill the refrigerators and slice the cold cuts. But my father was also a left-handed softball pitcher, so on Sundays he would close the store to play in Fairmount Park. Those are great memories. Taking care of business Despite the outlaw attitude suggested by the name of the band, Breaking Cover was recorded using the strictest of COVID-era precautions. Vazquezs preferred studio, Kaleidoscope Sound in Union City, N.J., was already equipped with multiple isolation booths, providing separation between instruments necessary to achieve the clean, precise sound that the bandleader strives for. In addition, personnel was limited and everyone involved wore masks whenever possible. Im extremely grateful for the courage of all the gentlemen to participate on this record, Vazquez said. We have to be very careful to keep ourselves safe from this invisible thing that is making people sick. We took no risks, but we took care of business. READ MORE: Phillys jazz musicians have a new leader looking out for them as COVID-19 rages That invisible threat is embodied on El Cuco/The Boogeyman, a new piece that Vazquez composed during his enforced downtime. The ominous creep of the tune is built on a bomba rhythm from Puerto Rico, where Vazquez is rooted and has lived and played extensively. Its one of multiple rhythms and styles that the septet blends together throughout the album. >> Listen: El Cuco/The Boogeyman by Papo Vazquez and the Mighty Pirates Troubadours As pirates, we can navigate and go anywhere we want, Vazquez explained. We roam the high seas and play whatever music we want to play. The name was originally a joking suggestion by a former bandmate when Vazquez complained about the limitations imposed by his first choice, Papo Vazquez Bomba Jazz. I said, Pirate troubadour? What the hell is that? That is the coolest thing Ive ever heard. We have fun with it, and I even have a definition for it now: A pirate troubadour is somebody who steals your musical allegiance. Washington: Bracing for possible violence, the nation's capital has mobilised the National Guard ahead of planned protests by President Donald Trump's supporters in connection with the congressional vote expected Wednesday to affirm Joe Biden's election victory. Around 15,000 Trump supporters are expected to rally over Wednesday and Thursday AEDT, seeking to bolster the President's unproven claims of widespread voter fraud. There are people intent on coming to our city armed, DC Acting Police Chief Robert Contee said Tuesday AEDT. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was arrested when he arrived in Washington DC and charged over his role in the December protest. Credit:AP A pro-Trump rally in December ended in violence as hundreds of Trump supporters, wearing the signature black and yellow of the Proud Boys faction, sought out confrontations with a collective of local activists attempting to bar them from Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House. The leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was arrested by DC police on Tuesday AEDT on a warrant charging him with burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church during a demonstration last December. The decision of British judge Vanessa Baraitser to block the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges was made on the grounds of his mental health and the regime under which he would be jailed there. This leaves important wider questions still at issue. When The Age teamed up with WikiLeaks in 2010 to publish the contents of the military and diplomatic cables at the heart of the current case, we argued that their revelations about the conduct of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and about Canberra's relationship with Washington were overwhelmingly in the public interest. They came at a time when the US-instigated "war on terror", which Australia joined as a US ally, had led to conduct including torture, extraordinary rendition and drone strikes in foreign countries conducted under a cloak of state secrecy. In September 2012, WikiLeaks and Mr Assange as its founder were designated enemies of the US state, putting them in the same legal category as al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The Age opposed such a designation and argued that the experience of Australians Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks long detained without charge at Guantanamo Bay showed that successive Australian governments should be doing more to stand up for their citizens' rights. Eight years on, the Morrison government has adopted the same passive stance as the Gillard government in 2012 and the Howard government in the cases of Mr Habib and Mr Hicks. Whether this is to maintain our alliance with Washington or to protect Australia's own regime of secrecy by discouraging current and future whistleblowers, The Age believes such a stance is misguided and that the Prime Minister and his top diplomats should now urge either the outgoing Trump administration or the incoming Biden administration to abandon US pursuit of this case. Kylie Jenner's best friend Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou rang in the new year while vacationing in The Bahamas. The 23-year-old Instagram model has been posing up a storm in a variety of bikini looks on her tropical getaway, as she proves that island time is certainly for her. On Monday Stassie shared photos of herself playing with pigs - which are native to the island - as she flashed her ample assets in a skimpy leopard bikini. Bahama mama: Kylie Jenner's BFF Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou, 23, shows off her killer curves in a skimpy leopard bikini while playing with pigs on a Bahamas getaway Friends since their formidable years in elementary school, Stassie has taken center stage as Jenner's number one pal since her fallout with Jordyn Woods. Stepping into her own as of late, the curvy brunette has garnered quite the following on social media as she boasts nearly 10M followers and has her own YouTube channel. Additionally she is a brand ambassador for Fashion Nova and Rihanna's Savage X Fenty. Putting on quite the eye-popping display while on vacation, Karanikolaou softly grinned as she pet a pig. Island time: The Instagram model flashed her curves as she rang in the new year on an island in The Bahamas Opting for a no fuss look she wore her hair in loose braids as she showed off her body in the high rise bikini. She captioned the photo series, 'bahama mama,' as she looked blissful to be in paradise. Karanikolaou joined a laundry list of influencers and celebrities who have fled Los Angeles for the holidays amid the raging pandemic. With LA County currently in full lockdown mode, many privileged residents have taken their business elsewhere in the interim, despite a non-essential travel ban and a whopping 819,000 total cases. Tropical tan: She joined many privileged influencers who have fled Los Angeles amid the raging pandemic in favor of a tropical vacation Like many islands, The Bahamas only allows travelers to visit if they can show proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. Stassie was joined by good pal, model Sydney Carlson, and Jenner's former assistant, Victoria Villarroel, on the journey as they got away on a girl's trip. The ladies soaked up some rays and shared glimpses of their enviable vacation as they flashed their bronzed bodies. On January 2, the Fashion Nova influencer shared a photo series in a bright geometric set as she played up her holiday fashion. Vava voom: She flashed her toned tummy and curves in a tube top and skirt as she leaned into 2021; pictured January 2 Bad to the bone: Stassie's sultry island series garnered a comment from her rumored beau Noah Centineo She playfully confessed, 'still as bad as i was in 2020,' as she showed off her killer curves. Khloe Kardashian commented, 'That's right boo,' as she affirmed her love for her sister's friend. Rumored beau Noah Centineo, 24, who is best known for his role in To All The Boys I've Loved Before, commented, 'Just wait til 2022.' The pair were first linked a bit before Halloween and seemed to confirm their romance on the holiday, as they were seen packing on the PDA at a party. Furthermore, celebrity tea spilling account DeuxMoi posted an unverified rumor around the same time, that the two had eloped as a social media joke, but then freaked out when they realized it was actually legal. The Jersey City Council capped the fees that third-party food delivery apps like Grubhub and UberEats charge local restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an 8-0 vote on Monday, the City Council adopted an ordinance that will prevent restaurants from being charged more than 15% per order when using the food delivery apps. Eateries with their own delivery staff will see charges limited to 5% per order. Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson was absent. Food delivery services like UberEats, DoorDash and Grubhub have grown to play a vital role in the survival of many restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. The apps have become a popular means for people to order and receive takeout. Elena Cartagena, who owns Pasta Dal Cuore on Jersey Avenue, said the fees were high around 30% of the total of each order before the pandemic but the apps quickly became crucial to restaurants survival. It really does help a lot that you guys can do this for us, Cartagena told the council. Basically, since quarantine it is has been the main way that we have been able to survive to scrape by because of that. Mona Panjwani, the owner of the Lokal Eatery and Bar on Second Street, said she has been barely been open a year, so the new cap will definitely help her business. Andrew Martino, owner of Ghost Truck Kitchen on Varick Street, said he lost all of his catering revenue and almost all of his walk-in traffic in the last nine months. He said the legislation will help him keep more of his revenue. For us, it is a difference of a couple of thousand dollars a month, Martino said. That couple thousand dollars a month will allow us to pay our bills, keep people staffed and keep the door open. We are 100% relying on takeout and delivery. UberEats spokesman Alix Anfang said the ordinance strikes the right balance between helping restaurants while preserving delivery options for Jersey City residents who rely on apps. Similar caps have been considered and instituted around the country, including in Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco. The City Council previously attempted to pass similar legislation in May, but it was tabled once the state passed its own 20% cap, which expired on Dec. 31. Ward D Councilman James Solomon, who sponsored the ordinance, said during his vote that the cap will last until the end of the pandemic or until the state takes further action. When they are charged 30% per order and their business is now 90% takeout delivery it is just making an extraordinarily negative impact on their business, Solomon said. It just gives restaurants a little extra boost to try to get them through a very difficult next couple of months. The City Council also passed a resolution waiving the 20-day wait period for the ordinance to go into effect. All adopted ordinances typically go into effect 20 days after they receive council approval. The Commission that oversees the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) is tightening up the rules on procurement by the State body, according to minutes of its November meeting. Under new internal regulations, there will now be stricter monitoring of when direct awards can be made outside of a competitive process while staying compliant with procurement rules. The Commission is also updating the approval requirements for contracts, applying more scrutiny to cross-border suppliers and addressing how amendments to contracts are managed. The updates were originally proposed in an annual review of the CBI's corporate procurement policy and recommended for approval by the Commission's audit committee. The changes follow reports by the Irish Independent that several recent tenders bypassed normal procurement rules under emergency provisions for Covid. The CBI has invoked emergency procurement authority in awarding six no-tender contracts for services since March, using a provision that allows public bodies to skip normal competitive procedures when certain conditions are met. The largest, which the Irish Independent reported in September, went to a US technology services provider for an undisclosed amount for the management of the Central Bank's data centre. DXC Technology, a New York Stock Exchange listed global IT company with an office in Leixlip, Co Kildare, won a renewed contract in July for a further two-year term with an option for two one-year extensions without having to bid against other companies. The CBI skipped the normal process under a regulation that allows awarding authorities to grant contracts directly when an unforeseeable event beyond the control of the authority creates an extreme urgency that prevents the observation of time limits. A survey by the Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) published last month found a growing distrust among SMEs about the fairness of Government tendering processes. Only four in ten private sector businesses in the survey said the public sector can be trusted. Read More Separately, the Minister for Finance has filled vacant seats on the Central Bank Commission after the shortage of directors caused the suspension of some board functions. Three new independent non-executives were appointed December 1, bringing the Commission up to its full complement after more than a year of operating below the minimum requirement. The Commission was forced to suspend much of its governance activity - including meetings of the risk committee and the budget and remuneration committee - for two months last year. The audit committee continued to meet despite having a vacant post. It is currently staffed by two non-executive directors, Patricia Byron and John Trethowan, pending new appointments. Best practice according to the State code for governance of public bodies says the audit committee should have three independent members. The new members are: Shay Cody, general secretary of Forsa; Sarah Keane, CEO of Swim Ireland; and David Miles, a professor of economics at Imperial College, London and a former central banker at the Bank of England. New Delhi: Pakistan on Thursday said that alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav will not be executed till he does not exhaust all his mercy appeals. Jadhav still has two mercy appeals left, one with the Pakistani Army chief and another with the President of Pakistan. "Irrespective of ICJ's stay, Jadhav will remain alive until he has exhausted the right to request for clemency, initially with the COAS (army chief) and later with President," Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said. Zakaria said that India's petition at the world court was about Jadhav's entitlement to consular access and not about whether the ICJ can act as Court of appeal from Pakistani legal proceedings. "It is not about whether the ICJ can act as a Court of Appeal from Pakistani legal proceedings. That is why Barrister Khawar Qureshi informed the Court that India cannot obtain from the Court what it is seeking. He also told the Court that India is using media to create false impression about the case," he said. Also Read: Cleric offers reward of Rs 20 lakh for garlanding Pak PM with Kulbhushan Jadhavs shoes Calling ICJ's stay on Jadhav's execution as "nothing but usual" Zakaria said the Indian authorities had failed to provide information sought by Islamabad on the basis of Jadhav's confession of spying and instigating terror in Pakistan. However, the International Court of Justice had denied permission to Pakistan to play the "confessional" video during the hearing of Jadhav case. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Zaandam, the Netherlands, January 5, 2021 - Ahold Delhaize and Centerbridge Partners are pleased to announce today that they have closed the acquisition of New York City-based online grocer FreshDirect after receiving regulatory clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Through the acquisition, which was previously announcedon November 18, 2020, Ahold Delhaize acquires the majority share, funded by cash on hand, and Centerbridge Partners is a minority equity investor with a 20% stake. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. As previously announced, FreshDirect will retain its brand name and continue to independently operate out of its facility in New York City. Frans Muller, Ahold Delhaize's Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are very pleased that we can now definitively welcome FreshDirect to our family of great local brands. This leading local online brand with a large and loyal following will help us reach additional customers in the New York trade area and further propel our omni-channel evolution. We are looking forward to working with our new FreshDirect colleagues." David McInerney, FreshDirect's Chief Executive Officer, said, "Today marks the beginning of an exciting new era for FreshDirect. Ahold Delhaize will build on FreshDirect's success, ensuring the continued growth of our company, while creating synergy and maintaining the uniqueness of the brand. I am thankful to our loyal and devoted customers, many of whom have been with us since the beginning, and very proud of and grateful for the FreshDirect team, which has worked tirelessly over the years to make our company a leader in the field. The entire FreshDirect team looks forward to working together with our new Ahold Delhaize colleagues." Steve Silver, Senior Managing Director at Centerbridge Partners, said, "We are excited to start this new partnership with Ahold Delhaize, in which we can utilize our experience in the interplay between logistics facilities and e-commerce fulfillment in order for FreshDirect to grow further." Cautionary Notice This communication includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Words and expressions such as acquires, remains, unchanged, will, retain, continue, definitively, reach, further, propel, looking forward, marks, beginning, ensuring, grow(th), maintaining, looks forward or other similar words or expressions are typically used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the "Company") to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings and other disclosures. Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company's management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company's management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law. For more information: Press office: +31 88 659 5134 Investor relations: +31 88 659 5213 Social media: Twitter: @AholdDelhaize YouTube: @AholdDelhaize LinkedIn: @Ahold-Delhaize About Ahold Delhaize Ahold Delhaize is one of the world's largest food retail groups and a leader in both supermarkets and e-Commerce. Its family of great, local brands serves 54 million customers each week in Europe, the United States, and Indonesia. Together, these brands employ more than 380,000 associates in 6,967 grocery and specialty stores and include the top online retailer in the Benelux and the leading online grocers in the Benelux and the United States. Ahold Delhaize brands are at the forefront of sustainable retailing, sourcing responsibly, supporting local communities and helping customers make healthier choices. Headquartered in Zaandam, the Netherlands, Ahold Delhaize is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels stock exchanges. About FreshDirect FreshDirect is a leading online fresh food grocer, delivering directly to customers throughout seven states, including the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, and the District of Columbia. FreshDirect is committed to sourcing the freshest and best-tasting meat, fish, produce, and specialty items through direct relationships with suppliers, growers, and farmers. Launched in 2002, FreshDirect is a privately held company headquartered in The Bronx, NY. Principal long-term investors in FreshDirect include Brightwood Capital Advisors, Maverick Capital and W Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.freshdirect.com. About Centerbridge Partners Centerbridge Partners, L.P. is a private investment management firm employing a flexible approach across investment disciplines-from private equity to credit and related strategies, and real estate-in an effort to find the most attractive opportunities for our investors and business partners. The Firm was founded in 2005 and as of June 30, 2020 has approximately $26 billion in capital under management with offices in New York and London. Centerbridge is dedicated to partnering with world-class management teams across targeted industry sectors and geographies to help companies achieve their operating and financial objectives. For more information, please visit www.centerbridge.com. At least 19 people, who arrived from the UK are missing in Patna. A civil surgeon, Vibha Kumari, said the Patna airport had given the list of passengers who came from the UK between November 23 and December 31 and their addresses. But when health officials went to their houses to put them under quarantine, they found the people were missing. "The Patna airport has given the list of passengers who came from the UK from November 23 to December 23 and their addresses. When health officials went to their houses to put them under quarantine, they found they were missing. Since their mobile numbers are untraceable, it is extremely difficult to trace them out and put under quarantine," Vibha Kumari told IANS news agency. Kumari added that mobile numbers of the missing passengers were also untraceable. The UK is witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases after detection of a new variant, which causes a higher infection rate. India's Health Ministry had issued fresh guidelines for passengers returning from the UK. "They could face legal action under the Disaster Management and Epidemic Acts. We will also recommend authorities for cancellation of their passports as well," she said. Meanwhile, according to the union health ministry, the number of samples detected with the the new, more contagious strain of the novel coronavirus has jumped to 38 as of Monday. Also read: 'Carried out 200% honest clinical trials': Bharat Biotech Chairman hits out at critics Also read: Covaxin side effects recorded in real time; efficacy data out soon: Krishna Ella People in Turkey are routinely strip searched while being taken into custody over a tweet, visiting family members in prison or simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, such as in a dormitory. This is a humiliating experience, a form of sexual harassment that usually creates too much embarrassment for survivors to speak out in public. Strip searches have increased since the 2013 Gezi protests, and parliament has been made aware of the issue multiple times. In 2018, for example, the Ministry of Justice answered the allegations of strip searches, saying, We didnt conduct a search. They (those in custody) stripped naked on their own. Over the last couple of weeks, Turkish social media has been rocked by hundreds of women speaking out on video about their own experiences with strip searches. Most of these women are hijabis. Indeed, Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), brought the matter to the public eye in mid-September after thirty college students were taken into custody in Usak province and strip searched. Not many people seemed to care until these women organized and spoke in front of cameras about their and their childrens horrifying experiences. In response to Gergerlioglus statement, Ozlem Zengin, a lawmaker from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said, I have not seen any other lawmaker who terrorizes the parliament [as much as Gergerlioglu does]. When asked to elaborate on what she meant, Zengin said Whenever [Gergerlioglu] speaks in parliament, he always talks about his own agenda. I do not believe there are strip searches in Turkey. It doesnt happen. And the women he talks about are pious Muslim women. Can we allow such treatment of them? My whole life is dedicated to the womens movement. Can we tolerate one woman to be treated like this? she added. Zengins blatant denial is embedded in her emphasis on "pious" women. She refers to the fact that these women are hijabis, and the treatment of such women cannot be permitted. Zengin's sentence insinuates that all women are not equal before the law or in the eyes of law enforcement. She and other AKP figures frequently remind the public about the grievances of the headscarf ban and divide the society further as us (Islamists) and others. Any criticism about their income and spending is promptly shielded with the defense that these women are pious. Womens rights have significantly regressed in Turkey over the last two decades. We have to ask: What have the women in power AKPs female representatives done about this? Ayse Acar Basaran, an HDP deputy and spokesperson for the partys Women's Council, told Al-Monitor, Just being a woman, as a biological attribute, is not sufficient; the mentality about female consciousness is crucial. We need more women who are willing to be involved in the womens movement. For example, during the budget talks at the parliament recently, I said, This is a male-minded budget that ignores female identity, and I got opposition from other [female] deputies. It is not easy to be involved in politics. Women, if they are organized independently, can act and lead as women politicians. We observe Basarans comments frequently in Turkish politics, where female politicians in the AKP and its ultra nationalist ally Nationalist Movement Party are either invisible or in denial about womens problems. From time to time, when there is public outrage about a womens brutal murder, female politicians come out and express their condolences. Eren Keskin, vice president of Turkeys Human Rights Association and a prominent attorney, told Al-Monitor, Since 1997, we have had 758 women asking for our help as survivors of sexual attacks. Perpetrators generally are soldiers, police and other men in uniform. None have been punished. Some cases have been taken to the ECHR and found justice there. For each case about sexual and physical violence against women, all we hear from the AKPs female politicians is that they will follow the case closely. The AKP has 54 female lawmakers (the AKP's total share out of the 584-deputy parliament is 289); six of them have never spoken or sought to introduce a bill to the floor. The AKPs female deputies frequently make statements that raise eyebrows. In 2016, Sema Ramazanoglu, then family minister, held a press conference to answer questions about sexual harassment cases involving 45 minors at Ensar Schools, a religious endowment. Her statements seemed more concerned about the reputation of the endowment than the accusations. Referring to the rape incidents, she uttered, [If it happens] only once, it should not mean anything. Huda Kaya, another HDP deputy, told Al-Monitor, Patriarchy is a mindset. Despotism, arrogance really does not have a gender. A man or woman with this mindset can reflect the scariest forms of fanaticism. There are women in all aspects of life that fail to fight against patriarchy because it has permeated society like a poison. Remziye Tosun, an HDP lawmaker, complemented Kayas statement as she told Al-Monitor, Women have to be organized. The Kurdish womens movement is targeted because they know we have solidarity to support each other. It is not just the freedom of expression, but that of assembly and association is crucial to battle against patriarchy. It must be difficult for the AKPs female members to criticize physical violence. In 2017, the AKPs female lawmakers brutally attacked opposition parties female members. One of those attacked, Safak Pavey, had to be hospitalized as her prosthetic arm was removed. Every women's day march or another women's protest against violence is met with police brutality. The AKPs female deputies never join these marches or acknowledge womens suffering. The AKP was carried on the shoulders of women in the early 2000s when they campaigned vigorously door to door. However, womens rights for AKPs female elites either in government or in nongovernmental organizations such as the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) have been stuck on the issue of headscarves. The right to wear a headscarf as a public employee has been one of the AKPs major accomplishments, which could not have been possible without the achievements of the feminist movement in Turkey. Since then, however, it has become a shield to silence all criticism. Ayse Cavdar, anthropologist and journalist, told Al-Monitor, [The] AKPs hijabi representatives try to justify all the wrong actions of the government today with their battle for the right to wear the headscarf. This behavior pattern jeopardizes not only the legitimacy of the political power they hold today, but also their own histories of those battles for freedom of religion (which includes not only of worship, practice and teaching, but also that of dress codes), human rights and womens rights. This leaves a bitter legacy for the future." One day before the country roused itself from a holiday break, one of the most powerful families in Republican politics issued a double-barreled rebuke of President Trump. Dick Cheney, the former vice president, and Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, drew on their significant political capital and decades of experience in Washington to attack the presidents false claims of vote stealing and his undemocratic effort to overturn the election, which President-elect Joe Biden won. It was a significant moment because of Liz Cheneys upward political trajectory, and placed her at the front of the one lane of the Republican Party that has refused to yield to Trumps attempted coup. Cheney, a 54-year-old congresswoman from Wyoming, released a 21-page memo that excoriated the attempts by some Republicans in Congress to challenge the election results, which they plan to do on Wednesday. The memo included a thorough compendium of all the ways in which state and federal courts have dismissed and rejected claims of cheating. Rep. Liz Cheney at a news conference with fellow House Republicans outside the Capitol in Washington on Dec. 10. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) By objecting to electoral slates, members are unavoidably asserting that Congress has the authority to overturn elections and overrule state and federal courts. Such objections set an exceptionally dangerous precedent, threatening to steal states explicit constitutional responsibility for choosing the President and bestowing it instead on Congress. This is directly at odds with the Constitutions clear text and our core beliefs as Republicans, Cheney wrote in the memo, which was published Sunday. As for the proposal by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to form a commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns, Cheney responded with barely concealed scorn. Did those proposing a new commission realize that they were in essence proposing to delay the inaugural? Did they mean to set up a new future precedent where the inaugural is delayed and we have an Acting President? For how long? Who decides when that process is over? Will that require another Act of Congress? Could the Acting President veto any such future Congressional action? If Congress has authority to create such a commission now, are state elections, recounts and state law legal challenges just make-work until Congress gets around to investigating and deciding who should be President? Cheney wrote. President Trump walks to the Oval Office after returning from Florida on Thursday. (Bill O'Leary/the Washington Post via Getty Images) The memo clearly explained how the U.S. Constitution does not give Congress any role in deciding the presidency unless no one has a majority of Electoral College votes. Biden defeated Trump in the Nov. 3 election by winning 306 Electoral College votes to Trumps 232. Substituting our views for the votes of the people in the states ... would be establishing a tyranny of Congress and stealing power from the states and the people in those states, Cheney wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. The same day that Cheney released her memo, all 10 living former secretaries of defense wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post warning that any attempt to use the U.S. military to contest the election would take the country into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory. It also said that any members of the military who participated in such an undemocratic action would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic. The op-ed was organized and spearheaded by her 79-year-old father, who was the secretary of defense under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993. The Cheneys are not the only prominent Republicans to reject the descent into delusion that Trump has led millions of Republicans into. In the Senate, Republicans Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Mitt Romney of Utah have forcefully called out Trumps lies. Meanwhile, some of the most conservative Republican members of the House, such as Rep. Chip Roy and Rep. Ken Buck, have rejected the idea of challenging the Electoral College vote this week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has urged Senate Republicans not to vote against the election results. And former House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., also issued a scathing criticism of Cruz and others like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who plan to contest the election this week. It is difficult to conceive of a more anti-democratic and anti-conservative act, Ryan said. Former Sen. John Danforth, a Republican who represented Missouri for nearly 20 years and who gave Hawley his endorsement in 2018, called him out by name. Lending credence to Trumps false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack on our constitutional government. It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical, Danforth said. But there are few Republicans in American political life who have developed more fearsome reputations for political battle than the Cheneys, especially since Dick Cheneys tenure as vice president from 2001 to 2009. After the 9/11 attacks, Dick Cheney became an even more hard-line defense hawk than he already was and pushed the limits of the law and ethics in advocating for interrogation practices viewed by many as torture. Nicknamed Darth Vader by friends and foes alike, his views on national security were so uncompromising that over time he even alienated President George W. Bush to some degree. Rep. Liz Cheney, right, and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, at the Capitol in Washington in 2017. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) Barbara Comstock, a former Republican member of Congress who worked in the George W. Bush administration, said that the Cheney family has the stomach for the kind of backlash prompted by standing up to Trump. When youve been through these battles before and youve had everyone go at you youre not as intimidated by it, Comstock, an ally of Liz Cheney, said. Once theyve ripped through you and youve survived, its Hey, Im here to do the job. Im not going to be bullied or intimidated. Comstock noted that many members of Congress from overwhelmingly conservative districts are not used to criticism from their own side. As for the gambit by Hawley, Cruz and others to challenge the election results, Comstock said its dumb and dumber, and its lazy. The Cheneys have had to do hard real work in politics, and they arent disrespecting people when they have to tell them hard things. Theyve done it before and theyve taken the slings and arrows of it and theyre willing to do it, she said. Liz Cheney held senior positions at the State Department during the George W. Bush presidency, but her entry into running for political office got off to an ignominious start. In 2013, she rushed into a primary challenge of a sitting Republican senator, Mike Enzi, who had been considering retirement but put that off by six years in part because of Cheneys failure to wait for him to make a decision. Cheney eventually withdrew from the race. But since her election to the House in 2016, Cheney has quickly risen up the ranks of Republican leadership despite her less-than-stellar relationship with the White House. Although she has voted with Trumps wishes most of the time, she has also bucked him, and at times publicly called him out. When she turned down the opportunity to take Enzis seat this past fall, it got House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthys attention, as well as that of the House minority whip, Rep. Steve Scalise. Both McCarthy and Scalise would like to be House speaker if Republicans retake the House majority, in 2022 or 2024, and Cheney now is clearly signaling that she will likely gun for that job as well. Steve Schmidt, a former Republican operative who co-founded the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, said that after the votes this week on the Electoral College, McCarthy will be the leader of House Autocrats and [Cheney] will be the Leader of House Conservatives. At the same time, there are some dissenting voices on the right who have watched the Cheneys over the years and see more political calculation in Liz Cheneys latest moves than courage. I dont understand why they didnt do this a while ago, and I think its opportunistic for her to stand up after [Trumps] been fully established as a menace to America, said one Republican operative who has observed the Cheneys for decades but who did not want to be identified. Standing up to it now when its totally not going to work, theres no political cost. A glance at the comments section underneath Cheneys Facebook post, however, suggests she will have to steel herself for a good deal of criticism in the coming days at least. And Trump, who remains popular among the GOP rank and file, has repeatedly promised that he will seek revenge on Republican lawmakers who refute his attempts to stay in power. I will NEVER FORGET! he tweeted on Christmas Eve. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... AL-ULA, Saudi Arabia Gulf Arab leaders signed a declaration Tuesday to ease a rift with Qatar, following Saudi Arabias decision to end a 3 1/2-year embargo of the tiny energy-rich country that deeply divided regional U.S. security allies and frayed social ties across the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia also said it was restoring full diplomatic relations with Qatar, although it was not clear how soon the step would be followed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, which had joined the kingdom in isolating the country over its regional policies. On Monday night, the eve of the Gulf Arab leaders summit in the ancient desert city of Al-Ula, the Saudis announced they would open the kingdoms airspace and borders to Qatar, the first major step toward ending the diplomatic crisis that began in 2017, when the Trump administration was starting to raise pressure on Iran. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ It was unclear what, if any, significant concessions Qatar had made before the summit. Still, an immediate shift in tone was palpable as one of Qatars Al Jazeera Arabic news Twitter accounts shared photos of the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi skylines on Tuesday following years of critical coverage. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters after the summit that diplomatic relations would be restored in full with Qatar, although no time frame was given. We are extremely pleased with having been able to achieve this very important breakthrough that we believe will contribute very much to the stability and security of all our nations in the region, Prince Faisal said. We are at a place where everybody is satisfied and happy the returning of diplomatic relations, flights, etc., all of that will now go back to normal. The diplomatic breakthrough followed a final push by the outgoing Trump administration and Kuwait to mediate the dispute. It also came as Saudi Arabia seeks to unify Arab ranks ahead of the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden, which is expected to take a firmer stand toward the kingdom and re-engage with Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif congratulated Qatar for the success of its brave resistance to pressure & extortion. He also said in a message to other Arab leaders that Iran is neither an enemy nor threat especially with your reckless patron on his way out, referring to Trump. Dania Thafer, executive director of Gulf International Forum, said Saudi Arabia is concerned about whether Biden will draw down the U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf that had expanded under President Donald Trump and enter back into nuclear negotiations with Iran. If that is the case, then the (Arab) states need to respond with a regional solution to security. And I think resolving the Gulf crisis is one step forward towards that direction, she said. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who embraced Qatars emir upon his arrival at the summit, said the region needed to unite and face challenges posed by Irans proxies and its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. He said the declaration signed by Gulf leaders and Egypt emphasizes Arab and Gulf solidarity and stability, and reinforces the continuity of friendship and brotherhood between our countries. The four countries that jointly boycotted Qatar were hoping their embargo and media blitz would pressure it to end its close relations with Turkey and Iran. Egypt and the UAE view the support by Qatar and Turkey of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood as a security threat. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are primarily concerned about Qatars ties with Iran. The boycott failed to change Dohas stance, however, instead buoying its young ruler domestically as patriotic fervor swept through Qatar in support of his resolve. It also pushed Qatar closer to Turkey and Iran, which rushed to assist the ultra-wealthy Gulf state as it faced medical and food supply shortages in the first days of the embargo. While the Saudi decision to end its embargo marks a milestone toward resolving the dispute, the path toward full reconciliation is far from guaranteed. The rift between Abu Dhabi and Doha has been deepest, with the UAE and Qatar at sharp ideological odds. The UAEs Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, tweeted late Monday that his country was keen to restore Gulf unity but cautioned: We have more work to do. The conflict in Libya remains a contentious issue, with Egypt and the UAE supporting military commander Khalifa Hifter, who launched a 2019 assault on a Tripoli-based bloc backed by Turkey and Qatar. Thafer said the issues that sparked the row havent been eliminated. The core tensions are still lingering, and that leaves a major question mark on how will they move forward, she said. The summit and the declaration signed in Al-Ula to support Gulf unity were confidence-building mechanisms more than they were a full reconciliation. The presence of Qatars Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the summit marked the first time hes attended the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Saudi Arabia since the boycott began. He sent an envoy to the past two summits there. Images later appeared on social media of the Saudi crown prince driving Sheikh Tamim around Al-Ulas historic sites after the summit and before his return to Qatar. Egypts foreign minister also attended the meeting of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The meeting was chaired by the Saudi crown prince rather than his father, King Salman. Qatars finance minister arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for the opening of a luxury hotel on the Nile that was developed by the Qatari real estate company Diar. It is the first visit to Egypt by a senior Qatari official since the crisis began. Egypts finance minister also attended, as did U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Saudi Arabias decision to end the embargo not only underscored the kingdoms assertion of its heavyweight position among Arab states, but also its regional leadership, which has been challenged at times by the UAEs unilateral and politically shrewd moves. This years GCC summit is the first since Washington brokered normalization deals between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in rapid succession, marking a major shift in regional alliances. Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who spearheaded those deals, was at the summit for the signing of the Gulf declaration. The dispute had pitted regional U.S. allies against one another at a time when the Trump administration was working to pressure Iran. It also separated families who had intermarried with Qataris and ended years of visa-free travel for Qataris in parts of the Gulf. Thafer said the dispute was seen as low-hanging fruit that the Trump administration felt it had the leverage to try to resolve quickly. Qatars only land border with Saudi Arabia, which it relied on for the import of dairy products, construction materials and other goods, has been mostly closed since June 2017. The boycotting countries made a list of demands on Qatar that year, including that it shutter its flagship Al-Jazeera news network and terminate Turkish military presence in Qatar, which is also home to a major U.S. military base. Qatar rejected the demands and has denied support of extremists. Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Isabel Debre and Malak Harb in Dubai, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed. In the wake of a controversy after it was reported that Serum Institute of India has been barred to export vaccines to other countries, the health ministry on Tuesday clarified that no such decision was taken ever. On Tuesday, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla too clarified that there was no ban on the exports of vaccine. The Union government has not banned the export of any of the Covid-19 vaccines. This should be absolutely clear. When I say Union government, I mean ministry of health and family welfare, ministry of commerce, the department for promotion of industry and internal trade, directorate general of foreign trade. These are the departments which can ban the export of vaccines in any hypothetical situation. They have not taken any action regarding this. So, this is my earnest request to media friends that we should be on guard when such misinformation is spread, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said. Exports of Covishield allowed to all countries, clarifies Adar Poonawalla Referring to the joint statement issued by the companies Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech which have got restricted, emergency-use approval, the secretary said, Among other things, the statement said vaccines are a global public health good and that the companies are considering it as their duty to the nation and the world at large. So what does it mean? It means that neither the government and nor the vaccine makers are talking about any ban. The Associated Press has recently quoted Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla as saying that the government has asked the worlds largest vaccine maker to not export vaccines to any other country. Serum Institute has earlier agreed to supply millions of doses of vaccines to Bangladesh, global vaccine alliance Gavi etc. Hence, the report led to confusions as Prime Minister Narendra Modi too reiterated that Indias Make in India pledge has to translate to Make for the world. On vaccine too, specifically the prime minister had earlier said that India will be ready to supply vaccines to other countries. On Tuesday, both Adar Poonawalla and the health ministry clarified that there was no such ban. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 As we've seen, proving election fraud is difficult. Often, the data are in the hands of Democrat politicians and bureaucrats who refuse to make it available. Additionally, computers mean that a lot of suspected changes take place invisibly, and even if the Democrat pols and bureaucrats allowed a deep dive into the computer systems, it can be impossible to track what happened. However, the one thing that cannot be hidden is negative vote counts. In a system that adds votes, irrefutable evidence that Trump kept having thousands of votes subtracted would prove that the system was being manipulated. On January 3, I wrote about evidence during the hearing in Georgia from the Data Integrity Group, which is made up of scientists, engineers, and machine learning experts. According to the group, aside from precincts with highly suspicious returns (e.g., Biden receiving more than 95% of the votes), the biggest tell that something funny was going on in Georgia was the fact that Trump lost votes during the vote count. Voting should always be an additive process. We cast our ballots for a candidate, not against one. This means that every ballot cast should be a +1 for the candidate. Put another way, in an honest electoral system, there is no such thing as a "-1 ballot" that would see Trump lose a vote every time this imaginary negative ballot was cast. Likewise, there's no such thing as a "transfer ballot," which would effectively have the voter announce, "I want you to take one vote from Trump and give it to Biden." What the Data Integrity Group revealed is that it looks as if the magic "-1 ballots" and "transfer ballots" were used in Georgia. How else can we explain the still unrefuted claim that Trump's votes vanished or were magically transferred to Biden? Scott Adams got excited about this negative trend. In his January 3 Coffee with Scott Adams video, he asked, "Is there ever a reason that the cumulative vote count could turn negative under normal non-hacked conditions?" As far as Adams was concerned, all of the other allegations about election fraud can take a back seat. "Your Kraken isn't big. Your Kraken is that simplification." It turns out the Kraken simplification exists in Pennsylvania, too. On Monday, The Epoch Times published an exclusive report and video from the Data Integrity Group showing that, once the data for all the Pennsylvania counties are considered, Trump lost over 432,000 votes. The video and the article are behind a paywall, but I can certainly give you the gist. The Data Integrity Group looked at the vote count for Donald Trump over the course of time. In an honest system, what one would expect is that the number would constantly rise over time as votes came in. The trend line might rise sharply if Trump received a lot of votes, or slowly if votes trickle in, or even flatline for a while if there was a gap in Trump votes. The one thing the time-trend line should never do is drop, which would mean that votes are disappearing from Trump's tally. That's exactly what happened. In at least 15 counties, according to the Epoch Times story, Trump lost in-person votes, while he lost absentee votes in three other countries. The total result was staggering: At least 432,116 votes 213,707 election day votes and 218,409 absentee votes were removed in total. "There were vote movements across all candidates. However, we did not see the same type of negative decrements to any of the [other] candidates that we saw with President Trump's tallies, and they happened repeatedly with no explanation," Lynda McLaughlin, a member of the group, told The Epoch Times. Given that Biden is alleged to have won the state by 80,555 votes, if the above information is correct, it would swing the state to Trump. As Scott Adams said in his commentary today about the reported vanishing votes in Pennsylvania, the beauty of this assertion lies in its simplicity. Either the votes vanished (as the Data Integrity Group says they did) or they didn't (as no one has yet asserted). This analysis does not require trying to extract information from recalcitrant Democrats, nor getting affidavits from witnesses to fraud, nor raiding servers overseas. It's either correct or it's not, and if it's correct and it seems to be a trend in other contested areas then all those vanished votes go back to Trump. Image: The Vanishing Vote by Andrea Widburg. Director of operations at Jubilee House, Lord Commeys wife, Mrs. Anita Commey celebrated her birthday recently in a very special way. Anita turned a year old on Sunday January 3, 2021 and her husband made her day special with a lavish beach teamed birthday party at their residence in Accra. The entire flour of their McCarthy Hills mansion was filled with beach sand to get a beach feel and the dress code was beach wear. Anita had three birthday cakes imported from Nigerian, America and Europe with enough to eat and drink. Celebrities spotted at the party includes; Nana Ama McBrown and her husband, Kumi Guitar, Tinny, among others. Several politicians, Businessmen, Security Executives and other high profile personalities were also present at the party to celebrate with Anita. Watch video below: Lord and Anita have been for 15 years of happy marriage on 22 January, 2020 while he was away for official duties in Davos, Switzerland.Mrs. Anita Commey is a Canadian trained beauty therapist who owns a chain of high end luxury salons in Accra and beyond and they have 3 Beautiful daughters namely, Naa, KK and Eliena. Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mumbai: A court here on Tuesday gave police time till February 5 asa last chance to file a report on a complaint against actor Kangana Ranaut and her sister for posting alleged hateful messages on social media. In October, the magistrates court had asked suburban Amboli police to conduct an inquiry into the `private complaint and file a report by December 5. The police failed to file a report and was given time till January 5, but it against missed the deadline. The court on Tuesday said the police was being given the last chance to file the report by February 5, said advocate Ali Kashif Khan Deshmukh who is also the complainant in the case. The complaint said that Ranauts sister Rangoli Chandel had posted an objectionable message on Twitter in April targeting a particular community, following which her account was suspended. Ranaut herself then posted a video in support of her sister and referred to a sect of that community as terrorists in the same video, the complaint said, seeking police investigation and action against the two. Related Saudi says full ties restored with Qatar Talks held on the Qatari crisis during the Arab Quartets boycott of Doha over the last three years had reached a dead end. This last round, however, proved to be a different story. On Tuesday, leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed two documents, the Al-Ula declaration and a final communique during a summit in the Saudi Al-Ula city. "These efforts helped us reach the agreement of the Al-Ula statement that will be signed at this summit, where we affirm our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said during the summit. "There is a desperate need today to unite our efforts to promote our region and to confront challenges that surround us, especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and its plans for sabotage and destruction." Fruitful discussions have taken place during the past period, during which all parties stressed their keenness on Gulf and Arab solidarity and stability, and to reach a final agreement that will achieve what they aspire to in terms of lasting solidarity among their countries and the best interests of their peoples, read a tweet by Sheikh Ahmed El-Nasser Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti foreign minister, in early December. For over two years the late emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed spearheaded efforts to mediate between Qatar and the Arab Quartet, the latter comprising Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. No breakthrough had been achieved since the boycott started in June 2017. Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the half-brother of the late emir, continued the same course. Qatar is now optimistic about resolving the Gulf crisis, according to a tweet by Sheikh Mohamed Al-Thani, the Qatari foreign minister. Kuwaits statement is an important step towards resolving the Gulf crisis. We are thankful to Kuwait for mediating the crisis since the beginning. We also appreciate the US efforts made in this regard, and we affirm that our priority has been and will remain the interest and security of people of the Gulf and the region." Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated that Riyadh appreciates Kuwaits efforts Kuwait to bridge the gap in viewpoints that led to the Gulf crisis. We appreciate the US efforts in this regard, and we aspire to success for the benefit and good of the region. At the 16th IISS Manama Dialogue, held in Bahrain on 4 December, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said resolving the Gulf crisis has become possible and that the US is hoping to see it through. Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain have kept a watchful eye on the talks, but made no comment. |Analysts had different interpretations to what is been going on behind closed doors. While Some observers suggest that Saudi Arabia has abandoned its allies and that Doha will come out the winner after imposing its vision. Doha-informed observers, on the other hand, claim Saudi Arabia will prioritize Qatar over its allies. However, in fact UAE-informed counterparts say that, while Qatar sought a rapprochement with Saudi Arabia alone, Riyadh is insisting on a comprehensive resolution. For Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri, Cairo is eager to resolve the crisis provided that Doha meets the demands of the Arab Quartet. On announcing the boycott in 2017, the Arab Quartet demanded that Qatar should shut down the satellite news channel Al-Jazeera and other Qatari-funded media outlets such as Araby 21, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Rasd network, and others, in addition to severing its ties with Iran and ending Turkish military presence in its territories. The Arab Quartet also requested that Doha should sever its ties with Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and Syrian extremists. The four countries also demanded that Qatar should hand over figures who are wanted in the Arab Quartet countries, such as Muslim Brotherhood theorist Youssef Al-Qaradawi and extremist preacher Wagdi Ghoneim. Doha found these demands to be in breach of its sovereignty, and declared its refusal to abide by them, requesting unconditional negotiations instead. Despite the significance of the Gulf region to Washington, the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump did not manage to smooth over the resulting rift. The Trump administration wanted a Gulf united against Iran but ended up siding with the Quartet. Trump later pressured Riyadh to open its airspace to Qatari aviation to stop the flow of money to Tehran, since it was being paid millions of dollars for allowing Qatari aircraft to use its airspace. Meanwhile a number of Gulf leaders said they would not attend the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, slated for 5 January. It would be a challenge for the region if a rapprochement does not take place, especially considering the sensitive situation in Yemen, where a costly war between the Quartet and Iran has been fought by proxy, and from which all parties are eager to extricate themselves. A legitimate, internationally recognised government has yet to find its way to Sanaa, and the military approach has not worked. Harsh humanitarian as well as security, economic and political conditions have resulted, with the president changing three times and no gains achieved. Likewise the Iran-backed Houthis: they control the majority of inhabited areas in the country but have yet to achieve a decisive victory or improve their supporters living conditions. The administration of President-Elect Joe Biden will probably want to reinstate Obamas 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, which the Gulf states had opposed at the time, with Saudi Arabia calling on Washington to involve the Gulf in future negotiations with Iran. But this demand would be difficult to meet if the Gulf remained divided, and this is likely to be a principal factor in Riyadh agreeing to negotiate with Doha. After the assassination of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and the chief Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, which make it difficult for Tehran to persuade its hardline wing of their efficacy, US-Iranian negotiations might not be easy to resume. Being more closely allied to pro-Israel parties that refuse to grant Iran any advantages, the Biden administration might be additionally constrained. With the Riyadh-sympathetic Mustafa Al-Kadhemi assuming the leadership of the Iraqi government recently, the Gulf did deal Iran a tangible blow. Soleimanis murder in Iraq was useful for Iran mobilising its supporters, but Al-Kadhemis visit to Saudi Arabia reflects the Iraqi peoples uprising against Irans influence and its supporters in the regime in Baghdad. The Lebanese government, controlled by Iran's arm in Lebanon, Hizbullah, is likewise compromised, not only due to popular anger following the Beirut port explosion, but also because, despite the bloody history between Hizbullah and Israel, Beirut is in indirect negotiations with Israel over the maritime borders, catching the last locomotive in the normalisation train. One thing is for sure: the Iranian-Saudi conflict will not end in a single round. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 January, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly with the title A Horizon For Detente. Short link: Germany extended its lockdown and tightened restrictions as pressure mounts on Chancellor Angela Merkel's government to contain the coronavirus spread and speed up vaccinations. Merkel and state leaders agreed on Tuesday to limit nonessential travel to 9.3 miles (15 kilometers) for people living in areas with more than 200 cases per 100,000 people, according to a person familiar with the discussions. The restrictions will affect many of Germany's major cities, particularly in the hard-hit states of Bavaria and Saxony. Nuremberg, Dresden, Potsdam and dozens of others have incidence rates above the 200 threshold. Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich are below that level, according to the RKI public health institute. Private gatherings will be limited to one person from another household, with children no longer exempt from the rules. Nonessential stores and leisure facilities will remain shuttered in Europe's largest economy until at least Jan. 31, according to the person. Weeks into a hard shutdown, contagion rates are still more than double the level the government has determined to be manageable, and there was broad consensus that action was needed. Merkel is set to announce the new rules after a video conference with the heads of the 16 federal states. Officials are still debating what to do with schools and day-care facilities. With hundreds dying each day, political tensions threaten to escalate further amid a rising tide of criticism over the government's strategy to distribute a coronavirus vaccine. A national election is due in September and top officials from the Social Democrats -- the junior partner in the ruling coalition -- attacked Health Minister Jens Spahn, a leading figure in Merkel's Christian Democrats, over apparent delays. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz -- the SPD's chancellor candidate -- on Monday presented Spahn with a lengthy list of questions about why vaccinations are not happening faster, Bild newspaper reported. The crisis is set to be discussed at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Merkel has been drawn into the controversy after Bild published a June letter from Spahn that indicated the German leader was behind the strategy to hand off vaccine procurement to the European Commission. Europe has become an epicenter of the pandemic since cases began ticking up again in October, with more than 400,000 coronavirus-related deaths and 17.3 million infections. Growing concern around Europe over diminishing hospital capacity and rapidly rising death rates has already prompted sharper measures in several countries in the region. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extended a ban on people moving around the country through mid-January, while British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shut England's schools and ordered people across the country to stay at home. In France, the government is seeking to speed up its vaccination rollout after a slow start. Merkel is coming under increasing scrutiny over her decision in the summer to task the European Union with negotiating with drug companies, a move critics say slowed down the process and reduced the quantity of jabs available. Officials in Merkel's administration have said they are seeking to accelerate the production and distribution of vaccines. In addition to the shot jointly developed by Germany's BioNTech SE, the approval of others by European health authorities should help accelerate the rollout. According to the latest data from the RKI public health institute, about 317,000 people had been immunized in Germany through midday Tuesday, just under 0.4% of the population. That compares with around 1.4% in the U.S. and Britain, which both began vaccinating several weeks earlier, and about 0.2% in Italy and Spain. After initially supporting an alliance with France, Italy and the Netherlands, Spahn has defended Germany's decision to buy and distribute vaccines simultaneously among EU members. He said it was fairer for the smaller countries that wouldn't have been able to negotiate on equal terms with manufacturers. Spahn told ARD television Tuesday that there wouldn't be any magical solutions overnight. "We have to be realistic," he said. "This won't be done quicker than around the summertime in many countries in the world." Oil prices on Tuesday soared to near $50 a barrel a key threshold in the U.S. after OPEC and its allies reached a production deal that will reduce the amount of oil the group releases to the market. The agreement pushed West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, to settle at $49.93 on Tuesday, up $2.31 or 4.9 percent a day after falling by 1 percent when talks stalled. U.S. producers say $50 oil, a price not seen since February, allows them to break even. In Tuesdays unusual deal, Saudi Arabia agreed to unilaterally cut 1 million barrels a day in February and March, while most of the rest of the group keeps output steady. Russia and Kazakhstan were allowed to raise production by a combined 75,000 barrels a day in each of those months, an increase that Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said would barely register on the market. If the proposal gets confirmed prices are definitely in for better days in the first quarter of 2021, said Bjornar Tonhaugen, head of oil markets for Norwegian research firm Rystad. The compromise breaks a deadlock among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies over whether to increase crude production as nations are still battling a coronavirus pandemic that has slashed demand for oil. OPEC and its allies are idling 7.2 million barrels a day, or about 7 percent of world supplies, and had planned to return 1.5 million barrels a day in installments over the coming months. Russia, however, eager to regain market share, had pushed to increase production by another 500,000 barrels per day in February. RECOVERY: Oil hits 8-month high on a slow march to $60, analysts say Oils recent rally will likely boost output by U.S. shale producers. U.S. production had fallen by 2.84 million barrels a day from November 2019 to May 2020, before rebounding by 1.2 million barrels per day in December. Karr Ingham, a petroleum economist with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, said he expects OPECs decisions on output will have little effect on U.S. production, which is expected to rise by 200,000 barrels per day by the end of 2021. Bringing back half a million barrels per day is peanuts compared to the 7.7 million barrels (OPEC) cut last year, Ingham said. Were not talking about undoing 7 million barrels of production cuts. The risk is minimal to Texas and U.S. producers. Ingham said renewed economic and travel restrictions in response to a new strain of the coronavirus pose a greater risk to the U.S. oil and gas industry than OPEC gradually raising production levels. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday imposed a national lockdown to slow the spread of the new COVID-19 variant. Where the rubber meets the road is this new strain of COVID and what it does to energy demand and prices, Ingham said. If the market begins to sense that these things are a problem, thats what the operators will respond to. Bloomberg contributed. Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Tunisia, which holds the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of January, on Monday expressed its wish to see the Council make a resolution on the deployment of peacekeepers to monitor the ceasefire in Libya Franklin Graham: Removal of 'gendered' language from House is 'shaking fist' in God's face Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Responding to the rule changes in the House of Representatives that eliminate the use of gendered terms like mother and father, the Rev. Franklin Graham has accused top House Democrats of trying to deny Gods authority. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Congressman James McGovern announced a set of changes to House rules to enshrine what they call gender-inclusive language and stop the use of so-called non-inclusive words, Graham said in a Facebook post Sunday. Can you believe that they actually propose to strike the use of words including father, mother, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, husband, and wife? After noting that these proposed changes will be voted on soon after the House starts the new session, which starts today, Graham shared a Bible passage from the Book of Genesis declaring that God created them male and female. According to Graham, the push to eliminate gender-specific language is shaking a fist in the Creators face, trying to deny His authority. If those claiming the name progressive are allowed to have their way, we wont even recognize this nation in a very short time, he warned. Let your Representative in Congress know that you want them to vote no to this ridiculousness. The House of Representatives officially voted on the proposal Monday, which was part of a broader package outlining the rules for the chamber in the 117th Congress. The vote came down along party lines, with all Democrats voting in favor of the package and all Republicans voting against it. Because Democrats have a narrow majority in the House of Representatives, the rules package passed and will remain in effect for the duration of the 117th Congress. Grahams post also included a link to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthys response to the changes. This is stupid. Signed, --a father, son, & brother, McCarthy said. McCarthy shared a screenshot of the rules, which called for replacing the words father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, grandson, or granddaughter with parent, child, sibling, parents sibling, first cousin, siblings child, spouse, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, half sibling, or grandchild. This is stupid. Signed, - A father, son, and brother https://t.co/bG9SlRAy6N Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 2, 2021 Additionally, the rules package called for eliminating the use of the word Chairman to address the heads of committees in the House of Representatives and instead use the word Chair. The rules also amended a portion of the Houses Code of Conduct outlining how members charged with or indicted for crimes must resign from their committee assignments. The phrase submit his or her resignation is replaced with resign and all other references to he or she are replaced with such Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner. While Speaker Pelosi has embraced the removal of gendered language in the House of Representatives, she refers to herself as a mother, grandmother (and) dark chocolate connoisseur on her Twitter profile. The removal of gendered language was not the only action taken by the newly sworn-in 117th Congress that made headlines across the U.S. On Sunday, Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., closed a prayer by saying Amen and a-woman instead of the traditional Amen. Graham weighed in on this as well. Democratic Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver from Missouri opened the 117th Congress in prayer yesterday, but he closed his prayer by saying Amen and a-woman, Graham explained in a separate Facebook post Monday. The word Amen simply means So be it, and thats why it is said at the end of prayers. It has nothing to do with gender. Regrettably, even prayer is no longer sacred to some in our halls of Congress, Graham concluded. One thing is obviouswe need more of it. Amen! MEA favours ECs proposal to give NRIs e-ballots India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 05: The Election Commission of India has found favour of its proposal to allow Non-Resident Indians cast their votes through postal ballots. The Ministry of External Affairs wrote to the EC favouring its proposal. However the MEA wants the EC to hold consultations with stakeholders before coming to a final conclusion. This would mean that the EC would now hold consultations with NRI associations, the various ministries and departments that would be involved in the process. Last month the Election Commission of India approached the government to permit Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to cast their votes through postal ballots. Election Commission tweaks postal ballot procedure for upcoming polls The EC told the Law Ministry that it is technically and administratively ready to extend the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System to NRI voters for the next elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Currently the NRIs can only cast their votes in their respective constituencies. Rough estimates suggest that there are around 1 crore Indians settled abroad of which 60 lakh are of an eligible voting age. The Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System is currently available only to service voters. Under this the postal ballot is dispatched electronically and returned via ordinary mail. In order to extend this facility to overseas voters, the government needs to amend the Conduct of Election Rules 1961 and the same would not need the nod of Parliament. Covid-19: India records lowest daily cases since June, total UK strain cases reach 58| Oneindia News Once amended, any NRI who would be interested in voting through the postal ballot will have to inform the Returning Officer at least 5 days after the notification is issued. The RO would dispatch the ballot paper electronically and then the NRI voter can mark their preference and send it back along with a declaration attested by an officer appointed by the diplomatic or consular representative of India the country where the NRI is residing. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 5, 2021, 8:32 [IST] remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India has, by majority judgment, allowed the government to continue with its Central Vista Redevelopment project - with riders. It has specified caveat that, before commencement of project, the Centre will require the nod of Heritage Committee. Justice Khanna pronounced the minority judgment and expressed concern about lack of public consultation by the government. A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna pronounced the verdict on the batch of petitions challenging the redevelopment of Central Vista area of Lutyen's Delhi. The court during a previous hearing on November 5, 2020 reserved judgement on the case. Pronouncing the first part Justice Khanwilkar said: "The judgment which I am going to pronounce is in majority by Myself and Justice Maheshwari. Justice Sanjiv Khanna will pronounce a separate judgment." "We hold that the exercise of the Central Government under DDA Act is legal and valid and the impugned notification stands confirmed. Recommendation by Environmental Committee is just and legal and uphold the same. We call upon the Ministry of Environment to install smog towers in future projects, particularly in those cities where pollution is an issue," he added. Justice Khanwilkar stated conditions: Smog towers are to be installed and installation of the same be carried out during construction. The project proponent will also set up smog towers as being integral part of new parliament building project. He added that modifications regarding change in land use in plot 228 of master plan of Delhi and zonal development plan for zone C and D stands confirmed, but noted that the respondents (Centre) shall obtain prior permission before actually starting any redevelopment work, adding: selection appointment in the present case is held to be just and proper. On his part, Justice Khanna said he agreed with Justice Khanwilkar the aspect of notice inviting bid, award and order of urban commission but dissents on the aspect of change of land use. I have held that the same was initiated as being bad and law. This is for two reasons firstly because there was no disclosure for public participation and second because there has been no prior approval taken of the Heritage Conservation Committee, Justice Khanna said. I have accordingly remitted the matter the Heritage Conservation Committee. We have not gone into the merits. The approval given by the committee is a non-speaking order, he stated. Petitioners had approached the apex court challenging the Delhi Development Authoritys (DDA) powers to authorise change in land use for the redevelopment project and had questioned the process of public hearings, argued that it was a mere formality. They had also raised environmental concerns on account of the Cental Vista Project on the ground that it involves a change in land use of the green area adjoining Rajpath and Vijay Chowk for building new Parliament and government offices. The government however defended the project claiming that construction of a new Parliament building and Central Secretariat has become an absolute necessity due to the stress on the present ones. The Centre had also argued the project would "save money" which is paid as rent for housing central government ministries in the national capital and submitted that the decision to have a new Parliament building has not been taken in haste and no law or norms have been violated in any manner for the project and that there was no favouritism in selecting consultant. It also said that the argument that the government could have adopted a better process cannot be a ground to scrap the project. Announced in September 2019, the Central Vista revamp envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 Members of Parliament (MPs), which is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project against which various pleas were filed. On December 7, 2020, the SC allowed the Centre to proceed with the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Central Vista project on December 10 after the government assured it that no construction or demolition work would commence till the apex court decides the pending pleas on the issue. On November 5, the apex court had reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas which have raised questions over the Centre's ambitious Central Vista project, which covers three km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens' Delhi. Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical has become an online sensation. The musical premiered on the social media platform on New Years Day and has raised over $1 million. The money will go towards providing aid to struggling performers who were affected by the pandemic. Tiktok Ratatouille the musical raises $ 1 million The official Twitter handle of Ratatouille Musicals production announced the news on Saturday. The caption read, You did it! You raised over $ 1million. The post further revealed that the money is raised for The Actors Fund, check out the post below. You did it! You raised over $1 million to benefit @TheActorsFund! But we arent done yet. Tickets are still on sale all weekend long on @TodayTix.https://t.co/3YxozrE7Hd pic.twitter.com/QqUu6uzM0D Ratatouille Musical (@ratatousical) January 2, 2021 Read Also | 'High Time The Truth Came Out': Govinda After Krushna Abhishek's 'defamatory' Comments Fans react As soon as the news about the musical raising $1 million went up on social media, a number of people on the social media platform flocked to it. Numerous fans of the musical left their comments and reaction on the post. A number of people congratulated the team for their success and wished them luck for the coming telecasts. Many other fans appreciated the musical and wrote in the comments that they had a great time watching it. Check out some of the comments by netizens on the post below. Great job everyone! So impressive. And it really looked like everyone had so much fun!! Scott Slater (@slaterama) January 2, 2021 God I love our community. Broadway will be back but until we are, donate and spread the word all weekend of this creative venture from the hearts and minds of our industries future. Cover Your Nose! (@crschneider) January 2, 2021 Brilliant news. What a great musical, thoroughly enjoyed it. Fabulous performances and so professionally presented. Got to watch again! So uplifting The Lambrits (@LambritsUK) January 2, 2021 the fact that you all put this together basically in under a month... we have no choice but to stan forever. and $1 mil??? AS YOU SHOULD Claudine P (@fineartsyfartsy) January 2, 2021 CongRATulations for putting on an amazing show. We have spent 9 months globally discussing what we cant do due to covid, but this is an example of what we CAN do during covid, and beyond. #LeadingTheWay #PositiveEnergy #RatatouilleMusical #ratatouillethemusical #Ratatousical Gavin D'Arcy (@Gavindarcy) January 2, 2021 This was amazing. Please make T-shirts, mugs etc. in case ppl want to buy a little merch on the way out DrDobie (@drdobie) January 2, 2021 On another note, CNN reported that the tickets were being sold for $5 per ticket. The media portal states that this implies that over 2 lakh people watched the musical. Read Also | Payal Ghosh Poses Question On 'credentials' Of Actors Amid Ongoing Drug Probe A report in the media portal suggests that Moss stated it is just so important to be supporting artists right now. According to a report in the media portal, the 2007 Disney Pixar film became a full-blown event in a matter of weeks. Reportedly, the project had started as a Broadway-esque ode that later became the 2007 Disney Pixar film. Ratatouille Musical cast and other details The movie is directed by Lucy Moss. The cast of the movie includes Tituss Burgess, Wayne Brady, Adam Lambert, Andrew Barth Feldman, Ashley Park, Andre dace Shields and Kevin Chamberlin, who lent their voices. Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical is a crowdsourced charity benefit concert. The musical is adapted from the 2007 Disney Pixar film Ratatouille. The musical was streamed for 72 hours beginning from the first day of the new year 2021. How to stream Ratatouille musical The Ratatouille musical was available to watch anytime on-demand until Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. EST. Read Also | Milind Soman Replies To Fan Who Asks Him To Recreate Beach Running Picture In Cold Weather Read Also | Australia's Platypus Habitat Declines By 22 Percent Over 30 Years: Study Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. Actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday opposed the proposal given by actor-politician Kamal Haasan to recognise household work as a salaried profession. The actress said this will be like reducing a home owner to an employee and trying to pay God for his creation. "Don't put a price tag on sex we have with our love, don't pay us for mothering our own, we don't need salary for being the Queens of our own little kingdom our home, stop seeing everything as business. Surrender to your woman she needs all of you not just your love/respect/salary," Kangana tweeted from her verified account on Tuesday. Dont put a price tag on sex we have with our love, dont pay us for mothering our own, we dont need salary for being the Queens of our own little kingdom our home,stop seeing everything as business. Surrender to your woman she needs all of you not just your love/respect/salary. https://t.co/57PE8UBALM Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) January 5, 2021 Kangana's tweet came in response to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's tweet, which reads: "I welcome @ikamalhaasan's idea of recognising housework as a salaried profession, w/the state govt paying a monthly wage to homemakers. This will recognise & monetise the services of women homemakers in society, enhance their power & autonomy & create near-universal basic income." Protesting against the idea, Kangana further shared in a separate tweet: "It will be worse to reduce a home owner to home employ, to give price tag to mothers sacrifices and life long unwavering commitment, It's like you want to pay God for this creation, cause you suddenly pity him for his efforts. It's partially painful and partially funny thought." It will be worse to reduce a home owner to home employ, to give price tag to mothers sacrifices and life long unwavering commitment,Its like you want to pay God for this creation, cause you suddenly pity him for his efforts. Its partially painful and partially funny thought. Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) January 5, 2021 On the work front, Kangana will bein shooting of Tejas and Dhaakad in the coming time. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. LONDON, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectrum.Life, a leading corporate health and wellbeing provider, has secured a contract to provide enhanced mental health and wellbeing supports to members of professional associations represented by Lloyd & Whyte, the financial planning specialist and insurance provider; part of the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group. As part of the contract, Spectrum.Life will provide support to professional associations across the UK, as well as Lloyd & Whyte clients and staff members. The company has developed a bespoke digital wellbeing platform for Lloyd & Whyte and supported the creation of a new wellbeing brand. The 'Wellbeing Matters' platform contains over 200 hours of tailored health and wellbeing content created by clinical experts, on key aspects of health ,wellbeing, fitness, nutrition and mindfulness. The online platform will be available to all Lloyd & Whyte clients including members of the British Medical Association, British Veterinary Association, British Dental Association, National Association of Head Teachers, Association of Optometrists amongst many more. Users will have access to a marketplace of services that can be purchased at a company, membership body or individual level ranging from Employee and Member Assistance Programmes, to Digital Gym or Wellbeing Events, to Cash Plans, or Private Medical Insurance. The online platform will provide support to individuals working in professions that have faced additional stress, longer working hours and heavy workloads due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Stephen Costello, CEO of Spectrum.Life said: "We are delighted to announce that we will be providing mental health and wellbeing support to Lloyd & Whyte customers and their association clients. Employees and business owners across the healthcare industry and related professions have worked tirelessy during the pandemic to ensure safe and continued access to care for their patients. The past year has been extremely disruptive and stressful, and we encourage employees and customers of Lloyd & Whyte to review their mental health with the new 'Wellbeing Matters' online platform." Robert Lynch, Managing Director of Wellbeing Matters at Lloyd & Whyte said: "Lloyd & Whyte is delighted to announce our new bespoke Health & Wellbeing platform in partnership with Spectrum.Life. The platform is free to existing clients and gives access to videos, blogs and articles relating to a wide range of health and wellbeing topics. The new platform will enable us to deliver immediate access to wellbeing support to our clients and provides a solution that integrates multiple partners in to one easy to use journey for our existing and future clients. This is just stage one of an ongoing project with the team at Spectrum.Life" Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday inaugurate a natural gas pipeline from Keralas Kochi to Mangaluru in Karnatakas Dakshina Kannada district and dedicate it to the nation virtually. The event will mark an important milestone towards the creation of One Nation One Gas Grid, an official release from the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said. Tomorrow, 5th January is a landmark day in Indias quest for #UrjaAatmanirbharta! At 11 AM, the Kochi - Mangaluru Natural Gas Pipeline would be dedicated to the nation. This is a futuristic project that will positively impact many people, PM Modi said in a tweet on Monday. The futuristic project, PM Modi said, will positively impact many people. The 450km pipeline has been built by GAIL (India) Ltd. It has a transportation capacity of 12 million metric standard cubic metres per day and will carry natural gas from the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Regasification Terminal at Kochi to Mangaluru while passing through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, the PMO release said. The inaugural event will see governors and chief ministers of Karnataka and Kerala, along with Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan in attendance. The total cost of the project was about Rs 3,000 crore and its construction created over 1.2 million man-days of employment. The PMO underlined that laying of the pipeline was an engineering challenge as the route of the pipeline necessitated it to cross water bodies at more than 100 locations. To overcome this hurdle, a special technique called the Horizontal Directional Drilling method was put to use. The pipeline will supply environment-friendly and affordable fuel in the form of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to households and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to the transportation sector. It will also supply Natural Gas to commercial and industrial units across the districts along the pipeline. Consumption of cleaner fuel will help in improving air quality by curbing air pollution. (With inputs from agencies) NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 5, 2021 / XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. (CSE:XPHY) (OTC:XPHYF) (FSE:4XT) ("XPhyto" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of 1,500,000 units of the Company (the "Units") at a price of $1.90 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $2,850,000. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant. Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase an additional common share of the Company at a price of $2.20 per share for a period of 24 months from the date of closing. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to facilitate development and commercialization of its oral and transdermal drug formulations, diagnostic test products, and psychedelic API and drug formulations as well as general working capital purposes. Completion of the Offering is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including notice to the CSE. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four month hold period. Finder's fees will be paid in connection with the Offering pursuant to applicable CSE policies and Canadian securities regulations. About XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. is a bioscience accelerator focused on next-generation drug delivery, diagnostic, and new active pharmaceutical ingredient investment opportunities, including: precision transdermal and oral dissolvable drug formulations; rapid, low-cost infectious disease and oral health screening tests; and standardization of emerging active pharmaceutical ingredients for neurological applications, including psychedelic compounds and cannabinoids. The Company has research and development operations in North America and Europe and is currently focused on regulatory approval and commercialization of medical products for European markets. XPhyto Therapeutics Corp.: Hugh Rogers, CEO and Director Investor Inquiries: Mr. Knox Henderson T: 604-551-2360 E: info@xphyto.com Media Inquiries: MC Services AG Julia Hofmann, Andreas Jungfer T: +49 89 210 228 0 E: xphyto@mc-services.eu Forward looking statements This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "develop", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "propose" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and in this release include the statement regarding the Company's goal of building a successful diagnostic, drug delivery, and medical cannabis company. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including: that the Company may not succeed in developing a commercial product; that the sale of products may not be a viable business; that the Company may be unable to scale its business; product liability risks; product regulatory risk; general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; currency risks; competition; international risks; and other risks beyond the Company's control. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/623138/XPhyto-Therapeutics-Announces-Private-Placement In the time of crisis when tourism has not recovered to normality, businesses and employees have made an effort to keep their professional passion. Workers in the accommodation section are returning to their usual work. A complete passion English-speaking tour guide Nguyen Duy Thanh has not had any tour for 10 months now. The difficulties he encountered in his new job has reminded him of tour guiding. He successively failed in real estate brokerage due to his lack of expertise and in passenger transportation because of the low demands and loose customer network. Tour-guiding has been part of my life for almost 20 years now. It is not only a source of income, but also a source of joy. It gives me everything. From the initial difficulties, I gradually got stable in life, got married, brought up the children and bought our own house. My only wish now is that the pandemic would pass quickly so that I would be able to return to my work as soon as possible. Ive been so happy to have heard of the trial of the COVID-19 vaccine. Its not so long to be back to tour-guiding, said Nguyen Duy Thanh. Many people working in the tourism industry have been nostalgic of the work, and they often share their work memories on social media. Nguyen Dinh Quyen, a tour guide, shared a status: Its been a year since I guided the last tour. No word can express my hunger for guiding. Its a pleasure to serve the tourists, and its my choice of life. This tour guide is now doing another job, but he said he would never give up tour-guiding. He will return to tour-guiding as soon as Vietnam admits tourist arrivals. The fact that COVID-19 vaccine is being trialed in Vietnam and in the world is good news for those who work in the tourism industry. It is estimated by tourism organizations that Vietnam will probably welcome tourists back from the second quarter of 2021 on. Hue tourism industry is trying to retain working force If it is so, tourist life will be beating again in 6 months. Thousands of employees in the tourism industry will be back to work. Before getting back, I will take the time to sharpen skills of customer care services, enhance and update the knowledge of tour-guiding to be ready for work. I will also learn the skills of ensuring tourists safety and handling emergency cases, Nguyen Dinh Quyen said. Retaining the career passion The leaders of the Department of Tourism said that the situation is positive when the staff in the accommodation sector has started working as hotels have received domestic guests lately and the travel agencies have reactivated domestic activities. Nonetheless, workers are still facing difficulties as 70% of the travel agencies have been in stand-by or rotative operation since early November 2020. The tourism staff had encountered financial difficulties. A big question for the tourism industry is what to do to retain the career passion of the labor force and encourage them to get ready for a return, especially those who have found new jobs and been successful in them. Mr. Vu Van Chuong, Director of Vietnam Pride Tourism Ltd. in Hue, said that businesses need to try their best to share the difficulty with their employees by ensuring a certain amount of salary. In addition, it is important to create solidarity in the working environment as if everyone is in a family. This is a good way to retain the labor force. Mr. Tran Huu Cuu, Chairman of the Tour Guide Association, said that the Association decided not to collect 2020 membership fees as a way to share the financial difficulties with members. The Association also held meetings to share information about jobs and encourage each other to overcome the time of crisis. The Association also formed small groups to help members to find temporary jobs and encouraged them to use the services of each other. The Acting Director of the Department of Tourism, Le Huu Minh, said that they have submitted to the Provincial Peoples Committee a proposal of effective measures and support packages for workers in the tourism industry. In addition, they continued to propose support packages for businesses such as a reduction in electricity supply, water supply and tax. Apart from tax policy, it is also important to make it possible for travel companies to have easy access to loans because few companies have collateral. Saving the business is the best way to save the workers, retaining their career passion. Story and photos: Duc Quang [January 04, 2021] MedX Issues Shares Related to Debt Settlement Agreement MedX Health Corp. ("MedX") (TSX-V:MDX) is pleased to announce that effective December 22, 2020, it closed the debt settlement announced in its Press Release dated December 22, 2020, pursuant to which it settled $65,000 of debt owed to an arm's length professional adviser by issuance of 500,000 common shares. The shares issued on this debt settlement will be restricted from trading for four months from the date of issue. About MedX MedX, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, is a leading medical device and software company focused on skin health with its SIAscopy on DermSecure telemedicine platform, utilizing its SIAscopy technology. SIAscopy is also imbedded in its products SIAMETRICS, SIMSYS, and MoleMate, which MedX manufactures in its ISO 13485 certified facility. SIAMETRICS, SIMSYS, and MoleMate include hand-held deices that use patented technology utilizing light and its remittance to view up to 2 mm beneath suspicious moles and lesions in a pain free, non-invasive manner, with its software then creating real-time images for physicians and dermatologists to evaluate all types of moles or lesions within seconds. These products are Health Canada, FDA, TGA and CE cleared for use in Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Turkey and Brazil. MedX also designs, manufactures and distributes quality photobiomodulation therapeutic and dental lasers to provide drug-free and non-invasive treatment of tissue damage and pain. www.medxhealth.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This Media Release may contain forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210104005826/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru rejected Nepals king Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah's offer that the Himalayan nation be made a province of India, late President Pranab Mukherjee says in his much-talked-about autobiography, 'The Presidential Years'. In chapter 11, under the heading 'My Prime Ministers: Different Styles, Different Temperaments', Mukherjee, however, writes that "had Indira Gandhi been in Nehrus place, she would have perhaps seized upon the opportunity, like she did with Sikkim". While expressing his views on former prime ministers and presidents of India, he mentioned, Every PM has his or her own style of functioning. Lal Bahadur Shastri took positions that were very different from that of Nehru. There can be divergent perceptions among PMs, even if they happen to come from the same party, on issues such as foreign policy, security and internal administration. Nehru dealt with Nepal very diplomatically, Mukherjee writes. "After the Rana rule was replaced by the monarchy in Nepal, he wished for democracy to take root. Interestingly, Nepals king, Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, had suggested to Nehru that Nepal be made a province of India. But Nehru rejected the offer on the grounds that Nepal was an independent nation and must remain so, he says. Had Indira Gandhi been in Nehrus place, she would have perhaps seized upon the opportunity, like she did with Sikkim, Mukherjee says. Mukherjee's book, The Presidential Years, recently triggered a public spat between his son and daughter. Abhijit Mukherjee, Pranab's son, took to Twitter and raised concerns over the memoir, saying that he wants to go through the book before it goes for final printing. Soon after Abhijits series of tweets, Pranabs daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee responded on social media and mentioned that there was no need to create "unnecessary hurdles" in the publication of the book. I, daughter of the author of the memoir 'The Presidential Years', request my brother Abhijit Mukherjee not to create any unnecessary hurdles in publication of the last book written by our father. He completed the manuscript before he fell sick, Sharmistha tweeted. National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) acting executive director Professor Adrian Puren has noted that the recently-discovered coronavirus mutation may require the COVID-19 vaccine to be re-engineered to be effective. The COVID-19 vaccine employs an antigen protein that is designed to train the immune system to produce antibodies that protect against the coronavirus. However, if the South African strain of the coronavirus has mutated sufficiently, the antibodies created by this protein may not be entirely effective against it. This may be a major problem, considering that this variant is most prevalent within the second wave of COVID-19 cases in South Africa. The 501.V2 variant of COVID-19 that emerged in South Africa has undergone mutations which may affect antibody recognition and subsequently the vaccine, although this currently remains unclear. There are two mutations that have resulted in two amino acid changes in the receptor membrane binding protein that is key in antibody recognition, Puren told MyBroadband. These changes, in theory, can affect antibody binding and it is currently under investigation to determine what effect if any these will have. If this region is essential for antibody responses, then the antigen protein may have to be re-engineered to ensure efficacy, he said. Puren also noted that the NICD is investigating and monitoring re-infections. At present there is no indication that this variant is associated with increased risk of re-infections, he said, although he noted this will be difficult to disentangle with the ongoing increased likelihood of re-infections as the epidemic progresses. Prevalence in South Africa Puren said that data on COVID-19 variants is still being sourced, but he noted the 501.V2 variant was the dominant one in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape hotspots defined at the beginning of South Africas second wave of COVID-19 infections. The lineage was initially in co-circulation with other lineages and then was noted to be the dominant lineage in three coastal provinces: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and the Western Cape, Puren said. The lineage is associated with the resurgence that was initially observed in the Eastern Cape followed by Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal, and Gauteng. However, with ongoing changes in restrictions, compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions, super spreader events, end-of-year celebrations, and travel, it is difficult to disentangle multiple drivers of disease transmission, he said. He said that fewer than 1% of cases of COVID-19 in SA have linked genomic data, and this differs by time, province, and facility. Sequencing was also not done systematically throughout the country across all the months COVID-19 has been present, which makes it difficult to determine exactly when this variant emerged. The emergence of the lineage will become clearer as data are gathered, both retrospectively and prospectively, Puren said. Symptoms and preventing transmission Researchers from the United Kingdom have suggested the South African variant of the coronavirus appears to be more transmissible due to its higher viral load, although it is currently unclear whether the symptoms it causes are more or less severe than the original virus. Detecting increased severity is inevitably more delayed, as we await outcomes from cases to be reached, however no clear evidence of increased or decreased severity have been detected as we review our clinical surveillance systems, Puren said. Differences by age and sex have not been detected yet, but we need to acknowledge that sampling has not been extensive or systematic enough to allow for these analyses. Puren stressed that despite the prevalence of coronavirus variants, the management of the virus and prevention of its transmission remains the same. The management of patients presenting with COVID-19 remains unchanged, Puren said. Similarly, prevention of transmitting the virus remains essentially unchanged viz., reliance on physical distancing, wearing of masks, hand hygiene, and ventilation. The reverting to level 3 is an effort at re-enforcing these non-pharmaceutical interventions, he added. He also stressed that there is no major concern that diagnostic testing will be affected by these changes. The funeral of beloved actress Dame Barbara Windsor will take place on Friday, according to reports. The star, known for her work in the Carry On films and EastEnders, died in December at the age of 83. She will be cremated at a private ceremony at Golders Green Crematorium in London during the afternoon with a limited number of mourners in line with the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place. Final farewell: The funeral of beloved actress Dame Barbara Windsor will take place on Friday, according to reports [pictured in 2010] It is expected that only 30 people will be able to attend. Dame Barbara had been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease in 2014. She is survived by her husband Scott Mitchell - with the pair being widely praised for their work raising awareness of dementia after the actress went public with her diagnosis in 2018. A JustGiving page set up as a tribute to her and in aid of Alzheimers Research UK has raised nearly 140,000. It was reported in December that Dame Barbara's memorial would allow 'everyone to celebrate her life together', despite the current restrictions. Sorely missed: The star, known for her work in the Carry On films and EastEnders, died in December at the age of 83 [pictured in 1963] Memorial: She will be cremated at a private ceremony at Golders Green Crematorium in London during the afternoon with a limited number of mourners in line with the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place [pictured in 2017] Barbara played Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders for more than 20 years, and it is expected her former co-stars will help husband Scott with the memorial. Actor Christopher Biggins is also expected to conduct a eulogy. News of the memorial comes after it was revealed Dame Barbara will make posthumous appearances in three new Carry On films Producers of the iconic franchise are planning to use a hologram of the star in upcoming movies. Brian Baker, the boss of Carry On Films Ltd, told the Daily Star Sunday: 'We have got two new stories and we are looking to do one of the old ones again to bring it up to modern day quality - probably Carry On Sergeant. Carrying on: Barbara is set to make posthumous appearances in three new Carry On films as a hologram [Pictured in 2014] Dearly missed: Her husband Scott Mitchell, 57, described Barbara's final weeks as 'typical of how she lived her life' and 'full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end' 'Barbara will be making an appearance. It will be a tilt of the head to say, "Well done". Thats the best way to do it. 'We are looking at using a hologram from old footage to put her in a situation like a queue for the Royal Albert Hall or serving in a shop. 'People loved her because she was down to earth. She saw the funny side. She didnt take offence. She had the old fashioned British seaside humour.' Other late stars of the franchise, like Sid James and Kenneth Williams, are also set to feature in the films. Devoted: Scott set up a JustGiving page to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK Starring role: The beloved actress is pictured in the 1972 Carry On film Carry on Abroad Brian said: 'We want to honour the legacy of producer Peter Rogers. He is the unsung hero of the 'Carry On' films.' The late actress appeared in a host of Carry On movies between 1964 and 1974, including Carry On Spying, Carry On Doctor and Carry On Camping. And the new films are set to be released on a streaming platform in 2022, with Brian saying: 'Were talking to a new ensemble of characters. We want new idiosyncrasies and personalities. Were not going to copy whats gone before.' Husband Scott described Barbara's final weeks as 'typical of how she lived her life' and 'full of humour, drama and a fighting spirit until the end'. Icon: Dame Barbara as Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, 1994 In true icon style, Barbara's final TV role was starring in her own biopic, which chronicled her humble beginnings in Shoreditch up to 1993, with Jaime Winstone and Samantha Spiro playing the star at different points in her life. The BBC film - Babs - was written by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan and broadcast on May 7, 2017, to coincide with her 80th birthday. At the time, the actress said: 'Tony knows the real me and what makes me tick and I was particularly taken by the way he wants to tell my tale which is not in the way people will expect it to be. I am honoured and excited that Tony and the BBC have commissioned this.' She first left in 2003 for two years due to a debilitating case of the Epstein-Barr virus, which put her out of action. Peggy: She first left the soap in 2003 for two years due to a debilitating case of the Epstein-Barr virus, which put her out of action Once she was back to full health, she returned in the middle of 2005 on a one-year contract yet her contract was extended. In 2009, Dame Barbara announced she would be leaving the soap again in order to spend more time with her husband Scott, who she married in 2000. 'It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserve,' Scott said, following his wife's death. 'I will always be immensely proud of Barbara's courage, dignity and generosity dealing with her own illness and still trying to help others by raising awareness for as long as she could.' He added: 'Dementia/Alzheimer's remains the UKs number one killer. Although in challenging times, I urge the Prime Minister, his government and other parties to be true to their previous promises and invest more into dementia/Alzheimer's research and care. The old days: Barbara rose to fame as a buxom blonde in the Carry On Films 'Thank you to all the doctors, nurses and carers who are angels at the care home for your kindness and care to Barbara and I throughout her stay with you. You are my heroes. 'And my gratitude to our family, friends and everyone in the media and the general public for all the good wishes and warm support that has been shown to Barbara over the last few years during her illness. Barbara deeply appreciated that. 'May you rest in peace now my precious Bar. I've lost my wife, my best friend and soul mate and my heart or life will never feel the same without you. 'I will be making no further statements and now need the time to grieve this painful, personal loss.' Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 10:12:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - LA PAZ -- Bolivia's Foreign Affairs Minister Rogelio Mayta has tested positive for COVID-19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported Monday. "The foreign minister is stable and, as established by the biosafety protocols, he is isolated and under proper medical supervision," the ministry said in a statement. - - - - RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil registered 543 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 196,561, the government announced on Monday. The country's Ministry of Health confirmed 20,006 new cases, taking the nationwide count to 7,753,752. - - - - BEIJING -- China's National Health Commission said Tuesday that it received reports of 33 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Monday, of which 17 were locally transmitted and 16 were imported. Of the locally transmitted cases, 14 were reported in Hebei, two in Liaoning and one in Beijing, said the commission in its daily report. - - - - SKOPJE -- North Macedonia will receive 800,000 vaccines against COVID-19 from the manufacturer Pfizer starting from February, said the country's Health Ministry in a press released on Monday. According to the ministry, the agreement was reached earlier in the day in a telephone conversation between Minister of Health Venko Filipce and a senior representative of the company producing vaccines against COVID-19. Enditem Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The European Union could authorise a second coronavirus vaccine "in the coming hours", European Council chief Charles Michel said Tuesday, adding that leaders would hold a virtual summit on the health crisis later this month. National capitals have been pressuring the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to issue its green light for the shot from US-based Moderna as other advanced nations like Britain, the US and Israel press ahead. But its CHMP human medicines committee did not approve the jab on Monday, agreeing instead to reconvene on Wednesday. "Even if it's not certain, we hope that in the coming hours a second vaccine will be agreed on," Michel said in Lisbon in a press conference marking Portugal taking over the rotating presidency of the EU. So far the only inoculation available in the bloc is the one produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, which the EMA gave the go-ahead on December 21. Michel said that getting vaccines to the EU's almost 450 million people was a "gigantic challenge". But he insisted that "alongside member states, the European Commission is working night and day to make sure we can increase the number of vaccines available"while "respecting the independence of the medicines agency". Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The top M&A story of 2020 was more a global than national story but it captured more readers in every geographic location than any other. Since it was first announced in March, the proposed Aon-Willis merger remained the leading merger and non-merger insurance story for the entire year. But there were also other proposed and completed transactions that caught the eyes of Insurance Journals Midwest audience. Here are the most popular M&A reports of interest to Midwest readers in 2020: Aon to Buy Willis Towers Watson Global insurance brokers Aon and Willis Towers Watson in March announced they had agreed to merge in an all-stock transaction with an implied combined equity value of approximately $80 billion. Upon completion of the combination, existing Aon shareholders will own approximately 63% and existing Willis Towers Watson shareholders will own approximately 37% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. According to S&P, Aon intends to combine with Willis in an all-stock transaction valued at about $30 billion, with Willis shares being exchanged to Aon shares. The combined company will be named Aon. Combined the companies have more than $20 billion in revenue. Aon reported $11 billion in revenue with $2.2 billion net income for 2019 compared to $9 billion revenue and $1.4 billion net income for Willis Towers Watson. Aon will maintain operating headquarters in London, United Kingdom. The parent company will be incorporated in Ireland. The combined firm will have 95,000 employees globally, with what the announcement said will be a significant presence in Chicago, New York and Singapore. John Haley will take on the role of executive chairman with a focus on growth and innovation strategy. The combined firm will be led by Greg Case and Aon Chief Financial Officer Christa Davies. The board of directors will comprise proportional members from Aon and Willis Towers Watsons current directors. In December Aon confirmed that the European Commission has initiated a review of the proposed merger. Aon said the review is a common next step for a transaction of this size and complexity and said it remains on track to close the deal in the first half of 2021. Allstate to Buy National General for $4 Billion, Growing Auto, Independent Agent Business U.S. insurer Allstate Corp. plans to buy National General Holdings Corp. for about $4 billion in cash, scaling up its auto insurance business at a time when the coronavirus has crushed traffic on roads and reduced claims. The deal announced in July implies a total deal value of $3.92 billion and a premium of, Reuters calculations showed. New York-based National General provides personal and commercial automobile, homeowners, umbrella, recreational vehicle, motorcycle, lender-placed, supplemental health and other niche insurance products. Auto insurance represents approximately 60% of premium with a significant presence in the non-standard auto market. Acquiring National General accelerates Illinois-headquartered Allstates strategy to increase market share in personal property-liability and significantly expands our independent agent distribution, Allstate Chief Executive Officer Tom Wilson said. National General has approximately 42,300 independent agents. Allstate will become a top 5 personal lines carrier in the independent agent distribution channel by combining Encompass and Allstates Independent Agent businesses with National General. In a First, State Farm to Acquire Texas Nonstandard Auto Insurer GAINSCO State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. is acquiring Dallas-based nonstandard auto insurer, GAINSCO, in a $400 million cash transaction reported in September. It will be the first time in State Farms 98-year history that it has acquired an insurance company. GAINSCO specializes in minimum-limits personal auto coverage and actively distributes its nonstandard personal auto products through independent retail agents in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Ohio and Alabama. Its insurance operations are conducted through its subsidiary, MGA Insurance Company Inc., a Texas corporation. Marsh & McLennan Agency Acquires Illinois Independent Agency, Assurance Marsh subsidiary Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA) has acquired Schaumburg, Illinois-based Assurance Holdings Inc. Founded in 1961, Assurance is a full-service brokerage providing business insurance, employee benefits, private client insurance, and retirement services to businesses and individuals across the country. It ranked 29th on Insurance Journals list of the Top 100 Independent Agencies in 2019. Assurance will operate as the Midwest regional headquarters for MMA under the leadership of Anthony (Tony) Chimino, CEO of Assurance. Chimino will report to David Eslick, chairman and CEO of MMA. Assurances 525 colleagues will join MMA and continue to work out of their Schaumburg and Chicago, Illinois, offices. Ryan Specialty Group and All Risks Finalize Merger Specialty insurance brokerages Ryan Specialty Group and All Risks in September closed on the merger the two firms into Ryan Specialty Group. The deal unites Chicago-based Ryan Specialty Group and its nearly $12 billion in premium, and All Risks, headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, which has close to $2.6 billion in premium. The combination will have roughly 3,300 employees and more than 70 offices across the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Only AmWINS and CRC Insurance Services are larger than RSG and All Risks in the wholesale brokerage space. Brown & Brown Cancels Deal After Ohio Agency Exec Pleads Guilty in College Scam Daytona Beach, Florida-based insurance broker Brown & Brown Inc. terminated its Daytona Beach, Florida-based insurance broker Brown & Brown has terminated its previously announced agreement to purchase the assets of HAUSER , an insurance and investment firm headquartered in Cincinnati. Brown & Brown announced the termination of the agreement with Hauser on Aug. 25, just days after it was reported that one of Hausers principals, Mark Hauser, agreed to enter a guilty plea in the college admissions scandal that has embroiled a number of high-profile parents, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin, and Laughlins husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli. The Associated Press reported on Aug. 21, that Mark Hauser, who is based in California, had agreed to plead guilty in a scheme in which he paid $40,000 to rig his daughters ACT exam. Brown & Browns deal with Hauser was expected to close in September. The agency was founded 50 years ago by the Hauser family and continues to operate from its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, led by James Stines. Kemper to Acquire American Access Casualty in Illinois for $370M Chicago-based specialty insurer Kemper Corp. in November said it had agreed to acquire American Access Casualty Co, and its related captive insurance agency, Newins Insurance Agency Holdings and its subsidiaries. AAC is headquartered in Downers Grove, Ill. The $370 million transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. AAC provides specialty private passenger auto insurance in Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada and Texas. AAC wrote $370 million of direct premiums in 2019 through 500 independent agents and 110 captive agents. AACs multi-channel distribution strategy, agency relationships, and deep ties to the markets it serves particularly Hispanic communities have driven consistent profitability. AssuredPartners Acquires Illinois Corkill Insurance Agency AssuredPartners Inc. acquired Corkill Insurance Agency Inc. of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, in January. AssuredPartners said the Corkill acquisition is its first in 2020. The Corkill staff of 104 will remain under the operational leadership of Luke Praxmarer and Paul Praxmarer. The agency currently reports $23 million in annualized revenues. CBIZ Acquires Alliance Insurance Services of Washington D.C. Cleveland, Ohio-based CBIZ Inc., a provider of financial, insurance and advisory services, acquired substantially all of the assets of independent insurance agency Alliance Insurance Services Inc. of Washington, D.C. in February. AIS small and midsized clients include charter schools, real estate, construction and technology in the D.C. metro area. AIS has nine employees and approximately $1.6 million in annual revenue. Michigans High Street Insurance Partners Acquires Three New Agencies Traverse City, Michigan-based High Street Insurance Partners acquired three agencies in May two in Michigan and one in New York. These new agency partners are: Trust Shield Insurance Group in Schoolcraft, Michigan; Ken Bleeker Insurance Agency in Martin, Michigan; and Gates-Cole Associates in New Hartford, New York. High Street, one of 15 Huron Capital ExecFactor initiatives, was created to pursue acquisitions in the insurance agency market. Iowas First MainStreet Insurance Acquires 3 New Agencies First MainStreet Insurance (FMSI), a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based affiliate of TrueNorth Companies, in March closed on its acquisition of three new agencies. The firm expanded to Western Iowa with the merger of EGR Insurance in Moville. A dedicated staff of 10, Pat Rogers and team has been a long-standing predominant player in their region. FMSI also has merged with Warth Insurance in Burlington, Iowa, headed by Mark Warth and his team in southeast Iowa. Continuing FMSIs expansion in southeast Iowa is the merger of Rominger Insurance in Ottumwa. Tim Hardie and team joined the FMSI platform after agreeing to terms to transition effective March 1. With the acquisition of these three agencies, FMSI increases its total revenue to over $10 million. First MainStreet Insurance is an affiliated business unit of TrueNorth Companies. One80 Intermediaries Acquires Ohios International Excess Program Managers One80 Intermediaries, a national wholesale insurance broker and program manager headquartered in Boston, has acquired Beachwood, Ohio-based International Excess Program Managers (IEPM), a wholesale insurance brokerage and program manager operating in all 50 states. Established in 1998, IEPM specializes in property, liability, inland marine, errors and omissions, directors and officers, commercial auto and umbrella coverage. In addition to wholesale access, IEPM builds multi-state insurance programs for specialty industries, associations and groups of policy holders. Services include underwriting, rating structures, policy issuance and regulatory compliance. One80 Intermediaries is a privately held, national firm with offices across the country. Sompo Acquires Diversified Crop Insurance, Forms AgriSompo North America Sompo International Holdings Ltd. (SIH), a Bermuda-based specialty provider of property/casualty insurance and reinsurance, has acquired Lenexa, Kansas-based Diversified Crop Insurance Services (DCIS), a subsidiary of CGB Enterprises Inc. (CGB). DCIS and ARMtech, Sompo Internationals existing U.S. federally sponsored multi-peril crop insurer, will now operate under the brand name AgriSompo North America and as a part of the global AgriSompo platform. AgriSompo will be one of the largest crop insurance providers in the United States and the world with combined gross written premiums of over $2 billion, the companys announcement said. Brown & Brown Acquires Assets of Ohios Berry Insurance Group Brown & Brown of Ohio has acquired substantially all of the assets of Berry Insurance Group in Ohio. Founded in 2002 by Mark Berry, Berry Insurance Group sells commercial and personal insurance throughout the Cincinnati tri-state area. Berry will continue to lead the Berry Insurance Group team operating from their offices in Terrace Park and Lebanon, Ohio. He will report to Tommy Huval, regional president of Brown & Brown Retail. Brown & Brown Inc. is based in Daytona Beach, Fla. Topics Mergers A PROMINMENT Offaly farmer has hit out at plans for rewetting hundreds of thousands of acres of drained bogs as part of Ireland's bid to reduce carbon emissions. Johnny Butterfield, a former councillor and Chairman of the now abolished Council Committee of Agriculture in Offaly, described the process as turning cutaway bogs into swamps. He said he could understand the need to reduce Ireland's carbon footprint but questioned the economic and environmental impact of rewetting as well as its effect on rural communities. When I was Chairman of the Committee of Agriculture we lobbied very hard for the Government to put these cutaway bogs to productive purposes, whether for forestry or grassland, said the Ballincanty based farmer. Mr Butterfield, on whose lands the Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show are staged every August, said he was very concerned that up to 200,000 acres of drained boglands would be rewetted. They are talking about giving employment but I spoke with a person with experience in land reclamation who said that 20 diggers in one season would block all the drains required, claimed Mr Butterfield. He added that there would be no new employment created after just one season. The Offaly farmer said he appreciated the great work which had been carried out on tourism and environmetnal developments at Clara Bog and Lough Boora Discovery Park but stressed there was only a market for so much of such projects. You cannot have 200,000 acres like that as it will serve no purpose, added Mr Butterfield. Advocating the planting of forestry on cutaway bogs, Mr Butterfield said some species of trees such as birch could play an important role in reducing carbon emissions Predicting food shortages in certain sectors because of the impact of Brexit on imports, Mr Butterfield proposed that some of the drained bog should be reclaimed for productive agricultural purposes. He recalled the bogland has been acquired from its original owners for as little as 2 an acre and said he would be campaigning for that land to be restored to its former owners. Mr Butterfield also claimed that rewetting bogland would have an impact on neigbouring farms.You cannot have a swamp on one side of a fence and expect it not to affect the land surrounding it, he pointed out. Mr Butterfield added that Bord na Mona could be more creative and imaginative in its approach and play a role in creating employment in rural Ireland. Boora works is rusting away and could be used to develop small scale business as happened in the Tanyard in Tullamore in the past, outlined the Ballincanty farmer. He added it was very hard for young people with ambition and viable business ideas to start off a small business and they would appreciate a leg up. Eight years ago, investigative journalist Regina Martinez was found beaten and dead in her home in Veracruz, Mexico. A well-known reporter, she was investigating power and corruption, including the state governments alleged relationship with violent drug organizations. Her death frightened many journalists in Veracruz. "It was one of the most brutalmurders of Mexican journalists in the past 20 or 30 years, said Jan-Albert Hootsen. He is the Mexico representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Martinezs killing is the subject of a new investigation published this month by The Cartel Project. It is the work of a worldwide organization of investigative journalists called Forbidden Stories. Their piece examines the investigation into her death and the mistakes made by the police. It also looks at a social media disinformation campaign about the killing, and the reporting Martinez was doing at the time she was killed. She was reporting on thousands of people who had mysteriously disappeared in Veracruz. Forbidden Stories founder Laurent Richard described the organization as a group of reporters who are continuing the work of journalists who have been killed, jailed or under threat. The larger goal, Richard said, is to say to enemies of the free press that even if you kill the messenger you will never kill the message. Yet with the lack of arrests for journalist killings in Mexico, the continuing violence, and the anti-press comments from President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the future of journalism in the country is bleak, Hootsen says. More than 30 journalists were killed directly for their work worldwide in 2020, including at least five in Mexico, the CPJ reports. That number makes Mexico as deadly as Afghanistan, which is the deadliest country in the world for reporters. And those killings almost never end with arrests. Lopez Obrador has agreed that journalism is important and he has spoken out against the killings. But any attempts to bring arrests have failed, and he is often angry and uncooperative with reporters. The president often criticizes news organizations for providing what he sees as unfavorable coverage. He once told reporters, If you go too far, you know what will happen. Lopez Obrador later said he was talking about a loss of public support. Hootsen says Mexican journalists believe the presidents language adds to the climate of violence that exists online, including death threats. Journalists also fear the new threat of doxing, which is posting personal information about journalists online. This can include their address or other personal information about their families. Government measures have been taken to protect reporters, including a special prosecutors office to investigate attacks, as well as the use of bodyguards. However, at least six journalists who had the government protections were killed. Safety in numbers The lack of effective protection measures is a problem for journalists around the world. They often find they are left to face threats alone. Forbidden Stories is trying to change that. It was founded following several attacks on journalists, including one that received wide news coverage. In January 2015, gunmen killed 12 people and injured several others at the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Richard worked as a journalist in another office on the same floor. This was a very traumatic event for all of us, he said. Richard decided the best way to protect journalists was for them to work together. He started Forbidden Stories in 2017 to connect journalists around the world. It offers protection as well as assistance in investigations. It also shows how the stories of journalists are interconnected. What we wanted to do with The Cartel Project," Richard said, is to show that when a reporter in Mexico is killed it's not only a Mexican story. The drug cartels have international political connections. Following leads from Martinezs work, Forbidden Stories followed the cartels reach to countries around the world. The final project had five investigative news articles published at the same time by several international news organizations. Hootsen believes such journalism efforts are important, especially when investigating things like organized crime or corruption. These are subjects that many Mexican journalists cannot work on without being targeted. It is often impossible to find out who is behind the threats and the killings. It might be organized crime, Hootsen said. He added that it could also be local officials or the two working together. Im Susan Shand. Graham Vyse reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story collaboration n. the act of working with another person or group in order to achieve or do something journalist n. someone whose job is to collect, write and edit news stories for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio allege v. to state without proof that someone has done something illegal brutal adj. violent and cruel cartel n. a group of business that agree to fix prices to make more money bleak adj. cold, unfriendly prosecutor n. a lawyer who represents the side in a court case that accuses a person of a crime and who tries to prove that the person is guilty satirical adj. criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, especially in order to make a political point trauma n. a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time Lai Xiaomin, former chairman of China Huarong Asset Management Co., was sentenced to death for taking bribes, corruption and bigamy, in one of the nations biggest financial crime cases. Lai was found guilty of receiving a total of 1.79 billion yuan ($277 million) in bribes between 2008 and 2018, according to the local court of Tianjin City. All his personal assets will be confiscated, the rulings said. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 In early 2020, Lai confessed in state TV documentary that he preferred cash payments and said he would drive trunk loads of bills to a Beijing apartment, where more than 200 million yuan was uncovered by police later. Detained in 2018, he was found to own a large number of properties, luxury watches, cars, gold and art collections. Chinese authorities are taking an increasingly tough stance on corporate malfeasance, broadening President Xi Jinpings eight-year corruption crackdown into the nations boardrooms. More than 1 million government officials have been punished in Xis anti-corruption campaign, the Peoples Daily had reported earlier. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Amid concerns over the UK-linked strain of coronavirus, Department of Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup Tuesday said that efforts are being made to study the impact of vaccines and diagnostics on the new variant. She said the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG), formed to ascertain the status of new variants of the virus through genome sequencing, will also focus on samples from clusters where the infection level of coronavirus is high. We are also making an effort now to study what is the impact of these vaccines and the diagnostics on this UK variant,Swarup told a press briefing.The genomic surveillance consortium is already conducting genome sequencing on the samples of those returned from the UK. The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel coronavirus in India now stands at 71, Swarup said. The new UK variant has already been reported by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.As much as five percent of the positive cases of COVID-19 from all states and UTs are also being tested for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) as part of the strategy to detect and contain the mutant variant, she said. "This is really our preparedness to see how we would want to bring in new technologies to help us to be prepared proactively if there is any other variant that comes in (or) is either noticed in our sampling strategy or if we get to know of any variant coming from any other country.We have heard about the UK, there is also news about South Africa. It will help us to prepare for this," she added. The UK variant is defined by multiple mutations in the spike region as well as mutations in other genomic regions. These mutations are rapidly increasing the number of variants of the virus, she said.It is also significantly more transmissible than previously circulating variants, with an estimated increased transmissibility of up to 70 per cent. Referring to a recent report, Swarup said the UK strain has been renamed and there are about 23 mutations with additional six synonym mutations. "There are eight mutations in the RBD (receptor binding domain) spike protein. We are trying to see how the vaccines would impact it. We are seeing vaccines produce antibodies against many regions. So it is unlikely that small changes would impact the effectiveness of the vaccine as it moves forward," she said. As many as 10 institutes are part of the INSACOG consortium. These labs are: Department of Biotechnology - National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani; DBT-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar; Indian Council for Medical Research National Institute of Virology, Pune; DBT- National Centre For Cell Science Pune; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad; DBT- Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad; DBT-InSTEM/ National Centre For Biological Sciences, Bengaluru; National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Bengaluru; CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology; Delhi, and National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The Chief serjeant-at-arms at the Senate in Nairobi accidentally shot himself on Sunday night during a confrontation with suspected thugs in Thika towm. Joel Nkubitu said he was in a traffic jam near Bidco area when two men on a motorcycle accosted him and snatched his mobile phone. Nkubitu, who is a licensed gun holder, reportedly drew his gun and shot in the air to scare away the thugs. However, in the process, he shot himself in the left thigh. He was rushed to a hospital in Nairobi where he was admitted in stable condition. Police say they are investigating the incident. We will know more. Let him recover first, said an officer privy to investigations. NEW DELHI: As the country gears up for the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, the dry run for the same will be conducted in all 75 districts of UP on Tuesday (January 5, 2020). According to Amit Mohan Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, UP government, the dry run will begin at 10 AM. It'll help us to identify gaps in preparation & take corrective steps so that everything is conducted smoothly when actual vaccination is done, Amit Mohan Prasad told ANI. Dry run for #COVID19 vaccine rollout in all 75 districts of UP will begin at 10 am. It'll help us to identify gaps in preparation & take corrective steps so that everything is conducted smoothly when actual vaccination is done: Amit Mohan Prasad,Additional Chief Secretary(Health) pic.twitter.com/uwBxPskPoe ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 5, 2021 The state government is conducting dry runs to assess the preparedness for administering shots to millions of people. This drive will be carried out in six sites in every district - three of them urban and three rural, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Amit Mohan Prasad had said on Monday, according to a tweet posted by the Government of UP. 06 05 : ACS, , @sanjaychapps1 @ShishirGoUP Government of UP (@UPGovt) January 4, 2021 The state government has also released detailed guidelines for the dry run which will start at 10 AM. The guidelines have been issued by Prasad which have directions for divisional commissioners and district magistrates. They have been asked to make syringes, vaccines, AEFI (Adverse Event Following Immunization) kit and other logistics available at dry run sites. The Centre has already successfully conducted a two-day pilot Covid-19 vaccination drive in eight districts in four states on December 28-29. These states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat and Punjab. Around 1,50,000 vaccinators have been trained so far, covering over 700 districts across the country. The focus of the dry run being conducted in coordination with the Centre will be on the management of any possible AEFI. In addition, the states will also emphasise adherence and management of infection control practices at the session site, to prevent disease transmission. Indias drugs regulator had on Sunday approved AstraZenecas Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute (SII), and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) granted the approval on the basis of recommendations by a Covid-19 Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation. Saudi Arabia opened its borders with Qatar for the first time in three years, a leap toward easing a dispute that split the energy-producing region and complicated US efforts to isolate Iran. The decision to open land, air and sea borders comes ahead of a summit of regional leaders in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Qatars ruler will attend for the first time since the 2017 row that cut trade, travel and diplomatic ties with the kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Bahran and Egypt. Egypt has agreed in principle to open its airspace for Qatari planes and will do so if unspecified conditions are met, Saudi-backed Al Arabiya TV reported. Spokesmen for Egypts Foreign Ministry and presidency didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. The steps were pushed through as President Donald Trump prepares to leave office and his successor, Joe Biden, vows to renew diplomacy with Tehran. The breakthrough is timely -- on Monday Iran seized a South Korea-flagged tanker and announced it would ramp up its nuclear enrichment activities. Qatars main equities benchmark rose the most in the Middle East following the announcement, with the majority of its members gaining. The dispute stretched beyond the Gulf region, with the countries lining up on opposite sides of conflicts and geopolitical squabbles in the wider Middle East and in Africa. Abu Dhabi, which led the boycott with Riyadh, didnt appear to immediately join the accord but signaled optimism. The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter that Tuesdays Gulf Cooperation Council summit would bring back Gulf cohesion, prioritizing the regions security, stability and prosperity. Theres more work ahead of us and were on the right track, he said. Gargashs comments echoed the sentiment expressed by Saudi Arabias de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who said the summit would create reunification and solidarity to face the challenges that our region witnesses. Leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council -- comprising Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE -- will hold their summit in the northwestern Saudi town of Al Ula. The resolution has wider economic and financial implications for Qatar, the worlds largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and one of the richest countries per capita. It is expected to bolster prospects for Qatars non-oil economy over the medium term, according to Fitch Ratings. It is also positive news for Qatar Airways, which had to abandon plans to add new routes and make lengthy diversions when it was unable to cross the Saudi airspace. For Saudi Arabia, this is an effort to take a leadership role, to try and gain some diplomatic advantage with the incoming Biden administration, said Karen Young, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Its also a realization perhaps that the last four years allowed too much foreign policy adventurism and experimentation, Young said. The boycotting nations had accused Doha of meddling in their internal affairs, supporting hardline Islamist groups and building ties with Iran, a foe for most Gulf Arab states. Qatar denied the charges. It was unclear how far the agreement would go in easing frictions after three years of heated rhetoric. Commentators cautioned that major differences would likely persist with most of the flash-points dividing the sides unaddressed -- including the critical reporting of Qatars Al Jazeera TV network. The ideological gaps have not been closed either, so the GCC will remain fractured such below the surface, even as they paper over differences to score points with the new White House, said Ryan Bohl, a Middle East analyst at Stratfor. The deal nearly fell apart on Sunday, but the White House and other parties stayed on the phone overnight to reach an agreement, according to a person familiar with the matter. Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, is traveling to Saudi Arabia for the accord signing on Tuesday, the person said. The person said the agreement was reached in exchange for Qatar dropping lawsuits it had filed in relation to the Gulf split. It wasnt immediately clear which legal cases were involved. Qatar had increasingly turned to Tehran and Ankara for support and relied on Irans airspace for overflights. That troubled the Trump administration -- which had initially backed the boycott -- as it sought to expand its offensive to weaken Tehran. Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-05 00:48:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- COVID-19 figures in Belgium showed a continuing downward trend, with an average of 1,589 new infections per day reported from Dec. 25 to Dec. 31, a decrease of 27 percent on a weekly basis, the public health institute Sciensano reported on Monday. To date, Belgium has recorded a total of 650,011 COVID-19 cases and 19,701 deaths, Sciensano data showed. The figures came as Belgian primary and secondary school students returned to school under the red code after the Christmas vacation. The red code, already in effect before the holiday, indicates that the spread of COVID-19 is active in the country. Pupils of primary school and 1st and 2nd secondary are still in full attendance, while those of 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th secondary will continue the courses with half of them at face-to-face classes and the other half in remote learning. Large-scale vaccination against coronavirus will start on Tuesday in Belgium after the roll-out on Dec. 28, when 700 people were vaccinated in some nursing homes. The country will receive 87,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine per week. As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines. Meanwhile, 232 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 60 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on Dec. 29. Enditem What would happen if Facebook disappeared tomorrow? Would people suddenly be unable to communicate online? Would the economy screech to a halt? Would anyone be deprived of a good, service or piece of information that was somehow crucial to their existence? Opinion What would happen if Facebook disappeared tomorrow? Would people suddenly be unable to communicate online? Would the economy screech to a halt? Would anyone be deprived of a good, service or piece of information that was somehow crucial to their existence? Of course not. Which is why the one of the companys main arguments against a breakup that its too big and complex to dismember makes no sense. Some companies play such an important role in the economy or in peoples lives that their failure or disintegration could be disastrous. This allows them to drive a hard bargain with the government if they get into trouble: help us, or else. During the 2008 financial crisis, for example, the U.S. government had little choice but to rescue the largest U.S. banks, lest their demise bring down the countrys whole system of credit and payments. In this sense, they were "too big to fail" and they have grown even bigger since. Its easy to see why people might place Facebook in a similar category. Its big, among the largest companies in the world by market capitalization thanks in large part to the pace at which it has vacuumed up the competition, with the blessing of U.S. authorities. With more than 200 million users in the U.S. alone, it definitely plays a role in a lot of peoples lives so much so that it has aggravated the countrys divisions by enticing people to delve ever deeper into conspiracy theories about vaccines, COVID-19 and much else. So what would happen if, as a result of the antitrust suits filed by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, a court ordered Facebook to split up, reversing its acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram? The companys lawyers argue that the various businesses have become so inextricably interwoven that a breakup would be extremely difficult, generating costs and chaos that would harm users worldwide. In other words, dont mess with us, or else. Really? No doubt, the breakup would be difficult for Facebooks managers, who rely on data sharing among WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook to create the most complete possible profiles of users and then sell their attention to the highest bidder. If the companies were separated, all the investment theyd been making into surveillance and targeting wouldnt immediately work out as well as they had hoped. For them, the product is the advertising, not the service to users. For users, though, there would hardly be a difference. Most try to ignore the advertising anyway or occasionally get creeped out when they see an ad for a product theyd been researching elsewhere. Theyre primarily there for the content from celebrities and their friends, or to communicate through group chats and messaging systems. The apps are already separate icons on their computers and phones. Even in the highly unlikely event that all three apps somehow failed, its hard to imagine consumers suffering much. They have plenty of other ways to reach each other, such as Twitter, Zoom and email. Given the role Facebook has played in polarizing society, there might even be some upside. Cathy ONeil is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a mathematician who has worked as a professor, hedge-fund analyst and data scientist. She founded ORCAA, an algorithmic auditing company, and is the author of Weapons of Math Destruction. January 05 : Actor and producer brother duo Sohail Khan and Arbaaz Khan along with Nirvaan Khan has landed in legal trouble after were found violating COVID-19 norms. An FIR has been registered by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) against the two actors and Sohail Khan's elder son Nirvaan Khan. As per reports, Arbaaz, Sohail and Nirvaan returned from Dubai on December 25 and were asked to quarantine in a hotel as per the COVID-19 protocol in the city. However, they instead left for their home from the Mumbai airport. The FIR has been registered at Khar police station in Mumbai under the Prevention of Sterilization Act. As per the law, in the wake of the outbreak of the new strain of COVID-19, passengers travelling into the city from the UK and UAE are required to undergo a seven-day institutional quarantine. The three will be taken to the Quarantine Centre at Richardson & Crudas in Byculla where they will be kept till January 9. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Vice President Mike Pence told Donald Trump Tuesday that he cannot reject electoral college votes when he presides over Congress' confirmation of the election result Wednesday - shortly after the president tweeted that he could. The vice president delivered the bad news over lunch, the New York Times reported, sugaring the pill by suggesting he could in some way acknowledge Trump's discredited claims when he presides over the Senate. Pence's move came on the eve of biggest challenge of his career on Wednesday when he presides over a Joint Session of Congress where some Republican lawmakers plan to object to Joe Biden's victory. Ahead of the traditionally ceremonial event, President Donald Trump had escalated his pressure campaign on Pence to help him overturn the election results and spend another four years in the White House. 'The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors,' the president tweeted on Tuesday morning, wrongly stating what Pence can do when he is in the presiding chair. But shortly after when the two met for their regular lunch, Pence delivered the bad news that he could not. The New York Times reported that Pence also told Trump to lighten the blow that he would keep 'studying the issue' until the joint session begins at 1pm Wednesday. In fact Pence spent hours this week with the Senate Parliamentarian, who advises senators and the vice president on the rules when they are on the floor of the Senate - or in Pence's unique case, presiding over the joint session certifying the election. Delivering bad news: Mike Pence was spotted at the White House Tuesday after Trump had tweeted that the vice president could disqualify Electoral College votes. Pence was on his way to tell Trump that he could not Trying to lighten the blow: Mike Pence told Trump he might attempt to 'acknowledge' his claims of fraud - partly driven by his own fear that confirming Joe Biden's victory will be used against him Trump's tweet is false and Pence does not have the power the president claims he has Truth to power: Donald Trump demanded publicly Monday night at his rally in Georgia and then on Twitter that the vice president aid his campaign to overturn the election. Pence told him Tuesday he could not If a member of the House and Senate both object to one of the state's slates of electors, the two chambers split to debate the objection for two hours - with Pence presiding over the Senate. That is when he could offer some 'acknowledgment' of Trump's claims about fraud to ameliorate both the blow to his boss, and the potential for the president to turn on his ultra-loyal deputy in the dying days of the administration, and beyond. Pence is said to be particularly concerned that his certification of Biden's victory could be weaponized against him on social media. His delivery of bad news to Trump came after a lawsuit brought by Louis Gohmert, an ultra-loyalist congressman, which demanded that federal courts say Pence could disqualify electoral college votes was dismissed rapidly by a judge and an appeals court. That legal move would have offered Pence some cover that he could point to judges as having ruled out the possibility that he could disqualify voters - which no vice president had ever done and which constitutional experts had said was simply legally impossible. But an 'acknowledgment' of Trump's claims represents a Pyrrhic victory for the president - with Republican senators dealing his campaign to have them vote against approving swing states' votes a series of blows Tuesday, as more and more said they would not get behind it. Senators Tim Scott and Jim Inhofe became the latest GOP lawmakers to risk the wrath of Trump with their decision to back Biden - at least 23 Republican senators will vote to certify Biden's election win Senators Tim Scott and Jim Inhofe became the latest GOP lawmakers to risk the wrath of Trump with their decision to back Biden. 'As I read the Constitution, there is no constitutionally viable means for the Congress to overturn an election wherein the states have certified and sent their Electors. Some of my colleagues believe they have found a path, and while our opinions differ, I do not doubt their good intentions to take steps towards stamping out voter fraud,' Scott said in a statement. Inhofe also cited the Constitution as his reason. 'My job on Wednesday is clear, and there are only two things I am permitted to do under the Constitution: ensure the electors are properly certified and count the electoral votes, even when I disagree with the outcome,' he said in a statement. More and more Republican senators joined in as the clock ticked toward Wednesday, including Senators Jerry Moran and John Boozman. Moran said the plan to object would 'risk undermining our democracywhich is built upon the rule of law and separation of powers.' And Boozman made a similar argument. 'Under the Constitution, Congress does not have the legal authority to change the outcome,' he said. 'These principles are enshrined in the Constitution to ensure the American people, not the party in control of Congress, have the power to choose their president.' At least 24 Republican senators will vote to certify Biden's election win, according to a count by Politico while 13 are supporting Trump. And 14 are undecided. The Senate is short one senator as David Perdue's term ended January 3rd. The winner of Tuesday's special election in Georgia will take the seat. It takes a simple majority of 51 senators to sustain the objection to a state's electoral college result, upending it. But with all 48 Democrats unlikely to do so and the 24 Republicans joining them, that's 72 votes for Biden, leaving Trump's hopes in the dust. Senator Ted Cruz, who is leading the objection effort, will challenge the results of Arizona on Wednesday while Senator Kelly Loeffler will likely lead the objection when it comes to the results in her home state of Georgia. Senator Josh Hawley, another GOP leader in the movement, will challenge Pennsylvania's. The focus of the objections would be on those three states - down from the original six lawmakers originally discussed. Even without the outcome highly unlikely to go Trump's way there is bound to be plenty of fiery floor debate and political theater. But Trump may not get a mass gathering of Republican lawmakers protesting on the floor. The House Sergeant at Arms and Capitol physician sent a memo to lawmakers Tuesday evening about the joint session, requesting that 'access to the Floor of the House will be limited to those Members who are scheduled to speak during the joint session.' And for Pence, who has walked the tight rope of Trump's presidency for four years without faltering, what he does Wednesday will be the ultimate loyalty test, at least in the eyes of the president, who is publicly putting on the pressure. Trump has made it clear he expects his second-in-command to keep him in the White House even if Pence does not legally or constitutionally have the power to do so. 'I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. He's a great guy,' Trump told a campaign rally Monday night in Dalton, Georgia. 'Of course if he doesn't come through I won't like him quite as much.' READ THE FULL 12th AMENDMENT The 12th Amendment is the fundamental law behind Congress certifying the election on Wednesday. But it is also one of the most complicated parts of the Constitution, starting with a 202-word multi-clause sentence. Here is its full text. The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate; -The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; -The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President-The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. Advertisement Ultimately, Biden is expected to be certified as the winner of the election on Wednesday, which Pence, in his role as president of the Senate, is expected to announce after the certification is complete. Pence's role in Wednesday's session is largely ceremonial but he will have to balance his constitutional duties with a reluctance to anger Trump and his power political base. But, despite the pressure campaign, Trump cannot grant powers by tweet, leaving Pence limited in what he can legally do. The 12th amendment of the Constitution - along with the Electoral Count Act of 1887 - makes it clear Pence's role is to make parliamentary rulings. It does not include any power in how Congress counts the electoral votes. When it comes to a conflict between the House and Senate over whether or not to certify a state's electoral college count, the Electoral Count Act of 1887 gives the deciding power to the state's governor and not the vice president, meaning the state's result will stand and Pence has no legal path to overturning it. Pence would not be the first vice president to have to preside over his party's loss of the White House: Richard Nixon, Dan Quayle, Al Gore and Joe Biden all presided over counts that handed them, or their party, a defeat. Biden even gaveled down an effort to object to Trump's victory when he presided over the electoral count in January 2017. But Pence is likely the first vice president who will be blamed by his boss for it. Biden won the electoral college by 306 votes to Trump's 232. And while some Republican lawmakers plan to object to the certification of some states' results when they are announced on Wednesday, they are highly unlikely to overturn the election results. When all is said and done, Biden will be inaugurated the 46th president on January 20th. Trump, however, has refused to concede the contest. He continues to claim massive voter fraud but has shown no proof of any such thing. His former Attorney General Bill Barr said he saw no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Pence, 61, who is known to have presidential ambitions of his own, will be on the hot seat Wednesday as he sits at the Speaker's rostrum in the House, gavel in hand. He will act according to constitutional procedure, according to reports, and follow the rules as outlined in the law. But he has to balance that with his desire not to anger Trump's large base of power in the party - support he'll need in any future political endeavors. A report in Roll Call raised questions about what exactly Pence will do Wednesday. The Capitol Hill newspaper quoted Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, the pro temp of the Senate, saying he would be presiding instead of Pence because 'we don't expect him to be there.' But Pence's office was quick to say the vice president would be present and Grassley's office quickly clarified the senator was referring to having to take over if Pence needed a break. It raised questions, however, if Pence would be taking those breaks when things got hot politically speaking. Pence's role is to open the states' sealed certificates in alphabetical order and hand them them to one of four 'tellers' a Republican and a Democrat from each chamber of Congress - who will announce how each state voted. As each state's result is read, Pence will ask whether any member of Congress wishes to raise an objection. If an objection is raised from both a House and Senate member, the matter goes to each chamber for two hours of debate and a vote on whether or not to sustain the objection. As part of his parliamentary duties, it's Pence who will decide if the objection is valid to warrant the two hour debate and vote in each chamber. After the breakout session, lawmakers return to the joint session to continue the roll call of state results. If there is another objection, the process begins all over again. Given the Democratic control of the House and the fact that many Republican senators don't support the objections, none are expected to be sustained. Trump and his allies were hoping enough objections would occur to bring Biden under the 270 mark in the electoral college count - the amount needed to win the presidency. That would throw the election to the House. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, each state congressional delegation gets one vote. While Democrats control the House, Republicans control the majority of state delegations, which is how Trump hopes to be 'elected.' Vice President Mike Pence (left) and his Chief of Staff Marc Short stand in the Oval Office before President Donald Trump departs the White House on Monday for a campaign rally in Georgia Vice President Pence will have to balance his constitutional duties with his reluctance to anger President Trump's base, which he would need in future political endeavors; the two men are seen in the Oval Office together in May Pence, who was in the Capitol on Sunday to swear in the newly-elected senators, also met with the Senate parliamentarian to discuss Wednesday's procedure. And while campaigning for Georgia's Senate candidates in that state on Monday, Pence responded to shouts of the 'stop the steal' with this: 'We all got our doubts about the last election. And I want to assure you, I share the concerns of millions of Americans about voting irregularities. And I promise you, come this Wednesday, we'll have our day in Congress.' He made no promises of an outcome. Other points of pressure are coming Pence's way. Peter Navarro, the White House trade adviser, claimed inaccurately on Fox News over the weekend that Pence could call for an 'emergency 10-day audit' of the election returns in the states Trump allies are disputing. Pence does not have that power. Additionally, a group of Republican House members filed legal action to try and expand Pence's powers in the certification process, but Trump's own Justice Department came out against it and a judge appointed by Trump threw it out of court. Pence and his chief of staff Marc Short were in the Oval Office with President Trump and other advisers on Monday night before the president left for Georgia to campaign for the two Republican senators on the ballot in Tuesday's special election. But most of Trump's remarks at that rally were about himself. 'You know I've had two elections, I've won both of them, it's amazing,' Trump said. 'And I actually did much better in the second one.' The low down on how Congress certifies the Electoral College vote At 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Senators and Representatives will gather in the House chamber for a Joint Session of Congress to count and certify the electoral college ballots. Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump by 306 electoral votes to Trump's 232. But the constitution calls for Congress to certify the results, in a process that has become largely procedural. It is very difficult to over turn an election and it has never happened in American history. Republicans, however, have vowed to object to the electoral college results, dragging out the certification process and putting on a grand display of theater that will likely please the president. Here's how the day will play out: The process is presided over by the president of the Senate, which is Vice President Mike Pence. Pence will open the states' sealed certificates in alphabetical order and hand them them to one of four 'tellers' a Republican and a Democrat from each chamber of Congress - who will announce how each state voted. As each state's result is read, Pence will ask whether any member of Congress wishes to raise an objection. At least one member of the House and one member of the Senate must object for the objection to stand. The law also states the objection must be in writing. If the objection is recognized, the lawmakers go to their respective chambers to debate the matter for up to two hours. Then the House and Senate each votes on whether to sustain the objection - which would dismiss the state's votes - or reject the objection. For a state's results to be dismissed, majorities of both chambers have to vote to sustain the objection. If one chamber votes to sustain the objection and the other doesn't, the objection is dismissed and the state's electoral college results stand. The Democratically-controlled House is unlikely to support sustaining an objection, meaning the states' results will stand and Biden will ultimately be declared the winner. Additionally, the Republican-controlled Senate isn't likely to vote in favor of an objection, either. The GOP has a slim margin in the upper chamber and a number of Republican senators have voiced their objections to the objection process. After the objection is voted on by each chamber, the joint session reconvenes and continues with the count. If there's another objection to a different state's vote, the process is repeated. President Trump's allies are looking at challenging three states: Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, which could go into the early morning hours of Thursday. 'At the end of the day, which could be the middle of the night, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be officially declared the next President and Vice President of the United States,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to Democratic House members on Monday. After the votes are recorded from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the vice president declares who has received the requisite majority of electoral college votes. That announcement finalizes the election. WHAT IF THE OBJECTIONS ARE SUSTAINED? If, by some remote chance, an objection is sustained, Trump and his allies hope that will result in the electors being thrown out, ultimately bringing Biden's electoral count below the 270 needed to win. If all three state challenges are successful, Biden would have 259 electoral votes, throwing the election to the House of Representatives to select the next president. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, each state congressional delegation gets one vote. While Democrats control the House, Republicans control the majority of state delegations, which is how Trump hopes to be 'elected.' Sources: NBC News, Washington Post, New York Times Advertisement 'Don't argue with fools!' Top Democrat Cedric Richmond warns party's reps not to get dragged into debate in Congress over Republicans' bid to overturn the election results on Wednesday President Trump's demand that Congress overturn the election results in states he lost has provoked a split in his party and Democratic leaders are now cautioning their own members to steer clear of arguments when the vote gets certified. Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat who is joining the incoming Biden administration as director of White House engagement, has told colleagues there isn't an upside to jumping into a point-by-point clash over Trump's election fraud claims. 'You don't argue with fools, because at a distance you can't tell who the fool is,' he said on a party conference call Monday, Politico reported. 'You don't argue with fools,' Representative Cedric Richmond, a Democrat from Louisiana is urging colleauges House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is mindful of the spectacle that the election challenges could provoke and wants her members to be 'dignified' through the process although unsubstantiated allegations of widespread fraud by Texas GOP Rep. Louis Goehmert and others is certain to provoke an angry backlash. The House meets Wednesday in a special joint session to count the Electoral College votes. The number of Republican senators planning to go along with election challenges grew to 13 at Trump's Georgia rally when Sen. Kelly Loeffler announced she was behind the effort. But the leaked recording of Trump's call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger may have undermined the Senate GOP efforts by linking claims the lawmakers hitched to the Constitution to the president's request that Raffensperger 'find' 11,780 votes for him. It was unclear if the explosive call had prompted Senate Republicans to dial back some of their plans and focus on a smaller number of states to launch challenges. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants Democrats to remain dignified as Republicans challenge the election Joe Biden won by 306 to 232 electoral votes Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says he will raise election challenges President Donald Trump asked Georgia's secretary of state to 'find' 11,780 votes for him Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley (R) was the first senator to say publicly he would back election challenges Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling debunked many of the president's 'fantastical' claims in a press conference Monday. GOP strategist Doug Heye told The Hill regarding Trump's leaked call: 'The tape now makes it harder for other people to join on. They had a legal process argument that they could make even if it wasn't the most credible one,' he continued. 'The tape blows that out of the water.' Whatever Democratic leaders caution, rank-and-file Democrats who get opportunities to speak when Republicans raise protests to states' electoral votes are likely to get heated. 'It's treasonous. The fact of the matter is the election results have been certified,' said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif. Party leaders are preparing for tense debates on Wednesday Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) is among those who have erupted at Republicans going along with Trump's effort. 'It's treasonous. The fact of the matter is the election results have been certified,' he said. If a House and Senate member object to a state's certification, each chamber will meet separately for two hours to consider the challenge, where members will give speeches, followed by a vote. More than 100 House Republicans are expected to back election challenges. Attorney General William Barr personally questioned the last inmate to share a cell with Jeffrey Epstein before the multimillionaire sex offender died by suicide, a source told the New York Daily News. Epstein was found hanging from cloth tied to a bed frame early on Aug. 10, 2019, rocking the highest levels of the Justice Department. Investigators' attention turned to Efrain 'Stone' Reyes, who had been transferred out of a cell he shared with Epstein the day before the suicide at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan. Reyes' niece and other sources previously told the Daily News that Reyes was moved to the privately run Queens Detention Center, which holds cooperating witnesses. Efrain 'Stone' Reyes, 51 (left), was the last inmate to share a cell with Jeffrey Epstein (right) before his August 2019 suicide. He was interviewed personally by Attorney General Bill Barr Following Epstein's death, Reyes was pulled from the privately run jail for frequent meetings with authorities including one with Barr Following Epstein's death, Reyes was pulled from the privately run jail for frequent meetings with authorities, according to a source. Following one of the meetings, Reyes told the source that the attorney general himself had asked questions about the staff at MCC. 'Barr wanted to know about what was going on in there. Barr told him, 'I owe you a favor, thank you for telling us the truth,' said the source, who became close friends with Reyes while they were both held at the Queens jail. 'He said (Barr) was a good guy. Barr was nice about it. He just wanted to know if (inmates) were being mistreated. What (Reyes) believed happened. Just basically that. He told them everything. He cooperated with Barr.' The unusual sit-down between the country's former top law enforcement official and the cooperator who confessed to participating in a drug ring at Bronx housing projects illustrates the significance of the feds' failure in the Epstein case. A Justice Department spokesman declined comment. The New York Times reported weeks after Epstein's death that Barr was personally overseeing four inquiries into Epstein's suicide. Barr has said he was 'livid' after the death. Reyes was transferred out of the Metropolitan Correctional Center a day before Epstein hanged himself using bedsheets (interior of Epstein's cell is pictured) The photos from inside his cell reveal that fragments of material were found hanging from a window, while a large strip of bedding was also looped through a hole on the top bunk bed Weeks after Epstein's death it was revealed that that Attorney General William Barr was personally overseeing four inquiries into Epstein's suicide 'If in fact the attorney general personally interviewed Jeffrey's prison drug-dealing roommate that would be a real jaw dropper. ... there are only a million levels between the a.g. And the fbi agent who should have done the interview (I am exaggerating but only by a little),' Epstein's attorney Reid Weingarten wrote in an email to the Daily News. 'If it is true the question is why in the world was Barr so personally interested in what happened to my client?' Two MCC correctional officers, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, have pleaded not guilty to sleeping on the job and falsifying records the night of the suicide. An attorney for Thomas, Montell Figgins, told the Daily News he wouldn't be surprised if Barr directly questioned Reyes, given how the case was handled by the Justice Department. The News exclusively identified Reyes as Epstein's final cellmate last month. The 51-year-old caught coronavirus at the Queens Detention Facility earlier this year, was released in April and died last month at his mother's Bronx apartment. The source contacted the Daily News seeking to dispel conspiracy theories that Reyes' death had something to do with Epstein. The source said Reyes was deeply troubled by the suicide and did not hesitate to help investigators. Reyes reportedly told his niece before his death in November that Epstein was a 'good cellmate' and that he enjoyed reading and kept to himself 'With the Epstein thing, he was dealing with it. He was having nightmares,' the source said. 'He thought if he would've stayed a little longer maybe he wouldn't have did what he did. The whole time, he would tell (Epstein), 'Don't do that in the cell. I don't need you doing that. Don't need that on my conscience.' The source recalled a conversation between Reyes and Epstein. 'Stone would be like, 'What's it like having all that money?' the source said. '(Epstein) just said he's had a good life. He was very blessed.' The Bronx drug dealer and Coney Island-born sex offender worth $634 million overcame their differences. Reyes struggled with sleep due to drug addiction. Epstein preferred to be asleep by 10 p.m., the source said. So, the financier supplied Reyes with drugs that cost $500 a pop to put him to sleep. The source believed the drug was Suboxone. Reyes claimed that Epstein was mistreated by staff at the jail and extorted by other inmates 'What do you need, how can I help you so you go to bed and turn the lights out?' Epstein said, according to the source close to Reyes. 'He paid for stuff for him to keep him occupied, you know? He's had his problems with drugs. He had bragged that Jeff spent $500 and another $500 so he'd go to bed early.' MCC has a well-established reputation of being overrun with contraband. The source, who also came down with COVID-19 at the private jail, had no doubt Reyes' demise was connected to the effects of coronavirus. 'With Stone, he would constantly say, 'I don't feel the same, I don't feel right, I don't move the right way no more,' the source said. 'You see people saying conspiracy things. No he got COVID. He was having lung issues. He would cough all the time.' According to Reyes, Epstein was suicidal towards the end (Epstein's noose is pictured). After meeting with Barr he told him, 'I owe you a favor, thank you for telling us the truth.' The body of Jeffrey Epstein is brought out by medical examiners at the lower Manhattan hospital in New York and taken to the Medical Examiners office. Pictured in August 2019 As coronavirus ravaged the Queens Detention Facility earlier this year, jail staffers gave inmates, including Reyes and the source, takeout from Popeyes Chicken and expanded the number of channels available on television, the source recalled. At one point, Reyes and the source watched a documentary about Epstein, who was able to cultivate relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world while allegedly running an international child sex trafficking scheme. '(Reyes) was like, 'I just didn't see that from him. I didn't see that side of him. I never pictured him being with young girls. Some guys like that are creepy,' the source recalled. 'He said he never really got that side of Epstein like he was someone who took advantage of girls. But we all have our secrets, you know? You never know.' Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Amazon provided mere "lip service" and failed to provide any help to the debt-laden Future Group as the retail major suffered massive setback amid the COVID-induced lockdown and faced possible insolvency or debt restructuring, Future Group's promoters said in a letter to the e-commerce giant. The letter from the promoters, including Kishore Biyani, was written on December 31. It alleged that Amazon's actions "lacked good faith" during the March to August period, when the group's retail business was severely hit by the lockdown. Future also contended that Amazon was "at all times fully aware of the exclusivity period with Reliance of 4 weeks from 2nd July,2020 and its extension upto 14th August, but as party to FCPL SHA (shareholding agreement) made no concrete plan or proposal". "Except for offering lip service and perfunctorily attempting to show your concern, there were no serious or genuine efforts made by you. ALSO READ: Amazon invests 11,400 crore in India in FY20 "The correspondence during this period bears out that you really had no intention to assist the Promoters/FCPL (Future Coupons) in preventing the alienation or disposal of the FRL (Future Retail Limited) shares," the letter said. It further alleged that Amazon merely put up a "facade of 'facilitating' the raising of finance by the Promoters". When contacted, an Amazon spokesperson said, "It is incorrect to say that Amazon did not offer help to Future Retail Limited as there were ongoing discussions on multiple options with partners on the one hand and with the promoters of Future on the other including a signed Term Sheet." Amazon had dragged Future to arbitration at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) after the indebted Kishore Biyani group firm signed a pact to sell retail, wholesale, logistics and warehousing units to billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries in August last year. ALSO READ: Delhi HC supports Amazon over Future Group in ongoing legal battle A company that is unable to discharge its debt may have to undergo restructuring or face insolvency resolution process, where the management not only loses all control but the promoter equity holding is also at the risk of being wiped out. Banks and other lenders had started to exert tremendous pressure to restructure the businesses at Future that was facing mounting debt to the tune of 11,250 crore as of June 30, 2020. Despite all financial difficulties, Future Group ensured that Amazons investments of FCPL continue to remain "encumbrance free", it added. In 2019, Amazon had agreed to purchase 49 per cent of one of Future's unlisted firms -- FCPL -- with the right to buy into flagship FRL after a period of three to ten years. FCPL holds 7.3 per cent equity in BSE-listed Future Retail Ltd -- that operates popular supermarket and hypermarket chains such as Big Bazaar -- through convertible warrants. The promoters alleged that Amazon had failed to nominate any replacement financial institutions (RFIs) and in failure to exercise this right "when the circumstances warranted the same, contributed to the loss of control over the Promoters' FRL Securities". "In such dire circumstances, you were not expected to sit on the fence by simply calling for information and data and doing nothing to prevent the alienation and disposal of the Promoter FRL Securities. The least you could have done, was to nominate RFIs as soon as possible, or within reasonable time," the letter said. It added that by not nominating any RFIs, Amazon contributed to the deterioration of the asset value of promoters' FRL securities. Future noted that the promoters had notified Amazon of the occurrence of 'Event(s) of Default' under the existing loan documents and that the first such communication was addressed on March 16, 2020. Future said it had put forth various alternative proposals for Amazons consideration, including a proposal to increase Amazons effective shareholding in FRL from 4.8 per cent to 19.1 per cent by investing an additional 1,470 crore. Future claimed that it also had made attempts to negotiate with other financial institutions and/or funds (for example Samara) to prevent alienation or disposal of promoters' FRL securities. "... we could not go ahead with Samara because they wanted your (Amazon) NOC which was not forthcoming...we also explored the possibility of forming a consortium of financial institutions including other investors (eg Premji), who wanted your participation, which you did not consent to, using FDI laws as the reason...," it said. Future, in its 12-page letter, also sought to address Amazon's contention that the latter's consent was required for going ahead with the composite scheme of arrangement. "(This) assumes significance only if we could mutually save the Promoter FRL Securities from alienation and/or disposal. This never happened, despite our best efforts. "Accordingly, the consent was appropriately granted by FCPL on August 29, 2020. For the reasons mentioned above this consent which was granted does not amount to any breach as alleged by you or otherwise," it said. The promoters said they were "fed up" with Amazon's "lackadaisical" attitude and were left with no option but to accept the offer from Reliance as it was under pressure from lenders and bankers. "You, alone, are responsible for contributing to this situation, having failed to bail out FCPL and/or the Promoters from preventing alienation or disposal of the Promoter FRL Securities," it said. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz reminds investors of the upcoming January 12, 2021 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Alibaba Group Holding Limited ("Alibaba" or the "Company") (NYSE: BABA) securities between July 20, 2020 and November 3, 2020 inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. On July 20, 2020, Ant Group announced that it had begun the process of a concurrent initial public offering ("IPO") on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges. On October 26, 2020, Ant Group priced its IPO and was set to raise $34.5 billion, making it the largest public offering in history. On November 2, 2020, Financial Times reported that Chinese regulators had met with Ant Group's controller Jack Ma, executive chairman Eric Jing, Chief Executive Officer Simon Hu. The article stated that, though regulators did not provide details, "the Chinese word used to describe the interview yuetan generally indicates a dressing down by authorities." The article also included a statement from Ant Group that it will "implement the meeting opinions in depth." On November 3, 2020, the IPO was suspended because Ant Group "may not meet listing qualifications or disclosure requirements due to material matters" related to the meeting with regulators the previous day and "the recent changes in the Fintech regulatory environment." On this news, the Company's share price fell $25.27, or 8%, to close at $285.57 per share on November 3, 2020, on unusually heavy trading volume. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Ant Group did not meet listing qualifications or disclosure requirements for certain material matters; (2) that certain impending changes in the Fintech regulatory environment would impact Ant Group's business; (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, Ant Group's IPO was reasonably likely to be suspended; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW. If you purchased or otherwise acquired Alibaba securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than January 12, 2021 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit. To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles Related Links frankcruzlaw.com China has moved to punish two human-rights lawyers hired to defend a group of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists who were arrested while trying to flee to Taiwan by speedboat. The lawyers, Lu Siwei and Ren Quanniu, said on Tuesday that authorities had informed them that they would lose their licenses. The pair had tried to help with the case of the 12 Hong Kong citizens who were convicted last month on border violation charges by a court in mainland China's Shenzhen. Two Chinese lawyers, Lu Siwei and Ren Quanniu, said on Tuesday that authorities had told them that they would lose their licenses. Ren, pictured arriving at the Shanghai Pudong New District People's Court on December 28, also represented citizen journalist Zhang Zhan Lu (pictured) and Ren, both based in the Chinese mainland, said they had received letters on Monday from authorities about the loss of their licenses and they had three days to appeal Families of two of the 12 Hong Kong citizens, who were arrested while trying to flee the city, appointed Lu and Ren to represent them, but the lawyers were denied access to their clients. Pictured, family members of the 12 speak to journalists at a press conference on December 28 The 12 Hong Kongers had all been involved in pro-democracy protests in the Asian financial hub before they tried to leave for democratic Taiwan. Their conviction is the latest issue to raise concern in the former British colony about the preservation of its freedoms. Lu and Ren, both based in the Chinese mainland, said they had received letters on Monday from authorities about the loss of their licenses and they had three days to appeal. Both said they intended to do so. 'I have no regrets,' Lu told Reuters. China's Ministry of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters. The two lawyers believed the license threat was linked to the Hong Kong case, which drew criticism from international rights groups and foreign governments Pictured, one of the 12 Hong Kong activists sits in a vehicle after a transfer at Shenzhen Bay Port on December 30 Families of two of the 12 Hong Kong defendants appointed Lu and Ren to represent them, but the lawyers were denied access to their clients. The 12 were represented in court by lawyers appointed by mainland authorities. Ten of the 12 were sentenced last week by a court in the city of Shenzhen to between seven months and three years in prison for illegal border crossing, while the two youngest were returned to Hong Kong for trial on charges related to anti-government protests last year. Both lawyers have been critical of China's legal process. They believed the license threat was linked to the case of the Hong Kong people, which drew criticism from international rights groups and foreign governments. But the lawyers said authorities in the jurisdictions where they are based did not mention the case of the Hong Kong people in their letters. Instead, the authorities criticised them on other grounds. Lu (left) and Ren (right) said authorities in the jurisdictions where they are based did not mention the Hong Kong case. Instead, the authorities criticised them on other grounds The Sichuan province justice department accused Lu in a letter seen by Reuters of 'making multiple inappropriate remarks online' over a long time, 'severely damaging the image of the industry' and 'causing negative impacts on society'. The Sichuan justice department, which could not immediately be reached for comment, said in a notice that it would hear Lu's appeal on January 13. Ren, 40, showed Reuters a letter from the Henan province justice department accusing him of violating regulations over a case he took in 2018 representing a defendant in a religious matter. The Henan justice department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. If the lawyers lose their licenses, they would be unable to practice law in China. The conviction of the 12 activists is the latest issue to raise concern about the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong. Pictured, riot police try to disperse protesters near a flag raising ceremony for the anniversary of Hong Kong handover to China in Hong Kong on July 1, 2019 Human Rights Watch, a US-based human rights group, condemned China's decision to penalise both lawyers after blocking their clients from using their service. Sophie Richardson, the group's China Director, told MailOnline: 'The right to choose your own lawyer couldn't be clearer, but Chinese authorities are rarely constrained by such obligations, denying not only the defense that right but also persecuting the lawyers in question. 'The case of the Hong Kong 12 perfectly embodies all that peaceful protestors feared -- baseless charges, arbitrary detention, denial of counsel of choice -- and should be causing alarm worldwide. 'No government should think its citizens are immune from such treatment.' Human rights lawyers in China are often targeted with jail terms and disbarment. Rights groups say such pressure has intensified in recent years under a crackdown on dissent under President Xi Jinping. Ren said the justice department, national security officers and a lawyers' association had all pressed him to drop the Hong Kong case, warning him that his license was at stake. Relatives of Hong Kong detainee Wong Wai-yin, who hired Ren, said they were 'appalled' by the news of his predicament. Ren recently represented Zhang Zhan, a citizen-journalist sentenced to four years in prison over her reporting on the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan. File / Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media GREENWICH Officers responding to a report of a disturbance determined that a Stamford man had sent a threatening message to a local resident and thrown a rock at their home, police said. The 31-year-old Stamford man was charged with threatening, reckless endangerment, trespass, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct in the incident, police said. After giving officers misleading information, he was also cited with interfering with a police investigation, police said. Bail was set at $2,600. Professor Philip Nolan said there is a possibility 1,500-2,000 people will be in hospital with Covid-19 by mid-January. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins People need to brace themselves for a significant number of Covid-19 deaths this month as enormous levels of infection will leave too many victims of the virus in hospital and in funeral homes, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned last night. The virus will continue to sweep across the country at staggering levels and he has never been as concerned as he is now. He was speaking as another six Covid-19-related deaths were reported along with a further 6,110 new cases. The best effort at this point is to mitigate the growing impact of the very aggressive growth in the virus. Read More The incidence of disease in the community is now at a level where vulnerable people need to stay at home unless it is absolutely essential, and there is serious concern about levels of infection in the over-65s. Professor Philip Nolan said there is a possibility of 1,500-2,000 people in hospital, and 200-400 in intensive care with the virus by mid-January, if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence. It will take all of us, adopting the public health measures of staying home and reducing contacts, to suppress current levels of disease. He said the underlying level of disease is now higher than in March and April. The pace of the spread is moving so fast that the seven-day average figures do not really reflect the full picture. There have been an average of 70-80 new admissions to hospital each day over the past week. The seven-day incidence in people aged 19-24 is 900 cases per 100,000 and it is 400 per 100,000 in the 25-64 age group. It is 200-to-300 per 100,000 in the over-65s and in people aged 13-to-18. While it is lower in these age groups, it is still considered to be very high. Dr Holohan said: If you have flu-like symptoms, its unlikely to be anything but Covid-19 at this time. You must self-isolate. He again appealed to people to limit their interactions with those outside their household and appealed to people to avail of outside supports. Leaders and organisations in communities across the country now need to support their colleagues, neighbours, family and friends to keep to the spirit of public health advice. We must restrict our movements, we have to limit the people we interact with outside of our households, if we are to suppress the virus and sustain our essential services. The level of the virus is now so high that it will impact priorities like education and the provision of hospital care, he added. There is little point in the HSE expanding its testing system when the virus is spreading at such a rate, he said. The Department of Health refused to say how many positive tests were still in the HSE system and not yet validated due to a computer system which needs to be upgraded. The HSE said it was a matter for the Department of Health and declined to say if the number ran into thousands. Meanwhile, eight residents died at a private nursing home over the Christmas period after a Covid-19 outbreak at the facility, management has confirmed. Pat Kennedy, chief executive of Windmill Healthcare, which operates Killeline Care Centre, Newcastle West, Co Limerick, said: Unfortunately, and sadly, we must confirm that we have eight Covid-19 related deaths. He extended sympathy to their families. Read More Irish Independent GRAND RAPIDS, MI A Grand Rapids man is held on $1 million bond for allegedly firing at police officers at an Illinois community college and stealing a patrol car. Peter Douglas Bergsma, 35, is charged with two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm at a police officer and receiving, possessing or selling a stolen vehicle, LaSalle County, Illinois, court records show. Bergsma, held in the LaSalle County Jail, has a Jan. 14 court hearing. The episode began around 7:50 p.m. Dec. 29 at Illinois Valley Community College. School security called Oglesby police about a suspicious, full-size recreational vehicle parked near the schools automotive building. Police spoke with Bergsma at the door of the RV then asked if he would come out and talk. He complied, but as they were talking, he pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and began shooting at the officers, LaSalle County Sheriff Tom Templeton said in a statement. The officers returned fire as they took cover behind patrol cars. Both of their vehicles were hit by bullets. When the officers moved, the suspect got into a patrol car and left the campus parking lot, police said. Other police agencies soon responded. Police found the stolen patrol car in a residential area near the area of the gunfight, police said. No one was in the car. Police then followed fresh footprints in the snow back to campus. The footsteps then went into the woods nearby and down a hill to a residential area along the Illinois River, police said. Officers who were stationed on the Shippingsport Bridge saw the suspect running along the river toward the bridge. Police hollered at him to stop and he was arrested by officers who were in pursuit, police said. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of a head wound. His jail mugshot shows him with a bandage on his head. The LaSalle County States Attorneys Office issued a search warrant for the RV. Illinois State Police crime-scene investigators responded, along with the Kane County bomb squad and technicians. Bergsma can be released from jail by posting 10 percent, or $100,000, of his $1 million bond, records showed. Read more: Farmland preservation efforts continue in 2021 amid residential development pressure Michigan to distribute 3.5 million free KN95 masks to protect against COVID-19 Woman, 65, critically wounded by bullet fired into house Syracuse, N.Y. Six-term Onondaga County Legislator Judy Tassone on Monday announced that she will not seek reelection this year. Tassone, 68, of Salina, will retire after her current term ends Dec. 31. A Republican, Tassone has represented the legislatures 4th District since 2010. She chaired the county facilities committee from 2012 through 2019. She is currently vice chair of the legislative committees overseeing county facilities and environmental protection. I have enjoyed serving the town of Salina, the town of Geddes, and the city of Syracuse as your county legislator,' Tassone said in a prepared statement. I have lived in the Town of Salina for over 40 years and I am proud of what this area has become.' Tassone said she was preparing to retire before she suffered serious health problems last summer that landed her in the hospital. After a brain aneurysm burst in August, Tassone spent about six weeks recovering in the hospital. Since then she has undergone surgery and therapy. Despite the severity of her illness, as soon as she got out of the hospital Tassone resumed attending legislature meetings. She phoned in to the Oct. 6 session, which was held in person, and has participated in every Zoom session since then. The illness did not precipitate her decision to retire, Tassone said, but it was icing on the cake.' Tassone said her proudest achievement as a legislator has been to help reduce the property tax rate. I think I did a good job for the taxpayers, thats for sure,' she said. Tassone is the second legislator to announce plans to retire at the end of this year. Kevin Holmquist, R-Manlius, announced in November he would not seek reelection. As of December, Tassone will have served 12 years on the legislature. 'Its time to step down and let somebody else get in there, she said. Her main objective now, she said, is to spend more time with her eight grandsons. Do you have a news tip or a story idea? Contact reporter Tim Knauss of syracuse.com/The Post-Standard: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023 U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said his son Tommy (pictured) has died at the age of 25 U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Sarah Bloom Raskin released a new statement about the passing of their son, Tommy, 25, on Monday afternoon. 'Tommy Raskin had a perfect heart, a perfect soul, a riotously outrageous and relentless sense of humor, and a dazzling radiant mind,' the statement on Medium read. The parents went in-depth about the life of their son, whose New Year's Eve death was announced on Thursday. While no official cause of death has been given, the statement did reference that Tommy had battled depression. The statement concluded, 'He left us this farewell note on New Year's Eve day: 'Please forgive me. My illness won today. Please look after each other, the animals, and the global poor for me. All my love, Tommy.'' The younger Raskin was a student at Harvard Law School and a graduate of Amherst College. 'Tommy was pure magic. His brilliance and compassion knew no bounds. He passionately loved his family, friends, and animals, and was devoted to the cause of the global poor. 'We are devastated and demolished to be without him,' Jamie Raskin and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, said in a previous statement. Pictured: Tommy Raskin (second to left) in a family photo released in the Medium statement Pictured: A photo of a young Tommy Raskin released by the family in their statement They added: 'Tommy is survived by his beloved sisters Hannah and Tabitha, dozens of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and grandparents Arlene Bloom and Lynn Raskin. 'The family is grateful for the outpouring of support and love from neighbors, constituents, and friends but asks everyone to observe strict COVID-19 protocols during this time of grief.' Rep. Raskin is a Democrat who was first elected to Congress in 2016. He represents Maryland's eighth district, which includes Montgomery, Carroll, and Frederick counties. On Twitter, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said he and First Lady Yumi Hogan extend their deepest sympathies to the Raskin family. Raskin (pictured left with his parents in May) was a student at Harvard Law School and a graduate of Amherst College Tommy is survived by his beloved sisters Hannah and Tabitha, dozens of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and grandparents Arlene Bloom and Lynn Raskin Howard County Executive Calvin Ball also expressed condolences in a statement: 'Tonight, our thoughts and sympathies are with my friend Representative Jamie Raskin and his wife, former Deputy Secretary of Treasury, Sarah Bloom Raskin, and the Raskin family over the loss of their son, brother, and beloved, Thomas Bloom Raskin. 'Like his mother and father, Tommy was dedicated to making our world a better place by lifting up the most vulnerable amongst us. 'From working on Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation to the rigors of Harvard Law school, this young man was destined to do great things nationally and abroad. 'Losing a child is an unthinkable tragedy and on behalf of the Howard County residents, our prayers are with the Raskin family as we wish them strength over the days, weeks, and years ahead to overcome such a devastating loss.' 'We are devastated and demolished to be without him,' Jamie Raskin and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, said in a statement Rep. Raskin is a Democrat who was first elected to Congress in 2016. He represents Maryland's eighth district, which includes Montgomery, Carroll, and Frederick counties In addition to the new statement the family put out on Medium, the family also announced a memorial fund to honor their son. The fund, which was launched through the Greater Washington Community Foundation, will support causes Tommy supported during his life, including Oxfam, Give Directly, the Helen Keller Institute, and Animal Outlook. The Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animals started with a contribution of $50,000. There are two things west-central Illinois health departments could use as the next in a series of phases for rolling out COVID-19 inoculations begins: Vaccines, and patience. In the past few weeks, front-line workers like doctors and nurses have been first in line to receive the first vaccines allotted through the state. Because of the massive scope of the vaccination effort, though, vaccines have been in short supply. County health departments have been coordinating with hospitals and other groups to determine the priority for immunizations. Each county receives a portion made available to the state based on population and other factors. The distribution has been slow at first, because the vaccine isnt readily available, Greene County Health Department Administrator Molly Peters said. In Greene County, 187 vaccinations have been distributed so far. Weve been working with the hospital and clinics and a good portion of our doctors have gotten the vaccine and are encouraging others, Peters said. Many that weve seen have been very vocal about the need for the vaccine. The Illinois Department of Public Health developed a distribution plan for the vaccines, with prioritization given based on occupation or risk. Some estimate it could be months before the general population is able to be vaccinated. In general, people are wondering what they should do, but if you are not contacted by the department, just wait, Peters said. As we open it up to different priority groups, well release that information. Its time to be patient because we are getting it out as quick as we get it in. Long-term care facilities are being vaccinated through a federal contract with Walgreens and CVS, which will coordinate with facilities to schedule immunizations. Almost 530 doses of the vaccine have been distributed so far in Morgan County, according to the Morgan County Health Department. The county has a restricted distribution point for those who are classified by the state as 1A recipients hospital workers, public health clinics, health departments, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home aides and other health care providers. 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Bachelor stars Matty Johnson and Laura Byrne announced they're expecting their second baby in September. And on Tuesday, the proud parents excitedly shared footage of their baby's first sonogram. The expectant father-of-two, 33, uploaded a video while his fiance, 34, was in the middle of her ultrasound scan. Cute: On Tuesday, Laura and fiance Matty excitedly shared footage of their baby's first sonogram In the footage, a medical practitioner can be heard explaining the growth process of the foetus, while Laura is overheard saying she's spotted her baby's nose. Click here to resize this module Matty captioned the video, 'Had a quick hello to our little peanut this morning,' alongside three red heart emojis. ADVERTISEMENT Meanwhile, pregnant mother Laura shared a photograph of the sonogram with the heartfelt caption which read, 'We can't wait to meet this little squish face!' The loved-up duo, who met on The Bachelor in 2017, welcomed their first child, daughter Marlie Mae, in June last year. Happy times: In April 2019, Matty and Laura got engaged while on holiday in Fiji. They welcomed their first child, daughter Marlie-Mae Rose, in June 2019. All pictured In April 2019, Matty got down on bended knee and popped the question to Laura while on holiday in Fiji. As she prepares to give birth this year, the podcast host admitted she and her partner are yet to agree on whether or not to find out the gender of their new baby. In December, Laura told Essential Baby that her fiance is 'desperate' to find out if the pair are having a boy or girl, but she wants to keep it as a surprise. The one thing they don't agree on! In December, The Bachelor's Laura Byrne revealed that her fiance Matty Johnson is 'desperate' to find out the gender of their unborn baby, but she isn't quite so keen. Pictured with their daughter Marlie-Mae 'He really wanted to find out this time, but got sidelined,' Laura said. During Laura's first pregnancy, the pair kept the sex a surprise until the day of their daughter's birth. 'I just love not knowing. The surprise was such a special part of the birth with Marlie!' she added. Growing brood: The pair are about to become parents for a second time, after welcoming baby girl Marlie-Mae in June last year. They kept the sex a surprise until the day of her birth This time, however, Laura is convinced she's having a baby boy. 'I'm getting boy vibes and have since the moment I find out I was pregnant. I'll be totally shocked if this baby comes out a girl!' she said. Laura and Matty announced they were expecting their second child in an Instagram post in September. Happy as Larry: The duo announced their surprise engagement in April 2019, with Matty saying at the time: 'There's absolutely no one else I'd rather grow old and senile with. I can't wait to start a family together and now I can't wait to be your husband!' 'I reckon we've kept this little beach ball under wraps for long enough... Halfway to number two,' Laura captioned a cute family photo. ADVERTISEMENT She added: 'A big shout out to @matthewdavidjohnson for his contribution.' The duo announced their surprise engagement back in April 2019, with Matty saying at the time: 'There's absolutely no one else I'd rather grow old and senile with. I can't wait to start a family together and now I can't wait to be your husband!' Laura added: 'You are my favourite everything @matthewdavidjohnson. YES to a lifetime of love and flamboyant dance moves with you my honey.' Future Group Founder and CEO Kishore Biyani on Tuesday said Amazon was fully aware of his groups talks with Reliance Industries for the sale of retail assets that followed the US giant offering no concrete help to tide over the cash crisis. Opening up after being locked in an intense legal battle with Amazon over the Rs 24,713 crore deal with Reliance, Biyani in an interview with PTI said the US giants 2019 investment in Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL) -- Future Retails parent -- was for coupon and gifting business only and the same could continue post-retail assets going to Reliance. He hoped to complete the deal with Reliance within two months of Sebi approval. While the arbitration would commence later in January over the plea filed by Amazon contesting the deal with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Biyani said both the deal and arbitration process would continue in parallel as the deal with billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led group is not related with the e-commerce majors stake in one of the group firms, Future Coupons. Biyani said Future Group had approached them several times after its retail business was massively hit after the lockdown and its debt level zoomed. The day Covid-19 and lockdown started, since then we were in continuous engagement with Amazon. Thats not the case that they (Amazon) were not aware of. We had written to them somewhere in March also about the price deterioration and invocation of shares, Biyani told PTI. There was a clause through which Amazon could replace lenders with some others which can help them (Future) to retain the ownership of the shares if it falls, he added. Covid had happened and things did not materialise then. After that, we were in discussion with them (Amazon) through the whole transaction. Even when Reliance was part of the negotiation, they were always aware of that, he added. Asked as to how many times Future Group approached Amazon, he said, we were in continuous dialogue. We had approached them multiple times. We had calls and meetings. Biyani said Amazon was also apprised when there were exclusive talks with RIL. After the matter has become legal (sub-judice), we have not spoken,he said. While noting that Amazons response was always lets find a solution, Biyani said they never got any solution from Amazon except lots of paper works. To be honest, we never got a concrete solution, Biyani said, adding, we approached RIL only after things were not moving. You cannot work with one option at a time. However, Amazon has contended this version. It is incorrect to say that Amazon did not offer help to Future Retail Limited as there were ongoing discussions on multiple options with partners on the one hand and with the promoters of Future on the other, including a signed Term Sheet, an Amazon spokesperson said. Amazon had dragged Future Group to arbitration at Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), which on October 25 passed an interim award in favour of the e-commerce giant. Future Retail has questioned the move and said the order was not binding and had even approached Delhi High Court, which last month upheld Amazons right to make representations to statutory authorities against the Future Group-Reliance Retail deal. The court also gave a go-ahead to the regulatory authorities to decide about the deal in accordance with the rules and regulations. Future Group has approached Sebi to expedite the review of the proposed deal and issue a no-objection certificate while Amazon has urged that the review of the impugned transaction be suspended. We are responding to what they (Amazon) are writing. We are not the first writers, Biyani said when asked about the ongoing war of letters between Amazon and Future. We had applied for CCI permission, which we have got. We have applied to BSE and NSE, which is linked to Sebis approval, he said. Biyani does not expect any hurdle after the order of the Delhi High Court which has directed the regulators to take an independent call on the issue. I do not see (it taking) much time. Once we get Sebi approval, then we have to go NCLT for creditors, lenders and shareholders approval, he said adding that after Sebi approval, it would take 45 to 60 days. The process of appointing an arbitrator at SIAC has not been done yet and Biyani said the deal with RIL has nothing to do with Amazon. He hinted that the arbitration and the process of completion of the Rs 24,713 crore-deal with Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), subsidiary of RIL would continue in parallel. It is a dispute between the promoters and Amazon in a way because they are part of a company (Future Coupons), which we built for gifting and loyalty business. That company has invested in FRL and they are not directly the owners of FRL, he said. Biyani also emphasised that the partnership with Amazon was for coupon and gifting business only and to work with Future brands and portfolios and to sell it on Amazon. That continues today also, he added. On being asked as what would be left for Future Coupon to do after the assets of the group are transferred to RIL, Biyani said, it can still continue to hold the shares of the resultant entity. It will continue to do the gifting business. Biyani also hinted that post completion of the deal, an exit route may be offered to Amazon. The best solution is conciliation on every issue, he said, adding, we would love to find a solution. In 2019, Amazon agreed to purchase 49 per cent stake in Future Coupons with the right to buy into flagship Future Retail after three to ten years. Future Coupons holds 7.3 per cent equity through convertible warrants in Future Retail, that operates popular supermarket and hypermarket chains such as Big Bazaar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said rapid expansion of gas-based economy is a must to become an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) and policy initiatives are being taken to push for One Nation One Gas Grid to raise the share of natural gas in the countrys energy basket to 15% besides diversifying energy resources to meet future energy needs. Global experts say that in the 21st century, whichever country emphasises the most on connectivity and clean energy, would rapidly reach new heights, he said, while dedicating the 450-km Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline to the nation through a video conference on Tuesday. India wants to raise the share of natural gas in Indias energy mix from the current level of 6.2% to 15% by 2030. He said connectivity is the key to development. Take any front highway connectivity, railway connectivity, Metro connectivity, air connectivity, water connectivity, digital connectivity or gas connectivity India has embarked upon these projects simultaneously that never happened earlier, he said. Also read | Centre may bring natural gas within the GST ambit The Prime Minister said he does not want to find reasons why the country could not do these infrastructural developments at a rapid pace earlier. It is, however, certain that todays young India, the impatient India that wants to stand out in the world, cannot afford to progress at a slow pace. That is why, in the last few years, the country has increased the speed, and scale and simultaneously enhanced the scope [of these projects, he said in Hindi. The country could build only 15,000 kms natural gas pipeline in 27 years before 2014. The first inter-state pipeline was commissioned in 1987. Now, work is underway on more than 16,000 kms of new gas pipeline nationwide that will be complete in the next 5-6 years, he said. Similarly, the first compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel stations was set up in India 1992. By 2014, there were not more than 900 CNG stations. In the past six years, about 1,500 new CNG stations have been operationalised. Now the government is working to raise the number of CNG stations to 10,000. This pipeline, which is commissioned just now, will help to open 700 CNG stations in various cities of Kerala and Karnataka, he said. There is another interesting data of PNG [piped natural gas] connections, which brings fuel to kitchens. Up to 2014, our country had only 25 lakh (2.5 million) PNG connections. Today, more than 72 lakh (7.2 million) households get cooking gas through pipelines. Kochi-Mangaluru pipeline will provide PNG facility to 21 lakh (2.1 million) more people, he said. These increased connections have reduced usage of polluting kerosene and many states and Union Territories have declared themselves kerosene free, he added. Prime Minister Modi said, The need of the hour is to prepare the country for its future energy needs. That is why, one the one hand focus is on the natural gas, on the other hand, the country is diversifying its energy needs. He gave example of the proposed worlds biggest hybrid -- wind and solar -- renewable energy plant in Gujarat and stressed on producing ethanol from rice and sugarcane. The goal of ethanol blending in petrol is raised 20% in the next 10 years, he said, adding that the government is committed to provide every citizen affordable, pollution-free fuel and electricity. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the completion of state-run GAIL Indias Kochi-Mangaluru pipeline and said that the project, one of the major poll promises of his government, was delayed due to various obstacles, according to a PTI report from Kochi. GAIL authorities also stood by us in making this project come to life. I am extremely happy that our combined efforts have borne fruit, he said. Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa said the pipeline would supply PNG to about 400,000 kitchens besides supplying fuel to several commercial establishments. Experts said gas-based economy would not only help in reducing carbon emission but also lead to faster industrialisation. Besides, availability of gas it is also necessary to switch over to gas-based technologies in different sectors, said DK Srivastava, chief policy advisor at consultancy firm EY India. In the automobile sector, major changes would be required to switch over to cars that run on gas or on batteries. For power production, the proportion of gas-based electricity generation should overtake the conventional coal-based technologies, he said. According to Srivastava, there is a need to bring natural gas under uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime to have a unified natural gas market in the country. At present, levies on natural gas vary from state to state, ranging as high as 24%, a major deterrent to making it a peoples fuel. Fiscal policies other than taxation may also be used to encourage switching over to production and consumption processes favouring the use of gas particularly by subsidising non-polluting technologies. On the supply side, both domestic production of gas and import of gas on favourable conditions require to be promoted. As gas supply increases, its related infrastructure covering storage and distribution would need to be expanded at an accelerated pace, Srivastava said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Few things are as rewarding for our team as helping institutions hit their enrollment and graduation goals, while more students earn the degrees theyve worked so hard to achieve. This is especially heartwarming to see during uncertain times. CampusLogic, higher educations foremost student financial success platform, has ranked No. 137 on Deloittes Technology Fast 500, which ranks the 500 fastest-growing technology and life sciences companies in North America. This is the second consecutive year CampusLogic has been included in this industry-leading report. CampusLogics CEO, Gregg Scoresby, believes the organizations rapid and sustained growth comes from a continued emphasis on student financial success and its work streamlining financial aid at schools across the country. CampusLogics mission is to help colleges support students at every stage of the financial journey, from the time they start thinking about higher education, through acceptance, enrollment, and most importantly, graduation. Colleges and universities spend billions on technology and content every year trying to stand out in a competitive higher ed landscape, said Scoresby. At the same time, there is growing pressure on these institutions as they face budget and staff cuts. Our platform automates much of the routine administrative work without sacrificing quality, which leaves room for more advising and connection. Our customers realize significantly higher enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. Financial constraints are the number one barrier standing between students and their degrees. To empower all students to earn their diplomas, CampusLogic provides schools with an integrated platform that improves every part of the financial experience. The technology combines advanced automation, AI-driven virtual advising, and data visualization to expand access, reduce complexity, and promote informed decision-making. One outcome is that fewer students leave college with debt but no degree, a problem that impacts millions of students ever year. Scoresby goes on to say, Few things are as rewarding for our team as helping institutions hit their enrollment and graduation goals, while more students earn the degrees theyve worked so hard to achieve. This is especially heartwarming to see during uncertain times. About CampusLogic CampusLogic delivers Saas technology that helps colleges and universities remove barriers in the financial aid process. The company currently helps more than 750 schools increase enrollment, retention, and graduation rates with the most comprehensive platform of student financial success products. The CampusLogic student financial success platform includes a net price calculator, complete scholarship management, personalized digital communications, simplified financial aid verification, 24x7 personalized virtual advising, tuition and scholarship crowdfunding, and integrated data visualizations. CampusLogic has received multiple awards, which include the 2019 Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Inc. 5000, and Education Technology Insights Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Solution Provider. Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the election of nine lawyers to the firms partnership, effective January 1, 2021. The class of 2021 includes lawyers from a wide range of thriving practices across seven offices in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. I am delighted to welcome this highly accomplished group of lawyers to our partnership, said Larren M. Nashelsky, chair of Morrison & Foerster. Our new partners are extraordinarily talented, and each has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our clients, colleagues, and communities. Im confident they will continue to make many valuable contributions to the firm in years to come. The following lawyers have been elected partners: Saqib Alam, a member of the Litigation Department and part of the Investigations + White Collar Defense Group, is based in London and Singapore. He is admitted to practice in New York, England & Wales, and Singapore. Mr. Alams practice focuses on advising companies with global operations on compliance investigations and U.S. and UK regulatory enforcement matters. He has deep experience investigating alleged bribery, money laundering, antitrust violations, sanctions violations, and fraud across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and South America, and has helped clients resolve legal issues across more than 30 countries. Mr. Alam also advises clients in complex commercial litigation and international arbitration matters. His litigation and arbitration experience (LCIA, ICC, SIAC) spans a broad range of industries and geographies, with a particular focus on Asia. Mr. Alam clerked for the Chief Justice and Supreme Court of Singapore from 2007 to 2009. He graduated from Kings College, University of London, with First Class Honors in Law. Paul Davis, a member of the Corporate Department and part of the Private Funds Group, is based in the Singapore office. His practice focuses on cross-border private equity and real estate transactions. Mr. Davis has more than nine years of experience in Japan and Singapore representing leading private equity funds and strategic investors in cross-border M&A, joint ventures, fund formation, and asset acquisitions. He represents real estate private equity funds in the acquisition, financing, and disposition of assets. Mr. Davis received his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his B.A. from New York University. Justin Haan, a member of the Corporate Department and part of the Technology Transactions Group, is based in the San Francisco office. His practice focuses on transactions and counseling involving intellectual property and technology, including licensing arrangements, technology transfers, and joint development activities. Mr. Haan structures and negotiates a wide range of commercial agreements, including software and content licenses, service agreements, reseller arrangements, and collaboration, manufacturing, supply, and distribution agreements. He advises clients on the development, procurement, and commercialization of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented/virtual reality, semiconductors, cloud computing services, and unmanned aircraft systems. Mr. Haan also counsels clients on open source software, complex patent-related transactions, and the intellectual property aspects of M&A transactions. He received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and his A.B. from Harvard University. Alex Iftimie, a member of the Litigation Department and part of the National Security, Global Risk & Crisis Management, Privacy + Data Security, and Investigations + White Collar Defense Groups, is based in the San Francisco office. His practice involves advising clients on sensitive cyber and U.S. national security matters, internal investigations, and government enforcement actions. Mr. Iftimie advises Fortune 500 and high-growth clients on all aspects of breach preparedness and response, including counseling executives on cybersecurity governance and risk management, and responding to cyber incidents ranging from ransomware attacks to nation-state sponsored economic espionage. He also advises clients on responding to law enforcement requests and the lawfulness of defensive network activities and threat intelligence research. Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, he held multiple senior positions at the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Iftimie received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his B.A. from the University of Southern California. Crystal Kaldjob, a member of the Finance Department and part of the Financial Services Group, is based in the Washington, D.C. office. Her practice focuses on advising financial services clients on a wide range of issues in regulatory and transactional contexts. Ms. Kaldjob provides practical, solution-oriented regulatory and transactional assistance to merchants, fintech companies, banks, and other financial institutions on strategic partnerships, including structuring and negotiating private label, co-brand credit card, and point-of-sale financing partnerships, marketplace lending arrangements, asset purchases, and loan portfolio sales and acquisitions. Her regulatory experience involves advising financial institutions, fintech companies, and merchants on compliance with consumer and retail banking laws, including laws related to the offering and operation of consumer credit and financial products and services. Ms. Kaldjob received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from the University of Virginia. Tomohiko Kimura, a member of the Corporate Department and part of the Antitrust Law and Mergers + Acquisitions Groups, is based in the Tokyo office. His practice focuses on antitrust and competition law, including merger control, cartel defense, investigations of unilateral conduct/unfair trade practices, and antitrust litigation. Mr. Kimura regularly represents clients in proceedings before the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) and assists clients in conducting internal investigations to identify and address anticompetitive conduct. His practice also spans advising clients on a wide range of competition matters, including joint ventures and strategic alliances. Mr. Kimura previously served as a chief investigator with the JFTC, where he handled global cartels as well as IP-related cases involving high-tech industries. He currently serves as a Non-Government Advisor to the JFTC. Mr. Kimura received his LL.M from Cornell Law School and his LL.B. from Kyoto University. John Lanham, a member of the Litigation Department and part of the Patent Litigation Group, is based in the San Diego office. Mr. Lanham represents clients in a variety of industries, including life sciences, healthcare, software, and semiconductors. He has experience representing clients in district courts across the country and regularly assists clients with all phases of litigation, including development of case strategy, damages analysis, dispositive motions, claim construction, fact discovery, expert discovery, trial preparation, and alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Lanham is an officer of the San Diego Intellectual Property Law Association. He received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, where he was an associate editor of the Northwestern University Law Review, and his B.A. from the Colorado College. Maureen Linch, a member of the Tax Department and part of the U.S. Federal Tax Group, is based in the San Francisco office. She counsels clients in a wide variety of matters involving U.S. federal income taxation. Ms. Linchs practice includes a range of transactional, structuring, and advisory tax matters in both the U.S. and international contexts. She has experience helping clients address tax issues associated with mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, the development and exploitation of technology and intellectual property, expatriation of individuals and companies, the creation and implementation of multijurisdictional structures, financial transactions, derivatives, bankruptcy, debt and equity issuances, the modification of debt instruments, litigation and settlements, fund formation, venture capital investments, renewable energy project development, and tax equity financing. Ms. Linch received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and her M.A. and B.A. from Columbia University. James Newton, a member of the Finance Department and part of the Business Restructuring + Insolvency Group, is based in the New York office. He represents debtors, creditors committees, ad hoc bondholder and lender groups, indenture trustees, and individual creditors in connection with corporate and municipal restructuring and financing transactions. In addition to representing parties in connection with complex in-court restructuring transactions, Mr. Newton has extensive experience advising clients in a wide array of out-of-court transactions, including exchange offers, swap and hedging transactions, structured finance transactions, and distressed M&A and rescue financing transactions. Mr. Newton received his J.D. and M.B.A. from Temple University, his LL.M. in bankruptcy law from St. Johns University, and a B.S.B.A. in finance from the University of Florida. ABOUT MOFO We are Morrison & Foerstera global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, Fortune 100, and technology and life sciences companies. The Financial Times has named the firm to its lists of most innovative law firms in North America every year that it has published its Innovative Lawyers Reports in the region. In the past few years, Chambers USA has honored MoFos Privacy and Data Security, Bankruptcy, and IP teams with Firm of the Year awards, the Corporate/M&A team with a client service award, and the firm as a whole as Global USA Firm of the Year. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education for poor children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, winning asylum for the persecuted, and safeguarding the environment. Tata Steel fell 2.01% to Rs 678.80 as the counter witnessed some bit of profit after a recent steep surge. The stock surged 7.76% to Rs 693 in the previous session. The scrip has zoomed 77.69% in the past three months while the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex has added 23.66% during the same period. The steel major on 1 January 2020 transferred the 51% stake it holds in Jamshedpur Continuous Annealing and Processing Company (JCAPCPL) and 50% stake it holds in Tata BlueScope Steel (TBSPL) to Tata Steel Downstream Products (TSDPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. The steel maker said that TSDPL has been identified as the anchor entity for downstream business. Accordingly, the company's investment(s) held in entities forming part of downstream business are being consolidated with TSDPL. While disclosing Q2 September 2020 earnings, Tata Steel had announced that it was reorganizing its India footprint and folding listed and unlisted subsidiaries into four clusters to drive scale, synergies and simplification and to create value for all stakeholders. The business clusters are long products, downstream, mining and utilities & infrastructure. Tata Steel reported 49.58% decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,665.07 crore on 7.4% increase in net sales to Rs 36,475.66 crore in Q2 FY21 over Q2 FY20. The Tata Steel group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 34 million tonnes per annum. It is one of the world's most geographically-diversified steel producers, with operations and commercial presence across the world. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The man has been publicly calling for Zakarpattia's secession from Ukraine. Cybersecurity experts with the SBU Security Service have exposed a Berehove resident in Zakarpattia who has been circulating separatist calls across social networks. For promoting the region's secession from Ukraine, the man was charged with encroachment on the country's territorial integrity and inviolability, the local SBU office reported. According to the investigation, the suspect created a number of accounts on social networks and used them to spread calls for violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Read alsoBudapest's support for Hungarians in Zakarpattia can't cross "red lines" FM Kuleba"In particular, he called on citizens to support the secession of Zakarpattia region," the statement says. It is noted that the linguistic forensic examination launched by the SBU has confirmed that the posts circulated indeed contained public calls for the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. The SBU has pressed charges against the suspect under Article 110 Part 1 (encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code. Reporting by UNIAN Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. OAKLAND PARK, Fla., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Justice Center (FLJC), a nonprofit legal and behavioral health organization, located in Oakland Park, Florida, was approved by the Supreme Court of Florida on December 1, 2020 as the first and only legal aid organization in the state authorized to practice criminal law. FLJC combines legal representation with social and mental health services to treat the whole person and address the issues that brought them into the justice system in the first place. Florida Justice Center Every year in the state of Florida, 700,000 people are arrested and apply for the services of a public defender to provide suitable legal representation. FLJC realized an opportunity to help first-time offenders, people with the most to lose by a felony conviction, get out of jail and stay out of the justice system. Inspired by their belief that everyone deserves a second chance, FLJC's designation from the Supreme Court of Florida enables the organization to hire attorneys to represent clients in court. "I believe our purposes are bigger than we are individually. Florida Justice Center embodies that same belief by serving our community in ways that no other legal aid organization in Florida has," said Jessenia Rosales, Esq. of Tampa, FL - Attorney & FLJC Chairperson, "My passion to serve our community compelled me to join Florida Justice Center in carrying out its mission to help people who need a second chance to succeed. I'm honored to have assisted in establishing Florida Justice Center as the first criminal legal aid organization in Florida, and I'm excited to continue serving such a unique organization." FLJC will give its clients an equal opportunity in court, access to basic social services, and provide personalized legal service that an overburdened public defender's office cannot. This is due in part to the fact that they have had single attorney caseloads of over 400 felony cases, a significant increase from the Bar Association's recommendation of an attorney handling no more than 150 cases annually. To live out its mission of changing lives by providing holistic legal, social, and mental health services, FLJC has already made an impact in the Florida legal system in a variety of ways including but not limited to: Provided defense attorneys to 19 clients (17 cases were dismissed or sent to diversion programs and two cases are still pending) Offered bail support to 32 individuals (monetary, information, or legal assistance) Re-enfranchised 24 previously ineligible voters in September and October 115 Pro-Bono attorneys have volunteered to handle cases "For more than five years, I've conducted hundreds of interviews with inmates in the Florida Department of Corrections to gain deeper insights into the inequalities that are present in the justice system," said Jonathan Bleiweiss, FLJC Executive Director, "From these interviews, I quickly picked up on alarming patterns that pointed to feelings of underrepresentation with no true support to succeed. Since then, it's been my mission to give these people the chance that others never afforded them." FLJC also uses the latest statistical data and evidence-based methods to address factors that lead to disproportionately high conviction and incarceration rates of marginalized communities. Through this data, FLJC creates models that minimize a client's likelihood of being sentenced to incarceration, the length of incarceration, and lessens the rate of recidivism. Learn more about how FLJC is helping people build better lives by visiting https://www.fljc.org/. About the Florida Justice Center Florida Justice Center is a nonprofit legal aid and behavioral health organization that is at the forefront of an emerging model of holistic legal services. By combining quality legal representation with social and mental health services, we are able to treat the whole person and address the issues that brought about their involvement in the justice system. As the first and only legal aid organization in Florida authorized to practice criminal law, FLJC is uniquely situated to create meaningful individual and systemic change. Contact info: Name: Jonathan Bleiweiss Organization: Florida Justice Center Address: 3469 N Dixie Hwy, Oakland Park, FL 33334 Phone: 954-758-7555 x401 Email: [email protected] Website: www.FLJC.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/floridajusticecenter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/floridajc Twitter: www.twitter.com/floridajusticecenter Related Images florida-justice-center-logo.png Florida Justice Center Logo SOURCE Florida Justice Center Related Links http://https://www.fljc.org/ An Irish trawler was blocked from fishing in UK waters in the first such clash since the post-Brexit trade deal was signed, it emerged last night. The Northern Celt was boarded and its skipper told that he can no longer fish within 12 nautical miles of a contested rocky outcrop in the North Atlantic Ocean. The skipper said that a Scottish patrol vessel told him that due to Brexit he could no longer fish around Rockall, which lies 260 miles west of Scotlands Western Isles. He said the area counts for 30 per cent of his annual catch. The Scottish fisheries patrol vessel, the Jura, seen from the Northern Celt. The Donegal vessel was blocked from fishing around Rockall The skipper said that a Scottish patrol vessel told him that due to Brexit he could no longer fish around Rockall, which lies 260 miles west of Scotlands Western Isles Fishing rights were a key sticking point in achieving the Christmas Eve deal. The agreement states that EU boats can continue fishing in UK waters but with British trawlers catching a steadily increased share up until 2026. But Dublin has never recognised the UKs claims of sovereignty over Rockall, leading to clashes over the rich fishing waters which surround it not to mention the potential for gas and oil reserves. Skipper of the Northern Celt, Adrian McClenaghan (centre), with his son, Mike McClenaghan (right) and crew member Kevin George (left) Yesterday the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of contact between an Irish fishing vessel and a Marine Scotland patrol vessel. We are in contact with the Scottish and UK authorities on this, it added. Pictured, the Northern Celt A Scottish fisheries patrol vessel, the Jura, arrived in the area on January 1 the day after the Brexit transition period ended. And members of its crew boarded the Northern Celt on Monday. Skipper Adrian McClenaghan told RTE News: They informed us that we could no longer fish inside the 12-mile limit of Rockall. But he said he had been issued with a temporary licence to fish in the area with the stipulation that as an EU vessel it does not have an automatic entitlement. Yesterday the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of contact between an Irish fishing vessel and a Marine Scotland patrol vessel. We are in contact with the Scottish and UK authorities on this, it added. The Jura is operated by the Marine Scotland Directorate, a Scottish Government department with responsibility for protecting Scotlands coastal waters and fishing grounds. A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed that the incident had taken place, saying: One Irish vessel was routinely inspected outside of territorial waters around Rockall. The master requested clarification on the access rights granted by his licence to fish in UK waters. Sorry, Raphael Warnock. You cannot serve God and Planned Parenthood Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Tired of fake Christian pastors? So am I. Im particularly put off by those who run for office in the U.S. Congress dressed in sheeps clothing but are really just wolves. Its almost comical when those who regularly spew disdain toward people of faith (more specifically, people of Christian faith) fully embrace so-called Christian pastors who tout an anti-biblical worldview. I am a pro-choice pastor, U.S. Senate candidate Warnock (D-GA) proclaimed on Twitter. Its just one of many unbiblical positions the pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church has expressed to the voting public. Funny thing about pastors. Theyre supposed to believe, speak and live the Truth. Anyone who masks evil in a euphemism isnt doing any of those three. What about pro-slavery ministers in the 1800s? Would it fly for them to say Im a pro-jobs pastor as they advocated for the systemic devaluing of and violence against human beings deemed less than human? Pro-abortion Warnock is no different. He wont speak, in honest terms, of the unbiblical evil he proudly supports but stands with those who systemically devalue and commit violence against human beings deemed less than human. Same wrongs. Different century. Warnock proclaimed in one of his sermons that one cannot serve God and the military yet has no problem serving and I use that term very loosely God and Planned Parenthood. What a stark contrast. In the military, youre willing to give up your life to defend and benefit someone else. At Planned Parenthood, youre conned into giving up someone elses life to defend and benefit Big Abortions profit. A Tesla-driving Pastor who makes over $330k per year knows a little bit about exploiting for profit. For someone who claimed in a televised debate I have worked my whole life to pull people together, his tweets and sermons certainly dont show it. Warnock, running against pro-life conservative Senator Kelly Loeffler, is Planned Parenthoods endorsed candidate. Their political arm, Planned Parenthood Votes (funded heavily by the abortion federation itself, of course) poured $376,986 into his election campaign. Thats the amount that Planned Parenthood earns by killing 754 human beings (with an average cost of $500 per abortion). The abortion biz kills nearly 1,000 unborn children every day, so its literally all in a days work. And in return, Reverend Warnock will always fight for [euphemism alert] reproductive justice. He told WGAU Radio that abortion is healthcare. Sure. And slavery was jobcare. One of his colleagues, Rev. Timothy McDonald, played the victim card recently claiming that accurate descriptions of Warnocks words and positions were an attack on the Black Church. No. Theyre not. First of all, there should never be the category of Black Church or White Church or any color-specific church. Galatians 3:28 clearly states were all One in Christ Jesus. Pastors should know this. Secondly, pro-abortion McDonald is yet another minister who has little use for Biblical truths. He served as a Board Member of Planned Parenthood for years and was featured in the abortion chains ridiculous crockumentary called A Vital Service which promoted abortion in the black community. The infomercial attacked The Radiance Foundations successful ad campaigns exposing the fact that Planned Parenthood is the leading killer of black lives. Thirdly, both men pastor in the state of Georgia where 63% of the states 30,656 abortions are on black babies. Sixty-three percent! They both drone on and on about white supremacy while standing in solidarity with the organization that embodies it. But why stop at radically advocating for the destruction of innocent human lives made in the image of God? Warnock also takes pride in embracing LGBT activisms total denial of the Creators biological design for humankind. Im a pro-LGBTQ pastor who understands that no one is free until we are all free, he tweeted along with his endorsement by the Human Rights Campaign a radical LGBTQ organization that wants to erase God-ordained and scientifically proven binary gender. Warnock has pledged to pass the radical Equality Act that will eviscerate our First Amendment rights in order to carve out unprecedented and unconstitutional rights for all things LGBTQGNC the acronym that seems to know no end. So, embracing the killing of our Posterity and a movement that wants our children to embrace the harmful pseudoscience of transgenderism is freedom? Warnock clearly has his own Bible a distorted version that offers a broken social gospel without real redemption but plenty of empty rhetoric. When he repeats the marketable hashtag Love is Love, he clearly prefers it to the actual Biblical truth that God is Love. Interestingly, Fannie Lou Hamer is the one he is roughly quoting about being free. She said: Nobodys free until everybodys free. Hamer was a pro-life adoptive mom and she had no love for Planned Parenthood. She called abortion genocide in her 1971 speech Is It Too Late. Its not too late for Georgians to make the right decision in this special run-off election. Life is literally in the balance. Its one thing to accept that politicians continually say things that arent true and promote things that arent moral. Its something very different when a pastor does it knowingly to gain worldly power. Perhaps Reverend Raphael Warnock never read the passage from Mark 8:36: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? The genius of AK vs AK lies in its ability to have a whole lot of fun while holding the film industry to task. Picture this: Anil Kapoor, four-time Filmfare Award-winning actor whose lineage extends to Prithiviraj Kapoor and who by effect, makes up the first family of Hindi cinema, breaks down on a pavement outside Grant Road station reminiscing his prime. In 1986, I delivered 13 back-to-back superhits, Kapoor, bloodied and battered, having just been run over by a car, tells the camera trailing him in Vikramaditya Motwanes meta-fictional outing, AK vs AK. Im a fucking failure, the 64-year-old actor concedes the next second. In that moment, Kapoor is playacting and not acting at the same time. The backdrop is a terse, labythrinian chase for a kidnapped daughter in a fictional movie. But the beating heart of this sequence is the identity of the father delivering these lines: Anil Kapoor, four-time Filmfare Award-winning actor whose lineage extends to Prithiviraj Kapoor. On screen, the lines between father and superstar cant help but blur. Now, picture it this way: An ageing star, exhausted by the excruciating cycle of pretence finally confronts his growing irrelevance in an industry that has stopped being powered by the might of starry surnames. As Motwane seems to suggest after all, who is to say that fact and fiction cant be two sides of the same coin? Thats precisely the absurdly addictive appeal of AK vs AK, possibly the most fun any Hindi film has had while holding the mechanisms of the industry to task. The films premise is practically a meme: A disgruntled indie filmmaker kidnaps a superstars daughter, challenges him to find her before sunrise, and captures his ensuing search across the city as footage for his next film. The nuttiness of the thriller is exacraberted by the metaness of its casting: The disgruntled filmmaker is Anurag Kashyap, the smug superstar is Anil Kapoor, and the kidnapped daughter is Kapoors actor daughter Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, all of them playing exaggerated versions of themselves. AK vs AK is a film that wears its premise like a ruse, winking at the audience by inviting their unbridled curiosity and goading them to peel off its layers every step of the way. In a way, the duality that defines the business of Bollywood new-age voices vs old guards, auteur vs actor, struggling outsiders vs star-kids, celebrity culture vs cinephilia is the centrepiece of Motwanes kooky Netflix outing. The idea of utilising self-referential mythologising as a filmmaking device is a relatively novel idea in Bollywood. In the past, filmmakers have shown an inclination to employ it mostly to serve their own mythmaking. Every other Karan Johar outing for instance, will have one pat on the back to the filmmakers earlier outings, a modus operandi that mistakes self-congratulation for self-awareness. The closest Johar came to underlining the absurdity of Hindi cinema is a scene from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil where Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) freezes in the cold while trying to recreate a standard Bollywood love song wearing a barely there chiffon saree, is dressed like a tribute to the Yashraj universe of movies. There are exceptions. Take Farah Khans Om Shanti Om for instance, a film in which digs at Bollywoods tantrums are aplenty, even though they might be too innocuous to stir up the conscience of an entire industry. But its crowning glory was a 10-minute show scene, featuring cameos by Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan playing versions of themselves unafraid to the butt of all jokes. Its metaness remains compelling not because it parodies Bollywood but because it reveals the industry to be a parody of itself. Then, there was Maneesh Sharmas hugely ambitious Fan that relied on the inimitable, unquantifiable cult of Shah Rukh Khan, the superstar, to drive home the madness of hero-worship in the country. And earlier this year, Hardik Mehtas sensational Kaamyaab, a film about actors who end up as characters in the fringes of the industry felt eerily monumental, in particular, the filmmakers decision to use actual character actors in the background of scenes. It is in these moments, Mehta, a crafty filmmaker, comments on both the gatekeeping visible in a film industry that pretends to be democratic as well as the short-term memory of viewers who ignore to accord these character actors the dignity of remembrance. Yet these three films merely blur the lines between real and surreal in flashes, treating the transgressions of a film industry as well as the audience that enables their transgressions as merely an inside joke. By designing an entire movie about the language of one-upmanship that is like a mother-tongue to Bollywood, AK vs AK might just be the first instance of a Hindi meta-fiction film that treats that inside joke as an everyday language. Its an indictment on Bollywood and its indulgences that doesnt deal in absolutes. Sure, the ageing superstar gets to strut around his privilege but that doesnt necessarily mean that indie filmmaking is the balm for that faultline. One of the most ingenious themes in AK vs AK hinges on dismissing the romanticisation of creating art through endangerment, a philosophy that most struggling filmmakers hold dear. In AK vs AK, Kashyap doesnt come across as a saviour or a crusader; instead hes a deranged shell of an artist with a victim complex. Then there is the films searing take on nepotism, potent enough to finally end the debate once and for all. Its probably apt that Harshvardhan Kapoor, a star-kid who Motwane has worked with in the past, is the vehicle for this language of cultural commentary. In that hilariously staged sequence, performed to perfected by Kapoor, Motwane distills the entitlement of a star-kid as well as the futility of any outsider deluding themselves in believing that age-old structures can be dismantled overnight. The thing about Motwane who boasts of a filmography that is as curious as risky is that he understands that the only way to hold the Hindi film industry accountable is by speaking to it in a language it understands: a film. Its what makes the in-jokes of AK vs AK so compelling. If Kashyap is an anti-establishment film school by virtue of being an outsider who broke into an industry that functions like a kitty party, then Kapoor represents the billboard of that very establishment, who has never needed to transform into a film school by virtue of being the one throwing the party. If the idea of struggle is a state of mind for Kapoor, then it is a way of life for Kashyap. These arent just two different filmmaking philosophies (AK vs AK starts off with a disagreement between Kashyap and Kapoor over whether the real authority of a film is its director or the actor spearheading it) or two fandoms but more importantly, two worldviews. One cant exist without trampling on the other. Thats the nature of the film industry its as much an attack as it is a fact. In that sense, AK vs AKs payoff hinges completely on an entire countrys blind obsession with celebrity culture. The ingenuity of it all is that Motwane is that rare filmmaker who understands that when a superstar gets on stage and dances to your tunes, it doesnt matter if youre a wide-eyed filmmaker or an eager viewer, you end up being sidetracked. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor GRAND RAPIDS, MI Longtime radio personality Connie Kellie of Connie & Fish Morning Show on Mix 95.7 (WLHT) has died, the station said. I am honestly at a loss for words, a listener, Kristin Heileman-Corcoran, wrote on the stations Facebook page. Im so sad seeing this post this morning. Connie was more than a radio voice to so many of us, she was a friend. She will be missed so much. Another listener called her a beautiful angel. Kellie died Monday, Jan. 4, after a short battle with liver cancer, Townsquare Media said in a statement. She had worked at stations in Michigan and elsewhere before she joined Mix 95.7 in 2012. Her on-air partner, Fish Calloway, said in a statement: Over 25 years ago, this incredible, smart and strong woman allowed me the opportunity to be a part of her radio career. Our journey will not only be with those who were touched by her immense talent, but engraved in my heart. Thank you, Connie, for this adventure. I look forward to the day we meet again. Kellie, known for an infectious laugh, worked in radio for over two decades, including stations in Mount Pleasant, Lansing, Omaha, Nebraska, Madison, Wisconsin, Jackson, Mississippi, and Milwaukee. She and Calloway worked together in Madison, Milwaukee and Omaha before West Michigan. She received the Gracie Award by the Alliance of Women in Media for broadcasting excellence. Kellie was honored in 2019 with a Gracie Award by the Alliance of Women In Media for her broadcasting excellence. She was behind causes such as Connie & Fishs Christmas Kids and the stations support of the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk. She is survived by her husband, Dan. No public service or memorial is planned because of COVID-19. She grew up in Waterford and attended Central Michigan University. Mix 95.7 has set up a tribute Remembering Connie Kellie, Beloved West Michigan Radio Personality - at this link. She had asked that any memorial contributions go to Make-A-Wish Foundation. Read more: Snow not mounting up in Michigan; Snowiest cities falling farthest behind normal Michigan governor objects to new EPA ballast water pollution rules Wyoming police search for blue 4-door truck involved in cell phone store, gas thefts When UK District Judge Vanessa Baraitser declared she was rejecting the US request to extradite Julian Assange, his partner Stella Moris wept with relief. In an emotional speech outside the court, Moris described the ruling as the first step towards justice, and called on US President Donald Trump to halt further extradition efforts. According to Baraitsers ruling, Assange could not be extradited because he was depressed and at risk of suicide. Assanges lawyers are planning to apply for bail, while lawyers for the US government say they are going to appeal. A courtroom sketch of Julian Assange (inset) and his fiancee Stella Moris-Smith Robertson outside court in London on Monday. The court's decision is both a victory in Assange's fight against extradition and a defeat for press freedom. Credit:Getty Images/Elizabeth Cook/PA Although he is by no means a free man, this crucial round goes to the Australian WikiLeaks founder. But on every other point of law, the judge found in favour of the US. She rejected claims that Assanges case was politically motivated, that he would not get a fair trial and that it was an assault on press freedom. On New Years Eve, Ilhan Omar tweeted this photo of herself with her daughter Isra Hirsi: The daughters necklace says FTP on one side and BLM on the other. FTP stands for F*** the Police. Ilhan obviously knows this, as does the daughter, who proudly posts radical, anti-American and anti-free enterprise messages. Nevertheless, this is the picture that Ilhan chose to publish on New Years Eve. This was, it is safe to say, no accident. (Via Alpha News.) Omars anti-law enforcement sentiment is hardly unique in the Democratic Party. Thus, Project Veritas interviewed several members of the staff of beleaguered Senate candidate Raphael Warnock. The staffers explained that Warnock is keeping it to himself for now, but he absolutely wants to defund the police, because most police officers are bad. While Warnock officially does not support defunding the police, his campaign staff said he absolutely would defund these suckers in blue. So, he avoids using defunding the police, because he knows that the Republicans are gonna try to grab onto it and attack, right? Derrick Bhole, finance assistant with the Warnock campaign, told an undercover Project Veritas Action journalist. But in reality, his whole platform with police reform is along the lines of the same people who are saying defund the police. Just not using the same rhetoric, you know, Bhole added. Warnocks director of small business development joined in: Sasha Williams, director of small business development for the Warnock campaign, also told a Project Veritas Action journalist that Warnock is absolutely on the side of radical activists who would defund the police. But he is on our side for defunding these suckers in blue, these police? the undercover journalist asked Williams in a conference call. Absolutely! Absolutely! she responded. *** You know, police officers are not all good, you know what Im saying? Most of them are bad, we know that, she argued. The evidence indicates that most Democratic politicians are anti-police and pro-criminal. What separates Democrats like Ilhan Omar from Democrats like Raphael Warnock is not any substantive disagreement on the issue of public safety. Rather, the difference is that a Democrat like Warnock, running statewide in Georgia, needs non-radical votes to get elected. Omar doesnt. Thus, he flies a false flag to conceal his pro-criminal ideology until he is safely in office. Lets hope that Georgia voters dont let him get away with it. The Kaduna State Government has given fresh reasons why it ordered the demolition of Asher Hotel and Lounge which it earlier said it did because of a planned nude party. The Kaduna government has now said the building housing the hotel is illegal hence its demolition. Last week, the social media was abuzz with the demolition of the hotel by the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency, (KASUPDA). The agency said it did this on the orders of the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, alleging that a nude party was to hold at Asher. KASUPDA have demolished Asher Hotel in Barnawa Kaduna South, the agency said on January 1. Asher Hotel was the proposed venue for the Kaduna Sex Party, the hotel was also caught contravening the Covid-19 guidelines of the state. KASUPDA will not hesitate to demolish properties used for such immoral act, the agency posted on Twitter. The demolition was criticised by many Nigerians. PREMIUM TIMES also reported how the owner of the hotel threatened to sue the Kaduna government, saying no sex party was scheduled to hold at the building. U-turn In a statement on Tuesday, signed by the Director General of KASUPDA, Ismail Dikko, the agency said the demolition was not hinged on the supposed immoral party as previously posited. Mr Dilkko said government records showed that the building housing Asher Lounge has neither a valid title nor development permit. Read the full statement below: On Thursday, 31st December 2020, the Kaduna State Urban Development and Planning Authority (KASUPDA) took action to remove the building housing Asher Lounge. Since this enforcement action, much of the commentary on the matter has centred on the inaccurate statement from KASUPDAs Twitter account. While regretting the inaccuracy of the handler of our social media account, there is no reservation about the steps taken pursuant to enforce the laws and regulations of Kaduna State on a property that was in violation of its provisions. Since 26th March 2020, the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Partial Lockdown Order, 2020 have been in force in Kaduna State. Although some of the regulations were significantly relaxed in June 2020, they were tightened again in December 2020 in response to a second wave of Covid-19 infections. Indications that an activity in violation of the COVID regulations was planned to be held in Asher Lounge drew attention to the property and made it necessary to examine the status of the building. Checks of government records showed that the building housing Asher Lounge has neither a valid title nor development permit. Once due diligence revealed the illegal status of the building, there was need for enforcement action without the notification requirements that the law compels for holders of valid title and development permits. The illegal status of the building became a very separate matter from the trigger event: the third-party elements who had planned and advertised an unlawful gathering on those premises. Violation of a set of rules and regulations may lead to a focus on the status of compliance with other laws and regulations. This happened in the case of a school whose management were caught flouting Covid-19 regulations. This led the relevant authorities to check official records which revealed the school to be a serial violator, quite apart from the Covid-19 infraction that drew attention in the first place. It is sadly true that many people have developed property without bothering to acquire valid title or secure development permit. Aware of such mass infractions, the Kaduna State Government has created a pathway since 2015 to enable people to regularise their titles and move away from illegality. KASUPDA has also tried to assist willing citizens to obtain development permits for new projects and to remedy their lack of same for extant projects. More recently, Kaduna State Government officials across agencies have been engaged in the Public Service on Wheels programme. As the development control agency, KASUPDA has been an active participant in this programme along with KADGIS, the agency responsible for land administration in the state. ADVERTISEMENT By virtue of various land administration and development control initiatives conceived and implemented in the last five years, there is no excuse for anyone in Kaduna State to remain without valid title to their property and permits for any development thereon. Residents that have taken advantage of this opportunity have thereby been assisted to vest their property with legal status. Those who have chosen to remain in violation and have shunned opportunities to regularise their status cannot argue from sentiment when enforcement actions are taken. There are many properties in Kaduna State that are in this category. Their sheer number means that KASUPDA does not have the staff strength to undertake enforcement action on all of them. But those whose cases come to agencys attention and are found not to have the necessary papers cannot expect inaction. This years undergraduate students of the University of Ghana (UG) have been split into two streams. Subject to governments approval, the academic calendar is scheduled to commence on January 14, while lectures will start on January 19. The universitys arrangement is similar to the double track system being practised under the free senior high school (SHS) programme. The academic calendar has been structured in such way that only the students at Level 100 and the final year students (Level 400) will be reporting to school this January. The students at Levels 200 and 300 will remain at home until March, by which time the first and final year students would have had their semester come to an end. Per the arrangement, teaching will end for the Levels 100 and 400 students on Friday, February 26, after which they will write their first semester examinations which will last over a two-week period. The first semester will finally end on Sunday, March 21. The two groups of students are expected to report back to school again between Thursday, June 17 and Sunday, June 20, to begin the second semester. The first semester for students at Levels 200 and 300 will commence on Monday, April 5. Before then, however, the university campus will be disinfected to ensure it is safe for habitation. Rationale According to the university authority, the arrangement was to help minimise the spread of the COVID-19 among students, lecturers and staff. The move is to also to lessen the accommodation burden students face on campus. The Dean of Students Affairs at the University of Ghana, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, explained that the arrangement was purely in response to the dynamics imposed by the disease as it was now practically impossible to have all the students on campus and still be capable of observing the safety protocols on the disease. We do not have enough residential space for all the students, he said, adding that based on the exigencies, we decided to split arrival of the undergraduate students into two groups. Graduate students He said the arrangement would not have any adverse effect on the final year students since they were not many and their lectures would still run its 13 weeks duration. Prof. Bokpin admitted that even though the management of the university had held extensive stakeholder discussion on the matter, the decision had not gone down well with a section of the student body who kicked against it. He acknowledged that it was a difficult decision to take, particularly when students had stayed home for over seven months. That notwithstanding, he appealed to them to accept the arrangement as it was meant to keep the student body, lecturers and staff of the university safe. The good news is that it will not last forever but only meant for this academic year so that the COVID-19 can be managed very well on campus. We do not want a situation where people will feel uncomfortable to interact with our students because of the health risks implied. So, I will appeal to all of us to work together, Prof. Bokpin said. Business community He appealed to the business community to consider supporting students staying back home by accepting them to undertake internship with them. He said the university was ready to issue introductory letters to students who would be accepted for internship. He said such development would enable the students to gain practical experience while waiting for school in March. We will like to use this opportunity to appeal to corporate Ghana to accept our Level 200 and 300 students who will be calling on them for internship placement, we will be grateful if that opportunity could be offered to them, Prof. Bokpin appealed. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Houston police officer shot and killed a man believed to be armed Tuesday morning at a north Harris County hotel during a surveillance operation on a serial robbery crew. A squad of Houston police officers on the federal Gun Crime Strike Force started watching a person of interest behind the robberies around 9 a.m. at the North Villa Hotel and Banquet Hall. He and two others had been staying at the hotel at 16510 Interstate 45 service road near Cypress Station and arrived that morning in a car, Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference. The law officers in marked tactical gear used unmarked SUVs to trap the vehicle in a back parking lot and then apprehend the trio, officials said. One of the men bolted and dropped a gun while officers chased him. He and another suspect, who remained in the car, were taken into custody. The driver, Acevedo said, was the main target of the investigation and came out of the car armed and "raised the pistol." An officer fired one round from his patrol rifle at 10:20 a.m. and struck the suspect in the chest. He said body-worn cameras captured the shooting. NEWS IN YOUR INBOX: Sign up for breaking news email alerts from HoustonChronicle.com here Video from witnesses shows the man on the ground and groaning between two vehicles. Residents at the hotel then watched from a second-floor balcony as paramedics tried saving him. A blood transfusion was among the medical treatments he received at the scene. The 27-year-old man, who police did not identified, did not survive. The chief said he had open warrants for robbery in Harris County and was wanted in HPD's investigation. Among the witnesses was Courtlun Hampton, who said he heard authorities ram the person of interests vehicle. He then saw one of the suspects run away. I looked behind me and saw that they surrounded the car with their guns drawn out, Hampton said. One of the men in the car was shaking, he said. The man who ran from officers, Acevedo said, complained of chest pains and was taken to a hospital. He had been wearing a bullet-proof vest. He indicated to us that he had been shot with that vest within the last few weeks, the chief continued. Sure enough theres a bullet hole from some other incident were involved in. During the news conference, Acevedo showed off a photo of an assault-style rifle with a blue bandana wrapped around the hand guard that investigators found in a hotel room that one of the surviving suspects went in. Acevedo declined to say which robberies the person of interest was linked to and that charges would be forthcoming. He said he will press federal authorities to charge the surviving suspects. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were part of the surveillance operation. Meanwhile, the police officer who shot the suspect will be placed on administrative leave. The Harris County Sheriffs Office and not HPDs Special Investigations Unit is handling the officer-involved shooting probe because the incident happened outside the city boundaries. The Harris County District Attorney's Office and HPDs Internal Affairs Division are conducting their own review into the shooting. nicole.hensley@chron.com anna.bauman@chron.com Sorry! This content is not available in your region The Delhi government has directed schools in the national capital to implement the new school bag policy to reduce the weight of school bags and the burden of students. Heavy school bags are a serious threat to the health and well-being of school students. These have adverse physical effects on the growing children which can cause damage to their vertebral column and knees. Moreover, in the schools which are functioning in double or multi storey buildings, children have to climb the stairs with heavy school bags which further aggravates the problem, the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a letter to school principals. The Ministry of Education had notified the new school bag policy last month which is in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP). From no textbooks for pre-primary classes to single notebook for classes 1 and 2, frequent checks of school bags to ensure students do not carry heavy weight, informing the students and parents regarding appropriate kind of school bags and encouraging students to use both straps of bags, are among the recommendations made by the government. The load of school bag is increased by bringing textbooks, guides, homework or classwork notebooks, rough work notebooks, water bottles, lunch box, and sometimes the heavy weight of the school bag itself. The number of textbooks in different classes should not exceed the number prescribed by the statutory bodies. Heads of schools and teachers should frame a well-designed timetable for each class so that children do not have to carry too many books or notebooks to the school each day, it said. For other classes, there shall be one notebook for each subject for exercises, projects, unit tests, experiments, among others, which the students need to bring as per the timetable. Students should not be asked to bring additional books or extra materials to the school, the letter stated. As per the suggestions, which are in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP), the weight of school bags for students between classes 1-10 should not be more than 10 per cent of their body weight. With the UK now out of the EU, there are fears that Boris Johnsons government will at some stage deliver on its promise to do trade deals across the globe for cheaper food that could force down the price to Irish suppliers. This is only one of a raft of issues that will occupy the minds of both farmers and policy makers here over the next 12 months as we all grapple with a very changed world. Aside from Brexit concerns, and prior to the Covid pandemic, measures to deal with global warming occupied centre stage for many in the trade. There was talk among politicians and experts of reducing the dairy herd, with some on the dairy side looking to scapegoat the suckler industry. There is a belief that any negotiations on the next evolution on the farm subsidy side will be tied to strict environmental considerations. IFA executive member John OHanlon feels that the real issue in relation to farming and climate is the price of food. We live in a cheap food society and its the fact food is so cheap that makes it possible for us to live our lives the way we do, he said. Food is plentiful and we only spend 10-15pc of our money on it. That cheapness and plentifulness gives us great freedom to do lots of things with the remainder. The choice on supermarket shelves is amazing but in relation to the environment the discussion has to change. The EU has a cheap food policy yet Irish farming is being told it has to change to save the planet. The real choices, however, have to be made by consumers. If production on EU farms is reduced, is your average housewife willing to pay more for produce from well-managed local farms? Or will she opt for a cheaper option from say South America, where we know there are issues? If we get on top of the Covid situation, the conversation on saving the planet will, I believe, be renewed and probably with more vigour. We cant save the planet by importing cheap food and exporting our responsibilities. What about the effect of the UK possibly importing cheap produce and pushing Irish product off their shelves. We have always had to deal with competition in the British market the same way weve always had to deal with fluctuations in sterling, John said. Plus there is Brexit contingency funding to support Irish farming going forward. And remember, its the supermarkets that will have to decide how this game plays out. The third stage of vaccinating against COVID, for the general population, could begin in the month of April, declared, on Tuesday, the chairman of the National Committee for the Coordination of Vaccination Activities, Dr. Valeriu Gheorghita. "Regarding the third stage of vaccination, we estimate it somewhere around early April. It is a realistic term, which we can take into account, but we must understand that we are using an estimate term because the beginning of this vaccination for this category is influenced by the shipping rhythm of the vaccine doses and the vaccination capacity. At the moment, for the first stage there are 376 vaccination centers for social and health workers. Today they are being vaccinated in 251 centers," Gheorghita told a press conference at Victoria governmental Palace. Dr. Valeriu Gheorghita announced on Tuesday that the second batch of anti-COVID vaccines, of 150,000 doses, will arrive in Romania on Wednesday, and throughout the month of January our country will receive 600,000 anti-COVID vaccine vials. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. India's multi-billion dollar deal to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defence system may trigger US sanctions on New Delhi, a US Congressional report has warned. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) - an independent and bipartisan research wing of US Congress - in its latest report to Congress, said India is "eager for more technology-sharing and co-production initiatives, while the United States urges more reforms in India's defence offsets policy and higher Foreign Direct Investment caps in its defence sector." Also Read: Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 Prepared for the members of the Congress for them to take informed decisions, the report went on to warn that "India's multi-billion dollar deal to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defence system may trigger US sanctions on India under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act." The CRS reports are neither an official report of the US Congress nor reflect the view of Congressmen. They are prepared by independent experts for the lawmakers to take informed decisions. In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions. In 2019, India made the first tranche of payment of around USD 800 million to Russia for the missile systems. The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. Last month, Russia had said that implementation of its ongoing defence deals with India including the supply of a batch of S-400 missile systems is advancing well notwithstanding the threat of US sanctions. At a press conference in New Delhi last month, Russian ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev appeared to criticise the US sanctions on Turkey for procuring the S-400 missile systems under a USD 2.5 billion deal, saying Moscow does not recognise such unilateral actions. "We do not recognise or welcome unilateral sanctions as a language or tool or instrument of interstate or international relations, other than those applied by the UN Security Council, this is also the case of Turkey," he said. "As far as India is concerned, we share the same platform. India's position is also crystal clear. No sanctions are acknowledged other than those imposed by the UN Security Council. Whatever the future is, we believe that our ties could withstand the coming challenges," he said. Kudashev was asked to comment on the US sanctions on Turkey under the provisions of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). PTI LKJ ZH AKJ ZH ZH Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. On Sunday, as the new 117th Congress assembled in Washington D.C., Nancy Pelosi was reelected speaker of the House. Her narrow margin of victory was supplied by the so-called progressive Democrats headed up by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. All four members of the SquadOcasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, Ilhan Omar of Minneapolis, Ayanna Pressley of Bostonplus newly elected progressives Cori Bush of St. Louis and Jamaal Bowman of New York, voted for the leader of the right-wing Democratic Party establishment. Of this group, threeOcasio-Cortez, Tlaib and Bushclaim membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gestures towards the members as she addresses the first session of the 117th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. (Erin Scott/Pool via AP) Pelosi needed 214 votes to secure her fourth term as house speaker. She ended up receiving the votes of 216 of the 221 Democrats who were present. All 209 Republicans in attendance voted for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Members of the new Congress had to be sworn in and physically present in the Capitol to participate in the vote for the speaker. Three CIA Democrats, Elissa Slotkin (Michigan), Abigail Spanberger (Virgina) and Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey), voted present, while military veterans Jared Golden (Maine) and Connor Lamb (Pennsylvania) voted for other Democrats. Golden voted for Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, while Lamb voted for House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries. US Socialist Equality Party National Secretary Joseph Kishore remarked after the vote, No one should be in the least surprised by Ocasio-Cortez voting for Pelosi for speaker. The Squad, the DSA are a faction of the Democratic Party. She is, after all, the same person who called [the late US senator and notorious war hawk] John McCain an unparalleled example of human decency and American service. In justifying her vote for Pelosi, Ocasio-Cortez stated that in a time when the Republican Party is attempting an electoral coup and trying to overturn the results of our election, this is not just about being united as a party. Its about being united as people who have basic respect for the rule of law. This claim that the Democratic Party can or will defend democratic rights against the fascistic factions of the ruling elite represented by Trump is entirely bogus. Ocasio-Cortez and company ensured the reelection of Pelosi even as she and the rest of the Democratic congressional leadership, as well as President-elect Joe Biden, were downplaying Trumps efforts to overturn the election and establish a presidential dictatorship, as well as his efforts to build a fascist movement. They are seeking to politically chloroform the working class while they conciliate and capitulate to the far right. They fear the emergence of a mass movement from below against Trump, which could threaten the entire capitalist system, far more than they fear the growth of a fascist movement. In fact, neither Ocasio-Cortez nor any of the other so-called progressives mounted any challenge to Pelosi or the rest of the leadership of the party in the House and Senate. In addition to Pelosi, the Democrats reelected in its entirety the previous Democratic leadership from the 116th Congress. This includes House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and the Democratic leader in the Senate, Charles Schumer. The right-wing, militarist politics of Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic congressional leadership are a matter of record. From the day of Trumps inauguration, which triggered a series of nationwide protests, Pelosi and company have worked to contain and dissipate mass social opposition to Trump and channel it behind their militaristic foreign policy, directed in the first instance against Russia. This took the form of the Mueller investigation and the impeachment debacle, both of which focused on Trumps supposed softness toward Russia and insufficient aggressiveness in confronting Vladimir Putin in the Middle East and Europe. At the same time, they did nothing to oppose Trumps authoritarian moves, including the sending of US troops to the southern border, the establishment of a network of concentration camps for immigrants, the evisceration of asylum rights, and Trumps declaration of a national emergency to illegally appropriate congressional funds for the construction of his border wall. In the end, Pelosi and the Democrats provided funding for the border wall and Trumps Immigration and Customs Enforcement Gestapo. Pelosi, Clyburn and Schumer headed up the operation to torpedo the Democratic primary challenge of Bernie Sanders and ensure the nomination for president of the most right-wing of the Democratic candidates, Biden. This was the signal for Sanders to reprise his role in backing Hillary Clinton in 2016 and demand that his supporters vote for Biden, which was seconded by Ocasio-Cortez, her fellow progressives and their promoters in the DSA and other pseudo-left organizations. In relation to the pandemic, at the state and local level, Democrats have carried out the same herd immunity policy Trump has propagated at the national level, leading to over 360,000 COVID-19 fatalities in the US. Taking their lead from President-elect Joe Biden, none of the Democrats are calling for a national lockdown with pay in order to stop the spread of the virus, which is killing over 3,000 a day. Instead, they are joining with their allies in the trade union leadership to blackmail workers back onto job sites and teachers back into classrooms in order to keep up the flow of corporate profits. Pelosi and the Democrats joined with the Republicans to deliver a near-unanimous vote for the CARES Act this past March. The passage of the multitrillion-dollar bailout of the financial oligarchy is the largest upward transfer of wealth in the history of the US. The bill provided billions in quantitative easing to large Wall Street banks and billions more in handouts and tax breaks to the rich and politically connected, while stiffing workers and small businesses, leading to unprecedented unemployment, hunger and suffering along with the shuttering of small businesses across the country. Throughout the spring and summer, as millions of workers and youth participated in protests against police violence following the May 25 police murder of George Floyd, Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic leadership sought to dissipate and divide the movement by means of a racialist campaign blaming white racism for state violence. This culminated in the desecration of monuments throughout the country of leading Revolutionary and Civil War figures, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. Even monuments to abolitionists were attacked. Throughout the entirety of the Trump administration, Pelosi and the Democrats have worked hand in glove with the Trump administration to pass record military budgets, going so far as to override his recent veto of the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act. The so-called progressives rallied behind Pelosi despite the fact that the right-wing policies of the Democratic Party were responsible for major losses for the Democrats in the November 3 election, including the loss of 11 seats in the House and the loss of governorships and state legislatures across the country. Pelosis reactionary policies are a continuation of the agenda she has pursued for decades. As House speaker (2007-2009) under George W. Bush, Pelosi oversaw the passage of funding bills to prosecute the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She covered up NSA spying and Bushs torture program and backed the persecution of whistleblowers and journalists such as Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange. Taking her cue from Pelosi, Ocasio-Cortez in a recent interview on Jeremy Scahills Intercepted podcast refused to call for the release of Assange, saying, There are considerations and concerns around Assange, to just be completely frank. This latest vote demonstrates once again the bankruptcy of all political perspectives based on the claim that the Democratic Party can be pressured from below to serve as an instrument of progressive social change. It also refutes the claims, propagated by Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez and the DSA, that a Biden administration would provide space for social reforms. There is nothing progressive about Ocasio-Cortez and company. They are conventional bourgeois politicians and have no independence from the factions of the military-intelligence establishment and Wall Street for which the Democratic Party speaks. The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar has asked employers to facilitate their staff to work from home wherever possible at this critical time in Ireland's ongoing fight against Covid-19. Varadkar warned that Ireland is now in the middle of a third wave of the virus and the increase in infections, hospitalisations and numbers in ICU is extremely concerning. In a statement today, Varadkar said, "I'm asking employers to encourage and accommodate their employees to stay at home unless they are essential workers. I want to urge everyone who can work from home to do so. I recognise that this will be more difficult for some more than others and I trust that employers will once again show understanding and support their workers in the transition." He added, "The increase in cases that we are seeing is beyond anything any of our models predicted. We need to get case numbers down now and urgently flatten the curve to protect our most vulnerable and ensure our hospitals can continue to provide the best care to those that need it." Source: www.businessworld.ie "We are tough when it comes to thermal performance insisting on design without compromise, and from that, the TOUGHAIR CPU Air Cooler was born...Thermaltake Engineering team has worked hard to design a new air cooler worthy of the TOUGH name and delivers what PC users are expecting." Thermaltake, the leading PC component brand offering premium solutions for cooling, gaming peripherals, and enthusiast memory solutions, today is proud to present a new series of TOUGHAIR CPU Air Cooler. The TOUGHAIR CPU Air Cooler is equipped with an advanced Gen.2 hydraulic bearing, LCP fan blades, and anti-vibration mounting system to offer outstanding reliability. The TOUGHAIR CPU Air is available in three configurations, including horizontal tower (110), single (310), and dual fan (510) vertical tower designs supporting exceptional performance on the latest Intel and AMD series processors. "We are tough when it comes to thermal performance insisting on design without compromise, and from that, the TOUGHAIR CPU Air Cooler was born," said Kenny Lin, the CEO of Thermaltake. "Air cooling is a simple and convenient way to cool your PC, and it is rare to see a new air cooler launch in the market. Thermaltake Engineering team has worked hard to design a new air cooler worthy of the TOUGH name and delivers what PC users are expecting." TOUGHAIR 110/310/510 CPU Air Cooler The TOUGHAIR CPU Air Coolers come in three different models: 110, 310, and 510. The 110 is a horizontal tower design offering a low-profile design for smaller system builds. The 310 and 510 are vertical tower designs featuring single and dual fan configurations. Cooling these heatsink designs pushing 58.35 CFM @ 2,000 RPM. Each TOUGHFAN 12 offered a controllable fan speed between 500 RPM and 2,000 RPM and built using an advanced Gen.2 hydraulic bearing for long and silent operation. TOUGHAIR CPU Air Coolers are built using four direct contacted 4 x 6 mm copper heat pipes with a maximum power handling of 180W TDP. Each cooler features an optimized fin structure for increased air intake and direct contact heat pipes. The universal socket design of the TOUGHAIR makes installation easy, and its retention system is fully compatible with all the latest Intel and AMD CPU sockets. Backed by a limited 2-year warranty, TOUGHAIR CPU Air Coolers will be available in the USA and Canada in Q1 2021. MSRP: TOUGHAIR 110 : $34.99 TOUGHAIR 310 : $39.99 TOUGHAIR 510 : $49.99 Product images can be downloaded: https://bit.ly/38ebSIW CES 2021 and Thermaltake Expo While CES 2021 moves to an all-digital experience, Thermaltake will launch their new products by hosting Thermaltake Expo on 1/11/2021 at 10 am Pacific Time on the YouTube channel. TOUGHAIR CPU Air Cooler, new PC cases, power supplies, liquid cooling solutions, and gaming peripherals will be revealed with live demonstrations. Watch Thermaltake Expo at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/user/Thermaltakereview One-on-One Online Meetings with Thermaltake Media, industry analysts, influencers, and YouTubers are all welcome for a one-on-one video conferencing with Thermaltake for product highlights and expert insights during CES week and January 2021. Meeting by appointment only, please contact Andrew Ouyang on behalf of Thermaltake USA at andrewouyang@ideecreatives.com About Thermaltake Thermaltake launched in 1999, first specializing in air cooling and successfully debuting the world's first turbine air cooler, the "Golden Orb". Since then, Thermaltake has taken the world by storm and become the leader in computer hardware and peripherals in the DIY PC market. Homing in on their 3 main lines ("Key 3"), Thermaltake delivers seamless cases, power supplies, and cooling products. The "Key 3 Spirit" represents Thermaltake's promise toward its users; the promise to provide products that display "Quality Performance & Reliability." The "Key 3 Spirit" is the foundation for all Thermaltake products and is the reason for Thermaltake's continuous success worldwide. Learn more at http://www.thermaltake.com Follow Thermaltake USA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThermaltakeNA/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thermaltakeusa Twitter: https://twitter.com/Thermaltake YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ThermaltakeNorthAmerica Website: https://www.thermaltakeusa.com LCGS (Liquid Cooling Gaming Systems): https://lcgs.thermaltakeusa.com Media Contact Andrew OuYang iDee Creatives Marketing Consulting Inc. on behalf of Thermaltake USA andrewouyang@ideecreatives.com A WHO team is due to visit China for a highly politicised trip exploring the origins of the coronavirus, which first emerged in the city of Wuhan in December 2019 A year after the outbreak started, WHO experts are due in China for a highly politicised visit to explore the origins of the coronavirus, in a trip trailed by accusations of cover-ups, conspiracy and fears of a whitewash. The WHO says China has granted permission for a visit by its experts, with a 10-person team expected to arrive shortlybut before most could even begin their journeys they faced roadblocks, with Beijing yet to grant them entry. The WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan said Tuesday that the problem was a lack of visa clearances, adding that he hoped it was a "logistic and bureaucratic issue that can be resolved very quickly." World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that some of the experts had already set off for China. "I am very disappointed with this news, given that two members had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel at the last minute," Tedros told reporters in Geneva, in a rare rebuke of Beijing from the UN body. Earlier this week Chinese authorities had refused to confirm the exact dates and details of the visit, a sign of the enduring sensitivity of their mission. COVID-19 was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019, before seeping beyond China's borders to wreak global havoc, costing over 1.8 million lives and eviscerating economies. But its origins remain bitterly contested, lost in a fog of recriminations and conjecture from the international communityas well as obfuscation from Chinese authorities determined to keep control of its virus narrative. The WHO team has promised to focus on the science, specifically how the coronavirus jumped from animalsbelieved to be batsto humans. Life in Wuhan, once the epicenter of the virus, has largely returned to normal as much of the world battles the virus "This is not about finding a guilty country or a guilty authority," Fabian Leendertz from the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's central disease control body who will be among the team to visit, told AFP in late December. "This is about understanding what happened to avoid that in the future, to reduce the risk." But doubt has been cast over what the WHO mission can reasonably expect to achieve and the state pressure they will face, raising fears that the mission will serve to rubber stamp China's official story, not challenge it. Geopolitics trump health The upcoming visit will not be the first time COVID-19 has brought WHO teams to China. A mission last year looked at the response by authorities rather than the virus origins, with another in the summer laying the groundwork for the upcoming probe. But this time the WHO will wade into a swamp of competing interests, stuck between accusatory Western nations and a Chinese leadership determined to show that its secretive and hierarchical political system served to stem, not spread, the outbreak. It is unclear who the experts will be able to meet when they arrive in Wuhan to retrace the initial days and weeks of the pandemic. Inside China, whistleblowers have been silenced and citizen journalists jailed, including a 37-year-old woman imprisoned last week for four years over video reports from the city during its prolonged lockdown. Outside, responsibility for the virus has been weaponised. China has sought to reframe the narrative, hailing its "extraordinary success" in curbing the pandemic within its borders and rebooting its economy From the outset, US President Donald Trump used the virus as political bludgeon against big power rival China. He accused Beijing of trying to hide the outbreak of what he dubbed the "China virus" and repeated unsubstantiated rumours it leaked from a Wuhan lab. Trump then pulled the US out of the WHO, accusing it of going soft on China, a nation with which he was also engaged in a bitter trade war. Critics say that blizzard of accusations sought to divert attention from Washington's bungled response to a crisis which has so far killed more than 355,000 Americans. Without them, said one, "a lot of these situations that we had in January 2020 would not have played out the way it did." "It is the geopolitics that... put the world in this situation," Ilona Kickbusch, of the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, told AFP. China has since deftly reframed its version of events, hailing its "extraordinary success" in curbing the pandemic within its borders and rebooting its economy. Beijing now says it will ride to the rescue of poorer nations, promising cheap vaccines and seeding doubt that the virus even originated in China. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2021 AFP A former Ulster Unionist mayor of North Down who passed away at the weekend was "a very determined lady who was passionate about her work", a friend and MLA has said. Ellie McKay MBE from Holywood died on Saturday. She represented the Holywood district for more than 35 years, serving up until 2015. Ms McKay served as Mayor of the borough of North Down in the early 1990s, and chaired the Finance and General Purposes Committee for many years. She was awarded an MBE for services to local government in Northern Ireland in 2009. Long-time friend and North Down DUP Assembly member Gordon Dunne said he was saddened to hear the news of her passing. "Ellie was an incredibly hard working and determined lady who served her local community with distinction for so many years and I was proud to call her a friend," he said. "I first met Ellie outside Holywood Primary School Polling Station in 1979, and ever since then I worked with her closely on so many local issues during our many years on North Down Borough Council. "Ellie will be fondly remembered by all who knew her and I would like to pass on my sympathies to her family who she was so proud of. "Ellie was also a real character and she was a very determined lady who was passionate about her work within the local community and made a very valuable contribution to civic life and to Holywood, and the wider borough." Alliance MLA Andrew Muir also paid tribute, saying Ms McKay had "served as a dedicated representative for the people of Holywood". A funeral notice described her as the beloved wife of the late Victor, devoted mum of Catherine, Margaret, Hannah, James and the late Victor John, a loving mother-in-law, granny and great granny. Her funeral service, leaving from John Gray & Co, will be held in St Philip and St James Church, Holywood, with the service private due to current pandemic restrictions. North Down and Ards District Council said the Mayor will be writing to Ellie's family to convey the deepest condolences of the council to her family circle at this difficult time. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Belfast Telegraph [January 05, 2021] Silversmith Capital Partners Promotes Brian Peterson to General Partner Silversmith Capital Partners today announced the promotion of Brian Peterson to General Partner. Since joining Silversmith in 2015, Brian has played a key role in the firm's growth, including leading several investments and supporting the entrepreneurs the firm partners with as they scale their companies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005108/en/ Brian Peterson, General Partner, ilversmith Capital Partners (Photo: Business Wire) "Brian has been an integral part of the firm since our founding. From leading our recent investment in Market Access Transformation (MAT), to helping create the LifeStance Health behavioral health platform, to developing and executing on M&A transactions at Centauri Health Solutions, Brian has added meaningful value to the firm and our portfolio," said Jeff Crisan, Managing Partner. "In addition, Brian has been deeply involved in building our investment team, and he is considered a trusted mentor to many. We are thrilled to welcome him to the partnership as we continue on our mission to partner with and support the best entrepreneurs in healthcare and technology." Brian has significant experience across the firm's two core verticals, Healthcare IT & Services and SaaS (News - Alert) & Information Services. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Market Access Transformation (MAT) and supports the firm's investments in Centauri Health Solutions, Iodine Software, LifeStance Health, Net Health, Nordic Consulting and Sound Physicians. Prior to Silversmith, Brian was a Vice President at Sterling Partners and an Associate at Metalmark Capital. He began his career as an Analyst in Lazard's Healthcare group. Brian graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and received his M.B.A. with honors as a Palmer Scholar from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania. About Silversmith Capital Partners Founded in 2015, Silversmith Capital Partners is a Boston-based growth equity firm with $2.0 billion of capital under management. Silversmith's mission is to partner with and support the best entrepreneurs in growing, profitable technology and healthcare companies. Representative investments include ActiveCampaign, Appfire, Centauri Health Solutions, DistroKid, Impact, LifeStance Health, MediQuant, Net Health, Panalgo, Unily, Validity, and Webflow. The partners have over 75 years of collective investing experience and have served on the boards of numerous successful growth companies including ABILITY Network, Archer Technologies, Dealer.com, Liazon, Liberty Dialysis, MedHOK, Passport Health, SurveyMonkey, and Wrike. For more information about Silversmith, please visit www.silversmith.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005108/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. A PROJECT aiming to tackle misuse of parking spaces designated for people with disabilities won 19 students from Cashel Community School the overall award in the latest Young Social Innovators (YSI) Ireland Awards. The students envisaged a deterrent device to combat irresponsible parking and they designed a prototype that triggers an alarm if a driver cant display a valid parking permit (blue badge). A sensor on the ground alerts the deterrent, which could be light or audio. The driver must scan the bar code of the blue badge to deactivate the light/audio, says fifth-year student and member of winning team Colin Harding. Before embarking on their 'Step Up for Accessibility' project, the students researched whether parking in disabled spaces was a problem in Cashel. One of our friends is the holder of a blue parking badge. He gave us first-hand information about his experiences, says Colin. They split into groups and spent an afternoon surveying Cashels various disabled parking spaces, such as outside the bank and in front of supermarkets. And it was a problem nearly every location had at least one car parked that didnt have a blue badge. The longest a car was parked without one was one hour, 10 minutes the least was five minutes. The students would like penalty points issued to those misusing allocated spaces, and theyve created awareness around responsible parking, designing a sign for the disabled parking spaces in their own school grounds. Working closely with HSE disability officer Anne Bradshaw, they were assisted by their schools engineering department. They showcased their prototype for judges at a 'speak out', also doing a dramatic presentation of common excuses for irresponsible parking theyd encountered for example, Ive just gone to grab a coffee; Ill be back in five; Its raining. With their 2,000 prize, they hope to bring their prototype to real-world use. In total 6,400 teens participated in the latest YSI programme, developing 411 social innovation projects countrywide. Young Social Innovators co-founder and CEO Rachel Collier says YSI is about switching on and mobilising young peoples instinctive social consciousness. She says the projects show young people contributing to shaping of a fairer, more sustainable world. Whats great about teenagers is theyre beginning to explore the outside world, to ask how things work and why we do them this way and not a different way. This is the essence of what innovations about. YSI equips young people to live in the real world, to feel they can make changes, make a difference, and understand what they do really matters. Nationwide competition Nine category-winning projects competed across a range of themes including: Make Our World Healthier, Make Our World More Sustainable and Relationships & Sexual Health. Students from Waterfords Newtown School came second for Newtown Games Community Gains project to engage people of all ages in a variety of organised events, promoting physical activity and a greater sense of connectedness. Students from St Leos College, Carlow, won bronze for their domestic violence research and awareness project, The Loud Silence behind Closed Doors. They lobbied locally, raising strong petition of 1k signatories to support work of Carlow Womens Aid. See: www.youngsocialinnovators.ie A young woman charged over a protest that saw Scott Morrison's BMW splashed with red paint has been banned from going within 250 metres of the Prime Minister. Tyler Michelle Hingst, 19, allegedly took part in a rowdy protest on October 12 when Scott Morrison visited Queensland during the state election campaign. She fronted Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday to face one count of public nuisance but no details about the charge or the extent of her involvement were heard in court, AAP reported. Tyler Michelle Hingst, 19, (pictured) has been banned from going within 250 metres of the Scott Morrison The Australian leader was abused by protesters who chased him into a waiting police car. Mr Morrison toured the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland on the morning of the incident where up to 50 refugee rights activists had gathered. The protesters splashed the PM's white car with red paint and forced their way into the building to berate Mr Morrison over his refugee policies. He was then rushed by police into a car to escape the protesters at 10:30am. Footage of the incident began with refugees chanting 'eight years too long, free the refugees' outside of the university building. 'Lock up ScoMo, throw him the sea. We won't stop until we free the refugees,' the protesters chanted. Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured through the car window) was flanked by security guards who blocked refugee protestors and escorted him out of the University of Queensland at 10:30am on Monday The PM's security pushed protesters out of the way to make a path for Mr Morrison as the activists continued to shout. 'Free the refugees, let them you scum! F***ing let them go. Let them go you f***ing scum! Freedom, it's been eight years you f***ing garbage!' one male protester said. Meanwhile, a female protester said: 'ScoMo, you're committing crimes against humanity.' Mr Morrison then got into the police car, which drove away as several protestors continued to run after it. 'F***ing coward! Face your people you f***ing coward!' the male protester said before the video cut off. Mr Morrison had been visiting the building to inspect the University of Queensland's COVID-19 vaccine trial. Mr Morrison had been visiting the building to inspect the University of Queensland's COVID-19 vaccine trial Protesters have covered Mr Morrison's car in red paint during his visit to the University of Queensland on Monday A sign covered in red paint and reading 'I'm sorry for seeking safety' was held up at the entrance Refugee Solidarity Meanjin, which has been campaigning outside a hotel in Kangaroo Point where 120 refugees are being held, admitted to gatecrashing the visit. 'This represents the souls and life of our friends who are being tortured with isolation, no exercise and uncertainty,' the collective posted online, alongside a photo of Mr Morrison's car. 'Dad Saif, has been split from baby Sammi and his wife Sabbah since March.' 'Scott Morrison, free the KP120. Free the Mantra 60.' A Facebook post on the group's page states: 'Why don't you come out and face up to your crimes against humanity?' The group has been protesting on the street outside the hotel for months. Ms Hingst is set to re-appear in court on February 2. She has been banned from attending any location that Mr Morrison is expected to attend including media events, publicity tours and any official business where the Prime Minister will be. Tyler Michelle Hingst allegedly took part in a rowdy protest on October 12 when Scott Morrison visited Queensland during the state election campaign Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-06 04:52:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said on Tuesday that only hundreds of U.S. troops would remain in Iraq after the withdrawal of half of them from the country. Al-Kadhimi said, during a televised speech on the eve of the centenary of the Iraqi Army Day, the U.S. troops' withdrawal came due to "the ongoing strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States that yield in the withdrawal of batches of U.S. troops during the past months. The withdrawal of more than half of them will complete in the coming days." "Only hundreds of them will remain, for cooperation in the fields of training, rehabilitation, armament, and technical support (for Iraqi forces)," al-Kadhimi said. The withdrawal of the U.S. forces "was based on the readiness of the Iraqi forces to protect the land of Iraq and preserve the dignity of its people," al-Kadhimi said. Al-Kadhimi also said that Iraq will not be an arena for regional or international conflicts and will not allow its lands to be used to settle scores between countries. "The Iraqi army is ready to fulfill its duty, and on the day of our brave army, we announce that 2021 will be the year of Iraqi accomplishments at all levels," he added. The relation between Baghdad and Washington has witnessed a tension since Jan. 3, 2020 after a U.S. drone struck a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces. The tension pushed the two sides to hold several sessions of strategic dialogue starting from last June 12, and the United States pledged to cut its troops in the country. Enditem BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks held steady in cautious trade on Tuesday as the government prepares to extend a lockdown. Media reports suggest that the current restrictions - which include the closure of schools, retailers and restaurants - will continue until at least the end of January. The benchmark DAX was marginally higher at 13,728 after ending on a flat note the previous day. In stock-specific action, chipmaker Dialog Semiconductor rallied 2.7 percent after giving an upbeat fourth-quarter revenue forecast due to stronger-than-expected consumer demand for 5G phones and tablets. In economic releases, German retail sales grew more than expected in November driven by non-food retailing, data from Destatis revealed. In November, retail turnover climbed by a real 5.6 percent from the previous year, which was faster than the expected growth of 3.9 percent but slower than the 8.6 percent increase logged in October. On a monthly basis, retail sales grew unexpectedly by 1.9 percent. Economists had forecast a month-on-month fall of 2 percent after a 2.6 percent rise in October. Another report showed that German unemployment rate remained unchanged in November. The jobless rate held steady at adjusted 4.5 percent in November. On an unadjusted basis, the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent. According to the labor force survey, 1.94 million people were unemployed in November, which was up by 15,000, or 0.5 percent. Compared to last year, the number of unemployed persons increased by 593,000 or 43.7 percent. The Federal Labor Agency is set to issue unemployment data for December. The jobless rate is seen at 6.1 percent, unchanged from November. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de The latest United States case of the new B.1.1.7 coronavirus strain that originated in the United Kingdom was reported in New York state on Monday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the New York Department of Healths Wadsworth laboratory detected the case in Saratoga Springs as part of its U.K. strain testing program, marking the fourth state to report the virus variant in the U.S. The strain was traced back to a man in his 60s affiliated with a jewelry store in Saratoga Springs called N. Fox Jewelers. The individual was symptomatic, but he is on the mend and doing better, according to Cuomo. He did not travel recently, so this suggests that its in the community, it was community spread as opposed to having traveled to the U.K., et cetera, the governor said. NEW: The Wadsworth Lab has confirmed New York States first case of the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7) of the virus that causes COVID. An individual from Saratoga County, New York, tested positive for the strain. The individual had no known travel history. Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 4, 2021 Three other people who went to the jewelry store tested positive for COVID-19, though authorities are unsure whether they have the B.1.1.7 strain as well. Specimens will be sequenced and analyzed for the variant, according to officials. Authorities urged all individuals who visited the store from Dec. 18-24 to contact the New York Department of Health and receive a COVID-19 test immediately. From a public health point of view now, its about contact tracing, and this U.K. strain is reported to be 70% more contagious than the normal COVID strain, Cuomo said. So, we want to make sure were doing everything we can to do effective contact tracing on this case, and were going through the employees of the jewelry store, but as it was a retail establishment, we need the cooperation of the public. The B.1.1.7 strain first emerged in the U.K. in September and has become highly prevalent in London and southeast England, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since Dec. 20, several other countries, Canada and the United States among them, have reported cases of the virus variant, which the CDC described as potentially more rapidly transmissible than other circulating strains of COVID-19. In total, 33 countries and four U.S. states - California, Colorado, Florida and New York - have identified the B.1.1.7 variant, according to officials. Last week, Colorado state officials announced the first U.S. case of the strain. A day later, California Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed the nations second B.1.1.7 patient during a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys lead infectious disease expert. In a tweet on New Years Eve, the Florida Department of Public Health announced the states first case of the virus strain in Martin County. The individual is a man in his 20s with no history of travel, according to officials. Florida has evidence of the first identified case of the UK COVID-19 variant in Martin County. The individual is a male in his 20s with no history of travel. The Department is working with the CDC on this investigation. We encourage all to continue practicing COVID-19 mitigation. Florida Dept. Health (@HealthyFla) January 1, 2021 Multiple states, including Massachusetts, are also analyzing suspicious virus samples for the B.1.1.7 strain, Dr. Greg Armstrong, director of genetic sequencing at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press. The new variants high level of contagiousness and detection in four states suggest it may have already spread more widely in the country already, according to authorities. Ongoing travel between the U.K. and U.S. as well as the small fraction of COVID-19 infections that have been genetically sequenced in the United States could also contribute to the strains undetected circulation in the country, the CDCs website said. The high prevalence of this variant among current UK infections, increase the likelihood of importation, the federal agency added. Related Content: [January 05, 2021] Brinks Home Security Announces Bulk Buy of Residential and Commercial Alarm Monitoring Contracts Monitronics (News - Alert) International, Inc., which operates as Brinks Home Security has acquired approximately 30,000 residential and small business and 8,000 commercial alarm monitoring customers from Select Security. "We are excited to welcome these Select Security customers to the Monitronics and Brinks Home Security customer family," said Brinks Home Security Chief Executive Officer William Niles. "Our number one priority is protecting what matters most for our customers and we look forward to showing our new customers what award-winning smart home security feels like." Select Security's customers can expect customizable smart home security solutions, award-winning, U.S.-based monitoring, fast alarm response, and more from the company ranked America's Best-In-State Customer Service 2020 by Newsweek. Their accounts will be transitioned to Brinks Home Security in the coming weeks. "We are focused on consistently providing our customers with a best-in-class experience," said Brinks Home Security Chief Customer Officer Jay Autrey. "We are committed to ensuring these new customers are taken care of starting on Day 1." Brinks Home Security is also retaining most of Select Security's sales, field technicians, and customer service employees, as well as certain office locations to ensure that customers continue to receive the highest level of service. Customer acquisitions, along with a robust Network Sales channel which includes authorized dealers, partners and representatives are part of the company's long-term mission to acquire profitable accounts, at scale, and hold them for life. About Brinks Home Security Brinks Home Security (also operating as Monitronics International) is one of the largest smart home security companies in North America. With its headquarters in Dallas, Texas, Brinks Home Security employs over 1,200 people who install and monitor its highly responsive, smart home security solutions that protect more than one million people in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company also has one of the nation's largest authorized partner networks, which sells and installs its security solutions. Brinks Home Security is an award-winning company committed to putting its customers first. To learn more about the company or how to become an authorized dealer, partner, or representative, visit brinkshome.com or brinkshome.com/partners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005881/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Shares of India's largest amusement park chain Wonderla Holidays rose 8% on Wednesday morning after the company announced that its theme park and resort in Hyderabad will reopen from January 9, 2021. Wonderla Holidays stock opened at Rs 209.30, also its intraday low and later gained 2.58% to hit the day's high of Rs 214.90 against the last close of Rs 209.50. Wonderla Holidays stock has risen 3.42% in the last 2 days. Wonderla Holidays share has risen 2.5% in the last one week and 2% year to date. Wonderla Holidays stock stands higher than 5, 20, 50, 100 and 200 day moving averages. Wonderla Holidays share price has hit a 52 week high of Rs 260.15 and 52 week low of Rs 104.95. Market capitalisation of the company stood at Rs 1,193.40 in today's session. Wonderla Holidays stock price has risen 1.3% in a month. "Wonderla will open its gates to the common public in Hyderabad starting 9th January. Visitors of all age groups can enjoy the park at Rs. 699 inclusive of GST, with access to all waterand dry/landrides.The theme park will be open every day during festive period from 9th to 17th January from 11 am onwards" the company that operates three amusement parks in Kochi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, said in a regulatory filing. Wonderla also said that it was inviting 5,000 COVID-19 frontline workers from the state including their family members to the Hyderabad Park for a fun-filled day. The park will exclusively be open to them on 7th and 8th January 2021. "The selected invitees will include doctors and nurses, attendees, ambulance drivers, police, bankers, delivery executives, teachers, journalists, etc," the filing added. Arun Chittilapilly, Managing Director, Wonderla Holidays Ltd, said,"We received an overwhelming response from the public in Bangalore and Kochi which reinforced our confidence to reopen Wonderla Hyderabad. We will kick startour operations here by thanking our frontline heroes through COVID Warriors Days. As we move into the New Year, we look forward to offering COVID-19 warriors and the general public an opportunity to unwind and relax the Wonderla way, with the necessary precautions and safety measures in place." Stocks in news: HDFC, Bajaj Finance, Edelweiss Financial, Sun Pharma, NBCC, L&T Share Market Live News: Sensex, Nifty trade flat; Axis Bank, TCS, HDFC, Titan, Nestle top gainers West Bank: Palestinian dead after assault on Israeli Says health ministry in Ramallah cited by Ma'an (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 5 - A Palestinian who was injured after attempting to attack an Israeli with a cleaver has died, said Palestinian news agency Ma'an, citing sources from the health ministry in Ramallah. The attack took place at an intersection in Gush Etzion, a Jewish settlement area near Bethlehem (West Bank).(ANSAmed). (ANSA). Rowan Atkinson doesn't actually like being Mr Bean. (Getty Images) Rowan Atkinson has said he will not appear as Mr Bean again because he doesnt like playing the comic character. The 65-year-old actor will continue to voice the hit role as a cartoon with a new animated movie in the pipeline but confessed he found playing Mr Bean in person very stressful. Atkinson told the Radio Times: Its easier for me to perform the character vocally than visually. I dont much enjoy playing him. The weight of responsibility is not pleasant. I find it stressful and exhausting, and I look forward to the end of it. Watch: Mr Bean partners with the World Health Organisation to make a protection from Covid-19 video Read more: Rowan Atkinson joins backlash against Scottish hate crime law Mr Bean is a clown-like character based on physical comedy with very little dialogue, who first appeared in 1990 starring in his own ITV sitcom co-written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis. Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean as part of the 1999 Red Nose Day Campaign. (Comic Relief via Getty Images) He has gone on to become a beloved character around the world starring in two feature length movies and appearing live at the London 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. The animated childrens series was launched in 2002. Rowan Atkinson celebrating Mr Bean's 25th anniversary in 2015. (PA) Atkinson confessed the only character he had ever enjoyed playing was Blackadder. But he cast doubt on speculation that a reunion special of BBC sitcom may be in the pipeline. Atkinson said: I dont actually like the process of making anything with the possible exception of Blackadder. Rowan Atkinson as Captain Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Private Baldrick in Blackadder Goes Forth. (Photoshot/Getty Images) "Because the responsibility for making that series funny was on many shoulders, not just mine. Blackadder represented the creative energy we all had in the 80s. To try to replicate that 30 years on wouldnt be easy. Read more: Sir Tony Robinson casts doubt on those 'Blackadder' reunion rumours Historical sitcom The Black Adder first aired in 1983, and ran for four series until 1989, set in various eras throughout history. Blackadder appeared in several one-off specials, the last of which aired in 2002 as part of a sketch marking the Queens Golden Jubilee. Watch: Mr Bean look-a-likes lockdown videos go viral Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the natural gas pipeline from Keralas Kochi to Mangaluru in Karnataka via video conferencing and said the project will have a positive impact on the economic growth in the two southern states. This is an important day for India, especially for the people of Kerala and Karnataka. These two states are being connected by a natural gas pipeline, PM Modi said. He added that the pipeline will facilitate the ease of living for lakhs of people in both the states and also give a boost to the tourism sector. In a veiled dig at the previous governments at the Centre, Modi said he didnt wish to talk about the reasons behind the rate of Indias progress in previous decades, adding, the country cannot develop slowly now. In recent years, the country has increased its speed, scale, and scope of development, he said. The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said in a statement the 450km long pipeline built by GAIL (India) Ltd marks an important milestone towards the creation of One Nation One Gas Grid. The Rs 3,000-crore project, which will carry natural gas from the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Regasification Terminal at Kochi to Mangaluru, while passing through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, has the transportation capacity of 12 million metric standard cubic metres per day, the statement added. Modis office said over 1.2 million man-days of employment was generated during the construction of the pipeline. The pipeline will supply environment-friendly and affordable fuel in the form of piped natural gas (PNG) to households and compressed natural gas (CNG) to the transportation sector. It will also supply natural gas to commercial and industrial units across the districts along the pipeline, PMO said. Consumption of cleaner fuel will help in improving air quality by curbing air pollution. The Nation Speaks (Jan. 4): Rep. Chris Miller, John Strand, Jonathan Koeppe, Karyn Turk, Bob Knee, and Darren Beattie at Turning Point USA Student Action Summit In this special episode of The Nation Speaks, we compiled some of the highlights from our interviews at Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida. Tune in to see Illinois State Representative Chris Miller (R); John Strand, communications director for Americas Frontline Doctors; Jonathan Koeppe, host of the Logic and Common Sense podcast; conservative media personality Karyn Turk; Bob Knee, national field coordinator for Collegians For a Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT); and Darren Beattie of Revolver.News. James Cervone at Crust Pizzeria that he opened with his wife, Lisa, next to their frozen yogurt shop Ayelada on East Street. The pizza shop, like the yogurt shop, offers customized takeout. Crust has takeout for now but hopes to open for inside dining later in the year. Familiar Trees' owners say they liked the environment on their block of North Street. PreviousNext Crust, Familiar Trees Doing Well and Optimistic for 2021 Familiar Trees on North Street offers a wide selection of books on the arts, architecture and design. Stephen Rudy and Susana Gilboe opened the bookstore in August. PITTSFIELD, Mass. Two businesses new to Pittsfield in 2020 are hopeful for the new year and moving along steadily despite opening during a pandemic. Crust Pizzeria is owned by James and Lisa Cervone, who brought locally crafted frozen yogurt to Pittsfield in 2013. Crust has the same ethics as Ayelada on East Street in being "fresh, local, and real" and prioritizes customers creating their own personalized product. Familiar Trees is a curated bookstore owned by Stephen Rudy and Susana Gilboe. The couple migrated to the Berkshires from New York City six years ago and were inspired by the block of North Street that the shop sits on. The block includes Township Four Floristry, Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Mission Bar and Tapas, Circa Mid Century and Danish Modern Vintage Shop, and the Lantern Bar and Grill. The Cervones did not plan on opening Crust during a pandemic, as final plans for the eatery took place in late 2019 when the world was hardly aware of COVID-19. "It wasn't planned to open a business during a pandemic," Jim Cervone said. "It just happened." At the end of 2019, the space that Daddyo's Diner formerly occupied next to Ayelada became available. Cervone had been looking for a space to house Crust since July and signed the lease in January 2020. In just six months, the interior of the former diner was completely overhauled and transformed. The dining, pizza making space, and back kitchen area were modernized and an entire room dedicated to Crust's pizza dough was made. Crust had its official opening in August. Like many others, Cervone figured that the pandemic would last four to six months and normal operations would ensue soon afterward. He was inspired to open Crust after attending a Washington wedding two years prior with a similar concept of personalized pizzas. Cervone said the more he played around with the idea, the more interested he became. Similar to Ayelada, mostly everything is made fresh in-house and the customer can build their pizza how they please. Crust offers many options that Cervone and his team have created, but he said the "build your own pizza" is the most popular to date. Crust's pizza dough is aged for four days to give it flavor. There are organic house-made sauces such as red, pesto and white mushroom. Pizzas can also be topped with a variety of interesting additions such as hot honey, truffle sauce, truffle parmesan, and all kinds of rubs. Cervone noted that even the meatballs are made in house. Because of Pittsfield's current spike in COVID-19 cases that have been of concern since Halloween, Crust is currently takeout only. Cervone said it is not worth the risk to to customers and staff for inside dining. In normal times, the pizzeria will operate similar to Ayelada where customers enter, approach the pizza making station, and have their pizza made by staff. Though Crust is currently limited to takeout, Cervone is excited for the future of his eatery when they are able to have full capacity. "We don't know what our full potential is," he said. Crust was somewhat down in sales during the last months of the year but Cervone said that is typical, as other local restaurants are experiencing the same thing. Overall, Cervone said Crust is doing well with takeout and the staff has become very skilled in their craft since August. He is excited to watch the pizzeria reach full potential and provide a new pizza experience to Pittsfield in 2021. Rudy and Gilboe were attracted to their current space at 411 North St. because they felt like Pittsfield was on the brink of becoming something great. After seeing the success of their friend's florist shop Township Four, which is right down the street, they wanted to become a part of the fun. "It felt like there was some energy happening here in Pittsfield," Rudy said. Familiar Trees has been profitable for Rudy and Gilboe since its opening in late August. Rudy said this was a pleasant surprise as they didn't know what to expect, especially opening during a pandemic. Rudy said he and Gilboe even questioned whether the state of the world would permit them to open at all and considered going strictly online. But the couple had already put time and money into the space, which helped make the decision to open. "It's funny because we have been really kind of shocked at how good of a reception it had, it seems like a lot of people are kind of hungering for an interesting bookstore," Rudy said. "I mean there are some great bookstores in the Berkshires but we wanted to differentiate ourselves by kind of focusing more and we do mainly art, design, architecture, photography, cinema, that kind of stuff." Once the pandemic ends, Rudy hopes that foot traffic will pick up more as tourists are entering the Berkshires and residents are leaving their houses frequently. "It's kind of stuff that you're not necessarily going to kind at Barnes and Noble," he said. Despite the pandemic, Rudy and Gilboe are happy to have the shop's presence on North Street and are optimistic about the future of both Familiar Trees and Pittsfield. "We kind of believe in Pittsfield," Rudy said. "And I think that it could end up being kind of an interesting city and I think we wanted to be part of that during the early stages." We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. McDonalds is set to bring a new contender to the chicken sandwich arena. The fast-food giant announced Monday that it will add a new line of crispy chicken sandwiches to its menu in 2021, starting on Feb. 24. The new sandwich features a brand new crispy, juicy, tender fillet served three ways: Crispy, Spicy and Deluxe. McDonalds hopes the sandwich will rival other favorites in the so-called Chicken Wars made by Wendys, Popeyes, Chick-fil-A and Burger King. Weve heard our customers loud and clear, and we know theyre craving more chicken options, said Vice President of Menu Innovation, Linda VanGosen. Were confident all chicken fans from traditionalists to spice enthusiasts will discover a new menu favorite theyll come back for time and time again. The new chicken-based lineup builds upon McDonalds chicken classics like Chicken McNuggets and the McChicken sandwich, as well as limited-time offerings like Spicy Chicken McNuggets, Chicken McGriddles and the McChicken Biscuit sandwich. Sandwich varieties include: Crispy Chicken Sandwich : Topped with crinkle-cut pickles and served on a new toasted, buttered potato roll. Spicy Chicken Sandwich : Served with a Spicy Pepper Sauce and crinkle cut pickles on a toasted potato roll. Deluxe Chicken Sandwich: Served with shredded lettuce, Roma tomatoes and mayo. The new crispy chicken sandwich will be available at participating restaurants nationwide via carry-out, Drive Thru, the McDonalds app or McDelivery. LONDON : Britain began its third Covid-19 lockdown on Tuesday with citizens under orders to stay at home and the government calling for one last major national effort to contain the virus before mass vaccinations turn the tide. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown late on Monday saying the highly contagious new coronavirus variant first identified in Britain was spreading so fast it risked overwhelming the National Health Service (NHS) within 21 days. Also Read | Indias hunt for the new Vision 2020 In England alone, some 27,000 people are in hospital with COVID, a number 40% higher than during the first peak of infections in April. "The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet but I really do believe that we are entering the last phase of the struggle, because with every jab that goes into our arms, we are tilting the odds against COVID and in favour of the British people," said Johnson. Britain has begun rolling out two vaccines against COVID, one made by Pfizer and BioNTech and the other by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and more than a million people have already received their first dose. The government says the aim is to vaccinate all elderly care home residents and their carers, everyone over the age of 70, all frontline health and social care workers, and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, by the middle of February. Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday that the pace of inoculations would accelerate in the coming weeks, and that while the target was challenging it was achievable. Gove also said that the government would soon announce new measures aimed at international travellers in order make Britain's borders more secure against COVID. Under the new lockdown in England, which is expected to last until at least the middle of February and will only be relaxed gradually after that, all schools are closed except for vulnerable children and those whose parents are key workers. People are instructed to work from home unless it is impossible for them to do so. All hospitality must remain closed as well as non-essential shops. Organised sports, both indoors and outdoors, are cancelled except for elite athletes. The specific measures announced by Johnson apply to England, but the semi-autonomous executives in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have imposed similar measures there too. Gove said finance minister Rishi Sunak would announce further support for businesses on Tuesday, after a series of eye-wateringly costly programmes have been deployed since March to stave off total economic collapse. In total since the start of the pandemic, more than 75,000 people have died from COVID in the United Kingdom within 28 days of testing positive. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Posted Monday, January 4, 2021 7:19 am Sixteen individuals made their oaths of office Dec. 28 ahead of a year where most of those sworn in will decide potential changes to Clark County government. Newly-elected members of both the Clark County Charter Review Commission and Clark County Council were sworn in during a virtual ceremony, following successful campaigns in November. New Clark County Councilor Karen Dill Bowerman took her oath of office after a successful campaign where she defeated both incumbent John Blom in the August primary, and Democratic challenger Jesse James in the general election. I can thank people until theres no tomorrow, Bowerman remarked after taking her oath. Bowerman took first place in the August primary with 44.3 percent of the vote, with James taking about 33.9 percent and Blom receiving about 21.6 percent. She won the general election by about 1,600 votes against James, taking about 51.3 percent of the total tally. Bowerman, a Republican, replaces a former fellow member of the party, Blom, who ran with no party preference this year. Though initially elected as a Republican, Blom had been a councilor who had often voted alongside fellow Republican councilor Julie Olson and Democrat Temple Lentz when decisions came to a 3-2 split. Council chair Eileen Quiring OBrien and councilor Gary Medvigy would be in the minority on those votes, an example of which were on property tax levy increases in both the 2020 and 2021 budgets. In her statement in the November elections pamphlet, Bowerman wrote that she will vote against excessive taxation, and in campaign mailers specifically stated she would be against voting in the maximum levy increases that had been approved in the past four years. At the ceremony Bowerman said her oath of office marked a line of demarcation between the rah-rah campaigning phase to a more serious phase of serving constituents. I want you all to know that I am not only taking it serious, but I am very much looking forward to it, Bowerman remarked, noting work began the following week. Acknowledging the challenges faced in 2020, she remarked that thankfully 2021 would be different than the year prior. Following Bowermans oath of office, the 15 members of the Clark County Charter Review Commission were sworn in Dec. 28. The commission is tasked with making recommendations for changes to the Clark County Charter, the countys governing document. Approved by voters in 2014, the charter changed the then Clark County Commission to a council-manager form of government, where legislative and executive powers are split between the council and manager, respectively. Those sworn in include a number of individuals who either currently or previously worked or represented in government in Clark County. The commissioners who took their oath of office were: At-large seats: Doug Lasher, former 34-year Clark County Treasurer Eric Holt, former candidate for Clark County Council Chair Mike Dalesandro, former Battle Ground Mayor and current city councilor Council District 1 Commissioners: Anthony Vendetti Kim D. Harless Chris Goodwin Council District 2: Chuck Green, Clark County Commission on Aging Chair, Kelsey Potter, Clark County Parks Advisory Board Co-chair Dorothy Gasque, Clark County Democratic Party Treasurer and former Congressional candidate Council District 3: Maureen Winningham Terri Niles Jeff Angelo Council District 4: Deanna Rusch, former Camas City Councilor John Latta Liz Pike, former Washington State Representative and Camas City Councilor Any changes recommended by the commission would eventually be up to voters to approve or deny on an election ballot. Though they would not be involved with the recommendation process, candidates for Clark County Council were asked in candidate forums about one potential change in particular, that of changing the currently-appointed role of Clark County Manager to an elected position. Bowerman was clear that she favored maintaining the position as an appointed one, explaining that continuity not subject to the election process was important for the position, she said during one forum. She added that qualifications, the necessity to fundraise for campaigns and accountability for the position also played into her stance. Its Election Day in Georgia, and voters in the state will decide the final two members of the Senate. The outcome will determine whether Democrats control the presidency, House, and Senate for the first time since 2011, or if Republicans will keep hold of one chamber and continue to gridlock legislative efforts for the next two years. In November, Democrat Jon Ossoff challenged Republican incumbent David Perdue, and Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock challenged pro-Trump incumbent Kelly Loeffler in a rare instance whenbecause of a special election stemming from the retirement of Sen. Johnny Isaksonboth Georgia Senate seats came up for election in the same year. None of the candidates received 50 percent of the vote, sending voters back to the polls for Tuesdays runoff. As things stand, Republicans have 50 seats in the Senate. If they win at least one seat, they will have full control of the Senate. If Democrats manage to win both, the Senate will be tied, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the decisive vote in a stalemate. Heres what you need to know as results start coming in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What will we know on Tuesday? Its possible that the outcome will be clear Tuesday night. Its also possible that it will take several days. A spokesperson for the secretary of state said to expect a delay. Even though mail-in ballots and early votes have already been processed, they cannot be counted until Tuesday evening; plus, mail-in ballots that arrive on Election Day will clog the system, as officials will need to check their signatures before physically loading them into the machines. What should we be looking for as the results come in? The early results wont necessarily tell us much about the race because of the delay in processing some mail-in ballots, but there are a few things to look out for: strong turnout from Black voters and young voters would be a promising sign for the Democrats. Stronger in-person voting numbers, particularly outside of the Atlanta area and in the northern and southern corners of the state, might help Republicans. Higher usage of mail-in ballots by older voters would also help Republicans. Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Who was ahead in the polls? According to FiveThirtyEight, both Democrats have a slight edge over their opponents. Ossoff leads Perdue by 1.8 points, and Warnock leads Loeffler by 2.1 points. But polls were off on Senate races that were much less competitive in November. Its possible that each party wins one of the seats on Tuesday. While most voters are likely to cast a single-party ballot, theres a chance that some marginal differences could lead to a split outcome. FiveThirtyEights Nate Silver lays out some of the possibilities here, concluding that Warnock has a stronger shot than Ossoff, partially because of Loefflers position further to the right. Advertisement What can we guess from the November results? Advertisement A Democrat hasnt won a Senate race in Georgia for 20 years; then again, a Democratic presidential candidate hadnt won the state in 30 years until Joe Bidens victory. November upended some of the traditional thinking about Georgia, but Democrats in the state shouldnt expect one win necessarily means another. Republican Senate candidates received more votes than Democratic candidates in November, outperforming Trump. Even when just looking at the four candidates in the runoffs, Perdue won more votes than Ossoff. (Loeffler faced another Republican in November, while Perdue faced only a libertarian candidate as competition on the right.) What we do know from the November election is that Democrats turned out enough voters in the Atlanta suburbs to make the Biden win happen. The Atlanta metropolitan area will still be key to this race. Advertisement What can we know from turnout? So far, that a lot of people are casting ballots. More than 3 million people voted early, surpassing the total number of voters in the states last runoff Senate election in 2008. The Atlanta metropolitan area has seen strong turnout, which is a good sign for Democrats. But while early voting turnout was lower in the more conservative parts of the state, Republican pundits have reassured anxious spectators that Republicans tend to turn out in higher numbers for in-person voting on Election Day. Advertisement How does Trump affect all of this? One big unknown is the effect of his recent behavior on the race. One effect has been to constrain the Republican candidates, who cannot campaign as outsiders standing up to Biden while they must publicly maintain that Trump won the electionand who have had to dodge questions about the presidents actions. Trumps insistence that the November election was a fraud may cause some supporters to stay home in protest. Or they may listen to his recent exhortations to vote. Some former Republican voters may return to the fold in hopes of thwarting the Democratic agenda, or because Trump is no longer on the ticket. Advertisement Will there be a red mirage? In November, we saw a red mirage when in-person votes were counted first and offered an overly optimistic outlook for Republicans. (The mail ballots, which were counted last, favored Biden, leaving a surge of Democratic votes until the end.) This same phenomenon may happen again in Georgia, but there are signs that older, Republican-leaning voters requested more mail-in ballots than in November, meaning the effect may be less pronounced. What are the odds of a recount? Decently high. The losing candidate can request a recount if the margin is within 0.5 percent of the vote. These races will be close, so such an outcome seems possible. And even if the margin is larger, the secretary of state can grant a recount if a candidate thinks there has been some kind of error or fraud. Take a guess how a Democratic victory would be received in the current climate. 1. Yes. The public must have assurances that ethical standards are met by everyone. 2. Yes. As long as an independent board hears the grievances, its a worthwhile idea. 3. No. The concept is too broad. It should be limited to the citys elected officials. 4. No. There are plenty of stipulations in place already. An ordinance is a waste of time. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say without seeing how it would be structured and applied. Vote View Results Click here for updates on this story ELK GROVE, California (KOVR) -- Its a common story about how it was the cutest puppy for Christmas until it didnt become house-trained, it started chewing everything in sight or it wasnt going to stay quite as small as originally thought. And some just decided their pet isnt as useful anymore, like 13-year-old Honey. Now, she gets all the back scratches, belly rubs and walks she could ever ask. When we brought her in, we were slow to introduce her [to the other dogs], but she took to everyone immediately, said Stephanie Pryor. Pryor and her family rescued Honey after her previous owner gave up on her. He opened his fence and was hoping that she would get hit by a car so he wouldnt have to pay for her to be euthanized, said Pryor. Unwanted pets are a heartbreaking reality at the Bruceville Pet Hospital in Elk Grove. In just the last week, theyve had eight dogs dumped on their doorstep. Essentially its people that are calling saying, You know the dog has to go tonight, and as a veterinary hospital and a non-profit, were not geared to rehome dogs. But theres such a need we cant say no, said Hospital Manager Teryn Smothers. Smothers is also a board member for Friends of Elk Grove Animal Shelter. She said she sees an uptick in unwanted pets after every holiday. People go and get puppies for Christmas and then realize how much work they are and decide, We no longer want this puppy, said Smothers. Its disgusting actually because [Honey is] a phenomenal dog, said Pryor. Pryors family is just glad they found their furry friend in time. Theyre now hoping others will think twice before ditching their dogs. Its really not a good idea to buy a puppy as a Christmas present. Really it should be something that a family should talk about together, said Smothers. Shes now a part of our family, which is great. And shes not at that point to be put down so were really enjoying having her, said Pryor. Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. One bleak pandemic day in November, Aisha Tyler caught herself vacuuming the inside of her freezer. Then she scolded herself. Yes, out loud. "You're insane," she recalls saying. "What are you doing? You have to stop this right now." Sometimes the Los Angeles-based actress will shout an expletive and tell herself to "snap out of it." On brighter days, she'll congratulate herself on what a good job she's doing and call for a celebration. "I have definitely announced happy hour in my apartment several times to no one in particular," she says, "and then I'll tell myself what a cute martini it is, and I'll tell myself it was delicious." Humans leave little unspoken, and this past year, as many of us have avoided social events and worked from home alone, we've been forced to talk out loud to the only person still around to listen: ourselves. Sure, it may take the form of bantering with our pets, scolding the politicians on TV or cajoling our malfunctioning printers, but that's really just another way of hearing our own voice, helping us discern what exactly is going on inside that head of ours. Many self-talkers worry others would think they're crazy. But no one is there to know. Living alone, I've noticed my own tendency to talk to household objects, calling them "thing" or "man," or, in the case of the snow boots I reconnected with recently, "my friends." I scolded the toppling bottles in the fridge for "making trouble." My voice will also involuntarily retrieve sounds from childhood, imitating my grandfather, with a frustrated "Christ, almighty," or repeating dialogue from a "Sesame Street" Christmas album. What's going on here? Charles Fernyhough, a psychology professor at Durham University and author of "The Voices Within: The History and Science of How We Talk to Ourselves," says research shows people talk out loud more when under stress or facing cognitive challenges - and that it can be helpful for children when solving puzzles or other tasks. He likens it to writing something down on paper. "If you're putting words in the air," he says, "it might be easier to hang onto them." That's the approach of Danielle Lupton, a political science professor in her 30s at Colgate University who's been working from home and rousing herself from the couch with vocalized orders like, "After this episode, you're going to get up and wash the dishes." "It's a public commitment you say to yourself," she explains. Not all self-talkers are quite so comfortable with their new habit. "What's the point? The sound doesn't need to come out. You're already in there," says Mike Carrozza, a 29-year-old standup comedian. To him, it feels like "the pandemic won another bit of my normalcy." Carrozza was living in Toronto when the pandemic postponed his album tour. He left his retail job, fearful that his respiratory issues put him at risk, and moved in with his parents in Montreal. While playing a video game one day, his character got hit, and he blurted out, "That's gotta hurt!" - then wondered why he would utter a dumb cliche he had never spoken before. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a dog farting itself awake and then getting upset at itself because it thought it heard a break-in or something," Carrozza says. Some self-talkers amuse themselves by deploying personas and accents. While binge-watching "The Crown" over Thanksgiving weekend, Elisabeth Rivette, a 23-year-old law student at St. Louis University, started to speak to herself as Margaret Thatcher. "I'd be cracking myself up about how to pronounce pillow or lamp or something," she says. Gary Mansfield, 63, a former executive with Nine West, pretends that he's talking to his two adult daughters as he embarks on his daily walks of up to 10 miles near his home in Stamford, Conn. "Don't do anything stupid," he'll say. Or "wash your hands." "Wear a mask." He'll also fantasize about winning the lottery, vocalizing how he would split up the prize: "$35 million for Avery, $35 million for Sydney ..." He knows it's fake. But it makes him feel better, articulating how he could give his daughters a life they'd never expect. "I think it's just a fantasy of everything being perfect." In Nairobi, Njeri Wangui Mwariri made a discovery: She can continue her self-talking even when she ventures out into public, thanks to her mask. Thus, the 19-year-old student was able to sit solo at a cafe after a dentist checkup and express how she wished she told him off when he surprised her with a needle. In Malaysia, 21-year-old student Amna Batrisha murmurs to herself behind her mask to psych herself up for a dreaded grocery trip. ("You can do this ... You've got the list, you can take the stuff that you want and check out.") And when she mistakenly reached the front of the cash-only line while cashless and scolded herself with a crass word, no one was offended because it was muffled. I talked to a student who pretends that she's her own mother. A theater technician who almost never has a silent thought. An IT specialist on an onion farm who uses an app that offers positive affirmations. And Paris Jacobs, 43, the co-owner of a swim club in Vienna, Va., who found her own voice keeping her company when she was isolated for five days in the hospital with covid-19. "You wouldn't necessarily realize you were talking to yourself," she recalls, "and then you'd say something and be like, 'Oh, there's nobody else here.'" Our urge to talk reveals just how much covid-19 is a mental test as well as a physical one. When William Broyles Jr. was writing the screenplay for the 2000 film "Cast Away," he stranded himself at a deserted Mexican beach, to research the tactics of survival. But one day he went to spear his morning stingray and met a volleyball that had washed ashore. He decorated it with seashells and seaweed, and started talking to it. Broyles recalls that eventually, "I stopped and said - to him but really to myself - 'Idiot! This is the movie!' It's not about physical survival, it's about connection. Talking is how we connect. It makes us human." For Jack, a 21-year-old student near Melbourne, Australia, the pandemic prompted conversations with an imaginary companion - known in internet circles as a tulpa. He has never had a romantic relationship, but now he has Elaine, who takes the form of a Pokemon character called a Gardevoir; she is bolder than Jack, ordering him to turn off his laptop or take a shower, or cracking the occasional sex joke. Most of their conversations are in his head, but he often tells her "good morning" out loud. "I have seen a notable improvement in my overall mood," says Jack, who spoke on the condition that The Washington Post only use his first name to preserve his privacy. Samuel Veissiere, an assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill University who has studied tulpamancy, suspects that during the pandemic, "a tulpamancer might be doing better than average because they're used to being alone," he says. "They've developed these coping mechanisms. They're able to entertain themselves." Of course, speaking out loud when no one else is physically present is part of long-held tradition - one that has taken on greater urgency for many people lately. When the Bronx hit its pandemic peak last spring, the emergency room at St. Barnabas Hospital was filled with the noise of huffing ventilators, beeping IV pumps, intercoms crackling with commands of "code blue," and patients crying for help. So when he left work, in the silence of his car, senior attending physician Ernest Patti would take the time to speak aloud to Big Louie. On occasion, it was Big Louise. Or it had no gender. Patti, 60, who was raised Catholic, wanted to account for all possibilities. "Whoever you are up there, this makes no sense to me, us working tirelessly to keep these people alive, and when they die they have to die alone," he recalls saying one night, after he held an elderly woman's hand in her final moments. He yelled expletives. He asked if he should quit. "This is my passion. I have to care for people. But God, if it means caring for people like this where they die alone, I don't know if I have the strength." It was praying aloud that also kept 44-year-old April Harris going during her 32 days in quarantine with a deep cough at the California Institution for Women in Chino, Calif. - not just self-encouragements like "I can do this" and "You got this, April," but repeated declarations like "by His stripes, I am healed." "I would pray for our country and for a cure to this virus," she says in an email from the prison, where she has spent 24 years but had never previously talked out loud to herself. "Now I pray that I am covered by His blood, not wanting to endure that again. I pray for the women who are in isolation now." Patti has continued praying to Big Louie. But he has a new reason. In August, his son arrived in Miami to start college, went swimming and dove straight into a sandbar. He couldn't move his arms or legs. Patti and his ex-wife have been caring for him ever since, hoping for a recovery. Patti has asked Big Louie questions for much of his life. This year, the answers have been slow to arrive. But on the plane to Miami he continued the conversation: "Seriously, what's the purpose of this? Is this another lesson? ... Why him? Why not me?" Patti realized a fellow passenger in his row was listening. "That's OK," the man said. "During this pandemic, I think we're all doing it." Honda has temporarily paused some production at its Swindon plant. The car manufacturer said the temporary shutdowns - expected to last through Tuesday and Wednesday - were as a result of 'global supply issues delays'. The company said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon: 'Honda has confirmed to employees that some production activities will not run Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 January due to global supply issues delays. Honda's Swindon factory, which is responsible for production of the Civic, is set to restart production on Thursday after citing 'global supply issues' for the latest halt in production 'The situation is currently being monitored with a view to restart production on Thursday 7 January.' Trade unions have confirmed staff will remain on full pay through the closure and praised management for being so open about the shipping delays. It is the second stoppage in as many months, after 'transport-related parts delays' triggered a pause in December. In early December, containers were piling up at Southampton, Felixstowe and London Gateway amid a global shipping crisis that led to the cost of transporting goods from Asia soaring by as much as five times. Imports from Europe were also disrupted, with large queues of lorries outside the port and Channel Tunnel. Hauliers travelling to and from the UK and Europe said they had not seen such volumes in 30 years. Covid has disrupted global freight schedules and sparked a shortage of shipping containers, but the issue was compounded by a surge in demand for imports due to Christmas and stockpiling by firms worried about No Deal Brexit tariffs. After its last halt in production, Honda said it was looking at alternative to bring in parts, such as using air freight. Honda has temporarily paused production at its Swindon factory due to 'global supply issues' The Japanese car giant employs the just-in-time production system which means it brings in components only when they are required, but timetables are vulnerable to disruption. Honda's Swindon site is where the current Civic and Civic Type R models are produced. It currently employs around 3,000 people and creates up to 150,000 new cars per year, but will close permanently in July 2021. Colorado Springs School District 11 added to the number of schools pivoting to remote learning amid the increase in coronavirus cases in El Paso County. [January 05, 2021] Augeo Acquires Deluxe Rewards, Expanding Its Consumer Engagement Platform and Advancing Growth Initiatives ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Augeo, a leader in consumer, member, and employee loyalty and engagement solutions, announced today that it has acquired Deluxe Rewards, formerly a business entity of Deluxe (NYSE: DLX), a Trusted Business Technology company. The acquisition of Deluxe Rewards, primarily located in Boca Raton, Florida, is effective December 31, 2020, and brings to Augeo, a patented, dual-currency, loyalty and engagement technology powered by an expansive collection of premium retail goods and travel services. In addition, unique experiential rewards are available to end users at significantly reduced prices. The value to end users comes from these exclusive discounts, and Augeo can now offer clients a meaningful loyalty rewards program without the accrued liability that makes such programs cost prohibitive for some organizations. "Often times, organizations are burdened by excessive, accrued liability in their loyalty rewards programs. The addition of Deluxe Rewards patented technology and experienced team enables Augeo to extend even greater value to current clients; all while bringing new engagement opportunities to organizations seeking alternatives to accruing the financial liability for their loyalty initiatives," explained Tim Miller, President, Augeo Member Engagement and Benefits. The acquisition is another indicator of Augeo's focus on growth, both organically and through acquisition. "We believe that challenging times create unique opportunities for companies that are agile, innovative and well-grounded financially. Since our beginning, decades ago, we have grown our client base with exceptional performance and exemplary service. We continue to grow through the acquisition of companies that offer innovative technology, experienced teams, and established client relationships," explained Augeo CEO, David Kristal. This acquisition was attractive to Augeo because it presents a distinct marketplace opportunity. Deluxe Rewards enables Augeo to offer a on-of-a-kind, dual-currency redemption experience for users while delivering unmatched value for clients. Shaina Resto, Product Strategy Leader for Deluxe Rewards, and now Senior Vice President of Consumer Engagement at Augeo, explained, "We are beyond excited to join the Augeo team. Both companies have extensive experience in managing loyalty and engagement rewards programs. By combining our products and services into a seamless client experience, we can extend innovative features to all our programs. Clients will benefit from increased efficiency and users will benefit from increased redemption options." "A primary driver of our interest in Deluxe Rewards was a need to provide greater value to users during challenging times," said Miller. "We believe that for years to come, consumer loyalty and engagement will be driven by value-rich offers and a flexible, responsive platform. The proprietary, ultra-efficient, dual-currency redemption technology that Deluxe Rewards brings to Augeo enables us to evolve our platform, continuing to deliver a best-in-class loyalty engagement experience." About Augeo Augeo is a global leader in enterprise engagement and loyalty platforms. We help clients build value by strengthening relationships with their employees, customers, members or channel partners. Our unique consumer loyalty, employee recognition, sales incentives, virtual and live meetings, and insurance and benefits solutions help organizations elevate engagement and accelerate success. With more than 40 years of experience, Augeo serves 52 Fortune 500 companies, among hundreds of others, and supports hundreds of programs worldwide with proven platform technology. For more information, visit www.augeomarketing.com. About Deluxe Deluxe is a Trusted Business Technology company that champions business so communities thrive. Our solutions help businesses pay and get paid, accelerate growth, and operate more efficiently. For more than 100 years, we've been helping businesses succeed at all stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to maturity. Our powerful global scale supporting approximately 4.5 million small businesses, over 4,000 financial institutions, hundreds of the world's largest consumer brands and processing more than $2.8 trillion in annual payment volume, positions Deluxe to be our customers' most-trusted business partner. To learn how we can help your business, visit us at www.deluxe.com , www.facebook.com/deluxecorp , www.linkedin.com/company/deluxe , or www.twitter.com/deluxecorp . Media Contact: Michael Walsh 612-718-8952 michael@michaelwalshcommunications.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/augeo-acquires-deluxe-rewards-expanding-its-consumer-engagement-platform-and-advancing-growth-initiatives-301200651.html SOURCE Augeo [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi: Six more airports in the country, including Patna and Chennai, will do away with the practice of tagging and stamping domestic passengers' hand baggage from Thursday. The four other airports that will usher in the new practice include those at Jaipur, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati. The CISF, the central security force tasked to secure civil airports in the country, had a few days back declared the operalisation of the new practice from June 1. These six airports will join in ushering the new tag-less security system along with seven others at Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, where the system was initiated by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) begining April 1 this year. The paramilitary force will also begin a trial to do away with the tagging and stamping of hand baggage of domestic passengers at five other airports of Varanasi, Pune, Goa, Bhubaneswar and Vishakhapatnam. Once the three-week trial at these five airports is found successful, they too will join the league of the thirteen others. CISF director general OP Singh had earlier told PTI that "an enhanced number of new gadgets, CCTVs and security paraphernalia has been put in place at the six airports (where no tags practice will begin tomorrow) so that the process of doing away with the tagging and stamping of domestic air passengers' hand baggage can be initiated from June 1". The CISF is tasked with guarding 59 civil airports in the country. Singh had said that the force proposes to initiate this people-friendly measure at all the airports under its cover, before the year ends. By having the stamped tags on the hand baggage, the security personnel used to assure that no weapon or ammunition-like material enters the aircraft with the passenger. Read | Six more airports to be handbag tags free in country Now with the deployment of smart cameras and repositioning of security paraphernalia at the six new airports, the same objective is being achieved. The procedure remained a major irritant for passengers who had made many complaints in this regard to airport authorities. They said this system posed hassles as it consumed time and in case they forget to get it tagged, security personnel would ask them to go back and get it done. The new protocols are only meant for domestic passengers and those traveling to international destinations will have to get their hand baggage tags stamped as usual. The force is also analysing ways to initiate measures to do away with the tagging and stamping of hand baggage for foreign-bound passengers too. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A Rhode Island Superior Court judge has vacated the murder conviction of a man after finding that his trial attorney violated his rights by discouraging him from tesifying that he stabbed a man in self-defense. In her decision overturning the second-degree murder conviction of Miguel Tebalan Rivera, Judge Netti C. Vogel also found that Providence police conducted an illegal interview by continuing to question Rivera long after he had asked for an attorney, The Providence Journal reported Monday. The trial attorney failed to advise Rivera that without his testimony, there would be no evidence that his actions were in self defense. Rivera rested without testifying, thereby assuring a conviction, Vogel said. She called the officers behavior illegal, outrageous, and abusive. At no time did the officers even hint that they would stop the interview and honor Riveras request for an attorney, Vogel said. Rivera, 38, was sentenced to 60 years in prison after he was convicted in a non-jury trial of the December 2015 stabbing death of 36-year-old Julio Francisco Perez. Rivera said he stabbed Perez to stop him from killing him in a fight over money. The Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has described as 'disappointing' President Akufo-Addo's 2021 State of the Nation Address (SONA). President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday delivered his last SONA to the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic. The President who will soon end his first term and begin a new one from January 7, in his address touched on the economy, galamsey, election 2020 among others. Reacting to this, Okudzeto Ablakwa wondered why the President did not touch on the 'barbaric killings' during the December 7 polls. "Not a word of sympathy from President Akufo-Addo on the barbaric killings of 8 defenseless Ghanaians during the December 7, 2020 elections. Even more depressing is his refusal to institute investigations and sanction the mindless perpetrators. Absolutely disappointing address" he wrote on his facebook page. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Johannesburg, Jan 5 : Injuries hampered Sri Lanka's chances of putting up a competitive front in their Test series against South Africa, said captain Dimuth Karunaratne. Sri Lanka slipped to a 10-wicket defeat in the second Test at Johannesburg, thus ending the two-match series at the wrong end of a 2-0 whitewash. "A lot of players got injured, and I think that was the biggest thing we missed," Karunaratne said in the presentation ceremony after his team lost at The Wanderers. "When we were playing without those injuries in the first Test, we were in the match and could potentially have won it. We got a good start, which is a difficult thing to achieve, and then we lost our bowlers. When you lose six or seven players, you do go into a negative mindset and that's difficult. On these tracks it's a huge challenge." Four players were injured during the first Test and could not play at The Wanderers while leading fast bowler Suranga Lakmal and opening batsman Oshada Fernando were unable to play in either match because of injuries. "As a captain I'm really worried about the result. But at least we have some young talents we can use in the future. And there are a few positives from the series. Kusal Perera is in form. Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando and Wanindu Hasaranga also did well," said Karunaratne. "We did quite a few positive things, like score the most runs a Sri Lanka team has ever scored in South Africa [their first-innings total of 396 at Centurion], and also score more runs than any previous Sri Lanka teams at The Wanderers [their second-innings total of 211]. In patches we played well, but we weren't able to sustain that, partly because of the injuries." LeeAnne Locken is best known for starring on The Real Housewives of Dallas, but long before finding reality TV fame, she was a working actress in Hollywood. In a new interview, the star has revealed what it was REALLY like working with some of Hollywood's biggest names, including Sandra Bullock to Faye Dunaway. Speaking to the Poplitically Incorrect podcast, the 53-year-old admitted that Faye certainly lived up to her diva reputation when they filmed the 2006 TV movie Rain together. Tell all! Former Real Housewives of Dallas star and actress LeeAnne Locken has revealed the truth about working with some of Hollywood's biggest stars 'I played Faye Dunaway's daughter and the crew on that set called her "Hurricane Faye",' she revealed. 'She had a perimeter around her trailer that you were not to speak in, do not make noise, a ten foot perimeter around her trailer, no noise.' LeeAnne then recalled one disastrous moment during filming when she naively tried to help a confused Faye with a line she was having trouble with. 'Hurricane Faye!' Speaking to the Poplitically Incorrect podcast, LeeAnne (L) said that Faye Dunaway (R) lived up to her diva reputation when they filmed the 2006 TV movie Rain 'We were reading our lines and she was, not struggling, but unsure of a line, and I had suggested how I thought she should say her line.' As expected, the Academy Award winner didn't take too kindly to being schooled by a less prestigious co-star. '[Faye] was like, "Has she not read the script?! Has no one given this child the entire script!" I was getting smaller and smaller, I was like, "Dear god, please let me be invisible."' 'She had a perimeter around her trailer that you were not to speak in, do not make noise, a ten foot perimeter around her trailer, no noise,' she said of the Academy Award winner (pictured) She said that the wardrobe department swooped in to save the day by pretending that they needed to change her purse backstage. 'I left the set and I was like, "How am I gonna go back and finish this? She's gonna kill me, she's gonna verbally assassinate me",' LeeAnne recalled. However, when she returned she was surprised to see that Faye had not only calmed down, but had decided to take her advice on board regarding the line. 'The most genuine, kind, caring about every single human on the set!' LeeAnne had kind words for her Miss Congeniality co-star Sandra Bullock (pictured) LeeAnne said that she had a much better experience working with Sandra Bullock on 2001's Miss Congeniality. 'The most genuine, kind, caring about every single human on the set,' she gushed when asked about Sandra. 'She just cared so much that everybody was treated with respect on the set and I must say, one of the best working experiences I've ever had on the planet was working for Sandy,' she added. 'One of the best working experiences I've ever had on the planet was working for Sandy': LeeAnne (far left) worked with Sandra on the 2001 comedy classic LeeAnne also shared her experience of working with action her Chuck Norris on Walker, Texas Ranger. 'Chuck was a hoot and a holler!' she exclaimed. 'He was a ham, he liked to have fun, he's a cool guy,' she added. 'Chuck was a hoot and a holler!' LeeAnne also shared her experience of working with action her Chuck Norris on Walker, Texas Ranger LeeAnne got her start as an actress in the 1980s with roles in Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter starring Paul Sorvino, and My Best Friend Is a Vampire starring Robert Sean Leonard. After three decades working as a model and actress, she finally got her big break on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Dallas in 2016. She departed the show last year after four seasons, and is now focused on philanthropy and writing her next book of positive affirmations. The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost. MCLEAN, Va., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BBB National Programs today announced the 2021 Panel Pool Members for its National Advertising Review Board, the appellate body for the U.S. advertising industry's system of self-regulation. The National Advertising Review Board panel pool members, selected for their stature and experience in their fields, provide independent peer review to ensure truthfulness and accuracy in national advertising and help promote voluntary compliance of its decisions. Founded in 1971, the National Advertising Review Board operates in its appellate capacity for BBB National Programs' National Advertising Division and Children's Advertising Review Unit. These programs are three of more than a dozen self-regulatory and dispute regulation programs of the independent non-profit organization, BBB National Programs. For 2021, the National Advertising Review Board's 50th anniversary year, panel pool members include 85 distinguished leaders from three different categories: National Advertisers Advertising Agencies Public Members (academics and other members of the public sector) Each National Advertising Review Board appellate panel consists of five members from the pool, with three national advertising representatives, one agency representative, and one public sector representative on each panel. Nominations for National Advertising Review Board panel pool members are primarily made by the Association of National Advertisers, American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Advertising Federation, and BBB National Programs. The initial term is two years, and each member is eligible to be re-appointed for two additional two-year terms. This year 12 new members join 73 individuals returning to their distinguished roles. The National Advertising Review Board's peer review process of case decisions helps to promote the voluntary compliance that is a pillar of industry self-regulation. This fair and impartial appellate body examines the record of appealed proceedings and makes determinations as to the truth and accuracy of the advertising claims at issue. In more than 90% of case decisions, companies voluntarily comply with the recommendations made by the National Advertising Division, Children's Advertising Review Unit, and the National Advertising Review Board. In cases of lack of good-faith efforts to modify or discontinue advertising as a result of a decision, cases are referred to the appropriate regulatory agency. "The National Advertising Review Board's reputation for supporting fair competition is well-known in the advertising industry," said Eric D. Reicin, President and CEO, BBB National Programs. "Our 2021 panel pool members, notably selected to serve during BBB National Programs' National Advertising Review Board's historic 50th year, bring incredible diversity and depth of experience to their role of helping to resolve disputes and enhance consumer trust." "I am honored to welcome these distinguished professionals to the highly respected National Advertising Review Board," said Kenneth A. Plevan, NARB Chair. "I am proud of the work this group accomplishes to ensure the success of advertising industry self-regulation and to help promote an advertising environment where trust exists between businesses and consumers." Following is the list of BBB National Programs' National Advertising Review Board panel pool members for 2021. Of these 85, 12 are new and 32 have been re-appointed for an additional term of service. * indicates a new member ** indicates a re-appointed member Public Members Jenny Buschhorn , Assistant Professor of Practice, Advertising Program Head, Texas State University , Assistant Professor of Practice, Advertising Program Head, Margaret (Meg) C. Campbell , Provost Professor of Marketing at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder * , Provost Professor of Marketing at the Leeds School of Business, * Oscar Chilabato , Associate Professor, Advertising & Marketing Communications, Johnson & Wales University , Associate Professor, Advertising & Marketing Communications, Debra (Debbie) M. Desrochers , B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., Director of Studies MRes in Management, Marketing, Business & Society, Centre for Business, Organisations and Society (CBOS), University of Bath* , B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D., Director of Studies MRes in Management, Marketing, Business & Society, Centre for Business, Organisations and Society (CBOS), University of Bath* Allen Garcie , Associate Professor of Digital Arts; Director, LaPIXEL Digital Arts & Media Academy, Louisiana State University Shreveport , Associate Professor of Digital Arts; Director, LaPIXEL Digital Arts & Media Academy, Steven Hall , Senior Lecturer, University of Illinois ** , Senior Lecturer, ** Scott Hamula , Associate Professor, Department Chair, Roy H. Park School of Communications, Ithaca College , Associate Professor, Department Chair, of Communications, Timothy Hendrick , Associate Professor, Advertising, San Jose State University , Associate Professor, Advertising, Alice Kendrick , Professor of Advertising, Southern Methodist University ** , Professor of Advertising, ** David Koranda , Professor of Practice, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon , Professor of Practice, School of Journalism and Communication, Peg Murphy , Associate Professor, Communication Dept. & AAF AdClub Advisor, Columbia College Chicago , Associate Professor, Communication Dept. & AAF AdClub Advisor, Joel M. Nichols , M.B.A., Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Strategic Media, The University of Memphis * , M.B.A., Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Strategic Media, The * Larry Powell , Professor, Advisor for Lindsey + Asp, Gaylord College , University of Oklahoma * , Professor, Advisor for Lindsey + Asp, , * Jan LeBlanc Wicks , Professor & Vice Chair, School of Journalism and Strategic Media, University of Arkansas ** Agency Members Wendy Aldrich , EVP, Managing Partner, Universal McCann , EVP, Managing Partner, Universal McCann Holly Aguirre , Former General Manager, Cambridge Innovation Center** , Former General Manager, Cambridge Innovation Center** Michael Bassik , Founder & CEO, Axel Solutions , LLC , Founder & CEO, , LLC Scott Bishoff , SVP Media, Digitas* , SVP Media, Digitas* Michael Bollinger , President, Smith Brothers Agency, LP , President, Smith Brothers Agency, LP Laura Jean Bracken , President/COO, Palisades , President/COO, Palisades Dean Broadhead , CEO, broadhead. , CEO, broadhead. Tracy Broderick , President, Karsh Hagan ** , President, ** Michael Brunner , Chief Executive Officer, M.J. Brunner , Inc. , Chief Executive Officer, , Inc. Jeffrey Buntin, Jr. President & CEO, The Buntin Group** President & CEO, The Buntin Group** Amy Bytell , Media Director, Mediassociates , Media Director, Mediassociates Faruk Capan , CEO, Intouch Solutions, Inc.** , CEO, Intouch Solutions, Inc.** Brad Casper , Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Heart and Soul Marketing , Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Heart and Soul Marketing Steve Erich , Co-Founder, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Erich & Kallman* , Co-Founder, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Erich & Kallman* Marina Filippelli , CEO, ORCI* , CEO, ORCI* Dan Fromm , President/COO, Barkley US** , President/COO, Barkley US** Cary Hatch , CEO & Brand Advocate, MDB Communications** , CEO & Brand Advocate, MDB Communications** Lee Hsieh, Sr. Partner, Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, WPP/Midas Exchange Partner, Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, WPP/Midas Exchange Pete Imwalle , EVP, Chief Operating Officer, RPA Advertising , EVP, Chief Operating Officer, Patrick Kiss , President, BSSP** , President, BSSP** John McCafferty , President/Creative Director, McCafferty Advertising , President/Creative Director, Michael McCartney , Founder, Silver Age, LLC** , Founder, Silver Age, LLC** Luis Miguel Messianu , Founder, Creative Chairman-CEO, Alma * , Founder, Creative Chairman-CEO, * Krista Nicholson , President, Motive , President, Motive Tom Stein , Chairman and Chief Client Officer, Stein IAS , Chairman and Chief Client Officer, James Tenny , Founder & CEO, Blackbird Communications Group, LLC , Founder & CEO, Blackbird Communications Group, LLC Meredith Vaughan , CEO, Vladimir Jones ** , CEO, ** Richard Ward , President & CEO, 22squared Advertising Members Tim Alessi , Director New Product Development, LG Electronics , Director New Product Development, LG Electronics Ron Amram , Senior Director, Global Media, Mars, Inc.** , Senior Director, Global Media, Mars, Inc.** Homi Battiwalla , Senior Marketing Director Global Marketing Excellence, PepsiCo Global , Senior Marketing Director Global Marketing Excellence, PepsiCo Global Maya Battle , Assistant Director, RHPG Digital Campaigns and Media Planning, Penguin Random House** , Assistant Director, RHPG Digital Campaigns and Media Planning, Penguin Random House** John H. Bell , President and Chief Strategist, NextNow Digital** , President and Chief Strategist, NextNow Digital** Adam Benaroya , Head of Global Media and Performance Marketing, Hewlett Packard Enterprise** , Head of Global Media and Performance Marketing, Hewlett Packard Enterprise** Dave Berlin , Former Director, Digital Business Development, BP/Castrol** , Former Director, Digital Business Development, BP/Castrol** Katrina Bott , Senior Director, Global Strategic Sourcing, Capri Holdings Limited** , Senior Director, Global Strategic Sourcing, Capri Holdings Limited** Ivy Brown , SVP, Head of Brand and Community Marketing, TD Bank** , SVP, Head of Brand and Community Marketing, TD Bank** Stuart Burkhoff , Senior Director, Media Strategy and Planning, Altice USA , Senior Director, Media Strategy and Planning, Altice Charles Chappell , Head of Global Media and Agency Excellence, The Hershey Company** , Head of Global Media and Agency Excellence, The Hershey Company** Jason Chebib , Vice President, Consumer Planning, Diageo , Vice President, Consumer Planning, Diageo Abby Cohn , Vice President, Brand & Communications, SK Group , Vice President, Brand & Communications, SK Group Michael Cruz , VP, Marketing, BrewStubs, Inc.** , VP, Marketing, BrewStubs, Inc.** Ryan Dillon-Curran , Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing, Peloton , Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing, Peloton David Dobbins , Former Media and Print Services Director, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.** , Former Media and Print Services Director, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.** Russ Findlay , Global Chief Marketing Officer, Hiscox USA , Global Chief Marketing Officer, Hiscox Matt Fitzpatrick , Vice President & Associate General Counsel, The Procter & Gamble Company , Vice President & Associate General Counsel, The Procter & Gamble Company Olivier Fleurot, Ph.D., Global Vice-President, Research, Development & Innovation, S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. John Fredette , Head of Brand and Marketing, Corporate Affairs, Con Edison** , Head of Brand and Marketing, Corporate Affairs, Con Edison** Katherine Freeley , Associate Director, Global IMC and Operations, Novartis* , Associate Director, Global IMC and Operations, Novartis* Jennifer Gardner , Senior Director of Media, North America , Unilever** , Senior Director of Media, , Unilever** Linda Gharib , Director, Marketing Communications & Media - Legal & Regulatory U.S., Wolters Kluwer , Director, Marketing Communications & Media - Legal & Regulatory U.S., Daniel Glantz , Global Head of Sponsorship and Strategic Partnerships, AIG , Global Head of Sponsorship and Strategic Partnerships, AIG Scott Grenz , VP, Global Head of Media, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare , VP, Global Head of Media, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Jodi Harris , Global Vice President, Marketing Culture and Capabilities, Ab-InBev/Anheuser-Busch , Global Vice President, Marketing Culture and Capabilities, Ab-InBev/Anheuser-Busch Benjamin Jankowski , Group Head of Global Media, Mastercard** , Group Head of Global Media, Mastercard** Valerie Light , Formerly Manager, Broadcast Production, Verizon Communications** , Formerly Manager, Broadcast Production, Verizon Communications** Jim Low , President, Rip Van** , President, Rip Van** Ian McDonald , Global Category Manager, Marketing Procurement, Edgewell Personal Care Brands* , Global Category Manager, Marketing Procurement, Edgewell Personal Care Brands* Renee Milliaressis, Chief Media Officer, Colgate-Palmolive Jason Morros, Vice President, Head of Integrated Marketing, Edison Properties ** ** Justin Parnell , Senior Director, OREO, Mondelez International, Inc. , Senior Director, OREO, Mondelez International, Inc. Lauren Radcliffe , Vice President of Marketing, Head of Customer Strategy and Brand Communications, A Place for Mom , Vice President of Marketing, Head of Customer Strategy and Brand Communications, A Place for Mom Glenn Roginski , Director, Media Lab, Pfizer** , Director, Media Lab, Pfizer** David Ronk , Executive Director of Media & Channel Strategy, JPMorgan Chase & Co.** , Executive Director of Media & Channel Strategy, JPMorgan Chase & Co.** Cassidy Sehgal , Data Protection Officer, Associate General Counsel, L'Oreal USA ** , Data Protection Officer, Associate General Counsel, L'Oreal ** Erin Silver , CEO, Silver Lining Projects LLC* , CEO, Silver Lining Projects LLC* Manos Spanos, SVP/CMP Brand Marketing, Yogurt BU- USA , Danone North America** , Danone North America** David Strome , Client Development Director, US, MediaSense** , Client Development Director, US, MediaSense** Kwan Yim , Director, Head of Global Agency Management, Citi* , Director, Head of Global Agency Management, Citi* Amanda Zaky , Senior Manager, Media, Mars Wrigley , Senior Manager, Media, Doug Zarkin , Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Pearle Vision Learn more about the National Advertising Review Board here. About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs is where businesses turn to enhance consumer trust and consumers are heard. The non-profit organization creates a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers through the development and delivery of effective third-party accountability and dispute resolution programs. Embracing its role as an independent organization since the restructuring of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in June 2019, BBB National Programs today oversees more than a dozen leading national industry self-regulation programs and continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-directed marketing, and privacy. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org. About the National Advertising Review Board (NARB): The National Advertising Review Board (NARB) is the appellate body for BBB National Programs' advertising self-regulatory programs. NARB's panel members include 87 distinguished volunteer professionals from the national advertising industry, agencies, and public members, such as academics and former members of the public sector. NARB serves as a layer of independent industry peer review that helps engender trust and compliance in NAD, CARU, and DSSRC matters. SOURCE BBB National Programs Related Links https://bbbprograms.org AUBURN A Hazleton man died from injuries he suffered in a crash in West Brunswick Township on New Years Day. State police at Schuylkill Haven said Gustavo Mulato, 28, died from injuries he suffered when the 2006 Hyundai Sonata he was driving crashed near the intersection of Route 895, which is also Market Street, and Griffith Lane around 2:40 a.m. Police said Mulato was driving west when he failed to negotiate a left curve, went off the road and struck a sign. The car continued through a field toward the Auburn Trail Head, hit an embankment, became airborne and struck two trees before coming to a stop in a culvert, police said. Mulato was flown by helicopter to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where he died from injuries suffered in the crash. Police said a passenger in the car, Jose Jiminez-Arias, 23, of Mexico, suffered serious injuries and was also flown to the Lehigh County trauma center. A second passenger, Johnissa Andrini, 18, of Shenandoah, suffered minor injuries and was taken to Reading Hospital by Schuylkill EMS. TRUCKING companies diverting their vehicles from the Groblersbrug border in Botswana to Beitbridge are among the reasons for congestion at the crossing between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Long-winding queues at the Beitbridge Border were reported, especially around the week of Christmas, during which at least four truck drivers died of dehydration. SA Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said Botswana introduced tight lockdown regulations and a strict curfew to protect its citizens from the ravages of Covid-19, and many trucking companies found it unprofitable to cross into the region through Botswana. He said usually at this time of the year, Groblersbrug was used as an overflow area when Beitbridge could not cope with the number of trucks. Trucking companies diverted their trucks away from Groblersbrug to Beitbridge because they did not accept the waiting times imposed by the Covid-19 protocols in Botswana. In December 2019, 6 706 trucks went through Groblersbrug. By December 27, 2020, only 2 968 trucks had gone through Groblersbrug. This means only 45 percent of the total number of truck processed last year went through Groblersbrug. In contrast, 19 800 trucks went through Beitbridge in December 2019, compared to 21 800 by December 27, 2020. A simple analysis will show that Groblersbrug had 3 738 fewer trucks this year compared to 2019, hence the congestion, he said. News24 St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny is one of the hospitals across the country where staff will start to receive the Covid-19 vaccine this week. Staff in all ICU and Covid wards will receive vaccines this week, recognising that these staff are crucial to treating patients with Covid. At least 25 hospitals will be part of the rollout of the vaccine across the seven hospital groups nationwide this week including St. Lukes General Hospital. Meanwhile residents at Kilkennys Tinnypark Residential Care Home will be among up to 3,000 vulnerable citizens and staff in 25 nursing homes around the country that will be vaccinated this week. Over the course of this week, the vaccination will be distributed to all seven regional hospital groups providing nationwide vaccination to approx. 32,000 frontline healthcare workers and 3000 residents and staff in long term care facilities. Over the coming weeks an initial team of 1700 vaccinators will be mobilised across the country and online training is now available to all relevant staff and being completed on a daily rolling basis to build up the number of vaccinators. This is the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, the largest ever conducted by the State. Vaccinations will be offered free to all residents of Ireland who wish to receive it. The vaccine will be administered as the supply arrives in Ireland. The administration of vaccines will be limited only by supply. Following the initial phase, and with the approval of other vaccines, there will be a considerable scale up in the roll-out of vaccinations. This will be achieved through partnerships with GPs, pharmacists and ultimately delivered through Mass Vaccinations Centres (MVCs). Last week the EU confirmed acquisition of an additional 100 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Of this, the Irish allocation is an additional 1.11 million doses, this will bring our allocation from the EU supply of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to approximately 3.44 million. Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Andrew McGuinness welcomed the news. "Im delighted to see vaccines being rolled out in Kilkenny this week, starting with our most vulnerable in nursing homes and our fantastic front line workers in St. Lukes Hospital. "The news is also very positive regarding an additional 1.11million vaccine doses allocated to Ireland, bringing the total to 3.44million before we even look at the other vaccines that are showing positive results. "A total of 32,000 front line workers and 3,000 care home residents will be vaccinated across the country this week. Thats hugely positive news along with the fact that a mass roll out is now planned and a commitment from Government that vaccines will only be limited by supply. "Despite this good news, its more important than ever to stay home where possible and adhere to the guidelines, ignore fake news and stick to credible media sources for factual information," he added. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Undocumented immigrants in Nebraska will not be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines, Governor Pete Ricketts announced Monday. Ricketts, the son of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, was asked at a press conference if undocumented persons would be included when vaccines become available to meatpacking plant workers. 'Illegal immigrants are not permitted to work in those facilities, so I don't think that will be a problem,' the governor replied without further explanation. In reality the issue is much more complicated, as undocumented workers make up a large section of Nebraska's meatpacking industry - which is the largest in the US with roughly 26,600 workers in total. According to recent data from the Migration Policy Institute, some 66 percent of the state's meatpacking workers are immigrants, and varying estimates suggest that anywhere between 14 percent to almost all of them are undocumented. Throughout the pandemic meatpacking plants have served as major hotspots for virus transmission, as workers spend hours standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the line and crowd into locker rooms to change their clothes before and after shifts. More than 44,500 coronavirus cases and 232 deaths have been linked to processing plants around the US, according to the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. Over 5,200 of those cases and 22 deaths came from 23 separate outbreaks at plants in Nebraska. Undocumented immigrants in Nebraska will not be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines, Governor Pete Ricketts (pictured) announced Monday More than 5,200 COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths have been linked to meatpacking plants in Nebraska, which employ a large number of undocumented workers (file photo) The Trump administration has given states free rein to decide how vaccines are distributed, with each state taking a slightly different approach. Before the rollout kicked off last month some administration officials suggested having vaccine recipients provide information such as a birth date, driver's license or passport number to help track the rollout's success. But some governors, including Andrew Cuomo of New York, pushed back against such a mandate, saying that it would prevent many immigrants from getting the vaccine. Even without an information mandate, experts fear that many undocumented immigrants may be unwilling to come forward to get vaccinated for fear of being detected by immigration officials. Immigration groups across the political spectrum have outwardly voiced support for making vaccines available to undocumented individuals, because leaving them out due to their status could put all Americans at higher risk for contracting the virus. Don Kerwin, executive director of the nonpartisan think tank Center for Migration Studies, said last month: 'Not vaccinating a group because of their immigration status would be both inhumane and counterproductive from a public health perspective.' The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a staunchly conservative group that advocates for a total moratorium on immigration, shared a similar view. 'Public health experts should determine who should be prioritized for the vaccine,' FAIR spokesman Ira Mehlman said on the issue, per USA Today. 'That means people at greatest risk, and at the greatest risk of infecting others.' More than 44,500 coronavirus cases and 232 deaths have been linked to processing plants around the US, according to the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting Throughout the pandemic meatpacking plants have served as major hotspots for virus transmission, as workers spend hours standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the line and crowd into locker rooms to change their clothes before and after shifts (file photo) But Ricketts' administration apparently doesn't agree with that approach for Nebraska. In his Monday press conference, the governor did not clarify how officials would go about preventing undocumented workers from getting vaccines when they are made available to meatpacking plant populations. DailyMail.com has reached out to Ricketts' office for comment. Ricketts said the state had administered 87,000 vaccines to date, with priority given to health care workers and long-term care residents and staff. He said the state will enter Phase 1B of its vaccination plan in the next two weeks, which will allow people over the age of 75 to start receiving jabs. It is unclear when meatpacking plant workers are scheduled to become eligible. Nebraska has recorded 169,000 coronavirus cases and 1,672 to date. BROOKFIELD NEWS, Jan. 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Asset Management Inc. ("Brookfield" or the "Corporation") (TSX: BAM.A, NYSE: BAM) announced today the appointment of Hutham Olayan to its board of directors. Ms. Olayan is Chair of The Olayan Group, a multinational investment enterprise as well as a leading operator of businesses in Saudi Arabia, where the group originated in 1947. Ms. Olayan has decades of experience as a long-term investor in various asset classes in global markets. Frank McKenna, Chair of the Board of Directors of Brookfield, stated, "We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Olayan to Brookfield. As an accomplished business leader and skilled director, she brings vast knowledge and significant experience in international business to the board of directors." Mr. McKenna continued, "Ms. Olayan's appointment furthers our strong commitment to diversity throughout Brookfield and brings the number of our female directors to six, which constitutes - I am very pleased to be able to say - a majority of our independent directors." Brookfield Asset Management Inc. Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately US$575 billion of assets under management across real estate, infrastructure, renewable power, private equity and credit. Brookfield owns and operates long-life assets and businesses, many of which form the backbone of the global economy. Utilizing its global reach, access to large-scale capital and operational expertise, Brookfield offers a range of alternative investment products to investors around the world-including public and private pension plans, endowments and foundations, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, insurance companies and private wealth investors. Brookfield Asset Management is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the symbols BAM and BAM.A, respectively. For more information, please contact: Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. In this Nov. 30, 2020 file photo, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey hands over his signed election documents to certify the election results for federal, statewide, and legislative offices and statewide ballot measures at the official canvass at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, Pool, File Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's son Jack Ducey shared social media videos of dining inside a Benihana and going to a large party last week. The videos were posted after Gov. Ducey urged people not to gather for the holidays to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The grassroots organization Accountable Arizona, working to hold Gov. Ducey accountable amid the COVID-19 pandemic, criticized Jake Ducey's video. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Days after Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey urged residents to avoid gatherings over the holidays to prevent the spread of COVID-19, his oldest son was seen with a large group inside a Benihana and maskless at an indoor crowded party. Footage from Ducey's adult son Jack Ducey was apparently posted on his Instagram on December 30, and later circulated on Twitter, the Arizona Republic reported. The video shows multiple clips of people eating indoors at a Benihana with the younger Ducey, who is in his 20s, and later at a party in a dark crowded room where people were dancing together. It was unclear where the party took place. The video series ended with a caption that said: "solid birthday." Indoor dining is allowed with occupancy restrictions in Arizona, unlike New York and Los Angeles, where it is currently prohibited due to rising COVID-19 cases. However, health officials in Arizona have encouraged people not to gather in large groups amid the pandemic. And while Gov. Ducey avoided implementing an indoor dining ban, he urged people to wear masks and follow public health guidelines ahead of the holidays. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Jack Ducey's indoor dining and party clips were met with criticism from Arizona residents. The grassroots organization Accountable Arizona, which is working hold Governor Ducey accountable amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said: "If Ducey's own adult son isn't following Ducey's soft advice how can Ducey expect Arizonans to? We need mitigation measures with enforcement now." Story continues Gov. Ducey did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. In a statement to the Arizona Republic, Jack Ducey said he made a mistake but did not elaborate. Arizona has had 567,474 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, and 9,317 people in the state have died from the virus, according to Arizona health data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that Arizona is now the state with the highest rate of new COVID-19 infections. Read the original article on Insider A bunch of new titles drop tomorrow at SBS on Demand. They include a European period drama, a Swedish crime comedy, a Danish thriller drama. World On Fire also screens at both SBS and SBS on Demand tomorrow. Medici: The Magnificent Part II (Season Three) All eight episodes available to stream. In English and Italian with English subtitles. Medicis third instalment resumes after the Pazzi Conspiracy, the event that wrought havoc within the Medici family. Giuliano de Medici (Bradley James) has been brutally murdered, and Lorenzo (Stuart Martin) is seeking revenge against Riario and Pope Sisto IV, who is still doing his best to destroy the Medici. To make things harder, Lorenzo also has to face the growing discontent of Florences citizens, who find their inspiration in the religious leader Girolamo Savonarola. This preaching friar is a real character from history who took power in Florence in 1494, proclaiming a popular republic that was in opposition to the tyrannies of the rich. We Got This All six episodes available to stream. In English and Swedish with English subtitles. Grieving from the recent death of his father, the sudden collapse of his career and the arrival of an unsurmountable tax bill, George English (Schiaffino Musarra) is an American living in Sweden. Racked with debt, he stumbles onto an unlikely solution; a 50 million Swedish Crown reward for solving the 30-year-old murder of the former prime minister Olof Palme. Naturally, he begins to imagine that cracking the Palme case could be the answer to all of his problems. Together with his closest friend, a not so intrepid journalist (Alexander Karim, The Lawyer, Thin Ice) who wants nothing to do with the case, a whacky conspiracy theorist and a former police officer, they follow the case into a web of conspiracy. Keeping his wife and daughter in the dark whilst following the cover up and the inconsistencies in the original investigation, George quickly realises that every step he takes towards the truth, the more dangerous his operation becomes. After a major discovery, George finds himself on a head on collision course with history, as their investigation goes from a laughing stock to a very real and closely watched operation by the media, politicians, titans of industry and organisations that stretch far beyond the Swedish borders that, for a variety of reasons, would rather this case remain forever unsolved. We Got This is based on the real-life murder and investigation of Olof Palme a case that remained unsolved until this year and for which there was a 50 million Swedish Crown public reward. Cry Wolf All eight episodes available to stream. In Danish with English subtitles. 14-year-old Hollys (Flora Ofelia Hofman Lindahl) family is torn apart by her school essay detailing violence in the home. Dedicated social worker Lars (Bjarne Henriksen) is assigned to the case. Convinced by Hollys story, he places Holly and her seven-year-old brother, Theo, in foster care. However, when central family members including Hollys stepfather claim that the essay is nothing more than teenage rebellion, Larss sense of certainty begins to fray at the edges. Hollys parents launch a full-scale legal attack against Lars and their own daughter. Meanwhile, video footage of Lars performing a heavy-handed social services operation is shared on social media, turning private misery into public outrage. In a sudden role reversal, Lars quickly finds himself on the receiving end of negative publicity. Scrambling to rebuild his case before the final court ruling, several central questions remain. Are children always to be trusted? How much emotional turmoil can one family take? And who is really telling the truth? Related 2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning -- 4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS. We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover. We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come. A pensioner who harassed a lollipop lady by stealing her stick, rubbing his groin and thrusting at her outside Jacob Rees-Mogg's prep school has been jailed for 10 months. Mukesh Vala brought the woman to tears and made her dread going to work after harassing her on three occasions through September and October last year. The 66-year-old accosted the woman as part of a string of crimes in which he also admitted to making calls to his local GP surgery and to 999 more than 13 times, claiming to be Adolf Hitler and Jack the Ripper. He also repeatedly called for paramedics, asking to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. On one occasion he used a racial slur against a paramedic while verbally abusing another with xenophobic language, South West News Service reported. Vala's campaign of harassment took place when he was already subject to a suspended prison sentence and he was held in custody for twelve weeks awaiting sentence. Southwark Crown Court today heard how Vala, a London resident, suffered from chronic alcohol addiction and mental health problems. Vala admitted one count of racially aggravated assault, one count of racially aggravated harassment, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, one count of outraging public decency, one count of using abusive words to distress, one count of harassment without violence, one count of using public communications to cause anxiety and one count of commission of a further offence during a suspended sentence order. A pensioner who harassed a lollipop lady by stealing her stick, rubbing his groin and thrusting at her outside Jacob Rees-Mogg's prep school has been jailed for 10 months [Stock photo] Judge David Tomlinson said: 'You made calls either to the emergency 999 service or to your own doctor's surgery. 'In one of them you made to your GP surgery you said you were Hitler and armed with knives and replica guns you said you were insane and hearing voices. 'In one call you abused the practice manager and threatened to slash her throat. 'Things came to a head at around 5am on February 5 when you spoke to a female call handler of the emergency services identifying yourself as Adolf Hitler and Jack The Ripper and made grotesque threats of self harm or to harm others. 'Police arrested you at your flat on February 6. You were very intoxicated and said you couldn't remember making the calls but you remember you wanted to create a drama. 'You maintained that you were asking for help and wanted to be admitted to a mental health facility for at least 21 days and didn't realise what you had done was an offence.' The court heard how months later Vala resumed his attempt to be admitted to a mental health hospital by calling the London Ambulance Service. Judge Tomlinson said: 'There were three offences of assault all on the second of July 2020. The first two are described as assaults on emergency workers and the third is a racially aggravated assault. 'It was your call to the London Ambulance Service which resulted on two occasions that day with the attendance of two paramedics the same two paramedics on each occasion who were not persuaded that you needed any particular assistance that they were capable of offering. 'You called on of them a n***** and said you would smash their heads in with a dagger. No weapon was seen. 'There, again, you were saying that you wanted to go to an A&E. Again so you racially abused at least one of the paramedics and also grabbed your own private parts and at one stage said to one of them 'suck my juicy c***'. Judge Tomlinson explained how on August 25 Vala again called an ambulance but abused a paramedic telling him to 'go back to Australia' and calling him an 'Aussie c***'. Addressing Vala, who appeared via video link from Wandsworth prison, Judge Tomlinson turned the harassment of lollipop lady Julie Khames who worked outside Westminster Under School from mid October and into September. He said: 'Julie Khames, someone who would normally have the joyous job of a lollipop stick lady in the vicinity of this school and on 25 September 2020 you grabbed her lollipop stick out of her hand near the school threw it away and rubbed your groin in a lewd way in her direction. 'On September 29, the deputy head teacher intervened and you said JK had a disease and threatened to kill the headteacher. 'October 2 You held your groin and thrust it in the direction of passers-by and said 'I'm mad you know'. Vala harassed lollipop lady Julie Khamer outside the Westminster Upper School in London (pictured) 'It reached the stage when Julie Khamer was stressed at her home and no longer looked forward to going to work. 'She would go home and cry because you were making her life miserable. What ought to have been a cheerful job of ensuring the safety of children near their school at opening and closing times was turned into a nightmare.' James Dean, prosecuting, said that Vala had also sworn at Khamer and ran a trolley over her toes. Many of his crimes took place in front of pupils of the 41,000 a year school, whose alumni includes Tory minister Rees-Mogg, Andrew Lloyd Webber, his brother Julian, and Labour MP Hilary Benn. Vala was also slapped with a restraining order, forbidding him from going near the school. Leila Mezoughi, defending, said although Vala was living alone and had addiction issues, he was receiving 'quite significant support' and had a 'regular support network'. A man and woman who plotted the murder of a police informant nearly two years ago learned Monday they will each spend between 15 and 40 years in a state prison. Melinda Palermo, 40, was silent as Lackawanna County Judge James Gibbons imposed her sentence in the first of two hearings Monday for the killing of 24-year-old Nina Gatto. Her family, dismayed at the length of time shell be incarcerated, openly wept. Later in the afternoon, Kevin Weeks, 27, told Gibbons he has no excuse for his actions. I ultimately did it to myself, Weeks said. Police charged that the pair tried to kill Gatto in April 2018 by giving her heroin laced with fentanyl and battery acid. Investigators alleged they targeted Gatto, who was a confidential drug informant working for the Lackawanna County district attorneys office, to prevent her from testifying that Palermos boyfriend, Cornelius Mapson, sold Gatto heroin during a sting operation two months prior. The attempted poisoning did not work and Mapson killed Gatto himself inside her Scranton apartment on April 20, 2018, by suffocating her, police charged. Mapson, 35, of Jenkins Twp., was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced in August to life in prison. At his sentencing hearing, Mapson maintained his innocence. Palermo, of Jenkins Twp., and Weeks, of Scranton, pleaded guilty in March to third-degree murder and conspiracy to commit third-degree murder, respectively. During an emotional hearing Monday morning, members of Palermos family and her defense attorneys, Joseph McGraw and James Elliott, portrayed Palermo as a kindhearted woman and loving mother who moved through a series of abusive relationships until she met Mapson, a master manipulator who convinced her to kill for him. She said in court she initially thought she was protecting her family. Now, she understands how mistaken she was. I know that I deserve whatever you impose, Palermo said before Gibbons sentenced her. Elliott stressed to Gibbons the extraordinary cooperation Palermo offered to the investigation and asked that Gibbons impose a lenient sentence. District Attorney Mark Powell said Palermo is no victim. She actively participated in a murder. She is a murderer, Powell said. Nothing less. Later in the afternoon, sheriffs deputies led Weeks into Gibbons courtroom to hear his fate. Authorities characterized Weeks as the least culpable of the three, but who nevertheless agreed to participate in a murder. Powell asked that Gibbons send him to prison for at least 10 years. His attorneys, C.J. Rotteveel and Donna DeVita, described their client as a man who has long had brushes with the law, but who wants to better himself and whose cooperation helped secure a conviction against Mapson. Rotteveel said Weeks knew he would spend some time in prison but asked that the court not throw him away. Gibbons told Weeks that he would not throw you away but did plan to set you aside so that Weeks may find direction. Gibbons also allowed Weeks request to write a letter to Gattos family to apologize for his actions. His attorneys would deliver the letter to the Gatto familys counsel. Palermo said there are no words she could offer that could adequately express the remorse she feels for playing a role in Gattos death. The shooting death of her son, Parker Palermo, outside of the Castle after-hours club in North Scranton on Mothers Day in 2019 brought a deeper understanding to the enormity of her crime. Thirty months ago I dont think I could fully grasp the magnitude of my crime, she said. Not fully. ... Losing a child is a pain no mother should ever feel. It leaves an emptiness in your soul that never goes away. Gibbons said he cannot imagine her pain, he said. Likewise, he cannot imagine the pain felt by Gattos mother, Katie Gatto. My prayers go with you, Gibbons told her as the hearing concluded. Meanwhile, a civil case surrounding the homicide remains pending. Katie Gatto filed a federal lawsuit in September alleging county detectives failed to protect her daughter. Nina Gatto suffered from mental health issues and should never have been a confidential informant. It also faults Powells office for prosecuting the homicide, alleging he had a conflict of interest because he knew Katie Gatto would sue. In court Monday, Powell denied that he had a conflict of interest. The district attorneys office filed a motion to dismiss the suit, which attorneys for the Gatto family were directed to respond to in the coming weeks. Amanda Burke covers Pittsfield City Hall for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise. Find her on Twitter at @amandaburkec. It is clear how much more we can do together for our bar partners and firmsThis merger is the culmination of more than two decades of effort to democratize the law and ensure that every lawyer in America can afford high quality legal research. Legal publishers Casemaker and Fastcase today announce their merger and joint building out of legal research and analytics, news, data, and workflow solutions. The two companies will combine their teams and technologies to innovate research, analytics, and workflow offerings that empower lawyers with powerful digital solutions for their clients. The two companies have taken a similar trajectory in creating an affordable and widely accessible alternative to the global publishers that dominate American law, offering subscriptions to bar associations, who subscribe on behalf of their members. Each company offers its subscribers different products, and this merger allows the combined company to offer state bar associations the best of both, a more complete alternative for legal research. The companies share a common mission to democratize the law, a mission they intend to pursue even more aggressively as a combined company. In addition, the merger will give the combined company the scale to bring true competition to the legal research, analytics, workflow, and legal information markets as a whole. It is clear how much more we can do together for our bar partners and firms, said Fastcase President and co-founder Phil Rosenthal. We have long admired what Casemaker has done for bar associations and their members. We have great appreciation for Casemakers editorial and production excellence and their deep understanding of the bar market. This merger is the culmination of more than two decades of effort to democratize the law and ensure that every lawyer in America can afford high quality legal research. Combined we can do so much more to address the access to justice crisis. Fastcase has pursued a comprehensive product roadmap, with new projects such as its Full Court Press publishing arm, and with strategic acquisition of complementary products such as Docket Alarm in 2018, NextChapter and Law Street Media in 2019, and the technology and team of Judicata in 2020 products and technology that can now benefit Casemaker subscribers. Casemaker has built out extensive statutory updating, historic nationwide caselaw, a caselaw citator in CaseCheck+, and a leading digest for its state bar associations, all based on editorial excellence that can add real value to Fastcase subscribers. Weve been selective in scaling and were so proud to see the Docket Alarm, NextChapter, and now the Judicata team rise as leaders in our organization, said Ed Walters, Fastcase CEO and co-founder. These leaders drive our emergence in a market needing more alternatives. With the hard-won editorial and production expertise of Casemaker, were now ready to accelerate our climb, rewarding all our bar partners who believed in our companies as strong alternatives. More than 1 million lawyers subscribe to Fastcase and Casemaker, and the combined company will continue to support their subscribers and their subscriptions uninterrupted. The combination of our two programs is long overdue, and now the fun really begins. The first thing were going to do, is what we always do, were going to put our customers first, said Casemakers owner, Satish Sheth, who becomes a member of Fastcases Board of Directors. About Fastcase Fastcase is a leading legal publisher that democratizes the law, making it more accessible to more people. Fastcase is a comprehensive research suite of primary law, treatises, legal blogs, analytics, workflow tools, and legal news. Founded in 1999, the service has more than 900,000 subscribers from around the world. Fastcase is an American company based in Washington, D.C. For more information, follow Fastcase on Twitter at @Fastcase or visit fastcase.com. About Casemaker Casemaker focuses on a single mission: providing attorneys with affordable access to high quality legal research. Available for free to members of almost 30 bar associations, and to nonmembers at a fraction of the cost charged by traditional providers, the Casemaker legal research system offers full federal and 50-state primary law coverage that is often more current than that provided by incumbent services. The company is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., and you can find more information on Twitter at @casemakerlegal. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday signed a mobilization order for the training of the armed forces, the first order of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in 2021. Signed by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the CMC, the order stressed strengthening military training in real combat conditions and the ability to win. The order urged the armed forces to enhance training in real combat conditions to ensure combat readiness at all times. It called for efforts to be made for joint operations in combat and training, highlighting training under joint command, as well as training across the fields and services. It also urged efforts to largely improve the use of technology in training and guide the training in accordance with the law. All officers and soldiers of the military should strengthen their willpower to fight, improve their skills, and resolutely accomplish the missions and tasks entrusted by the Party and the people in the new era to welcome the CPC centenary with outstanding achievement, according to the order. Saudi Arabia has reopened its skies and borders following its closure over the new coronavirus variant. The kingdom allowed the resumption of international flights and reopened its land and sea borders on Sunday, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. In late December, Saudi Arabia banned flights, closed all of its borders and also suspended the Muslim umrah pilgrimage after reports emerged of a new, highly contagious COVID-19 variant in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere in the region, Iraq also instituted new restrictions to combat the variant, and it was detected in Israel. Saudi authorities are maintaining some restrictions in light of the new strain. Anyone coming from the United Kingdom or South Africa must spend 14 days outside of those countries and provide a negative COVID-19 test before entering Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Press Agency. South Africa also reportedly has a new strain of the virus. Visitors coming from other countries must adhere to a quarantine of three to seven days and test negative for the virus at its conclusion. The Ministry of Health may also apply the measures for travelers originating in the UK or South Africa to other countries where the virus variant is present, the agency said. Get a taste of magical realism According to the Cartagenera novelist Margarita Garcia Robayo, it is impossible not to draw connections between her hometown and the books of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who died in 2014. If you have read Garcia Marquez, there is no way you can go to Cartagena and not hear all the alarm bells of recognition, said Ms. Garcia Robayo, whose collection Fish Soup includes explorations of life on Colombias Caribbean coast. Many people dont realize how influential the city of Cartagena, where Mr. Garcia Marquez worked for a time as a journalist, was to his writing. Some of his most imaginative scenes men with giant wings, blood that can move up staircases, ghosts more prone to conversing than haunting seem less far-fetched when you have spent a day lost in the citys sun-dappled, cobblestone streets. And reading his books will bring you right into those streets, magic and all. It is why the author said he was more concerned with truth than fantasy. The problem is that Caribbean reality resembles the wildest imagination, Mr. Garcia Marquez told The Paris Review in 1981. For something directly related to the city, start with one of the authors most celebrated novels, Love in the Time of Cholera. Despite the fact that the city in the book is never named, you will find whispers of Cartagena throughout. The main accused in the case of the roof collapse at a crematorium in Uttar Pradeshs Muradnagar town has been arrested, taking the number of people arrested to four, news agency ANI reported on Tuesday. Ghaziabad Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for any information on Ajay Tyagi, the contractor of the crematorium, where the roof collapsed on Sunday. Police have arrested four persons including the main accused contractor Ajay Tyagi (in pic), in connection with Muradnagar roof collapse incident which claimed 24 lives. pic.twitter.com/OQutDg4TcP ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 5, 2021 On Monday, a junior engineer was among three people arrested by the police for the accident, which has resulted in the loss of 24 lives and injuries to at least 17 others. Police also announced a two-member committee had been set up to probe the accident, as family members of the victims took to streets to protest, resulting in the deployment of a heavy contingent of police. Also Read | Muradnagar roof collapse: 3 arrested, 2-member probe committee formed The roof had collapsed at around 11:30am at the Ukhlarsi cremation ground, when the last rites of Jai Ram, who had died on Saturday night, were being conducted. Around 50-60 people were present at the funeral. Scores got trapped under the debris and could be rescued only after the local police and administration arrived at the spot. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also dispatched to the collapse site. Also Read | Muradnagar roof collapse: How it happened Ghaziabad Police have registered a first information report (FIR) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt to any person by doing any act rashly or negligently as to endanger human lives), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others) etc. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had directed officials to submit a report. He had also announced a financial compensation of Rs 200,000 to the family members of each of the victims. Protesters display banners in support of underground communist movements as they march along a street in Manila, March 31, 2017. Philippine communist guerrillas announced over the weekend that they would revive their urban hit squads, warning of attacks against groups and officers who they said had committed crimes against the people. The New Peoples Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), said on Saturday that it had standing instructions to carry out such attacks. There is a standing order for the New Peoples Army to form partisan teams to mete out punishment against enemy units and officers who have committed bloody crimes against the people, Marco Valbuena, a spokesman for the CPP, said in a statement. In due time, the NPA will be able to form more partisan teams who can carry out punitive actions in the cities or close to the cities, he added. The NPAs hit squads, known as Special Partisan Units (Sparus) or sparrow units for their swift assassinations in the 1980s, were active during the dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos. But, unlike in the 1980s, the military is now prepared to defeat such squads, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement on Sunday. Additionally, the Anti-Money Laundering Council has moved to freeze the bank deposits and other assets of the communist group, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said. The CPP began its rebellion in 1968 and formed the NPA a year later. While the CPPs armed wing has lost strength in recent years, it remains capable of hit-and-run attacks. The NPA insurgency, now the longest-running armed uprising in Asia, currently has about 5,000 fighters, down from 20,000 in the 1980s. In 1989, the NPA killed U.S. Col. James Rowe, a military adviser to the Philippine armed forces based at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Rowe was ambushed by at least two NPA sparrow gunmen in suburban Quezon City in northern Manila and was instantly killed. His driver was wounded but survived the attack. Rowe, a U.S. Army veteran who had spent five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam before he escaped, was the highest ranking U.S. official to be assassinated in the Philippines. Terrorist NPA assassins Lorenzana, meanwhile, dared Jose Maria Sison, the exiled, 81-year-old CPP founder who is based in Europe, to follow through on his warning about the attacks. It is so easy for Mr. Sison to order, from his safe and comfortable haven in the Netherlands, the return of armed terrorists he calls partisan units, Lorenzana said in his statement. What Mr. Sison meant by Special Partisan Operation is simply murder by assassination also, a euphemism for extrajudicial killings. The defense secretary also noted that many NPA leaders had surrendered, and said Sison had unrealistic expectations. Mr. Sison, you are either hallucinating about your revolution succeeding, or you are merely whistling in the dark while living an abundant and luxurious life abroad, Lorenzana said. Additionally, the Philippines has designated the CPP-NPA a terrorist organization, which means the government wont hold any peace talks with them, Lorenzana said. President Rodrigo Duterte, a self-proclaimed former leftist, was once a student of Sison. Among the presidents first acts upon assuming office in 2016 was the launch of peace talks with the CPP. He later ended the talks after accusing the communist rebels of being insincere because they had continued to launch attacks amid peace negotiations. In October, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said the NPA had reemerged as a grave internal security threat in the Philippines. Two months later, for the first time in years, the Philippine armed forces announced that it wouldnt observe a traditional Christmastime truce with the insurgents, amid an uptick in clashes with the group. Also in December, opposition lawmaker Risa Hontiveros called for an investigation into a spate of killings of civilians, including the slaying of a doctor and her husband, amid a campaign of red-tagging or accusing individuals of links to communist rebels. Jojo Rinoza contributed to this report from Dagupan city, Philippines. The soon-to-be-sworn-in Vice President tracked through Trump and other Republicans' failed attempts to overturn the election on false allegations of widespread voter fraud -- a charge that has been found to have no credible evidence. "And then look at the most recent history, which is that after you elected, you turned Georgia blue, you elected Joe Biden President of the United States, you elected the first black woman in the history of our country to be the Vice President of the United States, and they have the gall to suggest you didn't know what you were doing, you must have gone about it in a way that was illegitimate," she said. Harris also slammed Trump for calling the upcoming January 5 Senate runoff elections "illegal and invalid," and that he was "suggesting that the people of Georgia are trying to commit a crime." These strong remarks came after Harris spoke about the importance of the Senate while on Instagram Live with artist and musician Janelle Monae, defiantly stating that she would be sworn in, in just under three weeks, as Vice President no matter the attempts to obstruct or delay. Emma Stone and husband Dave McCary are welcoming 2021 with a big news. The "La La Land" star sparked pregnany talks after The Daily Mail spotted the Hollywood A-lister cradling her growing bump while out for a walk with a companion in Los Angeles. Emma Stone Pregnant With First Child In a series of photos obtained by the publication, the 32-year-old actress was wearing an all-black outfit--donning a fitted long sleeve top and super comfy dark leggings that showed off her belly. Moreover, E! News seemed to confirm the story after a source revealed that "Emma is pregnant and just loves married life!" On the other hand, Us Weekly cited that the "Easy A" star is thrilled to become a mother and is currently keeping her and the baby's health their priority by doing exercises. "She seems very happy and very excited about becoming a mother - she's constantly oohing and cooing. She looks great, she looks healthy, she's glowing," the unnamed insider shared to the publication, adding: "She's been keeping up with friends and work lately, she's always staying active and gets her daily exercise in." This will be the Hollywood actress and the 35-year-old comedian's first child after their hush-hush wedding early in 2020. To recall, the notoriously private couple secretly tied the knot after they were spotted rocking matching gold bands. The news came months after the pair announced their engagement in December 2019 over their Instagram, where the "Crazy, Stupid, Love" actress showed a Pearl Snowflake Ring-Supreme made by Japanese designer Yoshinobu Kataoka. According to reports, her jaw dropping ring cost a whopping $4,780. Emma Stone and Dave McCary Relationship Timeline Prior to the pregnancy news, "The Amazing Spider-Man" actress and the comedian met when she hosted an episode on "Saturday Night Live" in 2016. At that time, Emma Stone's husband served as the segment director of the Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy show. Shortly after, they were spotted on numerous occasions together. It was only in 2019 that the two debuted in the red carpet together during the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Furthermore, in February of the same year, McCary was spotted next to the actress and appeared happy to support her after she was nominated for Oscars' Best Supporting Actress for the movie "The Favourite." READ MORE: Tanya Roberts Not Dead: New Report Raises Confusion About Ex-Bond Girl See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. At the 2020 Global Storage Professors Forum, Huawei announced the OlympusMons Award 2021 and invited global scientists to tackle the two most difficult problems in data storage. Over one hundred storage experts from Huawei, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and top universities and research institutes home and abroad witnessed the announcement. Innovative Data Storage Paves the Way to a Digital Future William Xu, member of Huaweis Board of Directors and director of Huaweis Institute of Strategic Research, opened the forum with a speech titled Mounting the Olympus Mons and Tackling Data Challenges. He said, Innovation is in Huaweis blood. We strive to excel, to lead, to innovate, and to put in life scientists research outcomes. By working to overcome prominent challenges and commercialize scientific achievements, Huawei and researchers learn from each other and grow together. At the Annual Conference on Applied Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Science held in Changsha in this August, Huawei announced the Ten Mathematics Challenges in the Post-Shannon Era, two of which pertain to data storage: Efficient Erasure Coding and Approximate Computing of Ultra-Large-Scale Data. Researches on the next-generation storage are directed towards systematic innovation of media, network, architecture, and management. To this end, Huawei has established five labs: the Data Fabric Innovation Lab, Intelligent Storage Innovation Lab, Memory Storage Innovation Lab, Data Reduction Innovation Lab, and Video Storage Innovation Lab. The labs will fully unleash the potential of over 4,000 storage scientists in Huawei, enabling them to leverage the latest technologies to push storage efficiency to new limits. Compared to last years OlympusMons Award, which focused on self-driven full-lifecycle data governance and data storage with ultimate per-bit effectiveness, Huawei attaches greater importance to the lasting ties between the industry, universities, and research institutes this year, hoping to promote the sustained development of the digital economy through the establishment of a global top-level technology community. The giant system of information consists of three parts: compute, network, and storage. Compute and storage have had enough attention in the past two decades, and good days have finally come for storage today, when storage is regarded the center of the system. As the foundation for computing, storage is essential to our national plan for new infrastructure. said Zheng Weimin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of computer science at Tsinghua University, in his speech themed TStor Storage System and MadFS File System. What is required from storage systems then? Zheng and his team answered this question with the TStor and MadFS systems. While TStor features solid reliability, self-maintainability and uses a large-scale erasure coding algorithm, MadFS is a high-performing cache file system. Zheng further pointed out: Storage innovation should not only focus on hardware systems, but also continuous software breakthroughs. In introducing the technologies and methods used to protect the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Su Bomin, Vice Director of Dunhuang Academy, said: Mogao Grottoes were the largest and most well-preserved Buddhist art works in the world. Because of its immeasurable value, its protection has become a difficult and important problem. Twenty years ago, UNESCO proposed preserving cultural heritages digitally. In the Digital Dunhuang project, computer and imaging technologies are used to preserve Dunhuang Grottoes permanently, allowing future generations to appreciate and study the art no matter the time and space. Su added, A digital Dunhuang museum will soon be built to present the art in various ways; however, that cant be possible without the support from the underlying data infrastructure. Since 2019, the institute has been working with technology firms like Huawei to discover possibilities in the digitalization and representation of cultural relics as well as intelligent tourist guidance and services. Taming the Storage Olympus Mons Data has become a key factor of production in the digital economy. The popularity of enterprise digital transformation, cloud, big data, 5G, and artificial intelligence (AI) promotes the rapid development of applications such as core transaction, virtualization, high-performance computing, AI, and AR/VR, which in turn demand larger, faster, and more intelligent storage. Opportunities for subversive new technologies hide in root technologies like diversified computing power, new media, high-performance networks, and intelligent data reduction algorithms. In addition, it remains a huge challenge to streamline the application ecosystem, enable underlying root technologies, and build a new data storage architecture to optimize storage cost-efficiency and unlock the power of mass data. Therefore, Huawei has set an attractive award, namely the OlympusMons Award 2021, to encourage scientists around the world to tackle the challenge of building a storage system with ultimate cost-efficiency and making breakthroughs in next-generation root storage technologies. In providing such an award, Huawei hopes to work with researchers to build a better data storage system in terms of cloud-oriented, multi-cloud storage services, data-centric, new data application storage systems, AI-driven storage software architecture, and ground-breaking system architecture. The OlympusMons Award is intended to direct base theoretical researches and facilitate the industrial application of research achievements, thus promoting win-win outcomes for the industry, universities, and research institutes. It will help the world tap into the benefits of digital technologies and industries transform toward an intelligent future. Data is the peak humans must surmount on their journey to intelligence, and the OlympusMons Award symbolizes Huaweis unremitting pursuit and exploration on this long journey, throughout which it will continue to work with the industry, universities, and research institutes. The bane of any subrogation professionals existence is the dreaded release. It is no coincidence that when Zeus uttered the words, Release the Kraken! in the 1981 fantasy adventure film The Clash of the Titans, he chose the word Release. The meme itself connotes setting loose utter destruction on ones enemya description which can be woefully accurate to describe the potential aftermath of signing releases which are overbroad and contain terms, conditions, and obligations which a subrogated carrier has no business agreeing to or assuming. It is said that releases and settlement agreements use a thousand words when ten would do and there is a good reason for that. Those drafting the release are often paid by the hour and/or want to pack in the very maximum of future protections, claims released, and indemnity provided by the document. Conversely, those signing the release want to limit the promises made and tailor them to the specific claims and damages made the subject of the release. The concern over limiting the scope and future liability assumed in such broadly worded documents is most-vitally important when the party signing the release is an insurance company settling a simple subrogation claim. The world of insurance is full of horror stories involving publicly-traded insurance companies finding themselves on the hook for liability many times greater than the amount recovered in the subrogation settlement; all because they didnt take the time and energy to carefully parse the language in the release they signed. Take, for example, a case in which you have put in considerable work to investigate and develop a potential subrogation claim. Youve hired investigators and experts, conducted inspections, talked to witnesses, and perhaps even retained an outside subrogation vendor. Though settlement negotiations were rough, you won a hard-earned recovery which you believe is reasonable. You start to feel good about all the work you put in when you receive a settlement check and, along with it, a broad, seven-page document entitled Settlement Agreement, Release of Claims, Indemnity and Hold Harmless Agreement which purports to be a cross between a release of claims and a mid-sized paperback novel. You flip through the multiple pages and see that it contains lengthy paragraphs referring to indemnity and hold-harmless obligations which rival the Affordable Care Act in length, complexity, and uncertainty. Perhaps you decide to just sign it and find out later what is in it. But that might be the worst move in your career. Knowing what to do and how to even respond can be daunting. Most insurance defense counsel and liability adjusters cut and paste release language, regurgitating the same settlement agreements over years of handling them. They do this because they feel more is better and because its easier for them to include everything rather than actually look at the facts of the case and craft reasonable language specific to each case. They also do it because like you, they dont understand the import of all the words. And, lets face it, theyre creatures of habit. Even seasoned lawyers and liability adjusters sometimes have a hard time grasping subrogation concepts in the claims we are pursuing. So, what do you do? Do you sign the release containing the harsh and open-ended indemnity and hold-harmless language in exchange for the immediate gratification of cashing the check? Or do you push back and risk losing your hard-earned settlement? In making that decision it is important that you precisely understand the obligations and future potential liability you are exposing the insurance company to. If youre not careful, the released party may end up with the last laugh, and you will wish you had never settled the case in the first place. Lets review some common release language defense counsel and liability adjusters include in releases and the concepts you want to keep in mind when negotiating the release language. Recognize The Claims You Own You should only release the claims that you own only the ones you are being paid for. In subrogation, the identity of the insurance carrier as the plaintiff should be known and care should be taken as to the caption of the lawsuit. For example, in a workers compensation subrogation action, the insurance carrier has made medical benefit payments to medical providers on the claimants behalf and indemnity payments to the claimant. In states where workers compensation is the exclusive remedy of the injured worker (most states), the workers compensation insurance carrier is obligated to pay those medical bills that are related to the covered injury. Where the workers compensation claimant is unwilling or uninterested in pursuing a third-party claim, the insurance carrier is often able to pursue subrogation of its indemnity and medical benefit payments. These are the only claims which the insurance carrier possesses and has the obligation to release. Release vs. Hold Harmless vs. Indemnity It is important for everyone to understand what they are signing. That importance is tripled when the person signing is signing on behalf of an insurance company with assets in the hundreds of millions or billions. Why? You are an easy target. When you release somebody, you voluntarily relinquish a known right to sue that person for the claim or cause of action described in the release or settlement agreement. This is the purpose of a release and you must agree to this but only insofar as it relates to a carefully-crafted description of the limited cause of action being released. If its too broad (e.g., release personal injury claims where only property damage is involved), you could be headed for trouble. A property carrier signing a full release and hold harmless agreement with a tortfeasor paying for repair of water damage may inadvertently be releasing the tortfeasor for future mold and mildew claims which have yet to surface. Look carefully at the definitions contained in the release document. They often contain the details which constitute the devil in the agreement. Hold-harmless and indemnity clauses are known as exculpatory clauses and should be well-understood before they are agreed to. A hold harmless agreement, on the other hand, is one party agreeing not to hold the other party responsible for any loss, damage, or legal liability that may arise from the matters made the subject of the agreement. A hold harmless or liability waiver provision in a contract is an agreement between the parties whereby one or both parties agree not to hold the other party responsible for any loss, damage, or legal liability that may arise under the agreement. In other words, the two parties cannot sue each other for any damage they may suffer due to the negligence of the other party. Hold harmless provisions are often combined with indemnity language. An indemnity agreement means that the party signing the release agrees to indemnify the party being released protecting them against and/or reimbursing them for future damages or liabilities incurred by the released party associated with any threatened or actual civil or criminal proceedings. It is literally the assumption of responsibility and liability that would otherwise belong to someone else, and, for insurance companies, it represents the greatest risk assumed in a settlement agreement. At Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C., we let all parties know from the very beginning of settlement negotiations that our clients will not sign indemnity language. We will release and hold harmless, but will not, under any circumstances, sign releases which require our clients to indemnify anyone. Such a stance makes negotiation transparent and eliminates the potential waste of time which could result if the other side has their heart set on being indemnified. Avoid General Release Language More Suited To Individual Plaintiff In a general personal injury release, the defendant will often ask that the injured plaintiff sign a broad release. An injured plaintiff/insured can agree to this broad scope of the release because they own the bodily injury claim. In a subrogation setting, however, the insurance carrier does not own the bodily injury claim and should not agree to this broad scope of release. The subrogated insurance carrier can only agree to release the claims that it owns. Therefore, broad release and indemnification language should never be agreed to, and you should be able to convince the third-party insurance carrier or defense attorney of the fact that you are not a personal injury plaintiff and that this type of language is inappropriate perhaps even ineffectual. At a minimum, you should take the time to give him an example of the absurdity that could result if you were to sign on behalf of your insurance company employer. The release often contains broad language requiring you to: completely release, discharge and forever hold defendants harmless from any and all claims, demands, suits known or unknown, fixed or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, whether or not asserted in the referenced case, as of this date, arising from or related to the events and transactions which are the subject matter of this case. A carrier subrogating only for property damage which agrees to the above language could find a summons and complaint showing up in the mail should the insured later sue the released party for bodily injury damages. It would be hard to explain why you didnt insist on specifically tailoring the release to property damages. Following along with our workers compensation subrogation scenario, lets look at some common release language proposed by defense counsel and how it should be modified. Proposed Language: In consideration of the settlement amount, releasors agree to defend, indemnify, and hold the released parties harmless for any and all claims, demands, judgments, damages, liens, or liability arising out of the incident, including, but not limited to, claims, demands, damages, expenses, actions, liabilities, or other obligations that may be brought against the released parties as to medical liens and wage benefit liens. Modified Language: In consideration of the settlement amount, releasors agree to defend, indemnify, and hold the released parties harmless, and reimburse for claims, demands, or other obligations that may be brought against the released parties as to medical liens and wage benefit liens and liens payable under the workers compensation policy. As you can see, the modified language limits the liability to only those claims that should appropriately be covered under the workers compensation policy. If the proposed language were not modified, the insurance carrier would be opening themselves up to liability where it wasnt previously contemplated. Release clauses which need to be carefully reviewed and, if possible, avoided altogether, include: Confidentiality Agreements Indemnity Agreements Hold Harmless Agreements Attorneys Fee Clauses Tax Implication Clauses Jury Waivers / Arbitration Clauses Avoid Extraneous/Unnecessary Clauses In Releases Once you have successfully convinced the third-party insurance carrier that you can only release those claims which you own, and the release language has been sufficiently modified to reflect that, there are a couple other areas that you should be aware of. The first involves a choice of attorney clause: In the event of any of the types of claims described in the Agreement are brought against any of the Released Parties, the Released Parties have the right to defend any and all claims with attorneys of their own choosing. Releasors will reimburse the Released Parties for all legal fees incurred in defending any and all lawsuits, claims, suits, demands, actions, and causes of action in connection therewith. This language is concerning for a couple of reasons. The biggest reason is that, should a medical provider or the like pursue a claim against the third-party carrier, the workers compensation carrier has the best information related to this type of claim. Either the medical invoice has been overlooked (for numerous reasons: the medical bill was improperly submitted to the insurance carrier, the medical bill was improperly coded, the medical bill was submitted late, etc.) or the medical bill is not related to the covered injury. In either case, the workers compensation carrier has the best information to respond to the claim. Should the third-party insurance carrier be allowed to defend this claim with an attorney of their choosing, there is no control over the defense. The Business Decision On Releases Most insurance companiesboth large and smalldo not have by-laws or corporate rules governing the signing of indemnity. But one errant signature can bind a $50 billion corporation to unlimited liability. While many companies require supervisor or in-house claims counsel approval of release signatures, rules are not always followed, and denying that a claims handling employee did not have apparent authority to bind the corporation to indemnity could be an expensive uphill battle. A release is an agreement between two parties which purportedly consists of the terms that the parties are willing to agree to. Subrogation claims are comprised of specific rights and for specifically stated damages which were paid under the terms of a carefully drafted insurance policy. If a subrogation claim goes to trial and the subrogee wins, there is no indemnity required; no release will need to be signed. Money is simply handed over. Accordingly, if there is a subrogation settlement, the subrogated carrier should not be required or expected to take on an extra duty, responsibility, or liability which expands its potential liability beyond the scope of the policy and the claim it is settling. An insurance policy pays a claim according to its terms. Any subrogation recovery is posted back to the policy as a subrogation recovery in order to offset the original claim payment. If the settling insurance company is sued on a first-party insurance claim, the defense and ultimate payment under the policy are paid off of the claim file. But if the insurance company is sued based on indemnity or hold harmless language contained in an overbroad release and settlement agreement, the payment is no longer paid on off of the claim file and must be paid directly by the carrier as an errors and omissions claim. This payment comes directly off of the carriers bottom line, and the defense of that subsequent suit and any payments made by the carrier in connection with it affects the companys profits and its shareholders. As such, insurance companies are loathed to accept business risks which are beyond the scope of their policies. Armed with this knowledge and a keen insight into the inner workings of releases and settlement agreements, youll be better able to negotiate harmful release language out of your releases and will be better prepared to protect your company from future liability based on such release language and liability the insurance company should never have assumed. When in doubt, have subrogation counsel (one firm comes to mind) assist you with the review of your settlement agreements and release language. It may save you from headaches and considerable expense and liability in the future. If there was ever a scenario in which a simple one-second signature could change the course of a careerthis is it. By Prossy Kisakye With just days left for Ugandans to cast their vote, the former Ethics and Integrity Minister, Maria Matembe, warns the youth against being lured with money into voting against candidates of their choice. Ugandans go to the polls on Thursday next week beginning with Presidential and Parliamentary elections. However, Matembe who is also the chairperson of the Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda says Ugandans especially the youth have put the love for money before their country and their own lives. This, she says puts the future of this country in jeopardy. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the president, the amendment goes on, unless there is a tie or nobody has secured a majority, in which case the House decides. The job has occasionally been unpleasant for vice presidents. In 1961, the state of Hawaii sent two slates of electors and the vice president, Richard M. Nixon, who had just lost the election to John F. Kennedy, moved to count the Democratic electors, which expanded his own margin of defeat. Forty years later, Al Gore was in a similar spot, burdened with overruling objections from his fellow Democrats and declaring the victory of George W. Bush and his own defeat after a drawn-out Florida recount that was ended by the Supreme Court. And in 2017, Mr. Biden, then the vice president, had to reject a Democratic challenge to Mr. Trumps victory. But no matter how distasteful it is, J. Michael Luttig, a former judge for the United States Court of Appeals and leading conservative legal scholar, said that Mr. Pence had no choice but to simply count the votes. No president and no vice president would or should consider either event as a test of political loyalty, Mr. Luttig said. And if either did, he would have to understand that political loyalty must yield to constitutional obligation. Members of Congress can object, though their bids this time are expected to fail. Under the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which was passed after the contested election of 1876 in which several states sent rival sets of electors, it is up to Congress to settle any disputes about state certifications. If at least one member of the House and Senate raise an objection about a states results, it must be considered, immediately halting the joint session so members can return to their respective chambers and debate the challenge for up to two hours. Then a vote decided by a simple majority is held to determine whether to throw out that states results. That has not occurred since the Reconstruction Era, and with Democrats controlling the House and many Senate Republicans opposed, it will almost certainly fail. Still, Republicans plan to force at least three such votes, perhaps more. Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama has said he will move to contest the results from as many as six states; three Republican senators Josh Hawley of Missouri, Ted Cruz of Texas and Kelly Loeffler of Georgia plan to back at least one of those. Dozens of House members and 11 senators have said they plan to vote against certifying Mr. Bidens victory. Given that Mr. Trump and his supporters have contested the results in several states that Mr. Biden won including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin there could be as much as 12 hours of debate on Wednesday, and a half-dozen votes. 50 million in state funds is expected to be given to Laois by 2023 to build over 174 new council homes under the Rebuilding Ireland programme. The 50m is an estimated total cost for 15 different projects delivering 156 homes, and two turnkey estates ready for tenants. Portlaoise will get only 26 homes but the county town is instead to get some 224 new social homes and apartments in five schemes funded as Urban Regeneration projects, on iconic sites including the old convent, county hotel and former CBS school. By the end of 2021, 79 of the Rebuilding Ireland council homes are expected to be built around Laois, starting with two houses at Hillview, Portlaoise due last December. In Portarlington, 22 houses at Ballymorris are due by late March. Next on the timeline are six in Shannon Street, Mountrath by June. Next are ten homes in Gleann na Glaise, Ballyroan, six in Moore Street, Rathdowney, 10 in Pattisons Estate Mountmellick, 22 in Sean Doire, Durrow and one rural house in Coolroe Ballybrittas. The turnkey homes include seven in Corbally, Clonaslee and 11 in Main Street, Borris-in-Ossory. Laois County Council CEO John Mulholland said that the status of these houses was very positive . About 79 council built houses are on site or will be in the next couple of weeks. This is very positive. Many others are in various stages of preparedness, he said in his report to the November council meeting. into 2022, Portlaoise will get nine at Iona, Abbeyleix Road, 11 in Clonrooske and four day houses at Oak Park Halting Site in Portlaoise. There will be another six built in Harbour Court Mountmellick and seven at Mooreville, Rathdowney, 14 in St Kierans Park, Errill, and 26 in Carraig Glas, Stradbally. The 50 budget also includes a provision for additional projects yet to be approved but to be delivered by the end of 2023, and for the construction of projects under the Buy and Renew scheme. The fund is part of the 130m capital investment programme planned by Laois County Council to develop Laois up to the end of 2023. CEO John Mulholland said however that delivering it depends on consistent good state aid to Laois as well as buoyancy in the housing construction sector. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. In a majority verdict, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the environmental clearance and notification for change in land use for the Central Vista Project. A three-judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, by 2:1 majority, held that the grant of the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use for the project was valid. Justice Khanwilkar, writing the judgement for himself and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, also directed that the project proponent set up smog tower and use anti-smoke guns at the construction site for the Central Vista project. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the third judge on the bench, also agreed on the issue of award of project. He, however, disagreed with the judgment on change of land use and on grant of environmental clearance for the project. The court was hearing a batch of pleas, which have questioned several aspects, including the environmental clearance granted to the ambitious Central vista project. The Central Vista revamp, announced in September, 2019 envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is to be constructed by August, 2022 when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024 under the project against which various pleas have been filed. A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna will pronounce the verdict on the batch of pleas on which it had reserved its verdict on November 5, last year. On December 7, last year the top court had allowed the Centre to proceed with the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Central Vista project on December 10 after the government assured it that no construction or demolition work would commence till the apex court decides the pending pleas on the issue. The Centre had told the bench that there would be only foundation stone-laying ceremony, and no construction, demolition or felling of trees would be done for the project as of now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone on December 10, last year, for the new Parliament building and the construction is expected to be completed by 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had said on December 5, last year. The apex court had earlier said that any change at the ground level made by authorities for the Central Vista project will be "at their own risk". It had made it clear that the fate of the project, which includes several new government buildings and a new Parliament House, will depend on its decision. On November 5, the apex court had reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas which have raised questions over the Centre's ambitious Central Vista project, which covers three km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens' Delhi. The Centre had earlier argued in the top court that the project would "save money" which is paid as rent for housing central government ministries in the national capital. It had submitted that the decision to have a new Parliament building has not been taken in haste and no law or norms have been violated in any manner for the project. The Centre had also said there was no arbitrariness or favouritism in selecting consultant for the project and the argument that the government could have adopted a better process cannot be a ground to scrap the project. Gujarat-based architecture firm HCP Designs has won the consultancy bid for the project to redevelop the Central Vista. The top court is hearing several pleas on the issue, including the one filed by activist Rajeev Suri, against various permissions given to the project by authorities including the nod to change of land use. The pleas have also challenged the grant of a no-objection certificate by the Central Vista Committee (CVC) and also the environmental clearances for the construction of a new parliament house building. One of the pleas was filed against a Delhi High Court order which had said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was not required to apprise it before notifying changes in the Master Plan to allow the Central Vista project. The division bench of the Delhi High Court had on February 28 stayed an order of its single judge bench which had asked the DDA to approach the court before notifying any change in the Master Plan for going forth with the Centre's ambitious project to redevelop the Central Vista. The stay order of the high court on the single judge bench's February 11 direction had come on the intra-court appeal of the DDA and the Centre. The petitioners before the high court had opposed the Central Vista project on the ground that it involves a change in land use of the green area adjoining Rajpath and Vijay Chowk for building new Parliament and government offices. Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2021 8:39 am Just as a slew of Washington school districts are planning to bring more students back into buildings this year, a new study from University of Washington researchers suggests that many districts are short of school nurses, who will play a critical role in developing pandemic-related health and safety plans and will care for sick students. Statewide, schools employed an estimated 978 full-time equivalent nurses in 2019-20, up from 625 two years ago, the researchers found. But Washington has more than 2,000 public schools, suggesting that many buildings still don't employ a nurse full time. The findings also suggest vast gaps, like in the health care system at large, in who has access to medical care at school. Districts in rural corners of the state, and those with more low-income children, have fewer school nurses per student, the researchers found. Conversely, districts with more Black, Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islander or multiracial students have more nurses per capita. This might be because students of color have a higher prevalence of certain chronic illnesses, according to some research, and districts choose to hire more nurses to meet this need. School nurses and other school-based medical staff constitute what many researchers call a "hidden health care system." Students don't need appointments, insurance or transportation. The result: School nurses help ease racial and income-based disparities common in other health care settings by providing basic care to students who might not otherwise receive it. In pandemic times, on top of their regular duties, these critical medical staff members are charged with screening or testing staff and students for COVID-19 symptoms, contact tracing when cases crop up and tending to students who fall ill at school. "There's going to be a lot more COVID-related stuff that schools are going to have to do, right? And who is going to do that?" said Mayumi Willgerodt, who was involved in the research and is associate professor of child, family and population health nursing at UW. School nurses "are trained to do the assessments and make those judgments that I'm not so sure others can do." The new research, which is unpublished and hasn't been reviewed by peer researchers, is the most recent look at Washington's school nurse workforce the last review was in 1997 and one of the first comprehensive reviews of the distribution of the health workforce in schools nationwide. Other states could use it as a blueprint for their own local studies, said Laurie Combe, president of the National Association of School Nurses. "We can see that there are disparities in the way schools are staffed," she said. "We know that many students don't have access to a usual source of care and the school nurse can fill that gap." The researchers also found that in many rural places in Washington, the school nursing shortfall overlaps with areas that are poorly supplied with primary medical care for the community at large. Serving students In Moses Lake, a rural district where about 67% of students come from low-income families, eight nurses serve 15 schools; the researchers calculated that each full-time equivalent nurse there serves about 1,632 students. The district has held classes in person for many students since September, offering a window into the pivotal role school nurses play during the pandemic. "Oh, my gosh this school year looks totally different than any school year I have been a part of in the past," said Liz Pray, a Moses Lake school nurse and president of the School Nurse Organization of Washington. Any time the district learns of a coronavirus case, Pray and her colleagues team up to call families, staff and other contacts. At least 181 Moses Lake educators or students have become ill so far, including Superintendent Joshua Meek. At one point in the fall, Pray helped make the decision to shut down a school for two weeks because of an outbreak. She hears from colleagues across the state who are responsible for other important tasks, such as taking student and staff temperatures at the door, following up with those who fail a screening and isolating folks who are symptomatic at school. "I've taken food to a single mom with four kids at home who tested positive and had no family in town," she said. "Yes, we're stretched thin. You can ask any school nurse across the state and every single one of them will tell you we're exhausted." According to the UW research, on average, each Washington school nurse serves 1,173 students. That ratio has declined from 1,605-to-1 in the 2000-01 school year. For comparison, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends one nurse per school. In Washington, that would work out to a ratio of one full-time nurse per 482 students, the researchers say. The researchers calculated nurse-to-student ratios using 20 years of data from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the state Department of Health. Distribution disparities The role of the school nurses has expanded over the past 20 years, the researchers say. The percentage of children with chronic health conditions is rising, and state and federal laws have increasingly reinforced the role of schools in keeping children healthy. Nurses play a particularly important role for students of color, who are, on average, less likely than their white peers to have health insurance or consistent access to medical care, according to previous studies. The new work suggests that school nurses are helping close that gap. Seattle Public Schools, where about one-third of students are from low-income families and more than half are students of color, has 1 nurse for every 774 students, the researchers found. Highline, where 71% come from low-income families and 80% are students of color, has one nurse for every 736 students. The ratio is 1,211-to-1 in Bellevue and 1,173-to-1 in Kent. It's possible that some districts hire more nurses because they serve a greater proportion of students with serious health needs, but the study didn't look at this question. The researchers also didn't analyze whether nurses are distributed evenly across schools in a given district. "It's a really good place to start, and gives us a broad snapshot," Willgerodt said. "But we need to remember this is district-level data and there's a lot of variability within schools and among the students themselves." In towns and rural communities, each full-time equivalent school nurse serves between 1,293 and 1,327 students or about 250 more students than nurses who work in urban areas. Nurses in less populated regions may be more likely than those in urban districts to split their time at several schools, which may be located many miles from one another. Districts are also likely to have fewer nurses if they serve more low-income students: for every 1% increase in students from low-income homes, the researchers found, the ratio of students to nurses rises by 1.1%. These disparities illustrate shortcomings in the way Washington funds school nurses. The funding formula provides money for one full-time nurse for every 5,263 elementary students, 7,200 middle school students or 6,250 high school students; the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is asking lawmakers to reduce those ratios during the upcoming legislative session. In most areas the ratios aren't as drastic as what state money would fund: The researchers say they suspect that state or federal dollars cover a third of the costs of school nurses here, while local levy dollars or other funding streams make up the difference. But districts in lower-income communities don't have the same fundraising power as wealthier areas, leaving them without the same resources to fill in gaps in state funding, said Trevor Gratz, who led the study and is a research associate at the UW's Center for Education Data & Research. "It's encouraging to see students of color have at least some better measures to access, but then a little bit discouraging that there's an overreliance on local dollars to fund school services that seems to be driving a compounding access gap," he said. ___ (c)2021 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. A day after 25 people were killed in the crematorium roof collapse in Ghaziabads Muradnagar area, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said such incidents were the result of poor monitoring of civil projects on the part of supervising officers and warned that the guilty would be punished under the National Security Act (NSA). CM Yogi said during the divisional review meetings held in September last year, he had directed the officers to check the quality of projects above Rs 50 lakh. A task force was constituted in all the districts comprising the officers of all the departments to monitor the quality of the projects in the districts, he said. In a review meeting held at his official residence on Monday, the chief minister asked the officers what the task force was doing in Ghaziabad where such an incident happened. He also pulled up the divisional commissioner, Meerut, and DM of Ghaziabad for their failure to check the quality of the construction work. Such incidents will not be tolerated in future. Strict action will be taken against the guilty under National Security Act and seizure of property, he said. The CM directed the divisional commissioner, Meerut and ADG, Meerut, to probe the incident and submit a report. On the basis of the report, the accountability of senior divisional and district officials will be fixed, he said. The district officers have been directed to conduct relief operations and submit a report on the incident. The state government will provide all possible help to the victims, the CM added. A state government spokesperson said those arrested include executive officer of the municipality Niharika Singh, junior engineer Chandrapal and supervisor Ashish. Contractor Ajay Tyagi, who was absconding, was arrested late last evening. Chinas official Xinhua News Agency is calling for shorter work hours in the countrys tech sector following the sudden death last week of a young employee at a leading e-commerce platform. Last months tragedy refocused attention on the pain of an abnormal culture of overtime, Xinhua said in a brief editorial posted Tuesday on its Twitter-like Weibo account. Dreams should be pursued through striving, but workers legitimate rights and interests should not be sacrificed and employers may be breaking the law in encouraging health-sapping overwork, Xinhua said. Strengthening the protection of legal rights and interests for workers, letting those chasing their dreams run along in a healthy manner and introducing more warmth into the development of enterprises thats the form striving should take, the news agency said. The editorial follows the Dec. 29 death of a 22-year-old employee of Pingduoduo as she was walking home with a colleague at 1:30 a.m. Few details have been released, other than that the woman apparently suffered stomach pains before collapsing, but internet users have seized on the case as an example of the health impacts of long working days. Grueling hours have long been a hallmark of Chinas tech industry, heralded by business luminaries such as Alibabas Jack Ma, one of Chinas richest and most prominent entrepreneurs. Ma drew controversy in 2019 by endorsing the 996 week, entailing working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with many arguing that would further discourage young people from marrying and having children. The ruling Communist Partys flagship Peoples Daily newspaper even weighed in at the time, saying it was unfair of dictatorial managers to demand excessive overtime. Worldwide, the tech sector is known for demanding long hours spent designing, coding and processing customer requests. While Chinese labor law limits the work week to five days and no more than 44 hours, increasing numbers of people work outside the state sector or in the informal economy where such regulations tend not to be adhered to as closely. China also outlaws independent labor organizing, allowing only one union, the tightly party-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. (CNN) More than a year since the coronavirus pandemic began, while a surprising and frustrating number of points remain unclear, one thing is certain: the first major outbreak was in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. While scientists are still examining the exact origins of the virus, whether or not it came from bats or another animal, how it mutated to become so infectious and so deadly, and how long it was around before the initial outbreak, that Wuhan was the initial epicenter is undeniable. Equally undeniable, is how effectively the city has rebounded, just last week hosting a New Year's party as much of the world remains in effective lockdown a success that has become a major point of pride in China. As the country has moved past its initial mishandling of the virus officials appear to have downplayed its severity and the potential for a pandemic, preventing an effective response until too late Beijing has reveled in contrasting its own successes with the situation in other countries, particularly the United States. But the stain of being the place where the pandemic emerged remains. In recent months, Chinese state media and officials have begun hyping up reports of potential other sources, pointing to research that may suggest or can be manipulated to suggest that the virus was circulating earlier than first thought and, most importantly, was circulating outside of China. This does little to change the fact Wuhan was where the first outbreak occurred, but the chance of blaming another country for the pandemic, just as China was largely unfairly blamed for the emergence of the coronavirus last year, seems too good to pass up. "More and more research suggests that the pandemic was likely to have been caused by separate outbreaks in multiple places in the world," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi claimed this month. "(China took) immediate actions to carry out epidemiological investigation, identify the pathogen and publicize key information including the genome sequencing of the virus. All this sounded alarm bells across the world." On Monday, reports circulated on Chinese social media that the virus had been detected on auto part packaging in multiple cities, including from foreign brands. By the afternoon, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, had stepped in to tell state media the auto parts in question were not imported, and whatever traces of the virus were detected were unlikely to be infectious. While Wu effectively dismissed the potential car parts origin theory, it has echoes of far more widely reported claims that the virus could have entered China via frozen foods. For months, China has been testing and disinfecting frozen products coming from overseas, over fears the virus could reenter the country that way, even as experts remain skeptical about this as a potential source of infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is "highly unlikely that people can contract Covid-19 from food or food packaging," and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk is "thought to be very low." Both insist there is no evidence of such transmission, and countries have even threatened to bring a case against China at the World Trade Organization over import restrictions. Chinese experts disagree however, with Wu himself saying in November that "more and more evidence is showing that frozen seafood or meat products can bring viruses from outbreak countries into China." While initially this theory appears to have emerged from an abundance of caution after China had essentially controlled its domestic outbreak and was concerned new infections from overseas could undermine this, it has evolved to present a potential cause of the pandemic itself -- one that would, conveniently, serve to diminish Chinese government responsibility. "All available evidence suggests that (the coronavirus) did not start in central China's Wuhan, but may come into China through imported frozen food products and their packaging," the People's Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, claimed in November, citing Chinese experts, including Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. "Wuhan was where the coronavirus was first detected but it was not where it originated," Zeng said, telling another newspaper "tracing the virus cannot answer all questions, but it is very likely that the virus had co-existed in multiple places before being spotted in Wuhan." As well as speculating about frozen food packaging, Chinese officials and state media have also hyped studies that seem to suggest the virus was circulating outside the country last September or even earlier, even as scientists have criticized the methodology of certain papers and warned against drawing conclusions from them. "Strong claims supported by flimsy evidence get widely reported without the necessary scrutiny and consideration of a wider body of available evidence," Francois Balloux, a geneticist at University College London, wrote in a Twitter thread about several reports of earlier circulation, noting that the evidence for the virus being in Europe as early as August was "highly unconvincing." Last month, Global Times, a nationalist Chinese state-run tabloid that has been at the forefront of pushing this and other theories, ran an "investigation" into "a new hypothesis: did the early outbreak in Wuhan originate from imported frozen food?" "Although it might be too early to jump to conclusions, the possibility that the coronavirus was passed on from cold-chain products into Wuhan, or more specifically, to the Huanan wet market, where the sale of frozen products was once prevalent, cannot be ruled out," the paper claimed, adding that "more evidence is needed, and scientists worldwide are urged to join hands to further research this hypothesis and pinpoint the origin of the virus." Such research is underway, with a WHO team arriving in Wuhan last month to investigate the origins of the pandemic, after months of negotiation with Beijing, which has been wary of allowing any outside probe until now. One member of the team told reporters that the trip was "really not about finding a guilty country." "It's about trying to understand what happened and then see if, based on those data, we can try to reduce the risk in the future," said Fabian Leendertz of Germany's Robert Koch Institute, according to the BBC. But China may fear that the WHO investigation if it confirms the basic facts of the Wuhan outbreak as currently understood, including that officials failed to recognize the true danger of the virus and tried to suppress reports and gag whistleblowers could blow back on Beijing just as the country is working to rehabilitate its image. By muddying the water with talk of potential outside origins, regardless of the fact this does not change that Wuhan was where the first major outbreak took place, Beijing's propagandists may hope to undercut any such criticism, or even provide a potential sop for the WHO report to avoid assigning blame. This story was first published on CNN.com, "China's latest potential culprit in its search for foreign coronavirus sources? Auto parts packaging." Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months The City of Paducah, McCracken County, and the Purchase District Health Department will hold a Zoom video news conference Wednesday at 2 p.m. to educate residents about distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine locally and across the state. PHOTO:City of Paducah Conference Today to Discuss Vaccine Rollout By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The City of Paducah, McCracken County, and the Purchase District Health Department will hold a Zoom video news conference Wednesday at 2 p.m. to educate residents about distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine locally and across the state.The city's Facebook page, Paducah Mayor George P. Bray, McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer, and Purchase District Health Department Director Kent Koster will provide updates about the vaccination progress and the availability and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines in McCracken County.The public is invited to view the news conference on the following outlets: Government 11 (for Comcast subscribers) City of Paducah Youtube page (link below) City of Paducah Facebook page (link below)On the Net: Cox Automotive acquires Dickinson Fleet Services to bolster Pivet fleet services marketplace. Tweet this Fleets and technology will play a more substantial role in an A.C.E.S. (autonomous/aerial, connected, electric and shared) future, resulting in significant increases in miles traveled per vehicle and a more frequent need for service and maintenance. Several indicators also point to the growth of mobile fleet services, including the rise of e-commerce and an on-demand economy offering real-time fulfilment of goods and services. Bullish on Mobile Fleet Maintenance Cox Automotive has a history of making smart investments in innovation and solutions that positively impact the future. With the acquisition of Dickinson Fleet Services, Cox Automotive Mobility, a division of Cox Automotive committed to driving the future of transportation by helping fleets be their best, is focused on powering a fleet future that is highly dependent on mobile maintenance and repair services, working to deliver the shortest amount of vehicle downtime for customers. Operating within the Pivet fleet optimization and services marketplace, Dickinson's expert mobile repair services will be the cornerstone of Pivet's future growth trajectory. The new operations will be highly complementary to Pivet's existing network of fixed and high-capacity service centers, including Pivet's innovation hubs in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix, Manheim operating locations nationwide and a collection of other fleet service partner providers. "We are honored to be a part of the Cox family, and excited for what this partnership means for our team and our customers," said Mike Dickinson and Ted Coltrain, executive officers of Dickinson Fleet Services. "Cox Automotive Mobility has an incredible vision to develop our people and expand our service offering and footprint. Together, we will be able to rapidly respond to our customers' fleet needs today and into the future." Committed to Client Success in Fleet Future As a leading facilitator in the automotive ecosystem, Cox Automotive believes this move will also help the company better prepare its clients for the transition to a fleet future. Tomorrow's servicing of high-utilization fleets will look much different than today's consumer-centric fixed ops world. As a result, today's incumbent service providers, including most dealers, will need to adapt by finding new ways of servicing and repairing vehicles. "A core foundation of our business, and key to Manheim's 75-year legacy, is about exploring and growing what's next in the transportation business, and then delivering those insights to our customers," said Steve Rowley, president of Cox Automotive. "Nearly half of the manufacturers and thousands of dealers have engaged us in varying levels of conversation around executing service in new ways, including mobile maintenance. The learnings we'll gain operating the Dickinson Fleet Services business will be beneficial to helping our customers learn, grow and execute in this space." About Cox Automotive Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 27,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, VinSolutions, vAuto and Xtime, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with annual revenues of $21 billion. coxautoinc.com About Dickinson Fleet Services Headquartered in Indianapolis, Dickinson Fleet Services (DFS) has grown to become one of the largest independent fleet maintenance companies in the country. DFS is the leading provider of on-site mobile maintenance and repair services nationwide, offering mobile on-site fleet service for light medium, and heavy-duty trucks and trailers. DFS also services customers utilizing its 18 nationwide service centers; each offering select services, such as accident repair, paint, refurbishment and heavy mechanical repair. Supported by a 24/7 in-house call-center, DFS provides maintenance scheduling and emergency roadside assistance to fleets anywhere, anytime. SOURCE Cox Automotive Mobility Group Related Links https://www.coxautoinc.com/ (CNN) The New York Stock Exchange has reversed its decision to kick out three of China's largest state-owned telecom companies. The exchange said late Monday that it no longer intends to delist the firms after "further consultation with relevant regulatory authorities," and that they will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE "at this time." The sudden about-face comes just days after the NYSE announced that it would end trading in the shares of China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom a move it said was needed to comply with an order President Donald Trump signed late last year that bans Americans from investing in firms that the US government suspects are either owned or controlled by the Chinese military. The NYSE said, however, that it would "continue to evaluate the applicability" of that order to the companies and their status on the exchange. Shares of all three firms immediately pulled higher Tuesday in Hong Kong, where they are also listed. China Unicom advanced more than 6%, while China Mobile and China Telecom each jumped more than 5%. The original announcement to delist was met with heavy criticism in China, where the country's Ministry of Commerce said over the weekend that Beijing would take "necessary measures" to safeguard the interests of Chinese companies. The ministry added that it opposes the inclusion of such firms on what it called Washington's list of "Communist Chinese military companies." China Unicom and China Telecom said Tuesday in filings to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that they were aware of NYSE's announcement and would "monitor the development." CNN Business has reached out to China Mobile for comment. All three of the telecom companies have traded in New York for many years. China Mobile, the country's largest telecom company, has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1997. Rivals China Telecom and China Unicom, meanwhile, have been trading there since the early 2000s. Trump's order, which goes into effect January 11, bans US investors from owning or trading any securities that originate from or are exposed to those firms. Investors will have until November 2021 to divest from the companies. It's part of a broader campaign the Trump administration has launched against Chinese companies. Over the past few years, Washington has taken aim at China's lofty tech ambitions, striking blows at the country's developing artificial intelligence, semiconductor and telecommunications industries. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Wall Street reverses plan to kick out Chinese telecom companies." Tuesday, January 5, 2021 On March 9th, 1967 the press started reporting that a Dallas taxicab driver, Raymond Cummings claimed to have driven Lee Harvey Oswald and David Ferrie to Jack Ruby's nightclub. William Gurvich interviewed Cummings in Dallas. Here is his report. Raymond Cummings then flew to New Orleans to meet with Garrison and his staff. Cummings was then given a lie detector test. For whatever it's worth, the lie detector test showed Cummings was not telling the truth. In the meantime, Shaw's defense team had to look into Cummings. Here is their internal report. One would hope that Garrison's investigators would have dug up the same information. The Dallas police were also looking into Cummings. Now, the whole story gets interesting. Ten years after the whole incident, Jim Garrison must have been reviewing his files (perhaps for his upcoming book) and marked up the Gurvich memo on Cummings. Here are two of his notations: Here is what Garrison wrote: 9/9/77 Caveat: I have no way to evaluate the veracity of Raymond Cummings statement. It may be quite true or it may be false. We internally were surprised by his apparent truthfulness in the telling the story, as I recall, and by some of his details. However, when he came to New Orleans as he had volunteered and took the lie detector test, the investigative service which provided the test reported to our office that he had shown deception with regard to substantive details of his story. This caused us to put this report on the back shelf. (Subsequently,) however, we learned that this [investigative service] which was helping the office had produced lie detector reports for 'deception whenever we sent anyone to them particularly if the subject had any probative information for the JFK case. Consequently, this report should be regard as unconfirmed and requiring further inquiry - but until such further inquiry or possible collateral corroboration, should not be totally dismissed out of hand." He also added a notation to the file folder: The lie detector test had been organized by William Gurvich's firm - Gurvich ultimately defected from Garrison's staff in June 1967. Now Garrison thinks that Cummings is a "possibly good lead," but that it was "torpedoed" by the lie detector test. This would all be comical if it were not repeated in Joan Mellen's book, A Farewell to Justice (page 112). Garrison did not use Cummings in his book On The Trail of the Assassins, but Joan Mellen had no problem with rehabilitating the lead. The moral of the story - lots of people come forward with information - don't believe anybody just because they confirm your biases. BOSTON, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueSnap, the All-in-One Payment Platform for B2C and B2B businesses, has released key 2021 payment trends to give organizations the insights needed to adapt their payment strategies to move their businesses forward in the face of COVID-19's global health crisis. While 2020 presented a tough economic climate, many businesses combatted the effects of the pandemic through innovation. According to IBM's annual U.S. retail index, the pandemic accelerated digital retail by five years. "Thanks to digital commerce and rapid growth, businesses have been able to stay afloat during potentially tumultuous economic times," said Ralph Dangelmaier, CEO of BlueSnap. "We've seen incredible innovation when it comes to digital payments, even in industries like healthcare, where adoption was lagging. Businesses changed dramatically, but what's next? We put together these payment predictions to help companies move forward on their new paths." The full list of 2021 payment predictions have been released on the BlueSnap website. Here are several highlights: Corona-free payments aren't going anywhere. Because of the pandemic, 67% of retailers now accept a form of no-touch payment. Contactless payments will find their way into even more places in 2021, like medical clinics, law firms and schools, and both vendors and customers will enjoy the ease of these modern payments. Because of the pandemic, 67% of retailers now accept a form of no-touch payment. Contactless payments will find their way into even more places in 2021, like medical clinics, law firms and schools, and both vendors and customers will enjoy the ease of these modern payments. Expect more marketplaces in 2021. Businesses of all sizes will leverage new technology to seamlessly create marketplaces for new sources of revenue with automated onboarding and payouts. Businesses of all sizes will leverage new technology to seamlessly create marketplaces for new sources of revenue with automated onboarding and payouts. Merchants will look to maximize profits with low-cost payment options . The pandemic's uncertainty has encouraged many businesses to look for additional ways to maximize their profits, including payment types. We expect more organizations to recognize the benefits of electronic fund transfers, like ACH in the U.S. and SEPA in the EU, where merchants can pay an inexpensive flat rate on the transaction rather than a percentage required for cards (2.5% in the U.S., for example). The pandemic's uncertainty has encouraged many businesses to look for additional ways to maximize their profits, including payment types. We expect more organizations to recognize the benefits of electronic fund transfers, like ACH in the U.S. and SEPA in the EU, where merchants can pay an inexpensive flat rate on the transaction rather than a percentage required for cards (2.5% in the U.S., for example). Installment payments will be everywhere. Offering installment payments, or the ability to Buy Now, Pay Later, will continue to grow in popularity. Innovative installment payment providers' technology are able to quickly make loan decisions, and merchants will offer this option everywhere. Consumers like that it's a cheaper option to using credit cards and paying them off in the same timelines. Offering installment payments, or the ability to Buy Now, Pay Later, will continue to grow in popularity. Innovative installment payment providers' technology are able to quickly make loan decisions, and merchants will offer this option everywhere. Consumers like that it's a cheaper option to using credit cards and paying them off in the same timelines. Omnichannel Commerce will become a payment norm. Businesses will get it right in 2021 and merge their in-person and online payments into a single channel that provides a record for all of their transactions so they can provide the experience their customers are demanding. Last year and the pandemic forever changed buyers' expectations for online shopping and digital payments. These expert predictions will help companies continue to work through these changes. See the complete list in the essential resource Moving Forward: 12 Payment Predictions for 2021 and join our free panel discussion where our payments experts will discuss these predictions further. About BlueSnap BlueSnap provides an All-in-One Payment Platform designed to increase sales and reduce costs for B2B and B2C businesses around the world. Our Platform supports integrated payments, online and mobile sales, marketplaces, subscriptions, invoice payments and manual orders through a virtual terminal. With a single integration to our Platform, businesses can accept any payment with ease. The Platform includes access to over 110 global payment types, including popular eWallets, built-in world-class fraud prevention to protect sales and detailed analytics to help businesses grow. Based in Waltham, MA, BlueSnap is backed by world-class private equity investors including Great Hill Partners and Parthenon Capital Partners. Learn more at bluesnap.com Bri Helm [email protected] SOURCE BlueSnap ROCHESTER, Minn. - One of Minnesotas new laws is taking effect this year and will allow victims of sexual assault more time to consider whether to pursue criminal charges against their assaulter. The law makes it so law enforcement or hospitals submit sexual assault kits to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension within 60 days. From there the kits will be stored by the BCA for at least 30 months; previously the kits that werent sent to the BCA were stored locally and then destroyed by law enforcement within 3-6 months. Olmsted County Victim Services says this will give victims who may be experiencing trauma from the assault more time to decide if they want to move forward with the case and possibly press criminal charges. Program manager Laura Sutherland says its hard to understate how big of a move this actually is for victims. Sutherland explained, While Mayo Clinic has always worked closely with victims and our agency and we obviously really try to support victims throughout a sexual assault in terms of reporting. Afterwards we know there are some victims who want that ability on their own to see what the status of their kit is and if they can say to law enforcement, Hey, yeah - I really do want to go forward now." RPD has been sending all kits that victims signed off consent for to the BCA since 2019 but now all sexual assault kits will be included. The new law will also enter the DNA evidence into a national index. In doing so it could help connect crimes committed locally to perpetrators out of state. The Daily Beast Theo WargoCNN boss Jeff Zucker on Tuesday addressed network staffers concerns over the revelations that primetime star host Chris Cuomo advised his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to the multiple sexual harassment allegations against him.During a Tuesday afternoon town-hall meeting with staff, Zucker claimed he understood the unease over Cuomos conduct, saying in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake for the primetime star to participate in strategy calls advising his politically powerful brother.He did cross a line, Zucker said.Last week, The Washington Post reported that Cuomo joined strategy calls helping plan his powerful brothers rebuttals to mounting allegations that he harassed multiple women and made some female staffers feel uncomfortable. According to multiple sources who were present on one meeting, the CNN host even mentioned invoking cancel culture as a way to combat the claims.The CNN boss said he personally voiced his displeasure to Cuomo, and that he had considered the options for how to handle the star hosts unfolding scandal. Ultimately, Zucker said that rather than suspending Cuomo, the network decided the host should have to go on-air and personally apologize to his viewers.And so during his 9 p.m. ET broadcast, Cuomo declared that it will never happen again and insisted he knows where the line is.In a statement following the Post bombshell last week, CNN admitted it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governors staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward. The network added that Cuomo would not be disciplined further.But the top anchors decision to secretly participate in the strategy calls assisting his embattled brother has, indeed, irked numerous network staffers. CNN insiders who spoke with The Daily Beast this week expressed frustration with the networks handling of the incident, saying Cuomo should have faced more serious consequences.Im very disappointed in the network, said one current on-air personality. I think some disciplinary action, at a minimum, was required in this situation. The source added, As a woman who works here, I feel a little let down, to be honest.Staff were particularly interested in Tuesdays town hall following one of the more eventful weeks for the network following a high-profile sale and the departure of one noteworthy on-air contributor.During the call, Zucker said that Rick Santorum was given an opportunity to apologize for what the CNN boss referred to as the ex-senators inappropriate and racist comments about Native Americans, but because he refused to do so, the network ultimately fired the conservative pundit.And elsewhere in Tuesdays town hall, Zucker downplayed the impact of AT&Ts decision to merge WarnerMedia, CNNs parent company, with Discovery. Asked about whether CNN could be spun off as part of the deal, the network chief said he did not think that was in the cards.And when pressed on his own future at the network, Zucker said he plans to have conversations with the right people very soon.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. BIG RAPIDS Big Rapids city commissioners approved a contract this week to conduct deer culls in specific areas of the city. The agreement authorizes the USDA Wildlife Services to conduct four deer culls. The culls will occur during nighttime hours between now and April 1 in the specified areas of Willow, Magnolia, Lilac, Winter and River streets, at a cost of $7,500. Wildlife Services will safely, humanely and effectively remove deer in urban areas with the use of lethal suppressed rifles, Big Rapids Police Chief Danielle Haynes said at Monday's city commission meeting. City Manager Mark Gifford said the city approved a similar contract with the USDA Wildlife services last year and working with professionals seemed like the best way to go. The plan was based on a process established over several years to maintain community support for the deer culls, Haynes added. The primary concern for residents is the destruction of private property, she said. Haynes is conducting a citizen survey to get input on the proposed deer cull. To date, she said, there have been five responses in opposition to the deer cull and 20 responses in support. The survey will remain open for additional public input, she said. At a previous meeting, DNR Wildlife biologist Pete Kailing told commissioners that controlling the deer population with nonlethal means was difficult because of the increasing population in the state and the mobility of the herds. The county is loaded with deer, and the population is creeping upward, he said. You have to take some deer out to take the edge off, but meanwhile, residents can do some landscaping and fencing to deter them. You have to learn to live with the deer to the extent possible. The USDA Wildlife Services conducted a deer cull in January 2020 in the neighborhood surrounding the hospital at the request of the city, following complaints from residents. Gifford suggested they expand their efforts to control the deer population going forward. Fourteen deer culls have been performed in the city since 2001, according to information in the resolution. In 2014, a petition was signed by residents requesting the city develop and implement an annual plan for control of deer populations within the city. At that time, the city began working with the USDA Wildlife Services to help control the deer populations. Haynes suggested the city continue to utilize the USDA to conduct the deer cull, with the aim of eliminating 25 deer this year. The city will coordinate with Michigan Sportsman Against Hunger to process and donate the deer back into the community, the proposal stated. In other news, the commission also approved: A resolution to adopt the 2021 meeting schedule. Commission meetings will be at 6:30 p.m., the first and third Monday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Information about meeting times and dates may be found at the city website cityofbr.org. A resolution to move the proposal for revision of the city charter to the general election in November 2021. The city adopted a proposal to place the question of having a general revision of the city charter to the electorate in July 2020, originally planned for the May 2021 election. Due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic, the proposal will be placed on the November 2021 ballot. State Rep. Mike Reese was diagnosed with a mild case of COVID-19 a month ago, and his symptoms already were fading when he announced his positive test results on Dec. 7. On Saturday, the Republican who represented Westmoreland and Somerset Counties died of an apparent brain aneurysm, according to a statement from House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R., Centre/Mifflin). Were the two maladies related? COVID has been blamed for a variety of health problems outside the lungs including in the brain. But not aneurysms, said Barbara Albani, medical director for neurointerventional surgery at the ChristianaCare health system in Delaware. An aneurysm is a weak spot in the wall of an artery that balloons outward over time, in most cases for no apparent reason. Most people who have them do not realize it, and may go their whole lives without suffering any consequences. But when an aneurysm ruptures, as it did in Reeses case, the result is often catastrophic. The 42-year-old lawmaker died at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg with family members by his side. He is survived by his wife, Angela, and three children. The number of people with silent, undiagnosed brain aneurysms is unknown, though the rate has been estimated to be as high as 1 in 50, Albani said. Heredity seems to increase the risk both of having an aneurysm and an eventual rupture, so physicians recommend a brain scan for patients with a history of the condition in more than one close relative. Heavy drinking, cigarette smoking, and high blood pressure also can increase the risk of rupture. Albani likened the risk of high blood pressure to what would happen if you tried to overinflate an automobile tire with a weak spot or blister in the sidewall. The last thing you want to do is hook it up to an air compressor, she said. But for most people, the causes of aneurysms and ruptures are unclear. COVID-19 can lead to an entirely different brain problem a stroke when abnormal inflammation prompts the formation of blood clots, blocking an artery and cutting off the flow of oxygen. A ruptured aneurysm is the opposite problem, resulting in bleeding in the brain. Given that aneurysms can have such grim consequences, should everyone get scanned and have them treated? Absolutely not, Albani said. Thats because most will not cause any immediate problem, if ever. Watching and waiting is the usual plan. A physician may at some point recommend noninvasive surgery to repair the weak spot, but only if the potential benefits outweigh the risks. That decision is based on a complex algorithm that takes into account such factors as the size of an aneurysm, whether it is growing, and the patients age and underlying health, Albani said. The one absolute imperative is to seek immediate emergency care in the event of a sudden, severe headache that has no other explanation. People with ruptured aneurysms sometimes describe the resulting headache as a thunderclap, Albani said. The bottom line, she said: COVID-19 has blame for plenty of things laid at its doorstep. But aneurysms are not on the list. Beshear Vows to Pick up COVID-19 Vaccination Pace By West Kentucky Star Staff, The Associated Press FRANKFORT - Governor Andy Beshear is pledging that the state will pick up the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations.Beshear made the promise Monday while announcing more than 2,300 new coronavirus cases and 26 more virus-related deaths statewide."We've got to get these things out faster. I'm not OK with the pace that they are currently being provided. We have too many people out there who are rightfully anxious, and they need to see this whole country pick up the pace. We are certainly going to do it here in Kentucky," said Gov. Beshear. "Today we're going to talk about some changes we're making, some additional clarification, so if we ever have another case like those two stores that thaw too much vaccine again, they know exactly what population should get it."The state's public health commissioner, Dr. Steven Stack, says the goal is for every Kentucky site giving the shots to administer at least 90% of all vaccine within a week of receiving it."We are committed to getting this done quickly, efficiently and in the best way we know how and are able to deliver. We're committed to ramping up the pace dramatically," said Dr. Stack. "We're asking every vaccination site to use the prioritization guidance and stick with that, but the top level goal is for every vaccine administration site in the state to administer 90% or more of the vaccine doses they receive within one week, so we don't have vaccine doses waiting in a freezer until the next week."Beshear says the plan to accelerate vaccinations statewide will include building larger operations to get more people through.You can see Beshear's full update below. IRVINE, Calif. (Jan. 5, 2021) Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported total December sales of 31,308 vehicles, achieving best-ever December results and an increase of 18.2 percent compared to December 2019. Full year sales in 2020 totaled 279,076 vehicles sold, an increase of 0.2 percent compared to 2019. With 28 selling days in December, compared to 25 in 2019, the company posted an increase of 5.5 percent on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis in December. With 309 selling days in 2020, compared to 307 in 2019, the company posted a decrease of 0.5 percent on a DSR basis for the year. Overall, our sales improved in 2020, which is remarkable when you consider the events of the year, MNAO President Jeff Guyton said. This isnt the year anyone expected, and Mazdas approach to 2020 was informed by 100 years of operations and always finding innovative ways to brighten peoples lives. Our dynamic product lineup, purposeful community programs, enhanced dealership experience, and new financial partner have led to our success. Sales Highlights Sales of Mazdas family of crossovers, including the CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, and CX-9, totaled 220,457 for the year, an increase of 11 percent compared to 2019. December sales of all crossovers increased 20.8 percent with 25,671 vehicles sold. Sales of the CX-9 increased 2.9 percent in 2020 with 27,638 vehicles sold. The CX-5 saw its best month ever in December, with sales increasing 14.1 percent with 17,954 vehicles sold. CX-30 saw its best month in December with 4,408 vehicles sold. Sales of the CX-30 totaled 38,064 in 2020. Sales of the MX-5 Miata increased 13.6 percent in 2020 with 8,807 vehicles sold. December sales totaled 694 vehicles, an increase of 58.1 percent. Full year CPO sales totaled 66,193 vehicles, an increase of 8.4 percent compared to 2019. CPO sales totaled 5,945 vehicles in December, an increase of 23.9 percent compared to December 2019. Despite its challenges, 2020 was a memorable year for Mazda, as the brand focused on community efforts and achieved many milestones in the US. Major announcements included: The launch of Mazdas new financial services provider, Mazda Financial Services. The celebration of Mazdas centennial with the announcement of the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata 100th Anniversary Special Edition. The announcement of the Mazda3 winning World Car Design of the Year. The launch of the Essential Car Care Program, which helped provide free oil changes and enhanced cleaning to thousands of healthcare heroes. The launch of Mazda3 Turbo and CX-30 Turbo. The launch of the Mazda Heroes Program. The CX-30 joined the list of Mazda vehicles awarded by IIHS as 2020 TOP SAFETY PICK+ recipients. Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported December sales of 4,843 vehicles, a decrease of 18 percent compared to December 2019. Full year sales decreased 23.2 percent, with 46,117 vehicles sold. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through approximately 620 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. Government High School, Lakkar Bazaar, was shut down on Tuesday after a science teacher, who is also its officiating in-charge, tested positive for Covid-19. As the post of the headmaster is lying vacant for the last few months, the principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Multipurpose, Navdeep Romana, has been handling the additional charge of the school, apart from the science teacher. After the teacher informed Romana about her Covid test result on Monday night, the latter informed the health department, who asked the teacher to remain in home quarantine for 14 days. The school has been shut down and 11 other teachers have been tested at the civil hospital. Meanwhile, the students of Classes 9 and 10 have been directed to stay at home and revise their syllabus. Romana said a clerk of GHS, Lakkar Bazaar, visited the multipurpose school for some official work recently. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, all their teachers will also get themselves tested. Earlier on January 3, some teachers of the high school were also deputed at the senior secondary school as invigilators for the Punjab State Talent Search Examination. District education officer, elementary-cum-secondary, Rajinder Kaur said, The teachers, who have been tested, have been asked to stay isolated till the results arrive. Students who came in contact with the teacher concerned should also get themselves tested. Over the past four months, two principals, 16 teachers, one clerk and a mid-day meal worker at 10 schools have been found infected. Among them were four teachers and a mid-day meal cook at Government Senior Secondary School, Manak Majra, who tested positive in December last year. The same month, three teachers of Government High School, Kailash Nagar, were also found positive. The San Antonio Police Department issued only one citation and 21 warnings for fireworks use on New Year's Eve, despite videos showing illegal fireworks lighting up the night sky. Police did not say why the one citation was given or how many fireworks calls officers responded to that night. Certain fireworks were banned in Bexar County ahead of the New Year's Eve celebrations. In an order approved by the County Commissioner's Court last month, residents aren't allowed to sell, detonate or ignite fireworks classified as "sky rocket sticks" or "missiles with fins" through Jan. 14. A violation of the order could result in a Class C Misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $2,000. READ ALSO: Watch: Illegal fireworks lit up the San Antonio skyline on New Year's Eve The ban didn't stop San Antonio from lighting up the night sky with a spectacular display of fireworks to ring in 2021. According to the SAPD, the vast majority of the fireworks calls had no complainants or refused complainants. Officers were also dispatched to patrol different locations in which no contact was made with a suspected violator. The city also did not set up a fireworks hotline for residents to reports violators, which may have contributed to the lack of citations and warnings. Residents were advised to report illegal fireworks to SAPD's non-emergency line. The police department would then prioritize the calls and its response "based on risk assessment and the current demand for calls." The previous year, SAPD yielded nearly 1,000 calls about fireworks activity, but no citations were given. In 2018, there was only one ticket written by an SAPD officer, according to the San Antonio Express-News. There were four in 2017, two in 2016 and one in 2015. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway The Charleston Harbor tidal gauge logged more records in 2020. It recorded 68 tidal floods the second-most ever at the station. The highest year, when water levels reached 7 feet or higher 89 times, was in 2019. The database of flood events maintained by the National Weather Service dates to 1953. 2020 also brought the highest ever amount of "major" tidal floods, when water levels rise to 8 feet, causing significant disruption in the region. That happened seven times last year, which is an even more remarkable milestone considering the region was not directly affected by a hurricane. While 2020's records are just one data point, it's another sign that tidal flooding in the city driven by man-made climate change is worsening. The pace of flooding is speeding up, according to institutions such as the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which has plotted an exponential trend of higher seas for Charleston. "So far it seems that the last 10 years weve seen a definite acceleration," said Doug Marcy, a coastal hazards specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Charleston. "Whether it stays that way for another 10, thats a good question." Steve Rowley, the science and operations officer for the Weather Service in Charleston, said certain factors in the region have always led to tidal flooding: the low-lying nature of Charleston, spring and fall periods when the moon is closer to the Earth, and weather patterns where northeast winds pile water against the shore. As seas rise, he said, that makes it easier for a weather event or lunar cycle to push water on to land. Among the most striking data points last year was that Charleston broke its record for a major flood without any hurricanes coming ashore, even as a historic 30 named storms spun in the Atlantic basin. Two tropical systems had a minor impact on the city the relatively weak Tropical Storm Bertha washed across the Lowcountry in May and Hurricane Isaias passed offshore in August. Neither one contributed to a major tidal flood. "That's a little concerning" that a hurricane, which can push surges of water ashore, didn't play a part in Charleston's record, Rowley said. Mark Wilbert, the chief resilience officer for the city of Charleston, said that for some in the city it may not have felt like a record year because there were fewer intense rainstorms that swamped the region. But for him, the trend of accelerating flooding is clear. Other records have fallen within the past decade, including 2015, the year with the third-most total floods, according to the Weather Service database. "If you look at the data from the last five years, we as a city can not afford to ignore it," Wilbert said. The city is in the midst of several projects to deal with tidal and rainfall flooding, including the final stages of the underground Spring-Fishburne drainage tunnels and a feasibility study by the Army Corps of Engineers on a wall that could protect downtown from surging tides. More detail on the Army Corps proposal is expected in the first quarter of this year. SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - Armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced the ship to change course and travel to Iran, the vessel's owner said Tuesday, the latest maritime seizure by Tehran amid heightened tensions with the West over its nuclear program. In this photo released Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021 by the Iranian army, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, center, listens to an explanation while visiting at a display of drones prior to a drill, Iran. The Iranian military on Tuesday began a wide-ranging, two-day aerial drill in the country's north, state media reported, featuring combat and surveillance unmanned aircraft, as well as naval drones dispatched from vessels in Iran's southern waters. (Iranian Army via AP) SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of - Armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced the ship to change course and travel to Iran, the vessel's owner said Tuesday, the latest maritime seizure by Tehran amid heightened tensions with the West over its nuclear program. The military raid on Monday on the MT Hankuk Chemi was at odds with Iranian explanations that they stopped the vessel for polluting the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, it appeared the Islamic Republic sought to increase its leverage over Seoul ahead of negotiations over billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks amid a U.S. pressure campaign targeting Iran. An Iranian government spokesman, when asked on Tuesday about the seizure, offered Tehran's bluntest acknowledgement yet of a link with the frozen assets. If anybody is to be called a hostage taker, it is the South Korean government that has taken our more than $7 billion hostage under a futile pretext, spokesman Ali Rabiei said. Iran on Monday also began enriching uranium up to 20%, a small technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%, at its underground Fordo facility. That move appeared aimed at pressuring the U.S. in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration, which unilaterally withdrew from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. Later on Tuesday, comments by the head of Iran's civilian nuclear program suggested Tehran's current production of uranium enriched to 20% wouldn't reach levels needed for a nuclear weapon for over two years, potentially giving time for negotiations under President-elect Joe Biden. An official at DM Shipping Co. Ltd. of Busan, South Korea, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to talk to journalists, offered details of the Hankuk Chemi's seizure. The vessel had been travelling from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates when Iranian forces reached the ship and said they would board it. Initially, Iranian forces said they wanted to run an unspecified check on the ship, the official said. As the vessel's captain spoke to company security officials back in South Korea, armed Iranian troops stormed the tanker as an Iranian helicopter flew overhead, the official said. The troops demanded the captain sail the tanker into Iranian waters over an unspecified investigation and refused to explain themselves, the official added. The company has since been unable to reach the captain, the official said. Security cameras installed on the ship that initially relayed footage on the scene on the deck to the company are now turned off, the official said. After the company lost contact with the captain, the company received an anti-piracy security alert notice, suggesting the captain activated an onboard warning system, the official said. It remains unclear if the ship tried to call for outside assistance. The U.S. Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet routinely patrols the area along with an American-led coalition monitoring the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world's oil passes. A separate European-led effort also operates there as well. The official denied the vessel had been polluting the waters. In past months Iran has sought to escalate pressure on South Korea to unlock some $7 billion in frozen assets from oil sales earned before the Trump administration tightened sanctions on the countrys oil exports. The head of Irans central bank recently announced that the country was seeking to use funds tied up in a South Korean bank to purchase coronavirus vaccines through COVAX, an international program designed to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to participating countries. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it plans to dispatch a delegation of officials to Iran for talks on securing the early release of the ship and its crew members. The crew included sailors from Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea and Vietnam, according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. South Koreas Defence Ministry said it was sending its anti-piracy unit to near the Strait of Hormuz a 4,400-ton-class destroyer with about 300 troops. South Koreas presidential office said Tuesday it views Irans ship seizure very gravely. Foreign Ministry's spokesman Choi Young-sam said Iranian officials have assured South Korea that the ships crew were all safe. He said an Iran-based South Korean diplomat has been dispatched to the location of the detained ship. The U.S. State Department joined South Korea in calling for the tankers immediate release, accusing Iran of threatening navigational rights and freedoms in the Persian Gulf in order to extort the international community into relieving the pressure of sanctions. Last year, Iran similarly seized a British-flagged oil tanker and held it for months after one of its tankers was held off Gibraltar. Meanwhile in Tehran, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran told state television that the Islamic Republic's current production of 20%-enriched uranium would be around 9 kilograms (20 pounds) a month. The comments by Ali Akbar Salehi mean that Iran would need over two years at that rate to have the 240 kilograms (530 pounds) experts say is needed to reprocess to weapons-grade levels of 90%. Salehi said Iran also was working to install newer, faster centrifuges at its facilities. Also Tuesday, the Iranian military began a wide-ranging, two-day aerial drill in the country's north, state media reported, featuring combat and surveillance unmanned aircraft, as well as naval drones dispatched from vessels in Iran's southern waters. State TV broadcast footage of scores of drones on a runway in the northern province of Semnan near the vast Kavir Desert. Iran has previously conducted drills with military drones; it routinely releases footage from surveillance drones of U.S. aircraft carriers passing through the Persian Gulf. This week's drill also incorporates modern suicide drones" that hover over a battlefield before diving down to a target, the TV report said. Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran; and Isabel DeBre in Dubai contributed to this report. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The call with Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger on Saturday was the latest step by the president to pressure a state official to reverse the outcome of a free and fair election that he lost Brussels: President Donald Trumps extraordinary, wheedling telephone call to state officials in Georgia seeking to overturn the election results there has shaken many Europeans not so much for what it reveals about Trump himself, but for what it may portend for the health of American democracy. With just 16 days left in his presidency, Trumps capacity to shock the world with his epic self-centredness and disregard for democratic and ethical norms is vanishing. The president has revealed himself many times before this latest episode, when he badgered and threatened Georgia officials to find him the votes needed to flip the state. But if Trump has not moved on, the world has. Foreign leaders are looking forward, even as many worry that the Trump effect will last for years, damaging trust in American predictability and reliability. A lot of people will just roll their eyes and wait for the clock to run down, said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the US and Americas program at Chatham House, the British research institution. But by far the most troubling thing is the number of Republicans who are willing to go along with him and what its doing to the Republican Party, playing out in real time. A group of House Republicans has vowed to challenge Joe Bidens Electoral College win Wednesday when Congress meets to certify it, and at least a dozen Republican senators are expected to join them, forcing a vote, though it is all but certain to fail. With Trump continuing to have such a hold over the party and winning more than 74 million votes in November, Vinjamuri said, It shows us that it will be incredibly difficult to govern the country in the next year or so. If so many Americans feel that the election was fraudulent, it looks like America cant even secure the most fundamental norms of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power, when losers have to accept that they lost, she said. Indeed to distant observers, the corrosive effects of Trumps presidency are not isolated to Trump himself but extend far beyond the president to the deep coterie of enablers around him, in the White House and his party, and even to an American public in which significant numbers believe that their democracy has been compromised and cannot be trusted. The dangers that entail for foreign allies are manifold and will not be easily dispelled even with a new president. But they are raising special concerns before Trump exits. Patrick Chevallereau, a former French military officer now at RUSI, a defence research institution in London, said that the Trump call shows that the current president is in a mindset to do anything absolutely anything before 20 January. There is zero standard, zero reference, zero ethics. He added: Everything else than himself can be destroyed and collapse, including us. Thomas Wright, an Irish-born expert on the US at the Brookings Institution, said that People are worried for real that Trump will come back. The months since the election have shown people just how bad a second term would have been the guardrails off, a completely personalized government and giving voice to his authoritarian tendencies, he said. Now the rest of the world understands that Trump could actually make a comeback in 2024, so that is a shadow that he will cast over American politics, Wright said. World leaders all know that Trump is sort of crazy, but its the extremity of his actions, the lengths to which he has gone, that he got 74 million votes and is not retiring but will be a force for the Republicans that is disconcerting, he added. People knew what Trump is like, but the importance is the shadow of the future. Also troubling to many is the letter that the last 10 living secretaries of defence all signed urging the nation and the military to accept that the election is over and the time for questioning the results has passed. Jean-Marie Guehenno, a former French and United Nations diplomat who is president of the International Crisis Group, asked on Twitter: Should we be reassured on US democracy when 10 former defence secretaries warn against use of the military to dispute election results, or terrified that they believe taking a public stance has become necessary? The current acting secretary of defence, Christopher C Miller, has not cooperated fully with Biden's transition team, while Trumps former national security advisor Michael T Flynn, whom Trump recently pardoned, has called for martial law and had a meeting at the White House, and that has clearly caused concern. Its the things we dont know that are scary, Vinjamuri said. We dont know who else in the Pentagon is not cooperating, and its worrisome that these former secretaries clearly felt they had to issue a warning to people in the Pentagon that they need to uphold their oath to the Constitution. Francois Heisbourg, a French security analyst, jokingly asked, How many wars can you start in 16 days? But he, too, was struck by the autocratic tone of the Trump call and the hold Trump continues to have on so many key members of the Republican Party. If the Senate runoffs in Georgia produce Republican victories Tuesday despite this impeachable phone call, Heisbourg said, the international reaction will be that the Republicans are not going to divorce Trumpism after all, while Trump lost, they didnt lose the legislative elections but did better than two years ago. Trump's ability to get a grip on the party and keep it to the end is what is stunning and what scares people outside, he said. For others, Trumps behaviour is by now taken for granted, but so are its debilitating effects on Americas democracy and its standing in the world. Laurence Nardon, head of the North America program at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris, said that the Trump call was more of the same, so not especially shocking. American soft power, as a model of democracy, is damaged by Trumps actions, she said. But I think we have understood that his practice of power is an exception, even if his election is not an accident. Robin Niblett, director of Chatham House, said that in general, Europeans are no longer surprised by anything Trump does, but more disbelief that someone like Trump was ever president. There is confidence in the US system, Niblett said. But what is more worrying is how many significant Republican players believe that it will do them good to play to this gallery, this scorched-earth, fake, disinformation politics, in which you raise doubts in peoples minds about your own democracy and than use those doubts politically. The big risk, he said, is that even if the U.S. system can turn aside authoritarianism, there could be a really brutal dynamic that makes it hard for America to be the partner people overseas need and hope for. After this phone call, Germans are holding their breath about what Trump might do next, said Jana Puglierin, director of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. News like this confirms everything that Germans have been hearing in the media for the past four years, she said. The letter of the former defence secretaries was also an eye-opener in Berlin. They realised this is serious, Puglierin said. That they see a reason to write such a letter is shocking. Sophia Gaston, director of the British Foreign Policy Group, a research institution, said that Trumps desperate efforts to interfere with the election results and subvert Americas democracy are now almost universally regarded in Westminster as a pitiful last howl at the moon. More optimistically, she said: What is clear is that the tremendous impact that Trumps administration has had on Americas standing in the world is coming to an end. There are high hopes for Biden to restore Americas moral mission, and the focus in Britain is entirely on looking forward, identifying areas of alignment and common interest with the new Biden administration. Steven Erlanger c.2021 The New York Times Company Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 5, 2021) - China Keli Electric Company Ltd. (NEX: ZKL.H) (the "Company") announces today the results of its annual general and special meeting held on December 30, 2020 (the "Meeting"). At the Meeting, the Company elected Sou Wa Wong, Philip Lo and George Dorin as the new directors of the Company. A fourth nominee for election as a director, Alan Chan, was not elected at the Meeting pending the revocation of the outstanding cease trade order against the Company (the "CTO"). It is expected that the directors will appoint Mr. Chan to the board of the Company following the revocation of the CTO. The Company has applied to the British Columbia Securities Commission for the full revocation of the CTO. In connection therewith, audited financial statements, MD&A thereon and certifications thereto for the financial years ended April 30, 2019 and April 30, 2020 have been filed on SEDAR. In addition, interim financial statements, MD&A thereon and certifications thereto for the interim periods ended July 31, 2020 and October 31, 2020 have also been filed on SEDAR. All other items proposed at the Meeting were also approved including the appointment of K.R. Margetson Ltd. as auditors, the approval of the Company's stock option plan, and the approval of the 20:1 consolidation of the Company's common shares. Following the Meeting, the directors met to, among other things, appoint the officers. Based on the Company's current minimal operations, and to streamline management, Philip Lo was appointed as the CEO, CFO and Corporate Secretary of the Company. For further information, please contact: CHINA KELI ELECTRIC COMPANY LTD. Philip Lo, Chief Executive Officer Tel. No.: (86) 13632 173732 Email: philip@zkl.cc This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties about Keli's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada. All amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless noted otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/71435 Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/05/2021 -- The global electrical bushings market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.86%, from 2018 to 2023. In 2017, Asia Pacific was the largest market for electrical bushings, followed by Europe and North America. The growth of the electrical bushings market is mainly driven by rising electrical network expenditure and the increasing demand for electrical equipment from end-users such as railways and renewable. The electrical bushing application has been segmented into transformer, switchgear, and others. The others segment includes circuit breakers, generators, reactors, and wall applications. The transformer segment held the largest market share in 2017 and is expected to be the fastest-growing market from 2018 to 2023. Increasing investments in T&D networks and rising installation of electrical equipment such as transformers, switchgears, and circuit breakers are the major factors driving the transformer segment during the forecast period. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=219476017 The electrical bushing end-user has been segmented into utilities, industries, and others. The others segment includes railways and metro, renewable, and the commercial sector. The utilities segment held the largest market share in 2017 and is expected to be the fastest-growing market from 2018 to 2023. Bushings are the most important component of transformers and switchgears as they control the electric field and reduce electrical stresses. Many utilities are upgrading or adding T&D capacity, thereby, boosting the demand for electrical bushings. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing market Asia Pacific held the largest market share in 2017 and is expected to be the fastest-growing market from 2018 to 2023. It is the most populated region in the world and consequently witnesses a high demand for electricity. Increasing grid investments especially in developing economies such as China and India and plans for electrification in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines are expected to drive the electrical bushings market in Asia Pacific. China accounted for the largest share of the electrical bushings market in Asia Pacific in 2017. The National Energy Administration of China estimates a cumulative investment of USD 280 billion is required to increase the length of the transmission lines in the ultra-high voltage (more than 800 kV) network, under its 20152020 Power Grid Construction and Reform Plan. This eventually increases the demand for power equipment such as transformers, generators, and circuit breakers, thereby creating business opportunities for the electrical bushings market in Asia Pacific. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=219476017 The electrical bushings market is dominated by a few global players. The key players operating in this market include ABB (Switzerland), Siemens (Germany), GE (US), Eaton (Ireland), and Nexans (France). The other players in the market include BHEL (India), CG Power (India), Elliot Industries (US), Gamma (Colombia), GIPRO GmbH (Austria), Hubbell (US), Polycast International (Canada), RHM International (US), Toshiba (Japan), and Webster-Wilkinson (UK). About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA : 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/electrical-bushing.asp In the American West, a ration of reverence usually is given to the grizzled Anglo rancher who rises at a public hearing and announces that his people have been on the land for five generations. So what are we to make of Rep. Deb Haaland, a citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, who says that her people have been in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico for 35 generations dating to the 13th century? Native history is American history, she told me. Regardless of where you are in this country now, youre on ancestral Indian land, and that land has a history. As Joe Bidens choice for interior secretary, Haaland is poised to make a rare positive mark in the history of how a nation of immigrants treated the countrys original inhabitants. She would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary a distinction that has prompted celebration throughout Indian Country. I havent been the one making policy, she said. But Ive been the one on the receiving end of it. There will be plenty of sniping, second-guessing and disappointment among the tribes by people who expect much of Haaland having a seat at the big table. But for now, we should let this moment breathe. I spoke to her on the anniversary of a day of infamy. On December 29, 1890, the U.S. Army slaughtered men, women and children at Wounded Knee in South Dakota. Government policy was to strip Indians of their language, culture and religion, with children sent off to boarding schools where they were taught that the old ways were wrong. At the end of the 19th century, the popular view was that Indigenous people would soon disappear. And yet here is Haaland, one of more than 5 million Native Americans, ready to knock down some of the last barriers of time and terrain in this country. Her personal story alone makes Haaland an anomaly in the parlors of power. Soon after graduating from college, she became a single mother. She was sometimes dependent on food stamps, and she once ran a small business selling homemade salsa to make a living and support her child. As a freshman representative in 2019, she was still paying off her student loans. When she ran for office, her slogan was Congress has never heard a voice like mine. Now the person with that voice could soon be overseeing one-fifth of the land in the United States. As interior secretary, her portfolio would include national parks, wildlife refuges, the U.S. Geological Survey and the vast acreage of the Bureau of Land Management. Interior, for good reason, is known as the Department of Everything Else. As such, she would also be overseeing millions of acres taken from Indians in treaties broken over the past several centuries, and would be the top government liaison with 574 federally recognized tribes the nations within a nation. This is quite the compass from a deep slot in the earth near the Grand Canyon, wherein dwell the Havasupai, to the rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula, home of the Makah Nation, to urban neighborhoods that house Indians struggling with health care access. I wish we could right some wrongs, she said of the centuries-old saga of sorrow. But going into the new year, she seems content to try to right the many wrongs that Donald Trumps administration has inflicted on the land. Trumps first interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, literally rode into office on a horse named Tonto and then promptly launched a campaign to make it easier to drill on public land. The current secretary, David Bernhardt, was an oil and gas lobbyist whose public service on behalf of his former clients was warmly received by his old friends. Biden has pledged to end all new oil and gas drilling on these rangelands, forests and plains an enormous change that will be fought fiercely by those who profit from land owned by all Americans. He also has promised to restore Bears Ears National Monument, a marvel of sandstone, mountains and Native sacred sites in the Southwest that was gutted by Trump, who reduced the size of the protected area by 85%. Haaland is eager for the opportunity to do something lasting. Ill be fierce for all of us, for our planet and all of our protected land, she said in December. But its the weight of Native history that makes the choice of Haaland so extraordinary, as she acknowledged. This moment is profound when we consider the fact that a former secretary of the interior once proclaimed it his goal to, quote, civilize or exterminate us. She was referring to Alexander H.H. Stuart, the secretary of the interior in the early 1850s in the Fillmore administration. Exterminate was no exaggeration. The census of 1900 counted more than 237,000 Native Americans, a population collapse of nearly 90%, in the estimate of many ethnohistorians, from the time of first European contact. Some of the atrocities are well known. But less well known is how the government made it a crime for Natives to practice their religion. It was a violation of the First Amendment to lock people up for enacting the rituals of faith unless they worshipped Native gods through certain dances and ceremonies deemed criminal by the government. A consistent plea from Indian Country today is a request that fellow Americans consider Native people as much more than living relics locked in a tragic past. Haaland aims to ensure that. Ill never forget where I came from, she said. But, she added, I love this opportunity. Even if she cant reverse history, she is poised to make some. TIMOTHY EGAN is a columnist for The New York Times. Congress leader Manish Tiwari on Tuesday hit out at the Centre for prematurely rolling out Covaxin, Bharat Biotech International Limiteds locally developed vaccine for Covid-19, without the completion of its phase III trials. The Drugs Controller General of India on Sunday announced that it has approved Covaxin along with the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India. The immunisation roll-out will begin with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. A number of eminent etymologists and other medical practitioners have expressed surprise with regard to the fact that this vaccine has been cleared without phase III trials having been completed, Tiwari said. This obviously raises questions with regard to the efficacy of the vaccine. Also Read: 20 more people in India test positive for new UK Covid-19 strain; total reaches 58 Tiwari added it would have been more prudent for the government to have waited for the completion of the entire process in accordance with the established norms, protocols, and rules before authorising the vaccine. Emergency authorisation or not, all the protocols should have been followed. There have been widespread concerns expressed by the medical community regarding the manner in which the vaccine has been granted approval. Experts have cautioned against the shorter duration of human trials and lack of data available. The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine has been granted emergency use approval, while Covaxin restricted emergency use authorisation. Tiwari is the third Congress leader after former union ministers Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh to express concerns regarding Covaxin. In other words, those Indians who would be administered Covaxin would, in effect, be volunteers for the required third stage clinical trial - without the mandatory informed consent. This is, to put it mildly, highly unusual. It is also ethically dubious, Tharoor said. In a tweet, Ramesh said, Bharat Biotech is a first-rate enterprise, but it is puzzling that internationally-accepted protocols relating to phase 3 trials are being modified for Covaxin. Health Minister @drharshvardhan should clarify. Congress leader Anand Sharma-led parliamentary standing committee on home affairs has also advised caution in granting emergency approval to the vaccines. Despite the spike, Hanse believes there is "light at the end of the tunnel" because of the vaccine's availability. Nursing homes, through a federal program, partnered with pharmacies to administer the vaccine to residents. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday 288 of 611 New York nursing homes that participated in the program have already completed the first doses of the vaccine. (It requires two doses, the second of which is administered three weeks later.) Sheedy said 193 residents at The Commons about three-quarters of the residents at the facility and 113 employees received their first dose of the vaccine in late December. More employees will get their first dose during the second vaccination clinic on Jan. 12. "Our staff continues to do everything it possibly can to keep COVID outside our doors, and our employees have made tremendous personal sacrifices to limit their own exposure," Sheedy said. "But they still need to go to grocery stores in order to feed their families. Their children need to go to school and daycare. And many of our employees rely on public transportation. "We NEED the community to stay home whenever possible and follow the recommended safety guidelines, including wearing masks, washing or sanitizing your hands, and social distancing." Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Northern Ireland Executive met this evening to discuss the concerning progression of the Covid-19 pandemic. Last month the Executive moved ahead of other jurisdictions to make an intervention that saw the introduction of strict, wide-ranging measures from December 26 for a period of six weeks, and tonight discussed what additional measures are necessary given the very high levels of virus transmission within the community and the impending pressure on the hospital system from the large numbers of cases. A spokesperson said Executive agreed that it will move to put staying at home into regulations and a paper will be brought to the Executive tomorrow setting out the detail, including restrictions on travel. Ministers have also indicated that there will be an extended period of remote learning for schools and the Education Minister will bring forward a paper tomorrow on this issue. The Executive will consider further advice from the Department of Health setting out the public health situation and future implications, and Ministers will update the Assembly on Wednesday on the decisions they reach at tomorrows meeting. (HealthDay)In late December, Dr. Ada Stewart asked her staff to check on a patient who had missed an appointment. She soon learned that the patient had no transportation for the 45-minute drive, so Stewart offered to conduct the appointment by phone instead. "It still accomplished so much. I was able to see how their diabetes was doing, how they were preparing for the holiday season, how they were really feeling mentally," said Stewart, a family physician at Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers in Columbia, S.C., and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. That's just one example of how doctors are using telemedicinehaving appointments by phone or video callto check in with their patients. Telemedicine isn't new, but the COVID-19 pandemic has really put the technology front and center, with clinics closing for certain services after state and local governments issued stay-at-home orders to help prevent the spread of the virus. And even when doctors' offices were open, some patients avoided in-person appointments due to COVID-19 fears. Besides giving telemedicine a boost, the pandemic has also fostered the rise of innovative medical services, everything from getting prescriptions by mail to drive-through virus testing and pharmacy-based vaccinations. Many of those innovative approaches to health care are likely to linger long after the pandemic ebbs, experts say. "We saw the benefits that telehealth provided," Stewart said. "People were able to receive access to health care. We were able to reach out to our patients who were afraid to come into the office to be seen. It really afforded that opportunity to still take care of our patients and do so in a safe way." Telemedicine also gave physicians the ability to keep their practices, which might otherwise have been shuttered as patients stayed home. "We had to pivot," Stewart explained. "We had always talked about telehealth and incorporating it into our practices," but 2020 brought the technology to the fore. The American Academy of Family Physicians distinguishes between telehealth and telemedicine. Telemedicine, the academy says, is using technology to deliver care from a distance, whereas telehealth is the technology and services to provide that distance care. Prior to the pandemic, telemedicine was already growing in the United States, especially in mental health services. But it still only reached a small minority of patients, about 4% of the population, according to Lori Uscher-Pines, a senior policy researcher at the nonprofit RAND Corporation, which works to impact policy through research and analysis. Restrictions on telemedicine delivery were a major barrier to growth. For example, many insurance providers would only reimburse telemedicine visits under specific circumstances. However, "at the start of the public health emergency, payers across the board really relaxed restrictions on telemedicine, so patients could be served at home and that would support social distancing and help patients continue to get the care that they need," Uscher-Pines said. "As a result, we've seen telemedicine use really skyrocket." Enhancing, not replacing, in-person care A study recently published in JAMA Network Open evaluated how health services changed in March and April 2020, during the early part of the pandemic in the United States, among 6.8 million people covered by commercial insurance. The study found that use of in-person medical services dropped by 23% in March and 52% in April, and that telemedicine services grew by more than 1000% in March and more than 4000% in April. That doesn't mean telemedicine completely replaced in-person care: The increase in telemedicine only offset about 40% of the decline in office visits. Prior to the pandemic, Deidre Keeves and her team at UCLA Health in Los Angeles had been trying to get physicians to increase their use of video visits with modest success, averaging about 100 visits per day for several months. But from March through May of 2020 they jumped to 3,000 to 4,000 visits per day, Keeves said. More recently, UCLA Health doctors were doing about 2,700 telemedicine visits a day. Keeves said she expects that pace to continue averaging that number, even once the pandemic is under control. She sees telehealth as beneficial for patients, who save on time and travel, as well as for physicians, who can reach a geographically wider population. "We think that telehealth is here to stay. Our patients are expecting it. Our doctors are very happy with it, and it's a great avenue for care," said Keeves, who is director of connected health applications at UCLA Health. "We're expecting that about 20% of our volume is going to continue to be through telehealth." In-person visits continue to be necessary anytime a person needs a procedure, such as a biopsy, lab test or vaccine injection, Keeves said. Telehealth works for follow-up visits, medication instructions and talking with a mental health provider. UCLA Health is located in Southern California, a current crisis area for COVID-19. Keeves said staff are also monitoring some coronavirus patients at home with the use of pulse oximetry (which measures blood oxygen levels) and regular check-ins with clinicians. "We at UCLA Health don't feel that video visits are a replacement for in-person care," Keeves stressed. "We are not using technology to replace the doctor-patient relationship. We're using technology to supplement and support that relationship." Direct-to-consumer safety valve What's known as "direct-to-consumer" telemedicine was also growing even before the pandemic, Uscher-Pines added. That involves scheduling a visit with a doctor who works for an online-only service provider. It's typically used when someone has a minor acute illness, not a severe condition. Uscher-Pines was an author on a study that appeared recently in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The study focused on the experiences of one such telemedicine supplier, called Doctor On Demand, a national telehealth service provider. Researchers compared data from February to June in 2019 and February to June 2020. They found that total visit volume increased from March through April 7, 2020, by 59% above the baseline, before declining to 15% above the baseline through the week of June 2, 2020. The growth wasn't typically fueled by COVID-19 concerns, but rather by visits for issues of behavioral health and chronic illness. In this way, "telehealth services may play a role as a 'safety valve' for patients who have difficulty accessing care during a public health emergency," the study concluded. Pharmacies also fill gaps Other innovations that have expanded during the pandemic range from drive-through COVID-19 testing to pharmacy-based vaccinations for younger children. In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) authorized state-licensed pharmacists to vaccinate children age 3 and up. That followed a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, issued in May 2020, that found a "troubling drop" in routine immunizations for children. "What I love about pharmacy is we've really stepped up to be a very essential access point for people when a lot of other things might have been closed," said Sandra Leal, president-elect of the American Pharmacists Association and executive vice president of SinfoniaRx, which works with health plans to do comprehensive medication reviews with patients via telehealth. Another change Leal noted is that pharmacists can now conduct COVID-19 testing within their communities. In April, HHS allowed licensed pharmacists to test patients for COVID-19. As the pandemic forced office closures, SinfoniaRx's team worked with patients to do not only the usual work of ensuring they had no medication questions, but also talking about COVID-19. "We're finding that so many people have so many questions around COVID and the pandemic, and vaccines and when they're going to be available to them," Leal said. "We're really trying to address those concerns." Ordering prescriptions by mail is a service that's been around for a long time, Leal said. In May, the Wall Street Journal reported that mail-order prescriptions had risen 21% over the previous year during the last week in March. Yet, Leal said patients are concerned about postal delays, which can be a big problem for people with certain conditions, such as people with type 1 diabetes who need insulin. Future depends on policy The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted health inequities, and the shift to a broader acceptance of telemedicine is an opportunity to improve health care in the United States, Stewart said. She would like to see telemedicine continue, along with the technology infrastructure to ensure that health care is equitable. Uscher-Pines said that it may be difficult to return to the pre-pandemic status quo, with its focus on office visits, because providers and patients are now familiar with and appreciate the convenience of telemedicine. "I think that what ultimately happens with telemedicine really depends on how the policy environment evolves," she said. "There is a lot of action going on at both the state and federal level right now on telemedicine policy, and a lot of strategizing on what should stay permanent and what should go back." Explore further Study shows incorporating telemedicine helps surgical practices Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Big business has slammed the Republicans planning to challenge the election result when Congress votes tomorrow. The Chamber of Commerce said that the bid by the Trump administration and a group of at least 12 GOP Senators to block Joe Biden's win 'undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division.' The sentiment was echoed by scores of Wall Street CEOs who wrote that efforts 'to thwart or delay this process run counter to the essential tenets of our democracy.' Last night, Donald Trump was whipping up support in Georgia, telling supporters at a rally that he'd 'fight like hell' to keep Joe Biden out of the White House. So far, the president has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators, including Josh Hawley (Mo.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Ron Johnson (Wis.), and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge Biden's 306-232 Electoral College win. The Chamber of Commerce said it 'undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division across our nation.' The sentiment was echoed by scores of Wall Street CEOs who wrote that efforts 'to thwart or delay this process run counter to the essential tenets of our democracy.' The Chamber of Commerce, a colossal lobbying group and virtual embodiment of the business establishment, and the Partnership for New York City, a select group of CEOs from nearly three hundred of Wall Street's top firms, penned excoriating statements on Monday. The Chamber of Commerce said: 'Efforts by some members of Congress to disregard certified election results in an effort to change the election outcome or to try a make a long-term political point undermines our democracy and the rule of law and will only result in further division. Senator Ted Cruz speaks to the crowd during the SAVE AMERICA TOUR at The Bowl at Sugar Hill on January 3rd, 2021 in Sugar Hill, Georgia 'We urge Congress to fulfill its responsibility in counting the electoral votes, the Trump administration to facilitate an orderly transition for the incoming Biden administration, and all of our elected officials to devote their energies to combatting the pandemic and supporting our economic recovery.' Meanwhile the Partnership for New York City said: 'This presidential election has been decided and it is time for the country to move forward. 'President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have won the Electoral College and the courts have rejected challenges to the electoral process. 'Congress should certify the electoral vote on Wednesday.' With Biden set to be inaugurated on January 20, Trump is intensifying efforts to prevent the traditional transfer of power. On a call disclosed on Sunday, he can be heard pressuring Georgia officials to 'find' him 11,780 votes from the November 3 election he lost in that state. But the Republican efforts to challenge the election in Congress are almost certain to fail in the Democrat-controlled House and in the Senate, where although the GOP have a small majority, several Republican Senators have said they won't support Trump. President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd at a rally Monday night in Dalton, Georgia. He immediately started talking about how he had won the 2020 presidential election, which he did not Trump last night said he's 'fight like hell' to hold on to the presidency and shouted out to a rally in Georgia that Biden was 'not gonna take this White House.' Mr Trump's announced purpose for the trip was to boost Republican Senate candidates in Tuesday's runoff election, but he spent much of his speech complaining bitterly about his election loss. Though he got nothing but cheers on Monday night, Mr Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election is splitting the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers backing him are rushing ahead, despite an outpouring of condemnation from current and former party officials warning the effort is undermining Americans' faith in democracy. All 10 living former defence secretaries wrote in an op-ed that 'the time for questioning the results has passed'. It is unclear the extent to which GOP leaders in Congress will be able to control Wednesday's joint session, which could drag into the night, though the challenges to the election are all but certain to fail. Mr Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Vice president Mike Pence, who is under pressure to tip the results for Mr Trump, will be closely watched as he presides in a ceremonial role over Wednesday's joint session. 'I promise you this: On Wednesday, we'll have our day in Congress,' Mr Pence said while himself campaigning in Georgia ahead of Tuesday's runoff elections that will determine control of the Senate. Mr Trump said in Georgia: 'I hope that our great vice president comes through for us. He's a great guy. Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him quite as much.' He added: 'No, Mike is a great guy.' Trump stood alongside Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler, who is facing a runoff race on Tuesday Loeffler announced that she will object to Joe Biden's victory during the campaign event alongside President Trump One of the Georgia Republicans in Tuesday's runoff - senator Kelly Loeffler, who faces Democrat Raphael Warnock - told the crowd she will join senators formally objecting to Mr Biden's win. The other Republican seeking reelection, David Perdue, who is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff, will not be eligible to vote. Mr Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials - Republican as well as Democratic in state after state - and courts up to the US Supreme Court. His former attorney general, William Barr, also has said there is no evidence of fraud that could change the election outcome. Mr Biden, speaking at a drive-in rally in Atlanta earlier on Monday, said Mr Trump 'spends more time whining and complaining' than he does working on solving the coronavirus pandemic. He added dismissively: 'I don't know why he still wants the job - he doesn't want to do the work.' During the day Monday, more current and former GOP officials rebuked the effort to upend the election. Former three-term senator John Danforth of Missouri said in a stinging statement: 'Lending credence to Trump's false claim that the election was stolen is a highly destructive attack. 'It is the opposite of conservative; it is radical.' The challenge to the presidential election is on a scale unseen since the aftermath of the Civil War, though the typically routine process of confirming Electoral College votes has been hit with brief objections before. In 2017, several House Democrats challenged Mr Trump's win, but Mr Biden, who presided at the time as the vice president, swiftly dismissed them to assert Mr Trump's victory. By Aziz El Yaakoubi AL-ULA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) -Embracing Qatar's ruler, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince pushed a deal to end a row with Doha at a Gulf summit on Tuesday to try to strengthen an Arab alliance against Iran, although a final declaration contained only a general pledge of solidarity. The kingdom's foreign minister said Riyadh and its Arab allies agreed to restore ties with Doha to end a boycott imposed in mid-2017, in a deal backed by Washington but which a United Arab Emirates official suggested would take time. While the communique contained no detailed confirmation of a deal, the apparent breakthrough signalled hope for mending a rift between major U.S. allies two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office and at a time of tensions with Iran. "There is political will and good faith" to guarantee implementation of the deal, Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud told a news conference, saying the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt had agreed to restore ties with Doha. His Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, tweeted that leaders "closed the page on disagreement". But UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash voiced a more cautious view in remarks to Al Arabiya TV, saying "we need to be realistic about the need to restore confidence and cohesion". He later told Sky News Arabia there was a timeline for ending the conflict, but gave no details. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States welcomed what he called a "breakthrough to restore Gulf and Arab unity." He added: "We hope the Gulf countries will continue to reconcile their differences. Restoring full diplomatic relations is imperative for all parties in the region to unite against common threats." The emerging deal followed mediation efforts by the United States and Kuwait, and a U.S. official has said Qatar would suspend legal cases related to the boycott. Story continues Ahead of the gathering in the historic city of al-Ula, also attended by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, Kuwait said Saudi Arabia would reopen its air space and borders to Qatar. The other three nations have yet to announce similar moves. 'DEFINING MOMENT' In a gesture of reconciliation, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, hugged on the tarmac before heading to the summit venue in a mirrored building reflecting the desert landscape. Sheikh Tamim later tweeted that the summit, which included Egypt, was a "defining moment" for the Gulf bloc. Saudi de facto ruler Prince Mohammed, who chaired the short event instead of his father King Salman, said the al-Ula agreement "confirms Gulf, Arab and Islamic unity and stability." He called for serious global action to address a threat he said was posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and its "subversive and destructive plans". Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar over allegations Doha supports terrorism and is cosying up to foe Iran. Qatar denies the charges and says the embargo aims to curtail its sovereignty. Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a Twitter post congratulated Qatar for "the success of its brave resistance to pressure & extortion." WORKING THE PHONES President Donald Trump's administration has been pushing for a resolution and reopening air space. Kushner was making phone calls on the emerging deal until the early hours of Monday, the U.S. official had said. Diplomats and analysts said Riyadh was also pushing reluctant allies to show Biden it is open to dialogue. Biden has said he will take a harder line with the kingdom over issues including its human rights record and the Yemen war. "This (deal) is seemingly influenced by a desire to pre-empt pressure from an incoming Biden administration, more than a genuine commitment to conflict resolution," said Emadeddin Badi, nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council. All the states are U.S. allies. Qatar hosts the region's largest U.S. military base, Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE host U.S. troops. The other countries had set Doha 13 demands, including closing Al Jazeera TV, shuttering a Turkish base, cutting links to the Muslim Brotherhood and downgrading ties with Iran. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Al-UlaAdditional reporting by Raya Jalabi in Dubai, Alaa Swilam in Cairo and David Brunnstrom and Arshad Mohammed in WashingtonWriting by Ghaida GhantousEditing by William Maclean and Matthew Lewis) A courtroom sketch shows WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a hearing to decide whether he should be extradited to the United States, in London, Britain, on Sept. 7, 2020. (Julia Quenzler/Reuters) Aussie PM Has No Issue With Assange Coming Home Australia has no issue with Julian Assange returning to his home country if his massive extradition battle with the United States government is resolved in his favour. A UK judge has ruled the WikiLeaks founder should not be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges due to concerns about his mental health and U.S. jail conditions. Judge Vanessa Baraitser delivered her verdict at Londons Old Bailey court, saying she was alarmed by the effect incarceration in Britains Belmarsh prison has had on the 49-year-old Australian activists mental health. I have decided extradition would be oppressive by reason of mental harm and I order his discharge, she told the court. But the U.S. government has signalled it intends to appeal the ruling within the next 14 days. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said while Australia was not a party to the case, Assange was being offered continuous consular support as he continues to fight his case. Assuming that all that turns out, then hes like any other Australianhed be free to return home if he wished, Morrison told Melbourne radio 3AW on Jan. 5. However, Assanges Australian lawyer Jennifer Robinson warned this would not necessarily protect him from further U.S. extradition attempts. The Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group said the government should ensure when Assange is returned there was no avenue for an extradition to the U.S. Labor frontbencher Mark Dreyfus said the Morrison government should draw a line under the matter and encourage the U.S. government to bring its action to a close. Chelsea Manning, the U.S. soldier who was convicted of leaking information to Julian Assange, had her sentence commuted by the U.S. President in 2017. Given his ill health, it is now time for this long drawn-out case against Julian Assange to be brought to an end, Dreyfus said. The U.S. Department of Justice noted its UK legal team had won all of its arguments against Assange relating to freedom of speech. The MEAA, Australias journalists union of which Assange is a member, said journalists everywhere should be concerned. Julian has suffered a 10-year ordeal for trying to bring information of public interest to the light of day, the MEAAs Marcus Strom said. But we are dismayed that the judge showed no concern for press freedom in any of her comments, and effectively accepted the U.S. arguments that journalists can be prosecuted for exposing war crimes and other government secrets, and for protecting their sources. U.S. authorities have charged Assange with violating the Espionage Act by conspiring with Manning to leak a trove of classified material in 2010 relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The secret documents were released on WikiLeaks while Assange also collaborated with journalists at prominent news outlets. If the extradition bid is successful, Assange faces 17 counts of espionage and one count of hacking, with a possible penalty of up to 175 years in prison. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Paul Osborne in Canberra Montreal health-care worker David S. Landsman said Monday he was worried after learning his appointment for a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine had been cancelled following Quebec's decision to change its immunization strategy. Montreal health-care worker David S. Landsman said Monday he was worried after learning his appointment for a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine had been cancelled following Quebec's decision to change its immunization strategy. The orderly at the Jewish General Hospital said getting the first dose of the vaccine on Dec. 17 felt like a step toward a return to a normal life. His second dose had been scheduled for Jan. 7, but he said he was told Monday his appointment had been cancelled indefinitely. Quebec Liberal Pierre Arcand walks to a news conference as the legislature resumes Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, at the Quebec legislature in Quebec City. The Quebec Liberal party has stripped Arcand of his roles in its shadow cabinet after a controversial trip to Barbados during the holidays. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot "I was blindsided," he said in an interview. The regional health authority that runs the Jewish General Hospital confirmed Monday it had postponed the second vaccination for all its employees and long-term care residents. Quebec announced a change to its vaccine strategy last week. Instead of holding back half the shipments of vaccine for second doses, it would vaccinate as many different people as possible with a first dose. The province said it modified the approach after vaccine-maker Pfizer changed its guidance for vaccine distribution. Health Department spokeswoman Noemie Vanheuverzwijn said Monday in an email, "By not saving the second dose, this new directive gives us the opportunity to open more vaccination slots." Vanheuverzwijn wouldn't say, however, when the department expects to begin administering second doses, only that the injections will be administered "within the time limits prescribed by public health to ensure maximum vaccine coverage." Landsman, who doesn't work directly with COVID-19 patients, said he believes the first shot gave him a measure of protection against the novel coronavirus. But he said he worries it will take too long to get a second shot and that he'll have to get a third dose to be fully covered. "When I do get it again, will they count it as vaccine number two and will it be as effective? Or will they say, 'oh, we're going to backtrack,' and this is vaccine number one all over again?" Landsman said. Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, the CEO of the health authority that governs the Jewish General Hospital, says he realized health-care workers may be disappointed they won't receive a second injection according to the original schedule. In a message to staff that was shared Monday with The Canadian Press, Rosenberg said, "Please rest assured that this change will not affect your health or well-being. "In fact, research has shown that the Pfizer vaccine achieves 90 per effectiveness two weeks after the first dose has been administered. The second dose is a 'booster' shot that enhances the already high level of protection." Rosenberg said the health authority plans to vaccinate workers at long-term care centres who have not yet received the first dose. Meanwhile, Quebec's Liberal party has stripped former interim leader Pierre Arcand of his role in its shadow cabinet after he took a recent holiday to Barbados during the pandemic. Arcand, who represents Mount Royal-Outremont in Quebec's legislature, had been the Liberal critic for matters related to Montreal and to transportation. The Official Opposition said Monday in a news release Arcand's responsibilities will be reassigned. Quebec reported 2,546 new cases of COVID-19 Monday and 32 more deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus. The Health Department said 1,294 people were in hospital with the disease, a rise of 69 patients from the day before, while the number of people in intensive care rose by nine, to 188. As of Jan. 2, the most recent date for which data is available, Quebec reported a test positivity rate of 11.2 per cent. Officials said 1,711 doses of vaccine were administered Sunday, for a total of 30,473. Quebec has reported 212,850 cases of COVID-19 and 8,379 deaths linked to the virus since the beginning of the pandemic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. New Delhi, Jan 5 : Just when our hopes about the vaccine for COVID19 were becoming a reality, the UK government announced the discovery of a highly contagious new variant circulating in England. Citing the rapid spread of the virus through London and surrounding areas, Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed the country's most stringent lockdown. Scientists are worried about these variants but not surprised by them. Like all viruses, Coronavirus is a shapeshifter. Some genetic changes are inconsequential. Researchers have recorded thousands of tiny modifications in the genetic material of the Coronavirus as it has hopscotched across the world. The British variant has affected how the virus locks onto human cells and infects them. These mutations may allow the variant to replicate and transmit more efficiently. So, the questions arise: 'Does India need to be worried? Will the vaccines that are underway work? How do we go about being more cautious and if at all we need be stop its spread, what should we do?' Let's understand this further. What is the new strain? The variant was identified due to Public Health England's (PHE) proactive and enhanced monitoring following the increase in cases seen in Kent and London. The variant has been named 'VUI -- 202012/01' (the first Variant Under Investigation in December 2020). It is not uncommon for viruses to undergo mutations; seasonal influenza mutates every year. Variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been observed in other countries, such as Spain as well. This variant includes a mutation in the 'spike' protein. According to researchers, this virus has at least 17 changes of mutation. Changes in this part of the spike protein may result in the virus becoming more infectious and spreading more easily between people. How harmful is it? While most mutations are either harmful to the virus or have no effect, a few mutations in this new variant looked as if they could potentially affect how the Coronavirus spread. According to reports, the new variant of the SARS-COV-2 could be up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant! What's more worrying is that this strain is affecting people in the age group of 30-60 yrs which is fairly young. Preliminary data from the UK shows that the virus is spreading quickly in parts of southern England, displacing other variants that have been circulating for months. But there are still several unanswered questions that are multiplying as fast as new strain of the virus: Does it make people sicker? Does it mean prolonged treatments? Will vaccines that are underway work? The variant has already spread globally. Apart from the UK, the variant has been detected in India, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Australia, according to the WHO. A similar but separate variant has also been identified in South Africa. Now that the world knows to look for the variant, it may turn up in more countries. The Indian government suspended flights from the United Kingdom over fears of the new strain. Separately, several states are also taking steps. Maharashtra has imposed an 11pm-6am curfew in major cities until January 5, 2021, and mandates 14 days of institutional quarantine for all travellers arriving from Europe and the Middle East without a COVID19 negative report (done within 72 hrs of travel). Will vaccines work? Vaccines target multiple parts of the protein itself, we don't need to be worried about them. We should be doing more of genetic surveillance. In fact, I feel people should vaccinate themselves. While there is a section of people encouraging others to not take the vaccine shots, I urge people to not be overwhelmed by this. The lobby, as it raises doubt about the vaccine, will only make the vaccine developers more GMP complaint and will ensure that we get efficacious vaccines. What precautions should we take? The best way to curb the infection is to stick to the rules -- wash our hands, wear a face mask and maintain social distancing. The recommended control measures to limit the spread of the new variant continue to be testing, following the existing guideline of isolation, and abiding by the restrictions. (The author Dr Rahul Pandit is Director-Critical Care, Fortis Hospitals Mumbai, & Member of Maharashtra's COVID-19 task force) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Italy is giving UK finance firms a six-month post-Brexit grace period in which they can await authorization to do business in the country as non-European Union companies, the Italian market regulator said Saturday. The extra time applies to financial intermediaries that applied before the end of 2020 for permission to keep operating in Italy, Consob said in a statement. British banks and investment firms may carry on their activities until such time as the authorization is either granted or refused by the Italian competent authorities, in any case no later than 30 June 2021," the market regulator said. During such period the operation is limited to the activities for which an authorization is sought and to the outstanding contractual relationships," the statement said. While the EU and UK reached a trade deal at the end of 2020 that outlined the terms of the British exit, businesses have pleaded for grace periods to comply with the changes. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Partly cloudy in the morning. Thunderstorms developing later in the day. A few storms may be severe. High 88F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm during the evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Low 58F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. DUBLIN, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Bevacizumab Biosimilar Market Opportunity, Sales, Price & Clinical Trials Insight 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Bevacizumab is among the cusp of getting recognized as one of the most prominent drugs for the treatment of multiple types of cancer. Being an innovative approach of immunotherapy capable of neutralizing vascular endothelial growth factor, it got its fast-end approval as a first anti-angiogenic therapy by the regulatory bodies for the benefit of millions of cancer patients. The parent bio-pharmaceutical company of the drug is F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG and in the year 2004, the drug got recognized as one of the promising immunotherapy drugs as a first-line therapy when combined with intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for the treatment of the patients suffering from metastatic colorectal cancer. Application wise, the drug has extended its wings for the treatment of colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer. Such huge segmentation of the global bevacizumab biosimilar drug tends to deliver the large percentage it is contributing to the global cancer biosimilar market. The emergence of bevacizumab biosimilar drug for the cancer patients have burnt all the issues that were recorded in the past few years i.e. comparison of the biosimilar drugs with the reference drugs. The 20 years of experience of bevacizumab biosimilar drug in the market has achieved high comfort level and rise in overall cancer therapeutics market that was not imagined by the researchers and the patients. The drug market is witnessed to deliver high growing healthcare benefits as the opportunities related with the cancer treatment is apparently more when compared with the treatment expenses of other biological cancer treatments. The global market of the drug has created a jinxed for the biosimilar market, thus making the researchers and the patients lean towards this mode of treatment as one of the most prominent types. In addition to this, the overall drug market in a very short period of time has come up with high valued and worthy outcome to the parent company and it is seeking towards more robust performance with novel trends in the upcoming years. The market in a very short period of time has been successful in establishing a primary goal for over-shadowing the expensive nature of the cancer treatment towards a novel approach that is cheap, affordable and as beneficial as the reference product. The analysis of the bevacizumab biosimilar drug performance has landed high market expectations and a classification of the drug market that is 100% accurate in terms of mechanism of action, chemical properties and many more. The association of the market with strong and prominent research team of the parent company is all focused on making the drug as a solo treatment regimen with high quality in combination with other therapies so that all the current challenges could be over-come in short period of time. In addition, it is estimated that the biosimilar drug market of bevacizumab has been able to introduce a unique revolution in the entire biosimilar market, thus resulting in creating a landscape that is successful and central component to trillion dollars cancer therapeutics market. Key Report Highlights: Bevacizumab Market Opportunity: > USD 12 Billion by 2025 by 2025 Bevacizumab Biosimilar in Clinical Trials: > 25 Biosimilars Bevacizumab Biosimilar Available in Market: >8 Biosimilars Bevacizumab Market Spread: US & Europe Share > 60% Bevacizumab Branded v/s Biosimilar Insight Avastin & Bevacizumab Biosimilar Price, Sales & Dosage Insight Bevacizumab Patent Insight by Indication & Year Key Topics Covered: 1. Bevacizumab - Current Market Overview 2. Bevacizumab - Reimbursement Scenario 3. Bevacizumab - Commercial Availability 3.1 Dosage, Patent & Price Analysis - Branded v/s Biosimilar 3.1.1 Avastin 3.1.2 Mvasi 3.1.3 Zirabev 3.1.4 Aybintio 3.2 Avastin - Sales Analysis 4. Bevacizumab Biosimilar Market Analysis 4.1 Current Market Scenario 4.2 Market Opportunities & Forecast 5. Global Bevacizumab Biosimilar Ongoing Clinical Trials Outlook 5.1 Country 5.2 Indication 5.3 Patient Segment 5.4 Organization 6. Global Bevacizumab Biosimilar Clinical Insight By Phase 6.1 Unknown 6.2 Research 6.3 Preclinical 6.4 Clinical 6.5 Phase-I 6.6 Phase-II 6.7 Phase-II/III 6.8 Phase-III 6.9 Preregistration 6.10 Registered 7. Marketed Bevacizumab Branded & Biosimilar Drug Clinical Insight 7.1 Avastin 7.2 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - KRABEVA 7.3 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - BYVASDA 7.4 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - Bevax 7.5 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - ZIRABEV 7.6 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - Mvasi 7.7 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - Bryxta 7.8 Bevacizumab Biosimilar Bevatas 7.9 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - Cizumab 7.10 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - Versavo 7.11 Bevacizumab Biosimilar - Lumiere 8. Bevacizumab Biosimilar Market - Future Outlook 9. Competitive Landscape 9.1 Amgen 9.2 AryoGen Pharmed 9.3 Biothera 9.4 Boehringer Ingelheim 9.5 Centus Biotherapeutics 9.6 Henlius Biotech 9.7 Innovent Biologics 9.8 Mylan 9.9 mAbxience 9.10 Outlook Therapeutics 9.11 Pfizer 9.12 Prestige Biopharma 9.13 Roche 9.14 Samsung Bio 9.15 TOT Biopharm For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/f69alz About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes Listen to article BUA Cement PLC has successfully concluded its N115billion Series 1 Fixed Rate Senior Unsecured Bond Issue (the Bond or Issue) under its maiden N200billion Bond Issuance Programme, the company has said. Chairman, BUA Cement, Abdul Samad Rabiu, said, This is the largest corporate bond offering in the history of Nigeria's Debt Capital Markets. Last year, we made a strategic decision as a proudly Nigerian company to list BUA Cement on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. This was in line with our core strategy to continue seeking out viable investment and growth opportunities within Nigeria. This bond issuance a first by BUA Cement, demonstrates our confidence in Nigeria's debt capital markets as well as continued investor confidence in the BUA Cement business model, our management team, and long-term strategy, all supported by strong credit ratings. We remain committed to unlocking opportunities within the industry for Nigeria. Rabiu was speaking recently on the significance and success of the Series 1 Issue. Also highlighting the significance of this achievement, Engr. Yusuf Binji, Chief Executive Officer, BUA Cement, said that the success of the first series in the BUA Cement Bond Issuance Programme underscored the strength of the BUA Cement brand. The transaction, being the largest Corporate Bond issuance in the history of Nigeria's debt capital markets, reiterates the strength and acceptance of the BUA Cement brand and the trust placed by stakeholders in the Company's strong cash generation capacity, credit profile and strategy driven by a well experienced management team. Diversifying and extending the duration of our funding sources with the inclusion of this Bond, at a competitive rate, will further enable us to achieve our strategic objectives and vision. The BUA Cement Series 1 Bond, which has a 3-year moratorium period and to be amortised evenly from year 4, is embedded with a call option, exercisable only after 48 months from the issue date. This BUA Cement's Series 1 Bond is the largest ever Corporate Bond issued in the Nigerian Debt Capital Markets and signposts growing investor confidence in Nigeria's second largest cement company. According to the company, an application will be made to dual-list the Bonds on the relevant exchanges upon receipt of the necessary approvals. BUA Cement's N100billion Series 1, 7-years Issue priced at a competitive fixed rate of 7.5% and was oversubscribed to the tune of N137.82billion just as the company announced that it will only utilise N115billion in line with regulatory guidelines. In another development, BUA recently announced its intention to increase its production capacity to 20million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2022. In addition, its newest 3million mtpa plant in Sokoto currently undergoing construction is expected to be ready in 2021. A long line of cars taking part in an rally in support of U.S. President Donald Trump parade from University Avenue to Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto on Jan. 3, 2020. (Michelle Hu/The Epoch Times) Rally and Car Parade to Support Trump Held in Toronto Hundreds of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump drove through the streets of Toronto in a large car parade and rally to protest against allegations of fraud during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The car parade, held on Jan. 3, began at University Avenue in downtown Toronto and proceeded to Yonge-Dundas Square. Participants made a stop at the U.S. Consulate, where they chanted stop the steal. The event was organized by a group called Factual Canada. The group has planned second rally and car parade for Wednesday, Jan. 6. One of the organizers, who introduced himself as Mr. Zhang, told The Epoch Times that roughly 200 cars showed up for the event. Based on the online registration for the car parade, 60 were Chinese residents and others came from the Iranian, Vietnamese, and Tibetan communities. US Is The Last Hope for Freedom John Ziraco, a retired IBM engineer, joined the rally with his son. (Michelle Hu/The Epoch Times) John Ziraco, a retired IBM engineer, joined the car parade with his son. Ziraco grew up during the time when Ronald Reagan served as U.S. President. He said he upholds traditional values and has been a resolute Trump supporter. I hope he will win this election. The American people love him. I believe in Trump, and I believe that he will be sworn in as president on January 20. He has to do what he can to win. The people believe in him, they support him. I am one of them, Ziraco said. Cody Payant, an accountant from Saskatchewan, said a lot of Canadians just want to see a fair election. (Michelle Hu/The Epoch Times) Cody Payant, an accountant from Saskatchewan, said the outcome in the U.S. election contradicts the results of statistics modelling. Canada, being Americas closest ally, should do what it can to prevent its neighbour from falling to corruption, he said. The truth is theres a lot of people in Canada who support Donald Trump, support integrity in the U.S. election, and just want to see a fair election, want to see justice in the U.S. election system, Payant said. Its a fight between good and evil right now, and we just want to see justice served. Trump is fighting for the American people, for the world, and now it the time for us to fight for President Trump, said Nasser Pooli, an Iranian community leader who attended the rally. (Michelle Hu/The Epoch Times) We Support Trump Because We Dont Want Communism Lily, who came from the former Soviet Union, said many people support Trump because they dont want communism. (Michelle Hu/The Epoch Times) Another participant at the rally, who went by the name of Lily, said a lot of people support Trump because he is fighting against the encroachment of the Communist Party of China in Western society. These people came from a communist country, they dont want communism here, Lily said. Stop the steal rallies have been held in a number of cities across the United States, and more are planned to take place on Jan. 6, the day when U.S. Congress will meet to formally certify the electoral college votes and the final result for the 2020 election. On Wednesday, you will know the destiny of this [country], Lily said. Whatever happens in the U.S. affects the Canadian [society]. Paul Phong (L) and his wife at the rally on Jan. 3. Phong, a Vietnamese immigrant, said: He (Trump) is the greatest man, he doesnt like communism. He is real supporter of human rights, freedom, and democracy. If Biden wins, the U.S. will become a communist country. Take a look at Hong Kong and youll understand. (Michelle Hu/The Epoch Times) Prime Minister Scott Morrison will not be appealing to US President Donald Trump to pardon Julian Assange following a British court's decision to reject the US bid to extradite the WikiLeaks founder. Assange supporters and the federal opposition are calling on Mr Morrison to lobby the US government to bring the case to an end, but Australian government sources confirmed there was no intention to raise the matter with either the Trump or the incoming Biden administration. Former American soldier Chelsea Manning, who leaked Mr Assange the confidential diplomatic cables that are the subject of espionage charges against him, had her sentence commuted by then-president Barack Obama in January 2017. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was "not a party to the case and will continue to respect the ongoing legal process, including the UK justice system's consideration of applications for release, or any appeals". Candidacies for the office of European Delegated Prosecutor from Romania can be submitted until January 7, the Ministry of Justice informed on Tuesday, according to AGERPRES. "The persons interested in holding the position of European Delegated Prosecutor from Romania may submit their applications until January 7, 2021, included. The files submitted will be analyzed by the Selection Committee and the results of the verification will be published on the website of the Ministry of Justice, the Superior Council of Magistrates and the Public Ministry," reads the press release on the website of the Ministry of Justice. According to the same source, the interview will take place between January 25 and 28, a period that may change depending on the number of candidates and the manner of conducting the interview. "The evaluation of the candidates is made on the basis of the relevant aspects resulting from the interview, the analysis of the documents submitted by the candidate regarding the relevant practical experience, as well as other verifiable aspects resulting from their professional activity," the Ministry of Justice stated. Following the completion of the interviews, the Committee will select candidates for the 15 posts of European Delegated Prosecutor, as well as five reserve proposals. The date when the European Delegated Prosecutor from Romania start working will be established according to the specific procedures within the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). At least two Alabama counties are now offering COVID-19 vaccines to anyone over the age of 75. Health officials in Calhoun County announced Tuesday that anyone over 75 could receive the vaccine, creating long lines at the Anniston City Meeting Center, reports the Anniston Star. The vaccine will be offered there to anyone over 75 Wednesday and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Etowah County went a step further, also opening its latest vaccine clinic to anyone in Phase 1b of Alabamas Vaccine Allocation Plan, which includes people over 75, plus essential workers such as teachers, first responders such as fire fighters and law enforcement, who were not included in 1a, and people living in congregate settings such as prisons, homeless shelters or group homes. Most parts of the state are only offering the vaccine to people in Phase 1a, which are frontline health care workers, people providing direct patient care, mortuary services, and people who live in long-term care facilities like nursing homes. But those two counties made the decision this week to open up vaccination to additional population. Etowah County Emergency Management Agency Director Deborah Gaither said the county decided to move to Phase 1b on Monday night, after a successful vaccination clinic last week administered the first dose of the vaccine to 250 of the countys Phase 1a healthcare workers. Gaither said the first hours of the Thursdays clinic are being reserved for healthcare workers in Phase 1a who have not already been scheduled to receive the vaccine through their employer. Were asking our first responders and healthcare providers to come between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., Gaither said. And then all others who fall under 1a and 1b, to include our senior adults who are 75 or older, to come after 9 a.m. The clinic will be held Thursday at The Venue at Coosa Landing at 201 George Wallace Drive in Gadsden. No appointment is necessary. Phase 1b does include teachers and some other essential workers, but Gaither also requested that only those who are higher risk due to age or pre-existing condition show up on Thursday. For teachers, what were asking right now, because we have such a drastically low amount of vaccine, is school nurses, and teachers, or support staff who have a comorbidity or weakened immune system [get vaccinated Thursday], and then within three to four weeks, we can complete the rest of the teachers, Gaither said. After Phase 1b, health departments in Alabama will move on to Phase 1c, which includes people 65 and older, people with certain pre-existing conditions and other categories of essential workers. *Corrected at 4:21 p.m. to state that people with pre-existing conditions would be included in Phase 1c of Alabamas vaccine allocation plan. DGAP Voting Rights Announcement: QIAGEN N.V. QIAGEN N.V.: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution 05.01.2021 / 16:00 Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The AFM (the Netherlands Authority For the Financial Markets has informed us on January 05, 2021 that a notification related to our institution has been released by the AFM. The following notification has been disclosed in the relevant register on the AFM website: Date of transaction: 30 dec 2020 Person obliged to notify: Goldman Sachs Group Inc., The Issuing institution: Qiagen N.V. Registration Chamber of Commerce: 12036979 Place of residence: VENLO Distribution in numbers Type of share Number of shares Number of voting rights Capital interest Voting rights Manner of disposal Settlement Swap 52.931,00 52.931,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman, Sachs & Co. Wertpapier GmbH In cash Ordinary share 574.589,00 574.583,25 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Warrant 2.544,00 2.544,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman, Sachs & Co. Wertpapier GmbH In cash Option 3.863.782,00 3.863.782,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Physical Delivery Ordinary share 82,00 82,00 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Trust Company of Delaware Physical Delivery Ordinary share 2.490,00 2.489,98 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited Physical Delivery Swap 38.656,00 38.656,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC In cash Ordinary share 3.691,00 3.690,96 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Asset Management International Physical Delivery Contract for difference 111.214,00 111.214,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC In cash Ordinary share 41,00 41,00 Real Real Indirectly - Folio Investments Inc. Physical Delivery Convertible bond 696.646,00 696.646,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Ordinary share 452.636,00 452.631,47 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. Physical Delivery Ordinary share 3.012,00 3.011,97 Real Real Indirectly - United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC Physical Delivery Ordinary share 541.666,00 541.660,58 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Physical Delivery Distribution in percentages Type Total holding Directly real Directly potential Indirectly real Indirectly potential Capital interest 2,75% 0,00% 0,00% 0,20% 2,55% Voting rights 2,75% 0,00% 0,00% 0,20% 2,55% Distribution in numbers (short) Number of shares Manner of disposal 0,00 Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International 0,00 Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Distribution in percentages (short) Type Directly potential Indirectly potential Capital interest 0,00 % 0,00 % QIAGEN N.V. is not responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the notification above. The content has been taken from the relevant register of the AFM: https://www.afm.nl/nl-NL/Professionals/registers/meldingenregisters/substantiele-deelnemingen/Details?id=103607 05.01.2021 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de KENOSHA, Wis. A Wisconsin prosecutor declined Tuesday to file charges against a white police officer who shot a Black man in the back in Kenosha, concluding he couldnt disprove the officers contention that he acted in self-defense because he feared the man would stab him. The decision, met with swift criticism from civil rights advocates and some public officials, threatened to reignite protests that rocked the city after the Aug. 23 shooting that left Jacob Blake paralyzed. Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, called the decision further evidence that our work is not done and called for people to work together for equity. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black, was more pointed on Twitter: I wish I could say that Im shocked. Its another instance in a string of misapplications of justice. Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said investigators concluded Blake was carrying a knife when police responded to a report he was trying to steal a car. Officer Rusten Sheskey said he feared Jacob Blake was going to stab him with the knife as he tried to stop Blake from fleeing the scene. I do not believe the state ... would be able to prove that the privilege of self-defense is not available, Graveley said. The shooting of Blake, captured on bystander video, turned the nations spotlight on Wisconsin during a summer marked by protests over police brutality and racism. More than 250 people were arrested during protests in the days that followed, including then-17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, a self-styled medic with an assault rifle who is charged in the fatal shootings of two men and the wounding of a third. Blake family members expressed anger about the charging decision. This is going to impact this city and this state and this nation for many years to come, Justin Blake, an uncle, said. Unless the people rise up and do what theyre supposed to do. This is a government for the people by the people, correct? We talk about this constitution everybodys supposed to be so committed to, and yet we stand in the state that has the most convictions of African Americans in the United States. So theyre weighing heavy on one side of justice, but theyre allowing police officers to rain down terror on our communities. Its injust. Ben Crump, an attorney for Blakes family, said in a statement the decision further destroys trust in our justice system and said he would proceed with a lawsuit. In a later tweet, he questioned whether Blake threatened Sheskey with a knife, saying nowhere does the video footage show a knife extended and aimed to establish the requisite intent. A federal civil rights investigation into Blakes shooting is still underway. Matthew Krueger, the U.S. attorney for Wisconsins Eastern District, said the Department of Justice will make its own charging decision. The Blake shooting happened three months after George Floyd died while being restrained by police officers in Minneapolis, a death that was captured on bystander video and sparked outrage and protests that spread across the United States and beyond. The galvanized Black Lives Matter movement put a spotlight on inequitable policing and became a fault line in politics, with President Donald Trump criticizing protesters and aggressively pressing a law-and-order message that he sought to capitalize on in Wisconsin and other swing states. Kenosha, a city of 100,000 on the Wisconsin-Illinois border about 60 miles north of Chicago, braced for renewed protests ahead of the charges, with concrete barricades and metal fencing surrounding the county courthouse, plywood protecting many businesses and the mayor granted power to impose curfews. Evers activated 500 National Guard troops to assist. As temperatures dipped near freezing Tuesday evening, about 20 protesters gathered and marched in an area north of downtown, chanting No justice, no peace. About 15 cars, some honking their horns, followed. Vaun Mayer, a 33-year-old activist from Milwaukee who is Black, drove to Kenosha to protest. He said he didnt expect the officer to be charged, calling Graveleys decision just the latest in a line of prosecutors failing to charge police officers in Wisconsin. Were used to this and we didnt expect anything different than this, he said. At a downtown park near the courthouse where hundreds gathered in the days after Blake was shot, there was no sign of any large, organized protests. Abdullah Shabazz, 36, who said he came from nearby Waukegan, Illinois, to show solidarity with the Blake family, blamed the weather. Kris Coleman, 36, of Kenosha, stood nearby livestreaming National Guard troops manning an intersection. He said the city appeared to be better prepared than it was during the summer. And Im happy, he said. Later, a small group of protesters confronted Guard members briefly at the courthouse. Graveley told reporters during a two-hour presentation Tuesday afternoon that investigators determined that the events leading up to the shooting began when the mother of Blakes children called police and said Blake was about to drive off in her car. Officers determined en route that Blake had a felony warrant out for sexual assault. They arrived to find Blake placing the couples three children in the back seat of the womans SUV. Graveley said officers had no choice but to arrest him since he was wanted. He said Blake resisted, fighting with the officers as they tried to handcuff him. Officers used a stun gun on him three times to no effect. Noble Wray, a Black former police chief and a use-of-force expert who reviewed the investigation, said Blake had a knife that apparently fell to the ground during the struggle. Blake picked it up and officers disengaged and drew their guns. Blake then tried to get into the SUV, Wray said. Any officer worth their salt, theyre not going to let someone leave under these circumstances, Wray said. This is the stuff Amber Alerts are made of. Sheskey grabbed the back of Blakes shirt, Graveley said. Blake turned and moved the knife toward Sheskey, the officer told investigators, leading him to believe his life was in danger, the district attorney said. Sheskey fired seven times, hitting Blake in the back four times and in the side three times, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Graveley said the shots in the side show Blake had twisted toward the officer. Graveley showed reporters an enlarged photo of what he said was Blakes knife, adding that Blake acknowledged to investigators he had it. The district attorney walked reporters through how he would have prosecuted the case, saying jurors would have had to put themselves in Sheskeys position and that the officers self-defense claims would have held up given the circumstances of the case. Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor who has prosecuted officers, said Graveley presented a compelling case that showed why charges are not appropriate. There isnt anyone who would like to be in that officers shoes -- but in that moment, he used what I feel was reasonable force to end the threat, Cramer said. For those who disagree, he said, What should he have done, let him drive away with a child in the back, let themselves get stabbed? The only answer reasonably is -- they need to defend themselves. The officers were not equipped with body cameras. Sheskey, 31, has been the subject of five internal investigations since he joined the Kenosha department in 2013, including three reprimands for crashing his squad car three times over three years. He has also earned 16 awards, letters or formal commendations, his personnel file shows. Rittenhouse, who was among armed people who took to Kenosha streets during the violence and said he was there to help protect businesses, faces multiple charges including intentional homicide. Bystander video showed Rittenhouse shooting Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounding a third man. Rittenhouse, who is white, has claimed the three men attacked him and he fired in self-defense. Conservatives across the country have been raising money for his legal team. Rittenhouse was 17 at the time of the shooting. Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty to all charges at a hearing Tuesday. Prosecutors dropped the sexual assault charge against Blake in November as part of deal in which he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to two years probation. ___ Richmond reported from Madison, Wisconsin. Stephen Groves in Kenosha, Scott Bauer in Madison and Amy Forliti in Minneapolis contributed to this report. Courtesy of Centerstone Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral healthcare, was awarded a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services, providing a counselor to work with the Alton Police Department in response to mental health-related calls. The counselor position collaborates with the Alton PD to help connect individuals in the community to local resources. Regina Plummer, EDA counselor with Centerstone, says, It has been an honor to work alongside the Alton Police Department, on behalf of Centerstone, in this co-responder capacity. There has been top-down support from APD since day one, which has helped to make this program successful. San Franciscos Public Health Department wants to cancel this years crucial, one-night count of people living on the streets, amid concerns that it cannot be done safely amid the pandemic. The Point in Time Count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and takes place every two years in nearly every major community in the country. San Franciscos count is a massive operation, which requires hundreds of volunteers to fan out across the city one night to count every homeless person they see on the streets, in parks and in cars. That tally which also includes homeless people in shelters and in jails is a vital benchmark for federal and city policymakers who decide how much money and what kind of resources are needed to address the crisis. The count also provides detailed demographic data, including age, race, sexuality and health, as well as whether the person struggles with substance use, the cause of their homelessness and where they came from. The last time the count was conducted in 2019, more than 700 volunteers tallied 8,000 homeless people in its shelters, streets and jails. It was a staggering, 17% rise from the count two years prior. Advocates expect that the population of unhoused people has only grown during the pandemic. The Point in Time Count does not capture all of a communitys homeless. It only reflects people living on the streets, in shelters and jails on one night a year. Still, data from the count frequently appears in legislation and budget decisions related to homelessness and housing. Based on the public health departments concerns, the Local Homeless Coordinating Board which helps coordinate the count voted unanimously Monday to request an exemption from HUD. The federal agency gave cities the option to request an exemption this year as the entire country grapples with a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases. The (point-in-time) count has a lot of moving pieces and requires a large number of frontline workers as well as volunteers, said Kelley Cutler, a member of the board. Its simply too big of a risk to be taking during a surge. San Francisco is not alone in asking HUD to opt out of the count. At least 19 other California communities including Los Angeles, San Diego, Alameda County and Sacramento have either requested an exception or plan to ask for one. Seattle has also been granted an exception. Canceling the count this year comes at an extremely precarious time, as the pandemic has pushed more people toward poverty and likely increased the number of people living on the streets. It also comes as San Francisco grapples with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, which likely will lead to layoffs and service cuts. If HUD allows San Francisco to cancel its count this year, the city would just tally people living inside shelters or hotels that the city leased for the pandemic. While capacity for people living in traditional shelters has been greatly reduced during the pandemic, more than 2,000 people have been moved off the streets and into hotels. Abigail Stewart-Kahn, interim director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, said the count is critical for effective policy-making and for people experiencing homelessness to be seen and understood. But, given the limitations and risks of the pandemic, she said it is unclear whether they would have been able to recruit enough volunteers and get an accurate count of people on the streets. If we had been able to do a safe and effective count. ... It would have been very critical data, she said. It would have helped us understand, thus far, the impact of COVID-19 and which communities are being most impacted. The Department of Public Health said canceling the count this year will likely not affect how much money the city gets from the state and federal government for homelessness. Tomiquia Moss, founder and CEO of All Home, an organization that works on a regional approach to housing and homelessness, said she isnt concerned about canceling the count this year, which she said is an imperfect and sometimes skewed measure of the homeless population. While she said the counts give cities a baseline, there are other ways regions can count people struggling with homelessness. Some examples include counting people in shelter-in-place hotels, as well as in San Franciscos coordinated entry system, which connects people with social services. There is real-time data being captured with folks experiencing homelessness that is more timely to what people actually need, as opposed to a cumulative count, she said. I dont think we will lose anything, and it doesnt mean that jurisdictions are pulling their foot off the gas in responding to our most vulnerable. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani The Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko plotted to assassinate his critics in Europe with the help of his intelligence service the KGB, a leaked tape suggests. A secretly recorded audio from 2012 is believed to have captured Vadim Zaitsev, a Belarusian KGB chairman at the time, planning to kill Lukashenko's political enemies. He told officers from the KBG's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorism unit, that he wanted them to 'take down' Belarusian investigative journalist Pavel Sheremet, who he described as a 'f***ing rat'. The Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko plotted to assassinate his critics in Europe with the help of his intelligence service the KGB, a leaked tape suggests A secretly recorded audio from 2012 is believed to have captured Vadim Zaitsev (pictured), a KGB chairman at the time, planning to kill Lukashenko's political enemies In the 2012 recording, obtained by EUObserver, Zaitsev said: 'We should be working Sheremet, who is a massive pain in the arse. 'We'll plant [a bomb] and so on and this f***ing rat will be taken down in f***ing pieces - legs in one direction, arms in the other direction.' 'If everything [looks like] natural causes, it won't get into people's minds the same way,' he added, indicating Zaitsev wanted to scare Lukashenko's critics abroad. Sheremet, who was living in Russia at the time of the recording, was later killed in a car bomb in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2016. Zaitsev told officers from the KBG's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorism unit, that he wanted them to 'take down' Belarusian investigative journalist Pavel Sheremet, (pictured) who he described as a 'f***ing rat'. Forensic experts examine the wreckage of the car Pavel Sheremet was killed in on July 20 2016 The car exploded soon after Sheremet left his home in the Ukranian capital and the vehicle was burned out completely Belarus had put Sheremet under observation in Moscow, according to a leaked surveillance report. The case has not yet been solved. The spy chief also told the agents he had put 'over $1.5 million in a dedicated account' to finance the assassinations and he 'wanted to see some results'. Zaitsev is also believed to have said he wanted to assassinate three of Lukashenko's critics who had fled to Germany and lived in exile, according to the 24 minute audio file. The targeted trio included Oleg Alkaev, a Belarusian former prison director, Vladimir Borodach, an ex-colonel and Vyacheslav Dudkin, a former anti-corruption chief. But Zaitsev was adamant that the assassins would leave no trace during the murders. 'It's important to me that no one even thinks about the KGB,' he said during the meeting. 'It's clear how we could drown or shoot someone. It's clear. But how to initiate a chance explosion, how to start arson and not leave traces, murder, and stuff like that - this is unclear.' Zaitsev apparently posed the idea of acquiring 'a professional or a car mechanic who will do it in such a way that no fucking expert [in Germany] will figure out that the car was intentionally broken in advance and why it went off the fucking road.' The audio file was secretly recorded during a meeting held by Zaitsev at his office in Minsk in April 2012. Belarusian opposition activist Igor Makor leaked the audio recording and the surveillance report to the Brussels-based newspaper. Makor, a former special forces officer for the Belarus interior ministry, said he was willing to testify in court that the recording was authentic and Zaitsev is the speaker in the leaked audio file. He said he wanted to protect Alkaev, a friend of his, and the others named in the tape. 'I'm ready to risk my life so that [Belarusian] people can be free, to help demolish this Lukashenko regime,' he told EUObserver. Alkaev said he was warned by German authorities that his life was in danger and gave him special protection. 'The [German] police told me they could guarantee my safety in Germany, but advised me not to leave the country,' he said. A source within a Western intelligence service familiar with Zaitsev said that the recording appeared to be genuine. Catalin Grigoras, the director of the National Centre for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado said there was no indication that there was no 'trace of audio-manipulation' of the file, deeming it to be real. Although a forensic examination of the file was inconclusive, Grigoras, the director of the National Centre for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado said that there was no 'trace of obvious audio-manipulation' of the file, deeming it to be authentic. It is not believed the plots against the three men in Germany were carried out. Zaitsev, who left the KGB in November 2012, is now the director of Belarusian broadcaster Cosmos TV. Lukashenko faced six weeks of mass protests against his disputed election victory last year. He was sworn in for a new presidential term in September during an unannounced inauguration. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko (pictured) was sworn in for a new term in an unannounced inauguration in September last year after six weeks of mass protests against his election victory Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and is now in his sixth term, claimed a landslide victory with the opposition accusing him of massive vote-rigging. The disputed election was followed by a crackdown by Lukashenko's security forces against opposition protests demanding his resignation. The main opposition leader in Belarus, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, fled to Lithuania 'for the sake of her children' in August amid the deadly clashes after losing a disputed election to Lukashenko. A line of police block a road while tear gas wafts in the background during mass protests in Minsk which saw thousands of people turn out to demonstrate Belarus police club a protester during a protest in Minsk last night where thousands raged at president Alexander Lukashenko in the wake of a disputed electoin Protesters had fought police with stones and fireworks and were hit with rubber bullets and tear gas on the streets of Minsk as they accused Lukashenko of stealing 80 per cent of the election vote. United Nations human rights investigator Anais Marin said in September that more than 10,000 people had been 'abusively arrested' since the election with more than 500 reports of torture and thousands 'savagely beaten'. Belarus authorities have previously said the police are humane and professional but have declined to comment on specific allegations of abuses. Samsung Electronics headquarters in Seoul. / Korea Times file By Kim Hyun-bin Personnel restructuring is occupying the heads of major conglomerates as they hope to cut costs to better deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has drastically raised uncertainty. Some companies have already initiated voluntary resignations as a means to cut their staff and costs. Most conglomerates with affiliates in the electronics, automotive, heavy industry, hotel and distribution sectors have been asking for voluntary resignations even Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hotel Shilla have been busy reducing personnel. Usually, voluntary resignations are sought among the higher levels of the corporate structure as they receive the most pay, but some companies are also offering it to lower-level employees, even those in their 20s and 30s. The move is common among struggling companies, but due to the pandemic more firms are taking a precautionary approach in case the pandemic is prolonged even further, leading some well-performing businesses to begin asking for voluntary retirement. "This year companies are expected to close unprofitable businesses, reduce personnel costs and take a conservative management approach," an industry official said. "Also the Moon Jae-in administration's anti-corporate policies have taken a toll on top of the pandemic." The country's leading conglomerate Samsung Electronics is seeking resignations from some of its employees even as its semiconductor and smartphone businesses are seeing a recovery and the home appliances sector saw explosive sales due to pent-up demand amid the pandemic. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong Last month, Samsung Electronics accepted voluntary resignations from employees who are department heads and higher within the consumer electronics, IT and mobile communications and "device solutions" sectors. LG Electronics has conducted several such rounds in the past few years in the smartphone department, which has suffered a continuous decline in revenue. It accepted resignations from deputy heads and heads of departments. LG conducted its most recent voluntary resignations in November through December last year. In November, LG Innotek also asked people to resign in its LED division, and its semiconductor substrate Gumi plant and camera module department, which have been considered cash cows within the firm. Hyundai Engineering & Construction has taken it a step further, accepting resignations from deputy section chiefs and lower-level employees mostly in their 20s and 30s. Renault Samsung and Samsung Heavy Industries have conducted similar restructuring at the end of the year for the past several consecutive years. Hotel Shilla, which saw a drastic drop in duty free sales, had to halt its long-planned Hanok Hotel construction and received resignations. Lotte Hi-Mart which conducted the company's first voluntary retirement last March initiated another one last month. "The company finances have been struggling so there are rumors there could be up to 20 percent reduction in personnel," an employee at a conglomerate said. "Many employees that received poor evaluations are said to be searching for new jobs." Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin has also been engaged in fierce business restructuring. Last year, Lotte Shopping closed 115 offline stores, disbanding its LOHBs business division as well as slimming down Lotte Asset Development. Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin President Donald Trump hit Republican Senator Tom Cotton for allegedly refusing to challenge fraudulent election results in a tweet posted Monday, Jan. 4. "How can you certify an election when the numbers being certified are verifiably WRONG. You will see the real numbers tonight during my speech, but especially on JANUARY 6th. @SenTomCotton Republicans have pluses & minuses, but one thing is sure, THEY NEVER FORGET!" The President said. "The 'Surrender Caucus' within the Republican Party will go down in infamy as weak and ineffective 'guardians' of our Nation, who were willing to accept the certification of fraudulent presidential numbers!" he said referring to Cotton. In between the two tweets, he actually posted as tweets what two other senators said that reflected his own sentiments against Cotton's decision. "'We've seen in the last few months, unprecedented amounts of Voter Fraud.' @SenTedCruz True!" he highlighted. "'We are not acting to thwart the Democratic process, we are acting to protect it.' @SenRonJohnson." In a statement posted by Cotton in his website last Sunday "on the joint session of Congress later this week," the Arkansas Senator stressed that he is one with his constituents in terms of the "disappoints with the election results" due to the "irregularities in the presidential elections." Cotton highlighted his support for "a commission to study the last election and propose reforms to protect the integrity of our elections." "And after Republicans win in Georgia, the Senate should also hold more hearings on these matters. All Americans deserve to have confidence in the elections that undergird our free government," he said. However, he also emphasized his respect for the electoral process, particularly the authority of the Electoral College over Congress. He revealed his concerns that objecting to their Dec. 14 decision would only strengthen what Democrats have long been pushing for: "eliminating the Electoral College in effect by refusing to count electoral votes in the future for a Republican president-elect". "Thus, I will not oppose the counting of certified electoral votes on January 6. I'm grateful for what the president accomplished over the past four years, which is why I campaigned vigorously for his reelection. But objecting to certified electoral votes won't give him a second term-it will only embolden those Democrats who want to erode further our system of constitutional government," he ended. This statement came after Trump had a zoom meeting last Saturday with state legislators urging them to object to the certification and instead launch an investigation on the election irregularities. According to Breitbart, Trump spoke with 300 legislators in a Zoom conference where "election integrity watchdog group" Got Freedom? presented their findings on the US election irregularities. The said conference is a precursor to a similar briefing that will be conducted by the said organization with Members of Congress. The said data presented by Got Freedom? was actually what Trump was referring to in his first tweet that mentioned Cotton. Most remarkable on the findings from Got Freedom?, reported by Breitbart, is the $400 million funding from Facebook that "Sought to boost turnout in Democratic strongholds while depressing turnout in conservative areas, violating constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection." "The private monies paid the salaries of election workers and funded the purchase of election equipment, but came with strict conditions on the conduct of elections in jurisdictions that accepted the money. These private interventions were aided by the actions of public officials, who sought to undermine transparency, fought efforts to audit the results, threatened legislators with investigation and prosecution for questioning the reported results, and in some cases even physically prevented state lawmakers from entering the Capitol Building in order to prevent them from challenging election certification," Got Freedom? said in their statement. Christianity Daily previously listed out 13 pointers from Got Freedom?'s report that "reveal efforts to rig or influence" the November elections in favor of former Vice President Joseph Biden. As per Breitbart, only one member of the House of Representative and one member of the Senate that would object to the vote certification this January 6 is needed to already open the floor to a debate in each chamber of Congress on the validity of the Electoral College votes. The year 2020 witnessed a major change in the way we work owing to the pandemic. While on one hand working in offices was replaced by working from home, team meetings were replaced by conference calls. This change in working conditions, in theory, should have disrupted work environments in various industries across the country, instead, it led to greater collaboration between employees. Flock today shared its How India Worked Report 2020. In the report, the real-time collaboration platform shared some interesting insights on the working patterns of Indians in the past year. For instance, there was a 13% increase in one-on-one messages sent between individual users since March 2020. Similarly, there has been a 76% increase in public channels to help groups communicate and get the job done. The report also said that an average amount of calendar invites sent per user per day on Flock increased by 22% after March 2020. The platform also saw small businesses in India increase their amount of files shared by a whopping 55%. Flock in its How India Worked Report 2020 said that Flock users in India started their day at 8AM and ended their day at 6PM on an average. A lot of the user activity dipped between 12PM and 3PM, during typical lunchtime hours. It was also understood that users tend to be online longer on Thursdays, presumably to chase their remaining work at the end of the week. Additionally, the report said that while most Flock users are offline on Sundays, the platform saw a lot of activity on Saturday afternoons. Flock also said that the use of its voice notes feature that was introduced earlier this year, saw an increase of 379%. Lastly, Flocks shared to-dos tool saw its usage increase by 37%, indicating that employees and managers are being more proactive in getting their tasks done, and sharing their status with others in the team. Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz announced Tuesday he will not seek reelection to a fourth term in office after serving nine years in the role, leading the Western Massachusetts community through multiple property tax overrides, a change in the citys charter and, most recently, the coronavirus public health crisis. Assuming the role of acting mayor in 2011 after the resignation of his predecessor, former Mayor Mary Clare Higgins, Narkewicz went on to be twice reelected in 2013 and 2017. He informed city department heads of his decision not to seek reelection at a meeting Tuesday. I love this city and understand the critical role of the mayor in its ongoing success, the mayor wrote in a statement. That is why I am making my political intentions known early in order to allow other city residents the opportunity to consider running and form campaigns. Today I am announcing that I will not be a candidate for re-election to a fourth term as mayor of the great city of #NorthamptonMA. You can read my full statement at https://t.co/WIosr7Cj9x David Narkewicz (@MayorNarkewicz) January 5, 2021 Narkewicz was first elected to a two-year term as the 44th mayor of Northampton on Nov. 8, 2011 after serving four months as acting mayor. Following a charter change, he was reelected to the citys first four-year mayoral term in 2013. The incumbent handily won a third term in 2017. Before becoming mayor, Narkewicz served three terms on the Northampton City Council. He was elected Ward 4 city councilor in 2005, reelected two years later and was elected councilor-at-large in 2009, with his colleagues then voting to make him city council president. Mayor Narkewicz has been a remarkable leader and working with him has been a true and enjoyable privilege, which I look forward to continuing this year, Northampton City Council President Gina-Louise Sciarra said in a statement. I hope all will join me in expressing our gratitude to him throughout this next year for his leadership, vision, hard work and dedication to the city and all its residents. Prior to serving 16 collective years in elected office, Narkewicz worked as an appointed member on two Northampton boards and commissions, including the Zoning Board of Appeals in 1999, where he served as vice-chair, and the Transportation and Parking Commission in 2003, which he would later go on to chair. Narkewicz previously served in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, later working as a congressional aide in Washington, D.C. Serving as Mayor of Northampton has been one of the greatest honors of my life and I have enjoyed working every day on behalf of the residents of this great city, he said. As I begin my tenth year as mayor, I am extremely proud of the things we have accomplished together as a community. In his statement, Narkewicz listed his accomplishments during his nearly a decade of service as mayor, including the adoption of two $2.5 million Proposition 21/2 overrides, one in June 2013 and another in March 2020, each of which were voted on by significant margins. The 2013 measure won by more than 1,000 votes and helped the city avoid slashing roughly 20 jobs by filling a nearly $1.4 million gap in the 2014 fiscal year budget. Funds from the tax hike, which were expected to last only four years, proceeded to be stretched through 2020. A similar budgetary shortfall of around $1.1 million was estimated for fiscal year 2021, though, leading to the proposal of the most recent override. On March 3, the same day as the Super Tuesday presidential primaries, Northampton residents cast their ballots in favor of the Proposition 2 overhaul by a margin of 8,084 votes to 4,947. The passage of the measure marked a victory for Narkewicz, who went ward to ward in the months leading up to the election to try to convince residents of the need for the tax overhaul. Weve stabilized and strengthened city and school budgets, reorganized our government and departments, increased transparency, access, and communication, and made record investments in critical priorities like education, infrastructure, affordable housing, open space, our parks and recreation areas, and the arts, Narkewicz wrote in his statement Tuesday. Weve done this through focused and disciplined stewardship of our finances over the last nine years, steadily rebuilding the citys depleted reserves year after year while increasing our bond rating from A to AAA+ during that same period. However, the mayor has since delayed the implementation of the property tax hike to fiscal year 2022 due to the financial stresses posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, likely the biggest challenge Narkewicz has faced over the course of his mayoral career. Although Northampton has seen relatively fewer infections, hospitalizations and deaths from the viral respiratory infection compared to other Massachusetts communities, the small Hampshire County city has not been exempt from the viral outbreaks lasting economic impact. The city, known for its charming downtown and sizable small business community, has seen several longstanding restaurants and stores shut their doors for good, among them Bistro Les Gras, Silverscape Designs, The Artisan Gallery and others. Many Northampton residents have been furloughed or laid off from jobs, and unemployment nationwide has reached levels not seen since the Great Depression, Narkewicz said in the summer coming off of the first wave of the public health crisis. The pandemic has plunged our economy into a recession that may take years to recover from. Amid this tough moment in time, Sciarra said she is particularly grateful for Narkewiczs stewardship, smart fiscal planning, tackling of long-needed infrastructure investments, and focus on stabilizing and building our reserves for unforeseen events and emergencies. As we are still very much living in the most significant unforeseen emergency of our time, this strong foundation has and will continue to help Northampton weather these challenges, she said. While heading the city, Narkewicz also worked in multiple regional and statewide leadership roles, serving as chair of the 24-community Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Advisory Board since 2015 and as the Hampshire County representative on the Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, which allocates state and federal transportation dollars in the region. At the state level, he was appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to the Local Government Advisory Commission, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, is part of the leadership of the Massachusetts Mayors Association and is a member of the Cannabis Control Commissions Cannabis Advisory Board. Narkewicz made history in 2018 when he became the first person to buy marijuana for recreational use on the East Coast at New England Treatment Access on Conz Street, one of the first recreational cannabis shops to open its door in Massachusetts. Its just a historic moment for the commonwealth and for the city. Im glad to be a part of it, Narkewicz said at the time. When he completes his term in the fall, Narkewicz will be among the citys longest-serving mayors. Only former Mayors David Musante and Mayor Clare Higgins, who both served roughly 12 years in office, will have held the position longer. During his tenure as mayor, Narkewicz noted, he appointed 11 of the citys 17 city department heads. Among them was the historic appointments of women to serve as the communitys police chief and director of public works. In his statement, Narkewicz pledged to work with whomever residents vote to succeed him in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition when the mayors office changes hands on Jan. 2, 2022. After a decade of service to Northampton, the time for new leadership has come, he noted. I have had the privilege of serving the city of Northampton in both appointed and elected roles for more than twenty years, Narkewicz wrote. Now I want to step back and let other community members bring their ideas and energy forward to address the important issues and challenges facing our city. Every day for the remainder of his term, Narkewicz added, he will continue to work hard to address the issues facing Northampton, including leading the community safely through the COVID-19 public health crisis, writing his 10th and final budget for the city and completing several high-priority capital and planning projects. The city will hold its municipal election on Nov. 2. If more than two candidates for mayor are certified, a preliminary election will be scheduled in September to narrow the field to two for the general election. Related Content: Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. This content is made possible by our sponsor; it is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Engadget's editorial staff. E-commerce has made it easier and faster than ever for the average consumer to get their hands on products they love, but with that comes high expectations. SMBs and online merchants need to factor in fulfillment into their business model, and that means competing with large retailers like Walmart and Amazon to provide a fast, reliable shipping experience. Shipping and fulfillment arent the most exciting parts of running an e-commerce store. Your time is better spent improving your products and attracting customers. Thats why Shippo is such a convenient choice for online merchants experiencing high growth. With Shippo, you get access to dozens of shop implementations, carriers, and fulfillment partners to simplify your shipping experience. Best of all, Shippo is totally free, and you can get started right away. Shippo is a shipping software that aggregates all of your orders across multiple sales channels under one platform. To accomplish this, Shippo uses a wide library of integrations with e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, 3PLs, and order management tools. For example, if you have a company Amazon page and a website built with an e-commerce platform like Shopify, BigCommerce, or Squarespace, you can manage orders from both channels within Shippo. Similarly, Shippo gives you access to batch & automated label creation, rate comparison, tracking, returns, & more, resulting in happier customers Additionally, Shippo is the only shipping software that provides access to the best carrier discounts, up to 90% off, including USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Shippo also has partnerships with 50+ regional, national, and international carriers such as Canada Post, Asendia, and APC Postal Logistics, so you can reach customers from all corners of the globe. Simplifying your shipping experience can save you time and money. With Shippo, you get all the tools you need to streamline your shipping and fulfillment workflow so you can spend more time generating sales and making the best products possible. Shippo is totally free, and you can learn more here. Prices subject to change. Engadget is teaming up with StackSocial to bring you deals on the latest headphones, gadgets, tech toys, and tutorials. This post does not constitute editorial endorsement, and we earn a portion of all sales. If you have any questions about the products you see here or previous purchases, please contact StackSocial support here. January 05, 2021 U.S. Foreign Policy Blob Knows The Real Threat From China - Has Ideas Of How To Defeat It Andrew Bacevich points to an interesting essay by Richard Hanania about the "threat" from China as perceived by the U.S. establishment. Chinas Real Threat Is to Americas Ruling Ideology The author says that China, even as it is growing and has passed the U.S. economically, is not an enemy of the U.S. and no danger to U.S. or others' security: While China is not blameless, one could reasonably make the argument that, from an international perspective, it has had easily the most peaceful rise to great power status of any nation of the last several hundred years. ... Perhaps, as the McMasters of the world claim, this is all because Beijing is biding its time in hopes of world domination. Alternatively, China may be an inwardly focused civilization that, while it may have disputes with its neighbors, is not on a mission to fundamentally remake the world. While it would naturally prefer rules that favor it and resists any principles that would legitimize regime change supported from abroad, Beijing does not seek to fundamentally replace the U.N. or rewrite international law. Its strategy has mostly sought stability and growth within the rules of the system developed by Western democracies in the aftermath of the Second World War. While its current position of strength is recent, it has not yet broken from this precedent. Nor does it, as far as is known, plan to do so. Various U.S. influenced political scientists have claimed that democratization and liberalization is a necessary precursor for peace and economic growth. That ideological argument was used to seek and kill various 'dictator' dragons abroad. China has proved them to be wrong. And therein lies the real danger to the U.S. establishment. China's development over the last 40 years proves that it is not necessary to wage wars in foreign countries to be secure and to prosper. For U.S. ideologues that is a bad example that should not exist: If universal democratization is not the ultimate endpoint of historyor even an imperative for development, peace, and prosperityhow can the American role in the world be justified? What will it say about the American system if the U.S. is no longer the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world, having been surpassed by a country that became the dominant power in East Asia without even paying lip service to democratic ideals? Ultimately, Americans themselves might begin asking themselves difficult questions about how well they have been served by their own system, including the sacrifices in blood and treasure they are regularly asked to make abroad. That would be really bad as the monetary fodder in the trough the national security establishment is feasting from would suddenly be seen as an unnecessary waste. That is the real danger to the blob: Ultimately, the danger for American elites is not that the U.S. may become less able to accomplish geopolitical objectives. Rather, it is that more Americans might begin to question the logic of U.S. global hegemony. Perhaps not every state is destined to become a liberal democracy, and nations with very different political systems can coexist peacefully, as many countries in East Asia do. Maybe the U.S. will not always be at the frontier of military and economic power, and the country that overtakes it may have completely different attitudes about the nature of the relationship between government and its citizens. While most Americans will never experience a ride on a Chinese bullet train and remain oblivious in differences in areas like infrastructure quality, major accomplishments in highly visible frontiers like space travel or cancer treatment could drive home the extent to which the U.S. has fallen behind. Under such conditions, the best case scenario for most Americans would be a nightmare for many national security and bureaucratic elites: for the U.S. to give up on policing the world and instead turn inward and focus on finding out where exactly our institutions have gone wrong. What then is the U.S. establishment going to do? The U.S. rose to global supremacy on the back of two world wars which destroyed the industrial capacities of its main competitors while the wars hardly touched its own country. Could it arrange for a comparable event, by maybe instigating a conflict between Japan and China, that would again lead to a major destruction of global production capabilities while the U.S. stays on the sidelines? Letting Japan, South Korea and Taiwan(!) have their own nuclear weapons, as another writer proposes, may be a way to get there: What to do [about China]? There is one way to square the circle. The Biden administration should reconsider reflexive U.S. opposition to friendly proliferation. ... Taiwan is in greatest need of such a weapon, but developing one would be highly destabilizing, since Beijing would be tempted to preempt the process. The alternative would be for Washington to fill Taiwans need, with a profound impact on Sino-American relations. Proliferation would not be a good solutionbut it might be the least bad one. No doubt, a nuclear-armed China would react badly to better-armed neighbors, but it is no happier with a more involved United States. ... It is easier to know what not to do with China than what to do. Dont go to war. Dont stage a new cold war. Dont sacrifice core values and basic interests. Dont make the issue all about Washington. Dont waste money and credibility on overambitious, unsustainable attempts at containment. Dont attempt to dictate to the PRC. But what to do? The United States should think creatively about new approaches to old problems. One way to do so is to stop hectoring partners and preventing them from doing what they want to do. Including, perhaps, developing nuclear weapons. I expect that this and other such ideas will soon proliferate. Posted by b on January 5, 2021 at 19:19 UTC | Permalink Comments NEW YORK, Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BCM One, a leading managed technology solutions provider, announced today that it has acquired SkySwitch, a prominent white-label UCaaS provider based in Tampa, Florida. The acquisition allows BCM One to expand its UCaaS offerings and grow its channel audience reach to a variety of resellers including MSPs, VARs, ISPs, WISPs, interconnects and channel agents, empowering them to white-label the company's next-generation communications services to their customers. "We have made several strategic investments to grow and support BCM One's product offerings," stated Geoff Bloss, Chief Executive Officer of BCM One. "The acquisition of SkySwitch is a major step toward increasing our presence in the hosted voice market. It will bring additional products and revenue opportunities to our valued channel partners." "We're excited to join the BCM One family and add our streamlined white-label UCaaS platform to the company's robust product portfolio," stated Jayson Jones, Vice President of Sales at SkySwitch. "Our white-label approach is a perfect fit for BCM One's strong channel base." "The addition of SkySwitch to the BCM One family continues to solidify our channel-centric approach to delivering next-generation solutions," stated Mark Amick, Group President of NextGen Communications at BCM One. "SkySwitch's industry-leading wholesale UCaaS platform empowers managed service providers to deliver truly customized UCaaS solutions." SkySwitch is the latest acquisition to be integrated into BCM One, joining nexVortex, SIP.US, SIPTrunk and Arena One. This furthers the company's ongoing investment in its voice and collaboration services and continues the growth initiative spurred by Thompson Street Capital Partners' 2019 recapitalization of the business. The SkySwitch leadership, wholesale sales, and support teams will become part of BCM One. This acquisition expands BCM One's geographic footprint to include a fifth office location in Tampa, Florida. ABOUT BCM ONE Founded in 1992, BCM One is a leading managed technology solutions provider offering nextgen communications and managed network services. Serving over 17,000 customers worldwide, BCM One offers a variety of solutions supporting businesses' critical network infrastructure including: UCaaS, SIP Trunking, Microsoft Teams, Managed SD-WAN, Microsoft Azure, Technology Expense Optimization and Managed Connectivity solutions. BCM One prides itself on its long-standing client relationships backed by their mission statement, "To Provide a World-Class Experience with Every Human Interaction." To learn more about BCM One, visit www.bcmone.com. ABOUT SKYSWITCH SkySwitch is a US-based, next-generation communications platform provider offering white-labeled Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) solutions to telecommunication customers include MSPs, agents, interconnects, ISPs, WISPs and VARs. SkySwitch provides resellers with the competitive advantages required to succeed in today's overcrowded marketplace by combining best-in-class customer support with an advanced cloud-based UCaaS platform, delivering feature-rich voice, video, text and fax communications. For Media Inquiries: Paula Como Kauth Office: 212.906.7255 | [email protected] Related Images bcm-one.jpg BCM One BCM One is a managed technology solutions provider offering NextGen Communications and Managed Services to small to medium sized businesses. SOURCE BCM One Public Relations Related Links http://www.bcmone.com The funeral of former Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt has taken place in Co Louth. A funeral mass was held at St Fursey's Church in Haggardstown following the removal from the family home in Beech Park, Blackrock. According to a death notice McKevitt died "peacefully at home in the presence of his loving family" on Saturday. McKevitt died of cancer. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye The funeral leaves St Fursey's Church after Requiem Mass, Haggardstown Co. Louth, for burial in the adjourning cemetery . Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye The funeral leaves St Fursey's Church after Requiem Mass, Haggardstown Co. Louth, for burial in the adjourning cemetery . Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 5th January 2021 The funeral leaves St. FurseyOs Church after Requiem Mass at St. FurseyOs Church, Haggardstown Co. Louth, for burial in the adjourning cemetery . Funeral of former Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt who died last week aged 71-tear-old. In August 2003 McKevitt was found guilty of directing terrorism and membership of an illegal organisation. He was also found liable for the 1998 Omagh bomb that killed 29 people. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye The funeral leaves St Fursey's Church after Requiem Mass, Haggardstown Co. Louth, for burial in the adjourning cemetery . Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye The funeral leaves St Fursey's Church after Requiem Mass, Haggardstown Co. Louth, for burial in the adjourning cemetery . Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Mourners walk behind the cortege at the funeral of former Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt in Blackrock, Co Louth. Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye He headed the Real IRA terror group which was formed in 1997 by dissident members of the Provisionals. The father-of-six was found by Belfast High Court to be centrally involved in the planning the Omagh bombing, but he never paid any of the 1.6m judgment against him. However, he was never found guilty in a criminal court for the atrocity which claimed the lives of 29 people, along with unborn twins. More than 200 were injured in the bombing. McKevitt spent 13 years in prison in the Republic after being found guilty by Dublin's Special Criminal Court of "directing terrorism". Originally from Co Louth, McKevitt joined the Provisional IRA at the outbreak of the Troubles and became a senior figure, before quitting in protest at the ceasefires in 1997. He was married to Bernadette Sands McKevitt, sister of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. Download the Belfast Telegraph App Get quick and easy access to the latest Northern Ireland news, sport, business and opinion with the Belfast Telegraph App. Belfast Telegraph New Delhi: In her New Year's address to the nation, Myanmar's state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has announced that her country will get the COVID vaccine from India and that a contract has been signed regarding it. She said, "The purchase contract for buying the first batch of the vaccines from India has already been signed. As soon as the authorities concerned in India have issued permission to use this vaccine, we have made arrangements for the import of these vaccines into Myanmar." Myanmar has signed MoU with the serum institute of India for Covishield. Over the weekend, India's drug regulator gave approval for its use. Last year the Indian foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and Army Chief MM Naravane had jointly visited the country. The visit saw high-level assurances from India that Myanmar will be a priority when it comes to Vaccine. Shringla also handed over 3000 vials of Remdesivir as a symbol of Indias commitment to helping Myanmar mitigate the impact of covid 19. The state counsellor highlighted that the first priority group to get the vaccine will be medical professionals and medical personnel, which will happen in the month of February. She said, "there is a lot of competition as all the countries of the world are trying to get this vaccine. However, we believe that the vaccination programme could be carried out all over the country step by step." Adding, "During the period when the vaccines are still not available, I wish to appeal to the people to abide by the health rules and regulations and give support to our efforts to beat COVID-19. Please be vigilant; please be patient. Please brace yourself by visioning the future. We are all in this together." Amid the covid pandemic, India reaffirmed its position as the pharma capital of the world by sending medicines like HCQ, Paracetamol to more than 150 countries. New Delhi also organised training for build capacity. In fact, for the neighbourhood, India has organized two training modules in which about 90 health experts and scientists have participated. In President Donald Trumps waning days in office, as he tries to overturn an election he lost fair and square, were again seeing the worst from a powerful figure. It is a dishonorable moment for the country only salvageable because of our confidence that the majority of members of Congress will do the right thing and assure President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office on Jan. 20. In the unlikely event Congress falters in its obligations when it meets Wednesday to count the electoral results, we put faith in the courts to protect the sanctity of the election. But that doesnt mean there is zero risk. A group of four-wheel riders stumbled upon a decomposing body found inside the freezer of an abandoned home in South Carolina. The group of eight teenagers found the unidentified body at around 5.40pm Sunday at the deserted Orangeburg County home. According to deputies from the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office, the teens had been riding near the abandoned property and decided to go in as they claimed it was haunted, WACH reports. The group of eight teenagers found the unidentified body at around 5.40pm Sunday at the deserted Orangeburg County home One of the teens opened the freezer and discovered the body, after the group went inside the home. The boy who opened the freezer said that smelled rotten meat and saw what appeared to be a body wearing blue jeans and socks. After closing the freezer, the teens alerted authorities. 'It was very scary,' Madison Childers, one of the teens, said. 'You couldn't tell it was a person, because... I think it had been in there for months.' They had been riding four-wheelers nearby when they decided to go into the home, claiming it was haunted Childers described the smell as being unbearable with the body already badly decomposed. 'There were maggots everywhere,' Childers said. 'It was very scary,' Madison Childers, one of the teens, said. 'You couldn't tell it was a person, because... I think it had been in there for months' Corey Antley, another teen who was at the scene, described the group as being overwhelmed by the smell. 'As soon as the seal broke loose, it was just a horrifying smell,' Antley explained. 'It's something you won't forget, really.' According to Riley Robinson, another witness, they had not expected to come across the gruesome scene. 'I didn't know what to do, I was speechless,' Robinson said. 'I heard that once you smell a human you can't ever forget it. And I can still smell it right now.' An autopsy will be conducted by the Orangeburg County Coroner's Office, later in the week. Worldwide, marine megafauna are at risk of extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, pollution, overhunting, population fragmentation, and hybridization with related species in areas disturbed by humans. Genetic studies can help determine the conservation status of marine animals, identifying threats to species conservation and informing interventions and policies, such as the protection of diversity hotspots or corridors for gene flow. In a new study in Frontiers in Marine Science, researchers for the first time measured genetic diversity in manatees at a large geographical scale -- that is, along the northern coastline of South America. They show that the Antillean subspecies of the West Indian manatee forms a single, non-continuous population along the Brazilian coastline. Manatees from this population occasionally interbreed with the Antillean subspecies population located further North and West, between Guyana and Venezuela. Moreover, there seems to be no natural hybridization between the Antillean Amazonian manatee, even though their habitats overlap in the mouth of the Amazon river. The Antillean subspecies of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus) and the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) (order Sirenia) are both classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Antillean manatees occur across most of the Caribbean and along the Atlantic coast of Central and South America. In contrast, the Amazonian manatee is exclusively found in the mouth of the Amazon River. Historically, both were hunted intensively. Though hunting pressure has subsided, both remain at risk due to further anthropogenic threats, especially habitat degradation and collisions with boats. Manatees have strict habitat requirements, mainly places with seagrass and freshwater, such as estuaries. Due to continuous human pressure on their habitats, such as seagrass meadows, populations have decreased, potentially leading to a decrease in genetic variability. ''Genetic diversity is critical for species to be able to adapt to changing environments and avoid inbreeding and needs to be considered to allow for long-term protection of species,'' says coauthor Dr Margaret Hunter from the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey in Gainesville, Florida. "Here we show that manatee populations of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil have some degree of interrelatedness but overall low genetic diversity.'" To determine whether there is genetic connectivity between the West Indian and Amazonian manatee, the authors took 17 DNA samples from the Amazonian manatee, 78 from the Antillean subspecies in Brazil (southern cluster of populations) and 11 from Guyana and Venezuela (northern cluster), including adults and calves, and measured diversity at nuclear and mitochondrial neutral genetic markers. The researchers found no evidence of natural hybridization between the two species. What they did find was evidence of gene flow between the northern and southern cluster of Antillean manatees. It seems the physical barrier of the Amazon River plume is not enough to block gene flow between the northern and southern cluster. ''These results make it possible for us to understand current genetic diversity of the Brazilian West Indian manatee population,'' says coauthor Dr Fabia de Oliveira Luna from Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation - National Center for Research and Aquatic Mammals Conservation, Brazil. ''We call on policymakers to improve the national action plan. An important action is the creation of new protected areas, which help establish biological corridors and promote gene flow. Another is to protect habitats where manatees give birth. Newborn calves have stranded along the Ceara and Rio Grande do Norte coastline of Brazil: upon rescue, these should released into the genetic population of origin, or in gap areas without residing manatees. In contrast, captive breeding should be avoided for now as enough calves are born in the wild." ### [January 05, 2021] Nexilis' Distribution Platform Selected by W.H. Greene and Associates to Drive Underwriting Transformation Nexilis, an Insurtech providing a P&C Insurance as a Service platform and related services, and W.H. Greene & Associates (WH Greene), a New York based Commercial Underwriter of Umbrella/Excess, NYS Contractors General Liability, and Operating as a full-service E&S Brokerage, today announced that WH Greene will partner with Nexilis to transform the WH Greene Underwriting Operation by implementing the Nexilis platform for Underwriting and Distribution in the Cloud. This move will enable the company to generate dramatic efficiencies in their underwriting and distribution processes allowing them to focus on delivering outstanding customer service and new business growth. WH Greene is focused on building strong partnerships with their carrier partners, reinsurers and producers as well as strong customer relationships across 48 states. From the beginning, when they were established in 1986, WH Greene has looked for ways to Insure their customers, with a high-quality Underwriting and Distribution team and processes. "Nexilis is the ideal partner for us as we look to re-imagine our Underwriting and Distribution processes. We see a huge opportunity to grow our business as we create efficiencies and optimization within our operations. The opportunity to help shape the Nexilis platform makes this partnership even more valuable," said David Watson, of W.H. Greene & Associates. "We are confident the Nexilis team and technology will deliver the efficiency gains we've set out to achieve in our 2021 plans." "We are pleased with Greene & Associates recognition of the advantages in working with Nexilis and our Distribution Platform," aid Thad DeBerry, CEO and Co-Founder, Nexilis. "We value their relationship and are excited about the opportunity to work with such a professional underwriting organization." About W.H. Greene & Associates Established in 1986 by William H. Greene, the company initially started as a Wholesale Brokerage, but quickly evolved into an Underwriting Facility thanks to key relationships with carriers and reinsurance partners. Today, they manage their wholesale brokerage alongside their programs. Their vision is to be a single point of contact for their customers in the specialty lines of insurance. WH Greene maintains underwriting authority for multiple exclusive Umbrella & Excess Programs, all of which are underwritten in house by their incredibly experienced Underwriters. For their retail partners, WH Greene has a wide variety of products available through their Wholesale Brokerage operation. WH Greene also manages a unique and exclusive General Liability program for New York State Contractors. For more information visit: www.whgreene.com About Nexilis Nexilis is a Delaware based LLC Insurtech company, with a highly configurable Insurance as a service platform that enables Insurers and MGAs to quickly integrate complex technologies and data delivering outstanding customer experiences. Their accomplished leadership team of Insurance and IT experts have used their combined 100+ years of experience in Insurance to innovate and deliver this truly unique, AI driven platform specifically for the insurance market. Nexilis offers a configurable, AI driven, insurance platform and services that manage all underwriting and product distribution needs for P&C Insurers. The innovative technology enables insurers and MGAs to quickly launch new and existing products integrated with emerging technologies such as IoT devices, 3rd party data sources, and the latest insurtech capabilities to create world class customer experiences. Insurers and MGAs can utilize the Nexilis platform to streamline their underwriting process to the point of straight through processing, create new distribution models, and enter new markets by applying AI to third party and internal data. For more information visit: www.nexilis.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005935/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Two people were found dead Monday at a residence in Cape May County, authorities said. The circumstances surrounding the deaths in the Villas-section of Lower Township remained under investigation, according to the Cape May County Prosecutors Office. It was not clear if the incident was considered suspicious and officials said there was no threat to the public. Police went to the Cardinal Avenue residence Monday morning to check the well being of the occupants, and discovered the bodies, according to the prosecutors office. In a statement, Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland said there is no threat to the public at this time, but Cardinal Avenue may be closed until the investigation is completed. Authorities did not immediately release more details on the investigation. Anyone with information on the deaths can call investigators at 609-465-1135 or 609-886-1619. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. By Noelyn Nassuuna Presidential Candidate John Katumba has revealed that he started chasing his dream of becoming the President of Uganda when he was in primary two. While appearing on KFMs DMighty Breakfast, Katumba says he was inspired by the injustices around town which he wanted to stop. Right away from childhood, I made my decision in P2 when I saw a lady who was being tortured I think by KCCA people. I saw guys who grabbed a lady and drove her away leaving me hurt, he says. Katumba further refutes the allegations that he is a project being used by Museveni in the election process. Ugandans are aware that Im not a project. Many people have seen and listened to me and are sure that Im not a project, he says. Katumba, who made very many people wonder where a fresh graduate like him got Shs20m for nomination says that while soliciting signatures, he asked people to fund the cause. Katumba adds that since then, many people have come up to fundraise for him. I am in a hustle and Im in a cause. People like Kasuku, Pastor Mondo and Gashumba and other people called me to fund my project. I keep getting mobile money on my phone number. I was also given a Hummer to use during my campaigns, he adds. Katumba says that his favorite song is Katumba Oye by Santana. Katumba who corrected Maritza and Brian Mulondo, the hosts of the show, who were saying his slogan softly mentioned that it has to be said with a lot of energy. You say Katumba Oyee with a lot of energy because when you are chasing away the devil, you use a lot of energy, he said. Katumba says that during the campaign, he has seen and learnt a lot. He has realised that people are poor and are being over worked. People are in slavery. It is like we are being colonized by these Arabs who are rough, he says. One area that stood out for him is the northern Uganda. In northern Uganda, people are really suffering and in Zombo, you find that there is a trench in the middle of the road. These people have never seen or heard about good roads. In Karamoja, people have minerals but dont benefit from them. In Mbale, they declared it as a city but its a town. People there are suffering. They declared it as a city so that they can get more tax from them, he said. Brian asked Katumba whether he would remove the city status but he insists he will make it look like a city instead of removing the status. Katumba who disagrees with the way money is spent says its not right to spend money on teargas. He says this money should be invested in other economic services like fishery. Katumba says he will give Ugandans independence, economically. He adds that Ugandans are oppressed and that makes them slaves. A 21-year-old woman is accused of snatching a $10,000 bulldog from a Harris County family-owned pet shop and speeding away while a store employee held tight to the hood of the getaway car for more than a mile, officials said. Royshana King was arrested and charged last Wednesday with aggravated robbery involving a deadly weapon in connection with the November incident, according to Harris County court documents. The employee, Alize James, 21, said she was working on Nov. 4 at Bully Kamp, a specialty pet supply store near Aldine in north Harris County that is owned by her family, when a couple entered the store interested in buying a dog. They were aggressive and determined to pick a dog that day, she said. Now Playing: Video: (Video courtesy Alize James) The customer gave her name and phone number while inquiring about financing options for the dog, a 7-month-old exotic bulldog named Chica who is worth $10,000 and had just undergone eye surgery, James said. But when James ran upstairs to grab mail for the UPS truck that had just pulled up, King scooped the pooch off the counter, tucked it under her arm and walked out the front door. James, who cares for the store's dogs as if they're her own, did what she assumes anyone would do: run after her dog. "That's all I wanted, is my pup," she said. James chased the dog snatchers out of the store, she told police, but the male accomplice hit her with the passenger door and climbed into the driver's seat. "Just leave the dog, just leave the dog," James said she yelled. Then, court records show, the man put the car in gear and tried to run over James with the car. Instinctively, James jumped onto the hood to keep from being run over, she said. The driver sped recklessly down side streets and the Interstate 45 service road for more than a mile, while James clung to the hood. Meanwhile, King lunged out of the passenger window, hitting and scratching James while she tried to call 911, James said. When the car pulled over mid-traffic, James said the couple assaulted James by hitting and scratching her in the face and head. The man tossed her to the ground and King allegedly stole her necklace before they sped off with the dog. King remains in custody with bail set at $15,000. Court records show King was charged in 2018 with assault causing bodily injury and in 2019 with theft for allegedly stealing clothes worth between $100 and $750. The man has not been identified. Jose Garcia, a manager at the pet store, said he had received no news about the stolen dog's whereabouts as of Tuesday morning. The store typically attracts loyal and friendly customers, he said. Employees were feeling anxious for a while after the robbery. "We're just trying to get back to normal," he said. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. More than two-thirds of the 15 million coronavirus vaccines shipped within the United States have so far gone unused, U.S. health officials said on Monday, as the governors of New York and Florida vowed to penalize hospitals that fail to dispense shots quickly enough. In New York, hospitals must administer vaccines within a week of receiving them or face a fine and a reduction in future supplies, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, hours before announcing the states first known case of a new, more infectious coronavirus variant originally detected in Britain. I dont want the vaccine in a fridge or a freezer, I want it in somebodys arm," the governor said. If youre not performing this function, it does raise questions about the operating efficiency of the hospital." New York hospitals on the whole have dispensed fewer than half of their allocated doses to date, but performance varied from one group of hospitals to another, Cuomo said. The NYC Health + Hospitals system, the citys main public hospital network, has only administered 31% of its allotment, compared with 99% for a few private hospitals in the state. In Florida, where officials have put senior citizens ahead of many essential workers for getting the vaccine, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a policy under which the state would allocate more doses to hospitals that dispense them most quickly, Hospitals that do not do a good job of getting the vaccine out will have their allocations transferred to hospitals that are doing a good job at getting the vaccine out," DeSantis said at a briefing. We do not want vaccine to just be idle at some hospital system," he added, although he did not say they would face fines. Florida will also deploy an additional 1,000 nurses to administer vaccines and will keep state-run vaccination sites open seven days a week, he said. UK VARIANT FOUND IN NEW YORK Cuomos announcement that the more contagious COVID variant known as B.1.1.7 had been confirmed in a man in his 60s living in a town north of Albany gave new urgency to the states efforts to accelerate vaccinations. At least three other U.S. cases of the so-called UK variant have been documented since last week, one each in Florida, California and Colorado. None of the four patients has a recent travel history, meaning the variant was likely spreading person-to-person within each of the communities where it turned up. Neither the UK variant, nor a similarly more contagious strain first found in South Africa, is believed any more lethal than the original form of the virus. Scientists say newly developed vaccines should be equally effective against both. But medical experts worry that the emergence of a more communicable variant could accelerate a months-long surge of infections and hospitalizations already straining U.S. healthcare systems to their limits. The U.S. death toll has climbed to well over 350,000 out of more than 20 million known infections to date, with the fatality rate averaging 2,600-plus lives every 24 hours over the past week. The staggering human toll, together with an upending of daily social life and a stifling of economic activity, has made the slower-than-expected uptake of available vaccines all the more vexing to authorities. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER Some of the problem has been attributed to widespread distrust of immunizations, even among some healthcare workers, owing in part to the record speed with which COVID-19 vaccines were developed and approved 11 months after the virus emerged in the United States. But some U.S. officials also have cited a lack of adequate planning and logistical glitches in launching the most ambitious mass inoculation campaign in the nations history. The federal government has distributed more than 15 million vaccine doses to states and territories across the country, but only around 4.5 million have been administered so far, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Monday. Those figures put the government far short of its goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020, although officials said they expected the rollout would pick up significantly this month. We have go to do better, and we are going to keep doing better, and I promise you, you will see in the next two weeks numbers increase substantially," Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CBS News in an interview. Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said New York and Florida were being overly bureaucratic" in penalizing hospitals over vaccine deliveries even as they coped with soaring patient caseloads. Instead of fining hospitals, why not give them more resources to do this, more money, more staffing?" he said in a telephone interview. New York has dispensed about 175,000 doses of the 896,000 it has received since mid-December, according to CDC data. Florida has dispensed 265,000 of the 1.14 million doses it received. Monday also marked the first day when some Americans were due to receive their second vaccine shots, three weeks after getting the first. Among them was Maritza Beniquez, a healthcare worker in Newark, New Jersey. I now have body armor," she said after receiving the dose in a video shared on Facebook by state officials. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The United States placed sanctions on companies connected to Irans metals industry Tuesday. The Trump administrations continued use of sanctions could complicate the foreign policy of President-elect Joe Biden. The State Department announced Tuesday new sanctions on steel, mining, industrial and construction entities. Thirteen of the firms are based in Iran. These include Pasargad Steel Complex, based in Tehran, and Vian Steel Complex, which describes itself as Iran's second largest privately owned steel-maker. The department also announced sanctions on companies based outside Iran, including in US-allied states. GMI Projects Hamburg in Germany, GMI Projects in the UK and World Mining Industry in China are also now designated. The three companies are run by the Iran-based Middle East Mines and Mineral Industries Development Holding Company, according to the State Department. The US government has the authority to sanction companies working with Irans metal industry based on presidential Executive Order 13871. The reasoning is that the Iranian state uses revenues from this industry to support terrorism and threaten other countries. The Iranian regime uses revenue from its metals sector to fund the regimes destabilizing activities around the world, read the announcement. The State Department also placed sanctions on one individual, Majid Sajdeh, who leads Hafez Darya Arya Shipping. Sajdehs company allegedly participated in a graphite deal with an entity designated by the US Treasury Department. US sanctions on Iran are controversial, and some have had a malign effect on the Iranian economy. Iran also alleges that the US government prevents Iran from buying medical supplies. The United States denies this. Tuesdays sanctions mean that the US government has the authority to seize any US-based assets of the designated entities. US President Donald Trumps administration has continued to sanction Iran since losing the US presidential election to former Vice President Biden. The flurry of sanctions in recent weeks could complicate Bidens stated intentions to improve relations between Washington and Tehran. Making a subtle nudge to New Delhi to rely more on the United States and less on Russia to source its weapons, outgoing American Ambassador, Kenneth Juster, on Tuesday stated that New Delhi might like to keep options open, but it would ultimately need to make its choices. Juster indicated that the United States might not have any plan to immediately impose restrictions mandated by the 2017 Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India for buying S-400 missile defence systems from Russia. He, however, added that it might not be optimal for India to source its military hardware from a range of suppliers from different countries, given the prevailing strategic landscape. The CAATSA sanctions were never designed to harm friends and allies (of the US). They were aimed at a particular country...There are many variables involved in it...And, I think from my perspective I would put that issue aside. I see other issues that potentially affect the future of the defence relationship (between India and the US), said Juster, who would soon leave New Delhi after completing his term as the US envoy to India. India seeks to keep its options open and purchase from any countries. But there are also limitations that imposes and choices that might ultimately need to be made (by India). The outgoing US ambassador to India was responding to a question after delivering a farewell lecture at an event hosted by a think-tank in New Delhi. The US last month imposed the CAATSA sanctions on Turkey for the $2.5 billion deal President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Government clinched with Russia for procuring the S-400 Triumf air defence systems. The US move against its NATO-ally Turkey triggered concerns in New Delhi, where many saw in it a not-so-subtle warning to India, which too in October 2018 inked a $ 5.4 billion deal to buy five S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile systems from Almaz-Antey Corporation of Russia and is expecting the delivery to start in 2021. The US not only imposed sanctions on Turkey, but also asked other countries to take note and avoid acquisition of military hardware from Russia. The US Congress in July 2017 passed the CAATSA to impose sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea. Trump signed it into law in August 2017 and its scope was further expanded in October 2017. The Section 231 of the CAATSA mandated secondary sanctions to any nation entering into high-value deals to procure military hardware from Russia. New Delhi has been arguing with the Washington DC over the past few months that India cannot not abruptly scale down its reliance on military hardware from Russia, given the decades-old history of defence cooperation between the two countries. While we appreciate that India has its own historical and geographical perspective, in todays strategic landscape it may not be optimal to source equipment across a range of suppliers from different countries, Juster said on Tuesday. He said that defence procurement should not be solely about selecting the lowest bidder, but also about recognising quality and value over the entire lifecycle, and ensuring strategic interoperability across services and perhaps even with other friendly forces. Already, platforms have given way to systems, and, in tomorrows world, systems will fight systems simultaneously across all domains ground, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Information and the ability to share and integrate it into broader communications and operating networks will be key. In this security environment, he said, it is worth considering how effectively one piece of equipment will integrate into a broader system and strategy, and whether a particular purchase today will pave the way for or preclude future acquisitions of more sophisticated technology. The US ambassador also argued that as India looked at co-production opportunities, it might wish to focus on manufacturing equipment that would address the needs of the global marketplace, with sufficient demand worldwide to make it a worthwhile endeavour. More broadly, will the evolving international environment require India to adjust how it expresses strategic autonomy? Might practical security needs necessitate building closer operating relationships with a smaller circle of trusted, like-minded partners to best preserve Indias independence of action while protecting it from coercion? And, with which nations does India have the best chance of realizing its own ambition of a vibrant, indigenous defence industrial sector? These are important issues for the Government of India to consider, said Juster, who, like other political appointees of President Donald Trumps administration, would leave the office of the US ambassador to India on January 19 a day before Joe Biden would take over the Oval Office at the White House. In 1999, when I was the publisher of a chain of community weekly newspapers in Manhattan, I decided to resurrect an event called the OTTY (Our Town Thanks You) Awards, to honor 30 great East Siders for their achievements the previous year. I racked my brain for a high-profile emcee who would bring credibility and attention to this event. Finally, I arrived at the perfect choice: Howard Rubenstein, the legendary public relations impresario who was one of the best known New Yorkers at the time. His client list ranged from the rich and infamous, like hotelier and convicted tax cheat Leona Helmsley, to small nonprofits, which benefited from Howards political connections. He represented former Gov. Hugh Carey, former New York City Mayor Abe Beame and everything from government agencies to the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Rubenstein graciously accepted my invitation and asked for only one thing: please send the script for the event at least one day prior to the ceremony so he could study up about the winners. That first year, at an elegant East Side restaurant, a whos who of the citys power brokers attended the OTTY Awards: then-Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, legendary real estate titan and civic champion Lew Rudin, and Muriel Siebert, the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, among other bold-faced names. They all came to accept their OTTY from Our Town newspaper and from Rubenstein, who knew them all and was able to inject personal anecdotes to the script for many of the honorees. In fact, a few days after the first awards ceremony, The New York Observer, then the preeminent chronicler of the East Side elite, published a snarky item pointing out that 22 of our 30 honorees happened to be Rubenstein public relations clients. Maybe next year they should rename it The Howard Awards, sniffed the pink weekly broadsheet. When I called Howard to point out this item in the Observer, he laughed in his self-effacing, good-natured way, and said: I didnt know that. But half of the East Side are my clients so I guess its going to be hard to avoid this. Indeed, Howard did represent lots of New Yorks best-known gentry, who turned to him to get them out of their embarrassing and headline-grabbing crises. Every year for the next decade, Howard was at the lectern at our awards ceremony, lending his good reputation and sunny disposition to our event. Our honorees were always glad to pose with Howard for their post-award photo and to shake his hand. I thought of these fun evenings with Howard almost two decades ago when I read his long, laudatory obituary in the New York Times last week. It chronicled his career as a scrappy public relations maven from Brooklyn. He grew up in Bensonhurst, the son of a police reporter, and made it to the Ivy League, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and attending Harvard Law School. But he dropped out and set up shop in PR, reaching the pinnacle of his profession representing New Yorks rogue characters like late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and a brash young real estate developer named Donald Trump, whose marital infidelities captured the front pages of the local tabloids, especially Howards client, the pugnacious New York Post. New Yorkers of a certain age can remember seeing Howard quoted weekly in the local press on behalf of one client or another. Larger-than-life figures like him are part of what makes New York the great city it is. Being the consummate straight talker, Howard knew when to tell his clients who were in trouble to take their lumps and publicly apologize for their misdeeds. In crisis management, he famously said, the first thing is to figure out the right thing to do and then develop a strategy from there. His tactics were emulated throughout the industry as he whisked his clients out of raging imbroglios into the safer harbor of confessional press conferences or comprehensive statements that tamped down potentially embarrassing headlines. Rubenstein was a whiz in dealing with the press and knew how to cultivate young reporters, editors and gossip columnists, so that one day when he had to call in a favor, he could phone a friendly voice in the newsroom. I remember sitting next to then-Page Six Editor Richard Johnson in Howards New York Yankees box at a playoff game in the early 2000s. We were among many New York journalists who enjoyed Howards invitations to Yankees games or to dinners at the legendary Brooklyn steakhouse Peter Luger, which was owned by Howards wifes family. Journalistic ethics in those days were a bit more flexible and Howard knew how to butter up the media. His passing last week seems like the end of a bygone era when public relations pros like Howard, journalists like Johnson and Jimmy Breslin and business titans like Rupert Murdoch and Steinbrenner made New York a colorful place worthy of big tabloid headlines and behind-the-scenes gossip that reverberated around the city. There will be a new generation of New York civic power brokers like Howards impressive sons Steven and Richard Rubenstein, who went into the family business. They can pick up the mantle and light up Gotham in the coming years, as the city finds its way back after the calamities of 2020. San Francisco, Jan 6 : Chip maker Qualcomm on Tuesday announced that Cristiano Amon will succeed Steve Mollenkopf as CEO, effective from June 30. Mollenkopf informed the Board of his decision to retire as CEO following 26 years with the company. Amon, who has worked at Qualcomm since 1995, is currently President of the Company. Mollenkopf will continue his employment with the Company as a strategic advisor for a period of time, the company said in a statement. Mollenkopf said that with "our business model clearly validated and our leadership in 5G, this is the right time for Cristiano to assume leadership of the Company and preside over what I see as the single largest opportunity in the Company's history. "Cristiano spearheaded the development of our 5G strategy, including its acceleration, industry-leading technology roadmap and global rollout," he added. Amon, 50, has served as President, Qualcomm since January 2018. In this role, he is responsible for Qualcomm's semiconductor business (QCT), which includes Mobile, RF Front End, Automotive and IoT revenue streams, and the company's global operations. The High Court has suspended the Nairobi Gubernatorial by-election pending the determination of a petition filed by Mike Sonko. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had scheduled the by-election for February 18, 2021, following Sonkos impeachment. In a 50-page petition, the impeached governor argues that his ouster was highly politicised and the process overturned the popular will of the people as contained in Article 1(1) of the Constitution. It will only be fair and just if they are restrained from taking any further action that is prejudicial to my rights, Sonko said. He will suffer irreparable damage not compensable in monetary terms because he stands to lose his position as the second governor of Nairobi City County without the due process of the law, the rule of law and constitutionalism, Sonkos petition reads in part. Justice Anthony Mrima on Monday temporarily suspended the special Gazette notice issued by IEBC calling for a by-election in February. The judge said Sonko as well as the Nairobi County Assembly presented important arguments which he certified as urgent hence it was necessary to halt the by-election process and hear them first. Nairobi County Assembly lawyer Ndegwa Njiru and Sonkos legal said they were satisfied with the ruling, further stating that the matter should be heard by more than one judge. Judge Mrima will issue a ruling on whether the matter will be heard by a bench on January 14, 2020. The New York Stock Exchange has reversed a decision to delist Chinas top three telecommunications companies, following consultations with U.S. regulatory authorities. The Trump administration added the three firms, China Mobile Ltd., China Telecom Corp. and China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd., to a blacklist in December over alleged connections to the Peoples Liberation Army. The NYSE subsequently announced it would delist the firms on January 7, but backtracked on Monday for unspecified reasons. In light of further consultation with relevant regulatory authoritiesNYSE Regulation no longer intends to move forward with the delisting action, the NYSE said in a statement. At this time, the Issuers will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE. The blacklist covers 35 companies, including the parent companies of the three telecom firms that were given a reprieve. The Treasury Department announced last week that it would add subsidiaries to the blacklist if they were majority owned by a banned company. The NYSE did not explain why that rationale did not apply to the three firms. The three firms would not be greatly affected by a delisting because most of their business is conducted in China, although a ban would likely force American investors to sell off their own shares at a loss, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Trump administrations blacklist, which seeks to prevent American investment in and export to companies with connections to Chinas military and intelligence agencies, covers dozens of companies including Chinas national semiconductor chip manufacturer. Entity List restrictions are a necessary measure to ensure that China, through its national champion SMIC, is not able to leverage U.S. technologies to enable indigenous advanced technology levels to support its destabilizing military activities, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told the Journal in December. More from National Review Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Tobago recorded its 7th covid19 death since the start of the pandemic, with a record forty-two covid19 cases reported in the last 24 hours. The latest victim, Carmen Yorke of Bon Accord Tobago. Dems Really Are Defunding Police, and It's Not Going Well Democratic politicians at every level, from President-elect Joe Biden down to local city councilmen, reacted to recent incidents of police misconduct by hastily encouraging or even joining in calls to defund the police. But they rapidly realized they had made a grave mistake that their Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2021 8:40 am As the battle continues between state Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the federal government over the closure and sale of the National Archives facility at Seattle, on Monday Ferguson filed an 87-page lawsuit to stop the sale. He was joined by a long list of 28 tribes and tribal entities, historic preservation groups and museums in the suit filed in the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Ferguson is clearly angry at how the decision was made by the little-known, five-person Public Buildings Reform Board, charged with finding excess federal property and putting it up for bids. "What pisses me off is that a bunch of federal bureaucrats 3,000 miles away don't have any interest in hearing from the communities impacted," he said. "I don't know why they're making these decisions deep in the bowels of our federal government. They don't know what they're doing. They don't give a damn." He is suing the federal government for planning to sell the archives here "without prior notice" and "scatter its invaluable, irreplaceable, original historical records to facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, and Riverside, California." He is also suing because, he says, the feds "failed to follow" the statute being used to sell the property as they didn't consult with tribes and others with an interest in the archives. Ferguson plans a virtual public hearing Jan. 19 to allow for input. Jeromy Sullivan, chairman of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, which is part of the lawsuit, said, "I understand the building is old and it probably wasn't maintained very well. But it all seems like it's being hurried along. There's going to be a cost no matter where they move it." The 10-acre Sand Point site contains the history of 272 federally recognized tribes. It contains the drafts of tribal treaties. They are important because some crucial items might have been listed in early drafts, but by mistake not included in the final versions. The archives here have about a million boxes of documents. It is the repository of all federal records generated in the Pacific Northwest, and includes military, land, court, tax and census papers. The archives have been digitizing documents, said Susan Karren, director of the Seattle facility. But, she said, "a minimal amount of the records" were in electronic form. Ferguson said there was urgency to the lawsuit because on Oct. 1, the board said it was rushing through the sale. The Seattle facility is one of 12 surplus properties identified by the board. The original plan was to sell them individually, which would have given opponents until July 2021 to fight it. Then the board announced that "given the impact of COVID" and "the commercial real estate market," the properties would be bundled and sold in one single portfolio. Adam Bodner, executive director of the buildings board, said he expects the General Services Administration to award the contract to a real estate broker in January. He had no comment on Monday's lawsuit. Ferguson said he will ask the judge for "injunctive relief" on the sale of the Sand Point property, meaning there would be irreparable harm should the lawsuit linger in court. By then, he said, the property could be sold. "I'm confident we'll get a decision no later than February," Ferguson said. He described a pattern of obfuscation from the board and other federal agencies in getting answers. His office ended up suing federal agencies to answer Freedom of Information Act requests for public records, and said it received "only a minimal amount of documents." Some were highly redacted. Ferguson said two emails were provided by the Office of Management and Budget concerning the sale of some of the 12 facilities. They had an attachment listing objections to the sales by agency employees themselves. The attachments were blacked out, marked, "red flag objections." A letter from the OMB cited an exemption protecting "pre-decisional deliberative communication, the disclosure of which would inhibit the frank and candid exchange of views that is necessary for effective government decision-making . . ." Another time, in July 2020, nearly six months after another public records request, the board said it would cost $65,000 to pay for redacting the documents. The board then withdrew that demand, but asked the court to give it until March 31 to produce the documents. Ferguson said that by then, the sale could be a done deal. The board has said it is simply trying to save taxpayers money by selling the property. It listed two money items: It listed annual operating and maintenance costs of $356,763 for the 187,752 square-foot building. But that's in line with industry figures used by property management firms. The board also listed $2.4 million in deferred maintenance costs and $2.4 million in estimated future capital expenditures, although it didn't itemize how it came about those figures. In a January 2020 Seattle Times story, board member Angela Styles said the building's wood ceiling would need to be replaced because it's a fire hazard. However, in its own review of the building, the archives concluded it was "compliant with criteria for fire-suppression, appropriate fire-rated construction, and life-safety." Styles also was quoted in that story as saying the board was "not required by statute to seek public input first." When the facility closes, instead of being able to drive to Sand Point to look up tribal records, Sullivan and others will have to fly to Missouri or California. "The whole thing is really weird to me. I don't understand their motivation," said Sullivan. ___ (c)2021 The Seattle Times Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Career diplomat Alexander Ellis has been appointed British high commissioner to India and will take up the key role later this month, the British foreign office announced on Tuesday. Ellis, 53, has held several posts, including deputy national security adviser in the cabinet office, director-general in the department for exiting the European Union, and the British ambassador to Portugal. Ellis succeeds Philip Barton. In August 2020, Barton was promoted as permanent undersecretary in the UKs newly formed foreign, commonwealth and development office. CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines hints that he might veto a controversial stand your ground bill proved to be nothing more than that. You can listen online here. DeWine, who has made strong statements in the past decrying gun violence in Ohio, on Monday signed Senate Bill 175, which eliminates the duty to retreat before using force in self-defense. Proponents of the measure say it gives law-abiding citizens the right to protect themselves, but Democrats and some Senate Republicans argue it will result in more violence and death, particularly against minorities. In Cuyahoga County, the interim sheriff appointed by County Administrator Armond Budish does not meet the qualifications required by the county charter. And Ohios Republican U.S. senator, Rob Portman, says he wont challenge the electoral college votes on Wednesday. Hear cleveland.com editor Chris Quinn discuss these stories and more in The Wake Up podcast. The podcast is a summary of cleveland.coms morning newsletter The Wake Up. You can receive The Wake Up through email at 5:30 a.m. each weekday by subscribing here. You can get our podcasts delivered directly to your phone, and we have an Apple podcasts channel exclusively for this podcast. Subscribe here. Do you get your podcasts on Spotify? Find us here. If you use Stitcher, we are here. RadioPublic is another popular podcast vehicle, and we are here. On Google Podcasts, we are here. On PodParadise, find us here. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. (@FahadShabbir) AlUla, Saudi Arabia, Jan 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jan, 2021 ) :Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Tuesday that the Gulf states had signed an agreement on regional "solidarity and stability" at a summit aimed at resolving a three-year embargo against Qatar. "These efforts helped us reach the agreement of the Al-Ula statement that will be signed at this summit, where we affirm our Gulf, Arab and Islamic solidarity and stability," he said, thanking the United States and Kuwait for mediating. burs-sls/gw/kir Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Trump: Pence Has the Power to Reject Fraudulently Chosen Electors President Donald Trump asserted on Tuesday that Vice President Mike Pence has the power to reject electors that were fraudulently chosen, echoing statements made by his legal team in recent days ahead of Jan. 6s Joint Session of Congress. The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors, Trump wrote on Tuesday in a tweet. Republicans have been increasingly putting pressure on Pence, who serves as the president of the Senate and will oversee the certification of the Electoral College vote. At least a dozen Republican senators and dozens of House representatives have pledged to object to states electoral votes, which then is slated to trigger an hourslong debate before a simple-majority vote is held on whether to certify a states electoral votes. I know we all have got our doubts about the last election, Pence told a crowd of supporters in Georgia on Monday, adding that I want to assure you that I share the concerns of millions of Americans about voting irregularities. I promise you, come this Wednesday, we will have our day in Congress. Hours after Pence spoke, Trump told Georgia voters: I hope Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you. I hope that our great vice president, our great vice president, comes through for us. Hes a great guy, Trump said, without elaborating. Of course, if he doesnt come through, I wont like him as much. But there have been questions about what power Pence actually has, as many legal experts have stipulated that the vice president mainly serves in a ceremonial capacity. For the past several weeks since the Nov. 3 election, Trump and his team have alleged there was voter fraud, irregularities, and unconstitutional changes to regulations around mail-in balloting in key states. On Dec. 14, when the Electoral College voted, Republican-backed slates of electors also cast their votes for Trump and Pence in a bid to keep Trumps legal challenges open. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a visit to Rock Springs Church to campaign for GOP Senate candidates, in Milner, Ga., on Jan. 4, 2021. (Megan Varner/Getty Images) The Joint Session of Congress opens starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. In prior sessions, vice presidents opened up certificates reflecting the electoral vote tallies that were sent by states before handing them to tellers, who are individuals appointed by both chambers of Congress to read out the ballots and verify. The tellers then read the ballots in alphabetical order, starting with Alabama. A challenge to a states electoral votes needs to be submitted in writing and requires a senator and a representative. On Monday, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), the lawmaker leading the effort in the House, announced he signed an objection to tainted electoral votes in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsinstates where Trumps campaign has filed lawsuits or held hearings in front of legislature members. There has been growing pressure on Pence to take action during the Joint Session, with Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and other Republicans filing a lawsuit against him in a bid to strike down a key provision of the 1887 Electoral Count Act, among other requests. That lawsuit was dismissed over the past weekend by a Texas court. And White House adviser Peter Navarro also asserted that Pence can delay the Joint Session process and provide a 10-day audit of the election results. Pence spokesman Marc Short dismissed the claim. Peter Navarro is many things, he told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. He is not a constitutional scholar. 2021 May Be A Good Year For The Cannabis / Marijuana Sector Great progress in terms of legalization was made for the Cannabis/Marijuana sector in 2020 that will. The 2020 elections resulted in a number of US states engaging in new Cannabis friendly policies and laws being approved by voters. This suggests a new rally in the Cannabis sector may be setting up in 2021 and beyond for traders. Our BAN Best Asset Now trading strategy is always looking out for the next sector to make a trade, and the Cannabis sector is certainly one we are keeping our eyes on! Make sure you sign up for my FREE webinar to find and trade the Best Assets Now just like me. Weekly MJ Price Flag Setup My research and I team believe the recent longer-term bottom in the MJ ETF, the Alternative Harvest ETF, suggests a broad bottom is setting up in the Cannabis/Marijuana sector. If this bottom in the Cannabis sector continues to profit support for the entire sector, then we may see price appreciation across many individual Cannabis stocks over the next 12+ months. Additionally, this price appreciation may prompt quite a bit of consolidation across the entire Cannabis/Marijuana sector. The global use and demand for CBD & THC related products may continue to expand as medical and personal use expands across the US and into other nations. We are still near the infancy of understanding the true medicinal benefits of this all-natural product. A new upward price trend in this sector may prompt a global expansion/consolidation event where the Cannabis/Marijuana industry attempts to restructure into true global power companies. Our research team is focused on the possibility that an early 2021 price decline in this sector may setup a broad sector bullish trend near March/April 2021 (or earlier). We believe the process of this longer-term bottom setup will still require another attempt to consolidate near the MAGENTA support channel before a more substantial breakout will take place. The current bottom setup is very similar to a Bullish Price Flag setup and we believe the next price low may be an area where real opportunity exists for a final bottom in price. Monthly MJ Bottom Setup The following Monthly MJ chart highlights the same bottom setup on a longer-term chart basis. Pay very close attention to how much volume has poured into this sector in October and November 2020. It is very likely that a new price low, below $11.90~$12.00, will setup within 4 to 8+ weeks that will represent the final downside price move before the Price Flag pattern attempts an upside breakout. We expect to see stronger volume surge into this final bottom as traders load up before the breakout move begins. As weve been suggesting for a number of months, the broader, longer-term market cycles and trends suggest the next 3 to 5+ years are going to be very dynamic for various market sectors. Our research team believes the US and global markets have just recently started a broad depreciation phase which may last another 5 to 7+ years. Typically, within these phases, commodities and other sectors rotate in and out of favor as capital is forced to seek out undervalued and potentially explosive sector trends. This bottom setup in MJ may prompt a number of individual Cannabis and CBD suppliers, processors, end-user manufacturers, and technology providers to engage in a series of acquisition and consolidation steps over the next few years if this sector becomes hot fairly quickly. Rising prices and expectations may prompt this industry into a consolidation and technology/distribution expansion over the next 4 to 5+ years. Very similar to the DOT COM/Technology bubbles recently, when a sector gets hot, it tends to prompt quite a bit of investment and activity surrounding the growth and consolidation of industrial components and technology. Do you want to stay ahead of these sector trends and learn which sectors are the best opportunities for your trades? Our BAN Trader trades the Best Asset Now using to consistently earn better-than-market returns. Learn how our BAN Trader solution can help you keep focused on the best trading opportunities in 2021 and beyond while helping you protect and grow your wealth. Go to www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to learn more about BAN Trader, or let me teach you how to trade this strategy yourself by watching my FREE webinar! Scroll below to register for your seat now and make 2021 your year to PROFIT!! Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Chief information officers in 2020 rushed to build digital capabilities that supported virtual operations, from e-commerce features to expanded workplace communication tools. Many of those projects, spurred by the pandemic, will help set the pace of business for the year ahead, they say. Weve accelerated digitally by at least two years," said Corrado Azzarita, global chief information officer at Kraft Heinz Co., one of 45 information technology executives who responded via email to CIO Journals annual end-of-year questionnaire. The company deployed a new set of digital collaboration tools for its employees to be able to work from home. It also introduced new digital supply and demand planning tools in the U.S., Europe and Asia, according to Kraft Heinz representative. Edward Wagoner, digital chief information officer at commercial real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., said sensors are now helping ensure that cleaning protocols are being followed across all offices. JLL has also implemented a new reservation system for booking desks when employees are interested in working from the office, Mr. Wagoner said. Work orders are sent automatically to a cleaning company when a desk is reserved, in order to sanitize the area. Thoughtful technology implementation has never been more important than it is today," he said. While the pandemic accelerated digital initiatives, many IT executives already had so-called digital transformation projects underway before 2020. We are seeing companies push through three years worth of digital transformation in three months," said Penelope Prett, CIO at consulting firm Accenture Plc. Ernst & Young accelerated its move to cloud services and implemented digital tools such as Microsoft Corp.s workplace collaboration software, Microsoft Teams, for its 300,000 employeesmany of whom were working remotely for the first time, said Jeff Wong, EYs global chief innovation officer. Many retail companies accelerated e-commerce initiatives in part to keep up with the rush toward online shopping caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Walmart Inc. developed more than 70 new technology features in the early months of pandemic including a two-hour delivery service that was conceived and launched in about two weeks, said Suresh Kumar, the companys global chief technology officer and chief development officer. His team also expanded a capability that allows shipment of products directly from stores instead of from fulfillment centers to meet a massive jump in demand," he said. The ship-from-store feature was expanded to 2,400 stores earlier this year, up from 130 stores. Shipping products from stores near customers ensures that their orders arrive quicklyeither the same day the order is placed or the next day, according to Walmart. A technology team at Target Corp. built within a few days the first version of a new mobile app that helped employees in stores manage customer flow, said Mike McNamara, the companys CIO. Home Depot Inc. quickly developed a feature on the companys mobile app and website to let customers pick up items in front of the store if they didnt feel comfortable going inside. And Lowes Cos. used Google Cloud services to rapidly scale the user interface for a curbside pick-up app that was originally planned for release by early 2021. The app was deployed in April and lets customers pick up their purchases in front of the store if they choose, WSJ previously reported. Lowes was one of several companies that sped up technology projects that were planned for much later. United Airlines Holdings Inc., in an effort to reduce the transmission of germs at airports, rolled out touchless kiosks to more than 300 airports this year. The technology allows customers to print bag tags using a mobile phone code, bypassing the need to physically touch the machines. Touchless kiosks went from an idea to a prototype in less than 30 days, said Linda Jojo, executive vice president of technology and chief digital officer of United Airlines. The company also recently launched Agent on Demand," through which customers at airports can start a video chat with a United Airlines agent by scanning a code with their mobile phone. We have accelerated both ideation and delivery of technology that makes travel less stressful in todays environment," she said. In order to lessen the possibility of germs spreading in factories, GlaxoSmithKline Plc increased the use of so-called smart glasses, which are wearable devices that allow someone to remotely view what another person is seeing on a factory floor. They have helped us reduce the number of people needed on-site," said Karenann Terrell, chief digital and technology officer for the pharmaceutical firm. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. CAIRO As the Egyptian government seeks to achieve self-sufficiency in the field of plasma collection for the manufacture and export of plasma-derived products, the parliaments Health Committee approved during its meeting held Dec. 8 the final form of a draft law submitted by the Egyptian government on regulating blood operations and collecting plasma for the manufacture and export of plasma derivatives. The draft law includes a road map for the collection of plasma and its derivatives in order to achieve self-sufficiency. It includes five chapters consisting of 23 articles related to blood operations, plasma collection, manufacture of plasma-derived products and plasma transfusion with the intention of manufacturing its derivatives abroad and then returning them in the form of biological products. The law also covers the import and export of plasma as a raw material or as a material for any stage of the manufacturing process. The draft law gave those targeted by its provision namely medical institutions and companies involved in plasma collection three months to regularize their status starting from the date of issuance of the executive regulations. Some of the draft law articles restrict blood transfusions to specialized centers that can be either fixed or mobile upon obtaining a license from the Ministry of Health, provided this license is issued to governmental and nongovernmental entities that are competent to carry out blood transfusions. The draft law also stipulates the establishment of a council tasked with monitoring blood transfusions, providing technical supervision over blood transfusion centers and ensuring these meet the established requirements. Such a council would be tasked with standardizing the work methodology and the materials used at blood centers. According to the draft law, the council is also tasked with evaluating technical research related to blood transfusion aspects. Also, its members have the judicial authority to issue offense records against violators. The draft law also provided for the creation of a central electronic database linked to all blood centers, the Egyptian Drug Authority and the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement. The executive regulations of the draft law specify the conditions for donations and the number of donations based on the health and age of the donors. They also set the terms and conditions under which a person may become a regular donor. These regulations also prohibit the use of any blood units, blood components, plasma or plasma derivatives, be they imported or donated, except after ensuring they are free from infectious diseases and viruses. Blood, blood components and plasma, according to said regulations, are released free of charge for patients receiving treatment at the free medical care units of state hospitals. In mid-February, the South Korean company SK Plasma announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding worth $330 million with the Egyptian Arab Company for Drug Industries and Medical Appliances, with the aim of establishing a factory in Egypt for plasma derivatives and transferring the plasma technology to Egypt. Construction of the factory has yet to begin. SK Plasma stated that Egypt is the largest country in the Middle East in terms of population, and it entirely depends on imports of plasma derivatives, which prompted the Korean side to cooperate with it to transfer the technology thereto. During her meeting with members of the parliaments Health Committee on Dec. 8, Minister of Health Hala Zayed said that the draft law regulating blood operations and plasma collection is one of seven mandates that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directed to the Ministry of Health in 2018. She continued, We currently import 100% of plasma derivatives, hence the importance of the plasma collection and separation project. She said several international bodies have praised the plasma collection centers in the Ministry of Health laboratories, so it was necessary to have legislation that would guarantee the governance of the process. Plasma and its derivatives treat life-threatening diseases and do not undergo tests, she said. Government entities, she stated, are given priority in terms of licensing, and only a limited number of licenses is given to the private sector. Shadia Thabet, a member of the parliament's Health Committee, told Al-Monitor over the phone that she is very happy at the Egyptian states move to collect plasma and its derivatives for the first time. She said plasma collection would help to achieve a breakthrough that serves the health of Egyptian citizens and represents a great leap in the health field both in Egypt and Africa. Thabet said there has been a complete consensus between the parliament and the government regarding the draft law on plasma collection, and she expressed great optimism that this move would help to save the lives of Egyptians. She noted that the bill included 23 articles about the plasma process in all its stages and the flow of blood donations, adding the bill punishes anyone who does not comply with it. Ihab Serageldin, director of National Blood Bank Services, affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Population, told Al-Monitor over the phone that Egypt is strongly and effectively working to establish the first plasma collection and production factory in Africa and the Middle East. He added that about 12 centers have been established in Cairo and a number of governorates within the first stage of the project for plasma collection. Serageldin said training of the human cadres and personnel involved in implementing the project is underway and stressed that the necessary equipment for plasma separation has been provided. He said the national plasma project would start by collecting plasma in Egypt and manufacturing its derivatives in partnership with South Korea through the strong partnership between Egypt and SK Plasma until the construction of a factory in Egypt is completed. The project, he specified, aims to reach 300,000 donors annually. Mahfouz Ramzi, chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Committee at the Pharmacists Syndicate, explained that six laboratories have been allocated for now to organize blood transfusions and plasma collection operations using very expensive and complex devices provided by the Egyptian state. Ramzi said during his interview with the Good morning, Egypt show that the draft bill on plasma collection in Egypt could constitute an economic and medical leap for the country, noting that the national project to collect plasma aims to save the lives of sick Egyptians. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 TORONTO - Ontario defended its COVID-19 vaccination efforts Monday as the province confirmed three more cases of a contagious new strain of the virus. Ontario Premier Doug Ford looks on as the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Canada is administered to personal support worker Anita Quidangen by registered nurse Hiwot Arfaso at The Michener Institute in Toronto on Monday, January 4, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn TORONTO - Ontario defended its COVID-19 vaccination efforts Monday as the province confirmed three more cases of a contagious new strain of the virus. The provincial government has faced criticism for its vaccine rollout in recent weeks, with observers noting the province has so far administered roughly 45,000 of the more than 148,000 shots it has received. But the province's chief medical officer of health on Monday rejected the suggestion that there are upwards of 100,000 doses "sitting in the fridge," saying those numbers don't include the doses of the newly received Moderna vaccine that were doled out over the weekend. Dr. David Williams said officials haven't yet tallied how many of the Moderna shots were given in its first few days of distribution, and that the province is moving through its stock of COVID-19 shots "fairly aggressively." Asked why Ontario's immunization rate is lower than other provinces and territories, Williams attributed that to its greater population, adding the province is catching up in terms of the total number of vaccines administered. Premier Doug Ford, meanwhile, acknowledged there have been "a few bumps in the road" in the province's immunization campaign but said he is confident in the plan. "We're ramping it up and you're going to see a significant difference over the next few weeks," the premier said. Ford spoke after a health-care worker became the first person in the province to receive both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, which is largely being used in hospitals and similar settings due to its storage requirements. Anita Quidangen was given her second dose at Toronto's University Health Network, the first of five health-care workers slated to cross that milestone Monday. She urged others to follow in her footsteps as the province continues its rollout of the two COVID-19 vaccines currently approved for use in Canada. The province reported it has administered 45,380 COVID-19 vaccines to Ontarians as of Monday afternoon. Opposition legislators said the province needs to explain why it is lagging behind on vaccine distribution. "The vaccine roll-out of our current supply is far too slow and we know that the longer we delay, the more lives will be lost, Liberal health critic John Fraser said in a statement. Provincial health officials also confirmed additional cases of a contagious new strain of COVID-19 first discovered in the United Kingdom, all three of them in the Toronto area. Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, said two of the cases one in Toronto and one in nearby York Region had recently travelled to the U.K. She said the third case, from Peel Region, is a close contact of someone who recently travelled to Dubai. The province now has a total of six confirmed cases of the new strain. The first known cases were logged last month in a couple from Durham Region who had also come in contact with someone returning from the U.K. The Public Health Agency of Canada previously said early data suggests the new strain may be more transmissible, but ongoing research so far indicates the variant does not impact vaccine effectiveness. Health officials have said they do not plan to report the different strains out separately in provincial summary reports. Ontario reported 3,270 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and 29 new deaths related to the novel coronavirus. Health Minister Christine Elliott said 917 cases were in Toronto, 581 in Peel Region, 389 in York Region and 246 in Windsor-Essex County. There were 1,190 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, including 333 patients in intensive care. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2021. Tottenham have reportedly shelved contract talks with Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min until they have a clearer picture of their financial position amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The club's revenues have been decimated by the pandemic and they have now decided to hold off renewal negotiations with Kane and Son, who are two of their highest-earners. Jose Mourinho said last month that it is impossible for clubs to tie down their star players while there is so much uncertainty but Spurs are hopeful of agreeing new deals for both Kane and Son once their finances become more secure. Tottenham are holding off contract talks with Harry Kane (left) and Son Heung-Min (right) The Evening Standard claim the club are not in any rush to get Son signed to a longer-term deal with the forward still having two-and-a-half years remaining on his current one and will shelve all contract talks with other senior players who have time left on their present deals. Son has underlined his importance to Spurs this season with stunning performances and scored his 100th goal for the club in their 3-0 victory over Leeds at the weekend. The South Korea international, who has been linked with Real Madrid recently, would likely seek improved terms in the near future to take him closer to Kane's 200,000-a-week wages, the same report claims. Jose Mourinho said last month it is impossible to tie down star players in this financial climate Kane has attracted interest from Manchester City but Spurs are conscious it is not the right time to discuss a new deal with their star striker, who has three-and-a-half years still to run on his deal. Club captain Hugo Lloris is out of contract next summer but no talks are currently being held about an extension despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain. Serge Aurier and Erik Lamela also only have 18 months remaining but Spurs are planning to make a decision on their future later down the line. The club's finances have been hit hard by the ongoing shutout of fans, having only recently spent 1billion on their new stadium, and posted losses of 63.9million for the last financial year. Hugo Lloris only has 18 months left on his deal but Spurs are yet to open up extension talks The situation around fans returning remains unclear with the UK once again plunged into a lockdown amid rising numbers of Covid-19 cases, which is making it hard for clubs to plan for the future. Asked about Son's contract last month, Mourinho said: 'How can you sign a new contract with a player? You don't know what is going to happen next season. 'You don't know if you can offer the player a better contract than they have now. It's a very strange moment. I just trust Sonny and Daniel Levy. 'I know that both want him to stay, if possible, for life, if possible until the end of the career. 'I see Sonny signing a new contract here, butI don't press for something to happen now because probably it's not the right moment.' Bahrain-based Al Baraka Islamic Bank (AIB)has been awarded the Best Islamic Retail Bank for Social Responsibility Award 2020 and Best Islamic Retail Banking Product (Assets Side) 2020 for Tamkeen Finance at the Islamic Retail Banking Awards (IRBA). The Online Awards Ceremony (OAC) of the 6thedition was held live recently and broadcasted through multiple online channels. "Tamkeen Finance allows entrepreneurs to grow their businesses further with fully Sharia-compliant finance facilities from Al Baraka Islamic Bank in partnership with Tamkeen. Hamad Abdulla Al Oqab, Chief Executive Officer of Al Baraka Islamic Bank said: "We, at Al Baraka Islamic Bank, are very keen on enhancing our banking services to suit the various requirements and needs of our cherished customers. These efforts reflect our constant endeavours to ensure their satisfaction, trust, and loyalty to the bank. We are extremely honoured and proud of receiving the "Best Islamic Retail Bank for Social Responsibility in Bahrain 2020" award from this prestigious institution, and we perceive it as an added motivation for us to continue improving our retail banking portfolio and creating value-added products, along with offering the best Sharia-compliant banking services around." The Islamic Retail Banking Awards (IRBA) is the first-of-its-kind Islamic banking awards program based on the most academically rigorous analysis of global Islamic banking efficiency performance. Candidates are thoroughly assessed by a panel of independent experts based on the new efficiency model developed by Cambridge IF Analytica. These prestigious awards honours individuals and institutions who have demonstrated great commitment and made significant contributions to the development, growth, and success of Islamic Retail Banking. TradeArabia News Service News Around the Republic of Mexico Mexico City Begins 2021 with Ban on Single-use Plastics Mexico City's environmental secretary announced on Twitter Friday that "from today on Mexico City is without single-use plastics" and called on people to consider carrying reusable containers. Lawmakers passed the ban on plastic bags, utensils and other disposable plastic items The new In a statement, city authorities declared that "the commercialization, distribution and delivery of single-use plastic products is prohibited" as of January 1. Mexico City's environmental secretary announced on Twitter Friday that "from today on Mexico City is without single-use plastics" and called on people to consider always carrying reusable containers. The ban includes single-use containers, forks, straws, disposable plastic cups, plastic stirrers, single-use coffee capsules and balloons among other items. Urging Citizen Support Greenpeace's Ornela Garelli lauded the single-use plastics ban as "a good measure, even in times of the pandemic." "To be effective, the measure requires the support of citizens ... to transform our consumption habits and strive towards more sustainable lifestyles," the activist told Spanish international news agency EFE. "We also have a very important role in ensuring that the ban is actually enforced," she added. But without the imposition of fines, a complete end to single-use plastics seems unlikely. Mexico City authorities have indicated that during the first months of the measure no fines will be imposed and that they will first focus on informing citizens. At the corner of a busy Mexico City avenue, a street food vendor selling tamales was seen handing out the traditional Mesoamerican dish to customers with plastic spoons and a plastic bag. She told the Associated Press that due to the coronavirus, authorities "forgot about it (the ban)." Last year alone, Mexico City produced around 13,000 tons of garbage per day, according to the capital's environmental agency. The city also produces more than 7 million tons of plastic per year. Around 48% of it is used for packaging and while much of it is recyclable, a lot of the materials does not end up being recycled. Original article Mexico City on Friday, January 1 introduced a ban on single-use plastics, following a year-long preparation.Lawmakers passed the ban on plastic bags, utensils and other disposable plastic items in 2019, aiming to reduce non-biodegradable plastics and hoping to turn Mexico's capital into a more sustainable city.The new law took effect last year. The city of 9 million people, one of the world's largest, has spent the past year adjusting to the changes.In a statement, city authorities declared that "the commercialization, distribution and delivery of single-use plastic products is prohibited" as of January 1.Mexico City's environmental secretary announced on Twitter Friday that "from today on Mexico City is without single-use plastics" and called on people to consider always carrying reusable containers.The ban includes single-use containers, forks, straws, disposable plastic cups, plastic stirrers, single-use coffee capsules and balloons among other items.Greenpeace's Ornela Garelli lauded the single-use plastics ban as "a good measure, even in times of the pandemic.""To be effective, the measure requires the support of citizens ... to transform our consumption habits and strive towards more sustainable lifestyles," the activist told Spanish international news agency EFE. "We also have a very important role in ensuring that the ban is actually enforced," she added.But without the imposition of fines, a complete end to single-use plastics seems unlikely. Mexico City authorities have indicated that during the first months of the measure no fines will be imposed and that they will first focus on informing citizens.At the corner of a busy Mexico City avenue, a street food vendor selling tamales was seen handing out the traditional Mesoamerican dish to customers with plastic spoons and a plastic bag. She told the Associated Press that due to the coronavirus, authorities "forgot about it (the ban)."Last year alone, Mexico City produced around 13,000 tons of garbage per day, according to the capital's environmental agency. The city also produces more than 7 million tons of plastic per year. Around 48% of it is used for packaging and while much of it is recyclable, a lot of the materials does not end up being recycled. Site Map Print this Page Email Us Top By Dave Totaro When considering the future of the American health care system and how it has been impacted by COVID-19, it is important not to forget one area that is often unrivaled in terms of quality of care, yet remains overlooked and underfunded: home care. Trends and surveys are showing that patients and their families prefer care at home rather than in nursing homes or other institutional settings but our current system is not sufficiently staffed to handle this dramatic increase in demand. Home health aides, nurses, therapists, and many other in-home caregivers keep more than 8 million Americans independent in their homes, together with their families, and out of facilities like hospitals and nursing homes. Despite the necessary, empathetic and often emotionally and physically taxing work that these caregivers take on, they are acutely underpaid due in large part to Medicaid reimbursement rates that, in many states, have not been increased in over a decade. The home care community has been advocating for increased funding for long-term care for decades. Federal Medicaid regulations, which were written in the 1960s, create an institutional bias that makes it easier for Medicaid-eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities to access nursing home care rather than health care. While its important to note that nursing homes are a very necessary part of the long-term care system, the pandemic has shed light on the dangers of such settings, and as a result, has only served to increase the demand for home care. As a silver lining to the devastation of COVID-19, I believe that 2021 will bring recognition of home as the future setting of health care. More and more, state and federal lawmakers and the general public are seeing the inherent benefits of home health care: Its more cost-effective for families and for state Medicaid programs, saving an average of $30,000 per year for each senior that is diverted from a long-term care facility with home care. It keeps vulnerable populations independent in their communities and enables medically-fragile children to grow up at home alongside their loved ones. President-elect Joe Bidens current health care plans seem to be moving in the right direction, including eldercare, childcare and better jobs for home care workers all in the same $775 billion package. The package includes a plan to eliminate the waiting list for home-based care services, which is currently over 800,000 people long and promotes fair wages for home health cares predominantly female, lower-income workers. Like many big plans, this is easier said than done and changes will have to be made in all levels of government to catalyze significant improvements. Home health workers do Gods work, but arent paid much. They have few benefits, and 40% are still on SNAP or Medicaid. It's unacceptable. I'll give caregivers and early childhood educators a much-needed raise. Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2020 First, legislators need to address outdated funding for state home care programs. Many states have not raised funding for private duty nursing and personal care programs in years, and funding which must cover costs, including caregivers wages, training, benefits and supplies has fallen below real costs of providing services and supplying caregivers with the necessary protective equipment. Without proper funding, providers like BAYADA cannot provide wages that enable us to recruit and retain the workforce necessary to keep up with growing demand and a rapidly aging senior population. Second, Medicaid programs must be rewired to allow for individuals own homes, rather than facilities, to be the default setting for care. Lastly, the federal government can make updates to overarching Medicaid and Medicare laws to enable families to more easily access home care. With the fantastic potential for positive change on the horizon, I urge you whether you know someone who needs care now, or if you know that youd rather age in your own home in the future to contact your legislators and let them know that you care about home care and that they should, too. David Totaro is chief government affairs officer at BAYADA Home Health Care, Inc. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. City approves first reading of temporary medical marijuana ordinance With state officials still putting together the oversight rules for medical marijuana establishments, local governments need temporary ordinances. There are concerns Covid could be spreading undetected throughout Queensland after fragments of the virus showed up in four separate sewage tests. Routine testing detected Covid in treatment plants in Cairns, Warwick, Stanthorpe and Loganholme immediately after Christmas on December 29 and 30. Residents in affected areas, as well as anybody in Queensland who recently travelled to New South Wales or Victoria, are urged to seek testing immediately. Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said while the results don't necessarily mean the active virus is present in the Sunshine State, it is still concerning, particularly given the outbreaks in southern states. 'A positive sewage result means that someone who has been infected was shedding the virus,' she said on Tuesday. Residents in affected areas, as well as anybody in Queensland who recently travelled to New South Wales or Victoria, are urged to seek testing immediately. Pictured: People lining up at a Covid testing clinic Routine testing detected Covid in treatment plants in Cairns, Warwick, Stanthorpe and Loganholme immediately after Christmas on December 29 and 30 'Infected people can shed viral fragments and that shedding can happen for several weeks after the person is no longer infectious.' 'While this doesn't necessarily mean we have new cases of COVID-19 in these communities, I am treating this with absolute caution given the emerging situation across several other states.' Dr Young said any returned travellers should consider getting tested even if they aren't displaying any symptoms. Additional clinics have opened throughout the entire state to combat long waiting times and queues. Queensland confirmed there were two new cases of Covid detected in the state on Tuesday, both in returned travellers already in mandatory hotel quarantine. The Sunshine State closed borders to Sydneysiders at the height of the Northern Beaches Covid cluster, and will not make any decisions on the border until at least January 8. While the border to Victoria has not yet been closed, new restrictions were implemented on Monday limiting their movements. From 1am Monday, anyone who was in Victoria on or after December 21 is prohibited from visiting hospitals, disability services, aged care or correctional facilities. COVID TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR NEW SOUTH WALES: Western Australia - All NSW residents are banned from entering WA. Anyone who enters the state will be 'sent back', according to Premier Mark McGowan. In reality, all arrivals from NSW must have a special exemption and then have to quarantine for 14 days, either at home or in a hotel. - All NSW residents are banned from entering WA. Anyone who enters the state will be 'sent back', according to Premier Mark McGowan. In reality, all arrivals from NSW must have a special exemption and then have to quarantine for 14 days, either at home or in a hotel. Victoria - Regional NSW was declared an 'orange zone' on January 11, and locals will be allowed into Victoria from 6pm with a permit. On January 18, Greater Sydney was also deemed an orange zone. People from ten Sydney LGAs, including Blacktown and Liverpool, which are deemed red zones are still banned. - Regional NSW was declared an 'orange zone' on January 11, and locals will be allowed into Victoria from 6pm with a permit. On January 18, Greater Sydney was also deemed an orange zone. People from ten Sydney LGAs, including Blacktown and Liverpool, which are deemed red zones are still banned. Northern Territory - The state has declared greater metropolitan Sydney as a Covid-19 hotspot, and travellers will need to undergo 14 days of supervised quarantine. - The state has declared greater metropolitan Sydney as a Covid-19 hotspot, and travellers will need to undergo 14 days of supervised quarantine. South Australia - Harder border closure to all NSW residents from midnight on New Year's Eve. Returning South Australians must quarantine for 14 days. A 100km border buffer zone, including Broken Hill and Wentworth, will be exempt. - Harder border closure to all NSW residents from midnight on New Year's Eve. Returning South Australians must quarantine for 14 days. A 100km border buffer zone, including Broken Hill and Wentworth, will be exempt. Queensland - Queensland has shut its borders to Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast. Locals returning to the Sunshine State from a hotspot must isolate. - Queensland has shut its borders to Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast. Locals returning to the Sunshine State from a hotspot must isolate. ACT - Anyone travelling to the ACT from a Covid-19 hotspot in NSW will now require an exemption. People from Sydney's Northern Beaches, Greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong will not be legally permitted to enter the ACT without a valid pass from midday on Saturday January 2. - Anyone travelling to the ACT from a Covid-19 hotspot in NSW will now require an exemption. People from Sydney's Northern Beaches, Greater Sydney, the Central Coast and Wollongong will not be legally permitted to enter the ACT without a valid pass from midday on Saturday January 2. Tasmania - Northern Beaches residents banned. All people from Greater Sydney must also quarantine upon entry. Advertisement Queenslanders travelling in Melbourne have also been urged to come home immediately as an IKEA, Nando's, Sikh temple and several bars were added to the growing list of exposure sites in Melbourne on Tuesday. Health authorities are urging anyone who visited the locations to get tested as soon as possible and self-isolate. The warning comes as Victoria recorded three new locally acquired cases, taking the number of active cases to 38. Three towns in regional New South Wales have also been put on high alert after a Covid-19 patient travelled from western Sydney for a camping trip - as the state recorded four new local cases. The 18-year-old man drove from Berala to Orange, Nyngan and Broken Hill on a road trip with friends over the New Year weekend before testing positive on Tuesday morning. His case will be included in Wednesday's figures. The man got a text from NSW Health saying that he had been at Berala BWS, which is the centre of a cluster, on Christmas Eve. He decided to get tested after suffering a runny nose on Monday morning and his friends are also being tested. Hong Kong: UK flight suspension necessary (To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.) Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said it is necessary to ban flights from the United Kingdom, where the new virus variant was found, to avoid putting Hong Kong at risk. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam explained that the COVID-19 situation is still very severe in many parts of the world and thus it is important for the Government to take watertight measures to ensure that Hong Kong will not import confirmed cases, including suspending flights from the UK. The UK and South Africa are now two of the high-risk places because of this new variant in the virus. For a while, many places, not just Hong Kong, have suspended flights from the UK because of this worry. You cannot blame those places, including Hong Kong, because the situation was very severe when we were told that this virus was 70% more infectious and when we were told by the relevant minister in the UK government that it was almost out of control. So if it was almost out of control in the UK and the receiving places like Hong Kong - which we do have a lot of returnees from the UK accounting for about one third of arrivals at the Hong Kong International Airport - did nothing, you can imagine it would be putting our city at great risk. So we have to take this measure, which was very difficult, because it involves Hong Kong residents and many of them are students or parents who have gone to visit the students and they need to come back. Mrs Lam noted that the Immigration Department has received about 190 requests for assistance. The Government will seriously look into the situation and see whether we could make some adjustments later on. As far as Im aware, the major airlines flying between Hong Kong and London have suspended their flights until sometime this month. So we will together review the situation. This story has been published on: 2021-01-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. There have been many reports about the feud between Prince Harry and Prince William and, while one royal expert believes the two will eventually resolve things, he also thinks that their relationship will never be the same. Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle | RICHARD POHLE/AFP via Getty Images Royal expert shared his thoughts on Prince Harry and Prince Williams feud Author Robert Lacey shared his thoughts on the feud with Elle in a January 2021 interview, admitting he initially didnt think the story of the rift was true, but friends close to the family say William has a temper as well as Harry, and both have been scarred by this experience. He further shared how, when Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced their plans to step back from their royal duties, the queen wanted to discuss it over a family lunch but Prince William didnt want to attend. Friends suggest he was so furious with Harry that he couldnt trust himself to sit at same table [as him], Lacey noted. This is the depth to which the anger has gone. Prince Harry acknowledged the feud during a 2019 interview when he noted, Were on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him, and he will always be there for me. Lacey pointed out, by comparison, William has pretended it hasnt happened, and hes an old-style royal in that sense. How Meghan reportedly played a role in their rift Lacey explained that the rift between the brothers has been rumored to have started because of Prince Williams warning to Prince Harry to slow his relationship with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Lacey confirmed that William discussed the issue with his uncle, Charles Spencer, Princess Dianas brother. It showed we dont know exactly when it happened, but that was the essence of the argument, he explained. We do not know the details of what he said to Harry, but if he pointed out that this woman that he [Harry] loved was a self-made Hollywood celebrity and a self-made millionairess who created her own celebrity, a self-sufficient woman like this who was ambitious and campaigning her belief in womens rights and her wish to promote social change, Lacey explained. These are radical initiatives, radical impulses; do they fit inside the rather safe and conservative British royal family?, Lacey asked. If those are the sort of objections and queries that William raised, well, events have proved them right, didnt they? RELATED: Prince Harry and Prince William Are Back in Touch Again After Megxit Drama, Expert Claims Expert shared thoughts on what Princess Diana would have thought of the feud Of course, its impossible to say whether this feud would have happened or not if their mother, Diana, was alive, but Lacey believes that things might have gone differently. She would say come on boys, its time to end this social distancing, Lacey believed. No, I dont think [the feud] would have happened if Diana had been alive. One of the tragedies of her death was that it deprived them [William and Harry] of their more active parent. Theres a sense in which William become too close to his mother as things started to go wrong; she lent on him and relied on him which, I think, robbed him to some degree of his youth and is one of the sources of [Williams] anger, he added. I think her emphasis on getting the boys to speak their minds to each other and say whats on their minds would have come into play. Lacey predicted that the brothers will patch things up, however. I think there will be [a reconciliation]. There is texture and history between these brothers, but its never going to be the same, he explained. Calling out Congress' hypocrisy over the ongoing farm agitation, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has remarked that the Congress is trying to 'show' that they are with the farmers. Referring to the government's decision to allow farmers to sell their produce in Punjab, Badal said that the Congress government in the state is 'doing doublespeak'. The SAD chief also criticised the Centre for its handling of the whole situation and said that the Union Government does not want to 'resolve' the situation. Speaking to Republic TV on Tuesday, Sukhbir Badal said, "From what I can see is that the government of India is not ready to or not interested to resolve it. They want to just delay it. They are trying to see if they can tire out the protestors there, this is the plan of the government. But they don't realise that the farmers will continue sitting there until their demands are met. It's a very simple demand, you don't need to have 8 rounds of talks. If you are ready to amend everything, why can't you repeal it? They should repeal the laws immediately." He also slammed the CM Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab for its hypocrisy over the farm laws implemented by the Centre. "The three farm laws were part of Congress' manifesto. Capt Amarinder Singh also had the same laws in his 2017 manifesto and within 6 months they implemented also. So, Congress is doing doublespeak. They are trying to show here that there are with farmers. Even if PM Modi withdraws the laws, Punjab government laws will continue." Moreover, Badal also rejected any possibility of allying with the NDA again, even if they repeal the three farm laws. READ | 'Trailer' Tractor March On Jan 7, Agri Laws' Copies To Be Burnt As Farmers Intensify Stir Punjab govt implements farm laws As the impasse between the farmers and the Centre continues over the three contentious farm laws, the Punjab government has allowed farmers from other states to sell their produce in Punjab, therefore implementing the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020. This comes despite CM Amarinder Singh-led administration's stern opposition to the three farm laws. The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 (one of the three farm laws being opposed by farmers) aims at freeing farmers from the constraints of the state Agriculture Produce Market Committees whereby they would be able to sell their produce anywhere. READ | PM Modi To Talk To Punjab BJP Leaders Acting As Intermediaries Between Centre & Farmers Centre-farmers stalemate continues The stalemate over the agrarian laws continued as the 8th round of talks between the farmers' unions and the Centre held on Monday could not yield any outcome. Agri unions' leaders have refused for the clause-by-clause discussion of the three contentious farm laws. The farmers' representatives remain stern on their demand for a complete repeal of the three laws and have also rejected any proposed amendments by the Union Government. The Centre-led by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and MoS Som Prakash had pushed for a clause-by-clause discussion of the three farm laws. READ | Unions Refuse To Discuss Farm Laws Clause-by-clause; Next Round Of Talks At 2 Pm On Jan 8 The next round of talks will be held at 2 pm on January 8 which shall again centre around the farmers' concerns over the MSP and the three farm laws. Meanwhile, farmers continue to protest at borders of the national capital and have also announced plans to intensify their agitation. On Sunday, the agitators said that they would celebrate the festival of Lohri on January 13 by burning copies of newly introduced agriculture laws. The protesting farmer unions on Saturday had said they will take out a tractor parade towards Delhi on January 26. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close The Founder who doubles as the leader of Alive Chapel International, Archbishop Elisha Salifu Amoako has predicted that in spite of the wreckage of the global economy caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy of Ghana will see significant growth. According to him, God has revealed to him that the economy of Ghana is about to boost from 2021 to 2024 regardless of the havoc caused by the new coronavirus in the global economy. Speaking to the media on Sunday, January 3, 2021, at his office, Archbishop Elisha Salifu Amoako said that he saw in a prophecy that leaders of 15 African countries have pointed their fingers towards Ghana, saying that "it is Ghanas turn grow economically". The economy of the country is about to grow from 2021 to 2024 and that is the truth of the matter. I prophesied that in Africa, about 15 countries leaders have pointed their fingers towards Ghana, saying that it is Ghanas turn; that is what I saw in the prophecy, he indicated. God told me that Ghana will be the centre of attraction from now to 2024. A lot of investments and investors will come to Ghana. We will witness a lot of investments taking place in the country. The economy was about to take off before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted it but from 2021 to 2024, those investments are going to come. We need to look forward to it because the economy will grow, he insisted. He said that Ghanas economy could not grow in 2020 because of the global pandemic as there was no movement globally but assured that the year 2021 will be different as the countrys economy is about to be lifted up. He added that even though the economy in the world over was affected including America by the outbreak of the pandemic, Ghanas economy has not been affected that much by the Covid-19. Ghanas economy has not been affected that much by the Covid-19 as compare to America. As we speak, the number of people in America that are jobless and are being fed by the government are in millions. In America, people join long queues for food and about 360,000 people have died of the coronavirus in America but in Ghana, the number of people who have died are not up to 500 and so we can see that God has been good to us in the outbreak of this pandemic and we are still surviving. But this year, Ghana will start moving forward, he asserted. He, however, commended the Akufo-Addo administration for managing the pandemic very well but added that the successful management of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country is also due to the national prayers offered to the country requested by the President. The government did very well; President Akufo-Addo did very well and he deserves applause because how he has managed the pandemic is so amazing. I am sure that it was due to his request for national prayers for the country during the early of the stage of the pandemic in the country. If we had not prayed for the country, something horrific would have happened; thousands of people would have died of the Covid-19 in the country. So, prayer works and the way President Akufo-Addo and his government managed the covid-19, maybe if it were to be a different government, the story would have been different, he said. If God is behind you, He gives you the wisdom to rule and to govern the affairs of the people. I think that he did very well even though the economy dropped a bit due to the covid-19 but this year, the economy will boost, he stressed. He, therefore, entreated Ghanaians to pray for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as it is not easy for the 76-year old man to shoulder the responsibilities of 30 million people alone; thus, every Ghanaian has a part to play for the advancement of this country. As I have already said, we should also pray for the President and support his government with prayers because it is easy for a 76-year old man to shoulder the responsibilities of 30 million peopleso, all of us have a part to play; every citizen, every Ghanaian has a part to play for the advancement of this country, he entreated. We should not shove all the responsibilities of the country to the shoulders of the President; he cannot do it alone and so all of us must add our collective effort to push the country forward and that will make the work of the President easier. We are always blaming the government but what are we doing to support as citizens of the country? What is our responsibilities as good citizens to help the President succeed for all of us?, he asked. Lets all be responsible citizens to help the economy of the country to grow because it takes more than person to develop a country; it is the collective effort as citizens to build the nation, he advised. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video SANTA FE The field of Democratic candidates for an Albuquerque-based congressional district is swelling even before Deb Haaland formally vacates the seat. State Rep. Georgene Louis of Albuquerque announced Monday she is running for the 1st Congressional District seat, bringing the number of declared Democratic candidates in the race to four. Louis, a member of Acoma Pueblo, said her experiences as a teen mom who worked her way through college and law school as a single parent would make her a natural successor to Haaland. ADVERTISEMENTSkip ................................................................ I think those lived experiences are similar to those of a lot of New Mexicans, she said in a Monday interview. A state House member since 2013, Louis was recently reelected to a new two-year term, and currently chairs the House State Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee. She said that job creation and health care access would be among her top priorities if elected to Congress, while also touting her willingness to reach across party lines to work with Republicans on legislation. President-elect Joe Biden announced last month that he will nominate Haaland to lead the U.S. Department of Interior, which would make her the first Native American Cabinet secretary. While Haaland does not have to relinquish her congressional seat until shes confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the prospect of an open seat has already generated widespread interest among potential candidates. The other Democrats who have already announced campaigns for the seat are state Rep. Melanie Stansbury, state Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and veteran attorney Randi McGinn all of Albuquerque. Another potential candidate, state Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, said Monday he would not be running for the seat, citing his focus on the upcoming 60-day legislative session. Several other candidates have also said they are planning to run for the seat in the Democratic-leaning district, including Republicans Eddy Aragon and Michelle Garcia Holmes, who was defeated by Haaland in the November general election. Under current state law, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver would have to call a special election to fill Haalands seat no later than 91 days after it is vacated. The states major political parties would hold central committee meetings behind closed doors to nominate their own candidates before such an election. The presidential rating is headed by current head of the Ukrainian state Volodymyr Zelensky, and if the elections were held in the near future, he would be supported by 26.2% of those who intend to vote and made their choice, according to a poll conducted from January 2 to January 4 by the Rating sociological group. According to the poll's press release published on Tuesday on the Rating website, some 16.6% of respondents would vote for leader of the Opposition Platform - For Life party Yuriy Boiko, while 13.3% of the respondents for leader of the European Solidarity party, fifth President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, some 10.5% for leader of the Batkivschyna party Yulia Tymoshenko. At the same time, some 6.4% of respondents are ready to vote for leader of the Strength and Honor party, Ihor Smeshko, some 6.1% for former prime minister, leader of the Ukrainian Strategy party, Volodymyr Groysman, some 4.7% for leader of the Radical Party Oleh Liashko, some 4.1% for showman, presenter and volunteer Serhiy Prytula, some 2.6% for leader of the Svoboda party Oleh Tiahnybok and 2.3% of the respondents for Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Respondents represented the population of Ukraine aged 18 years and older in all regions, except for the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas. The sample is representative by age, gender and type of settlement. Sample population was 2,500 respondents. Survey method was CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviews), based on a random sample of mobile phone numbers. The error of the representativeness of the survey with a confidence level of 0.95 was no more than 2.0%. All India Congress Working Committee and Himachal in-charge Rajiv Shukla on Tuesday asked party leaders to gear up for the forthcoming 2022 assembly elections and strengthen their mutual coordination. He was chairing a joint meeting of state Congress political affairs, election strategy and coordination committees through video conferencing. Shukla said the party must put in concerted efforts to win maximum seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections slated this month. He also inquired about the state partys strategy for the PRI polls. Though these elections are not being held on party symbols, efforts should be made to bring people of the party ideology forward and get them elected, said Shukla adding that this would strengthen the party base in the hill-state. He felt the need for better coordination and mutual cohesion for success in elections. Apprising Shukla about organisational activities in the state, Himachal Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore said the party was working with full coordination to ensure that the Congress vote is not divided in these elections. The reservation roster has been manipulated by BJP government for its political gains, alleged Rathore. Despite this, he said, Congress is actively playing its role in this festival of democracy. In his address, Congress veteran and six-term former chief minister Virbhadra Singh emphasised on discipline and said now the youth in Congress needed to come forward. Leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri said Congress is firmly responding to every propaganda of the ruling BJP in and out of the House. He said the partys protests against the anti-people policies of BJP government were getting huge public support statewide, claiming unity among members. Former MP Viplove Thakur and former minister GS Bali also stressed on the need to walk together to strengthen Congress. Committee members Kuldeep Kumar, Chander Kumar, Colonel Dhaniram Shandil, Harshvardhan Chauhan, Rajendra Rana, Pawan Kajal, Indradutt Lakhanpal, Rajesh Dharmani, Youth Congress President Nigam Bhandari also participated in the meeting. HP Congress general secretary Rajneesh Khimta, who is the convener of the three committees, conducted the meeting and thanked the leaders for giving their valuable suggestions. (TNS) - Only about 35% of the COVID-19 vaccine doses that have arrived in California have been administered so far, a rate Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged Monday was not good enough as he pledged new funding and efforts aimed at ramping up the rollout.California has received just under 1.3 million vaccine doses, but just more than 454,000 people have received the shots, according to figures Newsom presented.Though he has regularly maintained that distribution of the long-awaited vaccines would build up more rapidly over time, he said the process had, to this point, gone too slowly, I know, for many of us.Newsom provided no clear answer during a news conference to questions about the cause of the lag, only promising a much more aggressive posture and additional details in the coming days.We want to see 100% of whats received immediately administered in peoples arms, and so thats a challenge, he said during a briefing. Its a challenge across this country its a challenge, for that matter, around the rest of the world. But thats not an excuse.The governments ability to quickly and effectively distribute vaccines is critical to Californias fight against the virus and a key test for Newsom. Though his original stay-at-home order helped suppress the virus early in the pandemic, the state is now experiencing one of the highest rates of transmission in the country.Distribution of the vaccine has been slower than anticipated across the United States. In California, the complicated effort has been made more difficult by layers of federal, state and local rules governing the process for health care providers to prioritize patients and administer vaccines, said Matt Willis, public health officer for Marin County.In comparison to a come one come all approach to distributing a standard flu vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine presents a logistically and operationally more complex undertaking for an already stressed statewide health care system, he said. In order to administer the vaccine, providers must be approved by the state. Each person who receives a vaccine must be determined to be in the appropriate tier group and registered in a data management system to ensure they receive an additional dose on time, among countless other hurdles.Our bandwidth is really constrained right now, Willis said. The infrastructure that would normally be dedicated to prioritizing the vaccine distribution plan is overwhelmed with surges in cases.Another hiccup that has emerged in the vaccine rollout has been making sure doses dont go to waste. The two vaccines that are available in the U.S. one from Pfizer-BioNTech and the other from Moderna are packaged in vials that contain multiple doses, and each vial has a limited shelf life of roughly six hours after its opened.State officials have pledged to punish those who try to abuse their power or position to jump into the vaccination queue before their appointed time a warning that has made some providers hesitant to administer leftover doses to those outside the first-tier group of front-line health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities such as nursing homes.In some instances, non-front-line workers have been offered the vaccine when a surplus occurred after all eligible staff were reportedly granted access. The Redlands Community Hospital in San Bernardino County said recently that several non-front-line workers were provided the extra doses. Under state guidelines released last month, health departments and facilities may offer vaccine to people in lower priority groups when demand eases and doses are about to expire.This week, the administration issued what Willis described as a course correct to give local health departments more latitude to broadly vaccinate health care workers, instead of following earlier state guidance to prioritize primary care clinics over specialty clinics, for example.Dr. Mark Ghaly, Californias Health and Human Services secretary, said the federal government gives California a weekly vaccine allocation and the state determines which counties will receive those doses. The local jurisdictions work with health care providers in their areas and vaccines are shipped directly from manufacturers to vaccination sites.Ghaly also said the state is working to clarify that vaccinators should not let remaining doses go to waste.The bottom line is theres a lot of complexities with the vaccine initiative, and we want to make sure the state of California doesnt contribute to that complexity, Ghaly said.Ghaly said the state will continue to prioritize populations that are most vulnerable due to their exposures to the virus and potential health risks.We dont want that prioritization to be diminished in any way, while also continuing to encourage fast and efficacious vaccination of our communities, he said.When it comes to enforcement, Newsom said, were just looking for gross negligence: people that are skipping the line that know they shouldnt be skipping the line, people taking care of people of means and influence, not the rest of us.We have plenty of people that want to take that shot, he said, and the key is to make sure that, while we are enforcing the rules of the road, (we) arent enforcing against just common sense and the energy of someone who says: Look, I dont want to waste this dose. Why dont I get it to someone? State officials are also using survey data to determine how many front-line workers are turning down the COVID-19 vaccine, Newsom said Monday.Los Angeles County public health director Barbara Ferrer said Monday that there isnt a registration system that tracks workers who decide to wait or turn down the vaccine.Some counties throughout the state told the Los Angeles Times last week that, based on anecdotal evidence, 40% to 50% of eligible front-line workers have turned down the vaccine. The hesitancy has affected health care workers in hospitals as well as staff inside nursing homes.In order to accelerate the pace of vaccinations, Newsom said his administration is working to increase the number of distribution sites and to allow dentists, pharmacy technicians and other professionals to administer the shots, while also increasing the use of the California National Guard. He pledged to unveil more details on some new strategies to deal with some of the roadblocks soon.Newsom said the budget proposal he would submit to the state Legislature later this week included roughly $300 million to support vaccination efforts by bankrolling logistics, a public education campaign and other needs.The governor said an additional 611,500 vaccine doses are slated to be shipped to California over the next week.(Money and Shalby reported from Los Angeles. Luna reported from Sacramento.)___(c)2021 the Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. HG Wells fans have slammed a special-issue Royal Mint coin commemorating the science fiction novelist after his iconic tripod war machines were illustrated with an additional leg. Eagle-eyed readers questioned how the new 2 coin, which marks the 75th anniversary of the writers' death and is inspired by The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man, could include a series of errors that stray far from Well's creations. Fans also criticised the depiction of the Invisible Man which shows him in a top hat despite the novel describing him arriving to Iping, West Sussex, with a face bandaged under a 'wide-brimmed hat'. Artist Holly Humphries questioned why the famous creatures known for their tripod bodies had been illustrated with four legs. HG Wells fans slammed the 2 Royal Mint coin commemorating the science fiction novelist after his tripod war machines were seen with a fourth leg Taking to Twitter to she wrote: 'This is a new commemorative HG Wells 2 coin for 2021. 'Now, as someone who particularly likes one of his very famous stories, can I just note that the big walking machine on the coin has four legs? Four legs. The man famous for creating the martian tripod. FOUR LEGS ??????' Meanwhile science fiction novelist and professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, Adam Roberts, joined in with the debate to point out that the Invisible Man, whose face is hidden entirely by bandages, wore a 'wide-brimmed hat'. He said: 'Several people have tweeted this into my timeline, so I might add: not only did Wells' Tripods have *three* legs, Griffin, his invisible man, does not wear a top hat (he arrives at Iping, face bandaged under a 'wide-brimmed hat'). So it's two for two.' The coin was designed by the American artist Chris Costello who explained that he took inspiration from a 'variety of machines featured in the book including tripods and the handling machines'. Unveiling the coin this month he said: 'The characters in War of the Worlds have been depicted many times, and I wanted to create something original and contemporary. 'My design takes inspiration from a variety of machines featured in the book - including tripods and the handling machines which have five jointed legs and multiple appendages. 'The final design combines multiple stories into one stylised and unified composition that is emblematic of all of HG Well's work and fits the unique canvas of a coin.' 'I was very excited to discover that I won the competition for this 2 coin as it is my second design sculpted and produced by The Royal Mint. Eagle-eyed readers pointed out that the monstrous creatures who invade Earth have three legs. Pictured: The monstrous creatures in the 2005 film War of the Worlds Chris Costello, who designed the coin, said he took inspiration from a 'variety of machines featured in the book including tripods and the handling machines' 'As an American, I am honoured to be included among The Royal Mint's winning designers and am very happy that my HG Wells design will document the legacy of this extraordinary author and visionary for many years to come.' The War of the Worlds, which was first published in 1897, is one of the most popular science fiction works of all time and has spawned a number of films, radio dramas, television programmes and even a musical. It tells the tale of two brothers in London as the country is invaded by monstrous Martians and their fight for survival. In 2017, a sequel, entitled The Massacre of Mankind and set in 1920s London, described how the Martians had returned to the planet having learnt their lesson from their previous attempt when they were beaten by the common cold. The book was written by Stephen Baxter, who is known for his collaborations with sci-fi legend Terry Pratchet Speaking at the time Mr Baxter said: 'HG Wells is the daddy of modern SF. He drew on deep traditions, for instance of scientific horror dating back to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and fantastic voyages such as Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. 'And he had important near-contemporaries such as Jules Verne. But Wells did more than any other writer to shape the form and themes of modern science fiction, and indeed through his wider work exerted a profound influence on the history of the twentieth century. 'Now it's an honour for me to celebrate his enduring imaginative legacy, more than a hundred and fifty years after his birth.' When asked about the coin's errors, a spokesperson for The Royal Mint told The Guardian: 'We have created a new 2 coin to celebrate the life and works of HG Wells. 'The coin depicts scenes from famous works such as War of the Worlds and the Invisible Man as imagined by designer Chris Costello.' BRIDGEPORT A Waterbury man was sentenced Tuesday to 14 years in prison for killing a 61-year-old woman and severely injuring two pedestrians while he was fleeing police here three years ago. Im sorry to the family, sorry for your loss. Im strong, Im going to get through this, Joseph Guzman-Rivera said via video while slumped in a chair in the Bridgeport Correctional Center. This was a tragic criminal event, Superior Court Judge Kevin Russo told him. If only you had just stopped when you were asked to as most motorist do, you would not be here today. The judge said in imposing the sentence of 14 years, followed by six years of special parole, he was factoring in, as required, the results of a state study that shows the youthful criminal defendant acted impulsively. On Aug. 10, 2017, Susan Tomczyk had just left her doctors office where she had gotten a clean bill of health on her new hip replacement and was headed to her Bridgeport home when Guzman-Rivera blew through the red traffic light at the intersection of Iranistan and Railroad avenues plowing into the side of a Tomczyks Toyota sedan and forcing her car into a cement wall, according to police. Tomczyk was pronounced dead an hour later from multiple injuries at St. Vincents Medical Center. Last January, Guzman-Rivera, 24, of Cliff Street, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, two counts of first-degree assault, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, cruelty to animals and interfering with police. The sentencing was delayed because of the pandemic. Tomczyks sister, Michele Tomczyk, was unable to attend the court hearing Tuesday because of medical issues. But her friend and advocate, Katherine Ceccarelli, told the judge that Tomczyk has continually suffered from depression as a result of her sisters death. I can never have my sister back, but I want to see justice done, Ceccarelli read from a brief statement from Tomczyk. The serious nature of this offense calls out for you to impose the recommended sentence, added Supervisory Assistant States Attorney C. Robert Satti Jr. Guzman-Riveras mother, Shirley Rivera, was in the courtroom for the hearing and had been expected to plead for leniency for her son. Instead, turning to Ceccarelli, she apologized for her sons actions. I am heartbroken, I feel so, so bad for you, Rivera told Ceccarelli. Guzman-Riveras lawyer, Public Defender Jonathan Demirjian, blamed his clients actions on immaturity and long-time drug use. According to Satti, shortly after 1 p.m. Aug. 10, a state police sergeant attempted to pull Guzman-Riveras car over on South Avenue for having dark tinted windows and an illegible rear license plate. However, the prosecutor said, Guzman-Rivera instead sped up, driving through residential areas and a school zone at high speed. After striking Tomczyks car, Satti said, Guzman-Rivera continued driving, striking two pedestrians, William Falcon, 61, and 65-year-old Zordia Mendez. Police said Falcon was pinned under Guzman-Riveras car and caught in a telephone guide wire. Firefighters had to lift the car off him with a hydraulic jack resulting in the amputation of Falcons left ankle. Mendez suffered a fractured left leg and bruises and abrasions on his head and ribs. Guzman-Rivera allegedly ignored Falcons screams from beneath his car and instead fled, jumping fences and running through rear yards to get away, police said. Using the state police tracking dog Nero, police said they traced Guzman-Rivera to a basement on Lewis Street. During a struggle with the dog, police said, Guzman-Rivera began to gouge the animals eyes and punch Nero in the head and face. State police said they hit Guzman-Rivera three times in the chest with a baton to get him to release his grip on the dog. During a search of Guzman-Rivera, the prosecutor said, police found nine bundles and three folds of heroin, 12 bags of crack cocaine, four bags of powder cocaine and $250 hidden in his underwear. Body of Sachet Bimali, 23, recovered from Royal National Park in Sydney's south The student from Nepal dived into the lagoon despite being unable to swim It is the sixth death at the notorious Wattamolla Lagoon in the past five years A Nepalese student who drowned reportedly ignored a distinctive warning barrier before leaping over a fence and plunging into a lagoon from a rock ledge - despite being unable to swim. The body of Sachet Bimali, 23, was recovered from the Royal National Park in Sydney's south on Monday evening. ADVERTISEMENT Emergency services arrived at the scene just after 5pm following reports two swimmers had encountered difficulties after jumping nine metres from a rock into the Wattamolla Lagoon. A woman, said to be in her 20s, was treated by ambulance paramedics before being taken to hospital, where she remains in a stable condition. Nepalese student Sachet Bimali (pictured above) was 'living his dream' of life in Australia before his drowning on Monday Mr Bimali's body was retrieved by divers about 6.20pm on Monday, with family and friends said to be in 'disbelief' at his tragic passing. He was born in Nepal before moving to live his dream of studying in Australia. The fatality also occurred just minutes after paid lifeguards, who patrol the lagoon across summer, had completed their official duties for the day. Surf Life Saving Sydney Duty Officer Joel Wiseman was on the scene and attempted to revive the man after he was pulled from the water unresponsive. Click here to resize this module 'After 20 minutes of searching, we found the man who was about seven feet under the water,' he said. 'Unfortunately, despite the best efforts and swift actions of surf lifesavers and emergency service personnel, the man could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at the scene by a NSW Ambulance doctor.' It is the sixth death at the notoriously dangerous spot in the past five years, according to the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. In recent years, National Parks and Wildlife Service have erected fences and warning signs in a bid to deter people from jumping into the popular lagoon, which can attract up to 2500 visitors on peak days across summer. The Wattamolla Lagoon (pictured above) is a popular spot - but swimmers are encouraged to be experienced Police and paramedics (pictured above) were quickly on the scene but student Sachet Bimali was unable to be revived LEWISBURG, Pa., Jan. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Core Business Solutions, Inc., an ISO and Cybersecurity consulting firm, announced that it has been approved and recognized by the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Accreditation Board (AB) as a Registered Provider Organization (RPO). Core Business Solutions' (Core) approval as an RPO signifies the ability to provide training and consulting services to clients seeking CMMC Certification. Core has assisted several companies in becoming NIST SP 800-171 compliant and has training developed to meet the additional controls/practices related to DFARS compliance and CMMC Certification. "We are excited that the CMMC-AB has officially approved Core as an RPO", states Scott Dawson, Founder and President of Core Business Solutions, Inc. "We've been assisting hundreds of American small businesses each year in becoming ISO certified and over the past 3 years have developed a very detailed and comprehensive cybersecurity program to ensure that our customers become successfully certified to CMMC." "Core Business Solutions offers a modular approach to achieve certification. We break the CMMC requirements down into organizational and technical; We provide training for your organization's IT Team or MSP (if you outsource your IT needs), training for employees and management so that you implement a sustainable cybersecurity system that meets CMMC requirements at the level you need," states Tom Bristow, the Manager of Information Security and Lead Cybersecurity Consultant for Core. About CMMC and Core The CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) v1.02 framework was released January 31, 2020. It is a unified cybersecurity standard for future DoD acquisitions. It was created to focus on the security and resiliency of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) sector according to the OUSD(A&S) and the DoD. The first contracts with CMMC Certification will appear in Fall 2021. In the meantime, companies need to comply with DFARS regulations to submit a self-assessment based on NIST SP 800-171 and should start preparation for CMMC. Core assists customers in a guided self-assessment, planning with consulting assistance (remote/online or onsite) for NIST SP 800-171 compliance and CMMC certification. Core helps customers develop a System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) with a Roadmap and a budget for implementation and remediation to work toward certification. Core will also help your organization through the 3rd party audit to successful CMMC certification. The CORE Security Suite is included to assist you in implementation and maintenance of your certification. While CMMC certification is not yet available, Core is ready to assist when needed. Core Business Solutions has qualified cybersecurity consultants ready to help you achieve compliance. Core also provides consulting support for companies seeking multiple standards (such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, ISO 20000-1) through an Integrated Management System. About Core Business Solutions, Inc. Brothers Mike and Scott Dawson co-founded Core Business Solutions in 2000 and leverages their proprietary web-based technology, the CORE Compliance Platform, and consulting services to support companies in the United States and Canada. The unique approach to certification includes expert consulting combined with on-line video training, documents, compliance software, and consulting services and support to maintain certification. Links https://www.thecoresolution.com/cmmc SOURCE Core Business Solutions Inc. Over summer, the couple used a yacht to reach the nearest mainland and stock up on food for winter. A couple from Britain has miraculously managed to evade the entire coronavirus pandemic by moving to a tiny island with no electricity, gas, and running water. According to a report by Mirror, Luke and Sarah Flanagan moved to the Owey Island off the west coast of County Donegal in Ireland on 14 March, barely two days before the UK went into the coronavirus lockdown. However, as per the report, the couple had no idea about the impending pandemic and claim that the purpose of their stay on the 300-acre island was to take a year out to enjoy a slower pace of life. Subsequently, the two have managed to remain isolated and keep themselves safe from the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the entire world. According to a report by The Sun, the couple, originally from Leeds, West Yorkshire, was living in the Scottish Highlands when they saw an online advertisement offering the opportunity to live in a small cottage on rent and decided to move there. Over summer, the couple used a yacht to reach the nearest mainland and stock up on food for winter. The pair describes the experience as incredible. In an interaction with the publication, Sarah said that she spoke to her mum in Leeds and cannot believe what has been going on. According to Sarah, they are living in a little cottage with a fire using coal they stocked up over summer. She added that they use a tank to collect rainwater and cook using big gas bottles. They make use of solar panels which they have attached to their car battery to charge throughout the day before charging their phones. Luke, a joiner, revealed it was strange hearing about everything that had happened while they were isolated on the island. While there are some houses on Owey, they are only inhabited in summer and according to local history books, the last time anyone spent winter there was 1974. A blasphemy law proscribing a certain word may raise awareness that a certain public behavior is socially unacceptable, but it cannot do very much more if the underlying attitudes have social acceptability. Joining the Dots is a fortnightly column by author and journalist Samrat in which he connects events to ideas, often through analysis, but occasionally through satire. *** It is the peak of winter everywhere in the northern hemisphere, including the great city of Kolkata. Like millions of people around the world, I have just spent a whole year getting to know my family members better. On the rare occasions that I have stepped out in recent times, I have been troubled by the sight of people walking around the city not wearing an essential protective covering. I am referring, of course, to the monkey cap. I dont know what has happened to my fellow Bengalis these days. They are not wearing their monkey caps. Back when I was growing up in Shillong, we used to see hordes of visiting Bengali tourists during the summer and Durga Puja holidays. Since Pujas are in autumn, when minimum temperatures in Shillong fall to as low as a Bengali-freezing 14 degrees, the visitors would step out properly accoutered against the elements in the essential multi-pack of topi, muffler and sweater. The topi to beat all topis was, of course, the balaclava or monkey cap. We could always recognise the tourists whenever we saw a crowd with their heads and faces covered like bank robbers or Everest mountaineers, walking around the streets in search of fish and rice restaurants. The association of the Bengali with the monkey cap, often made in a humorous way, is something that we are all used to. It may be that some people have started taking the jokes seriously and consciously avoid the stereotype. Or it may be that theres nothing more at work than fashions changing, and one glorious day monkey caps and bell bottom trousers will make a triumphant return. In any case, no offence is usually taken to the humour around this stereotype a rare example in todays world, where any joke about any group becomes immediate cause for outrage. The pushback against politically-incorrect humour, like the pushback against the new farm laws, was led by people from Punjab. Journalist and writer Khushwant Singh, who authored, among much else, a series of popular joke books, was one of those who faced the heat in the early days of activism against stereotypes in humour. In 2004, he received notices from the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, the organisation that manages gurdwaras of north India, for his sardar jokes. Singhs books, with their Santa-Banta references, however continued to publish and sell. Eventually, a bunch of court cases against such jokes was filed, and the matter reached the Supreme Court. The honourable judges asked how a ban might be enforced, and said, We are clear on the issue that the courts cannot lay down moral guidelines for citizens. We cannot issue guidelines to regulate individuals. The court had also observed that, Today it is Sikhs. Tomorrow, people from the North East will come and seek a direction that there should be a ban on anyone referring to them as ch*nk*es. Day after that, the people living below Vindhyachal will seek a ban on North Indians referring to them as Madrasis. There is no ban yet on the word 'Madrasi' but the word 'ch*nk*' to refer to people from North East India is indeed banned now not by the courts, but by the Home Ministry. The aim of the ban, instituted after the death of a young Arunachali man in Delhi following a fight that began with racial abuse, was to curb attitudes of racism towards people from the region in mainland India. This was perhaps a necessary step to help raise awareness that such racial discrimination is wrong. However, there has never been any attempt to curb similar attitudes in the North East itself, where ethnic and racial tensions are commonplace and ancient. Outsiders are referred to as 'dkhar' in the Khasi Hills, 'vai' in Mizoram, 'mayang' in Manipur, 'bongal' in Assam. Different Naga tribes have their own languages and different words for the outsider. There is even a popular acronym, 'IBI', which stands for 'Illegal Bangladeshi Infiltrator', that may be used for anyone whose name, religion, linguistic background and appearance match the stereotype. Every state has its own versions of the term, and the reference is generally to ethnicity, race and religion, not residency and citizenship. These are therefore racial terms. They are generally not used in jokes. They are used in all seriousness and have actual consequences for the outsiders, who constitute local minorities that have faced violent targeted attacks down the years in various parts of the region, and continue to face stereotyping that can land them in detention camps even now. Also read on Firstpost Unpacking 'chinki': Unlike 'dkhar', a term used for non-tribals, the slur is rooted in racial derision, power dynamics And yetwould banning all the derogatory and often racist terms for outsiders in the North East change peoples attitudes? A blasphemy law proscribing a certain word may raise awareness that a certain public behavior is socially unacceptable, but it cannot do very much more if the underlying attitudes have social acceptability. I remember a conversation with a person from the North East after the word 'ch*n*' was banned in India. Yes, she said, the kind of boys who used to call out that term to harass her had stopped using it. Now they were shouting 'momo' instead. One can imagine a situation where, gradually, the entire Tibetan and Chinese menu are banned by the government of India, but even that would not suffice to end such verbal harassment, so long as boys catcalling girls continues. Any word from 'pancake' to 'banana' to 'ice cream' can be perceived as pejorative or loaded with innuendo; the insult is not in the meaning of the word but in the context and perceived intent of the speaker. This is why the worst abuses can be and indeed are often used, especially among school and college friends, as terms of familiarity and even of endearment. The gaalis signify old friendships. The same words used in the street for a stranger would lead to an immediate altercation or fight. The idea of politically correct language, and especially of politically correct humour, misses a crucial point: the meaning of a word is not solely contained in the word itself. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. ArcelorMittal has signed a definitive agreement with Nippon Steel Corporation to build an electric arc furnace (EAF) at AM/NS Calvert in Alabama, US, a 50:50 joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel. ArcelorMittal first announced its intention to build an EAF at AM/NS Calvert on August 12, 2020. Construction of the 1.5 million tonne capacity EAF, which will cost $775 million, will commence in 2021 and come onstream in the first half of 2023. The project will be funded by AM/NS Calvert. Commenting, Brad Davey, CEO, ArcelorMittal North America, said: This is an important project for AM/NS Calvert which builds additional flexibility to its slab sourcing and will increase its responsiveness to short lead time orders. AM/NS Calvert is already one of the worlds finest steel finishing facilities. Adding this state-of-the-art EAF will further strengthen its capabilities and enhance its ability to serve its full range of customers. I am very pleased we will be undertaking this with Nippon Steel; it is a natural extension of our existing, successful partnership. - TradeArabia News Service Pinduoduo users attend the company's listing ceremony at the Shanghai Tower on July 26, 2018. Yin Liqin/China News Service/Visual China Group via Getty Images A 22-year-old employee of Pinduoduo, a Chinese e-commerce platform, collapsed and died after leaving work at 1:30 a.m. on December 29. Pinduoduo gave no official cause of death, but the woman has been hailed as the latest victim of the "996" culture fuelling China's tech industry. "996" sees staffers work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, and has been praised by top executives like Alibaba founder Jack Ma and JD.com CEO Richard Liu Qiangdong. Chinese tech workers have long protested the rise of the trend, but authorities have taken few steps to counter it. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. At 1:30 a.m. on December 29, a 22-year-old woman was walking home from work on the outskirts of Urumqi, the capital city of China's Xinjiang region, when colleagues saw her grab her stomach and fall to the sidewalk. Paramedics spent six hours trying to revive her, but it was in vain. She died six hours later in the hospital, according to the South China Morning Post. The woman, identified only by the last name Zhang, had been an employee of Pinduoduo, one of the largest e-commerce companies in China and the world. Zahng was six months into a job at Pinduoduo, and has been hailed as the latest victim of what is known as the "996" work culture plaguing China's tech industry. WATCH: U.S. may add Alibaba, Tencent to China stock ban Under "996," early-career tech employees are encouraged - and expected - to work gruelling shifts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., plus overtime, for six days a week. The regimen has been praised by top Chinese executives including Alibaba founder Jack Ma and JD.com founder Richard Liu Qiangdon, but has been slammed with equal vigor by activists and employees. Ma, who came from nothing and became China's richest man, said in April 2019 it was a "huge blessing" to work overtime and 72-hour weeks as a young employee. Over the weekend, a hashtag used to mark Zhang's death and identify her as a victim of "996" had garnered millions of views on Weibo, Bloomberg reported. Story continues In its Monday statement, Pinduoduo did not give a cause of death for Zhang, the South China Morning Post reported. Her death is widely believed to have been caused by overwork, and the woman's family has reportedly declined the offer of a post-mortem examination. People are seen at their desks at Pinduoduo's headquarters in Shanghai in 2018. Reuters 'Sacrificing our health in exchange for a paycheck' Pinduoduo is also in hot water for comments made by one of its official online accounts earlier this week under a post about Zhang's death, according to Shine, an affiliate of the state-owned Shanghai Daily newspaper. "All of us grassroots people are sacrificing our health in exchange for a paycheck," the verified Pinduoduo account commented on the web forum Zhihu. The post was deleted shortly after, but not before it had spread on social media. On Sunday, Pinduoduo apologized for the post, and blamed a contractor named Li who was working for the company. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to the public and we strongly object to the views expressed in the post. This does not reflect our official stance on this heartbreaking matter," the statement said. The rise of "996" has been met with little official resistance in China, with authorities dragging their feet in acknowledging the problem. However, as a result of the backlash over Zhang's death, the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau said it would send an investigative team to Pinduoduo to examine the company's work practices, the Post reported. While Zhang died in Xinjiang, Pinduoduo is headquartered in Shanghai. Alibaba founder Jack Ma gestures during an event in Hong Kong in November 2017. ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images '996' has long plagued China's tech workers A number of other Chinese tech giants have been implicated in encouraging "996." "We spend most of our weekends in the office," a employee of Tencent wrote to a senior executive at the company, according to The Wall Street Journal. "Our bodies have been in overloaded conditions for an extended period of time." In early 2019, Chinese tech workers protested the "996" workweek on the code-hosting site GitHub, where they outed companies, like Alibaba, that had cultures of excessive overtime. Marlon Mai, a Shanghai-based managing director at the recruitment consultancy Morgan McKinley, told Bloomberg: "Chinese internet companies should think beyond reaching unicorn status and IPOs and a steady, healthy corporate culture is a must for long-term growth." "Employee health is an issue that can't be ignored." WATCH: Where is Jack Ma? Read the original article on Business Insider * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Korea Development Bank Chairman Lee Dong-gull / Korea Times file On Monday, Yashoda Hospital nurse Harjeet Kaur got a text messaging asking her to be at the hospital at 10 am to get her Covid-19 vaccine shot. She was among the 50 practice volunteers called to help the Ghaziabad district administration figure out if they had any chinks in their process before the actual vaccine is rolled out. It took me about 40-45 minutes to complete the entire run, said Kaur. Once I entered, I had to verify my identification which I did through driving license. That hardly took a minute after which I was seated inside a waiting area. In another 3-4 minutes, I was assigned a vaccine session room where the vaccination was administered in another minute. Then, after 30 minutes in the observation room, where the real vaccine beneficiaries would be observed for any adverse reaction, she was out. Hospitals chief medical officer Dr Sangeeta Garg said, We have prepared two rooms for vaccination session and one more room will come up soon. The entire process for beneficiaries was expected to last 45 minutes each and the dry run went smoothly as planned. The Ghaziabad health department completed the dry run at IDST College at Modi Nagar, ITS Dental College at Muradnagar, community health centre at Loni, Gayatri Hospital at Lohiya Nagar, Yashoda Hospital at Nehru Nagar and Santosh Hospital near old bus-stand. During the dry run process, two batches of 25 beneficiaries each were assigned to two vaccine-session rooms each at the six sites. In all, 300 beneficiaries took part during the dry run process. The health department officials said that the actual vaccination process would be similar to the dry run. At one vaccination centre we observed that the vaccination rooms should be assigned a colour and the beneficiaries should also be given similar coloured slips so that they easily can be identified and assigned to respective room. At another site we found that the forms with instructions written for vaccination process were not printed, said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer. He said that at one other site they found that the observation room was in an emergency ward. We directed that the room be a separate enclosure in order to ensure privacy and also to ensure that other patients do not panic. At one other site we found that the home guards reached late. So, directions were issued to the competent officials to ensure timely arrival, Dr Gupta, added. Tuesday evening, district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey also attended a video-conference with the UP chief minister and other district magistrates. The CM told all officials to adhere to strict phase wise vaccination process. People must get the vaccine in the manner directed by the Centre. During the dry run, we observed some issues and they have been corrected, he, added. The health department has identified 21,850 healthcare workers who would be taking the shots under phase 1 when the actual vaccine arrives. The second phase is for frontline workers which are estimated to be about 44000 in the district while the third category will have highest number of beneficiaries estimated to be more than 500,000. We estimate that the first and the second phase will be conducted smoothly while we will have to make extra efforts for the third phase as beneficiaries will be much higher in number, said an officer from the health department. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Queensland police fear the worst for a Capalaba woman missing for more than three weeks, launching a fresh search in the area on Tuesday. Natarn Auld, 38, was reported missing on December 15 with CCTV footage tracking her last known movements at 3.30am on December 14, outside a business on the western side of Redland Bay Road at Capalaba. Natarn Auld was last seen on December 13 and has not made contact with her family since. Credit:Queensland police Detective Inspector Steve Hollands said police were losing hope of finding Ms Auld alive, but still held out the slim possibility after extensive searches. "The family are really distraught, obviously they're fearing the worst. It's been over three weeks now and we still have had no contact from the missing person," Detective Inspector Hollands said. Professor Donal O'Donoghue (pictured) passed away in the critical care unit of Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport on Sunday following a two-week battle with coronavirus A 'tireless' professor who was awarded an OBE for his work as the 'big daddy of British renal medicine' has died from Covid-19 aged 64. Professor Donal O'Donoghue passed away in the critical care unit of Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport on Sunday following a two-week battle with coronavirus. The renal specialist was the registrar for the Royal College of Physicians until his death, alongside acting as inaugural president of the multi-professional British Renal Society. Professor O'Donoghue, who had worked as a consultant renal physician at Salford Royal NHS Hospital Trust since 1992, was awarded an OBE for services to kidney patients in 2018. Tributes have poured in for the grandfather-of-four following news of his death, with colleagues describing him as the 'loveliest person' who will be 'missed terribly.' RCP President Professor Andrew Goddard added: 'Words cannot express how sad this has made all of us at the RCP. Donal was the loveliest person and considered by many to be the 'big daddy' of British renal medicine. 'He was my friend, my wingman and my confidant. I will miss him terribly. 'All our thoughts and prayers go to Donal's family at this time. We are also indebted to the team at Stepping Hill for all they did in their care for him.' A spokesperson for the RCP added the late physician was 'passionate about professionalism in medicine, innovation and quality improvement in health and care.' Professor O'Donoghue also worked as president of the Renal Association and acted as chairman of trustees for the patient support charity Kidney Care UK. The renal specialist (right) was the registrar for the Royal College of Physicians until his death, alongside acting as inaugural president of the multi-professional British Renal Society A spokesperson for the RCP said the late physician was 'passionate about professionalism in medicine, innovation and quality improvement in health and care.' Pictured: Stepping Hill Hospital Kidney Research UK described him as a 'highly respected figure in the kidney community,' who was appointed as the first national clinical director for kidney care at the Department of Health in 2007. 'He used his experience to ensure that the voices of front-line staff, and of the patients that they serve, were heard by decision-makers in the Department of Health and elsewhere in government, and in doing so did a huge amount to improve the delivery of care to patients with kidney disease across the country,' a spokesperson added. Chief Executive of Kidney Research UK Sandra Currie said: 'I worked closely with Donal on the Renal Association board, and through the Kidney Charities Together group. 'I know that the impact of his early death will be profound across so many areas of the kidney community. 'Donal was a great advocate for research, particularly in the clinical setting. For several decades he has been involved in many of our key areas of work, and most recently we shared a specific interest in multiple health conditions. 'For several years he chaired our Fellows Day event and supported the researchers we fund in their work to improve the lives of patients.' Tributes have poured in for the grandfather-of-four following news of his death, with colleagues describing him as the 'loveliest person' who will be 'missed terribly' His son Daniel also paid tribute to his father on Twitter, writing: 'Thank you @RCPLondon and to everyone who has posted such kind and heartfelt tributes. 'We are devastated but reading all this helps, to know he was loved by so many and to see my Dad trending on Twitter today is truly overwhelming.' Northern Care Alliance, which oversees Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, added: 'We're incredibly saddened to hear that our colleague and friend Professor Donal O'Donoghue OBE passed away last night. 'Our thoughts are with his wife, family and colleagues. He will be sorely missed by all our #NCAfamily and beyond.' The Advancing Quality Alliance also paid tribute on social media, saying: 'The new year brings sad news; our AQ #AKI clinical lead Prof Donal O'Donoghue has died from Covid-19. 'Donal's tremendous contribution to the AQ Programme and his passion for QI were inspiring to many and he will be sorely missed. 'Many condolences to Donal's family and friends.' Paul Bristow, Chief Executive of Kidney Care UK, added: 'Donal's impact on the kidney community has been immense. 'Having spent more than 30 years working to improve the care of people with kidney disease, Donal has also been the Chair of Trustees of Kidney Care UK since 2016; and everyone at the charity will miss him terribly. Donal was an inspiration to so many in our community. 'He was tireless in his support for people with kidney disease, never hesitating to listen to all, to highlight inequalities and promote the best possible care for kidney patients. 'His care and support for kidney patients really did make a difference, and will continue to do so for years to come.' Professor O'Donoghue qualified in physiology and medicine in Manchester and trained in internal medicine and nephrology in the east Midlands, north-west, Paris and Edinburgh. He chaired the Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria Senate and was medical director of Health Innovation Manchester. New Delhi : India and Russia on Thursday signed five major agreements including agreement on units 5, 6 of Kudankulam Nuclear Plant in St.Petersburg of Russia. While addressing media persons, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Russia have adopted St. Petersburg declaration which will not only improve their ties but also be a benchmark of global stability. He said India and Russia cooperation has grown extensively and he and President Putin reviewed on all range of ties and discussed how to deepen it. India&Russia cooperation has grown extensively.Pres Putin & I reviewed full range of our ties & how to deepen them: PM Modi in St Petersburg ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 He also welcomed Russias unconditional support on cross-border terrorism. Cross border terrorism par Russia ke unconditional samarthan ka Bharat abhinandan karta hai: PM Modi in St Petersburg pic.twitter.com/cBxnmAx6bq ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 The Prime Minister said he has invited private sector to play an active role in Russia and India to strengthen economic ties. Invite private sector in Russia and India to play an even more active role in strengthening economic ties: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/cbm4rYocAx ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 India and Russia mark 70 years of strong ties in a wide range of areas, the Prime Minister said. Also Read | PM Modi in Russia: President Vladimir Putin says India to formally become SCO member within a week Modi said , Our ties in the area of defence are very strong. Here is the joint statement declaration- #WATCH Live from Russia: PM Modi and Russian Pres Vladmir Putin issue joint statement in St.Petersburg https://t.co/rBIQ0N6rzg ANI (@ANI_news) June 1, 2017 SAINT-PETERSBURG DECLARATION BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA: A VISION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY We, the leaders of India and Russia, in the year that marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, note that the Indian-Russian special and privileged strategic partnership is a unique relationship of mutual trust between two great powers. Our relationship covers all areas of cooperation, including in the spheres of political relations, security, trade and economy, military and technical field, energy, scientific, cultural and humanitarian exchanges, and foreign policy, and helps promote national interests of both countries, and contributes to the establishment of a more peaceful and just world order. Our bilateral relations are based on deep mutual understanding and respect, similar priorities in economic and social development, as well as in foreign policy. We favor the same approaches to ensuring peace and security and shaping a global architecture that reflects cultural and civilizational diversity and at the same time strengthens unity of humankind. India-Russia relations have stood the test of time and have been immune to external influences. Russia unwaveringly supported India in its struggle for independence and helped it to achieve self-sufficiency. In August 1971, our countries signed the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation, which outlined fundamental principles of mutual relations such as respect for each other's sovereignty and interests, good neighborliness and peaceful co-existence. Two decades later, in January 1993, India and Russia reaffirmed the inviolability of those provisions in the new Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. The Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of India and the Russian Federation of October 3, 2000, took the bilateral relations to a new level characterized by coordinated approaches towards ensuring international peace and security, addressing major global and regional issues, as well as close cooperation in economic, cultural, educational and other areas. This partnership was further elevated to the level of a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership on 21 December 2010. Advancing the comprehensive development of the Indian-Russian relations is an absolute priority of the foreign policy of both States. We will continue to widen our scope of cooperation by launching large-scale initiatives in different spheres and enhance and enrich our bilateral agenda so as to make it more result-oriented. The economies of India and Russia complement each other in the energy sector. We will strive to build an Energy Bridge between our States and expand bilateral relations in all areas of energy cooperation, including nuclear, hydrocarbon, hydel and renewable energy sources and in improving energy efficiency. India and Russia note that wider use of natural gas, an economically efficient and environmentally friendly fuel, which has become an integral part of the global energy market, is highly significant for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will assist in fulfilling the provisions of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as achieving sustainable economic growth. Cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy has emerged as one of the hallmarks of the strategic partnership between the two countries, contributing to Indias energy security and energizing broader scientific and technological cooperation. With concerted efforts on both sides, there has been a series of steady and demonstrable achievements in our civil nuclear partnership, including advancing nuclear power projects at the Kudankulam site and transforming it into one of Indias largest energy hubs. We welcome the conclusion of the General Framework Agreement and Credit Protocol for Units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. We will work towards the implementation of the Strategic Vision for Strengthening Cooperation in Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy signed between the two countries on December 11, 2014. The future of Indian-Russian cooperation holds great promise across a wide spectrum covering nuclear power, nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear science and technology. The growing partnership in the nuclear power sector between India and Russia has opened opportunities for developing advanced nuclear manufacturing capabilities in India in line with Government of Indias Make in India initiative. India and Russia commit themselves to earnestly implement the Programme of Action for Localization in India signed on 24 December 2015, and to encourage their nuclear industries to engage closely and foster concrete collaborations. We are interested in launching joint projects on exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Arctic shelf of the Russian Federation. We will develop joint strategies to harness the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of deep sea exploration and development of hydrocarbon resources, polymetallic nodules, and other marine resources utilizing strengths in the field of maritime research and training to develop mutually beneficial cooperation. We welcome cooperation among energy companies of both States in modernizing the existing power stations and building new ones in the territory of India. We will endeavour to develop joint projects in each others countries through sharing of technologies, experience of working in different terrains and climatic conditions, and use of energy efficient technologies for creation and propagation of cleaner, climate friendly and affordable energy resources. Our major economic objectives include expanding trade and investment and diversification of trade in goods and services, in particular increasing the share of high-technology products in bilateral trade, fostering industrial cooperation, improving the environment for entrepreneurship and investments and developing cooperation in banking and financial matters between the two countries. As the next stage of our strategic partnership, we will extend our bilateral technical, economic and scientific cooperation to third countries by undertaking joint development projects in mutually agreed sectors. We will coordinate our efforts to promote settlements of Indian-Russian trade in national currencies to reduce dependence of our bilateral trade on other currencies. We will jointly encourage our business communities to use the existing workable schemes and mechanisms for settlements in national currencies elaborated by the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Russia. We will coordinate our positions in order to develop a credit rating industry that is transparent for the market participants and independent from political conjuncture. In this sense we support work aimed at exploring the opportunities of harmonization of our legislation in the area of credit ratings, as well as the recognition of ratings of our local credit rating agencies. We acknowledge the importance of developing economic cooperation at the regional level. We will facilitate an early commencement of negotiations on a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Republic of India. We appreciate the compelling logic of regional connectivity for peace, progress and prosperity. We believe that connectivity must be strengthened It should be based on dialogue and consent of all parties concerned with due respect to sovereignty. The Russian and Indian Sides being guided by the principles of transparency, sustainability and responsibility, reiterate their commitment to build effective infrastructure for the International North South Transport Corridor and implementation of the Green Corridor. We take note of the fact that both States are committed to building knowledge based economies, on the basis of latest scientific advances and innovation. We will broaden cooperation in designing, developing, manufacturing and bringing to foreign markets high-technology products and strengthen scientific collaboration in areas such as space technology, aviation, new materials, agriculture, information and communication technologies, medicine, pharmaceuticals, robotics, nanotechnology, supercomputing technologies, artificial intelligence and material sciences. We welcome the establishment of the High Level Committee on Cooperation in High Technologies between the two countries. We will work together to step up joint efforts aimed at modernizing infrastructure, explore ways to jointly respond to urbanization challenges, address issues related to ensuring food security, preserving water and forest resources, and share experience in carrying out economic reforms and national programs for the development of small and medium enterprises and in skill development. We will work together to further develop the potential for cooperation in the diamond industry with an objective to take full advantage of existing strengths and resources of both our countries in this area. We will also intensify our joint efforts to counter undisclosed synthetic stones entering diamond market and to support the development of generic marketing programmes for diamonds. Recognizing the strength of Russia in shipbuilding, river navigation and desalination technologies, we will work together to develop joint projects through transfer of technology and experience sharing for developing inland waterways, river embankments, ports and cargo containers towards effective utilization of extensive river systems in India. We will work together in development of high speed railways, dedicated freight corridors, and application of newer technologies for efficient rail transport through joint development and sharing of technologies, and training of personnel to benefit from each others competences in the railroad sector. We will work together to improve market access for agriculture and food commodities in each others country and develop joint strategies through research & development for utilization of existing potential in the agriculture and food processing sector covering an entire spectrum of activities from farming, harvesting, production, processing to marketing strategies. We will work together to explore joint projects for effective use of natural resources in each others country through application of existing technologies and development and sharing of newer technologies for search in the field of mining & metallurgy for affordable and climate friendly utilization of natural resources. We note that India will become the third largest aviation market by 2020 and in this connection, recognize that the Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Government of India provides an opportunity for strengthening cooperation in joint production and setting up of joint ventures in India in the field of aviation manufacturing to serve the demand created and for export to third countries. Our bilateral defense cooperation is built on strong mutual trust. Russia exports its modern military technologies to India. We will upgrade and intensify this cooperation, through joint manufacture, co-production and co-development of military hardware and military spares, with increasing reliance on the adoption and sharing of future technologies, in compliance with the obligations of the sides under the existing agreements on military-technical cooperation. We will work towards a qualitatively higher level of military-to-military cooperation. We will continue holding regular joint land and sea military exercises, and training in each others military institutions. This year will see the first ever Tri-services exercise INDRA2017. We see ample opportunities for bilateral cooperation in space research, with a view to using relevant technologies for the benefit of society. We will continue joint work to prevent and respond to natural disasters. We intend to enhance and actively promote greater cooperation between our regions and states, with a particular emphasis on the Far East region of Russia. India and Russia regard the establishment of the multi-polar global order in international relations as a reflection of natural and inevitable process of evolution of interstate relations in the 21st century. In this regard, we will enhance collaboration to democratize the system of international relations based on the principles of the rule of law and the central role of the United Nations coordination of world politics. We believe that there is a need to reform the United Nations and in particular, the United Nations Security Council to make it more representative of contemporary realities and to respond more effectively to emerging challenges and threats. Russia reaffirms its strong support to Indias candidature for a permanent seat in a reformed United Nations Security Council. We will support the advancement of a positive unifying global agenda, effectively engage in international efforts to strengthen peace and ensure global and regional stability and security, confront challenges and threats, and actively promote just and coordinated approaches to crisis resolution. We will work to foster the democratization and reform of global political, economic, financial and social institutions, for them to better accommodate the interests of all members of the international community. We oppose any recourse to unilateralism or lack of respect to sovereignty, ignoring the core concerns and legitimate interests of the countries. In particular, we do not accept the unilateral use of political and economic sanctions as a means of exerting pressure. We intend to further build up fruitful cooperation within BRICS, which, as a result of our joint efforts, enhances consistently its authoritative and influential role in global affairs. We will continue to develop cooperation within other multilateral forums and organizations, including the WTO, G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as Russia-India-China cooperation. India's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will considerably enhance the Organization's capabilities to ensure peace and stability, achieve economic development and prosperity in Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as improve the Organization's international standing. We will continue facilitating efforts to build an open, well-balanced and inclusive security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region based on shared principles and taking into account the legitimate interests of all States of the region, including through the development of relevant dialogue in the framework of the East Asia Summit. We will further coordinate our positions on the challenging issues of restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East and North Africa, settlement of the Syrian crisis, achievement of national reconciliation in Afghanistan, including in the agreed framework of the Moscow dialogue, using the laid down principles of national sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs, while encouraging the countries to lead the change from within. India and Russia have a shared commitment to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Russia is convinced that India's participation in multilateral export control regimes will contribute to their enhancement. In this context, Russia welcomes India's applications for the membership in Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement and reiterates its strong support for India's earliest admission to these export control regimes. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stress that there can be no justification whatsoever for any acts of terrorism, whether based upon ideological, religious, political, racial, ethnic or any other reasons. Together, we will continue efforts to combat international terrorism, which poses a great threat to maintenance of peace and security. We are convinced that the unprecedented spread of this threat requires decisive collective response on part of the entire global community, without double standards and selectivity, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. We urge all countries and entities to work sincerely to disrupt terrorist networks and their financing, and stop cross-border movement of terrorists. We call for early conclusion of negotiations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism to strengthen the global counter-terrorism normative and legal framework to combat this scourge. Sharing common approaches to providing security in the use of information and communication technologies, we intend to keep working together for developing universal rules, standards and principles of responsible behaviour of the States in this context, on the basis of democratization and a model representing multi-stakeholderism with primacy of the State, in global internet governance. We recognize the necessity to activate bilateral interaction in this sphere on the basis of the Indian-Russian Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Security in the use of Information and Communication Technologies. Taking into account the profound mutual interest, sympathy and respect between the peoples of India and Russia, we will contribute to further developing bilateral contacts in the sphere of culture and sports, including by organizing annual festivals and exchanges. We welcome the organizing of events in different cities in both countries to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Russia in 2017-18. Bilateral cooperation in the sphere of education offers great opportunities. We will work to strengthen cooperation in the field of education through promoting direct contacts among universities and academic institutions and providing assistance to students from the two countries. Our Bilateral cooperation in the sphere of Science & Technology offers great opportunities. We are committed to work together to address global challenges like Climate change, Environmental protection, Clean energy, Cyber security, Affordable health care, Marine biology etc through scientific discoveries and to explore priority areas of common interest. We are working together to create networks of knowledge centers, connectivity of minds and scientific corridors to augment innovation led technology development for societal development. We intend to further foster development of tourism and people-to-people contacts, including by easing the visa regime. We are confident that India and Russia will continue to remain a role model for harmonious and mutually beneficial partnership and strong friendship between two states. Building on the shared vision of development of bilateral relations, we will succeed in further realizing the immense potential of India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership for the benefit of our States and international community as a whole. St Petersburg, The Russian Federation 01 June 2017 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The British chef Leigh Anthony Gardiner, aged 50, who was awaiting trial on the Costa del Sol for the murder of John Pender, an Irish acupuncturist, has been found dead in his Malaga prison cell with signs he had taken his own life. Gardiner was accused of stabbing the victim with a broken beer bottle, who reproached him for allegedly pestering his wife in a Fuengirola pub in June 2019. Prison officers found Gardiner lying motionless on his bed at the Alhaurin de la Torre prison on the morning of 30 December during the morning count. An inquiry into the prison death will now take place but the prison workers' association, Tampm, said the accused man was found "with cords tied around his neck, which appeared to indicate it wasn't a natural death" and an autopsy report points to suicide. Gardiner, who worked as a chef in a Costa resort and lived in Mijas with his wife and children, had been held in the Malaga prison since June 2019 when he was arrested for the murder of John Pender, a 55-year-old Irishman who was on holiday with his family. Bottle attack Police investigations revealed that an argument started after the alleged attacker had been trying to start conversations with several women in the bar and had bothered the victim's partner. The two men, who didn't know each other, got into an argument. At one point the victim went to the toilet and the other man followed him, according to the National Police, attacking him several times with two broken bottles. The victim suffered cuts to several parts of the body, one to the neck. He managed to reach the door of the bar where he collapsed. Despite attempts the emergency services were unable to save him and the man died at the scene. The alleged killer attempted to leave the bar after the attack but was held back by security staff until National Police officers arrived and arrested him. Gardiner was sent to prison, without bail, on suspicion of murder and was still awaiting trial when he was found dead on the morning of 30 December in module 5 of the Alhaurin de la Torre prison. President Donald Trump gave a quick shoutout to Claudia Tenney at a rally Monday night and suggested that New York election officials keep finding votes in her undecided election for Congress. Trump falsely claimed that he won Georgia in the presidential election and made baseless accusations of voter fraud in the state before briefly mentioning Tenneys undecided election against Anthony Brindisi. We won 25 of 26 tossup House races, and I think we have one that were waiting for, Trump told a crowd in Dalton, Georgia, where he stopped to rally voters ahead of todays runoff elections in the state for two U.S. Senate seats. Turning to the undecided 22nd Congressional District election, Trump said, Did you see the one in New York where Claudia a good woman they keep finding votes? They keep finding votes. Shes up by 18. Oh, we just found 19 votes. Trump made his comments a day after a recording surfaced of a telephone call in which he pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, to find enough votes to reverse Trumps loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the state. In the undecided election between Tenney, a Republican from New Hartford, and Brindisi, D-Utica, both candidates have taken turns leading the vote count as election officials corrected mistakes and tallied a record number of absentee and affidavit ballots. Tenney benefited from the one case involving ballots that were misplaced and found weeks later by election officials. Tenney led by more than 28,000 after votes at the polls were tallied election night. But Brindisi steadily erased that lead as he won more than 75% of the absentee and affidavit ballots counted after Election Day in the eight-county district. Brindisi was up by 12 votes before Herkimer County election officials found an error that gave Tenney the lead by 13 votes at the end of November. The next day, Chenango County election officials told a judge presiding over disputed ballots that they had found 55 uncounted affidavit ballots that had been mislaid in their offices. When those ballots were counted, Tenney increased her lead to 19 votes. Since then, she has increased her lead to 29 votes as both campaigns fought for disputed ballots to be counted. Despite the changing vote totals, state Supreme Court Justice Scott DelConte has said there is no voter fraud in an election where more than 318,000 people voted for Brindisi, Tenney or Libertarian Keith Price. DelConte, the judge overseeing the court review of disputed ballots, wrote in a Dec. 8 ruling, To be clear, there is absolutely no evidence or even an allegation before this court of any fraud on the part of the (election) boards or the campaigns. Tenneys campaign lawyers in court today questioned whether one ballot was fraudulent because a womans last name did not appear to match a signature on her ballot. Thanks for the #NY22 shoutout & support @realdonaldtrump! We are up 29 votes but its not over yet! This election has proven our system is broken we need free & fair elections not last minute, partisan rule changes! Help us fight back and win! pic.twitter.com/r7ooiMZql2 Claudia Tenney (@claudiatenney) January 5, 2021 Trump spent a large portion of his 90-minute rally in Georgia making baseless claims that he lost the state because of election fraud. Theres no way we lost Georgia, Trump told the crowd. Theres no way. That was a rigged election, but were still fighting it. Tenney thanked Trump for the shoutout in a tweet today but stopped short of alleging election fraud. We are up 29 votes but its not over yet! Tenney wrote. This election has proven our system is broken we need free & fair elections not last minute, partisan rule changes! Help us fight back and win! Pat Lohmann contributed to this report. MORE ON THE NY-22 ELECTION Court case to decide winner in NY-22 House race to take at least another week Brindisi, Tenney argue, vote by vote, in epic nail-biter. How perfect does a voter have to be? Tenney keeps lead in undecided NY-22 election as ballots go to judge All eyes turned to court battle over NY 22nd election. Then it took a week off. Why? Tenneys friends question integrity of House election, raise money for recount Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 NASA's Lucy mission is one step closer to launch as L'TES, the Lucy Thermal Emission Spectrometer, has been successfully integrated on to the spacecraft. "Having two of the three instruments integrated onto the spacecraft is an exciting milestone," said Donya Douglas-Bradshaw, Lucy project manager from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The L'TES team is to be commended for their true dedication and determination." Lucy will be the first space mission to study the Trojan asteroids, leftover building blocks of the Solar System's outer planets orbiting the Sun at the distance of Jupiter. The mission takes its name from the fossilized human ancestor (called "Lucy" by her discoverers) whose skeleton provided unique insight into humanity's evolution. Likewise, the Lucy mission will revolutionize our knowledge of planetary origins and the birth of our solar system more than 4 billion years ago. L'TES, developed by a team at Arizona State University (ASU), is effectively a remote thermometer. It will measure the far infrared energy emitted by the Trojan asteroids as the Lucy spacecraft flies by an unprecedented seven of these objects during this first ever mission to this population. The instrument arrived at Lockheed Martin Space on December 13 and was successfully integrated on to the spacecraft on December 16. By measuring the Trojan asteroids' temperatures, L'TES will provide the team with important information on the material properties of the surfaces. As the spacecraft will not be able to touch down on the asteroids during these high speed encounters, this instrument will allow the team to infer whether the surface material is loose, like sand, or consolidated, like rocks. In addition, L'TES will collect spectral information using thermal infrared observations in the wavelength range from 4 to 50 micrometers. "The L'TES team has used our experienced designing, manufacturing, and operating similar thermal emission spectrometers on other missions such as OSIRIS-REx and the Mars Global Surveyor as we built this instrument," said Instrument Principal Investigator, Phil Christensen. "Each instrument has its own challenges, but based on our experience we expect L'TES to give us excellent data, as well as likely some surprises, about these enigmatic objects." Despite the challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemics, Lucy is on schedule to launch in October 2021 as originally planned. "I am constantly impressed by the agility and flexibility of this team to handle any challenges set before them," said mission Principal Investigator, Hal Levison of Southwest Research Institute. "Just five years ago this mission was an idea on paper, and now we have many major components of the spacecraft and payload assembled, tested, and ready to go." In addition to L'TES, Lucy's High Gain Antenna, which will enable spacecraft communication with the Earth for navigation and data collection, as well as precise measurement of the masses of the Trojan asteroids, was recently installed. It joined L'LORRI, Lucy's highest resolution camera, built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which was installed in early November. Lucy's remaining scientific instrument, L'Ralph, the mission's color imaging camera and infrared spectrometer, is scheduled to be delivered in early 2021. ### Southwest Research Institute's Hal Levison and Cathy Olkin are the principal investigator and deputy principal investigator of the Lucy Mission. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center provides overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space is building the spacecraft. Lucy is the 13th mission in NASA's Discovery Program. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Discovery Program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. Nancy Neal Jones NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Katherine Kretke Southwest Research Institute The Philippine government's temporary travel ban on foreign travelers from the United States, due to the threat of the new COVID-19 variant, includes those coming from Guam and the CNMI. The Philippine Consulate General on Guam on Tuesday clarified that Guam and the CNMI, being U.S. territories, are included in the travel ban. The travel ban started at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 3, and will last through Jan. 15. At least four states in the U.S. have identified cases of the new, more contagious coronavirus strain, including California, Colorado, Florida and New York. Guam and the CNMI, about three hours away from Manila, are home to a large number of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. "Only Filipinos and dual citizens are allowed entry; hence, former Filipinos who are now U.S. citizens will not be allowed entry. Balikbayan privilege is also suspended," the Philippine Consulate General on Guam said in response to The Guam Daily Post's questions. Filipinos and dual citizens coming from listed countries are required to complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine, the Philippine Consulate General on Guam said. According to an advisory from the Philippines from the consulate general: "Filipino citizens coming from the U.S. or who have been to the U.S. within 14 days immediately preceding arrival in the Philippines 'shall not be prohibited from entering,' but shall be required to undergo an absolute facility-based 14-day quarantine period notwithstanding a negative RT-PCR result." The Philippines' expanded travel ban list includes: Australia Canada Denmark France Germany Hong Kong Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Japan Lebanon Netherlands Singapore South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom (effective Dec. 23, 2020) United States (effective Jan. 3) Newspaper: Armenia officials try to persuade university rectors ahead of snap parliamentary election Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: You have to constantly invest money in countrys image Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Business world has to deal only with tax authorities US: 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine found in watermelons Tesla owners will be paid $ 16,000 each due to slow charging MFA: Netherlands parliament demands that Azerbaijan immediately withdraw its forces from Armenia Security Council chief: Pashinyan-Putin contacts have agreement that Azerbaijan should leave Armenia territory Advisor to Armenia Prosecutor General provides details about incident with Armenian soldier killed in Verin Shorzha Banksy's painting of punk Lenin sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 960,000 CSTO Deputy Secretary-General: Escalation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border requires undertaking of urgent measures Catholicos of All Armenians receives newly appointed Ambassador of Japan Australia closing its embassy in Kabul for security reasons Biden to discuss issues related to Belarus and Ukraine with Putin Armenian acting FM meets with ambassadors of CSTO member states accredited to Armenia Armenia Ombudsman presents human rights protection in post-war period to CoE Programmes Directorate General Germany is investigating Google's position in market France: Sanctions against Belarus will continue Armenia opposition party MP: Azerbaijan is a terrorist state, negotiations can't be led with such a country US to reopen its Consulate General in Jerusalem EU expects to receive over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine by end of September Armenian MFA strongly condemns Azerbaijan's blatant armed encroachment on Armenia's sovereign territory UN still awaits strong evidence that Dubai ruler's daughter is alive Opposition Bright Armenia Party urges Government to immediately address UN Security Council Armen Sarkissian receives Russia Ambassador to Armenia Armenia President, France Ambassador discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border Overchuk: We hope unblocking of links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a success Armenia police officer commits suicide, criminal case launched Armenia Environmental Protection and Mining Inspection Body has new deputy heads Zarif, Aliyev discuss railway routes connecting Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia EU leaders agree to donate at least 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to poor countries Armenian serviceman Mher Hovhannisyan fires gunshot at his head, criminal case launched Soldier who died in Armenia's Verin Shorzha was son of ARF-D member, father of 2 Blinken promises to continue close consultations with Israel on Iran Armen Sarkissian: Armenia's relevant state institutions need to take the tightest measures Armenian soldier commits suicide, opposition speaks on tense situation on border, 25.05.21 digest Yerevan man's body found at Tatul Krpeyan Park Armenia MOD: Reports about Armenian soldiers being injured in Sisian section of border not confirmed EU summit calls for rarly implementation of vaccination certificates Parliament of the Netherlands adopts resolution, EU must demand that Azerbaijan pull out troops from Armenia Kremlin: Russian and US presidents to meet in Geneva on June 16 Spokesperson of community council of Armenia's Sisian: Men got enlisted and climbed to military posts Bright Armenia Party: We are not satisfied with CSTO response EU leaders urge council to review internal border guidelines by mid-June Armenia MOD: Fixed-term serviceman receives lethal firearm injury in head area Dollar still stable in Armenia Armenian Catholic Catholicos-Patriarch passes away Kathimerini: US seeks to increase military presence in Greece due to doubts about Turkey's reliability US Congress members call on Biden to suspend all military assistance to Azerbaijan Armenia acting economy minister receives Montenegro's newly appointed Ambassador Armenia MOD: Soldier killed during shootings from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha Russian MP: Azerbaijani leadership interested in Armenia acting PM's victory in snap elections Armenia MOD reports shooting from Azerbaijani side in Verin Shorzha border section Armenia opposition MP: Authorities promised to separate business from politics, but they're failing to fulfill promise There will be post-election processes if authorities try to rig voting, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan CNN: Putin and Biden will meet on June 15-16 in Geneva Latin America has the highest poverty rate in 20 years Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia applying to CSTO: No one will help you if you do nothing to solve your problems Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party presents list of first 10 candidates ahead of snap parliamentary elections Armenia acting justice minister discusses broad range of cooperation issues with top CoE official Armenia former President Kocharyan: This guilt, this criminal article is on these authorities Man survives after spending 17 days in desert Azerbaijan continues course towards systematic extermination of Armenian heritage in Shushi Armenia Syunik Province ex-governor: Azerbaijani soldiers advanced along length of border two days ago Newly appointed Ambassador of Montenegro presents Letters of Credence to Armenia President Its about bringing Karabakh issue back to right to self-determination, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan Iran FM to arrive in Armenia Ara Aivazian and Austrian counterpart hold phone talks, focus on Azeri army's infiltration into Armenia's territory Kocharyan: Elect todays political team if you are ready to live squatting Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting sold at auction in Hong Kong for $ 30 million 2nd President Kocharyan on Armenia Security Council chief: Do you take that person seriously? "Key" to settlement of Karabakh conflict cant be in one place, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Texas may permit carrying of pistols without special permission Ex-President Kocharyan on Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's high popularity rating: We will wear it down to the root Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Election bloc format must be workable in some logical sense Attorney: Political persecution against Robert Kocharyan is becoming more noticeable during election campaign Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We must do everything so that our domestic politics is not dictated by Azerbaijan Armenian acting defense minister meets Russian peacekeeping mission chief Congress predicts US nuclear spending to reach $ 634 billion by 2030 Russian MP: The effectiveness of military cooperation with Armenia depends on Yerevan as well Delimitation now may create some problems in Karabakh negotiation process, says Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan Armenia ex-President Kocharyan on relations with 3rd President Sargsyan: We go our own way they go their own Judge adjourns hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM for 3 weeks Court hearing over case of Armenia 2nd President and ex-Deputy PM 2nd President Kocharyan: Armenia must show that it will not be subjected to such pressures Kocharyan: You may find yourself in stupid situations if you come to negotiations without any baggage Armenia Investigative Committee: Criminal case opened into soldiers death 157 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia EU helps UN World Food Programme provide humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in Armenia Yerevan municipal council convenes regular session Armenia legislature speaker on situation at Syunik Province: CSTO still has procedures Blinken arrives on his first official visit to Israel World oil prices going up Provincial hall issues statement on Tavush section of Armenia border with Azerbaijan MFA statement: Azerbaijan continues to use Armenian POWs as political hostages Newspaper: There are last-minute changes on Armenia ruling party electoral list Armenia parliament starts regular sessions Newspaper: Armenia 3rd President Sargsyan intensively engaged in election campaign EU leaders call for ban on Belarus airlines flights to their countries Quake hits Georgia, also felt in Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Process of obtaining Armenia citizenship shall be simplified, shall take only few months There was confusion over the weekend over the authenticity of a letter attributed to Muranga Senator Irungu Kangata. The open letter addressed to president Uhuru Kenyatta warned that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is extremely unpopular in central Kenya. The senator, who is also the Senate Majority Chief Whip stated that his own unscientific research over the festive season showed that only 2 in 10 people in his county supported BBI. He warned the president that the initiative to make substantial changes to the constitution was doomed to fail. Somehow the letter got its way to the media, eliciting mixed reactions. Some people thought that it was a forgery, which led the senator to make a clarification. On Monday, Kangata acknowledged authoring the letter, but denied allegations that he had leaked it to the media. Kindly though the letter dated 30th December is authentic,I didnt give it to the media.Someone else who had been copied did I apologise for that.With the benefit of hindsight,I should have copied no one else. Trust substantive issues raised in the letter will be remedied, he tweeted. Kindly though the letter dated 30th December is authentic,I didn't give it to the media.Someone else who had been copied did I apologise for that.With the benefit of hindsight,I should have copied no one else. Trust substantive issues raised in the letter will be remedied. Irungu Kang'ata (@HonKangata) January 4, 2021 Meanwhile, 10 governors from Central Kenya and the wider Mt. Kenya region attacked Kangata for authoring the letter. As a senior Member of Parliament and Jubilee party, Hon Kangata should have followed official government structures and procedures in his address to the President. Such breach of protocol is unacceptable and it raises questions why a senior member of the government leadership in parliament would choose this cheap populist method to address this issue to HE the President whose office is just a few steps away from parliament, the group said. They included: Kiraitu Murungi (Meru), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru) Ann Waiguru (Kirinyaga), James Nyoro (Kiambu), Nderitu Muriithi (Laikipia), Mwangi Wa Iria (Muranga), Martin Wambora (Embu), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka-Nithi) and Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri). Congress certification of the Electoral College votes is the last step of the presidential election process, required by the Constitution, before the oath of office is taken Jan. 20. It is a routine and humdrum procedure rarely paid any attention even by the most politically engaged citizens because, by then, any debate about who won in November has been stilled by bipartisan acceptance of the results. But not in 2021. Wednesdays certification wont be routine because of the decisions by a number of Republican members of the House and Senate to placate President Donald Trump and join him in challenging the result of an election that he lost by more than 7 million votes. This refusal to acknowledge reality and the will of the American electorate is disgraceful and disturbing, and it will undermine confidence in our elections. For a couple of days last week, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley had the limelight to himself when he announced he wouldnt vote to certify the Electoral College results. But on Saturday, 11 additional senators or senators-elect, led by Texas junior Sen. Ted Cruz, signed a letter stating theyd also vote against certification and demanding an emergency 10-day audit of election results. Like Hawley and the House Republicans who wont vote to certify, they will only challenge votes in the states won by Biden, states whose African American voters put him over the top. The letter is a masterpiece of hypocrisy, specious arguments and stunning lack of self-awareness. Its second paragraph reads: When the voters fairly decide an election, pursuant to the rule of law, the losing candidate should acknowledge and respect the legitimacy of that election. And, if the voters choose to elect a new office-holder, our Nation should have a peaceful transfer of power. The letter itself undercuts this principle. The voters have done their part, but the losing candidate, Trump, and the signers of this missive are not acknowledging and respecting the legitimacy of the election and are standing in the way of a peaceful transfer of power. Then there are these gems: The 2020 election, however, featured unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities. Voter fraud has posed a persistent challenge in our elections, although its breadth and scope are disputed. By any measure, the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes. The unprecedented allegations of voter fraud were falsely started by Trump, repeated by Trump, and echoed by his media and political allies for months before the election and in the two months since. The allegations exceed any in our lifetimes because weve never had a president in our lifetimes, or the lifetime of our nation, so brazenly, prolifically and recklessly lie about something that did not happen. Cruz offered to carry these lies into the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of Trump. It was a hollow offer since there was little chance that would ever happen. Whatever one thinks of Cruz, he is neither dumb nor misinformed. But he is calculating and cynical. The question with Cruz is one of character and integrity, as he advocates disenfranchising millions of Biden voters. Is this really about voter fraud or whats best for Cruz come 2024? Its not as if Cruz doesnt have the experience of being accused by Trump of rigging an election. After Cruz won the 2016 Iowa caucus, Trump claimed it was stolen from him and Cruz committed voter fraud. Yet Cruz stands with Trump today. The man who, in 2016, mocked Cruzs wife and accused his father of being in on JFKs assassination. The man Cruz, also in 2016, called a pathological liar, utterly amoral and a narcissist at a level I dont think this countrys ever seen. On the same day Cruz and company announced they wouldnt certify the Electoral College votes in some states, Trump was begging and threatening Georgias secretary of state to find the votes needed to reverse Bidens victory there. This is what Cruz believes in? Senator, have you no decency? South Korea has dispatched military forces to the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran Revolutionary Guard seized a Korean-flagged oil tanker yesterday. According to Arirang News, the dispatched force is South Korea's anti-piracy unit. It comprises a 300-strong force, a helicopter, and a 400-ton destroyer. "The South Korean tanker was stopped in the waters of the Persian Gulf" because of environmental pollution, the IRGC Navy said, as carried by the Iranian Fars News Agency. The ship is headed to one of the ports in Iran, where the issue "will be examined," according to the IRGC Navy. The operator of the vessel has denied the allegations. The reported incident in the Gulf comes amid strained relations between Iran and South Korea, which has frozen Iranian oil money accounts due to the U.S. sanctions, maritime security experts say. The South Korea-flagged tanker, Hankuk Chemi, was traveling from Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrying ethanol when it was stopped by vessels of the IRGC Navy in the Strait of Hormuz early on Monday. South Korea immediately issued a statement demanding the release of the vessel and its crew of 20. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Iran has stepped up pressure on South Korea, which froze billions of oil export revenue dollars in Iran-held accounts amid U.S. sanctions. "It is appalling to see that Korean banks have conveniently neglected their obligations, common international financial agreements, and decided to play politics and follow illegal and unilateral U.S. sanctions," the governor of Iran's central bank told Bloomberg. In December 2019, in an attempt to force Seoul to release the money, Iran slapped South Korea with a bill for $6 billion worth of crude oil deliveries. According to reports at the time, South Korea had deposited the money at two local banks but had not transferred it to Iran because of the U.S. sanctions. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: [January 05, 2021] Eagle Life Insurance Company names Gregory Alberti Head of National Accounts Eagle Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company, has announced Gregory Alberti will be joining the company as Head of National Accounts effective Jan. 5, 2021. In this role, Alberti will be managing all aspects of Eagle Life's distribution relationships, new business development and ensuring alignment with partner firm platforms and product needs. Alberti will report directly to Graham Day, President of Eagle Life and lead the National Accounts team. "We are very excited to have Greg Alberti join the management team here at Eagle Life and grow our people and technical capabilities," Day said. "Greg brings a great reputation in this industry as a leader in people development, business development and firm relationship management. Greg also possesses a deep knowledge of the ever-evolving platforms and products that our bank and broker-dealer partners are utilizing. As Eagle Life is a key piece of the American Equity 2.0 strategy, Greg's contributions will lead us in 2021 and beyond as we strive to become the partner of choice with firms across theindustry." Alberti joins Eagle Life with nearly 25 years in the financial services industry. He most recently served at Protective Life Insurance where he was a Managing Director and Vice President of Business Development and Fee-Based Distribution. Prior to Protective, Alberti was Head of Strategic Relationship Management and RIA Distribution at Great West. There, he successfully negotiated numerous new distribution relationships and completed launches of annuity and life products within his first two years. He was instrumental in expanding their RIA channel distribution both beyond captive firms to general distributors, as well. Alberti had also spent 11 years at AIG Financial Distributors as Head of Strategic Account Management for the Independent Broker Dealer Channel. Alberti received his MBA from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Penn., while also obtaining his undergraduate degree from Cabrini College. Alberti currently resides with his family in Newtown Square, Pa. ABOUT EAGLE LIFE Eagle Life Insurance Company is a provider of fixed and fixed index annuities marketed through broker-dealers and banks. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company, headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa. Eagle Life is committed to providing products with integrity as well as superior service to the representatives it partners with and their clients. For more information, please visit www.eagle-lifeco.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210105005807/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] When I obtained evidence making out the illegality of the Minnesota Department of Healths exclusion of me from regular press briefings, I retained Dorsey and Whitneys Theresa Bevilacqua to represent me in a lawsuit against MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm and MDH press flack Michael Schommer in federal district court. The case was assigned to Judge Donovan Frank, who promptly denied MDHs motion to dismiss my lawsuit. Malcolm and Schommer then settled the lawsuit under an agreement that obligated them to reinstate me to the press briefing conference calls and answer three emailed questions a week from me in the same fashion they do for other reporters on the press briefings. I posted the settlement agreement in Media access in one state: Finale. My questions are straightforward and calculated to advance an understanding of the epidemic as seen or unseen through the eyes of MDH. Faithful readers of this series know that I have followed the share of deaths attributed to COVID-19 that included one of the seven significant underlying medical conditions identified by the authorities as risk factors. KSTP political reporter Tom Hauser first raised the question in late April and again, most recently, in October. MDH compiles the data in the form Hauser reported it on October 25 in the tweet below. As a follow-up to a question I asked on an MDH call last week, they got back to me on latest stats on how many Minnesotans whove died of COVID-19 had a significant underlying health condition. The current numbers are 94% yes; 4% unknown and 2% no. About 70% in long-term care. pic.twitter.com/UoYVMyxHEO Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) October 25, 2020 I first noted this data point in part 26 of this series and updated it, most recently, in part 118. In between I noted it in part 40, part 43, part 54, and part 66. In the first question I submitted last week, I sought an update of the data. Below is the question I posed and the answer I received late yesterday, a week later: 1. Question: Please provide the current data on the COVID-19 fatalities by number and share of all COVID-19 fatalities attributable to those with one or more of the significant underlying medical conditions identified in E.O. 20-55. Answer: The Office of Vital Records (OVR) does not do any detailed analysis on death records related to the specific causes of death, calculate death rate or analyze county population used when calculating death rate. We collect data on all statewide deaths. Our office will be able to provide you a standard file since death data is public in the State of Minnesota. It would include the decedents demographics and cause of death information so you could do analysis on your end. There is $20 fee for an electronic death file for each year. There is $15 fee if you choose to request the file daily/weekly/monthly. Payment for either option is required first before the reports can be provided. Analysis: False. This is the second question I submitted last week along with the answer I received late yesterday, a week later: 2. Question: Please state how many cases you have traced to tribal casinos. Answer: Reach out to casinos/tribes directly These two unresponsive answers baldly violate MDHs legal obligation to me. It is almost shocking. They obviously resent my questions. I will follow up with help from Ms. Bevilacqua. MDHs noncompliance with its legal obligations sets a poor example for those of us living under the reign of King Tim and required to obey his every decree. I asked a third question regarding the distribution of PCR test results by threshold number. They responded to this question at some length. I asked the question at Kevin Roches suggestion and have passed the answer along to Kevin. If Kevin doesnt post it this week at Healthy Skeptic I will included with the set of answers I get from MDH in response to the questions I submitted early yesterday. Kevins review of the MDH press briefing I covered in part 146 is posted here (and well worth reading). The current wave of the epidemic continues to recede, as can be seen in the data depicted in Minnesota Public Radios January 4 update. Malcolm droned on about high risk indicators and cautionary signs in yesterdays briefing (audio below). Walz is expected to announce that he will loosen his current restrictions over our daily lives at a press conference tomorrow, but he will continue to exert tyrannical control for the foreseeable future.